It was May 19th, 3 in the morning on Saturday. We were travelling along the I-40 on our way to the Hyperactive Music Festival. Being only about 30 miles outside of Alberquerque, we were excited to get into town to be a part of the event. All of a sudden, an incredibly strong cross-wind hits our 30 some-odd foot trailer rig. It cause the rig to jolt, buckle and swerve. The wind throws us out of control, we spin, the rig jack-knifes and we roll I don't know how many times. The entire trailer and vehicle was totally destroyed and we end up overturned in the median ditch separating the two sides of the highway.

Miraculously, all six of us managed to emerge from the wreckage under our own power. Some of had to smash through windows and bend steel to escape the twisted carnage, but we got out and survived. As we look at the wreck, we realize that we came inches close to death. That was all that separated our bodies from piercing metal and jagged glass.

Our stuff was strewn all over the highway, it was pitch black and we were miles from civilization. The only light we had was from oncoming traffic. We had no idea what to do. Luckily for us, we had loyal fans (now great friends) in Alberquerque who drove all the way out with their truck to help us transport our belongings. They made at least three trips back and forth just moving our stuff. Talk about beautiful people.

We also had a towing company come out to flip over the wrecked rig and take it away. We got together everything we could find in the endless dark, not knowing any of it was even usable. It was so cold out there, every gust of wind hitting the body like a punch in the stomach. We spent about four hours in the late nite/ early morning trying to deal with disaster.

Finally, the Saturday morning sun was blazing and our bloodied, bruised and cut-up selves were taken to the Wyndham Airport Hotel by New Mexice State Police. Unbelievably, no one was seriously injured.
Despite that, we still had no idea how we would go on, if at all.

The next day was us scrambling around trying to gather together the pieces and make it through the day. Completely blowing our minds was that our essential band equipment survived as we had, superficially damaged but still ready to go on.

Later that night, we were scheduled to play the festival at Atomic Cantina. Not untill we actually set foot on stage did we know whether or not we would even be able to play. In less than 24 hours, the six of us had our lives thrown onto the roulette wheel and exeperienced a lifetime of emotion and turmoil. When Steady Ground found themselves on stage at the Hyperactive Music Festival, it somehow began to all make sense.

                                                                          

Depending on how you look at it, Drew Grow's album Next Lips has either been 2 years coming or 33.

The Portland musician has been making music since he started playing in a "god rock" band at 19. Born into a devout Christian family, Drew has always viewed music as a personal and spiritual experience.

You wouldn't necessarily have known that, however, by listening to any of the music he's made before "Next Lips." Grow caught his first break playing guitar for folk-pop outfit Five O'Clock People and later toured the U.K. with Athens, GA band Vigilantes of Love. In 2002, Grow finally put together his own group, a five-piece band called Careen.

Careen achieved moderate success, renowned producer Joe Chiccarelli, (The Shins, U2, Beck) produced and mixed their second album, Crash Couture, but it's the story of Careen's failure that puts Next Lips into focus.

Careen was conceived as a response against overly self-conscious shoe-gazer rock. "I wanted us to be the Steven Kings of Rock 'n Roll," Grow says.  The music was polished and accented by poppy synthesizers and catchy guitar riffs. At the time Grow was making it, this was revolutionary. But by the time Careen released its second album, bands like The Killers had beaten them to the punch, relegating Careen to a place in the diffused haze of the spotlight they craved.

As they began recording their third album in 2005, everything just went to hell. Members were getting married or steady jobs – nails in the coffin of most young musicians. The tour van got repossessed. The studio they were recording in was forced to shut down because of noise complaints. On the last Careen tour, Drew decided to play a solo set one night, with band members filling in on various different instruments. Even though, at the time, Careen was as tight as they'd ever been on stage, the audience responded more to Drew's music than the bands.

"That was the moment that we all knew it would be over," Grow said. "It dragged out a while longer because I didn't have the courage to end it and stand on my own yet, but none of the old band mates deny that I touched something that night beyond where Careen could ever go."

Drew set out on his own in the winter of 2005 – which ended up being a dark and lonely time for the artist. But in the midst of sickness and depression, he continued to nurture the seeds that remained from Careen's last days, transforming them into something all his own. Recording digitally in his apartment, he created songs about faith, relationships and love that are dark, raw and ultimately hopeful.

"Back in Careen, I was doing pop music as rebellion, much like I spent a lot of my life fighting against my religious roots," Grow said. "But music is sacred to me, and as I've searched for a sound that is what I want to hear, I find I'm drawn to the feeling and soul of music reclaimed by people like Johnny Cash, PJ Harvey and Spiritualized."

Coming out of the studio over a year after Grow started writing Next Lips, the album presents itself as a reconciliation between Grow's current life and his upbringing. It's an album of worship in the most personal and secular sense: A celebration of new inspiration and confidence.

With Next Lips, 33 years and multiple bands into his life, Drew Grow has finally found the music that is his own

 

www.myspace.com/drewgrow

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About the thieves

..> ..> Take the vibe and attitude of old school rock, fuse it with a modern edge, get some serious playing, mix it with real songs and youd be getting close to what The Thieves sound like. Ridiculously rocking and catchy... expect big things. GIANT "Verdict: it's just an E.P, But this could drop huge." - Drum! "What makes The Thieves' album so significant is the fact that the band took their time to write hooks and didn't settle for repetitive power chords throughout the album. Tales from the White Line might as well be renamed Blues Rock Album of the Year." - Outburn

www.myspace.com/thethieves

Soular, our hometown boys from Albuquerque is releasing their Love, Crash Heal album this month, touring all summer and of course playing the Hyperfestival where that will officially be their Video Release at The El Rey Theatre May 19 12am.

www.myspace.com/soular

 

"'Take Me Away,' the second track on this CD, is the best song I have heard this year. And (whisper it) it's anthemic indie rock. Soular have treated music as the spiritual gift it really is, and by doing so have transcended the notion of genre." ZEITGEIST - Scotland, UK

". . . retro-rock sound combined with a powerpop edge mixed with a little spoon of prog-rock. And this cool hybrid of styles is one reason why Soular is worth spending your time and money on. They deliver something unexpected and unique in the mix of everything. Soular rules." PAR WINBERG - MELODIC.NET - Sweden

If you would like to volunteer, please let us know right here.  Volunteers get full badges to all events, The VIP party, The VIP suite, a goodie bag, T-shirts, CD's, and more. We all need all positions, Panels, Venue Director, Drivers, Stage Managers, VIP room attendees, Badge booth and check in, all of them, so please jump on for all volunteer positions, we will get in touch.  One week left

May 17-19 Albuquerque

 

www.hyperfestival.com

Future Pilot. Lullaby-sensible riffs along with melancholy vocals
explode into searing, uninhibited guitar madness coupled with creative
harmonies and the occasional piercing howl of love and contempt. With
progressive, stimulating beat changes and unrivaled instrumentation
that never loses its focus, Future Pilot will caress your soul, and
the moment you drop your guard will sucker-punch you right in the gut.

www.myspace.com/futurepilotband

 

The name itself means, "A severe, immediate change in the weather."

Nothing could ring more true for this band. Originating in early 2000, ColdSnap was a melodic, post-hardcore band playing with the likes of Kittie and Adema, playing a near-headlining 2nd stage slot at The Lollapalooza Festival, winning Local MIC awards, and working the crowd into a frenzy with their heaviness and angst-ridden lyrics. ColdSnap has since evolved with a line-up change and a new, more mature, honest sound.
www.myspace.com/coldsnapmusic

Let us know if you have what it takes to be the artist of the week.  We will feature 4 of your songs, give you a write-up and make blasts out to 20,000 of our friends.  Give a post below and let us know, feel free to have your friends ask in your favor as well.

The Attorneys are a threesome from Brooklyn NY.  On their debut album "Stereocracy"  They have combined Pop, Indie, Funk and rock in a style that emits flavor and sound.  Open Up starts off with a get off your butt groove line and comes in Piano reminescnt of Ben Folds Five in the funkier days.  The Lead singer Wiliam has a beautiful voice that sounds like a cross between Freddie Mercury and and Under The Influence Of Giants and all between.  The lyrics make the music even more pleasurable as they make a statement of fact, in "Open Up" of being Used and cheated to "On A Whim" where he is trying to convince the girl of his commitment.  The Attorneys have set the stage for world domination, with a sound that calls for tomorrow, www.myspace.com/theattorneys

www.attorneysband.com