Bombs Away!!! Special Ops return to the barracks with their third album "Through The Heart of The Infidel" with award winning producer/mixer/engineer Glen Robinson (Voivod, Ramones, AC/DC, Gwar, Queensryche, Nashville Pussy). After releasing their award nominated "Phase 2: Amidst The Madness" and successful single "Anger is Creeping", which was chosen as the TV theme song and soundtrack for the "Sid Cycle Show" (Global / Men TV) in 2007. Special Ops are igniting the dynamite and previewing the first single "Pressure" from their third upcoming album "Through The Heart of The Infidel”.
First Aid Kit are a Swedish duo comprised of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, whose vocal harmonies and woodsy, folk-influenced songwriting take influence from the likes of Fleet Foxes and Joanna Newsom. Hailing from suburban Enskede, the siblings began composing songs as young teenagers in 2007. The home-recorded "Tangerine" enjoyed airplay on Swedish radio later that summer, and the debut EP Drunken Trees helped expand the girls' audience upon its release in April 2008. The London-based Wichita Records reissued Drunken Trees one year later, bolstering its track list with a reverent Fleet Foxes cover and three additional songs performed live in a Swedish forest. The duo then set to work on a full-length album, balancing schoolwork with the recording sessions. The Big Black & the Blue was released in 2010, followed by Lion's Roar in early 2012
Tiller’s Folly, are the Pacific Northwest's critically acclaimed, internationally traveled, virtuosic ambassadors of song. For the past sixteen years, through 1,000's of performances stretching from the mists of the Pacific Northwest to the British Isles, they have spread their memorable blend of energy, history, musicality, romance and just plain fun from small and large halls to theatres and festivals. Hailed by critics (“Tiller’s Folly is a national treasure”. – Peter North, Edmonton Journal), their words and melodies are at once populist, minimally produced and poignant while at the same time singularly powerful and sincere.
With eight studio CD's to the bands credit, Tiller's award winning productions continue to expand and refine their potent mix of acoustic & electric based, Celtic influenced Canadiana, Americana, Newgrass 'and beyond.'
In 2008, Tiller's Folly introduced a multimedia component to their show including both modern and archival film footage and photography, adding sharp, captivating visual images and film designed to provide a whole new depth of understanding and enjoyment to an already impressive stage show. As a result, this is a show that the audience will carry with them long after the final note has played.
Fueled by their unfailing passion and enthusiasm for the music, Tiller’s is continuingly experimenting with different phrasing, tones and textures while recording with some of the most exciting and innovative musicians and singers in the business today as they continue to evolve as artists. Names like the phenomenally talented front man of the iconic group NewGrass Revival, John Cowan to Bob Babbitt (most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966–1972, as well as his tenure as part of MFSB for Philadelphia International Records) and the late legendary session keyboardist Larry Knechtel have moved Tiller’s music to a new level of mastery.
Now, in early 2011 they are hard at work again on a new project that marks a fresh, new beginning for the band. In addition to current members Bruce Coughlan, Nolan Murray and Laurence Knight they will again showcase the vocals prowess of the masterful John Cowan, as well as introducing new musical collaborators like Josh Shilling (Mountain Heart) and Cia Cherryholmes (The Cherryholmes) along with the legendary Scottish Music Hall of Famer Phil Cunningham on accordion. Rounding out the musical guests on the album will be guitarist Jeff Autry (John Cowan Band) and banjo great Scott Vestal (John Cowan Band/Sam Bush Band).
With their new self-penned songs, new musical studio partnerships and an inexhaustible collaborative spirit, Tiller’s Folly is poised to breakthrough to the next level in 2011 and beyond
Chris McLeod, is an emerging singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. He has received song placement on MTV, and has played hundreds of live shows in his career including numerous independently booked US tours. His songs are beautifully crafted with infectious melodies and inspired lyrics. Chris was a staple in the music scene in Tulsa, OK for ten years.
His most recent album, Traveler, was recorded with producer Joshua Silverberg (Edison Glass, Illuminate, Addison Road, Toby Mac, Seabird) out of Nashville, TN. Traveler is Chris’ third studio album.
Chris has also lead Christian communities in worship for many years. With a blend of original songs, hymn arrangements, and modern worship songs, Chris leads in an honest and inspiring way. He also knows that worship is more than a few songs on a Sunday morning, it is a holistic encounter that should take hold of every part of our lives. Whether intended for congregational singing or personal listening, every song Chris writes is intended to exemplify a life of worship.
Chris has shared the stage with:
Edison Glass, Andy Zipf, Sherwood, Sleeping At Last, Melee, Soular
Chris has played the following music festivals:
Kingdom Bound (Western NY) DFest (Tulsa, OK)
Discography:
Traveler – 2011 Television Dreams – 2008 Alone and Alive – 2005 Late Nights and Long Drives EP - 2003
Tyler James' debut full-length record It Took the Fire will be released March 2 on Son of Geert Records. For the 27-year-old Nashville songsmith, it's a coming of age album. "I'm part of a restless generation known more for its apathy than for its voice," he says. "My songs are about the struggle to find my own truth." With his heartfelt approach and raspy croon, James sounds like an old soul. Citing influences from Paul Simon to Rainer Maria Rilke, he has a reverence for past masters that does him good. With meticulously crafted arrangements disguised as simple pop tunes, It Took the Fire is one part classic 70s, another part Memphis soul.
Co-produced with acclaimed producer Neilson Hubbard (Glen Phillips, Garrison Starr), It Took the Fire was tracked in four days at Nashville's legendary House of David Studios. "Like a lot of studios on Music Row, you often feel like you're standing on hallowed ground," James says. "I used Elvis' piano on the record and the studio still has a trap door entrance from when he tracked there." Highlights on the record include the title track, which rings out like an old spiritual when he sings: "It took the fire to save my soul/ It took the fire to change me/ Glory shown in the ashes blowin' away." Other songs range from heartbreak on the slow jam "All I Got," to coping with the death of a friend on the Randy Newman-esque "A Sailor's Tune."
Born in the Pacific Northwest, but raised in small-town Iowa, James has often been an outsider. "It was pretty much a few street lights and baseball diamonds surrounded by cornfields," he says. "I'm a Midwest kid at heart, but when you're young you don't see the value in it. Luckily I found a Dylan tape in my sister's pick-up truck one day and it changed everything." Once out of high school, James moved to Nashville and quickly found a home in the music community. "The talent here is overwhelming," he laughs. "I had the green knocked out of me pretty quick." James honed his craft while earning a college degree and eventually debuted in 2005 with the aptly titled An EP. Produced by Jason Lehning (Alison Krause, Guster), the release was met with critical acclaim, with Paste Magazine saying, "His vulnerable lyrics, uncontrived vocals and memorable piano and guitar arrangements make for a sound as accessible as it is meaningful."
James' songs have found their way onto television shows like ABC's "Brothers and Sisters" and MTV's "The Hills." Additionally, his song "Call My Name" (a collaborative effort with DJ Morgan Page) reached number 5 on Billboard's worldwide dance charts last year. James has spent the last four years traveling the country in his old VW, playing with the likes of Ben Lee, Mat Kearney, Diane Birch, Bobby Bare Jr., Denison Witmer and The Autumn Defense. "I can't tell you how many strange couches I slept on," says James. "I don't do much planning ahead in the hope of finding the back alleys." That approach would sometimes backfire on him. "I'd end up freezing my butt off in the back seat at some dark truck stop in the middle of nowhere," he says. More recently James was one of the founding members of Ten Out of Tennessee, an acclaimed Nashville artist collective whose tours aim to prove there's more to Music City than rhinestones and cowboy boots.
With the release of It Took the Fire, James seeks beauty in the mystic and purpose in the disillusion that has defined his generation. "I wanted my record to reflect the community we have in Nashville," he says. "I still have hope that there are people out there who get together with friends, open up a bottle of wine and listen to records."
Singer/songwriter Quinn Erwin was at a crossroads. Having recently relocated to Nashville, he found himself surrounded by a series of losses in his own life and in the lives of those close to him. Compelled by a desire to comfort the mourning, Erwin suddenly found himself embarking on a new direction musically – one inspired by the notion that death is a homecoming, rather than a reason for grief.
“I couldn't recall if I had ever heard any songs about death that were triumphant and celebratory,” he explains. “So I made it my mission to write one.”
That initial inspiration became a verse. The verse became a song. The song would eventually take Erwin in an unexpected direction entirely, launching the creation of a band.
Afterlife Parade was born.
As a solo artist, Quinn Erwin has been writing and performing for the past 12 years. He released his first EP A New Day in January 2009 followed by the full length A Million Miles Away in May 2010. Most recently, he was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2010 Jansport Battle of the Bands and played at The Forecastle Festival in Louisville, KY alongside The Flaming Lips, The Smashing Pumpkins, Spoon, and She & Him. He was also named IMVU Artist of the Month in August 2010.
Released on January 31, 2011 and produced by Jeremy McCoy (bass player for The Fray), Afterlife Parade’s debut EP Death is the first in a two-part concept album of sorts. The songs focus on fate, the end of the world, the death of an ideal, and the comfort from the dying to the loved ones they leave behind. The companion EP Rebirth is due to be released in April 2011.
“Death, as an EP, is deep, dark and atmospheric,” Erwin says. “Rebirth is the exact opposite – it’s upbeat, percussive and a bit electronic.”
A fitting metaphor for an artist with many dimensions himself.
Afterlife Parade is...
Quinn Erwin—All vocals, all acoustic guitar, additional percussion on tracks 1 and 2 Jeremy McCoy—Bass on all tracks, additional programing, bgv's, keys, and percussion Brandon Lozano—Drums on all tracks including additional percussion on track 1 Greg Everett—Electric guitar on tracks 3,4, 5, and 6 Scott Murray—Additional electric guitars on tracks 1 and 2 Molly Skaggs—Accordian on track 3 Cara Slaybaugh--Cello on track 4 Frederick Williams—Keys and additional programming on tracks 1, 2, 3, and 6 Tianna Calcagno—BGV's on tracks 2, 3, and 6 Choir on track 1, 2, and 6—Tianna Clacagno, David Lim, Jessica Carlan, and Jeremy McCoy
The band was formed in 1998 by Steve Gulley, Barry Abernathy, and Jim Van Cleve. Johnny Dowdle was the original bass player. For a short period, Steffey left the band. During that period, Steffey was replaced by mandolinist Alan Perdue. After their debut album, Dowdle left the group, and was replaced by former James King bass player Jason Moore. After Steffey's return to the group, Mountain Heart added virtuoso guitarist Clay Jones to the lineup. In December 2006, the band announced that Steve Gulley would be leaving the group. On January 5, 2007, Josh Shilling debuted with the band at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN, and was announced as the group's new lead singer. The group received and astounding standing ovation on the famous Opry stage after Shilling sang one of his original songs. In September of that year, Jones was replaced by Grammy Award winning guitarist, Clay Hess. In December 2007, mandolinist Aaron Ramsey replaced Steffey, making his debut in Shilling fashion on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry. Clay Jones returned replacing Hess in January 2009, joining the band again at the Ark in Ann Arbor, the site of their 2007 (live) recording. Mountain Heart had been with the Skaggs Family Records label since 2002, but signed with Rural Rhythm Records out of Los Angeles, CA for a single record deal. They released their first live recording, entitled Road That Never Ends. This album has been critically acclaimed and highly sought after. A music video for Road That Never Ends was produced by Josh Shilling and landed the group a spot in heavy rotation on GAC and CMT.
Since 2007, Mountain Heart has been on tour with acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Punch Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Travis Tritt, Levon Helm, John Fogerty, Tony Rice, and many many more. After playing the Grand Ole Opry over 125 times, winning dozens of awards and legions of fans across the country, and assembling what is considered one of the strongest groups of musicians in acoustic music or any genre, in 2010, Mountain Heart decided to open their own record label. MH Music Group was born and their first ever self-produced/released project "That Just Happened" hit store shelves in the Fall of 2010. The album, which features guests like New Grass Revival front man & current Doobie Brother bassist John Cowan, legendary session drummer Eddie Bayers and guitar whiz Bryan Sutton received high praise from critics, even scoring a prestigious Four Star rating from Country Weekly Magazine.
In January 2012 the band welcomed into the group Seth Taylor, an eighteen year old guitar prodigy who has won numerous awards and shared the stage with the likes of Charlie Daniels and his mentor, Brad Paisley. In his second week with the band Seth got to share the stage two nights in a row with one of his guitar heroes, Tony Rice when Mountain Heart shared back to back dates with him in Georgia.
Mountain Heart has grown from a traditional bluegrass into a group that critics describe as "acoustic overdrive" and simply can't say enough about. Hints of rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, country, and even classical music appears on stage every night these days. Mountain Heart is continuing to pave the way for musicians and music lovers across the world.
Singer song-writer from Canada, Four Studio albums to date. Living in Canada and currently in the studio working on new material. Back in the studio and rehearsing. I love sound and atmosphere, anything I write that I think is worth recording usually started with a noise or a sound that I try to make musical!
a beat or rhythm, human or a machine!! sometimes a word or a mood! a guitar riff or Bass riff
It all some how gets me there!!! we should embrace whatever technology we can get our hands on that simplifies the recording process.. so we can Create Music!!
I love Music and what it gives me and takes from me. but most of all I love Words!!
In the early days For me it was Bands like The Alarm, INXS, Midnight oil that I was gravitating to. I could sing those songs and we covered a lot of this Music.. the name of our first band was The Stand After a Friend introduced me to the Alarm song Spirit of 76.(Well I find Myself in reverie !!) Mike Peters
INXS Johnson's airplane was another favorite.
I was Born and raised in Blackpool England, and Brought to Canada at an early age..Some of My first Musical memories are of Slade on the Top of the Pops.
When we moved to Canada I saw Neil young singing Heart of Gold on TV! I was about 11 years old he was coolest guy and still is..
