As of about 4:00 a.m. o’clock this morning — LA time — Scot got the music player option hooked up for all 900+ of the bands listed on JamBrain.

Band administrators simply go to the Edit function on their band’s profile page and follow the simple directions. Sounds simple, right? (Is there an echo in here?)

The service we’re using is Soundcloud.com. It’s free, and the sound quality is terrific. If you already have music there, all you have to do is plug your access code into the appropriate line on your edit page, and Bingo! There it is.

One big advantage to Soundcloud.com is that it’s separate, but connected, so you don’t have all that weight to wait to download when you go to the page, and you still have all the same play functions. There is room for four songs, and they can be changed monthly.

The irony is so delicious: a website (JamBrain) on live, local music stuffed full of recorded music. Wonderful.

Special to JamBrain by Ian James

I just found a little write up that you guys did way back June and wanted to thank you for that and give you an update on what’s been happening with the band.

Since then, we’ve played all over the place (made it all the way out to NYC’s East Village in July) and have actually gained a decent following even though all of our recordings are done on an Edirol field recorder.  Although some people like the LO-FI sound (for some reason), we’ve opted to multi-track our first full album and are currently in progress.

We’ve got a headlining show coming up at Cedars on Jan 24th (and another in March with the Zou).

A common misconception about our band is that we’re a noise band. In fact, we’re all very dedicated to our instrumentation and have long technical backgrounds, although there does seem to be something appealing to us about going from a super technical polyrhythm to complete chaos and then back again.

There are a bunch of bootlegs on our myspace page if you want to hear what’s new.

(Go to Braille’s JamBrain profile page for the earlier article and a click-through to their website.)

Special to JamBrain by Gary S. Angelo

Pete Drivere might be most recognized as the sound man at Cedars Lounge, but his punk rock resume is a shimmering golden nugget amidst the generic album rock landscape.

Drivere was the driving force behind the Youngstown/West Middlesex critically acclaimed, neo-psych garage unit, The Infidels.  Formed in late 1981 as a post-Deadboys punk combo, The Infidels slowly evolved into 60s powerpop in the vein of Buffalo Springfield, The Who, The Byrds and The Easybeats. One can even hear echoes of early 80s paisley underground icons like The Three O’Clock, and The Dream Syndicate.

As the Infidels’ sound progressed, the punkesque Radio Birdman overtones were always prevalent, as on their 1988 release, 9:25 and Seven Seconds tracks, “The Shooting Gallery” and “Run Away From You.”
Drivere explains, “The band’s purpose was to be a punk band. We were the first, and unless I am mistaken, the last punk rock band from West Middlesex, Pa.”

His current music project is the Pretty Demons, for whom he is working on a new album while playing in the Deadbeat Poets.  The Pretty Demons deliver an arrangement of more traditional roots rock that bears a resemblance to Damn The Torpedoes-era Tom Petty and Dave Edmunds’ Rockpile. The first Pretty Demons album was a self-titled release in 2002. “Chris Leonardi, who has played with me on stage and in the studio for many years, is co-producing this Pretty Demons release for me,” Drivere says of the CD which will be out in early 2009.

Pete Drivere’s biggest focus right now is his latest project, The Deadbeat Poets, who just recently formed in the summer of 2006.  The Poets released their debut, Notes From The Underground on Audubon, New Jersey label, Pop Detective Records.

“The Deadbeat Poets were formed out of a collaboration of Frank Secich (from Stiv Bators Band/ Blue Ash) Terry Hartman (from the Backdoor Men), John Koury (from the Infidels),” Drivere said, “and I helped propel it along. I produced Notes From The Underground album and perhaps we will do another recording in the coming months.” They play a brand of stripped-down sixties garage pop with the aggression of The Kinks, and Beatles-like melodies, and their punk energy is part of the poetry.

Besides touring, trailblazing, and playing in bands, Drivere has recorded and produced bands for 18 years at his Ampreon Recorder recording studio, a haven for Youngstown’s indie pop gems The Zou, The Evil Scientists, Black Hole Magic and The Deli Bandits.

Drivere comments, “I have seen many bands come and go, and have seen many fads infiltrate rock and popular music. Sometimes I laugh out loud.”  He thinks the Youngstown music scene hasn’t changed all that much since his heyday in the 80s. “When I started recording bands in Youngstown, the majority of the guys had big hair and played metal. Now there are a lot more tattoos and bald heads, but they still play metal.”

“Some of my best friendships have emerged from my recording sessions with bands at Ampreon. Whether it’s making a suggestion, or letting a band use an amp or guitar from my collection, if it makes the music better, I am all about that,” he says.

About a year ago, Drivere began to host “Homegrown Show” on WNCD 93.3 FM, which profiles local/regional indie rock bands with a dose of old school metal, every Sunday at 9 p.m. “It’s is a different kind of show by three different personalities: myself, Jim Allgren (Viking Jim) and Jason Tibolla. We make the playlists for the show and play what we want to play.”

(Gary Angelo is a YSU journalism student and music zealot. JamBrain welcomes the participation of its community of local music enthusiasts, though we reserve all rights to do what we want with any contributions, including thanking you for them. The accuracy of the facts will have to be the responsibility of the author.)

Just like they had so many times in the past, the former Infidels headlined the recent 33rd Anniversary party at The Cedars and brought down the house with their rocking originals, before bowing to their demanding fans with a slew of Beatles covers for encores.

First Night is a collaboration of more than 200 community celebrations in four countries, marking the passage of time with modern festivities in an alcohol-free, family-oriented environment. Three area city groups have planned extensive entertainment schedules for the New Year’s Eve events, each with a wide variety of musical performers throughout the evening.

Two of the three, Youngstown and Canfield will end the evening with a bang — several bangs, actually — of fireworks displays. Salem is the third. All three will offer free transportation among their venues included in the single $10 ticket price for all events, with reduced price offers and free admission for children.

YOUNGSTOWN

First Night Youngstown is handled by an official non-profit organization of that name, headed by downtown artist Bob Barko Jr. of Steel Town Studios. Their 2009 event involves 26 performers at 18 venues, with an additional 13 venues serving food. It starts with opening ceremonies in the food court of 20 Federal Plaza (the former Phar-Mor building) at 5:30 p.m. and ends with a Times-Square style ball drop at City Hall Annex and fireworks display at the Chevrolet Center at midnight.

In between, there’s plenty to keep folks hopping. We’ll start at the top of Wick Avenue.

The Arms Family Museum has rock band Triple Play in the museum and Appalachian string band Erie Travelers in the Carriage House from 7 to 9 p.m.

Masonic Temple will have Chasin’ the Blues from 7 to 9 and then Uptown Saturday Night on the first floor, and a storyteller, wild west show and oldies soloist Sterling Anderson on the second floor.

First Presbyterian Church hosts the classical flute Olsen Duo at 6 p.m. and Latino orchestra Conjunto Riquena at 8.

In the recital hall of YSU’s Bliss Hall, teens will have a talent festival starting at 6 p.m., followed by vocalist Jaclyn Hodos, and in Ford Theater, the Youngstown Connection will bookend a show of Senior Follies.

On Federal Plaza, the food court at 20 Federal Place will become a dance hall after the opening ceremonies, first with Classic Cruisers doing oldies and Elvis, and later, Eddie Valus Band II playing polkas.

In FEIC Financial Inc., Father Vit Fiala and Friends will perform classical cello pieces. Davis & McKay do acoustic rock and Stephen Dorsey impersonates Roy Orbison in the Mahoning Valley Historical Center.

At the west end of the street, in the recently restored Davis Building next to the Draught House, three of Youngstown’s hottest rock bands will perform in succession, starting with Pete Drivere and the Pretty Demons, then The Zou, and finally Jones For Revival.

Though JamBrain is mostly interested in the music, there’s plenty more going on, including free skating until 8:30 and a children’s fireworks display at 9 at the Chevy Center.

CANFIELD

Visitors to the official website for First Night Canfield are serenaded by an original song about the event describing, in lyric terms, the intent and spirit of the community activity.

Two cabaret dinner shows will open the night’s fun there, with two sittings each, at 4 and 6 p.m. Ross and Jennifer Cruchlow will perform “Young at Heart” at A La Carte (426 Lisbon St.), and Elysia Shutrump and Mark Christine will sing “Songs We Love” at the Methodist Church, 27 S. Broad St. Each dinner show is $27.50 and includes a First Night button.

The Wade Raridon Singers, pianist Kathryn Miller, Celtic soprano Colleen Harris and harpist Kirk Kupensky will perform at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 550 N. Broad St.

Located at 7105 Herbert Rd., the Old North Church hosts a continuous lineup of singers and dancers including Cahal Dunne, John Mosely, bluegrass band Get Out and Push, Ladies of Country Music, SideKicks Quartet, and local rocker JD Eicher and the Goodnights, plus performances of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Wonderful World” and “A Night at the Movies.”

The Canfield Presbyterian Church at 140 W. Main, will feature music for youth all evening, including a meet-and-greet for the youth bands and Soul Kitty, Lost View, Aldous, Made in Canada and Signal the Verse.

Canfield High School will have activities for kids throughout the evening, ending with a bonfire and fireworks display at midnight.

SALEM

Local folk music teacher, instrumentalist and singer Bill Schilling coordinates the efforts for Salem’s First Night and figures prominently in the entertainment.

He and Linda Sigismondi will kick off a hymn sing at Episcopal Church of Our Savior, followed by Ted Thorne, God’s Quad and All 4 One. Then they’ll skip on down to the Memorial Building gymnasium to play with his Dulci-More instrumental orchestra and sing some more duos, after performances there by the bluegrass Allegheny Drifters and bluegrass/gospel Stockdale Family Band.

At the Elks Lodge, rock band Drivin’ Wheel will start at 6 p.m. and then alternate sets with After Midnight until about 11 p.m. In Scullion Hall of St. Paul School the Salem Jubilee Chorus starts singing at 6:45, followed by Stormin’ Norman and the Del Reznek Polka Band.

A Cavalcade of Stars Radio Reality Review will fill the evening at Kent City Center, KSU Auditorium, with Dottie Aiken Reynolds portraying Patsy Cline, original members of Randy & The Renegades, Abbey Road (Beatles tribute band), and a grand finale with a combined cast of many of the festival performers.

First Night Youngstown, Canfield and Salem. A great way to end 2008 and wake up in ‘09 with your head clear and your toes tapping.