Local Music

West Michigan's Arts & Entertainment Guide

Local Music

Kent District Library gets some indie cred

Written by Kyle Austin | Wednesday, 12 December 2012 15:52 |

The Kent District Library is changing the way we interact with homegrown artistic talent. For years, area libraries considered local, independently produced media for inclusion in their catalogues, but the accepted materials too often stayed buried in the shelves and hidden from patrons' sight.

The Legal Immigrants: Rock 'n' Roll in its Purest Form

Written by Jayson Bussa | Tuesday, 20 November 2012 14:01 |

Local Music

Joe Bockheim had a major musical epiphany in the ninth grade as he rode the bus to school. Naturally, when it came time to form his own project, Bockheim decided he was going to play rock 'n' roll in its purest form.

Artist in the Spotlight: Deadwood Stone Bends Alternative-Metal

Written by Kevin VanAntwerpen | Friday, 21 September 2012 11:21 |

Local Music

Deadwood Stone opened for Slash last month. Yeah, that's right. The same Slash you're thinking of. The one with the top-hat and the crazy hair. The one who played during last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show. You know – he used to be in a little band called Guns 'n' Roses.

The Soil and the Sun to Play Heartfelt Homecoming Show at the Pyramid Scheme

Written by Josh Spanninga | Tuesday, 18 September 2012 21:07 |

Local Music

The Soil and the Sun has been absent from the Grand Rapids music scene the past couple of months due to a tour which brought the band through North Carolina, Washington D.C., Tenessee and all across the Midwest, not to mention South By Southwest.

Already Dead Tapes presents the Family Reunion Music Festival

Written by Jessica Smith | Tuesday, 18 September 2012 12:13 |

Local Music

In August we introduced you to the Already Dead Tapes and Vinyl label. This month, we get a chance to see some of the label's bands in action. On Sept. 20, Already Dead — which releases albums on cassette tapes — hosts its second annual Family Reunion Music Festival in Kalamazoo.

No Rest for Country Music Newbies the Brian Randall Band

Written by Jayson Bussa | Monday, 27 August 2012 16:29 |

Local Music

Brian Kniebes could stay at home on Saturday nights and fulfill his musical itch by playing Rock Band on XBox with his wife and three daughters. Instead, he fills his weekends with shows all around the region.

In the Studio: Midwest Skies

Written by Kevin VanAntwerpen | Thursday, 31 May 2012 09:47 |

Local Music

Summer is the time of year when your listening library may become less introspective and moody, and perhaps it is the time for something better suited to a high-volume car stereo and open windows.

Midwest Skies is here to oblige. The band's previous EP, Glory Days, was the quintessential summer album — littered with power chords tucked into major key pop-punk songs.

JuxTApose in a World of Trouble

Written by Kevin VanAntwerpen | Tuesday, 22 May 2012 10:25 |

Local Music

Cops. If you think they only show up at anti-authoritarian punk rock shows in Putin's Russia, think again. They also showed up at blues-rock band JuxTApose's CD release party ... twice.

Heavier Than Air Flying Machines: Music you’re gonna hate

Written by Kevin VanAntwerpen | Thursday, 12 April 2012 13:19 |

Local Music

Heavier Than Air Flying Machines might always be a question mark of a band. Nothing about the gritty, high-gain debut album, Siam (released last September), is typical, nor anything about the band's spastic live performance. But then again, that's just the point of the band.

Local Shops Celebrate Music for Record Store Day

Written by John Sinkevics and Rich Tupica | Tuesday, 20 March 2012 11:52 |

Local Music

The line stretched down the block on S. Division Avenue in Grand Rapids, with hundreds of devoted fans of rock's My Chemical Romance waiting in the rain to meet the band at an in-store appearance on Record Store Day.