Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Simple & Supreem, a local funk rock band, shot the video for their single "Rock to This" Tuesday night, Nov. 9, in the Owl Cove of Mitten Hall. The band members invited Temple students to participate in their video shoot and stay for a free concert afterwards.
Simple & Supreem play a mix of funk, rock, and hip hop music. Two of the members, drummer Chase Bowman and bass guitarist Mike Oxman met at Temple University as freshmen living in White Hall in 2001. Since then, they joined with guitarist Bob Tomarelli and rapper Jamel Carter aka Supreem to begin work on their debut album.
Bowman and Oxman said they chose the Owl Cove to shoot their video because they knew they could "get students involved and throw a free concert at the same time."
The band said that the university's Spring Fling and Fall Fest have become regular gigs for them, so Temple was an obvious choice for the music video shoot.
The recording had a late start, but to the students and fans that came to the shoot, it was worth the wait. They were rewarded with a four-song concert, including an original song that the band composed on the spot.
"Simple & Supreem's music is different, that's what makes it attractive," said fan Matt Diamond. "For a rapper to have a blues/funk/rock band backing him up is a lost art. Most rap nowadays is programmed with virtually no musical thought whatsoever. Simple is comprised of three amazing musicians who accent Supreem's style and flow perfectly."
The artists of Simple & Supreem back up their unique style with years of experience. Bass guitarist Mike Oxman has been playing for seven years, drummer Chase Bowman started training at age 5, guitarist Bob Tomarelli has been playing for 12 years and rapper Supreem released his first album in 1996.
"Ten years from now we still want to be making great records. We want to be like the Stones," Supreem said of the band's plans for the future.
This goal seems near according to Diamond, who explained that "the band compliments each other incredibly well....The rest is up to the fans."
Simple & Supreem's next show is Thursday at the Pontiac Grille, located at 304 South St. More information is available online at www.shakeyourbooty.org.
Megan Davies can be reached at mjdavies@temple.edu. - Temple News by megan davies
SongSpot.org… did you know that they just celebrated their 1-year anniversary last month? Yep. It's true. And to celebrate, this small DIY promotions company put together an evening of top regional talent with a near sell-out crowd in attendance. The event was held at the TLA and 15 artists in participated.
While full bands like the Disciples of Groove, Blue Sinatra and Fat City Reprise required time to set up and tear down, acoustic performances were on hand to maintain the artistic flow and balance of the night. Scott Rocks, Jesse Schurr, Liam Gallagher, the quirky Reverend T-Bag and longtime Philly artist Adam Monaco all laid out their personal styles for a positive response.
"This Show was important to the Philadelphia music scene because it shows the world that a grass root promoted show with all up and coming local artist can pack 600+ people that care about us and our music. And to make it sweeter is that Songspot Fest was conceived and put on by our [Simple & Supreem] manager, Joey Mahoney. He really cares about S&S and all the other artists that he booked on the bill so we, and the other bands, were more inclined to go above and beyond the call of duty for him. One year is nothing but it's amazing to see all that he has accomplished with us and his organization, Songspot.org." Supreem
Like any other show at the TLA, fans lined up outside before the doors opened while last minute arrangements at the merch booth were made. Something special was afoot.
Co-founder Joey Mahoney hosts the event and, with a bit of self and company background, opened the show with two acoustic originals. His old-school Philly punk roots run back to the days when he was booking shows at JC Dobbs.
" I just wanted to help out some young and old artist that were jaded by the scene. To pass on what was pass on to me, and to start a community. It's good to see artist support artist, a all for one philosophy. I was not in sync with the scene, because I was
in Austin. When I came back, I saw a scene of great songwriters and musicians being ignore. I had something to give back, and with the inspiration of old and new friends, I knew what I had to do. Promote for free, and expect nothing in return. However, the smiles on the faces of the musicians playing tonight, is the
greatest reward. I was blessed with a opportunity to this all over, learning from my mistakes, and now I can help artist, not make the same mistakes as I." Says Mahoney on why he started SongSpot.
For local music, this was truly a step in the right direction.
The night continued with performances by former SongSpot partner Steve Bunten followed by the Disciples of Groove- a fun, jammy-type band that wasted no time kicking things into full gear with an incredible rendition of The Simpsons theme song. The band was tight, very technical and did not holding back.
The highlight of the night was the funk/hip-hop quartet known as Simple & Supreme. These cats take live hip-hop to a new level fronted by Supreem- an old skool MC who's towering physique commands your full attention. Band member Mike Oxman draws his own attention as one of Philly's top bassists in the "slap and pop" category. "Rock to This", an S&S performance staple, will put an entire room in drop-jaw mode during Oxman's solo piece.
"They are fun, infectious, and humble. When a band is easy to approach, it invites the crowd to partake in the energy. They don't pose, they don't front, they respect each other and their fans, and it shines through their shows. Every show they play is like 10,000 people in the room. No Rock stars here!" according to Mahoney.
London File and Mother Little Army had closed out the show. And by nights end, fans were weak from dancing and ready to retire for the night- all with the new-found knowledge
that local music ain't so bad
afterall.
And how did the door do that night? The show raised enough money to get a new SongSpot.org website up and running. The site is for new artist of all mediums to be promoted for free. Coming in October there will be a second site for harder-edged music called HeadSpot.org. "Same principles, different genres."
More info:
www.songspot.org
- Origivation Magazine by Antony Corato
Discography
DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO - Debut LP
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
On April 3rd, 2004, a whole became greater than the sum of its parts. Simple, a three-piece instrumental funk/rock jam band, were playing a show at their old stomping ground, the now-defunct Tokio Ballroom in Olde City, Philadelphia. Supreem, a solo MC, got up to freestyle with the band as they went into one of their tunes. Despite being completely improvised, the room exploded. This was the point of no return for both parties.
It’s not that hip-hop hasn’t been blended with rock before. It’s just that it hasn’t been done the way Simple and Supreem do it. This isn’t rap-metal, á la ultra-aggro Limp Bizkit. On the other hand, this isn’t a hip-hop band the likes of the Roots. Simple and Supreem are a funk/rock jam band that just so happens to have an incredible MC as its front man. The music is raw, organic, loud, and funky as hell. In one night, you’ll hear influences ranging from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Busta Rhymes to Stevie Ray Vaughn.
These influences, coupled with a fun, intense live show, have gotten a lot of attention. They’ve toured up and down the East Coast, playing with HR of the legendary Bad Brains. They’ve played on the Warped Tour 2005. They have a full-length album (DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO), two music videos, plenty of gigs under their belt, and work ethic for days. Perhaps bassist Mike Oxman describes the band best when he says, “Supreem rhymes to our rock, Simple rocks to his rhyme, and somewhere in between, everybody shakes their ass.”
Links
