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The Blind Shake are a psychedelic, garage-punk band from Minneapolis, MN. Brothers Jim and Mike Blaha play guitars and sing, while longtime friend Dave Roper plays drums. For over a decade, the track-jacketed, bald-headed trio has gained a reputation for being one of the most intense bands on the national and international tour circuit. With six full-length albums, a surf collaboration with Swami John Reis (Rocket from the Crypt/Drive Like Jehu/Hot Snakes), and three collaborations with psychedelic legend Michael Yonkers, the band continues to push the sliding scale between catchy punk songs and pitch red noise. Their “Fly Right” release (Slovenly Recordings) zooms in on an intense, yet more melodic aspect of their sound. The group has become a beloved favorite of music supervisors and agency producers, scoring featured usage with the likes of T-Mobile, Fox Racing, Specialized Bikes, Puma, Netflix House of Cards, TUMI, DirecTV, MTV, CW, Comedy Central, Oakley, Thrasher and more.

"The Minneapolis trio deliver the weight and density of an Earth riff, but married it with punk speed and bite. What's unchanging is their pure intensity.” - PITCHFORK 

“[Fly Right is] nine tracks of country-twang tinged garage rock perfection. It's awesome.” - NOISEY

"The Blind Shake is at once spacey, primitive futuristic, and brutal: a kind of backyard extraterrestrial minimal surf-punk party. One guitar, one baritone guitar, a fuckload of reverb, and a drummer who deserves an Olympic medal." --SF Weekly 

Alaska is a most unlikely origin for the five young men who comprise the Builders and the Butchers. Between 2002-2005, each of the members that would eventually form the band moved to Portland from Alaska pursuing music as a means of escaping subzero temperatures and the endless winter darkness. Soon after moving to Portland Ryan Sollee, singer songwriter and guitarist for The Builders, immersed himself in pre-1950’s American music, and started writing Southern Gothic themed story-songs “I was raised on Punk Rock but when I moved to Portland I discovered American Roots music, I felt as though there was similarities between the two styles. They are both genres that you cannot passively listen to, they almost evoke a response or an immediate reaction from you.”

It was a typical rainy Portland afternoon at Ray Rude’s house (who plays “drums” in The Builders), hanging with friends when Ryan decided to show them what he was working on. Something clicked that afternoon and within minutes everyone in attendance found something to play. Alex Ellis happened to have an old acoustic bass, and Harvey Tumbleson had borrowed a Mandolin, Ray sat down at the piano and they just started playing. Paul Seely joined the band a week later as a drummer and instrumentalist and the Builders and The Butchers were born.

Starting innocently enough as a fully acoustic rambling bunch, seeking out audiences on street corners and outside of venues, make no mistake this is not another story of busking come good, The Builders were not looking for money nor were they looking for fame, they were just playing the music they wanted to on their own terms. The band didn’t work out parts on these early songs, they were developed playing on the street, and this philosophy carries through today, by choosing to develop songs live or at rehearsal. Ryan Sollee says “Something special happens when we get in a room and try to work out a song. If I come in with a developed song it never seems to sound as good or it does not sound like The Builders.” In particular it was at these performances that Ray and Paul worked out their unique “deconstructed” drum style.

They played in the rain and cold of Portland winters until instruments were warped and broken, then one day the Builders sold out and booked a real show, then another, and crowds soon were seeking the Builders out. At the early shows it was hard to distinguish the band from the audience, nothing was mic’d or amplified, and seemingly everyone in the audience had a shaker, washboard, or were just beating on the wall and singing. All in attendance saw something special happening, a Portland audience was having fun, singing along and participating, the music demanded a celebration. Within a year, the Builders would win the Willamette Week’s “Best New Band of 2008” and Seattle Sound’s “Best Live Performers 2008” and completed supporting tours with the Helio Sequence, Brand New, Langhorne Slim, Amanda Palmer, Dax Riggs, Murder By Death and Port O’brien.

The Builders don’t pay homage to old America, they channel it. All of the basic instruments are there, acoustic bass, drum, guitar, banjo, and mandolin. They mix gospel, blues, and bluegrass and howl desperate story-songs that latch onto your brain and demand immediate attention.

The timeless sound of their songs, harkens back to a time long passed in music, but reflecting the dark times of the present. Their self-titled debut was released in 2007 and showcases the bands early raw sound. Their latest release titled “Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well” is a much more complete work showcasing the bands full potential. On Salvation, the Builders worked with producer Chris Funk from the Decemberists who brought with him a throng of expertise, patience, instruments, and some of the best musicians in Portland. Salvation record combines the immediacy of the Builders early work with more a developed songwriting, each one with its own personality and story to tell. In the vein of the Southern Gothic tales Ryan weaves stories of struggle with the usual cast of characters God, the Devil, soldiers, branches, wind, rain and hell fire. The record starts with a piano chord and an eerie wind escalating into the thunderous “Golden and Green”, stomp and grinds its way through “Devil Town” and “The Short Way Home”, to the Spanish tinged “Barcelona" and “Raise Up”, and the soaring chorus of “In The Branches”, ending with a lesson of hope in the gospel homage “The World is a Top”.

The story of “Salvation is a Deep Dark Well” is that there’s joy and celebration through the darkness, there’s light in the hardest of times, and when you reach the bottom may salvation light your way.

"The Dead Exs' debut Resurrection has such an authentic vibe. It's a vibrant recording, but it also sounds like it could have been released at any time over the last forty years." - Jason Kundrath, Pop Break (Mar 22, 2011)

"With the current revival of rock music demanding its place among New York City nightlife, The Dead Exs are within the vanguard of this musical re-explosion. " - Garrett Prince, The Hurdy Gurdy (Jan 24, 2011)

Pattiillo is a producer with a credit list from Alanis Morrissette to the Hold Steady, The Black Crowes to the Beastie Boys and last year produced the Reni Lane debut for Universal Motown. Wirth has toured extensively in Europe and the US with various bands and was a member of the Warner Bros act Sweet Lizard Illtet.

Pattillo's love for the upbeat raw recordings of Howlin' Wolf and the garage rock of The Sonics inspired him to go back to his roots and record a true to life thrashing blues record.

Some bands may rule the night, but The Dimes are the kings of Sunday morning.

For much of the last decade, these boys from Porland have been creating a world… A sunny, slow one with gorgeous harmonies, some classic 60’s pop songwriting, and lush, vibrant guitar tones… one reminiscent of a somewhat slower time where artists took their time and crafted something they love.

Formed in 2005, the group originated when guitarists John Clay and Pierre Kaiser decided to form a band with “small songs, ones that would be worth more than bigger ones...like the coin” The duo quickly expanded to a quartet with drummer Jake Rahner and bassist Ryan Johnston and the classic Dimes lineup was born.

The original quartet toured extensively for several years and released a few EP’s, but they really found their sound with the 2007 release of “The Silent Generation”. Inspired by stories from depression-era newspapers that the band discovered underneath the floorboards of their 1890’s home, “Silent Gen” introduced the world to many of the bands most well-known songs, including Dimes classics “Paul Kern Can’t Sleep” (a true story about a WWI vet who was shot in the head and lived, but never slept again for 30 years) and the bands most well-known track, “Catch Me Jumping.” An exuberant uptempo romp with a unforgettable melody, “CMJ” is best known for it’s “whoa whoa whoa” chorus that have been has featured on dozens of network television shows and independent films in recent years. SoundExchange estimates that that one track has been downloaded/streamed/played well over 2,000,000 times from Pandora, Myspace and the like.

After several tours and some additional EP’s, the band followed up with their second full-length effort “The King Can Drink The Harbour Dry” in 2010. The King record revealed a lusher, folkier direction for the band, with some california-country touches such as banjo, pedal steel and elements reminiscent of Neil Young’s Harvest recordings. The band also expanded their live show to a 7-piece to recreate the dense arrangements found on tunes such as “Save Me, Clara” and “Damrell’s Fire.” The record was well received, receiving accolades from NPR, Spin, Under the Radar and MTV.

In the last two years Clay and Kaiser have focused on developing their production skills more and more, specifically with an eye towards television and film… which has led to a slew of soundtrack work for the two, scoring the soundtrack for the successful indie film “Summer Snapshot” (which featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, Claremont-Ferrand etc ) and over 50 television spots on MTV, ABC, the CW and the like. The band has continued to gain notoriety in the film industry, gaining accolades from many notable filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, Cameron Crowe, and Ian McCluskey.

Moving forward the Dimes duo has been collaborating with singer Kelly Anne Masigat of late and expect a third Dimes release in early 2013. The band has hinted that it will be “more of an uptempo affair… Johnny’s melodic sense is still there, but the guitar tones might be the thing we’re the most excited about, and Kelly’s harmonies are just lovely. Best stuff we’ve ever done, hands down.”

tell the franks punk rock died the day it was defined and they'll tell you to piss off. remind them that sid vicious died almost a decade before they were conceived and they'll laugh in your face. talk about detroit or london and they'll interrupt you with a smirk so sardonic you'll crawl back to whatever old folks' home you came from with your bigot tail tucked so far between your legs you won't walk right for days.

the franks emerged on the l.a. scene in 2008 not long after frontman jean don't - having spent 21 years throwing fits and raising hell inside his own head - finally got sick of thinking and breathing punk and recruited a team to live it out loud: drummer mimi malone and bassist ron ray gunn. they were to bring it back; whatever it was that got lost when the clash threw in the towel leaving rock empty of anything but eye-makeup and radio promoters.

so, talk to the franks about how punk rock was at least a little resurrected when britney spears shaved her head and how it died all over again at the sight of her extensions, tell them that living in l.a. looks shitty on a punk's résumé, and tell them that they'll be fighting a venomous enemy taking on a world of commercial artistry...

frankly my dears, they won't give a f*ck.

the franks have shared the stage with contemporaries such as wavves, the soft pack, and best coast. duh is their second ep.

The Heavenly States came together in 2002, united by a shared passion for complex and cathartic rock bursting with literate, provocative lyricism. A series of acclaimed albums and a seeming endless capacity for touring – including a landmark 2005 trek to Egypt and Libya – confirmed their status as one of America's premiere indie outfits, flying the flag for self-determination and intelligent, energetic rock 'n' roll.

Oui Camera Oui – the Bay Area-based band's first release on the new Hippies Are Dead label – follows their highly praised 2008 album, Delayer. After spending much of the year on tour following that record's release, the band pondered their next move, wondering how best to follow such an ambitious collection. The inspiration struck to attempt an EP, in the tradition of band favorites like Margin Walker, Metal Circus, and oh yes, Magical Mystery Tour.

"We started thinking about the death of the record," says singer/guitarist Ted Nesseth. "People are broke, their attention spans are waning. We have all these ideas so we thought, let's just rock out five or six songs, give the EP a rebirth."

"We're never short on concepts or ideas," singer/multi-instrumentalist Genevieve Gagon adds, "so we thought the EP could be a great medium for us – a handful of songs that just fit together. This could be something we carry into the future, releasing a series of EPs instead of writing these epic novels."

In the fall of 2009, the band headed for Los Angeles, where they produced the record alongside Bill Lefler (Meg & Dia, Low Vs. Diamond, Dashboard Confessional) at his Deathstar Studio. Having fewer songs to record gave them a chance to invest more time on each track, crafting a carefully orchestrated sound enabled drummer Jeremy Gagon to experiment with an array of percussion – including triangle, vibraphone, and other instruments – while Ted and Genevieve were focused on detailed arrangements and intricate vocal tracks.

"We've never had the luxury – or the cash – to really try to capture vocal performances," she says. "We wanted to make it so you can hear all the elements. When things get really orchestral, you can't always hear everything that's going on, so we wanted to try and create a kind of clarity."

After the sessions wrapped, Nesseth flew to Brooklyn to mix the record with John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., The Hold Steady, Kurt Vile), who had previously worked with the band on 2005's "King Epiphany" single. While in BK, Nesseth arranged for comedian Eugene Mirman to record the EP's comic epilogue. The States had previously encountered Mirman – beloved for his Sub Pop stand-up collections as well as his recurring role on Flight of the Conchords – while playing a comedy/indie rock double bill in of all places, Fargo, North Dakota.

"I just thought he was ridiculously funny," Nesseth says, "and made it my mission to become his friend."

Mission accomplished, Mirman agreed to appear on Oui Camera Oui, offering to record a recitation of the band's less positive reviews. The result is a somewhat scathing indictment of the sorry state of rock criticism in the blog age, as well as a classically Mirman-esque bit of hilarity.

"He basically embellished what was already there," Nesseth says. "The reviewer never actually said that we 'fuck baby wolves.' That was Eugene."

Also joining The Heavenly States on Oui Camera Oui is avowed fan Britt Daniel of Spoon, who lends his distinctive vocal stylings to "Berlin Wall." The band met the Spoon frontman after a 2008 show at Portland's Doug Fir Lounge with The Minus 5, whereupon a rather inebriated Nesseth got up the dutch courage to present Daniel with a copy of Delayer. The following day the band was surprised to receive a message on their Facebook page.

"Britt literally said, 'I can't stop listening to this record,'" Gagon says. "And then he invited us to open for Spoon, three nights at The Fillmore. It was like this incredible gift. After that Ted asked him, 'Do you want to do something on our next record?' and he said 'Yeah.'"

Daniel recorded vocal tracks at his home studio, which were then mixed into "Berlin Wall" at fellow Spoon member Jim Eno's Public Hi-Fi Studio in Austin, Texas. Despite the high-profile guest stars, Oui Camera Oui is very much The Heavenly States' show. Songs like "Model Son" and "Monster" capture the band's very essence, an eclectic, multi-faceted approach easily identified by Nesseth and Gagon's bifurcated harmonies, crafty melodic structures, and a satisfying sense of musical motion marked by wit, intensity, and endless possibility. Nesseth likens the EP as the band's "'Theresa's Sound-world' moment," referring to the Sonic Youth track from the 1992 classic, Dirty.

"I don't know if it's because I was really stoned in high school," Nesseth says, "but I thought that song was just the most concise statement of who Sonic Youth were, like, this is the thing that they'd been trying to say forever. They just hit it on the head. I feel like that's what we did with Oui Camera Oui, only across a group of songs, not just the one."

Beneath their ebullient hooks, the songs of Oui Camera Oui offer a pragmatic perspective of 21st Century America as a dystopian society on the precipice of moral and economic collapse. Like any protest singers worth their salt, Gagon and Nesseth are loath to pen explicitly obvious lyrics, preferring a more indirect approach encompassing metaphor, cultural critique, and perhaps the greatest weapon in any revolutionary artist's arsenal, sarcasm. Gagon feels songs like "Monarchia" or the anthemic title track serve an essential purpose in these difficult times, offering a kind of alternative news source to the corporate-owned status quo.

"We've played with Mike Watt many times," Gagon says, "and he often talks about, 'Why do we keep doing this?' Well, for us, one motivating factor is trying to be a voice in all this mess."

In the year since recording Oui Camera Oui, The Heavenly States have kept busy in a variety of ways. In addition to writing songs with Nesseth for the next EP, Gagon has been hard at work penning a screenplay loosely based on the band's trip to the Middle East, a narrative detailing "what it's like to be us, in a band, in this landscape. Libya and Egypt figure into it in that I'm distilling the meaning of those experiences, without it being a literal representation of what happened."

Of course, The Heavenly States' true passion remains writing, recording, and rocking the road. They plan to tour hard behind Oui Camera Oui, while still finding time to cut another EP's worth of what Gagon calls "sister songs and responses, the baroque counterpart to this more classical collection of songs." Having taken their sweet time releasing Oui Camera Oui, the band has adopted a self-imposed deadline, committing themselves to getting the next installment in their continuing series of American songs out before year's end.

"We don't do expository, didactic political songs," Gagon says, "but there is a temporal element to what we do, so it's important to get it out there when it's still kind of relevant. I mean, what if Bob Dylan had to wait three years before putting out his records? What would've happened to the movement?"

What? As fresh and as clean as your soap dish, The Ivorys from Chicago, IL harness the love of classic rock but with a new spin. Through influences ranging from The Stooges and The Rolling Stones, to The Strokes, The White Stripes, and Arctic Monkeys; there is no doubt that this power trio has developed a retro but catchy sound that is sure to enrapture your interest in more ways than one. "Piece of Mind" is a sure standout track on the new recordings by the band with new member Neil Candelora. "Piece of Mind" showcases some of the bands best work in the raw, herky-jerky rocker. Be sure to see the band perform to get the full idea of what the band is all about- energetic, and fun rock 'n' roll that you are not afraid to sing along to.

Who? The Ivorys are longtime friends. Brendan Lazar (Drums/Percussion/Vocals) has known Sam White (Bass Guitar/Lead Vocals) since they were wee young in kindergarten. The Ivorys officially formed when Lazar met Robert Thomas in high school on Chicago's near south side in 2003. In December of 2009, Neil Candelora took over the Guitar and Vocal duties. The three grouped together in Lazar's basement to write and rehearse all of their material. Soon enough, their first self titled EP sprouted from the dust, the gigs were forming, and The Ivorys were well on their way to a fast following in Chicago through opening for bands such as The Redwalls, Mondo Diao, and Badfish to name a few. They soon fell under the wing of Chicago music producer, Ira Antelis where the band still records all of their material at his downtown recording studio.

Quick Facts • Showcased for Music Dealer's at SXSW 2009/ Hardrock Cafe Chicago 2011 • Performed at notable venues in Chicago like Metro (headlined twice), House of Blues (supporting Badfish and The Redwalls), Double Door (supporting Mondo Diao), Beat Kitchen (supporting The Hard Lessons and Monty Are I), Subterranean (supporting Locksley), and Bottom Lounge among others. •Supported National Acts such as The Redwalls, Das Racist, Locksley, Oberhofer • Have been on three self booked tours of the midwest and east coast • Showcased on FOX local news and in the Redeye • Song "Can't Stop" has appeared on WXRT's Local Anesthetic

FOR FANS OF Kings Of Leon The Black Keys The White Stripes The Strokes MUSE Arctic Monkeys The Fratellis OK GO The Raconteurs The Rolling Stones

Ben Braden and Sarah Parson began writing and singing music together in the winter of 2009 in Minneapolis, MN. Within a few months they were playing shows in Minneapolis, Chicago and other Midwestern venues, and before summer they had finished recording their first release, the critically praised EP “Everywhere To Go.” Following the release of “Everywhere To Go,” Ben and Sarah headed west, relocating The Lower 48 to Portland, OR. Playing regularly on the West Coast, they developed a more mature sound and wrote a host of new songs. In the summer of 2010, Nicholas Sadler, another Minneapolis native relocated to Portland, and joined the band as percussionist. Soon after The Lower 48 began recording their first full-length album. Titled “Where All Maps End,” this record reveals the band’s collaboration to portray the pain, pleasure and uncertainty of being young and making one’s way in the world. Finding it's strongest influence in music from the 1960’s, "Where All Maps End" will prove The Lower 48 to be a quintessential organic band in the digital age.

Featuring members of The Toadies, True Widow and Hagfish, THE MAG SEVEN are, in the Texas manner of speaking, instrumentalists for hire , musical gun slingers, playing everything from Punk-Surf and Spaghetti Western themes to Jazz. Their influences range from Black Flag and the Descendents to John Coltrane and Ennio Marricone, The Ventures, and Stravinsky. Together, they are a musical tour-de-force, an excellent instrumental ensemble capable of mastering any style.

For the last five years The Mo-Odds have been one of the sweatiest, nakedest, rawest, and funnest rock n' roll acts in Los Angeles County. The band christened their signature sound in their first demo Los Angeles Rock and Roll, a no-nonsense garage release with roots in the punk and soul that has been worrying parents and shaking hips for six decades.

The LA Weekly describes The Mo-Odds as, "equal parts fuzz and soul, drunkenly crash-landing somewhere between the high-energy Detroit rock of the Bell-Rays and the high-personality Detroit R&B of the Gories."  Owl Mag describes the Mo-Odds as "chaotic, dirty, dangerous, nasty, and alive." Mainstays of the Silverlake Jubilee Festival, their over-the-top shows earned them a reputation.

The Mo-Odds' Soto was Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Eric Palmquist (Aloe Blacc, Wavves, and No Age), and Mastered by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Studios in Los Angeles. Together they have crafted a 4 song EP that has housebroken the signature frantic energy of the band with a tight studio sound based around big vocals and sharp woodwinds.

When people say 'they're good live, I just wish they had a recording that sounded like it', pretty sure this is what they mean. From the immediately catchy riffs of It's My Heart to the infectious rhythms of Lights Go Out to the confrontational lyrics and unrestrained vocal delivery of Smoke & Fog; with equal measure energy and fidelity, this is The new Mo-Odds, Soto.