Local manager and impresario Psyko Steve has spent much of the last year touring and managing DeSole, and is currently managing the Stilletto Formal. He got creative with his Top 5 list for the Pandemic Poll (it's open for interpretation like that) and sent over his list of the top 5 most promising locals. Here it is...
Top 5 Most Promising Locals who made a name for themselves in 2006: (AKA Bands I see big things happening for in 2007)
1) Dear And The Headlights 2) The Cover Up 3) Caecelia 4) Micah Bentley 5) Alcoholiday
Dear And The Headlights
After a year of playing almost every good show in Phoenix Dear And The Headlights have managed to turn from a completely unknown into one of the most promising bands in town by a lot of hard work and playing some amazing music and with a new deal with Equal Vision Recordings and an album coming out early next year soon the whole country will be seeing what we have seen.
The Cover Up
Most people reading this may not be into the scremo crazy that is all the rage with the kids but kids all over the country have been noticing the Phoenix scene with bands like Greeley Estates, Scary Kids Scaring Kids and now Bless the Fall making quite a name for themselves nationally. The Cover Up are poised to become the next in that line, and they are the best out of the lot. With Hour Zero, the local promotion company/label that launched all of the previously bands to the national level as well as Lydia, now behind the Cover Up it looks like 2007 will be a great year for them.
Caecelia
Caecelia are probably the most unique out of these bands. They are three piece from Flagstaff, acoustic guitar, cello and samplers. Kind of like a Postal Service only a little less dancy and a little more singer songwriter. They are currently one of 8 bands in Fuse TV's "unsigned band contest" (also featuring AZ's Oh Doctor). Like The Cover Up they are also now under the wing of Hour Zero. They are hard at work on their first release that's should be exploding in 2007.
Micah Bentley
Micha Bently is one part singer songwriter and one part rock band. Although it is definitely Micah's band, it is still a band. Through a few line up changes over the last year Micah has finally has the best line up to date. With the release of his "the impossible ep" next week (release show this Friday at The Garage in Peoria) you should be hearing a lot about this man in the next year.
Alcoholiday
Braden McCall & Bryan Yazzie make up Alcoholiday (one of the neatest band names around in my opinion). You may remember Braden as one of the original members of Before Braille. Although Braden has played in some projects over the last few years, for the most part we have not heard from him. Now he is back with a solid project and some great new music.
(Note The Stiletto Formal and DeSole were excluded from this list because of my involvement with both bands)
