Friday begins at 11:15 a.m., and features Chicago-based band the Bon Mots-composers of sugar kissed pop music. Often compared to the Byrds and praised for vintage instrumentation, PopMatters.com cheers that the band mixes "witty lyrics and sly nods to the likes of Elvis Costello and Pavement," while AllMusic.com proclaims, "The Bon Mots just may be Chicago's best-kept secret."

12:30 p.m. ushers in another Chicago troupe, Cameron McGill and What Army. McGill's lyrics and melodies embrace the enigmatic and the melancholy, all while categorically maintaining a stark dedication to beauty and self-deprecating humor.

1:45 to 2:30 p.m. will be dominated by Houston's Makeshifte. Makeshifte is not for the faint of heart. The 2005 Texas Buzz Award winners for the "Musicians' Choice" award cite Hoobastank, Linkin Park and Incubus as key influences of their heavy, guitar-driven tunes led by feverish vocals.

San Francisco's Kelley Soltz follows Makeshifte at 3:00 until 3:45 p.m. Stoltz is capable of channeling Carl Wilson to sinful perfection, then swings over and nods to the Beatles, refusing to adopt any one monotonous sound or voice. A master of several instruments, Stoltz waves fondly to past icons while planting his feet firmly in 21st century pop.

4:15 to 5:00 p.m. brings Anderson, Indiana's Jon McLaughlin. A classically trained pianist, McLaughlin relishes in the sounds of Billy Joel and Ben Folds, and melds spirited keys with crooner-inspired vocals. The result jumps vigorously between genres like jazz, funk, rock and ragtime.

Chicago's Musical Outfits kick things off Saturday at 11:15 a.m. These four young musicians have created quite a buzz thanks in large part to the group's dynamic live show. Their 2005 debut album, Left Here, garnered spins on popular Chicago radio stations 93.1 WXRT, WLUW and Q101.

12:30 to 1:15 p.m. sees Austin, Texas, band St. James take the stage. The trio's buoyant harmonies are layered copiously over exquisite strings and the occasional piano, creating a moody feast for the ears well-worth revisiting.

New York rapper Lanz takes over at 1:45 p.m. Sixteen-year-old Lanz originally embraced the sounds of Jay Z, Tupac and Nas as an escape from the hardships that greeted her at an early age. Lanz has poured her arduous experiences into her lyrics, resulting in mature reflections in spite of her youth.

From 3:00 to 3:45 p.m., Rhode Island's Elvis Perkins holds down the fort. Dreamy melodies and stories dominate Perkins' music, which draws thoughtfully from folk rock and relies heavily on guitar and occasional fiddle mastery paired with emotive percussion.

At 4:15, Chicago's Kill Hannah wraps up Saturday's day stage. The Atlantic Records recording artists have created a fresh British-inspired rock / electronica hybrid best savored live. BMI proudly offers the opportunity to witness the band Billy Corgan called "the future of Chicago rock."

From 11:15 a.m. to noon Sunday morning, Chicago's Katie Todd Band will pleasantly awaken the crowd. Three albums deep into a promising career, the band is buoyed by Todd's sweet vocals that hint provocatively at the jagged edge buried just beneath the surface.

Chicago's Catfish Haven takes the stage at 12:30 p.m. The band's rustic sound achieves notoriety thanks to soulful lead singer George Hunter's gravelly vocal delivery. Named for the trailer park Hunter called home in his youth, the troupe's authentic grittiness seeps into every corner of their sound.

1:45 p.m. brings Atlanta's Manchester Orchestra to Chicago. The young pop band displays an innate understanding of balancing emotional depths with radio-friendly hooks that often evades artists twice their age. Manchester Orchestra is sauntering down a golden path, prompting Paste Magazine to proclaim, "When experience matriculates into that pre-existing talent, great music will spring from this simply good music."

Birmingham, Alabama's Moses Mayfield hits the stage from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. Epic Recording artists who claim influences ranging from Pearl Jam to Peter Gabriel, Moses Mayfield delivers an insightful rock punch that somehow prompts both introspection and unbridled head-banging.

Chicago's Assassins wrap up BMI's Lollapalooza day stage from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. The group's unique approach to composition and songwriting itself results in experimental layers of electro-rock bearing the distinct thumbprint of each one of the six members.

Produced by Grammy winner Jack Douglas (John Lennon, The Who, Aerosmith) and mixed by fellow Grammy winner Michael H. Brauer (Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan), Danielle Evin is a showcase for Danielle’s broad range of talents as a singer, guitarist and pianist. The disc also features the violin and vocal talents of acclaimed singer/songwriter Tracy Bonham.

Growing up in New York and Los Angeles, Danielle was surrounded by many of music’s greatest talents due to her parents’ careers in the arts. Her home was filled with art, music, theatre and film. Danielle fell in love with music as a child and has been following her passion ever since beginning with the piano at the age of 8, to violin in the school orchestra at 12, followed by learning guitar at age 14. The guitar was the inspiration for Danielle to begin writing and composing her own songs – an inspiration that has continued to this day: “Writing songs helps me articulate what’s going on inside my head,” says Danielle. “I communicate better in my songs than at a dinner party. It’s like having a sixth sense somehow.”

Danielle has performed at Farm Aid 2006 and has been touring the U.S. at select venues in support of her debut release. She has received local and national press exposure garnering many critical raves. In addition, she has been a top-seller in the highly competitive and influential New York metropolitan marketplace.

Danielle has appeared on the “CBS Early Show” as part of their weekly “Second Cup Café” live music series and was recently featured in the New York Daily News “Now” entertainment supplement.

She is currently recording her upcoming sophomore release with 39-time Grammy nominee and 13-time Grammy winning producer Phil Ramone.

Danielle Evin is available on LateralView Records/RED/SONY BMG and can be purchased at Barnes & Noble and on iTunes.

Not bad for the first time out by the 35-year-old Canadian songwriter and musician who won Best New Artist this year at his home country’s Juno Awards. “All I really want is to connect with an audience that feels the way I feel,” Powter said on the release of his self-titled debut album. It appears he’s made a big connection indeed.

The British Columbia native arrives on the pop music scene after a lifelong struggle to make music the way he hears it. He started out playing violin as a child, accompanied by his mother on piano, at the same time absorbing the sounds of his parents’ record collection, mixing training in the classics with pop acts like the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Duran Duran and Prince.

Powter gave up violin in his early teens after bullies beat him up following a talent contest, but not long after took up the piano, performing in bands by his late teens. Yet his prodigious talent was hindered by dyslexia, which daunted his musical education efforts because he couldn’t read music. He eventually decided that he had to find his own way of creating.

Thanks to song demos that piqued the interest of a number of major labels, Powter eventually won a deal with Warner Bros. The label paired him with producer Mitchell Froom for a debut album from which a star has now been born. And it all came about by trusting his muse, Powter concludes. “I just follow what sounds good in my head and keep going.

Dan Wiese (guitars)

Jon Radtke (guitars)

Greg Corner (bass)

“And I’m not running anymore, I’ll stand to face it all, I’ll fight for every breath/Until there’s nothing left of us“

“Believer” by Kill Hannah

A title could not be more apropos. Until There’s Nothing Left of Us, the latest offering from Kill Hannah, defines the blue-collar work ethic of this unique band, whose American spin on British modern rock reaches its apotheosis on their sensational new release. 

After touring relentlessly through the two years that followed their 2003 Atlantic debut, For Never & Ever (which featured the smash single “Kennedy"), the band dedicated six months to conceptualizing their sophomore effort with intense songwriting and constant demoing. After having a lifetime to write their first album, it was, admittedly, a challenge. But they’ve beaten the odds before.

No one sounded or looked like them when they first broke free from their art school roots, peddled their independently produced records at shows and local stores, conquered skeptics and built a loyal fan base. Their sound had no precedent in their hometown of Chicago, yet its influence would launch a subculture there and spread far beyond to others that would follow their musical and visual leads. Back then, they had a ferocious DIY-mentality, creating their own merchandise, passing out fliers in the snow, maintaining their heavily trafficked website and more. They still do.

With the final mixes for Until There’s Nothing Left of Us, they knew they had given all they had to this music.

And you can hear it - in the passion and poetry, the candor of their lyrics, the physical impact of their beats … all the elements that prompted Billy Corgan to hail them as “the future of Chicago rock” resonate here. Easily described as the bridge between the Killers, AFI, Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, this band owns John Hughes movies, worn out mix tapes and a comprehensive understanding of what came before them. Their sound is at once familiar and refreshingly original, showing undeniable growth by taking chances in a world where most art is being played safe.

While Kill Hannah had cut Forever Never & Ever far from home in sunny Los Angeles, Until There’s Nothing Left of Us was conceived and created back home in Chicago during the dead of winter. That, according to Devine, stamps every second of the album with a distinctive energy.

“Everything came from the stimulation I get from this place,” he insists. “I live in view of the entire skyline; the trains literally circle me. It’s almost like the city itself envelops me. Like any metropolis, it can be dark at times, but super romantic too. From nine to five, it’s absolute chaos, and then after six o’clock it’s completely desolate. At the lakeshore it might be totally placid and serene, and in the next minute these crazy waves crash in and freeze as massive piles of jagged ice. In a way, our music is like that too. From track to track on this record, and even within each song, we have moments of triumph and then we have moments of creepy romance.”

As the countdown for delivering Until There’s Nothing Left of Us began, Devine set off alone, exploring his city and finding magic in places that had somehow escaped his attention – a tiny Gothic church, for example, amidst the towers that loom over Michigan Avenue. Each detail stirred ideas – word paintings, a snippet of melody – that he’d record on his voicemail.

Soon the band gathered at friend/local drummer Garrett Hammond’s home studio and began taking all of their demos apart. “We’d rehearse and develop and record every single part,” recalls guitarist Dan Wiese. “Every note and every word got re-evaluated several times before everyone was satisfied.”

After wrapping up their intense pre-production, they hit the studio with Chicago native Johnny K. With a catalog that includes producing bands like Disturbed and 3 Doors Down, he seemed like an unusual choice for Kill Hannah. “But we wanted to experiment,” Devine explains. “My personal tastes lean toward European and 80s influences, and Johnny is known for doing straight-ahead rock or metal. In Chicago terms, it’s like we’re North Side and Johnny is, as he calls himself, a ‘South Side knucklehead’.” It was, of course, a perfect match.

They began by finding common ground as Johnny seconded their enthusiasm for the Cure, Peter Gabriel and the Psychedelic Furs. The plan, then, was to at once expand and refine their sound without losing the primal instincts that have driven Kill Hannah from the start.

“We love our first album and stand by it, but we also know that the most consistent criticism it received was that it didn’t have the raw energy that we have when we play live,” Devine says. “On the new album, we’ve got the harmonized vocals and electronics and sophistication that are so much a part of what we are, but Johnny’s perspective helped us to also bring that dynamic side of our show to the table too.”

If you’re lucky enough to have seen them live on tours with the Sounds and H.I.M., or headlining their now legendary shows at the Metro and across the country this summer, you’ll know immediately what all of this means.

From the album’s triumphant, instrumental opening, “Life in the Arctic,” which defines the context for the epic tracks that follow, through the siren-like riff that drives “Believer,” the drum and bass-inspired beats and delicate chimes that surge into waves of massive guitars on “The Songs That Saved My Life,” the seductive blend of emotive melody and body-slamming beat on the anthemic, lead single “Lips Like Morphine,” whose chorus fans began chanting at shows within days of the song’s appearance on the band’s MySpace page (myspace.com/killhannah). This is how Kill Hannah sounds onstage when they play with a strength only achieved by feeding from the energy of their fans and serving it back with immeasurable intensity.

Mat Devine’s lyrics for “Love You to Death” reflect his familiarity with that place where tragedy and romance unite, a Shakespearean vision that’s conveyed powerfully in classic pop song format. “Scream” pays tribute to their hometown, whose grandeur and intensity are critical elements of Kill Hannah’s style. And “Sleep Tight,” improbably intimate, provides the perfect coda.

Until There’s Nothing Left of Us is everything that the band and the legions that follow them could have wished for. But it’s only the start of the next exciting chapter for Kill Hannah.

Website: www.killhannah.com

Raised in a small town near Tel-Aviv, Israel, when she served her mandatory military service in the Israeli army, Ben-Ari became entranced by the sounds of Charlie Parker and American jazz. She came to the U.S. to study at the Mannes School of Music in New York City and recorded a well-respected series of jazz albums before branching out into hip-hop and r&b.

An electrifying show with Wyclef John at Carnegie Hall and a breakthrough performance on NBC’s “Showtime at the Apollo,” plus writing, producing, arranging and performing all of the strings on the Kanye West project and guesting on West’s production of Twista and John Legend, quickly catapulted her into r&b consciousness. Performances with West on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Last Call” with Carson Daly and “The Sharon Osborne Show” introduced her unique artistry into living rooms worldwide.

From Israel to the states, from classical to jazz and now to r&b and hip-hop, music is Miri Ben-Ari’s well-stamped passport. She may have a host of influential friends, but on The Hip-Hop Violinist , she’s definitely the one pulling the strings.

Such considerable cheek has been backed up by the high-profile fans they've won over here in America. James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins signed them to his Scratchie Records label, Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters wore a Sounds t-shirt in his group's "Times Like These" video, and the red-hot production team The Neptunes nominated The Sounds for a Shortlist prize.

The band came together as high school students in their native Helsingborg in Southern Sweden. Childhood friends Felix Rodriguez (guitars) and Johan Bengtsson (bass) founded the band in 1998 and first added school pal Fredrik Nilsson on drums. Then Rodriguez met Maja Ivarsson (vocals) — a classically trained French horn player — in a music class and the budding outfit found a striking front person. Synthesizer player Jesper Anderberg signed on after the band members met him at a music festival and The Sounds were complete.

The album was recorded both in a Stockholm studio and Rodriguez's bedroom, and caught the ear of American rockers with its catchy songs and propulsive energy. The Sounds secured their foothold in the U.S. with tours and appearances on many major TV talk shows. "We are all about the 100% attack," explains Bengtsson. "We never want to give the audience room to think. That can happen afterwards. This is all about dancing and having a good time. We are a major chord band!"

Oakenfold's career began in the late 1970s in a Covent Garden wine bar where he spun tracks with his friend Trevor Fung. However, sensing that the future of street music — especially the then radically new hip hop genre — lay in America, Paul Oakenfold made his way to New York City, where he landed a day gig in West Harlem while absorbing the sounds of the street and looking for a way to become a part of the scene. It wouldn't take long for Paul to land a gig at the Paradise Garage, where he perfected his acid house style.

Eventually, Oakenfold would return to London. By 1993, his reputation as a DJ had placed him at the top of the field, and U2 tapped Paul to spin a special brew for their Zoo TV world tour. But DJ'ing other people's music no longer fully satisfied him, and Oakenfeld, who had begun his production career in 1988, was looking for more creative work. When he was tapped to write and produce the theme to the hit television show Big Brother along with Andy Gray, Oakenfold's scoring career kicked into high gear.

Paul Oakenfold has managed to keep both his DJ and production careers soaring over the last decade. In 2001, he wrote the score to Swordfish and has contributed tracks to The Bourne Identity, Goldmember and other films. The roster of A-level recording artists he has recently worked with includes Madonna, Snoop Doggy Dog and Moby.

Considered a principal architect of the influential "Philly Soul" sound, Bell is arguably best known for his 1970s achievements. But the fact is, the legendary composer-arranger hasn't slowed down or limited his creative scope. Bell arranged several songs on David Byrne's acclaimed 2001 album Look Into The Eyeball. Most recently, many of Bell's songs were featured in the musical stage production Me and Mrs. Jones, starring Lou Rawls and performed at Philadelphia's Prince Music Theater.

Even Madison Avenue has acknowledged the mesmerizing power of Thom Bell's music. Bell's composition "I'll Be Around" has been selected as the theme for the multi-million dollar Chevy Impala advertising campaign. The new Chevy slogan "We'll Be There" was culled from Bell's song, which was popularized by the Spinners in 1972.

It would do a disservice to describe Bell's career as "successful." Consider this: Bell's songwriting and arranging achievements are so voluminous, space prohibits us from listing them all. He co-wrote the Stylistics most memorable hits, including "Stop, Look and Listen," "You Are Everything," "Betcha By Golly Wow," "Break Up To Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New." Bell was similarly instrumental in the success of the Spinners, co-composing such hits as "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love," "One of a Kind Love Affair," "Mighty Love" and "Rubberband Man," as well as the Spinners/Dionne Warwick duet "Then Came You." His song "Mama Can't Buy You Love" was one of Elton John's most successful tunes, and Bell arranged O'Jays classics like "Back Stabbers," "Love Train" and "For the Love of Money."

The two-time Grammy winner has received numerous BMI accolades, including 11 Pop Awards, four R&B Awards and a total of 16 "Million-Air" certificates for an astounding 10 songs with one million or more broadcast performances. Bell has also been twice honored by Billboard with their Number One Producer award.

Born in Philadelphia in 1941, Bell studied classical piano as a youth. In 1959, he joined Kenny Gamble's harmony group the Romeos and by age 19 he was conducting and arranging for rock & roll dance pioneer Chubby Checker. When manager Stan Watson formed the Philly Groove label in 1968, Bell came aboard and oversaw Delfonics classics like "La La Means I Love You" (1968) and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time" (1970).

Bell's work with the Delfonics resonated with r&b fans hungry for romantic "slow drag" ballads. When Bell reunited with Gamble and new partner Leon Huff at their newly formed Philadelphia International Records, the classic Philly Soul crystallized in earnest. Seminal hits like Jerry Butler's "Only the Strong Survive" (1969), Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones" (1972), and the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes classic "If You Don't Know Me By Now" featured Bell's inimitable arrangements.

Noteworthy for their potent fusion of soaring strings, burnished horns and well-tempered rhythms, Bell's arrangements factored largely in the development of funk and disco. With contemporary artists like Alicia Keys, D'Angelo and Angie Stone reviving the sounds of the '70s, Thom Bell's influence looms larger than ever.

Born Calvin Broadus, he became know as Snoop after his mother nicknamed him for his resemblance to the "Peanuts" cartoon character. Snoop Dogg first started rapping by recording homemade tapes with his friend Warren G., who tipped off his stepbrother, Dr. Dre of N.W.A., to the new talent. Dre invited Snoop to rap with him on the theme song to Deep Cover and Dre's classic 1992 debut album The Chronic. The impact of Snoop Dogg's talent sparked such a strong buzz that when his first album, Doggystyle, was released 1993, it debuted at number one and eventually went quadruple platinum.

But his newfound stardom didn't end Snoop's legal troubles when he was accused in 1993 of being an accomplice in a murder. Though acquitted of the charges, Snoop Dogg also went through a downturn in his career.

With his most recent release, Tha Last Meal, Snoop Dogg has now recovered both his artistic and commercial momentum. The album blends Snoop's trademark gangsta rap styles with the sounds of old-school soul and funk (among its many guest stars is funk pioneer George Clinton) in an urban music tour de force. "This is the first album that I have been in complete control of, and this is me," he explains. "People don't realize what I've been through. It's not easy to stay focused going through a lot of bullshit."

Snoop Dogg's artistic and personal maturity may well have been aided by the process of self-examination he went through while writing his life story, "The Doggfather." As he notes, "I had to go back to my childhood and the things that made me upset, and made me who I am. I also had to expose the bad things about myself that caused me to have the bad reputation when I first came out. But it's all part of life. I was willing to reveal it and share it with the public."

Closing out 2001 with his major motion picture debut in the horror movie Bones, for which he also put together the soundtrack album, Snoop Dogg is back at the top of his game. He credits his friend and fellow hip-hopper Master P for inspiring him to take charge of his life. "That's the biggest thing that Master P taught me," notes Snoop Dogg. "Now I'm taking what he taught me, putting it to use with my personal knowledge and just trying to be the best artist in the game."

Juan Esteban Aristizabal, better known as Juanes, has emerged as one of the most promising Colombian artists of his era. For those who haven't heard his music, it's merely a matter of immersing yourself in the sonic waterfall of his solo debut, Fijate Bien ("Look Carefully"), to understand what the critics and public have been heralding. His original blend of Rock en Español has led to global acceptance of an artist who truly remains a Colombian, both in songwriting style and musical influences.

Ever since he marched into the music business as lead singer and guitarist for the Latin rock group Ekhymosis, Juanes has been defined as a songwriter and artist who is true to his origins: The violent reality of life in Colombia has a marked influence on Juanes's songwriting, as do the tropical rhythms of the country which gave the world the sounds of Cumbia and Vallenato.

"Look Carefully" is one of the songs from his new album that walks between Vallenato and funk, with lyrics that remind us that walking on the streets of Colombia is an invitation to death; it's a song that manifests the reality of people who have been witness to 37 years of war. It's almost ironic that "Look Carefully" earned him several of his seven Latin Grammy nominations, which include Album of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Rock Solo Album; "Look Carefully" (the title song) earned nominations in the Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Rock Song categories. Juanes's video for "Fijate Bien" was nominated for Best Music Video.

Juanes's music and lyrics are examples of the contradictions that the Third World lives with: The music is festive but the lyrics are melancholy; and while Juanes insists on singing "love the land were you where born, love it its the one and only one" in a festive manner, the song can't help but sound blue.

His work can't help but represent the dichotomy of festivity and melancholy, hope and love for the land where one deals with the metaphor that life is a war - and vice versa. This bittersweet cocktail makes it difficult to understand what Juanes's songs are really about. His lyrics are like tears - tears of joy or of sadness, tears that give proof to the fact that we are alive.