Stone Soul Foundation

Artist Information

Biography

STONE SOUL FOUNDATION was formed in Auburn New York in 2002. Since their inception they have been playing their Blues injected Heavy Rock Grooves throughout the US. Stone Soul Foundation’s sound is comparable to bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Queen’s Of The Stone Age, Wolfmother, and Clutch.

The Band’s writing style consists of pumped up and crunched out guitar work, complete with piercing guitar solos, courtesy of Jeff Wiggins. The rhythm section is solid and pronounced. Shane Stillman attacks the drums with unforgiving might, though he easily switches to a more intricately laidback style when it is called for. Doug Paradise lays down a warm, rolling and pulsating bass guitar to which all other instruments lovingly adhere. Lead singer Sean Muldoon approaches the songs with equal parts raw aggression and a polished yet soulful flow.

SSF’s most recent release “Electric Valley” possesses the strength to elevate the band to the next level of success. The bulk of “Electric Valley” was forged at Alex Perialas’s Pyramid sound studio in Ithaca NY. Perialas, who has worked artists such as Bad Religion and Anthrax made a big impact on the recording. Also recruited was young and noteworthy producer and engineer Jason “Jocko” Randall owner of More Sound Studio in Syracuse NY. The album was sent to Georgetown Masters, a historic multi-million dollar facility on Nashville’s music row for the final mastering.

“Electric Valley” contains a powerhouse of energy for both the band and the listener to jack into at will. The energy is vibrant and alive upon listening to the first track “Sidewalker”, a song that wastes no time taking the listener off of their feet and hurling them into a sonic frenzy. Musically, the riffs are similar to a rollercoaster ride in that they chug, climb, ascend, descend and corkscrew down the line while maintaining great intensity along the way. Muscular crunch gives way to funky blues boogie. Amazingly in a world of Digital Grid Robot Rock STONE SOUL FOUNDATION managed to create an album that is fleshy and organic “It’s Alive!”

In 2011 “Ain’t No Mystery” from the “Electric Valley” album was chosen by Classic Rock Magazine as the opening track on the Classic Rock Magazine Summer CD sampler entitled “Super Rock Power Hour”. The compilation was distributed in the July issue of Classic Rock Magazine #160. It has gained the band attention and fans all over the World, especially in Europe the magazine’s stronghold.

STONE SOUL FOUNDATION will also be featured on The Animal Planet’s hit show “Hillbilly Hand Fishing” in March of 2012 that will coincide with a US tour.

Instrumentation

Sean Muldoon - Lead singer
Jeff Wiggins - Guitar
Shane Stillman - Drums
Doug Paradise - Bass

Discography

Electric Valley 2011
1. Sidewalker
2.Christian
3.Electric Valley
4.Aint No Mystery
5.Song About You
6.Window
7.Mountain Of Time
8.Next Flight
9.Gonna Try
10. They Are Me
11. I Master

Singles (2008-10)
1.Christian
2.Window
3.Sidewalker
4.Ain't No Mystery

Into The Flames (Feb. 2006)
1. Walk Tall
2. Get Up
3. Heavy Hand
4. Into The Flames
5. Blood Runs Cold
6. Now
7. Funk # 50
8. No Stopping
9. One Night
10 Mercy
11. Dark Alley
12. Skyraper
13. We Are Reborn

...3 To Get Ready (2005)
1. Them Dogs
2. Can't Put Her Down
3. Tomorrow

Scenic Route (2004)
1. Midnight Lady
2. Scenic Route
3. Heaven
4. Kick Me
5. Forget You
6. Games

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• Mountain Of Time
  Listen  
• Aint No Mystery
  Listen  
• Christian
  Listen  
• Window
  Listen  
• Song About You
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Song About You
• Mountain Of Time
• Christian
• Window
• Aint No Mystery

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Stone Soul Foundation Featured on Classic Rock Magazine's Super Rock Power Hour [+ Show ]
  

  Stone Soul Foundation’s track “Aint No Mystery” from their 2011 release “Electric Valley” is feature...Stone Soul Foundation’s track “Aint No Mystery” from their 2011 release “Electric Valley” is featured as track #1 on Classic Rock Magazines 16 track compilation cd entitled “Super Rock Power Hour”. The CD is included with issue #160 which is on shelves now. The July 2011 USA addition has Slash and Axl Rose featured on the cover. You can get a copy of Classic Rock Magazine at any major book store or news stand in the USA and the UK. Classic Rock had this to say about SSF…
  
  "Hometown sensations SSF have been rockin sweaty clubs in upstate New York exactly like they were rockin packed to the rafters arenas, give it a year or so and that’s probably where they’ll be going next"

• Stone Soul Foundation Appearing On Hillbilly Handfishin' [+ Show ]
  

  Auburn, NY metal rockers Stone Soul Foundation will be appearing on the Animal Planet show "Hillbill...Auburn, NY metal rockers Stone Soul Foundation will be appearing on the Animal Planet show "Hillbilly Handfishin" on February 26th. The plot and details of the program have not been revealed at this time. Stone Soul Foundation recently released it's album "Electric Valley," many of whose tracks can be streamed over on MySpace. The band also likes to interact with its fans on a weekly basis on it's web show, which is every Thursday at 9:00 p.m. over at this location. Stone Soul Foundation has announced a couple of tour dates in the central New York area, and other areas, besides heading over to this year's SXSW on March 2nd. Check out the preview video of the album after the jump.
  
  
  February 11th ---------- Mac's Bad Art Bar - Mattydale, NY
  February 18th --------- Bulls Run - Seneca Falls, NY - (acoustic show)
  February 24th --------------- Suzy's - Auburn, NY
  Fri March 2nd – Doors @ 7pm, The Cove, Geneva On The Lake, OH
  March 3rd –----------------Penny Road Pub, Barrington, IL
  March 4th –---------------Bombay Bicycle Club, Des Moines area, IA
  March 7th –---------------El Corazone, Seattle, WA
  March 9th –---------------Club 23, Brisbane (South San Francisco), CA
  March 10th –--------------- The Whiskey A Go Go, Los Angeles, CA
  March 11th –---------------- Winston’s, San Diego CA
  March 14th –----------------- The Bone, Dallas, TX
  March 15th –------------------ SXSW Austin, TX
  March 16th –------------------ Dukes Road House (Live Show and Hillbilly Handfishin Meet &
  Greet, Dallas TX)
  
  

• Stone Soul Foundation to take their show on the road! [+ Show ]
  

  Auburn based Stone Soul Foundation has a nice run of national shows coming up over the next month. T...Auburn based Stone Soul Foundation has a nice run of national shows coming up over the next month. The bluesy hard rock band has been devastating it’s Finger Lakes fans with sick grooves for about ten years now.
  
  With the release of last year’s “Electric Valley,” album, the stock of the band has gone through the roof. Their latest release was pushed along in the studio by local legend Alex Perialas who is well known for his work with Bad Religion, Anthrax, and S.O.D. Also helping in capturing the sound this time was Jocko Randall of More Sound Studio. Mr. Randall is an up and comer in the local recording game, and also produced one of my favorite albums of last year, Thunder Body’s “Wind Blows Harder.”
  
  When looking at the Stone Soul Foundation’s upcoming tour dates, you can tell the band is “going for it.” After the recent acoustic show that was played this last Friday at Bull’s Run in Seneca Falls, the band will be giving a pre-tour performance at Suzy’s in Auburn on February 24th. After that, the band will be hitting the road in all directions. Highlights of their tour include scheduled performances at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, and The Whisky-A-Go Go in Los Angeles.
  
  Hopefully, this massive industry exposure will lead to bigger things for the band. These guys have been busting their asses for years, and have paid their dues excessively. I wish them great success in this ambitious journey across the country.
  
  Stone Soul Foundation Tour Dates:
  
  Feb. 24th- Suzy’s - Auburn, NY
  March 2nd- TBA- Cleveland, OH
  March 3rd - Penny Road Pub - Barrington, IL
  March 4th - Bombay Bicycle Club - Clive, IA
  March 7th - El Corazone - Seattle, WA.
  March 9th - Club 23 - Brisbane, CA.
  March 10th - Whisky A Go Go, Hollywood, CA.
  March 11th - Winston’s Beach Club - San Diego, CA.
  March 15th - Headhunters - Austin, TX. (SXSW Festival)
  March 16th - Dukes Road House - Dallas, TX.

• Video Clip of Stone Soul Foundation on Hillbilly Handfishin' [+ Show ]
  

  "Rockers" Shane and Sean are stoked when they catch the largest catfish of the day so far: a 40-poun..."Rockers" Shane and Sean are stoked when they catch the largest catfish of the day so far: a 40-pounder!

• Video Clip of Stone Soul Foundation Performing "Window" Acoustic
  

  Auburn band Stone Soul Foundation plays an original song in our studio at The Post-Standard.

• Glub Club [+ Show ]
  

  Shane Stillman can usually be found behind the drum set while Sean Muldoon croons away as part of th...Shane Stillman can usually be found behind the drum set while Sean Muldoon croons away as part of the local rock band Stone Soul Foundation. But on Sunday, Feb. 26, 8 p.m., the boys will trade their respective drumsticks and microphone stand for something slimier. The Auburn residents will be featured on Hillbilly Handfishin’, a 60-minute weekly series on cable TV’s Animal Planet that features “city slickers” who travel to Oklahoma to try out “noodling” a.k.a. handfishing.
  
  From song hooks to no hooks, the rockers traveled down to Oklahoma last summer to film the episode, where they used their hands and feet to catch monster catfish in murky waters. With the help of Oklahoman noodlers Skipper Bivins and Trent Jackson the two rockers tackled the southern tradition for the world to see.
  
  —Jessica “Finding

• Berklee College Of Music SXSW Compilation Features "Aint No Mystery" [+ Show ]
  

  Berklee takes the chance to highlight some of its favorite music created by students past and presen...Berklee takes the chance to highlight some of its favorite music created by students past and present.
  
  

• Electric Valley Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  Stone Soul Foundation – Electric Valley CD (2011) Hot Damn, we’ve hit a speed bump in the tunnels o...Stone Soul Foundation – Electric Valley CD (2011)
  Hot Damn, we’ve hit a speed bump in the tunnels of time and got stuck inside a bong! SSF has to be the most authentic stoner metal band since Trouble or St. Vitus, right down to the bellbottoms and pilgrims hat. Easily digestible for older burners who already took the trip as well as those ready to blast off, this doob-burning magnum opus puts 13 choice cuts into your bowl. This had better be on vinyl. Its like The Sword are humping Nazareth’s leg while on DMT. Solos, righteous vocals, whah-abuse and probably some other flavors too. I would recommend this album to all of you who wish to make your girlfriends clothes fall off. Very high grade. Check out “Christian”, “Window” and “I, Master “
  
  

• Electric Valley Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Black Sabbath, Zeppelin, and Grand Funk Railroad meets Metallica, Wolfmother, and Queens Of The Sto..."Black Sabbath, Zeppelin, and Grand Funk Railroad meets Metallica, Wolfmother, and Queens Of The Stone Age" is how Stone Soul Foundation have been described, all I can say is that Electric Valley, the third release from Stone Soul Foundation, delivers first class hard driving blues groove riff-heavy rock with the vocals to match.
  Theres plenty of variation on offer here, but there is also an underlying quality that keep all the songs moving along, its no wonder that these guys were picked out by Classic Rock magazine to be amongst the ones to watch for 2011.
  A great band with solid songs performed to perfection, A very solid release that captures all the right elements from the late seventies hard rock giants, mixes them up a little and releases them with a contemporary edge.
  
  A great album, well worth checking out!
  

• Electric Valley Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  The Stone Soul Foundation have been around for almost a decade, probably at home in the States, will...The Stone Soul Foundation have been around for almost a decade, probably at home in the States, will also have a good following, but it is my first run into "Electric Valley" had never heard of sin, I was missing a very good band.
  This second disc of the formation of Syracuse arrives at a distance of five years from the publication of the debut "Into The Flames", the biography speaks of five musicians who have a wide range of influences that in fact this is seen in the eleven tracks (most two "radio edit" of the fifth and eleventh song) that draw from acts such as Black Sabbath, BLS, Alice In Chains (among many), in addition to feel comfortable exploring the area hard rock / funk classic and do not necessarily conditioned and packaged in dark shade.
  The sound is engaging, have created a pretty explosive mixture, there are overwhelming the pieces for a lively look that characterizes them ("Side Walker", "Electric Valley," "Is not No Mystery," "Mountain Of Time"), songs that gap in the radio circuit for the chorus that gets in the head ("Christian" that carry the words, then a picture is not so far from a reality that applies to many "followers" of this style of thinking: "You Call Yourself a Christian, yet 'you're quick to judge. You call yourself a Christian, you still hold a grudge. Yo call yourself a Christian, you boast of your faith. Hypocrisy in the name of the holy ghost "), usability Mixed aggressive charge ("Song About You" and "Gonna Try") and the ability to touch the strings of the listener most emotionally sweet ("Window" and "They Are", the second is pleasant to hear the organ lines offered by Josh Sularski).
  It 's a strong proof how sweet, compositionally elegant but not "prissy" in the way, the tracks more often enriched by the work of the two six-string solo by Jeff Wiggins and Dan Dennis, also in good shape the frames and showing a riffing rich in many aspects and facets of the creature Stone Soul Foundation, the listener knows pander.
  The performance behind the microphone Sean Muldoon, in some predicaments as Ozzy oriented (if it perceives as an example in saying "leave it all behind" at the end of the chorus of "Next Flight" you would need to turn to a trusted ENT), in other rimembrante albeit distantly Layne Staley (and I must say with all sincerity that one or two names despite having listened to repeat the disc still escape me), is one that you remember because the guy is not a clone or a living of reflected light, avoid forcing the use of derivatives as a fulcrum, the lines have expressed a feeling of personal and you will follow him on more than one occasion.
  Helped by a rhythmic base provided efficiently and present by Shane Stillman Paradise on drums and Doug on bass, fitting and follow the evolution of the songs impeccably handing their dynamics in support of the guitars, and a job done with the mixer the trappings owed by Mr. Alex Perialas (Overkill "Feel The Fire" with Anthrax "Spreading The Disease" and SOD for "Speak Inglese Or Die" and a "New Order" Testament among many of you say anything?), the framework put in an album by the values ??above the vulgar media as "Electric Valley" is complete.
  Do you want to escape and you are missing the key to do this? Inserted into the reader's Stone Soul Foundation and leave behind the various paranoid, a little 'good music always has a positive effect on mood.
  

• Electric Valley Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  Electric Valley, the third release from Stone Soul Foundation, delivers first class hard driving blu...Electric Valley, the third release from Stone Soul Foundation, delivers first class hard driving blues groove riff-heavy rock with the vocals to match.
  
  These are the kind of songs you want to hear on your city's rock station. If you like bands such as Godsmack, Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains, or Guns N Roses you will like Stone Soul Foundation. SSF has their own sound and style that will fit very well next to the aforementioned bands in your CD/MP3 collection.
  
  The opening track Sidewalker is a fast bluesy rocker and the second track Christian, a scathing social critique, is a hooky mid-tempo grind akin to Pantera or Sabbath. The title track Electric Valley is a funky rocker that may remind the listener of Thin Lizzy's Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed with some southern rock flavor as well.
  
  Track 4, Ain't No Mystery is another great up tempo rock anthem and track 5, A Song About You, slows it down and grinds it out. Track 6, Window, changes gears to a slow rock ballad that shows off the exceptional vocals of Sean Muldoon as well as the writing of guitarist Jeff Wiggins.
  
  Electric Valley maintains it's energy for tracks Mountain Of Time, Next Flight, and Gonna Try, slows down for They Are Me, then jumps back to full power for the final track I Master, another great rock hippie anthem.
  
  If you like the genres of hard rock, southern rock, stoner/hippie rock, and/or heavy groove rock, you will want to own Stone Soul Foundation's latest CD Electric Valley.
  
  

• Interview in The Rock N Roll Buzz [+ Show ]
  

  This Week: Stone Soul Foundation If you like your rock hard and heavy, Stone Soul Foundation just m...This Week: Stone Soul Foundation
  If you like your rock hard and heavy, Stone Soul Foundation just might be what you are looking for. The Auburn New Yorkers have a sound that is like a combination of Wolfmother and Black Sabbath. They are also veterans and their craft as the core of the band is approaching ten years as a unit.
  
  
  
  Last year Stone Soul Foundation took their recordings to the next level working with fellow upstate New Yorker and legendary Producer Alex Perialas, who has produced many great metal bands including Anthrax, Testament, and Overkill. The outcome was the accessible and outstanding “Electric Valley” album.
  
  
  
  Mighty Lead Singer Sean Muldoon and Guitarist virtuoso Jeff Wiggins, who along with the solid rhythm section of Bassist Doug Paradise and Drummer Shane Stillman, are the machine that make up this superb band. Here is a recent interview in which Muldoon and Wiggins spoke to The Rock N Roll Buzz:
  
  
  
  SR: When did Stone Soul Foundation form and was it easy to build a fan base in your hometown?
  SSF: The band formed in 2002. If a fan base is a dozen people then yeah, it was easy! Now our fan base is steadily growing and we’re gaining fans worldwide.
  
  
  
  SR: What was it like being on tour earlier this year?
  SSF: We submitted for a showcase and were not selected. But we decided that we would play SXSW no matter what it would take. We packed the trailer with a rented sound system, a stage, and all of our gear ready to play on the street corner if need be. Our van has a power converter that was installed by our drummer so that we can play electrified anywhere on the spot. We booked as many shows as we could before we hit the road. Most of the tour dates were booked last minute, literally making phone calls on the road. We hijacked the stage from a house band in Nashville. Our buddy AJ from Thunderosa (Texas metalbilly band) magically booked us two gigs at the SXSW Festival as we were rolling into Austin. The rock gods were looking over us!
  
  
  
  SR: What was it like working with a producer who has produced some very big records over the years?
  SSF: Alex is a complete professional. He is efficient in his work and knows how to induce and capture creative moments. He has a great sense of humor and makes you feel at ease while paying full attention to the task at hand. And let’s not forget he’s recorded some of the greatest metal and hard rock albums. It’s an honor to have his name associated with our work. Some of the tracks were also recorded with Jason Randall, aka Jocko. Jocko is a young talent who has knowledge and experience beyond his years. His attention to detail and production skills is spot on. Look out for him!
  
  
  
  
  
  SR: What have been some of the highlights for the band up to this point?
  SSF: We’ve experienced many awesome things up to this point. We have grown from a local act to a national touring act, soon to be international. Recently we were featured on a compilation CD entitled “Super Rock Power Hour” which was included in the July 2011 issue of Classic Rock Magazine, both in the US and the UK. We’ve played for a handful of huge international acts including one of our favorite bands, Mountain.
  
  
  
  SR: That must have been cool playing with Mountain, what was that like?
  SSF: It was really hot in the club and Leslie (West, singer and guitarist) had to cut it short. I believe he got married the next day. They played a hell of a set. Corky Laing (Drummer) complimented the band and Sean’s voice. There’s a feeling of accomplishment when you hear that from a universal rock legend!
  
  
  
  

• Shauna O’Donnell interviews Jeff about Electric Valley and tour to SXSW [+ Show ]
  

  HEY JEFF THANKS FOR TALKING WITH ME. I APPRECIATE IT. No problem at all. I SEE YOU HAVE MADE...HEY JEFF THANKS FOR TALKING WITH ME. I APPRECIATE IT.
  
  No problem at all.
  
  
  I SEE YOU HAVE MADE FRIENDS WITH JEFF OVER AT FULLMETALHIPPIE.COM. HE IS A VERY NICE GUY.
  
  Jeff is actually a wicked cool dude. I wish him the best of luck. He connected with our band through one of our songs called “Christian.” He took a real interest in that song.
  
  IT’S ALWAYS COOL WHEN ONE OF YOUR SONGS REALLY CONNECTS WITH SOMEONE.
  
  Yeah, all of us as humans are trying to connect and relate. It’s kind of weird because when you are a teenager you kind of feel like you’re alone and like you can’t relate to anybody. Sometimes you can find some music at least that you can relate to. The older you get the more you realize that you are just like everybody else. That is what the song “They are Me,” which is also on our album portrays. We are all one in the same for the most part.
  
  
  YOU RELEASED AN ALBUM TITLED ELECTRIC VALLEY THIS YEAR. WHEN DID IT COME OUT OR IS IT OUT YET?
  
  We finished it up in December of 2010 and so it is basically a 2011 release. We are just starting now to promote it. We will be promoting it all year. We will be doing a lot of Northeast touring because we are from the central New York area. We are hoping to hit the west coast before the year is through and everywhere in between. We are really hoping to do something overseas and a few things up in Canada. We’ve been noticing that we have been getting a lot of notice in the UK, so we are hoping that the fans start to take over. It is up to the fans to put up the demand for the band, which is really what it comes down to. That is another cool thing about being in a band, it’s not just about the players in the band, it’s also about the fans. In the end, they are the ones that will kind of push it and put it out into people’s faces that have some say, like the people that book the bigger shows.
  
  HAVE YOU TOURED NATIONALLY OR JUST REGIONALLY?
  
  Mostly regionally, but now we have started doing bigger ones. We are in the process of putting together some more national touring.
  
  DIDN’T YOU PLAY SXSW THIS YEAR?
  
  Yes, we did two shows down there. After the show we were heading back out of town to go chill out for the night. It was a little after midnight, we were on I35, which is a main highway and we were struck by a drunk driver in a BMW doing about 70-80 mph. They ran into our trailer full of gear. We were on the off ramp and it sent us back onto the four lane highway. The impact flipped the trailer over and almost flipped the van over. We ended up when all was said and done about 600 feet down the road in the passing lane facing traffic with traffic coming at us. Luckily, we were not hit straight on.
  
  
  WERE ANY OF YOU HURT?
  
  We had minor injuries, whiplash and my arm is quite sore because I was driving. It’s probably from the adrenaline of trying to yank the wheel and hold it under control. I pulled some muscles in my arm. I’m dealing with that right now, but it was kind of like a near death experience. It sucks because we had a totally successful tour on the way down there because we did New York, Maryland, Nashville, Alabama, SXSW and then we got creamed.
  
  HOW WAS THE OTHER DRIVER?
  
  Surprisingly, he was alright. Luckily, because he ran into a brick wall, that trailer was packed top to bottom. We had all of our gear in there because we wanted to be ready for any situation. We had a full PA and full stage gear, we actually had a stage in the trailer. He hit us really hard, so hard that it bent the hitch up at a 90 degree angle. The trailer came off the hitch, hit the van and then rolled over on its side.
  
  
  DID YOUR GEAR GET ALL MESSED UP?
  
  Yeah, it’s dinged, we still have to send it out to some technicians to have the electronics looked through. A lot of the drum stuff is smashed up. It got hit at a high speed and hit the ground, so it is all damaged in one way or another. It was a long ride to where we were sleeping afterwards and then it was an even longer ride home when we came back to New York. It’s an awakening of what goes on in the lives of touring musicians in bands. It was a really scary situation. It was wild, but it’s part of the story. We have ups and downs. I think it makes us want to do even more. That is how we are; we are always working on getting back up and taking two more steps. It keeps us going, so bring it on I guess.
  
  YEAH, THERE WILL BE PLENTY MORE SURPRISES AROUND THE CORNER. I HEAR ABOUT A LOT OF BAND ROBBERIES.
  
  It is ridiculous. We try and keep an eye on our stuff. We try to back the trailer up to a wall or a fence.
  
  LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ALBUM ELECTRIC VALLEY. YOU ARE A VERY TALENTED GUITAR PLAYER. WHAT IS THE VIBE OF THIS ALBUM?
  
  Musically it is like a really tight live performance. It’s really warm. It seems like a lot of music now is a little bit over produced with a super digital sound. A lot of tracks on this album are warm and robust. They are more tape sounding as opposed to digital, so that is a pretty cool aspect of it. I think it has a real 70’s vibe to it without it sounding like it was meant to sound like that. I think we just naturally have that sound. It’s what formulates in the end with all of our various influences. We really are music lovers of various styles of rock and metal. If you were to compare us to some of the bands that are out right now, you might say something like Wolfmother or Queens of the Stone Age. One of my big influences was Kyuss, they were big in the California surf scene. Josh Holmes from Queens of the Stone Age used to play in that band. It was his band back in the day. My singer and I are big old school Metallica fans. Our singer is kind of into R&B and blues also. We have this heavy blues/metal with a tinge of what people may call stoner metal sound. Our singer has a really assessable voice when it comes to metal and rock style music. He has a range where he can singer melodic, he can get really gritty and even get to almost a death metal style. It’s really heavy stuff, yet you can play it on the radio.
  
  DOES HE WRITE ALL OF THE LYRICAL CONTENT?
  
  He writes the bulk of all the lyrics. We collaborate as a band. I will write a lot of guitar parts, he will write stuff to the guitar or we will write stuff to his lyrics. We have a lot of different approaches for writing that we try to use.
  
  
  DO ALL OF YOU WRITE IN THE SAME ROOM?
  
  Sometimes we will all write together at the same time. That is one of the approaches. Another one will be that I will start writing riffs and different guitar parts and then Sean will lay some lyrics on top of it. He might write some lyrics that I will use as inspiration to write the guitar to. When we get together in the studio, everyone will toss around their ideas to either add to or take away from the EP. By the end everybody had some kind of input in the band. Sean and I have been performing, writing and playing together since I was fourteen. He is a couple years older than me.
  
  SO YOU GUYS ARE LIKE BROTHERS.
  
  Yeah, basically we are brothers. I think that maybe shows in our sound and especially in our live show. I think people are happy to see us live. A lot of times you go to see a band and there is something lacking especially when it comes to vocals. We seem to be really consistent, that is just my critique because I’m not the singer. Sean sounds great live when I hear him live. When I hear some other big bands recordings and then I hear them live, the vocals never sound nearly as good.
  
  I DID WATCH A COUPLE VIDEOS OF YOU GUYS PLAYING LIVE AND I AGREE WITH YOU. YOU SOUND JUST AS GOOD LIVE.
  
  We have been told that. Our producer Alex Perialas (Anthrax, Overkill, Testament, etc.) is a really quiet dude. He puts his head down and goes to work. He only says something when he feels it needs to be said. We just did our thing and he only said something to us if he thought it was going to make an impact. Otherwise he just let us do our thing. He said he wanted our album to sound like how we sound because he likes our live show. He has seen us live and really liked the show, so he wanted our CD to sound like the best live recording ever. On some of the songs, the vocals are just one take or the guitars are just one take. There are very minimal corrections with Auto Tune. It is all natural vocals and guitars. There is not a lot of cut and paste.
  
  YOU GUYS ARE A PRODUCER’S DREAM.
  
  Yeah well you’d have to ask him about that. (Laughing)
  
  WHERE CAN PEOPLE PICK UP THE ALBUM?
  
  We are using Super D Distribution, which is through CD Baby. You can walk into most stores, order it and they will stock it up. The easiest way would be for people to do the CD Baby online and/or do ITunes. Most of the popular digital download places have it. You can digitally download it from CDBaby.com and/or order a CD from them. We just stockpiled them up, so they have a huge amount of them in the warehouse ready to go. We were selling pretty well on there, so they had us send them a bunch so they are ready to go. If you go to CD Baby on what they call 70’s metal, it is one of the top sellers on there.
  
  THAT IS AWESOME, CONGRATULATIONS!
  
  Thanks, it’s awesome. This is what we’ve been working for. We haven’t stopped believing in what we do and we are going to keep doing it until we can’t do it no more. The band has been together for nine years now, so I don’t think we are going anywhere.
  
  
  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW. WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD OR SAY?
  
  Thank you so much for taking the time. There is a UK based magazine called Classic Rock that is going to be doing a compilation that is going to have one of our songs on it. It will be attached to 70,000 copies. That was the news we got when we got home after the accident, so talk about roller coasters! It is tentatively in the May issue.
  
  

• Auburn rockers in Stone Soul Foundation survive crash after SXSW showcases [+ Show ]
  

  The members of Auburn rock band Stone Soul Foundation had a Dickens of a time down in Texas last wee...The members of Auburn rock band Stone Soul Foundation had a Dickens of a time down in Texas last week.
  
  It was the best of times the Thursday of the annual South by Southwest music conference, as SSF played two successful showcases.
  
  "Awesome shows," says drummer Shane Stillman. "Thanks to A.J. (Mancabelli of former Syracuse band Thunderosa) for setting them up for us.
  
  It was the worst of times late that night as they were driving to a friend's house. With the band van hauling a trailer stuffed with equipment -- they took everything accept for acoustic gear because the band played shows in Annapolis, Md.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Nashville on the way south -- the four musicians and one technician were traveling about 40 in the slow lane of Route 135, Stillman recalls during a phone conversation just now.
  
  A BMW traveling about 80 mph smashed into the trailer, Stillman says.
  
  "The band was making some heads turn down there," Stillman says. "Then we got rear-ended."
  
  The trailer spun, tearing lose from the ball hitch but not the chains. It pulled the van with it. across four lanes of busy traffic, all with Stillman, guitarist Jeff Wiggins, singer Sean Muldoon, bassist Doug Paradise and tech Rich Kaye watching the road in horror. Nobody else crashed into them.
  
  They stopped some 600 feet from the spot of the collision, Stillman says.
  
  Everything in the trailer was so shaken, Stillman says, they need it all replaced. He's in talks with insurance representatives for the driver of the BMW, Stillman says.
  
  The trailer was totaled on the spot. The van was drivable. They rented a trailer and drove 26 hours straight to Auburn, Stillman says, arriving about 4 p.m. Sunday.
  
  Stillman says the four-piece band remains solidly behind the music from the latest CD, Electric Valley, which they released six weeks ago.
  
  On the drive back from Texas, he says, they got a phone call with the news that the song "Ain't No Mystery" was selected to be included on a compilation disc by European magazine Classic Rock, which will print 70,000 copies to go along with the mag.
  
  The band's been together almost nine years, and is ready for more.
  
  They have a May gig in Brooklyn. The next Central New York show on the SSF schedule right now is a 9 p.m. June 3 set at Trishstock in Oswego.
  
  Stillman says he'd love for rock fans to put a new twist on the old story, where musicians become famous after they die.
  
  "We survived," he says. "The ending should be, you can love them while they're alive. They should be dead.
  
  "We say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Stillman says.
  
  

• SSF's "Into The Flames" Wins a Sammy [+ Show ]
  

  Sammys News Back to News Syracuse New Times Sammys 2007 Award Winners Added or Changed: 2007-0...
  Sammys News
  Back to News
  Syracuse New Times Sammys 2007 Award Winners
  Added or Changed: 2007-06-08 11:13:24
  Thanks to all those who came out and supported the Syracuse music scene this weekend at the annual Syracuse New Times Sammys award show. We're proud to announce the winners for this year's round of awards. Awards were selected by an independent panel of judges from the Le Moyne College music department lead by Andrew Russo, head of the department.
  
  Best Country: Lisa Gentile
  Best Folk or Bluegrass: Repercussion
  Best Jazz: Kevin Dorsey Collective
  
  Best Rock: Stone Soul Foundation
  
  Best Pop: Kim Monroe
  Best Blues: Jimmy Cavallo with Ron Spencer and Jumpstart
  Best Rhythm and Blues: Jimmy Cavallo and the Houserockers
  Best Alternative, New Rock or Metal: Josh Christian
  Best Recording Other Styles: Grupo Pagan
  Best Hip-hop or Rap: DooWiTTle
  Hall of Fame: Mike Davis, Dick Ford, Isreal Hagan, Bob Halligan Jr., Ed Hamell, Joanne Shenandoah
  Lifetime Achievement: Sen. John DeFrancisco
  People's Choice for Best Band: The Bystanders
  People's Choice for Best Venue: Dinosaur Bar-b-que
  Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist: The Sister Lovers
  

• Sleazegrinder's CD Inferno [+ Show ]
  

  A knock-down, drag-out party in a box, NYC's Stone Soul Foundation mix up bar-room boogie with a skr...A knock-down, drag-out party in a box, NYC's Stone Soul Foundation mix up bar-room boogie with a skronking brass section and flash metal guitars, and as you might imagine, the result is popped tops and DUI's all around. I haven't heard this particular combination of instruments since The Boyzz back in '78, and although there's no revving motorcycles in the mix here, the biker-rally vibe is in full effect on Saturday night howlers like "Walk Tall", "Heavy Hand" and "We Are Reborn". There's also a smattering of funk ("Get Up"), rattlebone blooze ("One Night"), and vintage glam-metal power balladry ("Into the Flames"), and various mutations along the way. Remarkably pretense-free stuff that exists only to get you on your feet. Or on your knees. Whichever comes first.

• Into The Flames Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  STONE SOUL FOUNDATION ‘INTO THE FLAMES’ (SSF MUSIC) This is bluesy soul R&B/rock and roll in...STONE SOUL FOUNDATION ‘INTO THE FLAMES’ (SSF MUSIC)
  
  
  This is bluesy soul R&B/rock and roll in a sort of 1970s approach like GLENN
  HUGHES meets MOTHER’S FINEST while in a battle managed by GRAND FUNK
  RAILROAD. It’s very funky at times and quite original, nothing like the
  standard Rock&Roll from nowadays. This is something JEFF SCOTT SOTO would
  love to make I guess, really funky rock and roll with bluesy guitarwork (a
  la PAT TRAVERS/NEAL SCHON) and a lot of passionate soulful vocals. I even
  smell some very early late 70s WHITESNAKE references, while PAUL RODGERS’
  BAD COMPANY also comes around a few times. Concluded, a quality CD release
  with in total 13 songs.
  
  (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
  

• MARK BIALCZAK MUSIC CRITIC [+ Show ]
  

  Auburn rockers Stone Soul Foundation know how to lay it on thick. Their 13-song disc, "Into the ...Auburn rockers Stone Soul Foundation know how to lay it on thick.
  
  Their 13-song disc, "Into the Flames," churns with heavy metal power. Yet the five guys in Stone Soul Foundation know that there's more to rock. Sean Muldoon on lead vocals, Dan Dennis and Jeff Wiggins on guitar, Doug Paradise on bass and Shane Stillman on drums roll their rock around in funk and sprinkle some tasty soul on top.
  
  The moody, suspenseful title cut brings to mind the psychedelic days of Jim Morrison and the Doors. Muldoon and mates know how to go deep into the psyche, too, as the scary images of "Blood Runs Cold" prove: "Blood and fire reigns like a plague across the land. All the tears in the world can't extinguish the flames. Must we play these silly games? Man's pride, his hatred and his greed strangles like a weed. In the garden of no turning back, blood runs cold and hearts turn black."
  
  Metal rap fans should love "No Stopping" as Muldoon rat-a-tat-tats: "Police behind me. Road block ahead. I might end up rich and I might end up dead."
  
  On the other end of the spectrum, "Now" features a soaring acoustic guitar with a spirited sax by guest Brian Dobbie joining behind the prettier lyrics:
  
  "Close your eyes and take a journey through space. Look upon the universe without a face. We are one with the dust of the earth and the wind within the sky."
  

• Words And Music By Michelle Picardo [+ Show ]
  

  Auburn's Stone Soul Foundation sent us their debut CD, Into the Flames, and it was certainly burning...Auburn's Stone Soul Foundation sent us their debut CD, Into the Flames, and it was certainly burning with energy! A blistering mix of funk, soul and rock, the five-piece is led by the impassioned vocals of Sean Muldoon, in a sort of stoner-meets-headbanger fashion. Adding psychedelic elements to the blend makes it that much cooler and Stone Soul Foundation do it all with grand aplomb, creating a Grand Funk meets Chili Peppers meets Cream concoction. Feel the soul as the band plays Stooges on Friday, June 10th

• Justin Taylor [+ Show ]
  

  “With Muldoon's voice, endless musical influences and a positive vibe, Stone Soul Foundation is buil...“With Muldoon's voice, endless musical influences and a positive vibe, Stone Soul Foundation is building a rep as an ultimate party band.”

• Jennifer Hogan [+ Show ]
  

  “Stone Soul Foundation is quickly becoming one of the hottest up and coming rock-n-roll sensations t...“Stone Soul Foundation is quickly becoming one of the hottest up and coming rock-n-roll sensations to hit the central New York music circuit.”
  

• Local Rock band up for Sammy Award [+ Show ]
  

  Local rock band up for Sammy award By Erica Geller / Special to The Citizen Sunday, May 27, 2007...Local rock band up for Sammy award
  
  By Erica Geller / Special to The Citizen
  Sunday, May 27, 2007 10:41 PM EDT
  
  It's no wonder that the best rock category nominees up for a Sammy Award (Syracuse Area Music Award) include Auburn-based band Stone Soul Foundation. The group rips open the first track on its “Into the Flames” album with lyrics “Feeling like I know what to do/ I ain't doubting myself no more.”
  
  The five-man Auburn sensation is a mix of blues, funk, metal and rock, and they're not about to back down from the challenge of living the undefined musical life.
  
  That first track, called “Walk Tall,” opens with some finger snaps and “Ah ah ahs” that mimic some of that funky old wah-wah '70s soul. Although the lyrics are expected as a culmination of the band's five-year journey as musicians, nobody expects the driving lead and rhythm guitars to pulse through that sassy beginning. That kind of much-welcomed surprise is a sign that the band known as Stone Soul Foundation is not the same five men that made the first album, “Scenic Route,” in 2003, but a whole new band with cohesion and a lot to prove.
  
  One part of Stone Soul's foundation is lead vocalist and percussion expert Sean Muldoon, who looks as though he is raging into battle on stage with his dreadlocks and full beard. Muldoon is known for “flailing around on stage like a crazed witch doctor,” according to his bandmates and his vocal influences are heavily spiked by Wilson Pickett of “Mustang Sally” fame and James Hetfield of Metallica.
  
  Jeff Wiggins is part of the band's two-guitar assault along with Dan Dennis. Whether it's one playing the solo or the two trying to melt the audience's faces off, the players are inseparable in sound on the new album.
  
  Holding up the band's insistent rhythm is the irreplaceable Doug Paradise on bass. With Stillman serving as the organizing beat of the band, Paradise is known as the machine that drives it along. The band's complicated rhythms on “Into the Flames” would not be possible without Paradise's insistent, full bass sound.
  
  From “Scenic Route,” the track “Midnight Lady” opens with higher-than-metal male vocals in a style close to that of Foreigner's Lou Gramm and with the same intensity. Listeners can already hear at this point that there is something worth listening for as well with the showy front guitar solo.
  
  “Scenic Route's” third track, “Heaven,” opens with Pink Floyd-esque stylings on vocals and guitar. A softer mood infuses the song, but it lacks the heat and personality of the later tracks on “Into the Flames” such as the primal “Get Up.” With a primal drum beat rivaling most modern rock bands, drummer Shane Stillman opens “Get Up” with a technique he learned from a producer who told him, “drum like a caveman.” The riff pierces the soul with its insistent rhythm and relents shortly to two guitars who feed on the bridge-like section that follows. It is clear, before the listener even gets to the funk-infused, saxxed up tracks “Now” (featuring Brian Dobbie of Ruby Shooz fame) and “Funk #50” that this is a band who have taken five elements and made them into one stone soul sound.
  
  The SAMMY executive board has selected 13 bands to perform during the show, which will be held at Galaxy Communication's Taste of Syracuse event in Armory Square. The bands are chosen to represent the most contemporary talent in the Syracuse area and will perform on Friday, June 1, between noon and 11 p.m., with seven bands performing before the awards ceremony and six performing during. All performances will take place on the main stage.
  
  The schedule will include Dan Elliott and the Monterays at noon, gospel group The Bells of Harmony at 1 p.m., hip-hop group DooWiTTle at 2 p.m., country band Conan and the Showdogs at 3 p.m., alternative-rock group Merit at 4 p.m., pop performers Letizia and the Z-Band at 5 p.m., alternative new-rock group Candid at 6 p.m. and the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Playing the ceremony will be Joanne Shenandoah, Bob Halligan, Stroke, the Paul Case Band, Joe Whiting and Mark Doyle. After the awards ceremony, local ska band Razbari Sumthing will headline for the post-awards ceremony party.

• Graig Kern [+ Show ]
  

  “It’s drive that helps launch today’s aspring musicians into the spotlight. Stone Soul Foundation ha...“It’s drive that helps launch today’s aspring musicians into the spotlight. Stone Soul Foundation has that drive.”
  

• Band provides exclusive copies at release party [+ Show ]
  

  AUBURN — Stone Soul Foundation, an Auburn-based, hard rock band, promises to take listeners on a wil...AUBURN — Stone Soul Foundation, an Auburn-based, hard rock band, promises to take listeners on a wild ride of groovy sounds, exclusive time with the band and a chance to acquire the band’s new release before the general public gets a hold of it.
  
  The band will hold a CD listening and release party, complete with a live performance, at Suzy’s Tavern in Auburn this Saturday.
  
  “Electric Valley,” the band’s second full-length album, contains 11 songs that tell of real life issues and perseverance in the face of adversity.
  
  Jeff Wiggins, guitar and vocals for Stone Soul Foundation, said the album, in part, represents the trials a band goes through as it fights to climb the mountain of success.
  
  “A lot of people on the ‘outside’ think bands are an overnight success,” Wiggins said. “It can be really tough to be a band that’s on the road and trying to hold down relationships, a family...”
  
  Some of the songs on the album, such as “Gonna Try” and “I Master,” are about believing in yourself and “how much of a struggle it can be to achieve your goals and reach your destiny,” Wiggins said.
  
  Fans and new listeners alike will have a chance to ask the band members (Wiggins; Sean Muldoon, lead vocals and percussion; Dan Dennis, guitar and vocals; Shane Stillman, drums and vocals; and Doug Paradise, bass) about the inspiration behind these and other songs during an intimate meet-and-greet listening party. Fans can also ask the band about the process of recording and producing an album.
  
  “For the first couple hours (of the CD release event), we’re going to be hanging out mingling and talking with people face-to-face,” Wiggins said. “A lot of bands don’t do that so I think it’s really cool that they (fans) can ask us any questions about anything, really.”
  
  Wiggins said the opportunity is unique because the evening begins at 6 p.m. and time will be set aside specifically for fan interaction.
  
  “A lot of times, by the time we’re done playing, it’s late and people have to get going,” he said. “The band won’t be consumed with getting everything ready to go. We’re going to make sure we have stuff set up ahead of time.”
  
  Fans can also score autographs on their new copies of “Electric Valley,” Wiggins said.
  
  After the meet and greet, the band will take to the stage and perform live all 11 songs, as well as some old favorites off its first album, “Into the Flames,” and some cover songs.
  
  Although the band has played regional venues so far, in March, Stone Soul Foundation will travel to Texas to play the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin. “Electric Valley” will be released to iTunes, stores and other venues in January, but attendees of the CD release party will get their copies first.
  
  “It is exclusive right now,” Wiggins said. “Basically, the people coming to (this show) or who know the band are the only ones getting it.”
  
  

• STONE SOUL FOUNDATION RELEASES ‘ELECTRIC VALLEY’ CD [+ Show ]
  

  Central New York band Stone Soul Foundation worked two years to get its second CD, “Electric Valley,...Central New York band Stone Soul Foundation worked two years to get its second CD, “Electric Valley,” just the way the musicians wanted it.
  
  Shane Stillman, Dan Dennis, Jeff Wiggins and Sean Muldoon will let fly with the new stuff and work from debut CD “Into the Flames” with two Central New York shows this weekend: at 9 p.m. Friday at The Fireside Inn, 2345 W. Genesee St., Baldwinsville, and 6 p.m. Saturday at Suzy’s Tavern, 6 Lexington Ave., Auburn.
  
  Wiggins reports they worked with master sound guys Alexis Periales, at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca, and Jocko at Syracuse’s More Sound Studio before sending the 13 cuts down to Music Row in Nashville for final mixing at Georgetown Masters.
  
  “It’s spectacular,” Wiggins says. “We’re all super excited.”
  
  A listen to an advance copy reveals hard rock crackling with energy and stuffed with memorable lines.
  
  They can snarl. In opening song “Sidewinder,” Muldoon sings, “You sidewalking snake! You back-stabbing fake! I ain’t the one. I wasn’t born yesterday. You ain’t got no reason for me to believe a word you say. Out of my way!”
  
  There’s optimism, too, in “Mountain of Time,” as he sings “Keep your head down in the hurricane when you’re blinded by the freezing rain. Envision love waiting down below. Dig in, now don’t let go. ... If you survive, you’ll truly be alive. See the world through brand new eyes with every sunrise.”
  
  

Setlist

Here's a list of covers to go with the more than 40 originals from Stone Soul Foundation.

*Covers*
Allman Brothers - Soul Shine, and Whipping Post
The Doors - 5 To 1
Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla
Sugar Loaf - Green Eyed Lady
The Yard birds - Train Kept Rollin'
Jimi Hendrix - Fire
The Animals - Misunderstood
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath, Snowblind
Wolfmother - Woman
Pink Floyd - Thin Ice, Brick In The Wall
Metallica - Whiplash, Am I Evil
Led Zepplin - What Is and What Should Never Be

**Acoustic Covers**

The Beatles - Across The Universe, Don’t Let Me Down
Blind Melon - Change
Ween – Baby Bitch
CCR – Lookin’ Out My Back Door
Elvis – It’s Alright Mama, Little Sister
The Everly Brothers – Wake Up Little Susie
Hank Williams –Your Cheating Heart
Johnny Cash – Ring Of Fire
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Misty Morning
The Rolling Stones - Salt of the Earth, Under My Thumb
Sublime – Badfish
Cat Stevens - Peace Train
Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine
Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night, Lake of Fire
Hall & Oats - Rich Girl
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
Mr. Big - To Be With You
Alice in Chains - Down in a Hole
Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah
Lovin' Spoonful - What a Day for a Daydream
Temple of the Dog - Say Hello 2 Heaven
Donovan Leitch - Mellow Yellow
Sam Cooke – A Change is Gonna Come
Red Hot Chili Peppers – My Friends
The Grateful Dead - Ripple
John Mayer - Waiting On the World to Change
Simon and Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson
Righteous Connection (Original) – Still There
Billy Joel – Vienna
Paul Simon – Mother & Child Reunion
Peter Gabriel – Solsbury Hill
Janes Addiction – Jane Says
Cyndi Lauper - True Colors
Incubus - Love Hurts
Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
Eric Clapton – Easy Now
Pearl Jam – Indifference
Peter Tosh – Stepping Razor
Sublime – Rivers of Babylon
Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come
The Animals – House of the Rising Sun
Tom Petty - Last Dance With Mary Jane

Basic Requirements

Calendar