RUBY CLARET
Chicago burlesque performer, crafty cat lady, and naked baker.
FAE BEGUILE
Fae Beguile is sugar and spice with a lot of bite. She loves combining her enchanting energy with her favorite music to deliver one hell of a dance. Inspired by fantasy and folklore, she reaches into her Irish roots to give audiences a taste of the fae with a punk rock edge.
SHIMMY LAROUX
I came dead last in my debutante class, but will ALWAYS come first in your hearts. I’m a gal who can set a 22 piece table and enjoy a 3 martini lunch (dirty gin please….). Stop by and say hello, I’ll be sure to have something ready.
LILLY RASCAL
This heart breaker is ready to kick your ass while you can kiss hers! She teaches and tours, bringing her energetic rock and roll burlesque to the stage and the studio. With over 10 years of dance and acting experience under her skirt, she drives to bring an interesting and different experience to the world of burlesque. “She ensnared her audience with her forceful dancing”- Cloud Orchid Magazine. Having featured at the Ohio burlesque festival and the Empire burlesque festival, she is the original rascal without a cause, it’s Lilly Rascal!
BLACK BEAR RODEO
four boys from sucktown looking for health insurance. As losers of the Metallica hit the stage competition we will play music for food.
DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO
After years of playing in bands that inevitably fell apart, as bands so often do, keyboard player Delvon Lamarr landed in a different kind of group: one founded by his wife and manager, Amy Novo. She created the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio so her husband could fully focus on the things he does best: writing and playing music.
With a deep soul backbone augmented by jazz, rhythm & blues and rock ’n’ roll, the Seattle trio — Lamarr on B-3 organ, Jimmy James on guitar and David McGraw on drums — evokes a classic instrumental sound with a fresh, virtuosic sensibility all its own on debut LP Close But No Cigar. The band put out the album independently in 2016, and Colemine Records gives it a wide release in March.
All three musicians knew each other from the local soul scene. When Novo founded the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio in 2015, Lamarr asked McGraw if he was interested in joining the band. After playing for a year with another guitarist in the group, Lamarr invited James to sit in as a substitute one night at the trio’s regular Tuesday gig, and he never left. That’s when the band truly found its sound. “We had chemistry right out of the gate, and that doesn’t always happen,” Lamarr says.
In fact, the keyboardist and guitarist say they’re constantly engaged in a game of name-that- tune, throwing in licks from obscure soul or rhythm & blues tunes and seeing where the other takes it, while McGraw sits back in the pocket and keeps things moving. “It puts you on the edge of your seat, like, I don’t know what’s going to happen here,” James says. “It’s like going out into the middle of the forest with nothing, and there’s bears and wolves all around, and seeing if you can make it out.”
Their chemistry stems from each musician’s unique abilities. James describes McGraw as having “that rare soul sound. He’s got this light touch, but it still tells you, ‘I’m here.’ You feel it.” Meanwhile, Lamarr holds down basslines on the organ that are so vivid that audience members sometimes ask where the bass player is. “His left hand is second to none,” James says. “He’s got that, but he’s also got this wild approach. He goes for it, and he’s fearless about it.”
Though James is more modest about his own abilities — “I mostly just go for what I feel,” he says — his bandmates complete the picture. “When Jimmy joined the band, everybody who was a regular at that club said, ‘That’s it: that’s the band right there,’” Lamarr says.
Lineup thus complete, the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio spent those Tuesday night sets honing its sound, often creating songs onstage in the middle of gigs. “It gave us a lot of freedom to explore,” says McGraw, who also plays with James in the local soul band the True Loves. “So much of the songwriting, and our ability to improv together, came from those live shows.”
The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio recorded Close But No Cigar soon after James joined the band. “Those originals came together pretty quickly, and we were still kind of learning them when we went in to record the record,” McGraw says. While Novo handles the business end of the group (and others that Lamarr plays in), the musicians have logged countless hours onstage together, resulting in a trio that’s tighter than ever. In addition to the tunes on Close But No Cigar, they have a stockpile of new material they’re looking forward to taking on the road and, by the end of the year, recording for a second album.
“It means a lot to me that people dig what we do,” Lamarr says. “I just want people to feel it, basically. So far, it seems to be going pretty well.”
JAM CITY COLLECTIVE
The Jam City Collective is a Chicago-based funk/soul band with a strong influence from the legends of groove past and present
KRYSTAL PETERSON & THE QUEEN CITY BAND
“Meet Krystal Peterson & The Queen City Band. While Peterson’s multi-octave vocal range is enough to get your blood pumping, she’s also backed by an entourage of talent from brass to beats. The Queen City Band could easily back Sharon Jones’ sultry chops or Black Joe Lewis’ garage funk licks, but Krystal Peterson has enough wind in her pipes to level every skyscraper in Cincinnati, so they’ve got their work cut out for them.” -David Hampton | Contributing Editor, Sly Vinyl
Krystal Peterson has been performing for many years seizing opportunities in music, television, and cinema. Most recently, Krystal has been connecting with audiences worldwide touring as lead singer of Grammy award-winning bassist Victor Wooten’s band, in addition she has launched her own collective, the Queen City Band. They are performing locally and abroad. Their newest record, Spell, recently making it’s debut, is characteristically soulful music with fiery female vocals, strong hooks, anthemic phrases, and contagious beats. Krystal sings deeply and straight from the heart. She has a passion for people, for her community, & for the integration of music into a multiplicity of avenues to better well-being and health for all.
YOUNGBLOOD SUPERCULT
Youngblood Supercult is an American stoner rock band from Topeka, Kansas. The band’s line-up consists of Bailey Smith (guitar), David Merrill (vocals), Weston Alford (drums), and Brad Morris (bass). The group has been categorized as hard rock, stoner rock, and heavy blues. Their sophomore album, High Plains (2016) garnered substantial reviews and ranked at number two on the label and critic-backed Doom Charts for March 2016. They have been consistently touring various U.S. cities since their latest release, and have signed to DHU Records for a limited vinyl release of High Plains. Currently, they are mixing tracks for their third studio album, “The Great American Death Rattle,” to be co-released by The Company & DHU Records.
RUBY THE HATCHET
CORY HENRY: THE REVIVAL PROJECT
Cory Henry is a multi-instrumentalist and producer with a catalog worthy of a man twice his age. His primary instrument is the organ, and he began playing at the age of two. At the age of six he competed at the Apollo Theater and made it to the finalist round. In 2010, he co-produced Jay White’s “Larger than Life”. Later that year he released his first album “Christmas With You”, which featured his lively renditions of Christmas classics and prominently showcased his skill as an improviser. Kim Burrell’s Grammy nominated and Stellar Award winning “Love” album released in 2011 boasted several tracks that were written and produced by Henry. Later on that year, he released a single entitled “Leave Me Alone” featuring his vocal artistry.
At the tender age of nineteen he had the opportunity to begin traveling with the Jazz legend Kenny Garrett as his organist in a stint that lasted three years. He has done television work playing on the third season of Sunday’s Best for BET and on the Jimmy Fallon Show. He has worked with Aretha Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Sara Bareilles, Stanley Brown, Ray Chew And The Crew, P. Diddy, Kirk Franklin, Rob Glasper, Ron Grant, Lalah Hathway, Derrick Hodge, Israel Houghton, Joe, Shaun Kingston, Donald Lawrence, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, Michael McDonald, Boyz 2 Men, NAS, Snarky Puppy, Tommy Sims, Bruce Springsteen, The Roots, Hezekiah Walker, Bishop Jeffrey White, the late Timothy Wright, and many others. Henry’s awe-inspiring impromptu YouTube performances have gained him a loyal and sizable following. His latest release, “First Steps” was released in the July 2014 and was celebrated on iTunes as “New and Noteworthy” and debuted #1 on the iTunes charts. He is currently touring with Snarky Puppy, his own band “The Funk Apostles” and lending his talent to the production of several projects for other artists.
RAELYN NELSON BAND
As an emerging female country artist in Nashville, history suggests that the quickest path to success is somehow aligning oneself with one of the major publishers, producers, songwriters, labels, or managers that are the heart of Music Row. So what do you do if you are an emerging female country artist in Nashville, and also happen to be the granddaughter of musical icon, Willie Nelson?
You hook up with an independent producer and veteran of the rock/punk scene, write some songs that are part Loretta Lynn, part Cheap Trick, and form the Raelyn Nelson Band.
Raelyn Nelson has been singing since she can remember. Having been raised on a steady diet of traditional country and gospel music, a gift from her grandpa in the form of a guitar during her teenage years was the inspiration she needed to begin writing her own country and folk songs.
Looking for a place to record these songs, a mutual friend suggested
JB (Jonathan Bright), a veteran of the underground rock scene and independent producer. After recording some of these early songs, they decided to try to write some things together and see what happened.
The result? A completely fresh and original sound, a true hybrid referred to by some critics as “Country/Garage Rock.”
When they aren’t recording their songs or making music videos, they are on the road taking their high energy live show to the people. Having shared the stage with such diverse musical acts as country superstar Tim McGraw, indie rock icons Drivin’ n Cryin’, and jam band supergroup Hard Working Americans, the RNB is proving that you don’t have to fit neatly into any particular “genre” to find success.
“I don’t really have any desire to be a ‘solo-artist’. Everyone in my family who plays music has always placed a lot of importance on band chemistry, on stage, off stage and in the studio. Our band can almost read each other’s minds. Why would I mess with that? We try to keep it simple: Write songs we like, record them, make a video, then go out and play them for people.”- Raelyn Nelson
HEXADIODE
Melodically infectious and rich in hooks, while still staying true to the artistic and experimental edges that keep the genre of dark electronica moving forward.
BELL WITCH
With their third full-length album, “Mirror Reaper,” Seattle’s doom metal duo BELL WITCH have created a truly enormous work – one continuous 83-minute piece unfolding as a single track.
Engineered and mixed by veteran producer Billy Anderson (Swans, Sleep, Neurosis), the duo of Dylan Desmond (bass, vocals) and Jesse Shreibman (drums, vocals, organ) have pushed the band’s sound further than it’s ever gone before. While retaining the monolithic heaviness of their previous releases, “Mirror Reaper” sees the band explore the more meditative, melancholy, and introspective aspects to their sound through the introduction of long, lonely organ passages and the return of honorary BELL WITCH member, vocalist Erik Moggridge (Aerial Ruin), offering a prominent presence.
Formed by Desmond and ex-drummer/vocalist Adrian Guerra, BELL WITCH released their first self-titled demo in 2011 and partnered with Profound Lore Records for their debut album, “Longing,” in 2012. The duo’s second LP, the acclaimed “Four Phantoms” (2015) was recognized as one of doom metal’s triumphs of the year. The band extensively toured in North America and Europe, securing notable festival appearances (Roadburn, Basilica Soundscape, Sled Island, Psycho CA).
On the themes surrounding the concept and lyrics of “Mirror Reaper” the band state:
“The title ‘Mirror Reaper’ is indicative of the Hermetic axiom ‘As Above, So Below,’ written with two sides to form one whole. The song is both its own and its reflection, as an opposite is whole only with its contrary. Our focus as a band has always been the perception of ghosts and the implied archetype of the dichotomy of life/death therein. ‘Mirror Reaper’ is a continuation of that concept.
During the writing process we were devastated by the loss of our dear friend and former drummer, Adrian Guerra. In love and respect to his memory, we reserved an important yet brief section in the song for him that features unused vocal tracks from our last album. This specific movement serves as a conceptual turn in the piece, or point of reflection. We believe he would be proud of it as well.
‘Mirror Reaper’ was the first collaborative writing project with the new line up, and Adrian’s death during it brought extra emotional weight. We sought to match the complexity and weight of these events within the composition of the piece.”
DEACON BLUES
Deacon Blues was born in the twelfth year of the 21st century. Eleven stellar musicians, composers and educators based in Chicago, they share a unique passion for the Becker/Fagen repository, better known to the world as Steely Dan.
The genesis of Deacon Blues began when Steven Kikoen, Jon Hey, and Cash Michaels formed an original jazz/rock collective known as Bebop Daddys. The Daddys also featured the renowned rhythm section of Tom Mendel (bass–Hamilton) and Tom Hipskind (drums–Hamilton). Considered a Daddys fan, Donald Fagen can be seen in many a YouTube video sporting his Bebop Daddys “Tee.”
Steve, Jon and Cash formed a bond within the Daddys which has followed them into Deacon Blues. Under Steve’s leadership, and with the addition of newest “Deacon” Thomas Linsk, the group reads as a “who’s who” of world-class musicians. Chicago luminaries and Grammy® winners such as Howard Levy (Kenny Loggins, Paul Simon, Béla Fleck), Paul Wertico (Pat Metheny, Wertico, Cain, & Gray); Wally Hustin (Phoebe Snow, Dave Mason, Mark Stern, David Benoit), Chuck Webb (Aretha Franklin, Ramsey Lewis, & Al Di Meola); Sugar Blue (The Rolling Stones); Billy Branch (The Sons of Blues); Khari Parker (George Benson, Destiny’s Child); Richard Patterson (Miles Davis, Boz Skaggs), and Bob Lizik (The Beach Boys; Brian Wilson) have been featured as special guests with the band. Recently, original Dan session musician and legendary drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie appeared with Deacon Blues at one of their sold-out Arcada Theatre shows. The band also plans on featuring famed bassist and producer Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny, The Impossible Gentlemen) and prolific drum legend Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius) at future shows as well.
This stunning collective is essentially the personification of what The Dan did on record. Steely Dan is well known for attracting only the top studio musicians in the world for their albums. The Deacons are doing what The Dan did on record – but they’re doing it live on stage. Speaking of “The Deacons” – that is actually the moniker of Deacon Blues’ alter ego – their original band. With support from legendary Chicago FM radio station personalities such as Bob Stroud (WDRV–The Drive), Richard Milne & Terri Hemmert (WXRT–Chicago’s Finest Rock) and Scott Mackay (WERV–The River) as well as WGN Television, The Deacons will be debuting their first album of original music, in a similar musical landscape as ‘The Dan,’ in 2017.
Deacon Blues has structured their live repertoire to encompass a wider range of the Dan’s prolific material – including rarities as well as repertoire from the Dan’s 1991 reunion prototype — The New York Rock & Soul Revue. Deacon Blues has consistently played to sold-out audiences, and has appeared on regional and national television. As the song goes . . .“Close your eyes, and you’ll be there.”
In the words of legendary Chicago FM Radio personality Bob Stroud, “If you are a Dan fan, you owe it to yourself to see Deacon Blues — they’ve got all the right musicians with all the right chops — they are an incredible tribute to the music of Steely Dan!”
In the words of ‘another’ defining band . . . “A splendid time is guaranteed for all!”
SMOULDER
Epic doom metal from Canada & USA.
TRUTH PEDDLER
Punk, Oi!, And Rock & Roll from Chicago
Elix Smith- Guitar/Vox | Nick Frasch- Drums | Kyle Bennett-Bass
WHITE HILLS
The dismal realities, political or otherwise, that are part of our modern world naturally influence our creative voices. It is in this context that White Hills re-evaluated their approach to creating a new album. Having continually refined their sound, pushing the boundaries of psychedelic music, White Hills flipped the script on Stop Mute Defeat. Dave W. and Ego Sensation have brazenly produced an industrially-charged record that pulsates unlike anything they’ve released before.
Hard-line, gritty, and intellectually engaged, Stop Mute Defeat is a New York record through and through. With this in mind, White Hills drafted Martin Bisi(Sonic Youth, Brian Eno, Afrika Bambaataa) to mix. White Hills recorded with Bisi on two of their previous releases, Frying On This Rock in 2012 and its follow-up So You Are…So You’ll Be, however Stop Mute Defeat is the first time they worked with Martin “The Beast” Bisi in control of the mixing board. A native New Yorker who made his name in the city’s early hip-hop and no-wave scenes, Bisi was attracted to White Hills’ new material for its distinct early-80s Mudd Club feel. A dance hall, drug den, and bar, the Mudd Club was one of New York’s legendary haunts in the late 1970’s. As a center of a distinct art scene the club served as a major influence for White Hills and Stop Mute Defeat’s sound.
Following similar techniques to those propagated by William S. Burroughs (a regular at Mudd Club), Stop Mute Defeat sees White Hills break free from the guitar-driven structure of their earlier releases. Reassigning William Burroughs’ word “cut-up” technique to music, Dave W. and Ego Sensation deconstruct sound clips to create minimalist but rhythmically complex phrases. Title track ‘Stop Mute Defeat’ layers turbocharged bass loops with squalling guitar samples, to create a sound that calls to mind Xtrmntr-era Primal Scream. “If… 1… 2” goes even further down the rabbit hole, oscillating into the experimental electro-sound of early 80s Sheffield, UK band Cabaret Voltaire. Meanwhile the taut brawny grind of ‘Attack Mode’ industrially hardens White Hills’ rock boundaries to tribal densities.
Appalled by the rampant consumerism and the proliferation of ‘post-truth’ mythology, White Hills’ defiant lyricism is at their most philosophically scathing. Condemning doublespeak as “Subliminal seduction…a serenade with a grenade,” the song “Overlord” laments political and economic opportunism, where “In travesty, [there’s always] another dollar to be made.” On “Attack Mode” meanwhile, a clenched-jawed Dave W. channels the perverse cynicism of Throbbing Gristle, throwing scorn on “societies where misogyny leads and the objectification of young girls runs free.” Exposing Western vulgarity in bright light, Stop Mute Defeat is a fearless and necessary denunciation of the political and economic powers that be.
Between the release of 2015’s Walks For Motorists and the making of Stop Mute Defeat, members Dave W. and Ego Sensation took time out to focus on other artistic endeavors instead of keeping up their pace of an album a year. Diving deeper into the world of video, Ego has produced and exhibited a series of “Moving Stills”: videos that imbue static images with a subtle, uncanny motion. In these pieces, realism morphs with itself to create abstract visions. Through Dave W’s obsession with meditation, he was drawn back to his love of form and image, creating a series of sculpturally based hallucinatory abstract paintings in which the viewer is sucked into infinite space. These forays outside of music were instrumental in the shaping of Stop Mute Defeat.
Writing in his seminal postmodern oeuvre Naked Lunch, Burroughs states: “Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape.” Rethinking their musical norms, personally and musically diving into uncertain waters, White Hills at once embrace and demonstrate the raw power of such abandon.
WAR CURSE
Formed in 2013 by guitarists Justin Roth, Joshua Murphy, and drummer James Goetz, War Curse has become a new prominent force in thrash metal. Like many bands facing the harsh realities of life and relationships, War Curse has endured a handful of line up changes since it’s inception. In 2016 War Curse added some serious firepower and experience to the line up with the addition of ex Grip Inc / current Heathen bassist Jason VieBrooks. In 2017 the line up was once again complete with Blaine Gordon assuming the role of vocalist and frontman.
The band’s debut EP “Final Days” (released via Static Tension Recordings) propelled War Curse out of the basement and on to the national circuit. The band’s true to roots bay area sound has resonated with metal fans and media alike. After writing early material and ramping up for local and regional shows in 2014, War Curse spent most of 2015 melting faces around the mid-west, sharing the stage with notable bands like Havok, Raven, Metal Church, and Black Fast. 2016 would prove to be a break-out year, seeing War Curse further expand their reach by touring the U.S. in support of “Final Days” alongside Miami death thrash pioneers Solstice. High energy shows across the map garnered War Curse the reputation of being a must see live act, assaulting ear drums and doling out sore necks in every city they step foot in.
In 2017 the band has shifted it’s primary focus back to writing, enlisting the services of Ben Schigel of Spider Studios (Chimaira, Drowning Pool, Ringworm) to engineer and produce their upcoming sophomore release. The untitled full length album will feature 8 new tracks and two guest solo appearances from a couple of bay area heavy hitters (yet to be announced). Upcoming tours, headlining dates, festival appearances, and War Curse’s first venture into Europe and Mexico will fill in the blanks between studio sessions.
EXHORDER
Exhorder is an American thrash metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana formed in 1985 by a group of friends who wanted to break out of the hardcore scene and had a passion for the heaviest music in the world.
STRING FIGURES
Folk/crust punks from Hyde Park playing out of your local dumpster.
BETH BOMBARA
With a folksinger’s head and a rocker’s heart, Beth Bombara has built her career on an evolving sound that blurs the lines between genres. To those who make their living onstage, she’s a musician’s musician — a road warrior who writes her own exemplary material, plays multiple instruments, and fronts her own band, often a duo with her husband. With 2017’s ‘Map & No Direction,’ Bombara’s songs take aim at a larger audience with melodic hooks that showcase a love not only for roots-rock, but the irresistible punch of classic pop, too. (NEW ALBUM OUT MARCH 3rd)
Layered with lush string arrangements, polished to a light shine by producer Karl Kling (RAC), and influenced by more than a half-century’s worth of British pop classics and rock home runs……The result is Map & No Direction, an album that casts the widest net of Beth’s career, from the George Harrison-worthy guitar riffs of the kickoff track, “I Tried (You’re Too Late),” to the sad, sparse beauty of the piano ballad “What We’re Giving.” It’s the sound of Beth rediscovering her own abilities as a songwriter — and expanding them, too.
Bombara’s new batch of songs are vintage-influenced hooky Americana and rock & roll and equal parts “bourbon-warmed Neko Case”, as her hometown Riverfront Times (St. Louis, MO) described. They named her best Americana artist 3 years in a row.
MELTING ROT
Local goregrind. D-beat, blast, mince, you know the drill.
HANDSOME PRICK
Grindcore/Death Metal
Band Members
Brad Vanderzee-Drums,Vocals, Bass
Zach Chentnik-Guitar
Justin”Juice”Wallace-Live Vocals
Zach Chentnik-Guitar
Justin”Juice”Wallace-Live Vocals
ESCUELA GRIND
New England extreme metal powerhouse, Escuela Grind, will release its new LP, ‘Dreams on Algorithms’, on October 18 via MNRK Heavy. Recorded at Salem, Massachusetts’ GodCity studio with producer Kurt Ballou, and mastered by Nick Townsend (Dr. Dre, Betty Davis) the record is the highly anticipated follow-up to Escuela Grind’s celebrated 2022 full-length debut, ‘Memory Theater’, a recording hailed as “an opus of extremity” by The New York Times.
WORMROT
Wormrot plays grindcore and was signed to Earache Records (UK) in 2010. Ever since Wormrot was formed in 2007, they have been doing months-long tours in the US, EU and the neighbouring Asian countries. Aside from the usual underground shows in a converted garage in Denver, a squat in Berlin or a cave in Penang, they’ve also played in festivals like Glastonbury Festival (UK), Obscene Extreme Festival (CZ), Scion Rock Fest (US), SXSW (US), Netherlands Death Festival (NL), Incubate Fest (NL), Bloodshed Fest (NL), Baybeats (SG) and many more.
SKELETAL FAMILY
Skeletal Family is a gothic rock band which formed in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England in December, 1982. The band formed from the remaining membership of an earlier group, called The Elements, and took their name from the title of the song “Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family” from the 1974 David Bowie album, Diamond Dogs.
Skeletal Family is the only group that sprang up from Keighley, West Yorkshire in the early 1980s. The original lineup was Anne-Marie Hurst (vocals), Stan Greenwood (guitar), Roger ‘Trotwood’ Nowell (bass), Ian “Karl Heinz” Taylor (keyboard/sax), and Steve Crane (drums). In 1984, the band signed on to indie label Red Rhino and recorded their first single for Red Rhino, “The Night,” just after losing their original drummer Steve Crane. Crane was replaced by Howard Daniels. Daniels was soon replaced by Martin Henderson (formerly of The Last Laugh). Skeletal Family’s first album “Burning Oil” was released by Red Rhino in the autumn of 1984. The band began touring with the likes of The Sisters of Mercy during the Sisters’ First and Last and Always tour. The group released “Futile Combat” in 1985 along with the “Promised Land” single.
SCREAMING HEADLESS TORSOS
Screaming Headless Torsos is the genre-bending jazz-funk-rock band founded by guitar virtuoso, professor, and Guggenheim Fellow, David Fiuczynski. Listeners will find the “twelve-tone beats and atonal heat” break-neck grooves, soul shrieking, and middle eastern micro-tonal guitar melodies all seasoning the band’s signature rock recipe.
Though the debut album in 1995 (Warner Discovery) was supposed to filed in the rock-pop category, the band’s rock abandon and creativity with just the right amount of improvisation won fans and critics in both the rock and jazz camps. The Torsos were chosen by Musician Magazine as one of the top bands of 1996, described as “brilliantly blending jazz know-how with a love for heavy riffs.” Guitar Player wrote that [Torsos] “combines a hip handle on high culture with wicked knack for the raw groove.” Shortly after the release of debut album, SHT went on to tour Japan, the Americas, and Europe, and released a live album recorded in Japan in 1996.
The Torsos took a hiatus in the late ’90s fueled by creative and personal differences and in 2004, a new Torsos was beginning to form. Fronted by new lead singer Freedom Bremner — fresh from his collaboration with symphonica artist/producer Moby — the Torsos began to tour Europe and Latin America. A new studio album was released, “Torsos 2005”, (which featured original vocalist Dean Bowman and 2 tracks with Bremner), a hits compilation called “Choice Cuts” (2006), and a live DVD recorded at the New Morning Club in Paris and the Knitting Factory in New York City. The resurgence was followed by European and Latin American tours.
The Torsos raised the bar very early in its career and released more quality than quantity. It earned the band that elusive international cult status, with fans posting YouTube tribute performances and blogging about when the next release would come and what it would sound like.
In 2010, the band released “Dead Christmas Trees”, its first video single with Bremner. Produced by New York producer Gregg Fine, the band was back with a vengeance. With this energy fueling more music, the band released the new album “Code Red” in 2014. This was album filled with “firsts.” Code Red was the first full album in 9 years, the first to feature Freedom Bremner on vocals , the first to feature new member David Ginyard on bass, the first to employ two drummers veteran Torsos Gene Lake and Skoota Warner and the first to feature guest artists. Code Red was co-produced by The Torsos, Gregg Fine and legendary Bad Brains producer and multiple grammy winner Ron St. Germain. The Torsos band members have said that “Code Red” is driven more by songs than “chops”, with inspiration spanning drum and bass, electronica, rock, hip-hop, and Middle-Eastern jazz.
Code Red also features appearances by the late Bernie Worrell on keyboards (Parliament/Funkadelic), James Valentine guitar (Maroon 5) and Casey Benjamin (keys) Robert Glasper Trio.
The band line-up features, David Fiuczynski on guitar, Freedom Bremner on vocals, Daniel Sadownick on percussion, David Ginyard on bass and James “Biscuit” Rouse on drums and vocals.
THE CYBERIAM
The Cyberiam is a new progressive rock / metal band from Chicago that boasts some of the top musicians in the city coming together to create history with Keith Semple on guitar and Vocals, Brian Kovacs on Bass Guitar and vocals, Tommy Murray on drums and percussion and Frank Lucas on keyboards.
ATTICUS LAZENBY GROUP
The Atticus Lazenby Group formed in Chicago in 2014 as a performance vehicle for bassist/composer Atticus Lazenby’s compositions, through which it has since been exploring the points of intersection where jazz, funk, rock, hip-hop, and world music meet. The sound of the ALGroup layers horn-borne melodies and improvisational volleys over interlocking guitar and keyboard textures and a grooving foundation of bass, drums, and percussion. The ALGroup has performed around Chicago and shared the stage with local and nationally touring acts, including Dynamo and Fat Night. In July 2016, they released their self-titled debut album on Bandcamp and Spotify. They are currently working on material for a forthcoming second album.
The Atticus Lazenby Group consists of:
Atticus Lazenby – bass, compositions
Hayden Ashley – synthesizer
Sam Hasting – guitar
Colin Drozdoff – wurlitzer
Nick Kabat – drums
LOS PODRIDOS S.A DE C.V.
Band was formed in 1999, various influence from folk metal, death metal,black,thrash and hard core. the band was form of 4 people, we start in the 90s local rock latino scene, into we broke up and split forming again the band with only 3 members the longest line up the band had till 2007, Carlos lead guitar, Grillo drums and Kristo vocals.
New Line up; Grillo Drums, Chapin keyboards, Charly Lead Guitar and Kristo Vocals
band got together adding a new lead guitar player and keyboard player in 2016 to present.
Lyrics talked about our indigenous heritage,indigenous genocide,religion and government, trying to give voice to our people that have being silence for a long time.
EXEGESIS
Exegesis is a Colombian metal band based in Chicago IL founded in 2003 and led by the Garzon brothers Juan Carlos Garzón and Andres Garzón. The sound of Exegesis is characterized by the influence of Heavy metal, Death metal, Progressive Rock and Latin American sounds.
The performance is supported by visual effects,make-up, theatrical costumes and special sets that create and represent the graphic concept of the band with different symbols.
The band has 4 studio productions:
2007: Tears of blood
2009: Artificial Spirit
2017: Insurrection
2018: AMEN
Current Members:
Andres Garzón (Guitar and Back Vocals)
Juan Garzón (Bass and Lead Vocal)
Nik Simmons (Drums)
THE ARSONIST
THE ARSONIST – Formed in 2015, Chicago-based heavy metal outfit The Arsonist embraces a fusion of eclectic musical influences and tastes, along with a conceptual theme certain to satisfy even the most seasoned of film enthusiasts. The band’s lyrical content focuses on a concept derived from the mind of vocalist, Erik Duarte, which involves an aging Hollywood stuntman in the ’80s, and his road to ruin following the news of a terminal diagnosis. In essence, it’s best described as a story about a man who, driven to extremes, seeks to find meaning and nobility in his efforts, even as the world collapses around him. The band’s current lineup includes founding members, Christiam Palma (rhythm guitar), Carlos Rosas (lead guitar), Benjamin Duarte (drums) with the addition of Erik Duarte (vocals), and Aaron Jaramillo (bass).
MALON
Malón was formed in 1995, after the separation of Hermética. Claudio O’Connor, Antonio Romano and Claudio Strunz continued as a group under the name Malón, and as a bass player they took Karlos Cuadrado, who had already accompanied Antonio Romano in the group Cerbero.
A couple of months later they get to play in Obras, as Machine Head opening band.
The first disc, Espiritu Combativo, included a video clip of the song “Sintoma de la Infección”, and another of “Castigador por Herencia””, something that had never done in Hermética. This allowed the band to reach international projection to be spread by the program Headbangers Ball of MTV, that also included them in a compiled record.
They also participated in the second date of the festival Monsters Of Rock in Argentina in 1995, with Ozzy Osbourne, Faith No More, Paradise Lost and White Rat (Alice Cooper, Megadeth, Clawfinger, Theraphy and Logos were the previous day).
The second album, “Justicia O Resistencia”, indicated a change of music style. While it was generally maintained, as well as the lyrics, it was now much closer to the Pantera and Fear Factory Groove Metal. He was followed by Resistencia Viva, a live record.
The group split in early 1998. Claudio O’Connor started a solo project (although he initially intended to maintain a parallel project to Malon), and Claudio Strunz formed the group Simbiosis, while Antonio Romano and Carlos Kuadrado reunited Cerbero next to Willy Caballero, although under the name of Visceral.
Malón met in 1999, with all its members, for a benefit recital.
In 2001 a temporary reunion takes place, but O’Connor, the original vocalist, refused to participate, reason why enters the band the vocalist Eduardo Ezcurra. This training publishes an EP titled The EP, but neither the album nor the reunion is successful, reason why the band separates again.
In 2011, Malón meets with his original line-up, performing concerts again in Argentina, South, Central and North America. Among these concerts are the ones performed at Malvinas Argentinas Stadium, in which the band recorded the most anticipated and 360 ° return CD, in 2011 and 2012 respectively. In October 2015 they presented at the famous Luna Park Stadium their new studio album called “New World Order”.
The band is one of the most important in Latin America, with competitions of thousands of fans in the countries of Central America and the Carabiean, being one of the bands that sing Metal in Spanish more important of the world.
THE BISHOPS
Omaha’s award-winning, ska/rocksteady/reggae veterans. Bringing the rump-shaking jams for the better part of twenty years.
SOUL KRAVE
We are a soul,funk,rnb,jazzy group.
TROUBLE AHEAD
Trouble Ahead is a Grateful Dead inspired group of Chicago-area musicians who blend harmonies, chord voicing and improvisation to offer faithful renditions of classic Dead tunes – bringing the Dead to life.
TRIPPING THE MECHANISM
Tripping The Mechanism was brought into this realm after three music junkies got together and decided they wanted to start a religion, a family, a sanctuary from all the madness called life. Starting in 2006 and still currently raging up and down the east coast TTM is just as strong now as they were then and getting stronger still.
PALE GREY LORE
Columbus Ohio’s Pale Grey Lore create heavy, fuzzed-out rock and roll that is spacey and psychedelic, yet focused and concise. Melodic vocals and tasteful harmonies echo alongside thunderous drums, while fuzz-drenched reverberating guitars push demon-haunted vintage amplifiers to the brink. Pale Grey Lore’s self-titled debut album had its vinyl release on December 1st 2017 via Oak Island Records, an imprint of German label Kozmik Artifactz. The album was originally released on CD and digital download in June of 2016. Spanning the genres of psych rock, doom metal, post-punk and drone pop, the album’s nine tracks are refreshingly diverse, yet part of a remarkably coherent whole that adds up to much more than the sum of its parts.
GIFTED KEYS
Keya “GiftedKeys” Trammell gets transparent within a moment on a couch.
WINDY CITY GHOSTBUSTERS
We’re a group of Chicago Ghostbuster enthusiasts who make and wear our own movie-accurate costumes for events to benefit charity.
BIM BAM BOOM
Chicago-based burlesque and variety company
ACT OF DEFIANCE
With their 2015 debut Birth And The Burial, Act Of Defiance delivered a blast of pure and unadulterated metal that ignored fads and hit home hard. Returning with the crushing Old Scars, New Wounds, they have only upped the stakes. “Act Of Defiance is built around the idea of writing and composing the way we want without any other influences on the music, and if people don’t like it, that’s fine,” guitarist Chris Broderick states plainly. Drummer Shawn Drover agrees. “We don’t write to please a certain musical demographic or try to sound like another trendy band at the moment. We just write how we write and formulate heavy metal songs that we like, and hopefully others may like as well.” With titanic anthems such as “Overexposure” and “Rise Of Rebellion” and the in-your-face blasts of “Molten Core” and “Another Killing Spree”, they prove their mettle time and again. Moreover, each of the eleven tracks sound fresh and urgent while wielding a timeless quality that will connect powerfully with metal fans new and old – and there aren’t many contemporary bands who can make such a claim.
Naturally blending a plethora of metallic styles and never recycling ideas, Old Scars, New Wounds is an even more dynamic and diverse collection than its predecessor, which was written solely by Broderick and Drover prior to recruiting bassist Matt Bachand and vocalist Henry Derek. “I think ‘Birth And The Burial’ is a great debut record, and I honestly cannot believe we released it literally nine months after Chris and I formed the band!” the drummer enthuses. “We then toured for a year on that record and played over a hundred shows, and spending that kind of time on the road you really get a sense of what your bandmates are like and what they are capable of, which has definitely worked to our benefit on this new record.” With a fully-seasoned, tour-hardened band in place, there was room for everyone to bring something to the table this time around, and their varying styles helped shape the record. “Matt brings his east coast vibe, Shawn is pure metal, Henry has almost a Scandinavian vibe, while I’ve gone back to my roots and gotten a little more technical with my writing,” Broderick states. The title – plucked from the blistering “Conspiracy Of The Gods” – stands as a metaphor for life in general, and the breadth of lyrical matter covered is as broad as the styles of heavy music found on the record. “Another Killing Spree” looks at hardcore drug use, while “Lullaby Of Vengeance” is an angry song about singing angry lyrics, and “Overexposure” is an anthem dedicated to not selling out. There is also some very topical material, most notably on “Mis-Information Age” and “Broken Dialect”. “‘Mis-Information Age’ is very applicable in today’s social climate, where we can no longer blindly trust the source of facts that determine our view,” Broderick explains. “It asserts that we should be skeptical, making sure we have the truth and not someone’s propaganda, while ‘Broken Dialect’ conveys the idea that people can no longer hold a conversation with each other where their views differ, instead turning to sources that only support the view they want to hold on to.” With every track featuring a blistering solo from Broderick, fans of his shredding can rest assured that the guitarist has not held back – though that was not his initial intention. “I actually wanted to tone it down a bit technically in terms of my solos but the opposite happened! This was because I inadvertently ended up creating a few new techniques to use in my trick bag and saw their potential, so I worked really hard on the execution so they could make the record.”
Going into writing the record, the quartet had no grand plan, and spread across the continental US, the individual members worked separately, bouncing demos back and forth and building on each others’ ideas. Like many contemporary bands, through taking advantage of available technologies they made a record that is very much a collaborative effort, despite the distances lying between the members’ home bases. Recruiting producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon) they tracked the record likewise, with Broderick laying down guitars in his own Ill-Fated Studios in LA, Derek and Broderick’s vocals tracked at Red Light Studios also in LA, with Bachand tracking his contributions at Manshark in South Hampton, MA and Drover’s drums were laid down at Atlanta’s Glow In The Dark Studios. “Atlanta is near where I live, which oddly enough was the first time I have recorded there in my career, so it was nice to be able to track all day then go home and relax before heading back the next day. It was an overall great experience for me,” the drummer says, and cognizant of the time available to them the entire process ran smoothly and without a hitch. When it came down to artwork the band looked once more to the vision of Travis Smith – whose visuals have accompanied records from the likes of King Diamond, Opeth, Avenged Sevenfold, and Strapping Young Lad. “As always he’s delivered a great, bizarre piece of artwork,” Drover enthuses. “He has such a great sense of what we’re looking for, and working with him again has been really rewarding.”
Having proven themselves on the road in support of Birth And The Burial both as headliners and supporting the likes of Killswitch Engage and Hatebreed, the band are looking ahead to the expansive touring that will accompany Old Scars, New Wounds, and their hunger to get back in front of crowds has not abated in the slightest. “The immediate goal is to tour hard in support of ‘Old Scars, New Wounds’, play live everywhere we can, and expose as many people to our music as possible,” Drover asserts. “Touring is the best way to reach the people, as it always has been – and we will do whatever it takes for Act Of Defiance to get as much exposure as possible.”
BETH LEE & THE BREAKUPS
Austin-based roots rockers Beth Lee and the Breakups hit the road up to the Midwest accompanied by blues guitarist Chris Duarte. A seemingly unlikely pairing, Beth and Chris met playing in South Dakota during the legendary Sturgis Biker Rally. Chris, well-known for his guitar virtuosity, and hits like “My Way Down”, relocated back to his former home of Austin, TX and recorded a new album of 10 original tunes, as well as two rock ‘n’ roll tracks written by Beth, which were recently released on her 13 track album, Keep Your Mouth Shut.
With a desire to take their newly formed musical collaborations out on the road, Beth and Chris have planned an 11 day Midwestern tour, eager to promote each other’s music to new audiences. Beth’s solid songwriting and Chris’ unabashed guitar skills combine to form a sound that is all rock ‘n’ roll: blues, honky-tonk, punk, rockabilly, and everything in between.
GARCIA LATER
A Chicago Based Jerry Garcia Band Tribute
RICHARD LLOYD GROUP
Richard Lloyd is a legendary electric guitarist, singer/songwriter, and founding member of Television, a band that rose to fame with their 1977 debut release, Marquee Moon, widely regarded as one of greatest albums in rock and roll history and perhaps the most defining and highly influential release of the 1970’s New York rock scene. Lloyd embarked on a solo career after Television disbanded, releasing seven solo albums and working as a guitarist, session musician, and band member with Matthew Sweet, John Doe, Rocket from the Tombs, and more.
Released in October 2017, Lloyd’s book, Everything Is Combustible: Television, CBGB’s and Five Decades of Rock and Roll: The Memoirs of an Alchemical Guitarist establishes Lloyd as a masterful storyteller, and a humorous, insightful writer with an acerbic, razor-sharp wit.
Backing Richard Lloyd for his spring 2018 tour are second guitarist David Leonard, whom Lloyd has worked with for over three decades, drummer Kevin Tooley, who has toured with Paul Young, China Crisis, Midge Ure, Katrina, English Beat, Certain General, and bassist Tom Currier, a veteran of many tours with Dave Davies of The Kinks and eight albums over quarter century with The Jigsaw Seen.
THE ANTIDON’TS
Florida’s heaviest skate punk trio
SWAMP RATS
A unique mix of blues, bluegrass, punk, folk and metal infused in a folk esq style of music. Folk with an edge is what most people say about Florida’s “Phantom” folk band Swamp Rats.
City Newspaper, Rochester, New York-
“One genre couldn’t even begin to describe Florida-based trio Swamp Rats. The style contains bits of modern train-hopping punk yet is heavily influenced by traditional bluegrass with folk underpinnings — uniquely blended with metal riffs and mucky Southern blues. Each musician plays multiple instruments, so you’ll hear specks of acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, stomp box, washboard, and despondent lyrics of life experience and the road.”
TERRI LYNN AND THE DARLING DAUGHTERS
Terri Schanen makes cute and sad music. Sometimes with her friends.
LORIN WALKER MADSEN
Blending a road-tough attitude into his own brand of high desert honky punk –– gritty vocals and honest lyrics laid over his take on traditional and outlaw country music, LWM lives for playing music on the road.
THE DEAD SOUTH
Formed in 2012, The Dead South have recorded and released three albums. Their most recent album “Illusion&Doubt” charted at #2 on the Bluegrass US Billboards and won Best Saskatchewan Album of 2016. Their debut album “Good Company”, first released in 2014, Is still on the US Alternative Albums and Canadian All Categories Top Album charts, while their official music video to “Good Company” has millions of views on YouTube.
SAINT
FUCK THEM. FUCK ALL OF THEM. Go to WAL-MART. Pray to JESUS. Eat at MCDONALDS. OBEY…. This is the REAL American Way. Not me. Not now. Not ever.
DARCI CARLSON
Straight Up Country – No Chaser. Three time Outlaw Female of The Year Nominee and 2017 winner of Dale Watson’s Ameripolitan Music Awards, Seattle’s own Darci Carlson delivers a throwback, honky tonkin’, true country affair. This ain’t no vanity act – this is no non-sense, high energy Country Music with a Rock n Roll edge that is both unique and refreshingly honest. Darci knows her way around an acoustic guitar and a classic country ballad while staying true to her northwest roots. Her smokey-sweet, lived in voice, like the after taste of a fine whiskey, has been compared to greats such as Janice Joplin, Stevie Nicks, and Tanya Tucker. She is currently on tour promoting her 2017 Self Titled release which includes her single “Wild a Reckless and Crazy” as well as her rendition of Outlaw Hero Hank Jr’s “Outlaw Woman”. Darci Carlson is also an actress and model well-known for her role as ‘The Girl’ in the 2012-2015 Gang of Outlaws Tour with ZZTOP. She is also known locally as the Lead Guitar Player for the Seattle based girl fronted Pop Punk band The Dolly Rottens.
LO GREY
Lo grey is cut straight from the fabric of the ‘blue collar, south side’ music scene. Music has been soft and safe and desperately needs some grit. MIke Flaherty (Loudmouth, No One) and Paul Kratky (Slauter Xstroyes) set out to put together such a group. Flare met up with Mike (Jesus and the Devil, Twin Wrecks the Memory). Immediately, there was connection and knew this was going to be something explosive and tough. All that was needed was Larry Renault (Head On, Kindred). Nothing more be said. We are lo grey.
Striking you with heavy riffs, raging vocals and a thunderous rhythm section, it isn’t hard to give into the lo grey. Destructive in what they do, lo grey is a force that needs to be seen in their element on the stage.