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Spotlight On...Rock
3:00 pm Mar 19 - by Amanda Shively – buzz Music Editor
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The six bands spotlighted in the rock category of this year’s Local Music Showcase had an equally busy and successful 2008. Find out what they accomplished in 2008 and what they have in store for the rest of 2009.
Curb Service
Check Out: “Any Better Ideas” at myspace.com/curbservice
Next Performance: April 4 at Cowboy Monkey with Jake Kaufman, Color Radio and Santa
In 2008: “2008 was about getting comfortable with the one-man show. It’s a big transition [to go from a] full band to solo act. Some
highlights of the year were getting invited to play the Great Performers of Illinois concert at Millennium Park in Chicago again and Bluebird Fest in Columbia, Mo., (where I ran into Blueprint and Slug [of Atmosphere] at the hotel).” — Larry Gates
In 2009: “2009 has been busy so far. I’ve been trying to balance live shows with recording projects and DJ gigs. My plate is officially
full.” — Larry Gates
Elsinore
Check Out: “The General” at myspace.com/elsinoremusic
Next Performance: April 1 at Mike ’n’ Molly’s with Everthus the Deadbeats and Everything Now!
In 2008: "We've been recording our new full-length album for the past 18 months and have made serious progress as a band with songwriting, arranging, performing, and recording. It finally feels like we're ready to make this our only job...and that's what we all want; to do what we love all the time and even make money to eat and live happily. The record is sitting strong at about 95% and should be mixed within a month. So, that's HUGE news! And we're touring now more than ever to bigger and better cities, which is just as important as this new record." — Ryan Groff
In 2009: "Once the record is mixed we'll start getting it out to record labels and hope we snag the interest of a good one. We're ready to have a team of people working for us and pushing us even further along. Right now it's just us, our trustworthy booking agent Mike Ingram, and our wives and girlfriends. It's an entirely different thing to have a label shouting and emailing and printing and blogging your name all over the place. This is our year." — Ryan Groff
Headlights
Check Out: “Market Girl” at myspace.com/headlights
Next Performance: April 17 at the Independent Media Center with Love Language
In 2008: “In 2008, we released our second full-length record Some Racing, Some Stopping, toured in Europe, toured with Mates of State and Evangelicals, released a remix record called Remixes, recorded a cover of “Making Plans for Nigel” by XTC for www.buffetlibre.com and played 130 shows!” — Brett Sanderson
In 2009: “We will be releasing our third full-length in August, playing at SXSW, going back to Europe and possibly Japan and touring
with The Love Language.” — Brett Sanderson
New Ruins
Check Out: “Curse” at myspace.com/newruins
Next Performance: April 18 at the Independent Media Center at IMC Fest
In 2008: “In 2008, we finished a new album and through twisted luck, we gained a new arm, Andy Davidson on bass and drumkit. Golden Quality let us record them in our basement. Getting to play with Bon Iver was really cool. We saw the Tractor Kings play “Black Hole In My Heart” in a nearly empty Highdive and not give a shit and just fill the room up with sound. The album Homesick is fucking awesome, by the way. Getting to hang out with Harsh Kurt Lathrop is a bloody good time. Getting to play with Common Loon is always great. Those guys are the rell dell. Holy shit, they are good.” - Elzie Sexton
In 2009: “We will be nationally releasing a new album in April. We will be hitting the road a little bit here and there, going to Chicago a few times—van time with The Tractor Kings. We will be working with Matt Talbott on a 7” for his new vinyl label and and some shit. I will try to eat more chips than Matt, because I bet you haven’t seen anyone eat so much chips. We will finish another full length and an EP in our basement. Paul will be going to Japan. Johnny Davidson will be filling in for Paul. They say two Davidsons are better than one. There will be lots of four tracking and home recordings—look out for a Hot Cops EP that was done in our basement. It is really good shit! We are some busy folks and we hope to be busier. Watch out for some good snake eggs hatching from us this year.” - Elzie Sexton
Santa
Check Out: “The Crumble” at myspace.com/santamusic
Next Performance: March 19 at the Canopy Club with Post Historic
In 2008: “In 2008, the band returned to Urbana from the world. Steve Plock and I joined the group for our CD release show at Canopy in which we released the My Bones EP. We wrote a lot of new material and meshed as a group over the summer. Just about every weekend, we left town to play shows around the Midwest, and now we are preparing for our next EP." - Tommy Trafton
Zmick
Check Out: “Sexy Crazy” at myspace.com/zmickmusic
Next Performance: March 30 at the Canopy Club with Raoul Duke
Sound Off
Last post: Mar. 20, 2009 at 1:10 am
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Champion Sound (Switch Remix)by Fatboy Slim
J_fisher7 (Josh Fisher) said on Mar. 20, 2009 at 1:10 am:
don't forget to listen to "interrogation" by zmick too! and if you're in chicago over break lookin for something to do, Zmick/Raoul Duke/Jaik Willis are playing at the Kinetic Playground Friday March 27th.