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Thursday, May 30, 2013

The Glow EP by In Air is here!

At last! It's officially here! The long awaited debut EP, The Glow, by In Air is here!!!


I consider myself to have been extremely fortunate in that I received an advance copy of the EP several weeks ago, which I in turn shared with all of you. Now, it's time to give back to the band. Go out and buy the EP today. It's available on iTunes and CdBaby... and of course, the links are below!

To Mo, Mike & Tony, I'd like to say thank you. Thank you for the blood, sweat and tears that went into this EP. I know it was a longer than normal process for you guys. There were times when you didn't think this day would ever get here, but you made it. And boy did you ever make it with The Glow!




WeAreInAir.com

The Glow EP on CdBaby

The Glow EP on iTunes

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Sandlot Heroes

Okay, this is what I got here... I've got one of the best indie bands I've heard over the course of the last year waiting to jump off of this blog and into your earholes and I can't seem to come up with a clever enough intro to properly introduce them to you. Sometimes, I am rendered speechless (to an extent), so I'm just going to give you the goods, k?


"This is bigger than I imagined ... So tell me what your thinking right here right now. It's underneath the surface but it wont come out..." 

This is the Sandlot Heroes, and contrary to what those lines from their song Freeway read, they are about to blow through the surface of the music world!


Proudly representing my home state and hailing from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, the Sandlot Heroes are Dan Kastelnik, vocals/guitar; Chris Morrison, guitar/vocals; Jake Lare, bass/vocals and Ans Gibson, drums. Their sound, as well as their latest single, Escape, has a polish to it that's beyond the 4 years (or so) that they have under their belts in their current incarnation. This is the type of song that's ready for top/windows down summer time cruising... and this is a band primed to wake up a stale mainstream audience. Trust me on this one, their melodies get stuck in your head the first time you hear them, and that's a very good thing to have happen!




I truly hope you enjoy the Sandlot Heroes as much as I do... I'm headed over to the iTunes store now. Enjoy!



SandlotHeroes.com

Follow the Sandlot Heroes on Twitter

Like the Sandlot Heroes on Facebook

Follow the Sandlot Heroes on SoundCloud

Sandlot Heroes on ReverbNation

Subscribe to the Sandlot Heroes YouTube channel

Sandlot Heroes on iTunes 

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.


Richie Ashwin - Hold Your Breath video/EP release

How is everyone doing tonight? You ready for some more indie music? You must be, because you're here again!



Tonight I'm bringing London's very own Richie Ashwin back to the blog. If you recall from my original introduction of Richie to you (http://supportunsignedartists.blogspot.com/2013/04/richie-ashwin.html), this is the artist who has restored my faith in r&b music. Now I'm stepping up again to help him out with promoting his video for his single "Hold Your Breath", as well as his recently released EP.


Richie has a style that freshens up a somewhat tired genre of today's mainstream radio. I have a very strong feeling that 2013 is going to be his breakout year. And this video for Hold Your Breath and the accompanying EP are one hell of a way to kick it off!




Make sure you check it out today, and after you've gotten your fill of the video, head over to his SoundCloud page to download the EP for free!

Subscribe to the Richie Ashwin YouTube channel

Follow Richie Ashwin on SouldCloud and download the EP 

Follow Richie Ashwin on Twitter

Like Richie Ashwin on Facebook

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Blisstique

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself exactly what it is about indie music and the artists that we support that draws you to this genre? I ask myself that question on a daily basis. But the answers that I have to that question are easy for me to come by. All you have to do is follow me on Twitter or read the other 125 posts here to figure them out.

So I come to you tonight with yet another answer to why I love indie music and the artists that I support. Tonight, I give to you, my faithful readers, the Jersey Shore's very own, Blisstique!



Pete Klein, aka Blisstique, has stumbled upon something that I never thought could be done. How do you blend rock, jazz, folk, classical elements, blues... you see where I'm going with this, don't you? All these different musical elements that alone represent themselves so well on their own, Blisstique has figured out how to blend them all so seamlessly that you never really know where the folk ends and the rock begins. Add to it all some funky ass electronic beats, and you're as close to musical nirvana as you can get!




I dare you to press play and not get off of your ass and dance around the room!

Mr. Klein, you are on my favorites list on my iPod for a reason. I love your style and the fact that you refuse to conform to a formula that is old, tired and dated. Keep doing what you're doing. I have faith that you will revolutionize the music industry.

They say that all good things come to this who wait. Just you wait until the rest of the world realizes they've been waiting for Blisstique!

BlisstiqueMusic.com

Follow Blisstique on Twitter

Like Blisstique on Facebook

Follow Blisstique on SoundCloud

Subscribe to the Blisstique YouTube channel

Blisstique on iTunes

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Circle the D.O.G.S.

It's that time again. Time to introduce to to yet another stellar indie band that is destined for stardom!


If you read the album reviews that I do for The Ultimate Jamz internet radio station, then you'll already be familiar with Circle the D.O.G.S. as I did a review for the website of their debut album, Unleashed, last month (http://theultimatejamz.blogspot.com/2013/04/circle-dogs-unleashed.html).

Now I'm here to share them with you yet again... only this time as a fan!


How's that for an intro to Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA's own Circle the D.O.G.S.?! Made up of Vinny Garcia, vocals; Steve Deblanc, guitar; Charles Ortiz, drums; Steve Gilliland, guitar and Scott Olive, bass, D.O.G.S. quickly became a favorite of mine, thanks in large part to The Ultimate Jamz. From the first time I heard My Life then saw their video for One and Only, I was instantly hooked. Being a child of the 70's and having my heyday on the 80's, this band instantly takes me back to some of the greatest moments in music.

As far as hard rock acts go today, mainstream or indie, Circle the D.O.G.S. is without a doubt right at the top of any list I could give you. Drawing on influences from today (Shinedown) to influences of my day (Judas Priest to Queensryche and so many others), they give us a new take on an old classic- rock n fucking roll!

 

I'm going to put this out there too while I'm at it. Lead singer Vinny Garcia is one of the coolest frontmen in rock n roll today. He runs the band's Twitter page and is one of the most interactive people on Twitter that I've had the pleasure of meeting. Give the band a follow and be sure to be on the lookout for a Vinny takeover show on The Ultimate Jamz request lines! YOU'RE THE MAN VINNY!

CircleTheDogs.com

Pick up your copy of Unleashed on iTunes 

Follow Circle the D.O.G.S. on Twitter

Like Circle the D.O.G.S. on Facebook

Circle the D.O.G.S. on ReverbNation

Follow Circle the D.O.G.S. on SoundCloud

Support unsigned artists. Give indie music a chance.

Monday, May 13, 2013

I jumped on the bus with Message to Venus!

To start, I'd like to apologize to the guys in the band for taking so long to post this on my blog. I have absolutely zero valid reasons for missing this post weeks ago!!!

So, without further ado, making their return to this very blog, I give to you, my faithful readers, once again, MESSAGE TO VENUS!!!!!


In case you haven't figured out yet, one of my absolute favorite things to do is to get behind my favorite indie artists with pledge campaigns. Message to Venus is definitely one of my favorite indie bands, so it was a given that I would pledge to their IndieGoGo campaign.


Already #1 on the rock/hard rock/alternative rock charts for Miami, Florida, USA on ReverbNation, the band is about to embark on a 33 city summer tour with Dead Fish Handshake. If I'm not mistaken, this is going to be their first somewhat nationwide tour in the US (if I'm wrong guys, please correct me), but they do need to help of all of their Messengers!

"Who wouldn't love to be a Rockstar?

You've got your shiny, new tourbus to roll into town on while your day is filled with radio appearances, magazine and news story interviews and then topped off with a sold-out show that night!

The truth is; only about 3% of working bands ever get to that level. The normal day-to-day of a working musician is to cram into a semi-working van with three others and cross your fingers that nothing breaks down and that you have enough money for gas to reach the next town where the gig, still unconfirmed as yet, only promises a crowd of bartenders and waitresses.

In short, life in a band ain't no picnic 24/7. We're lucky if we make enough to eat dinner every night, let alone pay for gas and necessities to stay on the road."

That is directly from their IndieGoGo campaign page, and I think it effectively sums up what they need our help with! Luckily for them, this is a flexible funding campaign, which means that whatever funds they manage to have donated will be available for their use once the campaign itself ends. But we need to do out part to give back to the band to make sure that this tour is a success for them! It's time for the rest of the country to find out exactly who Message to Venus is and why we support them the way that we do!!!


Please, don't sell the band short and assume that someone else will contribute enough so that you don't have to. They have already given so much to their fans that it's only right that we support them in this endeavor. It seems like a no-brainer that they would be successful in getting the funding they need... what, with nearly 75,000 followers on Twitter and over 33,000 "likes" on Facebook, if everyone donated just $1 to the campaign the possibilities for the success they could have on just this tour would be endless!


Pledge to the campaign today and share the links with your friends and family. LET'S GET THIS DONE!!!

Jump on the bus with Message to Venus

MessageToVenus.com

Follow Message to Venus on Twitter

Like Message to Venus on Facebook

Message to Venus on ReverbNation

Follow Message to Venus on SoundCloud

Pick up the Message to Venus debut EP The Envelope on iTunes

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.


Saturday, May 11, 2013

Lot44

Hey everyone! How is your weekend turning out so far? I assume you're back for another installment of awesome indie music, which is good, cause I got a REALLY good one for you today.

Allow me to introduce you to Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA rockers Lot44.


I'd like to start by apologizing to these guys for taking so long to get them posted here. It takes me some time to make it through all of the requests I get from indie artists. Then there are those that I find thanks to Twitter that also get mixed in. What it amounts to is I spend A LOT of time listening to a lot of music! Which itself isn't such a bad thing. I just wish there were more of me to help spread around so much music!

Let's get back to the business at hand. Lot44 is made up of Preston Keith, vocals/guitar; Jacob Campbell, lead guitar/vocals; Kyle Allred, bass and Jordan Carmon, drums. From the moment you press play on their debut album, Do What I Want, you know you made the right choice. Heavy on guitar riffs, catchy hooks and a driving rhythm section, you get it all from this band.




Currently criss-crossing the country on their Big Summer Party Tour '13, Lott44 is doing their part to bring respectability back to the rock music genre. Too much has been taken from us in this genre over the course of the past several years. Too many cookie cutter bands are out there on mainstream radio doing their part to line the wallets of big record execs. The problem with that is the diluted product we're left with. Not the case with Lot44. This is good old fashioned rock n roll the way it should be!

Check out their tour schedule on their website. I'm kinda bummed that they're not making it out to the New England states, but I've got a good feeling that I will be able to see them live someday in the not too distant future!


Lot44Music.com

Get your copy of Do What I Want on iTunes 

Follow Lot44 on Twitter

Like Lot44 on Facebook

Lot44 on ReverbNation

Subscribe to the Lot44 YouTube channel

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The end came way too soon for Lit on the Flash

My first post on this blog was on July 3, 2012. In 309 days, I've posted 121 times to this blog, all about indie music and the artists that I've come to know and love. Of those 121 posts, I've mentioned and/or posted about the band Lit on the Flash more than any other. 20 times to be exact. There's a reason for that. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I unashamedly show favoritism. My blog, my rules. Plain and simple.  Thankfully, you, my loyal friends and readers have shown me love and respect over and over... to the tune of almost 10,500 page views (between this blog and the album reviews I've begun to do for The Ultimate Jamz: http://theultimatejamz.blogspot.com/).



But why a band like Lit on the Flash? How did they become my favorite band ever? I mean, they're just a small band from Wales, Maine. How many of you have ever heard of Wales, Maine? Or even know where it is without Googling it? Better yet, how many of you even realize that Maine is actually a state and not in Canada? Don't laugh. I get that all the time. If you go back to my first post, Getting to Know Indie Artists (http://supportunsignedartists.blogspot.com/2012/07/getting-to-know-indie-artists.html), you'll know why I started this blog and how indie music came to be such an important part of my being. I'll take another quick jab at mainstream radio and the record execs that shove the shit in our ears that they do today. You suck. Period. You're killing the future of the recording industry and ruining the youth of the world as I type this. I speak from experience because I have a 10 year old daughter that amazes me on a daily basis with what she considers "great" music. Again, thanks to you. I'd like to say a big fat fuck you to the collective lot of you.

Anyhoo, back to the subject at hand. In February of 2012, I drug (as in took her with me, not administered illegal substances to... lol!) my wife to my first Lit on the Flash gig in Portland, Maine at the Empire Dine and Dance. Also on the bill that night were a Boston based band, Naked on Roller Skates (who recently also called it a day) as well as a couple of bands from Bangor, Maine, Temperature of the Sun and When Particles Collide (another of my favorites). Over the course of  that year, I actually lost count of the number of gigs that I saw them play... it would probably be easier to count the number that I missed, which weren't many. I traveled far and wide to see this little three piece band of rock n roll goodness play all over Maine and New Hampshire. And did we end up in some interesting places! From that first gig at the Empire, I was instantly hooked. Never had I seen any artist or band, and I mean NEVER, leave it on the stage like they did that night (and EVERY other time that I saw them). Jake Roche, Kerry Ryan, Matt "Matter" Reignkin, and later, Andrew Patterson, formed the heart and soul of an experience that helped give meaning back to the music for me. As the gigs came and went, I was fortunate to get to know the guys and become friends with them. I found out that Jake and Kerry had a brief brush with fame back in the early part of the 2000's as members of the band Jeremiah Freed. How fucking cool was it to meet two of the members of one of my favorite alt/rock bands of all time? The story of how it all ended floored me. But then I realized that it happens to bands every day. It's all about who the record execs decide to push on the mainstream. It's never about the music anymore it seems.

Fast forward to January of this year and the day that I never in my wildest dreams thought would ever come. For me, the day the music died was the day that Lit on the Flash decided to call it a day. Time to bring some of those side projects to the fore front. The time for driving from gig to gig, week after week, playing in bars and small clubs wondering if any one other than the bar staff and waitresses would be there was coming to an end. There would be no world tour. No string of #1 hits. No multi-platinum albums. It was time for me to feel cheated in a way, but also time for me to reflect on some of the best times I've ever had. Did you notice that I didn't mention my wife going to any other gigs with me? In all honesty, she did not enjoy herself that night at the Empire. The place was small, the music was waaay too loud, and she couldn't understand how I could have such a great time when maybe 30 people were there at the show's peak. My 10 and 7 year old daughters actually went to more LOTF shows with me than my wife! We regularly have sing-a-longs on the way home from time to time to LOTF songs (their favorite is Full Moon Coming Up, by the way). My 10 year old, even when taking my previous comment about her questionable taste in music into account, surprises me on occasion when she pops out of her room wearing her LOTF band shirt or when I catch her humming one of their tunes.

Luckily for the guys in the band, the music hasn't died for them. Jake is still playing the tunes I've come to know and love on an extremely toned down scale. Two great shows down Jake, can't wait for some more! I recently ran into Kerry at a When Particles Collide gig and found out that he and Andrew are also carrying on and that they've got some cool stuff in the works too. Can't wait until August to see your In Utero cover show guys! 

So besides my rambling, what is the purpose of this post you may be wondering? It's to show you that you can make the difference. When you see me Tweet "Support unsigned artists. Give indie music a chance.", there's a reason for it. These indie bands/artists are out there giving you their all every time out. Give back to them. Don't expect them to give their music away to you for free. It wasn't free for them to record it, and their music is considerably cheaper than what mainstream charges. I don't expect each of you to start your own blog. I don't expect you to take my advise on who you should listen to (I'd like to think that some of you have actually discovered some really great music that you may not have know about otherwise thanks to what I do). But since you take the time to read my blog, you obviously have somewhat of the same taste in music as me. When you find an artist/band that you believe in, do what you can to help spread the word. Tell your friends and family about them. Try to make a gig or two. BUY their music if you can. Get involved in Kickstarter or Pledge Music or Indiegogo campaigns.  Pester the hell out of your local radio stations. Get acquainted with college radio stations in your area and request your favorites there too. You'll find that college radio is a little more receptive to indie music. Support internet radio stations. Want to know what some of the best ones are? Take a look on the toolbar on the right hand side of this blog. I've made it easy for you and provided links to some of the top (at least in my mind) ones. 

Most importantly, let the artists know that you appreciate them.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Jake, Kerry, Matt & Andrew, thank you.

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.

Monday, May 6, 2013

The Soon-Another

As long as I continue to carry on with this blog, my absolute favorite part about this entire experience is when I'm fortunate to have indie artists reach out to me because if what I do.

When my buddy Mo Nabulsi from In Air made the comment to me that I should start a blog about indie music, little did I know that it would morph into what it's become. I never intended to be a voice for the unsigned artist. I simply needed to get off my chest my disdain for the current state of mainstream music. Now that this blog has started to gain some momentum, I will forever be honored to be the voice for the unsigned artist!

So let's get the show on the road and introduce you, my faithful readers and fellow indie music lovers, to yet another gem, shall we?





I only became acquainted with this band within the last week or so. I've got one question for you The Soon-Another... where the hell have you been all my life???!!!

Ever wonder what you'd get if you took equal parts rock n roll, "pop" synth rhythms and funk? You'd get The Soon-Another... a musical experience that you will not forget!

Formed in Lima, Peru in 2010, The Soon-Another are vocalist/keyboardist Adele Fournet, guitarist Felipe Wurst, bass player Sebastian Apolinario and drummer Bruno Sanchez.




Their debut album, Autodidact, was released in April of this year. Now based in New York City, New York, USA, The Soon-Another are ready to take the music world by storm. Based on what I've heard so far, this is going to be one helluva storm to weather!



TheSoonAnother.com

Follow The Soon-Another on Twitter

Like The Soon-Another on Facebook

Follow The Soon-Another on SoundCloud

Subscribe to The Soon-Another YouTube channel

Buy "Autodidact" on iTunes

Download "Autodidact" on BandCamp 

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.


Sunday, May 5, 2013

Zoya Zafar

Good Sunday evening everyone! I can't think of a better way to close out an awesomely relaxing day than with one of the coolest indie folk singers this side of Joni Mitchell.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Zoya Zafar.


Hailing from Orlando, FL, USA, Zoya is new to my musical radar, but has a seasoned sound that takes me back to my youth. Growing up in the 70's gives me a greater appreciation for indie folk artists such as Zoya, because I had the pleasure of growing up listening to the likes of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez. A great folk singer is more than just the lyrics and the music. A great folk singer has more heart to invest in their craft, and with an artist like Zoya Zafar, her heart is on her musical sleeve.




Currently working on a new EP for release this summer, make sure you keep track of this rising star in the indie music world!

ZoyaZafar.com

Follow Zoya Zafar on Twitter

Like Zoya Zafar on Facebook

Zoya Zafar SoundCloud

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

The Russ Rhodenizer Project

Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope you're all ready for the onslaught of indie music that'll be coming your way soon. I was going thru a terrible bout of writer's block- I think I'm past it now! And thanks to the ever present artist suggestions from some of my favorite Tweeps (Nora :) ), my list of artists to feature here just keeps growing and growing!

BUT, before we move on, it's time to re-introduce you to one of my favorites, The Russ Rhodenizer Project (MY Indie Music Blog: Ten Down Jan 30, 2013). It's times like this that I live for when I'm perusing Twitter. All it takes is a tweet from a fave to get me on ReverbNation for a while listening to the re-birth of acoustic rock. And believe you me, NOBODY does acoustic rock like Russ Rhodenizer!







When you click on the link below to visit Russ' ReverbNation page, click on the buy link next to your favorite(s). Proceeds from the sale of each song are being donated by Russ to the Love, Hope, Strength charity.

Follow Russ Rhodenizer on Twitter

The Russ Rhodenizer Project on ReverbNation

Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.