Rare Union

Rare Union is a band born during the pandemic. Their second album "Times They Always Change" is a deeply personal album, featuring a daring mix of percussion-driven Blues and Rock with reveling, soul-baring and heartfelt vocals.

The start of Rare Union began in 2019. It started with LA Smith from New York, percussionist. LA Smith had been wanting to produce a CD, with a lot of percussion. To pass percussion on to kids all over the world. After completing a national tour with The Randy Oxford Band in 2014, LA decided to play at festivals with headliners, and do percussion workshops, passing on 12 sets of bongos at each workshop to low-income kids all over the western hemisphere. At the same time, Martin Cage lead guitarist from Nemesis, was looking to put some of his original compositions into a CD. LA Smith now out of Columbia MO, and Martin Cage out of Salt Lake UT, decided to get together, and see what would happen. They went into El Centro studio in Columbia, Missouri and start recording. They added Jerry Russo, a local rhythm drummer and the three of them put together first six songs. Then the pandemic hit, and it was a challenge to bring any artists in to the studio. The studio added UV lighting, and slowly they started to work on the CD. Martin Cage had played with vocalist, guitar player, Max Soler from FT Myers, in the group Nemesis. 

So, when they called Max he was ready to go. Over the next year and a half, they had several recording sessions. They had Will Reeves on bass and Danny Carrol on drums, both from Columbia, MO. They played together in several groups. Before too long they had 9 more songs. The songs started to get real heart felt lyrics, guitar breaks and solos that bring out the original sound that Rare Union turned out to be. They did not go into the studio trying to produce a particular sound, just wanted to make good music. What happened was chemistry, with five artists, with all different backgrounds, from 5 different states playing together. As the songs Martin had composed evolved and began to take shape, Max would add lyrics, guitar. Both Martin Cage and Max Soler would switch off on lead and rhythm. LA Smith and Danny Carroll would build the structure of the songs and decide how to incorporate the drums and percussion. Will Reeves did the bass lines and engineered the CD. 

They ended up with a new blues rock sound. The addition of Micael Kott on Cello, from Santa Fe NM, was added. His recording was done at Frogville Studios in Santa Fe, NM. Michael Kott plays cello all over the world with Peter Buffet. His cello is on “Won’t Be Lost” and “Brother of Mine”. With the CD getting produced, and final vocals getting finished the band needed a name. That’s where Dawn Smith suggested Rare Union. It described this band, born in a pandemic, from five states, with all new original music. Dawn set up all the production of the CD, web site, Domain, copywrite and trademarks. Naming the CD was easy, Max Soler and Martin Cage had a friend who passed, and he was considered a brother. So, the band named the CD, “Brother of Mine”. Rare union is now setting dates to do three videos and the start of the next CD in March. Wanting to have it out by the middle of October. They have been invited to several festivals, and are lining up festivals around the world to play. Hopping for 2023, but with the pandemic may be 2024.

Rareunionband.com

Jeff Pike

"Sunset On L.A." is the third single released by Jeff Pike, which was composed, produced, arranged and engineered by award-winning songwriter, singer, producer and recording artist Gino Vannelli. His brother, award-winning songwriter, producer and videographer Ross Vannelli produced and directed the official music video.

"Sunset On L.A." is a well-produced mid-tempo, feel-good, adult contemporary pop song and video that could easily cross over to several genres. The lyrics bring up to date the universal age-old lesson of leaving your comfort zone in search of love and dreams to eventually find your way back home again.

http://www.jeffpike.com/

McKenna Faith Winters

McKenna Faith Winters, a talented 15-year-old , is making waves in the music industry with the release of her highly anticipated debut single, "I'm Doin' Country Tonight". This catchy country track is now available on all major streaming platforms, allowing fans of Country Music to enjoy McKenna's fresh take on the genre. "I'm Doin' Country Tonight" is the first of 5 singles soon to be released. With her debut, McKenna Faith Winters is carving her own path in the country music scene, proving that age is no barrier to success. Born in Dixon, IL and raised in Machesney Park, IL, McKenna has been honing her vocal talents since a young age. Her passion for country music runs deep, and her dedication to her craft is evident in every note she sings. "I'm Doin' Country Tonight" marks the beginning of an exciting journey for McKenna. 

This young artist is poised to make a significant impact on the country music landscape, capturing the hearts of fans worldwide. Her debut single is just a taste of what's to come as McKenna continues to develop her unique sound and share her authentic stories with the world. About McKenna Faith Winters: McKenna Faith Winters is a 15-year-old singer from Machesney Park, IL. With a deep passion for country music, McKenna's soulful vocals and honest storytelling have captivated audiences since a young age. Her debut single, "I'm Doin' Country Tonight", showcases her talent and sets the stage for an exciting career in the music industry. "I'm Doin' Country Tonight" was written by Cedric Israel, Debbie Simpson and Tad Boyle and produced by Cedric Israel and Jason Zarnowski.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/mckennafaithwinters/im-doin-country-tonight

Natalie Clark

Scottish singer-songwriter Natalie Clark, who has reaped plaudits from Virgin’s Richard Branson and BBC Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw was selected as a Mercedes Benz KTLA "Artist to Watch” after moving to the US. Natalie was featured in the Mercedes Benz commercial campaign which also included performances at the famous Roxy on Sunset, and The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. She was handpicked to open for the Grammy award winning Indigo Girls tour and has been recording in L.A when not busy touring the US. Natalie received acclaim from multi-platinum artists such as Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton when she appeared on NBC’s The Voice, who praised her voice as ‘cool and powerful’ and ‘incredible’.

Since moving to the States, Natalie has opened festivals, toured the country, and was named a ‘Hot 100 Live Artist’ in Music Connection Magazine. She is also an official JH Audio featured artist. Natalie's music is featured in several Netflix shows and an international commercial campaign. 'Ready to Roll' the lead single from her latest E.P, recently won 'BEST ORIGINAL SONG' at the Austin Under the Stars Film Festival.

After giving up her teaching career in Scotland to pursue her dream of writing and playing music, the rising indie-pop artist made headlines in the U.K. when Richard Branson invited her to sing on-stage at a BBC Radio 1 Academy session in Glasgow. Natalie accepted his impromptu challenge, and sang 'Weakness', from her debut EP. It prompted Branson to proclaim: “That was absolutely and utterly stunning – no backing band, no musicians, no forewarning.” He later called her “inspiring”. Grimshaw, who was hosting the BBC Radio 1 Academy event, played ‘Weakness’ and further sang Natalie's praises on his BBC Radio 1 show the following day. Branson has since written several articles about Natalie, including a recent commentary on her record release on virgin.com

Natalieclarkmusic.com

Darkness Is My Canvas

Darkness Is My Canvas (DIMC) was founded in Helsinki in 2017. The band plays melodic rock combined with progressive elements, stylistically influenced by bands such as Muse, Queen, Pink Floyd, Leprous, and on occasion also Porcupine Tree and My Chemical Romance. Their catchy melodies have many musical hooks, and the band likes to throw curve balls at the audience by changing time and style mid-song - and they do this completely intentionally. The imaginative sound of DIMC wells up from the melody-rich guitar playing of Panu and the voice of Pete, who, some say, sounds like the young David Bowie.

 

All the songs of DIMC come from the mind and pen of Pete and Panu, who are also the “founding fathers” of the band. They also play all the other instruments in the studio beside the drums, which are trusted to some of the top drummers in Finland. The mastering is done by none other than Grammy Award winner Nicolas Fournier (LA) who’s had his hands on many recordings by many of the band’s idols (Muse, Linkin Park, Adam Lambert, etc.).

 

DIMC was founded on what was left from the previous band of multi-instrumentalist Panu and lead singer/guitarist Pete. It was called May:Day, and it represented some sort of an amalgamation of Finnish progressive rock of the 70s and more modern Finnish rock music. Should someone want to listen to their album “I”, they will find it by digging through the Internet, as it has not been officially released. DIMC needed to distinguish themselves from the previous band as they changed their language from Finnish to English and their style became more nuanced.

 

To date, DIMC has released one EP called “Monsters'' and one single called “The Game”. Also couple of singles 'Fade Into The White Noise' & Drown is released from the upcoming White Noise EP. Their songs have been listened quite nicely from streaming services such as Spotify, in which the counter reached 250 000 this September.

https://www.facebook.com/darknessismycanvas

Moe Joe

Moe Joe, now respectively known as “the ever first electric blues band in Turkey” was founded by Feramerz Ayadi, İzi Ergil and Vefa Karatay in 1994, in Istanbul. Instead of other contemporary blues rock bands which were keen to cover the scholastic repertoire of 60’s and 70’s alumnis, Moe Joe chose a different path to follow by putting an emphasize on covering the milestones of post-war Chicago blues repertoire thus, choosing to struggle hard on the club scene for finding a venue in late 90’s. Hence, in time, the venues hosting the performances of the band in various cities in Turkey became a shelter for local purist audiences.

In 1996, Sarp Keskiner (vocal, guitar, harmonica) and İlhan Babaoğlu (alto and soprano saxophone) joined the band; both were until then well – known members of phenomenal Istanbul Blues Company. Under guidance of Keskiner and Ayadi, Moe Joe centered upon Chicago Southside & Westside standards, spicy Detroit style boogies, early Texas shuffles and dark Louisiana grooves.

Between 1998 and 2001, the band set the heights for the musical quality of this genre on the national scene by adding harmonica virtuoso – flautist Tuğrul Aray to its line-up and back from NYC, enter Ergin Özler to take over the drum stool aiming at to bring the swinging authenticity to the sextet.

After releasing the “all originals” debut album, “Chicago Istanbul Mainline” in 2000, Moe Joe received rave reviews from national and international music media; having been interviewed and guested on various magazines, web sites, radio and TV channels.

From 2001 Caribbean, Brazilian and Afro - Cuban beats into their well-established sound, while stabilizing the line up as a quintet; with addition of Özün Usta (conga, djembe, cajon). Within this context, live recordings compiled in this album which were recorded in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir direct to DAT tapes feature the diversity of a veteran Turkish blues band, which is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary of foundation in 2024.

https://boneunionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-2002-2009

Royce Martínez

Royce Martinez was born on the 11th day of April in the year 1995. He grew up in Denver, Colorado along with his two siblings, and his mother.

Royce had a tumultuous childhood, growing up with an abusive mother, he turned to music to feel less alone. This ignited an inextinguishable flame, this starting his passion for music. He began writing music in 2012 at the young age of fourteen and would go on to join bands such as;

Shadow Of The Damned and Scarlight.

Shadow of the Damned

Royce would join his first band, Shadow of the Damned in 2012. They would make their debut by playing their first show at The Roxy Theater, gaining recognition in the metal community. The band would later breakup due to artistic differences in 2013.

Roycemartinezofficial.com

The Lethargics

 

The Lethargics music stakes claim and establishes residence in the abandoned and undiscovered music landscapes of what Rock & Roll can be.

Born in the hard beauty of the hills and hollers of Appalachia…steeped in the histories and mysteries of Rock, Blues, Punk, Country, Folk, and Americana…

informed and inspired by the likes of Dylan, Springsteen, Knopfler, Ely, The Clash, The Replacements and The Stones…

The lethargics are simply not like any band you’ve ever heard before.

TheLethargics.com

Destiny Band Oz

Destiny Band Oz is a multi-award winning duo comprising husband and wife singer-songwriters, Thomas and Tessa Libreri. Their versatile music and vocal styles range from soulful ballads to pumpy, country rock; ('Country, Rock and Soul!) They have already released 3 albums and 2 EPs and are excited to have just released their new album of original songs with new producer, Damian Cafarella of EOR Studios called 'Who I Might Be'. As children, Thomas and Tessa grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Thomas in Reservoir and Tessa in Kilsyth. They were both musically inclined and tutored in music and singing. Thomas formed his first band at 12 playing bass guitar and had singing lessons from Normie Rowe.  He played in many bands over the years. Tessa performed in musicals, went to the Johnny Young Talent School and was classically trained by Suzanne Steele then with Audrey Duggan. Thomas and Tessa met in a line-dancing country band based in Kinglake in 1996 which seemed like 'destiny' and they soon branched out on their own as a duo and later with various full band line-ups performing at clubs and functions. They married, had children and settled in Kinglake. They didn't perform much whilst their children were very young and then the horrific Black Saturday bushfires struck. 

Thomas and Tessa fought and saved their home and family and some of their neighbours but not all - and in the aftermath they decided to move their family away to Gippsland for a new start. (Thomas received a 'BM' - Bravery Medal from the Governor-General of Australia for his actions in saving a neighbour after the fire who sadly died a few weeks later in hospital) both Thomas and Tessa were heavily involved in the relief and rebuilding effort personally and through their building business at the time. After moving to Gippsland, they devoted themselves to the activities of their primary school aged daughters, joined community groups and clubs in the area and soon found themselves performing full-on again. They decided to record an album of their original songs written over the years because of their life-changing experience and knowing how fragile life is, so it was more for posterity than anything but they were encouraged by local radio hosts who'd heard them perform their songs to release a song to radio, which they did in 2017. Since then, they've had amazing #1 and Top 10 chart successes for their music and have amassed over a dozen major Australian and International awards.

http://www.destinybandoz.com/

Jeff Pike

Classic love songs, beautifully arranged, exquisitely crafted, and passionately performed, never go out of style. Time stands still within the emotional impact of the lyrics, be it celebratory or heartbreak, and the soul-moving melody it caresses with the ease of a wave gliding across the ocean. "Keep On Walking" is that kind of song. We are all on our path to finding ourselves and our one true love, and it is often simultaneously a painful and blissful experience. "Keep On Walking" beautifully explores this quandary.

"Keep On Walking" was produced, recorded, and engineered by award-winning and multi-million-selling recording artist, vocalist and songwriter Gino Vannelli. His brother, award-winning songwriter, composer and music producer Ross Vannelli produced and directed the video.

It's the second single from Jeff's upcoming album and video project "Right Where I Am". Both projects were recorded, produced and directed by Gino Vannelli and Ross Vannelli.

http://www.jeffpike.com/

The Glass Skies

The Glass Skies are a four piece indie/pop band from Liverpool, who have been making music since 2015. 

The lads said when they kicked it together, they just knew music was the way forward for them as they got along so well. Originally they were called Skylights but changed the band name as it clashed with another band of the same name from Yorkshire. The Glass Skies have played hundreds of shows around the north of England, the highlights being; Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds after show party in 2016, St Helen's Christmas Light Switch, Anthony Walker Festival, Liverpool Pride and so many more, including theie first uk tour in october 2022.

The Glass Skies come with energy and big tunes, they said ''we want to capture the imaginations of the country with our energetic songs with real lyrics about the turbulent lives of our singer and drummer, Sonny and John backed by one of the most talented guitarists around, Lachlan, along with our new bass player, Ewan! 

http://www.facebook.com/theglassskies

Marc Miner

When you think of alternative-outlaw-country-rock and Americana music, you probably think of the USA, maybe Canada. So, Marc Miner is the European representative. While Nashville is considered the “city of music” in the USA, Marc settled down in the European version of it: Vienna, Austria! As if that weren’t enough, Marc is also an international breed: His father from the USA met Marc’s mother from Germany in Poland. That’s also where Marc was born, before the family had to leave the country. 

They moved to Vienna, where Marc grew up and where he started his first bands ranging from rock n roll, rock to even punk and grunge – which at that time was the “teenage sound of revolution.” By the age of 16, the rebellious Marc Miner decided to leave home. He traveled through Europe, got a job on board of a container ship, and arrived in the USA in 2000. Impressed by the lifestyle of the South, the prairie, the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, and the melodies he heard there, he decided to stay. Unfortunately, life ain’t a free ride, so beside his music jobs, he also started to gamble, which finally got him to jail. Marc was accused of illegal gambling, forging, and other “trivial offenses,” as he calls it. With some help from his father’s influential friends, the US authorities finally granted amnesty to Marc, but he had to leave this wonderful country. Back in Europe, he finally settled in Vienna. Here he does what he does best: Music in the good old tradition of Americana Music, Country Rock, and Outlaw Country, but with more modern influences like Hellbound Glory, Sturgill Simpson, Cody Jinks, Blackberry Smoke, or Whiskey Myers. 

He released several singles and his first studio album “Smile When You’re Wasted” in October 2020, which was praised by the press and the public and earned him several awards. In 2022, Miner released his first original short film soundtrack “The Path Of His Spirits (OST),” which also won awards in the US and Slovakia. His second official studio album “Last Heroes” will be released on September 15, 2023. And from time to time, Marc Miner appears in front of larger and smaller audiences to perform his original songs and covers for the outcasts, misfits, losers, and those with broken hearts.

http://marcminer.com/

Space Electric

Formed in 2014 in Norway, Space Electric releases their second album "Laniakea" on September 15, 2023. The album was recorded in the legendary Rancho De La Luna studio in Joshua Tree, California, USA. Desert Sessions, Kyuss, QOTSA, EODM, Foo Fighters, Iggy Pop, Arctic Monkeys and many more bands have recorded their music there.

The album release includes 4 new video releases ("I Wanna Know", "Dead Eyes", "Exit Light" and "Laniakea) to the 4 singles released from the album. These 9 songs tell stories of absent friends, rabbit holes and gravity on your bones. The founder of Rancho De La Luna, David Catching, is playing lap steel solo in the end of the song "Rabbit Holes".

http://www.spaceelectric.no/

Paul Bibbins

Paul Bibbins is a guitarist/songwriter and independent musician from Dallas, Texas. Paul is a solo artist, and he has been playing guitar and writing songs for decades. He plays high-energy, Jimi Hendrix-styled, original guitar rock ‘n roll.

Paul’s new single “Bold, Beautiful…and Long Gone!” was recently reviewed by Luke Wolk of Radio Guitar One, which prides itself as being ‘the ultimate online radio guitar network’. Luke Wolk wrote that, “Bold, Beautiful and Long Gone picks up right where Jimi Hendrix left off. This cut has some unexpected turns from the jump that keep the listener engaged. The intro comes in loud and proud and then takes a sharp turn into the verse that somehow manages to flow, despite its hard change in direction. It is a masterclass in how 100% commitment to the sound can allow the song to go almost anywhere.”

Paulbibbins.com

Sanjay Michael

Rock ‘n’ roll never left the party – it was just getting a drink at the bar!

Based in Singapore, Sanjay Michael’s new album Rocking Into Midnight returns to the heyday of classic rock and hard-driving blues... With punchy riffs and large catchy choruses, the feeling you felt from great electric guitar music is sure to return!

Although growing up in exotic Malaysia and the vast expanses of Australia was an incredible experience, rock ‘n’ roll opened the door to another world. Through the years Sanjay has jammed down and dirty in greasy bars and professional studios. While he loved covering the classics and being part of the local music community, he felt that in recent years there were no fresh and fun new rock songs coming out. So when the world shut down in 2020 he decided that in these dead calm waters was the time to write his own songs with lots of heart.

Each song has its own vibe and place in the collection, but they’re all grounded in old-school rhythm and Sanjay’s musical instinct is to always take the groove back to basics.

His journey is clear: bring the holy trinity of the rhythm guitar wall of riffs, the classic searing blues lead and singer- songwriter narrative back to foot-tapping, fist-pumping domination.

Sanjaymichael.com

Tylar Smith

Australian-born singer Tylar Smith is the voice of the next generation. From a young age Tylar always possessed a mammoth amount of singing and performing talent. From winning a swag of awards to recording and releasing his own music from the age of 12 and performing everywhere from Sydney to Los Angeles. Now at 16 he has honed and polished his gift, and has carved out his own unique and individual sound consisting of a fusion of retro, pop, and rock, with a splash of modern and old-fashioned soul with a funky vibe.

Tylarsmithmusic.com

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion

A viral phenomenon reissue. After 23 million YouTube views, hundreds of tattoos, dozens of cover versions, eight sold-out 7” pressings, comes the NINTH 7” pressing. Spread by word of mouth – the entrancing romantic love song (or is it a murder ballad?), with its unique guest vocals from Sparky Phillips of psychobilly band Demented Are Go contrasting with HME’s Emanuela Hutter – has rarely been played on any radio.

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion continue with their gigging schedule, with gigs across Europe this fall, and plan a new album next year. The band are two Englishmen, a Frenchman and a Swiss/Italian chanteuse, resident in Switzerland, and are one of the classiest exponents of rockabilly alive today, subtlety mixing in swing, ska, country, blues and Europop without compromising their roots – making their rock'n'roll exciting and enduring.

https://www.hillbillymoon.com/