Florida has had a very rich musical lineage over the last 50 years or so. First in the later 1960’s to early 1970’s the band that really put Florida on the map originally was Lynyrd Skynyrd out of Jacksonville. They would later go on to influence something called ‘Southern Rock’. Soon bands such as Allman Brothers Band and .38 Special would follow road Lynyrd Skynyrd laid. Although ‘Southern Rock’ would be plagued with great loss and grief that did not stop the metamorphosis of the Florida music scene.

Meanwhile, in the world of jazz and fusion, another well developed jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius better known for his legendary work in Weather Report, Pat Metheny, and Joni Mitchell. Jaco is still considered by many to this date the ‘Godfather Of Jazz Bass’ and that merit really cannot be disputed. Jaco would later influence the likes of  Flea, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins, Carlos Santana and even Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo who produced a film documenting the life of Jaco.

In the 1980’s the musical history of Florida would become a little richer in its heritage. This time in the realms of heavy metal music. While the United Kingdom and Los Angeles California were able to boast about their respective metal scenes, so would Florida on two metal fronts progressive power metal with bands such as Crimson Glory and Savatage. However, Florida’s biggest metal export would be the late 1980’s to early 1990’s  ‘First Wave Of Death Metal’. In the ‘First Wave Of Death Metal’, bands like Brutality, Obituary, Deicide, Morbid Angel and Chuck Shuldiner’s DEATH would all give birth to the modern global death metal movement still going today. But there always seems to be newer artists and music movements in Florida.

One such band at the forefront of what I call Melodic Post Alternative Hard Rock is Sunshine & Bullets. In as much as the previously mentioned bands I spoke about within Florida’s rich musical history, I feel Sunshine & Bullets have an approach and unique distinctive sound that we will look back on 20 to 50 years from now and place them at the top of some rock family tree maybe not as many pioneers as they will be seen as innovators of music.

Florida seems to produce quality original bands in style, genre, approach, and presentation. They never produce watered down clones that exist for the case of just existing. Sunshine & Bullets are true originals in style, genre, approach, sound, and presentation. With only three members in the band, Rich Keane Jr – Vocals/Guitar , Amanda Hamers – Vocals/Bass, Kyle Wolfram – Drums, the band has seemed to carve their own way instead of following and produced their own unique and distinct sound that really can not compare to any of their modern day contemporaries.

Full review here > Power of Prog