Shipwreck are four Midwestern gents who, as far as anyone can tell, have never been anywhere near the ocean. In fact, there is no evidence that they even know anyone who owns a boat. Nevertheless, they have a sound that somehow evokes the enigmatic, haunting, and sometimes dangerous allure of the open sea. It seems an all-too-convenient metaphor, but in practice the metaphor feels true. Alternately placid and furious, Shipwreck melds quiet and loud in a way that might fall apart in lesser hands, but they do more than just keep it together; in fact, on a good night they make you forget, if just for a moment, where you are, who you’re with, and what you’re doing tomorrow.
Tirelessly pounding the floorboards of stages across the Midwest and beyond for the last couple of years has honed this four-piece into a formidable, mesmerizing live presence who also happen to put out great records. Co-songwriters, guitarists, and vocalists Harman Jordan and John Owen bring unique but complementary stamps to the band’s music. Meanwhile, drummer Christopher Waage and bassist Vladimir Brilliant anchor the proceedings with stone-cold ferocity, a constant reminder that there is more to this band than the two guys with guitars and microphones – this is the rhythm section you want behind you in a bar fight.
After deciding to record music continuously in 2006, the band produced two EP’s all the while strengthening their skills as songwriters and live performers. Which brings us to 2007 and their full length debut Rabbit in the Kitchen With a New Dress On. The album is a sonic blast of desert heat that recalls a synchronicity between the dreamy darkness of Depeche Mode and the raucous abandon of the Pixies. Haunting images and fractured narratives create an enveloping reality of Lynchian eeriness. Rabbit is one for the books: altogether tighter, sharper, more aware of its borders and more solid for it, than Shipwreck has ever been.
Love Made Melody was formed by 6 guys from different musical backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles who wanted to create music that was real. What better way than getting together with uber-cool people, spending a lot of time together in a hot, stinky room, and playing our hearts out? While we all come from different places and have had different experiences, there is one common theme that everyone understands.
Music...
Hopefully good music...
Music from the heart.
Indie-Folk-Blues from the dirty streets of Champaign-Urbana!!! Starting 3 years ago as a duet, newly reformed Darling Disarm consists of long time partners in crime Mike Ingram and Kayla Brown, recently joined by James Treichler on drums and Tyler "Big Cat" Bundy on bass. After spending the spring and summer polishing up old grooves and moving on to new tunes, Darling Disarm is planning a debut record to be available in the near future. Performing in the Champaign-Urbana area quite frequently, be sure to check out Darling Disarm's myspace page to stay up on future performances.
www.myspace.com/darlingdisarmmusic
UPCOMING SHOWS Thursday Sept 6th - Cowboy Monkey - Champaign IL w/ Angie Heaton and the Gentle Tamers Thursday Sept 20th - The Canopy Club - Urbana IL PYGMALION MUSIC FESTIVAL w/ Maserati, Shipwreck, Sangamon, and more!
Rhythm section on the run! Holly Rushakoff (bass) and Jane Boxall (drums) throw down short, sharp, schizophonic instrumentals in Triple Whip. Even when this Champaign, Ill., duo was a trio, they were known for making bass and drums the heroes of the band. Started in 2002 by former guitarist Santanu Rahman, he taught Holly how to play bass, using the songs wicked basslines--filled with slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, sophisticated strumming and odd-time signatures--as the lessons. After four years of performing their branded cinema art rock (lyrics were movie-inspired), and recording three albums and contributing to five compilations, Santanu moved to Austin. But Holly and Jane--a percussion doctoral student from England and teacher at the local drum shop--wrote new songs and debuted their bass and drums instrumental rock in January 2006. Now the epitome of its conception, Triple Whip's fourth album, Horsepower, will be self-released on 11/11 2006.
www.triplewhip.com
www.myspace.com/triplewhip
Triple Whips Horsepower CD release show will be on 11/11 at the Iron Post with Lucky Mulholland, New Ruins and Water Between Continents.
REVIEWS "Wow, I love it." - Rhythm Magazine "Punchy bass and tightly wound drums. Think very seriously about making sure you hear Triple Whip." (8/10) - Rock Sound Magazine "Triple Whip is doing something that no one else in town is doing. I felt like I was cheating on the old Triple Whip by liking the new one so much." - Just a Fan
Illinois singer-songwriter Angie Heaton, a former member of Corndolly, Liquorette and Tractor Kings. Angie's music is a kaleidoscope of influences, her albums lovingly assembled scrapbooks filled with torn pages from yearbooks and journals, concert tickets worn down from the washing machine, dog-eared photos of backyard parties and summer vacations. Every song Angie writes is a love letter that never got mailed, a list of hopeful New Year's resolutions, diary-personal, fragile, beautiful, and real.
www.angieheaton.com/
www.parasol.com/artists/angieheaton.asp
QUOTE
"Her sharp sense of humor, melodic deftness, and cow-punk verve are hot enough to pop her out of the corn belt" - Entertainment Weekly
Wikipedia? Please! Get the straight dope here. We formed in 1999 in Champaign, IL. After our demo "The Grief EO" got around, we put out an LP with Mud/Parasol Records title "Yr Money or Yr Life." We figured on double-indie cred with that, but no such luck. That record was then licensed to one Francis MacDonald (BMX Bandits/Teenage Fanclub) of the venerable Shoeshine Records, Glasgow Scotland. After receiving heaps of critical acclaim (yea, big deal) in the UK in 2002, and a couple tours in support of "Yr Money," we released our second LP "Crisis Helpline." Again, we got some critical love in the big time rags, apparently enough to entice music publishing mogul Bryan Morrisson and his newly acquired Snapper music label to snatch us up from Shoeshine. In order to introduce our secret band to a wider audience, beyond the goofballs who put stock in record reviews, on March 27th of 2006 we release a "hybrid" album of the "best" of both "Yr Money" and "Crisis" in one convenient, all-killer-no-filler package entitled "Yard Sale." What else do you call it when you try to get rid of old crap?
Our sound is influenced by old-school punk (Wire, Minutemen, Misfits) and old-school country (Hank, Lefty, Patsy, Johnny) with a dash of singer/songwriter (Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake). But so much more than that too of course. Best to just have a listen and figure out your own way to slag us. The goal is always to create well-written, handmade tunes, free from the crap that plagues modern rock 'n roll. You won't catch any of us indoors wrapped up in a scarf with ten pins on it or wearing ties or grandpa's pork-pie hat on stage. Because we have songs instead.
www.thebeautyshopband.com
www.myspace.com/thebeautyshop
www.snappermusic.com
The Beauty Shop is: John Hoeffleur (guitar, vocals), Ariane Peralta (bass), Ben (Creecher) Ucherek (drums).
REVIEWS
"John Hoeffleur is a songwriter with a Midas-like touch in articulating the pious nature of love and heartbreak" (8/10) - NME
"A lo-fi punk aesthetic at work that is as much J Mascis as Johnny Cash" - Mojo
"Perfect. Beautiful. Essential." - Drowned in Sound
elsinore is a 4-piece acoustic folk/rock/alt-country band from Charleston and Champaign, Illinois. The band is Ryan Groff on lead vocals/acoustic guitar, Dave Pride on congas & percussion/vocals, Mark Woolwine on piano/vocals, and Chris Eitel on bass/vocals. The musical interests of the group span from rock to bluegrass to metal to alt-country to folk to classical to latin and back again. Ryan has a Bachelor's degree in Music Composition from Eastern Illinois University where he was classically trained in vocal performance. Mark is about to complete his Master's degree in Music Composition and already has a Bachelor's degree in Piano Education from Eastern Ill. University. Dave is currently a Percussion Performance major at Eastern Ill. University and will be finished with his Bachelor's in December, 2007. Chris is a massage therapist working towards a degree in Chiropractics. The quartet, as it is now, has been together since October, 2004, but has released two EPs already with their first full-length studio album, recorded with Mark Rubel at Pogo Studio, to be release on April 29th. The band has evolved over the past year and a half into its current instrumentation, which creates a healthy mix of prolific musicality and a unique stage set-up.
elsinore was recently voted "Best Live Band in Champaign-Urbana" at the 2006 WPGU/buzz Local Music Awards and will be releasing their first full-length studio album on April 29th @ The Cowboy Monkey!
Band Review:
elsinore was recently voted "Best Live Band in Champaign-Urbana" at the 2006 WPGU/buzz Local Music Awards and will be releasing their first full-length studio album on April 29th @ The Cowboy Monkey!
"If I could compare seeing elsinore to ONE THING... I would say it's mostly like cart-wheeling through a church of daisies in the summer when you're not allergic and you can do cartwheels (NOT ROUNDOFFS) without looking like a fool and you don't hate church and you're wearing pads and there are no thistles and you don't hate summer and you have sunblock on, but not too much that you have that weird slick greasy feeling. Basically."
When it comes to Phrygian Squire, perhaps the only thing more ambitious than its name, is its sound. The group, comprised of Benan Avci (piano, vocals), Connor Grant (guitar, vocals), Charles Lane (tenor sax), Tony Nicosia (bass), and Andrew Patun (drums), combines five members to provide a new and exciting sonic experience on each track they create. The unique sound can be attributed to, in part, each member's diverse musical influences, including Ben Folds, The Eels, Radiohead, The Allman Brothers, which result in songs spanning the musical spectrum from blues to funk to jazz to rock and roll.
Though the band members all call Chicago home, they did not unite until reaching the U of I campus in fall of 2005. Despite its relatively short tenure together, Phrygian Squire already boasts a catalog of ten songs, including Rolly O'Poly, which is slated for inclusion on the Green St. Records compilation Crescendo. This album will follow the groups self-released Live At the Canopy, recorded during a January performance at the Urbana venue, as well as a five song demo the group hopes to have completed by early spring.
In the meantime, Phrygian Squire continues to be a presence on the local music scene, playing shows at Iron Post and Canopy Club, and expanding its base to include other college campuses. Creating a fresh and dynamic live show each night poses no threat to Phrygian Squire, as most of its songs feature solos which work off only a basic framework which enables them to be improvised each time. Keeping people coming out is essential, as music is an integral part of life for the many members of Phrygian Squire, most of whom are music majors looking to make music their ultimate career. "Once we sell out the Assembly Hall. That's when we'll quit," proclaims bassist Tony Nicosia. Clearly, ambition is something not limited only to Phrygian Squire's name and sound.
The Tons 'O' Fun Band is an established, high-energy ensemble that plays some of the most popular and danceable R&B, Soul, Funk, Blues, & Rock material ever recorded. Based out of Champaign and Danville, Illinois, TOFB signature sound is overall high-quality musicianship. What sets TOFB apart is it's dynamic four-piece horn section, unique to East Central Illinois and West Central Indiana.
The Tons 'O' Fun Band has performed for many of East Central Illinois' top festivals, fundraisers, venues and events including University of Illinois and Purdue University Football Street Fests, Urbana and Hoopeston's Sweet Corn Festivals, and park district Concert in the Parks. TOFB has shared the stage with many national touring artists including
- The Family Stone Experience, Head East, and
- The Greg Rollie Band (former lead singer for Santana & Journey)
TOFB is:
- Pauli Carman-vocal and percussion,
- Larry Fredrickson-drums, Jim Cogswell-vocal and keys,
- Sam Hankins-trumpet, Scott Karlstrom-bass, Bob Smiley-Sax, Steve Shaw- trumpet, Matt Flynn-trombone, & Joe Ingolia-guitar.
Whether you're into fantastic vocals, super-tight percussion, or screaming horns, the Tons 'O' Fun Band is sure to bring you to your feet and begging for more!
The Greg Spero Trio combines the melodic and harmonic ideas of jazz with the groove of R&B Hip/Hop, and the timbres of fusion and metal. The result is music you can groove to, while maintaining interesting and exciting melodies and chord structures, all smashed in the face by a healthy brick of distortion.
Straight from Chicago, the core members of the group include Jerald Gary, drummer from a strong Jazz and Hip-Hop background, Dan Wonsover, bassist who draws influence from modern jam-based fusion artists such String Cheese Incident, Phish, and Umphrey's Mcgee, and Greg Spero, jazz keyboard player and performer from early youth, drawing influence from jazz greats such as Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett, the Yellowjackets, and Ornette Coleman, composers such as Stravinsky and Chopin, and popular groups such as Nirvana, Metallica, Bjork, and D'Angelo.
Their recently released CD, "Live in 25", has gained wide acclaim with rock, hip-hop, fusion, and jazz audiences. Check out their local shows around Champaign/Urbana, or meet them at their performances in Chicago and New York City.
"If you're here to enjoy, dance, groove, and love, we will welcome you with open arms into our world of sound. We're here to have fun. We're here to play. We're here to rock. Hard."
Champaign, Illinois' own Lorenzo Goetz combine bouncy rhythms and clever wordplay to create infectious, head-nod music. Their energetic live shows and vintage style have garnered praise from around the globe. In 2005, the band traveled outside of their home state to Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Massachusetts and New York.
In February, the band will independently release its newest effort, The Heavy EP and once again hit the road. The six song disc showcases the production talents of some of Champaign and Chicago's finest with tracks by Andy Lund (Temple Of Low Men, Kate Hathaway, Megan Johns), Brett Sanderson (Headlights), Anthony Gravino (Music For 5 Year Olds, Goran Ivanic) and Adam Schmitt (The Living Blue). The band also self-produced two tracks in their budding home studio.
Relentless touring has allowed LG to share the stage with a wide range of artists, including; The Redwalls (Capitol), American Minor (Jive), The Living Blue (Minty Fresh), Poster Children (spinART), Centaur (x-Hum), Aveo (Barsuk), Heiruspecs (Atmosphere's backing band), The Reputation (Lookout!), Motion City Soundtrack (Epitaph), Drums & Tuba (Righteous Babe) and many more.
With several honors (C-U Music Awards Best Rock Band & Best Band Overall and The Hub Weekly's "Best Band of 2005") and a growing fan base, this band has a lot to look forward to in 2006. People, get ready.
