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A Four Star Affair
Pop / Punk / Rock
Drawing inspiration from various bands including Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, and The All-American Rejects, this band shines wherever it goes. A Four Star Affair made its many admirers’ wish come true on April 24th, 2010, with the release of its self-titled and produced EP If I Can't Have You, No One Can, showcasing the band’s brilliance with songs such as, "Candy Hearts," "Love Is Like the First of April," and "Crash Course In Revenge."
With still more to come, A Four Star Affair will release its new single, "Musicians Make Bad Boyfriends" and has performed with national acts including Local H.
Northern Son
Indie / Rock / Folk
SanJose.com: "With all the genre-confines present in contemporary rock & roll, it’s always refreshing to find a band that doesn’t neatly fit into any pre-established category, while at the same time manages to touch on all of them. San Jose-based Northern Son isn’t really folk-rock, or classic-rock, or alternative, but they’ve definitely got influences coming from all three. There’s also an unmistakable American-heartland sound in the mix, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen being the best representatives of that style. With a goal of 'creating something honest that’s filled with love, passion, and a bit of grit', Northern Son certainly fulfills its ambitions."
Aaron Axelson, Music Director of San Francisco's Live 105: "The latest to grab my attention is new South Bay rock outfit Northern Son which includes members of the now defunct and once popular local band My Former Self. I was so impressed with their debut album Wider Skies that we decided to add them to our next Buck-O-Five showcase at the VooDoo Lounge in April [2010]..."
The Spartan Daily: "What's most impressive about the album is the quality of the songwriting. All the songs have a maturity that is a rare commodity in many of today's upcoming bands...Northern Son is by far the best Bay Area band I've come across in a long time, and its debut album makes me look forward to what comes next."
The Wave Magazine: "Every show leaves committed fans and brand new ears with a light heart and a steady smile."
Almost Honest
Acoustic / Pop / R&B
Drew is a self-taught vocalist with a love for R&B. While sitting in his room, Drew would re-create classic songs training his voice while harnessing his natural talents. With influences such as Babyface, Boyz II Men, D’Angelo, and Craig David, Drew’s vocal ability is a unique gift with a soulful sound that captures audiences.
Justin began his career at 13 years old, headlining sold out venues in San Jose as the lead guitarist for the band My Former Self. As the guitarist for MFS, Justin toured the United States and found himself on such tours as Warped Tour and festivals such as Live 105's BFD. After My Former Self, Justin’s hunger for a new project led his musical gift toward a bluesy, soulful sound whose melodic riffs ring in peoples ears long after he’s finished playing.
After writing together for several months, Almost Honest decided to move to Hollywood to make their dreams come true. While in Hollywood, many heads turned to witness the special combination of rock and R&B that Almost Honest creates.
At the beginning of May 2010, Almost Honest tracked their EP at legendary East West Studio in Hollywood, California. Now living back in San Jose, Almost Honest travels to Hollywood multiple times a month to put the finishing touches on their EP, working with famous industry professionals James Saez and Clark Germain.
Cadent
Indie / Pop / Rock
About a year ago, Cadent decided to abandon playing cover tunes in order to pursue their own creative endeavors through writing their own original music. After a few lineup changes and many late night practice sessions, Cadent is ready to hit the local scene.
Anxious to complete an album, Cadent has started their recording process at Castle Ultimate Studios. So far, 3 of their tracks are available for your listening pleasure.
In most recent news, Cadent participated in the 2010 2010 Your Music Magazine South Bay Band Olympics and received "Editors Choice." With this title, Cadent played the final round at the Avalon and walked away as one of the top 3 bands!
Letters Make Words
Rock / Pop / Indie
Formed in late 2005, Letters Make Words have been through a lot. With their unfortunate Spinal Tap-esque curse of being unable to keep a drummer they have had to come up with creative solutions to keep their band afloat. Despite their difficulties the band pushed forward and managed to land themselves a spot on the 2009 San Francisco date of Vans Warped Tour’s on the Kevin Says Stage (courtesy of Sonicbids.com). They have also become a Live 105 Radio Soundcheck staple with their first single “Photographs”.
Currently Letters Make Words are working on finishing their first full length album with producer Scott Llamas at Popsmear Studios in San Rafael, CA as well as shooting a music video for their first single. They are planning a two week tour of the west coast in late 2010.
With help from their dual management team, Letters Make Words have been getting some great media attention and exposure in the past few years. The band was selected as Live 105's Soundcheck Top 10 Bands by Music Director Aaron Axelsen (week of 9/9/09), calling them "the pride and joy of Mountain View" and suggesting he may select them to play BFD in 2010. Letters Make Words was also featured as one of the five Bands To Know in the July 2008 issue of Fringe Magazine, had their debut CD reviewed in Zero Magazine, their music voted on in The Deli SF Magazine, and had one of their shows reviewed for the online music site Fuzz. In August of 2008, Letters Make Words participated in the San Jose edition of Your Music Olympicks, presented by Your Music Magazine, in which sisters Naomi and Nadia placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Vocalist Competition, and were featured on KSCU radio.
Jade of Days
Rock / Alternative / Progressive
The summer of 2005 saw the release of Jade of Days’s first effort – In the Absence of Light – an impressive debut showcasing the band’s potential and their evolving sound. In the Absence of Light laid the groundwork for Jade of Days' 2006 sophomore offering – Gracas a Deus – which presented fans with a much more experimental collection of music that only served to enhance their signature sound.
Raw, emotional, and written from intensely personal places, Jade of Days’s arrangements envelop the listener with intricate guitar work, solid bass and drum lines, and delicate – yet full – keyboards. Topped off with singer Kelley’s lush vocals, it is easy to understand how Jade of Days quickly became recognized as one of the Bay Area’s most talented groups, prompting Ryan Osterbeck – staff writer for the Silicon Valley Metro – to write about Jade of Days: "...the sound is clean, amazingly harmonized and spans musical styles ranging from hard-hitting punk-inspired choruses to driving rock solos to intelligent alt-indie numbers that meld into a sound rarely heard these days." [Metro Nov 15-21, 2006]
Jade of Days kept busy, playing every venue in the South Bay (and some beyond), building their base, sharing their unique musical vision, becoming recognized as one of the premier talents working the scene. In 2007, the band’s talent and appeal was recognized when they were selected as the opening act in Channel 104.9's Day on the Meadow, sharing the stage with They Might Be Giants, Fountains of Wayne, DJ Scotty Boy, Medina Lake, and Kung Fu Vampire. Jade of Days followed this up in 2008 by joining the San Jose chapter of Your Music Olympicks, a multi-month competition spanning the Bay Area where singer Kelley took Gold in the Vocalist Competition. Then, after enduring line-up changes and striving to move onward and upward, health issues within the band necessitated them taking a hiatus from writing and performing, a hiatus which has lasted for a year and a half.
In 2009, Jade of Days is poised to reach new heights of artistic and musical excellence with the release of the aptly titled Resurgence, a five-song EP that best exemplifies their fully realized, signature sound. Jade of Days further cemented their reputation as one of the Bay Area’s top acts with their performance at Left Coast Live 2009 – San Jose’s premier music festival – which featured legendary performers and local acts such as Booker T, Lyrics Born, Miggs, The Mumlers, Good Hustle, Kung Fu Vampire, Monkey, The Frail, Ambience, Safety Suit, and many others. Jade of Days did not disappoint, as they gained new fans and thrilled old friends with their tight, expertly delivered set. In the Summer of 2009, Jade of Days once again participated in the San Jose chapter of Your Music Olympicks and placed 5th going into the Finals. Although they did not win the competition, each member of the band received a medal in the solo competitions – Dana placed 1st and Nelson Medeiros placed 2nd in vocal competition, Nelson Candido placed 1st in bass competition, Nelson Medeiros placed 2nd in guitar competition, and Sergio (filling in for Junior) placed 3rd in drum competition.
Jade of Days rocks with passion, heart, and integrity. Resurgence finds them at the top of their game, creating rock n’ roll that not only kicks ass but also challenges all preconceived notions of what rock could be. Jade of Days’ time has come.
Broken October
Indie / Rock / Alternative
Since the release of Good Evening Disaster, "Just Like That" and "Pins & Needles" have also received their share of Live 105 airtime and on college radios from Southern California to Eastern Montana. In November of 2006, Broken October was chosen as a finalist in Sacramento's KWOD 106.5 Dave Matthews contest, and came in second with over 2,000 votes. In May of 2006, the band performed acoustically on Live 105's popular Soundcheck program, and appeared on Rewind at Noon to talk about Good Evening Disaster. The latest release (The Bridge and Tunnel EP, 2007) has been their best performance to date. The strength of the first single "Atrophy" carried the band through the fierce competition of Live 105's BFD opening act. It culminated in playing to more than 400 fans at a sold-out Bottom of the Hill show. Since then the four friends toured Northern California, practiced their asses off, played more local shows and continued to give personal attention to every fan they make.
The band features Shane on guitar and vocals, Tim on drums, Guy on Bass and Pete on keys. These four are bringing the indie DIY attitude back and breathing life into a sound they can call their own. The vocals, guitar and keys bounce off each other with subtle urgencies while the addicting bass lines, breathy synth and tight drumming set up the foundation. Explosive live shows create new fans every time Shane, Tim, Guy and Pete decimate a stage. With slots opening for Denali, No Knife, The Velvet Teen, Jealous Sound, Engine Down, Elliott and others, Broken October has reached out to large crowds and large crowds have reached back. Come hear what these four guys are doing, you won't be disappointed.