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January 2007 
Big Sound Productions and Studios has been expanding its ongoing operation on the west coast in the outset of 2007. Big Sound's producers and engineers have been involved with an extensive amount of material for a number of multimedia companies such as Universal, EMI and Dreamworks, among others. On the commercial side, projects such as That 70's Show, Forensic Files, Modern Marvels, and Planet's Funniest Animals appear among the collective credits. Big Sound is currently employing these top talents for national music and commercial ventures, however, Big Sound's regional artists and commercial clients could see these west coast professionals' influence on their own material throughout this year and beyond. A long-time developing Big Sound artist from Maine is currently at work in the LA area writing new material with a number of major label acts and producers there. The yet to be named artist (whose management requires the identity be withheld presently) is reportedly writing new material with members of The Black Eyed Peas as well as Jesse McCartney whose music is currently out on Hollywood Records (Breaking Benjamin, Hilary Duff). McCartney comes with an impressive resume, starring in pictures with Matthew Broderick and in movies featured at the Sundance Film Festival. Early reports from Big Sound indicate that the currently unnamed artist has also been capturing the attention of labels such as Interscope Records (U2, Audioslave, 50 Cent). Big Sound's regional artists Rob Carmichael (The Growlers) is returning to Big Sound to put the final touches on the mixing of a nine song album. New Hampshire metal trio Burn The Children are doing extensive mixing to follow up on on all that tracking for their 11 song album La Morta. On the local front, Big Sound rapper G-Champ returned to focus on song structure as well as synth and other electronic arrangements. G-Champ also utilized electric guitar overdubs and did scratch vocals for his rap-rock track entitled Warrior Soldier. Southern Maine based metal group Cross is continuing with production of their CD entitled The Last True Warrior. Craig Ross has been returning periodically to track vocals for the album as the bulk of the instrumentation for the songs is nearly complete.
December 2006 
Big Sound Productions and Studios has the following artists in sessions currently. The Portland solo artist Jason Lambert is in the final stages of mixing for his 6 song self titled EP. Tracks such as Dem Blues, Nashville, and 65 on 108 utilize accoustic guitar and vocals to create his self described folk-country-soul sound. Lambert is currently gigging in Portland and has upcoming sets at Acoustic Coffee as well. Also continuing their work at Big Sound is the four member Boston based The Growlers who laid nine stellar rock tracks live to 2" analog tape over the summer. The band's return marks the final phase of the mixing process for The Growlers who already have two of the nine songs mixed and polished in Protools. The music itself has a post-punk alternative sound that will appeal to radio stations that play rock throughout New England and beyond. The Gowlers consist of Rob Carmichael (vocals, guitar), John Beaudette (guitar, vocals), Chris Moran (bass guitar) and Marc Beaudette (drums). More sessions at Big Sound include the southern Maine based metal group Cross who began production of their new CD in June when they laid down drums, bass and heavy guitar (rhythm and lead) in Protools as the bed for what will be a six song compilation entitled "The Last True Warrior". The instrumentation for the six tracks El Dorado, Crow, Bloodword, System Failure, I Am What I Am and Last True Warrior are complete with Ross routinely returning to add and polish his vocals. Craig Ross explains their heavy sound as a cross between old school metal act Black Sabbath and newer offerings such as Killswitch Engage.
November 2006 
Big Sound Productions and Studios had the following sessions this month. The talented three member New Hampshire based metal trio Burn the Children have neared the end of the mixing process for their 11 song album entitled LaMorta. The volume contains an exciting mix of the band's signature compositions such as Decompose Me, Killing For an Empire, as well as the title track LaMorta among others. The new material is described as melodic but aggressive with pretty hooks and heavy guitars that takes its influences from newer metal, alternative, and older grunge acts such as Alice in Chains. The band has played shows throughout New England sharing the stage with a host of other well known rock acts such as Lost On Liftoff, Nothingface, in addition to The Misfits. Burn The Children is comprised of vocalist and guitar player Dusten Pettingill, bassist Chris Moulton, and drummer Chris Shepard. The band can be found online at myspace as well as www.burnthechildren.com. Big Sound has also had a number of sessions with solo artists, including Fail All The Doors, a project by musician Matt Weiss. The indie artist recorded accoustic guitar and vocals for 8 tracks. Utilization of light vocals with darker less pop oriented lyrics over a unique progression of strumming guitar chords creates the sonic landscape for an intriguing musical self portrait. Eric Leclair recorded vocals and electric guitar for 7 songs at Big Sound. The solo artist's unique raspy vocal style had engineers double-checking the microphone in addition to lending a polished blues quality to songs like Transistor Radio and Professor's Magical Beginning.
October 2006 
Big Sound Productions and Studios have the following projects in the works. Rock band The Baystate tracked guitars, bass, drums, vocals, and cello for a currently untitled album. The CD is expected to be mixed by none other than Emmy winning producer Bill Chinnock. Bill Chinnock received an Emmy Award in 1987 for his song "Somewhere in the Night" as well as recording the theme song for the soap opera Guiding Light with Roberta Flack in the early 90's. When Chinnock moved to Maine, his former bandmates became the foundation for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. The Baystate's new album is decidedly unique in that a solitary cello (as opposed to a violin which is used by many of today's rock bands such as Yellowcard, etc) can be heard interwoven amidst lush rock tracks and vocals to generate music that Chinnock himself describes as "tremendous". More sessions at Big Sound include Maine based rap artist G-Champ, also known as Gator, who has been recording vocals, rock guitars, and beats at Big Sound using a wide array of MIDI effects to create his signature sound and flow for Warrior Soldier, his first of five to seven new songs. G-Champ sites influences from rappers such as Eminem, Nelly, Naughty by Nature and L.L. Cool J as well as rockers such as Def Leppard, Van Halen, and Pearl Jam for his progressive sound. The rapper has utilized Maine rock institution Riot Act in the past to create the beds for his unique style of rap music. More sessions at Big Sound include Truckbody Jones, a four member blues rock band who have also been mixing guitar, bass, drums, harmonica and saxophone tracks for four new songs. Also at Big Sound is the southern Maine based metal group Cross who began production of their new CD at Big Sound in May. Craig Ross and band laid down drums, bass, and heavy guitars (rhythm and lead) as the bed for what will be at least a six song compilation entitled "The Last True Warrior". Craig Ross explains their heavy sound as a cross between old school metal act Black Sabbath and newer offerings such as Killswitch Engage. The sessions produced six tracks entitled El Dorado, Crow, Bloodword, System Failure, I Am What I Am, And Last True Warrior all of which are currently receiving additional vocal overdubs and mixing.
September 2006 
Big Sound Productions & Studios announced the following artists currently in production. Emmy winning producer and musician Bill Chinnock returned to conduct more sessions at Big Sound in September. Chinnock had produced the new Doc Drinkwater album at Big Sound in early April of this year. September finds him tracking Mary Weatherby and her accompanying band The Baystate. Among the instruments used for their eclectic style of music are guitars, bass, drums, and even a cello. Also continuing their work at Big Sound is the New Hampshire-based metal group Burn The Children. The band is currently in the process of mixing tracks for Lamorta, their new eleven song album. Burn The Children's influences range from metal to grunge bands such as Alice In Chains. More sessions at Big Sound include Truckbody Jones, a four member blues rock band who have also been mixing guitar, bass, drums, harmonica and saxophone tracks for four new songs. Continuing production at Big Sound this month is Portland-based metal band The End Of Everything who have been putting the finishing tweaks on the mixes for three songs entitled Thumpthroat, Artifice and Not Known To Forgive. Four member Boston-based post punk rock band The Growlers are also continuing to mix and EQ their nine rock songs they recorded live to 2" analog tape at Big Sound in July of this year. And finally, rapper G-Champ is working on vocals for one of his new songs Warrior Soldier as guitar, beats, and midi effects have already been recorded. One final note in this month's Big Sound news: keep your eye out for photographs of some of this summer's festivals that Big Sound producers attended and even covered as video archive footage for Rolling Stone magazine of some of the nation's most popular artists.
August 2006 
Big Sound Productions & Studios reported the following artists currently in or finishing production. The three-member New Hampshire based metal band Burn The Children have recorded and are now mixing their new eleven song album to be entitled "LaMorta". Among the many items the band is working on will be radio cuts as well as videotaped interview and session footage that really has to be seen to be believed. The band describes their new material as "melodic, but very aggressive with pretty hooks, heavy guitars and influences ranging from metal to alternative and grunge". "The songs express what we see happening around us", explains lead vocalist and guitar player Dusten Pettingill. Burn The Children is also comprised of Chris Shepard (drums) and Chris Moulton (bass guitar). In addition to their studio work, Burn The Children also play shows around New England as well as sharing the stage with other well known rock acts such as The Misfits, Nothing Face and Lost On Liftoff. Also sessioning at Big Sound is the Boston based band The Growlers. The four member rock group laid down nine stellar rock tracks live to 2" analog tape, an approach to recording that rivals, but is not as frequently used in comparison to the ProTools HD-TDM digital audio formats that have become the current recording industry standard as well as Big Sound's popular standard. Subsequently, the tracks were transferred to ProTools and finished in Big Sound's mixing suite. The music itself has a post-punk alternative sound that should appeal to most radio stations that play modern rock. The Growlers are the collaboration of Rob Carmichael (vocals, guitar), John Beaudette (guitar, vocals), Chris Moran (bass guitar) and Marc Beaudette (drums). A release date for the untitled nine song album was unavailable at press time. More sessions at Big Sound include the four piece Waterville, Maine based rock band, Peacewick. The band tracked and mixed seven songs for their new currently untitled album. The album, weighing in stylistically as rock, with a touch of punk, will be available in August at the band's shows. In the past, the band has played with other notable acts, such as Sparks The Rescue and The Ska Rockets, as well as placing third out of ten bands at the Waterville-based Rockstock. Peacewick consists of Mike Bernhardt (vocals), Ben White (guitar), John Ringer (bass) and Conor Hughes (drums). Currently still in production at Big Sound is the metal band Cross, who will soon be laying down vocals for their first album, The Last True Warrior. Also returning to Big Sound this month is the rapper G-Champ to record vocals for his new extremely progressive rock-rap song, Warrior Soldier. Truckbody Jones has also been busy at Big Sound working on the mixes for their four new songs. All these artists, plus many others from New York and Boston already in the works, equals many fun sessions this summer producing music and video in Big Sound's air-conditioned studios.
July 2006 At Big Sound this month was the hard-hitting four member blues rock band Truckbody Jones who have been currently recording basic tracks for four songs. A wide variety of instrumentation such as guitars, bass, drums, harmonica and even saxophone have been implemented to create the music for the songs entitled Heart Like A Jailer, Jake, Stray Man and Stay The Night. Big Sound also has been hosting a number of solo singer-songwriter acts recently. Minimalist acoustic punk solo artist Eric LeClair tracked and mixed seven songs using electric guitar and his unique vocal style. Songwriter Jason Lambert came in to record at least eight indie folk songs using a six string acoustic guitar. Chuck Muldoon tracked four instrumental folk songs using a 12 string acoustic guitar as well as mostly fingerpicking his music. Fail All The Doors, aka Matt Weiss, recorded his brand of dark indie acoustic music using suggestive lyrics with strong social commentary. Up next month here at Big Sound will be a lot more on the Burn The Children sessions, in addition to Boston's The Growlers, as well as the Waterville Maine based band Peacewick.
June 2006 
Big Sound Productions & Studios in greater Portland reported a consistently heavy production schedule as of press time. The southern Maine based metal group Cross began production of their new CD. Craig Ross and crew laid down drums, bass and heavy guitar (rhythm and lead) as the bed for what will be at least a six song compilation entitled "The Last True Warrior". Craig Ross explains their heavy sound as a cross between old school metal act Black Sabbath and newer offerings such as Killswitch Engage. Vocal overdubs and mixing notwithstanding, the six tracks El Dorado, Crow, Bloodword, System Failure, I Am What I Am and Last True Warrior should be complete by mid summer. With a professionally recorded CD and guitar master Barry Arvin Young in their arsenal, Cross will be ready to take on the metal scene very soon. The punk outfit Arsenic And Lace have been tracking and mixing two songs currently at Big Sound. Multitalented Cape Ellizabeth High School students Hudson Samuel Climent Eakin and Emma Elizabeth Keogh are hard at work recording drums, bass, guitars and vocals for the two songs entitled Rebel For You and Plaid. Big Sound staff found it remarkable that it wasn't Billy Joe of Green Day himself in there laying down the vocals, considering how reminiscent Hudson's voice is of that particular artist. More sessions at Big Sound include rap artist G-Champ. G-Champ, also known as Gator, has been recording vocals, rock guitars and beats using a wide array of MIDI effects to create his unique signature sound and flow for Warrior Soldier, his first of five to seven new songs. Deriving influences from rappers such as Eminem, Nelly, Naughty By Nature and L.L. Cool J as well as rockers such as Def Leppard, Van Halen and Pearl Jam and having utilized Maine rock institution Riot Act in the past for his sounds and material, Gator could soon be rolling with a compilation of rap and rock that chews up the competition on a local and possibly national level. Big Sound also has been working with Bud Ammeen and The Jared Grant Band. A guitar master himself, Bud Ammeen has recorded passages that saw the light of day on albums such as Hall Of The Mountain King by classic metal act Savatage. Bud Ammeen in conjunction with Jared Grant worked at Big Sound to create pop music with underlying metal roots and smart lyrics with relationships being the main theme. As far as vocalists go, there are many of the same caliber as Jared Grant on major labels. Currently still in production are The End Of Everything, Thanks For Nothing and Ambience. With a long list of solo singer-songwriters coming and going as well as metal band Burn The Children getting ready to start work, Big Sound's necessarily expanded team of audio professionals aren't finding very many moments of inactivity.
May 2006 Big Sound Productions & Studios in greater Portland weighed in this month on exciting sessions with Mark “Doc” Drinkwater, also known as “Doc Drinkwater’s Good Medicine Show’. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, this singer, songwriter and Berklee graduate released his debut nine-song album "It's Not Too Late" in 2004. Doc’s current sessions at Big Sound yielded ten strong tracks utilizing a full complement of drums, bass, guitar and keys in addition to Doc's guitar and vocals. All songs were recorded live onto 2" analog tape, a recording medium still heralded by many music and studio veterans who consider analog to provide a "warmer, more pleasant" sound over the digital audio workstations that are more widely used now. These notable analog sessions were recorded by an accomplished team of audio engineers with Grammy nominations and Emmy awards among their credits along with major label artists & producers Bill Chinnock and John Kumnick having collaborated on Doc's prior album in addition to many other impressive works. The ten tracks recorded are expected to be further embellished with additional background vocals from singers who have made vocal contributions in the past to recording artists such as Sting, The Rolling Stones, Laurie Anderson, among many others. Doc Drinkwater's new album, to be entitled "Faithwalk", has all the right elements to be a powerful and refreshing blend of musical and spiritual messages for his listeners this summer. Also at Big Sound is the six-member Portland metal band The End Of Everything who are nearing completion on the mixing of three tracks for their new self-titled EP. The disc will be the equivalent of their live performances, described by the band itself as "heavy as all hell". More sessions at Big Sound include the bands Cross, Anywhere But Here and Die Right Now, all of which will be elaborated on next month.
April 2006 
Big Sound Productions & Studios in greater Portland has continued with many of the same "things" that have been underway for the last couple of months, including, yet again, The Former Something. This five-piece Portland rock band has been focusing on mixing as well as putting the final touches on a currently untitled eight song album. The first four of these songs, entitled Know Yourself, Phase Out, The Man and Johnny B. Brown are fresh out of Big Sound's Mixing Suite, having been fully completed. The remaining four songs, entitled Creep Inside, T.A.D., Fret Away and Sweet Tranquility have been tracked at this point but haven't been fully mixed down, though some basics including some leveling are already underway. The Former Something describe themselves as a "jam band with a surf rock reggae twist". The band credits their influences from Phish and the Grateful Dead to hardcore and rap. Subsequently, the band is recording a disc that is as live sounding as possible, with the song Sweet Tranquility the "livest" of them all, if this is even possible given their already live sound. In addition to the mid-May to June release of the album, The Former Something often plays many Maine and New Hampshire festivals that occur during the warmer months throughout the region. More ongoing sessions at Big Sound include the six member Portland-based metal group The End Of Everything. The band is nearing completion of their three song demo. The now self-titled disc is currently in the process of being mixed. The band decided on the three tracks that best represent their overall style. The songs chosen, Artifice, Thumpthroat and Not Known To Forgive, effectively utilize a two-singer approach as well as dual guitars, bass and drumms to collectively deliver a heavy-hitting wall of metal and hardcore music. The End Of Everything is looking forward to a late spring release as the follow-up to their debut four-song demo, The Beginning Of. Also continuing their work at Big Sound is the four-member Georgetown, Massachusetts-based metal band Ambience. The band has been completing a five-song self-titled EP with one track remaining unlisted. This "secret track" is "a little gift from the singer" and was written and performed solely by lead vocalist Ross Gazunis and is of a different style musically from the other four. The listed tracks are entitled That Guy, First Of Nine, Done and The Outlook, and the "secret" unlisted track is entitled Wolf (shhhh this is inside information)! The disc is expected to be available at their many shows as well as online.
March 2006 
Big Sound Productions & Studios in greater Portland reported the following sessions in progress as of press time. The three member Portland-based rock band Dominic and the Lucid have been busy tracking three songs for their upcoming album. The album is expected to be launched this summer. One of this band's many fans describes their music as "very much like a cross between Radio Head, Jeff Buckley and U2. Dominic and the Lucid is the collaboration of Dominic Lavoie, currently a WBLM 102.9 FM regular DJ (vocals, guitar), Nate Cyr (bass) and Chuck Gagne (drums, vocal harmonies). Also currently sessioning at Big Sound is Curtis Fogg. The Portland-based solo artist has been recording 9 songs at Big Sound for a currently untitled debut album. The artist describes his sound as "mostly resembling alternative acoustic with a taste of punk". Examples of song titles from the album include Officially Rutted, Treat, and Yellow And Red. The two-CD set is projected for release next month. More sessions at Big Sound include The Bloody Marble Collective. The new four member Portland-based group have been tracking drums and synths for one song entitled "Rainbow". A live performance of this self-described "noise rock" group is planned for April 1st at Lily's Coffee and Tea in Saco, Maine at 7 pm.
February 2006 Sessioning this month at Big Sound is the prolific Portland based metal band "The End Of Everything". The six member group has been recording a three song radio ready demo. The band returned this month to work on vocal tracks. The untitled disc is expected to contain the songs "Not Known To Forgive", "Thump Throat" and "Artifice" which you are likely to hear when you attend one of their shows. The End Of Everything's sound is on the heavier end of the musical spectrum with elements of hardcore and metal intertwined. The End Of Everything is brought to you by Andy Beavis (guitars), Sean Libby (guitars), Aaron Bilodeau (vocals), Max Leon (vocals), Ryan Fleming (bass) and Wheeler Cooley (drums). Also continuing their work at Big Sound is Rockland Maine based hardcore act Thanks For Nothing who is recording vocals as well for their 16 song album, Get On Your Knees. Next month, WBLM 102.9 FM meets up with Big Sound as full-time DJ Dominic LaVoie and his band, Dominic and the Lucid get ready to start work on their own record.
January 2006 
Big Sound Productions & Studios in greater Portland has been working at a brisk pace at the outset of 2006 with an upsurgence of new music commencing production in the new year. The five-member Rockland, Maine based hardcore band "Thanks For Nothing" has begun recording and mixing their first album, a 16-track monster to be entitled "Get On Your Knees". The band is projecting a spring release with the disc becoming available in late April or in May. Thanks For Nothing is also expecting to begin touring following the release to promote the new album with a run for the 2006 WTOS Battle of the Bands championship not entirely out of the question. Stylistically, Thanks For Nothing describes themselves as "old school hardcore metal and old school punk" drawing inspiration anywhere from Black Sabbath to the Massachusetts based Blood For Blood. In addition to severely rocking their audience, vocalist and guitar player Stanley Dennison also wants to bring their message to listeners with cuts he describes as "love songs for the unloved". In addition, Thanks For Nothing describes their music as "hateful ditties that are short and sweet, or short and bitter", and "with primal heavy hard rock rhythms". Offers Dennison, "Our music is powerful and direct; you will either get it or you wont". Being from Rockland, Maine themselves, the band is confident they have successfully captured the darkness, anger and feelings of life in the north, especially in winter with its dark, short days, and which is, according to the band, why they chose to record this monster album at Big Sound in the winter. Thanks For Nothing's other four members are Jebediah Worcester (vocals), Tom McLure (vocals), Joe LeBranche (bass guitar) and Erick Tripp (drums). Get On Your Knees will also feature guest vocals performed by Cory Dodd from New Hampshire's "The Soup Bone Throne" to be recorded at Big Sound sometime in February. More sessions at Big Sound include the five member original indie rock band "The Former Something". The two-year-old Portland (formerly Farmington) based group has been working on nine songs for their new currently untitled disc, expected to be released in early March. The Former Something describe their style as "jam rock with influences stemming from rock icons such as Phish, with other influences ranging from hardcore to Bob Dylan, from The Grateful Dead to rap". Their sound as well as their recording approach is distinctly "live" for the most part, to capture their unique chemistry. They have been featured on college radio in Bowdoin and Farmington, and play many of the major festivals in Maine and New Hampshire, including Hempstock, Somerset County Jam Festival, Mindfest and We Be Jammin'. The Former Something is comprised of Keegan Reardon (drums and vocals), Mike Robert (guitars and vocals), Miles Levy (guitars and vocals), Mike Coffey (bass and vocals) and Nat Morgan (hand drums). Big Sound has also been hosting the four member rock band "Virtual 95" who have been working on a demo to submit to the Rolling Stone Magazine's "Future Rock Stars of America" competition. The band's overall sound can virtually be described as alternative rock. Virtual 95 is the collaboration of Jason Elvin (bass), Taz Murphy (vocals), Glen Capen (guitars) and Shawn Potter (drums). As these are ongoing sessions, many details have not been included yet such as song titles, mixing and mastering work and project release dates, all of which will be in the next update.
December 2005 
Big Sound Productions & Studios in greater Portland has been working as hard as usual to provide New England with the most recent of local sounds. Ambience has recently achieved near perfect form of their first four songs - 'First Of Nine', 'Done', 'That Guy', and 'The Outlook' as their strongest pick for their first single. They are slated for mixing sessions in December and January and will add synth tracks to their first four songs.
Current and upcoming artists at Big Sound Productions include The Former Something, Landsdowne and Arsenic & Lace.
November 2005 
"Big time" best describes Big Sound Productions & Studios in the month of November, gearing up for a "Great Big" December. Multi-talented Free Refills' huge sound plans to return to the studios at Big Sound after their two month respite. Currently they are indulging in the writing process for several new songs. They've been busy though since finishing their previous work "Code Beige" at Big Sound. Often scheduled to play at The Station in Portland they also not long ago joined several New England bands at Fort Williams for a recent benefit concert "Katstock", a fundraiser supporting the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Coming to you heavy from our studios at Big Sound the dark rock quartet Ambience out of Georgetown Mass. has our attention and soon yours. Melodic compositions from Kevin MacNichol on bass, Alan Roberts on drums, guitarist James DiMaio, along with vocalist Ross Gazunis are the fruits of their mixology. Four songs are in the works: "First of Nine", "That Guy", "Done" and "The Outlook" over the next few weeks. Big Sound is also hosting Joycakes, a three piece band based in greater Portland. Guitarist & vocalist Eric LeClair has laid the guitar tracks to "Love In A Bubble" this month. Along with the other members, bassist Ryan Danger and drummer Skinny Valliere are currently at Big Sound tightening tracks for the recording of three to four songs in December. This promising trio has an upcoming performance in Saco at Lily's Coffee and Tea on November 26th. Other current and upcoming artists to Big Sound Studios are Doc Drinkwater, IV80 and The End Of Everything. All in all, Big Sound's future is bright - please send shades.
October 2005 
The staff at Big Sound Productions and Studios in greater Portland wish to pay their repects this month to blues great Little Milton Campbell who passed away in Memphis, TN on August 4, 2005, at age 70. Milton's incredible music career is highlighted by a Grammy Award nomination in 2000. In 1988 he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame as well as being the recipient of the W. C. Handy Blues Entertainer of the Year Award. Among his more than 2 dozen albums he wrote and performed is the celebrated hit "The Blues is Alright", which is considered by countless blues enthusiasts around the world to be the anthem of the blues. Little Milton's sessions conducted at Big Sound with Randy Labbe's Deluge Entertainment and engineer Jack Murray in late 2004 represent one of the final sessions of his legendary five-decade career. Currently sessioning throughout the last month at Big Sound is the 3 piece Portland based metal band Ruin. The band tracked and mixed 2 songs for their first album entitled Hands of Emnity. The album is projected for release later this year. The band's material can be heard on myspace.com/ruinmainemetal as well as a scheduled show at the Houlton Metal Fest at 8:00 PM on November 12, 2005 in Houlton, ME. Ruin is the collaboration of Richard Carey (vocals,guitar), Ken Vought (guitar), and Craig Carey (drums) with the influence of Metallica, Pantera, and Lamb of God. More current and upcoming sessions at Big Sound include Doc Drinkwater and the metal band Ambience.
September 2005 Big Sound Productions & Studios in greater Portland noted a number of new acts currently in production. The recipients of the Producers Award in the 2005 Reindeer Records Rockoff, Free Refills, continued tracking, mixing and mastering their new 10-song album at Big Sound with engineer Jack Murray. The six-member ska group have also aired their track "Goat-Bomb" on Channel 4's "No Hit Videos" in the recent past. The band will release the album in late September with shows at The Station in Union Station Plaza in Portland, where the new material will be available. Free Refills is the collaboration of Pat Allen (bass), Mike Catsos (vocals and trumpet), Ryan Gross (guitar), Alex Johnson (saxophone), Matt Oakes (drums) and Abner Willis (keyboards). Also working at Big Sound is the Portland-based Station 85, a band that has become a staple at well-known clubs such as Bull Feeney's in Portland, Maine and the Stone Church in New Hampshire. The four-member rock group are currently tracking and mixing four songs for an album due out by early next year. The tracks recorded are currently titled "Hit By A Truck", "Matchstick Woman", "Prozac Kills" and "Revolution", and will be included in next year's release. Station 85 is comprised of Chris Gans (drums), Ian Gans (vocals and guitar), Jake Houser (bass) and Jesse Ludwig (vocals and guitar). More sessions at Big Sound include the central Maine-based Calypso Soldiers. The five-piece rock outfit tracked and mixed three songs to add to their arsenal. The tracks, entitled "Busted", "Plain" and "Shine", will be part of an upcoming release containing eight songs. The new material can be heard live at venues such as Sully's Tavern, Riverview Pub and the Bridge St. Tavern. The Calypso Soldiers consists of Ethan Savage (vocals), Seth Hubley (drums), Brant Miller (bass and vocals), Chuck Reed (guitar) and Paul Meng (saxophone).
August 2005 
Big Sound Productions and Studios in greater Portland was again pleased to announce the many great artists that made their creative visions a reality in recent times. July brought the return of the 4 member Adam Flaherty Noise Machine who are no strangers on the Portland music scene with 2 local awards for best singer/songwriter and best indie rock band under their belts. The band put in an appearance to master their new album entitled Goodbye Spaceman at Big Sound. The 11 track album contains cuts such as Too Far and Prove Youself with the latter receiving airplay on Spinout on WCYY 94.3 FM. Adam Flaherty Noise Machine is looking for a late August release with CD release parties planned shortly after at the Big Easy in Portland and another show slated to take place in New Hampshire. Also at Big Sound were the sessions of John Paul a musician that has seen his share of bands such as Stillview, a band that placed second in the top ten best selling local albums for 9 consecutive weeks sharing the spotlight with major regional artists such as Jeremiah Freed and the now defunct Even All Out. John was also named best drummer at the 20th annual Reindeer Records Rockoff. July brought John Paul to Big Sound to record his yet untitled 7 song indie rock album in which he played nearly all instrumentation including guitars,keyboards,pianos, and drums as well as writing and performing all vocals. The yet unfinished CD contains tracks with titles such as Lips Locked and Loaded and Better Off. Big Sound also offered up the impending release of the central Maine hardcore act Dead Season's new 6 track EP, The Fight. The disc was tracked and mixed recently at Big Sound in June with mastering duties falling upon Bob Ludwig's Gateway Mastering Studios, the most renowned mastering facility the world over . The champions of the 2004 WTOS 105.1 FM Battle of the Bands will be having one of their CD release parties at The Asylum in Portland on August 19th where the disc will be available. More release shows are scheduled to take place all across New England. Log onto www.deadseason.com for more information on this fast rising talent. Coming soon to Big Sound will be the sessions of the popular Portland based rock band Station 85 as well as The Calypso Soldiers. These and many more get set to go to work at Big Sound in the weeks and months to come.
July 2005 
For the bulk of the month of June, Big Sound Productions and Studios in greater Portland was privileged to once again host the central Maine monsters of metal, Dead Season. The champions of the 2004 WTOS 105.1 FM Battle of the Bands refused to leave the top of the charts over the last year for best selling local discs, with the recording of their first EP at Big Sound, "Down Again". Mid June saw Dead Season's return to again track and mix a highly anticipated new EP. The new disc entitled "The Fight" contains six brand new tracks with the titles "Driven", "American Nothing", "The Weakness", "Killing Flies", "The Age of Negligence" and "M.A.T.H.". The band is excited about how the sessions turned out and is understandably eager to get this to their many fans by August with the promise of a single on WTOS in July before they make another run at the 2005 Battle of the Bands, where fans will find their first opportunity to own a copy of the new release. There will also be multiple CD release shows spanning all of New England. The skull-crushing sounds of Dead Season are courtesy of Ian Truman (vocals), Matt Truman (guitar), Martin Nadeau (drums) and a yet-unnamed new bass player. In addition, the band spared no expense for their loyal Dead Season army by having the new material mastered at none other than Bob Ludwig's Gateway Mastering Studio. Maine-based The Sauce, previous winners of 2001's WMPG Bluntfest Battle of the Bands, were at Big Sound's studios to cut new tracks for their new album, tentatively set for release this winter according to the band. Four piece The Sauce is comprised of Kevin Broydrick, Adam Tinkle, Nick Place, and Sam Peisner. Jaded recently came into Big Sound to mix a song entitled "Get Up". Jaded is a 4 piece all-female heavy metal band based in the Boston area. These self-described "metal maidens of steel" recently spent four weeks at #1 on Electric Eye Radio, as well as were featured at the "Rock and Awe" Festival in Sutton, MA. Also at Big Sound, modern rock band Lost On Liftoff, formerly Spacesuit, continued work on four new songs for their future full-length release...more updates on them as the album progresses! On the horizon for Big Sound are Ryan McCalmon, On The Outside, Adam Flaherty, The Calypso Soldiers and more. Stay tuned!
June 2005 Our most recent production schedule again includes a broad array of the region's most prominent artists. Fresh in our minds is the anticipation arising from the recent sessions of the Portland based four-member hardcore act Loki. The band spent late May at Big Sound tracking and mixing songs for their new currently untitled album. The new disc is slated for a July release according to frontman JT (vocals). Loki is also comprised of Boyer (guitars), Lube (bass), and Twitch (drums). Also sessioning recently with us are the pop rock favorites As Fast As. The band has been maintaining a vigorous tour pace as of late playing in literally every corner of the country with The Wonder Stuff. May found the band working at Big Sound in addition to live performances and interviews on the national cable network for kids, Nickelodeon. Add in 4 nominations for 4 different 2005 local music awards and extended periods of time on the best-selling local albums chart and As Fast As's elevated level of popularity becomes easily understood. Coming soon to Big Sound will be the sessions of the central Maine hardcore masters Dead Season. Fans of the group expect the 2004 winners of the WTOS 105.1 FM Battle of the Bands to effectively mobilize their loyal Dead Season Army to help them carry on the fight.
May 2005
Also sessioning at Big Sound is the 4 member Machias, Maine based classic rock band Pushing Zero. The band spent early last year at Big Sound putting the final finishing touches on their first EP The Chosen. Songs off that disc including Day Turns To Night and Pain received a significant amount of airplay on local rock radio in addition to spending time in the top ten best selling local albums in the region. 2005 finds the band back at Big Sound recording their new currently untitled 6 song disc for release later this year. In addition, Pushing Zero will make 2 singles which include the song Wage War available for download off the band's website. More sessions at Big Sound include the 4 member alternative metal band Third Floor View (formerly Stange Daze). The band spent time at Big Sound tracking and mixing their new record entitled The Innocent Routine. The album is slated for release on June 2nd. More current or upcoming sessions at Big Sound include The Frotus Caper, High Fiving White Guys, Diesel Doug and the Long Haul Truckers, and Dead Season.
April 2005 Big Sound Productions and Studios in Greater Portland kept busy throughout March cranking out the Portland-based hardcore band Blue Collar Product's new currently untitled disc. A band who really needs no introduction, Blue Collar Product, formed in 1995, has a 10-year history of devastation in this region attributable to their wall of thick chunky chords and politically charged lyrics. In 2003 BCP's first full length, Bloodlines, continued the legacy of hardcore excellence and now March '05 finds the band at Big Sound tracking and mixing their new highly anticipated 5 song EP. The tracks are entitled This Life, Locked Out, Be Your Own Man, These Colors, and Reunited. BCP, having played Homegrown on WTOS 105.1 FM in the past is lookng to have axes to grind at the next WTOS Battle of the Bands. The band hopes that a win at the WTOS sponsored event along with the release of their new album will garner them the radio airplay and label support that they deserve. Blue Collar Product is comprised of Eric Delage (vocals), Jeff Delage (guitars), Rick Berube (guitars), Brendan McVeigh (bass), and SPLATT (Matt Delage, drums). The band can't wait to release the new EP and promises it will be amazing and worth the wait. The destruction is expected to begin on July 1 with a huge CD release party at the Asylum in Portland, Maine. Also at Big Sound is the brand new 4 member modern rock band Spacesuit. Formed in August '04 this new group is currently halfway through tracking and mixing a 3 song demo at Big Sound for promotional purposes in addition to being used on a future album. The tracks are currently entitled Naked and Wasted, Maybe You're Right, and Forty Miles. Spacesuit consists of Nick Lambert (vocals and guitar) and Dan Walsh (bass) both from the Boston band Chaos Twin, Shane Kinney (drums) of Broken Clown fame, and Mike Hamlin (guitar) from Peepshow. The band promises great melodic and hook laden radio rock in addition to live performances very soon. Big Sound has also been recording a major project by native Bostonian and Berklee graduate Mike Beck. Stylistically Mike Beck's arrangements and performances are based on accoustic guitar incorporating elements of folk, rock, and rhythm and blues. Mike Beck has spent serious time at Big Sound in recent months striving for excellence in what he believes is a musician's greatest challenge, creating the well written song. Other current and upcoming sessions at Big Sound include Our Last Stand, Third Floor View, Free Refills, and Dead Season.
March 2005 
Big Sound Productions and Studios in greater Portland again found a veritable "pot of gold" overflowing with some of the most accomplished musicians in the region and beyond. The 2003 winners of the local award for Best New Band, Pete Kilpatrick's four member rock group (formerly The Pete Kilpatrick Supergroup) spent early February mixing their upcoming album entitled Yesterday Love. This latest record was mastered at none other than Bob Ludwig's Gateway Mastering Studios, which is no surprise for a band this serious about their music. In the recent past, Kilpatrick's prior album Half Way Home (completed at Big Sound in October 2003) has received significant airplay on WCLZ (98.9 FM) and WCYY (94.3 FM). The album also charted for an amazing five months in the top ten best selling local albums. Kilpatrick is planning a series of CD release shows for Yesterday Love, including March 25 (9 PM) and March 27 (5 PM, all ages) at the Big Easy in Portland, Maine. Yesterday Love will be available in stores March 22. In addition, look for the new album's title track to air on local rock radio in the very near future. Also having recorded at Big Sound recently are the Kingfield, Maine based hardcore band On The Outside. The band finished recording a five track self-titled EP of their new songs Chip On My Shoulder, Broken Never Hopeless, Day In Day Out, Everything I Used To Be, and No Place To Call Home. With the album's release taking place only within the last few weeks, the band will be touring the east coast almost immediately. On The Outside is comprised of Kyle Tranton (vocals), Nate Manning (drums), Steve Scala (guitar) and Marcus Bailey (bass). The Paranoid Social Club could also be heard in the studios at Big Sound lately. The trio was recently signed to the new label ON Entertainment, which incorporates former senior-level industry professionals responsible for guiding the careers of major label acts such as Three Doors Down, Creed and Maroon 5. PSC sessioned in February, recording rhythm tracks for a new song reportedly entitled Chocolate. The band is also currently re-mixing songs from their many other prior sessions at Big Sound (Axis III) with major label engineers (who have worked with artists Outcast and Prince) in preparation for the Paranoid Social Club's first major label record. Expect a release of this currently untitled album sometime in the spring. Also sessioning at Big Sound is the five-member groove-based funk rock band Kingpin Wrecking Crew. The Wrecking Crew spent time mixing two songs entitled Burn The Bridges and What Tomorrow Brings to add to their arsenal. Two years ago the band received consistent airplay over the course of a year of their prior full-length album on "Spinout" (on WCYY 94.3 FM). Other current and upcoming sessions at Big Sound include more from Mike Beck, Seekonk, Our Last Stand and Space Suit. Stay tuned for the next big sounds!
February 2005 
Big Sound Productions & Studios in greater Portland, Maine has been contending with a major influx of talent as of late, citing some newer faces amongst their mainstay of major regional bands. Currently topping their session calendars is the 19-year-old Saco, Maine based artist, Kyle Gervais and his new band. While the name may seem unfamiliar at first, local music fans may recognize this young musician's hefty list of accomplishments. Kyle performed bass and vocals with Thornton Academy's Glory Trap who played a professional 25-minute set to a packed house in the 18th Annual 2002 Reindeer Records' Rock-Off at McAuley Performing Arts Center in Portland. Glory Trap placed in the top three in 8 out of 11 judged categories, edging out 21 other bands to win the title of Best High School Band. After his contribution to Glory Trap, Kyle founded a second band, The Check. This band placed first in the Maine Mall leg of yet another battle of the bands. This particular rock-off was held in 40 locations nationwide in order to choose a band to represent the national Got Milk ? promotion. However, Kyle's current band Cosades, also comprised of 20-year-old Nate Carll (guitar) and 19-year-old Chris Boivin (drums), is perhaps his greatest musical accomplishment to date. On November 30th, 2004 Cosades released what was described as a "little 4-track EP" entitled Something Rhymes With Orange. The great accomplishment part of all this is that the EP, in the first two weeks of December with almost no promotion, placed fourth in sales of the top ten local releases. Cosades beat out a number of longstanding major regional acts, such as Jeremiah Freed (Slowburn), Paranoid Social Club (Axis ll), Stars Look Down (self-titled) and GFAC 207 Volume 4! January 2005 found Cosades finishing up tracking a very professional 10-track album at Big Sound. The album, entitled A Lack Of Heroine, is slated for an early April release with shows planned for March and April at the Asylum and The Station. Check out the songs Wine Drenched and Eggshell at one of Cosades' shows, or when the album launches.
Big Sound has also seen many other notable artists stepping in front of their microphones in recent times such as Seth Werman, On The Outside and Michael Beck. Big Sound is also looking forward to the introduction of more new faces such as Free Refills...and Pete Kilpatrick and Headstart! return to the studio this month.
January 2005 
Early January at Big Sound saw the anticipated return of one of the most original acts in recent memory. Animal Suit Driveby is a 5 member alternative rock band from Hampden, Maine that flawlessly mixes heavy rock guitar with sax and trombone. The band is comprised of Ryan Hannan (lead guitar,vocals), Chris Michaud (sax, vocals), Dan Lafayette (trombone), Trevor Geaghan (bass), and Jeremy Yehle (drums). This talented group earned the opportunity to share the stage with national superstar acts such as Story of the Year and the Exies at the recent WCYY Holiday Bizarre at the State Theater in Portland, Maine. Animal Suit's recent Big Sound sessions yielded 3 strong tracks (Book of Love Sories, Bottom Feeder, Sugar Pills) for their upcoming presently untitled 5 song EP. The new disc is projected to be released Feburary 18th at a record release party at The Station in Union Station Plaza in Portland, Maine. Keep up the good work, Jonathan!
December 2004 
Big Sound Productions and Studios in greater Portland, ME is once again enjoying the opportunity to host the likes of engineer and producer Lance Vardis, who is renowned for his masterful audio wizardry.Vardis is also known for his involvement with CSP Mobile Productions, a leader in its field that has recorded a plethora of live national acts such as U2, Godsmack, and Good Charlotte.Lance was at home utilizing Big Sound's consoles and his years of formidable audio engineering expertise to track and mix a project for Nashville, TN songwriter Bruce Yates.A seasoned music industry veteran, Yates is also the head of Electrolite Records. In addition, he is the executive producer as well as the writer of this brilliantly produced song.This professional composition has a decidedly country western flavor with seamless vocals performed by Susan Seavy.If this track is any indication of things to come, Big Sound is eager to hear more from Bruce Yates in the very near future.Also sessioning at Big Sound recently was The Murder Weapon.Just weeks after their first show this new band battled to become the first place winners in the 2004 annual Broad Bay Battle of the Bands in Waldoboro, ME.They didn't walk away empty handed either, as first place earned this four piece jazz rock ensemble the gift that keeps on rocking... one day of recording at the pro level at Big Sound Studios.The Murder Weapon made fantastic use of the whole experience as they now have a quality four song EP in their arsenal.
November 2004 
Big Sound Productions and Studios again has its plate piled high with a veritable feast of artists and happenings. The first course is an exciting new project by President and CEO of Four Winds Pictures, Inc., Drew Grindstaff. Drew sessioned at Big Sound recently, and composed one song for radio release and distribution, nationwide and in the UK. The song, engineered by Jack Murray, will be a driving tribute to military personnel everywhere with fifty percent of the proceeds going to dependents of fallen soldiers. We can scarcely imagine a more noble cause. The song is expected to be released in early November. Grindstaff is also the producer and screenwriter of The Presence for Miramax Films, which is currently in development, but he expects the production to commence later this year. The novel is currently under consideration by a major publisher as well. The Presence is a film franchise, with three installments anticipated. Want seconds? How about the new self titled album by Stars Look Down? You may remember Big Sound first announced their major recording sessions in the August Studio News. This dark masterpiece was recently unveiled at a blow-out CD release party on October 21st at the Big Easy in Portland, Maine. Stars Look Down is comprised of frontman Trent Gay (vocals), Brian Nickerson (drums), and Dan Bodoff (bass). In addition, Zach Romanoff from the band Matraya, who recorded their disc at Big Sound in late March, is currently wielding an axe for Stars Look Down's live gigs. This could definitely pay off for Romanoff in the long run. Also, their first single, "Pulse", is currently in rotation on WCYY 94.3 FM. Definitely call and request it and hear for yourself.
And finally, dessert. The staff at Big Sound wishes to congratulate production coordinator and engineer Seth Fenn who has been involved with Big Sound over the past year. Seth, who has worked as 2nd engineer with music legends such as Eddie Kramer (Kiss, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones), James Porte (Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jackson), and John Thomas (P. Diddy), will soon be reprising his role as personal assistant and engineer for 5 time Grammy Award winner and 3 time platinum selling artist Lauryn Hill. Staffers are sure he'll be looking forward to the upcoming tour even more then they are! You may now loosen your belt, excuse yourself, and take a nap. Now aren't you glad you didn't fill up on salad?
October 2004 
Big Sound in Westbrook, Maine is having its usual harvest of musical success. After serving up the heaviest rock bands in the region one after another all year long, Big Sound Productions and Studios informs us that this seems to be "attack of the killer solo artist" month. Big Sound was honored to host none other than Mississippi blues legend, Little Milton. Milton Campbell received a Grammy Award nomination in 2000. Prior to that, in 1988, he won the W. C. Handy Blues Entertainer of the Year Award, and he was inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame! Little Milton also wrote the song The Blues Is Alright considered to be the blues anthem. All these prestigous awards, many chart topping albums, and an ongoing distinguished career of influencial blues music should make anyone curious as to what these sessions must be like. Little Milton began work tracking vocals, keyboards,and drums at Big Sound in mid-September. Also at Big Sound this month was solo artist Kevin Roper. Kevin visited Big Sound in late May for some serious tracking and returned recently to do the final mixing and mastering for his album. The eleven track album entitled Brand New Town is projected for release sometime in late October. Engineered by Jack Murray, the album promises to be a fantastic mix possessing elements from pop rock to blues. Also the band Now Transmission's new disc is about 90% complete. The band, who spent multiple days tracking a month and a half ago, returned for touch ups and has now started on the mixing process. The presently untitled album, also engineered by Jack Murray, is expected to contain five serious rock tracks. No projected release date is available yet. Big Sound would like to congratulate the band Dead Season, who recorded their album Down Again at Big Sound in May, for winning the recent WTOS 105.1 FM 2004 Battle of the Bands on August 15! They were up against some stiff competition such as Pushing Zero, Kaining Amy and Sandbag. Most of the bands were Big Sound recording veterans with the discs to prove it... awesome. Solo artist Mark Rankin's new ten track album Strength To Carry On has been available at Bull Moose Music for several weeks. Mixing and mastering were completed recently at Big Sound. Definitely check it out if you haven't already. And, one final note, Big Sound executives got a special treat when they found the opportunity to chat with Royston Langdon of The Quick who were featured in Good Times September Maine Sounds. The Quick is comprised of members of Blind Mellon and Spacehog, and Royston, aka Liv Tyler's husband, graciously gave an autographed disc to Cheryl Hoyt, President of Big Sound, at a recent Big Easy show in Portland, ME on August 27th...very cool.
September 2004 We are continuing on with the most successful summer in the company's history. The bookings have consistently been heavy, and the music has been cranking nearly nonstop. Currently at the forefront of it all is solo artist Mark Rankin. It was Big Sound's pleasure to host Mark recently, who mixed his new album in late July, and came back to have it mastered in mid August. The album entitled "Strength to Carry On" will be released this month and is promised to be Mark Rankin's very cool early Christmas gift for us all as well as being the perfect showcase for Mark's amazing musicianship and talent. Also topping the roster at Big Sound was Now Transmission who tracked and mixed at the end of July and the beginning of August. No word on a title or a release date yet, but we definitely are looking forward to the release of the new disk. The awesomely heavy IC Gyro could be heard resonating through the halls of Big Sound in early August as Randy Wilbur and the band stepped up to do some tracking for their next CD. No news yet on a projected release date unfortunately. New Hampshire solo artist Kelly Carpenter returned to Big Sound in early August to continue work on her music as well. Other recent artists include Animal Suit Driveby who tracked and mixed in mid August for their next album. The Leftovers also sessioned at Big Sound in mid August. They look to gear up for a November 30th launch of their next disc. Also on the docket is the band In The Arms of Providence who stopped by to do some tracking and mixing in late August. In The Arms of Providence is expecting to release a 4 track EP in December. Big Sound also wants you to stay tuned for more info on the many kick ass Stars Look Down (formerly Trailor) sessions that took place at the end of July and in to August. No word on a release date or album title, but we are dying to sink our teeth into this disk, and we cannot help but be curious to hear what the band has in store for us all. And it seems that the Big Sound boss has returned from Los Angeles. From what we can gather the entire voyage was well worth it. All the gathered information and media is still being processed so Big Sound can't comment as yet on the nature of what transpired. We're almost positive they must have grabbed lots of killer photos though! To sum it up, Big Sound wants everyone to stay tuned for the major developments on the west coast in the months to come.
August 2004 Big Sound in Westbrook, Maine's session calendars continue to literally bulge at the seams with a seemingly unending supply of talent. Topping the roster this month is Even All Out who tracked in mid July. What can we say about this other than we're spinning the first disk and greedily awaiting the second offering. Also in mid July, Bad Larry, a Rhode Island ska band, kicked major brass at Big Sound with an ambitious project. We heard punk, we heard rock, and we heard an infusion of brass instruments! The thirteen track album entitled "No Deal" is projected for release in mid August. Big Sound's engineer, Jack, is the man! "Every idea we came to the studio with came through and clicked," says Bad Larry front man Paul Giammarco. Big Sound hasn't heard anything like it and neither have you. If metal is your master then Big Sound definitely wants you to check out Dead Season's new album. The album entitled "Down Again" was completed in late May at Big Sound, and was released recently with a record release party on July 16th at the Asylum in Portland, Maine. Burn The Children, another metal band, sessioned in early July. No news on their projected release date yet, but with a drum kit the size of a mini-van, you know these boys are going to hit hard! And let's not forget Cyanide Sky who are going to be infiltrating Big Sound in mid to late July. Big Sound is also looking forward to iconic solo artist Mark Rankin's sessions. Mark will be returning to Big Sound in late July to do major work on his next upcoming album. We're betting this will be his best yet and we can not wait. More upcoming and recent sessions include New Hampshire solo artist Kelly Carpenter. Also coming soon to Big Sound, is that major project from the band Trailor that Big Sound warned us about in Good Times July Studio News. Big Sound President & owner, Cheryl Hoyt, recently found an opportunity to chat with Trent Gay, who informed her that a change in band name may be looming over the horizon. Reportedly, the new name will be "Stars Look Down". Big Sound wishes Trent and the band well in their future successes. This project has generated a tremendous amount of curiosity, but regardless of the buzz, the end result will be nothing short of spectacular with musicianship and quality equal to and surpassing many national acts! And finally, Now Transmission gets set to work at the end of July along with the many others we don't have space for! Oh, and it seems the Big Sound boss is psyched about a little excursion to Los Angeles at the end of the month... wonder why?
July 2004 Big Sound is psyched to announce all the recent happenings and upcoming killer artists who continue mixing it up at the popular studio. Since late spring, some of the highlights include that musical juggernaut, The Paranoid Social Club, who finished up in early May with a release of their new double album "Axis III and I" on June 8, 2004. The result of this effort is unbelievable in that the album is flying off the shelves and the airplay of the single "Two Girls" is near constant and literally burning up the airwaves on WCYY! And Headstart! is at it again! It seems Kevin Kennie and company are looking to get ... well, a headstart on their new record by having laid down brand new stuff at Big Sound in late May. If "Do This" and "Choke You Out" are any indication, this one's definitely going to be cool! Also at Big Sound in mid July, is the invincible Even All Out. You remember those guys, right? That little album they did called "Things I Forgot To Say"? Remember when that song "Written It Off" totally kicked our asses? That was cool. Want to know what else is cool? Ry Cook and the band want to kick our asses again! Even All Out will be tracking at Big Sound in mid July for what is expected to be a hit of mammouth proportions. "We expect nothing less from the number one most requested band on WCYY in 2003, and one of the top 20 unsigned bands in the country!", says Big Sound's owner, Cheryl Hoyt. Also putting in serious studio time at Big Sound in early May were Spencer Albee and crew (As Fast As), laying down tracks for a projected release sometime in mid July. The Pete Kilpatrick Supergroup spent some good times at Big Sound in mid June for their highly anticipated new album. Also on the Big Sound roster in mid June was Pushing Zero, the subject of Good Times' June Maine Spotlight. Definitely check out their EP, The Chosen, if you haven't already. The songs "Pain" and "Day Turns To Night" are pushing them forward on local rock radio. Coby Carlucci and Tractor Trailer, a Boston based band, spent time mixing in mid May for an upcoming record. The popular Rhode Island ska band, Bad Larry, will be getting bad at Big Sound in mid July. Also at Big Sound in late July and early August is a major project from the band Trailor. Front man Trent Gay and bandmates are sparing no expense to ensure that their next album is totally buzzworthy! And let's not forget Now Transmission, who sessioned some serious work the first week of August. (This is one transmission that will create major waves.) Wow! Take a deep breath. More upcoming and recent sessions include Mark Rankin, singer songwriter extraordinaire, Animal Suit Driveby, Ben Burgess Band, Burn The Children, Dead Season, Loki (another recent Battle of the Bands winner in Bangor, ME), Matraya, Now Is Now, Ransom, Rockdox, and Sandbag (recorded their material to submit to WTOS for an upcoming Battle of the Bands). Keep your ears tuned for the many artists and projects coming your way; Big Sound is big time busy, and there is much more to come!
June 2004 Kennebunk natives ACTA NON VERBA cleaned house at a battle of the bands in Kennebunkport supporting Caring Unlimited and York County's Domestic Violence program. This battle of the bands was sponsored by BullMooseRecords and, of course, your own Big Sound Productions and Studios. Their prizes included opening a show for Jeremiah Freed in the near future and some recording time here at the studios. The band was in here in early in June to record a demo which hopefully will lead to a full length later in the year. The product turned out to be a 21 minute 4 song original masterpiece, tracked in one take!!! Yes one take! Check out the article in the York County Coast Star.
May 2004 Bumstock was a smash hit this year up at The University of Maine at Orono. Despite some cold weather, Big Sound bands were representing in full force. Check out the Bumstock website for info on all the bands that were there.
April 2004 Lot's of great bands have been showing up on the doorstep of Big Sound lately. A very packed schedule has really kept us on our toes. Here are a few of the recent highlights: Up and coming Portland rock act LOKI recently came in to do some work on a 3 song demo. On the 3rd of April LOKI entered the Battle of the Bands in Orono, ME where they took home top honors. This means they will be joining the stage at UMO's Bumstock on 4/24 with EVE6, Jeremiah Freed, Even All Out, As Fast As, Headstart and 6gig. Northern Maine's Rock Dox were in the studio earlier this month and tracked 11 songs in essentially 4 days with 1 day of mixing and 1 day of mastering. HOUSE CALL is the result, and already their first single "Never Fade Away" has gotten some radio airplay on WCXU (97.7, 102.3 & 103.1 fm). Kaiulani Kimbrell recently finished a 3 song demo displaying an amazing amount of singer songwriter talent. Check out her website for mp3's of that demo. ANIMAL SUIT DRIVEBY, A Bangor Area Ska influenced Rock band is making some serious waves throughout Maine since recording their 3 song Demo last month. WCYY played their first single on Spinout April 8th. They will be back at Big Sound next month to work on turning that demo into a full length album. Check back soon!!!!!
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