GENERAL BASTARD
Hailed by many as the guitar hero of our era General Bastard and his band mates have wowed audiences and built a loyal fan base all across the United States with their blend of Surf Thrash. General Bastard also starred in and wrote/performed music for the now cult classic horror film Thankskilling which has been available on every major cable system in the U.S, not to mention a top rated film on Netflix and Hulu and has built up a huge cult fan base. General Bastard also plays guitar with legendary shock rock band The Mentors as Licks Alotopus.
Decked out in camouflage and Luchador mask the General amazes audiences with his guitar acrobats playing songs and solos over the neck of his guitar and displaying an ability to play one handed solos using only his pickhand tapping on the fretboard with his fingers.
General Bastard also shows a diverse range of influences with songs ranging from Punk & metal to straight up surf music that would make Dick Dale himself proud and a knack for covering television theme songs such as The Jefferson’s, Laverne & Shirley, King of the Hill and many others.
General Bastard songs are also filled with humour that hasn’t been seen since the likes of Frank Zappa. Metal Maniacs magazine said this about General Bastard “Combining hilarious thought provoking original material alongside your
favorite TV themes songs like Laverne & Shirley & Gilligans Island among others. The General will have you laughing and singing along all night long!
He’s not politically correct, he hates sissy rockers Like Scott Stapp & Creed, He sings about how “Emo Must Die” and “Simon Cowell is Fucking With Me” and other tender nuggets like “I Hope You Have a Heart Attack & Fucking Die”.
Part Big Time Wrestler, Part Bastardized General, Part Professional Pervert The General says the things we’re all thinking, but are too afraid to talk about just in case big brother is scantering about.”
GENGHIS TRON
GENISIS
GENITAL HERCULES
GENIUS SCHOOL
GEOFF KOCH
GERMAN GIRLS
GERONIMO!
GET UP WITH THE GET DOWNS
“Since 2008, Get Up with the Get Downs have been playing funk and soul with a punk twist. Be ready for original music, deep underground B-sides, and new arrangements of funk hits!”
GHETTO DIVISION
Chicago Based Record Label. All shades of dance music. Ware House parties and Club Events.
GHOST PILOT
GIA MARGARET
GIA MARGARET & MIRANDA RAE
GIANTS
GIFTED
GILBY CLARKE
Okay, this guy Gilby Clarke was in Guns N’ Roses. He also played guitar for the MC5 , Nancy Sinatra, Heart and now Rockstar: Supernova.
He twiddled production knobs for internationally lauded, tumbledown punks The Bronx, LA Guns & Alice Cooper. More importantly, he’s made a bunch of records that rock ’n’ roll purists the world over treasure and occasionally argue about.
If that ain’t a cache of cred, than what is?
But forget all that. What you should know is this: Gilby Clarke understands rock ’n’ roll; hell, his heart pumps the shit.
As a singer, guitarist and songwriter he’s an old-school mash-up of Keef, Johnny Thunders, and B.B. King.
See, the tousled guitar hero was but a 17 -year-old Cleveland punk when he split for the sparkly glit of Hollywood. A fresh-off-the-bus cliché? Nah, Clarke made it all his own.
He dived into the Tinseltown music scene headfirst and came up swinging in Candy. (whose lone 1984 Polygram album, Whatever Happened to Fun?, is referenced in the hippest of rock crit corners; copies fetch hefty coin on Ebay). When the criminally ignored Candy soured, Clarke fronted Kill for Thrills, a wonderfully strident, big riff quartet (for whom Clarke penned the lion’s share of tunes).
From there, Clarke won Izzy’s spot in the Guns N’ Roses circus; private jets, football stadiums and diplomatic immunity followed. He spent three years on the massive Use Your Illusion world tour that began in the fall of ’91. Clarke appeared on the GN’R albums’ The Spaghetti Incident, Live Era ’88 – ’91 and Greatest Hits. While a member of the band he was a recipient of the MTV Video Vanguard Award. Oh yeah, let’s not forget… he has his picture on the GNR pinball machine too.
When the Guns machine imploded at the behest of W. Axl Rose, Clarke hit out on his own armed with a les paul and a handful of songs.
Hence his solo show, which kicked off in ’94 with the critically gushed over Pawnshop Guitars (included the four-on-the-floor rock radio hits “Cure Me…Or Kill Me,” and “Tijuana Jail”), followed by ’97’s The Hangover (two cuts can be heard in the Bruce Willis vehicle The Story of Us), ’98’s Rubber, ’99’s 99 Live, and 2002’s Swag.
In the meantime, the guitarist began sharpening his studio skills in his own Redrum recording facility. He’s produced many, including LA Guns, Beat Angels and the aforementioned Rolling Stone Best New Artist pick The Bronx.
For kicks, Clarke launched a couple of jam nights in LA. His all-star Muddy Waters-inspired Blues Mafia gigs weekly at the world famous jazz club the Baked Potato. Another, The Starfuckers, rip the Sunset Boulevard porn-and-TV-star-studded den the Cat Club. Both nights continue to be standing-room-only.
Oh, yeah, Clarke and Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom, formed a killer band called Col. Parker, whose rootsy, garage rock debut on V2, Rock N’ Roll Music, came out in ’02. That record made a few year-end key top-ten lists.
In ’03 Gilby joined Heart for their national tour and TV appearances. He oversaw much of Nancy Sinatra’s California Girl record, and played guitar in her touring band.
When Clarke’s not off on some tour or tweaking rock ’n’ roll racket in his studio you might find him nosing around motorcycle and classic car shows. Then it’s not surprising that Clarke gets mad respect from the biker contingent. And well he should, the man knows his Harleys. He’s been spotted on them everywhere, from the grimy backstreets of Hollywood to the cover of Hot Bike Magazine. In fact, Clarke mounted his Fat Boy and rode 3,000 miles to the ’04 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally where he gigged with Heart at the Buffalo Chip Campgrounds.
In 2006 Gilby starred on CBS’s Rockstar:Supernova. Gilby, Tommy Lee and Jason Newstead started a new band and used the television show to pick a singer. They released a record for Epic and launched a world tour the following year. Gilby also played guitar for the VH1 Rock Honors tribute to Kiss with his new bandmate Tommy.
To this day Gilby continues to write gut-bucket rock ’n’ roll songs with fat choruses. He continues to produce worthy bands. You can find him slinging guitar and doing his Lennonesque vocal thing in the Blues Mafia, The Starfuckers and on occasional solo dates around the globe.
He’s also one of the sweetest gents you could ever hope to meet. He’s a guitar hero, certainly, but also a gentlemanly student of rock ’n’ roll.
-by Brian Smith – music journalist
GIRAFFE NUTS
GIRL IN A COMA
GIRLFRIENDS
FREE AJENTS
FREE FLYTE
FREE MORAL AGENTS
FREEDOM
FREEZONE
Fresh Hops is a 6-piece band from the Tri-Town Area of Northwest Indiana. The band has played over 400 shows in 9 different states. After 4 years of being together, their sound continues to evolve, as the fans and family continue to grow. Fresh Hops has created a love for the “live” show, incorporating the concept of “having fun” as the main idea. Each show is different, consisting of a mixture of creative originals, and catchy/crafty instrumental cover songs. Fresh Hops puts the emphasis on real music while blending their influences into something brand new. The band celebrates the rich history of each instrument playing bluegrass/classical songs through the violin, classic soul/jazz with the tenor sax, and heavy metal with distorted guitars. Somewhere along the way all the elements combine to create a truly unforgettable experience.
FRESH HOPS
Fresh Hops is a 4 piece original jam band from Northwest Indiana. The band formed in March 2008 as a musical improvisational outlet among friends. Now Fresh Hops has evolved into a captivating, high energy live act
The group has seen numerous line ups and instrument inclusion which has led to an eclectic mix of sounds and atmospheres. As writers and performers Fresh Hops constantly blurs the lines between genres and style, often during the course of a single song.
That “anything goes” attitude has translated to a stage show that remains fresh and fun from show to show. The realization that jazz, classic soul, bluegrass, classical, metal and progressive jam rock can all shake hands and play nice has guided them to create remarkable tunes from an ever-expanding palette.
FRIDAY ALL SUMMER
FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER
FRIGHTENER
FRINK
FROM FIRST TO LAST
FROM THE CHEST
FROM THE HEADLINE
FRONTIER RUCKUS
FROZEN MOSES
FUCK NIGHTS
FUCK THE FACTS
FUCKED UP
Fucked Up have the most perfect name for any band in rock history. In two words it bluntly states the truth that lies at the heart of the white noise maelstrom – things are different from what you expect.
Right from the start this Toronto band has been pushing musical and conceptual boundaries. Forming ostensibly as a punk band, they swiftly took on hardcore and twisted it into their own version, with a psychedelic edge, unexpected instrumentation like flute and keyboards, and songs stretched to perverse lengths.
They initially released a series of impossible to find 7” singles, all with related artwork that sometimes landed them in trouble, and sometimes looked like they came from the late 60s, when minds were melting with possibilities. There were also albums that continued this theme, each one more bold and adventurous.
Meanwhile, the band’s gigs took on legendary status. Frontman Damian Abraham’s nude stage dives and blood-strewn face were becoming a lunatic motif for a take on the hardcore genre that constantly upended assumptions: lyrics about plants and rebirth, moneys to charities for battered women. All the time, there was a sense of a narrative, and even in their loudest moments there was a deep intelligence to their music.
The narrative itself has come to full fruition on their new album, the 78-minute David Comes To Life rock opera, an album set to a play.
In the punk wars the rock opera was held up as the ultimate example of decadent capitalist-pig rock, the kind of opulent, navel-gazing fodder of faded rock dictators clinging onto power by their filthy fingernails and their tediously long records. It breaks the strict rules of punk and is precisely the reason why Fucked Up have presented this mammoth work.
Their whole history has been mashing ferocious but highly thought-out music with brilliant concepts and Situationist philosophy. They have now made their ultimate statement, tying up all the loose ends and question marks in this sprawling, yet consistently brilliant album.
FUCKFACE UNSTOPPABLE
FUN CLUB
FUNKER VOGT
FUNKTION
FUNKY BASS
FUNKY MOJO DADDY
Every roots music fan loves being melted by the vibe and energy of a smokin’ hot band. When the heat of the music matches that mood, magic is made.
The members of MojoDaddy are all top-shelf musicians who have achieved considerable success with their respective groups. Throughout their careers, these guys have taken the message of Chicago blues and traveled the world to spread it with artists such as Buddy Guy, Carl Weathersby, the Kinsey Report and the Steepwater Band. The group consists of Kenny Kinsey (bass/vocals), Nick Byrd (guitar/vocals), Jerry Porter (drums/vocals), Jeff Massey (Slide guitar/vocals) and Corey Dennison (guitar/vocals).
Joining forces for this project to take that message further, they’ve built a high-energy blues, funk/soul, roots-rock supergroup who thread the spirit of the past into this ten-song disc with creative, passionate playing. Employing a trio of accomplished, fire-breathing guitarists (Nick Byrd, Corey Dennison, Jeff Massey), a rock-solid rhythm section (Kenny Kinsey, Jerry Porter), and four distinct-yet-complementary vocalists (Byrd, Dennison, Massey, Kinsey), the band fuses their musical tastes into a must-have disc for any hardcore blues-rocker who has an occasional sensitive moment.
Together, they have quickly gained a reputation for being one of Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland area’s top blues bands and rhythm sections. All of this has led to them appearing on a regular rotation at some of the areas hottest live music venues and annual summer festivals.
These musician’s pride themselves on playing with heart and soul, creating an unstoppable energy. Their intense delivery of the music will have you up and dancing, while never letting you forget where our musical debt is owed.
FUNKY MONKS
FURIOUS FRANK
Furious Frank performs a high energy gypsy-carnival rock that is neither traditional nor nostalgic, but instead a fresh fusion of familiar styles re-imagined for listeners demanding something new. Dance rhythms, grinding guitar riffs and soaring horn leads somehow combine to create an incomparable but irresistible sound. Sharing the stage with The Wailers and Buckwheat Zydeco, regularly compared to Tom Waits, Gogol Bordello and Manu Chao, the band defies simple description. But rest assured, they are far from subtle.
FUTURE GHOSTS
FYSEM
GABBA GABBA HEY
“Ramones Tribute Band from Chicago”
GABRIEL KELLEY
FORBIDDEN
FORDS THEATER
FOREVER
FORMER FAT BOYS
FORMOSA TRIANGLE
Unbridled Rock Action. Unrefined Sex and the wonders of straight up weirdness. Rock and Roll For Anyone With A Pulse.
FORNICATION STATION
Joel, Matt, and Danny are Fornication Station, a three piece powerhouse hailing from the south side of Chicago. Their modus operandi involves delivering song after song of Death Avenging Sex rock to all and any orifices of those within range. Their sonic melange encapsulates the heavy and sexy sounds of pure rock and roll fury.