Written By: Jim Markunas (Editor-In-Chief)
One of our good friends at Rock Ridge Music sent me a bunch of cool CDs from their back catalog. So... I figured, I'd introduce some of their past releases to you, our readers.
Rock Ridge Music is an independent record label based in Newark, New Jersey. Some of the more recognized artists on the Rock Ridge roster include Reel Big Fish, Psychostick, Stroke 9, Chris Volz, The Ike Reilly Assassination, and Sister Hazel.
Buy On:
Five.Bolt.Main: Five.Bolt.Main came together after Flaw was dropped from Universal Records in 2004. Chris Volz met with Ivan Arnold and Ben Patrick – whom both were part of Flaw prior to their breakthrough album Through the Eyes in 2001.
At the time, both Ivan and Ben were in a project called Silent Q, which by the time Flaw disbanded, had enough material written to put an album together.
Silent Q included guitarists Aaron Welenken and Jason Chandler. At this point Volz joined the band, which was tentatively titled Vent, but was later changed to Five.Bolt.Main due to legal reasons. Within 7 months the band had scored themselves a record deal with independent label Rock Ridge Music.
Buy On:Chris Volz: Chris Volz is an American alternative metal/hard rock singer. He is the lead vocalist of Flaw and played for the now defunct Five Bolt Main. In 2006, Chris Volz announced plans for a solo project. He has recently revealed that his debut solo album will be released through the independent record label Rock Ridge Music, and it will be titled Redemption.
The solo album was released on September 11, 2007. A clip of the title track off the album has been posted on his official music myspace. Volz is out of rehab now and was working on a new album with Flaw, but was kicked out of the band in April 2009 due to his continuing substance abuse problems and allegations that he abused his girlfriend.
Buy On:Cinder: Cinder is an alternative rock band, formed in 1999 when singer Roger Young and lead guitarist Kenny Craig began playing bars and clubs around the Southern Florida coastline and writing songs for album Soapy Tuna. It was at this time they picked up bassist Pat McGuire and drummer Brian Colbert and changed their name to Jesus Gun. In this form they recorded another album, which was available only at shows. In 2001 they signed a record deal with Geffen Records and the album Break Your Silence was recorded, with Scott Weiland (of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver) producing nine of the album’s eleven tracks.
In addition, Jay Baumgartner (Papa Roach, Alien Ant Farm, and Drowning Pool) and John Kurzweg (Creed, Puddle of Mudd) lent a hand in the production process as well. After the album was finished, the band name was changed again, this time to Cinder, under pressure from the record company, for legal reasons. Cinder began touring with such heavyweights as Creed and Sevendust, gaining a loyal following across America. Unfortunately, before the release date Geffen Records was bought out and unsigned bands including Cinder were released, and the album never was released. The single from that album Soul Creation was released and received much airtime on both the radio and on MTV, essentially promoting an album that was doomed to never exist (though a promo copy of the album did indeed leak onto the internet in 2002).
"Soul Creation" managed to get onto the Mainstream Rock charts. Soul Creation was also featured in PS2 videogames MX Unleashed and NHL 2004. This single helped keep the band's dreams alive as they struggled with their record company's contract. It took two more years for Cinder to be released from their contract with Geffen Records expired, and two more years after that before they were picked up by Rock Ridge Records.
Buy On:boyhitscar: The band was formed in 1993. After releasing their first album, My Animal, independently in 1998, they went on the Sno-Core Tour and recorded their next album, Boy Hits Car, on Wind-up Records. A third album was self released in 2005 called The Passage.
In 2006 the band re-released the album in July after signing with Rock Ridge Music as their distributor. It was announced on their myspace that they are currently working on a new album which will be released sometime in 2009.
Buy On:Edgewater: In June 2005, Edgewater parted ways with Wind-up records and began working on an independent release. The album was named We're Not Robots.... It was released in August 2006 through Forevergreen records and distributed by Rockridge music. The band remained inactive for the last part of 2007 and through mid 2008, until an announcement on their myspace revealed that they were working on new material for a 2009 album release.
On July 2nd however, the band posted a message entitled "Goodbye and Farewell", stating they were trying to get together and play some live shows, but it turned out impossible to get on the same schedule.
The band is now split into various new groups. They are The Singularity Project, Boynamedcircus, and June Halo - among others.
Have I sold you? If so, or if not, check out Rock Ridge Music's internet radio station, Rock Ridge Radio here.
