It's really easy to play it safe and jump on board the latest trend, imitating the exact style and sound of everyone's favorite band of the week. It's really easy to play into the hands of a specific demographic, knowing without a doubt in your mind that kids will eat up every hook and pile on for every sing-a-long. But how many times can we walk down the same old roads? At some point, we need to break from this monotony and make our own roads. We need to create something for ourselves that is more than just a quick, cheap, and easy sell. Something that has many layers to dissect, discover, and enjoy. This is what Aficionado has set out to do.

Drawing influence from an array of bands ranging from At the Drive-In, to Cursive, to the Hold Steady, Aficionado has a developed a unique style they are happy to call their own. With roots in punk music, the band mixes organ, flute, and occasional horn arrangements into it's unorthodox blend of post-punk.

Mixtapes is a band from Cincinnati, Ohio. They are mostly influenced by 90's power pop and indie rock bands, some Replacements and midwestern gritty punk bands.

Citizen is a punk/indie band that hails from Toledo, Ohio. With some of their members still in high school, to date they've released "The Only Place I Know", a split EP with local friends The Fragile Season [Either/Or Records], which was met with great reviews. Their song "Tracking Time" was included on the compilation "Vs The Earthquake", released after the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in early 2011.

The band released their debut EP, entitled "Young States" (recorded by Jay Maas at The Getaway Recording Studio), digitally on September 1st, 2011 and will be releasing the 12″ LP in January 2012 via Either/Or Records and UK-based City Of Gold Records.

Signing to Mightier Than Sword at the end of 2011, Citizen will also be entering the studio in mid-January to record two tracks for an upcoming split with Virginia Beach, VA-based Turnover, to be released Spring 2012 via Mightier Than Sword/Broken Rim Records. With infectious melodies and a passionate live show, Citizen is poised to be a name you won't soon forget.