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Riejunio

shirley — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 06:10:45 +0000

Riejunio is the brainchild of former Blue Chip All American athlete Harie Robinson. Harie attended Georgia Tech on a full athletic scholarship and graduated from Piedmont College with a degree in business administration. That knowledge and nine years of experience gained from Macy’s South at both the store and corporate levels allowed Harie to understand the business, fashion, and trends that drive the market.

Riejunio seeks to buck those trends by providing consumers with classic, upscale denim and tees that are timeless in style and quality. Supporting the company’s mantra “The Renaissance of Art and Fashion,” Riejunio partners with various artists, including three-time Grammy nominated producer Drumma Boy and R&B stars Dru Hill. Dru Hill rocked Riejunio Premium Apparel Signature Tees on Keith Sweat’s Platinum House, which premiered on Peachtree TV on February 23. The company also now carries a custom line that is worn by both Drumma Boy and Jazz of Dru Hill, and the company’s denim and select tees have been carried by Bill Hallman Boutiques in Atlanta. Riejunio also partners with Eye de ology Optical, 2 Live Stews, and Automotive Rhythms. Riejunio displayed its line in the Style Suite at the BET Hip Hop Awards and designs custom boxing gear for newly crowned IBF North American Heavyweight Champion, Cedric “the Boz” Boswell. Launching its line of Barackaware, Riejunio was one of the few selected as official vendors at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Tyler Preston Trio

shirley — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:45:55 +0000

Blues/Blues-Roots/Rock
Madison, WI

Tyler Preston made his debut as a guitarist and bandleader at the ripe old age of 19 at the Alaskan Bar & Hotel in his hometown of Juneau, Alaska.

His trademark sound is marked by an emotive baritone voice and simple, inspired guitar work that draws its fundamental elements from Delta and Chicago blues while incorporating many diverse influences, including Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ali Farka Toure, Tom Waits, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton.

Now based in Madison, Wisconsin, Tyler Preston has teamed up with bassist Brad Karas and drummer Matt Tanger to make music that pays homage to the experimental blues-rock trios of the 60s while updating & streamlining their sound for the new century. Look out for the next big thing to come out of Madison, Wisconsin, the Tyler Preston Trio.

Charles Walker Band

shirley — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:55:30 +0000

The Charles Walker Band is a five piece band that performs various styles of blues, R&B and funk with precision and energy. What adds to the band’s uniqueness, apart from award winning musicians (together for 4 years), is the richness and raw energy of the original material. The band is comprised of Charles Walker, tenor saxophone, keyboard, songwriter, and band leader; Porsche Carmon, lead vocals; Misha Siegfried, lead guitar; Kent Hamele, bass guitar; and Keywan Ryland, drums. Charles received formal jazz training at UW Eau Claire. Porsche Carmon’s vocal talent was first discovered at the age of twelve during her first musical theater audition for The Me Nobody Knows. Misha has loaned his talents to such artists as the Genie Halliday Revue Band, The Mixx , and Rev Raven and the Chain Smoking Alter Boys. Kent has played bass for over 35 years and has played with “Cadillac” Joe Andersen and Paul Flipowitz. Keywan began studying various percussion instruments at the age of 16 and has learned much from watching other masters. The Charles Walker Band plays around the Midwest and some of the south, with plans to branch out in the immediate future.

Kyle Henderson’s Blue Eyed Soul

shirley — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:31:50 +0000

Kyle Henderson is no stranger to fame. In 1980, he joined an Atlanta band that would become known as the Producers. The Producers were signed, and their CD went gold. They enjoyed opening slots with Cheap Trick, U2, and many other “big” bands. What really solidified their spot in the “big time” was an appearance on the second annual MTV New Year’s Eve bash at Radio City Hall. The band traveled the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean and were #1 in the Dominican Republic. Like many other artists of that era, the Producers suffered at the very hands that were supposed to be helping them and made barely a dime on their music. Kyle, disillusioned with the music business, became a born again Christian, using his talents to make a Christian pop album, which left him even more disillusioned. Fed up with the music business in general, Kyle left the music scene.

Kyle gave music another shot in the early 2000s, joining a band called Funk Club, an Orlando based funk/soul band. There, he had the pleasure of playing with Billy Joel’s drummer, Liberty Diveto, and had the opportunity to open for Huey Lewis and the News, the B-52s, Kenny Loggins, and Hootie and the Blowfish. Still, Kyle was not happy with his accomplishments in music. In 2007, he left the sunny south for Madison, WI, where he now resides.

Kyle’s love of music and acknowledgement of his talent couldn’t just die, no matter how he tried to deny it. Today, though he does not play music for a living, he is still very much involved in the music scene. He has put together a new group, Kyle Henderson’s Blue Eyed Soul, and they are taking the Madison music scene by storm. The band is preparing to release their first full-length album, “Life Goes On.” The album is a fitting tribute for one who has invested so much of his heart and soul into a sometimes thankless business.

Donnie Pick and the Road Band

shirley — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:43:05 +0000

Originally from Nashville, TN, where he enjoyed playing 250 days out of the year as part of George Heard’s (a/k/a Harmonica Red) band, Donnie Pick relocated to Wisconsin. He has surrounded himself with some stellar musicians and now fronts Donnie Pick and the Road Band. Rick Smith, on bass, once played a week-long gig with the Righteous Brothers and has experience playing on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Rick is a well-known fixture on the Wisconsin music scene. Joining Rick and Donnie is Ory Green on drums. Ory is considered the “backbone” of Donnie’s band and has over 20 years experience playing music. Rounding out this quartet is Erik Meyer on horns. Erik has a degree in music from the University of Wisconsin (Stevens Point). Though Erik has disciplines in jazz and other forms of music, he finds himself at home with the blues.

Donnie Pick has traveled the country, playing places such as Corpus Christi, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Portland, OR; and San Francisco CA, to name just a few. He has performed in the company of such artists as Toby Keith, John Rich, Guitar Shorty, The Drifters. The band has opened for numerous acts such as Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chuck Negron from Three Dog Night. Donnie has been playing guitar and singing since he was 14 years old.

Although fluent in many styles of music ranging from Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Zydeco and Rock & Roll, Donnie’s current style of music is more at home in the blues/rock genre. Donnie recorded two CDs and a DVD with Harmonica Red’s national touring band, but he is happy to be out front with his own band and looks forward to hitting the road with his band. Be on the lookout: Attending a Donnie Pick and the Road Band show will send you home knowing you witnessed something truly remarkable.

Robert J

shirley — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:46:20 +0000

An anchor to the Madison music scene for 25 years, Robert J., as he is known to friends and fans alike, last released two new projects. “The Revenge Of The Rowdy Prairie Dogs” is a slice of Americana with a flavor of country-rock guiding the way. Robert J.’s second disc, “A Beautiful Blur,” is a collection of beautiful, personal selections that tell the story of Robert J.’s life in song and will appeal to lovers of both Americana and Adult Contemporary music.

In addition to making his own music, Robert J. is a co-founder of PopBomb Records. No stranger to accolades and awards for music, Robert J. sang two songs for the indy film “Madison,” which hit the film festival circuit last fall and winter. Robert J’s “Rewind” from “A Beautiful Blur” is also in the film. This past September, Robert J. won first place in the Berghoff & Blues Talent Search and played an opening slot at the Berghoff & Blues festival with Sonny Landreth, James Cotton, and other great blues bands. He is also a past Billboard Song Contest winner. Robert J.’s career was sidetracked by a heart attack, but Robert J. is a survivor. He continues to make his mark on the Madison music community.

Doug Kroening

shirley — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 13:47:37 +0000

When Doug Kroening was 5 years old, he was charging his family a quarter to hear him sing Kris Kristofferson songs. It is doubtful that he had any indication of what roads lay ahead. Doug’s real journey started at 18 when he formed and fronted the classic rock band “Gypsy Rose,” a high energy, highly entertaining band that still gets requests for appearances. From there, Doug and old friend Jay Stulo went on to form “The Mighty Aces,” a blues tour de force that had success across the United States with a CD, tours, and radio airplay unprecedented for an unsigned band. In his spare time, he started making appearances with only an acoustic guitar, along the way playing with such notable Wisconsin legends as Tuck Pence and Howard “Guitar” Luedtke. It seemed as though Doug’s star was on the rise, and then, already “raspy by nature” in 2005 Doug found out that he had throat cancer. A growth on his vocal cord was making singing all but impossible. Doug underwent surgery to remove the growth and followed it up with radiation treatments. The doctors informed Doug that the odds were that he would never sing again. One year went by with barely a sound emitting from his once strong throat. By 2007, Doug started to talk again and noticed that his range was returning. In 2008 he was given the “all clear” by his doctors, and to everyone’s delight, once again began performing. Doug spent the remainder of the year playing at local clubs and making decisions concerning his future. In 2009, Doug found himself fronting a new band,the “D” Railers”with younger brother Brian on bass guitar and vocals and old band mate Mark Yokimcus on the drums. He returned to the recording studio with a handful of original songs, and the result is a 6-song EP called simply THE “D” RAILERS. With Grammy award-winning producer Mike Vlahakis at the controls and the Kroening brothers with a full head of steam, the disc has already knocked down more than a few barriers. Doug describes the new band as “straight up rock and roll” and plans to mix in originals with cover songs. It seems that, once again, Doug Kroening’s star is on the rise.

Eric Lindell

shirley — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:07:24 +0000

Making his latest record, Between Motion and Rest, was so much fun for Eric Lindell, as he has been friends with this group of musicians for many years. The title of this album, Between Motion and Rest was inspired and based off the original song LUCKY LUCKY, by Peter Joseph Burtt. Peter is a very good friend of Eric’s, and one of his favorite musicians and songwriters. Between Motion and Rest is an 8-song, vinyl or CD release, which essentially picks up where its predecessor, Gulf Coast Highway left off. Lindell treats each song or new release, as unique, organically-formed creatures. Full of nuance and rich with emotion, Eric’s music is the real deal. If you want some mellow-yet-swinging, good time southern rock, then look no further than “Bodega,” which suggests a marriage of Elvin Bishop and the Allman Brothers, spiced by gentle horn jabs and boasting the most sensual guitar tone you’ll hear all year. Lindell’s cover of Magic Sam’s “That’s Why I’m Crying” will make you shed a tear or two as well, particularly the way guest vocalist Peter Joseph Burtt (who also contributes kora) summons images of a man at the end of his rope and nearly blind with misery, wondering if he’ll ever see his woman again. (Speaking of covers, for all you classic soul fans, Lindell and his band also work up a spot-on version of Curtis Mayfield’s “It’s So Hard to Believe.”)

Lindell’s live shows draw as much attention as his material. His unstoppable grooves, rocking, deeply rooted, original songs and excellent musicianship never fail to fill the dance floor. With the release of Between Motion and Rest, Lindell and his band will continue to tour heavily, giving the rest of the country the chance to discover for themselves what a growing number of people already know: Eric Lindell is a musician bursting at the seams with talent, with the uncanny natural ability to come up with one instantly classic song after another, and the desire to take his music to every corner of the music-loving universe.

Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo

shirley — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:51:59 +0000

Decades ago, before the first rock and roll idols turned music into a product, musicians played music the way cobblers mended shoes and carpenters built homes. It was a trade-like any other job, and men did it for work, for wage. Young men packed their station wagons with gear and traveled from city to city to play their songs. For these musicians, it was not only all they wanted to do but all they could do. They were not in search of fame or fortune; it was simply a life in music. Welcome to the world of Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo.

Since their beginning as a trio in 2008, the world of Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo has drastically changed. Riding on the success of their debut CD “It Ain’t Easy,” the band is topping all expectations with its sophomore release, “10:49.” The band’s debut “It Ain’t Easy” brought many awards, including Blues/Rock Album of the Year, as named by Real Blues magazine. The band was nominated for Blues Artist of the Year by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry and six Madison Area Music Awards, walking away with five: Blues Artist of the Year, Blues Song of the Year (“Drinking Blues”), Blues Album of the Year, Instrumentalist of the Year (Erick Shackelford—drums), and the highly coveted Artist of the Year. Continuing their forward surge, without a new CD under their belt, the band took Blues Artist of the Year at the MAMAs and received their second WAMI nomination for Blues Artist of the Year in 2011. To date, “10:49” has earned the band two second-round Grammy nominations and a selection as one of the Top 10 Albums of 2011 by The Isthmus. 2012 promises even more for these talented young bluesmen.

The band’s new CD “10:49” is already breaking the band out on a new level. “10:49” has been hitting the airwaves across the nation, charting at #44 on release week and holding steady in the Top 5 Wisconsin roots albums (with several weeks at #1). The title cut was inspired by Aaron’s father, late bluesman “Cadillac” Joe Andersen and sets the tone for the CD. Heavy on roots rock and “Hoodoo blues,” “10:49” will propel Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo even farther in their career. The lead vocals of guitar slinger Aaron Williams on “10:49” prove that the band continues to evolve into a national caliber touring band. Eric Shackelford on drums and Z on bass and hand percussion provide the rhythm section that helps to create the hypnotic, pulsing grooves for which this band is rapidly becoming known. These three young men have a real love for what they do, and it shows in the songs they write and perform. As declared by the Toledo City Paper, “. . . this isn’t your grandpa’s blues act.” Aptly coined “blues and roll” by “Ole Harv” of (NPR) WVPE 88.1, Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo’s sound is set to capture a new generation of blues lovers by storm.
Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo is comprised of Aaron Williams (lead vocals/guitars), Z (backing vocals/bass), and Eric “Shack” Shackelford (backing vocals/drums/percussion).

Train Company

shirley — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:11:20 +0000

Chicago, home of the Blues, harbors one of the most vibrant, soulful music scenes in the world. With the release of their self-titled debut album in 2009 and the Change EP in 2010, Train Company has blossomed in the Chicago scene. After approximately three years of playing any venue, party or event imaginable in the Midwest, the cards began to line up. Their live show became ” a passionate (and sweaty) performance…delivered confidently” (chicago.com/music). Their music began to spin on college radio stations and even played on their favorite one, Chicago’s 93XRT. Following their performance at the 2010 SXSW festival, Train Company was asked to open for Blues Traveler at Chicago’s House of Blues. They jumped all over it and killed the performance. After Train Company left the stage, John Popper approached the group backstage to say, “You guys are killin!”

Riding the high of a sold-out House of Blues show and recognition from a childhood hero, Train Company entered the studio the same weekend to lay down new tracks. The session was recorded live to analog tape with Samuel Wyatt playing the organ, and The Icicles, three fantastic soul singers from Indiana, providing the soulful backing vocals. The resulting session birthed Change – EP, which includes “Change,” “Still Can Feel The Heat” and “Conquistador,” three new tracks released on September 3rd at Lincoln Hall in Chicago.

“…They have a sound and chemistry that portrays a band that has been together for over a decade…Their clean and crisp musical abilities combine elements of blues and rock and roll that keep up with the traditions of Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The talents of Mark Alletag’s saxophone, and female back-up singers add to their unique style.” -The Traveling Yeti

The group is currently polishing up the 24 tracks recorded over four days at IV Lab Studios in Chicago. Look for a release before SXSW in March.