Keith Moody
We just wanted to share a new video by our Endorsed Artist Keith Moody! Check it out at the link below
UNIVERSITY of ROCK
Hey Clayton Fans!! Check out these awesome picks we just made for a hip music school known as the 
UNIVERSITY of ROCK! UNIVERSITY of ROCK was started in 2009, all from an idea and passion to give back to aspiring musicians. Founded in JK’s (Founder/CEO) studio apartment in Hollywood, CA, the UNIVERSITY of ROCK (URock for short) has grown largely due to word of mouth and has grown without the help of any outside investors/capital.
UNIVERSITY of ROCK! UNIVERSITY of ROCK was started in 2009, all from an idea and passion to give back to aspiring musicians. Founded in JK’s (Founder/CEO) studio apartment in Hollywood, CA, the UNIVERSITY of ROCK (URock for short) has grown largely due to word of mouth and has grown without the help of any outside investors/capital.“Our school is highly branded and our image is young, hip, and empowering. Students are really digging our method/philosophy in teaching and have been telling their friends about us. It’s great because we get to introduce them to one of the coolest things on earth- rock n roll and we get to see firsthand on how music impacts their life for the better. I’m very fortunate to have the quality of Instructors and Students at our school,” says JK.
Currently, UNIVERSITY of ROCK has 6 branches in North America (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, and Boston) and recently opened an international branch in South Korea as of November 2011.
We had the opportunity to ask JK a few questions:
Q: So how did you come across Clayton picks?
A: It’s funny I actually got a bag of Clayton custom picks as a gift from this girl I knew back in 2009. She got them for me on my birthday and I was immediately hooked on the quality (particularly the Acetal material) and how easy it was to customize anything you wanted on the pick. Since then, I started ordering custom picks from you guys.
Q: Can you describe the picks you recently ordered for your company URock?
A: Yea, it’s the Acetal material and it features our logo/mascot Rockboy on the front of the pick. It’s only shows a part of his face though so it looks all alienish haha.
Q: What’s in store for URock this year?
A: Quite a bit actually. We are filming a couple commercial videos soon and are coming out with a new website in the next month or so. Then we plan to expand to other cities in America and possibly partner with some big names in music by this summer hopefully. Also we are coming out with some cool products that feature our mascot Rockboy.
Q: I heard you just started a band KISS the HERO? Tell us about that.
A: It’s a pop/rock band I started a few months ago with some friends of mine. We are getting ready to hit the studio to record a 5 song EP here soon. From there, we’ll be playing shows, touring, and all that other stuff. I’m really excited, the sound of the band is very pop oriented with a flare of some 80′s rock influence. Look out for KISS the HERO picks soon!
For more information on UNIVERSITY of ROCK, check them out at:
To design your own custom guitar picks, visit www.claytoncustom.com!
Jim Luparello of Car Party
Jim Luparello of Car Party has been endorsed with us since 2011. Here is a little bit about the band:
Car Party is an American pop-rock band from Baltimore, Maryland. Although they did not come under their current lineup until early 2011, they began their journey in late 2009 through a Craigslist ad posted by drummer, Taylor Hughes. Because of their pop-rock sound and tightly woven rhythm section, Car Party has been compared to the likes of Death Cab For Cutie, Jimmy Eat World and The Early November.
In 2010 Car Party released their debut EP, “Excuses” and quickly began work on their sophomore EP, “High & Low Places,” released independently in August 2011. For the follow-up effort, Car Party teamed up with producer and friend, Ace Enders, of The Early November and I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business – Ace is also featured on the single, “Please Me”. As credit to the band’s hard work, “High & Low Places” received a warm reception among fans and critics alike, landing them in Alternative Press, Substream Music Press and an exclusive interview in Modern Drummer magazine. The video for the single “Please Me” will be launched exclusively with Substream Music Press later this year.
In Fall 2011 the band was able to land an endorsement from Orange Amplifiers, begin a PR partnership with the New York-based firm Big Picture Media and wrapped up a successful US/Canadian tour. Dedicated to hard work and making music, the band has their sites set on the future with a new EP and an independent east coast tour in the works.
Car Party is Michael Natzke, Taylor Hughes, Chris Martin and Jim Luparello.
Check out the Band’s pages to here their music and more 
:
http://www.carpartyband.com
http://www.twitter.com/carparty
http://www.facebook.com/carparty
Pick of the Week — Lover Under Cover
This week’s Pick of the Week is for a band called Lover Under Cover. The new guitarist, Tor Erik, comes from 
Norway, from a band called JORN and they are about to start up some recordings in January. The singer is a very busy guy and sings in 3 different bands. Secret Service (pop band) http://www.youtube.com/watch?
MIKAEL ERLANDSSON, together with one of his best friends from early school years, MIKAEL CARLSSON.
You will find out that these talented guys realy will blow your mind out with metal as good as it can be. Screaming guitars, strong melodies and a vocal performance beyond devine. Ladies and gentlemen… I give you…
LOVER UNDER COVER !!! The first embryo of LUC goes back in time as far as 1982 when Mr E and Mr C were members in the southern rock act “Rain” together with one of Sweden’s most famous ZZ-Top lookalikes, Bengt Lundh. Setteled in the beautiful arcipelago outside Kungsbacka in the west of Sweden we all remember those crazy nights with Rock n roll ( and a couple of beers ) during endless Swedish summer nights. After that Mr E and Mr C were separated for a couple of years. Mr E working with his amazing and successful solo career and Mr C turned out to be semi professional musician and doing a lots of cover gigs at the pubs in the west of Sweden.
They bumped into each other a couple of times during the years and allways said that “we should realy do something togeather” Mr E started up Last Autumns Dream wich not need any further presentation i guess, and Mr C started up the first version of Lover Under Cover around 1992 with Daniel Boscovic as a lead singer.
Mr C and Mr B recorded about 30 songs during 4-5 years before they decided to go separate ways, and now…. 15 years later then finally Mr C and Mr E got the time and opportunity to take of in the project they always wanted to do. A new colorful, harder than ever version of LUC. And the Saga continues……..’); The LUC picks were created on our black celluloid guitar pick material, which was perfect for their logo which has a black background. To create and order your own custom guitar picks, visit www.claytoncustom.com today!
Pick of the Week — Blackbox13
Blackbox 13 was formed September of 2011, members include Joe Nassar, vocals, Joe Wiehl, lead guitar, Todd 
Turgeon, drums, and Cory Kay, bass. All players currently live in Las Vegas, Nv. In a short amount of time we have been able to accomplish a three song demo and a video for the fisrt song “Silent Wall.” Each member has brought to the table an amazing assortment of accomplishments . Cory Kay of Zombie Shaker Box, Joe Nassar of Light the Black Sky, Joe Wiehl, and Todd Turgeon, formally of 13 years, joined forces to create a raw crunchy straight ahead rock sound. With such a diverse array of musical influences each member is truly schooled in their craft. Cory was the member of Blackbox13 who decided to order some custom picks from Steve Clayton, Inc.
Cory’s accomplishments over the years have been playing in sold out shows around the Las Vegas, also setting attendances records in Utah. He has had the honor of winning several awards at the “LA Music Awards” for “Best Rock Album of the Year“, also winning “Best Metal Band” in Las Vegas, Nevada for “Las Vegas Rocks Magazine“ and winning a “Battle of the Bands”… all in 2010. Thru his musical journey he has also been able to be the opening act in large venues for such acts as Godsmack, Hellyeah, Slash and Joan Jett. Cory has some information to share about his custom guitar picks from Clayton, Inc: “I put a lot of thought into each pic design. Not only do I play with them, I also throw them out into the audience during my shows, something I’ve been doing for years. Clayton has given me the opportunity to promote all the bands I have played in over the years. I am looking forward to an amazing journey with Blackbox13, going into the studio in 2012 and hitting such states as California, Arizona, Utah and, of course, Nevada.” To find out more about Blackbox13, visit their sites:
http://www.youtube.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/
http://www.BlackBox13Band.com
Cory ordered his guitar picks on our acetal pick material, in the rounded triangle shape. To created and order your own custom picks, visit www.claytoncustom.com today!
Go Radio
We have recently endorsed Alex, Matt and Jason of Go Radio! Here is a little bit about the band:
It’s a truly rare occasion when a debut by a band is met with the kind of feverish fan anticipation that has encircled LUCKY STREET, the full-length debut by Tallahassee, Florida melodic rockers GO RADIO. But then again, none of those other groups have JASON LANCASTER at the helm.The GO RADIO singer/songwriter, who’s been crafting unflinchingly honest, breathtakingly beautiful music since venturing out on his own in 2007, boasts arguably the most goosebump-inducing combination of raw vocal talent and songwriting prowess in rock today. Backed by a gifted band with two stellar EPs under their belts, LANCASTER and GO RADIO are only just beginning to explore the seemingly endless potential for their mind-blowing creations.
The band–which also includes bassist MATT “BURNS” POULOS, drummer STEVEN KOPACZ and guitarist ALEX REED–immediately turned heads with the release of their self-released EP Welcome To Life in 2008, which bowled over listeners with its poignant, heartfelt lyrics and irresistible melodies. Attracting the attention of Fearless Records, the band inked a deal with the label, releasing the band’s second EP, Do Overs And Second Chances, in 2010. The EP, which featured the stunning ballad “Goodnight Moon,” landed at #8 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, going on to sell more than 15,000 copies in the U.S. In that span the group has toured extensively, heading out on high-profile runs with A Day To Remember, Secondhand Serenade and the Fearless Friends Tour with Mayday Parade among others. Despite the early success, 2011 promises to be the band’s most pivotal moment to date.
Known for their kinetic live performances and intimate interaction with fans, a packed slate of touring in support of LUCKY STREET–including a full run on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour–is the other crucial ingredient in bringing such vital art to the masses. GO RADIO aim to recruit a bonafide army of listeners, from multiple genres, as diverse as the band’s inimitable sound.
“We constantly put ourselves out there. Any chance we get to reach a new audience and get new ears, we’re down for. We’re not going to say, ‘Because you like breakdowns, you’re not gonna like GO RADIO,’ because you might,” says LANCASTER. “That’s how you build these things–one fan at a time, brick by brick. If it weren’t for everybody latching onto the band and finding something they enjoy about it, I’d still be playing acoustic guitar in my den right now.”
GO RADIO’s new album LUCKY STREET is out now on Fearless Records.
Pick of the Week — SOURMASH
We are excited and pleased to start 2012 off with the first Pick of the Week, made for the band 
SOURMASH! SOURMASH is an accomplished group of musicians hailing from Pennsylvania assembled to pay tribute to the guitar-driven music of the south. Labeled as ‘100 Proof Southern Rock’, this band performs like the whiskey from which its name is derived – smooth with a strong finishing kick. The band’s high-energy performances have become legendary in its brief existence. Formed in 2010, the band has been a consistent headliner for motorcycle rallies, festivals, and clubs. In addition, the band has opened for national acts, such as Blackberry Smoke.
The powerful SOURMASH performances showcase the band’s many talents. Strong and clear vocals; a grinding three-guitar attack; lush harmonies of both voice and guitar; and the thunderous panache of bass and drums combine to define the SOURMASH sound. The musicians also display their abilities playing keyboards, harp, mandolin and fiddle to increase the aural excitement. The highlight of the show, however, is the participation of the crowd. Whether the audience is dancing, singing along, or shouting “Hell Yeah!” – it is that energy that keeps SOURMASH alive.
Take a shot!
SOURMASH is:
Craig Harnish – Vocals
Tim Henry – Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
Nick Farine – Guitar
Chuck Carner – Bass, Harp, Vocals
Ken Harnish – Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals
Matt Knapp – Drums, Fiddle
To find out more about SOURMASH, visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sour-Mash/146397668710547 or https://www.sourmash-rock.com. We loved the design made for the SOURMASH pick, because it has a high amount of detail an intricacy, and it came out really well on our acetal material picks. To create and order your own custom picks, visit www.claytoncustom.com today!
Pick of the Week — Danny Jones Band
This week’s pick of the week was created by Danny Jones for the Danny Jones Band (DJB). “Danny is 
a versatile guitarist from in Northern California. Danny started playing guitar at the age of 12 after seeing childhood friend Larry Lalonde of Primus play Ted Nugent’s Cat Scratch Fever and Van Halen’s Ain’t Talking About Love. Danny became obsessed with the guitar; he began taking lessons with George Cole. George was a huge influence on Danny in his younger years, getting Danny interested in playing jazz standards, classical and country guitar. In Danny’s late teens, he began to study with Joe Satriani. Joe had a major impact on Danny’s style and songwriting. In the 90′s, Danny won the Best of the Bay contest two years in a row and received airplay on FM 97.3. Danny has also appeared in Guitar World, Guitar for the Practicing Musician & Guitar Player Magazine. Danny recently has had songs used in the commercial field for Krank Amps radio trailers as well as instructional dvd’s for Cesar Gracie & Gracie Fighter. Danny’s Band has opened shows for Ronnie Montrose, The Eric Martin Band, Telsa Guitarist/Frank Hannon, Bass Legend Stu Hamm and Uli Jon Roth. In 2009 Danny was one of the 10 Finalists chosen by Guitar Player Magazine for their Superstar Competition. You can catch Danny gigging in the SF Bay Area with his instrumental trio DJB, in which you will find players like former Whitesnake bassist Uriah Duffy trading licks with Danny!!” To find out more about DJB, visit http://www.dannyjones.net/ or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Danny-JonesMusicianGuitarist/237045499667619. Danny’s picks were made on our acetal material, which is the best for supporting designs with a variety of shading like the DJB logo. You can created and order your own custom guitar picks from Clayton at www.claytoncustom.com!
Pick of the Week — In The Fold
This week’s pick of the week was created for the band In The Fold. “The band started with four members in about 2000/1 
with Jim Beardow: guitar, Joe Ng: guitar & keyboards, Brendan Streeter: drums and (Jason Slater): bass. They did a short demo CD with three songs recorded but no vocals as they were experimenting with sounds. Jim was then offered a job in the big old USA and has since married, had child and stayed settled over there. Jim now plays with a band called Shwa in America on guitar. The rest of them drifted apart until a couple of years ago. They started writing music again as a three piece band and recorded three songs in October last year and are due to go back in the studio in January where they have even more songs. They are all based in the south east of England (Sussex and Kent). They are yet to gig with their new line up, but once the next recording has been completed, They hope to get out there. Links to the band are; http://www.facebook.com/#!/
Pick of the Week — Warrior Spirit Band
This week’s Pick of the Week was created for a unique band known as the 
Warrior Spirit Band. “They are the first all wounded warrior band in the US. Their mission is to bring awareness to various disabilities our veterans and soldiers face once they come home after war. They use music as a healing tool and a way to tell their stories of the experiences they had during combat and the struggles they have faced since coming home. Their goal is to make sure that every veteran that has a disability knows that there is help….and giving up is never an option! The Warrior Spirit band has the potential to do so much for our men and women of the armed forces that have sacrificed their ability to lead a normal life after being wounded or disabled in a combat zone. Warrior Spirit will help bring selected veterans outreach programs into the spotlight and will raise awareness of the struggles that our service men and women go through upon returning home and re-acclimating to a normal life.” Find out more about this amazing group at http://www.warriorspiritband.com/ Warrior Spirit Band’s picks were made on our white pearl material, which gives their logo an awesome 3-D effect and makes the gradient in the text really pop. Order your own custom guitar picks today at www.claytoncustom.com. And, if you are ordering custom picks as a holiday gift, hurry up!! Time is running out!!
