bwd magazine - june 2013

southern

DEATH BEFORE

SHAVING

AIR OF INTRIGuE

AnjezA GeGAsmoke

mAx’s GuitArs

BWD Magazine • www.bwdradio.com • 1

dj smAllz June 2013

Worldwide Underground Indie Music Entertainment Magazine

A DEcADES wORTH OF ExpERIENcE AND kNOwlEDGE

uNquESTIONING

“Nothing is impossible, if you take

the steps to believe that there will

be an open door for every hundred

knocks you make.”

cuSTOmS FOR lESS

2 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdradio.com

FEatUrEs

04 Anjeza Angie GegaUnQuestioning Air of Intrigue

09 kennie dubb Blazing a Trail

10 xpress Awareness Campaign

14 max’s Guitar store Online Musical Instrument Outlet

16 Austin st Cloud A Hero’s Share of Pain

18 rahat Chowdhury Broadening Musical Horizons

COVEr stOrY

12 dj smallzSouthern Smoke - “Meet the Loud Pack!”

rEVIEWs

08 e-lites The Smoking Alternative

LIFEstYLE

06 Five tips for Writing Your 1st song When trying to compose your first song

ENtErtaINMENt

19 BWd records The Independent Music Label of the South


editor in Chief Veralyn Keach, [email protected] Associate editorRobert Baker, [email protected]

lead Contributing WriterRobert Baker, [email protected]

Contributing WriterVeralyn Keach, [email protected]

Art directorVeralyn Keach, [email protected]

Graphic ArtistVeralyn Keach, [email protected]

Circulation officerVeralyn Keach, [email protected]

sales officer(s)Veralyn Keach/Robert Baker www.bwdmagazine.com

FrOM tHE EDItOr

Having continuously been recognized throughout the music world as a vast movement

with an undeniable force we at BWD Radio are now bringing you the best music and

individuals within their field in a more easily digestible format; with a dedicated online

magazine packed to the rafters with news, reviews, features and phenomenal artists from

across the globe.

Synonymous with breaking new ground and talent, our aim isn’t to deliver you an aggrega-

tor of articles; more like, the BWD Bible of breaking talent and breath taking bands turning

heads and volume dials up to eleven.

In each breaking issue we reveal the winners of the BWD Radio’s Indie Music Featured

Artist Competition, a monthly competition where we invite you to Get On The ‘Visual’

Playlist for your chance to become one of the featured BWD Competition Winners. The

winners are awarded the opportunity of talent exposure across the globe and throughout

the world as part of our aim to prove a good tune isn’t limited to whatever celebrity judge

endorsed single is currently riding high in the iTunes download chart.

In each issue, we also bring you the newest faces in the world of modeling to watch out

for in store windows, on the billboards, and in the high-street, as well as on the catwalks

of Paris and Milan.

Though that may be enough to fill the covers of most magazines, we’ll be taking things

even further with exclusive ‘first-looks’ at the best in indie talent, our unique position

within the world of media affording us the opportunity to bring you the next big hitters

before anyone else and by combining the two enormous forces--presences of BWD Radio

and BWD Magazine into one with the newly launched new BWD website there is twice

the promotion to deliver double the impact and even more worldwide exposure to its

featured artists.

All the freshest new faces and hottest new talent in one magazine, BWD Magazine in con-

junction with BWD Radio is committed to setting the standard of what you deserve from a

magazine with constant promotion through the BWD network of contacts and promoters.

Did someone say BWD Promotions? The BWD Triple Threat Trio!

BWD MAGAZINE’S SERVICES: Being in such a unique position affords us the ability to offer

our services at ‘considerably less’ than most others, our network allowing us to expose

your talent in all the right places without needless expense or additional ‘secret costs’ less

scrupulous companies fill their small print and help fill their bank balances with.

Covering all aspects of media promotion (from social media sites through to music video

promotion) we are able to offer the best when it comes to brand awareness and public

recognition of your name or product, without compromising either your impact or finances.

For price and space availability inquiries, please contact us via the contact details to the

right where we can discuss your specific requirements to ensure maximum exposure.

BWD MAGAZINE: Where YOU go to get as much VARIETY in music, news, sports, entertainment

and lifestyles!! MORE THAN JUST MUSIC.

bWDMagazINE.COMbWDraDIO.COM

FACeBook.Com/BWdmAGAzine

tWitter.Com/BWdmAGAzine

FACeBook.Com/BWdrAdio

tWitter.Com/BWdrAdio_

Last IssUE

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w ith an unquestioning air of intrigue and grace radiating from within, Angie

Gega carries with her that intangible yet international air of mystery that

leaves you feeling drawn to her presence.

Albanian born, Angie began showing the world glimpses of light shining

from the inner prism of her character, the many sides of her character surfacing at age

five with a passion for the arts and a thirst to soak up as much as she could find. Such an

unquenched desire saw her focusses turn to the world of ballet at age seven, and with an abil-

ity only waiting to show itself as an equal to Angie’s enthusiasm, her future seemed certain.

Italy, Greece, and most of Europe became her dance-floor as at age thirteen she found herself

touring Europe as a professional dancer, constantly learning and absorbing the many cultures

and histories of the cities and continents visited that helped start to define the person she

would become.

A move to Greece after graduation saw Angie study psychology at a prestigious college asso-

ciated with the UK’s luminary Sheffield University, wherein her clear talent during drama class

saw her approached with the offer of considering work within the field of dance, which in

turn saw her laying claim to a signing contract – somehow befitting Angie’s mastery of com-

munications and her grasp of six languages.

However, grass grows around stationary objects, and soon Angie took the contract and her two

degrees in broadcasting and communication earned from her studies to America, right to the

aNJEza aNgIE gEga

wITH AN

uNquESTIONING

AIR OF INTRIGuE AND...

The love and talent for modeling

has inspired her love for fashion.”

http://www.facebook.com/XponentialCurve


Nothing is impossible, if you take the steps to believe that there will be an open door for every hundred knocks you make.”

very heart of the arts and entertainment world, the city of angels and artisans, Los Angeles.

Ever the altruist, Angie has reflected her elegant demeanour in the world of modelling with a view to using her recognition for the betterment of

others; various assignments for charitable causes have seen her travel the world as her own ambassador for charity towards the less fortunate and

giving to those who would otherwise go without.

As a singer she has attained a level of recognition and success under the guise of Anjeza, a level that has seen her collaborate with some of the

worlds most renowned producers. Her recent single ‘Still Believe’ is currently achieving numerable downloads on the iTunes charts, alongside other

chart single and playlist pleaser, ‘Feugo’.

Though enough for some and plenty for the rest, the early spark of imagination and wonder that saw Angie first become engulfed by the arts has car-

ried her through to the world of television, appearances of some of the most phenomenal and historically memorable series and shows such as ‘Grey’s

Anatomy’ and ‘I’m Alive’ adding further to the list of accomplishments and accolades.

When discussing the announcement of her win Angie re-enforced her belief about achieving such reward and accomplishments; ‘Nothing is impossible,’

she said, ‘if you take the steps to believe that there will be an open door for every hundred knocks you make.’

With each day affording a seemingly unending horizon to reach out and claim as her own personal playground, we can only wonder at what future

plans are currently hiding behind the hypnotising Eastern European eyes of Angie Gega.

Contact Information:

Website: www.anjezamusic.com

Twitter: @AnjezaMusic

Facebook: anjezamusic

Photo Credits: Anjeza Angie Gega - All Rights Reserved

http://www.facebook.com/XponentialCurve


So you’ve been bitten by the beat and drawn to the decks

and with one hand in the air and the other wrapped ‘round

a pen, it’s time to write you some songs. So where to start?

Whilst almost any subject or thing can be written about,

you’ll probably be better inspired to draw on your own

personal experiences – go with what you know, as it were.

Think about significant events or standout moments in your life and make a note of

the ones that could be worked into something more. It doesn’t have to be something

personal or private, though; maybe you’re affronted at the recent hiking of the price

of cheese? Maybe the next door neighbour’s kids have been screaming all day and

the Police have threatened to have you arrested if you insist on wasting their time

with what they deem as ‘non-emergency calls’? Or maybe you just really like the act

of blinking? Anything and everything is fair game in the writing world, the only real

consideration being whether you feel the drive behind the subject matter to turn it

into a song.

So go nuts, think big, and open your ears as wide as possible so you can properly hear

your stereo as you…

Whether Bono or Black Veil Brides, The Family Stone or

Smashing Pumpkins, whoever you cite as influential in

your decision to step into the world of musical composi-

tion will shape the sound you make to some degree; read

any artists list of influences and it’s not hard to see where

FIVE TIpS FOR wRITING yOuR FIRST SONG

You don’t need a command of the English language

enviable of the greatest of play writes to string a

sentence or six together when trying to compose

your first song; and whilst most artists will talk in

interviews about the difficulties and dramas they

went through in creating their latest release in an

effort to drive sales and appear credible in the eyes

of their fans, the actual writing of a song is a fairly

simple process…”

1.

2.

INSpIRATION NOT pERSpIRATION

lISTEN TO yOuR INFluENcES


Bowie has influenced Manson or Elvis just about every artist since his first single

release.

Learning any new skill is easier when given examples of those in a similar vein,

and much like being back at school it is only through paying attention and

listening when someone is trying to give you information do we learn properly.

Learning how to craft your own unique sound may take some time, so having

a reference to begin structuring your magnum opus will help focus your atten-

tions. Don’t go for a direct emulation of your influences; nobody wants a second-

rate version of an already established act. However, using the basic structure as

a template for your own creations will give you some guidance and direction in

your writing as you try to figure out how you want everything to sit.

Speaking of which…

Depending on where your own style may lie the

basic structure of ‘intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus,

outro’ is one used across the board, and is as flexible

as it is ubiquitous in song writing. Listen to almost

any song and the same basic template will be all

present and correct, but alongside that simple struc-

ture will be many off-shoots and stanza’s, bridges and bits that build the song

into something more, something unique to the artist.

Listen closely and see how an intro doesn’t always jump straight into a verse

and a building swell just before the chorus is harder to achieve without a bridge

before the two. Again, genre and style will determine how you approach your

own building upon the basic foundations, and having such a simple and clean

foundation to build on helps stimulate the creative juices as you don’t feel so

encumbered by having strict rules you feel you need to follow.

Once confident in your composition skills you’ll be off and running and experi-

menting with all sorts of time signatures and pace changes like the best of ‘em;

and just like ‘The Best Of ‘Em’ you’ll also want to take a moment or two to…

All the pieces are in place and the bridges are sturdy

and segue between the verse and chorus and back

into a swell before leading the whole thing back into

the next verse; but is it finished? Strictly speaking a

song is never finished, constantly evolving with each

performance, but the basic ‘finalized’ version of it

needs to be as close to the sound you heard in your head when you first started

drafting it. So now it’s time to get picky.

That killer riff you open the song with is undoubtedly the best thing ever to fall

down the ears of the listener; but does it work quite so well by the forty ninth

repetition?

…really?

What about that lead into the chorus? How noticeable is it you couldn’t think

of a better way to keep the momentum going so you just fudged it a wee bit

and hoped it’d work? Do the riffs hook you in or does the rhythm throw you off?

Being able to spot flaws in your own work isn’t always easy, so ask for some

feedback off a neutral party. If you rehearse in a studio ask the guy on the desk;

if your bedroom’s your beat-room go to a forum of musicians - there is less

likelihood of being sold a false dawn about your skills whilst also relieving

some of the pressure of exposing your work to the world. A chance to appreciate

how someone else hears your work will give you invaluable insight into your

own skills, how far along you are and where you could do with some focus in

tightening things up.

But whether rock or rap, indie or underground, it can all feel rather daunting and

even over-whelming if you don’t remember to…

Arguably the unspoken mantra of musicians, the

mnemonic of Keep It Simple, Stupid should be your

watch-word when first looking to write a song.

No-one is saying you can’t jump straight in and

compose a full orchestral score; more power to your

elbow if talent has blessed you thusly.

However, no-body falls out of the womb running and quoting Shakespeare, and

by constructing simple structures you gain confidence and capability in your

compositions. Each finished song will be both the reward and the inspiration

that push you into creating a new one, and with each new track you will get

better at building more rounded, fuller songs as you learn how better to apply

your craft.

They will also become the tool with which you judge your own level of abilities

by, your more developed and better trained musical ear showing you where you

could have improved those earlier works, what bit didn’t fit quite right, and how

far you have come in composition and writing when compared to when you first

started.

It’ll become easier to spot where things could’ve been improved with the growth

in your musical skill-set, and the confidence you’ll get from being able to hear

how your compositions have changed and evolved will not only justify all those

times when writers block won and the monitor ‘fell off the table and into the

wall’, but they’ll also feed the musician within to become stronger, leaner, and

fitter for the challenge of taking a handful of words and an earful of noise and

crafting wonders with sound-waves.

If you can whistle you can write a song, and even if you can’t you can learn how

to play an instrument or form a beat and string a line or two together and create

something truly amazing.

Remember what we’ve covered here, approach it with an open mind, and before

you know it that first song will be written and ready to be joined by many more.

Nobody got rich by just whistling, anyway.

4.

5.3.

GET SOmE STRucTuRE k.I.S.S - kEEp IT SImplE, SIlly

cRITIquE AND cONSIDER


As the most recognized brand of e-cigarettes, E-Lites have

made a name for themselves as the de facto name in vap-

ing. Not intended as a replacement for other forms of NRT,

E-Lites are nevertheless an increasingly popular alterna-

tive to more traditional forms of smoking cessation that

offer a remarkably similar experience to that of a real cigarette, but with

the benefits of containing none of the toxic pollutants or choking smoke

of tobacco.

Marketed as a smoking alternative, each cigarette is made up of two key

components; the white main body of the cigarette and a replaceable

faux filter tip that screw together and present a very real impression of

the image of a cigarette– albeit one with a glowing green tip that lights

up when you take a pull and flashes to let you know when the battery

needs a charge.

A small vent on the seal between the tip and the battery draws air

into the atomizer chamber housed inside the tip, wherein also sits the

sponge-like material that’s soaked in propylene glycol, nicotine, and

tobacco flavours. As you take a pull the atomizer heats up, the solution

becomes a vapour, you inhale and voila; simulated smoking.

Picking the Menthol Flavoured E-Lite Starter Kit, I was surprised to find

they didn’t just look like a real cigarette, but did in fact contain nicotine;

just in significantly reduced amount to that of a real cigarette (the lowest

strength at 1.6% per ml for Lights and Menthol, whilst Regular strength

is still only a paltry 2.4% per ml).

Inside the packet there were two replacement tips, one G9 battery core,

and USB charger. Taking a tip and the core I was able to ‘smoke’ straight

away – I was sure there would be need of the USB charger before I was

able to use it, so this was a surprise.

With each E-Lite the equivalent of 40 cigarettes - and with between

300 and 400 charges before each battery needs to be replaced - there’s

certainly enough mileage in each ‘Lite’ before needing to worry about

running out.

Smoking it is just like smoking a real cigarette; the hit you get when

inhaling is obviously unlike that you’re used to from a traditional ciga-

rette. It’s a lot less harsh for a start, the bite at the back of the throat

missing. What it did do was quell my fix for a nicotine hit, however, and

much quicker than I was expecting. With the E-Lite I found that without

that visual reminder of how much was left/would be wasted; I was tak-

ing fewer and fewer pulls and still felt like I’d had ‘a cigarette’.

It feels slightly larger than a real cigarette, too, its solid construction

requiring a much firmer hold in the fingers than I was used to which

resulted in one E-Lite being lost to the inner workings of a street sweep-

ing cart as it hit the floor and was whipped away by the whirring brushes

on the front.

After a week of first supplementing, then supplanting my tobacco intake

with E-Lite I found my overall dependency reduced; the act of ‘having a

smoke’ fulfilled my need for the habitual hand-to-mouth act of smoking,

and with the small amount of nicotine contained in the tip it certainly

stops that ‘smokers stress’.

Stats and Facts*Contains no tobacco, no tar, and no second-hand-smoke smell

*Does contain nicotine, and also contains water, propylene, glycol, glyc-

erol and flavourings

*Each tip contains the equivalent of forty cigarettes

*The G9 battery will last an average of between thirty and forty ‘ciga-

rettes’ before needing a recharge, and over 300 recharges before needing

to be replaced.

*Considerably cheaper than the traditional forms of smoking


http://www.e-lites.co.uk/

Photo Credits: E-Lites - All Rights Reserved

E-LItEs


kENNIE DUbbA

rtist, performer, musician, lyricist and social commentator,

Ken Williams Jr., approaches the mantle of encapsulating

all these titles and more under the banner of the most

exciting new alternative hip hop artist to ever grace a

stage in the great State of New York.

Growing up in the North East of the Bronx, Kennie Dubb was unleashed

onto the world when a ten year old; Ken Williams Jr., had taken one look

at it and realized it was just waiting for his arrival.

His platform of hip hop chosen was to be the platform that his musi-

cal aspirations would launch from. Kennie Dubb quickly reached and

surpassed the stars in his level of skill and subtle understanding of the

genre. His lyrics a composition bought on by real life happenings and

personal experience, the imagination behind his lines are often forth-

right and frank, but seldom anything other than explosive and insightful.

As should be expected from an artist capable of taking himself to the

very front of the current hip hop revolution, creativity a much-in-demand

commodity within the genre and Kennie Dubb seeming to hold the lions

share with singles such as ‘Only One Way Up’ and ‘Love (You)’.

Blazing a trail across the skies of the music world quickly gained him the

attention of the media, with Urban Digital taking a particular interest in

Kennie Dubb, cataloguing his activities and promoting his music to an

audience that spans the globe.

His rise to the heady atmosphere of fame has also bought him to the

attentions of Jaison Black Rose, an artist of the visual persuasion who

drew inspiration from the lyrics of Kennie Dubb to create accompanying

imagery that’s engaging and compelling, as if Cannes held an exclusive

unveiling to a new way of seeing the world as described by the words

of Kennie Dubb.

As a musician you aim to reach the eyes and ears of an audience; as an

artist Kennie Dubb wants to reach the minds and hearts as well, and with

the upcoming release of the hugely anticipated mixtape ‘Unsung Hero’

dawning on the horizon, Kennie Dubb’s fact bringing mission of testing

the limits of hip-hop’s vast skies could well crown him the world’s first

aural-naut.


Website: www.KennieDubb.com

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @KDtheOasis

Facebook: KennieDubbMusic

Photo Credits: Kennie Dubb - All Rights Reserved


hen the world was informed of the suicide of Kurt

Cobain it seemed almost impossible to accept

the icon of

a genera-

tion with

what seemed to be the perfect

life would choose to end it all

in such a senseless and wholly

unexpected act.

The unfortunate truth of the

matter is he was not the

first artist with what we call

‘a perfect life’ to have com-

mitted such an unfathomable

action; INXS frontman Michael

Hutchence, Joy Division’s Ian

Curtis and Feeder drummer Jon

Lee are just three more of the many well-known and much loved artists

to sadly lay claim to the infamy of joining the list of exceptionally tragic

losses to music.

Despite all our advances as a society the subject of suicide is still

handled with an almost taboo quality, no clear answers to be given and

no firm understanding to be

offered by those not affected

by the individual’s passing.

Which is why charities like

CALM (the Campaign Against

Living Miserably) are so cru-

cial to helping prevent such

actions being taken and

lives being lost.

Focusing on encouraging

people to express their emo-

tions in a self-constructive,

rather than -destructive,

manner-- CALM’s mission

statement of ‘…showing that

there are many methods of talking about things instead of bottling

them up, with a pen, a guitar, in a diary or with just meeting friends’

quenched music has stepped up to help, and brought the world of music

with them.

w

INSpIRE, DREAm, BElIEVE,

THIS IS wHAT I lIVE By.....

http://www.juliegribble.net


Xpress Team (photo) - left to right, Sam Price (Designer/Art-

Director), Ben Tallon (Xpress Director), Dirty Freud, (Xpress:

The Album curator/producer), Danny Allison, (Photographer)

http://xpressofficial.com

https://www.facebook.com/CALMXpressBWD Magazine • www.bwdradio.com • 11

xprEssXpress: Album CAmpAign

Xpress: The Album is a seventeen track album released as part of the ‘Xpress’ campaign. Xpress is an awareness campaign on behalf of CALM,

highlighting the emotional benefits of artistic expression. The album features known acts including The Strokes, The Libertines, Reverend and The

Makers alongside The Cold One Hundred, Black Lights, Stalagmites, The Hyena Kill and many more.’

Being one of the best albums to be released this year for sheer quality of music on offer and choice of artists on the list, and with all profits from

the album going to the CALM charity, Xpress: The Album represents not just an unbelievable album but one of the simplest, yet possibly most

important, donation you could make this year.”

c.a.l.mCampaign against Living miserabLy

in their own words....

Campaign against Living miserabLy

Xpress: Album CAmpAign

cover story


hen talent matches ambition very little is able to

stand in the way, as proven in the form of DJ Smallz

and his ceaseless list of ever growing music creden-

tials most other artists can only hope to accomplish.

Florida born but universally known, DJ Smallz stands tall in the hip-

hop field; his passion and intensity for his work reaping the respect

of his fellow contemporaries and an almost rabid following of loyal

fans, bringing with them an incredible reception wherever he appears.

As a DJ he has already established himself as being one of the most

exciting leaders in his field, clearly holding the reins of power with a

firm grip yet deft touch. By successfully launching his own Southern

Smoke brand, Smallz brings with it the reputation his name and music

have rightfully earned, a genuine credibility to the brand that money

simply cannot buy. Alongside is DJ Smallz own Southern Smoke Radio,

which has taken to the airwaves on Sirius Satellite Radio & Dish

Network to showcase new talent and fresh mixes.

In turn this has helped propel both major and independent artists into

a worldwide arena, the respect carried by the name DJ Smallz ensuring

a level of immediate fan attention to the artists he aligns himself with.

Musically, and collaborations with Big Boi (Outkast), Ludacris and

Lil’ Jon manage to sit comfortably between the launching of his own

brand, turning it into a phenomenon on DJ Smallz ‘to do’ list – along

with playing to packed out houses on a worldwide tour that saw him

perform in Canada, Switzerland, Europe and the States.

Current projects include working with executive producer and Grammy-

nominated producer Drumma Boy on his latest album, Southern State,

the concept of which being described by Smallz himself as Chronic

2001.

With any extra hours in the day Smallz somehow manages to find

are filled with working alongside his DJ crew, The Loud Pack, and

overseeing his own production company, The Prescription. The media

have also been requesting their own piece of his time with appear-

ances on MTV’s Direct Effect and appearing within the pages of the

seminal publications in the world of music – including but not limited

to the Rolling Stone, USA Today, XXL Magazine, and widely read and

respected newspapers; USA Today and the New York Times.

His name may be Smallz, but his acumen and entrepreneurial exper-

tise are showing the world it’ll be the only thing about this hip hop

artist that is.

w

cover story


DJ SMALLZ

With a great beard, comes

great responsability; Death

before Shaving.”

www.DJSmallz.com

www.SouthernSmokeUniversity.com

www.MeetTheLoudPack.com

www.iNeedThePrescription.com

Max’s Guitar Store is one of the successful independent stores finding its

audience and customer through embracing the online worlds bringing

together of people from far and wide into a local community. A bespoke

online musical instrument outlet specializing in high end name brand

refurbished guitars, the focus on affordability for the consumer without

compromise on the product has earned the company a reputation many

businesses would be envious of.

The epitome of embracing the ‘American Dream’ it was after one day

deciding to turn a part-time hobby and full-time passion into a lifelong

future that Max’s Guitar Store went from being a ‘Dream’ and started to

become a reality.

Already well-educated in the world of finances through his own successful

South American Tropical Fish breeding business, Max knew only too well

the long hours and longer days that awaited anyone starting a new busi-

ness from scratch if they were aiming to succeed; of time spent away from

the family home and those closest to him in some unspoken and uneasy

compromise of the lost time being worth the reward in the end.

‘I wanted to be able to manage my own time and I wanted to be able to

manage my business from any location in the US from a tablet, laptop and

smartphone.’

A musician himself, Max had already amassed a mental catalogue of guitar

knowledge during his years as accomplished guitarist and enthusiastic

collector; talent behind the plectrum meant he understood what people

wanted from their instrument in how it played and felt, the expectations


Max’s“GuITAR STORE”

http://www.reverbnation.com/tripezy


of a musician looking to invest in what could possibly be the guitar they

wrote their million selling hit single on, and the importance of owning an

instrument that feels as perfect in the hand as it does personal in choice.

Business experience behind the drive and once vested with a modest capital

from a start-up loan, Max’s Guitar Store was launched.

Knowing quality of instrument didn’t have to mean lack of affordability, Max’s

first step was in securing a reliable source to supply instruments.

‘I came across the website of a centre of used instruments. I contacted the centre

immediately and placed my first order for 5 “refurbished” guitars the same day.

Those were beautiful instruments, basically brand new without a mark; every

single guitar was setup to perfection.’

Once assured of the products’ quality and the haste with which they sold, Max

strengthened the relationship between himself and the supplier by securing

him as the stores main source, building the reputation and integrity Max’s

Guitar Store has become known for.

‘The instruments come from major manufactures and wholesale distributors,

discontinued models and or are factory finish 2nd models; overstock & unsold

first quality new-old stock, or discontinued brands they may have available from

time to time.’

Interest led to inquiries which in turn led to the placing of orders and even-

tual snow-ball effect of growth in both reputation and stock that has seen

Max’s Guitar Store a business with a strong future.

‘I started out with the purchase of 5 refurbished guitars. I managed to grow by

investing every penny earned back into the business.’

Alongside a strong future Max’s Guitar Store has also built a strong reputa-

tion, with the list of selected manufacturers they deal with recently grow-

ing to include master builders of hand-crafted custom guitars and basses,

Brubaker Instruments.

‘I’m very happy that I was able to add Brubaker Instruments to my line-up,

Luthiers that makes basses and guitars for professional musicians.’

This forging together will see the ties Brubaker has with over thirty of the

world’s most well-known and respected manufacturers of guitars strength-

ening the stores range and also affording its customers that most desirable

of pieces amongst musicians; a hand-made custom guitar. With a wealth of

necks and body wood, and any number of pick-up and hardware configura-

tions to fill up the 100+ hours each instrument has lavished on it during its

build, a lack of imagination really is the only reason you’d be walking away

empty handed after a virtual visit.

With interest from several well-known guitar manufacturers encouraging the

attention of a global market, the continued expansion of Max’s Guitar Store

will soon see it pushing at the edges of its online store.

Photo Credits: Max’s Guitar Store - All Rights Reserved

Website: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/maxsguitarstore

Twitter: MaxsGuitarStore

Facebook: Maxsguitarstore

http://www.reverbnation.com/tripezy


s a former coast guard, Austin St Kloud could be placed

into the camp of unsung heroes who make the world a bet-

ter place yet see little of the recognition they deserve; if it

weren’t for the self-penned and unbelievable album Chloe’s

Pet Rhino, showing not only can this particular hero sing but

the betterment he brings through his musical enrichment of the world is

being widely recognized and acknowledged.

Born with a natural gift for music, father of five Austin displayed his prow-

ess from a very early age; by age five he’d already surpassed the teachings

his father had given him on guitar, and before he was a teenager Austin had

added bass guitar and drums to the growing list of instruments falling under

his command.

A succession of garage bands throughout high school saw Austin gar-

ner the experience and insight into performance and composition, though

grow disillusioned by the unmatched level of creativity and passion for

the craft in those around him.

Indeed, such experiences turned

Austin away from the music world

entirely, the coast guards instead

where he would remain until the

undeniable impulse to create and

perform called him back to the

shores of sonic waves and reso-

nating soundscapes.

The bright lights and big ideals

of Las Vegas became his first port

of call as Austin began seeking

other musicians to create music

with. However, after a fruitless

search, the promise held by those

bright lights faded and along

with them any thoughts of being able to find the right mix of musicians he

could define as his band.

While tragic in execution, the circumstance with which Austin took the lead

and began his career as a solo artist is why Chloe’s Pet Rhino is as unique and

thoroughly satisfying an album as it is. The passing of a second born son is an

experience none should have to know the feeling of; though Austin carries the

weight of its knowledge, it is within the passion of his music that we see the

full range of his emotions and talent others had failed to convey.

Playing bass and lead guitar, drums and keyboard, this one man band of abil-

ity stands behind the microphone to deliver an artist’s voice across the entire

scope of his work; with only one mind to steer the song. Austin is able to bring

you around into his world as if waiting for you to arrive, effortlessly, picking

you up with the fluidity of his compositions and letting you drift through the

visions of sound and inspirations while revelling in the wonder of it all.

‘I want to blaze a new trail for Artistic musicians,’ he reasons when discussing

his win with BWD. ‘I want to push down the doors and walls of the sandbox

they want us ALL to play in.’

To describe is to define, indeed, and though comparisons with such musi-

cians as Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, and even the most singular of musical artists

Beck are duly awarded without hesitation, it is with some reluctance Austin

takes such luminaries to heart.

‘I say never judge a book by its cover. Some have called me a breath of fresh air

in a musical landscape void of artists willing to try anything new, but I am just

me. I am just a man with goals and dreams like everyone else--Freedom to create

artistic music! ‘

Freedom and the pursuit of

maintaining same is natural to

a hero, drives them to pursue

their desire despite and possibly

in spite of whatever challenge

or trial that may stand in their

way. Though Austin St. Kloud has

already taken more than a hero’s

share of pain in his life, it is in

his music and Chloe’s Pet Rhino

we find the anchor that is his

inspiration and passion for us all

to hold onto.



Twitter: @AustinStKloud

Facebook: Chloes-Pet-Rhino

Photo Credits: Austin St. Kloud - All Rights Reserved

A

FREEDOm AND THE puRSuIT

OF mAINTAINING SAmE IS NATuRAl

aUstIN st. kLOUD

http://www.juliegribble.net


I want to blaze a new trail

for Artistic musicians,’ he

reasons when discussing

his win with BWD. ‘I want

to push down the doors

and walls of the sandbox

they want us ALL to play

in.”


BROADENING HIS muSIcAl HORIzONS

raHat CHOWDHUrY

From the shadows of the Bronx to the spotlight of the stage comes hip hop

artist extraordinaire, Rahat Chowdhury, a musician with a handle on the

beat that transcends the proscribed notions of the genre to mix heritage

and music into something a little bit more special, more unique and fresh

than most others.

Having moved from the dusky streets of Bangladesh to the shores of oppor-

tunity in the USA, it was within the Bronx’s influential surroundings that

Rahat first found his latent musical talent piqued. Practice fed the hunger

to improve, quickly seeing him become a rapper held in some regard by his

fellow and more experienced contemporizes whilst still only a teenager. An

introduction to hip hop by his best friend saw the world shift slightly and

Rahat’s focus shift to this new form of creative composing.

‘I started off in my bedroom with a cheap computer mic and no idea what I

was doing,’ he immodestly revealed. ‘I feel like I’ve grown so much as an artist

over the years.’

It was when first his attentions and then his heart were captivated by the

girl who would go on to become his fiancé that the insatiable drive to

musical perfection started seeing him standing head and shoulder above

his fellow artists on the scene, defining and honing his craft, and realizing

the sounds he felt were his emotions; put into music for all the world to

experience, as well as, win the hand of the fair maid along the way, too.

As an outlet for expression, Rahat found music to be a malleable, almost

acquiescent platform to expose the raw nerves of inspiration in an unflinch-

ing and uncompromised view. Such was the case behind the phenomenal

single ‘A Seraph’s Gift’, the release by Rahat a tribute in the memory of his

best friend and inspiration behind his love of hip hop.

‘When blogs or magazines like this one show me some love it really makes me

feel like I can do this,’ he says, ‘makes me realize that there are people out there

who enjoy my music and believe in my art.’

Currently broadening his musical horizons through expanding into

Electronic Dance Mix with the single ‘Anthem Flow’, the prolific Rahat

Chowdhury has released yet further proof of his talents with the free to

download album, ‘Awakening’- a title that, after experiencing Rahat’s latest

display of his artistry within music for the first time, feels very apt indeed. Contact Information:

Website: www.echosofrahat.com


Twitter: @rahat_music

Facebook: pages/Rahat/256872331043604

Photo Credits: Rahat Chowdhury - All Rights Reserved

BWD Records, LLC ‘The Independent Music

Label of the South’. Taking over a decade’s

worth of industry knowledge and experience .

BWD Records, LLC - ‘The Independent Music

Label Of The South’ - is the culmination of

BWD’s vast expertise in the field of music and

artist promotion; not content with simply

waiting to see what single or artist reaches

number one BWD Radio took their position

of being known globally as the leaders in

discovering new indie acts and on the 26th

of October 2012 launched their own record

label, BWD Records. Dedicated to finding the

best as-yet unknown talent out there BWD

doesn’t limit itself to one specific genre;

rather it extends its horizons to include all

genres such as rock, metal, hip hop and dance

amongst others. A smorgasbord of scintillat-

ing new acts are presented under the BWD

mantle, representing the best of the best and

most unique in their field, such as you have

come to expect from one of the industry’s top

media professionals.

Owing to their unique position within the

world of music BWD were able to snap up

and sign Florida based artist 5 M.I.C-Z to their

new label, an artist that brings with himself

a level of credibility that owes everything to

musical talent and dedication and nothing

to a cynical self-styled back-story and whose

first release on the label – ‘Head Turna’ – has

firmly established the label as serious com-

petition to the established status quo.

Continuing to set the standard for others to

follow BWD Radio has proven again the need

to change and adapt in this never static land-

scape of media and music is key to continued

growth and success. Pushing where others

are content to stagnate is the secret behind

where BWD Radio currently find themselves

today, and with the launch of their own label

in BWD Records it gives you some idea of just

how far BWD Radio are aiming to go.

– BWD Records, LLC

‘The Independent Music Label of the South’

bWD rECOrDs, LLCi n d e p e n d e n t m u s i c l a b e l o f t h e s o u t h

V i s i t w w w . B W d r e c o r d s . c o m o r w w w . F a c e b o o k . c o m / B W d r e c o r d s . l l c


http://www.BWDRecords.com

www.Facebook.com/BWDRecords.llc

bwd magazine - june 2013

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