NEWS: Acoustic Americana Music News, April 15 edition, 2009

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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES edition for April 15, 2009
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copyright (c) © 2009, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Read it as individual stories between all the things you need to do, or settle-in by the light of the computer and sit a spell, or print it and take it for good reading on the light rail or at the beach. It’s a big edition with lots of fresh news for artists and acoustic music fans alike!
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WELCOME to the ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC NEWS, our news feature companion to the ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE (the enormous annotated calendar). HERE, you’ll find news 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 Guide with frequently updated posts of upcoming events, is available at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com and various other places around the web. We no longer publish the Guide or the News on our Myspace page, because Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts; it’s far too time-consuming and ponderous to post things there in a series of 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.
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LATEST NEWS FEATURES always post separate from the Acoustic Americana Music Guide; see the Guide for an annotated calendar of all the current and upcoming acoustic music performances, workshops, seminars, and more, in the Los Angeles region, and festivals everywhere.
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COMMUNICATE WITH US about anything related to the Acoustic Music Guide & News, or “Tied to the Tracks,” at tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com.
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PLEASE DON’T SEND US ANYTHING THROUGH MYSPACE EMAIL. It’s esoteric, can’t be auto-forwarded into a “real” email account, and we just can’t keep up with it. So, communicate through the above address.
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ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC NEWS
APRIL 15, 2009 EDITION
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*** IF YOU’D LIKE TO RECEIVE A NOTICE when we update the Acoustic Americana Music Guide, and when we publish fresh NEWS editions, send your email address to tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com - don’t worry, we won’t sell or distribute your address.
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In this edition:
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1) L.A. ACOUSTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL SET FOR JUNE 6-7 ON SANTA MONICA PIER
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2) THREE BENEFIT CONCERTS SET FOR PETER CASE AFTER HEART SURGERY
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3) PRESTIGIOUS JUDGES FOR GINA’S ANNUAL SONG CONTEST
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4) 2,000 GOOD SONGS FOR $20? REALLY?! WE LOVE IT WHEN…
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5) TOPANGA BANJO FIDDLE CONTEST: SOME ENTRIES STILL OPEN
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6) WESTERN MUSIC & POETRY CDs & BOOKS: CALL FOR AWARDS ELIGIBILITY
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7) ANNUAL “RECORD STORE DAY” IS APRIL 18
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8) SPEAKING OF RECORDS, HOW ABOUT A HUGE BARGAIN ON CDs?
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9) KANSAS CITY CELEBRATES JOHN DENVER
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10) GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT CHANGE, FROM SUSIE GLAZE
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11) EVERYTHING’S AMAZING, NOBODY’S HAPPY
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12) BEATS THE CHUCK WAGON, AND THE CAFETERIA IN “BLAZING SADDLES”
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13) WIN TIX TO TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL IN A BLOGGING CONTEST
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14) CITY FRITTER ASKS FOR HELP FOR A TOPANGA CANYON VENUE
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15) GOLDEN STATE’S BROKE, WE’RE STILL SUCKERS FOR CALIFORNIA SONGS
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16) DISCOUNT TO 8th ANNUAL SAMSØ SONGWRITERS RETREAT, SEP 27-OCT 4
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17) AMY KUNEY WINS “OURSTAGE” GRAND PRIZE OF $5,000
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18) OLD-TIME MUSIC GETS NEW EVENT SITE & RECORD LABEL
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19) LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN, 1918
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20) FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLK AND TRADITIONAL ARTISTS - 2010
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21) MUSIC IN THE SUBWAY: PULITZER-PRIZE WINNING STORY
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22) “RADIO CRYSTAL BLUE” AIRPLAY VOTE 2009 ON, ’TIL APRIL 22
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23) “GETTING YOUR STUFF TOGETHER - CAREER BOOTCAMP FOR ARTISTS”
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24) MARINA V DOES TV DOUBLE-HEADER
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25) PHOTOGRAPHERS: TWO EVENTS OF INTEREST
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26) COWBOY MUSIC ON “THE RACHEL MADOW SHOW”- ?
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27) WESTERN MUSICA OBSCURA: BOB WILLS & THE TEXAS PLAYBOYS
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28) AMP – ARTISTS MEETING PLACE – INFO AND A GREAT ESSAY
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29) INSTRUMENT PLAYERS RESOURCE
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30) CALIFORNIA BLUEGRASS RESOURCES
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31) BRETT PERKINS MAKES NEWS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC
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32) KELLY’S LOT, HEP C AWARENESS CHAMPIONS, GO TO THE DOG
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33) NOTEWORTHY MUSICAL QUOTES. . .
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34) CLEVER-PROMO-OF-THE-MONTH AWARD
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This edition’s FEATURE STORY
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1) L.A. ACOUSTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL SET FOR JUNE 6-7 ON SANTA MONICA PIER
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NANCI GRIFFITH, BRUCE COCKBURN, NATALIE MacMASTER, RICHARD THOMPSON, DAVID LINDLEY, DAVID BROMBERG & THE ANGEL BAND, JIMMY LaFAVE, ELIZA GILKYSON, SLAID CLEAVES, JOEL RAFAEL, SARAH LEE GUTHRIE & JOHNNY IRION, THE WOODY GUTHRIE TRIBUTE (RIBBON OF HIGHWAY, ENDLESS SKYWAY), THE REFUGEES, & STONEHONEY are all booked for the 1st annual L.A. Acoustic Music Festival. It is more than remarkable that a new festival will feature so many top folk-Americana artists. A number of them have performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” – over a period of time. To have them all together immediately elevates the new festival to the big leagues of the nation’s top acoustic music festivals.
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The two-day celebration of acoustic music takes place during the on the historic Santa Monica Pier’s 100th Anniversary year. The event benefits the California Acoustic Music Project (CAMP). Tix & info are available at www.laacousticmusicfestival.com or at 818-621-8309.
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Saturday, June 6, opens with THE REFUGEES, the all-female “power band” of WENDY WALDMAN (“Save the Best for Last,” “Fishin’ in the Dark”), DEBORAH HOLLAND (Animal Logic, with Stewart Copeland), and CINDY BULLENS, followed by JOEL RAFAEL, ELIZA GILKYSON, and the extraordinary JIMMY LaFAVE, named “Best Singer-Songwriter” by Austin Music Awards, playing what he calls “red dirt music.” (All but Rafael have performed live on “TttT.”)
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After a dinner break, RICHARD THOMPSON, the iconic British folk rock legend and one of the world’s most critically acclaimed singers, songwriters and guitarists, will take the stage, followed by NATALIE MacMASTER, the virtuoso Cape Breton fiddler. Bringing it home as the final act of the evening is BRUCE COCKBURN, rocking the festival stage with his own brand of acoustic folk-jazz-based music that has expanded to include reggae and a harder jazz-fusion-tinged rock.
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Sunday, June 7 begins with SARAH LEE GUTHRIE (granddaughter of Woody Guthrie) and JOHNNY IRION; Austin singer-songwriter SLAID CLEAVES; and STONEHONEY, with its neo-California country-rock sound. In the afternoon, the deeply inspiring “WOODY GUTHRIE TRIBUTE” (by the band RIBBON OF HIGHWAY, ENDLESS SKYWAY) pays homage to America’s greatest troubadour.
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Sunday evening continues the massive talent lineup with DAVID BROMBERG & THE ANGEL BAND, followed by DAVID LINDLEY, one of Southern California’s prototype singer-songwriters and a guitar legend since his work in Jackson Browne’s recorded legacy. The festival concludes with consummate folk headliner NANCI GRIFFITH performing her acclaimed brand of what Rolling Stone has described as “folkabilly” music.
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The California Acoustic Music Project (www.californiaacousticmusicproject.org) CAMP, to which proceeds from the event will be contributed, is a 501c(3) organization that provides artists-in-residence to schools on a salaried, ongoing basis through the curriculum of the Americana Project in order to ensure that every student gets the experience of music instruction every day. Instruments, primarily guitars, mandolins and banjos, are provided, and songwriting, instrumentation and performance are taught. Each semester culminates in both a CD project and a concert performance.
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Festival promoter RENEE BODIE says, “My heart has always been to get the music out there, in whatever way it can. Los Angeles isn't broken, but it has become very disconnected. This is about our community, and being able to buck the odds and have a celebration of acoustic music in a time when our hearts need it the most.”
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The L.A. Acoustic Music Festival debuts in a year in which the venerable “Claremont Folk Festival” is on a one-year hiatus, making the event even more indispensable for fans of folk and Americana music.
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The Santa Monica Pier is the ideal spot for a music festival, alive with a variety of entertainment, dining and shopping experiences, including the thrill rides of Pacific Park, a historic 1922 Carousel and an interactive aquarium. With its inspired line-up and location featuring a laid-back beach atmosphere, cool ocean breezes and gorgeous sunsets, the L.A. Acoustic Music Festival is among the best summer offerings of 2009.
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Ticketed sections have chair seating, reserved by section but not individual chair. Premiere seating is the front of the house. General admission is behind premiere seating. “Premiere” two-day tix for the event are $130 adult, $100 child. One-day “Premiere” tix (either day) are $75 adult, $45 child. Two-day general admission is $110 adult, $80 child. One-day general admission (either day) is $65 adult, $45 child.
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2) THREE BENEFIT CONCERTS SET FOR PETER CASE AFTER HEART SURGERY
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The “HIDDEN LOVE BENEFIT WEEKEND AT MCCABE'S” is set to bring three amazing shows:
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May 1: LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III & FRIENDS
May 2: DAVE ALVIN & FRIENDS including BILL MORRISSEY, STAN RIDGWAY and others TBA
May 3: T-BONE BURNETT & FRIENDS featuring “some very special surprise guests”
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Tix are $50 for each night. Fri, May 1 & Sat, May 2, shows start at 8 pm. Sun, May 3, the show starts at 7 pm. Purchase tix at www.mccabes.com/condata.html
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Last edition, we told you that on January 15, 2009, three-time Grammy-nominated PLIMSOULS singer-songwriter-guitarist PETER CASE underwent emergency open-heart surgery. The surgery was successful and he is now embarked on a long program of recovery. Peter is not ill and is expected to make a full recovery. But the medical bills associated with this necessary surgery and recovery are, and will continue to be, very high. And, like all too many talented working artists, Peter does not have medical insurance. He’s performed live twice on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and delighted many with his myriad of music projects. Now, it’s time for us to help him.
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Under the auspices of the “HIDDEN LOVE MEDICAL RELIEF,” established by Peter’s friends, fans and fellow artists to help alleviate the burden of his mounting medical bills, the “Hidden Love Benefit Concerts” will directly apply to Peter’s medical expenses all money raised.
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Along with buying tix for one or more of these stellar concerts, you can make donations to Peter’s medical relief fund, and/or purchase an excellent 3-CD album.
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For information about the Hidden Love Medical Relief Fund or to make donations (not ticket purchases), go to www.hiddenlovemedicalrelief.com
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All donations of $35 and higher will receive the Peter Case tribute CD, “A Case for Case,” the 3-disc, 47-song collection of some of music's most talented artists performing Peter Case's songs (heard on “TttT”). Copies of the 3-CD set are graciously being donated by “Hungry for Music,” a non-profit organization dedicated to providing instruments and musical instruction to children. Donations and concert tix purchases are separate transactions; you won’t get confused, because they are separate links on the website. Either way, you’re helping a fine musician in a time of need that is all-too-understandable to a great many of us with no medical insurance.
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3) PRESTIGIOUS JUDGES FOR GINA’S ANNUAL SONG CONTEST
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“GINA FOR MISSING PERSONS,” a 501(c)3 nonprofit, has announced a prestigious panel of judges for its 7th annual Singer-Songwriter Contest. The top ten finalist singer-songwriters in GINA’s contest will perform live in the finals in an international webcast before a prestigious panel of industry judges in Canoga Park, California. This year, those judges are:
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PAUL WILLIAMS, singer-songwriter, actor, writer, humanitarian, an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe winning Hall of Fame songwriter;
RITCH ESRA, co-publisher of “Music Business Registry,” which includes “The A&R Registry,” “The Publisher Registry,” “The Music Business Attorney Registry,” “The Record Producer Directory” and “The Film and Television Music Guide.”
COL. DARRYL HARRELSON, Artist Development/Album Production, Major Label Entertainment / MLE Studios, past president of California Country Music Association, former VP, North American Country Music Associations, Intl.;
STEVEN McCLINTOCK, singer-songwriter, publisher, producer/manager, studio/label owner, 4-time Platinum RIAA award, 3-time Platinum RIAA award and received 2 BMI Millionaire Awards;
MANDI MARTIN, producer, songwriter, music consultant, artist, former Columbia, RCA and Epic recording artist, 10 years on NARAS (The Recording Academy) Board of Governors, past-president of Organization of Women In Music (OWIM);
PAMELA OLAND, author of two standard songwriting books, “The Art of Writing Great Lyrics” and “The Art of Writing Love Songs,” she wrote lyrics for Anne Murray, Earth Wind & Fire, Jackson 5, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Englebert Humperdinck, Peabo Bryson, The Commodores, Reba McIntyre, Atlantic Starr and more;
MICHAEL ROSS, recording engineer and producer, Christina Aguilera's hit single on RCA, "Come on Over, Baby," #1 Billboard "Hot 100 Singles Sales" - Oct 2000, 3 songs for Samantha Mumba's A&M release "Baby Come Over, this is Our Night," "Don't Need You To Tell Me I'm Pretty," and "The Boy," #1 Hit "Lady Marmalade," on Interscope for Moulin Rouge featuring Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink, Lil Kim and Missy Elliott, 2 tracks for MGM’s "Legally Blonde", Vanessa Carlton’s debut album on A&M which got 3 Grammy nominations and more.
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The "7th Annual GINA Singer-Songwriter Contest" encourages songwriters to submit their best song/s to win top prizes and awards, including studio recording time, musical instruments and more. Submission fee for a song is $20 ($15 for each additional entry). A final postmark of May 5, 2009 is required. Entries can be mailed to "Gina for Missing Persons", POB 627, Anaheim, CA, 92815) or received online at pitchasong@gmail.com. Entries must be received by May 10, 2009. Entry forms, list of prizes and Paypal payments are available at www.411GINA.org.
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GINA’s founder, JANNEL RAP, will host the event, where judging is performed and prizes awarded, on Sun, May 17, from 8-10 pm at The Guitar Merchant, 7503 Topanga Canyon Bl, Canoga Park 91303. At least one missing person featured on each of GINA’s recent compilation CD projects has been found. Jannel says, “[with] The power of music with the support of musicians and performers worldwide, the GINA for Missing Persons FOUNDation gets results: in over 250 International events last year on The Squeaky Wheel Tour™, and to date, over 350 missing people profiled by GINA have been found!”
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May is Missing Children’s Month. Each year, that brings the special efforts of the GINA Foundation to finding as many as possible of the tens of thousands of missing friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and children. There are over 110,000 missing Americans alone.
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Finalists are responsible for their own travel arrangements. Details and downloadable forms are available at www.411GINA.org or http://411gina.org/ginasongcontest.htm. For more info, contact Jannel at clemstreet@aol.com or Toni at pitchasong@gmail.com. GINA for Missing Persons is a 501c3 nonprofit; 877-411-GINA, www.411gina.org. Organizational & promotional support provided by a coalition of many local community music organizations (COSMO Coalition,) www.cosmocoalition.org, (Steve Scott, Pres. & Judy Lamppu, VP, and TK Promo, www.myspace.com/tonik. GINA thanks Phil and his staff at Guitar Merchant (www.guitarmerchant.com) for hosting this year's contest, and thanks Divine Grind (divinegrindcoffeeco@gmail.com) for making snacks and beverages available for the finals event.
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4) 2,000 GOOD SONGS FOR $20? REALLY?! WE LOVE IT WHEN…
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…artists we have raved about for a long time get discovered by others, AND those artists get opportunities to be included with known names, AND to support themselves with their music, AND people get an opportunity to legally own a lot of really good music at a deeply discounted price. (“And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”)
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To wit, LIBBIE SCHRADER and KELDA NELSON (aka KELDA) sent us similar messages within the last few days. Libbie wrote, “I wanted to let you know about an amazing music community that I am a part of, called IndiEclectic. They have something called the ‘Backstage Pass’ on their website, where you can get 2,000 songs from 200 different artists, all for just $20! These artists are pretty fancy... not only does the list include yours truly, it includes ALANIS MORRISSETTE, LISA LOEB, ROBBIE ROBERTSON, JONATHA BROOKE, and a bunch of other incredible songwriters that you haven't heard of yet. (Hopefully the above list will give you some idea of the quality of the artists on the site.) This is a revolutionary new way to purchase music legally. If this sounds interesting to you, go to www.IndiEclectic.com, buy a Backstage Pass, and start discovering (and owning) new music. When you get there, don’t forget to select me from the drop-down menu where it asks, ‘Who are you here to download?’
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KELDA adds, “The model is artists recommending other artists ... so you can find out who Alanis, or Kelda, suggests you listen to. And the great part is, we, the artists, receive half of the money! A quick click gets you started, so go to www.IndiEclectic.com, buy a Backstage Pass, and start discovering (and owning) new music.”
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LIBBIE SCHRADER will be in L.A. for one show at Hotel Café on April 26 at 8:30 pm. Factoid: she won the inaugural “Pantene Pro-Voice Competition” held in New York City's Central Park in July, 2001. More at www.myspace.com/libbieschrader. Meanwhile, KELDA is currently performing a 3-month tour in Southeast Asia. More on Kelda and her music at www.kelda.net and www.myspace.com/kelda
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“Strange how potent cheap music is.” - Noel Coward.
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5) TOPANGA BANJO FIDDLE CONTEST: SOME ENTRIES STILL OPEN
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The 49th Annual “TOPANGA BANJO-FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FESTIVAL” at the Paramount Ranch, in Agoura Hills, Santa Monica Mountains National Park, is Sun, May 17, 2009. It’s a great day of professionals doing scheduled shows and stunning performances by contestants.
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As for the contests, “TRADITIONAL SINGING” and all BEGINNING Instrument contestant registrations are still accepted until April 22, 2009. And there’s more. While most contestant registration is closed, this year there are some late opportunities in the advanced categories. There are “A very few slots open” in “ADVANCED Traditional Banjo,” “ADVANCED Bluegrass Banjo,” and “ADVANCED Fiddle.”
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New this year, you can save by purchasing general admission tickets with your Contestant Registration, at the Blue Ridge Pickin’ Parlor or through the festival website at www.topangabanjofiddle.org/purchase_tix.html
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You can see “all the wonderful things that will be happening on May 17th and then mosey on over to download the Contestant Entry Form,” says registrar Joy Felt. She adds, “Fill it out and MAIL registration ONLY via U.S. Mail.”
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You can become a VOLUNTEER and get free admission. Contestant registration and volunteering are coordinated to avoid conflicts, so Joy Felt is the one for all of that: Joy Felt, Board of Directors, Contestant Registrar, registrar@topangabanjofiddle.org
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If you go, be sure to drop by the Railroad Stage, and say hello to your editor. He’s emcee there, all day.
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More at www.topangabanjofiddle.org and the hotline is 818-382-4819.
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6) WESTERN MUSIC & POETRY CDs & BOOKS: CALL FOR AWARDS ELIGIBILITY
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There is no Grammy for Western Music, so there are two other very prestigious things that take its place. One is the annual Western Music Association Awards (WMA), the other is the Academy of Western Artists Awards (AWA). WMA (www.westernmusic.com) is now preparing nomination ballots for the Western Music Association Awards. Eligible CDs and cowboy poetry books must have been published and released between Jan 1, 2007 and Dec 31, 2008. Yep, that's two full years of release time that qualifies your western music and cowboy poetry CDs in many categories (album, single, best female or male performer, songwriter, band or group, best collaboration between a poet and a songwriter, etc.) and your cowboy poetry book. Award-winning singer-songwriter PATTY CLAYTON asks, “So who of you all out there is eligible? Please reply … and please include the name of your CD and the date it was released. Your input is greatly appreciated!” Send the info to pattyclayton@msn.com
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And, if you’re wondering who gets involved to help other artists win awards and recognitions for all they invest to make recordings? Here’s a bit about performing songwriter Patty Clayton:
2007 AWA Western Female Vocalist of the Year
2004 WMA Female Performer of the Year
More at www.pattyclayton.com and www.myspace.com/pattyclayton
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7) ANNUAL “RECORD STORE DAY” IS APRIL 18
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With the bulk of music distribution being done through online outlets, and the corporate mega-giant retail chains cutting deals that benefit them and rob from artists, the corner record store isn’t simply on the endangered species list anymore. Finding a good brick-and-mortar record shop is cause for joyful celebration, and a drop-what-you-thought-you-were-doing-today “eureka!” moment of discovery. The knowledgeable vinylophiles who run the places are themselves treasures, and if you have not benefited from their recommendations (after they get to know your interests) then you are missing-out on fine artists, past and present, on vinyl and CD and DVD, that you probably would never find on your own. Thus, we are humbly proud to recommend and promote the nationwide “Record Store Day” (www.recordstoreday.com) on April 18, 2009. And if you don’t know places like Amoeba in Hollywood, Freakbeat in Sherman Oaks, Atomic Records in Burbank, Pasadena’s string of pearls along Colorado Boulevard – Poo-Bah, Canterbury, and Penny Lane, Rhino in Claremont (where FRANK FAIRFIELD plays in-store at 11 am today), Rockaway in Silverlake, Origami Vinyl (just opened in Echo Park), Fingerprints Music in Long Beach, Down Home Music in El Cerrito, Salzers and Buffalo, both in Ventura, then plan an expedition, and help keep these cultural oases alive. There are many, many more record stores listed, by state, on the Record Store Day website . .
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8) SPEAKING OF RECORDS, HOW ABOUT A HUGE BARGAIN ON CDs?
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We are not paid to promote any labels, indie or otherwise. But when a great roots-Americana label has a “Spring CD Sale” and the prices are this good, we think you’ll want to know about it. Tricopolis Records (www.tricopolisrecords.com) tells us, “We have hundreds of CDs on sale from $5 to $10 by artists like DEL MCCOURY, CHRIS JONES, DAVID GRISMAN, CHRIS THIELE, CARL STORY, JAY UNGAR, CHARLIE SIZEMORE, FLATT & SCRUGGS, DAVID GRIER, RALPH STANLEY, JIM & JESSE, CHERRYHOLMES, MIKE AULDRIDGE, DOYLE LAWSON, LONESOME RIVER BAND and many, many more. Supplies are limited on these items at these prices and they sell quickly. All items are in stock at this time. This offer is only good while the supplies last and we cannot guarantee items will be in stock when you order.”
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Check on what’s there and what you’ve just gotta have at these prices:
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$5 CDs: www.tricopolisrecords.com/OnSaleCDs.asp?Price=5.00
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$6 CDs: www.tricopolisrecords.com/OnSaleCDs.asp?Price=6.00
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$7.50 CDs: www.tricopolisrecords.com/OnSaleCDs.asp?Price=7.50
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$10 CDs: www.tricopolisrecords.com/OnSaleCDs.asp?Price=10.00
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9) KANSAS CITY CELEBRATES JOHN DENVER
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It came very near to being impossible to do. LEE HOLDRIDGE, who worked and toured for years as JOHN DENVER’s orchestra leader, reconstructed the parts for symphony from his pencil scores after the record label had thrown-out all the sheet music, following Denver’s death. The promo for the show reads, “This presentation has never been seen in Kansas City,” but it goes far beyond that. It came very near to never being performed again, anywhere. JIM CURRY, whose voice was heard singing Denver’s songs in the CBS-TV movie “Take Me Home: The John Denver Story,” tours and plays cruise ships performing Denver’s music. He told us he was very much at the center of getting Holdridge to reassemble the orchestra parts, paying him to do it. Though he adds, “Lee was excited by the prospects, and probably would have done it, anyway.”
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So, on Friday, April 17, “THE MUSIC OF JOHN DENVER” with JIM CURRY, PETE HUTTLINGER, & the KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY, will be performed at 8 pm at the Church of the Resurrection, 5001 W 137th St, Leawood, Kansas 66224; info & tix, www.kcsymphony.org/ConcertCalendar/event_details.jsp?cid=C2BESAAKANBAAASQA6HSKDSAAS; 913-897-0120. Tix are $65, $55, $42.
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The music of the late John Denver is like an old friend, outlasting trends and standing the test of time. The KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY, performer JIM CURRY, and PETE HUTTLINGER from John Denver’s band, will pay tribute to the life and music of one of the most beloved singer-songwriters ever to grace the stage. And for the first time in years, “the music of the mountains, and the colors of the rainbow” will be heard as they were in Denver’s big concerts, backed by a symphony.
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If we could afford to be “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane,” we’d be there. The concert features “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Take Me Home Country Roads,” “Annie's Song,” and many more, all using those original orchestrations by Lee Holdridge.
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10) GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT CHANGE, FROM SUSIE GLAZE
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She’s won awards and recognitions as a bluegrass and roots-Americana artist captured the “Just Plain Folks” award for Best Roots Album of the Year, and performed live many times on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.” SUSIE GLAZE (www.susieglaze.com) sent the following to her fan list, and we thought you would enjoy it: “Happy spring, folks! ~ every day I wake up and find another small, shining ray of sun that wasn't there the day before. We hope you're faring well during these days of change in our country. As many have already written, the great opportunity in our current economic crisis is that we as individuals and as a country have begun to look inwardly. Though painful and frightening now, this will ultimately be a good test for ourselves and our culture ~ a good test of faith and a new dawning of wisdom and, I hope, caring. As you move down this road, don't underestimate the power of music to heal your heart, comfort you if you're lost, inspire you to greater things. Everyone seems to be gasping for breath right now, with a shock of surprise. Breathe deep. Let yourself breathe and listen for the small, inward voice. And know that we send you love, gentle blessings and hopes for inspiration and new strength. Keep breathing, and keep singing, if only to yourself, quietly. Don't fear ~ know the power of your soul and yourself.”
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11) EVERYTHING’S AMAZING, NOBODY’S HAPPY
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If the preceding item was just too much feel good for the cynical types out there, this one is for you. The economy is in the toilet. The Wall Street fat cats who put it there stole your retirement and now they’re getting their yachts bailed-out. Comedian LOUIS BLACK, on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” offers a perspective on our times. This one is a must-see, today’s equivalent of Will Rogers. Thanks to songwriter Robert Morgan Fisher for sending us the url: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus
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12) BEATS THE CHUCK WAGON, AND THE CAFETERIA IN “BLAZING SADDLES”
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Canadian cowboy (er, cowgirl) poet DORIS DALEY (www.dorisdaley.com) wrote to tell us about a trip south of the northern border to defrost and perform for the “dedicated folks at the San Antonio Library Foundation who invited me to help them at a gala fundraiser in late February. Cowboy poetry (moi) was the entertainment feature and ‘cowboy’ food was on the menu. Your standard western cowboy fare, like prawns wrapped in prosciutto, oysters with mango chutney, poached sea bass, grilled pork tenderloin with rhubarb chutney. By the end of the 15th course, we were ready to roll over and cry ‘Uncle.’ If you live in Texas or are traveling to San Antonio soon, drop by Boudros Bistro on the Riverwalk...an award winning restaurant with a huge heart for civic volunteerism.”
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Yep, them oyster wranglers’ll do that.
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13) WIN TIX TO TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL IN A BLOGGING CONTEST
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If you are up to the task of being a blog-correspondent for “No Depression,” you can win press passes and access to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, including the media tent, camping, and more. This one deserves a fully-voiced “hoo-eee!” We’ve written over the years, here and in FolkWorks (www.folkworks.org) about the wonderful music festival that’s held every June, high in the Rocky Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. But going there for free? How? Here’s the explanation from “No Depression.”
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“The Telluride Bluegrass Festival (www.bluegrass.com/telluride) is a destination festival tucked away in the mountains of Colorado and run by Planet Bluegrass – who also happen to be the folks who bring us Rockygrass and Folks Fest each summer, along with a number of other events. This year Telluride will take place June 18-21. The line-up is pretty stellar, including Americana artists as versatile as David Byrne, Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis, Punch Brothers, Todd Snider, Emmylou Harris, Three Girls & Their Buddy, and a number of others.
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“In honor of Telluride’s 36th year, we’re holding a blogging contest for the entirety of April. At the end of the month, we will select two winners, each of whom will receive a press pass to the entire four-day event, including camping (valued at a total of roughly $285 per person), along with a second general admission ticket so you can bring a guest. Press access to Telluride means you’ll have access to a special press tent with wireless internet access and reserved seating in a press area directly in front of the stage. One of you – the Grand Prize Winner – will have special access to some of this year’s artists and will also get premium camping and a swag bag from the festival and No Depression.
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“Long story short, we’d like to send a couple of bloggers down to Telluride to report from the festival for the ND community site and we’re opening up the field. Here are the rules and details:
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“1. The subject of your blog must pertain to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. This means profiling one of the artists on this year’s line-up (below), musing on the various genres represented on this year’s roster, a story about an experience you’ve had at Telluride or one of Planet Bluegrass’ other festivals in Lyons, Colo., or some other tangential topic of your choosing. If you can tie it back to Telluride, go for it.
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“2. You’re welcome to title your entry in whatever creative way you wish. However, please include the phrase “Telluride Contest” somewhere in there so that we know to consider it. You’re also welcome to enter more than once.
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“3. You must submit your entry as a blog post on the ND community site. Consult our FAQs (http://community.nodepression.com/notes/FAQ) if you’re unfamiliar with how to create a blog post on this site.
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“4. You must be able to attend the festival. This prize includes four days access to the festival and camping. You’ll be responsible for your transportation. If something comes up and you can’t make it, you’ll have to let us know so that we can choose someone else to go in your stead. Since we’re sending you there as a citizen blogger, we need you to actually be there reporting on the events of the week.
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“5. There’s no required minimum or maximum word count, but be realistic. A single paragraph (unless it’s the best paragraph ever) is probably not enough. 10,000 words might be a smidge too long.
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“6. Entries will be narrowed down by yours truly (ND Community Manager Kim Ruehl) and then a winner will be chosen by an elite panel of judges: Grant Alden, Peter Blackstock, and Brian Eyster from Planet Bluegrass.
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“And now for the full line-up:
DAVID BYRNE, CONOR OBERST & THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND, THREE GIRLS & THEIR BUDDY, PETER ROWAN, ZAC BROWN BAND, THE LOVELL SISTERS, JERRY DOUGLAS & TIM O’BRIEN, RAILROAD EARTH, ELVIS COSTELLO & THE SUGARCANES, BELA FLECK & TOUMANI DIABATE, JENNY LEWIS, JOHN COWAN BAND, THE GREENCARDS, CROOKED STILL, BLUE CANYON BOYS, GAELIC STORM, SAM BUSH BAND, KASEY CHAMBERS &SHANE NICHOLSON, TELLURIDE TROUBADOUR, YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND, JERRY DOUGLAS BAND, PUNCH BROTHERS PLAY & SING BLUEGRASS, GREENSKY BLUEGRASS, TELLURIDE HOUSE BAND, EMMYLOU HARRIS, TIM O’BRIEN, TODD SNIDER, THE STEELDRIVERS, WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION, MIKE FARRIS & THE ROSELAND RHYTHM REVUE
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“So, take your time and get to blogging. May the best blogger win!”
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To be eligible, you’ll need to establish a page for yourself or your band on the “No Depression” site. It’s free, at http://community.nodepression.com
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14) CITY FRITTER ASKS FOR HELP FOR A TOPANGA CANYON VENUE
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Jewels & Johnny Nations, who perform nationwide as CITY FRITTER, have played live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and they have a personal interest in a current cause in Topanga Canyon. They tell us, “Most of you already know about Eric and his plan to turn the Roadhouse into a viable business. We live right across the street and we support his plan 100%! Another restaurant, bar, and music venue is only good for the canyon, as far as we can see. Getting him the proper permits and permissions to operate it as a business will only help to regulate the crowds and the tone of the place. It will bring jobs, gigs, and a good energy to the area. He's been responsible and smart so far, let's help him see this through! This online petition will be helpful to show his support in the community. Please sign!! Thanks and peace.”
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“Urgent action needed to help save the Topanga Roadhouse” from Eric Rassmusen’s website (www.myspace.com/topangaroadhouse); Eric, Jewels, and Johnny ask, “please sign our online petition to voice your support for the Roadhouse or it may be crushed by the forces of darkness! This is no joke. Please forward to all the good people of LA County.” The petition is found at www.PetitionOnline.com/TopangaR/petition.html
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Jewels adds, “Please help us keep this great venue open by visiting the URL above ASAP!”
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15) GOLDEN STATE’S BROKE, WE’RE STILL SUCKERS FOR CALIFORNIA SONGS
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SHANNON HURLEY has a brand new song called, "California," and it’s at http://amiestreet.com/music/shannon-hurley/california - scroll to the bottom to play it. As Shannon suggests, “You can purchase the track for half the price of a small cup of black coffee, no sugar, no cream.” She adds, “Stay tuned for a video to accompany the song. Rumor has it that the rough edit is done.” More at www.myspace.com/shannonhurley and www.cdbaby.com/shannonhurley3
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16) DISCOUNT TO 8th ANNUAL SAMSØ SONGWRITERS RETREAT, SEP 27-OCT 4
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A maximum of twenty international songwriters will gather once again at the Brundby Rock Hotel on the beautiful island of Samsø, Denmark, for an intensive week focused on co-writing and development of craft. The annual retreats, led by multiple-award-winning American singer-songwriter BRETT PERKINS, draw participants from around the globe, always sell-out, and always include returning songwriters.
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During the week, writers participate in daily discussion groups, do assigned co-writing, experience morning and evening song sharing circles, and receive private career consultations. Two “Listening Room Concerts” are presented at the hotel at the end of the week. Participation consideration is open to all writers, based on a review of their current works, and limited to 20 students. The participation fee for the 2009 week long event is 7500 Danish kroner which includes a shared room, all meals and workshops, with spots confirmed upon receipt of a non-refundable 20% deposit. (Email Brett to learn what that is in dollars: brettperkins@hotmail.com).
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Brett is offering an early bird discount enrollment if you make a 50% deposit by June 1. Brett says, “If you know you're going to join us, you can save 1000kr. off the total price. Please let me know asap of your plans - whether Early Bird or regular registration - so I can save you a spot - as this one fills up fast!” More, including Brett’s annual songwriter retreats in other nations, and a long list of names of the retreat alumni, at www.myspace.com/listeningroomsongwriterretreats
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17) AMY KUNEY WINS “OURSTAGE” GRAND PRIZE OF $5,000
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She’s performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” had a recurring role as a “new folk” singer on TV’s “Gilmore Girls,” and impressed audiences nationwide. Amy wrote late on April 2 to tell us that she had just won first place, the Grand Prize, in the “Ourstage March Music Finals” on www.OurStage.com. Thanking her fans, she said, “The song that you all voted for was ‘Thank You For Last Night’ (Single Mix) which is now available on iTunes.” Amy has an L.A. residency at Hotel Café, which she last played April 11. Beyond that, she is doing a national tour with KATE VOEGELE, and their L.A. date is Friday, June 5, at 7 pm, at the El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Bl, L.A. 90036.
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18) OLD-TIME MUSIC GETS NEW EVENT SITE & RECORD LABEL
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They’ve performed multiple-times on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and now TRIPLE CHICKEN FOOT has established a new website for news far beyond that of their band and gigs. The new site is www.oldtimeisagoodtime.com. The band’s BEN GUZMAN tells us, “We are using this site to inform folks about jams, dances, and the Los Angeles Old-Time Social, May 14, 15, 16! We are going to be putting-out some CDs on this label, the first two are coming out in April!”
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19) LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN, 1918
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No, we are not trying to invoke a comparison of Randy Newman’s two “LA” songs, “Louisiana 1927” and “I Love L.A.” This is about a magazine feature. Los Angeles has long been known as a city relentless about discarding and erasing its past. A classic line from the old “Lou Grant” TV show answered the question, “Why is everything in California built of stucco? - Because it’s easier to tear-down.”
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So, when any mainstream media focuses on L.A.’s past, it’s cause to take notice. A recent issue of "Downtown LA Life Magazine" had the feature story, “Downtown 1918 - Snapshots of Life.”
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Credited as “A Downtown Museum Association presentation” (there’s a downtown museum?), the magazine’s editor in chief, Don Noyes-More, offered the teaser, “Downtown Los Angeles in 1918 was growing rapidly. The war in Europe was on everyone's mind and followed closely in the newspapers. There were ‘Call Ups’ (The Draft) for men, and the scourge of Spanish Flu was taking many peoples' lives. Flu death tallies were always in the newspapers. Millions of people would die internationally. Downtown… was prospering.” Read it at http://downtownlalife.com
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20) FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLK AND TRADITIONAL ARTISTS - 2010
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The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) has announced new guidelines for (1) the Apprenticeship Program, with $3,000 paid to a master artist to work with a qualified apprentice, and (2) the Living Cultures Grants Program which award up to $7,500 to non profit organizations for exemplary projects in the traditional arts that have impact on their communities, will be available online starting April 15.
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Guidelines and info are at www.actaonline.org. You can get an application mailed to you or ask for info, at 415-346-5200 or lilyk@actaonline.org
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Learn more about these programs and other services provided by ACTA at a free informational meeting, on April 26, 4-5:30 pm, at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Room 200, 244 S San Pedro St, L.A. 90012. Other statewide meetings will be held April 17 in Santa Cruz, May 4 in Fresno, May 7 in San Jose, May 12 in Oakland, May 13 in San Diego, and one in Riverside, date tba. The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) promotes and supports ways for cultural traditions to continue now and into the future by providing advocacy, resources and connections for folk and traditional artists and their communities..
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21) MUSIC IN THE SUBWAY: PULITZER-PRIZE WINNING STORY
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SHANE & KELLI BUTLER, hosts and producers of the “Ojai Concert Series” (www.ojaiconcertseries.com) sent us this synopsis. It’s a true story. If you don’t know it, you must. An unknown writer wrote the following, deriving it from a feature story in the Washington Post that won the Pulitzer Prize. Here is the condensed re-telling, as we received it, for those in a hurry. If it affects you, and it will, then use the link at the end to read the complete story, and more:
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“Here is a little (true) story that brings home the need to appreciate good music when and where you find it:
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“A man sat at a Metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
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“Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
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“A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in his case and, without stopping, continued on.
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“A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen, but looked at his watch and headed off. Clearly he was late for work.
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“The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
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“In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
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“No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
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“Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston, and the seats averaged $100.
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“This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were, in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?”
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Now, read Gene Weingarten’s original and complete Pulitzer Prize-winning story at www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html where you can even listen to Joshua Bell’s complete performance in the Metro station.
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Read more at www.joshuabell.com/news/pulitzer-prize-winning-washington-post-feature
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22) “RADIO CRYSTAL BLUE” AIRPLAY VOTE 2009 ON, ’TIL APRIL 22
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This annual event runs through Wed, Apr 22. It’s a vote to allow listeners of internet radio’s “RCB” and fans and supporters of independently-released / DIY / underground music to have a say in what the show programs. Artists with the most votes receive featured airplay through May, June, July and August. The links to vote are http://srv.ezinedirector.net/?n=2722923&s=30378884 and www.radiocrystalblue.com
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23) “GETTING YOUR STUFF TOGETHER - CAREER BOOTCAMP FOR ARTISTS”
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Okay so the whole title is “Getting Your Stuff Together - The Ultimate Career Bootcamp for Artists.” Registration for this spring semester workshop at The Eagle Rock Center for The Arts is underway. They tell us, “If you are anywhere in the L.A. area and are looking to kick-start your art career, get organized, and learn just about everything it takes to make it in the art world, then this class is just what you've been looking for. This class fills up very fast.”
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The class runs Mondays, 7-9 pm, Apr 20-Jun 8, plus a “Curator Review Saturday,” 10 am-2 pm, on Jun 13. It’s at The Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, 2225 Eagle Rock Bl, L.A. 90041; www.centerartseaglerock.org. Tuition is $250. Thay add, “Students get a complimentary copy of the new GYST software, which usually retails for $150. The MAC and PC based program is packed with all the organizing tools and information resources every artist needs.”
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Registration and info at www.gyst-ink.com and specifics at www.gyst-ink.com/services/workshops.php#enroll; email questions to tucker@gyst-ink.com.
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Created by artist, curator, and legendary CalArts professor Karen Atkinson, “Getting Your Stuff Together” (GYST) is, they tell us, “the often-imitated workshop for emerging artists, and for artists who've been ‘emerging’ longer than they expected. Over 400 artists have graduated from GYST since 2002 and their continued success and contributions to the art world are what gives GYST such a great reputation. GYST teaches you the business stuff you should have learned in art school, but didn't. GYST values self-sufficiency and presents you with information, skills, and strategies to make things happen without necessarily waiting around for some arbiter of culture to validate your work. We're not concerned with producing slick, commercialized artists, nor is this some new age, touchy-feely ‘find your inner artist’ crap. GYST is a program for artists, by artists that will teach you bare-knuckled, practical strategies for negotiating the baffling terrain of the contemporary art world. Over 8-weeks, you'll create and refine your ‘presentation package,’ artist statement, bio, resume, portfolio, and more, with the full editorial and technical support of GYST staff.”
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24) MARINA V DOES TV DOUBLE-HEADER
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Named in December among the “Best of 2008 / Top Ten” Female singer-songwriters in L.A. in FolkWorks (www.folkworks.org/content/view/35788/166), the lovely MARINA V (www.marinav.com) checked-in to tell us about her quick appearance on the new Fox TV show “Dollhouse,” where she played grand piano in a hotel bar scene. Within days of that, she performed live, with an interview, on the number-one independent morning show in the USA, “Good Morning Arizona.” We know she’s a good interview and fabulous performer; she’s done the live performance-interview on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.” She’s becoming more difficult to catch, between her busy schedule of gigs on the East Coast and in Australia.
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25) PHOTOGRAPHERS: TWO EVENTS OF INTEREST
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The Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA), a month long photographic celebration in April, has an event called "The Fresh Look". (It’s appeared online under that name and as “FRESH photo FAIR.”) It promises to “bring a new audience for photographic work. Through a three-day Photo Fair, photographers showcase their work directly to the collectors' market.”
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MOPLA's two-fold mission is to advance dynamic programming designed to engage and stimulate the photography community, as well as to present a comprehensive resource of exhibitions and events in April 2009. MOPLA is organized by the Lucie Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable foundation dedicated to the celebration of photography.
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Event organizers say, “We invite you to participate in this event for this is a great opportunity for you, photographers, professionals, emerging artists, and enthusiasts to get your portfolios reviewed by industry's decisions makers, from gallerists to editors, publishers, and creative directors.”
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Entries for this year closed April 3, 2009. Get info at http://freshfairs.com/artists/freshfairs.php or contact Zoe Steinheimer at Zoe@monthofphotography.com or program director Sarah Cho at sc@monthofphotography.com or call 310-659-0122 x105.
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The event, at Pier 59 Studios West, 2415 Michigan Av, Santa Monica 90404, runs Fri, Apr 24, 6-9 pm, with a VIP Preview Party; Sat, Apr 25, noon-7 pm; Sun, Apr 26, noon-6 pm. To attend the VIP reception, contact of the people named above.
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26) COWBOY MUSIC ON “THE RACHEL MADOW SHOW”- ?
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Yep. Rachel closed her MSNBC show on Thursday, March 26, with the note that “New Mexico (not Texas) has become the first state to designate an ‘Official State Cowboy Song.’” It’s Syd Masters’ original, “Under New Mexico Skies.”
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27) WESTERN MUSICA OBSCURA: BOB WILLS & THE TEXAS PLAYBOYS
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It’s a NEW collector's CD box set of “The Tiffany Transcriptions,” available in the online store at www.bobwills.com
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28) AMP – ARTISTS MEETING PLACE – INFO AND A GREAT ESSAY
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It’s been some time since we covered AMP, The Artists Meeting Place and Resource Collective (http://pluginamp.com/network), in our news pages. We do cover their L.A.-area events in the Guide, but it’s time for a small spotlight.
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As expressed on their web site, “AMP connects artists and behind-the-scenes collaborators of all genres, including musicians, painters, performance artists, writers, dancers, and many more, with resources, opportunities, and personal connections. Many AMPers also provide free temporary lodging for other members. With thousands of members in 85 countries, AMP enthusiastically and energetically builds bridges between artists, audiences, and producers through our website, as well as at AMP-hosted parties and multimedia events worldwide. AMP is free to join. The only 'cost' is your energy and enthusiasm in building a global artistic community and helping fellow artists.”
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“AMP Meeting Place” e-newsletters bring word of members’ events, and offer a “Featured Member” in each edition, along with guest essays, like the one below.
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The current edition offers some words from “AMPer” (that’s what AMP calls its members) MATT WELLS, Founding Artistic Director of NEEDTHEATER, a blog based in L.A. In addition to his blog, Matt is a theater director, producer, and actor. His hometown is L.A., so don’t doubt his passion for local theater, where there are more small playhouses than anywhere else in America, including New York. In the current “AMP Meeting Place” e-newsletter, Matt offers an essay, one that opens with a few words that might make you think he’s going to depress you. But that’s not at all where he goes with this. Recommended reading, these thoughts from Matt Wells:
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“I'm wading through all of these financial reports here at the Arts Center where I work. Same basic results you always see: people aren't going to see straight plays, arts funding is declining, theaters are closing, arts centers are shuttering their doors. I can get lost in the minutiae and I can get paralyzed by the stats, but once I get up from my desk I'm going to trudge my ass over to the theater where I work and get ready for another show.
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“I've written before that art is not a business, it's a vice. It may be helpful in some circumstances to speak of it as a business, but it's very dangerous and short-sighted to think about it that way.
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“Some other basic truths I'm going to try to stay mindful of this year:
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“An arts group is not a corporation.
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“Art is not a product.
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“An annual budget is not an accurate measurement of a arts organization's health.
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“Money comes third, if at all, in the list of Things You Need To Get Something Done. First is the good idea, second is a group of people to help, third is money for resources or just the resources themselves.
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“All right.
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“Sometimes it's good to put it down in black and white. Helps clear away some of the clutter. …this below is Feingold, a wonderful theater critic, writing in NY's the Village Voice about eight years ago, an essay titled "Your Future, My Past":
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“’...the theater has a future, in our geography as well as in our souls. Technology built the big retail chains that have taken over so much real estate, and technology, via the Internet, is slowly weeding them out of it. Soon the realtors will be eager to welcome us back into their vacant, spacious storefronts. At the same time, millions of desk-locked, glazed-eyed Web workers will be flooding the streets, desperate for unplugged, un-downloaded human experience. We had better be ready for them. We had better know our history, our mission, our tradition, our means for reaching audiences, and our justification for addressing them. We must be ready to speak as the theater has always spoken, to any and all comers. What stories we tell, and how we tell them, will be the meaning of the next millennium, long after the DVD drives and MP3 players have ceased to work.’
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“And I'm reminded again that having faith means not only believing the impossible will occur, but believing it's the only possible thing that can occur.
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“We're going to get this city back, one arts center at a time.”
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Read more by Matt Wells on his blog, at http://needtheater.blogspot.com
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29) INSTRUMENT PLAYERS RESOURCE
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Check out THE FRETBOARD JOURNAL, a magazine for musical instrument players, collectors, and builders, at www.fretboardjournal.com. Thanks for telling us about it, Peter Feldmann, bluegrass wiz and editor of the Bluegrass West Newsletter - itself a resource you can get free, by subscribing at www.bluegrasswest.com/pform1.htm
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30) CALIFORNIA BLUEGRASS RESOURCES
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We’ve listed a lot in the past, but not lately. Here’s a quickie:
Bluegrass Association of Southern California (BASC), www.socalbluegrass.org
California Bluegrass Association, www.cbaontheweb.org
Northern California Bluegrass Society, http://ncbs.us
Bluegrass West Newsletter, free, by subscription, www.bluegrasswest.com/pform1.htm
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31) BRETT PERKINS MAKES NEWS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC
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Talented singer-songwriter and songwriting retreat guru BRETT PERKINS has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” and he is well-known on the Southern Cal acoustic music scene, both as an artist and as the longtime presenter of the “Listening Room” concert series. Like Brett, that series has moved to Europe, where it enjoys huge popularity in several countries. But what of Brett, the artist? He tells us, “I'm happy to announce the title single from my new album, 'Red Light, Green Light, Go' (released in the US on Trough Records) continues in national radio airplay Hot Rotation in Denmark, and the second single, 'Figure It Out,' just won 1st Prize in the Pop Category of the Great American Song Contest!”
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In addition to that First Prize win, Brett was a finalist in the Great American Song Contest for another of his songs, “Haven't I Seen Enough?” and the same song was a finalist in the Mid Atlantic Song Contest. Check out six of Brett’s songs from the new album at www.myspace.com/brettperkins
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“Red Light, Green Light, Go,” released in the US on Trough Records, where Brett is the label’s newest artist, is now available. The title song was recently picked up for television and film licensing representation. An earlier single release from the same album, “Ed & Betty's,” has remained in weekly Country radio rotation in Denmark since May, 2007, and three songs from the album recently won international songwriting competition prizes:
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Brett won 1st Prize, Pop Category, in the Great American Song Contest, for his song, “Figure It Out.”
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His song, “Haven't I Seen Enough?” was a finalist, Rock Category, in the Great American Song Contest, and finalist in the Mid Atlantic Song Contest, Rock Category.
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Brett won the Mayors Prize in “Les Vignes D'or Concours,” in France, for “I Won't Give Up On Love,” earning him a free day in a studio outside Paris. That wasn’t all. The song was a finalist in the “Belfast Nashville Songwriter Festival,” earning Brett a festival showcase spot in Belfast in February. (Wait a minute. “Belfast Nashville -?” I don’t think we want to ask.)
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You can hear 6 of the 11 songs from Brett’s fine new record at www.myspace.com/brettperkins and buy the CD or downloads through a link there, or on the label’s site, www.trough.com
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32) KELLY’S LOT, HEP C AWARENESS CHAMPIONS, GO TO THE DOG
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We find It quite satisfying and of course, humbling, to report on musical successes for artists who give so much of themselves, beyond their music, to the world at large. KELLY’S LOT has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” where, as she always does, KELLY ZIRBES mixed great original music with Hepatitis C awareness education. Kelly tells us, “‘All Access’ Magazine reviewed [our latest CD] ‘The Light’ (read below) and we have confirmed 5 gigs for our tour to Europe which is now in September. FRANKIE (our mascot) is doing great with 3 legs and I've included a link (www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VASI_fa6TU) to a video.”
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The video, well worth watching, features Frankie, the three-legged “Tripawd” dog who rocks out to "Say Yes to Life" by Kelly's Lot.
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Here’s the review of the Kelly’s Lot album, "The Light," from “All Access” Magazine, (www.allaccessmagazine.com/vol7/issue03/sound_bites.html) March 2009, by Rob Swick. While we’ve always seen them as a nouveau blues band, Rob writes, “Promoting themselves as ‘Rockin' Roadhouse Blues,’ and rightly so, Kelly's Lot has delivered a disk that also confirms the group's solid status as straight-ahead rockers. Fronted by the energetic Kelly Zirbes, who also writes most of the songs, the band features not only guitarists Rob Zucca and Perry Robertson, plus bass and drums by Mark Drews and Sebastian Sheehan, but also an awesome wind player named Bill Johnston, who handles both sax and clarinet, and who wails just as well as any lead guitarist. (And make no mistake, Rob and Perry are great on this disk!) Kelly herself has one of those gritty voices that goes so well with the hard-luck expressions of the blues, right up there with Bonnie Raitt or Melissa Etheridge. So when she comes out from the gate with ‘Drive,’ the blues-based opening track, you feel the drive from her soul, and again, on the slowed-down electric blues of ‘Tired,’ she gets that down-home feel from the fields, with hot sauce on it. One note, though: Kelly couldn't keep herself from rhyming ‘girl’ and ‘world’ on three different songs, but hey, if it works for Robert Plant or Madonna, then let Kelly make it so as well! Let it be known: Kelly's Lot is a big supporter of Hepatitis-C awareness and research… And because of the great spirit and good contained in work like that, it's really fitting that the Kelly's Lot CD closes with a song that's not too blue at all, ‘Say Yes To Life’ - positive vibrations from a bluesgirl with a big heart!”
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There’s more. Kelly tells us, “We will be traveling to Portland for a show at Pioneer Square on May 19th. We are honored to be sharing the stage with CURTIS SALGADO for a day of Hepatitis C Awareness. In early June, we will be performing in Nashville and hope to be playing the East Coast in July. I am working on a new CD that will feature a lot more of the singer-songwriter style I used to do before I went over to the dark side and became a rocker chick! Also in the works is a blues CD with SCOTT DETWEILER. It will feature both of us singing as well as members of KELLY'S LOT. BILL JOHNSTON (our sax player) is producing the album.”
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Keep up with them, and learn how you can help promote awareness of the dangerously neglected Hepatitis C, at www.kellyslot.com. and www.myspace.com/kellyslot
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33) NOTEWORTHY MUSICAL QUOTES. . .
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DANA CHARNOFSKY, who produces the occasional “Concerts In Harmony” series across Southern Cal (purpleDCconcerts@yahoo.com), has taken to signing her messages with the following quotes:
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“Almost no one sings like Elvis Presley anymore...When Sam Cooke played Dylan for the young Bobby Womack, Womack said he didn't understand it. Cooke explained that from now on, it's not going to be about how pretty the voice is. It's going to be about believing that the voice is telling the truth.” - Bono.
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“Strange how potent cheap music is.” - Noel Coward. [We used that one, elsewhere in this edition, if you were paying attention.]
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And there’s this one, sent by singer-songwriter and visual artist DENISE VASQUEZ: "You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith" - Mary Manin Morrissey.
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34) CLEVER-PROMO-OF-THE-MONTH AWARD
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We just revived this neglected recognition so we could give it to accordion-playing chanteusse VERONIQUE CHEVALIER, for her message to her list about her upcoming gig in the Big Apple: “I've a few requests of you for my trip there. First and foremost, if you have any favorite restaurants, bookshops, galleries, theatres, etc. that you think I should not miss, places that you know of either first-hand or via word-of-mouth from trusted sources, that are uniquely New Yorkian in nature, I'd appreciate your recommendations.
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“Next of all, if you have any friends, acquaintances, or colleagues whom you believe would enjoy meeting this twisted chanteuse personally, I'd be pleased to meet new people. And if you have any messages you'd like me to deliver to said persons, I'd be happy to oblige. (But please, don't make me serve any subpoenas!)
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“Lastly, if any of the above folks residing in the city proper, or immediate environs, enjoy subversive, provocative and consummate entertainment, please feel free to forward the info about The Brave New Kabarett to them.”
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“The Brave New Cabaret” is a series at the Triad (phone 212-362-2590), hosted by Seth Bedford & Huxley Vertical. And she had us at Bonjour - and the part about the subpoenas.
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That’s it for this edition of the Acoustic Americana Music News. We’ve heard that some of you print it out and read it on the light rail or the bus, and some of you read it on those itty bitty PDA screens. While we don’t know how anybody can do the latter, we do appreciate that you include us in your quest to be informed and entertained. Drop us a note, and let us know what you like and don’t like about what’s here, or comment on anything from this, or any past, edition. (Email address below.)
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NEXT WEEK, or whenever we can, (probably the latter) we’ll bring you more NEWS.
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Entire contents copyright (c) © 2009, 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 GUIDE’s event listings, from festivals to club gigs, concerts large and small, coffeehouses, jams in the park, open mics, artist showcases, workshops, seminars, and whatever you tell us interests you in the acoustic music universe, at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com or at http://community.nodepression.com/profile/TiedtotheTracks
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And, when we have the time to compile all of it, we’ll bring you updates of more, like:
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+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio show in syndication.
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+ the latest ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC NEWS with news you won’t get anywhere else from and about the richly diverse and always exciting acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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