The Black Shades are an alternative rock band with a heavy dose of real hard-hitting rock n’ roll. Aaron Clark’s vocals are instantly recognizable, but every song is different. Their debut EP Turn Me On Electric proves that the Black Shades are anything but predictable. In “GNF,” you hear hard, slightly garagey guitar, wailing rock vocals, and hand clapping. The lyrics and vocal style, as well as the memorable guitar riffs and the keyboard in the opening song “Turn Me On Electricity,” have made it one of my favorite songs of 2010 so far. “Tuff Love” and “GNF” are pure garage rock excellence. The background vocals in “Say Say Say” give it a cool retro vibe. And in “Don’t Put Salt On My Grave” opens with ballad-y Beatles background vocals, with edgy high pitched alternative rock vocals, surf rock guitar, and hand claps, and then the song explodes unexpectedly with hard bluesy garage rock guitar riffs. This is a band that’s not to be overlooked.

The Black Shades formed in October 2009 in the disguise as a cover band called "The Red Square". The original founding members, Aaron, Mike Dean, and Mike O'B formed a cover band while their current band was in defunct mode. During one of those many practices, they decided to start writing original tunes, and they really liked what was coming out of it. Skip forward to a few weeks later in November, and they added lead guitarist Jared Kowalski and continued writing songs.
After various names were tried out, The Black Shades became the end product, and they played their first show in December 2009. In February 2010, TBS started their first EP "Turn Me On, Electric" at 1313 Studios in Nashville, recorded by Mike Vecchio. During this time, Jared bowed out of the band to gain control of financial issues. The trio that started the band recorded the EP by themselves, and pushed forward by adding Michael Thomas to take Jared's place. In March, on the eve of the EP release, drummer Mike O'Brien informed the band that he too would be leaving, for pretty much the same reason Jared had to leave, to secure a better financial future. Mike was soon replaced by Jerry Kessinger, a drummer TBS had met a few months prior while sharing a show with his former band.
Now here we are, 6 months later, several member changes, an EP, a handful of shows, and an official complete lineup. We are The Black Shades.