Indie Music Universe

With the grit of a 90’s grunge frontman and the charm of a southern
gentleman, Brett “Jackfish” Kingswell’s unique brand of country laced,
Northern roots rock is turning heads, perking ears, and moving feet
in its wake.

The life of this razor sharp, rock & roll vagabond began in small town
Ontario.  After picking up a guitar for the first time at the age of 23,
the result has been a very natural musical path for this unsuspecting
and magnetic performing artist.

In his short musical career, Brett “Jackfish” Kingswell has: 

• Performed shows & festivals across Canada & the U.S. including

NXNE, Merrit Mountain Music Fest, and has shared the stage with such great acts as Everclear, David Wilcox & Edwin of I Mother Earth

• Signed to Manhattan record label 5 Points Records with 1st

project Carnival Divine in 2003

• Recorded with Grammy winning engineers and producers

(including Ron Allaire ; Steely Dan, Queen Latifah, and has recorded original music with members of Alice Cooper, Fuel, Kings X,& Megadeath

•  Had success with licensing including original works played on

ABC’s “One Life To Live”, as well as a non-exclusive publishing agreement with Toronto publisher Nightingale Music

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Popularity: unranked [?]

The problem with rising acoustic talents is that a lot of them sound the same; but there is no mistaking the sultry sounds of Adam Payne.  With a smile and sound as big as his afro, Adam entertains full crowds with his fusion of Funk, R&B, Folk, and Acoustic.  There’s no denying his musical talents…so the question is, who is he?

Adam is about as eclectic as his sound.  He was born in Lynn, Massachusetts to an Italian mother and African American father.  In the late 80's, Adam and his family moved to Sarasota, Florida.  By the age of 8, Adam drew his musical inspiration not from haughty music teachers, such as Mozart or Beethoven, but from Saturday morning cartoons, Sonic the hedgehog and Mario.  Adam picked up the piano as he mimicked the music from cartoons and video games.  During his senior year of High School he took on the guitar and the drums.  Payne has shared the stage with artists ranging from the Avett Brothers to The Pharcyde and members of the Wu-Tang Clan.  He has collaborated with Artists all over the globe, and lends his writing, production and vocal talents to projects of all kinds, including producing and composing the music for a documentary film about the Rwandan Genocide entitled 'Coexist.' 

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Popularity: unranked [?]

Having long since hit her stride, Steff Mahan's third CD, Never a Long Way Home, successfully captures her witty, charming and soul-wrenching gifts.  This CD was taken into the studio and recorded live, and it emotionally delivers the cathartic moods of the songs.  The listener is taken on a soulful journey mirroring the ups and downs of life.  Narrated by the beautiful singing voice that so eloquently composes life's most important moments, this CD is bound to move any listener.

This Nashville-based artist's 2004 CD release,  “42.50," was Produced by Michael Grimes and is a compelling collection of people, places, and stories from life on the road that rocks with the talents of Will Kimbrough, Brother Henry, and J.D. Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers.

Steff’s debut album, self-titled "Steff Mahan," garnered national attention, creating a coast-to-coast fan base from LA to New York.  It was famed New York DJ Jim Kerr who said “you’ll soon be hearing the name Steff Mahan” during a live performance and interview on Sirius Satellite Radio.  Billboard’s Mike Gionet called Steff’s mix of rock, roots, folk and country “an entertaining can’t-miss performance.”

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Popularity: 5% [?]

Cory Brown is a California-grown Singer/Songwriter with a distinct gift for crafting songs that draw fans from a variety of ages and backgrounds. Born into a musical family just north of Hollywood, Cory began playing guitar and singing at a young age. Aided by his father Barry (songwriter and lead singer for the early seventies band Morning, who shared stages with such artists as Jimi Hendrix and Chicago), Cory developed his natural talent for melodic songwriting and moving musical performance. The latest result is Cory's new debut solo album, Days In A Life, available now.

In 2001, after moving north to Berkeley, CA, Cory co-founded the Alternative-Americana Rock band 7th Direction. As their lead singer and primary songwriter, Cory also produced their debut LP Hundred Miles Gone. The album was praised by Relix and Pause/Record magazines, and Dennis Cook of JAMBASE.com named it one of the best albums of 2003. Relix Magazine, featuring 7th Direction in their 2003 article On The Verge: Artists You Should Know About, raved over Cory’s vocal performance and songwriting on his “soaring, harmony-laden” single Forgotten. The song was also featured in January 2003 on NBC’s hit television series Ed. Reviewers placed Cory’s catchy and intelligent songwriting style on the level of such music legends as David Crosby, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell. Fans compared Cory’s music to contemporary favorites such as Jack Johnson, Ryan Adams, Dave Matthews, and Elliot Smith. Cory’s fans continue to be moved by his melodic yet powerful voice, a unique sonic-blend that gives an extra flavor to his already crowd-pleasing repertoire of songs. He is determined to touch fans and music professionals alike with his talent for captivating turn-of-phrase and everlasting musical melody. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 5% [?]

Home-recorded songs can feel incomplete whilst being as tantalizingly indicative as the sketches before a painting. The outlines, though interesting in their own respect, are not as satisfying as the finished version. Grizzly Bear, however, have approached song writing as a craft to master from their very first album, Horn of Plenty onwards. Enamored by how a song "reads", they were fully present from prologue to denouement even though singer/songwriter Edward Droste recorded them by himself in his Brooklyn bedroom. Fuelled by a bout of post-relationship inspiration, those first songs celebrated the creative liberation of the ProTools era. They explored the depths of break-ups through crystal-clear tones, field sounds and woozy, complex harmonies.

Droste has now gathered a band: Christopher Bear (name entirely coincidental) played drums and helped polish Horn of Plenty in its final stages; Chris Taylor soon followed the duo post HOP release and was responsible for electronics, woodwinds, bass, and vocals; Daniel Rossen sang, played guitar and contributed new songs. The line-up was complete, and as a newly established four piece, they began musical exploration. The music was sweet, and the instrumentation and live show grew in ambition. The songs were remixed by figureheads at the forefront of the electronic music scene: Efterklang, Dntel and Soft Pink Truth.

The new material that comprises Yellow House puts the band at the vanguard of contemporary song writing. The album was self-recorded during an idyllic summer. The makeshift studio was provided by Droste's mom's living room in a yellow house just off Cape Cod.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Singer/Songwriter Maria Taylor (maria-taylor.com) stops by the Threadless office to play a song and answer some questions courtesy of the Threadless community! Interview performed by tour mates The Whispertown 2000 (thewhispertown2000.com)

Popularity: 3% [?]

Helen Austin is a prolific singer/songwriter from the UK now living on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.

Helen is no stranger to the stage and has worked as a professional performer for over 20 years, building a career as an award winning, musical comedian and regular headliner on the UK comedy circuit.

A prolific songwriter with a degree in performing arts, she has now stopped touring and is concentrating solely on music and writing. Her music covers a wide range of relational dynamics from the intimate emotions of personal relationships to sing-along choruses that motivate and inspire. Her melodies stay in your head long after hearing them.

Helen has written music and lyrics for specific occasions such as a recording a theme song for A Fighting Spirit, a BC charity that networks photography services for families with critically ill children, and her song "Relay", written to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay For Life event, is now played at Relay events all over the world.

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Popularity: 31% [?]