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Let’s get one thing out of the way… Arizona is a band from Brooklyn who live in the bohemian town of Asheville, North Carolina. They are not from Arizona. However, the name Arizona is fitting when considering the band’s expansive sound of extended intros and interludes, giving way to galloping stories that unfold like a desert landscape. Comprised of childhood friends Ben Wigler (vocals/guitar) and Alex Hornbake (bass/vocals), along with Nick Campbell (vocals/ guitar) and James DeDakis (drums/ vocals), Arizona forged their sound in Brooklyn: a bustling Mecca full of musical ideas and artistic encouragement. With harmonies that bend, ebb and flow with a gentle nod to 60s classic rock, Arizona craft songs much like a painter would approach a canvas.
Arizona emerged onto the music scene in 2005 and quickly gained acclaim with reviews from blogs like My Old Kentucky Blog and Largehearted Boy who raves “Arizona makes brilliant folk-pop layered in textures.” Amazingly, their first EP The Sun and The Room was recorded during the first week of the band’s existence, and immediately received attention from Brooklyn indie record label spinART. Soon after, Arizona was introduced to producer and mentor Danny Kadar (My Morning Jacket, Iggy Pop, The Avett Brothers) who became influential in helping the band record and mix their first full-length album Welcome Back Dear Children (2006). When their relationship with spinART dissolved, Arizona decided to release the album independently receiving more raves in the blog world, including inclusions in a number of year end “Best Of” lists such as I Guess I’m Floating and Little Radio. They also received praise from radio stations like WXPN in Philadelphia, and found themselves touring extensively with Band of Horses, The Slip and Indigo Girls.
In late 2006, Arizona traveled to Asheville, NC to mix their second EP Fameseeker and the Mono with Danny Kadar who had taken a position as the chief engineer at Echo Mountain Recording. Shortly after, Arizona wrote and performed music for the film “Anywhere USA”, a Special Jury Prize winner at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The band was invited to release their next album on the newly launched Echo Mountain Records label (Tyler Ramsey, Malcolm Holcombe), and were smitten with Asheville’s eccentric arts community, so in the summer of 2007 they left the Big Apple for the mountains.
For the creation of their second full length album Glowing Bird, the four musicians moved into a rural farmhouse to sculpt and record their new songs. The eclectic mountain town and its surrounding natural beauty proved the perfect setting for Arizona’s most cohesive release to date. The band experimented for months in their makeshift studio, in some cases allowing the songs weeks to build and evolve. Featuring meticulous layering of notes and instrumentation, Glowing Bird was crafted with special consideration for harmonies. The result is smart and playful, yet upon each listen, new intricacies are discovered.
On Glowing Bird, Arizona once again chose to work with Kadar. “We've always called Danny a facilitator” says Ben, “he basically makes us feel comfortable to utilize our natural talents as performers, writers and producers. He reins us in, inspires us to get crazy, and in general just challenges us to put out the best shit we can.” The band credits the obvious (The Beatles) to the not so apparent (Metallica, Megadeth, Ministry), to everything in between (The Kinks, Elliott Smith, Soundgarden, Yes, Jeff Buckley, Ella Fitzgerald) as their influences. Ben gets to the core of what Arizona is: “It’s the sound of an infinite array of influences, so hard to pin down, but each one is aligned to make something that suits our listening tastes. We’ve managed to combine these influences by channeling them in a carefree but cared-after way.”
MySpace Page
Arizona emerged onto the music scene in 2005 and quickly gained acclaim with reviews from blogs like My Old Kentucky Blog and Largehearted Boy who raves “Arizona makes brilliant folk-pop layered in textures.” Amazingly, their first EP The Sun and The Room was recorded during the first week of the band’s existence, and immediately received attention from Brooklyn indie record label spinART. Soon after, Arizona was introduced to producer and mentor Danny Kadar (My Morning Jacket, Iggy Pop, The Avett Brothers) who became influential in helping the band record and mix their first full-length album Welcome Back Dear Children (2006). When their relationship with spinART dissolved, Arizona decided to release the album independently receiving more raves in the blog world, including inclusions in a number of year end “Best Of” lists such as I Guess I’m Floating and Little Radio. They also received praise from radio stations like WXPN in Philadelphia, and found themselves touring extensively with Band of Horses, The Slip and Indigo Girls.
In late 2006, Arizona traveled to Asheville, NC to mix their second EP Fameseeker and the Mono with Danny Kadar who had taken a position as the chief engineer at Echo Mountain Recording. Shortly after, Arizona wrote and performed music for the film “Anywhere USA”, a Special Jury Prize winner at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The band was invited to release their next album on the newly launched Echo Mountain Records label (Tyler Ramsey, Malcolm Holcombe), and were smitten with Asheville’s eccentric arts community, so in the summer of 2007 they left the Big Apple for the mountains.
For the creation of their second full length album Glowing Bird, the four musicians moved into a rural farmhouse to sculpt and record their new songs. The eclectic mountain town and its surrounding natural beauty proved the perfect setting for Arizona’s most cohesive release to date. The band experimented for months in their makeshift studio, in some cases allowing the songs weeks to build and evolve. Featuring meticulous layering of notes and instrumentation, Glowing Bird was crafted with special consideration for harmonies. The result is smart and playful, yet upon each listen, new intricacies are discovered.
On Glowing Bird, Arizona once again chose to work with Kadar. “We've always called Danny a facilitator” says Ben, “he basically makes us feel comfortable to utilize our natural talents as performers, writers and producers. He reins us in, inspires us to get crazy, and in general just challenges us to put out the best shit we can.” The band credits the obvious (The Beatles) to the not so apparent (Metallica, Megadeth, Ministry), to everything in between (The Kinks, Elliott Smith, Soundgarden, Yes, Jeff Buckley, Ella Fitzgerald) as their influences. Ben gets to the core of what Arizona is: “It’s the sound of an infinite array of influences, so hard to pin down, but each one is aligned to make something that suits our listening tastes. We’ve managed to combine these influences by channeling them in a carefree but cared-after way.”
MySpace Page
The Baker Family Band is a creative, original, listenable, and danceable indie pop band from Asheville, NC. Substantial lyrics meet a myriad of melodies and counter-melodies as Mr. and Mrs. Baker sing songs of excitement, loneliness, judgment, and hope. Stuart Baker writes the songs for the band, but all five members contribute to the arrangements. With influences such as Neil Young, Jeff Tweedy, Donovan, Sonic Youth and Bruce Springsteen, the band fuses country and folk with indie rock and electronic music.
The Baker's first album, "Transaction," was released independently in early 2007. The album is available for download on iTunes, and the band's MySpace page.
"Old Civilizations Put to the Sword" is the Family's anticipated album to be released in January of 2009. Many songs from the upcoming album are featured on the band's MySpace for free download (www.myspace.com/thebakersnc).
The Baker Family Band formed when Mike Ackley, Owen Thomas, and Stuart decided to combine their musical forces as singer/songwriters. Nathan Ribner, who had been playing with Mike, joined the Baker Family Band on bass. David Barrett, drummer for indie rock project, Talk Show Hosts, came on board because of his previous musical relationship with Stuart in Talk Show Hosts (www.myspace.com/talkshowhostsnc).
Danny Resner came on board after meeting Stuart at a recording session for indie/experimental/pop duet, Old Folks. Stuart was engineering the project, and Danny was performing on an Old Folks song in the studio. Stuart recognized Danny's extraordinary musical talents and asked him to join the Baker Family Band; Danny accepted, and a new era was born for the Bakers.
The Bakers have performed all around Asheville, North Carolina, South Carolina, Atlanta, and NYC. They plan on touring the East Coast next summer.
MySpace Page
The Baker's first album, "Transaction," was released independently in early 2007. The album is available for download on iTunes, and the band's MySpace page.
"Old Civilizations Put to the Sword" is the Family's anticipated album to be released in January of 2009. Many songs from the upcoming album are featured on the band's MySpace for free download (www.myspace.com/thebakersnc).
The Baker Family Band formed when Mike Ackley, Owen Thomas, and Stuart decided to combine their musical forces as singer/songwriters. Nathan Ribner, who had been playing with Mike, joined the Baker Family Band on bass. David Barrett, drummer for indie rock project, Talk Show Hosts, came on board because of his previous musical relationship with Stuart in Talk Show Hosts (www.myspace.com/talkshowhostsnc).
Danny Resner came on board after meeting Stuart at a recording session for indie/experimental/pop duet, Old Folks. Stuart was engineering the project, and Danny was performing on an Old Folks song in the studio. Stuart recognized Danny's extraordinary musical talents and asked him to join the Baker Family Band; Danny accepted, and a new era was born for the Bakers.
The Bakers have performed all around Asheville, North Carolina, South Carolina, Atlanta, and NYC. They plan on touring the East Coast next summer.
MySpace Page
Bandazian combines energetic rock and vintage overtones into fresh and focused songwriting. Based out of Asheville, NC and originally from the DC metropolitan area, the quartet captivates audiences with a polished, unadulterated performance.
Bandazian's new and third album, O Pioneer 2008, illustrates how the band has developed a unique sound fashioned from mature songwriting and collaborative musical growth. Like their debut release, In Vacant Fields 2006, O Pioneer was self-recorded and self-produced.
Much of the new album was written using an antique reed organ and arranged over the course of a week spent in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. O Pioneer is strengthened by the mastering of Dave Harris (Southern Culture on the Skids, Reverend Horton Heat) of Studio B mastering in Charlotte, NC. These elements, coupled with the band's well-cultivated indie-pop-rock sound and lush album art set the scene for a memorable release.
Bandazian has also worked with Danny Kadar (Iggy Pop, My Morning Jacket) at Echo Mountain Studios and Fred Kevorkian (The White Stripes, Ryan Adams, Iggy Pop) on their second release, Crocodile Tears EP 2007.
MySpace Page
Bandazian's new and third album, O Pioneer 2008, illustrates how the band has developed a unique sound fashioned from mature songwriting and collaborative musical growth. Like their debut release, In Vacant Fields 2006, O Pioneer was self-recorded and self-produced.
Much of the new album was written using an antique reed organ and arranged over the course of a week spent in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. O Pioneer is strengthened by the mastering of Dave Harris (Southern Culture on the Skids, Reverend Horton Heat) of Studio B mastering in Charlotte, NC. These elements, coupled with the band's well-cultivated indie-pop-rock sound and lush album art set the scene for a memorable release.
Bandazian has also worked with Danny Kadar (Iggy Pop, My Morning Jacket) at Echo Mountain Studios and Fred Kevorkian (The White Stripes, Ryan Adams, Iggy Pop) on their second release, Crocodile Tears EP 2007.
MySpace Page
Bugs Multiply is a 4 piece powerpop band from Asheville, NC. Members: Matt Cox (Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards), Toby Brown (Guitar, Vocals), George Waterman (Drums) and recently Ian Kirkland on Bass..
Matt Cox is an Asheville transplant from Ithaca, NY who left a short lived stay in Los Angeles to come to Asheville in 1998. The first version of Bugs Multiply rehearsed in his one room log cabin working out a collection of existing songs. Eight years later including several name changes and an evolution of lineup changes the first full length Bugs Multiply CD was released and the band was playing regular local shows. The CD sold about 200 copies and gathered positive reviews and radio play leaving the band name a solid 3 pages of google search results and some MySpace momentum.
2007 brought another complete lineup change, but also a years worth of regular local shows and 2 short tours including 7 days in the northeast and a beach city tour. At the end of that run two of the members moved on to form their own project and Matt took time off to write songs for a new EP. Enter George Waterman on drums and Toby Brown as new guitar player and a good vocal match for song harmonies. Waterman is an “any genre” drummer with a history of session work who found the songs exactly the type of project he was looking for after moving to Asheville. Toby Brown comes from the Orlando, FL punk and hardcore scene as well as 8 years of Warped Tour residency as a player and a tour manager. With playing and writing styles that matched Matt’s punk rock background, the songs for the new EP took a slightly faster turn and brought more power to the pop while keeping the big harmony choruses like the first album. The 6 song EP titled “Strung Out on the Placebo” was recorded in Nashville over summer 2008. The songs always have a hint of dissonance that come from some unique chord phrasings that Matt developed as a piano player turned guitar based writer. Matt has an experienced soft spot for glaring hooks with harmonies, and no shortage of pretty measures with hidden pop melodies and softer vocals. On the other side, the songs go for punk influenced super catchy 3 minute soundtracks for your short attention span life.
This year the band developed their own record label (Coma Gun Records) that has a mission to create a promotions sharing community with a few other bands that will also be on the label. The tentative formal release date of the new EP is January 6, 2009. There are plans to release a record label compilation disc showcasing the 3 rock bands that make up Coma Gun Records.
MySpace Page
Matt Cox is an Asheville transplant from Ithaca, NY who left a short lived stay in Los Angeles to come to Asheville in 1998. The first version of Bugs Multiply rehearsed in his one room log cabin working out a collection of existing songs. Eight years later including several name changes and an evolution of lineup changes the first full length Bugs Multiply CD was released and the band was playing regular local shows. The CD sold about 200 copies and gathered positive reviews and radio play leaving the band name a solid 3 pages of google search results and some MySpace momentum.
2007 brought another complete lineup change, but also a years worth of regular local shows and 2 short tours including 7 days in the northeast and a beach city tour. At the end of that run two of the members moved on to form their own project and Matt took time off to write songs for a new EP. Enter George Waterman on drums and Toby Brown as new guitar player and a good vocal match for song harmonies. Waterman is an “any genre” drummer with a history of session work who found the songs exactly the type of project he was looking for after moving to Asheville. Toby Brown comes from the Orlando, FL punk and hardcore scene as well as 8 years of Warped Tour residency as a player and a tour manager. With playing and writing styles that matched Matt’s punk rock background, the songs for the new EP took a slightly faster turn and brought more power to the pop while keeping the big harmony choruses like the first album. The 6 song EP titled “Strung Out on the Placebo” was recorded in Nashville over summer 2008. The songs always have a hint of dissonance that come from some unique chord phrasings that Matt developed as a piano player turned guitar based writer. Matt has an experienced soft spot for glaring hooks with harmonies, and no shortage of pretty measures with hidden pop melodies and softer vocals. On the other side, the songs go for punk influenced super catchy 3 minute soundtracks for your short attention span life.
This year the band developed their own record label (Coma Gun Records) that has a mission to create a promotions sharing community with a few other bands that will also be on the label. The tentative formal release date of the new EP is January 6, 2009. There are plans to release a record label compilation disc showcasing the 3 rock bands that make up Coma Gun Records.
MySpace Page
We are currently two boys, a girl, and an iPod named Boop from Athens, GA. Our third album and greatest achievement, Modern Silence, is coming out in early 2009. It's made entirely of good pop songs and one twenty-minute self-indulgent piece of crap. At our live shows we jump around and play the songs louder, but not faster. Boop's timekeeping skills are impeccable.
MySpace Page
MySpace Page
First things first; bands can and should be important. I remember the
first time I listened to Needle in the Hay, Eleanor Rigby, Hallelujah;
these were Moments. Real Moments in my life proving to me that music
is a true Art form capable of bringing both heartbreak and
perspective. The music these bands/artists created captured something
about the human experience and put it on display with a frailty so
intimate that one could begin to use the word "damaged" in a good way;
Damaged like a pair of well-worn hands.
With minds, hearts and hands The Champion and His Burning Flame is
searching for the importance in Art. Some day He'll find it, trap it,
teach it to sing, and then you'll be in for it; yes, in for it.
The Champion began as a friendship between Dave and Trevor; two young
song writers who are heavily influenced by pop music, literature and
friends. After a summer recording session, two of those friends,
Jeremy and Tim, joined the band and the foursome set to work on their
first project. The result is an indie-pop EP, that is both full of
energy and thought-provoking; two qualities that also describe their
live shows. The Champion seeks to initiate a dialogue about what it
means to be both human and an artist.
MySpace Page
first time I listened to Needle in the Hay, Eleanor Rigby, Hallelujah;
these were Moments. Real Moments in my life proving to me that music
is a true Art form capable of bringing both heartbreak and
perspective. The music these bands/artists created captured something
about the human experience and put it on display with a frailty so
intimate that one could begin to use the word "damaged" in a good way;
Damaged like a pair of well-worn hands.
With minds, hearts and hands The Champion and His Burning Flame is
searching for the importance in Art. Some day He'll find it, trap it,
teach it to sing, and then you'll be in for it; yes, in for it.
The Champion began as a friendship between Dave and Trevor; two young
song writers who are heavily influenced by pop music, literature and
friends. After a summer recording session, two of those friends,
Jeremy and Tim, joined the band and the foursome set to work on their
first project. The result is an indie-pop EP, that is both full of
energy and thought-provoking; two qualities that also describe their
live shows. The Champion seeks to initiate a dialogue about what it
means to be both human and an artist.
MySpace Page
The Cheeksters formed soon after Mark Casson and Shannon Hines met by chance on a London train nearly 20 years ago. Shannon (from Tennessee) and Mark (from Great Britain) quickly hit it off both musically and romantically, and have since written and recorded five acclaimed albums of melodic pop colored by the influences of their respective homelands.
After living in both Knoxville and Nashville, the Cheeksters moved to Asheville in 2000. They continued to travel to Nashville to record at their friend, producer and multi-instrumentalist Brent Little’s analogue studio, including 2005’s “1965” and 2007’s “Movers and Shakers.”
The band, which expanded in early 2007 with the addition of Jay Moye (rhythm guitar, piano), Michael Hart (lead guitar, trumpet, vocals) and Mike Baker (drums), continues to delight audiences throughout the region with their high-energy live show.
What the press is saying about the Cheeksters:
…the Cheeksters, who somehow manage to channel Burt Bacharach/Hal David pop, Dusty Springfield’s diva soul, T-Rex’s manic boogie and the pomp of David Bowie often in the same song without sounding derivative. But that’s The Cheeksters – timeless, tuneful and terrific.
--Jason Bugg, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
...sounding like reanimated Zombies on their new Movers and Shakers, former Nashville songwriter-frontman Mark Casson and bassist-vocalist Shannon Hines Casson collapse their voluminous record collection into 10 unabashedly groovy songs whose sonic DNA tangles strands of R&B, glam, Britpop and bubblegum...
--Nashville Scene (Nashville, Tenn.)
...plays like a Wes Anderson soundtrack, with delicate instrumental arrangements (“Home Is Where the Heart Is”), minor-key, Rickenbacker-friendly melodies (“Mister Sun”), and sunny little numbers with whistling accompaniment (“Movers and Shakers”).
--Metro Pulse (Knoxville, Tenn.)
MySpace Page
DANCER VS. POLITICIAN is the pseudonym of German native Sanni Baumgaertner. She moved to Athens, Georgia in the late 90s, where she started performing in different bands around the Southeast. After traveling back and forth between Athens and Berlin for the last three years, performing and recording in both places, DANCER VS. POLITICIAN is now touring the US, backed up by a three piece band.
Influenced by Nico/The Velvet Underground, Belle & Sebastian, and The Postal Service, the sound moves between lush arrangements of strings, glockenspiel, accordion, musical saw, and a more electronic influenced sound with layers of vintage keyboards. The lyrics are in German and English.
The recently released debut album "A City Half-Lost" was produced by Andy Baker (The Glands, Azure Ray, Shannon Wright), Sanni Baumgaertner, and Matt Yelton (The Pixies, Frank Black). It features a number of Athens and Berlin musicians, among them members of Phosphorescent, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Glands, and Five-Eight. STOMP AND STAMMER calls it ..."A WONDROUS MASTERPIECE, LIKE A NICO ALBUM PERFORMED BY GHOSTS AND ANGELS. FIND IT, BUY IT."
Sanni Baumgärtner also appears on Nikki Sudden's last album called "The Truth Doesn't Matter" and has recorded with Vic Chesnutt, Bill Doss (Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control), and Jeffrey Butzer (Lona Records).
MySpace Page
Influenced by Nico/The Velvet Underground, Belle & Sebastian, and The Postal Service, the sound moves between lush arrangements of strings, glockenspiel, accordion, musical saw, and a more electronic influenced sound with layers of vintage keyboards. The lyrics are in German and English.
The recently released debut album "A City Half-Lost" was produced by Andy Baker (The Glands, Azure Ray, Shannon Wright), Sanni Baumgaertner, and Matt Yelton (The Pixies, Frank Black). It features a number of Athens and Berlin musicians, among them members of Phosphorescent, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Glands, and Five-Eight. STOMP AND STAMMER calls it ..."A WONDROUS MASTERPIECE, LIKE A NICO ALBUM PERFORMED BY GHOSTS AND ANGELS. FIND IT, BUY IT."
Sanni Baumgärtner also appears on Nikki Sudden's last album called "The Truth Doesn't Matter" and has recorded with Vic Chesnutt, Bill Doss (Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control), and Jeffrey Butzer (Lona Records).
MySpace Page
Heypenny have spent the past year wowing audiences across the USA with their infectious brand of indie pop, and now the Nashville three piece warm up the UK with the release of their single ‘Parade’ before hitting the our shores in January 2009 for a full UK tour to coincide with the release of their EP ‘Cop Car’
The band started out as the bedroom project of vocalist/keys Benjamin Elkins. He self-released what was essentially a solo album (Use These Spoons) in 2006 to many nods of approval in blog world, then took time out to write and record some songs for Cerys Matthews’ last solo effort (he met Cerys after she heard Ben’s demos in a studio in Nashville). He finally got his dream band together when he relocated from Arkansas to Nashville, not only the home of country music, but also of a growing indie scene where bands such as Be Your Own Pet and The Spinto Band were formed.
With 2009 fast approaching, Heypenny look set to turn heads in the UK next year, as they release their first UK single ‘Parade’ followed immediately by an EP on new British label ‘Guerrilla Music’ [Universal] as well as building on the success of the enormously energetic live shows they played in London during a promotional visit to the UK back in June, with a UK tour planned for January 2009.
“Altogether now….If you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do, if you haven't got a ha'penny, God bless you."
“If LCD Soundsystem didn't realise anyone was listening, or if that sequence where all the cards jump off the deck at the end of solitaire, were a song, it might sound like this (Parade).”- Said the Gramophone
MySpace Page
The band started out as the bedroom project of vocalist/keys Benjamin Elkins. He self-released what was essentially a solo album (Use These Spoons) in 2006 to many nods of approval in blog world, then took time out to write and record some songs for Cerys Matthews’ last solo effort (he met Cerys after she heard Ben’s demos in a studio in Nashville). He finally got his dream band together when he relocated from Arkansas to Nashville, not only the home of country music, but also of a growing indie scene where bands such as Be Your Own Pet and The Spinto Band were formed.
With 2009 fast approaching, Heypenny look set to turn heads in the UK next year, as they release their first UK single ‘Parade’ followed immediately by an EP on new British label ‘Guerrilla Music’ [Universal] as well as building on the success of the enormously energetic live shows they played in London during a promotional visit to the UK back in June, with a UK tour planned for January 2009.
“Altogether now….If you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do, if you haven't got a ha'penny, God bless you."
“If LCD Soundsystem didn't realise anyone was listening, or if that sequence where all the cards jump off the deck at the end of solitaire, were a song, it might sound like this (Parade).”- Said the Gramophone
MySpace Page
Holiday Childress , known as the front man for The Goodies (thegoodiesonline.com), is a writer, producer and performer.
Holiday is in the process of writing for his debut solo record. He is currently working with longtime friend and collaborator, Chuck Lichtenberger (stephaniesid) and the multi talented Joey K on drums and guitar.
Growing up on air force bases as a child , his first sonic memories were of jet fighters over his house. That was his first "musical" influence.
His music has been described as Prince meets T Rex meets Queen meets Tom Waits. What makes Holiday unique is his way of connecting with an audience through his animated performances and his signature handlebar mustache. Holiday's main influences are Tim Burton, Johnny Depp , Jens Lekman, Tom Waits and Danny Elfman.
MySpace Page
Holiday is in the process of writing for his debut solo record. He is currently working with longtime friend and collaborator, Chuck Lichtenberger (stephaniesid) and the multi talented Joey K on drums and guitar.
Growing up on air force bases as a child , his first sonic memories were of jet fighters over his house. That was his first "musical" influence.
His music has been described as Prince meets T Rex meets Queen meets Tom Waits. What makes Holiday unique is his way of connecting with an audience through his animated performances and his signature handlebar mustache. Holiday's main influences are Tim Burton, Johnny Depp , Jens Lekman, Tom Waits and Danny Elfman.
MySpace Page
The Houstons are born of the Southern sun and darkness. Originally formed in 1998 when two brothers met in Asheville to play one of Vincent’s Ear’s legendary weekend long parties, the Houstons have since logged countless miles, all the while pushing the boundaries of of lo-fi indie, electronica, and experimental pop. Two guys amidst a sea of analog equipment making heartfelt music for the masses.
Calling Charlotte home these days, the Houstons are kind of hard to nail down simply because they stir up so many emotions when they play. It’s almost like watching the sunset. There is a hint of sadness as you say goodbye to another passing day but then there's a sense of invigoration and a tinge of mystery as you feel thankful to be moving forward and curious as to what lies ahead. In other words, it’s warm, heady stuff that you can really get lost in.
The brothers, being brothers, have played music together most of their lives. Justin, the elder Faircloth/Houston plays keys and drums simultaneously onstage, a feat he accomplishes by nestling the kickdrum of a cocktail-size trapset beneath the keyboards. Younger brother Matt, not to be outdone, plays analog bass pedals with his bare feet, while operating a guitar with his bare hands. Both Houstons sing as only siblings can. In short, we are talking about a couple of modern-day, multi-instrumental Everlys, who write beautiful songs.
MySpace Page
Calling Charlotte home these days, the Houstons are kind of hard to nail down simply because they stir up so many emotions when they play. It’s almost like watching the sunset. There is a hint of sadness as you say goodbye to another passing day but then there's a sense of invigoration and a tinge of mystery as you feel thankful to be moving forward and curious as to what lies ahead. In other words, it’s warm, heady stuff that you can really get lost in.
The brothers, being brothers, have played music together most of their lives. Justin, the elder Faircloth/Houston plays keys and drums simultaneously onstage, a feat he accomplishes by nestling the kickdrum of a cocktail-size trapset beneath the keyboards. Younger brother Matt, not to be outdone, plays analog bass pedals with his bare feet, while operating a guitar with his bare hands. Both Houstons sing as only siblings can. In short, we are talking about a couple of modern-day, multi-instrumental Everlys, who write beautiful songs.
MySpace Page
"HOWLIES are the first Rock 'n' Roll band of the 21st Century. Their debut album TRIPPIN' WITH HOWLIES is right up there with the earliest albums of the Ramones, The Sex pistols & The Trashmen. Howlies are fine actors, too. Imagine an unholy blending of the 3 Stooges and Betty Page. Their live show is: unexpected. Conjure up musical thugs/male cheerleaders running amok in a madhouse rubber room.
TRIPPIN' WITH HOWLIES was recorded in 42 hours at Lo-Fi Studios at the edge of the California desert in Babylon, USA. Maria Baglien engineered, Maria and Howlies mixed, Kim Fowley produced (and I helped on some of the mixes, too). I used my memories of producing adventures with Gene Vincent, Modern Lovers, The Seeds, Blue Cheer and The Runaways to get the noize right. TRIPPIN' WITH HOWLIES is a vinyl-inspired analogue raid on the ProTools present. The end result is: Nightmare Fun in the House of Pleasure.
Come on down to the American Southeast and join 'J.R.', 'Stingray', 'Brango' and '4-C' as they party with the Forces of Evil... in that Forbidden Planet of Inner Space. The Casanovas of Cabbagetown will blow your mind and change your life!
Rock on, people! The change has finally come."
--Kim Fowley
Spring 2008
Edge of the California Desert
Howlies are:
Aaron Wood (drums, lead vocals)
Justin Brooke (guitar, lead vocals)
Brandon Morrison (guitar, backing vocals)
Matt Forsee (bass, backing vocals)
Howlies' debut LP TRIPPIN' WITH HOWLIES will be available January 2009 on OverUnder Records.
Website
TRIPPIN' WITH HOWLIES was recorded in 42 hours at Lo-Fi Studios at the edge of the California desert in Babylon, USA. Maria Baglien engineered, Maria and Howlies mixed, Kim Fowley produced (and I helped on some of the mixes, too). I used my memories of producing adventures with Gene Vincent, Modern Lovers, The Seeds, Blue Cheer and The Runaways to get the noize right. TRIPPIN' WITH HOWLIES is a vinyl-inspired analogue raid on the ProTools present. The end result is: Nightmare Fun in the House of Pleasure.
Come on down to the American Southeast and join 'J.R.', 'Stingray', 'Brango' and '4-C' as they party with the Forces of Evil... in that Forbidden Planet of Inner Space. The Casanovas of Cabbagetown will blow your mind and change your life!
Rock on, people! The change has finally come."
--Kim Fowley
Spring 2008
Edge of the California Desert
Howlies are:
Aaron Wood (drums, lead vocals)
Justin Brooke (guitar, lead vocals)
Brandon Morrison (guitar, backing vocals)
Matt Forsee (bass, backing vocals)
Howlies' debut LP TRIPPIN' WITH HOWLIES will be available January 2009 on OverUnder Records.
Website
There is an intrinsic nomadism in all truly good music. It is the fact that it is tied to no particular location, or situation--just as apropos on a stereo in a living room as in an old car on an empty highway, or some cheap out of the way bar. The songs of The If You Wannas are permeated with this malleability. They feature abrupt changes in tempo from one song to the next, driving Telecaster riffs giving way carefully to crafted slower notes.
Seeing them live one notices the lack of pauses between their songs, and the interaction of their energy and that of the crowd. The energy builds as the show continues, the crowd getting it from the band and the band taking it back again--and halfway through the set it's easy to imagine these four musicians powering scores of duplexes and split-levels somewhere in the Mid-West.
Their freneticism is what pulls you in, but it isn't what keeps you. It is the lyrics that keep you. Many of their lyrics are imbued with a deep melancholy, the kind that many of us can relate to--and those that can't know that someday they will. There is that sadness, that detachment, but there is also a sense of whimsy. And that is what most clearly seperates The If You Wannas, the conviction that there is, somehow, redemption in the details, in all of the combined seemingly inconsequential things that make up our lives, and what makes them special is their way of communicating that to the listener.
Chall Gray is a freelance journalist and fiction writer based in Asheville, NC
Website
Seeing them live one notices the lack of pauses between their songs, and the interaction of their energy and that of the crowd. The energy builds as the show continues, the crowd getting it from the band and the band taking it back again--and halfway through the set it's easy to imagine these four musicians powering scores of duplexes and split-levels somewhere in the Mid-West.
Their freneticism is what pulls you in, but it isn't what keeps you. It is the lyrics that keep you. Many of their lyrics are imbued with a deep melancholy, the kind that many of us can relate to--and those that can't know that someday they will. There is that sadness, that detachment, but there is also a sense of whimsy. And that is what most clearly seperates The If You Wannas, the conviction that there is, somehow, redemption in the details, in all of the combined seemingly inconsequential things that make up our lives, and what makes them special is their way of communicating that to the listener.
Chall Gray is a freelance journalist and fiction writer based in Asheville, NC
Website
A bilingual, multi-instrumentalist, creative force of nature, Jar-e's
sound celebrates the spontaneity of a muse that has led him across the
world. His music blends sounds he soaked up living and traveling in
Mexico, Greece, Britain and Cuba with the jazz, hip hop and rock he
grew up with in Hampton Roads, VA.
But the consummate traveler Jar-e just might have found his home in
Asheville, NC. "My last record was all about coming to grips with how
big the world is. I pushed against the constraints of money,
relationships and geographical borders to find something limitless.
But looking back, I feel like I was pursuing my fancy instead of my
dreams. Now I've got a place to settle down and work on my music for a
while."
Luckily, Jar-e has found an all-star group of musicians to help him
realize his musical visions. In the year and a half since his last
release War Songs and the Muse, he and his band have earned a
reputation in the southeast for adventurous and heartfelt shows that
never fail to get a crowd on its feet. This July, the group brought
that energy into the studio. The fruits of their labor, Chicas Malas,
will be released in the spring of 2009.
MySpace Page
sound celebrates the spontaneity of a muse that has led him across the
world. His music blends sounds he soaked up living and traveling in
Mexico, Greece, Britain and Cuba with the jazz, hip hop and rock he
grew up with in Hampton Roads, VA.
But the consummate traveler Jar-e just might have found his home in
Asheville, NC. "My last record was all about coming to grips with how
big the world is. I pushed against the constraints of money,
relationships and geographical borders to find something limitless.
But looking back, I feel like I was pursuing my fancy instead of my
dreams. Now I've got a place to settle down and work on my music for a
while."
Luckily, Jar-e has found an all-star group of musicians to help him
realize his musical visions. In the year and a half since his last
release War Songs and the Muse, he and his band have earned a
reputation in the southeast for adventurous and heartfelt shows that
never fail to get a crowd on its feet. This July, the group brought
that energy into the studio. The fruits of their labor, Chicas Malas,
will be released in the spring of 2009.
MySpace Page
For nearly four years now, Jen & the Juice has offered up some of the finest universal hipster swing this side of paradise. As a local favorite on the Asheville music scene, the band is ready to take their sound out on the road for everyone to hear. The Juice sings songs that excite memories from long ago, while brining back softly familiar moments from just minutes passed. Jen & the Juice is a vibrant expression of this home squeezed blend of Appalachian Bohemian Americana.
With originality as an embracing factor, strong hints of jazz, funk and folk make their songs a sultry mix for your head, heart and feet. The music is sweetly delicious, truly irresistible and melts in your ear just fine. Rolling melodies gently cruise through a lyrically painted canvas and stories dot the landscape of their tunes. Guess it’s no wonder why Jen & the Juice is the flavor of preference for many music lovers in Western North Carolina and beyond.
“We draw a lot of inspiration from folks like Sublime, Beck, Paul Simon, G-Love, and Taj Mahal”, says Jenny, lead vocalist and songwriter for the Juice. While Jenny writes much of the lyrical storyline for the songs, she says she really depends on the band to help make their arrangements smart, smooth and funky.
Jen & the Juice is currently working on a new album that's set to be released by this summer. “Meet the Hooligans of Bohemian”, their recent release, made WNCW's Best 100 Albums for 2006. Look for this top shelf band to appear at a festival, show or venue near you soon.
With originality as an embracing factor, strong hints of jazz, funk and folk make their songs a sultry mix for your head, heart and feet. The music is sweetly delicious, truly irresistible and melts in your ear just fine. Rolling melodies gently cruise through a lyrically painted canvas and stories dot the landscape of their tunes. Guess it’s no wonder why Jen & the Juice is the flavor of preference for many music lovers in Western North Carolina and beyond.
“We draw a lot of inspiration from folks like Sublime, Beck, Paul Simon, G-Love, and Taj Mahal”, says Jenny, lead vocalist and songwriter for the Juice. While Jenny writes much of the lyrical storyline for the songs, she says she really depends on the band to help make their arrangements smart, smooth and funky.
Jen & the Juice is currently working on a new album that's set to be released by this summer. “Meet the Hooligans of Bohemian”, their recent release, made WNCW's Best 100 Albums for 2006. Look for this top shelf band to appear at a festival, show or venue near you soon.
Mad Tea Party brews up rock 'n' roll, retro-pop and honky tonk to create a fresh and intoxicating sound. "It's B-52s meets Buddy Holly with a lot more thump." Ami Worthen and Jason Krekel serve up an exciting live show to music lovers thirsty for upbeat, original refreshment. Delicious harmonies glide over electrified ukulele, juke-joint guitar, scratchy fiddle and pulsing foot percussion. Catchy songs about love, life, sex and dancing are steeped in raw rockabilly with shreds of doo wop and devilish blues. Drink deep - Mad Tea Party concocts a musical recipe that will make you boogie.
The band's dynamic show has been catching people's attention across the country. Metro Santa Cruz described it this way, "More a spectacle than a traditional two-person band, Mad Tea Party consists of vocalist and ukulele strummer Ami Worthen and guitarist, fiddler and drummer Jason Krekel. As Worthen reels out charming and quirky songs with an arch sense of humor, Krekel does double- and triple-duty, creating the illusion of a much bigger band with only two arms and two legs. It's a sight to behold...but Mad Tea Party's unique sound is just as worthy of note. A bubbly amalgam of juke-joint blues, pop, tiki exotica and rockabilly, the band has honed an approach that is unique and affecting without being too precious."
Based in Asheville, NC, Mad Tea Party maintains a rigorous touring schedule. Their latest CD, "Found a Reason," was released on Nine Mile Records Summer 2008. This critically acclaimed recording has been receiving extensive radio play, charting on many of the nation's coolest radio stations. It is distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution.
Website
The band's dynamic show has been catching people's attention across the country. Metro Santa Cruz described it this way, "More a spectacle than a traditional two-person band, Mad Tea Party consists of vocalist and ukulele strummer Ami Worthen and guitarist, fiddler and drummer Jason Krekel. As Worthen reels out charming and quirky songs with an arch sense of humor, Krekel does double- and triple-duty, creating the illusion of a much bigger band with only two arms and two legs. It's a sight to behold...but Mad Tea Party's unique sound is just as worthy of note. A bubbly amalgam of juke-joint blues, pop, tiki exotica and rockabilly, the band has honed an approach that is unique and affecting without being too precious."
Based in Asheville, NC, Mad Tea Party maintains a rigorous touring schedule. Their latest CD, "Found a Reason," was released on Nine Mile Records Summer 2008. This critically acclaimed recording has been receiving extensive radio play, charting on many of the nation's coolest radio stations. It is distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution.
Website
Randy Garcia and Rich Wilson met in a Florida middle-school cafeteria in 1991. Soon after, the duo began to “learn” how to make music together. Typical practice sessions involved poor quality cassette recordings, liberal amounts of instrument swapping, guitar smashing and foul language befitting a pair of teenagers in the epoch of grunge. Forward 18 years and not much has changed -- only now they can play a little better.
Garcia and Wilson, along with percussionist Chris Sheldon, Chief Science Officer Johnny “Blaze” Jacobus and singer Abby Wren are the *Nerd Parade*, a titular phrase that is wholly descriptive of this group’s collective persona. Nerd Parade officially began in 2006 when a particularly disillusioned R. Garcia called upon his friends to take musical chances, zig where there could have easily been a zag, and never, ever take themselves too seriously.
The band currently lines its cap with a self-titled EP (self-released), a critically acclaimed full length; /A Delicate Bashing/ (Headphone Treats), and an exclusive single on the /One Condoms Sampler/ CD. If that wasn’t enough for the two-year-old Nerd Parade, the band also managed to tour vigorously in 2007 and has stayed busy with festivals, charity events, and one-off shows since their return.
Nerd Parade has created a distinct set of ethics for their musical output, eschewing the common teen angst and blatant negative themes of modern popular music in favor of a more positive (albeit bittersweet) approach. Their songs are clever and witty without being overtly intellectual, fun and challenging without being lofty. Evocative and personal, each Nerd Parade song tends to be a chapter in some larger narrative, drawing from real-life experience and designed to bring forth a sense of involvement from the listener, rather than rouse the most basic emotions.
MySpace Page
Garcia and Wilson, along with percussionist Chris Sheldon, Chief Science Officer Johnny “Blaze” Jacobus and singer Abby Wren are the *Nerd Parade*, a titular phrase that is wholly descriptive of this group’s collective persona. Nerd Parade officially began in 2006 when a particularly disillusioned R. Garcia called upon his friends to take musical chances, zig where there could have easily been a zag, and never, ever take themselves too seriously.
The band currently lines its cap with a self-titled EP (self-released), a critically acclaimed full length; /A Delicate Bashing/ (Headphone Treats), and an exclusive single on the /One Condoms Sampler/ CD. If that wasn’t enough for the two-year-old Nerd Parade, the band also managed to tour vigorously in 2007 and has stayed busy with festivals, charity events, and one-off shows since their return.
Nerd Parade has created a distinct set of ethics for their musical output, eschewing the common teen angst and blatant negative themes of modern popular music in favor of a more positive (albeit bittersweet) approach. Their songs are clever and witty without being overtly intellectual, fun and challenging without being lofty. Evocative and personal, each Nerd Parade song tends to be a chapter in some larger narrative, drawing from real-life experience and designed to bring forth a sense of involvement from the listener, rather than rouse the most basic emotions.
MySpace Page
Nevada was formed in the summer of 2003 in Asheville, NC by songwriters Sean Robbins, Kevin Stanford and Vickie Burick. Recording for their first album began in March 2005 at Six Foot Seven Studios and was finished at Altamont Recording and Hi-Five Recording in Asheville, NC. Their debut album, "The Sunlight and the Sound" was self-released in July, 2006 . "The Sunlight and the Sound" was hailed by WXPN 88.5, home of the World Café as a terrific collection of psychedelic pop and guitar-based rock with influences of Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, The Byrds and Galaxie 500. Allmusic.com gave "The Sunlight and the Sound" four stars and the album was voted by WNCW 88.7 listeners as one of the top 20 regional releases of 2006. Nevada is currently at work on their second recording.
Website
Website
Chad Pry and Joshua Carpenter met in 1999 when they began playing in the new-wave/proto-punk/electro-clash band Piedmont Charisma. Like all bands, Piedmont Charisma had its shortcomings, and even though they were immensely popular and wildly successful, the band decided to call it quits because they were all addicted to amphetamines and could no longer bear the company of one another. It was 2004 when the members went their separate ways, Pry starting a lucrative law firm and Carpenter becoming a "home bum." Two years passed....
It was during this time that Pry met Justin Whitlow, who had cut his teeth in the bands "Reductio ad Absurdum," which is Latin, and "Cannibal Unicorn," which is not. At the time, Whitlow was desperately seeking a creative outlet, as both Reductio and "Tha Unicorn" had recently been dismembered, which is to say, all of the members of both bands quit being in the bands. Pry went up to Whitlow one day and was like, "Duder, do you want to start up a band where I play guitar and you play drums, and we'll call it 'On the Take'?" Whitlow was all, "Yeah, that would be totally awesome because when someone says that someone else is 'On the Take,' they mean that the person is a kidnapper." Pry knew that Whitlow was wrong, but he laughed good-naturedly and said, "You are so right about that, Justin!" Right then and there the two decided that this "On the Take," whatever it meant, would be their destiny. History was about to be made.
But first, they needed a bass player, preferably an extremely attractive woman. Someone matching the criteria was impossible to find, however, so Pry and Whitlow were forced to broaden their scope. But times were tight, and most of Asheville's bass players had sold their instruments to buy food and provisions what got them through the long, hot Carolina summer. Pry was walking under the bridge downtown when right there, protruding from the underneath of an emaciated dallywiddle bush, was the scabby, ant-covered foot of his one-time friend Joshua Carpenter.
Initially, Pry was filled with contempt for his old comrade; why should HE be able to sit there and get drunk all day and not hold down a steady job while upstanding American citizens (who were actually BORN here) should have to do all of the work? That gold-bricker! But then Pry thought, "Hey, you know, we used to make a pretty good team way back when, maybe he deserves a second chance at life." He pitched the idea to his drunken, illiterate friend. Carpenter's response surprised Pry: "Chadwicke Mapplethorpe Pry, look at me; I am homeless, penniless, and covered in scabs. I do not even know how to read or speak English properly. Why would you want someone like me to create beautiful music with you?"
"Because, old friend, you are the most strikingly handsome man that I have ever laid eyes on." Carpenter was in.
Then when Carpenter and Pry returned to the "On the Take House," where the band practiced and did most of their male bonding, they were surprised to find that a tallish man called "Andrew Riddle," after consuming seven 40-ounce containers of malt liquor, had inducted himself into the band. There was not much the other three members could do about it, especially Whitlow, who hasn't even been in this biography for several paragraphs. At any rate, the quartet, by adding a fourth member, was finally complete. It was time to bring the music to the people!
On the Take played their first show and it was sold out, just like all their subsequent shows have been and all of their future shows will be. Who knows what the coming years have in store for this fine group of talented young songcraftsmen? One thing is for sure: On the Take plays pop-tinged rock with hints of synth and can be compared to Guided by Voices, Brainiac, and the Unicorns. Also, they like to say that their glass is "half full."
MySpace Page
It was during this time that Pry met Justin Whitlow, who had cut his teeth in the bands "Reductio ad Absurdum," which is Latin, and "Cannibal Unicorn," which is not. At the time, Whitlow was desperately seeking a creative outlet, as both Reductio and "Tha Unicorn" had recently been dismembered, which is to say, all of the members of both bands quit being in the bands. Pry went up to Whitlow one day and was like, "Duder, do you want to start up a band where I play guitar and you play drums, and we'll call it 'On the Take'?" Whitlow was all, "Yeah, that would be totally awesome because when someone says that someone else is 'On the Take,' they mean that the person is a kidnapper." Pry knew that Whitlow was wrong, but he laughed good-naturedly and said, "You are so right about that, Justin!" Right then and there the two decided that this "On the Take," whatever it meant, would be their destiny. History was about to be made.
But first, they needed a bass player, preferably an extremely attractive woman. Someone matching the criteria was impossible to find, however, so Pry and Whitlow were forced to broaden their scope. But times were tight, and most of Asheville's bass players had sold their instruments to buy food and provisions what got them through the long, hot Carolina summer. Pry was walking under the bridge downtown when right there, protruding from the underneath of an emaciated dallywiddle bush, was the scabby, ant-covered foot of his one-time friend Joshua Carpenter.
Initially, Pry was filled with contempt for his old comrade; why should HE be able to sit there and get drunk all day and not hold down a steady job while upstanding American citizens (who were actually BORN here) should have to do all of the work? That gold-bricker! But then Pry thought, "Hey, you know, we used to make a pretty good team way back when, maybe he deserves a second chance at life." He pitched the idea to his drunken, illiterate friend. Carpenter's response surprised Pry: "Chadwicke Mapplethorpe Pry, look at me; I am homeless, penniless, and covered in scabs. I do not even know how to read or speak English properly. Why would you want someone like me to create beautiful music with you?"
"Because, old friend, you are the most strikingly handsome man that I have ever laid eyes on." Carpenter was in.
Then when Carpenter and Pry returned to the "On the Take House," where the band practiced and did most of their male bonding, they were surprised to find that a tallish man called "Andrew Riddle," after consuming seven 40-ounce containers of malt liquor, had inducted himself into the band. There was not much the other three members could do about it, especially Whitlow, who hasn't even been in this biography for several paragraphs. At any rate, the quartet, by adding a fourth member, was finally complete. It was time to bring the music to the people!
On the Take played their first show and it was sold out, just like all their subsequent shows have been and all of their future shows will be. Who knows what the coming years have in store for this fine group of talented young songcraftsmen? One thing is for sure: On the Take plays pop-tinged rock with hints of synth and can be compared to Guided by Voices, Brainiac, and the Unicorns. Also, they like to say that their glass is "half full."
MySpace Page
Parachute Musical is a powerful piano-rock quartet that combines Afro-Cuban, ragtime, jazz and Latin influences to create a unique yet listener-friendly blend of pleasing pop tunes reminiscent of Rufus Wainright, Jamie Cullum, Jellyfish and Say Anything.
Parachute Musical was formed in 2005 by Josh Foster (piano, vocals) with current members Tom Gilbert (guitar) and Ben Jacoby (drums) in Washington, DC where they recorded their first self-titled album. After a shuffle of members in the years that followed, Foster, Gilbert and Jacoby reunited in 2007 in Nashville, TN and were joined by Kentucky-born Kyle Cornett (bass) to form the current line-up. This time, the fit was perfect and the timing was right. Parachute Musical immediately gained a following of fans in Nashville's growing rock scene and generated interest as a stand-out act among Nashville's music-saturated media. Radio play on Nashville's Lightening 100 ensued and Parachute Musical found themselves on the bill for Next BIG Nashville, a music festival spotlighting the area's rock, pop, hip hop, indie and roots artists.
In 2008, Parachute Musical released their highly anticipated sophomore album, "Everything Is Working Out Fine In Some Town." The album features eclectic rhythms, carefully calculated guitar and soulful bass elequently arranged to support Foster as he gracefully wraps music around lyrics and emotionally-charged and gracefully written lyrics.
Website
Parachute Musical was formed in 2005 by Josh Foster (piano, vocals) with current members Tom Gilbert (guitar) and Ben Jacoby (drums) in Washington, DC where they recorded their first self-titled album. After a shuffle of members in the years that followed, Foster, Gilbert and Jacoby reunited in 2007 in Nashville, TN and were joined by Kentucky-born Kyle Cornett (bass) to form the current line-up. This time, the fit was perfect and the timing was right. Parachute Musical immediately gained a following of fans in Nashville's growing rock scene and generated interest as a stand-out act among Nashville's music-saturated media. Radio play on Nashville's Lightening 100 ensued and Parachute Musical found themselves on the bill for Next BIG Nashville, a music festival spotlighting the area's rock, pop, hip hop, indie and roots artists.
In 2008, Parachute Musical released their highly anticipated sophomore album, "Everything Is Working Out Fine In Some Town." The album features eclectic rhythms, carefully calculated guitar and soulful bass elequently arranged to support Foster as he gracefully wraps music around lyrics and emotionally-charged and gracefully written lyrics.
Website
A random guy once labeled tHE POLES as “tectonic-rock.” Hell knows exactly what that means but the imagery is nice and it seems to fit. One thing is for certain; tHE POLES play subtly intricate rock that is that is moody, visceral, and heady in a slow-burn kinda way. As the name implies tHE POLES exude a multi-faceted aesthetic. They are simultaneously complex and minimalist, intricate and straightforward. tHE POLES will release their full length debut Twelve Winds on DoublePlusGood Records this Winter and embark of tours of the Midwest and Southeast. Twelve Winds was recorded in 12 days in a cabin in remote Appalachia and was engineered and mixed by Dropsonic’s Dan Dixon.
The Poles hail from the hollers and hills Asheville NC. They emerged on the Asheville rock scene in 2004 and quickly galvanized a steady regional following with a focused and defined sound. Elements of multiple genres merge and detach, a volatile crock-pot of emotion, invention, and restraint. Compared to bands as diverse as Pink Floyd and the Jesus Lizard they are a band of both breadth and depth, a rarity is this day of pre-packaged rock clichés. Signed to Minneapolis based label DoublePlusGood records in 2005 the band joined an already diverse roster including Self-Evident, Happy, The Means and The Willis. The Poles released their DoublePlusGood Records debut EP “As Above, So Below” in 2006. The Poles have toured extensively in the Southeast, Midwest and all points in between. They have raked in favorable press and have been featured on podcasts from Brooklyn to Barcelona.
Todd Lemiesz (guitarist/lead vox/songwriter) is the former drummer/bass player of H. Chinaski, a Wisconsin based art/math rock outfit. Once in Asheville Lemiesz spent the next four years writing and recording for local films (Ether, The Nudger) and performing with local heavyweights Lube Royale and Sex Patriates. Bruce Rogers (guitar/synth/vox) supplies the texture and tension. Todd and Bruce met while auditioning for another band and they basically ran off together. They went through a few incarnations, and they went through a lot of drummers. Drummer Jon McDuffie cut his teeth with the Athens, GA experimental/post-hardcore trio SciFu. He enjoys matching socks and awkward silences. Recent addition Matt Gentling (Band of Horses, Archers of Loaf, Manband) has allowed tHE POLES to expand their dynamics and sound to new heights.
MySpace Page
The Poles hail from the hollers and hills Asheville NC. They emerged on the Asheville rock scene in 2004 and quickly galvanized a steady regional following with a focused and defined sound. Elements of multiple genres merge and detach, a volatile crock-pot of emotion, invention, and restraint. Compared to bands as diverse as Pink Floyd and the Jesus Lizard they are a band of both breadth and depth, a rarity is this day of pre-packaged rock clichés. Signed to Minneapolis based label DoublePlusGood records in 2005 the band joined an already diverse roster including Self-Evident, Happy, The Means and The Willis. The Poles released their DoublePlusGood Records debut EP “As Above, So Below” in 2006. The Poles have toured extensively in the Southeast, Midwest and all points in between. They have raked in favorable press and have been featured on podcasts from Brooklyn to Barcelona.
Todd Lemiesz (guitarist/lead vox/songwriter) is the former drummer/bass player of H. Chinaski, a Wisconsin based art/math rock outfit. Once in Asheville Lemiesz spent the next four years writing and recording for local films (Ether, The Nudger) and performing with local heavyweights Lube Royale and Sex Patriates. Bruce Rogers (guitar/synth/vox) supplies the texture and tension. Todd and Bruce met while auditioning for another band and they basically ran off together. They went through a few incarnations, and they went through a lot of drummers. Drummer Jon McDuffie cut his teeth with the Athens, GA experimental/post-hardcore trio SciFu. He enjoys matching socks and awkward silences. Recent addition Matt Gentling (Band of Horses, Archers of Loaf, Manband) has allowed tHE POLES to expand their dynamics and sound to new heights.
MySpace Page
RubySlippers & MINGLE is the meeting of two alter-egos who relish in the space where inhibitions die and art is made. They are inspired by sounds, instruments, vinyl records and ideas that otherwise may never connect. Beautiful Asheville NC, is their home. They love the city, they love nature, they draw inspiration from both. They recycle. This is a short version of their story.
In the beginning, there was a jazz singer who met a DJ/producer. They shared a mutual love of Radiohead and collaborated on their own cover version of “Fake Plastic Trees”. Although both MINGLE (one half of a duo) and RubySlippers (one third of a trio) were working with other projects, they felt a spark in their new creation and began to write and record their own material.
RubySlippers & MINGLE have hit a stride in creating original lounge/trip hop, and are quickly establishing themselves as a duo in the Asheville music scene. They’ve opened for the likes of King Britt, NOMO, and Brooklyn electronic musician Eliot Lipp . and played a sold-out show with Strut. They were featured in POPAsheville 2008 as well as LAAFF (the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival) and showcased at the MOOG Foundation CD Release party at the Orange Peel. The duo’s song Folded Laundry is featured on Lunch Video Magazine #16. This year, RubySlippers & MINGLE won the electronic category in the Earth Day Asheville Contest.
They expect to release their debut LP this spring.
Molly Kummerle is RubySlippers and is a well-known personality in the Asheville performance arts scene. She has performed at the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Blue, Pink, Green, Red and White balls, was casted in the stage production of the Rocky Horror Show, sang choir for Terpsicorps presents The Scarlet Letter, and played lead in the Asheville Ballet’s production of Porgy & Bess. She has performed Cabaret with members of Stephanie’s id, JUMP Little Children, The Goodies, Bill Carson, The Rebelles and Terpsicorps Theater of Dance. Molly has played shows at the Grey Eagle, Stella Blue, the Orange Peel, IdFest and BeleChere and toured regionally with her trio project. On a ZOOM 8 track digital recorder and a Yamaha synthesizer, Molly began to write, record and produce her own material. One of those songs can now be heard re-mixed by Dave Hamilton on the MOOGED OUT ASHEVILLE compilation CD released through the MOOG Foundation.
Isaac Gottfried is MINGLE. He has played the H.A.T.C.H opening party, performed with Faust and Shortee, Flowchart, King Britt, DJ Le Spam, and Drums and Tuba. He has remixed songs by Goapele, Amarie and Beyoncé feat. Shakira. His previous albums feature RubySlippers, Stephanie’s id, Rene Treece, Valarie Harper and Liz Morrison.
MySpace Page
With an intensive focus on the memorable songwriting of bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Will Bradford, coupled with the band's trademark psychedelic touches and expert musicianship, SeepeopleS' timeless songs are polished, tightly-composed offerings that blend intimate emotion and wide-open, politically minded themes. At times lush and candid, at others minimal and disquieting, SeepeopleS' critically-acclaimed music chronicles with dexterity the story of a band coming of age in a world that often seems built on nonsense.
SeepeopleS has built their empire of live music fans and headphone recluses on strong independent record sales and over 600,000 miles of touring the US, including opening spots with premier acts such as Death Cab for Cutie and Presidents of the USA, and plays at top notch festivals such as Wakarusa, CMJ Music Marathon and Bele Chere. The band's intense and accomplished multimedia touring act includes a twenty-piece light and video show, complete with a full time lighting designer and sound engineer. SeepeopleS' recording credits include three previous albums sprinkled with eclectic guest artists such as Dave Matthews collaborator Tim Reynolds, Spearhead's Dave Shul, ex-Morphine saxophonist Dana Colley and the late Ray Davis of Parliament Funkadelic.
On the brink of releasing their fourth album, SeepeopleS is enjoying the buzz of a truly emerging artist; with a steadily increasing live draw, consistent glowing accolades from the press and songs featured in three upcoming independent films, the band is positioned to "pop," while avoiding flash in the pan pitfalls with an intriguing back catalogue of over 100 songs. SeepeopleS is represented by one of the largest law firms in the Southeast, and the band's film and TV licensing is done by Northstar Media in Los Angeles, whose clients include American Idol, Honda, The Gap and more. Steady national radio play, national touring, and the band's knack for marketing and publicity have landed SeepeopleS at the top of the "one to watch" pile in 2008.
"Apocalypse Cow Vol. II" is SeepeopleS' fourth album, currently being recorded at Chillhouse Studios in Boston with longtime friend and producer Will Holland, who has worked with The Pixies, Fall Out Boy and Dead Can Dance. Tentatively scheduled for release in September, the album features 17 brand new SeepeopleS songs drenched in the rich instrumentation and majestic composition that characterizes this groundbreaking artist.
Website
SeepeopleS has built their empire of live music fans and headphone recluses on strong independent record sales and over 600,000 miles of touring the US, including opening spots with premier acts such as Death Cab for Cutie and Presidents of the USA, and plays at top notch festivals such as Wakarusa, CMJ Music Marathon and Bele Chere. The band's intense and accomplished multimedia touring act includes a twenty-piece light and video show, complete with a full time lighting designer and sound engineer. SeepeopleS' recording credits include three previous albums sprinkled with eclectic guest artists such as Dave Matthews collaborator Tim Reynolds, Spearhead's Dave Shul, ex-Morphine saxophonist Dana Colley and the late Ray Davis of Parliament Funkadelic.
On the brink of releasing their fourth album, SeepeopleS is enjoying the buzz of a truly emerging artist; with a steadily increasing live draw, consistent glowing accolades from the press and songs featured in three upcoming independent films, the band is positioned to "pop," while avoiding flash in the pan pitfalls with an intriguing back catalogue of over 100 songs. SeepeopleS is represented by one of the largest law firms in the Southeast, and the band's film and TV licensing is done by Northstar Media in Los Angeles, whose clients include American Idol, Honda, The Gap and more. Steady national radio play, national touring, and the band's knack for marketing and publicity have landed SeepeopleS at the top of the "one to watch" pile in 2008.
"Apocalypse Cow Vol. II" is SeepeopleS' fourth album, currently being recorded at Chillhouse Studios in Boston with longtime friend and producer Will Holland, who has worked with The Pixies, Fall Out Boy and Dead Can Dance. Tentatively scheduled for release in September, the album features 17 brand new SeepeopleS songs drenched in the rich instrumentation and majestic composition that characterizes this groundbreaking artist.
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"...Talking Heads-style vocals, a sense of drama that would make Freddie Mercury proud, ska, cabaret, game-show kitsch, funk and splashes of high-minded prog-rock...with a sophisticated jazz sensibility that makes the disc a cohesive, intriguing, and intelligent listen.
It's a collection that begs repeated spins to soak it all in."
Kim Clark, WNCW 88.7and The Laurel of Asheville, Dec. 2007
Speedsquare is a dynamic drum and piano duo that continues to push the envelope, surprising audiences with soft melodies interwoven with dissonant sounds and quirky lyrics.
C Scott is a North Carolina native and Billy, a Virginia boy. In 2004, the duo connected in Asheville, North Carolina where they currently reside, while they perform regionally. In 2006, the duo set off on a cross country busking tour as professional musicians,
“Takin’ it [their music] to the Streets.”
Each has had extensive training in their instruments and come from a multi-genre musical background. The result of their combined musical genius is a progressive and experimental style of music so unique it can't be boxed in to one genre.
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It's a collection that begs repeated spins to soak it all in."
Kim Clark, WNCW 88.7and The Laurel of Asheville, Dec. 2007
Speedsquare is a dynamic drum and piano duo that continues to push the envelope, surprising audiences with soft melodies interwoven with dissonant sounds and quirky lyrics.
C Scott is a North Carolina native and Billy, a Virginia boy. In 2004, the duo connected in Asheville, North Carolina where they currently reside, while they perform regionally. In 2006, the duo set off on a cross country busking tour as professional musicians,
“Takin’ it [their music] to the Streets.”
Each has had extensive training in their instruments and come from a multi-genre musical background. The result of their combined musical genius is a progressive and experimental style of music so unique it can't be boxed in to one genre.
MySpace Page
"Although generally referred to as an indie-pop band, the sound [created by stephaniesid] actually far more complex and compelling than that genre label implies. Starting off as a darkly bittersweet piano-bar duo (with Chuck Lichtenberger playing piano and Stephanie Morgan singing), the group has since expanded to a full band and become one of the most interesting, experimental and creatively edgy acts in town. And they’ve been successful to boot, ...touring nationally and supporting the local scene through efforts like the POPAsheville music festival (formerly known as IdFest)....may be one of the defining Asheville-based music acts of this era." --Mountain Xpress
stephaniesid is indie pop revelry! We always play with heart and lust and gusto, because there\'s no point in doing anything else. We care about things in the world. We often brood about them. But not for terribly long or for too many songs, as there is no long-term gain in taking the human condition too seriously. The music, like life itself, is striving, searching, inconclusive, and (hopefully) beautiful.
We have chosen to live in the best city... Asheville, NC, in the mountains. And they've voted us "best indie band" here, 3 years in a row! People who live elsewhere and read about us are apt to think we've got banjos on our knees. Though Steph wishes she knew how to play a banjo, we are happy that people are slowly beginning to look around obvious identifiers. Thank you for looking into POPAsheville. Steph and the committee have picked out some of the regions very best bands for you.
stephaniesĭd Website
stephaniesid is indie pop revelry! We always play with heart and lust and gusto, because there\'s no point in doing anything else. We care about things in the world. We often brood about them. But not for terribly long or for too many songs, as there is no long-term gain in taking the human condition too seriously. The music, like life itself, is striving, searching, inconclusive, and (hopefully) beautiful.
We have chosen to live in the best city... Asheville, NC, in the mountains. And they've voted us "best indie band" here, 3 years in a row! People who live elsewhere and read about us are apt to think we've got banjos on our knees. Though Steph wishes she knew how to play a banjo, we are happy that people are slowly beginning to look around obvious identifiers. Thank you for looking into POPAsheville. Steph and the committee have picked out some of the regions very best bands for you.
stephaniesĭd Website
Tallest Trees is something different. They are fevered, angry at times, noisy, but always in search of reality. Some call it experimental. Some call it rock, but Trees doesn't concern themselves with genre. They play from the heart. They mean the sound. It's a love.
MySpace Page
MySpace Page
Zachary Gresham, Jillian Leigh and Derek Pearson, who form the alliance called Umbrella Tree, have been working together for the last three years. In this time, they've released two albums, What Kind of Books Do You Read? and The Church & The Hospital. They are finishing up their third record at the moment and hope to have it released early next year. With mixes of progressive rock and experimental pop, it is very difficult to put an exact label on their style of music. Some have called it "bohemian bookworm pop." Their influences include authors, saints, soldiers, and sometimes Mary Poppins.
Here's a review from The Nashville Scene:
Umbrella Tree's sophomore album The Church & The Hospital opens with a scream—literally. A unison howl prefaces a crash of music. Never a band to allow their audience to get too comfortable, this local threesome mixes moments of alarming beauty with calculated, cacophonous noise. And here the palette has grown even richer—the louds are even louder and the pretty parts often transcendently beautiful.
The source of that powerful dichotomy is the relationship between the band's two singers: keyboardist Jillian Lee and guitarist Zachary Gresham. The petite blonde and the tall bearded guy in suspenders are an odd pair, visually and vocally. Lee has a sweet, exquisitely controlled vocal instrument, while Gresham's appeal lies in his expressive, shrill warble. Together, they interweave tricky harmonies and call-and-response chants—the musical equivalent of good cop-bad cop.
Last year's debut What Kind of Books Do You Read? announced the trio as a force on the local rock scene. With their first full-length, they had what any up-and-coming band would kill for: a clearly defined, unique sensibility. On Church, recorded at Battletapes in East Nashville, engineer Jeremy Ferguson brings the band's complex ambitions to life. Connecting such disparate ideas may seem like a quixotic task, but the proficient playing and the tight production make it work. It's particularly impressive given the brevity of the songs—nearly half come in at under three minutes, yet they're anything but lean.
This is partially due to the band's literary, quirky breed of rock, rife with motifs and recurring images: churches, hospitals and ailments of all sorts. Here, the "church" influence is not only ideological but sonic, with echoes in the singing, harmonies and gothic instrumentation. On the bridge of "Make Me a Priest," we get a cappella in what sounds like Latin, and on "The Monk & The Nun," Gresham promises, "I am using my in-church voice."
But this latest record also brings some refreshing new tricks to the table. Intermixed with the classical instruments and nostalgic sounds are meticulously employed electronic elements. On the stunning instrumental "Jellyfish Evaporate," the momentous, swelling opening is speckled with barely audible electronic bleeps—the kind that, if you're listening while driving, might make you check your blind spot for a nearby reversing semi on first listen—that gradually overtake and eventually dominate. The song opens with the hum of church bells and closes with a robot chorus—a triumph of technology over beauty.
Lee's "A Horse That Will Come When I Whistle" was What Kind of Books Do You Read's iconic track—a deliciously coy performance. She made the song's opening question—which became the album's title—simultaneously sinister and sexy, and even precocious. Here, her creepy closer "The Youngest Apple" has a similar elusiveness. But instead of subversive sensuality, this tale of an unwanted baby sister's death has the ambiguous charm of a gothic orphanage bedtime story. Other highlights include the dynamic "1054" (the swirling organ toward the end is the album's most smile-inducing moment) and "Smells/Bells," the longest track at five minutes, and one of the strongest showcases for the leading duo's wonderful harmonies.
More than once, The Church & The Hospital made me think of author Ray Bradbury—master of understatement hidden in opulence. Like that craftsman, this band's talent lies in indulgence, in packing as much information and as many ideas as possible into a tight, polished space. In their temerity, they find great power. A song in German? Why not? Another in French? Sure! Best local release of 2008 to date? Most definitely.
-Lee Stabert, Nashville Scene, week of 19 February 2008
MySpace Page
Here's a review from The Nashville Scene:
Umbrella Tree's sophomore album The Church & The Hospital opens with a scream—literally. A unison howl prefaces a crash of music. Never a band to allow their audience to get too comfortable, this local threesome mixes moments of alarming beauty with calculated, cacophonous noise. And here the palette has grown even richer—the louds are even louder and the pretty parts often transcendently beautiful.
The source of that powerful dichotomy is the relationship between the band's two singers: keyboardist Jillian Lee and guitarist Zachary Gresham. The petite blonde and the tall bearded guy in suspenders are an odd pair, visually and vocally. Lee has a sweet, exquisitely controlled vocal instrument, while Gresham's appeal lies in his expressive, shrill warble. Together, they interweave tricky harmonies and call-and-response chants—the musical equivalent of good cop-bad cop.
Last year's debut What Kind of Books Do You Read? announced the trio as a force on the local rock scene. With their first full-length, they had what any up-and-coming band would kill for: a clearly defined, unique sensibility. On Church, recorded at Battletapes in East Nashville, engineer Jeremy Ferguson brings the band's complex ambitions to life. Connecting such disparate ideas may seem like a quixotic task, but the proficient playing and the tight production make it work. It's particularly impressive given the brevity of the songs—nearly half come in at under three minutes, yet they're anything but lean.
This is partially due to the band's literary, quirky breed of rock, rife with motifs and recurring images: churches, hospitals and ailments of all sorts. Here, the "church" influence is not only ideological but sonic, with echoes in the singing, harmonies and gothic instrumentation. On the bridge of "Make Me a Priest," we get a cappella in what sounds like Latin, and on "The Monk & The Nun," Gresham promises, "I am using my in-church voice."
But this latest record also brings some refreshing new tricks to the table. Intermixed with the classical instruments and nostalgic sounds are meticulously employed electronic elements. On the stunning instrumental "Jellyfish Evaporate," the momentous, swelling opening is speckled with barely audible electronic bleeps—the kind that, if you're listening while driving, might make you check your blind spot for a nearby reversing semi on first listen—that gradually overtake and eventually dominate. The song opens with the hum of church bells and closes with a robot chorus—a triumph of technology over beauty.
Lee's "A Horse That Will Come When I Whistle" was What Kind of Books Do You Read's iconic track—a deliciously coy performance. She made the song's opening question—which became the album's title—simultaneously sinister and sexy, and even precocious. Here, her creepy closer "The Youngest Apple" has a similar elusiveness. But instead of subversive sensuality, this tale of an unwanted baby sister's death has the ambiguous charm of a gothic orphanage bedtime story. Other highlights include the dynamic "1054" (the swirling organ toward the end is the album's most smile-inducing moment) and "Smells/Bells," the longest track at five minutes, and one of the strongest showcases for the leading duo's wonderful harmonies.
More than once, The Church & The Hospital made me think of author Ray Bradbury—master of understatement hidden in opulence. Like that craftsman, this band's talent lies in indulgence, in packing as much information and as many ideas as possible into a tight, polished space. In their temerity, they find great power. A song in German? Why not? Another in French? Sure! Best local release of 2008 to date? Most definitely.
-Lee Stabert, Nashville Scene, week of 19 February 2008
MySpace Page
"Celestial and tidal, it offers the most zoned-out, stoned-immaculate tones of their cosmic Americana thus far, like they recorded the whole thing in some sunken castle. I love it."
- Stomp and Stammer's Jeff Clark on the Speak Plainly EP
Playing together on and off since they were teenagers, Warm In The Wake's Christopher Rowell (vocals, guitar, bass) and James Taylor Jr. (drums) come from a rich musical past in Birmingham, AL. Rowell performed and recorded with Regia and members of Verbena, while Taylor played with Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers. Brothers Daniel Barker (keyboards) and Andy Barker (bass) hail from Ft. Payne, AL (also home to country's ALABAMA) and have shared stages with Kings of Leon and Willie Nelson.
In 1997 Chris Rowell moved to Atlanta and became a founding member of King Lear Jet. Later joined by Taylor and Barker, KLJ released an L.P. and enjoyed a modicum of success with songs licensed to several Fox TV shows (Felicity, Dawson's Creek), a couple of PBS shows and the independent film Tadpole, eventually evolving and changing their name to WARM IN THE WAKE.
The Atlanta, GA band joined forces with Livewire Recordings in 2006 and released an EP called GOLD DUST TRAIL in early 2007. Receiving strong College and AAA Radio support, debuting at #10 most added in the country on CMJ s Top 30 chart, the critically acclaimed release introduced Warm in the Wake to their new audiences.
Riding the strength of their GOLD DUST TRAIL EP, the boys headed into to Atlanta GA's Vintage Vibe Productions in between touring on the EP's release. The new LP was finally mastered in London's Abbey Road Studios by Steve Rooke (Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Wilco) in the spring of 2007. AMERICAN PREHISTORIC is a radiant mix of analog soundscapes, cosmic harmonies and southern ballads.
After touring nationally behind two U.S. releases in 2007 and the first half of '08, WARM IN THE WAKE retreated to Atlanta in the summer of 2008 to record new material. The first batch of songs culled in the southern heat is being released digitally this fall and on vinyl later in winter of 2009 as the SPEAK PLAINLY EP.
Addendum- We grew up in the south. Along the way we have played music for many good people. We have also met Catahoula leopard hounds, cypress knees, molten iron, old Brooklyn firehouses, the people of Leicester (pronounced Lester in western N.C.), the third tier of the Channel 6 TV tower, fine Italian wedding cookies, a rude musical hero, an inquisitive cottonmouth, a strong god of the Forge, a brilliant musical stranger, a doomed entrepreneur, M.Ward, a Pez dispenser owned by the Cox-Arquettes, a stubborn friend, a red slot canyon, a nearly frozen Hellbender, a doubtful DNR representative, a guitar with character, a vengeful neighbor, a smiling dog, the caverns of Pilsen, the saddest of all counties, a gritty scuppernong, a satisfied Barracuda, Charles Simic, the underside of a train, a registered liar, the perfect Old Fashioned, the Twin falls.
MySpace Page
- Stomp and Stammer's Jeff Clark on the Speak Plainly EP
Playing together on and off since they were teenagers, Warm In The Wake's Christopher Rowell (vocals, guitar, bass) and James Taylor Jr. (drums) come from a rich musical past in Birmingham, AL. Rowell performed and recorded with Regia and members of Verbena, while Taylor played with Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers. Brothers Daniel Barker (keyboards) and Andy Barker (bass) hail from Ft. Payne, AL (also home to country's ALABAMA) and have shared stages with Kings of Leon and Willie Nelson.
In 1997 Chris Rowell moved to Atlanta and became a founding member of King Lear Jet. Later joined by Taylor and Barker, KLJ released an L.P. and enjoyed a modicum of success with songs licensed to several Fox TV shows (Felicity, Dawson's Creek), a couple of PBS shows and the independent film Tadpole, eventually evolving and changing their name to WARM IN THE WAKE.
The Atlanta, GA band joined forces with Livewire Recordings in 2006 and released an EP called GOLD DUST TRAIL in early 2007. Receiving strong College and AAA Radio support, debuting at #10 most added in the country on CMJ s Top 30 chart, the critically acclaimed release introduced Warm in the Wake to their new audiences.
Riding the strength of their GOLD DUST TRAIL EP, the boys headed into to Atlanta GA's Vintage Vibe Productions in between touring on the EP's release. The new LP was finally mastered in London's Abbey Road Studios by Steve Rooke (Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Wilco) in the spring of 2007. AMERICAN PREHISTORIC is a radiant mix of analog soundscapes, cosmic harmonies and southern ballads.
After touring nationally behind two U.S. releases in 2007 and the first half of '08, WARM IN THE WAKE retreated to Atlanta in the summer of 2008 to record new material. The first batch of songs culled in the southern heat is being released digitally this fall and on vinyl later in winter of 2009 as the SPEAK PLAINLY EP.
Addendum- We grew up in the south. Along the way we have played music for many good people. We have also met Catahoula leopard hounds, cypress knees, molten iron, old Brooklyn firehouses, the people of Leicester (pronounced Lester in western N.C.), the third tier of the Channel 6 TV tower, fine Italian wedding cookies, a rude musical hero, an inquisitive cottonmouth, a strong god of the Forge, a brilliant musical stranger, a doomed entrepreneur, M.Ward, a Pez dispenser owned by the Cox-Arquettes, a stubborn friend, a red slot canyon, a nearly frozen Hellbender, a doubtful DNR representative, a guitar with character, a vengeful neighbor, a smiling dog, the caverns of Pilsen, the saddest of all counties, a gritty scuppernong, a satisfied Barracuda, Charles Simic, the underside of a train, a registered liar, the perfect Old Fashioned, the Twin falls.
MySpace Page
William F. Gibbs is changing the way we think about modern songwriting. Since his debut album, My Fellow Sophisticates, was released June 2008, it has garnered national attention from the likes of Pitchfork Media, Paste Magazine, Crawdaddy!, Hero Hill, and the iTunes "Indie Dept", due to its blatant departure from conventional 'singer-songwriter fare,'. The South Carolinian represents a new breed of songwriters.
While not the first artist to veer willingly from one genre to another, there are few who can commit to Gibbs' heavy-handed genre "jumps" from song to song while still weaving some thread of consistency that doesn't leave the listener feeling lost. "The responsibilities of a singer-songwriter are greater now than they ever have been." says Gibbs. "We have so much music to mine and learn from, and we don't have major labels or bandmates demanding a compromise of vision. Singer-songwriters should be making the most stunning and compelling albums, because we have so few limitations."
His music is limited only by his own imagination: "As an artist I want the opportunity to write songs freely and record them just as freely. I don't want folks to come to expect certain sounds, lyrical styles or emotive spikes from my music. Hopefully they can come expecting good songs...and they'll get them."
MySpace Page
While not the first artist to veer willingly from one genre to another, there are few who can commit to Gibbs' heavy-handed genre "jumps" from song to song while still weaving some thread of consistency that doesn't leave the listener feeling lost. "The responsibilities of a singer-songwriter are greater now than they ever have been." says Gibbs. "We have so much music to mine and learn from, and we don't have major labels or bandmates demanding a compromise of vision. Singer-songwriters should be making the most stunning and compelling albums, because we have so few limitations."
His music is limited only by his own imagination: "As an artist I want the opportunity to write songs freely and record them just as freely. I don't want folks to come to expect certain sounds, lyrical styles or emotive spikes from my music. Hopefully they can come expecting good songs...and they'll get them."
MySpace Page
