For over two decades, They Might Be Giants have been exactly that — giants. From their critically-acclaimed albums and breakthrough videos to their work in film and TV (including themes for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Malcolm in the Middle and Austin Powers among many) TMBG have blazed a vivid and original career path. The duo has sold millions of records worldwide and continues to deliver one of the best live shows anywhere whether it is for families or adult-only consuption.

They Might Be Giants won a 2009 Grammy award for their Here Come the 123s album, and are currently working on the follow up to the critically acclaimed The Else album.

Groove 8 is an acid jazz/funk collective based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. The band has been touring and performing since 2004. Originally named Audioform; Groove 8 changed its name in 2009 because of legal reason associated with the former name.

Groove 8 has released four studio albums with the latest entitled DEBUT to reflect its new direction. DEBUT was produced by Alan Evans of the band Soulive at Play On Brothers Studio in 2008. It was released on March 9, 2009. The band will go back in the studio with Evans to record the new untitled album in March 2010. In 2007, band signed with Fluid Talent which is a booking, management and publicity agency located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Groove 8 has performed several festivals including The Fillmore Jazz Festival in San Francisco as well as the Montreux Emerging Artists Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. Groove 8 is now on a East coast tour from November 2009 to February 2010 that will stretch from New York to Florida.

"Countrypolitan transcends music. It's a lifestyle, not a category of music," says Southern Culture on the Skids front man, Rick Miller. "It's where rural and urban sensibilities meet. I mean, it's when you see trucker hats being sold in Beverly Hills boutiques or notice folks eating pork in Mebane, where I live, drinking a glass of merlot. Or best yet, when you see a motor sport invented by backwoods moonshine runners and bootleggers broadcast on Sunday afternoon into potentially every living room in America, there ain't no doubt it's a countrypolitan world and SCOTS' new album, Countrypolitan Favorites, is the soundtrack for it."

Long the bards of downward mobility, Southern Culture on the Skids have always embodied countrypolitan. Recently described by Dwight Yoakam (in Filter) as "really on the outside, like Dick Dale meets Hank Thompson," SCOTS have mixed high and low culture for decades, endlessly touring, serving up moonshine martinis and poultry picking for fans everywhere. Now, with their new fifteen song covers collection, Countrypolitan Favorites, they've given the Go-Go country treatment to some of their favorite songs, creating a tasty buffet of tunes from Don Gibson to T-Rex.

"It's a party record," Miller says. As if anything Southern Culture on the Skids might put on tape wouldn't be a party record.

Since 1983, when they formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, SCOTS have played their unique hybrid of Americana, surf, R&B, rockabilly, and swamp pop (the band describes their sound as "toe sucking geek rock - kinda weird, but it feels good when you're doing it"), all the while driving fans into ecstatic, sweat drenched paroxysms of joy. Assisted by his cohorts in white trash renaissance - drummer Dave Hartman and bassist/singer/heartbreaker Mary Huff - Miller and crew have been prolific and ubiquitous for over twenty years. From their 1985 debut Voodoo Beach Party, to the international smash, 1998's Dirt Track Date (featuring the hit single "Camel Walk"), and up to their last studio album, 2004's barnstormer Mojo Box, Southern Culture on the Skids have continued to throw what Rolling Stone dubbed "a hell raising rock and roll party." Their 2005 live outing, Doublewide and Live!, captured all of this on tape, dirty and rough and wild.

"The live album was so raunchy," Miller said, "the production on this one we wanted to be slick."

Recorded at Miller's own studio (The Kudzu Ranch), Countrypolitan Favorites might be slick in spots, but there's no mistaking that this is the same Southern Culture on the Skids who wrote "Eight Piece Box."

"Countrypolitan was an outgrowth of the Nashville sound of the 60's. It was an attempt to go more mainstream and put dents in the pop charts and create more sophisticated tunes - for country jetsetters," Miller says. "It was a deliberate blend of country and pop. I always think it's cool to blur the lines between genres," Miller adds, "But we took the countrypolitan concept a bit further [on Countrypolitan Favorites], adding and subtracting, updating - getting respectfully irreverent, you know, close to the cuff but all mixed up."

And mix it up they did, giving traditional country songs the rock treatment, and vice versa. T-Rex's "Life's a Gas" appears here with country harmonies atop heavy synthesizer; "O Lonesome Me" has an upbeat twist, again with the harmony vocals; "Tobacco Road" sounds like CCR, while CCR's "Tombstone Shadow" gets stacked with three part bluegrass harmonies, and "No Longer a Sweetheart of Mine," originally a bluegrass tune by Reno and Smiley, gets rocked up with surf guitar and honky tonk piano and more harmony vocals. "Funnel of Love" (made famous by Wanda Jackson) is a standout track, featuring Mary Huff's sultry lead vocal, and her duet with Rick on the swingers-on-the-rocks classic, "Let's Invite Them Over" (an Onie Wheeler original), explores the relationship of a couple who don't love each other, but do love their best friends.

"Let's Invite Them Over" is the most thematically correct song on the album, as far as countrypolitan goes," Dr. Miller says. "It's suburban roulette!"

When asked why the "countrypolitan" social phenomenon works so well when put into a musical context, Miller expounded, "It's an overlap of high and low culture. Homogenization, though probably not a good thing, makes for some interesting observations." Sounds like a true academic. But then Dr. Miller added, "But we're not sociologists or anything. I mean, we just want to party."

And so, let us party, with Southern Culture on the Skids' Countrypolitan Favorites.
 

Oliver and Chris Wood grew up in Boulder, Colorado. Sons of a Poet and a Microbiologist, they both took up music. Oliver moved to Atlanta and became a southerner. Chris moved to New York City and became a Yankee. Now, after years of musical and geographical separation they have reunited.

While in Atlanta, Oliver soaked up the roots of blues, the soul of the south, and found he had a talent for writing and singing songs. His band, King Johnson (named after Freddy King and Robert Johnson) toured mostly in the southern states. Meanwhile, Chris was living in Manhattan playing everything from free jazz to rock and roll. This is where he met his band mates to form Medeski Martin & Wood.

Now The Wood Brothers have begun a collaboration that combines their shared childhood influences with everything they've learned since leaving home. Their music has a rootsy feel that blends blues, folk, and rock music in a guitar/bass duo.

In just our fourth year, The Fly Fishing Film Tour has become the fishing entertainment event of the year. The Film Tour will be seen in well over 80 cities in 2010 and will showcase some of the best independent outdoor film makers. The goal of the Fly Fishing Film Tour is to energize the industry and inspire film makers to create new cutting edge films to both entertain and educate outdoor enthusiasts. If you are a film maker, we invite you to submit a film for consideration. If you are a fishing enthusiast or you are just interested in great outdoor entertainment and want to catch the tour in your market, check out the schedule. We look forward to seeing you at a tour stop in 2010!

Some bands insist on dragging listeners into their world, but Carbon Leaf works towards a more admirable and considerably more difficult goal – that of letting perfect strangers feel that the band understands their world. The band succeeds in doing just
that -- and in creating a soundtrack suitable for multiple worlds -- on its third Vanguardrelease, Nothing Rhymes With Woman.

“For me, this is an album that’s focused on growth and maturity, but it’s notdeadly serious,” says front man Barry Privett. “I wanted to examine my life and the lives of my family and friends and do it with a little bit of a wink. The last thing I wanted to do was get all dark and overwrought.”  Privett and his bandmates dodge that pitfall with aplomb on Nothing Rhymes With Woman, the much-anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed 2006 offering Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat. As ever, the quintet -- recently joined by drummer Jason Neal, a veteran of the southeast’s club circuit, and Seattle bassist Jon Markel -- challenge themselves and listeners by steadfastly refusing to retrace old steps, bringing in like-minded collaborators (like Toby Lightman, who brings a burnished tone to her vocal parts on the gritty “Meltdown”) and taking off in plenty of new directions of their own accord.

“What makes us unique is that we never intended to be a band,” admits Frank Backgammon, guitarist and lead singer of The Sammies. “I’d play guitar when I was younger and people would cringe and ask me to stop. I thought I sucked.” It must have come as a pleasant surprise to Backgammon then, that the band’s 2006 debut for MoRisen Records (produced by John Agnello) earned critical praise and landed song placements in the major motion picture Employee of the Month as well as NBC’s “Friday Night Lights.” “When people started asking us to play, and actually came out to shows,”says Backgammon humbly, “I was shocked.”

Yet it’s their live shows that have helped the band develop a rabid fan base. “We could powersmall cities with all the energy that is gathered at our live shows,” says Backgammon. “They’re loud, spastic and at times, semi-possessed.”

It’s that attitude that The Sammies captured on their sophomore effort for MoRisen,appropriately titled Sandwich. Recorded at Mitch Easter’s Fidelitorium, Sandwich draws from the band’s multitude of influences including punk, indie, southern and classic rock. Easter has recorded albums for the likes of R.E.M., Pavement and Wilco and as Backgammon gushes, “We were just smitten to be around a place where the bands we adore worked!”

The brothers’ initial jam sessions took place when Frank was home for long weekends fromschool at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In their earliest incarnation, The Sammies began playing parties including a memorable Fourth of July bash for which the stage was the bed of an old pickup. “We took the money from that and recorded five songs. Then we got our first real gig, and I think we got paid in beer, which was fine by us at the time,” Backgammon says. "Now we get beer and food!"

Looking somewhat like Dracula's nasty little brother who spent some hard years drinking and working as a carnival barker for a second-rate freak show, Unknown Hinson translates that vibe to his style of country and western-tinged psychobilly. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, this red-necked crooner gained regional popularity with a self-produced television show in 1992 and soon was touring nationwide, wowing audiences with his outrageous and campy, white-trash persona and freewheeling, sleazy tone.

Hinson's most recent CD release, "Target Practice". melds weepy twang and searing guitar riffs and lyrics that speak of love-gone-bad and the dark side of the honky-tonk lifestyle. Raucous, theatrical and over-the-top, Unknown Hinson isn't just for the trailer park set anymore! He's toured with Hank3 and Rev. Horton Heat. Billy Bob Thornton names Unknown as one of his favorite songwriters and a genius picker. Matt Groening (the Simpsons) labels Unknown as a guitar maniac (and funny as hell to boot!) Hank3 has Unknown's face tatooed on his bicep! Marty Stuart introduced him as his illegitimate brother at the Ryman in Nashville, and is placing Unknown on the front cover of his upcoming book of personal photographs. Tom Petty came backstage at a Hollywood event to ask Unknown how he gets his "sound".

The Rolling Stones invited him to participate in the soundcheck session for their latest show in Charlotte, NC. Unknown is also gaining notoriety (and fans) as the voice of lead character "Early Cuyler" in the popular new show from Cartoon Network "The Squidbillies". The first season was so well-received that an immediate green light was given to two more seasons.

Moe Lassiz - Guitar, Vox.
Jay Fernandez - Guitar.
Tim Benson - Drums.
Brent Holland - Bass.

If Muddy Waters met Queens of the Stone Age, had a kid then Howlin' Wolf met the Dixie Dregs and had a kid... And by some miracle those kids got it on... well that union would be Lamb Handler...
Well, that's one opinion.

The NC based quartet Lamb Handler have been playing as a band since 2006 but spent several years prior in other groups developing their skills as musicians, performers and most of all songwriters.  In the beginning singer/guitarist Moe Lassiz & guitarist Jay Fernandez wanted to start a project for songs they were working on that didn't fit into the band they were in at the time.  The songs were more stripped down with no fat.  Catchy, fast, danceable tunes that came in with a quick hook and were out before you knew what hit you.

After bringing in the rhythm team of Tim Benson on drums and Brent Holland on bass the four quickly realized Lamb Handler was what they had been working towards as writers and performers.

Members
Stephen Roach - hammered dulcimer, mandolin, percussion, chess, guitar, sing
Jason Windsor - classical, acoustic, baratone and electric guitar, mandolin, tar, percussion
Marta Richardson - violin, 5 string electric violin, shruti box, aux. percussion
Greg Willette - bass, acoustic guitar
Michael Pritchard - drums, percussion, guitar
Luke Skaggs - mandolin, sitar, violin, percussion, other funky stringed things
Sarah Stephens - cello, voice, hacky sack

North Carolina-based group Songs of Water has emerged from the South East with a sound both ancient and modern in an inventive fusion. This six piece ensemble (sometimes 8 piece or more), composed primarily of instrumental music, harbors a wide variety of cultural and stylistic influences. The uncommon use of the Appalachian folk instrument, the hammered dulcimer, melodically leads many of the group’s pieces, followed by the resonance of various acoustic instruments and a brooding foundation of heavy percussion. Combining Band Leader, Stephen Roach’s world music influence with the classical background of violinist Marta Richardson, the Spanish infused guitar of co-founder Jason Windsor, and multi-instrumentation of Greg Willette, Luke Skaggs and Michael Pritchard, Songs of Water creates a unique sound that reaches beyond the common mileu.

Supply and Demand, the second studio album from Philadelphia native Amos Lee, illuminates his growth from emerging singer-songwriter to established recording artist. From the sparse, powerful, family elegy “Long Line of Pain,” to the country-r&b flavored title track, “Supply and Demand,” this album is rich with big league songwriting, compelling musicianship and captivating vocals.

To follow up his well received 2005 debut, Lee retraced his roots, teaming with producer Barrie Maguire, with whom Lee worked on his earliest studio recordings in 2002. Their latest collaboration, recorded between Philadelphia and Los Angeles, showcases Lee’s multifarious writing style with dynamic arrangements and a well suited sonic palate set forth by engineers Shane Smith and Jim Bottari.

When asked if he felt the pressure typically associated with sophomore albums, Lee explained, “People are always asking what’s next, but as a songwriter it can be a bit troubling to get too far ahead of yourself. Most of my life these days is spent either performing songs I’ve already written, thinking about songs that are half finished, or starting new tunes. I’m aware of people’s expectations, but my job is to serve the song, and that’s what I focus on.”

The bulk of the material on this album was penned either backstage, onstage at soundchecks, or in hotel rooms, as Lee and his band have spent the better part of 3 years on the road, sharing the stage with such legendary artists as Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, and John Prine. “When guys like that are sitting at the table, you sometimes don’t even want to touch your fork, but we showed up every night and stood behind the songs the best we could, and for the most part had a good time doing it.”

Lee’s band gives some sizzle to the opening track, “Shout Out Loud,” with drummer Fred Berman, bassist Jaron Olevsky, and guitarist Nate Skiles playing with poise and passion. “The band and I would spend anywhere between 12 to 20 hours a day either working on parts, coming up with arrangements, or just talking about music that we felt might relate to what we were trying to do. I feel very fortunate to be involved with musicians who truly dedicate themselves to their craft.”

The work ethic of this band is apparent, as their intangible, almost innate compliment to Lee creates a splendid atmosphere for these songs to come to life.

In addition to Lee’s touring band, studio musicians Pete Thomas, Greg Liesz, and Chris Joyner added vital and tasteful elements to the recording process. On the soul-stirring “Skipping Stone,” Joyner plays a gorgeous, churchy Hammond B3, setting the stage for one of Lee’s strongest vocal performances. “That was just me and Chris sitting in a room playing together. Me on guitar and singing, him on the organ, we had done a few takes a couple days before, but that night it got right.”

ALL IN ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

Legend has it that an overwhelming majority of new babies in the last four years were born exactly nine months from the date their parents first heard North Carolinarockers,The Noises 10. While this cannot be completely verified, it can be confirmed that the The Noises 10 is only 140 million albums short of outselling The Beatles. The quest for pop dominance continues in 2009 as the band preps for a new album of massive, smash hits.

Jason Scavone had a major decision to make in 2005- continue on the path of the charmed life of a diaper delivery guy or record all the noise that was filling his head as he drove that air-conditionless truck through the southern summer? So he grabbed his friend, Jonathan Erickson, who aptly learned the air drums while building his reputation as a leading area barista and the dream was born. The opportunity to tour the southeast in a van that rarely ran to play for 10s of 20s of fans in every dark and smoke-filled bar that claimed to be where “Hootie got their start” was too much to pass up for longtime friend and locally renown deli sous-chef, John Licare. With Scavone on vocals, guitar and piano, Erickson on drums and Licare on bass, The Noises 10 recorded “There’s An Elephant in the Room” and released its sonic wrath on the world.

By 2007, The Noises 10 had a new “pre-owned” van, a few more tattoos, a bunch of new songs and we’re primed to go bi-coastal. The band recorded several tracks at Barefoot Recording in Hollywood with producer Eric Valentine (forthcoming Slash / All- American Rejects / Queens of the Stone Age). In the fall of 2008, the The Noises 10 selfreleased its latest album “The Hammer, The Anvil, The Stirrup,” and quickly out-charted Nickelback in at least one college town in Indiana… for a few weeks. With influences ranging from Springsteen to Kings of Leon, “The Hammer” is a raucous rock album highlighted by Scavone’s soaring voice, cultivated over years of singing over a diesel engine.

With the recent addition of former Shock Theater front man, Matt Knutson, on guitar and backing vocals, The Noises 10 is venturing out on a series of shows in support of Brandi Carlile and preparing for a fall 2009 recording session of new material for its upcoming album tentatively entitled “The Greatest Hits, Ever.”

Jamaican reggae music is one of the best-known genres of music around the world, uniting people of all countries, all races, and all religions with a sound that is dedicated to searching for the answers to life, to conflict, to humanity, to the world, to love.  There are few artists in this music genre today that are creating the epitome of this artistic insight, professing subjects that are so often glazed over by mainstream music.  Hailing from Washington D.C. – reggae band SOJA is on the forefront of this revolution, telling the roots story, but from the other side: America.  SOJA embodies musicians unlike any other band in any genre of music, to date.  The members: Jacob, Bobby, Ken, Ryan, and Patrick have been a team since childhood with lifelong musical goals, which they are still pursing today.

 Lead singers Jacob Hemphill (vocals, guitar) and Bob Jefferson (bass) met in first grade in Virginia, shortly after Jacob had returned from living in Africa with his family.  The two instantly became best friends, and in middle school found a common love for hip hop and rock music.  Throughout middle and high school, they met Patrick O’Shea (keyboards), Ryan Berty (drums), and Ken Brownell (percussion) – who would later form SOJA.  During this period, reggae music was becoming an addiction for the budding musicians.  Lead singer Jacob shares, “We loved rock and hip hop, but there was something missing in the message. Even with our favorite artists, you would get one song that hit home and touched you, then three that were about nothing.  With our favorite artists in the reggae genre, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, they were singing about something beautiful that truly mattered in every song.  We never really got over it.”

 SOJA’s first album was recorded independently with renowned sound engineer Jim Fox.  Jacob notes, “Jim told us that he would work with us and so we could afford to make our first record, and when we ran out of money he started making up ‘discounts.’  It was awesome. I asked him why a while back, and he said ‘I didn’t want to see a good thing stop.’  What was even crazier was at the time he wasn’t working with bands that were from the US, just Jamaican artists.  Big ones like Black Uhuru, Israel Vibration, Burning Spear, Don Carlos, and Inner Circle.  Jim worked with us independently and recorded, mixed, and mastered the whole thing.  That is how it all started.”  SOJA’s first album, “Soldiers of Jah Army EP” was released at the beginning of 2000.    

 In 2002, SOJA released their first full-length album, “Peace in a Time of War.”  Though the band was young, the album had hits.  “True Love,” “Rasta Courage,” and “Peace in a Time of War” were the first songs to bring the band strong attention nationally and internationally and cement them in the reggae world.  Tours became larger, their fan base expanded rapidly and they grew up smart in the independent music industry.  In 2006, the band released “Get Wiser,” their second full-length album.  The album was a break through for the band, as they explored the duality in their music, combining beautiful, longing melodies with hard drum and bass, and layered with intricate lyrics. SOJA created their musical style with a new complexity and depth that they would carry with them to their future albums.  Jacob shares, “When you listen to an artist you can either have a series of one liners, or you can tell a story with your music.  We set out to tell a story, it's like poetry – dancing around an entire theme, but never putting a period on anything.  It is like the two sides of a coin, but you can see them at the same time.”  “Get Wiser” debuted in the Top 10 Reggae Albums on iTunes and has remained in the top 100 since its release.  Singles off the album including “Open My Eyes, “You Don’t Know Me,” and “Can’t Tell Me” remain in heavy rotation on college radio across the United States, and have also received major radio play internationally in places such as France, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Costa Rica, Mexico, Venezuela, Guam, and Tahiti. The success of “Get Wiser” took the band on three years of intense touring nationally, and internationally.  In 2008 SOJA released their EP “Stars and Stripes.”   They blended new sounds and new rhythms with their existing reggae sound, growing into what SOJA was becoming.  The EP contained three new songs plus remixes and new versions of popular songs.  In early 2009 the band released the documentary DVD “SOJA Live in Hawaii: A Marc Carlini Film,” showcasing the power and energy of their 2008 Hawaiian tour which included four islands, five cameras, four shows, and everything in between.

Like Florida’s state flower, the orange blossom, musician JJ Grey’s songs are fascinating, beautiful, and complex. Both are products of the same ground: the rich, fertile and ancient soil of the Sunshine State. Born and raised just outside of Jacksonville, Florida, Grey comes from a long tradition of Southern musical storytellers and, like the best of the great Southern writers, he fills his songs with details that are at once vivid and personal, political and universal. His multi-textured music overflows with dynamic rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics. From raw funk to deep soul, blues and rock, JJ and his band Mofro deliver devastating live and recorded performances. Debuting in 2001 with BLACKWATER , following up in 2004 with LOCHLOOSA (both albums reissued by Alligator in 2007), Grey steadily built an intensely loyal following. In 2007, with his first Alligator release, COUNTRY GHETTO, Grey reached an even larger audience, doubling both his album sales and his concert attendance. Now, with his new album, ORANGE BLOSSOMS, JJ Grey takes another giant step forward.

ORANGE BLOSSOMS, produced by long-time cohort Dan Prothero and Grey, was recorded in north Florida and boasts some of Grey’s most profound and moving music to date. The album features 12 songs (including 11 Grey originals) inspired by Grey’s life experiences and visionary observations. With long-time friend and guitarist Daryl Hance, bassist/organist Adam Scone, drummer Anthony Cole, and the Hercules Horns of saxophonist Art Edmaiston and trumpeter Dennis Marion, Grey moves effortlessly from gospel-tent fervor to Southern-fried rockers to deeply emotional soul. ORANGE BLOSSOMS is a groove-driven masterpiece fueled by JJ’s gritty, smoldering vocals and intense, funk-infused guitar and keyboard work.
JJ Grey’s songs blend front porch realism with the best musical and literary traditions of the South. Whether it is a narrative passed down to him from his grandmother or the tribulations of a childhood friend, Grey’s ear for detail rings through in true storytelling fashion. His voice delivers with an unflinching strength that makes the personal universal and paints a vivid portrait of an exact time or place. Like his songs, Grey’s rich, soulful vocals are forceful and commanding, seemingly wise and experienced beyond his years.

Grey's songwriting influences are widespread. "I listen to people who tell the story," he says, naming Muddy Waters, Stevie Wonder, Tony Joe White, Jerry Reed, Otis Redding, Dr. John, Sly & The Family Stone, Van Morrison, Bill Withers and Dan Penn. What these writers and performers have in common is a love for simplicity and the ability to evoke complex emotions with a minimal number of words and notes. As a performer, Grey is influenced by the sexually charged blues of Howlin' Wolf, the country soul of George Jones, the hard funk of James Brown, and the smooth R&B of Donny Hathaway, as well as local personalities like street preachers and radio disc jockeys of his youth.

The Bounce and Beauty of Burlesque...
by Big Mamma D

Long ago, in a galaxy far far away...(Oh Wait! That's the wrong story.)

Burlesque came about in a time just before the turn of the century (the 19th century). Women were seeking independence from being male possesions. The lower and upper social classes were divided so greatly that there was barely any middle class to speak of (sound familiar?). People were either rich and priviledged or poor and seeking freedom through satire, entertainment and anything other than a drab boring daily life.

Enter Stage Right, the Burlesque show! At first it was the earliest vaudville style acts which included song and dance and satire, humor and wit and maybe a few dancing girls. Shows leaned more towards live entertainment and sweeping away the audience for a couple of hours of sketch comedy and wonderous acts. Burlesque was originally a form of art that mocked by imitation, referring to everything from comic sketches to dance routines and usually lampooning the social attitudes of the upper classes. It was often ridiculous in that it imitated several styles, and combined imitations of authors and artists with absurd descriptions. In this, the term was often used interchangeably with "pastiche," "parody," Possibly due to historical social tensions between the upper classes and lower classes of society, much of the humor and entertainment focused on lowbrow and ribald subjects. The popularity of these shows, and their audiences, grew.

The girls of burlesque originally started fully clothed...and stayed that way. The bounce came from a lack of the heavy undergarments of the time. What girl can really dance in a corset, bustle, bloomers, stockings, chemise, slip, underskirt, and full dress over it all with hat and high heels?? Necessity lead to the Burlesque girl. Scandelous behavior such as showing their ankles brought the men into the theatre. But of course most just read it for the articles...err..came to the show for the satire and comedy. Yeah, that's it.

TODD SNIDER SOLVES YOUR ECONOMIC WOES WITH ‘THE EXCITEMENT PLAN,’ NEW ALBUM PRODUCED BY DON WAS, OUT now!!!

He’s taken on Conservative Christians, hippies, Republicans, and frat boys. Now “country’s conscience” (Spin, August 2006) and “top wiseass” (Blender, August 2006) Todd Snider shows us how to get through this economic crisis with ‘The Excitement Plan’ (out June 9th on Yep Roc). The album features GRAMMY-winning producer Don Was (Bob Dyan, Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt) and a guest appearance by Loretta Lynn.

‘The Excitement Plan’ is “an old gypsy term” Snider adopted from his father. He explains, “I know right now that times are hard for all of us and that new songs from a folk singer are not at the top of so many grocery lists but these twelve songs are different. These twelve songs can be part of your solution. Just give them a chance. Take them in. Use 'em to help you appreciate your girl if you still got one, and/or your job if you still got one. Trust them, trust me and I promise you as god is my witness sometime here in the next sixty to ninety days we will be layin 'em in the sweet peas.”

THE EXCITEMENT PLAN TRACK LIST

1. SLIM CHANCE

2. GREENCASTLE BLUES

3. AMERICA’S FAVORITE PASTIME

4. DOLL FACE

5. BRING 'EM HOME

6. CORPUS CHRISTI BAY [by Robert Earl Keen]

7. THE LAST LAUGH

8. UNORGANIZED CRIME

9.  BAREFOOT CHAMPAGNE

10. DON’T TEMPT ME featuring Loretta Lynn

11. MONEY, COMPLIMENTS, PUBLICITY (SONG NUMBER TEN)

12. GOOD FORTUNE

Todd Snider is a renegade storyteller who crafts songs about the everyday man and truthful observations of society with trademark wit. His last full-length album 2006’s ‘The Devil You Know’ landed in numerous year-end top 10 critics lists including Spin, Blender and Rolling Stone, as well as his first career appearances on Late Show w/ David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Our "fun and energetic" music encourages an uplifting syncopation. The Pop/Rock/Reggae fused with Latin Rhythms combination entices virgin ears to stop and listen. A mix between Cafe Tacuba, Ozomatli, Manu Chao, Santana and Dave Mathews Band, make the music experience a treat to anyone in presence.

Family friendly to all ages and groups, our music is funky, rhythmically catchy and vibrant. Our instrumentation is powerful, skillful and relieving. We are musically influenced by jazz, Latin, rock and reggae backgrounds. Influential bands range from domestic to international bands. The collections of different cultures, ultimately, collide to form the Tropic Culture Band.

NEWS FLASH:

"Best Latin Showcase Artist 2008" by Charlotte Music Awards.

Our Song " Its Called Love" Made it the Creative Loafing "Homebrew" compilation CD 2008.

Our Song "Eliminate The Hate" made it to the Indezonic Radio Vol. 1 Compilation CD 2009.

It takes courage to release the security of the familiar and embrace change. After five years of touring and establishing themselves as "the most important folk group to emerge from Boston since the early 60's"(Boston Globe), Crooked Still announced that cellist Rushad Eggleston would leave the group in November of 2007. The solid foundation they built as a group earned them invitations from huge events like the historic Newport and Telluride Festivals and numerous rave reviews from publications like USA Today and Interview Magazine. Crooked Still was now on the cusp of a new musical chapter.

The quintet became five with the addition of fiddler Brittany Haas and cellist Tristan Clarridge. Lead vocalist Aoife O'Donovan told No Depression magazine, "When you're in a quartet, and one of your members who's been a huge creative part of your sound decides to leave, it definitely crosses your mind to just not do it. But we had spent five years building a name for ourselves. And if you look at almost every band that's successful, there's been line-up changes."

If the first album from the new line-up is any indication, success for this young band will be explosive. Crooked Still continues to perform one of the most compelling forms of alternative bluegrass and string band music today.

The new five-member band converged to mingle their creative processes at Allaire, a studio in upstate New York, with producer Eric Merrill for Still Crooked. The album, to be released on the Signature Sounds on June 24, 2008, balances unknown traditional material with three new tunes from the band, along with "Did You Sleep Well?" by fellow old time musician Nathan Taylor and a Mississippi John Hurt standard. The entire album was recorded "live" in one big room, with everyone playing together. Merrill captured most songs in one or two takes. "I was outside in the hallway, because my voice is so quiet," O'Donovan says. "Recording live, you don't have an option to overdub; that always makes a better album."

With Haas and Clarridge, the band has proven themselves to be even more adventurous, breathing their cosmic fire into old songs. "When Rushad left, we wanted to move in new directions," O'Donovan says. "Brittany adds another female presence to the band; I can hear my voice in her fiddling. Tristan has a refined cello tone, with a powerful, restrained energy. They bring a fresh outlook to the arrangements that keeps the music exciting."

One of Chicago’s most exciting new bands, On The Run, has steadily developed a loyal fan base that can best be described as rabid. Packing venues up and down the east coast and of course in their hometown, the band seamlessly blends genres and touches audiences of all age groups and walks of life. A combination of skilled songwriting and a stage show that you will not soon forget, has earned On the Run invitations to play at some of the nations most esteemed venues including Chicago's "The Metro" and NYC's "Webster Hall" among many others.

Their sound can best be described as a unique blend of soulful vocals, thoughtful, attention grabbing guitar riffs complimented with a tight, pocket oriented rhythm section - all accented by the group’s saxophonist. This volatile combination, combined with On the Run's attention to detail and dynamics makes for danceable, yet all the while emotional music. On The Run has been recognized for unabashedly tackling difficult subjects and feel good music alike to reflect the whole range of human emotion.

Rock, Roots, Reggae, Blues; the band does them all a service without overplaying any one genre. They are in some respects a jam band, but know how to employ song structure and refuse to let lyrical content fall by the wayside. Ultimately, it seems that On the Run has taken the stylistics and musicality that have worked for many of the greats in the past; and have made it their own. The result is a sound that is new and refreshing, yet nostalgic at the same time.
 

OF THE BLUE COLOUR OF THE SKY

Infamous Stringdusters

Stringdusters represent the cream of the crop of young bluegrass musicians. With Andy Hall on Resonator Guitar, Travis Book on bass, Chris Pandolfi on banjo, Jesse Cobb on mandolin, Jeremy Garrett on fiddle and Andy Falco on guitar, the band pulls together skill and experience well beyond their years. They boast a combined resume that includes collaborations with artists like Dolly Parton, Leftover Salmon, Earl Scruggs, Bering Strait, Ronnie Bowman and Levon Helm. Their Sugar Hill debut, Fork In The Road, was one of the most highly acclaimed bluegrass releases of 2007. It has been praised by fans of traditional bluegrass and newgrass alike, proving that the young Nashville-based band offers something for everyone. The disc features a diverse selection from the Stringdusters vast repertoire, with hard driving original instrumentals like 40 West along with more contemporary arrangements like Tragic Life The band has performed at some of the country’s biggest acoustic music festivals (including Telluride Bluegrass, Merlefest, Grey Fox, and many more) as well as large concert halls, intimate clubs, and everything in between.

Untangling the threads of the Infamous Stringdusters origin is nearly impossible, thanks to the breadth of professional associations and friendships that brought its members together in various combinations. Still, a few highlights are worth noting, from the joint tenure that Andy Hall, Jeremy Garrett and Jesse Cobb shared in three time IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Ronnie Bowmans band, The Committee, to the initial encounter between Hall and Chris Pandolfi in Boston, where Hall had graduated from the Berklee School of Music not long before Pandolfi became the first student there admitted with the banjo as his principal instrument, to the lengthy search that resulted in Colorado jamgrass mainstay Travis Books joining the band, and the old friendships that led them to Andy Falco. Indeed, the six musicians resumes cut a swath across the bluegrass mainstream and beyond:

The Band
Todd Sheaffer
Lead vocals, acoustic guitars

Tim Carbone
Violin, vocals

John Skehan
Mandolin, vocals

Andy Goessling
Acoustic guitars, banjo, dobro, mandolin, flute, pennywhistle, saxophones and vocals

Carey Harmon
Drums, hand percussion, vocals

Andrew Altman
Upright bass

There’s a great scene in The Last Waltz – the documentary about The Band’s final concert – where director Martin Scorsese is discussing music with drummer/singer/mandolin player Levon Helm. Helm says, “If it mixes with rhythm, and if it dances, then you’ve got a great combination of all those different kinds of music: country, bluegrass, blues music, show music…”

To which Scorsese, the inquisitive interviewer, asks, “What’s it called, then?”

“Rock & roll!”

Clearly looking for a more specific answer, but realizing that he isn’t going to get one, Marty laughs. “Rock & roll…”

Well, that’s the way it is sometimes: musicians play music, and don’t necessarily worry about where it gets filed. It’s the writers, record labels, managers, etc., who tend to fret about what “kind” of music it is.

And like The Band, the members of Railroad Earth aren’t losing sleep about what “kind” of music they play – they just play it. When they started out in 2001, they were a bunch of guys interested in playing acoustic instruments together. As Railroad Earth violin/vocalist Tim Carbone recalls, “All of us had been playing in various projects for years, and many of us had played together in different projects. But this time, we found ourselves all available at the same time.”

Acoustic guitar/lead vocalist Todd Sheaffer continues, “When we started, we only loosely had the idea of getting together and playing some music. It started that informally; just getting together and doing some picking and playing. Over a couple of month period, we started working on some original songs, as well as playing some covers that we thought would be fun to play.” Shortly thereafter, they took five songs from their budding repertoire into a studio and knocked out a demo in just two days. Their soon-to-be manager sent that demo to a few festivals, and – to the band’s surprise – they were booked at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival before they’d even played their first gig. This prompted them to quickly go in and record five more songs; the ten combined tracks of which made up their debut album, “The Black Bear Sessions.”

That was the beginning of Railroad Earth’s journey: since then, they’ve released two more studio albums on the largely bluegrass imprint, Sugar Hill Records (2002’s “Bird In A House” and 2004’s “The Good Life”). They’ve also amassed a huge and loyal fanbase that follows them from show to show, taking advantage of the band’s liberal taping policy. But RRE bristle about being lumped into any one “scene.” Not out of animosity for any other artists: it’s just that they don’t find the labels very useful. As Carbone points out, “We use unique acoustic instrumentation, but we’re definitely not a bluegrass band – so that doesn’t fit. And I think the term ‘jam bands’ probably refers more to the fans than to the bands. I think these fans just like live music.”

Railroad Earth certainly thrives in a live setting – Their last album, “Elko,” recorded live in the spring of 2005, is easy proof of that – and they can, in fact, jam. Improvisation is certainly one of the RRE’s big strengths. But what really sets them apart is the strength of their songwriting – it was the strength of those first five songs that got them on the bill at Telluride. And they’ve only gotten better since then.

Indeed, Railroad Earth’s music is driven by the remarkable songs of front-man, Todd Sheaffer, and is delivered with seamless arrangements and superb musicianship courtesy of all six band members. As mandolin player John Skehan points out, “Our M.O. has always been that we can improvise all day long, but we only do it in service to the song. There are a lot of songs that, when we play them live, we adhere to the arrangement from the record. And other songs, in the nature and the spirit of the song, everyone knows we can kind of take flight on them.” Sheaffer continues: “The songs are our focus, our focal point, they give the improvisation a starting point. The jams sort of ‘comment’ on the songs, and give them color. Some songs lend themselves to improvisation. They ‘want’ to be approached that way - where we can explore and trade musical ideas and open them up to different territories. But sometimes it is what the song is about.”

When the band does elect to “comment” on a song via an extended improvisation, they really cook – and have received the approval of no less than Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh, who knows a thing or two about jamming. In fact, Mr. Lesh even used the RRE members as the “Friends” in his Phil & Friends band, and learned to play some of RRE’s repertoire, blowing the group’s collective mind.

So: they can jam with the best of them, but they’re not a jam band. They’re bluegrass influenced, but they use drums and amplifiers (somewhat taboo in the bluegrass world). What kind of music is it then? Mandolin/vocalist John Skehan offers this semi-descriptive term: “I always describe it as a string band, but an amplified string band with drums.” Tim Carbone takes a swing: “We’re a Country & Eastern band! ” Todd Sheaffer offers “A souped-up string band? I don’t know. I’m not good at this.” Or, as a great drummer/singer/mandolin player with an appreciation for Americana once said: “Rock & roll!”
 

Breaking up is hard to do. But staying together is nearly impossible. The average marriage lasts about 6 years and 95% of new businesses fail within five years. Twenty years of anything, especially Jackopierce, an acoustic duo that got its start playing fratparties in the late 80's, is hard to believe. Add-in the fact that Jack O'Neill and Cary Pierce did not speak for nearly 5 years before reuniting in 2002 makes 20 years a downright miracle.

To celebrate their 2 decades together (and apart), Jackopierce will release a new CD, Promise of Summer, on August 12. The 11-song disc contains 10 brand-new songs and includes a remake of the JP classic, “March”. The album will be available for digital download in mid-July on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster and most other digital sites. CDs are available now for pre-order through www.jackopierce.com.

Promise of Summer is full of all the things that hundreds-of-thousands of fans have loved about this duo: gorgeous harmonies, acoustic guitars and songs that take you somewhere else.

The songs range from acoustic pop, (the title-track, “Promise of Summer”), to Mellencamp-tinged country-rock (“Everything I'm Not”). Heartache is ever-present on a Jackopierce record. Songs like “Come On July” and “I Gotta Know” find Jack O'Neill drawing from the same muse that gave fans songs like “Late Shift,” “My Time” and “Wildflower.” But Jack's longing for his once home state of Texas produced one of the standout tracks from the CD. “Texas” is one of those songs that sounds so familiar, it’s as if you've been listening to it for years. When Jack sings “If I could just get back to Texas - if I could hold you in my arms tonight - the way we used to do when we were young and restless,” it just takes the listener to another place.

After working with some of the biggest producers in the business including T Bone Burnett (Counting Crows, Wallflowers), Stan Lynch (Don Henley, Mavericks), John Alagia (John Mayer, Jason Mraz), amongst others, Jack suggested that Cary take the helm.

“Cary has been producing for almost 15 years,” says O'Neill from his home in New York City. “It started with Jack Ingram's first record when we were all at SMU (in Dallas). He's become quite a craftsman - both in writing and producing. I'm proud to have his name on there. He does great work and no one knows the Jackopierce sound better than Cary. Plus,” Jack chuckles, “he cut us a deal!”

“The best part about producing this record,” says Pierce from his Dallas home, “is that I'm a Jack O'Neill fan. He's a great writer. “My Time,” “March,” “Iron John,” “Late Shift” - man! And new songs like “I Gotta Know'”, “Come on July” and “Texas” are awesome! He's got an old soul. He's from a huge, Irish, military family from Pittsburgh. There's just a depth to him that no one can really get to.”

A real surprise treat for longtime fans of the band is a fully produced version of the JP classic “March.” “It's definitely one of Jack's best songs,” says Pierce. “We really wanted to showcase that song in a way that would draw new folks to it. The lyrics are amazing and timeless. Jack is a 3rd generation Army kid. I think he's read every war book ever written. The lyrics 'every generation makes the same mistakes, but still we send our sons away to do the same' are universal. Almost everyone can relate to that in some way.”

Stage Door Theater
Corner of 5th and College
Charlotte, NC


Eric Taylor is a sage musician, a lyrical genius and a master of the guitar. If you're familiar with the intricate Texas singer/ songwriter jigsaw puzzle, you probably already know a lot about Taylor. If you're not familiar with Taylor by name, you've probably heard his songs performed by people such as Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett. He has created a multitude of fans and devotees that are legends themselves in the singer/songwriter realm, artists who have long considered Taylor to be a teacher and a lantern bearer whose time is long overdue.

"To say that Eric Taylor is one of the finest writers of our time, would be an understatement," Nanci Griffith says. "If you miss an opportunity to hear Eric Taylor, you have missed a chance to hear a voice I consider the William Faulkner of songwriting in our current time." Griffith has recorded several of Taylor's songs, including "Deadwood," "Storms," "Dollar Matinee" and "Ghost in the Music," which they wrote together. Lyle Lovett, who recorded Taylor's "Memphis Midnight/Memphis Morning," and with whom Taylor co-wrote the immensely popular "Fat Babies," compares Taylor's narrative voice to that of Bruce Springsteen. Iain Matthews claims, "Once you become a Taylor fanatic, it gives one immense joy and pride to be able to enlighten others to the man's work."

Don't miss Eric Taylor live on stage in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rounder Records recording artist Carrie Newcomer is a rare breed of singer/songwriter: the kind who illuminates life with startling depth, humor and clarity. Her ability for sharp observation of the world led the Dallas Morning News to rave, "She's the kind of artist whose music makes you stop, think and then say, 'that is so true'." Mining what is true, Newcomer's latest release, Before and After is a multi-layered work that invites the listener to slow down and reflect on the experiences that have changed and shaped our lives. Praised by Billboard as a "soaring songstress," Newcomer is an acclaimed musician who continues to create music from her uniquely spiritual and poignant take on the world. Before and After is no exception, highlighting Newcomer's ability to blend her rich alto with a poetic lyricism on a skillfully arranged and performed collection of folk roots tracks, with Appalachian and classical influences.

Don't miss Carrie Newcomer live on stage in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Richard Thompson and Loudon Wainwright III, long time friends and collaborators commence their first ever North American tour together for the 2009 / 2010 season. While they have performed and recorded together intermittently over the years, this will be their first full scale North American tour together. Be prepared for a once in a lifetime concert event when they join forces on the same bill.

Rolling Stone proclaimed Richard Thompson "the greatest guitarist in British folk rock" and one of the World's Top 20 Guitarists. He has also been honored with a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award. The 1994 compilation, "Beat The Retreat," featured Los Lobos, X, David Byrne, Bonnie Raitt, REM, The Blind Boys of Alabama and more all recording his songs in a living tribute to his songwriting.

Loudon Wainwright III's songs, covered by artists from Johnny Cash and Earl Scruggs to son, Rufus, span diverse extremes of emotion. Loudon has also maintained an ongoing acting career from episodes on MASH to sharing the screen with Robert DeNiro and Ed Harris (Jacknife) to recent work with Martin Scorcese (The Aviator), Tim Burton (Big Fish), Cameron Crowe (Elizabethtown) and Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, and Undeclared). Loudon combined careers in the film "28 Days" as both actor and singer, while also acting in and collaborating on the soundtrack for "Knocked Up".

Presented Inconjuction with NCBPAC and Maxx Music

In an endless sea of rock and pop formats, The Moody Blues have distinguished themselves through four decades as that shimmering jewel vindicating rock music as a substantial artistic contribution to Western culture. Since the 60’s, as a part of the historic original British invasion of Supergroups, The Moody Blues have lit up the hearts and minds of millions of rock fans with inspiring anthems like “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon and “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band),” that express universal themes of love, compassion and peace. The band’s unique style of music consistently finds airplay on radio stations globally and continues to illuminate concert arenas around the world. From being immortalized on The Simpsons to having their music featured in movies, television and in such national advertisement campaigns as this year’s TV ad for VISA featuring “Tuesday Afternoon,” The Moody Blues are embedded in not only music history but in pop culture. Since they first hit the rock scene with the release of their monumental 1967 album Days of Future Passed, The Moody Blues have continued to produce music that bridges the gap between classical and pop-rock genres without ever wavering in their integrity and commitiment. Featuring the altruistic inflections of guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward, bassist/vocalist John Lodge and drummer Graeme Edge, The Moody Blues’ sound has held its ground with exquisite harmonies over and over again, in a genre of music that is ever-changing. Since their formation in England, The Moody Blues have created music time and time again that offers rock music a depth that is unprecedented and inspiring. presented in conjunction with maxx music and NCBPAC Don't miss The Moody Blues live on stage in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Presented by NCBPAC inconjunction with Visulite Theatre and Maxx Music