"Aaron was born in Cleveland, TN to a musical family. He mostly kept his musical talents to himself until his late teen years, or at least until he realized that his sports dreams were fully dead. During college at Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro, TN, he was the principle songwriter in a couple of bands, most notably in the emotive indie-rock outfit Imaginary Baseball League. Imaginary Baseball League played lots of shows and had lots of fans, relatively speaking.
IBL broke up in 2005, and shortly thereafter, Aaron started another band, Young Professionals.
After a short stint with YP, Aaron launched a solo career, recording 2008's We Are Racing Ghosts with notable Nashville artist and producer Neilson Hubbard. WARG featured a softer, more careful sound, and received excellent critical reviews in national publications such as Performing Songwriter and USAToday.com.
After playing for a spell with the band Aaron Robinson & the Lost Verses, Aaron & the band recorded a 7-song EP at Lake Fever Productions in 2009. The band unofficially broke up in 2009-2010 when two of its members moved to NY, NY and Portland, OR respectively. The EP will be released in late 2010, most likely under Aaron's name. Following the release of the upcoming EP, Aaron hopes to join/form another collective band with the batch of new songs he has collected over the last year. Until then, you can see Aaron vocalizing in various upcoming tributes to modern classic albums, as well as in Nashville's only 90's cover band, My So-Called Band."
Before forming the Mynabirds in 2009, Laura Burhenn made her living as a solo artist in Washington, D.C., where she also founded Laboratory Records in 1999. Eight years later, she teamed up with John Davis -- another veteran of the local music scene -- to form an experimental duo named Georgie James. Although Davis’ previous group, Q and Not U, had been known for its aggressive post-hardcore music, Georgie James looked to pop groups for inspiration, particularly harmony-heavy outfits like the Zombies and the Kinks. The group didn’t last long, though, with Burhenn and Davis going their separate ways after releasing one album.
For her next project, Burhenn decided to stay with Saddle Creek, the same Nebraska-based label that had released Georgie James’ debut in 2007. She wrote a new batch of songs inspired by the likes of Neil Young, Motown, and Carole King, and eventually relocated to Oregon to record the material with producer Richard Swift. Another Saddle Creek artist, Orenda Fink, helped Burhenn assemble a solid backing band, and the resulting record -- What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood, which Burhenn released under the Mynabirds moniker -- appeared in 2010.
Known for his work fronting the enigmatic rock band Pedro the Lion, David Bazan’s emotionally charged narratives, eye for telling detail, and mournful voice have more in common with J.D. Salinger’s “Nine Stories” or Flannery O’Connor’s “Wise Blood” than with the usual lyrical slant of popular music. Bazan is a gifted storyteller, weaving parables of spiritual conflict, suburban ennui, and personal surrender into magnetic, well-crafted songs.
His debut solo full-length album, Curse Your Branches (out now on Barsuk), is a masterwork by a modern American poet at the height of his powers. Paste Magazine called him one of the “100 Best Living Songwriters”. This record is the deepest and most explicit exploration of his struggles with faith and a meditation on all things passed between the generations.
Be on the look out for the new album from Fly Golden Eagle entitled, "BoreUS". It's already being hailed as one of the most economical albums in recent memory. Also, be sure to purchase a couple raffle tickets to win a bottle of the new fragrance cologne from Fly Golden Eagle entitled "SWAGGER". It's sure to make that scented statement you always dreamed of. Coming this fall! If you would like your own copy of the first release from Fly Golden Eagles entitled "The State of the Industry", please e-mail Mr. Bill Rowe at flygoldeneagle@gmail.com. He'll be sure to take care of all your needs.
Uncle Skeleton is the brainchild of Ross Wariner – once best known as half of the Nashville, TN band Kindercastle. Finding himself with a overflowing myriad of ideas and an overactive drive to try them all out, Pancho Chumley was born.
Shortly thereafter REMIX was compiled by a host of friends to re-interpret the potential of the record. The results were all over the map – in a good way.
In late May 2010, Warm Under the Covers was released. The twelve track album takes the next logical progression beyond Pancho Chumley. Best experienced in its analog vinyl form the album is divided into equal halves creating an ambient, perfect for summer, dual soundscapes.
ABX (pronounced like three consecutive letters) and STV SLV (pronounced “steve sleeve”) are collectively known as The Hood Internet. For the past three years, the duo have been chewing up the indie, pop, rap and R&B landscapes and spitting out pure fire. Like laptop-armed alchemists, they draw from their expansive interest in the many faces of modern music and re-imagine songs for mass public consumption through thehoodinternet.com.
Nearly 400 mixes and literally millions of free downloads later, The Hood Internet continue to ricochet across North America like an Arkanoid ball, bringing their arsenal of reassembled tracks to crowded dancefloors. And the dance parties have definitely been ignited in every city they roll through, not to mention holding it down at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Monolith Festival, SXSW, CMJ and Canadian Music Week.
They say blood is thicker than water. If that is the case, then the members of the Kopecky Family Band are forever bound together by the music running through their veins. With their undeniable connection both onstage and off, the band is composed of an eclectic mix of both classically trained musicians and home-honed talent that is truly unique. Everyone in this family brings something different to the table. Their captivating blend of neo-classical, folk, and electric sensibilities still maintains a strong, distinctive musical voice. From their thoughtful lyrics to their ethereal harmonies, this band demands attention.
From humble beginnings inside a practice room at Belmont University, they have already garnered an impressive following both in and outside their “birthplace” of Nashville, TN since coming together musically in the fall of 2007. Maintaining close relationships while still working hard to expand their musical horizons, the Kopecky Family knows how to stick to their roots and build upon their bonds to create a truly cohesive musical experience. If their hauntingly beautiful brand of folk rock is any indication, the Kopecky Family Band will be sticking around for a long time to come.
The story of Chief is one of two coasts. Though Evan Koga, Mike Moonves and brothers Danny and Michael Fujikawa were all born and raised as sons of Los Angeles, they left for New York University, worlds away. It was in New York that they first got to know one another as collaborators, rumbling through a number of semi-serious projects and solo ventures before feeling swept away by a small run of songs Koga had penned and presented to them. He had written them under the name Chief, a moniker the rest of the guys opted to keep the day they first formed. It was on New York stages that they honed their songs and found their sound, a thoughtfully melodic update on summer and road records past. Natural, timeless songwriting for times that change too quickly.
In early 2009, Chief started to migrate home to the City of Angels for good.
On "Modern Rituals" (out August 17th), their first full-length and Domino debut, their transcontinental downshift is captured in gorgeous, full-bodied stereo.
Formed in 2005 by cousins Tom Van Buskirk and George Langford, Brooklyn, NY-based indie electronic duo Javelin crafts funky, abstract, R&B-flavored pop with an emphasis on painstakingly re-created samples and loops. The band's 2009, self-released collection of demos (Jamz n Jemz) and pair of Thrill Jockey 12"s (Javelin, Number Two) were followed by their debut album, No Mas, on the Luaka Bop label in 2010.
How I Became the Bomb formed in 2005 in the university hub of Murfreesboro, TN. Childhood friends Adam Richardson and Jon Burr conspired with like-minded popsters Ricky Bizness, Rusty Hanberry, and Andy Spore to make music they wanted to hear. Something big. Something bold. Something cinematic. In June of that year, that nameless something became nameless no longer at The Temptation Club, an underground all-male revue. Tossing their fates to the wind, the quintet allowed a friend to christen them as they took to the stage for their first show. Thus How I Became the Bomb was born.
With a mere 4 shows under their belt, the band fast-tracked the recording of an EP at Lakefever Productions on famed Music Row in Nashville, TN. The culmination of two weekends in the studio, the Let's Go! EP was released May 13, 2006.
Recording in hand, How I Became the Bomb began touring regionally, attracting the interest of both national and international press. On September 2, 2006, How I Became the Bomb was featured in Billboard Magazine, and on October 25, 2006, Rolling Stone named the group "Online Pick of the Day". On June 4, 2007, the Guardian UK selected How I Became the Bomb as "Band of the Day".
After securing UK management, How I Became the Bomb played the European Festival circuit in July of 2007. Their first batch of shows had them performing at the Summercase Festival in Spain and the Latitude Festival in Suffolk, UK, where they shared the stage with Spoon, Arcade Fire, Jarvis Cocker, AIR, Jesus & Mary Chain, and Super Furry Animals.
While on their first European jaunt, the Bomb signed licensing deals with V2 in the UK (later bought by Universal), Yep Roc in Japan, and Sinnamon Records in Spain (Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Hot Hot Heat).
Later that year, How I Became the Bomb returned to Europe to play the Wintercase Festival in Spain. They end up staying for months, touring clubs in the UK and Spain, including an extended set of dates with Editors.
The troupe spent the next year recording four digital music packs and releasing them online for free, accompanied by two music videos. They have now compiled this formerly online exclusive audio content into a physical release (available from this very web site). Including four previously unavailable tracks, Deadly Art is the sixteen song epic Bomb fans have long sought. With expert assistance from producer John Baldwin (LakeFever) and mixers F. Reid Shippen, Craig Alvin, and Buckley Miller, How I Became the Bomb has created a work of filmic majesty that exceeds even their own high expectations. They will continue to do so in 2010, recording more music and touring clubs, house parties, and sci-fi conventions extensively!
After being introduced during a 2008 recording session in Nashville, Sam and Tre, along with DJ Kidsmeal, decided to collaborate and see what happened. Eventually, their unique brand of Electro Glitch Hip Hop was born. With roots in Hip Hop and Rock, their unique group represents all of their respective upbringings in London, Atlanta and Trenton, Tennessee, while still keeping an international sensibility.
Sam has produced artists such as Josh Doyle, Circle of Sound, Intramural, and Damien Horne, just to name a few. Sam and Tre have recently performed major music events such as Nashville's 8 Off 8th/BMI promotional series at Mercy Lounge, RedGorilla Music Fest, and SXSW festival.
Sam and Tre’s forthcoming EP effort will be their first collaborative recording. While showcasing their own unique sound, they hope to channel influences such as Producer/Composer Alan Shacklock (Sam’s father), Jimi Hendrix, Bach, Kanye West, Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson.
In the upcoming months, you can catch Sam and Tre, along with DJ Kidsmeal, hosting all-night parties at schools, houses, and even makeshift music venues from Nashville to Miami to London, where Sam and Kidsmeal are no stranger to the diverse music scene.
“We make Southern hip-hop/funk/soul music; it’s kind of hard to pinpoint but we just say we create good music. It’s something that you can listen to with your parents.” So say the Dukes of DaVille when prompted about their upcoming debut entitled. Time Machine. While this tickling, tantalizing response addresses one question,it begs many more. Namely, how a duo from rural Hinesville, Georgia is poised —as comments on their MySpace page assert— “to bring back music.”
By the letters, the Dukes of DaVille comprises Ricky Balboa and Jimi Smalls, two army brats who first crossed paths in 1992 on a dusty baseball diamond in Fort Stewart, Georgia. But conjoining James’ first name with that of his proclaimed “brother from another mother,” the two conjured up the delightful moniker RicJames. It’s that sort of subtle cleverness that defines the Dukes. But what of their musical odyssey? And better still, where the heck is Hinesville, Georgia?
Time Machine is nothing if not ambitious. But while many artists attempt a lot, the Dukes of DaVille actually achieve a lot. Their energy, their earnestness damn near leap right into the listener’s living room. “I believe we’re the most flexible group out right now,” James asserts. “We feel like we’re placing a standard to other artists; that wasn’t our intention, but to the world this is our opening statement. When you pop in Time Machine, expect the unexpected. Going track-to-track, this album is a sigh of relief: ‘Ah, music is back.’ Ric sums up the experience concisely: “The journey, the recording process has been the fun part, the real accomplishment. Along the way, if you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone believe in you?” We believe Ric.
This young artist started 2010 off with a bang, opening for the Lil Wayne Farewell Tour. This should be no surprise however after the rave reviews of his recently released mixtape, “Proving You Wrong Since 1988. Blogs such as Ill Roots and The Smoking Section tagged Skewby as an artist that revives “real hip hop”. His music is compared to the likes of a Kanye or Lupe, but he can definitely hold his own with his clever lyrics and catchy beats. One only has to peep the mixtape to get a feel of his versatility. Only 21, he’s been making his mark slowly since the age of 14 by producing for artists such as Short Dawg and Pimp C to name a few. Although production, engineering and writing is a passion, his real love is performing. More recently he performed at MTV’s Spring Break 2009 and hooked up with DJ Crumbz to headline the Red Bull Southern College Tour. Future endeavors include a much anticipated release of his recent collaboration with Gorilla Zoe that should be out later this year.
Skewby reigns from Memphis, Tennessee although his music tends to break the mold and veer away from the traditional Southern Gangsta Rap that is expected out of the Bluff City. But its obvious Memphis has caught on to his movement, dubbed, “The New Memphis”, and embraced this young artist by naming him one of the top 20 performing artist in the city, of which Skewby was tagged as #1 in the rap category.(Memphis Chamber Magazine, 2009). This multi-talented phenom is understandably on a lot of people’s radar. 2010 appears to be the beginning of great things to come
FreeSol is a progressive and unique hip-hop, rock, and soul infused band from Memphis, Tennessee. They started in 2003 when the lead singer/rapper, Free, decided to move beyond the basic hip-hop formula of “two turntables and a microphone” and formed an actual band with the addition of Elliott Ives on guitar/vocals, Premo Danger on the keyboard, and Kickman Teddy on the drums. Growing up surrounded by the rich musical landscape embedded in Memphis’ history, Free Sol is naturally influenced by a variety of sounds from blues to rock to hip-hop.
The band’s name, “FreeSol”, refers to a state of mind – a freedom of expression with a main objective of never conforming to the usual way of doing things… especially in music. With this philosophy, coupled with their musicianship and intelligent lyrics, their music swept the live band scene in the south as they battled their way to win every competition they entered.
In 2006, Justin Timberlake, also a Memphis native, saw them perform, immediately recognized their talent, and signed Free Sol to his upstart label, Tennman Records. Currently they are working with a variety of producers such as Jim Jonsin (Beyonce, Pitbull), Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem), Cool & Dre (Lil’ Wayne, The Game), and more. Their first album is scheduled for release in 2010 on Tennman/Interscope.
Vonnegutt is your girlfriend’s favorite new band.
Here’s an unlikely recipe: Take classic emcee skills and dope lyrics, add pop sensibility and rock energy. Stir. Sprinkle a dash of inspiration from a literary icon. What do you get? Vonnegutt.
Formed in early ’07, the band has quickly built a tremendous buzz, placing in the top ranks of several unsigned band lists, drawing an ever-growing fan base, and catching the eye of several record labels. In the summer of 2008, their popularity earned them a spot at the Vans Warped Tour in Atlanta.
Though the band’s success may seem to have come easily, Vonnegutt’s two founding members had been paying their dues for years before crossing paths. Frontman/emcee Kyle Lucas was earning a name for himself in the underground hip-hop and mixtape scene. Guitarist Neil Garrard was busy doing session work for some of the south’s biggest names in Rap/R&B(Dungeon Family, Pastor Troy, and Kelly Rowland).
Looking to create something that fit his expansive musical tastes, Lucas decided to form an alternative hip-hop band. Garrard soon responded to his flyer at a local music shop, and after meeting they recognized their shared vision and musical chemistry.
Within months, with the help of friend and producer Michael Woodruff, the duo had created their first record, a promising marriage of rock, hip-hop, funk, and electronica. The Vice Nine EP lit up the internet with thousands of plays on Myspace and a big response from college radio with their single “Bright Eyes”. Their style has been described as “refreshing” and “a unique blend of hip-hop & rock.”
"The Coolin' System might just be one of our favorite new bands in the whole city. Their tight, instrumental funk workouts were so good... it's pretty obvious that this band thinks solely about the tunes.The System were tight, rocking a groove that recalled the brighter, bouncier vibes of Chicago's late-'60s pop-jazz scene that allowed the band's top-notch musicians to shine on their solos without ever distracting from the songs " -Nashville Scene 11/12/09
