Carbon Leaf has released the first in a new series of EPs, HOW THE WEST WAS ONE. The seven song EP is now available digitally, with pre-orders for the deluxe physical EP now being taken. The physical EP will be delivered in late August. Carbon Leaf has kicked off the Summer of 2010 by touring the Western United States on a journey that took the band up the West Coast, through the Rockies and finishing in Texas. The band will continue to tour throughout August and September, with a series of headlining dates along the Atlantic Coast and up into the Northeast. Carbon Leaf will join Big Head Todd for over three weeks of dates in September. HOW THE WEST WAS ONE is a 7 song EP that was inspired by Carbon Leaf's travels west of the Mississippi over the past five years. This EP is the first collection of songs from some 30+ demos in various stages of completion.

Well into its second year with the same multi-instrumentalist personnel, Carbon Leaf remains Barry Privett, Terry Clark, Carter Gravatt, Jason Neal and Jon Markel. "Being five personalities that contribute to the music is where a 'band
sound' comes from," says Privett, "constantly challenged by one another--that's ultimately a healthy thing." On the horizon: Many forthcoming announcements regarding tour dates and new music.

Genre: Alternative/Folk Rock

Carbon Leaf's site

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Carbon Leaf has released the first in a new series of EPs, HOW THE WEST WAS ONE. The seven song EP is now available digitally, with pre-orders for the deluxe physical EP now being taken. The physical EP will be delivered in late August. Carbon Lea... more

Garnet Rogers has established himself as 'One of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence - close to six and a half feet tall - with a voice to match. With his "smooth, dark baritone" (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs "give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart" (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again.

Genre: Folk

Garnet's site

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Garnet Rogers has established himself as 'One of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence - close to six and a half feet tall - with a voi... more

“Anaïs sings of love among the ruins, coming of age to find yourself an outsider looking for the place you belong, finding other strangers along the way. Details ... are offered like clues or keys to the reality all of us sense is imminent and eternal beneath the surfaces of things."

Hugh Blumenfeld, Sing Out!

From her current home base in a 200-year-old farmhouse in rural Vermont, Anaïs (“uh-NAY-iss”) Mitchell writes songs that are as intimate as conversations and as rich in detail as short stories. The daughter of “hippie back-to-the-landers” whose father was a novelist and English professor, she remembers her family’s home (another farmhouse in the same state) containing “a library full of novels, and lots of old folk and psychedelic rock albums. The books and the records all lived in the same room, which I am sure led to me thinking of songwriting as a kind of literature, a noble poetic enterprise.” No surprise, then, that the reference points of her music may seem to come from all over the map while still interconnected: the country ballads of the Carter Family, the hard-edged cabaret of Brecht and Weill, the story-songs of Randy Newman, the vast narrative scope of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and the intricately crafted tales of her namesake, bohemian feminist Anaïs Nin, to name afew. All of these influences come together in Hadestown, an epic “folk opera” retelling of the Orpheus myth. .

Genre: Folk

Anais' site

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“Anaïs sings of love among the ruins, coming of age to find yourself an outsider looking for the place you belong, finding other strangers along the way. Details ... are offered like clues or keys to the reality all of us sense is imminent and ... more

Honeytribe was formed in 1999 in St.Louis, Missouri. Led by singer / guitarist Devon Allman they quickly became one of the top draws in their hometown and won the Jam Band of the Year award in the Riverfront Times Magazine Poll. Some recordings were made , small tours happened and then in late 2000 , Devon disbanded the group to spend time with his newborn son, Orion, choosing to stay in St.Louis and play solo acoustic shows and work on music. .

Now in 2009, a trio has emerged. A power trio. With monster world class bassist George Potsos and new drummer Gabriel Strange , this 3 headed beast has been born. High energy , grooving , bluesy , ass-kickin rock and roll the old school way.

"We ran the 'Tribe format into the ground ! It's not OVER by any means but after almost 300 shows a year for 3 years , I just really wanted to do something different. We'll still play some Tribal songs but I can't wait to find out what a power trio feels like and work some brand new material ...we'll do a few months of touring in America and see how we dig it" -- Devon Allman interview October 2008 Detroit , Michigan.

Genre: Rock/Jam Band

Devon's site

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Honeytribe was formed in 1999 in St.Louis, Missouri. Led by singer / guitarist Devon Allman they quickly became one of the top draws in their hometown and won the Jam Band of the Year award in the Riverfront Times Magazine Poll. Some recordings were ... more

“Back in the old days,” muses resilient troubadour Chris Smither, “writing new songs and making new albums were just chores. My priority was, and still is, performing live. I guess I still write the songs and make the records so that I can go out and play – except that now I actually look forward to it. I’ve learned how to do it, and I’m very eager to get stuff recorded once I’ve written it.”

Recorded in only three days, Time Stands Still is just the eleventh studio album of a career that now spans over four decades. Time Stands Still (Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert) is both pensive and visceral – an album whose songs alternately ponder life’s mysteries in some moments, and let them lie undisturbed in others. Featuring eight new original compositions and a song apiece from Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, and 1920s country-blues songster Frank Hutchison, Time Stands Still’s immediate, intimate sound is the direct result of one gig, and the challenge it presented.

Genre: Blues/Folk

Chris' site

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“Back in the old days,” muses resilient troubadour Chris Smither, “writing new songs and making new albums were just chores. My priority was, and still is, performing live. I guess I still write the songs and make the records so that I can g... more

The Chicago Blues Harp Bash is coming to SPACE on Sunday September 12, 2010.  The Bash is committed to showcasing the finest blues harmonica talent in the greater Chicago area.  This years event will be headlined by the Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton sideman, Jerry Portnoy, and also include Highway RickEy, Harry Garner, Lamont “Harmonica” Harris, Shoji Naito and “Corporate” Kirk Manley.  Grammy Award winning Billy Flynn will head the backing band and the legend, Willie Buck, will be making a special guest appearance.  This event was SOLD OUT the last 2 times!

Genre: Blues

CBHB's site

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The Chicago Blues Harp Bash is coming to SPACE on Sunday September 12, 2010.  The Bash is committed to showcasing the finest blues harmonica talent in the greater Chicago area.  This years event will be headlined by the Muddy Waters and ... more

When you think of “grassroots” and “down to Earth,” you don’t normally think of a movie star. You especially don't think of a movie star the caliber of Jeff Daniels. Yet that is exactly what Jeff has accomplished with his second CD Grandfather’s Hat.

With the follow-up album to Live and Unplugged, Daniels has proven that he is not an actor who sings, but an accomplished singer/songwriter who’s musical talent does not require the support of his acting. Further proof of his talent is supported by the musicians Daniels has performed with over the last couple of years. Although it took him some time to feel comfortable on stage behind his guitar, Daniels’ confidence has matured with his songwriter, being invited on stage to perform a few songs with legends Lyle Lovett, John Haitt, and Guy Clark during their rare “Songwriters” tour. Having his pal Keb Mo’ join Jeff on stage was equally rewarding (Jeff calls it a “free guitar lesson”). From time to time he’s also been fortunate to expand his shows to sold out venues outside of the Midwest.

Grandfather’s Hat showcases Daniels’ range as a songwriter, from the laugh-out-loud humor of “Have a Good Life (Then Die)” to the quiet and poignant lyrics of “Middle of the Night.” His honest, sincere, and relatable approach to the songs on the CD remind us of our own lives, hopes, and dreams.

 

Genre: Blues/Folk

Jeff's site

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When you think of “grassroots” and “down to Earth,” you don’t normally think of a movie star. You especially don't think of a movie star the caliber of Jeff Daniels. Yet that is exactly what Jeff has accomplish... more

Search for “Raul Midón” on YouTube and you’ll find a clip of the New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2006. Performing “State of Mind,” the title track from his 2005 debut album, Midón unleashes a silky, soulful tenor and dazzling percussive guitar style — a syncopated, flamenco- and jazz-infused approach in which bass, harmony, and melodic lines emanate from the fretboard in one slap-happy storm. If that weren’t enough, Midón busts out his improvisational mouth horn technique, in which he creates a bebop “trumpet” solo entirely with his lips, earning himself a spontaneous burst of mid-song applause from the audience in the process. It’s a virtuosic performance, and one that reveals what has made Midón such an exciting artist to watch over the past few years. 

Having toured with prestigious national and international artists, Lowe is a journey-woman through and through; armed with a beaten-up backpack stuffed with sentimental keep-sakes of a woman both beloved and scorned.  The songs on her debut solo CD, “From the End of this Hallway”, play like bittersweet battle-cries of a great victory won against fallen relationships and personal struggles in a coming-of-age war.  And when the dust settles, there’s the lone voice of Jen’s soul, swaying gently, beautifully, between each song like a feather dropping from the heavens between the limbs of Oak trees.

Johnny Rabb is an active live and studio drummer living in Nashville, TN.  He stays busy drumming and composing music with partner Clay Parnell in the innovative group BioDiesel. He has performed with a wide range of artists such as Maynard Ferguson, Alain Caron, Frank Gambale, Larry Tagg, Tanya Tucker, DJ Hype,  Hank Williams III, SheDaisy, Deana Carter and Mindy McCready.

Genre: Singer Songwriter Guitar

Raul's site - Jen's site - Johnny's site

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Search for “Raul Midón” on YouTube and you’ll find a clip of the New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2006. Performing “State of Mind,” the title track from his 2005 debut... more

Beginning as a drummer in the seminal 60's San Francisco rock band The Charlatans, and continuing with his unique and legendary Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Dan Hicks is widely acknowledged as one of the defining figures in American roots music. Having earned a reputation as a true original with his signature eclecticism and humor, Hicks continues to carve his way through a number of genres from proto-psychedelia to western swing and jazz, from tin pan alley to country blues -- all the while cultivating his own unique sound.

The original Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks recorded five ground-breaking and Billboard-charting records for the Columbia, Blue Thumb and Warner Bros. labels. They toured worldwide, and Dan appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine three times.

The newest incarnation of Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks released the wildly successful "Beatin' the Heat" in 2000, featuring collaborations with Bette Midler, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Rickie Lee Jones and Brian Setzer. USA Today called it "one of the blessings of the new millennium." That release was followed by the live CD "Alive & Lickin" in 2001.

Genre: Folk/Jazz/Country

Dan's site

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Beginning as a drummer in the seminal 60's San Francisco rock band The Charlatans, and continuing with his unique and legendary Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Dan Hicks is widely acknowledged as one of the defining figures in American roo... more

After Yesterday represents the first fruits of that reunion and reflects John’s continuing commitment to the craft of songwriting. Longtime fans will find in its twelve songs John’s trademark twist of lyric and attention to the details that so effectively evoke a time, a place, a person, or a range of emotion. But there are also the stirrings of new musical directions with the evocative addition of percussion from Ani DiFranco’s drummer Andy Stochansky. John also shares his joy at recent changes in his life (namely a 1996 marriage and move to Minnesota, followed by the 1997 birth of a baby boy — Bocephus Mahatma Sinatra Gorka) with cuts such as “Cypress Trees,” “After Yesterday” and “When He Cries.” There is a hardened knowledge, vented and voiced in “Thorny Patch” and “Wisdom.” Story songs and character studies, “Amber Lee,” “Silvertown” and “Zuly” engage the imagination, while a song like “Heroes” invites introspection.

Though a long way from Godfrey Daniels, John Gorka is still honored to be a part of the folk tradition — energetic acoustic music that is not a trend, not a fad, but an expression of everyday life. After Yesterday is the embodiment of that expression — another classic release where his rich baritone voice and unique songcraft weave together in a way that can only be described as “Gorka.”

Genre: Folk

John's site

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After Yesterday represents the first fruits of that reunion and reflects John’s continuing commitment to the craft of songwriting. Longtime fans will find in its twelve songs John’s trademark twist of lyric and attention to the details that so... more

A singer-songwriter who accompanies himself on piano, James began writing the songs on his second album after winding up a year and a half on the road in support of his debut album The Day is Brave, which was released by Decca Records in June 2008 and debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Several of its songs were featured on various television shows including Private Practice, Bones, So You Think You Can Dance, and Army Wives. After releasing the album, James hit the ground running to support it from coast to coast.

Genre: Singer Songwriter

Brendan's site

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A singer-songwriter who accompanies himself on piano, James began writing the songs on his second album after winding up a year and a half on the road in support of his debut album The Day is Brave, which was released by De... more

“I’m the most sophisticated hillbilly you’ll ever meet.”

When Michelle Shocked says this about herself, it’s hard not to crack up. ‘Hillbilly,’ after all, is no compliment. And frankly, it’s tough to reconcile that reflex image of a backwoods, overalls-and-a-smile hillbilly with this focused, erudite singer-songwriter. If such a creature exists, however, Shocked is its picture, sans Billy-Bob teeth. Come to think of it, she was born in or at least near the backwoods of East Texas — and get this — to a carny father and a fresh-faced high-school mother after being conceived, if memory serves, “in the backseat of my Uncle Huby’s Chevy at the prom.”

Much like the work of her East Texas peers Willie Nelson, Victoria Williams and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Shocked's songs hold fast to a definite core, but owe no stylistic allegiance — just like their itinerant, mercurial, utilitarian creators. Shocked identifies strongly with her musical compatriots, and not just because they’re from her neck of the woods. "My family was welfare class," says Shocked, "and that makes you really, really, white trash. These artists helped remove class bias because they have all been given honorary middle-class value because of what they've achieved in their music." Shocked has likewise transcended class bias, while retaining the parts that make sense, in a 23-year career that has seen critical acclaim at every juncture.

Genre: Folk/Pop

Michelle's site

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“I’m the most sophisticated hillbilly you’ll ever meet.”

When Michelle Shocked says this about herself, it’s hard not to crack up. ‘Hillbilly,’ after all, is no compliment. And frankly, it’s tough to reconcile that reflex ... more

Whole Foods Market 30th Anniversary Celebration

The formation of Uncle Lucius is a Texas tale in the truest sense. Four unique musicians of the Lone Star State , each living in their own hamlets, brewing up a dire need to put together a soulful southern rock outfit, sometimes can’t help but find each other.

The current look of Uncle Lucius began to take shape when Houston ’s Mike Carpenter entered the picture after the band’s first year. Raised on Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana, Carpenter had been playing guitar and writing songs since the age of 14 and moved to Austin to play in bands. He played in two other bands before joining Uncle Lucius, a move that was made possible by the departure of the group’s original lead guitarist. Carpenter remembers feeling no sense of hesitation: “I immediately liked Kevin’s voice. He was a good front man and a good singer. And they were doing pretty much what I wanted to do: combining country, rock and roll, and blues. It was really just luck, man.”

Dear Adora is a moniker for the music of Adam Keepman and is currently performing in Chicago. Inspired by decades-spanning friendships and the developmental rites of passage that initiate or sometimes delay the onset of adulthood, the music of Dear Adora was originally created around life experiences as a college student in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Genre: Southern Rock

Uncle Lucius' site - Dear Adora's site

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Whole Foods Market 30th Anniversary Celebration

The formation of Uncle Lucius is a Texas tale in the truest sense. Four unique musicians of the Lone Star State , each living in their own hamlets, brewing up a dire need ... more

On September 21st,  the innovative and versatile violinist Anne Akiko Meyers performs with pianist Reiko Uchidaat SPACE as part of a nationwide tour to celebrate the September 28th release of their new album on the E1 label Seasons...dreams.   The evening will include works by Beethoven, Debussy, Gershwin, Schnittke, Wagner and Vernon Duke.

Anne Akiko Meyers is celebrated as one of the world’s premiere concert violinists, the renowned soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and educator is known as one of the most diverse artists collaborating with artists such as Chris Botti, Il Divo and Wynton Marsalis, premiering new works written for her and showcasing under-performed or rarely heard works. Meyers has been described as a ‘trailblazing violinist’, one who is constantly ‘charting her own course’. The New York Times is quoted as saying Meyers’ performances is ‘playing that flows from the heart’.

This September, E1 Records releases the hightly anticipated 'The Seasons...Dreams', which will feature world premieres and music with harp and piano. This release is on the heels of her hightly successful album 'Smile', which charted on Billboard.

Genre: Classical/Jazz

Anne's site

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On September 21st,  the innovative and versatile violinist Anne Akiko Meyers performs with pianist Reiko Uchidaat SPACE as part of a nationwide tour to celebrate the September 28th release of their new album on the E1 label S... more

In an age of fleeting success and temporary notions, Chris Pureka is an artist of substance, armed with an eye for detail and an emotional intelligence that can switch from withering to compelling with a subtle inflection. Her third studio album, How I Learned To See In the Dark, adds bold new elements to the base she has built over her six-year career. From non-traditional percussion, to lyrical abstraction, to a new unrestrained vocal quality, to Pureka’s choice of co-producer (longtime friend Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YaRds), this record signals an exploration of broader musical soundscapes.

Genre: Singer Songwriter

Chris' site - Kelsey's site

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In an age of fleeting success and temporary notions, Chris Pureka is an artist of substance, armed with an eye for detail and an emotional intelligence that can switch from withering to compelling with a subtle inflection. ... more