thePULSEHere are bands and artists you may not have heard of yet…but they have major potential and you get to read about them here, right before they make it big! And “Graduates” are musicians we highlighted in past issues whose careers, as we predicted, have really taken off!
Ghost I’m Gone
By Alex Kantarelis
Throughout the 90s, pop punk bands were dominating the local scenes all over the country. Unfortunately, major labels caught on and started signing every band that even slightly resembled Blink 182 (in either sound or image). The result was the destruction of a scene dedicated to having fun and being young. As pop punk bands entered the mainstream, and record labels began assembling projects as if they were boy bands, the scene had lost what it once stood for. But even with more and more bands achieving mainstream success, some are keeping it real, doing it like it was always meant to be done. 
Worcester’s own Ghost I’m Gone is a pop punk band, plain and simple. They’re not trying to impress, and they’re not trying to become the next big thing. They’re simply trying to play shows and have a good time, like those old bands in the 90s did. Bassist Jovani Villegas says, “We don’t do it with the goal to get on the radio. We just want to make raw simple pop punk songs.”
While the guys have only been together for a year, they have already managed to do a full east coast tour and release a 5 song EP on Argyle Gargoyle Records called The Shirtless EP. And they show no signs of stopping, as December sees them embarking on a tour of the Midwest and Canada, followed by a stop in the studio to record their first full length. Fans of New Found Glory, The Movielife, and the Descendants ~ rejoice.
They are no strangers to the in and outs of the local scenes, having played in hardcore bands in the past who were used to playing shows on anything but a stage. They choose to play basements and garages over big venues, because that’s the way they like it. “A basement, it’s all about going all out, having fun, enjoying the music, and enjoying each other,” Villegas said. Other great bands that evolved from the hardcore scene include Saves The Day, New Found Glory, Four Year Strong, and Fall Out Boy, to name just a few. And I think now it’s safe to add Ghost I’m Gone to the list.
Download The Shirtless EP for free at myspace.com/ghostimgone.
Sky Blue Mind
By Tine Roycroft
There’s a crazy sexy group that’s taking the Worcester rock scene and adding its own twist. Sky Blue Mind ~ lead guitarist Sean Fennel, bass player Bryan Barstow and drummer Bob Belanger ~ is gaining droves of fans with each show. And that’s no easy task for a strictly instrumental band.
“Being an instrumental band in Worcester ~ it’s interesting,” Fennel, 33, said. “We’re received really well and I think it’s something completely different. I take composition very seriously ~ I try to entertain myself and I have a very short attention span.” 
What they withhold in vocals, they make up for in raw talent. Fennel, an acclaimed and accomplished guitarist, trained at California’s prestigious Musician’s Institute. Barstow kills it with his bass performance each show, and Belanger stands as one of the warrior drum gods of Worcester, having put the smack down in bands including The Arthur Dent Foundation and Weight of Gravity.
The group came together in Spring 2009. Fennel had been looking for a new project after recovering from tendonitis and noticed an ad, posted by Belanger, on Craigslist, looking for a funk band.
“[Belanger] had been listening to some of the songs I had composed on my Myspace page and he suggested we give those a try for performing,” Fennel said.
Citing Hendrix and Frank Zappa as notable influences, the progressive/fusion/rock band thrills the audience with caffeine-kicked songs like “Buildriding Monkey.” The energy from this tight trio can be felt from the stage, through the speakers, and in your earbuds. Songs like “Stonewalls,” on the other hand, are just plain beautiful and full of strong Celtic influences.
Despite success, Fennel acknowledges that an instrumental trio might not be every fan’s cup of tea.
“Whenever you play instrumental music, I fear that people are like, ‘Oh that’s just another extended guitar solo,’” Fennel laughed. “But really, an instrumental trio gives me a chance to rock out more.”
Need more Sky Blue Mind? Go to
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=630280627#!/SkyBlueMindmusic
or www.myspace.com/skybluemindmusic.
Pictured: Members of Ghost I’m Gone, members of Sky Blue Mind.
