The Sunshine House

The Sunshine House is a music project from Fort Collins, CO that formed in July of 2010. The sextet consists of Philip Waggoner (vocals/guitar), Becky Raab (vocals), Zac Crider (guitar), Dylan Curtis (guitar), Jered Lish (violin), and Tyler Kellogg (drums). Their sound mixes elements of folk, indie, country, and pop; all wrapped into a lush orchestrated melody. The band name came from Waggoner passing by a daycare center and deciding to use it as the group's moniker. The band is very fresh to the music scene here in Colorado but have a promising sound and a positive outlook on their future. They recently had their debut CD release party this past weekend at Everyday Joes in Fort Collins. I expect big things from this band as they mature and become a tighter ensemble.

http://www.thesunshinehousemusic.net/

Smelly Dog

*Since February is Black History Month I thought I would feature African American musicians for the entire month. Enjoy!

Keller Williams

Keller Williams is an American musician from Fredericksburg, VA, who began perfoming in the early 1990's. Williams' music combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, and many other assorted genres. He is often described as a one-man jam-band because of his use of live phrase looping with multiple instruments. Although he is known primarily as a solo act, he has toured with bands such as Yonder Mountain String Band, The String Cheese Incident, and Umphrey's McGee. Two other projects he is well known for is the WMD's with Keith Moseley (bass, String Cheese Incident), Jeff Sipe (drums, Aquarium Rescue Unit), and Gibb Droll (guitar, Gibb Droll Band); and Keller & The Keels with Larry and Jenny Keel. He recently released a studio album geared towards children entitled Kids. Keller also hosts his own radio show called Keller's Cellar which has a live online stream. This video is "Freaker by the Speaker" from his album Laugh.

I have seen Keller numerous times and I would strongly recommend seeing this fella live. He has a great onstage presence and will definitely impress and even surprise you. He can play just about anything so be prepared for a cover song or two that might possibly blow your mind. Look for more videos on Youtube and Vimeo and you will see just what I am talking about.

http://kellerwilliams.net

Smelly Dog

Dan Deacon

Dan Deacon is an American electronic musician who originates from Babylon, NY and Baltimore, MD. He is known best for his quirky persona and often ballistic music. He studied music at the Conservatory of Music at State University of New York at Purchase. While there he performed some solo material as well as playing in many bands. His two most notable projects are playing tuba for Langhorne Slim and playing guitar in the band Rated R. He finished his graduate studies in electro-acoustic and computer music composition. His first two albums as a solo artist are lesser known to his mainstream fanbase. It wasn't until the release of Twacky Cats (2004) and Acorn Master (2006) that current fans associate as his music. His first mainstream release came in 2007 with Spiderman of the Rings. Dan is best known for his live solo performances, playing on the floor within the crowd. This video is from WSAV in Savannah, GA (NBC Affiliate) in February 2005. He is performing "Ohio" from his album Twacky Cats.

*If anyone knows where to find video footage of the interview from this video please pass along the link*

http://www.dandeacon.com

Smelly Dog

*Only a few days left to vote in the poll folks*

Chasing Kings

Chasing Kings are a four piece indie-pop band from Los Angeles, CA. They are fairly new to the scene but are turning heads with their sound combined with an early Radiohead edge. The band consists of Drew Beck (guitar/vocals), Mike Goldman (bass/vocals), Nick Sandler (drums), and Matt Schwartz (vocals/keys/guitar). Their debut EP was released in August of 2009, and they have been touring nonstop throughout the Western United States, with an appearance at the SXSW festival. The band is stated to have "Infectious melodies, danceable vintage grooves, and an unique quirkiness" about them. They were included in the 2010 list of the 20 Top Indie Bands from Los Angeles by Deli Magazine. This video is "Just Our Luck" from their EP The Current State of Our Future.

http://www.myspace.com/therealchasingkings

Smelly Dog

Intermission

Taking an intermission to get into my new schedule with school. I will be back and rolling along starting tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, but I have some great music lined up. Until then...

Smelly Dog