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The Hills Are In His Heart
Whatever one could say about Hills Rolling, the moniker of one-man band Trey McGriff, you can't accuse him of having shallow roots. On his myspace page he lists as influences about one hundred or so bands and musicians. There are old schoolers (Otis Redding, The Beatles, Pink Floyd), new schoolers ( The Killers, My Morning Jacket), tweeners (Nirvana, Dinosaur, Jr.) electro types (The Cure, Depeche Mode) and eclecticians like him (Beastie Boys, Beck). No doubt this is in part a smart-ass commentary on the "what are your influences" question. It is also a list of people he has most likely listened to and is another way of saying that all the music he has heard, or for that matter, everything he has been through, is recorded by the brain, swished around by time, and reflected in his songs. Loves, hates, sounds, tastes, it's all in your head. Musically and lyrically, this message comes through loud and clear on his CD Sweet Tea.
With all this in his musical blender, he has come up with a record that is like a meal with different foods, different flavors, and quite tasty. Sweet Tea is not an album with a theme or unified sound per say, but the strength of the songs and the individualism of his voice and musical palette steers the record clear of being a hodgepodge of stuff. He is not intellectually and intentionally going from style to style as if he's searching for an identity, or flailing about hoping to catch the listener's ear. The songs are well-crafted and come from his heart, making the music distinctly and honestly Hills Rolling. Not unlike a jazz artist who expresses his individual voice on an album by having a ballad, swing numbers, a blues and a song with a Latin flavor.
This cut deftly combines a pleasant tune with grimness, humor, and hope all rolled into one. "Watching The Waves" is psychedelic rock by way of the Cure, with a beer soaked college kid trippin' on playing some simple guitar chords and having a moment with his friends. The harmonica captures the feeling of timeless, be-here-now grooviness that puts you right there on the beach, as McGriff chants "Standing in the ocean watching the waves roll by, roll by." One of McGriff's other musical projects is in the mode of experimental electronica and is called Some Where Out Here. The song "Middle of Nowhere" hints in this direction. Starting with an electronic drum pulse and droning bass with a spacey guitar riff ala New Order, this piece is a soundtrack to doing . . . whatever. Weird sounds come in and out of focus as the interlocking licks and drum beat march on. Whereas these elements might seem abstract on another record, here the music maintains a grassroots, funky, down home feeling. In her October 2007 article in the New Yorker, author Sasha Frere-Jones, the best music writer around I must add, wrote that, unlike rock from the 50's through the 80's, twenty-first century indie rock is totally devoid of the blues and soul, the root-feeding soil of so much great music. This leaves indie rock and its offshoots, in his words, "full of lassitude and monotony." No problem with that here. Hills Rolling McGriff is from Georgia or thereabouts, so the blues, soul and country are in his blood. Perhaps that is what helps blend the musical stew he's cookin' up on Sweet Tea. This CD is further proof that while commercial rock and pop are rotting and twisting in the wind, these are great days for music down here where just us folks are living. Content provided by the  Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog
The city of Bourges gears up for another spring music festival in the center of France at the annual Printemps de Bourges! The Printemps de Bourges Festival, going strong in its 32nd year, will be held from the 15th through the 20th of April in the center of France. If you¹re looking for an event where you can see some of the biggest French stars and discover some of the hottest new French talent; look no further; Bourges is the place to be. Just check out some of the French-produced artists and groups performing during the 5-day festival: Rose, Renan Luce, Christophe Willem, Syd Matters, Cocoon, Hushpuppies, Yael Naim, Ibrahim Maalouf, BB Brunes, Camille, Moriarty, Thomas Dutronc, Cali, Yuksek, Birdy Nam Nam, Fancy, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Zombie Zombie, Sebastien Tellier, the Do, Zenzile, Caravan Palace, Asa and Rokia Traore... and that¹s only some of the fantastic talent being showcased at Bourges this spring! The French Music Export Office will be sending an international delegation of 40 journalists and music industry professionals to Bourges see the artists perform live and meet with professionals from the French music scene who will attend the festival this year; the delegation will include members from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Russia, the UK, the US, Japan and Taiwan. With a dozen stages, as many musical genres and immeasurable talent, the mix of big stars and fantastic new artists at the Bourges is looking to make this spring a bright one! Check out their website at http://www.printemps-bourges.com/en/home/welcome.php for tickets and the concert schedule.
Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Peter Bloom Opens For Juliana Sparks CD Launch
Toronto-based singer/songwriter Peter Bloom will be opening the launch of Juliana Sparks long-awaited CD entitled "Juliana" at The Rivoli (334 Queen St. W., Toronto, east of Spadina) on May 7th at 8:00 PM. Performing as an acoustic trio, Peter will perform songs from his just-released full-length debut "Random Thoughts (from a paralyzed mind)". Peter Bloom has the perfect gift for all those people who let fear prevent them from breaking free and reaching their potential. Drawing emotional strength and wisdom from his own powerful personal life experiences, his album is an insightful, musically and lyrically compelling debut that chronicles his dramatic shift from years of self-doubt (and physical problems with his voice) to his current emergence as a critically acclaimed, award winning artist and performer. His newly assembled band's first gig in December 2007 at The Cameron House-one of the city's hip musical venues-saw many fans lining up after the show to buy CDs and get autographs. One review described Bloom's live performance as "pure heart and raw energy." Leading up to Random Thoughts' official national March 2008 release, Peter Bloom Band is also set to play Toronto hotspot The Horseshoe, and headline for over 1,000 people at a benefit show for DANI (Developing and Nurturing Individuals), a local organization that raises money to help special needs people become more independent. What the press is saying: "For (people) keen to try Canadian pop but put off by all the oddball Montreal indie acts, the answer may come in the shape of Peter Bloom. Earnest as a Toronto winter day is short, Bloom makes sweeping piano pop redolent of late Beatles ballads or Chris Martin at his most thoughtful."
"Peter Bloom is a singer-songwriter who learned all the right lessons from John, George, Ringo and especially Paul - not to mention Elton John and John (Five For Fighting) Ondrasik. This is simply gorgeous piano/orchestral-based pop, carried to the next level by Bloom's insightful lyrics and full-bodied melodic sensibilities."
For more information on Peter Bloom, visit his website (www.peterbloomband.com) and MySpace (myspace.com/peterbloommusic) For press and other inquiries, contact:
Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Mashed Buddha's Zen Conspiracy Merges Electronica & Jazz Improv
Drum n Bass n Keyboardist Mashed Buddha (aka John Corda) announced the release of his latest album "Zen Conspiracy." The album represents a new direction for Mashed Buddha, first introduced in his prior EP release "Four Keys To Zen," offering an intricate blend of drum n bass, ambient electronica and downtempo funk-grooves that allow for jamming keyboard solos. In addition to a richer pallette of sounds and guest vocalist Uri Geller, he incorporates something no one else in this genre uses: jazz improvisation. Zen Conspiracy is available through CD Baby (http://cdbaby.com/cd/mashedbuddha2) and myTracks (http://www.mytracks.com/mashedbuddha). Mashed Buddha is the name of the one man band consisting of John Corda, his keyboards, his computer, and occasional human collaborators. A rarity in the world of electronica and it¹s various offshoots, he adds musicality and, the not-so-predictable, human touch to a form dominated by DJs and people who program machines, then let them run through their paces. Mashed Buddha falls under the rubric of jungle and drum 'n' bass, but is so much more than the terms imply. "I like to think of my music as electronica that doesn't take itself too seriously," he states. "Mostly it's a blend of wild musical ideas that constantly run through my head. I tame them with soothing words." He further soothes them by adding a rock and pop sensibility to the framework of drum 'n' bass. He achieves this by using tried and true techniques of songwriting such as creating verses, choruses and bridges from hooks, voices, keyboard licks, snippets of sound and catchy themes. Unlike his debut CD, 'Subdue Your Mind', each song uses drum 'n' bass -- frenetic drum beats matched against slower bass lines -- but also elements of funk, downtempo, and even '70s jazz fusion. On his latest CD, 'Zen Conspiracy', in addition to a richer pallette of sounds and guest vocalist Uri Geller, he incorporates something no one else in this genre uses: jazz improvisation. Mashed Buddha was born out of Corda¹s need to combine his musical tendencies and experiences, maintain his forward-looking creativity, and satisfy his need to communicate with an audience, an audience that approaches music with both mind and body. "Drum 'n' bass gives me artistic freedom while tapping into an audience that wants to listen." In addition, he further explores his musical tendencies and leaves the house of Mashed Buddha, so to speak, by performing live in the Boston area with the acid jazz band Organism. For more information on Mashed Buddha, visit his website (http://www.mashedbuddha.com) and MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/mashedbuddha) DJs and radio programmers can download broadcast-ready songs from his album at Airplay Direct (http://airplaydirect.com/music/bands/2386/) For press and other inquiries, contact:
Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog eMusic and Hudson Entertainment Sign Online Music Distribution Deal
Hudson Entertainment, a premiere provider of entertainment content, announced today that it is expanding its distribution reach in the online digital music space with the signing of a licensing and distribution agreement with eMusic, the world's largest retailer of independent music and the world's second-largest digital music service after iTunes. Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Sad Songs Say So Much
Attention to Detail has the vocal and instrumental sound and the grassroots sophistication of the above artists. Ackerman's songs have Ayers' dark singsong quality and his voice has Cale's world-weary gruffness, which gives him a certain gravitas that separates him from the legion of hipster indie rockers that excite a minor subculture with forced awkwardness, whiney emotionalism, and nerdiness-as-style. Don't get me wrong: Napoleon Dynamite is a genuinely cute little movie and the Violent Femmes are cool for just being themselves, unlike the legion which buys its identity and culture right off the department store rack. Does this writer sound like an old curmudgeon? No doubt, but I like my musicians sincere, with something to say that is worth listening to, and with skills enough to say it. Daryle Stephen Ackerman has written, produced, and performed an album that fits the bill. This is rock 'n' pop for people who are not fresh out of college, who want something they can relate to. This record has a modern sound yet could just as easily have been done at any time in the last thirty years (though perhaps not in America). The songs are about timeless topics like love, the weight of life, and relationships gone south, north and sideways. "Gave It My All" is a song about true romantic weariness mixed with a desperate hope that cuts close to the bone: "Too many chances were just fleeting romances 'til there's nothing left for me / I can't drive so I just sit and let the cars pass me by / I can't lie but I can't tell the truth to save my own hide ... get up and fight 'cause somewhere out there must be something that's right / get out tonight 'cause there must be someone to take me to the light." Holla if you're a single romantic dude who wants redemption from loneliness and despair. "Hillary Tuck" is pure and open many romanticism, and the most catchy tune on the record. "The Mississippi Flows" is a lush soft rock tune - I mean that in a good way - with fuzzy guitar and acoustic piano playing an off beat lick that shows a sophistication that is, sadly, no longer present in popular music.
The final cut sums up the entire record and reminds one of a truism that applies to love and other aspects of life: when one door closes another one opens. "It's Not the End" explores the complexity of a break up but one that occurs later in life: "I want to know how hard you tried / ... because I've been down this road before / many a time / and I have to know what was your state of mind / don't turn your back on your best friend / cause I believe that it's not the end / when I look out / on this life / It seems increasingly hard to believe that you're not my wife / cause I thought it was established that you would be mine / cause I thought we agreed on this for all time / don't turn your back on your best friend / cause I believe that it's not the end." The song is driven by raw and insistent drums - organic-sounding despite being made by a machine - piano, synth bass, and colored by organ. Ackerman's voice has the horse quality of one that has been discussing, then screaming, then finally pleading, a cycle all too familiar to the unlucky in love. A plaintive soprano sax solo - expressing simple guy vulnerability - ties it all together. Attention to Detail shows a mature songwriter at the height of his powers. It also shows the importance of the internet, because without it, one could never find a guy in British Columbia making music this good, and he, not being a teeny bopper from the Disneyland school of pop, would be hard pressed to be heard. Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Moving My Feet by The Foley McKenna Band
The Foley McKenna Band's new EP Moving My Feet is chock full of radio friendly rock, tuneful but with just enough power and bombast to keep the ears pricked. The songs are steeped in roots rock and have a pop music flavor by way of Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Pacific Coast Highway. This is the music you'd find yourself loving if you were driving in a convertible jeep on your way to Monterey State Park on a sunny afternoon, instead of looking for a job. Or maybe that's just me. The songs are mellow and melancholy. Lead guitarist and singer Ed McKenna's vocals are a blend of Eddie Vedder and pre hippie Willie Nelson from the sixties (Willie Nelson . . . and Then I Wrote album) back when he sang a blend of country and mainstream pop.
The emotions come through in a cool, conversational style on "My Friend." This tune has an easy-going groove of southern rock as played by the Red Hot Chilly Peppers in their "get chicks" power ballad mode (to quote Bevis and Butthead from back in the '90's), with Nage's blue sky guitar chords blended with McKenna's sparse, half rhythm half lead guitar, and fluid, melodic bass work by Mike Joy, who supports the chords and laid back feel of this and the other songs on the CD without getting in the way.
"Kimberley" is a serviceable number about a girl who is away and the man in the song longs for her and sadly counts the days. The song "Brick Wall," however, is much more interesting. It gives voice to those moments in a love relationship us guys try to forget - as soon as we tell our friends over drinks; that is, the moments when our women turn us into an emotional human punching bags for some minor transgression or something we didn't do. But since Captain Subtext is the in the room, casting his spell over the quarreling lovers in the song, then what she says isn't what's meant: "I die every time you say things that you don't mean / Next time just shut your eyes and think would be like to be me." And above all, Mr. Everydude, the voice in the song, must stand there dumbfounded and take it like a man: "You want me to stand like a brick and take it all . . . on / You won't be happy until your brick wall falls apart on you." The music here, with a big sky guitar chord progression, laid back groove, and blazing guitar leads framing McKenna's drawled singing, turns a country-tinged rock tune into an anthem that has to be huge when played live. All five songs on this record are succinct and to the point, but can clearly be stretched out and jammed on. This EP shows a band with a full command of its sound and style of rock and makes one curious to hear a full scale album. Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Great Lakes Song Contest Adds Prizes As Deadline Approaches
Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Low Of The Low To Bring 'Land Of Lincoln' Back To Life
When the guys in Chicago based band Low of the Low discussed titles for their upcoming summer CD release, tentatively titled "Land of Lincoln", thoughts came to mind that reflected the band's views on the current political state of the country, and the effect it has had on all of the band members. Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Disc Makers, TAXI & Billboard are Calling All Indie Musicians
Disc Makers, the nation's leading independent CD manufacturer, is kicking off their 13th annual Independent Music World Series (IMWS), the biggest installment yet of the nation's longest running and most successful indie music showcase series. Over 5,000 bands are expected to enter the 2008 IMWS, and Disc Makers has sweetened this year's pot by elevating the total prize package to over $250,000 in cash and prizes. Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Music Talk Session Wrap Up
Recording artists new to the Music Talks community, the session wrap up is an overview of previous sessions. In the wrap-ups I highlight what took place during the sessions along with initial information about the sessions. Video footage of the sessions will be released in the coming weeks. Let's jump into the wrap-ups! Listen 2 Ya Mix launched New York and Los Angeles February sessions. The recording engineers Peter Barker, Keith Wechsler and Drew Daniels really got into listening to the music and providing the creative and technical feedback to artists. All recording engineers in NY and LA got up from the dais and went to the back of the room to have a more accurate listening position, treating Listen 2 Ya Mix as they would any professional critical listening situation. As a whole many of the songs we listened to were pretty well recorded. I believe it's a sign that recording artists are starting to embrace the recording process. While we don't strive to be recording engineers, it's a big plus when you're working with engineers to be able to communicate effectively. This can only be accomplished by understanding recording terms and language coupled by some level of experience in the recording process. What I found interesting was that many of the comments were about production, or should I say the lack of production, better ways to approach a song vocally, drums not being tuned properly or at all. That's a point that came up in NY and LA! Musicianship not tight, using certain instruments that are used as staples in certain styles of music, like don't use a banjo in funk music, the creative aspect of that is great, but somehow or another, it just does not work! An interesting question came up during the LA Listen 2 Ya Mix. The question was asked, "when do you know that you have a perfect mix?" Recording engineer Drew Daniels gave a good basic answer, which I felt, was something we non-engineers could practice. He said, "When you hear the music and not the mix, that's a good indication that you have a good mix." However, recording engineer Keith Wechsler said that did not work for him. Keith gives his reasons why and you can check that out and all of the other valuable Listen 2 Ya Mix info on the up coming Podcast! I have to admit that when Maggie asked everyone during "The Balancing Act" to share some of their problems in life and career I was just as uncomfortable as everyone else in the room. It was clear to see that we as people don't speak openly about our "personal" problems. The room was so quite when the question to share "openly" was asked this happened in NY and LA Maggie had to assure everyone that anything that was said would stay in the room. Knowing that, how do I write about it? Well, I'll keep it short! Once everyone started to open up and talk about his or her personal concerns and problems, the ball started rolling. What Maggie and I both knew was that many artists would answer the question and speak on problems in their professional life. However, she was looking for problems and issues in their personal life that may have stopped their growth in their professional life. No one was suspecting this! Everyone had some type of goal in his or her professional life. No one had goals for their personal life. Everyone had a clear picture of seeing their success in their professional life, no one thought that they needed a picture in their personal life. When asked who's having fun? No one answered; oh wait one artist in LA said I'm having fun today at the session! Maggie's introduction to the Balancing Act" during these sessions is only the beginning of the program. There's a whole lot more to it! It runs deep and it produces results to those who participate. Most of all it's easy to understand and practice. We are making the program a founding part of Music Talks' Personal Development discipline and encourage you all to take advantage of its teachings. "The Balancing Act" was born out of pain, hurt, confusion, disconnection, abuse, unconscious thinking, healing, happiness and finally peace! Eric De Fontenay, using a case study of the band he manages Kobo Town, explained the importance of team building during the NY session. Eric explained that "DIY" is good when you're first getting started but soon after artists must realize that putting together a team to handle tasks that you "the artist" really should not be doing should be of great importance to you and your career. Further he talked about building relationships and identifying potential team members within those relationships. He explained that when he and his partners started to build musicdish.com that they had certain levels of experience among the founders. He himself coming from a magazine and marketing background was of tremendous help. Still sales, accounting, legal issues and systems had to all be put in place and many of those skills and experience were missing. This held true for the new band he is managing as well as Kobo Town. As their manager once again he had marketing experience and industry contacts. However, he knew having gone through the process with musicdish.com that a team was going to be needed once he brings them to the next level. I find this to be a problem with so many artists. We have to begin to realize that no one walking the earth who has achieved any level of success has done it alone! No one in any industry has become successful by themselves. Just because the internet, recording technology and digital downloads has made it possible for today's recording artists to create, market and distribute their music without a record company does not mean that they should. I know just dealing with marketing by itself, is a task that takes a team! My dad often said to me as I was growing up, "David, if you want to live your life going around fooling and playing games with other people's minds, I don't recommend it, but it's your life. However David, don't play games and fool yourself!" I took his advice! This simply means don't fool yourself into thinking that you don't need a team. You really do now, or you will soon. Sheena Metal, or as I now call her Mama Metal delighted everyone in LA with her wealth of knowledge in marketing and promotions. I won't even go into all that she said because no one can say it better than Sheena. Once the videos are released you will see her in action, but to give you an idea I listed below five bullet points from her over 20 point list that she pulled off the top of her head, out of her pockets and magic bag. I recommend any artist who attended the NY session and those who are in other countries to become a part of Sheena's circle. If you ever had fun in high school learning from a teacher, you will once again enjoy that experience with Sheena! 1. Take interest in what others are doing
File management was a concern to artists. Gina explained that Esession is the perfect tool to use for managing your recorded songs files. It also provides a safe heaven for your audio files. In the event your local hard drive crashes, you still have the files on the Esession servers! Having so many features and benefits, it's hard to imagine anyone not using esession.com for managing files, communications file protection but most of all incorporating the creative process between yourself and other musicians. We have become too focused on doing it all ourselves, now with esessions.com, you can search talent on their website or provide your talent to others and make money! Round Table
Further, being able to identify the proper mic for the job at hand is also of great importance! John M mentioned, if you have limited funds as you are building your studio, workstation or project, "invest in a good mic". As the general manager of audioMIDI.com, Tony Adams made note, the quality line in mics is starting to turn gray. Meaning, you can now purchase a microphone for $300 and it sounds very close to a $2,000 mic! There is much truth to this; however, high-end mics still have the overall edge. Needless to say, you have to contact recording engineers, retailers and other artists to get some feedback on all that's going on out there when purchasing a mic or any gear for that matter. It was suggested during the round table to rent the microphone or gear that you are interested in purchasing. This allows you to "test drive" the product before laying down the Benjamin's or plastic! Register for the Los Angeles March 30th Music Talks Session now. It's the last session for 2008! For more information visit us at: www.musictalkssessions.com. Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Charles Laster II & Silvia Pratesi: Believe What You Say And See
Whether you call it praise music or New Jack gospel, this genre is most often a classic case of "preaching to the choir," with song lyrics lifted artlessly from the King James bible and histrionic music calculated to "reach out and touch somebody's hand." Dear god. Luckily, Charles Laster II and Silvia Pratesi don't make this mistake on their new record Journey of Life. Their songs reference salvation, heaven, and living the Christian life but, like secular soul music, have an uplifting universality. Those of us who aren't Christian - agnostics, Muslims, those whose spirituality can't be pigeonholed - can still understand the positive spirituality that is the wellspring of Laster and Pratesi's music, and still get our groove on. Laster, who composed the excellent lyrics, and Pratesi, who created most of the music with a seamless combination of live musicians and samples, remind us how gospel and rhythm and blues gave birth to soul music in the early sixties and how a new kind of soul is still possible. It is also possible to have, in this era of the run-on CD (dude, you really don't have to fill up every second of a 74-minute CD-R) and the random iPod mix, a record that has a theme and takes the listener on a ride. "Journey of Life" does just that in a way that reminds one of Stevie Wonder's work in the early '70s, and with a melting pot of influences that are forged into a personal style, at once familiar and quite different.
The first cuts have a rock and dance music flavor, but are rooted on old soul music. The title cut starts with sampled strings, and a drum beat by David Heddon that is all about Motown and Philly soul. The vocal melody has a perfect simplicity in tune with the song's message, sung over expansive keyboard chords: "Life is a journey filled with so many things / It can bring some pain it will be some rain / don't be afraid to explore it... just imagine far past everyday comprehension / ...have a little faith." This song is an overture for the entire record, and is comprised of snippets of the different styles Laster and Pratesi draw from. This song is a journey in itself: the vocals soar with smooth complexity one minute, then break down to a gospel stomp, with funky percussion and a nasty drum line the next. Fuzz guitars by Brett Farkas and wailing synths from Laster enter strongly then glide down into a quiet ballad-ish section, followed by a smooth chorus. The following song "I Believe" comes on with hard-hitting rock funk, featuring a fat bass line, scratchy wah-wah guitar and blaring brass. It then goes into a jazz influenced section with muscular vocals by Laster and, throwing in another left field element, a verse of speed rap. The song ends with a coda of B.B. King-style blues guitar. This album is based on the idea of change and spiritual growth and revelation. From the opening song, the journey goes through faith ("I Believe") to questioning ("In My Mind") then the moment of revelation ("Wrong To Right"). Stylistically the music reflects the emotions of the songs, going from intense and strident rock to pensive Latin-tinged ballad to a sparse Neptunes-style electro pop groove.
This flow leads to the show stopping apex of the album "Eternal Dancing." This song describes the party that awaits in the promised land of Christian heaven where there will be dancing and joyous experience. This is sure more appealing than the vague heaven told of by dour TV preachers, where "you will sit at the table by the left hand of god" while angels play celestial trumpets, blah, blah, boooring. Now dancing in a land of eternal love with others, especially women, and celebrating oneness on the dance floor? That's a heaven you can feel: "This life is filled with history / living in rhapsody / there are even mysteries / I know that you agree / One day we'll have this dance / and it will never end / we'll step from side to side everybody will be vibing / life in paradise / I can't wait it will be nice... When we walk through heaven's doors... and see the faces of those we love / dance to the eternal groove..." Adding to the music and enjoyment thereof is Laster's complete lack of braggadocio, insincerity, and underlying cynicism that plagues pop music and the evangelical movement in equal nasty chunks. His positivity, mad skills and music, music that is not dumbed down to appeal to and manipulate the "masses," are a thousand times more effective in spreading and celebrating the gospel than some fire and brimstone huckster ranting on TV. Journey to Life is a modern evocation of the spirit expressed in the bible passage Psalm 95:1 that states "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation." www.sonicbids.com/CharlesLasterII
Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog Julie Moffitt: Belle of the Tunes
The picture on the front of her CD Cover to Cover shows singer songwriter Julie Moffitt covered with a bed sheet and smiling unselfconsciously at the viewer. This image, in its simple honesty, is appropriate for her CD. In addition to recording original material, Moffitt decided to include songs by other artists that she loves and have inspired her. Indeed, all people learn by imitating others and for artists it is even more important. As the great Salvador Dali once said, "Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing." The songs she chose to cover, and the way she plays them, with nuance and deep emotion that doesn't come in a can, shows that she has been around for a while. With an interest in classical music (Chopin) and art rock (Kansas, Emerson Lake and Palmer) going back to her childhood days in the '70s, her music is another example of how there is nothing magical about youth culture in music. No disrespect to Alicia Keys and Corinne Bailey Rae, but you can't fake experience and the lessons that come with traveling through life's stages. During her formative years as a musician she also grew to love the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Cat Stevens and other folk artists. All of these influences, along with years spent studying music in college, have percolated over time and given her a unique and confident voice and way of expressing songs.
Strong piano playing and passionate singing come through on "She Has Become" and the elegiac "Dancing Man" in a way that recalls the Bronx, NY native Laura Nyro. This song captures the frustration of people trapped in a social role, and finding the need for change and adventure overwhelming: "My heart's been tied up in a box like a wounded prisoner / ...Don't want to wake up old with Nothing but security." Emotional rescue is also the topic of "Dancing Man." Her voice fits perfectly with the music, elegantly tweaking the emotions of the song, be it shouted and belted as on the former or sung as a stately aria of restrained emotion on the latter. The complex piano chords and vigorous vocal lines of these songs are eschewed on the more traditional folk music cuts like "Jonathan," which is a simple song about an emotionally distant corporate big shot. It is really the story of alienation, fear and sadness masked by much-praised workaholism and is sincere in its social commentary without preachiness or emotional distance. Gordon Lightfoot is one of the great overlooked folk song writers. His profile and popularity were dwarfed by Bob Dylan, Donovan and Jackson Browne back in the day, and countless lesser lights in recent years. Moffitt's cover of "Early Mornin' Rain" is a great rendition of a great song. This cut shows how simple elements can be put together to create something that is emotionally complex; in this case it a song about a rambling man, reminiscent of Glenn Campbell's "Gentle on my Mind."
Of all of the covers on this CD "Belle of the Blues" stands out the most. The blues cabaret style of her piano playing and singing have as much power as a band. The vocal melody is haunting and raw at the same time. As with the other songs on this CD, the performance perfectly fits the music. This one is the flip side, emotionally speaking, of "Nobody Loves When You're Down and Out." Here the narrator/singer is resigned, defiantly so, to her fate: "Their children sing of sorrow, it's the same old routine / They've begged and they've borrowed someone else's misery / It's an easy act to follow, at least an easy one for me / Give me my tomorrows, you can have my memories." The singing and playing throughout this song, and the rest of the CD (with the exception of the overwrought "The Rose," a song that not even the all-time greats could save), show another consequence of experience - restraint and economy. There are no extraneous vocal gymnastics or displays of chops. Everything she does is in the service of the song and the music. Cover to Cover is Julie Moffitt showing us what she's got. Like she writes on her CD Baby page, "There's a little blues, a little rock, a little folk, and, of course, a little melancholy. These songs are me... from cover to cover." Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog NightDancers' Montana Crossings: Flute Music of Transformation
Whether it has to do with the philosophy of better living through habit, thought or magical action, things that are associated with "New Age" are theoretically supposed to have some basis in spirituality. Yet much of this spiritually is lightly rooted in the shallows of corporate productivity techniques or power-of-positive-thinking type truisms with some pseudo eastern promises for dressing. Then there is the New Age philosophy that harkens back to something ancient, even primordial. This is especially visible in the music. So much of what is called New Age music is made from artificial ingredients, from canned sounds created by synthesizers tuned and programmed for maximum vapidity; and voices, always the voices, high and breathy with a thin, grating tone that someone somewhere decided signified the celestial. But there are musicians who create spiritual and contemplative music based in the traditions and sounds of antiquity, from nations and cultures with long shadows such as Africa, China, Japan and India.
Riding on this track is the group NightDancers, a duo consisting of flautists Gera Clark and John Sarantos, who perform original songs based on the folkloric styles of several Native American tribes. The music on their CD Montana Crossings is both ethereal and earthy, reflecting the unitary, all-is-one world view common to Native American cosmology. The songs are mostly built on simple three to seven note motifs that go through different permutations. The flutes - NightDancers plays twenty-five different kinds of these wooden, handcrafted instruments - blend together and dance, their music resonating in what sounds like a valley high up in the mountains or a cathedral (kudos to engineer Jim Anderson of AVATAR Studios in NYC). The effect of the music is meditative and dreamy. The music itself is never static or boring; in fact its intricacies reveal themselves with repeated listening. The titles evoke, perhaps invoke, aspects of the natural and supernatural worlds, which many indigenous tribes say are one and the same. The song titles and how the pieces are composed and arranged reflect this thinking. Musically these pieces evoke the objects and ideas behind the titles as well. The opening track "Spirit Winds" starts with soft, breathy tones that rise from silence in unison. Then one flute states a simple theme that is answered by a counter melody from the other flute; they go back and forth, each musical voice getting time and space alone while connecting with the other. The title track starts with bursts of fluttery, echoing sounds, followed by a long-toned plaintive melody calling to mind Montana¹s terrain of mountains and wide-open plains. One characteristic element of all the songs is how the flutes will hit consonant harmonies that ring out dramatically, and dissonant unison lines that buzz gently yet also sooth in an odd sort of way.
On "Butterfly Dance" the flutes play lines that gently glide like the butterfly itself, answering and echoing each other in way that suggests the "round" form found in European folk and classical music. On "Turtle and Bird," NightDancers take evocation literally. One flute moves in long-toned, deliberately paced turtle lines while the other play¹s light riffs that flit and hop like our aviary brethren would. As the piece continues, the unitary theme comes through as the two flutes move together, conversing in similar voices that stills maintain their original animal character. "Elk Medicine" is a gentle wail of pleading and prayer and is one of the strongest tracks on the record. It is also an example of healing music. The opening cry is answered by melodies that create a sense of quietude and peace. And healing. Ms. Clark and Mr. Sarantos take the healing aspects of their music literally. Clark, a RN, has been teaching people how to play the flute for meditation and stress relief. She also started New York City's Miracle House Flute Circle where she works with cancer patients using music for healing. Sarantos teaches flute workshops all over the country. Montana Crossings creates music that is relaxing and interesting, that can be played either as background or as an immediately engaging listen. Content provided by the Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission click here for free music content for your site or blog |
There are no accidents. This lesson was reinforced recently when I was procrastinating from my assigned job of reviewing 
This record is an actual album, not just a collection of songs. I mean that in the old school sense of exploring and developing a theme. The subjects of the songs go from love ("Hillary Tuck") to love lost ("Tear My Heart in Two") to an attempt at emotional avoidance (the unmacho "One Night Stand Man") to romantic longing ("Run Away With Me"). The entire album is meant for sitting and listening and has the quality of wintery introspection depicted on the CD cover, which shows Ackerman standing alone in a snow-covered yard.
Unlike many singers, McKenna's delivery isn't anxious at all. His voice floats in back of the beat, on top of the chords and guitar licks in a laid back and laconic way. The sound of the songs is made bigger and closer to blues and country roots by the permanent use of an acoustic guitar by Bob Nage. Drummer Phil Seshens plays basic sit-in-the-pocket, back loaded drums. He dutifully opens up when hitting the choruses and gets closer to the vest on the verse parts. The feeling of the music fits the songs in a way that harkens back to soul and blues from back in the day when men would sing of hurt and lay it on the line emotionally; for example "Last night I could have cried but I thought you wouldn't care" from the song "Brick Wall" or "Don't look back 'cause you just might see me cry" from the opening cut "Kimberley." McKenna is old school like soul giants Brooke Benton or Nelson. Those singers would combine raw emotion with masculine pride which is another way of "Keepin' It Real."
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Esession.com Co-founders Gina Fant-Saez and recording engineer Kevin Killen along with recording engineer Marc Urselli introduced esession.com. They took us through a complete tour as to how esession.com works, its power and many advantages. Esession makes it easy for recording artists all around the world to record music and exchange an entire production with other musicians regardless of the digital audio workstation that's being used. One of the most useful features of Esession is the glass window plug-in. It mirrors recording studios by allowing users to be able to see each other during the online sessions.
