Future Music January 2015

Joe Holmes is an American heavy metal guitarist best known for his stint with Ozzy Osbourne between 1995 and 2001. He has also played with Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth and the L.A. band Lizzy Borden in addition to leading his own bands, Terriff, and currently, Farmikos. In late December 2012, news broke of Holmes' new band Farmikos, featuring former Laidlaw vocalist Robert Locke. The band's name has no particular meaning and was derived from their song "Scapegoat", which was originally titled "Pharmikos". "Pharmikos" was then changed to "Farmikos" for aesthetics. It became the band's name. In early January 2013, the band's website began to stream the song "Scapegoat", the first Farmikos song to surface, with guest contributions from Holmes' former Ozzy Osbourne band mate, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, and Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman.

Italy's foremost female rock singer, Gianna Nannini, was born in Siena on June 14, 1956, to a family that included a renowned industrialist and Siena Football Club president father and a Formula One pilot brother. Often described as the creative rebel in the family, Nannini attended the Lucca Conservatory throughout her entire adolescence, where she was trained as a pianist…

Kari Rueslåtten (Trondheim, October 3, 1973) is a Norwegian soprano singer, songwriter and keyboardist, who was well known for being the former lead singer and songwriter for the now disbanded Norwegian doom metal/experimental band, The 3rd and the Mortal from 1992 to 1994. The 3rd and the Mortal was one of the early bands that used a lead female singer in the metal scene, in which inspired bands such as The Gathering, Flowing Tears and Nightwish…

Blackwater Park's sole LP, 1972's Dirt Box, would later bask in some measure of belated cult acknowledgement, but upon its release, in the thick of Germany's flourishing Krautrock movement, it was a little more than a footnote; a competent but relatively undifferentiated effort when stacked next to the groundbreaking music history "chapters" being written by the likes of Can, Kraftwerk, and Neu!…

This top notch Dutch band from The Hague had their pinnacle during the early Seventies when they delivered some outstanding 24 carat symphonic rock albums. EARTH AND FIRE was founded by the twin brothers Chris (guitar) and Gerard (keyboards) Koerts in '68. Soon bass player Hans Ziech, drummer Kees Kalis and singer Lisette joined them. Unfortunately Lisette had to give up singing because of a serious eye-disease and Kees Kalis left…

Willie Nile, The Bottom Line Archive 1980-2000, is two disc set, separated by a 20 year gap, and is a great example of Nile's long term staying power, and the loyalty that Bottom Line owner/curator, Allan Pepper (booker, or talent buyer does not suffice) extends to the artists that he really believes in. Exhibit a is this double-disc affair, highlighting two distinct eras in Nile's 35-year career. It is worth noting that one of the primary reasons we can enjoy the temporal contrasts contained in this collection is simply because, when Willie was ready to come back, Allan Pepper was just as ready to welcome him back to The Bottom Line. It was a second home for me, gushes Nile. Allan and the whole vibe of the club was so musician-friendly and warm. It was just the best place to play for that reason.