One Way Letter is one of Atlanta's youngest, hippest, and most talented independent rock groups. In just three short years they have amassed a loyal North American following based entirely on their musicianship, showmanship, D.I.Y. ethic for hard-work, and song writing abilities.

In September of 2004, One Way Letter signed with Negative Progression Records, a small, but extremely reputable indie out of San Francisco, California. Over the month of December 2004, One Way Letter recorded their debut full length at Atlanta's Glow in the Dark Studios under the professional guidance of producer/engineer Matt Goldman (Copeland, Cartel, Acceptance). Once One Way Letter completed the recording process they again started playing live shows to packed crowds throughout the Southeast. Their debut album "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," was released on April 19, 2005. The album was critically acclaimed, obtaining a 4 out of 5 review in Alternative Press magazine (150,000 circ.) as well as new band features in international magazines like Kerrang (UK).

One Way Letter has been touring in support of their debut since May 2005, building a fan-base the old fashioned way, and plan to be on the road through fall of 2006.

Band Members:
Selena Langley - vocals/bass
Mark Uhl - guitar
Lucas Tindall - guitar
Craig Goldberg - drums

Change is an integral part of life. The most real and inescapable law of the universe. In this truth, we find that in order for things to be, they must have a commencement and an ending, or else what is experienced in the this world would and could not exist. Similarly, songs must be born from experience and emotion at a given time and be put into an aesthetic form to be heard and seen by those other than the conceiver. That's all music is to us; making noise to the flip-book.

Following "Between the Wake", our 6 song EP released in 5/04, we have acquired a new drummer and recently finished a short story of 3 songs as a prequel to our pending full length coming this summer. "Chance, the avid Dream Alchemist" is our shortest release to date, but it is a work we are all truly the most proud of. Rather than go off into useless attempts at explaining how I intended the title to be applied, I would rather people take some time and really think about it and read the lyrics and look at the art as they listen to the music.

There is a lot of pressure in order to succeed; to follow a pattern when writing songs, or they will be incorrect. Instead of subscribing to a formula and obsessing over structure, we took a much more fluid approach at creation for this cd in a sense, completely abandoning the traditional format. The genre we are most frequently associated with has completely asphyxiated itself by following what they think will bring them to the top. It's running on a respirator manned by a mad scientist filling the same mold with different shit. We are encouraging people to use their brains and explore areas that may have gone dormant or seem less important. There is so much beauty and depth to be found beyond what can be understood on the surface!

The freedom to create is the greatest gift anyone could ever ask for. That's all we want in life. Chance has tremendous influence on where our lives take us, and we make music for nothing more than the hope that one day perseverance and chance will allow us to starve on the sound of our love.

Band Members:
Etay Pisano - guitar/vocals
Andrew Goldstein - guitar/vocals
Lee Bellomy - bass
Brian Hospital - drums

A quartet based out of Santa Cruz, Ca; A Burning Water was formed in the winter of 2000 and is a mixture of Indie, Post-Hardcore and Rock. Packed with an intense and energetic live show A Burning Water is as serious as they are passionate about their music. They have shared the stage with such acts as; The Blood Brothers, Thrice, Finch, The (international) Noise Conspiracy, Dredg, Rx Bandits, The Velveteen, The Matches, Sugar Cult, Strike Anywhere and Jonas Online Drawing. Since their beginning A Burning Water has self-released one e.p. and are currently supporting their 10 song debut album, We Can See The Sky From Here. With their constant shows dates and practice schedule A Burning Water has built themselves a reputation of being an extremely hard working band. A Burning Water brings their intensity to the stage every night and captivates their audience with their seamless mix of intensity, melody, emotion, harmony and energy. We Can See The Sky From Here blurs the lines between the rock, hardcore and instrumental genres. Beautiful swirling guitar work encompassed by honest vocal movements transcend into heavy driving riffs fueled by passion and the ever changing state of our world.

Band Members:
Brian Link- vocals
Ash Moore- guitar/synth
Benji Layva- bass
Jordan Peterson - drums

How does one put over a year of constant struggle into a paragraph? After an abrupt abandonment of its members from previous bands, Amity came together through the union of five musicians from both coasts who refused to let their passion for their art die. Since the band's inception in early 2005, the group has wasted no time. Starting rehearsals in February, Amity recorded a four song demo in March with long time friend and producer, Jeremy Griffith. After a handful of local shows, the band embarked on their first tour in April of 2005 with Hopeless records' Nural. Since then, the band has encountered a myriad of difficulties and setbacks that might cause a less passionate band to throw in the towel. Fortunately, Amity has always managed to carry on and continue to pursue their art. Finally, in early 2006, Amity's rough start made a positive shift when the band inked a deal with San Francisco's Negative Progression records and returned to the studio with Griffith to record what would be a debut full length that truly reflects the group's past.

Dark and brooding at times, ethereal and uplifting at others, Amity takes the listener on an aural roller coaster on their full length debut, "Internecine." Their first release on Negative Progression Records, "Internecine" is chock full of technical time signatures, melodic guitar riffs, spacy interludes, and irresistible hooks that will have even the most jaded music fan singing along by the album's epic ending. From the infectious, energetically charged chorus of the opening track, Jackrabbits, to the enormous otherworldly crescendo of the finale, Mississippi Bedroom, "Internecine" hits ground running with an unrelenting energy that refuses to quit. This disc is the quintessential must-have release for anyone desperate for a change in the way they listen to melodic rock music.

Now, with a new album and outlook under their belt, Amity is ready to continue the trend of upward turns that have met them in the past few months. An October 24th release date is set for the album, to coincide with a series of national tours, planned to occur consecutively and continue well into the following year. In 2006 and 2007, fans should see Amity coming through their town on multiple occasions, and the band finally breaking the cycle of hardship that has plagued them since the start to successfully bring their music to the world.

Band Members:
Evan Smith - guitar
Joe Sherman - vocals
Calvin Pflieger - bass
Thomas Zamorano - drums
Javier Ramos - guitar

John Connor, a 3-piece indie rock band from Dumont, New Jersey, started in 2004. They quickly created a huge buzz in their home state, rising up over the more established local bands, and building one of the most solid fan bases in NJ. In little more than a year they have sold over 1500 copies of their self released 5 song demo, and have gone on 2 east coast/mid west tours, and 1 extensive national tour. In the year that they have been playing shows John Connor has already done over 100 shows, and shared the stage with bands like Hello Goodbye, Day At The Fair, Madison, The Receiving End of Sirens, .Houston Calls, The Format, Paulson, Race The Sun, The Escape Engine, Emma, Outsmarting Simon, The Progress, Stars Hide Fire, An Angle, Tourmaline, Lola Ray, BedLIGHT for BlueEYES, The Honorary Title, Nightmare of You, Monty's Fan Club, Chiodos, Halfway Home, and My American Heart.

It's hard to fit John Connor's music into the typical indie rock box, because there is so much more to their sound than one or two words can describe. Having been in a few well established bands in the past, frontman and songwriter Jay Snyder knew that he wanted to do something different with John Connor from day one, and create music that he could love rather then playing it safe and starting a band that sounded like everything else out there. Taking inspiration from bands like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Kenna, A Tribe Called Quest, Death Cab For Cutie, Squeeze, Michael Jackson, Nine Inch Nails, The Postal Service, Queen, and Radiohead, John Connor set out to make music that had never been done before. Combining elements from 1960's garage rock, 1980's new wave, grooves and beats that come straight from hip hop, and lryical styles that range anywhere from Dave Gahan and Ben Gibbard to John Lennon and Glenn Tilbrook, John Connor definitely has created their own unique sound.

Their debut 12 song LP, "Dance Dance Revolution," will be released in the fall of 2005 on Negative Progression Records. With all the different styles of music John Connor blends together, there will be something for everyone on this album. John Connor is here to breathe a breath of fresh air into the somewhat stagnant underground music industry, and they hope to open a lot of peoples minds along the way.

Band Members:
Jay Snyder - bass/vocals
Jude Zasadzki - synth/vocals

Dani played bass with Crash 81 since 1996. After many years of bass blasting, Dani felt his destiny in music was no longer to play bass, but to play the drums. He joined The Record Time in 2000 as the drummer with Steve now doing the bass blasting. During this time, Ramzi and Jeffery were pursuing their musical satisfaction with The Maria Project. After 3 1/2 years, the constant absence of a permanent bassist set in place and The Maria Project split. Dani and Steve took advantage of the situation and asked Ramzi to come play with the Record Time. For the next year, Dani, Steve and Ramzi rocked The Record Time while Jeffery joined forces with David Michael to form The Shallow Tide.

After two summer tours, musical differences became evident and unfortunately The Record Time could no longer go on. The Shallow Tide, at the time, wasn't very busy and was at an extremely fragile time in their exhistance. Ramzi started writing music on the side with Jeffery and decided he wanted to play with Jeffery again. At the same time Dani and Steve still wanted to play with Ramzi. Talking came into play and there was only one solution to this problem. Dani, Steve, Jeffery, and Ramzi joined together and formed Little Compass. From January 1st 2003 through January 3rd 2004 Little Compass worked hard to blast faces as best they could and had more than accomplished what they had hoped for in the time that they had. Unfortunately, Jeffery decided to part due to life situations. It was a sad time. Dani got offered a drumming position for the rock band River City High and moved to Richmond Virginia. Little Compass, at the point, was for sure over. Steve decided to play guitar in a metal band called Arizenme. He spent much of his time practicing with them and learning their current songs. Ramzi got offered and accepted a guitar gig with the band Panic in Detroit. Jeffery played music on the side with David Michael not sure of what was to come out of it. So everyone kinda went their seperate ways and the exhistence of Little Compass was disappearing into a memory.

Then, rumors of Dani's return began to circulate. Dani was having differences with River City High and decided to move back to Houston. It was great to have Dani back. Everyone missed him. About a month had passed and ideas of reuniting Little Compass became present. Everyone felt they had too much fun and Little Compass meant to much to them to not consider playing again. Dani, Steve, and Ramzi decided to get David Michael to play guitar and share singing with Ramzi. No one ever thought it would work as well as it did, but after one practice and almost a complete song written it was clear as day. Little Compass was back together.

Band Members:
Ramzi Beshara - guitar/vocals
Stephen Henderson - bass
David Green - guitar/vocals
Stephen Hawkins - drums

The current hotbed of pop, punk and new rock and roll has unleashed yet another gem upon the world. Known as The Goodwill, these five young men from Huntington have made their mark upon the music scene.

2002 was a busy first year of existence for The Goodwill. After forming in late 2001, the band quickly set out writing and demoing tracks to assemble a 5-song demo to sell at their early shows. These shows included sharing the stage with Taking Back Sunday, Tsunami Bomb, The Reunion Show, Allister and more of today's hot up-and-coming young punk rock acts. After selling more than 1,000 copies of their homemade demo, San Francisco's Negative Progression Records, home to The June Spirit and Counterfit, quickly took notice and signed the band to a recording contract.

The Goodwill's debut full-length, "That Was A Moment" was released in early 2003 to a throng of fans singing along at their CD release show with Taking Back Sunday on Long Island. The band then set out on a full-scale east coast tour that would stretch from New England to Florida. The tour, a self-booked, headlining engagement, was extremely successful and surpassed even the band's own expectations. They then set upon a full time touring schedule embarking on another East Coast tour with Bayside (Victory Records), a full US Tour with Hidden in Plain View (Drive Thru Records) and three weeks on the 2003 Vans Warped Tour.

Often being compared to their Long Island bretheren, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, The Movielife and Bayside, what separates The Goodwill from most other acts on the scene today is their unforgettable live performance. The energy that they portray in their stage show is as sincere as it is confident. The band combines the aggressive dual guitar riffs of Brian Dicosmo and Travis Johnides with the soulful, yet understated rhythm section comprised of Josh Moskoviz and Gregory Oecshlin. The passionate, heart-wrenching vocals of classically trained frontman Brian Barbuto bring everything together for a sound that is refreshing, soulful and endearing.

Band Members:
Josh Moskoviz - bass
Brian Barbuto - vocals
Travis Johnides - guitar
Greg Oechslin - drums
Dan Gomez-Sanchez-guitar

Sometimes the greatest stories have the most simple beginnings. At the time, our favorite bands could tell the tale. Chuck loved Black Flag; Andy's favorite was Hot Water Music; Colin's favorite was Jimmy Eat World; And I still loved Green Day. We decided that while each of our tendencies lead in a different direction, if we could find common ground then maybe the mixture of these might lead to something fruitful.

The first Contender practice was in August 1999 at the old Moorhead House garage, playing through Shogun's equipment. Our auspicious first show came at The Raven to a sold out crowd for The Gamits CD release party in March 2000. Of course we had absolutely nothing to do with the size of the crowd, but it was still an unbelievable first experience for me to play with my friends in front of a great crowd. At the time, we decided to keep writing songs and just see what would happen. When our good friend Sean and I were talking one night, he asked to join. I knew that there wouldn't be any personality conflicts, but once again he had completely different influences. Although his favorite band was Weezer, Sean was predominantly into hardcore. It just didn't fit, and that's why it fit perfectly. He brought yet another musical perspective and that intangible element of close friendship adds to making a cohesive unit. Not that every situation requires a "Three Musketeers" mentality, but it helps when you're an unknown band. This is the final lineup that the band will experience.

So in the short history of this band, we've had some amazing times. Along with the remarkable local bands here in Colorado, we have gotten to play with some incredible bands including Jimmy Eat World, Samiam, Small Brown Bike, The Influents, The Thumbs, Piebald, and Lawrence Arms. We feel very fortunate to have had the start that has happened, and hope we can some day repay the debt we feel in our hearts to all the people that have helped out. Sometimes an end is required to gain perspective on the whole story hopefully that won't happen for years to come.

Band Members:
Scott Kaplan - guitar/vocals
Sean Klassen - drums
Chuck Coffey - bass/vocals
Jason Walker - drums

Little Yellow Box, a 4-piece indie rock group from Riverside, Connecticut, formed in late 2001. Over the course of 2 years, they have self-released 2 demos and have written a variety of songs which fall under the post-hardcore/emo genre but push traditional boundaries. They are described by thePRP.com as creating a "vital and strongly emotive sound that can't be contained." Their material breaks away from other traditional post-hardcore bands, incorporating elements of indie rock, funk, and prog rock.

Little Yellow Box not only create music, but make art. Sonically taking the listener to the edge of chaos, vocalist Steven Carr will shift from a soft croon to a screeching wail, truly using his vocal chords as the band's fourth instrument. Steven's voice melds into and compliments the band's explorations of tempo, feel and intensity. The rhythm section, comprised of bassist Mike Horn and drummer Ian Ingram, establishes a rock solid base. Integrating odd time signatures and complete control of the tempo, Horn and Ingram at times seem to shove you ahead at a driving pace and suddenly, on the stop of a dime, bring their musical universe into a slow groove. The guitar work of Ty Jontz goes through so many twists and turns, your head could spin right off of your neck. Rather than relying on typical pop structures, the band takes a cue from such bands as Yes, Shiner, and the Cancer Conspiracy in attempting new and interesting ways to construct their songs. Having twice previously toured the east coast and midwest, they plan on continuing to spread their music by relentlessly touring the US over the next year. Little Yellow Box has previously played with bands such as Coheed & Cambria, Finch, Brand New, Recover, My Chemical Romance, and Q and Not U.

Their debut 5 song EP, "Et Cetera," is slated for a September 21, 2004 release on Negative Progression Records. With their more ambitious approach to song structures and sounds, this record will definitely make an impact on the thousands of people looking for more creativity and art in their music. The result is a 20 minute-plus EP that is well worth multiple listens.

Band Members:
Mike Horn - bass
Ian Ingram - drums
Tyler Jontz - guitar
Steven Carr - vocals