"When I was a kid I remember my mother saying it's OK to be a non-conformist. I thought that was somewhere between a capitalist and a communist..."

ARCTIC - the band and/or solo project of Marcus Martin - is all about duality. His childhood in Yellowknife, a small gold mining town in the Arctic region of Canada's Northwest Territories, was a stark contrast to his experiences in a private UK boarding school. He grew up in the land of lakes, trees, rocks and ice with true wilderness spirit and is equally at home sharing his ARCTIC adventures in any big city, where there are more people on one street than in his whole hometown.

Coming from the Tom Morello school of guitar texture, he has learned to challenge the listener by layering unique sounds usually found only in the electric guitar world. As a loop-based acoustic artist he tours with an 80 lb. effects pedalboard - not traveling light compared to most acoustic singer-songwriters.

His live set is where this duality takes flight, as he constructs each song before the audience, piece by piece. Influenced by both 70's progressive rock and conventional songwriters of the day, ARCTIC bridges a world of opposites together. He layers haunting melodies on top of his arrangements, improvising like a jazz artist, intertwining vocals and guitar into a chilled and airy soundscape.

"I think it's hard not to be an environmentalist, growing up on the land."

His environmental message is not watered down and mixed into his music: they are separate entities. His music is an introduction; it is the common ground between him and the listener. As many will attest, he does his best to meet everyone after his show to say hi. You never know where the conversation will go, but people always want to know more about the ARCTIC - both the region and the band.

Marcus is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

•  Compliment

Tom Howie is a singer/songwriter from Vancouver, BC. After releasing his debut EP Stepping Stones to great reviews and eager audiences in September 2005, he has gone on to play many of the premier clubs in Vancouver while completing his final year of high school.

Now 18 and graduated, Tom is taking on music full time, including recording a full length album with producer/musician Ashwin Sood (Sarah McLachlan) and engineer Chris Potter (Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan). Also on board is Vancouver/San Francisco based composer/producer/musician Jason Nett (composer in residence, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra).

After being the lead singer and songwriter in many bands throughout high school, Tom decided to go out on his own and play the music that came most naturally to him. “I want to be able to write a band tune or a little soulful ballad, or whatever else, and just let it be what it is. I'm enjoying the freedom of experimentation."

With that thought in mind, Tom sat down with friend/producer Josh Bluman to record Stepping Stones at the studio of highly acclaimed producer Garth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Hedley, Red Hot Chili Peppers). The EP features stripped down versions of four soulful, satisfying songs. YouThink Magazine had this to say: “The ability to spin out four tracks that have yet to be boring, complete with lyrics that are startlingly affecting, isn’t just dumb luck. Howie’s observations about life and its joys and sorrows, combined with his acoustic, mellow sound, build a strong sample of what he has yet to give.”

Looking ahead, Tom is filled with great excitement about recording new material, which he says has lots more to offer; from simple, haunting, poetic songs, to full out rockers. “Things are just starting to work out for me, and there is nothing else I’d rather be doing. I love playing, singing and writing more than anything. Busy? Bring it on!”

Be sure to see Tom Howie live in concert, either with his band or on his own. Visit myspace.com/tomhowie for tour dates and streaming audio.

•  Awesome track
•  Great voice
•  Stop and listen and chllin'

Plunkett: an English boy and an Italian girl.
Both Ian and Lara had a love for music from a very early age.
After studying music at Rome, writing and recording with the ambient project Ex Machina and alternative electro pop group Otero, Lara became a partner and A&R of the Dune Records, an independent italian label based in Florence.
Ian had always played in bands and after finally finding like minded musicians the electro pop/rock band ‘Pukromo' was born. In late 1999 Pukromo signed to Dune Records recording their debut album ‘Promise Me Kill Me' during 2000.
Life’s funny sometimes and although the label and band folded, Ian and Lara got together.
Frustrated by the mechanisms and ties of the music biz and tired of their ‘electronic’ past, they focused on their emotions, on themselves. Without any thought or the pressure of trying be anything other than that. Themselves.
In 2006 their debut album ’14 Days’ was released. An acoustic orientated, intimate album of alternative contemporary folk rock. The album received an unexpected critic and listener's acclaim through the internet leading them to being featured artists on some of the most important independent music sites throughout the world. Many of the songs have also since been used in two American independent films: Dave's Date (Forbidden Foot) by Natasha Guruleva (Accent Works) and A Hell Shared by Karl Rose (Current Production).
2008 sees the release of Plunkett’s second album ‘Folk Songs’. Contrasting its predecessor, although still remaining alternative contemporary folk rock, the sound and feeling of the album is much more direct with as much emphasis on the lyrics as on the music.

With a desire to only write songs and move people, Plunkett choose to remain independent artists and work outside of the mainstream music business.

Plunkett make Independent music for independent minds.

To know more about Plunkett and their upcoming releases visit their website www.plunkett-music.com.

•  Short and Sweet.
•  Simon and Garfunkle Like
• cool river

REZA's other pages :

• REZA on Myspace
• REZA on Amie Street
• REZA on Sound Click
• REZA on MP3.com
• REZA on WAT
• REZA on Last.fm

BIO

* January 2004
Songwriter REZA starts recording some of his songs using a small pocket machine at his place in Paris.

* April 2004
Writer and close friend Sotiris living in Birmingham-England sends a poem called "somebody else’s paradise" to REZA. This is the beginning of an important collaboration. REZA will compose and sing about twenty songs composed on Sotiris poems in the following couple of years.

* January 2005
Back from Birmingham-England where he’s been working on new songs with Sotiris, REZA starts looking for musicians to record these songs and play them live.

* Summer 2005
The team is ready : REZA + Stephane (ex-SevenHate lead guitar) + Ghislain + Gautier. 6 songs are recorded by Grégory Fradin at his own studio in Poitiers. One of them is I'm your man, a cover of L. Cohen's song.

* November 2005
First EP: Somebody else's songs is out. It has the famous red octopus on its cover ! Spring 2006 REZA on stage in Paris in small venues like: POP IN, le Kitch’up, le cannibale, l’espace B, le café de la plage, etc. Cello player Julien joins the band !

* Summer 2006
It’s time to work on the first LP. 13 songs recorded by Gregory Fradin in the middle of nowhere in an old abandoned house in la Vienne. November 2006 Second EP: Flying girl is out including some of the songs from the LP recording session. Flying girl, remake, etc. Some of the songs are broadcasted by indie radio programs: planet claire radio aligre, indepen-dance radio pulsar, radio Neo, radio campus paris, etc. The EP has also good reviews in specialized webzines: indie rock mag, indie pop rock, froggy’s delight, etc.

* January 2007
New Paris tour on stage: le Klub, en marge, kitch’up, pomme d’Eve, etc. The LP mixes are getting ready, REZA is now part of the French Toast music collective together with bands like New Pretoria, The Chiltons or Saïbu ...

* April 2007
First LP broken kite is to be out, new gigs comming soon !.

•  All of the tracks
•  Great indie folk ballad
• a great indie folk song
•  Do the Swim!