Best Up-And-Coming Sacramento Bands Of 2014
islandofblackandwhite.comIsland of Black and White fall into the categories of Blues, Rock, Folk and Reggae, hats that each fit them equally well. The band was founded in 2005 by Chris Haislet. 2014 has been quite a ride for IBW as they've traveled over 12,000 miles this past year performing in different places in addition to playing locally. After putting out an album in 2013, the band was featured on the cover of Submerge Magazine and has had the opportunity to play with many different artists and expand their fan base. In 2014, IBW won the opportunity to play the Sony stage in Austin, TX at SXSW Music Week through a local radio station. Members consist of JohnJohn Baguio on lead guitar, Nawal Alwareeth on drums, percussion and backup vocals, Tim Picchi and Rebecca Sleeth on bass, and founder Chris Haislet on lead vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, accordion, melodica and flute. The band will start recording another album in 2015, further cementing their place on the local music scene. Check out their website for upcoming dates.
autumnskyofficial.comRuling the Alternative Indie Rock genre in Sacramento is Autumn Sky. In the two years that Autumn Sky has been a band with its current lineup, the group has been everywhere locally. Autumn Sky Hall, the band's lead and face, has been a busy girl in 2014, as has the rest of the band. Autumn has written a variety of new songs in 2014 introducing the band to new audiences. Autumn Sky has opened for Peter Murphy of Bauhaus as well as opening for Heart at Bottlerock Music Festival. The band also played a set at this year's TBD Festival which was tremendous. Autumn Sky was also inducted into the Northern California Music Award Hall of Fame (Sammie's). The band will hide for a little while in 2015 while they record their feature-length album. Members include Autumn Sky Hall on main vocals and acoustic guitar, Anthony Medina on bass, Barry Paul Crider on electric guitar, Rookery Kaylor on acoustic guitar and back-up vocals, David Daily on piano and harmonies and Tony Ledesma on drums and backup vocals.
MR. HOOPER
mrhoopersmusic.com
Next up we have the artist formerly known as "Crazy Ballhead." MR. HOOPER was actually Crazy Ballhead for two decades. This band is the only one you'll see in this article covering the areas of rap and hip hop. Talk about being busy, MR. HOOPER released their sixth full-length album this year as well as directing and releasing four music videos including the local hit "Nine One Six." More exciting is that "Nine One Six" was voted "Best Sactown Anthem" by the Sacramento News and Review. There is no rest in sight for MR. HOOPER in 2015 as the group plans to go on North and South American tours. The band will also release an EP based on fan suggestions. MR. HOOPER consists of Virgil Jerome Hooper III as front man and vocals, Ian Barlow on bass, Henry Barlow on drums, Zach Watkins on keys, Simon Rochester on keys and Jason Reed on guitar.
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Tragically White
tragicallywhiteband.com
Tragically White could quite possibly be Sacramento's most popular cover band. The band plays everything from the 60s to now that you can dance to. Playing everything from corporate gigs to 800-person events at Palladio in Folsom, Tragically White is led by the vocals of Amanda Powell and Steve Goodrich. Other members include Brian McGuire on lead guitar, Jason Friend on bass, Robert Backus on keys and Tony Tavares on drums. The band has been together for seven years, five years with its current members. This is definitely a band to watch closely in the coming year as they are working hard to expand their number of shows, live appearances and fan base. Be on the lookout for the music video being worked on this coming year. These guys are colorful, have a phenomenal sound and are a good time whenever they play. Keep an eye on both the band website and Facebook page for updates.
Dead In Seconds
reverbnation.com/deadinseconds
Last but certainly not least is Dead In Seconds with the thrash metal contribution to the list. The band has Joshua on vocals, Erik on guitar, Donny on drums and Trevor on bass. These guys have been thrashing for about three years. The band has been increasing its local appearances as well as the amount of local fans they have in Sacramento this past year. Currently all updates are available on the Dead In Seconds Facebook page. A full website is in the works but you can listen to some of the band's tracks on their Reverb Nation page above. Lead vocalist Joshua James says that there is some very exciting new material being worked on for 2015 as well as a new T-Shirt design for their apparel sales. If what you're looking for is a high-energy show, look no further than Dead In Seconds.
