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Memphis-based rock trio Ingram Hill would probably love to have it look as if their latest album, "Look Your Best," was as easy-breezy to create as the lyrics suggest, but lead singer/guitarist Justin Moore says it was made with a great deal of hard work, determination, and grit. "I think it felt like we were in a place in our career where we really were going through a stressful time," says Moore of the period after parting ways with their former major label home, Hollywood Records. "We were trying to get our stuff together, and we spent a lot of time and effort trying to make this as great as possible. It's not like we haven't done that with all of our records, but this one felt like there was a lot more weight on it, on the process of making it. We gave it everything we had. It seemed like an appropriate title. We were putting on our best for our audience, for our fans."

Going into the studio with producer Rick Beato (Billionaire, Michelle Malone, Flickerstick, Shinedown) at his Stone Mountain, Georgia, studio was a bit of a no-brainer, as the band had worked with him on their first full-length, 2004's "June's Picture Show," which was the album that got them signed to Hollywood in the first place and boasted two Billboard Top 25-charting Hot AC radio hits ("Will I Ever Make It Home" and "Almost Perfect"). Returning to a place of comfort and familiarity, making a record where they could call the shots completely, made sense. Says Moore: "It was kind of awesome and scary at the same time. With our previous experience with a label [making "Cold In California"], there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen. And that can just make for a diluted record. And there are just so many opinions and it takes forever. So, this time it was left to us and Rick."

Prior to entering the studio, Moore and guitarist Phil Bogard, the two songwriters of the group, set a deadline for themselves. Even though they already had some songs kicking around in the Ingram Hill universe that made sense to record, they gave themselves a month to write at least 20 more. Says Moore: "Most of the songs on the record are from that month of writing. We're a good deadline band. So we busted our tails." Bogard adds: "The writing process was definitely more natural. Basically it was Justin and me working at our own houses, then we'd get together and collaborate. I'd be calling him every day going, 'I've got a song for you.' And he'd call me and say, 'Well I've got one for you, too.' I feel closer to this record than any of them that we've done."

Toward the end of the writing month, Moore came up with what will be the album's first single, the pop-rock gem "As Long As I'm With You." "I wrote that one," Moore says, "and when I played it for Phil, he went, 'That's what I've been waiting for out of you.' I've known Phil for the majority of my life, so it takes a lot to get a compliment out of each other. To hear that after we'd put together so many songs in three weeks, it made me feel good." Moore goes on to explain the genesis of the song even further: "This song is for that person or the people who really kind of hold it together for you. When seemingly everything around you is falling apart, it's nice to know that it's going to be okay because someone's got your back. It doesn't always have to be the same person, either. Sometimes it can be your best friend or significant other, and sometimes it can be a group of fans in the front row, smiling, dancing, and singing the words to your songs."

Bogard's favorite track on the album, "Lady Gray," a driving rocker, is also his favorite song he's written to date. That song, along with some others, were road-tested with fans before they even recorded them. "We made demos of everything before we went into the studio, of course, but we wanted to gauge things on songs that we kind of had in the works for a while," says Moore. "So we could see what would be fresh and exciting for the fans. Some songs got fantastic reactions and we went, ÂÂ'Okay, we have to put that on the record.'"

One such song was "Hey Girl," a slow-burner of a ballad, which Moore says got great feedback every single time it was played live, especially from the plethora of females sure to be in every audience at Ingram Hill shows. "It's pretty much an argument against the constant self-consciousness of almost every woman I know," says Moore. "It's not always the most popular and supposed-to-be-hot girl that does it for guys, and even the flaws you see in yourself might be just the thing that's attractive to us.".

Moore and Bogard have known each other since kindergarten and have played in bands together since they were both students at the University of Memphis. A stint in a cover band that toured SEC schools and played frat parties was followed by the birth of Ingram Hill 10 years ago. Says Moore, "Our original drummer, Matt Chambless, was my college roommate, and Shea Sowell, our original bass player, went to elementary school with us. Shea left the band in '07 [right before the band's second full-length, "Cold In California," was released by Hollywood Records] and then Zach Kirk joined us on bass in '08. Matt left the band right after we finished ÂÂ'Look Your Best'. Since Matt left, we've had a few different friends join us on drums."

Ingram Hill has toured extensively with bands such as Hootie and the Blowfish, Johnny Lang, Maroon 5, Guster, Better Than Ezra, and Hanson. Says Bogard of their live vibe: "It's a feel-good, good time show. The goal is a good, old-fashioned, rock 'n' roll show." While they count bands as diverse as Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley, Elton John, and Aerosmith as personal influences, the band's sound is much more current. Rock Ridge Music signed the band to a label and management deal earlier in 2010, with plans to release "Look Your Best" in September 2010.

"I feel like we hit our stride with this record," Bogard says. And Moore concurs. "I think we're really proud of this record and the effort we put into it. We feel good about it. We really do look our best."]]> 1328680800 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1396 Pat McCurdy is a singer/song writer from Wisconsin. He tours the mid-western part of the USA, his shows usually consisting of just him and his guitar. While the majority of his audience is made up of a college-age crowd, McCurdy manages to appeal to a large number of people of all ages with his interactive shows. Performing well over 300 shows a year, his large catalog of original songs (nearly 600 and growing) covers a variety of topics such as lost loves, politics, family vacations, the joys of Asian cuisine, and the sex organs of long-dead French Emperors.

Classifying McCurdy's style has long been a problem since he tends to follow wherever his muse takes him. Many of his songs could be classified as rock/pop, though he's been known to wander into folk, jazz, country and even Gilbert and Sullivan. Whatever style he chooses, his songs often include memorable lyrics.]]> 1328853600 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1401
In 1986, local rock legends Scott Finch and Greg Slavik teamed up with Plattville bass scholar and vocalist Joe Steil to form Gypsy, a psychedelic blues band that has been compared to early Cream and Hendrix. After more than three intensely successful years and four full-length original albums - "Gypsy," "The Goddess," "People from the Darkside" and "Acid Taxi" - Gypsy disbanded. In 2003, they returned to the studio to record a rock opera masterpiece, "Revelation," which led to a tour of Europe.]]> 1328940000 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1394
After Girlyman's first gig they earned enough to buy a milkshake. Now they sell out The Barns at Wolftrap, The Old Town School of Folk Music, and The Freight and Salvage. The venues have gotten more famous, but filling the seats is just part of the story of Girlyman's connection to their audience. Fans drive hundreds of miles to hear their three-part harmonies. If they live overseas, they make a special trip to America. If they bring friends, the newcomers leave hooked.

The Village Voice calls Girlyman "really good, really unexpected, and really different." When a rabbinical student writes a prayer based on their music, that's really unexpected. When a fan tattoos their lyrics on her feet, that's really different. The band's blend of acoustic, Americana and rock winds its way into your life, whether you're novelist Anne Beattie quoting the song "On the Air," or characters listening to the band in The Last Lie written by best selling author Stephen White, or college choral groups who perform a capella versions of Girlyman's songs.

Tylan Greenstein and Doris Muramatsu have known each other since second grade. They grew up playing from the Paul Simon songbook and mimicking their parents' records from 60s vocal groups like the Mamas and the Papas. At a college talent show they befriended Nate Borofsky, who also grew up trained in classical music. The three shared an apartment in Brooklyn but didn't play together until a road trip to a music workshop. Singing harmonies in a rented Buick, the band was formed-or as formed as it could be before JJ Jones, drummer at the time for the Canadian band Po' Girl, joined to complete their sound. Girlyman now teaches at those same kinds of workshops.

The three founding members of the Atlanta-based band handle songwriting duties, penning lyrics about love and loss and memory. But, as Slate magazine wrote "Girlyman doesn't wallow in such emotions; the band approaches them frankly, capturing, in a story or a surprising metaphor, a feeling you've had but never heard so well-expressed." And sometimes they're just having fun, as in "My Eyes Get Misty," a tribute to the Tin Pan Alley songs of the 1950s.

After long opening runs with the Indigo Girls and Dar Williams, awards and critical acclaim, the band set out on their own. Their music spans genres-they play acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, djembe, and electric baritone guitar-but even in large venues their shows are accessible in the coffeehouse style. They handily finish each other's jokes. Their improvisational harmonies and on-the-spot songs (about everything from the Antipope to the benefit of firing a cannon in a musical composition) have become cult favorites.

The playful approach to music and touring was born after the band's first rehearsal, scheduled for September 11, 2001. It was postponed, but the events of that day set the course for the future: "We decided to just have fun," explains Nate, "and not take ourselves too seriously. We started by naming our new band Girlyman."

After four well-received albums, they self-produced their latest effort, Everything's Easy, with a single, ten thousand dollar microphone -- financed entirely by fan donations. They are currently recording their fifth studio album. Most recently, Girlyman has been collaborating with comedian Margaret Cho, co-writing songs for her upcoming CD. She also produced their first music video for the song "Young James Dean." Of Girlyman, Cho says, "It's the music of my heart and soul. Girlyman is the future and the past and the present."]]> 1329026400 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1400
Milwaukee's premiere Rockabilly band combines the musicianship of four of the area's most respected players, with more than 100 years of performing experience between them! They've got a unique take on the rhythms and moves that make American roots music so contagious, "makes you feel so fine." With a set list that includes tunes by such greats as Johnny Cash, Johnny Burnette, George Jones, Gene Vincent, Hank Williams, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Roy Orbison, Bill Haley, Dean Martin.... the list goes on.....they have their multi-generational crowd up on their feet, dancing or screaming for more.

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After causing a national stir with his appearance in Clint Eastwood's epic movie GRAN TORINO (Both acting a placing a song in the soundtrack),Milwaukee born Elvis Thao has created an ambitious statement with his brand new CD "The Water Street Experiment" produced with an all star cast of Milwaukee's finest musicians.This Actor-Musician-Social Activist is a force to be dealt with.]]> 1329458400 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1374
Drivin' N Cryin' was formed in 1985 in the midst of the swirling Atlanta music scene. Kevn Kinney hooked up with Tim Nielsen, who was in a popular band called the Nightporters with drummer Paul Lenz at the time. Kinney had just moved to Georgia from Milwaukee and was working in a sewage treatment plant by day while playing folk gigs by night. The three musicians began playing together and found an instant chemistry that led them to the success they enjoy today. The band's name, Drivin' 'N' Cryin', was chosen from one of Kevn's many songs that reflected the two directions of their music.

Various musicians accompanied the threesome in the early years. They signed with indie label 688 Records in 1986 after becoming one of Atlanta's top club draws. Their first album, Scarred But Smarter, was an instant hit, reflective of Kevn's working-class background and the band's drive to make honest music that mattered. Their first album's success landed them countless tour dates and later a contract with Island Records. In 1987, Lenz left the band and was replaced by Jeff Sullivan, who was recruited just in time to accompany them for their first major-label release. Sullivan had been the drummer for Mr. Crowes Garden, the band that later became The Black Crowes, prior to joining Drivin' 'N' Cryin'. That same year, the band held its first "Benefit For The Hopeful," a concert to raise money for Atlanta homeless organizations, held annually on Dec. 8, the anniversary of John Lennon's death. Other native Georgian group R.E.M's touring rhythm guitarist Buren Fowler joined the trio at this time as well. He was officially asked to join the band in 1988, after repeated on-stage appearances with the group.

The band released its first album for Island, Whisper Tames The Lion, produced by Anton Fier, in early 1988. College radio success (and some commercial) accumulated with airplay of the songs "Can't Promise You The World" (for which the band filmed its first video) and "Powerhouse".

1989 marked the release of some of the band's most memorable songs on the Mystery Road album, such as "Honeysuckle Blue" and "Straight To Hell." In 1991, the more hard-rocking "Fly Me Courageous" topped charts and was one of the 10 most-played albums on AOR radio in 1991. The next few years the band toured with artists such as Neil Young and Soul Asylum. In 1993, the band released another album produced by Geoff Workman, entitled Smoke, which debuted at number 92 on the Billboard's Top 200 album chart. This album was another all-out rocker, marked with guitar assaults, but it failed to catch on with the public as had its predecessor.

In 1994, the band decided to move away from the heavy guitar sounds of the previous two records and brought in keyboardist Joey Huffman to replace Buren Fowler. That same year the band left Island Records and found a new home at Geffen Records. The band's first and only Geffen album, 1995's Wrapped In Sky, featured newly added keyboard sounds and a return to the band's original sound.

1997 brought along a self-titled album, followed two years later by a live album, The Essential Live Drivin' 'N' Cryin'. In 2000, the band released The Ultimate Collection, a best-of collection. In 2003, the band released a four-song EP, Detroit City Rock, which featured a cover of the Beatles "Let It Be," recorded in New York City on Sept. 13, 2001. The band released its first full studio album in 12 years, Whatever Happened To The Great American Bubble Factory? on September 29, 2009.

Kevn Kinney has also maintained a solo career over the years. He released his first solo album, the acoustic MacDougal Blues in 1990. This was followed by Down Out Law in 1994, and The Flower And The Knife in 2000. The latter featured guests such as Blues Traveler's John Popper, Edwin McCain, and members of Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band. He has released three more solo albums since. In addition to his solo recordings, he has frequently performed solo live concerts, including live collaborations with Peter Buck of R.E.M.]]> 1329544800 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1399
There's nothing new under the sun. At this late date we tend to believe that old adage. In the years since the advent of the computer it is hard to argue against that. But, like the old song says, "everything old is new again". Perhaps that is the best way to consider this genre and Gatewood, it's earliest proponent. Cobalt Cool is a blend of the worlds of blues, Latin and traditional jazz into an amalgam you have heard before. It just has never been recognized as it's own niche. The original compositions of this artist draw equally from all three of these disciplines. Sit back and listen and you will find yourself focusing on the jazz voicings of the guitar, keys and saxophone and then the blues melodies relied upon by the singer. But it all comes home to rest upon the afro-cuban percussion reminding us of the source of all of these sounds. Oh yes, and it isn't your imagination when you get a hint of New Orleans in the second line rhythms meant to remind us of how it got here. The Philip Gatewood Band is not shy about reminding us of how long the cobalt cool blend has been with us. In their cover repertoire you will hear songs recorded as far back as the thirties by artists as diverse as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, Dion, Sam Cooke and Bobby Darin. The only innovations to these being the latin paced conga. Catch this lineup live and you will hear songs as recognizable as "Mack the Knife", "That's Alright, Mama" or "Tears on my Pillow", interspersed with the originals that identify this group and this genre. Gatewood tends to perform three covers for every original. All performed definitely cobalt, definitely cool. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a city that finds itself amidst a rennaisance, The Philip Gatewood Band is available in a variety of configurations suitable for any venue or event. We believe their intelligent and artistic approach to their material is one of the most special things to come along in sometime.]]> 1330063200 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1398
A wall of sound, built on whiskey soaked rock 'n' roll tale-tellin', entwined with a case of PBR and a box of old records. There's no mistaking RECTIFIER's dual chainsaw guitar attack, vocal reciprocity and thumping rythm section. Mix in a storytelling fervor with offbeat poetry, hangovers and ferocious wit, RECTIFIER delivers a solid performance.

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Ed Anderson and Scott Tipping have been making music and mayhem together since the late '90s, when they hosted an open mic featuring drunken jazz artists, angry poets and puppeteers.

Ed moved on to found roots rock trio Backyard Tire Fire in 2001. Through the 2000s, the band toured relentlessly, recording 5 albums and 2 EPs.

Scott went on to become a mainstay of the Chicago music scene, playing and touring with bands like Mighty Blue Kings, Peter Himmelman and The Steak House Mints.

Their paths crossed again in 2008 when Ed asked Scott to join Backyard Tire Fire on tour to round out the band's sound. BTF's album Good To Be, produced by Steve Berlin, saw them touring the country, headlining shows and opening for the likes of Los Lobos, Buddy Guy, ZZ Top and Cracker.

In back alleys, dank hotel rooms and a van that at least once tried to kill its masters, a new music partnership was formed, and when Backyard Tire Fire decided to take a break from touring, Scott and Ed chose to bring together some of their favorite Chicago musicians to work on new songs: Steve Gillis (drums), Scott Stevenson (keys and vocals) and Matt Thompson (bass).

The new project features songs by both Ed and Scott, staying true to the rock-and-roll tradition of BTF while transitioning into a more dynamic, harmony-oriented sound.]]> 1330149600 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1387
Dave Alvin, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and self-described "barroom guitarist," is widely considered to be one of the pivotal founders of the current Americana music scene.

Since forming the highly influential roots rock/R+B band The Blasters, with his brother Phil in 1979, and throughout his long and critically acclaimed solo career, Dave Alvin has mixed his varied musical and literary influences into his own unique, updated version of traditional American music. Combining elements of blues, folk, R+B, rockabilly, Bakersfield country and garage rock and roll with lyrical inspiration from local writers and poets like Raymond Chandler, Gerald Locklin and Charles Bukowski, Alvin says that his songs are "just like California. A big, messy melting pot."

Dave Alvin's 30 years of recordings and live performances prove his statement. From the loud, aggressive rock and roll of The Blasters to the contemplative acoustic storytelling of his solo albums, KING OF CALIFORNIA and BLACKJACK DAVID, and from the traditional folk of his Grammy winning CD, PUBLIC DOMAIN, to the electric blues of his ASHGROVE CD, Alvin has always managed to unite seemingly disparate genres into a cohesive vision of contemporary roots music. On his two most recent recordings, DAVE ALVIN AND THE GUILTY WOMEN and WEST OF THE WEST (A Tribute To Native California Songwriters) Alvin continues to expand his musical range by adding doo wop, western swing, surf, norteno music and psychedelic jams to his already eclectic mix. "I have a pretty broad definition of folk music," Alvin laughs. "To put it simply, there are two types of folk music. There's quiet folk music and there's loud folk music. I like to play both."

A fourth generation Californian, Dave Alvin grew up in Downey, California as the local landscape quickly evolved from orange groves and dairy farms to tract homes and freeways. On songs like Dry River, his lyrics reflect the sadness and alienation brought about by these dramatic environmental changes while many of Alvin's other songs are filled with working class people trapped in what he calls, "the tough, confusing no-mans-land where dreams collide with the harsh realities of day to day living." In songs like King Of California, Out Of Control and California Snow, Alvin's characters struggle to somehow survive in the not-so-Promised Land of California. Much of Alvin's sympathies and world view were inherited from his parents. His father, Cass, was a union organizer who rode the rails out to California during the Great Depression and his mother, Nana, was born and raised in the small San Joaquin Valley farming town of Reedley, He also learned empathy first hand from the elder blues performers who befriended and mentored Alvin and his brother Phil when they were young boys sneaking into bars to hear the music they loved. In songs like Ashgrove and Boss Of The Blues, Alvin not only celebrates these early heroes for their musical legacy but also for the important lessons they taught him about love, hope and survival.

Dave Alvin's songs have been recorded by a who's who of contemporary roots artists from Los Lobos, Little Milton and Joe Ely to Dwight Yoakam, James McMurtry and X. His songs have also been featured in many movies and television shows including The Sopranos, True Blood, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Crybaby, Miss Congeniality and From Dusk To Dawn.]]> 1330581600 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1423
Jim Liban set the standard for Wisconsin area harp players with his group Short Stuff in the late 1970s. His dynamic showmanship and innovative harp playing was well ahead of it's time then. He continues to play with great taste and a high level of authority with his current group, the Jim Liban Blues Combo.

Steve Cohen made his mark in the 1980s with his group Leroy Airmaster. He is sponsored by Hohner Inc., the world's largest maker of harmonicas. His playing displays it's own distinctive style, whether playing blues or in other idioms.

Matthew Skoller cut his teeth listening to Jim and Steve in the Milwaukee area in the early 1980s. His early groups like the Raw Rockers featured many of Milwaukee's finest blues musicians. Since relocating to Chicago 30 years ago, he has carved out his place as one of the finest harp players in the very competitive windy city blues market.

Benny Rickun is among the most recent and most talented additions to the rich Milwaukee blues harmonica tradition. He is an active Chicago style player, working regularly with Reverend Raven, Perry Weber, and many others.]]> 1330668000 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1383 Laid-back local acoustic crooner Jake Paul and his band channel acts such as Jack Johnson and Sublime, the kind of beachy campfire jamming that owes more to southern California than southeastern Wisconsin.

On their recently released debut album, "The Jailbreak," Paul touches on some weighty material, including his mother's still unsolved murder. But like Sublime, even the darker songs never stray too far from a ray of sunshine.

The band shifts between original acoustic ballads and long-form improvisational jamming in the live setting.

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The Imperial is one of those bands that make people long for the days when rock music didn't need an indie or a folk in front of it to get played on the radio. Formed in 2009, the Milwaukee-area four piece counts Muddy Waters, The Black Crowes and Jimi Hendrix among their influences, but their music stretches across genre, uniting under a fusion of clean, bluesy guitar and heavy, cohesive beats.

Watching the band live, it is easy to see how much these guys love simply playing that kind of music--powerful sets of rock that are original and yet familiar. Having already performed across Milwaukee and Chicago, the band is booked through May and is quickly becoming known as a talent to be reckoned with.

Documenting that sound led to the recording of a demo EP early last year and their music can also be found on Reverb Nation or on the band's Facebook page. Consistently selling copies of that self-titled EP at shows, The Imperial refuses to slow down and is intent on leaving their musical mark.

This is rock music for rock lovers and original music for people tired of hearing cover bands play the same six songs for years on end. Many people try to form bands, but The Imperial got it right. The sound is tight, the musicians play flawless and the audience loves every second of it. What else is there?]]> 1330754400 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1380
Six Shooter Records' Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet tie the musical knot with the debut of their new band, Whitehorse, marrying their talent and chemistry on stage as a smoldering duo. Gutsy and resolute in their pursuits of sound and substance, Luke and Melissa's fusion of the personal and professional brings to mind the road-tested romance of Johnny and June.

Individually, Luke and Melissa have been recognized with awards and nominations from the Juno Awards, the Canadian Folk Music Awards, the Hamilton Music Awards, the independent Music Awards and the Polaris Prize. Together, Luke and Melissa create music that cascades forth, rushing like currents fluid and electric. More than the sum of considerable talents, Whitehorse showcases the rarity of true give and take in partnership, uniting falcon with songbird to dramatic effort.]]> 1330927200 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1422 A third generation Arizonan, songwriter Roger Clyne regularly bares his soul in rock 'n' roll originals that are often tinted with Southwest influences: a verse in Spanish here or a line about a desert landscape there. However, ¡Americano! takes Clyne's experiences a step further and combines his popular lyrical style with an energetic rage of an album, reaffirming years of blood, sweat and tours.

Though neither of his parents is particularly arts-focused - his mother is a schoolteacher, his father a cowboy and rancher - Clyne and his brother, now a sculptor, are deeply creative. Early on, Clyne had a musical bent and by the age of five was writing songs and singing them a capella into his father's tape recorder. His parents divorced when he was in grade school and Clyne commuted between Tempe and his father's ranch southeast of Tucson, seamlessly changing from a city-smart skateboarding punk to a horse-crazed desert rat with each visit.

Clyne was an excellent student who participated in school musicals and choir but nonetheless, enjoyed tweaking the power structures of his high school community and rebelling accordingly. He kept a journal which served as his "psychic dumpster," listened to David Bowie and Camper Van Beethoven, and prided himself on his "outsider" status, especially when he transferred from a Catholic program to a public high school in 11th grade. A road trip with buddies to Los Angeles in his junior year inspired him to start a band that played Ramones and Aerosmith covers and quickly became a popular act in the Tempe all-ages clubs.

Music did not truly become central to Clyne's life until he entered Arizona State University. In yet another contrast, Clyne pursued his psychology and anthropology degrees while playing in a string of college rock bands until he put together The Mortals in his sophomore year. Playing covers of R.E.M., The Clash and The Violent Femmes, Clyne began weaving his originals into the band's set list. Soon, requests for his songs outnumbered those for covers and The Mortals started opening for top-tier local bands including Dead Hot Workshop and the Gin Blossoms, as well as the nationally known Goo Goo Dolls. In his final college years, Clyne and several others - including a reggae band - moved into a commune-style apartment that became a center for philosophical, music-charged gatherings.

At around the same time, The Mortals (with a few lineup changes) became The Refreshments. Fueled by a multi-month hiatus at his father's serene ranch with his best friend Michael and girlfriend (and future wife) Alisa, Clyne penned many of the songs that would become the basis for The Refreshments' first album Wheelie, released in 1994. The band played South by Southwest in 1995 and was quickly signed by Mercury Records. P.H. Naffah was auditioned to replace the band's departing drummer and almost immediately, the group began writing and recording the songs for Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy. Released in 1996, the disc was Radio & Record's ninth Best-Selling Debut Album of the Year, went to #1 on Billboard's Heatseeker Chart and spawned two popular radio hits, Banditos and Down Together. Mass-market adulation seemed imminent as The Refreshments performed on national late-night shows and Clyne wrote and performed the King of the Hill theme song with the band. Though the Refreshments released The Bottle & Fresh Horses in 1997, their efforts went unsupported by a changed label management and the band eventually disbanded in 1998.

Seeking a respite and inspiration, Clyne and Naffah twice scaled California's 14,000-foot peak Mt. Shasta and took a weeklong sojourn through their favorite Arizona desert. They then returned to the Phoenix club circuit and began playing happy hours as a duo. Over several months, they added lead guitarist Scotty Johnson (who eventually left the band in 2002), bassist Danny White and guitarist Steve Larson and officially became Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers.

Clyne is as passionate and pure about his music as he is about his dedication to his wife and three children. In both worlds, he's matured and become more sure and committed to his purpose. The band's web site tracks hundreds of postings by fans that laud Clyne as one of the greatest, albeit under-recognized, songwriters of his generation. The proverbial roller coaster continues to run, but with the momentum of praise from the media and fans, Clyne may soon have to get accustomed to a lot more attention.

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Jim Hoehn is a Milwaukee-based journalist, author and songwriter who discovered early that putting pen to paper was a legitimate way of avoiding any form of manual labor, leading to a career path that has included newspapers, magazines and wire services. As a songwriter he has performed at numerous festivals and events around the country and has opened for a wide variety of national artists, including the likes of Warren Zevon, Jerry Jeff Walker, Junior Brown, Robert Earl Keen, Don McLean, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and a memorable evening with songwriter-turned-mystery novelist Kinky Friedman.]]> 1331186400 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1403 Greg Koch has been called a "twisted guitar genius" and "eclectic virtuoso" by guitar pundits. The towering Koch has moved beyond local hero status in the upper Midwest by becoming an internationally renowned guitarist, session ace, top-selling guitar instructional book and DVD star, magazine columnist, radio personality, comedian and in-demand world class guitar clinician for Fender Musical Instruments and Hal Leonard Publishing Co. His work with music publishing giant Hal Leonard has resulted in an extraordinarily successful catalog of guitar instructional materials. His guitar fascination began early. After getting his first guitar at age 12, Koch learned by copying records. He studied jazz guitar at the University of Wisconsin, and his Milwaukee-based band became one of the region's most popular and acclaimed bands.

Koch has 5 internationally released and acclaimed CDs; 2 with Steve Vai's Favored Nations label, 2 with Europe's Mascot-Provogue Records, 1 currently out on Peppercake/ZYX Records along with the recently released CD Nation Sack.]]> 1331272800 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1388
Eisley was formed in 1997 in their bedroom after youngest sibling, Stacy, wrote their first song at age 8. They performed first show in Spring '98, grew in local coffee house/rock venue, played 100's of shows as unsigned indie for 4 years ('98 - '02) in Texas, found and audience in Dallas's Deep Ellum crowd about the time Sunny Day Real Estate released their 4th record. With a hand full of inspiring songs, new management and great press from music critics in the burgeoning Dallas scene, the young indie-pop group released their debut ep on Record Collection (Mike Mogis produced), signed w/ Warners, jumped on Coldplay's Rush of Blood tour and began carving out a National following.

3 ep's + 2 lp's, 15 US tours, 3 UK tours & 1 Australia tour later, Sherri DuPree - vocals/guitars, Stacy DuPree - vocals/keys, Chauntelle DuPree - vocals/guitars, Weston DuPree (drums) and their cousin Garron DuPree - bass, are expanding/growing (median age - 22), hitting stride and persist in writing beautiful, lush, melody-charged pop songs, arguably have the best female vocals in the biz' and continue to win hearts and minds from a broad, growing demographic.

The band's undaunted commitment to their own unique, visually imaginative brand of song-crafting has both nurtured their base and shielded them from mass homogenization. Indifferent to industry boundaries/conventions, Eisley continues to expand - focused on who they are, writing what they feel/experience as they remain devoted to song-crafting, relational marketing, touring.

Eisley is nearing completion on an exciting, brutally honest, catchy-as-hell 3rd LP to be released this year followed by a dauntless exhibition of touring.

Past tours include: Coldplay (Rush of BTH US/Canada tour), Brand New (Deja Entendu Tour), Snow Patrol (Final Straw Tour), Yahoo Sponsored Eisley headlining tour, New Found Glory (Catalyst Tour - 60 shows), Switchfoot (Nothing is Sound Tour), Taking Back Sunday (Louder Now Tour - Aus/UK), The Fray (How to Save a Life Tour), made their TV debut on Conan O'brien in August '07, main support for Mute Math (Reset Tour), plus TONS of headlining tours from '04 to '09, festivals: Coachella, V-Fest (UK), Voo- Doo Fest, Reading and Leeds Festivals - UK... Spring '08 "Combinations" headlining tour, main support for Say Anything (Say Anything record release tour) in Fall of '09.

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Some bands defy classification. No genre can hold Marksmen. Some bands quite simply cannot be easily pigeonholed by buzz words thrown together by music writers. Alt-country. Dark southern rock. Proto-prog. How can you easily describe a group that combines hard-driving rhythms, guitars that alternately shred and jangle, and a frontman whose distinctive warble delivers equally unforgettable, emotionally naked lyrics?

Matt Segallos bare his soul with every lyric. His universally relatable musings on the light and dark sides of life, love, and spirituality filter through rich imagery and vivid storytelling characteristic of the most veteran lyricists. The rest of the band create perfectly complimentary music to match Matt's words, slumbering or soaring appropriately, and expertly exhibiting their song-craft.

In person, Marksmen inspire and awe their audience with equal power to their incredible debut album, "Sister of Mine." After only a short two years in the gritty Tampa, FL music scene, Marksmen are winning the love of not only local radio stations, newspapers and music blogs, but also many, many fans.

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Christie DuPree is the younger sister of four Eisley band members and a cousin of the fifth. DuPree is currently working on her own solo projects. She made various appearances on stage during Eisley's Combinations tour. She has previously worked with Wesley Jensen on both of his EPs and can be seen in the music video for "Think I Wanna Die" by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.]]> 1331528400 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1404
Ike Reilly has been called a raconteur. Just give his latest solo album, Hard Luck Stories, a listen, and you'll discover a rich, tour-de-force collection of tales that sound so authentic you'd swear they were all true.

The Illinois-born musician delivers them with course, soulful lyrics and a sound that meets at the intersection of groovy blues, folk and plain ol' classic rock. In 2003, with mates Tommy O'Donnell, Ed Tinley, Dave Cottini and Phil Karnats, he created the Ike Reilly Assassination, and has moved back and forth between band and solo incarnations since.]]> 1331787600 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1426
This Must be the Band is a Talking Heads Tribute Band; they only play Talking Heads music, and, if possible, 3 to 4 hours at a time.

Since forming in May 2007, TMBTB has been Burning Down The House throughout Chicago and the entire midwest. With a rapidly expanding repertoire from the Talking Heads' catalog of countless hits, TMBTB highlights the best of the Talking Heads, equipped with their very own Bernie Worrell, Adrian Belew, Lynn Mabry, and Ednah Holt.]]> 1331874000 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1395 Pat McCurdy is a singer/song writer from Wisconsin. He tours the mid-western part of the USA, his shows usually consisting of just him and his guitar. While the majority of his audience is made up of a college-age crowd, McCurdy manages to appeal to a large number of people of all ages with his interactive shows. Performing well over 300 shows a year, his large catalog of original songs (nearly 600 and growing) covers a variety of topics such as lost loves, politics, family vacations, the joys of Asian cuisine, and the sex organs of long-dead French Emperors.

Classifying McCurdy's style has long been a problem since he tends to follow wherever his muse takes him. Many of his songs could be classified as rock/pop, though he's been known to wander into folk, jazz, country and even Gilbert and Sullivan. Whatever style he chooses, his songs often include memorable lyrics.]]> 1331960400 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1410 Born and raised in Accra, Ghana, Blitz the Ambassador grew up to the sounds of Afro-Beat, Highlife, Jazz, and Motown. But when his older brother introduced him to Public Enemy's classic album, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, as a young boy, he was changed forever. "I had never heard young Black people express themselves in that way before," recalls Blitz.

After moving to the U.S. to attend college, Blitz continued to hone his musical skills, releasing several mixtapes as an undergrad at Kent State University. After graduation, Blitz moved to New York City to pursue his dream. In NYC, Blitz began to record, Stereotype, a live-instrument-heavy musical exploration, that tests the limits of Hip Hop. Drawing from his diverse musical background, he dove into the project with explicit intent of changing Hip Hop forever. In order to achieve the live sound he was looking for, he formed a band, The Embassy Ensemble, and brushed off his own djembe skills.

After three long years of recording, Blitz took the album to several major labels. Getting the major label run around one to many times, Blitz decided go it alone.

"One day I just said, 'Fuck it'," recounts Blitz. "I was tired of record labels telling me I had to be like somebody else. So I came home and wrote, Rememebering the Future," Blitz explains. This epic, instrument-laden, track illustrates Blitz' refusal to be a Stereotypical rapper. The chorus of the song is, 'I am who I am / and you can never change me / Reaching for the sun / remembering the future.'

Now, his label, Embassy MVMT is proving that Hip Hop fans are ready for the future. Hungry for a change, and sick-and-tired of the juvenile radio hits, Blitz the Ambassador is here to give the people what they want.]]> 1332392400 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1402
Formed in 2002, Milwaukee's No Quarter has been trampling underfoot crowds all over Wisconsin with pinpoint recreations of the music of Led Zeppelin. The band covers all areas of Zep's music including many songs rarley featured on radio and songs that were seldom or never played live. The band specializes in recreating specific dates of live shows that Zep performed as well as sets that feature the exact running of complete albums which helps to keep each show different. No Quarter captures the power of Led Zeppelin while retaining the subtle nuances that helped make the band one of the greatest of all time.]]> 1332478800 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1377
After his tenure in the proto-power pop band the Nerves, and following the dissolution of his early-'80s Los Angeles rock & roll band the Plimsouls, Peter Case launched a career as an influential American singer/songwriter specializing in fingerpicked acoustic guitar and redemptive story songs about society's outcasts and drifters, delivered in a uniquely soulful folk-rock style. Case's secret weapon is his powerhouse voice; combined with his imaginative and visionary songwriting and his ability to blow real harmonica licks, he's well respected among his peers and a perennial favorite among serious listeners. By the turn of the century, longevity was working in his favor as he continued to set the bar for contemporary singer/songwriter music.

Case grew up in the small town of Hamburg (near Buffalo), New York. Like any number of young men of his generation, Elvis Presley and the Beatles made a profound impression on him, but he was equally moved by the folk and blues sounds of Mississippi John Hurt, Leadbelly, and Woody Guthrie. As a teenager, he veered from rock bands to the troubadour's life, playing coffeehouses and busking for change. In 1974, he arrived in San Francisco and worked as a street musician in a scene that included Allen Ginsberg and the Cockettes, among others. By 1976, he had joined the Nerves at the invitation of Jack Lee; the meeting led to a move to Los Angeles and the formation of the guitar-driven soul-punk band the Plimsouls in 1979. The group found success with the power pop standard "A Million Miles Away," albeit shortly after they disbanded. Case debuted with Peter Case in 1986. The self-titled album was a collection of what Case called "tribal folk", produced by T-Bone Burnett and including collaborations with Burnett, Case's first wife, Victoria Williams, and musicians like John Hiatt and Roger McGuinn sitting in.

Case was among the handful of rockers who had honed his acoustic songs in clubs, helping to launch the so-called "unplugged" movement and, later, the singer/songwriter explosion of the '90s. In 1989, he released The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, again with the assistance of choice musicians like David Hidalgo, Ry Cooder, and Benmont Tench. In a 1989 Rolling Stone interview, Bruce Springsteen cited Case as the songwriter he was listening to most at the time. For 1992's Six-Pack of Love, Case chucked the folk aesthetic for something more rock-oriented, but the collection flopped, as did his liaison with Geffen. Galvanizing his forces, he self-released Sings Like Hell (1993), a stark collection of traditional folk songs, favorite covers, and originals, recorded with Marvin Etzioni in a Los Angeles living room. The bold move earned him a new recording contract with Vanguard, where he came on strong with Torn Again (1995), a set of visionary songs with potency reminiscent of Blue Guitar.

In 1996, the Plimsouls re-formed for some reunion shows and a recording session that yielded Kool Trash (Shaky City, 1998). Case remained active on the acoustic scene and hosted an evening for songwriters at Santa Monica's revived Ash Grove folk club. Between records for Vanguard -- Full Service No Waiting (1997) and Flying Saucer Blues (2000) -- Case curated a musical program for the Getty Museum and performed Beatles songs with Sir George Martin live at the Hollywood Bowl. In spring of 2001, he produced Avalon Blues, a Grammy-nominated tribute to his childhood hero, Mississippi John Hurt, featuring contributions from Lucinda Williams, Dave Alvin, and Steve Earle. That same year he self-released Thank You St. Jude, a collection of songs from his catalog recorded in solo acoustic arrangements with fiddle. Fall 2002 saw release of his ninth solo album, Beeline, which combined his rock-folk style with new rhythms and prepared guitar sounds.

In 2004, Case celebrated 20 years as a solo artist (and ten years with Vanguard Records) with the release of the compilation Who's Gonna Go Your Crooked Mile, featuring highlights from his catalog there, as well as three new recordings. In 2005, the Plimsouls performed another series of reunion shows; they remain on the touring circuit. In 2006, a three-disc, 47-track tribute to Case's songs, A Case for Case, featured versions of his songs recorded by fellow musicians Richard Buckner, James McMurtry, and Amy Rigby, among others. It was only a matter of time before Case would enter the spoken word/literature realm: turning his poetic visions into a six-song suite, "Bomb Light Prayer Vigil" was released by the literary audio magazine Verb in early 2006. Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John appeared in 2007. Following open-heart surgery, Case returned to life and music with renewed vigor, and released the raw and rocking Wig! in 2010. The Case Files, a collection of demos, outtakes, live tracks and other odds and ends drawn from Case's solo career between 1985 and 2010, appeared from Alive Records in 2011.

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The Beat was founded by Paul Collins, who spent his pre-teens living in Greece, Vietnam and Europe before returning to his native New York. He studied at the prestigious Julliard Music School and eventually moved to San Francisco where he joined songwriter Jack Lee and bassist Peter Case to form The Nerves in 1974. The Nerves proved to be one of the pioneers of the burgeoning US punk rock scene, independently releasing their own 4 song EP which included the classic "Hanging on the Telephone," later to become a hit for Blondie.

After The Nerves disbanded in 1977, Collins moved to LA and formed The Beat with bassist Steve Huff, drummer Mike Ruiz and lead guitarist Larry Whitman. Their friend Eddie Money recommended The Beat for management by legendary concert promoter Bill Graham. Under new management, The Beat toured with The Police, The Jam and Joe Jackson. They also made numerous TV appearances and recorded their debut self-titled album with producer Bruce Botnick (who had produced The Doors). The album featured Beatles and Byrds-influenced guitars and catchy choruses, defining the skinny-tied power pop which The Knack took to the charts. In the '90s, The Beat re-formed as Paul Collins' Beat and continues to write and tour.

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Chuck Prophet shapes his restless career with inimitable subtle flair: a vivid parade of razor-edged one-liners camouflaged in a slack-jawed drawl, songs about heartbreak and everyman heroism, drenched in twisted lines of rude Telecaster.

When the early stages of a financial melt-down coincided with a rare San Francisco heat wave in the summer of 2008, with the window open wide and Dwight Twilley, Iggy, Thin Lizzy and the Knack blaring out the hi-fi, Prophet wrote a collection of political songs for non-political people. Later, in April 2009, he journeyed to Mexico City, where, in the clutches of a Swine Flu panic and earthquakes, he recorded ¡Let Freedom Ring!, his most incendiary record, every bit as urgent as the title demands.

His search for a new perspective paid off, much like at eighteen when he left his native Whittier, CA for San Francisco, which he still calls home, and before too long joined Green on Red, a gang of interloping Arizonans with no small impact on L.A.'s Paisley Underground. During an eight-year run with Green on Red, he cut his first major label session with legendary Memphis producer Jim Dickinson, burned through a couple of big record deals, and ventured a debut solo effort, Brother Aldo (1990). These were the first steps in the career that shaped Prophet into a prolific rock 'n' roll classicist.

But now, he has created his career high-water mark. ¡Let Freedom Ring! wanders into the fractured, surreal state of the American Dream and emerges with the most vital document of Prophet's vision, a reflection of life and love for troubled times.

To untangle topics so knotted, Prophet uses only the most essential language: little else but whip-smart one-liners, a guitar in each channel and a backbeat. There are glimpses in the rear-view mirror of American rock 'n' roll -- names like Eddie Cochran and an instinct for lean guitar tunes -- but the meat's fresh. There's everything from the capitalist hustle and the immigrant struggle to the impulse to forget it all with a lusty Saturday night.

For his journey south of the border, Prophet put together a band with guitarist Tom Ayres, bassist Rusty Miller and drummer Ernest "Boom" Carter (who supplied Springsteen the beat for "Born To Run"). Over an eight-day session, his ninth solo studio record was born among the gnarled chaos of Mexico City. Outside the doors were warring drug cartels, a crippling recession and the panic of Swine Flu that sent a city of 25 million cowering behind surgical masks. Inside, producer Greg Leisz (Wilco, Beck, Emmylou Harris) used Eisenhower-era gear and did little else but roll tape. It was Mexico City. It was panicked and paranoid. It was chaotic, beautiful, and hopeful. To gain a fresh perspective on his homeland from high on a flat foreign hill, it was perfect.

Opening with "Sonny Liston's Blues," Prophet gives voice to a man with a heart recognized by few, who many thought a monster, equal parts myth and reality -- much like the American Dream. The shuffling gait of "Barely Exist" glances at that dream through the lens of immigration: a father's dog-eared photograph of a kid left behind in a world of "asbestos in your Kool-Aid for breakfast."

Prophet's own country, run by Georgetown barflies that rage through "American Man" and the wild markets under the Stonesy strut of "¡Let Freedom Ring!," is a place where solace can only be found in grabbing the nearest body and plunging headlong onto the dance floor, or waking late with the windows open.

Eleven songs later, Prophet's Freedom stares into the incalculable divide of America's haves and have-nots and offers neither answers nor condolences; the grit and glory of his country -- like the devils he wrestles -- are all in the details.

When you dig the details that have shaped Prophet's career, ¡Let Freedom Ring! is merely the latest highlight in career of many. He has written with a wide rage of artists from Dan Penn to Alejandro Escovedo (the 2008 LP, Real Animal), laid down tracks on sessions for everyone from Warren Zevon to Kelly Willis and taken the stage with Jim Dickinson, Lucinda Williams and Aimee Mann, to name a few. Prophet's production credits include Willis' Translated From Love (2007) and working on Jace Everett's ("Bad Things" / True Blood) new release Red Revelations. He's heard his own tunes performed by legends like Solomon Burke and Heart and his songs have charted on both country ("I'm Gone," a co-write with Kim Richey, on the debut album of country starlet Cyndi Thompson) and AAA radio ("Summertime Thing," from 2002's No Other Love, was a lazy radio anthem).

National television appearances include Austin City Limits in support of No Other Love, as well as Letterman and Carson Daly, supporting 2007's Soap & Water. His music has increasingly been featured in film and television, most recently as the closing track to episode two of True Blood.]]> 1332565200 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1412 Mike Doughty and his book "The Book of Drugs." He'll read gleefully dark, haunted, and funny stories about addiction, the rise and bitter collapse of his band Soul Coughing, playing songs in between. There'll even be a Q&A with the audience.

Mike Doughty is a singer/songwriter, noted recently for smash hits "27 Jennifers" and "Looking at the World From the Bottom of a Well". He led the band Soul Coughing in the 90s, wrote an Aquaman story for DC comics, photographed naked tattooed girls for SuicideGirls.com, published Slanky, a book of poetry, wrote one-act plays for the 24 Hour Company, was a pseudonymous gossip columnist at the New York Press, and used to drive an ice cream truck. ]]> 1332651600 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1405
The son of acclaimed author Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment), James grew up on a steady diet of Johnny Cash and Roy Acuff records. His first album, released in 1989, was produced by John Mellencamp and marked the beginning of a series of acclaimed projects for Columbia and Sugar Hill. In 2004, McMurtry released the universally lauded Live in Aught-Three on Compadre Records. 2005's Childish Things garnered some of the highest critical praise of McMurtry's career and spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Americana Music Radio Chart in 2005 and 2006. In September 2006, Childish Things and "We Can't Make It Here" won the Americana Music Awards for album and song of the year, respectively. McMurtry received more Americana Music Award nominations for 2008's Just Us Kids. The album marked his highest Billboard 200 chart position in more than 19 years. The Washington Post noted McMurtry's live prowess: "Much attention is paid to James McMurtry's lyrics, and rightfully so: He creates a novel's worth of emotion and experience in four minutes of blisteringly stark couplets. What gets overlooked, however, is that he's an accomplished rock guitar player. At a sold-out Birchmere, the Austin-based artist was joined by drummer Daren Hess and bassist Ronnie Johnson in a set that demonstrated the raw power of wince-inducing imagery propelled by electric guitar. It was serious stuff, imparted by a singularly serious band."

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Dana Erlandson has been making his homegrown "Americana" music for more than 30 years. He has opened for and in many cases played with..... America, Brewer and Shipley, Jackson Browne, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart, Steve Forbert, Richie Furay, Nanci Griffith, John Hartford, John Hiatt, Lucy Kaplansky, Leo Kottke, David Lindley, Pat MacDonald, Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys, Kevin Montgomery, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Snider, Al Stewart, Greg Trooper, and Jerry Jeff Walker . Dana celebrates a new decade with a brand new CD release called "Coming Home".]]> 1332997200 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1411
Madison, WI's Jam/electronic band, Wook has drawn on influences from all genres. A mix of jam, progressive rock, singer songwriter roots, and electronic instrumentation, the group creates a sound that is ever changing. This youthful approach to music is mirrored by the youthfulness of the band. Only in their early twenties, Wook has seen great success with sharing their music for all to enjoy. Stressing a fun and inclusive atmosphere, Wook shows have grown to become a must-attend party. As the group continues on their musical path, it is clear that the best is yet to come!

Since 2008, Wook has been spreading it's reach all over the Midwest, in markets like Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago. Participating in festivals such as Summer Camp (2010 & 2011), Jammin' On The Wolf (2010 & 2011), and Grateful Garcia Gathering (2009, 2010 & 2011), and sharing the stage with acts like Conspirator, Future Rock, Family Groove Company, Strange Arrangement, Zach Deputy, Steez, Ultra Violet Hippopotamus, Roster McCabe, and The Coop, Wook has begun to carve out its own niche in the growing jam scene. Through their fresh take on instrumentation, song composition, and life, Wook inspires audiences and fans to join in the party and the music.

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Hailing from Chicago, IL, The Coop is a forward-thinking band on the rise in both the electronic and jamband worlds. Capturing the modern unification of organic and future sounds, The Coop consistently takes the listener on genre-bending aural adventures through the fusion of original electronic production and traditional instrumentation. With a core sound elementally driven by breakbeat, dub, and jazz, The Coop's music offers an ebb and flow of tech-thriving layers interwoven with thoughtful live performance from the young quartet.]]> 1333083600 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1413
Animation has been headlining as "A Tribute to RUSH" since the first show in March, 1987 at "Chances R" in Palatine, IL. We've mostly played Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin but we'll drive up to six (or so) hours to play a gig. Do you have a favorite venue that needs a RUSH tribute band? We WANT to hear from you. MN, MI, IA, OH, KY, WI, IN, IL, MO, Canada! Drop us a note and tell us about it. EVERY show is ALL RUSH music. We've played a lot of different RUSH tunes over the years. The list on the Songlist link reflects every song Animation has EVER played out. We're currently proficient with about 5.5 hours of the list. We are ALWAYS working on improving and adding songs. On average, you'll see about 26 songs per show. About 10 of those will be in (almost) every show. We carefully rotate the remaining songs to plan a new and different set-list for each show. We try to include one EPIC tune (or album side/ medley), per show, in the first set.]]> 1333170000 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1384
Allan Holdsworth is one of the 20th century's most prominent guitarists. He is one of a handful of musicians who has consistently proven himself as an innovator in between and within the worlds of rock and jazz music. Despite the uncompromising nature of Holdsworth's predominantly genre-defying solo projects, he's no stranger to all-star jazz festival line-ups or large venue rock audiences. Musician Magazine placed Holdsworth in the top 10 of their 100 greatest guitarists of all time. An inductee of Guitar Player Magazine's Hall of Fame, Holdsworth is a five-time winner in their readers' poll. He's a complete musician revered by peers including Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin. Holdsworth has always been a much sought-after guitarist, but it was with the release his own albums that the depth of his personal language - and a conception for the guitar as an instrument that breathes with a voice-like expressiveness - became crystal clear.

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Jimmy Haslip is bassist and a founding member of the fusion band Yellowjackets. He is also member of Blues For Tony Band featuring Holdsworth, Alan Pasqua and Chad Wackerman and is well known as Grammy winning producer and muician. Haslip has also worked with many renowned rock, pop, jazz and fusion artists, such as Bruce Hornsby, Rita Coolidge, Gino Vannelli, Kiss, Tommy Bolin, Marilyn Scott, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Donald Fagen and Anita Baker.

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Virgil Donati is well known progressive metal, rock and jazz-fusion drummer who currently performs with the fusion band PLANET X. Born in Australia and currently living in Los Angeles. Virgil Donati was voted Nr. 1 clinician of the year by the readers of the popular drummer magazine Modern Drummer. He has performed with Steve Vai, Scott henderson, Frank Gambale, Derek Sherinian, Steve Walsh, Tribal Tech, Mick Jagger, Joshn Stone, Melissa Etheridge and many more.]]> 1333429200 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1414 Pat McCurdy is a singer/song writer from Wisconsin. He tours the mid-western part of the USA, his shows usually consisting of just him and his guitar. While the majority of his audience is made up of a college-age crowd, McCurdy manages to appeal to a large number of people of all ages with his interactive shows. Performing well over 300 shows a year, his large catalog of original songs (nearly 600 and growing) covers a variety of topics such as lost loves, politics, family vacations, the joys of Asian cuisine, and the sex organs of long-dead French Emperors.

Classifying McCurdy's style has long been a problem since he tends to follow wherever his muse takes him. Many of his songs could be classified as rock/pop, though he's been known to wander into folk, jazz, country and even Gilbert and Sullivan. Whatever style he chooses, his songs often include memorable lyrics.]]> 1333688400 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1415
Milwaukee's nationally-touring, award-winning, festival-adored AmeriCeltRock Troubadours hit the stage going ninety to the dozen. The Sandcarvers have been hailed as one of the best Celtic rock bands in the country. Their exuberant live show and exhilarating fan interaction have earned them top billing in the music festival circuit and live venues across the country.

Combining strong solo voices and vocal harmonies with equally strong instrumental skill, the raucous six-piece are currently playing dates across the country in support of their latest full-length release, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot." The Sandcarvers' write original songs that brilliantly tell stories from real life. They also put a wicked spin on Irish traditionals from o'er the Pond, turning them inside-out and upside-down.

"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" means exactly what you think it means. For the full story behind the title, you should catch a show and ask the band. They love to tell the tale.

Following up the huge critical and commercial success of 2006's release "Dealin' Craic" was no small task, but these hardworking midwesterners were not only up to the challenge, they have surpassed expectations.

Fans of the band will be pleasantly surprised with the new direction the band has taken. The Sandcarvers have embraced a lot more of the rock half of the "Celtic Rock" label. This is thanks to the new personnel who have joined the band since "Dealin' Craic" was released. Chris Trotier, on bass guitar, really knows how to lay down the grooves that keep the music flowing. Aaron Fasting, on drums, brings ferociousness to the rhythm section that is impossible to ignore. Jason Dove, on electric guitar, provides the last piece of the puzzle with the chops and the energy possessed by the finest lead guitarists around. Combined, these three have completely transformed the band from where they were three years ago to the group that plays on this release.

The core of the band has not changed and that is what will bring longtime fans back for more of what they already love about The Sandcarvers. A.J. Laird (vocals and percussion), Jeffrey Miller (guitars and vocals) and Raven (recorders, keyboards, bassoon, vocals) continue the songwriting and musicianship that put the band in high demand all around the world.]]> 1333774800 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1378
Since forming in 1988, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys have emerged as one of the world's most respected practitioners of American roots music western swing, rockabilly, and traditional country playing it like they invented it. "I think of us as just a rock and roll band a rock and roll band that's letting the roots show," says bandleader Big Sandy. Whether they're playing the Grand Ole Opry, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, or simply climbing out of a bus after rolling into your town, these guys are bringing us some great old-time rock and roll.

In addition to bassist Jeff West, Big Sandy's longtime cohorts in his Fly-Rite Boys include Ashley Kingsman on guitar, Bobby Trimble on the drums, and Lee Jefferies on steel guitar. The band was formed in Anaheim in during the California roots revival of the late eighties, and at first were only a trio. That initial incarnation included Trimble on the drums and generated the group's first two albums (1990's Fly Right With and 1992's On The Go), but the addition of Jefferies in 1991 led to the shift from trio to Big Sandy & His Fly- Rite Boys. After a decade, Jefferies took some time off to be with his family, but has now returned to the fold. His replacement for the past few years, the wonderful Jimmy Roy, is now spending time with his own family, but shared steel guitar duties with Jefferies on Turntable Matinee. After spending so many years together, one might think the Fly-Rite Boys would be sick of each other, but Big Sandy says, "No no no. [When we're home] I still see those guys around town."

Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys are almost always on the road, enough to burn through two tour buses in recent years. The first was a converted passenger bus from 1949 that they retired for use on an old movie set, followed only a few years later by a yellow 1950 school bus that they left for dead in Montana. "We're flying more now," says Big Sandy. But before the school bus died, Big Sandy tells the story of driving it to one particular thrift store: "There was a kid out in front, and he was just like in awe when we pulled up. He looked a little bit confused, and then we come walking up, and he wasn't sure if he should approach us or not. Then he asked us, 'Are you guys from the past?'" Big Sandy laughs. "As if we were traveling in a time machine or something."

The group ascribes to a vintage aesthetic not only in vehicles, but also in gear -- from Kingsman's 1957 custom Magnatone guitar to Jeff West's stand up bass and Trimble's vintage kit, these guys play instruments that were used when this style of music was just coming into existence.

For many acts playing music of this era, there is a tendency to look no further than the novelty of the style. Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, however, have continued to transcend their genre the same way all iconic artists do by creating music so good, songs that are so well written, that the genre is simply a launching pad for the integrity of the art. This music is timeless. "Well, it's become that," Big Sandy said. "Once we got comfortable with the style of music we were playing, we made it our own."]]> 1334811600 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1416
John Sieger has led two popular midwest bands, The R&B Cadets (in collaboration with Paul Cebar), who recorded for Twintone Records in the R&B Cadets (1980-86) and the critically acclaimed band Semi-Twang (1986-91). In 1988, "Salty Tears" by Semi-Twang was released with much praise and even landed the band a major label with Warner Brothers. whose Warner Brothers debut "Salty Tears" was hailed by critics as precursor of alternative country.

Artists who have found their way to John's songs include country star Dwight Yoakam, (I Don't Need It Done), The BoDeans, (The Strangest Kind), Talking Head Jerry Harrison (Rev It Up and two others), the late Tex-Mex superstar Flaco Jimenez, (I Found Out), alt-country tricksters Robbie Fulks, (You Break It You Pay) and Phil Lee (Neon Tombstone) and folk-rocker Greg Trooper (My Blue Belle and many others).

Salty Tears has recently been covered in a ferocious way by rising Alligator Record's Michael Burke and exists somewhere in frustratingly unreleased form by the Queen of The Blues, Etta James.]]> 1334984400 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1408
This year has been a year of making noise and news for the Band of Heathens. With 200-plus show dates, a fifth anniversary celebration, appearances at Lollapalooza and other top national festivals and a taping of Austin City Limits with Elvis Costello, it is remarkable that the Heathens even found time to write and record a new studio album, but they did.

The result is Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster's Son, a surprising, multi-faceted gem of a disc. Their third studio album and the fifth release overall, Top Hat Crown displays the wide range of classic influences fans and critics have come to admire in the band, yet they've added, built and grown. Producer George Reiff, celebrated for his work with the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, the Courtyard Hounds (Martie Maguire and Emily Robison of the Dixie Chicks) and Ray Wylie Hubbard, tended to the album's vibe and spirit, which is reaching, rocking, bluesy, funky and enjoyable as hell, from its rocking opening to its serene acoustic conclusion.

The Band of Heathens is constantly being compared to The Band because of the musical finesse that overlays their timeless, rootsy core. And the three founding members are all skilled multi-instrumentalists who can play almost any position in the field. But TBoH has reached so many fans so fast because of the echoes of and subtle homage to so many different artists at the core of the Americana canon, including Tom Petty, Tony Joe White, the Grateful Dead, Leon Russell, George Harrison, and other rarified stylists. You can hear a little of all that at a Heathens show or on disc, and Top Hat Crown feels like the most coherent and mature encapsulation of those elements so far.

"We're just making it up as we go along," says member Ed Jurdi. "I mean we don't follow a script, we're not good actors and we don't take our cues well. We all agree it's important to honestly represent the idea of what we are putting forth. As a band, we are in a position to actualize where we're going because there is no label and there are no rules. It's been an exhilarating ride."

Given the timelessness of their sound, one gets the sense that Jurdi, Gordy Quist and Colin Brooks would have gravitated toward the same essential feel had they met in 1975 or 2045. As it happens, it was in 2006 after each songwriter had established residency gigs on the same night of the week at Momo's, an eclectic-minded club on Austin's famous Sixth Street. Friendship, semi-regular sit-ins and harmony jags gelled into something quite rare: a band with three frontmen, each with enough humility and passion to invest in the larger project. (Please stop asking them exactly when, by the way; they don't remember.) The sum transcended the parts. Bassist Seth Whitney was a member from the get-go. Drummer John Chipman joined in 2007 as their road calendar got heavier.

The Band of Heathens earned its reputation right away as a devastating live band, chiefly thanks to the three strong voices up front, sometimes taking sensational leads, sometimes locked together in big, juicy harmony. The show's-the-thing focus led them down a somewhat unorthodox path: launching their recorded career with two live discs before they ever went into the studio to make a "formal" album. First came the obvious Live at Momo's. Next they spread their wings and flew, well, a few blocks, tracking a live CD/DVD concert film at world-famous Antone's.

The Heathens took their time getting their first studio album out, but when that eponymous debut was released in 2008, they proved they could write and record a coherent statement that measured up to their show. They followed relatively quickly with One Foot in the Ether toward the end of 2009. Both shot to the top of the Americana chart and remained there for months, evincing a longevity rare in any format of music. Each added songs to the band's set lists that have become staples and favorites: "Jackson Station," "Cornbread," frequent set closer "Don't Call on Me" and the rocking, cathartic "L.A. County Blues."

Other kinds of recognition and respect rolled in. TBoH was honored as Best New Band at the Austin Music Awards and nominated as Best Duo or Group by the Americana Music Awards. The Wall Street Journal's Jim Fusilli called theirs the best set he saw during South by Southwest 2009. And the rest of the press has been equally effusive: The Dallas Morning News calls them "a must-see show." Maverick magazine says they're "magnificent." For The Chicago Tribune, the band felt "refreshingly different," and Country Standard Time hailed their second studio album as "exceptional."

One can anticipate similar praise for Top Hat Crown, as it stretches without breaking faith with the feel and integrity that got the Band of Heathens this far. Opener "Medicine Man" sets a hoodoo tone with slappy upright piano and a swaggering lyric sung by Gordy Quist. "It was one of the first songs we tracked, he says. "Recording live together in a room, I think it's the closest we've come to capturing the power of the live show on tape."

Another early Quist lead is "Polaroid," which the guys say was influenced by the Jayhawks and mid-career Beatles. It coasts along on a robust acoustic strum decorated by jangly chiming electric guitar -- a pluperfect fusion of pop and roots. Ed Jurdi gets his first lead vocal licks in with "Should Have Known," a deeply bluesy slow shake that bolsters the regret of the song. Colin Brooks evokes current events and the craziness of modernity with "Enough," whose mantra-like lyric and mid-tempo groove will have people nodding along in time. Brooks also shines with his lead on "Gravity," a tour-de-force of forward motion and organ-generated psychedelic colors. Then some bone-rattle percussion ushers in a glowing, single-chord jam ride and a three-part chorus that swells with love.

Fans of the band will note one familiar song here. "Free Again" was written, recorded and released as a single in a blast of energy in the summer of 2010, inspired by the mind-boggling Gulf of Mexico oil spill. It's sincere and sarcastic, playful and chastising. And it's part of a Louisiana theme that closes out the album and ties the whole project together. "Hurricane," the album's lone cover, a Nashville-written tune from an old Levon Helm album, is a poignant portrait of an aging Gulf Coast salt reflecting on storms and eerily anticipating Katrina. And "Gris Gris Satchel," the final cut, is a gorgeous and soothing acoustic tune that evokes old New Orleans and memories of great Crosby, Stills & Nash tracks.

Like that historic group, the Band of Heathens is distinguished by collaboration and load-sharing. And while songwriting and vocal duties are chiefly handled by the three guys across the front of the stage, they are decidedly a five-man band, benefitting from the equal input of all. This can lead to a lot of deliberation and creative tension. But it also means the music that emerges has been through five filters and enjoyed the collaborative creative power of five music-loving minds. "When I write a song with Ed or Colin, I usually hear it a certain way in my head," says Quist about the power of the process. "When we bring it in to the band, the song almost always comes out turned on its head, leaning in another direction from where it started." Music fans nationwide will hear that distilled quality upon the release of Top Hat Crown.]]> 1335330000 Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1420
This fall season marks the 10th Anniversary of Green River Ordinance as a band. In 2009 and 2010, GRO saw tastes of much sought after success: 2 Top 40 radio singles, songs on over 20 TV shows ("So You Think You Can Dance", "The Hills", "The Young & Restless"), 2 music videos on MTV and VH1, tours with American Idol winners David Cook & Kris Allen, Goo Goo Dolls, Collective Soul, Train, Lifehouse, and many others. GRO's Original Song "Rise Up" was featured on the AT&T Team USA 2010 Winter Olympics Soundtrack alongside Mariah Carey, 3 Doors Down, Train, Rascal Flatts.]]> 1335416400 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1417
Categorization be damned, the Madison-based five piece, Steez, consisting of Matt Williams (keyboards/synthesizers/accordion), Steve Neary (guitar and vocals), Rob Bessert (drums), Chris Sell (bass), and Andrzej Benkowski (saxophone, oboe, and violin) is -- in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions -- a funk band, a jamband, a fusion band, a disco-fanged multi-beast, and a basket case.

Churning out their self-described Creepfunk, a high energy, danceable variety of funk -- one uniquely laced with electronic and improvisational sensibilities -- Steez has garnered a loyal following throughout the Midwest. After receiving repeated acclaim for their live performances, which typically include a seamless weaving of thoughtfully composed originals and crowd pleasing covers spanning from Madonna to clever obscurities like Genialistid (Estonia), Steez hit the studio and released their first full length album, Creepfunk Crusade, in August 09 with independent label, Mason Jar Records.

Hoping to carve out a niche in the competitive jamband landscape, what really sets Steez apart is the camaraderie and endearing sense of humor. The band's humble beginnings include getting banned for life from a venue after their first ever live performance, maneuvering a moped accident involving a parked car, and cruising the Midwest in the inspired 35 foot band bus, "Big Brown." While it's the original songs and taut musicianship that initially grab both fans' and critics' attention, the band's personality keeps it.

Steez is currently enjoying success from their debut album which has been nominated for Home Grown Music Network's album of the year, the album charted on both the Homegrown Music Network Radio Charts and the Jambands.com Radio Charts, peaking at #19 and #23, respectively. Steez was featured in the December 09 issue of Relix as an band "on the verge," and most recently Steez was named one of the 10 most influential bands to come out of Madison in the last decade. The band is again poised to hop on the bus and build upon the success they've garnered from grinding it out on the road.]]> 1335502800 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1406
Sometimes the most American of settings can reveal the deepest artistic talents the world has ever known. Johnny Cash on the farms of Arkansas, Mike Ness on the mean streets of Los Angeles, and a skinny kid from the ghettos of Tupelo named Elvis who happened to be brimming with soul. JD Mcpherson is one of those talents cut from that same artistic cloth. Growing up in southern Oklahoma, Mcpherson, the progeny of an ex-military, farming father and "good word" preaching mother, Mcpherson had an intriguing childhood and those influences shine blissfully through his music. His sound is raw it feels old, like the hum of a 50's convertible cruising the back roads of the Mississippi delta, but it's new and innovative.While most kids from the sticks heros were rodeo stars and country singers, Mcpherson heard the liberal screech of The Talking Heads and Bad Brains and let it empower him. But the allure of the American Roots Music scene is what made his musical mouth salivate. The honest troubadours of song that roamed from honky tonks to back alley bar rooms that machine gunned a town every night, one song at a time.]]> 1335589200 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1407
While his gravelly baritone and omnipresent fedora, dark glasses, and Groucho Marx mustache made him one of the more distinct and recognizable characters in popular music, little is known about the neo-vaudeville crooner Leon Redbone. Throughout his career, he steadfastly refused to divulge any information about his background or personal life; according to legend, Redbone's desire to protect his privacy was so intense that when he was approached by the famed producer John Hammond, the contact number he gave was not his own phone, but that of a dial-a-joke service.

Because Redbone first emerged as a performer in Toronto during the 1970s, he was believed to be Canadian; his work, a revival of pre-World War II ragtime, jazz, and blues sounds, recalled the work of performers ranging from Jelly Roll Morton and Bing Crosby to blackface star Emmett Miller. He made his recording debut in 1976 with On the Track, which featured legendary jazz violinist Joe Venuti as well as singer/songwriter Don McLean; his 1977 follow-up Double Time even reached the U.S. Top 40 charts, largely on the strength of his frequent appearances on television's Saturday Night Live.

After 1978's Champagne Charlie, Redbone began recording only sporadically; following 1981's Branch to Branch, he waited four years before reentering the studio to cut Red to Blue. Invariably, his albums featured guest appearances from an eclectic cast of luminaries: while 1987's Christmas Island included a cameo by Dr. John, 1994's Whistling in the Wind included duets with Ringo Starr and Merle Haggard and 2001's Any Time featured contributions from such jazz luminaries as guitarist Frank Vignola, reedman Ken Peplowski, and bassist Jay Leonhart. Despite his low profile, Redbone has also earned a certain measure of fame as a fixture in various television advertising campaigns.]]> 1336107600 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1418
Known for their gritty down-home playing, Southern Tradition has emerged as one of the premier Country Rock cover bands in Wisconsin. Blending together elements of Rockabilly, Southern Rock, Outlaw/Classic Country with Todays Country, Southern Tradition is known for pushing the boundaries of country music. Formed in 2008, Southern Tradition has always stayed true to their beginnings and the music. Consisting of John Bergeron, Tyler Johnson, Dean Ratliff, Jake Brusewitz, and Matt Hoegsted, Southern Tradition carries on the same tradition they have always done playing quality southern music that cuts right to the bone. Southern Tradition is a hard working band that offers its audience outstanding vocals and harmonies, blistering guitar work, as well as a rock-solid, freight train rhythm section. Southern Tradition is a must see country band that will make you a believer in live country music.]]> 1336194000 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1409
The classic rock bands of the late 60s and early 70s enjoy a unique place in popular musical history.

The Beatles had gone their separate ways, Britain had already gone through the Blues Boom, and Psychedelia had made its impact. The possibilities were infinite. Wishbone Ash, one of the new breed of Progressive Rockers, were quick to seize the opportunity and in 1969, they were among those to take full advantage of this environment, producing their unique brand of melodic rock.

40 years later, having pioneered the use of twin lead guitars, the band has gained world-wide recognition, based firmly on a regime of relentless touring. Wishbone Ash, the quintessential road band, is an acknowledged influence on many other bands including THIN LIZZY and IRON MAIDEN. Power and melody have made the Ash a hard act to follow, while they are currently being discovered by new generations of loyal rock fans.

An exceptional recording and touring career has seen Wishbone Ash weather many changes in record labels, personnel and musical trends, but they have entered the new millennium with most of their vast catalogue intact on CD, an award-winning website and a date sheet the envy of many other bands. Recording highlights are of course, the multi-million selling 1972 album ARGUS, considered to be one of the all time classic rock albums, together with PILGRIMAGE AND NEW ENGLAND. Recently, high praise has been garnered for the 2008 album THE POWER OF ETERNITY.

There is the inevitable box set titled DISTILLATION and also the unplugged album, BARE BONES which shows the softer side of the band. Most recently, at the invitation of XM Satellite Radio in the USA, Wishbone Ash produced a fresh, live recorded performance of the the ARGUS classic, in front of a small, invited studio audience. The CD titled THEN AGAIN NOW, includes bonus tracks like the Way of the World.]]> 1336280400 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1393
"Where We Meet" has captured both the charm of Tyrone Wells wistful serenades and the weight and yearning of an artist who continues to grow. Spending the greater part of 2011 bouncing between Los Angeles and Nashville, Tyrone Wells was able to take the time to write tirelessly until he knew that he finally had the album he wanted. From sweeping productions to paired down, sparse tunes, "Where We Meet" carefully navigates a sonic landscape that is powerfully rich yet intimate and honest.

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With 3 sold out UK tours and rapidly growing success in Asia, the online phenom turns his sights on the U.S. and proves he can deliver live. Called "The next John Mayer" by Seventeen/Cosmogirl, Joe Brooks is not to be missed.]]> 1336626000 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1425
The members of Bascom Hill admit they have a tough time when someone asks them what kind of music they play. Usually, after attempting a few lame comparisons, they throw up their hands and say, "Have you heard of rock and roll?"

No, it's not "rap-rock," "indie-rock," "dance-rock" or any other hyphen-happy subgenre. Unlike many of their contemporaries, Bascom Hill plays a brand of music that does away with endless categorization and pigeonholing while embracing anything that's good--all while delivering effortless sounding hooks and instantly memorable choruses.

And really, to play spot-the-influence or name-the-genre is to miss the point. Just wade into the crowd and let the music carry you until you find yourself singing along. You'll be in good company.

While coming across as a quartet of good-natured, lager-loving lads from Kenosha, Wisconsin (setting of TV's That '70s Show and not far from where Richie, Ralph and The Fonz once held court), the band--vocalist Charlie Victor, guitarist Jason Sheridan, bassist Quin Stickler and drummer Tom Reschke--is more accomplished and seasoned than their unpretentious Midwestern demeanor might indicate. For starters, the irresistible songwriting is theirs, not that of hired guns, and the core Sheridan/Victor team has been together more than 15 years now, predating the band's formation. (All four band members have played together, on and off, for more than 12 years.)

The songwriting partnership got rolling nearly instantaneously just after Sheridan and Victor met, while in a choir together during high school--yes, no kidding. "The story goes that there was a battle of the bands, and I was a pretty good guitar player, and Charlie was obviously a good singer, so we got together and wrote a couple of songs for it," Sheridan recalls. "Instantly--at 16 years old--we were able to write songs together without ever doing it before. And we've been doing it ever since."

Bassist Quin Stickler, who worked with Sheridan at a local music store, was the next to come aboard, adding bass lines to duo's growing list of songs (forming an increasingly busy trio in the process). Following Quin came drummer Tom Reschke, who was a natural choice. He was widely known as the best drummer in southeast Wisconsin and they had all played together during their high school years. Tommy would later leave the band for a period to tour with others, only to return in 2007.

After solidifying the lineup, one thing led to another and eventually the quartet recorded two albums independently. Meanwhile, the band went to work building a loyal word-of-mouth following through well-attended shows--both close to home and around the Midwest. (The name comes from a landmark on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, where the band cut its teeth and is now based.)

Through the independent success of prior album Maybe, Bascom Hill has graduated to bigger stages, touring and sharing bills with the likes of Augustana, The Fray, Hanson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Lifehouse, as well as performing at festivals across the country including the world's largest music festival and Milwaukee's own Summerfest, Sturgis' Harleyfest, and others.]]> 1336798800 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.shankhall.com/details.php?1419
"Sounding like no other singer of her generation" (Allmusic.com), Mary Fahl is an expressive, emotional singer/songwriter who first achieved fame as lead singer and co-founder of the mid-90s chamber-pop group October Project. Fahl's elegant, cinematic songs draw on classical and world music sources, American art song, as well as thinking man's folk-pop. She sings in an earthy, viscerally powerful contralto that Boston Globe critic Steve Morse calls "a voice for the gods that can transport listeners to other realms". Since her "October Project" days, Fahl has recorded solo albums for Sony Classical and V2 Records. She has written and performed songs for several major motion pictures, including the lead song ("Going Home") for the Warner Bros. Civil War epic "Gods and Generals". In this solo performance, she will perform a number of those songs, several new works, as well as an October Project song or two.]]> 1337317200 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600