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.

Contragulations to Colors In The Air!

CONGRATULATIONS to Colors In The Air 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 Fire Red and The Frontline 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.O.M., 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 Fire Red and The Frontline. 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.

Fire Red	The Frontline
You must have the latest Adobe Flash Player installed to listen to the BOOM! contestants.	You must have the latest Adobe Flash Player installed to listen to the BOOM! contestants.
When/where did the band form? The band formed a year ago in Medina, NY from the remnants of a band called A New Low... John and Mike were original memebers, Jerod was added on bass , and Michelle was added on vocals. Band Members: Michelle Jimenez - Lead Vocals / John Buondonno - Guitar / Jerod Bias - Bass Guitar / Mike Polowski - Drums You might like us if you like: The Trews, Big Sugar, Janis Joplin, Gov’t Mule Why you should win the Artvoice.com Online Battle of Original Music: I feel our band is unique in that we have great catchy songs that captivate the listener. We don’t fall into any one musical category; Fire Red can appeal to a broader range of people than most bands. The band is a great blend of modern and retro rock coupled with amazing female vocals. Stand back and try not to get burned! Website: www.myspace.com/fireredband	When/where did the band form? January 2009 in Williamsville, NY. It consists of the remaining members of the band Listen When I Say, and local singer/songwriter Scott Nykiel. Band Members: Ryan Aronica - Bass & Lead Guitar / Andy Bush - Lead Guitar & Bass / Scott Nykiel - Vocals & Rhythm Guitar / Mike Ruben - Drums You might like us if you like: Foo Fighters, Muse, Matchbox 20, U2, Green Day, Our Lady Peace, Alexisonfire, Avenged Sevenfold, Pearl Jam, Third Eye Blind Recorded releases: The Frontline (Self Titled Debut EP), April 2009 Why you should win the Artvoice.com Online Battle of Original Music: In a non-cocky way, we do feel like we could be one of the best alt/pop/rock bands in Buffalo. We just haven't been getting the right exposure. Often times venues haven't been advertising shows, or we show up to a show and we play at a different time that we were initially stated and so our fans miss us. We absolutely love what we do and want to share it with people, and this could be a huge stepping stone for us if we were featured in this contest. Thank you for your time and consideration. Website: www.myspace.com/thefrontlineny