Website

The Disco Biscuits have entered their second decade as one of the most successful acts on the jam-band circuit. In the years since the band sprang out of the University of Pennsylvania party scene in the mid-'90s, the Disco Biscuits have brought together the worlds of jam bands and electronic music with its "trance-fusion" sound that mixes the free-form improvisations of jazz with the hypnotic rhythms which provided the soundtrack for rave culture. In the process, the band has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase.

The Biscuits have continued to evolve with some new blood. Drummer Sam Altman moved on, but the band is re-energized thanks to the addition of drummer Allen Aucoin, who in true Disco Biscuits fashion landed the gig after a live "drum-off" gig in November 2005 in Atlantic City. Aucoin played his first shows as an official member of the band over the 2005 holiday season at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia and the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, where it sold more than 10,000 tickets.

With the new blood also comes a new home base. The Biscuits have regrouped in their own studio, formerly owned by fellow Philly homeboy DJ Jazzy Jeff, and the band is reaching creative heights it hasn't hit since it shared a house together in the late '90s, practicing up to 10 hours a day and writing new material for their next studio effort. 2006 and 2007 have brought the band back to a heavy touring schedule, once again touching cities across the country.

Website
Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus is a rare exception in the turbulent world of Hip-Hop. In a genre where big names come and go just as fast as hit records, Snoop Dogg has managed to stay tremendously relevant throughout his 16-plus years in the game. From music to movies, video games to clothing lines and now his own hit TV show (E!’s reality series Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood), Snoop Dogg is an all-out pop culture icon and household name.

While his longevity can easily be credited to his musical creativity, the various personalities contained within the character we know as Snoop Dogg have also played a vital role. Ego Trippin’, the Doggfather’s ninth (9th) solo studio album, deftly takes the listener on a ride through Snoop’s many faces. The result is a sonically assorted, yet thematically cohesive offering that shuns present day notions of constructing an album and instead crafts a work that marries Snoop’s many musical influences together with his array of personas.

“The album is called Ego Trippin’ because “I wanted to make something that is true to where I’m at as a musician and not just play connect the dots. It’s a record that is free of constraints. It’s just me doing me,” says Snoop.

But Snoop Dogg didn’t set out to accomplish this alone. Instead he recruited legendary producer/recording artist Teddy Riley to enhance the process. Riley and Snoop’s participation as honorees in last year’s VH1 Hip-Hop Honors was the catalyst that sparked what at first might be seen as an unusual partnership. “We got to talking at the show and I told him how much I admired his work,” remembers Snoop about the fateful evening. “Come to find out that he was just as big of a fan of my music. I told him that we had to work together.”

The resulting sessions birthed an unimaginable amount of high quality music. Next the duo added the musical mind of renowned producer/rapper DJ Quik into the fold. “Quik always has had this incredibly trained studio ear,” says Snoop of his fellow West Coast Hip-Hop OG. “I knew with the type of music that me and Teddy was making, he would be the perfect fit.”

The trio would form what Snoop coined the “QDT Music Group” behind a very effective song making process. “I would come up with the idea for the song conceptually,” says Snoop. “Then Teddy would come in and act as the musical filter—basically taking my idea and setting it to music. Then Quik would act as the finisher. He would maybe add a few musical elements to certain songs. He also mixed every song!”

Flashing his trademark sly smile it’s obvious that Snoop knew this alliance would amount to a musical jackpot. “This album is really produced—and I mean ‘produced’ in the traditional sense,” adds Snoop who also injected the instrumental prowess of burgeoning producer Terrace Martin. “Every song is layered and sonically just right. It’s like a meeting of top notch musical minds and it allowed me to take chances.”

Already Ego Trippin’ has produced a smash. “Sensual Seduction,” the album’s first single, is proof positive of the musical leaps that Snoop is willing to take. The song’s Roger Troutman influenced hook and accompanying early 80s nostalgia inducing video impacted radio rotations, video play lists and most importantly, Snoop’s fans immediately. “My fans have been with me for so long that I can take them wherever I want to go and they are comfortable,” he assures.

The gangsta rap that Snoop initially made his name off is also at full strength. Bay Area beatsmith Rick Rock’s “Staxxx In My Jeans” and a newly debuted double time flow on “Ridin’ In My Chevy” offer the album’s most menacing moments and shows Snoop can still get down on the street level. And as always, Snoop demonstrates his allegiance to the West Coast with the hyphy driven “Life Of The Party” alongside Oakland’s Mr. Fab and Too Short.

The fun loving Dogg is here as well. Snoop’s “Johnny Cash,” produced by Everlast, brings to mind karaoke night at a cowboy bar. It’s easy to imagine the smile on Snoop’s face as he gracefully bounces of the country western inspired romp. And over the lively track of “Hollywood Nights,” Snoop gets a chance to revel in his A-List fame on a ride down the Sunset Strip.

But what has rarely been witnessed throughout Snoop’s years in the record business is his home life. But with the wildly popular Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood emerging as one of the season’s top programs, Ego Trippin’ doesn’t shy away from Snoop the family guy.

“It was important for me to give the audience another side of me,” explains Snoop. “It can’t be all gangsta, all the time.” This theme is touched on throughout the album leaving the family talk of “Been Around The World,” “Make It Good”—a song dedicated to his wife Shante, the autobiographical “Neva Have 2 Worry” and the Teddy Riley produced, orchestra and choir filled “Say Goodbye” some of the most genuine offerings in Snoop’s entire catalog.

While Ego Trippin’ can easily be labeled a redefinition for Snoop Dogg, in many ways it’s more of a blossoming. It took years of grind time and dedication for Snoop to reach this point in his illustrious career. And with Ego Trippin’, Snoop is comfortable enough with his music and his audience to let all his sides shine and again show why he has become one of the top artists of his generation, a living legend indeed

Following in the footsteps of their now-legendary "Brainfreeze" (1999) and "Product Placement" (2001) sets, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist have outdone themselves. Their new, all-45 show, entitled "The Hard Sell," incorporates eight turntables and two guitar loop pedals, allowing tricks and complexity rarely attempted by a DJ duo.

As with the two previous sets, the pair eschew their own material in favor of an amalgam of music from all eras and styles, providing for amusing and provocative mash-ups; rap mixes with fiddle music, doo-wop with new wave, and everything in between... all while avoiding the obvious, "been there, heard that" stuff you get from most DJs.

Last year "The Hard Sell" was performed in the United States in front of 15,000 people at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl...so you know it's going to be special. In the words of Shadow himself, "we want to play something to make everyone smile... and then send them running for the exits!" Don't miss this appearance by two of California's most cutting-edge DJs.

Website
Younger Brother is Simon Posford and Benji Vaughan

Simon Posford is largely held responsible for some of the greatest psychedelic sound engineering and composition in modern times. He started his musical career in the 80's working at Virgin studios as a sound engineer where he met Youth (producer of The Verve) and started working for him at Butterfly Studios before setting off on his own path to create the likes of Shpongle, Hallucinogen, Celtic Cross and now Younger Brother which has seen him push his skills to new boundaries.

Benji Vaughn has been widely acclaimed across several genres as a superb producer. Far reaching skills have seen him go from winning an award from Sony for the soundtrack to a Nike advert, to remixing work for EMI & Jive Records to being producer for The Egg and many more. His housier tracks with Joe Williams under the name JUNK have been played by music moguls such as Sasha, John Digweed, Nick Warren and Steve Lawler.

Website
There's a punk disco party going in, and MSTRKRFT are ready to man the decks. JFK and ALP are here to up the ante as rock's merger with electro continues to incite, excite, and rumble its way into dance charts the world over. They've got mad skills, fresh sounds, and they've developed a legion of loyal fans in less than a year. Just who is the mystery duo?

MSTRKRFT (pronounced 'Master craft') is the project of Toronto musician Jesse F. Keeler and studio wizard Al-P, two music-loving dudes who've been itching to make people dance as hard as they've made them rock. The pair has been collaborating, on and off, since 1998, when Al recorded Jesse's punk rock band Black Cat #13. Though they went separate routes - Jesse taking a brief break from music, and Al moving to New York where he worked at studios like Sound on Sound and Chung King recording artists as diverse as Jay-Z, Wyclef Jean, and David Clayton Thomas - the friends remained in contact, trading tapes of their individual, unreleased forays into dance music.

Website
2020Soundsystem have forged a name for themselves as one of the best new live bands from the UK. They have established themselves firmly in the festival circuit as well as building up their reputation through the world of underground clubs, dirty discos and sweaty gigs. Their debut album, No Order, was received with universal acclaim, earning them album of the month in DJ, IDJ, Update, M8 and Trax magazines. They have toured from Argentina to Australia and all across Europe as well as rocking major festivals such as Sonar, Exit, Rockness, Monegros, Global Gathering, Creamfields, Fortdance, Pitch Electronic and 10 days off.

2020Soundsystem was created by Ralph Lawson and Dubble D to find new ways of playing electronic music live. Lawson is the original DJ at the legendary Back to Basics club in Leeds. He met Dubble D when he came to perform at the club and the duo started to add live drum tracks to early 2020Vision productions. The relationship grew and when Lawson was asked to make a CD for Fat City records he invited DD to play with him live on kit as a new way to bridge between tracks. The result was the Stars On 33 album. The full Soundsystem project was born when Fernando Pulichino and Julian Sanza, recent arrivals from Argentina, sent Lawson a demo. Lawson heard the guys ability to play instruments, rather than just program, and live keys and bass were added to the outfit. At first it was a jam around Lawson’s DJ sets but as the unit grew original material started to come out of the sessions. “We would jam for maybe two hours and record, it sounded horrible for most of it but at some point we would find a place where we had all gelled and produced something fresh” Lawson says. These out takes became the backbone of “dub” tracks. The crew played very much as a dubstyle soundsystem for the first two years and then started experimenting with adding vocalists including Diane “Inner City Life” Charlemagne and Dominique Keegan from New York band The Glass on the first album. The heart of the outfit remains the original four piece and live performance.

2008 sees the release of the second 2020Soundsystem album and the next wave of touring a brand new show. Colombian graphic artist Maria Jaramillo has been introduced to produce original visual art to backdrop the show, in keeping with the original Soundsystem livestyle ethic she does this live on stage with the band. This allows for more dynamic movement on stage and immediate changes rather than the strictly programmed visuals of most current electronic acts. The full show was unleashed to audiences of 20,000 people at both Creamfields Argentina and Exit Serbia in 2007 to devastating effect. The band also stopped in at world renowned clubs fabric, Watergate, Basics, Subclub, Soma, Audio, The Loft, Bugged Out!, Elysee Montmatre, Cabaret Voltaire among many others. 2008 is going to be big year for the 2020Soundsystem

Website
The story continues. After nine years of touring and showcasing their custom Live-tronic experience, the New Deal continues to bring new sounds to the masses. With Dan Kurtz (Bass) busy with his new project "Dragonette", fans have feared the end for the trio, but the band has no plans to stop. With nine records under their belt and almost 600 shows played, the New Deal is still one of the top groups in their genre, continuously selling out shows across the US and Canada.

Website
Following a titillating tour in summer '95 between Popesmashers and Black Liquorice, !!! officially formed upon their return at one of the famously ultra-hot, all-night Sacramento, CA dance parties. The tour had provided the attendees - and a few of the band members - with plenty to think about. Black Liquorice came with disco covers without the kitsch, and Popesmashers followed with loud, propulsive noise. The combination of these styles seemed odd to some, but it worked in the most primal sense, leading the aforementioned band members and others to wonder - Why NOT feel this? All the fucking time.

The eight members of !!! had grown up playing various breeds of punk and experimental music (!!! frontman Nic was vocalist for the infamous hardcore band, Yah Mos), and increasingly found themselves wanting to play music in the vein of the stuff they were dancing to. Which is not to say !!! are a punk band, nor a funk band, for that matter. They are both. And neither.

Website
Following the 2005 release of their critically acclaimed album, Taught to be Proud, Tea Leaf Green toured North America becoming one of the most exciting and fastest growing rock bands today. Busting out of a revitalized San Francisco music scene, the group has honed their strength as both songwriters and improvisers to catapult to the next level, keeping audiences screaming for more.

Thanks to their dedicated and connected fan base, the band has gone from playing small bars to large theatres in just a few short years by consistently delivering fresh, mind-blowing live performances. After winning the “Song of the Year” Jammy award for Taught to be Proud's title track, the road warriors plowed ahead with sold out shows in many major markets including Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, New York and, most notably, the historic Fillmore Auditorium in their hometown of San Francisco, CA. The band's chops earned the respect of their musical contemporaries as 2006 also found the band opening for the Dave Mathews Band, Trey Anastasio, Gov't Mule, and Bruce Hornsby.

Their latest release, Rock 'n' Roll Band (released October 31, 2006, on SCI Fidelity Records), captures lightning in a bottle. Available separately in both CD & DVD formats, the film joins the band for an evening performance at The Fox Theater in Boulder, Colorado and offers an intimate look at a day in the life of a young rock band on the rise. For the DVD, director Justin Kreutzmann, son of The Grateful Dead's Billy Kreutzmann, provides both a snapshot of where the BIOGRAPHY band is today and clear evidence of where they are headed tomorrow. Part concert film, part documentary, Rock 'n' Roll Band balances blazing live performances with private moments of artful reflection and presents the magic that is Tea Leaf Green for all to enjoy. Just one viewing will be enough to assure you that rock 'n' roll never died.

Website
For those waiting for a concert experience with the dynamics of a rock band, the dance inducing rhythms of club music, and the sophistication of modern electronica, an unlikely musical alternative has arrived in the form of the band Lotus. Formed at a Mennonite college that had banned on-campus dancing as late as the 1980's, Lotus brings their club-worthy beats and rocking instrumental anthems to theaters throughout the country. The band's most recent releases include Escaping Sargasso Sea, a double-disc live album that draws from two previous studio albums, Nomad and The Strength of Weak Ties, along with never before released material. This collection shows Lotus's ability to deconstruct, stretch, and rebuild their compositions spontaneously on stage. They have also recently released Copy Paste Repeat: Lotus Remixed, a collection of remixed cuts by artists such as The Juan Maclean, DJ Harry, Scottie B, Telepath and more.

Website
If, lyrically, Fiction Plane’s second full-length, Left Side of the Brain, covers themes as varied as the anguishing death of a loved one, war and nepotism, musically the disc marks the group’s rebirth, or rather, the rise of a whole new band.

Produced by Paul Corkett (Radiohead, Björk, Tori Amos), it is the formal debut of the band as a three piece—Joe Sumner on bass and vocals, Seton Daunt on guitar and Pete Wilhoit on drums—and the first release since keyboardist/bassist Dan Brown bowed out of the group to raise a family.

While going from a quartet to a trio is definitely a rare move—many bands would take the opportunity to balloon, rather than shrink—in so doing Fiction Plane has birthed its inner rock god. While there are fewer instruments and more space in the band’s songs, the group sounds larger and heavier on Left Side of the Brain, as the disc finds Daunt genuinely delving into the role of a soloist for the first time. “In a way, this album is about us letting it all hang out,” he says. “It’s a bit more bold and obnoxious, guitar wise. It’s louder and prouder.”

“It’s sort of a coming out party for us,” says Wilhoit. “We sort of unleashed the animal within.” Ironically, when Sumner hunkered down in London earlier this year and began writing some new tracks for the disc, a mightier sound was the furthest thing from his mind. The band’s lyricist, he “just kind of wrote for myself, which was slightly different, in a way. I took a month off in January, and I just completely pretended like there’s no band, no record, no nothing, no music industry, none of that shit. I wrote for absolutely nobody

Website
Electronic music has found a new hub in Los Angeles in the form of DJ duo Jo'B and Daniel Ledisko, better known as LA Riots. Taking their moniker from the infamous riots that blazed across the city in 1992, LA Riots has quickly established themselves at the forefront of the electronic music scene - DJ'ing high profile clubs and events across the country and churning out club bangers that have caught the ear of audiences and artists alike.

Having recently remixed such artists as VHS or Beta, Scanners, Le Castlevania, Mystery Jets, Chromeo, Jupiter One, Photek and Justice, LA Riots has been tearing up the highly fickle music blogosphere and is quickly gaining momentum within the mainstream music industry as well. Up next, expect to see further remixes of such acts as Datarock, Kid Sister and The Cure.

Individually, both Jo'B and Daniel Ledisko have been heavily involved in the electronic music scene since the mid 90's. It is from their varied backgrounds that LA Riots have honed their craft, delivering an explosive sound that has taken over clubs from Los Angeles to New York and across the world. As the electronic genre continues to take shape and evolve, expect to see LA Riots there alongside it - bringing their unique energy to the masses and setting dancefloors on fire.

Website
Born and raised in Miami, Casanova has been a resident DJ of the famed Revolver party for several years. A bit frustrated with the lack of acceptance for his music in his hometown, he decided to take matters into his own hands and hit the road. In the summer of 2006, Casanova was invited to join Mstrkrft and the Juan Maclean on a cross-country tour through Canada. Since then, Casanova has remixed various artists including, Mstrkrft, The Teenagers, and Crystal Castles. His bootleg edit of The Knife was widely played out and even picked up offers for white label pressings. His original track, Shorts and Heels, was heavily rotated and can be seen as a sneak peak of many upcoming original tracks. After playing endless cities, Casanova returns back to Miami, except this time audiences are ready to embrace his music and tight knit DJ styling. At only 21 years old, Casanova's music career has only begun. Expect to hear much more of the young protege with the classy name.

Website
Self-described as high performance rock n roll, RAQ has been going strong since its 2001 inception. With their unique sound, featuring complex song structure coupled with quirky-yet-accessible lyrics and a healthy dose of full-band improvisation, RAQ delivers a strong presence to their allegiant fans nationwide.

Hailing from Burlington, Vermont, the band began with the name "Shadraq", but shortened the name to RAQ before cutting their debut album Shed Tech. The bands unique sound developed while 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.

Over the 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.

Website
Arriving in New York from London in '89, it could be said that no one has done more for Drum & Bass in America than DB. First with his hardcore Breakbeat club NASA, then by launching Sm:)e communications and releasing the first Jungle singles & compilations in the U.S, as well as signing DJ Dara, thus kick starting his artist career. He & Dara then opened Breakbeat Science, dedicated to Drum & Bass, It quickly become not only the most respected record store & label, but also the very epicenter of the jungle community in the u.s. Having recently "10", his tenth mix cd in ten years, he is now working on an artist album with dj Stakka, focusing on the more musical side of the genre, which as a dj, is what DB has become best loved for.

Website
NYC-based producer, Eliot Lipp, is currently touring in support of  his brand new full-length release (his fourth studio album to date), entitled The Outside, which is due out April 8th on Mush Records.

Eliot creates a wonderful blend of instrumental hip-hop/electronica/electro-funk, often compared to artists such as  Prefuse 73, Dabrye, Madlib, Premier, J Dilla, etc. Eliot has toured North America several times and has toured Europe once.  He has received an overwhelming amount of international press praise with select highlights including: Pitchfork, URB, XLR8R, RE:UP, Q, Mojo, Dazed & Confused and much more.

From Tacoma to San Francisco to Chicago to Los Angeles to New York, producer Eliot Lipp has always followed the music. Creating songs that, according to XLR8R, "tickle days after the last spin," he combines hip-hop influenced drum programming with the vintage synthesizer sounds found in the cutting edge electronic music of the 70s. Eliot Lipp's early career saw him vigorously honing his skill on the club circuit where his fresh and daring take on hip-hop impressed Scott Herren (Prefuse 73) so much that he put out his 2004 debut LP on Eastern Developments. Subsequent successful releases on Hefty Records, Money Studies and Metatronix labels have continued to expand his audience and refine his craft. Now, Mush is thrilled to bring offerings of Eliot Lipp's timeless yet novel interpretation of electro-funk to the people.

Website
DUB WAR is the biggest and first dubstep event in North America. It attracts the top names in the genre, and has produced debut US performances from a number of dubstep's most celebrated artists from the UK.

Started in June 2005 in Brooklyn, New York, Dub War first introduced New Yorkers to the man who has since become dubstep's undisputed top DJ in the US, Baltimore's Joe Nice. He would go on to form the core of Dub War's residents alongside Dub War founder Dave Q and Trinidad-born MC Juakali.

In its first year, Dub War hosted Hyperdub Recordings founder Kode 9, Mala and Loefah from the legendary DMZ, as well as Skream, all for their debut North American appearances.

Dub War residents Dave Q and Joe Nice have been featured on BBC Radio 1's scene-defining Dub step Warz special in January 2006. Joe Nice has also been recognized as one of URB magazine’s “NEXT 100” for 2007. Dub War has also been featured in The New York Times, XLR8R, URB, TimeOut New York, and ArtForum. Collectively, Joe Nice, Dave Q, and Juakali have played at many of the biggest dubstep events around the world, including at DMZ in London and on London's leading dubstep station, Rinse FM. Their sets feature exclusive and unreleased material from the biggest artists in the scene, as well as up-and-coming talent from around the world. MC Juakali's vocals have been featured on releases by DJ Pinch, Matty G, and Badawi, and on labels including Tectonic, Argon, and ROIR.

Website
Future Rock is electronic sensory overload. The trio has steadily been touring the US, electrifying audiences and developing a dedicated following during their journey. Their legendary late night performances at festivals and after-parties have quickly confirmed their status at the top of the live electronic scene. Coupled with an explosive light show, FR certifies an unparalleled multi-sense experience. The Chicago-based trio exhibits an uncommon grasp of minimalist, yet visceral, rock. Skillfully manipulating live loops, synthesizers, filters and an electronic drum kit, the trio succeeds in creating a larger-than-life sound that sends crowds into frenzies.

Mickey Kellerman and Felix Moreno utilize a myriad of synthesizers, electronics, and instruments to compose and arrange their instrumental music. The audience can rarely identify the origin of each sound. "I love that look of confusion... when the audience sees me play my bass and they have no idea what's coming out," says Moreno. Drummer Darren Heitz finishes FR's sound by blending acoustic and electronic drum timbres with live sampling/looping run through his synthesizers.

Kellerman explains, "We manage to pull off our live show while keeping pre-recorded samples to a minimum. Ninety-nine percent of our live show is live." This concept is at the core of Future Rock: technology has progressed so that real-time sampling and electronic synthesis can now occur on-stage. "Its really important to not get to geeky with our music. People want to hear songs with melodies or grooves they can dance to. Its a question of utilizing the new technology with the old song structure so that kids can rock out the same way, but to new sounds," Heitz adds.

Website
A wise fan knows to expect the unexpected at a U-Melt show. From the moment the New York City based quartet hits the stage, they grab the crowd with undeniably funky and infectious grooves that hit new levels when Rob Salzer’s mind-bending guitar work and Zac Lasher’s hypnotic, entrancing keyboards are given room to roam. Their improvisational work is made possible by Adam Bendy’s innovative bass work and George Miller’s brilliant drumming, which opens doors for Lasher and Salzer to treat the audience to heavy doses of their creative, free-flowing interplay.

While on stage, U-Melt gives each song a full workout, sometimes stretching them to twenty minutes and beyond. Some bands are incapable of reigning in their jamcentric tendencies when they enter the studio; yet on their 2006 album, The I’s Mind as well as their 2004 debut The Unbelievable Meltdown, U-Melt had no trouble shortening the solos and creating tightly crafted, studio versions of live staples that retained every ounce of their fun and intensity. Nicely showcasing the various twists and turns that are U-Melt trademarks, The I’s Mind not only features a wide variety of catchy hooks and creative musical passages, but also puts their superb songwriting skills on display. Notwithstanding Miller’s gift for creating concisely crafted tunes (“Air,” “Go”), Lasher and Salzer handle the majority of the songwriting duties, but the finished product is a complete group effort. “The guys are all incredible musicians,” says Lasher. “So I have to write music that will be challenging and fun for them to play.” Salzer likewise writes with the band in mind: “We know what we all like, and what will challenge us, so when I'm writing that's what I'm going for. We're now really finding our sound, and a big part of that is because Zac and I have begun to influence each other's songwriting.”

Website
Baltimore-based grassroots phenoms The Bridge have emerged as one of improvisational rock music’s most buzzed about young bands. It’s been a steady, organic rise, leading to their current status as a prolific national touring act with a devoted fan-base, veteran status on the Summer festival circuit and a record deal with the revered indie label HYENA Records. On The Bridge’s self-titled new album, their freewheeling, adventurous and profoundly soulful vision finds them weaving a new thread into the rich tapestry of American rock music. Their songs evoke the spirit of influences like Little Feat, The Grateful Dead and Los Lobos, thus drawing on a broad palette of tried-and-true American roots styles. But they equally honor their own generation by infusing that foundation with beat-boxing, flourishes of modern soul and fervent New Orleans funk.

Forming out of Baltimore, The Bridge’s roots date back to 2001 when guitarist, vocalist and principle songwriter Cris Jacobs decided to forego the traditional expectations of his University of Amherst degree and pursue music full time. Upon reuniting with high school friend Kenny Liner (who’d recently returned from a stint living in Hawaii where he learned mandolin), the two found an immediate chemistry playing music together. They would go onto create The Bridge by osmosis, playing countless regional shows, working on each other’s material, experimenting with bands members and ultimately woodshedding their mutually shared inspiration until it locked into focus. Jacobs and Liner solidified the band’s core line-up with the addition of saxophonist Patrick Rainey, bassist Dave Markowitz and drummer Mike Gambone.

Website
Telepath is a unique new voice in live-electronic music. The 3-piece from Asheville, NC incorporates a wide variety of sampled sounds -- horn lines, rhythm guitars, Indian and Arabic musicians and vocalists –- and lays them over deep groove drumming and dark, reggae-infused basslines. The result is a multi-layered journey of sound that can transport listeners from a remote village in Pakistan, to a dub studio in 1970s Jamaica, to a fat Philly hip-hop groove -- sometimes in the same song. It is this "ReWorld" approach that prompted Thievery Corporation's "Outernational Music" representation company to choose Telepath as one of its inaugural artists. The debut album, Fire One, is available on iTunes, CDBaby.com, and Amazon.com.

Website
Amplive is the latest up and coming beat maker hailing from California, one of hip hop’s most thriving centers. Amp’s building a rep as one of cali’s most talented and diverse producer/djs. After his dreamy soulful beats for Zion I, he has been able to produce for major and independent artist such as Akon(Warner), Flipsyde(Interscope Records), Nicole Schercenger of the Pussy Cat Dolls(Interscope), the album "Moneys My Motiviation" for bay area hyphy artist Kafani(Koch), the remix for "Place for My Head" by Linkin Park on the platinum selling Reanmation Album, the soul smash single of 2003-2004 titled "Closer" by the r&b artist Goapele(Sony Records), and a gritty, rough track for LA phenomenon Mystic on the debut hit album Cuts for Luck Scars for Freedom (Goodvibe/Interscope) called “Girlfriend Sistagirl”. Most importantly Amplive's most recent success has been his critcally acclaimed "Rainydayz Remixes" album for the rock group Radiohead's In Rainbows LP. Always experimenting, Amplive has done breaks, house, 2 step, dance, electro, mashups, and drum ‘n bass, including a remix for Philly MC Bahamadia on “Pep Talk”, the hip hop group Zion I, a electro music LP Electrowonderland Vol 1(2006), and a new Electrowonderland Vol.2. In the past years, Amplive has been a part of the video game industry, having his production being one of the main features for the Sony Traxxpad and also a basketball player character in the NBA 2K6-2K7 video game. Finally, Amp’s beats have been featured on a number of movies and tv shows, which include "So You Think You Can Dance", "Dirt" by Courtney Cox, "Friday Night Lights", "Honey", "Big Fat Liar","Leperchaun 4", "Americas Top Model" by Tyra Banks, ESPN Sports center, and the "Jamie Kennedy Show".

Website
Orchard Lounge is a collective of DJs and close friends that formed in Chicago in 2000. The trio of Ben Silver, Spencer Lokken, and Bethany Lokken, focus on performing for the more discerning of dance floors, and are known to appeal to open-minded and diverse audiences. They've never let their passion for the beat confine them to a single genre, as their sets may include anything from laid back downtempo/IDM to hypnotic tech house and b-boy era electro. Don't be surprised if you hear an entire night of music dedicated to the sounds that have heavily influenced them as DJs either: they all share an affinity for classic hip hop, rock, funk, and soul, as well. This is the reasoning behind "OL: From the Dance Floor to the Couch". It's the appropriate defining phrase for the group because of their innate programming and record selection skills, as well as their talents in creating an experience for most any state of mind or environment. Some may label this as being versatile, however the three simply consider themselves serious music lovers with similar, albeit eclectic, interests. At the very core, they're highly enthusiastic individuals full of praise for the producers whose names appear on their records. To that end, they've always fully understood their role as middlemen (and woman!), and if they are to accept the coveted role of tastemaker, they want it to soley benefit the artists whom they all admire.

Orchard Lounge is joined by Chet Jagwire on visuals. Chet's twisted and melodic mind blends well with the soundscapes provided by Orchard Lounge. Visuals often include a single theme that is carried out through the performance.

Website
After forming as a trio in 2002, Grimace Federation has reached critical sonic mass as a mostly instrumental sextet with two drummers, two guitarists, vibraphone and electric bass. The Philadelphia group brings together jazz, prog-rock and hip-hop for a kitchen sink approach that crosses genres in service of dynamics, musicality and the almighty groove. Explosive live shows and sophisticated recordings reveal subtle layers of rhythm, telepathic interplay, cinematic texture, inventive chord structures and intriguing samples. Eclectic influences range from the classic (Ennio Morricone, Frank Zappa, and Kraftwerk) to the contemporary (Stereolab, Tribe Called Quest, and Aphex Twin), for an entirely new sound. Grimace Federation's first full- length release, Tasted By Chemists, features indie-rap icon Aesop Rock and the mighty Antibalas.

Website
STRUT has been wowing crowds for the past several years with their always-evolving style, energetic live shows and unique blend of Ska and Funk. In 2005 the band toured non-stop, playing over 100 shows promoting their sound from cross-country tours to the Virgin Islands and three amazing sets at the 2005 Bonnaroo Festival. In 2006 STRUT continued the push with a relentless touring schedule, making them a habitual house-packer on the regional circuit. The band also released their second independent album 'Non-Hostile Takeover'-which is being added to college radio station rotations across the country- they turned heads at festivals such as Smile Fest and Bele Chere, had music aired on MTV's 'Meet the Barkers' and were recently named High Times Magazine's 'Unsigned Band of the Week.'

Though they've been in the mountains of Asheville, NC since 1999, the group's cohesiveness began long ago. The members of STRUT can thank their airtight sound and musicianship on knowing each other since they were toddlers. The whole band grew up playing together on the famous commune turned intentional community, The Farm (for more info check out www.thefarmcommunity.com ) in Summertown, TN.

The Farm, was started in 1971 dedicated to non-violent, eco-friendly, close community living. These beliefs spill out of STRUT's music and on to the dance-floor, the uplifting live performances are full of their rock-steady message of conscious & peaceful living. With such a huge network of extended family their shows have been described as more of a gathering of friends and family than just a concert.

Growing up at a place such as The Farm also set the stage for a wide variety of musical genres they were exposed to. So depending on the night and the crowd, STRUT will dip in to their bag of rhythm and pull out whatever feels right for the moment. The STRUT sound has been categorized in everything from Funk, to Jam-band, to Ska-Punk. But thanks to their many years together, the band has merged into an intuitive, super-tight machine wherein no one sound dominates, though one objective does.everyone in the room is moving! Though the band has only been touring since 2003, they have already played over 300 shows and preformed with musical veterans such as: Vassar Clements, Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Michael Rose of Black Uhuru, Ivan Neville - plus, jam scene favorites: STS9, Karl Denson, Particle, Perpetual Groove and many more national acts.

The band is made up of brothers Casey (guitar) and Elijah Cramer (bass/vocals), Agent Ishi (vocals) and Patrick Thomas (drums). With their amazing displays of telepathy with each other and the crowd, "the buzz" will continue to grow and STRUT will be around for a while.

Website
Jamie McLean is most widely known as the guitarist for the New Orleans jazz, funk institution The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

He has toured the world over playing for hundreds of thousands of people on stages such as Madison Square Garden, Shoreline Amphitheater, and Fuji Rock. He has recorded with everyone from Norah Jones to Dr. John and has performed with The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, North Mississippi Allstars, Robert Randolph; among many others.

While the Dirty Dozen Brass Band groove is infectious and timeless, the sideman guitar slinger slot holds it's limitations. Having always been a songwriter, singer and front man, Jamie began to focus on his roots and in the early part of 2004 he formed his own group the Jamie McLean Band. Over the past year and a half Jamie's songwriting, filled with catchy hooks, beautiful lyrics and scorching guitar work has mingled with the soulful gumbo of the deep south and while The Jamie McLean Band is based in New York City, the influences of southern rock, blues, R&B and funk is unmistakable.

Jamie's music is rich with rock and roll, dirty blues, beautifully crafted original songwriting, and if Keith Richards and Van Morrison could have a bastard child this might be what he would sound like. Rolling Stones (Exile on Main St., Sticky Fingers era.), Black Crowes and the Allman Brothers are easy comparisons and while Jamie acknowledges these artists as influences, he is just as easily found dialing in Bob Dylan, Sting, Bruce Hornsby, Coldplay, or Eric Clapton on his iPod.

Website
A smooth, rich blend of Electro-Rock, spacey Dub, Hip-Hop, Latin-Jazz and live improvisation. Ingredients are constantly mixed and remixed always in search of the perfect recipe.

A band of 4 talented individuals that came together divinely, for the sake of music and the age old ritual of gathering souls in tribal unison and sacred dances. Singing songs of introspect and examination, PUSH hands you carefully crafted compositions stitched together with on the spot improv for your dancing pleasure.

Website
A typical Jimkata show will get you on your feet right from the start and keep you dancing ‘til the end of the night. A 10 year friendship between the band creates a very positive, creative, familiar space for jamming on which two guitarists rip emotionally powerful harmonized rock guitar riffs with the drummer and bassist providing a solid bottom end to play on top of. Powerful world conscious vocals keep one pondering life while at the same time unable to stop dancing. By the end of a Jimkata show you will leave feeling explosive, powerful and alive again. Jimkata is a four piece jam rock band from Ithaca, NY consisting of Evan Friedell on lead vocals/rhythm electric guitar, Aaron Gorsch on lead electric guitar/back up vocals, Dave Rossi on electric bass and Packy Lunn on the drum kit/back up vocals. Originally formed in 1998 in Oneonta, NY Jimkata's core members Friedell, Gorsch and Lunn have been playing together for 10 years now with bassist Rossi on board for 2.

More artists to be announced.