Alex’s most recent efforts center around a beat-up parlor guitar and southern-based lyrics and chord structures….and filming geeky optometry videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwcwpi1Pzn8).

Brad(ford) Sims grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and Houston, Texas… but should have been born about 8 years earlier, since most of his favorite records had all been released by the time he was 10 years old.  He turned to music once his baseball career ended (at 13) and hasn’t looked back.  He received a degree in music composition from Birmingham-Southern.  He has served as a bass player for bands up until recently, when he joined the band Voices in the Trees as a guitarist.  He has also been known to sing at times.

Chase Butler is a Birmingham-based singer and songwriter who spends most of his free-time holed up in a bedroom recording music. “There’s something about recording and producing your own stuff that helps keep the original personality and soul of a song intact,” he commented, “you work on your own time whether it is nine at night or four in the morning–the freedom is unlimited…until the people below me hit their ceiling with a a broomstick in frustration.” He views songwriting as a conclusion to a lot of premises, “life has a lot of open-ends and tangles, songs help to organize.” He aims to be passionate, honest, and timeless in what he concocts as a musician in the hopes of producing something original and meaningful. “I can remember as a ten year-old sitting at a piano and playing Fur Elise by Beethoven–not so well, I might add–for one of my mom’s friends. She started crying and I had no idea why at the time, but later on in my life the memory resurfaced and I came to this conclusion: there is great power in stringing together notes. Hearts are moved and the soul is encouraged…a good song can never die. Every person has a soundtrack to their life, and my goal is to make loud my own in hopes of connecting paths with someone else.” Chase tries to play where he can, whether it is a local bar, coffee shop, music venue, or church.

In the past Duquette Johnston was a founding member of such influential bands as Verbena and Cutgrass. Along the way sharing the stage with bands such as Superchunk, Pavement, Foo Fighters, Jesus Lizard, The Strokes, Ryan Adams, Bonnie Prince Billy and so many more. For several years Duquette slipped into a dark place and found himself locked up in the Etowah County Detention center facing a very long prison sentence. By the grace of God he was given a second chance and released his first solo album Etowah, on Superphonic Records. In the present Duquette is making a new record with The Rebel Kings to be released sometime in 2010 and working on two records for charity.

Jamie lives in the smallwoods with his wife Tammy and son Isaiah. Isaiah looks exactly like him. Jamie is a banker by day and a conflicted artist by night.

Bari sax is Jamie’s main instrument, but he also plays flute, guitar, and banjo. He’s most comfortable with a little practice and the flexibility of improvisation. Jamie and Tammy are in a band called Handwritten Letters. Jamie is always itching for more opportunities to play that bari…

Janet plays in Birmingham bands Delicate Cutters and Teen Getaway. She has been a musician all her life, schooled in classical and jazz as well as 18 years of playing in bands and solo throughout the south and eastern U.S. Janet is also the editor in chief of Pavo Magazine, online arts & culture magazine for Birmingham.

Birmingham based Joel Madison Blount is a songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, and singer. Blount is consumed in a struggle – a struggle lasting more than half the term of his natural life – a struggle for the sake of his identity. Blount is keenly aware of who he is, where he came from, and where he wants to go, but – he remains bound – fighting for an escape from the cultural norms, (perceived and genuine) familial expectations and “comfortable” lifestyle that binds him. Some call it cowardice; some say he lacks faith; others say he has chosen to live “wisely”. Blount’s story represents that of a generation – a generation of people who genuinely want to live passionately, following their hearts to the brink of disaster if necessary, but…but…it’s always the “but” and the “what if” that holds us back – isn’t it? In an act of defiance against the steady life, Blount now makes a conscious, daily effort to actively pursue and create his very own true life story – the story that he wants to tell – and he wants to encourage you to do the same. What will your story say about you?
Please contact Joel if you are interested in sharing your own story, songwriting, recording audio, or performing music. You can also contact Joel if you are interested in spending time outdoors. If you contact Joel about any topic other than those mentioned above – he might not have much to say, but, he is a good (objective) listener.

Jon Black is easily one of the south’s best kept secrets… until now. Over the past two years he has shared the stage with Alejandro Escovedo, Ani DiFranco, Mark Kozolek, and many more; won a songwriting award for My Days Are Numbered and travelled by plane, train, and automobile to share his music with anyone willing to listen and engage.

Goodbye Golden Age, releasing on Rebuilt Records, is the much-anticipated follow-up to his 2006 release, The October Sky. Recorded over the span of a year in Oxford, Mississippi at Tweed Recordings with Andrew Ratcliffe (Will Hoge, Blue Mountain, The Damnwells) and DOMUS Studios in Cumming, Georgia with Paul Reeves, the arsenal of players on the record is stunning. Mixed by Andy Hunt (Glen Philips, Derek Webb) and Mastered by Matt Odmark from Jars of Clay, Goodbye Golden Age shows that Jon is growing in his artistry and that his comparisons to Jackson Browne, Ryan Adams, and Jay Farrarr are not in vain.

With the sonic backdrop of Americana music, Black’s latest album dives deep into capturing the loneliness of the road, the hope of things to come, and the inspiration found at the end of your rope. Goodbye Golden Age is both an album of searching and finding, an honest display of fears in an uncertain world and a joyful reaction to following dreams, a friendly greeting and a quick punch to the gut. He says, “There’s music you listen to at the moment and there’s music you listen to forever. I really wanted to dig deep and give people something they could listen to when they need a reminder that most doubts, fears, joys, and triumphs are shared between all humans. Existence is hard but I’ve made it through with the help from some great artists. Hopefully this will inspire others to keep going.”

If you want to know what a growing artist looks like and what happens when an artist is honest then look no further. This artist in Birmingham, Alabama is truly on the verge of becoming an important songwriter in the south and in modern Americana music.

“Jon is an amazing story teller. His words paint a picture as his melodies give pure heartfelt emotion. Each song took me to a new place and I loved every minute of it.” – Andy Hunt

“…Black elevates his music to another level.” – Mike Trobiano from The University of Tampa Minaret

“The eclectic nature of this collection, as well as the solid songwriting and Black’s clear, strong singing voice, is reminiscent of Lyle Lovett’s style…not a small feat. And, boy can Black hold a note – check out ‘Mouth Of The Moon’ as evidence. Don’t let this guy pass you by.” – WayCoolMusic.net

“Black is a skilled songwriter and performer and here he shows off his talent across a range of styles.” – Americana UK