Be/Non is a band out of time. Disciples of Zappa, the Beatles, Bowie and Waters (Roger, not Ethel), the four men of Be/Non forge a sound that refracts classic prog through a perception-warping prism of futuristic electronic psych and hard-charging space rock.

Unless your weekend routine typically includes munching shrooms while playing Metroid 2: Return of Samus, parsing metaphysics with the ghost of Arthur Lee, then unwinding to late-60s Canterbury Scene LPs, you've probably never experienced anything like Be/Non.

Be/Non was founded 15 years ago by Brodie Rush, then an epically inspired midwestern teenager who would grow up to become possibly the most simultaneously in-demand and enigmatic figure in the Kansas City/Lawrence music scene. Rock experimenter, burlesque performer, karaoke host and musical theater actor – nothing is out of Rush's range.

With Rush at the helm (on guitar, keyboards, percussion and lead vocals), Be/Non is rounded out by veteran musicians Jeremiah James (guitar, trumpet, keys, percussion, vocals), Ben Ruth (bass, keys, vocals, sousaphone) and Ryan Shank (drums, vocals, iPod).

Be/Non's latest album, A Mountain of Yeses, was released in May 2009, and the band is still finishing up the homemade, feature-length film that tells the story of the album in a combination of real footage and bizarre animations.

Musically, Mountain is Be/Non's boldest, most conceptually ambitious work to date – and the most cohesive. For a band that's been known to jab daggers of free-jazz experimentation into the flanks of riff-centric pop-rock while singing about mystic unicorns and human suffering in the same breath, that's saying something.

Those who summit A Mountain of Yeses do not return unchanged.

As Be/Non works to wrap the Mountain of Yeses movie for a late-2010 release, the group is also frequently in the studio recording tracks for the follow-up. Planned as a double injection of trans-dimensional rock, the next Be/Non record will likely be released on vinyl as a 12-inch, song-oriented vinyl LP packaged with a 10-inch EP of "atmospheric noise," according to Rush.

Until then, the formula remains: A band. A plan. A mountain. Be/Non.

Though their debut album would like to suggest otherwise, Soft Reeds really aren’t bastards. Born of a twelve-year labor of heartache and love, Soft Reeds is the brainchild of Ben Grimes (formerly of Astralwerks' The Golden Republic), a Chicago native whose roots grip firmly in the ’77 Berlin sounds of Brian Eno, David Bowie and Iggy Pop, while embracing the richness of American indie rock. Originally started in 2007 as Grimes' post-TGR solo project, Soft Reeds became a full band in 2009, and released the critically acclaimed 'Soft Reeds are Bastards' in 2010.
The band features a diverse group of players, anchored by the talented rhythm section of drummer Josh Wiedenfeld, an Austin, TX native who moonlights as a wizard of studio production and arrangements, and bassist Beckie Trost, a fellow Chicagoan and childhood friend of Grimes. Filling out their sound are Kansas City natives and sonic magicians Dan Talmadge, on keys and guitar, and saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire John Mitchell. Together, they fashion a wall of sound that resonates behind Grimes’ signature vocals, which are often compared to the likes of Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music) and David Bowie, yet manage to stand uniquely apart.
Soft Reeds continue to reap the benefits of Kansas City’s tight-knit music community, while building an impressive national and international reputation following high-profile appearances at SXSW and CMJ, buzzworthy headlining shows in Brooklyn and NYC, and several major television placements. With the help of a great label, The Record Machine, and with a new album in the works for 2011, they will continue to forge ahead with their uniquely artistic indie-rock sound, relying on their strength of collaboration, a unique sonic vision, and a shared interest in the roots of art and popular music to find new and beautiful ways to bring you aural delight.