CABIN tap into the beauty of simplicity and power of negative space on their new EP, I Was Here. Although it’s only 5 tracks, frontman Noah Hewett-Ball’s unique style of cleverly straight forward lyrics combined with a melodic mastery and technical proficiency give listeners the feeling they are being gently lulled to sleep while their subconscious absorbs the full weight of the songs. Nevermind that their title track was recently #7 most added on CMJ and steadily climbing up the charts. Forget about their large regional fanbase, sold out shows and corresponding album sales for their 2005 release, Govern The Good Life. And please don’t put too much on Sufjan Stevens’ personal endorsement of the band and promotion on his MySpace. None of that matters as much as the music itself…hype not needed. You could see this band playing on a street corner and know there was something special about them.
CABIN is currently touring in support of I Was Here, released by Machine Records (available nationwide May 29). For more information, please contact Chris Buttleman 262.248.9010
Check out the tracks:
I Was Here
Cover Your Eyes
Six Chicago musicians with very different backgrounds got together to experiment with electronic rock. When the music started to gain momentum and it’s own identity, they decided to make it their full time project called
Shock Stars. The name is as fun as their well crafted pop songs. Who do they sound like? Our best guess is The Killers meets Panic at the Disco meets Maroon 5. They recently just played their first show, where they headlined and sold out the Double Door a 600 capacity club in Chicago. Shock Stars recently had their song “Strawberry Lake” chosen by 103.7 KISS FM in Milwaukee, WI, as one of 10 songs to compete in their KISS SUPERSTAR competition. For more information email HERE.
Next Shows:
April 28th - Sokol Underground - Omaha, Nebraska
June 2nd - Lady Bug Club - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jun 21st - Metro - Chicago, Illinois
Check out the tracks…
Baby Baby
Butterfly (People are Afraid)
Biggest Mistake
In Bixler’s short history, the group has shared the stage with national acts such as Yellowcard,the Pink Spiders, the Features, and Kutless just to name a few. Bixler’s energetic brand of fun rock leaves the band’s loyal audience, as well as first timers, craving more. With the help of producer Aaron Sain, the group has managed to capture this energy on their latest self titled EP. From the raw energy of the opening track “Falling to Pieces,” to the synth-laden hooks of “On and On,” Bixler has the ability to merge creative, emotionally charged lyrics with melodies that are bound to get stuck in the listener’s head for days.
Songs from latest release will be featured on several MTV shows airing this Spring including: My Super Sweet Sixteen, Real World Road Rules Challenge, and Human Giant.
For more information contact Dave Clayton (615.498.0342) or dave@bixlermusic.com
Listen to the tracks
Falling to Pieces
October
Program the Dead give it to you like you need it. Live wire rock-n-roll played by hard luck poets with nothing - except everything - to lose. Produced by William DuVall (Alice in Chains, Comes With The Fall), Ginger is the sound of Raw Power-era Stooges dragging Revolver-era Beatles down the Sunset Strip on a death trip bender, with a young Bono trapped in Mick Jagger’s body serving the drinks. Resistance is futile. Endless gigging throughout the US and UK, Program the Dead have broadened their appeal by seamlessly sharing bills with bands like Mindless Self Indulgence, Ra, Bloodhound Gang, Buckcherry and 69 Eyes. Program the Dead have recently topped 60k plays on YouTube for an excerpt from their Atlanta Sessions Documentary, showcasing the making of their latest album, Ginger. The album is being self released with a digital drop date of Feb 27. For more information contact Nico Constantine or legal Paul Schindler.
Next show: Feb 8, Whiskey, LA
Recommended Listening
Check out the act Kill The Alarm (KTA) fronted by New Jersey native, Garen Gueyikian. An edgy mix between Green Day and Matchbox 20, Kill The Alarm has created a solid buzz in New York City, helping them sell out their CD Release Party weeks in advance. Within the past month KTA has been featured at the top of Purevolume, YouTube, and Alternative Addiction and has quickly begun to attract label interest.
Produced by Jon Kaplan (Lola Ray, The Damnwells, Gavin Degraw), their debut album, “Fire Away,” is filled with hits.
Kill The Alarm just sold out NYC 2/17 at Arlene’s Grocery and is playing again on 2/25 at BB King’s followed by an extensive northeast tour this spring.
Check out the tracks Call On Me and Fire Away
Preview the Full Album
For more information contact Veken Gueyikian.
Some people go to extremes of volume, vision and hype to attract attention to themselves while others are happy to simply do what they do and rely on building a reputation by the responses of those around them. Such is the case with Sydney singer songwriter Lior. Lior’s sound is a rootsy mix of styles that always harks back to the lyric and melody. In early 2005, Lior released his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Autumn Flow’. The album was one of the year’s most successful independent releases, and Lior has since become one of the few Australian independent artists to have a debut Gold Album. Autumn Flow is to be released internationally starting in the UK. Lior will be touring the UK, Europe, and the states in aid of Autumn Flows release. Check out the tracks This Old Love and Daniel. For more information email Nicholas Boshier.
I have always been a fan of The Cars. Rick Ocasek wrote great pop songs which dominated the charts for over nine years. I remember buying The Cars Heartbeat City and watching the video “Magic” and “Hello Again” on MTV . Its simple guitar-synth oriented rock. But it’s not modern manufactured pop sung by a lounge singer that so many people seemed to have abandoned. It’s much more distinctive with a wall of synthesizers and huge choruses. The Cars are long gone and here we have a new set of wheels hailing from Canada. KOAR welcomes Hello Operator to our short list of Higher Learning artists. Singer/songwriter Mike Condo who started the band states,
“We’ve always been about trying to write the best songs possible. Everything else seems to fall into place when we’re happy with the songs. We’re trying to follow in the footsteps of people like Bowie, Costello, Brian Wilson and of course the Beatles, who all blurred the lines between pop and rock n’ roll. First and foremost those bands wrote great pop songs and in turn they recorded amazing albums that were also interesting and complex. We expect no less in the music we make - songs with longevity and albums with substance”.
Like any unsigned band should do, Hello Operator is playing anywhere and everywhere and has built up a strong local following and put together an exciting live show. Canoe listed them as 1 of 12 bands to watch out for after their exciting performance at Canadian Music Week, and more recently, Hello Operator was listed as a “newsmaker” in Macleans magazine. The London Free Press called the band a “guaranteed breakthrough rock act” and Hello Operator are working hard to live up to the title. They sold us. Managed by Coalition Management. For more information contact Mike Condo.
55 Regrets
Just Another Girlfriend
Its All Behind You
Inventing a new style of music is the same thing as trying to re-write history. There are obvious established events that have affected everything that has happened after them. The only thing that can be done is to shape the future with the things we have seen, heard, and learned. According to vocalist Dustin Burnett, “I’m not scared to take on any band at this point. Our songs are critical to the heart…like a starving man needing a meal to survive. I won’t take that responsibility lightly.”
These are bold words and The October who hails from the depths of Kentucky is ready for the challenge. The October combines their influence from Brit Rock and 80’s new wave creating a sound that can only be traced back to them. Thanks to the internet and online social communities, The October has created a solid internet fan base that includes fans stretching from the UK to America. The new self produced LP Bye Bye Beautiful is filled with danceable rhythms, bright guitars, and melodic chorus’s as displayed in the track ‘Kings and Queens’ (Everyone is the King of the Crowd, Dancing Around the Room). For more information contact Dustin Burnett. No legal or mgmt. attached.
Aug 11 Indianapolis, IN - Midwest Music Summit
Aug 12 Auditorium @ WKCTCollege (PCC)
Aug 17 Champaign, IL - Canopy Club
Aug 18 DeKalb, IL - The House Café
Bedroom Girls (mp3)
Kings and Queens (mp3)
Sending Echoes (mp3)
Through the Waves and the Stars (mp3)
