As part of the surf revival movement of the early '90s (Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Laika & the Cosmonauts, the re-emergence of the great Dick Dale, etc.), Auburn's Man or Astroman? specializes in a slightly different variation on the genre, self-described as space-age surf. Formed in 1992, the quartet originally consisted of members who went by such off the wall aliases as Birdstuff (drums), Star Crunch (guitar), Dr. Delecto & his Invisible Vaportron (bass), and Electronic Monkey Wizard (on something called alternate-universe bass), Man or Astro-man? combined the classic surf sounds of the '60s along with the quirky humor and approach of such groundbreaking groups as Devo.

Jacuzzi Boys

In reality, there's a split personality involved in this man's music: there's Blowfly, the outrageously garbed creator of trash classics such as "Shittin' on the Dock of the Bay" and "Porno Freak," and then there's Clarence Reid, who has recorded more than a dozen "clean" albums over the years and penned songs for the likes of K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Gwen McRae, Betty Wright, and Sam and Dave. Many people cite Blowfly as being the first rapper with his 1965 "Rap Dirty" record, which was re-recorded for disco giants T.K. Records after the smash success of Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight." Blowfly himself credits the "soul talking" Southern radio DJs of the '50s and '60s as the pioneers of rap, but he is without dispute the first rapper to have a song banned, after an Alabama record store was busted for peddling "Porno Freak." Blowfly was also sued by the President of ASCAP for his "What a Difference a Lay Makes." (The music publishing honcho also happened to be the composer of the popular "What a Difference a Day Makes.") Blowfly's sounds are a staple of modern-day hip hop. His music has been sampled by many rappers, including The Jurassic 5, (whose hit "Quality Control" is backed by the outro from Weird World Of Blowfly) Ice Cube, Atmosphere and Puff Daddy.

In the past decade, Chicago's Mike Kinsella has played a variety of instruments in a handful of bands including Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, The One Up Downstairs, American Football, Owls, Maritime, and Aloha. Owen is his solo project.

The impetus for Owen was a direct result of the demise of American Football. Up to that point, having been associated with a number of bands, Mike sought a project where he could have complete creative control over all aspects including songwriting, recording, album artwork, and overall artistic direction.

When it came time to record his solo album, Mike approached Polyvinyl with the idea to take the money that normally would be spent on a recording studio and instead spend it on software so he could record the album on his own. He ended up heading to his mother's house in Chicago and turned his old bedroom into a recording studio. Wishing to avoid the connotations associated with solo singer-songwriters, Mike began recording under the pseudonym, 'Owen.'

Slingshot Dakota

Johnston’s songs are often praised for their literary quality – and deservedly so – but they also hit you on a gut level. As a young man, Johnston was drawn to both the raw energy of punk and the austere beauty of Paul McCartney’s vocal melodies. It’s no surprise that Elvis Costello’s My Aim Is True is among the first albums that inspired him. One can hear Costello’s gift for meticulous songcraft and wry storytelling on Johnston’s second album, Can You Fly.

The western Massachusetts band, Winter Pills fifth release, which came out Feb. 14, 2012 on Signature Sounds, stretches well beyond Winterpills’ previous boundaries on thirteen new songs that are at once identifiable, yet broader. All My Lovely Goners embraces the hushed vocal harmonies and graceful chamber-pop sound the group has made its trademark, while pushing the quintet into new sonic realms. Together, singer/songwriter/guitarist Philip Price, singer/keyboardist Flora Reed, guitarist Dennis Crommett, bassist Brian Akey and drummer Dave Hower have essentially redefined the creative spirit of Winterpills.

Maura Rogers

Join us June 19, 2013, at the Historic Beachland Ballroom, along the emerging hotspot of Waterloo Arts District, Cleveland. It’s here Chefs Brian Doyle of Beachland Ballroom and Brian Rosander of Rosander’s Berea will band together with Cleveland’s own Vanity Crash, performing an over-the-top popup, with all the sound and seasoning of a high fidelity feast.

For one night only, we can be heros. For one star studded night in June, Cleveland will set the culinary world on fire, for a Pop-Up in a glaze of Glam. Presenting Piggy Stardust and the Flavors from Mars, a foodie celebration meets rock show dinner theater — a recipe made for one storied stage.

Acclaimed singer, songwriter and bandleader Fred Eaglesmith is a genuine iconoclast and true original. It’s the natural result of following the cue of his musical career and now 19 albums with the January 2012 release of 6 Volts. The result is one of the most fascinating and musically rewarding careers in contemporary music.

As he has doggedly gone his own way as an independent musical artist, Eaglesmith has also enjoyed such high profile rewards in recent years as having his songs covered by country superstars Toby Keith, Alan Jackson and Miranda Lambert, among many other accomplishments.

Walter Trout’s backstory is a page-turner you won’t want to put down. Five decades in the making; it is equal parts thriller, romance, suspense and horror. There are musical fireworks, critical acclaim and fists-aloft triumph, offset by wilderness years and brushes with the jaws of narcotic oblivion. There are feted early stints as gunslinger in bands from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers to Canned Heat, and the solo career that’s still blazing a quarter-century later. 
The veteran bluesman has seen and done it all, with just one omission: he’s never made a covers album, until now. 
“Luther Allison’s Blues is my first,” Trout notes. “I’ve thought about doing this album for years. It was just time.”

Brickhouse Blues Band

The Clumsy Lovers have brought their mix of fiddle and banjo-fuelled, bluegrassified Celtic rock to North American audiences for over a decade. With more than 2500 performances under their belts, their high-energy shows have worn out dance floors and created a loyal following in 49 states and across their homeland of Canada.

In 2010 the Clumsy Lovers released “Make Yourself Known”, a 13-song collection showcasing the band’s penchant for mixing styles. From bluegrass rave-ups to pop-rock sing-a-longs, this album brings the Lovers live show energy to your living room.

But the Clumsy Lovers are still, first and foremost, a live band. Their spontaneous forays into musical mayhem can only be experienced in person, and after years of relentless touring the Lovers feel most at home on a stage.