The Stages of Sleep is best described as experimental/alternative gypsy rock. Heavily influenced by such bands as Radiohead, Beirut, Emily Wells, Grizzly Bear to name a few, the end result of their eclectic sound could be characterized as Indie-Cinematic-Gypsy-Rock. The band members, however, prefer to say that their music encompasses and defines a “cross-genre” style of music. The main cast of The Stages of Sleep originates from the San Francisco Bay Area, with collaborative efforts from additional artists around the country.

The core members of The Stages of Sleep have been brought together by Jason Ardiles, Seth Paris and Max Savage. All of whom have previously collaborated in various musical endeavors. Upon Seth’s return from his musical studies in Ghana, where he received a NYU scholarship, he called upon Jason to get together and create. The two were fortunate enough to procure the use of an exquisite home studio in Kentfield, Ca. It is there where the magic began to shine in it’s first Stages…Additional band members such as Steve Horgan and Max Savage, life-long friends and musical counterparts of Jason soon came into the mix. Brian Wilkerson, Eli Carlton-Pearson, Isabelle Sokol-Oxman and Nicholas Hasty were not long to follow and have have since added their personal flavor, expertise and artistry. With the collective efforts of these artists, they have created music that takes the listener on a fantastical journey; one that invokes a plethora of emotions, ranging from the most heart-wrenching to the most blissful. To quote a song from The Stages of Sleep, “consider me your toy, I hope you enjoy!”

The Stages of Sleep is a band that must be experienced live to be fully appreciated. The music is smart and witty with elements of flamenco, rock, jazz, classical acoustic and electric guitars, bass, violin, drums, percussion, sax and much more. Don’t miss your opportunity to see them live, and treat yourself to an auditory experience unlike any other.

KBB was formed through the mutual musical connections of several band members to Sonia Rao. We formed in the summer of 2010 and have let our Rebel Yell and friend, John Jameson fuel much of our music(and lives in general). Our songs are based in the telling of histories untold, or those of which are the stories of the common majority that make-up the beautiful grit and desire of society. If you can sit back and have drink while listening to music, you'll probably like us...let the arm swingin' and two-steppin' begin!

This gem of an artist moved to Oakland California at the age of four. The daughter of a saxophone player, and granddaughter of a jazz manager; Ms. Be was introduced to several genres of music. "There wasn't a time that my father wasn't playing music. There was music playing from the time I woke up, to the time I went to sleep." At an early age Ms. Be was listening to artists such as John Coletrane, Thelonius Monk, Gil Scott Heron, Bobby Blue Bland, Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, Doug Carn, and James Brown. "When I was about 7 my dad flipped the script. He began to bring home albums of my generation! I'd be walking home from school and I could hear the music blasting from my house from a block away. But the music wasn't always jazz or blues, sometimes it was Public Enemy, Whodini, Run DMC, and other artists of the 80s".

Ms. Be was also influenced by the story of Frankie Beverly & MAZE. Ms. Be's parents had a close relationship with the group before they became an R&B sensation. One of their popular hits "Golden Time of Day" was written by Frankie on the piano that still sits in Ms. Be's childhood home. "I remember visiting Frankie's house after the group had entered stardom. It was the 1st time I had ever been in a mansion. My mom used to drive the group to their local shows back in the day and I watched them transition to fame. Witnessing their success after such hard work of was inspiring!"

Rapping was natural for Ms. Be. "My grandfather would always tell me how important words are. He urged me to strengthen my vocab- always mailing me books and articles from the newspaper." Ms. Be developed a passion for words which soon grew into a passion for creating stories. It was only a matter of time before she learned to put a beat behind some of the vocabulary that was floating around in her brain. "Hell, I even remixed the Sesame Street song when I was a little girl!" says Ms. Be.