October 2018

After a series of indie record releases, Shawn Mullins' critical breakthrough came when 1998 Soul's Core album shot him to fame on the strength of its Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, "Lullaby" followed by AAA/Americana No. 1 "Beautiful Wreck" from 2006's 9th Ward Pickin Parlor. His song, "Shimmer" was used in promotion of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and was included on the Dawson's Creek soundtrack. He co-wrote "All in My Head" which was featured in episode one of the hit TV sitcom "Scrubs." Mullins also co- wrote the Zac Brown Band's No. 1 country tune "Toes." In early 2002, he formed super group The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Peter Droge. Mullins' most recent album My Stupid Heart, was released in 2015, the theme of which, Mullins says, can be summed up most succinctly by the song title, "It All Comes Down To Love," the guiding force behind just about every song on the album.

Mullins is currently embarking on a recording project in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the release of his album Soul's Core, which came out July 17, 1998!

He always performs songs from Soul's Core in his live sets including "Lullaby" (Rockabye), "Gulf of Mexico," "Twin Rocks Oregon," "Shimmer" and "Anchored in You". The song arrangements have evolved through the years as he continues to perform them live and grow as an artist.

For the 20th anniversary, Shawn will revisit the music on Soul's Core and record two new versions of the album. He is calling this Soul's Core Revival. This is not a remix or a remaster of the original, but rather brand new recordings with new arrangements of the songs -- one album will be new stripped down solo performances, some on guitar, some on piano and maybe one a cappella and the second will be a new studio recording with his full band, Soul Carnival.

Mullins has partnered with PledgeMusic to reach out to fans to join him in the process of making these records. Supporters of the project can take part by pre-ordering a download of the records, signed CDs, high-quality vinyl, a live guitar or vocal lesson online with Shawn, Soul's Core Revival swag -- t-shirts, caps, mugs and sweatshirts, a visit to the studio while he records the albums, a personalized Platinum record plaque of Soul's Core, handwritten lyrics to "Lullaby" -- these and many more options to participate in the making of these records are available on the Shawn Mullins PledgeMusic page at www.pledgemusic.com/projects/shawn-mullins.

From "Feels Like the First Time" to "I Want to Know What Love Is," Foreigner 4 Ever will put on an unforgettable show as they pay tribute to the music of Foreigner! Also, other classic hits from the '70s & '80s will be performed.

KICK - The INXS Experience is the USA's most captivating salute and tribute to the internationally acclaimed rock band, INXS.

Formed in 2014, two years after INXS stopped touring, KICK - The INXS Experience has beautifully managed to capture the spirit of INXS in both its sound and live performance, bringing the highest level of musicianship to the audience while showing a true passion for the music of INXS. Vocalist, guitarist, and singer-songwriter Cory Massi is the founding frontman of KICK, and has long held a respect and admiration for the late great Michael Hutchence. Massi even auditioned for the reality TV show, Rockstar: INXS, in 2004, where contestants competed to become the new lead vocalist for INXS. What convinced him to audition? "I loved Michael's singing and his personality," notes Massi. "I saw INXS when I was a teenager in '88 and '89; they were great, and the people were just gaga over them. Michael left a big impression with his star power; he really had it, that guy. Our range is similar and I just went for it. I had to sing "Mystify" acappella so I was kind of nervous because I didn't have a band behind me. There was a camera a foot away from my face and it was out of my comfort zone; I would probably still feel uncomfortable today. I didn't get the gig: I was one of the last people to try out and I think by the time I auditioned they had already made their selection. No excuse: it was a good experience. We include "Mystify" in our set and when I sing it, I have my band with me and we love the music, so we play it with a lot of heart."

KICK is already garnering the attention, admiration, and accolades of well-seasoned "ears" in the music industry. Radio personalities in several markets have been quick to offer praise; WZXL / Atlantic City program director Steve Raymond, a longtime fan of INXS, raved after listening to only part of one song, "Wow! These guys have got the vibe down. Really impressive!" 107.1 The BOSS (WWZY)'s midday air personality Michele Amabile concurred, "I had to go back and listen again with my eyes closed.... I could have sworn I was hearing Michael Hutchence!"

Sounding like legendary frontman Michael Hutchence is no easy task. "I guess the hardest thing, the most challenging thing when I started KICK," acknowledges Massi, "was capturing the great variety in Hutchence's voice. He can sound sensitive and soft and he can be super strong and really belt it out and sometimes that all happens within one phrase or even a word. It took a lot of self-control to capture how he projects his lyrics and the music. It's impossible to really sound and look like him; he's an Adonis, another Jim Morrison, Morrison in a pop sense. I can't mimic that; all I can do is do my best to capture his spirit."

The focus has been on faithfully recreating the music in its most powerful sense; an in-the-pocket bottom end from bass player Don Leslie and drummer Johnny Dee, a brilliant combination of piano and synth by Mark Goodnough, the signature guitar tones produced by guitarist Todd King and Jason Taylor, the saxophone by Nottingham, England's Tom Wheat, and the spot-on lead vocals by Cory Massi, all lend to a powerful high-energy show. KICK - The INXS Experience will take you back. It will reignite your passion for INXS. It will introduce you to music that is still as fresh today as the day it was written; from "Original Sin" to "Elegantly Wasted" and everything in between, including (but not limited to) "Need You Tonight," "New Sensation," "What You Need," "Don't Change," "Listen Like Thieves," "The One Thing," "Bitter Tears," "Suicide Blonde," "Not Enough Time," "Beautiful Girl," and "Devil Inside."

The band hears it, time and time again:

"This was like seeing INXS all over again, I'm their biggest fan."
"That was such an awesome surprise; I'd almost forgotten how much I love INXS!"
"I came thinking I would only know a couple of songs, but I knew every single one - and the words, too."
"Cory Massi is Michael Hutchence 2.0, fabulous!"

L.A. Guns was formed in 1983 by guitar player Tracii Guns and, then unknown singer, Axl Rose on lead vocals.

The "classic lineup" of Guns, former Girl singer Phil Lewis, drummer Steve Riley, guitar player Mick Cripps and bassist Kelly Nickels have sold 6 1/2 million records, including 1988's L.A. Guns and 1990's Cocked and Loaded, both of which were certified Gold. Cocked and Loaded contained the hit single "Ballad of Jayne" that went to #33 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #25 on the Mainstream Rock charts.

From the mid-90's to the mid 2000's, after changing lineups twice, L.A. Guns continued to tour and release new music.

Following their successful performance at SiriusXM's HairNation Festival in May of 2016, L.A. Guns went into the studio to record their latest album, The Missing Peace, which was released in October of 2017. LA Guns are currently in the studio recording the follow up to "The Missing Peace"

The current lineup features founding member Tracii Guns, who has reunited with lead singer, Phil Lewis, along with Shane Fitzgibbon on drums, guitar player Johnny Monaco and bassist Johnny Martin.

Billboard Top 10 Blues Artist, IBC Winner and JUNO Nominee, Canadian singer/guitarist JW-Jones is known for his high-energy shows!

The improv magic you hear on Jones' new album (his 10th), Live, is the spark that has awakened new sonic frontiers for the veteran Maple Blues Awardwinning bluesman. Produced with 2018 Grammy Winner Zach Allen (for his work on Taj Mahal & Keb Mo's 'TajMo'), Live is raw, real, and from the heart -- an album for the ages that captures the JW-Jones lightning in a bottle. With the last JW-Jones studio project, the Colin Linden-produced 'High Temperature', capturing the coveted Memphis Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge honours, the frequent resident of Billboard's Top 10 Blues charts and roots radio favourite continues to accelerate his career momentum to new heights, whether it's as a personally-requested sit-in with the likes of blues legend Buddy Guy (6 times), opening for blues-rock icons Johnny Winter and George Thorogood or entertaining thrilled audiences in 23 countries and four continents.

Buddy Guy says "This young man is one of the people who will keep the blues alive". Eager to live up to this endorsement from the world's most famous living bluesman, Jones is excited to bring his music to generations to come.

Covering material from "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" through "Division Bell", THINK FLOYD USA, takes the listener on a musical and visual flight through the Pink Floyd galaxy. Recognized as THE AMERICAN PINK FLOYD SHOW, THINK FLOYD USA comes ready to impress. Performing all of Pink Floyd's classic hits from legendary albums in their entirety, such as The Wall, Wish You Were Here, Animals and the all time classic Dark Side of the Moon. Wrap all that great music up with one of the most stunning light shows anywhere, THINK FLOYD USA - THE AMERICAN PINK FLOYD SHOW is your #1 choice!

Features include: dynamic sound effects, original video projections, dazzling choreographed lighting design, full laser production, and nine of USA's finest musicians, you'll "THINK" FLOYD was right there playing in front of you.

THINK FLOYD USA has performed on some of America's finest stages including The Surf Ball Room, Milwaukee Summerfest, Chicago's legendary Kinetic Playground, Shank Hall, Schwagstock and many more. From Green Bay to Tampa FL, TFUSA is truly THE AMERICAN PINK FLOYD SHOW!!!

Known for their progressive song writing and energetic live performances, Mo Lowda & The Humble's beginnings were in the beer-soaked basements of Philadelphia. Following the release of their first full length album in 2013, the trio, consisting of Jordan Caiola, Shane Woods, and Nate Matulis began playing venues throughout the city. After experiencing the high of multiple sold out hometown shows, Mo Lowda took their act on the road and began consistently touring the country. Their 2016 sophomore release, 'Act Accordingly', was a short and sweet embodiment of the band's natural progression; refining their already formidable sound. Following that release, Jeff Lucci stepped in as the new bassist, bringing his unique songwriting and tasteful use of effects pedals into the mix. On the heels of playing over 100 shows nationwide in 2017, Mo Lowda is set for a full US tour In 2018, in support of their upcoming Full-Length entitled "Creatures".

Part singer songwriter group, part rock band you can find REINA DEL CID and company at the intersection of lyrical storytelling, catchy riffs, and scorching solos.

After building a devoted online following as a solo artist, Del Cid teamed up with instrumentalists Toni Lindgren, Andrew Foreman, and Nate Babbs to develop a sophisticated sound with broad appeal, drawing in mixed crowds from jamheads to college students to white haired intelligentsia.

Their music has been featured by Paste Magazine, NPR, and Baeble Music, and they released their third full length album, Rerun City, in December of 2017.

Steven Page's distinctive and powerful tenor is among the most instantly recognizable voices in popular music. Newly minted as a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame with former bandmates, Barenaked Ladies, Steven Page reunited with the band he co-founded for their induction this past March -- a night capped off by an exhilarating two song performance at this year's JUNO awards.

With a strong focus on his own career, Steven Page will have a busy year ahead.

A new album, his fourth solo effort, DISCIPLINE: HEAL THYSELF, PT. II, will be released later this year and Steven, along with trio mates Craig Northey and Kevin Fox, will be touring the UK, US and Canada through 2018 and 2019. The extensive US tour will see the band hit the road in the fall, making stops at over 30 cities through September, October and November 2018. The tour begins in Washington DC on September 20 th, then travels north along the coast before heading towards the Midwest. In November, the trio tours the west starting in Seattle on Nov. 15 th . The show opener for the majority of these dates will be Steven's good friend, singer-songwriter Wesley Stace www.wesleystace.com.

Steven Page has continued his artistic evolution with a diverse array of solo projects in music, film, theatre and television. He has composed six Stratford Festival scores, has collaborated and toured North America with Toronto's innovative Art of Time Ensemble. Steven journeyed across Canada and the U.S. as host of TV's The Illegal Eater and became a Chopped Canada Champion last year. Steven Page appeared in the Riddle Films production of Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas and is currently working with playwright Daniel MacIvor on a musical commissioned by the Stratford Festival called Here's What It Takes, a theatre production featuring Page-composed songs.

Still the dynamic stage presence he's always been, Steven Page is the consummate entertainer, performing music from both his solo career and his BNL years.

Davina Sowers and the Vagabonds have created a stir on the national blues scene with their high-energy live shows, sharp-dressed professionalism, and Sowers' commanding stage presence. With influences ranging from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits, the band is converting audiences one show at a time, from Vancouver to Miami and across Europe. The band's latest recording, 2011's Black Cloud, was named one of the 10 best releases of the year by the Minneapolis Star & Tribune. In 2012 the band performed in 21 states and 6 countries in Europe, and the band is hard at work on a new record (due for release Fall 2013), spending time in the studio between tours.

So much more than just a blues act, DATV's shows are filled with New Orleans charm, Memphis soul swagger, dark theatrical moments that evoke Kurt Weill, and tender gospel passages. Davina's voice and stage presence defy category in a different way. Davina has been compared to Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday and Betty Boop, but comparisons don't suffice: Sowers is a true original.

Something unique to this "blues" project is the instrumentation. This rollicking quintet is held together by Sowers' keyboard playing, with acoustic bass, drums, and a spicy trumpet and trombone horn section. The group's focused, clean sound and emphasis on acoustic instruments is novel to both blues and jazz worlds, and sets the show closer to New Orleans than to Chicago. This has set the Vagabonds apart at blues festivals in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Sighisoara, Romania, Sierre, Switzerland, Kemi, Finland, and 2012's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Davina and band made their debut at the Monterey Jazz Festival this September. Catch this one-of-a-kind live show while they are in town!

Emily Kinney is a little too old to be daydreaming in the back of a classroom, soaked in unrequited love for a guitar player in a pop punk band she used to watch on MTV, but on Oh, Jonathan, Kinney's upcoming release, she just can't seem to help herself.

It's been a couple years since Kinney's last album, "This is War" and she's been using the time both professionally, in acting and music, and personally to mature and explore.

In acting, Kinney's transitioned from her young role as Beth Greene on AMC's hit tv show 'The Walking Dead,' where her music and singing were often featured, to more mature roles in shows like Masters of Sex, Ten Days in the Valley, and to her current gig as an emotional, tenacious mother of a young girl battling cancer in the upcoming Netflix series Messiah.

In music and life, Kinney's path to adulthood has been a little less straightforward. "After I got done touring with This is War, I was tired from traveling so much. There were a lot of opportunities coming off of The Walking Dead, and I started to feel a little like I was on a hamster wheel and not always making the best creative choices, I was just saying yes to whatever opportunities came my way. There was also a lot to learn about the music business. I often felt in the dark making decisions. I wanted transparency. Then, my little sister, who's seven years younger than me got married, and I started to notice the gray in my Dad's hair. Even though I had been traveling the world and doing all these things, I felt like I was the one who was stunted."

You can hear Emily's plea for adulthood in one track on the album, "Popsicles."

"I knew I needed to see my family more. I knew I needed a change of direction with my music and a rest. Time was going by a little too fast.

Kinney had always moved at full speed. Heading to NYC from Nebraska at just 19 to pursue a career in music and acting. She started going to auditions she found online and in 'Backstage' and would sing back-up for a couple singer-songwriters at places like Rockwood Music Hall, and the now closed Park Slope spot Bar 4. But it wasn't until she booked 'Spring Awakening," her Broadway debut in 2008, that Kinney felt confident to start sharing her own poems and songs which turned into her first EP, Blue Toothbrush, produced by Rod Stewart bassist Conrad Korsch. As Kinney's acting career progressed, the audience for her music also grew and she continued to release music: a 9 song EP, Expired Love, debut album This is War and a single on 7inch vinyl, Back on Love.

"I started working out of NYC a lot. I would come back to the city for just a couple days and it was great but I had changed and I didn't feel it fit me the same way it used to. My favorite restaurants or bars closed. It was new bands I didn't know playing at Rockwood. I had some close friends move to LA, so after tour I got an apartment and moved from NYC to LA too."

After a long Christmas break in Brush, Colorado listening to Cage the Elephant's Me talk Pretty and Less in her parents attic on repeat, Kinney returned to LA with new goals for her music and for her romantic life. "I really wanted to find a steady boyfriend, someone who could be a partner and I really wanted a major label record deal. Unfortunately, I didn't get either. But I did keep moving. I left my management company, I took a bunch of meetings, I tried out songs with different producers, and I did writing sessions with anyone....But I kept coming back to Ben from one of those first exploratory sessions,(Ben Greenspan, producer), so finally, I just stuck with him. He's amazing. I can be myself and i just really trust his taste."

Likewise, Kinney explains that she didn't set out to make a whole album all about one relationship, but it just kept coming back around. "At first, I thought Okay fine, I'll make an EP called Jonathan, but I don't want to....But they were always the best songs and this person just keeps coming up in my writing and in my life! No matter how hard I tried at new relationships, I just couldn't seem to move on."

Kinney's breakthrough and forward momentum came to fruition with the creation of "Mermaid Song," which she first released last fall via AWAL. "When I wrote that song, I suddenly felt a lot of freedom. I had been sending songs to managers and labels to get notes as I finished them, but with "Mermaid Song," I truly didn't care what anyone else thought. I loved the way it sounded. The synths that you hear became the sonic landscape and starting point for the whole record. Ben and I had just made the coolest song, and I had such a great response from fans. I stopped fighting making "Oh Jonathan," and felt motivated to get it out in the world. I realized I didn't need anyone's permission to put out the record or to legitimize my song-writing ability. I had stories and fans waiting to hear them. I could just do my own thing."

As for Kinney's romantic goals, you learn all about her hot-and-cold failed attempt at love with a rocker named Jon by listening to the record.

"But I don't think this album is about Jon." Kinney protests, "I always feel a song is more about the person who wrote it. It's my experience. One-sided and unfair. I'm not always a perfectly nice person. I can be a fan-girl, and emotional, and I can fall in love with people who don't love me back. My imagination runs away with itself. I'm not always a grown-up, but I think by the end of the record, I've grown. I've learned to move on, but I guess I've also learned to take my time."

Soft Machine are an English rock and jazz band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. They are widely considered by critics to have been very influential in rock music, with AllMusic describing them as "one of the more influential bands of their era, and certainly one of the most influential underground ones". Soft Machine is currently on their 50th anniversary USA tour promoting their new studio album "Hidden Details".

Rich with bold brass and hypnotic percussion, Polyrhythmics' latest album, Caldera, showcases the instrumental eight-piece's impossibly tight grooves and virtuosic musicianship as they tear through a singular blend of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, R&B, progressive jazz, and Afrobeat. Calling to mind everything from Antibalas and the Dap-Kings to The Meters and Fela Kuti, it's without a doubt their strongest work to date, merging the infectious power of their live show with a sleek and nuanced studio sophistication.

Named for the smoldering crater left after a volcanic eruption, Caldera was written during a band retreat to rural Oregon, where Polyrhythmics embraced truly collaborative songwriting for the first time during a marathon session in the shadow of Mt. Hood (itself an active volcano). The resulting album is a blistering declaration from a band that's progressed beyond the sum of its influences to come fully into its own. From the downtempo, Afrobeat trance of "Stargazer" to the triumphantly anthemic, high-octane pump-up funk of "Marshmallow Man," Caldera is instrumental music at its best: emotional, evocative, mesmerizing. On "Cactus Blossoms," Polyrhythmics craft an eerie, retro gem straight out of a 70s film score, while the trippy effects and wah-wah guitar of "Goldie's Road" suggest a psychedelic journey (or perhaps a bad trip), and the shuffling "Vodka For My Goat" draws on Stax soul while hinting at BB King's merger of the blues and jazz. It's an eclectic collection, tied together by the melding of eight distinct musical voices coming together as a cohesive whole.

The record follows the Seattle band's stellar third album, Octagon, which earned them tour dates around the country along with plenty of critical acclaim. The Stranger dubbed Polyrhythmics a group to watch, hailing their "sophisticated slinkiness and expressive brassiness," while WNCW praised their "modern afro-psycho-beat blend,"and the Seattle Times dubbed them "funk maestros." The band was invited to perform live on influential Seattle NPR station KEXP, shared bills with everyone from Snarky Puppy to Booker T, and played massive festival stages including Bumbershoot, High Sierra, and Vancouver International Jazz Fest.

American Wilderness, the striking new Rock Ridge Music album by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Matt Hires, pays off the promise the musician makes to himself in "Begin Again," one of the album's key songs, to "shake the dust and start over."

Produced by Randall Kent in Music City, the 10-song collection is a unified and probing work in which Hires -- previously known for his work on F Stop Music/Atlantic Records -- has created an intensely personal and self-revealing song-suite where he contemplates his life and his beliefs amid the oft-cacophonous backdrop of modern America.

Hires says, "It's the most cohesive body of work that I've put out, and I didn't intend it to be that way -- it just happened. One of the first songs I wrote for the album was the first track, 'Fighting a Ghost.' The second verse contains the line that the title of the album came from. A lot of the ideas behind a lot of the other songs came from that -- feeling a little lost amidst all the noise and commotion of culture and society. There's a lot of struggling and wrestling with faith in the record, too."

The making of American Wilderness was prefaced by a period of profound personal change for Hires. The well-traveled artist had previously issued two full-length albums, Take Us to the Start (2009) and This World Won't Last Forever, But Tonight We Can Pretend (2013), on F Stop/Atlantic.

As that label relationship ended, Hires and his wife of eight years decided to relocate from Tampa, Florida, where they had both lived all their lives, for Nashville, home of both the U.S. country music production line and a burgeoning scene for independent songwriters and musicians. They arrived in the city the day after Christmas in 2014.

"I think that was a big part of the change in my music," says Hires. "There's something about moving to a new city, and experiencing new things that helped in opening up my songwriting to new levels of honesty."

Hires quickly fell in with a group of like-minded indie musicians, and began exploring new avenues in his songcraft during informal living-room sessions with them.

He recalls, "We started doing this thing called 'Scotch 'n' Songs.' The average size of the group was five or six of us. We would get together every other week and share new stuff
that we'd been working on, and share a bottle of scotch or bourbon. We'd talk about the songs. Pretty much all of this album was born out of that, partially out of necessity. A few
weeks would roll by, and I'd say, 'Oh, man, I need a song to bring to the group,' so I would sit down and force myself to write. I'd say, 'What do you want to write right now? If you could turn on your radio or your iPod right now, what would you want to hear?'" The encouragement and feedback of the Scotch 'n' Songs crew moved Hires to set aside some of his earlier notions about his craft.

"When I would write songs before," he says, "I would have these things hanging over my head -- 'What's my A&R guy at the record label going to think? What are my parents going to think?' I tried to shed all of that, and just write what I wanted to write. I remember talking to one of my friends in the songwriting group, and he said, 'Write what scares you.' I took that idea and ran with it, and it made the record what it is."

The material on American Wilderness drew its stylistic inspiration from old and new strains of Americana and contemporaries whose work reflects Hires' own engaging pop sensibility.

"Influences of mine who have been favorites over the years are Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Wilco," he says. "While I was writing the material for this album, I got way into Jason Isbell's Southeastern. During the last year, I was listening to Brandon Flowers' solo record The Desired Effect -- I'm a big fan of The Killers. What I tried to do with this record was create songs that were lyrically interesting with something to say while remaining musically accessible, without being candy-coated."

Many of the album's songs explore an individual's uncertain place amid the roiling tumult of modern life in the U.S. Others -- like "Holy War" and "Glory Bound" -- candidly observe Hires' own internal conversation about religion and belief.

"I grew up in the church -- my dad was a pastor," he says. "It was something I was familiar with and comfortable with my whole life. Moving to Nashville, we stepped away from the church and stopped going for a little over a year. I feel that was a really good thing for me. I didn't stop thinking about that sort of thing. I wanted to look at it from outside the lens of Christian culture, and try to delve into what I actually believe, and be able to question things and not be afraid of that."

It is perhaps fitting that Hires and producer Kent recorded the basic tracks for the album at a Nashville facility, the Chapel.

Though American Wilderness looks deeply and unflinchingly into the darkness of personal and spiritual experience, Hires emphasizes that his new album concludes on a bright point of light.

"A strong theme on the album is rebirth, new beginnings, and the idea that tomorrow doesn't have to be like today," he says. "The last song is 'Don't Let Your Heart Grow Cold.' While it can go to some fairly dark places, I wanted to make sure it ended on a hopeful note. You can make it better. Winter always turns into spring."

American Wilderness is itself a creative spring for Matt Hires, marking the blossoming and emergence of a bright voice in American songwriting.

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JD Eicher, the Youngstown, OH-area born and bred musician is set to release his new album (his first under just his name due to the very personal nature of the songs), The Middle Distance, via Rock Ridge Music on May 6, 2016. Eicher went for more of a journal entry/diary-type approach this time around, with the album being moodier, and focusing on a lot of internal struggle. Songwriting and superb singing are at the center of each track on The Middle Distance, with Eicher's Rust Belt upbringing evident as the foundation of his songwriting; Pittsburgh, not far from his hometown of Youngstown, has also embraced the performer and his music as their own.

With his band, The Goodnights, Eicher's soaring and graceful pop-rock songcraft garnered favorable comparisons to Coldplay, Keane, The Script, The Killers, and Death Cab for Cutie. Alternative Addiction named the group one of the top 10 unsigned bands. Live, JD Eicher & the Goodnights shared the stage with such diverse and respected artists as the Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, Train, Maroon 5, Hot Chelle Rae, Pete Yorn, Anberlin, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Kelly Clarkson, Cartel, Sister Hazel, and Matt Nathanson, among many others.

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Hi, I'm Dan. I'm a whiskey & beer drinking, fishing & hunting loving, motorcycle riding, quality food eating, hippie sympathizing, people loving, husband & father who lives in Minneapolis and shares a life with my amazing wife and adorable son. I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, MI, and moved to Minneapolis when I was 18 to study music, and I stayed because I'm one of those crazy people that enjoys the snow and cold weather. Music is my trade & performing it for people is my passion. When I'm not in my studio writing songs and cutting records, or on the road playing shows, I'm usually tending to our backyard chickens, eating fresh veggies from my wife's huge garden, or out doing one of my many outdoor hobbies.

Now here are a few things about my music career that I should probably share in a music bio:

In September 2014 Budweiser released their "Friends Are Waiting" commercial campaign featuring me singing my song When You Come Home.

The Summer of 2015 marked the release of my fourth, and most prolific and widely distributed album, Come On Home, featuring the Budweiser song When You Come Home and singles Rum River and California.

Over the years I've had the honor of sharing the stage with some really cool artists & bands including The Civil Wars, Andy Grammer, Eric Hutchinson, NeedtoBreathe, Augustana, Tyrone Wells, Haley Reinhart, John McLaughlin, Will Hoge, Drew Holcomb, Sister Hazel, and more.

In February, 2018, I released my newest album 25 Years. One of my favorite producers, John Fields, produced it and I couldn't be more excited for you to hear it.

Thunderstruck is AC/DC the way you remember it. Recreating the "Thunder From Down Under" throughout the Southwest, Midwest, Southern and Northeastern United States ...Thunderstruck is constantly adding new cities and aims to please every crowd, playing the songs you know and love from all eras of AC/DC.

Dave Moody screeches out the ball breaking vocals of Bon Scott and Brian Johnson, covering all the hits and deep cuts from 1975's "High Voltage," to 2014's "Rock or Bust."

Caleb White brings the sound and image of Angus Young to the stage, complete with a school boy uniform and Gibson SG.

The rhythm section of the band is comprised of drummer Jerry Lawson, bassist Chris Jones, and rhythm guitarist Kevin Feller, who keeps the music rocking and solid with smooth precision.

Striving to stay true to the AC/DC way, Thunderstruck obsesses over the tones and structures of each song's studio and live versions, also using all the gear necessary to bring the power and entertainment of a genuine AC/DC show. Thunderstruck can bring the High Voltage Rock n' Roll to any theater, ballroom, festival or special event.

Maria Muldaur is a Grammy nominated American folk, roots and blues singer. Beginning her career as a member of the Even Dozen Jug Band (also featuring John Sebastian and David Grisman), Muldaur was a staple in the Greenwich Village folk revival of the early 1960's. In 1973, her first solo album included the mega hit "Midnight at the Oasis" which charted at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and is one of the most memorable songs of the 1970's. Muldaur, has since released over forty album exploring a range of American Roots Music, including blues, jazz, R&B, gospel, big band and others as well as releasing several award winning children's albums. Albums, that combined have been granted six Grammy nominations and several Blues Music Award nominations. In the process, Maria has collaborated with everyone from Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Dr. John, Stevie Wonder, Haogy Carmichael, The Grateful Dead and countless others. In fall 2018, Maria will be supporting her first new album in five years Don't you Feel my Leg, a tribute to legendary blues and jazz singer Blue Lu Barker.

On Passafire's sixth studio release, Longshot, the Savannah, GA based rock outfit gives a testimony to following dreams, inspired by people, places, and experiences Passafire has shared since forming as a band. The group's four members continue chasing their passion despite being told many times that "Making it as a musician is a long-shot," a piece of advice that inspired this album and its title. Longshot takes its listeners through a full spectrum of emotions, telling stories of heartbreak, new beginnings, overcoming personal struggles, finding truths, discovering new places, and getting older, all weaved into Passafire's genre-defying mix of reggae, hard rock, hip hop, and anything else that turns the group on musically.

Passafire was formed in Savannah, GA, in 2003 by Ted Bowne and Nick Kubley, and have built a strong reputation within the U.S. reggae scene through relentless touring with fellow band members Mike DeGuzman and Will Kubley. Bowne doesn't mind the grueling schedule and adds, "Touring is the best way to keep the buzz about the band going. What keeps it fun and exciting is the people we meet and places we get to see. We are in a new city every day so there's always something to go see or do." They continue to be a larger part of the U.S. reggae scene, even though musically they are often far apart from many of their peers in the genre, with a growing emphasis on alternative and progressive rock elements within their songs.