NAF

Jenny Lewis' Sharp Turn

Jenny Lewis was born to Las Vegas musicians, grew up in Southern California, and became a teen TV celebrity before eventually discovering her own musical calling in her 20s. She is a legit musical talent and has demonstrated this through a few musical incarnations, beginning with Rilo Kiley. That band also belonged to Lewis' boyfriend Blake Sennett, and when that couple broke up so did the band. Lewis had been writing with Johnathan Rice for some time, and they produced an album (I'm Having Fun Now) as Jenny and Johnny, but then Lewis sort of disappeared for five years. She reemerged with a solo LP, The Voyager, in 2014, but this year she has committed to a trio, Nice As Fuck (NAF) with drummer Tennessee Thomas (she of L.A. girl band The Like, whose Dad plays with Elvis Costello), and bassist Erika Spring. That is a radical departure from the acoustic-rock of the Rilo Kiley period, as shown in this video. Lewis has always been a little dark, which seems common in former TV kids. Her new stuff seems to want to channel that energy into something like art rock, which sounds great to these ears. Cool concept. - RAR

50s Prom Rock

Freddy & Francine

Freddy & Francine are Lee Ferris and Bianca Caruso when they are not in performance mode. The two met while both were a performing in a Los Angeles revival of the "tribal rock musical" Hair, in which Ferris was playing the lead role of Berger. The two started writing songs together and one thing led to the next. They played shows, had an album release party, and then broke up - completely. They didn't talk to each other for a few years. Ferris moved to New York City to play Carl Perkins in the Broadway production "Million Dollar Quartet", while Bianca bounced from coast to coast, eventually founding a musical comedy duo in L.A., known as Zabruso, a concatenation of Caruso's last name and that of her partner Jen Zaborowski. That led to a TV development deal. Caruso also recorded a solo LP including a song she had written with Ferris, who she invited into the recording session and that reignited their duo relationship. They have been recording at Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio in Wimberley, Texas, outside of Austin. As you can see in this video, they have a really natural ability to blend their voices in a way that achieves lift-off, for lack of a better description. They are very good. - RAR

Clone the Method

G Tom Mac's Goth Pop

Definitely do clone that method. Gerard McMahon, now known as G Tom Mac, continues the narrative vein that was gold back in 1986, when he contributed "Cry Little Sister" to the soundtrack of the film "The Lost Boys"; a song he re-recorded for the HBO series "True Blood". It now feels as if he has cornered the market on vampire soundtracks with that single stroke.  This video for his song "Clone the Method" merits the highest review marks. The video is wonderfully conceived and executed, but what makes it all work is Gerard's excellent musical composition and his spectacular performance. He has a voice that is as dark as his Goth stylings and rich in ways a little similar to that of Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs). Huge character in this voice, and great sensitivity in the composition. See more on G Tom Mac below.

British-born Gerard McMahon emigrated to the U.S. at 11 years of age, landing first in New York City before his family relocated again to the unlikely destination point of Wichita, Kansas. A guitar and bass player, early on, McMahon spent his teen years touring the Midwest in his rock band The Strangers. They recorded a single but eventually broke up, and McMahon then moved on to Boulder, Colorado. There, he took a day job at the University of Colorado, "arranging classes", but by 1971 he was back in NYC playing in R&B bands. He worked as a session player and did backing vocals for Electric Lady Studios where he worked on the last album (Back to Colorado) by the Colorado-based band Zephyr to feature Tommy Bolin on guitar.

McMahon moved to L.A. in 1972 to do more studio and production work. He played in Jackson Browne's touring band, but moved back to Boulder to start his own band called Gerard. That unit got the attention of Producer Jim Guercio, who after a successful career with the band Chicago (originally the Chicago Transit Authority), had moved into a state of semi-retirement while still operating his secluded mountain recording studio, Caribou Ranch. Guercio had a second mountain property with rustic accommodations, including rehearsal space, and he put McMahon and his band up there while they recorded their first album together.

McMahon wrote 12 new songs for the album, but Gerard and Guercio turned out to be less than a good match. Guercio's Chicago sound did not produce magic in Gerard. McMahon returned to L.A. in 1976 after a second album with Guercio was also still-born. Back in L.A., McMahon played keyboards with ex-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Jimmy Ibbotson, among others. As a songwriter, he landed "Is That You" as the lead track on the Kiss album "Unmasked".

McMahon went back to the wall with another new band, Kid Lightning, which was built to feature his music. They produced an album but were dumped from the Columbia Records label before it was ever released. Still, McMahon was well established in L.A. music circles and an appearance at a Warner Brothers showcase introduced him to film producers David Geffen, Joel Schumacher, Cameron Crowe, and Jerry Bruckheimer. He expanded his soundtrack work - he was already succeeding with TV commercial work - and provided seven original tunes for the Bruckheimer film Defiance. His movie tracks included tunes in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Spring Break, All the Right Moves, The Lonely Guy, Grandview, USA and Hardbodies, among others.

Those successes earned McMahon another album shot, which he got in 1983 releasing No Looking Back, then another in 1986 with Foreign Papers, both on Atlantic Records. Then, in 1986, he scored a hit with "Cry Little Sister" on The Lost Boys soundtrack.

McMahon recorded an album for Edge Artists in 2000 (2000) and he formed a new band, G Tom Mac, which he has since taken as his non de plume. "G" has been a short-form for his first name that has been with him for a long time, reportedly given to him by his friend Roger Daltrey of The Who.

McMahon's list of songwriting successes is long. His work has been used in 50 feature films and 100 television shows. Use this link to visit G Tom Mac's official website, where you can watch a short video of well-known music people talking about Gerard McMahon mixed with samples of his music. Use this link to visit Gerard McMahon's Wikipedia page for more. You can also find G Tom Mac on Facebook and YouTube.

He is one of those rare authentic rockers who remind you that their genre has a special intoxicating essence when it feels organic, not just like the real thing but the thing itself. The G Tom nom de plume may suggest otherwise, but Gerard McMahon personifies that essence of rock. - RAR

Preternatural 13

Juliana Wilson

Remember when you were 13 and could sing just like Cat Power? No, of course not, because that would be ridiculous and yet there is a young girl in New York named Juliana Wilson who is doing something similar to that. She is a project of Brooklyn-based 825 Records and Producer Matty Amendola, and she released this video below last year and got people's attention. She currently has a song ("Blah Blah Blah") on Soundcloud and she has another video in the can, soon to be released. However dark and precocious her sound may be at the moment, one can't help but wonder who this kid is going to become. There may be a big voice in there, and maybe a mind that can either pick or generate tunes that will resonate with cross-generational audiences. She will be an interesting singer to follow. - RAR

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Straight Outta Some Interior Space in Kansas

The Appleseed Cast

Christopher Crisci and his musical companions have something special in their one-off kind of sound. It sort of sneaks up you, not seeming to be much at first but then little by little casting a spell that you will find yourself not really wanting to escape.

This October and November, Caspian will take their final tour in support of 2015 LP, Dust and Disquiet, and will be joined by The Appleseed Cast as support. Caspian has credited The Appleseed Cast as being an early influence on their band and as such, the pairing is projected to go over well with fans of both acts. Additionally, both bands are planning new releases this year and will have new music to share on tour.

For the uninitiated, The Appleseed Cast (ASC) is rock band out of Lawrence, Kansas, which as the home of the University of Kansas and has long been a cultural Oasis in that very strange state. The band was founded 20 years ago by singer/guitarist, Christopher Crisci, whose initial inspirations were to do Emo but over the years ASC has ranged into more of a shoe gazing unit with jazz-rock inclinations. They are very good at creating a sonic landscape that lulls the listener in before presenting late, unexpected vocals with summation lines. It is a really effective formula that Crisci has honed with different musicians over time. The band’s current lineup includes touring musicians Ben Kimball and Nick Fredrickson.

Caspian is like ASC on steroids. A five-piece that specializes in a big bassy concert sound, Caspian is very nearly orchestral heavy metal compared to the more crystalline sound of ASC. I'm sure ASC makes a great warmup act for Caspian, whose sonic wave must come across with even greater impact after the inner space journey with ASC.

Check this out.

Lay Down  Your Weapons

Atoms and Void

The newest in the series of video releases from Atoms and Void in support of the long-awaited vinyl release of And Nothing Else is out today. The gorgeously shot video was directed by Greg Hunt, best known for his work on such seminal skateboarding films as Alien Workshop's Mind Field, Vans' Propeller, and TransWorld's Sight Unseen.

The video for "Lay Down Your Weapons" premiered at Bandcamp, who noted that the video "captures the record’s spirit perfectly: a series of slow-motion, mostly unmoving shots of urban and rural landscapes, it hints at the ties that bind us all together, and suggests all we need to do to realize them is be still enough to listen."  And Nothing Else is out now via Arctic Rodeo Recordings, available for purchase digitally or on limited edition vinyl.

Made in Brooklyn

John McEuen's New Disk

Americana Music icon John McEuen has a new recording on Chesky Records (late summer release). Titled Made in Brooklyn - Brooklyn Bridges, the CD is being offered in Hi-Def (192/24 sample rate) and in the standard (44.1/16) format.

McEuen plays guitar, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle and is supported by an all-star cast including David Bromberg (guitar and slide), Steve Martin (banjo), David Amram (pennywhistle, flute, percussion), John Cowan (vocals), John Carter Cash (vocals)Martha Redbone (vocals), Andy Goessling (clarinet, mandolin, zither, sax, dobro), Matt Cartson (vocals, guitar, mandola), Skip Ward (bass), and Jay Ungar (fiddle).

Use this link to learn more about John McEuen, who has made significant contributions to American music. Use this link to visit John McEuen's website.

Shadows

Folk Duo O'Hooley & Tidow Release LP

You like the sweet folk harmony? Many people like the sound that O'Hooley & Tidow make, and they have a new LP out titled Shadows. From their press - "The acclaimed duo's new album conveys the vast expanse of human emotion, from tenderness to sensual melancholy, boundless joy and hope to anger and grief, from dogged determination and grit to the disturbing and deeply unsettling." The new LP features guest musicians Pete Flood (Bellowhead), Michele Stodart (Magic Numbers), Andy Seward, Jude Abbott (Chumbawamba) & Rowan Rheingans (Lady Maisery). O'Hooley & Tidow are really, really good. Here is an example.

Prove It!

Rob Lynch

'Prove It!' is the lead single from the forthcoming album 'Baby, I'm A Runaway' by the artist formerly known as Lost On Campus. English singer/songwriter Rob Lynch has released three EPs under the moniker Lost On Campus. Here is a recently released video for one of his new tunes. Use this link to visit Lynch's Facebook site.

Kat Loves You

Mama Kat Resurfaces

Remember Kat Parsons? She used to show up on this site all the time, just because we are on her "Kat Loves You" email distribution list, and she was/is a great personal publicist. We used to get constant updates on her continuing string of house concerts and small venue appearances. Born in Vienna, Austria to music professionals - her father was an opera singer, her mother a recording artist - she got a deal with Epic Records after winning out over 14,000 entrants in a "get your song produced" competition. Then she sort of disappeared and now we know why: "Perhaps you remember me talking about
the anti-human trafficking movement?" she writes in a recent press release. "I decided to go get my Masters in Social Work so I could be involved in the movement from a more educated stance. I got to work at the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, and through another organization I was able to engage survivors of trauma and sexual violence with my new training in psychotherapy."

Parsons also got married and had a baby: "She has tons of hair and chubby little legs whose layers of fat fold like an accordion."

Parsons, who has always been kind of a cornball, is really talented, and now with this big, full new story she is back doing more public types of dates in her new resident state, Maryland. Here is a video from her website.

Artsboretum

Mari Tamburo

A shout-out to Marin County activist Mari Tamburo, who is an ever-present voice in the San Francisco Bay Area's larger creative community. Her ARTSBORETUM website is similar, in some ways, to this one as Tamburo promotes artists and progressive social/environmental policy. She was a candidate in the Marin County Supervisor's election. When she's not doing good works, she fronts a band (Mari Mack) and is a fine blues singer.

FLA Hip-Hop Mogul

Blaza Duvall

This many years into rap/hip-hop fusion the standard themes of street survival and sub-working class aspirations has been pretty well mined. That said, Blaza Duvall, whose attitude and sound brings the Beasties to mind, does this type of thing really effectively. He is the CEO of Boom Boy Entertainment LLC and Brand Ambassador for fadedBEARD Clothing of Jacksonville, Florida. Doing A&R for his Boom Boy label, Duvall has helped lead the career of recording artist Brittney Lawrence, the 2011 and 2012 National/International Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year for New Gospel by NACMAI. Lawrence has also been recognized as the State of Florida 2010, 2011 and 2012 Entertainer of the Year and Vocalist of the Year in New Gospel. Duvall is hoping to have similar to success in his own musical genre with "For the Glory", which is pretty good.

Waiting

Davey Sage

Nigerian born pop artist and songwriter Davy Sage has a new release, "Waiting for You" that has drawn the attention of some in the music media. The Canadian Sage mixes mainstream pop, hip hop, and afro pop to create a smooth sound that will make listeners think of Akon, Wyclef, Omi, Ryan Leslie, and B.O.B.  You can find him on Facebook at @Davysage.

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Nashville Roots

The Coal Men Ready 5th LP

The excellent Nashville trio The Coal Men are soon to release their fifth LP, Pushed to the Side (Vaskaleedez Records). Singer-songwriter Dave Coleman describes his roots-rock trio as “three solid dudes trying to make really honest, genuine music”.  The Coal Men, who have been around for almost two decades, have been mentored by the legendary John Prine and by Todd Snider. Besides The Coal Men, Coleman has worked with Matthew Ryan, Jessi Alexander and a young Taylor Swift. He and drummer/vocalist Dave Ray have been together since the bezginning. Bassist Paul Slivka, who joined five years ago, gained fame with Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers; he’s worked with Tony Joe White, Tommy Womack, Amanda Shires and Elizabeth Cook, among others. Most Tuesdays, he appears at the Family Wash with his wife, Cole, host of the “Short Sets” songwriter series. Coleman is a regular performer there. This video below is not from the new LP, but it nicely displays the smooth musicianship of this band.

Drunk Off the Sun

My Silent Bravery

Sun drunk, or just too damned privileged? Matthew Wade, who records as My Silent Bravery, is reported to be trending in Brazil, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, based on views of this video. Call me a cynic, but I'm guessing the lifestyle shots with the girls from the other side of the income scale probably have more than a little bit to do with it. I have no idea who Matthew Wade aka My Silent Bravery is, but based on this evidence I am guessing that he doesn't have much to be silently brave about. He seems to be going for the Jack Johnson type of joie de vivre, which makes some of us want to go out and strangle a surfer. I speak only for myself. What do you think based on the evidence below? - RAR

Massy Ferguson

Really Cool 80s Grunge

It is simply a horrible truth that a musician or singer cannot possibly be recognized as doing something well without being pigeon holed as being like some other successful person, place or thing. It is unfair, shallow, and irrelevant, but I think that Massey Ferguson singer Ethan Anderson has a little of whatever it is that David Grey has. Grey is a personal favorite, so of course I think Massy Ferguson is a cool band. On their new LP, their 7th, Anderson, drummer Dave Goedde, and guitarist Adam Monda channel 80's college radio bands, like The Replacements, R.E.M., and Soul Asylum, which comes across with enormous authenticity.

Colorado Gestation Plant

Higher Ground Rehearsal

Dykotomy is a Colorado act featuring Scott Higgins - Lead Guitar,  Mike Schaumloeffel - Lead/Rhythm Guitar,  Jay Schroeder - Lead Vocal, Tim Kohler - Bass Guitar, and Rik Raynes - Drums. They think of their sound as groove-based power rock, which sounds about right based on the video below, which starts with a tour of the Fort Collins rehearsal studio known as Higher Ground. Family-owned and operated by real musicians, HGRS is a state of the art back-lined rehearsal facility with top shelf gear and superior sound and acoustics.

Debut Album

Corey Landis & The Attacks

Anybody who knows Corey Landis - he of the Five Hour Energy drink commercials and a number of SyFy Channel movies - will know that this is far from a debut album for the talented singer/songwriter. Landis has several solo albums to his credit. Use this link to visit his personal website and check out his music credentials, which are impressive. I don't know if the general public has discovered Corey Landis, but music reviewers have. He has singer-songwriter-musician talents in a league with Billy Joel, and on this new recording he seems energized in ways that are different from his previous outings.

Maybe it is the band. This is the debut LP of Landis' trio, which consists of bassist Ryan Roberts and Mike Butkovic, and this feels more like a band than a solo album. Upbeat, these songs feel geared to live performance. Landis' solo material has seemed a little more inwardly focused, like something one would listen to under headphones. This new recording has a sound too big for your living room.

The sound of Corey Landis & The Attacks is retro in a way that recalls Pop Rock from 1978, when Billy Joel was in his prime. The tracks are strong, carefully commercially crafted, and expertly engineered by Geoff Emerick and Assistant Engineer Spencer Guerra. Emerick, of course, engineered The Beatles' recordings, beginning with their Revolver album and including Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Could one be in better recording studio company? Landis and Emerick co-produced the record, which was recorded and mixed at LAFX, and mastered by Ron McMaster at Capitol. Several tracks expand the trio sound to include horn and string arrangements. Joey Newman, who has worked with Landis on previous albums, did most of the string arrangements with Seth Kaplan arranging on "Dress for the Weather". Horn arrangements are by Kyle Newmaster.

Use this link to visit the Bandcamp site for Corey Landis & The Attacks.

Artist Development

Christian Lopez

Christian Lopez, the young West Virginian singer-songwriter who Rolling Stone Country called the “Best Newcomer” at the Americana Music Fest in 2015, has signed an artist development deal with Razor & Tie Music Publishing (RTMP), in New York City. The West Virginia native released his debut full-length record Onward in May 2015 via Blaster Records. Rolling Stone Country recognized him as “Best Newcomer” at Americana Music Fest in 2015 and Alternate Root proclaimed him one of its Top 25 artists the same year. Lopez is managed by Rock Ridge Music.

Drew Pearce

Bay Area House Concerts

San Francisco Bay Area music friends have long had a friend in Drew Pearce. A talented musician (Darrington acoustic pop quartet), Drew makes his living as a copy writer in the advertising industry but he came to my attention years ago for his impresario talents. He has been an organizer of house concerts, bringing select acoustic artist into the homes of hosts throughout the area. It seemed, for a time, that he had gotten out of the "business", but he has reactivated that aspect of his creative life of late and is back to bringing singer-songwriter types to the parlors of the well heeled for intimate private concerts.

Here is an example of what Pearce is presenting in an upcoming show in Sonoma County, presented as a "songwriters-in-the-round" event:

Rick Hardin is a veteran of the SF Bay Area music scene. San Francisco radio station KFOG once selected him to be one of their Local Scene artists (they produce an album every year of local artists). Here is video of Hardin at a house event:

Brindl is equal parts modern-day troubadour and soulful songstress. She released two albums independently on her Moxy Music label (Acoustic Heart, 2008 and Shine, 2010).  Here is a taste of what she does:

Joe Rathbone is the singer/songwriter and frontman of Washington DC-based band The Mercy Alliance. His fifth record entitled Waking Up the Sun was produced David Henry (Guster, Josh Rouse, Kelly Joe Phelps, Jars of Clay) and features drummer Steve Bowman (ex Counting Crows) and guitarist Steve Bishop, who worked with Ronnie Montrose.

Kelly Willis

Existential angst and acceptance

Country singer Kelly Willis discusses being a musician, even after you have to stop and think about it.

Scott McDougall

“These songs have helped me through some very struggling times and are a reminder that I've got so much to be excited about and thankful for, no matter how I feel,” says McDougall, the Portland, Oregon-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who recently finished up his eighth full-length, Reaching For Some Light.

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Crowd Sourcing

German filmmaker Claudia Rorarius is seeking Crowd Sourcing funding for her new film, Ken – The Movie. Expected to go into production later this year, the film will feature musician Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, R.E.M., Big Star) in his debut acting role. Stringfellow will portray himself, reliving parts of his life in a filmmaking approach that will be "fraying the line between reality and fiction in the process".

Before becoming a filmmaker, Rorarius had success as a photographer of artists like Kelis, Rufus Wainwright, Vivienne Westwood, Eminem, Pharrell Williams, Jamie XX, and John Cale, publishing her work in magazines including Spex, Intro, Wire and Wallpaper. Her last film, Chi L'ha Visto – Who Saw Him, was nominated for Best Performance, Best Director, and Best Movie at the Torino Film Festival in 2009. It was also selected for many more festivals, such as the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Montréal World Film Festival, and Film Festival Max Ophüls. Critics called it "intensive,” "touching" and "grand cinema.” Rorarius’ work grapples with how we understand ourselves, illuminating dark corners of identity and despair while raising questions about the nature of filmmaking itself.

The film's producers are turning to crowdsourcing via Indiegogo. The goal is to reach an initial funding target to create a basis for an application for public funding of the project. Rorarius is pitching her project as an extension of her commitment to promoting the unique visions of women in the movie industry.

Throughout her career, Rorarius has battled her way through the gender bias of the film business. A member of Pro Quote Regie, a women's director movement in Germany, she plays an active role in the promotion of women in film. Jane Campion gets to the heart of the issue, saying, "Without [women] writing and being directors, the rest of us are not going to know the whole story."

Visit these sites for additional information on the project.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ken-the-movie#/
https://vimeo.com/171209726

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Unify Festival

Unifying Musical Vibes in Santa Fe

Set to take place in the magical red-rock landscape, the inaugural UNIFY Fest boasts a unique and diverse lineup featuring performers ranging from rock n' roll to reggae and hip-hop alongside the likes of more than 50 national and internationally renowned speakers, presenters and educators. An event that is as unique as the town of Santa Fe itself, the festival is a celebration of local and indigenous culture and the zany eco-centric sensibility that makes this stop along the route 66 so unique.

Loaded to the brim with an all star cast, the three-day festival will showcase performances with Trevor Hall, Mike Love, Bluetech, Desert Dwellers, Tina Malia, Luminaries and Earth Guardians and more lineup announcements expected soon.

The festival will run from Sept 22-25, at Unify Fest in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit unifyfest.com for more details.