Athcast - Athens Music!

RAQ Based in Burlington, Vermont, and self-described as high performance rock and roll, RAQ has seen its fair share of obstacles since it's inception. Instead of allowing those to hinder their determination to succeed in this business we call "music", they have used those obstacles as lyrical ammunition giving this band their unique sound featuring complex song structures coupled with quirky yet accessible lyrics and a healthy dose of full-band improvisation. Each live performance is a free form, unplanned adventure, using the composed songs as a launching pad to take the band and their fans into uncharted musical territory. Chris Michetti's intricate guitar playing yields a cascading stream of notes, while Todd Stoops provides uncompromising rhythm and texture on keys, Jay Burwick holds the low end down with his rock solid bass grooves, and Greg Stukey, the back bone of the rhythm section, plays with an almost scientific precision. RAQ's high level of technical skill, well-written songs, and a seemingly telepathic connection between each other, sensationalizes the indescribable magic that sets them apart from the rest. The band started back in 2001 as "Shadraq", but shortened their name to RAQ before cutting their debut album "Shed Tech". In 2002, Todd Stoops, who added a fresh new element to the music, replaced former keyboardist Marc Scortino. Their unique sound developed playing to ardent fans in local Burlington clubs. They started touring and soon expanded their scope to cover all of New England, eventually making their way to the West Coast in the summer of 2002 with a series of shows in California and Colorado. Over past four years RAQ has taken the stage at festivals such as Bonnaroo, High Sierra Music Festival, Langerado, Berkshire Mountain Music Festival, Summer Camp, Gathering of the Vibes, Adirondack Music Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and aboard the floating festival, Jam Cruise. They've headlined venues such as the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO., the Georgia Theater in Athens, GA., San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, Boston's Paradise Rock Club and Burlington Vermont's Higher Ground Ballroom. In August of 2005, over 600 fans reveled in New Woodstock, NY, for the Lew-Au, RAQ's very own festival. They've also sold out the famed BB King's Blue's Club, and most recently, the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. The band's steady rise to success is attributed to their ability to captivate an audience with their high energy, creativity, and the passion to play quality music. RAQ's compositions are grounded in solid song structures, but the music is malleable enough to go in infinite directions in the live setting. This is what keeps the quartet's devout following and first time listeners yearning for more as the audience is taken along on the collective journey. RAQ gathers newly devoted fans with their infectious sound each time they play. Their extensive repertoire of original compositions and eclectic selection of covers give the band the freedom to create a unique set list for every show. Their music has matured with age and experience, and has evolved into a sound that is both retro and cutting-edge to a generation of grassroots music fans. They continue to tour relentlessly, infusing live performances, and leaving every ounce of energy they have on stage each night delighting the senses of the most discerning rock and roll aficionado.

Drive By Truckers Live @ Orange Peel --- Part 2

Drive By Truckers Live @ Orange Peel --- Part 2

Drive By Truckers Live @ Orange Peel --- Part 1

Moonshine Still Moonshine Still was conceived in the summer of 1996 when lead singer/ guitarist Scott Baston and bass player Ray Petren teamed up with several other musicians in Macon, GA. Will Robinson (drums,vocals) joined up that fall and they began working on a soulful sound deep with roots that yearned to go some place new. With the original line up, Moonshine Still began touring the southeast and building a reputation as an up and coming band to see, opening for acts like Col.Bruce Hampton and Beanstalk and playing festivals such as The Summer Sun Fest. in Cochran, GA.In 1997, the band went in to record it's self titled studio album and everything seemed to be lining up for Moonshine Still. Shortly after their first studio release Moonshine Still began to go through personnel changes. First, they added Bill Jarrett (percussion), followed by David Shore (guitar). With the addition of these adept players Moonshine Still added another layer of musicality to an already strong songwriting/vocal foundation. With these additions, Moonshine Still began to expand their touring radius from Tallahasse, Florida to Knoxville, TN and managed to put out a second album entitled, "Circle Around the Sun". After releasing "Circle Around the Sun" the last musical piece fell into place with the addition of Trippe Wright on keyboards. Trippe's church organ wail and trippy synth parts immediately locked into place and finally the unit felt complete. With all of the pieces in place Moonshine Still's sound has really begun to come together. With a rock solid rhythm section, soaring guitars a! nd keyboards and powerful vocals, they can easily move from metal to soul to reggae to klesmer to techno and many other places on the musical map while maintaining a strong songwriting base that is always Moonshine Still. This is evident on the release of their live album "Moon Over Georgia" which showcases the band in it's element, on stage, moving effortlessly from style to style. Since the band has come together they have found themselves at the top of the food chain in the Southeast selling out the Georgia Theater in Athens, GA two New Years Eves in a row and playing a slew of festivals including Magnolia Fest, Harvest Fest, Smile Fest, and Langerado. They have also been moving west with invitations to the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA for three years running. In addition, Moonshine Still has received a nomination by Jambase.com as one of the Best Emerging Artists of 2002 and a Jammy nomination f! or "Best New Groove". Currently, Moonshine Still is on the go again with confirmed shows in CA, CO, ID,OR, UT, AZ, NM, TX, AK, KS, SC, NC, GA, FL, TN, and IN.

Moonshine Still Moonshine Still was conceived in the summer of 1996 when lead singer/ guitarist Scott Baston and bass player Ray Petren teamed up with several other musicians in Macon, GA. Will Robinson (drums,vocals) joined up that fall and they began working on a soulful sound deep with roots that yearned to go some place new. With the original line up, Moonshine Still began touring the southeast and building a reputation as an up and coming band to see, opening for acts like Col.Bruce Hampton and Beanstalk and playing festivals such as The Summer Sun Fest. in Cochran, GA.In 1997, the band went in to record it's self titled studio album and everything seemed to be lining up for Moonshine Still. Shortly after their first studio release Moonshine Still began to go through personnel changes. First, they added Bill Jarrett (percussion), followed by David Shore (guitar). With the addition of these adept players Moonshine Still added another layer of musicality to an already strong songwriting/vocal foundation. With these additions, Moonshine Still began to expand their touring radius from Tallahasse, Florida to Knoxville, TN and managed to put out a second album entitled, "Circle Around the Sun". After releasing "Circle Around the Sun" the last musical piece fell into place with the addition of Trippe Wright on keyboards. Trippe's church organ wail and trippy synth parts immediately locked into place and finally the unit felt complete. With all of the pieces in place Moonshine Still's sound has really begun to come together. With a rock solid rhythm section, soaring guitars a! nd keyboards and powerful vocals, they can easily move from metal to soul to reggae to klesmer to techno and many other places on the musical map while maintaining a strong songwriting base that is always Moonshine Still. This is evident on the release of their live album "Moon Over Georgia" which showcases the band in it's element, on stage, moving effortlessly from style to style. Since the band has come together they have found themselves at the top of the food chain in the Southeast selling out the Georgia Theater in Athens, GA two New Years Eves in a row and playing a slew of festivals including Magnolia Fest, Harvest Fest, Smile Fest, and Langerado. They have also been moving west with invitations to the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA for three years running. In addition, Moonshine Still has received a nomination by Jambase.com as one of the Best Emerging Artists of 2002 and a Jammy nomination f! or "Best New Groove". Currently, Moonshine Still is on the go again with confirmed shows in CA, CO, ID,OR, UT, AZ, NM, TX, AK, KS, SC, NC, GA, FL, TN, and IN.

Undertow Orchestra The undertow collective began in 1997 as a collection of independent artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers and creative managers sharing a studio and rehearsal space in the old garment warehouse district of downtown saint louis, missouri. we believed then, as we do now, that today's rapidly evolving technology is enabling creative expression like only a few times in history, and when shared among the like-minded, the technology becomes more than a tool - it becomes a catalyst for art. we also believed then, as we do now, that music, film and design are different children from the same parents, and there's a lot to be said for blurring the lines. finally, we think contemporary culture is heavily corporatized and commodified, and the most interesting creativity now lives in the fringes and margins of the independent creative spirit. we hope to continue working with artists who inspire, compel and move us to fall in love with their art. money is only a secondary means to making that happen. today, the undertow collective operates out of saint louis (record label, design and film production), champaign IL, new york, nashville and london UK (artist management), and boston (producer management + music licensing).

Undertow Orchestra The undertow collective began in 1997 as a collection of independent artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers and creative managers sharing a studio and rehearsal space in the old garment warehouse district of downtown saint louis, missouri. we believed then, as we do now, that today's rapidly evolving technology is enabling creative expression like only a few times in history, and when shared among the like-minded, the technology becomes more than a tool - it becomes a catalyst for art. we also believed then, as we do now, that music, film and design are different children from the same parents, and there's a lot to be said for blurring the lines. finally, we think contemporary culture is heavily corporatized and commodified, and the most interesting creativity now lives in the fringes and margins of the independent creative spirit. we hope to continue working with artists who inspire, compel and move us to fall in love with their art. money is only a secondary means to making that happen. today, the undertow collective operates out of saint louis (record label, design and film production), champaign IL, new york, nashville and london UK (artist management), and boston (producer management + music licensing).

Taylor Hollingsworth It's been happening for decades. Some guitar-slinging kid emerges out of the South with a blues rock soul sound that is more born out of the South than out of the kid. The family tree for this has branches that reach from Macon to Memphis, and Taylor Hollingsworth makes sure that the Birmingham thumbtack is on the map. Taylor is just another skinny punk-attitude kid drinking next to you at the bar, until he straps on a guitar, takes the stage, and rivets your attention with equal arsenal songwriting and hot guitar licks. Your music memory tells you that you've seen this before, but it is also not quite like anything you know. It's just the latest progeny from a long line of guitar-driven deep South rock & roll DNA. You won't forget Taylor Hollingsworth. "Wow...I don't know what to say? Taylor Hollingsworth's "Shoot Me, Shoot Me, Heaven" is fucking brilliant, excuse my language. I love Johnny Thunders, Keith Richards, Izzy Stradlin, and Dinosaur Jr. more than anything in this world. Glad to know someone else appreciates them also." —Jeff Clark, Daily Times Leader "Birmingham, Ala.'s Taylor Hollingsworth and his backing crew don't really care if you need another garage band like you need another four years of Bush. Not only do they not care, they are going to provide you one with the attitude of Bowie, the snarl of Black Francis and a foot the size of Shaquille O'Neal to kick you in the ass with, of course." —Creative Loafing "Forget bands like Jet: that stuff is played. I thought that someone gave Meg White a couple of uppers when I heard it. Taylor Hollingsworth has my vote for the anti-garage band of the year." —Splendid Magazine Taylor Hollingsworth (Birmingham, AL). I love the sincerity, the vibe, the sounds, and the attitude. It's somewhere between early David Bowie, White Stripes, Oasis, and the Sex Pistols. Signed to Atlanta indie Brash Records, I would definitely recommend checking Taylor out. —Soundwerkz

The Pendletons Young band from Athens plays pop songs.

Lamar Blush Lamar Blush breezed through Mike Ewing's recording studio in 2005 and recorded a complete album demo in less than 2 hours and then disappeared. He was working as a construction worker and said he was inspired by the Johnny Cash film "Walk the Line." We hope he finds a band and tours the World.

Drive By Truckers You hear about the greatest band in the world being dropped on many a group, desperately given this medal in hopes theyll use it to save rock-n-roll, whatever that means. But no band that has had to suffer under this artificial responsibility has succeeded so triumphantly as Drive-By Truckers. Equal parts back porch historians, runaway drunken firecrackers, and poets of the hard life and how to live it; they came on the scene and set the bar higher for what you can do with the music we love. The characters in their songs have left gals at the altar, wrecked their cars, woken up on the cold floor and even killed themselves a number of times over the years, breathing some new intelligent life, not just into rock music but, into rockers everywhere. Many a critic, including myself, have placed upon them the treacherous mantle of being The Best Rock Band In The World, and they wear this title like the blessing and the curse it isI love this band. - Alex V. Cook

Betsy Franck & The Bareknuckle Band Betsy Franck and her Bare Knuckle Band debuted on the scene in Athens, Ga. In October 2002, with a five song bluegrass acoustic EP. Slow pedal steel rifts, and sweet vocal harmonies characterize this early effort. Then in January 2003, Betsy and the BKB went into John Keane Studio’s and came out with an electrified, and amplified seven song album. With help from friends like fancy fiddler David Blackmon, there is definitely some bluegrass, mixed with those same soulful vocals, and a little bit of honky tonk. The current configuration boasts a different sound than the latest recording. Dirty blues slide guitar, busy bass lines, gospel/country vocals, and rock n’ roll drummin makes for some soul infused shake your booty blues rock.

The Loft "The Loft was easily one of the stand-out bands I saw during SXSW-week" - Sean Claes (Managing Editor, INsite Magazine - Austin, TX) "The Loft are quickly becoming favorites of ours with their intense Southern jam rock that falls somewhere between the Black Crowes soulfulness and the full on rock of Gov't Mule or Drive By Truckers." - Chris King (Owner, Sticky Fingerz Little Rock, AR) "Soulful, funky, creative, and cool." - Jesse Jarnow (jambands.com) "Their music is tumultuous, spirited and quintessentially rock 'n' roll" - Leslie Carol Boehms (Sidelines Murfreesboro, TN newspaper) "Contagious, mind-blowing energy. This is The Loft, in a nut shell" - (The Daily Beacon Knoxville, TN newpaper) This is just some of the praise heaped upon Nashville, TN based band The Loft. Since completing their now 6 piece lineup in 2001, the band has built an evergrowing fanbase through both constant touring and 2 independently released CDs. Drawing comparisons to artists as diverse as Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Black Crowes, the band combines elements of rock, funk, and blues into a sound that's uniquely their own, yet 100% undeniably rock n roll. Originally formed almost a decade ago as a four piece while still in high school by vocalist John Banzhoff and his bass playing brother Phil, along with guitarist Chris White and drummer Jon Biggs, the addition of lead guitarist John Burke and keyboardist Nathan Johnson 5 years ago rounded out the current lineup. The band has honed their sound on the road, opening for the likes of Govt Mule, Drive-By Truckers, and Hookah Brown (featuring Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson), as well as headlining their own shows throughout the Southeast, picking up new fans with every visit. They've also appeared as part of several major festivals, including Nashvilles Riverstages Fest and Evansville, Indianas Springfest. Its obvious the band thrives in a live environment, and their relentless touring schedule close to 500 shows in the last 5 years has been the key to their success so far. Another important aspect to the band's popularity has been their open policy allowing fans to record the band's concerts. Over 60 of the band's shows are available for download at http://www.archive.org, a free, non profit archive of recorded music and video. With downloads well into the hundreds, it's been an effective tool to spread the band's music into markets they've yet to play live. 2 of the band's shows were even chosen as "Live Music Archive Spotlight Show Of The Week" - an impressive feat considering the archive boasts well over 200 bands and several thousand recorded performances (including such heavyweights as the Grateful Dead, Little Feat, and the Derek Trucks Band). 2006 has already been a busy year, with an appearance at the 20th Annual South-By-Southwest Festival in Austin, TX which has led to extensive publicity and industry attention. Theyve also filmed an episode of the UPN TV series "Not Just Country" to air on May 21 in television markets across Middle Tennessee. In addition, the band has been in and out of the studio for the last year working on the followup to 2004's 'Soulful Southeast Exhibit', their first full length studio album (after a live album and several EP releases). With sales of over 5,000 copies the independently financed and released CD was an unqualified success. With the aforementioned new album in the works, more nonstop touring, and continued media and industry attention, the future looks very bright indeed.

Sophomore Year We are finally here in CHItown! And as some of you may have noticed we lost a few memebers along the way. No worries. We have quickly gained two of chicagos finest. Marc McClusky will be taking over strategically designed guitar riffs..for your pleasure, along with backing vocals. Mike will continue playing the spoons in the background, and the beautiful Ruben, will be taking over the bass and supporting vocals. And Jay will continue on lead on vox. Big plans for TSY are sturring up. We'll be headed into the studio fairly soon to record a few new jams for you kids to enjoy..and the release of a potential EP. With the addition of brand new members, comes the birth of brand new ideas and songs. We're really looking forward to the somewhat new direction the band is taking. If you enjoy songs like 'It's OK. We're under the radar' definately stick around for the rest of the new material. We promise to burn in into your sweet little head. As for shows, we're starting to book mid/late July for our first few shows, in and around the area. Then we'll start tagging the surrounding states. So keep listening. And tell your friends. loveage. TSY FYI: We are 'THE SOPHOMORE YEAR' from Chicago, IL. We have no affiliation with 'SOPHOMORE YEAR' Columbus, OH.