“Big Bus Dream is a thinker’s vacation.”– Music Dish/Muses Muse
Big Bus Dream blends roots rock with electrified arrangements. A literate brand of individual style and commentary along the lines of John Lennon and Mark Oliver Everett (of The Eels). Big Bus Dream is about passion, perseverance, it is the distinctiveness of the song, the arrangement and the colors. “These are old-fashioned protest songs at heart with a patina of new-coffeehouse folk (The Gourds) … and they deliver their messages.”– David Cowling, Americana UK
Giant In My Mind, follows two years of much self-reflection. Big Bus dream’s Mike Shannon adds, “If getting older and still making music wasn’t enough to think about, throw in a pandemic and you have plenty of time to think about your life. Add all the crazy politics and divide in this country and you have plenty to write about. Mostly, the record is about jumping, or just crashing through, hurdles over the years – lots of hurdles.” The new release is wrapping up, with a release date June 3rd, 2021. The single, Giants in My Mind, is available now.
Mike Shannon’s journey has always been about climbing the steps up the Big Bus. This is Big Bus Dream. And Big Bus Dream, like 4th Ward before, has always been about the distinctiveness of the song, the hook, the colors. He repeatedly is told by fans that when they hear his tunes, they immediately know it is him, his sound. This is what original music should be about – an original style and voice: “The sound is original without being trendy”, writes Creative Loafing.
4thward’s 2000 self-titled release debuted #20 on the National CMJ Top 200 charts. Celebrity Cafe awarded the release, “Album of the day!”. The group spent 4 years playing the circuit opening for the likes of Angie Aparo, Hootie and The Blowfish before regrouping as Big Bus Dream.
Big Bus Dream’s 2006 self-titled debut earned Editor’s Pick by CD Baby and 8 of 10 stars by Americana UK, as well as topping the main European music site charts. Several tracks found their way onto MTV’s Pimp My Ride, Breaking Amish, as well as film (MY life as Abraham Lincoln) and TV (WBTV documentaries). The Jesters of Xmas Town (2008) continued the band’s songwriting and recording success:
Absolute Power Pop wrote, “This is one bus you’ll want to catch.” The Charlotte Observer added, “nearly perfect, 3.5 out of 4 stars.” Octavematch.com observed, “Shannon’s a dead ringer for Mr. E (Eels) himself…”
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M.T.V.rock 