FREE MUSIC MARATHON (LAP 1 / 4)

I'll be out of town for the next four days but I didn't want to leave The Circle Pit hanging. So here's something I set up last week to kill all the memory left on your iPod.

THIS IS THE FREE MUSIC MARATHON!

We've helped promote a lot of free music over time. This is the cream of the crop. And it ranges from big bands to the deep underground. Click a link, any link. You may just find a new favorite. No matter what, you'll find free music and tunes available for the price of your choosing. All of these artists deserve support, so don't be afraid to throw some dollars if something really makes you happy.

This is the first lap of four. 25 links a day. Let's go!

We'll officially be back in full operation on Wednesday.

The Safety Fire
Intervals
Heart of a Coward
CHON 

The Afterimage

Acrania
Cyclamen
Aeolist 
Rosetta
A.I.(d)
Native Construct
The Storm Picturesque
Ganesh Rao
Crow Black Sky
Polyphia 
Dorthal 

Things We Lost

The Ulex
Bend The Sky
Last FM
Maleficus Angelus
Remaining Chaos
Puig Destroyer

Breed of War

The Odious

CHON "BUBBLE DREAM" GUITAR PLAY THROUGH

CHON play throughs are always a welcome treat to the eyes and ears. So when news of a new one came around, you better believe people were pressing the play button.

This time around the chill Cali-style guitar masters covered the track "Bubble Dream" from their debut EP "Newborn Sun". Excellent song from an excellent release. It's highly recommended you check the Carbon Hydrogen Oxygen Nitrogen greatness down below if you're looking for something laid back and musically sound.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Bandcamp

CHON - ARTIST OF THE WEEK CONTEST / INTERVIEW!

This week we're featuring the upcoming innovators / extreme talents in CHON. Expect chill Californian shred and absolute greatness. These guys just dropped their debut EP "Newborn Sun" on Tuesday and we highly recommend you go give it a listen or five.

To celebrate this we're holding a massive contest for you guys! There will be ten winners with two coveted prizes. First and foremost, we're giving away 10 free downloads of "Newborn Sun"! Booyah! What's next? You can either win a free signed guitar pick or a chance to have a free online lesson / jam sesh with CHON themselves. Get on it through the instructions below.

On top of all this we had an interview with the band. Czech that!

ENTER TO WIN

1. Must like CHON
2. Must like The Circle Pit
3. Must share this post and tag both CHON and The Circle Pit

BONUS 

1. Like the post for a second vote
2. Comment on the post for a third vote

This contest ends Saturday 6/15 at 9 PM EST!

*We will contact the winner.
*By participating, you acknowledge that you completely release Facebook of all responsibility. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.

__________________________________________________________________________________

C = CHON (Answered collectively by Mario Camarena, Erick Hansel, and Nathan Camarena)
MT = Mike Thall

   
MT = Everyone at The Circle Pit is stoked to have you as Artist of the Week. Big thanks for your time!

C = Yee.

MT = You’ve been making musical greatness for a little while now. How and when did you dudes get started?

C = We started early 2008. Erick and Mario were making songs and wanted to play shows so they taught Nathan how to play drums.

MT = Just like that. What’s the story behind the name CHON?

C = We heard it on the science channel and it made us lol.

MT =  That carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen. Who or what inspires your music?

C = Awesome humans, great musicians, video games, awesome food like california burritos and nesquik. Pretty female faces are inspiring, a bunch of other shat.

MT = Right on. You’re one of the very few bands out there to have influenced others without putting out any official releases (until now). You’ve developed this fresh, chill California style shred. Can you tell us about this style?

C = That's sick. We've been getting that a lot lately. We just make up what we think is cool basically.

MT = It works. You just dropped your first official release! How good does that feel?

C = Extremely stoked.

MT = What went into creating “Newborn Sun”?

C = We definitely went in this year. For about 3 months we were constantly writing together and stuff. It got to a point where the EP was all we cared about. Like, Mario went from being a health nut, working out, and drinking hulks loads (vegetable shakes) every morning to eating pizza for breakfast by the end of it.

MT = Any favorite tracks on the new EP? And why?

C = Probably "wut the.. (poop)". Jk we love them all the same.

MT = Why did you choose the name “Newborn Sun”?

C = Erick made it up and we thought it was cool.

MT = You’re currently unsigned. If you could choose any label out there, who would it be?

C = We would look extremely gooby if we answered that haha.

MT = Fair enough. What are your plans for the second half of 2013?

C = Play lots of shows, poop, write a full length

MT = Ohhh yeeeah. How many live shows has CHON played?

C = So many, we honestly don't know.

MT = Not a bad thing. Anything crazy ever go down at one of your shows or on the road?

C = Nathan sharted in the middle of our set once when he was like 11

MT = Shit on the kit. Here’s the fun round… If you could party with any band in the world, who would it be?

C = Unlocking the Truth

MT = Hope they have fake IDs. Those are all the questions we have. Thanks again! Any shout outs to give?

C = Shouts to everyone who supports us. You guys are truly awesome.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Bandcamp

CHON "FLUFFY" GUITAR PLAYTHROUGH

Ain't no fluff here. CHON have managed to put out yet another jaw dropping guitar play through. Watch as the fingers of Mario Camarena and Erick Hansel fly across the fretboard with buttery ease for some chill Californian shred. The single release / playthrough of "Fluffy" were done in support of the band's upcoming EP "Newborn Sun". Read our preview for that release right here and expect it to drop very soon!

This band is the real deal. This has been evident ever since their inception back in '08 when all the members were still between the ages of 13-16 years old. In fact, they're the only band I can think of that has had a significant influence on others without putting out an official debut. That's all about to change. They've grown with time and so has their music. Should be awesome to hear how it all pans out! Stay tuned.

Links: Facebook // Twitter

CHON "NEWBORN SUN" EP PREVIEW

A bit back, lead guitarist Mario Camarena returned to CHON as his full time band. This was a massive career move and they've been hard at work ever since. Now the upcoming, virtuosic, Prog Rock powerhouse officially have new material coming very soon. And from the sounds of it, fans have a lot to look forward to.

A few days ago, the band unveiled the cover art for their upcoming EP, "Newborn Sun". And since then they've released their first single "Fluffy". It brings the good vibes back with that chill California-style melodic riffing CHON followers have come to love. Definitely a track to keep on repeat.

They've also been playing the title track, "Newborn Sun", live in recent shows. You can enjoy the footage below.

Expect to hear more of that Californian greatness very soon. It's been announced that the EP will be arriving in May, however the exact date was not given. And for those of you who haven't experienced the newest aural pleasures of CHON yet, listen below... now.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Free Music

CHON "NEWBORN SUN" NEW SONG LIVE

Upcoming, virtuosic, Prog Rock powerhouse CHON have new material on the way. And from the sounds of it, fans have a lot to look forward to. The band has been playing a brand new song live. Watch / listen to a very nice recording of "Newborn Sun" just below and jam some modern classics from the group. You can also grab a bunch of free music from CHON right here. Amazing stuff.

A few months ago, lead guitarist Mario Camarena returned to CHON as his full time band. This was a massive career move and things are only looking up for everyone involved. Stay tuned for plenty more California-style melodic shred.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Free Music

CHON RETURNS! (FREE MUSIC)

Ridiculous guitar talent Mario Camarena just made a serious and awesome career choice not too long ago. Actually it's some of the best music related news I've heard in months. He has decided to stop wasting his talent on the frankly generic To Each His Own and return to CHON (Carbon Hydrogen Oxygen Nitrogen) as his full time project. Many have been hoping for this day to come.

He released the following statement: "Yo guys, It's Mario. Here's the gnarly news. After thinking about this for months, I've decided to leave my other band To Each His Own to focus fulltime on CHON and the music that's truly in my heart. I fuckin love those dudes, and I know they're going to make it far with the band. Be on the lookout for some more news on upcoming shit"

Expect to hear more of that chill California-style melodic shredding CHON followers have come to love. And for those of you who have not experienced the aural pleasures of CHON, listen below... now.

As an added bonus, CHON have made all the demo songs they have released so far available for free download here.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Free Music