ENABLER
Milwaukee hardcore/metal/punk crossover. The world is fucked and this is the soundtrack to it’s demise.
UPBEAT MUSIC ROCK BAND
Come see tomorrow’s rock stars as Upbeat Music Rock Band students perform
at Reggie’s Rock Club.
HEY JIMMY
Hey Jimmy is the premier party band based out of Chicago. With a pedigree in sonic fidelity and a love for entertaining, they leave their audiences amazed. At inception the vision was clear. Look great, sound great, and put on a dynamic show with non-stop energy. Each member of Hey Jimmy brings their unique talent to each and every stage. And the musical diversity is jaw dropping. From the music of the 50’s to today’s dance, pop, rock and R&B, they are your Ipod come to life.
RELENTLESS FOR A CURE: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fundraiser
Man & Woman candidates are goal-oriented and compassionate. Their relentless efforts are focused on making life better for hundreds of thousands of patients battling blood cancers: leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Funds raised by Man & Woman of the Year participants are used for:
– Lifesaving blood cancer research
– Financial assistance to cover patient expenses for transportation, medication and testing
– Free educational materials and events for patients and their families
– Local programs such as Family Support Groups and First Connection, a peer-to-peer counseling program
– Comprehensive, personalized assistance through our Information Resource Center
FOR ALL I AM
“Most people these days are scared to truly live because of what others say, but we believe in individuality and just being yourself,” states For All I Am frontman Aria Yavarinejad. “For All I Am is about being strong, not letting others put you down for any reason, and holding onto what you believe in for yourself.”
Not wasting anytime in sharing their positive message and showing the world what they’re capable of, the freshly formed Chicago, IL based quintet has already self-released their debut EP Lone Wolf. The five-track album was released on November 1st, 2011 – the same day that the band announced their signing to Albany, NY-based indie label, Equal Vision Records.
Lone Wolf was recorded with up and coming producer Nicholas Scott at NS Studio in Muskegon, MI and highlights For All I Am’s incredible ability to flawlessly juxtapose and intertwine the dynamic, bonecrushing explosions of Yavarinejad’s screams with the haunting melodies of guitarist/clean vocalist Chase Wagster.
The EP carries listeners through a powerful, passionate journey of broken friendships, life-changing events and the loss of a loved one, and the band’s dominant stance against the injustices and apathy present in society today.
“The shaken minds of our learning experiences through our society led us to the creation of [the song] “Injustice”, Yavarinejad explains. “It became evident at a young age that the future is dissimulating; we took the time to show our perspective in relation to our experiences…it’s a calling to our generation about the new direction that we are heading.” He continues, “…our generation is in jeopardy because of peer pressure and blindness. We want to show the world that you can be yourself and accomplish anything your heart desires if you put the work into it.”
SARAH GAYLE MEECH
Nashville country singer Sarah Gayle Meech has just released her debut album “One Good Thing.” Produced by Andy Gibson (Hank 3) and Meech herself, the album features 12 original tracks, and some of Nashville’s finest players. Meech and her band “The Meech Boys” hold weekly residencies at Nashville’s most beloved honky tonks, Robert’s Western World and Layla’s Bluegrass Inn.
Originally hailing from the small logging town Longview Washington, Sarah Gayle was raised under the influence of classic country, evergreens, and the mighty Columbia River. Meech later moved to Los Angeles to pursue her musical aspirations. It was there she would come in to her own as a singer and songwriter. Penning tales of heartache, big city blues, and wild L.A. nights made Sarah Gayle Meech a reputable part of the California country music scene. Meech’s songwriting has a down home, tell it like it is approach. There is an accessible honesty to her songs listeners can relate to.
In 2010, Sarah Gayle relocated to Nashville Tennessee where she currently resides. Check Meech’s tour dates to see when she is coming to your town, and come see why Sarah Gayle Meech has been called “an alt-country powerhouse” and “a country music force to be reckoned with!”
GREG GINN & THE ROYAL WE
“I try to play what I would like to hear,” Greg Ginn explains the electronica sound of his latest project, The Royal We. “If it feels good to me then there’s other people that might enjoy it. Everybody isn’t in the same place at the same time.”
Greg Ginn is an innovator. “I like a lot of hybrid bands. Different trance, electronica, and a lot of House. Most of that music doesn’t have guitar. And that’s had a lot of impact on my guitar.”
Greg Ginn and The Royal We’s We Are Amused is set for release on November 8th, 2011 on SST Records.
Greg has been making music professionally, successfully, but not always publicly, for over 3 decades. “I became less excited about what was happening in rock in the 90’s and 2000’s. There are rock bands I like, but I like wilder stuff.”
“Skrillex. I like him a lot.” Greg describes the evolution of electronic music from techno forward. He has appreciation for all if it, from Jumpstyle to Dubstep. Among the acts he likes, he names some of the more intense and less commercially successful artists: Lotus, The Glitch Mob, Signal Path, and most notably The String Cheese Incident. There’s a specific commonality there regarding inventive creators moving on, leaving a past experiment and progressing forward to something new without trying to meld one project into the next.
For the last three and half years Greg Ginn has been breaking ground and experimenting with his own brand of electronica, combining his ear for jazz, his sensibilities to truly crafted-work, and his thorough acceptance of noise. The Royal We is his one man band and show. “It’s something new, for new people.”
The freedom of writing and recording alone means round the clock hours for Greg’s creative process to flow. “Other people’s schedules don’t interfere. I can play anytime.” Greg explains that this limitless schedule has been conducive for him. “I’m recording all the time. I have a lot of unreleased stuff.”
Greg is well known for his guitar work and has often played his own bass lines in his recordings. Not surprisingly, he does so here in a very electronic format along with some other instruments that might surprise you. Greg plays the theremin, a device that goes back to the 1920’s. It’s an instrument that you’ve heard many times but probably didn’t know its name. It sounds like a futuristic harp, and looks like you might have found it on the Starship Enterprise. “It’s the most primitive electronic instrument. It’s an oscillator. You control the frequency with your hand.”
A 40 inch LED monitor screen is perched on top of the equipment on stage, displaying perfectly synced video of Charlie Chaplin and silent film cuts. The videos were meticulously crafted by engineer and drummer Mike Shear. Every live song has its own video for a total of 2 hours worth of streaming symbiotic sensory ambiance.
Among the new recordings is an outstanding piece called “Eavesdrop.” Remove all constraints of the expected and accepted that has tamed your ears and remember what it’s like to be new again. This is the sound of Steampunk: it hasn’t been invented yet, it is still being dreamed. It’s a glimpse of the future through someone else’s imagination. It is impossible to listen to this hypnotic pulsating innovation without bouncing your head along involuntarily in universal agreement.
“Laundering Reality” presents another soulful beat incessantly tickled by the theremin, made to do things we didn’t know it could. Somehow this song’s intoxicating groove reintroduces itself to you almost our minutes in, all over again, despite a repetitive essence. It remains as familiar as it is surprising.
“Baiting,” “Refuge,” and “Gilded Entry” all make you stop and question, absorb, and then ultimately click repeat again and again. These are powerful instrumentals. One of the best parts about a completely unique sound is that every time you hear it, you’re free to misinterpret it again and again. What is it you’re hearing? A slightly Chinese sounding melody? Am alien instrument? A King Crimson inspired lick, a Phillip Glass meter that was too perfect for the Photographer, The Dust Brothers playing Deadmau5 backwards, a classic Chick Corea moment? Yes. No. Just play it again, please. And all of it electric, and bouncing, and fresh.
By the way, if you think you’ve heard the words “Greg Ginn” and “Innovator” in the same breath before, you’re right. In 1976, at 22 years old, Greg Ginn founded a band that changed the way music would be perceived, forever. As the principle songwriter, guitarist and unequivocal mastermind behind Black Flag, Greg Ginn taught us that music is subjective, inspired, and ever evolving.
And 35 years later we are re-learning that lesson all over again.
WATER TOWER
After 5 years on the road, 4 albums under their belt and multiple international tours, Water Tower has been brewing up a storm in the folk music world. The boys have collaborated live with members of bands like Frank Turner, Kitty Daisy and Lewis, the Red Stick Ramblers, and the Foghorn Stringband and shared the stage with acts like Old Crow Medicine Show, Mumford and Sons, Wilco, Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three, and Woody Pines. They have toured extensively in both the USA and abroad, and performed live on the BBC, NPR, and RTE. Their all original sound is infectious and has spread far and wide to audiences of all ages and walks of life. Based in Portland, Oregon these young gents got their start busking on street corners playing traditional old time and bluegrass, eventually honing their sound as a solid dance band playing square dances and bluegrass festivals up and down the west coast.
However, the boys wanted to take the music further and thus, their new sound was born. Loosely based in the traditions of bluegrass, punk rock, blues, cajun, folk and country their music slides between musical boundaries. Their songs feature tight 3 part harmonies and powerful instrumentals. This combined with the lightning energy of their stage performances has made them a favorite amongst audiences everywhere. Their latest recording is a 5-song EP recorded in Portland at Type Foundry Studios called “Where the Crow Don’t Fly” and showcases the band’s original songwriting, diverse arranging, and solid playing.
SURE FIRE GROOVE
Sure Fire Groove is a Chicago-based four piece band, blending a wealth of Americana and roots influences with tested musicianship. They have been playing together since 2003 and released their first full-length original album, “Wooden Horse”, in 2008. Since then, they have recorded several EPs and are now in the midst of recording their second full-length LP.
All tracks are recorded and produced by the band at their own studio. They use numerous vintage recording techniques to capture each composition, lending to the band’s genuine and homegrown sound.
CURSE OF THE CREEPS
From the slums of the Chi, to the back alley ways of the Southside, loiters four bums who go by the name, “Curse Of The Creeps”. Formed in 2012 this group of misfits somehow invented a new genre of music called “Creep Rock”. A disease, an addiction, an epidemic, a style of music that would later lay the groundwork for what is… “Curse Of The Creeps”.
HYPERBOLE ENSEMBLE
3 piece instrumental jazz/swing/surf/metal/funk oddness
DIABLERO
Diablero is dedicated to providing good, solid, punchy, to-the-point, enjoyable and original rock. Most Diablero songs clock-in around three to four minutes at the most. We love melody and bread-and-butter beats (as Neil would put it)…most of all we love to perform.
DOUBLEDOWNNATION
The entropy of the universe is always increasing. Clutter…clutter, an ever increasing clutter. A cacophony of being, striving, yearning. Always for more, more, more- I just can’t get enough in the background. The spirit of the times. Whirling, impossible to capture. Impossible to stop.
We double down on sound. Dripping with the grease of unstoppable, unfaphomable noise. A clutter of meaning, ideas…and blue people with small faces. We double down.
We came to Chicago when Jesus left Chicago. We are here now. We double down on now. Zeitgeist&WeltSchmertz. We increase the entropy of our little corner.
We take nothing and offer even less. Come bare and leave bare. Barely touched and yet, somehow transformed
THE DEVIL’S CUT
The Devil’s Cut is Punk/Americana band from Lansing, Michigan. Born of the copper-stripped industrial wasteland of central Michigan, the six piece act plays driving roots rock from a working class punk perspective.
FANTUZZI TUZZI
Fantuzzi is a charismatic, high energy performer who will definitely get you movin’! Meet the man that Newsweek Magazine put on its cover to symbolize the gathering of the original 1969 Woodstock Concert.
He has performed the world over, describing his music as “Transformational, ecstatic, World-Beat rhythm with the soul of Latin/African Reggae” — mashing up Salsa to Niabinge, Rock to Reggae and all folk and tribal styles in between.
Fantuzzi is an Ambassador of Joy and a Global Troubadour, performing at tribal and musical gatherings in over 50 countries. Since “The Summer of Love,” to the present, Fantuzzi has freakwently been found leading musicians in many spiritual and musical gatherings.
One thing you can be sure of, a concert with Fantuzzi, spiced with his unique background and shining spirit, is nothing less than a high-energy meditational celebration for the healing of body, mind and soul!
BRIAN IMIG
I have always played & listened to music. In the 20th Century I was born midway through, outside of Chicago. So, for the purpose of classification, let’s say I am a turn of the millennium music maker. The key to my longevity as well as obscurity is simple : love of music, love of sounds.
Some may know my hammered dulcimer playing from years of busking, festivals, alternative churches, restaurants, & Public Television.
ACOUSTIC MEDICINE
Electric Medicine is a psychedelic space rock jam band merging the energy of the 60s with the energy of today.
Our music promotes messages of peace and harmony and what needs to be changed in the world. It has been said that Electric Medicine “fights evil through music.”
Members include: Dennis Frederick, Ira Bach, Howie Bressler, George Cheoros, Cale Piepenburg, Brian Imig, Kris Piepenburg
THE MORONS
Playing punk, trying to rot our teeth.
SLEEZE
First let us introduce ourselves, We are SLEEZE from Rockford ILL. The current lineup consists of Isaac Hare on Lead Vocals, Micah Watz on Lead Guitar, Bruce Eklove on Bass Guitar, and last but not least, Josh Huston on Drums and Percussion. However this is not the original lineup. In the past year the members in this lineup accomplished more than any previous ones, including getting singed to a two year recording contract through Criminal Record, constantly writing fresh material, and finally getting our foot in the door of the music industry. And now we are trying to expand our connections within the market by promoting ourselves to record labels, producers, booking agencies, management companies, websites, and magazines; increasing our general knowledge of being successful band in our day and age.
The steps we have taken to get to this point in our careers have been enjoyable and arduous simultaneously, over the last four years. The band went through many lineup changes over the first 3 years, and now has formed a balanced democracy between the 4 musicians. Isaac, being the only original member. During this time SLEEZE started carving its name into the Rockford underground music scene, with our evolving sound and image. Within the last year we have sent out thousands of emails promoting our music around the world, and as a result we have been hosted on several radio stations around the world in countries such as Norway, Australia, and multiple cities within the United States. And many shows of course.
Currently we are busy with preproduction for our upcoming full length album entitled “SLEEZE”. We are thankful for the opportunity to make great quality music for the world to enjoy and will be working extremely hard to record this album to the best of our abilities with the resources we have been given. We are also working on even more material, even though we have more than enough songs for both records. We are working on expanding our stock of available merchandise, including t-shirts,hoodies, hats, thongs, buttons, exc.. hopefully vinyl copies of the album.
Our plans within the next couple years include an American Tour, writing better and more thought out material, and acquiring bigger and better connections within our reach. Were looking to expand beyond free social media websites and build a professional webpage that would in turn build our fan base, and increase our profit margin. But most of all we want to get better quality and more reliable equipment to improve our performing abilities, and not just musical gear, but also props to increase the theatrics of our overall live shows.
So with this information we hope to strike an interest within you, the reader, of this explanation of what SLEEZE actually is, and what it has the undeniable potential to become. But you just got to hear it.
THE LAST CHANCE BOYZ
Scumbags from MC formed this band to drink beer, steal your girlfriend, piss on the ceiling and puke in your fridge… bitch!
FEAR OF FLOATING
Fear of Floating is a new group consisting of ex The House that Gloria Vanderbilt members Elizabeth, Tom and Timmy Stedman and Erik Bocek of American Heritage, Joan of Arc & Ghosts and Vodka. Drawing from simplistic arrangements, swooning distortions & effects, catchy rhythms and angelic vocals this band could be best described as a mix of 90’s shoegaze meets pop. Shedding the math and destructive nature of previous musical endeavors this group represents an earnest devotion to the vocal melodies and offers the music as it’s accompanying bow. This less is more approach is intended to leave the listener with room for dessert because isn’t it better to leave wanting more than being so stuffed full of shit you can’t even walk sometimes?
SPEEDMAC
LIGHTS OUT
In the late 70’s early 80’s, the founding members of Lights Out Chicago grew up in the Berwyn, IL. area playing classic rock and roll either in the same or different bands. They even played at the same gigs with different band members in several Battle of the Bands. By the mid eighties they had gone their separate ways.
In late 2005, a mutual friend of the band was able to get a hold of Joe Mazzuca and reunited him with Eric and Richard who had since married and started families. In early 2007, they decided to give the band another try and dusted off the old axes.
UFO was a heavy influence “back in the day” and Lights Out Chicago’s set list includes the expanded version of the Strangers in the Night album.
So come out see us play and enjoy those great classic UFO songs we all grew up on!!!
Lights Out Chicago
THE BRIGHT WHITE
The Bright White have performed a release show for their debut EP, Until Then, at Chicago’s legendary Double Door and a New York City debut at Mercury Lounge. Tracks from the EP recently received airplay on Chicago’s Q101 and WXRT.
Comprised of four working class guys who proudly wear their hearts on their sleeves, Chicago’s The Bright White debuted in 2011. Frontman Matthew Kayser and guitarist Joe O’Leary dreamt up the concept of an infectiously loud and spirited rock n’ roll band months before they were fortunate enough to have drummer Steve Zelenko and bassist Peter Krutiak respond to a Craigslist ad for a rhythm section. Inspired songwriting sessions and a slew of local and regional bookings immediately followed.
Fueled by Kayser’s impassioned vocals and their own brand of careening, yet smart, rock n’ roll, The Bright White released their second album, Lose Yourself, in June of 2012. They look forward to connecting with audiences who have been waiting for sing-along choruses, fist-in-the-air guitar solos and the swagger of a band who knows its best days are ahead
MIGHTY FOX
Music from Chicago, IL
YOU ARE HERE
Music to wake up to.
GABE LIEBOWITZ
The marriage between old west folk and the ambiguous genre of “indie rock” makes the songs of Dastardly a palatable playlist for those who aren’t normally attracted to cowboy crooners. In fact, by the sound of the screaming girls heard at Subterranean, we’re pretty sure the band was responsible for converting quite a few pop princesses into banjo loving broads. Experimental enough to feel fresh but traditional enough to feel familiar even to first timers, Dastardly is band that asserted itself as notable early in the game and now can enjoy the steady rise to local fame they’re guaranteed. —reviewsic.comDastardly is a Chicago outfit that plays americana music with just the right ratio of “sticky-sweet” to “fuckin’ shit up.” Every note is deliberate and controlled, but just barely masks an urgent and immediate sense of existential, frantic terror that must be slowly driving them mad. ..-am3r1cank1ds.tumblr.com..Their indie-folk, Americana sounds is perfect for a 2010 Hoedown (meaning PBR and cigarettes). The band has no shortage of instruments including lap steel, dobro, or accordian. Their tunes have a top side of bluegrass, finger-lickin’ pickin’, but there’s always a seemingly modern undercurrent whether it’s the echo-y lead guitar line of “Excercises In Self Loathing” or the big, tribal beat outro of “Brief Thoughts On Death” —loudlooppress.com
LURRIE BELL
Born in 1958, the son of famed blues harmonica player Carey Bell, Lurrie Bell picked up his father’s guitar at age of five and taught himself to play. He was clearly gifted. In addition, he grew up with many of the Chicago blues legends around him. Eddie Taylor, Big Walter Horton, Eddie C. Campbell, Eddie Clearwater, Lovie Lee, Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy Dawkins and many more were frequent visitors to his house. They all helped to shape and school him in the blues, but none as much as his father’s long-time employer Muddy Waters.
At seven years old, Bell left Chicago to live in Mississippi and Alabama with his grandparents. During this time he played mostly in the church, immersing himself in the passionate expressiveness of the gospel tradition. At fourteen he moved back to Chicago and continued to play in church as well as forming his first blues band while attending high school.
By seventeen Lurrie Bell was playing on stage with Willie Dixon. In 1977 he was a founding member of The Sons of Blues with Freddie Dixon (son of Willie) and Billy Branch. The band recorded three standout tracks for Alligator Records’ Grammy nominated Living Chicago Blues series. In 1978 Bell joined Koko Taylor’s band and stayed for several years, honing his chops and learning the ropes of being a traveling musician. He continued to work with his dad as well, recording the 1984 Rooster Blues album Son Of a Gun and several other titles for UK’s JSP Records. Not only was Bell recognized as an exceptionally talented guitarist and musician, his knowledge of different blues styles, his soulfulness and his musical maturity delivered write-ups in publications such as Rolling Stone and The New York Times.
Battling and defeating a series of personal demons kept him out of the studio and off the road for a long spell in the late 1980’s, but Bell persevered and re-surfaced in the mid-1990’s with a succession of four highly acclaimed records for Chicago’s Delmark label.
Since the onset of the new millennium, Bell’s profile has been steadily rising. 2002 saw the release of the CD Cutting Heads and in 2004 Alligator Records released Second Nature an acoustic duet record with his father Carey Bell that was nominated for a WC Handy Award Acoustic Record of the Year by the Blues Foundation in Memphis.
In 2007 Bell started his own label Aria B.G. Records and released Let’s Talk About Love, which has been called his most accomplished, deeply heartfelt album yet. On the strength of this record, he was voted Most Outstanding Guitar Player in the 2007 Living Blues Magazine’s Critic’s Poll, and in 2008 he was named the magazine’s Artist of the Year. Since 2007 he has received multiple Blues Music Award nominations as Best Guitarist and Best Traditional Male Blues Artist by the Blues Foundation.
2009 found him pairing up with Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch on the recording Chicago Blues: A Living History which garnered him his first official Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Recording. In 2011 a follow-up was released; Chicago Blues: A Living History (The Revolution Continues) featuring Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, and Ronnie Baker Brooks.
And now in 2012 comes the arrival of his second CD on Aria BG Records The Devil Ain’t Got No Music, a collection of acoustic blues and gospel songs that recollect the music he often played with his dad and at church in Mississippi and Alabama as a child. At last count Lurrie Bell has now appeared on over 50+ recordings either as leader or featured sideman.
Lurrie Bell’s elegant and intense guitar playing and passionate vocals have made him a favorite at clubs and festivals around the world and have earned him a reputation as one of the “leading lights” in the future of the blues.
THE SOULBILLYS
The SoulBillys plays American roots rock & originals. The band was formed in 2013 by Ray Ramirez and Lloyd Brodnax King. They are often accompanied by satellite members Sara Allen, Chuck Sansone and Johnse Holt.
BUTTERCLOCK
Am a slave 4 me
AOTEAROA
Aotearoa (A-O-TAY-UH-ROW-UH), the two-man jungle-funk explosion have built their reputation on endless touring. Pointing the van Westward in 2011, the forty subsequent states and countless stages have brought into the world their debut LP “STRANGE WEATHER.” Heralded by the band as an American ode to booty-sweat and a drunken eulogy to apathy, the songs are seasoned by the highway and only truly come alive in person.
The guitar / drum duo is comprised of mufti-instrumentalists Jacob Lerman and Ilan Gitter who by way of sample free live-looping and a notoriously raucous live show have managed to take the familiar dance-rock form back to it’s long dormant animalistic roots.
(They will eat your worries.)
SKULL FOGGER
We are a punk rock band named Skull Fogger from Chicago, IL. We play shows in the city and surrounding suburbs and play songs that are fun and catchy as well.
THE GIVING TREE BAND
Led by enigmatic brothers Todd and “E” Fink, The Giving Tree Band are making their way to the head of a classy class of young American songwriters and performers. The Finks extended their brotherhood to all 7 members and started out with only a collective heart as big as the ocean. They now wield a wide array of instruments from acoustic and electric guitars, slide guitars and banjos to violin, mandolin and pedal steel . A band’s band, they all live together, travel together and do everything as one family, harmonizing their voices and lives on and off stage. The Giving Tree Band is not reinventing but simply reuniting rock and roll. With their down-home style, they emphasize the virtue in their fierce virtuosity – approaching each note with integrity, each part with humility, each song with honesty and each show with gratitude. The most common word among reviews is “undeniable” in regards to the chemistry on stage, the energy in the room, and the feeling that something special is happening. With a rare combination of stirring musicianship and exemplary songwriting, the GTB wheel is in full spin and, like their heroes before them, it’s also on fire.
BLACK FLAG
BLACK FLAG is an American band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, CA by guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member Greg Ginn. Their discography includes seven studio albums and two live albums. The band has released all of their material on Ginn’s independent label, SST Records beginning with 1981’s Damaged. Vocalist, Mike Vallely, first sang with the band as a guest vocalist in 2003, before becoming the band’s fifth vocalist and touring with the band in 2014.
BLACK FLAG is currently recording new material for a future studio release and will be touring in the Summer of 2019 on their 2019 SUMMER TOUR.
DJ STATIK SELEKTAH
Establishing his own spot amongst the ranks of East Coast hip-hop’s seminal figures, DJ/producer Statik Selektah utilized his turntabling skills and ingenuity in PR and promotions to break some of the region’s most promising artists, bearing his own influence on the national mixtape circuit. Born January 23, 1982 in Lawrence, MA, Patrick Baril was exposed to production equipment at a very early age, tinkering with his parents’ eight-track machine, cassette recorders, and turntable. By middle school, he was already DJing school functions, but he was inspired to be a true wheels-of-steel artiste after hearing DJ Premier scratch and mix records on Funkmaster Flex’s Hot 97 radio show. Soon after, at 14 years old, he purchased his first turntables and mixer. Calling himself DJ Statik (the “Selektah” surname came later), he started to work clubs and private parties up and down the New England coast. In 2000, after living in New Hampshire, he moved back down to Massachusetts to enroll in the audio production program at Boston’s New England Institute of the Arts. That same year, Selektah started putting out mixtapes, namely his Spell My Name Right series. With his mixtapes and DJ gigs, Selektah never passed up the opportunity to champion local hip-hop from Boston and the surrounding New England area. In particular, Selektah was responsible for introducing fellow Lawrence, MA, native Termanology to the world, helming his Hood Politics mixtapes in the mid- to late 2000s. Managing all of these tasks became much easier when he established in 2003 his own PR/marketing firm ShowOff. In 2006, he turned ShowOff into an official record label, with Termanology & Producer DC’s Out the Gate LP as its first release. By this time, though, Selektah’s prestige had grown considerably. His radio shows were playing in several places, from London to Mobile, AL; he produced beats for many artists, including Foxy Brown, AZ, and Joell Ortiz; and most importantly, the DJ dished out tons of mixtapes with big name and up-and-coming artists, such as Nas, Q-Tip, John Legend, Royce Da 5’9 (The Bar Exam, co-hosted with DJ Premier), and Saigon. Statik dropped his first LP, Spell My Name Right in 2007, and his follow up Stick 2 the Script album in 2008. Other artists he has produced for following that include Talib Kweli, Bun B, Styles P, Consequence, Freeway, M.O.P. and Jadakiss. Rockstar games reached out for Statik in late 2008 to enlist him as DJ and producer of the Grand Theft Auto IV update “the Lost and Damned”, as well as 2 songs for Midnight Club: Los Angeles. In March 2008, Selektah and Saigon recorded All In A Day’s Work in a 24 hour period, and was acclaimed by critics. He also DJed for Q-tip on his 2009 Renassaince World Tour. Statik just dropped his 3rd studio album, 100 Proof: The Hangover on Showoff/Brick Records. Catch DJ Statik Selektah every Thursday Night on Eminem’s Shade 45 Sirius/XM Satellite Radio Station as well as FM stations across the globe. www.showoffhiphop.com
THE UNDERACHIEVERS
As members of the Beast Coast movement (which includes Joey Bada$$ and his Pro Era crew), The Underachievers are part of the new wave of rappers that have been coming out of New York. But they’re also repping the West: last summer the duo signed to Flying Lotus’ label in LA, Brainfeeder.
PRO ERA
“That OG $wank”
JOEY BADA$$
THIS NIGGA WAS BORN AND DIED IN 95. NIGGA IS FROM BROOKLYN LIKE BIGGIE AND THEM NIGGAS. NIGGA IS 16. NIGGA IS NICE. RIP
DECAY A.D.
The bastard sons of rock & roll.
RAW POWER
Raw Power was formed in 1981 by Mauro and Giuseppe Codeluppi (voice and guitar). Since the beginning the band had great troubles finding a stable line-up. As a matter of fact, the only two members still in the band in the 90’s from the original line-up were the two founders-brothers.
The vinyl debut “You Are My Victim” was released in 1983 through a small independent Italian label. In 1983 the band signed a deal with American indie-punk label Toxic Shock (Skin Yard, House Of Large Sizes…). “Screams From The Gutter” (Toxic Shock 1985) was most likely their best album so far. A rough mixture of seminal punk and sharp hard core. The same year the band flew over to the States for their first US tour (and have since then returned to tour the USA a total of six times). The reaction to the “Italian punk rockers” was great all around the States, and the album sold more than 40.000 copies strictly through independent distribution and shops.
“Wop Hour” (Toxic Shock – 1986), “After Your Brian” (Toxic Shock -1986) “Mine To Kill” (Southern – 1989), “Live Danger”(TVOR -1991) and “Too Tough to Burn” (Contempo – 1992) helped to develop their heavier, more riff oriented sound. Raw Power, with only a small cult following in Italy, were considered in the States as one of the best examples of the “Crossover” sound, the music which evolved from punk and known to a much wider audience through bands like S.O.D., C.O.C., D.R.I., and Attitude Adjustment.
During their long tours in the States Raw Power shared the stage with bands like the Circle Jerks, Adolescents, D.O.A., Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, and in a small club in Seattle in 1986 a then unknown band called Guns’n’Roses opened for the Italian cult.
The band never enjoyed much more than cult status in Europe. Even though the band continued to play explosive live performances all over Europe, they never managed to get a foothold. This was due to the fact that Raw Power suffered from a lack of professional managers and structure, especially in their home country, where they never had the support they deserved and needed. Raw Power never had the chance to express in a studio album the great potential that the band is able to unleash in a live concert. Their first recording for Godhead, “Fight” (1995), with the great interest MTV showed for their clip, was just a step in the process of re-creating in a studio what they can do live, which is the musical equivalent of a nuclear bomb.
This bomb exploded on the 1st of March, 1996 at the Maffia, a club in Reggio Emilia, Italy. That raw, live sound was captured in the only way possible, live, for their latest release, “Live From The Gutter” on Godhead records. Twenty-seven songs, recorded with no overdubbing, perfectly reproduce the barely controlled aggression and raw attitude that recall that “Screams From the Gutter” period, which has been ever-present at Raw Power gigs.
In 1998 the band had several new songs ready for release and began shopping for a label in the U.S. to release them. The end result was “Reptile House”, their greatest album yet, released on their original label Toxic Shock, now known as Toxic Ranch Records. Three American tours in support of the album followed.
Then in the year 2000 they released “Trust Me” through a new, and short lived American label called Hello Records. The record was given fantastic reviews, and at the bands 20 year mark, they were stronger than ever. In the summer of 2001, the band flew to Atlanta, Georgia USA and started the most successful American tour to date. The band was wildly welcomed in most major American cities. No matter how many member changes, label changes, etc., the two brothers that started Raw Power remained the core of the band, and as far as the world knew, would never stop!
In 2002, Raw Power went back into the studio to record yet another full length release. The new material was a celebration of the bands longevity, and the band decided to call it “Still Screaming After 20 Years”. Shortly after the record was finished, on October 6, founding member Giuseppe Codeluppi suffered a fatal heart attack while playing soccer. Many thought the band would not recover from such a loss, but now in 2003 they are more active than ever. There has been no replacement for Giuseppe, the bands leader. Now the band consists of 4 members, carrying on the name and the music and proving the words that Guiseppe wrote…..”Raw Power WIll Never Die!!””
2004 and 2005 has seen the band touring again like in the past with probably especially in Italy more shows then ever , but we have manage to put an appearance again in Morecombe UK for the HITS Festival, followed by 6 shows in the UK , for the first time, then again Europe, Germany , Holland, we went to Prague for the first time, Spain and France. Unfortunately 2005 was also the year where we had to replace for health reason Roberto our drummer, in his place we now have Fabio. Then in 2006 on top of yet another mini tour in Germany we headed back to the West Coast of the US for a two weeks tour, and of course we also did a very good show in New York as part of the Save CBGB’s campaign.
2007 started very well, fist of all we had Tommi replacing our old guitarist Luca. He isn’t new to Raw Power as he played in the band at the time of Too Tough to Burn.
So, we had several shows again in Italy , and Europe then in June we managed another 2 weeks on the West Coast , tour that we are going to do again but this time adding in a couple of shows in Mexico and Texas in August 2008, so see you all then.
PURE PILOT
…RISING from the bones of “desert rock,” PUREPILOT is a heavy & melodic, psychedelic assault on the landscape of the dune…
Josh- guitar, vocals
Dave- drums
Dan- bass, vocals
THE E-MICS
Featuring Chris Siebold of (Psycles and Howard Levy) and Wes John on guitars and vocals.
DAVE ARCARI
SLIDE guitarist & songwriter Dave Arcari’s alt.blues sounds owe as much to trash country, punk and rockabilly as they do pre-war Delta blues and have been showcased via eight internationally-acclaimed solo CD releases.
Official showcases at SxSW in Austin, Texas were a highlight of Arcari’s month-long tour of the southern US states in March 2015 and follows successful US tours in 2013 and 2014.
A new album – Givers & Takers – is scheduled for release in Autumn 2015. His last release – Whisky in my Blood – was released on Finnish record label Blue North in March 2013. As well as showcasing
Arcari’s trademark National steel guitars, the release features performances on banjo, regular guitar and and cigar box which help capture the full breadth of Arcari’s song-writing and performance. Arcari’s festival appearances include Glastonbury (UK), BluesAlive (Czech Republic & Poland shows), Moulin Blues (Netherlands), The Great British R&B Festival and Peer Festival (Belgium). He has also played industry showcases at the North by North East (NxNE) music festival in Toronto, Canada and he was a finalist the UK Indy Music Awards reaching the top four in his category (best male solo artist).
With a busy live schedule in the UK plus regular shows in USA, Finland, Estonia, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland and Ireland Arcari is one of the hardest gigging live artists on the circuit. A series of shows with folks including Steve Earle, Alabama 3, Seasick Steve, Toby Keith and Jon Spencer along with his relentless UK and European tour schedule have established Arcari as a formidable international solo performer who is fast building a media reputation as a ‘hell-raising National guitar madman’.
BATTLE FOR BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY
SMOOK DEVILLE
Smook Deville is a chicago Based rapper who was born and raised on the northside of chicago he been a active rapper since 06, he`s here to give you good music and a voice you can listen to. his whole reason is to put chicago on the map
DA YUNG’INZ
DREEZY
Dreezy, born Seandrea Sledge is a 20 year old female songwriter, rapper and performer from the south side of Chicago. The oldest child of two native Chicago mid class working parents, Seandrea was a natural born poet. She was inclined to music for as long as she can recall and at the tender age of 8 years old, began pinning poems.
As a teenager, and now a child of divorced parents, Seandrea began to live between two worlds, one in the inner city of South Side Chicago with her mom, and one in the south suburbs of Chicago, in the upper middle class neighborhood of Matteson with her dad. It was there, while attending Rich South High School that Seandrea, became Dreezy. Setting her sites on becoming the next “Kanye West” and letting it be known, it was friend that gave her the the moniker that would soon ring through the underground rap world. On April 27th, Dreezy released her first mixtape The Illustration and began making a name for herself on the local scene. But it was the February 14th 2013 release of Business N Pleasure, a collaborative mixtape with fellow Chicago native Mikey Dollaz that put her on the map. “Break A Band” a song from the Business N Pleasure mixtape, was immediately embraced by the Chicago rap community and gained airplay on Chicago’s top urban radio stations. Enjoying local success but hungry for more, on August 8th of same year Dreezy released DSM, a mixtape that featured Dreamer pt2 and Ain’t For None featuring local Chicago rapper King Louie. It was videos of those songs that catapulted Dreezy to the top of the Chicago rap scene and caught the attention of many around the nation. It was also that project that introduced her to a young talented up and coming producer named D Brooks. Determined to break out of the pack of other rising Chicago rappers gaining a national following, now armed with a lead producer, Dreezy went to work on her latest offering, Schizo.
A thirteen track mixtape that reads more like an album, Schizo has gained national attention and put Dreezy well in reach of her ultimate goal. Released on February 25th 2014, Schizo features the who’s who of the Chicago rap scene and has received a million plus YouTube views of singles released thus far. However, it was Dreezy’s poetics and passion which brought her the national spotlight and gained the co sign of rap giants Common and Fabolous, who both tweeted about the new sensation. In addition to Common and Fabolous, R&B stars Rico Love and Elle Berner as well as national blog magazines such as Spin, Complex, XXL, Fader and more exclaimed her the next Queen of the rap world. Thus, following her remix of Nikki Minaj’s ” Chiraq”, which Dreezy wrote and recorded and released in less than 24 hours after the release of the original track. Dreezy showcased her poetic prowess with clever and witty songwriting, a rapid firing delivery and a believability that has many executives in the music industry touting her services.
Young, smart, attractive, driven and extremely talented, Dreezy is not only destined to be the next “Kanye West” but the first Dreezy.
QUE BILLAH
“At the end of the day, Q.B.’s clever wordplay, entertaining subject matter and unusual character are what will open the world’s eyes and allow him to introduce himself”-Tory Fredricks ( Source Magazine, Unsigned Hype 2005.)
His reputation for having one of the best live performances in Chicago, as well as his ability to pack crowds into venues with no record deal or radio play has set the stage for Que B.I.L.L.A.H. ‘s entrance onto the global Hip-Hop scene.
In 2005 he was recognized by Source Magazine’s Unsigned Hype. Joining the ranks of Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G., and Common, he became the first Unsigned Hype from Chicago since Common. Fueled by this newfound notoriety, Que decided it was a no-brainer and began pursuing his music career full time. In the years following, he has sold over 20 thousand mixtapes and has performed at nearly every concert venue in Chicago. After getting looks from Ludacris’ DTP Records, Que joined Luda on a national tour opening for Rich Boy, Twista, David Banner, Chingy, Rah Digga, Nocturnal, Shyne and many others.
Que B.I.L.L.A.H.‘s aesthetic can be attributed to his love for Hip-Hop and Comedic legends. Redman, Busta Rhyme, Common, Outkast, KRS One, PE and The Roots, Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Dave Chappell, Bernie Mac, and Dick Gregory all equally influence Que’s thought process. The result is the perfect formula for feel good music which has the uncanny ability of organically connecting with the masses while presenting to the youth an alternative way to live and love Hip-Hop.
Both the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune have written articles commenting on Que Billah’s performance prowess and on wax he’s able to ‘bottle’ his live show’s energy, a quality that has been picked up on by the video game industry. In 2006 Que’s music was featured on the highly anticipated video game Scarface: The World Is Yours, and in 2008 on Midway Games Blitz the League.
Recently, Que Billah collaborated with national recording artist KRS One and fellow Chicagoans The Cool Kids on songs which have since garnered massive internet buzz worldwide. And Billah’s buzz grows stronger every day as his 2010 projects near release. An all-video mixtape/DVD titled You Can’t Do That On Television (mixed by Chicago legend DJ 33 1/3) is on deck for July 2010 and his 1000 Words video project is slated for Fall 2010.
TREE
VEL WILSON
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND “LOADED”
Loaded is the fourth album by The Velvet Underground, released in November 1970, by Atlantic Records’ subsidiary label, Cotillion. The album was the final album recorded featuring Lou Reed, though he had departed from the band shortly before the album’s release.
DAVID BOWIE “HUNKY DORY”
Hunky Dory is the fourth album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1971.
KENTUCKY KNIFE FIGHT
As the Gateway to the West, the promise of leaving St. Louis was built into the prospect of arriving here; her arch functions as an ironic symbol of something to pass through, that which you don’t look at but look beyond. But for those who stay, like the five-piece punk-blues wrecking crew Kentucky Knife Fight, this unswept city itself finds a voice in their sound. Like the dark side of a postcard, unfamiliar unless you live there, their newest songs are inhabited by the city’s criminals and carrion – its lonely, displaced, and desperate. Their city is poised on the precarious edge between southern hospitality and northern cynicism, between bourbon in a pitcher and lukewarm beers that you have to open yourself.
Kentucky Knife Fight have grown along with the city, returning after relentless touring with an increasingly acute perspective of the hardships inherent in St. Louis life. Like the scene itself, they have seen their own youthful angst become introspection and insight; what were once accidental riffs have become anthems; and opening for national acts have yielded performances that were not only memorable, but mattered. Their music is world-weary but hopeful; grace is never enough to save the unsavory; and just because you love something doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.
Pulling St. Louis with them like an always-almost-broke-down trailer across the country, the band is but one of a growing armada of ambassadors in every medium, renewing the city’s vital voice in American art. As it has nurtured its native son Pokey LaFarge, who can be heard on Jack White’s newest record, the city’s community-based initiatives, collective spaces, and galleries are fostering progressive ways to imagine performance-based art. Newly influential again, St. Louis is listening to Kentucky Knife Fight tell its story; they were named “Best Rock Band” twice by the Riverfront Times, but that feels less like an award than an announcement. Because Kentucky Knife Fight are too hungry to be tired; too restless to rest; and too stubborn to stop.
Kentucky Knife Fight is…
Jason Holler – vocals
Curt Brewer – guitar
Nate Jones – guitar
Jason Koenig – bass
James Baker – drums
AN-SCr(Answer) + M.F.M.
2NSANE & P-DAWG
Urban Guerilla Promotions otherwise known as UG, is based out of the Chicagoland area. UG was founded by an artist for artists, after Jeremiah “Jay Peezy” aka Pazzo of 2nSane had mainly unsatisfying experiences with other promoters.
Last year 2012 was a major year of accomplishments for UG. Working with Alwayz Grindin Ent to bring the “Smokin Drinkin Tour w/Lil Wyte” to life. Promotions and event management for shows with such artists as Twista, Project Pat, Lord Infamous, Boondox and many more. While also providing networking opportunities to local upcoming artists with smaller local show cases.
This year 2013 UG has no plans on slowing down within just the first quarter has booked local acts and provided promotional support on shows with Hopsin, Lord Infamous’ “Back From The Dead Tour” w/Frayser Boy, Partee and Miscellaneous of Wyte Music, Anybody Killa and Blaze Ya Dead Homies “Drive By Tour”, Cappadonna’s “Eryth, Wynd and Fyre Tour” and more just to name a few. From providing support to national touring artists; while still throwing smaller events to allow up and coming artists to develop their skills. As seasoned performers the artists themselves are now becoming mentors for those artists interested in pursuing the passion for music one step further; giving real life input into what they’ve overcome as artists. Already in talks with other promoters, artists and DJs throughout the area to build a scene that is a positive movement for those in the independent industry in Chicago; UG is building upon the foundation they’ve already laid down to bring something the Chicago scene lacks unity.
TAYLOR BENNETT
Chicago-born Taylor Bennett is not just the younger brother of Grammy winning Chance the Rapper, but he’s carving his own path as an independent music artist, entrepreneur and advocate. His career began in high school when he released his debut mixtape, The Taylor Bennett Show. While still prioritizing his studies over music, Bennett was next able to release his debut studio album in 2015 and sophomore album in 2017 which included a 13-minute short film. Taylor’s latest EP ‘The American Reject’ is a completion to his trilogy. In 2019, Taylor performed at diverse festivals and late night shows including Governor’s Ball, Hangout, Outside Lands, Life is Beautiful, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show and many more. Notably he headlined Chicago’s Complexcon.
Taylor started his own record label, Tay Bennett Entertainment which boast singer Bianca Shaw and ZXXK.
Taylor Bennett is a major advocate for the LGBTQ community and homeless youth amongst other initiatives. A statement he made: I think there’s a lot of people — in the music community, especially in hip-hop — that don’t feel okay with being themselves, that feel like being different is to be wrong. I’ve never shared that belief. My parents, my brother, friends and anybody that I’ve ever surrounded myself with, we’ve always accepted and respected each other for who we are. That’s something that I want my music to reflect as well. (The Fader, 2017)
JUDAS BEAST
We are Judas Beast, The Ultimate Iron Maiden Experience! Don’t let the name fool ya, we are an Iron Maiden tribute that does some Judas Priest songs. Our sets are usually an 80% Maiden, 20% Priest mix up. If you are a maiden fan then come check the beast out. We have over 100 years of experience in the music world and practice constantly to bring our fans the ultimate iron maiden experience. We are fans first and for most and do everything in our power to bring our fans a show they won’t forget! energetic stage presence, spot on vocals, a precise guitar trio, galloping bass lines, and thunderous drums is what we bring you at every show. not only do we replicate maiden as close as we can musically, but we try and match them visually as well with on stage antics, props, backdrops, costumes, and…….we even have an Eddie! We play everthing from the self titled debut to The Final Frontier and everything in between, we play deep cuts to the hits. Come to a beast show, close your eyes, and you’ll feel like your in an arena with the metal god we pay tribute to! UP THE IRONS!!!!