thePULSEBands, clubs, artists, and businesses that you may not have heard of yet…but that we think are going to make a name for themselves really soon ~ and you get to hear about them here, right before they make it big!
BAND
The Glass Onion Project
By Rebecca Carter
Formed in the summer of 2006 by drummer Trevor Hodde and bassist Michael Brazeau, The Glass Onion Project (also featuring Dave “Shuggy” Shugrue on vocals and Taylor Andrews on guitar) boasts two unique facts: A) three out of the four band members are only seventeen and B) the self-described metal thrashers took their name from a Beatles’ song.
“Trevor Hodde lived next door to me and had purchased a drum kit and wanted to start a band,” explained Brazeau. “He had two friends that he had been playing with in another project that he wanted to bring in to The Glass Onion Project. We all discussed what we were looking to do and found that our influences were generally the same. Dave, our singer, is a huge Beatles fan, and he came up with the name. We set a date for our first rehearsal and off we went.” Since then, The G.O.P. (no pun intended) has played The Lucky Dog, Mill Street Brews and The Palladium and has shared the stage with both local and national acts ~ proving that what starts out a high school garage band can take off with a devoted following of friends who become fans and with the right motivation and sound. “We love to do shows with the guys from Skulltoboggan. They are the best and make just about everything possible. The Worcester scene is cool and we enjoy all the people involved in making it a positive one”.
With influences including Slayer, Tool, Megadeth, and early Metallica (yes, their website is careful to state “early,” as any true Metallica fan would), The Glass Onion Project also takes notes from The Talking Heads and The Red Hot Chili Peppers to create a style that Brazeau simply describes as “LOUD.” “Some of [our music] is very basic and some parts are very complex. We believe that it is definitely original. Our main musical direction is alternative/heavy metal, hard rock, speed/thrash and a bit of progressive rock, but we all use our personal influences to keep it one of a kind.”
The Glass Onion Project is still at work on their first studio album, but has recently expanded their original four track demo to a seven song demo which can be bought through their MySpace page.
For more info on The Glass Onion Project, booking or to request a demo, check out myspace.com/theglassonionproject.
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BAND
I Rise
When Keepin’ it Real Goes Right
By Jillian Locke
Family can be a beautiful thing, and I Rise is proof. Brothers Nicky and Alex Kantarelis, now 19 and 25 respectively, have been playing in bands together since Alex was 17 and Nicky was 12 years old. They learned to play instruments together and even in the midst of band line-up changes, the brothers still share a common vision of playing music and touring ~ in other words, doing what they do best.
The music they make together, with the help of bassist Sean Martin and drummer Keith Sidorowicz, completely captures and breaths life into a scene that has certainly undergone physical and mental changes since the days of The Hope Conspiracy and Bane, two bands that have influenced I Rise and their music. But I Rise isn’t about doing what’s already been done before, and that became crystal clear almost as soon as I started talking with them.
I Rise recently signed with 1917 Records out of California, and with two festivals (As One Festival and the Sound and Fury Festival) and at least three tours already in the making for this summer, the band is stoked at their progress, and even more stoked for the July release of their LP. “I feel like we’re straying away from strictly hardcore music. Before we would write a song and think things like, ‘I really like this, but it’s too rock and roll,’ or something along those lines. There are a lot of unspoken rules with hardcore, and this time around we’re breaking the rules and writing a record that we really like,” Alex says. Pretty huge step, considering most bands don’t reach that point until much later on in their careers. “That’s true,” Alex attests, “however, we’ve been playing out for a long time, and I think we’ve worked really hard and come a long way to reach this point, and we couldn’t be more excited about the way the album is turning out.”
Nicky feels the same way. “This album really pays homage to some of my earliest and favorite influences. There’s a lot of Nirvana and Quicksand coming through in this album, and I think it sounds amazing.” Although Alex is the only non-straight-edge member of the band, I Rise is still not strictly a “straight-edge” band. “This album basically talks about the sad state of society and the way people are choosing to live their lives. There’s a song called ‘The Wolf’ that talks about every human being having a hidden beast inside, whether it’s greed, or sex, or using people instead of developing relationships. I allude to this song in other songs too, like a political song I wrote about the government and the beast within the system. I like the lyrics on this album a lot more ~ I feel as though I’ve been able to get my point across a lot more musically. It’s everything I would want a in a record at this point in my life.”
The Kantarelis brothers also help run Eightfold Path Records, a label out of Worcester that helped them put out their 7” split with the R.I. outfit Soul Control. Check out the local label, and keep these promising up and comers on the radar as they continue to build and expand upon their musical explorations.
myspace.com/irisehc
myspace.com/eightfoldpathrecords 1917records.com
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BAND
Francine…And Her Ruby Slippers
By Alex Kantarelis
Kayoum Muhammad ~ Vocals & Guitar; Joshua Strout ~ Guitar; Eric Strout ~ Bass; Robert Kelley ~ Drums
For fans of Circa Survive, At the Drive In, and Death Cab for Cutie.
Let’s face it. The music industry is a business. No matter how many people deny it, so many bands are out just to make money ~ but every now and then there is a band playing simply because they love making music.
Francine…And Her Ruby Slippers is one of those bands, and they offer a sound that can’t really be defined by typical genres ~ but if forced to come under an umbrella, I guess the umbrella would be called indie-rock with some pop influence.
The Central MA-based four-piece got their start in 2004, playing as many all ages shows as they could. The guys, who are in their early 20s, have literally grown up with their music. Evolving from a raw-sounding band playing just local shows, in 2007 they went on several tours, including one with local hardcore band Vanna, playing huge shows down the East Coast.
Their love for music is what has kept them going for the past three years. Singer and guitarist Kayoum Muhammad spoke of the band’s 3-and-a-half year existence by saying, “We’ve played every kind of show and played with every kind of band; played the worst shows, and played some of the best shows ever.” To him, just playing music is all that matters.
Francine…And her Ruby Slippers released a full length in 2006 and are currently working hard on a digital EP that will be available online through iTunes. The new songs are more a mixture of an electronic and acoustic sound, which is a sign that the band continues to evolve. Their previous songs were more pop influenced, and the new material is just the road their song writing has taken them down. But the EP is just the immediate future. “Right now we’re taking time off shows to write an LP,” said bassist Eric Strout. When that comes out, the plan is to hit the road for as long as possible.
While most bands talk about money and record labels and management, the guys in Francine talk about traveling, and writing music. They truly just want to be able to play their music the way they want to, not worrying about money.
When asked about his goal for the band, Muhammad said, “Just to have the ability to tour and go places we’ve never been.” “If we make a fan a night, we’re happy,” Eric added.
In this world of musicians acting like businessmen, it’s nice to see a band like Francine…and Her Ruby Slippers keeping it real.
francinemusic.com www.myspace.com/francine
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BAND
Black River Sound
By Alex Kantarelis
Lately hip-hop seems to be in a state of similarity. So many groups and singers are churning out the same product. It’s almost as if there is a formula for it, and we know exactly what we’re going to get before we hear it. But hip-hop fans can breathe a sigh of relief because Black River Sound defies this current trend, offering something totally unique to the scene.
The group, built by five siblings and a few close friends, knows how to keep things in the family. The Hendricks family is not new to music at all. “My family and I have been performing together pretty much our entire lives,” said lead vocalist Justice (aka Holly Hendricks). They have traveled all over the world singing together, so it’s only fitting that the 2 brothers and 3 sisters have put together this band.
Following a typical formula is not what Black River Sound is out to do. The eight-piece has 4 lead vocalists (3 female, and one male, all siblings) and a 4-piece rhythm section. Their live presence automatically sets them apart from a typical hip-hop act. Seeing 4 singers on stage with a band backing them will leave a lasting image in your mind.
But their unique image is not all. The band also strays away from pre-recorded beats and samples. Instead, their rhythm section takes over, giving the crowd that live music feel that hip-hop lacks. Justice describes the sound as “…a combination of hip-hop with reggae with some soul and funk in there. It’s eclectic; it’s definitely a mixture of some different types of music.”
The band has only been together for eight months, but they have already solidified themselves as a force in the music scene all over the Northeast. “We started off doing shows in Worcester, then started getting gigs in Boston, and next thing you know we’re playing Providence and New York, Justice said. And the good offers just keep coming in. “We’re a new band, but things have been happening so fast since our first show just 8 months ago,” Justice added.
They just finished up work on their first full length album entitled Crazy Tree, which will be available from the band at all of their upcoming shows.
Though it may be a cliché, music really is Black River Sound’s passion. The Hendricks family wants nothing more than to make music. “Our goal is to get our music out there and to be able to make it a career. The money is a bonus, but every single person in our family has known that music is what we want to do for our lives.”
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PHOTOGRAPHER
Pistol Photography
By Rebecca Carter
Owned and operated by Jamie Ivins and Kevin Rafter, Pistol Photography is a locally based commercial photography service that offers its clients the ability to shoot on location or in studio.
“My start in photography was really by accident,” explains Ivins. “I took a class in black and white photography to fill an elective because I thought it would be fun and was hooked soon after. I started filling my school schedule with as many photo classes as possible and started entering my photographs in local contests like ArtsWorcester and won an honorable mention.”
Armed with a Canon Rebel xti, Canon Speedlite 580EX II flash with a Gary Fong flash diffuser and Profoto and Alien Bees lights, Ivins has shot concerts, individuals, tattoo conventions, and some of local suspension artist Rob Hill’s demonstrations. “My favorite thing to shoot during the 2008 Worcester Tattoo & Art festival was the suspension demonstrations put on by Hill and his assistant Sean. It’s so hard to describe but the insanity of watching someone hang from their back or knees by
hooks through the skin, all while shooting is a wonderful experience. I have been in the rock/hardcore music scene since my early teens so I love shooting those events. I love the people I am surrounded by and the bands are nothing short of awesome! But as much as I love shooting in the music scene, portrait photography is my specialty and I love shooting tattoo portraits,” describes Ivins.
“Some local artists we have worked with are Joe Peterson and Louis Shulman of Zaza Ink in West Boylston and John Caroll of Art Gecko. We love working with tattoo artists and the tattoo community because we, ourselves, have an abundance of tattoos and fit in really well with the scene. Our best experience so far has been shooting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Worcester for the 2008 Worcester Tattoo & Art festival. We made tons of new friends and got some great stuff out of the weekend.”
Ivins has also shot Boston/Worcester-based band Vanna and Worcester-based hard rock band Switchblade Suicide. He and Kevin practically become part of the show, nimbly maneuvering between the musicians and gear on-stage and the fans in the audience.
With plans on the horizon to begin shooting portraits for members of the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and plenty of local flavor to fill the lens, Pistol Photography hopes to continue expanding. “Overall, being a photographer is the greatest gig I could imagine. It’s something that I love to do and to be recognized by such amazing people is an awesome feeling. We can’t wait for the year that lies ahead of us.”
For more information and samples of their work, check out www.myspace.com/
pistolphotography
