Hyngd Receives reveiw!

Concert Review: Mushroomhead w/ The Autumn Offering, XFactor1, Hyngd - Poughkeepsie, NY

Hyngd

By the time I got inside, Hyngd was already on stage, having just begun their set. This is the first time I have seen these guys since April, and what a difference a few months makes. The last show I saw, I spoke of the overuse of effects on the singers voice and an overall blandness that infected their music. This time around, the vocal effects were toned way down, making for a better experience. Now, his voice did seem a little weak in the quieter moments, but when the energy was up (which was most of the time), he sounded just fine.

The music is still not terribly original sounding, but the performance was rock solid. They are a tight musical unit that knows its way around the stage. I would recommend giving these guys a chance, you may be surprised by what you find.

XFactor1

XFactor1 was the next act to take the stage. Ever heard of them? Me neither. They turned out to be pretty good, bringing an industrial metal sound to the stage that had overtones of Korn and Fear Factory. However, they do suffer a bit from not sounding terribly original, although I would be hard pressed to give any more specific examples. The riffs were heavy, the vocals raw, and the energy high. It kept the crowd going. There was one problem with their set, and it came about halfway through.


The Autumn Offering

The final opening act was The Autumn Offering, a band that I have reviewed before, both live and on CD. I saw them as the first opening act for, coincidentally enough, Mushroomhead back in 2006. At the time I wrote about how good they were, throwing down with a high level of energy and displaying a skill worthy of keeping an eye on. I then reviewed their latest album, featuring new lead singer Matt McChesney. It was a decent album that suffered from weak vocals. Well, I have to report that it has only gone downhill. I can only hope that it was just a bad night or a bad mix, because The Autumn Offering sounded horrible.

I could tell that some of the individual performances were good, but when you listened to their so-called music it just failed to come together at all. When they left the stage, it was not soon enough. Judging by the reactions around me, I was not the only one to feel this way. Let me finish by saying the best moment came when Waylon came out and provided some lead vocals towards the end of the set.

Haiti Fundraisers....Live Shows

In the News!!

Unlimited Services unveils Benefit Concert to support Haiti, Proceeds donated to MercyCorps
Unlimited Services aims to produce a variety of 'Benefit Concerts' throughout the Northeast region for the entire month of February, proceeds will be presented to the MercyCorps organization, in support of the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

The following dates are available performance dates per Venue
Feb 5 - City Ale Danbury,CT (Octave Revolt included)
Feb 12 - Pending Boston, MA
Feb 13 - Island Pride Boston, MA
Feb 19 - Pending Philadelphia, PA
Feb 20 - Media Arts Center Boston, MA
Feb 26 - City Ale Danbury, CT (Octave Revolt included)
Feb 27 - Pending Boston, MA
Feb 28 - Don Hills New York, NY

Indie on the Move Revolutionizing Music and Tourin

"Indie on the Move"  revolutionizing music and touring, one venue at a time.

By David Urbanic

BROOKLYN, NY - To say the world of independent music is "challenging" would be something of an understatement. Especially with touring bands, who often find themselves flying blind, booking shows in unknown cities, relying on the loosely vetted-if at all-reputation of their local counterparts sharing the bill, and their too often empty promises of good crowds, cool venues, and a semi-clean floor to sleep on. But, the little known truth is that the venues themselves suffer the same such blight. Often suffering for their reliance on unknown touring bands unfamiliar with the area, a questionable local following, and the legitimacy of their press kits.

For too long the chasm between the two most integral parts of the independent music scene have been separated by a seemingly self-imposed wall of silence. Since the inception of MySpace, ReverbNation and SonicBids, it has been easier than ever for bands to promote their music, contact, and book shows with venues and other musicians worldwide. But as with so many great resources on the Internet, this niche community has suffered nothing less than the paralyzing wrath of oversaturation.

Enter, Indie on the Move, a completely free music venue database and tour booking resource. Developed and managed by members of the band, ZELAZOWA, who achieved the mind clobbering feat of performing over 500 shows throughout the United States and Europe between 2006 and 2008. Over 500 shows, booked entirely on their own, without the aid of a record label or any kind of corporate sponsorship. If any band has been "through the wringer" it's these guys.

Of course, in doing so, they amassed a veritable treasure trove of venue data, booking contacts, and other such knowhow that can only be gained through many years of difficult do-it-yourself work ethic. Their collective experience as performers, promoters and tour bookers is in essence priceless. To put a value on it would be impossible. Which is why they are offering it to anyone willing to take advantage, for free.

"After touring the US and Europe pretty thoroughly over the span of a couple of years, we naturally amassed quite a list of contacts and venues," says Kyle Weber, lead guitarist for ZELAZOWA and president of Indie on the Move LLC. "We then realized how valuable that information was and how much it could really give back to the industry that eats people alive everyday."

Despite being a website aimed at a niche market, the immediate impact of Indie on the Move cannot be underplayed. Within its first year, the site has accumulated a loyal and very involved following of over 10,000 members and doubled their initial list of venues to a current count of over 2,000. A modest number for the moment, but what makes Indie on the Move unique is that these venues are all under 1,000 in capacity (barring some special exceptions that cater to smaller artists). With no arenas or amphitheatres on the list, and a high degree of accuracy in the information provided, the entire database has been engineered to maximize the payoff for smaller, self-reliant musicians.

"I guess most of our frustrations came from the fact that it always seemed like other sites and informational resources were merely taking advantage of artists," says Bryan Weber, lead singer for ZELAZOWA and vice president of Indie on the Move LLC. "It was like us vs. "The Man". Anytime you wanted to get your hands on a database of venues for instance, you had to pay a premium, and nine times out of ten, once you got your hands on the publication a lot of the information it contained was completely out of date. This is a big reason why we encourage our members to help out with the upkeep of our site. While the site administrators verify all of the venue information every month, we are not flawless and our community helps out a great deal in keeping us in check. "

This is a unique formula for an industry that has long been loosely connected, at best, and lacking in self-regulation. From the initial volume of positive feedback, one that is paying off in spades, and not just for Indie on the Move, but the ever growing volume of members. "For us, there is absolutely no tour without Indie on The Move," says Justin Stang, singer for the band Sideways Reign. "I can't imagine a world before this outstanding resource existed."

"Indie on the Move is the booking resource for a do-it-yourself band," says Tyler Reardon, vocalist for the Massachusetts based band, Semester Abroad. "I needed to book an entire east coast tour within one month and without [them], I would have failed miserably."

In the words of Kyle Weber, "Our aim is to help bands and venues to better work together, maximizing results on both sides." This is a goal that is consistently appreciated by the venues themselves. "We were exceptionally pleased with the quantity and quality of talent that contacted us," says Barbara Kenig from the Freakin Frog in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Indie on the Move is filling an important niche in the music industry."

"I acquired, by mistake, a last minute project of booking a venue called City Ale House in Danbury, Connecticut," recalls Octave Revolt Booking agent, Christine Mutch. "As I searched online for a way to contact bands, we came across Indie on the Move. They have made it much easier to fill empty dates, bring us professional, responsible bands and led us to constantly use their services."

"We have built strong professional relationships with thousands of the best venues across the U.S.," says Bryan Weber. "A lot of them are even encouraging the local bands that play and frequent their establishment to sign up for the site. It's a wonderful balance."

Without a doubt, Indie on the Move has made a huge dent in the way the independent music world operates. While the organization may not yet have truly revolutionized an entire industry, the rate of their growth and success makes one wonder what is in store. Already with a reputation for innovation, Indie on the Move fights the threat of stagnation with the regular unveiling of new content, features, and ever more opportunities for interaction from bands, venues, and fans alike. The Brooklyn, New York based upstart has already seen the first glimmers of competitor imitation; the so-called, most sincerest form of flattery.

"I think you always have to worry about the competition mimicking your moves," says Indie on the Move treasurer, Shaun Weber. "If something is done successfully, others will be sure to follow. We've already seen some of our competitors acting in the same capacity as us, but that only drives us to become more innovative. Fortunately for us, we have four successful, experienced independent musicians on our team providing that spark."

"I guess the biggest difference between us and our competitors is that we are all still independent, working musicians," says Bryan Weber. "I believe that this gives us a unique perspective and advantage when it comes to how we can improve the site and better enhance the experience of our members. It's like that old Hair Club for Men commercial," laughs Weber. "'Not only am I the president, but I am also a client'."

So what of the future? Indie on the Move has a wealth of new features and improvements in the queue, ready to continue the turning of the industry on it's head, but until their reveal the site administrators are remaining intriguingly mum. After all, in an industry carried by the countless tools in the do-it-yourself toolbox, the next wave of innovation could come from anywhere.

"Indie on the Move can, ideally, become the toolbox, rather than just a very effective tool," exclaims Shaun Weber. "Our feedback to date has been extremely positive. Bands are realizing that our site makes booking faster, easier and more effective and venues are seeing great results from our show availability e-blasts. As more people begin to fully utilize the site, our potential is limitless."

"I feel very positive about the future," says Kyle Weber, with a smile. "My only wish is that we could implement some of our ideas quicker, but good things take time. "

Indie on the Move can be found and contacted online at www.indieonthemove.com. For more information on ZELAZOWA, music and tour dates, visit www.myspace.com/zelazowa.

Octave.Revolt hired for Danbury First Night

Recently Octave.Revolt and sister company Red Boston Productions were involved with the technical parts of Danbury's First Night. And The Days Between played 3 sets in Danbury, 2 sets in the Ice Arena and one set at City Ale House, it was a perfect ending for the New Year's Eve celebration.

Octave and Red.Boston Productions will be working closely with Dambury Center in the future and sends a big thank-you to Ted Killmer for connecting with us and anticipates a great business relationship for the future.

Please Welcome City Ale House

We welcome City Ale House to our Affiliates.. Currently we book for the venue.
Official Page:http://www.cityalehouse.vpweb.com/

Octave Revolt Management & DirtBag

Christine Mutch, owner of Octave Revolt Management utilized the Dirtbag Custom Merch program to produce the new line of shirts for two of her bands – Enemy Remains www.myspace.com/enemyremains and Hyngd www.hyngd.com.