For as long as I have lived in the valley, there hasn't been one band (including my own) that had all the elements and where I thought, "Oh they are going to make it!" ......Until I heard this band.  Silky smooth vocals, great arrangements and sound, crazy cool following and they aren't just playing whatever shows in the valley, they are getting out and playing great venues.  Meet Israel's Arcade!

 

Q:  Who are you and where are you from?

A:  Hi, my name is Israel Pinedo. I am a 21 year old Mexican, American from Coachella California. 

Q:  How would you describe your style of music?

A:  I'd describe my style of music as raw, sometimes aggressive, sometimes more ambient but always honest.

Q:  How and when did the band start?  How did you come up with the band name?

A:  The band started in 2018 when I began recording my first ep. After writing everything I decided I wanted to make it a live project as well and brought along some of my friends to help out. 

The name came from the movie Wayne’s World. I liked the idea of having my name take ownership of something for a title. I also liked the imagery.  I got from thinking about an arcade.

Q:  You put out your first EP in 2019.  How do you feel your style and music have evolved since then?

A:  Since our ep, my taste and my openness to the types of music I want to make have broadened. In high school I was mostly into punk rock and goth music and that was mostly what I wanted to make. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that it’s okay to jump around genres and styles from time to time. Lately my goal has just been to write good songs, no matter the style.

Q:  What is your favorite song to play live? 

A:  I love playing our song Bouquet of Youth. It’s a 10 minute song which even though I’ve played it dozens of times, still takes me on a journey every time.

Q:  What has been your favorite venue to play at and why?

A:  My favorite venues to play at are probably the Observatory OC, The Paramount in LA and The Echo/Echoplex. The energy is always great at these venues without fail.

Q:  Who have been your musical influences?

A:  Some of my childhood musical influence would have to be Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, and Sublime.

Q: You guys have gotten some traction out of the desert and into some great venues.  What’s the goals for next year for you and the band?

A:  The goal for 2024 is to grow faster, play a shit ton of shows, go on tour, put out more music and finally quit my job so I can make art full time. Basically, the same thing we’re doing now just with more force.

Q:  What is your purpose in this lifetime?

A:  I think my purpose is to be an artist, to suffer and to learn, to love, have success, lose and to keep trying to understand myself and the world I live in.

Israel's Arcade debut album “Live Your Fantasy” is out December 8th on all platforms.

 

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/israelsarcade/?hl=en

https://linktr.ee/israelsarcade

 

 

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NEW IN THE VALLEY

There is a new spot in Palm Desert that you have to check out!  Fresh homemade Kombucha, Protein Shakes, Boba, Teas, and desserts that are so good you'll stop what you are doing and drive over to get one when they drop! 

Q:  How did TeaNTea start?

A:  I ran a family-owned Japanese restaurant for over 15 years and closed it at the end of last year due to my husband's health. While thinking about a new business, I wanted to make delicious tea and tea that was good for health.

Q:  Is it family owned?

A:  Yes. It is a family-owned shop, and if the opportunity arises in the future, we would like to open a second and third store. My son, who is currently attending UC Berkeley, also created the logo and menu.

Q:  When did you open?

We had a soft opening that was held on October 2nd and a grand opening was held on October 9th.

Q:   What are your stores specialties?

A:  Our Specialty are Protein Shakes and Kombucha.

- Kombucha is very popular nowadays. You can easily buy it at any market. However, it is completely different from the organic homemade kombucha I make with only natural organic ingredients. It takes 3 weeks to make.  You will know when you drink it. The benefits of kombucha are that it helps your digestion, rids your body of toxins, and boosts your energy. It's also said to boost your immune system, help you lose weight, ward off high blood pressure and heart disease, and prevent cancer. Come and drink it and you will feel it.

- Protein shake is the preferred drink of people who exercise. But it also tastes really good. People who exercise are creating healthy and delicious protein shakes that anyone can enjoy.

VISIT THEIR NEW LOCATION BY THE EOS IN PALM DESERT OFF OF WASHINGTON! NOW OPEN!!!

77940 Country Club Dr Ste 7-2a, Palm Desert, CA 92211

 

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SUE'S DESSERT SHOP

 

My roommate came home one night and told me to try this dessert that he got at a new shop called TeaNTea that has opened next to his gym.  As soon as I took a bite of this wonderful cookie thing, I HAD to know who made these.  This cookie was no ordinary cookie.  It had 2 grapes in it for starters and what looked like a cream stuffed macaron.  The cookie was crisp on the outside but melted in your mouth towards the middle and the cream which I later found out was called Dacquoise, was the most delicious texture I have ever had!  

I started following her page soon after and when she posted that she made Peanut Butter Dacquoise with Strawberry Jam filled cookies I stopped what I was doing, put my shoes on, and left my house and drove over to TeaNTea to snag two of these desserts, and I ate them both with a quickness.  I have never just left my house for a cookie drop lol.  Meet the maker of my new obsession- Sue's Dessert Shop!

Q:  Who are you and where are you from?

A:  My name is Sue (Seungmin) Lee and I'm from South Korea.

Q:  How long have you been in the Coachella Valley?

A:  I moved here in Dec 2018,  but the first time visiting was 2013.

Q:  When did you start making desserts and tell us how you got to be the excellent baker you are today!

A:  I was a sommelier and a manager at the private country club in Korea. I was working with professional chefs for many years. I was very interested in cooking and decided to learn about baking. I went to baking school and got a certificate of pastry chef. i took more special classes such as flower cake decorating, Since I learned baking, I like to try to bake what I saw at the bakery. I love to bake. especially love to see people who enjoying my desserts.

Q:  When did you start your business?

A:  I just started my business as Sue's dessert shop this month at TeaNTea

Q:  What is your favorite dessert to make?

A:  Dacquoise is a dessert that originated in France. It's consisting of layers of buttercream sandwiched between almond meringue cookies. They can be combined with a variety of fillings and toppings.