Phoenix Falling

For the past few years I've had the pleasure of meeting and occasionally working with some of the best musicians in the area. As a working musician and as a LIVE music columnist for PULSE, I try to make it a priority to stay current with as much of the local LIVE music scene as I can. Sometimes I work hard at digging up a new story and other times they just seem to fall into my lap. The story of Phoenix Falling comes easy... I learned of the band through one of it's founding members a couple of years ago. At the time I was actually performing with Colby Peters - the drummer for Phoenix Falling. He was earning a few bucks filling in as drummer for my band and he told me about the project that he was trying to get off the ground... he and a few other guys had some ideas and were working on developing a sound. As time went by I found a full-time drummer and I didn't see Colby for about a year. During that year I recruited a young bass player (Ben King) for my band and as it turned out he was also working with Colby on the Phoenix Falling project. So, by now you can probably see were this is going. I was getting frequent status updates about the project from Ben when we played gigs together and when I learned Phoenix Falling was finalizing their first EP and working on performing live I knew it wouldn't be long before I had an easy story to write about. Well, that time has come...
On a rainy day in early August I had a chance to sit down with the band for some Q & A before a rehearsal at their studio. I also got the chance to listen to some pre-mastered audio clips from their soon to be released EP. When asked to describe the bands sound I received a collective response from several of PF's members - "New Rock". And, that is indeed is what it is... After listening to the clips I can't think of a better way to describe the sound and Genre. The band does a great job of keeping a contemporary vibe while paying homage to their musical influences with their sound which is laced with hints of the bands healthy respect of rock greatness from the 1960's up to today. With rich tones, sophisticated chord progressions mixed with fantastic melodies and smart lyrics... I must say I was very impressed with the music and give it two thumbs way up. Although there are plans for only six songs on the EP when it is released, I highly recommend this first offering to all who love Rock music.
When asked about the bands short and long term goals the response was intelligent and to the point. "Release the first EP, develop an attractive merchandise strategy, tour to grow a healthy fan base and try to make consistent quality music for many years" said Colby Peters. To get a feel for performing LIVE as a group in front of an audience the band recently opened a show in Naples for the New Jersey based act Action Item and the local band and venerable veterans Vega Under Fire who's tour brought them back home briefly. "The show went well and the reaction from the audience was great" said PF co-founder and guitarist/singer Kevin Leman. " It was a nice ice-breaker but we don't plan to do another local show until we have a confirmed EP release date which should be sometime in September or October" added Ben King. "After that we plan to hit the ground running and build a following without demographic confines... we wanna make music for everyone... all ages, tastes, backgrounds, etc..." said guitarist/vocalist Christian Logaglio.
After spending about an hour with the band I left with the impression that if all it takes to "make it" is five guys that seem more like brothers than band mates, a solid understanding of the current music industry, talent bordering on genius, a huge support group of fans, friends and family and a little luck... then I could easily go out on a limb and say the next big thing out of SWFL would be Phoenix Falling...



Phoenix Falling from left to right in photo.

Colby Peters (Drums and Vocals) co-founding member. Also writes songs and lyrics (wrote songs "Dreamer" and "A Dangerous Game" on the soon the be released EP). Teaches at Morning Star music in Naples. Taught by Billy Ashbaugh (live drummer for N'Sync and Brittney Spears). Heavily influenced by jazz and latin music, as well as rock and pop.

Kevin Leman (Guitar and Vocals) co-founding member and writes most of the lyrics and songs.

Christian Logaglio (Guitar and Vocals) Teaches at Morning Star music in Naples. Fluent in almost every style of music. Heavily influenced by Pat Methany, Eric Johnson, and Stravinski.

Ben King (Bass and Vocals) Has played professionally since age of 15. Fluent in multiple styles such as jazz, funk, rock, and progressive music. Heavily influenced by The Who, King's X, The Beatles, and Sly and the Family Stone.

Mitch Clark (Vocals) has been singing since he was very young. Often sang in his fathers large church in Englewood. Attened Liberty University and plans on making music his carreer.


For more information about how you can support local LIVE music entertainment and to purchase a copy of Phoenix Falling's first EP and merchandise visit:

www.Itunes.com
www.MySpace.com/PhoenixFalling
www.moonymann.com/PULSE - PULSE Magazine

Seventeen local bands will be slinging their axes in the biggest band battle to hit Southwest Florida.

The Homegrown 2010 Music Fest is set for Saturday at Germain Arena in Estero. The event was organized by the Rev. Roy Terry, pastor of the Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Naples, and Sammy Wallace, vice-president of event programming at Germain Arena.

Terry, who also organizes the annual Naples Strawberry Festival and Indie Fest, has been involved in local music in Southwest Florida for years, often having bands play at the church.

“Southwest Florida isn’t known for being one of the concert hot spots, and yet we have some of the best indie bands around, if not some of the best bands in the state,” Terry said.

Terry met Wallace more than a year ago when he began planning a benefit fund raiser for breast cancer research. The event did not come together but the two kept in touch. Terry’s involvement in the local music scene matched Wallace’s interests in hosting a local event and Homegrown was born.

“The idea of being able to play on the Germain Arena stage in a big production and having a nice big crowd, it’s great exposure for (the bands) and a great experience,” Wallace said.

Germain Arena is also part of the appeal for the audience.

“The name Germain Arena is bringing a lot of people into this show that normally wouldn’t go catch you at a smaller place,” said Colby Peters, drummer for competing band Phoenix Falling. The hope is that the event will snowball into people coming out to smaller venues, he said.

Peters’ band’s first show was at an event Terry organized at Cornerstone United Methodist Church.

“He really wants to help local bands. He doesn’t have to throw these events, but he does it because he really likes it,” Peters said.

Terry planned for 15 bands, but after the influx of applications he bumped that number to 17. All of the bands had to be unsigned, play original music and have some previous experience.

To secure a spot, bands needed to sell 100 tickets. The bands got to pick a time slot once their tickets were sold.

However, a bit of luck helped pull one band into the event.

Homegrown was the impetus for longtime drummer Rick Margerison to form Love in War, the event’s opening band. Margerison pulled together friends in the industry and got to work when another band backed out. They’ve been practicing overtime while selling the last of their tickets.

“It’s not about winning, it’s about having a good time and a good experience,” Margerison said.

The organizers hope this will be the first of many years of the event, and so do the bands.

“This speaks volumes to how much people really want something in this town. People really want to buy into the arts in this town,” said Slim Gillian, guitarist for Fellowbliss, who will be competing at the event.

Germain Arena won’t be the biggest venue Fellowbliss has played, but it will be the biggest in the Southwest area. Gillian, who has been a full-time musician for 10 years described the event as “brilliant.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a band battle that can really judge a band’s ability to market themselves and draw a crowd, on top of being able to put on a good show,” he said.

The first place band will win $2,500 and 10 hours of studio time with JML Recording Studio, based in Fort Myers; second place will win $1,000 and third place will win $500.

TJ Kelly has been playing with his band, the TJ Kelly Band, for five years. Born and raised in Fort Myers, the musician called the event a “jump start” for the music scene in Southwest Florida.

“Everything here is cover bands. Everything is ruled by bands playing radio music,” he said. “It’s tough to find venues that want people playing original music. I think it’s great that they’re doing it.”

Five judges will select the winners as Terry’s band, Holy Moly Band, plays. The judges will award points for playing ability, composition, stage presence, crowd participation and creative performance. Locals can also sponsor the event, with $250 buying a table in the lobby and $2,000 for a table and a banner on the stage.

The first band plays at 2 p.m. and the event will go until midnight. Germain Arena has waived the parking fee for the day and tickets are $10. Concertgoers can purchase tickets at the door.


- Naples Daily News

Music is our passion and it is what we do best.

We have many varied musical influences that we tap into and that allows us to truly create our own sound. The music is a nice blend of agressive and melodic rock -- a sound you won’t hear from anyone else in the area.
- 239spot.com

You’re flipping through stations in your car when suddenly a song comes on that absolutely blows your mind. With your car’s speakers hanging on for dear life as you blare this new face melting hit, you flip a U-turn and head immediately to your nearest record store to pick up the CD, elated that you are about to hear 10 songs that will set the new bar for the rock scene. How will your friend’s feel when you brag that you know every word on the CD before they even knew it was out? You are certain this will be your new favorite band by the time MTV runs their world premier video, based on this one song on your radio. You’ll wonder, “Where have these guys been hiding?” Yet after skipping to the next track something is wrong……of the 10 songs on the CD, only 4 are tolerable to listen to and a scant few of those four could be considered “good”….. Damn, you’ve been tricked again by the cruel temptress that is Rock N’ Roll. When she shows you the goods it’s like nothing you’ve ever felt about anything before; she found a way to connect with your inner most thoughts on levels that therapists could only dream of. Like always, she only lets you get so close, and the worst part is it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be back to repeat this process. I’ve experienced this countless times since I’ve fallen into her clutches, but I’ve never heard it put quite so perfectly until our May Artist of the Month, Phoenix Falling, summed it up on their appropriately titled track “Rock N Roll”:



“I don’t trust you, but I lust you….I’m in love with Rock n’ Roll”



Now don’t let the lead in story get you off track, the five guys from Phoenix Falling have put together a great EP entitled ‘The Beginning”. We are far from knocking their album or saying that they fall into this category; in fact, it’s quite the opposite, as I can’t stop listening to it. With a lyric as true as that one, there are few music fans that would have an issue relating to this band out of Naples, FL. The talented musicians from Phoenix Falling have been honing in their respective crafts for years. Mitch Clark (Lead Vocals), Kevin Leman (Guitar / Vocals), Christian Logaglio (Guitar / Vocals), Ben King (Bass), and Colby Peters (Drums) have pooled their talent together to create an extremely deep, intricate sound uniquely combined with powerful vocals and lyrics.

The first three fast paced tracks of “The Beginning” start quick beginning with the a dual guitar intro on “Ghost Town”, Leman and Logaglio immediately introduce you to the high level of play that carries through the entire EP. As Clark starts belting out the vocals on “Addicted” his voice has an amazingly close sound to Boston’s original lead singer Brad Delp. It is remarkably clean with an extremely good range.

As I mentioned before, Phoenix Falling’s song “Rock N Roll” has some great lyrics. But it would be hard to miss the fact this is the band’s strongest song on the EP. With some strong back- up vocals, they throw the mic around the band at several parts of the song, which adds to the attitude that the song is trying to convey. There are also a few great guitar solos and King keeps the band on track with a heavy bass line. This song is a must listen, head over to Rocksposure Radio, we’ve got it queued up and waiting for you.

“Gravity” changes gears a bit for the band as they slow down the tempo. While the guitars are less prominent on this song, Peters gets a bit of time in the spotlight on the drums. Carrying a quick cymbal and hi-hat driven beat, the song has a far different feel then the others on the album.

Phoenix Falling goes the acoustic route on “Heroes Never Die”, a major departure from the rest of the EP. Clark gets a chance to further show the clarity and range of his voice on “Heroes Never Die”. He sounds great on every track, but it is interesting to hear his versatility on this track. After a muted start to the final track “Dreamer”, the band explodes into their full volume and pace. They finish the EP off just like they started: quick, cohesive, and polished.

There’s something about hearing new music that breaks the monotony of your regular playlist rotation. Since it’s easy to get burned by that Rock n’ Roll temptress, it’s often easier to stick with what you know. After hearing Phoenix Falling, it’s great to have some new music to lust over……..even if I know that down the road Lady Rock will be back to trick me and break the trust once again. Thankfully for you, that’s what Rocksposure.com is here for.





- Rocksposure.com

As the Germain Arena spotlight hits center-stage on July 10, thousands will cheer for the pure love and progressive soul of Indie music.

The Home Grown Music Festival is the brainchild of musician and Reverend Roy Terry. The festival is meant to give local musicians an opportunity to share their love for their art, but most of all its creating a movement for musicians who are not fully in the mainstream to celebrate their individuality and independence.

“Indie music is fresh and speaks to the culture and environment of our times,” says Terry. “Home Grown is all about celebrating our areas best unsigned bands! It is a showcase for them to share their talent and art! And, it offers a little healthy competition.”

The 12-hour extravaganza with over 15 bands will include rock, rap, hardcore metal, punk, pop, reggae, Christian hip-hop and much more. The fest is the first ever held at this venue and is dedicated solely to the celebration of talent and the education about Indie music and the business.

Most of the bands performing aren’t looking for money or fame. They jam for the sake of loving their art form. For most of them, it’s an urge too great to resist. The idea is to get the music to a greater audience, in order to broaden the culture and direction of these individuals.

“Germain is the largest venue in Southwest Florida,” Terry adds. “They are interested in maintaining its connection with the local community and supporting local musicians. So, after a year of conversation and planning, we developed the Home Grown Music Festival to showcase local and regional musicians and give the community an opportunity to come out and enjoy a night out on the town.”

Thanks to Terry’s background of playing in bands and being a solid supporter of up-and-coming musical talent, finding bands was a little easier. Local and regional groups were contacted and asked to apply and sell 100 tickets at $10 a piece, in order to make it to the big stage. The idea was genius…meant not only to help bands fill up the venue, but also teach them the importance of marketing themselves in this industry.

The broad and powerful results of this Music Festival will go beyond a battle of the bands initiative. These individuals hitting the stage don’t care about fostering something for the mass media or changing their vibe. They are in it for the creativity and the personal choice their art gives them. These people live and breathe their passion.

Excited beyond words about this innovative and unique festival, I chatted with some of the breakout bands that will grace the stage. Here is a taste of what Southwest Florida is in for:

FELLOWBLISS
Genre: (Radio Rap with a Hip Hop Flair)
Band Members: Jubilee, Magic Mike, Matt Anastasi & Slim



FellowBliss is a smooth and seasoned sounding band that came together in January of 2009. Fate had a bit to do with the band joining together and only one-week after collectively forming a group, they went on tour. Initially, known as Jubilee the band started as a pop/R&B band, but transformed after taking a break from touring the Southeast of the country. Currently, the band is wrapping up their Laughing in Catastrophe CD, which is set to release at the end of the summer.
Y: “You say the band wasn’t always rap with a hip-hop flair, why?”

Slim: “Since everything happened so quickly for us when we came together, we didn’t have a chance to name the band or write material. We flew by Jubilee’s name and played her old stuff. After a year of being on tour, we changed our name, our music and our image. But it wasn’t so much that we changed it; it was that we finally made the band. The pop and R&B feel just wasn’t us. I grew up playing blues and rock. Our drummer, Matt, grew up playing heavy metal. Magic Mike plays the keys, but doesn’t have one specific background in music. And Jubilee grew up rapping in a group called Lost Cause. So, we took her rap flair and hip-hop style, brought in Matt’s aggressive drumming with my heavy rhythms and together we created FellowBliss.”

Y: “Interesting. So, if you had to describe your band, how would you describe them?”

S: “My guys are crazy…let me tell you that right now. We don’t take life too seriously, but we do take music seriously. We feel called to do this. This isn’t a hobby band, a garage band, or something we do because we’re bored…this is our career. Jubilee is a tiny, little white girl that raps. She’s hysterical and actually is a big time nerd that’s into comic books and Star Wars. Magic Mike is the wild one. You never really know what he’s gonna do, but he’s super humble and a really hard worker. Matt’s an animal on stage, but in real life he’s timid. I have two sides. I can get a little crazy, but I handle most of the management side. Therefore, often times, I have to be serious and all business.”

Y: “Tell us a little about the Home Grown Fest and what we can expect from FellowBliss.”

S: “We are so far beyond stoked for the Home Grown Music Fest because it’s going to give us the medium to connect with our fans and make new ones. We hit the stage at 8:25 pm, a prime spot for us. People can expect the unexpected. We are debuting a new song called Little Do They Know. The song tells a story and is one of our favorites right now because it starts kind of like spoken word poetry, kicks into a chorus and has an epic bridge.”

MANTRA
Genre: Metal
Band Members: TJ, Mike Stonebraker, Josh & Heather Gibbs, Chris Messina & Jim Gillespie



MANTRA is a six-piece powerhouse band that came together in 2007. Having played in former bands throughout Southwest Florida, each member has an incredible amount of experience in working together. After releasing their self-titled CD this June, the group is back working on a whole new album, they hope to release by the end of the year.
Y: “Tell us a little about the dynamic of MANTRA.”

Josh: “MANTRA is a compilation of skilled musicians from other local bands like Clubber Lang, Lockdown, Swampgas and Dank Season. Our shows can get pretty crazy. The words in our music are words to live by and felt in every aspect of it, whether it’s the unrelenting guitars, the vocal hooks or the haunting synth keys.”

Y: “How did you all get your band name?”

J: “We got the name MANTRA while Mike and I were driving one day. We were listening to Necro, an intense rapper from the Bronx. His stuff is pretty sick lyrically. In one of his songs, he says something about destroying God as his mantra. Curious of what that meant, I looked it up and it fit our style of music because a mantra is a sacred chant or words to live by in your day-to-day life. For Necro, it was a negative thing, but for us it was a positive thing, something to elevate us.”

Y: “What do you think about this Home Grown Fest you will be performing in and what it’s doing for Indie music?”

J: “Man, bands need determination to make it in the business. Anyone can make it in a cover band playing Top 40 stuff, but to make it with your own music…it’s tough. Music is about personal style and preference and Home Grown is giving us that opportunity. This will be a different feel for us because we’ve never played in an arena before. So, we’ve got some interesting things in store for the crowd. We hope to entertain people and help them forget about life for a little by inspiring them with our music.”

PHOENIX FALLING
Genre: Rock
Band Members: Mitch Clark, Kevin Leman, Ben King, Christian Logaglio & Colby Peters



Phoenix Falling is an all-male rock group with a strong musical sound. Although a fairly young band that has been around for a little over a year, these boys are a force to be reckoned with. Their EP The Beginning was released in October 2009 with six songs the gang worked on, according to what their musical talent encompassed. Excited about a Florida tour they are currently booking, Phoenix Falling is looking forward to one heck of a Home Grown Fest.
Y: “How did you all get your band name, Phoenix Falling?”

Colby: “Phoenix Falling is a name Kevin, one of our guitarists, came up with. The phoenix is a mythological bird that when it rises it’s peaceful, calm and beautiful. But when it falls, the phoenix is explosive, electric, and intense. That’s what he thought about our music. He thought it was in-your-face, loud and energetic. So, it sort of fit into place with us metaphorically.”

Y: “I like that. I know you all have different musical backgrounds, everything from gospel to jazz. What was it about rock, though, that interested you all?”

C: “Rock is a classic, but continuously evolving genre. What better to play than something that we felt was developing constantly? Also, because of our different styles, we’ve been able to bring something different and find a common ground, that’s what’s made us work and sound stronger.”

Y: “So are you all excited about the Home Grown Fest? What can we expect?”

C: “We are very, very excited. Honestly, this is probably our most exciting show to date because it’s in the arena and in our hometown. The fans are a big reason why we make music, so interacting with them and showing them that we appreciate their support is important. People can expect a great sounding show with things you wouldn’t hear on our CD. We have musical interludes, band sessions and extra parts that aren’t on the album that we’ll be performing that night.”

Celebrating our very own on July 10 will be something to remember. The seeds Southwest Florida is planting in the Indie music scene will expose audiences to relatively unknown bands in a music festival with a cutting-edge. It’s quite simple: People want to be entertained. They want to be on the radical thinking side of things. And like Slim from FellowBliss says, “It’s all about playing loud…and LIVING louder!”


- www.gulfcoasttimes.net

Phoenix Falling has more than lived up to their recently crowned Rocksposure title. They're not only our featured Artist of the Month for May, but they absolutely blew away the rest of the competition for this month's Traffic Jam title. A listen to any of the tracks off of their album "The Beginning" and it's clear that the possibilities are endless for this band out of Naples, FL. If our page is loading slow, now you know who to blame!
- Rocksposure.com

As a musician, it’s not often that you get the opportunity to meet your heroes. It’s not typical to actually be able to speak to them, to shake their hands, to pick their brains.

It’s odd to even be given the task of writing about your idols, but it’s even more odd to actually live in the same town as them, go to the same places, and even share the same stages!

Such is the case with my personal hometown heroes, Phoenix Falling.

A mutual friend of mine and the band’s fast-fingered, axe-slinging demigod, Christian Logaglio, turned me on to these guys a while back, claiming, “this band is incredible. Seriously, Slim, they WILL take your breath away!”

Now this friend, Lee Ferrante, is a guy who knows me well enough to know that I’m unbearably critical in the world of music. I’ve spent the last 17 years honing my craft as a musician, songwriter, composer, and arranger. I quite literally bleed for my art on a daily basis, and expect all musicians and artists to do the same.

While I know that there are many who have put in much more time than me, and admittedly, I’m far from being the musical magician that many see me to be, I DO have a very refined musical taste, making it difficult at times to please my picky palate.

I took Lee’s advice to listening to Phoenix Falling’s debut EP, The Beginning, as I do with every other band…. “Oh, geez… do I really need to listen to ANOTHER one!?”

I perused the proverbial “information super highway,” wasting time in an effort to put off my misery. I finally decided to go for a visit in their corner of the cyber-world, landing at their official Myspace page.

I was instantly smacked in the face with the heavy hand of regret and guilt for judging this bloody brilliant band of brothers so prematurely.

Within seconds, my 10.2 surround sound system (yeah, that’s right…. 10.2) was filled with harmonized guitar riffs, stunning bass runs and some of the most tasteful drumming I’ve heard since touring with the legendary Brad “The Bishop” Thompson many years ago.

I was sucked in by the musings of this pensive powerhouse.

Mitch Clark’s vocals seemed to reach out only to me, as if each song were penned with me in mind. The screaming leads produced by Christian Logaglio and Kevin Leman (who I would later find out is my next door neighbor), coupled with Ben King’s ability to make even the lightest of notes produced from his four-string wonder bass seem full and hearty, and Colby Peter’s well time and elegantly placed drum tracks make for a solid wall of aural mastery.

The six song EP, available on iTunes and Amazon.com, is laced with awesomeness.

The opening track, “Ghost Town,” for which a self-produced music video was released just a few months ago, immediately shows off the bands innate ability to create soul preaching harmonies with their dual guitarists, then showcases the smooth and funky drum beats and fills that draw the listener to the edge of their seats.

“Addicted” starts off in-your-face, building up to a beautifully crafted, breath-taking bridge with lyrics like “she said love like this lasts forever… and ever… now I know I’m addicted,” while the bass drops heat over the soulful vocal melodies and harmonies. Truly unexpected.

In the third track, “Rock N Roll,” the Naples, Florida based balladeers are able to adequately express how many of us in our industry feel: that in many cases, and many times in our career, our greatest relationships are with our music, our art, our passion. This song is certainly not short of their signature shredding guitar licks laid over power chords holding the rhythm.

Arguably my most favorite of their tracks, the song that I heard first on their Myspace… you know, the one that had me instantly smitten… “Gravity” grabs you right at the throat and goes for the kill as it opens with heavily delayed guitars and cymbal swells building a great sense of anticipation and urgency as guitars trade their delays in for overdrive and syncopation. The verses of this song allow Peters to really shine with a beat that is complexly intricate in its simplicity.

“Heroes Never Die” shows off the bands “softer side,” swapping electric guitars for acoustics while Clark’s vocals are surround by a cloud of “oohs” and “aahs” during the choruses. This modern day lullaby seemingly carries on this way, when out from nowhere, the band fully kicks in with a smooth and tasty guitar lead that left me hungry for more.

They close out this masterpiece with a song that my very own band plays in many of our jam sessions and rehearsals: “Dreamer.” The verses are laden with their typical shenanigans… at times it’s easy even to pass this song by, but I assure you that the chorus and leading into the MONSTER guitar lead is WELL worth it. Again, a song seemingly written just for musicians and artists “you could say I’m nothing but a dreamer, but the bottle’s still half full… I’ve got something to believe in and I wont let go. I know that you were once a dreamer, a dreamer like us too… caught in the rush of full pursuit!”

We all chase our dreams in our lives. Don’t ever let what others tell you dictate your dreams or how you chase them. Fight for what you believe in, because you’re not alone.

Do yourselves a favor and pick up this EP today. I assure you that you will not only listen to it from start to finish, but you’ll find yourself listening to this breakthrough album over and over again.

As always, friends: play loud…. Live louder.
- 239spot.com