NEWS FEATURES archive May 2008 through Aug 10, 2008 editions

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We’re hearing from many of you that you missed something, somewhere along the way. Here are all the recent archived news features, collected into one posting for you.
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Presented in reverse order, from most recent to oldest editions.
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NEWS FEATURES for August, 2008
Editions posted August 16 (new edition, not in this archive), August 10, August 4 (with more to come in August).
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NEWS FEATURES, August 10, 2008
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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2008/08/news-features-aug-10-edition-acoustic.html
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for Aug 10, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with updated posts and our popular “anniversaries” of things that happened each day in the history of music, entertainment, and the rest of the world, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com. Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts, and that makes it far too time-consuming and ponderous to post the calendar there in small pieces.
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Our myspace site, www.myspace.com/laacoustic is still the place to go for news of the syndicated “Tied to the Tracks” radio show, and its new TV counterpart that launches soon.
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FUTURE EVENTS are all moving to our Blogspot page. Archived NEWS FEATURES are still found on our myspace site, where you can also peruse radio playlists and other old things, back to when acoustic music was made by indigenous natives pounding on hollow logs with rocks.
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MOST RECENT previous News Features posted August 4, 2008.
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NEWS FEATURES:
August 10, 2008
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1) TALKING STICK FINDS NEW HOME
The Talking Stick has been a popular, if Lilliputian, coffeehouse and acoustic music venue for several years, in it’s now-vacated location across from Santa Monica City College. More than a year ago, word came that a mega-developer had bought-up the entire block of small retail and office businesses and their expansive parking lots in back, and that all would be demolished to create yet another of those lookalike, relentlessly generic strip malls for corporate America to occupy with the same things they put everywhere else. Alas, the new development would not accommodate any of the individualistic little landmark establishments, including The Talking Stick.
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Several times, end-of-business dates were announced, but the developer encountered delays that enabled the tenants to stay. Meanwhile, the developer, as new landlord, sought to extract rent until the tenant businesses were demolished. That delay enabled The Talking Stick to find a new location, where they have resumed business, at 1411 Lincoln Bl, in nearby Venice, 92091.
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Happily, monthly series like ERNEST TROOST’s “Juke Joint Gang” and other popular musical offerings continue uninterrupted. Other singer-songwriter and acoustic band events, including DANIEL McFEELEY’s series, will resume soon.
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Check the venue’s website (www.thetalkingstick.net) and our Acoustic Americana Music Calendar, and plan to drop-by for good coffeehouse fare, sandwiches, and live music.
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2) INDIE ARTIST’S SMART & GREEN PROMO
UK-based singer-songwriter KRIS SEARLE arrived in L.A. this summer, and recently released a CD. He tells us, “This month you can WIN a SOLAR CHARGER for your MP3 player, laptop or phone, with the 'in Power' Portable Solar charger, donated by REAL SPIRIT USA. If you are somewhere without electricity, and you desperately need to charge your portable device, you can now, with your own portable pocket power charger. Just lay it in the sun and plug in your device and you will have power. You can get a lot more solar products from here: www.advancedpureliving.com/inpower.htm. I will definitely be using one when I go to the Burning Man Festival this year. ... so if you buy my album before 31st August you will be put into the draw for a SOLAR CHARGER worth $100…!” Find details of that, and Kris’ music, at www.myrecordlabel.net and at www.reverbnation.com/krissearle. He’ll be playing Oct 16 at 8 pm at the Whisky in West Hollywood, and Nov 20 at 7 pm in the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood.
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3) TOGAMAN’S WEIRD INSTRUMENTS FEATURED IN FILM, TV SOUNDTRACKS
JONATHAN WILSON (togaman@bowedguitar.com) runs TogaMan Guitars (www.togamanguitars.com) where he makes “bowed string instruments for guitarists.” There’s some innovative stuff happening there, with popularity proven by their current move to larger quarters. Jonathan tells us, “It seems that a [TogaMan] GuitarViol was unofficially used for the soundtrack of ‘IRON MAN.’ I say unofficially because they seem to have omitted any credit on the Soundtrack CD. (Yeah, I have a copy). LOGA TORKIAN mentioned to me over the phone, a couple months back, that he contributed some queues. (Perhaps ‘Mach I’). Why he was not credited, that's a mystery. I saw the movie with my family and recall hearing some familiar sounds. I blew it off because I was really into the movie itself. I was contacted by (composer) RAMIN DJAWADI'S assistant, several months back, before the production of ‘Iron Man’ began. It was uncertain [whether I would be] able to get one built in time due to my backlog. I followed-up because I began building full time, and the turnaround was then feasible. No response. I figured they may have walked down the studio hall to find out that HEITOR PERERIA had one handy. Not the case. Turns out that LOGA TORKIAN (Niyaz/Azam Ali) was called in to do the queues with his. Alright Loga!”
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He added, “Speaking of Loga and Azam, there is a new double CD from NIYAZ, ‘Nine Heavens,’ featuring the GuitarViol (which Loga calls his ‘Kamaan’). One disc is electric and the other has unplugged versions of the same songs. What a concept!.”
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Jonathan continues, “Some interesting other things have been coming to pass. JOHN SWIHART, ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ soundtrack composer, has been using his [GuitarViol] for ‘FEAR ITSELF’ on NBC. JULIO REVUELTAS, grand-nephew of classical composer SILVESTRE REVUELTAS, the ‘Stravinski of Mexico,’ has been quite prolific on You Tube with his ‘Viotarra’ (his name for GuitarViol). His technique is as astonishing as his music. Definitely go to his You Tube channel and watch / listen. One of my favorites, [is] ‘Czardas of V. Monti,’” at youtube.com/watch?v=Op7GsUAiRnM .
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Finally, Jonathan says, “Okay, for those of you who have ACOUSTIC GuitarViols on order, I am very close to bending and carving your instruments. I appreciate your patience all of these months.”
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4) WESTERN MUSIC & COWBOY POETRY TROTS ONTO MYSPACE
We reckon it’s true, we hear more often from our western / cowboy / western swing music friends than we do from anybody else that the fingers that can braid ropes and pick instrument strings and shoe They give each other a good ribbing, with song lyrics like, “I’m no cowboy dot com.”
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Riding to the rescue is the international WMA – the WESTERN MUSIC ASSOCIATION (www.westernmusic.com). In addition to the organization’s newly-upgraded website (we reported on that on July 19, and it’s still adding features), WMA has jumped-aboard the myspace wagon.
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WMA’s member artists are all receiving instructions on getting their original music and cowboy poetry posted on the myspace page, and anyone who enjoys the music can go there, as with any myspace page, and listen free to the posted selections. The url is www.myspace.com/westernmusicassociation .
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WMA plans to rotate featured artists through the available spots, so as more is posted, you’ll want to bookmark the page.
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In addition, we’d like to remind you of three other web resources for western music and cowboy poetry. We’ve shared these before, and continue to recommend all three:
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a) www.cowboypoetry.com which is a huge resource and database from the “Bar-D Ranch” (get it? Poets, Bar-d?) it’s a nonprofit that’s growing by leaps and bounds.
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b) The Bob Nolan website, which has featured music and film clips each month. The August Song of the Month is "The Wind is Warm Again" by Bob Nolan & Robert Wagoner. The url is www.bobnolan-sop.net
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c) HPR2: The Western Music Channel, on web-based Heartland Public, and the only place in the world featuring 24-hour-a-day Western / Cowboy music. The url for music and playlists is www.hpr.org.
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5) ONE OF OUR VIDEO PICKS HITS #1 ON AMAZON
Last week (Aug 4 edition), we recommended three videos, two from well-known political satirist-songwriter ROY ZIMMERMAN (he plays Aug 10 & 11 at McCabe’s and Coffee Gallery Backstage, respectively). Our third pick was from cowboy artist CLYDE LUCAS.
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Now, that music video that CLYDE LUCAS created around his original song, “John Wayne - He's America,” has reached NUMBER ONE on Amazon.com.
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We wrote, “Whether to balance things, or simply to remember that we are the sum total of all our experiences as individuals and as a society, we recommend his original. It has plenty of clips and images from The Duke’s films, and offers a fine microcosm of how and why a Hollywood figure can become a larger-than-life heroic icon from the roles he plays. It is now playing on the ‘American Cowboy Magazine’ site (videos) and on the Official John Wayne website. Congratulations to indie artist Clyde for those recognitions.”
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Clyde wrote to say, ”Wow, THANK YOU so much for the nice article. You capture what I was really trying to say. Not that Mr. Wayne was an actor, but he lived his dream. It was Mr. Wayne who used to sit in a theater as a kid and watch Harry Carey, [and] he dreamed of being a cowboy on the screen, too. I had hoped the song said that...We must all live out our dreams! Thank you again - Clyde Lucas.”
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Clyde’s fully-produced, now NUMBER-ONE Amazon video, “John Wayne - He's America,” is at
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www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=john+wayne&x=12&y=12
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and it’s still available at http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1630415417
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6) THIS WEEK’S MUSIC VIDEO PICK
It’s an all-star music tribute to the late PORTER WAGONER performed as the finale at the Americana Music Awards in Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, on November 1, 2007, with LYLE LOVETT, PATTY GRIFFIN, BUDDY MILLER, JOE ELY, JIM LAUDERDALE, DARRELL SCOTT and others, and it’s on You Tube, at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=odAR3GzW1b8
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We also received a nice note from Nicole Poulos of Sideways Media, with an MP3 track from indie singer-songwriter JIM BOGGIA (www.jimboggia.com). Now, we don’t ordinarily use our video pick to tell you about an audio-only MP3 selection, but we’ll make an exception. It’s a track from Jim’s new album, “Misadventures in Stereo.” Nicole tells us, “He actually recorded on analogue, straight to tape with a live band, so you really are able to hear all those imperfections that end up being the gems of the song. The track below is about a solider in Iraq and is an incredibly poignant and powerful track. Jim vocals almost tell the story just as much as the lyrics do. You can hear the raw emotion in his voice, and keeping in mind that it was done in practically one take really shows the level of how organic it is.”
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Jim’s song, “Three Week’s Shy,” (audio-only) is at http://bluhammock.com/asset/JimBoggia_ThreeWeekShy.mp3
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An in-depth special feature:
7) FANS, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, MARKETING, AND THE BLOGOSPHERE
As longtime journalists, we often struggle with the ubiquity of countless blogs that randomly spread “news” and “information” without observing the rules of journalism (citing sources, multiple sources where necessary, fact-checking, verifying accuracy, and all the things that Fox News doesn’t bother to do, anyway). We also recognize that mainstream media, since its consolidations into corporate mega-giant empires, has failed us miserably (beyond Fox, which is too biased to be considered mainstream).
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The vast public realized too late that Big Media marched to the beat of the White House drum to invade Iraq, and even now, there’s insufficient cynicism about Big Media’s blind acceptance, as truth and gospel, of the proclamations and “expertise” of Big Oil.
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Certainly, we know that the rise of the blogosphere is largely a product of the failure of mainstream corporate media, where even “investigative news” shows are sponsored by the Wal-Marts of the world, to assure their sponsors’ immunity from being investigated (i.e., don’t bite the hand that feeds you.)
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Recently, we heard an artist fall into a rant, claiming the World Trade Center Towers were “brought down” by demolition charges, and that an airplane didn’t hit the Pentagon on 9/11. He said he has blogged about all that. Yikes.
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The same state-of-flux that exists in the music business generally has a dimension in the blogosphere. There’s no denying that many indie artist and band websites reach plenty of fans, and often, they are read by an audience that isn’t reached by mainstream media that’s lost (or among certain age groups, never had) the attention and respect its news divisions once commanded.
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For artists, the situation presents an opportunity, and one that comes with a social responsibility. It’s the performance stage as a soapbox, or what Teddy Roosevelt would have included in his characterization of a “bully pulpit.” You have a stage. You have a mic. When you’re off stage, you have the cyber extension of that, with your blog. You can use all of it to gratify, entertain, and try to build your fan base it, to educate or enlighten it, or you can decide to do what the Dixie Chicks did, awaken fans to your outrage, and risk getting Dixie-Chicked for your words (whether spoken or printed on-screen). Yes, your blog IS an extension of your stage presence. Some artists see that and use a unified approach, where everything is mutually-supportive of everything else, and that kind of connectivity can maximum results. Others compartmentalize their lives, ranting in one context, being sweetness and light in another, and they risk being seen as contradictions, or as unauthentic.
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This week, some major Nashville country performers are using the country music video channels to present world premieres of de facto (or overt) McCain campaign or anti-Obama songs, without fear of being Dixie-Chicked. Will their blog entries fess-up to their politics? Funny that some genres and aspects of the music biz allow for contradictory outcomes, but they do. Nashville country is, of course, very Republican, and it practices retribution on the careers of those who are not. They enjoy characterizing bitter and violent rap diatribes as representatives of all that they are not, and by extension, painting their opponents as anti-family, and anti-“goodness” - even as their own country songs are often about divorce or shootings after catching cheating spouses.
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Makes you want to ask them whatever happened to the socially-conscious folk artists who are no longer welcome in Nashville. They probably talked too much between songs. That emphasizes the point of spoken and written words vs. song lyrics. Regardless of your politics, as an artist, your songs are not subject to the same scrutiny as words you say on stage or a rant in essay form that resembles journalism (i.e., a blog).
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Back to the Dixie Chicks. Their bitter experience, after letting audiences know they saw the US government was being run by a dufus, and being banned from corporate country radio for saying it, caused them to proclaim they would “Shut Up and Sing.” (They haven’t shut-up, though they became satirical and clever.) Other artists were, and remain, undaunted, properly asserting the age-old traditions and purposes of folk music to protest war, abuse of power, denial of human rights, society’s absurdities, and to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
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Make conscious, aware, decisions what you say on stage; remember, people come to see you because they expect you to entertain them, even when that includes informing them. And apply the same criteria for conscious decisions to the extension of the stage, in your blog. It’s not just stray remarks that bring you trouble or cause potential fans to see you as a hero or a nut. One key decision is what to present as humor, and what to offer outside a humorous or satiric context. Here are notes on each:
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SERIOUS STUFF? Act responsibly when presenting anything as news or information, both as a matter of social responsibility, and to protect your own credibility with your fans and those you want to add as fans. Learn the rules of journalism and apply them if you want to be an effective spokesperson for any cause, even a charitable one that you support. Be genuine, informed, knowledgeable, and credible. (Remember the fable of the boy who cried wolf…)
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COMEDIC & SATIRIC STUFF? Many artists’ blogs are great places for satire and humor, so we’ll offer a good example of something that operates in that realm. Here’s the latest in a series of “Letters from America” from the blog written by the L.A.-based band, THE SORCERERS (www.the-sorcerers.com). The band’s members have known considerable commercial success. They’ve been around awhile. Some of their humor works, some doesn’t. The way they use their blog is often very effective, as it is here:
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“The Sorcerers were laid low and distracted by financial concerns, personnel changes, delays in surgeries, identity theft, automobile accidents, the gas / food riots, the rotting of the American economy, the last minute stab at profits from all corporations aligned with the dunderheads in Washington D.C., a failed two-pronged war, the Big Sur wild fire, the price of food, another Adam Sandler film, the West Nile Virus, general confusion and malaise, humidity’s effect on guitar strings, gray tree squirrels, the bloody price of gas, other nonspecific stuff including speed bumps and anti-inflammatory lozenges, plus The Sorcerers’ oft reported fitful nature and gleeful distain.”
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They continue, “Even so, The Sorcerers have returned to form and now will concentrate on the ‘Western & Country’ project in which The Sorcerers’ dependable view of Americana will be re-focused on life in the West, life from a Western point of view and a view of life from points West. In other words, The Sorcerers’ will write what they know, life, as seen from California, the home base of The Sorcerers, the music entity that works from within a female Black Labrador doggie and will not come out. There are, apparently, only two ways out of The Sorcerers’ Lab and The Sorcerers do not, at this juncture, approve of either. Owners of female Black Labradors will explain the details to the rest of you. Owners of cats and forest dragons can make their own diagrams and come very close to the problem facing The Sorcerers, vis a vis a coordinated, convenient, dignified exit from The Lab.”
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Scatology aside, they are effective at creating a context of satire that enables them to make their points without the burden of following any rules of checking facts or accuracy. To wit, they write, “There have been several ‘Letters From America’ compiled and not circulated because they were too angry and sad … EXAMPLE:”
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“The Oil Men have one last great evil moment of wild, unbridled profits before the general election, before the troops are called to their corporate offices, before they are dragged from behind their desks and properly dealt with in the streets. It is a modest proposal whose time has come.”
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They follow that with, “So, rather than continue in that vein, The Sorcerers decided to go back to work and also to conduct a product sale, which seems the only sensible thing to do in these times of awkward American decline. The Sorcerers’ first release, “AMP, American Musical Portraits,” previously priced at a reasonable, $2,999.99 per disc, is now on sale for the hilarious price of $6.99 which includes shipping to anywhere in the known world. Buy now, safely and securely at www.the-sorcerers.com .”
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Did they hook you all the way through to their marketing pitch? Did they make you laugh? Did you identify with their concerns and complaints, without being depressed? If you answered yes, then you just saw an effective use of an artists’ blog.
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
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+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
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+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication.
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+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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NEWS FEATURES, August 4, 2008
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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2008/08/news-features-august-4-edition-acoustic.html
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for Aug 4, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with updated posts and our popular “anniversaries” of things that happened each day in the history of music, entertainment, and the rest of the world, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com. Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts, and that makes it far too time-consuming and ponderous to post the calendar there in small pieces.
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Our myspace site, www.myspace.com/laacoustic is still the place to go for news of the syndicated “Tied to the Tracks” radio show, and its new TV counterpart that launches soon.
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FUTURE EVENTS are all moving to our Blogspot page. Archived NEWS FEATURES are still found on our myspace site, where you can also peruse radio playlists and other old things, back to when acoustic music was made by indigenous natives pounding on hollow logs with rocks.
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MOST RECENT News Features posted August 4, 2008 [original edition erroneously listed July 23, 2008].
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NEWS FEATURES:
August 4, 2008
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1) SPECIAL OLYMPICS BENEFIT AUG 30, WITH CHILI & INDIE WESTERN MUSIC
The band WESTERN STATE OF MIND is playing Aug 30 for a Chili Cook-Off / benefit sponsored by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. Money raised will be donated to Special Olympics. The event starts at 11 am at the Castaic Equestrian Center, located near the County Animal Shelter off I-5 and Pitches Rd. The event is open to the public, with free admission, and money is raised by charging for some fine hot chili. The band will set a western tone by the entrance area.
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2) FIRE AT RATTLESNAKE SLIM’S CLOSES VENUE FOR REPAIRS
For those of you who may have booked a gig, or planned to attend a show, at Rattlesnake Slim’s, 23127 Lyons Av, Newhall, www.myspace.com/rattlesnakeslims, 661-877-4165, the venue suffered damage in a recent fire and is temporarily closed.
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The Newhall venue opened earlier this year, has rapidly gained popularity, and has been coming into its own as a home for significant concerts by local and touring artists. One recent benefit show, for arts education, starred western music queen JUNI FISHER.
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Before inviting your friends and fans to a show there, check with Gordon, the proprietor, for the latest estimate of when he will re-open. Meanwhile, if anyone has a suggestion for the Western Music Association, for where to hold the first & third Wednesday night jams, please contact Buck Corbett at 818-288-7745 or JCorbett1@socal.rr.com. WMA moved the jam from Vincenzo’s Pizza to Rattlesnake Slim’s in June, and had reported that artists and fans alike were enthusiastic about the saddle & tack shop / coffeehouse ambiance. Here’s wishing Gordon and his staff a rapid recovery and early reopening!
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3) STEVE GOODMAN BIO BOOK TOUR, WITH MUSIC, A BIG SUCCESS
We were privileged to meet author CLAY EALS (www.clayeals.com) while he was in Southern Cal. His hefty bio, "STEVE GOODMAN: FACING THE MUSIC," is the definitive work on the late singer-songwriter who is best remembered for writing “City of New Orleans,” a big hit for ARLO GUTHRIE. But Goodman was so much more, as anyone who saw him perform, or has seen one of his shows on TV’s “Austin City Limits” can attest. Appropriately, the nationwide book tour includes concerts by today’s artists, singing Steve Goodman songs. (We told you, a few weeks ago, about the opportunities to perform at the Steve Goodman events, arranged by Alyssa Archambault, www.panioloproductions.com; we’ve worked with her to host live performances on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” by BILL TAPIA for his 100th birthday, and by DAN JANISCH.) Clay Eals’ book on Goodman is hefty and formidable, packed with photos and interviews with well-known artists who tell of their interactions with the superbly-talented Goodman. Our review will appear when we finish reading it, and we’ll let you know where you can find that review. Meantime, for those who don’t want to wait, the book is available in all the national book chains, independent bookstores, and on the author’s website.
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4) NICOLE GORDON SINGS NATIONAL ANTHEM AT DODGER STADIUM
No sooner did we tell you about ANGIE STEVENS singing the anthem for a Dodgers – Rockies game in Denver, then the Boys in Blue were back at Chavez Ravine, and NICOLE GORDON sang the Anthem for the home game on Sat, July 26. Nicole has twice performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” with her “Songs of Shiloh” songwriting partner MARTY AXELROD, and their thematic album scored a “Listener Favorite” on TttT with their song, “The Boy from Crooked Creek.” Nicole tells us the call came from Dodger Stadium without a lot of notice. And alas, the L.A. TV broadcast didn’t include the National Anthem. But those who were there cheered wildly for Nicole. See www.myspace.com/nicolegordonmusic for more.
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5) R.I.P. JOSIAH ESTELLE, FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST
This summer has had far too many losses in the acoustic music world. Last week’s note from Greg Atkin, president of the Association of Fingerstyle Guitarists, told us, “I have sad news about AFG member Josiah Estelle. His sister called me today and told me that Josiah had died in a car accident this week. Needless to say, I am shocked and very saddened by the news. It was just about a month ago that we all gathered at the Fret House in Covina and Josiah entertained us by performing on stage. This performance was only his second for an AFG event and he played wonderfully. Josiah was a fine composer and songwriter, too. He was just the creative type that AFG values in the membership.” There was a memorial gathering on July 27. Those who missed it and knew him, and wish to send a message to his family, may contact Greg Atkin at gatkin@strum-n-comfort.com. Greg added, “Josiah would always end his email messages like this: ‘Your Ever Well Wisher Om Namo Bhagavata Vasudevaya – Josiah.’”
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6) BIDDING FAREWELL TO ARTIST FRIENDS
Hollywood would have you believe that cowboys (even cowgirls) are rather stoic. But when something needs to be said, especially words to find meaning or comfort for those in distress, the figure beneath the big hat, who arrives on horseback, is a welcome and often eloquent visitor. And all those who have discovered cowboy poetry probably see this coming.
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This July, we, in the acoustic Americana music community, lost Jim "Okie" Adams of the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Old Time Fiddlers; L.G. Ravare of the local zydeco dance scene; fingerstyle guitarist Josiah Estelle; and a BUNCH of fine people in the western music world: Frederic Fridborg, husband of mega-award-winning singer-songwriter Belinda Gail; Jane Richardson, wife of cowboy poet Pat Richardson; Ken Griffis, author of books on the Sons of the Pioneers, Sons of the San Joaquin, and the Reinsmen; Wilma "Willie" Schooler, a founder of the Western Music Association; and Velma Spencer.
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Many writers who are unaccustomed to penning obituaries have been working overtime to note the contributions of so many lost in such a short time. Then came the transcendent effort of a cowboy (er, cowgirl) poet.
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KAREN GOGOLICK of Madison, Wisconsin, and the band, KG & The Ranger, wrote to tell us, “I wrote a poem I'd like to share with everyone. Each of us carries a unique wealth of individual memories, and the loss of any one person touches the world by the loss of that person's accumulation of experience, wisdom, and knowledge. Following the latest round of sad news in our community, this poem kind of wrote itself. There were many more folks in my heart as I wrote this, but sadly there are too many to try and name them all. I'll just dedicate it to all who have gone on before us....” FAREWELL DEAR FRIENDS The old guard all are leaving us
One by one, they are no more
And taking with them when they go
An unknown wealth of lore.Treasure vast, although its worth
In dollars can't be counted
It's only made of memories
And tales left un-recounted.By the long lives that they lived
They stored for us the past,
And made a bridge to newer times
With younger friendships fast.So now, torchbearers we must be
Our duty comes alive –
Keepers of the memories,
That cowboy song may thrive.(© Karen Gogolick, July 22, 2008)KG & The Ranger are Karen Gogolick & Rick Roltgenwww.kgandtheranger.com
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7) THIS WEEK’S MUSIC VIDEO PICKS
We live in times that make it obvious why the ancient Chinese admonition, “May you live in interesting times,” was considered a curse. The most thoughtful among us still find some kind of uneasy balance between the sometimes irreverent humor that allows us to keep going despite the absurdities, while discovering things that still command our reverence and give us hope. Most of us plan to vote in this election year, because, after all, “America – it just might work,” as the lyrics say in one of our picks this week. Accordingly, we offer you three songs from two different indie artists.
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First, ROY ZIMMERMAN is one of the best political songwriters of our time, acclaimed even by Tom Lehrer. In Roy’s song, “Thanks for the Support,” we hear a perspective from U.S. troops deployed in Iraq for the third time. Roy gave “Tied to the Tracks” the world radio premiere of the song last year. It’s now on Roy’s newest CD, and a live performance version is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlUyNmUABbc
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Also from ROY ZIMMERMAN is his song “America,” one that he performed live on TttT. A live version is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDSAmQ_AqEU
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Cowboy artist CLYDE LUCAS created our third pick. Whether to balance things, or simply to remember that we are the sum total of all our experiences as individuals and as a society, we recommend his original, “John Wayne - He's America.” It has plenty of clips and images from The Duke’s films, and offers a fine microcosm of how and why a Hollywood figure can become a larger-than-life heroic icon from the roles he plays. It is now playing on the “American Cowboy Magazine” site (videos) and on the Official John Wayne website. Congratulations to indie artist Clyde for those recognitions. His fully-produced video is at http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1630415417
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Finally, L.A. folks have two chances to see ROY ZIMMERMAN perform before the November election, one on Sunday, Aug 9 at McCabe’s, the other on Monday, Aug 10 at the Coffee Gallery Backstage. (See the calendar listings.) He’s shared the stage with such diverse talents as GEORGE CARLIN, ARLO GUTHRIE, KATE CLINTON, BILL CLINTON, ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, BILL MAHER and PAUL KRASSNER, and played a series of shows swapping songs with The Pixies' FRANK BLACK. Zimmerman founded and wrote all the material for the satirical folk quartet THE FOREMEN, who recorded for Warner Reprise throughout the Nineties. As a solo artist, he’s released five albums. A video of Roy’s performance of his song “Creation Science 101” made the front page of YouTube recently and got over 730,000 views, and 11,000 comments - many of them coherent. You can find that one when you view our picks from Roy.
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
.
=====================
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
.
=====================
.
Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
.
+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication.
.
+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
.
.
WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
.
NEWS FEATURES for July, 2008
Editions posted July 23, July 19, July 11, July 4.
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NEWS FEATURES, July 23, 2008
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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2008/07/news-features-july-23-acoustic.html
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
.
NEWS FEATURES for July 23, 2008
.
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with updated posts and our popular “anniversaries” of things that happened each day in the history of music, entertainment, and the rest of the world, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com. Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts, and that makes it far too time-consuming and ponderous to post the calendar there in small pieces.
+
Our myspace site, www.myspace.com/laacoustic is still the place to go for news of the syndicated “Tied to the Tracks” radio show, and its new TV counterpart that launches soon.
.
FUTURE EVENTS are all moving to our Blogspot page. Archived NEWS FEATURES are still found on our myspace site, where you can also peruse radio playlists and other old things, back to when acoustic music was made by indigenous natives pounding on hollow logs with rocks.
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NEWS FEATURES:
July 23, 2008
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1) CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED
Y’know, it offers yet another proof that what passes for “country” music in the states these days is simply off in its own incongruous world of red-state-trailer-park-rock. The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has announced their 2008 inductees into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. Take a look at the folks recognized in Canada, slated for induction during Canada’s Country Music Week 2008, in Winnipeg, September 5-8.
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The inductees are:
a) PRAIRIE OYSTER, six-time winners of the CCMA “Group of the Year” Award.
+
b) BRIAN FERRIMAN, recipient of the CCMA “Manager of the Year” award on eight separate occasions. Brian has been instrumental in the careers of many artists, including TERRY SUMSION, TERRY CARISSE, THE GOOD BROTHERS, GARY FJELLGAARD, and MICHELLE WRIGHT, all of whom released some of their major hit recordings on Savannah Records, a label founded by Ferriman, who currently manages R.W. HAMPTON, BRENN HILL, and MICHELLE WRIGHT from his Nashville, TN office.
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c) WES MONTGOMERY (posthumous award) will always be remembered as one of the most successful morning show hosts in history. A true country fan, Montgomery would often play country music on his local Top 40 radio station in Edmonton, Alberta. Montgomery died in 2005 and posthumously received the CCMA Award for “On-Air Personalities of the Year, Major Market,” with his co-host, JACKIE RAE GREENING. This induction follows three years later.
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“We are thrilled that the inductees will be taking their rightful place in the Hall of Fame alongside their peers,” said CCMA Hall of Fame Committee Chair LYNNE FOSTER. “Each of these inductees have played a significant role in the development of the Canadian country music industry and are all truly deserving of this distinction.”
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For more about Country Music Week and the CCMA Awards, visit www.ccma.org. The 2008 CCMA Awards Nominees will be announced July 30 at press conferences in Winnipeg and Toronto.
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R.W. HAMPTON, who has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” joined fellow artists managed by designated Hall of Fame inductee BRIAN FERRIMAN to call him, “a true ‘Champion’ for the music,” noting that he “continues to bring his winning efforts and hard work to Western Music and its artists. We anticipate great things from Brian and all the artists at Savannah Music and thank him for all of his efforts in the promotion of Western Music.” [signed] RW Hampton, www.myspace.com/rwhampton, Brenn Hill, www.myspace.com/brennhill, Michelle Wright www.myspace.com/michellewright.
Here at Acoustic Americana Music News, we add our congratulations to Brian, as well, and to the other Hall of Fame inductees.
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2) “McCABE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY: A LIVING HISTORY OF MUSIC”
It’ll sell-out quickly. It’s a mega-concert, coming Thursday, Oct 2, at 7:30 pm, to the UCLA Live series in Royce Hall, on the UCLA campus (at Royce Dr between Westwood Bl and Hilgard Av), West L.A. UCLA ticket office: 310-825-2101 or www.uclalive.org. The show honors Santa Monica’s McCabe’s Guitar Shop in an all-star concert with JACKSON BROWNE, RICHARD THOMPSON, ODETTA, DAVID LINDLEY, JENNIFER WARNES, THE SAVOY-DOUCET CAJUN BAND, BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY, RICKY JAY and other special guests who have contributed to the iconic cultural institution. McCabe's has served three generations of musicians and music lovers through its retail store, music school and world-famous concert series, becoming a civic treasure and international icon of the acoustic music community. The legendary weekend concert series on the shop’s intimate backroom stage now reaches back five decades. There, McCabe’s has presented a breathtaking variety of roots music, songwriters, jazz singers, punk bands, bluegrass groups, Cajun orchestras, Gospel choirs, outsider poets, and, of course, amazing guitarists of every flavor and stripe. McCabe’s roster reads like a “who’s who” of music in the last half century, from Bill Monroe and Sun Ra to Jeff Buckley and Cat Power. Nancy Covey and Lincoln Meyerson – McCabe’s concert directors past and present – produced this extraordinary concert celebrating 50 years of musical history in the making, featuring many of the artists who have contributed to the continuing saga of music at McCabe’s. Indiv tix went on sale July 23: $60, $46, $32 ($17 UCLA students).
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3) ANGIE STEVENS, DENVER’S HOTTEST SONGWRITER, HAS NEWS
When she played the Hotel Café in Hollywood, she was relegated to a 7 pm weeknight spot. Among the few in the audience were your editor and Alaska-based singer-songwriter TOM BEGICH. Crazy, because indie ANGIE STEVENS is, officially, the hottest songwriter in Denver, several years running. Angie had quite a week in Colorado. First, she sang the National Anthem at the Rockies / Dodgers game at Coors Field July 23, and she closes her weekend on Sunday, July 27, performing on Denver's Channel 9 at 7:50 & 8:50 am. In between is the big Saturday, July 26 event in Denver: it’s the annual “SUMMER BREW FEST” (4-7 pm) at Coors Field Main Parking Lot A, 2200 Blake St, Denver, CO 80205; 303-921-9107; www.denverbrewfest.com. It’s a celebration of Colorado craft brews with over 70 different kinds of beer to sample – unlimited samples – and those in attendance receive a free commemorative drinking cup. All proceeds go to the Colorado Environmental Coalition, www.ourcolorado.org. And of course there’s music. Angie Stevens performs with her band, commenting it’s, “A fun event for a good cause.” Fest tix are $25 adv, $35 gate.
+
Meanwhile take some time and check-out ANGIE STEVENS, who records on her Boss Koala Records label, is “Proudly sponsored by Coors,” won “Best Singer-Songwriter 2007” (voters choice) at Westword, won “Independent Artist of the Year 2006,” HapiSkratch Ent., won “Best Singer-Songwriter 2006” (editors choice) Westword, had her song, "Stand Up Girl 2" voted one of the best albums of the year 2006 at Westword, and won “Emerging Artist of the Year,” 2005 HapiSkratch Ent.; info & tracks atwww.angiestevens.com and www.myspace.com/angiestevens .
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4) ROARING ‘20S FEST WAS A HOOT, BOOP-BOOP-A-DOO…
Last weekend, July 19 & 20, was the annual “TICKET TO THE 1920s” at the Historical Homestead Museum, 15415 East Don Julian Rd, City of Industry; 91745; www.homesteadmuseum.org. Like its past editions, it was a free event, at the easy-to-reach museum, 20 miles E of downtown L.A. There were many musicians there, on two stages, and dancers enjoyed the Charleston on the portable dance floor, most following the advice of JANET KLEIN to turn-out in “‘20s picnic frocks and searsucker suits and straw boater hats.” GRAMMY winner IAN WHITCOMB performed with his dance band, the excellent BENNY BRYDERN was there, performing with the wonderful big band of DAVE MORA’s MODERN RHYTHMISTS, there were the NIGHT BLOOMING JAZZMEN, and of course, no celebration of the ‘20s would be complete without JANET KLEIN & HER PARLOR BOYS. As Janet had said, the museum is indeed “an idyllic nook,” perfect for all the “period-style picnicking, wonderful music, vintage cars,” and the on-site food offerings were excellent and quite reasonable. There were tours of the historic Workman mansion, a fashion show by the Art Deco Society, and collectors of old records who shared them on large, windup Victrolas. In short, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and exemplary event, and thanks to the folks at the museum, it was FREE. That deserves special acclaim in this summer of extortion at the gas pumps. Stick a post-it on your December calendar, to be transferred to July 2009. You’ll want to catch this next year!
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5) R.I.P., ARTIE TRAUM, FOLK SINGER-SONGWRITER
Russ & Julie, hosts on the long-running house concert series (www.houseconcerts.us) wrote to tell us the news. They said, “Artie Traum was a true American icon. Julie and I were unbelievably fortunate to host a House Concert for Artie Traum just this past February. He put on a great show and really wowed the audience in our living room. He was really incredible as he shared the night with WENDY WALDMAN left everyone wanting more. Yesterday evening we received the terrible news that Artie Traum had died. He died at home, on his favorite couch, with friends and family at hand.
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“Artie was an amazing musician. His latest CD, ‘Thief Of Time,’ was our favorite new album last year. We've played it over and over and over... (Wendy Waldman produced it and did a mighty fine job.) We've lost a truly incredible musician, but more importantly a really great guy... We feel so blessed that we were able to share Artie's amazing talents with many of you. We know that those of you who were here will never forget the evening. We feel very lucky to have gotten to know Artie and his wife Beverly.
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“You can view a few photos we took of Artie Traum and Wendy Waldman that night at our House Concert at www.jrp-graphics.com/houseconcerts/concert133.html.
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“For those of you who wish to, you can post your thought and remembrances on Artie's website www.artietraum.com. “

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6) R.I.P., KEN GRIFFIS
Ken Griffis, western music historian and author of notable books about the SONS OF THE PIONEERS and the SONS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN, died Thursday, July 10, of lymphoma. He was 83 years old and had suffered from cancer for several years. He wrote "Hear My Song – the Story of the Celebrated Sons of the Pioneers," and " The Songs, The Music, The Men," the story of the Sons of the San Joaquin, and "Painters of the West in Song," about the REINSMEN. The Sons of the San Joaquin are familiar to listeners of “Tied to the Tracks,” and they have been guests on the radio show. Accolades began to arrive quickly in Ken’s memory: “He was a wonderful man and true friend. He will be sadly missed.” – Valerie and Tom Lassiter. “He will be greatly missed.” – Elizabeth MacDonald. “What a gentlemen he was! I wrote to him once inquiring about the book on the Pioneers and he responded with such a lovely letter and an autographed copy of the book. It is a treasure to me now more than ever.” – Olga Barnes. His book on the Sons of the San Joaquin is still available through the band’s website, www.thesons.com.
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7) WESTERN MUSIC ASSOCIATION FOUNDER DIES
Wilma “Willie” Schooler died July 12. She celebrated her 87th birthday on May 27. Willie was one of the founding members of the WMA and was very proud of that fact. She and her husband Keith, who preceded her in death, were recipients of the WMA’s “Bill Wiley Award” in 2000. They had lots of friends in the WMA and they were among the organization’s strongest supporters. Her daughter Phyllis said of Willie, “She was always happiest when she was involved with, or listening to, western music.” R.I.P.
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8) THIS WEEK’S MUSIC VIDEO
Thanks to a question in the WMA artists web group, we learned about this old gem. It’s a song sung by the hillbillies in the 1939 Betty Boop cartoon, "Musical Mountaineers." Like most of the musica obscura, it's on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEEXylFBfKk
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.
=====================
.
NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
.
=====================
.
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
.
=====================
.
Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
.
+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication.
.
+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
.
.
WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
.
NEWS FEATURES, July 19, 2008
.
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2008/07/news-features-july-19-acoustic.html
.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
.
NEWS FEATURES for July 19, 2008
.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with updated posts and our popular “anniversaries” of things that happened each day in the history of music, entertainment, and the rest of the world, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com. Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts, and that makes it far too time-consuming and ponderous to post the calendar there in small pieces.
+
Our myspace site, www.myspace.com/laacoustic is still the place to go for news of the syndicated “Tied to the Tracks” radio show, and its new TV counterpart that launches soon.
.
FUTURE EVENTS are all moving to our Blogspot page. Archived NEWS FEATURES are still found on our myspace site, where you can also peruse radio playlists and other old things, back to when acoustic music was made by indigenous natives pounding on hollow logs with rocks.
.
.
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NEWS FEATURES:
July 19, 2008
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1) GOT FOOD & BEVERAGE SONGS?
AIRPLAY DIRECT is currently assisting a radio Program Director in their search for songs that feature food and beverage. Song lyrics can cover any form of food, wine, spirits, beer, parties and restaurant experiences, or be just a play on words. They are looking for songs from all genres. If you have music that fits this call, submit your AirPlay Direct DPK / Digital Press Kit to office@airplaydirect.com ASAP. (Yes, you need to establish an EPK with them, but it’s FREE, and once it’s up, it’s up for all other purposes.) Be sure to specifically indicate that you are submitting for the “food and beverage talk show opportunity.” Info on AirPlay Direct, and establishing your free EPK there, at www.AirPlayDirect.com
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2) NEW SPRINGSTEEN ROOTS AMERICANA DOWNLOADS SUPPORT CHARITY
Columbia Records released Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's “Magic Tour Highlights” on July 15 via all digital download stores, including the iTunes Store. It’s four audio tracks with four accompanying videos, all recorded live in concert during the “Magic” tour. “Magic Tour Highlights” looks like an EP, but it’s only on-line. Track Listing:
1. "Always A Friend" (with ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO); recorded 4/14/08 in Houston.
2. "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (with TOM MORELLO), recorded 4/07/08 in Anaheim.
3. "Turn Turn Turn" (with ROGER McGUINN) recorded 4/23/08 in Orlando.
4. "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" (DANNY FEDERICI's final performance with the E Street Band), recorded 3/20/08 in Indianapolis.
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BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN mixed and BOB LUDWIG mastered the songs. Frequent Springsteen collaborator and GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winner THOM ZIMNY edited the videos.
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On sales of these downloads, the artists, songwriters, and music publishers are waiving all of their royalties, and Columbia Records is donating all of its net profits, to the Danny Federici Melanoma Fund. The iTunes Store http://tk.publicaster.com/DC/ctr.aspx?6C6164=32333734383830&736272=129957&747970=6874&66=30 is donating their first year's net profits, as well.
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3) ANNE McCUE WINS FOLK / AMERICANA CONTEST
Airplay Direct's "All Things Digital Folk / Americana" Artist Contest ran throughout the month of June, and we reported on it and how to enter, for free. The winner is ANNE McCUE, has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and is well-acquainted with awards and recognitions in her native Australia. This time around, Anne will receive the Grand Prize package worth over $30,000, It includes a national radio promotion package (a $3,500 value), a digital radio promotion package (a $4,500 value), a national publicity / marketing package (a $9,000 value), an official Folk Alliance National Conference 2009 live performance showcase, a recording studio package for a master quality EP (5 songs, a $5,000 value), a song on a prominent sampler CD that’s distributed during the AMA Conference and at SXSW (a $750 value), placement to digital downloads via download page for one year, placement on a film & TV placement compilation (a $150 value), on-air "feature artist" interviews on three radio shows and a feature artist interview in a media guide magazine, live performance slots at showcases in a Nashville, Chicago, and Raleigh, and a "Featured Artist" advertising / promotion package from AirPlay Direct (a $1,500 value).
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ANNE McCUE was recently included along with Bob Dylan, the Byrds, Patty Griffin and other great artists in the collection “4 Decades of Folk Rock” and was a special guest at the International Guitar Festival. She will be releasing a new album, "East Of Electric," in August. She recorded and produced the album at her own Flying Machine Studio in Nashville, while waiting to record a new electric album. Inspired by the golden era of folk pop music of the late sixties, with bands like The Byrds and artists like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, Anne set about recording, playing every instrument she could get her hands on - guitars, mandolin, banjo, piano, bass guitar, ukulele, shaker, tambourine, organ, drums, and more.
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More on sponsors who supplied prizes, and more, at www.airplaydirect.com. Listen to and download "broadcast-quality" tracks at www.airplaydirect.com/AnneMcCue and http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=5487667&msgid=94079&act=94ZV&c=155916&admin=0&destination=http://www.airplaydirect.com/AnneMcCue .
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4) CHANGES FOR WESTERN MUSIC JAM SESSION AT THE AUTRY
The Western Music Association sponsors, and the Autry National Center (Autry Museum) hosts, this long-running monthly event on the third Sunday of every month, from 1-3 pm. All performing musicians (whether or not they are Autry members or WMA members) get in free, and each may bring one guest. It used to be outside, and free, on the plaza, then it moved into the spacious lobby. There, depending who was at the desk, those who came for the jam might encounter a demand for museum admission. Now, attendance has reached a level that pushes the limit with the fire marshal, since the lobby is the emergency evacuation route. So, the jam needed to move again, and it’s now on the Heritage Court Stage inside the museum. Is it just the musicians and their one-guest each who get in free? Nope. On WMA monthly jam days at the Autry, all WMA members are admitted free to the museum all day. Show your WMA membership ID at the front desk to get access to the jam and to all the museum galleries.
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Next jam is THIS SUNDAY, July 20, 1-3 pm, at the Autry National Center (aka Autry Museum of the American West), 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, LA; 323-667-2000. WMA California Chapter meeting follows.
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5) NEW WMA WESTERN MUSIC SITE UP AND RUNNING
The Western Music Association’s new site is there, and still receiving additions, at www.westernmusic.org. It offers some features that are not immediately obvious. For example, if you cross your mouse over the "Performers" tab, instead of clicking right away, it offers the option of a list by artists’ names or by state. Nice feature for bookers and others.
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6) “STAY-AT-HOME” BENEFIT EVENT FOR BELINDA GAIL
“Clear Out West” (“COW”) radio hosts Jim and Andy Nelson are hosting a Stay-at-Home Benefit event for Belinda Gail, whose husband and manager Frederic died suddenly of a massive heart attack last week. Belinda has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” with her sometime musical partner CURLY MUSGRAVE, and she has won solo and duo (with Curly) western music awards in just about every category. Now, Belinda and her family could really use some help, just like in the days of the frontier when a neighbor suffered a loss. Those COW radio cowboys did a similar broadcast / web benefit just a week ago for award-winning cowboy poet Pat Richardson, who lost Jane, his wife of 49 years. The event began Friday evening, July 18. You can take part at www.clearoutwest.com/id24.html. Western Music Association California Chapter president Lindalee Green asks, “Please do whatever you can to help our dear sweet Belinda in her time of need.”
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7) TARA PRESERVATION GETS MORE MUSICIANS’ SUPPORT
We’ve been reporting for months on the absurd and tragic fact that Tara, ancient seat of the Kings of Ireland, is in danger of being buried and surrounded by a freeway. Meanwhile, many other ancient sites in the vicinity are under threat, or have already been destroyed. The “Supporters of Tara” have released a compilation CD to raise funds for their effort. You can help by purchasing it at www.myspace.com/Taracompilationcd.
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8) R.I.P. JIM "OKIE" ADAMS JR.
He always had a smile and a "Howdy," and he was a mainstay at the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest, Huck Finn Jubilee and Old Time Fiddlers. He died July 4, and he will be greatly missed. Okie won First Place in Intermediate Traditional Banjo at the 2008 Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest in May, and that wasn’t all he did there. You can watch him backing-up his grandson, Xavier, in the Traditional Banjo competition, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Z7x13Dx2M&feature=email.
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A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, July 23, at 1 pm at the Bellview Cemetery, 1240 "G" St., in Ontario (1 block west of Mountain) for those who knew him. Bring instruments. A gathering will follow in Claremont (map & directions at the cemetery) immediately following the service. If you wish to send a card to the family, call Jon Labrum at 909-944-8151 or Carol Lister 626-332-5865 for the address.
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9) THIS WEEK’S VIDEO
This one will interest everyone who has discovered, or wants to discover, the wonderful world of house concerts. It was sent as one of those “e-invitation” things by singer-songwriter LAUREN ADAMS, who hosts the monthly “Americana Music Circle” in Los Angeles. Lauren has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and she has some fine songs. But the video isn’t about Lauren. It’s from FRAN SNYDER, the creator of “Concerts In Your Home” (www.concertsinyourhome.com). Watch the video, and see how many of the artists you recognize: www.socializr.com/event/3625484/293704958 (scroll down to the video player screen). It’ll inspire you to do as Lauren is doing, and work the house concert circuit, or to host one yourself!
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.
=====================
.
NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
.
=====================
.
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
.
=====================
.
Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
.
+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication.
.
+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
.
.
WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
.
NEWS FEATURES, July 11, 2008
.
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2008/07/news-features-july-11-acoustic.html
.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
.
NEWS FEATURES for July 11, 2008
.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with updated posts and our popular “anniversaries” of things that happened each day in the history of music, entertainment, and the rest of the world, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com. Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts, and that makes it far too time-consuming and ponderous to post the calendar there in small pieces.
+
Our myspace site, www.myspace.com/laacoustic is still the place to go for news of the syndicated “Tied to the Tracks” radio show, and its new TV counterpart that launches soon.
.
FUTURE EVENTS are all moving to our Blogspot page. Archived NEWS FEATURES are still found on our myspace site, where you can also peruse radio playlists and other old things, back to when acoustic music was made by indigenous natives pounding on hollow logs with rocks.
.
.
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NEWS FEATURES:
July 11, 2008
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1) FAR WEST FOLK ALLIANCE SHOWCASE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JULY 31
The FAR-West Showcase Committee, Renee Bodie, Wendy Waldman, Deborah Ching, Dana Charnofsky, & John Jacob, checked-in with some news. The deadline for Official Showcase submissions for the 5th annual FAR-West Conference is July 31. The conference will take place Oct 24-26, 2008 in Phoenix, AZ at the Marriott Phoenix Mesa Hotel and Convention Center. There are two ways to submit for an Official Showcase: through Sonic Bids at www.sonicbids.com/farwest2008 or through hard copy submission (details are on their website, www.Far-West.org).
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There are approximately 48 Official Showcase slots available. Performers chosen for Official Showcase slots must be members of Folk Alliance at the time of the conference, be registered for the conference, and pay a $50 Production Fee.
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There is a second type of showcase offered at FAR-West, and those PRIVATE "GUERRILLA" SHOWCASES are one of the best opportunities for most musicians to perform and be seen at the conference. FAR-West DOES sanction Private "Guerrilla" Showcases. If you are interested in hosting one of these, you must book your room through FAR-West (not through the hotel) and register it with the organization. The deadline to register a Private "Guerilla" Showcase is Sep 20, 2008, or until they run out of rooms (40 rooms are available; details on their web site).
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Registration fee for the FAR-West conference INCLUDES admission to all workshops, panel discussions, Friday evening's reception, showcases, Exhibit Hall, Saturday's luncheon and "Best of the West" awards ceremony, seminars, tote bag and the extensive program book.
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A list of people who have already registered for the conference can be found at: www.far-west.org/registrations.html. To join the FAR-West listserve, go to www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/farwest.
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2) “ANN THE RAVEN'S BIRTHDAY BASH” IS THIS SUNDAY
Ann the Raven is a popular L.A. deejay, and she’s made the rounds to whatever public radio station will accommodate her blues show instead of the obnoxious sh-thump-thud pop that’s on the commercial stations, or the NPR talk package that’s on nearly all the local public radio stations. Ann is a hoot, and she regularly tells her listeners, “I play the blues because I’m blue. I need a man.” Well, maybe she’ll meet one at her annual birthday bash, this Sunday, July 13. It’s 4-10 pm at Colombo's Restaurant, on Colorado Bl, in Eagle Rock. Eight different bands are playing, including Max Bangwell. As she does every year, Ann is inviting everyone.
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3) A SAD WEEK IN THE COWBOY WORLD
First came news that the charming JANE RICHARDSON, wife of celebrated cowboy poet PAT RICHARDSON, had reached the end of her time on earth on July 6. Jane and Pat had been married 49 years. Beginning Monday, the “Clear Out West” radio show will air a “stay at home” benefit for the family, for the coming week. More on that, and ways you can help, is at www.cowboypoetry.com/richardsons.htm. Before that loss was fully processed came the next one, and it was a real shocker to many.
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BELINDA GAIL lost her husband, FREDERIC FRIDBORG, to a massive and sudden heart attack the morning of July 8. Belinda is a multiple-award winning western singer-songwriter, both in her own right and as a duo with music partner CURLY MUSGRAVE. Curly and his wife were the first to send the stunning news. Then, LEE DOMANN wrote to tell us how shocked he was, and that he had just enjoyed a happy, laughter-filled conversation the day before with Belinda. She had called Lee to tell him all about recording one of his songs. We can bet that Frederic was right there, smiling and just as excited as Belinda that another great recording had been made. Frederic was Belinda’s manager, and he was always a fine, happy, and supportive presence for Belinda’s music career. Many enjoyed chatting with him at concerts and events.
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Frederic was also the co-writer on some of her songs, including “Horse Corral Meadow,” heard on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.” Belinda and Curly performed live, twice, on the radio show, and you’ve seen them playing stages at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival, Big Bear Cowboy Gathering, and at the Autry Museum. Frederic was always there.
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Curly Musgrave is handling all emails for Belinda for the foreseeable future. If you would like to send her a thoughtful message of sympathy, Curly will get it to her. Send it to him at curlyjproduction@aol.com. You may offer tangible support to Belinda and her family, through friends in the Western Music Association, through LindaleeGreen@earthlink.net, or directly through a “quiet fund” at www.cowboypoetry.com/quietfund.htm.
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4) SQUARE DANCE SERIES SEEKS NEW VENUE
That fun old-time band TRIPLE CHICKEN FOOT has performed live, twice, on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and hosted the Annual “LOS ANGELES OLD-TIME SOCIAL’ through all of its three years. They’ve also been the hosts and house band for a monthly square dance held in conjunction with the weekly “GRAND OLE ECHO” series. But now, BEN GUZMAN of TRIPLE CHICKEN FOOT tells us, “After a great 6 month run of square dances in Los Angeles - we need a new home. The Grand Ole Echo was gracious enough to give us a try - but it just wasn't working out. Man we were having fun though. We would love to play some dances - maybe the next one can be at YOUR HOUSE - REALLY! Please keep an eye out for spaces that might be suitable for dances - the Foot is really hoping we can find a new place to have them. Or at least to play some parties and to put on some dances at those!” If you have offers or ideas for a new venue for the series, contact Ben at ben@triplechickenfoot.com. Learn about the band and their doins’ at www.triplechickenfoot.com and www.myspace.com/triplechickenfoot.
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5) COFFEE GALLERY BACKSTAGE LAUNCHES WEBCAST CAPABILITY
It’s been in the works for years, and Backstage’s new multi-camera internet web video simulcast came to fruition on Tuesday, July 8, with a “WEBCAST LAUNCH PARTY.” Grammy-winner IAN WHITCOMB, accompanied by FRED SOKOLOW and a hefty lineup of musical and interview guests, delighted the full-house at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena (www.coffeegallery.com). It was also the launch of the new Coffee Gallery “front stage” website, www.funkylittlecoffeehouse.com. Dinner and the show were free, and your editor took a cyber-ribbing from CGB impresario BOB STANE about that: “If they serve hot dogs, Larry calls it dinner,” he wrote. Well, it was much better cuisine than that, Bob!
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IAN WHITCOMB plans to continue as a weekly webcast show called “Altadena Live,” with himself as host. Other productions are in the works.
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Meanwhile, IAN WHITCOMB and FRED SOKOLOW return to the same stage, without the cameras, for a Saturday night show July 12. EVANS & ROGERS, a charming vaudeville act who were among the web-TV guests, also play their own night there soon.
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6) L.A. WOMEN IN MUSIC SHOW PRESENTS 2008 COMET AWARD WINNER
On Wednesday night, July 9, the monthly Los Angeles WoMen in Music Soiree at the M Bar in Hollywood became the annual “Best of Soiree” night. Those who had received nominations during a previous performance were invited back to do two songs each.
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Musical host HARRIET SCHOCK opened with her hilarious “The Sound Check Song.” The packed house enjoyed a buffet dinner and vocal performances from ten of the nominated artists, primarily with accompaniment on piano or guitar. Emmy-winner TRACY NEWMAN was accompanied by her REINFORCEMENTS, and she performed two of her award-winning songs that had debuted on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” where she has performed live. EVONNE RIVERA has also performed live on the radio show, as has SIMON LYNGE, who was nominated but not present. Other nominees who performed were JOY GRAYSEN, DAVID KIDD, the very funny and charming ARLENE KOLE, MARGARET MacDONALD, RONEE MARTIN, ANNA MONTGOMERY, ALISSA MORENA, and the folky LISA NEMZO. Across all genres, it was of superb quality.
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The night concluded with presentation of the organization’s prestigious Comet Award, and it went to singer-songwriter-pianist ANNA MONTGOMERY. More, www.lawim.com.
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7) “FEMALES ON FIRE 3” ALBUM LAUNCH A STELLAR SUCCESS
While LAWIM was hosting the Comet Awards show, across town, it was the launch of a new compilation CD at the Mint, on Pico Blvd in Los Angeles. Wednesday night’s CD release show continued a recent trend of supporting a charitable cause at the same time. Nine of the female musicians and three whose spoken word pieces are on the album, plus all the accompanist musicians performed – a total of 27 artists.
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Those included on the CD traveled from far and wide for the launch. Lori and Steve of HIDE FROM CLEO came from Michigan and “dueled with acoustic guitars.” CLAIRE WYNDHAM came all the way from Australia to perform. Local favorites who are on the new record also took the stage, including MICHELLE MANGIONE, GILLI MOON, and LAURA BRADLEY.
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GILLI MOON, who produced the album on the Warrior Girl Music label, says, “It was truly a stellar night. We sold-out dinner seats in advance and only an hour into the show, the room was at capacity. A full house! 130 people, standing room only. All the artists stayed ‘til the very end, and that's a feat in itself, as we started at 7 pm and went ‘til midnight. People didn't want to leave. We passed the midnight hour and the crowd begged for more.”
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A portion of the night’s proceeds went to CARE.org. Gilli explains, “CARE believes that the status of women in the developing world is the key to fighting and ending global poverty. With education, skills and basic resources, they can become catalysts for change. Women can help build a better world for all. Check out their website at www.care.org. Warrior Girl Music is donating $1 of every CD sale to CARE.org and part of the proceeds from the night's door are also going to their charity.”
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More on the new compilation and the two that preceded it, at www.femalesonfire.com.
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8) THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE PICK
ALI MARCUS is playing a pair of music festivals in Washington State this weekend. She scored a “Listener Favorite” on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” with her “Most Biographical Song,” and she is an acoustic renaissance artist who writes from many perspectives. Her new song, “Minnesota” is an anti-war song, and it’s our YouTube Pick this week, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ8sPG97GkA
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
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+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
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+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication.
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+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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NEWS FEATURES, July 4, 2008
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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2008/07/news-features-july-4-acoustic-americana.html
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for July 4, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with updated posts and our popular “anniversaries” of things that happened each day in the history of music, entertainment, and the rest of the world, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com. Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts, and that makes it far too time-consuming and ponderous to post the calendar there in small pieces.
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Our myspace site, www.myspace.com/laacoustic is still the place to go for news of the syndicated “Tied to the Tracks” radio show, and its new TV counterpart that launches soon.
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FUTURE EVENTS are all moving to our Blogspot page. Archived NEWS FEATURES are still found on our myspace site, where you can also peruse radio playlists and other old things, back to when acoustic music was made by indigenous natives pounding on hollow logs with rocks.
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NEWS FEATURES:
July 4, 2008
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1) NEW RADIO ROYALTIES LAW PASSES CRUCIAL VOTE
The U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Internet and Intellectual Property (often called the “IP Subcommittee”) voted June 30 to recommend passage, by the full House, of the “Performance Rights Act,” HR 4789, a bill that would require over-the-air (broadcast) radio stations to pay royalties to labels and artists. The bill would remove the historical exemption that allows broadcast radio stations to avoid paying royalties to record labels and artists for performances of sound recordings. Keep in mind their are two types of royalties: writer/publisher royalties, and performing rights royalties. Currently, broadcast stations pay royalties to the Performance Rights Organizations (P.R.O.s) ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, for writers and publishers, but do not pay performing rights royalties to labels or artists.
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The big labels own their artists’ publishing rights anyway, so they have been getting paid, all along. Others have been left-out, and want a piece of the action that may cripple some stations, or force them into formats that offer different compensations – payola is not dead. The key player in trying to force the change is the Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA, who has adopted a philosophy that if it’s recorded and it’s being played, anywhere for any purpose, they want money. RIAA has long been a shill for the few remaining big labels.
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The primary effect, if the bill becomes law, would be the requirement that larger broadcast radio stations pay royalties to labels and artists, in addition to what they pay the P.R.O.s, based on a percentage of the station’s revenue. Internet radio stations and satellite radio broadcasters are already required to make those payments, thanks to a lot of complicated lobbying and legislation that involved the fat cats trying to get a leg-up on each other, while simultaneously conspiring to stop the threat to their hegemony that arrived with internet radio. As it is, things get complicated when a broadcast station has a web simulcast and/or archive or podcast, since different aspects of cross-platform distribution require different payments to different entities, including the digital rights management arms of the industry’s octopus. The new bill, as it now stands, does offer exceptions for smaller radio stations, those with revenue less than $1.25 million, and for educational and public broadcasters.
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National Association of Broadcasters Vice President Dennis Wharton said on June 30, "Today's vote comes as a complete non-surprise, given the House IP Subcommittee's history of support for the RIAA-backed tax on local radio stations. Despite today's action, there remains broad bipartisan resistance to the RIAA tax from members of Congress who question whether a punitive fee on America's hometown radio stations should be used to bail-out the failing business model of foreign-owned record labels."
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The NAB has built a coalition of 219 House members opposed to the bill.
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Many indie artists have bought-in to a ruse propagated by “Big Music,” believing that passage of the bill would bring a wonderful change that would provide “level-playing-field” money for everyone. We have warned here in the past that something altogether different is far more likely. If a station’s program director knows that he or she must pay to play an iconic song by an iconic artist, or must pay the same amount to play an unknown song by an unknown indie artist, which is likely to get airplay?
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Everyone who has, or aspires to, a career in music has a stake in this. Read the NAB position as well as the RIAA position, and contact your member of Congress and your Senators. They’re all in their states or home districts on summer recess, campaigning for reelection, so you can probably find them and ask them, face-to-face, if you want. And you should understand the implications and take an activist position.
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2) JULY 5 “GRASSROOTS ACOUSTICA” CELEBRATES 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
The charity benefit series’ creator and host MARK ISLAM tells us, “13 shows. 12 local non-profit organizations. 52 performers. 5 different venues. 0 cover charge. $6,839 in audience offerings. 100% donated.”
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Mark has shown diligence and perseverance in making it happen, and continuing through a series of venues, as the original home closed for remodeling, and the series outgrew its temporary replacement quarters.
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This Saturday, July 5, at 8 pm, the series moves yet again, to The Spot Café & Lounge, 4455 Overland Av, Culver City; 310-559-8868; www.thespotcafelounge.com.
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Mark tells us, “About a year ago this time, a trusty troupe of troubadours and I, in response to imminent closures of so many beloved haunts and hangouts, committed to a free monthly musicians' mingle that'd also collect contributions for non-profit organizations serving metropolitan Los Angeles. And on Saturday, we present ‘Grassroots Acoustica #13: First Anniversary Edition,’ benefiting Children Of The Night (www.childrenofthenight.org) an L.A.-based organization assisting children between the ages of 11 and 17 forced into prostitution and pornography for food to eat and a place to sleep. For those with a sense of occasion, Children Of The Night received the very first Grassroots Acoustica offering plate one year ago.”
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Mark continues, “The bakers' dozenth brings RANDY SHARP to the Grassroots Acoustica fold for the very first time, one of many live scenes he’s supported over the years both here and in Nashville. Many’s a night I recall being in his audience as he played songs that’d become either greatest hits essentials or intriguing album tracks by genre-defining tastemakers: JENNIFER WARNES, LINDA RONSTADT, DIXIE CHICKS, REBA MCENTIRE, & PATTY LOVELESS. Longtime champion EMMYLOU HARRIS won a 2005 country Grammy for her cover of ‘The Connection,’ title track of his own long-awaited CD which is well-worth seeking out.”
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Also on the bill, DUDLEY SAUNDERS, JANE BOLDUC, BYRON PFEIFER & TOM GRAMLICH.
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To date, Grassroots Acoustica has supported the following nonprofits: Children Of The Night; The Blank Theatre Company; Project Angel Food; cancer support center WeSpark; The Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation for Animal & Human Welfare; The Nicolette Larson Pediatric Endowment; A New Way Of Life Reentry Project; Echo Park Film Center; Showing People Learning & Technology; Friends of the Los Angeles River; School On Wheels; The Celebration Theatre.
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Like all the previous edition, it’s free and open to the public. 100% of any voluntary contributions are directly donated to Children Of The Night.
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3) NEW FILM, “SEVEN SIGNS,” SCREENS AT “GRAND OLE ECHO” JULY 6
The popular every-Sunday roots-Americana series in L.A. includes a very notable FILM SCREENING before the music on Sunday in the Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Bl, Echo Park 90026; www.myspace.com/thegrandoleecho. (Enter through the alleyway of the Echo, behind 1822 Sunset Bl).
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The film, “SEVEN SIGNS” with THE LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS, will; be followed by live music from J.D.WILKES (Legendary Shack Shakers), plus the kind of lineup the series always presents, this week, WELLDIGGER'S BANQUET, THE CHEATIN' KIND, MIKE STINSON, BRET JENSEN'S DEATH VALLEY JUBILEE, and an extended show with BETTY DYLAN at the end of the evening, all in the Echoplex (alley entrance) for the use of the big screen.
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More about the film: “SEVEN SIGNS” is a Southern documentary akin to films like "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus," and "Dancin' Outlaw." Possessed by a vision similar to that of the tent-show evangelists down in Dixie, J.D.WILKES, the charismatic frontman and songwriter for the THE LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS, sets-off with a camera crew to prove that the older, stranger South still exists in all of its eerie, time-worn, and gothic glory, despite the expansion of the "New South's" urban sprawl. "The first wave of our taping was a huge success," declares Col. J.D., first-time filmmaker and full time frontman for his equally Bible Belt-influenced rock 'n roll band. He continues, "Foreshadowing is an important tool in movie making. It's also important to give our fans a heads up about my new project." Hence, Sunday’s screening.
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Wilkes clarifies, "This movie seeks to give resonance to the voices of true, southern individuals...each one unique, fearless and most importantly intelligent. This is NOT an exploitational slam-job on the South. This is about the humanity of my homeland. These are my people.” The film's first 10-day shoot was completed in the summer of 2006 by Kentucky's indie film teams Tuckywood Productions and JuddFilms. But the final project won't be released until sometime late in 2007.
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Wilkes explained what life has been like the past two years, when he said, "The editing process is extremely time-consuming and difficult, especially when you live on the road most of the year," said Wilkes, whose band tours almost constantly. "Thanks to technology, though, I can do a lot of it on my laptop or a DVD monitor. We have a couple of independent Kentucky theatres that have agreed to help promote and premiere it locally, too.” The movie hits film festivals this Fall, but you can see it at the Echoplex event.
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4) ARTISTS SOUGHT TO PERFORM STEVE GOODMAN SONGS
“I am very involved with this mini book tour at the end of the month and wanted to let you know about it. I'm coordinating talent for these events and if you are a STEVE GOODMAN fan interested in participating, please let me know, I will send you more info! We currently have openings at Borders, the Fret House, Water Canyon Coffee and Moe's Books. These slots will fill up fast, so please let me know asap.” That word comes from ALYSSA ARCHAMBAULT, who manages artists that include BILL TAPIA and DAN JANISCH, both of whom have performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.”
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The late Steve Goodman is best known for his 1970 train song that became a hit for ARLO GUTHRIE, “City of New Orleans.” Goodman was a fine performing songwriter in his own right, and his televised performances include an episode of “Austin City Limits.” He was, in fact, a familiar and delightful presence in concert halls and on radio and TV.
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Veteran Seattle journalist CLAY EALS (www.clayeals.com) is the author of "STEVE GOODMAN: FACING THE MUSIC," an 800-page, 575-photo book that is now in its second printing. The book has earned rave reviews and a silver medal for biography in the 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. It includes an 18-track CD of songs written and performed by other musicians in tribute to Goodman. For the California tour, Eals will be joined by special musical guests for events in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seal Beach, Covina, Yucca Valley and Berkeley. The tour begins on July 25, which would have been Goodman's 60th birthday. Musicians will perform Goodman and Goodman-related songs, and all events are free of charge.
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Everyone is invited to attend one or more of six reading / music events set for L.A. / OC July 25, 26, 27, to celebrate the biography of one of America's most galvanizing entertainers.
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If you would like to perform -- or know someone who would like to perform -- during one or more of these events, e-mail Alyssa Archambault of Paniolo Productions, at alyssa@panioloproductions.com, or go to www.panioloproductions.com.
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5) 150 CUB SCOUTS IN SEARCH OF COWBOY MUSICIANS
Cub Scouts from all over the LA area will be participating in a Day Camp at Woodley Park in Sherman Oaks during the week of July 14-18 (flyer at www.balboaoaks.bsa-la.org/cubs/cub_day_camp.html). They are searching for one or cowboy musicians. This year's camp theme is “Western Trails,” and they tell us, “we'd love to give our boys as lively and educational a time as possible. It would be great if they could enjoy a performance by a Western band or musician. This experience will help our cub scouts earn their Music Belt Loop. If you would like to help the boys (and their parents) learn to appreciate cowboy music, please contact Quinn as soon as possible at (818) 906-9970 or (213) 910-4095. Camp is just around the corner. If we get more than one entertainer / group, then great! We can schedule them on any of the 3 days above.” They want music performances July 14, 15, or 16, at noon. They say, “We can pay for mileage up to $50, and lunch, but can’t offer [other] pay.” You can sell your CDs, and remember, parents are there.
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6) INDIES AT OLYMPIC TRIALS
In another proof that indie music is everywhere in mainstream culture, and in utter defiance of the notion that the “only thing that matters” is the 18-24 year-old age demographic (despite what the few remaining big record labels think), here’s another one for you. Omaha, Nebraska-based CHER & GENE KLOSNER are singing the National Anthem for the US Olympic Swim Trials Finals at the Qwest Center, July 5, at 7 pm. No word whether the event, or that part of it, will be televised, but if it is, that’s them! Their CD, “Stardust” (www.StardustLullaby.com) has won numerous awards, including two quite recently – a Creative Child “Preferred Choice” Award and a “Parents with Style Award.” They tell us, “We are very excited and honored to add these to the ‘iParenting Media Award’ and the ‘Parents’ Choice Award.’ Artists info, www.CherGene.com and www.MySpace.com/CherGeneKlosner.
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7) REMEMBER OUR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS, WITH MUSIC
With over a thousand fires burning in California, in early July, we should all take a moment and think of those who risk their lives to keep us safe. Now, and especially on July 6th, go view the music video, or just listen to the song, “South Canyon 1994” in honor of the 14 wildland firefighters who died on that day in Colorado. It’s by the BLACK IRISH BAND and it’s track 14 on their the CD, “Into the Fire.” The band’s PATRICK MICHAEL KARNAHAN reminds us, “They were all so young when they left this world.” He adds, “Special thanks to MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY, HOWARD HUDIBURG, and all the work of the TEXAS STATE SYMPHONY” who contributed musically to the project. The song, and others on the album, have been heard on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.” Listen to this stirring musical tribute at http://i220.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid220.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/trainfire28/SouthCanyon.flv
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Michael reminds us that the revenues from the song support the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (2049 Airport Way, Boise, ID 83705). You can support the foundation at www.wffoundation.org.
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He adds, “The Wildland Firefighter Foundation would not exist without your support. You help us send money to wildland firefighter families when a death or injury occurs, a bronze statue for families of the fallen, Christmas sponsorships, and many other assistance efforts. WFF provides the channel for your donations to reach those in need during difficult times. This Foundation exists solely out of the goodness of the hearts of all of you. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is honored to accept donations in the name of a loved one that has passed.”
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8) SPEAKING OF MICHAEL PATRICK KARNAHAN…
The Sonora (CA)-based musician and songwriter is also a renowned artist who did the 2008 Osh Hardware railroad Calendar, and over a half-million went out to the general public. He just checked-in with us to tells us that he painted the album cover for cowboy-western musician MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY’s new CD.
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A new oil painting of Murphey, measuring 18 X 20 inches, will grace the cover of Murph's new railroad CD due out this summer. The painting features Murphey on horseback, his guitar slung on his back, watching the passage of ex-Southern Pacific steam locomotive number 1744. The scene is a contemporary one, on the high desert area of Colorado on the famous La Veta Pass line of the old Denver & Rio Grande, a stretch that’s now a tourist-hauler. Even though Murphey's face is small in the painting, you can see every detail and know it's him under that hat. Murphey is happy. He says, “It's nice to know that an album cover, for a music CD, could still feature original artwork in these days of computer graphics.” Karnahan ads, “Murphey has been a real champion of using original custom artwork for the majority of his past album covers.”
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Karnahan has been painting trains since age 8. He’s also been a member of the BLACK IRISH BAND for over 20 years. The band is featured on Murphey's upcoming album, along with an original song written by Karnahan. Get info on the multitalented artist and his paintings at www.trainfire.com .
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9) “HEARTLAND PUBLIC RADIO” MAKES FORMAT CHANGE, GOES AUTOMATED
We’ve always had a special regard for the folks at web-based Heartland Public Radio, since we’re all former broadcast programmers and hosts of award-winning Americana shows once carried on a certain Los Angeles radio station. So we greet their latest news with mixed feelings. They’ve grown from a modest start, with a few hosted programs on one channel each week, to multi-channel 24/7 programming. A downside is, some popular hosted shows are no longer there, and it’s all automated. The good news is, it’s there, and it’s growing.
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Their newest (third) channel just SWITCHED FORMATS on June 1 to “Gospel Bluegrass” from a broader format they refer to, in retrospect, as “secular bluegrass.” That’ll surely prove popular with some, less popular with others. Here’s what you’ll find.
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“HPR2: The Western Music Channel” is Heartland Public Radio's Western Music Channel, and the only place in the world featuring 24-hour-a-day Western / Cowboy music. They do say, “Until further noted,” HPR 2 is “only featuring an automated mix of Western favorites with no live / hosted programs.”
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“HPR1: Classic Country” features “true Classic Country music from the 1940s through the 1960s (with an occasional hit from the 70s and 80s thrown into the mix).” They offer the same notation regarding “an automated mix… with no live/hosted programs.”
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“HPR3: The Bluegrass Gospel Channel” is the new addition, and features “pure Bluegrass Gospel music 24-hours-a-day.”
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Find all three channels, 24/7, and playlists, at www.hpr.org.
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10) OJAI CONCERT SERIES OFFERS “4 FOR 3” DEAL
With extortion at the gas pumps, deals like this are especially attractive. The Ojai Concert series routinely brings fine folk-Americana performers, and even offers low-cost child care at its concerts. Series presenters Shane & Kelli Butler tell us, “For a limited time only, if you buy tickets for MAEVE MacKINNON on July 22, the ‘LADIES COUNTRY NIGHT OUT’ on Sep 17, and the SARA GREY / KIENON MEANS show on Oct 16, we will give you a free ticket to the DANA & SUE ROBINSON show on November 13. Just send in a check for $45, or $90 for 2 people, and we will put you on will-call for all 4 shows.” Contact them an ojaiconcertseries@gmail.com.
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11) ROSS ALTMAN TO RECEIVE AWARD IN GALA EVENING
The 10th Annual “COMMUNITAS” AWARDS dinner & program on Sat, Sep 6, at 6 pm honors several deserving people, including folksinger-songwriter / “songfighter” ROSS ALTMAN, plus Bruria and David Finkel, and Herley Jim Bowling, at the Church in Ocean Park, 235 Hill St, in the Ocean Park district of Santa Monica. To receive an invitation, e-mail churchop@aol.com.
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“Communitas” recognizes community building by activists from the Los Angeles area. ROSS ALTMAN has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” and is a longtime columnist for FolkWorks. In the best tradition of folk music activism, he "comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable," whether singing at schools, union halls, folk festivals, libraries, senior homes, or folk societies, Ross brings his courage, intellect and warmth to every event. He has been the church's folksinger since he was first asked to lead a Labor Day Sunday filled with labor movement songs. This annual event has continued for nearly 30 years and is a highlight for the church and neighborhood. The evening begins with a buffet dinner at 6 pm, followed by the program at 7:30 pm. Program includes commendations to the honorees and musical pieces chosen especially for them, along with a silent auction and raffle (raffle tix $5 ea). Ads available in event program from Dona Dirlam, event co-chair, at ddirlam@gia.edu or 310-392-4773. Dinner/program tix $60 per person, $25 low income.
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12) CLASS ON MAKING BOOKS OFFERED AT DESCANSO GARDENS
This one, on July 26, will interest many artists. Ever thought of making a book of your songs, or your lyrics as poetry, like JEWEL’s best-seller, but more personal? Book-design artist WENDY POMA teaches the step-by-step process of making books, using a wide variety of papers from around the world. Participants will leave class with a beautiful set of three books. All materials are supplied by the instructor. No previous bookmaking experience is required. Poma has years of experience teaching the art of bookmaking and has appeared on HGTV promoting book arts.
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Class is offered Saturday, July 26, 9 am-1 pm, at Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge; 818-949-4200. The Gardens are near the interchange of the 2 and 210 freeways. Fees: $25 ($20 for Descanso members), plus a $22 materials fee payable to Wendy Poma. To register, call 818-949-7980. Fees for classes and programs include Gardens admission. Parking is free. More at www.descansogardens.org.
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13) R.I.P., L.G. RAVARE
A friend, a dancer and a supporter of the Southeren Cal zydeco community, L.G. Ravare died July 1. BJ DECULUS of BONNE MUSIQUE ZYDECO says, “L G was a fine gentlemen, soft spoken and a man of great character. He loved zydeco music and loved to dance to it. He was one of our biggest supporters. He will truly be missed.”
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Connie Arizmendi, Long Beach Bayou Festival coordinator, says “LG was a long time supporter of CCD [Long Beach’s sponsoring charity and recipient of its profits] and volunteered for many years. He was [festival founder] Murphy's close friend and he helped drive artists and artist VIPs to the festival. In addition, he frequently cooked food for our ‘dance dance dance’ series held in Gardena. He came to see me [before this year’s festival in June] and said that he might not be around for too long and he wanted to do something nice for his wife, Maryann. He ordered, ‘Happy 50th Anniversary’ on our Festival Program.’”
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In return, the Festival ordered a big banner with a red heart and the words, “Happy 50th Anniversary LG and Maryann Ravare.” Connie says, “I am so glad he got this for his wife. Unfortunately, he was too sick to come to the festival. His family brought them the festival program and the banner.” For those who knew him, the funeral is Tue, July 8. Contact CCD for info, at 562-427-8834.
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14) “BAYOU TALK” NEWSPAPER AVAILABLE ONLINE
Bayou Talk is a Creole and Cajun Community newspaper that covers the spectrum of the music, dance, and other events. BJ DECULUS of BONNE MUSIQUE ZYDECO tells us that it can now be obtained on-line. Subscribe at www.bayoutalk.com
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15) NORTHWEST FOLK LIFE PERFORMANCES NOW ON-LINE
Anyone who has ever attended the enormous annual festival held at te old World’s Fair site over an extended Memorial Day Weekend in Seattle knows, as it’s promoters say, “It’s a happy dilemma: which show to go to at the Northwest Folklife Festival? Which amazing performance am I going to miss because I was busy attending a different amazing performance?”
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Now they tell us, “Happily, we've got a solution for you: many of the 2008 Festival's live performances were recorded and are available for download on our audio site www.nwfolklifeaudio.org.”
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You can listen to a number of shows, some with multiple artists, like, “The Many Shades of Gospel Music,” “Folk Punk Attack!,” “Raisin' a Ruckus: New Old Time Bands,” “Latin American All-Stars,” and many other shows. You can also hear performances from the 2007 Festival or listen to their podcasts. Let’s hope this catches-on with other festivals, especially in this year of extortion at the gas pumps. You can also purchase a CD of various artists’ performances at the 2007 festival. Go to www.nwfolklife.org.
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16) THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE PICK: IF PAT PAULSEN AND COLBERT CAN DO IT…
We received this message from AL "DOC" MEHL (theasphaltcowboy@comcast.net), who began by saying he was “just checking in with a public service announcement.” Al is well known in the Western music & cowboy poetry world, so you might expect he would have something to say about the current balloting for the top honors in the WMA Awards. Nope. He says, “Forget the Western Music Association awards, I'm thinking bigger... I'm running for president.”
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Now, he acknowledges that it’s “A little late to be entering the race, I've heard the pundits say. But you decide. Just for fun, check out this newly released video poem, ‘THE DIVIDED STATES OF AMERICA,’ in which I cogitate about red states and blue states, elephants and donkeys, even a plan for a new direction for the country. Click on this strange looking ‘YouTube’ web address, and you're there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OTFDPQwDmw .”
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Editor’s note to our readers: Wellsir, Al, we had to pick this video. It’s well worth watching, of course, but it’s also something more. It’s a fine opportunity to remember that not everyone in a cowboy hat is a political moron, despite what a certain administration has been doing.
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
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Meantime, be sure you read our #1 news feature in the June 6 edition, and CONTACT CONGRESS to protect your rights to your created works from the piracy that will result if the “Orphan Arts Act” is passed.
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
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+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
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+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication.
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+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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NEWS FEATURES for June 2008
Editions posted June 28, June 19, June 13, June 7.
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NEWS FEATURES, June 28, 2008
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for June 28, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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THIS WEEK’S NEWS FEATURES are unusually light, though of course, good stuff. We’re nearing important deadlines for radio syndication, and the time is going into that.
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The calendar, as a continuous read, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, along with each day’s updated post of events, and our newest popular feature, the anniversaries of things that happened on that date.
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Each day’s updated events and anniversaries are still at www.myspace.com/laacoustic – for the time being. Because Myspace now accepts only short posts, we must go through the ponderous process of listing events there in small blocks, usually one day at a time – so, the calendar will move to another site, and that will happen soon.
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FUTURE EVENTS and archived NEWS FEATURES are posted into 2009 on our myspace site, where reading them curiously requires that you use the “Older Entries” button that appears when you click “View All” – going “back” to the future… just one of the many myspace aberrations.
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NEWS FEATURES:
June 28, 2008
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1) DISCOUNT AVAILABLE FOR KIDS REGISTERING THIS WEEK FOR “DAY JAMS” ROCK MUSIC DAY CAMP IN PASADENA THIS SUMMER
It’s a chance to register this week and get a $50 discount for the splendid weeklong music day camp for kids ages 8 to 15, at the local campus, in Pasadena, CA. DAY JAMS is sponsored at 21 sites across America by National Guitar Workshop and has an excellent reputation. The local campus has two sessions, Mon, Jul 28-Fri, Aug 1, or Mon, Aug 4-Fri, Aug 8. Campers choose an instrument when they register, and they receive individualized instruction in that instrument, plus songwriting instruction and time and instruction with the others in their own band for the week. Instruments are guitar, bass, keyboards, horns or vocals. To get the $50 discount, register online at www.dayjams.com and in the blank that asks, “referred by,” enter “Larry Wines,” and note the $50 discount.
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2) “FETE DE LA MUSIQUE,” IN SOUTHERN CAL AS “MAKE MUSIC PASADENA,” WAS REVOLUTIONARY
It started in France, it’s always on June 21, and this was the first year it came to the US in a big way. Despite 107 degree temps, there were 30 stages around Pasadena, most of them outdoors, and many were packed with listeners all day. We saw at least some music on 11 of those 30 stages. Instead of reporting about that, we decided to ask you to tell us about your experience of the event. We’ll compile a piece from the comments we receive, and run it soon. Send us your comments at tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com and title them, “Make Music Pasadena.”
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3) SIMON LYNGE GETS ANTHROPOLOGIE SPINS
The wonderful singer-songwriter who hails from Greenland and Denmark has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and he has a much-anticipated album finally out. It’s making progress in unexpected places. In addition to spins on XM for his song, “London Town,” Simon tells us that on June 27, his debut album, "A Beautiful Way To Drown," got its first airplay on “Starbucks XM Café.” He adds, “If you're a girl and you shop at the ‘Anthropologie’ clothing stores, you might hear the songs ‘One Day At A Time,’ ‘Love Comes Back To You,’ and ‘A Beautiful Way To Drown’ [all from his new album]. They were hand-picked to be played in all ‘Anthropologie’ stores.” Learn more about Simon and sample his music at www.myspace.com/simonlynge.
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4) BAYOU FESTIVAL POSTSCRIPT, AND BERNIE’S BLUES NEWS
We heard from bluesman BERNIE PEARL, who opened Sunday’s lineup on the blues stage, one of three stages at last weekend’s annual LONG BEACH BAYOU FESTIVAL. Last year, Bernie was the emcee on that stage, and he performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” to promote the festival. This year, he turned-down the host chores so he get his superb band there to play a full set, half acoustic, half electric, of selections from his new double CD, “Old School Blues, Acoustic/Electric.” We saw ‘em. Marvelous.
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Bernie tells us, “Had a great time at the Bayou fest. Visited with old friends Cash McCall, Alex Dixon, Guitar Shorty, Barbara Morrison, and old radio colleague Helen Borgers (KJAZZ) on Saturday. I sat in on National slide with a Zydeco trio early Sunday morning for a telecast on Fox-TV. Then we opened the show on the Club N'Orleans Stage at noon. Hung out the rest of the day partying to the music. Much cooler Sunday.”
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So, what’s next for the well-traveled bluesman? “Fourth of July weekend, we head east for a guitar workshop and concert in Nevada, a festival in New Mexico, and a show at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix.”
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And that’s not all. Bernie continues, “I just received a link to a wonderful review of Mike and my concert at Boulevard Music in April. Also, we videotaped our May concert at the Fret House and expect to post one or more of the songs online, somewhere. I'll let you know. Meanwhile, you can check out this review www.acousticmusic.com/fame/cr0010.htm.”
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The new album, “Old School Blues, Acoustic/Electric,” is just beginning to get reviews and airplay. There's also a review posted on the Missouri Blues Society's website, wherein the reviewer says, "A worthy disc for every blues lovers library." www.moblues.org/cd_rev3.htm.
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Catch Bernie on July 18 in Huntington Beach, August 2 in Santa Monica, or August 28 in Ventura. See our calendar listings.
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5) THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE PICKS
We offer performance reels by two very different groups of musicians in two very different genres. First are a pair of singles from the upcoming album by DISPLACED PEOPLE, a talented acoustic renaissance band with roots in South Africa. Check ‘em out at http://youtube.com/watch?v=MM2hwxL52ic and at http://youtube.com/watch?v=JyoDWs3vycw. Band leader MICHAL HOFFMAN says, “I am quite chuffed that I am able to even use iMovie.” Uh, Michal, is “chuffed” a South African thing? Learn more at www.myspace.com/displacedpeople.
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Second, check-out the new cowboy music from RODGER MAXWELL. He has four originals up on You Tube, from a recent live performance.
“Hombres of Summer,” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSyhgzsRhv8
“Tess,” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5JHGNUqsNk
“The Promise,” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuG33rGOh5g
and his cover of the old classic, “Wayfaring Stranger,” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o09Bb-M3OU
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=====================
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
.
Meantime, be sure you read our #1 news feature in the June 6 edition, and CONTACT CONGRESS to protect your rights to your created works from the piracy that will result if the “Orphan Arts Act” is passed.
.
=====================
.
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
.
=====================
.
Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication
+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
.
.
WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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NEWS FEATURES, June 19, 2008
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for June 19, 2008
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+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
June calendar, as a continuous read, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, along with each day’s updated post of events, and our newest popular feature, the anniversaries of things that happened on that date.
+
Each day’s updated events and anniversaries is still at www.myspace.com/laacoustic – for the time being. Because Myspace now accepts only short posts, we must go through the ponderous process of listing events there in small blocks, usually one day at a time – so, the calendar will move to another site, and that will happen soon.
.
FUTURE EVENTS and archived NEWS FEATURES are posted into 2009 on our myspace site, where reading them curiously requires that you use the “Older Entries” button that appears when you click “View All” – going “back” to the future… just one of the many myspace aberrations.
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NEWS FEATURES:
June 19, 2008
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1) CONGRESS CAN’T END WAR FUNDING, BUT THEY LIKE MUSIC
We’ll share this as it appeared: “June seems to be music month on Capitol Hill. On Monday, the House passed legislation honoring recently deceased blues legend Bo Diddley. On Tuesday, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) ‘introduced a resolution to make September 'Gospel Music Heritage Month,'’ and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) proposed ‘a bill honoring country singer Toby Keith's commitment to the armed forces.’ ‘Although the troops have been hearing his hit, ‘I Love this Bar,' our office is so proud of our hometown hero that we hope he’ll be singing, 'I love this bill,'’ Cole's spokeswoman said.” (from http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreport).
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2) BENEFIT CONCERT FOR STAN BEHRENS IS JUNE 21
There are festivals and events galore on Sat, Jun 21. But, from 7 pm “until late,” there is a benefit in Topanga, about which you need to know. It will be an amazing night of music, with many known and up-and-coming artists performing.
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STAN BEHRENS is Hepatitis C positive. He is a harmonica, saxophone and flute player of the highest order who has played with such notables as CANNED HEAT, THE FOUR TOPS, WILLIE DIXON, and EMMANUEL ORTEGA, along with many others. His most recent work has been with the L.A. BLUES ALLIANCE, and they have a CD, called "What a Life." It features Stan and notables KEB MO, SONNY LANDRETH and SNUFFY WALDEN. Info on that at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=253760722&s=14344 .
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Stan contracted the "hep C" virus during his tour of duty in the US Army during the Vietnam War. The virus was most likely transmitted during mass immunizations, where hundreds of troops were inoculated with the same air gun injectors.
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Last year, hep C started taking its toll on Stan’s liver and he began to suffer complications of liver cirrhosis. There was concern that Stan would require a transplant. The good news is, the prognosis is that he will not need a new liver, but can repair his own with interferon treatments. The bad news is that interferon is a tough way to go, as well. Stan started interferon treatments in February, and he will need 50 weeks of this treatment to rid his body of the virus. Even after he completes these treatments it will take a while to fully recover, but a full recovery is expected.
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As you can imagine, the medical costs are staggering, and Stan can't play music to support himself during the next year. So, many musicians have come together to help him with a fundraiser and to ask that you join them. Amilai Spicer says, “If you can't attend but would like to contribute financially, please let me know. We would be most grateful to accept your donations thru paypal.” Contact her at allspice@amiliaspicer.com.
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PLAYERS & PERFORMERS who are friends of Stan Behrens are invited to contact AMILIA K. SPICER, at allspice@amiliaspicer.com; she is coordinating players and bands. The format is short sets (20 mins max) and blues jams. Amilia says, “We will try to accommodate everybody who wishes to perform, so we will encourage people to play together. Those of you who are musicians and performers lending your talent, we ask to use your names in our promotional efforts for this benefit. There will be FULL BACKLINE at the Roadhouse so we can keep the show flowing and make it as easy as possible for multiple spontaneous performances (drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards and just about anything else you might want to play will be on hand.) Bring ONLY what you think you really need to do your thing.”
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MUSIC FANS & GUESTS: All are welcome to bring their own beverages and there will be a full bar and BBQ. The venue holds about 150 people. Eric Rasmussen has generously donated the venue, and all proceeds will go to help Stan. Please RSVP to STEVE MCCORMICK, event organizer, at steve@mccormickaudio.com.
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It all happens at The Topanga Roadhouse, 1704 N Topanga Canyon Bl, Topanga. Suggested donation is $20; all amounts gratefully accepted, in-person or via PayPal.
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3) PIRATE FESTIVAL SEEKS ENTERTAINMENT & VOLUNTEERS, JUNE 21 & 22
This arrived VERY late. THIS Sat & Sun, Jun 21 & 22, in Blue Jay / Lake Arrowhead, is the “BLUE JAY SWASHBUCKLING FESTIVAL” with RON ELY, PIRATES OF THE BLACK SWAN, THE DOXIE CHICKS, and others, at Blue Jay Village (near Lake Arrowhead), 23707 State Rte 189, Blue Jay 92317. Event runs 10 am-6 pm on Sat, 11 am-4 pm on Sun. Includes the Southern California Pirates Coalition (not affiliated with the big record labels), “Jack Sparrow look-alike” contests for adults and kids, belly dancing, a modern jester, face paintin' for whelps, swashbuckling entertainment, vendors specializing in pirate ware from across the Seven Seas. Pirates and landlubbers alike are welcome. Camping and other overnight accommodations “are within stumblin' distance,” and they tell us, “all are welcome, pirate costumes or not!” They also tell us they are still seeking “entertainment and volunteers,” so if you arrrrrh right for the role, here are the contacts: Bad Jack, 909-986-7882 or dragonjam@aol.com ; Mike & Bernice, 562-698-9400 or piratesnplunder@yahoo.com. Festival admission is free.
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4) BERNIE PEARL PRE-“BAYOU FESTIVAL” NEWS
He’s been around as a highly respected and fun-to-hear bluesman for a long time, and he’s played live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.” He expanded his fan base with his major role in the recent “Ash Grove 50th Anniversary Reunion” weekend at UCLA. Now, Bernie tells us, “I've just been notified that selections from ‘Old School Blues, Acoustic/Electric,’ have begun airing on XM Satellite Radio's ‘Bluesville’ channel. Bluesville will feature them on its ‘Pick to Click’ segment. Selections from the acoustic disc will also air on their Acoustic Blues show. If you have XM in your vehicle or at home you will be part of a national blues audience listening to the Bernie Pearl Blues Band, or just me and my guitar, for the first time. I'm thrilled.” So are we Bernie! Catch him when he plays the LONG BEACH BAYOU FESTIVAL this weekend. (See our calendar listing.)
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5) WIL FORBIS’ NEW BOOK
You’ve heard that fine banjo player, WIL FORBIS, playing live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” as a member of DAFNI’s band. You can catch him Sat, Jun 28, at 8 pm, with his other band, GRIEVOUS ANGELS, on a bill with ALICE WALLACE, plus THE COASTS, at The Pig 'n Whistle, 6714 Hollywood Bl, Hollywood 90028; www.pignwhistle.com. You’ve heard Wil on DAFNI’s and the GRIEVOUS ANGELS’ CD tracks on the radio show, as well. But there’s another side altogether to the talented Wil Forbis. He’s an author.
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Wil tells us, “Folks, my new book, 'ACID LOGIC: A DECADE OF HUMOROUS WRITING ON POP CULTURE, TRASH CINEMA AND REBEL MUSIC' is now available from fine Internet booksellers, brick-and-mortar bookstores and the author himself! What is 'Acid Logic'? Why, it’s 288 pages of humorous writing on film, music and the world we live in. It's celebrity profiles, feature writing, reviews, interviews and fiction. Look no further than the back cover blurb for more details!”
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And what does it say there? “From the pages of Acidlogic.com, underground author WIL FORBIS collects his most shocking and funniest material into one volume! Gasp at comic essays on the impending threat of cloning and the commodified brilliance of the blaxploitation film movement. Swoon over profiles of the entertainment industry's most eccentric stars, from adult film auteur Doris Wishman to ninja actor Sho Kosugi to shock punk GG Allin. Thrill to interviews with cultural stalwarts like hard rock drummer Rikki Rockett, actor Curtis 'Booger' Armstrong and horror director Stuart Gordon. Squeal with delight at fiction ranging from the horrifying to the absurd. THE ACID LOGIC REVOLUTION HAS ARRIVED!!!” More at www.acidlogic.com.
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So how do you get a copy? You can order from Amazon at
www.amazon.com/Acid-Logic-Humorous-Writing-Culture/dp/1434357007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209704613&sr=8-1
or slightly cheaper, direct from the publisher, at www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~47272.aspx
or see Wil at his show, or contact him by email at forbisthemighty@hotmail.com and he’ll get it to you at the publisher’s price of $12, without any additional postage costs.
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6) WESTERN MUSIC SOUGHT FOR SOUTHERN RADIO SHOW
Eddy Leverett, from "Around the Campfire" with Ed and Terry, [on] 92.1 FM in Cullman, Alabama, tells us, “We are always looking for some new folks to play on our show.” Send your CD and on-sheet to them at Campfire Productions, 1623 County Road 820, Cullman AL. Eddy also shared this bit of wisdom: “Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.”
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7) RENÉE HERMAN SUCCESSFULLY DOES CD RELEASE AS CHARITY SHOW
Renée checked in to say “We raised over $500 for the Odi Eco-village Project in Nigeria for Earth Rights Institute which will go a long way in assisting their goal to rebuild their village, using cutting-edge green technology. Thank you to everyone who came out to my CD Release Fundraiser! It was such an amazing turnout and such a fantastic show, it couldn't have gone better and I was so humbled by your love and support. I should have video footage from the show up on my myspace page in the next few weeks (www.myspace.com/reneehermanmusic) and for those of you who didn't grab one, I have plenty of my gorgeous new CDs available. I'll also have the tracks for sale of my myspace page soon as well. If any of you grand folks have any pics you'd like to share from the show, PLEASE, PLEASE send them along as I totally forgot to have some taken for me. Thanks again for all your love and support.”
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8) THIS WEEK, 2 FROM YOU TUBE, PLUS ONE MORE PICK
First, DALE LaDUKE (Kaedmon, BeaTunes) told us about this one. He enticed us with the statement, “This kid is crazy good. Deserves to be seen.” Watch the kid play guitar, and spend the time to watch all his videos, if you can. Start with Dale’s choice, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4CR3GoB3YY&feature=related
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Next, check-out BRAD COLERICK’s latest music video, "Let Her Fall In Love," at www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QdUwd72Tfo.
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Finally, if you missed the incredibly funny archival piece that surfaced a few weeks ago, depicting the bloviating BILL O’REILLY’S BLOW-UP (or even if you saw it), you should see this version, with the modern addition of a “producer” added, cleverly cut-in to appear as if O’Reilly’s blow-up is in the context of a dialog between the two. Really, really, funny, at www.barelypolitical.com .
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9) FOLK MUSIC SITE WITH LOTS TO EXPLORE
The San Diego Folk Heritage organization has a fine concert series and a website with nice discoveries, including archived episodes of the “WOODSONGS OLD TIME RADIO HOUR,” heard all over the world, but not in L.A. Check it out. www.sdfolkheritage.org.
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10) HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN’S NEW CD DUE AUGUST 19
Fans of the great Austin-based trio were in apoplexy when they broke-up, and overjoyed when they reunited. Between those two events, ELANA JAMES (aka Elana Fremerman) left to be BOB DYLAN’s fiddle player on his round-the-world tour, and two-thirds of HCOC (Elana and WHIT SMITH, with BEAU SAMPLE) toured and performed on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” as ELANA JAMES & THE CONTINENTAL TWO. Now, Elana and Whit are reunited with JAKE IRWIN as HCOC once again. They’re touring internationally, with a bunch of dates across the US this summer, and they sent us more good news: Shout! Factory Records is releasing “DEAD RECKONING: THE BEST OF HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN,” Aug 19. This 20-track album has the very best material from the band's five previous albums, hand-picked by ELANA JAMES and WHIT SMITH themselves. (So, where was JAKE IRWIN, one of the best slap bass players on the planet?) The retrospective contains HCOC’s covers of classics, including "Ida Red" and "Orange Blossom Special," and originals including "Forget-Me-Nots" and "It Stops With Me." It’s all in the enthusiastic Django-infused western-swing style that’s their trademark.
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11) NEW CD EXPLORES AFRICAN AMERICAN FOLK TRADITION
In “Bound To Go: Illuminating Legacy of African American Folk Tradition,” ANDREW CALHOUN & CAMPGROUND breathe new life into spirituals, secular songs, prison ballads, and shout songs from the sea islands. “Bound To Go” is a landmark collection of 35 songs. Lovingly compiled, created and produced by Andrew Calhoun, a working folk singer, the collection shines new light onto some of the most moving and important songs in the American folk music tradition. The record was released on Andrew’s own Waterbug Records, an artist collective label he started in 1992. Calhoun’s mission with “Bound To Go” is to revive the legacy of the African American folk tradition.
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Many of these songs have never been recorded. The songs and the styles can no longer be de-emphasized by regarding them as simply the root source for more popular and well-known styles such as blues, country or gospel. Calhoun says, “The African American spiritual is its own art form, which remains unsurpassed in its ability to communicate profound truths about existence in quickly apprehended, memorable forms.” These are heartfelt, soulful and moving songs. We haven’t seen the packaging, but we’re told it’s “a work of art in its own right.”
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The instrumentation is rather unique, featuring trumpet, not a common instrument in folk arrangements, together with cello, fretless gourd banjo (an instrument slaves would have played), fiddle, hambone and more. As one earlier listener commented, this project has “all the freshness of a field recording, with the polish of a studio production.” Look for it in all the usual places.
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12) “TIED TO THE TRACKS” ON TV
On Monday, June 16, we worked with the folks at the My Record Label studios (www.myrecordlabel.net) and filmed the first episode of the new TttT TV show. Our performing guests were multi-year Florida Banjo and Dulcimer champion MARY Z. COX and her guitar accompanist husband, BOB COX. The half-hour weekly series is due this fall. But we may have a pre-premiere or two before then. We’ll let you know. Film at eleven.
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
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Meantime, be sure you read our #1 news feature in the June 6 edition, and CONTACT CONGRESS to protect your rights to your created works from the piracy that will result if the “Orphan Arts Act” is passed.
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=====================
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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=====================
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication
+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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NEWS FEATURES, June 13, 2008
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for June 13, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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June calendar, as a continuous read, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, along with each day’s updated post of events, and our newest popular feature, the anniversaries of things that happened on that date.
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Each day’s updated events and anniversaries is still at www.myspace.com/laacoustic – for the time being. Because Myspace is suddenly accepting only short posts, we must go through the ponderous process of listing events there in small blocks, usually one day at a time – so, the calendar will move to another site, and that will happen soon.
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FUTURE EVENTS and archived NEWS FEATURES are posted into 2009 on our myspace site, where reading them curiously requires that you use the “Older Entries” button that appears when you click “View All” – going “back” to the future… just one of the many myspace aberrations.
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NEWS FEATURES:
June 13, 2008
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1) AIRPLAY DIRECT’s “ALL THINGS DIGITAL FOLK / AMERICANA" CONTEST
Throughout the month of June, AirPlay Direct (www.airplaydirect.com) is running a FREE-to-enter "All Things Digital Folk / Americana" artist contest.
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The Grand Prize package is formidable, valued at over $30,000, and it includes: A 16 week national radio promotion package ($3,500 value); a 12 week digital radio promotion package ($4,500 value); a 12 week national publicity / marketing package ($9,000 value); an official Folk Alliance National Conference 2009 live performance showcase; a recording studio package for a master quality 5 song EP ($5,000 value); a song on The Sin City Social Club Sampler Vol. # 10 / distributed during AMA Conf. and SXSW ($750 value); placement to digital downloads on VirtualMusicMarket.com for one year; placement on the True Talent Management film & TV placement compilation ($150 value); on-air "feature artist" interviews on: (a) Big Kev's syndicated radio show "It's Motel Time Again;" (b) Rick Star’s Texas Rebel Radio; (c) Thee Billy Block Show; a feature artist interview with Big Kev in the Artist Development Co-op's Media Guide magazine; live performance slots at: (a) Billy Block's showcase in Nashville; (b) Famous Dave's BBQ in Chicago; (c) The Berkeley Cafe in Raleigh, NC; a "Featured Artist" advertising / promotion package from AirPlay Direct (a $1,500 value)
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This contest is FREE TO ENTER. It has 3 requirements: (1) you must be an AirPlay Direct artist / label member (free to join); (2) your music must fall into the Folk / Americana genre; and (3) you must submit your AirPlay Direct DPK to office@airplaydirect.com prior to the official entry deadline of June 25th. They tell us, “Whether you are an indie artist or a well-established record label with a roster, pick your best songs, you can submit from 1 to 3 tracks per artist. Please make sure to note that you are submitting for the Folk / Americana artist contest. Deadline for submissions is June 25th. The winner will be announced and "Featured" in the July Radio Programmers Newsletter, as well as in a company press release to all media outlets.
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You can learn about all the sponsors at AirPlay Direct’s web site. We have written before about AirPlay Direct and their previous artist contests, but if you missed that, here’s a little about them. AirPlay Direct (www.AirPlayDirect.com) is, according to their own promo, “a new revolutionary, efficient and very cost effective way (FREE) to securely deliver your ‘broadcast-quality’ music and electronic press kits to radio programmers and music industry professionals around the world. [It provides] an easy to use digital file transfer system that was developed to streamline radio / artist promotion activities for today's music industry. AirPlay Direct's FREE digital services replace the unnecessary time and expense of putting together and sending out costly traditional artist packages and press kits via snail mail.”
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(Editor’s note: Of course, some of us in radio still prefer, and actually need, physical CDs and one-sheets.)
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2) AIRPLAY DIRECT NAMES WINNER IN “COUNTRY / ALT COUNTRY” CONTEST
Throughout the month of May, AirPlay Direct (www.airplaydirect.com) ran a free-to-enter "All Things Digital Country / Alt. Country" artist contest. The winner is THOMPSON SQUARE, announced June 11, and they will receive the contest’s Grand Prize package, worth over $19,000. A country duo in a traditional sense, Thompson Square is husband & wife KEIFER & SHAWNA THOMPSON. You can hear and download their tracks (broadcast-quality) at www.airplaydirect.com/1617virtual.
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3) REPORT FROM A CD RELEASE SHOW, & AVOIDING MISTAKES WITH YOURS
File this under “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life” while you deal with that ache in the pit of your stomach. We received a message this week from an award-winning artist (serious awards, including a lifetime achievement award). The artist sent us this post-mortem on the event for their latest CD release (actual quote):
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“We enjoyed what music promoters might call an ‘intimate’ CD release party at the [venue name & location] last month. Seven copies of our new CD were sold, and we can conclude that it is on a definite track to ‘go lead’ sometime before 2020.”
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That’s “lead” as in the heavy metal, not as in “led” the hit parade.
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Yikes. Give ‘em credit for accentuating the positive. But, yikes. Did they provide TMI? Probably. Note that we are not telling you who it is. We will, later, after they sell a bunch of copies of their new CD, but not before.
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Larry Wines, our editor and an artist consultant (tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com), says, “We don’t know what went ‘wrong’ with that CD release show. But we do know what makes things go right. There is a way to do what escaped the alchemists of old, and turn lead into gold.”
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“First, make the best record you can. There’s no substitute for great music with production that’s perfect for the genre and mood of the music – though a great CD is no guarantee that anyone will hear it, and never expect the world is going to beat a path to your door. So, simply put, you need do everything right. Put as much careful effort into your marketing as you put into the studio.”
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Before you book the gig, restrain yourself with ‘the CD release show’ until you KNOW you will have the product in hand to sell at the event. We’ve been to CD release shows where there was no CD. Ouch.”
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“Select the right venue for the release show. That should be the biggest one you know you can fill (note, fill. Get everybody in the room, but avoid looking like a BB in a boxcar. Reverb and room echo are not the same thing.) Remember, ‘location, location, location.’ Don’t hold your party too far off the beaten track from your fan base (that deck above the crashing waves at Big Sur might be a dream place to play, but at $4.50+ a gallon, who’s driving up there to see you?)
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“Spend time and effort creating a buzz. ‘Buzz’ requires many dimensions. Work your fan list and any web group in your genre that allows promotion, and put flyers and mini-posters in all the likely places - and a few unlikely ones. Depending on your music, the local café organica could be a good place to hang a poster and leave flyers.”
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“Creating buzz also means working the music media and any events calendars and blogs you can access. Just remember that music web groups are populated with other musicians, rarely with fans who search for things to do, so get on all the calendars and events listings. And never send your beautiful PDF mini-poster to the media, unless it’s just a throw-away attachment. Put the poster on the right walls. The media needs text files that can be copied-and-pasted and edited-to-fit before they’ll include some mention. Media peeps have dozens of things vying for attention, so make your need easy to handle.”
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“ALWAYS send media peeps a dynamite one-sheet with text that can be lifted, so they can be impressed and have something useable (no PDFs). Also, call your media contacts and tell ‘em about your CD release show, and tell them you are sending (or have just sent) all the info by email. That means the date, time, venue name and address, everyone performing with you and in the night’s lineup, the name of your new CD, and anything quick and easy about it that’s impressive. ASK each media contact if they want a copy of the CD for review (or radio airplay). Get their request for the CD before you add to their pile of unopened envelopes. Mail the CD with a one-sheet (even if you already emailed one). Because they ‘requested’ your CD, you can (and must) follow-up in about 10 days to ask if they like it.”
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“Finally, if you have ‘very special guests,’ playing your release show, and/or on the CD, you’d better tell the media who, with just enough for them to be impressed, like, (‘he played fiddle with DOWN IN TH’ HOLLAR on their Grammy-winning album, ‘The Still Done Blowed-Up Agin,’ and, ‘...she played standup bass on the platinum-selling RUTLES album with Bozo OhNo.’) If you got some famous tunesmith or rock star to lay-down a track for your record, get ‘em there for the release show, and let everyone know they will be there. There are many more things you can do to assure success, and many fine points, but those are important basics. If you carry those full boxes of your new album back out the door at the end of your CD release show, they will indeed feel as heavy as lead.”
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4) THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE PICK: AMY KUNEY, SEEING & SINGING DOUBLE
She’s performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and AMY KUNEY (www.myspace.com/amykuney) has been embraced by fans from both the folk-Americana world and the more youthful acoustic renaissance. She’s crafted a video wherein she sings both lead and backing harmony vocals, and puts both images in a music video, using a split screen. It works very well here, with her vocal and piano rendition of Coldplay’s "Viva La Vida." She did something similar with her "Juno" video, and she says, “I sang the song twice. The first time I sang the melody and the second time I sang harmony. Then [I] split the screen so there would be 2 Amy's. No...I don't have a twin :) They are both me. I've been playing classical piano since I was 4 years old, and I am just now starting to incorporate it more in my shows and videos. Please comment and let me know what you think!” When you go to the You Tube page, you’ll find a nice repertoire of Amy’s performances, in addition to this one, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN9eT8Ln9r8&feature=email.
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5) A TALE OF “COUNTRY” IN TWO COUNTRIES
We get the artist’s self-promo e-newsletter from Aussie transplant AUDREY AULD (www. recklessrecords.com) aka AUDREY AULD MEZERA (she’s dropping the “Mezera” from her name, “but keeping the husband”). Audrey has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and the radio show has spun many of her originals.
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Audrey’s latest newsletter includes a piece titled, “DOWNUNDER TAKEOVER!” In it, Audrey writes, “Loads of Aussies hit Nashville during the Country Music Festival weekend recently, [including] the gorgeous TRACY KILLEEN, looking fab in an Audrey T-shirt. Tracy is a hoot, a natural entertainer. Listening to the TOMPKINS' AUSSIE SHOWCASE reminded me that I hear more traditional country from Australians than Americans. [Underline added.] I was proud to hear the excellent country guitar of BOB HOWE, shuffling the beejesus out of classic country songs, along with ALAN TOMPKINS and PETER FIGURES. SANDRA HUMPHRIES' pure country voice is a knock-out. South Aussie boy JEDD HUGHES played a great set on Saturday, during troppo heat in downtown Nashville. Backed by bass and drums, Jedd rocked the sweaty throngs and dazzled us with his hotter-than-the-Nashville-pavement guitar licks.”
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We’re not surprised that someplace else in the world has picked up the torch of traditional country music. It certainly isn’t present in Nashville, otherwise, where red-state-trailer-park rock holds sway, beneath feather-boa-bedecked cowboy hats. We’re happy to keep an eye on the Land Down Under for the songs and melodies and instrumentation that Mew-sick Row refuses to acknowledge. As for Aussie Audrey Auld’s own credentials as a country artist? She also wrote this:
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“DREAMS COMING TRUE... Any fan of traditional country music is familiar with the CARTER FAMILY. They lived in Hiltons, Virginia and the CARTER FAMILY FOLD continues there as a venue, museum and place of worship for pilgrims on The Crooked Road that winds through the musical history of Virginia. I had the great fortune of playing at the Carter Family Fold late last month. It was the most meaningful show I've ever played. This is where JUNE CARTER and JOHNNY CASH came and played for family and friends, as have countless other artists integral to the traditions of acoustic country / folk music.”
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Audrey continues, reporting that she played “with 3/4 of the ORIGINAL RED CLAY RAMBLERS at the Carter Family Fold. These guys harmonize like an angel band. People of all ages dress in their tap shoes and clog dance to the band! It sounds like a million tambourines and looks like a zen hillbilly dance. Some folks even put little lights on the shoe-top which illuminate when the heel is pressed. It's a high-tech down-home sight to see, and much fun.”
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Audrey adds, “My thrills continued the following weekend when DALE JETT, A.P. CARTER's grandson, came to FRED EAGLESMITH's show at the Down Home in Johnson City, Tennessee. I was delighted to give him a copy of [my CD] "Clinch Mountain Prayer", and in turn received his CD. It's called "Dale Jett with friends at the Fold". It's a sublime experience to drive through the beautiful green country of Virginia and listen to this CD. It's low budget, it's live and it's real. It's music with the dirt left on and bears much repeating. I love this album!”
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Audrey is touring a lot these days with longtime TOM RUSSELL sideman ANDREW HARDIN, a wonderful musician. The two are part of the FRED EAGLESMITH “Polar Bear Train,” a musical train ride to the Canadian arctic, Nov 2-9. It’s listed in our calendar, and you can learn more at www.flyingunderradar.com/rails/polartrain08.htm.
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6) THE VIRTUAL FESTIVARIAN?
Yes, we know. You really want to go to all those music festivals, or at least one of ‘em, SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE, but extortion at the gas pumps just won’t let you go anywhere. Fortunately, a few festivals are covered by live radio broadcasts with web simulcasts. So, get the lawn chair out of the garage, pop some popcorn, fill your ice chest, and position yourself in front of your computer speakers.
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On Sat & Sun, Jun 21 & 22, beginning at 7 am (Pacific) you can catch the LIVE WEBCAST from the 2008 “CLEARWATER FESTIVAL” in New York State, with PETE SEEGER, THE KENNEDYS, CHERYL WHEELER, KEVIN SO, THE BLUERUNNERS, MAGPIE, GANDALF MURPHY, THE FELICE BROTHERS, THE SLEEPY HOLLOW STRING BAND, THE STRANGELINGS, and many others, on five stages, at Croton Point Park, on the shores of the Hudson River, Village of Croton-on-Hudson, Westchester County, New York; www.clearwater.org/revival/index.html.
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A joint project of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc, and Westchester County, NY, the Clearwater music and environmental festival offers music, dance, storytelling, and more, in “a natural park on a river peninsula with sandy beaches and sweeping views of the Hudson, on the Summer Solstice.” There’s lots more in our calendar listings, if you want to know enough to visualize more aspects of being there.
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The LIVE WEBCAST from the CLEARWATER FESTIVAL is provided by WBAI 99.5 FM, at www.wbai.org. They are “Listener-sponsored community radio for peace and justice” (yep, Pacifica) and they’re broadcasting live from the festival. They tell us that you can listen to the music and sounds from the festival all weekend. (Remember the time zones; a 10 am start, Eastern, is 7 am Pacific, and the festival ends both days at local dusk, which is about 5 pm Pacific time.)
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7) “BACKSTAGE LOS ANGELES” HOSTS PERFORMANCE-INTERVIEWS
We told you about this cable TV show when it first launched. Now, “BackStage: Los Angeles,” (http://www.myspace.com/backstagelosangeles) is in its second season, as a TV show ”done by musicians, about musicians, for musicians and fans, in an easy-backstage conversation style, with some music technique and previews from new CDs shared by the guest artist,” as their promo says. The show has had some fine guests, with more sessions due to be recorded. Who appears on the show, on what date, is determined by the cable provider where you live.
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Episodes are due with a number of artists who are also past guests from radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” including JOHN McEUEN (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), JAMES LEE STANLEY, BATDORF & RODNEY, SCOTT GATES, CHELSEA WILLIAMS, JAMES LEE STANLEY with JOHN BATDORF, and RUSS & JULIE (Russ & Julie’s House Concerts). In addition, Backstage L.A. books rockers, including PETER TORK (The Monkees).
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And speaking of The Monkees, the show’s creator and producer SANDY JACOBSEN has been in the forefront of an effort to get the band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As for her show, Sandy is working to expand things, to include an internet radio broadcast of music by artists who want to participate, a concert series, and expansion of the show’s viewing audience (currently 500,000+ households in the L.A. area) to include cable TV systems in Orange County and the Thousand Oaks / Agoura / Simi Valley areas.
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There is great disparity between neighboring cable systems and when each system airs any given episode. So, the best we can tell you is to look at the list of areas and airtimes, and if you see the show listed in your area, go the show’s website and check the specific date, time, and guest.
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Where to catch the show:
Bel Air, cable ch 98
Beverly Hills, cable ch 43
Brentwood, cable ch 98
Chatsworth, cable ch 34
Culver City, cable ch 24
Eagle Rock, cable ch 98
Encino, cable ch 98
Hollywood, cable ch 24
Los Feliz, cable ch 98
Marina Del Rey, cable ch 24
North Hollywood, cable ch 98
Pacific Palisades, cable ch 98
Santa Monica, cable ch 77
Sherman Oaks, cable ch 98
Westchester, cable ch 24
Woodland Hills, cable ch 98
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8) BERNIE PEARL’s NEW CD GETTING AIRPLAY, STRONG REVIEWS
"Old School Blues, Acoustic/Electric" is just beginning to get reviews and airplay. You’ve heard Bernie perform live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and at the wonderful “50th Anniversary of the Ash Grove” weekend at UCLA this winter. There's a review of Bernie’s new CD posted on the Missouri Blues Society's website; in part, it says, "A worthy disc for every blues lovers library." www.moblues.org/cd_rev3.htm.
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9) CATCH MARINA V WHILE YOU CAN
The charming and talented singer-songwriter-composer-keyboard & guitar player, Russian émigré, and master of effective self-promotion has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and more recently, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. She frequently performs internationally, with more tours this summer. Marina just checked-in to tell us, “I'm back from France. Wonderful country, beautiful people, delicious food, crazy pigeons. Watch me bike in Versailles, walk in Paris and sing in French in my new video blog on www.youtube.com/marinavdotcom. I'll be playing a show with my friends, ‘80s pop stars Animotion and a few shows with Howard Jones! And a show in Moscow and New York.” She also has a special sale running, 5 of her CDs for $40 (”Something of My Own,” “Simple Magic,” “Live at SoundMoves,” “Russian Bootleg” & “Modern Fairytale.” We told you she’s a master at self-promotion. We included that news, didn’t we?) The delightful artist’s L.A. shows are more rare, these days.
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Catch Marina on Tue, Jun 17, 9 pm at the Hotel Café, 1623 N Cahuenga Bl, Hollywood; 323-461-2040; www.hotelcafe.com. Expect songs from her newest album, “Modern Fairytales.” Check with the venue for cover charge (usually cheaper if you go earlier).
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10) GO TO THE MOVIES, HEAR HARRIET SCHOCK, GET A DISCOUNT COUPON
During the entire month of June, between every showing at all the Laemmle Theatres in L.A., HARRIET SCHOCK’s (www.harrietschock.com) song, “Ok, You Win, I Give Up, You’re Right, I’m Gone,” from her CD, “American Romance” is being played and the CD projected on the screen. This song and three of her other songs are featured in the upcoming Henry Jaglom film, “Irene In Time,” in which Harriet has an on-screen role as “Sandi Fuse,” singing with her band. Harriet tells us, “That particular film will not be released for a while, but the song will be played and you will be able to purchase the CD at Amoeba Records with a $2 off coupon available in the movie theatres.”
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Here’s where this happens: Laemmle Theatres in Beverly Hills, Claremont, Old Town Pasadena, Pasadena, Santa Monica, West Hills, West Hollywood and West Los Angeles; for info, what’s playing, and show times, look at www.laemmle.com.
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If you’re reding this in another part of the country, it also applies to the Angelika Theaters and City Cinemas in NY, Dallas, and Sacramento; that info at
www.citycinemas.moviefone.com and www.angelikafilmcenter.com. Want to see the entire movie playlist? Go to www.orsinopublicity.com.
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11) EASY TRIBUTES THAT HELP CANCER RESEARCH
Everyone will know about it this fall, when all three TV networks simulcast a big show. But you can support research to cure cancer now. Go to www.standup2cancer.org. Making a donation of as little as $1 (or more) enables you to register a “personalized star,” and name a distant light in the night sky in honor of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer.
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
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Meantime, be sure you read our #1 news feature in the June 6 edition, and CONTACT CONGRESS to protect your rights to your created works from the piracy that will result if the “Orphan Arts Act” is passed.
.
=====================
.
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
.
=====================
.
Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication
+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
.
.
WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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NEWS FEATURES, June 7, 2008
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
.
NEWS FEATURES for June 7, 2008
.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Myspace is suddenly accepting only short posts, so we must go through the ponderous process of listing events one day at a time – until we move the calendar to another site, and that will happen soon.
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DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?: Myspace listings do NOT show all that's posted. Click "View ALL," and that brings up much more than what shows in the initial window. Then, oddly enough, to go into the future, where you can read about events clear into 2009, click the "OLDER" button, as many times as necessary, and you can journey into the future as well as the past, and find future events and old news features and more. You'll be able to go back to when acoustic music was indigenous natives beating on hollow logs with stones.
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NEWS FEATURES:
June 7, 2008
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1) NEW LEGISLATION IS A STUNNING THREAT TO ARTISTS
It’s a bigger threat than we faced when we stopped those who tried to kill internet radio. It’s known as the “Orphan Art Act of 2008,” and it’s now sailing through both houses of the US Congress, in the House of Representatives as H.R. 5889 “The Orphan Works Act of 2008,” and in the Senate as S.2913 “The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008.” Both bills permit, and even encourage, wide-scale infringements of visual art while depriving creators of protections currently available under the Copyright Act.
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If this passes, you will be at risk of having your original visual art stolen, with no compensation or credit of authorship. Your original artistic creations are currently protected, from the moment of their creation, under US and international laws and agreements, but that would vanish. Others would be able to take your work and realize money from it. And, if it passes and strips creators of visual art of their proprietary rights, how long before the same thing happens to our original music, lyrics, and poetry?
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Under the Orphan Art Act, your CD cover art would no longer be protected. The photos you pay professional photographers to shoot, and the art you create or commission for your CDs and posters and t-shirts will be as much at risk as the work of all professional and casual artists and illustrators, editorial cartoonists, technical and medical artists, and everyone who creates anything and everything visual. The premise of the law is simple: it reverses the protections that artists have worked to achieve to safeguard our rights to our original work. Unless the artist pays to register each and every piece of their work before it appears, the work would be considered “orphaned,” and fair game in a marketplace where anarchy and piracy would prevail.
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H.R. 5889 unanimously sailed through the House IP Subcommittee on May 7th. Its counterpart, S.2913 is now on the Senate floor.
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The implications are enormous. Will US artists be denied international protections because their work will no longer be protected at home? Will overseas artists ban exportation of their work to the US, because it would not be protected from theft? Could photographers send their pictures to publications “on approval,” to be paid for what is used, or would the publishers be able to use them upon receipt because they arrived as “orphans”-? What about illustrations that evolve in consultations and collaborations? Would each iteration require a payment and registration before it went to a client or collaborator, lest it be stolen without the creator being paid?
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Why has this not received attention in the mainstream media? Your guess is as good as ours. One blogger who has been tracking it writes, “the Orphan legislation passed the House today and it’s on its way to the House Judiciary Committee. Please continue to write your political representatives - this bill as written would eliminate our current copyright protection and endanger our artworks, photographs and any other intellectual property we may have available.” (At http://ruinedart.blogspot.com/2008/05/orphan-art-bill-hr-5889-has-passed.html.) Continue reading here, to learn how to contact your Senators and member of Congress.
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The main source of information is the “LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER,” at http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home. There, you can send pre-written letters (or modify them as you wish) to your elected officials, protesting the legislation before it’s too late. The site guides you to find your representatives, and it has an extensive list of the arts organizations that are opposing the Orphan Art Act.
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The pair of bills – counterparts in the Senate and House of Representatives – are nearing passage and will then be sent to President Bush for his signature to become law. Unless we stop this now.
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(Thanks to Mimi Champlin, Talent Producer, Music at the Court, Boston Court Performing Arts Center in Pasadena, CA, www.bostoncourt.com, for contact info used in this feature story.)
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2) SONGS WANTED FOR COMPILATION CD TO FIGHT CANCER
Stomp Out Cancer (www.sonicbids.com/socmusic) is a non-profit organization dedicated to curing a form of cancer known as Ewing’s Sarcoma. They are calling on artists and bands to participate in a CD compilation. Release date is Oct 28, 2008. All proceeds go to cancer research. All genres are accepted and songs should be sensitive to the theme. They tell us that songs may be about enjoying life, an artist's own experience with cancer, or a tribute to someone’s courage or to their loss. Songs that honor those who have cancer, or overcoming obstacles, are appreciated. Submit a song at www.sonicbids.com/socmusic. Info on the organization at www.stompoutcancer.com.
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3) AUGUST MUSIC FEST IN TEHACHAPI SEEKS ARTISTS
Mama HillyBeans in Tehachapi is becoming something of a music oasis in the Tehachapi Mountains, with scheduled shows that often include well-known touring folk artists. They just sent word that they’re doing “a Mini Music Festival” the weekend of August 22 & 23. Jennie, who is booking the event, tells us, “I am looking for all types of bands. Big name, locals, bluegrass, to reggae, rock to country. If you can help spread the word and or contact me, Jennie, I would love to hear from ya :-) A photo and bio (demo if able) sent with any interested replies would be greatly appreciated.” Send to jenniebooking@yahoo.com or call her with questions at 661-750-3261.
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4) WATCH LOWEN & NAVARRO VIDEO AND HELP THOSE WITH ALS
This week, we’re not sending you to You Tube. Instead, we offer a great performance video that enables you to do some tangible good and generate a buck a click for medical research and support of patients – just for clicking the link.
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ERIC LOWEN & DAN NAVARRO have been writing and performing together for over 20 years. With their unique harmonies, honest lyrics and beautiful melodies they have influenced countless singers and songwriters and entertained thousand of fans. You no doubt know their song “We Belong” was a worldwide #4 hit for PAT BENATAR. But that is merely the tip of the iceberg in their songwriting history.
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As you all know by now, our good friend ERIC LOWEN was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) more than four years ago. He and Dan picked the “Tied to the Tracks” radio show to speak about it publicly for the first time, and that broadcast remains as the most memorable TttT show, wherein their music performances were brilliant. RUSS & JULIE of the acclaimed house concert series that bears their names say, “Eric's attitude and strength while fighting this neuro-muscular disease has been more than inspiring.”
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LOWEN & NAVARRO continue to tour, to perform and to record. Over the last few years, Eric and Dan have become tireless teachers and advocates of those living with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
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Their new album “Learning to Fall” will be out this summer, and the first video is now available, "with 30-voice ALS Choir including patients (PALS), friends, family and caregivers, all joining in song to make a point. That life is beautiful with or without a serious disease."
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Please take a few minutes to be inspired by this incredible song and Eric's example of how life should be lived each moment. And by clicking to watch it, help those with ALS.
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Thanks to DEBBIE HENNESSEY (www.debbiehennessey.com) and to RUSS & JULIE (Russ & Julie’s House Concerts) www.myspace.com/russjuliehouseconcerts for spreading the word to their lists, and contributing to our news feature here.
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PLEASE click on the two links below to view the video about Eric and see the Lowen & Navarro performance. By doing so, you will log a credit that earns the benefited charity, “Augie's Quest,” an ALS support and research group associated with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, approximately one dollar for each click. Your clicks will help generate needed credits that will steer donations to Augie's Quest.
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> Eric's story from Jerry Lewis' MDA telethon 2006, at www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/401480.
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> LOWEN & NAVARRO’s new song (title track of upcoming CD), “Learning To Fall,” at www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/884613 (video from Nov 2007, with Eric leading a recording session for the song "Learning to Fall" with friends, family and people with ALS in the chorus.)
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Also, if you haven't already done so, please read (or re-read) Eric's inspiring words from the June 2006 issue of Performing Songwriter Magazine. Eric is a real hero: http://www.lownav.com/perfsong.html.
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LOWEN & NAVARRO are performing June 20 at McCabe's in Santa Monica (www.mccabes.com) STONEHONEY opens. See our calendar listing, and get tix while you still can, because it’ll sell-out.
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5) BO DIDDLEY’s LAST ENCORE
We just keep losing the great ones. Last week it was UTAH PHILLIPS, this week word arrived that singer-songwriter-guitarist BO DIDDLEY has died of heart failure at age 79 at his homeof 20+ years in Archer, Florida. Born Ellas Otha Bates, Bo Diddley, was one the founders of the sound that became rock and roll, together with CHUCK BERRY, LITTLE RICHARD, ELVIS PRESLEY, FATS DOMINO and JERRY LEE LEWIS. One of the only people ever to score a major hit with a song whose title proclaimed his own name, his 1955 hit “Bo Diddley” was followed the same year by “I’m a Man,” and “Say Man” was a hit for Diddley in 1959. He performed as late as May 2007, until a stroke that month, on the road in Council Bluffs, Iowa, kept him from the stage. A heart attack followed in August, and sent him into retirement until his death. His musical influence reached across many genres, and will be felt for a very long time.
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6) ZYDECO & CAJUN MUSIC E-NEWS AVAILABLE
BJ DECULUS, leader of the band BONNE MUSIQUE ZYDECO, has twice appeared on radio’s “Tied tot the Tracks.” BJ does a colorful and informative newsletter on the Southern Cal and national zydeco music scenes. Go to the band’s site to access the current edition and the newsletter archives, and follow the link to sign-up to get it free, at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs019/1101606953212/archive/1102122578591.html or www.bonnemusiquezydeco.
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7) OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW TO RETURN TO L.A.
Yep, they’re here Thu, Nov 6, at 8 pm, at The Music Box, Henry Fonda Theater, 6126 Hollywood Bl between Argyle & Gower, Hollywood; 323-464-0808. Last time they played L.A., radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” did exclusive radio promotion, and their show sold-out. They’re wonderfully entertaining and wildly popular, so get tix early! Tix went on sale Jun 2, at www.goldenvoice.com. $30.
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8) ELEVEN DAYS OF MUSIC IN COLORADO
Okay, so you’re willing to go the guy in the bulletproof booth at the gas station and give him the kid’s inheritance, because you really, really want to get out of town for an escape. Okay, so do it for something with a lot of music. Here’s our top pick for a road trip. Begin in the high San Juan Mountains with the “TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL” (www.planetbluegrass.com) in SW Colorado, June 19-22, then go to the “SOUTH PARK MUSIC TOUR” (www.SouthParkMusicTour.com) June 26-29. Telluride’s four-day passes always sell-out close to the festival dates, so you may need to settle for some part of one of America’s best music festivals, before you soak in high hot springs and sightsee in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. When you get to the second festival, South Park is FREE, unless you want to pony-up $50 for a VIP pass to all the parties & workshops. Hey, you’ll be bending over at the gas pumps all summer whether you go anywhere or not, and THIS would pay you back with a most memorable Colorado Rocky Mountain High!
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9) NEW WILLIE NELSON ALBUM TRACKS AVAILABLE ONLINE, CHEAP!
Willie’s “The Early Times” has a wealth of recorded material from studio sessions and live shows from the '70s and '80s. One of the most famous troublemakers in music for decades, he’s as much a thorn in the cops' side as a hero to all his fans, and the "Red Headed Stranger" has been an American icon for the better part of his adult life. “The Early Times” is a look back at some of his earliest recordings, and a treat for every fan of Americana and “real country,” pre-Nashville pop. Preview samples and buy any of the CD’s twelve tracks (or any of 38 more of his songs) for 30 to 32 cents each, online, at http://amiestreet.com/artist/16467?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=MTEzNDkxMTkyS0&utm_campaign=110955.
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10) BOB NOLAN WEBSITE OFFERS WESTERN MUSIC & MORE
BOB NOLAN wrote more classic cowboy songs than anybody. CALIN COBURN and ELIZABETH MCDONALD maintain a site to his legacy and career, and are able to post things that are hard to find, or unavailable elsewhere.
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During June, you can find:
> Song of the Month: "In This Room"
> Movie of the Month: "The Old Wyoming Trail"
> Photo of the Month: "Still Mobile"
> Spotlight on "Bob Nolan's Tucson" by SUZETTE SPENCER MARSHALL
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They also have news, including the sad announcement that WAYNE AUSTIN passed away on May 30 of a lingering illness. They say that Wayne “gave generously of his time to make demos of many of Bob Nolan's songs, recited as poetry in Wayne's magnificent voice. We will always be grateful.”
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Find all that and more at www.bobnolan-sop.net.
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11) STEVE ALLEN THEATER IN THE L.A. TIMES
JANET KLEIN that delightful throwback to the music of the 1920s who most often performs with her all-star band, JANET KLEIN & HER PARLOR BOYS, has a long-running monthly residency at the historic Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood. Her shows there always open with vintage film shorts from animation historian JERRY BECK. That’s very much in character with what happens there. Janet’s July show is coming up on the 3rd, and her show June 5th included “Dimestore Dandy” RICK QUISOL, VINCE CORTESE, and THE DIXIE DAISIES in a 1920s extravaganza. The Steve Allen Theater is at 4773 Hollywood Bl (2 blks E of Vermont), in Hollywood, and you can see their schedule at www.steveallentheater.com. Janet wrote to ask, “Did you read about the beloved Steve Allen Theater in the Sunday L.A. Times?” Here’s the link: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-steve1-2008jun01,0,4710699.story.
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12) TUBE AMPLIFIER? FENDER MOVES SUPPORT TUBES
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC; www.fender.com) has acquired “certain assets” of Groove Tubes LLC, which develops and produces amplifier tubes. MATT JANOPAUL, President of FMIC says, "An important part of Fender's history revolves around tube amplifiers. The '59 Bassman and the '65 Twin Reverb are great examples of our long history of amplifier innovation that dates back to 1946. More importantly, these amps have been instrumental in shaping modern music today.” Groove Tubes was founded in 1979 to make and supply hard-to-find tubes, and during the years since, their product line has grown to include mics, accessories, and other electronics. FMIC purchased the Groove Tubes brand and “other assets.” Groove Tubes founder ASPEN PITTMAN isn’t leaving; he’s continuing in a consulting role. We’re certain that our buddy WHIT SMITH, guitarist & vocalist with Austin-based HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN, will be glad to hear this one; no matter how big the concert stage or how coveted the venue, Whit has the sound man mic his 1930’s tube amp, which sits on a little wood crate on stage, right behind him.
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13) PAUL McCARTNEY AMP - AUCTION FOR CHARITY
Speaking of amps… for ten days, commencing June 9, you can bid on a VOX AC15H1TV signed by Sir Paul. VOX amps is auctioning the amp, with all proceeds going to “No More Landmines” (www.landmines.org.uk) a British-based charity that works throughout the world to remove the threat of unexploded land mines and weapons of war. More info from VOX at 631- 390-6500 or www.voxamps.com. The bid page is www.ebay.co.uk/vox.
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news. Meantime, go back to our first news feature in this edition, and CONTACT CONGRESS to protect your rights to your created works!
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
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+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication
+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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NEWS FEATURES for May, 2008
Editions posted May 31, May 19, May 13. May 2.
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NEWS FEATURES, May 31, 2008
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ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for May 31, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Myspace is suddenly accepting only short posts, so we must go through the ponderous process of listing events one day at a time – until we move the calendar to another site, and that will happen soon.
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DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?: Myspace listings do NOT show all that's posted. Click "View ALL," and that brings up much more than what shows in the initial window. Then, oddly enough, to go into the future, where you can read about events clear into 2009, click the "OLDER" button, as many times as necessary, and you can journey into the future as well as the past, and find future events and old news features and more. You'll be able to go back to when acoustic music was indigenous natives beating on hollow logs with stones.
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NEWS FEATURES:
May 31, 2008
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1) UTAH PHILLIPS, R.I.P.
Bruce "Utah" Phillips died last week. He was a true folk music and storytelling legend. He performed at the Caltech Folk Music series three times, “and it would have been more if it had not been for health issues,” say Rex & Nick, the series impresarios. They add, “There will never be another one like this bigger-than-life storyteller, activist, satirist, songwriter, musician and more. What a treasure he was in the folk music world and to freethinkers in general.”
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Radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” opened every broadcast for two years with Utah’s “Nothin’ to Do But Go,” from his album, “Loafer’s Glory.” It’s a classic track on a classic album.
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TttT host LARRY WINES was privileged to interview him in 2004, when Utah asked Larry, “Do you think people would still want to come and see me if I can’t play my guitar anymore? I’m not sure if I will be able to play, and I don’t play well with others, you know.” The issue at that time was Utah’s impending surgery on his hands. Before long, heart disease would become the dominant issue.
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Folksinger & social activist ROSS ALTMAN wrote a recent piece on Utah Phillips for Folkworks, and you can read it at www.folkworks.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35533&Itemid=3176.
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Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1935, Bruce "Utah" Phillips ran away from home at the age of 15 to gain an education on the road and on the rails as a hobo. He spent the past several decades telling the stories and singing the songs of a lifetime spent exploring the lesser-known corners of North America. As befits his checkered past, Utah held a wide range of honors. He was a Grand Duke of Hoboes, as well as a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance. The self-styled rapscallion, rabble-rouser, and individualist - not to mention tall-tale-spinner extraordinaire - has made dozens of recordings, running the gamut from “The Long Memory,” his 1997 album with ROSALIE SORRELS, to his Grammy-nominated collaboration with rock diva ANI DiFRANCO, “Fellow Workers (Righteous Babe).”
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As recently as early May, musicians across the country, those who had known him for years and others who felt his influence, were playing benefits to raise money for his health care needs. A promo for one of those read, “Come help us celebrate Utah the most fitting way we can think of: with a good old rousing evening of great stories and music!”
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In addition to the FolkWorks story, and it’s well worth your time to check out lots more at www.utahphillips.org, and hear podcasts and more, at www.utahphillips.blogspot.com.
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2) OH, FOR THE DAYS OF GOOD RADIO…
From time-to-time, Larry Wines, host of radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” hunts-down old playlists from the 1970s, from commercial FM radio stations. Larry says he always discovers that today’s unique shows, shows like TttT that are once-a-week singularities, would have fit nicely into commercial radio’s mainstream 35 years ago. Last week, he shared an observation with another radio guy (one employed at a BIG commercial FM station) in L.A.: “Oh, for the days when FM played anything good, and in the same set, you could hear The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Joni Mitchell, Michael Martin Murphey, Jim Croce, Nicolette Larsen, America, John Denver, Elton John...”
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The broadcast radio professional replied, “Yep, I agree. Well, thank God for the ‘net, at least we can find some good music - Don Edwards, Sons of the San Joaquin, The Eagles etc. - out here.”
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3) HUCK FINN FEST – LAST OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE $
The annual Huck Finn Jubilee, at Mojave Narrows Regional Park, near Victorville, June 13-15, has issued a “Last call to Save $10,” since weekend tickets will increase $10 per person after June 2, and then will only be available at the gate. You can order tickets on line at www.huckfinn.com., or call 951-341-8080; your tix are mailed the same day. They also tell us that gates open for camping Wednesday (Jun 11) at 8 am and remain open 24 hours a day. Plenty of camping will still be available for last minute arrivals. And they have four host hotels that offer a Huck Finn Jubilee discount, if you ask for it; also, show your hotel receipt at the festival and your kids (ages 6-11) get in free. Hotel info, complete schedule of events, and everything else, is listed at www.huckfinn.com.
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Tixs for sale, cheep, cheep! We just heard from JOHN BRYANT that he’ll miss this year’s festival. He says, “Gonna miss Huck Finn. These are four-night tickets, everything included. At least 20 amps, and every one of them has your name on it. If you're within driving distance, a pretty cheap way to ingest a lot of bluegrass, not to mention kettle-korn. My price- $348. Your price - $174.” Theses are full camping and festival admission tix, and camping has RV hookups (hence the “20 amps” line, rather than what you were thinking it meant.) Email John at banjomensch@gmail.com.
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4) MUSIC CONNECTION LAUNCHES AMP - FOR ARTISTS ONLY
AMP is a brand new division of Music Connection Magazine, catering strictly to artists, musicians and players (not fans). The statement from MC says, “AMP is a private network that offers the same networking tools and features found on Facebook, Myspace, Friendster, etc. However, AMP also offers a professional environment, safe and secure interactions with members and complete access to all of the products and services that Music Connection has to offer, including CD Reviews, New Music Critiques, Club Reviews, and of course Free Classifieds. Membership in AMP also includes a FREE 3-month subscription to Music Connection magazine! So what are you waiting for?” Take a tour of AMP at www.musicconnection.com/amp.
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5) FANDOODLE ANNOUNCES NEW DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION MODEL
Fan Doodle (www.FanDoodle.com) calls itself, “Record Industry 2.0.” The Darien, CT-based company announced May 30 that they have established a new model, “Peer-to-peer distribution - immediately, legally.”
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It’s “an industry first - a system for Fans to distribute digital downloads as partners with Artists. We have released a new interface that gives Artists the ability to instantly allow their Fans to distribute their music," said Michael Penfield, Founder of FanDoodle.com. "This interface lets the Artist easily manage the downloads being sold, the banners used by Fans for marketing, and the content of the web page used for completing the sale."
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Using FanDoodle, Fans receive 20% of the sales that they generate. Fans place banner code or text links in their emails, websites, MySpace or Facebook pages, blogs, or forums. When a friend or visitor clicks-through and purchases a download, the Fan receives 20%. While the ability for Artists to distribute downloads is nothing new, the ability for them to instantly distribute downloads in partnership with their Fans is new.
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They quote pop musician LAUREN DE MIRANDA, whose music is available on FanDoodle.com, as saying, "How cool is it that the day I perform or record, I can upload my track and begin selling immediately! Not to mention my fans and friends can sell it and also make a cut! Sweet simplicity!"
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FanDoodle calls it “FanDoodle Digital” and has priced it at $9.95 for set-up. Artists receive 60% of sales, while fans and FanDoodle split the remaining 40%. Artists have the ability to set the price of their downloads.
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FanDoodle.com says this “creates partnerships between Artists and Fans,” and they have applied for a patent on the technology. It allows artists or labels to distribute digital downloads and physical CDs using the artist's fan base. FanDoodle’s announcement includes an expression of their interest in exploring partnerships with participants, related to the media industry. Contact michael@FanDoodle.com with inquiries.
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6) NORTH STAR MUSIC AWARDS 2008 ANNOUNCES PHASE TWO
We told you about this one when it was first announced, and it IS still open, and now going into Phase Two. Promoter TOM FAIR tells us, “In addition to modest cash distribution (from entry fees) for the winners, there will also be an international CD release by Artists For A Better World (AFABW) - check out AFABW at www.artistsforabetterworld.org.
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For those already familiar with the awards criteria, Tom says, “All requirements remain the same, although the entry fee has been adjusted to $10 per song / 3 song maximum. Phase One entries will automatically be entered into Phase Two at no additional fee.” For full submission info, send an e-mail to Tom, and put NORTH STAR on the subject line. Send to dynamic_events@hotmail.com. ENTRY DEADLINE in June 30, 2008.
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7) NATIONAL TV SHOW OPPORTUNITY FOR SONGWRITERS, JUNE 7
CBS-TV and Mark Burnett Productions have issued casting calls for their upcoming new show, "Jingles." The two companies have teamed-up “to find the greatest undiscovered marketing genius for a new show, ‘Jingles.’” They ask, “Do you think that you could use your quick mind and comedy skills to wow Fortune 500 companies with your talent? We are looking for teams of two to three people to write and perform product jingles. A team could be anything from an improv troupe to a singing comedy duo or a barbershop quartet. We are looking for fun, high-energy performances mixed with a competitive spirit. Teams will compete weekly for a chance to win $100,000 and a contract with one of the companies!” they say. Info at www.cbs.com=. Look for "Casting Calls."
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Casting calls in four cities include one in L.A.:
Los Angeles
Sat, Jun 7
9 am-4 pm, at CBS Studio Center, 4024 Radford Av, Studio City 91604; callbacks (if selected) are Sun, June 8.
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8) FREE LISTING FOR WESTERN MUSICIANS, ARTISTS & COWBOY POETS
It was a long and involved message, but the upshot is that the New Mexico Stockman, a 74-year-old publication, is inviting all western artists to appear for free in their annual directory, both in-print and on-line. The invitation applies to “Musicians / Artists / Poets / Writers of Words.” You need to complete their listing form, and you can get that by e-mailing Chris Martinez at the publication, at chris@aaalivestock.com, or call him toll-free at 888 243-9515, ext. 26. He may offer to sell you an ad, but the directory listing is free. Considering the broad distribution of the directory throughout the Southwest, it’s great exposure. More on the directory at www.aaalivestock.com.
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9) ACOUSTIC RENAISSANCE / ROCK CROSSOVERS
Hang-out on the L.A. music scene, and you find no shortage of good, solid artists who comfortably and easily cross-over from one to the other, anytime they can get a gig. We’re not talking about someone who simply subdues the yelling of their original rock song. We’re talking about a song with meaningful lyrics and good structure, a song that can be played a folk song when it’s done acoustically. One of those artists who does that is AARON WOLFSON. He checked-in this week to say, “It was good to see you at the Safari Sam's show [where Aaron played with PAUL ZOLLO]. I would love to perform some acoustic versions of songs from my CD that are moving up the charts.” Aaron’s "Daddy's Gone Away," is on NEIL YOUNG's “Living with War” website at # 9 out of 438 songs. Hear it at www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwvideospage.html.
"You Can Run But You Can't Hide," reached #1 on www.SongVault.fm Rock Radio, where it’s currently # 11. Listen to it at www.songvault.fm/artists/aaron_wolfson.htm.
More on Aaron at www.myspace.com/aaronwolfson and www.aaronwolfson.com .
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10) ZYDECO IN SOUTHERN CAL & “UNITING THE ZYDECO NATION”
Ever since LISA HALEY & THE ZYDEKATS gave radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” a five-week exclusive world radio premiere of their CD that went on to be nominated for a Grammy, AND played most of the songs from the album live on the radio show to celebrate the CD release, PLUS, the radio show’s guest spots with BJ DECULUS of BONNE MUSIQUE ZYDECO, the music has been an even bigger favorite with the show’s audience.
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Whether you made it to the annual SIMI CAJUN CREOLE FESTIVAL, remember, the annual LONG BEACH BAYOU FESTIVAL is still ahead, Jun 21 & 22.
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If you’d really like to have fun, you should prepare. There’s a weekly zydeco dance, with lessons, in Long Beach (details below, and we list it every week in the calendar), AND we recently learned about “ZYDECO ON LINE,” a source of information for zydeco music. LOLA LOVE is the host, producer and director of “THE ZYDECO WORKOUT,” an internet radio show dedicated to Southern Soul, Blues, and Zydeco Music & Creole Culture. Lola's mission is to unite all the different aspects of Zydeco music and elevate it. Learn all about it, and catch her show, at www.ZydecoOnline.com, and there’s more at www.myspace.com/ZydecoOnline and www.myspace.com/_LolaLove.
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ZYDECO DANCING & LESSONS are offered June 5, 12, 19, 26, and continuing EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT, at the Golden Sails Hotel, PCH Club, 6285 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach; hotel, 562-596-1631. Event info, Karen Redding, 562-438-1255, or 562-708-8946, or karinovations@verizon.net; www.LouisianaDanceLA.com. Cover is $7 plus a two-drink minimum (bottled water & juices available). There’s a “Basic Zydeco” dance lesson, 7-7:30 pm; “Intermediate / Advanced Moves” lesson, 7:30-8 pm; and dancing to zydeco CDs from 8-9 pm. Come early for the bar’s Happy Hour with free food, from 4-7 pm. Beginners, singles, and all ages are welcome; group discounts available.
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11) THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE (AND OTHER WEB VIDEO) PICKS
If you have endured any of those public television pledge drives, you know that they always trot-out the great music specials that never air any other time. One of the favorites is “Celtic Woman,” the live show that combines traditional Irish music with pseudo-New Age arrangements, and a bevy of beautiful female artists who are allowed to use only their first names. For all its quirks, it is entertaining. Catch a piece their performance, without the public TV begging, at http://youtube.com/watch?v=v-17NWRddUk.
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In addition, we want to share the CTMS (California Traditional Music Society; www.ctms.org) pick for “Traditional Music Video of the Month.” CTMS manager CHRIS WARBER writes, “Several weeks ago, very early one Sunday morning, I happened across a program on KOCE called ‘ABSOLUTELY IRISH.’ Produced by MICK MOLONEY for WGBH, the program includes an incredible lineup of talent that most longtime Summer Solstice Festival attendees will recognize. Although, at the moment, the DVD of the program is only available as [a] membership premium at some public TV stations (but not KOCE), it will be available at a regular price in the fall (I have mine on pre-order at Amazon, you can also pre-order at http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=11498720&msgid=5084973&act=M4BK&c=39288&admin=0&destination=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015LPRP6?ie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dcaliftradimus-20%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D1789%26creative%3D9325%26creativeASIN%20.“
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“This month’s traditional video is a clip from that program, featuring three brilliant Irish fiddlers, EILEEN IVERS, LIZ CARROLL and ATHENA TERGIS, with JOHN DOYLE on guitar.” We checked it out, and love the energy and the camera angles. Play the video at http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=11498720&msgid=5084973&act=M4BK&c=39288&admin=0&destination=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DuR1l169_mVA. While you’re there, you can get lost for awhile in You Tube’s list of “related videos.”
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Finally, if you haven’t seen the pathetic but thoroughly hilarious “Bill O’Reilly’s blow-up” video, it’s even better with the “producer” added into the original version. It’s at www.barelypolitical.com. “We’ll do it live!”
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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=====================
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication
+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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NEWS FEATURES, May 19, 2008
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for May 19, 2008
.
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
Myspace is suddenly accepting only short posts, so we must go through the ponderous process of listing events one day at a time – until we move the calendar to another site, and that will happen soon.
.
.
DON’T SEE WHAT YOU”RE LOOKING FOR?: Myspace listings do NOT show all that’s posted. Click “View ALL,” and you can read about events clear into 2009, and you can find old news features and more. When that doesn’t go far enough back, click the “OLDER” button, as many times as necessary, to go back to acoustic music was indigenous natives beating on hollow logs with stones.
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NEWS FEATURES:
May 19, 2008
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1) CHECK-OUT “INVESTING IN ARTISTS” GRANTS
The Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) is well-known and highly-regarded for its series of workshops and classes for artists. CCI’s “Investing in Artists” grants program is designed to enhance the working lives and creative environment for individual artists in California by funding tools and market strategies that will allow artists to create their best work more consistently, and distribute that work more broadly to new audiences. We’ve previously told you here about this grant program and its previous two rounds. Applications for Round III of the program are due on June 6, 2008.
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In this third round of funding, applications will only be accepted in two categories. These are the “Artistic Equipment & Tools” category and the “Presenting & Marketing Work Implementation” category. Get full info on these and more at www.cciarts.org.
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2) “THE ART OF MEN CD” SEEKING MALE ARTISTS FOR NEW COMPILATION
The new compilation CD, as envisioned, “celebrates talented male artists from around the world, delivering songs in a tapestry of different genres and styles of music dedicated to messages empowering human equality, communication and vitality,” says Warrior Girl Music’s GILLI MOON, herself an award-winning artist, as well as a record producer. The new compilation will join a series associated with the critically- acclaimed “Females On Fire” series, produced by Warrior Girl Music. That series celebrates over 100 talented female artists, worldwide, on its three double-CD compilation albums. Gilli continues, “To properly create balance where balance is due, Warrior Girl Music is very excited to announce a compilation dedicated to magnificent male artists, equally looking for recognition, promotion and elevation in the music industry.”
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“The Art of Men” CD invites male solo artists and male-fronted bands to apply for inclusion. They tell us, “It's absolutely ok for female musicians to be in the band, but the voice must be male,” similar to the rules with their “Females on Fire” projects. A panel of judges will choose the best songs from submissions for the compilation. They specify, “Your song must be positive, motivating and inspiring and embraces global and human issues that we can all relate to and be inspired by. Promotion and distribution are directed to music supervisors (film and television), music publishers, national music conferences & seminars, record labels, the media (print and radio), producers, and artists looking for songs. The CD is a perfect vehicle for artists to access the music industry, the media and make potential long lasting business relationships for their music. Retail distribution includes direct sales through the Warrior Girl Music Store and distributors in the U.S, Canada and Australia.” Details at www.artofmencd.com. Submission deadline is July 15, 2008.
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3) TOPANGA WINNERS, FINE HUMOR, AND THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE PICK
Having been privileged to emcee a stage all day, and one with GREAT acts, at the 48th annual Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival on a very, very hot Sun, May 18, editor Larry Wines had planned to write some news about some of the winners at this year’s festival.
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Then came this, from the band, MURPHY’S FLAW (www.murphysflawband.com), and it covers so much, and so well, that it’s this week’s festival recap news, and more.
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When a message arrives titled, “WE'RE NUMBER THREE! WE'RE NUMBER THREE,” you can expect what’s coming. It begins, “Woo-Woo! Yes, The Flaw entered into that local crucible of cut-throat bluegrass competition, Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest, and it's now official: We are once again a third-rate bluegrass band. But you knew that, right?
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“Given Sunday's heat we're amazed that the festival wasn't moved to an estuary off Oxnard, but tradition must be served, along with lots of water, snow-cones and kettle corn. Also in keeping with tradition, we were ‘taken downtown’ by the impossibly gifted teenagers (and one pre-teen) of the MUDDY BUDDIES (First) and MURPHY FAMILY BAND (no relation, Second).”
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But the Flaw didn’t stop their report there. “Additionally,” they say, “we're ashamed to report that Guitarist GEORGE BINER won Second Place in solo Flatpicking. So what do you get with a second-rate flatpicker inside a third-rate bluegrass band? Ego problems, that's what. But we'll get through this; we've had to cope with outbursts of talent before. Nonetheless, through gritted teeth, we congratulate George. At the other end of the bell curve, JOHN BRYAN (banjo) and EDIE MURPHY (fiddle) turned in such Flawed performances that they didn't even place. That's the kind of band solidarity we could use more of in these troubled times.”
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Edie Murphy, if you didn’t know, is actually a fiddlin’ member of FIVE bands, including the all-girl DIME BOX BAND that recently (at last) released their first CD. And in case you wondered, Edie is the only Murphy in Murphy’s Flaw, and the band was named and created before she got there. So, Edie is quick to say that she isn’t the flawed one.
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For THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE PICK, you can see the Topanga contest third-place performance by Murphy’s Flaw, and they tell us, eventually, other Topanga highlights, “on the Flaw Channel, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8T0lr0UJQ0. Their more-or-less celebratory message ends, “Yours for institutional inadequacy, The Flaw.”
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4) BLUEGRASS IS HUGE IN EUROPE, & BRINGS AWARDS
The weather was almost perfect for the 11th “European World of Bluegrass Festival” (EWOB; www.ewob.eu), sponsored by the European Bluegrass Music Association, May 1-3. As in previous years, attendance was at peak levels, and the little Dutch town of Voorthuizen was bursting with bluegrass music all 3 days, as bands performed throughout the village, and musicians jammed in every corner of the festival site. The 2008 EWOB Festival featured 41 wonderful bands from 15 countries, including special USA guests SALLY JONES & THE SIDEWINDERS, APPALACHIAN UPRISING, and DICK STABER & JUDITH CHASNOFF, and EWOB's first groups from Norway, ILE AUTO and the HOLSTEIN UNITED BLUEGRASS BOYS, and from Spain, LLUIS GOMEZ QUARTET and AUTOPISTA 6.
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The EWOB 2008 Festival in the Netherlands was the apex of the 30-day European World of Bluegrass, fostering the growth of bluegrass music this year in cooperation with 195 European festivals and events during "International Bluegrass Month" in May. EWOB conducted a music festival and professional convention with trade show and workshops, and they host the annual European Bluegrass Band competition. In 2003, EWOB became the only European festival ever to win the International Bluegrass Music Association's prestigious Bluegrass Event of the Year Award.
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Winners of the 2008 European Bluegrass Band Awards, chosen by the EWOB 2008 Festival musicians as their reigning champions, are:
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“European Bluegrass Band 2008” winners are #1, ACOUSTICURE from Hungary; www.acoustic.freeweb.hu; #2, PETR BRANDEJS BAND from the Czech Republic, www.sweb.cz/brandejs; #3, 4-WHEEL DRIVE from The Netherlands, www.4wdmusic.nl.
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In addition to the professional band awards, the festival audience elects its own favorite groups from the three days of showcase performances. The winners of the “Audience Popularity Award,” 2008, are all from the Czech Republic, and they are, #1, BLUEGRASS CWRKOT, www.cwrkot.ic.cz; #2, BLACKJACK, www.blackjackband.cz; #3, SUNNY SIDE, www.sunnyside.cz.
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The #1 European Bluegrass Band 2008, ACOUSTICURE, was the first bluegrass band from Hungary to perform at the colorful international gathering, a veteran of the past 2 EWOB Festivals. An energetic 4-piece group of impressive multi-instrumentalists, Acousticure keeps the sound crew hopping with frequent instrument changes. Their young spokesman, mandolin-fiddler-guitarist ZSOLT PINTER, has spent enough time in the USA to speak English like a native, and has a remarkable command of bluegrass-country vocals. Acousticure's musical vision playfully fuses bluegrass influences from old-time to newgrass, sometimes incorporating their native Hungarian folk music. An example of the latter, “Kis Kece Lanyom,” can be heard on the EWOB 2007 CD from Strictly Country Records, available at http://cdbaby.com/cd/ewobluegrass07.
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EWOB WINNERS TO GET U.S. SPOTLIGHT. The US bluegrass scene will get a chance to experience Acousticure onstage in Nashville at the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) World of Bluegrass convention in Oct 2009, where they will perform as the #1 European Bluegrass Band. ACOUSTICURE is Zsolt Pinter on fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocals; Geza Kremnitzky on mandolin, banjo, vocals; Peter Gyergyadesz on bass & vocals; Andras Toth on guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin, vocals.
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Thanks to Peter Feldmann and to EWOB for the write-up adapted for this feature.
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5) “EUROPEAN WORLD OF BLUEGRASS” CD SERIES IS A HIT IN THE U.S.
Since we have your interest on the topic, it’s a good time to report that Strictly Country Records (www.strictlycountryrecords.com) has a double CD called "10 Years Of European World of Bluegrass" (SCR-66). It’s currently the #1 CD in the USA on FOLK RADIO An important new chapter in bluegrass history. It includes 48 bands from 15 lands, the #1 European Bluegrass Bands, plus 15 special guests from USA and Canada. It’s available from the label, or from US & Canada distributor Copper Creek Records (www.coppercreekrecords.com) or on CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com). Send questions regarding the CD to the label, to scr@pietergroenveld.com.
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DAN CRARY wrote, "Bluegrass music itself is richer because our European colleagues play and perform the music with great skill and inspiration. This CD set, ‘10 Years Of European World of Bluegrass’ is a magnificent project. The great mix of European and touring American artists shows that our music is international, intercultural, and powerful. If Bill Monroe were alive today, he would be very proud of you."
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6) MISSY RAINES & THE NEW HIP - CD FINALLY OUT
Legendary bluegrass & roots standup bass player MISSY RAINES has a signature style and plenty of fame playing in other people’s bands. When she launched her own band, THE NEW HIP, they immediately made a visit to radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” for a live in-studio performance-interview. Missy, MIKE WITCHER, and the rest of the band had the place jumpin,’ and callers wanting to know where to buy their music. Now Missy tells us, “Our long-awaited EP release is here and will be available May 20th!” You can order it now for $10, at http://missyraines.myshopify.com/products/preorder_ep and if you do that before midnight at the end of the day, May 20, you get a free download code for more of their original music.
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So, what’s on the CD? You’ll be glad to know that the hot new music they played live on TttT is there. It starts off with ETHAN BALLINGER's explosive “Eye of the Liger,” then moves demurely to ED SNODDERLYS' rootsy and evocative “Basket of Singing Birds.” Then it rocks and grooves with the band;s co-write, “Stop, Drop & Wiggle.” There’s SNODDERLYS' sultry “Magnolia,” and a sweet whisper with MARK SIMOS' “Fingernail Moon.” Joining Missy and the regular cast of The New Hip, special guests on this debut recording include MATT FLINNER on mandolin, JOHN R BURR playing the Hammond organ, DAVID HEYER on drums and KENNY MALONE on percussion. More info, www.missyraines.com. The only bad news is, they won’t be back in California until they play the Labor Day weekend edition of the Strawberry Music Festival.
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7) JOAN ENGUITA ON XM HOUR-LONG INTERVIEW
Joan has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” more times than any other artist. She just told us, “XM’s ‘The Village’ played a one-hour interview that I did with Tom May on ‘River City Folk’ many months ago. It aired on April 28. They played the entire hour. I only know because TED RAMIREZ from SANTA CRUZ RIVER BAND wrote to me about it!” How’s that for networking? Ted and his band-mates MICHAEL RONSTANDT and GIL BROWN have also performed live on TttT, twice, between their national and international tours.
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8) SUPPORT NW FOLK LIFE FESTIVAL, AND GET MOTHER JONES
Mother Jones continues as a longtime sponsor of Northwest Folklife, and they offer you a subscription to Mother Jones Magazine for just $10 a year, AND 30% of that amount is given to Northwest Folklife. If you’re unfamiliar with that publication, it’s the independent, nonprofit, award-winning magazine and website dedicated to great investigative reporting. Even if don’t attend the festival (America’s largest free music event) you can get the great subscription discount and support the nonprofit NW Folk Life. Go to https://www.kable.com/pub/mrjs/subAllCusT01.asp?laf=SEVX1&src=V504F1.
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The festival happens annual on the sprawling grounds and in a great many buildings at Seattle Center, the former World’s Fair site. Seattle, wisely, preserved their fair’s site (the only host of a world’s fair EVER to do that) and the city continues to be the ONLY place with the capability to host an annual mega-event like NW Folk Life. Festival info, 206-684-7300; www.nwfolklife.org.
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9) RED HOUSE’s 25th ANNIVERSARY, & ELIZA GILKYSON’S NEW ALBUM
Austin’s current first lady of folk, Grammy-nom ELIZA GILKYSON, did a well-remembered live performance-interview on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.” She’s known in her own right for her occasional L.A. performances, and for those here with her musician brother, L.A. favorite TONY GILKYSON. Eliza has completed her newest CD, “BEAUTIFUL WORLD,” set for release May 27. What’s up with this new CD? “A departure from her previous work, the album covers many styles - rock, jazz, Americana, folk - and although it tackles some hard issues - environment, war, heartbreak - the album displays a rare optimism and belief that the world is a good place and can keep becoming more beautiful,” says Ellen Stanley of Red House Records in St. Paul. Before its release, the new album is already getting airplay on Americana and folk radio. Eliza is planning the tour the new record across North America and in the UK. Those in or near New York City can enjoy Eliza’s gig at Joe’s Pub on Thursday, July 24, as part of “Our Side of Town: A Red House Records 25th Anniversary Concert,” with her Red House label-mates and acclaimed songwriters LUCY KAPLANSKY and CLIFF EBERHARDT. The label also plans more 25th anniversary events. Info, www.redhouserecords.com and www.myspace.com/redhouserecords.
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10) AIRPLAY DIRECT SEEKS SPONSORS FOR FOLK-AMERICANA CONTEST
AirPlay Direct (www.airplaydirect.com) has confirmed their "All Things Digital Folk / Americana" Artist Contest will run in the month of June 2008. With the first few co-sponsors in place, they are looking for additional co-sponsors in PR / media firms; radio stations (to announce & feature the winner with an on-air performance and interview); equipment manufacturers or retailers that can contribute an instrument package; print publications that can run an ads and do a feature story on the contest winner; merchandise manufacturers, for t-shirts, hats, stickers, etc.; festival / live-performance opportunities; CD / DVD manufacturers; video companies to shoot a video; photographers / artist photo shoot; recording studio / studio time / production services; a song placement in film / TV / and with music supervisors; web development / graphics firm.
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They tell us, “AirPlay Direct’s Sponsorship / Contest programs are a valuable exposure and marketing tool that serve to help our sponsors gain new clients, increase their corporate revenue, expose and grow their brand and company, and help them to develop a stronger global corporate presence and digital distribution footprint. Our Sponsorship / Contest programs really do bring a lot more to the table in the way of press and media impressions, versus just a pure advertising play. These events receive a lot of press and exposure and create tremendous “good-will” and business opportunities within the industry for our Sponsors. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please respond by e-mail for more information [office@airplaydirect.com].” - Mike Kreher, Director of Business Development, AirPlay Direct.
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=====================
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
.
=====================
.
Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ many additional events
.
+ news of where to find the "TIED TO THE TRACKS" radio show in syndication in your area
.
+ upcoming guests on "Tied to the Tracks" and other radio shows
.
+ the latest NEWS ITEMS from the acoustic music universe!
.
.
WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
.
NEWS FEATURES, May 13, 2008
.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
.
NEWS FEATURES for May 13, 2008
.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
Myspace is suddenly accepting only short posts, so we must go through the ponderous process of listing events one day at a time – until we move the calendar to another site, and that will happen soon.
.
.
DON’T SEE WHAT YOU”RE LOOKING FOR?: Myspace listings do NOT show all that’s posted. Click “View ALL,” and you can read about events clear into 2009, and you can find old news features and more. When that doesn’t go far enough back, click the “OLDER” button, as many times as necessary, to go back to the beginning of time!!
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NEWS FEATURES:
May 13, 2008
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1) WHATEVER HAPPENED TO NAPSTER?
They ran afoul of the music industry’s invocation of copyright laws a few years back, and the web phenom appeared on the brink of being sued into oblivion. Then, a series of licensing deals preserved it. The latest is this one, with Hudson Entertainment (http://music.hudsonent.com/about/index.html), a premier provider of entertainment content. Hudson announced it has signed a licensing and distribution agreement with Napster to further extend its digital music offerings. The new deal with Napster (www.Napster.com) will allow Hudson Entertainment's music division to offer full-length music tracks from top independent music labels and artists through Napster's on-demand music subscription service, which boasts more than 760,000 subscribers. Hudson Entertainment's extensive catalog offers over 10,000 tracks from well known and up-and-coming artists across all music genres including Kirsten Proffit, Gene and Jezebel, Omar Torrez, Del Bombers, Cloud Eleven, Alan Smithee, Punsapaya, Alan Reid, The J Band, Paperback Hero, Denny Earnest, Lastonedone, Caution Cat, Conrizzle, and more.
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"The partnership with Napster allows us to tap into a strong, loyal and very educated music audience," said JOHN GREINER, President of Hudson Entertainment. "Napster's subscribers are intelligent connoisseurs of music, and we know that our eclectic and extensive catalog will be something they will appreciate and enjoy."
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Quite a change from the music industry’s characterization of Napster members as a horde of thieving pirates who were bent on destroying music. Just goes to show that part of the industry is inside Fort Apache, with the gates locked, peering from the parapets and shooting everything outside that moves, while others are innovative and prospering.
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This new partnership follows on the heels of Hudson's recent announcement of a similar deal with eMusic, further strengthening its position as one of the largest digital music distributors in the US.
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NAPSTER, the pioneer of digital music and the industry’s former pariah, offers interactive music experiences, with ways to discover, share, acquire and enjoy music, anytime, anywhere. Their offerings include "Napster" (www.Napster.com), the most popular on-demand music subscription service in the world; "Freenapster" (www.freenapster.com), offering free on-demand music legally; and "Napster Mobile," one of the industry's fastest growing mobile music platforms. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Napster's services are available in markets across the Americas, Europe and Japan.
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2) SOUTH PARK – WORLD’S HIGHEST INDEPENDENT MUSIC CONFERENCE
No, we’re not talking about those intolerably obnoxious cartoon children. The South Park Music Tour returns June 26-29, 2008 to the Great South Park of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, in Fairplay and Alma, Colorado. Because of the high elevation, it’s billed as “The Highest Independent Music Tour in the World.” Sponsors assert, “you can invigorate your mind, body, and spirit with the most amazing music you’ve never heard. This is the festival that you will claim, ‘I got to see … for free before they made it big!’” It’s 70+ independent musicians from around the globe, in all genres of music, and the festival is free, on 10 stages over 4 days.
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In addition to the music, it is also a music industry conference on Fri, June 27, where musicians can learn about “branding their band, reaching their audience, touring, getting a record deal, and getting their music on radio, TV, and film.” Industry professionals from Warner Brothers Records, BMI, Blue Metallic Entertainment, Warrior Girls Music, Songsalive! and more will be at the conference, for a networking opportunities.
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On Sat, June 28, “Songsalive! Songcamp” (www.songsalive.org.songcamp) is an all-day “focused songwriting camp,” where songwriters and composers can get feedback on their music, collaborate and co-write with guidance of Songsalive! Mentors and co-founder, Gilli Moon.
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An All-Access VIP badge is $50, and get you free food and drinks throughout the weekend, all VIP parties, the industry conference, and the songwriting camp. Info on the entire event at www.SouthParkMusicTour.com.
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For those who just need to get out of town, and want an escape with a lot of music, consider the Telluride Bluegrass Festival (thousands of feet higher that South Park) in SW Colorado, June 19-22, then the South Park Music Tour, June 26-29. Now, THAT’s a Rocky Mountain High!
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3) “MUSIC & SPIRIT” BLOG
We receive all kinds of things. This one is billed as “An Interesting Non-Dogmatic Blog Showcasing a Certain Calibre of Songwriter.” It’s maintained by “Blogger Van” (www.myspace.com/musicandspirit) of Pasco, Washington. Van tells us, “I have been running an interesting blog on MySpace now for the last eight months or so. There are currently 32 amazing artists in my Top Friend who are all very much worth supporting. In addition, there are many more in my modest friend space, which is currently at 100+, most of them musicians. The blog itself consists of 30 entries, some extensive, showcasing artists' lyrics and additional material provided by the artists themselves, in addition to several reviews by myself. The word ‘spirit’ in its title is NOT a reference to dogmatic spirituality. I consider a good love song to be ‘spiritual!’ This site and blog are open to any songwriter who wishes to message me and send a friend request. I reserve the right to decide on the suitability of the material - please review my profile page, listen to the artists, and look at the blog itself. You will see that there is [sic] a wide variety of styles represented, and you will be able to judge for yourself if this is a place where you'd like to have your music ‘found.’ It is free, and will remain free, forever. Currently, I am receiving spontaneous friend requests from awesome artists, everywhere! Germany, Japan, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Britain, and of course, the USA. It is good, free exposure for any artist who has ‘the right stuff.’”
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4) THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE PICKS
First is lovely singer-songwriter and keyboard and guitar artist MARINA V (www.MarinaV.com). She has twice performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.” A classically-trained Russian émigré, Marina is now a proud US citizen who has expressed, among other things, how excited she is that she can now vote. That theme is evident in this new video, which features her performance at the Kodak Theatre (where the Oscars and Grammys are held; she also just performed at the new Nokia Theatre in L.A., and her next performances are in Paris, France). Marina usually identifies herself as an “adult alternative” artist, and she is quite popular on the folk house concert circuit. Her performance of her original, “Hope,” at www.youtube.com/marinavdotcom is bright and it makes you wish that it’s where pop music would go.
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Second is DARIN BENNETT (www.myspace.com/darinbennett) with a video of him on myspace, performing live at the 10th Annual “Jeff Buckley Birthday Concert” in L.A. Darin says, “It's raw, but it's me. Here's a chance for you to see how I approach things live. The song is called ‘New Year's Prayer,’ but I've completely rearranged it. I like to think that Jeff would have done the same thing.” It’s at http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=33872011
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5) HELP ASHLEIGH GET ON TV
L.A. based singer-songwriter C. ASHLEIGH CALDWELL (cashleighcaldwell.com) has another dimension to her music ventures, and if you like her work, you can help simply by looking at it. Ashleigh explains, “Visit me and my jingle writing partner, Mike, on Youtube, at www.youtube.com/catchyjingles. We are currently being considered as contestants in America's search for the next great jingle writing team to win $100,000 and a contract at an ad agency. Your comments sure help! I appreciate your support~!” - Ashleigh. [“Opportunity is where you find it.”]
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6) HOWARD STAUB’S LAST RIDE
Howard Staub, host of the popular radio show, “The Real West from the Old West,” and a friend to many in the Western music and cowboy poetry world, died May 7, 2008. Howard loved people. He had boundless enthusiasm for musicians and poets and enjoyed going to gatherings and events. Here’s an excerpt from the feature at www.cowboypoetry.com about Howard's show:
“His live radio show, ‘The Real West from the Old West,’ fills a void ignored by other radio stations in Southwest New Mexico and continues to keep alive the cowboy way of life through music and words.” Howard Staub was a member of the Western Music Association Board of Directors. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in January. He and his devoted wife, Totsie Slover, put every effort into the fight against cancer. Totsie had kept a blog to keep Howard's many friends informed. Those who wish to send kind wishes can write to Totsie Slover at totsie@c21drc.com and Drawer 2249, Deming, NM 88031-2249.
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.
=====================
.
copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
.
=====================
.
Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
.
+ many additional events
.
+ news of where to find the "TIED TO THE TRACKS" radio show in syndication in your area
.
+ upcoming guests on "Tied to the Tracks" and other radio shows
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+ the latest NEWS ITEMS from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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NEWS FEATURES, May 2, 2008
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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for May 2, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Myspace is suddenly accepting only short posts, so we must go through the ponderous process of listing events one day at a time – until we move the calendar to another site, and that will happen soon.
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DON’T SEE WHAT YOU”RE LOOKING FOR?: Myspace listings do NOT show all that’s posted. Click “View ALL,” and you can read about events clear into 2009, and you can find old news features and more. When that doesn’t go far enough back, click the “OLDER” button, as many times as necessary, to go back to the beginning of time!!
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NEWS FEATURES:
May 2, 2008
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1) NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND GETS STAR ON NASHVILLE WALK OF FAME
On April 20, as their star on the Country Music Walk of Fame was awarded, founding member JOHN McEUEN quipped, “It’s nice to see all the people who don’t have cable.” Eleven nights later, as he played the Coffee Gallery Backstage with musical buddy MATT CARSONIS and musician son NATHAN McEUEN, John was more in the mood to reflect humble pride. Formed forty years ago, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has consistently and successfully fused traditional American folk music with contemporary rock and country. John spoke proudly about their momentous "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album of 1972. He offered inside stories about a few of the legends that appeared on the album, including Vassar Clements, Merle Travis, Lester Flatt and Mother Maybelle Carter. When he did a live performance-interview on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” in 2007, McEuen shared stories of working with these and other legends. Indeed, his career has encompassed a who’s-who of Americana music, from Johnny Cash to John Denver, from Jose Feliciano to the Allman Brothers. Perhaps to celebrate, and perhaps just because he likes us, John also gave “Tied to the Tracks” a box of his landmark soundtrack from “The Wild West,” so watch for chances to get one in the near future!
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2) TOO BROKE FOR THIS WEEKEND’S FESTIVALS? CHECK OUT WEB RADIO
Yep, Saturday brings a choice of the 28th Annual CLAREMONT FOLK FESTIVAL, where JACKSON BROWNE & TAJ MAHAL are headlining, or day two of the 2nd Annual STAGECOACH FESTIVAL in Indio, where half the musicians in the worlds of roots music and pop-country are playing, or day one of the annual FULLERTON RAILROAD DAYS, where there’s music and two steam locomotives percolating. But if you just can’t bend-over at the gas pumps anymore, you may be stuck at home. If so, catch Erica Wheeler performing live on “ACOUSTIC HARMONY,” the fine folk radio show from Vermont hosted by Mark Michaelis. Award-winning singer songwriter Erica Wheeler‘s music, says Mark, “evokes the relationship between people and place and is deeply earth spiritual. Her new album, ‘Good Summer Rain,’ is a gorgeous production fusing the roots Americana sound with the elegance of piano and upright bass which offers up a rich textural foundation for Erica's expressive lyrics and intimate vocal style. Erica will be stopping by WGDR before her appearance later that evening at the Haybarn Theater in Plainfield, a benefit concert for the Earthwalk Vermont organization.” WGDR is at 91.1 FM ion Vermont, and you can listen to the web simulcast Sat, May 3, at 1:30 pm (Pacific) on web radio, at www.wgdr.org.
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3) MISSING BEAN TOWN? THERE’S A NEW VENUE IN MONROVIA
Ever since Bean Town ended its wonderful no-cover live music series, folks in the Sierra Madre area have mostly gone without free music. Sure, it’s an easy commute to the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena, and its endless supply of world-class shows, but let’s face it, you can’t expect to see the best for free, and the Coffee Gallery can’t bring great acts to its stage without selling tickets. Bean Town was always the nice, friendly, free alternative - until the music died there, the end of March. Happily, a nearby venue has arisen, and it just might draw the old Bean Town clientele.
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Check out Sierra Cup, at 409 S Myrtle Av, in old town Monrovia 91016; 626-301-4214; www.sierracup.com. They opened in Oct, 2007, and they offer folk, rock, and poetry shows, a weekly karaoke night, coffees, teas, cold drinks, fruit-laden nonfat frozen yogurt treats and cupcakes, free WiFi and free big-screen Nintendo. Shows are on the “private cabana” back patio, where all the other activity doesn’t compete.
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TIM TEDROW & TERRY VREELAND, the popular singer-songwriter folk duo, are playing there Sun, May 4, from 4-6 pm. Most shows are in the evenings. Check our calendar listings, or the venue’s site for more.
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4) NEW SITE LISTS CLASSES IN EVERYTHING, INCLUDING SONGWRITING
Longtime songwriting teacher HARRIET SCHOCK (www.harrietschock.com), who is also a Grammy nom and multi-platinum seller, told us about this one. She says, “I'm very happy to introduce you to a new website called www.twosmartdogs.com. It's a way of finding classes in everything under the sun and moon. One of my students, Donald Seigel, wrote an article about me and I'm spotlighted on the url below. The article is called "The Power of a Song." I hope you will read and enjoy it. Then browse this website and see what else they have to offer!” Story on Harriet at www.twosmartdogs.com/emag/211/the-power-of-a-song.
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5) BOB NOLAN WEBSITE HAS MORE THAN THE PROLIFIC WRITER’S MUSIC
More of his songs are performed today than those of any other western/cowboy songwriter. It’s not just that a comprehensive website, dedicated to his work and memory, was long overdue. Now that ELIZABETH MCDONALD (elizabeth_mcdonald@cablelan.net) has established and is maintaining that site, it offers the kind of fresh, monthly content that can offer a model for others. [Editor’s note: if you decide to emulate the examples, be careful of all the copyright and licensing issue!] The “May Special Features” on the BOB NOLAN WEBSITE are “Movie of the Month,” “Lights of Old Santa Fe” (Republic / Roy Rogers); “Song of the Month,” “That Cloud,” sung by DAVE BOURNE; “Photo of the Month,” that lets you “Meet Bob Nolan's second wife, P-Nuts.” And the site’s “Spotlight” for May is a new article by LARRY HOPPER on Bob’s oft-covered song, "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." It’s all on www.bobnolan-sop.net.
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6) BENEFIT CD COMING FOR ERIC LOWEN (LOWEN & NAVARRO)
MoonHouse Studio is owned by performing artists Christine Albert & Chris Gage, who tour worldwide, as, appropriately enough, ALBERT & GAGE (www.albertandgage.com) Many artists have journeyed to Texas to record at MoonHouse. They just told us, “The studio has been quiet while we run around Texas playing French music to promote the release of “Paris, Texafrance,” [the new Albert & Gage CD] but ELIZA GILKYSON managed to sneak in and record a vocal part for a song by our good friend FREEBO that will be on a benefit CD for ERIC LOWEN of LOWEN AND NAVARRO. Eric Lowen is a wonderful performer who is battling ALS. Visit their website to learn much more about this inspiring duo.” Lowen & Navarro, Eliza Gilkyson, and Freebo have all performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and CD tracks from all of them and from Albert & Gage are familiar to the show’s listeners.
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7) THIS WEEK’S YOU TUBE PICK:
Check out bluegrass wizard PETER FELDMANN (Peter Feldmann & The Very Lonesome Boys), and you’ll see why he’s being awarded the Life Achievement Award at this year’s Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival. Catch Peter performing at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v_3C99BLZ8.
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8) NEW FROM OSCAR-WINER ERNEST TROOST
Listeners to radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” fondly remember Ernest’s several live performances, and know why he’s highly regarded as a practitioner of the Piedmond Blues. Here’s a new instrumental piece he just posted on his myspace page: www.myspace.com/ernesttroost.
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9) ASH GROVE REUNION REAPS MORE PRESS FOR BERNIE PEARL
Bluesman BERNIE PEARL (www.berniepearl.com) is familiar to listeners of radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” where he has performed multiple times, and many Southern Cal folks remember Bernie’s own 1981-90 blues radio show on KLON. Long before that, he was a regular at the legendary Ash Grove, run by his brother Ed. Bernie tells us, “The ripples continue from the [Ash Grove Reunion] L.A. Times story and video. I thought you'd like to see some of the publicity generated not only by the article, but by my publicist as well. I think there will be more.” Here’s hoping so, Bernie!
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The original Times posting:www.latimes.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=2274961
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Chicago Tribune coverage:http://www.chicagotribune.com/la-me-bernie2_jvmqpync,1,7997719.photo
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U.P.I. story:http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2008/04/19/pearl_expresses_cultur
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All About Jazz:http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=18065
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Don Heckman review of UCLA/Ash Grove Blues concert:http://www.spinner.com/2008/04/22/up-from-the-ashes-the-ash-grove-is-reborn-on-a-ucla-stage
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10) EXPERIENCE THE ASH GROVE IN THE DAYS OF YORE
BERNIE PEARL tells us that “WOLFGANG'S VAULT” offers rare concert recordings, and he sent us a link to a show at the Ash Grove in 1970(?) featuring the great FREDDIE KING on what Bernie believes was his first trip to the West Coast, and before his LEON RUSSELL / Shelter recordings. Bernie adds, “My band is doing the backing, with yours truly on guitar. Freddie was at his most awesome in those days. Enjoy.” It’s at http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/dt/freddie-king-concert/20052781-2456.html.
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11) “ROOTS ON THE RAILS” MUSIC TRAINS EXPAND
You may be familiar with the annual “Folk Music Train” and “Cowboy Music Train.” This year, there’s more - and several trains. With a lineup of musicians including TOM RUSSELL, IAN TYSON, FRED EAGLESMITH, ELIZA GILKYSON, THE FLATLANDERS (JOE ELY, BUTCH HANCOCK & JIMMIE DALE GILMORE), and others, and one train with workshops and open mics, they’re billing these as “North America's Moving Music Festival.” For those can afford any of these rides, it looks like a fine escape from one-suitcase-or-pay-a-lot cattle car airlines, obscene gasoline prices, and an increasingly annoying political campaign rife with silliness. Promoters are correct when they assert, “There's something about music and trains that just goes together. The relentless rhythm of steel wheel against steel rail; the sense of leaving it all behind; the unfolding panorama of the North American landscape.”
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Amtrak knew it, and before Reagan tried to murder the American passenger train, then settled for destroying Amtrak’s budget, trains like the “Coast Starlight” featured live music, with piano bars and guitar-playing troubadours (including L.A.-based musician Garret Swayne) performing on-board. Luxury “cruise trains,” like those operated by the “American Orient Express,” still feature music, but that’s usually somebody covering Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
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“Roots on the Rails” trains are geared for folkies. Operating in Canada and using rolling stock from the superbly maintained Via Rail Canada pool of equipment, they run “From great cities to the lights of small towns, the majesty of the Rockies to the wide-open plains.” Their journeys are designed as “incredible music adventures on great trains with great music and great people,” and one is even geared for watching polar bears. See our calendar listings for Sep 26, Oct 27, Nov 2, & Nov 10 for info, or go to www.rootsontherails.com.
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
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+ many additional events
.
+ news of where to find the "TIED TO THE TRACKS" radio show in syndication in your area
.
+ upcoming guests on "Tied to the Tracks" and other radio shows
.
+ the latest NEWS ITEMS from the acoustic music universe!
.
.
WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
.
.
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