thePULSEHere 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!
Reverend Robot
By Joe Shabadu
With the primary directive of saving souls through music and action, Reverend Robot has landed in Worcester and brought his unique brand of hip hop with him. Born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana on everything from Motown to show tunes and country, Reverend Robot had ample musical influences to inspire his future endeavors.
In high school, Reverend Robot went through a musical metamorphosis of sorts, starting with puck rock and a guitar. He then picked up the bass and got into jazz and funk. His sonic journey then took a turn towards hard rock and electronica. Despite this vast array of influences, he has always had an affinity for hip-hop in its many forms. Reverend Robot’s eclectic taste shows in his music. He manically spits his lyrics, covering topics from partying with friends to navigating the music industry to dealing with childhood trauma.
When he’s not concentrating on his solo efforts, Reverent Robot is one half of the hip-hop, trip-hop, rock, jazz, pyschedelic, electronic, dubstep (and more) duo Jenovatron. They’ve performed around Worcester and beyond and are currently putting the finishing touches on a soon-to-be-released EP.
Reverend Robot has started working on beats for his next full-length release, while simultaneously working on remixes of his current material and a dubstep album. The feverish pace at which he works on new music is only matched by the breathless delivery of his lyrics.
You can catch Reverend Robot spreading his personal brand of sonic love at shows in and around Worcester, and plenty of his music is available on line.
www.reverbnation.com/thereverendrobot
www.thereverendrobot.bandcamp.com
www.reverendrobot.tumblr.com
This Burning World
By Jillian Locke
2008 saw the culmination of years of friendship and a mutual love of music with the creation of Worcester’s This Burning World, comprised of childhood friends Eddie Troy (guitar), Chris Nadow (guitar) and bassist Tim Navin, plus newer additions Mike Beshaw (drums) and vocalist Dave Pottle. Together, they pool raw emotion and a complete dedication to making music that they absolutely love.
No strangers to the Worcester circuit, TBW used to have a monthly spot at The Raven, and have frequented The Lucky Dog, Ralph’s Diner, Tammany Hall and Club Oasis. “We really like playing around Worcester,” says Troy. “Plus, it means we don’t have to lug our equipment all over the place.” Bonus!
The boys have their own band room (heated at that!) and recording equipment, including the 16 track Roland digital recorder they used to record the collection of songs that represents the best of TBW, including the title track, “Curse the Sky,” “Black Dress,” “Pistols,” “Remember,” and the newest tracks, “End of Love,” “From Hate Came,” and “Last November.” Pottle’s grasping, desperate growls usher the thrashing core of TBW through snappy grooves, brutal sweeps and popping percussion. The dueling guitars are feverishly squealing through the satisfying mixture of furious metal and even more furious thrash tactics. Songs seem to be separated into chapters, flowing from growling to smooth and crooning vocals, ripping guitars to somber melodies. The melodic layering is epic enough to get these guys pretty high up on the list of bands to keep on the radar.
“We all have the emotion and drive to make music and get it out there. The emotion behind it is so strong with the five of us, and the music comes out perfect to us,” Troy happily states.
Check out www.myspace.com/thisburningworld for upcoming shows and new music!
The Great Whiskey Rebellion
By Alex Kantarelis
If you’re looking to dance all night, but not in the mood to go clubbin’ with all those “Jersey Shore” looking people, look no further than Worcester’s own The Great Whiskey Rebellion, a band that is confidently mixing genres and styles to create a sound totally unique.
Bassist Geo Poor describes this sound as “Funky-Celtic-Americana-Gypsy-Roots-Rock.” In other words, a blend of “…Celtic, jazz, Gypsy, flamenco, Middle Eastern, Klezmer, hip hop, and rock.” Picture Irish folk music, but on steroids. It’s quite the fusion. The variety in their style and the mix of various influences makes the band truly one-of-a-kind, and ~ most importantly ~ totally danceable. The songs are made to get the room up and moving. “We’re a very audience focused band ~ we crave interaction while playing. Getting people dancing is our #1 goal,” Poor said. “We love making drunk people dance and be happy… also sober people.”
TGWR’s sound combines guitar, drums, electric bass and electric violin to create a high energy dance attack that was good enough to win the Battle of the Bands at both Clark University and BU Law School, and got them a gig as the house band at a few clubs including Vincent’s right here in Worcester.
With such an eclectic style of music, it’s no surprise that the four members get their influences from every point on the spectrum ~ bands ranging from classic rockers The Who to gypsy punks Luminescent Orchestrii and everyone in between have helped shape their style.
“We love making people happy with our music and hope to continue doing so for a long time,” Poor said. The Great Whiskey Rebellion plans on keeping that attitude and keeping everyone dancing throughout 2011. They currently have an EP available on iTunes, and hope to record a new full length this year. Be sure to catch them live soon.
www.thegreatwhiskeyrebellion.com
Paulii [ROT10]
By Bruce Sullivan
From the streets of Worcester comes a young man with something to say. Hungry, passionate, driven, and talented, hip-hop artist Paul Rochette, aka Paulii [ROT10], has everything it takes to make it in the music business. Rochette, who earned the name ROT10 during freestyle battles as a kid, “…because I would say whatever it takes to win,” grew up with a love of music and a dream to succeed.
This white hip-hop artist, a musically gifted son of a deaf father, was raised surrounded by music thanks to his aunts and uncles, who encouraged Paulii to play the piano, and “taught me to be humble.” As a Worcester kid, Rochette and his brothers “…performed, danced, and sang. I would write poems, rhymes, and one day one of my teachers saw I was good at it, and helped me.” Though he didn’t know it, music and art were in his blood. “I found out a year ago that my great grandfather was a piano player and artist.
Today, Paulii [ROT10] performs as a solo hip-hop artist and as part of 7-Hill-Clique with friends A-Train and C-Zer. “We started as a skateboard team and it grew from there.” Their music directly represents the seven hills of Worcester and speaks of the frustrations, limitations, and truth of growing up in our mill city. “Back to Reality” is a strong statement with a great hook about a young man who must “…take a break from my dreams…” to work a forty-hour dead-end job. “Spaced Outt” is a layered, soulful journey about escaping that reality by getting high.
Paulii’s goals are simple: “Collect as many fans I can who appreciate good music…I don’t even need a record label; I can just do this on my own for the rest of my life.”
Look for Paulii [ROT10] at
The Palladium,
www.reverbnation.com/7hillclique, or www.facebook.com/Paulii-ROT10#!/pages/Paulii-ROT10/105672570875.
