Blackmarket

The tight and polished sound of Lake Havasu, AZ's Blackmarket can be attributed to a partnership that began when the members first began playing together in their middle-school years. Daryl Lamont (vocals, guitar), Langdon Chieffo (drums), Mikey Emerson (bass), and Jason Brindis (guitar, keyboards), who first drew inspiration from the Beatles, Elliott Smith, and David Bowie, had their first major success not in America, but in Japan. The group released both an EP and a full-length album on the FMAC/Rough Trade Japan label and played a sold-out Tokyo show in 2007, leading to an invitation for Blackmarket to perform at the FujiRock Festival in July 2008. Their first stateside release, the self-titled EP Blackmarket, was recorded with the help of Sean Slade and Matthew Ellard. It was released in 2008 on No Office Records.