ROCK MUSIC Alias X builds identity

Two years in the world of music can seem like a lifetime.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Forget the traditional cotton-theme gifts for this anniversary. Maybe the perfect second-year gift for these guys is cotton to protect the ears.
The members of Alias X, in their quest to make music that's radio-friendly yet provocative, have spent two years honing their sound and their craft and are now ready to celebrate.
The band's two-year anniversary show is set for 10 p.m. June 5 at The Cellar in Struthers. Also on the bill are Soma, Audiblethread and The Resistance.
While they admit two years doesn't sound like a long time, in the world of music -- especially local music -- it can seem like a lifetime. Plenty of bands have lasted longer, but many more barely got their sound out of the garage.
Each coming from different musical backgrounds and bands, the lineup produced a sound that can't be defined by terms like alternative or industrial. But it does feature electronic elements, tight harmonies and meaningful lyrics.
Different approach
Knowing the odds were against them, the guys in Alias X -- guitarist Jon Deaner, bassist Jerry Hanhold, keyboardist Larry Serb, drummer Dave Mauerman and singer Nick Miller -- decided early to take a different approach to getting their name and their sound recognized.
"We try to make music that has something mainstream and modern in it, so it will get radio play, but it has a deeper meaning than so much of the stuff on the radio today," explains Deaner.
Realizing that the listening public wouldn't get that by just seeing the band's name on a flier, though, prompted them to get their sound out.
So it was off to the studio to record a three-song CD, a sampler of the music of Alias X. More than 3,000 copies of the self-titled demo found their way into the hands of music fans throughout the region.
The band members soon found themselves playing not only in the Mahoning Valley, but in night clubs in Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo on a regular basis.
"It made it pretty obvious that we had a halfway decent product," said Hanhold.
What's next
Now, the band is working on recording a new seven-song CD, due out this fall. It also is distributing a sampler CD with one song from each of the bands scheduled to perform at the anniversary show. Free copies are available at both CD Warehouse and New York Music, or you can check the Web site at www.aliasx.net for other locations.
The band says it's all part of a concentrated effort to take that next step in music: making it from regional hits to national stars.
"The ultimate goal? To make enough money to get the music heard," says Mauerman. "To be able to play our music, the way we want, to a different crowd every night."
Shopping their music not only to potential fans, but also potential labels is a part of that. In addition to local shows, the guys plan to travel to where the names are.
"We are already set to be in the Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg," says Serb.
The conference is June 24-26 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Harrisburg. Alias X is to perform June 26, the last of three nights of showcasing acts and artists.
slshaulis@vindy.com