Magnoliablack

Magnoliablack is a San Diego based rock band that formed in 2006 when singer Rob Rivera and guitarist Jason Redon teamed up with Guitarist Rob Edilson and Thomas Belgan for a few garage jams. After a few weeks they stepped out of the garage and played a few shows to small crowds at local venues. Surprised with the attention they received Magnoliablack started to gig regularly when tragedy struck as Thomas was forced to move to the East Coast and Rivera was sent on deployment.

"All that happening at once felt like a death blow to your dreams.? says guitarist Jason. "After playing with Rivera for years, it felt like every time we got something up and running it would fall apart due to circumstances beyond our control." When Rivera returned from deployment Magnoliablack set out to flesh out their lineup, write new songs and tackle the local scene once again. They quickly picked up Drummer Ian Moch who Edilson and Redon had met while playing in another band during the downtime.

"I remember when those guys said they didn't like his style I couldn't believe it. I made sure to keep in touch with him though, because when I heard him play I knew he would be perfect for Magnoliablack when it reformed," recalls guitarist Edilson. In the winter of 2006 Magnoliablack moved into their practice space and started recording their first album, "In Falling Matter", while continuing to look for the final member of the band. A few months and several tracks later, the band auditioned bassist Ray Kallmeyer in March.

"I had been playing in different bands for years but had never come close to the bond I immediately felt with the other members. Musically we were like different pieces of the same puzzle - it was uncanny how well everything fit when we started jamming.? recalls groove monster Ray. With Magnoliablacks line up complete they released their self-produced and recorded CD, "In Falling Matter" to critical acclaim in the summer of 2007.

While continuing to gig in and around the San Diego area over the past year they were nominated for a San Diego Music Award for "Best Rock" and similarly claimed honorable mention in the John Lennon Songwriting competition for the song Monument. Magnoliablack enjoys an active nation-wide fan base cultivated by an overwhelmingly positive reception on the internet and airtime on independent and college radio stations across the country.