thank you for visiting. to make a long story short, the list below is the lowdown's top 40 unsigned list of 2004. there's no need for anything as massive as last year's. hope you enjoy. feedback and musical suggestions are always welcome.

1. Mr. Downstairs: In what should easily be the year's most promising release by an unsigned act, instead, Mr.Downstairs' recent 12-song masterpiece "Be All|End All" is a rather miserable experience: They disbanded earlier in the year and will not be touring in support of the effort. That said, this album leaves quite a mark. Worth repeated listens.
2. The Adored: Sounds like the Foo Fighters produced by Failure mastermind Ken Andrews. The Adored features two members (brothers no less) from Celebrity (Doghouse), who call Nashville home; meanwhile, the band's vocalist and founding member resides in St. Louis. He travels roughly five hours just to practice with his band mates. The band, currently unsigned, but showcasing for majors left and right on the strengths of their recently released Skidd Mills (Audio Adrenaline, etc.)-produced four-song demo, just did a video with director Darren Doane (Snapcase, Far). In addition, the quartet recently performed at Pointfest, an annual festival put together by St. Louis' modern rock station, The Point--the same festival where Story of The Year had their chance encounter with Goldfinger's John Feldmann several years ago.
3. Doubting Paris: Like Third Eye Blind, but much more subtle--oh, and probably with a record deal in the months to come.
4. The Trophy Life: Featuring ex-Kimberly Kills members, this five piece just recorded some new tunes with a member of all but forgotten alt-rockers Dishwalla (who will be signing with a rather large label after their Immergent deal went south).
5. Shark Attack: It's unclear what the current status of this amazing three piece is (drummer Kelli Scott now plays with the equally impressive Once), but either way, their 2003 EP is incredible. You could probably dance to it if you were so inclined.
6. Chase Pagan: The Jeff Buckley comparison aside, this kid--former drummer of Tomorrows Rescue--is one of a kind. Soon to be working with Ross Robinson.
7. The Grand Silent System: Comin' to the United States soon.
8. Kaddisfly: Probably the most promising band of the underground crop. Each of their three releases to date shows massive growth.
9. Wintersleep: Depressive, alcoholic, acoustic tunes from some talented Canadians who also perform in stoner rockers Kary.
10. The Underwater: After a slew of forgettable and forgotten recordings (see the majority of their 2001 Tribunal Records release, "Bleed Me Blue") and some slightly above-average ones (last summer's demos showed the band had at least had some promise), it appears as if the Pennsylvania-based rock outfit known as The Underwater may have finally come into its own. On the five piece's recent demo recordings for Atlantic Records, the band not only stays true to its roots--a rather dense and often hookless melodic rock affair akin to Ours and Our Lady Peace--but they manage to pull it off sans the meandering and downright dull songwriting that so heavily hampered their earlier workings. And while they may not exactly be writing for rock radio's playlists, the promising vocal work and the way in which they seamlessly intertwine their hardcore leanings into a complete and innovative sound will one day garner them a U.S. fanbase that's nearly as a rapid as the droves that make their European shows of the sold-out variety.
11. All Rise: Smart fucking rock music.
12. Down and Above--Minneapolis, Minn.--like Linkin Park, Peter Gabriel--In support of their soon to be released sophomore full length, "Anodyne," the band will have a song included on the Pick Your Battles Compilation (distro'd at Warped) alongside The Juliana Theory and The Adored--They call it prog, we call the radio to request it.
13. Fine White China: They'll be releasing a full length shortly titled "I awoke in a sweat from the American dream." Budweiser has signed on as a sponsor and the band will tour soon.
14. Downstage: Much improved alt-rockers
15. Happy Endings: I don't think it's a blowjob reference. Like Hoobastank, but even catchier. The live show is good.
16. The Mayan Factor
17. Call It Arson
18. Classic Case: Need additional proof of Glassjaw's tumultuous and ever-changing lineup situation? Look no further than up-and-coming Brooklyn rock quartet Classic Case. In the band's mere one and half years of existence, they've included not one but two former Glassjaw drummers within their the ranks. After playing together in rock act Blankface in the late '90s, guitarist/vocalist Mitchell Marlow and vocalist/guitarist Jared Draughon formed Classic Case in late 2001 following the implosion of Marlow's previous project, the much buzzed about and nearly signed Soundofspeed. The duo, who attended high school together in North Carolina, promptly began piecing together some promising demos, and soon added bassist Eric Mendelson and now-former drummer Stefan Linde, of Glassjaw and Sons of Abraham fame, to the fold (he's since been replaced by Durijah Lang, who played with Glassjaw pre-"EYEWTKAS"). After wrapping up a short and sweet four-song set at Chicago's Bottom Lounge, Draughon lounges in the band's van, which is illegally parked in front of the venue. "Mitch actually filled in and played [for Glassjaw too] for like a month or two when Manny quit," he adds. Over the years, Marlow, who quietly enters the van minutes later, has shared the stage with many a Long Island scene notables--members of Dayinthelife, among others--though Classic Case is his first endeavor to tour so heavily. Since March, the band has been making a name for itself in the unlikeliest of places, touring alongside a varied cast of acts including Puddle of Mudd, Orgy, A Static Lullaby, The Bled and most recently Beloved and Time In Malta. And while the band's brand of anthemetic and emotional rock (think equal parts Glassjaw, Incubus and Amazing Device) may stand out like a sore thumb among their radio rock, goth and hardcore touring partners, there's little doubt that this promising quartet will make a big mark on rock music in the years to come. "Every day was a little crazy," Draughon says of the Puddle of Mudd tour. "We found out about it and didn't know what to expect at all. The band and crew were really cool. The crowds were big but really receptive." "It was cool man," adds Marlow. "Wes [Scantlin, of Puddle Of Mudd] really likes strippers I guess. So we had some strippers one time. There was nothing too crazy, just naked girls."--modernfix.com
19. Hook Echo: Minneapolis, Minn.--Like Staind, STP--After scratching recording sessions with producer/manager Thom Hazeart (Chimaira, Depswa), the band is supposedly recording a full length now.--Witty lyricism with fat-free song writing at its finest.
20. Shenoah
21. Endever: Their latest song is amazing. Seeking new bassist and drummer.
22. One Motion
23. 21 Rest
24. The Colour
25. Burn Season
26. Until Sundown: They may be 16-17, but they cover the Cranberries like nobody's biznass. Amazing vocals.
27. Transparent: Like Thursday, Quicksand.
28. Paper Street Saints: Any band that features a former member of Sponge is worth checking out.
29. Adair: Just toured with Story of the Year, moved back to St. Louis, and may work with Ross Robinson some time soon.
30. The Blank Theory: Just inked a production deal with Ben Moody and Jay Baumgardner. Once the dust from the bidding war settles, expect this band do some huge things. Dan Morteo of Madhops is now on guitar.
31. Sue Generis: Solid live show. Ben Folds meets metal perhaps.
32. A Dozen Furies: Like Poison The Well meets Papa Roach. Features former members of Ethynol and Unloco.
33. 2nd Half
34. Fractional: Just released a new John Travis-produced EP. Has two gems
35. Tyler Read: Power pop indeed. Three brothers
36. Hypnogaja: Still waiting to see what their sophomore release holds. Their debut was a masterpiece.
37. Arizing
38. March
39. Spritifall: Missing in action--last I heard they had some demos being shopped by Nettwerk.
40. Sub-Method: Dunno if they're still around. Featured ex-Shun and 12 V Negative Earth members; incredible, out of this world vocals.
(ps: try a web site called google to get links; i've heard it works pretty well)

Oh, here's what came of some of last year's bands:

Signed:

Disbanded:

Allow me to recap:
-Former Shun bassist Richie Glover has officially joined Spiritfall. Meanwhile, Ben Souza, Spiritfall's ex-bassman, is rumored to have joined a project featuring members of Pressure 4-5.
-Former Plain of Ashes' frontman Judah Nero is now handling vocal duties Herod.
-I need a host for this web site. Contact me if interested.
-I've got 2 copies of Unjust's "Glow"(NOW 2) and 5 of Arizing's "Advance" to giveaway.
If you want one or both, email and tell me what your favorite band on this list is.

(see below for list)

Lowdown Unsigned's Bands of the Moment: On Jettared's latest batch of recordings (the first three cuts found on their recently released eight-song EP) the band drops much of the Glassjaw influence that not only hampered their earlier work, but also helped to make them the buzz band that they are today. And while newer tracks like "Farewell" and "Champion" may seem a bit rough around the edges--almost indecisive to a degree--they are proof positive that Jettared is a band in transition, a band just now beginning to forge its own path.
"Best of Friends," the EP's opening track, however, is as good and as complete of a rock song that an unsigned band can write. Far more refined and focused than the rest of the EP's songs, "Best...," in a nutshell, is the band's chance at breaking out, as it nearly perfectly melds the vocal stylings of Glassjaw with guitarwork in the vein of Taproot and drum beats that recall Alien Ant Farm ever so slightly.

Guitarist Shane Grush tells more:
LOWDOWN: While your debut EP received pretty good press overall, at the same time many cast you aside as Glassjaw part duex. Were you ever really that much inspired by Glassjaw, or were the similarities merely coincidental?
SHANE: At that time I was really inspired, definitely. I was in love with the first GJ record. No one who plays in a band wants to be the next something (i.e. Glassjaw), and I guess the influence added up to be more than just an influence. It's a growing thing, musically and personally. The songs that Chris and I wrote then were definitely a reflection of who we were then. The similarities were born just from Chris and myself loving what they were doing. We were never like "wow listen to this, let's do that." It was merely an influence, maybe taken too far for some people, also an influence that we were maybe blinded by. If you're whipped by a girl you have no idea you're whipped until she breaks your heart, then you see how you were acting and how affected by the situation you were.
On that note, your newer tracks are far more diverse and original than the previous batch of recordings were. What were your aims and goals when writing these new tracks?
Along with growing up musically and personally we are more comfortable as songwriters. We have learned a ton about ourselves and the music we want to convey. We never really aim or put any limitations on writing; there are no rules at all. If any of us has an idea for a song it's brought to practice and we work on it. If it works it works. If not, we move forward. Also, we obviously gained two tremendous musicians in Nick and Dave. So that was a huge lift creatively.
You come from a pretty respectable underground rock scene in Michigan. There seems to be plenty of good bands to play with and enough venues to play at there. That being said, will you guys be touring nationally or regionally any time in the future?
Well, two us are close to finishing up college, so there are no immediate plans for a national or regional tour. Building up the biggest fan base at home is a priority of ours, [though] we do play a lot of shows regionally. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois--we frequent them as much as we can. At least six to eight shows a month; sometimes more, sometimes less. One of our huge goals is definitely to tour. It's our dream. When the time is right, we'll be out there everyday.
Looking at the overall shoddy state of the recording industry, would you ever subject yourself to .08% royalty rates (among other pitfalls of the industry) to bring the music of Jettared to the masses?
Royalty rates aside, we just want to do what we do. We have only been contacted by one or two indie labels so we definitely would consider a major.
What are the band's plans and hopes for the future? Obviously we'd like to pick up some sort of management or label, but right now our current plans are to expand our fan base. We just need to keep doing what we are doing. We have been writing a ton of new songs, and when we are ready we will release something new, and keep pushing. Each one of us has hopes and goals for the band. Lofty ones at that. Along with the lofty ones there are a thousand reachable ones. We will have to see what lies ahead.

Arizing may not look far for their influences, but their new EP still rocks pretty hard. Taking inspiration from fellow Michigan rockers Jettared and Taproot, Arizing's latest, the four-song "Advance" EP, is easily the band's most accessible material to date. Following up on 2002's "Womb" LP, the band has toned down its hard rock/metal sound a bit to create an album chock full of pretty hooks and memorable melodies. The band even throws in some syntheiszer/keyboard action on the standout track "The Big L (Falling In Love Again)." The quintet still has a little work to do before they find a sound truly of their own, but if the progress shown on this EP is of any indication, Arizing could very well make the step up to the majors in the years ahead.

40. After essentially dropping off the face the earth for a few years, Chicago's The Madhops are back, and very much alive and kicking. The band's recently released four-track EP is its first release since 2000's "A New Brand of Hurt" and, unlike "Hurt," the new material is completely rapcore-free. Instead, the five-piece, who have replaced founding guitarist AJ Hinz with guitarists Dan McDonaugh and Sean Patwell, tries its hand at melodic rock. Oddly enough, The Madhops' (a name frontman Dan Morteo wishes the band could rid themselves of) new sound is perhaps best exemplified by the track "Breathe," a song originally included on "Hurt" that has since been completely reworked and re-recorded for the band's new EP. Stamped with Morteo's ethereal and almost haunting register, the track--easily the band's moodiest to date--swoons and sways with hypnotic guitar licks and atmospheric drum work.

Of the band's new approach, Morteo says: "We stopped giving a shit whether what we played was heavy or soft or fit in with the other bands, and we just wrote music. I stopped trying too hard when I wrote songs and just vented about my life and crap that tore me up inside. ..."

After months of "ironing things out" with new members, the band performed at 2003's Mobfest and has more Chicago-area dates on the slate.

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39. The members of Connecticut's Avenger of Awry (#12 in 2002) and Call It Arson couldn't decide if they wanted to play epic hardcore or endearing indie rock, so they decided to do both. While the same four musicians perform in both acts, they decided to keep their two contrasting sounds well apart from one another.

Call It Arson, the group's "main project," recalls an amalgamate of Dashboard Confessional and Palo Alto with its lush, dreamy melodies and slight Brit-rock sensibilities. The bruising Avenger, meanwhile, brings to mind a more punk-influenced and intricacy-driven Hopesfall.

Regarding the group's decision to do two bands instead of one, guitarist/vocalist James Downes says: "We didn't combine the bands simply for the reason that when we play with Avenger of Awry, we like to push our musical capabilities as far as they go. With Avenger, we score the music to be very complicated and intricate. Structurally, the music is often heavily influenced by jazz and classical composition, stressing off beat time signatures and polyrhythms. All in all, a lot of stuff can be going through our heads at any point during an Avenger song.

"On the other hand, Call It Arson was created as kind of an escape from the 'heavy music scene'. Call It Arson gives us the chance to write mellower, simpler and more beautiful melodies. It also gives us a chance to emulate the singer/guitar players that we grew up listening to (Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Beatles, Jackson Brown). I guess the main reason that the two bands never crossed over is because, although we like a lot of bands that play heavy and softer music, we think the two styles belong by themselves. That's just our thought."

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38. The only thing that sets A Fall Farewell (#17) apart from the hundreds of other hardcore acts raised on Zao and Poison The Well is that this Orange County, Calif. five piece actually possesses a considerable amount of talent. While the band's 2002 full-length debut, "The Impermanence of Beauty," (produced by Thrice guitarist Teppei Teranishi) did a fairly excellent job of melding Metallica with Converge, their latest three-song demo is far better material in every regard. The riffs are tighter, the vocals are cleaner, and the whole package just sounds much more complete and cohesive. The band recently completed a nationwide tour alongside The Bled (Fiddler Records).

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37. After parting ways with vocalist Tracy in 2002, 5-Line Legacy quickly launched a search to find a new vocalist. The Canadian rock/metal group searched high and low, but it wasn't until an old friend came calling--literally--that they found what they were looking for.

"While we were in the audition process," guitarist Jiak explains, "I got a phone call from [long time friend and former Scrubmuffin vocalist] Rico. To be honest, even before we exchanged any audition material we knew he was going to be the one."

The four piece has since recorded four tracks with Rico as a part of its demo EP, "Stockholm Syndrome." While the band's previous sound seemed more at home with scatter-brained acts like Bad Brains, 5-Line's latest cuts recall a more straight-forward rock sound along the lines of the deftones and Quicksand. Jiak says the band members all hear the new sound differently, adding that it is "heavy and melodic and strays into both ambient and [technical] all-out type breakdowns."

"It doesn't really compare to the old sound," he says. "I'm sure there are some similarities because it's still the same players. I'd say the evolution is quite obvious."

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36. Some of the more memorable tunes to spawn from the alternative metal genre in recent memory can be found on 10 Years' (Knoxville, Tenn.) "Killing All That Holds You" EP. Featuring one of the more standoutish and well-composed vocalists on the unsigned rock circuit, 10 Years writes vividly dark tales of lose and sorrow in the vein of Staind and Taproot. ETC: Who cares about the sunshine, where the heck did 12v Negative Earth go? The Nashville nu-metal quintet is finally preparing to release its follow-up to 2000's "Babysteps" EP. The band is expected to make its new material available shortly via 12vne.com.

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35. One name on this list that undoubtedly needs no introduction is North Carolina's Codeseven. To the surprise of many, after touring with such formidable names as Dredg and This Day Forward, as well as releasing 2002's critically-acclaimed "The Rescue," Codeseven parted ways with its record label, The Music Cartel, late last year. The band has yet to record any new material as an unsigned act, but they continue to tour constantly, most recently bringing their indie rock sound on the road with Dredg, Sparta, S.T.U.N. and Woven. The band is currently writing material for a future release.

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34. Almost too catchy for their own good, the duo known as 2nd Half (Cleveland) compose stirringly precise rock anthems that are as smart as they are easy to listen to. While band members Ed Gandolf (guitars/vocals) and Drew Scalero (drums) may have honed their chops in the Cleveo metal scene alongside current members of Sw1tched and Chimaira, the sound of 2nd Half recalls acts more along the lines of 311, They Might Be Giants and Hot Action Cop with its bob-your-head riffs and enormous, consuming hooks.

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33. Known as Gift until very recently, Code Red Tragedy is a rather elusive buzzworthy rock quintet hailing from the deserts of Tucson, Ariz. Earlier in the year, upon the demise of fellow Arizona natives Bionic Jive (Interscope), guitarist Larry Love joined the band. Code Red Tragedy has a number of cuts available on-line; most impressive of which are "Choices" and "3 Words." Fans of Taproot, The Used and Sevendust should enjoy this band's tried-and-true approach to alternative metal.

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32. Drenched in emotional depth and sincerity, the music of North California's Endever can only be described as some of the most sweeping, driven rock music to currently exist on the underground circuit. Endever features dark, tranquil tales of broken hearts and loves lost careening over silky smooth guitarwork and beautifully accented dynamics (in other words, take all the good elements of emo and mix them in a melodic rock melting pot). The band's track "Bleeding" (produced by Sylvia Massy Shivy of Tool fame) is truly a bold and memorable statement from such a young and seemingly unrefined bunch of musicians.

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31. The Black Maria (Toronto, CAN) will undoubtedly be signed for all the wrong reasons. After all, the band does feature former members of hardcore vets Grade (Victory Records) and the criminally underrated but highly respected Zyon. The five piece splices together elements of 80s rock, Glassjaw and melodic punk rock to create a very catchy and sensual rock sound.

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30. Releasing its third, and by far its most expansive album to date, Bay Area stalwarts Unjust (#16) continue to impress with their melodic metal flavorings on "Glow." Continually evolving into a far more more radio-ready band, the group evokes elements of Machine Head, Faith No More, Ultraspank and Staind.

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29. The Underwater:

While the initial buzz surrounding York, Pennsylvania's The Underwater was almost solely due to the fact that ex-Zao skinsman Jesse Smith had joined the band (Jim Bedorf has since replaced him), a listen to any of the five piece's more recent recordings show a band truly deserving of rock fame based on their musical merits alone.

The fashion in which The Underwater formed--roughly two and a half years ago--is not unique and almost formulaic: Two members of a reputable hardcore act (in this case, vocalist Dan Thomas and guitarist Matt Holmes hail from Boywunder) became tired of their previous band and looked to start something new. But, instead of starting a pop-punk band out of convenience, Thomas and Holmes formed The Underwater, a melodic rock group with soaring vocals and intricate, uplifting alt-rock riffs as its focal point.

Although the band has since beefed up its live resume, performing alongside Seether, Smily Empty Soul and Oleander, among others, last summer they were only a few months into their then-current line-up and touring in some very unlikely, albeit grand circumstances. Because of Thomas and Holmes' acquaintance with Smith, who was then preparing to tour with Zao as a part of their "farewell tour," he offered The Underwater a once-in-a-million chance. "We were given the opportunity to be on [Zao's final tour], a tour that was selling out venues everywhere in the country," guitarist Brandon Deroche explains. (Aaron Hodgdon rounds out the group on bass.)

The band accepted the offer, despite knowing that they would be the only non-hardcore band on the bill. "We felt, regardless of genres, we were bound to pick up at least some fans and, overall, learn from the experience," Deroche says. And while the band did gain numerous fans and major label interest on the tour, it was far from an easy jaunt. "Our RV was falling apart," Deroche says, "people were getting fed up with each other, we had no money, but luckily we made it through and never headed for home. I think we surprised a lot of the other bands that we did continue with the tour, despite all the problems."

Deroche concludes, "Needless to say, the tour opened a lot of doors for us, and though we wouldn't want to do it again in the same exact fashion, we don't regret it."

One particular set of doors that were opened by the tour were those of North Carolina's Tribunal Records, home to promising acts such as Swift, Amazing Device and School For Heroes. After seeing The Underwater perform live, Tribunal released The Underwater's "Bleed Me Blue" EP in early 2003 to rather a warm reception, despite that the band was then the lone non-hardcore artist on the label's roster.

On the success of "Bleed...," European label Lifeforce Records (Caliban, Heaven Shall Burn) decided to release the EP overseas in late July. The rerelease was accompanied by two of the band's newer recordings, including the stand-out cut, "Bring Me To You."

The Underwater is currently touring with Solid State Records' Dead Poetic and hopes to release something new in the months ahead.

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28.Imagine Chevelle with some well-placed and surprisingly throaty screams and you've got the melody-driven three piece (not brothers) known as Mind's Eye. Based out of Indianapolis, the group has big plans for its latest nine-song outing, "Until the Stars Align." The band has already serviced the album to numerous college radio stations and is preparing a Midwest tour for the months ahead.

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27. Five questions with Tyler Read (Sherveport, La.) guitarist/vocalist Josh Johnson:


LOWDOWN: Your sound is definitely of a very eclectic nature. It'd be hard to describe your sound and/or compare you guys to any other modern artists, so why don't you do it for me?
JOSH: I think we hit somewhere between emo and modern rock. We love big choruses and hooks, but at the same time the song has to deliver on a certain intensity level. The "emotion" or whatever buzzword you want to use, to me, comes from wanting to deliver something that is powerful. We have had comparisons from The Used to AFI to Blindside to even Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I think that is just our four personalities and how they come together in this band.

What's it like being in a band with two of your brothers? How has this been a help and/or a hindrance as the band has grown, progressed and refined its sound?
I think that it has helped us be brutally honest with each other. We will completely rip each other's song ideas if we don't think they fit what we are trying to accomplish. There are literally almost fist fights when practice time comes around! With all of that said, I think that it is evident that we are related when we hit the stage. We understand the same rhythm patterns and have the same "feel" for the music. Our voices seem to harmonize well because we came from the same two people. I think it has been very beneficial, I just hope we don't kill each other.

While your sound definitely has the commercial charm often found in radio rock bands, it also has off-kilter tempo changes and definitely isn't predictable in its structuring. Tell me a bit about what your aims are when writing songs, and what your songwriting process usually entails.
This is really our favorite part. Songwriting is something that we take very seriously. I feel like that is really all a band has...unless you look like Sebastian Bach did in those killer leather pants. Songs have sustained the careers of many an artist...with that said, we try to find something very memorable, very melodic, and work from there. Once we have a piece of a song written that we like, we go about structuring something to coincide with that. We might bring in a part that we wrote on another day. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. The most important thing is to keep this process as organic as possible. "Incomplete" was written in five minutes with words and everything; other songs take three hours of banging it out. But we are in love with that process. If it hits hard, it is very memorable, and it sounds like us, we keep it. If it doesn't fit those requirements, we toss it.

I know you mentioned that some new recordings are in the works; tell me a bit about those. Also, what are the band's hopes, plans and dreams for the future (touring, record deal, etc)?
We are recording another demo with our producer here in Shreveport. We are going to do a little bit of shopping with these tracks, mostly to industry people that we believe can help us further our goals in this game. We would love to work out some sort of developmental deal with someone. That would hopefully include a pretty decent booking setup where we could get out on the road and fine tune what we do. Hopefully one day it would lead to a "record deal." We are just taking our time and trying to do the right thing.

Louisiana can't be too fun of a place for a rock band trying to get noticed. Tell me about the local rock scene there, how they've accepted or not accepted you, and what you've done to spread the word on your band outside of La.?
Just last night I was out eating with a Ziggy Stardust shirt on. This guy yells at me in a drunken southerner dialect: "Billy Idol Rullzzz!!!" I mean that really is how it is. We try to find the right venues to play, but most of the time we have to settle with what there is. If that means being called "faggots" by big biker dudes, then so be it. Shreveport is really still in love with all of the things that Pantera accomplished as a band. Most of the bands are still from that hardcore school of thought. We don't fit in really, but when we finish our set and these hard bands see our energy level, I think they at least respect it. Don't get me wrong, there are some really great bands from Shreveport that I love, I just think that we don't fit into any type of scene here. Outside of our home, we have tried to work some specialty radio stations, and have received a bit of airplay with that. We try to book out of town stuff, be it in Dallas or Nashville. We are doing our best to try to promote outside our home area, because, honestly, that is our only hope. So we'll try the national stuff and see how it goes. We just understand that the demographics here don't scream "This place breaks rock bands!" That's OK, I can't really play lead [and] we aren't that good at Skynyrd covers.

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This list was entered on Aug. 26, 2003.