WITCHKISS
Witchkiss is a power Doom/Sludge trio hailing from the heart of the Hudson Valley in Beacon New York
Witchkiss is a power Doom/Sludge trio hailing from the heart of the Hudson Valley in Beacon New York
The Last Bastion of Doom. Those Finnish witchfinders. The ones that won’t let go. The truest of the true. The stubbornest of the stubborn. Cardinals Folly. A groovy trio of which name has been echoing distantly in the metal underground for more than a decade. A wild uncontrollable force moving onwards to another record or another adventure. With relentless riffs, heavy metal hails, ride-or-die attitude and true love for the old school doom and metal.
Hailing from Helsinki, Finland and formed in 2007 by Mikko “Count Karnstein” Kääriäinen (Bass, Vocals) and his back-then compatriots, Cardinals Folly has been captained by Mikko ever since then towards new conquests. After several albums, line-up changes, dramas, label disappointments and tours around the world, the current stellar constellation of “Deranged Pagan Sons” has been ongoing since 2014.
On the upcoming new album “Live By The Sword”, the band takes almost all that it finds good in metal and molds it into a tighter mass of unholy riffs, blasphemous pagan chants & choruses, luciferian & lovecraftian depravity and all in all a fearless ride to where the witching cauldrons boil hot and the brews are cool. Ranging from slow epic doom to galloping heavy metal and apocalyptic rock ‘n’ roll, the band loves to murder the listener with all their might. These past few years of plague and uncertainty have only made them angrier and more determined, resulting in this 42-minute onslaught of doomed heavy metal.
Formed in 2014, Matianak (MAH-TEA-AH-NAH) which means death of a child that is also known as pontianak which is an Indonesian folklore vampiric ghost witch that died from stillbirth, was founded and created by the vocalist Arelys Jimenez. A Black metal band from Chicago with a evil twist and hellish banshee screams and dark evil tunes. This Vision of the band is to express the music through theatrical visuals in our performances and take you into the minds of the mentally insane. We want you to feel our music as a story itself. We use real animal bones, candles, feathers, fire, and dark imagery. The creativity through our dark arts consist of cultural influences, a variety of music genres, horror, tribes, and real stories of the mentally unstable. Our lyrics are based on these types of people and some personal experiences. Our goal is to give you a show into our disturbing world and make you feel uneasy with our visuals, imagery, our performances and music. Catching one of our shows will be well worth it…if you dare.
“What I love so much about Destroyer Of Light is that even though they play music that could be categorized as doom metal, they are very much a rock band. In a genre where many take themselves too seriously and create crushing odes to how sad they are, Destroyer Of Light manage to bring in guitar harmonies and flashy solos to lighten things up. That being said – don’t think that the band isn’t monumental in their own right – their headbanging magic is accented by minor key solos and melodies that tear at the heart. Willing to play it fast and loose, Destroyer Of Light use their frontman’s unearthly cleans to guide you on a unique musical journey that is weird, demented, and far too much fun.” -Matt Bacon, writing for Metal Injection
Erupting in 2014, out of Oakland, California, War Cloud has been on a steady path of shredding Northern Californian ear drums. Founded by Alex Wein (vocals, guitars), who hails from Baltimore MD, he wasted zero time in recruiting area musicians after firmly planting his amps in the Bay Area. Looking to create an aural ash cloud of volcanic rock, Alex solidified this crew with Bay Area natives Joaquin Ridgell (drums) and Tony Campos (guitar), and Taylor Roach (bass). War Cloud is a young band but far from wide-eyed innocents. Their musical history drenched in molten riffs across the timeline of heavy metal, the name alone originates from a Wicked Lady song of the same title. With roots encompassing Tony’s tenure in San Francisco’s heavy thrash tinged Hell Fire, Taylor’s melding of hard rock rhythm and old-school groove on bass, and Joaquin pounding his drums as if possessed by the ghost of John Bonham himself. War Cloud has created a new flavor of heavy rock music for those enjoying past meals served up by the likes of Pentagram, UFO, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath. This is modern metal sophistication dipped deep in ‘70’s heavy fuzz rock.
Bit Brigade performs rock covers of full NES game soundtracks as their gamer speedruns the game live on stage.
“When was the last time you attended a live music performance with a genuine element of risk involved? And no, going to a Gwar show with a white t-shirt on doesn’t count. When Bit Brigade takes the stage your mind will frantically oscillate between “Oh! Agh!! Please don’t die!!” and “YES! He’s doing it!!” Combining the dread and daring of a live video game speed run with the spot-on technique of a live band covering the musical accompaniment to everything you’re seeing on-screen in real time, Bit Brigade will
have you swinging between the two mediums. From thrashing about to live renditions of your favorite stage themes, fingers yearning to the sky in a rock ‘n roll parody of sea anemones seeming to silently plead, “Please, feed us more fretboard pyrotechnics!,” to being locked in stock-still rapture as the infallible maestro of the d-pad, Noah McCarthy, takes on the final boss and risks his video game life under the threat of intense peer scorn (or the reward of night-long glory and a credits score). No matter the outcome, Bit
Brigade must play on until the deed is done – which it always is – on the first (and last) try. Once Noah’s NES buzzes on, there’s no turning back.” – Metalhead Mike of The Shizz, summer 2011
synth-noir plink-plink
TRAUMA is highly revered by those in the know as an important evolutionary entity in the intersection of traditional heavy metal, the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, and the more melodically minded classic rock influenced bands on the Sunset Strip.
This is the band responsible for the much sought after classic ‘80s album, Scratch and Scream, featuring killer cuts like “The Day All Hell Broke Loose” and “Lay Low.” Three decades passed before the reconfigured band reemerged in support of a re-mastered edition of their Shrapnel debut and delivered its 2015 follow-up, Rapture and Wrath.
With reverence for the past but eyes sharply focused on the future, TRAUMA has just released their landmark third album AS THE WORLD DIES, staying true to the signature sound that came before but with a very modern edge. The potential for heavy metal greatness inherent in the revitalized lineup of veterans is powerful.
Determined to make a mark in the metal world of today, in 2017 founder/vocalist Donny Hillier and longtime Trauma drummer Kris Gustofson put together a monstrous lineup of amazing players to create and record their highly anticipated third album. Bassist Greg Christian, was a founding member and integral part of Testament. Guitarist Joe Fraulob is a former member of multiplatinum hard rockers Danzig. Steve Robello played guitar in Dublin Death Patrol, the Bay Area supergroup formed by the singers of Exodus and Testament. The power and chemistry of this devastating new line-up is evident on the crushing new TRAUMA album AS THE WORLD DIES.
TRAUMA was born in California’s Bay Area in 1980, a crucial year for metal music. It was within that fertile musical climate that TRAUMA developed a sound evoking the electric energy in the air around them. Donny Hillier consumed a steady diet of Zeppelin and Sabbath and shared a love of Priest and Maiden with guitarist Mike Overton. And of course there was Trauma’s legendary early bassist, Cliff Burton.
In 2013’s Birth School Metallica Death: The Inside Story of Metallica, legendary Bay Area thrash singer Steve “Zetro” Souza of Exodus recalled seeing Trauma as a music-hungry teenager. As Zetro remembered it, several voices in the Northern California scene heralded Trauma as “the next big thing” to emerge from the Bay.
The band built a strong reputation in places like The Stone, late music impresario Bill Graham’s Wolfgang’s venue, and Hollywood landmarks The Troubadour and Whiskey-A-Go-Go, a launching pad for The Doors, Van Halen, and Guns N’ Roses.
Much like Metallica, Trauma’s first recorded appearance was as part of the compilation series curated by Metal Blade Records. Metal Massacre II (1982) featured “Such a Shame.” The band shot a video for the song “The Warlock” in Santa Ana, California, not long before Burton left the group to join Metallica. New members entered the fold, including powerhouse double kick drummer Gustofson.
The highly-skilled-musicianship-centric Shrapnel Records, the label formed by record producer and Guitar Player columnist Mike Varney, issued Trauma’s debut. Scratch and Scream arrived to enthusiastically positive reviews from the worldwide metal press, including tastemaker publications Kerrang!, Circus, and Metal Forces.
As fate would have it, TRAUMA did not survive the era, but much like the Misfits and other important bands who accomplished so much in such a short time while flying under the radar, the story of the band grew for generations of fans; enough that demand continued for their seminal debut, the follow-up album, and the group’s first ever appearances overseas, most notably at Germany’s Headbangers Open Air.
The Big 4 of Thrash Metal continue to deliver the goods. Iron Maiden concerts are cross -cultural events for legions of fans around the world. Judas Priest churns out incredible albums. New generations of fans form vintage sounding thrash bands everyday. And the Bay Area’s prodigal sons, TRAUMA, are ready as ever to attack.
-Ryan J. Downey
Rapper, Vintage Lee, out of Roxbury,MA
Originating from the lively local scene surrounding Milwaukee campuses, Dogbad is a rag-tag group of students, film-makers, DIY venue owners, engineers, and chefs who bonded over their love of music and sharing it with their peers. Performing in a wide variety of venues from basements, local bars, music clubs, to live on the airwaves of 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, the band has crafted a sound and stage presence like no other.
Hill Dunes is Timothy Remis, Elizabeth Remis and Tommy Borst. Formerly known as Ditches.
Their first full-length album will be out July 15, 2016.
Psychedelic Rock from the Americas: Four Americans and One Native Brazilian cross paths by destiny in Brazil in 2014, start a blues rock band and are set to release their second album, The Animal Kingdom.
Tom Vandenavond is a contemporary ghost with a wisdom in his music that exceeds his years. His sound embodies the nature of solitary travel and the inevitable connections made from a life on the road. He has torn through his Midwest roots and created an auditory imprint of the highways and byways, truck stops and roadsides of the afforded white line spectacles of the American construct. If you listen, you can hear a long haul on the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental highway … where the DayGlo over-exposure of Los Angeles meets the desert of Palm Springs … red rocks and mesa tops before Phoenix and Tucson … the cumbersome nothingness of West Texas where a man can can bide his time only with his thoughts and AM radio…. El Paso with a glimpse of the Third World at the border of Juarez … San Antonio and New Mexico heavy with Spanish and Native American charm … a brief pass through future city Houston and the descent into the thick air of southern Louisiana stretching over the 35 along the Pontchartrain into the heart of Cajun Country … Mississippi’s Jackson County into the Panhandle….
There is no question that Willy Tea Taylor’s life as a singer/songwriter was predetermined – his role realized the moment he wrote his first song. His inspirations drawn from two separate wells; Living the life of a cattleman’s kid and experiencing true visionaries music like Greg Brown, John Hartford, and Guy Clark. The image of Guy Clark and friends sitting around the kitchen table loaded with ashtrays full of butts, half-smoked cigarettes, food, and booze on one Christmas Eve in 1975 burned into Taylor’s soul. Those guys, swapping songs without pretense, lit Willy Tea’s fire. And ever since, its led purpose with passion – finding a hang by curating relationships through musical friendships that get him closer to his own Clark style kitchen table.
From his early days co-fronting The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, to singing solo in countless cowboy bars, to pitching countless wiffle ball games, Willy Tea has never lost the vision. Now Willy Tea Taylor has taken his vision of the “hero hang” on the road. and his talented traveling band The Fellership is made up of his fantastically talented buds who play Willy’s songs with a brand of reckless abandon and utter humility that spits in the face of pretense. The way The Fellership plays Will’s songs is the way they demand to be played and, in their short time together, they have been awe-ing every audience lucky enough to see them.
THE GREAT WESTERN HANGOVER
The ten-song LP features a sample-size blend of Willy’s musical influences like Tom Petty-esque rock anthems, riders of the storm rattling westerns, and bait’n tackle choir chants, while delivering the masterful songwriting that Taylor’s cult of underground folk followers devour. The Great Western Hangover features other talents like Anna Tivel, Jeffrey Martin, The Rainbow Girls, and members of Fruition, and TK & the Holy Know-Nothings.
Recorded live in a two-and-a-half day session at Our Lady of Perpetual Heat Recording Studio & Spa just outside of Portland, The Great Western Hangover showcases many sides of Willy Tea Taylor’s musical mind and songwriting prowess. Willy Tea Taylor has dedicated his life to constantly crafting the ultimate “hero hang” as an eternal seeker of Guy Clark’s kitchen table. Gathering folks betrothed to music, who ride the wave of the unknown, and strive to experience full-hearted gratitude amidst the chaotic modern world is what built the foundation The Fellership stands upon.
Some might think of it as an expanded supergroup, but in the form of Taylor’s band, The Fellership amplifies good times, supports wandering souls, and acts as defenders of a well-crafted song. Though a constantly shifting outfit, this Fellership iteration pressed in wax features Taylor Kingman (TK & The Holy Know-Nothings), Tyler Thompson (Fruition, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings), Kris Stuart (Wanderlodge, Root Jack), Dylan Nicholson (The Turkey Buzzards), and Eric Patterson (The Turkey Buzzards).
PRESS
“Dirty, fun and caked in garage grime, the songs are unconcerned with trends.”
-Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune
Celebrating their seven year anniversary in 2018, Denver heavy rock duo, In The Whale have been turning heads and accumulating a mass of die hard fans and followers thanks to a relentless tour schedule and a go-for-the-throat live performance.
Artists and festival promoters have caught notice, with the band playing Riot Fest, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Afro Punk, as well as shows with the likes of Jane’s Addiction, Descendents, The Offspring, Gogol Bordello, and many more.
WHEN YOU THINK OF PUNK ROCK FROM THE 80’S AND 90’S, THE BANDS WERE NOT ONLY PLAYING THEIR INSTRUMENTS FAST AND AGGRESSIVELY, THERE WAS ALSO A MESSAGE THAT BUILT A RUGGED COMMUNITY THAT UNITED AND FOUGHT AGAINST THE SOCIAL ILLS THAT FACED THEM EVERY DAY – POLITICIANS, NAYSAYERS, ABSENTEE FAMILY MEMBERS. IT WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT CAME OUT OF THE P.A. SYSTEM. IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
JUST AS THOSE BANDS FROM THE PAST INSPIRED THEIR LISTENERS TO FIGHT FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW, LOS ANGELES VERY OWN RUNAWAY KIDS LOOK TO IMBUE THAT SAME SENSE OF URGENCY WITHIN THEIR LISTENERS. FORMED IN THE SUMMER OF 2014, THE BAND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO WORK WRITING AND RECORDING THEIR DEBUT EP ‘BETTER DAYS’, WHICH THEY RECORDED WITH PRODUCER CAMERON WEBB (PENNYWISE, ALKALINE TRIO, SUM 41). THE BAND RECEIVED A VERY LARGE CO-SIGN IN PENNYWISE’S RANDY BRADBURY, WHO LENT HIS EXPERTISE BY TRACKING BASS ON THE ENTIRE EP. JAKE DENNING, WRITER FOR ABSOLUTEPUNK.NET, HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT THE EP: “WITH THEIR DEBUT EP, RUNAWAY KIDS HAVE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AS A BAND TO LOOK OUT FOR. IT’S RECKLESS AND WILD, REMINDING LISTENERS WHY THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH ALTERNATIVE MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE.”
RUNAWAY KIDS IS: GAGE ARMSTRONG (VOCALS), SEAN CHAMILIAN (GUITAR), RJ SHANKLE (DRUMS), AND KOREY KEETON (BASS).
At School of Rock Arlington Heights, we teach kids how to rock audiences, melting faces with stellar performances and technical ability. One-on-one instruction is just the beginning, because we get kids playing on stage as quickly as possible. Our immersive method motivates them, speeds up the learning process, and has benefits beyond learning an instrument.
Not only do kids collaborate with students of similar interests at School of Rock Arlington Heights, they get to work with an amazing network of artists and perform at legendary concert venues. Examples include CBGB’s, The Trocadero, The Knitting Factory, The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Experience Music Project, The Big Easy and BB King’s Blues Club in Times Square. These opportunities teach life skills, build confidence, and help students become better people.
As both rockers and educators, School of Rock Arlington Heights’s instructors are passionate about creating a legacy of music by helping kids rock on stage and in life. Visit School of Rock Arlington Heights today to learn more.
“Already a peer/fan favorite, McKinley and the Lonesome Sound are guaranteed to attract a wealth of new listeners with their official debut album, which will likely inspire plenty of end-of-year love as well.” – Brian Baker, CityBeat
Lost Dog Street Band was created in the winter of 2010 after a long and bitterly cold trek on foot to Tennessee. Splitting paths from their former project Barefoot Surrender, Benjamin Tod and Ashley Mae set out to craft their own original music as a duet. Drawing on inspiration of hard times on the road, personal tragedy, the power of love (and of course their dog) Benjamin continued on with a long legacy of songwriting that cuts to the quick. Knitting together musical influences from traditional country, old time, and blues Ashley Mae and Benjamin began to refine what is their original take on American storytelling songs. With their packs, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and pup they set out on foot traveling coast to coast by hopping freight, and hitchhiking with the vision of sharing their music. Along the way, they met many inspirational musicians. Amongst them was Nicholas and Shannon Ridout with whom they formed the project Spit Shine in the year 2012. After the tragic loss of their dear friend Nicholas, Lost Dog Street Band hit the road in search of solice and a deep seated need to continue sharing music as a source of comfort. Today, Benjamin and Ashley have made a home in the country side of Tennessee, working the land and carrying on their lives as full-time musicians. As they tour regularly, perhaps you will see them roaming across the country in their van with their dog Copper.
It´s an impressive CV the band has achieved since their first release in 2001: Seven albums, a huge hit with “Double Nature”, sold-out tours in Scandinavia, opening- and headline tours with Motörhead, Kizz, Rose Tattoo and Volbeat in Europe, four Swedish Grammy Nominations whereof two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Album for Latest Version Of The Truth 2008 and Mustasch 2010, and the following studio album “Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heaven” 2012 reached gold status in Sweden in just two weeks. After all this, the band reached a turning point. Full speed ahead focusing on the band or nothing at all. No half-hearted solutions, no compromises. All or nothing.
DJ and Music Artist.
By: Jack Evan Johnson,
Like Jagger and Richards, Lennon and McCartney, and peanut butter and jelly, some things combined are better than their individual parts. Fine Lines, one of Nashville’s best new rock ’n’ roll bands, is no different. Comprised of two members of Indiana’s hard rock music scene, and two former members of a prodigious Alabama bar band, Fine Lines converged in Music City to make a sound that is both aggressive and soulful, sweet and sour, sticky and smooth.
Like all great rock ’n’ roll bands, Fine Lines started with a restaurant job — no, wait. That came later. It actually started with powerhouse singer and guitarist Chris Probasco trying to pick up the pieces after the dissolution of his Indianapolis-based hard rock band Goliathon, which he says “died the natural death” of people moving in different directions and starting families. Though the riff-heavy Goliathon was a fixture in the midwest music scene — once opening for hard rock behemoths The Sword — the band’s breakup allowed Probasco to develop his own songwriting. “I learned how to make my own demos, and write and rediscover what I wanted to do,” he said.
Probasco moved to Nashville in 2015. He cut his hair and his beard to get a job at a hotel, and despite once delivering room service to a very hungry Mick Jagger, it was far from the rock and roll life he desired. “I was doing what I had to do to get a foot in the town,” Probasco said. So he kept writing, and waiting. Things started to come together when Probasco saw his co-worker B.L. Reed play, with longtime drummer James Thompson on drums. “I immediately thought, ‘There it is. They’re exactly what I want,’” Probasco said.
Reed, a singer/songwriter and southern rock guitar whiz from Alabama, had been living in Nashville for some time playing with his own band and others, most notably breakout Americana artist Kashena Sampson. He and Thompson had been a team since the days of their Birmingham, Alabama blues rock group Blue Moon, which, as teenagers, tore up southern stages with a debt to The Black Crowes and Guns N’ Roses, and even once opened for Blind Melon. “(Fine Lines) gave me an outlet to kinda go back to my roots of playing, which was rock guitar,” Reed said.
Not long after a couple informal jams with Reed and Thompson, Dustyn Roth, a fellow Indianapolis musician, with a background spanning from garage rock to a Prince cover band, told Probasco he was moving to town. Probasco told Roth he needed a bassist. “It sounded great from the first note. It all felt very serendipitous,” Probasco said. And with a lineup in place, he said, Fine Lines were “off to the races. It was like the music in my head was being played.” The band began working on its debut album at Nashville’s Gnome recording studio in late 2017, with producer Don Bates. And in January 2018, Fine Lines locked in a month-long residency at popular East Nashville rock bar The Cobra.
Despite its strengths, Fine Lines is not a vocals band. And not a guitar band. It’s just a good band. And when done right, that’s all you need to be. “I think of us as a rock band. I don’t put ‘alternative’ on the front or ‘garage’ on the front,” Probasco said. “My hope is people just can’t get the songs out of their head.”
When the situation calls for more than sheer aggression, when it calls for something more symphonic, more dynamic, more epic… the situation calls for SICOCIS.
Leather Leone – Vocals
Vinnie Tex – Guitar
Daemon Ross – Guitar
Thiago Velasquez – Bass
Braulio Drummond – Drums
Formed in the summer of ’16, The Fifth Star Band is a youthful group of raconteurs looking to make their impact on the music landscape with their soulful jazzy twist on American Traditional Rock.
The unique sound The Fifth Star Band has been able to cultivate is largely due to the diverse musical backgrounds each member of the group brings to the table. While at its core, Jordan Sawyer’s songwriting embodies a modern take on American Traditional Rock, throw in some funky bass licks, a strong jazzy beat, and a smooth dose of Eric Pedone’s sax and you get a sound unlike any other.
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, Art is knowing which ones to keep”
– Scott Adams
“We’re all living to be famous”
– Dylan Pulver
Growler lives up to their name with an eclectic mix of youthful energy, bawdy humor, and bluegrass infused w/ Chicago blues & southern rock.
Goblin’s life has been full of separations, reunions and various line- ups that have characterized the tortuous history of this group over the past almost 40 years.
The band was originally formed by myself and Massimo Morante, born from the ashes of Cherry Five (Oliver), thanks to my father Enrico who brought us to the Cinevox Record label in 1974.
From the first historical line-up of Claudio Simonetti: keyboards, Walter Martino: drums, Fabio Pigntelli: bass and Massimo Morante: guitar, that composed the soundtrack of Profondo Rosso/Deep Red, there have been several changes within the band. Starting with the replacement of Walter Martino with Agostino Marangolo on drums, which lasted until 1978, the date of final separation of the “first Goblin republic”, and the participation of keyboardist Maurizio Guarini on the album Roller in 1976.
After the separation in 1978, the band continued to exist with another line-up, led by Fabio Pignatelli, and that’s why we used three names (Simonetti-Morante-Pignatelli) for Tenebre instead of the name Goblin, and were accompanied by other musicians from the Cinevox Record label.
In 1984 the band was reduced to two members, me and Fabio Pignatelli, and we recorded some songs for Dario Argento’s Phenomena (excluding the main theme Phenomena, which was my own composition). Morante and Marangolo had not done anything with Goblin from 1978 to 2000 when I proposed to Argento that we reunite the band for the soundtrack of his film Non Ho Sonno/Sleepless, but sadly the brief reunion ended just after we finished recording the soundtrack.
Many other bands were formed in the following years inspired by the original Goblin: Daemonia, BacktotheGoblin, Goblin Rebirth and New Goblin, all with original members of the band in one combination or another.
Now, with two members of New Goblin, Titta Tani on drums and Bruno Previtali on guitar, and Federico Amorosi (original Daemonia member) on the bass, I formed my own version of the band named Claudio Simonetti ‘s Goblin.
Claudio Simonetti: keyboards
Bruno Previtali: guitars
Cecilia Nappo: bass
Federico Maragoni: drums
We don’t want to ignore any band that is currently active with a similar name, we simply want to continue spreading the great legacy of Goblin’s music in our own way, music that has inspired so many bands and so many generations of musicians over the years.
Claudio Simonetti
TheRealFatNick Young Rich & Handsome AKA Nicky Gordo , just your typical Disney princess
Amp Live has cemented a reputation as one of Cali’s most versatile and prolific producer-DJ double-threats. His demonstrated abilities as an innovator, experimenter, and trendsetter have garnered him recognition, bringing together the Electronic, Reggae and Hip-Hop worlds with a technical and classical sensibility. In addition to a steadfast solo career and lengthy tenure with Zion I, Amp recently co-founded Unified Highway with Rebelution’s Eric Rachmany, and also has a collab project with Del the Funky Homosapien. He has produced Linkin Park, Bassnectar, Akon, Collie Buddz, The Submarines, MGMT, Goapele, and Atmosphere, as well as an official authorized Radiohead In Rainbows remix album.
Jake and Amy met at an open mic night in February 2016. They started playing together soon after, and have developed an unexpected sound that puts a contemporary spin on classic stylings.
Aside from juggling their nine to five jobs, the duo keeps busy writing songs and satisfying a shared passion for contributing original music to the world.
Currently hitting open mic nights in the Chicagoland area, and available for evening or weekend bookings.
Psychedelic bloos
for an easy mind in these hard times
Born out of a mutual love of great American music, Teddy and the Edibles are Chicago’s answer to The Heartbreakers, The Cardinals, and all the other proprietors of good songs.
After playing on live recordings with a number of artists from 2003 thru 2010 Donald Alford II felt it was time to produce his own record. In May 2010, as owner of Don J Music Productions, Donald released his first project, entitled “Chasing Dreams”. This inspirational jazz project resonates the sound and influence of instrumental jazz greats that have touched many lives around the world.
“Chasing Dreams” is the result of years of dreaming and chasing greatness. Donald Alford II received a vast amount of his musical inspiration from his father, Donald L. Alford Sr., an extraordinary songwriter, psalmist and composer. Growing up in Maywood, Illinois while attending his father’s church, Donald II learned to value and love great music by listening to some of gospel’s most influential musicians and artists.
As a young child, Donald found music to be one of his primary interests. He first began playing the guitar and later took interest in the bass guitar. While continuing to perfect his craft, Donald’s amazing skill provided him the opportunity to become a full-time musician, not only in his local church, but in other churches in the Chicagoland area.
Donald Alford II is no ordinary bass guitar player. His soulful expression has gained him notoriety and allowed him to tour with gospel greats, such as, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, BeeBee& CeeCee Winans, THE WINANS, Smokie Norful, Donald Lawrence, J. Moss, Walter Hawkins, De’Andre Patterson and Vashawn Mitchell. He has also performed with artists, such as, Pattie Labelle, Mary Mary, The Clark Sisters, Donnie McClurkin, Tramaine Hawkins, The Winans, Hezekiah Walker and Kim Burrell.
As his musical demand grew, he began writing and producing music with an infusion of various genres’ gaining him musical credit as a songwriter, composer and producer for artist’s such as Keyshia Cole “Trust” (Different Me), Syleena Johnson “Be Me” (Labor Pains Chapter 4) and being nominated for the 2010 Grammy’s for Charlie Wilson “Supa Sexxy.” Donald Alford II’s awards include being honored at ASCAP’s 23rd Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, recognizing the song “TRUST” as one of the top ASCAP songs on the 2009 year-end charts.
Excerpt from Bass Player Magazine – “We wanted our debut to be an honest representation of ourselves,” John says.“While there’s a lot of shredding, Indian rhythms, looping and tapping, each song has immense emotional significance. We took our time to make sure nothing was gratuitous. This album is who we are. I play a 5-string bass and loop chords and melodies while playing basslines on my homemade Taurus pedals. Seth plays drum set, tablas, and a variety of hand percussion instruments. We play everything you hear on the album, and we try not to record it if we can’t do it live.” Moutal’s plethora of percussive timbres blends with Ferrara’s trademark cascading loops and growling hand-built synths to create an immersive tapestry of sound and groove.
John Ferrara is a founding member of Consider the Source, a bassist, composer, and teacher.
John’s style blends deep grooves, contrapuntal tapping, dense chords and classical Indian percussion, with shades of avant guard experimentation. He has earned a reputation as a renaissance bassist, pulling from many different techniques from slapping, to tapping to finger style. He utilizes looping and custom midi foot pedals to play bass lines, freeing up his hands to treat his instrument like a piano, guitar, percussion instrument or vocalist. Combining all these together makes for a massive sound.
1999 is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on October 27, 1982, by Warner Bros. Records. 1999 was Prince’s breakthrough album, but his next album, Purple Rain, would become his most successful. The title track was a protest against nuclear proliferation and became his first top ten hit in countries outside the United States. The album was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States (peaking at number 9, besting that peak at number 7 after his death in 2016) and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983 overall, eventually being certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA.
This Classic Album will be performed by Chip Ratliff & the DirtyBluCrue!
Brother to Brother is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer Gino Vannelli and it was also his last for A&M Records. The album was released in 1978 and featured “I Just Wanna Stop”, Vannelli’s highest-charting single to date in both the US and Canada, where the single reached #4 and #1 respectively, as well as the singles “Wheels of Life” and “The River Must Flow”.
The album will be performed by Mark Behringer Brings the Hits
Shalizar Ensemble performs traditional Persian music from several regions and ethnic groups within Iran, along with music from Afghanistan and Central Asia. The ensemble was started in 2014 by members of the Middle East Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago, and includes a mix of Middle Eastern and American musicians performing on traditional percussion and stringed instruments from the Middle East and Central Asia, violins, and vocals in Farsi and other languages and dialects.
Shalizar is Farsi for marshy meadow, and is used to describe the landscapes in Iran where rice is commonly grown. The ensemble chose this name in homage to the marshy landscape of the Chicago region, and as a reflection of the interests of many of its members in environmental science and conservation.
Known for his roles on Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job!, and extensive tours throughout the US, Canada and Australia, David Liebe Hart is an outsider musician, actor and painter. A true original, he has communicated with extra-terrestrials, owns a large collection of puppets, and is obsessed with trains. While his vast and bizarre catalog of songs about aliens, religion, and failed relationships has yielded cult hits, such as “Salame”, “Father & Son” and “Puberty”, his recent collaborations with electronic musician Jonah Mociun, AKA Th’ Mole, have propelled Liebe Hart into previously unexplored territory.
Throughout the past decade Liebe Hart has garnered a substantial and die-hard fan base, not only from his TV and film appearances but from his stints on the road performing music all across the US, UK, Ireland and Australia. His followers are extremely supportive and loyal, won over by David’s obvious goodheartedness, honesty and hilarious idiosyncrasies, as well his fun and engaging stage shows. As the public demands it, David is traveling the globe in 2015 in conjunction with the release of his new album, Astronaut. On the heels of his triumphant return to Australia in March, David will spend the rest of the spring and summer canvasing the US.
With Jonah Mociun as backing musician, Liebe Hart puts on a show certain to please old fans and new ones alike. In addition to creating electronicised versions of David’s old favorites, the duo performs their new songs along with puppets, projected video accompaniment, and David’s oddly endearing stories of past relationships and paranormal encounters.
Chip The Black Boy was once just one of David’s puppets but has taken on a life of his own with the help of frequent Liebe Hart collaborator Jonah Mociun who has re-fashioned Chip into a creepy high-pitched rapper. With an album of his own and a hit YouTube video (“Am I Weird?”) Chip now takes the stage as a solo act.
Whatever Your Heart Desires is Jonah Mociun, a 19-year-old asexual cyborg orphan Eskimo. Raised on an anarchist commune which was eventually infiltrated and dismantled by Malaysian nihilists, she fled from her home at the age of 9, hopping a train from Alaska to South Central, California, where she lived in a refrigerator box and gradually taught herself to tap-dance using soda cans as shoes. Busking on the streets by day, and prostituting himself by night, Jonah eventually raised enough funds to purchase a stolen iPhone, with which he began composing music on an app called FunkyBeatz. Relocating to Oaxaca, Mexico at the age of 10, living under a banana tree, surviving mainly on wildcrafted fruits, leaves and insects, Mociun spent the next 13 years creating the music you hear today. Drawing her influences from old school hip hop, hardcore punk, and Japanese footwork, Whatever Your Heart Desires is Jonah’s best attempt at challenging mainstream EDM music.
Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. Produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, the album was released on 25 July 1980 via Albert Productions and Atlantic Records.
By the late 1970s, AC/DC began achieving significant popularity outside their native Australia, with high-energy live performances and a series of successful albums. They had previously paired with producer Lange in 1978, recording their international breakthrough hit album Highway to Hell. Back in Black was the band’s first album featuring vocalist Brian Johnson, who replaced Bon Scott after the latter had died back in February of that same year, shortly before the band actually started recording the album. Instead of disbanding, the group decided to continue on with Johnson.
Back in Black was recorded over seven weeks in the Bahamas between April and May 1980. Because the area was hit by tropical storms at the time, recording sessions became difficult on some occasions. Composed by Johnson, Angus and Malcolm Young, the album’s musical content consists of hard rock-styled numbers. Lange demanded perfection in the band’s recordings, particularly on Johnson’s vocals. Following its completion, the group mixed Back in Black at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The album’s all-black cover was designed as a “sign of mourning” for Scott.
Electric is the third album by British rock band The Cult, released in 1987. It was the follow-up to their commercial breakthrough Love. The album equalled its predecessor’s chart placing by peaking at number four in the UK but exceeded its chart residency, spending a total of 27 weeks on the chart (the most successful run for an album by The Cult).
PFLT “Plastic Fantastic Lobster Telephone” brings you Cult’s “Electric”
Coming off several years as Black Sabbath II: The Resurrection, Chicago’s most storied purveyors of seminal doom rock are recreating themselves as The Cult!
They will be performing the seminal rock masterpiece “Electric” in it’s entirely, as well as several other Cult classics, and hope to bring the same ferocity to this as they did to Sabbath’s “Paranoid” album.
The band is:
Steve Cavanaugh – gtr Jimmy Kerwin – drums Mat Lombardi – bass Lyle Zimmerman – vox
With decades of work together in various bands and projects, these guys find themselves in the enviable position of doing whatever the hell they want to do. That might explain the insanity of pulling the plug on BSII:tR.
The Sabbath tribute was well received all over the city and suburbs. Focusing on early Sabbath, but playing it with the precision of a more mature Sabbath, their shows always left the audience swooning over what they had just seen.
“We could have carried on”, says Steve, the leader of this motley crew, “but we felt that we had accomplished as much as we could playing those songs. We had no intention of moving into the later material, so the decision to move on was made.” During discussions over beer and peanuts, the choice was made to attack The Cult.
The instrumentation is made for this core of players. While Lyle was more than equipped to take on the great Oz Ozzy, the more flamboyant vocal stylings of Cult play right into his wheelhouse. With Steve nailing Billy Duffy’s massive snarling riffs and solos, and Jimmy and Mat holding down the pile driving rhythm section, this version of Electric should be something that would make Ian’s mother proud.
Bassist Lombardi quips, “I really love the tribute concept. I have been working on originals since I was a kid, and had little use for doing covers. However, This project allows us to really study the music. Get into the heads of the players, and bring an authenticity to our renditions of the music. We would not do this unless we thought it would be as good as the actual band.” “so, like, 26-inch bass drum…”, added Kerwin.
Hard work, and too much time on their hands. The next version of the next version. PFLT brings you Cult’s “Electric”. Coming to a club near you.
Allysa Grace has had the opportunity to be a part of many amazing musical projects thanks to her upbringing in Austin, Texas. The music community raised her through the orchestras as a violist; in RnB groups as a vocalist; and with her favorite vocalists as a keyboardist. These different musical experiences have inspired her to front her own group.
Her band is reminiscent of your favorite soul artists, but her experience draws you to her worldly roots. This beautiful combination of neo soul, jazz, and raw talent will blow you away.
She plays shows with her band and other projects in central Texas. Allysa also participates/organizes in community groups in Austin.
She currently teaches piano and violin at the wonderful Sense and Color School of Music, when she isn’t on tour with chicano rock group Tito and Tarantula.
En el 1991, cuando Werner Rodríguez Del Toro, bajista y fundador de la banda punk The Frontside Generation, decide de terminar con dicha banda. Y es ahí cuando sin ninguna escena de SKA en la isla de Puerto Rico, decide junto a su primo Wilmer Laboy Del Toro formar la banda del genero SKA llamada Los Pies Negros. Los primos Del Toro, al estar muy metidos en el mundo del SKA deciden darle forma a su proyecto creando Los Pies Negros con la idea llevar un mensaje en contra del racismo, la defensa de los derechos humanos, u otros temas positivos utilizando el pegajoso y bailable ritmo SKA. En los comienzos, además de crear su repertorio original, incorporan en su repertorio versiones de temas de bandas como Decibelios, Korroscada, entre otros, para rellenar su espectáculo.
A partir del 1992 la banda comienza a realizar sus presentaciones en vivo dentro y fuera de Puerto Rico. Su música ha logrado introducirse en países de habla hispana como lo son España, Costa Rica, Colombia, México, Chile, Argentina entre otros, y en países europeos de otros idiomas como lo son Francia, Suecia, Inglaterra, Rusia, Holanda, entre otros.
En su larga trayectoria de 26 años han realizado varias grabaciones como lo son (1992) Demo 7 Temas, (1993) 1993, (1994) Moviendo los Pies, (1995) Siempre Igual, (2003) Detrás de ese Disfraz, (2005) Demo 6 Temas, (2005) Split CD “Latin SKA Force” VOL. 2, (2008) En vivo y sin Disfraces, (2011) Un Niño Solo, (2012) Un Día Normal, (2013) Split CD “Kamikaze”, (2015) Un Alíen Me Raptó, y (2016) Los Abuelos del SKA. Han creado temas que son muy populares dentro y fuera de Puerto Rico tales como Niño de Sangre Azul, Corruptos, Cosa de Rudeboy, Playa y Ska, Nena, Un Alíen me Rapto, Te Olvidaste de Mí, No hay vuelta atrás, Ska Tradicional, Los Abuelos del Ska, entre otros.
Tras el pasar de los años han participado en eventos muy importantes como el Festival Skavoovie (NYC & New Haven 1994), Best Unsigned Bands producido por la revista MUSICIAN (1996), Festival Hispano de Rock Bud Light (1996), Tele Maratón MDA (1997), “El Relevo por la vida” (2008, 2015 y 2016), y otros festivales de importancia dentro y fuera de PR. En Octubre del 2016 se presentaron en uno de los Festivales Internacionales de Ska mas grandes e importantes con cede en el Palacio de los Deportes en cuidad México donde celebraron sus 25 años dentro del SKA. También han participado en programas de radio dentro y fuera de PR; y en programas de televisión como “No te Duermas”.
Han compartido escenarios con reconocidas bandas nacionales e internacionales como The Toasters, Scofflaws, The Pie Tasters, Enanitos Verdes, Victimas del Dr Cerebro, La Tremenda Korte, Skapulario, Desorden Público, King chango, La Mancha del Jardín, Viva Nativa, Cultura Profética, Panteón Rococó, La Vela Puerca, Sekta Core, King Hammond, The Selecter, Skatalites, The Refrescos, entre muchas otras bandas más.
Algunos de los temas han sido incluidos en prestigiosas recopilaciones como lo son “We Don’t Skare” (Francia), “100% Latín Ska” Vol. 2 (USA), “PURO SKAÑOL” Vol. 1 (USA), BANG! Movie (Sountrack, Inglaterra), Coqui Rock (PR), “CALLEJERO” (USA), Caribbean Shakedown (USA), Death Frog Studio Compilation Vol.4. (PR), Batiscafos #4 (PR), Picando Piedra Vol. 3 (México), entre muchos otros más.
La banda lanzo recientemente la producción discográfica de 4 temas titulada “Los Abuelos del Ska”, disponible para el público con distribución digital. En Octubre 2016 Los Pies Negros realiza la presentación más importante de su carrera en el 1er Festival internacional de Ska llamado Non Stop Ska celebrado en México.
En el 2017 Re-Graban el popular tema Siempre Igual y con el mismo le dan título a la gira de Los Pies Negros 2017 tocando Festivales importantes como el Skatex (2017 México), y el Festival FieSka Bajío (2018 Querétaro, México).
La alineación actual de la banda es la siguiente: Werner Rodríguez Del Toro (Bajo/Fundador), Wilmer Laboy Del Toro (Guitarra/Compositor), Mario Montalvo (Guitarra/Coros), Iván Salaberry (Batería), Robert Ramírez (Trombón), Ramón Acevedo (Saxofón), y Danny Acosta (Cantante/Trompeta).