About Contos Tunes

Contos Tunes is a collection of eclectic Americana songs offering an original story telling through music in a style influenced by Rock and Roll, Blues, American Folk, Alternative and even British Invasion, etc... The stories and music is the real deal from life and heart's experiences as a song writer, story teller, musician, biker and human being. I write original tunes, play guitar, bass, sing and have a working knowledge of keys and drums. I also record, mix and master everything including the video production in my home bedroom studio as I'm also bedridden/wheelchair bound. YouTube is the one place my lifelong catalog of songs exist, including the C.R.A.P. (Credit Received At Practice) dating back to 1986 and the best of the best still being recorded today. Other platforms will only get the best of the best. I sincerely hope you enjoy the tunes and thank you for listening. Sincerely, Contos

Attention Cover Bands - PLEASE COVER THESE SONGS... if you like them.

About Contos Tunes HeadBand

HeadBand came about as a figment of my imagination as a young songwriter back in the late 70's, being told my songs didn't sound so good. I'd reply, yeah but if you could hear the band in my head then you'd know what I'm aiming for. Fast-forward to the digital age and home studios and I could finally produce the sounds in my head and so HeadBand was born. Then something miraculous happened. Real musicians finally started to materialize in person in my home studio and online with swapping files via the internet. Not everybody in HeadBand plays on every song but anybody who plays on a song is in HeadBand.
And so it is my pleasure to introduce you to HeadBand:

Stephen "Contos" Contonikolas
Songwriter / Producer / Lead & Rhythm Guitars / Lead Vocalist

I've been an amateur songwriter since the age of 11 in 1976 when I wrote my first song called, Stranger Within. I began a 12 year musical hiatus in 2007. In 2015, a year after suffering my first major heart attack, I landed my ass in a bed-ridden and wheelchair bound condition suffering severe chronic pain and femoral neuropathy. In 2019, I read an article in Guitar Player Magazine that sighted a medical study at the University Of Utah that stated that making music was more effective for pain relief than opioids and I've been hooked ever since. True Story!! The band in my head that I called HeadBand was born and now let me introduce you to the folks who joined my journey and in doing so joined HeadBand. Starting with Chief Road Dog on drums, Phantom Bacea on bass and T.T. Keaze on keyboards... Well Let's just say I'm very close to each of them but no photos exist and you'll never see any of us in the same room together at the same time. And now the rest of HeadBand:

Michael Moss
Flute / Keyboards / Harmonica / Backup vocal

Michael was the first real person to join HeadBand, who was my neighbor, hanging out at my beach bungalow in Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida back around 2015. One day he took out his flute and started to play along to my my noodling around on an old rusty acoustic that I had collecting dust in the corner. I told him if we took it half serious, we might have something. A few years later we took it half serious and played a live gig at Bailey's Contemporary Art Center in Pompano Beach on March 6th, 2020, just a few days before the city and the rest of the world shut down for the next few years due to Covid-19. It was a bummer but it didn't stop us from recording in the modest home studio that I was able to put together. It was the first time I started to take music seriously again after a 12 year hiatus. Michael has contributed keyboards, flute and harmonica on various tracks since the beginning as well as co-writing the song, Run, Free and Play, which we wrote about our sons growing up at the beach and becoming men. The song appears on the HeadBand EP.

Stevie Defraz
Saxophone / Vocalist / Mentor (turer)

Stevie Defraz was the second real person to join HeadBand, though he and I go back a few decades. He hails from the land of the Norse where he is a full-time musician, songwriter and music producer. When he looks up at night, he sees The Northern Lights. Fraz, as he's well known to friends and fans became the backbone of HeadBand with his smooth saxophone and expertise in music production and theory. From the beginning, he taught me what I needed to know to make a home studio and how to use it all. Once Bed-Ridden Productions was up and running, Fraz helped me to begin to understand what it truly is to be a songwriter and a producer. He taught me the fundamentals of recording, mixing and mastering. He has added a soul to the music that would not otherwise be there. He taught me how to write a blues song by writing the song, A Piece A Love, with me which is available on the HeadBand EP.

Kilmo Doome
Bass

well-known Doome is a well-known bass player, club owner (Alligator Alley, Margate, FL)  hailing from South Florida - New Orleans circuits. He has been a friend and member of many bands throughout the years. He cut his teeth on the bass as a young man being mentored by Jaco Pastorious and he never looked back. He has an impressive resume that you can find here: http://kilmo-bass.com/ Kilmo has been more than kind to offer his thunderous talents to the HeadBand when needed. I first called him in to listen to the song, My Cousin Dave, that I wrote in memory of David Shelley. Kilmo, who had played with David for many years in the past, came in and laid down the perfect bass line for the song, which is on the, 200 Plus Lessons & Blessings, album. Kilmo has kindly since graced other tracks throughout the Contos Tunes discography.

Sean Martin
Lead Guitar

Sean joined HeadBand when he showed up at the Bed-Ridden Productions Studio one night with a six-pack and went to work digging into some deep heavy grooves on the song, Fiendster, which can be heard on the HeadBand EP. He and I go back a few decades as well and he has appeared in past recordings of mine that can be heard on YouTube. He also laid down the Lead Guitar on the single, Fucking Like A Man, which was only released on YouTube so far but a remix and wide release is being considered for 2023. Sean stays busy with several bands including Voltagehead and Panic Boom.

Gabriel Contonikolas
Drums

Gabriel made his debut in HeadBand with the release of the song, Christmas List, in November of 2021. Although G, as he is known in some circles, has been in the studio with me all along. He is a great young man and I'm not just saying that because he is my son. He's a good student that stays busy in his High School Marching Band and Orchestral Band. He also has a few friends from the school band that he likes to get together with and jam out to classic Rock and Rock and Metal tunes. Gabriel has been absolutely invaluable in the studio both with a good ear and an amazing drummer with certain songs that take a special finesse to get right and he nails it every time he's called upon.

John Petter Levang
Bass

John or Jocky (pronounced Yocky) joined HeadBand on the Mama Dirt album via Stevie Defraz's studio in Norway. He nailed the bass lines for the songs, Some People Feel and New Dawn. He stays busy with several bands in Norway but says he was happy to play on the album and says he looks forward to more in the future.

Evan James Frazier
Bass

Evan joined HeadBand during the recording of the Mama Dirt album when he laid down the thick bass line on Green Leaf. He is also a fine young man and I'm not just saying that because he's Stevie Defraz's son. Evan stays busy in Norway in several bands as well as running his own video blog channel on YouTube. In addition to bass he is also quite good on guitar so stay tuned for more from this one.

Poet-Nicole D'Settemi
Backup Vocals / Album Cover Model

Nicole joined HeadBand singing backup vocals on the Mama Dirt Album on the songs, Keep On Trying and World Go Round. Nicole is also a model and a backup singer and dancer in a local South Florida band called, Roc Society. Check them out if your in the area, they are a lot of fun. Nicole also publishes several magazines and is an accomplished poet. In addition to her vocals, she graced us with the cover photo for Mama Dirt album cover.

Shannon Battle
Backup Vocals

Shannon joined HeadBand during the recording of the album Mama Dirt. She graces us with her backup vocals on the songs, Looking For Some Peace and World Go Round. Shannon is a local South Florida troubadour, singer and songwriter in her own right. Catch her live if you can as it's always a great show.

More to come, stay tuned...

About Bed-Ridden Productions

Bed-Ridden Productions started as a joke to myself when I finished producing one of my music videos on YouTube and I scripted the billing Contos Tunes presents in association with Bed-Ridden Productions into the intro of the video. I used to do this stuff for a living with a real company name but found myself living more than 90% of my life in bed and within 6 feet of my bed with the home studio I was able to put together around me, so it was funny to me. My first and still favorite of 3 ex-wives laughed out loud when she saw it so that was good enough for me. Later down the line when I got semi-serious and decided to join ASCAP, get a music distributor and a publishing agent, I needed to register the name of a publishing company and so I used the Bed-Ridden Productions name and it stuck as a recording label and a publishing company. A damn good joke is a joke that keeps on giving. Music is 1 of 3 things that brings me joy and joy diverts me from pain. 

Bed-Ridden Productions is now open and available to fellew struggling musicians and songwriters to help make your musical dreams come true with Audio Tracking, Mixing, Mastering and Music Video Production Services.

​Contact me by email at ContosTunes@gmail.com

CONTACT

Email: ContosTunes@gmail.com

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