Welcome back, my friends, to the online battle of the bands that never ends—the fantabulous Artvoice Battle Of Original Music (B.O.O.M.). Often imitated, but never duplicated, this marks the third year we’ve been reaching out to the local original music community, and discovering a depth of talent and drive that few knew existed here. Turns out the Buffalo area continues to serve as a hotbed for new artists, and we’re proud to offer them a platform to get their music out there.

Congratulations to Week 1 winners, Hunger Anthem!

CONGRATULATIONS to Hunger Anthem for collecting the most online votes this past week. Just like that, they’ve secured a spot on the bill for our next live battle of the bands at Nietzsche’s on Friday, November 27.

This week, we’re featuring Colors in the Air and the Viva Noir in our online battle of the bands.

For you dear readers who’ve been living under a rock, here’s how our contest works. Solo artists and bands visit boom.Artvoice.com and register by answering a brief questionnaire, like the ones on the right of this page. They also submit a couple songs and a photo.

From the pile of submissions we receive, two acts are chosen each week, and they appear in the print edition of the paper. These two then compete head to head in our virtual concert hall—where visitors to Artvoice.com can listen to the music, and then, with the click of a mouse, cast one vote for the contestant he or she prefers.

Thus, each week produces one winner. At the end of four weeks, we arrive at the four bands that then square off in a live showdown, where each audience member receives one ballot to cast for his or her favorite. At the end of that night, one band emerges victorious and wins a spot in the B.O.O.M. Grand Finale, the big live concert battle that pits the four winners of our preliminary shows against one another. That night, one band will walk off with recording gear from Guitar Center, a nice chunk of change, and join the ranks of past B.O.O.M. Grand Champions Dali’s Ghost and TypeRelevant.

Bands are encouraged to get out the vote any way they can short of stuffing the ballot box. Our IT guy has detected such instances in the past, and it’s never been taken lightly. If you’re caught cheating, you can be disqualified. And there’s nowhere to appeal our decision.

Also, musicians, there’s still time to enter B.O.OM., even if you’ve entered before. Visit boom.Artvoice.com today, to find out how. Tune in next issue to see who won, and who’s up to bat.

Good luck this week to Hunger Anthem and the Bloodthirsty Vegans. One of them will win a spot in our next live showdown, scheduled for Friday, November 27 at Nietzsche’s. May the best band win.

Colors In The Air	The Viva Noir
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When/where did the band form? Lockport, NY, 2005 You might like us if you like: Coldplay, Foo-Fighters, Radiohead, Oasis, Incubus Recorded releases: A Toronto EP (2005); On The Inside (Leakmob, 2007); Floating Vessels (2009) Best show ever played: The Best show we ever played would have to encompass many shows. Every time we play in Buffalo, Fredonia or Lockport, our fans do all the work for us. Our support system is great in the Buffalo Area. Worst show ever played: One were we had to sleep on the stage after the show. Why you should win the Artvoice.com Online Battle of Original Music: Since 2005, we have wanted to do nothing more than write good music, play shows, and expand our fan base. Website: www.myspace.com/colorsintheair	When/where did the band form? The Viva Noir is a Post-Punk, and Brit-Pop inspired four-piece from Buffalo, NY. The band came together in the winter of 2008 after a long lost weekend spent listening to music, discussing the decline of western art and literature while imbibing many a drink at local Queen City watering holes. You might like us if you like: You might like us if you spend way too much time drinking alone in downtown bars during the week and have at least 30 years of regret to live down. Musically, we’ve been compared to post-punk bands like the Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division, Sonic Youth and contemporary bands like British Sea Power, Bloc Party, the Cribs, and the Twilight Singers. Our goal is to make music as cold, dark and restless as our own City of No Illusions. Recorded releases: We currently have a limited edition 6 song EP and have contributed to the Buffalo Musicians Against Autism CD, My Favorite Gift is You. Both CDs are available for sale thru the Viva Noir website and MySpace. Work on our new CD is currently underway and will be released in late 2009. Why you should win the Artvoice.com Online Battle of Original Music: Vote for us because we were always there for you, at the end of the bar, buying the next round and handing you a smoke when you were down on your luck. Well, now it’s our turn to call in a favor, so do what you know is right. Website: www.vivanoir.com