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Free Sol Events
7/4 - 7/5/04
The Black Forest Theatre, Dallas, TX
Free Sol did a show in Dallas, TX for the Texas Hip Hop Weekend at The Black Forest Theatre. They whipped the crowd into a frenzy as they always do and made some new friends in the process. At the end of the show, they were approached by Dallas native and Grammy winning recording artist, Erykah Badu, who was so impressed that she asked the band to headline the next day. So we stayed and played an extra day and will soon return to Eryka Badu’s club to play again in the Fall.
May, June, July
Tuesday Nights at Newby's
As many of you know, Free Sol’s regular gig on Tuesday nights has become nothing less than a staple of summer 2004. After routinely filling up the bar side of Newby’s, Todd moved the band over to the band side of the club where they continue to fill the room, even boasting such notable fans as Isaac Hayes, EightBall and MJG, DJ Qualls, and the cast and crew of the Film “Hustle and Flow” which is now being filmed in Memphis.
 4/2/03
Youthfest
Sponsored by the local non-profit, Bridges, Youthfest brings together kids of high school age from varying city, county, and private schools together for cultural events. Free Sol played a set to cap off a days activity for the members of Bridges. Heavily edited, Free Sol still manage to captivate the younger crowd and put on a great show.
4/17/04
In the Studio Live Recording of “Hands Up”
To capture the raw energy of their performance of “Hands Up” on tape, the band invited close friends and fans to be in the studio with them while they recorded some live tracks. It basically turned into a bacchanalian fest with drinks and dancing abounding.
4/19/04
The Recording Academy’s Heroes Awards
Honoring influential musicians Ike Turner, DJ Fontana, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and Big Star, the Memphis Heroe’s awards featured the likes of Mike Mills from REM and Pinetop Perkins in it’s star studded list of presenters and performers. Free Sol played the after party at the Gibson Lounge. Ike Turner was so impressed that he moved towards the stage and was giving shouts to Free. After the show, the band could be spotted with Josey and Wayne from Saliva in the audience.
 4/20/04
The New Memphis Music Festival
On the day of their CD release, Free Sol along with Memphis Records put on a show at the Overton Park Shell sponsored by the Memphis Flyer, 94.1 The Buzz, and Yarbrough’s. 14 artists played through the day. When Free Sol played, the crowd rushed the stage to get closer to the energy. The line-up was one of the most diverse ever seen in Memphis – Free Sol, Deep Shag, Chosen View, The Pirates, Tunnel Clones, Yes No Maybe, Mr. Del, Proto, SJ Tucker, Cody Smith, RedEye Jedi, Just Us, and Yamagata. Memphis Records hopes for this to be an annual event at the Shell.
5/2/04
Music Fest
 As part of their prize for winning the 2003 Grammy Showcase, Free Sol won a slot to play the main Budweiser stage at Music Fest. Braving the ubiquitous mud, fans made their way to the stage to partake in Free Sol’s signature high energy live performance. The Wailers could be seen jamming out to the sounds of Free Sol backstage.
Yes No Maybe News
Totally unexpectedly, Yes No Maybe gets a shout out from the lead singer of Switchfoot at a show during Music Fest weekend. Commenting on Memphis’ fine talent base of musicians, Switchfoot’s singer referred to Yes No Maybe, with whom they had played a show not long ago.
In other news, Yes No Maybe is one of 4 bands who have made the finals for the Cabowabo battle of the bands at the Hard Rock Café on May 5th.
 Studio A News
May
Jeff Powell & Susan Marshall
Jeff Powell brought in star vocalist, Susan Marshall - a.k.a “the wife,” to do pre-production for an up-coming album. They set up in low tracking, studio A and basically jammed and had fun for a couple of days. Susan also just recently returned from the Gram Parsons Tribute in L.A. where she shared a stage with Keith Richards and Norah Jones and stole the show according to a Rolling Stone journalist, amazing flattery to say the least. Congrats Susan, the future is bright!
3/28 – 3/30/04
On a Dead Machine
On a Dead Machine recorded four songs for a PRC release. The band continues to defy description and pushes the boundaries of traditional rock genres. They can be heard playing often at The Skatepark of Memphis in Cordova as well as The New Daisy.
4/2-4/7/04
Proto
Proto rejoined the Young Avenue Sound family to do vocal overdubs on some new tracks for an upcoming release. Their sophomore release is expected to eclipse their amazing first album, which is very hard to believe!
4/26/04
 Saliva
Saliva recorded an unplugged session sponsored by 93X. Recorded by Matt Martone in Studio A, the band did a brief unplugged set for about 40 fans under candle light in A’s tracking space. Josey Scott gave commentary between songs indulging his fans curiosity about the inspiration for his music, much of which is his fiancé. Saliva’s new album is in progress and is expected to do great things.
April – May
Yo Gotti and Da Block Burners
Yo Gotti and Da Block Burners are holed up in Studio A recording tracks for Gotti’s much anticipated new album to be released on TVT records and distributed by Select-O-Hits.
Studio B News
5/12 - 5/13/04
Cory Branan
Local singer/songwriter/drinker/ponitfcater/helluva good guy Cory Branan did some pre-production work with Jeff Powell in Studio B in anticipation of his upcoming new album due out in Fall.
6/26 - 6/27/04
Slamhound
Ladies and gentlemen, Metal is alive and well in Rockin’ Raleigh thanks to local rockers, Slamhound. The boys started off in Studio B and ended up in Studio A to record an album to be released late summer early fall on the Performers Recording Co-op. Congratulations guys! We’ll be seeing you at the Stage stop!
June & July
EightBall, MJG & Bay Boy Entertainment
Thanks to our new friends at Bad Boy Entertainment we were introduced to local rap stars EightBall and MJG and have since forged a friendship that is keeping the knobs turning at Young Avenue Sound. We are blessed and grateful to work with such industry professionals and congratulate them as well as the Bad Boy family at large for the success of their newest release “Living Legends” which debuted on the Billboard charts at #3!!!
July
Dominic Dill (and crew)
Dominic Dill and his crew have been working on a new album which will be featuring tracks by Kurt Clayton and Elliott Ives. Word on the street is that MJG may be doing a verse with Dill…keep your fingers crossed.
July
Ross Rice
Ross Rice takes some tracks from A to overdub in B for mystery project bound for Levon Helm’s studio in NYC…we’ll keep you posted.
 EightBall and MJG
Bad Boy Entertainment Brings on EightBall and MJG to record tracks for an upcoming album to be released on May 20th. Expertly engineered by Elliott Ives, the duo worked on a track made by The Ganja Brothers including a hook by Sleepy Brown. Echoing Curtis Mayfield’s gravelly funk rhythms, this track is as smooth as it comes. In addition, EightBall and MJG did a couple of remixes of some David Banner tracks with Lil’ Flip.
June 2004
David Porter & BBC
Legendary producer and songwriter, David Porter, was interviewed in Studio A’s control room by the BBC for his work at Stax and the indelible musical legacy he has left upon this city. Congratulations David!
Jeff Powell & Rob Junklas
Ladies and gentleman, Rob Junklas is working on a new album! We are proud to say that we have been a small part of it as Rob’s studio for a couple of tracks. We’ll keep you posted on the progress.
Redbeard produces John Kilzer
RockRadio personality and producer Redbeard stopped in to overdub some tunes for the upcoming John Kilzer album. Boasting an allstar list of Memphis session players and vocalists such as Teenie Hodges, Reba Russell, Jack Holder, and others, Kilzer’s album appears to be shaping up to be killer. Good luck John and Beard!
Gary Goin
Local Producer and player, Gary Goin, works on new tracks for Compendia’s smooth jazz arm of their label. With the help of veteran pro producer, David Porter, Gary is delicately crafting his vision in the studio as I write this right now. We look forward to great things from our two good friends. Can’t wait to hear it guys!
Ross Rice (again)
Ross Rice and The Mystery Band… track and mix a few tunes bound for Levon Helm up in NYC. We had a blast with these guys in the studio and I believe they had some fun of their own. Good Luck guys! And take care with Frampton Ross!
 Snowglobe
The Makeshift Music crew came in for a couple of fun filled days in studio A for their magnum opus – “Macaroni and Cheese.” Tracking and mixing 2 songs to be used for the website, the guys from Snowglobe are staying busy as always making music and playing out a good bit. Young Avenue Sound is proud to be a small part of what is shaping up to be an impressive indie-rock movement on the Memphis Scene. Hope to see you guys and work with you again soon!
Venus Mission
Local 80’s cover band the Venus Mission came in to do a couple of songs for a demo. As hard working as they come, this band nailed their tracks in a weekend and hit the road again with a packed schedule of tour dates. See you on the flipside of the Rock Lobster guys and gals!!
Other Recent News
Memphis Records Signs Free Sol!
 Free Sol, Grand Award Winner of the 2003 Mid-South GRAMMY Showcase, today has signed an exclusive recording agreement with Memphis Records, and will immediately begin work on their debut CD at Young Avenue Sound, the label’s recording facility located in the Cooper-Young district in mid-town Memphis.
Don Mann, President of Memphis Records, says, “We could not be more excited by anything than the prospect of working with Free and the band to produce a CD that will rock the world! I concur with the Showcase judges’ opinion that Free Sol’s combination of unique musical fusions and incredibly dynamic stage presence offers something that’s been missing for too long in contemporary music: EXCITEMENT!! Whenever and wherever they perform, the audience just loses control!”
1/2/04
Free Sol Pre-production and Production
Memphis Records’ newest artist Free Sol is in the studio working on their debut album. Boasting a blend of rock, neo-soul, jazz and hip-hop, Free Sol is the freshest hip hop sound on the Memphis scene.
1/1/04
Yo Gotti and Carlos Brody
Fresh from meetings with the Majors in NYC, Memphis Rap sensation, Yo Gotti, is working on some new songs for his next album.
12/15/03
Rob Junklas
Rob Junklas joins with producer Jeff Powell to craft the much anticipated follow-up to Arkadelphia (picked by Billboard’s Chris Morris as the No.1 Independent Release last year). With help from friends like John Hampton, Sam Shoup, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and Lamar Sorrento, Rob takes the foot stomp mood of Arkadelphia to a more sonically evolved level.
12/2/03
MABA Live Recording
We brought our mobile recording unit to the New Daisy theatre to record 6 Memphis Area Band Association bands playing live. At the end of the show, we handed each band a copy of their live set. We hope to make this a regular service available to MABA bands in 2004.
11/15/03
Susan Tucker
I can’t say enough good things about the little woman with the big voice. She sings from the heart and to the soul. Her lyrics are powerful, and her music, ethereal. Cultivating a folk sound, Susan Tucker is working on a ten song PRC release to come out in March.
10/24-10/25/03
On a Dead Machine
On a Dead Machine recorded on several live machines in Studio a for a couple of days with Willie Pevear. An atmospheric, metal fusion sound punctuates the band’s unique sound. With great fan support and critical acclaim in Memphis, this band is off to a great start, and we look forward to working with them in the future.
10/23/03
Madison County
It’s about time someone bring a little country flavor to the melting pot of Young Avenue’s sounds. Madsion county worked on two songs for an upcoming release.
Yes, No, Maybe Sign with Memphis Records!
 YES NO MAYBE is a new project formed from the vision of three musicians all wanting the same goals; to be part of a successful band; writing their own music, and playing cover songs of the bands they respect. It is this basic mantra of the hard working band that turned on Young Avenue Sound engineer, Willie Pevear.
Progressive Rock welcomes new company in the form of Devan Yanick’s three piece rock outfit, Yes, No, Maybe. Devan’s astute lyrical craft and unique voice provide a powerful centerpiece for this band’s large sound. The band will release a 6 song EP in March and will continue to work on new material while touring.
10/21/03
Yes, No, Maybe
Memphis Records’ artists, Yes, No, Maybe, begin pre-production in anticipation of their debut 6 song EP to come out in the spring of 2004. The band has been hard at work in the Studio and playing in the clubs. We will keep you updated as to their goings on as dates get booked for the tour.
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