Voices to hear

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-12T18:21:00.002-06:00

Today's song is from across the ocean in Scotland. It's from a group that calls itself Abagail Grey. "Ghost" from their album Long Case Clock Suspension.

SIMPLY SIX: Steve McLeod

2009-11-09T19:00:00.004-06:00

Steve is a singer/songwriter from California.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

For me it was Prince's Purple Rain. I was too young to understand the depth of it but it got me hooked. That was it. I saw what I wanted to be doing with my life.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

Richie Kotzen, Miles Davis, The Beatles, Prince, Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, John Coltrane, Van Halen, Funkadelic, Empire of the Sun, Australian Crawl, Stevie Wonder, The Black Crowes, Taxiride, N.W.A...So many I could go on and on...

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

Definitely the greatest moment so far is working with Richie Kotzen on a song called "Beautiful Life" for his Wilson Hawk album. He is one of my idols and I have learned so much from him. He is a true genius!

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

I think music can change us as humans. It's inspiration can be instant and powerful. But to change the world, we'd all have to like the same music and want the same things for our world.

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Technology has been great for me. As a fan and musician. Through the developments of technology I have been able to become studio savvy and record my own records how I want to and when I want. Also, I have discovered so many great bands and artists that I may not have if things were how they use to be.

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

A pair of Nike Air Jordan Cement III's. My favorite shoe of all time. Why? The shoe to me, because of Michael Jordan's greatness, represents passion, drive, persistence and authenticity. The things I try to develop on everyday in my own life.

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SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-09T18:50:00.001-06:00

Our song for today is from the band Ten Year Vamp. The song is "Never Know" from their recent album Don't Act Like You Know Me.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-07T10:42:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you get lucky and discover an artist that just overwhelms you. At a Jazz Fest a few years ago I was in the audience for a show by a group called the Carolina Chocolate Drops. I had read a little about them in New Depression but really didn't know what to expect. I was blown away. I couldn't believe how good this group was. So today's song is from their album Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind. The song is "Sourwood Mountain."

SIMPLY SIX: Heinali

2009-11-06T20:05:00.004-06:00

Heinali is a musician from Kiev, Ukraine.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

No, it was quite spontaneous, and I'm a terrible singer by the way.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

I love music. Have favorites in almost every genre and style. Ok, just picking up 10 randomly: Max Richter, Burial, John Coltrane, Philip Glass, Coil, Explosions in the Sky,

Sisters of Mercy, Rachmaninov, My Bloody Valentine, Biosphere... oh, let it be 20: Dalek, Nils Peter Molvar, Olafur Arnalds, Covenant, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, The Doors,

Jimi Hendrix, Jean Michelle Jarre, Schiller.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

I believe I don't have one.

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

You are the one to decide. For some people it's only something they listen to, and for some people it's something that changes their world. Attitude to the music changed dramaticaly in the last decade. Mostly because of the commercialised music industry, which raised generations of people listening to succesful business models, not music. Looks like, mostly, for the most of young people music is no longer is the great act of art, it's just something they are listening to in backgorund to their daily routine. Getting the new album of your favorite band isn't so exciting nowadays - everybody downloads tons of music, everybody has quite a music collection on the hard drive and have access basicaly to almost every music piece ever done. And it's not a bad thing, it's quite controversial. Music itself is great and extremely powerful when it comes to influence. There's no problem with music, but with people. I think music is like love. It's very powerful, abstract and transformational, if you are opening yourself to it. Let yourself listen with every cell of your body. "If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music." Kurt Vonnegut

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

It opened it up. Everybody can compose music now and get heard online. You don't need no music education, don't have to play any instruments, don't have to spend money to book a studio. Here is it, your studio, your label and your audience, inside your bedroom laptop. And it's great I think. Of course it brought lots of difficulties, like, there's tons of new music now, everybody is musician, music is depreciated, it's became hard to get heard. But what a great possibility for self-expression and creativity! And it affected me directly. I started it this way, as a bedroom composer.

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

I love barefoot.

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SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-06T19:58:00.002-06:00

Today's song is from She Swings, She Sways and is from their album Wasted Love Songs. The song is "What I Wouldn't Do."

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-05T20:13:00.002-06:00

Today's song is from the multi talented New Orleans first family of music The Neville Brothers. Elsewhere in the blogging world today is Blog Blast For Peace, so in honor of that worthy effort the song is "Amazing Grace."

Video Wednesday:

2009-11-04T10:38:00.000-06:00

Today's video is a behind the scenes look at a photo shoot for Sarah Tolar's new album Big Blue Moon. The song is "Along For The Ride."

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-04T10:33:00.000-06:00

Our song for the day is from a group called Planetary Nights. The song is "Road Trip" from their album Elliptical Nights.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-03T10:29:00.001-06:00

Today's song is from Richmond Fontaine's album Thirteen Cities and is "The Ghost I Became."

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-02T10:26:00.001-06:00

Our song today is from Those Darlins and is "Drivin' Nails In My Coffin" from their Wild One single.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-11-01T10:20:00.000-06:00

Today's song is "Big Blue Moon" from Sarah Tolar's album of the same name.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-31T10:14:00.000-05:00

Our song today is from the Okkervil River and their album The Stand Ins and the song is "Pop Lie."

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

Our song for the day is from a former local artist who after Katrina ended up in the Mid-West and is there now. He's Mike West and this song "In Mississippi" is from his album Home.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-29T10:01:00.000-05:00

Today's song is from Malcolm Holcombe's 2008 album Wager and is "I Feel Like A Train."

Video Wednesday:

2009-10-28T10:05:00.001-05:00

Our video this week is from the duo Dala and is their song "Levi Blues."

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-28T09:57:00.000-05:00

We feature a local today with Lynn Drury from her album All You Need. The song is "Better Than The Radio."

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-27T09:53:00.000-05:00

Today's song is from Caitlin Cary, who before she went solo was a member of the alt-country group Whiskeytown. This song "The Battle" is a duet with her former member from that group Ryan Adams and is from her album While You Weren't Looking.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-26T09:49:00.002-05:00

Today's song is from Butch Hancock, who besides putting out music under his own name records with the group The Flatlanders. The song is "If You Were A Bluebird" from his Own & Own album.

SIMPLY SIX: Bone Gunn

2009-10-25T10:26:00.004-05:00

Bone Gunn is a group based out of New York City.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

I believe the moment for me was birth, as silly as that sounds. My father comes from a family of 11 brothers and sisters, each one of them plays traditional irish music. So right from birth i had that coursing through my existence.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

This is an odd question for me to answer, believe it or not i listen to very little music at all. When i do it tends to be either far out there strange music such as "GOD SPEED! YOU BLACK EMPEROR" or down to earth folk oriented material such as "RICHARD THOMPSON" or "JOHN DOYLE"

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

The greatest moment I had as a musician was actually about 3 weeks ago on stage at the mercury lounge in N.Y.C.. We had just brought on 2 new musicians to our line up, of course I was a bit nervous for this first gig with them. We played the first song of the set "Is it fear " and it was the most together it had ever felt. there was an energy on stage that had not existed before that moment. As far as i'm concerned it was our first gig as a "real " band. All of us friends, all of us with the same goal.

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

Of course music can change the world! look around. I suppose it's easy for me having grown up with traditional irish music, to see the direct impact that a song can have on a group of people. It can provide commonality in places where none else is found, but that is not the only example. "RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE" incited more revolutionary ambition than any other group in the 90's or since. There is a reason songs are so often used in movies, they provide a deeper connection with a scene than what the cameras and actors can supply on their own.

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Technology has changed the industry for the better and worse. For the better by increasing the amount of exposure opportunities for bands, but for the worse by increased theft and the dumbing down of music as an art. For example albums don't have the same impact that they once did. It's so easy to just get the song you heard once and liked, that the experience of truly soaking an artists message as a whole is too much to ask.

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

I would be a pair of combat boots!

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SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-25T10:20:00.001-05:00

Sunday's song is the title song from the Hearless Bastard's newest The Mountain.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-25T09:12:00.001-05:00

Saturday's song is from the singer Grey DeLisle who spends most of her time doing voice acting in cartoons instead of making music. The song is "Walking In A Line" from her 2004 The Grey Ghost.

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

Today's song is the title song from The Gaslight Anthem's latest "The '59 Sound."

SONG OF THE DAY

2009-10-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

Today's song is from Chris Stamey and his album Travels In The South. It's the title song from the album. Chris was a member of the group the dBs before his solo career.

Video Wednesday: Caroline Herring

2009-10-22T19:34:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know, we're a day late. But we didn't want to miss posting a video this week so we're going to pretend it's Wednesday for the few minutes it takes to watch this video.