Provo, Utah quintet Fictionist will hopefully find themselves on the cover of Rolling Stone in August. The band gets my vote in the current RS reader contest: gorgeous vocals and guitars, bold arrangements and excellent live performances.
www.facebook.com/fictionistnoise
www.fictionist.com
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March UPDATE:
8 bands/solo artists were eliminated; 8 bands/solo artists remain:
Fictionist made it to the next round in the Rolling Stone contest!
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April UPDATE:
4 bands/solo artists were eliminated; 4 bands/solo artists remain:
Fictionist made it to the next round in the Rolling Stone contest!
The current voting round closes May 13 and the results will be revealed on May 18.
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May UPDATE:
I was 99 % sure Fictionist would advance to the final round, but alas they did not. They were hands-down the best band among the contestants, but as we all know it's not just about talent these days, it's about social media, especially about having the most Facebook buddies. Grrrrr!
Canadian rockers The Sheepdogs and L.A. based singer/songwriter Lelia Broussard advanced. (how a Canadian band is eligible for this contest is not quite clear - no offense to my Canadian readers!)
While The Sheepdogs' 1960s/70s style blues-rock material is certainly solid and the band is very competent there is not anything about their sound that truly makes your ears perk up. Fictionist on the other hand offer both Pink Floyd influenced gems as well as straight up delicious rock tunes all of which showcase the superb musicianship of all five members.
(Lelia Broussard does have some catchy songs, but is more of a straight up pop singer and was in my opinion somewhat ill-suited for this "Rock and Roll Star" contest from the beginning.)
Hopefully Fictionist will be able to land a record contract thanks to the buzz generated from the contest, thereby gaining legions of new fans.
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Ahead:
- Final voting round runs May 18-July.
- The two finalists will play the four-day Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival which is held June 9-12 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee.
- The contest winner will be announced on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on August 2 and will make their live television debut that night.
- The winner will be on the cover of Rolling Stone on August 18 and will land an Atlantic Records contract.
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