showrecentpostswiththumbs({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-21T16:19:45.279-08:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Artist To Watch"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"Three Cheers For The Up-And-Comers..."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026orderby\u003dpublished"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d26\u0026max-results\u003d25\u0026orderby\u003dpublished"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"45"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-6485986573388659052"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-20T17:14:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-20T17:17:12.852-08:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Tiesto: World's biggest DJ?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2crdxKbzXvM/Swc_BNUDLKI/AAAAAAAAAIk/n4n569cKKAg/s1600/Tiesto.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2crdxKbzXvM/Swc_BNUDLKI/AAAAAAAAAIk/n4n569cKKAg/s320/Tiesto.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406359167667743906\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTiesto is arguably the biggest trance/dance/electronica artist in the world. He's had hit singles, a grammy nomination, is featured on the new DJ hero video game, and performed at the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics. Not to mention, he can start a party anywhere, anytime.\u003cbr /\u003eToday I had a chance to talk with him briefly. Listen here for our conversation:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ca target\u003d\"coldironjason\" href\u003d\"http://coldironjason.podomatic.com/\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://www.podomatic.com/images/share/player_logo.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca border\u003d\"0\" href\u003d\"http://www.gigyamailbutton.com/wildfire/gigyamailbutton.ashx?url\u003daHR*cDovL3dpbGRmaXJlLmdpZ3lhLmNvbS93aWxkZmlyZS93ZnBvcC5hc3B4P21vZHVsZT1lbWFpbCZ1cmw9aHR*cCUzYSUyZiUyZnd3dy5wb2RvbWF*aWMuY29tJTJmcG9kY2FzdCUyZmVtYmVkJTJmY29sZGlyb25qYXNvbg\u003d\u003d\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://cdn.gigya.com/wildfire/i/includeShareButton.gif\" border\u003d\"0\" width\u003d\"60\" height\u003d\"20\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI ask him the following questions:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eQ: Can you even begin to describe what it must be like to perform in front of 250,000 people?\u003cbr /\u003eQ: The new album is Kaleidoscope and the first single is “I will be here.” The song hit #1 on Billboard's dance radio Airplay chart. Safe to say it's your biggest hit so far?\u003cbr /\u003eQ: How/where did you learn to dance? What do you feel the dancing adds to your music and performance?\u003cbr /\u003eQ: Your track, “elements of life” is featured on the new DJ Hero game. How did that come about?\u003cbr /\u003eQ: Kaleidoscope is your fifth album. What can you say about the album?\u003cbr /\u003eQ: On this album you work with acts like Sneaky Sound System, Nelly Furtado, Emily Haines and Calvin Harris. How did these collaborations come about and what was it like working with those artists?\u003cbr /\u003eQ: The tour for the album sees you playing 175 live shows across five continents. Where are you currently in that process?\u003cbr /\u003eQ: It has been said that you have, “created the biggest and best live show to date leaving fans and critics breathless.”\u003cbr /\u003eQ: Some people say that you have made the dance album an art form. Your thoughts?\u003cbr /\u003eQ: Your website features a section where fans can remix your songs and submit them back to you. Tell me more about this.\u003cbr /\u003eQ: Any thoughts on your future as an artist?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFind more on Tiesto at:\u003cbr /\u003ehttp://www.tiesto.com/\u003cbr /\u003ehttp://www.myspace.com/tiesto\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-6485986573388659052?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/6485986573388659052/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/11/tiesto-worlds-biggest-dj.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/6485986573388659052"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/6485986573388659052"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/11/tiesto-worlds-biggest-dj.html","title":"Tiesto: World's biggest DJ?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jason Coldiron"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/17872754972367325201"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"07175552510275626959"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2crdxKbzXvM/Swc_BNUDLKI/AAAAAAAAAIk/n4n569cKKAg/s72-c/Tiesto.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-7055191571527141798"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-23T17:09:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-23T17:13:10.684-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kate Miller-Heidke"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Kate Miller-Heidke"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca style\u003d\"padding: 0px 6px; float: left;\" id\u003d\"aptureLink_JC2XbXLbxT\" href\u003d\"http://apture.s3.amazonaws.com/0000012483e2314605bc4162007f000000000001.KMH%20Promo%20Photo%282%29.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg title\u003d\"KMH Promo Photo(2)\" src\u003d\"http://apture.s3.amazonaws.com/0000012483e2314605bc4162007f000000000001.KMH%20Promo%20Photo%282%29.jpg\" style\u003d\"border: 0px none ;\" height\u003d\"498\" width\u003d\"300\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eFearless. That was the word that kept coming up when Kate Miller-Heidke was dreaming up her second album. Fun was another one. The fact that she dared to dream either while her 2007 debut Little Eve was still ringing loud and clear suggests a couple more F-words. Forward. And Fast.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“We had no songs,” she says. “What we had was a huge burst of inspiration. We went into this album with a vision. We mapped out how we wanted it to sound; the aesthetic, the spirit of it. Experimental, hooky, unashamedly pop… we wanted to exploit everything that’s unique about my music.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eShe had a tough act to follow. After a trilogy of EPs from ’04 to ’06 – Telegram, Comikaz and Circular Breathing – Little Eve burst onto the scene to land in the upper reaches of the ARIA charts and earned the singer a host of accolades. The album went Gold and clocked up four ARIA nominations.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut her sophomore set Curiouser, which began to take shape on a holiday in Laos shared by Miller-Heidke and her partner and guitartist/songwriter Keir Nuttall, brought the dream to brilliant life. Radiating a newfound sense of mutual certainty, Curiouser immediately struck a chord with fans and critics when it was released in October 2008. The Gold-selling album earned itself another F-word: the first album of Miller-Heidke’s to be an iTunes #1 and storm into the ARIA Top 10 Albums chart.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eImpressively, it’s the wonderfully unself-conscious yet accomplished songwriting that takes both Curiouser and Miller-Heidke to the next level. Remarkably, it’s also the first time she’s opened herself up to collaboration – here, working closely with Nuttall – and the results are inspiring.\u003cbr /\u003e“Songwriting was always too personal and I felt too self-conscious to collaborate,” Kate says. “But after a certain point, I just lost my inhibitions and I didn’t care. We got into a groove where we bring out the best of each other. These songs are better than anything we’d written individually before.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRecording with Los Angeles producer Mickey Petralia (Beck, Peaches, eels, Dandy Warhols), who had the right mix of humour, enthusiasm and weird old electronic stuff to offer the new tunes, Miller-Heidke, Nuttall, bassist Ben McCarthy and drummer Steve Pope spent two months crafting Curiouser. With his strict 4pm to 4am shifts (with no days off), Petralia’s studio wizardry turned out to be the perfect galvanising force for Miller-Heidke’s and and Nuttall’s carefully detailed home demos.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“To me,” she says, “it sounds like a modern album, a forward-looking album.” To everyone else, however, it sounds like one of the best Australian records in recent memory – a set embraced by an enthusiastic audience and one lauded with critical acclaim.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Can’t Shake It”, possibly the world’s first booty-swinging tune about a booty that just won’t swing, was the first taste of Curiouser and one eagerly devoured by a growing fan base. It became the most-added track to radio upon release and gave Miller-Heidke her first Top 40 single. The icing on the cake was its nomination for the 2009 APRA Song of the Year.\u003cbr /\u003eMeanwhile, a very different song, “Caught In The Crowd” – a double-fisted tug of heartstrings between the gently tootling texture of the music and the recognisably real story of lingering childhood regret – shot to greater heights. Miller-Heidke made history as the first Australian to win the prestigious International Songwriting Competition grand prize, with “Caught In The Crowd” handpicked from more than 17,000 entries to woo judges including Tom Waits, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Neil Finn and The Kinks’ Ray Davies. The song shone with heart and soul – something indicative of Curiouser, even in its most fun and playful moments.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Songs had to either have heart and be really emotionally affecting or have a sense of fun or wit about them. If a song didn’t meet either of those criteria it was out. I’ve written songs in the past that don’t fit those two categories and those are the songs I kind of get sick of. They don’t seem to have much potency after a while,” Miller-Heidke adds.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThen, one such emotionally affecting moment, “The Last Day On Earth”, ideally surmised the universally resonating power of Curiouser. A beautifully compelling tune, which perfectly captures the indestructible power of love in the most fragile and finite surrounds, it was viewed a phenomenal 200,000 times on YouTube in just four weeks, going on to sell Gold and becoming Miller-Heidke’s first #1 ARIA single.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt also cemented the Brisbane native’s status as one of the country’s finest artists. Building on the unique vocal and performance dynamics learnt through early operatic training and a love of musical theatre, Miller-Heidke’s shows are as affecting, fun and memorable as her songs. And thanks to word-of-mouth renown through her Little Eve tours, Miller-Heidke is now right at home on stage in large rooms filled to the with her ever-growing hoard of devotees. It’s been an incredible journey for an artist whose dream of an album came from such a, well, curious origin.\u003cbr /\u003e“Mickey thought Curiouser was a noun, something that made you more curious,” Miller-Heidke says. “That’s what made up my mind about the title. Wouldn’t it be great if people listened to this album and it made them curiouser?”\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-7055191571527141798?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/7055191571527141798/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/kate-miller-heidke.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/7055191571527141798"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/7055191571527141798"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/kate-miller-heidke.html","title":"Kate Miller-Heidke"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-548645507386958990"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-23T16:05:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-23T16:15:38.270-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"orianthi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Orianthi"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca style\u003d\"padding: 0px 6px; float: left;\" id\u003d\"aptureLink_UJrDjj3tJD\" href\u003d\"http://apture.s3.amazonaws.com/0000012483ab30b04b4c61a5007f000000000001.orianthi1871.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg title\u003d\"orianthi1871\" src\u003d\"http://apture.s3.amazonaws.com/0000012483ab30b04b4c61a5007f000000000001.orianthi1871.jpg\" style\u003d\"border: 0px none ;\" height\u003d\"336\" width\u003d\"448\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAt 24 years old, Orianthi has already experienced what most aspiring musicians only dream of. She's opened for her hero (Steve Vai), backed an Idol (Carrie Underwood), traded solos with a legend (Carlos Santana) and shared the stage with the King of Pop (Michael Jackson). What's left to conquer? The world stage, for one, and this guitar wunderkind has her sights clearly set on the road ahead.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAfter a performance with Carrie Underwood on stage at the 2009 Grammy Awards the blogosphere was buzzing with news of this little-known guitar prodigy. It prompted Michael Jackson to call with an offer for her to be his guitarist for his dates at the O2 Arena in London. When offered the gig in Michael Jackson’s live band, Orianthi joined a prestigious line of guitar players including Eddie Van Halen, Santana, Slash, Steve Stevens, Jennifer Batten and Larry Carlton. Sadly the tour was not to be and music lost an icon. “Working with Michael was a life-changing experience,” Orianthi reflects, “One I will never forget.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHer story starts in Adelaide on the southern tip of Australia where, at the age of six, Orianthi began taking an interest in her dad's record collection. \"Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Cream, Santana… he was into guitar players that are real songwriters,\" she boasts. Growing up in the 80s, a decade remembered for its many guitar greats, Orianthi also listened to a lot of Whitesnake, Van Halen and Def Leppard. Her father, who used to be a player in a Greek band, also kept plenty of instruments around the house, and it didn't take long before Orianthi strummed her first chord. Mastering the six-string came naturally.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"When I was 11, Carlos Santana came to play Adelaide and that show really affected me,\" she recounts. “I begged my dad to get me a second hand electric guitar so I could be like Carlos, and that was it, no more acoustic. After that, I would buy all of Carlos' videos — on VHS! — which I kept rewinding to try and learn his solos. I totally wore out the tapes.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSome seven years later when Carlos Santana passed through Adelaide again Carlos' brother arranged a sound-check meeting between the guitar god and his young disciple after hearing some of her music. A sound check jam evolved into an invitation to join him on stage where Orianthi played for about 35 minutes and took a solo in front of a hometown crowd. Performances, tours and guest appearances with Steve Vai, ZZ Top and Prince have kept Orianthi busy up to this point.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut guitar is far from Orianthi’s only means of expression. Before she received the call from the King of Pop, Orianthi had already been hard at work on her upcoming album, Believe, on which she sings, writes and leads her own band. Working with Geffen Records Chairman and A\u0026amp;R veteran Ron Fair and producer Howard Benson (All American Rejects, Daughtry, My Chemical Romance, Three Days Grace) her fierceness of character has made its way to songs that will simply knock the socks off of any boy in the rock star schoolyard.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOrianthi packs modern girl-power punch into every turn of phrase, but it’s the shredding that takes her brand of rock to an entirely new level. Songs like “Suffocated” and “Think Like A Man” are anthemic rock tracks recalling at time Evanescence, Avril Lavigne, Paramore and even a less-music row more-sunset strip Taylor Swift. First single “According To You” is a catchy tale of an ungrateful boyfriend with a killer guitar solo. The result: a thunderous, hook and riff driven debut that sounds larger than life. If, for a moment, you’ve thought the music world could use another taste of The Runaways’ Joan Jett, let us introduce you to Orianthi.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-548645507386958990?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/548645507386958990/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/orianthi.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/548645507386958990"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/548645507386958990"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/orianthi.html","title":"Orianthi"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-281012220843440766"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-20T14:04:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-20T14:06:43.795-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"love and theft"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Love And Theft"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/St4mPnBtVLI/AAAAAAAADxQ/fbcBAYrFKuo/s1600-h/MelissaBerlinIMG_6528+RT.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/St4mPnBtVLI/AAAAAAAADxQ/fbcBAYrFKuo/s400/MelissaBerlinIMG_6528+RT.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394791453252474034\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThe story of Love and Theft has been a steady stream of magic moments:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e-- Developing a distinct sound with three equally and uniquely talented singers, where each member shares lead vocal duties and join together for harmonies that explode on the chorus;\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e-- Their three-song showcase for representatives of the performing rights organization ASCAP ended with many in the room pulling out cell phones to tell friends at record labels, \"You've got to hear this band before someone signs them!\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e-- After making the rounds with a few labels in Nashville, the band performed a 3-song showcase in the offices of Lyric Street/Carolwood Records for A\u0026amp;R chief Doug Howard who immediately declared, \"You should have never made it to my office...you should have already been signed! Please don't play for anyone else,\" and the label quickly moved to sign the band\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e-- After Taylor Swift heard the trio's music, she brought them on board as an opening act for her headlining concerts in '08\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e-- Audiences at those and other shows have been swept away at first listen by the trio's soaring harmonies and on-stage charisma, standing in line for up to three hours after the show for a chance at an autograph and to meet the band.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe magic behind those episodes has been apparent since Stephen Barker Liles, Eric Gunderson and Brian Bandas first sang together. During an early rehearsal, they worked up the harmonies for \"Drowning,\" a poignant song about loss and hope.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"When all three of our voices came in together on the chorus,\" says Stephen, \"I got chills.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"There was obvious chemistry from the beginning,\" adds Brian, \"personality-wise and musically. The harmonies blended effortlessly and immediately. That was when we were like, 'OK. We've got something here. We need to stick with this and make it a priority.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOthers quickly came on board--seldom does a new act find people both inside and outside the industry signing on so quickly and eagerly as fans and supporters. The secret, if there was one, was the patience with which Stephen, Brian and Eric developed their sound.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"We rehearsed for six months before we ever felt like we wanted to take our music out in front of people,\" says Stephen.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"We wanted to spend time writing music,\" adds Eric, \"and making sure we had the right songs to showcase our vocals and make our harmonies stand out.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThat approach and their undeniable talent -- all three are also strong songwriters who wrote or co-wrote every song on their debut album --threw open doors that normally give way slowly in Nashville, launching the young trio toward the national spotlight.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eStephen, Eric and Brian met not long after each arrived in Nashville, and their backgrounds bonded them as strongly as their love of music. Each was born in 1984, first sang in church and developed an affinity for harmonies at a young age.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eStephen grew up in Palm Harbor, Florida, exposed to a great deal of early gospel and contemporary Christian music. He was a fan of Michael W. Smith and Elvis early on. As a teenager, he expanded his tastes to include everything from Johnny Cash to MxPx and has always loved the music of Tim McGraw and George Strait. He was on scholarship as the Head Student Assistant for the University of South Florida Men's Basketball team and intended to coach college ball after graduation. While traveling with the team he would bring his guitar and write songs, but it wasn't until reaching the state finals of the Colgate Country Showdown in his third year of college that he realized \"music was where I was supposed to be.\" With his decision made, Stephen left college to pursue his dreams in Nashville.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eEric, raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, picked up an appreciation for Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison from his grandfather, who played banjo in bluegrass bands, and for the Eagles and Beatles from his father. He went on yearly mission trips to Romania throughout his childhood and realized early on \"I didn't really want to grow up and have a normal job.\" He began writing songs and played in bands while at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. In Nashville, Eric got a job playing bass on a six-week college tour. When the singer dropped out at the last minute, Eric was forced to fulfill the dates, so he hired a percussionist and toured singing his own songs. That went so well he realized his days as a sideman were over.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBrian was surrounded by music from birth and comes from a long line of accomplished musicians, including a grandfather and uncle who were noted jazz players. Growing up in Austin, Texas, he started playing piano after listening to Michael W. Smith then later began playing acoustic music, writing music and eventually started his own band after hearing the Goo Goo Dolls. Both an athlete and a musician, he showed up at Tuesday night open mic nights with his basketball warm-ups on after high school games. When his parents talked to him about his options in life after his second year of college, he jumped at their mention of Nashville and took off on what he viewed as \"both an adventure and a life calling.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTheir obvious chemistry enabled them to forge a distinctive three-way sound.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"We consciously decided not any one of us would be the lead singer,\" says Eric. \"We all rotate singing lead, and see where the harmonies fall most naturally. In most songs, each of us will sing a different verse or the bridge. Then, our signature is that big three-part harmony on the chorus. It doesn't really matter who's singing lead or who's singing harmony. Somehow it just works.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"Love and Theft,\" adds Brian, \"is in this really comfortable place that lands right in the middle of all three of us and makes us all really satisfied with what we're doing.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOnce they had their label deal, they signed with O-Seven Artist Management and began working with producers Robert Ellis Orral and Jeff Coplan on their debut album. In capturing the energy and incredible harmonies they bring to their live performances, the project introduces country fans to one of the freshest new acts to emerge in years. Underpinning it all is an authenticity that resonates with audiences everywhere.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"We believe,\" says Brian, \"that the most impactful music is written from a personal place, which is the way we approach it. The priority for us is to write something people are really going to connect with. Otherwise, what's the point?\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"Lyrically,\" adds Eric, \"we feel like rawness and authenticity is a real driving force behind this band.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"Nothing beats country songwriting,\" says Stephen, summing it up for his brothers-in-song. \"That's as real as it gets and that's why we're here. We love what it represents and we want to carry it forward.\"\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-281012220843440766?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/281012220843440766/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/love-and-theft.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/281012220843440766"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/281012220843440766"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/love-and-theft.html","title":"Love And Theft"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/St4mPnBtVLI/AAAAAAAADxQ/fbcBAYrFKuo/s72-c/MelissaBerlinIMG_6528+RT.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-5828825517923498780"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-18T02:40:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-18T02:44:11.110-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"hotel st. george"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Hotel St. George"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StrjSgm8o2I/AAAAAAAADs4/aXddaefr2Ys/s1600-h/HSG_300.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StrjSgm8o2I/AAAAAAAADs4/aXddaefr2Ys/s400/HSG_300.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393873410860032866\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHotel St. George is a four-piece band from San Diego, but you would think they were the neighbors of English bands like Artic Monkeys or The Cribs with their catchy guitar rhythms and their quick, and equally catchy lyrics. The band formed in late November 2007, after a chance meeting between singer/guitarist Matt Binder and bassist/guitarist Erik Visnyak.  As a guest at Matt's Thanksgiving Party, Erik proceeded to spill an entire glass of red wine on Matt’s borrowed Wurlitzer Piano.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAfter a sincere apology and some chit chatting, the two decided to form a band, enlisting Erik’s pal Simon Leader to play the drums and guitarist Brian Reilly.  Two months later they recorded their first EP titled Yippee!!!, a simple, but fun collection of songs reminiscent of early British Invasion. The song ‘Watch Out, It’s the Blues’ won a SPIN Magazine contest and became a feature song in the new video game MLB 2K10.  The release earned them two nominations at the San Diego Music Awards, including Best New Band and Best Alternative Album.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe band followed up Yippee!!! with their second release titled Hundreds \u0026amp; Thousands.  Where Yippee!!! was written mostly by Brian and Erik, H\u0026amp;T’s songs were written almost exclusively by singer Matt Binder.  Less poppy and predictable, the new album was richer in maturity and texture. A lack of money and time for touring led them straight back into writing. The next record City Boy Lemon was by far the boys’ most collaborative to date. The record got picked up by LA based label, This Is Tightrope. The album was released August 2009 for vinyl/digital download only.  With only 500 copies of the vinyl in existence, each copy was hand silk screened by a member of the band.  The new album will be featured in the second season of the hit MTV show \"The City.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe boys are now hard at work on their fourth record, tentatively titled Fun Shine Line. Though Hotel St. George is predominately a guitar band, the new album is heavy in keyboards and bass synthesizer. While we won't see a release until 2010, the band is confident in the album's new direction.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://%20www.myspace.com/hotelstgeorge\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ewww.myspace.com/hotelstgeorge\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-5828825517923498780?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/5828825517923498780/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/hotel-st-george.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5828825517923498780"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5828825517923498780"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/hotel-st-george.html","title":"Hotel St. George"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StrjSgm8o2I/AAAAAAAADs4/aXddaefr2Ys/s72-c/HSG_300.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-5962777750222592455"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-16T01:23:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-16T01:23:00.289-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Beatnik Castle"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Beatnik Castle"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StbcZ4La50I/AAAAAAAADmI/oOQNfyb033g/s1600-h/beatnik.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StbcZ4La50I/AAAAAAAADmI/oOQNfyb033g/s400/beatnik.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392739940957873986\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eBay Area psychedelic pop duo Francillia and Quincy B – collectively known as Beatnik Castle, released their stunning debut cd maxi-single “Will U B Mine?” in spring 2009. CD Maxi-single features mixes from internationally known remixers Cato K, Lenny B and, of course, Quincy B. The single is currently getting airplay on over 100 dance/mix radio stations across the country, including XM/Sirius BPM and 16 radio stations in Europe, including the UK and Germany, as well as Australia and South America. The Bay Area’s hottest musical duo was recently added to Clear Channel’s New Discover/Uncover nationwide artist roster, including local station 95.7 The Beat and the single has over 15,000 spins! Also set for release later this year is both an audio and video unplugged acoustic performance (featuring “Will U B Mine?” and five songs from Francillia’s 2010 solo CD “Temptation”) and the much-anticipated music video for “Will U B Mine?”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSince signing with promoter DJ Harry F. Towers of DEET Promotions in March 2009, Francillia and Quincy have been extremely busy - performing at the Winter Music Conference in Miami, Urban Music Awards in New York, the grand opening of Club Q-S.I.N.Y. in Staten Island, as well as personal appearances at local dance clubs, art exhibits, fashion shows, charity events, as well as performing their unique dance/club songs “unplugged” at coffee shops and private parties as well.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWritten and produced by Quincy, \"Will U B Mine?\" was originally released in 2008 by Scovill Avenue, yet another unrecognized Bay Area gem whose 2008 Mad Monk, LTD CD “Big House” amazingly garnered seven Grammy nods from the National Academy of Recording Arts \u0026amp; Sciences Committee last year, including the coveted categories “Record of the Year,” “Album of the Year,” and “Song of the Year”. Incidentally, “Will U B Mine?” in its original version, was in the Grammy category “Dance Single of the Year” as well. In 2007, Beatnik Castle’s Mad Monk label mates Peasants of Posture had four different songs nominated in four different categories for the 2008 Grammy Awards. All nominated songs were written, arranged, and produced (and, in some cases, performed) by Mr. Quincy B. himself! US Virgin Islands born singer Francillia not only is a US Army veteran but a current member of the active reserves.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn addition to his duties with Beatnik Castle, Mr. Scovill is continuously busy. Though his priority is collaborating and co writing his unique brand of hard-edge psychedelic hippie trippy metallic hop-pop for Francillia’s solo CD “Temptation” (which features a cover of a 1971 Alice Cooper classic!), he’s working on a doom/death hip hop/rap project and Blind Granny’s Euro-techno debut CD-release.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMySpace:  \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/BeatnikCastle\"\u003ewww.myspace.com/BeatnikCastle\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eVideo:  \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dySzo-v803BQ\"\u003ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dySzo-v803BQ\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWebsite:  \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.beatnikcastle.com\"\u003ewww.beatnikcastle.com\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-5962777750222592455?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/5962777750222592455/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/beatnik-castle.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5962777750222592455"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5962777750222592455"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/beatnik-castle.html","title":"Beatnik Castle"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StbcZ4La50I/AAAAAAAADmI/oOQNfyb033g/s72-c/beatnik.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-467917471572014996"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-15T02:10:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-15T02:15:10.205-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"adelitas way"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Adelitas Way"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StbnHLJqYlI/AAAAAAAADm4/dD02_DqZJwI/s1600-h/adelitas+way1498.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StbnHLJqYlI/AAAAAAAADm4/dD02_DqZJwI/s400/adelitas+way1498.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392751714261164626\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eRick DeJesus – vocal\u003cbr /\u003eChris Iorio – lead guitar\u003cbr /\u003eKeith Wallen - guitar\u003cbr /\u003eTrevor Stafford – drums\u003cbr /\u003eDerek Johnston – bass\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Invincible,” the edgy, empowering rocker that kicks off the self-titled debut from Adelitas Way is also an apt description for singer Rick DeJesus’ undaunted focus and determination. Born and raised in a rough Philly neighborhood, he saw family members in jail and on drugs, and a friend shot in the head and killed by drug dealers. Rick’s future was likewise bleak -- “my friends were carrying guns, selling drugs, doing drugs, leading reckless lives. I knew I was going to pay the consequences,” Rick acknowledges. So, in 2005, grasping for any escape, on a dare Rick auditioned for a VH1 show that would take him to Los Angeles. With no idea what he was in for, in short succession Rick appeared on the VH1 show ‘Strip Search,” then ended up in Vegas, living in his car for three months, doing anything to make ends meet. “Anything” included the “American Storm” show at the Rivera. Rick calls his short stint in the revue “a rock moment. I was young, poor and crazy… and it beat robbing people.” It also allowed him the means to focus on the anthemic, potent hard modern rock that would become the calling card of Adelitas Way. Rick’s compelling personal dramas are channeled into his performances -- and every dynamic note on Adelitas Way. The heartfelt, radio-ready songs, captured by Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (Disturbed, Plain White T’s, 3 Doors Down), Adelitas Way, range from the sexy romp of ‘Dirty Little Thing” to the emotionally charged rock anthem of “Last Stand” to the classic mid-tempo rocker “Scream.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRick is joined by kindred spirits in the Las Vegas-based quintet. First to join Adelitas Way was Iorio, a high school senior who credits his “rock \u0026amp; roll parents” with getting him a guitar at 7, and turning him on to KISS, Ted Nugent and Van Halen. His style is a mix of ‘70s rock with modern flair, and he notes: “I like Slash and Randy Rhoads—both bluesy and ‘shreddy’ styles.” Trevor Stafford, an in-demand tour and studio drummer, was on Ozzfest with the band Shuvel at 17, and is a fan of System of a Down, Primus, and grunge. A Huntington Beach, California native, he moved to Vegas to be in the band full time. The final puzzle pieces are New York-bred bassist Derek Johnston and West Virginia native guitarist Keith Wallen, who joined after the record was complete. They both bring indie, hardcore and classic rock influences to the Adelitas Way stew.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTrevor gives major props to Rick for getting Adelitas Way shows with artists like Chris Cornell, Hinder and Tantric, and generating the huge industry buzz that ended with the band signing to Virgin. “I played with a lot of people,” says Trevor, “but never anyone like Rick; his work ethic is out-of-control amazing.” Rick and Trevor have more than rock in common. Determined to rise above the chaos of his existence in Philly, Rick graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA and went to college for three years, playing college baseball. Likewise, Trevor earned a partial baseball scholarship, but, like Rick, ultimately chose music. It wasn’t until Rick was 18 and snuck into a bar for an acoustic night, singing in front of 60 people for first time ever (and getting a standing ovation), that he thought, ‘hey, I might not suck!’” Now they’re team players in Adelitas Way, Rick’s winning personality and dogged work growing the band’s reputation one fan at a time, literally. “Every second of my life was focused on music. I bought nothing for the first year doing music in Vegas. I wore the same shirt every day. I handed a demo to every person I saw, and that’s how the mystique began. If I was in Walmart, Dunkin’ Donuts… I probably handed out 6,000 demos. So our first show we drew 900 kids at the Rainbow Bar.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRick and the band (in a different lineup) sold 10,000 self-titled records under their own steam, “Move On” earning #1 song accolades in 2006 on Vegas rock station KOMP. Regional tours further honed their reputation as a powerful live act, solidifying Rick as a charismatic frontman who wrote songs that exorcised and explored the demons of his past. Their songs, like “Scream,” written in a scummy Memphis motel room, are a whole-band effort. Rick’s lyrics are at once introspective, compassionate, unflinching and inspiring. On “Invincible,” a band favorite, Rick explains, “I was going for that ‘Incredible Hulk’ feeling; a song that pumps you up, a crowd-pleaser. It’s about our attitude: I’m not going to let anyone stand in the way of my dreams.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOne of the band’s most-asked questions is their name. Rick, the consummate storyteller on and offstage, relates a great true tale. During a band road trip to LA, they took a detour to San Diego, and when Rick woke up from a nap in the back of the band truck, they were getting arrested in Mexico. Corrupt cops robbed the band, but Rick secreted away a little cash in his socks. Freaked out, the band went to the first bar they saw in Tijuana to have a beer and calm their nerves. It was the Adelita Bar. “There were a bunch of young, really pretty girls and I realized it was basically a brothel,” explains Rick. “I chatted with one girl, questioning why she was living this life? And I wrote a song about it. The band name emerged from the sad stories behind the ‘Way’ they lived at the Adelita—Adelitas Way. As a songwriter,” Rick continues, “I’m very emotional, I put myself in people’s shoes a lot and live vicariously. My songs are about true situations.” That’s reflected in their well rounded and timeless album. For instance, “All Fall Down” is about Rick’s headspace before he left the mean streets of Philly. “Before I moved, everything was gloomy and depressing. But as a kid, your only concern was what you were going to be for Halloween, or get for Christmas. So the song is about how you should have savored those moments. I took things for granted.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn 2009, with the rising success of Adelitas Way, Rick takes nothing for granted, and some days, feels lucky just to be alive. As teenage guitarist Chris observes, “we made it this far by hard work and nickel-and-dimeing it, vans breaking down in the middle of the desert, the whole bit. It took a while to find this ideal lineup, where we all want the same thing. And everything finally feels right.”\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-467917471572014996?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/467917471572014996/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/adelitas-way.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/467917471572014996"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/467917471572014996"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/adelitas-way.html","title":"Adelitas Way"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/StbnHLJqYlI/AAAAAAAADm4/dD02_DqZJwI/s72-c/adelitas+way1498.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-145690379933092748"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-15T01:22:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-15T01:23:04.928-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dare 2B Dif’rnt"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Dare 2B Dif’rnt"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Stbb4r1lKgI/AAAAAAAADmA/QTkCZcmmZJ0/s1600-h/dare2b693114433_l.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 395px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Stbb4r1lKgI/AAAAAAAADmA/QTkCZcmmZJ0/s400/dare2b693114433_l.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392739370709363202\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eDare 2B Dif’rnt is a co-ed act that consists of Debra Torres and Paulie D. They both hail from Staten Island, New York and got together in 1993. Paulie had studio time booked for himself and Lisa Gonzalez known as Split Dis. They were to record a cover of the Machine disco classic “There But For The Grace Of God.” They chose this song because the original made waves with its reference to a place with “No blacks, no Jews, no Gays.” They wanted to flip the line to make it a positive one by replacing that line with “No crack, no crime, no A.I.D.S.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey felt in a small way they could affect the world in a positive way. However on the day of the studio appointment Lisa had to back out of the act due to some long term dental work that she didn’t realize would affect her pronunciation of certain words. Debra Torres was Lisa’s cousin and since she knew the tune and happened to be there hanging out, volunteered to do it. Debra and Paulie worked together so well that they decided to make it permanent and changed their name to Dare 2B Dif’rnt. That studio effort became the “B” side of their debut ZYX release in 1994 called “A World Of Love.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“A World Of Love” scored number one placements on the International Hi-NRG Chart in DMA Magazine and in Streetsound Magazine on the Canadian Dance Chart. It was also a Sales Breakout in Billboard Magazine. “A World Of Love” was also licensed to Indo China where it still appears on compilations today in it’s original version. This single led to many gigs, the first of which found them performing with KC \u0026amp; The Sunshine Band!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey followed up “A World Of Love” with a cover of the Melissa Etheridge hit “Come To My Window.” Where the first one established them in the clubs, this one went straight to radio, going top 10 on the Hitmakers Mix Show Chart and garnering enough airplay, (particularly in Texas) that the group popped up as Chartbound in the Billboard Radio Monitor. Performances in clubs such as the Rock Island in San Antonio for KTFM, the Sound Factory in San Francisco for the Billboard Dance Music Summit and Sanctuary in Miami for the Winter Music Conference followed and they soon became a hot live act. Both of these singles were produced by B Squared D Productions which was made up of Billy and Walter Brandt who went onto success as part of the group Seven \u0026amp; The Sun on Atlantic Records (“Walk With Me”) and Guiseppe D. (Celine Dion, N-Sync, Michael Jackson), who still remains one of the hottest remixer/ producers in the dance business.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eZYX released as their third single a white label extended mix of the Tony Moran produced “Live Without Your Love.” At that very time their A\u0026amp;R guy and Promotion man at ZYX, Harry Frank Towers left to do the same job at Popular Records and the new A\u0026amp;R man Kevin Doyle was more interested in bringing in his own acts than working with the artists already signed to the company. A commercial release of that extended version of “Live Without Your Love” was never to be even though the single was an out the box add on the radio in Chicago on Energy 88. Debra and Paul started proceedings to get a release from ZYX to join Harry at Popular but the proceedings took a bit longer than Debra was willing to wait so she left to pursue a career as an Emergency Medical Technician with the New York City Fire Department.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFor the next couple of years Debra and Paulie toyed with the idea of coming back, the events of September 11th 2001 made that a possibility. Debra is a member of the FDNYEMS. So when the Twin Towers fell she was called to the scene and remained there for many months searching through the rubble for her friends and also working in the morgue at Ground Zero. She eventually came to the decision that rerecording “A World Of Love” would be a positive statement and help her get through one of the most difficult experiences anybody could ever go through. They were positive that this was the right move after they heard from Lexington, Kentucky disc jockey Marvin Collett who told them that after 9/11 he ended each evening with the original “A World Of Love” as he wanted to send people out into the world with a positive feeling at such a difficult time. In 2003 “A World Of Love” was remixed by Guiseppe D. and came out on Cetacean Records. It became a top 15 mix show single and secured airplay in a number of markets of which KNRJ in Phoenix had it in gold rotation until they went off the air in 2009\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTheir next single “Please” was on the TVI subsidiary Sirenia Records (formerly Cetacean). “Please” was written by Paulie D. as a description of the day he moved out of the house to pursue life with his lover as a Gay man. This tune pays tribute musically as an Interpolation of the Bronski Beat single “Smalltown Boy.” It was produced by Chris “The Greek” with remixes from Chris Brophy from the UK, Liquid 360 and Guiseppe D. The Liquid 360 mix entitled “Mother May I,” has additional vocals by Bruce Donnally of Liquid 360. He added the first verse of “Smalltown Boy” and perfectly integrated it into the track to really nail home the connection between the two songs. “Please” was featured on “The Wedding Party” compilation raising money for Gay Rights and Same Sex Marriage Initiatives. It was released in July 2005 by the Tone 1 Music Group. Also Centaur Records licensed it for their Pride CD mixed by world reknown DJ and Splash NY resident Max Rodriguez which was released in June, 2006.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTheir latest single, \"Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)\" by Dare 2B Dif'rnt f/ Nancy Yvonne will be on the forthcoming full length Capp Release entitled \"Best Of 80's Dance.\" Other cuts on the album are \"Freeway Of Love\" by Pepper MaShay, \"I Can't Wait\" by Ohsha Kai, \"Time After Time\" by Rikah, \"Be Near Me\" by Ernest Kohl and \"Magic\" by Jacinta.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-145690379933092748?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/145690379933092748/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/dare-2b-difrnt.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/145690379933092748"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/145690379933092748"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/dare-2b-difrnt.html","title":"Dare 2B Dif’rnt"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Stbb4r1lKgI/AAAAAAAADmA/QTkCZcmmZJ0/s72-c/dare2b693114433_l.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-3574579901617043821"},"published":{"$t":"2009-09-29T23:33:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-29T23:34:50.487-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"paulson"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Paulson"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SsL778cZfaI/AAAAAAAADSI/9A1zLVy7ZLY/s1600-h/Paulson.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SsL778cZfaI/AAAAAAAADSI/9A1zLVy7ZLY/s400/Paulson.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387145111544626594\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Steve Sawyer\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePaulson has managed to be one of the few notable musicians besides Bon Jovi, to stumble out of New Jersey. Amidst a haze of glorious praise and an equally remarkable DIY attitude, they have netted themselves in a plethora of shows, untold amounts of street cred, and respect among their fans and peers. But unlike Bon Jovi, and New Jersey alike, they've also managed to avoid being repetitive or creatively barren, while doing it for 8 years to boot. That's quite a long time.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTime is a complex, and nefarious thing for music, and musicians in general. Time treats most musicians with the same regard as wine. A wild experiment that is dependent on the virtues of patience, dedication, and most of all creativity. If you are one of the few musicians that manages to stand the test of it all, you will have a catalog that sheds light on the birth of your idea, evolution, and ultimate maturity. But at the same time, just like wine... music can fall victim to any number of factors that would serve to make the end result bitter, sometimes with very little sweet to fall back on.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSo it's no surprise that when we find something that breaks the barriers of mediocrity, we do one of two things. We either run to the phone (or whatever your preferred method of communication is) and tell every single person on our contact list. Or you clutch it to your chest, and hope that no one else learns of your discovery, for fear that the band will somehow be poisoned by fame and recognition; or that the music that you love and cherish so dearly, will never be the same.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe fear isn't without merit. Most bands lauded with critical praise don't make it past a second album without any casualties. Whether it be fans that are left confused by a change in sound, or critics that are perplexed by the evolution... no one involved ever really seems to be pleased by progress.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt's odd then that Paulson is able to do it so well and without having to do much in the way of damage control. They started as a melodic post hardcore band from the seemingly always overflowing sea of talent that is the east coast hardcore scene. While they managed to established a fan base, and carve out a comfortable DIY niche within the scene, they weren't content to settle creatively. They managed to include elements of new wave and pop, and still avoided the pitfalls of sugar coated nonsensical lyrics, or worse, taking themselves far too seriously. With their EP “Ridiculous Engine” Paulson managed to both establish themselves, and their sound. Heavy bouts of screaming post hardcore noise was often suddenly replaced by delicate fuzzy synth grooves and catchy melodies. It made for an amazingly catchy collection of tunes for the disenchanted and dance prone.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut, where most bands would just plod through their own repertoire, Paulson took the extra time to grow and expand. So it shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise that their second release (and first official album) “Variations” not only managed to escape the dreaded Sophomore Slump but completely blew their first body of work out of the water. Even more interesting than the albums many twists and turns through both familiar and unfamiliar territories, was the fact that their fan base remained virtually nonplussed by their musical progression. No small feat unto itself when you keep it tucked in the back of your mind, that east coast scenesters are notoriously fickle. Maybe it was that the changes themselves were so subtle that most fans never noticed that they were listening to something far more complex than it's individual components ever accomplished on their own. Or maybe, just maybe it was the fact that Paulson was, and remains an immensely talented band.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTheir last release “All At Once” is very aptly named. It's the culmination of a band that has been dedicated to creating something very different within a genre that has seen it's share of silly archetypes. But they somehow still manage to avoid anything that comes close to self parody. In fact beyond that, they became incredibly important. Paulson represents some of the few things that are still right within music itself. All throughout the album Paulson pushes themselves. Whether it be the absolutely breathtaking, and at the same time sincerely haunting melodies that make the heartbreaking song “Voids”, or the amazing groove and energy of “Ultra High”. The album is never at a loss for ideas to play with, or sound to explore. It is constantly pushing the definition of their own sound, and expands on almost every single idea they have ever crafted. The resulting product is pretty amazing. Which just may explain why even through their third total reinvention in sound, their number of fans have remained largely unchanged.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt's undoubtedly a sign of a great band that they have managed to take east coast hardcore kids, and get them singing along to infectiously sincere ballads about love and loss, without the horrendous lip gloss and eyeliner that seems to go hand in hand with such subject matter. And all the while they've done it without falling prey to themselves or the industry. Their work ethic, passion and music, is pretty much unquestionable at this point. And if their new song “No For an Answer” is any indicator of how their next album is shaping up, then with a little luck and a healthy amount of word of mouth, 2010 will most likely belong to a little Midtown New Jersey band named Paulson.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt will be about damn time too.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-3574579901617043821?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/3574579901617043821/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/09/paulson.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/3574579901617043821"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/3574579901617043821"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/09/paulson.html","title":"Paulson"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SsL778cZfaI/AAAAAAAADSI/9A1zLVy7ZLY/s72-c/Paulson.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-5063345230681328253"},"published":{"$t":"2009-09-18T01:49:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-18T01:53:57.353-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"enter shikari"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Enter Shikari"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SrNKnlM7fvI/AAAAAAAADEI/c03QadZWsMI/s1600-h/entershikari1469.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SrNKnlM7fvI/AAAAAAAADEI/c03QadZWsMI/s400/entershikari1469.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382728023499570930\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eCommon Dreads is the new album by St. Albans-based quartet Enter Shikari. It was born in a back garden shed in St. Albans after a mental two years (we’ll get to that in a minute) in the lives of these young men. Here, during summer 2008, in a bungalow dubbed The Low built in bassist Chris Batten’s parents’ back garden, the words and music came together\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe band then moved to Arreton Manor, a studio amongst the remote and picturesque rolling moors of the Isle Of Wight with producer Andy Gray (who has not only worked with U2, Korn and Tori Amos, but penned that ubiquitous Big Brother theme music). In this the rural seclusion that seems totally odds with the apoplectic and articulate squall of Common Dreads, our four plucky young heroes created a squall of political protest handily disguised as a club bangers and mosh-pit epics. The end result is a soundtrack for an entire generation – one where the party is as important as the politics.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSome are already suggesting Common Dreads will come define the era into which it was born: one of recession, paranoia, state control and the fallout of decades of accelerated capitalism. But – and this is important – also an era of hope and creativity, humanity, hedonism, irreverence and fun. This revolution may not be televised, but it will certainly be amplified. Just check out lead single ‘Juggernauts’, a song that is already eating it’s way through Britain’s radios and sending all the other songs running for cover.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Politics are unavoidable,” says singer Rou Reynolds. “We just can’t write sappy music. Personally I can’t write limp soulless songs about how lovely a girl is. If the first album was quite cryptic and metaphor-heavy, this one is more direct. Since we gained popularity we realised, whether we like it or not, we have the ability to influence people – and with that is a responsibility to speak our minds.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd what are Common Dreads exactly? “They’re shared worries,” says Rou. “The things that concern people today on a global level – catastrophic climate change, wars, terror laws, CCTV society, modern imperialism and the affects of capitalism.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAll of this may come as a shock to those who had Enter Shikari pegged as nothing but a lurid new band for the misunderstood Skins / ‘Broken Britain’ generation. Wrong. They were always more than that. But let’s not get too distracted by the politics – ‘Zzzonked’ is pure head-stoving drum ‘n’ bass metal madness with a double side order of donk while ‘The Jester’ is a wry, jazz-infused chooon with a stomping cocksure klaxon of a melody designed to destroy festival crowds. lt’s an album for the late 00s, basically; a big, bold record bursting at the seams with ideas.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLet’s put all this into context for a moment. Enter Shikari (the name comes from a boat that belonged to singer Rou Reynolds’ uncle) formed in 2003 in the quaint and historical home counties town of St Albans, just near enough to London to know something exciting lurked beyond the horizon, but too far away to run headlong into it.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey spent their formative years forging a sound that audaciously melded hardcore punk with hardcore rave/trance. And while media scenesters down the road were harping on about the fictional nu rave scene, Enter Shikari were out there doing something much more exciting. Something that hit a nerve.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRemember those early shows? We do. We remember the sweat and the smiles, the laser beams and the elegiac choruses. We remember the blur of flashing Shikari cygnet rings as somersaulting fists pumped the air; we remember the surges of serotonin up the spine into the lower cortex. We remember looking at the crowds and thinking: holy shit – this is a generational thing! We remember Tony Wilson telling Seymour Stein to check out Enter Shikari – and we remember his reaction: “You’re not a band - you’re a revolution.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd it was. And it still is. And then things got hectic. In summer 2006 Enter Shikari packed out the MySpace tent at Download festival on reputation alone, and by November of that year had become only the second ever unsigned band to sell out the London Astoria. Two sold nights at the Hammersmith Palais followed shortly afterwards.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThis all happened away from the patronage of any of the big record labels. Enter Shikari did it themselves – the old way. The DIY punk way. Which is why, despite plenty of offers, they decided to release their debut album Take To The Skies on their own Ambush Reality imprint. When it cruised in at No. 4 it became one of the most successful self-released rock albums ever. That’s ever.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAccolades came thick and fast: the NME John Peel Award for Innovation in 2007, Kerrang! Awards (including Best Live Band), with sales of their debut now pushing 250,000 worldwide and frankly silly statistics, like the one about their single ‘Sorry, You’re Not A Winner’ having clocked up 6.3million plays on YouTube.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd so onto Common Dreads then, an album whose politicised ‘people power’ beginnings were inspired by the band joining fellow St Albans’ residents to fight against Tesco when the supermarket chain unveiled plans to build a big new store on a green patch of land. “It was the first time we actively got involved in something like that,” smiles Rou. “And, collectively, we won.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMusically, there are still twists of Refused’s screamo punk in there, but also the everyday colloquial man-in-the-street chats of The Streets’ Mike Skinner and nods towards The Prodigy, the most pumpin' drum \u0026amp; bass, the most euphoric of trance, Altern-8 and even some of the darkest of dubstep too. More than anything though Common Dreads is an album destined to unite the tribes, divide the critics and thoroughly satisfy anyone who has witnessed the mad live spectacle that is Enter Shikari.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“The main thing we stand for is unity,” concludes Rou. “Although it’s fair to say this is a political album, we’re aware that we don’t want to preach ideas - our only solution to today’s problems is to get together, share ideas and have fun. Because ultimately that’s the Enter Shikari way. You’re only young once, so positivity during dark times is as important to us as anything else.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eQ\u0026amp;A with Rou Reynolds - (lead vocals, keyboards/samples)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 204, 51);\"\u003eYour first album Take To The Skies--released on your own Ambush Reality label--debuted at #4 on the U.K. chart, becoming one of the most successful self-released rock albums ever. With your choice of major label offers in the U.K., why did you decide to release it on your own and what did you learn from it?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt the time, we didn't really feel like we had a choice--we'd been touring for around two years properly without any press or label interest. We'd done everything along the way ourselves from the booking to the designing and printing of T-shirts to recording our demos. It was only as we released \"Sorry You're Not A Winner\" that the interest suddenly boomed and by that time we realized we could do it ourselves with the help of the family we had built up around us. I'm glad it happened just as it did as I'd hate to be tied up in a major label deal now in this current era of uncertainty.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eYour new album COMMON DREADS will be officially released in the U.S. in the Spring of 2010. For the U.S. release, you are partnering with DGC/Interscope. What made you decide to join forces with a major at this point?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWe were lucky enough to get involved with a good crowd over there as there's no way we could repeat the same rise in the U.S. as we did in the U.K. It's obviously colossal in size compared to the U.K., so we knew we'd always need some help along the way and have to play a different game. Saying that, we have done a fair few tours now by ourselves-- just playing the toilet circuit and it's been really fun and still feels organic.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eOn COMMON DREADS, you teamed with producer Andy Gray (U2, Tori Amos, Korn, Gary Numan) and holed yourselves up in the isolated Isle of Wight. How did this work for you? What did you feel the result was for COMMON DREADS?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt was superb-- it couldn't have been more of an opposite experience from the recording of our first album. That was rushed down in two weeks and I've never been happy with the way the vocals sound. This time around, it was a conscious decision to get away for a few months and experiment. Andy (Gray) was wicked as well--he was up for anything from burning pianos (“Havoc B”) to breaking into churches and recording organs (“Fanfare”) to singing outdoors in boxers whilst it was snowing at 1:00AM to get that real 'cold' vibe (‘’All Eyes On The Saint’’). It was a real fun experience and I'm really proud of the result! COMMON DREADS really captures the live feel of the band and our vision.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eFusing such polar genres of music such as electronic and hardcore, how would you describe your music to someone who has never heard of you?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eGood Music. There's good music and bad music. That's all.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWhat would you describe as the most powerful song to you on this album? Which new song do you really enjoy performing right now?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThat’s a tough one--I'd probably have to go with “Fanfare.” It was all done pretty last minute, so I guess it came out as a final outpouring of frustration with both our countries’ aggressive foreign policies this past decade. I'm loving performing “Havoc B” at the moment--Chris pulls down some vicious sub bass to get the ground shaking and at the end hearing the crowd join in with the chanting creates such an unbelievable sense of unity.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWhat was it like growing up in St. Albans, England and how did it shape you as a musician?  \u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSt. Albans has always had a struggling, but thriving music scene. First getting into the local hardcore, punk and ska scenes was great, but as we got older we noticed the local Council really started coming down hard on gigs and local venues. We fought for years putting on shows at our local youth club, and they’d actually go to crazy lengths to try and pull our live shows. Ironically, it created a sense of community for our scene and everyone got involved to do what they could to keep it alive. It still happens to this day; the last time we did a homecoming the Council tried to pull it--luckily the local press were on our side and exposed them for how stupid and malicious they were being. Other than the music, St. Albans has a great Roman history and the most pubs per square mile in the U.K.!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eYou’ve performed at some of the most impressive festivals in the world including Coachella Valley Music \u0026amp; Arts Festival, Download Festival, Reading, Leeds, Summersonic and all of the major European festivals. What’s the difference between your festival performance and your club show?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNothing really--we don't really approach them any different. It's just a longer run to get to the crowd at a festival which is always a bummer, but we get there.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWhat was the inspiration behind the song “Juggernauts?”\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWe campaigned to stop a local superstore giant here in the U.K. from building a store right in the center of our town. It was just a nice quaint victory that was really inspiring to see everyone getting involved. The song itself is about how important it is to feel involved and to have a sense of belonging to your community and how our current economic and social system actively discourages this.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eDescribe your worst night on tour, ever.\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOn our last U.S. tour our van broke down as we were leaving Philadelphia. We spent 12 hours in a Walmart car park with a mechanic trying to fix it from 1:00AM whilst right in the middle of a thunder storm. It was pretty horrendous. We had no sleep and had to miss our show the next day so we were totally gutted.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWhat do you think is the biggest misconception about ENTER SHIKARI in the United States? \u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRob isn't allowed in the States because he posted a box full of his own shit to Walmart’s Headquarters and there was consequently a bomb scare and the whole building was evacuated (joking).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWhy is English food “as some people say” so bad?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWho needs good food when you have good beer and cider?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHow would you define English food? It's just a culmination of other cultures food really... oh no we have Trifle! Come on! Trifle rules.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eThe name ENTER SHIKARI came from a boat that belonged to your uncle. Why did you choose it and what do you feel it means?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eShikari means “The Hunter” in many Indian languages. My uncle was a fisherman and back when I was a kid I used to go out onto the high seas with him and just thought it was an awesome word. When we made the band, it just kind of fitted into what we had to do. We knew to make changes in this world you have to get out there and hunt yourself. It just seemed apt for how we were working as a band (the whole DIY style) as well as our political outlook.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWhat is your biggest guilty pleasure?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLady Gaga.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eHave you been to Stonehenge and what do you think of Spinal Tap?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eStonehenge is awesome. Still fills me with absolute wonder and awe every time I go there. Spinal Tap is just the industry standard, total classic.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eIf you could record a song with an artist outside the genre of music for which you are known, who might that be? \u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI'd love to work with a rapper called Lowkey from London. He does really political hip-hop, which is such a breath of fresh air from the normal commercial bulk of hip hop which just glorifies violence and condones negativity and greed.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eIf you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? \u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJohn Lennon.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWhat has surprised you most in your career so far?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHow nice the majority of people you meet around the world are.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eAny hobbies outside of music? Sports, etc?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI like swimming and dirt jumping (bikes), but other than that I’m not really into sports. I don't like the sense of rigid and ruthless competition promoted in most sports. It always puzzled me in high school the amount of anger sports produced in people. I think it's kind of pointless and silly.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-5063345230681328253?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/5063345230681328253/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/09/enter-shikari.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5063345230681328253"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5063345230681328253"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/09/enter-shikari.html","title":"Enter Shikari"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SrNKnlM7fvI/AAAAAAAADEI/c03QadZWsMI/s72-c/entershikari1469.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-2488127959916929869"},"published":{"$t":"2009-09-01T03:18:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-01T03:18:00.582-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"halfdown thomas"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"HalfDown Thomas"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU6eGNUiDI/AAAAAAAACbQ/Qh1GAW66Fsg/s1600-h/halfdownthomas2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU6eGNUiDI/AAAAAAAACbQ/Qh1GAW66Fsg/s400/halfdownthomas2.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369762419446155314\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHalfDown Thomas’ third album was blown away by Hurricane Katrina.  Literally.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe band, which hails from the sleepy little backwoods town of Cullman, Alabama, had the honor of working on the record with 3 Doors Down’s Chris Henderson.  They entered the studio in Mississippi, with Henderson producing, in 2005, laying down the tracks in short order.  Then, the hurricane hit, leaving the studio, and the master recordings for the album, under twelve feet of water.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNot easily deterred by Mother Nature, the band and Henderson reconvened in the same studio (completely rehabbed from the hurricane damage) in 2006.  Again, they laid down the tracks, completing the majority of the recording in three weeks’ time, only to find a computer glitch had rendered a large portion of the recordings unusable.  Because they had meshed so well with Henderson (who said he really wanted to be involved in the rest of the recording), the band was willing to wait to work around his 3 Doors Down schedule in order to re-record the tracks that needed to be redone in Henderson’s new Rivergate Studios in Nashville in 2007.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“This band is so easy to work with,” says Henderson.  “From a production standpoint, they provided me with a wide open palette, bringing some amazing riffs into the studio, then taking my suggestions to the next level in their continuing songwriting endeavors.  And they’ve been so amazing about recording the album three times.  It was not anyone’s fault; it’s just the way that things went down.  But they took it all in stride and they made it fun.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Chris is the hardest-working guy I know,” says guitarist Wesley Smith.  “When we were in the studio with him, he’d only get four to five hours of sleep before he was back to work.  It was fantastic being in the studio with him.  He’s very down-to-earth, and he gets what we are doing.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe result is HalfDown Thomas’ third-full length album, “Beautifully Strange,” which will be released via Rock Ridge Music on February 17, 2009.  In addition to Henderson’s production, the album boasts mixing by Geoff Ott (3 Doors Down, Nickelback, Unwritten Law) and Kirk Kelsey (3 Doors Down, Creed, Redding).  Bobby Capps of .38 Special contributed vocals on several songs, and Ivan Arnold of Five.Bolt.Main engineered some of the album.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHalfDown Thomas (or HDT) was begun on the verge of the new millenium by a group of friends with one simple goal: to start a band and see how far it could really go. Eight years later, singer Randy Ayers, guitarist Wesley Smith, bassist George White, and drummer Mark Underwood are finding out. Starting as everyone does in sweaty little clubs, opening shows for renowned local acts, HDT spent their time developing a high-intensity stage show to compliment their hard-driving modern rock sound. The band came to the attention of their label after they won a Birmingham, AL, Battle of the Bands and went on to compete in the finals in Biloxi, MS.  Henderson’s 3 Doors Down bandmate Todd Harrell was the creative force behind the contest.  Rock Ridge Music CEO Tom Derr, who was a judge at the Biloxi contest, was so impressed by HDT that the efforts to sign them began immediately.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe band has continued to plug away live, sharing the stage with acts as diverse and influential as Kings of Leon, OutKast, Evanescence, and Fuel, just to name a few.  At the same time, HDT has also worked hard to hone their personal sound. With two full-length releases, three EP's, and numerous compilation spots under their belts, writing and recording have been a large piece of the equation. Somewhere between Pearl Jam and Nickleback, between Stone Temple Pilots and Breaking Benjamin, is where you'll find HalfDown Thomas' sound. Throw in individual influences as varied as Southern rock and 80's hair metal, and what shakes out is modern rock alternative with scorching guitar solos, bombastic rhythm work, and attention to lyrical hooks that create an interesting and listener-friendly mix.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJust how far can four guys take a dream?  The answer seems to be a lot farther than anyone expected.  And they won’t let a little something like Mother Nature get in the way.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eCheck Out HalfDown Thomas Online - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/halfdownthomas\"\u003eMyspace\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.halfdownthomas.com/\"\u003eWebsite\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-2488127959916929869?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/2488127959916929869/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/09/halfdown-thomas.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/2488127959916929869"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/2488127959916929869"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/09/halfdown-thomas.html","title":"HalfDown Thomas"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU6eGNUiDI/AAAAAAAACbQ/Qh1GAW66Fsg/s72-c/halfdownthomas2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-8016729703972984363"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-25T14:17:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-25T14:29:48.361-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"violent soho"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Violent Soho"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SpRV01dFgEI/AAAAAAAACms/-64Ydp1QWWE/s1600-h/ViolentSoho1694.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SpRV01dFgEI/AAAAAAAACms/-64Ydp1QWWE/s400/ViolentSoho1694.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374014621550477378\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eVIOLENT SOHO is an Australian punk-grunge band hailing from Brisbane's suburb of Mansfield, who has a unique sound with raging riffs, battering-ram guitars, vocals obscured by haze and distortion, and a rhythm section so powerful it threatens to flatten buildings. Luke Boerdam (Vocals, Guitar), James Tidswell (Guitar), Luke Henery (Bass), and Michael Richards (Drums) came together half a decade ago to make music that would embrace an 80's and 90's punk-grunge sound. Since the release of their first full length, We Don't Belong Here, VIOLENT SOHO has toured extensively and has played shows with bands such as The Grates, The Black Keys, The Bronx, as well as played shows in the US and UK.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey have also been featured in major music festivals around Australia including Homebake, Meredith, Falls Festival, and Laneway Festival. This 2.5 min power-in-your-pocket pure rock is something different that is oft long forgotten in this electro nu-age of music. Look for their full length debut album on Ecstatic Peace / Universal coming soon!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn the mean time, check out the band's \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/violentsoho\"\u003eMySpace\u003c/a\u003e page and find out for yourself!\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-8016729703972984363?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/8016729703972984363/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/violent-soho.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/8016729703972984363"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/8016729703972984363"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/violent-soho.html","title":"Violent Soho"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SpRV01dFgEI/AAAAAAAACms/-64Ydp1QWWE/s72-c/ViolentSoho1694.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-1563702945054286546"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-25T03:08:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-25T03:08:00.463-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"autumn hour"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Autumn Hour"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU4uhx_3ZI/AAAAAAAACbA/F_Ui1PZw-94/s1600-h/autumnhour2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU4uhx_3ZI/AAAAAAAACbA/F_Ui1PZw-94/s400/autumnhour2.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369760502702398866\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAlan Tecchio (lead vocals), Justin Jurman (guitar/vocals), Clint Arent (bass), and Dave Lescinsky (drums/vocals) joined forces in the spring of 2008 to form Autumn Hour.  Since that time the band has been on a creative journey that has culminated in their fierce and dynamic debut recording: “dethroned.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe origins of the band can be traced back to the summer of 2003 when Tecchio and Jurman wrote about a dozen somber, acoustic songs together. It took until 2008, but eventually these songs morphed into a group dynamic with the addition of Lescinsky and Arent. The quartet deconstructed some of the 2003 material and also wrote new, heavier songs. The results transcend genre but the majority of the songs have strong metal music roots.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt the same time, “dethroned” is an album that boasts many textures, tones and ideas. A concept CD, the premise of the story is based around ideas developed by Ray Kurzweil in his ground-breaking book “The Singularity Is Near.” Taking forward-thinking concepts like strong artificial intelligence, exponential technological development, and nanotechnology, AH has woven their own shadowy, sorrowful tale of a potential future.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“dethroned” is a songbook of utter, worldwide devastation, and an aftermath in which technology tries to save the human race from extinction.  The story is told in three parts: Part I: Singularity In The Making, Part II: Endgame, and Part III: The Machine Kind.  The crushingly clear sound of this musical tale was devised through the keen production talents of Jon “Jonny Rod” Ciorciari (Exodus, Six Foot Sissy, Forman, Sicks Deep). Ciorciari helmed the tracking and mixing of “dethroned” at his J-Rod Productions facility in New City, New York. He perfectly captured the dark, haunting, and, at times, brutal moods of the story itself.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eA U T U M N   H O U R : The Players\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAutumn Hour as individuals have been involved with the recording, touring and teaching aspects of the music industry for many years. Vocalist Alan Tecchio forged his career touring and recording seven CDs with 80’s thrash/power metalheads Hades, two of which also featured Lescinsky on drums. Alan did one CD with the unique, progressive Texas act WatchTower as well, and he fronted the doom/power band Non-Fiction touring the world and releasing three CDs with them in the early 90’s.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt was through Non-Fiction that Alan met Justin, as their bands had played a number of shows together. Alan recorded two CDs in 2005 and 2007 with Seven Witches, which is how Clint Arent came into the fold, since he had recorded and played out with that band.  Arent also plays in Metal Mike’s Painmuseum. Musically speaking outside of AH, both Clint (School of Rock) and Justin (privately) have a background teaching music, and Dave owns two rehearsal studios and practices ceaselessly. Alan just hums, screams and whistles to himself a lot. We’re not sure what’s up with that.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eCheck Autumn Hour Out Online - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/autumnhour\"\u003eMyspace\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.autumnhour.com/\"\u003eWebsite\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-1563702945054286546?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/1563702945054286546/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/autumn-hour.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/1563702945054286546"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/1563702945054286546"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/autumn-hour.html","title":"Autumn Hour"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU4uhx_3ZI/AAAAAAAACbA/F_Ui1PZw-94/s72-c/autumnhour2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-1892109460055888881"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-24T15:03:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-24T15:06:35.597-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"avery storm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Avery Storm"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SpMO4Ol6tpI/AAAAAAAACjY/jF-_Oqb6YkA/s1600-h/AveryStormimage003.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SpMO4Ol6tpI/AAAAAAAACjY/jF-_Oqb6YkA/s400/AveryStormimage003.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373655139535730322\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(153, 153, 153);\"\u003ePhoto By: Eric Vogel\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSinger Avery Storm, whom Pharrell Willams has called the \"Next Big Thing\" and Jimmy Iovine referred to as \"A Modern Day James Dean,\" has worked with a dream team of producers on his new album including but not limited to Cool \u0026amp; Dre, The Runners, Babyface etc.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt’s been a long time coming for R\u0026amp;B singer Avery Storm. By now, you’ve probably heard him singing hooks for some notable singles of the past few years. The chorus on Notorious B.I.G.’s “Nasty Girl” featuring featuring P. Diddy, Nelly and Jagged Edge? That was him. And on Rick Ross’ “Here I Am” and “Rich Off Cocaine?” Avery had that ish on lock, too. And in addition to these top-billing guest appearances, he’s also lent his vocal talents to a smattering of albums, popping up on Nelly’s Suit, Jadakiss’ The Last Kiss and Murphy Lee’s So So Gangsta.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut after years of patiently waiting to get his shot at rocking on his own, Avery is finally ready to unleash his debut album Shotgun Love on the world on September 29th. The album’s lead single “Not Like My Girl,” produced by The Runners and featuring Rick Ross, is about to drop, but Avery’s got a lot more in store for his first official solo joint, including songs produced by Babyface and Jermaine Dupri and guest appearances from Jadakiss, Rawse and Nelly.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eShotgun Love in Stores September 29th\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/averystorm%20%20\"\u003ewww.myspace.com/averystorm  \u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/averytv\"\u003ewww.youtube.com/averytv\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-1892109460055888881?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/1892109460055888881/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/avery-storm.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/1892109460055888881"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/1892109460055888881"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/avery-storm.html","title":"Avery Storm"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SpMO4Ol6tpI/AAAAAAAACjY/jF-_Oqb6YkA/s72-c/AveryStormimage003.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-5782239246739655647"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-14T02:59:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-14T03:08:15.897-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"9mm solution"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"9mm Solution"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU3bQ3fHxI/AAAAAAAACa4/KMWXouhTF2w/s1600-h/9mmsolution2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 270px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU3bQ3fHxI/AAAAAAAACa4/KMWXouhTF2w/s400/9mmsolution2.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369759072232873746\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eFor years, the fearsome foursome known as 9mm Solution has been turning heads and eradicating eardrums, leaving bloody, barely-moving masses as they tore across the Midwest’s music scene. After the physical intensity of their performance, it’s easy to see that this band is on a mission to prove themselves as one of the hardest-working stage acts in the biz.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOne of the many things that has always set 9mm Solution apart from other acts has been their seemingly effortless ability to cover the spectrum of today’s heavy metal sound. With songs like “Suicide Letter” and “Below,” you get a very real sense of loss with a hint of hope. Add to that the guttural, smashing assault of “One In The Chamber” and “Belly Up,” and you have the total package.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhen the band formed in 2003, it was clear that these boys had a very real goal in mind. In the spring of 2006, the band shocked fans, reintroducing themselves by taking the stage at Milwaukee’s Rave dressed in matching suits. It was around this time when SOiL bassist Tim King came into the picture and kicked things up a notch by producing the band’s music, which piqued the ears of industry greats like Ulrich Wild (Static X, Deftones, Tool), and Sterling Winfield (Pantera, Hellyeah), who also signed on to mix various projects for the band.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e9mm SOLUTION released their first full length album, “One Shot... One Kill,” in the summer of 2006 through King’s Mortal Music.  It gained wide recognition throughout college and mainstream radio. It wasn’t enough. The band set their sights even higher. They turned up their game, playing even more shows alongside bands like Five Finger Death Punch and Hellyeah.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThese days, it’s business as usual for 9mm Solution. Whether it’s one person or entire crowds, these guys will take out anyone and leave them screaming. When these crowd killers suit up, stand back:  when they’ve got a job to do, there’s not a force in the world that’s going to stop them. Just ask their fans, the Bulletheads.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThis summer marks the culmination of the band’s efforts. They’ll take aim on the world when they release their second album, “The Dream Is Dead,” through Rock Ridge Music. But, rest assured, the dream is never dead with these guys.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e9mm Solution is:  Dave Gregor (guitars, vocals), Chad Novell (bass, vocals), Joe Thillman (drums), and Hobbes Caltous (lead vocals).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/9mmsolution\"\u003ewww.myspace.com/9mmsolution \u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-5782239246739655647?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/5782239246739655647/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/9mm-solution.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5782239246739655647"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5782239246739655647"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/9mm-solution.html","title":"9mm Solution"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoU3bQ3fHxI/AAAAAAAACa4/KMWXouhTF2w/s72-c/9mmsolution2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-3212002635429701767"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-12T14:02:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-12T14:03:25.490-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Imaad Wasif"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Imaad Wasif"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoMuFBZo7RI/AAAAAAAACX4/_Mb6u9vKhlE/s1600-h/imaadwasif.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoMuFBZo7RI/AAAAAAAACX4/_Mb6u9vKhlE/s400/imaadwasif.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369185844565962002\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eIn another life, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Imaad Wasif might have been a poet or a priest. He draws inspiration from beyond the veil, seeking connections and cosmic patters in the hopes of expressing the simplest but most profound message to his listeners: We are not alone. The urgency of that communication, and his need to convey it, give both his delicate guitar ballads and his fervent rock songs a ferocity and focus that resonates with every note.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWasif goes far beyond the here and now in his music, but he is very much of this time. He is a rock musician who came of age in the Coachella Valley of the 1990s. Early on he played live and in the studio with Lou Barlow’s Folk Implosion. In 2006, Kill Rock Stars released Wasif's self-titled solo debut, an acoustic psych gem. Around the same time, he was enlisted as a touring guitarist and opening act for Yeah Yeah Yeahs.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSophomore album Strange Hexes revealed Wasif's varied influences. The album was recorded with his band Two Part Beast (Bobb Bruno and Adam Garcia) and self-released in March 2008. That album was the first to hint at the distinctive sound Wasif has ultimately crafted for himself; a blast of post-modern psychedelic rock that is at once potent and refined. The album will be re-released by Tee Pee Records in 2010.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHaving gained a reputation for his intense live shows while opening for RTX, The Raconteurs, Neko Case, Arthur Lee’s Love and Sebadoh, Wasif has plans for an extensive tour in the fall of 2009. He can also be found playing guitar on \"Little Shadow\" from the YYY's latest album, It's Blitz! and Lou Barlow's forthcoming solo album, Goodnight Unknown. His collaboration with Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, and \"Little\" Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs and Dead Weather on the score for the Spike Jonze-directed film adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are hits theaters in October.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe theme of love in its many guises, both as redemption and call to arms, is one that Wasif returns to again and again in his songs. Its mythical quality becomes a springboard from which he explores the mysteries of life and the universe on his third album, The Voidist. Recorded with Two Part Beast, plus guests Dale Crover (Melvins) and Greg Burns (Red Sparowes), by Chad Bamford (Weezer) with additional recordings by Mathias Schneeberger (The Obsessed, Gutter Twins), the release is due from Tee Pee Records in October 2009.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-3212002635429701767?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/3212002635429701767/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/imaad-wasif.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/3212002635429701767"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/3212002635429701767"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/imaad-wasif.html","title":"Imaad Wasif"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SoMuFBZo7RI/AAAAAAAACX4/_Mb6u9vKhlE/s72-c/imaadwasif.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-3699313174376483167"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-03T23:43:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-03T23:48:57.969-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"farewell"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Farewell"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SnfZyQ7TptI/AAAAAAAACPE/y3zyMh6TqQE/s1600-h/Farewell+-+Promo1+-+By+Brett+Arthur.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SnfZyQ7TptI/AAAAAAAACPE/y3zyMh6TqQE/s400/Farewell+-+Promo1+-+By+Brett+Arthur.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365996938595641042\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhoto Credit: Brett Arthur\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe sophomore album poses an interesting situation for any artist: They can either take the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it approach, or they can opt to push the envelope and try something progressive, all the while subjecting themselves to potential failure.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOn \"Run It Up the Flagpole,\" Greensboro, NC pop-punkers Farewell have chosen the latter, toeing the line between sugary pop melodies and unbridled punk-rock energy while creating a record that both Top-40 fans and punk purists can enjoy equally. The set follows 2007’s \"Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!?,\" which, along with the band’s earn-it-yourself attitude, kept Farewell on the road alongside acts including Forever The Sickest Kids, The Secret Handshake, Four Year Strong and Hit The Lights, as well as earning them a spot on last year's Van's Warped Tour.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhen facing the task of writing their follow-up, the band — vocalist Marshall Davis, guitarists Wil Andrews and Kevin Carter, bassist Buddy (just buddy) and drummer Jeff Ellis — set out with one goal: to diversify its sound while proving that it’s possible to play catchy, pop-based music without pandering to overtly glossy production and studio trickery. “So many bands’ second record sounds exactly like their first one, and it’s almost always a letdown,” says Davis. “We wanted to continue to move forward as a band and help expand our fans' perception of what 'pop-punk' could be. That's why this new record has its own identity. It's a perfect blend of our past and present.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you’re looking for a record full of snot-nosed vocals and breakneck tempos, you’ll probably be disappointed. Instead, Farewell’s punk influence is exuded in swagger and attitude, drawing from influences like Jawbreaker and Screeching Weasel. Even so, it’s clear the band isn’t pulling any punches this time around. Calling out the “cookie cutter caffeinated teens, deployed for mass consumption,” the lead single “Devoid (That’s What I Think About It)” kicks listeners in the teeth with massive Green Day-sized guitars and its rallying-cry chorus of “When did rock and roll become this fucking fashion show!?”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNo, Farewell has not become a band of crusty punk-rock belly-achers. Nor have they turned their backs on the fan base that’s supported them since the beginning. They’re simply not willing to stand by and watch their pop-punk scene be overrun by sound-alike clones who care more about looking good than making good music. “We’re basically a punk-rock band that's more rock than punk,\" Davis laughs. “I wish I could sing like Armstrong, but I guess I'll settle for Hoppus.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFarewell’s members, most of whom had grown up playing in various punk and hardcore bands, came together in 2005 and quickly built a name for themselves, touring the Southeast and crafting their upbeat pop-rock sound, all the while showcasing for labels across the country. They eventually caught the ear of Epitaph founder Brett Gurewitz, who signed the group in 2007. It was an ideal situation for the band; many of their influences were veteran Epitaph artists. “They understood our band and didn’t want to change us,” Davis says of the label, “They were stoked on what we had to offer and gave us 100% creative control. It was perfect for us.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThroughout \"Run It Up the Flagpole,\" Farewell tempers it’s us-against-the-world mentality with a hearty dose of earnestness and sincerity. That’s best found on “Catch As Catch Can,” an autobiographical mid-tempo number that recaps the band’s history – from its nascent stages in the dive-bars of North Carolina to an eventual deal with Epitaph and subsequent worldwide touring. \"Run It Up The Flagpole\" not only cements Farewell as a band that won’t compromise its ideals for the sake of rock stardom, but also shows its members will never forget their roots and what it took to make it this far.“You have to keep in mind that your fans are growing as individuals too, along with their musical tastes,” Davis explains. “We’re playing the type of music that made us want to do this in the first place. It's what we love, and what we do best.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"Run It Up The Flagpole\" hits stores September 1st, so be sure to pick up a copy and listen for yourself.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-3699313174376483167?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/3699313174376483167/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/farewell.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/3699313174376483167"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/3699313174376483167"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/farewell.html","title":"Farewell"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SnfZyQ7TptI/AAAAAAAACPE/y3zyMh6TqQE/s72-c/Farewell+-+Promo1+-+By+Brett+Arthur.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-6580297748782889971"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-23T16:58:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-23T17:00:54.329-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"icon"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Icon"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Smj5j448Z5I/AAAAAAAAB9c/y_UQZaADWHc/s1600-h/iCon+6%28edit%29.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 228px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Smj5j448Z5I/AAAAAAAAB9c/y_UQZaADWHc/s400/iCon+6%28edit%29.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361809751346538386\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eBorn and raised in the Los Angeles area, iCon was surrounded by music. A friend of the family's, Focus…, had began working for one of the most known record companies, “Aftermath Entertainment,” as a producer when iCon was 12.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAlthough Focus… was often away from Los Angeles promoting and working, iCon still attended several studio sessions whenever possible and learned the production side of music at an early age. iCon began playing instruments at age 5 when he attended Baldwin Hills Elementary School; he went on to win his first music scholarship at age 7 and knew he wanted to live his life around music at age 10.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAfter graduating from high school at Alexander Hamilton Music Academy, iCon started making moves with independent labels and working with a few high school friends that also shared the same dream. Right out of high school, he started selling beats locally for a couple of hundred dollars to keep money in his pockets without getting a “day to day” job and stopping his creativity. Although, things were not moving the way he would have liked them to. So, after a year of sweat, blood, tears and a few misunderstandings with Independent Labels, iCon decided to take matters into his own hands and work alone. “Promoting myself has been one of the best career decisions I could have made. Trying to work with managers with more established clients than you, it gets pretty tough when the producer feels like he is being pushed off by the wayside. Especially, when you have the talent, drive, and passion for the art,” says iCon.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs iCon’s talent, drive and passion grew, it led him to currently work with people from publishing companies such as, Bug Music and Hollowstone Music, where he is currently negotiating a deal.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn 2007, iCon began working with a group called “The Jerk Boiz,” who from his understanding, created a dance entitled “The Jerk.” iCon liked the movement and had an idea of creating a song that expressed what jerking was. This is where he co-produced as well as co-wrote a song for he and a member of the group, \"AD,” entitled “Im Nice (jerk wit it).\" iCon says, “This song was never promoted properly, and led to another talented group (New Boyz) taking advantage of the movement in 2009.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eiCon’s work has appeared on every mixtape, as well as album The Jerk Boiz have put out around Los Angeles since that time. His work has also been heard on other projects from talented local acts like, (L-Rich) “Try to Hard” and “Let it Bang,”(Mischif‘s) “What it Do” and “Gutter Lane,” as well as a previous A.Fam Records/Aftermath Entertainment artist, (Pro-Verb’s) “Sexy Lady.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhat makes iCon stand out is his diversity. iCon went on to comment, “I don’t want to be someone who came in, placed a few hot beats and features, then gets thrown by the wayside. I have a serious passion and love for my music and I want to be known for just that; my music! I don’t want to sound like the rest. Sounding like the rest will only make you disappear with the rest when a new style presents itself to the world. I want my name to be mentioned among greats like JD, Kanye, J Dilla, Dr. Dre, and The Neptunes. Not just, ‘Oh that’s that guy that made that one track.’ That’s not my goal.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eiCon keeps his music fresh by relying on his moods for inspiration. “Everything I make is based on my emotion at the time,” he says. I was feeling creative when I made Mischif’s (What it Do),” says iCon. “That’s why it has a bit of everything in it. It’s dark, with a sense of gutter emotion, and has piano in it to lighten up the mood a bit. If I’m in a good mood, it’s most likely going to be R\u0026amp;B, Pop or Soul. Emotion is the trigger for me.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eiCon plans to make an impression on the entire industry, disregarding the genre. He said, “This year I plan on going hard and moving as fast as I can, while still making solid decisions and creating quality music. Lots of producers these days have forgotten that quality is huge; and part of that quality is getting the raw sound from real instruments, not just synths!\" iCon says, “I just want to live up to my talent and be a great Entertainer, Producer, Songwriter, Artist, all of it.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt a young age, playing 4 instruments and having his discipline, he is well on his way.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eCredits:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(Mischif) \"What it do\" \"Gutter Lane\"\u003cbr /\u003e(L-Rich) \"Let it Bang\" \"Try To Hard\"\u003cbr /\u003e(Pro-Verb) \"Sexy Lady\"\u003cbr /\u003e(Jerk Boiz) \"Im Nice (Jerk Wit It)\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSoon to come: \"Lee Charm\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eCheck iCon out Online - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/iconthasavior\"\u003eMyspace\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.twitter.com/iConTheProducer\"\u003eTwitter\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-6580297748782889971?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/6580297748782889971/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/icon.html#comment-form","title":"7 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/6580297748782889971"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/6580297748782889971"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/icon.html","title":"Icon"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Smj5j448Z5I/AAAAAAAAB9c/y_UQZaADWHc/s72-c/iCon+6%28edit%29.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"7"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-6213849219203508171"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-22T02:04:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-22T02:06:26.098-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pendulum"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Pendulum"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SmbWiVT6ZZI/AAAAAAAAB6c/xInfyIKaftU/s1600-h/pendulum-photo-extralarge_1247854957901.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SmbWiVT6ZZI/AAAAAAAAB6c/xInfyIKaftU/s400/pendulum-photo-extralarge_1247854957901.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361208291755713938\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003ePendulum formed in their home-town of Perth (Western Australia) in 2002, when producers Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen teamed up with acclaimed local DJ Paul 'Elhornet' Harding. While their individual formative roots ranged from producing drum \u0026amp; bass, breakbeat and hardcore, to playing in metal and punk bands, their comparable talents proved an unstoppable force when they managed to single-handedly conquer the world of drum \u0026amp; bass in their first 12 months together. \u2028\u2028\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eAfter selling more than 100,000 units of their debut artist album \"Hold Your Colour\", remixing for such respected artists as The Prodigy, being play-listed and featuring regularly on BBC Radio 1, all whilst continuing to tour the world over as DJs...Pendulum decided that was finally time to take things to the next level - performing live.\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u2028The last 12 months have seen Pendulum retreat to the depths of the underground to work on their second album, and to hone and perfect their sound for the live arena. Finding that using purely electronic sounds left something to be desired, they fetched their guitars and worked on perfecting their ultimate sound - an electronic Led Zeppelin, a crunked up Soundgarden, Tool meets Timbaland, combined with the synthetic aggression and sonic purity of the original Pendulum sound. \u2028\u2028So apart from that, what the hell are Pendulum all about? In the words of the boys themselves... \u2028\u2028\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\"We want our music to be an escape. While technology continues to constantly advance production techniques and (arguably) sound quality, something has been lost in the process - that original sense of self-escape, the idea of leaving yourself open to experience something you don't necessarily find in every-day life. That was the energy we picked up on and liked about electronic music when we first got into it. It felt like the same energy found with bands like Led Zeppelin and even The Beatles, and still occasionally today with bands like Tool, The Mars Volta, Queens Of The Stone Age and others.\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u2028To us, it made perfect sense to combine the best of both worlds, but it had to be done in a way that didn't make it sound obvious. In the last 10 years you've had all these bands that tried to cross the bridge by recruiting a turntablist / using a synthesizer on their new single, or electronic artists who just threw an obvious guitar sample into a tune...but eventually it just came across as a gimmick or a bit cheesy. We thought we'd try and do it properly, because to us it still hasn't been done right and there’s a lot of room for exploration.\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u2028If you turn on the radio today you'll hear 20 tracks in a row describing someone's every-day life, or songs with a one-line catchphrase chorus about shaking your ass in the club - the production is usually great but when you look deeper, there's nothing behind it...it doesn't offer you anything past its face value. We want to hear something different and exciting, but the material we want to hear isn't getting made. Thats why we spend nearly every waking moment trying to create music that takes you out of this universe - for ourselves and anyone else who wants to listen.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-6213849219203508171?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/6213849219203508171/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/pendulum.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/6213849219203508171"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/6213849219203508171"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/pendulum.html","title":"Pendulum"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SmbWiVT6ZZI/AAAAAAAAB6c/xInfyIKaftU/s72-c/pendulum-photo-extralarge_1247854957901.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-5256546869437513283"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-20T04:18:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-20T04:18:00.178-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"the darlings"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Darlings"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlpvoNOP82I/AAAAAAAABsI/FcX43l_a3D0/s1600-h/The+Darlings1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlpvoNOP82I/AAAAAAAABsI/FcX43l_a3D0/s400/The+Darlings1.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357717443245503330\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHailing from LA’s South Bay beach communities of Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach, The Darlings are a proud part of the new generation of South Bay punk bands weaned on local legends like Black Flag, the Descendents, and the Circle Jerks, as well as current hometown scene leaders Pennywise.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePlaying a no-holds-barred, brutally honest and in-your-face style of punk rock, The Darlings are soon to make their own impact on the scene.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMaybe it’s too early to declare The Darlings as leaders of the third wave of South Bay heroes on par with the '80s scene and the '90s resurgence, but if their seven-song, self-released, self-titled EP, available now on iTunes, has anything to say, it would be ‘turn it up and get out of the way.’\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eProudly bringing rock n’ roll back to the underground scene, The Darlings (singer/guitarist Buddy Darling, guitarist Josh Kearney, bassist Kris Kranes, and drummer Josh Fasen) have already toured with such legendary acts as Pennywise, Social Distortion, Bad Religion, Youth Brigade, Ignite, Guttermouth, and the one and only aforementioned Circle Jerks.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eQuite the major accomplishment for such a young band, the lads in The Darlings are armed with the skills, dedication, and street-cred to back their DIY success. Singer Buddy Darling states matter-of-factly, “We’re going to be around simply because we love it! So check us out.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe band lists as musical inspiration everyone from Elvis to the Blues as well as contemporary rockers like Social Distortion, Murder City Devils, and Tiger Army. In 2006 The Darlings won the Battle of the Bands presented by AMI Productions, the South Bay’s most prestigious band competition. The battle victors, who completed some rousing performances on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, plan to keep their momentum going by performing wherever their music takes them, in addition to putting out a full-length release this year.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(51, 51, 51);\"\u003eCheck out The Darlings on \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca style\u003d\"color: rgb(51, 51, 51);\" href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/thedarlings\"\u003eMyspace\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(51, 51, 51);\"\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-5256546869437513283?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/5256546869437513283/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/darlings.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5256546869437513283"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5256546869437513283"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/darlings.html","title":"The Darlings"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlpvoNOP82I/AAAAAAAABsI/FcX43l_a3D0/s72-c/The+Darlings1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-6957541794703470680"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-15T15:33:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-15T15:33:00.180-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"halestorm"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Halestorm"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlpwWG-v_VI/AAAAAAAABsQ/sAHm7yK_42Y/s1600-h/halestorm-main-pub--photo-credit-phil-mucci-extralarge_1240498675499.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlpwWG-v_VI/AAAAAAAABsQ/sAHm7yK_42Y/s320/halestorm-main-pub--photo-credit-phil-mucci-extralarge_1240498675499.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357718231843863890\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHalestorm unleashes a turbulent torrent of infectious hard rock on their self-titled Atlantic debut. The band—guitarist Joe Hottinger, bassist Josh Smith, drummer Arejay Hale and singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale—churn out uncompromising rock n' roll anthems.  Drawing from an arsenal of songs that she's penned since she was 13, Lzzy examines love and life on the edge.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLzzy and her brother Arejay formed Halestorm in 1998 while in middle school.  They immediately began playing local shows and garnered a following across Pennsylvania.  The band line-up was solidified with the addition of Joe and Josh.  Further honing their sound, Halestorm began showcasing for labels in 2005.  Lzzy explains, “We were doing a show at Don Hill’s in NYC.  Don Hill himself loved the show and asked us to come back on a regular basis to help us build a buzz in the area.  It was snowing hard in New York on the coldest night of the year when Atlantic Records first saw us perform.  From there it was only a matter of time until we solidified our relationship, and put ink to paper.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHalestorm signed with Atlantic and released the live EP, One and Done.  The band immediately hit the road, touring with Shinedown, Seether, Flyleaf, and Trapt.  Playing more than a thousand gigs, they cultivated a captivating live show, while appearing on various festivals and the annual Sno-Core tour.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn 2008, Halestorm entered a Los Angeles studio to record their debut album with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (Three Days Grace, Flyleaf, My Chemical Romance) and mixer Chris Lord-Alge (Underoath, AFI, Green Day). The album’s a fiery flurry, and Lzzy describes the band’s sound best:  “It’s powerful rock’n’roll.  We have a lot of classic rock influences, but the music never feels dated.  It’s got an old school feeling with a modern edge.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe record’s first single, “I Get Off,” blends a sexy hook with a rough and tumble groove.  “On that song,” says Lzzy, “I reach outside of myself and explore sexuality.  It also has this crazy metaphor of me getting off on the crowd getting off on me.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLzzy casts a hypnotic spell on stage.  Drawing from influences as diverse as Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin, and Metallica, she has a dark sensuality that’s undeniable.  Her sultry side comes through on the moody “Familiar Taste of Poison.”  “That track is an amazing journey for me,” she explains.  “It’s very low key, but it’s a bit of a performance piece.  It shows a different side of this band.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLzzy’s dynamic voice cuts across genre boundaries.  “I approach my timing and singing like a blues singer,” she says.  “I’m very influenced by blues and soul.  For me, it’s always about making sure I have feeling in my voice.” The soaring standout, \"Bet U Wish U Had Me Back,\" highlights Lzzy's range as her voice oscillates from a sultry croon to a massive hook.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eShe exudes that feeling on stage and in the studio, because she’s not afraid to be herself. She laughs, “As a kid, when a lot of my friends were into Backstreet Boys, I attached myself to Alice Cooper, Cinderella, and Van Halen.  I want to give the audience a ride and connect with them.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eUltimately that connection will be tangible, because Lzzy and co. were meant to be in a rock band.  “My brother and I were very fortunate to know what we wanted to do at an early age.  When I was 13 and he was 10, we got together and wrote five songs.  We wanted to be in a band together, we wanted to make music, and that was it.  Everything came second to that.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn the end, that philosophy will ensure Halestorm’s longevity.  “This album has been a long time coming,” says Lzzy.  “There’s been a lot of dirty work that went into making it.  Creatively, we went to rock’n’roll college through the experience.  It was crazy, raw, down and dirty.  Our blood, sweat, and tears went into this thing.”\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-6957541794703470680?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/6957541794703470680/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/halestorm.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/6957541794703470680"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/6957541794703470680"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/halestorm.html","title":"Halestorm"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlpwWG-v_VI/AAAAAAAABsQ/sAHm7yK_42Y/s72-c/halestorm-main-pub--photo-credit-phil-mucci-extralarge_1240498675499.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-3210002339430604939"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-10T00:12:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-10T00:12:00.296-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"friday night boys"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Friday Night Boys"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlWZPCQIKOI/AAAAAAAABqE/iCfv-R5mXK4/s1600-h/FNB+-+New+-+Bryan+Sheffield.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 297px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlWZPCQIKOI/AAAAAAAABqE/iCfv-R5mXK4/s400/FNB+-+New+-+Bryan+Sheffield.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356355815408675042\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003ePhoto Credit: Bryan Sheffield\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt may seem like Fairfax, Virginia’s The Friday Night Boys have led a charmed life thus far, but to say they don’t deserve everything that’s come their way would be an out-and-out lie. Like many of today’s breakthrough musical acts, The Friday Night Boys—which features frontman Andrew Goldstein, bassist Robby Dallas Reider, guitarist Mike Toohey and drummer Chris Barrett—got their start on the Internet. However where their story goes from there is where things really get interesting.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJust one year after this group of tight-knit high-school acquaintances formed The Friday Night Boys, they decided to self-record The Sketch Process EP and distribute it online—but even The Friday Night Boys themselves were surprised by the way it took off considering that they only played regional shows at that point. “I put it on iTunes and the first month we had a decent amount of hits, but second month we had a whole lot of hits and it just kept increasing,” Goldstein explains. The EP would go on to be the catalyst for the band’s appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live’s “On Your Radar” segment for unsigned bands.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs you can probably guess, The Friday Night Boys didn’t stay unsigned for long—and they were introduced to Fueled By Ramen by one of the band’s early supporters: All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth, who also decided to make The Friday Night Boys the first signing to his brand new imprint, The Party Scene. “We had played some local shows with All Time Low when they were in high school and Alex always used to tell us how much he liked our band,” Goldstein explains when asked how this relationship formed. “Alex worked so hard to promote us and help us out with recording,” Goldstein continues. “We feel honored to have him on our side.” The band also had the support of Photo Finish Records who have been longtime supporters of the band and have grown alongside the act.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTo hold over their fans until the full album debut, The Friday Night Boys released the five-song EP That’s What She Said in October of 2008, which was the perfect introduction to the band’s raucous band of pop-rock. However, once you hear the band’s debut full-length Off The Deep End, it will be no surprise why MTV still supports the band and recently christened The Friday Night Boys “guaranteed to rock in 2009.” Produced by Emanuel Kiriakou, the album shows how much the band has grown in the past year and features everything from instantly accessible power ballads (“She’s Finding Me Out”) to energetic pop-punk rockers (“Suicide Sunday”) and everything in between. In fact, it’s not hard to picture songs like the electronica-tinged “Stupid Loveletter” as a dance floor anthem that’s will instantly get people moving—and the band wouldn’t have it any other way.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhile The Friday Night Boys have toured with popular pop punk acts like All Time Low and Mayday Parade, they are in no way ashamed of their addiction to pop music. “I don’t really worry about where we fit in or how people want to categorize our music,” Goldstein explains. “I love pop and it’s my favorite genre of music,” he continues, adding that his favorite bands include everyone from Oasis to Avril Lavigne. “I love songs that are catchy and fun to listen to and that’s how I can relate to music,” he says. “Personally, I tend to gravitate toward songs that I can connect to on an emotional level.” In other words despite their fun-loving façade, not everything is one huge party for The Friday Night Boys. “We all love partying, but we also have a serious side as well; we’ve all gone through relationship issues with girls and heartbreak so it’s a two-way street,” Goldstein says when asked about some of the lyrical themes.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eUltimately The Friday Night Boys are just excited to get on the road and bring their music to their fans and soon-to-be followers. “We all feel so lucky and incredibly blessed to be working with the people we are working with,” Goldstein explains adding that the band grew up listening to artists on Fueled By Ramen. “We’ve all toured the country multiple times in other unsigned bands, so finally doing it in this band means our work has paid off—but we’re also extremely excited to work hard in this band and tour year round,” he summarizes. “We’re willing to do whatever it takes.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eLike The Friday Night Boys? Check Them Out Online:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/thefridaynightboys\"\u003eMyspace\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.fueledbyramen.com/\"\u003eFueled By Ramen\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.photofinishrecords.com/\"\u003ePhoto Finish Records\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cscript language\u003d\"JavaScript\" type\u003d\"text/javascript\" src\u003d\"http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js\"\u003e\u003c/script\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cobject id\u003d\"myExperience\" class\u003d\"BrightcoveExperience\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"bgcolor\" value\u003d\"#FFFFFF\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"width\" value\u003d\"486\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"height\" value\u003d\"412\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"playerID\" value\u003d\"17429271001\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"publisherID\" value\u003d\"340478121\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"isVid\" value\u003d\"true\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/object\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-3210002339430604939?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/3210002339430604939/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/friday-night-boys.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/3210002339430604939"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/3210002339430604939"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/friday-night-boys.html","title":"The Friday Night Boys"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlWZPCQIKOI/AAAAAAAABqE/iCfv-R5mXK4/s72-c/FNB+-+New+-+Bryan+Sheffield.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-8976431212972644692"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-08T15:36:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-08T15:39:12.614-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"quixote"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Quixote"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlUfyZFu2aI/AAAAAAAABo8/YYnHbzy4ioc/s1600-h/quixote2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 203px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlUfyZFu2aI/AAAAAAAABo8/YYnHbzy4ioc/s400/quixote2.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356222282415921570\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eTactfully incorporating simplistic rhythms and hallowed, organic instrumentation, Quixote's self-titled debut album, being self-released on June 14, is an array of diverse styles that cohesively mold together creating an album craftily flowing between epic highs and mellowed dips.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eStarting in Brookline, MA, Quixote's first baby step began in early 2007, with members Joe Stulpin (vocals/guitar) and Evan Murphy (drums/percussion) jamming together and recording some tracks for a class. Genius ensued, along with the properly timed folding of previous musical endeavors, and Quixote was on the market. Shuffling through a number of different line-ups during the recording process, including now electric-guitarist Anthony Valera who played bass on the album, they eventually completed the record then found the perfect fit with the remaining members Justin Demers (bass guitar) and Greg Prendergast (keys/percussion). The band found a common tie that coalesced their individual music backgrounds and tastes, each separately drawing musical direction from diverse genres such as folk, hip-hop, classical, 60's pop, and electronica, the quintet had a heavy hand in the production of the album, which invariably resulted in the fruition of an organized collision of sound. Joe has said \"working on both sides of the soundboard really gives you a whole new perspective on sound and what makes a great sound; the kind of stuff that really hits you on the inside.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u2028\u2028The album opens with the staccatoed punch of \"Annunaki\" and immediately you are on a fierce, unstoppable ride. Flowing into the subtle twang of the violin opening in \"Hubris,\" the song picks up with the energy of Gogol Bordello-esque horns, big band style drums, and the careening down slope of an electric guitar solo. Slowing down the tempo, \"Owls\" is a stripped down, folk breath of fresh air that leads into the aggressive rumble of \"God Damn\" which juxtaposes a slower accordion line against thundering drumbeats. The album ends with \"Don't Hurt,\" an effects-infused blues thunderstorm, layering a mystical fog of guitar and airy samples; Greg describes the song as displaying the \"duality of a dysfunctional relationship both metaphorically speaking and literally sounding,\" ending mid-sentence, ever so cunningly leaving you wanting more.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eLike Quixote? Check Them Out Online:\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href\u003d\"www.wearequixote.net\"\u003eWebsite\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/wearequixote\"\u003eMyspace\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.twitter.com/wearequixote\"\u003eTwitter\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-8976431212972644692?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/8976431212972644692/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/quixote.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/8976431212972644692"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/8976431212972644692"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/quixote.html","title":"Quixote"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SlUfyZFu2aI/AAAAAAAABo8/YYnHbzy4ioc/s72-c/quixote2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-4846070776088644013"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-25T00:34:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-25T00:41:26.969-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"buckcherry"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Return of… Buckcherry"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SkMpbcvt80I/AAAAAAAABhU/JPOqJ39zFys/s1600-h/ArtistNewsletter_June_03.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 216px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SkMpbcvt80I/AAAAAAAABhU/JPOqJ39zFys/s400/ArtistNewsletter_June_03.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351166333795824450\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWritten By: \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.musicsubmit.com/\"\u003eMusicSUBMIT\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhen last year’s smash single “Sorry” by rock group Buckcherry reached #9 on Billboard, lead singer Josh Todd had to be smiling.  He and guitarist Keith Nelson had tasted a bit of success before, but not like this.   Who would have thought the band that had been abandoned and dropped by their major label in 2002, could come back and release a new album on an indie, and eclipse their previous, short-lived fame? - It doesn’t happen very often in the music world, but it does happen…\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt was the summer of ’00, and things were looking good Buckcherry. The band had just come off a full length U.S tour with Lenny Kravitz. On the strength of three radio hits, Buckcherry had toured non-stop in support of their self-titled debut album, released by major label DreamWorks Records in 1999.   The band was about to hit the studio for their follow up CD, \"Time Bomb.\" By the time the album released in ’01, the title “Time Bomb” proved befitting for a self-fulfilled prophecy.  Slow initial sales of \"Time Bomb\" and a disinterested DreamWorks helped to all but tank the record. Add in the inevitable inner band tension and Buckcherry was all but a flash in the pan rock group for one summer, a footnote in music history...\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eEarly Years\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBuckcherry originally formed in 1995, then under the name “Sparrow”, playing mostly in clubs in the LA rock scene.  For the next 3 years, after countless club gigs, the band built up a noticeable following. A few demos later and they finally caught the attention of the label DreamWorks and long time rock producer Terry Date.  The album “Buckcherry” (after a band name change) was released in 1999, and soon after the band scored their first radio hit, “Lit Up”.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt this point, some musicians might feel lucky or satisfied to reach the level of success attained by Buckcherry.   When the band added two more radio hits in 2000, including “Check Your Head”, indeed they were in an enviable position:  a successful tour supporting a gold-almost-platinum record, with 3 radio hits, for a powerful record label. But one album seldom makes a band, and what you do on the follow up album is just as, if not more, important than the first record, if your goal as a band is to remain relevant (i.e. employed) for years to come.  Perhaps the early fame and (relatively) quick success contributed to a sub-par effort that resulted in “Time Bomb.”  And of course, bands that get dropped by their record label after a poor 2nd record is nothing new.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eThe Comeback\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBy 2002, lead singer and band leader Josh Todd had left the band.  Not that this mattered much, as all the other members were long gone anyway.  Todd \u0026amp; Nelson continued to work collaborative projects with other musicians, but the band Buckcherry had completely faded from the scene, a one-hit-wonder band.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn 2006, a full 8 years after first signing with DreamWorks, Todd and Nelson regrouped with new band members and began writing songs.  For any band that was once signed by a major label, the chances of having a new record released again on a major are pretty close to nil.  Wet newspapers are usually treated better than dropped rockers.  Instead, the group enlisted the help of indie Eleven Seven, a record label of basically musicians with loose affiliations to Warner. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn just 15 days, the band recorded an album, and perhaps with no expectations for a release, titled the record “15”. It wasn’t long after the release of “15” that radio stations began picking up the song “Crazy Bitch” for airplay rotation.  For many music fans, the song “Crazy Bitch” was their first introduction to the band Buckcherry, whose initial fame was so short-lived they were mostly missed the first time around.  Or, because comeback albums for one-hit-wonder bands are so rare, the name Buckcherry didn’t resonate. Whichever the case, a whole new level of success came rushing back to the band.  Timed radio releases of the next two singles, “Everything” and “Sorry”, the latter reaching all the way to #9 on Billboard’s Mainstream Charts, completed the comeback.  Buckcherry was once again touring with the likes of Motley Crue and Avenged Sevenfold.   Next up – a touring opening up for perhaps the greatest comeback rock band of all time – KISS.  How cool is that???\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-4846070776088644013?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/4846070776088644013/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/06/return-of-buckcherry.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/4846070776088644013"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/4846070776088644013"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/06/return-of-buckcherry.html","title":"The Return of… Buckcherry"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SkMpbcvt80I/AAAAAAAABhU/JPOqJ39zFys/s72-c/ArtistNewsletter_June_03.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5728161059638431505.post-5342801683277968074"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-22T01:37:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-22T01:43:27.384-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"avery storm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artist to watch"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Avery Storm"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Sj9EJswvPfI/AAAAAAAABfk/xF8VUiJUS7E/s1600-h/l_9954fa18b5214d1c5e28c9ad6182c6b7.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 282px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Sj9EJswvPfI/AAAAAAAABfk/xF8VUiJUS7E/s320/l_9954fa18b5214d1c5e28c9ad6182c6b7.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350069815764532722\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eIf Avery is to confirm authentic and Storm is a disturbance of the atmosphere, what better way to describe the newest arrival in music? Avery Storm proves to be the next fire-starter in Hip Hop/R\u0026amp;B and if his timeless and sultry voice does not convince you, his charisma and charm is sure to have you checking the forecast.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBorn into a working-class Italian American family, Avery was raised in a small town in New Jersey minutes away from New York City. Influenced by his folk singer father’s musical talent and aware of his gift at an early age, he began creating songs that emulated his love for music. He sought refuge from the familiar issues of adolescence and early adult hood in his craft, singly daily, writing lyrics and consistently playing piano, drums, and guitar. Upon completing high school, Avery left his NJ home and relocated to New York City in search of his dreams. Respected by his peers and a staple in New York’s underground talent sector, he became a favored guest in many of the downtown open mic venues including Groove, Village Underground, and Café Waah. Avery’s efforts as a writer were also acknowledged with an ASCAP nomination for the Writer’s Workshop Award.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePaying his dues on the competitive circuit paid off, as Avery went from being a young artist who lived for the song to a strong and talented musician, able to pick up an instrument and entertain with unadulterated raw energy, nothing fake or manufactured. Newly confidant in his live performances, in the summer of 2001, Avery joined a local production company and through their collaborative efforts, scored a record deal with Timbaland’s Beat Club/Interscope Records.  Jimmy Iovine, chairman and CEO of Interscope Records, best known for developing multi-platinum stars such as Eminem, No Doubt and Tupac, referred to him as the new age James Dean. Unfortunately, due to creative differences, an album was never released and both artist and production/record companies parted ways.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eForced to start from the ground up and determined to let nothing stand in his way, Avery hit the underground circuit with unfaltering force. With the money generated from working in a neighborhood deli, he created promotional cds of his music, then took to the streets of NYC and handed them to everyone who crossed his path.  Avery’s relentless dedication paid off when a promo disc landed in the hands of a talent scout for Derrty Entertainment, Nelly’s record label with Universal Music. After numerous meetings and a 13-city tour, he went on to become the first R\u0026amp;B artist signed to Derrty/Universal Records.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAvery, who’s grown his buzz through catchy hooks \u0026amp; distinct vocals(which are interestingly stacked on purpose to give depth/emotion in every word), has co-wrote \u0026amp; produced several hit records including, “In My Life” \u0026amp; “ Tired”  from Nelly’s Suit Album, “ Nasty Girl” w/ Notorious B.I.G, Nelly, P.Diddy \u0026amp; Jagged Edge from Biggie Duets LP. Most recently, he’s been noted for his infectious hook “Here I Am” alongside Rick Ross off Gold certified album Trilla and “Rich off Cocaine” off Ross’s latest “Deeper Than Rap” album as well as Jadakiss’ “I Tried”. \" Avery’s also worked with several award-winning producers including Pharrell, Cool \u0026amp; Dre, Babyface, Bryan Michael Cox, The Runners and Jermaine Dupri.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFocusing squarely ahead on his solo debut, Avery’s upcoming album is a mixed pot of love, fear, hate \u0026amp; frustration that run the gamut of daily life under the aptly titled “Shotgun Love” moniker. What started as an interlude stemming from bits and pieces of previous songs Avery wrote, “Shotgun Love” progressed into a felt connection to Avery’s journey to present day. This tapped him into a common trepidation we all encounter in love, from annoyances with lovers to frustrations with personal passions \u0026amp; obstacles. “Shotgun Love” has come to define itself under the umbrella of love at its wits end. The moment you lose control of your emotions and allow it to run its course, for good or bad, Shotgun Love has come to life. With this Avery has been able to create a sound that is all his own and the realness of his music is so evident it’s almost tangible. It’s as if he’s holding your hand and walking you through his life.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAsk Avery about his music and he replies, “Sometimes I feel like I'm straight out of left field and wonder, is anybody gonna get this? My harmonies are big, dramatic and exaggerated at times which makes people wonder who the hell is singin background, but it's all me. My music is like me turning myself inside out and lettin' everybody see in, so I want people to really feel what I'm sayin'. I want them to be able to say, damn… I feel you.’ cuz I talk about real shit, things we all go through on one scale or another. I put my life on a plate for the world to taste. Somethin' on the menu for everyone, I think…You tell me.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eCheck Out Avery Storm Online - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/averystorm\"\u003eMyspace\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/averytv\"\u003eYouTube\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5728161059638431505-5342801683277968074?l\u003dcwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/feeds/5342801683277968074/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/06/avery-storm.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5342801683277968074"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5728161059638431505/posts/default/5342801683277968074"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgartisttowatch.blogspot.com/2009/06/avery-storm.html","title":"Avery Storm"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Sj9EJswvPfI/AAAAAAAABfk/xF8VUiJUS7E/s72-c/l_9954fa18b5214d1c5e28c9ad6182c6b7.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"1"}}]}});