Liz Lawrence

Liz Lawrence is an acoustic singer/songwriter from London, England. Starting in the punk rock and ska scene, she has been able to show an edgy style to her music. 

She describes her music as, “bittersweet, romantic, melodic, honest, homemade and sentimental.” 

“I like to think I take the strength and emotion from the high octane records I grew myself up on and use that energy on stage,” Lawrence said.

Performing live has been the most enjoyable experience in her career, according to Lawrence.

“I love the studio process and the intricacies, I love production and arrangement and the control, but the product is totally different to what you get taking the song at face value and playing live,” Lawrence said. “On the tight-rope or the trapeze, live performance leaves nowhere to hide, it heightens your senses, it’s exhilarating and difficult and you will never play or see the same show twice.”

Lawrence’s latest album, “Bedroom Hero,” focuses on song writing. 

“I wanted to express the feelings of excitement, sacrifice and fragility that songwriters subject themselves to in order to create something important to people,” Lawrence said. “The album is personal but also universally aimed at the heart of the listener through the emotions of my 18- and 19-year-old self.”

Lawrence has been letting her music take her to new places.

“I’m just enjoying playing and writing at the moment and working out the plan for the album release too,” Lawrence said.

Her debut album was released on March 30^th in the Republic of Ireland.

http://www.lizlawrencemusic.com/

Bison

Bison is a seven piece alternative folk band from Chesapeake, Va. that has been focused on American history.

“We try to be forward thinking in our music while holding to some traditional roots,” lead singer and songwriter Benjamin Hardesty said. “Since the bison is an iconic symbol of this time period, I just latch on to it as a name for the band.”

“We call (our music) Mountain-Top Chamber music,” Hardesty said. “It combines alternative folk sounds with classical sensibilities.”

The band has been influenced by movie scores, old bluegrass, Allison Kraus with Union Station, Borodin’s String Quartets and Fleet Foxes.

With seven members in the band, each member has been able to give their own touch to the music.

“The sound, though guided by me, is definitely a blend of what each member brings to the mix,” Hardesty said. “We knew when we added the strings that we wanted them to maintain the classical feel that came with their training.”

Bison’s album, Quill was released in September of 2011, focusing on its live performances.

“We had been playing locally and gaining a following,” Hardesty said. “At every show people were asking for recorded music. We knew we wanted to capture our live sound. Switzerland was recorded in one take with the violin added the second day. It is very fulfilling when we are told that our album sounds like our live show.”

Live or in the studio, Bison has unique sound that many people will enjoy.

http://www.bisonfolk.com/

Eric Lives Here

Eric Lives Here is an unsigned pop rock band from Appleton, WI, who formed at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI, in 2006, consisting of Mike Thiel as songwriter and singer, Bill Glasheen on bass, and John Menn on drums.

“The band kind of started on a whim,” Thiel said. “I was working on some songs with my guitarist, Chris Schmitz, in my dorm room with the door open and a girl walked past and said, ‘Hey that sounds really good! I’m throwing an event in the dorms on Friday. Would you guys like to play?’ I looked at Chris and we were like, ‘Yeah, I think we can put a band together by then.’”

After that, the band made its first EP, called “Misplaced Mistakes,” and started performing. Eric Lives Here writes its music based off real life experiences.

After college, the band members started to go in different directions, but Thiel decided to continue to pursue music.

“I worked with a lot of musicians in Wisconsin and out-of-state, trying to rekindle that chemistry the band had, but besides a few glimpses of hope, it just wasn’t happening,” Thiel said. 

Thiel met with a friend who was a producer in California in 2011 and had the chance to start again.

“After a few more flights out to California, we eventually created ‘The Night is Young’ album, which we turned around pretty quickly, releasing it in December 2011. Being able to bring the band off of hiatus filled this massive void I’d been feeling for the prior two years,” Thiel said.

“The Night is Young” was a combination of songs written in Los Angeles and previous songs.

“I wrote the lyrics, drummed the songs and sang the songs, while my guitarist/producer Bruce Lawrence created the guitar and bass melodies,” Thiel said. 

“I can’t say I’ve never written from direct experience, but most of my music is written from a culmination of experiences,” Thiel said.  “I also find myself observing other people’s situations and writing about that. It’s really just about living life.”

In the future, the band hopes its music is heard by the public and enjoyed.

“I think for most musicians, the goal is always to get as many people to hear your music as possible,” Thiel said. “Whether that’s signing to a major label, getting on a TV show or playing 365 gigs a year is up to the musician. For me, playing live is a great way to express this music and radio play certainly wouldn’t hurt in today’s market.”

http://www.facebook.com/ericliveshere

Tally Hall

Tally Hall is an alternative rock band from Ann Arbor, Mich., known for its colorful ties and expressive music. The band’s latest album, “Good & Evil,” was released in June of 2011 with Quack! Media, featuring “You & Me” and “&.”

“’Good & Evil’ seemed to encapsulate the batch of songs we had for the album,” singer and keyboardist Andrew Horowitz said. “We recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Tony Hoffer.”

The band’s expressive style is unique.

“A giant cloud made of cotton candy wherein a circus of magical creatures speak in poetry,” Horowitz said.

Tally Hall got its start during college.

“Sophomore year of college, I was introduced to Rob (Cantor, guitarist and vocalist) through a mutual friend,” Horowitz said. “From there, we added members one by one. It grew from a two-person jam session to a band within a couple months.”

With its unique style, the band felt the name Tally Hall suited it well.

“Tally Hall is named after a defunct mini-mall in the suburbs of Detroit,” Horowitz said. “It’s a place of nostalgia for the rest of my Michigan-based band. In Tally Hall, there were arcade oddities sprinkled throughout.”

The band started an internet show a couple years ago called THIS, which featured 10 mini episodes of sketch-comedy.

“The Tally Hall Internet Show was a natural progression from the short clips we were posting online,” Horowitz said. “The short films spilled over to Tally Hall, and we consciously opened up Tally Hall to all forms of creative expression.”

The most important thing that keeps Tally Hall’s music going is themselves and to make something worthwhile.

 “Our hope to create an alternative to the plethora of crap shoved into the public’s minds.”

 

Band members include:

Rob Cantor - Guitar, vocals

Joe Hawley - Guitar, vocals

Ross Federman - Drums

Zubin Sedghi - Bass, vocals

Andrew Horowitz - Keyboards, vocals

SPEAK

SPEAK is an up and coming pop rock band from Austin, Texas. The band released its debut album, “I Believe In Everything,” with Modern Art records this past September featuring the hit “Carrie.”

“We recorded the album with our great friend Frenchie Smith here in Austin. It’s the result of years of songwriting, recording, mixing, and mastering,” Troupe Gammage, lead singer of the band, said.

The band was presented with “Best New Band” from the Talking Heads, one of the band’s biggest influences, at the Austin Music Awards after the release of its debut EP, “Hear Here.”

“We got to meet the Talking Heads a few years ago, which was obviously a huge deal for us,” Gammage said. “It seems no one of our generation isn’t a Talking Heads fan.”

Other influences include Lamount Dozier, Prince and David Bowie. Influences they’ve met on the road are Tigercity, Cage the Elephant, Tally Hall and Passion Pit.

Gammage  got his start in music at an early age.

“Both my parents were musicians, so I grew up around music,” Gammage said. “I started composing soundtracks for video games I was making in elementary school and have been writing music on computers ever since.”

Gammage met the rest of his band in high school and college.

“I first met Nick (Hurt, guitarist) and Jake (Stewart, drummer) when we were in junior high/early high school. Nick introduced us to Joey (Delahoussaye, bassist) when they were at the University of Texas classical guitar program together,” Gammage said.

The band found Modern Art records later on.

“Our manager had been talking to Ben Collins from Modern Art for a couple years before we signed to the label,” Gammage said. “I have no idea how he met Ben, but we’re glad he did.”

The writing process for the band’s music has been a collaborative project.

“We all write, and the process changes song to song,” Gammage said. “Some songs are incredibly collaborative, some are more personal, but we all have a voice in the arrangements and the production, which is really important to us.”

 

The music video for “Carrie,” was produced by Danger Films in Austin, TX.

Thirteen Senses

Thirteen Senses is an alternative rock band that formed in Cornwall, England. 

 

“We started the band in 2001 and played small pub gigs locally,” lead singer and guitarist Will South said. “We recorded a number of demos and our break came after we sent one out to some record companies, who were kind enough to offer us a deal.”

 

Since its start, the band’s music has been continuing to be known, featuring on shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Bones.

 

“It gave us a platform to deliver our music to the American audience,” South said. “Our albums have never been given a proper release over there, so it’s great to have the music out there in this way.”

 

For Thirteen Senses, music is like a piece of art and expression of oneself.

 

“It’s a desire to create and express ourselves,” South said. “I think any artist, whether you’re a painter, poet or musician, must have a mysterious force behind them that needs to be expressed in a different form. As a band, when we are all together creating a new piece of music, it’s where we feel most comfortable.”

 

The band’s recent album, “Crystal Sounds,” was self-produced after being on a major recording label.

 

“It marked a slight change in direction and gave us a new injection of energy,” South said. “We started writing it as soon as the second album, Campaign, came to an end. Most of the songs were actually written and demoed by the beginning of 2008. The album wasn’t completed until the end of 2009 before finally being released the next year. We recorded most of it in our own studio.”

 

Thirteen Senses’ biggest success has been continuing its career.

 

“Our biggest success is that we’re still here making music,” South said. “We’re just in the process of finishing album four, so our future will, at the moment, involve getting that released and heard by as many people as possible.”

 

The band has been grateful for its fans support and hopes to release its next album soon.

 

“Just a big thank you for listening and supporting us,” South said. “That’s all really and we can’t wait for you to hear the new tracks, which hopefully won’t be too long a wait.”

 

  

Locksley

Locksley is a rock and roll band who originally formed in Madison, Wis., during high school. The band moved to New York shortly after to spread its upbeat music.

The band has been influenced by many artists and have been able to perform with them as well.

“We’ve gotten to perform with Graham Smith, Fountains of Wayne, Ray Davies and The Hives,” Jesse Laz, singer and guitarist said.

Unlike many bands, Locksley has many voices, not just one main song writer.

“There are three songwriters in the band, all with different inspiration,” Laz said. “This album was mostly various romantic experiences but there are a few songs about growing up on there.”

Locksley has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

“Jimmy Kimmel was much more relaxed, more like a normal show,” Laz said. “Conan was very professional. The timing they had on that program was unbelievable. Everything was timed and executed so tightly that after we finished I thought I might have forgotten to play guitar.”

The band recently released its self-titled album this past summer.

“It’s really like a Greatest Hits, so it was recorded over years at different times but all at a studio called The Space in lower Manhattan,” Laz said.

One of the most memorable performances the band had was performing the national anthem.

“We sang the national anthem at a memorial for one of the navy seals who died in that Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan,” Laz said. “Maybe interesting isn’t the word, but it certainly felt more moving than anything else we’ve done.”

In the future, the band hopes to make more music and continuing its career.

“We have a lot of new music that we’re trying to figure out release plans for,” Laz said. “One thing I can promise is that after the next album comes out, there will be very frequent releases until the end of our career.”

Young Man

Young Man is an alternative rock musician by the name of Colin Caulfield from Chicago. 

“I’ve always listened to and analyzed music, so once I picked up piano and guitar, it wasn’t too difficult to pick it up,” Caulfield said. “I play guitar, piano, drums, and sing. Rather than any one instrument being a favorite, I seem to vibe most with the combination of voice and piano. I write a song nearly every time I sit down at a piano.”

Caulfield started his band when he was in college.

“Young Man is a concept project I started working on when I was a sophomore in college,” Caulfield said. “At that point (as well as right now) things were constantly hanging - my life was dominated by a transition from young to old. I briefly considered using my own name, but that made everything too specific - there’s an intentional universality within each Young Man song, whether or not it’s about a specific experience of mine.”

Being a solo artist has been an enjoyable experience for Caulfield, but he hopes to do more things with a band.

“’Boy’ and ‘Ideas of Distance’ are definitely solo records, but the next two LPs will be considerably more of a group effort,” Caulfield said. “I liked being the dominant creative force for a while because it made me progress quickly, but I don’t know if I’m cut out to do that forever. I enjoy being in a band and seeing how ideas can grow with the help of other people.”

The debut album, “Ideas of Distance” is based on a long distance relationship Caulfield has been in.

“When I wrote the record, that relationship was being tested not only by distance, but by my looming graduation from college, which signified a significantly new phase of my life,” Caulfield said. “I was attempting to juggle career plans and being in love constantly caught in thinking about the future. Having said that, the album functions on two levels…On one hand, it’s my argument for why being in a long distance is terrible. On the other hand, it’s a more general discussion of love that everyone feels. The recording process was more or less concurrent with the writing process. I did all of it in my room, except for additional production done by my good friend, Phil Tortoroli, who lives in New York City.”

Young Man has toured throughout Europe, the East Coast and Midwest and it looking forward to the West Coast and opening for Cold War Kids on Nov. 1.

In the future, Caulfield hopes to release more albums and be part of a band again.

“I’m really anxious and impatient when it comes to my creative future,” Caulfield said. “There are two Young Man albums in addition to ‘Ideas of Distance’ in the next year, which will conclude the project, but I’m already writing more and thinking about what I’d like to focus on afterward. It’d be great to play drums in a band again, but I have an open mind.”

Joey Ryan & The Inks

Joey Ryan & The Inks is a five-piece alternative rock band hailing from St. Paul, Minn. 

“I played with our bass player, Matt Mitchell, for a long time in a band called ‘The Exchange’ growing up,” lead singer Joey Ryan said. “Once that band ended, he helped me demo a small catalog of songs I had been working on and playing as a solo act that would soon turn into a good chunk of what was on our first record, ‘Well, Here We Are Then.’ From there, Matt’s brother, Chris, started playing some guitar with us and we asked Ryan Mach who we knew from playing drums with other bands around town. Tim Dickson is the newest member of the group and has been playing with us for a while, too.”

The band has always wanted to play upbeat tunes and has been influenced by artists such as The Beatles, The Hollies, The Beach Boys, ELO and Bob Dylan.

“I’ve always enjoyed music in this vein, but it’s taken different forms over the years - that’s where all of those different influences come in,” Ryan said. 

Inspiration comes from many things for the band, but most of all is the people around them.

“First, we just have a good time making music and as long as that continues, I see no reason to stop,” Ryan said. “But also, I think we’ve got some good momentum going as a band – we’re playing in new places to new audiences and getting a pretty good response to it, and I think the new record has added to that.”

Its newest album, “Dennis Lane,” was self-produced and released in July of this year.

“We have (a) studio in my basement, which is where we came up with a lot of these songs and recorded almost everything…and it happens to be located on Dennis Lane,” Ryan said. “Being able to record at home at our own pace certainly shaped the recording process – it takes some of the pressure off and gave us some freedom to experiment, and sometimes you find a new idea in those experiments that really adds to the song.”

In the future, the band hopes to create more music and keep traveling.

“We’ll keep writing songs and making records,” Ryan said. “We haven’t really charted out a specific course, but hopefully we’ll keep broadening our horizons and bringing our music to new places with some touring.”

Kaleidophone

Kaleidophone is a four-piece alternative rock band from Maidstone, England, which formed in 2007. Instead of playing music right away like most bands, the band decided to do something more unique.

“The first thing we did as a band was building our own recording studio,” the band said. “After a few months doing this we began making music and working towards creating the sound that we have today.”

The band is influenced by artists such as The Wombats, Friendly Fires and Vampire Weekend.

“We wanted to create fun and good music that was melodic and uplifting,” the band said. “We think we have a great debut album and that the songs on the album say quite a bit about Kaleidophone. A career in music is a journey and we are loving every step.”

The debut album, “What’s Your Tonic?” was released in May 2011 and received some positive feedback according to the band.

“What’s Your Tonic?” is related to the eclectic nature of the record – people are all different, and every track on our record has its own identity,” the band said. “It’s really a celebration of diversity.

“Having the studio which we built was invaluable as we didn’t have the usual time constraints that many bands have to work with when hiring some studio time,” the band said. “We were able to utilize the amazing talent within the band and self-produce our record and the label gave us the freedom to do that.”

The band likes the songs on its latest album.

“From a production point of view, we’re proud of ‘Wrecking Ball’ and also as the lead track for the album it has received a lot of radio play,” the band said. “From a musical, lyrical and sentimental point of view, ‘Hometown’ holds a special place in our hearts."

In the future, the band hopes to tour the U.K. as well as the U.S. and start working on its second album.

“To us, music is a two-way street and we want to join in and make a true connection with those who like what we’re about,” the band said.

Wrecking Ball - Kaleidophone from Rob Sampson on Vimeo.

The band members include:

Mark Wells - Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar

Al Holland - Lead Vocals and Lead Guitar

James Holland - Bass

Mark Thompson - Drums

Sam Beeton Update

Check out Sam Beeton's new video on the link below. If you like it, feel free to comment.

Violet Bones

Violet Bones is a rock band from Cambridge, England, who got into music at an early age.

 “I was brought up on the ’60s music my parents listened to, and the other guys were pretty much the same,” Si Dartford, lead singer and guitarist, said.

 The band got its start much like any other high school punk band, teaching itself along the way.

 “We started when we were teenagers, kicking out punk covers of bands we looked up to,” Dartford said. “We were lucky enough to be given gigs at pubs despite not being old enough to even be in there in the first place.

 “We have always played punk rock as a basis of our music,” Dartford said. “It’s what influenced us when we were starting out. Although we aren’t necessarily a punk band, we thrive when we are playing upbeat music. It’s thrilling to play live and can stir and provoke the crowd in a way other music can’t.”

 Originally called 9FoldPunch, the band decided to change its name to Violet Bones.

“We changed our name because we had grown up a lot since we started out as 9fold,” Dartford said. “Our sound had matured and our style was changing, so it was agreed that we found a name that reflected that. We got the name Violet Bones from when I went to visit my grandma in (the) hospital. There was an old lady in a bed opposite called ‘Violet Bone.’ It was around the time we were looking for a new name and I told the guys this story and we agreed that name had a good vibe. It felt right to us.”

Violet Bones’ music comes from what happens in its daily life.

 “Songs we write all come from different places. For instance, how we feel about the world, having love, not having love, the night before, the morning after,” Dartford said. “We want songs that are relevant, that mean something.”

The band’s recent single, “Villains,” is based off of their home town and how to handle diversity.

“The story behind Villains is about the town we live in. It can be quite small minded. If you look a bit different and have your own thing going on, people will always try and put you down because they can’t handle diversity. It’s about standing up to those people. It’s good to see at gigs people that get into it and understand and feel the same, for whatever reason,” Dartford said. “Every time that happens, we consider that a success.”

In the future, the band plans to finish recording and release its debut album later this year.

“We are currently recording our debut album, which is very exciting times for us. We have a good vibe about it,” Dartford said. “We’re starting to book up shows up and down the UK. So things are definitely getting a lot busier, with tours being planned in the not too distant future, too. There’s a lot (of) hard work to be done, and we don’t mind this…rolling our sleeves up and getting on with it…that’s what we are all about.”

“We are four best mates that have been through a lot together,” Dartford said. “We are a gang that have played all over the UK to lots of people and sometimes not so many. We have formed a close band with one another. We know we are better together playing music than doing anything else.”



http://blog.violetbones.com/

Folk of Flight

Folk of Flight is an alternative folk band from St. Louis made up of Paul Ranheim and Karen Choi, who met after graduate school.

“We met while both performing solo acts at a coffee house,” the band said in an interview. “We also were both graduate students in St. Louis.”

The band started playing in January of this year and has been happy with its success so far.

“Our goal was simply to explore the local music scene together,” the band said. “We wanted to give shape to what we were doing collectively, so we formed Folk of Flight. At that point, we had no plans to record the EP and no idea how long we would play together.”

Being from two different backgrounds, both Ranheim and Choi find a great sound.

“Somehow, it is a really natural fit,” Choi said. “Although, Paul is always trying to make our songs less country and I’m always trying to put a southern country beat on our tunes. But, somewhere in that tug of war, we find our sound.”

The band released its EP in July after a short time.

“We found ourselves sitting in a studio with a local sound engineer we met through a mutual friend,” the band said. “He told us to pick a weekend to record and that he would do the project for free. After we caught our breath, we got something on the calendar, invited some talented friends to play on the project and before we knew it, we were making plans to release an EP.”

After the release of the band’s first EP, it was posted on Noisetrade to help promote its music.

“Noisetrade is a great resource for artists,” the band said. “It allows us to extend our music to many, beyond our immediate local scope. Fans download our tunes for free in exchange for sharing our music with their friends on facebook or twitter.”

In the future, the band hopes to record its first full-length album and to continue seeing where its music goes.

“We were joking the other day that our future is a perpetual ellipsis,” the band said. “Sometimes we feel like we’re just along for the ride. We want to keep honing our sound as a duo and lean into our natural collaborative relationship.”

http://www.folkofflight.com/

LA VIE

LA VIE is a rock band from Venice, Calif., with the hopes of making its music known to the world.

“I came to meet Bill and Adam through a mutual friend,” Trevor Conner, guitarist of the band said. “Jeff Azoff told me about a great singer songwriter who was looking to do more of a band thing. The next day we got together at a rehearsal spot and from the first song we started playing, we all felt like we had found something great together.”

The band has been influenced by many artists such as Kris Kristofferson and Buffalo Springfield. On its first EP, the band had the opportunity to work with Andrew Dixon, producer of bands such as Augustana and Colbie Caillat.

“Working with Andrew has been great,” Conner said. “We came into the studio well rehearsed and with a plan. Being a baby band in LA, money is short and studio time is expensive. We had one night to record 90% of the EP and everyone was ready to get it done.”

“To have him excited about our music and to get his creative stamp on our debut record was the perfect fit,” Bill Delia, drummer of the band said. “We are going to go back into the studio with him to record a new batch of songs this fall, and can’t wait to get started.”

The band strives to make its music the best it can be.

“Songwriting for us all starts with the initial inspiration,” Ryan Williams, bassist of the band said. “A good writing session usually consists of at least three of us at a house or small studio trying out new ideas. We always have been big in demos, and revisiting them until it sounds right to all of us.”

“We write the songs that come natural and feel good to ourselves, never forced or mirroring some other artist,” Adam Roth, lead singer of the band said.

“For being so young, we all have an incredible amount of professional experience in music,” Conner said. “I have always believed that it’s not every day that creativity overflows, but through practice and discipline, we define art.”

The band’s second EP, “Redemption Day,” was released this year, by Fredrik Eriksson, which is combined with their first EP as a "Dual-EP" on their website to help the Rubicon Team with disaster relief in Los Angeles.

“After the release of our first EP, we continued to write nonstop,” Delia said.

“Over the winter we decided to have our touring keyboard/guitarist, Fredrik Eriksson produce some new tunes. Fred is from Sweden, so that was sort of the ‘home-base’ for the record. Adam went to Sweden to cut guitars and vocals. I stayed in LA and tracked drums at Threshold Sound in Santa Monica and sent files to Fred and Adam. We all met in London to play a few shows and perform on the Dermot O’Leary show, which is where Trevor cut guitars and Ryan cut bass.”

LA VIE has been able to perform in Hollywood, Calif., and in the U.K.

“Playing in the U.K. gave us a great international taste and we all have expressed our intention in going back there,” Williams said. “It’s always a treat to see new people and a new place all at once.”

The band hopes to make its music known to the world and appreciates its fans support.

“We write songs really well together and it doesn’t matter if we are writing a song that’s more country or something more pop, it still sounds like LA VIE and that is something important to hold onto,” Conner said. “We write songs because we want to share them with the world, because there is something within all of us that seeks out music and the connection therein.”

“Music for me, and for all of us, is about that ability to connect on a human level,” Delia said. “Being able to provide that for anyone else, is just awesome. Thank you.”

The Walla Recovery

The Walla Recovery is a cello-folk band from Fort Worth and Decatur, Texas, which got its start in 2004.

“We met and played together at our church every week for about three years, and then just ended up sticking together,” Zack Smith, lead singer of the band said.

Once the band started, its goal was to have audiences connect with its music and it’s something that continues to this day.

 “I’ve always had the goal of spreading the music around to as many people as possible by giving away free songs, and that is something we’re still doing as well,” Smith said. “It’s always been about creating something beautiful and being able to share it with others.”

The band’s song “Beautiful You” played on MTV’s The Real World this year, which has given the band motivation to keep their music going, according to Smith.

“The experience opened my eyes to the fact that there’s always a way to reach the plethora of people out there who have never heard our songs,” Smith said. “Beautiful You was over six years old when The Real World used it. I knew we were (and still are) extremely unknown, but it was surprising to see some listeners call it ‘new’ and recommend it to their friends.”

The band is working on its future release of its full-length album.

“This album is a little different, because it’s mixed media, and based on a fictional story I’m writing,” Smith said. “So there’s a literary element, and some tangible pieces that have to come together alongside the music, to help tell the story. It’s the most diverse and ambitious project I’ve ever attempted.”

Even though it’s been a difficult journey for the band, its biggest success has been its love for music.

“Seeing a new listener have joy over the sounds and ideas that we’ve put on tape really helps to put things in perspective,” Smith said. “Meeting people and telling our stories together really enhances life and makes it more enjoyable.”

In the future, the band hopes to work on their new album, keep touring Texas and keep close to its fans.

“I like to take things a step at a time, because it’s easy for me to get distracted by all the possibilities,” Smith said. “We do our best to do what we know. We’ll be focusing on the new album until it’s completed, working on our live shows so that we can create really memorable and interactive events and continuing to build our little community of friends.”


The Walla Recovery - Beautiful You (Live) from The Walla Recovery on Vimeo.

Tyrannosaurus Alan

Tyrannosaurus Alan is a seven piece punk/ska band from Medway, Southeast England.

“We’ve all been involved in music from around 11 years old…just starting by picking up guitars and teaching ourselves to play, forming bands and trying to write songs,” Ben Robinson, singer and bass player of the band, said. “We all started playing music to have fun, using whatever instruments we could get for as little money as possible.”

When starting out, the band found it needed a name and came across it in a unique way.

“We couldn’t come up with a name,” Robinson said. “We didn’t have a name when we started booking gigs. An advert came on TV with a character named Tyrannosaurus Alan…it made us laugh and stuck in our heads, so the next time a promoter phoned us, we told him that’s what we were called.”

The band has been influenced by many artists, but its biggest influence is its experiences.

“With seven members, there are a lot of influences,” Robinson said. “A good tune is a good tune, but we don’t aim to sound like anybody. Our music and lyrics come from things that have happened to us or things that we’ve done. Places we’ve been, and stuff that we’ve seen happen.”

As for Tyrannosaurus Alan’s sound, the band finds that its music is its own and not a specific genre.

“We’ve always thought that rap music and metal music work well together,” Robinson said. “A horn section can make a simple song sound huge. We love the energy of punk music, the honesty of hip hop, the technicality of metal, the groove and feel of ska and reggae music. It’s all come together out of seven impatient young guys. We want to hear our favorite bits and skip the rest, so we wrote songs that make the most of all the things we like about music.”

Tyrannosaurus Alan has performed throughout the U.K., Germany, and the Czech Republic and it hopes to continue to play in other areas.

“We’d love to play in Japan and the USA, Canada and Australia, too, eventually,” Robinson said. “We’re very privileged that we get to travel around and see so many places and meet so many people.”

The band released its debut album, “Campaign,” in 2010, which was a great success.

“We were contacted by Andy B, the producer, before we’d even written the album,” Robinson said. “The studio was on a farm in the countryside in Southwest England. We lived for two weeks in a caravan in the next field over. We slept three in each bed and two on the sofas. The caravan smelled terrible and we were woken every morning by the cows on the farm. We were completely cut off for the whole recording process and it was brilliant. We were initially going to do a 5 track EP. We recorded 5 tracks and we were offered a deal from Moon Ska records to put out an album, which was to be the 5 new tracks plus our old EP put together. The songs are all basically about growing up in Medway and the things that we encountered. A lot of them are about specific people, but as a whole it talks about life growing up in a concrete jungle.”

The band plans to release another album in 2012 and hopes to continue making music in the future.

“Probably looking back, thinking about everything we’ve done and still trying to push ourselves even further,” Robinson said. “This band won’t last forever, but we make the most of every opportunity.”

 www.tyrannosaurusalan.com
 www.facebook.com/talanband
 www.soundcloud.com/trench-foot

Erin Boheme

Erin Boheme is a local Jazz artist from Oshkosh, Wis., who grew up listening to her parents’ music and singing in the back seat of her mom’s car. It was then that her dream of being a singer began. She attended Oshkosh West High School and sang in choir, church and participated on the TV show, Star Search.

“It was a very interesting experience,” Boheme said about Star Search. “I learned a lot about the process of how these shows work. The best part about it was meeting some really amazing people that I’m still in contact with.”

 When she was a junior in high school, Boheme signed a deal with Concord Records and moved to Los Angeles, Calif. 

“A friend of mine (who is also an Oshkosh native) and I made a demo together,” Boheme said. “He knew someone at Concord and just wanted to send it in to get a feeling of where I may be at. A month or so later they got back to Mike (Melvoin) and wanted a meeting with me. An hour into the meeting they offered me a deal!”

When she was 18, she released her first album, “What Love Is” in 2006, which was a tribute to one of her biggest influences, Frank Sinatra. This showed her love for traditional jazz. She started touring with well known artists and learned what it was like to get out in the world.

“I think the greatest thing is working with some of the finest musicians in the world,” Boheme said. “I mean, on my first tour, Esperanza Spaulding was the bass player. And look, she just won the Grammy for artist of the year! I am just always learning from them and it’s so exciting to never know what’s just around the corner.”

Boheme toured throughout the U.S., visiting cities such as New Orleans, Boston, New York, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as other countries like Spain and England. She hopes to travel to Holland next.

“My mum is Dutch and I would really like to visit and have that experience,” Boheme said.

Boheme just finished making her second album with Michael Buble, which was recorded in Los Angeles and Vancouver over a five-year period, and will be released in 2012.

“We are looking at February,” Boheme said. “It’s a series of stories of my life, experience, pretty much all to do with love-the joys, the pains, the in between. I think that’s something we all can relate to.”

Buble has been a lot of fun to work with, according to Boheme.

“He’s silly like me…so we had a lot of laughs,” Boheme said. “Luckily, we have been friends for 7 or 8 years now, so it wasn’t something where it was intimidating or unfamiliar. Of course, because of who he is, it was very humbling for me to have him want to be such a tremendous part of this. His musical director, Alan Chang, served as co producer. He’s got a great sensitivity and understanding of the music and he brings a dimension and life to it that may not have existed before.”

Boheme enjoys her career and looks forward to each day, which has been her biggest success.

“I think getting to wake up every day and do what I love,” Boheme said. “They say if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. It’s so true. Don’t get me wrong, there are struggles and obstacles as with everything in life, but those moments make you appreciate the victories that much more.”

www.concordmusicgroup.com

Evaline

Evaline is an alternative rock band with a story unlike many bands.

“We all sort of grew up together in central California and have been playing music in one form or another since 2001,” Steve Pedersen, bassist of the band said. “It started as a way to escape the monotony of small town suburban life. We wanted to make a lot of noise and get creative with it. After a while, we all fell in love with doing just that and dedicated our lives to Evaline.”

While in California, the band produced its EP with Quinn Allmann, one of the members of The Used, according to Last.fm, and was signed and continued its music with Maverick Records. Unfortunately, The band found out the record label was bought out, leaving the band back at the beginning. After a while, it found that the band, Placebo was signed to Riverman Music Management in England after a concert.

“Back in 2007, we toured with Placebo in the states and developed a relationship with the guys,” Pedersen said. “They are also with Riverman Management, so we just all kept in touch and a few years ago we were in need of new management, so we signed with Riverman.”

The band decided to drop everything and follow its dream to London, England, and Riverman Management became a home for the band.

 “We grew up going to shows in the U.S. and playing shows around here, so it’s all very familiar for us,” Pedersen said. “I think there is a certain level of excitement for us to play over in the UK, because it is still relatively new for us. There are plenty of music lovers on both sides.”

They have been influenced by Radiohead, Nirvana, At The Drive-In, Explosions In The Sky and The National, which hints to their experimental style.

“There are six of us who are all involved in the writing process, which makes for some pretty diverse music that we create,” Pedersen said. “We have been fortunate enough to have performed with bands we are influenced by, such as Deftones, Placebo, Elbow and Foo Fighters."

The band released its new album, “Woven Material” last month, which has been its greatest success.

 “It is basically a collection of all the songs we have written over the past four years,” Pedersen said. “It was a long writing process and we have gone through a lot as a band and each of us individually. It has really influenced a lot of the moods and themes throughout the record.”

The band has finished some European festivals and touring in Southeast Asia and hope to keep going in the same direction.

“Since our record just came out, we plan to tour as much as possible and get out in front of as many people as we can,” Pedersen said. “We want to break into markets, such as Southeast Asia. Try new things. There will also be another Evaline album to follow up “Woven Material.”

Evaline said it appreciates their future and current fans for their support.

“We thank you for listening to our music, for the continuing support from our old fans and for coming out to see us live,” Pedersen said. “Much love, thank you!”



Band Members include:

Richard Perry - Vocals
Christian Lewis - Guitar
Dominic Di Ciano - Guitar
Steven Pedersen - Bass
Greg Petersen - Drums
Daniel Petersen - Baritone Guitar

 http://evaline.co.uk/

The Midwest Beat

The Midwest Beat is a band with a 1960s style and a Wisconsin flare.

“We formed in Madison, WI, in the fall of 2005,” the band said.

The band has been influenced by Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Kinks, The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen.

“Angry bubblegum seems to be our favorite term (for our music),” the band said.

When asked about what inspires their music, they said it comes down to relationships.

“It would be nice to say that life in the Midwest is so inspiring. Blue collar, hard working, simple pleasures, fishing, camping, sailing, beer…but honestly the answer is girls,” the band said.

After the release of their first EP, The Midwest Beat has been looking on the bright side of their music.

“Having the first EP out on vinyl was great for us,” the band said. “It was our first introduction to many people and we got a great response and it’s still the record that most people know us by.”

One thing that has been the biggest hardship for the band is keeping its music original, but it is proud to do so.

“We Wisconsinites like to keep it cheesy. It’s easy to be cheesy,” the band said.

They had the opportunity to tour Europe this year.

“We play mostly in Wisconsin, but we’ve done a few tours to the South, East coast and we just got back from a three- week tour in Europe,” the band said.

In the future, the band said it hopes to record later this summer and hopes to return to Europe next year.



Band members include:
Matt Joyce - Guitar, Vocals
Logan Kayne - Bass, Vocals
Kyle Denton - Guitar, Vocals
Christopher Capelle - Drums

Sister Jane

Sister Jane, a Jim Morrison/Doors-sounding band, got its start in Blue Mountains, west of Sydney Australia.

“Three out of the five of us worked together in a suburban retail store and spent so much time talking about the music we loved to play and listen to that we decided to start a band,” Dan Davey, lead singer said.

The band’s musical style is a mix between blues and rock ‘n roll, which refers back to some of their influences such as Freddie King, Gram Parsons, The Smiths, The Stone Roses and more.

“Sister Jane’s music is like finding an old tree stump with its roots deep in the electric blues and country and gleefully grafting it with the indie rock we all grew up listening to,” Davey said . “From the outset, we took older music styles and dabbled in blending it with what we already knew just for the pure joy of doing it, which is probably why some of it is kind of sixties sounding.”

After the band started to play some gigs, they signed with Broken Stone Records.

“One of the owners of Broken Stone Records came to our shows and loved us and we became like an unofficial member of the Broken Stone family,” Davey said. “So it was only natural that when we’d recorded our LP, we’d play it to the guys at Broken Stone. They loved it and took us in from the cold."

"Most of our shows are in grimy old beer-soaked hotels up and down the east coast of Oz. We rarely get invited to festivals and such, but we kind of like it that way. In a small, sweaty venue, it’s like you own the stage, and the audience owns you, and it just feels so good to play and jump and go nuts.”

Their first LP, “Mercy” was recorded over a three-year period by their guitarist Liam Judson, according to Davey.

“We had all the gear at our disposal, but it was just a matter of fitting in time whenever Liam wasn’t working on a paid job,” Davey said. “It was tremendously frustrating at times when we just wanted it finished and out there, but in the end it made for a more interesting record.”

Along with their LP, they released a single called “Be Kind.”

“It wasn’t our first choice for a single, but the label really responded to it and their instincts proved right because people seem to absolutely love that song,” Davey said.

The band plans to record its next album in an old school house.

“(The school house) is owned by a relative of one of the label guys and is in an isolated bush location in northern New South Wales, called Wauchope,” Davey said. “It offers the chance to live within the recording process for extended chunks of time. We’re taking two months off playing shows and have begun rehearsing the new material ready to head up north for a week or two to start tracking the songs. We are very excited about it.”



http://sisterjane.net/