american

Often tagged as garage-rock revivalists, the Fleshtones mix the fuzz-guitar and Farfisa organ sounds of that genre with rockabilly, '50s and '60s R&B, and surf into a potent retro stew the group likes to call "Super Rock." The group formed in 1976 in Queens with vocalist/keyboardist Peter Zaremba, guitarist Keith Streng, bassist Jan Marek Pukulski, and drummer Bill Milhizer and aimed to return rock and roll to the simplicity and unself-consciousness of the '50s and early-'60s. (The group was often joined on-stage and in the studio by sax player Gordon Spaeth, who passed on in 2005.

Brian was born November 12, 1943, in Brooklyn/Queens, New York City, where his first musical experience ranged from church choir at nine, to clarinet and guitar, to his first local harmony group, the Delfis. In 1959, they cut a demo record and made the rounds of New York City record labels. Finally, with much persistence, after many closed doors, Brian was signed as a solo artist to a management contract, where he cut demos for band leader Sammy Kaye's publishing company. Kapp Records heard a demo and signed Brian at age 16.

Soundgarden is a Seattle rock band who helped to define the sound that came to be called grunge. Despite starting years earlier, and having a sound that more closely resembled Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin than their contemporaries, they are usually considered one of the "big four" of the '90s Seattle grunge bands, along with Alice in Chains, Nirvana and Pearl Jam. The band was formed in 1984 by Chris Cornell (vocals, and originally drums) and Hiro Yamamoto (bass), to be joined later by Kim Thayil (guitar) and Scott Sundquist (drums).

After coming off the road in mid-2005, following months of touring in support of their Triple Crown debut, Lafcadio, from Long Island, New York, United States the band As Tall As Lions – vocalist/guitarist Daniel Nigro, guitarist Saen Fitzgerald, bassist Julio Tavarez and drummer Cliff Sarcona – spent more than half a year channeling their energies into crafting an album that would not only realize the lofty ambitions of these four young men but define them as a band, once and for all.