Decibully -
It could have been the portioning off souls to some inert devil. Or it could have been an egg-headed, whisky-tongued promise made good upon and hatched into notes and chords. Whatever the origins of the pieces, they eventually settled into place as Decibully, a tag that was misnomer from go. Meekness and lack of pomp were what defined the group as far back as its inaugural performance in 2001. That first gig showcased three gents—William Seidel (gtr & vox), , Kenneth Siebert (gtr) and Nick Westfahl (keys)—struggling to be heard over the babbling of a barroom brook, cigarettes weaved between their guitars' headstock strings. Jason Gnewikow (ex-Promise Ring) was quickly reigned in to provide some slur-canceling percussive back beat. Before you can swing from the branches of the Decibully family tree, it's important to know that the band's hometown, Milwaukee, is a musical forest populated by unprejudiced, discretion-starved gnomes. In such a place, things bloom wildly. And things get tangled. Sounds and styles mix. Decibully, comprised of ex-players of everything from hardcore to twee pop, is a benefactor of the city's verdancy. They consider themselves blessed. And so members budded and fell until 2003, when a base was found in William Seidel (vox, gtrs), W. Kenneth Seibert (gtrs), Ryan Weber (keys, gtrs), Nicholas Sanborn (keys, accordion), Aaron Vold (drums), Justin Klug (bass). On steady ground, the unit holed up in various studios and attics throughout Milwaukee's Bayview neighborhood and began cobbling together what would become their first proper LP, City of Festivals. After Polyvinyl Records released that collection in autumn of 2003, Decibully immediately started cutting across the USA in support. Boosted by favorable reviews ("It's an amazing album that is almost too beautiful to listen to." – munchkinmusic) and the intimacy of the road, the band returned home with a batch of new songs coursing through their heads. After litmus-testing the cuts on hometown audiences, the group began committing City of Festivals's successor to tape. Back in Bayview's studios and attics, countless hours were spent meticulously piling layer upon layer. Eventually the seams were sealed and in March 2005, Polyvinyl began shipping copies of the new Decibully record, Sing Out America! The band once again traced America's highways and byways in support of their new album, Sing Out America! then went on to play a series of shows in front of receptive audiences throughout Europe in the late-spring of 2005, after which they slunk quietly back into their daily Dairyland routines. They are currently putting the finishing touches on our third proper full length album, World Travels Fast, a collection of genre bending pop songs about growing old in the modern world. Added to the ever expanded family tree that is Decibully are Andy Menchal (bass) and Jim Nuemeyer (guitar) both from the late great Milwaukee band, Temper Temper. Look for our new music in late '08.

The Championship -
In early 2005, Milwaukee singer/songwriter Joe Crockett set out to make his dream a reality. Following minor success playing with a local band, Vega Star, Joe knew his urge to fine tune his craft as a songwriter and share his work with fans would soon dominate his ambitions. Calling upon long-time friend and drummer Travis Doar, the duo formed The Championship. The spring, Joe put pen to paper, writing a series of songs that would eventually serve as framework for The Championship’s debut album, Dance Casador! After bringing Vega Star guitarist Jordan Burich and bassist John Crocket on board, the group met up at their Water Street loft to rehearse and further collaborate on Joe’s songs. The result was a powerful and moving record, released later that year on Joe’s own label, Bear Rifle Records. With the record finished and local success well on the rise, The Championship turned their efforts toward the national scene. Booked by a Portland agency, the group toured the east coast during February 2006. Following the tour, the band continued to play to large crowds in the Milwaukee area for the next several months. In August 2006 the band hit the road again to do what most young acts would never attempt – tour the entire continental U.S. in five weeks. Exposure to people outside their hometown seemed to them a necessity. After playing to enthusiastic crowds, the band played a venue in Texas, where they met up with Joe’s childhood friend Allen “Tex Coyote” Cote. Tex agreed to join them for part of the tour, playing mandolin and running sound. Following gigs in East Texas, California, and Seattle, the tour ended. When Joe, Travis, Jordan and John returned home, they were exhausted, poor and malnourished from gas station hot dogs. Yet there was an energy they shared, a feeling that this was what they were meant to do. The group convinced Tex to move to Wisconsin and become a permanent member of The Championship. In May 2007, the now five-member group began writing and recording their follow up album. By February 2008, their sophomore record Midnight Golden was finished. Midnight Golden more than satisfies, with gentle finger-picked ballads giving way to rollicking stomps. The addition of lap steel and mandolin provide a solid grounding in traditional styles, while allowing plenty of space for the band to explore new limits in style and genre. Following Midnight Golden’s release, the band has been touring extensively throughout the Midwest and Southeast. Over the last three years, The Championship has accomplished what one would expect from a talented and ambitious young band. Their hard work has earned them critical acclaim in publications around the country and performances at some of America’s most prestigious venues. The Championship’s records and live shows are a must-see for anyone who enjoys what rock and roll once was.

The Celebrated Workingman -
The CELEBRATED WORKINGMAN BEGINS - a three act- Characters( see members list above) ACT ONE (scene- three dudes getting drunker at Yield( a local"rock" tavern decorated in posters of popular "rock "music). enters MARK looking more sad and dejected than normal. MARK- " Eric at Cactus asked my band to do a show, but he didn't know they all quit. He didn't want just me. I'm like suuuper bummed." JUSTIN- " Dude thats ok man, I'm a drummer, he's a bass player( points to GAVIN) and he plays guitar (points to NATE). NATE- (slow and surley ) "yeah." ( finishes pabst , slams down on table) GAVIN -( calm and collected) " Yep." (pulls a drag of his dunhill, checks blackberry) MARK (toGavin) - "You guys for-really wanna do this -we're not just drunk - i'm gonna call you tommorrow. Really?( to NATE) NATE- " dude, I'm a fuckin' waiter, what do you think?" ACT TWO (Scene- local "indie" record store- yes like the one in high fidelity you jack- A#$) CHARLIE- to MARK "wish I could see your band play,but you only play 21 + clubs!" MARK - " dude why don't you just join the band" Charlie- ( with slight hesitation, a little incredilous - looks down) " Ok." ( looks up, now with excitement and marvelous rapture) " OKAY!" MARK- "So, what should we get for lunch?" ACT THREE (scene- A Scapulars band rehearsal, vitaminwater Triple XXX and gatorade bottles strewn across the floor Enters Chris) CHRIS-( To Mark) Dude can I play lap steel in the celebrated workingman.I can't believe we've been friends for over 10 years and never played in a band together. MARK- Thats cause I was never good enough to play with you Chris. That would be awesome. JUSTIN- This Shit is AWESOME( refering to his triple XXX .Smashes bottle on forehead). MARK- May I play in black face or where a bunny costume at our next show? CHRIS/NATE/JUSTIN- no. the end