WCCC presents
SAVING ABEL
Redlight King, Fall From Grace, Chasing Carmen, Crossing Rubicon, Sever The Drama, Idle Tree, Progmatic
Wed, July 11, 2012
Doors: 6:30 pm / Show: 7:30 pm
The Webster
Hartford, CT
$16.00 adv. and $19.00 day
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Saving Abel
"You know when you hear a song on the radio and you don't know who it is, but you love it and feel like you've heard it before? That's our band! The first time someone hears us, they go, 'I know that band!' Then someone explains, 'no, it's a brand-new song and band.' Saving Abel has an accessible and comfortable sound---you HAVE heard us before," states lead singer Jared Weeks. On their self-titled Virgin Records debut, songs range from the wild road tale in "New Tattoo" to the sexual innuendos of the aptly titled first single, "Addicted."
Weeks and Jason Null formed the band in their small hometown of Corinth, Mississippi in 2004. They met when Weeks, who was in a band, was playing guitar at his best friend's house, when Null, who was in a rival local group, walked in to rehearse with his band. Within days of that meeting, Null and Weeks were writing and honing the intimate writing style that now defines Saving Abel. In early 2005, the pair's songs caught the ear of noted producer Skidd Mills (12 Stones, Saliva, Submersed), who took the band into his 747 Studios in Memphis. Mills notes, "It was '18 Days' that hooked me. The first time I heard it I was like, 'these guys are the real deal; they'll be doing this for a long time.' Jason and Jared have always understood that the most important part of the music business is having great songs."
Saving Abel gradually came together in the final electric lineup of guitarist Scott Bartlett, bassist Eric Taylor, and drummer Blake Dixon, and the band paid its dues both onstage and off. Weeks would toss Saving Abel demos onto the stage when bigger bands played in town, and between playing gigs, working day jobs, and Weeks and Null constantly driving from Mississippi to Memphis to record their self-titled EP with Mills, it was a busy and prolific couple years. Weeks remembers; "I used to work at a hospital. I'd have to be there at 4:30 in the morning drawing blood. I'd wake people up and stick a needle in their arm. I'd be walking around the hospital, singing 'Addicted' in my head, writing down the lyrics on patients' clipboards and doctor script pads."
Null and Weeks bring in differing songwriting approaches influences, giving Saving Abel a well-rounded sound. Null comes from a musical family, and recalls Saturday nights at the local community center as a child. "We didn't miss it, ever! It was bluegrass band after bluegrass band. We'd hoot and holler, as we used to say. My brother traded my bike for a guitar for me when I was 6, and I learned 'Johnny B. Goode' that night! I go back to Willie and Waylon, but as a kid of the '80s, I also love Metallica. Also, Angus Young is one of my main influences, as well as the guitar sound and solos of Seattle bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains." For his part, a teenage Weeks played basketball and went to state twice in tennis before music consumed his life. A big fan of the blues and Southern Rock, Weeks calls himself the more "literal" songwriter of the two, explaining, "If something is really bothering me, or how I'm feeling at that moment, I'll write about it. For me to get the most out of a song, I have to get it almost to the point I'm ready to cry if I can't get it out, and that makes people relate to it."
After shopping their indie EP for almost a year, a copy of 'Addicted' found its way to one-time Virgin A&R Consultant Scott Frazier and manager partner Rick Smith. They were so excited that they sent the song to the label's Chairman/CEO Jason Flom. Flom was impressed upon first listen and immediately sent A&R vet Kim Stephens (Collective Soul, Matchbox 20, Edwin McCain) to see the band in Jackson, Tennessee. The band was signed the next day. Says Stephens, "I was sold on the merit of the songs and instantly recognized this was a band with huge potential."
Saving Abel, the Virgin debut produced by Mills, features mostly brand-new tunes, plus a few favorites from the indie EP, including the poignant, perfectly crafted "18 Days," "Running From You," and "Drowning Face Down." Null explains that "18 Days" was lyrically inspired by sheriff Buford Pusser of 'Walking Tall' fame, while laughingly admitting that the rowdy road trip in "New Tattoo" ("The blue is for the bruise you left in my heart / and the red is for the color we're about to paint this town") is "based on a true story." Null furthers: "Our goals are always to concentrate on the song, not just one cool part to make a kid bop his head. Every person I talk to loves a different song of ours." Null was also the one who gave the band its name: "I Googled the story of Cain and Abel and found a line about 'there was no Saving Abel,' which just jumped out at me." Everyone agreed and the name stuck... much like Saving Abel's songs get instantly stuck in the minds and ears of everyone who hears them. With a radio-ready sound combining big riffs and memorable melodies, Saving Abel has created a polished combination of Southern and Alternative rock... 2008 style. Get Addicted. Get Saving Abel.
Weeks and Jason Null formed the band in their small hometown of Corinth, Mississippi in 2004. They met when Weeks, who was in a band, was playing guitar at his best friend's house, when Null, who was in a rival local group, walked in to rehearse with his band. Within days of that meeting, Null and Weeks were writing and honing the intimate writing style that now defines Saving Abel. In early 2005, the pair's songs caught the ear of noted producer Skidd Mills (12 Stones, Saliva, Submersed), who took the band into his 747 Studios in Memphis. Mills notes, "It was '18 Days' that hooked me. The first time I heard it I was like, 'these guys are the real deal; they'll be doing this for a long time.' Jason and Jared have always understood that the most important part of the music business is having great songs."
Saving Abel gradually came together in the final electric lineup of guitarist Scott Bartlett, bassist Eric Taylor, and drummer Blake Dixon, and the band paid its dues both onstage and off. Weeks would toss Saving Abel demos onto the stage when bigger bands played in town, and between playing gigs, working day jobs, and Weeks and Null constantly driving from Mississippi to Memphis to record their self-titled EP with Mills, it was a busy and prolific couple years. Weeks remembers; "I used to work at a hospital. I'd have to be there at 4:30 in the morning drawing blood. I'd wake people up and stick a needle in their arm. I'd be walking around the hospital, singing 'Addicted' in my head, writing down the lyrics on patients' clipboards and doctor script pads."
Null and Weeks bring in differing songwriting approaches influences, giving Saving Abel a well-rounded sound. Null comes from a musical family, and recalls Saturday nights at the local community center as a child. "We didn't miss it, ever! It was bluegrass band after bluegrass band. We'd hoot and holler, as we used to say. My brother traded my bike for a guitar for me when I was 6, and I learned 'Johnny B. Goode' that night! I go back to Willie and Waylon, but as a kid of the '80s, I also love Metallica. Also, Angus Young is one of my main influences, as well as the guitar sound and solos of Seattle bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains." For his part, a teenage Weeks played basketball and went to state twice in tennis before music consumed his life. A big fan of the blues and Southern Rock, Weeks calls himself the more "literal" songwriter of the two, explaining, "If something is really bothering me, or how I'm feeling at that moment, I'll write about it. For me to get the most out of a song, I have to get it almost to the point I'm ready to cry if I can't get it out, and that makes people relate to it."
After shopping their indie EP for almost a year, a copy of 'Addicted' found its way to one-time Virgin A&R Consultant Scott Frazier and manager partner Rick Smith. They were so excited that they sent the song to the label's Chairman/CEO Jason Flom. Flom was impressed upon first listen and immediately sent A&R vet Kim Stephens (Collective Soul, Matchbox 20, Edwin McCain) to see the band in Jackson, Tennessee. The band was signed the next day. Says Stephens, "I was sold on the merit of the songs and instantly recognized this was a band with huge potential."
Saving Abel, the Virgin debut produced by Mills, features mostly brand-new tunes, plus a few favorites from the indie EP, including the poignant, perfectly crafted "18 Days," "Running From You," and "Drowning Face Down." Null explains that "18 Days" was lyrically inspired by sheriff Buford Pusser of 'Walking Tall' fame, while laughingly admitting that the rowdy road trip in "New Tattoo" ("The blue is for the bruise you left in my heart / and the red is for the color we're about to paint this town") is "based on a true story." Null furthers: "Our goals are always to concentrate on the song, not just one cool part to make a kid bop his head. Every person I talk to loves a different song of ours." Null was also the one who gave the band its name: "I Googled the story of Cain and Abel and found a line about 'there was no Saving Abel,' which just jumped out at me." Everyone agreed and the name stuck... much like Saving Abel's songs get instantly stuck in the minds and ears of everyone who hears them. With a radio-ready sound combining big riffs and memorable melodies, Saving Abel has created a polished combination of Southern and Alternative rock... 2008 style. Get Addicted. Get Saving Abel.
Redlight King
There's stubborn. And then there's Kaz stubborn. The singer-songwriter of Redlight King refused to take no for an answer when music business suits denied his request to sample a Neil Young classic, pressing relentlessly until he got a "yes." More importantly, Kaz held on to vanquish the inner demons that nearly wrecked him several years ago. Now, with "Something for the Pain," Redlight King's redemptive Hollywood Records debut album, Kaz relives both his darkest days and the turn-around, when he clawed his way back to the light.
A latticework of rock and hip hop, the album conjures old school sounds, thanks to Kaz and producers Wally Gagel and Xandy Barry, as well as the good vibes at Hollywood's TGG Studios (now called Wax Studios, whose alums include Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and, yes, Neil Young). "I'm all about mixing in the old sounds," Kaz says, "and giving it that warm, analog feel. There is sampling, hip hop grooves and beats, but I also wanted good old fashioned meat and potatoes: bass, guitar, drums."
The sound may be warm, but his songs revisit the cold climate of Kaz's native Hamilton, Ont., and the even chillier emotional landscape of his lost years. In the astonishing hip-hop flavored debut single, "Old Man," Kaz offers a reluctant salute to his father, a larger-than-life figure who taught school by day and raced stock cars at night ("The life he demanded/Kept us all in a struggle/When he ruled with his fist/It kept us all out of trouble"). "No father issues here," says Kaz with a laugh.
Hard-edged rockers like the blustery "Bullet in My Hand," "The Underground" and the title track take listeners on a vertical drop into an abyss Kaz once knew all too well. "Most of it was written while the feelings were still there," he recalls. "My songs are written about real issues, real experiences. I like to bring listeners in deep, and give them time to look around."
Kaz starts "digging six feet up" (as he puts it) on songs like "Comeback," "Built to Last" and the irresistibly melodic "Driving to Kalifornia." Collectively, they describe the hard labor of rebuilding a life, then hitting the road, with the wintry east receding in the rear view mirror. The album ends with the acoustic-flavored "Past the Gates" and "When the Dust Settles Down," the former a hope-filled forward glance, the latter a last look back. He may be whistling past the graveyard, but it's such a pretty tune.
Kaz grew up in Hamilton, Ont., once a booming steel center on the shores of Lake Ontario, and now struggling in the global economic meltdown. He grew up in middle class home where his parents "struggled to pay the bills." Like his dad, Kaz loved cars and drag racing (Redlight King is named for the light "tree" that signals the start of a race). As he grew, music also began to take hold. He loved Queen, Springsteen, Dylan and Lennon no less than A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, Treach and Nas. He started writing early on, recording his first track at age 16. But in his teens, music took a back seat to judo. He was good enough for a shot at Canada's Olympic training center to prepare for the 2000 Games. But he didn't make the team -- a blow that would take a toll later.
Meanwhile, Kaz returned to music, landing a deal and releasing an album in Canada. That led to a Juno Award nomination for Best New Artist, but the affirmation wasn't enough to halt a steep slide. "You know why it's happening," he recalls of his struggle with substance abuse. "You don't know where the end is, you've lost all rationality. You're borderline insane. But in the end, you make a decision to start again, and the only way was to forgive myself for my mistakes."
It worked. Kaz came back strong, headed to California in a rebuilt '49 Mercury pick-up and converted his two-year nightmare into the song cycle that became "Something for the Pain." Says Kaz, "Writing songs when you're in a dark place is dangerous. The songs I wrote for this album I won't write again. I won't have to."
Just because he lives in Los Angeles now doesn't mean he's gone Hollywood. When the mood strikes, he takes his rebuilt 1950 Harley up the PCH, just to clear his head. Hot rodder that he is, Kaz is currently restoring a rare 1937 Lincoln Zephyr coupe, with plans to make "a film capturing the journey and process of bringing the car back to life," he says. "Hot rod culture runs deep in my roots."
Music runs even deeper, and with the release of "Something for the Pain," Kaz will take the show on the road very soon. He knows his music touches a raw nerve, but that's part of the appeal for him. "I hope people will be able to connect with it and take from it what they need," he says. "It's about the human condition. In the end, we're all the same."
A latticework of rock and hip hop, the album conjures old school sounds, thanks to Kaz and producers Wally Gagel and Xandy Barry, as well as the good vibes at Hollywood's TGG Studios (now called Wax Studios, whose alums include Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and, yes, Neil Young). "I'm all about mixing in the old sounds," Kaz says, "and giving it that warm, analog feel. There is sampling, hip hop grooves and beats, but I also wanted good old fashioned meat and potatoes: bass, guitar, drums."
The sound may be warm, but his songs revisit the cold climate of Kaz's native Hamilton, Ont., and the even chillier emotional landscape of his lost years. In the astonishing hip-hop flavored debut single, "Old Man," Kaz offers a reluctant salute to his father, a larger-than-life figure who taught school by day and raced stock cars at night ("The life he demanded/Kept us all in a struggle/When he ruled with his fist/It kept us all out of trouble"). "No father issues here," says Kaz with a laugh.
Hard-edged rockers like the blustery "Bullet in My Hand," "The Underground" and the title track take listeners on a vertical drop into an abyss Kaz once knew all too well. "Most of it was written while the feelings were still there," he recalls. "My songs are written about real issues, real experiences. I like to bring listeners in deep, and give them time to look around."
Kaz starts "digging six feet up" (as he puts it) on songs like "Comeback," "Built to Last" and the irresistibly melodic "Driving to Kalifornia." Collectively, they describe the hard labor of rebuilding a life, then hitting the road, with the wintry east receding in the rear view mirror. The album ends with the acoustic-flavored "Past the Gates" and "When the Dust Settles Down," the former a hope-filled forward glance, the latter a last look back. He may be whistling past the graveyard, but it's such a pretty tune.
Kaz grew up in Hamilton, Ont., once a booming steel center on the shores of Lake Ontario, and now struggling in the global economic meltdown. He grew up in middle class home where his parents "struggled to pay the bills." Like his dad, Kaz loved cars and drag racing (Redlight King is named for the light "tree" that signals the start of a race). As he grew, music also began to take hold. He loved Queen, Springsteen, Dylan and Lennon no less than A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, Treach and Nas. He started writing early on, recording his first track at age 16. But in his teens, music took a back seat to judo. He was good enough for a shot at Canada's Olympic training center to prepare for the 2000 Games. But he didn't make the team -- a blow that would take a toll later.
Meanwhile, Kaz returned to music, landing a deal and releasing an album in Canada. That led to a Juno Award nomination for Best New Artist, but the affirmation wasn't enough to halt a steep slide. "You know why it's happening," he recalls of his struggle with substance abuse. "You don't know where the end is, you've lost all rationality. You're borderline insane. But in the end, you make a decision to start again, and the only way was to forgive myself for my mistakes."
It worked. Kaz came back strong, headed to California in a rebuilt '49 Mercury pick-up and converted his two-year nightmare into the song cycle that became "Something for the Pain." Says Kaz, "Writing songs when you're in a dark place is dangerous. The songs I wrote for this album I won't write again. I won't have to."
Just because he lives in Los Angeles now doesn't mean he's gone Hollywood. When the mood strikes, he takes his rebuilt 1950 Harley up the PCH, just to clear his head. Hot rodder that he is, Kaz is currently restoring a rare 1937 Lincoln Zephyr coupe, with plans to make "a film capturing the journey and process of bringing the car back to life," he says. "Hot rod culture runs deep in my roots."
Music runs even deeper, and with the release of "Something for the Pain," Kaz will take the show on the road very soon. He knows his music touches a raw nerve, but that's part of the appeal for him. "I hope people will be able to connect with it and take from it what they need," he says. "It's about the human condition. In the end, we're all the same."
Fall From Grace
Seattle's Fall From Grace has become a member of the Bodog Music family, winning the coveted $1 million record contract on "Bodog Music Battle of the Bands." It was a night that will go down in Bodog history. Three bands stormed the stage at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip on Wednesday night and performed live for a screaming packed house, as well as millions of FUSE viewers. Fall From Grace, Blaxmyth and the "wildcard" Fear Nuttin Band all gave intense performances, but after viewers texted in their votes, Seattle punkers Fall From Grace took home the Bodog Music record contract!
