The
first time I saw these guys play I was taken aback on several
occasions by the wide range of styles and sounds coming from
the stage. Were it not for their incredible vocals, this would
just be another band made up of an electric and acoustic guitars,
a bass and a drummer. Were it not for great strumming, picking
and thumping, they would just be another band surviving on
vocals. Were it not for vicious drumming… Scratch that. These
guys can all play, and do it in a wide variety of styles.
Ranging from folk rock and jazz to long polyrhythmic multiple
drum jams, 56 Hope Road is uniquely refreshing and always
entertaining.
Seeing
these guys perform is like diving headfirst into an acoustic
bluegrass Jacuzzi, and coming up for air an electric ocean
wonderland. Listeners are treated to a smorgasbord of different
sounds and textures, as they are torn between their mind’s
desire to watch lightning fast picking and their body’s
need to succumb to the tunes.
In
a day and age when country music resembles Ricky Martin more
than Waylon Jennings, the Blue Dogs are a refreshing return
to classic renegade country. With plenty of originals, as
well as new renditions of covers by such diverse bands as
The Grateful Dead and the Beatles, this four-piece ensemble
is certain to provide audiences with a great time. While this
may sound like an understatement, these South Carolina musicians
have consistently drawn large crowds to see their fierce picking
and wide variety of playing styles. Having heard and thoroughly
enjoyed a lot of their music beforehand, I was still surprised
and amazed by how much fun the Blue Dogs are to see live.
The
Handlebar w/Jupiter Coyote (Greenville, SC): March 5, 2005
[2 discs: $15]
With
Bump's fast rise through the music ranks, the future of the
Detroit Rock scene has never been in better hands. Picking
and choosing from their Motown heroes and hard rock predecessors,
Bump has managed to blend several genres of music into a nice
little package of blow your hair back music. Listen to a Bump
show and you'll find yourself, humming and dancing along to
old favorites and soon to be new favorites.
Irongrass
is a phenomenon that cannot be fully understood until seen
live. Employing traditional instruments from the world of
bluegrass and kicking them up a notch, Cast Iron Filter has
created a sound with the passion and soul unique to southern
rock and the finger picking goodness of old-school bluegrass.
This
Ithaca, New York based band is taking the country by storm.
Whether it’s through the international airwaves of Satellite
radio, or just laying down absurd grooves for thrilled audiences
around the country, this trio is lighting up venues and leaving
indelible impressions on listeners. It’s almost become
a cliché in music, but combining a ground moving bass
line with dynamic guitar riffs and forceful drumming equals
the makings of a great band. Cerulean City does not disappoint.
Pelican Publishing is proud to be recording at one of the
nation’s most established festivals, Hookahville, and
even more excited to be recording one of the nation’s
most established bands. When they’re out on the road,
these guys immaculately layer psychedelic rock ’n’
roll, blues, funk, jazz and bluegrass, culminating in an improvisational
wonder; throw up a stage in their back yard and let them go
in front of 8,000 of their most adoring fans and you’ve
got the makings for an amazing weekend.
If
capturing improvisational journeys through the musical universe
on disc was one of Pelican Publishing’s main goals,
would EN2 not be an ideal candidate for a Pelican Publishing
client? If every time a client took the stage they created
something wild and new, would that not be something worth
capturing? Hopefully you can recognize the rhetorical nature
of these questions. Prove it by coming out to see EN2 as they
bring their inventive jazz stylings to a city near you.
If
you’ve never seen a Fighting Gravity show, put down
what you’re doing, go to their website and see when
they will be playing near you. From the moment they take the
stage to the moment they leave it, Fighting Gravity does nothing
less than captivate its audiences and ignite in them some
undiscovered primal need to jump, dance and sing like awestruck
schoolchildren. If you crave amazing guitar riffs; if you
need a killer bass line; if you’re life depends on drum
solos that pound you into the ground while vocal stylings
elevate you off of it; or if you feel like the flute is the
most under appreciated instrument in the world of rock and
roll, do yourself a favor and meet us on the road; you’ll
have the time of your life.
Imagine
musical and lyrical hooks that the average pop star would
kill for; throw in the instrumentation and skills of your
favorite jam band; and top it all off with an eclectic blend
of multicutural influences and you might begin to get an idea.
Call it blatinpopgrass (blues, latin, pop and bluegrass).
Call it whatever you want, you’ll love it.
Ranging
from a slow, calculated, jazzy rap to a hard, aggressively
paced, funky beat, this band knows dynamics as well as any
band in music. Drawing off the energy from their crowds, Garaj
Mahal dazzles and engages its audiences with a truly unique
performance, filled with exceptional compositions and virtuoso
improvisation. At a more basic level, however, it is simply
hard to keep one’s limbs and body from being taken and
moved by their satisfyingly hypnotic sounds.
In
a world where music is increasingly conforming to the demands
of corporate dogmatism, Jupiter Coyote refuses to stray from
its successful recipe of Southern Rock songs with hints of
bluegrass and country. Despite touring for well over a decade,
Jupiter Coyote always manages to find new ways to surprise
and delight their fans, making sure that no two shows are
the same. That’s why they’ve become a mainstay
in the national touring scene.
It'd
be worth 20 dollars to see each member of Karl Denson's Tiny
Universe play a solo set; put the six players together and
you've got yourself one helluva show. Whether they're blasting
amazing funk tunes, improvising incredible jazz riffs, or
just jamming away on some incredible melody, the band will
get your blood flowing and your mind racing. Come out to a
show and witness these phenomenal performers as they take
their instruments to places you've only dreamed of.
Lotus
When
I hear the term “electronica” or trance music,
the last thing that comes to my mind is nature. However, although
I most often hear these terms used to describe Lotus, when
I attend one of their shows, I feel like I’m traveling
down a lazy river in the Amazon Rainforest. Granted, I have
made very few trips to the Amazon lately, in fact I’ve
never been to the Amazon, but now I no longer feel that burning
desire to go. Come out to a Lotus show and let their electronic
sound take you on your own journey back to nature.
"When
I listen to Michael John Mollo play the guitar I sort of go
limp and let the tune tug me along in this peaceful sort of
reverie. Whenever I hear him inhale to begin a verse my internal
voice screams out "No! You're gonna kill this amazing
buzz!" But I couldn't be more wrong. The voice just takes
me that much higher. Michael John Mollo is a brilliant guitarist,
and that alone is worth the price of admission; but he's a
whole helluva lot more than just a guitarist." -Polly
Dammann
It’s alive! It’s alive! Several years ago the
gentlemen of Moonshine Still convened in a midnight surgical
session to stitch together a variety of musical stylings.
The result was the ultimate fusion band blasting out the ultimate
sound: Frankenrock. Picture a horrible creature running down
a jagged mountain pass, moaning and groaning as villagers
throw sticks and stones, and you’ll be no closer to
understanding this marvelous musical creation. The only way
to truly appreciate it is to come out to the shows.
What
can you say about this girl besides she has it all: songwriting—beautiful
and eclectic; lyrics—poetic without a hint of pretension;
instrumentation—she captures the soul of each instrument
without letting them beat you over the head; and she certainly
has the chops. One of her fans said it best, “She’s
like Bill and Ted’s band, The Wyld Stallions, because
you feel like the world’s a better place when you hear
her play. You just sort of forget the bad and enjoy the ride.”
SOJA's
mission: bring a message of peace and love to the people SOJA's
tool: Roots Reggae Using the gifts handed down from Bob Marley,
Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Toots Hibbert and all of the other
great reggae artists, SOJA takes the stage each night with
a mission to entertain and, more importantly, educate. Residing
in what they call, "The Belly of the Beast in Babylon," the
Washington, DC metropolitan area, these five musicians have
taken up the torch of their forefathers to spread the glories
of peace and love to a world that is so severely lacking in
both qualities.
Beautiful
weather and beautiful tunes: exactly what a festival should
be. Sitting through 16 hours of music for three gorgeous days
is exactly how people should spend their time. A close second
is listening to those same tunes on your stereo. Pick up some
great music below.
Ubiquitone
This
seven piece band takes their inspiration from the most powerful
muse of them all: Mother Earth. Meshing all of the sounds
that we are constantly hearing as members of this planet
and molding them into a coherent form that is great music
is certainly a daunting task. Ubiquitone does not disappoint.
Their music flows like water over a fall and like wind through
a tunnel: seamlessly.
During
the early eighties this band toured the country compelling
their audiences to sing, shout and dance along with a set
list that combined some of the greatest hits in American
Rock and Roll as well as some fantastic originals. We were
fortunate enough to be invited to one of their reunion shows
where they managed to deliver yet again. The concert was
nothing short of superb, the only negative being that you
knew it had to end and you’d have to wait at least
another year to hear them play again. Unfortunately, it’s
pretty hard to get your hands on a Casuals album, but if
you love the rock and the roll you’d be wise to check
out the lead singer’s website and petition him for
anything he’ll let you have.
Zen:
enlightenment through meditation, self-contemplation, and
intuition. If ever there was a band that made this concept
possible, Zen would be it. This harmonious mixture of exquisite
vocals and acoustic mountain folk music will be sure to
provide the perfect backdrop for the exploration of the
inner self, but only if you’re willing to dance.
