The Suede Brothers are a band from Ohio. They formed in 2007 and thrive in a coal room outside of Cleveland.
” The first things you’ll notice are the huge riffs singer/guitarist Dylan Francis punches you with. Rust-belt rock, if indeed a genre, has never been so large. An immediate recent reference that pops to mind is Wolfmother, but the major difference is Suede Brothers’ sound involves no gimmicks and the overall vibe and feeling of throwback power blues is honest and sincere. Francis shreds on his Les Paul and his high-pitched vocals are pulsing with raw energy.
Since the beginning of the year, fans of the Supervillains’ live shows have noticed something different in the band’s personnel department. Long-time bassist (and production wizard) Dan Grundorf has permanently handed over the reins and bass duties to BJ Hall, the band’s long-tenured stage/guitar-tech and bus driver. While Dan’s prowess and stage chops will be missed, fans should be more than satisfied with the new addition of BJ. A talented musician with a lengthy resume in the Central Florida scene, he is most recently recognized as playing with Abandon The Midwest, one of the main support acts for the Supervillains (as well as being signed to their label Rah Rah Rah Records). The Florida natives have been spending the winter months hunkered down in the Sunshine State playing festival dates (Including the inaugural OkeechobeeFest, one of the biggest Florida festivals in recent memory) and prepping songs for a new record (their 9th overall) tentatively slated for a late-2016 release. Gravitating back to their ska-punk roots, fans of the band should be excited for an up-tempo throwback record that showcases the Supervillains’ knack for mixing it up while still including a few staple slow-burn reggae gems. Look for the band to work in some of the new tracks alongside of their fan-favorites as they plow their way across the country in 2016.
The foundation of any band is musical kinship. Within the exposed confines of a trio, this rapport is amplified, leaving an indelible mark on the songs. Glance through rock history and we see this repeatedly; the groundbreaking strut of Cream, the irresistible pop of The Police, the undone roar of Nirvana. Remove any member and the band’s core unravels. For Chicago-based trio, The Sweeps, this affinity is vital. Their core is firmly intact.
Each member of The Sweeps–Bob Dain, Santiago Torres, and Chris Dye (ex-Chin Up Chin Up)–brings a hefty presence to their lean arrangements. Challenging the sonic boundaries of a trio, both Dain and Torres sing with longing, conviction and fury. Dain’s dexterity, equal parts pedal-board and guitar, ranges from a delicate strum to an incandescent wail. Countering Dain, Torres brings a solid bass thump; playing slinky, soul-inflected rumblings along with fractured melodic fuzz. Dye’s hook-heavy drumming supports Dain and Torres, while lending a swaggering rhythmic architecture to the songs. Live, the band explodes with an infectious adrenaline that has ignited their strong Chicago fanbase, propelling them toward building a national audience.
On the band’s full-length debut, Swift Armour (out now), The Sweeps capture a live immediacy, yet further explore and refine their craft. Recorded at Chicago’s Minbal Studio with the help of producer/engineer, Benjamin Balcom, Swift Armour is an emotionally rich and honest evolution for the band. It is a collage of loud guitars and chanting vocal hooks, an intimately pounding cadence, a call to arms. It is a record with a strong sense of place, Chicago to be precise—the historic struggles, the dying and thriving neighborhoods—all inhabit these 13 tracks. From the lush death march of the opening title track to the dark pop hymn “1600cc Engine,” this record is equal parts confession, exultation and vindication: embittered but embracing. Swift Armour is an ode to Chicago: a battle between the harsh and the beautiful.
The Textbook Committee are a group of dudes who like to drink beer together and throw the ball around. They also get together every now and then and play marathon sets of your favorite Robert Pollard / Guided By Voices songs, and it’s always more fun than whatever other party you were going to go to.
The south side of Chicago has a tough working class reputation, it’s also known for one of the largest populations of Irish people this side of the Emerald Isle. So it’s not entirely incongruous that a hard luck kid from the south side of town would choose to play traditional Irish folk music in pubs around the neighborhood. At 18, Anthony (T.) Duggins, was doing just that – playing pub favorites and covers of greats like Christy Moore, and Ewan MacColl. Before long his brother and his best friends were playing the original songs he had written as well, and so became The Tossers. The name was taken from an old slang term used for worthless British coins in Sean O’Casey’s play The Plough and the Stars. The coins became useless after the southern Irish Free State won independence from Britain, and started to print it’s own currency. The term tosser has since come to mean wanker, or it’s American equivalent, jag off.
For 31 years, the NYC-based and critically acclaimed Slackers have been touring the world with their blend of Ska, Reggae, and Soul.
Since 1991, the Slackers have released fifteen albums and countless singles, while their 1000s of live performances feed their fans with energetic sets of ecstatic music.
The press state that the Slackers are “the best ska band in the world” (Rude International), “the pick of the US crop” (Metal Hammer), “the sound of New York’ (New York Times), “is about as close to perfect as it gets” (Ink 19), and “one of the best bands in the United States” (axs.com).
In April 2022, The Slackers released a new album, “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya” (Pirates Press) which quickly shot to the top of the US billboard charts. This is the first time that a Slackers’ album has charted! Ironically after 30 years as a band, this qualified them as a Billboard ‘new artist.’ The Washington Post noted that the Slackers “remain at the top of their game.”
The chart topping performance of “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya” capped a 2 year comeback of the Slackers. When Covid stopped live shows in 2020, the Slackers pivoted to livestreams and made 5 full band concerts that were broadcast internationally. After the shows, they stayed in the studio and recorded the tunes that became Sunlight.
Returning to live gigging in the 2nd half of 2021, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary with 30 shows across the United States and Canada.
In 2022, the Slackers have 90 shows booked in the United States, Canada, UK, and Europe. At 31 years old, the band has been renewed and is looking to grow their cult following into its 4th decade.
Formed in 2011 by two long time friends, Tom and Dan have been playing in various musical acts around chicago and the US for years. They focused their attention on producing electronic music after Dan found success as a DJ and co-founder of the weekly Monday night free for all Porn and Chicken. The duo have been churning out remixes and original composition at a rate and quality that is grabbing attention in chicago and beyond.
The “Void” EP was their first official release through Rad Summer Records, which went on to reach #11 on the Beatport Drum and Bass and Electro House charts, as well as breaking into the top 100 releases. Since then they have put out remixes for artists such as Future and Jason Durulo while preparing to release their second EP and performing around the country.
The Sleepers have performed alongside acts such as: Skrillex, Moby, Afrojack, A-Trak, Benny Benassi, Flux Pavilion, Diplo, Dillon Francis, and many more.
Their single “Open The Airlock” featuring Kimber Leigh has received national radio airplay including Chicago’s 103.5 Kiss FM.
The music of the Sometimes Family ranges from rock to blues, soul to doo-wop, complete with three-part harmony. Coming from varied musical backgrounds, each member brings different influences to the group, creating an eclectic mix that works unexpectedly well. Steve Schuster, originally a guitarist, plays the bass. A sensitive and accurate musician, his subtle suggestions always bear consideration. Rebecca Sometimes has never wanted more than to create good songs. A guitar player since sixth grade, her songs reflect years of dedication to the instrument. Mollie Hayward comes from a classical flute background, and has enjoyed expanding her musical ideas in the brand-new world of “being in a band.” Julius Otto began on guitar and mandolin, then found himself wanting to play more and more types of music. He began to play keyboards and percussion, eventually joining up with the Sometimes Family to add the distinctive organ sound. Drummer Phil Merker is the latest bundle of joy the stork has flown in to the arms of the Sometimes Family. .. The Sometimes Family can be sweet and delicate or gritty and soulful. Never saccharine, always unexpected, their music is a distinctive and fresh take on soul, blues, and rock. ….
