A while back you might recall that I reviewed a band called Mugshot who have made a name for themselves in New Hampshire as being a great cover band on any given night. While Mugshot is still plugging away each weekend, their vocalist/guitarist Brien Sweet is also making tunes under the name Safer by the Shore. True, playing covers can be a lot of fun and gives you some flexibility to stretch out and show off a bit -- but creating your own material has rewards as well.
In 2007 Brien released his first album of acoustic original songs
Archive for Independent Artists
You’re a (Not So) Mean One
There are countless odes to Santa, Rudolph, grandma, shoes, even donkeys, when it comes to songs for the season. If it will bring a tear to someone’s eye or a laugh into your throat, chances are it has been sung about in some capacity. Except for one fellow, and when his name comes up, depending on your age, some folks think of Boris Karloff while others envision Jim Carrey. That’s right. I’m talking about that fellow whose head wasn’t screwed on quite right, his shoes might have been too tight but it turned out his heart was two sizes too small --
Mercies @ Baltimore Free Farm, 2011.11.18
Another weekend, another local show. This time there's a twist – hippies!
The Baltimore Free Farm is a local nonprofit that is dedicated to community-building, recycling, ethical food, and patchouli. They also happen to run rock shows every now and then. On this day, I was there to see Neutron Bomb, Mercies, Ahab's Revenge, and rioLinda. I've written about a few of these guys before, so I can probably spare you a few of the details. Here we go...
I strolled into the place, not quite knowing what to expect. It's located in the hipster capitol
The Baltimore Free Farm is a local nonprofit that is dedicated to community-building, recycling, ethical food, and patchouli. They also happen to run rock shows every now and then. On this day, I was there to see Neutron Bomb, Mercies, Ahab's Revenge, and rioLinda. I've written about a few of these guys before, so I can probably spare you a few of the details. Here we go...
I strolled into the place, not quite knowing what to expect. It's located in the hipster capitol
YouTube Sensation: Kina Grannis
If you're already familiar with this artist, there are two possible reasons: 1. You use YouTube, and every now and then listen to newest YouTube artists who seem to have some potential or 2. You watched the Super Bowl XLII and have a very good memory of the commercials. What do these two conditions have in common? Kina Grannis. Grannis was the winner of the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest. As a result, her video "Message From Your Heart" was featured during the Super Bowl XLII commercials. Thanks to the contest, Grannis landed a record deal with Interscope Records, but
Wild Flag, S/T, 2011
Wikipedia, the most reputable source for information on the Internets, defines a "super group" as: "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups". There have been tons of these groups since the 1970’s; some more recent candidates include: Super Heavy and Chickenfoot. More often than not these bands feel bloated by too many egos and everyone trying to get in and say something, while the whole band isn’t saying much of anything. To every rule there is an exception. Let me introduce you to Wild Flag: Carrie Browstein and Janet Weiss
