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Artists

Here are all of the artists covered in some shape or form on The Music, The Message.  Are we missing an artist? Help build our site's content; registered users can contribute an artist.

Cramming into a van, six best friends from California have come to terms with making the road their new home. In 2009 The Central Coast Pop-Punk outfit known as From The Top set out to conquer the West Coast and ended up reaching further than they ever anticipated.

The second I heard the song "Blackheart vs. Captain America" kick in, I knew The Lonely Forest were something special.  Not only were the somber melodies and anthemic lyrics charming; the lyrics and casual honesty found in the band's lyrics is remarkable.  Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie) picked up these guys next record (coming out in 2010) for his Warner Bros. Records imprint, Trans, but their 2009 record "We Sing The Body Electric!" is beyond superb.  Certainly a contender for the best album of 2010, it would be a true shame for you to miss this band.

Atlanta band Winston Audio has been at it, in their current form, since early 2006. The release of their debut EP "Come On, Hibernate" caught the attention of Andy Hull, lead singer of Manchester Orchestra and founder of Favorite Gentleman Recordings. The band has since released their full-length "The Red Rhythm", with the help of Favorite Gentlemen, and tours incessantly in support of the album.

Don't let the name fool you, Frightened Rabbit are about as sincere and impassioned as they come. Their previous album "The Midnight Organ Fight" topped innumerate best-of -year lists, and the upcoming album is poised to do the same. The band's sinewy instrumentation, which was once raw and organic, has since evolved into a brainy and epic bit of melodic indie-rock.

Glasgow is a hotbed of indie-rock talent these days, and We Were Promised Jetpacks sits atop the list of local acts on the verge of international success. The band effortlessly intermixes simple and elegant acoustic melodies with hard-hitting electrics and fits of experimentation. The debut album "These Four Walls" has received rave reviews from nearly every major UK publication. Fans of FatCat label mates Frightened Rabbit will enjoy WWPJ.

English 5-piece Francesqa aren't trying to eschew the done-to-death melodic pop/punk mold, and certainly aren't reinventing the wheel. They are, however, mighty good at what they've come together to do in the past couple of years. The band's debut single, "A Little Closer", is a testament to the tried-and-true melodic rock formula - it's a fantastic song.

The Billy Martini Show plays infectious, high octane Rock with driving beats, lyrical hooks and bone crushing guitar riffs. Their live show is a high energy, theatrical, visual and auditory extravaganza!
The Billy Martini Show has 3 albums. “Like No Other”, and “Pajama Party A Go-Go” are available on CDBaby.com, billymartini.com, and for download on iTunes. Their most recent CD, “Love Sombrero” is available for download on their website. All songs are written by Billy Martini and Steve Allison.

Band Members:

Billy Martini – lead vocals
Steve Allison – lead guitar
John Keith – bass

NYC critics' darlings Bear Hands have broken into a quick round of success. As a quirky post-punk outfit with obvious pop sensibilities, the four Brooklynites are swiftly becoming indie-rock mainstays. They've got a sharp sense of humor as well - a trip to the band's Myspace page simply to read the fabricated press quotes is worth the trouble alone.

Scottish indie band The Xcerts prefer passion over theatrics, and sincerity over ostentation. The debut full-length "In the Cold Wind We Smile" is an earnest 12 tracks about - however cliched it may sound - life, love, and loss. After receiving great reviews from mainstay UK alternative publications such as Kerrang! and Rocksound, the band will start work on their second record here in the States with Mike Sapone (Crime In Stereo, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday).

Joe Steer has been actively working the London club circuit for a few years, and it is only recently that he has started to make serious waves with his band Broadcast 2000. The recent release of Steer's self-titled debut album was met with critical acclaim, and his ingenious brand of multi-instrumental neo-folk is starting to make its trek across Europe. Though ultimately a one-man band, Steer takes to the stage with a number of talented local musicians when he performs live. Fans of recent English breakout artist Mumford & Sons will want to take notice.