Voodoo Music Experience

I just received an application for a press pass for the Voodoo Music Experience that's held in New Orleans over the Halloween weekend. It doesn't get as much notice as the Jazz Fest, but it three days of big name music and a lot of local acts. Over the last few years the Voodoo Fest has made a big effort to bring in a lot of local musicians to play as well as the national ones. The French Quarter Fest actually gave me a press pass this year. Yea, it's a free event so they weren't out any money but it was still kind of cool wearing a badge for press around the show. I'd like to cover the Voodoo Show for Voices to hear so I'm hoping that they'll give me a press pass. Not really expecting them to, since my site is very small and they get a lot of big time media to cover it, but I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Tired But Feeling Great

Last year was a year sorely missing in the amount of live music I attended.  I'm not sure why, but for me there was little in the way of live music.  After spending the day at the French Quarter Fest I have to wonder why.  I have to make sure this year I get out to as much live music as I can.  There's just a feeling that comes over me when I'm listening to a musician sing live, all my troubles and problems are forgotten at least for the time being and it's the next best thing to being transported to anther world.  Saying that I have to admit that I am exhausted right now, I hopped around from stage to stage for most of the day before settling in for the long haul with Brian Stolz and Anders Osborne.  I'll post more and plan to do a lot more on Voices to hear (and pics)!  For now I'm going to bed.

Next Monday

Next Monday I'll be a guest of Vinnie from The Big Leather Couch on his internet radio show. We'll be joined by some other great people that probably know more than me about music and we're going to talk about one of my favorite subjects, music. So stop by and listen.

The Best Albums of 2009

Over at my music site, Voices to hear I've made a list of what I consider the top ten albums of 2009.  Now since that site is about talent deserving more recognition I have omitted any of the more established, bigger acts.  So you won't find Green Day or U2, but you will find what I think are ten albums that were very good this past year.

Contest at Voices to Hear

I'm having my first contest over at Voices to hear. You can win a copy of Assembly of Dust's newest album. The more I hear of this group, the more I am liking them. Their new album is full of guest stars like Bela Fleck, Richie Havens and Theresa Andersson. Go over to Voices to hear and check it out and take a chance to win.

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New Look over at Voices to hear

I've spent the weekend behind this desk and staring at the computer screen and typing and typing away. For what you ask? I've completely resdesigned the look of my music site Voices to hear. Please go check it out and let me know what you think.

Jazz Fest

I've posted a bunch of pictures from my one day at Jazz Fest over at Voices to hear. Go check them out and let me know what you think. There's only so many ways you can take a picture of an artist performing on stage, I tried to make it at least interesting.

Voices to hear

It's been awhile since I did much posting over at my music site Voices to hear. Well I'm going to make up for that now. If you haven't checked it out give it a try. I'm trying to highlight musical artists at this site that you don't hear a lot of. I do profiles on them, record reviews and I have an interview called Simply Six where I ask as many artists as I can get ahold of the same six question. I've had Matthew Ryan, Shannon McNally, Susan Cowsill, Brian Stoltz, Tristan Prettyman and a lot of others answer. It's a fun little interview.

I've also just written a post entitled "CDs vs. Digital" which was partly inspired by some writing on here about the two forms of music.

If you like muisc I hope you'll like this site. If you check it out check out some of the artists that I've spotlighted or interviewed. I try to include a link to their MySpace page and a place to get some of their music. New Music needs our support.

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Voices to hear is Back!

It's been over a month since I've done any posting over at Voices to hear, but I'm back with a new Simply Six post with the singer/rocker Lennon. Lennon is a talented musician that is, yes, named after John Lennon. Her first album "5:30 Saturday Morning" was released on Sept 11, 2001. Her newest album is "Damaged Goods" and is a rock and roll record with lots of attitude.


Where Do I Fit In? | Music Codes

A Little Bragging

I just discovered that Amanda Shaw, the talented fiddle player and singer that I've talked about more than once on these pages has a quote from me from my Voices to hear site on her web page. Sorry I just have to brag a little, I've never had someone use anything of mine as a quote on their page before. Pretty cool if I do say so my self.

Voices to hear book Out

I know I haven't been posting very much lately, but I actually have been busy. Well, busier than normal with work and everything else. I've just published a Voices to hear book. As some of you are aware I also publish another blog called Voices to hear, about music and artists in need of more promotion. The book is a collection of the posts from the blog and some new stuff and a lot of pictures. It's done in standard landscape edition, 10 x 8 and has 116 pages. I'm going to put a link on the sidebar for anyone interested in checking it out and maybe buying a copy. It's a POD, which is Print on demand, which mean the site prints a copy only when someone orders one. Go click on the link and it'll give you a 15 page preview. I think it turned out really well.

Interview with Susan Cowsill

This actually is over on my VOICES TO HEAR page but since Susan Cowsill is my Artist of the Month over here I thought I'd reprint it here.

Susan Cowsill is one of the biggest undiscovered talents out there. I really cannot believe she is not bigger than she is. The interview is a format that I use over at VOICES TO HEAR where I ask artists the same six questions. I've gotten responses from such artists as Brian Stotz, Toby Lightman, Shannon McNally and a bunch of others that are on the site now, with more to come.

Now to the interview:

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

Yes, it was MY first performance on the Ed Sullivan show three years after seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan!


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

My all time favorite women singer/songwriter is Karla Bonnoff,,,,,I also love U2,,,,Wiskey Town featuring Ryan Adams...But my all time fav record is Richard Harris singing Jimmy Webbs music


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

Playing for the first time at our home town bar The Carrollton Station in New Orleans after having been evacuated for four months. We were the first band to come home, and I believe the first band to play at the club since the storm. It was the most meaningful night of music I have ever played to the most loving and "in need audience" I have ever played for in all my years as a preformer.


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

Absolutley it can,,,It has! Just look at Bono,,,Farm Aid....George Harrisons Bangledesh.



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

Oh my god!!!!! How hasn't it changed it? The industry I mean. My music?? Not at all. My music, all of our music is unchangeable , it is simply music, our emotions expressed in lyric and sound,,,,,,yeah, thats my answer.


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

Oh this is an easy one, but can I be more than one pair??? Ok. First I am a pair of desert boots with the laces up the front, then I am a pair of fluffy but raelly worn in slippers, preferably velvet outside and lamby fur inside and lastly and mostly,,I am no shoe at all.

Jazz Fest Round Up

I'm posting most of my pictures and round-up of Jazz Fest over at Voices to hear. Click above to go check it out. I'll probably post a few words and pictures over here about Jazz Fest, but the majority will be over at the music blog. I hope everyone goes and checks it out, it needs readers.

Interviews and more Interviews

Over at VOICES TO HEAR I have a feature called Simply Six. Pretty much it's a short interview I came up with to email various singers and songwriters. And like the name implies it consists of six questions. The questions are as follows:

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?
2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?
3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?
4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?
5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?
6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

I've sent these questions out to a bunch of artists over the last week. I've started getting back answers. My first interview that I posted was with one of my favorite performers, Shannon McNally. The next one I posted was with another local artist Maggie Brown.

I've got more in the can waiting, from Toby Lightman to promises of ones from Susan Cowsill and Lily Holbrook and more. I'll be posting them every week and hopefully continue to get more as I run through the ones I have.

Go check the answers out, I think the questions are pretty cool and the answers are even better.

Voice to Hear

It's been awhile since I mentioned one of my other blogs, VOICES TO HEAR. I haven't been keeping it as current as I'd like, but lately I've gotten better. The tagline for this blog is "The Best Music You've Never Heard." I like to spotlight an artist that isn't that well known and try to bring a little more attention to said artist. This past week I talked about the folk/rock group from Australia the Waifs.

If you interested in some good music and maybe discovering some great new talent give the blog a try. I think you'll like it.

Over at Voices to hear this week's spotlight is Alexa Ray Joel. I saw her last year at Jazz Fest and was very impressed with her. That's a pic of me and her after the show.

The Spotlight for this week's Voices to hear is Carrie Rodriquez. Last week we talked about Amanda Shaw. Go check the site out and read more.

Becky Barksdale

Somehow this artist had slipped through my radar, I had purchased her first album years ago after hearing a track on a House of Blues compilation album and instantly falling in love with her sound, but afterwards I somehow lost track of her. Going through my old cds looking for what I wanted to download to the Ipod I saw the album and instantly remembered. I loved this album when it first came out, I can't believe I lost track of her.

The album I have is Becky's first album, Real Live. Since than she's released two more cds, Cowgirl Blues and Out of the Blue. Becky is from Port Arthur Texas, home of the legendary Janis Joplin. She started performing at the age of 16 and at one point played with Canned Heat. During his Dangerous tour she was the lead guitarsit for Michael Jackson.

She's currently working on a new album. You can bet that I'm going to be on the lookout for this one. And she's going to be a Spotlight on my site Voices to hear. The song is "Satisify Me" the song I heard from the HOB album and fell in love with.

The Best Music From 2007

I've started a list of some of the best music from the past year over at VOICES TO HEAR. It's going to be a continuing list of albums over the month, so keep checking it out. I plan to write over here about some of the albums from the past year that didn't fit into the format over at that site.

VOICES TO HEAR

I have added a few new Spotlights over on the Voices to hear page. I Spotlight the gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama and Country singer Kelly Willis. Go over and check them out. I've got a lot of new features planned for this site and hope that people check some of these great artists.