Casey Maunder

 

ªI’ve poured my heart and soul into this album and both musically and lyrically I feel it is a reflection not only of my eclectic influences but also my views on the world around me.  The tracks embody my energy, confidence and unwavering positivity in the face of a world gone mad. This a raw, melodic and fresh guitar album that is unique and stands out from the crowdª.

SWND Records is proud to release the debut album from Swansea rocker Casey Maunder, whose first single for SWDN, Click Me, Swipe Me, Follow Me, Like Me, has caused quite a stir on indie airwaves. 

Casey  Maunder  was  born  and  raised  in  Swansea  and  as  the  son  of  a  local musician was immersed in music from an early age. By twelve years old he was performing  with  his  father’s  band  and  at  14  was  writing  and  performing  with local  rock  bands.    At  19  Casey  joined  The  Cherry  Thieves  and  inspired  by  the Los  Angeles  glam  rock  scene  they  toured  the  UK  extensively  and  featured regularly in music publications such as Kerrang and Melody Maker.

After the demise of The Cherry Thieves Casey linked up with a childhood friend and formed Four Stories High. The band kept the energy of Casey’s earlier rock projects  but  fused  it  with  a  more  imaginative  and  creative  approach  to  song writing.  The  band  gigged  extensively  across  the  UK  and  their  single  “Another Day” gained radio play, Welsh TV slots and was released on a compilation of thebest emerging UK talent.

2021 saw Casey decide to go it alone and take sole control of his song writing and  releases.  His  sound  is  defined  by  overdriven  guitars  and  a  dedication  to melody  that  means  every  track  has  a  huge  chorus  that  will  not  quit!    His  first three solo singles have had extensive radio play, including the track “Rolling at The Rathouse” being played on esteemed station Planet Rock. 

The  upcoming  album  “Until  Your  Heart  Stops  Beating”  showcases  Casey’s vocal, lyrical and song writing range and delivers an eclectic collection of songs that range from hard edged rock to harmony laden power pop. 

 https://www.instagram.com/caseymaundermusic/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Casey-Maunder/100082859078696/

Studebaker John Grimaldi

 

Studebaker John Grimaldi was born in an Italian-American section of Chicago and started playing harmonica at age 7. Under the spell of music he heard on Maxwell Street, Chicago’s famed blues melting pot, Grimaldi began performing as Studebaker John and the Hawks in the ‘70s. The band name referenced the Studebaker Hawk, a car Grimaldi still owns today, and was also intended as a tribute to his friend, J.B. Hutto and the Hawks. John began playing guitar after a life-changing experience of seeing Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers perform. “…Hound Dog started playing, hitting notes that sent chills up and down my spine. He was versatile and powerful and would play rhythm as well as leads. I left there knowing what I wanted to do. I had to play slide guitar.” 

 http://www.studebakerjohn.com/

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears

 

Austin, Texas-based Black Joe Lewis is a contemporary singer and guitarist with a bent toward vintage blues, soul, and R&B. Backed by his band the Honeybears, Lewis draws inspiration from such legendary "shouters" as Howlin' Wolf, Wilson Pickett, and James Brown, as well as smoother crooners like Sam Cooke. Black Joe Lewis released his debut album on Weary in 2007. 

Around the same time, his appearance at Austin's South by Southwest festival garnered increased fan and press support. In 2009, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears released Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! on Lost Highway, produced by Spoon drummer Jim Eno. The band toured relentlessly over the next year before reconvening at Austin's Public Hi-Fi studio with Eno to record the even grittier follow-up, Scandalous. The set contained an appearance by gospel group the Relatives on "You Been Lyin'." Scandalous was released on Lost Highway in March of 2011. In 2013, Vagrant Records released Electric Slave, which was simply credited to Black Joe Lewis. While Lewis was still working with his band, he'd grown tired of the Honeybears tag. 

But Lewis soon discovered that both fans and promoters imagined that its absence meant he was working as a solo act. After taking some downtime, Lewis brought back the Honeybears billing for 2017's Backlash (his first album for INgrooves Music Group), which also found him exploring harder grooves and a stronger rock & roll influence.  

https://www.blackjoelewis.com/

Todd Barrow

 

A chance encounter at Cook Children’s Medical Center is all it took to set Todd Barrow on his mission to revamp classic country with his signature modern twist. One day, an American Idol contestant was slated to perform for the patients at Todd's place of employment, but the audio tech was nowhere to be found. When he heard the call, “Can anybody here run sound?” Todd answered. In walked Texas Music Hall of Fame Honoree Sonny Burgess just as Todd was setting up the live rig, and the two musicians struck up a conversation. Sonny told Todd about his work with Charlie Pride and Randy Travis, and asked Todd if he might lend his technical skills to help build the recording studio sponsored by Garth Brooks and Troy Aikman he that had in the works. This serendipitous encounter yielded a coffee meeting to review the blueprints for the project, and before long, Sonny was meeting Todd for coffee weekly to discuss music. Eventually, he became Todd’s mentor, forever changing the course of Todd’s career.

Now, Todd Barrow is making a name for himself as a country artist to watch. The Texas singer-songwriter has racked up more than a few accolades, from a PRSA Award of Excellence, to an Akademia Award for Best Country Album, and an artist spotlight in Alternative Roots Magazine, American Pride Magazine and AVA Radio. Recently,featured in Red Silk Carpet magazine as chart topping country artist. Performed along side Allison Balson the TV star from Little House On The Prairie! He has appeared on television shows including Good Morning Texas with Jerry Matheny and Texas Music Café on PBS. He’s even shared the stage and studio with some of country music’s heaviest hitters, from CMA musicians in Miranda Lambert’s band to Fort Worth Producer of the Year Bart Rose. But it’s more than just Todd’s success to date that makes him such a compelling country artist. What’s most readily apparent in Todd Barrow’s music is his heart. 

Todd’s music is no country for old men. While he undoubtedly draws his sonic influence from titans like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, his melodies skew modern. He plays almost every instrument, from piano to guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and drums, and the multi-instrumentalist doubles as a songwriter for himself as well as for other artists. “"If I can put a smile on someone’s face through song, well that just means the world to me,” he says. “I try to get to the real heart and soul of a song. To me, it's not just words but a story, and I do my best to portray that with every line. That’s my main draw to country music; the stories, the people, and the sincerity that comes from the heart." 

It’s precisely that heart that has won over audiences around the world. Todd Barrow’s recent single, “The House That Love Built”, co-written with Sonny Burgess, was featured on RightNow TV and was honored by PRSA Fort Worth for its fundraising efforts on behalf of the Ronald McDonald house. He is a big giver to charities and a elite actor with Backstage Casting. Todd was featured in the lineup for Bo’s Extravaganza festival at John Schneider’s Studio, alongside such artists as Kid Rock and Tom Wopat from Dukes of Hazzard. He has received radio airplay from Italy Radio 6.75 for his single “Hot Southern Night”. 

Todd Barrow just released his latest single, “Girl Like You,” he is  hard at work on new music in the studio. Todd is a proud member of the Harry Fox Agency, the Country Music Association, the International Singer-Songwriters Association, the Texas Music Office, BMI, the Fort Worth Songwriters Association, American Music Podcasting, the NSAIDFW Songwriters Association, the Dallas Songwriters Association, the British Country Music Association and the Bayou Country Music Association.

 https://www.toddbarrowmusic.com

Lance Wing

 

Hello, I'm Lance Wing, a songwriter, singer, and entertainer based in the Nashville area. I've been performing music for over 30 years (whoops, I'm telling my age) and writing songs nearly as long. For about 12 of those years I played 5 nights a week in clubs with many one nighters, corporate, and jazz gigs thrown in also. I worked with many of the best players along the coast in Northwest Florida. In Nashville, now I get to work with some of the best players in the world.

I've had songs on five grammy winning albums by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, the "King of Polka". On two of those I had the title cut, 'Let's Polka 'Round' and 'Polka In Paradise'. My songs have been sang by many independent artists as well as Bobby Vinton, T. Graham Brown, Whispering Bill Anderson.

As a recording artist I've put out a number of my songs in the soulful Carolina Beach Music scene, some of which have charted there, including 'Heat', 'To A T', 'Be My Lady', 'Shag Time', 'Haul Off And Love Someone', 'All Done With Me'.

I moved to Nashville in 1992 to further pursue songwriting which I'm still very busy with and I also have a corporate/casino style show that I perform. I grew up listening to the great songs of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Rock, Pop, Country, Rhythm and Blues, Jazzy, Vegas, Easy Listening, whatever. I just love great songs of all styles, so that's what I do. My variety show has songs of all those styles or I have a show called - 'It Happened In Vegas - The Songs, The Singers, The Era, The Place' - featuring songs from back in the heyday of Las Vegas entertainment by many of the great singers like Dean Martin, Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Tom Jones and Elvis.

 https://www.lancewing.com/

Black Merda

 

Black Merda were a funky rock combo with a significant debt to Jimi Hendrix, mixing fuzz-toned, psychedelic blues-rock with folky acoustic passages and contemporary late-'60s soul. Featuring guitarists Anthony and Charles Hawkins, bassist VC Veasey (aka Veesee L. Veasey), and drummer Tyrone Hite, the group got its start in the late '60s after Veasey, Hite, and Anthony Hawkins had spent time in a band called the Soul Agents, backing Edwin Starr and Gene Chandler. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced?, they added Anthony's younger brother Charles on second guitar and christened themselves Black Merda. Despite some interest around their Detroit base -- including Norman Whitfield and Eddie Kendricks -- Black Merda signed to Chess, thanks in part to the psychedelic soul eccentric Fugi (aka Ellington Jordan), who they also backed on his Mary, Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip LP for Chess.

Black Merda's self-titled album sounded revolutionary enough, although the bandmembers were disappointed that it didn't reflect their heavy live shows. They then moved to the West Coast to continue playing with Fugi, but returned to Chicago to record a second album. Shortening their name to Mer-Da, the group returned in 1971 with Long Burn the Fire, a funkier outing that bore a likeness to early Funkadelic. The band quickly fizzled out, but over the next three decades, continued record-collector interest in the group eventually resulted in a reunion with Veasey, both Hawkins brothers, and Fugi, although Hite had died in 2004. 

 http://www.blackmerda.net/

MECHANICAL ROOSTER

 

Founded in 2016 by Mustafa Kaçar and Onur Çağlar in Izmir, Turkey; MECHANICAL ROOSTER is proud to present their debut album; “Episode One”. Supervised by Turkish blues veteran / producer Sarp Keskiner, the album suggests an innovative formula by blending urban blues with old school hip hop while preaching their idiosyncratic view on global issues in a cut-up tradition, reminding pioneers of the Beat Generation. 

• Mustafa Kaçar: vocals, lyrics, harmonicas, synthesizer
• Onur Çağlar: vocals, lyrics, sampling, turntable, fx
• Guest) Sarp Keskiner: guitars, bass, percussion, slide ukulele

The EP is released digital and available on all the download and streaming platforms.

The band suggests an innovative formula by blending urban blues and electronic with old school hip hop while preaching their idiosyncratic view on daily issues in a cut-up tradition, reminding pioneers of the Beat Generation.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1nQL40VBcItNiTFCUO6ylB?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=submission_mechanical_rooster_harmonicats&utm_term=2022-07-22

https://www.facebook.com/MechanicalRooster