Here are bands and artists you may not have heard of yet…but they have major potential and you get to read about them here, right before they make it big!  And “Graduates” are musicians we highlighted in past issues whose careers, as we predicted, have really taken off!

Aslan King – By Matthew Holcomb

Worcester area poet and spoken word artist Aslan King has released his first album, For Real, under the Lo-Z Record Label. Labors on For Real began nearly six years ago, when Lo-Z Records’ Torbin Harding approached King to collaborate on a spoken word album. “We went to the studio and recorded about two hours of material in two sessions,” said King, “Life got in the way and those recordings sat in Lo-Z vaults for years. Torbin found them and sent them back to me with a beat and asked to rap over it.”

“He is a teacher, a father, a husband, a son, a brother, a friend, and a recording artist,” said Harding of King. “I’ve known him for a long time and working with him is such a joy. We get together and just produce hits.” King and Harding’s mutual efforts on For Real, Lo-Z’s seventh album release, have resulted in a debut record that fuses King’s spoken word roots with his foray into rap ~ stoutly backed by Harding’s beat tracks.

For Real’s tone is as diverse as its style, ranging from the humorous to the profound. “Torbin does really great work in the studio,” said King, “He takes a decent track and puts it over the top. We had such a good time recording the first track we decided to do it again. The next one had a political twist and the rest of the album carried on that way.”

Lo-Z Records heads into its 14th year, producing unique Worcester area acts with the combined efforts of Harding and house drummer Daniel Lapensee “I’ve worked with Daniel  for 10 years and he has helped develop a signature style to Lo-Z,” said Harding, “Our goal remains to always publish honest and sincere music that we enjoy.”

Sample tracks from For Real and other Lo-Z artists at lo-zrecords.com/ or download the album from iTunes.

Photo by Stephen King of Worcester Magazine.

Klep – By Sam Blier

Multi-faceted like the diamond in the rough that is Worcester, Keith “Klep” Napier is rapping, producing, music-directing and hustling his way to the top of the industry. Klep started rapping in high school, encouraged by what his brother (well-known area DJ, DJ Shaboo) was doing musically.

Inspired by everything from the Temptations to the Eurythmics to Kanye West, Klep brings a musicality to his raps that, unfortunately, isn’t always present in hip hop these days. His eclectic taste shines through in his just-released CD, Y Not? And speaking of his CD, thanks to digital distribution, Klep is gaining fans around the world with his intricate lyrics and high production values.

Although he’s a talented MC in his own right, Klep is all about bringing the best of what the industry has to offer to the masses. He is involved with We R Us Entertainment, best known for bringing Trey Songz to the Hanover Theatre, and Million Dollar Family, responsible for putting out southern rappers Dorrough and Louisiana Cash.

One of Klep’s latest ventures proves that he is being recognized for his ear just as much as for his voice. Goldilocks Productions tapped Klep to serve as Music Supervisor for their film Snowflake, which was shot in Worcester and other Massachusetts locations. He’s also working with Goldilocks on a major motion picture that is set to be filmed in Massachusetts and Canada.

Right now Klep is busy building buzz for his album doing live performances and radio interviews. You may be able to catch him on tour in 2011 when the Million Dollar Family tour hits the road. One thing is for certain, Klep is destined for great things, no matter which side of the microphone he’s on.

Want more Klep? facebook.com/klep180,
myspace.com/triadfam,
youtube.com/klep180

Photo taken by Nicholas Black for noir media group.

Institutionalized – By Jillian Locke

Thirsting for some raw, savage punk roughage? The boys who brought you such local favorites as Youth Attack, Bovachevo, Crackpot and I Rise are now offering you a taste of their next musical endeavor…for free.

“It’s been an ongoing joke for years, the premise being that we’re going to start a band that I’m going to sing for called ‘Institutionalized.’  Nicky and I reversed jobs ~ I sing and he plays guitar,” says Alex Kantarelis. “We recorded a demo for nothing and handed it out for free, and we’ve just played shows for fun. We dress up as priests and other ridiculous things, and I’m pretty much always covered in blood (be it real or fake). We have no rules and have a great time.” Alex (Youth Attack, I Rise), his brother Nicky Kantarelis (Youth Attack, I Rise), bassist Eric John Yankus-Franco (Bovachevo, infamous Buddy Holly-looking dude from Ralph’s Diner) and drummer Ben Bassett (I Rise, Crackpot) are simply looking to melt some faces…and brains.

The whole vibe behind Institutionalized is all about fun ~ no sales, no labels and free recording and distribution. “We don’t care about money anymore,” Alex says. Their debut album, Brains, is due out this month and will be offered on www.bandcamp.com for a name-your-price cost, meaning it can be downloaded for free, or purchased at any price the buyer deems fit. “In the end, you go on tour and you don’t reach enough people. They can’t afford to buy a CD. All this crap got to us and drove us crazy. So we figured, let’s just get it to everyone for free.” The guys will also be enlisting the help of some Pro-Tools savvy friends for the recording process, giving the album a live, organic, yet finished feel.

Check out Institutionalized’s Facebook page for their CD release show this month, and head over to institutionalizedtheband.bandcamp.com/ to hear and possibly donate to some killer punk rock, all in the name of fun.

Kanabo – By Alex Kantarelis

Kanabo describes their music as “folk metal.”  And what is folk metal, you ask?  Imagine a metal band which features the acoustic guitar as its lead instrument.  When members of Silent Mind and Hand of Fear got together to form a new band with a different style of music from what they were used to, Kanabo was the result.  And now we can welcome a folk metal band to Worcester. (And if their name sounds familiar, it might be because Kanabo organized its 2nd annual Play for Blood show at Tammany Hall this past October to encourage people to donate much-needed blood to the Red Cross.)

The band just got their start in mid 2010 when vocalist John Caswell (aka Caz) and guitarist Rob Nelson found themselves without a band for the first time in years.  The two got together to form a genre of music that was new to both of them.  “We have a love for acoustic songs but we both have a metal background,” Caz said, speaking about their style.  “The acoustic guitar is a pure form of the instrument.,” he added.  That purity is what has inspired some of the most progressive music they have ever played.  Joining forces with Jamie Cormier on electric guitar and Candice Christiansen playing tribal percussion, the group has created a unique sound and took the name Kanabo after the Japanese weapon of the same name.  “The percussion we’re using has a tribal element. And the metal style guitar that is definitely noticeable but not too over the top.  It’s a good mix,” Caz said.

The band has a full album’s worth of material written and is hoping to get into the studio soon to lay down their grooves.  They have recorded some live demo tracks that can give you an idea of the direction the band is headed and are hoping to record their professional demo by spring time.

Aside from the demo, the band is looking to add a new bassist and drummer, and plans to play all over New England regularly this year.  Caz says, “Ultimately I would love to have a rock star mansion, but that’s up to fate and not up to me.  I’m gonna keep doing what I’m doing and hope for the best.  I just want to make music that I’m proud of, and that people are into.”

Check them out by searching Kanabo Acoustic on Facebook.

Cougar Bait – By B. Elliot

Just when you begin to think that the Worcester music scene is dead and buried, a landscape of tired cover-bands and boring metal wannabes, it bounces back like a flesh eating zombie to bite you between the legs. Enter Cougar Bait ~ the electrifying, hard rocking, hip thrusting new band with the hilarious name ~ who exploded onto Worcester’s music scene in 2010.

This original rock band, featuring exciting players from four different Massachusetts colleges, includes Rod “the Bod” Hamilton on lead guitar, CT Luscious on drums, Buck Strokem on bass, and the 6’8” Chest Rockwell on lead vocals and guitar. Though young, this band has done its musical homework, mixing classic and hard rock riffs with funk and a bit of eighties flash. The result, in the words of Hamilton, is “straight up rock.”

So, what’s with the name Cougar Bait? “The name’s everything we want,” laughs Rockwell.  “It’s just the right combination of stupid and sleazy.”

Though the name may get your attention, it’s Cougar Bait’s high energy live show that keeps fans and club owners coming back. Gravity defying front-man Rockwell gets the crowd’s adrenaline pumping, leaping high above the stage throughout the show. “We give it everything we’ve got,” says Strokem. “It’s all about the energy we receive back from the crowd,” adds Luscious. Their fans have more fun than Charlie Sheen at a hooker convention, and Worcester club owners have taken notice, with The Lucky Dog and The Raven booking the band multiple times. “They’re exactly what this scene needs; they get the crowd moving, and attract a whole range of audience, including cougars!” says Raven owner Chris Bettencourt.

With a new CD and new tour dates planned for 2011, Cougar Bait is well on their way to establishing themselves as Massachusetts’ most notorious new band. Daughters, lock up your mothers. This is Cougar Bait!

www.cougarbaitmusic.com
www.myspace.com/cougarbaittheband

Photo shot live at the Lucky Dog Music Hall by Guillaume Meriaux of GM studio.