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It is a rare occasion when nine people can enter a room and create the
synergy and level of excitement that Berto Ramon has been able to do
from their very first meeting years ago in a college rehearsal space.
As the band played their eclectic group of instruments together it
became immediately obvious that there was something extremely unique
and distinctive about this group.
Berto Ramon was conceived in the diverse surroundings of Chicago's
North and West Side, from Humboldt Park to Uptown. Nine heads came
together with the same vision to make an impact on their city through
the music that was in each individual's hearts and minds. The result
has been a creative blend founded on Hip-Hop with influences ranging
from Latin jazz, rock, and reggae. Driven by a strong faith and
belief, BR refuses to be confined to the typical. Consequently, the group
speaks to the issue of the day and is constantly confronting the fight
against such realities as class and racial inequality, violence on the
streets, and the need to find a positive path through all of the
hardship and pain that envelops so many people in their community.
The end result is a super high-energy live show driven by the lyrics
of MCs Just J and Boogalu and backed up by violins, Latin percussion,
guitars, bass, drums, a DJ, and keyboards. Whether you are hitting
your local music venues or catching the next major touring artist
coming through town, it is unlikely that you will find a more engaging
or higher energy show than this one.
In the band's short time together they have already accumulated a
number of accolades including winning first place in Midwest region of
the Emergenza Festival and then flying to Germany to place fourth in
the worldwide competition. The band has been busy playing all across
the Midwest and has already traveled to Germany and Canada and has
played a number of shows in Florida.
-Winners of the Midwest Emergenza Battle of the Bands Competition
(2006) -4th Place in the International Emergenza Competition out of
12,000 bands (2006) -Awarded Best Performance (Emergenza) 2006 -Top 10
in the Verizon Wireless/Myspace Calling All Bands Competition out of
3,000 bands (2005) |
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While a broad brush might paint Gina Chavez’s music as folk, her percussive, finger style guitar playing blends smoothly with techniques that touch the genres of blues, jazz, rock and Latin. Gina’s songs emerge from her experiences with travel, relationships, faith and social-consciousness. Her voice rings clear and truthful, punctuating her music with lyrics that come from the heart.
With stylistic comparisons ranging from Joni Mitchell to Alicia Keys, Gina's delivery is versatile and captivating. Her fan base continues to grow, drawing audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
A performer at the core, Gina’s live shows offer everything from thought-provoking and haunting songs to goofy melodies and crowd participation. With accompaniment from the multi-instrument talent Roel Martinez (guitar, mandolin) and seasoned percussionist Chris Cordero (cajon, shaker), Gina’s gigs are ever-evolving and always new.
Gina’s debut album, Hanging Spoons, is the long-awaited answer to fans’ pleading for a record. The freshman release captures the earthy, honest sound they have come to know and love, as well as the energy and creativity of her live shows, flavored with a few musical surprises. |
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Welcome to the world of KoSha, one of Chicago's very own rising female hip hop artists. Much has been accomplished by this very talented emcee, but yet so much more is in store!
KoSha started her hip-hop career early in 2004, first starting out as a producer/engineer with her own production company, B-Smooth Productions, and then developing her emceeing skills. With this new found passion, she recorded songs and began performing locally. Soon thereafter, a buzz around town began to develop. She furthered to expose her music on the internet, only to increase the already created buzz. In June of 2005, KoSha was spotlighted along with fellow emcee and long time friend Moesta, on Chicago's #1 radio station 107.5 WGCI with their collaboration song "Taking Over".
In July of 2006, she was signed to a production deal with the legendary Chi-Sound Records ran by Mr. Carl Davis who has hosted artists such as Gene Chandler, Tyrone Davis, The Dells, Manchild featuring Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and the Chi-Lites. KoSha quickly began increasing her performances with performances at the Black Arts Festival in Kalamazoo, MI, Ribs and Soul festival in Detroit, Mi, and more local performances in the Chicagoland area. She has been spotted performing on local cable access television channels as well as featured on local college radio stations and syndicated stations. The hit single "Angel In Da Sky" featuring Moesta from her debut album entitled "B4 My Time...I Got Next!!! was featured in the BET movie "Reflections", directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love And Basketball) in February 2007. She was also the recipient of the 2007 1st Annual Orkitt Awards as Best New Female Hip Hop Artist In Chicago.
Due to certain circumstances, but within good terms, KoSha left Chi-Sound Records at the end of her contract late in July of 2007 to pursue her own record label, B-Smooth Enterprise in which her upcoming album entitled "01/27" is due to be released spring of 2008.
KoSha has worked with multi-platinum and gold producer Kevin "K-Low" Rhames of LiveSquad who produced such artists as Tupac Shakur, Nas, Biggie, Digital Underground, just to name a few. He is expected to provide more production guidance on her upcoming album.
With all of the obstacles in her path during her journey to be a female hip hop artist with longevity, KoSha has managed to stay self-motivated and determined to strive to be the best. One must agree that her determination and drive and the music she pours out from her soul will definitely put her in the rankings of a Mc Lyte, Queen Latifa and those who are considered to be female hip hop history makers. The addition of making it to the 2007 Disc Makers Independent Music World Series Southwest Finals, only makes her journey that much more sweeter. |
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For the past two years, Loyal Divide have been holed up in their basement in Central Ohio searching for a sound which hasn’t been pillaged, a style which hints at everything the group admires, yet a sound that is all their own. Their music taps genres such as hip hop, freak folk, shoegaze, funk, reggae, psychedelia and kraut rock which all coming together to create a sound so unique you begin to ask yourself how the same artist can hit your ear with such range. Weather it’s the administered through patient spirituality, soulful sampling, deep percussive fabrics or complete transcendence, the band strives to create a new sound – something that is sometimes lost in today’s radio-friendly music industry. Lyrically, songs deal with everything from socioeconomic dilemmas and domestic instabilities, to aging and mortality and the burdens of meeting expectations brought on by themselves and others. With a career-inspired relocation to indie-friendly Chicago, IL in the fall of 2007, Loyal Divide hopes to eventually join the ranks of music’s most forward thinking luminaries -artists like Animal Collective, Liars, and Radiohead- groups who push boundaries while captivating listeners; bands that trade in conformity for vision, licks for nuance. Despite the foreseen journey up the musical hierarchy, the band shows great promise. Of their self titled EP, the Columbus Alive remarked that "the band’s potential shows most in its attention to detail-a gleeful piano slide amidst a harrowing rocker, videogame bleeps coupled with hiccupping horns, a well-placed female backing vocal…it sounds carefully considered and powerfully executed."
The band is currently focused on touring throughout the Midwest and beyond (with a substantial tour planned for the spring of 2008) and is also working on a follow-up E.P. to their 2007 self-titled E.P. |
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Samantha Maynard aka Samm G is the new R&B genius that mixes soul with blues in a perfect marriage of music, lyrics, and vocals. Samantha is 23 and hails from New Orleans, La. She began singing in her local church at the age of four and from the first note she was known as a supertainer. “Samm G” as she is called, gained education in music from the esteemed Kentucky State University. She majored in Opera studies there and excelled in her classes. She sang with the gospel choir and made quite a name for herself. Her work includes; two feature songs on the European Release: Urban Street Anthems Vol. I, (2 years, In and Out), which she performed and shared writing credits with George "GM" Maynard She was also a featured soloist on Freedom of Praise (National Release). "Samm G" has written and done vocals with producers; Robyn Thicke, Ralph Stacey (Dru Hill), Emmanuel Officer (K.C. & JoJo, Keith Sweat, Men in Black soundtrack), Robert “Storm” Daniels (Mya), and Chris Kelley (Omarion). Samm G is a young, confident, and sexy singer whose lyrics and delivery mesmerize anyone who hears her. Samantha has the drive to achieve whatever she wants. She is on the rise… Catch her if you can! |
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Established in 1999,
Frederick set out to form a rock 'n' roll band that would capture
the spirit and energy that originated from Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and
all those Rock 'N' Roll legends that came before.
The bands 1st album "Better Than Before" (2003) released
internationally on Rainbow Quartz Records, got them off to the right start.
In 2007, The Singles swung back in action with their highly anticipated
2nd album "Start Again", this time released on their homegrown label Sound Artifacts Music.
2007 was a good year for The Singles.
With praise from music critics and college radio about the new record;
the boys returned to the road and haven't looked back since!
With a DIY attitude, and songwriting that no one can touch these days, The Singles are back in
the studio again recording their 3rd full-length album. The new record will be released late
2007/early 2008 on Sound Artifacts Music.
Don't miss out on one of the last REAL rock 'n' roll bands on the planet! |
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| SOUTHWEST SEMIFINALISTS |
| 1000 Generations |
| 9mm Solution |
| Animate Objects |
| Az One |
| Becky Middleton |
| Berto Ramon |
| Bill McFarland & The Chicago Horns |
| BillyLee Janey Band |
| Boulder Acoustic Society |
| Brother Big Bad |
| Chelsey Hawken |
| Chillz |
| Da Energy |
| DAFAM |
| Dawn Over Zero |
| DAX |
| Derek Sholl |
| Doug Wood |
| Drowning Girl |
| Echoset |
| Elishema |
| elsinore |
| Exit The Ordinary |
| Fly, Mordecai |
| Fulton Read |
| Further Down |
| Gina Chavez |
| Great White |
| Guitarra Azul |
| Hello Beautiful |
| IgorForIris |
| Jackie Lawson |
| Jonathan Salas |
| Josh Solomon and the Empty Pockets |
| J-Snook |
| Kacey Musgraves |
| Kall G |
| Keith Varon |
| Kenny Maines |
| Kevin R. Daniels |
| Kiersten Venezia |
| Kosha |
| Laura Glyda |
| Laurel Premo |
| Lena |
| Leslie Kastrop |
| Less Is More |
| Lisa Richards |
| Loaded Moses |
| Loyal Divide |
| Loyalty |
| Luceys Maze |
| Luis Casal |
| Lux Land |
| Matt Poss & The Wild Bunch |
| Matt Woodburn |
| Michael Gungor Band |
| Miles Jones |
| Nathan Peterson Band |
| No Other Name |
| Note To Self |
| Nothing More |
| Novada |
| OHN |
| Only |
| Orange Willard |
| Oxygen |
| Patricia Tanttila Holmberg |
| Polaradio |
| Porsche Smith |
| Red Book Audio |
| Red City Radio |
| Reezin |
| Ryan Ahern |
| Samm G |
| SB |
| Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys |
| Sisero |
| Six String Drum Machine |
| Stephanie Briggs |
| Steve Wilson |
| Tammany Hall Machine |
| The Black Canary |
| The Guys |
| the Hannah Wolff Band |
| The Kinship |
| The Movement |
| The Singles |
| Tormented Religion |
| TR |
| Travis Kingma Band |
| Tripp Marxx |
| Typhanie Monique and Neal Alger |
| Vices I Admire |
| Walt Carroll |
| Young Lee |
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