Rock n’ Roll should be larger than life. Rock stars are superheroes who take the stage propelled by a pomp and circumstance rivaling the royalty of old. They adopt fantastical personas that enrapture an audience, transporting participants away from their every day struggles and problems into a world of freedom and possibility.
Farewell, My Love has arrived carrying the torch aloft for a new generation hungry for the power, energy and magnetic combustibility inherent in the best rock. The five young men of Farewell, My Love have come together to share their individual hardships, triumphs and passions through a collective vehicle. They’ve taken the sum total of the lives they’ve lived thus far and fashioned them into a unique weapon to hand over to their audiences for the mutual uplifting of all involved.
With rip-roaring riffs to terrifying screams and charmful clean vocals, Snow White’s Poison Bite brings a storm of pulsing emotion complexity and intensity.
Late Nite Reading is hitting the pop-punk scene with a youthful vigor not seen in ages. With a majority of the band being just juniors in highschool, LNR packs a punchy, hook-driven mature pop sound at an unheard of age. Backed by their recently released studio EP “Dedicated to Deadlines”, LNR is forcing their way into the limelight as one of the youngest professional acts in the business.
Late Nite Reading started out of necessity. Not really, but you get what we’re saying. One day, not too long ago, (the start of the summer 2009, actually) Brady (Bassist) approached Dalton (Singer) with the idea of doing a pop punk band together. They plunked around with the idea, wrote some songs, and recruited a drummer. The trio had a practice together, and immediately fell in love. A few more practices later, they added a lead guitarist and they were ready to record. So they did that. The Summer of 2010 they released their first 5 song EP, “Cycles and Sounds”. Since that time the roster has changed slightly and their sound has matured. They are currently supporting their most recent EP, “Dedicated to Deadlines”.
My name is Damon. I’m just a goofy, awkward kid who lives in Flo Rida. I’m a huge fan of FOOD and you’ll hear me talking about it quite a lot, haha. I absolutely love my friends and family and just am so grateful for the littlest things that I have in life. I like to make the best out of whatever life gives me and I am huge lover of animals and a strong hater for cruelty which is why I am a vegan. I lived in apartments as a young-in with my mom and brother, but we always got kicked out because my brother and I were so loud so we moved into a trailer in a sketchy neighborhood and lived there up until I was 11. I am so grateful for the smallest things because I didn’t have much as a kid and I am so amazed about how far we got and I owe it all to my mom who was a single mother and struggled paying the bills, but she never gave up and we have gotten so far because of it. I want you to know that I truly appreciate you watching my videos, reading my tweets, sending me letters and everything else that you have done. You guys get me through the hardest times with a smile on. And please remember, you’re not my fan, you’re my friend. Thanks ♥.
“Suns are back for another round of dragging atmospheric rock into the alley to smack the stars out of its eyes. Armed with their first full length, “When We Were Us,” the band takes a leaner, meaner and more melodic approach to its distinct brand of ribcage-shaking density. The darkness, the drunkenness, the desperation – it’s all still there, but now it digs in with sharper hooks…. Suns plan to self-release “When We Were Us” on lavishly packaged vinyl and digital download, supported by endless touring in their full-size decommissioned school bus. These guys won’t do anything on a small scale and we’re just going to have to get out of their way.” – Sara Enderle
Cloud Cult developed in 1995 as a solo studio project of Craig Minowa. His first full length album, “The Shade Project” caught the interest of a few small independent labels who urged Minowa to consider performing the songs live. Craig worked the next four years on a new studio project which would be the first official Cloud Cult album, “Who Killed Puck?”. Sarah Young appeared on this album for the first time on cello and Eduardo Vaz assisted with drums on a few of the songs. Minowa’s early work earned Cloud Cult several offers from record labels, but all were rejected in favor of self-publishing and maintaining total control over the ethical aspects of the business practices.
In 1999, lead singer Craig and Connie Minowa formed Earthology, a not-for-profit environmental organization that would later gain its nonprofit 501c3 status. Craig worked on developing the Earthology Records branch, which was focused on helping to green the music industry. Earthology Records would become the homegrown powerhouse where all of the band’s booking, publicity, CD replication, t-shirt production, and recording would take place. Through Earthology, Minowa developed the first 100% postconsumer recycled CD packaging in the U.S. market.
Earthology Records was later moved to an organic farm, powered by geothermal energy and built partially from reclaimed wood and recycled plastic. Minowa co-developed the first 100% postconsumer paperboard cd jewel-case, and the band began zero net greenhouse gas practices for tours long before it was trendy to be green. The band’s merchandise is 100% postconsumer recycled or made of certified organic materials. Cloud Cult has planted several thousand trees to absorb the band’s CO2 output. They also donate heavily to projects that build wind turbines as revenue generators on Native American Reservations.
In the year 2002, shortly after the unexpected death of his two year old son Kaidin, Minowa wrote over a hundred songs to deal with the loss.They Live on the Sun was finished in 2003 and went to #1 on college radio station charts across the country. Since that album, Cloud Cult’s music has been strongly inspired by the loss of Kaidin and the “big picture” issues of life: “who are we, why are we here, where did we come from, where do we go”. Minowa seems in constant pursuit of the light at the end of the tunnel. The success of the album convinced Craig to create a live band to perform the album’s songs. Minowa added Dan Greenwood to the band roster on drums. The first live shows consisted of a three piece: Craig, Sarah and Dan.
In January 2004, Cloud Cult added Mara Stemm on bass and released “Aurora Borealis” just six months after They Live on the Sun. Shortly after, Cloud Cult was nominated by the Minnesota Music Awards as “Artist of the Year” along with Prince and Paul Westerberg. With a van covered in solar panels, the band began touring nationally. Cloud Cult’s stage show began to garner the attention of national press, as they included two live painters on stage, Connie Minowa and Scott West, as well as back screen video and performance artists.
In 2006, Cloud Cult released “Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus”, which Pitchfork Media called “insane genius” and rated the album with an 8.3. The Denver Post ranked the 2007 release “The Meaning of 8” as one of the top ten albums of the past decade, along with bands like Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips and Radiohead. During that period, Matthew Freed replaced Mara Stemm on bass and the band began to work with different violin players, ultimately discovering Shannon Frid who joined the band full time on violin. The band received offers from major labels but continued to turn them down in favor of maintaining control of their art and environmental efforts.
Cloud Cult released the album entitled “Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)” on April 8, 2008. As with the past Cloud Cult albums, the album was recorded and produced at Minowa’s small organic farm in Northern Minnesota. “The place is so far out in the boonies, you can barely find it, because it’s not on the maps,” said Dan Montalto, an MTV Producer who brought a camera crew to the farm to film a short MTV feature on the band. Arlen Peifer replaced Dan Greenwood on drums and Shawn Neary replaced Matt Freed on bass.
In October 2008, Cloud Cult was featured in an animated Esurance commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. The band is shown playing their song “Lucky Today” while floating on clouds and promoting ecological driving practices. In exchange for the work, Esurance helped fund some of the band’s costs for greening the recording of albums. During 2008 and 2009, the band’s growth continued, with a heavy tour schedule and appearances on MTV, Carson Daly, Rolling Stone, Spin and a plethora of other media outlets.
In the Spring of 2009, Cloud Cult released “No One Said It Would Be Easy” a full length documentary about the band, created by John Burgess and Scott West.
At Coachella 2009, Craig revealed that Connie would not be performing because she was “not feeling well…. she’s pregnant.” The band toured nearly up until Connie’s due date and took a break from touring with the birth of their new child. During this downtime, Minowa worked heavily on a new Cloud Cult album, and the band released a new version of “Lost Songs from the Lost Years” a collection of previously unreleased songs spanning the band’s 15 year history.
The band took up touring again with the 2010 release of “Light Chasers”, which would be Cloud Cult’s first album to make it onto the Billboard Charts. Meanwhile, Craig has been increasing his work-load of scoring Cloud Cult type music for National Geographic documentaries.
The band will be releasing a new full length album on March 5, 2013, Presale began on the Cloud Cult website in December. The Cloud Cult documentary, “No One Said It Would Be Easy” will be available on iTunes and Google Play in early 2013.
Johnny Outlaw is a man on a mission! Saving Country Music is that mission! In 2009, Johnny formed the Johnson Creek Stranglers in a basement in Newport, Oregon. After auditioning and having numerous players perform in the band, John finally settled on the current line up featuring himself, Aaron Lowrange, Joe Sanders, Dusty Rust and Robert Ellison who bill themselves “as true to ourselves and true to the music”. Johnny Outlaw and the Johnson Creek Stranglers are a dedicated group of musicians and songwriters ready to play it, live it, and sing it from the heart!
Headed by singer/guitarist Freddy J IV, Left Lane Cruiser is a bona fide blues rock band from the American mid-west. Farfrom pretending to be rambling hobos for the sake of a manufactured image, Left Lane Cruiser has been genuinely living the blues for over a decade, bringing its freestyle jams to crowds all over the world.
As Chicago’s premier quirky-alt-prog-hard-grunge-rock-power-trio, about nothin’ is comprised of ever inimitable guitar player, slayer Jay “The Monster”, the prominent in his own mind bassist/vocalist “Nicky T.” and wannabe outlaw Greg “The Caucasian”.
Recently finishing up a tour with Brother Ali of RSE & recent mention in Billboard Magazine, Psalm One is by far the next level of the female emcee. Formerly a member of the Chicago crew Nacrobats, she has been releasing music independently for nearly 4 years recording w/ the likes of Casual (Heiroglyphics), Brother Ali & Ant (Rhymesayers), Illogic, Maker, Overflo, Offwhyte, Thaione Davis, Chester Copperpot, Longshot, Lord 360, & others! This album was originally released in 2002 independently, but now is being released through Birthwrite with 5 new exclusive songs & new artwork!
Lyrically Psalm finishes ahead of the pack on not just one verse, one song, but throughout the entire album. Her songs range from childhood stories to hardcore style joints, and the beats won’t let you down. Her delivery is smoothe, polished, and sensual with clever rhyme schemes & wordplay. Psalm One is the next shit!
Lady Daisey has rocked venues around the globe – from small smokey clubs to massive hip hop festivals – her message is one of love and happiness, soulfully presented over head noddin’ beats. Singing since she was 5, Lady Daisey has developed a playful powerhouse style that’s sure to grab the attention and steal the hearts of everyone within ear’s reach.
South Side Chicago representative, QWAZAAR is the co-founder of one of the most respected and influential Hip-Hop crews with Typical Cats (Galapagos4), and has built a strong cult following as a member of the experimental crews Dirty Digital, and it’s darker parallel, OuterLimitz. Qwazaar’s 2011 collaborations w/ producer Batsauce, entitled “Style Be The King” & “Bat Meets Blaine” earned him not only album of the year mentions but also Top 10 Come-Back artist of the year and his September 2012 release with Typical Cats entitled “3” garnered him praise as “one of the best natural Rappers of this era.”
With roots in the classics and an eye on innovation, ROTH’s sound can best be described as a refreshing flavor of pop-rock soul, filled with melody, mood, energy, and honesty. ROTH’s musical approach is entirely organic, and it’s this sense of purity that sets him apart.
While the city of Los Angeles has been both an inspiration and a home to the four members of Dawes, they found themselves traveling East last fall to record their third album in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with newly enlisted producer Jacquire King. It was a chance to hunker down and work each day for a month away from familiar landmarks and routines. The tracks they laid down at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Studio have yielded a 12-song disc of tremendous sonic and narrative clarity, book-ended in classic album fashion by two very different versions of the wistful “Just Beneath The Surface” – a misleading title, really, since the songs stacked in between dig so deep. Stories Don’t End is not so much a departure from the quartet’s previous efforts as a distillation of them. It spotlights the group’s maturing skills as arrangers, performers and interpreters who shape the raw material supplied by chief songwriter and lead vocalist Taylor Goldsmith into an artfully concise and increasingly soulful sound.
Once again, Goldsmith displays a particular gift for tunes that balance tough and tender, hardboiled and heartbroken. As a writer, he prowls his psyche like a forties detective, looking for clues to the mysteries of life and love. “Just My Luck” has the irresistible pull of a vintage country tune, though the arrangement is understated and contemporary. If Goldsmith’s vocal delivery weren’t plaintive enough, the band ups the emotional ante with a beautiful wordless coda that intertwines Tay Strathairn’s piano and Goldsmith’s lead guitar. Similarly “Something In Common” is a morning-after shuffle that builds into a bigger and more dramatic track before dropping back to a quiet melancholic finish. Goldsmith takes a few simple words, like “something in common,” and uses them like chapter headings to develop a compelling story, full of unexpected twists, from verse to verse. “Someone Will” includes the same kind of word play while boasting a little more swagger. “Hey Lover,” a cover of a tongue-in-cheek tune by Dawes’ good buddy Blake Mills, is a playful mid-album break with Taylor Goldsmith and his young brother, drummer Griffin Goldsmith, trading off lead vocals.
Before he started composing for the album, says Taylor, “I went through a Joan Didion tear.” It was right after he read the legendary author’s Democracy that he found the title, Stories Don’t End, in her work. Though Didion is currently a New Yorker, she is most associated with Southern California, its culture of the sixties and seventies, a subject she examined in gimlet-eyed prose. When Goldsmith started penning new songs after several months on the road in support of Dawes’ 2011 disc, Nothing Is Wrong, his writing was even more keenly observant. “From a Window Seat” was the first he completed and, he admits, “It’s a very singular song. A lot of the songs on the record can be a little more broad, about a period in someone’s life or trying to explore a certain feeling. This song is about a specific experience of being on an airplane and that’s not a very poetic or lyrical idea.” Yet Goldsmith, employing an accumulation of small details, once again finds the bigger picture, about the narrator’s past and his (and our) uncertain future, about the history lurking beneath the swimming pool-dotted landscape below him. Just as important is the track itself—lean, propulsive and guitar-driven – lending urgency to Goldsmith’s in-flight musings. Similarly, “Bear Witness,” a last-minute addition to the lineup that the band arranged during the Asheville sessions, is an almost cinematically vivid rendering of a man having a conversation with his child from his hospital bed.
Nothing Is Wrong had garnered considerable acclaim, with London’s Independent declaring, “It’s as close to a perfect Americana album as there’s been this year.” Up to then, the band had relied on good friend Jonathan Wilson as producer, cutting its 2009 debut disc, North Hills, at Wilson’s Laurel Canyon studio and its follow-up with Wilson at a larger room in Echo Park. But Wilson’s own career as a solo artist was taking off following the release of his Gentle Spirit disc, and the band began a search for a new collaborator. King boasted an impressive and unusual resume, having produced an eclectic range of artists, including Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse, Norah Jones and the Punch Brothers. Says keyboardist Strathairn, “He’s really easy to work with. As a producer he doesn’t want to be the artist, he simply tries to make the band sound the best that the band can be. And the work speaks for itself.”
Recording with King and foregoing the quickly cut, straight-to-analog tape approach of its first two recordings was a way, says Taylor, for Dawes “to push the boundaries of what might be expected of us, or feel like a comfort zone for us, while trying to be the same band we always are. That was important to us. We didn’t want to abandon anybody’s sense of who we were and, more importantly, our sense of ourselves. We wanted to stay true to this thing that we had while starting to widen the spectrum a little bit.”
The reprise of “Just Beneath the Surface” at the end of the disc, however, is a first-take document of the band figuring out the tune together, and it was too good not to keep. As bassist Wylie Gelber recalls, “We knew the vibe we were going for and we were running through it while Jacquire was setting up. But we were completely unaware that he was recording us. We were fooling around and towards the end of it, we stopped for a minute and Jacquire said, Hey man, I think we’ve got it. We tried to beat that take but we couldn’t. You can hear it there, you can feel that it’s the first time it’s being played, it’s a simple song and there’s a subtle art to doing it. It ebbs and flows.”
“With Jacquire,” explains Taylor, “we were able to hold on to an essence of what we had been, but I feel now, more than with our first two records, that this makes a case that we’re a band from 2013. There a lot of bands that harken back to a period or style of a different time and that can be really limiting. That was never our intention.”
“The album is very honest,” concludes Strathairn. “It’s us.”
Formed by songwriter John Lennox after cutting his teeth in Montreal’s mid-2000 scene, Chicago’s Panoramic & True deals a heavy and often orchestrated brand of pop: it is overdriven dirt and shimmer, explosive tom drum rolls, high modern chamber pieces; it’s rock music with a wide-angle lens. Together, the group embellished Lennox’s attic studio of castaway analog gear and spent the winter of 2012 recording the blend of garage, 60s soul, British Invasion, and indie pop that would become Wonderlust.
Wonderlust, released July 20 on Raymond Roussel Records, exceeds expectations: 14 tight tracks of buzzing guitar hooks and cinematic orchestration that bed Lennox’s confident “honey voice” (Chicago Reader) as he looks out the window with mixed wonder and dismay: “a week of good health / pin your hair back / get some new clothes for yourself / get ‘em black on black” (“A Week of Good Health”). Dark yet quizzical, the mercurial tone of Wonderlust allows heavy noise pop (“Pretty Faces”) to stand with songwriterly piano ballad (“Token Resistance”) and dirty psych dirge (“A Hold On You”), all three united in “Dakota Child,” in which a noirish 1958 Hammond funeral organ leads a fugitive charge across the country that leaves only broken dreams in its wake.
The world of Wonderlust, partly inspired by the surrealist novels of Max Ernst, spans nature and city, love and industry; it’s peopled by mystic hunters, farmhand philosophers, seaside goddesses, crusading protesters, mystic angels living in fire, and Lennox himself as he digs deep and finds repulsion and marvel in the modern world. Cues taken from introspective early 70s Dylan as well as from contemporaries Frog Eyes and Bill Callahan inform Wonderlust and what it offers: imaginative engagement without illusion. Once the illusions are gone, we see things as they are: “the prayer is answered as soon as you ask it / the carpenter makes both cradles and caskets” (“House Carpenter”). Armed with this knowledge, Wonderlust will grace stargazing road trips, metropolitan hikes, and late nights by the turntable with a complex joy.
Wonderlust’s arrangement, the culmination of Lennox’s five years writing for string quartet, also sets it apart: as they dive and soar, the strings evoke Ben E. King or the intimate side of John Lennon. Joining the glimmering Rhodes and organ as supportive color, they eerily lift the songs and give Panoramic & True its unique sound: warm, electrifying—a summer storm that inspires exaltation.
Including the string quartet Panoramic & True is John Lennox (guitar, vocals), Jamie Carter (guitar), Patrick Pritchett (bass), Daniel Majid (drums), A.J. Bautista (violin), Amanda Bautista (violin), Randy Mollner (viola), and April Savage (cello).
Divinity Compromised is a melodic progressive metal band with a heavy yet accessible sound and a focus on musicianship as well as symphonic and electronic soundscapes.
Never We See was conceptualized and composed by Scare Crow, recorded track by track at SINISTERSTUDIOS in Buffalo Grove, IL. The music was brought to life in order to create something that would keep metal roots alive, and people banging their heads for years to come.
The BoxBerrys are an American Indie Rock band founded and fronted by singer/songwriter, Jerry Wilson. The BoxBerrys are currently based in Chicago, IL.
Scott Davidson formerly of Earthen Grave called vocalist Mykil Grim of Withering Soul, bassist Rob Hultz of Solace & Godspeed, Guitarist Hawk of Septer, Transgressor, Imperial Rage,& Mike Legros of Earthen, Disinter & formerly of Novembers Doom & Nachmystium to start DIZMAL DAZE
Jimmy Nick is an old fashion, guitar-slinging blues prodigy who was developing his chops in famous Chicago clubs when he was only sixteen. That time spent at places like The Kingston Mines, Rosa’s Lounge, and Blues on Halstead, combined with his boundless energy and stage presence, has developed him into force that is taking the Chicago club and blues scene by storm.
During this short time, Jimmy has won many accolades, including Finalist in the Chicago Blues Guitar Slinger Challenge (2012), winner of the River City Blues Society’s blues competition, competing at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and being voted the best band under 21 in 2006 and 2007 by Suburban Life Magazine.
Jimmy has also shared the stage with some of the best talent in the industry, including John Mayall, Ted Nugent, Los Lonely Boys, The Bo Deans, Pat Travers, Savoy Brown, Gov’t Mule, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and many more. In June, 2011, Jimmy Nick released his first album Whisky N’ Rain, which features ten original songs that pull deeply from both his Chicago Blues influences as well as groups like George Thorogood and the Destroyers, ZZ Top and AC/DC.
Backed by his band Don’t Tell Mama, which includes Lowell Todd (bass), Joel Baer (drums) and Ben Thompson (Sax), Jimmy Nick combines his massive talent and stage theatrics with high-energy blues and rock and roll for one of the best live shows around.
It was in the year 2008 that Kitty and Billy decided to launch the project “Kitty in a Casket” to play creepy Punk Rock influenced by “Billy” and Rock-n-Roll styles. With two more band members, the idea was immediately realized and the first LP titled “Horror Express” was released on Crazy Love Records. This was soon followed up by the EP release “HalloWien”. In June 2011 the band finally released another CD with the title “Back to Thrill” (Wolverine Records). The “feline plague” spread like wildfire and Kitty in a Casket quickly became everybody’s darling. Beyond the studio recordings, they proved their mettle in live shows across Europe, also playing at major festivals such as WGT 2010 and Back to Future in Germany, Psychobilly Meeting in Spain, Fiesta du Rock and Sjock in Belgium, Warhead Fest in Poland, Pod Parou in Czech Republic, Club Sin in Finland among many others. At the moment the band works on new tracks for a SplitEP and a Long Player. For those who can’t wait any longer: live dates and news can be found here on www.kittyinacasket.com or www.facebook.com/kittyinacasket
We are MOJOWINDOW, We are made up of five members and our own Sound/Recording Engineer. Lead Singer/Guitarist: Albert ”Wolf” Vasicek Keyboardist/Vocals: Will “Sonar” Sprawls Multi-Instrumentalist Bass/Guitar/Keys/Vocals: George ”GJ” Sarris Multi-Instrumentalist Bass/Keys/Sax/Vocals: Don “The D.A.” Ashley Drums: Alan “Speed” Shaw Sound/Recording Engineer: “Ice Mike” Micheal McKennie
We do a fifty/fifty split of covers and originals. The covers mostly by The Doors and originals in same formula Rock/Blues and Jazz.
Nick Gage is a Chicago-based singer/songwriter. He is known for writing the music for Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Beckoning of Lovely and co-writing the music for Team Starkid’s Holy Musical B@man! with friend Scott Lamps.
Being a hip-hop star is one thing. Staying one? That’s something else.
Twista is a hip hop star but perhaps most off all he’s proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with, no matter what the trend or region of the week. For more than a decade, over the course of a half dozen top ten, platinum-selling cds and singles albums, Twista has stood his ground and answered to no one but his fans and his instincts. It’s this that propels Twista beyond being just a star, but a true career artist.
On The Perfect Storm, Twista’s second and latest release on his label Get Money Gang, the Chi-town champion let’s folks know just how it’s done. Boasting collaborations with R&B and rap heavyweights Yo Gotti, Ray J, Lloyd, Raekwon, and Chris Brown The Perfect Storm is rugged, on-point, fired up, street-certified, and sexy.
The Perfect Storm’s first single, “Make a Movie”, is produced by The Legendary Traxster and features R&B superstar Chris Brown. Smooth and sexy, “Make a Movie” showcases a facet and attitude of Twista’s lyrical prowess that the rapper knows many fans are always eager to hear. “I always wanted to work with Chris,” comments Twista on the first-time collaboration. “I could just hear him on the track and knew he’d help me tell the story about me and a lady taking advantage of a video camera.”
But more than just the Midwest has embraced Twista over the years and the Chi-town veteran takes it down south with help from Yo-Gotti on TK-produced “Cocaine”.. “The track is just real dope; it’s got a street corner vibe and the lyrics that came into my head were real hype. Then I reached out to Yo-Gotti because his style and what he talks about just fit and we just killed it.”
Laced with Lloyd’s silky vocals, “Bad Girl” is a lip-smacking shout-out to the type of girl you don’t take home to mother: a “bad girl who knows how to kick it off.” “You know,” Twista laughs, “when we’re traveling around we don’t like nice girls or shy girls. Sometimes we like girls with a little bit of attitude.” The partnership with Lloyd came to be in a somewhat unusual way. “Lloyd heard the track through my manager,” Twista explains, “and liked it so much he wanted to keep it for himself. Lloyd even did his own thing on the track and I knew that the vibe he’d added would work with what I wanted to do.”
Another standout is “The Heat”, produced by The Legendary Traxster and No ID and featuring Raekwon. “That’s my joint right there! The track kind of reminded me of Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere” because it was very melodic but still had a serious hip-hop vibe. I knew that it could bring out elements in me that maybe I hadn’t expressed in a while.”
Twista’s TK banger made him an underground hometown hero but it was an appearance on fellow Chicagoan’s Do or Die’s platinum single “Po Pimp”(1994) that brought Twista’s idiosyncratic, rapid-fire flow and verbal dexterity to the mainstream. The first artist signed to the influential indie, Loud Records, Twista made music history in 1997 when he became the first rapper from the Windy City to ink a major label deal. That same year Twista dropped the widely acclaimed Adrenaline Rush. The album went on to peak at #13 on Billboard’s R&B charts – impressive stats for a relative newcomer. Twista upped the ante a year later with the top ten hit Mobstability, quickly followed by the equally successful Legit Ballin’. Twista was clearly on a hot streak: one that continued with 2004′s Kamikaze. Along with going double-platinum, Kamikaze took the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 and spawned the #6 R&B single “Overnight Celebrity” and the blockbuster pop, R&B and hip-hop single “Slow Jamz”. In 2005 he returned with The Day After and the top 10 single “Girl Tonite” with Trey Songz. Two years later, Adrenaline Rush 2007 appeared, followed by Category F5 in 2009 which along with going #2 R&B was the first release on his newly launched label, Get Money Gang.
With a growing roster, Get Money Gang is another opportunity for Twista to put his spin on hip-hop. “I just want to show everybody what I’m doing as far as working with new artists and being a businessman.”
This many years deep into the game it would be easy enough for Twista to coast on rep and never push himself. But that’s not the mark of a career artist and that’s not the message Twista wants to send- not now, not ever. “If I wanna say anything,” adds Twista. “It’s that I have been consistently making albums and I can still make bangers because this is what I love. I love making music. I want people to look at my career as a whole. To see that the longevity is something that goes beyond hip-hop. I want to be looked at as the blueprint for n artist that can put it down for 20, 30 years.”
King Louie is a rapper from the southside of Chicago, Illinois. He has released several mixtapes, including Boss Shit, Chiraq, Drillinois & Hardbody. His upcoming project is entitled Dope & Shrimp and should drop sometime in 2012.
On August 1st 2007, John Goff was pronounced dead. He died in his small house in Abilene, Kansas from a severe asthma attack. This was the influential event that caused John’s best friend Steve Moss, to start The Midnight Ghost Train, as a eulogy to John. “Something had to be done,” Steve says. “John’s memory and life has to be remembered in some way.” Moss then moved to his hometown Buffalo, New York with a plan to start a band, record a record, and go on tour. This was the idea and the drive that fueled The Midnight Ghost Train’s engine.
As soon as Moss arrived in Buffalo, he began to recruit members for the band. The original lineup included Steve Moss on vocals and guitar, Toby Cole on bass, and Jake Levin on drums. The Midnight Ghost Train has never been too sure on what direction they wanted to take their sound, and what genre to ordain to. All they knew was that their life and soul needed to be dedicated to music. Moss is a big early blues aficionado, so it was inevitable that the music would have strong roots in the blues. It was the heavy (stoner rock) side of their music that was most surprising since the band was never into much heavy music. “But when I’m on stage I love to bang my head and have the feel of loud amps and drums behind me, and when I pick up an electric guitar I like to play it heavy, and with force,” Steve says.
When it came time to record their first record, The Johnny Boy Ep, the band replaced their bass player, Cole, with Keith Harry-Carrey. This record was very diverse in sound. Ranging from heavy rock, straight up blues, and even acoustic and piano driven songs. Once the record was finished, Moss started to book their first U.S. tour. They had no idea how to do it, how they were going to afford it, or how to be successful at it, but they knew they needed to be on the road, live for the stage, and they were willing to give up everything in their life for it. Before the tour started, Keith had to be replaced by Brandon Burghart, because of Keith’s complications with being on the road and being gone from his daughter. So Burghart, Levin, and Moss took off on the road in the summer of 2008, and started what was to become a long, long life of touring.
This band from chicago’s south side formed in feb. of 2009 when guitarist Mike Gudino joined up with vocalist Melinda Arce to create a new sound. After a few line up changes, the 2 of them hooked up with drummer Luke Scriven, bassist Mike Kladis, and continue to work on music. the result is music that combined power, melody and chaos. a walk in the park interrupted by a zombie attack. This band continues to evolve everyday, and is currently playing shows throughout chicago!!!
Jessie Torrisi played drums in a dozen New York rock bands before finding her true calling — performing feel-good heartbreak songs, singin’ at the top of her lungs, and evoking the kind of mayhem the Please, Please Me is known for.
With cello, lots of drums, hip swiveling, and YOU the audience on kazoo, their show is not to be missed.
Indie pop at its best, their debut album was awarded “Best Americana Album” (Amplifier, Village Voice), year’s most exciting debut (Swamp Record) & continues to be featured all over the place.
Farout and J-Bomb are in the studio today working on their new mixtape, Brett Gretsky. They tracked the record at Farout’s studio and have brought it into Suburban Pro Studios to begin mixing and mastering the album. Matthew Sawicki will be the engineer handling their project, as he’s handled solo albums by both individuals previously. The pair will also be filming a music video in the early part of February to accompany a song from the record. Be sure to check the two of them out at www.Indyground.com for more info and to listen to their music!
RELIC aka REL McCoy – Emcee, Producer, D.J., Singer/songwriter, Engineer… Lover of all that is Hip Hop..
” Fighting with the shadows been a hassle for me letting my past go / I ain’t looking back to the sad road / I’m burning my hands on the rope, holding my future with a lasso / plus, it’s been a struggle trying to kick this tobacco ” – REL
Shuteye, the explosive musical collaboration of singer-songwriter Elysia Hang-fu and DJ/Producer Alena Ratner, is living proof that the best things come in twos. The innovative Chicago duo has succeeded in creating their very own genre of music—a distinct, category-defying sound that is emotional, stirring and electrifying. Before joining forces, Elysia and Alena were accomplished musicians in their own right, but each was searching for something more—a fresh, new musical endeavor that would challenge and inspire their musical instincts. Very fortuitously, both artists had spent several years writing music and lyrics on their own, so each had amassed an impressive body of unused material by the time they met in 2010. Shortly after crossing paths, the pair realized they were each other’s missing piece. They fused their artistry, reinventing, adapting and blending their individual concepts into the unique electronic sound that would ultimately come to define Shuteye. Elysia and Alena’s inherent musical chemistry shines through on their debut EP Sun Night Sky, which is scheduled for release in December of 2011. The EP is the first release off their album Hush Hush which will be released in 2012.
Since their first release, Shuteye has shared the stage with artists such as Ladyhawke, JD Samson, Peaches, Crystal Castles, Zebra Katz, and Toro Y Moi. In May 2012 Shuteye won the Monster Diesel VEKTR Headphones Contest, for which their song “Hearts And Stones” was converted to a 3D track through GenAudio´s spatial 3D technology process. The track was then featured in displays around the world, including everywhere that headphones are sold, and on MonsterCable.com and Diesel.com. In addition, Shuteye was recently voted Runner Up for “Best New Band” in the Chicago Reader’s “Best of Chicago 2012.” Their music was also featured on Tello Films webseries The Throwaways.
RINGS OF SATURN is an internationally touring band based out of California where their founding member, Lucas Mann, resides. The band self-released their first full-length album entitled Embryonic Anomaly in late 2009. Four months later Unique Leader Records signed the band and Embryonic Anomaly was re-released internationally under the label on May 28th, 2010. Since then, Rings of Saturn has been hard at work touring nationwide throughout the United States and Canada promoting Embryonic Anomaly as well as their second upcoming album release entitled Dingir (din-jeer) which will be hitting stores Feb. 5th, 2013 on Unique Leader Records
Suffocation is an American death metal band formed in 1988 in Centereach, New York, consisting of lead guitarist Terrance Hobbs, bassist Derek Boyer, rhythm guitarist Charlie Errigo, drummer Eric Morotti, and vocalist Ricky Myers
Since their unholy inception in 1995, death metal miscreants ABORTED have been one of the pioneers of the genre and have annihilated friend and foe with relentless intensity and an uncompromising mix of flawless technicality and raw emotion.
Having carved a niche for themselves in the extreme metal realm, the multi-national combo around Sven de Caluwé initially gained notoriety by offering up ruthlessly fast death-grind with groovy breakdowns on their early works (‘The Purity of Perversion’, ‘Goremageddon: The Saw And The Carnage Done’). By meticulously crafting and introducing more technical elements on more recent releases such as “TerrorVision”, “Retrogore” and “ManiaCult”, ABORTED has consistently sharpened their lethal blend of furious death metal. Thereby firmly cementing their status as one of the most menacing and envelope-pushing metal acts of the 21st century.
For their 12th studio album, set to attack the living on March 15th, the band teamed up with Nuclear Blast. With each of the 10 new tracks, ABORTED dives deep into the vaults of VHS cassettes and stories that have been haunting us all for decades. Each song pays tribute to a horror cult classic and ranges from obligatory cuts such as ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (to be found on “Death Cult”) or ‘Halloween’ (‘The Shape Of Hate’) to the more recent ‘The Mist’ to be discovered on ‘Malevolent Haze’. True to themselves, it wouldn’t be an Aborted reference without an odious homage to none other than shit daemon ‘The Golgothan’ (sadly defeated by Silent Bob through the use of deodorant, cheeky bastard!).
There are plenty of familiar faces (and those who collect them), stories and easter eggs to be found on these 10 ferocious, gut-wrenching death metal slashers.
The sarcastic nature of the name alone says it all. Should you ever drunkenly stumble upon them at a live gig, in the Windy City or abroad, you’re certain to be startled, bewildered, amused. And you’ll probably want to dance, too. Singer-songwriter Zonada hand-picked the raucous BUB to help assemble the patchwork of eclectic genres that compose the project’s versatile sound, from klezmer to swing to German beerhall-style sing along. If you’re lucky enough to see the full band in action, if nothing else, you’ll find a whole new appreciation for the tuba.
From the blacktop and concrete of Chicago’s southside comes Mojo Walker – a band formed in 2011 by former members of the infamous funk-rock group Slinky Styles. With a musical relationship that has spanned the better part of twelve years, Chuck Naegele and Anthony Barraco worked their fingers to the bone honing songs in their former band and after a brief hiatus are back on the scene with a batch of new songs, their latest work, a series of blues and jazz originals, would later lay the foundation for what is now the band Mojo Walker.
Once the initial material was ready to expand Naegele and Barraco decided to bring in an old friend to play drums: Myron Cherry. They also contacted Lindsay Morris, singer of The Six Pigeons to fill in on vocals.
After a few months of writing, the strain of playing in an amazing eight different bands, began to wear on Myron. The band had no choice but to part ways with their friend and audition new drummers. From these auditions Mojo Walker met Laurin “Mack” McPhee. Skilled in Jazz and armed with a metronome-like precision, Mack became the obvious choice for the position behind the skins.
Up and running but not yet complete the auditions didn’t stop there. Chuck invited old friend and ex-keyboardist of Broken Belts, Matt Sukevicius to join the band. Matt, with a blues background and an ear for music, instantly became an integral and often stand-out voice within the group’s music.
Now a fully functioning band the final pieces were still to come for Mojo Walker. For the extra strut in their stride and bang for your buck the group searched high and low for some backup vocals.
Boy did they find them!
Jaime McGuffage and Julie Martin were more than qualified to handle the task and now reside in the background spotlight, filling in the cracks between the sweet soul step and the bright strident grooves Mojo Walker throws into the heart of every track.
With all the pieces now in place Mojo Walker has perfected their original repertoire and is concentrating on making new music. The band has created a Blues, Rock and Jazz genre that is unique, original and has a style all its own.
“Jim and The Povolos are a band of friends who love hanging out, eating pizza, and making fun harmonies together! Each member has a wide variety of musical influences resulting in catchy, lively songs that can sound as much like The Flaming Lips as The Jackson 5, and anywhere else in between! With the recent addition of on-stage dancers to their concerts, a JATP show is always guaranteed to be a good time!!!”
GLB is a rap crew comprised of Low Key, King P, Savage, & N-Nasense. The crew has been making music together for one year but they have all known each other for years, which contributes to how well mesh together.
King P, Low Key, and Savage all met in high school and N-Nasense and King P are cousins. N-Nasense is a solo artist, while King P, Low Key, & Savage are apart of the group T.T.E. / G.L.B stands for GANG LAND BREED, the name refers to the mentality & conditioning of the group and their surroundings, all of the members are born & raised in Chicago, Il. or Chiraq (as many refer to it now) . Being born and raised in the hood of a city that has more murders in one year than there were in Iraq in 4 years takes a toll on you outlook of the world around you.
GLB doesn’t want to glorify this negative connection of Chicago but, they did want to be true to their experiences and they needed a name that represents the conditions in their city, They are the voice of whats going on today & regardless of their experiences, they are a product of their environment & their mix-tape “Gangland” which was released Jan 16th 2013 and is hosted by Hustlenomics.
This mix-tape is highly anticipated & includes the hustlers anthem ” Stop Playin” which has already garnered over 25,000 views in only two weeks since it’s debut, which is an excellent sign of the series buzz around this crew. Look for big things from GLB in the future.
