THE EVERYONE ORCHESTRA - Portland, Oregon A revolving cast of stellar musicians brought together by drummer/conductor Matt Butler for concerts, festival super jams and special benefit events. EO performances are designed to create space for each performers musical personality to shine, engage the audience as participants in the jam and to facilitate a massive celebratory coming together featuring a conductor directing both musicians and audience alike.
"We pass the musical talking stick around the collective group of players and take turns leading the stage, much like sharing music around a campfire. We also play musical improv games that I sometimes refer to as 'music sports.' Then we culminate in moments with everyone on stage at once, playing conducted improvisations together", says Butler, founder of the group. Set to perform with EO at SKOJ5 are:
Rodney Holmes (Santana),
Todd Stoops (RAQ),
Mark Diomede (Juggling Suns), and
Marc Sterling (Jazzam) mixed in with various SKOJ5 musicians.
www.everyoneorchestra.com
www.myspace.com/theeveryoneorchestra
RUBBLEBUCKET - New England A wild young band from Boston, Brooklyn, and Burlington, Vermont that currently tours as an 8 piece. Their banging horn sounds and dance beats provide a backbone for the mesmerizing vocals of lead singer, Kalmia Traver. Rubblebucket's trip-rock sound has been compared to Talking Heads, Bjork, Fela Kuti and Portishead, but what's in the bucket is completely their own.
"One of the most exciting groups to come out of Boston in recent memory... a genre-mashing maelstrom of hot-blooded west-african funk rhythms and scorching soul melodies unlike anything that's come before it" (Seven Days)
www.rubblebucket.com
www.myspace.com/rubblebucket
THE HORSE FLIES - Ithaca, New York A longtime favorite of critics and fans, but a pigeonholer's nightmare, The Horse Flies blend Americana roots with indie rock, ethnic percussion, creative songwriting, and a fierce, percolating groove. With a love of both the traditional and the modern, The Flies have consistently explored the intersection of the two to create a musical world all their own. Part trance-inducing minimalism, achieved through a neo-primitive approach to fiddle music, and part folk-rock American gothic, achieved through emotive singing and haunting, original songs, The Flies’ music is recognized for its intensity, quirkiness, poetry, and skill.
“A band that's earned a buzz...The Horse Flies churn out swirling, addictive songs, blending tradition with invention” (Rolling Stone)
"Demented, post-modern mountain music" (Village Voice)
www.thehorseflies.com
www.myspace.com/thehorseflies
HOT DAY AT THE ZOO - Lowell, Massachusetts New England's genre-bending American roots string band is spreading their "zoograss" sound nationwide. The high-energy quartet mixes folk, blues, ragtime and jazz with progressive bluegrass and Americana-infused rock and roll. Hot Day At The Zoo is pioneering their sound in a way that is reminiscent of how Johnny Cash transformed traditional country music. They have the songwriting and full-bodied sound of the Grateful Dead, the technicality and momentum of Sam Bush, the tightness and the ability to talk musically like Charles Mingus, and the cool, easy rock demeanor of Steely Dan.
www.hotdayatthezoo.com
www.myspace.com/hotdayatthezoo
CABINET - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Rust belt bluegrass? Yes please. With a tasty blend of banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, and acoustic guitar, Cabinet has caught the ear of bluegrass admirers, jamband lovers, and even fans of the indie scene. Oh, and did I mention that they all sing? Three- and four-part harmonies are a regular part of the show.
www.cabinetmusic.com
www.myspace.com/cabinetwax
THE MACPODZ - Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor's jazz rock outfit, The Macpodz, throw some of the coolest parties around. With a little bit of everything in its musical grab bag, The Macpodz easily please music lovers, from fans of far out jazz to those rootsy jam band-style grooves. The inventor and namesake of its own brand of funky dance music, coined 'disco-bebop,' The Macpodz pay homage to kinky musical concoctions like the groovy, unstructured big band instrumental works of the late, great Frank Zappa with psychedelic tinges of sunglasses-and-afro era Miles Davis. With two solid albums under its belt and a slew of foot-shuffling fans across the region, The Macpodz impress as only an open-minded band can, taking the core of genuine American music and tossing in tasteful touches of world music grooves and lots and lots of swinging horn licks that rouse and comfort all at once. (Toledo City Paper)
www.themacpodz.com
www.myspace.com/macpodz
THE BIG DIRTY - Pennsylvania The Big Dirty delivers from a wide palette that finds a place among any audience that enjoys soulful, inspiring, fresh, and creative instrumentation. From hard-nosed critics to casual listeners who just want to get their groove on, this band satisfies with a sonically innovative style that is difficult to pinpoint but easy to get down to. While their roots lie within a countless number of musical genres of the past century, TBD has forged a sound that is
truly unlike anything else.
"Funk and groove so smooth it's fly...Their bass lines run deeper than the Earth's mantle, complimented by guitar flicks and riffs that find a permanent place in your brain, drums crashing wildly but always keeping rhythm, and saxophone sounds from another realm." (Electric City)
www.thebigdirty.com
www.myspace.com/thebigdirtyband
THE MANTRAS - Greensboro, North Carolina A high-energy collaborative of jam-fusion and funk-rock that shakes your knees and rattles your toes. Hailing from North Carolina, the band has been playing to ever-increasing and sold out crowds in their home state, as well as expanding to new markets in the South and Northeast.
"Able to send any listener in any direction in the musical universe at any moment, it is this unpredictability and spontaneity that will take the audience on a sonic joyride" (366 Events)
www.themantras.net
www.myspace.com/themantras
MAD-SWEET PANGS - Newark, Delaware
Mad-Sweet Pangs live in Newark Delaware, the first state in the land of the free. They have large record collections and therefore many influences, many of which are not helpful in describing their sound. They enjoy writing, rehearsing, performing, and touring. Luckily, these tasks are in the cards for aspiring "musicians-by-trade."
www.madsweetpangs.com
www.myspace.com/madsweetpangs
AFROSKULL - New York, New York Greasy persuasion and bad gris-gris. A New York City funk/rock collective by way of New Orleans, the ‘Skull is a sonic gumbo that is one part Funkadelic and one part Black Sabbath with generous helpings of Zappaesque runs and jazzoid horns. The interplay of their heady musicianship and fat bottomed grooves helps to keep les bon temps rouler all night long.
Born of saintly happenstance and house party jam sessions in The Big Easy, Afroskull has been intent on setting about the musical canvas with broad strokes and a menacing palette for more then a decade. Indulging in the sweet cross pollination of musical genres, they have created a hybrid sound they can call their very own. Taking their name from the perceived halo, that well worn LP fade, which framed the shrouded skull on the back cover of “Steppenwolf Live,” the band, in one word conceived a moniker that spoke to the heavy boogies they were cranking out on a regular basis.
www.afroskull.com
www.myspace.com/afroskull
PSYCHEDELPHIA - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Psychedelphia is a 5-piece psychedelic fusion band based near Philadelphia. They have played late night sets at many area venues and festivals, and are emerging as one of the few truly unique entities of the Philly scene.
www.psychedelphia.com
www.myspace.com/psychedelphiamusic
DAKINI - Hegins, Pennsylvania Four-piece original band from Hegins, Pennsylvania, Dakini creates a flowing musical experience that is truly unlike anything else. With influences from all genres of music, Dakini is pure rock 'n' roll with a driving energy that can satisfy any and all who come to experience a show. Together for 11 years with three full-length studio albums, one live album & thousands of bootleg recordings, Dakini has established themselves as one of PA's most original, exciting, diverse, ever-changing improvisational bands.
www.dakiniband.com
www.myspace.com/dakiniband
JATOBA - Brattleboro, Vermont Incorporating a unique blend of three extraordinary acoustic musicians, Jatoba redefines their sound through collective songwriting and extreme rhythmic improvisations. Through the double bass, acoustic guitars, baritone guitar, mandolin, sitar and harmonizing vocals, Jatoba displays a very eclectic arrangement of acoustic instrumentation.
"This sound is evidence of their own language in the making. Guitars, one for each ear, speak clearly in voices within mystic whispers. The double bass brings tones from the underground, collectively creating lyrics from languages transmitting like train rails and smoke signals, canyon echoes and signals through telegraph wires." (Billboard Magazine)
www.myspace.com/jatobamusic
TROUBLE CITY ALL-STARS - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Roots rock reggae from the Lehigh Valley. Specializing in a di positive message, irie vibrations, and Rasta-riddums. On a mission to free up all herbalists and burn down Babylon. Peace on di streets to all di ghetto youts. Rastafari.
www.troublecityallstars.com
www.myspace.com/troublecityallstars
MiZ - Pennsylvania Seasoned from continuous playing for over the last decade, Mike Miz enlisted long time friend and collaborator Alan Hanczyc on bass to begin the journey of bringing his music to new life. MiZ's sound crosses genres to reach the ears of all listeners, uniting fans from all likes, with hopes of transcending genre and category in an evolution of sound, mind and spirit.
"Clearly, it's very good stuff...well-written songs, well-put together." (Dennis McNally, Grateful Dead Publicist/Historian)
www.mikemizmusic.com
www.myspace.com/mizband
FLUX CAPACITOR - Reading, Pennsylvania Originality and genuine love for the music: these are the two traits any band must possess in order to break through today’s cluttered music scene where a new act arises every two minutes. Philadelphia/Reading’s Flux Capacitor has both in abundance. The outfit combines a raw rock intensity with ambient psychedelic effects and addicting, almost hypnotic singing. Throw in a highly spontaneous live show and thought-provoking lyrics (delving into topics as varied as a serious reflection of the world’s current affairs to dream states experienced by band members), and you have a hidden gem of a band that won’t stay hidden very long.
www.fluxcapacitorband.com
www.myspace.com/fluxhead
ANTHONY FIUMANO & THE MEDICINE CHEST - New Brunswick, NJ His acoustic performances carry a weight and intensity that is not commonly found in many of his contemporaries. Anthony Fiumano has drawn comparisons to great folk and rock artists of generations past, but is carving out a path that is all his own. He captivates audiences with lyrical prowess and a voice that can be both powerful and raw or delicate. With The Medicine Chest behind him, Anthony is bringing new energy to the songs that has earned him a reputation as one of the area's premier songwriters.
www.anthonyfiumano.com
www.myspace.com/anthonyfiumano
AND THE MONEYNOTES - Scranton, Pennsylvania The good Doctor Horsemachine had quite a large supply of musical material rumbling around inside of his cranium but lacked the ability to extrude it. Then on a spooky night while searching the Radisson Hotel for Slash, Doctor Horsemachine appeared and talked with Trail Boss, Expired, and Corpsehouse instructing them to delve within his vile Horse-brain and reap the benefits of his delightful tunes. And thus the band that was born is none other than The Moneynotes, a rough and tumble group of merchants, sailors and professionals. With the addition of Rocket, Norge, and The King they would be nigh invulnerable. Their name is derived from a mixture of tribute and service to the Doctor, as well as their ability to make you come...to the show. And then everything changed.
www.andthemoneynotes.com
www.myspace.com/drhorsemachine
TERRY DAME & ELECTRIC JUNKYARD GAMELAN - New York, NY Electric Junkyard Gamelan is the brainchild of band leader, composer and instrument builder Terry Dame. Performing her original groove-driven music on self-invented instruments this unique band has a distinct voice that is at once both old and new. EJG performed nearly 100 shows in 2008 at venues ranging from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City to elementary schools in Iowa, arts centers large and small to music festivals, underground raves and even a wedding. The list is ever growing.
"Electric Junkyard Gamelan makes music so original they had to invent their own instruments to play it. It's wild enough to please fans...regardless of genre." (Global Rhythms Magazine)
www.terrydame.com
www.myspace.com/electricjunkyardgamelan
DISPLACED PEOPLES - Easton, Pennsylvania Displaced Peoples are "persons or groups of persons who have been forced to flee or to leave their homes to avoid conflict or disaster, but still remain in their country". When a band sets out to shed stylistic trappings and clichés, they are left without a genre. This band is what music sounds like when musicians are left to their own devices. No set lists, no vocals...live instrumental composition...without a net. Fusion, instrumental, original.
www.displaced-peoples.com
www.myspace.com/displacedpeoples
MYSTERY FYRE - Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania Mystery Fyre brings psychedelic classic-rock back to the music scene. From the screaming of bluesy guitar riffs, to the heart pounding bass grooves, to the mind splitting beating of the drums - it’s a body moving and raw experience unlike any other. As a band of three brothers, they continue to daze and amaze audiences both young and true to the music. It’s no wonder hippies, deadheads, and anyone with a good ear can agree the Knorr brothers are on a trip to something big. Mystery Fyre now looks to lead a musical re-revolution through the grapevine of great American rock and roll.
www.myspace.com/mysteryfyre
