Founded in a basement of our drummer’s house is where Jose, Julian, and Victor would meet to form music that wouldn’t be commercial radio bullshit or something you could easily write on an acoustic guitar but to be something that would inspire those to hear their songs to be inspired and forever changed by every single aspect that would go into the song. They wanted a band that made music not for the money but for the beauty it gave them and the beauty it gives back to the world. The band originally started with Victor playing bass/vocals, Jose playing drums and Julian on guitar. Victor couldn’t play the bass that well while singing so the band looked for a bassist and found Nick Fontana. Nick brought a whole new spirit to the team with his eagerness to take part in music that’s not that hard to play but played with true spirit.
They’ve played a countless number of shows together (We weren’t counting.) From Berwyn to Indiana they’ve been playing shows like crazy. Foreign Policy is known for it’s crazy live performances. They go out and mosh with the audience. Victor sung his head off, Nick playing crazy bass, Julian shredding, and Jose pounding the shit out his drums. They were angry and they were showing it to everyone who came out to a show and they’re not gonna stop.
Nick left the band in June 2013 due to differences within the band.
Andrew Torres was added to the line up June 2013 and brought a whole new flavor of funky, crazy, punk rock feeling to the music and will continue to do so.
Though she’s only 22, singer-songwriter MaryLeigh Roohan has already been likened to “a wizened old soul.” She first began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of 15, and honed her guitar and vocal skills during a yearlong, weekly residency at a pub in St. Andrews, Scotland. Back to the states, MaryLeigh has played everywhere from intimate cafes to festivals, sharing the stage with Sean Rowe, Jill Sobule, Chic Gamine, Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds, Willie Alexander (the Velvet Underground) and many others.
Named the Capital Region’s ”Best Female Singer-Songwriter” by Metroland in 2012, Roohan’s style shifts seamlessly from sunny indie pop to sultry jazz crooning to heartfelt Americana reminiscent of Neko Case, with influences ranging from Joni Mitchell to Etta James.
MaryLeigh’s sophomore release, Skin and Bone, will be available at all live shows beginning November 8, and nationally through all digital download and streaming sites beginningJanuary 28 on Fake Chapter Records.
This IS an introduction 2 a brand new breed of funk-a-teers. Brought 2u by the makers of funky thangz 2 play with. Big Ced aka Pastor Funkpleez of funk rock giants ROOM 11 from chi-town makes his solo debut \m/\m/! Head bobbin’ grimy funk,kool layered vocals and of course plenty of BASS!
Hailing from Minneapolis, MN, Verskotzi is Joey Verskotzi, Izaac Burkhart, Grady Kenevan & Ian Allison. Verskotzi is releasing their new album, “Lemon Heart”, the group’s first full length record on November 2nd at Icehouse. The album was produced by Izaac Burkhart at The Color Lounge in Minneapolis. Drawing from his 60’s, 70’s & indie rock influences, Joey has crafted an album that reveals his ‘roots’ musical tastes, and depicts his issues of addiction, trust, and relying on yourself to get through and out of the valleys.
We’re Living In Pretend, or as we’re also known, the collective consciousness of Andrew Lothian and Eli Noll. Hey. We wrote some songs for you, and then we made them into a kick-ass record. Along the way we had some of the most ridiculous musicians we’ve ever come into contact with (Paul Hall, Herf Yamaya, Packy Lundholm, Derek Bahr, Tim Yamaya, Hannes Butzer, Marty Sirvatka, Neil Carson, Bill Prokopow, and Noam Wallenberg) lay down their collective consciousness on our songs. The result was something we could have never imagined at the beginning of our journey and we couldn’t have come close without their help.
We’re going to need your help for this next part. We want to get this record out there, EVERYWHERE. It’s FREE. If you like it, give it to somebody else. Burn it. Blog it. Post it. Whatever you can do to spread the love. It’s one click to download and it’s free, sounds like a pretty risk free situation to us. But the reward will be much, much sweeter. We hope you enjoy these songs as much we enjoyed making them — they’re yours now. So take a listen, come out to a show, hang out, dance, and be happy because life is great when you’re Living In Pretend.
THE LION’S DAUGHTER was born out of a hatred for the insincere and uninspired cookie-cutter fodder the mainstream metal scene has become. They takes notes from black metal and doom, but live by no musical limitations and are driven to please no audience but themslves. The band’s most recent work is a prime example of their play-to-please-no-one credo. Previous releases include two self-released EPs, a 12” split with Fister (Hands up Records, 2011), and the full length Shame On Us All (Pissfork, 2012), which Cvlt Nation described as a, “hard-hitting blast of bruising riffs that will surely leave you drained from start to finish.” The trio was created in 2007 by guitarist/vocalist Rick Giordano and drummer Erik Ramsier after leaving a band that neither liked much, and named their new project after a campy romance novel they saw at the airport because fuck it. Scott Fogelbach of Love Lost But Not Forgotten soon joined and opening spots for Torche, Nachtmystium, High on Fire, Dark Funeral, Eyehategod, and more ensued as well as a national tour with Fister, with the band delivering a live show that the Riverfront Times called, “absolutely punishing.” Additionally, THE LION’S DAUGHTER won the RFT Reader’s Poll “Best Metal Band” (in St. Louis) award in 2011 and again in 2013. Forever Cursed calls THE LION’S DAUGHTER, “one of the most underrated bands out there,” No Clean Singing champions their, “heavy, harsh, and harrowing,” sound while The Bone Reader welcomes their,“caustic, blistering noise of the post-apocalypse.” But the band doesn’t play as if it simply wants to see the world end; it sounds like they want to be the ones to destroy it.
John Maher writes and sings songs of love, human nature and socially disturbing events. ” I’m honored to be on stage with the following fab four.”
Ray McKenzie, ( Bass, lead guitar, songwriting and vocals ) has toured and recorded with The Jen Justice Band, among countless other successful bands. Ray founded Zero Hour Records over a decade ago.
Michael Mejia ( vocals, keys, guitar ) has been stunning the local clubs with his soulful songs and a voice that grabs the audience and locks them in.
Dean Cassara (drums, percussion) was also a member of Jen Justice Band, but believes he has been a member of 50 bands. We all hope he will not leave us for number 51. His beat and artistic contributions are spot on.
Kelli Ann. ( vocals and some 15 instruments including classical violin.) Performing at Carnegie Hall as a teen, Kelli Anne recently played hundreds of gigs with her band “Who Knew.” Kelli Ann is a famed international vocal coach (four Winds Vocal Artistry Studio) and a former Miss America Contestant. You do not want to miss Kelli Ann sing. Think Blondie/Joan Jett.
Alternative country meets the rockabilly revival meets California guitar virtuosity in the music of Rosie Flores. Since the late ’70s, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Rosie Flores has been an important figure on the alternative country scene in both Austin, TX, and Los Angeles. She’s a hard-working, independently minded artist who’s well-respected for her gritty, energetic vocals and fiery guitar solos.
A native of San Antonio, Flores moved to San Diego with her family when she was 12. Her family encouraged her singing and guitar playing, and as a girl she soaked up the sounds of southern California — surf guitar, country and country-rock, blues, and rockabilly-flavored garage rock. By the time she was in her teens, Flores was playing in a band called Penelope’s Children. During the first explosion of punk rock in the late ’70s Flores formed Rosie & the Screamers, an otherwise all-male band that played hard country and rockabilly material, much of it written by Flores herself. She worked as a solo acoustic artist for a time but then formed an all-female punk band, the Screaming Sirens, who recorded the album Fiesta in 1984.
Rosie Flores In 1987 Flores recorded her first solo album, Rosie Flores, produced by Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam’s producer and guitarist) and released by Warner Bros.. The album gained critical acclaim, and among music-industry folk a Flores concert remains a strong draw to this day. But it was only modestly successful commercially, and Flores was dropped by Warner Bros.. She signed with the California independent label Hightone and in 1992 she released her second solo album, After the Farm, followed by Once More with Feeling a year later. These albums featured original songs by Flores, her own sharp guitar leads, and crackerjack session work from a variety of Los Angeles veterans. Flores then spent the better part of 1994 playing lead guitar in Butch Hancock’s band.
Rockabilly Filly In 1995 Flores recorded Rockabilly Filly, a spirited tribute to the music she grew up with. The album featured duets with her longtime idols Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin, both of whom Flores brought out of retirement for the project. The album led to a cross-country tour with Jackson, who hadn’t played in nightclubs in over 20 years. In 1997, Rounder re-released her Warner Bros. debut along with six new bonus tracks under the title Honky Tonk Reprise, helping to sustain the momentum of her career. That same year, the Austin label Watermelon released her duet project with Ray Campi, entitled A Little Bit of Heartache. In the late ’90s, Flores moved to the folk-oriented Massachusetts label Rounder, pushing the stylistic mix of her music slightly in the direction of rockabilly but not really changing course. The 1999 live album Dance Hall Dreams was recorded at a San Antonio country club and featured several of the top session players Flores has always been able to attract, among them Texas steel guitar stalwart Cyndi Cashdollar. Flores released Speed of Sound on the Eminent label two years later, offering yet more original songs as well as a scorching cover of Buck Owens’ rockabilly classic “Hot Dog.” Flores offered her fans an intimate perspective on her music with the solo acoustic live set Single Rose in 2004, and an album of country- and rockabilly-styled holiday favorites, Christmasville, followed in 2005. After a short hiatus, in 2009, Flores celebrated over two decades of recording with Girl of the Century, an album recorded with the Mekons’ John Langford and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts for Bloodshot Records. Her raucous 11th album, Working Girl’s Guitar, which appeared in 2012, was the first in which she handled all the production and guitar leads herself. Prolifically creative, Flores deserves to be numbered among the creators of the alternative country movement. Her career, never really flagging, has outlasted those of a host of other acts in that fast-moving genre.
At just 21 years old, rapper Dillon Cooper is already taking the world by storm with his startling combination of fresh beats, lyrical prowess, dynamic, energetic flow and his own brand of cool style. Without a doubt, this New York native is set to become a permanent fixture on America’s musical landscape.
Born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to immigrant parents from the Caribbean, Cooper’s passion for music began at an early age. “I love music. I’ve always loved music. I’ve listened to music my whole life,” he says with a knowing smile which tells you that making music is exactly what Dillon Cooper was born to do.
Cooper didn’t start off as a rapper though. In fact, he is a serious musician who played the piano as a child before picking up the guitar at the tender age of seven, continuing through childhood and then more seriously in his teens. “I just thought the guitar was a cool instrument that I wanted to play at that age,” he explains.
He was so good at the guitar that his talent led to a place at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston – home to such musical luminaries as super producer Quincy Jones.
However, it was just a few semesters after enrolling that Cooper knew he had to quit. “School really just wasn’t for me,” he admits. A chance conversation with musical star John Mayer, who’d gone to talk to the college’s freshmen students, solidified his decision. Cooper asked Mayer what he would do if he disliked college. Mayer’s words of wisdom were: “I would just leave”. Cooper took Mayer’s word for it and he hasn’t looked back since.
Although Dillon Cooper’s earliest forays into rap had been “just for fun” he knew he had to take his gift to the next level especially if he wanted to stand out from the other guitarists around him. He started recording demos with a host of local and international producers and eventually shot a video, set in Brooklyn, to Shadows, the track that established him as a force to be reckoned with and got the music industry to sit up and notice this fresh-faced wonder.
After posting the video to his Facebook and YouTube pages, Shadows went viral online. It was then brought to the attention of legendary rapper Jadakiss who loved the song and posted it on his blog SoRaspy.com as well as throwing in a retweet! Things took off from there. Cooper started racking up thousands of views online and has been developing a strong and loyal fan base from all over the world ever since.
Of course, this attention is no surprise to Cooper who prides himself on the time and effort he puts into his rhymes. “When I’m rapping I’ll think about the message I’m trying to put across and I’ll think about how to make it catchier or how to add that rhythm and swing,” he explains. “I just want to push the envelope… listeners shouldn’t have to just settle for mediocre content.”
Cooper thinks a lot about his audience and how his music will impact them. Despite his young age, Cooper’s music is timeless, inspired by the personal and the political: “Generally, I just try to talk about stuff that I’ve been through and that I’m going through which older people can relate to because they’ve been through it and people who are my age can relate to because they are going through the exact same thing or feel that same way because we’re in the same group. I try to put it in a way that anybody can latch onto and say ok, I get this”.
Sonically, mix a little Kendrick Lamar and Drake; add a sprinkle of Lupe Fiasco’s conscious lyrical clarity and the urban edginess of A.S.A.P. Rocky then you’ll begin to get some idea of what Dillon Cooper sounds like. He brings an old school hip-hop vibe, with a new school hip-hop attitude, which is radio-friendly enough for everyone to enjoy.
But while he counts a number of rappers as his influences and inspirations – “I love Jay-Z. I love Big L. J Cole is dope. Wale is dope. Eminem by far is one of my favorite rappers of all time….” – he is very much an individual. “I just want to bring me to the table.” And you can hear him, unmistakably, in everything he does.
The rapper has already predicted his own future: “When I pay them loans back, and when I’m in them magazines, that’s when Berklee gonna send me that honorary degree” he rhymes. Many already believe him.
Dillon Cooper may be only 21 years old, but his music stands with some of the best of what’s out there already. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Dillon Cooper is on his way to the top.
Denzel Curry is a 23 year old rapper from Carol City, Florida who has recently emerged as one of the underground’s most vibrant young talents–and one of its best candidates for breakthrough success in the mainstream. Unlike other artists who are fixated on the morbid, Curry’s music isn’t sprawling or indulgent, trite or aphoristic. Instead, his acute sense for the less savory parts of his life has manifested in hip-hop that’s laser-focused, that sounds steeped in the headier approaches of the genre’s greatest technicians yet remains distinctly Southern.
Denzel continues to impress and is only gaining more recognition after the critical and commercial success of 2018’s TA13OO. With the release of TA13OO, Denzel appeared on Billboard’s Emerging Artists Top 10 at #7, debuted on the Rap Chart at #6, and debuted at #28 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. The album includes critically-acclaimed singles “Clout Cobain,” “Black Balloons,” and “Sumo” and has received the highest praise from publications including Billboard, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and Stereogum.
Across TA13OO’s three acts, Denzel explores topics including the presidential election, fame, hatred, paranoia, revenge, love, the current state of music, and personal tales of his own near-death experiences. Sonically, the album ranges just as widely as its subject matter – sounds of paranoia, fear of loss, brooding melancholy and mood swings straight from hell all find their way onto TA13OO, making this Denzel’s most groundbreaking musical performance to date.
Madman Across the Water is the fourth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1971 through DJM/Uni Records.
Simply Elton will perform “Intimate Solo Performances” in an ongoing series of monthly Sunday evening shows, each featuring a classic Elton John album. Presented in an intimate solo setting, Brian Harris channels Elton John with wild costuming, virtuoso piano technique, and meticulously Elton-styled vocals. Over the coming months, surprises will be in store with guest musicians joining Simply Elton in presenting these classic albums and music.
Currently scheduled shows:
April 27 – The 1970 Album “Elton John”
May 25 – The 1970 Album “Tumbleweed Connection”
June 22 – The 1971 Album “Madman Across The Water”
July 13 – The 1972 Album “Honky Chateau”
Aug 24 – The 1973 Album “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player”
Tumbleweed Connection is the third album by English singer/songwriter Elton John.
Simply Elton will perform “Intimate Solo Performances” in an ongoing series of monthly Sunday evening shows, each featuring a classic Elton John album. Presented in an intimate solo setting, Brian Harris channels Elton John with wild costuming, virtuoso piano technique, and meticulously Elton-styled vocals. Over the coming months, surprises will be in store with guest musicians joining Simply Elton in presenting these classic albums and music.
Currently scheduled shows:
April 27 – The 1970 Album “Elton John”
May 25 – The 1970 Album “Tumbleweed Connection”
June 22 – The 1971 Album “Madman Across The Water”
July 13 – The 1972 Album “Honky Chateau”
Aug 24 – The 1973 Album “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player”
Elton John is the second album by English singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1970.
Simply Elton will perform “Intimate Solo Performances” in an ongoing series of monthly Sunday evening shows, each featuring a classic Elton John album. Presented in an intimate solo setting, Brian Harris channels Elton John with wild costuming, virtuoso piano technique, and meticulously Elton-styled vocals. Over the coming months, surprises will be in store with guest musicians joining Simply Elton in presenting these classic albums and music.
Currently scheduled shows:
April 27 – The 1970 Album “Elton John”
May 25 – The 1970 Album “Tumbleweed Connection”
June 22 – The 1971 Album “Madman Across The Water”
July 13 – The 1972 Album “Honky Chateau”
Aug 24 – The 1973 Album “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player”
We are a progressive metal band from Chicago, IL, and have been making albums since 2011. Founded by Austin Peters (guitar), the current line-up consists of Phil Kalas (bass), Ken Stebliy (guitar), Luke Angle (drums) and Kyle Kunkler (synths). Our newest record, The Return of Inertia 2.0, is a follow up to our 2021 release (A Vast Field of Silence) and takes the listener on an exciting rediscovery of the music that put our band on the map. Beyond releasing records, we also stream on Twitch, run a Discord dedicated to music discovery and production, and create tone and producer packs for guitarists and producers on Gumroad. See and hear everything we make at www.outrunthesunlight.com
Robert O’Brien aka “Brewski” born on November 3, 1992 on the south side of Chicago. Growing up Robert O’Brien was the front man in several local rock/metal bands (Victory At All Costs, The Narragansett Tragedy, & I Killed Everyone) before switching over to rap. Was given the nickname “Brewski” by friends because he was known as the party starter in his teenage years. Brewski began rapping his senior year of high school while attending De La Salle Insitute in Chicago. Shortly after his first release Brewski grew a strong buzz in the Chicagoland area. Brewski used outlets such as Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook to release his material. In a short period of time Brewski has already opened up for big name acts such as Wu-Tang Clan, Nappy Roots, LEP Bogus Boys, Syleena Johnson and etc. Brewski performance is described as ”hype” because of the high intensity/energy he brings.
We, Warforged, are a Chicago death metal act, focused on refining our own take on death metal. We are playing exactly what we want to be playing, and what we feel that we can offer to the vast world of metal. Not only are we musicians, we are also huge fans of the genre as well, bringing our knowledge together to create some of the music that not only we enjoy, but that we know fellow fans of metal will enjoy.
FACELIFT -is , the Premier ALICE IN CHAINS Tribute Hailing From Chicago Il.! Concentrating Solely On The Early Albums , Immortalized By Original Singer/ Front man Layne….FACELIFT Brings the Sound, Look, & Feel of the Bands Greatest Material & Performances to the Stage , From the Intoxicating Vocals , to the High Energy Performances by All the Musicians, Covering All The Great Songs That Have Made The Band One Of the Most Hauntingly Charismatic Bands Of Our Time! Strap Yourselves Down,& Come Witness The Experience & Awe of ..
~FACELIFT~ Brendan Maier-VOX / Stephen Serio-BASS , & VOX/ Guido (ZILLA) Cameli-DRUMS, & VOX / Eddie Ferrazzi- GUITARS, & VOX
ferocious: marked by unrelenting intensity; extreme.
uplifting: To raise to spiritual or emotional heights; exalt.
These two words embody the sonic, visionary, and aesthetic experience that is Chicago’s industrial metal duo, PLAGUE BRINGER. Featuring guitarist/drum programmer, Greg Ratajczak and vocalist Josh Rosenthal, PLAGUE BRINGER is an ever-evolving project whose mission to be as progressive as it is aggressive, has garnered comparisons across the ‘heavy’ music spectrum from TOOL to GODFLESH to PIG DESTROYER.
‘Life Songs in a Land of Death’, PLAGUE BRINGER’s sophomore release and their first for HeWhoCorrupts INC, is the product of over two years of creative fervor, merciless judgment, and obsessive attention to detail both artistically and conceptually. The album satisfies the duo’s selfish need to create intelligent, relevant, and personal art which also aims to captivate listeners by drawing them into a ferocious and uncomfortable yet rewarding and uplifting sonic experience. Thematically, the album addresses ideas of self realization through adversity, the death of the impassioned, and the search and discovery of beauty beneath filth. The album was mastered by Scott Hull at Visceral Sound and is the follow up to 2005’s acclaimed debut full length, ‘As the Ghosts Collect, The Corpses Rest’ (Seventh Rule Recordings/Lo Fi Violence).
PLAGUE BRINGER formed in December of 2002, shortly after Ratajczak’s work at Clava Studios with producer/engineer BRIAN DECK and MODEST MOUSE on “The Moon and Antarctica”. Ratajczak asked long time friend and artistic collaborator, Rosenthal, to contribute his unique writing style to the project and provide lyrics that when read and reflected upon, unveil deeper layers of meaning to the reader. Ratajczak began the project with and has chosen to continue using the drum machine, which is just as significant to the PLAGUE BRINGER sound, both live and in the studio, as either human member.
PLAGUE BRINGER has established a strong presence in the metal underground. Consistent shows throughout the Midwest and several tours to the East coast afforded the group the opportunity to share stages with the likes of BRUTAL TRUTH, PIG DESTROYER, DEICIDE, the BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, KHANATE, the RED CHORD, and RUSSIAN CIRCLES.
Riding a career spanning 15 years, the guys in Mrs. Skannotto are no strangers to their brand of third-wave ska-rock. The Rochester, NY-based six-piece just dropped its fifth studio release, a brand-spanking-new 14-track full-length effort titled All These Evolutions.
Ranging from huge-sounding choruses on tracks like the blistering opener “Just As Well” and the forceful “Lost and Found” to more mellow sounds (think RX Bandits meets The Police) on songs like “The Blame” and “Fair Weather Foe,” All These Evolutions sees Mrs. Skannotto continuing to break ground even after more than a decade as a band.
A testament to the ideals of teamwork and the do-it-yourself ethos, Mrs. Skannotto is looking to continue to build upon its fanbase in 2013 while it supports its new record. The band was recently out on the road for 40+ dates with their good friends in The Toasters, and spent a chunk of 2012 on Less Than Jake’s 20th Anniversary Tour with Reel Big Fish, Mad Caddies, Flatfoot 56, and A Wilhelm Scream.
La República, is a fresh and dynamical 3 piece Latin/Rock band influenced by the musical work of The Beatles amongst many other artists of the 60´s and of current times. La República´s vision and goals through music are to represent culture & Latin America.
Coffins are a Japanese death-doom metal band, formed in 1996 by guitarist and vocalist Uchino. Having gone through several lineup changes in the past, they now consist of Uchino, Ryo (drums) and Koreeda (bass). Their sound is influenced by old school ’80s and ’90s doom metal, death metal and thrash metal.
Nate Gordon is an americana blues guitarist from the rolling hills and muddy creeks of the “heck yes, midwest” lands of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Regionally, Gordon has made a name for himself playing various music houses, cafes, and larger indie-rock venues like the barnstormer shows at the Codfish Hollow Barn. He’s shared bills with a range of acts from blues chuggers The Ghost Wolves, to backcountry rockers The Deadstring Brothers, and even folk rock wonders Mark Mulcahy and Pieta Brown.
Gordon’s original sets often include a mix of blues tunings, as his influences are varied, ranging from traditional greats like Son House and Blind Willie Johnson to modern alt-rock bands like Dawes and These United States.
The Chester Thompson Trio was formed in June of 2011 when pianist Joe
Davidian, bassist Michael Rinne and legendary drummer Chester Thompson
were hired to accompany some of the world’s leading jazz trombonists
at the International Trombone Festival, held that year in Nashville,
Tennessee. After a week of playing workshops and concerts several
hours a day, the trio found that they really enjoyed playing together.
After that, they played every Monday at a club called the Commodore
Lounge for more than a year.
Thompson has recorded and performed the world over with some of the
biggest names in jazz and rock, including Weather Report, Joe Sample,
Freddie Hubbard, Ahmad Jamal, Phil Collins, Genesis, and Frank Zappa.
He teaches drumset at Belmont University and regularly tours
internationally, giving performances and drum clinics.
Joe Davidian also teaches at Belmont and at the Nashville Jazz
Workshop, maintains an extensive private studio, and plays regular
jazz gigs around town. He also has recorded three trio albums under
his own name, the third of which will be released in April, 2013.
Michael Rinne is quickly becoming one of Nashville’s first-call
bassists for sessions, and is a member of the premiere studio
orchestra, the Nashville String Machine. Rinne also tours domestically
with various Nashville-based artists.
Thompson’s enthusiasm for the relatively young trio is apparent:
“It was difficult to schedule time at first because [Davidian and
Rinne] are always in demand.
Nashville has a nice jazz scene and they are two of the busiest
musicians in the city.
I am fortunate to play with them.……Joe Davidian and Mike Rinne are
very young and have a lot of energy but they play with wisdom of
musicians twice their age. The musical communication
we have is very special, so things happen when we play that we do not
have to talk about.
It is nice that after so many years of touring and recording; I am
very excited about
this band!”
PIG DESTROYER boil metal down to its muscle, sinew, and bone – razor-sharp guitar, percussive pummeling, and a lone, starkhowl – and use them to commit a vicious assault. The lyrics paint loathsome, frightening images of pitch-black self-hatred and the frailty of the human experience. These musical manifestations only serves to cement their already legendary status.
Many things can be said about Detroit, not only as a city, but also as a pioneer in the music scene. In a city constantly changing and adapting, the music begins to reflect it, not only in popular music of the mainstream, but also in bands and individual musicians. Such a band was conceived in January of 2012. Crafting a style of their own by seamlessly blending styles of music such as punk, psychobilly, hardcore, classic rock n’ roll and a hint of classic horror, the Gutter Ghouls are creating a style completely unlike anything in Metro-Detroit.
The Gutter Ghouls began as a project of Branden Gelineau (upright bass/lead vocals, ex-Distinguished Gentlemen) and Kevin Hardy (drums/backing vocals). Soon they were joined by Billy Causey (guitar/backing vocals) and hit the ground running, immediately booking countless shows and recording their self released ep ‘Motor City Murderbilly’.
The band began to gain instant notoriety through a grueling regiment of shows, promotion, and recognition from countless national and local bands. Having performed with such acts as the Misfits, the Chop Tops, the Stolen Babies, the Krank Daddies, the Strikers, The Everymen and the Independents, the Gutter Ghouls have transformed from a small opening act to a mainstay in the Michigan music scene.
With a new album in the works, as well as a new music video and plans for touring, keep an eye out for the Ghouls! For fans of psychobilly, punk and the Devil himself, grab a beer and a shot, light up a cigarette and hold on tight!
Disrotted was formed in mid 2013 by members of other local bands such as Pit of Spikes, Sick/Tired, Hate, and Harpoon with the mindset of playing slow, depressing, funeral paced doom infused with death metal. This is the bleak soundtrack for entering the void.
Launched in 2009, this five-member group works diligently to perform the many details of sonic and expressive nuances essential to emulate the true Pink Floyd sound in every performance. From the sound effects like airplanes, heartbeats, clocks, etc. to matching the lead vocal characteristics of Roger Waters and David Gilmour, Comfortably Floyd does it all. In addition to the sound effects and expressive vocals, the characteristic sounds of monstrous guitar solos, spacey keyboards, smooth jazzy saxophones lines, with solid laid-back drum and bass grooves will please all listeners, especially the biggest Pink Floyd fans. Add to that a projection screen along with a light show with lasers, Comfortably Floyd provides an excellent Pink Floyd experience that will thrill any audience.
Verisimilitude isn’t a word you’re likely to hear out of Powder Mill but it’s the one that fits. Everything about these Missouri men feels damn real: salt of the earth substance apparent in every tune, every rugged but right vocal, with every line ringing true and strong backed with the kinda muscle that lays a body flat. A palpable sense of place permeates their music, deftly carved mountains and rivers winding through their tunes, the backwoods stills and boogie shacks breathing along bad roads everyone knows you just shouldn’t wander down but do anyway because, well, human nature – something this band understands very well, clearly fellas who’ve spent a few nights in jail AND learned a thing or two from it.
But these are no wannabe outlaws, just guys telling it like it is, unvarnished reports from the blue collar trenches, putting melody to every solitary late night thinker wondering, “I’m working this damn hard and this is all I’ve got?” There’s a healthy measure of early Asbury Park Springsteen to the gritty pondering of the band’s 5th album, The Land of the Free, which strives to drag Jesus from the dark side of town, eager to bring the good word to every battered, struggling soul living on the ragged, shadowy edge.
Make no mistake, this is rock ‘n’ roll that needs no adjectives (modern, classic, Americana, etc), but this is also unabashedly country as fuck, embracing the world outside big cities and tied to the land and its cyclical flow in tangible, lived ways. In this way and many others, Powder Mill are the true sons of Ronnie Van Zant, with a game that’s tight, tough and fired up about all the right things – family, freedom and fun – and a surprising tenderness that slips in between all the fisticuffs, hot messes and weed running in their tales. Their willingness to tussle extends to love, understanding that the real thing has to be fought for and defended with all one’s might, perhaps most so against one’s own failings and dumb decisions.
Powder Mill, particularly on The Land of the Free, put the lie to notion that they don’t make ‘em like they used to. This is a band that can proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with pre-plane crash Skynyrd, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Black Crowes and contemporaries like The Drive-By Truckers and Slobberbone as torchbearers for rock rooted in unremittingly honest soil that takes full advantage of Southern musical traditions – People’s Music made by real people with more heart, balls, raw charm and natural talent than most God made. -Dennis Cook
The Dustbowl Revival is a Venice, California-based roots collective that merges old school bluegrass, gospel, jug-band, swamp blues and the hot swing of the 1930’s to form a spicy roots cocktail. Known for their inspired live sets, the Dustbowl Revival boldly brings together many styles of traditional American music. Imagine Old Crow Medicine Show meeting Louis Armstrong’s Hot Seven Band in New Orleans or Bob Dylan and Fats Waller jamming with Mumford & Sons on a front porch in 1938.
Growing steadily from a small string band playing up and down the west coast (hundreds shows in the last two years), DBR has blossomed into a traveling collective featuring instrumentation that often includes fiddle, mandolin, trombone, clarinet, trumpet, banjo, accordion, tuba, pedal steel, drums, guitars, a bass made from a canoe oar, harmonica and plenty of washboard and kazoo for good luck.
With an enthusiastic and growing national following, DBR released their first LP, You Can’t Go Back To The Garden of Eden to rave reviews. Their tune “Dan’s Jam”, received Americana Song Of The Year honors by the Independent Music Awards (Tom Waits, Ozzy Osbourne judging). The group has placed songs in several independent films and TV projects including “Made In China” (IFC) which won SXSW, and in a 2013 episode of FOX’s AMERICAN IDOL. National radio play includes LA’s KCRW, KPFK, and KCSN, Austin’s KGSR, SF’s KPFA and Seattle’s taste-making KEXP.
Their EP + vinyl 7’’ Holy Ghost Station was released in the summer of 2011 under the auspices of analog specialist Raymond Richards with Rockets Red Glare (Local Natives) and in 2011-12 Dustbowl played with artists as diverse as The Rebirth Brass Band, Best Coast, Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers and more, hosting shows from Chicago to Seattle, Anchorage and San Diego as well as playing festivals like Outside Lands, Lightning In a Bottle, Make Music Pasadena and The New LA Folk Festival.
2013 has a new album – Carry Me Home, on the way. Merging their vintage style with a hip, lose-your-troubles-and-start-moving vibe, the record perfectly encompasses the band’s upbeat message. Seeking to travel more widely in 2013, the band will be playing Mountain Song Bluegrass Cruise to The Bahamas (Punch Brothers, David Grisman) as well as venturing to Arizona, Colorado, New York and beyond.
Something wicked this way comes, wending its way through damp back alleyways and down leafy New England back roads, whispering through still water and dark fog. The clarion call for the next great wave of American black metal has sounded, and Vattnet Viskar is leading the charge. They’ve once again followed the open road ahead, and returned bearing their most important work yet.
With the autumn equinox not far off, Vattnet Viskar has completed work on Sky Swallower, their debut full-length album. Recorded at Universal Noise Storage under the watchful eye of producer Brett Boland, Sky Swallower features eight songs of masterfully executed atmospheric black metal devotion.
King Parrot are a 5 piece from Melbourne Australia who play extreme music with elements of thrash, death, grind and punk rock. Uniquely Australian with their energy, presence and humour King Parrot are well renowned for their aggressive and visually entertaining live show. Since the bands inception onto the live scene in Australia in 2011, their work ethic and commitment to touring and releasing new material has seen them become one of the leading acts in this genre. The band have released one EP “The Stench of Hardcore Pub Trash” in 2011, and their debut album “Bite Your Head Off” has been released worldwide in 2013.To top of a massive year for the band King Parrot won The Age Newspaper – Music Victoria – Wifire Music – Best heavy album award and “Act of the Year” at the Cherry Bar – AC/DC Lane – Jagermeister awards.
King Parrot signed a 3 album worldwide deal with Candlelight Records who are based in the United Kingdom and United States of America.
The EP and album have been combined and released under the “Bite Your Head Off” banner for the worldwide market and re-released in Australia on CD and vinyl.
In March 2013 the band toured to Indonesia where they played and appeared at the first Obscene Extreme Festival in Jakarta. Festival organiser, Miloslav Urbanec proclaimed the King Parrot set was one of the “most enjoyable performances I have seen in 20 years of running the festival”. King Parrot has been a major draw card on Australia’s Bastardfest, Obscene Extreme, Devil’s Kitchen, Dead of Winter, Cherry Rock and Whiplash Festivals.
In June 2013 King Parrot participated in a national tour presented by youth broadcaster Triple J with internationally recognised acts Thy Art is Murder and Cattle Decapitation (USA). After touring with Australian legends Psycroptic, they have followed that up with their own Australian tour in September 2014 and pre- christmas tour with rockers Gay Paris. The band have also supported acts like Obituary, Kvelertak, Forbidden, Macabre, Unida and Eyehategod. Solidifying the bands presence in the national market, King Parrot have recently been rewarded with the cover of Veri-Live magazine in July, and featured on the cover of the nationally distributed Heavy Music Magazine in August.
A second single and video for the track “Bozo” has just been released. The video is based around the bands live performance and was filmed at the Cherry Rock Festival in AC/DC lane Melbourne in May 2013. Their first single and video for the song “Shit on the Liver” was a finalist in the Australian music video competition at St Kilda film festival. The video has over 100,000 hits on Youtube and has been hailed by critics and media alike as one the best Australian underground music video’s of all time.
King Parrot will continue to push the boundaries of extreme music, drawing on diverse influences and delivering a unique, energetic and captivating live show.
OKAPI utilizes each of its musicians’ unconventional juxtapositions to create an alternative sense of aesthetic unity. The intimate orchestrations form a mosaic abundant with meanings that project an honest yet satirical sense of realism, which stimulate the cryptic emotions presented in everyday life.
THIEVES & GYPSYS is an indie rock’n’roll band from Santa Fe, New Mexico. That started in early 2011 in a small town in New Mexico, crammed in a smaller room where Jared Garcia and Dave Vigil elbow to elbow penning out small songs in hope of expanding and making their world bigger. The band emerged once they added bassist Aaron Jones. The trio would soon begin work on develpoing a sound that they would call wavepop and catch the ear of the world.
Brandon and Shane formed Nacosta in 2011. A little later, they met Christian Gibson, and together they are working on their debut record. “Under the Half Moon” will be released in March 2014 followed by a national tour.
Jeremy Porter & The Tucos are a Detroit based band playing original Rock And Roll. They love their power-pop but they’re influenced by Gram Parsons, Uncle Tupelo and Waylon Jennings as much as Cheap Trick, The Replacements and X. It makes for an interesting, hooky blend of energy, melody, distortion and twang. Goes great with a cold PBR, whether you are crying in it or raising it up and singing along.
Jeremy Porter grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As a founding member of one of the UP’s first punk bands – The Regulars – Jeremy learned at 16 what a rock bar smells like. By the late 80s he was living near Detroit and playing clubs across the Midwest. For the next 2 decades he would front bands that would gig, record and tour across the country to varying degrees – SlugBug, The OffRamps, Fidrych, and more. In 2010 Jeremy released his first solo album Party of One on Toronto’s prestigious indie label Magwheel Records (Spoon, The Nils) and toured the US and Canada extensively.
In late 2010 Jeremy recruited Jason Bowes (Bass) and Gabriel Doman (Drums) and The Tucos were born. Jason was in The OffRamps and Fidrych with Jeremy and Gabe came from The Hotwalls, a Detroit powerpop-alt-rock band he formed and led for years. The Tucos played dozens of shows across the Midwest in their first year, headlining and opening for national acts like Jesse Malin & The St, Mark’s Social and Whitey Morgan & The 78s. They released a 7″ single on Magwheel Records in 2011 and spent most of 2012 recording their first full-length. Partner In Crime was released in February of 2013 by Detroit’s coveted New Fortune Records on limited edition vinyl, CD and download. The Tucos will spend the next year and more promoting it.
Altitudes & Attitude, the new project from longtime friends Frank Bello of Anthrax and David Ellefson of Megadeth, who have released their self-titled EP on January 14th music together while traveling the world during clinics now known as Metal Masters.
“What started out as simple bass ideas quickly developed into some really great songs together,” says Ellefson. “Our fans would probably never suspect that a couple of metal bass players would have songs like these inside of us. It’s exciting to write melody with diversity while still pushing the limits of lead-bass playing. Frank’s singing, and both of us playing guitars and other instruments, gave us a whole new dimension for creative opportunities.”
“We thought it would be cool to let fans hear something they wouldn’t expect from us- which is what Altitudes & Attitude is,” adds Bello.
Bello and Ellefson have devised an exciting and interactive format for their live performances with Altitudes & Attitudes that is flexible enough to include a clinic format, Q&A with the audience, as well as closing up the performance with classic cover songs that have inspired them in their own careers. Songs from artists such as Cheap Trick, The Clash, The Ramones and more are part of the Altitudes & Attitude repertoire that rock and metal fans will appreciate from these two metal masters.
We play multi-genred and our original music…And while we are doing that we play the game Twister on stage, visit with and involve folks in the crowd, and yes sometimes we put on socks!!!
Dex Romweber is nothing less than an icon of the American music underground. Pioneering the template for the stripped to-the-essentials guitar/drums duo format in the (should be) world famous psycho-surf-rockabilly-garage-punk combo Flat Duo Jets—so often emulated, so rarely duplicated—Dex continues his resurgence with the new album Is That You In The Blue? With sister Sara on drums, the Dex Romweber Duo is a potent combo that’ll get your leg twitching with the beat and your heart racing -and sometimes breaking- with the feral excitement of music. If it don’t, you might want to consider turning in your “I Heart Rock n Roll” badge. Seriously.
In Dex, you have someone who burrows into the guts of American roots music with a uniquely alchemical mania; he’s a man clearly bored with, or oblivious to, genre constraints. With a mix of originals and obscure nuggets from rock and roll’s dusky back closets, the DRD romps through the sweaty cinder block studios of Memphis of the 50’s, channels street corners on the wrong side of town with existential blues and instrumentals that’d find a home in a Tarantino spy flick.
For pure rock and roll at its most glorious, Dex, his vintage Silvertone guitar and Sara’s wall of sound drums kick out the jams, mf’ers, on “Jungle Drums,” the dragstrip rave-up “Gurdjieff Girl” and the soundtrack for your next knife fight at the juvey home “Climb Down.” Bust out your hip flask and hand jive to heaven to that wicked Bobby Fuller beach party groove on “Wish you Would,” or strut down the Rio strand to the buoyant Bossa Nova throw down “Brazil”—a classic that runs a sonic spark plug from Xavier Cugat to Tav Falco’s Panther Burns.
Beyond the wild ruckus the Duo conjures so well, Is That You in the Blue? is colored by Dex’s broken romantic trips to the deep tunnel of un-love. From the slinky, cinematic revenge noir of “The Death of Me,” to the unhinged, edge of the abyss vibe of “Nowhere” to the jazzy, ghostly howl at the “Midnight Sun,” he’s on a dark and sometimes vengeful ride he ain’t taking alone. And the title track has as bitter and liberating a kiss off line that’s ever been sung, the one we’ve all wished we could have come up with when she was walking out the door.
For Is That You In The Blue?, recorded at Southern Culture on the Skids Rick Miller’s studio in North Carolina, DRD filled in their already formidable sound with Tarheel luminaries from the bands The Old Ceremony and Savage Knights, as well as Rick Miller himself and fellow SCOTS Mary Huff. Since their last Bloodshot album, Ruins of Berlin (2009), the DRD recorded a 7” single of hillbilly folk-blues with Jack White as well as a live album recorded at his Third Man record store in Nashville.
There’s a new meaning behind your favorite traffic regulation phrase. Right On Red, the five piece band out of Chicago, IL, ironically stops at nothing to make music that reflects what we all feel, but can’t all express. Balancing a beautiful blend of all their favorite influences, the five friends that make up ROR have proven to be more than an imitation of the past heroes in Pop/Punk. Piecing their energetic personality with sheer musical genius, Right on Red packs excitement into every performance, post performance, and social media post-and are pretty much the poster boys for the emerging “Wiener/Punk/Pop” movement (see future instagram and twitter references).
Right On Red has graciously shared the stage with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, City Lights, Phone Calls From Home, Carousel Kings, Reject My Reality, Patent Pending, Rust Belt Lights, Stickup Kid, Rookie of the Year, Savior Self, Arkham, Vanatica
Tanks & Guns is comprised of four veterans of the Chicago music scene with former members of The Delivery Boys, Satellites, Chasing Mars, and One Summer’s Night. All members can attest to the fact that playing music is in their blood. Tanks & Guns is driven by pure passion to establish themselves by connecting to every fan by their powerful and honest music, which is explosively delivered both live and in the studio. What makes this band so unique is that this project means everything to each member. Every chord strums with the goal of achieving their most deepest dream, which is playing music for a living. With the release of their first two singles right around the corner, the Tanks & Guns will hit the ground running.
The Great Barrier Reefs are a steel drum fronted funk fusion group based in Nashville, TN. Lead by pannist Tony Hartman (of Roy ‘Futureman’ Wooten’s Black Mozart Ensemble), the Reefs have been delivering their high energy show to music lovers in the Midwest and Southeast since 2009.
Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) (translation: Award-winning Marconi Bakery) is an Italian progressive rockband. They were the first Italian group to have success abroad, entering both the British and American charts. Between 1973 and 1977 they released five albums with English lyrics. They also had several successful Europeanand American tours, playing at the popular Reading Festival in England and on a very popular national television programme in the U.S.A.
PFM introduced new sounds, such as the synthesizer, to the Italian musical world. They were also among the first to combine symphonic classical and traditional Italian musical influences in a rock music context. Such innovations and their longevity have made them among the most important bands in the international Progressive rock genre.
Los Angeles-based neo-classical extreme metal mavens Exmortus return on new album, “Necrophony.” Four years in the making, the group’s sixth album offers nothing but savage rebirth and fierce renewal. “Necrophony” marks a significant turning point—one foretold by the Legions of the “Undead” EP in 2019—for the Angelenos. Not only have they emerged from the throes of the pandemic stronger, faster and crazier, they’ve signed on to global metal powerhouse Nuclear Blast. The passion and fury of lead-off single “Oathbreaker” is merely the tip of Exmortus’ darkest tower. Follow-on singles like the powerful “Mind of Metal” and “Storm of Strings,” a whistle-stop, no-joke cover of Greek-American composer Yanni interpreting Vivaldi’s “The Storm,” add greatly to Exmortus’ masterly oeuvre.
Exmortus was founded in 2002. The group issued a bevy of well-received demos and EPs that culminated in debut In Hatred’s Flame in 2008. Since then, Gonzalez—now flanked by specialists Phillip Nuñez (bass), Chase Becker (guitars), and Adrian Aguilar (drums)—has gone on to release four more fan-favorite full-lengths. Exmortus have toured with Amon Amarth, Obituary, Death Angel, and more, playing gigs in North America and Europe. The group’s highlights have also included a stint with thrash legends Exodus at industry lighthouse event NAMM and a coveted spot on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise. Necrophony, a portmanteau of “necro” and “phony” (or “dead sounds”), is Exmortus bigger, badder and wickedly restless.
Written from a fresh slate, Necrophony’s origins can be traced to preludes “Masquerade,” “Overture,” and the intro to “Children of the Night.” Once Exmortus had the feel down, they settled on expanding on the motifs by forging Viennese sophistication with metal might. Careful observers will hear Exmortus’ clever use of the album’s musical theme throughout its 12-song range. That includes “Darkest of Knights” and the aforementioned “Children of the Night,” as well as Necrophony’s shorter bursts of bravado in “Oathbreaker” and “Beyond the Grave.” The most important attributes were, however, vibe and Exmortus’ careful crafting of their next-gen sonic fingerprint.
Whereas previous albums up through 2018’s “The Sound of Steel” have been predicated on heroic fantasy/sword & sorcery, Necrophony turns a decidedly darker page. Exmortus have gone from a “Conan the Barbarian” and “Gladiator” aesthetic to something blacker, more nefarious as illustrated by the eeriest and evilest Lovecraftian and Tolkien-esque tales. There’s even a classic horror thing happening. This is, of course, a reflection of our immediate world, and the darkness that’s engulfing everything in it.
Exmortus invited Renaissance man Zack Ohren (Fallujah, Immolation) to return as engineer, producer, mixer and mastering ace on Necrophony. Certainly, the team that had cemented the group’s three previous albums into the annals of metaldom was going to work yet again. With Ohren at the helm, Exmortus holed up in Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA. Necrophony was fast-tracked in just under two weeks. The result is a clap of virtuosic metal sure to leave fans battered, bloodied, and hungry for more violent opulence.
With “Oathbreaker,” “Mind of Metal” and “Storm of Strings” ringing darkened ears Exmortus’ paroxysmal ascent to extreme metal’s upper echelons is guaranteed with Necrophony. Bow in reverence to the high-flying, six-stringed dynasts now.
