Season To Risk
This pioneering Kansas City band has survived fire, flood, tornadoes, and van crashes and lived to talk about it. Season to Risk play a genre-bending mix of heavy indie rock. Singer Steve Tulipana’s captivating stage presence quickly got the band noticed in the early 90s and signed to Columbia (Sony), with vocals in the lineage of Nick Cave and David Yow of Jesus Lizard. The band changed direction with each release, quickly pivoting away from the grunge and nu metal wave, showing a surprisingly diverse range of influences and interests, gradually adding darker noise and synthesizer. Reviews ranged from “the next Soundgarden” (1st record) to “metal for recoveringindie rockers” (2nd record). In 1993, they were selected to perform as a futuristic punk band for the club scene in the film “Strange Days” about the Y2K apocalypse, but their song was cut from the soundtrack for being “too noisy”. Burned and Submerged A series of disasters has tested Season to Risk as if God herself wants their music destroyed. The band blew through a dozen vehicles while touring relentlessly through the 90s, suffering near-death accidents along the way, cracked engines, careening backwards downhill in Seattle with no brakes, and a rollover on an icy stretch of Minnesota highway. They also suffered line up changes with the loss of several early drummers leaving at pivotal moments in the band’s career. No less than four members have left the band to join their alt rock cousins Shiner, also from Kansas City. Tim Dow played drums on early Season to Risk songs but left before the recording of the eponymous debut record. Current Shiner rhythm section Paul Malinowski and Jason Gerken left after the 2nd album “In A PerfectWorld”. And noise guitar prodigy Josh Newton joined Shiner after the 3rd album “Men Are Monkeys. Robots Win.” Season to Risk’s first two album masters burned in the Sony/Universal warehouse fire of 2008, which also claimed 150,000 other master tapes from John Coltrane to Nine Inch Nails. The band’s recording studio was totaled in a flash flood which almost claimed the lives of guitarist Duane Trower and drummer David Silver as they tried to save equipment while muddy water submerged their recording console and ruined the building in 15 minutes. The tape masters for their third album and other clients’ projects were lost in the flood, along with their touring RV, their studio investment, and their morale. Trower built a new recording studio, Weights and Measures Soundlab, and eventually remastered the synth-drenched album years later. Multiple PersonalitiesBass player Billy Smith and guitar/synth wizard Wade Williamson joined their ranks in 1999 to complete their 4th album “The Shattering” with producers Jason Livermore and Bill Stevenson (Descendents /Flag). After touring for that record, the band took a breather and worked on other projects through the 2000s, often together, releasing many albums with differing musical styles as Roman Numerals, Thee Water MoccaSins, Olympic Size, Sie Lieben Maschinen, and CoNoCo. 1-800-MELTDOWN is a return to their noise rock roots, released by Init Recordson limited-edition neon green vinyl for Record Store Day 2025.
Jed Harrelson
Nashville based soul artist Jed Harrelson has found a way to fuse sounds of Soul, Rock and R&B. Music connects and he carries that into the center of his work, leaving both a euphoric and familiar presence. While he’s independently released 12 songs in the last three years, he is working on a debut project right now. All of his music is recorded in house with his brother Hank as the audio engineer. Being from Texarkana, Arkansas instilled a drive to hone in on his craft though the lack of music scene caused him to move where he could really express his artistic message which took him to Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is where he cut his teeth in the Northwest Arkansas music scene. Now living in Nashville since January 2020, Jed is independently touring the country with his band in a gold van called ‘The Loaf”. By achieving and producing what feels good in his art, Jed just might help listeners do the same.
Bad Nerves
The bastard child of a Ramones/Strokes one night stand, Bad Nerves play ferociously fast distorted pop songs and drew acclaim with their previous releases ‘Dreaming’, ‘Baby Drummer’, & ‘Can’t Be Mine’. It would appear to be in the DNA of rock music, particularly punk music, that the music itself happens by some kind of happy accident. Nothing truer could be said of the Essex five piece speed punk band. For frontman Bobby, the formation of the band itself was an unintentional happenstance that just wound up taking off in unexpected but very exciting directions. Did band life choose Bad Nerves or did Bad Nerves choose band life? It’s hard to say. The boys are still reeling from their surprise success. Their self-made, self-funded debut put them in the hearts and minds of the cream of the alternative crop in 2020; from tastemakers such as Dan P Carter to Alyx Holcombe, and from peers like Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong to Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard, Bad Nerves were instantaneously heralded with the poisoned chalice of saviours of a type of punk that promises to never die. They’ve toured with Royal Blood and The Darkness, and have drawn comparisons to Supergrass, the Ramones and Jay Reatard. And despite all that, their pop rock is a unique – and very fast – whack over the head that reminds us all of the future life left in hell-raising loud and fast music. Bad Nerves have been blazing at two hundred miles an hour across the live circuit for a few years now, and are showing no signs of slowing down. Despite the speed and chaotic nature of their music, they have taken great pride in challenging the traditional punk method, by playing tight and trying to replicate the sound of their record in the live setting. “We wanna deliver the songs well,” says bassist Jon. And that’s why people have taken notice. Bad Nerves set the bar much higher. One of the band’s most iconic gigs to date was a headliner at Sebright Arms in London in 2022, which was so electric they decided to release a live recording of it. “I’m surprised no one died that night,” says Jon. “That ceiling is so low! I’ve never seen so many people sweat. It was crazy. We were all sick afterwards.” The magic of rock music is in the chaos of the live performance. Bad Nerves understand that. They chase it. They crave it. They know how to create it. “My favourite Ramones record is the live one,” says Bobby. “The stakes are high. That’s what makes it.” The future is loud for Bad Nerves. They proactively seek to make the type of in-your-face, opposite-of-sterile, rock music that the genre was built on. They want to play as much as they can for as long as possible, in the hope of inspiring the next generation, before it’s too late. It feels as though they have arrived just in time.
Husbands
Husbands knows the galvanizing power of an anthemic, hair-raising song. As the co-founding songwriter behind the Oklahoma City indie rock outfit Husbands, Danny Davis has been meticulously crafting emotionally potent tunes about finding your place in the world. His writing always strives to break free from monotony and routine, aiming for meaning and clarity through massive choruses and colorful arrangements. CUATRO, Husbands’ adventurous and triumphant fourth album out Oct. 13 via Cowboy 2.0 and Thirty Tigers, marks a turning point for the band. It’s the first LP written after the departure of longtime bandmate and collaborator, Wil Norton. It’s also an album that Davis made during a time of relative personal stability after quitting his nine-to-five and moving with his wife to Costa Rica. Across 11 arena-filling and richly-produced tracks, the full-length is a document of his growth as a human being and a testament to finding peace in relationships evolving.
Buckethead
Hybrid Theory: The Ultimate Linkin Park Tribute Act
James McMurtry
Surfer Rosa
Every few years the musicians of Surfer Rosa take a break from their other Omaha bands to rock out Pixies-style for a one-off show. It’s an excuse to hang out with friends and celebrate the music they love together. And they nail it.
Between The Buried and Me
Time may move in a circle, but we pick up wisdom along the way. When we face similar situations further down the line, we’re armed with the experience to not only survive, but actually thrive. Between The Buried and Me built their influential 2007 album, Colors, on an unwavering commitment to artistic integrity. They’ve only fortified that commitment on its 2021 sequel, Colors II. The circumstances surrounding both records bear key similarities, yet the North Carolina quintet—Tommy Rogers [lead vocals, keyboards], Paul Waggoner [lead and rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals], Dustie Waring [rhythm and lead guitar], Blake Richardson [drums], and Dan Briggs [bass, keyboards]—once again stretch the boundaries of their signature sound and heavy music at large.
Public Figure
Public Figure Once upon a time, February of 2019 to be exact, Public Figure was born. Since then, the band has released multiple singles across all streaming platforms starting with their 2021 release of “Poor and Pretty.” Comprised of Vocalist Roger Slatten, Guitarist Robert “RJ” Klingsporn, Bassist Dolan Delano, and Drummer John Faist, Public Figure is looking to take the music scene by storm. We’re a High-Energy, Band who will make you lose your voices with our catchy choruses and exhaust you from all the jumping, moshing, and dancing you will do at our shows. No… Seriously… Hydrate before you come to our show. We don’t want you passing out. Out in Front Out in Front are a Los Angeles based band that serendipitously met at a tennis club-where they are all tennis pros. Starting off by jamming in a garage, the three band members, Madie, Isaiah, and Ryen, immediately knew they had something together. Coming from all different roots and having various tastes in music, the band has unique inspirations. Nonetheless, they all have one major thing in common– their passion for music. Blending Southern California sounds with pop- rock influences, Out in Front makes music that sparks the desire to take a trip down the PCH. A Band Called Hemingway Four piece Alternative band from Nebraska.