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CROWN VIC ROYAL
Dirty rock and rollers who will play for beers.
Dirty rock and rollers who will play for beers.
The Fleshtones are Peter Zaremba (vocals, harmonica, & organ), Keith Streng (guitar & vocals), Bill Milhizer (drums & vocals), and Ken Fox (bass & vocals). Based in Brooklyn, New York, the quartet’s origins lie just a few miles north in Queens, where in 1975 Streng and original bass player Marek Pakulski rented “The House,” as it was infamously known, and found instruments down in the basement. To quote Keith: “How and why The Fleshtones started was that there was a place to do it!” Countless “Blue Whale Bashes,” Lower East Side sightings, and an endless string of gigs and records later, The Fleshtones continue to record and perform with a wit, passion, and energy that few bands can top.
For the whole story, check out:
Sweat: The Story of the Fleshtones, America’s Garage Band (by Joe Bonomo) http://on.fb.me/WFSbwh
I am a songwriter, musician, artist. I create music aimed at helping to feel, to carry on, to love, and see things with perspective.
Beat Council is a collective of visual and musical artists. Bringing passion to content, design, production and entertainment.
Barry J. Fontenot is a Louisiana-born, Chicago-based soul musician with a love of pushing boundaries and a flair for the dramatic. Raised in the “Deep Soul” and “Delta Blues” musical traditions, Barry’s vocal style brings to mind the strong, rich tenor notes of legendary singers such as Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. In his original compositions, however, Barry reveals the eclectic influences that have followed him throughout his musical journey—he strives, in his own words, to “write em’ like Jazz songs, play em’ like Rock songs, and sing em’ like Soul songs.”
Originally a Classical Tenor specializing in choral music, Barry decided to return to his musical roots in 2013, forming a Soul Band called “Barry Fontenot and the Hurricanes,” which performed mostly covers of the great Motown performers who had so inspired him in his youth. In 2014, while drunk and bleeding in Mexico, Barry wrote his first original song, “Desiree.” While the circumstances surrounding the song’s writing were less than glamourous, as Barry himself often explains (at-length) on stage, the experience of writing and performing original music was one that affected him to the extent that he now performs primarily his own songs, and has written upwards of three hours of performance material.
Upon moving to Chicago, Barry met The Fountains members, together they created a solid bond, smoothly complementing Barry’s voice and songs. Barry and The Fountains performing regularly in different venues and events around Chicagoland. Their debut single is about to be released soon.
“And when man found freedom in lust, answers in curiosity, and himself in others, he finally knew what is was to be a Rexx”
Rexx Life Raj is an artist / curator out of Berkeley, Ca.
Aenimus is a progressive extreme metal band based out of San Francisco, CA and recently signed with Nuclear Blast Records. Debut album, Transcend Reality, engineered by Nick Botelho of NB Recording. Aenimus takes elements from the best in extreme and progressive metal and seamlessly blends them together into one cohesive crushing debut album.
New album Dreamcatcher out now on Nuclear Blast Records.
Pomo is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and producer based in Vancouver who makes electronic beats influenced by hip hop, house, 70s and 80s funk music. He grew up in Port Moody, British Colombia and cultivated his tastes and sound through the Vancouver electronic music scene before moving for a time to Montreal and joining the likes of Kaytranada, Ta-Ku, and Stwo on the HW&W roster.
Since then, Pomo hit his stride in the electronic dance music market, garnering millions of listens online with his multifaceted productions on handful of original songs and a battery of remixes for some of dance music’s biggest players. With that hype has come recognition from renowned music outlets like BBC Radio 1, the Fader, Complex, Vice’s THUMP and Noisey publications, Triple J, Earmilk, Majestic Casual and many more.
Of late, Pomo has brought his live show on the road, traveling around Europe and The States alongside Disclosure, and bringing his unique grooves to gigs all over the world in places like London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and even Bangkok.
Most recently, his debut EP, The Other Day won a Juno Award for Electronic Album of the Year. New music and new album on the way
Louisville based Oi/punk/rock band. No politics, just rock and roll.
Established in 2004 with Graham Goff and Shadwick Wilde (of the Quiet Hollers). During the prime age of the band and the first album, the lineup flourished to include Adam Buntain on Bass/Vox and Cody Nichols Drums/Vox.
50 years after the genre turned the music world upside-down, Grade 2 bring the raw power of old school punk to a new generation. Their second release on Tim Armstrong’s legendary Hellcat Records is a thumping 15 track tour de force melding the uncompromising ethos of punk with the howl of contemporary injustice, personal identity and frustrations of Gen-Z youth, authentically told by three lads with punk coursing through their veins.
Formed on their native Isle of Wight when they were just 14 years old, Jack Chatfield (guitar & vocals), Jacob Hull (drums) and Sid Ryan (bass & vocals) honed their craft covering punk pioneers before creating a sound uniquely theirs: ten years on, the eponymous ‘Grade 2’ is their magnus opus. From the complex rhythms and brutal two-note guitar of opening track ‘Judgement Day’, the record grabs by the scruff of the neck and never lets up. With a commitment to the cause, lead single ‘Doing Time’ is a thunderous hardcore punk track screaming “Spoon feed me corporate lies; I left that place with a noose to my neck.” Intertwined are upbeat bangers (‘Under the Streetlight’, ‘Celine’), classic pop-punk (‘Don’t Stand Alone’, ‘Fast Pace’), and savage old-school grit (‘Parasite’, ‘Gaslight’). The result is a bone-crunching 35-minutes that agitates, intoxicates and liberates in equal measure.
“Like everyone else, 2020 left us proper fucked off,” says frontman Sid Ryan. “Yet we were able to channel every ounce of that despair into every second of this record.”
“Returning to Ship Rec Studio resparked that magic dynamic” says guitarist Jack Chatfield. “When we’re in there I feel like we reach our full potential. Tim would offer tweaks and tips for some songs, while others he’d compliment as finished first time we played them.”
“We worked flat-out recording this record,” says drummer Jacob Hull, “but we never felt pressured, Tim keeping us in the zone to make the best tunes of our lives.”
Famed for blistering live performances and exceptional musicianship, the band have consolidated the essence of their live show in ‘Grade 2’. Tune in and turn up. Here’s a record to rattle your bones, stir your heart and have you singing till you’re hoarse like it’s the first day of punk.
The Code is a band from Pittsburgh PA
999 celebrated their first 40 years anniversary on 5th December 2016. The reason for their longevity is not airplay, massive publicity, hype or even a major recording deal but word of mouth and that “word of mouth” now extends to nearly every country on earth.
999 were first conceived in late 1976 when Nick Cash (vocals/guitar) and Guy Days (vocals/lead guitar), who were at school together, decided to form a group. Within a couple of months they had teamed up with Jon Watson (bass) and Pablo Labritain (drums) and 999 were officially born. Their first gig was at the Northampton Cricket Club in January 1977. Interest in the band was immediate and constant gigging around London brought with it critical acclaim and a hard core following of supporters from Southall, calling themselves “The Crew”. These ranks were soon swollen by the Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Munich, Vienna, Zagreb, Stockholm, Oslo, Berlin, New York, LA., Toronto, Philadelphia, and San Francisco “Crews” each proving as dedicated as the last.
The frenzy and raw energy of the early days were captured by their debut single “I’m Alive on the bands own Labritain label and sold well enough to become a minor hit. Next through their association with United Artists records the second and third singles, “Nasty Nasty” and the now classic “Emergency” were released both scaling the lower reaches of the charts and confirming 999 to be one of the major forces in the British New Wave Movement.
The first album titled simply “999” was released and was greeted with impressive sales and critical acclaim. Extensive touring took them throughout Britain and Europe where they now encountered full houses.
The second album “Separates” was released and immediately the single “Homicide” leapt straight into the UK top forty without any Radio airplay and was banned by the BBC and most radio stations.
Early 1979 saw the band embarking on their first U.S. tour, which was an achievement in itself, as they were still without a record deal in America at the time. Response to the band was ecstatic, all the venues being filled and import albums being sold out in a rush of enthusiasm. The band were immediately booked for a return trip.
Since leaving United Artists 999 have recorded another eleven albums. Jon Watson was replaced in 1986 on bass by Danny Palmer and subsequently by Arturo Bassick in 1991. To date the band have completed 15 U.S. tours, 101 London gigs, 36 UK tours and 24 European tours visiting Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Yugoslavia, Japan, Argentina and Brazil.
LeftJones | Chicago, Il
— The Chicago Surge —
God and his son.
DiffSound
24KGoldn is a rapper, singer, arranger and former USC student from San Francisco, California boasting hits such as “Valentino” and “City of Angels”. His debut EP, “Dropped Outta College” is out now on RECORDS CO/COLUMBIA RECORDS.
Liquid Signal was created, pressed, and suited to fulfill your musical tastes in early December 2011. Liquid Signal is post-rock and roll boredom, blaring guitar, fuzzed-out bass, ominous drums, and lyrics reflecting the vacancy of the mind. We are dedicated to churning out original material in the age of the ‘cover band’.
Book of Wyrms is a four-piece heavy metal psych band with extensive experience jamming in outer space since 2014.
Blues singer Willie Buck has been leading his own bands in Chicago for over forty years now. He has enjoyed the company of some of the city’s best sidemen. The Houston, Mississippi native and Chicago adoptive son, has signed a new contract with Delmar Records. Buck’s new exciting CD will be released next spring, right before the 2019 Chicago Blues Festival.
Formed in March 2018, the band chose to play rock music. When top execs ask what Murder Boots sounds like, they are told its basically Shonen Knife + Huey Lewis.
“Auris Apothecary is proud to present the debut release of brand-new Chicago duo DISPERSER, comprised of Joel Henline (Humans, Ex Fauna) and Thomas O’Connell (Hot Nerds). Anyone familiar with their other projects’ spastic and fast tendencies would be right to assume a similar vein, but the combination of DISPERSER’s collective careers is perhaps most potent in this stripped down, duo format. On their self-titled EP, DISPERSER blazes through 4 tracks of angular, unrelenting math punk with precision drumming and blast beat intensity, featuring confusing, dissonant riffs of pitch-shifted distortion and explosions of machine-gun rhythms that alter time-signatures nearly every other measure. The vocals scream with subconscious musings and the tempo never seems to decrease, placing DISPERSER (and the listener) into a perpetual state of visceral ferocity.”
– Auris Apothecary
Pioneers of the late 90’s pop-punk and geek rock movements, Nerf Herder are perhaps best known for their powerful theme to the iconic Joss Whedon TV show, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Formed in Santa Barbara, California in 1994, Nerf Herder was signed to major label Arista Records soon after their ironic tribute “Van Halen” stormed the Modern Rock charts in 1996. The video for their follow-up single, “Sorry”, featured Mark Hamill and Miguel Ferrer, and played regularly on MTV. Following years saw the band touring the world multiple times, and releasing a number of albums on various labels, including esteemed indie punk label Fat Wreck Chords and novelty powerhouse Oglio Records.
The current band features founding members Parry Gripp and Steve Sherlock, with Linus Dotson and Ben Pringle. Nerf Herder’s 5th album Rockingham is an explosion of geekiness with songs like “At The Con,” a song written after a performance at Atlanta’s DragonCon, “Ghostbusters III,” a lamenting tune about how the sequel will never be released, and “I’m The Droid (You’re Looking For),” which is made entirely of lines from Star Wars and was recorded at Skywalker Ranch. Other standout tracks include “We Opened for Weezer”, a song reminiscing Nerf Herder’s ’97 tour with Weezer, and “The Girl Who Listened to Rush”.
“They said we’d never make it this far, but here we are. We’re not stopping.”
Those are the first words the listener hears on The Old Firm Casuals’ new full-length, Holger Danske, and it doubles as the San Francisco street-punk band’s mission statement. Frontman Lars Frederiksen—yep, that Lars Frederiksen, the one who’s spent the past quarter-century writing, recording, performing and selling a few million records with punk icons Rancid—says even though he’s experienced massive success, the Casuals are just getting started.
“I always want to earn my stripes,” Frederiksen admits. “I don’t want to piggyback on anybody. Even in my most desperate times, I never took a handout. For me, it was the wrong thing to do to try and piggyback this band onto the back of Rancid. Rancid is its own entity. I always want to try to do things and have them succeed on their own merit. The Old Firm Casuals are a DIY band. We don’t have a manager. We book our own shows. This is the challenge and the fun of it.”
It’s that sort of intensity that has made The Old Firm Casuals—Frederiksen, guitarist Gabe Gavriloff, bassist Casey Watson and drummer Paul Rivas—surprisingly prolific and more than just a casual side project: Since their founding in 2010, the quartet has released more than a dozen EPs and split singles, as well as a raging debut full-length as a three-piece, This Means War, in 2014. But now, with the recent addition of virtuoso guitarist Gavriloff, the band is prepared to drop their finest work yet: Holger Danske, out March 15th on Pirates Press Records. What is Holger Danske, you ask? Well, you’re better off asking who?
“He’s Danish,” Frederiksen says. “There’s not much known about him, although he was a real guy. As the fable goes, he lives in the basement of a castle, and when Denmark is attacked, he will rise out of his chair and defend Denmark. In World War II, my uncle Vigo joined a Danish resistance movement called Holger Danske to fight against the Nazis. The Danish national team even put Holger Danske on their World Cup jersey.”
Frederiksen has frequently tapped into his Danish heritage and ancestry to fuel his songs, and Holger Danske is no different. One of the album’s standout tracks is “Motherland,” a hugely catchy, gritty punk song inspired by Frederiksen’s mother (a “straight off the boat” Danish immigrant, he says) that is explicitly about the way he wants to die, via (how else?) a Viking funeral.
“My mom was always like, ‘When I die, set me on fire and put me in the wind. Don’t put me in the ground, I don’t want to be cold,’” Frederiksen recalls. “I know it sounds weird, but that’s how that whole thing came to me.”
Holger Danske doesn’t hold back politically, either; “Traitor” is a circle pit waiting to happen, and it’s pretty damn clear which orange-skinned world leader it’s directed toward.
“I used to think people like George Bush and Ronald Reagan were bad, but now they got this fuckin’ guy?” Frederiksen says, exasperated. “I do my talking in music; I don’t try to preach to people. I think it turns people off. But music is a place where I can be artistic and also have my own opinion. A lot of these songs have this underlying theme of your immortality, and how temporary this life we lead is, and the fighting of oppression and fascism.”
The Old Firm Casuals’ sound, while rooted in the classic boot-stomping attack of Oi! and street-punk bands such as Cock Sparrer and The Exploited, isn’t afraid to delve deeper into rock history: “Casual Rock -N- Roll” channels Bon Scott-era AC/DC, while the epic, five-and-a-half-minute album closer “Zombie” feels like a long-lost Motörhead jam.
“Oi! music and punk music, that’s where I come from,” Frederiksen explains. “There’s always going to be that element in that music I make. But as I’ve gotten older and taken on the responsibility of writing a lot of these songs, my bandmates’ opinions and their tastes reflect in the music as well. It’s never really been a big secret that I love AC/DC and Motörhead—even KISS and Slade, bands like that. Those bands made a big impression on all of us. I’m never gonna get in the way of where a song is gonna go. If we feel like we’re writing a good song, then write the good song.”
As the frontman alludes, good songs can come from anywhere. Case in point, one of Holger Danske’s heaviest tracks, “Thunderbolt,” came from an unusual place: Frederiksen’s 7-year-old son Soren.
“He is a drummer. He’s very thunderous,” Frederiksen explains. “He’s got a little practice kit, and we’ll jam together. He’s really into thrash like Metallica, Slayer and Exodus, which are heavier than the Casuals usually are. I was trying to play something more hardcore that my son would jam to. For about a month-and-a-half, he would tell me to play this riff. So finally, I decided it was a pretty good riff and I brought it to the band, and it turns out a song I was jamming with my 7-year-old turned out to be pretty cool!”
That experience sums up Frederiksen’s overall motivation for making music: in order to be the best father and husband he can be, he has to play music.
“The goal for me is exorcise the demons,” he concludes. “It’s kind of a weird thing to say, but for me, if I don’t have music, I’m not alive. If I’m not creating something, I’m not living. I need to be playing music. That’s all I ever wanted to do and that’s all I ever will do. Only I can fuck that up.”
MKE Death Metal
“Everything is not meant to be understood,” says Flynt Flossy, creator of the unique style that is Turquoise jeep Records… Label heads Flynt Flossy and Whatchya felt industry boundaries were stifling their creativity. This encouraged them to combine their own talents with other like-minded artists and create a new genre of music, EMB (Existing Musical Beings) the definition of complete artistic freedom with no limitations.
Amain Berhane produces a casual and mellifluous style of R&B under the name Berhana. The singer, songwriter, and producer grew up near Atlanta, Georgia and was drawn to music as a youngster, but after high school he opted to study screenwriting at The New School in New York City and acted in some short films. Music eventually became another serious form of expression for Berhane. He made his recorded debut in 2016 with a self-titled and self-released EP. Among its six cuts was “Janet,” which paid tribute to actor Janet Hubert with a clever reference to her controversial replacement as Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Hubert caught the song’s video and expressed her appreciation via social media. Despite the support and increased exposure, Berhane opted to take his time with new material. In March 2018, the EP received another boost from Donald Glover’s Atlanta series, the “Money Bag Shorty” episode of which incorporated the closing ballad “Grey Luh.” A little over a week later, Berhane was back with a dazed cover of Wreckless Eric’s 1977 punk-pop classic “Whole Wide World.”
Chicago hardcore
Jordan
Drew
Mitch
Rios
Stone
Stevie Williams – Vocals
Jake Laderman – Drums
Jarrod Goon – Guitar
William Robinson – Guitar
Hanny J – Bass/Vocals
Simply put, this band delivers musically, spiritually, and energetically. Aerie Dover, Tony Montana, Pat Goode, and Quentin Dover have come together with an understanding of what they wanted, powerful fulfilling music that wasn’t safe or predictable. Its introspection combined with a commentary on society. Leaving fans jaw dropped at shows is what they do best. Come see for yourself!
“This is definitely the sound of accomplished musicians; all the elements work as layers, and the band has a keen sense of dynamics and ensemble playing.”
– Erik Oldman, Rock in Chicago Magazine (Oct 16, 2012)
“Aurora, Ill.-based quartet Kadooge starts each of the three tracks on its self-titled debut EP with a basic hard rock arrangement before shifting into more active and elaborate instrumental passages. Lead vocalist/guitarist Pat Goode conveys his emotionally-charged lyrics with a strong voice while guitarist Quentin Dover frequently takes off on new adventures. Bassist Aerie Dover and drummer Tony Montana also help listeners navigate the shifting tempos on the engaging “No Surprise” and “Broken Up In Pieces.” ”
– Terrence Flamm, Illinois Entertainer (May 01, 2013)
California’s SKELETAL REMAINS are proud to present the successor to 2018’s much-lauded “Devouring Mortality”. On September 11, 2020, the band will release “The Entombment Of Chaos”, their fourth and most accomplished studio album to date. While sticking to their blend of classic death metal from the early 90’s, SKELETAL REMAINS turned influences from Death, Obituary, Morbid Angel etc. into a darker, more consistent opus this time around. “There are a few more songs on seven-string guitar than the last album, making it an overall heavier sounding record. We also wanted to incorporate more aggression and brutality to give the album that extreme edge it needed to top our last three releases. In addition to that, we brought in our good friend Charlie Koryn (Funebrarum, Ascended Dead) on drums to add his own pummeling sound into the mix giving us an end result we’re all extremely proud of.” Formed in 2011, SKELETAL REMAINS released two acclaimed albums on FDA Rekotz and honed their skills on the road, playing an impressive amount of gigs early on in their career. With “Devouring Mortality”, the band took the proverbial next step. Tours with the likes of Obituary, Hatebreed, Municipal Waste, Power Trip, The Black Dahlia Murder, and many more followed, resulting in a loyal following worldwide. Now, the next chapter begins: “We feel this is a huge step up from our previous releases and cannot wait to share it with all fans of Death Metal! We hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!”
Chicago Hardcore
If the music of New York City is any indication of what’s ingrained in the hearts of its people, Brooklyn’s own MERAUDER epitomizes the underbelly of inner-city America at its grittiest and most fearless. While rebellion-hungry suburbanites and wannabe gangstas fall victim to current trends and faux tough posturing, the true warrior spirit that is MERAUDER remains the genuine article after nearly two decades.
Armed with a knuckle-dragging, heavy as shit, hardcore-meets-metal ferocity, MERAUDER’s sound has always reflected the band’s native Brooklyn upbringing and hard earned lessons in survival. Emerging from New York’s hardcore scene in 1990, MERAUDER released a pair of demos, gigged constantly with the likes of Sick of it All, Sheer Terror, Motorhead and Morbid Angel, and contributed a track to the now legendary 1992 hardcore compilation East Coast Assault. While the band claimed its turf in the NYC underground shortly after its formation, it wasn’t until 1995 and the recruitment of vocalist Jorge Rosado (Ragmen, Ill Nino) that MERAUDER’s threat came to lethal fruition.
Shortly after the addition of Rosado, MERAUDER inked a deal with Century Media Records. With the release of the band’s first full length, 1996’s Master Killer, MERAUDER unleashed a defining moment in metalcore and set new standards for metal and hardcore bands that would follow in their wake. Like their predecessors the Cro-Mags, Carnivore and Leeway, MERAUDER possessed a street-born spirit that shattered the sonic barriers of traditional hardcore. By incorporating thug-infused beats and death metal grooves into the hardcore punk battle cry, MERAUDER solidified itself as a menacing force and locked down one of the most terrorizing musical backdrops to urban blight ever recorded.
In the years following the success of Master Killer, the band scored an opening slot on Fear Factory’s ’96 US tour and in 1998 headed to Europe with Bohse Onkelz. 1999 and 2003 saw the release of Five Deadly Venoms and Bluetality, respectively, both of which continued in the revolutionary style of the band’s debut. Despite this seemingly unstoppable momentum, MERAUDER would soon endure numerous lineup changes, label woes, and the death of original guitarist Javier “SOB” Carpio (RIP) in 2006. The future for MERAUDER had been put on hold indefinitely.
Enter 2008. Driven by a manifest urgency to perpetuate the natural evolution of what was started nearly 20 earlier, Rosado resurrected MERAUDER with fresh blood and renewed fervor, assembling the most cohesive lineup since the band’s inception. While embarking on tours throughout Europe and Japan alongside metal giants Obituary and Exodus, MERAUDER caught the attention of current manager, Obituary’s Frank Watkins, and later, renowned extreme metal label Regain Records. The undeniable chemistry between Drew Smerdon (Bass), Dave Stafford (Guitar), Darian Polach (Guitar), Bobby Blood (Drums, ex-First Blood, Crematorium) and Rosado proved to be a fertile union for birthing an unholy beast of a record as only MERAUDER can: God Is I.
The most focused recording since Master Killer, God is I (June 2009) finds MERAUDER in perfect form. Melding the band’s roots with a modern bite, the intent becomes immediately clear within seconds of the album’s suckerpunch opening riff; “Until” hones in on its listener and the chase begins. Runaway freight train grooves, mid-paced stomps, seething gang vocals and death metal drenched riffs all find themselves vying for supremacy amidst their patented NYHC delivery. From the punishing hooks and wailing solo on “Built on Blood” (featuring guest vocals by fellow Brooklyn Bastard Mike Scondotto of Inhuman) to the eviscerating Latin tongue of “Ahora,” the powerhouse vocals of Rosado single-handedly carry and crown the massive weight of MERAUDER’s latest.
Beaten up but never beaten down, God is I pushes MERAUDER to the forefront of modern metal alongside heavyweights Lamb of God, Hatebreed and Shadows Fall. A true testament to the “never say die” New York City sensibility, God is I carves a new path for MERAUDER in 2009, demanding redemption once and for all for metalcore’s unsung pioneers.
The one line summary: More metal than core, these pioneers raise their genres bar on brutality.
Yeah I know…NYHC…metalcore, all names you’ve heard to describe Merauder and blah-blah not your thing, but seriously, just shut up and listen to this album closely. There is more metal on “God Is I” than on many “metal” bands albums this past year! (You can fill in your own blanks, I get myself in enough trouble) Merauder, like all ____core suffers the same dilemma of not much room to roam, but the band do create what is the best balance of metal and hardcore in recent memory. Merauder nod to their influences of metal and hardcore days gone by and say “I’ll take it from here”. They’re not asking.
I didn’t get the cover of ‘See You In Hell’ with my copy but I can assure you track by track, it’s all worth listening too. Opener ‘Until’ let’s you know right off you’re in for a furious fusion of metal and hardcore, and providing a chant worthy chorus of “Crush, Your Enemies!”. ‘Built on Blood’ is a great example of what Merauder are all about these days, ‘Gangsta’ is catchy as hell, and ‘Ahora’ which is in Spanish so I can’t tell you shit about it other than that (Is that Castro in there?). The whole album is loaded with strong musicianship, focused songwriting, lyrics grounded in reality that everyday mere mortals can relate to, and a serious sense of purpose. The funny thing is, I have little in common with the hardcore crowd in most any way, but the things hardcore and metal have always shared is rage and a fuck you attitude. This bond has never been more evident than it is on “God Is I”, the album says “I’m gonna kick your ass and you’ll like it….bitch”. Merauder have things in common with their peers, but they aren’t trying to be like their peers, instead they focus on fully representing who they are, where they came from, and why you’d better get out of their way. All without any regard as to whether anyone likes them or not.
Guitar solos, real ones, with bite to them…didn’t expect me to say that about this album did you? Well guess what, they’re good! The guitar playing in general by Darian, Dave and and bassist Drew helps keep things interesting throughout and prevents it from feeling like just another hardcore album. Same with the drumming, where Bobby adds some amperage by leaning heavier into metal than I’ve ever heard him play before. The production providing added punch. Of course, Jorge Rosado (ex-Ill Niño) gives us his rancorous roar that goes from hardcore to guttural in range, and he sounds fuckin’ pissed. Despite line up changes (and losses), “label woes”, and other problems, Jorge has steered the beasts from Brooklyn to what is honestly one of the hardest hitting and most highly rated – but poorly promoted – albums of 2009. “God Is I” does what this music is supposed to do, it makes you want to fuck shit up. Period. Merauder have been around, and have influenced a great number of bands themselves, now a whole new generation are discovering them and the band can take credit for giving new life to a genre that really, really needed it.
Get some.
Rhoda Dakar began her musical career as lead vocalist with all female 2 Tone band, The Bodysnatchers. They only ever released two singles, ‘Let’s Do Rocksteady’ and ‘Easy Life’. After a year together they split and Rhoda went on to guest with The Specials in Europe and the USA, having featured on their second album, ‘More Specials’. After their demise, and before joining Jerry Dammers’ new project, she recorded The Bodysnatchers’ first original song, ‘The Boiler’, a harrowing tale of date rape, which was inevitably banned. The Special AKA spent the next two years recording ‘In The Studio’, spawning a top ten hit with ‘Free Nelson Mandela’. Disillusioned, Rhoda left the music business, only returning occasionally to guest with friends like Dr Robert, The Communards and Apollo 440.
In the early noughties, Rhoda was enticed back by the opportunity to work with both Pauline Black of The Selecter and Jennie Matthias of The Bellestars. Though the project was short-lived, she was back on the road and soon began writing and recording again. In 2006, Rhoda released her first solo album, the semi acoustic ‘Cleaning In Another Woman’s Kitchen’, followed in 2009 by ‘Back To The Garage’, an old school Garage Rock album with collaborator Nick Welsh. In the meantime, she was featured on Madness’ brilliant ‘Liberty Of Norton Folgate’ album, duetting ‘On The Town’. Rhoda has appeared with them from time to time in venues as varied as Newmarket racecourse, London’s O2 Arena in Greenwich and the House Of Fun weekender in Butlins Minehead. Five years after recording the album, Rhoda finally got to play a set featuring songs from ‘Back To The Garage’ at Blackpool’s famed Rebellion Punk Festival, with longtime friend Tony Feedback, aka Tony Perfect, guitars turned up to eleven!
In 2015, she released what has been hailed as “the lost 2Tone album”, ‘Rhoda Dakar sings The Bodysnatchers’, including many previously unrecorded tracks. It was crowd funded through Pledgemusic, reaching the target in just 16 days! Featuring old friends from The Specials, Horace Panter and Lynval Golding, plus the cream of current Ska scene musicians. It was launched on Halloween at London’s Jazz Café to the delight of many fans from back in the day.
The LoTek Four, Vol II EP was released on 26 October 2018. Beautifully packaged and available on four track vinyl and vinyl effect CD. Recorded at Paul Weller’s Black Barn Studio on a day trip. Volume I features her regular band playing live, all together and vibing off each other. The EP has a great old skool feel; wonderfully mixed and produced by Ska/Reggae guitarist Lenny Bignell and then mastered by Mr Dubstep, Jason Goz. So, even when the tunes are jazzy, there’s a nod to the blues dance. As a reaction to this year’s school shootings in Florida, Rhoda has recorded a version of Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’, her modified lyrics reflecting the young people’s plight and fightback.
An in demand DJ, Rhoda is known for playing Rocksteady and Early Reggae. However, with an eclectic musical taste, there will always be a sprinkling of the unexpected. Taking the crowd along with her, she played Arabic pop, Punk, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Grime and Dubstep as The Selecter’s tour DJ on their recent USA West Coast outing, joining them onstage for the encore!
Rhoda has a neat sideline in writing sleeve notes and has curated a brace of compilation albums, ‘Ska Madness’ volumes 1 (for which she just received a gold record) and 2. Having first trod the boards at the end of the Sixties, she now draws on her considerable experience to teach vocals and performance to some very talented young people. As a compere, Rhoda has hosted the Literary Stage at Rebellion Punk Festival and December 2016’s Concert For Corbyn at the Brighton Dome!
Superkick is an alternative indie quartet from Chicago, IL. Superkick is Vocalist and guitarist Mike Vaughn, Vocalist and Guitarist Joey Youngs, Drummer Tom Ruby, and Vocalist and Bassist Colin Kaniff. Check us out on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter boys and girls. Superkick to the face.
Breether is the solo project of Zac Bron. Spreading funky vibrations to be received by the ear.
instrumental surf rock power trio
Raised in Wisconsin, Rebekah started performing stand up in local Wisconsin bars and coffee shops. Now residing in Chicago, she is quickly making a name for herself performing in local Chicago bars and coffee shops. Movin’ on up, she recently opened for Gilbert Gottfried. Her comedy and style have often been called “very Midwest” so you know you’re bound to have a good time.
During its early years, hip hop was known for its raw panoramic depictions of urban street life. In an effort to yield the most accurate content, descriptions were often presented in a severely sparse and straightforward tone. The Bronx-bred The Ultramagnetic MCs didn’t fit the mold, but they were a significant force in the budding hip hop movement. Originating in the mid-‘80s, the group leaped into the scene with bizarre metaphors, a complex vocabulary, and boasts of an absurd nature. Another innovation introduced by the crew was their style of production. While most hip hop of the ‘80s merely consisted of recycled disco breaks, Ced Gee — The Ultramagnetic MCs’ primary in-house producer — was one of the first hip hop composers to deconstruct existing samples and rearrange them to create an entirely new musical organism. While they are perhaps one of the genre’s most overlooked groups, The Ultramagnetic MCs were prolific and responsible for launching the careers of several other prominent hip hop figures.
Formed in hip hop’s famed birthplace of The Bronx and comprised of MCs Kool Keith and Ced Gee and DJ duo T.R. Love and Moe Love, The Ultramagnetic MCs’ first release was the 1985 12” To Give You Love (Diamond International). The following year, they released the 12” Ego Trippin (1986 Next Plateau Records), which acquired a global buzz and still holds strong to its status as a hip hop classic. In 1987, the group rearranged a Joe Cocker drum sample for their third 12” release, Funky/Mentally Mad (Next Plateau Records), which became a hit like the MCs’ previous release and is noted for its wordplay. Funky/Mentally Mad has since become one of hip hop’s most prestigious collector’s items.
At this point, a good amount of hype had begun to encircle the crew. Kool Keith’s oddball lyrics were some of the first to efficiently rhyme polysyllabic words together and his fondness for unorthodox topics put him in a realm all his own. Meanwhile, Ced Gee’s production was also drawing interest. Apart from his work with Ultramagnetic, Ced Gee also worked alongside artists like the legendary group Boogie Down Productions, for whom he contributed a sizable amount of production for their watershed debut album Criminal Minded (1987 B-Boy Records). While Ced Gee is not credited for his work on Criminal Minded, the album’s uncharacteristic sampling of artists like AC/DC is certainly indicative of Ced Gee’s revolutionary manipulation of samples.
Following the trio of well-received singles, The Ultramagnetic MCs released their first full-length album, Critical Beatdown (Next Plataue), in 1988. Though the album was somewhat disappointing in terms of sales, Critical Beatdown is widely considered a hip hop classic. Songs like “Break North” and “One Minute Less” highlight Kool Keith’s absurd lyrics, which vividly paint an abstract but immensely enjoyable rhythmic picture. These eccentric musings would be an early indicator of later Kool Keith projects rooted in absurdity. Ced Gee’s production techniques were also snagging plenty of attention and his re-working of samples for Critical Beatdown is often credited as having pioneered the “golden-age of sampling,” an era later made famous by legendary hip hop producers like DJ Premiere and Pete Rock. Just as Ultramagnetic’s debut is an amalgamation of the music of other artists like James Brown, The Meters, Afrika Bambaata, and Kraftwerk, Critical Beatdown has subsequently been sampled by the likes of The Prodigy and Nas. The album’s first single was “Traveling at the Speed of Thought” with the b-side “A Chorus Line,” which has arguably surpassed the original single in popularity and also introduced fellow-Bronx rapper Tim Dog.
A mere one-album into their careers, the group temporarily disbanded in 1990. Most of the members of Ultramagnetic MCs kept a low profile. However, Ced Gee continued to involve himself in productions, including the track “Fuck Compton” from Tim Dog’s album Penicillin on Wax (1991 Ruffhouse). The song was a scathing response to several Los Angeles-based rappers who were flamboyantly championing the West Coast’s newly found mainstream visibility. “Fuck Compton” is often seen as one of the pivotal songs in the formation of the tense West versus East Coast feud.
The Ultramagnetic MCs reformed and released their second album, Funk Your Head Up (Mercury), in 1992. Now on a major label, the quartet’s music was pushed in a more commercially viable direction. While the group recorded Funk Your Head Up in their typical fashion, mixing and remixing duties were outsourced to producers outside of the Ultramagnetic camp at the label’s demand. Thus, the final product was not completely in-line with the uniqueness the group had built their name on. Consequently, the album’s commercial feel repelled longtime fans. The non sequitur feel of he album also did nothing to improve the album’s sales. The only remotely successful element of the Bronx crew’s sophomore album was a remix of the track “Poppa Large,” re-worked by New York production mainstays Da Beatminerz. However, this mix was not included on Funk Your Head Up.
Their third full-length album, 1993’s The Four Horsemen (Wild Pitch), is not only a return to the strange sensibility The Ultramagnetic MCs had originally built their reputation upon, but it is also the group’s most esoteric and dark effort to date. Manifesting their ability to evolve their sound to coincide with the evolution of hip hop, The Ultramagnetic MCs implemented a smokier and jazzier feel, similar to the jazz-powered groves in the music of other contemporary groups of the time like A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets. The entire group contributed to the production of The Four Horsemen and they also recruited the services of fledgling underground producer Godfather Don, who helped fine-tune the Jazz-based feel of the group’s new sound. Kool Keith’s lyrical imagery is as otherworldly as ever and a welcome return to form for hardcore fans. Despite the fairly positive response to the Bronx-crew’s third album, they decided to split up again. Kool Keith went to work with Godfather Don, calling their duo The Cenobites (named after the hermit-like conditions they recorded in). In 1993, they released Cenobites LP (Fondle).
While Ultramagnetic MCs were split up, the compilation The Basement Tapes 1984-1990 (1994 Tuff City) surfaced, most notable for its immensely rugged sound-quality due to its decrepit source cassette tapes. Subsequently, several Ultramagnetic releases were also released while the group was still separated, including New York What Is Funky (1996 Tuff City), Mo Love’s Basement Tapes (1996 Old Skool Flava), The B-Side Companion (1997 Next Plateau), and finally Smack My Bitch Up (1998 Tuff City).
Meanwhile, Kool Keith steadily began to emerge as one of underground hip hop’s most iconic figures. Recording under the first of many aliases, Kool Keith adopted the lyrical guise of Dr. Octagon and released Dr. Octagonecologyst (Dreamworks) in 1996. Dr. Octagonecologyst was produced by fellow hip hop innovator Dan the Automator and was supplemented by the scratches from the prolific DJ, Q-Bert. The album has been called a “psychedelic concept album” and fused an enthusiasm for horror, science fiction, and pornographic films. The Bronx-born MC then recorded his first solo album under his original moniker, Kool Keith. Further exploring the pornographic themes from Dr. Octagonecologyst, Kool Keith dropped the album Sex Style (Funky Ass Records) in 1997, which Keith claimed was the first album in the genre “pornocore.” Two years later, Kool Keith took another alias and recorded First Come, First Served (Funky Ass Records) under the name Dr. Dooom. While Dr. Octagon was a gynecologist with clandestine intentions, Dr. Dooom was a deranged serial killer who kills Dr. Octagon in a skit on the album — a move many critics felt was symbolic of Kool Keith attempting to again stray towards more street-centered themes. Keith followed up with Black Elvis/Lost in Space (1999 Ruffhouse) that same year before releasing sequel albums for both Dr. Octagon with The Return of Dr. Octagon (OCD International) in 2006 and Dr. Dooom’s Dr. Dooom 2 (Threshold) in 2008. He also unleashed several more releases under the name Kool Keith, such as Matthew (Funky Ass Records) in 2000 and Spankmaster (TVT) in 2001.
After The Ultramagnetic MCs collectively released a single titled “Make it Rain” in 2001, it was believed that a reunion was imminent. Finally, over twenty years after their formation, the group released The Best Kept Secret (DMAFT) in 2007. One of hip hop’s most daring groups, The Ultramagnetic MCs innovated the art form of MCing by highlighting language. They showed that the MC is not merely a competitor but also a poet. Not content to match their lyrical dexterity with ready-made compositions, the group revolutionized the art of sampling as well and stand as one of hip hop’s most groundbreaking groups.
Based out of Fort Worth, Texas, The Unlikely Candidates are an indie rock band initially formed as an acoustic duo by childhood friends Kyle Morris and Cole Male in 2008. Eventually expanding the lineup to include guitarist Brenton Carney, bassist Jared Hornbeek, and drummer Kevin Goddard, the band was also able to expand its sound in bigger, more sweeping directions. In 2013, the band signed on with major-label Atlantic and released their debut EP, Follow My Feet. In early 2016, the Unlikely Candidates returned with a hooky new single in “You Love Could Start a War,” which made a strong showing on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart.
Rock Duo, The Score, channel fearless rock ferocity with fuzzy guitar riffs and adrenaline pumping beats, dressed in pop hooks and motivational declarations. The LA-based NYC transplants have become a mainstay on the Billboard Rock Songs and iTunes Alternative charts, rubbing shoulders with bands like Fall Out Boy and Imagine Dragons.
In October of 2017, the duo released their self-written, self-produced and self-mixed debut album ATLAS on Republic Records, debuting at #7 on the iTunes U.S. Alternative Albums chart. Its leading single “Legend” became the ubiquitous sports anthem of 2017 and the theme song of the NBA playoffs.
That energy transformed the New York-born and Los Angeles-based duo into a genredefying phenomenon, incinerating the lines between rock, pop, indie, and electronic. Powered by anthems such as “Legend,” and “Unstoppable,” The Score reached hundreds of millions of cumulative streams within four years’ time over the course of three EPs — Unstoppable and Myths & Legends and Stay — and a 2017 full-length debut, ATLAS.
As they ignited venues across North America, Europe, UK and China, their music also began to become omnipresent in movies and television, with songs placed in Power Rangers, Sing Street, Pitch Perfect 3 in addition to campaigns for Jeep, NBA, the Daytona 500 and most recently the NFL playoffs including the Super Bowl.
Inspired by rap adjacent artists Post Malone and K. Flay they began writing in Los Angeles and collaborating with a bevy of high-profile artists, writers and producers including, JT Daly [K. Flay], Heavy [Dirty Heads, Saint Motel, Sleeping with Sirens], and Dave Bassett [Elle King, Vance Joy].
The Score’s new EP Stay, out now, is harder and darker than Pressure. Pressure highlighted how to improve yourself and face that inner conflict and the pressures that life throws at you; while Stay is about staying true to who you are as people from the outside world and from within. Stay explores the darker side of the human pursuit.The Stay EP features songs such as “Rush”, “In My Bones”, “Run Like A Rebel” and their new single, “Stay.”
The Score is set to go out for their third US headline tour in 2020.
A recovering alcoholic and queer comedian, Cameron is a loud, abrasive, and absurdly honest person. Hailing from Chicago, they have been performing all over the country in various clubs, punk house basements, bars, living rooms, and pretty much anywhere that will let them (Laugh Factory, Midwest Queer Comedy Festival, Milwaukee Comedy Festival). For the last 5 years, Cameron has yelled about a lot of weird things. It will be loud. It will be weird.
Germ Ripper has been a mainstay of the Chicago punk rock scene for the past 20 years. He has always been able to interject his irrelevant humor into his performances as the frontman of The Rotten Fruits and Modern Day Rippers. Now on his own, he’s come to take the comedy world by storm and take no prisoners.
a cinematic musical experience based in Milwaukee WI. Ambient rock riffs ebb and flow to smashing crescendo, accompanied by a live video score presented by Stephen Anderson.
The conception of Voimaton (VOI‧ma‧tOn) began immediately following the demise of Narcotic in 2016, whose lineup included Dave and Pat. While the project had no official name, and despite numerous false-starts throughout 2017 and 2018, Henry (ex-Sable Beldam) was welcomed into the fold in November 2018 to help bring Voimaton into the physical realm, solidifying the trio.
Playing B side wedding covers. 80’s dance tunes with some yacht rock mixed in.
King Ropes, an experimental garage band from Bozeman, Montana, effortlessly couples the inventiveness of The Pixies and the alternative country twang of Wilco with remarkable results. Psychedelic hard country shoe gaze garage roots rock, ya know?
One hears an eclectic range of influences at work, from The Velvet Underground to Willie Nelson, The Swans to Kurt Vile and Flaming Lips, Beck to Built to Spill, X to Kraftwerk.
ALL FOR HELLBORN
Tim Engelhardt – Vocals
Eric Lauder – Guitar
Erik Partin – Guitar
Rian Staber – Bass
Mike Jurysta – Drums
Coffin Rot is gory, no frills death metal for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Morta Skuld, Obituary, etc.