Honeystone, Big Jon & The Mattress Factory

The Chicago-based band, Honeystone, came together effortlessly, by way of serendipitous introductions and happy timing. Justin Honigstein (lead vox/guitar) found David Koslovsky (bass), and together they were introduced to Nathan Taylor (drums). Then, suddenly, arrived John Nordquist (lead guitar), and Honeystone went to work.

Their inaugural album, Scout???s Honor, gathers itself together in an equally easy way. A collection of songs from the group???s three songwriters ??? Justin, John, and David ??? Scout???s Honor???s patchwork structure patiently unfolds itself, revealing the group???s versatility and larger artistic vision. The opening track, ???Mayday,??? divulges their age ??? tucked within the gentle funk rhythms is a distinctly Millennial sensibility that guides the album???s larger exploration of identity, struggle, and self-growth. Their approach remains compelling, as they shift from indie-rock tunes like ???Long Hair Jones??? to alt-rock jams, such as ???Northside.??? They wistfully explore promising love in ???This Dream??? and make peace with past love in ???Gone.??? They wrestle with XYZ in ???Cuando??? and navigate XYZ in ???Peace of Mind.???

Honeystone also engages these various individual and collective struggles through a blend of homage and honesty. The band cites an impressive list of influences (Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder, and James Taylor, among others) but never forget themselves in the album???s making. In doing so, they give themselves space to not only promote their music, but to progress their aesthetic and achievements


Foam? Spring? Twin? California king? No matter what your preference, Big Jon and the Mattress Factory is here to ease that chronic back pain. The Boston-based rock band specializes in frequencies designed to loosen you up and straighten you out. Look out for their debut EP, Carolina Street, which tears into the very hypoallergenic fabric of 60s-70s rock and blues. After their EP release in October, the factory has been highly productive pumping out new songs broadening their pallet from firm to plush.