Other Bands

The maturity displayed in the musicianship of The Brew excites eager audiences. On any given night fans are left feeling that they are part of something special. The Brew appeals to rock, funk, jam, jazz, reggae, and pop enthusiasts alike, and it has been said that their music summons the spirits of artists such as Peter Gabriel, Queen, and The Police. In October The Brew will begin work on a follow up to their first album with famed producer/musician Bobby Read, scheduled for a 2008 release.

When on stage, the band's mission is to make each and every person in the crowd move to the sounds they lay down from deep thumping funk to smooth grooving soul....and then leave them awestruck after a breathtaking solo or vocal flourish .

With front man Brian Williams' powerful voice and the incomparable talent of each musician, The Blue Method are on their way to becoming one of the finest funk outfits in the country.

What people had to say about Kill The Music: Volume 1:

"If Quentin Tarantino ever did a remake of Superfly, he would probably get The Blue Method to do it....I bet they put on one hell of a live show. Good Stuff!" - Robie from The Home Grown Music Network

"The Blue Method make the same kind of music the Derek Trucks Band do when the latter aren't courting the ghosts of Sun Ra and John Coltrane -- that is, tasteful, organic, and soulful rhythm and blues. Appending "vol. 1" to the title of their debut is ambitious, but the music on Kill the Music is dang unassuming. The grooves are sensuous, Brian Williams' vocals are heartfelt, and even the lyrics seem to work nicely within the confines of the genre. Williams' trumpet and Tom Long's saxophones and clarinet give the band a muscular, assured sound, while Luke O'Riley and Scott Stallones' keyboards give the band a double bed to lay their music atop. The album has depth, too, with the sweet-as-lemonade New Orleans fade-in of the swaying/swinging "Backporch." The Blue Method are funky and cool." - Jesse Jarnow from jambands.com

"If you've heard one funk band you've heard them all...unless of course you've heard The Blue Method. Philadelphia's finest new funk, The Blue Method, is a powerhouse of downtown heart, that demonstrates a strong legitimacy with their debut album, Kill The Music Vol 1.....The horns bring the songs alive, and the beats give it life, but it's Williams unpolished voice that makes their debut effort soar." - Eric Ward from glidemagazine.com

DVS & Chantel

~Highly dynamic, Beat driven electro-pop & soul duo~

Quickly becoming known for their slick production, conscious and crafty song writing, and epic live shows, DVS & Chantel have recently opened for Kanye West, G. Love, and Robert Randolph.  They have collaborated with DJ Logic, Billy Martin, Devotchka, Kid Beyond, Particle and the Lee Boys, and are also regularly featured on high traffic websites including MyCoke.com. 

As the core of the Colorado based modern funk outfit 8traC, DVS & Chantel have worked tirelessly for almost four years to evolve a sound that is exciting and diverse.  The husband/wife duo is now awing their fans with something fresh, new and exhilaratingly full.  (Recent 8traC performances include Aspen JazzFest, Wakarusa, and MTV's Spring into Vail).

Derek VanScoten a.k.a. DVS...

DVS, can be seen bouncing back and forth between a pair of laptops and a myriad of onstage guitars.  He is the best of many worlds - ultra intense sound designer meets raging live musician! Imagine fuzzed out funk lines, cleaned up R&B tones, acoustic orchestration, and turntable-esque scratching via 3 giant pedal boards.  DVS's guitar playing has the volcanic attitude of a rock n' roller who doesn't know any better saturated with a grace and intelligence of a truly seasoned artist.  A professional audio-engineer turned busy sideman/string-wiz, DVS has found his various tricks of the trade give him the "one-up" on both DJ's and live musicians.

Chantel Mead...

Chantel's voice resurrects emotion in a hard-edged world.  Experienced as both vocalist and performer, her style stems from a fusion of soaring British/rock melodies and urban/funk grooves.  From sultry lows to stratospheric highs; unassailable belting to rhythmic rhyming, Chantel's vocals are impassioned and rewardingly precise.  With life-infused, affirmative lyrics, it's quickly understood that Chantel draws from the empowered side of life.   On stage, she keeps it varied and exciting.  Often seen with 3 mics, Chantel combines straightforward vocals with effects and looping - all the while embellishing the beats on her SPD-S (drum sampler).  Variety with slick transitions saturate Chantel's style. Her training in both musical theater and classical voice comes forth with an urban edge garnered from life.

With a tastefully diverse sound and affinity for flexibility, DVS & Chantel offer both high energy, as well as dreamy intimate sets.  And, as seasoned improvisers, DVS & Chantel are often seen collaborating with many specials guests including various MCs, string and horn players, drummers, and DJs! The precision of electronic music rallied with the energy and soul of a live band is not to be missed in this compelling new duo!

Recent Acclaim:

*Chantel & 8traC are Featured Artists on MyCoke.com (FEB 2008)

*Chantel & 8traC are currently #1 in Jazz on OurStage.com

*DVS & Chantel were selected for Snocap's Digital Cafe Tour NY Live 2.0

*Chantel & 8traC are currently featured artits on Nimbit.com

*8traC's album "Falling Up" voted Westword Best of '06 (Denver CO)

*8traC's album "Falling Up" voted Hapi Skratch Entertainment Pop/Rock Album of 2006

*The song Uniform was featured on Adventure Record's Boulder Cuvee Compilation Vol. 3

*Chantel & 8traC are receiving Radio Airplay in over 15 countries

"Topping the sound is Chantel Mead, who's not just another hippie belter, as evidenced on "Into the Sun," which she croons with a sophistication beyond the capability of the area's many subpar Janis clones. These guys are tighter than the skin stretched across Joan Rivers' cheekbones!"

- Michael Roberts, THE WESTWORD - Denver, CO

"It's not unlike something Aretha might've done way back when she was roping in Grammy after Grammy, year after year."

- The Marquee Magazine - Boulder, CO

"A full fledged funk (group), 8traC blends jazz fusion and rolling funk grooves. Complicated instrumentation shows off the bands magical musicianship and powerful songwriting skills. ....I'm sure you'll dig their funky groove."

- J-Sin, Smother Magazine - Boulder, CO

"When it comes to creating beautiful, groove-based tunes teeming with texture and substance, Chantel and 8traC wear the crown."

- Rachel Hamilton, Adventure Records - Boulder, CO

"Original, expressive, soulful, and in the pocket! Chantel's love for music, people, and life shout out loud and clear through her lead vocals."

- Skip Reeves "A Funk Above the Rest Show" KUVO 89.3 - Denver, CO

"What a voice and power. A joy to look at as well. And not pretentious. For Chantel, I knew it was about the sound. Her presence, the voice, and the musicianship was what it was all about......"

- THE MOUNTAIN EAR - Nederland, CO

"Solid local funk bolstered by the soulful vocals of Chantel Mead."

- Vince Darcangelo, BOULDER WEEKLY - Boulder, CO

"Disco-tas-tic-funk-rock with soulful female vocals, and a sultry, laid back vibe."

- KUDOS Magazine, UK

Bonded like a family, the music has an unmistakable honesty and openness. They allow the joy of spontaneous creativity to color their song-based arrangements - neither losing their musical center, nor restricting its growth. With a blend of acoustic songwriting, funk, jazz and improvisation, this music is acoustic funk at its finest!

The free-spirited nature of the band shines brilliantly in their live performances and on their latest release All Your New Favorite Songs. Serving up blistering cuts of crunchy, groovy electricity, Speakeasy breaks through with the rock and roll swagger of true performers.

Native of New York and a second generation musician, he has been immersed in music since he was born. Taking cues from his father, a jazz musician and professor of music, Poogie has always had an inherent connection to music. As hard as it may be to believe, he started playing at the age of ten months old and made his concert debut when he was two and half at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Hall with his father. By the ripe old age of five he'd already appeared on The Mike Douglas Show with Pearl Bailey.

As a kid it wasn't unusual for Poogie to see the likes of drummer Max Roach, saxophonist Ornette Coleman, pianist Marylou Williams, and bassists Paul Chambers, Ron Carter and Richard Davis in his living room jammin' with his father. Growing up he hung out with fellow musicians Bobby Broom, Omar Hakim, Marcus Miller, Lenny White, Bernard Wright, and Weldon Irvine, all of whom supported and influenced each other musically.

Poogie's first "real" gig was with Tom Brown, Weldon Irvine and Hugh Masakela. Then came a tour with one of the creators of what we know as hip-hop, Afrika Bambaata and the Soulsonic Force, and then with the Force MD's, a Temptations-style vocal group who were the first to incorporate R&B and hip-hop. "Touch and Go," a song written by Poogie for the Force MD's, won him the ASCAP Writer's Award for Top 10 Singles in 1988. From his hard work, Poogie was able to break into the traditional R&B world touring and recording with artists Freddie Jackson, Phyllis Hyman and Chaka Khan. He came into the New Jack Swing era working with Kieth Sweat, Teddy Riley, SWV and New Edition. He continues to tour and record with Marcus Miller, Victor Bailey, Bill Evans Soul Bop and Erykah Badu, among others.

Now Poogie is doing his own project with The Poogie Bell Band! The band's current CD, Get On The Kit, features guest artists such as Marcus Miller, Wah Wah Watson, Keith Aderson, Bobby Sparks, and Dean Brown.