The BFTP section will be taking a break, as we will be running a special feature throughout the month of September on the “One Nation” release from Audio Visual Records.

One Nation

18 Various Artists

2005 Audio Visual Records

http://www.audiovisualrecords.co.uk

This 18-track compilation is to raise funds for two UK hospices that care for terminally ill children. These hospices only receive about 5% of their funding from their government and the other 95% has to be obtained through donations. The effort is lead by the labels founder and owner Ken Kelly who is a survivor from cancer himself. One Nation has a real diverse mix of styles on it including: Autoviolet, Fit of Pique, Sinister Footwear, The Mojave Collective and The Confusions to name a few of the awesome bands that have come together to help make this effort possible for Ken and his cause. This CD doesn’t have a dull moment on it and it also gives us a chance to realize that there are plenty of people all over the world that could have situations or problems worse than we do. I strongly urge you to take the time to check it out and honestly for about $10 US you could be helping a cause that will bring some help, assistance or joy and happiness to a child whose life could only be days from ending. If you would like to purchase a CD or contact someone to see if you could of any help please do so by using the links provided below.

http://www.audiovisualrecords.co.uk/onenation/one.html (for more information)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/onenation (to buy it)

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Send e-mail with contact information to theaudionut@nutzworld.net to be considered for The Underground Spotlight.

To obtain a copy of the CDs found in The Underground Spotlight please contact the band/artist via their web pages unless otherwise noted.

Purple Pam
Making a Lunatic

http://www.purplepam.com

Grade: A

Purple Pam has more attitude in her pinky finger that a lot of other artists have in their whole body. This comes through loud and clear as this New Yorker belts out raw aggression and shear womanpower in these songs. Purple Pam is definitely not afraid to speak her mind or step out into the spotlight with rambunctious and rocking tracks like “Kick in the Head”, which is a favorite worldwide on many internet radio shows. Pam is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the underground music scene and with her style and mind-set I can see her soaring to new heights when her new CD, which she is working on right now, is released.  Fans of women with attitude and female empowering stuff like Genitorturers will take pleasure in getting a kick in the head from Purple Pam.

Soul Clown
Soul Clown
2005 Unsigned

Grade: A

http://www.soulclown.net

This band is quickly making a name for themselves as a hard rocking group who is committed to their ever-growing fan base and musical styling. Souls Clown has one of the more impressive resumes when it comes to the national bands they have shared the stage with, and I think that they truly earn every slot they obtain with their work ethic. The band has a unique blend of hardcore meets metal and a lot of aggression. Don’t let the name fool you, they aren’t about to waste your time with some cotton candy riffs and bubble gum laced lyrics. Soul Clown will grab you by the throat and make your ears bleed, with antagonizing rhythms good old-fashioned moshpit metal. I would say that this group is for fans of bands like Pantera, Slayer, Earth Crisis and Hatebreed.

Catalog Only
Catalyst
2005 Unsigned

Grade: A

http://www.soundclick.com/catalogonly (hear the whole CD)

http://www.myspace.com/catalogonly

Catalog Only is a really good band from Detroit who have a great mix of rock meets pop with a twist of darkness thrown in for good measure. With non-traditional rhythms and engaging lyrics this group will get your attention and hold it throughout the whole CD. “Passenger”, “Enlisting”, and “Breakdown” are all fine songs that showcase the bands abilities to spread themselves out musically without compromising their overall sound or feel. Catalyst features an excellent mix of guitars, piano, bass and drums with melodic and sincere vocals. I’d say that this band is for you if you like bands like, The Secret Machines, The Cure or R.E.M.

Gravity Engine
Hydrazine Morning
2005 Unsigned

Grade: A

http://www.gravityengine.net

So, the question I have is...Why isn’t Gravity Engine on mainstream radio or TV? This CD is a very impressive piece of work that captures your imagination and soul from the first song “A Million Places” until the last song “Boats in the Bath”. Singer Brad Wilcox has a genuine voice that both captivates and haunts your audible senses, while the music allows you to flow along with the movements that are implanted into your sonic memory. Other top-notch songs include “Poor Little Starstruck”, “My Projection TV”, and “ Dracula”. You can hear a strong influence from bands and artists like Radiohead, Neil Young, The Wallflowers and The Abandoned Pools without ripping them off or imitating them. Check out this CD if you like any of the people I have just mentioned or ones that are similar.

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THE COL. MEETS THE PHANTOM OF GENE SIMMONS’ PAST FROM THE FUTURE
BY COL. LUMP

 Date:  8/10/05
Place:  Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
Occasion:  The kickoff of the last leg of Green Day’s “American Idiot” tour

There was no question that I was in the right place. It looked like a Hot Topic had exploded in the parking lot. Long lines of hormone ridden, black preshrunk T-shirt clad ticket holders trying in vain to distance themselves from their folks. The more things change…

As my daughter and I took our place among the milling masses, a fellow dad with kids in tow donning a Motorhead tee, gave me the high sign and we shared a moment of Zen: this is going to suck!

You have to understand that I’ve never been a Green Day fan. Their target audience is too young to drive. I resent the band’s liberal use of other, more venerable group’s classic material (i.e. The Clash). The nasal vocal delivery of Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong painfully reminds me of the “surfer dude” style made popular by The Beach Boys’ Mike Love. And by the way, punk records never go platinum, even if Green Day doesn’t claim to be a punk band.

To get to the point I will say that the show was good old school arena rock in the grandest fashion, ear splitting volumes, lights and lasers, pyrotechnics, explosions and plenty of audience participation. The songs were familiar with a few surprises. I even caught myself pumping my fist in the air and shedding a tear when my kid asked for a lighter to raise during a tender number. Green Day’s rhythm section of bassist Mike Dirst and drummer Tre Cool rivals the best and kept the sell-out audience hopping. 

In the middle of the set I thought I recognized the scent of an illegal substance burning. I found “Motorhead” a few rows down, who much to my amusement was looking back up at me. We shared another moment of Zen: high signs for all! Move over KISS, we just found rock’s next guaranteed great night out!

Col. Lump is the drummer for Richard’s Nixon
They are delightfully non-punk
Visit their website at http://www.richardsnixon.moonfruit.com

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Coded

Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. Mike Festa - drums
Tamara B. - Lead vocalist/lyricist/melody & harmony.
Jeff Sattiva - Lead Guitar

Kenn - Guitar and vocals

Q. How did you come up with and decide on the name Coded?
A. TB: I’m a computer nerd but it also has other secret meanings that you can figure out by listening to the lyrics.
K: It's hospital speak for resuscitating a dead patient.

 
Q. What can we expect from the band by years end?
A. MF: Shows, some new tunes, we are headed to NYC and New Jersey.
TB: By years end I’d like us to be in a position to reach as many people as we can with our music, maybe hook up with a cool label that gets us.
JS: Live shows, some awesome new music.

K: Various gay tabloid headlines, drug busts, that kind of thing…

Q. Is there anything you'd like to share with us about the new members that have been added to the group?
A. MF: I feel both Ken and Jeff are making progress, I’m anxious to see the new direction the band will take. Two guitars is always a great addition.
TB: Kenn and Jeff are an awesome addition to the band; we have a much fuller, richer sound with Jeff as the guitar lead and Kenn as the riff master/awesome vocalist. And communication within the band is at an all-time high. I’m definitely interested in the direction our new tunes will take with the addition of their energy to that of Kevin (one of the most awesome bassists you’ll every hear), Mike (truly a master of rhythm) and me.
JS: I just happen to be one of the new members, and I’m glad to be aboard, and ready to rock some serious metal.

K: Kenn has a really big d**k...no, really...

Q. If you could be anyone in world history, beside yourself, who would you, be? Why?
A. MF: Neil Peart, Buddy Rich!
TB: Anyone with the power to stop the social, economic and political madness going on in the world today.
JS: Man, world history, tough one… I’m guessing you mean past history... So I’ll have to say Neil Armstrong. Because he is the first one of only 12 out of billions of people who live on this rock to walk on the moon. I’d say that’s pretty fu**in hard to top.

K: Pam Anderson...why? So I could grab on those twins all day long...

Q. What are you listening to in your car/home stereo?
A. MF: Soundgarden
TB: System of a Down
JS: Slipknot, Subliminal Verses.

K: Coded...gotta learn the songs, Jesus and Mary Chains' "Stoned and Dethroned", and of course, any Soulfly...

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Coded?
A. MF: Coded is going to keep kicking a$$-looking forward to recording some of the songs we never finished and writing more.
TB: Coded is more than a band, were all like family. We have tons of fun, we love talking to people and chillin and supporting other local bands (Mike even hosts Coded Radio which plays music from tons of local bands). Our songs are diverse, on the hard rock/modern metal tip. We’re definitely a band that you wanna come see live and chill with afterwards. Check us out at http://www.coded.tv and http://www.myspace.com/coded1

JS: We will rock the house, kick a$$, record, write new songs, that kinda sh*t
K: Well, this is kinda deep, but, Jeff was in Kajagoogoo...no, really!

Note: You can check out a review for the Coded CD in Issue 11

Lost Possum

Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. Brock. Vocalist, guitar player, harmonica, kazoo, chief songwriter, and lemon peeler... So if we suck, it's all my fault... Then again, we always just blame our bass player for everything, so blame Brandon...

Q. How did you decide on Lost Possum as the name of the band?
A. There's much mystery surrounding that, actually. I'm still not sure what it means. It came from my uncle, who happens to be Bill Paxtone's (of Velvet Friend) father. We make each other compilations, and he always names his The Lost Possum Rock. But there's a story there, I just haven't figured it out yet. Maybe when I get the backstory, I'll write a concept album. I just hope it's better than that one KISS did. 

Q. Who would you say is one of your biggest musical and non-musical influences?
A. Hmm… I happen to like Stevie Ray Vaughan quite a lot. I read a book about him, and there's a story about him busting his fingers open from playing too much, so he cut skin off his toe, and super glued it on his fingers, so he could keep practicing. Any time I am pissed or tired of the band thing, I remember that. It keeps me focused. Non-musical influence would have to be H.R.Giger. That dude was not from Earth. And this might piss some people off, but I really admire Michael Moore, for having the guts to do something that most people are too afraid to do. Love him or hate him, he's got balls.
In a way, it makes me think of my band. We don't play emo, heavy metal, or sublime covers. We do our own thing. Some people like it, some don't. But at least we don't sound like every other band in town.

Q. What are some of your goals for the band?
A. I'd like to record again. We've got a pretty damn good batch of songs to cut. We still haven't decided what we're gonna do. Be it record a whole record, or just do 3 or 4 at a time, and hand them out at shows. I like that idea, to always have something fresh to give out every few months. And we've gotten so much better as a band; the new songs just mutilate the old ones. And that's saying a lot, because I am quite fond of our album.

Q. If you could be anyone in world history beside yourself, who would you be? Why?
A. Kurt Cobain, but I would come back as a ghost, so I could tell everyone that Courtney murdered me...
Seriously, it would be cool to have been the first man on the moon. But then again, I heard the whole thing was faked. Either way, I'd still be famous...

Q. What are you listening these days in your car/home stereo?
A. A lot of Joe Bonamassa. Damn fine blues/rock guitarist/singer. I really like the new SOAD record, and the Mars Volta. I enjoyed the new Audioslave record for what it was. I learned a long time ago to not pre-judge anything before listening to it. I remember when the Black Crowes put out Amorica; I hated it because I didn't think it sounded like them. I love it now...
Also, my uncle has really turned me on to Ray Wylie Hubbard. He's a great, relatively unknown country/rock guy. And I really love the new Destiny's Child album. Actually, on second thought, NO…

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Lost Possum?
A. Sometimes I miss playing in Wandering Eye...haha
Let's see... We might have something really cool lined up for the City Of Roses weekend (in Cape Girardeau, Missouri), whether the festival happens or not, with a band I am quite fond of. Hopefully, things will work out, and if they do, you'll see an announcement on http://www.capescene.com
I am determined to bring good bands to Cape. I did it with Rites Of Spring, and I'm going to keep doing it.
And hopefully we'll be getting out and playing more, soon... It's been difficult lately; everyone's so busy.

http://www.lostpossum.com

Suicide StompBox

Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. My name is Michael B. and I'm the Singer/Guitarist

Q. How did you come up with and decide on the name Suicide StompBox?
A. A long story short... Our good friend that was actually our original bassist thought of it. I've been notorious for not using guitar effects when we play. Just trying to be real and not go over board. I use to just use a "Metal Zone" effect pedal for my guitar. And that was it... No other effects, which now days that's unheard of. One night we were playing with a bunch of really popular bands using thousands of dollars worth of guitar effects. And we were all like..."oh man...this is gonna be suicide by a stompbox". Basically meaning we were about to get annihilated by the other bands. Being it didn't end up that way and we one over everyone in the crowd. We kinda just ended up using that name.

Q. I read where you are donating part of the proceeds from the sale of your EP "Walked Away" to help prevent teen suicide. Is there anything you'd like to tell us about the EP or the cause, which you guys are supporting?
A. The 3 of us have been waiting our whole lives to release something this powerful and special to us. Basically, the cause we are supporting is to make some kind of an impact on kids today. Teen Suicide is becoming more common every year in the USA. In fact, only car accidents and homicides (murders) kill more people between the ages of 15 to 24, making suicide the third leading cause of deaths in teens. And it's time to try to change that. We just feel that us bringing it out on the table, will get the word and families can start making a difference. You know if one kid walks away from us and has a whole new outlook on life and doesn't feel like that's the only route out, our goal was accomplished.

Q. Who would you say has been one of your biggest musical and non-musical influences?
A. Musically would definitely have to be Nirvana for the three of us. We all grew up listening to them and just developed a stronger love for music. I've had the honor to hang out with the Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach numbers of times. And he has been a huge factor in the way I approach the music industry as well as our music. Just be true to yourself and be real. Don't try to act like anything else. That has been huge for us and has gotten further than we ever have as musicians.

Q. What are you listening to these days in your car/home stereo?
A. Jeremy (drums) has been listening a lot to the new System of a Down record as well as the new Slipknot CD. I'm unsure on Spade (bass) current IPOD play list. The past couple of months I've actually purposely tried not to listen to any other bands. But...Tool, Sparta, and some old Breaking Benjamin stuff.

Q. If you could be anyone in world history, beside yourself, who would you, be? Why?
A. Abe Lincoln for sure. He served such a great purpose for the world and set a great example for the rest of the world to follow.

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Suicide StompBox?
A. Suicide Stompbox is hear to stay and will be recording our full debut album due out next year and will be playing at a town near you.

http://www.myspace.com/suicidestopmbox

Shades of Reality

Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. Well my name is Derek Bradley and I play guitar in "SHADES OF REALITY" from Metropolis, IL

Q. How did you decide on Shades of Reality as the name of the band?
A. Believe it or not I closed my eyes and flipped through a dictionary. The first word I landed on was dream, and the second one was shade. The dream meaning had something to do with reality, so I just combined the two and came up with "SHADES OF REALITY"

Q. You've got some new members in the band. Is that going to change the sound or direction of the band?
A. When we first started we had a singer who was more of a punk girl, a guitarist who wanted new a metal sound, a drummer who never showed up and had a problem with drugs and me, who wanted a combination of new and old metal. After lots of trouble with our drummer we decided to get a new one, which is our current drummer (Tre). We recorded a CD and after that things went down hill. We ended up kicking out the guitarist and our singer quit do to musical differences. The music style we were playing was a cross between punk and rock. So after breaking down and rebuilding, Tre and I are the only original members. We now have Bobby Dowell on vocals…he has a very good voice and a very heavy scream ...Pete Harrison on lead, and he can freakin shred the guitar to pieces!! But if you ask him he'll say he's not that good!! We recently got a new bass player named Gavin from the huge town of Karnak, IL!! So yeah our style has changed very much. We now have a full metal sound. Which is what we were all looking for in the beginning. But you know… you'll never really know our sound till ya hear us. Hopefully Tre will have something on our site soon. If not…just come to our show!! haha!

Q. Who would you say is one of your biggest musical and non-musical influences in your life?
A. Hmmm… Musical. I would have to say John Petrucci of Dream Theater! That guy is freakin awesome!! I mean I have a lot of influences ranging from Michael Jackson to my dad to Dimebag. Non-musical... all my friends and family...they keep me going strong and working hard to be more than what I am.

Q. What are some of your goals for the band?
A. To be famous!!! No really, we all just love to play. Of course we would all love to get signed and tour...who wouldn’t!

Q. If you could be anyone in world history beside yourself, who would you be? Why?
A. I’m not really sure right now…I’ll get back with you on that one.

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Shades of Reality? Just to promote our site http://www.shadesofreality.tk and to tell everyone who comes out to our shows…

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1.About a Burning Fire by Blindside
2.Absolution by Muse - Reviewed in Issue 1
3.Summer of Darkness by Demon Hunter - Reviewed in Issue 1
4.This Type of Thing (Could Do Us In) by Chevelle - Reviewed in Issue 3
5.Deja Entendu by Brand New - Reviewed in Issue 1