Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom, on EMI’s Parlophone label, accompanied by the non-album double A-side single “Day Tripper” / “We Can Work It Out”. The original North American release, issued by Capitol Records, contains ten of the fourteen songs and two tracks withheld from the band’s Help! album. Rubber Soul was met with a highly favourable critical response and topped sales charts in Britain and the United States for several weeks.
JOE JACKSON “LOOK SHARP!”
Look Sharp! is the debut album by Joe Jackson, released in 1979.[3] The album features one of Jackson’s most well-known songs, “Is She Really Going Out with Him?”, as well as the title track “Look Sharp”, “Sunday Papers”, “One More Time” and “Fools in Love”.
BILLY JOEL “THE STRANGER”
The Stranger is the fifth studio album by American singer Billy Joel, released in September 1977 by Columbia Records. It was the first of Joel’s albums to be produced by Phil Ramone, with whom he would work for five subsequent albums.
Drummer Zach Danziger and bassist Kevin Scott are two of the baddest musicians on the global music scene. Wednesday Night Titans is their baby, a multimedia, Championship Wrestling-fueled extravaganza that’s one-part NASA-like brain challenge (Google “Zach Danziger TED Talk”), two parts interactive video shock treatment, and three parts future-music language lesson.
Utilizing the zany antics of such 1980s-era wrestling icons as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and Randy “Macho Man” Savage as their video-projected inspirations, Wednesday Night Titans create a unique, proto-cosmic barrage, manipulating speech, video, music, and lights from their instruments in real time. It’s an over-the-top mind-gasm of roid-warrior madness, and performance art profundity.
Originally formed in Brooklyn, NY in July of 2014, Sungazer has brought their unique blend of hard-hitting Jazz Fusion, 8-bit, Progressive Rock and EDM to audiences in the U.S. and Europe. Sungazer explores the human element of improvisation within the context of modern electronic music. Exciting, hard-hitting, and never predictable, Sungazer creates music aimed squarely ahead into the 21st century. They released their sophomore EP entitled Sungazer, Vol. 2 in 2019.
On October 11, 2021 they released their debut full-length album, Perihelion. The long-awaited debut LP explores time and the liminal spaces between jazz improvisation and modern electronic music aesthetics. The album was co-produced and mixed by Simon Grove (Plini, Protest The Hero, Intervals) and features an eclectic cast of guest musicians including Joshua de la Victoria, Hannah Sumner, Jae Soto, Tom Monda (Thank You Scientist), Shubh Saran, Jared Yee, Christian Li, Zac Zinger, Brian Plautz (Aberdeen), Brian Krock (Big Heart Machine) and the Resonance Collective.
THE CHAMP JAXON BAND
Champ Jaxon is an eleven-year-old aspiring blues-rock musician based out of Southwest Florida. Champ was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 2010 and his family relocated back to Florida in 2013 when he was three years old.
Champ plays a custom-build Blind Armadillo guitar, Red Bear, made by luthier Victor McGuire in Venice, FL. Additionally, he plays a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special, a Gibson Flying V, a Gibson SG, and a Brad Paisley Fender Telecaster, gifted to him by Mr. Paisley himself.
Champ donated his own tips, (July 2021) for a benefit to his school’s music program. One of the first, and most frequent venues Champ has performed at, Nav-A-Gator matched what he had earned, resulting in $3,500 raised. With that donation, the school purchased a Digital Audio Workstation, because Champ wanted all of the kids to have the ability to be involved in some way.
Champ entered the Marshall Tucker Band, Can’t You See Challenge on Facebook (May 2021). Champ’s video submission of him performing Can’t You See in Nashville, was shared by The Marshall Tucker Band on Facebook. Two weeks before the contest ended, Champ was given the opportunity to meet the band. Not only was Champ given a VIP table, Doug Gray, himself- asked Champ to perform with them that night. However, if he did- that meant being taken out of the running for the competition.
Champ picked up his guitar. His pure love of music took him directly to the stage, and performing with them was the real prize. When asked to stay for the encore- 10 year old Champ Jaxon, had one statement. “Let’s jam in the key of A!”
A mere two months later, The Marshall Tucker Band needed someone to fill in on lead guitar, for several gigs. Knowing everyone that they know, they called Champ.
Champ performed with The Marshall Tucker Band opening for Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama at The Oak Mountain Amphitheater (August 2021). Shortly thereafter Champ opened two shows for Mark Wills in Arcadia, Florida and West Palm Beach, Florida (Sept 2021)
Champ performed with Scott Sharrard, (Sept 2021) of The Gregg Allman Band, who has been his mentor and guitar teacher for several years in Macon, GA at the Georgia Allman Brothers Band Association’s (GABBA) GABBA-Fest.
Champ’s first single was released on November 12, 2021, his debut album following on Dec. 10, 2021
You can see Champ Jaxon being interviewed by and performing with Brad Paisley, on The Ellen Degeneres Show, December 29, 2021.
Champ’s bandmates include his father, Nate Winkler, on rhythm guitar, Brent Adam on drums, and Nick Rosado on bass guitar.
The crystalline voice that carries through Amy Lowe’s music compels attention. This is true whether Amy is performing at a club, concert venue, or major festival, or providing an educational program for students, school assembly, library program, or a private party, or performing for senior citizens virtually, or at an independent living facility.
Amy is a singer-songwriter with more than 30 years of experience in the music business. She wears a number of musical hats that include multi-award-winning singer – songwriter, storyteller, and teaching artist. Amy’s songs inspire diverse audiences of all ages. Whether performing original compositions, Americana Blues, World Roots, Adult Contemporary, or Children’s music, her timeless style will remind listeners of songs from the Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Etta James, and Lucinda Williams. She is a prolific songwriter with an extensive recording career and a vast catalog of original songs that fill the Music Libraries of Jewel-Eye-Music-BMI; Emphasis Entertainment; and Who’z the Boss. Her commitment to creating quality compositions for an assortment of clients include commissioned works for museums, theater groups, arts organizations, educational institutions, and individuals has brought her accolades along with many awards.
Denara is a Chicago-based Neo-Soul/R&B singer/songwriter. She sings and writes about a variety of topics, including mental illness, social justice, sexual freedom, queerness, black girl magic, and heartbreak.
Cut Your Losses is a Chicago based Alt-Rock band that fuses together the genres and song-writing styles of their two frontmen to create music you can mosh to, cry to, and sit and ponder life to.
Their debut album ‘Reflections of Ghosts’ is currently out.
In essence, Reflections of Ghosts is a story of looking in the mirror and not recognizing the person staring back at you. It’s about searching for hope in our darkest places. It is about the way we view ourselves and the people around us, how fragile that perception is, how alone it can make us feel. It is visceral and, at times, brutally honest. Their only hope is that every person who listens gets exactly what they need from it.
Cut Your Losses officially formed in 2019, and is comprised of vocalist/guitarist duo Isa Martinez and Alex Criminger, drummer Joseph Martinez, and bassist Joshua Lines. The next time you come to see them live or in the wild, be sure to say hi, they’re pretty friendly despite being painfully awkward, and are always looking to meet new friends.
Gold Steps formed in 2016 to create catchy, powerful music inspired by The Wonder Years, State Champs and Neck Deep. A chance meeting with nonprofit HeartSupport led the band to bring personal experiences with mental health to the forefront, setting the stage for 2018’S thematic EP, Incandescent.Between tours supporting Calling All Captains, Settle Your Scores, Till I Fall and Summer Wars, Gold Steps hit the studio with producer Rick King and Hit The Lights’ Nick Thompson. In 2019, the band dropped singles “Empty Space,” and “Under Attack,” showcasing the band’s strengths, with bright leads and fill-heavy drums supporting dynamic vocal melodies.After nearly a year of silence, Gold Steps re-emerged in 2021 by announcing a new lineup and new music to come. Glimpses on social media showed the band reuniting with Thompson, and teasing more pop-forward hooks. In June of 2021, Alternative Press named Gold Steps to their list of “13 Artists Who Are Reclaiming The Pop-Punk Music. Gold Steps is: Liz Mauritz, Zach Duarte, Ryan Rivas and Alex Maranto.
Coming from the Eastside of Atlanta Young Nudy made a name for himself after the successful release of his 2016 mixtape “Slimeball”. The mixtape featured the viral hits “Yeah Yeah” and “Sweep” which carried momentum for Nudy until February 2017 when he released the sequel “Slimeball 2”. SB2 propelled Nudy to new highs with singles “EA” ft 21 Savage, “Smoke” and “My Year”. After two major tours the first with 21 Savage and the other with Playboi Carti, Young Nudy released his most recent project Sli’merre with Pie’rre Bourne. Nudy and Pi’erre have a lengthy history of working together. The two have grown to become staples in Atlanta’s ever-growing hip-hop landscape, with Nudy collaborating with artists such as 21 Savage, Future, and Offset and Pi’erre producing for A$AP Mob, Playboi Carti, and Lil Yachty, amongst others. Sli’merre is a natural collaborative effort, continuing to push boundaries and putting both artists’ strengths on display.
Mariah Amani Buckles, known professionally as Mariah the Scientist, is an American singer-songwriter. She is signed to RCA Records. She released her debut studio album Master, on August 23, 2019.
“If I can wake up every day for the rest of my life and make something new, that’s all I could ever ask for,” he explains “it’s the only goal I’ve got.”
Take a listen to Lean Into Life, Petey’s exhilarating full-length debut, and you’ll start to get the picture. Recorded in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles, the album is explosive and cathartic, with moments of aching honesty and probing self-examination giving way to biting wit and joyful exuberance amidst a sea of arpeggiated synthesizers, distorted guitars, and shouted vocals. Is it indie rock? Punk? Electro-pop? Emo? Sure, but if you’re getting hung up on what to call it, then you’ve already missed the point. Lean Into Life is about release over analysis, about transcendence over fixation. That’s not to say that the writing isn’t deeply introspective—in fact, Petey’s lyrics are often unflinchingly candid as he grapples with depression, anxiety, masculinity, and heartbreak—but rather that it’s the message not the medium that matters. Each video Petey posts to TikTok (where his absurdist alt-comedy sketches have already amassed nearly 100 million views) takes place in its own little universe, just as each track on the album is its own emotional snapshot with its own framework and context. Taken as a whole, though, all those little moments add up to something profound and cohesive, a raw, insightful meditation on the ways that tiny, incremental changes can lead to seismic transformation.
Joe Marcinek is equal parts Chicago Blues, New Orleans Funk, Grateful Dead Psychedelia, and Jazz Fusion. He has played with members of Trey Anastasio Band, The Meters, Dumpstaphunk, Jerry Garcia Band, Umphrey’s McGee, Snarky Puppy, The Motet, String Cheese Incident and many more.
Stan P Band will bring you to a new world of musical voyage. They utilize rotating setlists, changing members and a wide variety of genres centered around a progressive improvisational rock core. The band prides itself on technical abilities and musical versatility; breaking boundaries with their unique sounds and compositions.
Wristmeetrazor is an American metalcore band that originally started as a solo project in Washington, D.C. in 2017. Members are now located in Louisville, KY, Las Vegas, NV, Springfield, VA, and Newark, DE.
Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After over a decade of absence, the band reformed in 2017.
SACK is an enigmatic group of Denver ass-kickers that (as far as we can tell) is Kody Lillington and some shredders from Peru. There’s been band members named Squiggy, Skeeter, Joe Camel, Coach, and Rad Biker. No one knows what’s *actually* going on with these party punks, but SACK claims their new record is called “Ripper!” and it’ll be out this Summer on Red Scare.
Bringing the fun and energy of a real Green Day show, with all the huge radio hits the iconic band is known for. With musicianship, precision, and dedication Basketcase gives an awesome Green Day experience.
The O’Brien cousins all grew up together in a council housing project in Sheffield, England, where they played in several bands together.
Following a hurriedly hushed-up pre-international incident, they now make their home in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, where they currently hold the tile of the city’s 5th Best Power Pop Band.
Imperator (Latin for “Emperor”) was formed in 1984, when Bariel and Adrian joined together to rehearse and play covers of Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Bathory and Sodom, among others. Bassist Mefisto joined the group in September – as a 3-piece they played their first concerts.
Hippie Death Cult have been described as “a journey through shameless and triumphant artistic expression, exploration and discovery” in the realms of psychedelia and riff-heavy rock n’roll. During their formative years the band has transitioned from a 4 piece to a more consonant power trio consisting of guitarist Eddie Brnabic, vocalist/bassist Laura Phillips and drummer Harry Silvers. In 2019 they signed to Cursed Tongue Records for the release of “111” then in 2021 signed to Heavy Psych Sounds Records to release “Circle of Days” and Doom Sessions Vol.5, a split release with label mates High Reeper. Both full-length albums received international critical acclaim while debuting at #1 on the Doom Charts. The band is also known for their high energy and passionate stage performances, having headlined numerous sold out shows in their hometown of Portland,Oregon, in addition to touring throughout the west coast and south western United States. They are currently in production for their 3rd studio album and are set to announce extensive tours for both the United States, Canada and Europe starting in late summer 2022.
Iris Marlowe is an alternative-country songwriter that uses her love of classic country music to create cinematic songs that paint a southern gothic landscape. Her latest album ‘Where the Devil Bid the Owl Goodbye’ features songs driven by revenge, terror, and a yearning for the danger of the old west. Iris creates country music for the eccentrics and folks that are looking for something a little different in the country music landscape.
Iris is currently working on her fourth album which will be released in 2025. The record will be heavily inspired by her love of horror movies and classic country music.
Cosmic Country band LYON$ thrives on breaking boundaries, dialing up soul and twang for a raucous sound all their own. With a wicked psychedelic streak in their back pocket, they draw as much inspiration from frontman Trey Lyons’ East Tupelo, Mississippi roots as their current big city home, Chicago. The result is Cosmic Country at its finest, affirmative, transcendent, and free. Tune in and tune out for a while.
MASACRE began in 1988, their extreme sounds fitted perfectly within the European scene in the early eighties. Death Metal and MASACRE were born in Medellín (Colombia) in years where violence, corruption, drugs and death were our daily food in a slowly bleeding country. Maybe that was the main reason for MASACRE to acquire an immediate answer from the fans, and they found represented in the heavy sound of death metal the cold and dying reality that they live every day.
One of the first wave of American black metal bands, PROFANATICA have purveyed primeval blasphemy on nigh for three decades, vomiting forth the most vulgar strain of black metal ejaculate. Led by founder Paul Ledney, the trio desecrate everything sacred with a ferocious stream of chainsaw guitars and relentless battery. PROFANATICA walk as kings in the murky depths of the black metal scene.
In 1990, Aragon Amori, Paul Ledney, and Brett Makowski departed INCANTATION due to artistic differences, leading to the birth of PROFANATICA. Influenced by such classic cults as VENOM, NECROVORE, SARCOFAGO, and BATHORY, the unholy trinity together had a passion to create raw and sacrilegious Black Metal. The band has since released four full-lengths and over a dozen demos, splits, and compilations. However, their story is not one without controversy as the masters for what was supposed to be their first full-length, initially titled ‘The Raping of the Virgin Mary,’ were unfortunately destroyed in the studio, although, there are conflicting stories about what really happened. The band parted ways until Ledney resurrected PROFANATICA with two new members in 2001. Despite dropping their first demo in 1990, their long overdue debut full-length, ‘Profanatitas de Domonatia,’ was released 17 years after the band’s conception. In 2019,PROFANATICA formed an unholy union with Season of Mist and released ‘Rotting Incarnation of God,’ which was nothing short of blasphemous perversions, sacrilegious incantations, and furious, unrelenting black metal. The kings of USBM are back to bless you with another assault of unholy hellfirenow in 2023 with another nasty and perverse offering.
Formed in the fall of 2012, Traitor includes Greg Lundmark on lead guitar and vocals, Brian Mikus on rhythm guitar and back up vocals, Tony Didonato on Bass, and Joe Rado on drums, back up and lead vocals. Traitor’s brand of heavy metal disregards trends, breaks free of the shackles of purity, and delivers an attack that is truly one of a kind.
Cannibal Apocalypse is a punk/metal horror band out of Chicago. Fronted by Alton Williams, Cannibal Apocalypse pushes the limits of the genre to new levels. Crowds love the way Cannibal Apocalypse blends theatrics with driving punk/metal music. Filled out with veteran musicians from the Chicago punk/metal scene, Cannibal Apocalypse incorporates virtuosity and attitude. Cannibal Apocalypse is currently in recording sessions and preparing for their Fall tour in October.
WHITE RING was originally the duo of Bryan Kurkimilis and Kendra Malia, before they were joined by Adina Kurkimilis. One of the most acclaimed proponents of the “Witch House” movement, WHITE RING blend heavy, distorted electronics with eerie, unsettling vocals.
Detroit is home to guitarist and Candyrat recording artist, Sammy Boller. Hailed by Guitar World as “one of electric guitars most promising names,” Sammy’s debut instrumental album, Kingdom Of The Sun, was released in March, 2020 to international acclaim.
A former music student at the University of Michigan, Sammy catapulted onto the national radar in 2012, when Joe Satriani selected him as a winner in Guitar Center’s “Master Satriani” competition. Now, an internationally-acclaimed player, Boller has amassed a large and loyal online following, and he earns his living as a full-time musician. Prior to embarking on his solo career, Sammy played guitar for the band, Citizen Zero (Wind-Up Records/Concord Music Group). Their State Of Mind LP notched multiple radio singles, including the debut release “Go (Let Me Save You)”, which cracked the Top 15 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart.
Outside of his own live touring schedule, Sammy also spends time on the road with world-renowned amplifier wizard Dave Friedman (Friedman Amplification). The two regularly embark on runs through the States and Europe to sponsor clinics and gear demonstrations. In addition to his support role with Friedman, Boller is also a contributing columnist for Guitar World Magazine. His online column (“Secrets of Shred With Sammy Boller”) has a loyal monthly following, regularly racking up view counts in the tens of thousands.
When asked to describe his influences and approach, Sammy says, “My guitar playing has always been about plugging into an amp and blowing the walls down. I grew up wanting to be Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, but over time I’ve found my own dark and aggressive style. These days, my dream as a musician is to make people feel as connected to the cosmos as I feel when I play the guitar. I’d love nothing more than that.”
Brendan Fitzgibbons is an actor, writer, stand-up and host living in New York and Los Angeles with his dog Willoughby. He doesn’t vape or have a skateboard.
You’ve Seen/Heard Him On:
-The voice of the new Samsung phone
-Comedy Central’s Alternatino
-Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
-MTV’s Guy Code vs. Girl Code
-Nobody’s Watching (Tribeca Film Festival)
-Get Money for ComedyCentral.com
-Huffpost, Vox, Sirius Satellite Radio, College Humor, Above Average, AOL, Oxygen and Bravo.
He’s Written For:
-Comedy Central’s Alternatino
-NBC Universal/Bravo’s
Blind Date
-Celebs Have Issues for
HuffPost
–ComedyCentral.com
-The Onion and Onion Sports
-McSweeneys, College Humor,
Rolling Stone, Cracked
and Conde Nast.
Left to Die is a new band featuring classic Death members Terry Butler (Obituary et al) and Rick Rozz (ex-Massacre) paired with Gruesome founders Matt Harvey (Exhumed et al) and Gus Rios (ex-Malevolent Creation). The Florida-based band is currently writing an EP and planning a summer US tour, performing the classic Leprosy album in its entirety, along with cuts from Scream Bloody Gore.
Los Angeles BASED BAD GUY ELECTRONICS. LONG LIVE THE BAD GUYS.
MORTUOUS
Mortuous is a Death Metal band from San Jose, California that features current and former members of Necrot, Exhumed, Scolex, and Vile Rites. The project was formed in 2009 by Colin Tarvin in the hope of creating a new band in the vein of Incantation, Autopsy, and Viogression. Later that year he released the first Demo, “Mors Immortalis”, on Skeleton Plague Records which received praise and recognition throughout the underground Death Metal community. By 2010, Mortuous had a full lineup which included Col Jones and Mike Beams, previously of Exhumed, Al Tarvin-Kibler, and Nick Scarboro. After a few lineup changes, Mortuous went into Earhammer Studio with Greg Wilkinson in 2016 to record their first Full-Length album entitled, “Through Wilderness”. The record was released in June 2018 through Carbonized Records, Tankcrimes Records, Dawnbreed Records, and Extremely Rotten Productions. Between 2018 and 2020, Mortuous would release two split 7” records and a Demo Compilation CD, as well as make numerous National and International Festival appearances at Eternal Warfare, California Deathfest, Kill-Town Death Fest VII, Decibel Metal and Beer Fest, and Total Death Over Mexico III. In December 2021, Mortuous recorded their second full-length album, “Upon Desolation”, which was released in September 2022 by Carbonized Records in the United States and Extremely Rotten Productions in Europe. The album placed on numerous Year-End Lists, including #10 on Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2022
Dave Hill is an American comedian, radio host, writer, musician and actor originally from Cleveland, Ohio. He is the host of The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour, a weekly livestream and podcast part of the Maximum Fun network. In 2007 Variety named Hill one of their “10 Comics to Watch”.
Forged by the fires of traditional Heavy Metal and tempered with modern aggression, Witchhammer was conjured to unleash sonic devastation upon the world!
“Patience is a virtue.” Those words are tattooed across Coleman Williams’ right arm, forever reminding the alternative-country singer/songwriter of the benefits of taking one’s time.
The lesson wasn’t always so clear. As the great-grandson of Hank Williams Sr., grandson of Hank Williams Jr., and only son of Hank 3, Coleman spent years waging an internal battle with the expectations thrust upon him by his own lineage. He represented the fourth generation of country music’s most legendary family — hence his nickname, “IV” — and the pressure to launch his own career was enormous. Although Coleman would eventually make his mark with Southern Circus — the genre-bending debut from his band, IV and the Strange Band, combining southern storytelling and country textures with 100-watt guitar amps and DIY attitude — he needed to break free first and discover his own musical approach along the way.
“Before I even knew who I was, people were already expecting things of me,” he says. “It felt like there was zero freedom of expression for someone with the last name ‘Williams.’ Singing about a bloodline didn’t appeal to me, though. I wasn’t interested in fitting into a shadow that already existed. What did appeal to me was the underground scene in Nashville.”
Coleman became a fierce champion of Nashville’s house-show circuit as a teenager, drawn in by the scene’s supportive spirit and DIY ethics. This was a community that valued principles over pedigrees. A community that offered artists of all stripes a place to express themselves. From punk shows to heavy metal gigs to electronic experiments, Coleman loved it all… and for the first time in his life, he felt like he belonged somewhere.
“I was a weird kid who grew up in an unusual situation,” he says. “When I began going to house shows in Nashville, I felt like I’d found a family of people whom nobody else wanted — kids who were different and misunderstood — and during these two-hour shows, everyone belonged, everyone felt accepted, and everyone had a place. The experience taught me to trust my instincts. It gave me a new sense of independence. I have to believe that’s why Hank Williams made music, too; he could see what it did for people.”
Inspired to blaze his own trail, Coleman left town after high school and traveled across America, developing musical tastes that were as diverse as the country itself. Over the decade that followed, he became a history buff, a poet, a metalworker, and an educator. Back home in Nashville, he continued his lifelong practice of writing songs, developing the unique sound — a blend of the amplified and the acoustic, laced with fiddle one minute and heavy guitars the next — that would later fill Southern Circus. Coleman took his time. He wanted the sound to be right. Patience is a virtue, after all.
Local producer Jason Dietz became a fan of Coleman’s songs, prompting the two to begin collaborating. Guitarist David Talley joined them, as did banjo player, Daniel Mason and drummer Carson Kehrer. All five musicians (along with fiddler Laura Beth Jewell and steel player, John Judkins who both appear on the record) came from different musical backgrounds, but they worked together to build something new, using Coleman’s acoustic tunes as the blueprint for a southern sound that was soothing one minute and strident the next. An album began taking shape. Just shy of his thirtieth birthday, Coleman Williams made his long-awaited debut with “Son of Sin,” a single that was released in 2021 by IV and the Strange Band.
“I like to say, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stranger,'” he explains. “I love strangeness and I love my Strange Band. The most genuine people in this world are those who allow themselves to be the weirdos they truly are, because once you repress yourself, that’s when you become someone you’re not.”
Coleman channeled this love of the weird and self-certainty into Southern Circus which bounces between autobiographical songs and story-driven tracks inspired by Coleman’s historical interests. On “Inbred,” he turns the true-life tale of the Fugates — a Kentucky family whose inbred history attracted the attention and anger of religious zealots during the 1800s — into a song about Christian hypocrisy. “Malice” is a swaggering country song based upon a newspaper article about a married couple who each decided to poison the other on the same morning, while “Drinking Sad” pays tribute to the outlaw country bar songs that soundtracked Coleman’s childhood. Appropriately, modern-day outlaw Jaime Wyatt appears on the hauntingly elegant “Broken Pieces,” contributing vocals to a song about, as Coleman puts it, “the idea someone can’t truly love you unless they know how fucked up you really are.”
Perhaps nothing encapsulates Coleman Williams’ story better than “Stand Your Ground,” a seize-the-day anthem that advises its listener to roll with the world’s punches and refuse to remain knocked down. The song opens with a leisurely lope, only to segue into a faster section propelled by train beats, banjo arpeggios, and Coleman’s anthemic melodies. There are flashes of country twang and rock & roll grit throughout, fused together by a man who’s not afraid to blur the dividing line between those camps. Southern Circus offers a peak into Coleman’s personal world, and under this Big Top, all southern sounds — and all people — are welcome.
“PT Barnum always said, ‘The clowns are the heart of the circus,'” Coleman notes. “The circus is all about expression — about being yourself and finding a unique family, just like the house-show scene — and clowns embody that spirit. They’re comfortable with being themselves, and they’re trying to give you a pure, emotional catharsis. I love that. I feel like I’m the clown of this southern circus.”
Southern Circus finds a balance between spectacle and spirit, determination and deliverance, melodies and muscle. It’s the sound of a man honoring his family tree while planting his own garden. To make it, Coleman had to leave home, explore sounds that stretched beyond his bloodline’s catalog, and challenge the world’s expectations that he’d join family business. Southern Circus is his homecoming: an album that finds him not falling into a legacy, but earning it.