Matt McCormacks background is steeped in alt- roots and americana pop-rock perdition. Originally from Memphis, TN, Matt moved to Austin, TX in 1996 where he quickly became a prominent figure in the live music scene there. McCormacks debut album Tonopah was released to critical acclaim, landing him on the short list of the best new acts in 1999 by KGSR, the No. 1 AAA station in the country. Consequently, country superstar Pat Green covered one of Tonopahs singles I Miss Home on Honeybrownes 2003 release in which he appeared as a guest vocalist.
Matts second album Here We Go Again in 2003 featured the single Pride, soon to be released by Gene Simmons on his upcoming solo Box Set. Matt McCormack is a seasoned performer who has played to packed venues from Los Angeles to New York and has written with such celebrated songwriters as Bill Carter (SRV, Brian Setzer, Derailers), Will Sexton, and Gene Simmons (KISS).

McCormacks brainchild Rock Bottom Choir is an Austin All-Star supergroup whose 2005 debut CD For All the Saints, Vol. 1 (Blue Wind Records) sparked rave reviews and featured a departure from Matts mainstream sensibilities with a sound that lands sublimely between George Harrisons 1971 All Things Must Pass, which featured the classic My Sweet Lord and Bob Dylans 1979 seminal spiritual rock album Slow Train Coming. McCormacks faithful congregation features the dueling guitars of Ryan Carter (Dewato) and Will Sexton, along with the rest of the Choir; George Reiff (Chris Robinsons New Earth Mud) on bass, Joey Shuffield (Fastball) on drums, Matthew Mollica on Hammond B-3 organ and Bill Carter songwriting extrodinaire also founder of Bill Carter and the Blame also a member of the famed Hollywood band "P" with Johnny Depp, plays banjo and mandolin. Mike Thompson, longtime keyboardist for "The Eagles", plays on the cd and joins the LA version of the choir.

Matt McCormack and The Valley Below is the latest project by McCormack. The San Antonio based outfit features Matt Mcreynolds (former Tammany Hall Machine) on lead guitar, and Clete Ritta on keys and mandolin. They are soon releasing "So This Is How It Ends?" e.p. pt.1 in December of 2010. Pt2 follows in the spring.


For more info: www.rockbottomchoir.com and www.mattmccormack.com



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strawberryJAM began as an impromptu jam-session in April of 2008 at the Barefoot Art Guild in College Station, TX. The lineup grew from there, bringing together musicians from the Texas A&M campus. "When we first started out, there was no practice, no set-list, and no membership. Whoever wanted to get on stage just jumped on, sometimes 13 people at one time, and the jam would go for hours." The free-form performances taught the group how to improvise together and they continued to gain local popularity for high-energy, unpredictable performances.

In 2009 sJAM began writing structured material together, some of which would be recorded for their demo, The Recession EP. While still holding on to their improvisational roots, the new direction gave the group a fresh challenge and set the stage for their debut, full-length album that would be release two years later. During this period sJAM also began building an impressive repertoire of cover songs that they used to market themselves to Greek organizations all over Texas, which in turn allowed them to fund their studio time. Cover songs continue to be an exciting live feature for sJAM fans, as the catalog spans across all genres and eras.

In the summer of 2010, strawberryJAM moved to Austin, TX where they currently reside. While performing weekly all over Texas, sJAM has opened for such notable acts as Girl Talk, Bob Schneider, and Black Oak Arkansas. In April of 2011, sJAM released their 14-track, self-titled debut. The album was recorded at The Zone Studios in Dripping Springs, TX with Pat Manske (Los Lonely Boys, Dixie Chicks, Joe Ely). The album “strawberryJAM” is available on iTunes worldwide.