| NEWS | BIO | REVIEWS | PRESS RELEASES SHIZ PRESS RELEASES March 25, 2009 | April 6, 2009 | September 8, 2009 | December 29, 2009 | February 1, 2010 | March 15, 2010 Indy Coffee House Celebrates Women The Indy Coffee House celebrates indie women musicians every Thursday evening in April. Hammond, LA March 25, 2009 – Thursday nights in April will be “Ladies Night at the Indy” featuring Hammond’s only all woman rock band “The Shiz.” March may have been Women’s History Month, but Hammond’s Indy Coffee House has chosen April to celebrate the work of local independent women musicians. Starting at 7:30pm, “Ladies Night” events highlight some of the area’s best rising talent including Melissa Simien, Renda Ruiz and other special guests. Featured at all five “Ladies Night” events is the latest addition to Hammond’s burgeoning music scene “The Shiz.” Founded by Lilli Lewis and Hammond native Liz Hogan, The Shiz is an all woman roots rock quartet that made its debut at the Indy Coffee House in February of this year. Songwriters Liz Hogan and Lilli Lewis have both been making music all their lives. Liz is a multi-instrumentalist whose songs have been inspired by rock veterans such as Neil Young and Tom Petty. Lilli's arsenal of compositions has been well received in the indie rock and jazz scenes of Boston and Atlanta. Joined by Anna Byars on lead guitar and Melinda McElveen on drums, The Shiz performs original and familiar songs that show a real love for the best craftsmen of the trade that always leave audiences wanting more. For more information, visit www.theshizband.com. “Ladies Night at the Indy” begins on April 2nd at 7:30 pm. Admission is free and ladies receive complimentary upsized beverages. The Indy coffee House is located at 2008 Demarco Blvd. in Hammond. About The Indy Coffee House: The Indy Coffee House is one of the best venues for “all ages” shows in the Hammond area. Serving get great coffee, ice cream and food, The Indy Coffee House strives to keep customers entertained while supporting the arts and local talent. Contact: Robyn Skidmore Events/Booking The Indy coffee House 985-350-6225 http://indycoffeehouse.net/ ### Local Music Teacher Receives A Cappella Award Hammond resident, Lilli Lewis receives a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for her self-produced album ”Out From Yonder.” Hammond, LA April 6, 2009 – The 2009 Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards have been announced and Hammond resident Lilli Lewis’ “Out From Yonder” was named runner up for best Folk/World Album. The annual Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards (CARA) recognize the best of recorded a cappella music and are the only truly global a cappella recording awards. Every year since 1992, hundreds of albums are considered in this celebration of the best a cappella recordings from around the world. The CARA mission is to reward artists that create outstanding work and to promote innovation, creativity, and continued growth of a cappella music. Other 2009 honorees include international a cappella veterans such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the King’s Singers, as well as emerging artists like Naturally 7, who were featured on the Ellen Degeneres show last spring. Lilli’s self-produced album “Out From Yonder” highlights sacred song traditions from around the globe and was recorded by layering vocal parts across her three-octave range. In August 2008, original selections from “Out From Yonder” rendered Lilli a regional finalist for the acclaimed Mountain Stage Newsong Competition. Lilli teaches voice, piano, and home recording at The Spruce Street Music Room. She performs in an all woman rock band called The Shiz, which can be heard every Thursday night in April at the Indy Coffee House. Contact: Lilli Lewis info@lillilewis.com 404-822-5066 www.lillilewis.com ### Young Musicians Share a New Testament With one foot planted in the chaos ridden hustle and bustle of a burgeoning college town, and its counterpart resting calmly with a sublime, mountaintop view of it all, Hammond’s newest band The Shiz will celebrate the release of it’s debut CD “Where We Stand” this Saturday from 7-10pm at Organic Planet. Hammond, LA, (shizrock.com) September 8, 2009 - As the nation struggles to rebuild its timeless vision of kinship and prosperity, some of its citizens are finding ways to accomplish this on a small scale. Although a young indie-rock band like the Shiz may not have a remedy for such overwhelming challenges such as economic crisis and natural disasters, they are using their love of music to find peace and balance in a world wrought with adversity. The Shiz was founded by Liz Hogan of Hammond and Lilli Lewis and joined by Melinda McElveen and Wade Hymel. All four are classically trained musicians who bring a youthful integrity to the music they make. Hammond locals experienced a taste of what the Shiz has to offer during Hot August Nights when the band performed outside of the Tasty Pastry. Bill Doughty, an impressed listener, remarked, “They played original songs that had meaning. Their music was crisp and clear, and the lyrics were pure gold. It has been many years since I have heard songs that were so perfectly written and preformed.” The 12 original songs found on the band’s first studio album “Where We Stand” wrestle with life questions and coming of age in a modern society. Musically driving and rooted in Southern Rock and Soul, the songs have a timeless, familiar quality. When you hear Lilli’s "War No More," the melody stays with you for hours afterwards, and songs like “Good As Gold” sends listeners instantly to their feet. But there’s something more The Shiz has to offer those who are listening- a belief that “where we stand” as individuals is the perfect starting place for cultivating awareness, peace, and prosperity in the world. Life may feel lonely and the world’s problems overwhelming, but the journey is rich and it will not leave you stranded…as Liz’s lyric goes “O’er the land, understand, roots will find you where you stand.” It’s a new testament for new times, communicated through the ancient religion of music and the humble tradition of songwriting. The Shiz will gladly share their message, music, and good food with those who come to this family friendly, alcohol-free celebration at the Organic Planet patio this Saturday from 7-10 pm. Local act The Black Polka Dots will open at 7 pm and The Shiz will perform at 8 pm. Free admission. The Organic planet is located at 201 West Thomas Street in Downtown Hammond. (985) 340-2810. About the Band: The Shiz, an almost all woman roots rock quartet, was founded in 2009 by its songwriters Lilli Lewis and Hammond native Liz Hogan. They play original blend of roots rock and soul with a message and an edge that is unexpectedly stirring, and a darn good time. Contact: Liz Hogan, Booking/PR 404-822-0421 info@shizrock.com ### The Shiz Returns "Home" for Atlanta Debut Agnes Scott Alum and Athens, GA native return to Atlanta with original Rock & Soul Music Hammond, LA, (shizrock.com) December 29, 2009 - What's so funny about peace, gay love and understanding? The Shiz may very well have a surprising answer. The Shiz was formed by Athens native Lilli Lewis and Agnes Scott alum Liz Hogan when Liz was denied a job with a wilderness therapy program based in Arizona. They'd spent all their savings to relocate, but when the trainers found out Liz was gay, they took her off the trail and drove her two hours back to town, only to leave her to sleep in her car which was parked outside a hotel parking lot. The president of the organization told Liz specifically that it wasn't because she was gay, but because she was in a marriage that wasn't recognized by the state. Lilli, Liz's partner of 4 years, suggested the two of them start a band to give offer an outlet for Liz to find her center again. The duo quickly became a quartet when they returned to Liz's home in Louisiana. Their first album "Where We Stand" was recorded within 6 months and quickly began gaining indie cred throughout the region. Lilli: "The irony is, Liz not getting that job has proven to be one the the best things that could have happened. We're making great music, and for no other reason than because we LOVE it!" Liz and Lilli met at Ashton's in Decatur, GA (now Feast) when it was still owned by Clarkston Soccer Coach, Luma Mufleh - (www.fugeesfamily.org), playing together at The Southern Womyn's Music Festival and Atlanta's Music Midtown. Their new band The Shiz will bring their Louisiana swampgrass/afropunk sound back home to its Atlanta roots on January 9th, 2010. The show begins at 8pm. The IF Coffeehouse is located 269 Mathews Ave. NE in Little 5 Points. Admission is FREE. About the Band: The Shiz, an almost all woman roots rock quartet playing an original blend of rock and soul with a message and an edge that is unexpectedly stirring, and a damn good time. Contact: Liz Hogan, Booking/PR 404-822-0421 info@shizrock.com ### RPM Challenge Celebrates 5th Anniversary Creative music challenge turned international music phenomenon kicks off February 1 Portsmouth, N.H.— The RPM Challenge is simple: record an album in 28 days, just because you can. That’s 10 songs or 35 minutes of new material, written and recorded during the month of February. This year, RPM celebrates its 5th anniversary and looks forward to its biggest year yet. Musicians across the globe are signing up now at www.rpmchallenge.com to participate in this year’s challenge. More than 6,000 bands from all seven continents have joined in since 2006, resulting in the creation of an astonishing 20,000+ new songs. Their music spans every genre imaginable—from electronic to experimental, from hip hop to heavy metal—and represents the work of all types of musicians: aspiring stars, working bands, hobbyists, students, and closet musicians. While the annual challenge doesn’t begin until February 1, musicians who come aboard early can share their thoughts and trade ideas with an enthusiastic and tight-knit RPM community online. And local scenes band together to lend a solo, an amp, or a little peer pressure as they help each other to the finish line. The web site is the hub of the project, a tool for the musicians to connect and support each other. With thousands of musicians working alongside each other, groups that might never find each other in the regular world can meet, share ideas, and collaborate through the site, bringing fresh perspectives and new insight to their own music. Personal connections made during the event have endured long after February ends, giving musicians a group of like-minded people with whom to share their artistic life. RPM Challenge began in February 2006 as a creative challenge for local bands in Portsmouth, N.H., when more than 220 area musicians signed up to participate. In 2007, the RPM Challenge was opened to the international music community, where it was covered by Slashdot, Pitchfork.com, and on the National Public Radio show “All Things Considered.” Songs from the Challenge have been played on NPR’s Second Stage, and artists have turned their projects into everything from commercial releases to off-Broadway musicals. From Anchorage, Alaska, to McMurdo Station in Antarctica, from London and Oslo to Tokyo, Baghdad, and Los Angeles, independent musicians from all genres and walks of life have come together with a common goal: to set aside any obstacles to producing music for the month of February, and to find themselves on March 1 each holding in their hands a new CD of their own original work that they would not have made otherwise. At www.rpmchallenge.com you can find profiles of past participants (including photos and online journals documenting their creative process) and the RPM Jukebox, one of the largest free jukeboxes on the Internet. There is no fee to participate in the RPM Challenge. Bands must postmark their RPM 2010 CDs by March 1 to the RPM office at 10 Vaughan Mall, Suite 1, Portsmouth, N.H. 03801. For more information, to see the participating bands, or to read the whole text of the challenge, go to www.rpmchallenge.com. RPM Challenge Media Contacts: • info@rpmchallenge.com • Dave Karlotski, 603-205-5144 • Karen Marzloff, 603-540-5915 ### Shiz Announces 5 City Midwest Tour New Orleans Rising - Indie Rock Scene Comes Up River On Thursday April 1st, NOLA based band The Shiz will embark upon it's first Midwest tour to bring its taut brand of Rock & Soul to Toledo, Madison, Chicago, Oberlin and Cleveland. New Orleans has a new musical export and it has very little to do with jazz. The burgeoning indie-rock scene there is about to boil over and its latest love child The Shiz is coming up river to stake its claim. The Shiz has been deemed one of the most original sounds to come out of the Big Easy in decades. The live show tends to cover unpredictable terrain with Shiz versions of everything from bluegrass to afro-punk. Whichever way they turn, audiences call Shiz Rock unexpectedly stirring and a really good time. The Shiz is an almost all woman quartet founded in 2009 by its songwriters Liz Hogan and Lilli Lewis. Liz, a Louisiana native, is a multi-instrumentalist whose gritty songs have been inspired by veteran truth seekers like Neil Young and Nina Simone. Lilli is an award-winning DIY singer/songwriter from indie rock mecca Athens, GA, whose nationally acclaimed looping a cappella performances have been called a “one woman Sweet Honey in the Rock.” Liz and Lilli have been traveling and making music together since they met in 2004. Their screaming harmonica and relentless keys are joined by Mel McElveen and Wade Hymel on drums and bass. Though off stage The Shiz tries not to take itself too seriously, the 12 original songs found on the band’s first studio album “Where We Stand” wrestle existential inquiry with surprising insight all too uncommon these days. The quartet skillfully balances expansive rock grooves without losing sight of the anatomy of a great song, yielding easy tunes with a message and an edge, drenched in the soul of the South. Catch The Shiz in a city near you:
Contact: Liz Hogan, Booking/PR 404-822-0421 info@shizrock.com Website: www.shizrock.com ### |
ARCHIVES 03/15/2010 - Shiz Ammounces Midwest Tour 02/01/2010 - RPM Challenge Celebrates 5th Year 12/29/2009 - The Shiz Returns "Home" for Atlanta Debut09/08/2009 - Young Musicians Share a New Testament |