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Chasing The Dragon: Keeping My Mosh Pit Dreams Alive Through Wisdom In Chains

I have a confession to make. It has always been a long dreamt fantasy of mine to completely dominate a mosh pit while attending some sort of live performance. Truthfully, these musically motivated formations terrify me because of how dangerous they can become. Mouths full of blood usually ensue, and not the kind accompanied by laughter. My anxiety level rises every time I witness these ruthless rituals at a concert, praying desperately that the little guys and few brave girls make it out alive. But then something happens. The anxiety slowly turns into a rush of adrenaline and the desperate need to be apart of such a heart pumping experience. It’s sort of comparable to Notorious B.I.G.’s song “Just Playing”, when he confidently vocalizes his raw and uncut fantasies about getting it on with various R&B singers, but equally attests his want for not offending these women at the end of his rap. Conflicting ideas of taking a risk versus playing it safe make living out a fantasy a tough thing to do.

Pushing my fears aside, let’s just pretend for a moment that I am willing to entertain this notion of becoming one with an aggressive, dancing, fist pumping crowd. Before I literally dive in head first, I would want to physical train for my mosh pit debut, the way a runner prepares for a race.  Thinking about this, I wondered what particular music would accompany this training. It didn’t take long for Wisdom In Chains to come to mind.  I have certain loyalty for the group. I was fortunate enough to meet these hard working, hardcore music moguls at a show they performed in Baltimore. This concert was actually the last time I witnessed a mosh pit first hand. I remember watching a crowd, made up mostly of young adult men, mesmerized by the band’s music and presence, which undoubtedly fueled the mission to mosh. It was a pretty intense yet incredible experience. I did not need to see this performance, however, to be convinced that Wisdom In Chains would give me the mojo I needed if ever presented with the opportunity to join these ranks. The band’s famous, self-titled album is one of the first discoveries I made through my internship with Universal Warning Records. I remember popping the CD in my car and playing it start to finish, which I repeated a few times upon the disc’s end. “You spit in my face and disrespected my name, and then you wanted pity when the beat down came”, screams Mad Joe Black, as I repetitiously beat an opened palm on my steering wheel.

Will I ever see the inner circle of a mosh pit? Time will tell as they say. For now, I have at least pin pointed my music of choice in preparation for the real thing if the opportunity ever presents itself. I’m unsure as to if and when I will live out this fantasy of mine. After all, it might not ever make the final draft of my bucket list. Good thing listening to music doesn’t require health insurance. Be sure to check out Hostile City’s Wisdom In Chains products!

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Ane Brun Playing At Union Transfer

I’m the new kid on the block when it comes to Ane Brun. In other words, I heard her music for the first time yesterday. For me, discovering the works of an artist is the equivalent of winning the lottery. I always feel significantly wealthier every time I hear a new song that isn’t already programmed in my neurological playlist. Needless to say, I felt like a millionaire after listening to Ane Brun on Tuesday afternoon. Ten seconds into “Do You Remember”, I was fully bouncing in my office chair, impatiently waiting to hear Brun’s voice for the first time. When I did, my bouncing slowed to a stand still as I completely became mesmerized by her incredible voice. My remaining hours of work that day were spent listening to as many Brun songs as I could find.

I was very excited not only to come across Ane Brun’s music, but to also find that she is scheduled to perform at the Union Transfer in Philadelphia. This is the perfect venue for her. Its layout seems just right for concert attendees to fully enjoy Brun’s live set, whether they observe the show from the high school gym-like bleachers on the second floor, or stand inches away from the stage to watch the songstress execute her talents. Hostile City wishes Ane the best for next Wednesday, as we are honored to have her album “Changing Of The Seasons” in our catalog. So, if you haven’t already done so, plan on attending Brun’s show. I guarantee you’ll leave Union Transfer feeling pretty prosperous.

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You are invited to a VIP Office Party with Kira Small and Bryan Beller!

You’re invited to a special event – a VIP Office concert featuring Kira Small and Bryan Beller!
WHEN: April 19 2012 7:00PM
WHERE: The Neighborhood 1600 N 5th St Philadelphia PA 19122
RSVP: 800-361-3827 x 30
Please support touring musicians! $10.00

Kira Small is an incredible singer/songwriter/keyboardist whose original R&B/soul material is just as deeply intimate as it is funky. Her 2010 CD Raise My Voice [Offrow Records] as well as her previous CD Love In A Dangerous World [2006, Offrow Records] were produced by Bruce Dees (James Brown, Ronnie Milsap) and feature many Muscle Shoals & Motown veterans. As a session singer in Nashville, Kira has performed and recorded with Peter Frampton, Martina McBride, Wynonna Judd, Faith Hill and more. Bluegrass artists Nu-Blu’s version of Kira’s song “Other Woman’s Blues” is the first single off the band’s 2011 album The Blu-Disc and is currently climbing the bluegrass radio charts.

Bryan is a well-known bassist, has toured worldwide with guitarists Steve Vai and Mike Keneally (both ex-Frank Zappa bandmates), the metal band Dethklok (Metalocalypse on Cartoon Network) & hot new super-trio The Aristocrats (w/Marco Minnemann & Guthrie Govan), and has been the focus of plenty of press. He’s also Kira’s husband. 🙂 The material they perform is primarily Kira’s original catalog, with a few choice covers as well. Their newly released duo album Live At The White House (recorded at the Timucua White House in Orlando, FL) has been garnering rave reviews like this one: http://www.thunderrow.com/content.php?1108-Kira-Small-Bryan-Beller-Lightning-And-Thunder

Kira and Bryan are a compelling duo, made even more compelling by the chance to see them in an intimate and unique environment the Neighborhood in the Invincible Pictures building. House concerts offer a unique and intimate musical experience as well as the opportunity to directly support the artists with your monetary donation. You’ll see a professional quality performance without the hassle of having to go to a venue. Instead, you get to hang with your friends in a comfortable setting and watch a great show up close.

CNN.com recently featured Kira & Bryan in an article (with video!) about house concerts which you can see here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/06/09/house.concerts/index.html

You can hear more of Kira’s music at www.kirasmall.com or see footage of Bryan and Kira at www.youtube.com/kirasmallmusic

The suggested donation for attending is $10, which goes directly to Bryan & Kira.(BYOB)
** Please respond to this Evite (or email or whatever) and RSVP accordingly***. We look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,
Hostile City Distribution

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New Aristocrats Tour Dates

To Aristocrats Fans,

The Aristocrats just kicked off a major tour of Europe with a sold-out show at the Peel in London. After four more dates covering Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, and Edinburgh in UK, then it’s off to Holland, France (Paris and Bordeaux), Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao), Turkey (Istanbul) and, finally, Tel Aviv in Israel. There are still some tickets available for most of these shows outside of UK so reserve yours now to see the Aristocrats in action if you are anywhere near these regions of Europe and Asia Minor. With all the demand for the Aristocrats worldwide, it may be a while before you get a chance to see this band again in your country.

The Aristocrats team is also pleased to announce a US Midwest tour starting in mid-May that will be capped off by two live shows at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, CA near Los Angeles on June 2 and 3. The two Alvas shows will be videotaped for a future live concert DVD, so Aristocrats fans in Southern California who want to be part of a little history in the making will definitely not want to miss one of these shows. Having toured together for nearly a year, the Aristocrats will be on top of their game for this video shoot at the cozy and pristine-sounding environment of Alvas Showroom. Mark the dates on your calendar!

Here are the dates for the US Midwest Tour:

May 18, Fri, 8pm – Nashville, TN – The Rutledge

May 19, Sat, 9pm – Louisville, KY – ZaZoo’s

May 21, Mon, 8pm – Indianapolis, IN – Birdy’s

May 22, Tue, 8:30pm – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom

May 23, Wed, 8pm – Columbus, OH – Rumba Cafe

May 24, Thu, 10pm – Charleston, WV – The Sound Factory

May 25, Fri, 10pm – Charlotte, NC – The Double Door Inn

For more details, please check out the Tours page here. We hope to see you out there soon!

The Aristocrats Team