2nd Hand Stone Biography
Name the last important band to come out of west central Wisconsin. You can't, can you, because there haven't been any...until now. Let me introduce you to 2nd Hand Stone, a 4 piece rock group hailing from Eau Claire, WI (pop.70,000), about 100 miles east of Minneapolis. With their songs full of melodic hooks and straight to the heart lyrics, these guys could take over the radio in the near future if given the chance.
2nd Hand Stone started about 4 years ago as a cover band with Sam Martin on vocals/rhythm guitar and Luke Chase on the lead axe/backup vocs. Tiring of the bar-band scene, they started to write their own stuff. The fuse was lit-and there was no looking back. Their catchy songs, ranging from straight-up dirty rockers to acoustic based pop-rock-all with hum-out-loud guitar solos and incredible lyrics-quickly attracted local players, bassist Paul Mitchell and drummer Jason Price. Months were spent honing the music until they were ready to record their demo in the fall of 2002. Finally in the spring of 2003 their self-titled and self-produced CD was ready.
This impressive demo soon led to numerous gigs in the Twin Cities and even a main stage performance at Rock Fest and a side stage show at Summer Jam (both large music festivals in the area, attended by thousands). The Word On The Street, a prominent local music rag, gave the CD a glowing review, "For a change, I actually had a good time listening to a CD." The program director of a local radio station, WLFK 107.9, liked their stuff so much he added the first 5 songs off the album to his frequent playlist THE DAY AFTER HE GOT IT!!! They also handily won the "Monday Night Mudbath", a weekly on-air competition pitting bands against one another on another local rock station (WDRK 99.9) with "Mullet", their hilarious tribute to an under-appreciated hairstyle.
"Breathe", an ode to the anger a helpless son feels watching a disease take his dad (inspired by Sam's father's death from cancer), grabs the listener from the opening tour-de-force riff to the first line of the song, "I've been screwed, cheated on time I had with you". And this is only one of the powerful tunes that address pretty serious subjects on their CD. "Leave the Light On" takes aim at teenage suicide, arguing, "Don't you ever make your decisions in the dark, won't you stay with me until the dawn, we'll leave the light on." "Dead Stars", inspired by the death of Kurt Cobain, traces the rise and fall of a superstar and what the next generation can learn from it all.
It ain't all serious, though. Just listen to the catchy radio-ready sounds of "Make It Out Alive", "Be There", and "Runaway", all of them addressing relationships in different ways with hooks galore! "Look at You" has been known to make girls cry when they hear the story behind it; and let's not forget "Freestyle", an anthem to individuality that states, "...conformity is highly overrated, and the ones that care are properly sedated..." These are songs everyone can relate to cuz they're songs about LIFE, both the joys and the dark places we all sometimes go.
But can they pull it off live? You bet they can! In fact, to truly appreciate the talent in this group, one must attend a live show. You'll be an instant fan! "...they truly bring the essence of the recordings to the stage..." states The Word On The Street.
Whether it's Sam's voice (think Rob Thomas with better range), Luke's guitar solos, or the tight rhythm section provided by Paul and Jason, once you hear 2nd Hand Stone, you'll be HOOKED!!! Their goal? "To ROCK, that's it!"
Contact:
www.2ndhandstone.com or Sam Martin at 715-723-8329
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.2ndhandstone.comTrack List:
1. Freestyle
2. Be There
3. Make It Out Alive
4. Breathe
5. Leave the Light On
6. Addiction
7. Explode
8. Without You
9. Runaway
10. Mullet
11. Dead Stars
12. Look At You
13. With You
Suggested CDs:
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