From Phoenix to Wisconsin: Midwest Soul Xchange Debut Album

The Midwest Soul XChange, a collaborative effort between long-time friends and Chippewa Falls, Wis. natives Ryan Summers and Nate Cherrier, will be releasing its debut album on November 24. 'New American Century' is an eclectic powerhouse of influence.

The Midwest Soul XChange describes their sound as Americana infused with folk, progressive rock, and pop influence. With a passion for acts like Kula Shaker, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and many more, the project is a vehicle to meld those stylings into a coherent, exciting new product. Even though Summers lives in Marshfield, Wisconsin and Cherrier lives in Phoenix, Arizona, the two were able to collaborate in Phoenix during the recording process.

Many times during the creation of 'New American Country,' the Midwest Soul XChange did have to collaborate over a great distance. "What comes to mind is a theme of 'flying blind with precision," Summers explains. "When you can't sit in the same room and hash out a song, you have to wait for the other person to record, upload, and see how the recording fits. It can be challenging if it wasn't what you were expecting, but also exciting."

"There were a lot of happy accidents..."

'New American Country' features eleven new original songs from the two performers. With such a broad spectrum of influence, however, the XChange is somewhat difficult to classify into a genre. 'Americana' is a suitable blanket for the effort, since it doesn't "pigeonhole them into one specific genre." The Midwest Soul XChange often classifies their material as "American Melancholia."

"We tend to write with a national/autobiographical sense," Cherrier detailed. "We consider the tales of our history as well as the harsher realities of today." The core recipe for that creation? The duo considers it a "sprinkling of protest, a dash of sass, a pinch of progressive, and a light glaze of folk."

'New American Century' will be available November 24 on iTunes and many other online services.
https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1004031478

http://midwestsoulxchange.com

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=188021

Umphrey's McGee HD Live Stream Sunday, Sept 2nd At 10PM CST

LAPLIVE.TV announces the upcoming live stream of Umphrey’s McGee from the historic Congress Theater (in the band’s hometown of Chicago) on Sunday, September 2nd at 10pm CST.

Prior to the live show there will be exclusive content including a new band video premiere, live fan interaction, a band interview, and an interview with Umphrey’s McGee lighting director Jeff Waful.

Viewers of the LAPLIVE.TV live stream will enjoy high fidelity sound, HD video, and DVR-like player controls. The LAPLIVE.TV stream is viewable on major updated browsers as well as on mobile devices (iOS and Android), tablets, and through Apple TV on Airplay supported devices.

The live stream is available for purchase: $6.99 before September 1st and $8.99 after. The show will begin airing at 10pm CST and will be available to view for 24 hours after the end of the show.

The show can be accessed here: https://laplive.tv/watch/umphreys

Le Reverie Female Fronted Goth Rock Metal Band Release Long Awaited CD Dark Symphony

New Female Fronted Goth Rock Metal Band Le Reverie release their long awaited CD Dark Symphony. This 12 Song CD is an amazing combination of Symphony, Goth Rock, Metal and Progressive Rock. The first pressing of the CD will also include a free DVD of their Gothic Video Single of the song “Hold Me Down” now out on you YouTube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N44QY0xhxrg.

The CD will take you on an amazing journey through the Symphonic “La Naissance”, to the dark heavy progressive “Dark Symphony” to the tender ballad “Ghost of You” and the haunting tribute to Edgar Allan Poe himself “Raven”.

The band has been called a combination of Dream Theater and Evanescence. Martin Howell of Power Play Magazine in the UK says “Musically Le Reverie remind you of Evanescence.... tracks of well-played, well- sung and well-produced hard rock.”

Dave Attrill from MetalliVille UK’s Finest Rock and Metal Webzine says, “Le Reverie are like a girl fronted Dream Theater…they are impressive…

Music Connection magazine raves, “Le Reverie create musical dreamscapes by combining a classic metal sound with dark, rich Gothic overtones, Trance-inducing chord combinations embellished with powerful metal passages and lyrics that conjure up secret yearnings and fears make these songs memorable and like a poem by Edgar Allen Poe, this band’s lyrical obsession with ghosts, darkness and dreams will more than satisfy””

The CD is available at www.lereverie.com

Coming soon to iTunes!

Email: roc@lereverie.com

"Rings Rays Red Shifts" By Skylar Gray

The song "Rings Rays Red Shifts", from Skylar Gray's DIY Concept Album and debut release "An Inch Equals 300 Miles", is crafted and sung by multi-instrumentalist Skylar Gray, and features themes of alien abduction, imperial conquest, genocide, and other familiar sci-fi topics from start to finish with DIY (do-it-yourself) techniques and equipment.

The first part of "Rings Rays Red Shifts" is a waltz, and Skylar's voice reminds me of George Michael. The use of delays on the first part of the song attach to the trail end of his phrases, while the second half goes into a driving 4 drum and bass, and the breakdown takes us back the 3/4 rock waltz groove. "Rings Rays Red Shifts" is billed as conceptual which usually means every rule in the book of writing a song can go out the window, but Skylar doesn't lose you in the outer limits; he merely serenades the darkness. There are great background harmonies throughout the song in the right places. Skylar Grays's performance comes across with passion and sincerity. This is a great song, and definitely falls into the category of "unique."

Email: skylar@skylargray.com

Skylar Gray Creates Completely DIY Concept Album

Not to be confused with pop figure Holly Brook whose stage name is Skylar Grey (notice the spelling difference?), multi-instrumentalist Skylar Gray, as named at birth in 1982, recently released his debut album "An Inch Equals 200 Miles." This concept album featuring themes of alien abduction, imperial conquest, genocide, and other familiar sci-fi topics was created from start to finish with DIY (do-it-yourself) techniques and equipment. For nearly six years, Gray has taken the writing, recording, and now distribution/promotion of his first solo album into his own hands. Having spent years behind the scenes producing and mixing other bands as well as designing professional and consumer audio goods, Gray was well prepared to undertake the task of playing the majority of the instruments on his album while also performing the role of producer. A recording engineer and designer, he has taken the process a step further by hand-building the microphones, cables, amplifiers, and most other equipment used in the making of his "An Inch Equals 200 Miles." Furthermore, he was even intimately involved in developing the software used to record the album on his computer. As Gray explains it, “I think in order for an artist to see their vision truly come to fruition, they need to have very explicit control over the tools used to create the work at each stage.” Coming from a musical family, Gray’s influences mix classic progressive rock (ELO, 10cc, etc.) with the sounds he attached himself to as an adolescent (Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, STP.) These influences shine in Gray’s album—from the 70’s theatricality of the album-wide concept to the moody chord progressions and instrumentations. Thoughtful lyrics compliment the arrangements and tell a spacey, expansive story. “I’ve always had an attraction to science fiction films and related mythology. Because that seems to capture my imagination more than other things, it was just natural content for the album.” says Gray. The remoteness of space, as told by Gray, is something mystic—an escape from the noise and overbearing crush of modern life. Each song flows seamlessly into the next, displacing the listener into the hands of a skilled musician with a vivid sonic story to tell. "An Inch..." is as much an instrumental soundtrack as it is a rock album. It plays like a rock opera and is an example of indie music’s rediscovery of the long-form concept album. Complementing the work is cover art by famed Australian artist Jeremy Geddes, whose “Cosmonaut” series served as inspiration to Gray in the late stages of the album’s development. Gray adds, “There’s an unmistakable mood in Geddes’ piece which remarkably matched the mood I intended to create with 'An Inch...' So as soon as I saw the Cosmonaut, I knew that no other artwork would be adequate.” Get "An Inch Equals 200 Miles," featuring drummer Colby Owens (Other Lives) and Colin Fleishacker (Colourmusic), now on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other online music services. Starting July 1st, pick up the Limited edition 12 inch vinyl featuring cover art by Jeremy Geddes at www.skylargray.com. Email: skylar@skylargray.com