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Archive for January, 2010

Dreamspider Publicity and Events wants to let you all know about Scout66.com,  a premiere site for live concert reviews from the most decisive component in the performing arts – the audience. Never before has the relationship between the audience and performer been so important. This is a back to the future concept, a grassroots movement empowering the audience and the performer, prolifically illustrating that indie music is for all ages and all styles of music.This is a great site to get information in artist tour dates, shows by state, shows by genre, and live reviews by the audience!

Scout66.com is also now linked up with ArtistData.com, which if you are a touring musician, you may already have found to be an invaluable resource for distributing your artist news and tour dates.

It is easy to link up your artist data account to feed to Scout66. Just register for a free Scout66.com account as an artist, reviewer, or venue. Then as soon as you register an ID code will be given to you to plug into your Artist Data account and activate. If you are not yet on Artist Data, now is a great time to sign up. Both sites have great tech support and are easy to use.

Scout66.com can also be found on Twitter as @Scout66com and also has a new blog with a great post titled “Music is a State of Being

Artist Data can also be found on Facebook/ ArtistData, Twitter as @ArtistData, and through the Artist Data Blog. Check out Artists Data’s blog welcoming scout.66.com to the network.

Here’s a message direct from Scout:

Wow, a lot of new musicians have signed up to use Scout! This is great as it helps build the online community of musicians who’ve been with us for a while, and supports everyone’s efforts. The more shows, reviews, and artists who participate, the more successful everyone will be. Active participation is required for music to survive.

Scout was designed to fill the void where media can no longer afford to review live performance. And isn’t it much more satisfying to have several people write about your performance than just one who may or may not tell you something good? Scout is an independent impartial archive you can recommend new venues go to read what people have to say about you, your music, and your performance.

There are many ways in which to engage your audience using Scout. Here are a few we know are successful:

Make full size copies of the Scout logo to have at your merchandise table. It’s a great conversation piece and educates your fans where to write reviews for you.

Include the Scout logo on your website with a link, so fans just drop in on Scout and write a few kind words about what your music means to them.

Add the Scout logo to all your correspondence to fans, whether it’s email, postcards, included in links on Twitter, LinkedIn, Myspace, Facebook or any other way you keep in touch with fans.

Ask your audience from the stage to contribute to your career by writing a little bit about everything they heard, saw, and felt during your performance.

If you need technical assistance email TJ@ravennainteractive.com

Scout

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The Believers sing “Higher Ground” at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on 28 Jan. 2010. Joined by Tara Nevins, Dave McCracken, Jay Sanders and Vic Stafford of Donna the Buffalo.

www.myspace.com/thebelieversmusic

Video by Chuck Allen

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Here’s a performance of Donna the Buffalo’s “Movin’ On” shot at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. It was filmed on January 28, 2010 for Mountain Xpress. The video was shot and edited entirely by Jesse Ham. Enjoy!

The Mountain Xpress Reports on DtB

www.mountainx.com

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By Stratton Lawrence, Special to The Post and Courier
Thursday, January 28, 2010

After 20 years performing together as co-leaders of Donna the Buffalo, Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins’ onstage banter often could be mistaken for the playful chiding one might hear between a married couple, long after the honeymoon phase is over.

The musical pair has no romantic past, but the band’s honeymoon rolls on year after year. “Silverlined,” released in 2008, garnered the Americana/zydeco/roots band playtime on the GAC cable channel for the music video “Locket and Key.”

In 2009, Nevins added to the Upstate New York band’s famously faithful fanbase (“The Herd”) by touring with BK3, the side project of the Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann, on backing vocals and fiddle. They’ve recently toured with Little Feat, and 2010’s schedule includes dates with Hot Tuna and Railroad Earth and stops at popular festivals such as MerleFest, Suwannee Springfest, and LEAF.

“We’ve been lucky to have an audience that likes what we do,” says Puryear.

The band supports taping and sharing of their live show recordings, and The Herd comes out en masse to Donna the Buffalo’s own homegrown festivals, Shakori Hills in North Carolina and Grassroots in New York. And these days, almost no one ever mistakenly addresses Tara as ‘Donna.’ “Less and less, thank god,” she laughs.

But after two decades on the road, how well do Puryear and Nevins really know each other? Preview put them to the test with a classic Newlyweds-style round of cross-questioning.

Q: What song has Jeb/Tara always wanted to secretly cover?

Tara: Geez, I don’t know.

Jeb: “Take It Easy” by the Eagles.

Score: Jeb 1, Tara 0 (Jeb picked “Everyday People” by Sly & the Family Stone).

Q: What is Jeb/Tara’s biggest guilty pleasure on the road?

Tara: Drinks.

Jeb: She likes to have her cocktails.

Score: Jeb 2, Tara 1.

Q: Does Jeb/Tara have any insecurities on stage?

Tara: “He wants the groove to be the right groove.”

Jeb: “Before the music gets rolling, she’s always a little uptight. Then it smoothes out and it’s all great.”

Score: Jeb 3, Tara 2

Q: If Jeb/Tara could only play one festival next year, which would it be?

Tara: Grassroots.

Jeb: MerleFest.

Score: Jeb 3, Tara 3 (Tara would play the Telluride Bluegrass Festival).

Q: What band would Jeb/Tara’s dream co-bill?

Tara: The Beatles.

Jeb: Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Score: Jeb 3, Tara 4 (Tara would tour with Sheryl Crow).

Q: What is Jeb/Tara’s favorite state other than New York?

Tara: Tennessee and North Carolina.

Jeb: Alabama.

Score: Jeb 3, Tara 5 (Tara chose North Carolina and nailed Jeb’s two-state answer).

Q: Has Jeb/Tara ever turned down a song that you brought to the band?

Tara: No.

Jeb: Yes, but no one else liked that song either.

Score: Jeb 4, Tara 6 (Although Jeb did ask for a lyric update: “I wanted her to change a lyric on ‘I Don’t Need a Riddle.’ She sang, ‘I don’t understand,’ and there’s not many things she doesn’t understand very clearly, so it didn’t ring true. She changed it to, ‘I don’t want to understand,’ and then I felt all right playing it.”)

Q: What song is Jeb/Tara most excited to play on this tour?

Tara: “Ding, Dang, Dong.” I think that’s what he’s calling it.

Jeb: “Family Picture.”

Score: Jeb 5, Tara 6 (“She plays that song every night,” says Jeb of ‘Family Picture.’ He chose “Conscious Evolution” as his song of choice.)

The pair knows each other pretty well, it turns out. The stop on Sunday at the Music Farm at 32 Ann St. is the band’s first visit to town since 2008 (Jeb says he’s excited for “the dirt, the air and the people.”). So if you haven’t “Herd of ’em,” here’s your chance to get to know Donna as well as the duo knows each other.

If you go

Who: Donna the Buffalo with The Believers.

When: Sunday 7 p.m.

Where: The Music Farm, 32 Ann St., downtown.

Cost: $15 in advance at www.etix.com, all Cat’s Music and Monster Music locations; $18 the day of the show.

Hear the Music: www.donnathebuffalo.com.

Info: 577-6989, www.musicfarm.com.

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Blog Asheville posts from Dreamspider Publicity’s press release: DtB has Asheville ties!

Thank you Blog Asheville for posting~

http://blogasheville.blogspot.com/2010/01/donna-buffalo-asheville-connections.html

Donna the Buffalo bring their trademark hybrid of folk, reggae, Cajun, zydeco, rock and country to The Orange Peel on Thursday, January 28th, 2010.

Just so you know, the rhythm section of the band has strong ties to Asheville.

Bass Player, Jay Sanders, has lived here for 12 years and has played music throughout these times. He started off as a bass player with Snake Oil Medicine show when they first moved into the WNCScene and played with CX1 for a brief period as well. Jay also plays with Acoustic Syndicate and a Jazz Group called the E.Normus trio. Look for some collaborative projects from him starting late February, Tuesday nights at the Rocket Club .

Dave McCracken, the keyboard player, has family ties for generations in Asheville. His father, James, was born a raised here playing music at the Grove Park during his late teens before moving on to Greensboro where he opened a music store. Dave’s grandfather, Cicero Jr. was born in 1911 in town and his great grandfather, Cicero, was a country doctor that rode through Fairview on horseback to treat patients at home. Dave was born in Greensboro to the music scene there and continues to stop through Asheville with many collaborative projects with Hobex, Cyril Lance, Folkswaggin, and Cosmic Charlie. He also was an engineer at Moog in Asheville building analog synthesisers for a little over a year.

Vic Stafford, the drummer, was born and raised in Asheville, having even gone to the Biltmore School before it shut down. He has collaborated on projects with Stephanie’s ID, the Goodies, and Kat Williams. Steven Heller from Upstream Productions is one of Vic’s mentors and co-collaborators. He has also frequently does work with both Collapseable Studios and Echo Mountain.

Between the three southern men, they reinterpret the older songs of Donna the Buffalo into a new repertoire that sounds lively and fresh, along with adding insight to new music that is written.

Donna The Buffalo

The Orange Peel
Thursday January 28, 2010
18+
doors 8pm, show 9pm
$18.00/ $20.00
(828) 225-5851
101 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
www.theorangepeel.net
www.donnathebuffalo.com

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by Dane Smith in Vol. 16 / Iss. 27 on 01/27/2010

Asheville, NC     Mountain Xpress

http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2010/012710broadcasting_a_feeling_of_musical_unity

Doing what they love: The members of Donna the Buffalo connect with fans. Photo by John Darwin Kurc.

Everyone has heard the expression “busy as a bee.” But how about “busy as a buffalo?”

Donna the Buffalo, that is.

For more than 20 years, Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins have been among the hardest working musicians in the industry, touring relentlessly with their jammy blend of rock, bluegrass, Cajun, old-time, reggae and roots, releasing nine albums under the Donna the Buffalo namesake, starting their own roots music festival – which is preparing to celebrate its 20th year—and releasing a solo album each. Nevins even spent the past summer touring with former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s BK3 and has another solo record in the works.

How do they stay sane?

“Well, one, you assume that we’ve achieved that,” says Puryear with a hearty laugh. “We’re not sane at all. But we’ve gotten pretty good at balancing it, keeping it together, as far as our home life and stuff. It’s really a good group and nice musical chemistry, so it’s still exciting, you know. It’s really the excitement that keeps it happening.”

But Nevins admits to having difficulty maintaining a normal home life and “sacrificing domesticity” on occasion. Her loft, she says, is “completely insane” with “suitcases and everything thrown in a heap” on the floor.

“You go out and find some food to eat, catch up with a few people around your home that you’ve been missing, try to get sleep, pay bills to keep your electricity on, and also work on the new record, all in time to go out on the road 48 hours later,” she says. “It is really hard to find time. Vacuuming, organizing, dusting, all that sort of stuff falls to the wayside.

Though it can be overwhelming, Nevins is quick to point out that connecting with fans and seeing them respond to the music is the big reward. “You wouldn’t be able to sustain this lifestyle if it wasn’t for that,” she says. “Playing onstage and playing for our fans and having a great show is a very small portion of the time that we’re actually on tour. But it makes it all worth it, so that says a lot.”

And there is no mistaking the enthusiasm of Donna the Buffalo’s fans, affectionately referred to as “The Herd.” A traveling social network in the vein of Deadheads, the Herd has grown into an entity of its own, following the band across the country, joining them on a week-long cruise to the Caribbean and even forming their own nonprofit, Side to Side Charities, which uses Donna the Buffalo shows to raise money for food banks, women’s shelters and a variety of other social assistance programs.

Asheville has plenty of Herd members, perhaps in part because of the band’s longtime local connections. Bassist Jay Sanders (formerly of Snake Oil Medicine Show, also of Acoustic Syndicate) calls Asheville home. Dave McCracken, the keyboard player, has family ties to the area. And drummer Vic Stafford is an Asheville native who’s collaborated on projects with stephaniesid, the Goodies and Kat Williams; works frequently with Collapseable Studios and Echo Mountain Studios, and calls local producer Steven Heller (Upstream Productions) a mentor and co-collaborator.

If you prefer to enjoy Donna the Buffalo from the comfort of your own home though, that’s fine too, says Puryear.
“You don’t have to do anything to be in the Herd,” he points out. “Except just say that you are. You might not even have to do that. It’s not like a club you have to join or be in or out. You just have to enjoy the music.

Then, once again releasing his booming chuckle, “I don’t even know if you have to enjoy the music.”

But it’s easy for Puryear to be self-deprecating with such a devoted following. As the music industry has struggled to adapt to the changing landscape of the digital age, Donna the Buffalo has managed not only to stay afloat, but to become a veritable musical institution.

In July, the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, which the band founded in their hometown of Trumansburg, N.Y., will celebrate two decades of “really high energy, positive, human experiences.” They’ve even expanded the idea to include the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, a twice-yearly event staged in Silk Hope, N.C.. It’s an opportunity for the band to “broadcast this feeling of musical unity that we always have felt,” says Puryear, who describes Donna the Buffalo as “a band of festival goers.”

“It’s very, very cool to have these social scenes,” he says. “It’s part of the better potential of what we can be up to. If you had to look at the whole band experience and the music experience that we really are in love with, that’s pretty much it. It’s this really cool feeling to be exciting the better nature of what could be.”

It might seem that two decades playing with the same band could get stale, but both Puryear and Nevins are quick to debunk that theory. Partly because of their ever-changing lineup and involvement with projects like the Finger Lakes Festival, but mainly, says Nevins, because they love what they do.

“Wow, 21 years. That is a long time,” she begins, as though it were just sinking in. “The bottom line is that we’ve never second guessed that this is what we wanna do. We just love doing it so much. I’ve been playing music for so long, sometimes I wonder what I would do if I didn’t travel around and do this.”

Puryear shares a similar sentiment, when asked whether he would have expected to be playing so long.

“Yeah,” he says without hesitation. “I was never thinking I was going to get a job with IBM or anything. This is what I was meant to do, really. Fortunately, I discovered that fact early on in my life. I love it. So to keep doing it is totally natural.”

Dane Smith can be reached at rocknrolldane@gmail.com.

who: Donna the Buffalo
what: Original American dance music
where: The Orange Peel
when: Thursday, Jan. 28 (9 p.m. $18/$20. http://www.theorangepeel.net)

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by Michael Flynn • published January 22, 2010 12:15 am

Asheville Citizen Times Take Five

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100122/ENT/301220004/1033/ent

Formed more than two decades ago in upstate New York, Donna the Buffalo has always felt at home in Western North Carolina. “We have many, many ties to Asheville on different layers,” vocalist and fiddle player Tara Nevins said. “It’s like a sister city.”

Led by Nevins and fellow vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Jeb Puryear, the band’s uptempo blend of rootsy folk and traditional mountain music has built a widespread following in this region.

Nevins’ and Puryear’s string band background has led to many Asheville connections over the years, and the current rhythm section also has strong ties to the city. Drummer Vic Stafford is a native, bassist Jay Sanders has lived in town for 12 years, and keyboard player Dave McCracken once built synthesizers at Moog Music.

The group, which recorded much of its most recent release, “Silverlined,” at Echo Mountain Studios, returns to Asheville on Thursday for a gig at The Orange Peel.

photo by John Darwin Kurc

Nevins spoke to take5 while driving with the band to New Hampshire for a show alongside Little Feat.

Question:

How have recent lineup shifts affected the band’s music?

Answer:

It’s made a really great new rhythm section. Our grooves have gotten tighter, and our jams more exciting. It’s an awesome foundation to play and sing on top of. Right now, we’re pretty much in the pocket from the start rather than five or six songs in. They’re awesome players and great guys.

Q:

How do you characterize the band’s multifaceted sound?

A:

It’s really hard to describe. It’s very roots-oriented Americana or original danceable folk rock with ties to different traditional music, such as old-time fiddle music, zydeco and country. I grew up listening to pop music, so it’s also pop infused with tradition.

Q:

After all these years, you’re also playing duo shows with Jeb. How’s that going?

A:

It’s been great. We usually do them in small settings, so the fans, or “The Herd,” love them because they’re intimate. It’s a challenge — you have to be on your toes. It’s kind of cool to hear (the songs) pared down. It’s a nice musical challenge.

Q:

What can folks expect at the Thursday show?

A:

We’ll do our usual — we never make a set list. We’ll play some from “Silverlined,” some new things and some old favorites. Who knows — we might have a guest star show up.

Q:

What’s your reaction to the 20-year success of New York’s GrassRoots festival?

A:

It seemed like a cool thing to do when we started it. But you don’t know where it’s going to go. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years and how far it’s come. It just grows a little bit every year. We’re just the host band. It’s held up by hundreds of volunteers.

Q:

DTB is always on the move. What’s on tap for 2010?

A:

We hope to be doing more with Little Feat. We’ll also be touring with some other folks that we can’t mention yet. We’ll be traveling out West, working on new material, going to lots of regular festivals and some new ones. It’s a really full schedule.

Q:

In your latest CD, what was the cloud that turned out to be “Silverlined”?

A:

There was a lot of change happening.

As hard as change can be, there can be a silver lining to it. In the course of 20 years, we’ve run into a lot of silver linings.

Flynn writes about entertainment for take5. E-mail mickfly@bellsouth.net.

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It’s that time of year again for Music Video Asheville!

This event returns to the Cinebarre for the third year in a row to showcase the talents of local musicians and filmmakers.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FoAM Presents: Music Video Asheville on Wednesday, March 10th
A screening of local music videos

Cinebarre, behind Biltmore Square Mall
www.cinebarre.com
800 Brevard Road
Asheville, NC

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, Feb 17th, 2010 DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL NOON MONDAY, FEB 22nd

Screening:Wednesday, March 10, 2010
6pm to 10pm, $5

MVA contact: jenny@soundmindmedia.net, 828-279-4166
MVA website: http://www.myspace.com/musicvideoasheville

What is Music Video Asheville?

The third MUSIC VIDEO ASHEVILLE, a showcase to highlight the pairing of local musicians and filmmakers, taking place on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the Cinebarre at Biltmore Square Mall. The MVA mission is to: increase the awareness and appreciation of local musicians and local videographers by showcasing their collaborative works in a public event.

The showcase is open to all Buncombe County residents who are musical artists and filmmakers who wish to submit one video or film showcasing their act’s live footage, music video or documentary style film. At the event, the audience will vote for their favorite video and that video will win a cash prize.

The showcase offers local music fans can check out 40 local bands in one setting. 2009 participants included: Toubab Krewe, Ear Power, Laura Reed, Bugs Multiply, The Poles, Shapetastic, Angi West, Buncombe Turnpike, Velvet Truckstop, Mad Tea Party, LS and MJ Grillo, The Broomstars, Arizona, Custard Pie, Josh Phillips, Ice Horse, The Cheeksters, Chakra Bird, Nights Bright Colors, Tyler Ramsey, Quetzatl, Custard Pie, LAAFF, Silver Machine, Now You See Them.

The screening is open to the public, and tickets are available for $5 each. Be sure to bring your friends! All ticket proceeds will go directly toward the winning artists’ prizes.

All Asheville-area musicians and filmmakers are invited to submit one video or film. Please make sure to download the MVA submission guidelines and MVA submission form to participate in the event.

Do you have any videos to enter, know someone that might? Please spread the word. Thanks in advance for your support!

SUBMISSION DEADLINE WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17, 2010 DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL NOON MONDAY, FEB 22nd

GUIDELINES

1. Video or film must focus on at least one musical artist currently residing in Buncombe County and must contain at least one song by the artist.

2. Song(s) in the piece must be original

3. Each submitter can submit up to 30 minutes of film or video, but each individual submission must be under 10 minutes long

Please review ALL the guidelines by downloading them at

http://www.box.net/shared/static/pos9xjsf0a.pdf

www.myspace.com/musicvideoasheville

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Fill out the Submission form by downloading it here.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/xnjaekdxbn.pdf

www.myspace.com/musicvideoasheville

1. The submission may be mailed or dropped off to the Submission Board as a DVD via standard first class mail, and must be packaged in a paper sleeve or jewel case in a bubble or padded mailer with a filled out Submission Form only. Mail to: MVA, 58 1/2 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, NC 28801.The video or film must be a standalone clip of the item being submitted, and must be a self-executing DVD, .avi, mpeg or other files will not be accepted. Do not send press kits, one sheets, bios, photos or any other materials with the submission. Submissions that include these materials or are not in the correct format will not be considered.

WHO GETS PICKED?

All submissions that meet the guidelines will be shown at the showcase on a random draw basis. When entries are in, and if there are too many hours of video and film, we will pull from a hat to determine what is shown.

Please see the attached Submission Form for more information. Questions? email jenny@soundmindmedia.net call us 828-279-4166 Good Luck!

2008 Crowd Favorite winning video:

Firecracker Jazz Band’s video “Happy Feet”

2009 Crowd Favorite winning video:

Icehorse “Cheese Pirates”

###

Press Contact: Erin Scholze~ Dreamspider Publicity ~ 828-776-6248 ~ Dreamspider@gmail.com
Event Contact: Jenny Greer ~ FoAM ~ MVA ~ 828-279-4166 ~musicvideoasheville@gmail.com

Media Love for MVA:

The Mountain Xpress’s posts about the event: http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2010/hooray_for_music_videos and their Spork preview of MVA: http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2007/spork1/

Check out the post on the Ashvegas Blog

and in Blog Asheville.

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On the 125th anniversary of his ‘Hanging’ a film about John ‘Babbacombe’ Lee escapes to local venues. ‘The Man They Couldn’t Hang’ is the story of Mr Lee and his strange ordeal.
It stars Brandon Wilson and John Hallberg and features the music of Fairport Convention (performed by the Merkles) and the traditional music of Larry Keel/Danny Knicely, also Issy Emeney.
Score provided by Manabu Nagese. Was Mr Lee guilty of this brutal crime, an innocent victim of circumstance or is the truth all an illusion?
Local Screening Jan 29th (fri) at 7:30pm Rappahannock County High School. 540 987 3194 for more info.
$8 a person for the public and $4 a person for students of Rappahannock schools.
The completed film ‘The Man They Couldn’t Hang’ is being sent to Oasis for dvd replication. The first public screening is at CDIA in Georgetown on sat January  23rd at 2pm.
Both places are classy and we will see our efforts of the team on the BIG screen, fun fun!

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Americana Roots posted podcasts of

Larry Keel and Adam Aijala!


Larry Keel and Adam Aijala Part 1

Mississippi Studios
Portland, Oregon
12-02-2009

Setlist:

– Bloody Mary Morning
– Wildwood Drive
– Long Time
– The Mountain Song
– Hard Rocker’s Blues
– Amos Moses
– Honestly
– Pioneers
– Instrumental

Click here to go to Americana Roots Site and listen to the podcast for Part 1.

Larry Keel and Adam Aijala Part 2

Mississippi Studios
Portland, Oregon
12-02-2009

Setlist:

– Corn Liquor
– Not One Drop > Jerry’s Farewell > Not One Drop
– Rain still Falls
– No Matter What They Say
– Stuck In The Middle
– Critters
– The Gilpin Swing
– Culpepper Woodchuck
– Uncle Lucius
– Left Me In A Hole
– Groundspeed

Click here to go to Americana Roots Site and listen to the podcast for Part 2

Larry Keel: guitar and vocals
Adam Aijala: guitar, harmonica and vocals

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