THE BLACK SUMMER CRUSH

Is it possible to harness the immortal coil of rock & roll without falling into a bottomless pit? Who out there can scour those rich and rarified bits of inspiration, and mold them into modern marvels of melody? The Black Summer Crush- four unsullied visionaries with a rambunctious swagger- have heeded the call.

They are: Thomas Flowers on lead vocals—an ace vocalist who’s sung to crowds all over the world, and has a gold record under his arm to show for it. Commanding the stage with an exuberant magnetism, he has the comfortable ability to show the audience when to come in close, and when to cut it loose. Scott Holiday on guitar—founder of the group, and principal songwriter. He evokes the raw, untamed energy of guitarists like Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, meanwhile incorporating much of his own spirituality and energy into the music. Robin Everhart on bass—the consummate professional of the bunch, with a strong knowledge in musical styles ranging from urban and soul, to classical and soundtrack music. And Michael Miley manning the drums—a dynamo of a percussionist, who approaches his playing with a childlike eagerness, infused with a bombastic man-sized power reminiscent of Keith Moon and John Bonham.

At its core, The Black Summer Crush is Rock & Roll embroiled in transcendent energy. Their sound is a wide-ranging mix of blues-infused hardrock, celebrating elements of pop, garage, R&B, and Middle Eastern textures. Lyrically, their songs are introspective and exploratory, yet delivered with a spoonful of sugar. Their upcoming, self-titled, full-length release, due out the first quarter of 2008, is a fuzz-laden, psychedelic swirl that mingles with a smooth, harmonically charged landscape of tightly constructed songs bursting with breakneck crunch and sizzle. States Holiday, “We realized the concept of ‘economy in songwriting’ during the making of this record, and really remained focused on that.”

Still, it’s impossible to ignore the band’s tendencies to push the envelope beyond basic three-chord patterns and accessible lyrics. Anyone can cite groups like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles as influences, and most do, but seldom do they dig in deep enough, harvesting the grace and guts of the masters as effortlessly as The Black Summer Crush. “There’s a reason people still revere these bands,” Holiday explains, “and we did our best to tap into that creative mojo.”

With the album in the can and readying for an early 2008 release, the band is anxious to hit the road and continue to share their music with the world. They approach the stage with a fresh and audacious aesthetic, with plenty of space left open for interpretation, ad-libbing, and creativity, invariably leaving audiences dazed and awestruck.

Whether celebrating or questioning these times in which we all contend to live and prosper, they remain firm in their mission to keep the fire of rock & roll vital and brimming with a soulful center. In this day and age, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear a band making rock & roll the way it should be…visceral, unadulterated, with a strong sense of what has come before them…and what is to come.