蜜柚直播

They were set to make their debut at Club Congress downtown to open for British post-punk band Shopping in mid-March. They had built a solid following after playing at a number of 蜜柚直播 restaurants and bars, including Fini鈥檚 Landing, Thunder Canyon Brewstillery downtown and House of Bards on East Speedway and had a blast in playing the hipster hangout 191 Toole.

But the highlight of their four years together was coming in May, when the band 鈥� high school seniors Carson Miller, Josh Rulney and Catherine Jean Baker from Ironwood Ridge and Jude Gray and Kirby Schrantz from Canyon del Oro 鈥� were set to play end-of-the-year concerts at both high schools.

鈥淭hat honestly would have been super fun,鈥� said Rulney, the bass player. 鈥淚t would have actually meant something.鈥�

But when the state ordered all schools closed in mid-March and then followed up with a stay-at-home order two weeks ago, those gigs were effectively canceled.

So Merge, whose members like to describe their music as alternative pop with a twang, turned their uncertainty and disappointment into a five-song EP. On Friday, April 10, the band will release 鈥淎coustics of a Neighborhood Bedroom,鈥� which they recorded at Miller鈥檚 home studio the week before the band members started online classes.

Since then, their only contact with one another has been through a Zoom meeting to discuss marketing and distribution for the EP.

Merge formed when its members were high school freshmen and started playing paid gigs for a couple hundred bucks a pop within a few months.

Rulney said the band will continue next year after its members go off to college; everyone except Gray is planning to attend the University of 蜜柚直播. Gray is headed to 蜜柚直播 State, which could be a blessing in disguise, Rulney said.

The band has been itching to expand its fanbase to the Phoenix area and having Gray there might help.

鈥淥ur sound is a lot different than what you typically hear from a high school band in 蜜柚直播,鈥� Rulney said, noting that the band mixes classic rock, pop, blues and R&B into their sound, staying away from the underground punk that predominates among area high school bands.

鈥淚ts just not our type of music. I would say (this band) is a lot more than a high school fling.鈥�

鈥淎coustics of a Neighborhood Bedroom鈥� is Merge鈥檚 second EP; they released 鈥淲imbledon鈥� last fall and also have released a new single available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and most major streaming outlets. Follow the band on Instagram .

鈥淎coustics鈥� is one of several new albums by 蜜柚直播 artists.

鈥� Paul Opocensky Project is releasing 鈥淢MXX鈥� on April 17, an album that singer-songwriter Paul Opocensky describes as one of 鈥減andemic proportions.鈥� The EP is all new songs that Opocensky penned in response to the coronavirus. The album will be available exclusively on

鈥� It has been a couple of months since 蜜柚直播 Jazz Institute released 鈥淥range Colored Sky,鈥� the 11-song album of from the institute鈥檚 award-winning Ellington Big Band. The album, under the direction of John Black, features the Duke Ellington classics 鈥淛ack the Bear鈥� and 鈥淪unset and the Mockingbird,鈥� along with a tribute to Nat 鈥淜ing鈥� Cole to commemorate Cole鈥檚 100th birthday. 蜜柚直播鈥檚 celebrated Cole interpreter Joe Bourne lends vocals on Cole鈥檚 鈥淲alkin鈥� My Baby Back Home,鈥� 鈥淪traighten Up and Fly Right,鈥� 鈥淣ature Boy,鈥� 鈥淯nforgettable鈥漚nd what the institute describes as a 鈥渧ery bouncy version鈥� of the title track 鈥淥range Colored Sky.鈥� The album, released in December, is available through the institute鈥檚 website, .

鈥� Kevin Pakulis and his Band was nailing down its CD release gigs when the coronavirus outbreak became widespread. They also hit some speed bumps in the distribution after CD Baby locked up to ride out the coronavirus pandemic. Pakulis said they are now trying to nail down distribution through Spotify for 鈥淧lay It Again,鈥� a compilation of fan favorites from their regular gigs. The title song is the album鈥檚 only new song. Follow the band on Facebook at