At only 20 years old, Travi$ Scott’s music has already taken him
quite a few places, even if he isn’t famous enough to be recognized in
any of them yet. He’s lived on the east and west coasts, as well as the
“third coast” of his native Houston, Texas, but has seen exotic locales
while traveling with the most famous of his early fans, Kanye West.
Since meeting early last year, the two have spent countless hours in
the studio, the fruits of which can be heard on “Sin City,” Scott’s
standout contribution to the G.O.O.D. Music compilation album, Cruel
Summer. In his verse, Scott paints a vivid picture of a girl caught up in
the allure of the fast life: She stepped into hell, cause when it got
cold/Don’t look in her eyes, you might see straight to her soul/Don’t
say yes to that good cause you’ll never know/Cause we lost in the city,
where sin is no biggie! he raps. The charge is something Scott himself
can identify with, his music career having taken flight at an
astronomical speed over the course of just a few short years.
Travi$ Scott grew up in Houston the son of a drummer and
grandson of a music scholar, bitten himself by the music bug after
witnessing the showmanship of late 90’s rap videos from Mase and
Diddy and then later on, experiencing the revolutionary production of
Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. Scott began making beats when he
was just 17 and sought out the tutelage of the local names he had
access to, who just so happened to be dirty south hip-hop legends N.O.
Joe and Mike Dean. It wasn’t long after that he would venture out to
New York to see what he was actually made of. “I’m really into
depicting what’s in my life,” Scott says. “Anything I say in these
verses, that’s who I am. Those are real stories.” Things didn’t quite
take off the way he imagined in New York, Scott having to couch surf
when money got low, so he bounced to Los Angeles for another fresh
start. The leap of faith paid off with Scott catching the ear of the “King
of the South” himself, T.I., who signed him immediately through his
GrandHustle/Epic imprint. With Scott working with T.I., it wasn’t long
before Kanye West got wind of him, both superstars still utilizing the
young prodigy whenever possible.
And though he continues to work on music with his mentors,
Travi$ Scott’s own Owl Pharaoh EP is soon to set the world ablaze,
Scott using everything he’s learned from his forefathers to make the
project he’s sure will satisfy a rapidly growing fanbase. “People are
gonna feel the imagery, what my life consists of, what the world of
Travi$ Scott is,” he says. “What is this kid thinking? Who is this kid?
What is he trying to tell us? That’s what they gone feel through these
songs.” So far they’ve had only morsels to chew on, but the demand
grows with each leak like “Blocka,” the song he co-produced with
Young Chop and raps on with Pusha T, or the super-stylized “Quintana”
video or the riot-inducing, Mike Will-produced, “Pus$$y,” which
features Chuck Inglish, Fredo Santana and Gunplay. Travi$ Scott has
collaborated with some of the biggest names in rap and he hasn’t even
released his EP yet. “It’s like becoming friends,” Scott says of his
music. “Once people get to hang around you more and more, they’ll
start to understand you. They’ll either catch on or they’ll get left
behind.” And soon enough, the world will know what so many of our
favorite rappers already do: That Travi$ Scott is the future.
The earliest beginnings of what would come to be The Obscene Kiss manifested in the late summer of 2011. Michael X. Christian and Dorian Starchild were the founding members of this industrial metal act from Chicago in which they began by rehearsing Marilyn Manson covers and a handful of songs written by MXC. The band’s first performance was at a bar called Horseshoe on March 24th, 2012- they opened for Lockjaw at a release party for Ministry’s album, Relapse. The Obscene Kiss went virtually inactive over the following summer but during this time, a goal was set for recording a set of professionally produced songs. The group amicably parted ways with bassist, Zack Shirtum who had expressed a desire to pursue other avenues of creativity. This opening led to the inclusion of instrumentalist and producer, Nikk Skum on bass. Following a return to regular rehearsal, The Obscene Kiss found themselves sharing the stage with Pound of Flesh and Project 44 at The Bottom Lounge and with them again, along with W.O.R.M. at Martyr’s in early 2013. This return to the stage served to usher in the band’s new material and subsequently new sound. With the Human Extinction EP currently in the works and more shows lined up for the Spring and Summer- The Obscene Kiss is poised to burn the human species in the coming year…
This project began as a need for eXpansion using whatever tools were necessary to EXpound the boundaries, to break the rules, to tear down the walls, to bear witness to and communicate, to eXcommunicate and embrace all which is life, the chaotic visions, the landscapes and prisons, all which binds us there; we, catapulted into the controlled madness of fear, joys, toys and tears.
Meet The Radio Creeps: the bloody meat-puppets, cavorting upon their strings, chains that dangle, chains that break, musical vista’s that shake and hesitate, singing, speaking, growling, sounds/capes that escape, as they proliferate; fulfilled, yet deprived on the roads of Rock-N-Roll and all things adorned, between and beneath, until their existence is marked by a stone, by a wreath.
Come and eXperience that which is the Radio Creeps if you have the strength, the courage, the mind, to face the truths, the love’s, the lies that are some time’s hidden within us all…. somewhere deep inside.
Epitasis is a death metal band hailing from Chicago, IL. We hope to deliver slamming blackened riffs, devastating solos and brutality to a town near you!
Mr. Mayor and the Highballers met as students at the Old Town School of Folk Music, where they decided to take their mutual love for jug band and old time music beyond the classroom and onto the mean streets of Chicago. This seven-member ensemble brings high energy to the genre, performing mostly raucous, playful renditions of jazz and blues songs from the 1930’s and ‘40’s. However, their influences (and respective dates of birth) extend well beyond these decades, and there’s no limit to the tunes they are willing to incorporate into their repertoire. They’ve performed at such diverse venues as bars, farmer’s markets, and venerated rock club The Empty Bottle.
Cave Art which consist of Joe Padovano (Guitars), Jonathan Padovano (vocals/guitar, Andrew Kremer (Bass) and Sam Garvery (Drums), was formed in Chicago in the summer of 2010.
After the break-up of The Hellacopters in 2008, Andersson started to work on a solo album, recording all instruments of eight songs by himself, however Andersson changed his mind and decided that it would be better to form a band. Andersson recruited Dolf de Borst, Tobias Egge and Thomas Eriksson, all of which he had worked previouly with in Cold Ethyl, a cover band he formed shortly after the break-up of The Hellacopters. During the recording of the bands self titled album Andersson also enlisted help from several old friends, including Dregen, Anders Lindström, Robert Pehrsson, Neil Leyton and others. While Andersson insists that Imperial State Electric is a band and not a solo career or a side project he also acknowledges the fact that the band might have a revolving line-up of members including himself on drums instead of guitar.
Personnel:
Nicke Andersson: vocals, guitar
Dolf de Borst: backing vocals, bass
Tobias Egge: backing vocals, guitar
Thomas Eriksson: drums, percussion
Welcome to the new fan-page of previously known Dj Ruckiss who now goes by the name of Dj Mr. Shaw. “Change is Epic and change is something that will keep the music game likeable ” says Mr.Shaw as he plans to lift off to greater goals and aspirations in his life with the new name.
Booking close to 50 shows a year and around the nation, “Your Music Mag” has named Mr.Shaw as the the golden musical prodigy of the next generation. Sahaj Shah started his musical endeavors at the ripe age of 4 years old. His natural inclination and affection for music would always have hiim listening to the radio or watching music videos on tv. By the age of 6, you could see the makings of a musical artist as he could make complementing rythmic beats to songs with anything he could get his hands on such as spoons, pencils, sticks etc.
As production landed second, first was the passion of DJing which started to grow at the age of 12. As a DJ, he has learned to adhere to various types of sounds and beats and incorporated them into his live performances. As knowledge of music began to grow, so did his passion for it.
As small backyard parties started to fade away, Dj Mr Shaw started to make it in the club scene at a very young age spinning the top rated nightclubs in Chicago with some of the best DJs in the Nation. In June of 2012, Dj Mr Shaw Gained the opportunity to enter a DJ battle held in the Windy City in which he placed #2, now being called the #2 DJ in Chicago by BOOM ENT. and Chicago’s #1 Music Station, WBBFM Chicago (96.3). Dj Mr Shaw has been in the dj industry for a strong 8 years now, accomplishing tasks that set him aside from other djs. His scratching and mixing abilities have grown since his first hand on turntables.
Jesse Khan has always been into music at such a young age! Jamming to B96 mixes every night. Messing with Virtual Dj. One day Jkon bought a pair of Cdjs and Behringer mixer it was love at first sight. Jkon started at small house parties and making mixes. He got his first break at Inferno Hookah Lounge. (big ups to Ahmed Khan). He was Infernos Resident Dj for 3 years, and making appearancesall over Chicago Land Area. From SoundBar to Proof. Spinning the hottest music every night Top 40 to Hiphop with some dance music as well.
Arjun is a London-based singer, songwriter and producer. Heavily influenced by the soulful, guitar-based sounds of late 90s R&B, and inspired by the likes of Craig David and Donell Jones, Arjun has developed an organic yet contemporary sound palette that makes him stand out from the current crop of UK R&B artists. Equally comfortable performing solo with acoustic guitar or backed by street dancers, Arjun has become a force to be reckoned with live. He has supported US superstars such as Jagged Edge & Blackstreet, and has performed at prestigious venues all over the world, singing to crowds of over 30,000.
After creating a buzz with his first 4 singles, he has been tipped for success by international media ranging from The Independent (UK) to the Times of India to the LA Times. Arjun’s remix of the Tamil cult hit ‘Why This Kolaveri Di’ racked up over 3 million YouTube views in one month. His remix has since been featured on TV channels around the world, including CNN, NDTV and Star News.
Arjun’s talent was recognized by the Asian music industry last year, when he was nominated as ‘Best Newcomer‘ at the ‘Brit Asia Music Awards 2011’. In January 2012, two of Arjun’s singles made it into the first ever ‘Asian Beats Chart’ on Kiss TV, selected by a panel of key Asian media figures and Kiss TV officials. His song ‘Stargazer’ was voted the number 2 song by an Asian artist (in recent times), beaten only by the legendary A.R Rahman’s newly formed super group ‘Super Heavy’, which comprises the likes of Mick Jagger & Joss Stone.
Arjun was also recently chosen as one of MTV’s Top 20 Unsigned Acts for 2012, out of thousands of contestants (the MTV ‘Brand New for 2012’ contest has previously featured artists such as Jessie J and Tinie Tempah).
Despite being an independent artist, Arjun’s tracks have gained substantial support from Radio DJ’s around the world. He recently did a live acoustic session on BBC Radio 1 and was subsequently featured on the Radio 1 homepage. His videos have been aired extensively on mainstream UK music channels such as Kiss TV, Flava and Channel AKA, as well as a plethora of Asian channels across the world, including MTV India, B4U and Zee TV. These videos have simultaneously racked up millions of view on YouTube, resulting in a sizeable online following.
BLACK DOT is a Chicago based music outfit sporting razor riffs, tribal beats, and fever dream vibe in the vein of PIL, Gang of Four, and Yoko Ono. Hurtling down the mountain like Hawkwind being chased by The Police; this train burns wood, wire, and a heavy dose of improvisation. This is not Uncle Wiggle Hip’s jam band… though it may still bring a smile to his melting face.
Kali Ma is an original hard rock band from Chicago. Founding members Sidd Kakodkar, Jags Singh, Mans Singh, and Ashay Kparker have been playing together since 1992.
“Our favorite feminimalists Lil Tits will have the crowd purring like kittens after a set filled with raw, squealing feedback and high-energy punk.” -LoudLoopPress.com
“Chicago trio Lil Tits call their sound “feminimalism” and there couldn’t be a more accurate way to describe the group’s riot grrrl-influenced punk rock. Lil Tits simplify the raw, aggressive style in which bands like L7 and Seven Year Bitch specialized to serve up some real, balls-to-the-wall rock action.” -LoudLoopPress.com
“Lil Tits unleash a torrential eardrum assault aided by an extremely lo-fi production.” -LoudLoopPress.com
We can double ace any triple cup you throw our way, and we can DIY an IUD like yo mamma wishes she could. WE SAW EVERYTHING!!!
There are punk bands and then there are punk bands. Then you have Top Shelf Lickers, a band who retains the fun-loving spirit of punk without getting held down by it’s three chord ceiling. A four-piece powerhouse from Chicago, they’ve brought their energy and hooks to countless Windy City staples. The band’s spirit burns brightest on their latest EP “Heartbreak City”
Rocketboat is an American adventure-rock band. Members Collin Magdaz, Marc Adrian, Josh Hanchar, and Andrew Dumaresq produce a sound forged in the embers of punk and post-modern rock that is dynamically rooted in science fiction and video games. Their 12 track self-titled debut album is now available. Rocketboat has ignited in 2012 and is steadily gaining momentum.
Moon Jr. is a four piece indie rock band from Missouri. Although they hail from a small town, they do not have a small sound. Their music combines elements of rock, psychadelia, dance pop, and blues. With intelligent melodies, tight harmonies, heavy groove, and an electric energy, Moon Jr. is capable of captivating listeners of nearly any genre.
Mystic Monsters is a electronic-pop band that formed in August of 2011. Hailing from Riverside California the band has the hopes of spreading peace and love through music.
Inspired by the revolutionary new sounds in Dubstep and Glitch music generated by the likes of fellow metal-head-turned-DJ SKRILLEX, Talon began the BLACKBURNER project, remixing tracks and releasing original compositions through the Cleopatra imprint Hypnotic Records. The project immediately met with enormous success as compilations featuring BLACKBURNER climbed the iTunes Electronic charts and BLACKBURNER tracks racked up over 15,000 downloads. Bolstered by the overwhelming on-line buzz, preparations were made for a full-length album – and now the time has come for BLACKBURNER to make its worldwide launch. Influenced by Talon’s background as a metal guitarist/vocalist, BLACKBURNER combines the heavily twisted and seriously aggressive Bass beats of Dubstep and Glitch with the melodic hooks of Rock, Industrial and Electronica to create daring yet widely appealing new hybrid sound.
Lee Gates was born in Mississippi and moved to Milwaukee as a teenager where he has been playing his brand of down home blues for the past 50 years. Blues legend Albert Collins is his first cousin and you can hear the family influence in Lee’s fluid guitar style and tone. In 1959 Lee migrated to Milwaukee where he found work performing with the house band at Wilson’s Club at 10th and Center Streets for 15 years straight. It is not until 1974 that he met his legendary cousin Albert Collins. “My daddy’s brother had a lot of kids out there in Texas. I never met them a s a child, but we all knew of each other. When Albert came to Milwaukee I showed him around and we did some gigs together. Every time he came to town we would go out and eat supper together, he was a good friend to me.” In October of 2003 Lee called me up and announced that he was coming to Hillsborough. I asked him what for and Lee replied, “To make a CD.” I asked Lee if he wouldn’t mind going down to Alabama to record. Two days later Lee caught a Greyhound to Huntsville, he missed a layover in Nashville and got in early the next morning and went straight to the studio with Ardie Dean. Lee proclaimed the record done in three hours and was soon on a bus heading back home. One must rejoice in the “happening” of this CD, especially the glorious tone of Lee’s guitar. After performing for 52 years, I have a feeling that Lee is just beginning his recording career.
Peewee Hayes is an experienced professional entertainer, musician, performer, and businessperson. He has reached legendary status as a Blues musician and entertainer. Born in Alamo Tennessee, shortly after the great depression in America, and raised in the dust bowl cotton fields of Tennessee he has, by all rights, paid his dues to become one of the best and most true Blues musicians around today. Peewee Hayes originates from a strong Blues environment and lineage. In the early days of his life he grew up around some of Americas greatest Blues musicians such as Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachell, Washboard Sam, Montel Cox, B.B. King, Little Milton, the original Sonny Boy Williamson, and his father, the late Roland ‘Blue Dad’ Hayes. Many of the Blues greats mentioned above used to have musical get-togethers right in the Hayes family back yard in Alamo, Tennessee. His entire family lineage, going back to the 1800s contains many musicians. Today, Peewee and his brothers Charles and Jojo Hayes are continuing the family tradition of being Blues and Jazz musicians. Peewee has participated in many Blues events and performed with many of Chicago’s popular musicians, including Junior Wells, Lefty Diz, Buddy Scott and the Scott Brothers, among many.
MELVIN SMITH
Melvin has been playing bass guitar for over 25 years in venues from small clubs to large international festivals. His career has had him performing in bands with such luminaries as Koko Taylor, Lurie Bell and Billy Branch. He has also performed with Carl Weathersby, Big James and the Chicago Playboys, Jimmy Johnson, Phil Guy, Lefty Dizz, Melvin Taylor, Charlie Love, Jimmy Burns and many others. Melvin is one of the most sought out bass men in the Chicago blues scene today.
MARTY BINDER
It’s been 30 years on the Chicago Blues scene, as well as playing other styles of music. I’m proud to have played with Junior Wells, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy and many others. Recorded with Dave Specter and others for Delmark records. Recorded for Blind Pig Records and Severn Records. I’m teaching private lessons for drums and guitar. I do most of my gigs with Brother John, The Special 20s and Professor John.
Growing up in the shadows Chicago’s blues mecca, Theresa’s Lounge, had a lasting effect on Toronzo Cannon. As a kid, Toronzo would listen to the raw, soulful sounds of legends like Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. “It wasn’t just the music that got me, but the effect on the people. I knew right then, that was what I was gonna do.” These experiences led him to pick up his first guitar as a teenager and begin to learn to sing and play the sounds he heard. Inspired by the three Kings (Freddie, B.B. and Albert), a little Hendrix and some 70’s R&B/Soul, Toronzo soon developed his own sound. “If I wasn’t gigging I was hitting every jam session I could find. I couldn’t get enough.” It was during this time that he developed his own powerful, gospel-flavored vocal style and electrifying stage presence.
After playing rhythm guitar with local artists like Wayne Baker Brooks and Joanna Connor, Toronzo decided to form his own band, The Cannonball Express. He immediately was in demand, playing some of Chicago’s greatest blues venues like Buddy Guy’s Legends, House of Blues, Kingston Mines, B.L.U.E.S, Blue Chicago, Lee’s Unleaded as well as shows from Kentucky to Delaware and Iowa to Indiana. He also became a popular festival attraction, playing The Chicago Blues Festival for 8 consecutive years and the 2008 San Jose Blues Festival with other local young guns Chico Banks and Mike Wheeler. Internationally, Toronzo has been flown into Latvia as a featured solo artist three times over the past few years and has just completed a successful tour in Mexico, Durban South Africa and France 2011.
UPDATE: Upcoming 2nd cd with the legendary record company DELMARK RECORD Successful tour in France and fest Amsterdam and Chicago 2013
Born in Sweden in the late 1940’s. Jimmy immigrated to Chicago after the death of his parents and began working in Chicago Blues bars that laid the groundwork for his sultry mid-western blues-swedish style. Not the prototypical blue-eyed fair-skinned Swede, Jimmy has found a home in the Chicago blues community.
KENNY “BEEDY EYES” SMITH
Kenny Smith is one of today’s top greatest blues drummers. he is an honored Grammy award-winning drummer, The son of the legendary Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith.
Have Bass Will Travel…. I was born in South East Missouri in a small town Haiti, where I lived on a farm. I moved to Chicago in 1955. I lived in the back of a night club on the West Side, where Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters played. It looked like they were having a lot of fun and I made up my mind that what I wanted to do was play music. I got married at an early age and I used to watch my brother-in-law play music. His name was Johnny Ferguson and he and JB Hutto had a band they called the Twisters. They were working on 39’th and State Street in Chicago and I would carry them to work every night and watch them. Then at home I would try to teach myself to play. My cousin Ralph Ramey said that we should start a band and we did just that. We got my brother (John Stroger), who played the drums, to learn the songs we knew and in four months we were making some noise. We went to a club and played two songs and the man said we had a job. It was one of the better clubs, where musicians like Memphis Slim worked. The owner wanted us to wear uniforms but we had no money to buy them, so we got black tams and put a red circle in the top and called the band the Red Tops and that was the way it started. We got so good that they wanted the band to travel, but Ralph’s wife did not wont him to travel. so my brother formed a band with Willie Kent and myself and called it Joe Russel and the Blues Hustlers. We played together for a while,but eventually I decided to move on, because i wanted to travel more and see the world and I found out you can make money doing this. I joined a jazz band and played with Rufus Forman for about 3 years, but we were doing very little work. Then I met Eddie King and we talked. I told him I was in a jazz band and we needed a guitar player that could play blues. He sead OK and joined our groop, and we started playing blues and RB and things took off. We called the band Eddie King and King Men, and we stayed together for 15 years. Then we split up for about 2 years and later we started the band up as Eddie King and Babee May and the Blues Machine and we stayed together until Eddie King moved out of town. I quit playing for 2 years becouse we were so close I did not want to play with anyone but Eddie. Then I met Jessie Grean when I was playing with Morris Pejo and he liked the way I played bass and one night Otis Rush need a bass player, so Jessie said come and work with him. The rest is history. I have been playing music for 39 years and I am still having fun.
MICHAEL AVERY
When your mother plays nothing but the blues in the house, your cousin is blues titan Magic Sam, and you grow up in the same building with him on the west side of Chicago, you have little choice but to be firmly rooted in the blues.
As a teenager, Mike remembers all the backyard barbecue parties that Sam hosted. ‘’Man, he loved to barbecue. He used to have them all the time. And I remember all kind of blues musicians and singers like Otis Clay, Tyrone Davis, Betty Wright used to come around. Sam would cook and play blues on the back porch every chance he could. You could smell the barbecue clear down the street and all way at the end of the alley…’’ Already a singer in his teens, Mike soaked up as much as he could from his cousin, Magic Sam. In the middle seventies, Mike started singing at the Majestic Lounge on 14th and Pulaski with house blues bands, Scotty And the Rib Tips and Johnny B. Moore. He remembers, ‘’It was something, man, back then The Majestic was the after-gig joint. A lot of musicians would go there after their shows and just hang out. People like Lee Shot Williams, Mac Thompson, Johnny Dollar, Mary Lane. It was like a big family.’’ It is easy to understand how growing up so close to such R&B and soul singers as Otis Clay and Tyrone Davis could lead Mike down the path to R&B and soul music where he has focused much of his career. ‘’I’m not on the blues circuit, but that’s where my roots are. I couldn’t deny it if I wanted to. Giving me a good blues tune to sing is like taking me back home.’‘
BILLY FLYNN AND FRIENDS
Billy Flynn is an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. The Chicago Blues SuperSession is Bob STROGER (Bass and Vocals) Billy FLYNN (Guitar and Vocals) Oscar WILSON (Vocals) Dave KATZMAN (Guitar) Kenny SMITH (Drums) Omar COLEMAN (Harmonica and Vocals) Amy LOWE (Vocals) Melvin SMITH (Bass) Roosevelt PURIFOY (Keyboards) Marty BINDER (Drums) John KATTKE (Keyboards and Vocals)
Eddie Shaw on tenor and alto saxes and harmonica is a very talented singer,songwriter,musician,arranger, and band leader. He was Howlin’Wolf’s personal manager for five years. Eddie is one of the most respected blues musicians alive today. Originally from Benoit, MS, Eddie now lives on Chicago’s South Side. Band Members include Eddie Vaan Shaw Jr. , Eddie’s son, is one of the best guitar players in the blues business. Vaan has music of his own , CD’s, MORNING RAIN and THE TRAIL OF TEARS. Lafayette” Shorty” Gilbert, has been Eddie’s bassplayer for over 20 yrs. Strong vocalist , his version of ” Rainy night in Georgia” brings tears to your eyes. Tim Taylor on drums, is son of the late Eddie Taylor . Since Howlin’ Wolf died in 1976, Eddie Shaw has kept the Wolf Gang name for his band, which currently features Shaw as lead vocalist and sax; Lafayette “Shorty” Gilbert, who’s earned the most seniority in the band after 20 years; pianist and Chicago fixture Detroit Junior; drummer Tim Taylor, son of the legendary guitarist Eddie, who has eight years of his own in the Wolf Gang; and son Eddie “Vaan” Shaw on guitar. Shaw’s family abounds with showbiz talent. Another of his sons, Stan, has acting credits in films diverse as Harlem Nights, Fried Green Tomatoes, Daylight with Sylvester Stallone, and Cutthroat Island, the Geena Davis pirate flick. Eddie Shaw can compose, arrange, and write music. He worked the Delmark studios managing weekly sessions for the label with fellow studio fixture Jimmy Dawkins in the ’60s. In the ’90s he recorded for European and Japanese labels as well as for Rooster Blues in Clarksdale, Mississippi, which released In the Land of the Crossroads. “On Land of the Crossroads I did mostly Mississippi bayou type blues because I stayed down in that part of the country,” Shaw says. “Well, times change too. You go in with more modern equipment and you go with more up-to-date ideas. . . . Every time you do a new album, you’re looking for better quality, you’re looking for better compositions, you know, to upgrade everything. You want everything better than it was the year before, so hopefully that’s the case now.”
In today’s hip-hop climate it’s difficult for a rapper to be deemed authentic while still showing their audience they like to have fun. Detroit rapper SAYITAINTTONE doesn’t have that problem. Why? From one listen to his newly released mix tape 500 Million, you get the sense that the young spitter has been through some things, but hasn’t allowed the struggle to deter him from his goal of success. After beginning rhyming professionally three years ago, SAYITAINTTONE has grown as an artist, thanks to the support of his childhood friend, Big Sean.
Gangsta Boo (born Lola Mitchell on July 27, 1979), also known as Lady Boo, was a member of the Memphis, Tennessee-based rap group Three 6 Mafia’s Hypnotize Mindz.
It took 2 years to set up the band that will finally make you freak out. 61inch is the resault of the search. A name that does not explain itself on its own, just like the diverse songs or the band as such. Jesse (Voc/Guit), Klaus (Bass/Voc) and Phrosh (Drums/Voc) build a trio that knows:
In a trio, it`s more about the individual. A trio always forces you to continue getting better. The energy can be directly focused and punt foreward. And a trio also allows you to combine tricky beats, clear bass-lines and screams with sociocriticism, whalesongs, disco-grooves and lovesongs – whether with a suit in a convertible or with a baseball-cap wearing shorts by making barbecue.
“Postbeatrhythmcollegebritpoppunk – they don’t even really know what they’re doing. 61inch sounds like sixties, nineties, 2011. Familiar and surprising, timeless but still up-to-date. That’s exactly what makes 61inch sound that good.” (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung)
Gene Loves Jezebel (GLJ) originally formed in the early 1980s by identical twin brothers Michael and Jay Aston and Ian Hudson. Gene Loves Jezebel’s best-known songs include Sweetest Thing’Heartache”, “Desire (Come and Get It)” (1986), “The Motion of Love” (1987), as well as their broody dark alternative club hits “Bruises” (1983), ‘Shame’ “Influenza (Relapse)” (1984), and “The Cow” (1985).
The Dance is a live performance by Fleetwood Mac, released on Cassette, CD and VHS in 1997, and later on DVD. It hailed the return of the band’s most successful line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie and Stevie Nicks, who had not released an album together since 1987’s Tango in the Night.
Who Knew will be performing “The Dance”
Who Knew was established in 2008 and is the heart project of cancer survivor and lead singer, Kelli Ann. Who Knew has been nominated for and earned multiple awards including being named Chicagoland’s Number One Dance Band. Individuals have a multitude of varied award winning experience, including grammy nominations for song writing and performing, national and international touring, and have performed on incredible stages, including Carnegie Hall.
Ken Becker (guitar/vox as Lindsay Buckingham), Kelli Ann MacCord Lotrich (Vox, as Stevie Nicks and 1 request prepared as Christine McVie, and acoustic guitar and tam), Jaclyn Rada (keys as Christine McVie), MaryCate Hines (vox as backups and Christine McVie and acoustic guitar), Claire Corriveau (vox as backups and Christine McVie and acoustic guitar), Matt Cordier (percussion as Mick Fleetwood) and Brian Garabaldi (Bass and Vox as John McVie).
Strangers in the Night with original subtitle A Double Live Album is a live album by the British rock band UFO, first released in 1979 (see 1979 in music) on the Chrysalis label.
“Hello Chicago! Would you please welcome from England, U! F! O!”
During the hard rockin’ high-times of the ’70s, the live album achieved iconic status. During the era of excess, the double live album ruled turntables. In January of 1979, with five previous studio albums recorded under their contract with Chrysalis Records, UFO issued Strangers in the Night. In my humble opinion, this LP stands as the greatest official concert recording ever unleashed from the wild world of hard rock and heavy metal. Featuring the classic, high-flyin’ UFO line-up of vocalist Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, mercurial anthem-rock guitarist Michael Schenker, drummer Andy Parker, and Paul Raymond on keyboards, S I T N captures the band firing on all cylinders during the Autumn of 1978 US tour.
Most cuts included where recorded at the Chicago International Ampitheater since “the people in Chicago really took us to their hearts. We did well in other cities, but Chicago was like a home-away-from-home for us, and to this day it’s a special place for UFO.” – Pete Way
J Logik (Jonathan Keith Ochoa) is a Chicagoland-area artist that is brining a new commercial rap and dance infused sound to the music front. J Logik is rated as reverbnations #1 Dance/Rap artist in Chicago (www.reverbnation.com/jlogik). J Logik is almost niche in the world of music by rapping and singing, his almost alternative-like vocals, over hard-hitting and higher tempo dance and house instrumentals accompanied by catchy and rhythmic melodies. Jae Switch (Justin Ochoa), brother of J Logik, plays an integral part in creating this music by offering additional vocals and song-writing talents to some of the music. J Logik has a unique delivery style and his lyrics are catchy, fun and humorous, which adds to the commercial and pop appeal. Having a very humble, laid-back, goofy and positive demeanor, his objective is to simply make good music and have fun while doing it.
J Logik released his first EP called “Logikal Nonsense” on October 9th, 2012. This EP was a free 6-song download exclusively on Facebook to his fans. An album was supposed to drop earlier this year but was later scrapped because it wasn’t the direction he wanted to take things musically. Originally, J Logik was a Hip-Hop artist that wrote on more conscious topics. J Logik states, “going from hip-hop to rap/dance, I really found where I fit in and it’s such a positive vibe and fun to perform on stage”. Very confident and proud of the “Logikal Nonsense – Part I” EP, A music video for “It’s Gone” was released the same date as the EP. The song “Party Poppin'” is getting a lot of local club play in the Chicago-land area. The complete “Logikal Nonsense” album is scheduled to release January 15th, 2013.
J Logik cites a vast range of different influences, such as rappers like Tupac Shakur, Biggie, Nas, Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rakim and Lupe Fiasco; R&B artists like Michael Jackson; rock bands like Smashing Pumpkins, The Verve, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and U2; electronic music like Deadmau5 and Skrillex. His wide range of appreciation and love for almost every genre of music and form of creativity inspires him to remain open with his musical direction and collaborations. J Logik cites, “good music is good music and that’s my passion…now let’s get this Party Poppin’.”
When you think Beyond Every Aspiration… there is Music! This multi talented group, comprised of (2) producers, and a female songstress and (1) male singer all met with one goal in mind – to take over the world, and that’s what they plan to do.
B.E.A.M. – Beyond Every Aspiration & Music bridges the gap between underground hip-hop, mainstream urban pop, and electric rock alternative. They blend elements of hip-hop, pop, electro, and dance to create an original sound and lifestyle they call ‘Urban Alternative’.
“Far beyond trends…” and surreal analogies, such as “A powerful BEAM of light” are motto’s lived by this ever changing group. They authenticate their music style by constantly staying above the bar and surpassing expectations of trends and style. Whether it’s producing new tracks, song writing, or just simply in the studio with other artists they always stay free to “beam up” all day, every day.
R=Cash, Kritikal Dyverse, bobby zohar and Vanessa Colon are always stylish and swagged out… with shades, skinny jeans, graphic tees, and fresh kicks have taken the Chicago underground pop scene by storm and turned it on its ass! With their flossy and stylish fashion interest combined with their musical style, B.E.A.M. is definitely a group that creates outside the box and is not afraid to push musical boundaries.
B.E.A.M. all grew up on the south side of Chicago with one . Influenced by pop and hip-hop at young ages; they all were ahead of their time. Rapping on the streets, producing in basements, and creating beats from a Casio keyboard proved to be the core base of their love and passion for music and entertainment.
How can you deny it… It seems to be that once these 4 mad geniuses set their minds to ruling the world at large there is nothing standing in their way! Beyond your expectations… Every dream fulfilled… Aspiration of greatness… Music is the star B.E.A.M. is more than music, not just a lifestyle, but a culturally inspired movement… We Beamin’
Created in March, 2011 by Andrew Clymer and Kevin Donohue, adding drummer Chris Anderson in the fall of the same year. Their music is called Electronic-Hydro Funk. The group, They have performed at Red Rocks Amphitheater, along with some of Colorado’s best music venues and several national festival apperances.
Chicago’s dynamic unsigned duo Pyro Fighter have been radiating the scene with their Tron-Pop sound since late 2009.
While they first caught attention after opening for Benny Benassi, Pyro is best known for having their songs “LMFAO”, “I’m The One”, and “Electrobotic” on MTV’s Jersey Shore, the movie Worst. Prom Ever., O Music Awards and the Guinness Book of World Records ‘Worlds Longest Dance Party” playlist.
They have their own station on Pandora and Spotify, have topped the charts of PureVolume.com, featured in various Music Magazines, and were named one of the top 15 acts to see at North Coast Music Festival 2011 (Right between Fatboy Slim and Wiz Kalifa).
Pyro Fighter made their radio debut on Chicago’s biggest top 40 station b96 as well as Riverside California’s KGGI after teaming up with Worldwide DJ BadBoyBill to re-release their single “I’m The One”.
With a successful future ahead, the duo plan to keep releasing fresh singles to their hungry fan base while continuing to make their way to a city near you.
The Imperial Rooster play an out there mix of folk, blues, country, & rock and roll that can only be described as GONZO ROOTS MUSIC. Influenced by Beer, Sterno, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Beer, Screamin Jay Hawkins, Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart.
I am a hip-hop/rap/pop artist from the beautiful city of Madison, WI. My style ranges from full on singing to a lighter style of rap. I’m always experimenting with different sounds and genres trying to change it up. As long as you keep listening to it, I’ll keep makin it.
Andrew Fraker had spent much of his musical time since the end of his previous band, Treeline, playing covers on acoustic guitar in various drinking establishments on Chicago’s North Side. Those travels connected him with former Telstar guitarist and vocalist Anthony Calderisi, who encouraged him to record some of his own music at his home studio. Brian Cohen, also from Treeline, contributed bass, and Chris Costello, who plays in another band with Calderisi and used to work with Fraker back in the dot-com era, added drums to the tracks. The recording project quickly became a live act, debuting late in 2008. Andrew Fraker & Sons play earnest rock and roll with a tinge of country, marked by vocal harmonies, acoustic and pedal steel guitars and a restless spirit.
Trapper Schoepp has the ear of a troubadour, the eye of a journalist and the heart of a young poet. He began writing songs at a tender age with startling facility, distilling rock, folk and country traditions into tunes that are at turns spirited and melancholy. Themes ranging from pride of place, love and adventure shine with surprisingly sophisticated metaphors for a songwriter so young. Run, Engine, Run won’t be out of place filed next to other artists distinguished for their early talent like Justin Townes Earle, Ha Ha Tonka and Lucero. Trapper, his brother Tanner, and the rest of their band the Shades offer this album as a love letter to their beloved home state of Wisconsin, and SideOneDummy will release it internationally on September 25, 2012.
Like his namesake M*A*S*H surgeon Trapper John, the 22-year-old Wisconsin songwriter found himself prepping for surgery a month before recording his band’s third and latest album, Run, Engine, Run, the result of a gnarly BMX bike crash 6 years earlier. Fortunately, his mother gave him a guitar after the accident and Trapper was able to turn his experiences on the operating table at the MayoClinic (for spinal decompression surgery) into songs like the Stones-flavored rocker, “Pins and Needles.”
“’Run Engine Run’ has a lot of meanings for me. My grandfather’s way of life was tied to timeless farming traditions passed down from generation to generation, the same way a songwriter is tied to and nourished by traditional songs. Musicians need to keep the engine running, to keep moving forward. The song is not only an ode to the car our grandpa gave us, but a nod to the perseverance of farmers in the Badlands and to preserving traditions.” Tanner agrees: “It’s about inheriting something of value from the past in a way that is not nostalgic, but vital and never-ending. The album title is a request for resiliency, a way of honoring the past, without getting stuck in it.”
Trapper Schoepp & The Shades is comprised of Trapper on lead vocals and guitar, brother Tanner on bass and vocals, drummer Jon Phillip (Tommy Stinson, Limbeck), and lead guitarist Graham Hunt. Daniel McMahon (Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, Cameron McGill) produced Run, Engine, Run and contributed keyboard during the sessions. Grammy-award winning engineer Geoff Sanoff (Fountains Of Wayne, Green Day, Nada Surf) mixed the album.
“As a rock n’ roll band, we play music that has absorbed a whole range of stylistic overtones,” Trapper says of the musicality he’s after with the help of his band, The Shades. “In a sound bite world, it’s crucial to regard certain music not as a static art, but one that transcends tidy categorization. A radio station once said our music is ‘as much Pavement as Parsons.’ I thought that was telling, because this album has a little bit of everything – rock, country, power-pop, even some punk.”
While it’s difficult to capture the band’s live charisma on record, Run, Engine, Run comes close with 12 well-crafted tunes that describe the everyday triumphs and tragedies of Midwestern life. As soon as the album hits the streets, The Shades will take to the road, bringing their heartland rock to the masses. “There’s a blues song by the Rolling Stones called ‘No Expectations’ that hits on a person moving forward and not looking back,” Trapper says. “I hear the song as the story of a young, lonely rambler or musician whose has lost wealth and love, but accepts the fact that there’s a whole world ahead of him. I’m young, so I look at this as an opportunity to press on and share songs. Right now I have no expectations other than to keep on keepin’ on.”
Chicago’s newest groove purveyors! Bringing deep cuts, covering hip hop hits and greasing the dance floor with groove for days! Doin it to you in your ear holes!
“Mazzarella possesses a joyfully keening alto saxophone tone with the impact of Ornette Coleman’s upbeat existentialism. He also reveals a capacity for cage fighting fury and fluent abstraction.” – Michael Jackson, Chicago Sun Times www.nickmazzarella.com
Hoff has performed on hundreds of recordings and thousands of shows throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, with numerous musicians and bands. Some of those with whom he has worked closely include: Ken Vandermark, Nels Cline, Vijay Iyer, Carla Bozulich, Ben Goldberg, Mary Halvorson, John Dieterich, Xiu Xiu, Teko Saso, Kira Roessler, and Good For Cows (his long-standing duo with drummer Ches Smith). devinhoff.tumblr.com
Zerang is a percussionist, improviser and composer who has performed with the hundreds of the best local and international improvisers, and has received over a hundred composition commisions and numerous grants for his work. www.michaelzerang.com
Even the Jackals is a rock and roll quartet, founded in 2010. The four jammed on and off in several groups before finding the perfect combination of talent. Bill and The Kid have been known to murder people with raging guitar solos (criminal investigations pending), while Seth and Chris keep the rhythm thumping and the energy high. Come out to a show a see what you’ve been missing!
After years of lying dormant, the blood flows once again for New Jerseys own Blood Feast. Brought to life in 1985, known to be the East Coast’s answer to Slayer, now with a mix of original & the new blood of members, Blood Feast is prepared to continue where it has left off, playing intense Thrash Metal the way they have from the beginning. Now setting their sights on spreading their Trail of Death across North America & Europe, Blood Feast hope to reach their legions of fans from the past & the present. Seeing Blood Feast live the set list includes all of the classic tracks from all three releases, Kill For Pleasure, Face Fate & Chopping Block Blues & a few New surprises. Played with intensity & precision, something Blood Feast has been known for. Introducing Chris Natalini on Vocals, John Blicharz on Guitar , Tom Lorenzo on Bass Guitar & rounded out by original members Kevin Kuzma on Drums & Adam Tranquility on Guitar. The demand for the band to reemerge by Blood Thirsty Thrash Freaks has now been answered!
Those in attendance of Blood Feast’s inaugural return with Obituary, winter of ’08, knew there was a future at hand, and now was the time. A sweltering venue of blood thirsty thrashers laid witness to the battery of drums and onslaught of vocals. They enamored in the chaotic dual lead guitar assault and proficiency of classic thrash as only Blood Feast could deliver, and Blood Feast had delivered on that evil night. Additional shows would follow with the likes of Possessed, At War, Mortician, and others. “Thrash metal was alive!” the chemically imbalanced hailed their masters.
Offering a feverish set of Blood Feast classics such as Menacing Thunder, Blood Lust, Hunted Stalked and Slain, and Face Fate, and– quite possibly –a few new offerings in blood, fans will not be denied their fate at the hands of the Jersey Thrashers. Blood Feast is back and ready to thrash! The machine of war is oiled, forging forward, manned only by blood thirsty corpses with
visions of blood.
