http://www.yesweekly.com/articles.sec-302-1-band-of-the-week.html The family tree of Josh and Trevor Booth is filled with artists of all breeds. Most recently, their father was a member of Backyard Tea, which found some regional success in the '60s and '70s. The lineage, however, began with a great, great, great uncle by the name of John Wilkes Booth who was an acclaimed actor in his time. ]]> If there%uFFFDs anything that a funk musician can learn from James Brown (and there are a few things), it%uFFFDs that it takes just a little bit more work to be successful playing funk music than with other musical genera. The Godfather himself earned the title. ]]> It%uFFFDs easy to believe that buying and listening to an album will provide a fan with enough information to form an opinion on the band. After all, it%uFFFDs a reasonable assumption that artists wish to be defined by the music that they make. ]]> Thanks in large part to that inexplicable quality, his road into country music stardom has been anything but bumpy. Though he describes himself as just a laid-back Southern guy from Greensboro, that road has been one that should invoke at least a small sense of envy in most. ]]> Chris Jackson probably won%uFFFDt be the first to tell you that putting out music as a small but up-and-coming band is a lot different today than how it used to be. We%uFFFDre so far into the digital age now that the last time most music fans actually set foot in a brick-and-mortar music store is but a distant memory. ]]> They don%uFFFDt actually consider themselves a punk band, but Electromatic is truly thankful for the alternative music scene that supports other bands of that nature. It has, after all, given them assurance of not just places to make a name for themselves, but a place to crash while on the road. ]]> They already had material prepped and ready to lay down, but that%uFFFDs about the time that everything started to go wrong. Arguably the most important thing for any touring act to have is transportation and when Urban%uFFFDs tour bus at the time blew three cylinders, it was like the band suddenly crashed into a brick wall. ]]> When asked how they formed, or how they chose the name of their band, I was given a vague reply from lead vocalist Jon Murray: %uFFFDThere is a somewhat complicated story, but basically we all like a lot of CS Lewis stuff.%uFFFD Simple enough I suppose. ]]> Lead guitarist Evan Bloom was in the middle of a gig when his phone lit up and caught his eye from the stage. It was the hospital informing him his wife was going into labor. Now, when I say “in the middle of a gig,” I don’t mean they were at a venue loading in or schmoozing with fans… I mean they were in the middle of a song. ]]> Probably the most popular local band sticker one may spot in the Triad is that of Filthybird (www.myspace.com/filthybird). Originally, they commenced as a two piece for the first two and a half years, comprised of Renee Mendoza (vocals, pianos, guitar), and Brian Haran (guitars, keys, sounds). ]]> albums out of North Carolina. The album was lyrically composed mostly by Smith, but contains the general message and efforts of all three members, outlining themes of environmental and political issues. They all are huge supporters of community involvement, such as co-ops. ]]> On their way to play a show in Wilmington, the band has been driving for a few hours before they hear a worried voice crack, “Uh… guys? Guys?!” Everyone turns their heads back to guitarist Dave Godwin who sits with an uneasy smirk and crooked halo above his head. ]]> “A woman, somewhat intoxicated, grabs the microphone and starts chanting ‘Sixty Eight Months! Sixty Eight Months!’ to the crowd. The first few times it was funny… but after the seventh or eighth time, we had to kindly let her know that it was not the name of our band. ]]> Tommy LaCombe, owner of Tragic Hero, knew exactly what he was doing. and why. when he signed Yearling to his North Carolina record label (www.myspace.com/tragicherorecords). Since the signatures hit paper, Yearling has been hitting stages nonstop, sent off on national tours and, recently, even further — Japan. ]]>