Vesper Fairchild Broadcast

MP3: Vesper Fairchild Broadcast — The Mile Hypoxia Club

Vesper Fairchild Broadcast’s dream is to tour the country and play to adoring fans. Only six months after starting the band, they’re making it happen.

Singer Joe Della Rosa, 21; guitarist Corey Alexander, 19; drummer Ryan Kosobucki, 23; and bassist John Biddick, 19, are preparing to embark on a national tour.

After sharing a long-time love of hardcore and metal music, the four decided to try to make the music themselves.

They are enrolled in college, but Alexander admits, “We’re touring a lot. I don’t know how long that will last.”

For the VFB, the highlight of this tour will be playing with hardcore legends The Dillinger Escape Plan at the New Jersey Metalfest in June.

Their first album, May We Have This Dance, showcases their chaotic heavy-metal riffs, with Della Rosa’s unique, high-pitched screaming and singing over it. The band wasted no time in signing with Boston’s Hybrid Records to release the album April 21.

See the Vesper Fairchild Broadcast with Quantice Never Crashed and Emmure at 8 tonight at Pembroke Pines’ Talent Farm, Suite 111, 20911 Johnson St. The show is free if you buy the CD for $10, or else $8 cover. Call 954-438-4388. The group also is scheduled to perform with Strangled to Tears and My Fair Verona on April 29 at Boca Raton’s Hideout, 7200 N. Dixie Highway. Call 561-994-9494.

Find them at myspace.com/thevfb or thevfb.com.

– Liza Hearon

Popularity: 12% [?]

Tin Soldier Empire

MP3: Tin Soldier Empire — Nintendo Generation

Years of playing way too much Nintendo and listening to heavy metal have warped the minds of Tin Soldier Empire, and they revel in their weirdness.

The Boca Raton band embraces the offensive, loud and twisted elements of some of their favorite bands like GWAR, Primus, Marilyn Manson and Insane Clown Posse.

Next, singer Jay Gambit, bassist RayC and drum machine player MariaMaria toss old-school Nintendo beats into the mix, along with gratuitous obscenity, all wrapped up in an out-of-control live show.

They have been playing shows together since October, and have recorded a 22-track demo called Nintendo Generation. A full-length album is in the works, and the band is hitting the road this summer to take their twisted minds to the rest of the nation.

Tin Soldier Empire heavily relies on MySpace to promote, along with their Web site. They make “bootlegs” of their live shows available for their mostly young fans around the country to check out.

See them, along with A Kiss to Betray and others, at 7 p.m. Saturday at Solid Sound Studios, 4616 N. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach. Cover is $10, and the show is a fund-raiser for the upcoming tour. Call 954-974-1466.

Find them at www.myspace.com/tinsoldierempire.

–Liza Hearon

Popularity: 8% [?]

Protagonist

MP3: Protagonist — Reasoning With Time

“We’ve always been too hardcore for the punk kids and too punk for the hardcore kids,” said Peter Marullo, vocalist for the Boca Raton band Protagonist.

The band, which includes Peter’s brother, guitarist John Marullo, guitarist Brian Forst and drummer John Westbay, has been together in various forms since 1999.

Peter Marullo said that the band blends the best elements of melodic hardcore with punk rock, influenced by bands like 7 Seconds, Minor Threat, Bad Religion and Black Flag.

Besides supporting up-and-coming bands in the local scene, the twentysomethings of Protagonist are seasoned tour veterans, having made several trips up and down the East Coast and venturing out West. They have large fan bases in Philadelphia and Texas.

Protagonist plans to release an EP this summer under its own label, Stake Out Records, and embark on yet another East Coast tour.

See the band with Go It Alone, Barriers Now Bridges and Hands Down at 7 p.m. Thursday at Sonny’s Stardust Lounge, 5181 Powerline Road, Fort Lauderdale. Cover is $8. Call 954-776-6082.

Find them at myspace.com/protagonist.

Popularity: 7% [?]

The Van Orsdels

MP3: The Van Orsdels — Little Zombie Girl

Zombies. Broads. Hot Rods.

The Van Orsdels celebrate the finer things in life with their own crazy take on psychobilly. Changing their last names to “Van Orsdel,” Ramones-style, the band has created their own personas and a world of slick, shiny hair, swamp creatures carrying off beauties and fast, furious music.

South Florida scene veterans George Van Orsdel (vocals), Bruno Van Orsdel (upright bass), Tomas Van Orsdel (guitars) and Rich Van Orsdel (drums) are also horror movie fans. Their music is influenced by surf and punk, along with bands like Social Distortion, the creepiness of the Misfits, and the punk rock of the Cramps.

The band has an EP and a full-length, Miami Morgue Riot, under their studded belts. This summer they are playing shows all over Florida, and then taking on a West Coast tour.

Find them at myspace.com/thevanorsdels or thevanorsdels.com.

– Liza Hearon

Popularity: 7% [?]

The Spoon Benders

MP3: The Spoon Benders — You’re Tricky

The Spoon Benders have been rocking for four years, playing exhaustively at any and every venue possible in South Florida, also taking their rootsy rock on tour throughout the South.

Matt Winfree (guitars and vocals), Yves Giraud (bass and vocals) and Brian Bennett (drums) are influenced by classic rock like Jimi Hendrix and the Police, and singer/songwriters like Jeff Buckley. However, their tunes are prone to extended, impromptu jam sessions, exploring the blues and funk styles that they also love.

They’ve shared the stage with high-profile acts, including Sum 41, Pat Benatar and Foreigner. With one album out in 2005 and Live at Alligator Alley, capturing a show at the Oakland Park bar, due out soon, the Spoon Benders are certainly one of the hardest working acts around.

Find them at myspace.com/spoonbenders or cdbaby.com/spoonbenders.

– Liza Hearon

Popularity: 6% [?]

Nothing Rhymes With Orange

MP3: Nothing Rhymes With Orange — Kill The Vibe

If Miami had a signature musical sound, Nothing Rhymes With Orange would not be it.

Instead, the band, founded by brothers Carl “Almasy” and Rich Coccaro, belongs in the United Kingdom, or at least somewhere where Anglophile bands are more common.

Along with bassist Travis Rosen and drummer Zack Eldridge, NRWO specializes in Cure-inspired alternative rock, with the mass appeal song-writing style of Coldplay and Oasis.

They have straddled the edge of mainstream and cutting edge, sharing the stage with international superstars matchbox twenty and John Mayer, while also playing with indie rock groups the Raveonettes and Louis XIV.

Their most recent album, Hello Mysterious, led the group to fulfill their Anglophile desires by touring in the UK, with airplay at UK college radio stations. NRWO plans to attack U.S. college radio stations this summer.

Find them at myspace.com/nrwo or nrwo.net.

– Liza Hearon

Popularity: 6% [?]

Phoenix/NEBULIN

MP3: Phoenix/NEBULIN — Acid Bath

Nothing is laid back about phoenix/NEBULIN. The four-member group delivers intense live performances of its alternative industrial music that has been inspired by groups such as Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More and Garbage.

The group was formed in 2001 by Phoenix (vocals) and Nebulin (bass). The couple met while working at the Guitar Center in Kendall, got married and started the band. Since then, they have played at clubs mostly in Florida and Georgia, and at an anime convention in Denver.
Nebulin does the songwriting and produces the music. They are joined at live performances by two other musicians, Anxiety on guitar and Nao on drums.

On their two albums, the couple incorporate their edgy rock sound with plenty of electronic elements. Their first disc, Distannza, dropped in winter, 2003. Their new album, Meridian, was released May 26 and will be sold in stores this fall. For now, songs can be purchased and downloaded at myspace.com/phoenixnebulin.

– Beth Feinstein-Bartl

Popularity: 5% [?]

The Heavy Pets

MP3: The Heavy Pets — Earthchaser

The Heavy Pets have been very busy racking up performances at South Florida clubs and festivals since forming last year. Now the Fort Lauderdale-based jam band is preparing to take its show on the road with a tour spanning several weeks this summer. They’ll travel to New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

The band has been gaining a following by playing at festivals such as Sunrise’s Langerado and New Times’ Beerfest in Fort Lauderdale. When they return from their Northeast tour in August, guitarist Jeff Lloyd said the Pets plan to work on material for their album.

A release date hasn’t been announced. Until then, fans can buy CDs of live performances at the band’s shows, or download music from theheavypets.com. The group’s danceable backbeat mixes such rhythms as rock, jazz and reggae.

“We try to utilize every key and every mode,” Lloyd said.

Hailing from Goshen, N.Y., Lloyd started the Pets in November 2005 with childhood friends Joe Dupell on bass and Mike Garulli on guitar. Lloyd’s cousin, Ryan Neuburger, plays drums. All four members share vocal duties.

Fans can check out the Pets at a few local venues before the group leaves town in mid-July.

– Beth Feinstein-Bartl

Popularity: 5% [?]

Zune players now come in five colors and new players rumored to be released soon.	Free Wallpapers in the Zune gallery and Free Zune Tech Support in the Zune Forums.

Zune is to be a family of wireless media devices from Microsoft that allow users to play and share music, movies and pictures. The first generation plays music and video with features like an industry leading 3 inch large screen on a 30GB hard drive model with a wireless chip which permits Zune to Zune music sharing. ZuneMAX was one of the first Zune blogs and community forums online since June 11, 2006 with just about everything you ever wanted to know about the Microsoft Zune and the Zune MarketPlace beginning with our news blog below or in the Zune message boards.

Zune wireless players are made for sharing and so is ZuneMAX.com. File uploads and downloads and music sharing are encouraged and we share loads of new music and video content from the top of the charts to up and coming artists and unsigned bands or musicians including new stuff from our fan base in the Zune forums. Join the Zune forums today and enter to Win a Free Zune in our next Zune Giveaways.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Truckstop Coffee

MP3: Truckstop Coffee — Whiskey Shivers

Truckstop Coffee had a stormy start when the group formed in summer 2004. Rhythm guitarist and lead singer Pete Stein remembers their first gig, playing on the eve of an approaching hurricane.

In the past two years, the four-member alternative country band first weathered a series of drummers, then had to delay production on their first album when the recording studio in Pompano Beach was damaged in Hurricane Wilma.

Stein and his band mates — lead guitarist Caleb James, bassist Nick Orow and drummer Venny Portalatin — continue to practice at a warehouse in Fort Lauderdale and rack up gigs at clubs in South Florida and Orlando. Along the way, they also managed to be named best country act 2005 by City Link magazine.

Their album, One Damn Thing to Redeem, is expected to be finished by the end of July. The group’s twangy, foot-stomping songs often feature lyrics about driving away, getting out of town, love and heartache. A four-song CD sampler is available for $5. More tunes, with a sneak preview of their upcoming album, can be heard via truckstopcoffee.com and myspace.com/truckstopcoffee. At live shows, Stein said the band’s music is filtered through vintage tube amplifiers that provide a warm, crusty sound.

– Beth Feinstein-Bartl

Popularity: 4% [?]