Jay Squayed

JAY SQUAYED

Songs about things and the things that follow those things

Sylvie Grace

SYLVIE GRACE

Sylvie Grace is a singer, songwriter and cellist currently living in Chicago, Illinois. She has been singing for over 15 years, and has played cello for 12, performing with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Oak Park River Forest orchestras, and countless chamber ensembles. Sylvie first began performing as a solo artist in 2014, and has since evolved from singing over tracks to creating her own backing tracks with her cello and loop pedal, and drummer Tem. Sylvie blend aspects of jazz, neo soul, hip hop, and sweet acoustic harmonies with her and cello and vocals, and ties it all together with drums. She has worked on songs with artists such as theMind, Jay Prince, Matthew Santos, GLC, and more, and has earned herself a spot in the chicago underground music scene as a versatile and unique instrumentalist and singer.

Olivia Grace

OLIVIA GRACE

Olivia Grace is as a pleasurable break from the norm. Whether she’s writing about candy hearts and white picket fences or cheap thrills and motels, the quirky indie pop singer-songwriter tells tales with a playful approach to the madness.

Heart Shapes Bruises is the combination of swirling keyboard synths, percussion that packs a punch, and unexpected tempo changes that smoothly yet dramatically transition into cinematic, climaxing choruses.

The second EP from Chicago-based songstress Olivia Grace features three new songs, each unique in their own nature.

Listeners can expect vulnerability through smooth vocals singing emotionally-charged lyrics backed by soft, subtle harmonies— of course with a bit of cheekiness thrown into the mix.

Ria Jean

RIA JEAN

Hello, hello! My name is Ria Jean and I am a up and coming recording R&B/Pop artist! I LOVE to sing! I’ve been singing since I was a little girl and I was surrounded with music and singers in my family!

FALTER

Falter is a Hardcore/grindcore/powerviolence band from Milwaukee, WI.

The Most Beautiful Losers

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LOSERS

Loud and sweaty. Quiet and hoarse. Ragged and glorious. Just as bands like The Replacements and Uncle Tupelo did, The Most Beautiful Losers play for the people. They love the dark. They like the dirge. They ride that razors edge between falling apart and blowing your mind. It’s as simple as that.

Inner Decay

INNER DECAY

Chicago’s Death Metal Purveyors

MATH THE BAND

Math the Band the Band is the 6 piece version of Math the Band.

Math the Band was an electronic punk duo from Providence, RI. They used a combination of analog synthesizers, vintage drum machines, old video game systems and shitty guitars to make the fastest, loudest, weirdest music they could.

Math the Band has been around for over ten years, playing over 1000 shows all around the world, touring with bands like Andrew W.K, Japanther, Horse the Band, Wheaus, Peelander-Z, MC Lars and MC Chris

The Protomen

THE PROTOMEN

Presumably you have things to do, so I’m going to get you up to speed on The Protomen in a hurry, so you can make it to happy hour at Applebee’s.

Allow me to make a bulleted list:

-The Protomen have distilled a thousand years of rock ‘n’ roll into a cocktail of rock ‘n’ roll awesome.

-This cocktail is not available for two-for-one during the Applebee’s happy hour.

-The Protomen are from Nashville, Tenn.

-Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey is made in Tennessee.

-TGI Friday’s uses a Jack Daniel’s Whiskey sauce on a lot of their dishes.

-Applebee’s and TGI Friday’s are arch rivals.

-Rivalry is a theme on both of The Protomen’s records.

-The Protomen’s live show is a rock opera from the future about the good, the evil and the in-between. Their records are not merely collections of the band’s songs. Perhaps they are best understood as original cast recordings of the songs from their hit musical.

-The music is epic. It’s downright Homeric if Homer were a robot Meatloaf from the future. That’s Meatloaf the singer (who was also in David Fincher’s “Fight Club” and did a fine acting job, if I do say so myself), not the meatloaf sandwich available at Applebee’s for $7.99 with garlic smashed potatoes, which are delicious but hardly epic.

-There is a story being told on these two records which is as epic as the music. Act I (2005) takes place in a post-apocalyptic landscape as reflected in the the distorted, fuzzy and digital music. You can hear it in the sounds. It makes you feel things. It’s musicalness.

-Act II: The Father of Death, released in 2009 to much acclaim, is a prequel, and as such is set in pre-apocalyptic times. Whereas Act I is the story of two robots, Act II is the story of two men. See how that’s different? You could write a term paper about that. If Act I was epic. Act II is downright Wagnerian. Just wait until you hear it. Oh, don’t wait. I’m excited for you to hear it for the first time. Might I suggest you keep a journal of your listening experience?

-Man, I tell you what, this is where it gets real. Act II was produced by Alan Shacklock (Meatloaf, The Alarm, Bonnie Tyler, Babe Ruth, Roger Daltry) and The Protomen. Mastering was provided by Richard Dodd (Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Traveling Wilburys).

-Yeah, I’m dropping names. What of it? You’ll need those to jack up your word count, anyhow.

-Speaking of name dropping, The Protomen were recently handpicked by Tenacious D to open a number of shows in Canada. Before that, they spent the last six years building a large and fiercely devoted fan base by kicking some major ass and headlining their own tours across the US and choice parts of Canada.

Pine Travelers

PINE TRAVELERS

Pine Travelers create original music that combines the gritty Americana of outlaw country, folk, and bluegrass with old school funk rave-ups and roots rock & roll.

Based in Madison, WI, Pine Travelers have played close to 300 shows in 6 states since their inception in 2013, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, and Iowa. In addition to playing notable Madison venues like High Noon Saloon and The Crystal Corner, the band has also held a monthly residency at Alchemy, a favorite venue on Madison’s east side, for a year.

The group’s songs allow for a dance-able, energetic live show paired with honest, meaningful lyrics reflecting their northern midwest roots. Pine Travelers hope their music reflects their modest, hard-working values: rural values meshed with urban sensibility; engaging sets ranging from rustic roots music to funk grooves with a modern twist.

They’ve also performed fresh and exciting sets at quality festivals including: Midwest Music Festival (MN), People Fest, Steel Bridge Songfest, Moondance Bluegrass Fest, Ifdakamp Festival, and Toodeloo Shakedown Fest, sharing the stage with acts like Particle, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Pert Near Sandstone, The Mustache, and many more. The group is currently recording a new album, to be released in Spring 2016. Audio, tour dates, video, and more can be found at the links below!

6-10

6’10

6’10 is the folk/Americana incarnation of Tobin Bawinkel, frontman for Celtic punk stalwarts Flatfoot 56. In comparison to the hectic sounds of his other outfit, this is a more subtle approach through heartfelt and emotional journeys against the backdrop acoustic instrumentation. Bawinkel is joined by bandmates Josh Robieson (Mandolin, Ukulele/vox) Mike Pettus (Ukulele Bass/vox), Keith Perez (Cajon/vox) and Vanessa Bawinkel (accordion/vox).

MARTIN BARRE

Martin Barre has been the guitarist of Jethro Tull for 43 years, his sound and playing having been a major factor in their success. Album sales have exceeded 60 million units and they continue to be played worldwide, representing an important part of classic rock history.

Martin’s guitar playing has earned him a high level of respect and recognition; he was voted 25th best solo ever in the USA and 20th best solo ever in the UK for his playing on ‘Aqualung’. His playing on the album ‘Crest of a Knave’ earned him a Grammy award in 1988.

As well as numerous Jethro Tull albums, Martin has worked with many other artists including Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Jo Bonamassa and Chris Thompson and has shared a stage with such legends as Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

As Jethro Tull are taking a long break from touring, Martin has put together a band to play the “classic” music from the Tull catalogue. His band is a total commitment to give the Tull fans and a broader audience the chance to hear tracks not performed for many years. The band includes top musicians from a similar background.

The Best Of The Worst

THE BEST OF THE WORST

you only yolo once

Yoko And The Oh No's

YOKO AND THE OH NO’S

Yoko & the Oh No’s are three friends from Chicago: Max Goldstein on vocals, Max Loebman on guitar, and Stef Roti on drums, a raging trio seemingly fueled by Taco Bell, rock & roll myths, and pilfered booze.

It doesn’t quite jive how kids this young (Max L. just graduated high school) managed to tap into a vibe this classic. The band’s S/T full-length debut is crammed with classic rock riffs, swinging beats, and up front, the sassy, done-up style of Max G. emoting loosely and widly like a young David Johanson, possessing a crooner’s voice and a taste for style. Dolled up in flashy get-ups, Max G.’s voice is a growly, beefy thing, a rangy tenor that belies his taste for soul shouters. The prevailing mood in modern indie garage rock is one of stylistic indifference, but that’s not how Yoko & the Oh No’s come across; these kiddos don’t just care, they care a lot.

Listen to the crashing classic rock chorus of “Heart Attack,” the sneering “She Knows It,” and the distorted R&B groove of “Nobody Wants to Know.” “Talking over radio/on the moonlit drive/We listen to VU/Jane says close your eyes,” Max G. sings lovelorn until the brutal kiss-off: “Nobody wants to know if you’re telling lies, ‘cause I’m dead to you.” Max G. sells each lyric the way only a hopped up teen could, and Max L. and Stef crank out the jams behind him like Marc Bolan or the Spiders from Mars, with a barely contained energy and strutting attitude.

Yoko & the Oh No’s S/T album is their first for Autumn Tone Records, which has a knack for finding raw young bucks (turn up records by the Orwells, Twin Peaks, and Modern Vices as a testament). Yoko & the Oh No’s recently went on tour with likeminded rock & roll weirdos The Growlers, blowing minds and connecting with crowds across the Midwest.

DJ 1969

PETER & KATIE

Peter & Katie — a high energy duo of guitar/fiddle & vocals that has been performing in the Chicago area for years.

JOAN COLLASO

Emmy award winner and international vocalist, Joan Collaso, was born, raised and is living in Chicago.

Joan’s flowing sensual melodies, colorful improvisations and soulful stylings intrigue your ear, her spirit will capture your heart. She blends the textures of Jazz, R&B, Blues and Gospel in a way that gives her a distinct sound.

In 1997, Joan appeared singing in the history-making movie ‘Soul Food’. Also she appeared four times, to standing-room-only crowds, at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. Joan’s other festival appearances include the JazzKaar Festival in Estonia (Russia), the Sister Cities Festival in Osaka, Japan, and touring northern Italy for the Central Jazz Torino School of Jazz. Joan has appeared at least numerous times at the Elkhart Jazz Festival and in 2012 she gave her debut performance at the Chicago Jazz Festival where she was named one of the top 5 “must-see” performances.. This year, September 7th 2015, Collaso opened for the R&B Jeffery Osborne artist at the African Festival of the Arts in Chicago. She has been featured on countless radio and TV commercials. Collaso was featured on world renowned pianist, Ramsey Lewis’ “Urban Renewal” CD singing, “I’ll Always be About You.” Three times in 2009 she performed on the Oprah Winfrey show as background vocalist for Susan Boyle, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Sugarland and Tim McGraw.

A dream came true for Joan in 2014 – 2015 when she sang background vocals with Stevie Wonder for his “Songs In The Key Of Life” Concert series.

While Collaso trail blazes her musical talents and performances all over the world she also weaves her extraordinary skills in her community. As an advocate for social justice Joan has written, produced and performed, for school age children and families, musical plays that teach history and promote education, courage and love.

JOHNNY BRITT

Johnny Britt is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, producer, trumpeter, arranger and composer in the entertainment industry. Johnny has two #1 Billboard Contemporary Jazz Singles and currently has a third that has been #1 on the same chart for eight straight weeks that he wrote. Johnny has worked behind the scenes in the recording studio or live on stage with some of the biggest artists and projects in the industry. They are Josh Groban, David Bowie, Jennifer Lopez, The Temptations, Maxwell, Peabo Bryson, Quincy Jones, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Kashif, Norman Conners, The Winans, Aaron Neville, Zhang Liang Ying, Misia, Mark Isham, David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, Mike Elizondo, Harvey Mason Jr., Boney James, Marcus Miller, Take 6, Water For Elephants, Ides Of March, The Lion King, Forest Gump, Spiderman 3, American Idol, The Temptations Story, The Little Richard Story and currently the music producer for the hit TV Show America Sings. Johnny was the brainchild behind the group that he founded that fused jazz, hip hop, rap and soul. That critically acclaimed group was Impromp2 which reached #1 status in the UK Soul Charts and was signed to Motown/Mojazz Records … the group recorded four albums. The group performed at The White House for President Bill Clinton as well as the 1997 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

 

Johnny Britt was born in Louisville, Kentucky and left with his mother and sister that same year to Cleveland, Ohio where he was raised. Johnny, his sister Edna and mother Marie went from house to house living with relatives before settling in with his aunt and uncle.

Johnny’s roots started here in his new home where his aunt and uncle had started a church in the same house where they were living. The church finally moved to a building where the church was called The House Of God. At the tender age of four Johnny became the lead singer of the choir. Gospel music was everywhere in his early years. With guest choirs and gospel quartets Johnny absorbed it all. Johnny started playing the bongos at age 7 … this is where his professional career started with a group called The Courageous Young Men. The group played all over Cleveland and was popular. After a band teacher passed out photos of instruments for the students to review, Johnny saw the three valves on the trumpet and thought that it couldn’t be that hard to play, so at the age of 12, Johnny picked it up, thus beginning his trumpet career.

Playing in concert bands, stage bands, r&b bands, young Johnny started to make a name for himself in Cleveland. Upon graduating from Cathedral Latin High School Johnny attended Cleveland State University with music as a minor. During this time, Johnny wrote his first song “Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do” and recorded it before getting the chance of a life time to study music in Paris, France. During that year Johnny knew that his calling was music. Johnny was able to make such a broad move because his sister and brother in law lived in Paris … they invited him there to study trumpet. Johnny and his mother traveled to Paris 3 year’s prior while he was still in high school. Johnny got a chance to see, hear and feel the Paris music scene. During his first visit to France the biggest influence in Johnny’s life at this point is when he went to a concert to hear the worlds greatest classical trumpet player Maurice Andre … it was a life changing experience. Johnny knew he had to come back to France and study trumpet.

Upon his return to Paris Johnny was accepted into The Versailles Conservatory Of Music where he studied trumpet with the first trumpet player from the Paris Opera Roger Delmette … Johnny studied there for three years and is fluent in French. While in Paris Johnny started to learn more about jazz and began meeting some of the greatest jazz musicians in the world… Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Cat Anderson, Milt Jackson, Richard Williams, Woody Shaw, Benny Bailey, The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Steve Lacy, Archie Shepp to name a few. Johnny worked hard as a jazz/ classical trumpet player. As the French music scene found out about Johnny’s singing voice he quickly became an in demand studio session singer. Johnny started a duo singing group with his sister they were called “ Funk International” featuring Johnny and Edna … the group played throughout Paris. Johnny signed his first ever artist recording contract while in Paris with an independent record label. Upon returning to the United States Johnny went to Los Angeles as part of a production deal. The project was produced by veteran producer Jerry Peters. After returning to Cleveland for a very short time Johnny went to Chicago upon the request of Kahil El Zabar and Edward Wilkerson members of the AACM he met while being on the jazz scene in Paris.

Chicago was new to Johnny and this was his new home. Full of a great jazz scene, cultural scene and studio scene Johnny quickly earned a full time music scholarship from Dr.Warrick Carter at Governors State University where Johnny obtained a BA in Music and won the Gerald Myrow Award for Outstanding Composer.

While at the University Johnny started doing commercial jingle work as a singer and studio recording sessions for records. Johnny formed a music group called CA VA with vocalist Kay Reed. The group signed a production deal and flew to Los Angeles to record with Benjamin Wright at Conway Studios. The group recorded four songs. After receiving his music degree Johnny was asked by Kool and The Gang to join them in the Bahamas for their recording sessions for their platinum album “ Emergency.”

After returning to Chicago Johnny met his future wife Arlene Flores in a club while he was performing in a local band in Indiana. The couple married the following year while Johnny was writing and doing sessions. One of the big breaks that came in Johnny’s career is when he met Otis Williams of The Temptations. The story goes: I was playing with a local band in Indiana when I saw on the marquee appearing “The Temptations” and this was at the same resort where the local band was playing. During one of our breaks I ran over to the back stage and knocked on the back stage door … the security guy opened the door and closed it on me. So I opened the theatre door where the concert had just ended … I jumped onto the stage and walked back to the green room. The first person that I ran into was Otis Williams. I said to him hi my name is Johnny Britt and I have some songs that I think you might be interested in … he looked at me like I was crazy.

He then said meet me in my hotel room the following day at 7pm. The next day I arrived with my songs and he loved them. Our relationship started and in a short while he asked me if I could be their music director … of course I said yes. He told me that if I could write them an overture and they liked it … it would be my job! I stopped everything that I was doing to work on that overture … by this time I had written 3 songs that they wanted to record so I was flying high. They flew me to Los Angeles, had a limo pick me up and put in up in a hotel … this was all a first for me. I went to Otis’s house and played him the overture that I had written. He called Melvin Franklin, who came over and listened to what I’d done. He started smiling and said It’s Yo Gig. It’s Yo Gig in his deep voice … then I asked Otis if I could call my wife in Chicago to tell her and we were off to live in Los Angeles. I traveled the world with The Temptations for 3 years, signed a production deal with The Temptations as a recording artist to Motown Records.

After that I broke into the session singing scene in Los Angeles much like I did in Paris and Chicago. I got a call to audition for Sade’s band … it came down to me and another trumpet player. He got the gig … the good news was that I decided to start my own group with a new concept. After checking out Miles Davis’s last CD “Doo Bop” with Eazy Mo Bee … I thought if I found a rapper to go along with my Marvin Gaye vocals and my Miles Davis trumpet I thought it would be a great concept. After auditioning 47 rappers I decided on the guy … we became Impromp2. We signed with Motown … I ran into Sade and she was so sweet telling me that the only reason they went with the other guy was because he was taller than me. I told her about my new group and that we got signed to Motown … if I had made the band, Impromp2 would have never happened!

Always looking forward and not content to rest on his previous achievements Johnny is broadening is artistry. Johnny’s first ever solo project 2010 was one of a kind … it was simply a grand piano, vocals. violin, cello and flugelhorn. A worship project called “There Is Nobody” which featured six vocal tracks and six instrumental tracks. After going back in the recording studio for six months Johnny’s new 2011 CD “Feels So Good” was birthed it offers a collection of 10 songs that were all written by Johnny and his song writing partner wife Arlene … with the exception of one songs. On this new CD Johnny sings lead and background vocals he also is the arranger, producer and mixer. Johnny played all of the instruments including live brass as well as programmed the beats on all of the songs except where indicated).

Just coming off a 20 city tour with Josh Groban, Johnny is setting his sights on a tour of his own. Johnny’s quest to expand musical boundaries has only just begun.

Hayseed Dixie 2024

HAYSEED DIXIE

Hayseed Dixie began in the summer of 2000 in the fertile valley of Deer Lick Holler, deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee USA. In this area which was completely isolated from outside cultural and musical influence, the boys grew up playing the traditional music of their forefathers on banjo, fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar and acoustic bass.

All of this changed abruptly one afternoon when a stranger crashed his car into a stately old oak tree on a particularly dangerous curve, which the locals refer to as the “Devil’s Elbow.” Sadly, the stranger expired, but his legacy lives on! As the boys searched through the wreckage looking for identification, they discovered several vinyl AC/DC albums. After playing these back on an old Edison 78rpm Victrola, everyone agreed that the songs were right fine country music . . . and that the Lost Highway of Brother Hank Williams and this Highway To Hell of AC/DC were indeed the exact same damn road!  And the rest is now enshrined in musical history.

Most recently, Hayseed Dixie are exploring the inspired catalogue of the stadium rock of the 1970’s and 1980’s. This interest began during a 2014 Spring tour of Germany, in which the band heard the song “Eye of the Tiger” 6 different times on 6 different German radio stations in a single day while driving between Dortmund and Frankfurt. “As the seed is planted, so the tree shall grow” – this very quote appears on the inner sleeve of the 1980 album “Escape” by Journey. How very true indeed.

+ Hayseed Dixie have released 15 albums since 2001, consisting of both original material and reinterpretations of previously rendered songs, selling a combined total of over 500,000 copies.

+ “Hair Down To My Grass” is the newest release from Hayseed Dixie and was recorded in the Mountains of Cumbria in a converted barn. It is their greatest album yet. Of course it is! It’s their most recent album!

+ Hayseed Dixie have performed over 1,000 live shows in 31 different countries.

+ Hayseed Dixie are the acknowledged creators of the musical genre, Rockgrass.

FelixFast4ward

FELIXFAST4WARD

Felix Ayodele aka FelixFast4wrd Born in Evanston, Illinois March 12th 1982. Moving to Houston,Tx in the early 90’s the young Illinois native began to displayed an interest in art and music, after seeing The “DMC U.S. Finals of 1998” on vhs. He began putting together “Battle routines” he developed and competed using his idiosyncratic prowess with vinyl scratching and compostition. Along with handed down records from his parents (who both Immigrated to the U.S. from Nigerian) he was provided with a wealth of music education, these records would be injected interestingly into his creation process. The records/and people that were around him would influence the traditional musician within, from prog-rock records including Yes,King Crimson,Camel to Afrobeat Music, Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti down to Jazz Hero’s from Sun-Ra to Ornette Coleman,all serendipitously creating a recipe for the modern producer/musician.

Enter FelixFast4wrd: Turntablist/Multi-Instrumentalist/Vocalist. Along side intense turntable technique and musical intuition coupled with juxtaposing obscure records that seemingly do not fit together Fast4ward creates lush & soulfully Imaginative improvised compositions. Using a Looper and various other instruments ie. flute,guitar,harmonica,melodica,and keyboards, and topping it off with his voice (both singing and rapping) Fast4wrd reinvents the “One-Man Band” format and creates a whole new framework allowing the audience to get to influence & see his music being created piece by piece. With a quirky and unique blend of avant-pop sensibilities and a wildly vivid musical pallet to draw from, FelixFast4ward delivers to you a rare breed of contemporary artistry and musicianship.

WHITE SHAPE

WHITE SHAPE

White Shape is a heavy psychedelic band with influences from The Black Angels, Marriages, Wooden Shjips, MOSS FOLK, True Widow, Sabbath etc….. ILLINOIS

THE YOUNG MINDS

In 2006 Jake and Connor began writing songs under the name A Nuclear Era. A Nuclear Era was an experimental/dream rock band incorporating spacy guitar effects and heavily effected vocals. A Nuclear Era lasted up until April 2008 were the band turned direction and when under the name Go! Go! Go!. This band was a very classic indie pop rock band. For the first time the band gained a 3rd lasting member in mid 2008. Originally he set to play drums, but decided he wish to play guitar and brought in his cousin Sergio. The band changed its name once again, to The Crimson Lincolns”. The name lasted until the 3rd member wished to leave due to creative differences.

On may 4th, 2009 the band became “The Young Minds”. They gained their drummer Sergio in November 2008. In June 2010, bassist, Charles. The Young Minds in the summer of 2010 worked on the 9 track home demo “Milo” which was never released. A year later the band went to a professional studio where they finished their debut EP titled “Sirens”, which was not released until Feb. of 2014. The group then relocated to Bloomington, IN. where they spent the year playing locally. Their second EP titled “Farewell for now” was released on December 3rd. 2014. The band currently on indefinite hiatus, due to relocation of band members.

sisters of your sunshine vapor

SISTERS OF YOUR SUNSHINE VAPOR

Everyone claims to be a DIY artist these days. You won’t know the true meaning of the word until you hear, see, and experience Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor. “A sonic spiral that at times can make you feel like you are drowning in a spectrum of the most vibrant colors and at times can make you feel like you are at a funeral,” says front-man Sean Morrow of the look, sound and feel of his band. “The live visuals, artwork, and music all work in equilibrium to achieve this aesthetic”.

Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor not only write and perform moody electrifying psych rock that they record in their aptly named Space Camp Studios they also create trippy artwork, and put on a live light show that could make anyone flashback. Sean Morrow (guitar, vocals), Eric Oppitz (bass, organ) and Rick Sawoscinski (drums, percussion) are unified in their pursuit of SOYSV’s vision. Oppitz, an accomplished designer, makes the artwork for album covers, silk-screened posters and other merch; Morrow, whose voice has been compared to Jim Morrison’s, handles a majority of the booking and is always looking for new opportunities with his networking skills; while Sawoscinski handles promotion, marketing and technology. Wayne Woodward adds stunning visuals to the band’s live set, making him their secret weapon. Anyone who has experienced a Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor performance has felt the power of the swirling, ever-changing images he shapes.

Though from Detroit, Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor’s reach is long. They’ve shared the stage with The Black Angels (with whom they are often favorably compared), Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dead Meadow, and Acid Mothers Temple; joined the elite ranks of psych bands at Austin’s Psych Fest for the second time in 2014; toured with Holydrug Couple, Loop, The Warlocks, and The Telescopes, and played SXSW and CBGB Music & Film Festival. Their previous album, Spectra Spirit has been repressed on vinyl three times since its release in 2011. In Summer 2015, the band will embark on their first European tour and tour the US.

Their upcoming release, Desert Brain, out June 2nd, not only brings Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor’s aesthetic to life, but it brings to fruition years of planning the ultimate immersive listening experience. “I think we were a bit scared to make it,” says Oppitz. “It took us much longer than a typical record of a collection of songs would have taken us. Not only did we have to write the songs, but we had to compose the transitions between them and then think about how each song fit into the overall concept of the entire record.”

Shimmering layers of sound slide and collide across the 47-minute album, which was crafted to be an end-to-end experience that’s more a shifting moodscape than collection of individual songs. The band’s commitment to experimentation is as solid as ever, and Desert Brain is a testament to that approach. Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor ventured away from Space Camp Studios in search of a distraction-free environment and found themselves in a cabin in Northern Michigan. Within the wooden walls, Morrow, Oppitz and Sawoscinski tested their ideas on vintage gear, including a newly acquired Mellotron, recording all the live tracking for the record on tape. “We do a lot of experimenting, kind of need to break an idea into a million pieces and then try and put it back together,” says Oppitz. “The cabin was perfect for environment for how we work. It was a very enjoyable way to make a record.”

There’s a lot of inspiration percolating through Desert Brain, everything from the surging tension and narrative flow of Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining and Apocalypse Now to the time element of of four years passing for the band. “Lyrically and musically, we really tried to tap into the chaos, celebration, and tragedy that has affected us over the last four years,” says Sawoscinski. “Since Spectra Spirit, people in the band have faced marriage, eviction, success, breakups, the death of a good friend to addiction, career changes and displacement. Desert Brain is just four years of life.”
While the process of writing and recording a unified album like Desert Brain was challenging, the reward is a seamless, immersive journey for the listener. From the opening, flanged guitar strains of “Seventh Scene” to the juggernaut of chugging noise at the center of “What’s Your Cloud Nine 37” to the building waves of vocals, drums and tension that drive the title track, Desert Brain has texture, hypnotizing rhythm and a sonic landscape you won’t soon forget. The album, in keeping with Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor’s tradition of covering all aesthetic bases, will be released on clear and splattered blue vinyl.

Leonhardt

LEONHARDT

Christopher Lee Rutledge

HONKY

When you think of Texas, what comes to mind? Big skies? Big trucks? Hot women with big… uh, well… big hair? Everything, as they say, is bigger in Texas… And that what ain’t bigger is more bizarre. After all, in a state that refers to itself as a republic… things can get pretty skewed.

Enter Honky. Honky proudly carries the torch held by the likes of Bloodrock, Pantera, ZZ Top and the red-headed stranger himself, Mr. Willie Nelson.

This Austin Superboogie trio was founded in 1996 by long time Butthole Surfer, part time MELVINS bassist JD Pinkus, Bobby Ed Landgraf (DOWN, Skrew, …) on guitar, and rounded out by Trinidad Leal (Dixie Witch) on them skins.

Honky dishes out an appetite pleasin’… Superboogie servin’ that’ll keep ya’ comin’ back for more. Austin’s favorite sons have released some of the best stripped down, butt shakin’, rock ever cut to Wax, Tape, or C.D., and have toured with the likes of Nashville Pussy, the Reverend Horton Heat, Fu Manchu, Melvins, Peter Pan Speedrock, Down, and David Allan Coe.

Honky’s newest release, Corduroy, is another feast of down and dirty rock, rollin’ across the finish line late this Spring on Philip Anselmo’s Housecore Records. Thick enough to eat with a fork but you’ll wanna keep a spoon handy so ya don’t miss out on that gravy… Drum duties are handled by a more then qualified group of drummers, Trinidad Leal (Dixie Witch), Michael ‘Night Train’ Brueggen (Blackula, Syrup, Supagroup), Dale Crover (Melvins), and even Original Honky drummer, Lance Farley, makin’ the grooves proper… Guest appearances by Mark ‘Speedy’ Gonzales and the Fantasma Horns, as well as, our favorite Honkette, Rae Comeau, add to the tastees thrown y’alls’ way.

The band is currently on tour worldwide and would like to invite y’all out for a butt shakin’ good time.

SYBIL

Female fronted hard rock, classic metal and modern rock. coming to a stage near you!

Big Syn

BIG SYN

Big Syn makes Doom-pop® music with synthesizers, drums, guitars, sounds, and voices. It is sometimes loud and sometimes quiet. 
New Chicago four-piece BIG SYN is formulated from members of Conductive Alliance and The New World Ancients. Like those now-defunct groups, BIG SYN aims to explore the outer reaches of our galaxy with exhilarating, anything-goes sonic experimentation.

Blips and bleeps intertwine with vocal loops and pretty synthesizer leads over deep and tight poly-rhythmic grooves. Ranging from contemplative to unruly, the kitchen sink is front and center in this all-encompassing barrage of sound.

Eight Bells

EIGHT BELLS

EIGHT BELLS was formed in 2010 by Melynda Jackson and is a songwriting collaboration with bassist Haley Westeiner and drummer Chris VanHuffel. Based in Portland, Oregon, Eight Bells explores dark sonic realms with a blackened dissonance combining anguished screams with ethereal, haunting female vocals.  Debut album, The Captain’s Daughter, was recorded by Billy Anderson and released in 2013 by Seventh Rule and on vinyl by The Flenser. In support of the album’s release, Eight Bells toured in support of Agalloch and SubRosa, appeared on the Fall Into Darkness festival and also performed at Project Pabst and Crucial Fest.

Press for The Captain’s Daughter:

Iron Hops “A+. … a complex and genre-bending masterpiece.”

Echoes and Dust “…head-bang inducing, ethereal and gloriously unpredictable.”

Steel for Brains “a damn near perfect concoction of black metal atmosphere with the spiraling aesthetic of progressive rock at its most unpredictable… an exercise in the experimental as each track moves forward with atomic precision.”

EIGHT BELLS’ sophomore album, Landless, is to be released in February 2016. This effort sees Eight Bells experience a change in personnel with drummer Rae Amitay, but once again join forces with legendary producer/engineer Billy Anderson. The material offers a definitive evolution of their sound, and will be released on vinyl/digital formats via Battleground Records and on tape via Tartarus Records. Eight Bells has also been chosen as direct support for Voivod and Vektor this February, where they will tour the Northeastern United States.

MATTHEW SANTOS

Currently independent, Matthew Santos is working on his 7th official release Into the Further in collaboration with Candy Rat Records, and with a new trio based in Chicago, and continues to tour the world over with his “One-Man-Band” show harnessing a multitude of effects pedals coupled with his unique style of beat-boxing and looping—achieving a massive sound to accompany his renowned voice and heart-felt, soulfully crafted songs. The Chicago Sun-Times recognized Santos as an artist who is “organic and soulful and moody, full of interesting musical ideas and dripping with serious vocal talent.”

GIN WIGMORE

New Zealand artist GIN WIGMORE is hitting the road with her band this Spring through USA and CANADA for her largest North American Tour ever. She will be joined by Chicago native Matthew Santos of Lupe Fiasco’s feature fame “SUPERSTAR” and most recent album “AS A CROW FLIES” on all dates.

Gin Wigmore is an artist who is difficult to define, her sound is an eclectic mix of styles and influences, the collective consensus being that Los Angeles based Gin is of a unique breed of soul infused rock ’n’ roll with a fierce attitude to match.
If we had to put a label in, it would read something like this: alternative rock and neo-soul, biting lyricism, with a gravelly vocal that takes you on a very personal ride.

Her most recent album, BLOOD TO BONE is Wigmore’s third studio album and has been described as “Heaven” – Stereogum; “Her best release to date” – The Music (AU); ”Rock ’n’ roll with a pop inflected driving rhythm beneath her soulful crooner vocals” – Paste.

Hot off the heels from a SOLD OUT TOUR in 2015 and BEST FEMALE ARTIST award in her native homeland, GIN WIGMORE will be covering a lot of ground for the March through May tour and playing songs from all three albums including brilliant tracks “NEW RUSH”, “WRITTEN IN THE WATER” and newest single, “WILLING TO DIE.”
The tour will kick off in DC and end in Los Angeles.

Joey Kneiser

JOEY KNEISER

Joey Kneiser was a boy formed in the red-clay mountains of East Tennessee. Skinned-kneed and too blind to drive a car, he constantly searched for a place to locate his restlessness– playing in punk bands with instruments he taught himself to play, skateboarding with a pack of Oak Ridge ruffians, and writing his own songs amongst the humid Southern air.

The boy grew up and headed west to the small Tennessee town of Murfreesboro. There he met the group of people who would go on to form the band Glossary. As the singer/songwriter for the group, Kneiser led the band through seven albums of country/soul-infused rock-and-roll. He filled his downtime between Glossary tours with his own solo projects. In 2009, he released his first solo record, “The All-Night Bedroom Revival,” which he wrote and recorded in his Murfreesboro home. Two years later, he recorded and released the EP “Moonlight for the Graveyard Heart.” Meanwhile, Glossary’s drummer Eric Giles had begun what would become a long bout with shoulder and back problems, leaving the band unable to tour or make a record. “The five of us made a promise years ago that there was no substituting anyone in the band. If someone couldn’t play, we’d take a break.”

Moving to Nashville and building a small home studio, Kneiser began recording his third solo record “The Wildness” during Glossary’s hiatus. “I felt like I was starting over. I had no band and no money to pay one. I realized pretty quickly that if I was going to make a record I’d need to record it myself and play everything.” He called on Glossary member and ex-wife Kelly Smith to sing with him. “We’ve been singing our whole adult lives together. I don’t like to hear my voice without hers next to it.” What came out was a ramble of songs that echoes back to Kneiser’s youth by highlighting the illness that haunts musicians – an unrelenting restlessness. “I wanted to go back to the beginning and try to figure out what it was I truly loved about rock and roll.”

The songs that make up “The Wildness” hearken back to Kneiser’s musical first loves. Bruce Springsteen, The Replacements, The Band, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison all make their influence known on the record. “I wanted to make something simple and classic sounding with the writing as the centerpiece.” The record goes from rock and roll driven barn burners like “Run Like Hell” and “The Heart Ever Breaking” to folk songs like “Heaven Only Wants Us Once We’re Dead” and “Every Port In The Storm.” As to the overall vision for the record, Kneiser says, “These songs are a love letter to rock and roll and to the person closest to you who lets you pursue it.”

In addition to his own music, Kneiser has produced and recorded records for numerous artists, including Austin Lucas and Wooden Wand. He has also made music videos for artists like John Moreland and Jason Isbell.

The Wildness will be released in the fall of 2015.

JK THE REAPER

Fang Life + C9 recording artist

“JUST BRUCE” LILLIE

First played acoustic guitar with ship’s bands in the Navy from 1979-1986 then dropped out of the scene. Started back up in March, 2007, and now working with Abby Ray and the Thc Afterburners around Bowling Green, Ohio. Check’em out!

Chicken Happen

CHICKEN HAPPEN

Chicken Happen is a four piece rock and roll group. We play faster songs and slower songs, some loud songs and some quiet songs.

Overlake

OVERLAKE

Overlake is a band from Jersey City, NJ. They began in early 2012. Their first album was released on April 15, 2014. It’s called “Sighs.”

Overlake plan on playing a lot of shows. Keep coming back.

THE MOOPS

The Moops are an up-and-coming folk/rock band from the Chicagoland area. The trio of Will Ejzak (vocals, violin, guitar), Tom Reynolds (vocals, bass, guitar), and Myles Edwards (guitar) have performed their unique blend of folk- and blues-rock at venues as diverse as the Double Door, the Woodstock Opera House, Martyrs’, Uncommon Ground, and the Gallery Cabaret. Their debut album, It Ain’t Easy Bein’ A Moop, is slated for release in March 2016.

 

Common Allies

COMMON ALLIES

Common Allies’ influences span the genres of psychedelic rock, folk, blues and country. We’re all of your favorite bands rolled into one.

THE ROLLING STONES “OUT OF OUR HEADS”

Out of Our Heads is the Rolling Stones‘ third British album and their fourth in the United States.

BLACK SABBATH “BLACK SABBATH”

Black Sabbath is the eponymous debut studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. Released on 13 February 1970 in the United Kingdom and on 1 June 1970 in the United States, the album reached number 8 on the UK Albums Charts and number 23 on the Billboard charts.

Station

STATION

STATION is one of the hottest new bands to come out of New York City. A high voltage stage show with electrifying melodies make STATION an unforgettable experience. They have shared the stage with rock greats such as Pat Benatar, Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe), Bret Michaels (Poison), Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Dio Disciples, Jake E Lee and .38 Special to name a few. Their first EP, “WIRED”, has gained international attention and rave reviews from notable publications such as Classic Rock AOR (also included on covermount CD), Sleaze Roxx and Rock Report.

-“Wired is like ear heroin…fills and thrills that makes your speakers flex and your windows rattle.” – Sleaze Roxx

-“…with melodies so infectious that they will stick with you for days on end once you’ve been exposed to them.” – Rock Report

STATION will be touring this summer and is excited to return to Rocklahoma in May for their third year in a row.

“NYC uber talented rockers Station are all about in their twenties only yet feature a sound and perform like groups they grew up listening to and admire – KISS, Aerosmith et al. Their latest album, self-titled, is a glorious rock journey into the ever creative, loud, melodic world of Station. If there is anything you get this year, make sure it is this album! These guys can hold their own with the best of them – and by that I mean all the nationals and a-list groups!” Matthew O’Shaughnessy, WVOX’s Metal Mayhem, Host/Producer

MANCHO

Mancho is the solo project of KAVA percussionist Marshall Greenhouse. Mancho fuses electronic and world music with psychedelic sounds, effects and drones. All music is performed live on the spot, looped and effected without the use of Ableton or other pre-set programs

 

Esso

ESSO

ESSO (El Sonido Sonic Octopus) perform funky Afro-Latino and roots rock inspired dance music. The ethnically diverse crew of musicians establish rustic polyrhythmic grooves and combine biting twang guitars with the strength of brass horns, coro group singing, and urban poetry. Members: Armando Pérez, Kevin Miller, Dan Lieber, Ezra Lange, Julian Harris, Diana Mosquera, Puerko Pitzotl, Juan Lugo and Luis Tubens all bring a vital cultural contribution to the band’s unique “afrojam funkbeat” sound. Inspired by the Chicago streets that radiate: soul, jazz, house music, and global thinkers that praise unity through consciousness, the band unapologetically believes in the healing nature of music. The band just released their full length self-titled debut album on vinyl, CD, and digital formats in 2015.

Long Live The Goat

LONG LIVE THE GOAT

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away lived a couple of dudes.

Bow & Spear

BOW & SPEAR

bunch of bummer songs for bummer people and 90s nostalgia slathered on thicker than shoegaze molasses

Beat Drun Juel

BEAT DRUN JUEL

Slashy, bass-heavy rock trio from Chicago

Churchkey

CHURCHKEY

Tim and Tim played together in a band a while ago. Tim and Tim played in a band together somewhat recently. Tim and Tim and Tim knew Tim from Tim’s old band. Tim and Tim liked being in a band together. Tim and Tim liked being in a band together. Tim and Tim and Tim like Tim. Then they practiced for six months and became a band.

 

John 5 and The Creatures

JOHN 5 & THE CREATURES

“When I drove to LA when I was 18, from my parent’s home in Grosse Pointe, I never thought I would be standing on the stage with some of the world’s most renowned performers. I never dreamed I would be making records with bands I grew up listening to. I just wanted to play guitar. I just wanted to have a career as a session musician, make music and that would have been happiness enough. I can tell you honestly, I still grin from ear to ear completely humbled by what life, music has done for me. I feel like the happiest man alive sometimes – I kid you not!” – John 5, LA, February 2013.

John 5 is undoubtably one of the hottest shredders on the planet right now. His impressive resume of working with frontmen such as Marilyn Manson, Rob Halford, Dave Lee Roth and his current gig as the right hand man for Rob Zombie, show he’s impressive skills have not gone unnoticed, but it doesn’t do him justice to label John 5 as a shredder – he’s a guitarist, a great guitarist – and there’s little he can’t put his hand to.

PAVLOV3

Pavlov(3) began as Touch Guitarist and Chapman Stick player Matt Tate’s mechanism of musical expression. Aggressive Progressive. Since 2014, Pavlov(3) has existed as a duo, trio, quintet, and sextet, and now, at least for the time being, morphed back into a duo.

“Curvature-Induced Symmetry… Breaking” is the debut album. Long overdue, and after a good old-fashioned re-degeneration and protracted coma, an expansive and semi-bigly batch of aggressive and excessive new sonorous ebullience is being frantically created and furtively cultivated into an impending hemorrhage and glorious whatnot of audiation.

Pavlov(3) has shared stages and bills with the likes of John Zorn’s Bladerunner (w/ Laswell + Lombardo) and Simulacrum (w/ Medeski, Grohowski, Hollenberg), John 5, Secret Chiefs 3, Cleric, Sonar, Kayo Dot, Renaissance, Progtoberfest 1+2…

Matt Tate: U8 Touch Guitar
Nick: Drums

 

D∆WN

Dawn Richard, known professionally as DAWN, is a multi-platinum American singer- songwriter. Richard started her career after auditioning for Making the Band 3 in 2004, During this time Richard became a member of American girl band Danity Kane from 2005 to 2008, and in 2009 joined with label head Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kalenna Harper to form the group Diddy-Dirty Money.

Being in two groups, Dawn already has 2 consecutive platinum #1 albums under her belt with Danity Kane, a platinum album “Last Train to Paris” with Diddy-Dirty Money, a gold single “Hello Good Morning”, and a 3x platinum single with Diddy-Dirty Money titled “Coming Home”.

In 2011 following her departure from Bad Boy Records, she launched her solo career. Richard has released four solo projects (ATellTaleHeart, Armor On EP, Whiteout EP, and Goldenheart). Goldenheart, was released on January 15, 2013 by Our Dawn Entertainment. The album received universal acclaim. Both Armor On and Goldenheart reached #1 on iTunes R&B/Soul in a matter of hours, reached iTunes Top 20 All Albums, and charted on 5 or more Billboard charts (all doneindependentlywithnopush).

Goldenheartreceived universal acclaim from contemporary music critics, who hailed Richard as one of the best new acts in pop and R&B. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on nine reviews. Alex Macpherson of The Guardian gave it five stars and called it “dazzling and imperious”, writing that, “remarkably, Richard’s array of sonic weapons matches her epic, elemental vision. Jason Gubbels of Spin praised her “aesthetic appreciation” and versatile singing, which he credited for “springing finely placed surprises on listeners lulled into reverie, navigating tricky spots just effortlessly enough to mask her mastery”. Giving it four-and-a-half stars, AllMusic’s Andy Kellman called Goldenheart “sumptuous and grand”, and felt that, although its intensity and indulgence can be staggering.

In 2014, Dawn released her newest album as a member of multi-platinum girl group, Danity Kane. The album DK3, immediately shot to the number one spot on the iTunes R&B/Soul chart as well as reaching the Top 10 overall albums on iTunes. Richard was also a writer on the DK3 album making this her fifth number one album that she has been a writer on. Dawn wrote both “Tell Me” and “Two Sides” on the album.
After releasing the final and farewell album DK3 with her group Danity Kane, Dawn Richard readies The Black Era. “This project isn’t just about the musical experience but also the visual as well. From an incredible collaboration with visual artist Caleb Hahne for the Blackheart album cover, to a high fashion and choreography-heavy based music video for “Blow”, to the launch of her shoe line with Lust for Life; Dawn has set an entire brand around The Black Era.

Sonically, with influences from trip hop to electro pop to soul, this album solidifies Dawn as more than just a progressive R&B diva. This album takes her to Future Electro Stardom. The second installment to her heart trilogy differs drastically from her previous masterpiece, Goldenheart, as this work of art has much sharper edges, more experimental electro sounds, and is just more aggressive overall. You can tell Dawn chose fearless as this album’s lead companion. With Dawn producing and writing alongside her partner in crime Noisecastle III, these two make genres a thing of the past and future a thing of the now.

The release of Blackheart fell on January 15th, 2015 – which happened to be the second year anniversary of Dawn’s last critically acclaimed album, Goldenheart. Since the release of Blackheart, Richard has been receiving critical acclaim from Fact Magazine, New York Times/LA Times, and Billboard. Many are saying that this is her best work yet. Andrew Ryce of Pitchfork gave the album an 8 out of 10 saying, “Blackheart is the singular, visionary work that she’s been hinting at since she struck out on her own post-Diddy in 2011.” Alex Macpherson of Fact Magazine called Blackheart astonishing and gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars. Blackheart peaked #1 on iTunes Electronic charts and Top 20 overall on the iTunes album charts. In addition to that, Blackheart charted as #1 on the U.S. Top Independent Albums chart on Billboard, #2 on the Billboard Electronic/Dance chart, and #3 on the U.S. Top Heatseekers chart – with no major label push (completely independent). To accompany the album, Richard released a black and white animation visual titled “Tide: The Paradox Effect”, which is also available on iTunes. Since the album’s release, Richard has also unveiled four additional visuals for songs from Blackheart via VEVO and iTunes. This is surely a great year for the “HEARTS” (Dawn’s fanbase), as they’ve gotten an album and multiple visuals to some of their favorite songs from this era.

TOMORROW’S ALLIANCE

We are a live Performance Band with a lot to bring to your event our music appeals to all ages and well definitely not let you down.

THE BANK NOTES

An original sound that is a combination of reggae, ska, blues, hard rock, and just overall jambandy goodness. A 5 piece band from the windy city!