The WBRU Rock Hunt semi-finals continued this weeked with two awesome shows. The third night was Fighting the Influence, The Intel, and The Wandas rocking out at Playoffs Pub in Fall River, MA this past Friday. Congratulations to The Wandas for winning and advancing to the finals. Here's more on all the bands that competed that night.
Fighting The Influence is a pop/rock band hailing from Fall River, Massachusetts. Already equipped with an EP and a New England tour, the band has worked alongside other local talents to produce some singles and music videos (the latest being the polished “This is Goodbye” which can be found on the band’s website). There is no doubt that these guys always put their hearts into each of their shows and their songs, so be ready for a convincing performance from them on Friday (or if you miss them then, they’ll be touring the east coast throughout the month of May).
The Intel is a six-piece rock group featuring guitars, bass, drums, synths, vocals, sampling, and, oh yes, screams (they’ve got a guy designated for that). The guys are from Providence, Rhode Island and have been playing shows around the area for a while. In fact, aside from their Friday night Rock Hunt show, they’ve got a bunch of dates lined up for local venues in and around Rhode Island in the coming months. They also feature a pretty cute myspace page.
The Wandas is an indie pop/rock band that can take some pretty cool looking photos. But other than that, the Southern Massachussets foursome has already enjoyed some touring success, gracing a couple shows at the South By Southwest festival earlier this year, among others. They’ve also garnered a bit of acclaim with their independently released “New Wave Blues” in 2009 and cross-country touring. With a sound somewhat akin to the likes of Wilco, The Strokes, and an amalgamation of some other indie bands, the Wandas certainly have the capability to endear their audiences and live up to their pretty photos.
Then the last round was held on Saturday night down at the Wheel House in Narragansett, RI. Live From The Sun, Keep Me Conscious and The Brunt Of It all rocked their hearts out on the stage that night. Keep Me Conscious came out the victors and will advance to the finals. Here's more info on all the bands that played that night.
Live from the Sun began in the summer of 2008 in Cumberland, RI, when Brian Seaver, Nicholas Iwuc, and Daniel Forman decided to rekindle a partnership originally forged two years earlier in their high school band. In the fall of ‘08, Forman’s friend from Brandeis University, Los Angeles raised David Jacobs, squared off the group on drums. Weeks later, Live from the Sun went into the studio with local, Grammy-nominated producer George Dussault who helped the group record a three song demo. Three months later, another five tracks were recorded With Dussault. The Rising Sun EP is the fruit of those sessions.
Since forming in March 2009, Boston-based Keep Me Conscious has built a fiercely loyal fan base by offering a unique brand of melodic alt rock and an intense stage performance. Bob Bowser (vocals), Daniel Maleck (guitar), John Wiley (guitar), Maty Vamp (bass) and Rob B Wu (drums) are passionate songwriters committed to delivering their music live with the same precision found on their recordings. Keep Me Conscious has quickly become a "must-see" live band. At their rehearsal space in Boston, the band collaborates on heartfelt lyrics, beautifully crafted guitar riffs, dirty bass lines and punishing drum work, as evidenced in their April 2009 EP, "Sounds of Rescue" recorded by Jonathan Wyman (Sparks The Rescue, Sage Francis). With thousands of copies sold, Keep Me Conscious have ridden their own momentum into the new year by recording a two-song demo with Tom Denney (A Day To Remember, Pierce The Veil, Confide). In Rhode Island, WBRU added "Thicker Than Blood" into prime time rotation on News At Nine's battle of the bands, where winners are determined by listener votes. After seven consecutive wins, the song was retired to the station's Hall of Fame. Keep up with Keep Me Conscious tour dates and information at www.myspace.com/keepmeconscious and www.facebook.com/keepmeconscious.
BRUNT OF IT blends a mix of Old School Hardcore Punk Rock with distorted, dissonant ska. Infectious choruses with driving beats are the backbone of BRUNT OF IT's no bullshit sound. In their 14 year existence they have shared the stage with numerous national/regional acts. The current line up continues BRUNT OF IT's tradition of hard core punk, while embracing the ska element more with an addition of a broooootal horn section. One thing is for sure, BRUNT OF IT is here to stay.
Make sure you check out all the finalists on Saturday, April 10 at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence. Check out the photo gallery from Wheel House below.