SONS OF THE NEW AMISH

The Sons Of The New Amish (SONA) continue on their never-ending “Goin’ Back To Gravel” Tour in 2015.  Led by guitarist par-excellence and chief songwriter John Klingelhoffer, SONA travels across the ChicagoLand area from the fresh water marshes of DuPage County.  Always seeking out new disciples, to join in the fight against listlessness and dissatisfaction, SONA has the cures with the fictional honky tonk country song “The Pastor’s Wife”, and the Jethro Tull infused “Nancy Can You Tell Me”.  John’s surrounds himself with sidekicks, Joe Schumacher (bass), Steve Majus (drums), Nancy Dunlop (flute/vocals), and Jim Hurley (mandolin-guitar).  Some of their songs provide consumers solutions to their real estate woes, like “We Don’t Call 9-1-1”  Others just plainly part of SONA’s manifesto, including their “pay no more taxes” anthem, “Goin’ Back To Gravel” SONA also mixes in all the unknown country music you’d ever want to hear and puts a Woodstock spin on it. Always entertaining, mostly on-key, SONA is not to be missed.
Black Swift

BLACK SWIFT

If Tom Waits and Nick Cave had a daughter and that daughter were raised by gypsies in narrow back alleys and secret woodland glades and taught the ragtag music of vagabonds and wondering sailors then she might sound something like Black Swift. And that’s not to mention plain old rock and roll which Black Swift keeps tucked away in their traveling bags, to be used as needed. The world of Black Swift is a steam-punk world, of rusty chains and dead pirates, the lord god almighty bringing us home and a whole lot of mixed up busted up love.

Wenn Tom Waits und Nick Cave ein Tochter hätten, die bei Zigeunern in finsteren Seitengassen umherziehenden Matrosen aufgewachsen wäre, würde sie wie Black Swift klingen. Ganz zu schweigen vom guten alten Rock n’ Roll, der aus der Reisetasche gezaubert wird, wenn er denn gebraucht wird. Die Welt von Black Swift ist Steampunk, ein Welt aus rostigen Ketten und toten Piraten, und versteckten Waldlichtungen und mit der zwielichtigen Musik von Vagabunden und in welcher der Allmächtige uns inmitten all der verwirrten und zerbrochenen Liebe annimmt und nach Hause bringt.

TEMPLE OF VOID

Temple of Void is an uncompromising collaboration from the depths of Detroit. Comprising of five musicians who have put in decades of time in the Detroit underground, ToV entered this world with singular focus and methodical execution from the start. ToV harkens back to the somber sound of early British doom, while channeling the energy and devastation of old school American death metal. But ToV is far more than the sum of its parts. Temple of Void destroys.

Temple of Void self-released their demo in May 2013. Four weeks later and they had signed to four different record labels to produce and distribute their demo across the world. The demo was met with staggering support from the underground. And now, just over a year later and ToV is unleashing their debut album on double LP and cassette on Saw Her Ghost Records, as well as on CD through Rain Without End Records. This slab of barbarity is titled, “Of Terror and the Supernatural.”
In support of the album ToV recruited director William Saunders from NY to produce a music video for their song, “Savage Howl.”
Furthermore, once the album was cut ToV hit the studio again to record
“Os Abysmi Vel Daath” for the Morbid Tales book and 12” compilation by Mark Rudolph. Both sessions were primarily tracked by Clyde Wilson at Mt. Doom Studio. Additional tracking for the album was cut by Mark Hudson at Audiolux Studio, it was mixed by Todd Konecny at Bright White Light Studio, and finally mastered by Tony Hamera. Artwork was provided by the legendary fantasy artist Bruce Pennington. But this is only the beginning for Temple of Void. There are many heads still to decapitate, and many cities yet to burn.

PALM HANDS

PALM HANDS

Palm Hands​ carries the sound of all the scars in your mind. It’s all the times you tried to forget come screaming back while Monte conjures stringed dissonance and melody like never before. Throats tear, speakers squeal and hearts break to the sound of Palm Hands. An intricate and organic elixir of acoustic and pedal alchemy with heart felt wails.

ruined

RUINED

Ruined​ was founded in Grand Rapids, MI in the summer of 2013. After a series of demos bassist/vocalist Zach Meier teamed up with drummer Sky Moy and began to hone their craft in the black bile of their combined gloom. Billowing distortion, lilting vocals and cavernous drums concoct a bleak and dejected sense of sonic despair… Eschewing the commonly perceived notion of what a drum and bass doom outfit can accomplish, this four-song offering simultaneously acknowledges its predecessors in two-person gloom (early Om, The Body), while existing in its very own realm of dreary violence. 

WOOD CHICKENS

Wood Chickens is a rompin’ and stompin’ cowpunk band from Wisconsin. Since 2009!

ALEBRIJE

Chicago Metal band

Kountry Kittens

KOUNTRY KITTENS BURLESQUE

The Kountry Kittens hail from California and offer the ultimate collaboration in ! striptease, comedy, and the underground roots revival.

DRAGONFLY

Dragonfly is a Melodic Metal band with influences from Hard Rock, Classic Metal and Power Metal. They have released 4 albums: Domine, Alma Irae, Non Requiem and Atlas.

SARATOGA

Saratoga started in August 1992 when Jerónimo Ramiro “Jero”, well-known guitarist that recorded three albums with ÑU and founded in the 80’s the group SANTA where he also recorded three albums, and Niko del Hierro, bass player that recorded with Jero in the year 1990 the disk “DOS AÑOS DE DESTIERRO” (TWO YEARS IN EXILE) by ÑU, who at that time was member of BARON ROJO, with whom he had recorded “DESAFIO” (CHALLENGE) in 1992, decided to create a band where they can show their real composition and playing style, getting closer to a different and more heavy metal sound, away of what they have been doing with their former bands where the music was other people’s composition and it was also more hard rock in the case of BARON ROJO or more folk rock in the case of ÑU.

Starting from October of 1992 and once Niko left BARON ROJO, they began to search other musicians to consolidate the band, a drummer and a singer. The drummer position was quickly covered by Marcos Parra, a youth musician that began to be known in the circles of rehearsal places and music academies Jero knew him from his guitar teaching time in the ROCKSERVATORIO, where Marcos was led student.
Trio begins to rehearse and soon they composed songs that later would be part of SARATOGA’s setlist, OJO POR OJO (EYE FOR EYE), SALVAJE (SAVAGE), CUALQUIER PRECIO POR LA PAZ (ANY PRICE FOR PEACE) and others. Unfortunately Marcos’s decision of continue working with SARATOGA and playing in an orchestra to make some money making dance music turned very difficult to keep the schedules for the rehearsals and conflicted directly with the illusion and the future projects of Jero and Niko. Two months after joining SARATOGA, Marcos Parra left the band.

In December of 1992 and after listening many tapes of candidates, two new members joined SARATOGA: Antonio Dominguez coming from a group called MASSADA on the lead voice and Joaquin Arellano The Boy took the drummer seat after his group MURO confirmed its break up.

SARATOGA played their first concerts and they showed their music with a tape that had very good welcome between public and press. They play in small venues and also in front of large audiences supporting bands like MEDINA AZAHARA and RATA BLANCA.

But all that good expectations had a weak point: the vocals. Antonio Dominguez was a young singer with good presence on stage, but his voice was more closer to hard rock style like AC/DC than in the one that SARATOGA wants to define, more melodic and Heavy.

In May 1993 Antonio Dominguez is substituted by Fortu Sanchez, former singer of OBUS and an entire legend in the Spanish rock. In June the rehearsals began and songs like GRITA (SCREAM), OJOS DE MUJER (EYES OF A WOMAN), ERES TU (YOU ARE) and over all of them LOCO (CRAZY) were born. The new songs allowed to see a style that could be the right way for the band. Lately the band was called The Masters Meeting because the experience of all the members.

SARATOGA played in every place, with a lot of illusion and trusting themselves, playing the new songs and showing to the press a new tape that won several awards and that made LOCO (CRAZY) one of their most famous songs and very requested in their concerts.

Finally, in December 1994, SARATOGA signs with the company AVISPA that had in its catalog groups like MEDINA AZAHARA, ÑU, BARON ROJO, MURO, OBUS and others. SARATOGA thought that experience with bands of similar style was a guarantee for the future of them.

In October 1995 the first record “SARATOGA” was released. Recorded in a little more than one week, the band sounds compact and resolved, all the musicians are at a great level and the music is between the hard rock and songs with easy choruses (CUNAS DE ORTIGAS- CRADLES OF NETTLES-, ERES TÚ – YOU ARE- , etc.). The truth is the group path went very far away from the initial idea that Jero and Niko had, because they bet for a much more Heavy Metal sound.

However they hit the road with all the faith, playing many concerts all along Spain, even in festivals in front of thousands of people being the biggest rock show for those days and ended up appearing in some television programs.

But the truth is that the Spanish rock scene was quite different. The number 1 group was EXTREMODURO, and after them, PLATERO Y TU, REINCIDENTES, etc. For a band like SARATOGA that was worried to have a good technical level in their respective instruments and of making some harmonized melodies and tuned with the voices it was very difficult to go ahead, because that wasn’t the style that was accepted, and the way was very slowly with the help of firmness and faith.

Amid this fight they decided, agreeing with the record company and the management office that while they got ready for the release a second record expected for March of 1997 a gap would be made and they would record a tribute to some Spanish heavy-rock groups: ” TRIBUTO ” (TRIBUTE). Bands like BANZAI, TOPO, ANGELES DEL INFIERNO and others which the members of SARATOGA had been part of like OBUS, BARON ROJO, ÑU, MURO y SANTA.

” TRIBUTE ” was rehearsed during June 1996. At that moment Fortu was very far away from the rest of the band, on one hand, because his particular occupations that absorbed all his time, and on another due to the lack of spirit seeing that the things didn’t happen as quickly as he would wanted to.
In October 1996 “TRIBUTE” was released and that same day Fortu decided to leave the band. It was necessary to react quickly and the group found the right substitute: Gabriel Boente, a talented singer, with a great vocal range with a lot of possibilities, ideal for the upcoming tour, where they would be playing songs that were sang by the best voices that never had the Spanish rock, male and female.
Although the tour went really well, Fortu’s departure delayed timing a lot and “MI CIUDAD”, the following album was in the stores seven months after that was thought, in October 1997.
As soon as it was released, MI CIUDAD was placed several days in outstanding positions in the sales list of AFIVE and demonstrating that SARATOGA, after “TRIBUTO”, had bet to return to the more elaborated and risky songs, with a more heavy touch that in past times.
Songs like PERRO TRAIDOR (TRAITOR DOG), ROJO FUEGO (RED FIRE), the ballad LEJOS DE TI (FAR FROM YOU) or the title song MI CIUDAD (MY CITY) were transformed into anthems in the concerts and they are future reference for SARATOGA and for the Spanish rock.
The group continues going up step by step and playing live but the atmosphere inside the band, that in the beginning was very good, became strange and the coexistence of the members of the band was difficult mostly because they had different points of view regarding the band’s life, from small details to important decisions. Everything concluded in December of 1998, with the departure of SARATOGA of Joaquin Arellano, drummer and Gabriel Boente, singer. Their decision was completely personal and voluntary and from that day the relationship with the band has been of great friendship.

The news of the departure of the singer and the drummer of SARATOGA were a great shock in the press. Most of them spoke about the dark future of the band, but while all wondered when the fatal news would be announced, Niko and Jero were in the recording studio testing possible substitutes to start again the engines of the most powerful of the battle ships.

By radio and press advertisings, musicians all over Spain found out that SARATOGA needed drummer and singer. They were asked to call a telephone number and then to go to the record company to pick up a tape with two songs to learn and play in the future audition. The two songs were SALVAJE y PERRO TRAIDOR.

By the middle of December 1998, four drummers were called for an audition. Although all of them had a high level, the one that played in second place highlighted clearly above the other ones. His name was Daniel Perez and he was found thanks to the school “PROGRESSIVE DRUMMERS” directed by Luis Garcia, reputed session drummer and who has played live with many bands like ÑU, SOBREDOSIS, RAMONCIN, etc. And he was a great friend of SARATOGA for years.

Daniel Perez was very well-known in the drummers world as member of a group of progressive metal called ECZEMA and mainly for his hability to mix with his instrument the three styles that he dominates: death metal, heavy metal and jazz-fusion giving a very personal touch that makes the band where he plays sound in a very different way.

Four hours after the test, Niko told Daniel Perez that he was the new drummer of SARATOGA.

For singer’s position the things will go ahead with more calm, Niko nor Jero wanted to make the past mistakes again. They wanted not only a good singer, but someone that could assume the front position of the band on stage and his musical preferences needed to be similar to the rest of the band and mainly he needed to have desires of working hard.

They got more than 40 tapes from singers all over Spain and they decided to see first those that sounded better among those that lived in Madrid.

After picking up their respective tapes they fixed an appointment for two of them in the morning of December 22nd 1998. It was very cold weather and half Madrid citizens were sick with a cold. The second in the test, Leo Jimenez has a cold like most of the people in Madrid, and his voice was paying that. In spite of everything he made a very good impression, mainly in the ballad that he sang, “LEJOS DE TI”.

Leo wanted to have a second audition because he was not very satisfied with his performance “he wasn’t as good as he really could be”, mainly because he was very nervous, because he had always dreamt of being the singer of SARATOGA. He was a great SARATOGA fan for years. Niko and Jero promised to contact him again once they had auditioned more singers and they could listen the tapes of the auditions carefully, because all of them were recorded.

The singer auditions went on, but no one of them really convinced the band. One day a letter for Jeronimo Ramiro was received in the record company. It was Leo that reminded the promise of a second test and also sent a cassette with three songs of a project in which he has sung called “AL BORDE”, according to him, that three songs showed his way of singing very well. The truth is that Jero and Niko liked his melodic style and his voice with very high tones so he was called for a second and last test together with another finalist that also caused very good impression. The rehearsal was already carried out with Dani on drums and playing the whole group live. Leo memorized the letter of six songs of SARATOGA acting with the ease and security that only the big ones have.
A few days, February 13th 1999, Jero told Leo that he was chosen as new SARATOGA singer.The following step was to focus again in the rehearsals of the new songs for a fourth record. These songs were almost finished because Jero and Niko had continued working in them in spite of ignoring who would record with them.

By the middle of April of 1999 they started recording and two months later “VIENTOS DE GUERRA” (WINDS OF WAR) was finished.
The result is devastating, quick and overwhelming rhythms with wild and incisive guitars, an entire gift for the lovers of the real metal. Songs like VIENTOS DE GUERRA (WINDS OF WAR), SOLO UN MOTIVO (Only one motivation), MAS DE MIL AÑOS (MORE THAN A THOUSAND YEARS) and HEAVY METAL leaved the public amazed. The record quickly was placed in the first positions of the lists and everybody was surprised with SARATOGA because in spite of the successive line-up changes, they have known how to stay among the best Spanish rock groups.
In October of 1999 the group started a winter tour that took them to most of the Spanish cities, like Murcia, Barcelona, Irún, Salamanca, Pamplona, etc. Audiences had the opportunity to check live the power and the desire of SARATOGA’s shows.

A big proof was the performance in the Festival VIÑAROCK 2000 where more than 5000 people sang the songs of the quartet from Madrid, being SARATOGA, as it was said in the specialized press, the best live act in the festival.
With the purpose of taking advantage of the good moment of SARATOGA, the group and their record company decided to record a live show to get the potential and the ease acquired in the tour recorded in an album. The recording took place in only one concert in SALA CARACOL of Madrid May 19 2000.

More than five hundred fans suffered impassive the suffocating heat of the venue without losing a second of the powerful performance of the band. The force of SARATOGA raised the audience to an ecstasy of Heavy Metal and the communication between the group and the public was very intense. Apart from some small technical problems, Jero, Niko, Leo and Dani were immense during the two and a half hours of the show. All the big songs of SARATOGA were played, all of them sang along fiercely by the public, plus some select versions of foreign bands played with the personal stamp of the great ship live.
In September 2000 the double live CD TIEMPOS DE DIRECTO was released. All the musical press was unanimous to say that the album showed the power and the truth of SARATOGA, and their decission because the live album was recorded in only one take.
In December was released METAL GODS a TRIBUTE to JUDAS PRIEST made by several Spanish bands. In that record SARATOGA played PAINKILLER.. SARATOGA’s cover is probably the best in the album, with Leo showing that he is one of the biggest Spanish rock singers ever and that he’s not very far away from the best singers in the international rock scene. Along with SARATOGA in the CD we can hear more Spanish rock bands like BARÓN ROJO, HAMLET, KTHULU, AVALANCH, SOBER, etc.
After all this great work all along the year SARATOGA started to gather prizes:

Heavy Rock nº 207 Tiempos de Directo number 1 in spanish CD list.

“EXCALIBUR METAL” prizes in 2000 poll from Los + Mejores magazine: Niko Best bass guitar player and Leo best singer.

HEAVY ROCK magazine poll, ROCKFERENDUM 2000:

JERO Best guitarist
NIKO Best bassist
LEO nº 2 in singers list
DANI nº 3 in drummers list
SARATOGA best live act

Leo guested as second vocalist in AVALANCH record “El Ángel caido” in the song “Las Ruinas del Edén”.
While all this was happening SARATOGA were playing all over Spain, special mention to Viña Rock 2001 where SARATOGA was again he best band in La Oreja Metalica stage. Serious technical problems happened during the show didn’t affect too much the spirit of the band. With their big stage presence and energy they made more than 7000 people enjoy the show of the best heavy rock band in Spain nowadays

After touring all the summer SARATOGA decided to stop and take time to record their sixth album before tour again in the fall of 2001. The new record was expected for February 2002.
The recording started on September 21 2001, SARATOGA entered the studio to start recording the drums of the new songs. During the next five months and using a new way of recording than in the past SARATOGA carefully added all the parts for AGOTARAS their sixth album and without a doubt their best recording.

AGOTARAS was released on March 1 2002 and the long time awaited record was acclaimed by the press and mostly by the fans that got the prize for their trust in SARATOGA. The next months will be on the road the band has signed many shows all along Spain, including some of the most important festivals.

BROOKE & THE NICE THINGS

(we make music)
The South Side Neighborhood of Bridgeport nurtured the band over the course of two years and helped sustain the band midst line up changes and musical shifts as the band worked to tighten up and refine their sound. Now, the band is proud to have a full soul line-up made up a diverse group of people from numerous backgrounds and locations across the United States. Each brings their own specific strengths and talents to a truly dynamic group.

The band plays solid originals drenched in the spirit of soul to make you move and covers that you didn’t know were your favorites till you heard them at the show.

The band’s sound takes cues from Memphis and Muscle Shoals–between the lazy rolling of the river and the steady chugging of a southbound train. The feel lives between Chicago and Detroit–lively city streets and the pumping of factory machinery.

The hustle and bustle is music. A sound that moves people. A feeling that creates community and speaks to people. A rhythm that sways hearts and shakes asses–true Soul Music.

Brooke & the Nice Things are too young to be old school; however, their influences undoubtedly reflect the Golden Era of Rhythm and Blues.

RALPH WHITE

“What longtime Austinite and former Bad Liver Ralph White puts on albums and onstage is so mind-boggling and vast, it forces those of us in the description business down a treacherous path” (Darcie Stevens, Austin Chronicle)
“White was a member of well-loved punk bluegrass outfit Bad Livers, but his solo work is possessed of a much more lonesome spark, exaggerating the implied drone at the heart of the music of Dock Boggs and The Stanley Brothers…White plays wooden six-string banjo, violin, button accordion and kalimba and his voice has a high, eerie quality to it…extremely psychedelic” (David Keenan, The Wire UK)
One of our foremost instrumentalists and a true hidden American treasure, Ralph White has taken the back roads in his inspired pursuit of the ancient roots of music. The “folk/noise/avant-whatever genius” (Joe Gross, Austin Statesman) has made many strange travels as an itinerant musician and laborer. Thus his intimate, nuanced musical language has slowly revealed itself, along a path that meanders from the apple orchards of British Columbia to the villages of Zimbabwe and Namibia, from the lonesome moors of Ireland to Australia, Brittany, Peru, Louisiana and beyond. There is also the influence of White’s hometown of Austin, Texas, a rich musical crossroads in and of itself.
Along with Danny Barnes and Mark Rubin, White completed the original and definitive lineup of country/bluegrass mavericks (and recent Texas Music Hall of Fame inductees) The Bad Livers. He now performs his singular blend of ancient rural folk music and original songwriting as a soloist. Since touring extensively in North America and Europe, White has kept a prolific schedule of independent releases, “where borders are erased and music is the only language” (Insound). Most recently, his “Navasota River Devil Squirrel”, called “a fine navigation of the American mystery zone” (Volcanic Tongue) was reissued on vinyl LP by Mystra Records/Spirit of Orr. And in late 2009 the Resipiscent label issued his improv collaboration with San Francisco sound artist Hora Flora Sound System. New releases are scheduled for 2010, including a solo album with Austin indie Monofonus. White has also self-released limited edition works and is called on for various recording projects and film scores & appearances.
In addition to his solo work, White has recorded or performed with a diverse group of folk and avant-garde musicians: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Jandek, Jack Rose, Eugene Chadbourne, Michelle Shocked, Sun City Girls’ Sir Richard Bishop, Powell St. John and Michael Hurley. He plays fiddle in traditional Cajun dance band The Gulf Coast Playboys, and, with folk singer Amy Annelle, performs in the roots country & folk duo Precious Blood.–D Walker, 2009

APE MACHINE

The name APE MACHINE is a nod to the days of reel-to-reel magnetic tape audio recording; a fitting moniker for the heavy-hitting quartet as the band plays through vintage tube amplifiers and lays down its songs using exclusively throwback quality studio equipment. With a heady mix of animal aggression and technical precision, APE MACHINE’s music carries an organic depth and warmth rarely heard since the time of rock’s glorious early years (or your Dad’s bad ass record collection) infused with an exceptional modern sensibility. When the mystical lyrics of vocalist Caleb Heinze lock in with the band’s stone-cold groove, APE MACHINE demonstrates an earth-shaking ability to rock. A true four-piece, the group has been called “a rock and roll band with a finger on the pulse of the 70’s and their asses firmly in the present” and “real heavy-psych for the iPhone generation” that delivers “true guts and glory rock and roll.”

Blending equal parts Rock n’ Roll, Blues, Stoner Rock and Psychedelia, Ape Machine is out to melt faces and pound the apathy out of otherwise jaded listeners with a wall of heavy rock n’ roll tones unheard since the days of bell bottoms, long hair and blaring tube amplifiers.

Ape Machine’s mission is to combine intense melody, cutting riffs and blistering live improvisation. Where many bands rely on meticulously rehearsed, just-like-the-record-parts, Ape Machine provides a live experience that is as unique as each evening it shares with an audience.

Mephiskapheles

MEPHISKAPHELES

Mephiskapheles, the band that helped define modern day ska, then defied critics by exploring even greater possibilities with its darkly original ska fusion, forges ahead with amazing shows and new music on the way.

Formed in the East Village of New York City in 1991, Mephiskapheles played its first show on Long Island. From day one, the band began attracting a diverse, dedicated fan base.

Sold-out NYC gigs led to tours with the Buzzcocks and GWAR, and hits on the Hawaiian Islands Chart with three singles from the band’s first album, 1994’s God Bless Satan, produced by Bill Laswell.​

While touring relentlessly, Mephiskapheles followed-up in 1997 with Maximum Perversion, a jazz-influenced work that didn’t take long to be hailed as a classic. A deal in 1999 with Koch Records resulted in the band’s hard-hitting, exploratory third album, Might-Ay White-Ay. The band released the self-titled EP Mephiskapheles in 2015, featuring the single “Satan Stole My Weed,” an instant classic. Never Born Again, an EP released in 2019, brings the band back full circle to its dark and melodic roots.

Fronted by lead singer Grylli aka Invidious aka the Nubian Nightmare, along with the hottest rhythm section in New York, and the Horns of Hell, Mephiskapheles spreads its evil seed with an ongoing reissue program, epic shows, and new music on the way.

Tesla Rossa

TESLA ROSSA

Perhaps the key to the band’s dynamic is their diversity of taste. “We all have very different listening preferences,” Jason points out. Ryan is a string composer and self-proclaimed pop music fan. Nathan is interested in jazz. Jason has always been steadfast in his love of Rock and Roll. When it all comes together, Tesla Rossa delivers scuzzy rock jams and grand breakup anthems in the same breath, and always with an equal measure of power and finesse.

Futuristic Dragon

FUTURISTIC DRAGON

Futuristic Dragon Mission Statement: Perform/record the music of Marc Bolan & T-Rex.

The Flood Brothers

THE FLOOD BROTHERS

The Flood Brothers are a two man THUMP MACHINE whos infectious melodies and animal rhythms will have your bones shakin’ outta your boots! Heavily influenced by the early Rock ‘N Roll sounds of Memphis and Deep Blues of North Mississippi, Gabe Meyer and Jacob Best add their own bend to the boogie that could only come from the muddy banks of the mighty Mississippi River. Hannibal, MO is where these boys and their music call home.

Forming in a basement in early 2000, The Flood Bros. cut their teeth a few years later as the unofficial house band at The Packer’s Roost; a rowdy dive bar in rural off-the-grid Montana near Hungry Horse.

“Our first gig was actually in Wapiti, Wyoming in 2002. We used a mop, bucket, and duct tape for a mic stand, played for five hours and hadn’t practiced in three months,” says Meyer. “We nailed it.”

Best adds, “Our first gig at Packer’s was on Christmas Day. We showed up at about 6:00 that evening after working all day on the mountain, walked in with our gear, Gabe’s wearing shorts, and these people are smashed wasted throwing every insult short of a beer bottle. All we could do was yell and holler back, set up and play. We felt instantly at home. Everyone in Whitefish warned us not to go out there. Too rough. We played through lots of fights, knives, and EMT’s…..we were paid in duck, goose, and mashed potatoes.”

After returning home, the guys started a band with Kent Burnside, the oldest grandson of the legendary R.L. BURNSIDE, as Kent Burnside and the New Generation. Son of R.L., Dan Burnside joined on bass, Best was on drums and Meyer on lap steel guitar. With R.L. Burnside being a musical hero, Gabe and Jake already knew most of the music by heart and within three weeks were on a major West Coast tour. During the years of 2006-2010, the band played regularly at many notable venues nationwide such as Legends, Chicago, Ill; Ground Zero, Clarksdale, MS; The Knitting Factory, Hollywood, CA; Gip’s Place in Bessemer, AL (Alabama’s last remaining Juke Joint, on the blues circuit for over 50 years – a must visit venue), and the House of Blues in Chicago. Gabe and Jake also had the chance to share the stage and play alongside many standout musicians with the Burnsides: Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush, Kenny Brown, Duwayne Burnside, Cedric Burnside, Garry Burnside, the sons of Junior Kimbrough, and the daughter of Johnny Shines to name(drop) a few. “My guitar’s more famous than I’ll ever be,” says Meyer. “Elmo Williams played it up in Minneapolis.” “Kenny Brown played it later that night at a bar down the road and then we all got kicked out.” “It’s been stolen, pawned, and bled on.” “She always comes home and never talks back.”

Meyer and Best rotated a bit, playing around down South with whichever of the Burnsides needed a solid drummer and rhythm and slide guitar player. “None of those guys really played slide. The generation after R.L. seemed to have lost interest in it, and finding a drummer who could play those Hill Country beats wasn’t easy either. Jake and I were in high demand there for awhile.” While crediting the Burnsides for musical inspiration and some long years of paying hard dues on the road, the boys had to follow their number one priority of playing original music as a two man band.

Promoting their long-awaited debut album, “Flood Type,” the Flood Brothers are back on track playing solely as a duo and are known for their energetic live performances that can promote hours and hours of groove.

“Shake it if you got it…”

JOEY HENRY’S DIRTY SUNSHINE CLUB

Group Therapy. I tell Stories from the inevitable book of the Dirty Sunshine Club. so far its a convoluted mess of notebooks but someday will be a convoluted mess of binded book. In The mean time you can purchase a short cd version called ‘I Fuck Up A Lot”

EGO

A$AP MOB

A$AP Mob is an American hip hop collective formed in 2006, in Harlem, New York, by members A$AP Yams, A$AP Bari and A$AP Illz. The Mob is a collective of rappers, producers, video directors and fashion designers who share similar interests in music, fashion, style and art. The collective consists of New York-based rappers, most of whom carry the “A$AP” moniker, such as A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, A$AP Twelvyy, A$AP Nast and A$AP Ant. The collective’s resident record producer A$AP Ty Beats, also carries the moniker and has produced several songs for his ASAP Mob cohorts, most notably Rocky’s debut single “Peso”.

LADIES OF PANAMA

“Panama was indeed the cream of the crop and has been the vehicle for some of the baddest musicians and vocalist the City of Chicago has had to offer, many of them having their humble beginnings with the Panama group. After several years of honing skills and being in demand on every arena imaginable local and worldwide, the core ladies of this great group Panama, have decided to come together once again to do a tribute to a legacy that they helped to build. Mae Koen has been in demand for her supreme vocal harmony skills for artists as diverse as Willie Dixon and Aretha Franklin. Shawn Christopher has also been in high demand, having several solo releases and fronting the band Sonia Dada, bringing the band to the level of success unprecedented. Diane Madison, also a scholar, has lent her beautiful angelic colorful voice to many a major artist, including Gene Chandler, Otis Clay, and Aretha Franklin. Nanette Frank, the powerhouse vocalist who has become in demand all over the world having toured extensively in Asia and the USSR and enjoying great success with her CD, Room for One More.” – Gail Dee

MUTOID MAN

New album “Bleeder” is out now on Sargent House from Steve Brodsky (CAVE IN) and Ben Koller (CONVERGE) of MUTOID MAN.

ECHOES OF POMPEII

This Pink Floyd tribute from Gary Indiana is made up by regular hard working members of society who come together on stage to perform the best music from the best band rock and roll has produced in the past 50 years. We are the best non touring Floyd tribute you will ever hear.

THE HARTE ATTACK JAM

“The Harte Attack Jam” featuring various Bret Harte alumnus

LA COSA

On the day we let our last little freak flag fly, we gestured knowingly toward the middle of our home. Like little lazy, loquacious locusts, La Cosa left.
I wasn’t until a few years later that we had realized Uncle had left us a few gifts underneath the patch flooring.

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT was born in February 2009 in Würzburg, Germany when founding fathers Nikita Kamprad (guitars, bass, songwriting, drum programming) and Tobias Jaschinsky (vocals) released the first self-titled album limited to 200 copies and using a drum machine. Within just one month the self-produced record was sold out and the first reviews and interviews followed quickly.

In January 2010 a deal with Berlin based label Viva Hate Records was inked and the band re-released the debut in May – this time featuring real drumtracks recorded by Christian Bass (Heaven Shall Burn, Night In Gales, Deadsoil among others), a new mix and the bonustrack “Ruhe”. Further the band celebrated their first live performance at Friction Fest Berlin among bands like Wolves In The Throne Room, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, Entombed, Crippled Black Phoenix and Amenra followed by various shows all over Germany.

In March 2011 the band entered the Hammer Studios Hamburg with producer Eike Freese (Negator, Dark Age, Deep Purple, Gamma Ray) to record their “Agonie” EP. With its release in July drummer Christian Bass had to leave the band due to timing and private reasons but shortly after a new drummer was found in Tobias Schuler who already replaced Christian Bass at some shows in 2010.

The first big festival appearances at Summer Breeze Open Air, Barther Metal Open Air and Wolfszeit Festival followed as well as the first Austrian shows with friends Neaera.

After finishing songwriting for the next record at the end of 2011 the band entered the Tonstudio Würzburg in their hometown to record their next full-length. “Unstille” was produced, mixed and mastered by Nikita Kamprad and released in June 2012 once again via Viva Hate Records. After having various friends helping out on live-guitar and -bass, Sascha Rissling (guitars) and Giuliano Barbieri (bass) were added as permanent members to the line-up.

Despite of a successful headliner tour around Germany and Austria singer Tobias Jaschinsky decided to leave the band due to musical differences. Having no auditions with other singers at all the band chose to go on as a 4-piece with Nikita Kamprad taking over the vocal position besides guitars live and in the studio.

In this constellation the band went on tour through Germany, Austria and Switzerland in March 2013 with comrades Agrypnie and Heretoir and played Summer Breeze Open Air for the second time as well as several headliner shows.

2014 started off with a short run through France with Ensiferum and Frosttide before leaving for Blastfest at Bergen, Norway in February, followed by a German tour with The Ocean. In April the band flew over to Russia successfully playing shows in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Arzamas, Tolyatti, Samara and Ulyanovsk. After that they co-headlined the Tel Aviv Deathfest, Israel’s biggest annual metal festival, among many other international bands. The band also played the renowned With Full Force Open Air in Germany and headlined various smaller festivals.

In August 2014 DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT signed a deal with French label Season of Mist and is about to record the highly anticipated follow-up to 2012’s “Unstille” at Ghost City Recordings, Germany.

Fools Brew

FOOLS BREW

FOOLS’ BREW is on a mission to tear up every stage they play with straightforward, beer-soaked, Midwest-bred metal. The Chicago four-piece cut their teeth playing bars and clubs all around Chicago, Joliet, and northwest Indiana. In the early months of 2012 they rocked The Rave in Milwaukee while opening for Korn. 2013 saw the FOOLS win the Chicago Battle of the Bands at Reggie’s Rock Club, play the main stage at Congress Theater, and headline shows at Goose Island Wrigleyville and Reggie’s. This year, behind their newly released EP, “THIS SIDE OF SANITY”, they’ve showcased their raucous live set across the Midwest playing venues in Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and Bloomington; opened for Kyng, Kill Devil Hill, Soulfly, Butcher Babies, and Upon A Burning Body; and packed shows back home at Reggie’s, Martyr’s, and Mojoes among others. In 2015 the FOOLS have partnered up with BlankTV and joined the family of Coldcock Whiskey sponsored artists. The word is spreading, heads are turning, and faces are melting. The future looks bright, because this band is on fire.

Desecrate

DESECRATE

Desecrate is a heavy metal band hailing from Los Angeles, California. 
Their music is a unique blend of aggression and technical prowess founded by drive and passion. Their catchy melodies, modern edge, and progressive elements give them a sound that distinguishes them from the metal masses.

Hailing from the birthplace of the American metal scene, Desecrate calls Hollywood home. Their explosive live shows have gained them a loyal growing fan base that has allowed them to headline many well known Hollywood clubs including: The House of Blues, The Whisky A Go Go, The Key Club, The Roxy, The Avalon, and The Troubadour. They have shared the stage with many top national metal acts such as: Overkill, Warbringer, Dragonforce, Metal Church, Anvil, Exmortus, and many more.

Desecrate has embarked on multiple nationwide tours, devouring cities and dominating the stage every step of the way. They have played such notable cities as: San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Albuquerque, Sioux City, Des Moines, El Paso, and more. No matter the circumstances Desecrate performs at the highest level and delivers greatness every single show.

Desecrate has self released several professional quality recordings. It has always been the band’s philosophy to put out top level material whether or not a record label is part of the equations. Their previous 2012 release “At the Edge of Sanity” is an album that takes a very modern approach on classic metal elements. It will take you from powerful melodic vocals to aggressive angry screams and from fast guitar neck ripping articulations to heavy groove oriented rhythms. Their newest 2015 release promises to push the metal envelope even further.

“Desecrate’s impressive line-up lends itself to the unique blend of old-school thrash with the melodic sensibility of progressive music. Chase Becker’s tasteful and complex phrasing on the guitar makes them a powerful force.” – Chris Broderick (Guitarist of Megadeth)

“Desecrate is a band that is pushing the boundaries of musicianship, songwriting, and stage performance.” – Rock City Magazine

“Desecrate is a reminder that metal music is alive and well. This band knows how to rock and loves to deliver the goods.” – KNAC.com

“Desecrate has SOLD OUT the Whisky A Go Go every time they’ve played, consistently for the past half decade.” – Luke Iblngs M Productions

Gina Sobel

GINA SOBEL

Gina Sobel’s music is overflowing with energy and improvisational spirit. She’s a devoted multi-instrumentalist – virtuosic on flute and voice and just as expressive on sax and guitar. Gina’s composition takes two main directions. She writes songs with piercing lyrics and soaring vocal melodies as well as jazz tunes that bring in elements of funk, modal jams and found sounds. She pulls these two sides together with her rock band Gina Sobel and the Mighty Fine. Gina also leads a jazz quartet (the Sobel 4tet) and plays as a solo artist and in a number of other groups.

Acid King

ACID KING

For as loud as their riffs and roars are, Acid King’s legacy is as unassuming as it is enduring, casting a quiet shadow over the underground for over two decades.

Bathed in distortion and baptized in a plume of smoke, the Bay Area trio—Lori S. [vocals, guitars], Joey Osborne [drums], and Mark Lamb [bass]—re-emerged with their first offering in a decade, Middle of Nowhere Center of Everywhere. Receiving widespread critical acclaim, tastemakers such as Noisey, Blabbermouth, Invisible Oranges, Ultimate Guitar, and New Noise lauded the album. They embarked on tours of the States and Australia, appearing on festivals including Psycho Las Vegas, Erosion Fest, Desert Generator, and more as well as sharing the stage with everyone from Sleep and Down to Blue Öyster Cult, Red Fang, and YOB. The record extended a celebrated discography that encompasses three EPs and three full-lengths, namely Zoroaster [1995], Busse Woods [1999], and Acid King III [2005], carving out a foundation back in 1993. It’s no surprise strains of their style infect modern luminaries such as The Sword and Kylesa, and they’ve earned a place in tomes like The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal and the A to Z of Doom, Gothic & Stoner Metal.

Forever etched in the Acid King Necronomicon, Joey and Mark announced they would each begin their own respective new chapters in late 2016.

“When we started this band, it was always just about playing music that we love,” exclaims Lori. “Joey and Mark reached a point where they wanted to focus on other aspects of their lives. I wish them the best. It was simply the start of another era.”

As the proverbial train kept rolling, Lori invited an old friend to join her on the road for a string of shows in 2017. Black Cobra’s Rafa Martinez entered the fold again after assuming bass duties once in 2007. Meanwhile, she tapped the talents of local drummer Bil Bowman behind the kit.

“The new lineup sounds killer,” she goes on. “We’re carrying on the Acid King’s story.”

As she aims to commence writing, the future remains bright for the frontwoman. In the end, Lori keeps forging ahead as Acid King’s spirit rages on louder than ever before.

“Even though we’re doing the same thing we were at the beginning, I feel like it keeps getting better,” she leaves off. “It’s exciting to see the impact it has on fans. A lot of people will write me and say they had a shitty day, put on our music, and it took them to another place. Many songs are written while I’m riding my motorcycle. I want to transfer that feeling. It’s cool to see the reaction.”

City Slang

CITY SLANG

MEMBERS ALL HAVE BEEN IN VARIOUS BANDS, DECAY AFTER DEATH, WHITE ROSE, WHEELS ON FIRE, CEMETERY… 

EAST CAMERON FOLKCORE

Fear has many faces: It’s stirred up by the media to achieve higher quotas and print runs. It’s used in politics to restrict the rights of individual freedom. It’s not only virtual, it’s frighteningly real, it’s a misty veil that covers the planet and it’s a hole that opens up behind your garden fence. East Cameron Folkcore doesn’t shout out cheap platitudes or rebelliously empty slogans against the system. They know what they’re talking about. If the album “For Sale” was the key to open the door to the outside, “Kingdom Of Fear“ is the boot that crashes the door into pieces letting everything in: Light, Knowledge and truth, which are so glistening bright and obvious that nobody can be neutral and try to say: I didn’t know anything, I didn’t hear anything.

This phenomenal record is wise and thought out, searching and pioneering, hollered and breathed, until, at the very end, the fear is drawing the short straw. The solution is called “Goodbye To Fear“, as difficult as simple. Shut down your computer, throw away your pills, stop believing everything that’s reported in the news. And foremost: No more curling up into a ball, hiding, retreating into the private sphere. Go out, open your eyes and do something. Look for like-minded people, join an initiative, announce a demo, start a blog. Or, another option: Listen to this record. That is, I have to admit, only a tiny little step. But a small step is better than nothing. – Ingo Neumayer

PurP

With lightning speed, thundering drums and a knack for jamming, PurP is a fantastic sample of what the south suburbs of Chicago has to offer. Influenced by bands like Rush, the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead, PurP supplies a new chapter to the rock Jam saga with a little heat on it. Drummer Rudy Johnson supplies a perfect powerhouse of rhythm, along with the thumping bass of “Magic Shoes” Marty Arneberg, to give Guitarist Zak Kerkhoven a launch pad from which he can create and display some PurPtastic riffs! Working on the first PurP release, and on setting tour dates for next year!

SUNSHINE REGGAE BAND

AINSWORTH ROSE, FOUNDER AND MANAGER OF THE SUNSHINE REGGAE BAND of Chicago, IL has been performing the music of his native shores throughout the Midwest for over twenty years. This self-taught musician/entertainer started his US music career as the Jamaican One Man Band in 1995, singing and playing for local events in Bensenville and throughout the Western suburbs. He was the recipient of the 2001 & 2002 Calypso Entertainer of the year, awarded by the Chicago Music Awards.

The transition to THE SUNSHINE REGGAE BAND happened in August 2010. This welcomed progression added female beauty and talent to his band presentation. In 2011 they performed their first band concert at the DuSABLE MUSEUM in Chicago. The band has now evolved to a full ten piece ensemble.
In November 2013, they performed their second annual band concert at John Barleycorn (River North) which was well received and celebrated. They have also become a regular feature attraction on the local CANTV concert show on Channel 19.
On February 23, 2014, they were the recipient of the 2014 BEST CALYPSO/SOCA ENTERTAINER award, presented by the CHICAGO MUSIC AWARD which was held at the COPERNICUS CENTER in Chicago.

They have a very extensive repertoire, comprising hundreds of reggae, calypso, soca, Latin, Hawaiian and American songs. The band is in high demand for weddings, festivals, concerts, corporate events, picnics, country clubs, holidays and private parties.

The sunshine reggae band is a very flexible and perceptive group. Their ability to read and please their audience is phenomenal. Spontaneous audience participation is the highlight of this island act.
Their sunny smiles, harmonious singing and rhythmic movements are very contagious. They’ll have the audience in the island vibes shouting; Yeh Mon!!, singing; “Who let The Dogs Out” and “Hot Hot Hot”, doing the Limbo, the Dollar Wine and having the greatest time.
THEY TAKE YOU TO THE ISLANDS ON THE WINGS OF MUSIC. YEH MON!!

Sammy Kay

SAMMY KAY

The Jersey Blues

Unamused Dave

UNAMUSED DAVE

Unamused Dave is your basic rock band that spends their time doing their homework two weeks in advance & wiping their feet before entering the house. They have two albums out called “Apple Drive” and “Leroy”.

BROTHER DOUGLAS

JUSTIN WELLS

“His gritty storytelling…doesn’t require more than his powerful, growly baritone and an acoustic guitar…” – No Country for New Nashville

Justin Wells sings loud songs.

After spending nearly a decade fronting the Kentucky southern rock band Fifth on the Floor, no strangers to a rocking show, Justin spent his nights on the line between a slow country ballad and fast rock-n-roll. Now on his own, his songs are a little older, a little leaner, a little meaner. Currently playing a handful of solo dates prior to hitting the studio for his debut release, expect his show to feature stories instead of solos, or a stomping boot instead of a drum.

But don’t expect quiet.

AS GIANTS

4 piece band from America.
Tyler Arnoff – Drums
Joey Fernandez- vocals, guitar
Paolo Lanzisero- bass
Jacob Vidovich- guitar, vocals

THE FANTASTIC PLASTICS

Self dubbed “The Future of The Future,” The Fantastic Plastics simply describe their sound as “Candy Coated Cyanide.”

The Fantastic Plastics, craft infectious pop hooks sprinkled with thick analog synths and a dose whip smart lyrics. The Fantastic Plastics live in the world of retro-futurism and their songs are often cautionary tales for a society blindly adopting technology for which the consequences are not understood.

The Fantastic Plastics are known for their energetic concerts. The live shows are enhanced with video installation​s, lights, costumes and more. A blend of 2001 A Space Odyssey with the glam sensibility of Ziggy Stardust.

$PENCER $IMS

HEY…IM $PENCE​R…#N​ewDeal​Crew #Straylife

THOMAS MAC

KEITH JAMES

Keith James is a multi-platinum songwriter whose distinctive mix of Pop, Hip-hop, and R&B has led to writing hits for top-selling artists such as Jeremih, Wale, and others. Now, his unique musicality and charismatic appeal have him stepping into the spotlight as the performer with his most recent masterpiece and debut single, “Not My Day” (Releasing Feb 9, 2015).

Born and raised in one of South Side Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods, James began performing at the tender age of nine, singing in his church choir and playing both piano and saxophone. Writing music nightly, James never allowed the harsh reality of his surroundings – or the sound of gunshots outside his window – to steer him from creating the positive, uplifting lyrics and melodies that have since become his trademark.

Teaming with multi-platinum producer and musical genius Mick Schultz in 2008, James co-wrote the platinum smash “Birthday Sex” with recording artist (and childhood friend) Jeremih. The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The trio then collaborated on the hit record “Imma Star,” which reached gold status, and a publishing deal with Universal followed.

Colleagues have described James’ music as a contagious mix of Pharrell Williams, Bruno Mars, and John Legend, and his voice as a soothing mix of Teddy Pendergrass and Barry White – a sound that is magnified by the warmth and positive energy reflected in James himself.

“Keith James is an incredible songwriter but has always been a true artist at heart,” says Schultz. “It’s now time for the world to know that!”

Realizing that they share a special bond, James and Schultz continue to work together to change the face of music, and have written a large catalogue of songs together that the world has yet to hear. With his producer firmly by his side, the career of Keith James is history in the making.

SIR THE BAPTIST

The Preacher’s Kid
It is often said religious families birth the worst rebels. This cross-cultured fact has become the creative fingerprint for Sir the Baptist, and the inescapable thought of religion worldwide explains why he is an emerging artist with a universal market. Sir the Baptist, the son of a preacher, is an indie American renaissance artist noted as “one of the chosen ones” by Universal Music. If 2Pac was our first urban Prophet, he’s our first glimpse at an urban hymnist with that same ghetto gospel. He is a religion rebel. In the 1950’s, Ray Charles was rebuked by the church for bringing gospel music to the secular/pop world with his hit song “I Got a Woman”. Sir is the second coming of that twisted faith. “Thank God real performers still exist”, says Sean Dale of Power 92.3fm. He’s a game-changing fusion of secular and sacred – with a message that is refreshingly progressive, delightfully innovative, and unapologetically necessary for today’s socio-political climate. He has hip-hop’s aggressiveness with a crooner’s charm that paints the provoking imagery of a sinner who juggles desire for salvation and plotted bad habits.

The centuries spent branding religion makes his target easy, limitless… sometimes reminiscent of the world renowned Broadway musical “Book of Mormon” with his church stylistic comedy, while other times referencing the serious and thought provoking fire and brimstone teachings from his upbringings. Jeff Vaughn, of Warner Music Group, says “Sir blurs the line between Saturday night at the club and Sunday morning at church. Simply incredible.” Sir’s willingness to invoke both humanity’s longing for redemption, and its lust for worldly practices is a surprisingly relatable exhibition of the human condition.
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Sir the Baptist was born William James Stokes at the “Gateway of Jazz Heaven” also known as Chicago’s historically artistic Bronzeville neighborhood, to Christian Apologist Dr. James Benton and Mission Ambassador Patricia Ann. The mystique of Sir’s artistry is connected to the memories of his father’s sermons and Chicago crime and drug infested ghettos. Dr. Benton had the great fortune of not only seeing the foundation of Bronzeville’s rich musical community, but also was a part of its economic engine that pushed Bronzeville to keep giving back to its community, even after his death. His neighbors’ residue was his inspiration. Ella Fitzgerald played at Bronzeville’s Sunset Café, which today is where Ace Hardware resides. Lena Horne, Duke Ellington and Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole along with countless others also were regular performers at Sunset Cafe. In addition, their Bronzeville homes have been deemed historical landmarks. Being a part of the same community as those greats before him made Sir the Baptist the genius he is today. Brandra Ringo, of Universal Music, proclaims “Amen! One of the chosen has arrived. Save music!” .

The world, although it may not always seem so, is ready for new points of view. “This is It”, says Rex Rideout of Motown Records. Tunji Bungalow, of Interscope, simply states “Thank you for making good music”. When asked what genre his music is, Sir says “It’s Art Tatum boogie woogin’ on an old upright piano in a small tavern with a choir and Andre 3000 or Pac at the mic,” or simply put “church pub rap”. Although this isn’t remotely innovative, he has recorded with towering Steinway Composer Lee Musiker; who produced for the likes of Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra Jr. This type of diversity has him leaving the studio with a Sinatra to recording “Familiar” with Chance the Rapper on Surf alongside King Louie and Quavo. From finales with Joffery Ballet to taking that same 8-piece horn section to RAGE venues with Travis Scott at Chicago’s renowned venue “The Metro”, Sir the Baptist a new voice in music to be reckoned with. From Pitchfork features for his trap production with his collective StokFord, to composing the theme for Dysfunctional Friends, a major motion picture, now featured on Redbox, Netflix, and international film outlets Sir the Baptist is an accomplished and versatile artist. An extended version of the film’s theme also made it to Sir the Baptist’s “PK” album. Rated as “one of the most diverse records of the year, welcome to church” by Grammy Governor and multi-platinum artists representative Daryl Jones. .

JEFF MORRIS

Jeff Morris – Singer, Guitarist and Songwriter performing solo electric and acoustic.

Morris established his credentials in the late 80’s Boston punk rock scene as the songwriter/lyricist/guitarist in seminal east coast street rock punk band The Bruisers from 1988 through 1996 with current Dropkick Murphys singer, Al Barr.

Jeff’s signature guitar style and songwriting helped create what has become known as the street rock punk scene in the USA. He and The Bruisers are constantly cited as influences by up and coming bands.

The Bruisers released seven records and toured extensively in the US and EU, and are now considered an icon in the scene. They shared the stage with legendary bands including Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Sheer Terror, Madball, Blood For Blood, Dropkick Murphys, The Business, Biohazard, Type O Negative, Life Of Agony, Murphys Law, Breakdown, Nuclear Assault, 25 Ta Life, Converge and many more.

The Bruisers influence and popularity have only increased over time as all of their recordings are still in print on Taang! and available on iTunes, Amazon and elsewhere as downloads and their merchandise continues to sell through online retail.

They recently played two reunion shows to several thousand eager fans and plan to work more in 2015/2016.

After The Bruisers, Morris formed Death & Taxes, a three piece post-punk roots rock band who played extensively and released one critically acclaimed record; “Tattooed Hearts and Broken Promises” on I Scream Records of USA/Belgium.

Death & Taxes also shared the stage with legendary bands and artists, including John Doe (X), Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem), The Supersuckers, Dropkick Murphys, Ted Leo, Street Dogs, Darkbuster, Three Blue Teardrops, Casualties, Waco Brothers, Chris Mills, Stigma, Drag The River, Woggles, Michael Graves (Misfits) and others.

Stylistically Death & Taxes are a logical progression from the late Bruisers sound, and the reception by fans to this day proves that the style Morris helped create is still relevant today.

Morris’s skill and notoriety have earned him endorsement deals with several guitar gear manufacturers including Reverend Guitars, Jenkins Sound Shop, Truck Amplifier Co, Sweet Sound Effects Pedals and ProAnalog Effects Pedals.

Morris’s solo electric and acoustic shows typically include songs from both The Bruisers and Death & Taxes as well as new material.

In 2009 Morris relocated to Chicago where he continues to write and record.

MATT CHARETTE

Boston singer/songwriter

SEWN UP

New ’90s influenced Indie Rock band local to Chicago.

FORTY WINTERS

Fans of acts such as Darkest Hour, Cannibal Corpse and The Acacia Strain are sure to uncover a whole new sonic disease when exploring the punishing sounds of Forty Winters. An exhilarating band on the rise based out of the South Florida music scene, Forty Winters present passionate tunes of darkness and integrity that will tear into your soul and then toss your ass into the nearest mosh pit of mass destruction. Their latest recording is entitled ‘Isolation’, an assault to the senses that will leave the listener gasping for air.

DEAD LUCID

Three piece Psychedelic Rock band in the vein of The Jimi Hendrix Experience creating new, imaginative rock for the next generation.

ARVIA

Upon their formation in 2013, Arvia immediately discovered a passion for songwriting and performing that has since carried them to enormous heights. The band has shared the stage with acts such as Against The Current, Late Nite Reading, and Slaves, and since the release of their debut EP “Everything You Dreamed Of” in December 2014, the band has quickly become a recognizable name in the Chicago scene, continuing to expand their fanbase and broaden their horizons.

WE ARE FOREVER

Composed of Aren Andersen (Vocals), Alex Nauth (Guitar, Vocals), Ricky Ayala (Guitar, Back up vocals), and Alex Ayala (Drums), the Indianapolis, IN pop rock quintet have quickly taken the independent music scene by storm. Formed by brothers Ricky and Alex Ayala at a young age, the band released their first EP, “Seasons” in 2012, and their first full-length album, “To Be Alive” in 2013. We Are Forever’s distinct brand of fun up-beat Pop Rock has captured the hearts of thousands and secured their spots on large shows alongside bands such as The Maine, Breathe Carolina, Sleeping With Sirens and many more as well as winning a spot on the Ernie Ball stage at Warped Tour. The band is currently in the studio with ZK Productions (Cartel, Mayday Parade, The Summer Set) working on a new EP, expected in 2015.

THE BIG TIME

The Big Time is a Pop Rock/Alternative band from Altoona, PA. Since forming in 2009, they have released four albums and most recently worked with producers Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount (Mayday Parade, All Time Low, Cartel) on their newest album “Imaginary Heart” that was released in early September 2014.

In the past few years The Big Time has quickly gained a strong following with their tireless work ethic, utilizing every social networking avenue available and sharing the stage with artists including; All Time Low, Mayday Parade, Breathe Carolina, The Downtown Fiction, We Are The In Crowd, Hit The Lights, and The Wonder Years to name a few. The Big Time has also been featured on The Gunz Show and had their newest album streamed on idobi Radio before its release.