Jon Stickley Trio Releases New EP, Announces Kickstarter for Next Full Length, Song Premiere

Jon Stickley Trio. Photo by Heather Hambor

Jon Stickley Trio Releases New EP, Announces Kickstarter for Next Full Length Album to be Produced by Dave King (The Bad Plus) at Echo Mountain Studios

Pre-Order the New Album Now & Receive the New EP, Triangular, the day the goal is reached!

KICKSTARTER → http://kck.st/2e0lTzL  

Live For Live World Premiere of  “Blackburn Brothers” from Triangular →
http://bit.ly/JS3_L4LM_BlackburnBrothersPremiere

Donate over $5 and get that song immediately

ASHEVILLE, NC – It’s been a whirlwind year for the Jon Stickley Trio! On the tail of their 2015 fan funded and independent release, Lost at Last, they have just announced a brand new 5-song EP, Triangular, and a Kickstarter Campaign to help them head back into Echo Mountain Recording Studio with Producer Dave King (Of The Bad Plus) to record a new full length album. King also produced Lost At Last which garnered praise from The New York Times, NPR’s Heavy Rotation, NPR’s World Cafe, Premier Guitar Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and many others.

Lost At Last made it into rotation on radio stations both nationally and internationally, the Trio performed at over 100 festivals and venues across the country (Including the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC), attracted attention of thousands of new fans, and landed a top notch booking agent. All of this interlocks, proving that the release of a recording can translate directly into touring traction and financial returns that propel the band into the future. Jon Stickley Trio heads into the studio in early December to record the yet unnamed full length album.

“Asheville, NC’s Jon Stickley has been playing in bluegrass bands for years, and is known as a progressive and adventurous flatpicker, but his musical roots and influences range widely to include rap, grunge, punk and more.” Linda Fahey with FolkAlley says for NPR’s Heavy Rotation. “When he teamed up with fiddler Lyndsay Pruett and drummer Patrick Armitage — originally as a lighthearted side project — the end result is a wonderfully unique sound that defies easy categorization.”

Jon Stickley Trio is looking to raise $28,000 and launched the Kickstarter campaign on 10/10; Folks can get involved until it ends on 11/11. They say, “We’ve set our goal at $28,000 which is substantially less than what the realistic costs add up to, because we understand that this is a group effort, and we are a part of that group!”

Anyone that donates $5 or more toward the new full length album will get one song from the new 5-song EP, Triangular, as an immediate download. The track is called “Blackburn Brothers” and it is a funky trio version of a tune Jon originally wrote with his brother Jeff while down at the Carolina coast. It features expressive solos by Jon and Lyndsay, that sync up with their signature, on point unison melody playing at the end. The song also highlights a danceable, somewhat latin drum beat.

Head on over to Live For Live Music to listen to the World Premiere of “Blackburn Brothers.” →  http://bit.ly/JS3_L4LM_BlackburnBrothersPremiere.

Anyone that donates $10 or more will get Triangular as soon as the goal is reached. The EP was recorded at Blue Sprocket Sound in Harrisonburg, VA this summer. Other packages include private house concerts, a day at the studio with the band when they record the new album, music lessons with each member, limited edition “Individual Person” t-shirts of each member of the band (only available through the Kickstarter campaign), the new yet un-named album,  an ultra-special limited Vinyl edition of Triangular (only available through the Kickstarter campaign), previous recordings, and more!

This budget figures in the recording, mixing, mastering and pressing of the new full length album. A portion of the budget is also dedicated to promotion of the new album as well as the EP, this includes print and radio. Jon Says, “This was such a huge part of the success of Lost at Last and since we didn’t plan for it last time we added it in this time around.” They’ve also budgeted in album art, photos and graphic designs that will all be a part of the new album as well.

Who is this Dave King character?
Dave King is the drummer of The Bad Plus, also a trio, whose music combines elements of modern avant-garde jazz with rock and pop influences. “The Bad Plus, also a mainly instrumental group, has had an influence on our band since the start.” Jon Stickley continues, “We all loved Dave King independently and when we found out one day he used to be Patrick’s drum teacher we freaked out. Dave’s presence on the last album was unmistakable. His sometimes subtle guidance, and other times obvious counsel made Lost at Last what it was. We’re so excited about going into the studio with him for a second time around, now that we’ve gotten to know him and are less fan-girly.”

Jon Stickley Trio with Dave King

The band’s drummer, Patrick Armitage, has deep roots to Minneapolis, where King is from. He says, “I was lucky enough to study under Dave King for 6 years. Now I get to work with him professionally. That’s an honor. With Dave producing our last record and my drumming it’s nice to know there is a little bit of Minneapolis sneaking it’s way into The Jon Stickley Trio.”

The rest of the band first met King the evening before hitting the studio to make Lost at Last. In a way, that session was a “getting to know you” experience for all of them. They became fast friends, and clicked musically in the studio, but in the end it left the band wondering what they could accomplish if they were to have the same opportunity again. The exciting prospects led them to decide to work with him on this upcoming record in the same studio.

“Echo Mountain was the perfect fit for us because the setting of the old church, the creakiness of the wood, the vintage hum of the gear, and the discerning ear of Julian Dryer added an audible realness and character to the recording that was totally complimentary to our improvisational, original instrumental music, “ says Jon Stickley.

Since the recording and release of Lost at Last, Jon Stickley Trio has traveled over 50,000 miles, played shows in new territories all over the country, and evolved into a fully formed, musical identity that was just beginning to take shape on the first record. Stickley realizes, “Our musicality has matured individually, and collectively to the extent that we can read each other, and respond to each other in a completely intuitive and natural way. We can’t wait to take our matured sound back into Echo Mountain with our mentor and producer, Dave King.”

Jon Stickley Trio On Tour 2016
10/8 Sat – The Festy – Arrington, VA
10/14 Fri – PLC Land Jam @ Carolina Theatre – Greensboro, NC*
10/15-16 Sat-Sun – Suwannee Roots Revival – Live Oak, FL
10/17 Mon – Beaches Museum History Park Chapel – Jacksonville, Fl
10/20 Thu – NC State Fair – Raleigh, NC
10/21 Fri – House Concert – Durham, NC
10/22 – Cat’s Cradle- Carrboro, NC
11/2 Wed – 1904 Music Hall – Jacksonville, FL
11/3 Thu – The Ale & The Witch – St. Petersburg, FL
11/4 Fri – Fogarty Community Media and Arts Center – Sarasota, FL
11/5 Sat – Arts Garage – Delray Beach, FL
11/9 Wed – Guanabanas – Jupiter, FL
11/10 Thu – Terra Fermata – Stuart, FL
11/11 Fri – Point Ybel Brewing – Fort Myers, FL
11/12 Sat – The Funky Buddha – Boca Raton, FL
11/13 Sun – Fifth and Thomas Kitchen – Tallahassee, FL
12/7 Wed – WDVX Tennessee Shines @ Boyd’s Jig & Reel – Knoxville, TN
12/30 Fri – The National – Richmond, VA ^
12/31 Sat – Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC #

* w. Ricky Skaggs
^ w. The Infamous Stringdusters
# w. The Honeycutters

For more information, updates from the road, and more, please visit www.jonstickley.com, www.facebook.com/JonStickleyTrio, www.instagram.com/JonStickleyTrio , and www.twitter.com/StickleyMusic.

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Town Mountain: The Dead Session Out Today! Honoring the Grateful Dead’s 50th, Bluegrass-Style

Town Mountain: The Dead Session
Artwork by Taylor Swope

Town Mountain: The Dead Session Released Today, Nov 13th
Featuring Bluegrass Renditions of “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” & “Big River”

Honoring the Grateful Dead’s 50th, Bluegrass-Style!

Get the full package with the fantastic album artwork by Taylor Swope over at the band’s website: www.townmountain.net/product/the-dead-session

Or you can purchase downloads of each track online at iTunes: http://bit.ly/TownMoutain_TheDeadSession_iTunes

Town Mountain independently released The Dead Session on Friday, November 13, 2015. “Each member of this band has enjoyed the music of the Grateful Dead for quite some time,” says vocalist and guitarist Robert Greer. “It seemed only fitting for Town Mountain to pay respect to some musical heroes in this year, their 50th year of existence.” The band recorded an impromptu set of two of their favorite songs from the Grateful Dead’s catalog at the widely acclaimed Echo Mountain Recording Studios in their hometown of Asheville, NC.

This is the Grateful Dead done in Town Mountain’s hard drivin’ style filled with a honky tonk edge and barroom swagger. The resulting sound is touched by Jerry Garcia with Jimmy Martin and John Hartford… Fitting since Hartford played a short stint in Old and In The Way before Vassar Clements filled out the band on fiddle, and Garcia’s first instrument was a banjo as he was influenced by bluegrass music throughout his career. Narrowing down to just two was not an easy task for Town Mountain.

“Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” was written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter and originally released on Wake of the Flood in 1973. It was performed over 230 times live by The Dead over the years and the song was also the second set opener of the second night of the Fare Thee Well shows in Santa Clara this year.

“Big River” was written by Johnny Cash in 1958. But true to The Dead’s fashion they would take other people’s songs or traditional songs and make them their own. They had a knack for finding covers that were transcendent of the original artist and they played it in almost 400 live performances. Stream Town Mountain’s Version of “Big River” at The Bluegrass Situation.

Town Mountain. Photo by Sandlin Gaither.

The core of Town Mountain is Robert Greer on vocals and guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, and Adam Chaffins on bass (Adam is featured on “Mississippi”). Evan Martin plays drums on both tracks. Jon Stickley fills in on bass and guitar in “Big River” and Jack Deveroux lays down the pedal steel on “Big River.”

Read what’s been being said about Town Mountain: The Dead Session

“In one of the more novel stop-gap moves by a band in any genre, Town Mountain is filling the time it takes to search out a record label home for its newest studio set [Produced by Dirk Powell, due out Spring of 2016] by re-releasing a two-song EP disc on Nov. 13 called The Dead Session. It consists not of new original works showcasing the band’s heavily rhythmic, traditionally-minded bluegrass or even revisions of traditional Americana string band tunes. It instead offers a pair of honky tonk-hearty renditions of two songs by one of Town Mountain’s favorite non-bluegrass inspirations: the Grateful Dead.” —Kentucky.com, Walter Tunis

“There is no question that Town Mountain’s musicianship is fantastic. More importantly, it is also clear that they love the Grateful Dead enough to do them homage on their 50th anniversary, not by trying to be them, but by succeeding in reworking their Dead favorites as their own.” —Rock and Roll Meandering Nonsense, Bob Vinyl

“I was lucky enough to design the cover art,” says Taylor Swope about the The Making of Town Mountain’s Dead Session Album Art. “Like everything should, this project started with a basic sketch…It’s all about experimentation with this kind of illustration work… With the scene set, I began filling in the details, but the last one came from Martin Anderson at WNCW in North Carolina who suggested the Raven…There is a lyric in the Grateful Dead’s Uncle John’s Band that goes, ‘It’s the same story the crow told me; it’s the only one he knows.’ Also there was this album art once upon a time, so the crow appears here and there in Grateful Dead imagery although it never quite caught on like the icons you already know…”

“While the band’s sound hews closely to bluegrass traditions, there’s enough virtuosity to make them popular among jam band circles as well. It doesn’t hurt that the band recently recorded two Grateful Dead covers to honor the founding fathers of jam’s 50th birthday.” —Examiner, Chris Griffy

“You didn’t really think that a remake of Tommy bluegrass style  [The HillBenders]  would be the end of it, did you? Now here comes Town Mountain with The Dead Session, a special two-track project celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Grateful Dead. … the old school single features a pair of Dead songs done up bluegrass, Town Mountain style.” —Bluegrass Today John Lawless

“Wow, I like these hard-core acoustic honky-tonk takes on two Grateful Dead favorites!” —David Gans, musician and co-author of This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful Dead.

Great Excerpt from a feature on Town Mountain’s Jesse Langlais in The Banjo Reserve:

Q. “Town Mountain is releasing a couple Grateful Dead songs in November 2015, I understand the Grateful Dead are among some of the classic rock bands you listened to when you were younger. Jerry Garcia was known to play banjo, did you or Jerry’s banjo playing have much influence over selecting these releases? Tell us more about the project?” –TBR

A. “I still listen to the Grateful Dead and will continue to as long as I can hear.

Here’s a brief story of how I got into bluegrass and the banjo. I’m definitely not the only one with this story. When I was 19 or so I bought an Old and In The Way CD. I was washing dishes at my parents house and when that first song came on, ‘Pig in a Pen’, I was floored. I probably dropped what was in my hands and just sat there in awe. My bluegrass journey had begun and I wasn’t going back.

I’m from Maine, and even though there is a bluegrass scene in New England it was not a part of my upbringing. It wasn’t something that I even heard until I bought the Old and In The Way CD. I couldn’t even have defined what it was up until that point. All I knew was when I heard it that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to make that noise, that sound. I wanted to pick and pluck the banjo from that point on. Jerry took my hand and guided me to somewhere I had never been before. Soon after that I was introduced to the first generation of bluegrass and that’s when I really started to dig into the history and sound of bluegrass.” —Read the full interview with Town Mountain’s Jesse Langlais at The Banjo Reserve → www.banjoreserve.com/index.php/artists/item/98-jesse-langlais

Watch behind-the-scene footage of Town Mountain recording The Dead Session at Echo Mountain

Town Mountain is in it for the long haul… check out out where they’ll be travelin’ to next and keep an eye on TownMountain.net for further dates as well as a brand new selection of merchandise. For updates from the road, please visit facebook.com/TownMountain, twitter.com/TownMountain, and instagram.com/townmountainbluegrass.

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The Honeycutters Announce Tour Dates, New Album ‘Me Oh My’ Out April 21 via Organic Records

The Honeycutters. Photo by Sandlin Gaither

Asheville-based American Country Roots Band, The Honeycutters,
Set to Release 3rd Studio Album, Me Oh My, on Tue, April 21, 2015 With Organic Record Company

“… just superb, with a sweet toned and melodious aura… Today’s Smoky Mountain area modern folk thing does have a certain vibe, and these guys are among its finest purveyors.” –Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst

“Their music embodies a very catchy, accessible, optimistic sort of spirit so frequently lacking in folk circles (where brooding, hyper-analytical music reigns supreme). What’s more, like Carolina Story, they’re a great band replete with tasty harmonies.” –Folk Music About.com’s Kim Ruehl

Announcing Spring and Summer Tour
Throughout the Southeast and Into the Northeast

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, is set to release their third studio album, Me Oh My, on April 21, 2015 with Organic Records®. Fueled by the powerful songwriting and vocals of founder Amanda Platt, Me Oh My moves her into the spotlight as producer, band leader, and principal creative force behind the band. With songs that are honest and relatable, part chagrin and part hope, Platt’s voice carries a timeless appeal. Pre-sales for the album have launched on iTunes and include four immediate tracks to download off the fourteen track release. They have announced tour dates throughout the southeast and into the northeast this spring and summer; more dates will be announced.

Led by songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, The Honeycutters include Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith rounds out the band on pedal steel, electric guitar, and dobro to create a sound that carries just as well across the bar room as in a church or a theater. Platt’s songs are shaped by a raw honesty that comes straight from the heart and emits a sort of melancholy happiness.

Me Oh My is threaded with themes of love, loss, acceptance and regrowth. It kicks off with an engaging southern swingin’ song, “Jukebox,” that is about taking life one day at a time and not taking yourself too seriously saying “it’s only a song, so for heaven’s sake won’t you sing along?” The title cut is an inspirational anthem about the state of the modern woman, stating, “Some girls marry and some girls wait.” Me Oh My brings more of what fans love about The Honeycutters, honestly written songs sung in Platt’s authentic voice. The up-tempo, beer-raising, danceable “Ain’t It The Truth” is one that will fuel audiences at live shows while melancholy ballads like “Texas ’81” balance the album both in meter and mood. The upbeat “I’ll Be Lovin’ You” as a whole speaks to holding someone up until they are strong enough to stand on their own. Me Oh My delves deeper into the darker realms of love with “Little Bird” which gained Platt notoriety as it was chosen as a finalist at MerleFest’s prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (2011).

Platt self produced the album along with the help of engineer and assistant producer Jon Ashley. The album was recorded in Echo Mountain Recording Studio and Mixtown Studio in Asheville, NC and it was mixed and mastered just down the road at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC.

“The new album is the one I’m most proud of to date.” Platt says, “I took much more of a driver’s seat in it’s making, and the process has forced me to do a lot of growing up… I feel like I’ve really found my voice. I’m very excited about the line up of the band, and the songwriting includes some of my very favorites.”

The Honeycutters on Tour
4/2 Thu – Robert Ferst Theatre Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
4/3 Fri – Mars Theatre – Springfield, GA
4/17 Fri – Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC
4/18 Sat – Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival – Silk Hope, NC
4/22 Wed – Music City Roots – Nashville, TN
4/24 Fri – MerleFest – Wilkesboro, NC
5/2 Sat – Sylvia Theater – York, SC
5/3 Sun – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA
5/8 Fri – The Willow Tree – Johnson City, TN
5/9 Sat – Barley’s – Knoxville TN
5/14 Thu – The Double Door Inn – Charlotte, NC
5/15 Fri – Bourgie Nights – Wilmington, NC >
6/4 Thu – The ArtsCenter – Carrboro, NC
6/5 Fri – Sails Music Series – Hickory, NC
6/17 Sun – 10th Ave Burrito Co. – Belmar, NJ
6/18 – Thu – Rockwood Music Hall 2 – New York, NY *
6/20 Sat – Rochester International Jazz Festival – Rochester, NY
6/21 Sun – Mechanic Street House – Cleveland, OH
8/21 Fri – Summer Tracks Rogers Park Amphitheater – Tryon, NC
8/22 Sat- Cataloochee Ranch – Maggie Valley, NC

> w/ Massive Grass
* w/ The Hillbenders

For more information about The Honeycutters and further tour dates, please visit: www.thehoneycutters.com. For news from the road, please visit www.facebook.com/Honeycutters and twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

 

 

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The Honeycutters Release ‘Me Oh My’ on April 21 Through Organic Records

Asheville-based American Country Roots Band, The Honeycutters,
Set to Release 3rd Studio Album, Me Oh My, on Tue, April 21, 2015
With Organic Record Company

Me Oh My Pre-sales Begin Tuesday, February 17th on iTunes
Pre-sale orders include two immediate tracks for download

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, is set to release their third studio album, Me Oh My, on April 21, 2015 with Organic Records®. Led by songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, The Honeycutters include Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith rounds out the band on pedal steel, electric guitar, and dobro to create a sound that carries just as well across the bar room as in a church or a theater. Fueled by the powerful songwriting and vocals of founder Amanda Platt, Me Oh My moves her into the spotlight as producer, band leader, and principal creative force behind the band. With songs that are honest and relatable, part chagrin and part hope, Platt’s voice carries a timeless appeal. Pre-sales for the album start Tuesday, February 17th on iTunes and includes two immediate tracks to download.

The Honeycutters are (right to left)
Matt Smith, Josh Milligan, Rick Cooper,
Amanda Anne Platt & Tal Taylor.
Photo by Sandlin Gaither.

“The new album is the one I’m most proud of to date.” Platt says, “I took much more of a driver’s seat in it’s making, and the process has forced me to do a lot of growing up… I feel like I’ve really found my voice. I’m very excited about the line up of the band, and the songwriting includes some of my very favorites.” Platt self produced the album along with the help of engineer and assistant producer Jon Ashley. They laid down the all original 14-track album in Echo Mountain Recording Studio and Mixtown Studio in Asheville, NC and it was mixed and mastered just down the road at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC.

Me Oh My is threaded with themes of love, loss, acceptance and regrowth. It kicks off with an engaging southern swingin’ song, “Jukebox,” that is about taking life one day at a time and not taking yourself too seriously saying “it’s only a song, so for heaven’s sake won’t you sing along?” The title cut is an inspirational anthem about the state of the modern woman, stating, “Some girls marry and some girls wait.” Me Oh My brings more of what fans love about The Honeycutters, honestly written songs sung in Platt’s authentic voice. The up-tempo, beer-raising, danceable “Ain’t It The Truth” is one that will fuel audiences at live shows while melancholy ballads like “Texas ’81” balance the album both in meter and mood. The upbeat “I’ll Be Lovin’ You” as a whole speaks to holding someone up until they are strong enough to stand on their own. Me Oh My delves deeper into the darker realms of love with “Little Bird” which gained Platt notoriety as it was chosen as a finalist at MerleFest’s prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (2011).

Special guests on the album include Phil Cook on piano and organ, Aaron Wood on Telecaster, Peter James on Telecaster, Will Straughan (Red June) on harmony vocals and resonator guitar, Mica Hanks electric guitar, Evan Bradford on trumpet, and Amanda’s father Mark Platt on harmonica.

Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst calls The Honeycutters “… just superb, with a sweet toned and melodious aura… Today’s Smoky Mountain area modern folk thing does have a certain vibe, and these guys are among its finest purveyors.” Folk Music About.com’s Kim Ruehl wrote, “Their music embodies a very catchy, accessible, optimistic sort of spirit so frequently lacking in folk circles (where brooding, hyper-analytical music reigns supreme). What’s more, like Carolina Story, they’re a great band replete with tasty harmonies.”

They’ll celebrate Me Oh My with an album release tour which is soon to be announced as well as a hometown album release party at Isis Music Hall in Asheville on April 17th. They are also set to perform at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC the weekend of the release date.

In both her simple composition and honest delivery it’s easy to hear the influence of country legends such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, or Loretta Lynn, and with this Miss Platt credits growing up listening to her Father’s extensive record collection every Saturday morning. Despite her love for classic country, Platt cites Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty as major influences and her songwriting carries a wit and an edge that plants her firmly in her generation.

The Honeycutters formed in 2007 in Asheville, NC, the town they still call home, and had quick success with their first release Irene (2009). Me Oh My is the highly anticipated follow up to the 2012’s When Bitter Met Sweet. Each album has helped to grow grow their audience and expand their tours to include notable appearances at MerleFest, Suwannee Springfest, Strawberry Music Festival, Vancouver Island Music Fest, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Folk Alliance, Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Fest and the Nelsonville Music Festival. They have also performed alongside esteemed musicians Guy Clark, Tony Rice, The Seldom Scene, Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Amy Ray, Donna the Buffalo, Jill Andrews, and The Steep Canyon Rangers.

For more information about The Honeycutters and their tour dates, please visit: www.thehoneycutters.com. For news from the road, please visit www.facebook.com/Honeycutters and twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

The Honeycutters on Tour
2/12 Thu – Willie’s Locally Known – Lexington, KY
2/18 Wed – Music City Roots – Nashville, TN
2/19 Thu – Old Rock House – St. Louis, MO
3/13 Fri-  Mudville Music Room – Jacksonville, FL
3/14 Sat – Music Under the Moss – Panama City, FL
4/2 Thu – Robert Ferst Center For The Arts – Atlanta, GA
4/3 Fri – Mars Theatre – Springfield, GA
4/17 Fri – Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC
4/18 Sat – Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival – Silk Hope, NC
4/24 Fri – MerleFest – Wilkesboro, NC
More dates TBA

Organic Records® is an eclectic home for a variety of artists that are singularly unique and defy categorization. In a time when music is becoming less defined by genre, Organic artists are developing their own  musical identity outside the confines of traditional classifications. Organic Records® is their natural habitat. Organic Records® is a division of Crossroads® Entertainment & Marketing and is located in Arden, North Carolina. More information can be found at www.organic-records.com.

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Shannon Whitworth & Barrett Smith’s CD Release Party @ The Altamont Theatre on July 26th

Shannon Whitworth & Barrett Smith
Local Release Party for “Bring it on Home”
The Altamont Theatre
Thursday, July 26th

$12/$10adv
7pm door/  8pm show
18 Church St 28801
828-348-5327
myaltamont.com

(Asheville, NC)– Shannon Whitworth and Barrett Smith are thrilled to announce the release of a new all-covers duo album, Bring It On Home. To celebrate, a local release date is set for Thursday, July 26th at the Altamont Theatre in downtown Asheville. They will release the album nationally this fall.You can listen to and purchase the album at BarrettSmith.com.

In 2010 Barrett joined The Shannon Whitworth Band after swapping places with a member of the acclaimed bluegrass band Town Mountain. Shannon had been touring and recording successfully with this solo project since her days of leading the The Biscuit Burners. Barrett’s contributions quickly developed into a full time touring and recording job, and he and Shannon have been making music  with one another ever since, whether in the band or just for fun… which is how this duo project came into being.

In Bring it on Home, they have taken a departure from their original music to offer up a collection of their favorite songs by their favorite songwriters. From Paul Simon to A.C. Jobim to Sam Cooke, the album features beautiful arrangements of great tunes which are all performed by an all-star cast of musicians from Asheville, NC.

Bring It On Home started as a brainstorming session on a late night, cross-Canadian road trip.  Shannon and Barrett were on tour as an opening act for Chris Isaak, and they spent the long slow drive from Winnipeg to Saskatoon trying to compile the perfect mix tape. Somewhere in the late night hours, they realized that this mix-tape was actually a compilation of the cover songs that they had both dreamed of someday recording – their own random dream tribute album.

Two months later, Shannon and Barrett were in Asheville’s Echo Mountain Recording Studio with a team of great friends and musicians, bringing the album to life. Legendary drummer Jeff Sipe and multi-instrumentalist Mike Ashworth formed the core rhythm section. (Sipe and Ashworth will also be performing at the album release show amongst other special guests.) Justin Ray and Jacob Rodriguez took a break from touring with Michael Buble to contribute to the album on trumpet and saxophone. Virtuoso violinists Nicky Sanders and Nate Leath added string parts to Melissa Hyman’s cello lines. Michael Libramento, of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, stopped in to add keyboard parts.

The result is an eclectic collection of great arrangements. Shannon and Barrett take turns on the lead vocals, backing each other up with harmony vocals and instrumental support. The performances are superb. From the jazzy elegance of Moonglow, to the mystic folkiness of Paul Simon’s ‘Duncan’, to the latin groove of ‘Corcovado’, this album pays tribute to the art of great songwriting, with fresh arrangements that make for a truly great listen. Enjoy!

Bring it On Home ~ Track Listing
1) Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke)
2) Moonglow (Delange, Mills, Hudson)
3) You Can Close Your Eyes (James Taylor)
4) Duncan (Paul Simon)
5) I Get Ideas (When We Are Dancing)  (Sanders, Cochran)
6) Louise (Paul Siebel)
7) Sway (Molina, Ruiz, Gimbel)
8) Bird On The Wire (Leonard Cohen)
9) Corcovado (Quiet Nights) (A.C. Jobim, Gene Lees)
10)Green Grass (Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan)
11) I’ll Be Your Lover, Too (Van Morrison)
12) You Are My Sunshine (Jimmie Davis)

Recorded at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC
Engineered by Julian Dreyer
Mixed by Neilson Hubbard
Mastered by Jim DeMain
Produced by Barrett Smith

BarrettSmith.com
ShannonWhitworth.net

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NC Songsmith Valorie Miller Releases 6th Album, Turtle Shell, at Bobo on July 12th

 “Valorie Miller is early James Taylor re-transcribed in female flesh with some very distinct differences, especially the lyrics to Haunted Hand (an’, hoo boy, you’re not going to hear that one on TV any time soon!).” —FAME

(ASHEVILLE, NC)–  The critically acclaimed North Carolina singer-songwriter and guitarist Valorie Miller will officially release her sixth album, Turtle Shell, at 9pm July 12 at BoBo Gallery at 22 Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville.

Guest musicians at the event will include Will Straughan, Mike Holstein, Justin Ray and Moses Atwood.

Miller recorded Turtle Shell in just 10 hours of studio time at Asheville’s Echo Mountain during sessions for her project as well as for fellow singer-songwriter Rupert Wates, who traveled from New York City to record his new album, At the Losers’ Motel, there with vocal support from Miller. Along with her vocal and guitar work, Turtle Shell features Mike Holstein on upright bass, Will Straughan on dobro and backing vocals, Justin Ray on trumpet (track 4) and Rupert Wates on piano (track 9). It is self-produced and was engineered at Echo Mountain by Chris Medrano.

The record is one of Miller’s strongest efforts, every track featuring her distinctive and expressive voice, expert guitar work and originality—always with a flavor that has branded her as a reviewer at No Depression Magazine put it, “pure Carolina from whisper to wail.” But she’s known far outside of the state, having gained national recognition and sharing the stage with such artists as Merle Haggard and Leon Russell. Lucinda Williams and Tony Arata (writer of multiple hits for Garth Brooks, among others) have praised her songwriting. Some say her sound is reminiscent of artists such as Patsy Cline and Billie Holiday, but these are influences. Miller’s work is strikingly original, and Turtle Shell is a case in point.

The album opens with My Acre, a song with stunning acoustic bass and engaging motion. It exudes hopefulness, curiosity and sweetness as it contrasts fear with joy, comfort with discomfort in the life and place one makes for one’s self. The song conveys great meaning in life, in dreaming about escaping one’s boundaries but feeling self-doubt and the fear of not finding forgiveness for the past. And any artist can relate to the lyric’s conveyance of digging in deep to live the life of an artist—by unwavering choice.

The title track, Turtle Shell, features excellent dobro work and vocal harmonies. One sees a turtle crossing the road not knowing the dangers of being there. The lyric explores the challenges of change, aging, and seeking redemption and forgiveness exposed out in the world versus the desire to retreat to a place of safety, like a turtle shell, although the safety may be an illusion: “Should I pray for heaven instead of hell, or just a big turtle shell?”

With great guitar picking, Peaches Ahead is an upbeat tune conveying the Southern country experience of passing roadside signs advertising produce stands in the summer and looking forward to the peaches ahead. It seems to be a metaphor for a belief that good things are ahead, but the optimism is tempered with realism and the understanding that summers—and life—are fleeting. It brings to mind the lyric of Billie Holiday’s recording of Speak Low by Ogden Nash and Kurt Weill in which Holiday sings, “Speak low when you speak love. Our summer day withers away too soon, too soon.”

Alcohol and Elephants delivers the pleasant surprise of Justin Ray’s trumpet, and it contains visionary lyrics that take the listener to the experience of ghosts in glasses of alcohol (perhaps memories of loves past that return with drink and solitude) and elephants in rooms. It reflects on human relationships and avoidance or even self-deception in the interest of keeping a love alive. “A blind eye is turned and an ether flower blooms, alcohol and elephants in the room. The heart of a good man is tested when it’s in the hands of a woman who’s a bigger bite than he can chew.”

Also very visual, Haunted Hand to speaks to desire for lasting love, a lasting touch and a fleeting opportunity to connect with an unexpected stranger who blows into a town that beforehand seemed empty. The opening line: “Met you in a ghost town tumbling like a weed, I don’t know if you want me, but you surely haunt me.” It also creatively compares the two characters of the song and a passing chance. “I am Carolina, you are Tennessee. You are a spider, and I’m a bumblebee… You better hurry up and get me, for I’m sure you’ll agree—time ain’t nothing but a miser and endings come for free.”

American Women is a witty take on a serious subject—the big-dollar ad campaigns and pop culture that make women fail to recognize their natural beauty and spend fortunes on trying to change their looks, supposedly for the better. But by whose definition? This is a protest song. “The bodies of American women are a country that’s been occupied. From bushes to eyelashes, everything gets modified,” Miller sings, concluding later in the tune that there’s nothing that needs modification. “And love is our final rebellion, intelligence our best tool. American women come home to yourselves in a mirror that’s always half-full.”

The next track, Snowflakes, moves to a jazzy feel with Mike Holstein’s fabulous bass playing and Miller’s expressive vocals and versatile performance skills. It’s another takes-you-there song about the spirit and movement of snow, how it falls on the evergreens as one sits by a warm fire inside and watches through the window.

Drunken Tattoo is country by definition—real country in the same sense that Hank Williams was. It’s about regretting a past relationship, but being hopeful about one day forgetting. It features a great guitar solo enhanced by dobro and contains a line that sums up the how long it can take to forget: “Time flies on a busted wing.”

A perfect conclusion to the album is the final track, Some Other Sky, a contemplative piece (with an unusual and imaginative piano part performed by Rupert Wates) that asks, “Did the day live up to the dream? Did the sun promise to rise, then hand you some dark alibi and light up some other sky?”

Well, maybe it lit up another sky in the song’s story, but not on the album. This one lives up to the dreams of anyone seeking a sophisticated, original and distinctively Southern album—but not by the garden-variety definition of the region. Valorie Miller is an example of what listeners can find in the real South if they look carefully off the beaten path and listen.

For more information & to listen to sample tracks from the album, visit:
www.valoriemiller.com and www.cdbaby.com/cd/valoriemiller

Show Details at a Glance:

Valorie Miller ~ CD Release Show
Bobo Gallery
Thursday, July 12, 2012
$5, 9pm

 22 N. Lexington Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
www.bobogallery.com

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5th Annual MUSIC VIDEO ASHEVILLE Wed, May 9th at The Cinebarre ~ Tickets on Sale Now!

5th Annual MUSIC VIDEO ASHEVILLE Wed, May 9th at The Cinebarre

Tickets on Sale Now!

A Showcase to Highlight The Pairing of Asheville Musicians & Filmmakers

Screening: Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

NEW TIME: 6pm Networking Party, 7:15pm Seating, 9:30pm Awards & Crowd Vote

Join Asheville’s music and film elite on the red carpet for the 5th Anniversary Celebration of Music Video Asheville on Wednesday, May 9th at the Cinebarre. Watch music videos by Asheville’s premier musicians and filmmakers on the big screen as they vie for the $500 cash prize and studio time at Echo Mountain. MVA’s mission is to network musicians and filmmakers so please bring business cards, stickers, show fliers to mingle about when the doors open at 6pm. Donned in your Grammy-style attire (of course with an Asheville flare) you can sip champagne and pose for the paparazzi on the red carpet until seating starts at 7:15. Don’t miss this all-star event and your chance to vote for your favorite Asheville music video!

Thanks to Asheville’s supportive music community, this event usually sells out and fills up quick. Please arrive early to get a good seat. Advance tickets re on sale now and can be purchased at the Cinebarre, Harvest Records, & Orbitz DVD in West Asheville, The One Stop and The Honeypot in downtown. General admission is $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

For those wishing to arrive in style and depart responsibly, board The New Belgium Brewing VIP Party Bus which picks up and drops off at the Official After Party at One Stop Deli and Bar with DJ Molly Parti and Par (The after-party is $5 or included with VIP ticket purchase). VIP is $30 and includes pickup and drop off at Cinebarre, champagne and New Belgium beer on the bus, red carpet drop off in a classic car, VIP seating, and admission to after party. Only 30 VIP tickets are available and they can be purchased online or at The One Stop or Harvest Records.

Stay tuned to MVA’s Red Carpet Sponsor 98.1 The River for announcements about a VIP ticket giveaway in the coming weeks.  We will also be making announcements about the who’s who of entries as well as information of the guest speakers and the judging panel!

Special thanks to our sponsors: 98.1 The River, The One Stop, and New Belgium Brewing as well as the MVA ticket outlets. Music Video Asheville 2012 is produced by Lush Life Productions, theONcorps, Sound Mind Creative, and Dreamspider Publicity.  If you are interested in volunteering or being a sponsor, please contact Kelly Denson via email at kelly at lushlifetoday dot com or call 828-515-1081.

Ticket Details:

$8 adv/ $10 dos general admission

Tickets are now available at:

Harvest Records, The One Stop, Orbitz DVD, The Honeypot and The Cinnebarre

VIP Tickets $30- includes transportation (Limited availability online, The One Stop or Harvest Records)

VIP Ticket link: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/241264

Advance tickets are recommended due to sell out and limited space.

Cinebarre, behind Biltmore Square Mall

828.665.8661

800 Brevard Road

Asheville, NC

www.cinebarre.com

Find Us On Facebook

www.musicvideoasheville.com

Click to see last year’s winners!

 

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Music Video Asheville 2011 Winners and Playlist!

Music Video Asheville 2011 was produced by  FoAM (The Future of Asheville Music) and this year was sponsored by Music Allies as  part of HATCH. Echo Mountain Recording and the Media Arts Project were also major sponsors of this year’s event which was held at the Fine Arts Theatre in downtown. You can also check out a more complete playlist at http://www.youtube.com/user/Dreamspiderweb#grid/user/C47697E0230DC2DD.

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The night was a big success and with-out further ado the winners are:

Placing 1st, winning both the Best of MVA Music Allies Judges Choice Award AND the Crowd Favorite is Kovacs and the Polar Bear, “Skeleton Crew” directed by Joe Chang with the Paper Picture Company:

The Runner-Up for the Best of MVA Music Allies Judges award, winning a free day of studio time in Echo Mountain Recording, is Secret Agent 23 Skidoo with “Chase the Rain” directed by Daniel Judson:

The Crowd Favorite Runner-up is Jonathan Scales “Muddy Vishnu” directed by Daniel Judson:

The FOAM Core also chose three honorable mentions going to:

Jar-E “Plot” directed by Steven Tingle:

Stephanie’s Id “Documentary” directed by Paul Chelmis

Juan Holiday “Seal it Tight” directed by Kurt Mann:

Groundbreaking Mentor and Featured Artists for MVA 2011 is Ben Lovett.

Lovett showed three videos and spoke about the films that he has been making for his upcoming album debut, Highway Collection.  Viral video explosion of their first single, “Eye Of The Storm,” directed by Chris Alender with Soapbox Films, is a cinematic gem that has gobbled up a million views in 4 weeks on the web, and it’s follow-up, the foot-stomping, barn burner single, “Heart Attack,” directed by David Bragg with Flying Pig Studios.

Lovett also debuted their newest video “The Fear” directed by David Bruckner with Wasteland Pictures:

To see the playlist for Music Video Asheville 2011 visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/Dreamspiderweb#grid/user/C47697E0230DC2DD

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Music Video Asheville tickets on sale now! National Music Industry Exposure & Music Allies Grand Prize for Participants

Click to visit the MVA website

FOAM and HATCH Present the 4th annual MUSIC VIDEO ASHEVILLE to showcase the pairing of Asheville musicians and filmmakers. We are thrilled to announce this year’s Music Video Asheville is presented by HATCH and sponsored by Music Allies, Creative Allies, Echo Mountain Recording, and fiscal sponsor The Media Arts Project. The MVA Mission is to increase the awareness and appreciation of Asheville musicians and filmmakers/ videographers by showcasing their collaborative works in a public event. The MVA screening is open to the public and takes place on Wednesday, April 13th, 2010 at the Fine Arts Theater in downtown Asheville starting at 7pm. Tickets are available now for $6 each at the Fine Arts Theater, Mamacitas, Static Age, Harvest Records, and Orbitz DVD.

Music Video Asheville will be highlighting the music video achievements of Ben Lovett and featuring amazing animation video “Eye of the Storm” (See below). MVA is honored to have Lovett give a Q&A session during the event. MVA has invited the producers of his three videos to come and speak as well.

MVA’s partnership with HATCH and Music Allies has landed MVA some exciting judges for the “Best of Music Video Asheville 2011 Award.” MVA’s guest panel will include the following mentors from HATCH: Malcolm Campbell – Publisher of Spin, Sean O’Connell – Founder of Music Allies and  Creative Allies, Crissa Requate – Director of Publicity Music Allies, and Tor Hansen – Founder Red Eye Distribution / Yep Roc Records. All their bios are on the hatchexperience.com site.

Music Allies has generously offered a $500 cash prize for the Best of MVA winner and Echo Mountain Recording Studio has offered a full day in the studio for the runner up. The other big prize is the “Crowd Favorite Award” which will receive a large portion of the ticket sales to the event! The MVA Submission Board will give a series of honorable mention trophies for outstanding work as well.

Artists that have submitted to this year’s MVA include: Ben Lovett, Acoustic Syndicate, Agent 23 Skidoo, Aaron Woody Wood, Stephanie’s id, Mad Tea Party, Jar-e, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Rock Eblen, Enemy Lovers, Alisa Kumba, Kovacs and the Polar Bear, Jen and the Juice, Brian McGee, Juan Holiday, Chompin at the Bit String Band, Now You See Them, Ten Cent Poetry, Quetzatl, GalaxC Girl , Serious Clark, and many more… See them all on the big screen…

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Attendees are encouraged to dress-up glamorously and quarkly awesome!
Music Video Asheville tickets on sale now! http://musicvideoasheville.com/tickets/

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More info about film mentor, Ben Lovett’s ‘Eye of the Storm’:

“The self-released first single, “Eye of the Storm,” showcases Lovett’s uncanny knack for storytelling and production with its haunting vocals and acoustic guitar expertly melded with somber cello and violin into a lush watercolor of sound. The song’s visual counterpart, directed by Chris Alender of Soapbox Films, is a stunning steampunk masterpiece that became a viral sensation, generating over 2 million plays in its first month.” ~ http://themusebox.net/lovett:

“Set in a visually arresting steampunk world, ‘Eye of the Storm’ is the epic tale of a lonely sky captain who must literally and figuratively brave a raging tempest in order to find his salvation on the other side. Featuring the music by Lovett” ~ http://atlanta.bside.com/2011/films/eyeofthestorm_christopheralender_atlanta2011

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The HATCH Experience brings music panels & workshops to Asheville: April 14th to 17th

HATCH is a biannual four-day experience that energizes creative professionals and thought leaders who are serious about transforming their ideas and talents into bold action, while inspiring others to do the same.

During HATCH, local studios, galleries, theaters, concert halls, and other select locations throughout downtown Asheville host experiential exhibits, panels, workshops, and networking events. The energy of HATCH surrounds and engages you. HATCH is unique because attendees and sponsors are part of the creative process. Everyone attending has intimate access to influential industry professionals across a range of creative disciplines.

HATCH 2011 will bring over 70 top professionals from seven creative fields to Asheville to act as mentors in film, music, fashion, journalism, photography, architecture, and design & technology. The magic of HATCH comes to life when cross-disciplinary explorations lead to exposure within the creative community, expansion of ideas & actions, and evolution of creative visions.

HATCH is actively engaged in fulfilling the following core initiatives:
Spotlighting innovators and solutions for better living.

• Creating a potent network of thought leaders who can affect change
• Discussing how emerging technologies are affecting our planet
• Increasing academic innovation through furthering school/community collaborations

More about the Music Panels and Music Workshops is below and in more detail at the website. More information about the other creative fields represented (Film, Tech, Photo, etc) can be found at http://hatchexperience.com. You can purchase tickets to attend multiple HATCH panels, workshop and other events at the website: http://hatchexperience.com/tickets

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MUSIC: Vision // Music ReMIX

Hatch Music: Remix Everything

Join HATCH for ongoing collaborations with the music community and participate in spontaneous creation. There are several Music Panels and Workshops with discussions on how technology is changing our interactions with music.  Find out about more about the at http://hatchexperience.com/music/

GROUNDBREAKERS: Have Your Music Remixed

Hatch is seeking song submissions for bands for Hatch Remix.  Be selected as a Music Groundbreaker and work on a remix of your music with New York City’s DJ Nickodemus and producer Moreno Visini aka Zeb, the Spy From Cairo. Songs should be submitted by Saturday, April 8th and will be considered on quality and the vision that Nickodemus and Moreno Visini have on creating a final remix during HATCH. The winning band(s) will also have the opportunity to work alongside the remixers and will have full rights to release the remix for commercial or promotional purposes as long as they attribute HATCH, Nickodemus, Moreno Visini, Echo Mountain Studio and any engineers. All genres are encouraged to join. Upload Your Song Here

Schedule of Music events by day:

Wednesday, April 13th: 7 pm ~ Music Video Asheville ~ Fine Arts Theatre
A showcase highlighting the pairing of Asheville musicians and filmmakers

Thursday, April 14th: 5 pm – 7 pm ~ Music Conversation: What’s Working From Who’s Working Workshop ~ Echo Mountain Recording Studio (API)
Join Asheville-based musicians and industry pros for a discussion about making money making music. This is a great opportunity to network with your peers that are musicians, publicists, agents, club bookers and festivals reps and discuss making a living in the music industry.

Thursday, April 14th: 7 pm Doors, 8 pm Show ~ Ben Sollee Live In Concert with special guest ~ Lexington Ave Brewery (LAB) Backroom
Ben Sollee is a classically trained pop cellist who explores contemporary folk music in an urbanized world. He will release his new album entitled Inclusions on May 10th, 2011.* A limited number of tickets will be on sale soon for $20.

Friday, April 15th:  9pm – 12 am ~ Hatch Networking Party ~ TBA Venue
Join Hatch attendees, mentors and groundbreakers for a networking event and music performances from HATCH Participants.

Friday, April 15th: 1 pm ~ Panel: Music Remixed ~ Innovators Lounge (Jubilee Downstairs, 46 Wall St)
Everything is changing for music fans, musicians and the music business.   Remix and rethink your perceptions about music. Panelists will explore the changing landscape of music discovery, listening, creation and marketing.  Mentors featured on the panel include:

• Ben Sollee ~ Cellist, activist, songwriter, performer.
• Malcolm Campbell ~ Publisher, Spin Magazine.
• Molly Nagel ~ General Manager, Music Allies / former VP of Artist Development at Sugar Hill Records.
• DJ Nickodemus ~ Producer, remixer, label owner and NYC’s longest running dance music party promoter.
• Tor Hansen ~ Co-Owner: Redeye Distribution / Yep Roc Music Group.

Saturday, April 16th: 9pm – 12 am ~ HATCH Closing Party ~ On Broadway
Celebrate the spirit of HACTH with new friends, HATCH attendees, mentors and groundbreakers for a networking event and music performances.

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