BrandsForBands

I moved around quite a bit growing up. I call Newport, Rhode Island “home” because I lived there consistently for the longest amount of time. I bought my first guitar when I was seventeen. I was inspired by local bands like Throwing Muses and Belly.

In 1997 I wound up in Charleston, South Carolina – where I met Graig Markel, who was in town on tour with his band. Our love affair began where all great romances start…in a bar. Soon after, I took a Greyhound bus to Seattle so we could be together. We formed a band, Tagging Satellites.

Over the next six years Tagging Satellites released two EPs and three full-length albums. We had a few line-up changes over the years, but Graig and I remained the consistent thread that held the band together…until we couldn’t. It nearly cost us our relationship but instead of becoming another rock and roll casualty, we broke up the band and got married.

Graig started a new project called, The Animals At Night, and I started recording some of my own songs. Graig and I are also involved with Seattle’s indie-electronic band Head Like A Kite.

My live band includes: Jon Hyde (pedal steel), Greg Panto (banjo), Doran Bastin (bass), and Joe Patterson (drums). Along with Graig recording and producing my first solo album at The Recovery Room here in Seattle, he also joins me on stage playing guitar. We have shared the stage with: Jesse Sykes, J. Tillman and Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes), Micah P. Hinson and many others.

“Birds And Bullets Fly” is my first solo release. I hope you enjoy the songs.

After listening to the first few tunes by Fortunetellers, you might wonder where they have been all your life. Moonlighting as teachers, students, music producers, and world travelers, it took 25 years for these assiduous souls to cross paths. Even at first listen, though, you are quickly convinced it was well worth the wait. This Chicago based indie-rock band will have you on your feet (or at least tapping a toe or two) with their melodic pop tunes and sweet dance grooves.

Adult Books post-punk sound draws on the melancholy melodies of New Order, the shimmering guitar work of The Smiths and the nervy urgency of The Wipers. Alternating between sardonic and sincere, the tightly crafted lyrics strive for an emotional honesty even at their most ambiguous.

The longing in Julie Hardy’s voice is palpable. It’s a gorgeous voice, filled with warmth and pain, seemingly in contrast with the icy synths and computerized sounds that lurk behind her heartache.  But within Clementine & The Galaxy, these two worlds meld together just fine. A retro/futuristic spin on pop, the Brooklyn duo craft evocative electro sounds with a human heart. Hardy may sing “I’ve been programmed not to miss you,” but it’s her soulfulness that propels the whooshing synths and cinematic flourishes of her bandmate/partner Mike MacAllister.

Think the grand drama of St. Vincent, a sprinkle of Bowie’s stardust. Electro-pop gems with a mod sci-fi motif.

Clementine & The Galaxy officially debuted in 2011 with the release of the single “Crying My Whole Heart Out.” Word spread quickly. The duo garnered a feature in Interview (“a pop duo with their hands on synthesizers and heads in the cloud”) and praise fromTime Out New York (“Spacey, playfully proggy art pop in the Bowie lineage”). Since then, they’ve released a self-titled EP, a well-received cover of Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box" and a popular remix of Big Data's “Dangerous,” among several others. 

This year, Clementine & The Galaxy will unveil their second EP,Midnight Machine, released by Jillionaire of Major Lazer's Feel Up Records.

evolv's musical style is driven by powerful harmonies and complimenting melodic guitar movements. Armed with a passionate stage presence, evolv captivates their audience; continuing to push the boundaries of cinematic post-rock and ambient compositions with hip-hop/lofi elements. Follow evolv on his journey as he takes you back to your favorite memories.

Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota - also known as the Twin Cities, has its own unique sound board of music. The diverse tone of the TC sets itself apart from any other Midwestern city. From Funk, to Soul to Hip Hop, the Land of 10,000 Lakes has birthed many incredible talents including Prince, The Time, Mint Condition; to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It must be something in the water….

Insert Envy and Fancy, the Hip Hop and R&B duo known as iLLism. The pair stand to one day be among the most influential artists to come from the North Star state alongside their predecessors who left incredible legacies before them. The husband and wife duo are setting their own precedence when it comes to their sound, "Our Music. Our Rules."

The pair has already captured nods from the house of Paisley Park (Prince’s famous royal domain) after having competed in the “Musicology Battle of the Bands” competition and placing in the top three out of the 150 bands who entered. Donna Grantis and guitar player of Prince’s assembled band 3rd Eye Girl, later applauded them on their incredible performance and “Killer arrangements.”

In the studio, iLLism demonstrates an incredible amount of talent. Their current discography includes two EPs (Definition of iLL A side and B Side), their debut full length album, “Love and Loyalty,” and their long awaited sophomore album “iLLuminate.” The duo describes iLLuminate as being a reflection of their personal and musical journeys. With songs like, Who You Lovin, Life, Bet and MNsota Nice the duo evoke passion and emotions that listeners all over the globe can connect with.

iLLism’s sound has always been musically robust. With the help of their live band as well as awarded producers, iLLuminate not only captures the Minneapolis sound made famous by Prince, they push it forward by adding their own originality. “This album is us in full music form. It’s our blood, sweat, tears and heartbeats. That’s how special it is,” the duo says. “It’s therapeutic. It’s a release. It’s a celebration. It’s everything hip-hop is supposed to be. We may be biased but we listen to it everyday.”

New Candys formed in Venice, Italy in 2008 with Fernando Nuti on vocals, guitar and sitar, Diego Menegaldo on guitar and vocals, Stefano Bidoggia on bass and Dario Lucchesi on drums. The band has been influenced by 60's Psychedelic Rock, especially The Velvet Underground and Syd Barrett, as well as contemporary artists like Brian Jonestown Massacre, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC), Black Angels, etc. In August 2010 they released their first self-produced/self-titled EP and in 2012 their debut album ‘Stars Reach The Abyss’ on Foolica, a UK tour followed that year. In early 2015 the song “Meltdown Corp.” was featured in ‘The Reverb Conspiracy 3’ compilation that every year brings together the best emerging bands of the underground psych scene from all over Europe, out on Fuzz Club and Reverberation Appreciation Society (Austin Psych Fest/Levitation). In March 2015 they released a second album ‘New Candys As Medicine’ on Picture In My Ear and Fuzz Club. The album was mixed by John Wills, producer and drummer of Loop. The album has received praises from Simone Marie Butler of Primal Scream and Stephen Lawrie of The Telescopes. A European/UK tour followed, including a show at the sold out Secret Garden Party festival in UK together with Temples, Toy, Jungle, etc. They’ve also shared the stage with Crystal Stilts, Slowdive, Dead Skeletons, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The KVB. They will tour Europe/UK again in 2016.

“When we write songs, we start with our own experience and dig to find a unique angle to capture and communicate relatable human emotions and situations. Whether it’s about identity, relationships, fucking, whatever, we try to be vivid and specific about the universal and timeless.  We want to do more than just tell you about our love, pain, desire etc… we want to pull you right into the middle of it.”   -Danielle Harris of Slow Sugar on their forthcoming EP.

Bursting onto the scene in March of 2015, Slow Sugar has been rapidly proving their worth among the seemingly endless supply of NYC hopefuls clawing for their chance at stardom. Armed with a mix of pop and indie sensibilities, their carefully crafted alternative pop sound is not only immediately infectious, but also intricate and deep.  After only a year on the scene, its clear Slow Sugar is a force to be reckoned with in the New York pop game.

A chance meeting in a student jazz combo at the University of Pennsylvania (and a shared self-proclaimed “misfit” mentality) brought together the sultry vocal stylings of lead singer Danielle Harris and songwriting chops of guitarist and vocalist Alex Utay in 2012. While Harris completed her degree in art history and Utay went the clock-punching route with a marketing position at Pepsi, the duo kept in touch. Upon Harris’ graduation in 2014, which ironically coincided with Utay putting in his two weeks notice at Pepsi, they began collaborating on a regular basis for the remainder of the year, churning out songs that would make even the most jaded industry veteran sit up and take notice. With a growing catalog of songs and years of pent up enthusiasm, Slow Sugar was finally ready to take NYC by storm.

Their live debut came at the end of March 2015 with a packed show Bowery Electric, and it has been nothing if not explosive since then. Slow Sugar went on to spend the rest of the year playing and selling out some of the city’s most renowned clubs and festivals, such as Communion’s NYC showcase at Rockwood Music Hall, Mercury Lounge, CMJ at the Bitter End, and a huge show at Highline Ballroom in December 2015.

Riding the wave of this momentum, the duo headed into the studio during the winter of 2015/2016 to record their highly anticipated debut EP with up-and-coming producer Jon Buscema. Harris and Utay have come a long way from their days of text books and college bands, and judging from their captivating live show and killer upcoming EP, it’s quite clear: Pop has never tasted so good.

Los Angeles dream pop duo Chris & Dexy Valentine of Magic Wands are back with their highly anticipated second album Jupiter out on Cleopatra Records Feb 26th 2016. You may know them from their infectious single Black Magic from their debut album Aloha Moon featuring Space which was praised by Spin magazine as “a sexy and propulsive stunner” and earned the band opening slots for The Kills, The Horrors, The Breeders, The Jesus and Marychain, The Black Keys and more. The band returns with a bigger even dreamier sound with their most ambitious album to date, self-produced & featuring more cosmic layered guitar tracks, swirling pop vocals, and driving uptempo beats. The band expanded from an electronic duo and are now joined by new band members Tommy Alexander on bass & Keith Crutchfield on drums.

"Mixing elements of gothy postpunk and ethereal psych (with no shortage of hooks), their sound might best be described as "witchy." -BrooklynVegan

"['"Heartbeat"] is a five-minute dream pop tidal wave kept aloft by a snaking post-punk bassline, with vocalist Dexy Valentine coasting above it all with serene cool." - Under The Radar

"Featuring many first takes of drums, guitars, and bass, [Jupiter] marks a shift in Magic Wands' sound, but one that exemplifies the band's musical growth and confidence." - Interview

“Jupiter” album of the month - Postpunk.com

Consisting of band member Robert Husak, and brothers Garnet and Snow Keim, The Blakes have been gaining momentum as their music attracts more and more attention from all corners of the entertainment industry.

"Soak the Kinks in cheap booze, reignite the Stooges’ strut and add some modern Strokes of ambition, and you have the Blakes." - Spin

"The trio’s self-released album has been spritzed up and retooled, but there’s no containing the primal, giddy energy that crackles through it. Careening back and forth between desperate/lovesick and drunk/predatory, the band turns raw, conflicted desire into instantly addictive pop gems and scorching, swaggering rock. The band’s hearts and influences are on full display, but the results are wonderfully contagious." -NPR