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!
One Step Further
By Alex Kantarelis
Breaking through in a scene dedicated to an endless number of metal bands, alternative-rock-jam-band One Step Further dares to be different, and in a good way.
The band got their start almost accidentally in May of 2009. Singer-songwriter Ryan Pasakinskas had a gig booked as a solo act, and decided he wanted a band to back him up. He called up some fellow musicians and songwriters to jam with him. After some quick practice sessions, they played their show together, and suddenly a band had formed.
The six-piece is made up of Pasakinskas on acoustic guitar, Scott McGrath on the keyboard, Rob Thompson on Sax (all three share vocal duties) Adam Morin on bass, Tim Gruntman on electric guitar, and Jay Anderson keeping the rhythm on the drums. They have spent the past year and a half playing shows and festivals all over Worcester and the New England area.
When asked to describe their sound, Pasakinskas replied that it’s not easy to label them within a specific genre. “It’s always a tough question for me to answer and it’s one of those questions that I have to answer all the time. At times we sound like an acoustic singer-songwriter, at times we sound like Dave Matthews, and at times we’re a rock band,” he said.
Late in 2009, the guys hit the studio for the first time, bringing with them their mesh of musical influences which range from Pink Floyd to the Cure to David Bowie and everything in between. For the recording session, their guitarist Tim Gruntman served as producer. The guys recorded four original songs, available on their debut self-titled album that came out earlier this year.
The album includes 6 live tracks, and is available in digital form on iTunes, Myspace, Facebook and their website, onestepfurthermusic.com. For people not comfortable with technology, they also have hard copies on CD (does anyone remember CDs?) which are available at their live shows and at cdfreedom.com.
Sheez Late
By Jessica A. Botelho
After a long hiatus, the members of Sheez Late are back on the local music scene and are gearing up to release a new album.
“We just love to play music,” said guitarist and vocalist Ron Roy. “It became a possibility again so we got together and jammed.”
Roy, along with bassist and vocalist Amy Mackey and drummer Joe Sheehan, originally formed the rock band in the 1990s and decided to reunite as a trio just over a year ago. Ultimately, they said they were missing something and cello player Adam Harrington was just what they needed to update and personalize their style.
“I saw them play at Ralph’s Diner and I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” said Harrington. “I thought they wailed.” Harrington, who has been in the band for just over three months, said the cello “…brings a whole lot more to the table. “It adds depth to the music,” he explained.
Roy agreed. “The cello is definitely powerful,” he said. “Our music is similar to the way it was, but now it’s got an edge and you don’t hear that in many bands.”
Sheehan said they weren’t sure if they were going to like it at first, but they were all pleasantly surprised. “We definitely dig it,” he said.
Currently, Sheez Late is in the process of recording a seven-song CD titled Blast.
“We decided to call it that because we like to have a blast,” laughed Roy.
Mackey said it has been truly great getting back together. “We’re still playing a lot of older stuff, but it has a new twist to it,” she said. “It has a great energy.”
In order to show off their fresh sound to their Worcester fans, they are a show at The Raven on October 2nd.
“It’s a fun city and it’s affordable,” said Roy. “For musicians, there are a lot of opportunities in Worcester. The community is so supportive of local music and we’re fortunate to be a part of it. We hope you check us out on Facebook and MySpace.”
www.facebook.com/pages/Sheez-Late/180167014554
www.myspace.com/sheezlate
www.reverbnation.com/sheezlate
The Hidden Complex (THC)
By Jennifer Russo
What’s YOUR hidden complex? According to Dave, drummer for the band THC, the name stems from the “individual off-beat tick that each and every person has. It’s what separates us as one-of-a-kind beings, and conversely reveals human interconnectivity and oneness.” Back in 2003, the three homegrown Sterling boys married their talents and started discussing their music and influences, had a jam session, and the band was born.
THC certainly does have an off-beat kind of unique mojo, if you will. They create songs that use the quintessential guitar and drums, but add to them a variety of instruments and objects to get different sound effects ~ mandolin, sax, hand claps, wine and gin bottles, bongos, holiday cookie tins and local storm recordings, just to name a few, are all part of the mix.
Their first full-length album ~ titled Crow Hill ~ has 16 tracks and plays for over an hour. Doing all of their own recording on the album with limited equipment and time helped them to refine and experiment with different sounds and styles. “Vocal harmonies and doo-wop ensue,” Dave tells Pulse.
They describe their music as psychedelic/rock/blues/folk, but they refuse to be boxed in to any one genre when they want to reflect the diversity of who they are and the influences they have ~ which range from Pink Floyd and The Doors to The Fugees and Tool.
THC hopes to remain indie artists under their own label and believe that some of the biggest obstacles for unsigned artists are “pop music, drone rap, and foolish consistency.” They call their label project Shire Studios and if the company mirrors the eclectic, musically open attitude that these guys have, I expect that there will be every kind of music genre attached to it.
Giving it all to their fans, including them in the musical moments and balancing their original songs with sing-along classics like “Foxy Lady,” “Scarlet Begonias,” “Pawn Shop,” and an ad-libbed version of “ Sweet Home Alabama,” these guys promise to show you a great time if you go to one of their shows. “Why not,” Dave tells Pulse. “If you have as much fun as we do, you’ll never forget it. Don’t look at music; LISTEN…and get into it!”
Check out THC’s full length CD, Crow Hill, online at ReverbNation by going to reverbnation.com/thehiddencomplex and don’t forget to “like” them on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hidden-Complex/173362027388
