Joel Van Dijk is a Los Angeles transplant living in the heart of the POP Machine. A certified "triple threat,"
Joel makes his living playing guitar and producing, while in the meantime recording, writing and singing on his own
records. He is set to release his highly-anticipated second full album A Kind Of Blues. Which is either a modern take
on the blues genre, or a prime example of blues blasphemy.
"This ain't your daddy's blues!" he says about this eclectic blend of swampy blues, jazz and soul, hiphop beats
and electronic elements, . "This is not a throwback record, this is for the current generation."
Joel was raised on the blues. His mother hosted a blues radio show in his hometown
while his father taught him the I-IV-V chord progression and the blues scale in the infancy
of his guitar training. Blues music was unavoidable in the household. He wowed
audiences at blues jams at the early age of 15 years old and while he cast off the blues in
his late teens and throughout his career, the soul and the sound of the blues still haunted
his voice and his playing, something he could not deny. After hearing his first record
Truthseeker, his colleague and friend (singer Algebra Blessett) said to him "You are a
blues man!" Coming to terms with this potential fate he began to craft his own "kind of
blues."

"A Kind Of Blues" transitions seamlessly between swampy bass beats and grooving live
band arrangements and everything in between. The album topic range is a recount of the
two years since he released Truthseeker. From songs about life on the road life as a
touring musician with chart topping Aloe Blacc, and observing Aloe's rising career (see
POPMachine, Road Again, Wherever I Go) to the revolutionary spirit embodied around the
world via Occupy and the Arab Spring (see Revolve, Freetrain), and finally his thirst for
expression and desire to follow his artistic path (see, My Song, BeYoself). Not without a
sense of humor, JVD covers Aloe Blaccs hit tune "I Need A Dollar" with a slowed down sexy-fied groove and later
features Aloe singing a fresh new arrangement of the Bill Withers classic "Ain't No Sunshine." Lending to the
influence and reference of Miles Davis, Joel revamps the classic tune "All Blues" with an electro-downtempo twist
featuring Bridget Barkan on vocals. Wafeekee of The Flux drops by for a rap verse on My Song and A Kind Of Blues
(the song) . For all instruments and voices not supplied by Joel (he plays all of the instruments on some of the
tracks), he enlists his all-star band of friends and world-class musicians, dubbed "Special Force" for the studio and
live shows. This very talented group of individuals have a staggering credit list, playing for likes of Mariah Carey, Van
Hunt, Aloe Blacc, Snoop Dogg, the Scissor Sisters and more. They are a musical steam train when in motion
Yes, It's been done before, but not like this. It's self-conscious and sociallyconscious, it's blues but it's not the blues, it's hard to describe but easy to feel.
You could compare it to the likes of Outkast, Beck, Ceelo, Doyle Bramhall II or
new blues sensation Gary Clark Jr., but that would only get you in the ballpark.
This is new and original music from an upcoming force to be reckoned with.

-joelvandijk.com"One of the best guitarists I know coming with blues for a whole new
generation - JVD - say no more" -Aloe Blacc

"A fresh breath of air from the smog of the PopMachine."- Joseph Gonzales
"Trippy and smooth but still pop and catchy."-Peter Dyer

A Kind of Blues NOW OUT on Bandcamp & CDBaby, & the iTunes release TBA! Physical copies will be available from 12.7 on

New Orleans born and bred MC, SOL comes hard with his new single "Its My Time" a single from SOL's upcoming "Royal Flush" Volume 1 Mixtape due out next month.
SOL has been a mainstay on the New Orleans and Houston Music Scenes for years as his famous father SOL The Jeweler has done custom platinum pieces for numerous stars such as Master P and Lil Wayne. As a result, SOL has been on the scene since a young age and is ready to take the game to the next level!! For a taste of this rising star check out:

Its My Time (Streaming Link)
http://snd.sc/cONmj7

Embed Code (Streaming)
Its My Time by ValleyStar

MURRIETA, Calif., Aug. 3, 2010 - - With almost a decade of experience performing for local and national audiences, Kaela Freeman will release her 2nd single "What Yo Name Is" on August 3rd. The upbeat pop, hip-hop track written and produced by Kaela's 17-year-old brother CLIP, is being delivered to radio stations world-wide. The song, as Kaela, 15, explained it, tells the story of "how guys who like me keep calling."

Kaela and California based Sickman Records have filmed a commercial and music video for the song. The commercial, which includes a sneak peek of scenes from the music video, can be viewed on the Sickman Records YouTube page at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2XjUkvIuvQ.

The location for the video shoot was a warehouse in Los Angeles with a cast of more than 60 dancers and actors. The production brings together a diverse team of creative people including Murrieta-based choreographer Erik Saradpon, Los Angeles based production team F64 and New York-based director William Herndon.

A follow up single "In The Night (Club Songs)" written and produced by CLIP featuring Kaela Freeman will be released August 24th.

This Fall, Kaela will perform at concerts and make public appearances promoting her music. For more information or to schedule an interview visit www.kaelafreeman.com, www.sickmanrecords.com or send an email to C.L. Betts at clbetts@sickmanentertainment.com.

"What Yo Name Is" On Itunes
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/what-yo-name-is/id383227552

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About Sickman Records

Sickman Records is a California-based record label developing unforgettable artists by integrating music, merchandise, visual media, concert performances and appearances into a single compelling experience driven by the artist's passion and energy.