Music
Press
"an absolute work of art" and "beutifull music" as originally aired on WPMD. - DJ MaryJane Cerritos College Radio
Success has been coming on very quickly for the Hendricks family, but The Black River Sound is just going with the flow. The band played in Worcester on New Year's Eve at Tammany Hall and has returned with a solid following and the momentum of its soon-to-be released first album, Crazy Tree.
BRS spins its sound with kinship as the band consists of five Hendricks siblings (all on vocals), Sarah, Holly, Julianna, Josiah and Jon (guitar), alongside three backup members Mike Solfeil (keyboard), Seth Dreyser (bass) and Brent Sirois (drums). The Hendricks' are originally from Westboro, but sisters Holly and Julianna have spent a good part of their lives in Worcester.
According to the eldest Hendricks member, Jon, the band's music is "a good mix of reggae, hip-hop and Motown. It's a lot of musicality with all-real instruments. We set out to create the real sound without the use of a DJ. There's a ton of harmony over the top and it's really an eclectic sound."
Three months ago, Hendricks, his sister Sarah and Solfeil combined forces with Julianna, Holly and Josiah (then known as a group called Rise) to put together what is now The Black River Sound. With the additions of Dreyser and Sirois, the band has fused a unique style that challenges mainstream music and opens the door to a variety of new possibilities. "We realize that each of the parts individually do not equal all the parts coming together," says Jon.
The Black River Sound is coming off an explosive show at Harper's Ferry in Boston. The entire night seemed to be in its favor as the headlining band dropped out and BRS stepped into the forefront. "We just killed at Harper's Ferry," says Jon. "It worked out very well for us. We certainly picked up a small following just from that performance."
Along with a unique sound, there are other elements at play in BRS's popularity. As Erick Godin, co-owner of The Lucky Dog puts it, "There are three amazingly hot women up on stage and they wear nice boots." Beyond that, just their style and the fact that they fill the stage up gives plenty of fans something to look forward to.
"They're cool," continues Godin. "They pull off this dancey sound without a hitch. Most rock bands stick with only two chords, but they have a cool type of dance music. Last time they were here, they had a hell of a lot of people come see them."
The BRS last played The Lucky Dog in November 2007 to a packed house. This time around, Jon says, "It's going to be a great show. There's going to be a tremendous amount of energy." The BRS will share the bill with Pink Floyd tribute band Gilmour's Breakfast. According to Hendricks, playing alongside Gilmour's will make the entire night "a tremendous spectacle. The double-bill will be a huge and enormous expression of music."
(See published at)
http://www.worcestermagazine.com/content/view/2451/ - Worcester Magazine
http://www.bostonnow.com/files/print_edition/BostonNOW%2002-21-08.pdf - BostonNow
http://news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view.bg?articleid=1083510&srvc=home&position=also - Boston Herald
http://www.worcesterite.com/stephen-and-damian-marley-tammany-hall-last-night - Worcesterite Magazine
Discography
BRS is currently finishing it's debut album "Everone's A Suspect". Tracks from this upcoming release have already broadcast in heavy rotation on Boston's WERS.
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Bio
Black River Sound started as two bands merged into one 8 piece live hip hop and reggae outfit. At the core of BRS are the five Hendricks siblings Jon, Holly, Julianna, Sarah and Josiah. Having played music together most of their lives gave an immediate coalescence to the group after adding professional backing players Mike Sofiell, Brent Sirois and Jon Rapapport. The group was formed in late 2007 and has grown a sizeable fan base between Massachusetts and New York from headlining some of the best club venues from Boston to New York City.
The sound of the three Hendricks girls harmonies adds an old school 40's style warmth over the hip hop/funk/reggae grooves put up by the band as heard in their songs like "This Isn't Love" and "Cabin Fever". Emcee's Josiah and Justice (Holly) add contemporary rhymes and verse intermixed with everything else giving the band an unmistakable and all round unique sound.
Black River Sound's song "Everyday" was featured on an NBC show "My Own Worst Enemy" aired in primetime in 2008. BRS won the 2009 MIT Battle of the Bands
and also recently performed a live show broadcasted on Emerson's W.E.R.S 88.9 where they continue to be in weekly rotation.
The band has also been featured in The Boston Herald, Pulse Magazine, STUFF Magazine, The Telegram and Gazette, The Boston Phoenix, Worcester Magazine as well as garnered attention from Stephen and Damien Marley who have attended shows and worked with artist in the band.
Having recorded and funded approximately half of their debut album at Boston’s Sanctum Sounds with producer Steve Catizone, BRS is currently gigging, promoting and raising the capitol to complete their full length album.
While continuing to grow their fan base organically, Black River Sound is aggressively pursuing professional management and representation with the hopes of reaching as many fans as possible given the already wide demographic of existing fans.
Black River Sound truly offers a little something for everyone.
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