Indie Update

This group from the eastern part of the United States offers the listener something that might best be described as a hybrid, a mix or a combination. It’s hard to put a finger on just what this really is, but The Sleeping is a group of fine musicians who are not nearly as anti-melodic as some of the screamo/growl groups such as A Life Once Lost and Demallion. Post-hardcore is one way to describe it.

What makes The Sleeping’s presentation somewhat different is the mix of excellent vocals from Douglas Robinson (clarity and range) with the angry growl from the "peanut gallery" of supporting vocals. The drumming of Joseph Zizzo is energetic, as music in this style requires. But he goes beyond this with some accomplished rhythm changes and movement that are pleasing.

Cameron Keym is the guitar/keyboard man for The Sleeping and his guitar work stands out well on "Believe What We Tell You." "Heart Beatz" ( Questions and Answers, Victory Records ) has a great structure, with excellent single-note licks and guitar rhythm. For those who haven’t heard this group, "Heart Beatz" is a good song to start the experience with. The growling lines and drive of a couple of the band’s tunes like "Believe What We Tell You" best exemplify Salvatore Mignano’s bass work.

Some of the studied rhythm/beat changes used by The Sleeping are signatures of many young metal bands working today, but there is something else going on here. As shown with "King of Hearts" ( Questions and Answers, Victory Records ), these young fellows are songwriters too.

Current tour stops included Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit, and the river community of Covington, Kentucky (across the Ohio from Cincinnati). The Sleeping will also be in Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and New York, among other locations.

The Sleeping at MySpace

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Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, this pop/rock group of young musicians is a trio in the best sense of the word. There isn’t a lot of additional instrumentation on "The Way It Should Be" for example.

But listeners will not be misled into thinking this is a "power trio" in the classic ’60s and ’70s sense. Listen closely to the beginning of "The Only One." The harmony on the vocals is very tight. This tune moves quickly into some decent rock, with a good rhythm change.

The group is quick to inform Web site visitors that the group is influenced by such pop/soft rock headliners as Kenny Loggins, Lionel Richie, Hall & Oats, Billy Ocean, Huey Lewis, Luther Vandross and other musicians and singers "that moms love." In addition, The Mile After is indie in the pure sense of the word. At present the group presents itself as unsigned with their record label listed as "none."

Chase Holfelder and Ben Carter provide the guitar and the vocals, supported by the drumming of Jim Trice. Tour dates include Douglasville, Marietta and Valdosta in the state of Georgia. The group moves on to Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida, along with other Sunshine State stops, before moving back to home ground in the Carolinas.

The Mile After at MySpace

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Interesting. That’s the word, for sure.

Listeners who didn’t experience Sullivan might want to try "Florida Queen" on for size (Cover Your Eyes ,2007 Tooth and Nail). This tune has some nice changes, with the mainstream sound of the choruses contrasting well with the intro and the guitar solo. The vocals run straight and then drop to a minor chord sound that puts some nice flavor in the song.

"Tell Me I’m Wrong" is more straightforward, at the start. But Sullivan seemed to dislike staying in a predictable groove for long. The more discerning fans will like the suit-and-tie look, something that separated the group from other indie pop/rock groups (in appearance at least). "Fire Away" has some of the Brit-pop sound, mixed with true 2000+ American rock. Good keyboard sounds here.

But wait! With all of this nice work, why is Sullivan no longer part of the Cover Your Eyes tour? Well, according to information posted by the band on November 11, 2007, Sullivan "is no more." But fans may be somewhat encouraged that some members of the group feel that this effort won’t disappear for good. Sullivan will try to keep its Web site alive for the time being. Fans may want to check in now and then to see if there is life in the group.

Sullivan at MySpace

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While this Los Angeles group has no shows on its Web site at the time of this writing, rest assured the Never Heard Of It is not just sitting still in the fast-paced indie music world. Their itinerary in 2006 and early 2007 took them from their home ground in southern California (including Hollywood and Anaheim) to a tour in Japan with Bleed The Dreem, Army Of Freshmen and Crowned King. In fact, this group has been covering the musical ground for several years, crossing the United States several times.

A mainstay on the Warped Tour and a success in their CD sales without strong label backing, Never Heard Of It has grown into an experienced band. DJ Dell’Osa provides solid vocals as the front man for Never Heard Of It, supported by Jeff Anenberg on lead guitar. The current lineup, according to the band’s Web site, also includes Greg Lynch (rhythm guitar), Elmo Jamz (drums) and Rick Avery (bass). Other members listed include richE Zahniser (keys).

Never Heard Of It features some electro/techno touches on "Finger On The Trigger," along with solid chording on guitar and straightforward drumming. "Something Out There catches the listener with an interesting beginning that softens to acoustic guitar, then returns to a nice rock feel. Jamz stretches out a bit on the drums with this tune, while the melody line is, quite literally, neat.

"Flowers," from the 2006 self-titled recording, features some interesting rhythm changes, and treads some new ground with story and lyrics. There is a nice bass line during the "solo" section. Fans can expect more from this veteran group.

Never heard of it at MySpace

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A first impression of Archie Star would be "good listening music" and not necessarily tunes to mosh or bang your head to, for example. The guitar work stands out, on such tunes as "Always Love You Never Leave You" (2007 demo). The vocals of Archie Star are certainly a strength, with the duet/shared singing of the D’Andreas.

"Queens Boulevard" features the clear and strong vocals of Ria D’Andrea and Pat D’Andrea (who also provides rhythm guitar). This is a good rock/pop ballad, a nice introduction to those who haven’t heard Archie Star previously. According to information from the band, "Archie Star is about events that have taken place starting in ‘86 from Pat D’Andrea’s life." That says a lot but not everything. This group admittedly is influenced by Third Eye Blind, The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Simon and Garfunkel….the list goes on and on. Good influences, all. Personal note: I like the beginning of "What You Want To Be." Good vocals hold this tune together, along with ear-catching rhythm and response lyrics.

Archie Star’s lineup also includes or included Mike Slatter (lead guitar), Omar Monzon (piano), Mike "Juice" Sauciuc (bass), Christina Vitogiannes (drums) and interestingly enough, Jake Klarkowski (transsexual and booking info). It is a bit surprising that there isn’t more tour information for this group.

Archie Star at MySpace

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