Bands, 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
Exhale
By Alex Kantarelis

Fans of hard rock and metal need to look no further than Exhale to fulfill their musical desires. The Lowell based band is making a name for themselves all over the Worcester and Central MA area.

Lead singer/guitarist Corey McClane describes the band as a hybrid of “…hard rock, prog, and metal.” Or, for those of you looking for a more detailed description, “Alice in Chains meets Disturbed,” he said. “That’s the closest thing we can think of.”

The band, who focus all their attention on their original songs, have recently released an 8 song demo which is available at their shows and online on both their website and their myspace page. But they’re not stopping there. Corey and company are currently working hard on their first full length CD which they plan to self release by the end of the year. That will bring both new and old fans 13 songs to keep them busy.

The four-piece is not stopping there. They also plan on recording the CD themselves. “We self record,” McClane said. “Our lead guitar player does all the recordings, it’s free even though it takes longer.”

They have been playing together for a few years now, starting in 2004. There have been some line-up changes recently, and very recently they brought on a new full time bassist, although they haven’t officially made the announcement yet. Stay tuned, though, it’s going to be a good one ~ they’ll be making it ~ and introducing the mystery bassist to their audiences ~ very soon.

Exhale’s hard-hitting sound blends well with a hardcore crowd, but offers a bit more melody than a typical hardcore band. McClane describes their performance as “…equivalent to a hardcore band, but with a much more mainstream progressive sound.” He went on to say, “I scream my face off like a lot of hardcore bands do, but like Alice in Chains, we drop into the more melodic parts, with actual singing.”

While working on their album, they have toned down their aggressive live show and have gotten some attention playing acoustically in the area. The response has been so positive that they plan on releasing an acoustic album as soon as they are done with the full length. Look for that in early 2009.

On May 13th, they will be performing acoustically through Local Roots Music Showcase, an internet-based radio show on BunkRadio.com; the performance will be broadcast online along with an hour-long interview with the band. Check the band’s myspace page for more information.

As for the future of Exhale, they are excited about their new finalized line-up and the new CD on the horizon, and hope to eventually tour and live off their music. As McClane put it so simply, “That’s the dream, to be able to tour and make money off music.”

www.Myspace.com/exhalemusic
www.ExhaleInYourFace.com
www.sonicbids.com/exhalemusic

______________________________________________________

BAND
Danny Pease and the Regulators (DPR)
By Mary Ouellette

What originally started out as a Sublime cover band and some friends jamming in the basement has evolved into the musical clan currently known as Danny Pease and the Regulators. After about a year of playing cover tunes, the band (Verbal Kenn and Phaze on vocals, Danny Pease on guitar, Jake Curran on bass, Benji James on rebel guitar, Jeremy Fournier on drums, and Joe Grenier on percussion) started writing original music and that’s where they began to emerge into who they are today. With the most recent additions of Handsome B. and Southbridge native Phaze, the band has a more urban feel and a whole new flavor. They have essentially reinvented themselves, with the duality of songs that are politically charged in nature while maintaining a sound that is still light hearted and fun. According to Phaze, “The band tries to send a message through our lyrics but still have fun while we’re doing it. We are definitely a rebellious bunch. Our inspiration is life itself, we call it rebel music.”

Whether playing at Tammany Hall or The Webster Theater, when DPR takes the stage, it’s hard to tell if you’re at a concert or a party. In the end, though, you find out that it’s the best of both worlds. “We don’t do shows where people just watch, we’re too high energy for that. Our shows are a party, everybody is dancing, singing along, throwing their hands up and just having a good time,” says Phaze. The band makes it their mission to ensure that everyone in attendance has a positive experience.

With a sound that blends reggae, ska, punk and hip hop, the band describes themselves as Sublime meets The Roots but really feels that their sound is truly indescribable and best labeled simply as “DPR Sound.” Proud of the fact that their music has no boundaries, their songs are an equal blend of each member’s influences, and when you have seven guys in a band that can lend itself to quite a varied list of resources!

The band, currently in contention to appear on the reality show Bodog Battle of the Bands, which will air on the FUSE television network, has made it to the 4th round of regional competitions. Their next qualifying round is March 5th in New York. If they make it on to the show, they’ll travel across the country competing in challenges and performing in front of a panel of judges hoping to be the last band standing so they can take home the coveted first place prize of a one million dollar recoding contract, putting yet another MA-based band on the map. That would definitely call for one hell of a party!

To follow DPR through The Bodog Battle of the Bands: music.bodoglife.net/bodogbattle

DPR on Myspace:
www.myspace.com/dpregulators

__________________________________________________

SOLO
Art Beatz – Producer/DJ
By Mary Ouellette

When Art Beatz was growing up in his native country of Iraq, he had big dreams of becoming a world renowned soccer player. It wasn’t until his older brothers asked their father for a keyboard that he realized that music might be his true calling. What started out as a secret hobby of playing with his brothers’ keyboard when they weren’t around turned into a much larger passion. He quickly learned how to play music by ear by listening to his brother playing church hymns. His enthusiasm for creating music reached new levels when he arrived in the United States at age thirteen and got his hands on his brothers’ Korg Triton keyboard. He quickly realized that with his creativity and a little ingenuity the possibilities were limitless.

As a producer of many different genres including techno, rap, R&B, and Reggae, Art thought “…it would be a great idea to create a CD that included all of these genres in one but was still good enough to dance to in clubs.” And from that idea was born his CD Axiom. The eclectic disc covers every magical sound your ears can possibly dream up and then some ~ from techno to house to dance to rap. Along with this diverse range of sound, the CD also incorporates songs that feature three different local artists: Ariez (Rap), Pritty Boy (Reggae), and JiJi (R&B), bridging the gap among the different genres. Among Art’s personal favorites on the disc are the songs “Human Interaction” ~ which is a techno/club/dance mix ~ and “Ayshallak” ~ an Arabic/techno song that features samples from the famous Lebanese singer Elissa.

For many people, “techno” music remains an enigma. What is it really? Never fear, Art breaks it down for us. “Techno can be described in many ways. As for me, I think of it as a type of dance music that is played in clubs and uses instruments like keyboards, synthesizers, bass, drums and voice samples.” With inspirations ranging from Dr. Dre’s beats to Yanni’s melodies, you can imagine that there are no boundaries for Art’s mixes; he thrives on mixing old school with new stylings and feels that with the combination of his keyboard and ProTools he’s ready for world music domination. He’s admittedly inspired by “…any sound that catches his ear,” which undoubtedly keeps him very busy.

Even though Art now calls Worcester home, he has not forgotten his roots in Baghdad. While Iraq might not strike you as a musical Mecca, Art’s ultimate goal as a musician and a producer is to “…one day help the people of Iraq and hope that they will look up to me as an example. Music is a great way of creating love and happiness in that part of the world. I want them to see how someone from Iraq has succeeded.” Who can argue with that?

You can catch Art Beatz on Thursday nights on BarNone in Worcester.

Art Beatz on MySpace: www.myspace.com/artbeatz17

_______________________________________________________

MAKE-UP ARTIST
Crystal Raucci-Robert of Looks by Crystal
By Linnea Sheldon

Like many young girls, Crystal Raucci-Robert always played with hair and make-up. She started in junior high and continued right through high school, even doing hair and make-up for proms and weddings. What was just a hobby for many people became so much more Crystal, who was born and still lives in Webster.

After working at a lumber yard for years, she recently decided that it was time to get back to pursuing her passion full-time. She started school at Blaine in January of 2007 for cosmetology and is looking forward to her up-coming graduation. She has also been styling on the side, including working on photo shoots with her brother Daniel Robert, himself an up and coming photographer.

What started out with styling friends and relatives has grown tremendously. Crystal currently works with all kinds of people, and after graduation she plans on working at a high end salon. Right now, she’s building a portfolio that includes doing headshots for aspiring models.

Crystal has a ton of advice for the rest of us out there. For the cosmetically challenged she stresses the importance of starting with a good foundation. “When you build a house you want a good sturdy foundation and walls,” she explained. “Makeup is just like that, you want the best foundation and concealers to blend with your skin tone and be sturdy for the rest of the makeup that’s going on your face. You want good quality foundations.”

While Crystal agrees it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money on make-up, she said foundations and concealers are not somewhere you want to skimp. As far as make-up trends, she said there are some great lower-priced eye shadows, and it’s not always necessary to shell out major dough for the look of the moment.

She is a big fan of Mac, particularly the eye pigments and shock cream sticks. She also recommends L’Oreal’s HIP line, and Revlon cream blushes. Her favorite foundation is by Tigi. “I always tell people not to let the makeup hide you,” she said. “Less can be more. You don’t need to pile on a ton of it for it to show if you blend it right.”

If you’re completely new to make-up, or could use a little help, Crystal also recommends visiting a make-up counter to help find the colors that best suit your skin and eye color. Salons are another great option because you can get some one-on-one instruction from a knowledgeable instructor.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Crystal and seeing her on-line portfolio, head to www.myspace.com/looksbycrystal. You can contact her directly at Crystalrr22@yahoo.com. You can also view more of her creations at www.danielrobertphotography.com.