REBEL SPIRIT MUSIC SERIES
April 2, 2008
8pm - 11pm
FREE
Each month we embark on a lengthy journey to find the finest, undiscovered musical talent this country has to offer and we implore each and every one of you to come along and let us share our spoils.
Join us on April 2nd, 2008 at The Rockwood Music Hall for a FREE night of music!
 John Schmitt |
 Chris Kuffner |
 Bess Rogers |
 Kate Branagh |
| LISTEN | LISTEN | LISTEN | LISTEN |
With his uncompromisingly honest and simple approach, John Schmitt has the ability to find great beauty in the most insignificant of details. As a wordsmith, Schmitt can be both subtle and painfully graphic but always strikes a chord with his audience. Influenced by the likes of Tom Petty, and combined with a stirring vocal reminiscent of Damien Rice, he offers vivid, moving imagery of American life - both the good and the bad - which resonates with locals and strangers alike. A self-taught musician from a young age - and after years of experience performing with other bands - Schmitt is finally embarking on a solo career that promises great things. |
For a curious change of pace read: Chris Kuffner. As a mainstay session bass player for a number of leading lights on the New York circuit Kuffner will continue to highlight his own credentials with a blisteringly unique solo performance. Kuffner generates astonishing sequences of music through no more than skilled guitar work and expert pedal control. Some may liken his ability to Hendrix and Clapton but Kuffner certainly embodies something unquestionably different as he incorporates melodies from a variety of places; classical music through to pop culture. Think Sgt. Pepper’s meets Ziggy Stardust and The Spider from Mars and you’ll be someway close - but not close enough. To see, and hear, is to believe. | Bess Rogers boasts a fabulous gift of being able to transcend genres - often, and even more impressively, within a single song. In the midst of a time made famous for labelling new artists with lazy, tired categorization Rogers’ is making waves with her own unique sound - or should I say sounds. Having begun her craft at the tender of age of six, Rogers’ is now an accomplished guitar player but it’s her willingness to incorporate more obscure instruments in to her music that sets her apart from other artists on the circuit. Coupled with a sweet, almost effortless singing voice it’s not unheard of to find harpsichords and accordions scattered perfectly throughout allowing her to orchestrate this wonderful collection of songs. | Combining colourful tunes with a striking vocal resemblance to Joni Mitchell, Kate Branagh is set to join an ever-growing list of inspiring female artists already plying their trade on the circuit. With a new album set to drop in the spring, Branagh continues her rise to notoriety with another enduring set in which she offers a glimpse into the challenge of maintaining relationships and the compromises we must all endure in order to keep loved ones within reach. Her graceful, affectionate singing style acts as the perfect foil for her tender, yet arrestingly honest, lyrics and it’s a formula that strengthens Branagh’s growing reputation as an outstanding live performer. |
| ©Joel Crane, NME, Q, Mojo | |||
May 2008:
 Freeman |
 Brent Shuttleworth |
 Rosi Golan |
 Kyle Ervin |