Collective Hallucination

Things You Should Know;
Important CHronicalogical Facts about


„« Formed in November 1999
„« Performed first show March 2000
„« Opened for George Clinton (twice) (2001 and 2004)
„« Released first cd ¡§Heavy Rhyme Experience Pt. II¡¨ to local critical acclaim (July 2001)
„« Released second cd ¡§The Peripheral Moment¡¨ and sell 700 copies the first month (September 2003)
„« Featured in Black and Single Magazine (August 2004)
„« Headlined the Indi Music Festival in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (October 2005)
„« Opened for Los Lonely Boys in Texarkana, Tx (September 2005)
„« Featured in The Houston Forward Times Newspaper (2005, 2007)
„« Featured in The Texarkana Gazette (2005)
„« Release third cd ¡§Listen and Believe¡¨ sell 500 copies first month (July 2005)
„« Featured band on EURWEB.com (August 2005)
„« Opened for Lalah Hathaway (September 2005)
„« Performed at South Shore Harbour Jazz Festival (October 2005)
„« Featured in Style Magazine (December 2005)
„« Nominated; Houston¡¦s best Soul Band-Houston Press 2006 and 2007
„« Appeared on Nationwide Television show ¡§The Afterparty with Ernie Manouse (February 2006)
„« Featured band at the Portofino Music Series Festival in Shenandoah, TX (May 2006)
„« Featured band in the Chocolate Bayou Music Festival in Sunnyside Houston, TX ( September 2005 and 2006)
„« Featured and Interviewed in The Houston Chronicle (March 2006)
„« Ant Boogie of Collective Hallucination performs with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Prince (March 2006)
„« Featured band in the South By Due East Festival (March 2006)
„« Performed in the Missouri City Summer Concert Series (July 2006)
„« Performed the official Essence Festival After Party (July 2006)
„« Featured band on Alternative Scream TV (January 2007)
„« Performed live on Air on Person to Person KCOH Radio ( April 2007)
„« Perform at N.A.A.C.P Gala at University of Houston (April 2007)
„« Featured band at Decade in Leadership Foundation Luncheon (Held by the McDonald¡¦s Corporation) (April 2007)
„« Cover story on the band in SOBO Magazine(August 2007)
„« Performed at McDonald¡¦s Scholarship Luncheon (May 2007)
„« Featured band at S.H.A.P.E. Community Pan African Festival ( May 2007)
„« Featured band in the Scott Gertner Summer Music Festival at Scott Gertner¡¦s Sports Bar (June 2007)
„« First Soul Band to perform at ROC BAR in Downtown Houston as part of Houston Press Showcase (July 2007)
„« Performed benefit concert for Texas Children¡¦s Hospital (November 2007)
„« Perform Holiday Jam with Houston legend Mikki Bleu (December 2007)
„« Receive official endorsement by Daisy Rock Guitars ( December 2007)

- High Volume Music

H.P.-How long have you been together/performing since:

C.H.-Since everyone wanted to get together and vibe to some real good funkyrockingsoulfultunes!


H.P.-Who are some of you local influences:

C.H.-Each other, Kmonte, Montrose, Tamar Davis, Caretta Bell and just about anyone who can jam original music and make it sound good!!!!!


H.P.-What about national influences:

C.H.-Des'ree, Prince, Carleen Anderson, INXS, Loose Ends, Sandra St. Victor, Soul II Soul, Eric Benet, Norman Brown, Sly Stone, The Family Stand, Jesse Johnson, D'angelo, Nickelback, Slapbak, TEXAS-(from Glasgow), Heather Headly, Joss Stone


H.P.-How would you describe your music?

C.H.-Loud Smooth Funky Cool Rockin

H.P.-In Houston what are some of your favorite clubs to play in?

C.H.-The Jet Lounge HANDS DOWN!!!!, Soon--Verizon, Warehouse Live


H.P.-How did the band get started?

C.H.-Because of a jam session waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1999 due to Montrose out of Dallas, TX.. www.montrosemusic.com


H.P.-How has your music changed since the band started?

C.H.-Since Stacy has been in the band she has made every song sound like a hit. Stacy without a doubt is one of the BESTBADASSED vocalist in Houston, TX--GIRL CAN SANG!!


H.P.-If your band was a street in Houston, which would it be and why?

C.H.-Shepard-Because Shepard runs through many different neighborhoods with many different classes of people. We'd like to reach everyone in everyhood with our music like Shepard does...


H.P.-Best gig ever? WOW==Umm, let's see there's two.

C.H.-One was in Ft. Lauderdale a couple years ago. We redefined what it meant to be a live band...And a few weeks ago we set our sites on Scott Gertner's Sports Bar and we won the audience over. It was KRAZYSEXYCOOL and you could feel the energy. GREAT SHOW..PERIOD..


H.P.-Worst gig ever?

C.H.-Probably every gig before Stacy joined the band..LOL..


H.P.-Weirdest gig ever?

C.H.-There was a place called the underground we played early on in our career. It's closed now and with good reason...


H.P.-Favorite Houston band (not your own)?

C.H.-Wayside Drive!!! THEY ROCK.. So does Kuumba Freeque and Zipperneck


H.P.-Favorite song from Houston?

C.H.-The new Kelly Rowland single , "Bump Like This" and the new joint by Collective Hallucination coming next year-"Between You and Me"


H.P.-Who does the band owe a big "Thank You" to?

C.H.-Each other for staying true to it even when times got rough, GOD, Wanda Frazier (Ant Boogie's wife), for letting him go outside and play and Jennifer Winters (Ant and Smoking Mocha's personal trainer), she got us looking HAWT!!!! Go Jennifer at Unique Physique Gym!!!


H.P.-Please explain your band name:

C.H.-Prince named us.. Nuff Said..LOL....Yes, that Prince.. He had no idea he named us though, until recently.


H.P.-What's the next step for the band? (What's your next goal?):

C.H.-Open for Macy Gray, Prince, Anthony Hamilton, Mint Condition or someone like that and to play in Verizon Wireless. Get good reputable management and book some awesome shows all across America, Ireland, Australia, England and wherever people appreciate good solid funkyrockingsoulfultunes.. Got good managment in mind for us? LOL..


H.P.-What's the one thing you really hope Houston knows about you?

C.H.-We are the best at what we do. Some love us, some hate but they all say we jam..Oh yeah we are the sexiest band in Houston as well.. Have ya'll seen Bruce Almighty? Dude got pecks.. LOL

- Houston Press

Collective Hallucination, the hardest working original band in Houston shattered attendance records at Legends Jazz Cafe' in Houston's Downtown district.

The year old club had it's largest record of attendance since it's opening day shattering the expectations of the entire staff.

It was so busy the doorman and the soundman had to help work the bar and the kitchen.

The owner, jazz legend Joe Carmouche says he doesn't even pack them in like that on one night. There was standing room only by the time CH took the stage at 9PM.

Ant Boogie of Collective Hallucination says it kind of felt like the opening weekend of Iron Man to him. The Robert Downey Jr. filmed more than doubled it's gross setting it as the second all time highest grossing non sequal film ever in the history of motion pictures. Exceeding everyone's expectations.

"We kind of felt like that", said Ant Boogie, "we worked real hard to promote the show and we made sure the place was packed." Indeed it was.

The band is scheduled to play at Legend's again on July 19th, which happens to be Ant Boogie's b-day. Will they shatter their own record? Only time will tell. - H-Town Indi News

It Had To Start Somewhere
By Michelle Hood

Back in 1967, when the interracial, mixed-gender combo of Sly Stone burst onto the scene with their debut album, the burgeoning rock & roll subculture was, as always, hungry for fresh kicks and different sounds. But no one was quite prepared for the magical, multi-faceted musical mix Sly & company served up. Their music was an inspired blend of rock, soul, pop, jazz, and an emerging genre soon to be dubbed funk. It packed a powerful, joyous wallop, delivering all the things one hoped to find in music: The thrill of the new, the excitement of the unexpected, a galvanizing groove, and lyrics that actually said something.

Now, 30 something years later another interracial, mixed-gender talented bunch are hoping to pick up that torch and carry it along for the next generation of music hungry starved lovers of all things funky!

Collective Hallucination, led by the hard working, never sleeping, focused and determined rhythm guitarist Ant Boogie, has what it takes to make it in a world dominated by drum machines, samplers and a load of tasteless, non-talented "artist" calling themselves bands and things of the such.

Though there is a long line of artist to come along since Sly Stone such as Zapp featuring Roger Troutman, Prince, Mint Condition, Ohio Players, Slapback, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Brother's Johnson, George Clinton and many others, Collective Hallucination hopes to one day make their mark on the world of funky, jazz like rock and soul music. Ant says they aren't doing anything new, cause everything has been done. We aren't trying to re-invent the wheel, he says, we are doing something that needs to be done; making "Just Good Music".

The main influence of most of Ant's writing comes from one source he says; an unlikely source in the European songstress/artist Des'ree. He says he has many influences including Prince, (of course), INXS, Norman Brown and many others, but it's without a doubt most songs he writes he "hears" Des'ree singing them.

For his funkier side, he definitely reaches into his bag of Sly. He says that's where the inspiration for "We're Not That Different", (A funky call to order for prejudice to cease in every way), comes from. It so Sly Stone-ish he says. I know if Sly ever hears this song, he'd be proud! The song can be found on the critically acclaimed cd by Collective Hallucination called "The Peripheral Moment".

The inspiration doesn't stop there when it comes to Sly. Ant says he used to imagine having an interracial, mixed-gender band ala The Family Stone, he just never imagined it would happen. Many folks that knew me back in the day when I used to put on talent shows and have interracial "bandmates" thought it was because of Prince's Revolution. It runs deeper than that. It was all Sly. Ant doesn't deny that Prince is a huge inspiration, but he wants to make sure everyone knows it started with Sly Stone. There has been something about Sly Stone Ant hasn't been able to put his hands on. He does know that musically though Sly is one of his biggest heroes and inspirations. He started what Prince perfected. Sly is an ICON in SOUL music and I hope no one forgets that. Ant says he listens to some Sly Stone at least once every week.

Ant says after years of praying to GOD for the ultimate band, GOD answered his prayers in the guise of B Funk, Stacy “Diamond” Butler, Mocha, Bruce “Big Brother” Rios, and Shay Renee’ -5 individuals with no hang ups, who, like Ant had been praying for focused like minded individuals to make good music with. These cats all have their eyes on the prize. It just so happens the band is an interracial, mixed-gender group of individuals!

Ant says the time for Collective Hallucination is now and he's looking forward to the future with these five individuals as CH takes on the world to win fans one at a time!

Maybe now in 2005 music lovers have prepared themselves for the fresh kicks and different sounds that music lovers were hungry for back in ‘67. Maybe now they are prepared for the magical, multi-faceted musical mix Collective Hallucination is serving. The music of Collective Hallucination is indeed an inspired blend of rock, soul, pop, jazz, and yes funk.
- The Houston Forward Times Newspaper

He has a beautiful wife, wonderful kids, (a son named after one of his musical and comic book heroes Prince-the singer, T'Challa-aka The Black Panther ) and a great job, (he owns his own businesses). But this Houston based soul man is not content.

"I plan on doing major things with my band the next few years," said Mr. Boogie, an irresistibly dynamic soul singer/producer/guitarist/bandleader who returns, with his band Collective Hallucination, to Houston stages April 21st, (after an almost 6 month performance hiatus), at the popular Jet Lounge. "I plan on single handily making things happen for myself and my band considering how hard it is to get good honest true help these days." Although the band does have a great support system, Ant still handles the day to day operations of his band's scheduling, rehearsals, appearances and more."

These days seems like such a far cry from *1999* when Ant Boogie formed his band with friend Kenneth Bates aka The Time Keeper after the urging of Dallas based musician Montrose. "I started out with the knowledge and resources I gained through the years from my time spent as a music retailer and faith that one day I'd be sitting pretty doing what I love most—MUSIC! It has been a hard road though. One I now can walk on or drive on with a big smile on my face."

On February 24th, The band performed a 4 song mini concert at the Marriott West Loop Galleria as part of the Listen and Exchange Event held every year spearheaded by Ms. Dedra Davis. "The crowd was a hard bunch, filled with mostly rap music lovers and a few others, but we won them all over with our brand of funky in your face soul!"
"In Houston", said the 39-year-old Boogie, "it's hard to be in a band doing original tunes and get the respect, bookings and most of all money that's so deserved of one as good as Collective Hallucination."
Ant says it was so hard in fact that he had to make the ultimate sacrifice because he wanted to do it his way. Ant took his own money to finance his band's own shows, paying for the rental of the venues, flyers, advertisements, buying his own PA equipment, renting trailers or whatever else was needed to get from one show to the other. "I even set up everything in the early years from the drum kit, to the PA to the bass rig all by myself. All the band had to do was come in, plug in and play. I would then break everything down, pack it up and take it back to wherever it belonged. Most of the time I did it all by myself." These days Ant says he's not picking up anything but his axe as he has a real road crew and the whole works.

"This is something that went on for years," Ant says, "and I lost friends, band mates and so much more along the way. I was focused and determined. Something that a lot of "musicians/artists" these days aren't. They're looking for the overnight big break success story and it doesn't work that way. So I lost a lot of friends and band mates along the way, but it's cool. Looking back, it was all worth it!"

These days, the band is doing impressive things that not too many bands, (especially in Houston), doing original music can say. For instance, the band is working on a cross promotions event with Houston area McDonald's
restaurants
as well as getting paid top dollar to perform at venues, (both public and private), doing their brand of funk/soul/rock and jazz. They were nominated in 2006 as R&B act of the year going against major label artist Brooke Valentine (Def Jam) and former Destiny's Child singer Latoya (Capitol). "That was a defining moment for us. It meant someone had noticed! Although Brooke Valentine won, Ant says it's great being nominated just because I've worked hard for a long time to bring the CH sound to speakers everywhere and people are starting to take notice and say, hey…that band is good!"

"Things are definitely different now than they were then. I'm glad I had the faith to keep going because there were times I just wanted to throw in the towel and just say to hell with it, but I couldn't. It was in me to keep going."

It took Ant Boogie a lot of faith as he had moments in his career where it just seemed like the floor was being pulled from right under his feet and he was falling into a bottomless pit. "I remember when the band had a show and the vocalist didn't show up cause she was mad or something", he says, "Luckily the band had been rehearsing some new instrumental tunes and a few other tunes. We pulled the show off without a hitch. There was even a show in the early, early years where the lead vocalist came for soundcheck and then left and never came back. Weird, huh?" LOL.
"It's all about faith and some folks just lost it after doing gig after gig and literally not getting paid for it. Imagine how I must have felt because I still had to shell out money to put these shows on. I kept the faith though. It's so easy to lose faith and give in to the whole idea of I won't get paid if I'm not doing someone else's tunes. I thought about it more than once, but I refused to go that route. Not that there's anything wrong with it, it just wasn't me."

Ant says he's gone through band mates like a drive through, "Band mate after band mate would come and go. Some were fired, some quit, others got sick and some moved out of town on the premise of the grass being greener. I remember one young lady came and rehearsed with the band for like two weeks before a show, did one show and quit that night right after the show saying she was moving to Cali because she felt like she had what it takes to make it!!

The name stayed the same although the members changed. It came to a point when I felt like Carl McIntosh of Loose Ends, Bluey of Incognito or Jazzie B. of Soul II Soul, where I had a revolving door of musicians and vocalist. I kept focused though and kept going…moving ever forward to my goal of having a band of infinitely talented, faithful and driven individuals."

"I remember midway through recording our 2003 cd "The Peripheral Moment", I had to let go of the lead vocalist because it just wasn't working out the way I planned. (He recently had a scuffle with that former lead vocalist estranged husband).
"By the time that cd had come out I didn't have a band at all!!!!", he says laughing, "it was a really strange time as I was feeling the pain of the cost to record this cd and the need to recoup some of the money that had gone into it. I was sweating bullets. It was funny because if you read the credits the only consistent player on the cd on every song was me!! There was literally no band when the cd was recorded or released!"
Ant says he thought he had learned his financial lesson when in 2001 he spent all of his money to record the band's first cd "Heavy Rhyme Experience Part II", an ode to The Brand New Heavies who had recorded and released a cd called "Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1" with some of the hottest rappers at the time. The Collective Hallucination cd was recorded with some of Houston's hottest poets and then shelved before it was released due to lack of funds to have it properly done. "Keep in mind this was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before the digital age, so you couldn't just set up some songs and have them downloaded. I think at the time almost every poet featured on that cd was angry with me except maybe two of them. What they didn't understand was the fact that it cost to record, release, promote, distribute and market a cd. They just knew it had been recorded and it should have been out. Man, those were the days," Ant Boogie says reflectively.

These days Ant Boogie says he can look back at all those years as a learning experience which has prepared him for the inevitable...SUCCESS on a very good scale! The band is currently working on it's 5th cd, (the 4th cd comes out later this year and is already recorded and ready to be mixed and mastered). "I'm working with a bunch of great people who have faith, not only in themselves, but the music and me as well. They are all very, very spiritual in their beliefs as well. It's like from time to time we might have our own little band bible study when we're not joking and playing around or rehearsing. I talk to all of my bandmates everyday. We break bread together, laugh, joke and cry together. I love them so much. They are the greatest group of individuals to be around. It's the best band family experience I've ever had! The band also takes time out to roll up their sleeves, grab a shovel and dig. These cats will go out and help promote shows, help break down equipment and do whatever needs to be done to keep this well oiled machine on the tracks. That's a complete first to have a whole band pitching in."

Another great thing Ant says is he sells at least 3 CH cds a day almost everyday! "Both "The Peripheral Moment" and "Listen and Believe", (the band's latest cd) are currently selling pretty well as we are opening up to a whole new audience. We have a new single from our forthcoming cd coming out in April and I am anticipating high sells for it as well. Now's the time for Collective Hallucination and it feels good!"

Ant is also in the studio working with Dominique, a Houston based singer/songwriter who Ant says has the talent, drive and look to take her places. "This young lady can write songs just as quickly as I write the music. It's like we're an Elton John/Bernie Taupman team. She's awesome!" Ant just recently put a band together for Dominique and he says soon she'll be doing shows in and around the Houston area. He says there will be shows where Dominique and her band will open for CH and there will be moments when CH will open for her! I'm very optimistic about the future with Dominique as well as Collective Hallucination," Ant said recently.


"I have no fear. My spirituality and faith are strong. My drive and talent will take me where I need to go," he said, clutching his day planner that he keeps close to him at all times. "These days my phone rings all the time with performance opportunities for CH as well as Dominique. I need to make sure I'm ready to answer any call for any opportunity". - SOBO Magazine

March 8, 2006, 1:18PM

Collective Hallucination will make you see things
By JOEY GUERRA
For the Houston Chronicle
Spend a few minutes with Collective Hallucination, and it's easy to see why this eclectic soul outfit clicks so effortlessly.
The group's members laugh, joke and tease constantly when they're not showcasing their blend of soul, jazz, funk and rock rhythms. It's all part of the creative process.
"We try to transfer some of that energy we get in the rehearsal room onstage with us, but at the same time, we have to know when to turn it down, when to pay attention to business."
The group is led by guitarist and producer Anthony "Ant Boogie" Frazier, who first hatched the idea almost seven years ago with the blessing of his wife, Wanda, whom he calls "a serious, serious support system."
After a few lineup changes and sonic shifts, Frazier hooked up with bassist Jason "J Thunder" Ward and keyboardist/vocalist Katie "Soul Shine" Barnes in 2004. The roster was filled out by vocalist Stacy "Diamond" Butler and drummer Chelsa "Mocha" Johnson. The most recent addition is 20-year-old Indian-born singer Simran, who joined the group in October.
Frazier says the current lineup is the strongest yet, for several reasons.
"I like the family feeling. A lot of people . . . don't interact with their band mates when they're not onstage together and when they're not rehearsing. We talk on the phone a lot. It's a real family unit," Frazier says.
"When I started rehearsing with these cats, it felt better than it ever had before. There was no arrogance. There was happiness, and happiness is a key factor when you're doing this."
"When we get to where we finally want to be . . . we're going to wind up seeing these folks more than we see our regular family," says Ward. "It really is like a family. Family members have disagreements. We'll yell at each other; three days later, we'll be over it. There's more important stuff to worry about."
Collective Hallucination has kept the pace steady with live performances and recordings. The group has released several EPs and full-length discs, including 2005's Listen and Believe.
They have also opened for the likes of George Clinton, Mos Def, Los Lonely Boys and Lalah Hathaway. Frazier shared the stage with Támar and Prince during a recent show at Warehouse Live, chiming in on a rendition of Play That Funky Music, White Boy.
A new CD is currently in the works, though it isn't expected until 2007. What is probable is a wholly new, evolved Collective Hallucination sound.
"Different people are definitely going to give you a different sound," Barnes says. "I think the band was in such a different situation as far as personnel and attitude (earlier). I think the second (disc) was an improvement . . . and I think the third one is definitely going to be even better from how we've grown and the collection of people that we have now."
And beyond new musical horizons, Collective Hallucination has proven invaluable in other ways for one of its youngest members.
"I was a diamond in the rough. I had to have some edges smoothed out. Even when I met (Ant Boogie), I was very arrogant, rough, had the attitude," says Simran, who moved from New York to Houston four years ago. "There are certain people in this band that I'm glad I have the opportunity to know because they're really good, mature influences. These are some people that have some good heads on their shoulders."

- Houston Chronicle

"Collective Hallucination puts the punch in soul music without sounding dated. If this is the renaissance of that genre then Collective Hallucination has it pegged better than anyone before and anyone since."
~11/1/06

- Public News

I used to be very afraid of Jimi Hendrix. Just the sight of his picture would send me hauling tail in search of a safe haven from “the boogeyman.” He wasn’t some gruesome fictitious character with fangs, a disfigured, bloodied face and blades for fingernails. He was a rock star. His music, style of dress and stage show had been different from any black entertainer I’d ever been exposed to and that made him weird and threatening to me. A brother playing rock and roll? A voice that didn’t croon; didn’t send black women’s panties shooting to the stage like frisbees? He was far too strange for my young mind to grasp. But several years later, after experiencing the monotony and humdrum of R&B and hip-hop, I began to understand and appreciate Hendrix’s individualism and nonconformity. Whether drug induced or natural, whether I enjoyed his music or not, he didn’t give a damn and I loved it.



Today, much of the assembly line manufactured “black music” heard in the commercial medium is the by-product of corporate America’s fixation with greed. You know how it goes: milk the life out of whatever sells. Damn the artistry because after all, it’s 90% business and 10% music. Consequently, this type of corporate machinery has stifled the artistic growth of many urban artists, leaving music lovers two choices: either jump on the overloaded bandwagon or explore other options. Refreshingly, more often, performers and audiences alike are choosing the latter.



Those artists truly in the game to share their artistry have long explored different types of music in hopes of feeding the uniqueness that an artist’s soul craves. There was of course, Jimi, known in his short career for his spaced out rock sound, eclectic showmanship and shocking guitar riffs. Then there’s the Royal One, the man who is a genre within himself, Prince. Tales of his genius befitting, he mixes genres so eloquently that his sound could never be stifled to one particular style. And we certainly can’t overlook Lenny Kravitz, flaunting sex appeal so untamable, it’s hard to believe sisters haven’t been checking for him all this time. With a style reflective of both Prince and Jimi, he takes stabs at crossing genres in hopes of reaching a broader audience. His hit “I Belong to You” from his album “5” sought to achieve that goal with its tinged R&B groove. It wasn’t until Ebony and Essence magazine featured the star that black people began to take notice.



Appealing to black audiences has not been as easy a feat for Kravitz as it was for Prince. While Prince has been embraced by urban, pop and rock audiences alike, Kravitz and other alternative artists aren’t being marketing and promoted to urban audiences. Is it solely the fault of the music industry or is the industry only responding to black people’s apparent tapered taste for what we are familiar with?



Independent Dallas based musician, Montrose, whose style is reminiscent of Prince and Lenny thinks it’s a 50/50 blame. In his latest CD release entitled, “Inertia”, Montrose has created a colorful, vibrate mix of genres, giving his audience a taste for moody soul, eclectic funk and guitar racing grooves. He’s pleased that his music has been well received by both black and white audiences but he agrees that black audiences often aren’t receptive to other forms of music. He states:





“A lot of people don’t know what they like because of what we’re being fed by record companies –who produce what they want us to hear. On the other hand, listeners aren’t as open to seeking out other artists even though technology has given us several ways of doing so. While there is indeed an audience that will research alternatives to commercial music, the group is very small. Most African Americans limit themselves to what they hear on the radio, except in the genre of hip-hop where there’s a large underground following. Take alternative artist Ben Harper, for example. Ben’s a major label artist and most African Americans haven’t even heard of him but he’s selling out stadium and most of his fan base is white.”





Possibly the answer is fierce marketing and promotion on the part of the artist, as is the case with independent Houston based band, Collective Hallucination. Feeding a diverse audience by offering a sound that will expand musical awareness, their latest release, “The Peripheral Moment”, is a collection of guitar-driven tunes that touch on love, diversity and current issues sprinkled with mellow instrumentations. Front man, Anthony Frazier, is known for shameless self-promotion of his band which has fueled the group’s success with a vast array of listeners who are searching for something fresh; retro reinvented; a diversion to the boxed in mindset of what black music should be.



They’re abstract and non-conforming. Art and influence. Some studied and imitated. Unlike the typical urban artist, they don’t swagger; don’t bling; don’t croon. They are of a different musical caliber, carrying guitars, sporting retro gear and carrying an individualistic style that’ll make you furrow your brows to traditional trends in black music. They are musicians who embrace alternative, rock and funk, defying the definition of the black artist. They are the alternative to what our ears are accustomed to and whether we’re down with their style or not we have to respect that they have stepped outside of the music industry’s box and played by their own rules. They yearn to bring you a different flavor of music. Will you listen?



For more information on the artists mentioned please see the following websites:

Jimi Hendrix: www.jimi-hendrix.com

Montrose: www.montrosemusic.com

Collective Hallucination: www.collectivehallucination.com

Ben Harper: www.benharper.net



Carlandréa is a freelance writer residing in Houston, Texas. Her diverse background includes entertainment marketing/promotions, scriptwriting, songwriting, short stories, music reviews and poetry. Feel free to email her

your comments at: I_Muze@yahoo.com or below in the Speak Out section.



- Carlandréa for Eurweb.com