In 2006 when “Springfield’s beloved indie pop band Resident Genius abruptly imploded at their peak,” The Seething Coast incarnated from the resulting tumult. Guitarists, singers and songwriters, Jay Vanselow and Jason Perry, scrounged the fresh moniker from a song by the band the Mountain Goats and carried on the soul and style of RG with […]
Band Spotlight
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Dizolver
The music tandem team of Mark Packenham (bass, backing vocals) and Zac Broaddus (lead guitar, backing vocals) began working together in 2000, spanning a myriad of bands in their journey through the Springfield rock music scene. Pat Pierceall (drums, backing vocals) joined the guys in 2006 in an original group called Digdowndeep, and with a […]
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Mulligan Munro
With the full intent of blending Irish and American folk music in song, Mark Butler (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Don Wright (vocals, five-string banjo), Mark Hudson (vocals, upright bass) and Katie Heilman (vocals, fiddle) became Mulligan Munro. As for what’s in a name, Mulligan comes from both the term for a stew made from on hand […]
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The Great Waltz
Hailing from our neighboring city of Decatur, The Great Waltz calls its music “aggressive folk,” and began with Matt Skinner writing songs in his basement. The rest of the band, Josh Dimmick, Joe Gerard, Luke Alan and eventually, Kevin Gillman, came along to flush out arrangements and give Skinner’s songs life on stage. Soon they […]
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Geoff Turner
Singer-songwriter Geoff Turner returns to his native Springfield from his current home base of Nashville, Tenn. on a mission to introduce fans, family and friends to his new EP CD. Winter Songs, Turner’s self-produced and independently released recording, “has been over a year in the making.” He credits much of the CD effort to encouragement […]
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Chicago Farmer
After an upbringing among offerings of punk and grunge sounds in his hometown of Delavan, Ill. in southern Tazewell County, Chicago Farmer, aka Cody Diekhoff, saw the light upon hearing the songs of Hank Williams. Soon he discovered Woody Guthrie and John Prine, finding in the simple melodies and complex themes a sense of kinship […]
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Hospital Job
A self-described “melodic indie/punk band,” Hospital Job also says to, “think Superdrag meets The Ramones trying to play Jesus and Mary Chain covers” as a good way to understand where they’re coming from musically. The quirky quartet consists of Luke McNeill (singer, songwriter, guitarist), Tim Reynolds (guitar, vocals), Cory VanMeter (bass) and Fred Malcom (drums). […]
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Randy Houser
His father worked as a professional musician and by age thirteen, Randy Houser was fronting his own band. From his native Miss., Randy took off for Nashville in 2002. One of his first cuts was a co-write of the Top Five hit, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.” With that song establishing him as viable country music maker, […]
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Ray Wylie Hubbard
Unfortunately many folks, not from the great state of Texas and not into the intense singer-songwriter-Americana scene that sustains and supports songwriting there as an art to be experienced and believed, don’t know of Ray Wylie Hubbard. It’s possible you have heard one of his songs from long ago, the classic, “Up Against the Wall […]
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Chicks with Picks
What do you get when three of the best female guitar-playing and singing songwriters in town come together on the same bill? Chicks with Picks is the correct answer. Josie Lowder, Monica Morris and Sarah Schneider man their guitars and muscle up the tunes for a night of song sharing and music making. Regardless of […]
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Porkpie & the Northend Allstars
Born of a jam session as good bands often are, Porkpie & the Northend Allstars began when Hipbone Sam introduced Kirk Lonbom and Craig Wood at a last-Friday jam at Abe’s Southside Pub back in Sept. 2011 and suggested they play some songs with “drum junkie” Jeff Bechtel. Wood, a veteran of St. Louis blues […]
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Suit & Tie Guy
This mysterious character lives in Chillicothe, Ill. quietly plotting intricate and intense electronic music while blithely being behind the mask of the ubiquitous suit and tie. Along with his personal recorded output (Sacred Earth 2012 is the latest on 1320 Records), Suit & Tie Guy also records other bands (Black Magic Johnson for one) and […]
