The Lifeline

They rock; you vote!
What Rock 'n' Vote finalists will play Metro? You decide
By Matt Pais

We asked for the best music Chicago had to offer, and, boy, were you listening! From the stacks and stacks of Rock 'n' Vote submissions, we whittled the finalists down to these 10. Read about 'em here, listen to their mp3s and vote for your faves now through midnight Sunday. Remember: The top four vote-getters play a free concert May 24 at Metro, so show your support for the bands you want to see live.

The Reptoids
What's a Reptoid, you ask? Well, it's half-alien, half-reptile, and the four members of the band all believe they were abducted by aliens at some point in their lives. "We all have strange scars on our bodies that we can't explain," says singer/guitarist Kay Oh. As for the band itself, the gritty punksters are three-quarters female, something Oh says is respected by musicians but often underestimated by audiences. "They usually ask us if our bassist wrote our songs for us, and if our boyfriends book our shows for us." Her response: "We're not really playing most of the time. It's just optical illusions."
Listen: "F.U."
Photo: The Reptoids

The Saturday Nights
Don't try to connect this band's music to its unusual album title, "Queenslandicus," which guitarist Paul Foreman explains is a prehistoric sea monster discovered off Queensland, Australia. The title is just meant to draw attention, but the group's music is what really captures interest. Blending classic rock, '70s fuzz and even a dash of '80s polish, the band's sound recalls a variety of artists while still sounding wholly original.
Listen: "Stranded"
Photo: The Saturday Nights

Ascot Fire
Ever heard of a little band called Fall Out Boy? Ascot Fire offers a brand of edgy-but-tuneful modern rock similar to the group that put Chicago on the pop-punk map. Currently "promoting their butts off" to land a guest spot on Warped Tour, Ascot Fire's got gigs at Double Door, Elbo Room and Gunther Murphy's. And don't confuse the group, whose members range in age from 21 to 25, with Arcade Fire, either; singer Steven Sampila says they get asked about those Canadians all the time: "I like them, but there's no comparison [in style] at all."
Listen: "Something You Deserve"
Photo: Ascot Fire

The Emerald Lizards
If you mispronounce the first name of the Lizards' Cairo-born frontman Ayman Samman, you're not alone. It sounds like "I-men," but the singer says he often gets a "Jamaican pronunciation" of "Ay-mon." Now that you've been introduced, get to know the group's mix of "'60s-inspired garage rock, surf twang, blues-y swagger and manic punk energy."
Listen: "Make You Mine"
Photo: The Emerald Lizards

The Last Trio
OK, so The Last Trio won't really be the final three-member group in music history. But this University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign band makes its jazz rock hard, cranking out head-nod fusion with agile keyboards by Greg Spero, pounding basslines from Dan Wonsover, creative drumming from Jerald Gary and guest raps from Agent Mos. Spero's the only music major, but Gary, who went to school with a Thai prince, has some impressive experience: At age 15, he performed for the queen of Thailand.
Listen: "Piece 6"
Photo: The Last Trio

John Lennox
Lennox has only lived in Chicago for about two weeks -- he's originally from Montreal -- but he's been through town before to perform and has a feel for the local attitude. "From the shows that I've seen, there just seems to be a really great music scene," he says. Lennox is primed to add his name to the list of Chicago alt-country acts (Wilco, anyone?), whether he's performing solo, with a rock band or soon, he hopes, with horns and strings for a "mid-'60s, Nashville kind of sound."
Listen: "You Got To Move"
Photo: John Lennox

The Lifeline
Want more strings with your rock? Get it from The Lifeline, which, according to violinist Rebecca Faber, has a clear formula: "Very heavy rock-with a violin." When paired with strong vocals from Ryan Hope, the band's sound overflows with passion and sincerity. They call it "class meets sass"; once you take a listen to their violin-as-lead-guitar sound, we bet you'll agree.
Listen: "Listening to the Lies"
Photo: The Lifeline

Lyric District
Kanye. Common. Lyric District? MC Roger Rodriguez says his hip-hop trio's sound draws a similar crowd to those paragons of Chicago rap (though we're guessing slightly smaller crowds). He calls the group's style "classy, fun hip-hop; not too gritty, not too grimy." Rodriguez met MC Brian Nevado at Addison Trail High School and joined up with producer Kenny Keys in college. They've rocked HotHouse, Subterranean and The Note; could Metro be next?
Listen: "Everyday"
Photo: Lyric District

Andrew Morgan
When we called Morgan with the news he'd made our finals, he asked if he could ring us back after he'd finished eating bagels with his girlfriend. That's cool. His beautiful take on mellow indie - metromix.com and Red Eye: An Edition of the Chicago Tribune

Rock-solid lineup

Meet the four bands you picked to play Rock 'n' Vote
By Matt Pais

Hey, Chicago, tell us how you really feel! We asked you to narrow down our 10 Rock 'n' Vote finalists to the four winners you wanted to see rock a free show May 24 at Metro, and you responded in spades--with more than 55,000 votes tallied. Your picks range from a hip-hop trio to a fuzzy garage band, from violin-fed hard rock to sugary pop (with plenty of cavity-free guitar). Mark your calendar now and get to know your Rock 'n' Vote winners. See you at Metro.
.....

The Lifeline
As violinist and lone lady of The Lifeline--self-billed as a mix of AFI, Tool and Pink Floyd--Rebecca Faber deals not just with stereotypes about string players, but stereotypes about women in rock in general. "A lot of times, people think that women in rock bands are not quite as talented as men," she says. While people sometimes tell Faber she rocks pretty hard "for a girl," she more often hears, "You rock really hard for a violinist." She'll take compliments however she gets 'em, but she admits being the band's sole female member can be difficult. "When you get a lot of guys together, they do act like guys: partying, burping," she says. "I'm not much for burping, but I'll laugh at it--or step away." As for the band's upcoming sked, you could see them later this summer on the Warped Tour, but why wait?
Listen: "Listening to the Lies" .....

Matt Pais is a metromix intern.

mpais@tribune.com

Originally published May 10, 2006.


http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/music/mmx-060510-chicago-music-rnv-winners,0,2127393.story?coll=mmx-home_features - Red Eye and Metromix.com

This Chicago rock band experiments and fuses classical music with rock, which makes them stand out from the rest. With two dates on the Vans Warped Tour and numerous successful shows at Chicago's premier venues under their belt, The Lifeline is ready for center stage.

By: Gian Erguiza


Gian: Who is The Lifeline?

Ryan T: The Lifeline is Ryan T. Hope - Vocals/Guitar, Rebecca Faber - Violin Eddie Yonushatis - Guitar, Berto Salgado - Bass, Lonni Lane - Drums

Gian: What best describes the sound of your music and how did the violin come into play?

Ryan T: Well...I think the best way to describe the Lifeline (and be assured that this is not an easy one to answer) is a clever mix of classical and rock. Even leaving it at that gives room for people to categorize and sub-categorize our sound. Some have called it a lovely infusion of aggressive rock and melodic violin which I prefer. I don't like to compare the band to others out there simply because I do not feel like we sound anything like other band out there. The Violin adds a uniqueness that I feel no one has really messed yet. The violin was there from the beginning. Our plan was never to start a rock band that used the violin as a lead instrument, it just kind of turned out that way. For months Rebecca and I (Ryan) played as a acoustic guitar and violin duo, but after hearing bands like A.F.I and the Smashing Pumpkins we thought it would be cool to try the full band thing. Once we realized that we had something really special going on, we took it to the next level and tried to incorporate the instrument like no one had before.

Gian: What is the message that your band/group is trying to convey?

Ryan T: The Lifeline has a very simple message. No matter who you are, where you are from, how much money you have, there is always a chance for you to make a difference in your own life. I think we as a people get too caught up in what other people think and I think that really hurts us. Both of our records deal heavily in that notion that no matter how bad things are, there is always hope for the future. A lot of music out there just doesn't carry a positive message like that anymore and I really can't understand why. I try to use the music I create as a way to help myself understand the world we live in and I feel others look to music they listen to for the same kinds of things.

Gian: If given the chance to share the stage with anyone, who would it be?

Ryan T: This is a very hard question to answer because we all would answer differently. Personally I would love to play with Pink Floyd. Rebecca would probably choose the Pumpkins, Berto would say Silverchair, Eddie would say Glassjaw and Lonni would probably say Def Leppard. So far we have played with some really awesome bands like The Used and 30 Seconds to Mars and it really makes you feel like you have a long way to go, but really these people are doing what we are doing every day, working hard and hoping that in some way we can impact the lives of people we don't even know.

Gian: Any additional comments?

Ryan T:

Gian: Thanks Ryan!

For more info about The Lifeline and to purchase their new album, please log onto: http://www.myspace.com/thelifeline
- Frantik Magazine

Billaweed Review of: The Lifeline
Band: The Lifeline
Genre: Punk/Pop/Emo
Album: E.P.
From: Chicago, IL
Label: None
Website:
Purevolume.com/thelifelineilny
Song: Listening to the Lies
Rating: 8.25/10


I’ve listened to this song probably 20 times today and I’m still impressed. The violin, played by the gorgeous Rebecca Faber, is outstanding. It adds so much to every aspect of the song. Ryan Hope, singer, has some great vocals and a strong voice.

I’m just going to throw this out there but I think this song is about how people lie to cover their ass, or maybe its about having to do things on your own without people helping you out. I do not know if that is what is the meaning the song is meant to express, but that is what it sounds like to me.

Song starts out with a bass/violin combo, then a ring of the symbols and the song comes alive. This is a great song and definitely ready for radio airplay.

Song is available on the Billaweed.com home page!

- www.billaweed.com

The Lifeline headlined Mobfest last summer and recently won the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands online contest to open for the Taste of Chaos Tour at the Aragon Ballroom. The band is a mix of heavy guitar riffs, amazingly talented drumming and a dazzling touch of classic violin to bring a brilliant new sound to today’s music scene.

Ryan T. Hope (vocals/guitar), Rebecca Faber (violin), Eddie Yonushatis (guitar) and Lonni Lane (drums) took time to answer some questions for Clubline.


CC: Tell us about the Ernie Ball contest you won recently?
Rebecca Faber: It’s an online battle-of-the-bands contest where you basically make a profile of your band and market it any way you want to but try and have as many people go online and vote for you and you pick a city you really want to play. Then, as far as votes go, the top 20 bands are considered by a panel including Kevin Lyman, creator of The Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos Tour. Others include the top executives of Ernie Ball and Guitar Center. Then they pick out of those top 20. With that, Eddie, our guitarist, is phenomenal when it comes to creating online materials for us and, of course, MySpace has been a huge help for us, too.

Ryan T. Hope: It’s pretty cool considering we entered a similar contest last year around this same time for Warped Tour and the same people were judging that as well who had heard us before. That really helped us out a lot.

CC: What do you have to say to the people that voted?
RH: I would like to personally thank each and every person out there that voted and helped us achieve one of the most incredible experiences of our lives so far. If I could, I would reach out and hug every one of them.

CC: Do you have any “do’s and don’ts” for any aspiring musicians out there who crave the opportunity you had at Taste of Chaos?
RH: Simply put, we got here because we truly worked our asses off. This does not come easy. It’s funny because we are asked so often, “How did you score this?” All I have to say is determination, setting goals and totally going for it. It is about pursuing that dream. When you want something so bad, put your mind to it and give it your all.

CC: What are your songs based on?
RH: Our first EP is more of a concept record whereas; it is mostly about my personal struggles and just life in general. I don’t necessarily want people to feel exactly what I felt because I think it is more about how each individual relates in their own way…if it can motivate or help them in some way with something in their life. Plus, I went through some really tough situations in my life and I wouldn’t wish them upon anyone. My music is basically a way for me to speak to people. Our newest album is about a World War II soldier and what it took for him to have a family and then go to war and in the end when he is killed at war it is about holding on to memories and the good things about people.







RF: Yeah, and then, like, for me, I think a lot of people relate in different ways without even words being there, to the different sounds a violin makes, because it is such an emotional instrument.

Eddie Yonushatis: You know, I joined the band later through MySpace. They announced they were holding auditions and I kept contacting them and not only after listening to their music, but once I finally got to meet them, I was really moved and felt good right away and wanted to be a part of this bad.

CC: Is there anything about the music industry that you think should be changed?
RH: Well, for me, I think there are a lot of cookie-cutter bands out there, and we have been so well embraced by others in the industry and it has been absolutely amazing! And I want people to realize that it is about the music; not the clothes you wear or any of that (stuff), ya know? Just “be”. It is about musical expression and releasing emotions.

RF: Exactly, Ryan. And for me, I kind of want to help empower women. I am the only female in this band, and the response I get from people is so positive all the time. I feel so good inside that I can inspire other women who want to get up there, too. It’s funny because most of the time for that reason, when we have played other shows the bouncers stop me right away saying, “No girlfriends back here” and assume I am a groupie! Give me a break! I am in the band!

RH: Actually, I love it when that happens because the second Rebecca gets up there and plays, they all shut their mouths right away and give her the utmost respect.

CC: What has been your favorite experience yet as far as what venues you’ve played and the bands you’ve performed with?
RH: This has been one of our best and most favorite with Taste of Chaos. The bands have been so incredibly welcoming to us and supportive and actually this was very special for Rebecca, so I’ll let her tell you the story. And actually, the idea for our next album was from that story.

RF: My grandparents met here at the Aragon Ballroom in 1 - Clubline Chicago Magazine

Album Review from CASHBOX MAGAZINE Reviewed 05-29-07

The Lifeline - For All Who Triumph -

The Lifeline are taking the Chicago music scene by storm with their blend of melodic metal/hard rock tunes. What defines their sound away from the others in the genre is the dramatic use of Rebecca Faber and her amazing violin skills. Her playing elevates the music from it’s Evanescence leanings and takes it to a brand to level. That is not to say the band is not just as good. The vocal performance from Ryan T. Hope is on par with any major label act, and his emotional delivery never falters of feels forced. What ever he is tackling, Hope addresses his subjects with grace and passion. The guitar playing of Eddie Yonushatis gives Lifeline their hard edge and saves their sound from become too soft with his heavy chops and distorted power chords made good by the rhythm section of Patrick Cloud and Lonni Lane.

Beginning opens For All Who Triumph as a brief intro into the sound of Lifeline. Building into the albums first full track, Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow, the song unleashes the full band on the listener and immediately pulls them into the band’s own world. The production by band member/songwriters Rebecca Faber and Ryan T. Hope is pitch perfect, capturing the best of each of their talents. The only fault in their work is that they may suffer from propelling the vocal and violins to be constantly above the bass, drums and guitar, but even still, their style of production works very well with their style of music. Track nine’s Moth To Flame finds Lifeline in a more tender moment. The diversity of this track brings a much welcome change to the established sound of the album. It is a slower song and the music is more laid back kind of intense and this affords the opportunity for the lyrics to take center stage. It is Hope’s most controlled vocal performance and also his best. There is much to look forward to with Lifeline as they continue there rise as local artists into an national act.


Justin Scro

- Cashbox Magazine

HQ:Chicago, IL
Now Playing: For All Who Triumph
The Story So Far: Not enough rock stories begin with a violin. Fortunately, this one does. The first incarnation of The Lifeline was an acoustic collaboration between Ryan T. Hope (vocals, guitar) and Rebecca Faber (violin). But after a sonic shift Hope credits to hearing AFI and My Chemical Romance, "That's when things really took off." They moved to Chicago, added to their lineup and have been enbraced by the Windy City-apparent in their being voted to headline the 2006 Metromix Rock'N'Vote show as well as last winter's Chicago date of Taste of Chaos.
Why You Should Know 'Em: They'll tell you it's their motto of "Class Meets Sass," and they'd probably be right. They brandish a sweeping classical sound infused with soaring metallic melodies that evokes both Strauss and Straylight Run. Hope says, "Our goal is to bring back music that makes people feel something."
You Like? You'll Like: I Am Ghost, 30 Seconds to Mars, Coheed and Cambria - Alternative Press

THE LIFELINE
For All Who Triumph
Self-Released
With so many internet outlets out there, a number of artists have been able to find independent success. Then there are then bands like The Lifeline who take everything to a whole new level. With incredible music videos/movies that are easily comparable, if not better than, half of the videos that you see these days, it's hard to believe that this is an indie band. On their latest effort, "For All Who Triumph," this Chicago based band seems primed and ready to break through and find huge mainstream success and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see a major label swipe them up in no time. By bringing together a wide range of influences from The Smashing Pumpkins to AFI to Pink Floyd, etc... and combining them with a modern edge this is an album that is going to attract the many flooding to the Warped Tour stages year in and year out. The first thing that will grab your attention is that a violin, provided by Rebecca Faber, is one of the more prominent instruments throughout the album and acts as a perfect companion to the well delivered vocals of Ryan T. Hope, which bring the lyrics, dark at times, to life. It doesn't surprise me at all that songs like "Not For Nothing" have already been finding their way to mainstream radio stations. It is, as with this whole album, everything the current alternative mainstream is about. Driving guitars that assault you at all of the perfect moments, a rhythm section that pounds right through you, but all the while the music seems to take a bit of a backseat to the vocals which allows for the lyrics to be a focal point of a majority of these songs. Lifeline is easily a band to keep your eyes on and "For All Who Triumph" is a must have for any modern alternative rock fan.
- Guestlist Magazine

-MTV VMA 2009 Nominee for Best Breakout Chicago Artist
-“Romeo and Juliet” added to regular rotation on Chicago’s Q101.1
-Music video “Trilogy” won multiple awards including Best Cinematography at Midwest Independent Film Festival, a CINE award, and has also screened in film festivals around the country
- Played festivals and tours including Milwaukee Summerfest in 2007, Chicago stop of Taste of Choas 2007, and Warped Tour 2006 and 2008
- TV live appearances include Chicago’s WGN Morning News and JBTv
- Headlined Chicago House of Blues, Metro, Double Door and other major Chicago venues
- At least a dozen on-air performances and interviews at Q101
- Alternative Press’s Unsigned Band of the Month, which includes ¼ page feature with picture in June issue –June 2007
- Won Ernie Ball Taste of Chaos Battle of the Bands 2007 for an opening slot on Taste of Chaos Tour at Aragon Ballroom in Chicago -3/07
- Played Chicago and Detroit stops of Warped tour 2006 and Chicago 2008
- Played Q101 Block Party w/Sick Puppies, Ludo
-Winner of Ernie Ball Taste of Chaos Battle of the Bands which earned opening slot on Chicago stop of Taste of Chaos 3/07
-Live performance at Fearless Radio is #1 downloaded webisode on FearlessRadio.com 3/07
-“Not for Nothing” featured alongside The Secret Machines and Mute Math on 5,000 copies of the November 2006 Frequency Sampler that was distributed at CMJ 2006
-"Not for Nothing" played on WKQX Q101 on November 9, 2006 on "Chicago Streetfight" show
-Played Chicago and Detroit stop in Van's Warped Tour, July 2006 on the Ernie Ball and Hot Topic Stages
-“Seeking Shelter” aired on “Local 101” show on WKQX, Q101 on September 10, 2006.
-Winner of WKQX Q101's Local Music Mailroom June 5-9, 2006, which included airplay on Q101
-Winner in Metromix Rock and Vote, May 2006.
-Featured on Metromix on CLTV (Chicago) on May 24 and 25th, 2006
-Featured as cover story in music section of the RED EYE: An edition of the Chicago Tribune on May 3, 10, and 24th, 2006.
-2nd Place winner of XMG International showcase
-"Listening to the Lies" is title track in upcoming SAG indie feature film, Feral Autumn
- #1 band in Green St. Records New Artist search 2004-2005
- featured on Green St. Records compilation
- radio interviews, live performances, and radio play on such college radio stations as 107.1 FM WPGU (Champaign, IL), and clear channel stations as 94 Rock (Albany, NY).
- Won two battle of the bands in upstate NY.
- Opened for such bands as My Chemical Romance, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Used, Senses Fail, Evaline, Chiodos, Aiden, Spitalfield
- vary

The Lifeline’s sassy classy plan

Lisa Balde | lisa@beepcentral.com
Wednesday, January 9, 2008


As far as orchestral instrumentalists go, Rebecca Faber falls into the “particularly dedicated” category. She picked up the violin as a kid and excelled at a Chicago conservatory in high school before scoring the first chair spot (an uber-high honor) at the University of Illinois. Her post-college dreams, in line with those of other over-achieving classical performers, were to play violin fulltime and perhaps eventually stake her place in an actual, professional orchestra. It’s an understatement to say she never pictured herself altering that vision to play – standing right up front next to the guitarist – in a hard-rock band called The Lifeline, which has made its name on the Metro and House of Blues stages via Taste of Chaos and Warped Tour.

Ask her about childhood rock aspirations, and her answers come quickly in the form of long dissents: “No waaaaay,” she exclaims when asked about college interests in the rock stage. “I always liked to listen to rock music, though; I liked to listen to rock music with strings in it but I didn’t like that the strings were too far in the background.”

Thus hammers home The Lifeline’s philosophy – one that certainly favors classical musicianship without succumbing to those pesky chamber-pop stereotypes: Play all the hard rock you want, but make sure the violin retains much of the focus, both on stage and on disc. Faber and singer Ryan T. Hope call the sound “class meets sass,” drawing from Faber’s obvious instrumental leanings and Hope’s New York-based rock background. According to Faber, Hope’s been in bands since he was something like 14 years old and produced his first album at 17. The two met on one of Hope’s trips to Chicago and surprisingly enough, clicked musically right away as an acoustic duo. That was two and a half years ago. Since then, Hope has taken up residence in Chicago and three other rock-minded musicians were added via city ads.

It was a big change for Faber. No one twisted her arm, per se, to immerse herself in a harder sound than she was used to, but that didn’t make jumping music worlds any easier. Rock bands don’t exactly sit on stage, for crying out loud.

“My first rock show ever was a battle of the bands that we actually won. I kept having to remind myself to turn my instrument (an electric violin) on.”

“It’s weird,” she says. “Every now and then I see somebody in the audience playing the air-violin.”

That’s right, air violin. Guitar Hero, eat your heart out. And if the image of hard-rock screamers tilting their heads for a little string impersonation doesn’t put The Lifeline’s influence into perspective, try this on for size: Their second show – Faber’s second rock show ever – was played with My Chemical Romance before MCR’s big break. Faber doesn’t put much stake in the show now, of course, but MCR’s success admittedly fueled The Lifeline’s fire.

“It’s harder for bands like us to get to the next step,” Faber says in response to music’s MySpace-fueled, double-edge sword, “(especially) if you don’t work really hard to promote yourself.”

No complaints in that neck of the woods. Faber describes their Taste of Chaos set this summer as one of the band’s high points. And as one of the chosen acts at the end of Ernie Ball’s Battle of the Bands (i.e. Warped Tour’s local-rock feeder), it isn’t hard to block out The Lifeline’s popularity. Grassroots fandom coupled with Hope’s commanding vocals and a violin that sounds like its on fire against power-house drums and ensembles gives this band an edge that the words “hard rock” can’t do justice. If Faber ever wanted a musical role in anything professional, she certainly chose wisely: The Lifeline’s recordings sound slick in a well-versed-engineering sort of way that match vocals to violin in a manner that’s refreshing and far more artsy than ordinary radio offerings.

The Lifeline’s resume spans a three-album discography: last year’s WWII concept full-length, “For All Who Triumph,” a first-release E.P. and a three-song “single” called “Crashing Waves,” which they released about a month ago that includes a re-recording of one of their older tracks and a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight” as well as the title track. They’ve been itching to record for some time and have decided that this year likely will give way to newly recorded songs, whether they be placed within a full-length arena or something shorter.

Other big news this year involves a 1940s-themed video trilogy slated to debut in the next couple months. Faber describes them as having a Matrix quality: parts of a whole but separately self-contained. Noted is the band’s classy Casablanca photo shoot – a more visual representation of the group’s high-minded writing style – which goes hand-in-hand with a business-minded operation that’s been without a label since the beginning and doesn’t necessarily - Beep! Magazine