Music

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Jonny Manak & The Depressives is a garage punk rock and roll band from San Jose, California, formed in 2006 with influences spanning the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The band is a three-piece built around high-energy, no-frills songwriting and is known for ripping through non-stop sets of two-minute bangers and power surf ditties. Christopher Estep serves as the band's drummer. Though Estep is a current live member of the band, he has not recorded on any of their studio releases. Since 2007, the band has released six full-length albums on CD, vinyl, cassette, and digitally, and their songs have been featured in skateboard, snowboard, and surf videos, as well as placements on MTV, Fuel TV, and Fuse TV. JM & the Depressives have performed throughout the western United States and Europe, sharing the stage with acts such as The Adicts, Agent Orange, DOA, Dick Dale, and The BellRays. During Estep's tenure behind the kit, the band served as direct support for touring acts including Giuda (Rome, Italy), the Dead Boys, and Drunk Injuns.

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Belmont Sound System is an early reggae band from Fresno, California, that draws from the foundational sounds of ska, rocksteady, and early reggae. The band was Fresno's primary representative of this classic Jamaican musical lineage, though they no longer perform live. Their recorded catalog includes "Autumn Leaves" and "Top Boy," both songs written by drummer and songwriter Christopher Estep, who also arranged the horn lines. The project showcases Estep's ability to craft authentic early reggae compositions and horn arrangements that honor the genre's roots while bringing those timeless rhythms to California's Central Valley music scene.

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Motel Drive is a rock and roll and rockabilly band from California's Central Valley, formed in 2008 by longtime valley rocker JD Goodwin. Christopher Estep served as the band's drummer during their early years, contributing to their foundational sound as they developed into a focused three-piece powerhouse of longtime friends and former bandmates. During Estep's tenure, the band recorded their six-song EP "$5 Tricks" (2009) and their critically acclaimed self-titled full-length album "Motel Drive" (2010), which received praise from bloggers and podcasters nationwide and made several "Best of 2010" lists. Estep also played on their 2022 album "Rescue Me." The band opened for notable acts including The Reverend Horton Heat and The Blasters, and won various battle of the bands competitions including the 2010 Fresno State Battle of the Bands. Estep is no longer with the band, having departed after their later releases.

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Thunderbolt 650 is a California-based alt-rock outfit whose music takes a long look at lives lived and the many treasures cast away and left behind. The band forges fresh sonic soundscapes of acoustic and amplified guitars, soul-stirring vocals, and warm echoing bass, woven together with atmospheric organ and creative percussion, drawing comparisons to acts ranging from The Replacements and early R.E.M. to Radiohead and Arcade Fire. Christopher Estep contributes drums and percussion to the band's sound, providing the rhythmic backbone and textural depth that define their atmospheric, layered arrangements. The band's debut album, So Close to Life, is available through Bandcamp, Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

3 Tracks

Dodgin' the Noose is the 2014 debut album by Doc's Holiday, a three-piece, up-tempo country-bluegrass and Americana band based in California's Southern Central Valley. The 10-track record, primarily written by band members Wes and Travis, blends traditional string-band elements with rugged storytelling Americana band Doc's Holiday performs at Visalia's Cellar Door. As a guest drummer, Chris played on the following tracks: One More Shot, Daddy's Little Girl, Highroad, Devil & a Shallow Grave, and Just This Side of Hell. After completing the recording, Chris continued to play with Doc's Holiday throughout California's Central Valley, even opening for Chris Cagle at the La Pine Rodeo in La Pine, Oregon.

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Sparklejet is a tried-and-true, all-American rock band from Fresno, California, born out of the unlikely agricultural hub of California's Central Valley. The Fresno-based group has settled into a stripped-down power-trio lineup, operating at the height of their ability to convey uncompromising power and urgency. Christopher Estep serves as the band's bassist and backing vocalist, anchoring the low end of their lean, hard-driving sound.

3 Tracks

Thunderbolt 650 is a California-based alt-rock outfit whose music takes a long look at lives lived and the many treasures cast away and left behind. The band forges fresh sonic soundscapes of acoustic and amplified guitars, soul-stirring vocals, and warm echoing bass, woven together with atmospheric organ and creative percussion, drawing comparisons to acts ranging from The Replacements and early R.E.M. to Radiohead and Arcade Fire. Christopher Estep contributes drums and percussion to the band's sound, providing the rhythmic backbone and textural depth that define their atmospheric, layered arrangements. The band's debut album, So Close to Life, is available through Bandcamp, Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.