Affectionately known by all who love him as Griz (and currently performing under that pseudonym), singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Chris Grunwald, is a maverick in the Philadelphia music community.  Loosely described as an Americana-Folk artist, his work defies an easy pigeonhole as it effortlessly pushes the boundaries of compatible genres including reggae, rock, alternative and country, while still maintaining his unique and recognizable signature sounds.

“You might call it the mark of a good songwriter – every song is different, but they somehow all sound like they were written by the same person. In this case, the person is Chris Grunwald.”  (John Vettese, WXPN)  

Riding the wave of a successful release year, Griz is planning to record his second album at Turtle Studios (Philadelphia) in 2012.  After recording with producer and friend Andrew Lipke, Griz wrapped up his first full studio album, The Secret in the Garden, in 2011 with anticipation and accolades.  While most of the instruments and vocals on the album were laid by Chris himself, he occasionally called to his peers for help.  In addition to significant contributions from bassist Steve Ciannavei and drummer Dean Gorfti, guests on the album include Andrew Jay Keenan and Fred Berman (Amos Lee) and Susan Rosetti (Stargazer Lily), as well as Lipke.  The 14 songs encompass the collection of skills Griz possesses as a master craftsman of his art.  From a rosy calypso beach song to a wailing reggae hymn and back to a heartbreaking civil war folk ballad, this album takes the listener on a monumental journey of sentiment and truth.  2011 also brought recognition by way of the Philadelphia Songwriters Project Contest, where Griz was voted one of four winners and took the highest honors and grand prize, the Producers Choice Award for the song Already Been Down This Road Before.  The release and contest began a whirlwind of engagements including a performance at Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, as well as appearances at Bethlehem Musikfest, Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival, an opening slot for New Riders of the Purple Sage,  and a WXPN Key Studio Session.

"His melodic folk-tinged tunes are warm, introspective works of self-discovery that gives a feeling of hope to its listeners."   (H.M. Kauffman, the deli magazine)

Born in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, raised in King of Prussia, and a graduate of Villanova University College of Engineering, Chris’ musical roots grow deep in the City of Brotherly Love.  From the moment Chris picked up a guitar at a young age, he realized music connected people and he’s been running with it ever since.  The overwhelming sense of community within the Philly music scene appeals to a spiritual value system within him.   His musical style reflects these beliefs, as many different genres will bring together many different kinds of people and fans.  Even greater than a collection of sounds, music can at its very core be a collection of people coming together.   Although Grunwald draws influence from everything he hears, many of his greatest inspirations come from artists that engage and create the same sense of community and togetherness that Griz so strongly advocates with his life and lyrics, such as Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, The Beatles, Paul Simon, and Morrissey.  Locally, Griz helps to manifest this vision by playing intimate venues, neighborhood bars, house concerts and through his involvement in the Philly Folk Parade, a collective of over 40 musicians and bands that includes The Spinning Leaves, Hezekiah Jones, Chris Kasper, The Great Unknown, Birdie Busch, Andrew Lipke, Cowmuddy, Jim Boggia, Ben Arnold, Mason Porter, Marc Silver,Toy Soldiers, and many others.

"Griz's lyrics have a socially conscious streak and a philosophical bent. Down with violence. Up with love."   (Pat Rapa, Philadelphia City Paper)

Throughout his life in Philadelphia, Grunwald quietly and unassumingly grew himself as an artist while working with other bands of local and national acclaim, until blossoming as an entity all his own.  Now constantly adding to his creative resume, he continues to explore different musical avenues as a solo performer, with his full band and with several other projects.  

Griz is currently living the dream in Paoli, Pennsylvania with his wife, 3 kids, 2 cats and 1 turtle.

Band Members:
Chris Grunwald - songwriter, guitar, vocals
Steven Lu Ciannavei - bass, vocals
Jim Kittleman- drums
Kevin Killen - guitar, keyboards

The Griz Extended Family:
Andy Keenan - pedal steel, electric guitar
Dean Gorfti - Drums
Brad Hinton -guitar, lap steel
Matt Helm - guitar
Waldo Grunwald - keys
Mike Caroto - guitar and vocals
Ryan Tennis - vocals
Reverend TJ McGlinchey - bass
Fred Berman - drums
Susan Rosetti - vocals
Marc Singer - guitar

Artistic collaborations and credits:

Griz - songwriter, guitar, lead vocals
Producer's Choice Award Winner (2011)
The Philadelphia Songwriters Project Contest Winner (2011)
WSTW Hometown Heroes Homey Awards Nominee - Best Folk Artist (2011)
Philly Folk Parade - member
Ryan Tennis and the Clubhouse Band - bass, vocals
Hezekiah Jones - vocals, guitar, drums, bass, keyboard
The Spinning Leaves - bass, vocals
Hezekiah Leaves / Spinning Jones - guitar, vocals
Cowmuddy - guitar, vocals
Reverend TJ McGlinchey - vocals
Philly Sings Philly - contributor, songwriter
Hunter's Cannon - drums, vocals
Soul Shakedown Party Reggae Tribute Band
Grizful Dead Tribute Band
StillWillis - songwriter, guitar, bass, vocals 

MAPLE SKY is an international vocal duet. It is an overflow of romantic sounds, poetic lyric, intertwining melodies, heartbreaking harmony, and passionate singing.  Their music inspires a sense of a warm, embracing worldwide community

The Violet Fire is a band. Sort of. Matthew is the only one in it and all of the songs are written and recorded in a garage studio. The Violet Fire, dubbed MIXTAPE ROCK, is a kaleidoscope of everything from the raw grit of heavy rock, the melodic and rustic charms of folk, the infectious hooks of pop, the heartbreaking sorrow of ballads, and beyond. You'll tap your feet, you'll feel all warm and fuzzy, then you'll get plastered to the wall.

Fertile Ground, is the hauntingly soulful debut album by Singer/Songwriter Lane Gardner.

Fiercely honest, Lane's powerfully passionate voice as both singer and songwriter, plunges deep into the hearts of her audience, with gripping stories of love, loss, hope and rebirth. Fertile Ground is a cathartic lens through which the songwriter grapples with her own colorful and often devastatingly painful passage thru life, revealing breathtaking insight into the inner-most corners of the human soul. Her stories draw the listener in with a soul-baring vulnerability, distilling the most complex emotional landscapes into a down-to-earth, sometimes southern hospitality that invites you to warm your hands and hearts at her fire. With skillful grace, Lane delivers a kind of musical and lyrical alchemy that can spin even the most heartbreaking loss into an epic personal triumph as in the crushing ballad Beautiful To Me or have you cutting the rug, clapping your hands and singing through your tears to the soulful groove of Cry For A While. And though deeply personal, Lane's songs are universal, weaving the seemingly disparate threads of our shared human journey into a familiar and well-worn musical quilt, comforting in the knowledge that we all relate somehow...perhaps hearing a stand of your own story in hers, drawing you a little closer to yourself, and a little closer to those in your world. Above all, Fertile Ground is a reckoning, an acceptance of past and present, and an invitation to dance within the cycles of life. Rich in the knowing that like nature herself, everything that fades away turns to return, fortifying and nourishing our own fertile ground for new growth. And in time, perhaps learning to celebrate all the many, sometimes unsavory, often contradictory things that make us so beautifully human and so vibrantly alive.

Produced, Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by David Baron at Sun Mountain Studios, Woodstock NY

Claude Coleman Jr - Drums
Owen Biddle - Bass
Danny Blume - Guitars
David Baron - Keyboards, Rhodes, Hammond Organ
Lane Gardner - Vocals, Piano, Backing Vocals

All songs, lyrics and arrangements by Lane Gardner
© 2015 Lane Gardner
Third Road Records, BMI



Müssen Ray Novacane wirklich erst die Ami-Blogs mit einer bescheuerten „Was ist das für eine geile Band, von der niemand irgendetwas weiß!?“-Mystery-Aktion triggern, um die Aufmerksamkeit zu bekommen, die sie verdienen? Oder können wir an der Stelle einfach abkürzen und uns darauf einigen, dass Ray, Niklas und Simon aus Köln Neo-R&B zaubern, der lockerst im internationalen Pop-Level spielt. Und zwar Expert-Mode.

Ob sich hier mal wieder ein Texter den nächsten Superlativ unter den Fingernägeln rauslutscht? Die Antwort heißt „MABUHAY“. Eine EP, die dich sieben Tracks lang einsaugt, wärmt, berauscht und dir gleichzeitig das Herz bricht. Live-Drums, die verschleppt grooven, als hätte Kevin Parker von Tame Impala die Regler auf „fett“ gedreht. Synthesizerwellen, die eingängig wie Endorphin durch die Blutbahn rauschen. Gitarrenriffs, pur, kraftvoll, melancholisch, The XX würden zustimmend nicken. Und eine Stimme, die genau den Punkt trifft, der so wohltuend schmerzt, dass man davon süchtig wird. Ray Novacane wissen genau, was sie tun – auf Platte genau wie live auf der Bühne. 
Berieseln lassen? Keine Option.

„MABUHAY“ hat viele Bedeutungen: Hallo, Prost oder ein Hoch auf's Leben. In den Songs verarbeitet Ray ihre Erfahrungen, die sie auf ihrer ersten Reise zu ihren Wurzeln auf den Philippinen gemacht hat. Ein Entdeckungs- und Findungstrip auf allen Ebenen: Familie, Heimat und auch – oder vor allem – sich selbst. Die Songs halten die seltene Balance zwischen Konkretheit und der magischen Diffusion, die eine Geschichte beim Hörer erst so richtig lebendig werden lässt. Das dürfte selbst Frank Ocean gefallen. Und ja, Ray Novacane haben sich benannt nach Franks Übersong über einen Nebel aus Liebe, Melancholie und Drogenrausch. Wie praktisch. Endlich eine Band, die genauso gut klingt, wie sie heißt.

Does Ray Novacane really need some hipster blog creating an overnight hype about this “mysterious unknown band” or can we just skip the bullshit and get straight to the point? This Cologne-based band can easily be aligned with other international top-notch Neo-R&B artists for comparison. 
Now you´re thinking – really? Which prolific author was sucking his fingertips whilst writing this? Maybe you should just listen to their new EP titled  ´MABUHAY´ first and then start licking your own.

Indulge yourself into a drunken but warm and yet heartbreaking mood. Dragging drums that have you picturing Tame Impalas Kevin Parker cranking up the knobs to 'phat'. Synthesizer waves like endorphins in your bloodstream that attach to your nervous system, kicking it into gear. Guitar riffs so pure, powerful and melodic - The XX would be proud of. Ray´s voice seems to hit that painful but beautiful spot inside, turning your soul into an addict. Both in the studio and on stage – Ray Novacane know exactly what they are doing. Just looking for something to wash over you? Take a shower. 

MABUHAY has many meanings: How about a cheer for life or simply Hi. 
The songs are a reflection of Ray´s experiences on her first journey back to her roots in the Philippines. A self-discovery process in all directions. Family, homeland and most of all to herself. Can something be tangible and vague at the same time? All tracks seem to bridge this gap – keeping a perfect balance throughout and a great story in between.Frank Ocean should be delighted. 
And yes, Ray Novacane is named after Franks super hit about a foggy mix of Love, melancholy and intoxication. How practical. A band name worthy of the music they make.

Aaron Gregory released his debut album on 4/4/2013 entitled Last Dance to the Carousel. This album was met by warm reviews due to its damning concept highlighting the adaptation and change of seaside towns through the recession and technological revolution as well as documenting the heartbreaking story of two lovers who drifted apart but always hold dear their memories of their days at the Great British seaside.

" Observent and Relevant, an album that seems unbelievably wise to be a debut album" Basingstoke Observer

" Its hard to describe Aaron Gregory, this is not an acoustic album, that would be harsh and silly as a reviewer to ignore. What this album is, is a statement by which you cant believe from an unsigned artist. Maybe not easy on the ears on every track, this is the whole point bringing together a feral sound steeped in melancholy not far away from mid 90s blur and early 00s The Coral"    Recorder Fanzine

Aaron Gregory is headlining the Community Stage at Boscombe Community Festival on 13/09/2013 to finish the tour in support of Last Dance to the Carousel

Andres Cervantes was born and raised in San Diego and now lives and records in Portland, OR. Influenced by songwriters like Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, Andres' lyrics are distinctly his own, with beautiful, haunting images of landscapes both internal and external; stories of traveling, searching, rambling, and experiencing the impermanence of life and love. Suffused with a dreamlike, mysterious atmosphere, his complex songs are grounded in an honesty and simplicity that make them timeless and deeply relevant. Andrew's incredible vocal range, from warm, deep bass to heartbreaking, chilling tenor makes the experience of listening to him perform into a journey to another place; you are transported, and part of you won't ever return after the song has ended.     
 For booking, contact at andrewcervmusic@gmail.com

https://andrew-cervantes.bandcamp.com/releases

Two warm desserts singing heartbreaking harmonies. Blending traditional and new country in a tasty pudding that will melt faces into smiles. The Pudding Chômeur uses country music to talk about the issues facing our times, they wear their politics on their sleeves and aren’t afraid to shout about it.

After a long, looming phase of despondency set on by the loss of a precious few loved ones, Woodward utilized his sentiment for human grief and analog recording techniques to conceive this ode to sorrow, this requiem, Good Grief. Such concepts and stories of loss and bereavement sing sweetly to Woodward, a man who is no stranger to the contemplative stream of consciousness that shrouds the most unpredictable stage of the living, death.
 
Akin to the story arc within a movie, Good Grief develops using instrumental interludes and tension mounting act breaks. From elevated emotional tracks like “I Knew Him That Well” and “The Joker or The Fool,” to warm gems like “The Falling Leaves,” and the heartbreaking, “Sparrow’s Song,” the tracks have an apparent eloquence that flow together meticulously, revealing Woodward’s savvy artistic vision. For the optimal listening experience we recommend listening to his concept album "Good Grief" from start to finish.

The pack contains a night cream named Ultimate Renew containing profuse amount of powerful Collagen which is a great way to fill up the wrinkly fissures and provide your skin with firm elasticity and quality texture and tonality.

Sunshine Miriam is following