The year 2014 officially comes to a close TONIGHT and we are excited about the upcoming festivities.  As we look forward to the fresh start of 2015, we thought it would be fun to recount some of our favorite moments from 2014.  So without further adieu, here are Oniracom’s Favorite Moments of 2014!

Drew
1.  Finishing my Major Classes at UCSB - School was a large piece of my 2014 so I am happy to be through the really difficult classes, but also appreciate having the opportunity through Oniracom to go back to school.
2. Oniracom Ping Pong Table - The Tell’s graciously loaning their ping pong table has creating the perfect respite from a difficult development problem.

Calia
Arcade Fire at Santa Barbara Bowl was such a great moment since everyone Oniracom was there! They were amazing live, of course and the whole Reflektor tour was one for the books. So incredibly beautiful!
Also getting the ping pong table in the office has forever changed me.

Keir
My favorite moment was bringing my AIGA people to do a studio tour of Oniracom! (you can see the sweet invitation here)
Also Jacob did a presentation based on a deck I made! (here are a couple of images from it)

Haaris
2014 was a great year for this guy. Work wise there was SOOOO much I was blown away from. Hands down the SB Bowl Pint campaigns were my favorite. Not only is it something that will help out the environment at the best venue in the USA; the bands, staff and patrons all loved it! The Pints sold out on every artist run and hopefully that will continue in 2015. Also if you follow SB Bowl on Instagram I was the guy taking pictures before doors open, it was one of the more “fun” tasks i got to do at Oniracom. I must be doing something right cause in the later part of the year this guy now has a corner office, oh snaps!!!!

I moved into a killer new apt in SB and now have a Command Center (man caves are so 1972) where I plan world domination and throw an occasional haduken. Talking hadukens no Street Fighter V this year BUT one of the biggest games this year, Destiny, is in my world and am happy to report this thing is slight heroin for the eyes. Destiny brought me back into the world of 1st person shooters, I love you playstation 4.

Took some time off this year to see friends get married in Boston, and it was a trip to remember. Later this year I DID NOT break tradition and packed on some serious holiday weight this thanksgiving back in NJ and paid to the NY Giants lose to the San Francisco 49ers.

There were a couple of flicks that sole this dudes heart in 2014, Snowppricier, X Men Days of Future Past, & Guardians of the Galaxy are just some. But my fav of 2014 has to be the return of the OG monster himself, GODZILLA. Thank the stars that this was a solid monster movie and not that debacle of whatever it was Ferris Bueller was in the 90’s.

2014 Music was incredible, I should know I am the specialty DJ over at 92.9 KJEE when I am not working here. Here is a link to my best of 2014 show: http://www.kjee.com/MUSICxx.html  Best live show i saw this year was Mr. Jack White. Even though I had a fever it was still an amazing time with an incredible musician. Also Run the Jewels 2 came out and basically saved Hip Hop for me. Oh and I met Lorde.

Cant wait for 2015, STAR WARS Episode 7x menax !!!!!

—cross handle Lightsaber gif—-

Jason
1. Graduating From UCSB!
2. Seeing DJ Koze play 3 hours on the sandy river beach in Berlin
3. Officially joining the Oniracom crew in the office full-time!

Mike
1. Nonstop concerts at the SB Bowl (Grace Potter and Robert Plant take the cake)
2. An epic trip to NYC with my fiancée Nicole
3. My wedding to that same fiancée a few months later

Bre
Perhaps my most important Oniracom moment this year would be joining the team… but to take it all a bit further, I’ve had a blast simply working alongside the team and trading gifts for the white elephant at the Christmas party!

John Hayes
Hut to hut hiking in the Italian Alps!

Justin
One of my highlights of 2014 was four years in the making. In October, I experienced my first and second ever Phish shows at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Jacob Tell our fearless leader has been a Phish fan for a long time. I’ve learned about Phish from Jacob, who plays Phish first thing in the morning when he arrives at the office and every evening after everyone else leaves. I grew to respect Phish from Jacob’s many stories about the influence that following Phish had over Jacob and Sean’s decision to start Oniracom. I had promised Jacob that I would finally go to a show this year, after my attempts in years past had been foiled by conflicting events.
The show was as fantastical as expected, the venue was pristine, and the people came out in rare form. I think my favorite part of the whole experience was finally “getting it.” For years Jacob has tried to sell me on Phish: describing the music, describing the energy and the experience. Admittedly we both knew that there was no way for me to understand the allure of Phish without experience it myself. So, I finally went. I loved it. I bought a hat. The music that I heard at the shows occasionally pops into my head, and always gives me a smile.

Instagram has added 5 new filters to their repertoire and all I can say is, that’s rad.  If you’re anything like me, your favorite part of posting something on Instagram is, in fact, not the actual posting of it, but the editing of the photo.  I find it to be so fun to add filters over photos to get a new look to an image.  It’s kind of like an image accessory in a way.  Want to look mysterious? Go with a filter like Willow.  Want to look really artsy and out of the box? Go with Lo Fi. Want to go with the Tumblr jokesters? Opt for Toaster. 

Now Instagram has created five new filters: Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Aden and Perpetua. Not only that, you can hide the filters you don’t want to use and rearrange the order using the Manage button. So if you have a certain aesthetic you’re going for, you can’t mess it up! You can just hide the filters that don’t match your brand. Can we say, awesome for branding?
There isn’t too much to say about the five new filters that hasn’t already been said, but you can check out Instagram’s very own blog post here

And just for kicks, here are some photos of my delightful pup Tank being a goofball. 

Get out there and find your perfect filter!

Our annual holiday party was a bit bigger this year! We were thrilled to have all of our jolly employees there and also some friendly clients! Since it was a bigger group, our White Elephant gift exchange was flooding with gifts! 29 to be exact. Also, Jacob surprised us all with some rad new Oniracom T-shirts (see below).

Some highlights from the gift exchange:

Tad’s annual drawing
This gift has been won by yours truly now THREE times in a row. Well actually my boyfriend & I. Our luck is going to run out soon…

Tiki Toss
I almost had this one in the bag! But then I had it stolen by Justin, and then it was stolen by Jason again to lock it in his hands.

Kinetic Sand
Still not completely sure why this one was popular as I’ve never seen it in action, but it was stolen 2 times as well!

Marnie the Dog Calendar
Appropriately won by Miss Tracy, we now have Marnie the Dog staring at us daily in the office. Cheers, Justin!

We enjoyed everyone’s company and we hope you all have a lovely holiday season.

Thanks to Tad for taking the most awesome pictures to date!

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The holidays are in full swing.  I’ve personally been shopping like a crazy person getting all the gifts for my loved ones. I’ve been to lots of stores and seen lots of holiday ads, but all I can say is, ‘tis the season for beautiful and poignant Apple Ads!

In case you have not heard or seen yet, Apple has released an emotionally charged ad featuring a girl, her grandmother, and Apple Products.  Say what you will about this, but the advertising strategy, as usual, is perfectly timed, emotionally charged, and overall, flawlessly executed.  The concept portrayed, is if you get one gift, a gift created by Apple, it can become the tool that creates gifts of a greater value for years to come.  The tagline used in Apple’s Youtube Header is: “From one gift come many”. The brilliance of this ad can be unpacked in so many different ways, but I will highlight the three I’ve been most struck by when watching the video over a, ahem, quite a few times.

Brilliance Factor Number 1:
It does not focus on one particular product.  It utilizes the three most recognizable products: the IPad, a Mac, and an IPhone.  This is important because it not only shows the usefulness of more than one product, it stealthily advertises the interconnectivity between the different products.  The grandaughter converts the old song from a 45 to a digital track on her Mac, records vocal and instrumental overlays on her Mac, mixes on her IPad, gives to her Grandma via Mp3 track on an IPhone. 

Woven into the story is the usefulness, creativity and inter-connectedness of each product.  All of this while still getting you to feel all of the feels. Incredible.

Brilliance Factor Number 2:
This ad shows in the last 30 seconds that an IPhone is so easy to use, that even a Grandma can use it.  Please don’t take offense if you are a technologically savvy Grandparent. The point I am making here, is that Apple is subtly addressing the idea that only certain generations can use these products.  All of those arguments are crushed by this ad because there is nobody around to turn the IPhone on for Grandma, There is simply a note that says “Press Play” sitting on top of the IPhone, hinting at the fact that the Grandma is familiar with the product.  Apple products are not for particular demographics, they are for ALL demographics.

Brilliance Factor Number 3:
Emotional impact.  The ad strategy that Apple has been able to execute frequently and execute well, is humanizing their products.  After all, what good is a smart phone without a person using it, or, dare I say, purchasing it? The ability of this particular ad to appeal to nostalgia, yet at the same time a hope for a brighter tomorrow, is what makes it so darn beautiful.

So, go ahead, watch the best ad of the Holiday season.  I won’t judge you if you cry.

This past Friday marked the day long event where the 57th Annual Grammy Award contenders were announced. According to Rolling Stone, the event concluded with “A Very Grammy Christmas” where the five nominees up for the Grammy’s biggest award, Album of the Year were announced. Beyonce, Pharrell Williams and Sam Smith won most nominations (6 each) according to Mashable.

The most surprising nomination was Beck’s Morning Phase, the singer has not been nominated for Album of the Year since 1997 and 2001, however earlier in the day Beck was nominated for Best Rock Album, while the album single “Blue Moon” was nominated for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song according to Rolling Stone. 

Beyonce after just having missed the cut off for the 56th Grammys was a clear candidate, given earlier in the day she became the most nominated female in Grammy history, surpassing Dolly Parton and ended the day with 6 nominations for the 57th Grammys. 

Sam Smith totaled 6 nominations as well, gaining recognition in all major categories including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist to name a few.

Pharrell also racked up 6 nominations, however, impressively William’s name appears on the credits for three of the five albums nominated for Album of the Year which includes being featured on Beyonces and Sheeran’s X says Rolling Stone. Other competitive categories such as Best Rap Album, Song of the Year, and more were announced, we look forward to watching and seeing who take home Album of the Year February 8, 2015.

Review By Tyler Blue

One moment Lev Allanblitz was a fan in the audience freaking out to Michael Franti and Spearhead. The next he was commanding the Arlington Theater’s stage, belting out a verse of Sublime’s “What I Got.” This was just one of many spine-tingling highlights of the first Solutions for Dreamers Festival. Conceived as a benefit for Heal the Ocean, it was brought to life by a team of ambitious visionaries and eco-friendly sponsors. Graced with a talented lineup of compassionate musician and a promenade of environmentalist booths, the spirit could not have been more positive. Throw in a bevy of elaborate puppet, prop and costume designs, and Santa Barbara had itself a multimedia event for the ages.

Early in the morning of what would be a gorgeous, sunny Saturday, Jack Johnson landed on a red-eye from Hawaii. Practically the patron saint of Heal the Ocean, he helped make the night extra special by sitting in with three of the four bands. His bandmate, drummer Adam Topol, kicked things off with a short set from his side project, Culver City Dub Allstars. The sextet unfurled their thick, rhythmic force on the empty theater. Soaring tenor sax solos cascaded on top of the rich, textural base of dub, jazz and soul.

Some artists play music to wake people up while others intend to create an escape. Matthew McAvene accomplishes both simultaneously. Holding nothing back emotionally, his songs have that rare ability to linger on the mind while revealing deeper meanings. Playing only his third appearance with a complete band, this quartet is clearly onto something. Anders Bergstrom’s mandolin stamps the sound with honest Americana while Steve Campbell injects primal power from behind the drum kit.
Review by Tyler Blue

Admirably transitioning from coffeehouse to theater, McAvene’s salt-of-the-Earth voice understands the spectrum of pain and hope on gems like, “Thin Line.” He gave way to a sobering interlude when friend, Danny Riley, stopped the room in its tracks, performing one of his songs. Nice-guy McAvene is also a master puppeteer, committed to wowing people visually as well as aurally. The theme of the event was all-encompassing thanks to an array of ocean creatures dramatically presented throughout the night.. McAvene is pioneering an exciting, theatrical movement, adding new dimensions to a concert’s capacity for sensory stimulation.

If you were trying to dance in the seats during Animal Liberation Orchestra’s set, chances are you came away with a bruise or two. The hometown heroes kept the heat rising as they ripped through an 80-minute set of their typically-uplifting California soul. “Shapeshifter” spiraled listeners through a sonic whirlpool generated by keyboardist/singer, Zach Gill. Bassist Steve Adams used the group’s first appearance in its hometown’s biggest theater to stretch the depths of his low-end frequency.

College buddy Jack Johnson joined the fun at the end of the set, fittingly concluding with ALOs homage to Isla Vista, “Wasting Time.” Beastie Boys-cohort, Money Mark, livened the mix with melodica while guitarist, Dan Lebowitz, dished out a searing slide solo. In between sets, an underwater documentary offered a transcendental excursion to the deep. Dyson Sphere’s dissonant soundtrack evoked otherworldly beauty in the movements of stringrays and jellyfish.

The tone was set just by staring at the backdrop - a peace sign in a bullseye surrounded by bullet holes - and military camouflage nets draped over speakers. A war siren signaled the beginning of our evening’s final phase as the audience instantly surrendered themselves to the guidance of Michael Franti. In the vein of Bob Marley, the 6’6”, dreaded troubadour captivates his people like a true musical shaman. When he asks the crowd to jump up and down, that’s exactly what it wants to do.

Drawing awareness to the human toll of war is a responsibility Franti has taken on with piercing conviction. Like a hip hop Marley, his songs convey simple messages which resonate on a universal frequency. Along with his sonic assault squad, Spearhead, they unleashed an extended set of older favorites and all the best songs off last year’s release, “Yell Fire!” It was a night for deep bass as Carl Young repeatedly strutted center-stage, dropping bombs from behind wicked-cool sunglasses. Drummer Manas Itene from Nigeria gives Spearhead an authentic dancehall vibe with his tropical bounce and towering vocal octaves. Laying down a swinging groove, he turned “Hey Now Now” into a carnival ride.
In comparison to their set days before in L.A., the energy in Santa Barbara was on a whole other level. “East to the West” and “Sweet Little Lies” were both chilling and jubilant. “Hello Bonjour” lit the place up with hypnotic dance appeal while the irreverent spirit of the aforementioned “What I Got” elicited pandemonium. Keeping the pedal to the metal through a three song encore, we were sent off with the one-two punch of “Stay Human” and “Everybody Ona Move.” During the finale, 20 costumed dancers shared the stage as the excess of joy bubbled over the brim. In the midst of it all, the peaceful revolutionary just stood there grinning.

Oniracom is proud to be a partner of 805Connect—a comprehensive database created to provide an official directory and networking platform to connect all businesses in the 805 area code. We are excited to have this awesome service available to us! It’s more than a simple business directory, 805connect is also a “place for public entities, private organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profits, as well as educational institutions to have visibility and connect within the regional business community. It is designed to give you insight into the people behind the businesses in the region.”

Jacob was recently interviewed to be featured on the 805Connect’s Partner page here. He says, “Oniracom is excited to support 805connect because this region is our home. We love the people, businesses and events of the 805, and strive to connect with local organizations on a daily basis. Our love for local has grown stronger the more we invest in this area, and we believe the 805connect network will create a healthy platform for community support and collaboration.”

To signup and learn more, head to their website here.

Here at Oniracom we are pretty passionate.  We are all passionate about many different things, but the thing we can all agree on, is that we love music.  I mean, we really LOVE music.  We all weighed in on our favorite albums of 2014. So, without further ado, here are everyone’s top pics for 2014.  Enjoy!

CALIA:
Tough Love - Jessie Ware
No Mythologies to Follow - MØ

JASON:
1. Caribou - Our Love
2. Moodymann [self-titled]
3. Sun Kil Moon - Benji

KEIR:
01 The War on Drugs - “Lost in the Dream”
02 Spoon - “They Want My Soul”
03 TV on the Radio - “Seeds”
04 St. Vincent - “St. Vincent”
05 Thievery Corporation - “Saudade”
06 fka Twigs - “LP1”
07 Merchandise - “After the End”

I just couldn’t stop playing War on Drugs. I already loved that band but this album was everything I wanted and needed it to be. Only slightly less so for Spoon (a great album to play bass with). I’m already stoked about TV on the Radio after only a few days. The rest are all good too, but honorable mention goes to Thievery Corporation for being my favorite album cover of 2014; it’s perfect for the tunes, title, and theme.

Oxford Dictionary honors “vape” as the word of the year, and I want to go die now because that is the worst thing I have ever heard.  I do not like that word. I do not like the way it sounds, and most of all I don’t like those silly blue lights.  I find them distracting.  Before I get caught up creating my very own version of “10 Things I Hate About You” on here, let me just say this, the English language is full of so many beautiful words, descriptive words, eloquent words.  But every year, the “word of the year” seems to drop a few more IQ points*.  I’m pretty sure we are in the negative field of IQ points now.
I can’t help but to think of Robin William’s character in Dead Poet’s Society

The word very sounds like a vacation into intelligence now.  Okay okay, I’m being tough on the silly “Word of the Year” choice over at Oxford Dictionary, I get that.  But I just saw the Mashable article, which you can refer to here.  and thought, wow, this is why people hate my generation.  So, if not for the need to reference two of my favorite movies of all time,** I needed to write this diary of outrage towards the “Word of the Year”, because the world needs to know that the millennial generation is more than vape-ing selfie-taking baes.  (Of course no judgement if you partake in any of those activities. I know you’re so much more than those things)
All that to say, I hope we can all learn something from this. 

You can read the Oxford Dictionary’s official release as well.

*The one caveat to this claim, is that I fully support the word Muggle being acknowledged as a superior word choice in any situation.
**I have actually referenced three if you have read the above asterisk.  Because, Harry Potter is awesome. Also I know it is a book series, but you get my point.

PACHAMAS are new interactive pajamas that come to life! The brand hopes to inspire kids to make their dreams come true through this unique digital experience. They’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign and they need your help!

The pajamas are made from organic cotton and come with a reality app and companion book, soundtrack and its own card game.The goal of the pajamas is to allow the kids to dig deeper into their imaginations and become connected with nature. It promotes the healthy development of today’s children and makes parents feel more comfortable knowing that their kids are spending their time becoming more involved with nature and learning new things.

Aaron Ableman, the chief creative officer of these pajamas, believes that this is “nutritious children’s entertainment” and it uses the “power of music and storytelling to transform children’s lives”. This is the world’s first interactive dream wear line that “can change the world one pair of PJs at a time.  Help support their mission at their Kickstarter campaign here!