Choose The Cover Of Rolling Stone
As you may or may not know, Rolling Stone is going to feature a completely unsigned band on its cover. Pretty sweet deal, right? How come nobody mentioned this mess to the Death, right? Ha. Well, while we ponder that question, we’d like to tell you about two very close friends of ours that both have a 1 in 16 chance of gracing the pages of the legendary magazine. We love them both, so we’re pleading the 5th on this one, but your vote helps, so throw one of them some love and cast your vote if you will. No particular order, but ladies first of course…
Ume
We’d heard great things about Ume for so long, so it was a pleasure to finally grace the stage with them late last year on our way home from CMJ. Suffice it to say, they certainly did not disappoint and that all the things we had heard were true. Here’s to hoping that we do some more gracing together this year as well. Ume are from Austin, TX. That’s really all that needs to be said because Austin in awesome and the music scene is sick, but let’s also add that their a powerful 3-piece (always points and props!) with an intoxicating guitar wielding incredibly amazing (on stage and off) songwriting front WOMAN axe slinger named Lauren Larsen (yeah, two guitar references, she’s that rad). Go look and listen at their photos/video and it’s plain to see, they’re a really really really great rock n roll band with depth and strength both musically and lyrically.
Empires
Empires we met in their fair city of Chicago, a city that we also cherish dearly, if only it weren’t so gosh darn cold there all the time. An unlikely scenario indeed, I once sang “Two Dollar Bills” at the top of my lungs arm in arm with Ryan Luciani of Empires and De’Mar Hamilton of the Plain White T’s in the depths of the Pete Wentz owned Angels & Kings. It was an incredible night, we made some of our closest friends to date on this very evening. What can we say, PBR a plenty turns people into brothers a plenty. We’ve never had the chance to share the stage with Empires, but we enjoy their frantic little mix of rock and pop. And since we’re both JBTV alums, we’re hoping the powers that be will soon change our we-have-never-played-together-yet scenario that currently plagues us … maybe at that same little music shindig happening in Austin soon, then us and the Umes and the Empires could all hang as one, only time will tell…
So there you go, those are our friends; they both write great music that you should consider spending some time with, and they both have a chance to see their fine mugs on the cover of freaking Rolling Stone, so if you feel inclined, please make your way over to the website above and give them your vote!
Thanks for time, thanks for your support of bands like ours and theirs, and much love to all of you…
- Trae / Death
PS. Say what you will about Rolling Stone, I understand your sentiments both pro and con, but I myself consider it iconic and legendary. Recent years may not have seen their wisest decisions cover and content wise, but along with greatness also comes peaks, valleys, and plateaus. If you disagree, go listen to your favorite 70’s bands albums they made in the 80’s, woops; you see, we all have our low points, but it’s the achievements that create the peaks, not the valleys, that really matter.
