Mán Cub is the performance name of singer, songwriter, and producer Richard Juarez. Mán Cub grew up in Chicago’s Little Village. From a young age Richard was exposed to a wide range of music, from R&B and Yacht Rock to Psychedelic and Boleros. He played guitar and wrote songs all throughout high school and college where studied theatre and performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2017, Richard began developing his new project Mán Cub. He released his first single “Powder Room” featuring Jesse, in February of 2018 with good reception. In 2019, Mán Cub released his debut EP “Self Control” to rotation radio play and good reviews. He also produced records for artists Madera Once and Jesse. Mán Cub has played LatinXt Fest and opened for Tropa Magica aka Thee Commons at the Empty Bottle.
BLUE BEAM
Like any good conspiracy theory, Chicago-hailing rock band BlueBeam was formed in a joint mission between three brothers to defy what’s predictable. Combining the soaring vocals of rock, to the foot-tapping beats of pop; from relaxed rhythms of lounge, to impromptu fits of psychedelia, BlueBeam constantly challenges concertgoers and alt rock music enthusiasts alike to stay on their toes. Their debut EP, “The Manhattan Project” (2019) catapults listeners into an effortless blend of funky grooves and interactive lyrics, while their latest single “Hotel Next Door” (2019) displays a softer side that’s nothing short of catchy. Fans appreciate BlueBeam‘s ever-evolving setlist, tight live sound, and captivating performances, all of which keep audiences coming back for more — a good time that’s anything but predictable.
Chicago-based punk band, Capgun Heroes play fast, hooky pop-punk in the vein of the Ramones, Screeching Weasel, andRiverdales.
Capgun Heroes are Joe Capgun (vocals), Matt Cappy (guitar), Andy Hero (guitar), Nick Hero (guitar), Jimmy C. (bass), and Scotty (drums). They have opened up for Smoking Popes, The Lillingtons, Nerf Herder, The Copyrights, The Queers, Dan Vapid and The Cheats, and more.
Spies Who Surf are a surf rock/instrumental band from Chicago. They are recognized by Billboard [magazine] as being part of a global surf rock movement. They have shared the stage with national acts, including The Ventures, Dick Dale, and Agent Orange. The current lineup includes…Tommy Klein, Marshall Dawson, Dan Polonsky and David Suycott. Their 1993 release Calling All Martians [produced by Jay O’Rourke] received critical acclaim. SWS are planning more performances and recording in the very near future.
THE READY FREDDIES
A unique and heartfelt attempt to re-create the feeling and frenzy of watching Freddie Mercury’s QUEEN
A charismatic band of mostly female musicians who pride themselves on delivering the intricacies of each song
Johleee, is an eclectic multifaceted singer, songwriter, rapper, & producer from the small yet thriving city of El Paso, Texas.
Currently based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Johleee has embarked on an independent journey to deliver sultry, trap inspired, yet soul captivating sounds for her audience. With many projects in the stash, Johleee is prepping a satiating catalog with a melting pot of genres for a soon to come debut. I encourage you to get on board and stay tuned for what’s to come from this up and coming Texas artist.
Xavier Robert, known professionally as YOUNG XAV, is an American recording artist and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Aiming to be the Great Gatsby of this century’s twenties, he’s a representative of the modern musical era by date but not by sound. Although he’s only been making music for a year, the sound is colossal, the approach – timeless. Having lived in a household with a DJ for a father, musical aptitude is embedded in his DNA. Most people plan their music career but XAV’s reeks with serendipity, after one day randomly deciding to reach out to some producer friends, booking a session in Milwaukee, and recording his first song “Summer Love” which would amass thousands of streams upon its first day of release.
The release of his debut album After Dark in February 2019 marked the genesis of what will be one long and fabled career. In the process of creating the album, he released “On The Low” and “Still Alive” as singles. Both records garnered unanticipated traffic in the thousands, a healthy foreshadow of the full-length projects approaching success. With a growing fan base hailing from SoHo to SoCal, it’s evident that his sound transcends through cultures, area codes and time zones.
YOUNG XAV’s innate ability to cultivate sound and bend frequencies rest perfectly next to his ardent desire to tell his narrative to the world. His music bleeds with intensity, diary-like reflections, wicked lyrical capabilities and fitting production. More than an MC, XAV represents musical creation, inception, diversity, versatility and expansion.
Chicagoland’s NEWEST and BEST tribute to the British legends of Heavy Metal : Judas Priest !
Formed in 2019 by Chicago-area musicians with decades of stage expertise, HELL PATROL “Delivers the Goods” every performance, both sonically and visually, to recreate the unforgettable Judas Priest concert experience, note for note & scream for scream!
HELL PATROL rocks all corners of the extensive Judas Priest catalog, playing selections sure to please both the casual and hardcore fan alike including:
– favorites like “Metal Gods”, “Electric Eye”, and “Hell Bent for Leather”
– stadium rockers such as “Breaking the Law”, “Living After Midnight”, and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”
– the deep cuts: “Running Wild”, “Devil’s Child”, and “Dissident Aggressor”
REFLEXICON is a hard rock / progressive melodic metal band from Chicago, formed by Paul Kratky -of the respected underground 80’s progressive metal band SLAUTER XSTROYES. Other members: Jerry Buczko- Guitar; Bill Dixon- Bass; John Ashe- Drums; and Fred Morg- Lead Vocals. Angular melody, sharp, jagged rhythms, and a tenacious forward drive.
Sanhedrin’s sound is familiar but not derivative. While their songwriting is clearly rooted in the classics, their take on rock and metal comes across as fresh and honest. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sanhedrin’s sound is a combination of the toughness and beauty that their home borough embodies.
Church of Misery is a doom metal band from Tokyo, Japan, formed in 1995. Church of Misery’s musical style melds early Black Sabbath-style doom with psychedelic rock
Noose is a 3 piece Death/Black Metal band decomposed by 3 south side Chicago scumbags. Started in 2016 by The Judge and The Executioner the duo began drinking and working on songs to praise filth and mayhem.
Joined in mid 2017 by The Jury the Noose began to tighten its grip. The filth hounds entered and desecrated Audio Vomit studio in mid October to shit out it’s first release simply tittled Demo 2017.
Thrashed, Burnt & Branded Seditious, malicious, fiends, the horde of highwaymen ride on! The Black Moriah is influenced by hymns buried deep beneath dried earth, T.B.M. drinks the spirits of past greats Bathory, Kreator, Motorhead, Slayer, Venom, and other Kings as they frequent dens of iniquity, homes of misfortune and girls of ill-repute. T.B.M. was founded by The Mad Arab (Bleed the Son) and Zawicizuz (Absu, Bleed the Son, Infernal Oak, Rape Pillage and Burn) In the Fall of 2011, The Black Moriah entered the studio to record their first effort “Casket Prospects”. Upon completion of the album, these outlaws on the outskirts spread their gallows medicine from Mexico to Canada. With The Black Moriah’s second full-length release, they gear up for a journey of carnage across barren landscapes. “Road Agents of the Blast Furnace” is a never-yielding, all-consuming raid, hell-bent on tormenting every town in its path. For the release of their sophomore effort, T.B.M. has made an alliance with Folter Records. With this mighty underground force, the audio plague known as The Black Moriah will relentlessly spread Vulture Culture throughout the land. Look to the horizon for the demented highwaymen this year. They come to pillage your village and soil your doves. Bring your gold and pay tribute or face the wrath of this desert funeral party.
American death metal pioneers Possessed are often referred to as the godfathers of the genre, having established themselves as such in 1983 with the creation of a three-song demo simply called Death Metal. Distancing themselves from the crowded Bay Area thrash scene with sheer savagery and the distinct, guttural howl of frontman Jeff Becerra, the band blazed a fiery trail for future death metal enthusiasts with the influential LPs Seven Churches (1985) and Beyond the Gates (1986) before disbanding in 1987. They re-formed in the 2010s and eventually returned to the studio and released their long-awaited third full-length effort, Revelations of Oblivion, in 2019.
True to their name, San Francisco’s Possessed seemed cursed by dark and evil forces throughout their troubled career. Formed by guitarist Mike Torrao and drummer Mike Sus in 1983, the group would lose first singer Barry Fisk to suicide before even graduating from garage band status. They persisted, though, and after recruiting vocalist/bassist Jeff Becerra and guitarist Brian Montana, the band was offered a slot on Brian Slagel’s Metal Massacre, Vol. 6 compilation. Possessed’s savage sound immediately stood out from the competition and drew the attention of Combat Records, with which they signed in 1985 after replacing Montana with guitarist Larry LaLonde. Issued later that year, the unwaveringly brutal Seven Churches was arguably the first true death metal album and set the stage for the genre’s breakaway from thrash. Their second effort, Beyond the Gates, was released, fittingly enough, on Halloween 1986. After recording the five-track EP The Eyes of Horror the following year (produced by LaLonde’s guitar teacher Joe Satriani), the band decided to call it quits. Two years later, frontman Becerra was shot during a mugging and left paralyzed from the waist down. He re-formed Possessed in 2007 and played that year’s Wacken Open Air festival backed by members of Sadistic Intent. LaLonde would go on to a long career with bassist Les Claypool’s bizarro funk-metal trio Primus.
In 2017 Becerra put together a new Possessed lineup and inked a three-album deal with Nuclear Blast. Revelations of Oblivion, the legendary group’s first collection of new music in decades, arrived in 2019. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi
Sleepy Gaucho’s discerning brand of Panamerican influenced folk music floats somewhat aimlessly in a realm of it’s own. Born in Wisconsin while also growing up some time in Argentina, the young multi-instrumentalist’s music can at times be melancholic, at others ethereal, but always agreeable. The seven track debut record “Another Time”, while initially recorded in Madison, WI, was eventually finished after the songwriter happened to find himself drifting around an East London neighborhood for a few months. Spring of 2019 brought the release of “Another Time” on vinyl via Hear Here Records, with the songs being brought to life by trusted musicians in the Midwest scene. Since returning to his hometown of Milwaukee, he began the creative process for his next project. Straying away from his usual approach, he recruited the likes of veterans such as Patrick Sansone of Wilco and fellow talent ranging from local friends and Nashville session musicians for his upcoming sophomore album, “Morning Light”.
Gasoline Lollipops stitch scraps of American roots music to patches of their own tattered hearts to form an all-new tapestry of bleeding rock n’ roll. Front man, Clay Rose was raised between an outlaw, truck-driving father in the mountains of Colorado and a country song-writing mama in the sticks outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Clay’s penchant for open roads and trouble making are the foundation of the Gas Pops’ unique sound. The rest of the band’s signature is constructed by Don Ambory, Scott Coulter, “Bad” Brad Morse, and Kevin Matthews who all come equipped with music degrees from Chicago, Boston, Jacksonville, and Denver, respectively. They each add flavors of their own background and heritage, further diversifying the band’s creations.
From bar band to Red Rocks, Gasoline Lollipops now have a devoted flock of fans that follow them from Belize to Belgium. They have played acclaimed festivals all over the country such as, Grandoozy, Salmon Fest , and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest to name a few.
Music is the debut studio album by Omaha alternative rock band 311. It was released on February 9, 1993. “Do You Right” was released as a single. The album was certified Gold in 1999 by the RIAA, having sold over 500,000 copies.
Hailing from Ballarat in rural Victoria, Australia, Ebonivory creates an engaging mosaic of raw emotion, complex rhythmic devices, and prismatic melody. Formed in 2014 by prodigious composer, multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist Charlie Powlett, this world class 5-piece ensemble employs a unique distillation of alternative rock, progressive metal, post-hardcore and modern punk, delivering a breathtaking performance that unifies musicians, melomaniacs, and casual listeners alike.
From the first EP “Ebonivory I” (2014), to the full length progressive Australian cult-classic “The Only Constant” (2015), to their most recent EP “Ebonivory II” (2016), Ebonivory has built a reputation in the Australian progressive music scene as an act that consistently delivers music that grows in ambition and scale with each release.
Previously sharing the stage during their high-school years, Powlett is joined by long-time musical collaborators and childhood friends Jake Ewings (guitar), Louis Edwards (guitar, backing vocals), Connor McMillan (bass, backing vocals), and David Parkes (drums, percussion) to deliver a powerhouse of musicianship. Together, the band has embarked on a journey exploring the lyrical concepts of struggle via phenomenal musical grandeur and breadth, interspersed with unforgettable musical moments.
Ebonivory kicked off 2019 with a whirlwind performance at Australia’s acclaimed PROGFEST festival, alongside international heavyweights The Ocean, Monuments, and Skyharbor. Soon after, they signed a management deal with Wild Thing Presents (Caligula’s Horse), and record deal with Wild Thing Records (Circles). Early-mid 2019 saw the Persistence Australian Tour, which included supporting alt-rock powerhouse Dead Letter Circus. Throughout July & August 2019, Ebonivory traversed Australia with progressive rock juggernaut Circles for The Winter Tour, in support of their single “Patting the Black Dog” which landed coverage with PROG Magazine (UK), Triple J’s “The Racket”, Spotify’s “Homegrown + Heavy” & “Prog Metal Essentials” Playlists, and Rage (ABC TV). Going from strength to strength, Ebonivory headed out on their first ever Australian headline tour in October 2019, in support of their single “Tales of Termina”, which similarly garnered an overwhelmingly positive response worldwide.
Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Caligula’s Horse is a progressive alternative rock powerhouse. Their unique tapestry of progressive metal laced with raw rock power is at once fluid, monumental, and striking, offering a wide audience a broad palate of unforgettable moments and timeless music.
Now established as one of Australia’s finest live acts and at the forefront of its progressive rock scene, with four well-loved albums under their belt, and a passionate and ever-growing worldwide fanbase, Caligula’s Horse are broadening their horizons to the rest of the globe. 2019 will see the band reach the USA for the very first time for the prestigious ProgPower USA Festival, after headlining its European counterpart in 2018 to rave reviews. In the meantime, writing has begun for the fifth album for Caligula’s Horse, which will become yet another enormous leap forward in their colourful signature style.
Formed in 2011 by Sam Vallen and Jim Grey, Caligula’s Horse unleashed their vivid debut Moments from Ephemeral City in the same year. An evocative and powerful unveiling of the dynamic and cohesive songwriting partnership, “Moments” was a commanding charge into modern progressive music: energetic, eclectic, and poignant. Going from strength to strength, The Tide, The Thief & River’s End was released in 2013, and was received with international acclaim. A dark, eloquently woven concept album, the narrative explores isolation, exodus, and the power of the human spirit. The release of “Rivers End” piloted the group to perform with such luminaries of the international progressive heavy landscape as Opeth, Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Protest The Hero, The Ocean, Twelve Foot Ninja, and Ne Obliviscaris.
In 2015, after signing with the prestigious German record label Inside Out Music, and joining the roster of AMF Publishing in the UK, Caligula’s Horse released their vibrant and emotional third album Bloom. Bloom reached the heights of #16 on the Australian Albums ARIA Chart, and #2 and #7 on the Australian iTunes Metal and Rock Charts respectively. Metal Injection (USA) proclaimed they “evoke a striking amount of greatness”, while PROG Magazine (UK) stated “they are sounding ever more like they just need an arena to fill”. Bloom saw the group embark on an extensive first tour of Europe alongside Shining (Norway), win the 2016 Queensland Music Heavy Award for their track ‘Marigold’, and complete five Australian tours; including national dates with Opeth, TesseracT, and sleepmakewaves, as well as headlining Melbourne’s iconic Progfest Festival.
In June 2017, Caligula’s Horse advanced to Europe for a second time; including support slots with Opeth, Anathema and Pain Of Salvation, UK headline shows and festival appearances at Midsummer Prog
Festival (Netherlands) and Be Prog! My Friend Festival (Spain). 2017 also saw the release of the band’s most addictive and emotion work to date, In Contact, an album of deeply personal stories told over four chapters. In Contact is an incredible and ambitious work that has left audiences breathless across the globe. In Contact debuted at #50 on the ARIA Chart, bringing Caligula’s Horse into the ARIA Top 50 for the first time. Caligula’s Horse have toured solidly on the back of the success of In Contact, most notably their All Aussie Invasion headline tour of Europe in 2018 with Australia’s Circles and ibuiltthesky.
Northern California rapper RAMIREZ unveils his new album Son Of Serpentine, out now via G59 Records.
Recorded in the small town of Lavello, Italy, the 14-track project is an impressive display of RAMIREZ’s sharp lyricism over Mikey The Magician’s track-laden beats. With the ominous opening of the ZillaKami-assisted “Mosh Pit Killa”, RAMIREZ alternates between hard-hitting flows on “Nine Shots”and “Cerberus” and catchy, melodic hooks on “Horns And Halos” and “Liquid Sunshine” with frequent collaborator Pouya.
Son Of Serpentine follows the recent release of the music video for the album’s lead single “Does It Real Good”. Animated by William Child Pictures, the innovative visuals feature Bonnie and Clyde-style claymation that pairs seamlessly with the track’s sampling of Three 6 Mafia.
With a penchant for ‘90s hip hop including OutKast, RBL Posse, and Andre Nickatina, RAMIREZ puts his own modern twist on the Bay Area classics as heard on “P.O.P.” and “2 Step Stevie”. Son Of Serpentine features an eclectic mix of all the flavors from the era that heavily influenced the talented MC’s sound.
Having collaborated with the likes of $UICIDEBOY$, Fat Nick, Shakewell, and more, the self-proclaimed “Silverback Gorilla” has established himself as a force in the SoundCloud underground scene with a rapidly growing fanbase eagerly anticipating this release.
Son Of Serpentine is available worldwide on all streaming platforms via G59 Records.
You’re in the right place for everything Sumo Cyco! This site is run by me, Skye aka Sever Sweetnam including our official merch store!
We are about to transcend into an explosive new era with our upcoming full-length, Initiation, scheduled for release on May 7, 2021 via Napalm Records!
SUMO CYCO is Matt “MD13” Drake, Matt “Trozzi”, Oscar Anesetti & me, Skye “Sever” Sweetnam.
You may have seen us on tour with bands such as Jinjer, The Birthday Massacre, Nonpoint, The Butcher Babies, Fozzy, Alien Ant Farm, The 69 Eyes, Devilskin & more!
We have released “Lost in Cyco City” in 2014 and “Opus Mar” in 2017, NOW we are excited to announce “INITIATION” in 2021!
The album’s title, Initiation, stems from wanting to invite the audience to be “initiated” into our world. There are usually two congruent themes to each of our albums – one is real-world inspiration, and the other is “Cyco City”, a comic book-esque alternate universe where all our music videos take place. With Initiation, we introduce four gangs or clubs. Our music videos for Initiation all include a theme of these clubs – whether it’s gang vs. gang, a forbidden love between opposing sides, or the idea of having to choose where you belong.
Outside of the story, the lyrics relate to the polarization of the world we live in now. We all have a longing to belong, but what makes one feel accepted or ostracized from a group? To be INITIATED, would you be willing to try to understand another point of view? I have always written lyrics about internal struggle, the war within oneself. Throughout the album, we bounce back and forth between struggle and overcoming. It reflects the times, and there are moments that seem a bit dark.”
If you love fun, words, jokes, friends, learning, and DRANKS, then The Slurring Bee Chicago is the smartypants bar game for you!!! Join adorable, hilarious, exceptionally intelligent and modest hosts Billy Parker and Mandy Levy for the most exciting spelling competition since the 7th grade! We’ve taken this party from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and many places in between, but our favorite buzzy hive is CHICAGO! So we’re BACK FOR MORE! Come on down to Reggies and take a shot at being a boozy spelling hero!!!!
Here’s how it works:
Pay 5 bucks to compete. Receive your first Slurring Bee Shot. (Don’t worry; it’s like, a sugary delicious shot.) Shoot it. Spell something. For every round you stay standing, you’ll receive another free specialty Slurring Bee nectar. Keep spelling till we crown a queen (or king) bee! Winner receives half the pot, fabulous bee-themed prizes and their picture immortalized on our Wall of Fame, plus automatic placement in our Tournament of Champions!
Phil Yates & The Affiliates are a rock band based out of Chicago (formerly based out of Burlington, Vermont.) With his hookysound that’s “too folky for the rockers and too rocky for the folkers,” Phil has played with The Mountain Goats, The Babies, Cave Singers, Holly Golightly, The Dead Milkmen’s Joe Jack Talcum, Franklin Bruno, Wckr Spgt, and Mary Prankster
Workbook is the 1989 debut solo album by American guitarist and singer Bob Mould, following the breakup of the influential rock band Hüsker Dü. The album has a strong folk influence and lighter overall sound than he had been known for, although heavy guitar features occasionally. Drummer Anton Fier and bassist Tony Maimone, both of Pere Ubu fame, served as Mould’s rhythm section on the album and on the subsequent live shows. The single “See a Little Light” was a hit on the US Modern Rock chart.
WILCO “BEING THERE”
Being There is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band Wilco, released on October 29, 1996 by Reprise Records. Despite its release as a double album, Being There was sold at a single album price as a result of a deal between lead singer Jeff Tweedy and the band’s label Reprise Records. The album was an improvement for the band in both sales and critical reception, in contrast to their debut album A.M. (1995). Taking its name from the 1979 film of the same name,[2] the self-produced album featured more surrealistic and introspective writing than on A.M.. This was due in part to several significant changes in Tweedy’s life, including the birth of his first child. Musically, it juxtaposed the alternative country styles songs reminiscent of Uncle Tupelo with psychedelic, surreal songs. It was the only Wilco album with steel guitarist Bob Egan, their first with multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett and their last with multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston.
BEGGARS BANQUET
Together for over 25 years, performing with all five member in authentic costume. The boys visually and aurally recreate the look and sound of “The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World”. Add some real excitement to your club, festival, concert or private function with Beggars Banquet.
Lost Pyramids Band is an improvisational, psychedelic jam band that keeps it fresh on stage with dynamic grooves and spacey jams.
With an eclectic mix of originals heavily influenced by the music of Phish and the Grateful Dead with a hint of jazz fusion, you never know what you’re gonna get.
Our debut album, “Monsters Under My Bed”, is OUT NOW!
Current Members:
Chuck Wilson- guitar & vocals Larry Sheridan- bass & vocals Andrew Stump- keys & vocals Nate Hockenberry- drums & vocals
The Everly Brothers is the 1958 eponymous debut album of close harmony rock and roll duo the Everly Brothers.
Performed by Everly Brother and Sister.
LUNA IN SANGUINEM
4 Musicians with a resume worthy of calling this a Super Group Death Thrash Line up.
Luna In Sanguinem formed in 2018 withfounding members Patt Maxwell (MINERS) Behind the drums and Michael Eisenhauer on Guitar ( Evil Incarnate). It wasn’t long until Rod Valdez Joined on Bass( Ex-Dementox) Micheal Handling Vocals til better came along.
Enter Luna’s current Vocalist Skip Mcgullam (Ex-Num Skull}
Members:
Neil Wayne – Bass
Poli van Dam – Guitar & Vocals
Jen Razavi – Guitar & Vocals
Josh Lewis – Drums
We put a lot of thought into being able to tell stories with these songs,” says Jen Razavi who, along with Poli van Dam, founded The Bombpops in 2007. Together, Razavi and van Dam became the band’s backbone, writing songs that highlighted their dual guitar attack and were carried by their pitch-perfect vocal harmonies. It’d take the band a decade to release their first full-length album, but 2017’s Fear of Missing Out was a perfect distillation of everything they’d been working toward. And now, with the Dear Beer EP, they’re proving that there’s plenty more where that came from.
The four new tracks that make up Dear Beer are as distinct as they are powerful. “The song ‘Dear Beer’ was collectively everyone in the band’s favorite song,” says Razavi, and it’s easy to see why. Where Fear of Missing Out saw Razavi and van Dam throwing out pointed lyrical jabs, Dear Beer ups the introspection. Make no mistake, there’s still a bit of bile getting spit up, but there’s just the right amount of levity mixed in. It’s what allows these songs to work as stories, ones that are resonant for the band members, and will surely hit home for anyone who plays Dear Beer all the way through.
“I love a song where the lyrics tell a story, and although I may have never experienced anything like what is happening in that story, the song allows me put myself in that person’s place,” says Razavi. The Dear Beer EP finds unity in the thematic elements of each song, as each one sees The Bombpops offering up personal anecdotes and crafting songs that have, as Razavi and van Dam intended, a narrative arc. It’s seen in “Dear Beer,” where they swear off drinking alone and vow to stop being “a fucking downer,” a mantra that enables them to cut out the source of the toxicity without a second thought. But even when it gets a little heavy, The Bombpops find ways to make it all feel uplifting.
“‘Dear Beer’ and ‘Turn up the Thermostat’ are particularly dark,” says Razavi, “They’re a bit self-loathing and reflect on negative experiences.” While the lyrics on Dear Beer are culled from difficult experiences, The Bombpops use their buoyant music to push back against the things weighing them down. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that they throw in just the right amount of self-deprecation to keep themselves from ever making it too much of a bummer. “We intentionally put those lyrics to playful, poppy melodies. It weirdly has a therapeutic effect in the long run,” says Razavi. “Making them light and playful makes the thing that seemed so dramatic to us at the time something to laugh about now.”
That balance between the series and the lighthearted is what makes Dear Beer not just the logical evolution of The Bombpops sound, but also the start of a new chapter for the band. It may have taken them a decade to release their first album, but as Dear Beer proves, the wind is at their back, and nothing is going to keep them down.
Lyrically biting, politically raucous, and raw undefined energy, Torch the Hive is Mike Fruel, Tyler Sanders, and Sergio Apanco. Their first two releases touch on the struggles of growing pains, financial hardship and navigating through a politically divided world. After several self-funded national tours, group members were served with an unhealthy dose of reality when presented with issues of addiction and financial losses as a direct repercussion from the pandemic. As a witness to racial and systematic injustice, Torch the Hive gained a new perspective on which direction their music should take. ‘Flamingo’ serves as a proponent to challenge these opposing viewpoints and aims to allow the listener to form their own view.
Enigmatic North Carolina native Nascar Aloe has placed himself firmly at the forefront of the underground rap scene with his unique and captivating blend of punk energy, raw 808s and terrifying visuals. Originally from Lexington, North Carolina, Nascar began cultivating a die-hard fan base in 2018 by self-releasing music on SoundCloud and consistently playing shows in LA’s underground circuit. In early 2019, his groundbreaking EP and subsequent music video, “FED UP!”, along with an appearance in his close friend Jasiah’s music video, “Crisis” (directed by Cole Bennett) drove the hype around him into a fever pitch and attracted the attention of Travis Barker, Lil Tecca and other trendsetters online.
This summer, Nascar’s momentum has continued to build thanks to a standout performance at Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash Festival, his recent single “AMERICAN WASTELAND” and a sold-out merch collaboration with Section8. His debut full-length project, SH!THEAD will undoubtedly win over new fans and solidify his role as as a leading voice in the underground.
Intrepid black metallers Borknagar, in partnership with Century Media, mark their return with resplendent new album, True North. The Norwegians spent the better part of three years writing and rebuilding the lineup—Borknagar are now Øystein G. Brun (guitars), Simen “I.C.S. Vortex” Hestnæs (bass/vocals), Lars A. Nedland (keyboards/vocals), Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow (drums), and Jostein Thomassen (guitars)—to make their 11th studio album a reality. The reasons are plenty but the main driver for space between and change within Borknagar’s repertoire and membership was calibration. Chief songman Brun needed to refocus his labor of love after the assiduous Winter Thrice album cycle. Indeed, that’s exactly what he’s done on True North. While Winter Thrice was a celebration of time spent and bonds made, True North is the vanguard forward, clear-sighted, refined, and full of power. Truly, there’s no holding back now, but with year 25—the band’s silver anniversary—approaching next year, small wonder that Brun and Borknagar are still with us. Fortuitous, or part of the plan all along…
“Absolutely not,” Øystein G. Brun says [of the plan]. “Back in the day when I starting to play around with the ideas about the band I had no goal aside from making music I love myself. At that time, the whole concept of making money, doing big festivals and traveling around the world was so far off that I wasn’t even thinking along those lines. But that said, I have always had the belief that genuinely good music can move mountains.”
VARGBYTE is the youngest and hottest new metal band in Chicagoland! Founded in 2017, the four piece has been melting faces with it’s thrash melodic death metal inspired by the likes of Death Angel, Children of Bodom, Gojira, Metallica, Exmortus, The Black Dahlia Murder and Amon Amarth. Featuring Oscar Carlson (guitar/vocals), Brendan Bahan (drums), Nick Mastrapa (vocals), and Bennett Blake (bass), the group is on the verge of releasing its first release EP “Northbound.”
Forming in 2004, Monotheist is a progressive extreme metal band from Orlando, Florida who play a mix of brutal technicaldeath metal reminiscent of bands like Suffocation, Death and Immolation, with progressive influences ala Cynic, Extol and Opeth. However, Monotheist manages to create a sound all their own. With their unique riffing and composition, Monotheist is a force to be reckoned with.
REPLACIRE is the brainchild of guitarist Eric Alper, who founded the band in 2010. The American tech metal prodigies hailing from Boston, Massachusetts self-released their debut full-length ‘The Human Burden’ in 2012. The album’s unique and wide-ranging material was an ambitious statement of intent that quickly established the New Englanders as a must-follow heavy act in their corner of the US.
KCL, the iconic, genre-bending powerhouse trio led by visionary guitarist Wayne Krantz and featuring drummer Keith Carlock (Steely Dan, Sting, John Mayer) and bassist Tim Lefebvre (Tedeschi Trucks Band, David Bowie), held a Thursday-night residency at NYC’s 55 Bar throughout the first decade of the new millenium. Cutting live recordings from the club and posting them online in the early days of the internet and touring only sporadically, KCL developed a thoroughly original style of interactive group improvisation inspired in part by the great Miles Davis Quintet of the 60s, but played out in spontaneously generated contexts of heavy funk, rock and electronica instead of straight-ahead swing.
As other instrumental bands of the day dabbled in derivative fusion and retro-jazz, KCL became an underground phenomenon, cultivating an international following of devoted fans of every stripe looking for an alternative creative music that served the mind, body and spirit. Relentlessly grooving, always innovative, never complacent – KCL made contemporary music that resonated beyond category.
Other sideman obligations sidelined the band soon after their Abstract Logix release, “Krantz Carlock Lefebvre,” in 2010, but their reputation continued to expand globally through fan circulation of the band’s many live videos and recordings. Now, in 2020, KCL re-ignites to tour with incendiary shows throughout the USA, Europe and Asia.
Her 1974 sophomore album They Say I’m Different features a worthy-of-framing futuristic cover challenging David Bowie’s science fiction funk with real rocking soul-fire, kicked off with the savagely sexual ‘Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him’ (later sampled by Ice Cube). Light in the Attic.
Performed by Get Up With The Get Downs
MARKIT 8
Started in the Spring of 2009, Markit 8 is a Chicago rock band built around strong rhythms and an ability to incorporate a number of influences. Markit 8 has the ability to sound like many of your favorite bands, while creating their own musical identity. Having spent 5 years hanging out and playing live shows, the band sounds crisper and tighter than ever…
Centered around the voice of Adam Boor, the band has the ability to reach a large variety of audiences. On any given night, you might here Boor sing blues, rock, rap or folk, flowing seamlessly between varieties. Adam adds a nice rhythmic layer to the music with his acoustic guitar and harmonica riffs.
The band’s foundation comes from rhythm guitarist Josh Kotowski and bassist Rick Davis. Josh has been playing piano and guitar for two decades and is the driving force behind many of Markit 8’s rhythms and melodies. Rick has the confident ability to stay in the pocket and hold it all together, while adding his own personal touch to each melody. Davis has a great ability to adapt to new styles and genres, giving him the proper goods to be a solid backbone for the band.
Lead guitarist Mike Gedraitis is the glue that keeps the band sounding great. His tone and originality are unmatched. Mikey can solo seamlessly between styles, genres, and melodies and never miss a beat. Gedraitis has been playing for over two decades with much dedication, the man can jam!
With the recent departure of founding members Tony Wei (Keys/Guitar) & Billy Burke (Drums), Markit 8 has a new look and a very fresh new sound. You can see Markit 8 playing as quartet all across the city.
The future looks bright for Markit 8 as we are writing great new tunes and playing with some really talented new musicians! Stay tuned!
