After spending nearly eighteen months recording his last album, Looking For A Feeling You Never Knew You Needed, Val Emmich had a much different plan for his followup. His new album, AIDE MEMOIRE, was recorded in just seven days and released it to his core fans one week later. Emmich put together a group of musicians who could help flesh out the songs and more importantly record them live as a band in the studio. Bassist Rob Fitzgerald, guitarists Dave Bassiri and James Stahon, and drummer Kevin Walters would form Emmich's new backing band, The Veeries.
With the lineup set, Emmich turned to Kickstarter to fund the project. His promise to deliver the album on a set date proved attractive to donors, who helped him meet his target goal in just 24 hours. In return for the generosity, Emmich incorporated their names into the CD artwork. This Fall, AIDE MEMOIRE (French for memory aid), will be released to the public. It's surely his most personal album to date.
http://www.valemmich.com/
Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock band Blackbells have quickly become known for their wall of sound approach, with soaring guitars, sneering vocals and a massive rhythm section. The New Yorker dubbed the band's debut self-titled EP, released in early 2010, "radio friendly indie-rock", and the overwhelming amount of positive feedback the band has received since assures that Blackbells is no flash in the pan. The EP hit the #18 spot in CMJ's Top 200, and ever since the band has found themselves playing to sold-out crowds across the US and Canada with the likes of Band of Skulls, Alberta Cross, Crash Kings, and The Greenhornes as well as appearances at both CMJ and SXSW in 2010 and 2011. With influences ranging from Echo and the Bunnymen to Oasis and contemporaries Band of Skulls, Blackbells have worked to create a unique aesthetic that breaks new ground.
http://www.blackbellsband.com/
he Assembly Line is an indie rock band based out of New York, New York. The band consists of Thornfin Nguyen on Vocals and Guitar, Lead Guitarist Chris Potter, Zach Falkow on bass and Josh Ridley on drums. From it's humble beginnings as a solo singer/songwriter act to it's current evolution of full band, The Assembly Line has been turning heads since its inception. Their 2009 debut release, Grave...s Like Oceans, has garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from publications such as AbsolutePunk - to having the song 'twenty-thousand leagues' make Music Under Fire's Top 100 Songs of 2009 List. Showcasing heart-on-sleeve honesty blended with memorable sweeping melodies, The Assembly Line were named Alternative Press' Top Unsigned Band of the Month in September 2009. With recent placement in MTV's hit shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom 2 and additional television and film placement to follow, as well as big east coast shows opening for the likes of 100 Monkeys, Rookie of the Year, Allister, I Am The Avalanche, and Amber Pacific, The Assembly Line are poised to do big things.
http://www.reverbnation.com/theassemblyline
