Dave Rave

New York 3-piece The Relatives play a moving (and grooving), lo-fi folk rock, full of depth, wit and respectful nods back in music history.

Sassy and saucy, wistful and dreamy, San Francisco's indie-pop sweethearts The Corner Laughers combine rock-and-roll attitude with book smarts and open hearts to create a sound all their own. "Smart, bubbly pop ... The Corner Laughers' Ultraviolet Garden cuts studs its sugary hooks with quiz bowl vocabulary and surreal imagery. The tunes are airy, breezy and laced with unexpected lyrical twists ... Their second album, produced by the Orange Peels' Allen Clapp, puts a 1960s sheen onto conflicted, ebullient and intricately intelligent girl pop. All these songs are bright, sardonic, and without a trace of self pity, bouncing along on unstoppable beats and irresistible girls-rule harmonies." -- Blurt Magazine

The American Professionals take character flaws, guilt, and a dash of hope and spread them out like sweet marmalade on a piece of crunchy, pop toast. You get all your RDA recommended allotment of procrastination, self-indulgence and low self esteem and still get to savor the joys of catchy melodies, grinding guitars, and fluffy billows of lush harmony.

"Hey, if you're going to be condemned to a life of committing sins of omission, at least you can do it from your Barcalounger..."

Behind the suspiciously vague band name The American Professionals, lurks songwriter/musician/producer Chuck Lindo. Having spent a number of years in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Midwest as bass player, guitar player, and backing singer for numerous bands, Chuck finally chose to loosen the strings on his little bag of tunes he'd been filling up. In January 2003, it was time to step out and take his turn in the spotlight for a while and give it a go as a bandleader and front man. He brought on longtime friend and studio whiz Patrick Conway to begin work on recordings at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco.

The result of their efforts, the ever-so-slightly cynically titled "Faking It", was completed in December of '03 and is due to be released on San Francisco indie label Ethic Recordings in August '04.

Aside from Gregg Anderson's drumming, Chuck played all the instruments himself and performed all the lead and backing vocals. "In every recording I've ever done, I always tried to get as many over-the -top backing vocals in there as humanly possible. But when it's not my record, I eventually have to back down and shut up." says Lindo, " I guess there was nobody there to say 'no' this time..."

"Faking It" is a unapologetically diverse collection of songs, ranging from the initial full-bore octave guitar heroics of the opening track "Fade It On", to the stark single guitar/vocal during the verses in "Big Surprise". " I didn't set out so much to make the most eclectic record possible, but I also didn't shy away from any songs because they didn't fit into a particular format", says Chuck. Conway assured him that no matter what they committed to tape, it would all be tied together by the common thread of Chuck's vocals. "It worked, as far as I can tell", Chuck reports. " I got a little worried there for a minute. I didn't want to come off like the ADD poster boy that most of my friends think I am. But since I'd come up with most of these songs over a long period of time, it was inevitable that there'd be some range of personality to them."

When not layering too many of himself on his own material, Chuck Lindo serves as guitar player and backing singer for indie rock favorites Actionslacks. "I get the best of everything with these two situations" he states. "In the 'Slacks I get to be a band member and collaborator. I don't have to totally define the sound or direction of the band, but rather be just another part of what makes it tick". However, with the American Professionals he says, "It's all about my twisted little idea of what's good."