Redcast
Growing increasingly agitated at the overriding dark vibe coming from bands of his generation, 21-year-old Seth Brock—lead singer, keyboardist, and songwriter for the fresh-faced Portland, Oregon based trio Redcast--is excited about injecting a much needed dose of retro pop musical sunshine into a pessimistic landscape. Brothers Seth (age 21), guitarist Jarrod (26) and bassist Darren (18) put their own fresh, contemporary twists on the joyful, old school vibe of their chief inspirations, bands like The Beatles, The Monkees and The Turtles on 2007’s debut recording The Redcast EP.
While most kids born in the Eighties grew up on grunge and hip hop, the Brock brothers were old schooling it from the start, being exposed to the classic rock their dad played years before they were born when he was a young disc jockey. Seth began recording some rough demos in his early teens on a simple eight-track recorder, brimming at the chance to bring the spirit of that classic rock to the modern indie music scene. He and his brothers became motivated to pursue music as a potential career when Seth played some of his original music for a small crowd at a friend’s birthday party, and received an overwhelming response from those in attendance. “I started pounding out a few songs of mine on the piano, and then everyone was singing along like these were songs they had known for years,” Seth says. “I thought, wow, I could get used to this.”
While we are no strangers to the trending trios of brothers, Redcast ventures into unseen territory, bridging the gap between what we listen to and what our parents listen to (Skope Magazine) by being once described as the modern day Partridges by PlugInMusic, with clean-cut 60’s focused indie rock with a commercial bounce that is delivered believably. “I just think music should be happy,” says Seth. “I want Redcast to connect people to a classic vibe where that sort of feeling was everywhere.”
Their self-released EP caught the interest of Seattle-based indie record label Destiny Worldwide (The Scene Aesthetic, The Real You, Moneta) in early 2009 and Redcast has since been vehemently writing and recording new music, preparing for a new, fully-fleshed out and explored full length with a tentative early December release. However, Redcast shows no shortage of the honest, melodic continuation of the influenced early Rock ‘n’ Roll forefront by additionally releasing a second EP to tide us over before the anticipated December full length. “We really want people to listen to these songs and feel good. For us, it really is that simple.”
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Shyforshy
As an up-and-coming band labeled in a hardly unfamiliar indie alternative rock scene, ShyforShy emerges with music that cannot be constrained to a certain "sound." Afterall, lead guitarist Caleb Connaway manages to fumble with this answer. "A lot of people kind of sit here and go, wait, I don't know what to tell people when they ask how you sound," he says. While audiences search for an answer, lead vocalist/rhythmic guitarist Ryan Martinez delivers a voice that is undeniably reminiscent of Circa Survive's Anthony Green, refurbished with a sugary pop coating, formulating a curious draw. The Seattle-based experimental driven four-piece -- Connaway, Martinez, drummer Matt Ellis, and bassist Sten Johansen -- fuses pop and classic rock as a forefront of their aforementioned undefined sound - all the while indefinitely faring from being painfully generic.
While most bands get their start throughout high school, Ellis did not touch base with Connaway until the day of his graduation. Having had previous separate musical endeavors, both combined their musical taste and abilities to form weekly jam sessions. What started off as a two-piece jam band in the suburbs of Seattle, eventually flourished into what is now ShyforShy in 2008 with the addition of Martinez and Johansen after several recruits and member changes. Eager to start sharing their music outside the fan base primarily of family and friends, they self book their shows and landed their first gig in July 2008. In over a span of a year, they have toured extensively along the west coast and shared the stage with acts such as The Classic Crime, The Cab, Hey Monday, A Rocket to The Moon, Danger Radio, Valencia, and Every Avenue.
Midway through their career, the band relocated to Texas for a change of scenery and an open door for more touring opportunities. By the time of a thought of an EP release, Brandon Metcalf of Seattle-based indie record label Destiny Worldwide (The Scene Aesthetic, The Real You, Moneta) offered to record a demo of "Same Like You", currently streaming on MySpace. With further writing and collaborating with Metcalf for ideas, the EP evolved into a full length - So in Time - to be released by the label on September 15, 2009. ShyforShy is currently supporting a handful of shows with Goodnight Sunrise, The Real You, and Bidwell on on the Pop, Rock, and Drop It tour with an additionally stint at the Playing with Fire Festival in Plano, TX. After winning Battle of the Bands by Greenlight Productions (Emery, As Cities Burn), they were awarded the opportunity to grace the main stage alongside A Skylit Drive, Chariot, Ivoryline, and He Is Legend. Having attained a multitude of notable achievements for a blossoming band in an overwhelmingly short amount of time before their debut, ShyforShy is not shying away anytime soon.
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