Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber take their fun very, very seriously. The pair behind the ambitious and emphatic Nashville duo Cherub craft hooky electro-pop that lyrically captures the risque, pleasure-seeking impulses of their youth, while their studio expertise results in grooves so alluring, even your parents can dance to them. Which is their exact goal on Antipasto EP, the precursor to their highly anticipated Year of the Caprese debut LP. Kelley explains, “it’s just the coolest thing if you can have different generations dancing to the same song.” Cherub doesn’t just commingle age groups. Huber and Kelley’s musicianship and imagination allows them to create their own ideas about style and music rather than abiding to genre. Featuring the viral hit “Doses and Mimosas,” two new songs and a Knocks remix, the four-track set serves as the boldest alignment of their diverse musical interests yet, ranging from brash rock to playful pop to seductive R&B. The duo met while pursuing music business degrees at Middle Tennessee State, a large public university just outside of Nashville. Prior to meeting up at a dorm party, the two were figuring out how to become their own local legends. Huber was fronting a psychedelic folk-rock band, whereas Kelley was something of a mainstay in the Nashville hip-hop scene. Well, sort of. “I was making beats for this hip-hop duo and we got to open for GZA, but I didn’t know how to DJ my own stuff.” After meeting Huber, “I just asked ‘can you turn my beats into a live show?’” Soon thereafter, Kelley sent Huber his self-composed Man of the Hour EP and the two realized the potential in their partnership. Cherub began in earnest, with Huber’s live production embellishing Kelley’s clever songcraft. Kelley’s lyrics of relatable hedonism come from everyday experiences - “nonsense on my iPhone notepad,” zoning out during long plane rides or meeting a local yahoo who got an unintentional writing credit on “Doses and Mimosas.” “We were buying champagne in the Beachside Liquor Store in Gulf Shores, Alabama and there was this dude in his mid-40’s behind the counter. I’ll never forget what he said, ‘I remember the days of ‘pagne and caine!’” It became the indelible, call-and-response hook from “Doses and Mimosas,” their breakthrough smash from the self-released MoM & DaD which was #1 on HypeMachine’s “most talked about” chart in August of 2012. The release of MoM & DaD was a part of a huge year for Cherub, as they were named one of “12 Tennessee Bands You Should Listen To Now” by Paste and landed spots at Bonnaroo, SXSW, Electric Forest and the Snowball Music Fest. These experiences have allowed Cherub to learn on the job and tailor their songwriting for the benefit of their sweaty, packed crowds. Taking inspiration from formative live experiences ranging from Incubus to Sigur Ros, Kelley ensures that “we have theatrical elements that don’t detract from the music. When we see the crowd respond to an uptempo song, that gets us going.” Their momentum continued into 2013 with the self-release of the 100 Bottles EP and its infectious lead single “Jazzercise ‘95.” The duo continued to book more ambitious gigs, including Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball, Austin City Limits and their first tour throughout Europe and the UK. Cherub aren’t much for tags, but if you want to get an idea of what Antipasto brings to the party, just ask them who they’d like to collaborate with. Kelley’s dream would be a duet with “Roger Troutman [R.I.P.], super funky but with no vocals, just talkbox. We’d also want to do an epic, super crazy R&B joint with The-Dream.” Therein lies the alchemy of “Lifesaver” and “Tonight,” where playful guitar licks meld with deep bass and lush synthesizers. But they also grew up idolizing rock auteurs such as David Bowie and Trent Reznor, and you sense their influence in Cherub’s knack for dynamics and solid, singalong melodies. Cherub always remain curious and ambitious - “I want to do a duet with Mariah Carey, but then pitch down her vocals. No one’s ever done that before!” But above all else, Cherub are men of the people, dudes of the dancefloor, aficionados of the after hours. From the countless house parties they’ve played in Tennessee to their Age of Reason tour with Gramatik to their prestigious Red Rocks Amphitheater gig with STS9, they’ve always made it a point to engage with their fans. “People always think it’s weird when we ask during the show if there’s an after party,” Kelley says with a laugh. Antipasto starts the party, what happens from there on out is anyone’s guess.

THE WEEKS DEAR BO JACKSON   “If my Southern heart’s still pumping blood/I’ll bury my money in the mighty Mississippi mud,” sings The Weeks’ Cyle Barnes on Dear Bo Jackson’s “Brother In The Night.” “If my Southern lungs won’t let me breathe/I’ll wait for the cicadas and I’ll let ‘em push it out for me.”      With that powerful verse, The Weeks stake a claim as heirs to the timeless tradition of Southern rock.  Dear Bo Jackson, the Nashville-based band’s Serpents and Snakes debut, sees them enriching their already well-seasoned sonic stew with the classic flavors of soul, R&B, funk, and heavy boogie to fashion a forward-facing sound all their own. Big brass, lush strings, and twangy pedal steel have been fused into their distinctive sludge pop, with Sam Williams’ greasy guitars and the highly charged engine room of bassist Damien Bone and drummer/Cyle’s brother Cain Barnes now officially joined by keyboardist Alex Admiral Collier. Throughout the album, songs like the aforementioned “Brother In The Night” and the exuberant title track see Cyle Barnes rending his throat raw as he testifies dramatic and truthful tales of modern Southern lives, always full of hope despite often punishing circumstances.     “The South is a different beast than the rest of the world,” he says.  “We’ve all been aged and worn in a very fine way because of it. I think even if we didn’t want to write about the South, it’d still come out in our songs.”   Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, The Weeks came together in 2006 and instantly came to define the sound of Southern Rock in the 21st Century – their grunge-powered, high-octane anthems rich with a bottomless Delta soul far deeper than the boys’ teenage years would suggest.  Like any great rock ‘n’ roll outfit worth its salt, The Weeks played as often as humanly possible, with countless club dates across the Southeast and tours alongside such like-minded acts as Local H, North Mississippi Allstars, and the one and only Meat Puppets.  Their extraordinary energy and outsized performances – not to mention a series of well-received independently issued releases – earned them a fervent fan following and ultimately, a deal with the like-minded Serpents and Snakes Records.    By summer 2010, it had become clear that sleepy Jackson could no longer contain the mighty Weeks. The band left their old Mississippi home for the bright lights of Nashville, and, as Williams says, “it’s been non-stop ever since.” Serpents and Snakes reissued the band’s second full-length outing, Gutter Gaunt Gangster, earning them reams of national applause, including Amazon.com naming the collection among its top 10 “Outstanding 2012 Albums You Might Have Missed.”   Where that album – like all The Weeks’ previous recordings – was recorded fast and on the cheap, the band opted to take a more leisurely tack in making its follow-up.  They spent six months at pre-production, resulting the most fully articulated demos of their career.  When time came to record the album proper, their search for a producer led them to Paul Moak, a Grammy Award-nominated producer/engineer/mixer and perhaps most importantly, a fellow Jacksonian.   “Our first tour van was bought from his grandfather’s car dealership,” Williams says.  “When we walked into the studio, there was this big metal sculpture of Mississippi with a heart over Jackson.  The vibe was unbelievable right away.  As soon as we started tracking, we knew.”    The Weeks set to work at Moak’s Music City studio, The Smoakstack, determined to push themselves further than ever before.  Drawing inspiration from such iconic works of Americana as The Band’s Music From Big Pink, the band’s first goal was to incorporate new musical elements into their own inimitable take on Americana.   “We set down the law, day one, we’re not interested in making it sound like our live show,” Williams says.  “We’ve done that.  We wanted this record to be bigger, more grandiose.  The core of it is still all livetracked, we’ve just never had horns and pedal steel and backup singers and all that jazz.”   Much of Dear Bo Jackson’s all-inclusive sound can be credited to The Weeks’ very own Garth Hudson, Alex Admiral Collier, whose compositional background and proficiency on an array of instruments enabled the band to build their inventive arrangements from within.  Adding color to such standouts as “King Sized Death Bed” and “Gobi Blues” are legendary pedal steel guitarist Bucky Baxter – “the most unbelievable musician I’ve ever seen in person,” says Williams – as well as their buddy Carl Gatti on trombone and faux French Horn.  What’s more, friends from throughout the new Nashville rock scene – including Jonny “Corndawg” Fritz – dropped into The Smoakstack to lend backing vocals and a collective stamp to the proceedings.   “We just told everybody, ‘Hey, we’re cookin’ wings today,” Williams says. “Just come by the studio, eat some wings, and we’ll figure out your part.”   As The Weeks’ world grew by leaps and bounds, Cyle Barnes brought every ounce of their exceptional experiences to the lyrical table. “I’m not supposed to die like this/I’m supposed to be somewhere else/At the end of blade, maybe engulfed in flames/something flashier than myself,” he laments on “This Ain’t My Stop,” “No one rolls to pick their souls/but I’m glad with the one I got/Get me off this train, land this plane/This sure as hell ain't my stop, this ain’t my stop,” revealing a young artist grappling with morals, mortality and the ever-lonely life on the road. Elsewhere, songs like the album-closing combo of “Chicahominy” and “Woe Is I” see The Weeks exploring their Mississippi roots and their current place in the world, with all the profound joy and unfathomable sadness that entails.   “We all had to grow up a good bit in the past year or so,” Barnes says.  “The songs express the good times that we had and the really hard times.  We made it though, but we wanted the record to really express how we were feeling during that time.”   Justifiably proud of what they’ve accomplished in Dear Bo Jackson, The Weeks are now – probably even as you read this – out on the road, growing their familial fanbase with each sweat-soaked gig.  True lifers in the classic Southern rock tradition, The Weeks hold fast to the very same ambition and artistic fervor that first kickstarted them into action in a Jackson garage.   “I’ve been doing this with these dudes since I was 14,” Williams says.  “I’ve no idea – nor do I care – how to do anything else.”   “The Weeks are pretty sure about what we want in life and we’re pretty sure about what we want to do as a band so we’re kinda hard to sway,” Barnes says.  “Everything happened in a very fluid fashion and hasn’t been forced at all.  We just want to continue doing this, with these people, for as long as we can.  We love each other.  It’s family.”

"Forgive me love for dreaming a little bit." Brothers and St. Louis natives Justin (Vocals/Guitar) and Taylor DeRosa (Drums, Keys) formed Ravello in 2009 in Nashville, TN. The DeRosas had one goal in mind: to marry the honesty, attitudes, and nostalgic nature of their tenured influences with their own brand of modern rock. In 2010, Ravello began recording their first effort Asperatus EP. During these sessions Taylor Craft (Bass) joined the duo and added his flare to the sound of thband. The first installment of the Ravello catalog brought forth forward motion and jump started their career in Music City. The 2011 addition of Justin's childhood friend Chris Plank (Guitar) further shaped Ravello and molded the sound into what has been created through their forthcoming, full length LP titled Nostalgia. Nostalgia is set to digitally release mid October 2012, with a vinyl LP release shortly to follow.  The record was Produced by Thomas Doeve and Ravello, with the engineering skills of Joshua Niles, and was tracked analog to two inch tape.  Mixed by Vance Powell (Jack White, Raconteurs, Radiohead) and mastered by Richard Dodd (George Harrison, The Civil Wars, Tom Petty).  Ravello will be touring the remainder of 2012-2013 with appearances at various festivals and clubs near you.

MRP2 began as a two piece pop project between friends, JJ Clark(Production) and Brian Sylvester(Vocals) in 2010. Shortly after, with the addition of Cain Lassiter(Keys), and Ivan Garcia(Drums), the band began touring regularly across the nation, playing alongside such acts as Miami Horror, Ghostland Observatory, Thievery Corporation, and Two Fresh. Word of their unique synth-pop sound is spreading fast, and the group expects big things from 2012; with numerous festival appearances including Bonnaroo and Nocturnal Wonderland, a fall tour planned, and an EP release from noted Producer/Synth Player Lars Stalfors(The Mars Volta, Matt & Kim, Funeral Party.) Be sure to snag your free download of their official EP, Dreams.

A pioneer of rock music, Natural Child is a significant influence on the development of both the music and the attitude associated with the rock music lifestyle. With songs such as "Shamewalkin" (2009), "White People" (2011), "Ain't Gonna Stop" (2012) and "Let The Good Times Roll"(2012), Natural Child refined and developed rhythm and blues, psychedelia, and country into the major elements that make rock and roll distinctive, with lyrics successfully aimed to appeal to the early teenage market by using graphic and humorous descriptions of consumer culture, race, sex, devil weed, and life as a grown-ass man and utilizing guitar solos and showmanship that would be a major influence on subsequent rock music. The band's records are a rich storehouse of the essential lyrical, showmanship and musical components of rock and roll; and, in addition to White Fang, Gap Dream, The Strange Boys, and The Black Lips, a large number of significant popular-music groups have performed Natural Child songs. Though not technically accomplished, their musical style  is distinctive - drawing on the influence of acts such as The Rolling Stones, Canned Heat, Willie Nelson, JJ Cale, and Waylon Jennings to produce a clear and exciting sound that many later guitar musicians will acknowledge as a major influence in their own style. In the film Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, Eric Clapton states 'If you wanna play rock and roll - or any upbeat number - and you want to take a guitar ride you will end up playing like Natural Child...because there is very little other choice. There's not a lot of other ways to play rock and roll other than the way Natty Child plays it; they've really laid the law down..." Keith Richards toldBest of Guitar Player "Child is my band. They was the ones who made me say 'I want to play guitar, Jesus Christ!'...Suddenly I knew what I wanted to do." Natural Child's showmanship has been influential on other rock legends, particularly their one-legged hop, duck walk, and the "fog-the-shit-out-of-the-stage-so-nobody-can-see" routine, which is exactly what it sounds like. After three years of constant touring, late 2012 found the band expanding their line up to include pedal steel and wurlitzer, a move that led legendary journalist Lester Bangs to rise from the grave and exclaim, "Well... I guess I wasn't the last of 'em." After overwhelmingly positive reception of the new, five piece, band's live show Luke Schneider (steel) and Benny Divine (keys) lent their instruments to the recording of 2014's Dancin' With Wolves, effortlessly creating the best rock n' roll record of the decade. The rock critic Robert Christgau considers them "the greatest of the rock and rollers," while John Lennon would likely say that, "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Natural Child'." Ted Nugent said "If you don't know every Natty Child lick, you can't play rock guitar." Among the honors they intend to receive are the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2034, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2040, and being named seventh on Time magazine's 2015 list of the 10 best pot smokers of all-time.

“Three dudes wearing silver masks with sleeveless black hoodies, effeminate by a rad and sexy post screamo, blonde bombshell demon-chick – Nashville's Five Knives have an erotic aesthetic that fuses industrial power chords, hip hop undertones and a chemical pool of synthetic low fi swagger, upstaging the Yeasayer show downstairs. Many ticket buyers left Yeasayer sluggish midway into their set, filling the outdoor smoking porch to the brim and many eventually ditched, catching the second half of the raging Five Knives set upstairs in the newly renovated High Watt” The Deli Magazine "Four mysterious kids dressed in black with face masks were the highlight of the night. Five Knives created a sound that can only be described as Bombastic. At moments they delved into the aggressive electro stylings of Crystal Castles and The Bloody Beetroots, only to drop a chorus melody that I still haven't stopped singing. Keep your eye on this band. They are for real". -BPM BEAT PUPPET MAGAZINE