Locally awesome

$upavyllenz

The trio is: Killa TON and Mad WhacK on the mic, alongside DJ Foodstamp. The group takes hip hop to another dimension with music that conveys exactly how they feel about mainstream rap music.

Sounds Like: “Ya mom, 40’s, 20-inch moonwalkers, plant, bon bon elephants, twunz and hunz,” WhacK said. Um, whatever. The $upavyllenz are sure to blaze a new trail for hip hop in the Bay area.

Next Show Info: Oct. 31 at State Theater in St. Petersburg. The trio will perform with Zombyvyllenz, and the Zombyvyllenz EP will be available at the show.

– Whitney Meers


Eumenides

The group is: Eumenides is four guys who use synthesizers, guitars and drums to create flavorful music.

Sounds like: Songs featured on their self-titled release are mainly former acoustic songs from lead singer and guitarist Kevin Sulliven. With the addition of a rock band to back the well-crafted, intricate songs, The Weekly Planet gave the group’s CD four and a half planets out of five.

Their story: All members in the band were approaching the big “30” and wanted to quench the rock ‘n’ roll thirst, so Eumenides was formed.

– Harold Valentine


Drone Dimension

The group is: Influenced by groups like My Bloody Valentine and The Dandy Warhols, Jonathan Beadle and Rebecca Lima work together to make a texturized sound through the use of strong vocals and synthesizers. The duo’s musical tone is almost dream-like.

Sounds like: “Our sound exceeds the limits of sonic boundaries with ambient swelling and an ethereal, fuzzy reverberation backed-up with Ringoesque beats,” Beadle said.

Latest Effort: Faintly Acquainted; songs are about as catchy as a cold.

– H.V.


Act/React

The group is: Some friends who met in high school and have been making music together for the past four years. Act/React, influenced by artists such as 311 and Metallica, has a sound similar to that of Rage Against the Machine.

Band evolution: “We stopped writing wussy songs and focused on harder stuff,” according to Mark Carreon, the band’s drummer. The group’s future includes “Bigger guitar amps, drug counseling and AA,” he said.

Next Show Info: Nov. 6 at Masquerade with Penetration.

– W.M.


Gravy Records Crew

The group is: Five friends who spout lyrical poetry together over funk- and jazz-inspired beats. Musical influences include the Wu-Tang Clan and DJ Premier.

See a show because: “We’ll have free quaaludes for everyone,” Bucktooth of GRC said. Seriously, they have a tremendous amount of talent and “each show is more supercalafragilisticexpialidocious than the last.”

Fact: The group’s DJ, Stoned P, recently opened for national jazz acts in Tampa, including Ulu and Particle.

Next show info: Sometime in November at Orpheum with The Birdstreet Players.

– W.M.


Crooked Edge

The group is: Influenced by groups such as Thrice, Pulley and Lagwagon, Crooked Edge mixes punk-rock with surf culture to create a vibrant sound with an interactive stage show.

Crooked Edge means: The opposite of straight edge. It also means “something unusual and creative.”

Not straight edge: “We take a shot of Jäger before we get on stage,” said rhythm guitarist Jeremy Runkle. “Sometimes we drink too much Jäger.”

Next Show Info: Oct.18 at Club Venom in St. Petersburg for Fad Aggression’s album release party. The group’s demo will be available in December.

– W.M