February 2025

Damaged Justice is Chicago's female fronted Metallica tribute band, formed in 1996 by drummer Robert Masliansky. Robert kept the band together through the thick and thin of Metallica's career and the local Chicago music scene. It's the band's long-term goal to play every single song in Metallica's catalog live on stage. In the short term, Damaged Justice aims to please Metallica fans of every type; with set lists routinely comprised of tunes spanning the entire Metalli-collection.

Michael McDermott burst onto the scene in his early 20s with his exceptional debut, 620 W. Surf and subsequently found himself touted as Rock's 'Next Big Thing'. MTV, Rolling Stone, The New York Times and even author, Stephen King added their appreciative nods and having the backing of Giant Records and prestigious producers like, Brian Koppelman and Don Gehman, seemed to go a long way towards assuring his success - overnight success.

The missteps and failures that followed, the collapse of an industry that once embraced him as its next sensation, are troubles and travails that either ruin a person completely, or they force a change of attitude and staunch determination to gather one's resolve to not only survive, but overcome. McDermott vowed to do both. Ten albums in, it's resulted in Willow Springs (Pauper Sky, June 17, 2016), one of the most honest, daring and defiant recordings of McDermott's career. Named for the small town where he now resides with his wife and young daughter, it reflects a certain circumspect about his life, the situations he's encountered, while realizing that ultimately, his fate resided in his own hands.

"This is an album of reckoning I suppose," McDermott reflects. "There was a real cacophony of change going on in my life at the time... being a new father, losing my own father, leaving the city for the country, dealing with sobriety, grief, death, mortality, shame and forgiveness. It was a veritable emotional tsunami and yet somehow I had to navigate through it all. That journey is reflected in these songs. Willow Springs is the name of the place where I took refuge and had to confront a lot of things".

Recorded at his home in the country and fan-funded, Willow Springs finds McDermott behind the boards as producer for the first time with longtime producer and collaborator, Lex Price doing the mix. Having enlisted a stellar support group of musicians -- including multi-instrumentalist, Price; guitarist, Will Kimbrough; keyboard player, John Deaderick ; sax player Rich Parenteau; and McDermott's wife, Heather Horton on backing vocals - McDermott found himself able to craft the unassuming yet cutting sound he envisioned.

Indeed, the results bear out the fact that Willow Springs is the most honest and expressive album of McDermott's extraordinary 25 year career. Songs such as, 'These Last Few Days', 'Getaway Car', 'Half Empty Kinda Guy', 'One Minus One' and the title track, convey all at once, a sound that's both reflective and confessional - borne by stark emotion and a tattered, battered delivery that's both sobering and sublime. McDermott remains more determined than ever, and Willow Springs is the result. "My enthusiasm is only matched by my desire to continue to evolve as an artist" he insists.

Accolades and kudos can be accumulated one minute and quickly dissipate the next. After all, the music biz is a fickle beast and it doesn't matter how much you pleased the masses last year, last month or even last week, but rather, about what you offer today.

Today, McDermott has offered his best.

Kudos to Michael McDermott - overnight success.

Pat McCurdy is a singer/song writer from Wisconsin. He tours the mid-western part of the USA, his shows usually consisting of just him and his guitar. While the majority of his audience is made up of a college-age crowd, McCurdy manages to appeal to a large number of people of all ages with his interactive shows. Performing well over 300 shows a year, his large catalog of original songs (nearly 600 and growing) covers a variety of topics such as lost loves, politics, family vacations, the joys of Asian cuisine, and the sex organs of long-dead French Emperors.

Classifying McCurdy's style has long been a problem since he tends to follow wherever his muse takes him. Many of his songs could be classified as rock/pop, though he's been known to wander into folk, jazz, country and even Gilbert and Sullivan. Whatever style he chooses, his songs often include memorable lyrics.

Kevn Kinney is most widely known as founder and frontman of Atlanta-based rock band Drivin- N-Cryin. A highly-acclaimed singer, songwriter, musician, performer, visual artist and poet, he has recently been inducted into both the Wisconsin Music Hall of Fame and Georgia Music Hall of Fame for his impactful legacy of art.

Kinney has released multiple critically acclaimed solo and band recordings during his career having also collaborated with Warren Haynes, REM, The Who and John Popper, among others. Peter Buck of REM has produced and performed on several of Kevn's albums and continues to be involved in his career.

Kevn Kinney has continuously toured full-time with his band Drivin n Cryin while simultaneously carving out a niche for himself as a solo artist. From the festival stage to the smallest house concert, fans are always excited at the opportunity to see him up close and personal in a stripped-down acoustic setting. Recent touring include multiple dates with the Indigo Girls, Blackberry Smoke, The Black Crowes and others.

His latest solo studio album Think About It was released in 2022. In Fall 2023 the first release of the Let's Go Dancin': A Compilation Celebrating The Songs Of Kevn Kinney four-album vinyl series came out with over 100 digital recorded titles slated to go through end of 2024. The project is a massive all-star tribute to songwriter, poet, performer Kevn Kinney. Tracks from Jason Isbell, Violent Femmes, Shovels & Rope, Mike Farris, Great Peacock and dozens more will be released.

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Nashville singer/songwriter and guitar player for Guided by Voices.

The R&B Cadets played their first gig shortly after New Year's in 1980 and their last in the summer of 1986. In that time they got a lot of folks out on the dance floor, playing a distinctive mix of of deep soul cuts from Paul Cebar's massive record collection and some sparkling originals, written by John Sieger, often in tandem with Michael Feldman, a friend and now longtime host of Public Radio's Whad'ya Know?

Splitting lead duties with Sieger and Cebar was the lovely chanteuse, Robin Pluer. Owner of one the lovelier voice heard in the midwest, Ms. Pluer was a dollop of sweetness at the top of the band's deep range. Rounding out the lineup was Mike Sieger, John's brother and vocal doppelganger, who played bass. Original drummer Cy Costabile, was later replaced by Bobby Schneider and the saxophonist Juli Wood was replaced by keyboard/sax man Bob Jennings.

In it's prime, the band had a large following in Milwaukee, where they were pretty much the house band at the late, lamented Century Hall. They travelled well too, with fans in the Twin Cities, Chicago, Madison and even New York where they played legendary clubs like CBGB's, The Knitting Factory and The Lone Star. Their only record, Top Happy, came out in 198-. It featured a song produced by Nick Lowe, a fan who had stumbled across them after playing a show in Milwaukee. The record got great reviews and could have been the start of even bigger things, but like many bands, people were pulling, and being pulled, in different directions.

The positive result of their breakup was two, then three very vital and entertaining acts. There was Semi-Twang, which concentrated on John's songs and did a record, Salty Tears for Warner Brothers that gathered more love than sales. John later moved to nashville and had many of his songs recorded by artist like Dwight Yoakam, Flaco Jimenez and The Bodeans.

Paul and Robin continued with the beefed up and ever-popular Milwaukeeans, releasing a record in the 1990s on Shenachie that got radio play around the country. That lineup stayed around until Robin bid adieu. Tired of touring and now married, she headed to New York for a while, before returning. She has carved out a special niche between soul, swing, standards and the French chanson that she loves, and is still performing today.

In 2009 Semi-Twang reunited and have released two CDs, both of which garnered raves. Paul has continued non-stop, his latest was out last year with his most recent moniker, Tomorrow Sound. The three headed beast has been in rehearsal, tightening up songs old and new. The crowd at their first reunion gig in many years was up and dancing at the first down beat, you probably will be too.

The R&B Cadets played their first gig shortly after New Year's in 1980 and their last in the summer of 1986. In that time they got a lot of folks out on the dance floor, playing a distinctive mix of of deep soul cuts from Paul Cebar's massive record collection and some sparkling originals, written by John Sieger, often in tandem with Michael Feldman, a friend and now longtime host of Public Radio's Whad'ya Know?

Splitting lead duties with Sieger and Cebar was the lovely chanteuse, Robin Pluer. Owner of one the lovelier voice heard in the midwest, Ms. Pluer was a dollop of sweetness at the top of the band's deep range. Rounding out the lineup was Mike Sieger, John's brother and vocal doppelganger, who played bass. Original drummer Cy Costabile, was later replaced by Bobby Schneider and the saxophonist Juli Wood was replaced by keyboard/sax man Bob Jennings.

In it's prime, the band had a large following in Milwaukee, where they were pretty much the house band at the late, lamented Century Hall. They travelled well too, with fans in the Twin Cities, Chicago, Madison and even New York where they played legendary clubs like CBGB's, The Knitting Factory and The Lone Star. Their only record, Top Happy, came out in 198-. It featured a song produced by Nick Lowe, a fan who had stumbled across them after playing a show in Milwaukee. The record got great reviews and could have been the start of even bigger things, but like many bands, people were pulling, and being pulled, in different directions.

The positive result of their breakup was two, then three very vital and entertaining acts. There was Semi-Twang, which concentrated on John's songs and did a record, Salty Tears for Warner Brothers that gathered more love than sales. John later moved to nashville and had many of his songs recorded by artist like Dwight Yoakam, Flaco Jimenez and The Bodeans.

Paul and Robin continued with the beefed up and ever-popular Milwaukeeans, releasing a record in the 1990s on Shenachie that got radio play around the country. That lineup stayed around until Robin bid adieu. Tired of touring and now married, she headed to New York for a while, before returning. She has carved out a special niche between soul, swing, standards and the French chanson that she loves, and is still performing today.

In 2009 Semi-Twang reunited and have released two CDs, both of which garnered raves. Paul has continued non-stop, his latest was out last year with his most recent moniker, Tomorrow Sound. The three headed beast has been in rehearsal, tightening up songs old and new. The crowd at their first reunion gig in many years was up and dancing at the first down beat, you probably will be too.

There are family traditions, and then there is the Williams Family Tradition. Beginning with the legendary Hank Williams, then his son, Hank Jr. and grandson, Hank 3, now the fourth generation of Williams (Coleman Williams or IV) is ready to take his place in the music world with his band, IV and the Strange Band.

IV was raised in Nashville in the early 90s before the explosion of what the city is now. The only son of Hank Williams III, IV was raised by his mother until his formative high school years which were spent with his father at Hank3's "haunted ranch" going to punk and house shows and being driven by the heavy tones and sounds of progressive vocal driven music but still retaining a love for the southern country and blues legends. After high school, IV travelled the country which led to meeting more bands and expanding his musical tastes from country bands in Louisiana to doom metal bands in New Jersey.

Although being the first born son of the fourth generation of Williams is his legacy, but fulfilling a musical legacy is never what drove him as a person. After traveling the country, IV returned to Nashville to attend college and study English and literature with dreams of being a writer. After college, IV began teaching but over time he realized he didn't enjoy the education route and got into working in the liquor business instead to make ends meet.

About this time, he became friends with Jason Dietz, a local producer, who became a personal friend and musical ally. Even though IV had been writing songs his entire life and grew up singing, he had never really had a project to express his true voice. Additionally, he had reservations about ever being like the rest of his family wanting to forge his own path. He had even kept his family history as a need to know among friends. He just wanted to be in the backdrop of the music scene to take it all in the right way.

Jason would help to change that as would musician Joe Buck with whom IV has developed his style of guitar playing. This all led to IV meeting the group of musicians he needed for what is now dubbed the "Strange Band". His now lead guitar player David Talley with Jason Dietz on bass would become the core of IV and the Strange Band. Next came Laura Beth Jewell on Fiddle and Tylor Powell on drums to complete the band. Starting from IV's acoustic songs, the band and IV collaborated to create the sound now that has come to define the project: 100 watt amps blended with fiddle, drums, and powerful vocal driven country hooks combining many diverse influences and different musical histories.

Being 29 and starting his music career seems an interesting time, but that exact age is when his great grandfather Hank Sr.'s life ended. IV had a vision and dream that couldn't be obtained in the right way without this journey. Being handed a legacy is one thing to try, but IV is determined to earn it.

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Soulful, passionate, and sincere are the words used most frequently when describing Portland-raised Lightnin' Luke. Singer, songwriter, and violinist, Luke's bluesy vocals, heartfelt lyrics, and wild fiddle playing have made him a versatile musical force. Lightnin' plays fiddle in the Bridge City Sinners and currently is located in Charleston, SC.

Full-bodied acoustic guitar, a warm voice and a poured-out postcard from the road, "Oh Darlin' (Intro)" opens a song cycle devoted to a rambler's life, love from a drifter's point of view and the way life is beautiful if you'll take it on its terms. With a voice that's a little worn, a little warm, Brad Tursi pours out the truth of a man who keeps moving, but never forgets those things that define what a good life should be.

With a resonant electric guitar, probably the dark-headed songwriter's first true love, Parallel Love seeks to find a connection along the way. Conversational, shuffling in places, ruminative in others, there's a bit of pluck, a little B3 steam, a belief where stripping it all back to simple things is as good as it gets.

Tursi didn't really know he was making a record. A songwriter by trade, a guitar player by passion, he kept almost a musical sketchbook of places, moments and feelings he experienced along the way. And he also kept his heart on a horizon that harkened back to a time when singer/songwriters mined those things to create those genre-defying, life-defining albums.

"A lotta James Taylor," he concedes when asked what defines his worldview as an artist. "Mudslide Slim & the Blue Horizon, Sweet Baby James, those albums really shaped me. What he does with the details, the way he creates space for people's lives, his feelings... It's not just observational, it pulls you inside all those places. You're there, in the moment, and you're there in the emotions without ever being told what or how to feel."

The slightly spacy rumination on imperfect timing "Question the Universe," laconic and vibey, the finger-picked acoustic/steel guitar tumble "Afraid To Lose," measuring the reality of really caring, or the slightly folkie "Where You Been," with its descending chorus of falling right back in with a good friend all-share Tursi's easy-going way of facing the world. Whether marveling at how things can be so out of phase, or just sharing a cup of coffee and catching up, it's all good.

"It's funny. "Where You Been" has been around for so long, I can't even tell you when I started it. I've played that lick so many times, it's an old friend who's just always been here."

That broke-in sense of comfort, whether an old flannel shirt or a favorite pair of jeans permeates Parallel Lines. Beyond pockets you can just fall into, there's Tursi's voice: a little gravel, a lot of old friend, you feel good listening to him spin tales and conjure emotions most people miss.

Raised in Connecticut, where he jokes he was a kid rocker who got a Les Paul because of Slash and had a deep dive Stevie Ray Vaughan phase before discovering Jeff Buckley's Grace, it was Neil Young's seminal acoustic albums, especially the later Harvest Moon, that anchored his songwriting and aesthetic approach. Along the way, that Les Paul would serve him well, joining the DC-based indie rock/alternative band Army of Me and recording a couple Eps and the Michael "Elvis" Baskette-produced CITIZEN.

It was songwriting that truly had a hold on Tursi's heart. Leaving the band, he migrated to Nashville with its vibrant creative community. Like so many young writers, he fell into the publishing community's warren of different creatives -- and reconnected with some friends from James Madison University in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.

"These songs are all born out of moments of wondering, of love, of living my life," he begins, not quite sure what the fuss is all about. "Well, my life and observations of other people's lives and situations. 'Question The Universe' actually happened to a friend of mine, but I watched it all happen. What started as a couple drinks in a bar and an all-night deep dive into some music at my house, well... the girl moved to LA with the other guy, and..."

Making things personal, that's what the songwriter does so well. With the breezy "Crazy Life," a handful of "Almost Famous" polaroids that capture a way of life that's embodied the legendary Sunset Marquis and culminates in the truth "and good girls cry alone," Tursi unpacks essential truths and the small detail underneath the glossy dream's illusionary state.

"I'm not very afraid of being vulnerable," he admits. "You kind of get over that once you start playing in front of people. And as an artist, you want to share those things with people... you want them to feel this music, to get what's underneath the lyrics as much as what's said."

Beyond the three co-written songs, Tursi has self-penned and produced Parallel Love himself. Ever the musician, he recognizes the way that "player always" sensibility informs how he approaches his craft and creativity. He explains, "The feel of a song is almost the last thing on people's minds, they don't even think about it. But as a first listen, and I learned this when I was young, that was always what drew me in. The way it felt, that's what actually attracts you."

It also levels up and attracts a fascinating coterie of collaborators. Son of Dad Stephen Wilson, Jr and Detroit-born producer Ben West co-wrote the yearning travelogue "Church Bells and Train Whistles," which West co-produced, and R&B-informed Dan Isbell, from West Tennessee's river-bottom town of Savannah, teamed with Tursi for the choogling you-do-you, I'll-do-me and we'll grow together title track.

"I think the best love is where people have their things, then you come together, you support each other and you bring it all together," he says of the title track. "That's when things get really good. You don't lose any of who you are, but you gain a lot from what someone else brings out in you."

A student of all kinds of music he loves, a purveyor of hits for others, Parallel Love is all about songs that are completely, absolutely who Brad Tursi is. Now with, he realizes. "Finding the melodies that connect is the hard stuff, the person that I am and experiences I go from, those things are right here. These songs? They're from my back porch, from my heart -- and they're small things that are a big deal if you cherish/recognize them."

The Sweet Lillies' music is, first and foremost, heartfelt and collaborative. Those defining traits are given life by the quartet of musicians who make up the Lillies, Julie Gussaroff, Becca Bisque, Dustin Rohleder and Jones Maynard. Together they have combined their individual strengths to deliver powerful narratives of life in song. With their lineup of guitar, viola, upright bass, drums and ethereal vocal harmonies that float like a dream, the Sweet Lillies' music has a hard hitting original flavor with a forward-looking eye. The Sweet Lillies have incorporated all of their cumulative life-experiences into their music, song-writing, and artistry, crafting an uncommonly-beautiful style they have christened "Progressive-Americana" - a nod to the band's all encompassing musical tastes and willingness to experiment with genres ranging from folk and rock all the way to hip-hop. As Gussaroff explains, "some musicians learn from teachers, some learn from family members, and some are self taught. Some musicians are classically trained, some come up through folk, some draw from multiple springs, from hip hop through pop to bebop. In the Lillies' all of these skill sets are valuable, relevant, and appreciated."

The Sweet Lillies are built upon their collaborative ideals and are always ready to share a stage or develop a project with any musicians who share the same "no-holds" barred creative approach. This has made each one of their inventive, energetic live-shows a wholly unique event as setlists are changed on the fly, songs are given new life and shape, and guests are always welcome to join in the creative explosion. Those on-stage partnerships create a space for incorporating instruments, arrangements, and styles that are not necessarily typical of the genre, but that help create a rich, compelling sound that defies easy categorization. Over the years they have been joined onstage by a number of legendary performers including Sam Bush, George Porter Jr., Peter Rowan, Sally Van Meter, Andy Hall from the Infamous Stringdusters, Kyle Hollingsworth and Jason Hahn from The String Cheese Incident, Jennifer Hartswick, and Natalie Cressman from the Trey Anastasio band, among many others. Andy Thorn from Leftover Salmon, who has sat in on many of those live adventures, says, "It's always a joy to play with the Sweet Lillies. Over the years, I've seen them evolve from a folk-and-bluegrass group into a genre-bending powerhouse. Today, at a Lillies show, you'll hear everything from their beautiful, soulful originals, to creative reinventions of your favorite 90s hip-hop tracks. They're always ready to have fun - on stage and off - without losing an ounce of their professionalism."

The Sweet Lillies were born from Gussaroff's desire to form a band in which each member would be an equal participant in terms of songwriting, singing, and creative input. After years of accompanying other artists, serving as a side player, and writing songs for others, multi-instrumentalist and classical trained vocalist Gussaroff wanted to establish a true musical-collective that would highlight the best qualities of all involved. In 2014 Gussaroff met Bisque, who was a classically trained violist. The two found an immediate and deep musical connection and The Sweet Lillies were born. In 2017, at a campground jam at the Hangtown Ball, they heard guitarist Rohleder. That night the three played for what they remembered as, "Ten magical hours." The following year in 2018, Rohleder joined The Sweet Lillies full-time. Most recently, Jones Maynard has come on board on drums, completing Gussaroff's vision.

Since forming in 2013 The Sweet Lillies have released four albums, 2016's self-titled release, 2018's A Lighter Hue produced by Leftover Salmon's Vince Herman. Common Ground, produced by Railroad Earth's Tim Carbone, was released in 2021. The band's 2023 release, Equality, was produced by Grammy-award winner Chris Pandolfi of The Infamous Stringdusters and released on Americana Vibes.

Equality is an intrepid collection of songs that fully represents the current and evolving sound of the band. The instrumentation is primarily what you will hear at a live show. Powerful rapping next to layered vocals and instrumental solos are only one of the aspects that give this album an original sound. Through the recording process, Pandolfi challenged the band to find their more 'savage lillies' side which is present throughout the music. Each song is a unique composition that blends into the concept of the album which is Equality. Social Justice, self exploration, and evolution of the spirit are the guiding feelings of this new record.

Cover to cover will be the first cover album and the fifth album released by the Sweet Lillies. The album was produced by the band's own Julie Gussaroff and recorded in Denver at Mighty Fine Studios. The album is a compilation of cover songs that were carefully selected based on the band's feelings for the songs and capacity to represent the individual pieces based on their specific sound, instrumentation and musicianship.

Gussaroff says "the vision was for the album to have a sparse and clean feel to it and to truly pay homage to the original writer's artistry. For this reason, we chose to work only with our core band and to perform the pieces with minimal instrumentation. The songs as well as the vocals and instrumental ideas and arrangement achieve a starkly exposed beauty that provides space and simplicity to the music that is enjoyed by so many."

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Adrian and Meredith, the dynamic duo behind The Adrian and Meredith Band, have journeyed from their humble Midwest roots, to the heart of East Nashville's music scene, to international showcasing and summer touring. Along the way, they've forged kinships with members of storied acts like Th'Legendary Shackshakers, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Calexico, and Gogol Bordello, who have become not just heroes but mentors and colleagues.

Their music has taken them across Europe, where they've performed for Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Germany, alongside the rest of Europe, spreading joy and solidarity through their art. They've graced iconic stages like The Grand Ole Opry with The War & Treaty, Folk Alliance International, and Levitt Pavilions across the USA.

Critics and fans alike have taken notice of Adrian and Meredith's new songs, most-notably "Klezmer American", "Stop the Spiral" and "NFT" as accurate accounts of being a human-being in 2024. The hard-selling band of John Kveen on a driving upright bass, an overly-talented Ben "The Odyssey" Reiff on drums, and unstoppable Ken Wenzel on hot-jazz saxophones and guitars, makes this act difficult not to dance to!

Carson City Levitt AMP hails their performances as "A World Class Performance," while No Depression magazine describes their sound as "Roots Rock Perfection.

The best Nirvana tribute band is NIVRANA. Bringing the most authentic nirvana experience to crowds across the U.S. NIVRANA is the only tribute to Nirvana that gives you the original stage performance, gear and sound just as it was in the 1990s. Once again, you can hear the music that made the era special, because NIVRANA puts Kurt, Krist and Dave back on the stage together as though they never left. If you want the music performed by a band that defined an entire generation with their catchy melodies, energetic shows, torn jeans and flannel, hire the tribute band NIVRANA for your next live music event.