JONAS MARTIN Album Release Show, with guests: Oil Boom, Wesley Geiger

About: Jonas Martin is a songwriter and performer from Dallas, TX. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @_omgitsjonas_
Description: Jonas Martin is a Dallas-based songwriter and performer who always serves his music with a side of sarcasm. Pulling from legendary songwriters like Randy Newman, Ray Davies and Harry Nilsson, Martin weaves personal self-observation and social commentary with the fundamentals of rock and roll. The result is a gritty breed of musical satire with a sound reminiscent of modern musicians like Jack White or The Black Keys.

Since his father was a radio disc jockey for most of Martin's childhood (working at 98.7 KLUV in Dallas, among others), Martin grew up listening to an archive of classic musical icons. He played a variety of instruments throughout his younger years but found that he had a passion for piano and other keyboard instruments in his early twenties. In 2009, Martin landed a gig in a Beatles tribute band called From Us To You, in which he was really able to hone his playing and songwriting skills. Thereafter he was picked up by indie rockers Goodnight Ned and recorded the band’s debut Smoke from the Sails, which earned a spot among the “Top 10 Albums of 2012” on dfDubReport. He also plays with several other DFW-based bands including Larry g(EE), Cody Jasper, J. Charles & the Train Robbers, Bad Mountain and The Hazardous Dukes.

Martin has shared the stage with acts like Holly Golightly, Sons of Fathers, The Weeks, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Caitlin Rose, Turnpike Troubadours, The Toadies and Sarah Jaffe. With Goodnight Ned's most recent release, "Ned", he has graced the No. 1 spot on Central Track’s buzz rankings and been nominated for “Best Local Music Release”, “Best Album”, “Best Group Act” and “Best Rock Act” by the Dallas Observer (2014).

On his first solo endeavor, Chokecherry Jam, due out in early 2015, Martin flexes his songwriting muscles, giving listeners a direct line into a heartfelt, if often times wry, way of thinking. Recorded at Nest Recording Studios in Dripping Springs, TX and Electrophunck Recording in Dallas, Chokecherry Jam boasts a lineup of DFW rock royalty, including Jason Burt (guitar, vocals, production), Nick Jay (bass, organ, piano, production), Wade Cofer (bass, drums, guitars, vocals), Nate Wedan (drums, percussion), and Jon Knudson (organ, violin, saxophone). The album was mastered by six-time Grammy award winner Brian Lucey, who has mastered albums for The Black Keys, Dr. John, Arctic Monkeys, Dr. Dog, Ray LaMontagne and many others.

Whether he’s singing about insomnia, love, philosophical turmoil or erectile dysfunction, Martin makes it clear there’s no topic that can’t be turned into a punch line.

Oil Boom has a new 7" coming out. But rather than talk about it, the trio of rock enthusiasts would prefer to wax humorous on their preferred method of music consumption. "Did we make sure this was actually seven inches of music," asks singer/guitarist Ryan Taylor. "I don't want to catch hell from the audiophile contingent of the garage rock community."

All jesting aside, the DFW mainstays couldn't be more excited about their latest foray into the realm of vinyl acetates and lacquer coated discs. The group is riding an impressive wave of buzz after their last EP, Gold Yeller, garnered a generous amount of critic praise not to mention extensive radio play across the Lower 48. But not ones to rest on their laurels, Oil Boom are set to unleash another pair of earworms just in time to make your best of summer soundtrack playlists. The A side, "45 Revolutions Per Minute," a clever nod to the speed at which the actual song will be played, bursts out of the gate with a Hives like fury and never relents. The song encapsulates much of what makes the group stand out: barnburning riffs, hooky choruses and a rhythm section not afraid to throw their sonic weight around.

And on the flip, there's "The Fiftease," a wry take on rockabilly culture with an old-school Motown bass groove and an indie-rock guitar coda that could wind up stuck in your head like musical Pomade. The two songs couldn't be more different and that's just fine with the Boom. Says Taylor, "Our influences are so diverse and even contradictory sometimes, that it's really hard to pin us down in one style or another. But we're all about variety, so that's perfectly cool with us."

In drummer ace/engineer Jordan Richardson (Son of Stan, Epic Ruins) the group had the ear of both a longtime friend and supporter of the band since its inception in 2010. "We always wanted to work with Jorts, so when the opportunity came up it was a no-brainer," says drummer Dugan Connors. "You hear people talk about someone's enthusiasm being infectious, but in Jordan's case, it really is." Recorded in Justin, TX, at the Swamp (AKA Electric Barryland), the band found its recording haven in a place quickly becoming synonymous with great Texas music.

Look for this 7" needle to drop on August 13th, 2013 A.D. And with plans to record a full-length this fall and a robust tour schedule, Oil Boom just keeps on spinning.