“Pop punk. Depending on how old you are, how many pairs of Dickies short you used to/currently own, or how many times you have suffered waiting in line for a port-a-potty at Warped Tour, the term “pop punk” could mean a hundred different things. We are some twenty-one years removed from the pop punk explosion from the turn of the millennia and we are finally starting to see some a return to the pre “Enema” era of pop punk. Publicity Stunt hailing from Northwest Indiana is putting their own spin on the classic pop punk sound. You dig the Smoking Popes, Face to Face, or Wax? Then Publicity Stunt will be right up your alley. They recently dropped a live recording from the Super Satan Show from back in October and I must say the set delivers. High energy, guitar driven, and tight it was a joy to listen to.” — James Lear, Middle Music
In January 2007, Jerry Kavouriaris, Steve Uildriks, Stephen Kavouriaris, and Ken Kurasz, decided to start a band that would use their obsession for Horror and mix it with Death metal. In May, 2007, guitarist, Justin Clark, (ex Trench Feeder), joined the band. In May of 2009, Stephen Kavouriaris quit the band. In July of 2009 John Usher, (ex Mordrid and Degradation) joined up. We are in the process of recording our first album, entitled “The Organic Phenomenon of Human Decay”
“Now, here is a band I can get behind. Chicago-based Tim Larson & the Owner Operators recently dropped A New Deal, a record lands on the spectrum somewhere between Nebraska and The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, depending upon how much you goose the volume pot. Clearly influenced by the stark lyricism of both Cave and Cash, Larson and his boys fill their bag o’tricks with layers of guitar that will send the meeker Americana stock running for the hills.” – Dodge, My Old Kentucky Blog
Formed in the late fall of 2006, Indianapolis-based trio Tonos Triad has continued to
push beyond the boundaries of genre. The Triad is currently made up of upright bassist
Aaron Ransdell, guitarist Luke Stanley on nylon strings, and accordion / mandolin
player, Rod Schindler, who also plays a makeshift drum kit consisting of a suitcase and
cardboard box, played with brushes. Though primarily an acoustic band that centers
their sound on complex and euphoric melodies, they can shock listeners by plunging into
the intense realms of avant-garde ferocity before settling down into hard groove. If one
were to try to compare Tonos Triad’s music to anyone else, Astor Piazzolla or John Zorn
might come to mind, however, being that their sound is so diverse it is almost impossible
to label them under the school of any one master. They seem to be an enigma that
wanders on the outskirts of genre and classification yet, enters the listener to pluck their
heartstrings with subtle notes weaved with pop nostalgia and the dark unknown.
TOXIC HOLOCAUST mutated into existence in 1999, when Joel Grind merged his love for classic punk and metal into his ideal band. Like his influences – Bathory, Venom, English Dogs, Possessed, Broken Bones – TOXIC HOLOCAUST featured blazing riffs, gravel-throated vocals, and a deadly fixation on the evil in man and a post-apocalyptic world. Grind wrapped all of these elements up with a DIY attitude.
Taking chances is always easier said than done – musically, there’s nothing quite like a risk taken to shine light upon an artist’s growth from their former selves. Boston rock outfit Transit has stirred up a unique recipe for success throughout their career, packing one album after the other with fresh ideas. Their newest collection of stripped down tracks in the form of an EP, Futures and Sutures, showcases the group’s collective ability to take on new concepts and come through flawlessly. Futures and Sutures features 5 musically revamped fan-favorites taken from Transit’s previous two full-length records, plus a bonus instrumental track.
2013 also brought on the anticipated release of the band’s full-length, Young New England, which debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Heatseeker’s Chart and was followed by a U.S. headlining tour. Young New England features a collection of Transit’s signature punk-infused tracks with thoughtful lyrics tying together the overall theme of the album, the band’s hometown of Boston.
Composed of Joe Boynton (vocals), Tim Landers (guitar/vocals), Torre Cioffi (guitar/vocals), P.J. Jefferson (bass) and Daniel Frazier (drums), Transit formed in 2006, signing with indie label Rise Records in 2011.
Transit’s following has grown immensely over the past year alone, many thanks to their ability to move forward musically. This summer, the group took advantage of (hometown) Boston’s lively nightlife and took excited fans along for a bar crawl to film a fun music video for the track “Young New England.” The true power of the internet came to surface when an online post inviting people to be a part of the video shoot sparked interest from a girl to fly across the country from California into Boston to be a part of it all.
Transit wrapped up 2013 in the strongest way possible, headlining a sold-out NYC show, embarking on a nationwide tour with Taking Back Sunday, and announcing their headlining role in 2014’s Acoustic Basement Tour presented by Vans Warped Tour. For a band that treads a notably unique line between indie and alternative, one thing’s for certain – expect the unexpected from Transit in 2014.
Vaudevileins is a rock band from Chicago. Since 2010, the band has toured throughout the Midwest and East Coast using the power of aviator sunglasses, sweat, beards, and a green Ford van.
Born in 93, Vic Mensa is an independent recording artist from Chicago, Illinois who released his mixtape INNANETAPE online last year to critical acclaim. Vic has toured North America with J Cole and Disclosure and Danny Brown on his recent European Tour. Vic is also the leader and co-founder of the SAVEMONEY collective.
Chance encounters in the frozen foods aisle and at a going away party for a friend of a friend first brought the group together. Mike Medina, Dann Morr, Philip Robbins, and Sarah J Wille were a combination of new acquaintances and old friends; veteran sidemen to many Chicago artists and newcomers to the Windy City music scene. Their common interests in folk and roots music plus the enjoyment and challenge of learning to play new instruments inspired them to collaborate on a sound of their own. The result of this collaboration is Guest House, Wells-next-the-Sea’s debut album.
Formed in Chicago in 2010, The Limbos began as a two piece with only Keyboards/Vocals and Drums/Vocals under the name “Stu Benedict.” Shortly thereafter Maccabee Kelem joined Ryan Miera and Drew Current adding a bass and back up vocals. Ryan and Drew met studying improv in 2003. Maccabee had met Ryan when they played in a previous band named “Off the Radar” in 2008-09. All three being band veterans began rehearsing weekly at Music Garage in Chicago. Still do in fact. A year after forming, they met Ryan Imboden who jumped on board playing trumpet becoming the fourth full member. The Limbos have two albums titled, “Mmmm..” and “Rodeo Ballet.” They are both available on iTunes, at live shows or at Reckless Records’ locations in Chicago.
The Opposition Party is a ten-piece Chicago musical collective, centered around performance of polyrhythmic music, particularly the cross-pollination of African music, Jamaican reggae and dub, and American funk and jazz. Heavy grooves and high-energy rhythms come alive in a catalog that features music from artists like Mulatu Astatke, Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, Thomas Mapfumo, Jackie Mittoo, and originals that stir up all these influences and bake them into something new.
Fronted by the fearless, and occasionally lucid M. Incroyable, The Peculiar Pretzelmen have been kicking, stomping, screaming, and destroying stages, equipment, and minds since 2006. The outfit exists as anything between a two to a ten piece band pounding away at every type of tablescrap instrumentation they can cobble together.
Two full length albums, four EP’s, and hundreds of shows, and tens of thousands of miles have cultivated a band unlike any other. The ethics and musicality of pre-World War II blues and jazz men ignited by the “post-everything” DIY mentality of artists too broke to buy into preconceived notions, and too angry to be convinced this mayhem could possibly fail.
“Stoner Americana Thunder… like Slim Cessnas Auto club formed a side project that was part Black Flag part Black Sabbath..” Motif Magazine, Providence,RI
Rich Neier—Bass, Vocals
Often compared to the likes of Geddy Lee (ok, so it’s usually for the way he throws back Canadian beer and hangs out in the North Woods…), Rich brings his over 15 years of gigging and songwriting to the band, while still maintaining a “happy puppy” devotion to his craft.
Erik Olson—Keys
The man who makes the golf clubs (sheet music) work so that the rest of the band doesn’t have to think – which is a good thing, since his is the best mind of the bunch. Erik’s influences go back as far as Beethoven and track forward to Porcupine Tree. Betcha can’t wait to hear how THAT sounds!
Larry Crawford—Drums, Vocals
Larry is a bald-headed bundle of energy that makes Animal the Muppet look tame in comparison. A must-see powerhouse of sound.!
Juliann Salinas—Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Once told that she was “completely folked up,” (at least that’s what she thinks he said) Juliann now puts her story and soapbox-stance songs to “da boyz’” rocked-up riffs.!
Pete Rosenberg—Lead Guitar, Vocals
With a voice that could make both Barry White and Freddy Mercury jealous, and licks that Hendrix would die for (oh, wait…) Pete writes, sings, leads and weaves a head-spinning myriad of tunes.!
The SONS OF MARY is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Donald Bond Moreland. The band has had many formation with different members but always with its core Donald and his Brother Dallas. Proficient in an array of styles of music and songwriting the band covers almost every genre in the spectrum. While Blues/Rock is the main influence they feel comfortable in any situation. Never afraid to push the boundaries you will here folk,reggae and hip hop peppered into everything. With recently added Bassist and long time friend John Strand and Santino Carbonaro on rhythm guitar the band feels poised to make a mark on an industry filled with mediocrity.
The experimental sound of the four-piece powerhouse known as SPREAD has no boundaries. Formed at SIU Carbondale in 2008, the band has been creating energy-filled musical experiences ever since. SPREAD has made many appearances throughout the region, including festivals such as Summer Camp. Combining originally composed material with a mass of spontaneous improvisation, SPREAD hopes to deliver a unique and interactive engagement with its audience.
Lead singer of Seminal Boston Hard Core Punk Band SSD Dale Meiners Wesley Willis fiasco Ghetto love producer Frankie Machine Chicago legendary Drummer Ricky Sonic Droog 6 string shredder
“Although the members of Stay Golden hail from Texas, Indiana and Illinois, the band have become a force on Chicago’s pop-punk scene, thanks to local shows and gigs with groups such as Fireworks, The Graduate and You, Me, And Everyone We Know. Buoyed by the success of their self-released album, Three Day Weekend – which received plenty of positive feedback after hitting iTunes earlier this year – Stay Golden are already hoping to release a new record in early 2012.” – Alternative Press
STEPHEN PAUL SMOKER
A Lancaster, PA native, musician Stephen Paul Smoker began his career at an early age, honing his craft as a touring musician and hired gun. After releasing Violent Sun / Violent Fun, Stephen enlisted musicians Michael Kostal (Guitar), Bethany Smoker (Keys/Vocals/Percussion), Evan DePue (Bass), and Jamie Dull (Drums), to play in his band. Ripe Fruit is the first collaboration involving the full band.
Simply put, Superbig stands out. In a city constantly in search of whatever musical movement is next, the polished, pulsating pop/rock sonic landscape of Superbig married with their mission statement is the result of desperate living, failed relationships and obvious bad life choices. It’s astonishing how fluid and potent their delivery and studio work remains. The band paints a radioready picture that keeps its heart on its sleeve and the hooks coming a mile a minute.
Lead Singer, Guitarist, Jim Fountalas was born and bred in Chicago. As a songwriter and recording artist Jimmy’s objective is to connect his songs with the history behind them and share universal experiences of life and love that connect us all. Producer Chris Steinmetz of Stonecutter Records says “Jim Fountalas has a voice that not only draws you in, but captivates you. His ability to please your ears while he engages you in the lyrics is apparent from the first hypnotic listen. He truly brings his multi faceted background to each performance and leaves one wanting more. He is an elusive wordsmith with the skills and ability to connect emotionally powerful lyrics with colorfully commanding melodic phrases.” Where Jim is the brainchild of Superbig, Drummer Dan Hill, Bassist Chip Znuff, Guitarist and Background Singer Pat Serorsky, and Violinist Heather Boehm lend their talents to create traditional Pop/Rock through a powerfully lush live sound that is unrivaled in the Chicago scene.
Hailing from Indiana, TESTIMONY was formed in late 2009 by drummer Taylor Lambacher who later went on to draft guitarist Michael Gawel, his older brother Derek Lambacher on bass and vocalist Adrian Harris. With their line-up cemented, TESTIMONY set out to create complex, challenging metal music that, while rooted in tradition, has a quality and sound all its own.
With influences that range from musical genres like jazz and funk to legendary metal bands such as Death, Voivod, Iron Maiden, Metallica and Megadeth, TESTIMONY combines elements of thrash and progressive metal, yielding a sort of spacey travel through time that rips like any other band from the ‘80s, but has an artistic flair of its own. In January 2012, TESTIMONY released their debut EP, Transcending Reality. The six track album puts a twist on the classic thrash sound that came out of the 1980s with its dazzling and sometimes drawn out technical performances that truly capture the minds of listeners.
Transcending Reality was a hit and almost overnight the name TESTIMONY began to spread like wild fire amongst the legions of underground thrashers around the world. The album’s success opened new doors for TESTIMONY and soon after Transcending Reality was released TESTIMONY went on to share the stage with national acts like D.R.I., Lazarus AD, Vektor and Revocation. While TESTIMONY was enjoying their new found success the band never once lost focus or let things go to their head, instead TESTIMONY remained hungry, diligently taking notes and learning as much as they could from bands that were on the “next level” while constantly looking to improve on every single song, riff, fill and solo.
In late 2013, nearly two years after the release of Transcending Reality, TESTIMONY announced they would be releasing a brand new EP entitled “The Beast That Prays” in 2014. Following the success of Transcending Reality, TESTIMONY is more motivated than ever before and looks to put the progress in progressive with The Beast That Prays by creating an album that is more complex, better thought out, and heavier than its predecessor.
Look for The Beast That Prays to be released on Tuesday, September 16th.
There’s a source in rock ‘n’ roll music, born in Mississippi’s delta, distilled in its hill country and raised on the streets of Chicago’s south side. The way The Black Oil Brothers see it,the blues is the truth, rock ‘n’ roll is the way, and outlaw country is the life.
Deep blues and Americana from the city nestled in its heartland, The Black Oil Brothers utilize everything we can beg, borrow or steal, to create music that let’s your ears know there ain’t a damn thing wrong with the sound of a good soul feeling bad.
Such is the blues. Such is the music of The Black Oil Brothers, turning heartbreak into ass shake in the sincere belief that how we live this life is defined by how hard you shake off its troubles. So turn it up, remember no one is guaranteed a tomorrow and shake ‘em off.
Formed in early 2009, The Black Saints have been preaching the glorious intensity and frenetic power of the most classic elements of rock n’ roll and punk in their own delicious and wicked voice. They unabashedly revel in the sound of guitar-drenched rock revival that defines a new generation of independent music listener.
With just over two years in the scene, this hard rock four-piece has toured all over the Midwest and to the East Coast of the United States, playing over 80 shows in that short time. Their artist debut arrived at Summerfest, the world’s largest outdoor music festival, where they have performed every year since the band’s inception. Their high energy live performance has seen them share the stage with the likes of LA’s Steel Panther, founding member of KISS Ace Frehley, The Last Vegas, Gilby Clarke, John Corabi, Sevendust, Blind Melon, and The Dirty Pearls among other established artists.
Their debut EP, All Sinners Welcome, is a blistering collection of six sleazed-up high energy rockers. The record features their hit single Dead Man Walking and has already gotten airplay in Colombia, Australia, Belgium, Japan, South Africa, Canada, and the USA where the band has been featured by the Hard Rock Nights radio show in its ’15 bands to watch in 2011′ list of up & coming artists.
Things continue to look up for this promising young band of rock n’ rollers as they continue spreading their sound throughout the world through touring, airplay, & word of mouth. With the completion of their second tour of the year behind them, The Black Saints are currently in the studio with legendary Jeff Hamilton recording their third album slated to be released in February 2015.
This is rock music as it was meant to be. This is how The Black Saints do it.
