Based in Montréal, Canada, Flying Joes evoke the raw power of pure 70’s rock, inspired by an authentic blues sensibility. Formed in January 2014, the trio of Syd Bedard (bass, vocals), JF Arsenault (guitar) and Thomas Brodeur (drums) has a contagious energy both live and on record. Bolstered by their modern rock sound, their festive roadtrip songs call to mind classic bands like Led Zeppelin and Cream.
In September 2015 Flying Joes will release their debut album “Let it out”, recorded with Award winning producer Glen Robinson (U2, AC/DC, BB King) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, The Black Crowes, Soundgarden). Only a year and a half after their debut, the band has played close to 200 live shows. “Let It Out” was on the Top 25 Rock Albums of ITunes only a week after it’s release.
In August 2014, Flying Joes was the winner of the Nuits Blues Laurentides contest in the songwriter category with the song “I’ve Gone Missing”. The trio’s impressive wealth of experience shows in JF’s elegant guitar work, Syd’s powerful, soaring vocals, Thomas’ muscular, rock-solid drumming and well-crafted songs worthy of the greatest classic rock masterpieces.
Since March 2015, Flying Joes has been the house band of the prestigious Humour Aveugle gala, held at Montréal’s iconic Théâtre St-Denis, alongside well-known Quebec performers such as Louis-José Houde, Peter Mcleod, André Philippe Gagnon and Mike Ward. Also founding members of the French-language progressive rock band Jelly Fiche, Syd and Jay produced and directed two albums distributed and broadcast globally on rock radio stations. They have accumulated extensive stage experience over the years with their past projects, performed on stage with Steve Hill (Let’s Rock Musical), Hugo Lapointe, Sylvain Cossette, and toured in Canada, Europe, United-States and Asia.
The Soft Underground was formed in New York City by drummer, Andrew McCarty and guitarist, Charlie Hickey, after they met at music school. The two bonded over their enthusiasm of bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine. After many gigs playing under different incarnations of the band, the duo eventually recruited vocalist, Brannon Barnett, before beginning work on their debut album, Lost in Translation.
Throughout 2014, the band split their time between New Jersey and Tennessee to record and mix the album, and released their debut single, "Limousine", in December. Doug McCausland of Alternative Nation wrote of the single, "the band definitely has a knack for writing rock songs with hooks, as evident in their track "Limousine", which I could see as a potential radio single."
On October 30, 2015, The Soft Underground released their debut record, Lost in Translation to positive critical review. Indie Blog Nation said, "every minor detail was perfected; great production and flow," while Dayz of Purple and Orange wrote that the band, "have provided enough variation in one album that would see other bands through a career."
Fly Never Dies is a genre-bending group whose music fuses hip-hop vocals, rock guitar, and pop flair to create a sound unique to today's trends. The group consists of Jay "Trew " Crockett, a Prince George, Virginia based artist, actor, model and songwriter, and Eric Haywood, an Atlanta, Georgia based producer and multi-instrumentalist. The Band Occasionally features Casey Shea Producer DC Soul Plus Mind and Dan Edinberg
The pair met in 2007 at a Richmond area concert and beat battle that Haywood was performing in. They soon began working on their first pair of collaborative albums under the guidance of legendary hip-hop producer Ski Beatz (Jay-z, Camp Lo). These sessions resulted in 2 albums (2008's "The Last Call EP" and 2009's "The Morning After"), and a small regional following, but ultimately led to a string of industry related mishaps and lessons learned.
Following a self-imposed hiatus, Haywood and Crockett regrouped and decided to change their musical direction. Trew toured the east coast with “Kid is Qual” and opening for groups such as Jacks Mannequin. Crockett also pursued acting and modeling. He was able to carve out a niche in both, finding modeling work with the Wilhelmina Models agency, and landing roles in commercials (Ferguson and Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield) and television shows for Investigation Discovery and DIY networks. Haywood took music composition classes after discovering a love for film and television scoring. Upon resuming his musical duties, Haywood was lucky enough to find work scoring short films, and soon after found a gig for the Atlanta based PaRock productions, landing him in the studio with artists such as Ray Lavendar and Bone Crusher.
After several sessions, a bond was established after extended trips to California. The Los Angeles palm trees and sunshine helped to create a sound and overall aura upon the project. The Love and The Stars Ep; a hodgepodge of pop, alternative, dance and hip-hop was created with the purpose of playing towards the strength of each artist. Songs such as "Love and the Stars" “and "Let It Go", demonstrate what musicians can accomplish when pushed to their creative boundaries. “Dance with You” “Miles” and “My T-Shirt” are feel good, melodic tracks describing the carefree evenings with Trew’s mentality of “always make a memory”.
Introspective but tough as nails, Haley Bowery is a fiery frontwoman who has a tight as hell backing group in the Manimals to match her passion. Channeling the steady churn of new wave but with a hard rock level aggression, Bowery and the Manimals are a gripping band that match their ecstatic live performances perfectly on their vibrant studio tracks. Their new album Born Strange is available now. -Jingle Punks
Band Members
Haley Bowery, Michael Jayne,
Chris Norwood, Jack Breslin, Matt O'Koren
The Loudini Rock and Roll Circus Music Podcast
Hosted by Lou Lombardi aka Loudini & Katie Simone
Loudini and Katie will talk on Revisiting London Calling by The Clash
featured artists are Jason Achilles Mezilis, See Spot Run, and Holy Sheboygan
Jason Achilles Mezilis http://www.jamezilis.com/
Jason Achilles Mezilis is a 14-year veteran of the LA music scene, where he has performed with, produced, and recorded countless bands on the west coast indie circuit. He is also a studio owner, and divides his time between live performance with OWL, and ongoing production and composition work at his boutique analog / digital recording studio Organic Audio Recorders in downtown Los Angeles.
Jason is a multi-instrumentalist, having first studied classical piano from a young age, and later inspired to pick up the guitar a week after his first Van Halen concert at the age of 16. He received his Bachelor’s in Music from the University of California, Berkeley, and a number of positions at premiere recording studios throughout California led him through the streets of Oakland, San Francisco, and eventually to his current home in Los Angeles.
Jason and Chris met at through a mutual friend in Hollywood’s legendary (now-defunct) Opium Den nightclub. A 7-year long friendship ensued, including long hikes and discussions through the storied, winding hills and musical history of Laurel Canyon…eventually paving the way for their joining forces in Owl and the development of a strong musical chemistry together. Despite being at one time the ‘odd-man-out’ in Chris and Dan’s long-standing youthful friendship, Jason has paved a comfortable niche in the Owl nest, due in large part to his gleeful initiative to try and tell everybody else what to do, all the time.
See Spot Run http://www.seespotrun.ca/
See Spot Run’s song “Weightless” was certified by BDS as being "the highest charted independent song on the rock chart since the inception of BDS.This made them the first indie rock band to break the top 10.
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters gave See Spot Run the "Breakout Single of The Year Award". Wire Magazine gave them the "Concert of the Year Award" shortly after.
See Spot Run was formed in Montreal by Québec natives Chris Brodbeck and Randy Bowen. Also in See Spot Run are Fudge (drummer) and Aaron Little (guitar) both from Mississauga.
The band has created and released music in both French & English. “Super-heros sous peu” was the first CD released in French and contains both of the band’s previous Top 10 hits, Decoller and Terrifié.
A See Spot Run song was featured on the Canadian/American hit TV series DeGrassi, The Next Generation. The episode featuring the song was aired on the N Network in the USA in February 2008 and on the CTV Network in Canada in March 2008. The song was also used by Degrassi on vSide with a virtual world rendition of the Degrassi coffee house “The Dot”.
See Spot Run has had 5 videos on Much Music and has appeared and played on some MuchMusic shows as well as Canada AM, Breakfast Television and many other similar shows across Canada.
See Spot Run has toured in the USA and Canada. Recently they headlined a concert in Orlando Florida. See Spot Run also opened for Bon Jovi in front of 20,000 people and Stone Temple Pilots in the following year.
Holy Sheboygan! emerge from the dark woods naked, a wild tangle of hair and dirt. They open mouths filled with jagged teeth. A rough yowl echoes through the dusk.
Holy Sheboygan! is a band of scavengers. Creeping through the alleys of musical sound, they borrow melodies from a wide array of genres, tape-recorded noise from their everyday lives, and percussion from the abundant dumpsters of the Fox Valley. By their very nature, they can be described as nothing other than 'garbage folk.'
Featuring Sarah Gleason’s incendiary vocals, Vexine delivers a powerful, high-energy show with Paul Pearce on guitar and vocals, Michael Skiffington on bass guitars, and Jorge Santamaria on drums and percussion. The band has been featured throughout local media, including television, (CBS 6’s “Virginia This Morning”), radio (WTVR Lite 98’s “Wake Up Show”, XL102's "Studio B with Jay Smack", and 97.3 WRIR's "12 Fluid Ounces" with Will Armstrong, 90.1FM WDCE "The Mike LaRue Show"), internet (“Radio Rubber Room”, "RVA Playlist", "Sounds of RVA"), and in print (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Style Weekly). Vexine will be touring throughout 2014 in support of "Vexine" and "Live from Nashville",which are available at cdbaby, iTunes, and other online retailers. Keep in touch with Vexine at vexine@vexine.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vexine, on Twitter at @VexineRVA, and on Reverbnation at www.reverbnation.com/vexine.
You can catch Vexine performing throughout Richmond and beyond throughout 2014. Keep up with the band’s schedule at www.vexine.com. Contact Vexine at vexine@vexine.com. For booking information, contact band manager Jorge Santamaria at 804.241.2609.
“Little Sin” is the third release by Richmond, Virginia based band VEXINE on ZAP Records. It is a sexy, super-charged collection of songs that will slap you in the face then kiss you to make it better.
10 of the 11 songs on this release were written by vocalist Sarah Gleason and lead guitarist/vocalist Paul Pearce, who have worked together as a song-writing team for several years. Bassist Michael Skiffington and drummer Jorge Santamaria contributed considerably to the arrangements. “It doesn’t matter what we write independently of one another,” says Gleason. “It doesn’t become a VEXINE song until we all get in a room together and hash it out.” The songs were recorded at The Shed (by Paul Pearce and Brian Farquhar) and Montrose Studios (with Bruce Olsen) in Richmond, Virginia.
The title track, “Little Sin” is a sultry little number with gypsy rhythms pounding out the panic of a terrible secret. Santamaria notes that “it was fun to break away and do something a little different with the drums on this track, it is song about murder that is simultaneously dark and bouncy.”
“Tantilla Gardens” speaks of the fantasy of the Richmond dance hall landmark that once was the “South’s Most Beautiful Ballroom” before it was demolished in 1977. Gleason grew up hearing her grandmother tell her stories of the “rooftop that rolled away,” where couples danced beneath the stars. “I wish I could have experienced it first hand. Writing about Tantilla Gardens helped me feel closer to my grandmother. She was dizzy over the splendor and glamour of the place when she was a young woman in the 1930’s.”.
“Only One Left” is Pearce’s wild ride that puts you right in the driver’s seat of this zombie love-story. “Hey, zombies need love, too,” says Pearce.
VEXINE also chose to include Elvis Costello’s “I Want You” in this release because “it was a long-time favorite” of Skiffington’s. “I knew we could do something special with it.”
“Little Sin” will be released April 30 at Center of the Universe Brewing in Ashland, Virginia, along with a special, limited release beer of the same name. VEXINE owes special thanks Mr. Tom Porter and Center of the Universe Brewing for making their wildest beer dreams come true.
Sexy, soulful, edgy rock. Vexine has been thrilling Richmond audiences with their unique sound since 2012. Vexine’s much-anticipated, self-titled debut was released January 25th, 2013 on ZAP Records. The CD features ten original songs and has been described as taking "sultry to bodacious levels, combining rock and roll attitude and country soul". The songs tell stories that the listener can relate to with rhythms you can groove to.
Shari Puorto Band is a Blues/Rock/Roots Band with a whole lotta soul who have been touring together for many years, sharing the stage with the likes of, Tab Benoit, Jimmy Vivino, Tommy Castro, Joe Bonamassa, Dickey Betts, Johnny Winter, Dave Mason, Barry Goldberg, Robben Ford, Robin Trower, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, Larry Carlton, Ike Turner, among other's.
Shari Puorto's audience appeal is wide from 20 year olds to 80 years and all races and color. Once you see their show you will understand why people are captivated and come back for more. "We know how to bring an audience together and allow them to feel something deep within their souls they never thought existed." Shari says. You have to see them to really understand.
They have performed up and down the coast of California, across the U.S., and abroad (from large festivals to Blues Clubs to local hangouts). Past appearances range from, headlining at the Phuket Blues Rock Festival, Fiji Int'l Jazz/Blues Festival, Doheny Blues Festival, Gator by the Bay in San Diego, Animas Blues Festival in New Mexico, NAMM show Anaheim, Irvine Lake Blues Festival, OC Fair (So Cal.), Lexus Jazz/Blues Festival, Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, Las Vegas Bike Fest, Long Beach Bayou Festival, King Biscuit Blues Fest (Helena Arkansas), Biscuit & Blues / San Francisco, TheTorch Club (Sacramento), Little Bear (Evergreen, CO), Knuckleheads (Kansas City), Cafe Boogaloo/Hermosa Bch, Harvelle's/Santa Monica, Powerhouse Pub / Folsom, CA, to name a few.
Currently residing in Los Angeles, Shari Puorto is "a soulful singer with a sexy and raspy sound. Her live performances bring Janis Joplin to mind. Like Joplin, Puorto is a passionate performer with an energy that can rattle the foam in a pint of pilsner " Kevin, Pubclub.com.
Loudini Rock and Roll Circus Music Cast
Every Saturday Hosted by Lou Lombardi aka Loudini & Katie Simone
Topic: When Should Bands Hang It Up?
featured artists: Typhoid Rosie , HIghway4 , Charlie Wheeler Trio
Members: Rosie Rebel: Vox Matt Kursmark: Guitar Justin Rothberg: Guitar (album) Chris Potter: Guitar (live) Dean Wartell: Bass (album) Steve Capecci: Bass (live) Phil Wartell: Drums Leah Farmer: Keyboards
BROOKLYN BASED INDIE/POP-ROCK ACT, TYPHOID ROSIE, RELEASED ITS NEW FULL-LENGTH ALBUM ENTITLED “HEARTS BLEED GOODBYE” ON MARCH 25, 2016. TYPHOID ROSIE HAS BEEN FEATURED IN THE HUFFINGTON POST, PASTE MAGAZINE, BUZZFEED, BAEBLE MUSIC, POP DOSE, HYPE MAGAZINE, AUDIO FUZZ, POPWRAPPED, SHE KNOWS, THE BIG TAKEOVER, EAT SLEEP BREATHE MUSIC, VENTS MAGAZINE, NEWSWHISTLE, THIRTY ROSES, PENS EYE VIEW, SKOPE MAGAZINE, RAW RAMP MAGAZINE, INDIE BAND GURU, MPIRE MAGAZINE, INDEPENDENT ARTIST BUZZ, WORDKRAFT, COMIC POP LIBRARY, AND MANY MORE. THE ALBUM IS NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, AMAZON, GOOGLE PLAY, AND SPOTIFY.
TYPHOID ROSIE IS THE MUSICAL EVOLUTION OF COMEDIENNE-TURNED-SINGER-SONGWRITER ROSIE REBEL AND THE EPIC LOVE-CHILD SHE SHARES WITH HER DRUMMING HUSBAND, PHIL WARTELL. FOR MOST OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP, ROSIE MADE COMEDY AND PHIL MADE MUSIC. IT WASN’T UNTIL 2011 THAT ROSIE STUMBLED UPON A HIDDEN SONG-WRITING TALENT WHILE TAKING A MANDATORY MUSIC CLASS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. IN THAT SAME YEAR, SHE FORMED TYPHOID ROSIE, GRADUATED FROM COLUMBIA WITH HONORS, AND MARRIED PHIL. IN 2012, THE TWO PRODUCED THEIR FIRST-BORN MUSICAL OFFSPRING, THE MUSIC ALBUM.
THEREAFTER, ROSIE BEGAN WRITING NEW SONGS FOR A SECOND ALBUM, BUT IN OCTOBER OF 2013, TRAGEDY PAID A VISIT WHEN ROSIE’S LAST REMAINING GRANDPARENT PASSED AWAY. ON THE DAY OF THE WAKE, HER MOTHER SUFFERED A SEVERE ANEURYSM AND DIED THAT SAME NIGHT. ROBBED OF THE CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE WOMAN SHE LOVED MOST, AFTER A YEAR OF CRIPPLING DEPRESSION, ROSIE BEGAN TO WRITE MUSIC AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF 2014 . PHIL ROUNDED UP A BAND THAT CONSISTED OF JUSTIN ROTHBERG AND MATT KURSMARK ON GUITARS, AND HIS BROTHER DEAN WARTELL ON BASS, . IN 2015, THE FIVE MADE THE PILGRIMAGE TO SEASIDE LOUNGE STUDIOS IN BROOKLYN TO LAY THE TRACKS FOR THIS MUSICAL TAJ MAHAL. FOR THE MONTHS FOLLOWING, ROSIE AND PHIL HIBERNATED WHILE PHIL, WITH THE HELP OF THE INCREDIBLE JIMMY SWEETSOUNDS AT THE CONTROLS, PERFECTED AND COMPLETED THE RECENTLY RELEASED FULL LENGTH ALBUM HEARTS BLEED GOODBYE. THE CURRENT LIVE LINE UP OF THE BAND CONSISTS OF ROSIE REBEL ON VOCALS, MATT KURSMARK ON GUITAR, PHIL WARTELL ON DRUMS, LEAH FARMER ON KEYBOARDS, CHRIS POTTER ON GUITAR, AND STEVE CAPECCI ON BASS.
Highway 4 is an award-winning rock band from Pittsburgh with a Foo Fighters meets Halestorm sound, riff-centered writing, and a classic vibe and energy like that of the 1970's stadium rock.
"With an ear open to the great influences of the past, performed with the intensity of today, and a clear vision of the future, Rock N Roll is in good hands with Highway 4." -Tim Daugherty, Program Director, WONE-FM 97.5, Akron, OH
The "Classic Rock" sound has come full circle, this time, with more power and grit to back it up. This award-winning rock band from Pittsburgh is quickly rising to popularity and resurfacing the rock music scene as we know it. Eclectic influences of the 1970's era forged with the "muscle" of the 21st century have been the backbone to developing the unique & reminiscent sound in their alternative rock genre. Highway 4 formed in 2010 with members Kelly Brown (VOX, Torrence, CA), Mike Angert (Guitar, Chicora, PA), and Tylar Parker (Bass, Chicora, PA) with the intent to make waves and break molds in mainstream rock music.
Armed with their most recent release (Matter Of Time 2016) and their first full-length album, Up In Arms (2014), Highway 4 possesses an unmatchable energy and unforgettable sound and style that is redefining rock music. The two year gap in between the music allowed Highway 4 to serve their fans on the road playing over 300 shows, undergo many valuable changes, and evolve with the maturing writing style. New EP Record, Matter Of Time opens a door into the past while marrying the present with songs that boast powerful hooks and classic staying potential.
"We didn't want to write music that would be forgotten. There's just something about complete transparency, raw-talent, and human imperfection in the recording process that gives an album the ability to root itself in the present but last through the decades." -Kelly Brown, VOX, Hwy4
MATTER OF TIME has those qualities and Highway 4 fans are going to feel a renewed sense of passion for music when this EP Record gets into their hands.
In February 2012, they competed in the 105.9FM X Winter Rock Showcase at the Hard Rock Cafe (Pittsburgh, PA) and placed 2nd overall out of 110 unsigned bands. In March of the same year, they took 1st in the Next Big Thing Tour at Mr. Small's Theatre (Millvale, PA) out of 40 indie rock bands. In July 2013, they won the first ever fan-voted Grassy Award from 97.7FM's The Rock Station for "One of These Days." To date, they have made multiple radio appearances, successfully crowdfunded their 2016 EP Matter Of Time, shared the stage with The Clarks, Zepparella, Truth & Salvage Company, Hot Action Cop, Shane Alexander, LA Guns' Tracii Guns, BulletBoys, Killer Bee, Blackberry Smoke, and Great White, and are currently organizing a tour in support of their EP.
The hills of Northern PA are an unforgiving place. Hailing from a small town called Ridgway, PA, the CWB exudes a toughness and desperation that can only be cultivated in the working class environs from which they hail. Their driving brand of hard driving groove-rock is reminiscent of the Black Crowes and The Allman Brothers Band, coupled with the blunt force of Pearl Jam.
Powered by the rhythm section of Rad Akers on Drums (Big Leg Emma) and Dave Fink on Bass (That Dog In Egypt), Charlie Wheeler describes his trio as a “song first” type of band. While expansive, improvisational jamming is a key component to their live show, their third album “Rewind” is a solid group of structured songs which allow Wheeler to tear into his vocal and lead guitar work with reckless, pent up hostility.
Jason Achilles Mezilis is a producer and actor, known for A Very BBK Xmas (2013), Jason's Sheets (2013) and My Caddy Won't Let Me (2011).
Maria Savva / 2016-02-28
[Originally posted on UK Arts Directory 14/7/15]
Hi Jason! You have a new album coming out on July 28th. “Things You Can’t See” is made up of 6 very individual tracks. I think Owl’s music is unique/difficult to define. How would you describe it to someone who’s never heard any music by Owl?
Hi Maria…good to talk to you again, and yes I would agree it’s kind of hard to pin down. Owl is definitely a hard rock band, but yeah there’s obviously a lot more to it than that – progressive elements, atmospheric elements, a certain melodic approach and fuck-all rhythmic aggression. I find myself in the same position, honestly…I don’t really know how to answer that either!
Glad I’m not the only one!:)
The album is excellent. I like all the songs and because they’re all so different, it’s hard to pick a favourite as they all have something great in them. Do you have a favourite track, and if so, why?
Well, thank you for saying so. If I had to pick a favorite I’d go with the opening track, which is the title track “Things You Can’t See.” The second half of that tune in particular is really fun to play live. And overall, it captures all the elements of this band that I enjoy pretty well in one quick snapshot.
If you had to pick one Owl song from all 3 releases to define the band, which one would you choose, and why?
I’d say “Violent Center“ off our first record. It’s similar to the song I just mentioned in that it covers a lot of ground in one tune, and it’s a really damn good, well written song. We often times will end our live set with it.
A great song, and it looks like that video was fun to make!
I heard that “Things You Can’t See” wasn’t written before you got to the studio, but you all basically jammed together and came up with the songs. Is that right? How did that compare to going into the studio with the songs ready?
It is right, but more so by comparison to how the other records were realized. There is still a necessary structure that has to be imparted in the process, it just lent itself to a lot more freedom in the sense of arrangement and everyone’s individual stamp. All of us: Chris Dan and myself, are pretty much continuously thinking of the songs and ideas in terms of how they will ultimately translate on the recording so it’s not a “jam session” like you get with a bunch of guys just going at it, as a random throw-and-go.
Owl has a string of U.S. summer tour dates. How are fans reacting to the new music?
So far it’s been fantastic. I honestly haven’t heard a single negative comment yet about the new material. Everyone seems to really dig it. It’s cool.
Do you have a favourite Owl track to play live?
Our typical set opener, “The Right Thing” off the second album of the same name, is a real barn-stormer to come out with every night. I really love opening the eyes and ears of the crowd with that one. We really kill that tune. It’s a great, confident feeling to step on stage with.
Does Owl have plans to tour or play any gigs/festivals in Europe/UK?
We’ve been discussing that as a possibility for next year. It’s a ways off still, but it’s something on our minds as a realistic goal.
If Owl could tour with any other band, which would you choose?
There are so many great bands out there we have been lucky to play with. I couldn’t pick just one, or even just ten. But there are always new surprises – bands you haven’t thought of that turn out to be a great matchup. I know for me personally, King’s X would be a great one. Or Tool. Bands that are respected for the musicianship, as well as the songwriting and connection with their fans. That’s the best scenarios for us. I’m stoked for the upcoming shows we have with PHILM, for sure.
Snir Yamin is a singer-songwriter originally from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Hailing from Israel, Snir Yamin is a Singer/Songwriter with a personal and eclectic approach to his music.
His songs bridge the gaps between the intimacy of folk, the appeal of pop and the energy of rock, echoing the sound of talented performers the likes of Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, Neil Young or Elliott Smith, just to mention a few.
Intricate melodies, moody atmospheres, and soft-spoken lyricism are the hallmarks of Snir’s work, as the singer conveys feelings of both darkness and light within his tunes, going for a melancholic, yet uplifting sensibility.
Everything you wanted to know about Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours but were to afraid to ask.
Lou and Katie Talk about the Album Rumors by Fleetwood Mac and reveal some little know facts about the making of this iconic record.
Loudini Artists: Bad Cop, Vexine, Froomador
RELEASES:
2010: "Harvest The Beast" full length debut album, on ROIR! Records.
2011: "I Can't Slow Down" Free EP released through Prince Cook LLC.
Sarah Frances Gleason - Vocals
Paul Pearce - Guitar, Vocals
Jorge Santamaria (Manager) - Drums, Backing Vocals,
Michael Skiffington - Bass Guitar, Upright Bass
“Little Sin” is the third release by Richmond, Virginia based band VEXINE on ZAP Records. It is a sexy, super-charged collection of songs that will slap you in the face then kiss you to make it better.
10 of the 11 songs on this release were written by vocalist Sarah Gleason and lead guitarist/vocalist Paul Pearce, who have worked together as a song-writing team for several years. Bassist Michael Skiffington and drummer Jorge Santamaria contributed considerably to the arrangements. “It doesn’t matter what we write independently of one another,” says Gleason. “It doesn’t become a VEXINE song until we all get in a room together and hash it out.” The songs were recorded at The Shed (by Paul Pearce and Brian Farquhar) and Montrose Studios (with Bruce Olsen) in Richmond, Virginia.
The title track, “Little Sin” is a sultry little number with gypsy rhythms pounding out the panic of a terrible secret. Santamaria notes that “it was fun to break away and do something a little different with the drums on this track, it is song about murder that is simultaneously dark and bouncy.”
“Tantilla Gardens” speaks of the fantasy of the Richmond dance hall landmark that once was the “South’s Most Beautiful Ballroom” before it was demolished in 1977. Gleason grew up hearing her grandmother tell her stories of the “rooftop that rolled away,” where couples danced beneath the stars. “I wish I could have experienced it first hand. Writing about Tantilla Gardens helped me feel closer to my grandmother. She was dizzy over the splendor and glamour of the place when she was a young woman in the 1930’s.”.
“Only One Left” is Pearce’s wild ride that puts you right in the driver’s seat of this zombie love-story. “Hey, zombies need love, too,” says Pearce.
VEXINE also chose to include Elvis Costello’s “I Want You” in this release because “it was a long-time favorite” of Skiffington’s. “I knew we could do something special with it.”
“Little Sin” will be released April 30 at Center of the Universe Brewing in Ashland, Virginia, along with a special, limited release beer of the same name. VEXINE owes special thanks Mr. Tom Porter and Center of the Universe Brewing for making their wildest beer dreams come true.
Sexy, soulful, edgy rock. Vexine has been thrilling Richmond audiences with their unique sound since 2012. Vexine’s much-anticipated, self-titled debut was released January 25th, 2013 on ZAP Records. The CD features ten original songs and has been described as taking "sultry to bodacious levels, combining rock and roll attitude and country soul". The songs tell stories that the listener can relate to with rhythms you can groove to.
Combining an acoustic sound with the electrical pulse of Indie Rock, Froomador’s unique songwriting approach leaves room for the listener’s own interpretation. His latest album, “Can’t This Wait” includes the single “Solar Energy” for which there is a climatic music video that has been filmed in the Arizona desert, and is to be released in early 2016. Orlando native Ryan Froom credits his passion for music to his father whom he watched simultaneously play the guitar and sing at church during his early childhood. By the age of 10 he had his first guitar and was 12 years old when he wrote his first song. His father introduced him to the “The Doobie Brothers”, “Beach Boys”, and “The Beatles” during his early teens in which Ryan also began to sensationalize the sport of surfing. Heavily influenced by the beachy tunes, Ryan acquired a palate for the soothing sounds of the ukulele, and began to incorporate them into his songs. During his early high school days, he recalls sneaking into his older brother’s melancholy record collection and discovering the sound of “The Cure”, “The Smiths”, and “Nirvana”. It was then that Ryan also began to incorporate the electric guitar into his songwriting sessions. At the age of 23, Ryan moved to Argentina and would spend the next eight months learning Spanish and being surrounded by Latin Jazz, Flamenco, and Folklore. By the age of 24, he lived a few months in Brazil where he would also learn to speak Portuguese and develop an interest in Brazilian samba and the sassy Latin tunes, inspiring him to write and record his album “Pavement Ends” several years later. In 2009, he enrolled in the prestigious school of music “Berklee” in Boston where he would focus on Jazz Composition and classical arrangements for the next year and a half. Froomador has performed live in several cities including Hollywood and Claremont, CA, Washington D.C., and countless venues in his hometown Orlando, FL, where he currently resides. Along with the release of his album “Can’t This Wait”, his performance schedule will also be announced.
They say freedom lies in being bold. For the accomplished professional musicians in the modern rock trio Save The World, that means taking time out of their hectic schedules to form a band that plays the music they love, and then paying forward the good vibes with soaring hooks and uplifting messages.
“When I was trying to come up with names for the band, I saw the phrase ‘Save the world’ in a movie theater. I thought about that statement a lot,” recalls Dan Tracey. “It felt like it encompassed everything I wanted the band to be. It filled people up with inspiration, it was positive, and fit perfectly with the music I wanted to make—songs you could blast loudly driving around with the windows down.”
Save The World pens emotionally charged songs with rich, melodic choruses.
The trio share an almost telepathic artistic interplay that forgoes genre conventions in favor of a signature sound that’s modern, anthemic, and refreshingly dynamic.
Save The World’s chief songwriter Dan Tracey on guitar, vocals, keyboards; Robert Wright on bass, vocals, keyboards, Taurus pedals, percussion, producer, engineer ; and Jon Wysocki on drums. Outside STW, each player has a gilded musical résumé. Dan Tracey is highly regarded for his songwriting, singing, and guitar playing skills. He’s composed music for major television shows and films, and performed and recorded with a variety of established musicians—currently, he plays guitar and sings in the Alan Parsons Live Project. Robert Wright draws recognition onstage and in the studio as a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter with multiple artist cuts and publishing deals, and as a producer, where he topped the Billboard Country Album charts multiple times and earned many Gold and Platinum album awards. Jon Wysocki is best known as the founding member of the chart-topping, multi-million record selling modern rock band Staind from the band’s halcyon years, 1995 until 2011.
Unlike other bands with esteemed résumés, Save The World’s origins are humble. Dan Tracey and Jon Wysocki both came up in the Springfield, Massachusetts music scene. Over the years, they admired each other’s wildly divergent paths. Tracey became an in-demand Nashville musician, and Wysocki was in one of the biggest rock bands of modern times. Robert Wright and Dan Tracey met in Nashville—where Tracey relocated over 20 years ago—and had an instant artistic rapport. Tracey was the intermediary between Wright and Wysocki.
That fateful first band meeting, at Capricorn Soundworks in Nashville, was to record STW’s debut single “Bleed.” Dan wrote the melody-driven masterstroke song in his van on the way back from a gig—it was the first rock song he had written in years. The song is undeniable. “I wasn’t interested in starting a band,” Tracey reveals. “We all have so many obligations pursuing different endeavors and touring with different artists.” But recording that track that day was epiphanic. “I was in a band years ago that had a unique sound, and I always regretted leaving it. Here was another chance to do something I believed in and felt passionate about,” he confides.
Currently, the band is readying a cadre of singles to be sequenced into a record. “I want to make each song great. I want there to be ten hits on it with no filler,” Tracey says. He continues: “When people buy this record, they’re going to get hit with a lot of diversity.”
The band’s leadoff single, “Bleed,” is both cathartic and catchy, a gut-punch of melody that unpacks the tattoo trend in a profound way. “The meaning of the song hit me when I was getting ready for that morning’s sessions—the pain of getting tattoos allows people to let out their pain and their dreams. It’s a release,” Tracey says. “I then called Robert at 8:30 in the morning and woke him up to tell him about the lyrics and video concept.” The video interweaves emotive narratives with performance footage for an arresting effect.
“When I saw the final cut of the video, the story had so much weight, I just sat there with tears streaming down my face,” Robert Wright says. “It hit me with the same feelings that I hope it hits other people with because the band is not the focus of this whole thing, the message is.”
The band’s follow-up single, “Circus Maximus,” doesn’t let up on pent-up passion bursting from burly riffs and skyward hooks. “It’s about the poisoning of our society by the 24/7 media,” Tracey says. The bridge features a poignant cameo from rock icon Alan Parsons. It’s a spoken-word piece that raises hairs:
True to its promise, Save The World exhibits refreshing diversity through the chilling, Pink Floyd-esqueness of “This Little Pill” and the majestic modern Prog-Rock of “Princes and Thieves.” The track “This Little Pill” might be the “Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)” of 2016. It addresses the thought-control battle for the minds of children of today. The opening line is visceral. Here Tracey sings:
Hey ADD kid who just can’t sit still/I’m gonna fix you by breakin your will/Focus on things that you don’t adore/Rewire your heart so you’re fully restored.
STW also has majestic Prog-Rock epic “Princes and Thieves” written in the tradition of classic Alan Parsons Project, but played by the guys, it’s unmistakably Save The World.
Reflecting back on the impulse to start a band, Robert Wright says: “I have a 20 year history of chasing down music that features lyrics with substance, and huge melodic hooks that won’t leave you alone — music that’s angry, music that’s a celebration. Doing this with a band has been an itch I haven’t been able to scratch. I want this music to make people realize they have the power to answer this challenge — to truly save the world.”
Band Members
// Liam O'Brien - guitar, alto saxophone, tin whistle // Julia Blair - viola, accordion // Ben DeCorsey - guitar, banjo // Jeff Edenberg - horn, recorders, saw, trash // Rachel Graber - trash kit // Alex Heaton - bass, drums // Cameron Carrus - bass
Holy Sheboygan! emerge from the dark woods naked, a wild tangle of hair and dirt. They open mouths filled with jagged teeth. A rough yowl echoes through the dusk.
Holy Sheboygan! is a band of scavengers. Creeping through the alleys of musical sound, they borrow melodies from a wide array of genres, tape-recorded noise from their everyday lives, and percussion from the abundant dumpsters of the Fox Valley. By their very nature, they can be described as nothing other than 'garbage folk.'
Influences
Flesh and mud, skin and moans.
Email
holysheboygan@gmail.com
Website
holysheboygan.bandcamp.com
Press Contact
holysheboygan@gmail.com
Booking Agent
holysheboygan@gmail.com
