A force to be reckoned with, Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions have been releasing numerous singles prior to the release of their Destiny Road Album released May 26, 2023. The album features the talent of Jerry Manftedi on bass and Jethro DeFries on drums, , and Tommy Mars on keyboards. Having gigged extensively in Southern California, Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions are now looking forward to spinning magic in and around Salt Lake City and Park City, UT
Poison Oak made up of Ray Pearson, James Balthes, Chris Reiterer and Adrian Tarca made up of four suburban mates, living in the tropical North Queensland city, Townsville. Playing shows at Palm Creek Folk Festival and headlining Townsville’s Otherwise Bar, the band has landed in magazines across the globe. Poison Oak hit the studio in July 2022 to record their debut album. With more mature production, and a stronger taste of who they are, the first single “Found Myself” was released in December 2022.
Paul Marotto is a musician who writes, records, and mixes his own music at Haunted House Studios. He overlays multiple tracks of himself singing and playing different instruments to create his songs. Paul is very open about his struggles with depression and addiction and dedicates all his music to anyone affected by these challenges. His musical influences include bands such as The Pixes, Pavement, Radiohead, Why?, Rachmaninov, and Chopin.
Ari Joshua is a dynamic musician & performer whose sound is as diverse as his upbringing. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, & raised in Seattle, WA, Ari’s passion for music was evident from a young age. After high school, he earned a scholarship to study music on the East Coast, where he honed the power of musical expression. He has recorded, performed, & collaborated with Rock ‘n Roll legends like Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam), Michel Shreive (Santana), Barrett Martin (Mad Season & Screaming Trees), & Peter Buck (REM.)
After launching Deth Rali with 2021’s acclaimed synth-pop Light Levels EP, Maike (also a professor at Colorado College) joined forces with former student and guitarist Eliza Neiman-Golden (Tiny Tomboy) to start creating new music together in 2022. They were soon joined by veteran post-punk drummer Nathan Rodriguez and bassist Hunter Bates (Mean World Records). The budding chemistry of this lineup spawned a new era of collaborative songwriting for long-time solo producer Maike, culminating on the band’s first two singles of 2023 – “Ruby’s Castle Island” and “Genesis”.
The Trudy are an English pop band formed in Kingston upon Thames in 1979 by former Cardiacs members Peter Tagg (drums) and Ralph Cade (vocals and keyboards) along with Derek Tagg (guitar) and Sue Smallwood (bass).
Coruja Jones is a songwriting project from Manchester (UK) based musician and songwriter Dan Jones, originally hailing from Dudley in The West Midlands. His debut The Crossing was released in April 2020 and he is now on the road sharing it live, along with songs from his upcoming EP Undo working with producer Sam Vicary (The Cinematic Orchestra).
Riding with Killers is a 3 piece rock band from Detroit, Michigan
Empty Machines is a two-piece band hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, that originated as a solo instrumental project by Thomas Crawford in his home studio. After enlisting Jodie Helena as their vocalist, they established themselves as Empty Machines. With a DIY approach to their creative process, the band writes, records, and mixes all their music in their home studio, granting them complete control over their sound. Empty Machines’ music, blends elements of alternative, electronic, and ambient genres, producing a cinematic and immersive wall of sound.
Eruption Artistique is a real Rotterdam rock n roll and art collective of musicians, actors, photographers and filmmakers.
Driven by a dynamic female lead vocal, November 2nd have established themselves as one of the Czech Republic‘s talents. Not only have they captured such prizes as the Jim Beam Music ‘best new talent’ award; they have also caught the attention of the Czech and European press.
Abrasive Trees is a collaborative project/band started by Matthew Rochford that somehow alchemises psychedelic, post-punk, post-rock and folk influences.
Movie Club has been proving themselves unique visionaries and standout collaborators, producing award-winning visuals, several Los Angeles & New York City residencies, and most recently headlining a U.S. tour. From hard-hitting psych rock bangers to more ambient, haunting tunes, Great White is their most cinematic work yet.
Frank Joshua is a dream-pop artist who forges songs out of a mix of analog and digital sounds but perhaps more than any other artist around today, understands the power of space. It is the making of music that allows the light to get in that he has made his forte.
Samuel Wilbur is a singer/songwriter/educator living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A high school social studies teacher by day, and rock star by night, Samuel Wilbur has been writing and recording his own music since he was just 16 years old. Over the last two decades, Wilbur continued sharpening his songwriting skills and live performance.
SWiiMS are an indie rock outfit from Toronto, Canada. Singer Mai Diaz Langou & guitarist Colin Thompson started writing songs together in late 2019, blending a mixture of his fuzzy, jangly, swirling guitar tones with her elegant poetry, textured melodies and languid voice. Bassist Cian O’Ruanaidh joined shortly after, bringing a fresh voice, unique blend of influences and hooky bass lines to the group.
“Immersion” is a collaboration between Jeune and Bastion, two bands that come from the heavier and alternative scenes who prove that metal as a genre still has plenty of new sonic pastures to explore.
Dog In A Man Suit is a post punk / alternative band from New Jersey, whose latest EP Trapped! was released in May 2022.
King In Yellow, started by longtime friends and musical collaborators, Kyle McDonough and Nick Vining, is a musical fusion of timeless melodies and razor sharp rhythms. Drawing inspiration from the golden eras of rock and jangle pop, their music harmoniously blends raw energy and soothing gentleness. With avant-garde influences, King In Yellow crafts a unique sonic experience that transcends boundaries.
Colin Woltmann, a singer-songwriter from Madison, Wisconsin currently living in Alabama, started playing guitar and writing songs almost 20 years before releasing his debut album, Brown Recluse, in 2021. Two years later he and Heath Fogg (of Alabama Shakes) formed Lake Nakoma and released their self-titled album. Woltmann has just released “The In-Betweens”, ahead of his new EP, Case of the Times, set for release in early 2024.
Bluesy, smoky, sexy, and raw, wht.rbbt.obj* (“White Rabbit Object”) is a “femme fatale” fronted, guitar driven alternative rock outfit from *Chicago, Illinois. What started as a secret side project for a married couple, Frank & River Rabbitte, wht.rbbt.obj has grown into a four piece musical tour de force.
Hailing from Amsterdam, Dusty Stray features the alt-folk repertoire of Texan expat. Jonathan Brown. He delves into universal themes of heartbreak, loneliness and death with a twisted sense of humor and a soothing touch. The songs are firmly rooted in all things Americana (due to Brown’s Texan upbringing and musicianship) but always reach out to new horizons, be they through toy instrument accompaniment, electronica, space echos or outsider art.
Fusing the fuzz-fueled guitars and loose rhythms of acts like Dinosaur Jr. to the experimental soundscapes of artists such as Sonic Youth and The Cure, Koalra is an emerging indie rock band who recently moved to Portland from their native Chicago.
The Trudy are an English pop band formed in Kingston upon Thames in 1979 by former Cardiacs members Peter Tagg (drums) and Ralph Cade (vocals and keyboards) along with Derek Tagg (guitar) and Sue Smallwood (bass).
A force to be reckoned with, Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions have been releasing numerous singles prior to the release of their Destiny Road Album released May 26, 2023. The album features the talent of Jerry Manftedi on bass and Jethro DeFries on drums, , and Tommy Mars on keyboards. Having gigged extensively in Southern California, Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions are now looking forward to spinning magic in and around Salt Lake City and Park City, UT
In Plain Air is a psychedelic rock trio from Colorado. Jake DeMarco, Ben Maillaro, and Nate Tharp started the group back in 2019 and released their first EP, Pillars in March of 2022 which fused elements of garage, indie and prog into a unique psychedelic experience.
Shapeshifter leaves the listener with a terrific and bold display of passion, ambition, and a huge amount of talent.
North of Tomorrow is made up of long-time band mates – Gary Adrian, Brian Mueller and Stephen Rogers. Based in Arizona, and utilizing the creativity of side musicians from all over the world, North of Tomorrow presents something different with each musical idea, without confinement of one particular genre. The goal is to create music that makes you want to turn it up and move something/ anything
Based in a little village near Oxford, Arrows of the Sun is an indie band of friends making folk-rock music infused with vibrant warmth reminiscent of the energy coming from a live performance.
The Kaves are a 4 piece Alternative Rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of Dave MacDiarmid (guitar and vocals) Evan Hunter (Drums) brothers Liam Prior (Lead Guitar) And Sean Prior (bass).
Their most recent release comes in the form of anthemic rock ballad “Soul” which has received airplay on BBC London and Radio X on new music fanatic John Kennedy’s X-posture show. “Soul” has been also been placed in the Scotify editorial playlist amongst the best Scotland has to offer.
Pop-punk straight outta Jersey. Power chords and catchy riffs backed by a driving bass and drumbeat with a singer whose voice has been lovingly described as a ‘melodic gurgle.’ Jersey Calling is Josh Kates (vocals/guitar), Sean Breslin (guitar/backup vocals), Randy Ballinger (bass), John Vouras (drums), and Victoria Maffei-Kates (backup vocals).
Saline began in 2021 as the home recording project of Joe Sioufi. The band’s first effort DEMO ’22 was recorded by Sioufi at his apartment in Brooklyn, NY. Upon garnering interest from Boston’s Candlepin Records, Saline quickly grew into a four-piece band that performed eight shows in NYC between February and May 2023. Sioufi relocated to Los Angeles in May ’23 where the band continues with a new lineup.
Reissued for its 50th anniversary, this album of instrumental tracks finds “cool jazz” drummer Chico Hamilton supported for a feast of swampy soul-rock and southern boogie by the members of Little Feat.
Jazz Dispensary: At the Movies is a spirited collection of familiar and obscure soul, funk, and R&B tracks used in urban cinema, blaxploitation films, and cult-classic movies released between 1969 to 1975.
Prog-fusion fixtures Simon Phillips and Derek Sherinian partner with Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and Ric Fierabracci to form a prog-rock dream team of virtuosic player’s players for this instrumental outing.
Andy Messing wears his heart on his sleeve with his lyrics, and Rise Again beautifully captures the number one punk necessity of authenticity.
2024 isn’t even here yet, but it looks like Pray to the Knife, which is released February 16th, is already set to be one of the year’s most exciting releases.
Members of Portland, Oregon’s Sunset the Machine started hammering out riffs together in 2018. Blending together influences from hard rock/metal to punk and even elements of trippy space rock, Sunset the Machine have worked out enough material for a full length album which was promptly recorded summer of 2022 at Sisterly Silence Studios in Portland. They have taken their high energy set of songs to the stage, hitting several venues around the Northwest and have since developed a continuously growing local fanbase.
Jens Gustavson’s music, follows a narrative tradition that winds through everything from Swedish prog, alternative rock and blues and even some musical influences from, among many others, Thåström, Ossler, PJ Harvey and Nick Cave.
Eddy Mann is a smile for the soul. He’s a combination of cultural and spiritual traditions living in an ever evolving neighborhood. He’s ever comfortable is his hometown Philly roots that speak of peace, and brotherly love. An award winning, and prolific singer-songwriter that has moved gracefully through fourteen diverse albums, his loving colors have always been honestly on display.
Charismatic singer/songwriter Scotty of The Scotty Hollywood Band has been writing and recording music throughout most of his life. This multi-instrumentalist has released numerous CDs which have been distributed internationally and received airplay on independent and college radio throughout the Northeastern United States. Select clips of Scotty’s music can be heard in film including releases from Directors Joel Schumacher and Paul Lieberstein.
The Memphis Blues Box includes twenty disks’ and over 500 songs’ worth of blues recordings from one of the United States’ most important musical cities, almost all from the first half of the twentieth century.
Trans-Atlantic alternative neo-folk collective Lusitanian Ghosts have released their third album Lusitanian Ghosts III via European Phonographic. Released in both stereo and mono versions, this album was recorded and mixed at Clouds Hill Studios in Hamburg by Sebastian Muxfeldt (Elbow, Peter Doherty, Teenage Fanclub).
Highland Cinema is the New Jersey duo of Vin Zapp (drums) and Craig Arthur (guitars, bass, vocals) who grew up together glued to their instruments down the street from each other, riffing away in their parents’ basements like it was a secret music lab.
Jazz label Artwork Records has apparently been operating way under the radar, as I hadn’t heard of them until now. That’s especially surprising given their talent roster, including these two piano men.
“In the Air” is a bright, colorful burst of funk. I was influenced by Nile Rodgers and Chic. I’m so grateful for the vocal contributions by, Témi and Rakjay, who took the song to a whole other level. Témi is a very smooth vocalist from Toronto, and RakJay is a great bilingual rapper in the UK who is also a great grime/drum and bass producer.
Xperience and Ninjaface, who comprise The Unusuals, have a long history of musical collaboration. The deep end of the Pacific Northwest underground scene is where their 20+ year long careers reside. Oldominion, Grayskul, Step Cousins (XP & Macklemore), Th3rdz and countless collaborations were formed. If you know then you know. If you don’t…well you should.
King In Yellow, started by longtime friends and musical collaborators, Kyle McDonough and Nick Vining, is a musical fusion of timeless melodies and razor sharp rhythms. Drawing inspiration from the golden eras of rock and jangle pop, their music harmoniously blends raw energy and soothing gentleness. With avant-garde influences, King In Yellow crafts a unique sonic experience that transcends boundaries.
