The Battle of the Bands 2010 lineup

Big Oil

Big Oil possesses a geeky spirit with a downright goofy perspective.

"We've had stuff happen to us that's brought us together, but video games are probably the glue," says Doug Rudeen (lead guitar), junior psychology major. "You can throw a bunch of birdseed at a pinecone, but it won't stick unless there is some peanut butter on there."

With video games as the cornerstone, the band manages to blend indie rock with the psychedelic feel of a jam band.

The band's most highly played song on MySpace, "Dog," combines catchy guitar licks with a poppy drum beat to create a very easygoing, light-hearted California coast image in a listener's mind. Big Oil would be an excellent choice for the background music for the road trip scene in a film.

While their music is simple and straightforward, talking to them leaves one flabbergasted. Think of them as the 2010 version of the merry pranksters. They find nothing too serious yet can see meaning in anything.

"I dealt with a lot of my struggle with God through playing Halo 2 and 3," says Eric Gordon (vocals, rhythm guitar), junior women studies major.

The band, which also includes Rob Lyons (bass), junior psychology major, and Will Segerstrom (drums), junior philosophy major, frequently makes comments that seem too hilarious to be taken seriously while keeping a straight face the whole way. The awkward nature of it aside, they do seem to have a fascination with God.

"So a lot of people say, you know, rock is a joke, Battle of the Bands, Big Oil is a joke, but I see it more like church," Rudeen says. "There are only two things that are real in music, and that's when you talk about love and God. Big Oil is not about love."

Conduct Party

Conduct Party is very serious about two things: making music together and dinner.

"You should come over later, I have so much pork," says Austin Ryan-Mas (guitarist), junior business major, to his bandmates.

Conduct Party is a band that plans serious barbeques.

Conduct Party formed just six short weeks ago. Jake Weaver (bass), junior electrical engineering major; Roald Dietzman (drums), junior mechanical engineering major; and Jason Miller (guitar and trumpet), sophomore film studies major, performed at last year's Battle of the Bands under the name Kissers and Shooters. They were introduced to Ryan-Mas at last year's Battle of the Bands.

The band has been practicing endlessly to ensure their debut performance at the Battle will please the crowd. All members are excited to be taking the stage together under their new name.

"I think we are going to bring some heat," Weaver says.

The band says they are not performing at Medieval Mayhem for the judges or winning title. Instead, the four view this as a stepping stone for them to bring their music to the public. Their main focus for the evening is to please the crowd.

Conduct Party's music is reminiscent of currently viral British rock bands like Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys. It's a little heavier, but still danceable.

 "Our songs are about hardships and love," Weaver says. "Sometimes they don't even make sense."

In any case, what they really want is for the audience to get up and dance.

"You should have a good time listening to us," Weaver says.

Pietro Crespi

The two members of folk-rock harmonizers Pietro Crespi did not even know each other six months ago.

Alexander Barr, freshman humanities for teaching and English literature major, and Katie Sweeney, freshman liberal studies major, came together only after arriving at Seattle University. Perhaps that fails to explain how their acoustic driven sound will amaze listeners, but it is also the basis for their humility.

"We are going to have as much fun as possible," Barr says. "We're not in it to win first place. We didn't even know there were prizes involved."

The duo's sound is reminiscent of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez without the vibes of happiness and love that filled 1960s. It is a "darker acoustic sound," according to Barr. He describes it as "acoustic folk with a darker and, I hate to say it, more emo feeling."

To help fill out the sound, the duo will be performing with three friends, adding acoustic bass, violin and more backing vocals, but they will still keep it simple.

"We are going to try and keep it acoustic," Barr says.

The duo rests heavily on the simply amazing vocal abilities of Sweeney.

Sketch Echo

Clinton Carl, sophomore philosophy major and founder of Sketch Echo, wants to redefine pop music.

"In the modern era, there are three bastions of Romanticisms: Corporate advertising, pop music and super hero movies," Carl says. "I want to push beyond these."

Sketch Echo was birthed through the creation of Carl's first song, "Electric Fantasy," close to one year ago. Later on, Carl met Sheena McCray when they discovered they had a similar thirst for '80s pop. McCray's interest in producing music allowed the two to begin a collaboration to make pop perfection.

"We are 100 percent pop," Carl says. "And half of pop is a performance art."

Erika Bailey, freshman international studies major, and Tasha Norris provide that 50 percent of Sketch Echo's musical performance. Bailey choreographs dance moves to coincide with the music.

Bailey says the dance moves are very "structural" but contain trace amounts of "softness" in them.

"We want a sense of elegance, gracefulness," McCray says. "It's soft and hard."