Performers

It’ll be a busy summer for the Barenaked Ladies (guitarist/vocalist Ed Robertson, bassist/vocalist Jim Creeggan, keyboardist/vocalist Kevin Hearn and drummer/vocalist Tyler Stewart), who are celebrating their 25th anniversary with the release of a brand-new studio album (their twelfth, for those keeping count) and their first for new label Vanguard Records. The band is putting the finishing touches on the album, which was recorded in Toronto with producers Gavin Brown (The Tragically Hip, Metric), Howie Beck (Feist, Josh Rouse) and Mark Endert (Maroon 5, Train).

Over the course of the past twenty-three years, Barenaked Ladies have amassed an international fanbase whose members number in the millions. Their plethora of career highlights includes eight Juno Awards and multiple Grammy nominations, more than 14 million albums sold worldwide and a series of hit singles, including No. 1 hit “One Week,” as well as “Pinch Me, “Brian Wilson,” “If I Had $1,000,000” and many more, along with the theme song for the hit CBS television series, “The Big Bang Theory.” 

For more information about Barenaked Ladies, click here!

Ben Folds Five were among the most distinctive and inventive bands of the alternative era, beloved for their kinetic live shows and piano-powered popcraft. Now, more than a decade after the Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based trio first said farewell, Ben Folds Five are back and clichés be damned, they’re better than ever. The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind (ImaVeePee Records/Sony Music Entertainment) makes it plain that the years apart have only served to amplify the band’s already estimable gifts. Songs like the ebullient first single, “Do It Anyway,” or drummer Darren Jessee’s elegiac “Sky High” illustrate an increased subtlety as well as a soulfulness born of a truly inimitable group dynamic.

Certainly among the most accomplished and enthusiastic records of their brilliant career, The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind makes it crystal clear: the return of Ben Folds Five is most assuredly not an exercise in Nineties nostalgia. Rather, this dazzling collection stands as testament to a classic band’s revived – and enduring – creative partnership.

For more information about Ben Folds Five, click here!

It’s been eight years since Guster released a proper live album - 2004’s upbeat Guster On Ice - and on January 1st, the renowned live band will offer up new live material with Guster: Live Acoustic.  Recorded during their 2012 acoustic tour, the sixteen tracks are a musical tribute to the varied faces and places that made last year’s travels one of the most remarkable in Guster’s impressive career.

The acoustic sound is nothing new for Guster, who began their career in the early 90s writing songs in their dorm room at Tufts University on acoustic guitars and hand drums.  After 1999’s seminal Lost and Gone Forever launched their stripped down sound into the national spotlight, the band threw a wrench into their instrumentation and surprised fans with a deeper, more textured album, Keep It Together (2003).  The trajectory only continued with the more experimental Ganging Up on the Sun (2006), which featured the hit “Satellite” and saw the band branching out with its arrangements and styles.  Pop masterpiece Easy Wonderful (2010) was hailed as their most mature and complete album-to-date.

For more information about Guster, click here!

‘Boothby Graffoe is a multi-talented, darkly hilarious, grade A British eccentric, who can twist your funny bone one minute, and break your heart the next. A musical comedy act who is more musical than most musicians, and funnier than most comedians.’ - Stewart Lee

‘Has the audience in stitches and eating out of the palm of his hand. Mixing fantastic one-line gags with hilarious monologues and hugely imaginative improvisational material, Graffoe seems to have a comedic Midas touch. Catch him while you can!’ -Three Weeks

For more information about Boothby Graffoe, click here! 

Xavier Rudd is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, a surfer, environmental and cultural activist, and one of Australian’s most iconic voices.Rudd is back with his #2 ARIA debut album, Spirit Bird. With an identifiable array of guitars, yidakis (didgeridoos), stomp box and percussion, Rudd’s has reintroduced Australians to the sounds and stories of the land’s original owners, while introducing the rest of the world to an entirely new sound altogether. Over the course of a decade, he has taken this sound to every corner of the globe; producing seven studio albums, two live albums, multiple ARIA nominations and a global fan-base of like-minded souls.

 

 For more information about Xavier Rudd, click here.

 

 

By all accounts, 2012 was a banner year for up-and-coming blues-hop/soul singer ZZ Ward. Releasing the mixtape Eleven Roses in February, the Criminal EP in May and her full-length debut Til the Casket Drops in October proved she was nothing if not prolific. Since then, she has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, had her music featured on ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars, MTV's Awkward and in promos for ABC's hit series Nashville, and completed a 50-date headlining American tour with sold-out dates in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Denver and Nashville.

With lush guitar tones and dreamy four-part harmonies, this four piece Lansing, Michigan indie rock band is not only catching the attention of Michiganders, but building a fan base all across the nation. Elliot Street Lunatic subverts the mundane and transports you into atmosphere with remnants of past familiarities and creative new futures. Front man Jason Marr’s raspy vocals are greatly complimented by Eric Robins, Josh Debrabander and Caleb Knight’s ambitious harmonies. The subtle but powerful rhythms provided by bass and drums are the perfect undertow to carry you away while you lose yourself to sublime guitars and epic melodies.

Oregon‐native Nahko, born a mix of Apache, Puerto Rican, and Filipino cultures and adopted into an American family, suffered an identity crisis from an early age. But the unifying power of music entered his life as a healing remedy, when he took up the piano at age six. Armed with his new found talent, he set out to bridge the cultural gaps dividing his own psyche and began producing a public, musical journal of his journey toward personal, spiritual, and communal healing.

 

From his hometown of Portland to the shores of Hawaii or Bali, wherever he has traveled, Nahko is joined by a tribe of culturally alienated truth seekers for whom Nahko’s story resonates with their own, and who find redemption in his voice, guitar, flute, and drum. Whether solo or with the dynamic group of musical troubadours known as “Medicine for the People,” Nahko delivers a soulful dose of curative vibrations that moves audiences to dance, laugh, and cry.

 

For more information about Nahko and Medicine for the People, click here!

 

Mike’s vocal style is comparable to James Taylor and Ari Hest, and his accomplished guitar playing stands out with its own voice, mixing elements of jazz, folk, and rock. On his past two albums of folk-rock, Mike Vial sings about searching for true love, taking chances, and facing life’s transitions.These themes mirror the songwriter’s ambitious journeys last year: Quitting his teaching position to pursue music full time, getting married (to writer Natalie Burg), and moving to Ann Arbor…and along the way, playing anywhere and everywhere between Toronto and Nashville. In 2012 alone, Mike performed 200+ gigs and clocked 25,000+ road miles on the road.

 

For more information about Mike Vial and the Great Lake Effect, click here!

 

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Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” may not have intended it, but their band Creedence Clearwater Revisited has taken on a startling life of its own. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rhythm section (bass and drums respectively) from the legendary group Creedence Clearwater Revival launched the Creedence Clearwater Revisited project in 1995 to once again perform live Creedence Clearwater Revival hits - touchstones of a generation. Though the pair initially only planned to play private parties, Creedence Clearwater Revisited now performs up to 100 shows a year and released the album “Recollection.”

 

As fans who have experienced a Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert can attest, Stu and Cosmo found the right players. Lead singer/rhythm guitar player John Tristao, a powerful tenor with the energy to power songs, initially rose to prominence as lead singer for the band People when their hit “I Love You” bulleted into the top ten. The newest touring member of Creedence Clearwater Revisited is lead guitarist Kurt Griffey. As a guitarist, song writer, producer and performer, Griffey has recorded and toured with musicians including members of the Eagles, Foreigner, the Moody Blues, Wings, Lynyrd Skynryd, Santana, and Journey. Talented multi-instrumentalist Steve Gunner rounds out the group. As Cosmo puts it, “Gun provides live all the overdubs that were on the records. He plays keyboard, acoustic guitar, percussion, harmonica and sings the high harmonies.”

 

For more information about Creedence Clearwater Revisited, click here!

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From the moment he burst onto the scene with his debut album Put The O Back In Country it was clear that he had a style and a vision all his own that would separate him from the leagues of cookie-cutter artists out there. However, it was 2010 breakthough album Black Ribbons, in which we begin to see the real Shooter. Black Ribbons painted a grim picture of a government-controlled future stripped of its right to free speech and controlled by fear. In 2011, Shooter released Family Man, returning to his country songwriter roots and painting a deeply personal picture of his family life. During the recording sessions for Family Man, Shooter’s new release The Other Life began to take form. The Other Life film paints a story of isolation, temptation and rebirth through visual storytelling. As an album, The Other Life sees Shooter using all the colors of the pallets of previous recordings, and bringing them together to make his most diverse and interesting album to date. In addition to his music, Shooter has been a DJ on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel for seven years and counting, his show broadcasting Saturdays at 6pm EST and replaying Sunday and Thursday.

 

For more information about Shooter Jennings, click here. 

Some listeners may argue that the sounds soaring from their speakers while listening to the band’s latest EP, Five Easy Pieces, or preceding full-length, Learn & Burn, are familiar relics of decades past, and they’d be right; however, it’s the manner in which The Sheepdogs borrow bits from classic, psychedelic, and boogie rock iconoclasts like Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Allman Brothers, and The Grateful Dead and mix them with modern rock sensibilities that really sets them apart.That appeal was recently proven when The Sheepdogs, via 1.5 million public votes, were declared the winners of a contest that found them as the first unsigned band to grace the cover of iconic rock rag Rolling Stone and, subsequently, landed them a deal with Atlantic Records. To the many that first caught wind of this decade-defying musical force surrounding that swirl of media attention, they may seem like something of an overnight success, though in reality, The Sheepdogs are anything but.   For more information about The Sheepdogs, click here.

It’s been a long and dusty road since 1922 when, at a dig in the desert south of Tunis, Professor Nigel Quentin Fontenelle Dumblucke IV (1895-1973) unearthed the ruins of an ancient discotheque to find a dozen undead Egyptian mummies inexplicably throwing down what he dubbed, "Terrifying Funk From Beyond the Grave."From these hovering souls, who called themselves Here Come The Mummies, Professor Dumblucke learned of the powerful curse that doomed them to wander the earth, seeking the ultimate riff, the one that may allow their spirits to rest after eons of, as they put it, "banging out solid fly grooves, y'all." This so-called curse may have been retribution for the deflowering of a great Pharaoh's daughter, but the story has become somewhat murky over the centuries.What is clear is that these saucy specters resurfaced around the turn of the Millennium. Without so much as a hot bath, HCTM would open for P-Funk and Al Green, rock Super Bowl Village 2012, become regulars at The Bob and Tom Show and massive festivals like Summerfest, and make themselves the darlings of sell-out crowds over wide swaths of North America. Maybe that's why the ladies (and some dudes) can't stop losing their minds over these mayhem-inducing mavens of mirth.Now Eddie Mummy, Java, K.W. Tut, Mummy Cass, Spaz, The Pole, Midnight, Mummy Rah, and The Flu have again "pooled" what remains of their hearts, brains and dusty, withered appendages to make Cryptic, their new collection of songs. According to Java, "Cryptic is sexy, scary, funny, sweet, low-down, hiked-up and basically kicks ass, baby," The new songs are some of HCTM's most infectious to date: "Chaperone" is an ode to sneaking off for a little nooky and is super-hooky; "Petting Zoo" drips with animal attraction providing a meteoric, metaphoric good time; there's a super-fly paean to HCTM's favorite pastime called "You Know the Drill" and "Never Grow Old" is a soul-set piece that will… well, never grow old.These un-dead charmers began foaming at the mouth (and elsewhere) at the notion of taking Cryptic on the road. It's happening now. Get ready to rock like an Egyptian. http://www.herecomethemummies.com/

An amalgamation of blues, rock, funk, soul and world music, Australian singer/
songwriter "Peter D. Harper" creates a heady mix of roots music through his
creative use of the harmonica, and the haunting drone of the didgeridoo. By
combining traditional and modern influences, borowing from Western and Aboriginal
music, Harper has created a highly original take on the roots genre which many
have labeled "World Blues". His innovative use of electronic enhancement and
feedback, breaks the traditional boundaries of the harmonica, giving his music
its distinctive harmonics and effects. The powerful guitar sounds and the unique
drone of the didgeridoo create raw yet eerie sonic textures, some how sounding
primal and contemporary at the same time. No Depression Magazine,'s Rod Ames,
adds that Harper " has written and arranged some of the most soulful blues rock
filled music I've heard in quite sometime".

http://www.harper.biz

 

Musically, BOP(harvey) blazed just as many trails. With an early focus on reggae and ska influences, the band gelled into a true American original – think J.Geils-meets-UB40 – with the chops to seamlessly incorporate African and island sensibilities into dependable R&B and serve it up with a heaping portion of unforgettable sing-along hooks. Dazzling up-front horns, funky big bottom beats, and multiple world-class soloists perfectly complimented their larger than life front man, Word E. Smith, to bring audience after audience to their feet. Their dance-til-you-drop feet, that is.

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bop-Harvey-Band/194022807305528‎

Much to the delight of old and new fans, Slash’s resume builds along with his worldwide fan base. Since making history and amassing global sales in excess of 100 million units with Guns N’ Roses, returned with Slash’s Snakepit in 1994, followed by Velvet Revolver’s two hit LPs, 2005’sContraband (for which the single, “Slither” won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock performance) and 2007’s Libertad. Finally, Slash reemerged with his groundbreaking, guest-star studded 2010 solo debut.In 2011, Slash was honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce who named him as an official selection to receive a star in 2012 on Hollywood’s iconic Walk of Fame.

 

After making numerous session appearances and lending his laid-back, six-string genius to an eclectic mix of artists which include Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Darren Aronovsky; not to mention Guitar Hero III: The Legend of Rock and co-authoring a bestselling memoir--the question begs: What’s next for the London-born, L.A. schooled kid who discovered his musical soul when his father played him the Beatles, Stones and Yardbirds?

 

For more information about Slash, click here!

 

The Atlanta-based quintet Sevendust became one of the rising acts in late-'90s heavy metal with an aggressive blend of bottom-heavy riffs and soulful, accessible melodies. The band, comprised of frontman Lajon Witherspoon, John Connolly (guitar), Clint Lowery (guitar), Vince Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums), first appeared in 1995 as Crawlspace, releasing the single "My Ruin" on the Mortal Kombat: More Kombat recording. Shortly thereafter, the group changed its name to Sevendust and released a self-titled debut in 1997. Two years later, the bandmates issued the gold-selling Home and played over 800 shows alongside such groups as Creed, along with a stop at Woodstock '99. Their angst-ridden third album, the aptly titled Animosity, appeared in fall 2001, and Seasons followed in 2003.

In late December 2004, word surfaced that Lowery had left the band, and those rumors proved true the following February when Sevendust announced ex-Snot guitarist Sonny Mayo as Lowery's replacement. (Lowery, a co-founder of Sevendust, eventually surfaced in the hard rock supergroup Dark New Day.) Next, Sevendust's fifth album and their first self-produced effort, appeared in October 2005. The record failed to sell as much as its predecessors, but Sevendust nevertheless signed to Asylum Records and issued Alpha in March 2007. Alpha fared better than Next, climbing to number 14 on the Billboard charts and paving the way for the band's seventh effort. Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow arrived in April 2008, featuring an appearance by former American Idol star Chris Daughtry, followed by Cold Day Memory in 2010. Their ninth album, Black Out the Sun, arrived in 2013.

 

Click here for more information about SEVENDUST!

Born in 2008 from the ashes of various Canadian Indie bands, Monster Truck began as a sonic affront to the very industry its members were bred from. After feeling more like cogs in the music industry machine, Jon Harvey (bass & lead vocals), Jeremy Widerman (guitar & vocals), Brandon Bliss (organ & vocals) and Steve Kiely (drums & vocals) broke free to forge their own path, answering only to themselves. The constant show regiment and recording process is sharpening the band’s delivery and there's no doubt that anyone still interested in original and authentic rock music will be compelled to pay attention. Monster Truck will continue doing what they do best, steamrolling from town to town leaving legions of fans in their wake.

 

For more information about Monster Truck, click here.

These talented musicians joined together in 2003 to form Echoes of Pink Floyd, Michigan's Pink Floyd Tribute Band and Laser Show. Their devotion to the music of Pink Floyd and countless hours spent rehearsing have resulted in a thorough recreation of the live experience of the legendary rock band.   Echoes of Pink Floyd is not the only band to do a Pink Floyd tribute project. What sets EOPF apart from the rest is the detail with which they perform Pink Floyd's music. Guitar tones, drum fills, vocal harmonies, keyboard layers, backup singers, and impeccably recreated sound effects: all of these are intensely studied and rehearsed in order to bring the listener deep into Pink Floyd's music. The largest laser show of any U.S. Pink Floyd tribute band, circular video screen, stage props, vintage gear, and an enormous "brick" wall, cement this act as one of the premier Pink Floyd tribute bands in the country. Even the most hard core Pink Floyd fanatics are blown away by the meticulous attention to detail.

The growl of chain saws making firewood of fifty foot pines. That’s WILSON. The howling of a pack of wolves battling a rabid moose. That’s WILSON. The panting, gasping breaths of a smoke break “nooner”. That’s WILSON. The citation for a noise violation… that’s just where the party begins. If all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, then all party and no bull have made WILSON juggernauts. For the past few years WILSON has transformed shows into parties, and concerts into riots throughout the Midwest. Wilson has not only held their own, but raised the bar for how much fun live music can be.   For more information about Wilson, click here.

DeverauX is an American metal band from Lansing, Michigan, formed in 2011 by
drummer David Floyd, guitarist Chas Millican and vocalist Phil LaMay. With the
addition of bassist JD Younk, the band is known for their driving rhythms, thrashing
riffs, melodic hooks and a powerful message of self perseverance. Despite having
been formed for a short amount of time, DeverauX has been crowned winner of
the “Q106 Homegrown Throwdown” two years consecutively and are currently touring
to support the release of their debut E.P. “The Last of Us”. For more info and
links visit: www.deverauxband.com

Recent Tweets @deverauxband

The band Know Lyfe, est. 2001, has played countless shows with many signed acts and is one of the highest quality local bands the midwest has to offer. They bring a high energy show mixing melody with a heavy edge that has turned many heads in the recording industry. Know Lyfe’s high energy stage show and musical arrangements have allowed them to share the stage with some of the heaviest hitters in metal such as: Unearth, Norma Jean, Bleeding Through, Fear Factory, Every Time I Die, Evergreen Terrace, Lacuna Coil, Superjoint Ritual, Hatebreed, Dimmu Borgir, and many more.

For more information about Know Lyfe, click here!

Red Stone Souls are a Hard Blue, Garage and Psychedelic Rock band from Detroit, MI formed in the early 2012 as an attempt to bust down the doors of the “New Generation” rock scene. The band layers Ian Kirwan on guitar and vocals, Kevin Bernard on bass, Beau Felix on Guitar and vocals, and Travis Erikson on drums. Formed from previous bands such as The Nines, Dangerous Pursuit, and Squeeze Tina, they have released an EP as Red Stones Souls and plan on recording a new album this winter. Their experience with previous bands has successfully conditioned them to take on the challenges of being an emerging Rock N’ Roll band in a modern day society where talent is only considered talent if it’s in the top 40. Their influences and strong musical upbringing have paved the way for them to create any type of music they desire.

 

For more information about Red Stone Souls, click here.

The country vocal quartet Little Big Town began with Kimberly Roads and Karen Fairchild, two Georgia natives who began singing together in college. Jimi Westbrook, a friend of Fairchild's husband, joined them to make a trio, and with the addition of Phil Sweet in 1998, the group was complete. From the outset, Little Big Town devoted their sound to harmony and multiple lead vocals, a combination that made the band a hard sell at first.

 

Since then they have sold 1.5 million records, received multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM nominations and produced Top 10 country hits including “Boondocks” and “Bring It On Home” from their platinum 2005 album The Road to Here. In 2007, they won Top New Duo/Vocal Group from the Academy of Country Music. In addition, the 2010 single “Little White Church” off the album, The Reason Why, peaked at number 6 on the country charts. 

 

For more information about Little Big Town, Click here!

The Mississippi country singer is ready to give people real country music. Houser’s achievements include receiving multiple nominations for ACM and CMA Awards, a #3 single “Boots On”, and writing hits for country superstars Trace Adkins, Justin Moore and Chris Young. The early successes of his first two albums; Anything Goes and They Call Me Cadillac were just the beginning for Randy. His latest album How Country Feels features producer Derek George and a single co-written by Zac Brown. His first single off that album “How Country Feels” has already hit Number One on the Country Airplay chart.

 

For more information about Randy Houser, click here!

The Kari Lynch Band lives for rocking the stage and putting on an entertaining and unforgettable show. With exceptional musicianship, accomplished songwriting and incredible enthusiasm, the band brings a dynamic stage presence, impressive lead vocal and solid three-part harmony to every stage.For them it’s all about the fans and making good music. They've experienced playing sold out venues, fairs, festivals, television, radio, and opening for Major Label artists. The band’s chemistry and passion shine through each performance creating a one of a kind, country rocking show. In their two years together they’ve become one of Michigan’s most talked about and sought after country bands--Touring extensively and making frequent trips to Nashville, TN to write songs and play shows.

 

For more information about Kari Lynch Band, click here.

With a unique blend of soulful grooves, rocking guitar riffs and slamming memorable hooks, singer, songwriter and producer Phoenix Stone has returned to his Southern roots with the debut of “Honky Tonk Superstar,” his new country EP featuring four original tracks written and produced by Stone, including 100 Proof Moonshine, a single that has already hit #1 on the New & Active Charts and the Billboard Top 50. Stone was also recently chosen to be the CMA’s “Debut Artist Spotlight.” During the scope of his career, Stone has toured worldwide with acts ranging from Britney Spears to Pink and Christina Aguilera.

 

 For more information about Phoenix Stone, click here.

With their soulful four-part harmonies, poetic lyrics and indelible melodies, it’s easy to see why the Atlanta Journal Constitution would hail von Grey as “nothing short of stunning.” They sound like they were born to play together – and, in fact, they were. The four sisters have been playing music nearly their entire lives. Classically trained from an early age, the Atlanta-based quartet – Kathryn, Annika, Fiona and Petra von Grey – have built on that foundation by performing upwards of 200 shows in the past two years, from recurring residency tours at intimate venues throughout the southeastern U.S. to supporting gigs with such artists as Sarah McLachlan.

 

For more information about Von Grey, click here. 

As golden as the city she comes from, Colorado native Julia Sheer seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to her music. Numbers don’t lie and with the views on her Youtube channel in the ten’s of millions it’s no wonder that all of her social media sites are exploding and her popularity continues to skyrocket. Julia is a cornerstone in the new generation of artists who understand the power of the internet and the rewards of an unlimited fan base not only in the United States but worldwide. Her charisma overflows on camera and between her all American smile and her angelic vocals, it’s easy to see why she is already loved by so many. Julia Sheer is an undeniable star!

 

For more information about Julia Sheer, click here. 

Last year MGMT conquered South America with their live show and in September Ben and Andrew performed as a two-piece for the first time in a decade, as part of the legendary Joshua Light Show. Listening in on the universe's stream of consciousness for inspiration, the duo are currently completing the third MGMT album due for an early summer release. As a band that exists in its own space and time, and is constantly defying expectation, there is no saying what magical gifts MGMT will bestow.

http://www.whoismgmt.com

Hit singles are great, but for every real artist the dream when they go into the studio is to make music that reaches people, songs that strike a deep chord and resonates with audiences well after the track ends. For Aaron Bruno, the architect of white-hot new rockers AWOLNATION, hearing that his brilliant Megalithic Symphony has achieved that lofty ambition with anyone is the greatest reward of the success the band is enjoying now.

AWOLNATION has that with the unlikeliest of radio successes, “Sail,” a dark, infectious tale of angst with an unmistakable and unforgettable hook where Bruno wails at some point, “Maybe I should cry for help/Maybe I should kill myself/So blame it on my A.D.D. baby.”.

 

For more information about AWOLNATION, click here.

In its purest form music acts as a conduit of self-expression that's free from the conventions of society and that spirit of fearlessness lies at the core of twenty | one | pilots, a group whose musical vision is completely their own. Over the past few years the duo of front man Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun have built a hardcore following that seems primed to reach a fever pitch with the release of their Fueled By Ramen debut Vessel. From the impossibly catchy groove of "Semi-Automatic" to the high-energy hip-hop of "Holding On To You" and the ambient electronic experimentation of "Trees," Vessel is a complex collection of songs that shows why twenty one pilots are the latest addition to Fueled By Ramen's extremely selective roster.

 

For information about twenty | one | pilots, click here.

Are frontmen made or born? The six members of Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers are in the perfect position to answer that question. Four of them have fronted other projects, but during the past few years they have united under first-time bandleader, Hertler, to create sublime folk tinged with Motown, funk, and pop.

The essence of Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers is the energy they bring to their live performances. "The live show is the purpose of the band. This is why we make music. Playing music is a symbiotic process, and without a crowd it is just a bunch of guys jamming," says Hertler. Their upcoming album and video release, Live at Russell, recorded and filmed at Detroit's Russell Industrial Center, is a testament not only to the band's live vibe, but also to their impeccable musicianship.

 

For more information about Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, click here.

Foxy Shazam are a soul band with a punk rock attitude and a symphonic attention to detail. A name that once represented a pair of cool sneakers has become synonymous with charisma, bravado, rock and roll.Here to pull you from the disparagingly bland edges of modern rock and return music to an era glamorous and emotion, this band has crafted the immaculate soundtrack to a world in moral disarray,each song the audial accompaniment to a work of epic cinema that exists only in the mind of the listener.Foxy Shazam have traveled the globe for years spreading their bombastic gospel and singing the praises of a life less ordinary, leading a massive mutiny against the mundane and converting thousands of believers in the fight to save what’s right about the world. But the world ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

 

 For more information about Foxy Shazam, click here.

The Soil & the Sun is corn-fed, Michigan-made New Mexican Space Music, or Experiential Spiritual Folk. Originating in 2008 as two-piece, the band has grown and matured into an eight-piece community of friends and musicians. Oboe, violin, cello, guitars, accordion, percussion, piano, and vocals, cooperate to create complex harmonies, layered melodies, and driving rhythms. The careful orchestration and intentional instrumentation is fresh and life - giving.

 

For more information about The Soil and the Sun, click here.

Formed in Texas, now residing in Michigan, this indie rock collective has spent the last four years making waves everywhere in between. Following the release of their debut album, Home, they've used their relentless touring, unique sound, and captivating performances to carve out a place for themselves in the hearts of indie rock music fans internationally. With a live show bursting with contagious energy and the promise of a follow-up record, Mike Mains & The Branches promises to be on the radar for 2013. Sophomore album Calm Down, Everything Is Fine due for release Spring 2013.

 

For more information about Mike Main and the Branches, click here.

One of the most explosive bands to come out of the Michigan indie rock scene in years is Flint Eastwood. Mixing elements of Detroit garage rock like The White Stripes or Von Bondies with a pulsing, explosive electronic backdrop, Flint Eastwood's live set is a full-tilt party. Set to release their debut EP in early 2013, the band is the mastermind of powerful frontwoman Jax Anderson.  Formerly known as Power, they spent years writing songs for placement, and have decided that now's the time to break the mold of being a studio band, and will be hitting the road in 2013 and never looking back!

It’s shaping up to be a busy summer for Lights & Caves [Dillon Gorden (Vocals/Guitar), Jason Marr (Guitar/Vocals), Evan Rudman (Drums/Vocals), Stefan Wiseman (Bass/Vocals)], the newly appointed talk-of-the-town in Lansing’s blossoming music scene. In addition to playing regional shows all around mid-Michigan and preparing for a summer tour, the Lansing-based alternative outfit plans to release its debut EP in the coming months. Not bad for a band that formed earlier this year.  While Lights & Caves is still in its infancy, its members are experienced musicians hailing from a hodgepodge of Lansing-based acts, including Elliot Street Lunatic, A Letter To You, Redbird, and The Unguarded Moment.

The Avett Brothers begin another new era of folk with their seventh full-length album, and first for American Recordings/Republic Records, The Carpenter. Produced by the legendary Rick Rubin and recorded in North Carolina and Malibu, it's an artful distillation of classic homegrown folk, rock energy, bluegrass soul and pop charm. In 2009, the group made mainstream waves with their lauded major label debut, I and Love and You. It landed at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 and garnered unanimous critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Paste, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Time, who even dubbed it one of Top 10 albums of the year.

For more information about The Avett Brothers, click here.

The Beast In Its Tracks, the new album from renowned singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, was released on March 5 by Pytheas Recordings. This is the sixth full-length recording from Ritter, who has been widely heralded by critics and fans alike. Of the record, Ritter says, “In the year after my marriage ended, I realized that I had more new songs than I’d ever had at one time. Far from the grand, sweeping feel of the songs on So Runs the World Away, these new songs felt like rocks in the shoe, hard little nuggets of whatever they were, be it spite, remorse, or happiness.”

 

 For more information about Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, click here.

Ignoring the cliched trappings of antiqued rural fetish that seem to make tired the modern folk movement, and the urban love-fest which holds the majority of indie-culture enwrapped, Frontier Ruckus instead celebrates and insulates itself within a world that is obsessively suburban— childhoods realistic and recent enough to remain vividly smoldering with intense memory and graphic personal mythology. The world of oversized 90s obsolescence, pinning down weighty love and familial weirdness—elephantine copy machines in the home offices of the briefly affluent parents of grade-school friends, VHS cassettes rotting sun-bleached on early bedroom shelves, tragic birthday parties, aggressive soccer coaches, grandmothers' oxygen tanks and daytime-TV-time crosswords, porn stashes found behind Taco Bells.

 

For more information about Frontier Ruckus, click here.

Bloomington, IN’s Murder By Death released their sixth full-length album and Bloodshot Records debut Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon on September 25th, 2012. Known for their uniquely brooding sound that frequently conjures desolate imagery, on Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon Murder By Death capture a familiar tone but also explore new territory, adding a further refined sophistication and even richer, full-bodied sound. This summer also marks the 10th anniversary of the release of Like The Exorcist, But More Breakdancing, the band’s first LP, and in celebration they will be playing rarely performed tracks from the album throughout the summer tour, in addition to previewing songs from Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon.

 

For more information about Murder By Death, click here. 

For a band that burst on the scene with an ecstatically received 16 minutes of music (2006's A Lesson In Crime EP) followed in rapid fire succession by additional EPs and singles (Smith, “Your English Is Good”) and a debut album (2008’s Elephant Shell) all in under two years time, you’d think 26 months between albums would be an interminable wait. And it might well have been for Tokyo Police Club, had they not toured relentlessly in support of that first album through August of 2009—and started writing new songs virtually the second their previous record was put to bed.So the nine month gap between the close of that tour and the June 8 release of Champ, Tokyo Police Club’s second full length album and first for the mom+pop label, has been anything but boring or unproductive.

 

For more information about Tokyo Police Club, click here.

The ghost town of Goodnight, Texas sits halfway between the homes of San Francisco's Avi Vinocur and North Carolina's Patrick Dyer Wolf, whose transcontinental collaboration has taken on the name of its geographic midpoint. After meeting in San Francisco and learning each other's melodies, the pair of songwriters found their stylistic midpoint amidst old wooden instruments and a vision of late nineteenth century blue collar America - a grittier, simpler, more mysterious world full of raw pain and beauty.   While they are clearly different writers, the Wolf/Vinocur venn diagram is consistently compelling. Together with bassist Jonathan Kirchner, drummer Andrew Laubacher and sometimes others, Goodnight, Texas has the dynamic range of a ragged orchestra and a story that will stand the test of time.   For more information about Goodnight, Texas, click here.

"So -- what do you guys want to talk about?" It's a question Mike Kinsella often poses to the crowd during Owen shows and it's a loaded one for sure. Because honestly, what do you say to a man laying himself bare on stage with songs whose lyrics -- some blunt, others subtly shrouded in metaphor -- are the type of confessions most people wouldn't tell their closest friends, let alone a roomful of strangers? But that's the thing. With Mike, you don't feel like strangers at all. Because, above all, he's simply the kind of person you'd want to sit down and have a beer with. Which is exactly what fans had the chance to do during a tour of Texas this past March that marked his return to playing house shows. (Only this time around, he performed in living rooms and backyards instead of setting up in basements as he did with his high school band Cap'n Jazz.)

 

For more information about Owen, click here. 

American Opera is a musical project consisting of John Bee and his friends. Hailing from Saginaw, Michigan and recently transplanted to New York CIty, by way of a short stint in Chicago, American Opera combines influences from Modest Mouse to Manchester Orchestra, Rilo Kiley to Ben Folds. John's trademark voice stops conversations and draws immediate attention. The depth of his vocal delivery couples with his introspective and deeply personal lyrics to make a connection with anyone within earshot.

 

For more information about American Opera, click here.

"There's something to be noted about a sound that displays deep kinship within a group. Since the band’s formation in 2012, Bennett has spent their time writing powerful original material and building a relationship amongst themselves that has ties as strong as family, and it shows on stage. "They have incredible songwriting prowess and a cohesiveness only a band of brothers could have." said column writer, Logan Bailey, in his album review for Bennett's recent EP release A Brand New Start. But the kinship that runs deep in this band is not the only thing that should be mentioned, these boys are taking the music scene by storm. Boasting first place in regional competitions, local music charts, and grabbing the attention of many active music industry professionals. The band has only begun to witness what happens when a group of spirited individuals get together, doing what they were designed to do."

 

For more information about Bennett, click here.

Recording artist, actor, philanthropist, restaurateur…just a few of the befitting titles for Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, who first gained worldwide acclaim more than 10 years ago with his debut album, Back for the First Time (2000).  Ever since, his unrivaled lyrical prowess, dynamic performances and timeless hits including “Stand Up,” “Get Back,”, “Number One Spot,” “Money Maker,” and “My Chick Bad,” have solidified him as one of music’s best entertainers and led to the sale of more than 20 million albums domestically.  In addition to immense commercial success, Ludacris consistent output of stellar music has garnered the admiration of his peers, as well as numerous awards and honors including three Grammys. 

The BLAT! Pack was founded in the late Summer of 2008 when a few Lansing, Michigan hip-hop artists, music professionals and friends decided to pool their resources together to revitalize a once thriving music scene. The group was created with the idea that, talented people driven by similar goals and dreams should work together to use their talents to the benefit of all and make those dreams a reality. Since its inception, BLAT! Pack has grown into a multi-faceted collective of emcees, vocalists, producers, DJs, fine artists, radio personalities, and writers. Its members have earned awards in various city, state, and national competitions, such as the Capital City DJ Olympics, the Hometown Rock The Crown Competition, SXSW, A3C, and the Red Bull EmSee Battle. Its members have also either contributed or been covered in dozens of national and international print and digital media outlets, and enjoy radio play in college, Internet, and major stations worldwide. Currently, the BLAT! Pack has seven artists and vocalists, four producers and DJ’s, and a behind-the-scenes team that spans over 316 miles of Michigan – and across Chicago, New York, Ohio, and Los Angeles. With its wealth of talent, work ethic and unity, BLAT! Pack will continue as a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

Alex is a one man band from Poughkeepsie, New York. Alex began messing around on the piano at age 5 when his parents bought a piano. He started to get serious about piano by the age of 12. Alex performed his first gig when he was only 15 years old. He began recording music in 2004 at the age of 16. Alex soon gained quite a following after posting his songs on his MySpace website.

In early 2010, Alex began posting videos of his covers of popular modern pop songs, and occasionally videos of his original songs. His popularity has continued to soar each time he posts a new video. Today, his videos have been watched over 30 million times, and he is now considered one of the top cover artists on YouTube.

http://www.gootmusic.com/

Recent Tweets @alexgoot

Lansing’s hip hop scene is quickly developing into one of the best places for emerging hip hop artists. Two of those artists are MVP Miles and 2Dope.  2Dope was born and raised here in the state’s capitol city while MVP Miles grew up in Lansing, but is originally from California. Both artists are fresh out of high school and have opened for touted national acts including Juicy J, Rockie Fresh, Jerimah and Raz Fresco, performing under their collective name Up In The Sky. Both acts plan on releasing solo mixtapes over the summer, including 2Dope’s featuring the high anticipated single “Baby Mama”.

Recent Tweets @mvp_miles