Aw Shucks! (That Corn Was Delicious)
14 hours ago
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Atmospheric spaced-out sound worth your time
Atmospheric spaced-out sound worth your time
Jesse White
For The Corner News - Auburn, AL
published March 24, 2009
Detroit progressive rock band Bump opts for a jam approach when performing live.
Bump is a progressive rock group from Detroit. While their songs are widely varied in style, the recurring theme is an atmospheric, spaced-out sound that is deep in mood and advanced structurally. The band will be playing Saturday, March 28, at the Olde Auburn Ale House, promoting their newest record, “Forward.”
The tight composition on the album is put aside in the band’s live shows for an exploratory, jam-heavy approach that showcases the members’ musicianship.
The song “Everyone Knows” has high, U2-esque guitar textures and an ambient background with vocals that tie the track together perfectly, resulting in an almost Radiohead experience. As the album progresses, however, Bump switches to a jazz/country realm and a change in singers to a nasal, Blue Oyster Cult mixed with Drivin’ and Cryin’ vocalist.
On the song “Disconnected” as well as many others, guitarist Yorg Kerisiotis always plays melodic lines that compliment the rest of the group perfectly and avoids ever being over the top, the sign of a musician concerned with well crafted songs rather than stroking his own ego.
Keyboards, occasional forays into rock and jazz, Beatle-esque chord changes and multiple layers are all a part of Bump’s sound. They have tight, well written songs with creative lyrics.
Fans of the Alan Yates Band or Lake Trout will enjoy “Forward;” just like Lake Trout, Bump opts for a jam approach to their songs when performing live. That being said, “Forward” is a great record, but one shouldn’t miss an opportunity to the this band live.
For more on the band, visit myspace.com/bumpband.
Jesse White
For The Corner News - Auburn, AL
published March 24, 2009
Detroit progressive rock band Bump opts for a jam approach when performing live.
Bump is a progressive rock group from Detroit. While their songs are widely varied in style, the recurring theme is an atmospheric, spaced-out sound that is deep in mood and advanced structurally. The band will be playing Saturday, March 28, at the Olde Auburn Ale House, promoting their newest record, “Forward.”
The tight composition on the album is put aside in the band’s live shows for an exploratory, jam-heavy approach that showcases the members’ musicianship.
The song “Everyone Knows” has high, U2-esque guitar textures and an ambient background with vocals that tie the track together perfectly, resulting in an almost Radiohead experience. As the album progresses, however, Bump switches to a jazz/country realm and a change in singers to a nasal, Blue Oyster Cult mixed with Drivin’ and Cryin’ vocalist.
On the song “Disconnected” as well as many others, guitarist Yorg Kerisiotis always plays melodic lines that compliment the rest of the group perfectly and avoids ever being over the top, the sign of a musician concerned with well crafted songs rather than stroking his own ego.
Keyboards, occasional forays into rock and jazz, Beatle-esque chord changes and multiple layers are all a part of Bump’s sound. They have tight, well written songs with creative lyrics.
Fans of the Alan Yates Band or Lake Trout will enjoy “Forward;” just like Lake Trout, Bump opts for a jam approach to their songs when performing live. That being said, “Forward” is a great record, but one shouldn’t miss an opportunity to the this band live.
For more on the band, visit myspace.com/bumpband.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Detroit Music Award Performance Announced!
We are very privileged and excited to have been asked to perform at the Detroit Music Awards at The Fillmore on Friday April 17th. We are set to close the show and will be joined by a slew of our Detroit music scene friends for a big collaboration.
We are also nominated for the following awards:
Outstanding Rock/Pop Instrumentalist
* Yorg Kerasiotis, Clint Carpenter, Bryce Caroll-Coe, and Chris Sterr
Outstanding Rock/Pop Recording
* Forward
Outstanding Rock/Pop Songwriter
* Yorg Kerasiotis, Chris Sterr, and Clint Carpenter
Outstanding Rock/Pop Vocalist
* Yorg Kerasiotis and Chris Sterr
Outstanding Rock/Pop Group
Please visit DETROIT MUSIC AWARDS to vote.
You can also purchase tickets to the show at PURCHASE TICKETS
We are also nominated for the following awards:
Outstanding Rock/Pop Instrumentalist
* Yorg Kerasiotis, Clint Carpenter, Bryce Caroll-Coe, and Chris Sterr
Outstanding Rock/Pop Recording
* Forward
Outstanding Rock/Pop Songwriter
* Yorg Kerasiotis, Chris Sterr, and Clint Carpenter
Outstanding Rock/Pop Vocalist
* Yorg Kerasiotis and Chris Sterr
Outstanding Rock/Pop Group
Please visit DETROIT MUSIC AWARDS to vote.
You can also purchase tickets to the show at PURCHASE TICKETS
Friday, March 6, 2009
No-frills approach to album making
Written by Megan Broyles - Argonaut
Thursday, 05 March 2009
Moscow, ID
Bump, a mellow four-piece from the home of Motown and the Detroit Pistons, has been a work in the making for the past seven years.
Through numerous changes in band members and musical themes, the band has released its newest album, “Forward.”
Bryce Carroll-Coe, Bump’s bassist and newest addition, said the band has had many positive influences that led to the creation of “Forward.” “(This) album is about progression,” he said. “To literally move forward. The focus isn’t on production, but songs to begin with.”
The instrumentals on “Forward” certainly create a stage for the lyrics, which don’t, in some cases, stand out against the ambient sounds. Not by any means unpleasant, the listener can get lost in his or her own head with the aid of these introspective pieces of music.
One of Bump’s interesting features is almost every band member sings. The two “brainchildren” of the band, Chris Sterr and Yorg Kerisiotis, do the majority of the songwriting, Carroll-Coe said, but everyone has an equal voice and contribution.
“Clint Carpenter, our drummer, wrote ‘Tricks’ on this album,” he said. “Clint will come to us with complete songs. He’s very meticulous in the songs he writes.”
Outside influences come to the band to diversify sound as well. Josh Epstein, a fellow songwriter, came together with Kerisiotis for the last track on “Forward.” Epstein has a heavy Beatles influence, Carroll-Coe said. Listeners should be able to hear a Beatles-esque sound in the song, bringing a different dimension to the album.
“There aren’t a whole lot of thrills on this album,” Carroll-Coe said. “We couldn’t be picky for the sake of being picky when we were recording. We just let the music happen.”
Bump was forced to cut the completion deadline for the album to five-and-a-half weeks to allow for the start of a cross-country tour, which started Feb. 5. Bump is a band on the move, Carroll-Coe said. Prior to his joining, the band has played 600 shows in 43 states. No matter where they play, though, Carroll-Coe said the experience is almost always the same.
“The stage is always in the same place,” he said. “No matter where we are in the country, when the music starts, it’s like home.”
Bump’s voyage around the U.S. started in Grand Rapids, Mich., and will close in Indianapolis April 11. Sweeping through the Northwest, the band will make stops in two Idaho locations — John’s Alley Tavern in Moscow and in Boise the day before. Carroll-Coe said the band has become accustomed to playing an average of six days per week and the crowds, no matter how big or small, have begun to affect the band’s performance or outlook.
“It’s all about the music, man,” he said. “It’s corny but true.”
Carroll-Coe said something is beginning to happen with Bump’s latest album, which seems to be true. The tracks are clearly thought out and placed with intent. Mistakes don’t seem to have a place on “Forward,” and the band makes an effort to show it is a legitimate musical act on its way in the industry.
It is only beginning. The band isn’t there yet. Something is starting, and the world will soon see if Bump is going to be a player in whatever that is.
Thursday, 05 March 2009
Moscow, ID
Bump, a mellow four-piece from the home of Motown and the Detroit Pistons, has been a work in the making for the past seven years.
Through numerous changes in band members and musical themes, the band has released its newest album, “Forward.”
Bryce Carroll-Coe, Bump’s bassist and newest addition, said the band has had many positive influences that led to the creation of “Forward.” “(This) album is about progression,” he said. “To literally move forward. The focus isn’t on production, but songs to begin with.”
The instrumentals on “Forward” certainly create a stage for the lyrics, which don’t, in some cases, stand out against the ambient sounds. Not by any means unpleasant, the listener can get lost in his or her own head with the aid of these introspective pieces of music.
One of Bump’s interesting features is almost every band member sings. The two “brainchildren” of the band, Chris Sterr and Yorg Kerisiotis, do the majority of the songwriting, Carroll-Coe said, but everyone has an equal voice and contribution.
“Clint Carpenter, our drummer, wrote ‘Tricks’ on this album,” he said. “Clint will come to us with complete songs. He’s very meticulous in the songs he writes.”
Outside influences come to the band to diversify sound as well. Josh Epstein, a fellow songwriter, came together with Kerisiotis for the last track on “Forward.” Epstein has a heavy Beatles influence, Carroll-Coe said. Listeners should be able to hear a Beatles-esque sound in the song, bringing a different dimension to the album.
“There aren’t a whole lot of thrills on this album,” Carroll-Coe said. “We couldn’t be picky for the sake of being picky when we were recording. We just let the music happen.”
Bump was forced to cut the completion deadline for the album to five-and-a-half weeks to allow for the start of a cross-country tour, which started Feb. 5. Bump is a band on the move, Carroll-Coe said. Prior to his joining, the band has played 600 shows in 43 states. No matter where they play, though, Carroll-Coe said the experience is almost always the same.
“The stage is always in the same place,” he said. “No matter where we are in the country, when the music starts, it’s like home.”
Bump’s voyage around the U.S. started in Grand Rapids, Mich., and will close in Indianapolis April 11. Sweeping through the Northwest, the band will make stops in two Idaho locations — John’s Alley Tavern in Moscow and in Boise the day before. Carroll-Coe said the band has become accustomed to playing an average of six days per week and the crowds, no matter how big or small, have begun to affect the band’s performance or outlook.
“It’s all about the music, man,” he said. “It’s corny but true.”
Carroll-Coe said something is beginning to happen with Bump’s latest album, which seems to be true. The tracks are clearly thought out and placed with intent. Mistakes don’t seem to have a place on “Forward,” and the band makes an effort to show it is a legitimate musical act on its way in the industry.
It is only beginning. The band isn’t there yet. Something is starting, and the world will soon see if Bump is going to be a player in whatever that is.
Detroit Bump City: Tales of prog rock, artful pop and paint huffing from across the country
The Source Weekly, Bend OR
Written by Mike Bookey
Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Chris Sterr and his band, Bump, are based out of Detroit. He says the city isn’t as bad as the death-and-despair rap it often gets, but the former automotive capital of the world has definitely provided the prog-rockers with a few stories.
This is just one of those:
“We used to play these gigs downtown at this old venue called Fifth Avenue,” Sterr recalls. “It was a house gig every Tuesday and every night we’d be loading out and these homeless guys would flock around us and they’d be grabbing our gear to help us so we’d pay ‘em. A couple of these guys would have silver or gold on their lips and face because they’d been huffing paint. It was crazy.”
Maybe it’s these sort of instances that keeps the band on the road for several months of hard-driving touring each year, like the band’s current excursion that takes them to the Silver Moon on Tuesday and then to Southern California before finally ending in Florida in early April. Sterr says that isn’t so and that the Bump has a warm place in its heart for the Motor City.
“When you travel, you see how unique Detroit really is. You don’t see that when you live there your entire life,” Sterr says. He then goes into the current state of Detroit’s music scene, an environment that currently fosters quality acts ranging from hardcore to blues and jazz. He never mentions Eminem once during our conversation on an afternoon where Bump is preparing to play part of a two-night stand in Denver.
Bump’s current cross-country quest is in support of the band’s recently released album, Forward, a disc that Sterr believes builds on the band’s ability to write solid songs and is their most “focused” effort to date. Sterr describes Bump as having graduated from the jam band scene in recent years, shifting more to a style that showcases their songwriting skills.
“When we started playing we were sort of a jammy Grateful Dead, Phish sort of thing but we slowly began to realize that A: you need to forge your own path and B: you need to find your own sound and that’s what we’ve been doing for the past five years,” Sterr says of the quartet’s gradual stylistic evolution.
Bump offers up a sound that isn’t directly akin to Detroit’s most known sounds, Motown or garage rock, but they do pay homage to their city’s roots. In fact, in 2004, the band released a now-out-of-print EP entitled The Heart of Cadillac Square, which was a tribute to the band’s Motown heroes.
But Motown isn’t the aim of Bump these days as they have built a style that’s essentially a melodic take on prog rock that can be both spacey and poppy yet manages to showcase the band’s instrumental prowess – something they kept from their jammier days. The idea of Midwest progressive rockers with jam roots might bring to mind Chicago prog heroes Umphrey’s McGee, and sometimes Bump shares some of that live technical vibe, but for the most part Bump is in a different class. Perhaps the main difference being that, at least with their new material, Bump seems concerned with creating a solid pop rock song. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
After all, you can’t blame a band for leaning a bit toward pop after having to deal with paint-huffing volunteer roadies.
Bump
8pm Tuesday, March 10. Silver Moon Brewing Co. 24 NW Greenwood Ave.
Written by Mike Bookey
Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Chris Sterr and his band, Bump, are based out of Detroit. He says the city isn’t as bad as the death-and-despair rap it often gets, but the former automotive capital of the world has definitely provided the prog-rockers with a few stories.
This is just one of those:
“We used to play these gigs downtown at this old venue called Fifth Avenue,” Sterr recalls. “It was a house gig every Tuesday and every night we’d be loading out and these homeless guys would flock around us and they’d be grabbing our gear to help us so we’d pay ‘em. A couple of these guys would have silver or gold on their lips and face because they’d been huffing paint. It was crazy.”
Maybe it’s these sort of instances that keeps the band on the road for several months of hard-driving touring each year, like the band’s current excursion that takes them to the Silver Moon on Tuesday and then to Southern California before finally ending in Florida in early April. Sterr says that isn’t so and that the Bump has a warm place in its heart for the Motor City.
“When you travel, you see how unique Detroit really is. You don’t see that when you live there your entire life,” Sterr says. He then goes into the current state of Detroit’s music scene, an environment that currently fosters quality acts ranging from hardcore to blues and jazz. He never mentions Eminem once during our conversation on an afternoon where Bump is preparing to play part of a two-night stand in Denver.
Bump’s current cross-country quest is in support of the band’s recently released album, Forward, a disc that Sterr believes builds on the band’s ability to write solid songs and is their most “focused” effort to date. Sterr describes Bump as having graduated from the jam band scene in recent years, shifting more to a style that showcases their songwriting skills.
“When we started playing we were sort of a jammy Grateful Dead, Phish sort of thing but we slowly began to realize that A: you need to forge your own path and B: you need to find your own sound and that’s what we’ve been doing for the past five years,” Sterr says of the quartet’s gradual stylistic evolution.
Bump offers up a sound that isn’t directly akin to Detroit’s most known sounds, Motown or garage rock, but they do pay homage to their city’s roots. In fact, in 2004, the band released a now-out-of-print EP entitled The Heart of Cadillac Square, which was a tribute to the band’s Motown heroes.
But Motown isn’t the aim of Bump these days as they have built a style that’s essentially a melodic take on prog rock that can be both spacey and poppy yet manages to showcase the band’s instrumental prowess – something they kept from their jammier days. The idea of Midwest progressive rockers with jam roots might bring to mind Chicago prog heroes Umphrey’s McGee, and sometimes Bump shares some of that live technical vibe, but for the most part Bump is in a different class. Perhaps the main difference being that, at least with their new material, Bump seems concerned with creating a solid pop rock song. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
After all, you can’t blame a band for leaning a bit toward pop after having to deal with paint-huffing volunteer roadies.
Bump
8pm Tuesday, March 10. Silver Moon Brewing Co. 24 NW Greenwood Ave.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Tour Diary: Sterr from Denver, CO
2/27/09 - Denver, Colorado
As the first leg of this tour winds down, I feel the need to take stock in the last 3 weeks and reflect. So far, I've only lost my camera once.... but it was quickly located at the Library in ....Laramie, WY, and is hopefully being shipped as I write this. I've misplaced my phone once, but was quickly found as well shortly before the bus left....
But in all seriousness, so far this tour has been quite fun and successful. The five of us know our roll (for the most part - lol) and make it a point to get the job done night in and night out. Touring is the best because you very quickly become a finely tuned machine... all the parts working together to make the whole a monster of a force to be reckoned with. It’s a great feeling.
Another cool thing about being on tour is when somewhere along the line you realize that you are very, very far from home and there's no way that you are going home anytime soon... this happened to me while driving from Jackson Hole to Laramie, WY. As we crossed the Togwotee Pass, going from a very cold and wooded, snow covered geography to an arid, red rocked, quite warm environment it was like entering into a different world... a world very different from not only the previous, but one that is very unlike the humid, cold, flat confines of Detroit. Going through Lander is always a treat (home of the best second hand clothing store in the country), but as soon as we got through this great little town it quickly became what I would imagine it would be like driving through a lunar mountain range of solitude. Check out the couple pictures that I took while driving... they aren't great being that it was getting dark and they were shot through the windshield as I drove, but they'll give you an idea. So it was at this point where I realized that I was very, very far from home. It was also at that point that I was wrapped with a simultaneous feeling of piecing excitement of the constant movement and being able to professionally do the thing that I love the most, and an overwhelming urge to see my wife, family and dogs... but this catch 22 to me is a metaphor for life and no matter what you do... there is something wrong if you don't wake up everyday and make a sacrifice here or there... whether it be having 2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast instead of a gigantic bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in order to achieve a "heroin sheik" body for SXSW, or skipping a shower to finish "Top Gun" before load in even though you know that Maverick really is the best of the best (as well as that Kelly MgGillis will never make a movie worth watching again... or Tom Cruise for that matter), and Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" still gives you goose bumps).... Sacrifice... that's the name of the game...."To sing the blues you've got to live the dues... and carry on..." (thanks to my man, Stephan Stills).
So to conclude, as we enter the second leg of tour, I look forward to the continued travel and playing (duh) and meeting/seeing people/fans new and old. Come check us out when we come to your town, and check out the new album, "Forward". It's a little something we threw together last minute so we felt like we had a purpose or reason to go on tour again..... (yawn).... it's available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, available atall of our shows on tour. See ya there!
Chris
As the first leg of this tour winds down, I feel the need to take stock in the last 3 weeks and reflect. So far, I've only lost my camera once.... but it was quickly located at the Library in ....Laramie, WY, and is hopefully being shipped as I write this. I've misplaced my phone once, but was quickly found as well shortly before the bus left....
But in all seriousness, so far this tour has been quite fun and successful. The five of us know our roll (for the most part - lol) and make it a point to get the job done night in and night out. Touring is the best because you very quickly become a finely tuned machine... all the parts working together to make the whole a monster of a force to be reckoned with. It’s a great feeling.
Another cool thing about being on tour is when somewhere along the line you realize that you are very, very far from home and there's no way that you are going home anytime soon... this happened to me while driving from Jackson Hole to Laramie, WY. As we crossed the Togwotee Pass, going from a very cold and wooded, snow covered geography to an arid, red rocked, quite warm environment it was like entering into a different world... a world very different from not only the previous, but one that is very unlike the humid, cold, flat confines of Detroit. Going through Lander is always a treat (home of the best second hand clothing store in the country), but as soon as we got through this great little town it quickly became what I would imagine it would be like driving through a lunar mountain range of solitude. Check out the couple pictures that I took while driving... they aren't great being that it was getting dark and they were shot through the windshield as I drove, but they'll give you an idea. So it was at this point where I realized that I was very, very far from home. It was also at that point that I was wrapped with a simultaneous feeling of piecing excitement of the constant movement and being able to professionally do the thing that I love the most, and an overwhelming urge to see my wife, family and dogs... but this catch 22 to me is a metaphor for life and no matter what you do... there is something wrong if you don't wake up everyday and make a sacrifice here or there... whether it be having 2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast instead of a gigantic bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in order to achieve a "heroin sheik" body for SXSW, or skipping a shower to finish "Top Gun" before load in even though you know that Maverick really is the best of the best (as well as that Kelly MgGillis will never make a movie worth watching again... or Tom Cruise for that matter), and Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" still gives you goose bumps).... Sacrifice... that's the name of the game...."To sing the blues you've got to live the dues... and carry on..." (thanks to my man, Stephan Stills).
So to conclude, as we enter the second leg of tour, I look forward to the continued travel and playing (duh) and meeting/seeing people/fans new and old. Come check us out when we come to your town, and check out the new album, "Forward". It's a little something we threw together last minute so we felt like we had a purpose or reason to go on tour again..... (yawn).... it's available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, available atall of our shows on tour. See ya there!
Chris
Tour Diary: Yorg from Laramie, WY
Mangy Moose Lodge
I want to give a big shout out to the Mangy Moose in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We played three HUGE shows there starting on Saturday night of last week and they were phenomenal. If you look out the side of the windows while you play you will see skiers gliding down the mountain directly to the back door of the Mangy Moose. I though I was in "Hot Dog the Movie!" We played to a crowd of 500+ people during our Sunday day show from 4pm-6pm. The crowd was filled with skiers who were just finishing up their day. We brought our Detroit swagger to the stage and ripped through some of our most rocking tunes including some highlights from our new album "FORWARD." A big shout out goes to everyone from Marquette, Michigan who attended the show, some of these people hadn't seen us play for 3 years. After we were done there it was straight off to Laramie, Wyoming for a Mardi Gras party at THE LIBRARY. Touring during a recession is damn better than being unemployed during a recession. Keep the dream alive and RAWLK AWLN!!!!!
Yorg
P.S.
Slider, you stink!
I want to give a big shout out to the Mangy Moose in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We played three HUGE shows there starting on Saturday night of last week and they were phenomenal. If you look out the side of the windows while you play you will see skiers gliding down the mountain directly to the back door of the Mangy Moose. I though I was in "Hot Dog the Movie!" We played to a crowd of 500+ people during our Sunday day show from 4pm-6pm. The crowd was filled with skiers who were just finishing up their day. We brought our Detroit swagger to the stage and ripped through some of our most rocking tunes including some highlights from our new album "FORWARD." A big shout out goes to everyone from Marquette, Michigan who attended the show, some of these people hadn't seen us play for 3 years. After we were done there it was straight off to Laramie, Wyoming for a Mardi Gras party at THE LIBRARY. Touring during a recession is damn better than being unemployed during a recession. Keep the dream alive and RAWLK AWLN!!!!!
Yorg
P.S.
Slider, you stink!
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