Local musician Sam Clay is taking his guitar-based rock/power pop project Sooflay on the road this month. 

The one-man band sees Clay honing his singing, guitar-strumming, and drum-pounding talents as well as corrugated cardboard art — or what he describes as “rock & roll meets corrugated cardboard corruption.” 

Those of you that attended Sooflay’s performance at The Brass Rail a couple weeks back got to see Clay performing under a huge four-legged cardboard structure that I’m still not sure how he ever got it to fit on The Rail stage. 

He plans on bringing more of his architectural structures on the road for the upcoming tour that kicks off with a performance at The Brass Rail on Saturday, April 12, opening for Milwaukee’s Liquid Mike and Graham Hunt out of Madison, Wisc. 

From there, Sooflay will hit the road on April 17 in Worcester, Mass., and wrap up on May 23 in Detroit. Other dates include Boston; Providence, R.I.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Philadelphia; and Knoxville, Tenn. 

In addition to Sooflay, Clay will perform at The Brass Rail with his band Uncle Muscle on Sunday, April 13. That evening will include performances by Craig Brown Band, Good Flying Birds, and Pizza King Girl (featuring Zara McCord of Namen Namen fame). 

Do yourself a favor and hop onto Sooflay’s Bandcamp and give the music a whirl.

Ska/reggae act debut at Wrigley

The Redundants are a new ska/reggae band on the scene that you will want to keep an eye on. 

Made up of Christy Maloney on vocals, Nate Lesser on guitar, Brandon Williams on bass, and Bill Gardiner on drums, they cover everything from classic Toots & The Maytals to Bob Marley, Rancid, Goldfinger, and Operation Ivy. They also have a fun selection of reggae-fied pop songs from The Beatles to Chappell Roan. 

Although they’ve been playing together in stealth mode for almost a year, their first show will take place Thursday, April 17, at Wrigley Field Bar & Grill. Head out that evening and be one of the first to witness the magic of The Redundants. 

I know it’s a school night, so if you are unable to attend, the band tell us they have several more shows in the works, so stay tuned.

New League Record release EP

New League Record have released a music video for their tune, “Swing Away, Merrill,” off their new three-song EP, Cheaper Than Therapy. 

The video was filmed at Finders Keepers, the antique furniture shop on Calhoun Street. It follows suit to their previous videos being filmed at local establishments: Keep Time Barbershop and Papi’s Pizza. 

“We love to collaborate with local businesses whether it be throwing shows at an unconventional venue like Draft Taproom or the roof of Fortlandia because supporting our community is important to our band,” bassist Mat Smith said. “Whether it be through the music scene by going to shows and supporting our friends or everyday places we frequent.” 

The video can be viewed on YouTube. 

As for the EP, it was recorded with Matt Riefler in town and is available on all major streaming platforms.

As of press time, New League Record have no shows booked, but expect that to change. 

C-Note teases new album

Crystal “C-Note” Clouse recently took to social media to announce she will release a new album June 18, a follow up to last year’s Wake Up. 

Expect updates as we get closer to the release date. Until then, you can catch C-Note at Piere’s on Friday, April 11, when she opens for rising rap star Doobie. 

New song from Humans Among Us

Humans Among Us have released a new song, “The Tower.” 

The song was inspired by Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series and will be a part of a concept series the band will be releasing over the next few months. 

The wait shouldn’t be too long since they recently wrapped up the mixing for a tune called “Green Eyes.” 

You can listen to “The Tower” on streaming platforms. 

In addition, Humans Among Us will be a part of Turnstone’s Center Stage: Fort Wayne’s Premier Talent Show at The Clyde on Tuesday, June 3. 

Grave Robber tackle Lauper tune

Grave Robber have released a highly unexpected cover song, and they “killed” it as you might expect. 

The band recently posted a video on YouTube that features their take on Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” At press time, the video had nearly 1,400 views. 

If you ever wondered what Lauper sounds like as a horror punker, then this is it. 

Grave Robber recently performed at the Melody Inn in Indianapolis, and they have  more dates on the horizon.