Majors Junction
Rich textures created by the band have been described as “Plush Lonesome Western Blues”. Attracting a listener base whose musical taste transcends different genres, Majors Junction produces a diverse meld of country honky-tonk blues with folk undertones and hints of bluegrass pickin' and good old rock & roll. It is a unique sound that celebrates individuality and hard work, two qualities the band shares with its hometown of Chicago.
The band came onto the scene in 2003 with their debut release "A Desert Oasis". Local garnered praise has propelled the group to bigger gigs and a growing fan base.
Their latest release "Confluence" has been receiving rave reviews from the US and abroad. Providing upbeat rockers and smooth ballads the album shows off the songwriting and performance abilities that puts this band at the forefront of the Americana scene.
The husband and wife duo of Mike Mulcahy and Heather O'Brien provide the upfront harmonies that give the band a rich sound. Mulcahy writes the majority of songs for the band and is a graduate of the University of Iowa School of English. Moving from the serious to the satirical he provides a scope for the listener but will not disavow the intelligence of his audience. Other members of the band include multi-instrumentalist Michael Scott Duplessis whose tasteful playing transcends the guitar, piano and bass and Colin Williams who drives the beats on the drums and other percussive instruments. Colin also co-produced “Confluence“ with Mulcahy and has been with the band since its conception back in 2002.
Beyond the core of Majors Junction there is a family of musicians throughout Chicago that joins the band regularly to satiate any Americana palate. Upright bass player Roger Sherman, pedal steel ace Brian Wilkie, fiddle player Allie Kral and slide guitar player John Hasbrouck are just a few of the musicians that join the band live and in studio.
Majors Junction can be regularly seen and heard at Chicago clubs like Martyrs’, The House of Blues and The Hideout, and also perform at festivals like the Taste of Chicago and the Greeley Stampede in Colorado.
The new album "Confluence" melds together a pleasurable roots experience exploring some beautiful instrumentation ranging from mandolin, fiddle, pedal steel to horns, harmonica, piano, B3 and plenty of guitars and vocal harmonies. It is a musical treat that is leaving listeners awaiting the release of the bands third album expected soon.
Maplewood
Rising up on a breeze of three-part harmonies and twelve-string acoustic guitars comes Maplewood, evoking a joyride up the Pacific Coast Highway. Like the scent of night jasmine in bloom, the Maplewood sound wafts from the canyons to the beaches and out into the desert, an ode to a Californian ideal mapped out by such precursors as America, Bread, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gene Clark, 70s Beach Boys, late-period Byrds, The Stone Canyon Band, John Phillips, Neil Young, Hearts and Flowers, and even CSNY. Maplewood are one toke away from the cosmos, the press says, and harbingers of a movement already afoot. For the four dudes who make up Maplewood, lost gems like "Ventura Highway" and "Make It With You" evolved from guilty pleasure to buried treasure: In such castoff anthems of mellowness, Maplewood managed to find improbable inspiration. Call it canyon rock, call it breezy, call it desperado dust. Maplewood is like a desert sunrise, like a dappled afternoon up in the orange groves, like a moon-lit walk on the beach and a swig of dandelion wine with the one you love the most.
Maplewood is Mark Rozzo, Steve Koester, Craig Schoen & Ira Elliot.
Mark Boulle
Mark Boulle is a singer-songwriter raised near the Hinterland rainforests and golden beaches of the Gold Coast, Australia. In 2005 he formed his band the Haba Dudes. With them he has made three independently produced, full-length releases, with limited runs of 500 copies each - ‘All The Leaves Are Falling Down’ (2007), ‘Shoot To Kill’ (2008) and the newly released ‘Music Will Make You Go Insane’ (2009).
Mark is a prolific songwriter and with the Haba Dudes is quickly defining his own genre of unique Indie Folk Roots Gypsy Pop. He has a growing fan base on the Gold Coast and around the World. He is currently based in London writing songs for a new album.
www.myspace.com/markboulle
http://virb.com/markboullemusic
Mark Davis
Mark Davis is an original roots-rock musician from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His music blends folk and country styles and instrumentation with rock and roll forms and modern effects. An experienced musician who draws inspiration from countless diverse sources, Mark is known for his varying musical personas, broad repertoire and poetic lyricism.
An avid music fan since childhood, Mark has been an active participant in Alberta’s music community for over seventeen years as a recording and performing musician, a retailer, promoter, student and instructor. He is a co-founder of the critically lauded band Old Reliable (originally Mark Davis and Old Reliable), a fixture on the Canadian scene for over eleven years. Mark has been performing an increasing number of concerts, both solo and with backing band The Young Bucks, his often quieter compositions acting as a counterpoint to the occasionally harder-edge sound of Old Reliable.
In the spring of 2007, Mark released two albums on the Saved By Radio label to launch his solo career. “Don’t You Think We Should Be Closer?” was recorded over a two-year period at Riverdale Recorders in Edmonton, while a three-day recording session in Calgary in 2006 produced “Mistakes I Meant To Make”. The dual releases received strong airplay and press reaction across Canada, as well as in select markets in the United States and Europe. “Mistakes I Meant To Make” spent two weeks as the number one album in the Canadian campus/community radio Top 10 folk/roots/blues recordings in the spring of 2007. In addition, in over a dozen years with Old Reliable, Mark has recorded four CDs (the latest, “The Burning Truth”, was released in March 2005), appeared on numerous compilations, and traveled throughout Canada and the United States.
After co-managing a music retailer for five years, Mark founded Edmonton’s premier independent music retailer, Blackbyrd Myoozik, which he co-owned and operated for seven years. Also an aspiring music therapist who has completed an introductory class in music therapy, Mark is employed by the Robin Hood Association where he conducts a music appreciation module for a group of adults with varying developmental disabilities. Moreover, Mark has recently begun teaching guitar lessons to beginners and continues himself to take lessons from established Edmonton instructors.
Mark Lennon
Mark Lennon has been singing professionally since the age of 14. One of the lead singers in the band "Venice" (with his cousins and brother), he has been recording albums since 1990, both with "Venice", and as a solo artist.
The youngest of 13 children, Mark is one of the many cousins of the famous "Lennon Sisters" (Lawrence Welk Show) and he has learned from them, and all of his other musical influences, the ability to find and sing a variety of harmonies without any difficulty. This makes him extremely able to vocalize in a style that reflects such artists as Prince, Annie Lennox, Michael Jackson, George Michael, and kd Lang . When singing ballads, Mark's emotions shine with heart and soul, many times moving the audience to tears.
Mark is third generation Venice California. His music and voice quality both exude that California beach sound, similar to that of the Beach Boys, Eagles and Crosby Stills & Nash. Celebrities such as Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne, David Crosby and Graham Nash have come to see Mark's performances as well as sit in on them. Mark also sang backgrounds for Cher for two years and toured with Phil Collins. Mark has done session work for Don Henley, Billy Bob Thornton and hundreds of others.
Another of Mark's many qualities is his dancing ability. Without ever taking a dance class, Mark exudes his sexuality and honesty through his body movement with the music. His fluidness and timing are similar to Prince, Michael and Janet Jackson , and Jamiroquai, but he is still able to keep a rock and roll edge to it.
Mark's solo Christmas album "Christmas in the Groove" is a funky R&B Christmas album chalk full of 3 and 4 part harmonies done by Mark Lennon himself with a bit of Hip Hop flare that you can definitely groove to.
Mark sang Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" as the end credits roll in the movie Boxing Helena starring Julian Sands and Sherilyn Fenn, as well as ‘Route 66’ in the movie "Nothing to Lose" starring Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence. Mark's voice can also be found on many Disney soundtracks and throughout the many Disney theme parks.
Mark, along with Brad Chiet, was the Grand Prize Winner in the County category of the 2002 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, for their song "Love Carries On".
In February of 2003, Mark wrote, starred in, and directed a music video for the band "Venice" for his song "Blue Paint", overseeing all aspects of the six week project, which was then released by Sony Music. At the same time, he made his acting debut in an independent short film, soon to be released at Film Festivals across the U.S.
Mark has performed at many local benefit concerts as a solo artist, supporting projects by Anjelica Huston and Dennis Hopper.
"Venice" is very popular in Europe and Mark and the band spends much of their time touring there. When Mark isn't on tour, he's painting his now famous "hand painted clothing" line and recording the music that he writes himself which he recently turned into a solo album "The Demo Sessions". He enjoys traveling the world, dining out with friends, going to movies, dancing, body surfing, water skiing, and jumping off high cliffs into lakes and seas whenever possible!
All things combined, Mark's look and talents appeal to a wide range of audiences, young and old, all over the world.
Martha’s Trouble
It's been 4 years since Martha's Trouble put out their national self-released album, ‘Forget October’. After taking the last two years off from national touring, the band is set to release their 8th album simply titled ‘EP’.
‘EP’ is a collection of 6 songs recorded in Asheville, NC, February 2008. This recor-ding captures the organic sound of the band in a live studio atmosphere. On ‘EP’, Martha’s Trouble mixes current singer/songwriter songs with modern day production, as well as referencing elements of the 80’s and 70’s. Martha’s Trouble manages to mix in aspects of Michael Penn, Aimee Mann, as well as Jonathan Brooke and The Story. They also have a simplicity and optimism in their writing that's reminescent to The Weepies. It really shows on the song ‘Everyday Love'.
Martha’s Trouble is a singer/songwriter band but they’re also a great Pop band. They have the musical chops of bands like Del Amitre and Fleetwood Mac.
Martha's Trouble was formed in 1998 when Rob & Jen Slocumb met in a small cafe on the outskirts of Houston, TX. Jen had moved from Toronto, Canada with her family during the summer of 1995. At the same time, Rob was moving from Richmond, VA back home to his family in Houston.
As fate would have it, the two met and within a years time would be married in 1996.
In 1998, Rob & Jen recorded & self released their first album titled, ‘Tale Of A Foreigner’ and immediately hit the road touring in the southeast promoting their new release. "I'll never forget the first night I slept in the back of a van" recalls Jen. "We were at the TA Truck Stop off I-10 in Lafayette, LA."
Rob & Jen would continue to play 180+ dates a year for the next 2 years while being based out of Houston, TX. They played as a duo, Jen, lead vocalist/percussionist & Rob acoustic guitars. Around 1999 Jen was eager to relocate back to her hometown of Ancaster, ON.
After moving all their 'stuff' to a basement apartment in Ancaster, ON, the duo purchased a 1988 Dodge Camper Van and would call this home for the next 4 years. From 2000 - 2002 the duo would release 3 albums, ‘The Road Ahead’, ‘Sleeping Dogs’ & ‘Christmas Lights’. They played 250+ shows all across the USA & Canada.
In 2004 they decided to relocate again back to the U.S. this time moving to Auburn, AL. During this time they also released their first national release title, ‘Forget October’.
Mason Casey
The rhythm and the blues had a baby and they named it rock ‘n’ roll. But sometime later they had another child you may not yet have heard so much about. His name is Mason Casey.
Born in New York City, raised in the country, Mason worked as a stone mason for many years; all the while learning and practicing the blues harmonica and soul singing. He continued working on his music, playing his style of soulful blues at small dives, on the streets, anywhere he could get a gig or draw a crowd.
In the early 90’s he moved to New York City and moved up through the ranks of the NYC blues scene. From 1994 through 1998 he was billed as “New York City’s Number One Blues Harmonica player” at Manny’s Car Wash in New York City. When playing in Brazil at the Natu Noblis Blues festival in 2002, Ron Levy (B.B. King’s former band leader) said to Mason “You really know how to get the people going!” Mason soon thereafter hooked up with a soul music producer/songwriter named Jon Tiven. They wrote and demo’d a bunch of songs together and Tiven used him as a harmonica player and vocalist on the records he was producing, including Wilson Pickett and Don Covay.
When Wilson Pickett heard Mason play the harmonica he said, “Now that’s how the harmonica is supposed to sound!” Pickett also had raves for Mason’s singing, telling him “Man you sound like Joe Cocker, when me and Joe Cocker do a concert together they got to re-adjust the microphones!”
As luck would have it, Tiven’s tenacious nature brought the good fortune of a record offer to Mason’s door. Fred Litwin, president of NorthernBlues Music, heard Mason’s latest work and decided this Mason Casey needed to make a record. So make a record they did. And it was good. No, it was great. Sofa King great.
"Sofa King Badass" available here:
www.rootsy.nu
Matthew Davies
With an honest approach to songwriting, and a healthy respect for those who have had an influence on his work, Matthew Davies is quickly becoming an artist to watch out for. His first record, 'Road Song', was recorded in unoccupied rooms of the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.
Matthew spent several years in Chicago learning from peers and playing the local venues. Since the release of 'Road Song', Matthew has been touring the country and recording new material.
His brand new release, 'Highway Specific', draws upon his roots in folk and blues. With the help of esteemed producer Jon Christopher Hughes and several talented musicians, Matthew has created an album that goes beyond himself, a notebook's worth of words and a guitar.
The future will certainly bring many great recordings from this talented artist, but for now keep your eyes peeled and your ears open from your local cafe to the street corner.
www.matthewdavies.org
www.myspace.com/matthewdavies
McGowan
Describing the road to his own music, Mcgowan notes, "I grew up with folk and classical music on NPR. I was about 5 or 6 when I heard the Beatles and the Stones and my little world caved in to rock and roll. Later there was a long period of listening to reggae - lots of Marley - he was a major force, musically and spiritually." This led Mcgowan to teenage rock band, Christopher’s Pocket, bringing him from rural New Hampshire to Philadelphia - his home prior to New York. After the Pocket folded in early 1999, Mcgowan turned to guitar-for-hire at studio sessions to pay the bills, but also realized he could and should step out and start singing his own songs. He built a following by playing coffeehouses and clubs from Boston to Baltimore, and found himself with thousands of myspace.com friends.
A break from Mcgowan’s own music came in 2002 when he joined Ben Lee’s band, touring the world, making the late night TV rounds, playing shows with Beck and Phantom Planet, and also co-writing and recording on Ben’s Awake is the New Sleep album.
It was during his two-year excursion with Ben that Mcgowan took a detour to Philadelphia-based drummer/engineer/producer Jesse Honig’s temporary home in St. Louis. The two Philadelphians-in-exile produced nearly 30 tracks over the course of two long weekends, capturing a restless spirit with intimate and inspired recordings that bring you into the makeshift living room studio where they recorded. The duo feverishly tracked guitars, drums, bass, keys, vox, loops – mixing a veritable kitchen sink into shape – working quickly, nearly instinctively – and creating the most perfect pop of their young careers. Their recordings eventually become the album Mcgowan.
As Mcgowan tells it, “This record just fell in our laps. I was on tour and itchin' with ideas that I couldn't seem to express in a little van. Jesse had just moved to St. Louis and set up instruments and recording gear in his house. We felt like we were in a foreign land, and that led to an adventurous attitude.”
"There's a lot of punk and soul in my head,” says Mcgowan of his sound. “I like spacey music and psychedelic sounds. Most of the time, though, I'm trying to front with an acoustic guitar, which means I rely heavily on the craft of pop songs to fill the sonic void. I'm excited for the album 'cause I think it is going to reflect a lot of elements that people don't always get to hear from me." To date, most McGowan material has been available through his Web site only. That will change with the release of Mcgowan on Manic Pop Thrill. Capable of touring with a band or as a solo artist, Mcgowan is preparing to spend the remainder of 2005 doing both – first on a solo tour with Zack Hexum and Robert Gomez that will take him across America this summer, and then with his current band, which includes Jesse Honig (Thelma)on drums, Tom Scheponik (Gringo Motel) on keys, and Rob Hann (Shovel, Ben Lee) on bass.
McGowan's debut album is available here :
www.dotshop.se
Melanie Dekker
Melanie Dekker, is an accomplished singer/songwriter and guitarist from Vancouver, Canada, who has graced the performances of the world’s best:
Played to presidents, toured and received international recognition, gained rave reviews, and has left thousands of fans wanting more!
Dekker crafts her witty and heartbreak style songs with a driving rhythm that teases, pulls and moves the listener. Through her own tenacity Dekker’s songs have been placed colourfully throughout feature films, television shows, top radio charts and also covered by other notable artists.
Sonoma Mountain Entertainment and Zabit Records worked with legendary LA producer David Kershenbaum (Tracy Chapman/Tori Amos) recently signed Dekker to produce her latest album, “Revealed”. This collection of songs clearly represents the pinnacle of Melanie's career to date as an artist and writer.
www.myspace.com/melaniedekkermusic
Michael ONeill
Showcasing a new collection, this singer/songwriter, with a “roots-rock” history and a soulful ease, carries his listener into a time and place reminiscent of steel strings, guitar heroes, and great story-tellers like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. A living music legend, ONeill comes armed with vignettes of open-eyed romance, highway drama, and hard-earned tenderness – vocalized with the assurance and attitude that comes only from experience.
One of 13 children, he got started in music early. At the age of 24, he cut his teeth opening his first tour for a then-unknown band called U2. By the time the tour ended in Los Angeles, ONeill found himself signed with legendary manager Don Arden (father of Sharon Osbourne). A record deal followed soon after. ONeill put together a band that featured a young John Shanks (now superstar producer of Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morrisette, Vertical Horizon, etc), Kenny Gradney (Little Feat), and jazz saxophonist, Boney James.
He spent the better part of the next ten years touring with the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and penning songs with Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Steve Cropper (Booker T & The MG's), and Jason Scheff (Chicago). His band held down a weekly gig at the hottest club in town, The Central (now known as the The Viper Room), playing to packed houses. As the 90's approached, ONeill left Southern California for his hometown in the Pacific Northwest to raise horses and focus on his family. “I retreated to gain some perspective and try to keep my family together,” ONeill says, “I did pretty good on the perspective part.”
Quietly working on material for nearly a decade, ONeill found himself happily remarried and content. In 1999, he released “Dream On” to critical acclaim, garnering nation-wide airplay. His “From the Beginning” is an uncommon album that documents an artist in his prime, a man who knows himself, strengths and weaknesses alike. Part country crooner, part haggard storyteller, ONeill makes a noise that is refreshingly classic. Drawing on heroes like Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan for inspiration, “From the Beginning” plays like old-time rock and roll, deceptively simple yet focused on craft and execution.
Just released is the new album "Ain't Leavin' Your Love", produced by ONeill and Randy Kohrs, with contributions from Lloyd Maines and others.
www.michael-oneill.com
www.myspace.com/whosbadnow
Michael Tomlinson
With his honey-warm voice and earthy, uplifting lyrics, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Michael Tomlinson’s songs comfort the weary soul. Drawing upon folk, pop, and Americana, Tomlinson’s songs unfold with an easygoing charm and crystalline clarity, driven by his moving, poetic narratives. Tomlinson’s latest album, 'The Way Out West', finds him reflecting on his life, how the experiences of his past have taught him compassion and helped him appreciate the stunning beauty of his beloved Pacific Northwest.
'The Way Out West' could be seen as a journal of the two decades of his life since Tomlinson left his home in Austin, Texas, and made Seattle his home. On the cover, Tomlinson is seen in silhouette holding his guitar as he walks among bold outlines of trees; the brilliant blue of the sky lending a sense that he is embarked on a new beginning. The title track describes the grief of leaving all he knew behind, while the wind-swept strains of “Seattle Skies” conveys his life long love of changing seasons and natural elements.
Tomlinson moved to Washington State after a homemade cassette of his song, “The Climb,” became the most-requested track of all time on popular Seattle FM radio station, KEZX. The station had developed its own progressive music format that would eventually become known as Adult Album Alternative (AAA), and Tomlinson’s friendly hybrid of folk and rock, with a jazz-inflected vocal delivery, was greeted with wide enthusiasm. Inspired by the smashing reception from KEZX and its listeners, Tomlinson recorded and self-released his debut LP, 'Run This Way Forever'. Made available through his Desert Rain label, the record sold 15,000 copies in its first month in Seattle. It eventually moved over 100,000 units nationally as other independent radio stations began adding cuts from the album in high rotation.
By his second LP, Tomlinson had signed with a new L.A. record company. The album, 'Still Believe', earned Tomlinson his first Top-10 Adult Contemporary hit, “Dawning On A New Day,” and he headlined major theaters across the country as a result of its success. However, an amicable relationship with the label was short-lived. By his fourth record, Tomlinson had grown disenchanted with the company, and when he discovered that the label was secretly shifting his contract to a larger, international company, he rebelled, eventually regaining all of the rights to his previous work. Tomlinson then revived his Desert Rain label, freeing himself from corporate obligations and creative interference.
In addition to writing and recording music, Tomlinson has hosted nearly a decade of weekend retreats called, A Gathering of Friends, on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, offering his music as a means to bring people together in friendship and goodwill. This spirit of this humanhood is very much alive in his music today.
Mikael Persson
”Strong melodies and a lot of voices - Voices add feeling”
After nearly 30 years as a songwriter and guitar-player with several local bands in Borås, Sweden, Mikael “Micke” Persson releases his debut album, “Moving With Mrs Carter” on Paraply Records.
The album’s twelve songs has a strong solid foundation, a lot of warmth, and beautiful harmonies, adding a little extra character and growth.
Recorded during a two-year-period, but written after a creative outburst on a single afternoon, the songs came to life during a turbulent time of inner and outer crisis. “I needed to build my own room, both mentally and physically”, Mikael says.
“The songwriting was a way of communicating with myself. Mrs Carter was my talking-partner. This new album is the result.”
The new album is released by Paraply Records, a label that will release Citizen K’s debut album later this year.
Stay tuned!
Mike Aiken
Not many people get to live life on their terms. But that is exactly what singer/songwriter/sailor Mike Aiken has been able to do combining his three greatest passions in life, music, sailing and adventure. Now, with the release of 'Hula Girl Highway', Mike’s sophomore record for Northwind/Aspirion Records, he continues to cement his place as an authentic voice of a wayfaring lifestyle that most of us will only just dream about.
Mike is truly one of the lucky ones, living the life he sings about with his wife and musical partner Amy aboard a 42-foot cutter in the Norfolk, Virginia area. He’s as adept at tying nautical knots as he is painting musical memories and images of the places and people he’s met along his journey.
Strangely enough, for a die-hard sailor that journey began very landlocked. Mike grew up outside of Buffalo in rural Western New York, his love affair with the sea kindled at the young age of eight when a family friend introduced him to sailing. Around the same time Mike started developing his natural musical ability, learning to play acoustic and electric guitar.
His musical metaphors are a mix of those two worlds. 'I come from those back roads, dirt under my boots, now I live on the water with a country point of view', Mike sings in his first single 'Find Me' off the new record. “I wrote this like I write all my songs,” says Aiken, “From the heart and from what I know. This one came to me while anchored in the Bahamas, holed up during a hellacious storm. Amy and I weathered it for three weeks, taking odd jobs to survive. We had wind generators to make drinking water and were better off than most. It was then I knew I was one of the luckiest SOB’s in the world to have the chance to live this lifestyle.”
While luck may have something to do with it so does hard work. It all started to pay off last year with Mike having a banner musical year touring all over the country and in Europe. Highlights included opening shows like the Sunset Festival in Newport, Rhode Island for Bruce Hornsby to appearing at the Hampton Coliseum Winter Blast with Ashton Shepard and Chris Cagle. He was also invited to participate at the prestigious Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
2007 also saw the release of his Aspirion/Northwind debut 'Just Add Salt'. Mike’s mix of country, and roots rock with a Caribbean flair struck the right chord with listeners, charting on both the Americana and Roots Music Country charts. And his two singles also made waves as up and coming on the New Music Weekly charts.
What’s on the horizon for Mike this year, besides the release of 'Hula Girl Highway' then? Well making music and traveling of course. Mike and his band have been playing around the country and are set to go to Europe again in the fall. “I am one of the lucky ones,” muses Aiken. “With my music, my boat and my friends I am ready for wherever the winds blow.”
For the rest of us that’s a good thing, a chance for us landlubbers to close our eyes and live a life on the high seas vicariously through Mike Aiken and his music.
Mike Brosnan
An expatriate New Zealander currently based in Europe, Mike Brosnan is a true craftsman of song, a powerful and emotive singer, and a superb guitarist.
Despite extensive inter-national touring, for much of his early career he remained relatively unknown in the wider world. This lack of wider recognition was in all probability due the music industry's inability to "pigeon hole" his music, containing as it does such diverse influences; from rock to folk, from blues to Celtic to country.
With the recent re-emergence of interest worldwide in Roots Music, containing exactly such influences, this anachronism is now quickly being addressed and for the last few years Brosnan has increasingly received the level of recognition he is manifestly due.
An incendiary live show only added to the buzz, but it is the songs – combined with Brosnan’s ability put himself inside the characters body and soul – that leaves the strongest impression. As a songwriter, he is in a class by himself, presenting a level of lyrical honesty and vulnerability seldom found.
From solo performer to full bandleader Brosnan has journeyed throughout
the UK, Asia, Continental Europe and NZ; from small cafés to the best-known clubs, from the smoky bars to concert halls. His festival appearances include many of Europe and NZ’s most prestigious. And the
experience gained playing 200 plus concerts per year for more than a decade has forged his live performance into one of the strongest shows on the road anywhere, any time.
A highly accomplished yet understated guitarist, Brosnan plays lines that perfectly support his powerful baritone. And his slide guitar work is also considered a highlight, with many positive comparisons drawn with Ry Cooder’s best work.
A reviewer attended a Mike Brosnan concert in Germany recently - sceptical of the acclaim surrounding his work - and walked away a believer: "The audience was completely overcome by Brosnan’s emotions... we were into his music body and soul. He clearly believes every word he sings, and so did we..."
As a recent album reviewer wrote: "Do yourself, and the New Zealand music scene a favour by buying this CD. And then go out and see him live for the full story!”
Mike Cullison
From the Oklahoma-Texas area to Atlanta to Nashville and stints in Europe, Mike's journey has been an extraordinary one. Mike’s innate writing skills and love of music merged early on. Raised in Oklahoma, he grew up on Country Western and Honky Tonk - moving into a diverse blend of music as a young man in the 60s. Many of his influences are: The Beatles, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Delbert McClinton and all the great story tellers of years gone by.
Professionally, Mikes career began in the small clubs and honky tonks of Oklahoma City - moving on to Atlanta in 1988 to expand his opportunities and sharpen his writing skills. While in Atlanta he worked with the Lowry Group and subsequently met Don Goodman, a successful Nashville writer with many hits including 'Angels Among Us' and 'Ring On Her Finger Time On Her Hand. With Don's encouragement, Mike made the move to Nashville in 1995 to have access to the larger writing community. One of those connections led to a European tour with Johnny Neel and the Italian power trio W.I.N.D.
Mike's songs reflect his diverse background. His initial release, 'BAC', has a Rock-a-Billy feel to it. The newly released, 'Blue Collar Tired', contains a blend of country and rock with a honky tonk feel. Both are sure to please everyone.
"Blue Collar Tired" available here.
The Molenes forge hard-twang melodies and driving steam-train rhythms into compelling songs that have been firing up the stages of the Northeast’s burgeoning Americana/Alt-Country scene since the band’s inception in 2005. Evoking the burnished lyricism of Son Volt, the organic atmospherics of Wilco, and the rootsy swagger of Steve Earle, The Molenes’ second album, 'Songs Of Sin & Redemption', takes the listener on a tour through both the dark and light sides of the American experience, a jaunt through the heartland—both figurative and geographical—that’s in turns jolting and unsettling, inspiring and uplifting.
Singer/guitarist/songwriter Dave Hunter weaves real-life tales of both modest hope and quiet desperation that are punctuated with incisive, compelling guitar hooks, while band members Andrew Russell (bass, vocals), and Zach Field (drums), and Cartwright Thompson (pedal steel) propel a journey that navigates between rural passes of heart-wrenching beauty and urban alleys littered with dispiriting squalor.
In the USA, 'Songs Of Sin & Redemption' has already received radio play on more than 100 Americana and independent stations, and was given heavy rotation on many of these. Writing in 'The Phoenix', Sam Pfeifle declared:
“There’s nothing at all wrong with reveling in whiskey, beer, bitter women, and sweet heartache, as long as the guitars are hot, the backbeat’s driving, and no one expects me to feel an ounce of sympathy. Dave Hunter and his Molenes know this well, and their second album, 'Songs Of Sin & Redemption', shows they’re more than just a guitar band. This 12-tune collection represents a tremendous upgrade over The Molenes debut and establishes them as one of New England's premier alt-country/ Americana bands.”
With its increased depth, imagination and artistry, and with the band coalescing into a formidable unit, 'Songs Of Sin & Redemption' promises an even wider reach and greater appeal, and is looking to propel The Molenes to the top tier of Americana, Alt-Country and Roots Rock artists.
Morello
Formed in 1996 in London by singer/multiinstrumentalist /producer Malcolm Cross. The band name is actually a reference to his childhood hero, West Coast jazz drummer Joe Morello.
The group were a mainstay of London's 'Acid Jazz' scene in the late 90's; outside of recording debut LP 'Jackpot' (1998, CDV Music) Mal worked as a sideman for various maverick UK acts including Spiritualized, Death in Vegas and M J Cole.
A lifelong dream was realised when a recording contract with UK band Minibar brought him to Los Angeles, California, forming the inspiration for his US debut 'Minimal' (2003, self released); a kaleidoscope of musical styles in tribute to his new home. The song 'Too Sweet' from that album was ultimately featured on the soundtrack to the Focus Features movie 'Something New'(2006, Lakeshore Records.)
His latest release 'Handheld'(2007, self released) is a nod to the music and influences of his mispent youth - early 80's synth pioneers Prince, Giorgio Moroder and Yellow Magic Orchestra. The current band lineup includes vocalist Em C, Zak Schaffer (guitar) and Pierre Martin (bass.)
About 'Minimal':
"Hyperactive fun...brimming with irresistable melody and the true flavor of L.A..." (Rave!)
"A real damn good album that you need to discover right away..." (Melodic.net)
"An infectious romp through California's magnificent musical memoirs, still managing to sound wildly Right Now." (Pamela des Barres)
MT Robison
“MT Robison’s new CD "Promise" will captivate your soul with his raw emotions and vulnerability and leave you wanting to hear more!” - The Shadow, Ontario, Canada
MT Robison’s music is Americana acoustic rock in the style of the great storytellers, yet with a fresh new sound that's being called "Hillbilly-Urban".
MT is a prolific songwriter and captivating storyteller. Inspired by true-life experiences, the songs on the newly released 'Promise' CD are passionate and unpretentious. MT's music moves listeners with an emotional force, like timeless classics.
His live performances are charismatic and full of energy, and has visually been compared to Beck, Iggy Pop and Steven Tyler, entertaining and engaging the audience, as he sweeps them away on a mystical, musical journey.....
www.mtrobisonmusic.com
www.myspace.com/mtrobisonmusic
Naomi Sommers
With roots in bluegrass, blues, jazz, traditional folk, and old-time country, singer-songwriter Naomi Sommers is emerging as an exciting voice on the music scene. She grew up in a New England home full of music and instruments, performing since middle school with her parents and brother in the Sommers Rosenthal Family Band. Naomi’s recording career started at age 5 when she sang her first harmony parts on an album of bluegrass music for children. Over the years she has sung and played flute, banjo, piano, and guitar on more than 15 records released on her father Phil’s independent American Melody label, and has lent vocal and flute tracks to numerous recordings by other artists. In addition to the folk and bluegrass music she picked up at home, Naomi performed in orchestras and wind ensembles as a classically trained flutist, sang jazz with her brother Daniel Rosenthal’s quartets since high school, and joined the gospel choir during college.
After studying literature and music at the University of Connecticut, Naomi devoted herself full-time to writing and performing. She moved to Boston in 2001 to begin a solo career. She played at favorite local venues including Club Passim, where she endeared herself to music fans and fellow musicians alike, and began lasting collaborations. She toured throughout the U.S. with songwriter Noam Weinstein as the duo Broken Dreams, and later followed some of the same routes as a Gray Sky Girl with Lisa Bastoni. In 2004, Naomi traveled to Texas to participate as a finalist in Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk Songwriting Competition.
More recently, Naomi was invited to be part of an upcoming PBS documentary, “On The Record,” hosted by Sir George Martin and narrated by Kevin Spacey. She traveled to the home of Jean Ritchie to play a few songs with the influential folk singer and songwriter on film for the series.
In July 2008, Naomi performed one of her songs at the GRAMMY Foundation’s Starry Night Fundraiser in honor of Sir George Martin (producer of the Beatles and many others). At the event in Los Angeles, she shared the stage with Jeff Beck, Burt Bacharach, Chris Body, Tom Jones, Jimmie Webb and others.
Since 2002, Naomi has put out three albums on American Melody. Two of these were solo albums, featuring original songs with eclectic backup by her family and other outstanding musicians. In 2006, she released a mesmerizing album of traditional and original “old-time country slowgrass” with the Gray Sky Girls.
Now, in early 2009, Naomi has just released an album recorded in Nashville, produced by the acclaimed musician/producer Jim Rooney (John Prine, Iris Dement, Nanci Griffith, Bonnie Raitt). Jim’s enthusiasm over Naomi’s songs and her voice prompted him to end a hiatus from the music business to make this record. The album was engineered by David Fergusson (Johnny Cash/Rick Rubin) and features a backup band of some of Nashville’s finest musicians. Naomi’s trusted family and friends traveled from New England to play on the record as well. She is thrilled to present the resulting collection of songs, the culmination of years of devotion to the craft of songwriting and to the merging of traditional and contemporary styles in American music.
www.naomisommers.com
www.myspace.com/naomisommers
Nathan Holscher
Nathan sounds like what would happen if Dire Straits lost an arm wrestling match to Lyle Lovett. His music is steeped in the feelings of landscapes he has rambled across in the Midwest and Southwest. Chasing trout in small streams or the muse in a dingy bar, Nathan's songs somehow reflect both compassion and restlessness.
At 25, his few adult years have been spent crafting songs and doing the work that matters to him - protecting the rivers and streams that he grew up on. His music is set apart by the strength of his lyrics, which stand tall even without his tranceful guitar playing. He brings a sense of confidence to a live show that can make time and space fade away, leaving only the song and the listener.
Just out is his brilliant new album,
“Even The Hills”.
Nathalie Nahai
Born in London, Nathalie Nahai has been developing her musical talent all her life. Having been classically trained in violin and self-taught on guitar, she writes her own music and has been performing in the UK and US for the past three years, both solo and with her band.
Whilst studying at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (London), she travelled to the States to record her debut album with multi-platinum Grammy award winning producer Don McCollister. It was released in 2006 on her label, Fuzzy Muskrat Records (FMR), and received critical acclaim both in local and national press.
In 2007 she performed to packed houses in her first UK tour, and returned to the US to record her much-anticipated second album, “Fortune Teller”, which is due for release in June. Earlier this year, Nathalie entered the 2012 Talent Competition for a chance to perform at the handover of the Olympic Torch in August. Through massive public voting and support she has made it through to the final in April, an event which will be televised on ITV and broadcast over the internet.
Nathan McEuen grew up in and around the Rocky Mountains, Surrounded by incredible music and talented musicians. At an early age He started performing with his father, John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), and brother, Jonathan McEuen (Hanna-McEuen). Undoubtedly, the family has powerfully shaped his musical inclinations and style, but his influences and pursuits span much farther. As a singer/songwriter, he constructs universal, nostalgic melodies and lyrics. His study and mastery of several instruments, including guitar, piano, drums, and bass, allow him great compositional range.
Three years ago, Nathan moved to California to continue pursuing his music career. In that time he has created his first solo record “Grand Design,” performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, opened for David Crosby and Gram Nash, Dave Mason, Kenny Loggins, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, performed with Kevin Nealon (SNL), worked with Paul Willams, Willie Nelson, started his own record company called “Lint Records,” and has played over 500 shows.
Watching and learning from the best, Nathan used those experiences to hone in his craft of songwriting, performance, and collaborating. Feeding off of all that energy Nathan decided to start his own record. With the producing help of his brother Jonathan, they formed a concept for the album – a nostalgic sound with a hip spin… “Future-retro-folk-rock.” They started in spring of 2004 and a year-and-a-half later finished creating: Nathan McEuen's “Grand Design.”
Grand Design features 11 original songs, some of which came about through collaborations with singer songwriters David James Holster (John Denver, NGDB, Starship), and Crosby Loggins. The album features many talented musicians including: Mario Calire (Wallflowers, Ozomatli), Randy Tico, Jonathan McEuen, Jimmy Calire (America), Phil Salazar, John McEuen (NGDB), and Jesse Siebenberg (Supertramp).
Grand Design was released in November 2005. Since then Nathan has been on the road promoting his new record and is continuing to build a large following.
Currently on tour with :
Nathan McEuen and his Enormous Ego Band. Featuring: Nathan McEuen (guitar, vocal), Paul Cartwright (fiddle, mandolin, vocal), Chuck Hailes (upright bass, vocal). They play a wide variety of musical genres… From Folk to Bluegrass, Rock to Country. There are only 12 notes in music and they do a good job at showing them off.
This group will not disappoint!
Ned Doheny
A native of Beverly Hills, Ned Doheny took his first musical strides as a songwriter. His tune "On & On" was recorded by Dave Mason & Mama Cass Elliott in 1971, while the Average White Band included "A Love Of Your Own", written with their lead vocalist Hamish Stuart, on their 1976 album, "Soul Searching". Another tune, "Whatcha Gonna Do For Me, written with Stuart, was covered by Chaka Kahn in 1981. The first artist signed by Asylum Records, Doheny released his eponymous titled debut album in 1973. His second album, "Hard Candy", released by Arista Records three years later, was produced by Steve Croper and featured such guests as Tower Of Power, Tom Scott, Jim Horn, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Linda Ronstadt and John David Souther. Although it included Doheny's version of "A Love Of Your Own", the album failed to sell and Arista dropped his contract. Doheny's third album, "Prone", was limited to a Japan-only release in 1979.
Although he was unable to break through commercially in the United States, Ned Doheny later found a welcoming audience after turning his focus to Japan in the late '80s. The host of a popular radio show, 'Postcards From Hollywood', on FM Yokohama, from April 1990 until September 1993, Doheny gained speed upon releasing "Life After Romance", his first album in nearly a decade, in late 1988. An album of classic tunes performed on solo guitar, named after Doheny's radio show, released three years later, was followed by the equally impressive, "Love Like Ours", later that year, and "Between Two Worlds" in 1993.
Though often categorized as 'West Coast' because of his Los Angeles roots and association with other west coast artists, Doheny's music defies exact categorization, being variously described as pop, funk, jazz and AOR. He's been compared to Steely Dan and the Eagles among others.
In addition to original CD releases in Japan, both 'Hard Candy' and 'Prone' have been reissued as LP-replica CDs. And all 3 albums, are currently available in digital download online.
Doheny's first album in 15 years, 'The Darkness Beyond The Fire', will be released in 2009.
www.myspace.com/neddohenymusic
Stormin' Norman Seldin
Norman Seldin is known throughout the music world, espec-ially at the Asbury Park New Jersey shore, as one of the originators of that special sound started way back in the 60’s, when he was a tee-nager. Norman started formal piano lessons at three, and attended the Manhattan School of Music at age 14. At the age of 13, he became the youngest member in history of the American Federation of Musicians.
Norman began his own band, “The Naturals,” and started recruiting mostly black artists in the 60’s when it was not so popular. He managed, promoted and recorded them on his own labels – Selsom and Jade Records – based in Red Bank, NJ. Not old enough to drive and sign checks, his mother drove him to different concerts and shows that he was promoting for both adults and teenagers weekly.
His records were played on the R&B circuit stations from New Jersey, into Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Norman’s early records were dominating the R&B black stations with such huge DJ names as Douglas “Jocko” Henderson, Fat Daddy, Larry Dean, Bill Johnson and Chatty Hatty. He broke in to the Virginia Beach radio market on “Top 20” stations with Gene Loving and Tom Scott.
He was a regular at the famous Broadway Recording Studio in New York when he was 15, and worked with now world famous drummer, Bernard “Pretty” Purdy. He was tutored by famed organist and pianist Richard T, and Tito Puente whenever time allowed in his busy schedule.
Norman’s band changed names to “The Soul Set” which also featured future platinum recording star, the late Harry Ray, whom Norman discovered. He recorded with The Valtairs, along with Nicky Addeo, The Uniques, Tony Maples, The Shondells, Barbaroso & The Historians, and battled Bruce Springsteen’s first band, “The Castiles,” with Norm’s own discovery, “The Motifs” whom he managed and recorded as well.
Always being a fierce competitor, both on and off stage, Norman added national attractions to perform on his shows to gain extra exposure for his own groups. He brought in “The Young Rascals” right after they opened for “The Beatles” at Shea Stadium, as well as dozens of other name attractions. Norman was the “ghost” on dozens of hit records that “went bad” and they called him in to fix the troubled spots on piano, organ and/or vocals when he was in his teens.
An unknown sax man, Clarence “Big Man” Clemons, was an addition to “The Joyful Noyze” during a racially tense time. Subsequently, Norman brought the “Big Man” into the recording studio for the first time. It was during his multi-year stint with Norman, that Bruce Springsteen came in to jam with their band. As a result, Clarence left to become an E Street Band member. Stormin’ Norman continued his pace of an average of 275 nights a year for over 15 years.
Norman was on stage at The Parker House when he went down with what kills most people – an Aortic Dissection. Norman was given no chance to survive the operation, which has a 1/10 of one per cent survival rate. He was the medical miracle of 2002! Although the doctors said he would not be able to perform for at least eight months, he was back on stage in eight weeks. Prior to his heart incident, Norman spent two years in the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana. Stormin’ Norman was recruited to become the head entertainer at the largest night club in the world – La Vela Beach Club in Panama City Beach, Florida. Here he played to an average of 2,000 people a night, and was known throughout the entire South for his 3-5 hour, non-stop musical performances. When he returned home to New Jersey in 1979, he had a reunion with Clarence Clemons at The Lock Stock & Barrel in Fair Haven, NJ. On dozens of evenings, Garry Tallent, Max Weinberg, Billy Ryan and others would come and sit in.
In 1980, 8 tracks with Clemons, Tallent, Weinberg, Roy Bittan, Danny Federici and Southside Johnny were recorded, but never officially released until now, on the new double-CD set 'Asbury Park - Then & Now', on Ivory International Records. There are over 40 years of old and new recordings that were painstakingly digitally re-mastered to form this unique collection of the Asbury Park sound … Doo Wop, R&B, Rock ‘n Roll, New Orleans piano, etc., on a total of 46 tracks.
The newest book from Rutgers Press, 'Local Heroes – The Asbury Park Music Scene' features seven pages on Stormin’ Norman Seldin. A book of his life story is currently being written for a late 2009 release. The soon to be released double-CD, 'Asbury Park - Then & Now' by Stormin’ Norman & Friends, is available at www.backstreets.com as well as at www.theorchard.com which has a link to the e-music website www.emusic.com. This is truly a history lesson when it comes to the sound of Asbury Park and the Jersey Shore.
