WILDSTREET

WILDSTYLE OF CRUCIAL CONFLICT

WILL JACOBS & DIRTY DEAL

WILLIAM BECKETT

These are promises made every day by artists leaving bands, by artists embarking on solo careers, and by artists abandoning the major label way of life. These were promises made by William Beckett upon the disbanding of The Academy Is… in 2011. These were promises emphasized, emboldened and renewed as he parted ways with Atlantic Records shortly thereafter. These were promises made to his fans, his family, and himself.

He could have been boring. He could have fallen back on TAI’s devoted fan-base. He could have taken the easy path. Instead, he chose to climb the mountain. William did it his way, just as he promised, by releasing three EPs (twelve songs total) over seven months in 2012 on his very own YIKE Records label.Chronicling the rise and fall of an epic relationship (a story that, as recent history shows, William is all too familiar with) the trilogy of EPs— Walk the Talk, Winds Will Change, and the forthcoming What Will Be (Out Oct 30th 2012)— jettison the old TAI pop-punk sound. Retaining only Beckett’s signature vocals and crafty, tattooable lyrics over electro-pop and jaunty beats. As Alternative Press describes it: “Beckett’s new music cuts a swath through contemporary pop trends, retro-rock party anthems and thoughtful balladry. Fortunately, he stamps his persona on all of these idioms with aplomb, resulting in his comfort zone growing a few more acres.” (altpress.com, Walk the Talk EP review, April 17th 2012)Sticking to his oaths of freedom, independence, and refusing to compromise has served William well. His first single, “Compromising Me”, rocketed to the top of the iTunes charts, cracking the top 20 and leading all independently released tracks. In the following months, the EPs Walk the Talk and Winds Will Change followed the same meteoric rise.Bolstered by the success of his vision, rest was never an option. In between perpetually writing and recording new tracks, William took an unconventional approach to touring. First, he embarked on a solo headlining tour across the U.S. taking with him only his trusty acoustic guitar (an instrument that is now as much a part of him as his voice) and a few digitally- stored studio tracks (his “band in a box”). Following completion of the Spring 2012 tour, he crossed the Pacific as support on a tour of Asia and returned to continue performing almost weekly at different colleges around the U.S. Add to that a packed schedule of private parties as well as dozens of groundbreaking StageIt.com live streaming performances and hardly three days pass when William isn’t playing live.William has embraced modern connectivity like the StageIt.com performances, an active blog, a YouTube page and Twitter feed, and combined it with traditional, real-world bonding experiences like countless live, intimate performances and a burgeoning fan community (The William Beckett Society). Constant contact keeps him grounded, approachable and personally invested in his fans. This personal relationship continues to fuel William’s promise to never compromise his vision or his dedication. His fans keep him honest and he loves them for that.

William Beckett has already walked the talk. He’s revealed the changing winds. Now, with more domestic and international tours planned through 2013, and preliminary work already begun on a full-length album, William Beckett is ready to show us What Will Be.

WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE

Known for the sparse, haunting qualities of the mostly solo recordings he refers to as “roots-folk music,” in which his voice is often accompanied by little more than a banjo or acoustic guitar, Whitmore began writing songs last year with some changes in mind. “I purposefully went into it wanting to make a little bit of a departure, sonically, using an electric guitar a little bit more and adding more instrumentation, more full-band type stuff,” he says.
Raised on a family farm in Iowa and inspired by the insurgent sounds of The Jesus Lizard, Bad Brains and Minutemen, Whitmore sketched out the new songs between feeding animals and tending crops. Each week he traveled two hours to Flat Black Studios in Iowa City, built and operated by his cousin and producer, Luke Tweedy. Together, where they would rehearse, record and build songs, sometimes welcoming other musicians to play live on tracks.

Energized by this diversifying, and also given the space to pair a patient sense of craft with the usual punk rock spirit to which Whitmore has always paid homage, the songs on Radium Death hum with an exigent electricity—whether amplified or not. They also present a cohesive look into those recurring Whitmore themes of respect, protection, sustenance and survival.

WILLIAM SIDES ATARI PARTY

WILLIAM SIDES ATARI PARTY

4-bit prog-punk electrocrash from Chicago

WILLIE WALDMAN PROJECT

Willie Waldman Project ft. Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico of MOE.

with:
Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) Bass
Kofi Baker (son of Ginger Baker, drummer of Cream) Drums
Marco Villereal (Freek Johnson) Guitar

Dee Mill (Art of ILL Fusion) Guitar

WILLOWFAIR

WILLY AND THE WILLING

WINDS OF PLAGUE

WINDSOR DRIVE

WINE & REVOLUTION

WINNER TAKES ALL

WINTERS IN OSAKA

WISEBLOODS

WISELY

Witchaven

WITCHAVEN

Witchaven reign from Los Angeles,CA. Delivering their special blend of Black Metal, Thrash, and Dbeat to the streets.

Started in 2006

Current line-up:
Henry-Vocals & Guitar
Erik-Lead Guitars
Frank-Bass
Lerby-Drums

WITCHBANGER

Witchbanger was formed in Chicago in 2009 by guitarists Chris Shaughnessy (ex-Peelers) and Omar Gutierrez aka (((oMs (revolution tattoo Chicago) out of a need to play crushingly heavy, down-tuned doom metal. An abundance of riffs were created and compiled in the depths of a Western avenue basement, and shortly thereafter, veterans of the Chicago metal scene were recruited as the rhythm section in the form of bassist John “Metal” Almonte (ex-Wickerman/Unfortunaut/Stripping the Pistol) and drummer W.M.Daniel (ex-Wickerman/Buried at Sea). The final addition to the lineup was vocalist Chip McDougall who added a much needed aggression to the band. Chemistry was undeniable and a new entity was formed and new riffage created. In their relatively short existence as a band they have shared the stage with many diverse bands that they both listen to and respect, including Mondo Generator, Wino, The Atlas Moth, Elder, Mouth of the Architect, Plague Bringer, Saviours, Weedeater, Black Skies, Beak and Heaving Mass to name a few. Driven solely to create sonically thunderous DOOOM metal, Witchbanger are inspired and driven by: weed, beer, bourbon, heavy metal, titties, CROM, tube amps, mythical beasts, analog shit, Tolkien, Crowley, Lovecraft and all the SEXY WITCHES!!!

 

WITH A GUN

WITH DEAD HANDS RISING

Withered

WITHERED

From its inception, WITHERED has been an outlier, a perplexing charge of extremity which the metal scene has never been able to put its finger on.

“We want to compound new elements into every album,” posits guitarist/vocalist Mike Thompson, “and we’re definitely a band for metal nerds. Our audience seems to be the old-schoolers who are absorbed by this stuff every day and jaded folks of a certain age. Industry types and peers tend to get it, but that’s about it.”

Thompson’s self deprecating assessment of his creative output might be part gentlemanly humility talking or a harshly realistic take on WITHERED’s cult status, or somewhere in between, but with an impressive body of work fanned out over the course of 18 years and five albums which have weathered as many trends, the Atlanta quartet continues to confound and refuses to compromise. New album, Verloren is the band’s most daring and iconoclastic work yet, one that spits in the eye of complacency and exists as a contrarian masterstroke.

WITHERING SOUL

Crafting a wide variety of European influences, Withering Soul seeks to evoke a sound completely of it’s own, that is both fierce and majestic. Anything from bludgeoning riffs, brutally catchy rhythms, to ghastly yet mysterious melodies, are what will warm the ears of anyone that listens. Painted atop a diverse arrangement of musical passages, is the specter of both melodic singing and sinister screams. The veritable result is an orchestrated seance of dueling guitars, pummeling percussion, and unearthly keyboards. The lyrical content echoes of themes connected to the subconsciousness, horror, and the supernatural. Ultimately, the band strives to create a sound that will stare into the unknown, break apart the many sub genres of Metal, and challenge the limitations of an overpopulated music scene.

Ascent to Madness: https://youtu.be/OZKxtMHz62I

Hour of Obstinacy: https://youtu.be/Kf7BQd6rrLU

 

WITHIN VAST FORMS

WIZIE

WMD MUSIC

WOE OF TYRANTS

WELCOME TO ASHLEY

WEREWOLF

WERM

WES RESTLESS

WESTBOUND TRAIN

WESTBURY

WHALES

WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

WHAT’S LEFT OF THE TREES

WHISKER MUSIC

WHISKEY BLONDE

WHISKEY FOLK RAMBLERS

WHISKEY RIOT

WHITE BUFFALO IS BORN

WHITE CHAPEL

WHITE DEVIL

WHITE HOT KNIFE

WHITE TIE AFFAIR

WHITE WIZZARD

WHITE WOLF SONIC PRINCESS

WHITEY MORGAN AND THE 78’s

WHO’S THIS MARY

Who’s This Mary? are a modern beat combo that live and breathe in the Chicagoland area. Performing tip top original power pop as well as inspired cover versions of Britpop and other classics from 60’s to present day. Their sound consists of bright melodies, tight harmonies, upbeat guitar work, and a healthy respect for catchy grooves. Known for their dedicated cover versions they have fully tackled The Jam (as their alter ego “ALL MODS CONNED”), The Beatles and now The Cure.

WHOJAHSAY

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

WARHELLRIDE

Punk Rock has always been about looking through a situation and seeing what’s really going on and not the smokescreen that’s put up around everything. It’s easy to forget this, especially when the scene rigidly builds barriers around its so-called “Elite” and is tainted by corporate/mainstream conformity.

Warhellride is a Chicago based rock quartet fusing the influences of classic punk rock, alternative, hardcore, folk, and shimmers of indie rock to the fold. They combine earnestness with pop sensibilities, rounding it off with walls of rambunctious instrument volume, acoustic rhythms, angsty yet emotional vocals and crafty drumbeats while maintaining a sense of honesty, awareness and storytelling aspect in their lyrics. What comes out of their instruments sonically may not always exude the public’s stereotypical ear and definition of a punk rock band, but their spirit and attitude strongly suggest otherwise.

 

WARMOUTH