21 and over
Advance tickets available at newnoisesb.com

New Noise Santa Barbara Music Festival – The White Buffalo & Meiko with Sean Wheeler (of Throwrag) & Zander Schloss (of Circle Jerks), and  Ray Fortune & Wil Ridge

The White Buffalo

The White Buffalo is quite possibly a legend in the making. A throwback to the time of hard touring, hard drinking artists who really lived what they sang about. Everything about him is big, from his imposing physical size to his amazing vocal range. He’s as comfortable playing in a dive bar as he is in front of thousands in a European arena. With only an EP out, but literally hundreds of songs written and more coming all the time, the future is exciting for a guy who has that much raw talent.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/thewhitebuffalo#ixzz0xrlwmSW0

Meiko

No one knows the plain language of the barroom better than Meiko (mee-koh). Waiting tables at the Hotel Café in LA’s Cahuenga Boulevard arts district, she’s been privy to a few conversations no sober heart would choose to have in public. So it seems a shock when she stands up before that same crowd and openly proclaims the sweetest secrets of her own beautiful heartbreak.

On the self-titled Meiko, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter is at once tough, tender, raw and funny. Never exactly what you expect, she and her songs all explore loss and loneliness, but none of them seem to live there. “I have a hard time writing love songs,” Meiko says. “I write frustrated love songs.” With a keen eye for detail and a vivid gift of narrative, Meiko collects jagged moments and devastating conversational snapshots, and turns them into deceptively simple tunes with hushed, gentle tones and stunning imagery.

Hailing from Roberta, Georgia, (population 808), Meiko grew up in an actual log cabin built by her father’s hands. It was her dad’s affinity for The Eagles, The Allman Brothers Band and others that gave Meiko her folk sensibility. “He had this beautiful old Gibson guitar,” she recalls, “And he played and sang for me right from the cradle.” Of course, a child can’t yet discern a cover song from an original. “Imagine my surprise years later when I heard some band named Led Zeppelin playing my father’s song — ‘Stairway To Heaven’ — on the radio.”

Sean Wheeler & Zander Schloss

Throw Rag and Circle Jerks vets turn over a new, acoustic leaf - from OC Weekly

“If there’s a more boring genre than the acoustic-singer/songwriter format, please don’t tell me. The thought of a musician nailed to the floor performing songs that by nature have a very limited range is definitely part of my version of hell. But hope has arrived in the form of Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss.

The duo could drown in the Open Mic Ocean, but they don’t. For starters, having a front man who doesn’t play an instrument gives audiences something to focus on, while Schloss provides harmonies that the solo acoustic world isn’t afforded. This duality allows the pair to step outside their usual scene (they play in Southern Californa punk mainstays Throw Rag and the Circle Jerks, respectively) in favor of a soulful country/folk/ragtime/bluegrass/gospel hybrid that serves as a perfect foundation for Wheeler’s hair-raising vocals and Schloss’ ornate strumming/picking combination. Whatever it is, it works.”

Ray Fortune

Singer/songwriter Ray Fortune’s euphonic but riveting voice immediately captivates audiences. The listener is drawn in, mesmerized by lyrics that touch upon shared human experience. The element which makes Ray Fortune stand out amongst musicians is truly the emotional participation he creates for his listeners. His song writing focuses on the Universal themes of love and loss, evoking examination of what was, what heartbreakingly is, and what may yet still be. He sings of yearning, pleading, remembering, and wishing; hauntingly accompanied by a clear, soft, melodic, acoustic guitar. The beautifully raw, human vulnerability expressed by Ray Fortune’s music is sure to leave an indelible mark on the hearts of his entire audience. Ray, a California native, has been playing music professionally for sixteen years. Having majored in music at California State University at Long Beach, his musical versatility has allowed him to perform with numerous successful bands in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Santa Barbara as well as also having toured internationally with his band Will Ridge. Fortune began his solo career in 2002 and as a solo artist, has released two albums and three EPs. His most recent recording project entitled * *’That Was Very Big of Me’ on Corporate Nightmare Records, is due out this October.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/rayfortune#ixzz11nmzQjLQ

Wil Ridge

Wil Ridge is a singer/songwriter from California who has been writing and performing his own brand of music. The songs he writes are everything American Roots rolled together- laid on top are his own unique
lyrics full of poetic imagery and emotion. Wil’s personal turmoil with the heartache over his formative years that he spent teaching himself guitar and writing songs about the people in his life has shaped his songwriting, his complex personality, and has made him a powerful live performer.