If James Young could tell his younger self anything, it would be to have a little more discretion with promotional photos. Well, that and when things get tough, to just hang in there.

Luckily for us, hang in there he did because about 13 years and a lot of hard work later, the Eli Young Band has released five albums, two chart-topping singles, and one recently named "Song of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Dropkick Murphys did not start off pursuing the Celtic-punk sound that's made the band famous. The members were originally looking for more of a straight-punk feel.

In the mid-'80s, Dinosaur Jr. emerged on the underground music scene with a style unlike any other. With an entire catalog of influences that ranged from folk rock to hardcore punk, mixed with wailing guitar solos and powerful metal riffs, the group was defining its own sound.

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.

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.

The impending sound of August Burns Red's blistering guitars, monumental breakdowns and anti-chorus screams will resound throughout the Orbit Room on Sept. 6.

Jonas Stein is a busy guy. Aside from being the frontman for psychedelic garage rock outfit Turbo Fruits, Stein runs Turbo Time Records and is co-founder of the rock-and-roll cruise liner party the Bruise Cruise.

It’s been a year and a half since Seattle, Washington’s Minus the Bear played its March 2011 show at the Intersection. For its return in September 2012, the band brings what it hopes to be its strongest performance yet.

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.

Every summer there are literally dozens of music festivals all over the country. While each have their own vibe, after a while they kind of all start to run together. Eventually there just needs to be a festival that rises above all others and acts as a beacon for all the freaks and weirdos out there.