The Split Livers is a collaborative project between two of the most influential musicians in the alternative/acoustic punk bluegrass scene. Danny is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and genre-bending artists of his craft, Barnes’ musical interests are both varied and adventurous, and he incorporates that versatility into a progressive approach to an instrument that is musically polarizing and steeped in tradition. Although he demonstrates an appreciation for the history of the bluegrass, country, and folk music from which the banjo’s reputation was born, his inventive take is what truly separates him from his contemporaries…using the banjo as his ‘weapon of choice’ to play non-traditional music like rock, fusion, and jazz with electronic percussion and loop elements. Wayne and Split Lip Rayfield have carved out their own genre of music with their unique sound and instrumentation. Often described as a mix of bluegrass and country with an accent of metal Split Lip Rayfield has been a pioneer on the music scene, bending musical genres and crossing countless boundaries of musical expectations. Together Danny and Wayne bring you an experience like nothing else – Danny and Wayne are joining forces to bring you some classic songs from each of their band’s repertoire while also blazing new trails (expect a to see an album release in the near future) that will change the face of music, yet again.
Chris is a Chicago musician spreading a message of positivity through his music. His’ songwriting blends soul/blues/pop with the likes of John Mayer/John Legend, and the guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix/SRV. Check him out… Chris has appeared on WGN’s Morning Television show and continues to play many venues throughout Chicago including House of Blues, Metro, Double Door, Martyrs, Subterranean, Beat Kitchen, Elbo Room, Reggies and Festivals including Stompkee Festival, Hertiage Fest & Woodridge Jubilee. Chris has recently released his second record, “Continue To Continue” … check it out! You can also hear Chris’ first release, “Spiritlike Essentials” recorded and produced by Alan Evans of Soulive.
One Season spawned from the late-night lasagna basement musings of gig-buddies Chris Harris and Tim Bernard, both avid song-writing vocalists and guitarists. In late 2011, recorded an EP “As Bad as It Gets” at Rax Trax Studios, sighting that they just wanted to get together and record some music at a time when the state of the world felt like things couldn’t get any worse.
Using “As Bad as It Gets” as momentum to find like-minded musicians and play shows around the Chicago area, One Season eventually rounded out the lineup with drummer Chris Close and bassist Scott Tooredman. Channeling inspired outbursts of songwriting, comedic episodes, and uncanny jams, One Season has honed a sound that is influenced by a wide variety of sounds.
One Season is “Omni-Rock”, an eclectic concoction consisting of a blues-rock and alternative-rock foundation that’s salted with soul, funk, and pop sensibilities. Contributing to this sound is a duo of dynamic lead singers, big harmonies, inspired guitar-work, and undulating vibrations from the rhythm section. A One Season performance is a rousing experience that leaves crowds chanting for one more song at the end of their sets.
The band is so dedicated to the music that they will play through smoke, fire alarms, hustling & bustling farmers’ market crowds, and biker rallies to keep the Omni-Rock alive. One Season has continued to light up cornerstone Chicago venues, including Metro, Double Door, Subterranean, the Cubby Bear, Lincoln Hall, and even the House of Blues and the Hard Rock Cafe, since emerging onto the local music scene with a take-no-prisoners attitude. So, whether it’s a one-show tour to New Orleans, a wrestling gig in the suburbs, a naval base performance, a Six Flags all-day event, the open mic around the corner, or a revered music venue, One Season is sure to give fans a genuinely sensational experience.
One Season recently released an EP in October 2014 entitled Man on a Mission, which can be found on iTunes, Google Play, Pandora, Spotify, CD Baby, etc.
Riding the fine line between obnoxious skatepunk and sodden metal, Murphy’s Law came out of New York City’s mid-’80s hardcore scene and formed in Astoria, Queens, around vocalist Jimmy G. The group’s self-titled debut, released on Profile in 1986, contained the usual ’80s subjects (boredom, alienation, weed, beer, etc.), but the songs were definitely there, and Murphy’s Law improved even more with their second album, 1989’s Back with a Bong! The band was on the Profile-associated Combat Records for 1991’s The Best of Times, but recorded little during the early ’90s. In 1995, Murphy’s Law came back with the EP Good for Now, and the full-length Dedicated arrived the following year. Best of Times/Good for Now was issued in 2000; The Party’s Over came next in the spring of 2001.
If you survived or remember the Sunset Strip Punk-Glam-Trash-Rock Scene of the early 90’s, you’ll know who JETBOY, THE ZEROS, and THE GLAMOUR PUNKS are.
Let us now introduce you to COLD BLUE REBELS a spankin’ new super-group of rock elite fronted by vocalist MICKEY FINN of the legendary JETBOY, his pals JOE NORMAL and DANNY DANGEROUS of the infamous purple-haired ZEROS on scorchin’ guitar and slappin upright bass, plus former GLAMOUR PUNKS skins basher SPAZZ DRAZTIK on the drums. This is one helluva PSYCHO rockabilly outfit heavy on the billy, as Mickey would say.
“The vibe bounces back and forth between fast swingin’ rockabilly songs with horror lyrics, to twisted driving punkabilly…….with horror lyrics!!” Says Mickey. “And dont forget a dose of Honky Tonk n Country Punk” adds Danny!!
LA alt-rock outfit The Darlings are on a roll lately, and they’re only just getting started. After beating out hundreds of bands to win 2010’s Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands, the band garnered attention from influential LA modern rock station KROQ, which added their songs “Broken Hearts Still Beating” and “Let’s Roll” into steady rotation on DJ Kat Corbett’s weekly Locals Only show, resulting in them becoming a Bud Light Band of the Month on the station.
“Whats up we are a pop punk band from Harrisburg Pa. We believe in hard work and having fun. We don’t have famous friends we are not critically acclaimed and no one in this band was ever in some famous band who’s name we could drop or coat tail we could ride. But we will get up earlier than you and work longer and harder. That has to count for something. If it doesn’t then at least we had a hell of a good time trying and made some amazing friends along the way.”
It all started in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley, where a young David discovered great Blues music at the local pub in the city of Arcadia. It wasnt long before False Idols was formed, they became an eclectic trio whose music style was difficult to coin. After invading the local music scene for nearly three years, the trio dedcided to go their separate ways. Meanwhile, the skills of a young musician were forming, as Dan-e took on the task of learning to play the drums. Inevitably, Dave and Dan-e decided to join forces and establish Gamblers Mark. They had a great run the first time around, but were faced with obstacles to overcome. In reinventing themselves and reinforcing the GM unit, they decided to let Dan-e take over the upright bass and call on Ricky Lobo to take over the drums and back-up vocals. With over nine years drumming experience Ricky proved to be a good choice for the missing link. Gamblers Mark fronted by guitarist and lead vocalist David Arechiga, with Dan-e Arechiga on bass and back-up vocals, and Ricky Lobo on drums and back-up vocals remains a trio whose style isnt easily coined. They bring together many sounds including Rockabilly, Psychobilly, Surf, Ska, Corridos para mover las nalgas, and reved up 50s rock n roll.
Krieg is preparing to enter it’s twentieth year. Formed in 1995 by N. Jameson (Imperial) with a fluid lineup and several stylistic changes from chaotic Beherit influenced black metal to the modern crust & post punk influenced black metal Krieg has, at it’s center, always reveled in personal darkness and negativity. The seventh album, “Transient”, is due 9/3 in North America and 10/6 in Europe through Candlelight.
Fueled by a demand for change, a new punk rock revolution inspired by the original seeds of ’77 Punk (Sex Pistols, Ramones, Clash, Blondie) is exploding onto the music scene, and this ‘back to the roots’ loud, wild, and furious attack is being welcomed openly this time around. Hailing from the Birthplace of Democracy, Greece’s first ever punk import to the USA, a band that in just a few months ignited and spearheaded an entirely new punk movement on the once wild streets of Los Angeles, is the girl-fronted fire-like phenomenon known as Barb Wire Dolls. “Their (Barb Wire Dolls) music carries a message, much like the anarchy of the Sex Pistols, but without the “no future for you” aspect of it” writes the UK’s Mudkiss Magazine. “Greece is on the verge of bankruptcy but before they went belly up they sent us Barb Wire Dolls, a punk rock band deeply influenced by New York and London in the 1970′s” writes Rock NYC. Being compared live on stage to “a cross between Blondie and The Sex Pistols” and described as “kinda like a girl-fronted Green Day”, Barb Wire Dolls made history by being the first punk band from Greece to play in America at their sold out show at the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip. “This is just what the world needs now, a good girl-fronted punk band” says Charlotte Cooper of the UK’s Subways.
Tantric Picasso is a six piece rock revivalist group with a new age metaphysical twist. Their ability to infuse blues and psychedelia into screaming guitar riffs, driving drums and grooving bass is an experience reminiscent of the 60’s era. The dynamical set lists range from harmonica and banjo, acoustic folk ballads to electronic beats that keep us dancing.This is a high energy group that delivers a powerful performance that is engaging to watch and romantic to be apart of.
From Salt Lake City, Gaza play a dark, glooming and frantic breed of hardcore and metal mixed with grind. Combining the sludgy, droney elements of Crowbar or Soilent Green with the absolute blasting force of Pig Destroyer, adjectives like abrasive and devastating, do not even begin to touch the full extremes of this group. I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die was an absolutely bleak & terrifying experience and follow up He Is Never Coming Back took the band to new extreme heights and has won all sorts of critical acclaim.
No love – just lies. In the blink of an eye, an explosion decays, eclipsed by the rhythm of a march; a raging inferno dwindles to ember before igniting again. AESTHETIC PERFECTION’s new single, “Love like lies,” contemplates the perils of passion and the menace of ambition. Delivering his signature, multifaceted style, Daniel Graves stitches together industrial, trap, and dark pop in an imaginative new step forward for AESTHETIC PERFECTION.
“Love like lies” is available worldwide since December 2nd, 2016, via Graves’ own CLOSE TO HUMAN MUSIC label. The 4-track digital single features remixes Russian trap/chillout producer CHVRN, London-based electro artist MXD BLD, and Swedish electropop trio AUTO AUTO. A cassette release, limited to 100 pieces, will also be available through Bandcamp.
AESTHETIC PERFECTION is the solo project of Los Angeles-based producer Daniel Graves. Over a career spanning 15 years, five full-length-albums, and numerous singles and music videos, Graves has reinvented what it means to be a dark electro artist, combining industrial, pop, goth, and everything inbetween. AESTHETIC PERFECTION defies definitions in a world that demands them.
Manic Focus breaks the bounds of the typical electronic music realm. Having musical background from many different genres, his compositions are unlike any other electronic music producer, setting him far apart from the rest. While others keep bass at the forefront, his melodies tend to dominate his tunes, weaving together mesmerizing chords, entrancing rhythms, and intense bass.
The Jetbirds play straight ahead rock n roll with a dash of punk rock thrown into the mix. Big on riffs and harmonious sing along choruses, “Suicide Love Songs” is a stellar release from this Chicago quartet in the vein of The Dictators or even early Hanoi Rocks. It just stands out and catches your ear and makes you wanna dance…ok, well maybe not DANCE….but you get what I’m saying. It’s THAT kinda music! The kind that gets the energy charging in your system and the blood pumping in your veins. -Critical Mass
The Brassknuckle Boys stormed on to the american punk scene back in 1998 and have since become internationally infamous as an iconic, intelligent but tough-as-nails punk band firmly in the grasp of street rock n roll fans worldwide while maintaining their own unique sound that is dripping with Americana. The lyrical integrity and introspection dished out by the Brassknuckle Boys is a rarity and will stop you cold in your tracks…
Born out of frustration and boredom like all true youth cults, Forced Reality came bursting out of Waterbury, CT in 1986. Waterbury’s one-time brass empire was in decline, not unlike a lot of the country. While the nation was standing on the verge of war, the underground realms of thrash and punk weren’t cutting it for everyone. Standing in line at an Iron Maiden concert Peter Morcey saw “I will be a skinhead until the day I die” graffitied on a brick wall. Something clicked. Somewhere out there, a pack of freshly shaved aggro youth was ready to trash.
Cockney Rejects are an Oi! punk rock band that formed in the East End of London in 1979. Their song “Oi, Oi, Oi”, from their album Greatest Hits Volume 2, was the inspiration for the name of the Oi! music genre.Their biggest hit record in the United Kingdom, “The Greatest Cockney Rip-Off”, was a parody of Sham 69’s song “Hersham Boys”. Other Cockney Rejects songs were less commercial, partly because they tended to be about hard-edged topics such as street fighting or football hooliganism. The band members are staunch supporters of West Ham United F.C., and their hit song “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” was a cover of a West Ham supporters’ chant, which had been sung since the 1920s. The violence depicted in their lyrics was often mirrored at their concerts, and the band members often fought to defend themselves (often from supporters of opposing football teams) or to split up conflicts between audience members. Jeff and Mick Geggus (who are brothers) had both been amateur youth boxers, and had fought at the national level. Cockney Rejects expressed contempt for all politicians in their lyrics, and they rejected media claims that they had a British Movement following, or that the band members supported the views of that far right group. In their first Sounds interview, they mockingly referred to the British Movement as the “German Movement” and stated that many of their heroes were black boxers.Jeff Turner’s autobiography Cockney Reject describes an incident in which the band members and their supporters had a massive fight against British Movement members at one of Cockney Rejects’ early concerts. Cockney Rejects released their most recent album Unforgiven on the G&R London independent record label in May 2007.
Borrowed Time means simply that, a certain feeling from a specific time and place, lost in the vacuum of the mockingly cyclical forward march. Many others have come forward in an attempt to capture the feeling of early ethereal Heavy Metal: few have succeeded and many have caused various annoyances. Fixated on delivering archaic hard rock scripture, Borrowed Time remains sequestered in a hidden think tank with the sole mission of creating more true metal in Michigan.
THE SKULL formed in 2012 by ex-TROUBLE members Eric Wagner (vocals), Ron Holzner (bass) and Jeff Olson (drums) along with guitarist Lothar Keller (SACRED DAWN) to “continue the sounds and spirit of TROUBLE – past, present, future.” The band released their critically acclaimed debut “For Those Which Are Asleep” in 2014 via Tee Pee Records, and four years later, their sophomore release “The Endless Road Turns Black” followed, also through Tee Pee Records. THE SKULL toured countless times around the world and changed a few members over the years.
Eric Wagner passed away on August 22nd, 2021 from Covid pneumonia contracted while on tour with THE SKULL in early August 2021. THE SKULL, with the help of a few all-star friends, proceeded to play a few memorial shows which prompted Holzner and Keller to carry on with this group of talented musicians. The band now features Karl Agell (C.O.C., BLIND) on vocals, Henry Vasquez (SAINT VITUS, SPIRIT CARAVAN, LUCIFER) on drums and Scott Little (LEADFOOT, BLIND) on guitar.
THE SKULL are currently in preproduction on their third record performing under the LEGIONS OF DOOM moniker, with Scott Reagers (SAINT VITUS) as second vocalist.
George Watsky is a rapper, writer and performer from San Francisco now living in Los Angeles. A versatile lyricist who switches between silly and serious, technically complex and simply heartfelt, George won the Youth Speaks Grand Slam Finals and the Brave New Voices National Poetry Slam in 2006. Immediate after, George appeared on the final season of “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” on HBO in 2007 while himself a college Freshman and subsequently performed at over 150 universities across the country. Rapping all the while under the name ‘Watsky,’ George released a jazz-hip hop record with his band Invisible Inc in 2007 and the self-titled ‘Watsky’ in 2010, which peaked at #7 on the iTunes hip hop charts. In January 2011 George’s fast rapping went viral and led to two appearances on the Ellen Show, a slot on Last Call with Carson Daly, and an exploding online profile. George has performed at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, the NAACP Image Awards on FOX, three times at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and has been featured in XXL, Billboard Magazine, and the New York Times Magazine. Watsky’s social media presence made him one of only 23 artists dubbed by ‘The Next Big Sound’ as a ‘Big Sound of 2011,’ alongside Mac Miller, Kreayshawn and Skrillex.
With their whiskey-driven outlaw country/western sound, Knuckle Deep has been shoving twang down the ear-holes of Michiana listeners since January 2008. The band began when three coworkers at Point Blank Tattoo & Body Piercing in South Bend, IN started jamming in the basement of the shop. They were told they should play out, and decided to start up a band. The band consisted of singer Gabe Himes, bluesy guitarist Jason Woolley, metal drummer Joel Frechette, and bassist Todd Sirbek. After playing around the South Bend area for almost a year, Todd decided to go his separate way and Knuckle Deep picked up bassist Tai Barger; bringing with him some of his punk rock roots. Joel put away his brushes and dusted off his double bass pedal, both guitarists switched to electric hollow bodies, and so began the transformation of Knuckle Deep from a more traditional country/western tone into the dirty, outlaw, punk-country sound they have today. Knuckle Deep has played in the South Bend area at many local bars, ABATE Region 1 motorcycle events, as well as multiple charity benefits. They have played alongside fellow favorite local bands such as: The Go Devil 4, Red Hot Voodoo, The MudFlap Revival, and Little Frank & The Premiers; as well as national acts: The Dwarves, S.S. WEB, and the Goddamn Gallows. The band gets its influences from artists like: George Jones, Murder By Death, Reverend Horton Heat, David Allan Coe, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, The .357 String Band, Those Poor Bastards, Johnny Cash, all three Hank Williams’, along with many more. They have played covers of many of these artists, but the majority of Knuckle Deep’s songs are Hank III covers since they enjoy giving his mix of outlaw country and metal their own unique twist. Knuckle Deep has also played covers of other groups such as: Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Social Distortion, Merle Haggard, and Old Crow Medicine Show, mixing these covers into their set list alongside original crowd favorites like “Trailer Park Living” and “Loco Gringo”. If you’re looking for a band that is fun to listen to, watch, raise hell with, and drink a lot of whiskey to, Knuckle Deep is for you.
TAURUS
Their view; it is cosmic. Not of a man here, a child there, but an abstraction. Not honorable men, but of honor itself; the abstract is real, the actual is invisible to them, It is their sense of space and time. They see through the here, the now, into the vast black deep beyond, the unchanging. And that is fatal to life. Because eventually there will be no life; there was once only dust particles in space, the hot hydrogen gases, nothing more, and it will come again. This is an interval. The cosmic process is hurrying on, crushing life back into the granite and the methane; the wheel turns for all life. it is all temporary, And these- these madmen- respond to the granite, the dust.
M-Glory is a group of New York City musicians who came together in the interest of making music fun for themselves again. With roots deep in the politi-kil punk scene of the Lower East Side and Brooklyn, MG’s lyrical content never strays far from the things they see as axiom, tho it tends to be more personal than other bands and projects they’ve been in over the years.
The Frantic Flintstones first incarnation was in 1986, in fact Chuck even remembers the first gig. It was at Reading University in October of that year. Previous to that Chuck had been fronting a few other bands that sort of fizzled out, notably What’s This Fish? and Mute. The fish band even got some local press where Chuck is pictured with some very square 80s looking chaps while he looks all psycho and wearing a huge pair of glasses, even off the wall in those days. The first proper line-up as far as Chuck can remember was Ric on guitar, Clive on bass and drummer Toby “Jug” Griffin who went on to beat the skins for The Coffin Nails and later The Meteors.
The first vinyl offerings came a year later when Raucous Records released the now classic Bedrock EP. By this time the line-up had changed, Nodger was playing guitar and wearing schoolboy shorts, Andy was hitting the drums and Gaz Day slapping the bass. Chuck even managed to recall that first session. Andy kept fucking up the drum part, and the drums are always recorded first, it was a nightmare, but also hazy due to untold booze and speed?
The single sold well and was soon followed by another on the same label. Not long after their debut album was released on Nervous Records. It was called, wait for it, Nightmare On Nervous though unimaginatively titled it sold by the bucket load and even bothered the Indie Charts. Gigs followed, along with plenty of money to spend on drugs and drink for the all-important party that always followed and often well preceded a Flintstones Gig.
BONGONYA (formlly Manic Zamboni) offers further evidence that there’s some malevolent nerdiness lurking in the practice spaces of Wisconsin, building songs as much on deviously timed noise squiggles as on deviously timed psych-metal riffs. For all the meetings of dub and math-rock that go on in the band’s songs, a ballsy rhythm section makes it all pretty damn gratifying even for those who like their rock a little less convoluted.
