Showing 1 - 25 of 36
Artist: Da Band
Out of a 40,000-strong field of aspiring vocalists and rappers, six people became the focus of MTV's Making the Band series during 2003. Babs (Lynese Wiley), Dylan (Dylan John), Freddrick (Frederick Watson), Ness (Lloyd Mathis), Sara (Sara Stokes), and Young City (Rodney "Chopper" Hill) were handpicked to become part of P. Diddy's Bad Boy... [+] Read More
Artist: Dream Street
Joining the massively successful circus of teen pop comes the pre-pubescent boy band called Dream Street. These New York natives are show business veterans, handpicked by producers Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow with hopes of scoring big on the never-ending teen pop phenomenon. They formed in 1999, and Dream Street -- Greg Raposo, Christopher... [+] Read More
Artist: Allison Thrash - Austin
Allison Thrash:
http://www.allisonthrash.com and http://www.myspace.com/allisonthrash
Allison's vocal performance has been described as "...leaving no crumbs on the table.. Her voice has been called "...absolutely sultry...powerful...new, unique and different...S-T-R-O-N-G...â Allison Thrash and her handpicked band of talented and... [+] Read More
Artist: Pier' Rosier
A Martiniquan singer of traditional music who went the zouk route in 1985 with a first-rate group of Paris-based musicians calling themselves Gazoline. Artistic differences between Rosier and the band led to their breakup in late 1987, so Rosier went on to form his own handpicked band of underlings, which he named Gazolinn'. His entire catalog,... [+] Read More
Artist: Phantom Lord
Greek power metal ensemble Phantom Lord (not to be confused with the German thrashers by the same name) was formed in 1997 by guitarist Yiannis Fiorentis, and drew inspiration primarily from Kai Hansen-era Helloween. Competent albums like In Twilight World (1999), Evil's Domain (2000), Circle of the Wasted (2002), and Imperial Fall (2005) have... [+] Read More
Artist: Becky Barksdale
Hailing from Port Arthur, Texas (the same hometown as the legendary Janis Joplin), guitarist Becky Barksdale began playing when her grandfather gave her an instrument at the age of twelve. She learned quickly and was gigging on the regional scene by the time she was sixteen, leading to a period on the road with an incarnation of blues-boogie... [+] Read More
Artist: Joe Satriani
Along with teaching some of the top rock guitar players of the '80s and '90s, Joe Satriani is one of the most technically accomplished and widely respected guitarists to emerge in recent times. Born on July 15, 1956, in Westbury, NY, and raised in the nearby town of Carle Place, Satriani -- inspired by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix -- picked up the... [+] Read More
Artist: The Black Keys
The two-man duo comprising the Black Keys, singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, were in their early twenties when their debut, The Big Come Up, was issued in 2002. From Akron, OH, they play close-to-the-bone, raw blues-rock, the only instrumentation being Auerbach's guitar, Carney's drums, and the occasional organ. Auerbach... [+] Read More
Artist: Kazell
A DJ whose sets skillfully blend house, trance, and breaks, U.K. native Kazell (born Kevin Bazell) moved to Atlanta in 1991. Kazell first gained respect as resident at the city's popular Liquid Groove club before moving to Los Angeles in 1999. Successful sets at the legendary Spundae led to being handpicked by Sander Kleinenberg, Deep Dish, and... [+] Read More
Artist: The Wannadies
The Wannadies are one of Sweden's sweetest secrets, a band that was lucky enough to look beyond the pop sensations of ABBA, Ace of Base, and Roxette to establish a career inside modern rock. Hailing from Skelleftea, the Wannadies formed in the late '80s and brought Sweden's alternative rock scene to the forefront nearly a decade later. Pär... [+] Read More
Artist: The Statler Brothers
Named after a brand of tissues, the four members of the Statler Brothers did not in fact share a fraternal bond; what they did share, however, was the distinction of being one of the most successful vocal harmony groups in the history of country music. Formed in the group's home base of Staunton, VA, in 1955, the Statlers were originally a... [+] Read More
Artist: Hagfish
Hagfish is one of the missing links between punk rock's first invasion of the mainstream at the hands of Green Day and the Offspring, and the genre's mass acceptance via sugary-sweet punk rockers like Blink-182 and Lit a few years later. Formed in Dallas, TX, by vocalist George Reagan III, guitarist Zach Blair, his bassist brother Doni, and... [+] Read More
Artist: Steve Sevek
Steve started writing songs in 1989 at the age of 42. Steve does not sing or play a musical instrument (unless the bass drum counts?). So how does someone who doesn't play an instrument go about writing songs? Well, in Steve's case it happened like this: One day while going through some bad times and while listening to a Bob Dylan song with... [+] Read More
Artist: Ethel the Frog
Although they surely possessed one of the most implausible names ever chosen by a heavy metal band, believe it or not, Humberside, England's Ethel the Frog (named after an obscure Monty Python musical skit) were once promising participants in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal -- the same movement that spawned Iron Maiden and Def Leppard.... [+] Read More
Artist: The Modernaires
The harmony vocal group the Modernaires originally formed in Buffalo, NY, in 1935 (all of its members were high school pals), and were best known for singing with orchestras. Starting off as a trio (including members Hal Dickinson, Chuck Goldstein, and Bill Conway), the group would often assume a different name during these engagements, going by... [+] Read More
Artist: Roberto Correa
The importance of Roberto Corrêa to Brazilian folk music derives not only from his virtuosity at the ten-string viola (unlike the bowed homonymous instrument, this one has usually five doubled/octaved strings that must be handpicked or plucked), but also from his important role as a researcher and promoter of the genre, of the caipira... [+] Read More
Artist: Hodges, James & Smith
Hodges, James & Smith (HJS) was the brainstorm of producer/writer William "Mickey" Stevenson, Motown's A&R Director during their glory years. All Detroit natives, Pat Hodges, Denita James, and Jessica Smith were handpicked by Stevenson, though they each took different routes to get there. Hodges played the clarinet in a local band, then attended... [+] Read More
Artist: Arte Mixto
Featuring two guitars, bass, violin, and an extensive range of percussion instruments, Cuba's Arte Mixto mixes traditional up-tempo Cuban music with elements of classical music, jazz, flamenco, salsa, and samba. Led by violinist Alexis Correa, the band formed in the early '90s in the city of Cienfuegos Las Villas, featuring a group of students... [+] Read More
Artist: Charles Zawose
As the longtime accompanist and right-hand man of his uncle, Dr. Hukwe Zawose, singer and multi-instrumentalist Charles Zawose was a pivotal component of the family whose music virtually defined the rich creative traditions of their native Tanzania. Charles Zawose was born in Wakili, Tanzania on July 3, 1970 -- while his own family toiled on... [+] Read More
Artist: Cerys Matthews
Born Cerys Elizabeth Philip Matthews in Cardiff, Wales in spring 1969, the singer/songwriter fronted one of the biggest Welsh pop bands to emerge in the Britpop era of the 1990s. Catatonia released five albums, but their biggest success came in 1998 with their third album International Velvet. Not only was it the band's major-label debut for... [+] Read More
Artist: Mamadou Diabate
A member of the Malian familial tradition of the griot (or jeli, as they are known to the Manding of West Africa), kora virtuoso Mamadou Diabate is a link in the chain of oral historians that stretches back to the 13th century. Using music and oratory skills to preserve the history of their people, the griot are given special designation within... [+] Read More
Artist: Liam Lynch
Liam Lynch is best known for his stint with Matt Crocco as MTV's favorite sock puppets on The Sifl and Olly Show. Who knew this funnyman once studied guitar with an ex-Beatle? Born in the Midwest on September 5, 1970, Lynch and Crocco first met as kids in the suburbs of Ohio. For fun, the two would perform skits for each other, for they were... [+] Read More
Artist: Willy Porter
How does a young viola player become a folk-rock guitarist? Perhaps Leo Kottke is to blame. At least in Willy Porter's case he is. Upon hearing Kottke's 6 & 12 String Guitar, everything changed for a young Porter. He put down his bow and grabbed a pick. The rest is history and still in the making. Hailing from Wisconsin, the multiple WAMI... [+] Read More
Artist: Vusi Mahlasela
In his home country of South Africa, singer/songwriter Vusi Mahlasela is fondly known as "The Voice". His fellow countrywoman, the writer Nadine Gordimer, once said about him: Vusi Mahlasela sings as a bird does: in total response to being alive'. Apart from his remarkable songwriting talent, Mahlasela is in fact blessed with one of the most... [+] Read More
Artist: Pierre Michelot
Widely considered the premier European jazz bassist of his generation, Pierre Michelot collaborated with a veritable who's who of postwar giants, including Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. Born in St-Denis, France, on March 3, 1928, Michelot studied piano as a child but moved to classical bass at age 16 -- in the years following World War II, he... [+] Read More
