The rest of the world is finding out what Orange County has known for years…that Josh Hanson of Yellow Red Sparks can write a damn good song! The singer took top honors in the annual International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for “Monsters With Misdemeanors” off the indie folk/rock band's self-titled debut album. Lyrics were assessed on the basis of creativity, originality, melody, arrangement and overall likeability. In announcing that Hanson had won the Grand Prize, the competition described the song as “both chilling and tender, squarely leaving you on a heartfelt emotional ledge.”
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The names of this year's judges haven't been released yet, but last year's roster was a who's who of musicians and industry big wigs. It's hard not to be drawn into “Monsters with Misdemeanors” as it starts off with clever, seasonal wordplay: “There's a chance we could meet / Under the likeness of summer / And there's a chance we could fall / Under the highlight of winter.”
The Weekly has followed the exploits of Hanson and Yellow Red Sparks as the trio won numerous OC Music Awards over the years. We most recently named them “Best Indie Band” in 2012. Now the rest of the country will get a chance to see the trio live as they tour the nation this month in support of their album!
Here's the song that won Hanson the title:
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Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!