ITS NOT ABOUT US , THE BAND OR YOU , ITS ABOUT OUR GOD GETTING ALL THE GLORY !! ABOUT JESUS CHRIST WHO CAME AND DIED ON THE CROSS FOR US AND OUR SINS, TO SAVE US FROM THE PITS OF HELL FOR ETERNITY, ITS ABOUT US REACHING OUT TO OTHERS HELPING OTHERS IN NEED AND SHOWING THEM ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT WHILE THEY ARE GOING THROUGH THEIR TRIALS . ITS ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE BROKE GIVING YOUR LAST DOLLAR TO SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD WHEN AT LEAST YOU HAVE A PILLOW TO LAY. ITS ABOUT PUTTING "HIM" UP ON HIGH TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR HAS DONE FOR YOU AND THAT YOU ARE LIVING PROOF THAT NO MATTER WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN OR WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH THAT YOU ARE A WALKING TESTIMONY OF HIS GREAT RICHES !~! THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN MANY TIMES THAT I HAVE WANTED TO GIVE UP I NOW SEE THAT GOD WAS RIGHT THERE WITH ME THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH , EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T SEE IT THEN I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT HE WAS THERE AND HE IS THE REASON I AM WHERE I AM TODAY , EVEN THOUGH YOU MAYBE GOING THROUGH A HARD TIME RIGHT AT THIS VERY MOMENT , GOD IS WITH YOU, YOU ARE THERE FOR A REASON , TO MAKE YOU STRONGER IN HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE , YOU MAY NOT SEE IT NOW AND MAY NOT UNDERSTAND IT ALL BUT ONE DAY , ONE DAY WE SHALL ALL SEE THE WOVEN BASKET OF OUR LIVES AND JUST SEE WHY WE WENT THROUGH CERTAIN THINGS IN OUR LIVES AND WHY CERTAIN PEOPLE HAVE CROSSED OUR PATHS IN LIFE , I AND YOU RIGHT NOW ARE ONLY ALIVE THROUGH GOD'S WONDERFUL GRACE , SO NOW RAISE YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR SOLDIER , PRAISE YOUR MIGHTY AND POWERFUL LORD THROUGH THE STORM , TELL HIM TO PULL YOU UP INTO HIS LAP AND WRAP HIS ARMS AROUND YOU AND LET HIM HOLD YOU FOR AWHILE !! HE IS THE GREAT ALMIGHTY GOD AND YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST , ARISE AND SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS !! BE THANKFUL AND GIVE PRAISE THROUGH ALL THINGS , HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU MY FRIENDS , NEVER FORGET THAT FOR WE ARE ALL "COVEREDSCARS" !! CoveredScars is a Christian hard core metal band formed in 1999 by Jason Eaves and Adam Bennett with influences like "Pantera, Disciple, Static X, System of the Down, Coal Chamber, Demon Hunter, Metallica, Alice In Chains, Rob Zombie and Disturbed"! In 2000 we recorded our first demo CD "Understand". In 2006 after re-dedicating our lives and running an add on craigslist, by the grace of God, the line up was complete by adding Jackie Cox on drums and Russ "Mojo" Wise on bass! We call our music "Life Metal". A mix of melodic singing, powerful riffs, deep kicking bass, aggressive vocals and a message to remember! In 2011 CoveredScars released their first Christian metal CD "What Words Will Do" with very positive reviews as well as helping fans and friends deal with struggles ongoing in their lives. Our goal is to do God's will, bring a positive message and let those who have been "scarred" whether it be mentally, physically or spiritually they too can over come their struggles and know that if we can change then they can change also for we are all "CoveredScars"! ! MUCH LOVE ALWAYS AND GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES !! Json "CoveredScars" 

Pillow Song is a concert venue, and it is the creative home for songwriters Sarah Bowman & Rene Coal Burrell. The pulse of their many projects resides in the Pillow Song Loft, a very unique musical 'living room,' recording space, lesson and rehearsal studio. The PS Loft is open to all music lovers as a place to share and experience music in its purest, most intimate form.

“To those involved deeply in UK Garage music since around its heyday in the early 2000’s, I will always be known as someone who has loyally and persistently championed the sound and much of what has come from it.”  —DJ Sushi

Though this statement is one that still holds true today, if you ask the typical question “what does he play?” among clubgoers (and sometimes even fellow industry-types) in Chicago, the answers tend to be inconsistent when it comes to DJ Sushi.  Embracing this mystique, he plays up the unpredictability factor throughout his performances, oftentimes surrendering his playlist to his crowd but never losing the plot.  With his progressive rejection of genre classification in favor of a broader view of track selection, focusing on similarities in composition and elements, he took a situation that could have potentially yielded a lump of muddled musical coal and turned it into a symphonic diamond.

Already recognized by the likes of URB Magazine early on in his career, Sushi came up in the Chicago rave scene as most did — a “mix ’n blend” DJ.  His love for Hip-Hop and R&B throughout childhood, coupled with his teenage love for sounds like Chicago House and assorted Breakbeat Rave music, made 2-Step Garage an obvious yet challenging genre to start with as an DJ.  However, it was his deep admiration of Hip-Hop culture as a whole, as well as DJ influences such as Qbert and Rossi B & Luca, that later motivated Sushi to incorporate turntablism elements into his live performances.

Armed with a brand new bag of tricks and an outright refusal to be silenced due to the limited reach of UK Grime in the States, Sushi soon began competing regularly in “quick-mix” competitions in the Midwest, placing in 1st or 2nd in the majority of them — even besting some “hometown heroes” with considerably larger, established fanbases — and often celebrating victories with his Brüt Force "partner-in-Grime," Whoa-B, with whom occasionally performed with as B. Raw.  Riding high on their growing recognition, Brüt Force (founded 2000 to push UK Urban and Dance music) became the go-to promoter for UK Grime in Chicago, giving way to an event partnership with Vice Records.  In the years to follow, Sushi continued to gain recognition as a DJ and grew Brüt Force’s name as Chicago’s promoter for niche UK Bass/Dance music through the Bassweight event series, but 2013 would finally be the year he established himself as an industry “triple-threat” — teaming up with young up-and-coming artist, The Magnum Carta, to form a unique production duo incorporating old and new elements of dance music, Rachét.

With his career spanning over a decade, Sushi’s role as a conduit for the freshest UK music carries firmly into the present, the labels supporting him a Who’s Who of UK dance music old and new — including the likes of Black Butter and Ice Cream Records, respectively — but never limiting his willingness to please his audience with some Chicago throwbacks, new EDM bangers, or even Top 40 tunes.  Although some claim the emergence of EDM has created a divide between underground and mainstream dance music, Sushi’s versatility and simple self-dedicated focus on the dance element of music have allowed him to ride the fine line in between — satisfying his calling as a trusted name to support niche UK acts in Dubstep and Bass music, while also affording him the opportunities to perform at epic music festivals and support internationally successful artists in EDM.

PRESS/FEATURES: URB Magazine (June 2003); Mixcrate "Pick of the Week" (October 8, 2012); UKGarage.org (October 2011 & August 2012); Columbia Chronicle (May 2007); Shepherd Express (June 2007); Skank The F**k Out! (April 2012)

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS: North Coast Music Festival @ Union Park (Chicago, IL - 2012); Run The Road: Volume 2 Record Release Party (for Vice Records - Chicago, IL - 2006); The Streets "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living" Record Release Party (for Vice Records - Chicago, IL - 2006); Stellar Spark 2 @ The Rave (Milwaukee, WI - 2003); Garage Conference (Dallas, TX - 2004); Transatlantic 4: The Garage Mashup (Miami, FL - WMC Week - 2005); Sonar (Baltimore, MD - 2005)

BILLED ALONGSIDE: Big Boi (from OutKast), Axwell, Steve Aoki, Steve Angello, Knife Party, Chuckie, Excision, Alesso, Paul Oakenfold, Tommy Trash, Yelawolf, Pretty Lights, Modestep, Mord Fustang, Girl Talk, DJ Autobot (from Flosstradamus), Felix Da Housecat, Digitalism, Atmosphere, STS9, Todd Edwards, Truth, Reid Speed, DJ Q (from BBC 1Xtra), DJ Dan, Danny the Wildchild, Paul Johnson, DJ Funk, DJG, Joe Nice, Freaky Flow & MC Flipside, Skylab 2000, DJ DB, Submerge 101, and many more.

COMPETITION RANKINGS: Midwest DJ Summit 3.0 - 1st Place (2006 - sponsored by Sam Ash); Chicago Northside vs. Southside DJ Competition - 1st Place (2006 - sponsored by Underground Semetry); Take the Decks - 2nd Place (2008 - sponsored by Sam Ash); Unititled DJ Battle - 2nd Place (2009 - sponsored by Untitled and Original Penguin Clothing)

Professor Thomas is a photographer and a Voiceover artist with a beautifully unique lens on the human experience. His life has traveled through many different winding passages before dropping him off at his current destination of creativity through photography. He joined the US Navy and traveled to 33 countries while practicing communications and working as a shipboard electronics technician and electrician aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. John F. Kennedy where he served 4 years as a Navy reservist. Later, he ran his own Information Technology firm for three decades. He is father to four beautiful daughters and husband to a supportive wife of 20 years. He started his photographic journey shooting landscape photography in 1975 while traveling the world in the Navy and founded his first portrait studio in 1977 in Little Rock Arkansas.

He is a man who immerses himself in his craft, taking precious care to appreciate the finer details in the images he captures. “My goal is to use my camera like a painter uses his brush, or a sculptor his chisel:  only as a tool to be used to complete an evolution of development of my vision through meticulous care and processing techniques.” His compositions speak to him musically and poetically. Photography is like the poetry that Thomas loves, with favorite subjects such as humanity, positive motivation, and self-improvement. These are a few of the same subjects that go into consideration for his photographic compositions. 

Thomas uses photography as a visual expression to artistically connect to the subject of his photographic inspiration, and in seeing the hidden qualities in the chosen subject of his project, uncovers a deeper view into himself.  One such hidden quality appeared in a piece of art that won best in show at Richland College’s 32nd Fall Student Photography Exhibition Contest in 2011. Originally, Thomas had put aside the photo, not intending to enter it in the contest, but he had a change of heart at the last moment.  At this moment, Thomas began to explore and glimpse the abstract fragments of wondrous images around him, hidden like diamonds hidden deep within coal waiting to be excavated, cut, polished and presented.  In 2012, Thomas went on to receive an Honorable Mention for best of photography in Serbin Communication’s annual publication, Photographer’s Forum. 

His photos do more than imitate the same mundane images that exist in the world of snap shot photography; each photograph has a life of its own. With personality, character and spirit, the soul of the scene emits a silent voice that calls Thomas to its hidden existence. As such, Thomas says wholeheartedly, “I don’t take a photograph, a photograph takes me.” Moments in life are fleeting, they only happen once, but through photography, if given the chance, Thomas can bottle moments and the beauty that each complex detail contains. As Thomas captures the soul of his photographs, the complexities of the human experience, and the playful nature of light itself, he creates a true gift for his audience. An image that remains magnificent, living in its specific moment of light and time, entrancing and memorable: a moment to be savored for a lifetime.

September 16th, 1963, mankind has yet to walk on the moon but on earth for the first time, Francis Zgorski makes his vocal cords vibrate. It was without a doubt the most remarkable event during the Cold War.
 
In his own words,  Zgorski he is always late on the uptake.  On top of that,  he wasn’t lucky enough to be buddies with David Guetta, Saint Germain, Dimitri from Paris, Kevin Vénus or Thomas Bangalter.  He didn’t frequent The Queen in Paris, nor The Hacienda in Manchester. He didn’t have an artist’s residency  in Berlin, he didn’t start a record label, he didn’t frequent the Ibiza clubs or any other clubs for that matter, nor was he a fan of Taiwan and even less so Japan.
 
            But what the hell was he doing up until 2000, before starting to play with a MPC 60 and the sampler Emu 5000 ?  To start, he spent a happy childhood in the coal mining region in northern  France. It is to Cuba, where he will open his ears to the red star echos, to the crypted spatial rhythms, to the marimbulas, the congas, to the beeps-beeps of the road companion, to the music of masters such as Raoul Zequeira and Justo Pelladito.
 
            Saturday, April 26, 1986, Zgorski starts a brutal mutation to become the first polyrhythmic humanoid machine, the prince of drum harmonization.  As everyone knows, it’s the Afro-Cuban rhythms that  start the best DJ set. And those who have not participated in giant concerts organized on the dark side of the moon aren’t aware of the repetitive, bewitching patterns of the Zgorski polyrythmic machine.
 
            He returns finally in the beginning years of 2000 with electro albums ‘‘Chez Francis ’’, ‘‘Cito Longe Tarde’’ et ‘‘Comma’’. He dives into  deep house but keeps a firm hand on stretched skin in becoming Zombie Wip. What makes the music original is its pulsating rhythm, heavy breathing and living song.  Vibrant material for a hungry machine.  Already in his spacelab, he’s working on a new album, and the beat goes on.

I'm from southeast ohio. Im a singer/songwriter/farmer/pyro. I write vaguely folkish alterna-rock... I mine coal for a living. occasionally I get out. 

“The last few years have really been a blur,” laughs Jason Sturgeon.  A ruggedly handsome and unassuming guy born and raised, in the small Indiana town of Petersburg, to a family of coal miners, oilmen and farmers who literally made their living off the land, and still do to this day.  Sturgeon has an appreciation of the land. He is an outdoorsman, a Champion Youth AQHA competitor as well as an entrepreneur and businessman. His creative side collectively balances his practical side and he lives life full-out at any cost. And he can also fix any engine or machine that you can put in front of him.

We’ve been busy on the road and my songwriting always tends to mirror my life. During a time when Jason and his band were hitting the road hard, rarely seeing the sun, when the view for the day was mostly the back entrance to a venue somewhere with access to a stage, thus came the lyrics to “Time Bomb,” the preview of Sturgeon’s sophomore effort,  CORNFIELS AND COAL.  “It just kind of spilled out of me,” says Sturgeon.  “The song doesn’t really have a deep message… it’s just, ‘Hey, I like going fast and breaking stuff.’  It’s pretty much about doing everything by the seat of your pants!

All that time spent in motion definitely impacts a person and Jason is the first to admit he has needed to slow down and get a different perspective on himself and life.  With plenty more to write about after all he’s seen and experienced that past two years, he’s delivered new music that is thought provoking.   His days spent at home are rare and treasured now and he definitely doesn’t take them for granted anymore. “My lifestyle has certainly changed - I cherish my days at home and try really hard to get home as much as I possibly can. I love the road but I also love being home and seeing my family and friends.  I must admit though, road life is great and I do enjoy it. You don’t really understand that until you get out there and do it, it changes a person. When you’re in it all the time, it’s a different world for sure. We did 200 shows last year, and we’re on pace to do even more this year,” says Sturgeon.  Sturgeon has opened for artists such as Gary Allan, Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan, and Dierks Bentley, among others.

That perpetual motion seeps into Sturgeon’s writing, as he is found out when he began the process of putting together CORNFIELDS AND COAL.   Though he is constantly writing new songs, he’s also been reaching back into the vault on this project and pulling out some gems he penned long ago – songs that reflect deeper emotions and sides of him not often revealed. He’s ready now to share those more vulnerable sides.  Along with his own songs, Sturgeon also sought out some of the songs that have inspired him over the years.

The new CD includes a late 80’s favorite, reworked with a Traditional country flair, “Angel Eyes.” Jason puts a laid-back, comfortable-as-your-worn-out jeans spin on the Jeff Healey rock classic, using some steel guitar and just the right amount of country soul to give it new life. Penned by Fred Koller and John Hiatt, the tune has always been a personal favorite of Jason’s and one he loves performing live, so now seemed like the perfect time to record a version and include it on a record.

“When I wrote that first album, I had time on my side to sit down and think about things. It’s challenging to find time to write now; I have the other responsibility that comes with a touring artist.  I have to make myself sit down in a quiet spot with my guitar, take a deep breath and find time to put my thoughts down,” says Jason. Because of this, Jason is reaching back into his catalogue for material he wrote before his first release.

The Indiana native’s small-town roots have always been a big part of who he is, and they definitely inspired several of the songs on this latest CD, Cornfields & Coal. From the first few strains of the nostalgic-feeling, Appalachian-tinged title track -- a tribute to the coal-mining communities and the men who toil in the mines to earn their keep -- Jason keys listeners in on a bit of what he stands for and who he is, singing about the flagpoles and steeples that faithfully keep watch over those cornfields and coal across the country.

On the edgy rocker “Lost Our Minds,” Jason voices many of the emotions Americans are currently feeling as we read the headlines and watch things slipping further and further out of control in today’s times, strains of frustration and dismay ring in every line as he questions the chaos and destruction currently tearing our world apart. Penned by Jason himself, the tune is a powerful, relevant wake up call for today’s world and the climate of uncertainty and fear we are all living in.  

Jason tackles an inconceivably difficult subject in  “I Never Got To Be Your Dad,” channeling the unbearable pain of the loss of a child. The heartbreaking tune perfectly echoes a grief-stricken parent’s dull, constant ache when thinking about all the special moments he’ll never have with his child who passed away. Co-written with producer Greg Archilla, the ballad balances the CD’s grittier rockers perfectly and displays the country boy’s softer side.  

The songs Sturgeon has compiled on this new record seem to reflect a new found willingness to open up and reveal some deeper thoughts and feelings.  He hopes his fans will enjoy the candor and spirit he’s bringing to his music this time around.

Trailer Radio jumped onto the New York City scene faster than a redneck on a Nascar Ticket. Formed in October 2010, the New York City-based country band has spent the past year spreading its unique brand of blazing metro-twang around NYC and the tri-state area. Just a year later, the band was already playing music festivals, had garnered a rave review on alt-country blog No Depression, and served up its self-titled debut album featuring an eclectic mix of country, rock and blues. 

Trailer Radio is the brainchild of West Virginia native, Shannon Brown, who brings the authenticity of a modern-day Loretta Lynn to the group. Shannon explains:

"Because of the mountains in WV we could only pick up one radio station. They played a lot of country and rock, with a bunch of other stuff mixed in. You could also call in to buy a hunting dog or sell your guns on the air, but that's another story."

Growing up in a tiny coal mining town, it's not surprising that Shannon spent some time living in a trailer. What's more surprising, perhaps, is that she actually left and moved to New York City. After several years of performing in repertory theatres around the United States and Japan, Shannon wrote and performed a one-woman cabaret called "Moonshine Martinis", a comical look at the differences between city life and country life featuring country music from the sixties and seventies. The show ran at the Laurie Beechman Theater and Don't Tell Mama and was well received in the cabaret community.

In 2009, Shannon was introduced to guitarist/vocalist David Weiss, fresh from a year-long stint with the Alexis Suter band playing at Levon Helm's famed Midnight Ramble. David, an NYC native, has performed with Carlos Guitarlos of L.A.'s legendary Top Jimmy & the Rhythm Pigs. David played guitar and contributed a song to Guitarlos' solo debut, "Straight from the Heart", which was chosen as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top Albums of 2003. 

David introduced Shannon to his writing partner, Joel Shelton, a trombonist who has performed with Elton John, Lou Rawls, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and innumerable chamber and orchestral groups. Together Weiss and Shelton had written some as-yet unperformed country songs including "Football Widow" and "A Little Too Old (And A Lot Too Ugly)", a song that tells an oft-lived but little told tale of life in the musician trenches. These songs, along with Weiss' blues number, "11:59", laid the foundation for Trailer Radio's debut album which was produced by Shelton in the fall of 2011.

Mike Dvorkin, a veteran of the flourishing NYC country music scene, joined Trailer Radio on guitar. Mike has played with The Lonesome Prairie Dogs, Tammy Faye Starlite, Joey Fortuna, Sean Kershaw and others. Mike and David's highly complementary guitar approaches (Mike brings the rockabilly twang and country Telecaster licks, while David channels Keef and SRV in equal measure) give Shannon's vocals a warm and cohesive backing from which to launch her soaring vocals. 

Singer-songwriter, Joe Ongie, who has performed with Amy Mann and Minnie Driver, joined Trailer Radio on bass and background vocals. Joe, who boasts four solo albums of his own, brought two songs to the table: "Streets of Savannah", a sentimental ballad about yearning for a southern home, and "I'm Not Leavin', I'm Just Lookin'" a song about a woman who likes to flirt, over her boyfriend's objections.

East coast music veteran and North Carolina native, Kenny Soule, rounds out Trailer Radio's rhythm section on drums and background vocals. Kenny has played with North Carolina classic rockers Nantucket (Epic), power trio PKM (Polygram), funk purveyors DAG (Sony/Columbia), blues-rockers Walter Trout, Dave Fields, Popa Chubby and country-rock singer Mary McBride.

Trailer Radio, with its new car scent still intact, is hell bent on wailing and twanging its way into the hearts of millions, once the Northeast has fallen under its spell.	

As a child, Cherylann imagined there was a hidden microphone in a button on her shirt that allowed the whole world to hear her sing the songs she made up. Her WV mountain mama began to find stages for her to sing on when she was 5... talent shows, minstrels, church, recitals, family gatherings and lots of charity events. After being inspired by "Coal Miner's Daughter" when she was 12, she learned to play guitar, and started writing songs, and performing professionally as a country singer at fairs, festivals, restaurants, banquet halls, and Wheeling's own Capital Music Hall. Her style had changed from broadway and church songs to country, then she transformed again when she moved to Pittsburgh, PA 25 years ago at the time when Lilith Fair artists graced the music industry.

So now, Cherylann Hawk has found her niche in alternative folk pop, with jazzy country melodies riding the waves of exotic rhythms. Her voice has been compared to some of her influences... Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Joni Mitchell, and Karen Carpenter. In addition to playing rhythm and finger-style acoustic guitar, she also plays a little bass, ukulele, percussion, and kazoo! Her songs of love and resolution will warm your heart and soothe your soul.

Over the past 25 years, while living and performing in Pittsburgh, she released 3 full length CDs and several singles, and has also sung and played with many other performers on stage and in studios. Her most recent project with another artist is John Vento's "Love, Lust & Other Wreckage" and a few new singles. She has recorded music and voice overs for IRead2Know on iHeart Radio, and has been in regular rotation on American Busker on iHeart Radio as well. She loves singing in hospitals for the Sonny Pugar Foundation's "Music Smiles" program, and doing shows for many different charitable organizations. Bringing artists together to create community through open stages and through AcoustiCafe, an organization she co-founded with Mark Willson over 20 years ago, has been one of her passions as well. Most recently, Cherylann has been focusing on recording and doing weekday live streams at 6:30pm on Facebook and YouTube, often with her kids. 

"I'm starting to remember some riddles of my younger years, when I wanted to sing for the world so that everyone will like it here! Wherever it is that I sing, I love the joy of making music with my friends and family.  Music is a connection between us and with the divine. It brings us into the moment, and can create a sense of peace and belonging. It's a gift, a prayer, a meditation, a medicine, an inspiration, a discipline, a skill, a link, a magnet, a reminder, and best of all, it's energizing and fun! I hope you enjoy the music that I make with my family and friends."

Garnett Merlyn is following