Blender magazine, one of the biggest, national music magazines in the country, hand-picked The Bloids as one of only 18 bands throughout the country to compete in a battle of the bands contest to win a recording session in Las Vegas and a showcase gig at SXSW/South by Southwest in Austin next year.

The contest includes five preliminary stages. Fans vote for their favorite online and the top three bands advance to the next round with new contenders. The last band standing will be on their way to Austin and Las Vegas.

The Bloids are competing in the round that runs from July 23 to September 2.

Click "read more" below for a voting link and much more information.

To vote for The Bloids, visit http://www.blender.com/contests/rohto/vote.aspx. The final round ends on November 21.

In addition to the contest, The Bloids just released a new album produced by Al Sutton (Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Hank Williams Jr.) and Chuck Alkazian (Christina Aquilera, Elton John, The Dave Mathews Band).

For their new album "Memories of Things I’ve Never Done", Mr. Wax brought his hip hop, old-school R&B roots to the table and Robert 'Reverend Jim' Jones looked to his Beatles/King Crimson background to create a classic rock vibe with a fresh approach.

"Memories" is about love, loss and life’s constant ability to take people to the edge of sanity and back. It doesn't sit in one place - it ebbs, flows, but does so with a concept that creates a concise album. From the heart-felt "Girl Named Paradise" to the pulsing "Anchor" to the vibe of "Feelin' Me", this CD is meant to move.

Unlike their previous EP, "Civilized Savage", when they wrote 30 songs in nine days, The Bloids took several months to craft "Memories". They had another 30 songs in the end and wrote most of them in the dead of summer in a studio without air conditioning.

“I remember sweat dripping all over my guitars after recording various takes,” Reverend Jim said. “Sometimes it felt like a 1960s recording session. No engineer, just Wax and I working hard for 12 hours at a time.”

"Memories of Things I’ve Never Done" is packed with a big team of guest stars including MC Breed, Vinnie Dombrowski, Marlon Young, Jimmy Bones, Chuck Alkazian, Eric Hoegemeyer, Steve Stetson of Uncle Kracker and Allison Friendly who have been involved with everyone from The Dave Matthews Band to Kid Rock and Tupac.

Al Sutton of Rustbelt Records was passionate about recording the album. He heard "Civilized Savage", dug where they were at, musically speaking, and they finally grabbed a beer and just vibed off of each other.

“We all felt that we could do a great album together,” said Reverend Jim. “And there you have it, 'Memories of Things I’ve Never Done' was born. Al has a profound approach to producing and is very clear about what he wants. He knows how to get the right sound and knows what a great song is supposed to be.”

Mr. Wax, who worked with Chuck Alkazian in the past, had specific tracks in mind for him. Chuck did a killer job – check out his high energy, high output work on "Anchor".

In addition, "Memories of Things I’ve Never Done" is packed with cameos and guest appearances. Mr. Wax, who has also produced many albums, worked with Vinnie Dombrowski and MC Breed. He even lived with MC Breed for a while. It was only natural to invite the pair to play on their album. Vinnie played drums on several tracks and MC Breed rapped on "Feelin’ Me".

Then, while they were hanging out at Rustbelt Studios, they met Marlon Young, Jimmy Bones and Steve Stetson. Because Rustbelt is just that sort of studio – people hang out, hear something, groove on it and want to jump in. Marlon kicked it up on the bass with a sort of James Jamerson groove. Jimmy Bones brought the B-3 organ and gave the album a soulful vibe. Steve Stetson is a powerhouse of a drummer. Eric Hoegemeyer also dropped some cool synth lines on "All Night".

In addition to the album, Mr. Wax was nominated for the Outstanding Hip Hop DJ award at the 2007 Detroit Music Awards and The Bloids recently played with Nashville recording artist Jeff Tuttle at the Midwest Hope on Wheels tour in Hell, Michigan.

The Bloids also signed with ValloNicka Films to contribute two songs in their forthcoming feature film "Sometimes in Life". The director of "Sometimes in Life" is also producing a new feature film with a producer of "Deadwood" and "Gilmore Girls".

In the meantime, the band is ready to hit the road for an east coast tour in the fall. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/bloids.



Photo by Josh Band