Music Nation is a Music Video Competition for Independent Artists

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—fresh out of the University of North Texas, he is 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.