HGMN Bands

Andy Shaw - Lead Vocals,Guitar

Chris Shaw - Vocals,Drums

Jim Shaw - Keys

Jesse Barr - Lead Guitar,Vocals

Jeff Bass - Bass

The Andy Shaw Band is a reggae infused rock band with a strong blend of vocal harmonies, and family roots. The is band comprised of Andy Shaw (guitar/vocals), Chris Shaw (drums/vocals), Jim Shaw (keyboard/vocals), Jesse Bar (lead guitar, vocals), and Jeff Bass (bass/vocals). Performing since 2005, the band has evolved over their 11 years, integrating more roots reggae and fuller harmonies with the addition of Bass on bass. Utilizing Chris Shaw's uniquely well crafted reggae drum skills, and Andy's flare for great melody writing and vocal ability, the band crafts a sound that makes you dance, AND feel something in your soul. Think equal parts Bob Marley and Van Morrison. Or Al Green and the Police if you will. 

Over the past 9 years the band has done numerous tours to Texas, NYC, Nashville, Florida, and all points in between. They've performed at Hookahville Festival, the Werkout Music Festival, Musikfest 2013, Red Gorilla Showcase at SXSW, Midpoint Music Festival, and have risen to one of the regions PREMIER original acts. 

Andy Shaw Band have a reputation as one of the hardest working acts around, and they are currently putting that work to spreading the music beyond their home town of Columbus, Ohio. As they take the next step forward, the future is bright, and the music is the perfect soundtrack to take them there.

He began his musical experiences gigging with roots and blues luminaries such as Guitar Gabriel, Captain Luke, and Macavine Hayes. While earning a degree in the Recording Industry, Sol performed extensively throughout Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi fronting his own rock, blues, and funk bands.

Sol then graduated to performing nationally and internationally with true pioneers of the blues including Cootie Starks, Lee Gates (Albert Collins cousin), Atlanta's legendary Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, John Dee Holeman, and Jerry "Boogie" McCain (who wrote many hit songs including "Tuff Enuff"- later made famous by Jimmie Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds).

Additionally, Sol has performed on stage and in the studio with musical heavyweights Taj Mahal, Kenny Wayne Shepard, and with the international guitar hero Cool John Ferguson (nominated 2 years -Most Outstanding Guitarist-Living Blues), who he performed with steadily for years. With Cool John, Sol has opened for the great B.B. King, Derek Trucks Band, and other musical luminaries.

Sol's roots run deep into the blues but his unique versatility has allowed him to gig with Latin, African, reggae, gospel, jazz, R&B, and folk performers. Learning from funk, blues, and soul heroes such as Roy Lee Johnson, Albert White, and Robert Lee Coleman, Sol was inspired to bring ancient messages to the present. He created a buzz with his underground blues hiphop album entitled "Volume: Blue", that carried him overseas to perform these sets live.

Sol continued his musical voyage putting together his group Funk Root featuring musicians that have worked with bands such as Tommy Castro, Hobex, Corey Harris, Deanna Bogart, Jah Works, Mike Zito, and Squirrel Nut Zippers and more. Sol & Funk Root have performed at a variety of premier festivals and venues across the East Coast US and have been on bills with groups including Soulive, Jon Cleary, Robert Randolph, Walter Wolfman Washington, The Wood Brothers, Jackie Greene, and Bettye Lavette.

With a love of Universal Music as the guiding light, Sol steps out on a path with a unique and talented band of musicians.

Setting Dangermuffin ahead of the pack are the refreshingly magnetic lyrics of Dan Lotti, winner of the Songwriters Hall of Fame's 2005 "New Writers Showcase." Lotti's strong, articulate vocals perfectly frame each song, creating a stout foundation for the tasteful poly-groove jams and improvisational passages. "The concepts of Moonscapes comes from when the tide goes out on the beach, leaving tidal pools that look like craters," says Lotti. "To me, that seemed like the notion of the sea of tranquility."

Dangermuffin's rhythmic anchor lies in the creative beats of Steven Sandifer (Drew Emmitt Band, Adrienne Young), embellished by the thrilling, twangy guitar stylings of Mike Sivilli. The result of their pooled talents is an inventive, fresh sound that retains an organic Americana truthfulness.

Last year, the band celebrated acclaim in Relix Magazine as the winners of the April 2009 "Jam Off" competition. Their fanbase grows exponentially with each new market and show, building off a strong southeast regional presence with appearances at festival's like Colorado's Jazz Aspen, opening for Xavier Rudd and Widespread Panic.

With two strong records already under their belt and a new flagship album ready for takeoff, 2010/2011 will prove to be groundbreaking for Dangermuffin. Give Moonscapes a spin and experience the post-roots groove -- a punchy, folk-jam pastry for the sweet-toothed soul of the south.
 

Hailing from one of the fastest growing regions in the country, NC’s BIG Something is one of the most exciting new rock bands to emerge from the Southeast. The band features Nick MacDaniels (guitar, vocals), Doug Marshall (bass), Josh Kagel (Keys, Synth, Trumpet), Casey Cranford (Sax, EWI), Jesse Hensley (lead guitar), and Ben Vinograd (drums). With a powerful sound that is both refreshingly original and classic in its approach, BIG Something is a straight up rock band that calls upon song craft with compelling vocals and a diverse range of influences. Fusing elements of rock, pop, funk, jazz and improv, the band likes to take listeners on a journey through a myriad of musical styles while incorporating a mix of organic and electronic sounds with the use of horns, keys, synthesizers, an electronic wind instrument, heavy guitars, and a tight powerful rhythm section. 

In 2010 the group recorded and released a debut concept album with critically acclaimed Raleigh producer and Grammy Nominee John Custer (Corrosion of Conformity, Cry of Love, Dag). The album - Stories from the Middle of Nowhere - was an instant regional hit capturing the Home Grown Music Network's 2010 Album of the Year award and spending several weeks at number 1 on the Jambands.com radio charts. Since then the band has released a fan favorite live album Live from Uranus and most recently in 2013 - a self-titled studio album that captured 3 different "Album of The Year" awards within weeks.

Now with several years of relentless touring experience, the band has traveled the country sharing the stage as direct support for the likes of Galactic, moe., The B52s, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Zach Deputy, DJ Logic, Toubab Krewe and other artists. They are also a high demand festival act, having appeared at: FloydFest, Camp Barefoot, Blackwater, StrangeCreek, Wormtown, Smilefest, Mantrabash, NC Music & Arts Festival, Pink Moon, Jerry Garcia's Birthday Bash, The Gathering at Chafee’s, Front Porch Fest, Domefest, & many more. With a rapidly growing passionate fanbase, BIG Something also hosts their own annual Summer music festival and campout called The BIG What? which has sold out two years in a row further propelling this imaginative, entertaining and musically progressive band  to a much wider national audience.
 

Press:

"The self-titled sophomore effort from North Carolina rockers BIG Something is an 80-minute party filled with everything jam fans love – an expertly-played, eclectic mix of rock, funk, jazz, reggae and more spaced over 12 songs, each with its own distinct vibe. Opening track “The Curse of Julia Brown” tiptoes in with a touch of synth, then lets loose a thunderous guitar riff and bass line, giving way to a tidal wave of horns. Combined with Nick MacDaniels’ commanding vocals, it gives every indication that this album is about to rock your face off. “The Undertow” feels like a day at the beach with its airy sax and sunny reggae rhythm. Raise-your-lighters-in-the-air ballad “Bright Lights” is the perfect closer. One listen brings on an urgent desire to see this tremendous six-piece tear it up live." – Relix Magazine

"There is no weak track on this album. It begins unflinchingly, rising and falling, a complete album...This is the album that sets BIG Something into the upper ranks, puts them on the map with the greats. I can’t recommend this album enough." - Angelica Music

"I can hear touches of Eric Clapton’s guitar, Blind Melon’s vocals, the Allman Brothers groove, and a Funkadelic or Sublime overall vibe. Ultimately this is a young energized band that is trying to really swing for the fences with this album. Don’t believe me though, just pick any track as this album is full of winners." - Cinemacho

With a brand new album in 2012, this up-and-coming Michigan band has been traveling the country with their “infectious global groove”  gathering a passionate grassroots fan base of all ages.

The 2012 release of  The Ragbirds fourth studio effort Travelin’ Machine is a new milestone for the band.  It’s the soundtrack of the observant road-warrior, with layers of world grooves that stir the listener to move. The songs strike a balance between home and adventure, drawing upon elements of Pop, Gypsy, Afro-Cuban, Celtic, Middle Eastern and African sounds, with a little Cajun spice.

The energy of multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle demands attention.  She is the songwriter and front woman of the band, skillfully switching between violin, mandolin, accordion, banjo and percussion, all while dancing. Zindle wears an infectious smile and a positive message, always spun through a poetic loom.

“It’s folk-rock music at the heart of it”, says Zindle, who started the band with her husband, percussionist Randall Moore, “but I’m influenced and moved by sounds from all over the world”.  This interest in world music came first from her own roots.  With two Irish grandmothers, the young violinist struck ancestral gold when she discovered Celtic fiddling as a teenager.  At this same time the music of artists like Paul Simon, Rusted Root, and Peter Gabriel stirred up a deeper longing, bringing distant ethnic sounds into her small suburban Buffalo, NY bedroom.  She began seeking out the source of these sounds and her love for travel and world music became a life-long passion.

Zindle and Moore began their relationship busking on the streets of Ann Arbor with Celtic and gypsy fiddling over tricky beats of tambourine,  Middle-Eastern doumbek and tabla. In 2005 the duo gathered three band mates and began to record Erin’s original songs.  This recording was released a few months later as The Ragbirds debut album “Yes Nearby”.

2007′s travel-themed “Wanderlove” was Homegrown Music Network’s #1 selling album in the fall of 2008. Erin’s brother, guitarist T.J. Zindle, joined the band in 2008 and brought a grittier rock-n-roll edge to The Ragbirds’ sound while multiplying the band’s stage energy.  The 2009 international release of “Finally Almost Ready” saw the band invade Japan with the single “Book of Matches” reaching #1 on the charts in Osaka. In 2010 the current lineup came together with bassist Brian Crist and drummer Loren Kranz ,and The Ragbirds reached yet another milestone in their young careers when they independently marketed and sold their 10,000th album.

The Ragbirds albums have received local and national praise, hailed “Highly impressive!” by USA Today and touted as “Astounding international eclecticism” by Reveal Arts.  In just six years the band has performed in over forty states to a tune of 150+ shows a year. Crisscrossing the nation in their converted diesel bus that runs on recycled waste vegetable oil, promoting environmental sustainability,  The Ragbirds have become festival favorites.  They have won over crowds at  Rothbury, 10,000 Lakes, CMJ Music Marathon, Summer Camp, Electric Forest, Wheatland, Blissfest, Wookiefoot’s Harvest Fest,  Ann Arbor Folk Festival, Hookahville, and many more, and have shared stages with Rusted Root, Matisyahu, Railroad Earth, John Butler Trio,  Toubab Krewe,  Cornmeal, Greensky Bluegrass, Hot Buttered Rum,  Jeff Daniels, The Everyone Orchestra, The Duhks, and many others.

For all their traveling, The Ragbirds maintain a steady connection to their home base.  While reflecting on Michigan, Erin had this to say “… It’s a beautiful place to be, snuggled in the Great Lakes, close enough to hold hands with Canada. It is connected to a secret, mysterious, magical place called the U.P., but most of all there is an amazingly talented and humbly supportive music community that spreads through the state, clustered into groups in Ann Arbor and Lansing, Grand Rapids, Flint, Traverse City and Detroit. The scene (and scenery) keeps us fueled with love and inspiration.”

Quotes

“It’s rare to hear something new and exciting in the realm of folk/roots music, but the careful alchemists of The Ragbirds have given us just that!”
-Bryan Rodgers, Homegrown Music Network

“The most engaging new band I’ve heard this year is The Ragbirds….eclectic, restlessly creative, poetic, and delivered with confidence, it grows on you with every listen.”
-Jeffery Overstreet, Looking Closer

“This is evidence of the very best of what independent contemporary pop music has to offer”
-Thom Jurek, All Music (AMG)

“Their world music influenced repetoire and virtuoso musicianship is already earning a buzz”
-The Ann Arbor Paper

“The Ragbirds have gestated a sound and experience so unlike anything you’ve seen in these parts, you may begin to wonder if you’ve teleported to another land”
-Cheryl Wilson, The Uncommon Sense Magazine

“I feel like I’ve stumbled across a band that’s destined to achieve the same level of cult-greatness as The Innocence Mission, Bruce Cockburn, Ron Sexsmith, Sufjan Stevens, and yes, even Over the Rhine…. The Ragbirds debut album, Yes Nearby, is a work of astounding international eclecticism, mixing everything from reggae to Celtic to blues music along with plenty of world music into a unified, enchanting whole”
-Josh Hurst, Revealarts

“In an era of catchy but ultimately unsatisfying pop tunes, this is a welcome treat!”
-Roger Lelievre, The Ann Arbor News

“The first time I heard them play I was stunned….I heard their music and literally stopped in my tracks. Their music is not only inspiring and powerful, but a successful experiment in teleportation as well”
-Jamie Bradish, The Ypsilanti Courier

“Like a well-worn suitcase covered with travel stickers of world-music styles”
-Alan Goldsmith, The Ann Arbor Observer

The live show is what Superfrog is all about. The family of Superfrog fans is what makes the live show a success; and for that, the members of Superfrog are eternally grateful.

Superfrog released their debut album Year of the Frog in the fall of 2008. This was an independent release and was produced by Aaron Katz, formerly of Percy Hill. They released their second album Call from the Moon (CFTM) in the fall of 2010. This was also an independent release. They are active members of The Home Grown Music Network and with HGMN’s help, CFTM went out to over 100 independent and college radio stations rising to #8 on the jambands.com national radio play charts. The single off CFTM, “Astronautical” was featured as the 2nd track on Relix Magazine’s CD sampler in their February/March 2010 edition. “Float”, also off of CFTM, was featured on the Home Grown 9 CD sampler.

And now in 2014, the much anticipated third album has arrived!! It’s a balanced but eclectic collection of material from four songwriters plus a massive amount of rock! Their third full length release will have you movin' and groovin' with a big smile on your face in no time.

 

Tim’s progression has continued through his last 8 years on the road as a solo acoustic guitar wizard playing for packed houses who have come to realize this is not just Dave's side man, this is one of the most talented and thoughtful players on the circuit today!!

Now things have come full circle and TR3 is back again in 2008 to rock and funk your house down. The songs will be a mix of updated Tim classics to wild covers of everything from James Brown to Prince to Tim’s newest catalogue of material he is preparing just for this tour.

Tim has spent the last 8 years living in New Mexico but after a sudden move to the Outer Banks of North Carolina in 2007 Tim ran across two players that would eventually form this new version of TR3. Mick Vaughn will be on bass. Mick moved to the Outer Banks in 1995 after many years playing in Chicago with Scott Bennett opening for such bands as Jimmy Cliff and Dave Mason. He also recorded with Liz Phair & Dovetail Joint. Mick had been playing locally in OBX for several years until he ran into Tim this past summer. Drummer Dan Martier grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and spent most of the 80’s in various bands playing the club scene 6 nights a week. After teaming up with his wife and powerful soul singer Laura they formed Express in Florida and toured with The B-Side, Wallomatics & various others until being drawn to the Outer Banks in 1989 where he has remained an active player on the local scene. After a chance meeting of the three talented players, a few rehearsals and several stealth appearances around the North Carolina shore Tim realized it was time to get back to the basics…rockin out the way only Tim can.

Starting in 2008 TR3 is back...bigger, stronger and better then ever.es.

Powered by the rhythm section of Rad Akers on Drums (Big Leg Emma) and Dave Fink on Bass (That Dog In Egypt), Charlie Wheeler describes his trio as a "song first" type of band.  While expansive, improvisational jamming is a key component to their live show, their third album "Rewind" is a solid group of structured songs which allow Wheeler to tear into his vocal and lead guitar work with reckless, pent up hostility.

"The reformation of the band as a trio has been quite liberating" explains Wheeler.  "While I loved collaborating, traveling and jamming with Greek, (ex lead singer Greek Cheronis), playing in this trio has helped me find my true voice as a song-writer, a guitarist, as well as a lead vocalist.  It's been very challenging, but playing with Rad and Dave, it sure makes it easier."

The band's first two albums "Highway Run" (2008) and "Line 'Em Up!" (2012) were recorded in a 5 piece format with many different tones and textures.  The occasional horn, harmonica or synth voice used as backing tracks made for a very big sound.  Additionally, Cheronis' voice was an undeniable force.  This third offering, "Rewind", due to release on Wheeler's birthday, March 30th, 2015 uses a much more basic approach.  Relying solely on bass, guitar, drums and vocals, Wheeler, along with Producer and Engineer Anthony Brown of Graphite Studios in Warren, PA, opted to make an album with "more mud on your boots and grit on your hands" as Wheeler states.   "Rewind" uses solid songs, a healthy dose of aggressiveness and an organized looseness that comes together to form an album that is great for tailgates and workouts, and generally makes you want to drive your car too fast.

Charlie Wheeler Trio has played BB Kings, Whiskey River (Dale Jr's Club in Charlotte), Kennys Castaways in NYC, The Lafayette Tap Room in Buffalo and many other regional venues and festivals.  They have opened for The Gin Blossoms, Jimmy Thackery, Anthony Gomes, Walter Trout, Ekoostik Hookah, Devon Allman (Gregg's Son) and many others.  The Trio is currently playing live regionally in support of the album.

The Mantras, a five piece jam machine born of Greensboro, NC have been conquering crowds and melting minds all over the country progressively for over a decade. The band's music can be described with all types of varying rock and roll terminology, but is absolutely best defined by each listener's ear and, equally important, their experience.

Since the inception of The Mantras in the mid 2000's, the band has been touring the country and building a catalog of 4 studio albums and over 100 original songs. Performing an entirely different set of music each night is an integral part of the band's direction and mission as well as the ability to truly improvise in between orchestrated pieces. With eclectic influences of sounds from around the globe, The Mantras create a musical escapade during each performance, giving every ounce of emotion to their craft of expression and communication through music.

The Mantras are a family of rock; their closely-knit bonds can truly be felt by the crowd while the band performs. This is a critical feature of their community. One can easily tell that the musical pockets created by radical guitar riffs, gut checked bass lines, screeching synthesizers, a complete projection light show and two symbiotic drummers are no accident. The musical conversation on stage is simply beautiful to watch. The feeling is not exclusive just to the members on stage, however. The Mantras' loyal fan base can testify to the reciprocation of love between performer and attendee and in a scene where it is sometimes difficult to stabilize a fan base and a consistent identity, The Mantras do just that. It has all of the ebbs and flows, peaks and valleys and patterns of constriction and release that can hook someone for life. Each show is a story. Each story is unique.

In addition to the collaborative element between band and fans, The Mantras have shared the stage with some of the foremost titans of jam. Their most recent studio release, entitled Jam Bands Ruined My Life was recorded at Umphrey's McGee, axe man Jake Cinninger's home studio, where Jake is featured on two tracks. Shortly after recording, The Mantras opened for and shared the stage with Umphrey's McGee members while performing the thumping single entitled, "Kinetic Bump." In addition, The Mantras have collaborated with members of The String Cheese Incident, Tea Leaf Green, and Perpetual Groove among many others. The year 2013 saw The Mantras play over 180 shows, culminating in their annual Mantrabash music and arts festival, held in the beautiful backcountry of Ferguson, NC.
Mantrabash stands as a testament to the loyalty of the fan base and the engagement of The Mantras within their local, regional, and national music communities. Attended by thousands, Mantrabash has become the landing spot for live music fans from all over the country to enjoy the hard work and dedication of The Mantras in addition to the other stellar musicians who appear over the 3 days.

In making his fourth album Wash It in the Water, Zach Deputy dreamed up a sunny and soulful new sound that fuses hip-hop, funk, and folky pop with the spirited rhythms of soca and calypso. With that sound embodied by the album's brightly melodic and richly textured title track, Wash It in the Water finds the Georgia-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist mining his Puerto Rican and Cruzan heritage for inspiration.

"Because of the music I was raised on, I've always heard rhythm in a very tropical, Latin-esque way--it's something that resonates in the deepest parts of me," says Deputy, who grew up in South Carolina. "When I was a kid my grandma would play a lot of salsa and soca and make me get up and dance to it, so in a way this is me putting my own spin on all that and bringing those sounds into a whole new era."

With Deputy playing every instrument on the album, Wash It in the Water was self-produced in spontaneous sessions that took place in studios and homes and sometimes in Deputy's garage. "Each time I recorded it was mostly just for fun," he says. "I wasn't trying to make anything happen, I was just going with what felt good." As a result, Wash It in the Water bears a warm, natural feel that permeates everything from the intricate guitar work and tender vocals of "Jump in the Water" (a serenade to Deputy's seven-year-old daughter) to the groove-heavy funk of "Put It in the Boogie" (a celebration of the joyfully chaotic life of a musician) to the piano-driven balladry of "Loving You" (a powerful meditation on unconditional love).

Despite the spur-of-the-moment approach, Wash It in the Water emerges as a gracefully arranged effort that owes much to the musicianship and songcraft Deputy's honed since getting his first guitar at age 13. By his mid-teens he'd started up a series of garage bands, balancing his own projects with playing in local big bands and soul groups. "I was this 16-year-old white kid crushing it in a Motown band, and because of that I got to learn a lot about respecting the composition," Deputy recalls. "To me music is a bunch of small pieces fitting together to form this beautiful castle."

In his early 20s, Deputy experienced a major turning point that would take his music in an entirely new direction. "I was playing in a band but I wasn't inspired--music wasn't bringing me the joy that it used to, and I felt like I might be done with it altogether," he says. Along with quitting the band mid-tour, Deputy traded in his electric guitar and amp for a nylon-string acoustic and moved back home to work construction with his dad. "At work all day I'd have this music in my head, and as soon as I got home I'd go straight to the guitar," he says. Serendipitously landing a solo gig by walking into a bar just after that night's featured artist had bailed, Deputy soon introduced the world to the sound he'd eventually dub  "island-infused, drum 'n' bass, gospel-ninja-soul." By 2008 he'd released his debut album Out of the Water and--thanks to his ingenuity in looping--made his name as an unforgettable one-man-band live act.

In reflecting on his path as a musical artist, Deputy likens that creative awakening to the message at the heart of "Wash It in the Water." "That song's about cleansing yourself from all the nonsense of the world--starting fresh, a rebirth of sorts," he says. And whether performing live or creating new music, Deputy aspires to guide listeners toward a renewal of their own. "I try to give people a little soul massage," he says. "In music you get so raw and make yourself naked to the world, and hopefully people can find themselves in that and realize they're not alone. For me touching someone's life in a positive way is the best thing about making music, and that's what's kept me going with it for all these years."