William Smith Monroe was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the "Father of Bluegrass".
Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City.
Jerry Butler Jr. is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. After leaving the group in 1960, Butler achieved over 55 Billboard Pop and R&B Chart hits as a solo artist including "He Will Break Your Heart", "Let It Be Me" and "Only the Strong Survive". He was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.
The Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, also known as Champaign–Urbana and Urbana–Champaign as well as Chambana (colloquially), is a metropolitan area in east-central Illinois. As defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the metropolitan area has a population of 222,538 as of the 2020 U.S. Census, which ranks it as the 207th largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. The area is anchored by the principal cities of Champaign and Urbana, and is home to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system.
Hum is an American alternative rock band from Champaign, Illinois, United States. They are best known for their 1995 radio hit "Stars". After initially disbanding in 2000, Hum was largely inactive until reuniting in 2015 for a series of short tours. On June 23, 2020, the band announced and released Inlet, their first album of new material in over twenty-two years.
The Beauty Shop was an Americana rock / alt country band, led by singer-songwriter-guitarist John Hoeffleur, based out of Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1999, they released two EPs and two full length albums before disbanding in 2008. Hoeffleur described their music as "influenced by old-school punk and old-school country with a dash of singer/songwriter ".
Sarge was an indie rock band from Champaign, Illinois, in the United States. They released three albums on Mud Records.
Poster Children is an American indie rock band formed at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1987. They have issued nine studio albums and two EPs. Known for their strong DIY ethic, the band members continue to drive their own tour bus, create their own artwork and T-shirt designs, and operate their own record label. Poster Children were also pioneers in several forms of electronic technology relating to performance art, including enhanced CDs, webcasts, and blogs.
Parasol Records is an American independent record label based in Urbana, Illinois. The label was founded by Geoff Merritt as an outgrowth of the catalog Parasol Mail Order. The Parasol Records banner also includes the smaller labels associated with it, including Mud, Spur, Hidden Agenda and Galaxy Gramophone. The majority of Parasol's releases have been indie pop CD and 7" vinyl singles. Artists signed to Parasol Records include: 16 Tons, The 1900s, 7% Solution, Absinthe Blind, Acid House Kings, The Action, AK-Momo, Mark V. Bacino, Bikeride, Brian Leach, Bruno, Matt, Budgie Jacket, Busytoby, C-Clamp, Doleful Lions, Elsinore, Honcho Overload, Hot Glue Gun, Lanterna, The Moon Seven Times, Neilson Hubbard, Hum, Jack & the Beanstalk, Jenifer Jackson, Ryan Groff, Sugarbuzz and others.
Selena is the debut studio album by American Tejano singer Selena, released on October 17, 1989, by EMI Latin. Its music incorporates a range of contemporary genres with a mix of cumbia and regional styles of Mexican music. The album was released following company president Jose Behar's failed crossover request for the singer. The project was denied by the heads of EMI Records' pop division, believing the singer should first strengthen her fanbase. Selena's brother and principal record producer and songwriter, A.B. Quintanilla III fought to remain the singer's producer. The band introduced Pete Astudillo and Joe Ojeda, who contributed to the album's experimental production and songwriting. Aside from A.B., Selena worked with two Mexican songwriters, Alejandro Montealegre and Reinaldo Ornelas.
National Skyline is an American alternative rock band formed in late 1996 by Jeff Dimpsey of Hum. Dimpsey originally formed the band in order to perform a 45-minute-long song that he had written. They were initially an indie rock supergroup of sorts, with a rotating cast of prominent Champaign/Chicago area musicians. They did record the 45-minute song/album with Rick Valentin in spring 1997, but it has never been released. The band's name is apparently a reference to Bob Dylan's album Nashville Skyline, though their music betrays no stylistic debt to Dylan.
Flower Plower is the first studio album by the rock band Poster Children. Recorded in 1988–89, it was first released on vinyl by the Limited Potential label in 1989, and reissued on CD in 1991 by Frontier Records. Later the band acquired the rights to this album, and reissued it on their own label, 12 Inch Records, in 1999.
Lanterna is a musical project led by guitarist Henry Frayne, formerly of Lodestone Destiny, The Syndicate, Ack-Ack, Area and The Moon Seven Times. Their tracks are evocative soundscapes, usually instrumental, that focus on Frayne's melodic guitar work awash in effects.
Jeff Austin was an American mandolinist and singer best known for being a founding member of the Yonder Mountain String Band.
Joe Strell is an American bass player and songwriter. He was a member of The Imports (1980–81) and ¡Ack-Ack! (1984–86). In 1986 he founded Dansbane Eländet recording studios and began releasing cassette albums under the name Split Heavens.
Absinthe Blind was an American shoegaze and dream pop group from Urbana, Illinois. The first group was formed by brothers Seth and Adam Fein and Tristan Wraight in 1996, by merging Adam Fein's group and Tristan Wraight and Seth Fein's The Dr. Johanson Band. Dr. Johanson Band bassist Mike Zolfo was then asked to join the group. As the Champaign-Urbana music scene gained national attention, due to groups such as Hum and Poster Children, Absinthe Blind, along with three other groups, formed a collective entitled Toast Music. The brothers' younger sister, Erin Fein joined the band during the recording of Music for Security while she continued to study sociology and political science at the University of Illinois. In support of Music For Security, the band embarked on a national tour, performing at The CMJ Music Marathon along the way. For their fourth album, The Everyday Separation, the band signed to Mud Records, distributed by Parasol. Zolfo left the group in 2002 to attend music school, and was replaced by Brett Sanderson. The group released one more album, Rings, in 2003, before Adam Fein announced that he was leaving the band. A farewell tour followed, culminating with a hometown show at the Canopy Club in Urbana, Illinois on September 13, 2003.
Henry David Frayne is an Irish-American musician.
The Vertebrats were a musical group formed in the twin cities of Champaign-Urbana (CU), Illinois, initially active from 1979 until 1982. They are credited with being one of the originators of a local CU DIY music scene that still exists. The Vertebrats gained notoriety due to their energetic live performances, on-stage chemistry, numerous original compositions, a fiercely loyal local fan base, and, as time went on, other bands covering their songs.
American Football, also known retrospectively as LP1, is the debut studio album by American rock band of the same name, released on September 14, 1999, through Polyvinyl. It was recorded shortly after the band released their debut self-titled EP through Polyvinyl in October 1998. The group, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Mike Kinsella, guitarist Steve Holmes, and drummer Steve Lamos, recorded their debut album at Private Studios in Urbana, Illinois, with production from Brendan Gamble.
Third Mind Records was a British independent record label, founded in February 1983 by Gary Levermore.
