The brain child of Everyday Dolores, Mike Ulliman is an Atlanta based producer and multi-instrumentalist who writes, performs, records and mixes all of ED’s music taking a truly indie do-it-yourself approach to all things Everyday Dolores. With “Dolores” having multiple meanings in Spanish and English Ulliman tends to write about the human existence and the everyday pains we face day to day. After Ulliman’s wife tragically passed away in 2014 he quit a successful corporate career to pursue his life long passion of making music. A tribute to his late wife’s favorite flower his latest release “Sunflower” was a 5 year day in and day out labor of love and it truly shows from the opening track “Mind Thieves” which culminates in a blistering no holds barred jam to “Sweet Dreams” which ends the album as a dreamy instrumental properly wrapping up the magnificent journey the listener had unknowingly embarked. Ulliman’s strong influences by bands such as RUSH, The Police, R.E.M., PHISH, And You Know Us by the Trail of Dead, The Pixies, XTC and Jane’s Addiction can be heard on his latest career defining work “Sunflower”. To celebrate the digital release a 500pc, collectible splatter vinyl, hand numbered, full color gatefold vinyl record with an 11” x 11” piece of artwork of the “Sunflower” cover by fine artist Amanda Henke is now available for pre-order. Contact Ulliman for details.

In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

average songwriter from France living in Los Angeles. keep pretending

i sing a little sometimes

faouzia.lnk.to/ICE

Boston 80's postpunk drummer/keyboardist turned computer graphics/web geek. Career CTO and software architect. Home studio hermit. Hedonist.

Founder of Chaz.Art & Co | X Space host | Artist | Musician | #TheNightCap

THEN WHAT
new single out now

THIN WALLS
new album 30.03.15

tourdates & pre-orders:
http://balthazarband.be

Bomrani is an Iranian independent experimental music band formed in 2008.

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