Conscious, soulful, uplifting, even healing—that’s how many fans of Root Shock have described the band’s infectious sound and energy. With a reputation like that, it’s unsurprising that this group is indebted to reggae, a class of music forever married to love, humanity, social change, and an almost tangible sense of sunlight. But Root Shock didn’t form on a beach. Instead, they came up in snowy Syracuse, New York in 2012, and since then, they’ve developed a voice that transcends genre. Spearheaded by the acrobatic, powerhouse vocals of Jessica Brown, the Root Shock sound is at once commanding and cathartic, but never at the expense of a velvety, carefully placed jazz or neo-soul lick. When he isn’t complementing Brown’s pipes with his own earthy vocal turns, Phil Grajko gets weird on the guitar, seamlessly moving from chop chords to girthy riffs and spellbinding solos colored by Latin, prog, and psychedelic rock textures—often in tandem with mad keyboard genius Brian Lauri. Rounding out the band, bassist Bill Eppel and drummer Tyre Outerbridge make for a formidable rhythm section fluent in patterns ranging from dancehall to ska to heavy dub style and funk. In 2016, Root Shock released a self-titled album, produced by Jason “Jocko” Randall at More Sound Studio, and followed that up with the “Many Paths” EP in 2018 & the Waves single in 2019. These recordings are proof of the band’s democratic songwriting process, with thoughtful lyrics from Brown and Grajko that invoke hope in dark times, warn against injustice, and imagine a future in which all are free and equal and united by music. Today, Root Shock is bringing their renowned live show to clubs, festivals, and concert halls across the Northeast and beyond, delighting audiences from all walks of life with a positive message and danceable tunes.

Magic Beans (Scott Hachey, Casey Russell, Chris Duffy and Cody Wales) have steadily built upon their national notoriety in a very short period of time with a passion for music that is as infectious as their songs. Hailing from Denver, their development has been aided by the warm hearth of the Colorado music scene, and quickly setting themselves apart from the pack as one of the state’s premier acts. Their new album, “Casino Cabaret” (available March 16th), is titled in homage to the vintage sign that hangs above Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom located in the Five Points area of Denver. The venue has served as the heart beat of the Denver music scene for decades under different monikers. Its a place where the legends of jazz, soul, and funk found a common stage, and inspired the Magic Beans to craft an album capturing the different styles and genres that can be heard any given night down in Five Points. With “Casino Cabaret”, the band looks to bring the heart, the vibes, and the feelings of those Denver nights coast to coast.  Holing up in the foothills of Colorado at Scanhope Sound studios, the band looked to build upon their past studio experiences and hone in on the new sound they’ve been building since their last release. Taking the time to make these songs come to life, adding some brass to their already full sound, and dialing in the tones on analog equipment they found ways to add layers to the songs in a way not possible to achieve live. From the album opener “Here On Out” - featuring the saxophone of Clark Smith (Dynohunter), trumpet of Matt Wilkolak (Michal Menert & Big Gigantic), and rounded out by percussion from frequent collaborator, Will Trask, the band puts forward a full and accessible sound. True to form, the Beans even included some studio interludes taken from recording jam sessions to help tease those moments on the road where the band will lift off and take the songs for a ride.  With appearances in 2018 at some of the scenes marquee festivals, a stacked touring schedule and hosting their own Beanstalk Music Festival every June in Colorado, Magic Beans are poised to bust out across the scene and make waves for many years to come.