Saimons was formed in March 2005 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It all began when Santiago and Sebastian after leaving their original band decided to start another one with Felipe, a high school classmate. Unlike most bands from Argentina the idea was to compose and perform in English......... Read MORE!
A catchy brand of garage rock, delta blues, and folk revival with influences such as Bob Dylan, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Johnny Cash, Kings of Leon, Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, and U2. The response has been amazing, crossing generational, race, class, and genre boundaries... Read MORE!
LPM Voice would like to personally recognize each of these Featured Artists listed below for doing a outstanding job. We hope that you take the time to check out each of them and let us know what your thoughts are.
Formed in late 2007, this royal alternative to traditional rock and roll features heavy electronic melodies, danceable beats, and intense alternative vocals -- a combination that makes heads nod and feet move.
Comprised of Brandon Sweeney (vocals/guitars), Stephen Limbaugh (keyboards), Ian Schaeffer (bass), and the Italian-born Nadir Maraschin (drums), Kingsley has accomplished much in the time they have been together, including inking an indy-deal after being a band for only 5 months.
Kingsley signed a one-record deal with Wyman Records and had a digital release of their debut album on June 17th, 2008. Choices was recorded at Wyman Records Studio with producer Jeff Kanan whose engineering and production credits include: No Doubt, National Product, Madonna, Michael Tolcher, Big Stone City.
In Nov. 2009, Kingsley signed a deal with Live Nation to release a DVD and live album of their concert at the Wiltern in Los Angeles as part of Live Nation’s new partnership with Apple/iTunes.
With a studio LP, live DVD/album, and multiple national and regional tours under their belt, Kingsley has big plans for 2010 including new recordings, festival appearances, and tours.
“We have no fears,” says Fairfax guitarist Blake English. “If we’re fearless and we write great music, that’s good enough for me.”
Blake and vocalist Heavynn formed Fairfax in Los Angeles in 2008, with young-and-hungry East Coast drummer Dave Rundell recently completing this super-talented trio. “Blake and I have the most amazing chemistry,” enthuses the effervescent Heavynn. “We started writing and it was magic; it was crazy!”
Despite being in-demand “hired-gun” musicians with glittering credits (Blake is an acclaimed songwriter/producer/engineer who’s worked with Kelly Rowland, Toni Braxton and George Benson; Heavynn has sung background for No Doubt, 2 Pac and T-Boz)., Blake and Heavynn – who met while writing songs for R&B chart-topper Brandy – are now prioritizing their own outfit.
“I just lost my gumption to give all my babies away to other people,” Heavynn, a California native, explains. “When I was working as a songwriter for other peoples’ projects for major labels, I had to stick to their vain … and that was just so restricting and taxing on me as an artist. So I’ve had a determination to focus on my artistry first.”
Interestingly, for musicians with such impressive R&B and hip-hop credentials, Fairfax is a rock band – but no ordinary rock band. Their dance music backgrounds lend the genre a grooving, sensuous sheen, with Heavynn’s emotive, inflected vocals buoyed by burly drums and melodic guitars. Fairfax’s songs have hooks, heart, and a subtly dangerous demeanor.
“Our stuff is definitely soulful and funky,” says Blake in his laid-back Georgia timbre. “It’s not just straight ahead, textbook rock. It’s got something special – something grimy and soulful about it.” Lyrically, Heavynn explores love, pain and her fertile imagination with rare honesty. “I try to feel every single word that I’m saying,” she says. “It really needs to mean something to me for me to write it.”
On top of their cultured studio skills (Heavynn and Blake run their own production company), Fairfax is also an electrifying live act. “Our shows are really high energy – there’s a lot of energy coming off that stage!” Heavynn laughs. “Whereas the music releases my creative energy, I also have all this physical craziness going on in me and I can go on stage and be as crazy and weird as I want and it’s totally OK – in fact, the weirder, the better!”
Fairfax will soon unleash their sophomore EP, before their debut full-length drops in 2010. Then it’ll be time to go on the road and hit the major summer festivals. “We’re doing six songs at a time, because it kinda keeps it fresh and gives us a chance to continue to develop – because we’re always changing,” says Heavynn. “Nobody can do what we do in the way we do it. You listen to us and you’re going to clearly tell that are music is different … we are way different.”
Safer began as a recording project in 2005, when founding members Joseph Constantine and Andy Ruggles began collaborating on songs left over from previously imploded projects. The project took form from the many varying musical influences of it’s creators.
Looking for a solid vocalist for a new project, Ruggles took out an ad in the local weekly paper. Safer came together after Constantine answered the ad and laid down vocal tracks for a few songs Ruggles had recorded. The following jam sessions sparked inspiration in the two of them, and they began collaborating on what would become Safer’s self-titled debut EP, released independently in 2006.
Over the next two years, following the curse of line-up changes and halted recording sessions, Ruggles called high school friend Mike Lorenzi in to fill the bassist role. With ex-Optimus Rhyme beat-smith Tim Carter joining up on the drums, Safer quickly finished their second release “Now You Turn On” in 2008, also independently, and forged ahead for the first time with a solid roster.
2009 has seen this do-it-yourself band take their sound to the stage all around the Seattle club circuit, and in November, the band self-released their third EP “EnormousheadpinheadhearT”.
In 2006, Art Ruiz (vocals/guitar), Miguel Ruiz (drums), and Dany Mena III (bassist) came together to form a musical collaboration. In need of a second guitarist, Art recruited his long time friend Stewart Hidalgo. Bullet to Eden was born. In 2008, the post-hardcore quartet grew into a sextet with the addition of Danny "Jedi" Garcia (guitar) and Michael Villansenor (keyboard/samples). The additions came as Art focused on vocals and the band’s sound expand with synths and programming.
The band began to play local shows, band competitions, and started to craft its sound. Early on they set the foundation for high energy shows winning fans with every performance. November 2008 found Bullet To Eden recording their EP This Side of Emptiness with Producer Roger Camero (No Motiv, The Warriors) in Santa Ana, California. The result was a fierce set of post-hardcore songs. The band created its own record label, Mercy Records, and released their EP in May 2009. The EP was well received by their devout following and all the new fans they gained. In 2010 the band will continue to write their new EP and embark in their first tour of the western states.
Sky Rats have a split personality when it comes to their sound. Genre wise they sway between Rock and Adult Contemporary. Lyrics are intellegent and the music is juicy. Sky Rats' tracks can be downloaded from;
ooizit.com/skyrats
My Fellow Traveller uses a wide selection of genres to paint a bigger picture of the stages of grief with their debut album, Misery Becomes Wisdom (buy on Itunes or Cdbaby!).
A catchy brand of garage rock, delta blues, and folk revival with influences such as Bob Dylan, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Johnny Cash, Kings of Leon, Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, and U2.
The response has been amazing, crossing generational, race, class, and genre boundaries. Half protest rally, half front porch music, it makes you want to shake your fist and stomp your feet at the same time. The great philosopher Rousseau once said, “Keeping citizens apart has become the first maxim of modern politics.” The Joshua Cain Band aims to play music “that brings people together again.”
