NY Rockers Midnight Mob play The Legendary Dobbs 2yr. Anniversary Show Sat. Dec. 22nd.

Bullet belts, big guitars, groove, sweat and a sonic presence that will blow up your house and tell you it's ok.

Midnight Mob... 101 Death Proof

I remember the first show we had Midnight Mob in at Dobbs. They blew me away along with the people in attendence. The Singer, Blacky, brought a prowless and attitude backing it with an amazing stage presence. Blackey makes you pay attention to what is going on stage and draws you in with her sultry vocals. Carly, Catastrophe, Spyder and Squeeze provide the ripping guitar and groove backdrop. Midnight Mob has become a favorite among the Philly scene and also of Legendary Dobbs. Check out their music and videos below. You will not be disappointed. We so honored to have them perform on our 2nd. Year Anniversary Show this Saturday 12/22/12!!!  - Jim Thorpe - TL Dobbs


Bio:

Midnight Mob... 101 Death Proof!

Once upon a time there lived 5 strangers from all walks of life. Each held tightly what has kept them alive since the other night. The 5 stained with bloody hands, no alibi and without a fear of dying alone. Living as though deathproof and stared down by strangers as if the walking dead, these 5 have drifted over the Earth eying others like themselves to pull of...

f the perfect crime to set the world on fire. The 4 call her Blackey and her heart beats faster when each post is scratched and each hair is risen. Everyone will hear her voice and tell their children their loved ones her story. Close your eyes, throw on your headphones and set your stereo to overdrive. If the sun never rises and the 5 strangers never touched you then it was All for Nothing. The Midnight Mob moves on and you’re left with a moonlit sky and 99 ways to die.. Swagg 'N' Roll bleeding influences such as: GNR, Danzig, Social Distortion, Cheap Trick, T.Rex and Joan Jett.

"If your heart ain't in it you might as well be dead."

 

Blackey Deathproof on lead vox spews Midnight Mob's "101 Death Proof" blend of high octane Rock N Roll with Social Distortion sentiment. Midnight Mob's penchant for stripped down swag n roll is as refreshing & sobering as a punch in the face. Formed in February 2009 and lineup solidified in 2010. Midnight Mob consists of Blackey Deathproof (vox), Carly Quinn (bass.vox), Mickey Squeeze & Spydyr (guitars) and Catastrophe (drums). Late January 2011 Midnight Mob had their first official release, which was a self titled EP. This release was supplemented with the band's first video, "Overdrive". Midnight Mob has thrived in the most extravagant rooms and has become hungry in the diviest of places. In a blink of an eye Midnight Mob has gained the reputation of one of the most hard working, unique and high energy live acts on the east coast and has taken their rock n roll circus across the bridges of NYC as far south as GA, as far north as ME and as far west as TX. Midnight Mob has had a successful US college radio campaign by incorporating two new singles in September 2011: "All For Nothing" and Walking Dead". In addition, the video for "All For Nothing", done by the renown Jarret Bellucci, has opened the band up to massive exposure outside of the US. The Mob also has 16 network television placement opportunities in the works, which includes networks such as: MTV, FOX Sports and E! Currently as 2012 comes to a close Midnight Mob throws another gem out there for everyone, the much anticipated follow up release (11/12), "Black Moon Rising" along with a video for the acoustic track, "These Days". Last but not least mega club Starland Ballroom has taken notice of Midnight Mob and has asked them to open up for Monster Magnet (12/15/12), which will close out the year. In the new year look for Midnight Mob to be going overseas. Peace, Love, Swag N Roll.... 

MERCHANDISE: WWW.MidnightMob.Com/STORE.HTML

Website: www.midnightmob.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jointhemidnightmob

OFFICIAL MAILING LIST:  http://midnightmob.fanbridge.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MidnightMob101

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

Ducky and The Vintage brings his Soulful Bluesy Rock on Dec. 22nd 2012

 

Ducky and the Vintage are a Legendary Dobbs favorite and always can't wait for their return. We are honored that Ducky and the crew were avaiable for our 2yr. Anniversary Show on Saturday, Dec. 22nd. Ducky's stage presence and vocal prowless is something to been seen. He has been touring through out the country the past year building a loyal fanbase. Below is a clip from his appearance on the Carson Daly show "Last Call".

 

 

One could describe the music of Harrisburg, PA's DUCKY AND THE VINTAGE in many ways as there are a lot of elements in one indie rock package. The dark but upbeat songs would be perfectly at home on the soundtrack for HBO's True Blood, but, perhaps the best way to describe it, is to get it straight from the Duck's mouth:

"My music is basically a rock 'n roll, bluesy country, soulful vibe with some pop infused," explains frontman/songwriter Matt 'Ducky Duke' Ryan. "I think the songs put across a vintage sound coupled with a more modern approach and they really sum up everything that I am as a person and a musician. It's just rock 'n roll in my own way."

 

To those who think the name Ducky is a shout out to Pretty In Pink, Ryan's stage moniker is simply a high school nickname that never quite went away. Says Ryan: "My best friend gave me that nickname after winning a stuffed duck out of a crane machine at a diner when we were in high school and it has just sort of stuck. I don't take myself too seriously, and therefore I think it suits me... most people tend to agree."

 

Ryan - self described as "quirky" and "very ADD" - might not take himself too seriously (meet him at a show and ask him to do his Speak-And-Spell impression), but his music is anything but whimsical. 'Take Our Souls Back' is a dark pop gem with a robotic drumbeat that envelopes the listener as Ryan's soulful vocals open with the lines "I didn't even think love was gonna be easy, but I didn't think I'd have to break your heart for you need me"

'Days of The Walking Dead' starts off sounding like Ryan might be taking a cue from FRANZ FERDINAND before breaking into a hook laden chorus for a track that inexplicably sounds upbeat and eerie at the same time. Says Ryan: "The song is about understanding what is to come and preparing for it - taking the good with the bad and the bad with the good. It's about the days where just getting out of bed can feel like a zombie wandering around looking for brains."

Band 101: Releasing your music - CD/Digital? How Many Songs? Etc?

We received a lot of questions recently regarding releasing new music in this new age of the music industry. Such as: How many Songs? Do we need CD's or Digital? What should we do with the music to get it out there?

Below are based on my experiences and research, if you have other positive information to help your fellow artists please leave comments on this blog post!

The Music Industry obvious has been changing faster than the speed of light but also evolving into a DIY model for the artists. But there are some things every artist needs to do before they release their music. Hopefully I can provide some useful information.

I recommend any independent artist to release 5 song ep's rather than full length CD's. Each artist is trying to build new fans. Recording your 5 best songs is best direction. By recording 5 songs it keeps your fan engaged and their attention.
With doing EP's you can release them every 8 months or so to remain fresh. It also benefits your merch and CD sales by building a library of your music.

So your in the studio recording some smoking tracks for your EP release. its sounding great, awesome feedback from all in involved with the recording.

Artist/Band Rights:
The Artist/Band has to get all their rights in order before you release the EP.

1. The band needs to setup an artist agreement/partnership between themselves (if it isn't already) on who gets what percentage of the publishing, touring, merch, etc. Also who owns the band name and provisions if someone departs the band?
2. The Artist needs to register with ASCAP, BMI or SESAC for your publishing royalties.
3. The Artist needs to register with Sound Exchange for all of your internet royalties. SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio (such as SIRIUS XM), internet radio, cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings

*** recommend talking to an Entertainment Lawyer and/or a Publishing Consultant

Okay were done recording lets get some CD's pressed up for our release show!
Hold on.... here are steps to do it right.

When you release your new 5 Song EP, you should set a release date and have it

correspond on the ITunes/Amazon for your digital download date. So how do I do that?

CDs/MP3 & Distribution:

1. I recommend right now using TUNECORE, its reasonable and best for selling your music online. They put your music on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and many other stores. They collect and give you 100% of the money from your music sales along with detailed streaming and sales reports.
They will give you a date when you material will be available online. It takes 3-4 weeks to go live.
2. Once you know that date, setup a release show the week of it being available online.
3. Recently a lot of successful touring bands have been selling Download Cards, USB Drives, Vinyl and CDs for selling their music. Fans still like CDs, but Vinyl and download cards seem to the favorites.
4. CD's I wouldn't go out and get 1000 CD's right away, most of the time they wind up in the basement collecting dust. I would do 300CD's to start, along with download cards to offer to your fans. Vinyl is cool and seems to sell well to diehard fans - maybe offer a short run as a limited edition. Set a budget on what you can afford for merch, you always can buy more..
5. Make sure you make it easy for fans to buy your music/merch from your websites. Have all the links to amazon, itunes, spotify and etc.

Links:
http://www.tunecore.com/
http://www.pandora.com/
http://www.ascap.com/join/
http://www.bmi.com/join/
http://www.sesac.com/
http://www.soundexchange.com/

Direct-To-Fan
Using Tools like Topspin, Nimbit, Bandzoogle, Moontoast, and many others allow you to build a complete online store inside your website or Facebook. You can sell digital & physical music, plus merch, tickets, and lots of other stuff, directly to fans without a middleman. You also keep the vast majority of the money you earn   (Edit comment)

How do I get my new EP out to the World?
The age old question.... promotion and creating a buzz!!!

Here are some tips and ideas for you to try....

Networking:
The more people you meet, the more events your attend, developing relationships etc.
See past Band 101 topic: http://thelegendarydobbs.blogspot.com/2012/10/band-101-networking-promoting.html

Internet Radio/Podcasts:
This is a great way to get your music heard around the world. The best way to get on internet radio/Podcast is to find the stations that fit your style of music and contact the DJ directly. Don't go sending them MP3's. Just send and intro letter introducing the band, and a link to your music and great Youtube if available. If they like your band they will want a CD mailed or mp3 emailed to them. Two great sites with a lot of options are Live363.com and Podomatic.com. There is a lot of research that can be done to find international stations; you just need to put the work in.
Listings:
www.live365.com
http://radio-locator.com/

Music Blogs/Review Sites
The main issue here is that which blogs would be interested in reviewing my music. There are a lot of music blogs out there and a hard nut to crack. The best is to use the same approach as above. One recommendation would be approach the smaller blogs first. They may have a few followers but it will help you get into the larger ones. Also make sure you have an interesting story to tell that would attract someone to review your music. In the past I would look to see who writes the reviews and find out what they like and send them the music w/ a Starbucks gift card, free shirt, free cool merch. item. I sent a coffee basket to a radio DJ before. The band was played for 4 weeks on her show. It's a poor man’s payola but it does work if the music backs it up.
The Hype Machine is a great website in all, here is a listing of music blogs: http://hypem.com/#!/blogs/tags/alternative

College Radio:
Is college radio still relevant, I would say yes, but it has shrunk. The DJ's are still playing music they like. They key is to find the stations that play your style of music, again try an make a solid contact at the station to submit your music. Also the College DJ's also are Bloggers trying to get new music out to their followers. Most of the stations also stream their shows also.
here are links to get you started:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_campus_radio_stations
http://radio-locator.com/

Commerical Radio/XM Sirius:
All independent artists are limited to specialty local programs, still a form of promoting your music. Commercial radio is still run by the labels. You can hire radio promoters, they are expensive, but don't always meet what artists expectations are. They get you on new music shows for a play with the false hope of regular airplay. If you are in the metal scene it's a little different but still an uphill battle.

Reviews in Papers/Magazines
Most of your major magazines are extremely hard to crack, even for known artists. The first avenue I would try to do is go to your local neighborhood papers and sell them the story on the band, music release and gameplan for getting the cd out there. When you get to the city level of papers it really is a long shot. There is only a small amount for them to write about with a worlds worth of music.
Here are some cool sites to try and get your music reviewed on:
*** see our side bar for great music blogs***
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/
http://www.dangerdog.com
http://www.syffal.com/
http://www.ultraindie.blogspot.com/
http://junkmedia.org/index.php
http://www.treblezine.com/
http://www.soundaslanguage.com/
http://www.adequacy.net/
http://www.palebear.com
http://beardfood.com

Good Article: http://dottedmusic.com/2012/marketing/getting-better-indie-music-reviews/

Youtube/Videos:
Creating videos with your new music in them is also a very good promotional tool. I know making a video can be expensive. If you have creative types it can be down fairly cheap with a flip camera or something similar. Think out of the box, be creative and gain some interest.

Soundcloud:
Soundcloud is the easiest to use free music upload service. It takes just a couple clicks to upload a song and once you do, you can embed your music everywhere from Facebook to your Tumblr account. You can allow people to download it, stream it, and if you choose you can even allow people to remix it. It's also a free way to connect with other musicians, follow artists you like, and create a small community around your songs. But the biggest appeal? You can allow people to comment anywhere in the song. This means you'll get personalized feedback on each section of your song. It's hard to get used to all the criticism, but it will help you improve in the long run.

Bandcamp/Let your fans decide what they pay:
Bandcamp is free to use for musicians and allows you to set your price for your album or let people pay whatever they want. Unlike Soundcloud, you also get better (and more) options for tagging your songs and tracks so people can find you based on your location, music type, or even mood. Better still, people can download your songs in a number of formats and qualities, including high-quality FLAC files. If you're releasing a whole album, you get a nice, minimal landing page where people can stream or download the songs. Bandcamp has every stat you can imagine, including sales, streaming time, and details on when people stop listening to a track. As a tracking tool, it's a good way to see how people listen to your music. As a selling tool, it's a great way to let potential fans stream a song or album before buying it.

Tracking Down new Fans:
Once your music is on the internet you still need to track down fans. This is the hardest part, but the best thing you can do is make it so your music is accessible in as many places as possible. Here's a few simple rules to follow after you've uploading your music:
Tag your songs properly:   The biggest way musicians shoot themselves in the foot is by not tagging their music properly. Sites like Soundcloud or Bandcamp let you pick your genre or location because it helps people find you. Use genre tags properly and honestly.  Include your location too, because if anyone ever wants to write about your music, the first thing they want to know is where you're from.
Spread it out to aggregation and radio services: People aren't always going to come searching for your music on their own. You need to make it accessible and easy to find. Once your music is online, submit links to discovery engines like exfm and last.fm so people can find your music by accident.
Some music Directory Services:
http://www.pandora.com/
http://hypem.com/
http://listen.grooveshark.com/
http://www.last.fm/
http://www.zune.net/en-us/products/software/marketplace/default.htm


*** Serveral People May Not like the Next Way of getting your music out there but it is an option to get your music out there***

Torrent Sites/Rapidgator/Mediafile File Sharing:
If your band is interested in getting your name out there without any potential CD sales there is the torrent/file sharing way. Release your music and sharing it on torrent sites could garner downloads over the world. I know it's falling into the Pirarcy World. But knowadays more than 80% of the population of the world gets their music illegally. A great torrent listing site is Pirate Bay. If you put your torrent on here it will be listed as "New" post and watch it go viral. People will download to check it out. It's a long shot but worth a look if your getting desperate

Hopefully some of the ideas I brought will help you in releasing your new music to your fans both new and loyals. By no means is this set in stone methods, every artist is different and want different goals. So good luck, keep your music alive and spead the word.

Jim Thorpe / Legendary Dobbs-DVT Entertainment

My Enemy Complete brings back their Arena Performance at Dobbs Dec. 15th

 

My Enemy Complete first show in Philadelphia was at The Legendary Dobbs "Liberty Musicfest" in Aug 2012. MEC was a standout at the festival bringing their powerful and emotional live performance that put the feeling that you were watching them in a large stadium. Bilaal is every essence of what you want in a frontman. He engages the crowd with his presence and eaily makes you pay attention to his words with the backing of the sonic force the band projects from the stage. Treat yourself before the holioday and come to Dobbs on Dec. 15th to witness a band that will become your favorite new band.... Jim Thorpe - Legendary Dobbs

Dec. 15th Lineup: Spiral Out (A Tool Tribute), Tungsten, My enemy Complete, The Silent Signals and Maudeline Haze

 

My Enemy Complete is a DC based band inspired by dense electronics and emotional songwriting. MEC is built on sonic experimentation and a blend of electronic and organic instruments. Their songs focus on disconnecting from the old and reconnecting with the new in an attempt to carve out something unique or unknown.

 

What do musicians do when their bands meet their maker? They create something new with other musicians. So it is with My Enemy Complete, established by former 51 Peg musicians Brian Fasani and Carlo Pizarro as well as Bilaal Y (vocals/guitar/synth) of Chrysalis. On their six-song comprehensive debut EP, the US trio merges dark, complex arranging of Alternative and Progressive Rock with departures toward Tool or APC and random, razor-sharp slivers of industrial. It not only reads well, but it sounds good as well. The interaction between atmospheric fragile, at times melancholy tinged moments and massively powerful lava-flows in combination with stirring waves of melodies and Bilaals distinct vocals you will be caught from the second you experience it. You can also detect something new each time you listen, electronic details, which swirl around within epic strings. An intensive tryst between introversion and volcanic eruptions.
Coma Magazine - Review by Neska

“If you think of the sound of a band as a food recipe, take hearty doses of either Tool or A Perfect Circle and mix it with the electronic work and brooding lyrics of Pretty Hate Machine era Nine Inch Nails. Throw in a pinch of The Cure and Depeche Mode and you will find My Enemy Complete. This band blends electronic music with actual instrumentation extremely well. The layers provide an extremely intense feel that must create one hell of an atmosphere live if translated well.”

Victor Alfieri - Indie Music Reviewer
 

http://www.myenemycomplete.com
http://www.facebook.com/myenemycompleteband

The Return of Shinobi Ninja on Saturday Dec. 8

Oh yeah!!!! Shinobi Ninja finally is coming back to The Legendary Dobbs on Saturday Dec. 8th. If you haven't seen or heard of them, come out to the show you will witness pure insanity with their funk-rock-hiphop onslaught of party vibes. The combination vocals of Duke and the all so sexy seductive Baby G would slay all the wantabee Ninjas out there. The band is force on stage, beyond high energy to say the least. They are one of the best bands I have seen who got it right with blending funk, rock and Hip Hop. It's gonna be a party on Dec. 8th with the Funk/Rock partners in crime w/ The Black Stars, Bam! and Boogieman Dela.....Below is more info, music clips and videos.... Jim Thorpe -The Legendary Dobbs

 



 

Shinobi Ninja is a Brooklyn-based party rock circus with an explosive live show. The band’s music mashes up the sounds of 311, The Beastie Boys, Sublime, and Rage Against the Machine. This year, SN has performed alongside Snoop Dogg and The Black Keys at the inaugural Catalpa NYC Music Festival, 311's Pow Wow Festival, The Warped Tour, Summerfest, SXSW, CMJ and more. The official video for their new single “Slow Mourning” became their second add to MTVU's regular rotation alongside "Rock Hood" which was featured in the soundtrack to the NBA 2K12 Video Game and on Q104.3FM in NYC. Their groundbreaking iPhone video game app and debut album are for sale in the iTunes Store, and their new mixtape is available for free download on www.ShinobiNinja.com

“To put it simply, they are a walking, breathing and screaming cartoon: Loud, colorful and full of enough energy to put nearly any another band to shame.” - Radio Exile

Checkout the Video Playlist!!!



http://www.ShinobiNinja.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rock-ho...
http://www.Twitter.com/ShinobiNinja
http://www.ShinobiNinja.Tumblr.Com
http://www.youtube.com/ShinobiNinjaMusic

Do You know MEGOSH? You Should!

Forged from the bone-metal of ancient dragons,
Megosh rises, and the gods tremble...

Megosh is a band you should know about! The band is returning to The Legendary Dobbs on Saturday Nov. 17th at 11pm. Megosh's first time in Philly was at The Liberty Musicfest at the Legendary Dobbs in Aug 2012. Basically the Came and kicked major ass. They Blew me away with their performance along with those in attendence. Megosh Brings it Hard!!! The best way to describe the band is progressive punk/alternative blending great harmonies, crushing complex guitars with catchy songs. I recommend checking out their great professional video and their songs to get glimpsh of what Megosh brings to the stage. Jim Thorpe - The Legendary Dobbs



Baltimore's Megosh has been toiling behind the scenes for some time brewing up a catalog of high-energy intelligent rock. Their music is melodic with post-progressive elements and frequent forays into the territory of alternative metal, but they manage to maintain an overriding pop sensibility. Megosh somehow fuses these eclectic ingredients into a surprisingly cohesive stew, a sound that is clearly their own. Impressively complex instrumental material will certainly appeal to the musician but, with Megosh, songcraft still reigns- creative use of rhythm and catchy melodies are certain to captivate a wide audience. On top of all this, the front line serves up tasty three-part harmonies- something rarely heard on today's rock scene.


http://www.facebook.com/Megoshmusic
http://www.reverbnation.com/megoshmusic

The Wayside Shakeup! This Saturday 2/2 @ The Legendary Dobbs

The Wayside Shakeup is a new band atThe Legendary Dobbs. Reviewing their first performance on our 2nd floor stage, they caught my ear with there well crafted pop rock songs backed by a tight well rounded band that grooved. I heard the influences of Wilco, Neil Young and OAR in their songwriting, which is not a bad group of artists to be in comparision too. There was a great crowd watching on and getting into the Shakeup's live performance. I recommend you check out The Wayside Shakeup if your into those artists. They will be on the 1st floor stage on Saturday Nov. 17th at 8pm. - Jim Thorpe, The Legendary Dobbs




The Wayside Shakeup began in 2003 with some quiet jams in an apartment in Haddon Township, NJ, a suburban town just over the bridge from Philadelphia. Founding members Chris D'Antonio and Rob Volansky bypassed the usual acoustic cover list and ended up writing a handful of original tunes, one of which ended up as a centerpiece on their debut album. After a brief stint, though, Volansky headed overseas, and D'Antonio took root in Philly. When Rob returned in 2007, the two began writing songs in earnest. Since then, they've played a number of rooms in the area, from acoustic cover gigs around South Jersey to all-originals sets at The Legendary Dobbs on South St. They've added and subtracted players through the years and recently debuted a five-piece lineup at MilkBoy in Ardmore. The Wayside Shakeup's self-titled debut album emerged in 2011 and is a collection of songs that reflect the diversity of Chris and Rob's influences. Ranging from shameless pop to wobbly blues, and with a sly wink to everything from Chris's roots in doo-wop to Rob's grunge ethic, The Wayside Shakeup offers a cross-section of songs tied together by players who want, simply, to make music that they would want to listen to. Groove out, belt out, chill out. The hooks are there to do with as you please, so feel free to sing along.

The Wayside Shakeup plan on getting back into the studio to record more new music in early 2013

We have a "new-ish" video called Avalon. In light of Hurricane Sandy, we plan on playing this one Saturday night because it is about Avalon, New Jersey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWRlDkXu10&feature=plcp

 

http://www.facebook.com/TheWaysideShakeup
www.reverbnation.com/thewaysideshakeup

H RV RD (Equal Vision Records) returns to Dobbs on Nov. 14th!!!

The Legendary Dobbs can't wait until H RV RD's return show on Wednesday November 14th w/ an amazing bill w/ Sugar Glyder, The Great SOCIO, Junior Astronomers and Climbing the Walls. This is going to be a show you will not forget. We had the pleasure 4 months ago to book H RV VD on 3-5 days notice because of a show cancellation. WOW!!! is all I can say, the band has become one of my favorites, Here is a Clip of their last show at Dobbs.  Jim Thorpe (The Legendary Dobbs)

HRVRD is a five-piece outfit based from Charlotte, NC, a band that combines indie-rock with post-hardcore and pop sensibility.When listening to a HRVRD song you can expect complex rhythms underneath swirling guitar effects and highly technical playingwith nodstowards progressive rock. Their debut EP Animals was released in 2008; their debut full-length, The Inevitable And I was released on December 1, 2009.

 

“Live music has so much potential for greatness,” expresses HRVRD vocalist Jesse Clasen. “To me, a studio recording is a snapshot of where a song is at that moment, and it should always continue to evolve and take on new perspectives. Live performances are opportunities to share something unique and beautiful with your audience…I've always admired the artists that let their songs blossom into something new and exciting even after they've been recorded.”

 

On the new album, HRVRD’s haunting sound blends intricate and cinematic guitar riffs with dark, passionate lyrics and powerful, driving rhythms. Effortlessly encompassing the impressive technical qualities of underground progressive-rock and experimental outfits, while remaining accessible through honest, relatable lyrics, the fusion creates a full-bodied, dreamlike ambience filled with catchy, yet sonically sinister melodies. Clasen’s ethereal voice defies genres and offers vast vocal range with a wide spectrum of stylistic tones that stand out as notable without overpowering the outfit’s more than capable instrumentations. Their true talent shines not only in their ability to perfectly juxtapose driving and atmospheric elements in a complimentary manner but also in their use of those musical elements to guide and balance the lyrical storytelling.
“The most important thing we kept in mind [on the new album] was a strict "less is more" rule,” Herrera notes. “In the end, I think the songs are more mature, more heartfelt and more honest, we used all of our experiences from the first record and tried to learn from them to make a better, shorter and more focused product.” Lyrically, the new album shares a journey of intense internal struggles of the ordinary man. “It’s about the tension between positive and negative perspectives on relationships, progression, religion, and science,” Clasen expounds. “And more personally, it’s me working out who and what I love, and why.”The band will release the sophomore, full-length album through Upstate NY-based independent label Equal Vision Records later this year, with the record’s release date and details yet to be revealed.

 

http://hrvrdmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/hrvrdmusic
http://harvard.bandcamp.com/
http://www.equalvision.com/artist/HRVRD

Reef the Lost Cauze kicks off "OFFICIAL" at Lengendary Dobbs on Thurs. Nov. 8th 2012

Once regarded as Philadelphia Hip Hop’s “best kept secret,” Reef the Lost Cauze is no longer the best underground MC you’ve never heard of: he’s ready to shed the title once and for all and become a household name. The battle-tested MC is poised to have a breakthrough year: not by switching up his style or conforming to ready-made ideals of mainstream acceptability, but rather by staying true to the basic formula of raw rhymes and murderous beats. Reef stands as the new sound of Philadelphia. He carries with him the city’s long-standing tradition of musical history and innovation.

Reef The Lost Cauze is a Philadelphia emcee with his sights set on the top of the hip hop game. While some emcees are strictly studio and basic battle cats, Reef brings well-rounded talent to the table with formidable stage presence, skills of the pen and a ferocious freestyle ability. HIs latest offering, "Fight Music" features Jedi MInd Tricks front man Vinnie Paz, legendary street lyricist Kook G. Rap and more. Reef is geared up to hiit the road this fall in support of his collaborative project, "King & The Cauze" with King Magnetic. The project boasts features from Joell Ortiz, Saigon and more with production by Marco Polo, Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind and others.

Having spent a great deal of his childhood acting in plays and performing, Reef fell in love with Hip Hop at the age of eight and has been rhyming ever since. By the time he reached high school, Reef earned a reputation as a deadly battle emcee -- jumping in any and every cipher he came across. It was not until his acceptance to Philadelphia's University of the Arts with a film scholarship that he began to visualize a serious career on the mic. It's here that he began to hone his songwriting skills, and worked on perfecting his stage presence.


Having recently worked with mainstream artists, Gym Class Heroes, as well as underground hip hop's elite, Jedi Mind Tricks, and hip hop rising star, Termanology, Reef has demonstrated his chameleon-like ability to stand out on a wide array of tracks. He places a determined emphasis on balance with his songwriting and performance abilities.

"I love the rush of the crowd," explains Reef. "I love to be on stage and have a place full of strangers being amazed at what I'm saying. I'm much more at home and relaxed on stage performing my music."

Reef continues to incorporate his life and business experiences into his projects, and his range of expression will allow fans the opportunity to truly identify with him. As he grows in the world of entertainment, it is certain that Reef stands to become one of this year's breakthrough artists, en-route to solidifying his spot as hip hop's next superstar.

ReverbNation Profile: www.reverbnation.com/reefthelostcauze
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lostcauze

Carfax Abbey releases new CD "Caustic Revolution"

Philadelphia-based industrial rock band Carfax Abbey manages to seamlessly blend hard rock elements and a superstructure of electro-industrial sound to form a relentless assault on the listener. Electrifying, high-intensity performances onstage take the recorded sound to a whole new level. Cafrax Abbey Just released their new CD “Caustic Revolutions” on Halloween Night 10/31/12 at the Dracula’s Ball in Philadelphia, PA. There are no words for their performance. The Video below of one of their classic songs “Spitshine” is just a small example what people experienced this Night.



Caustic Revolution is Carfax Abbey’s 3rd major release and first concept album, telling the story of a malign invasion by an unknown force, which leads to apocalypse and rebellion. The album delves into the band’s hardcore roots of industrial rock, as well as crossing over into some unexpected territories. The album contains eleven original songs that masterfully blend into one massive sonic tapestry.

To Purchase the CD:
http://www2.mailordercentral.com/isotank/prodinfo.asp?number=40397-2

To Purchase MP3:
Amazon: has Sound Clips
http://www.amazon.com/Caustic-Revolution-Explicit/dp/B009L79N7E/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1351790027&sr=8-6&keywords=carfax+abbey

Itunes: has Sound Clips
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/carfax-abbey/id14098406
 
Caustic Revolution is also available on Spotify and Pandora

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carfaxabbey  

John the Conqueror Album Release 11/3 @Legendary Dobbs

When a country boy walks into a big city bar and sits down for a drink-

When a choir boy throws his robe to the floor of an hourly motel-

When a Mississippi bluesman first hears rock and roll-



John the Conqueror is

John the Conqueror
www.facebook.com/johntheconquerorband
www.Johntheconqueror.com

Here's what People are Saying:
Time To Go, John the Conqueror
This raw, bluesy old-school soul track is just one of many gems on Philadelphia trio self-titled debut album.
-USA TODAY
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''It’s all smokestacks, greasy ball bearings, mudslides, and corn liquor swilled from mason jars; raggedly scorching guitar riffs, a thunderous rhythm section, and howled vocals.''
-HAPPENING MAGAZINE
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"Power trio John the Conqueror has made a splash in Philly scene over the past year, dishing out a moving blend of blues, soul and rock n’ roll... The swaggery trio might be Philly’s answer to Gary Clark Jr."
-WXPN’s THE KEY


"The trio from Mississippi, now based in Philly, have the smoothness of classic '50s soul mixed with a southern twang. Named after an African-American mythological folk legend, of whom the likes of Dr. John, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon have sung, the band possesses a magical power that empowers emotion."
-KNUCKLE RUMBLER


​"They will bring you from the church to the juke joint in four quick minutes."
-M.A.D.D.CHICAGO

Mile Marker Zero returns to Haunt Philly on 10/27 with their "Nightmare on South St."

Mile Marker Zero returns to The Legendary Dobbs on the Peter Steele Memorial Show on Saturday October 27th, playing at Midnight!!!

MMZ will be performing their insane horror/halloween medley "Nightmare on South St." which they played at last year's Peter Steele Memorial and totally woke up the dead with their perfromance. Just Imagine Dream Theater doing a medley of every horror related subject(movies,songs,soundtracks) and accompany it with a multimedia on the TV Screens. Here is a snippet from a show in Conn.



Mile Marker Zero - Nightmare on Main st from Machine-Light on Vimeo.


Formed in 2003, New Haven, Connecticut quintet Mile Marker Zero have taken a slightly off-kilter, multi-tiered approach towards rock music that bordered on duality. Their songs are epic and ambitious, filled with unconventional arrangements and challenging rhythms yet they also flow with powerful melodies and memorable choruses. Even their name is a dichotomy.

Such sonic chemistry usually doesn’t come without training. Every member of Mile Marker Zero has a solid background in music theory and classical performance, which he vigorously applies to songs such as “A Thousand Nights,” which combines the atmospherics of Pink Floyd with the dramatic tension of A Perfect Circle, and “The Reaping Tide” a faster, more turbulent track that sounds like a hybrid of Metallica and Dream Theater. Alley, Tim Rykoski (bass) and Mark Focarile (keyboards) have honed their chops together for years before they met guitarist John Tuohy, where they were all attending Western Connecticut University’s school of music. Interestingly their fields of study didn’t directly correlate to their roles in Mile Marker Zero. Tuohy earned his degree in jazz guitar and Alley actually majored in percussion.
As more listeners heard the band’s songs, word rapidly spread. Music fans who had grown weary of predictable arrangements and watered down melodies were attracted to Mile Marker Zero’s sense of adventure. Combining well-crafted songs with technical proficiency, and raw energy with sonic intensity, the band creates gritty hard rock that bristles with progressive rock influences

“We’ve always wanted to write music that was a real experience for the listener,” says Alley. “We grew up listening to early progressive rock so we liked epic songwriting, but we were also into mid-90s rock which was much more direct. So we really wanted to be kind of grandiose and over the top, but we wanted to be strongly melodic and didn‘t want to be over people‘s heads.”

Band 101: Networking & Promoting

Part of this blog is to have open discussions on topics to help bands get a step further in their career. We highly recommend comments and questions that you may have. All comments that are not relevant to the topic will be deleted.  
So, for the first installment, I would like to talk about the way Bands Should Network & Promote to gain new fans.

Photo: Kid Felix - Liberty Musicfest @ Dobbs 8/18/12

As an Artist/Band you should know who your core fans and what markets are growing for you. The main stumbling block is how do I you get more fans, better shows and any publicity. Industry professionals have been saying that it’s an “Open Playing Field for the DIY Artists” as this is true but the underground artist still needs to work harder, smarter and be more creative then in the past. So where do we start…..

Networking:Networking is key to every artist/band. It's a method of meeting like-minded people in any given industry. Person to person networking is the best way of gaining useful contacts that you can call upon for assistance in the future. It puts a name with the face. So where should an artist/band network. Be apart of your scene, make it a point to go out to clubs and talk to other bands, people in the crowd and the staff at the venue. The more visible you are the more people will recognize and remember who you are. Attend non-music events like galleries, conventions, gaming events, parties, festivals, etc. The key is not to plaster someone with a flyer or bring up your music. You are building a relationship and it will eventually be part of the conversation. Attend music conferences, even if your not showcases. These are hotbeds to meet bands, industry folks, music companies and even new fans. I have seen bands go to a music conference, not showcase, and come back home with a mini-tour just by meeting other bands. It sounds real simple; it is, you just have to do the hard work. If you are a serious musician I recommend joining your local chapter of The Recording Academy.  I can personally say that the Recording Academy was a major part of being successful in this business. Their networking and special events that they organize gained my access to meet some of my peers along with people like myself who were looking to further their career. The key is to meet as many people as possible and build a working connection. You never know who we help or offer you a great opportunity. It's worth remembering the 'domino effect' of networking: once people have seen you music and like your style, they will tell others and so on. You'll be amazed about how far simple word of mouth referrals can go to increase your awareness.

Recently, 2 mid-level touring artists met each other for the first time at a music conference. They talked and found out that they had several things in common. They both thought that their fans would dig each others music. In Short, the two artists got together onstage that night to do a song together and video tape the performance. Their plan was to get both of their friends interested in each other. It work perfectly and both artists saw a substantial increase in fans after they released the video on Youtube.
Networking can lead to collaborating with other artists. You never know who might be interested in your music unless you engage in meeting new people.

Artists should have goals in having 5 new contacts a week.

Promoting:

Today there are endless ways to promote your band, both online and offline. Most bands put heavy emphasis on their online presence through social networking, blogs, video updates, free downloads etc. So what do we still need to do to get noticed? I wish I had a Golden Key to solve everyone’s needs but I will present a few items that continue to work. The days of a band showing up a venue and it being packed has been gone for numerous years now.  So it’s left up to the bands and venues to get people interested in mew music.

Networking is a strong option (see above).

Cross Promoting is not really used that much this day and age. An artist/band should have band business meetings on a regular basis to discuss everything. At A meeting each member should bring a list of the top 5 things he likes other music, more towards their lifestyle eg. 1. Tattoos, 2. Harleys, 3.Video Games, 4. Comics and 5. Craft Beers.  You will have 15-20+ plus ideas on the table to devise a cross promoting campaign for your next show. People like music so once you get your like’s together try and setup a way to promote each other. Also, make sure your music can complement the company you are trying to partner up with.

Posters/handbills/EventsI am a strong believer of really cool creative posters to promote shows. One issue with this I have seen lately is that bands send posters a week before the show which to me is a waste of time. Posters should be up in the club, in a store or posted at lease 4 weeks before the show.  A key to every promotion is constant exposure of your show. Bands should contact the other bands on the bill to develop one poster and one Facebook event for the show. This cross promotes you with the other artists on bill and vice versa. Each band on the bill should talk up the other bands. The Punk scene continues this tactic and it still works to this day.
Handbills are still effective if put in the right environment. Again, with posters, creativity always catches people’s eye. Bands hand out thousands at major shows, on the street, on cars, etc. What’s the effectiveness? It’s hard to judge at times. I would have something on the handbill like percentage of merch, a free same CD or Download with the flyer; I have seen free drink on some.... It sucks it’s a numbers game but it is necessary to keep your name out and hope someone eventually says I really need to check these guys out.
For years, I saw “WNOC” stickers all over Philly. It was to a point I had to go see them, everywhere I went there was a WNOC sticker; the toll both, stop signs, trains, buses, hot dog carts and more.

Fan Interaction:

Getting people to come a gig is hard; the more important challenge is to keep them coming back. Most bands don't really do anything special to give their existing fans any real reasons to come back and see them over and over again. It's hard to become successful when most of the new fans you will get also won't come to see your band play more than once or twice. You need to keep your fans engaged and make them feel they are party of your music family. Some key stuff that sounds basic but rarely done, keep all your social media sites up to date and send out updates about the band on a 7-14 days, Always add video content, streaming music and special live downloads on a scheduled pace. Find out what your friends are into from movies, games, tv, news and interact with them as much as possible. Fans like to be apart of something, ask them for input on show ideas, run contests and find other avenues to interact with them.

Collecting E-mail Addresses:

Emails are a must for every band trying to promote and keep in touch with their fans. So many bands I seen don’t worry about this which is a huge mistake. What if Facebook crashed tomorrow? It could happen; look at MP3.com, Myspace and others. So how are you going to connect with your fans? Collecting names, email addresses, city, state, and zip code allows you to specify who receives the emails according to gig locations. Knowing where your fans live you can send regional emails to your fans and you are avoiding 'spamming' your other fans of which the email is of no relevance. Newsletters are great for fans but should be limited to monthly newsletters that have important band news.

Being in a band today is great but also a great task to be successful. The whole band has to be involved with networking and promoting. A band has to be the music creators, booking agent, designer, promoter, counselor, PR, etc. The days of managers, PR and booking agents at this level are all but gone. The economics is not profitable these days so finding people who are willing to do this for you effectively is a huge asset.

If you want to join in with successful ideas, questions or comments regarding this topic feel free and we will be apart of the conversation.

Jim Thorpe
The Legendary Dobbs/DVT Entertainment

The Speedwestern Revivalists Waylon Speed Return to Dobbs on 2/2

On Friday Oct. 12th, Waylon Speed, from Vermont, will be performing for the 4th time at The Legendary Dobbs playing their Speed Western/Alt. Country sounds. Waylond Speed has been building their fanbase quickly in the Philadelphia area. We are not surprised at all.

“Less is more.” That’s the mantra that Rev. Chitwood Hammaker, brothers Noah and Justin Crowther, and Kelly Ravin deployed as they converged from a honky-tonk in Burlington, Vermont, to create Waylon Speed. Ever since Waylon Speed formed in April 2009, the four-piece brotherhood of family and past friends has toured nationally and collected fans like empties at a pig roast in support of their albums: the debut, Georgia Overdrive; their two-disc sophomore set, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades; and their latest effort, The Boots EP. The press has called Waylon Speed “gas on the fire of the current music scene” and “heavy, fiery country rock, for those who like their punk rock with some twang in it – but also appreciate high quality, intelligent songwriting.” Ask Waylon Speed what it seeks from its stained-blue-collar, straight-up-from-the-underground rock, and the answer is simple: make people happy. The evidence is at their aim-to-please shows, where audience connection is a priority. Waylon Speed has shared bills with: Jane’s Addiction, Clutch, Little Feat, Reba McEntire, Elvis Costello, Primus, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Waylon Speed’s influences are Motorhead, Fugazi, The Mother Hips, The Drive-By Truckers, and Frank Zappa. Waylon Speed’s influences are not mainstream music. ‘Course, if the guys had to be someone else in another band, they would choose either Kris Kristofferson (Kelly), Willie Nelson (Noah), Johnny Cash (Justin), or Waylon Jennings (The Reverend). Welcome to Waylon Speed. --- --- --- Waylon Speed is: •Rev. Chitwood Hammaker – guitars, vocals, van mechanic, gear modification specialist •Justin Crowther – drums, vocals, tattooer, comic relief •Kelly Ravin – guitars, vocals, lap steel, gig-booker, can drive the longest without taking a piss •Noah Crowther – bass, vocals, band face, comfort consultant They all prefer hair and beards.

Boston's Await Rescue returns to Dobbs on 10/20!

The Legendary Dobb's can't wait for the return of Await Rescue from Boston.

Await Rescue is a four-piece, independent Alternative/Progressive Rock band hailing from Boston. And by “ independent” we don’ t mean the catch-all music genre, we simply mean that we do everything ourselves, while making the loud Rock music that we want to hear. Our Rock quest began back in 2006, and our path has been guided by bands such as Foo Fighters, Incubus, A Perfect Circle, Deftones, QOTSA, The Mars Volta, Soundgarden, Uncle Ted Nugent, and all of the countless other forefathers of Rock n’ Roll that need not be repeated.
Some people say we sound like the lovechild of Foo Fighters and Incubus, but heavier with a tad more epicness. To these people we say, “ you just insulted the Foo Fighters and Incubus.”

Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown @ Dobbs on 10/11

Tyler Bryant,...

currently 21 years old, is a guitar prodigy who has shared the stage with Aerosmith, Jeff Beck, Heart, REO Speedwagon, Paul Simon, BB King, Pat Benatar, The Arc Angels, Vince Gill, Gavin Degraw, Paul Simon, Joe Bonamassa and many others. At age 15, Tyler won the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation's New Generation Award, which recognized him as one of the most promising new artists on the music scene. He has also performed at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago, and was signed by John Huie at Creative Artists Agency on the spot, after his first showcase in Nashville. Tyler signed to Sony ATV in 2011 and to Carved Records (distributed by EMI) in 2012.

Tyler recalls a musical turning point at age 11, when he walked into a music store in Paris, Texas and heard 63-year old bluesman, Roosevelt Twitty, on guitar. “He was playing a Lightning Hopkins song,” Tyler says. “He was just sitting in the corner of Holly Bond’s Music store, and was singing and playing with such emotion that something translated deeply, and I wanted to understand. I knew I wanted to play. Whenever you hear someone with that much soul, when they really believe what they are playing, it’s so inspiring.”

Along with Beck, Santana, and Slash, Tyler is featured in the award winning film,“Rock Prophecies,” which is directed by John Chester, and producedby Tim Kaiser (Seinfeld and Will & Grace). “Rock Prophecies,” is now airing nationally on PBS, and is available to watch online at Netflix and iTunes. Thousands of people across the world have been playing Tyler’s song, “Who I Am,” since its release on Guitar Hero® 5. Tyler was the first unsigned artist to have a song on the game.

Tyler announced a new band name in 2011, Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown, as he wanted to recognize his band in everything he does. The Shakedown consists of Graham Whitford (Son of Brad Whitford from Aerosmith) on guitar, Caleb Crosby on drums and Noah Denney on bass. Tyler and the band embarked on their first headlining tour last summer and continued touring well into November. The band only paused for the month of October, while Tyler opened for Jeff Beck on his Canadian and US Tour. Jeff invited Tyler to play with him during his encore set each night. The last opener that Jeff invited to play with him was Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1989. Tyler & the Shakedown are in the middle of their second headlining tour, which includes tour dates all around North America and in Canada throughout 2012.

 

 

Tyler’s musical influences include the inspirations of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Black Crowes, and Jeff Beck. Tyler has recorded with music producers Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin), Jed Leiber (Jeff Beck), Andy Johns, Jay Joyce, Dennis Herring and Roger Alan Nichols. Tyler recently contributed to the score for the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter soundtrack. The movie, produced by Jim Lemley and Tim Burton, was released on June 22, 2012 by Fox.

Tyler has been busy recording and songwriting with some of the music industries best. He released his first EP, “My Radio” in March of 2011 and then released his most recent album, “From The Sandcastle,” in late September of 2011. 'Shackles' a track from "From the Sandcastle", was the iTunes' Discovery Download in November 2011. The album was also featured in iTunes’ Rock on the Rise section for over eight weeks. Tyler is currently recording his first full-length album, to be called “Wild Child”. The new album will release this fall.

With a fearless obsession for his art, Tyler Bryant is advancing his music without limits.

“To be 18 and play like this kid is the rarest of the rare. Hands down a future guitar god.” –Vince Gill