NEWS FEATURES, August 22 edition, Acoustic Americana Music News, 2008

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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for Aug 22, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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WELCOME to the ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC NEWS, our weekly news feature companion to the ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC CALENDAR. Here, you’ll find news for artists and music fans alike, ranging from the immediately useful to the merely informative, from gig opportunities and festival deadlines to early bird discounts, from venue openings and closings to career tips, and hot tips for acoustic music fans.
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The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with frequently updated posts of upcoming events well into 2009, is available at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com and various other places around the web. We post links for current editions on our Myspace page, but new editions of the calendar are no longer there. 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 far too many 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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LATEST NEWS FEATURES always post separate from the calendar. Recent editions are available on Blogspot at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com; older archived editions are available on the myspace page (www.myspace.com/laacoustic), by using the “View All” button and scrolling, and if you don’t see what you want, then journey farther back by using the “older entries” button and scrolling, as many times as necessary. You can go all the way back to when acoustic music was made by trees crashing to the floor of the primeval forests when the dinosaurs got too rambunctious.
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MOST RECENT previous News Features posted AUGUST 16, 2008 at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2008/08/news-features-august-16-edition.html
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COMMUNICATE WITH US about anything related to the Acoustic Music Calendar & News, or “Tied to the Tracks,” at tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com.
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NEWS FEATURES:
August 22, 2008
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1) NEW FILM ON HURRICANE KATRINA DEBACLE & COURAGE, OPENS AUG 22
Sometimes our news extends beyond the wide world of acoustic music. Some of you know that your editor was among the volunteers who went to New Orleans, Southern Louisiana, and Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to volunteer with the grass roots relief effort that received nationwide support. So, we pay attention to the disgraceful lack of governmental assistance that continues to deny citizens there of the kind of assistance that Californians received after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.
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Now, BARBARA COLLIN of Collin Artists (www.collinartists.com) tells us, “On August 10th, I was invited to a special screening of the film, ‘TROUBLE THE WATER,’ at the Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills. I was proud to have been among the first in Los Angeles to see this special and important film. I was privileged to speak with the filmmakers, CARL DEAL & TIA LESSEN and meet the heroes of the film, KIMBERLY RIVERS ROBERTS & SCOTT ROBERTS, along with the great actor and executive producer, DANNY GLOVER, who was lending his voice and profile to support this film and its amazing story. The film was followed with a panel discussion including DANNY GLOVER, CARL DEAL, TIA LESSEN, and KIM & SCOTT ROBERTS, moderated by TORRENCE BRANNON REESE (of FAMLI and Renaissance). ‘Trouble the Water’ is an extraordinary story about courage; powerful, moving, disturbing, yet inspirational, and a must-see documentary about Hurricane Katrina and its impact. It is not only about the tragedy of Katrina, but the underlying issues that remained (and still remain) when the floodwaters receded.”
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Barbara continues, “The filmmakers fought to make this film, and were told people would not go to theaters to see it. We want to prove them wrong! I urge you all to support ‘Trouble the Water’ by attending opening night on August 22nd at Laemmle's Sunset 5. If you can't come to opening night, be sure to check it out during its run in Los Angeles, or if you are not in Los Angeles, when it comes to your city or state.”
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She offers the following description, which she says, “sums it up best...”

"Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, this astonishingly powerful documentary takes you inside Hurricane Katrina in a way never before seen on screen. Incorporating remarkable home video footage shot by Kimberly Rivers Roberts - an aspiring rap artist trapped with her husband in the 9th Ward – ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ and ‘Bowling for Columbine’ producers Tia Lessen and Carl Deal weave this insider's view of Katrina with a devastating portrait of the hurricane's aftermath. ‘Trouble the Water’ is a redemptive tale of self-described street hustlers who become heroes - two unforgettable people who survive the storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning."
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“When the hurricane struck the Gulf and the floodwaters rose and tore through New Orleans, it did not turn the region into a Third World country… it revealed one.” – from DANNY GLOVER’s narration.
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See a list of theatres screening the film at www.troublethewaterfilm.com, and you can watch the trailer at www.troublethewaterfilm.com.
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2) SONGS ABOUT LOVE SOUGHT FOR “HIGH PROFILE” WEB RADIO STATION
From time to time, we get requests from AirPlay Direct to help them get artists’ original music into the hands of radio people who want their songs. We play no role other than to make you aware of these things. This time, AirPlay Direct is assisting a radio Program Director searching for songs about love. They’re ”Looking for songs about love gone good, or love gone bad. Romantic, heart-broken, joyous or sad, they want varied points of view on the subject of love. Looking for all genres of music; country, rock, jazz, blues, R&B, Americana, folk, pop, reggae, metal, indie rock, dance, electronica, etc. If you have music that fits this call, please submit your AirPlay Direct DPK / Digital Press Kit to office@airplaydirect.com ASAP. Please make sure to indicate that you are submitting for the radio show on ‘All Things Love.’”
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AirPlay Direct will require you to establish your free EPK on their site. (Like SonicBids, but free to you.) More info on that, and AirPlay Direct, at www.AirPlayDirect.com.
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3) TUNEFULLY NOTABLE: TRIBUTE SONG THAT BENEFITS A CHARITY
BRAD COLERICK is a guy who has been there, done that. Brad’s songs were recorded by the late JOHNNY CASH, he performs around the country with SUZY BOGGUSS, he’s had a successful decade of writing music for TV commercials, and you already knew those things if you caught one of his live performance-interviews on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” or one of his other live radio gigs somewhere in America. He’s got great stuff. Brad is a guy whose name you expect to hear in stratospheric circles. But the latest message from him reads, “Please visit my website and order a CD single of ‘There.’ It’s a song I wrote for Michael & Cora Betts – a couple of great kids who died in a tragic car accident on I-80 near Kearney, Nebraska in January. Proceeds will go to the MICHAEL & CORA BETTS LEGACY FOUNDATION. You can preview the song on my myspace page, www.myspace.com/bradcolerick.”
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Most of us support causes and charities, and play for, or contribute to, benefit shows. Brad’s fine song isn’t some morose paen, and it can serve as a reminder that we don’t need causes with banner headlines to lend our art to helping others. If you’re in the L.A. area, Brad does have a few shows amidst his nationwide gigs: Sun, Aug 24 Brad plays the Beckett House Concert series in Altadena; reservation gets directions from Sharon Beckett at 626-791-7954 x11; Sep 15, he plays Arnie’s Café in Tujunga, with schedule & lineup tba; Oct 21, Brad performs w/ KENNY EDWARDS & GYPSY SOUL, in South Pasadena, with all specifics tba; Nov 30, he’s at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena at 8 pm. You can also catch him at the FAR-West Folk Alliance Conference in Mesa, AZ, Oct 24-26. Meanwhile, while you’re at his myspace page, listen to “Juarez” and “Paper in Heaven,” both of which he debuted live on TttT, both exceptionally fine songs. (We still wonder why he’s not one of the biggest names in music.)
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4) USA TODAY SPOTLIGHTS "BRILLIANT" NEW CD FROM AMERICANA ARTIST
He’s been heard on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” and on many other radio shows, and now DARRELL SCOTT (www.darrellscott.com has a new album “Modern Hymns.” Released Aug 19 on Appleseed Recordings, it’s hailed in “USA Today” as "Brilliant" in last week’s “Playlist” column. The nationally-distributed newspaper raves about Scott’s take on JONI MITCHELL’s “Urge For Going,” and more. Find the USA Today story at www.kingeasy.net/records/images/usatoday.jpg.
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For those too busy to go read all of it, here’s a highlight of what they had to say: “Brilliant songwriter salutes his idols on his forthcoming ‘Modern Hymns’ album, here revamping an exquisite Joni Mitchell song in energetic bluegrass fashion.”
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The album is Scott’s tribute to his own Mt. Rushmore of songwriting, reworking songs from JONI MITCHELL, PAUL SIMON, LEONARD COHEN, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, and more. You can check-out “Urge For Going,” as well as “Modern Hymns” tracks “American Tune” and “Joan Of Arc” at: www.myspace.com/darrellscottmusic.
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Scott gets help on the disc from some of Nashville’s Americana heavy hitters, including DEL MCCOURY, ALISON KRAUSS, MARY GAUTHIER, SAM BUSH, TIM O’BRIEN, DAVID GRIER, THE FISK JUBILEE SINGERS, and STUART DUNCAN. The record has already debuted at Number 21 on the Americana Radio Chart.
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Darrell’s on a roll, as is listener hunger for something more substantial than Nashville’s trite, soundalike “pop-country” (or as we characterize the usual Nashville stuff, Red State trailer park rock.) Congrats to Darrell for collecting and performing substantial songs with substantial lyrics, and all-star artists to record them with him. Current and upcoming press & radio on “Modern Hymns” includes “Billboard,” Aug 16; “Vintage Guitar” Magazine, “Pro Sound News,” “Boston Globe,” “Tennessean,” “Country Weekly,” “E-Town,” “Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour,” Sirius, XM, WFUV, and Americana & folk radio activity.
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5) CELTIC MUSICIAN FIGHTS “WAR ON ART”
Monty Python was famous for the phrase, “And now for something completely different.” Whereupon, you might get a trashing of Proust or mechanical puppets devouring well, anything. That serves as a bit of context here. Multitalented artist ADRIEN RAIN BURKE is the faux field general of the “War on Art,” and she is also our chief source of info in the fight to save Tara, the historic hill in Ireland, from being chopped and buried by a highway interchange. She’s well known from music circles at the CELTIC ARTS CENTER, where she has designed CD covers and much more.
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Now, we’re almost ready for “part one” of the story sent to us by Adrien. Perhaps you caught it when KEITH OLBERMANN talked about it on his MSNBC show. Either way, we’ll just let you read it yourself. Adrien tells us, “If you haven't visited the ‘WAR ON ART’ lately, you might want to drop in and check out the latest ‘TRUE ATROCITY IN ART:’ a giant, inflatable dog turd (described as 'big as a house'), the tasteless creation of artist PAUL McCARTHY, which escaped its tether in a Swiss Sculpture garden and crashed into a children's home.”
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Adrien isn’t done yet, and “part two” isn’t for the squeamish. She writes, “Also, I have added the name of Richard Dadd to my ‘victims of art’ page, although it was HIS dad who was actually the victim in this case - victim of a mad, art-crazed son who, not content with poisoning the minds of children with his 'fairy art,' dismembered his father (he actually had planned a series of such performance art events, but was stopped by the police, who came to advise him of the sad loss of his parent), and was remanded to an asylum where he was provided with art materials and free beer for the rest of his life!”
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Adrien is actually going for the trifecta. Time for “part three.” She continues, “And don't miss the page on ‘TERRORISM - THE ART CONNECTION.’ The page on ‘Discouraging Art Among Children’ now has some neat suggestions for things kids can do instead, including the patriotic ‘Torture Me Elmo doll.’ Help stamp out Art - we can all live without it!” Immerse yourself in Adrien’s satiric observations at www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Trailer/8989
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6) MICKEY MOUSE, CRUELLA DE VILLE, HANDCUFFED IN PROTEST
Members of the arts community were among 28 arrested in what the Orange County Register newspaper called “a protest in force” against Disney hotels across the street from Disneyland in Anaheim. Disney hotel service workers, with their families in tow, and “an armada of labor union” leaders and members shut down a busy intersection in front of Disneyland Park during rush hour on Thursday, August 14. They were protesting for higher wages and better medical benefits for employees at Disney’s hotels. Arrested protesters included some who were convincingly dressed as Disney characters, including MICKEY & MINNIE MOUSE, PRINCESS SNOW WHITE, ALADDIN, and Disney villain CRUELLA DeVILLE. The OC Register fielded two photographers, Joshua Sudock and Drew A. Kelley, who captured a gallery of 27 images. Look for people you know: http://www.ocregister.com/slideshow/union-police-disney-2125361-disneyland-leaders?pos=10
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7) LAST MEMBER OF HANK WILLIAMS BAND IS GONE, AT AGE 81
DON HELMS, the steel guitar player for HANK WILLIAMS’ DRIFTING COWBOYS band died Monday, August 11 in Nashville. He was 81. Helms was the last remaining member of the original Drifting Cowboys band. He played on the recorded HANK WILLIAMS classics “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” and “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You).” He also played on PATSY CLINE’s “Walkin’ After Midnight,” LEFTY FRIZZELL’s “Long Black Veil,” and STONEWALL JACKSON’s “Waterloo.” Don Helms was a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.
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8) WANT TO “SWEETEN THE APPEAL” FOR A HOUSE CONCERT BOOKING?
We caught DAVE MORRISON’s full-house house concert last weekend, where he was joined by LISA TURNER, DANIEL McFEELEY, D. WHITNEY QUINN, and others. This week, Dave thought to do something most of us don’t: he sent a “thank you” to everyone who attended the show. That much, in itself, might be a good tip for artists. But Dave’s inclusion of some practical self-promotion is really useful. He memorably concludes his thank-you note with this: “If any of you is flirting with the notion of putting on a concert in your home, I want you to know that I come complete with a subtly applied PA system and thirty-five chairs. Really.” Dave, all those folding chairs are part of YOUR gig package? That’s brilliant. More on Dave, and some of his music you can preview on-line, at www.davemorrisonmusic.com and www.myspace.com/davemorrisonmusic. Catch him on YouTube: "Times Like These," at www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-G11Eeg7s and "Almost A Relief" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zZl-nEEEwk&feature=related and "Standing By The Bridge" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li0VDr8cMG0. The album is available on Trough Records, at http://cdbaby.com/cd/davemorrison.
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9) THIS WEEK’S (OTHER) PRIZE FOR CLEVER SELF-PROMOTION GOES TO…
Lovely singer-songwriter / keyboardist composer / vocalist / guitar player MARINA V, for this, in the new edition of her monthly fan newsletter / e-zine: “Someone asked me - why don't you put some new awesome collectible items on your site? I asked myself the same question and decided there is no reason I shouldn't! So..... drumroll please.. here comes the 7x5" hand-written custom-made lyric sheet in a picture-frame mat!! I hope you like!!! Each one is unique and custom-made (by me.) You can even pick your favorite Marina V lyrics and I will create this special collector's item just for you (or leave it to me to choose the lyrics). Autographed on the front and signed to you on the back. Perfect for framing! Go to www.MarinaV.com to buy!! Yay!!! [color photos are in her e-zine…] You can also win a lyric-sheet like this by being one of the most-active members of www.MarinaVKomrades.com Sign up today and we'll let you know the details!! Somebody also asked me - why don't you sell your early demos or B-sides on your site? And I said... I do!!! but for big fans only :) http://www.marinav.com/secret-buy.html.” The only one she missed in all that is this one: www.myspace.com/MarinaV
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10) DESCANSO GARDENS CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS
It’s in La Canada Flintridge, not far from the foot of Angeles Crest Highway, and it’s home to memorable concerts in delightful settings. Our calendar lists the folk-Americana performances on the “Under the Oaks” stage, where the series includes folk-Americana, from cowboy music to blues and other genres, and the PASADENA POPS concerts on the main lawn (like one this season with MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHY), as well as other events at the Gardens that include acoustic music. It’s a rich, active, and diverse place, accredited by the American Association of Museums. Of course, it’s a world-class garden, with many programs in horticulture and well, green things. This is the time of year when they recruit volunteers to assist in all those activities. Volunteering starts with attending a fall orientation session. Whether you are an adult or a teen, Descanso Gardens can use your help with plant care and propagation, family and school programs, festivals, tours, clerical work, and lots more. To learn about the possibilities, attend a fall orientation session on Sep 20, Oct 18 or Nov 15. Reservations are not necessary. Meet at the Visitor’s Center. Adults meet at 9 am and teens at 10 am. For more information, see their website, www.descansogardens.org or call 818-949-7978.
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11) THIS WEEK’S MUSIC VIDEO PICKS
First, we have TWO from the INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS, who played the Culver City Summer Music Festival on Aug 21. One features SAM BUSH joining the boys at the Otis Mountain Festival (www.otismountain.com), in Elizabethtown, NY, taped Aug 18, 2007, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=puAclKsCbes&feature=related .
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The other is the INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS at the 2007 Telluride Bluegrass Festival (www.bluegrass.com), and it’s distinguished by its focus on a dancer who would appear quite ordinary doing anything else, but with those nimble feet, he must be half-filled with helium. It’s at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pdTc2KjeR4&feature=related.
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Second, this is a must-see. It’s WILLIE NELSON‘s recording of “MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS,” set to an astonishing gallery of visual images of Hollywood cowboys all the way back to silent films, plus some western art, many rare movie posters, and stunning photos of western landscapes. Whether your touchstone is TOM MIX, GENE AUTRY, CLINT EASTWOOD, “HIGH NOON” or “BONANZA,” you’ll love seeing these images, and the sense of anticipation with each one, as Willie’s song flows in a perfect match, at www.greatdanepro.com/Western%20Stars/index.htm. Enjoy!
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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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