Of Former Fame began in early 2007 in the ubiquitous suburbs of Portland, Oregon. Hopping from suburb to suburb, the band's location is constantly morphing as needs arise while keeping PDX as its main stay. Falling into the Modern Rock, Alternative and even Metal categories, Of Former Fame blends heavy riffs, enveloping melodies, and catchy vocals for a blend of rock that is unique and familiar at the same time. With influence from superstars such Chevelle, Foo Fighters and The Devil Wears Prada, O.F.F. has created a delicious mix of tasty goodness. Steve belts out the head spinning gasps while alternating between rhythm and "trinket" sounds on his guitfiddle. Omni (Joel) instigates the composition and drops main rhythm and lead strings in an appropriately chaotic fashion. Brent lays the foundations with metallicious beats like a artisan concrete salesman at a do it yourself expose. Thump is brought to you by the letter "Jason" where all your dreams of long thick strings can come true. All purchases final. Refunds only provided in cases of defective materials. Not available in all states. Line up ladies for your collection of masterpieces of the male persuasion. You're about to get O.F.F.!
Starting from a solo project Omni hit up the old craigslist and began to pull in some good friends. After meeting a singer on craigslist, Omni started refining some tunage. While at work, Omni met Brent. Immediately he knew he played drums without even talking to him. He asked him to come jam and after 6 months of obnoxious harassment Brent finally bought a kit to replace his former stolen drums and they were half way there. Omni and Steve began a friendship at Baker High School and slowly wafted over to the PDX area. Back in the day Omni helped Steve learn some guitar and decided to reconnect and pull Steve in to play "second string" (pun intended). Over time a new singer was crowned and a plethora of bass players have sifted through the works like driftwood in the sea. Still short a bassist they set out on a noble quest to find the perfect low end emphasizer. Many have come and many have fallen with Jason currently picking up the slack. Will he remain and prove worthy of the O.F.F. experience? They truly hope so because training is a bitch. During the early days of garage bandery, the cops were called in to investigate the racket. Shortly after the Roland TD3 v-kit was obtained and now practice is hi-fi low volume in various bedrooms while barely disturbing the picky neighbors. Thank God for Line 6 Pod technology.
Of Former Fame has been gathering steam in the PDX area and is currently marketing online with a vengeance (read Twitter, Facebook, Reverbnation, MySpace, your mom). You can hear O.F.F.'s self recorded EP on a variety of online radio shows including Jango on a regular basis and occasionally on PDX's own Rock 101 KUFO. With over ten thousand fans on MySpace, their online fan base is growing with a determination only a B list celebrity on a reality TV show can appreciate. Despite all this, Of Former Fame is just getting started with the end game goal of rocking the undies off of every man, woman and child in this little 3rd rock from the sun.
In 1981 Adrian Iowa founded the band PROTOTYP and "prototyp" became the program for the band. With every concert, the four musicians presented new compositions, there were no repetitions!
Adrian Iowa began his musical career with his own band PROTOTYP and pleased his fans with melodious Artrock songs, selective melodies and stirring rhythms. Whoever saw and listened to this band before, knows why they succeed in filling the masses with enthusiasm straight away! The melodies go into the ear, the lyrics leave an imprint. The end product is merciless Entertainment, full of surprises and because they don't become tired, they show their qualities live on stage to proof it - the performance on stage is a must.
Adrian Iowa is composer and copywriter of the band, (Some of his poems appeared in magazines). Remarcable about the band was, that for 6 years(during 1981-1987), they renounced the bass guitar. However, this was compensated through the development of an individual guitar tuning and gave the Prototyp sound something really unique.... although lyrics existed only instrumental songs were played for years... Adrian Iowa wanted to draw the audiences attention to the special tuned guitar of his.
Adrian Iowa and his band called PROTOTYP has become new members and define themselves somewhere between a production team, studio musicians, family and band. They come together to realize this project, a unique Rock-Opera, a musical event of special kind called.
"Not better than the others - just other than the best - so, B OriGinaL -don't ImiTate!"
Adrian Iowa PROTOTYP
Artrock Made in Germany Contact:
PROTOTYP Music Productions Bozener Str. 3 72379 Hechingen Deutschland Phone: 0049 (0) 7471 622943 Fax: 0049 (0) 7471 621641 E-Mail: kontakt@prototypmusic.de
I came to music quite late, maybe sixteen, when I started to learn to play guitar. With major encouragement from my brother Peter, I started to write songs and we began to play small gigs and make demos at home. I attended Trinity College in Dublin for an amazing "academic" year before I had to tell the Dean I'd been offered a recording deal by Capitol Records in Los Angeles and I wouldn't be coming back. He told me I was crazy but wished me good luck all the same.
Since then Peter and I have recorded four albums as 'The Devlins', along with some amazing musicians, producers and friends. We've toured all over the world and music has afforded me the opportunity to meet a huge amount of wonderful, varied and interesting people from many walks of life. I hope I’ve taken these experiences and somehow drawn upon them to help me make this first solo record.
Montreal has always been a very inspiring place for me, it's full of life and art and drama, a perfect place to write and record music. I made Democracy Of One there with my Producer Pierre Marchand for all of those reasons. Pierre has been a long time friend and collaborator, so he was the obvious choice to produce this record.
We had the luxury of time on this one, which is not necessarily always a good thing, but Pierre had just built a great new studio and I willingly became the guinea pig for his new experiment. We did it in a couple of recording stints which really helped, as we got to think about what we had recorded and revisit it with fresh ears. It's pretty much a 3 piece on the album consisting of myself on guitars and vocals, Pierre on bass and piano and our friend Matt Chamberlain on drums – a true collaboration for all the right reasons. I wanted to keep it as sparse and direct as I could and I think we succeeded in that.
I love to write songs, play music and perform. It's not a job for me. It never has been. It's who I am. It's kind of that simple.
For those of you who don't already know me, my name is Kat Maslich-Bode, formerly Kat Maslich, the female half of “eastmountainsouth”.
I grew up in Roanoke, Virginia and always had music around me. My twin Emmy and I are the youngest of five. I'm sure listening to my brother and sister's vinyl records had something to do with my love for music and vocalists.
My mother is a pianist who still plays regularly in my hometown church and my step-father’s love for music and collecting instruments still influences me greatly. My grandparents used to live down the road from Ralph Stanley and I used to attend local bluegrass festivals as a young girl and would pass by his "Clinch Mountain Boy's tour bus all the time. I grew up witnessing amazing musicians who ate, drank and breathed this genre of music. The essence of Appalachia is ingrained in the fabric of my home state and therefore into me.
In the early 90's I packed my bags and tried to find my place in music with short-lived stints in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Atlanta. In search of clarity, I always somehow gravitated back to Los Angeles where I felt the most comfortable in my skin. I had a chance meeting with Peter Bradley Adams during a singing audition for a television spot. He was one of the musical composers and I felt an instant connection. The commercial never panned out but a friend of Pete's brought him to a solo show of mine soon thereafter. As a result, I sang on a country demo he was working on, and we realized we shared similar musical tastes and songwriting styles. There was no denying the feeling of finally meeting a musical partner - someone who really "got me". We both then, abandoned our solo careers, and became “eastmountainsouth”.
A year later our recording demos were being played on KCRW in Santa Monica,CA . We thought this was the start of the long haul of paying our dues. But the songs quickly caught the attention of Robbie Robertson of “The Band” who signed us to a recording contract with DreamWorks Records in autumn 2001. We released our debut album in 2003. We had an extraordinary year. The record was embraced by the AAA radio format – spending 11 weeks at number 1 on the FMQB Public Radio Album chart and “You Dance” from the album spent 9 weeks in the top 5 on the Radio & Records Commercial AAA Song chart. We toured with extraordinary people like Lucinda Williams, Tracy Chapman, Joan Baez and Nelly Furtado and other brilliant artists that were on the same path as us. Through all the tough miles touring on the road, during the hard times and the great times, it was the support of our fans that carried us.
In July of 2004, newly married, I had the wonderful experience of singing solo at the “Gram Parsons Tribute” concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Universal Amphitheatre in LA. I was honored to perform along with such top notch musicians as Keith Richards, Norah Jones, Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle and others, many of whom I consider my greatest inspirations. In September 2004, “eastmountainsouth” wrapped up touring our first record by playing at the Hollywood Bowl, opening up for Lyle Lovett and Shelby Lynne. It was an amazing experience and a great way to say thanks to our fans and friends for their love. I was seven months pregnant at the time and that was an incredible feeling, almost surreal at times.
In November 2004 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Lula Blue Bode with my husband Darryl at my side and family life became my priority while Peter moved on to explore his ongoing solo work. We had wonderful times as EMS and are both deeply appreciative of the 5 years we were together.
My family moved to Nashville in the spring of ‘06 and I was soon after pregnant with our second daughter Mia (Mimi) Frances Bode and we welcomed her into the world in March of ‘08.
In April of 09, I started finally to record music again with Neilson Hubbard producing, (Kim Richey, Strays Don't Sleep, Matthew Perryman Jones etc). I had met Neilson in Los Angeles in early 2002 through my dear friend Garrison Starr.
This recording was a labor of love and literally almost six years in the making. I am truly blessed to have so many amazing friends, musicians and singers join me on the record.
“March” is a song I wrote for my husband on our wedding day. It's a special song also because our daughter’s, (Lula Blue), heartbeat in-utero begins and ends the song. Mary Chapin Carpenter sings on “March”.
One of my dear friends Tim Easton coined “JPMFYF”. I had the great pleasure of meeting him in the early fall of 1999. He had just moved to Los Angeles from Ohio. Tim and I met at a West Hollywood venue while I was singing some harmony with my friend Sid Hillman and his “Sid Hillman Quartet”. Tim introduced himself after the show and asked me to sing on some pre-production demos for New West records. Shortly thereafter I joined him on three songs for his debut, “The Truth About Us”. I was really happy to have had that opportunity. We have remained friends and supported each other's careers ever since. When I heard “Ammunition”, his third release with New West, I really was blown away with “JPMFYF”. I had to re-record the song in my own way. It's considered by some to be a controversial song - in my opinion, I think the message is positive and moving! “When the Sky Falls” is a song originally about depression and the longing to get out of the tunnel that one can sometimes fall into. I knew I could "always break" as the line goes in my song. i Phillps, (“Toad the Wet Sprocket”, and many fine solo albums) and Neilson sing backgrounds. Glen just happened to be in the studio that day while he was working with Sean Watkins, (“Nickel Creek”) and Luke Bulla on their album “Works Progress Administration”.
“Back Home” is a song about a boy I met when I was 13 years old. His name was Edmund Byrd. He died in car crash in 1984. At that time, my hometown of Roanoke was going through a big music movement where you could go from hearing punk music to bluegrass to “The Grateful Dead” - a splitting of the “whole” in my opinion - so that's why I use the term. They all have a rebellious side. At the time I gravitated towards the punk scene which Edmund was a huge part of. I appreciated the fearlessness in the music and also the fashion statements, thinking outside the box and celebrating your individuality. I loved it and of course suffered the consequences in my Jr. High School. It's not that I wanted "that" kind of attention but it was where I felt the most comfortable being ME instead trying so desperately to fit into the generic cookie cutter mold which was always excruciating. Trying to fit that into that role always felt like I was climbing into a 100 pound suit knowing full well I couldn't carry the load. I STILL feel that way. Upon meeting Edmund, I felt my life took somewhat of a turn. I became very close with his sister and we still talk from time to time. He was very special to me given the short amount of time that I knew him. Susan Marshall, who I call the Memphis diva appears on “Back Home”, (and on “JPMFYF”), as does Luke Bulla, to me - a young man with an old soul and a prodigy from a longtime “Bluegrass” family. Jim Lauderdale, (one of my very good friends from Los Angeles and a two time Grammy winner), sang with me on “Poor Old Town”, a song I wrote after watching “Coal Miner's Daughter” for the 2000th time. I wrote it in my bathroom on a rainy Sunday afternoon. While recording it I was thinking about adding another voice. I wondered what voice would sound the best - it needed a mountain voice, someone from the south but most importantly with a signature sound – and immediately thought of Jim.
In 1983, when I was 13, I heard a voice come out of the speakers at a party I was attending. I literally did not move until the song was over. The band was “The Blue Nile”. The next day, I ran out and bought the cassette of “Walk Across the Rooftops”. I fell head over heels for Paul Buchanan, the writer and lead singer. His voice was unlike any male voice I had ever heard. Their album “Hats” is one of my favorite records. I have so many memories of playing that record when I was barely 20 years old, just having moved to Atlanta before making my way across the country to Los Angeles, in my first apartment off of Peachtree, while going through much heartache, learning to feel more comfortable in my skin, getting to know who I was as a young woman and discovering that all along my passion was singing and writing songs. The Blue Nile helped me achieve that goal. They were and still are a major influence in my life and music. I have always wanted to re-record his song “Let's Go Out Tonight” and after so many years and changes in my life, it needed to be on “The Road of Six”. For me, it brings this project together so well almost as if I was writing in my journal.
I began calling this record “My Little Cupcake” because it was my first solo work in such a very long time. I was not prepared for how it turned out and now I call it “My Little Wedding Cake”. It's far and beyond anything I could have expected. Thanks to Neilson Hubbard for working with me and making me feel so comfortable. I got to witness how beautifully aware he is of his craft and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his vision and genius!
Barbara Rubin is a singer songwriter / violinist from Italy. She attended and completed musical studies at the Conservatoire at Piacenza and graduated in violin under the direction of Master F.Biondi (Europa Galante).
In parallel with classical studies, Barbara cultivated a love for rock at a young age. Her passion for music saw her mix a variety of classical and modern sounds together and she emerged with a sound all her own. Barbara has performed on several major projects in the recording studios and then decided to put an album together of her own. Barbara’s first album “Under the Ice”, went on to become a finalist for album of the year at the Progawards.
In 2008 Barbara joined Italian Prog Rock Group “LoreWeaveR” as the Lead singer and is currently in the studio recording with the group. You can find “LoreWeaveR” on Reverbnation at the following Link: http://www.reverbnation.com/loreweaver
“Turn up the Marshall Stacks and Never Turn Your Back on Rock & Roll”- not only the lyrics to Stampede Queen’s hugely successful and best known anthem, it loudly and proudly declares who Stampede Queen is as a Rock and Roll band. As any of the band’s devoted fans will happily tell you, a Stampede Queen show is intense, raw energy, delivered with the conviction of a band that walks it like they talk it… their verve nothing short of contagious.
Stampede Queen has never been a band concerned with being the next “flavour of the month”, instead embracing it’s Rock and Roll influences, deeply rooted in the hell raising, whiskey soaked era of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, Guns and Roses, Cheap Trick,with a dash of Kiss thrown in for good measure. The clever, tongue in cheek lyrics from singer Zack Daniels further ads to their infectious songs, easily comparable to the classic styling’s of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler or Van Halen’s David LeeRoth, all combining for a sound that is fun, sexy and “in your face, you’re gonna know we were here kind of Rock n’ Roll!”
The band has released two full length records, their debut “A Night at the Cockfights” and their follow up self-titled release, “Stampede Queen”, both to critical acclaim, with singles from both records still in rotation on radio stations throughout Canada, Europe and the U.S. They are also being featured on popular Internet Rock Radio Stations…the latest being Las Vegas’ “MetalHeadRadio.com”, with more and more requests for the band everyday.
Stampede Queen’s debut video, “Never Turn Your Back on Rock and Roll”, produced by Toronto Film Companies Maverick Films and 48 Media, has enjoyed much success in both Canada and the U.S., having been played on Canada’s Much Music, as well as seeing regular rotation on Rock Nation TV. In addition to also being featured on the Hollywood Hairspray DVD, the video was voted as the #1 Canadian Rock Video by Rock Nation listeners.
After some line-up changes within the band over the last couple of years, singer and founding member Zack Danielshas amassed what’s now being called the most “lethal lineup” of Stampede Queen to date. With the recent acquisition of guitarist Andrew West, along with the thundering rhythm section of bass player Vic Vegas, Nico Amoroso on Percussion and long time drummer Richie Lee Derksen, who also shares a lot of the vocal duties as well. The band is poised to bring the raw energy and “blow your hair back” power and style of their often sold out shows to the die-hard fans around the world.
While continuing to perform and tour this Spring and Summer, the band is also in the studio putting the final touches on two new singles being released in advance of their new full length record, scheduled for release in the fall.
The buzz around Stampede Queen continues to grow and spread around the world, their fan base becoming larger and larger everyday…
- ”the people have spoken and are all in agreement – Stampede Queen is exactly what we all need right now, and what we need is the fun and excitement that Stampede Queen brings to us all!”
