John Anno: Press

"you guys were in a magical music zone last night, it was amazing!!!"

BringYourGreenHat:
"These guys have an easy sound, with some nice harmonies and acoustical vibe. Perfect for a Saturday night."

Anyone who has NEVER seen these guys, (BringYourGreenHat) be prepared to be entertained! WE LOVE 'EM!!

Comment on Blues Jam
"doooooood
this song is so badass."

Review of "The GoGetter"

Each instrument works with the other one seamlessly to create a smooth, cleverly crafted, blues song. A rare treasure in modern music.

Congratulations go to BringYourGreenHat winner of Lindberg's Sound Off, Battle of the Bands competition.
The two week event that was held through December 8, featured twelve of Springfield, Missouri's best live bands. The genres of the competitors ranged from punk, rockabilly, blues, rock, funk and hip-hop.
After close voting BringYourGreenHat was the choice of the judges.
BringYourGreenHat is an Alternative / Fusion band and features MARK BARGER_ Acoustic Guitar And Vocals - NICK ARCHAMBAULT_ Bass Guitar - MARKUS REYNOLDS_ Percussion And Aux. - RICHIE ALLEN- Drums- JOHN ANNO_ Lead Guitar.
It was the third performance for the band in front of a live audience.

Thanks for uploading "The GoGetter" to GarageBand.com. Congratulations are in order! Your song did a bang up job in Round 2 of the Active Contest,and held its own against some stiff competition. It's been reviewed by folks all over the world, been subjected to raw, unfiltered scrutiny from people you don't even know...and guess what?.... They liked it! The blood, sweat and tears have paid off.

Your song made it to the upper echelon of its genre, and will now move on to the next level to battle it out with its peers in Round 3. Songs in Round 3 will move through an entirely new review cycle, to be reviewed and ranked against the other top songs in their genre. We'll measure your new ranking based on a combination of this new data and the old data. When the dust settles, those left standing at the top of the charts will get a shot at moving on to Round 4 and be one step closer to getting played on Yahoo! Launch radio.

If you have any questions about the review process, please check out the updated Review Process FAQ.

"The GoGetter" finished at # 404 in Rock.

In addition to moving up on our active charts, "The GoGetter" will still remain available in our All-time charts and you can continue to monitor its status on your Song Profile page.

Thanks for your support.

Rock on,
Ivy,
Band Services
GarageBand.com

This is more like it. It's nice to hear some virtuoso guitar playing aka Shaun Lane with the emphasis on feeling rather than speed. Excellent melodies with some tasty chord progession in the verse, wish I wrote those myself. The overall production is also way up there and lively to boot with an excellent guitar sound and a few nice drum offbeat splash cymbals here and there. I even like the scratching and samples towards the middle which I usually hate. Excellent.

Extra Credit: Guitars, Production, Melody, Most Rocking Track.



JeffCox
Bristol, United Kingdom
August 30th, 2007

When it first came on from the intro, I was a little shocked. I was listening very close to see how your production would sound, and I must say, it sounds really good. The tempo that you chose also got me into this track alot. Very smooth and mellow with an awesome guitar. This track is beautiful. Definitely 5 stars in my opinion. Keep it up.
zparke
Augusta, Georgia
August 21st, 2007

Opie Hicks keeps dream alive
Local hip-hop artist finds inspiration in band mates, loyal fans.

By Michael A. Brothers
News-Leader Staff

There's a reason why age and time are recurring themes in Opie Hicks' music.
The Springfield hip-hop artist knows both are catching up with him, but he hasn't allowed that to dampen his motivation or keep him from chasing his dream.

By day, the 31-year-old works for a Springfield-based credit card service company. Regular hours, income and health insurance are all part of the package.

On nights and weekends, he strives to make the world take note of his band, the Elements, a rock and funk group fronted by a lyricist in love with old-school hip-hop. The band takes the stage at the Outland Ballroom tonight.

"I'm at that crossroads now where it's like, 'How long do I keep doing this?'" Hicks says. "Are you doing it now because you really feel like you're gonna get (a record deal) or because you've done it so long it's hard to quit?"

Hicks still believes in his talent. Lately he's been infused with fresh energy thanks to a new drummer and the response the band is getting from crowds in places like Lawrence, Kan., and Marshall.

"(Opie's) also been writing more lyrics lately, fusing them with ideas brought to him by guitarist John Anno, bassist Nick Archambault and drummer Justin Latshaw.

"He's really into what he does and puts everything he's got into it," says Latshaw, who joined the band in May. "He's always trying to get the crowd excited and get them to move. He interacts with the crowd really well."

The new music is taking the band in more of a rock direction, Anno says, evenly blending funky guitar and bass riffs with Hicks' rapid-fire lyrical approach.

One such song is "The Ride," a metaphor for life in the music business in which Hicks balances self-deprivation and optimism.

For every time he sings about "doing shows for low cash and free beer" he also talks about a life that "goes by so fast so we don't take the time to appreciate all of it, rain or shine / Want the best out of life because I gave it mine."

Free time for practicing is scarce for all four musicians, so much of the songwriting process is "touch and go over the phone," Hicks says, with the finishing touch coming later during whirlwind practices.

The band recently cut a five-song demo, recording some of the new material for the first time.

But the day before he went into the studio, Hicks was feeling his inner demons catching up with him. He beat them back by getting some airtime on national radio — sports talk radio.

When ESPN Radio host Colin Cowherd asked for athletes or musicians hanging onto their dream to call in, Hicks picked up the phone.

"You know what, I'm about to go in and record," he told Cowherd, "and I don't know if I feel like recording any more."

Within minutes his cell phone lit up with calls from old friends and longtime fans. Their message: Don't even think about giving up. He charged into the studio the next day with renewed energy.

"Every single time I feel like quitting," Hicks says, "something like that happens."

Announcing the Ozarks Guitar Gods poll!
Just how did we come up with the list? Glad you asked. In order to be as transparent as possible about the process, I'm going to explain it all here on the blog. These players weren't picked at random. They were chosen by a voting process, too.

I was one of the initial voters, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one choosing the contenders. So I asked two journeyman musicians, keyboardist Joe Terry and drummer John Anderson, to help. These two have played with many artists in town at one point or another, and if you go out to catch live music on a regular basis, you're familiar with what top-notch musicians they are.

To get the music fan's perspective, I also invited Jeff Moffett at CD Warehouse to join the fold. Moffett sees and hears a lot of live music. Anyone who shops there knows he can offer a knowledgeable opinion.

The four of us tossed as many names as possible onto a big list.
The only directive I gave the group was to vote based on talent and musicianship.

Is it a perfect list? Nah. These things never are. But that just goes to show the depth of talent we have around here. And these kinds of stories are always good for discussion.
The initial nomination list:
A. J. Moore, JOHN ANNO, Eric Howell, Cindy Woolf, Andy Putnam Andy Shanks etc.

"John Anno's "The GoGetter" is the best instrumental song I've ever, ever heard on The Podsafe Music Network. Yes it is that good. It is energy personified. Perhaps my all-time favorite instrumental."
Jersey Todd

Review of "TIME"

Daaaang!!!!!!!!
This song is slick. Unlike most rap songs now adays the music is outstanding. The beats are solid and draw you into the song. I'm most impressed with the guitar playing. This guy can jam. He plays on the upper strings of the guitar with a beautiful clean sound and he's all over the neck. the lyrics are thought provoking but the verses seem a little extended. i normally dont like songs that go this long (over 5 min) but this song was an exception. very nicely done.
Reviewed by: QD from Toledo, Ohio

Dear John,
Congratulations! As a result of some very enthusiastic reviews from GarageBand.com members, "The GoGetter" will be Funk Track of the Week at GarageBand.com.

For 7 days starting on Monday, the 19th of March, 2007 (PST) "The GoGetter" will be featured on our site! It will also be featured in our special funk Track of the Week podcast.

Awards!
Track of the Day on 3Mar2007 in Funk
Best Guitars in Funk, week of 5Mar2007
Best Drums in Funk, week of 5Mar2007
Best Bass overall, week of 5Mar2007
Best Bass in Funk, week of 5Mar2007
Best Programming in Funk, week of 5Mar2007
Best Production in Funk, week of 5Mar2007
Best Melody in Funk, week of 5Mar2007
Best Beat in Funk, week of 5Mar2007
Best Mood in Funk, week of 5Mar2007
Best Guitars in Funk, week of 12Mar2007
Best Drums in Funk, week of 12Mar2007
Best Bass in Funk, week of 12Mar2007
Best Production in Funk, week of 12Mar2007
Best Melody in Funk, week of 12Mar2007
Best Beat in Funk, week of 12Mar2007
Grooviest Rhythm overall, week of 12Mar2007
Grooviest Rhythm in Funk, week of 12Mar2007

Awards from Garageband.com

COMEBACK..
#16 Best Guitars in Rap, all-time.

TIME..
#4 Best Guitars in Rap, all-time
#16 Best Drums in Rap, all-time
#13 Chill-Out Track in Rap, all-time
Best Guitars in Rap, week of 20Mar2006
Best Guitars in Rap, week of 3Apr2006
Best Beat in Rap, week of 20Mar2006
Best Mood in Rap, week of 20Mar2006
Most Original in Rap, week of 20Mar2006
Chill-Out Track in Rap, week of 20Mar2006

Hello John,
Thanks for uploading "The GoGetter" to GarageBand.com. Congratulations are in order! Your song did a bang up job in Round 1 of the Active Contest,and held its own against some stiff competition. It's been reviewed by folks all over the world, been subjected to raw, unfiltered scrutiny from people you don't even know...and guess what?.... They liked it! The blood, sweat and tears have paid off.

Your song made it to the upper echelon of its genre, and will now move on to the next level to battle it out with its peers in Round 2. Songs in Round 2 will move through an entirely new review cycle, to be reviewed and ranked against the other top songs in their genre. We'll measure your new ranking based on a combination of this new data and the old data. When the dust settles, those left standing at the top of the charts will get a shot at moving on to Round 3 and be one step closer to getting played on Yahoo! Launch radio.

If you have any questions about the review process, please check out the updated Review Process FAQ.

"The GoGetter" finished at # 14 in Funk.

In addition to moving up on our active charts, "The GoGetter" will still remain available in our All-time charts and you can continue to monitor its status on your Song Profile page.

Thanks for your support.

Rock on,
Ivy,
Band Services

Awards!
Best Guitars overall, week of 9Jul2007
Best Guitars in Blues, week of 9Jul2007
Best Drums in Blues, week of 9Jul2007
Best Production in Blues, week of 9Jul2007
Best Melody in Blues, week of 9Jul2007
Best Beat in Blues, week of 9Jul2007
Best Mood overall, week of 9Jul2007
Best Mood in Blues, week of 9Jul2007
Grooviest Rhythm overall, week of 9Jul2007
Grooviest Rhythm in Blues, week of 9Jul2007
Chill-Out Track overall, week of 9Jul2007
Chill-Out Track in Blues, week of 9Jul2007

Wow, and I mean WOW. I've herd allot of different artist who sound too much like repetitive wish wash. Then I check you guys out. Definitely feelin tha fresh new sound you have to offer. Eddie Van halen brought it with his guitar work. You guys got it with your fresh ass flavor, Bravo, and two thumbs up from Wicked Unda Ground Radio!!!

"I like the idea of the styles you're joining together. When's the last time you've heard a band that has the Boulder, CO jam band sound with a rapper as its leader. You could be onto something here."

MUSIC…..I can see your from one of the Mid- west's great rap/hip-hop areas, KC being the hotbed. I like the idea of the styles you're joining together. When's the last time you've heard a band that has the Boulder, CO jam band sound with a rapper as its leader. You could be onto something here.

LYRICS….. I'm actually impressed by your lyrics. Did you write these ahead of time or were they written on the spot whilst jamming with your bro's? I like the story as it's compelling and there's a decent amount of lyrical hooks as well, but not homerun hooks. Good work, nonetheless.

VOCALS….. Most white rappers I've listened sound so cheesy and so geeked out. You actually have a good voice, great phrasing ability, and solid tone. You're obviously tuned into who you are as well because you rapped your lyrics effortlessly. Stay on course because I think you're onto something and could play and/or appeal to fans of Dave Matthews and/or Jurassic 5.
ORIGINALITY…….. A rapper that fronts a jam band? That's what I think you have going here and it could be a good gimmick to hook those all important collegiate fans around the country. You score higher than most for originality Stick with it...
Marketability..... Once your songs are ironed out, I think you can take these to radio and if you can support this radio play with a sizeable following in your regional area you're going to go places. I can also see this sound breaking out on the road and you guys carving out a decent sized career in touring/merchandise guarantees. Go for it.
GENERAL COMMENTS….. I think you're onto something unique with this kind of band. I encourage you to take this to the road and build it one fan at a time because I can see The Elements Band catching on rather fast.