blog.jamlegend.com

Most people get into music for the end result--the chart-topping album, the sold-out concerts, to impress their crushes.  While Green River Ordinance has received its share of accolades and adorations, they came together and matured as a band because they love the process of being in a band and writing songs.  Two brothers, Jamey and Geoff originally formed GRO when they were barely into their teens.  By the time they were 16 and 14 years old, they were performing regularly at clubs to local fans.  Soon, Josh, Joshua and Denton joined the band and completed the band chemistry.  Of course, we'd have to give credit to their supportive parents--some were musicians who toured with bands like the Beach Boys or Cheap Trick, while others were devoted fans who followed the Grateful Dead--who trusted their kids enough to let them play in a band at clubs when they were way below the drinking age.

With each member of Green River Ordinance being an enthusiastic songwriter, they would spend hours between performances, weaving together parts of songs or expanding on a catchy riff.  It was like a family board game night, but instead of sitting around Monopoly or Scrabble, the boys would sit around a song or parts of one, taking turns with their ideas and tweaks.  The band became closer as they shared the songwriting process, with each member bringing something to every song, and with all the fun they were having writing, their treasure chest of songs grew. Green River Ordinance soon began to get attention from the local music scene, winning Best New Band, Best Live Band, and Artist of the Year awards from the Fort Worth Weekly and  Fort Worth Music Awards.  The interest in GRO expanded nationally as they were asked to open for bands like Bon Jovi, A Simple Plan, and Collective Soul, culminating in their recording contract with EMI/Virgin records. 

JamLegend features the single "Come On" from Green River Ordinance's debut record Out of My Hands.  You can find out more about the band on their official website or via MySpace.  GRO will be on tour in the US later in March.  Catch them live if you can!

Mar 26 The Conservatory Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Mar 27 Stubbs Austin, Texas
Mar 29 Bottleneck Lawrence, Kansas
Mar 31 Lincoln Hall Chicago, Illinois
Apr 1   Station 4 St. Paul, Minnesota
Apr 2   House of Bricks Des Moines, Iowa
Apr 3   Rave Bar Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Apr 6   Mercy Lounge Nashville
Apr 7   The Square Room Knoxville, Tennessee
Apr 8   Vinyl Atlanta, Georgia
Apr 11 Work Play Birmingham, Alabama
Apr 13  Ritz Ybor w/ LIFEHOUSE Tampa, Florida

Strangers are friends you have yet to meet--that's an old adage that seems to ring true at JamLegend.  OMT, one of the bands who came to JamLegend in our early days, had introduced their friends Soul Sanctuary to the site.  Friends beget friends, and once Soul Sanctuary added their music to the game, their circle expanded significantly.  Luke from the band told us about a random, friendly encounter with a fan from JamLegend: "On the way back from a personal visit to Australia . . . [I] came though the terminal and was greeted by someone holding a cardboard sign with Soul Sanctuary written on it. Although i thought it was a little crazy, guy was nice enough and bought me lunch before my next flight."  We knew JamLegend players were nice people, but it sounds like this anonymous fan was especially generous!

Luke also told us that since putting Soul Sanctuary on JamLegend, they have received an enormous amount of fan support from around the world that you wouldn't expect as an independent band with no label support in publicity and marketing:  "We have a growing selection of people who have uploaded videos of themselves covering our songs on YouTube and received tons of great comments and fan mail from the people who are playing our stuff on JamLegend.  We have also found fans that have translated our lyrics into a number of different languages including French and Portuguese."  Of course, it helps that Soul Sanctuary is a top-notch metal band who have music critics singing their praises ("Soul Sanctuary are less a band and more an invading army of metal!" writes one such critic.). 

Soul Sanctuary have one album Afterlife under their belt and are working on a follow-up as well as a major UK tour.  You can find out more about the band on their official site or on their MySpace page--you don't have to buy them lunch but how about adding them as a friend?  You can also purchase their music on their official siteor via iTunes.  Check out their song "Zeitgeist" from Afterlife below.

In England, the Queen bestows knighthood to artists who make significant contributions to English culture.  In America, there is no Queen and no knighting, but artists represent the country as State Department Cultural Ambassadors.  People don't refer to you as "Sir" this or that, but it's a significant role offered to artists of great merit.  Ozomatli, the culture-mashing outfit from Los Angeles, California, are official Cultural Ambassadors for the United States; they travel to unexpected places like Nepal and Tunisia to represent the best of America--multicultural, open-minded, and socio-politically aware.  Not only do they play free concerts around the world, they also teach music workshops and visit refugee camps, youth centers, etc. to play music and jam with local musicians.  We think that Ozomatli is so cool and inspiring, and JamLegend is proud that they chose to put their music on our site to reach players from all over the world!

Ozomatli came together in 1995 to perform at a labor rally in Los Angeles, and have continued to champion political and social causes.  Ozo's music has garnered them a Grammy Award in 2005 for best Latin Rock/Alternative Album, but that classification says very little about how exciting they are.  Mirroring the cultural diversity of L.A., the band weaves together many, many musical genres--from hip hop, for starters, to salsa, from Jamaican ragga to Indian raga, from merengue to R&B--into songs that can be rousing, playful, or inspiring.  A few years ago, Ozomatli's Austin, Texas show ended with a joyous samba line that spilled out into the street; the police arrested the band's manager and two members, which immediately set off a "Free the Ozo 3" movement...with people wearing T-shirts with the slogan the very next day to champion their cause.  Not many bands can bring people together and stir them to action like that.

Ozomatli are set to release their fifth studio album Fire Away on April 20.  Produced by Tony Berg (Aimee Mann, Pete Yorn), who describes working with Ozomatli is "like visiting seven continents simultaneously."  The album has no shortage of ideas and causes, with songs tackling topics such as same-sex marriage or more personal issues like singer-guitarist Raul Pacheco's near-death experience being electrocuted while performing live. We've posted the first single "It's Only Paper" featuring Jack Johnson on JamLegend, so we hope you will check it out!  Ozomatli has a full plate of tour dates in the US starting today going through May.  To find out more about Ozomatli and the amazing work they do, visit their official site, their MySPace, or follow them on Twitter.

Ozomatli on Tour!
March 5 - Tucson, AZ   Rialto Theatre    
March 6 - Scottsdale, AZ   Martini Ranch       
March 9 - Colorado Springs, CO   Black Sheep    
March 10 - Breckenridge, CO   Three20South    
March 11 - Vail, CO   Agave    
March 12 - Aspen, CO   Belly Up    
March 14 - Ft. Collins, CO   The Aggie              
March 17 - Austin, TX   SXSW    
March 18 - Austin, TX   SXSW               
April 17 - Houston, TX   World Stage                      
April 26 - Washington, DC   9:30 Club    
April 27 - Baltimore, MD   Ramshead Live    
April 28 - Philadelphia, PA   World Café Live      
April 30 - New York, NY   Highline Ballroom    
May 1 - New York, NY   Highline Ballroom    
May 2 - Burlington, VT   Higher Ground           
May 4 - Chicago, IL   House of Blues    
May 5 - Urbana, IL   Tryon Festival          
May 7 - Boston, MA   Boston Pops    
May 8 - Boston, MA   Boston Pops   
May 14 - St. Louis MO St. Louis Symphony

Ask and ye shall receive!  DragonForce was one of the most requested artists for the official JamLegend game, and we are absolutely stoked that they have joined our artist platform.  To help celebrate DragonForce's reissue of their first two albums, Valley of the Damned and Sonic Firestorm (originally released in 2003 and 2004, respectively), on February 23, we added some DragonForce songs to the game.  "Where Dragons Rule" is a previously unreleased bonus track added to Valley that has already collected over 8,000 plays on our site.  We also have "Cry of the Brave", the bonus song to Sonic Firestorm, available to play as well.  Valley of the Damned has been remixed and remastered: guitarist Herman Li says, "Fans who have heard the original mixes many times might find that the songs sound a bit different now, but that’s how we always wanted the original songs to sound. We just didn’t have the time back then to make everything sound the way we wanted.”  Sonic Firestorm maintains its original top-notch production because the band was satisfied with the work they had done on the album.  Both reissues include revamped packaging, additional songs, and bonus DVDs that feature live footage as well as an intimate look at DragonForce through interviews.

For those who aren't familiar with DragonForce, you are in for quite a treat.  Formed in 1999, the six-member metal outfit has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon with the Gold-certified (meaning over 500,000 sold!) single "Through the Fire and Flames."  They are one of the most successful metal bands in recent years, cultivating a dedicated following with their solid work ethic to deliver the best songs and performances possible.  The band has intimated that the "pressure is internal and eternal" to push themselves to improve upon their already impressive body of work.  While many bands relinquish their reins to famous producers for added edge and bigger stardom, DragonForce records have always been lovingly crafted under the close supervision of the band's two guitarists Li and Sam Totman. The band's quest for perfection and appreciation for their fans' ardor have resulted in a thoughtful presentation of the first two records that started everything for DragonForce. 

We hope that you enjoy playing "Where Dragons Rule" and "Cry of the Brave" to celebrate the band's hard-earned achievements.  They certainly appreciate your support as a fan and love that you can play along to their songs on JamLegend.  If you are new to DragonForce, or would like to know what the band is up to right now, please check out their official site and MySpace page.  You can purchase the deluxe reissues of Valley of the Damned and Sonic Firestorm directly via Relapse Records, where you will find a mindblowing catalog of metal in all shades and flavors.

When your family sends you to college, the last thing they expect you to choose as a career in a working rock band--but that's how things worked out for the members of Armada.  Cody has a degree in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University, Eddie studied at the LA Music Academy, and Jeremy studied Music at USC.  They could have been on the straight and narrow career path of grown-up jobs, but with the support of their families, the three of them have chosen a path that's more about what is in their hearts than paying off bills and student loans.

Armada set its roots long ago when Cody, a burgeoning writer in college, joined a punk band on a whim and realized how songwriting spoke to his heart.  He picked up the guitar, something he put down and forgot about a while ago, and began to write and record songs.  Armed with his diploma in creative writing and a support of a family who appreciates music, Cody became a working musician in the Bay Area, eventually finding his way down to Los Angeles where he met Eddie, a drummer trained in jazz but with an itch for rock.  They found Jeremy, who came from a family of classically trained musicians but had the passion to play electric bass.  Cody's well-honed poetics found a serendipitous anchor of a solid rhythm section and given life through his raspy, soulful vocals--think Spoon with more swagger or Smashing Pumpkins with less histrionics--and Armada became a band with brains and rock-n-roll brawns.

Armada is a completely DIY venture with self-released EPs and management by Jeremy's capable hands.  While JamLegend tries to oblige users' requests to add famous bands, we also strive to help artists like Armada reach a worldwide audience.  Jeremy told us that since joining JamLegend, Armada has heard from fans in France, Spain, Holland, and the Philippines--with over 160,000 plays total so far, we think a "Mission Accomplished" banner is in order for expanding the band's reach!  We're so happy to know JamLegend could help connect truly independent bands like Armada, who don't have the major label bucks behind them, with new fans from unexpected places. 

You can play Armada's "Beautiful Heat" from their new EP Shake the Chill below.  Find out more about Armada on their official website or via MySpace.  Through March 6, you can buy 13 songs--the self-titled EP, Shake the Chill, and two unreleased songs--for only $5 at thearmadastore.com!

History of popular music has had its share of brothers (Everlys, Allmans), fake brothers (Walker Brothers, Blues Brothers), and brothers who propelled their creative juices by fighting all the time (Gallaghers, Reids).  The Beliveaus are real brothers who are 100% drama free. With their friend and drummer Jason Morris, they form the Crash Kings, an exciting new band trying to rewrite the rules of rock-n-roll. 

The common assumption is that every rock band has at least one guitar player, right?  Wrong!  The Crash Kings feature keyboards, bass, and drums--all supersized secret weapons to help the Kings conquer your hearts.  To the hard-hitting drummer Jason, they add Mike's bass beefed up with watts upon watts of amplification.  On top of the thunderous rhythm section, they lay Tony's clavinet, a keyboard equipped with guitar strings and customized with a whammy bar.  But instrumentation is nothing if the band members didn't have chemistry: Tony and Mike, fortunately, are brothers who get along (most of the time) and enjoy collaborating.  Add their good friend Jason who was in three bands with them before, a creative catalyst who understands how the brothers work.

The Crash Kings' story gets even more interesting.  Tony, who still had his non-music day job, met the famous songwriter Linda Perry (Heard of Pink's "Get the Party Started"?  Linda wrote that song) because he waited her table.  Without knowing anything about Tony, Linda sensed from the way he carried himself that he fronted a band.  She eventually signed the Crash Kings to her Custard imprint.  Noted producer Dave Sardy, who has worked with Marilyn Manson, Jet, and that other band featuring two brothers named Oasis, came on board to produce their self-titled debut.  With support from respected heavy-hitters like Linda Perry and Dave Sardy, the Crash Kings' mission to destroy and rebuild rock into something better is off to an auspicious start.  Who needs guitars when you have talent, luck, and some brotherly love? 

"Mountain Man" is the first single from the Crash Kings debut, and we hope you enjoy playing it!  You can visit the Crash Kings MySpace for more info, or follow them on Twitter.

When you are from the largest country on Earth, how do you tell your fellow citizens that you exist?  That may have been the biggest hurdle for [Amatory], hailing from Russia, which covers a mindblowing 17,000,000 square kilometers.  But through dedication and hard work, the band has become a very popular Russian act with fans in the capital, industrial centers, and even provincial towns miles from city life.  [Amatory] make certain everything about the band, their products, and the presentation are 100% perfect and according to their specifications.  Their songs are meticulously recorded and mixed.  Their album artwork is tweaked until the band is completely happy.  And band members are very particular about how they themselves project the right image that says [Amatory].  As a proof of their professionalism, you can ogle a signature guitar designed by guitarist Alex, manufactured by the ESP Guitar Company--you can be sure that not every band gets asked to create a signature guitar model!

Radio or TV exposure has been the main ingredient for a breakthrough by every new artist, but [Amatory] had very little media exposure to gain their devoted fanbase of hundreds of thousands of Russian metal fans.  All of this is a result of their hard work, playing about 350 concerts to date in Russia and surrounding countries.  If you think about how Russia has resisted conquests by Napoleon and Hitler, you can't help but be impressed that [Amatory] managed to conquer the Russian cultural landscape spread across such an expansive territory.  [Amatory] are very excited to take their music a step further in February 2010 with an appearance at Helsinki Metal Meeting, but even without leaving their home, they've gained many new fans by adding their songs to JamLegend.  Jay from [Amatory] told us:  "We were in the beginning of our 'Sick&Loud' tour over Russia in November 2009 when we got a letter from our management saying 'Hey guys check that out.'  It was a web link to JamLegend. I do not remember which song exactly it was but we spent a half of night playing at hotel’s Internet-bar. In the morning we missed our check-out time by sleeping and it was a starting point where we understood that we need to have our songs at that site. We rang our manager up and told him to move ahead in this direction."

With a new song in English, "Your Life in My Eyes", [Amatory] is ready to burst out onto a stage that's even bigger than Russia's 17 million square kilometers.  You can join the [Amatory] army by playing their songs on JamLegend and help them conquer the rest of the world!  You can find out more about [Amatory] via their MySpace page or on their official site, which is in Russian.  Play "Your Life in My Eyes" below--it's a brand spanking new song we just added today!

From Rush to Neil Young to Arcade Fire, Canada has given us so much great music throughout the ages.  Gracing JamLegend with their high-energy, good-time rock-n-roll, Top Johnny! has become a favorite of JamLegend players, accumulating over well over 200,000 plays for their songs.  Could they be on their way to becoming a Canadian music legend?  We certainly hope so! 

Top Johnny!'s 80s hard rock-inspired songs definitely make you want to turn up the stereo, raise the devil horns, and bang your head--so you might be surprised to find that the band lineup boasts graduates of highly esteemed music programs at Berklee College of Music and Concordia University, who studied music composition and music theory.  But it's exactly that thorough immersion in all things music that drives Top Johnny! not only to be the new masters of rock-n-roll, but also to be professional musicians who give their all at live shows, have records that sound great, and know how to connect with their fans.  "Top Johnny! came across JamLegend for the first time while viewing another band’s Myspace profile. We thought wow, what a brilliant idea, bringing Guitar Hero-like fun and Indie music to people all over the world via the Internet," they told us.  TJ and Izzy, who play guitar in the band, are both total guitar maestros with Izzy winning many "Best Guitarist" awards, so it's a natural that Top Johnny!'s music will make your fingers itch to play along. 

Discovering JamLegend was the first step toward Top Johnny! winning the hearts of fans from around the world without even packing up in a van to tour.  "We were thrilled when JamLegend accepted to encode our 1st song “Bad Boy (For Loving You)" and even more thrilled when we submitted additional songs which were all encoded. Then the fun began. Fans wrote to us over and over saying how much they loved rockin’ out to our tunes and encouraged us to put even more tunes up on the site."  Top Johnny! now has 6 songs available on JamLegend, with over 200,000 plays and counting.  They tell us, "We have to say that the reactions have been awesome with almost 200,000 plays since we signed up 6 months ago. On top of that we think the site is a blast and often spend many hours playing songs ourselves! Our message to the site creators: 'BRAVO!!!'"

JamLegend certainly return the love Top Johnny! has professed, and we certainly hope those 200,000 plays turn into 2 million plays and more.  Top Johnny! is already a JamLegend, but can we make them into a Canadian music legend?  Play "Bad Boy (For Loving You)" below and let's help make them into one!  For more info on Top Johnny!, please visit their MySpace page.

It's only 400 miles from St. Louis, Missouri to Tulsa, Oklahoma, but Ludo took the long and winding road.  Formed by three guys going to college in different states eventually reduced to an acoustic duo by graduation, girlfriends, life.  Ludo made a move to Tulsa in hopes of finding a place with zero distractions where they can rock out in peace, and rock out they did.  With a solemn pledge to play a show ever night, they set out to every open mic night, college show, and whatever opportunity they could grab.  Eventually, they found a third member to play a Moog, packed everything up in a Camry, and toured wherever they can, leaving a trail of promises to come back with a full band and a full length record. 

Ludo's ranks swelled to a five-member band with an actual drummer and they set out to conquer the world one gig at a time.  While their shows now had an eager audience, their MySpace friend count went up, but Ludo still didn't have a record label so they now set out to conquer the hearts of the music industry, one awkward talent showcase and one uncomfortable business lunch at a time.  Their persistence (and tolerance for meetings and business lunches) paid off and they were signed to Island Records in 2006, for whom they recorded their full-length You're Awful, I Love You.  Fast forward to 2010 and Ludo are kicking off the new year working on a new record--a process you can observe by following the band on Twitter.  To find out more about Ludo, check out their official site and their MySpace page.  You can rock out with Ludo on JamLegend where you can play their infectious hit "Hum Along"