Jamestown Story

Jamestown Story is a one-man band that finds its roots in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dane Schmidt is the man behind the music as he acts as front man, singer, songwriter, guitar player and instrumentalist for all of the instruments that appear on recordings for Jamestown Story. Jamestown Story formally was known as the band "And then I Turned Seven" but Schmidt changed the name in January of 2007. 

On November 18th 2008 Jamestown Story released the album "Love vs. Life." The album was reviewed by Eastscene.com and the review stated that, "Jamestown Story delivers a heartfelt album, supported by Schmidts earnest lyrics and soft guitar and piano accompaniment." Jamestown Story's nine-song album is a refreshing mix of acoustic tunes that sends the listener through the ups and downs of love and life. 

Overall Eastscene.com gave Jamestown Story positive reviews and even said, "It goes to show that overproducing isn't always necessary for an album to sound good, the tracks are a sincere portrayal of what Jamestown Story was gunning for: honest feelings of love and guilt built within sweet songs." Dane Schmidts balance of acoustic and pop/rock gives the listeners ear a treat as it is a way to break from the norm as he finds creative ways to bring in other instruments and then interlaces it all with emotional and honest lyrics. 

For those that are fans of bands such as Dashboard Confessional or Secondhand Serenade than Jamestown Story would be music that is right up your alley. 

Jamestown Story is currently on tour and plans to be on tour for the rest of 2009 as Dane works to promote his new album. Be sure to check out Jamestown Story's MySpace to find tour dates and listen to the new album love vs. life. 

Check out the music video below of Jamestown Story, the song is called "Far Away."

This World Fair

This World Fair is a rock band based out of Minneapolis Minnesota. The brainchild of This World Fair is Chris Kalgren who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitar player. He is supported by a touring band consisting of drummer Alexander Young, guitarist Matt Lennander and guitarist Zack Carroll. 

According to the bands MySpace Chris Kalgren began writing music and formulating the idea of This World Fair while he was still a student studying engineering at the University of Wisconsin as Kalgren said, "I played guitar all the time in college, it was a great release for me because engineering is pretty dry and super intense." This release of creative energy helped Kalgren create the well crafted lyrics and guitar driven sound that makes This World Fair successful. 

The band is self-described as the 'pop-side of rock and the rock side of pop.' The mix of Kalgrens soft but surprisingly edgy voice against the deep rock tones of the instruments creates a simple bliss for the listeners ears that is balanced and controlled. 

Grammy-award winning producer Stephen Short of Ping-Pong Music first noticed This World Fair through their MySpace. Since this first exposure the band had the opportunity to work with producer Al Clay (who has worked with bands such as The Pixies, Pink and Blur) to create an album. 

During the recoding process with Al Clay the band received the opportunity of a lifetime as their song "Don't Make Me Wait" was offered a spot in DreamWorks 2007 summer blockbuster, "Distrubia." The band only had 12 hours to pull the song together due to their previous recording commitments. Kalgren reflects on that moment on the bands MySpace as he wrote, "we pulled an all-nighter and wrote the song. Sometimes the muse shows up and sometimes it doesn't." Thankfully for them the muse showed up and they were able to finish the task and ended up getting the song into the movie. 

This World Fair has been busy as they have completed three national tours between 2006 and 2008 and have performed with bands such as Guster, Phantom Planet, Giants and Barcelona. The band will continue to promote their music as they prepare for a tour later in 2009. 

To listen to music by This World Fair click here. 

The Fast Track

The Fast Track is a rock/pop/punk band from Minneapolis, the epicenter of the Minnesota music scene. The band is made up of vocalist Jordan Lyga, drummer Frankie Blydenburgh, guitarist Phillip Petersen, andother guitarist Victor Wright and bassist Josh McGuire. Together these five guys bring a fresh sound that is unique just to them. 

Band members Phil Petersen and Jordan Lyga were involved in a band during high school while living in Wisconsin, however, when college came around the band broke up and Petersen and Lyga came to Minneapolis. Their new home in Minnesota provided the opportunities they needed to continue their musical careers. 

According to the bands MySpace Petersen and Lyga teamed up with producer Tommy Rehbein, (who has worked with bands such as "Small Towns Burn A Little Slower" and "Rise" on Triple Crown Records) and producer Steve Henningsgard to create a demo CD. The bands demo CD attracted other local musicians and Petersen and Lyga were soon joined by Wright, McGuire and Blydenburgh to form "The Fast Track." 

Once the band formed they spent time playing local shows and refining their sound, what resulted was the upbeat in your face pop/punk sound that is The Fast Track. The band worked diligently to create their first EP titled "The Life & DEath Of The Party" which was released October 17th 2008. 

Kyle Schnitizer from The Daily Chorus reviewed the bands EP "The Life & Death Of The Party." Schnitizer reported that "unlike many other pop-punk bands, The Fast Track seems to know what the listener wants to listen to." Schnitizer also commented on the bands old school style as he said "they remind me of the early 2000s pop/punk." In a time when a new pop/punk band comes out every month it is refreshing to hear a band that has an appreciation for the old and at the same time knows how to keep it new and exciting for the listener. 

As the band continues to set-up shows and widen their fan base they are definitely a band that pop/punk fans in Minneapolis should keep an eye on. 

To listen to music off of the bands MySpace click here. 

Bensonwells

Bensonwells is Ryan, Ike, Troy and Will and together these four guys create a forceful and driving combination of pop/rock music that is supported by strong vocals and catchy melodies. 

Bensonwells was started by singer/songwriter and band front man Ryan Paul as a solo project in high school. According to the bands MySpace Ryan "quickly realized the potential of the musicians around him and within a few years he had formed the group of guys that is now Bensonwells." The band independently released a full-length self-titled album that gained them a solid fan base within the Twin Cities local music scene. Since then the band has recently released a new six song EP titled "You Could Be Free" and according to the band this new EP "showcases more mature songwriting and production abilities." 

One thing that binds the members of Bensonwells together is their common belief in God. While the band does not label themselves as "Christian" their music deals with the struggles of everyday life and what it means to be a Christ Follower in this fallen world. With songs such as "There's No Letting Go" and "Never Alone" the band encourages the listener to look for God through the pain of life. 

Bensonwells has a sound that is diverse and it reflects in the places that the band plays shows as they play a wide spectrum of venues ranging from church youth groups to clubs and bars in the Minneapolis area. The band has been busy as they recently participated in Minneapolis's Club 3 Degrees music tournament and ended up winning their musical category. 

Bensonwells plans to release another CD within the next year and they are constantly looking for ways to positively impact lives through their music. 

To listen to music from Bensonwells click here.  

Lights Out Dancing

Lights Out Dancing is a power pop/rock band from the suburbs of Minneapolis that formed in May of 2007. Lights Out Dancing is guitarist Mike Hasse, drummer Ryan Arndt, bassist and background vocalist Kyle Arndt, guitarist and background vocalist Scott Baker and lead vocalist Danny Luebke. 

The band was created after Hasse, Baker and brothers Ryan and Kyle Arndt found themselves being ex-members of a local rock band, that was until they met up with vocalist Danny Luebke. Scott Baker talks about how the band formed on Lights Out Dancing's MySpace as he says, "He [Danny] just fits right in, both his musical talent and his personality were exactly what we were looking for." 

Since the band formed in 2007 they have teamed up with producer Jordan Schmidt and sterling sound to release their first EP titled "Oh, the places you'll go." In an interview with Chris Hall from the dailychorus.com Lights Out Dancing commented on working with producer Jordan Schmidt as the band said, "He really helped develop our songs to create the best product we could." The hard work with Schmidt paid off as Lights Out Dancing has seen success with their first EP as they have sold over 11,000 copies in the one-year it has been available. 

Lights Out Dancing has become known for their high energy and entertaining live shows as they have been making a name for themselves within the local and national scene. Besides touring consistently the band is also currently being featured on "The Next American Star,"  a contest for popular unsigned bands. 

As guitarist Mike Haase puts it on the bands MySpace "we are five best friends who love what we do and always do our best at it." 

To check out music by Lights Out Dancing click here. 

Trace The Skyline

Trace The Skyline is an indie/pop band that formed in the late fall of 2007 and hails from the Minneapolis area. The core group of the band consists of pianist and vocalist Matt Hill, guitarist Avery Stassen and drummer Joel Alexander. Trace The Skyline is joined by a bass player and another guitar player when they play live local shows. 

Trace The Skyline's self-titled debut EP was released on September 20th 2008. Tammy Resse of riftmagazine.com reviewed the bands EP as she said, "Trace The Skyline's EP offers five delectable songs anchored with strong and catchy harmonies, which are beautifully arranged and mesh well with the vocals and the overall style of the group." This is an exceedingly positive review for a band that has had a little over a years worth of time playing together. 

One of the songs on the bands EP called "Perfection" is highlighted by Resse in her review as she says, "With lyrics such as 'when you listen to your favorite song you wish that you could be the guiding light behind the one who wrote the melody, just carry inhibition found in passing moments gone 'cause I need you to hold on, we've gotta take what is coming to us, we've gotta make something happen from this, we've gotta give it a chance we're going for a ride,' this song encourages the listener to be an active participant in life rather than to be a passive observer who lets life pass them by." 

Trace The Skyline seems to see how the simple things in life are truly what make life beautiful as they encourage their listeners to stop, think and smell the roses from time to time. 

As Trace The Skyline continues to promote their EP and widen their fan base they are sure to gain a reputation as one of Minnesota's top new up-and-coming indie bands. 

To listen to Trace The Skyline click here. 

All The Right Moves

From the heart of the Minnesota music scene comes Minneapolis natives "All The Right Moves." The band is composed of vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist Brandon, bass player Marc, drummer Dustin, violinist Roman and vocalist, guitarist Braden. 

All The Right Moves was formally known as "The Evermore Escape." Before the band decided to change their name the band formerly known as The Evermore Escape won a Minnesota statewide battle of the bands contest that was put on through a local television station, Fox 9. With the change of a band name came a change in appearance and a slight change in musical style. 

The change also brought about a new EP for the band. All The Right Moves collaborated with producer Jordan Schmidt, (who has worked with Sing It Loud and the Morning Light) for their first EP. Matt Nistler of The Daily Chorus reviewed the bands EP as he said "It [the album] is upbeat enough not to bore the listener and is catchy enough to have the album replaying in your head all day." The creative use of the violin, synthesizer, guitars and dual-vocalists adds depth and variety to the sound of All The Right Moves that keeps it fresh and intriguing. 

the production of the bands EP is nearly flawless as the band is balanced, the sounds are bright and present while the vocals are crisp and clear. Another success for producer Jordan Schmidt and is a true testament to the production process proving that local rock bands don't have to have EP recordings that sound like they are from a garage. 

Since the bands EP release in November of 2008 the band has been touring locally as they have been playing shows with bands such as Jamestown Story and My Lady 4. 

As All The Right Moves continues to promote their music they are sure to score fans of music such as Yellowcard, Sing It Loud and Boys Like Girls. 

To listen to All The Right Moves on their MySpace click here.