DittyTV Premieres Tenth Mountain Division’s Cel Animation Music Video “9 to 5” – Single Out Today

Tenth Mountain Division Release Single & Music Video – “9 to 5”
From Their Upcoming Third Studio Album
Produced By Tim Carbone at Silo Sound Studio

“9 to 5” is out Today! Get it here → https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/tenthmountaindivision Tb/9-to-5

Watch the World Premiere of the Music Video for “9 to 5” over at DittyTV →
https://dittytv.com/world-premiere-video-9-to-5-by-tenth-mountain-division/

You can also watch the Ditty Debut of the “9 to 5” Music Video on ‘The Curve’
Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 at 9pm MT/ 10pm CT/ 11pm ET
It will rebroadcast the following morning: 10am CT on Thursday, September 10th https://dittytv.com/watch/ 

BOULDER, COLORADO —  Colorado band Tenth Mountain Division is pushing the sound found in the mountains in bold new directions with their high-energy and exploratory take on Americana, draws influences from classic Southern rock, the progressive bluegrass that was born in their backyard, and the adventurous spirit of 60s psychedelic.

After a soaring 2019 which saw the band travel from coast-to-coast playing their biggest shows to date including Summer Camp, WinterWonderGrass, ARISE, and Yarmony, they took the plunge back into the studio at the turn of the year. With Producer Tim Carbone (of Railroad Earth), the band recorded their third studio album with engineer Todd Divel at Silo Sound Studio, recently dubbed the ‘Abbey Road of Denver’ [Westword]. 

The band’s mandolinist, Winston Heuga says, “It’s been hard to know the best way to adapt to this new culture and keep our momentum moving. Just before shutdown, we completed a Kickstarter for the new album and were lucky enough to have 358 backers pledge $38,765 to help bring this project to life. We’re very fortunate to be in a position to keep creating and get music to our fans.”

Tenth Mountain Division is excited to start releasing this new music with an animated video for their new single “9 to 5.” Watch the World Premeire of “9 to 5” now at DittyTV → https://dittytv.com/world-premiere-video-9-to-5-by-tenth-mountain-division/.

“9 to 5” was penned by the band’s bassist Andrew Cooney who says, “This song is about trusting yourself to take the path you feel is right. The first verse lays out what could be, and the second draws the final straw that leads to the solution in the chorus, ‘going home another way.’ It’s a somber, yet uplifting song that makes you ask if you are really following your heart.” 

The video will premiere on YouTube on Monday, September 7 → https://youtu.be/gw5bjABI-iE.

“TMD’s music video for their new single, “9-5”, directed by Chase Allen Taylor, takes the viewer through a flowing mosaic of animated, interwoven tableau vivant,” says the band’s guitarist MJ Ouimette, “We travel  as if ‘with’ the song through wraparound backgrounds reminiscent of the Flintstones, subbing Bedrock for psychedelic cartoon landscapes and subterranean pho factories and the foot-powered Rubstone Special for a rendering of the band’s beloved short-bus-tour-bus, Dorothy. The thread unifying the piece is the animation’s reaction to the track’s sound wave, sometimes gently as in during pianist Campbell Thomas light-as-a-feather solo and others dramatically to vocalist/songwriter Andrew Cooney’s inviting yet poignant vocals. An audiovisual treat for the modern aesthete.” 

“9 to 5” is the first single of their upcoming third album [Release date TBA], and a follow up to 2018’s In Good Company which Live for Live Music declared was, “chock full of raw rock and roll, with a savory listening experience guaranteed for all.” 

Marquee Magazine writes, “…the group’s electro-acoustic sound… gives unapologetic nods to the jam gods that have come before them… Tenth Mountain Division takes some Widespread Panic inspired jams, and meshes them with Leftover Salmon-styled arrangements, and couples that with a hell-bent love for classic rock, soul, and pub sing-alongs.” 

Tenth Mountain Division formed in 2010 when high-school classmates, Winston Heuga (mandolin) and MJ Ouimette (guitar) first met when they discovered a shared musical interest. The two young musicians started penning songs together that were inspired by the natural beauty that surrounded their hometown in the Rocky Mountains and the lore of the 10th Mountain Division military infantry (The WWII pioneers of mountain combat who founded Vail, CO and many other ski areas across the country.) They ended up at the University Colorado Boulder where they briefly played as an acoustic trio with upright bassist, Connor Dunn before meeting drummer Tyler Gwynn and keyboardist Campbell Thomas. The addition of drums and keys to Heuga and Ouimette’s deep musical bond, widened their musical palette, taking the band in new directions and pointing to bold, uncharted, musical horizons. They released their first album, Cracks in the Sky, in 2016 and followed it up with a national tour that saw them packing shows across the country. The band’s lineup was solidified soon after with the addition of Andrew Cooney and immediate success followed. Since then they have become a regular presence on the festival circuit including stops at Summer Camp, Aiken Bluegrass Festival, Winter Wondergrass, Yarmony, ARISE, and Leftover Salmon’s Boogie at the Broadmoor. They released their second album, In Good Company, in 2018.

TMD Upcoming Dates:
9/4 Fri –  Live Facebook Happy Hour with Festy GoNuts @ 5:30pm MT / 6:30pm CT/ 7:30pm ET
9/26 Sat – Highlands Ale House – Aspen, CO
10/24 Sat – Boulder Theater supporting Los Lobos

More information about Tenth Mountain Division can be found at www.tmdtunes.com 

www.facebook.com/TMDBand, www.twitter.com/TMDtunes, and www.instagram.com/tenthmountaindivision 

 

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Edward David Anderson Shares “Bad Tattoos” Video Off New Album ‘Chasing Butterflies’

Edward David Anderson Shares “Bad Tattoos” Video
From His New Album Chasing Butterflies
Recorded at the NuttHouse in Muscle Shoals

What folks are saying about the song “Bad Tattoos”

“He comes across genuinely here and displays a dry wit on other songs,
especially in the catchy ‘Bad Tattoos.’” —Country Standard Time,  Jim Hynes

“The album’s best track, ‘Bad Tattoos,’ also serves as a bit of a mission statement for the new Edward David Anderson. The song, which humorously recounts the bad decisions of a high school boy who inked his girlfriend’s name on his body and a woman who put her favorite band’s logo on her chest, only to discover that their popularity faded long before the ink would. It could have been a cautionary tale, but Anderson chooses to cast it as a permanent record of a life lived, good and bad.” —Concert Hopper, Chris Griffy

“You will be humming the chorus of ‘Bad Tattoos’ after just one listen…”
—Americana UK, Mark Hegarty

‘The bluesy ‘Bad Tattoos,’ for instance seems like Alison Kraus jamming with Cab Calloway with vocals by Duke Tumatoe. The humorous yarn of regret and acceptance could be heard from a church choir or a chain gang.” —The Community Word, Bill Knight

“I do indeed have a few bad tattoos and got to thinking about how each of them represent who I was at a certain time in my life. And how that’s not a bad thing. It’s easy to forget who you were and where you came from. The anecdotal verses are also based on people I know.”
—Edward David Anderson

BLOOMINGTON, IL —  “The story of my life’s written on my skin,” sings Edward David Anderson on the devilishly sardonic “Bad Tattoos” from his new album Chasing Butterflies (Black Dirt Records – Oct. 19, 2018). The song, like the artist, is brutally honest and has a worn feel; like it’s coming from someone that has been around and put in the miles. “I don’t think I could have written these tunes when I was 25,” Anderson explains. “Everything I’ve done, the people I’ve met, all the places I’ve been, have brought me to this moment.”

Watch the official video of “Bad Tattoos” here from with shots from the studio showing EDA, Nutt, and Kuhn come together on the song for the group vocals as the “Bad Tatts Choir”→ https://youtu.be/uTbl7w2Hs8Q

The gifted songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who spent a decade fronting the revered Midwest rock band Backyard Tire Fire, broke away and released his ambitious debut Lies & Wishes in 2014. The album was lauded “a superb solo effort” by No Depression and David Dye (NPR World Cafe) praised the follow-up Lower Alabama: The Loxley Sessions as “a wonderfully soulful record.”

It was through a tip from a friend that Anderson connected with GRAMMY Award winner Jimmy Nutt (SteelDrivers) from the iconic Shoals region of north Alabama. During their first conversation it was clear the two had a natural rapport and he quickly set a course for Jimmy’s NuttHouse Recording Studio in Sheffield. Diverging from past albums EDA used local session musicians for his backing band. “I felt the way to get the most authentic Shoals sound was to play with people who live and work there,” he said. Nutt played bass and brought in Jon Davis (Dylan LeBlanc) on drums, Brad Kuhn on keys, Todd Beene (Lucero) on pedal steel, and Kimi Samson on violin, and the chemistry was instant.

The core of the 10-track album was cut live in just a few short days with minimal overdubbing, making it feel both cohesive and human. “We brought in strings on a few and pedal steel on one, but didn’t want to get too carried away,” Anderson recalls. The result is a stunningly sublime, less-is-more snapshot of a writer in his prime.

Chasing Butterflies is available now on all outlets → http://smarturl.it/8bdvv6

Chasing Butterflies Track Listing:

1. Harmony (3:19)
2. The Ballad of Lemuel Penn (4:02)
3. The Best Part (3:23)
4. Bad Tattoos (4:19)
5. Crosses (4:03)
6. Only in My Dreams (4:49)
7. Dog Days (2:32)
8. Chasing Butterflies (4:19)
9. Sittin’ ‘Round at Home (2:23)
10. Seasons Turn (5:45)
    

Edward David Anderson – vocals, acoustic, electric & baritone guitars, banjo
Jimmy Nutt – Bass, Percussion
Jon Davis – Drums, Percussion
Brad Kuhn – Keys (Wurlitzer, Hammond A100, Yamaha C7 Grand, Rhodes)
Kimi Samson – Violin (2,6,9)
Todd Beene – Pedal Steel (8)

For more information, please visit www.edwarddavidanderson.com, facebook.com/edwarddavidandersonmusic, twitter.com/edanderson72, and instagram.com/edwarddavidanderson.

 

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Donna The Buffalo Unveils New Music Video and Fall/Winter Tour!

Groove-heavy and Danceable,
Donna The Buffalo Announce Fall, NYE, and Winter Tour!

Music Video For “Across The Way” Unveiled

“This is what 21st century Americana sounds like, a little bit of this and that from anywhere wrapped up into a poignant, jamming dance reel, a place where the past and history meet easily in the immediate now and everybody feels like dancing.” —All Music Guide

ASHEVILLE, NC — Donna the Buffalo is delighted to release a music video for their original song “Across The Way” along with a slew of tour dates for this Fall and Winter! The song breathes fresh air with lyrics written by Jeb Puryear, “Do you think that a smile matters… Do you think a song can change the world… If you do then let it play… All these things happen… Across the way… Do you believe in magic… I do… Every day… It’s right where you’re standing… Across the way.”

Known as one of the most dynamic and determined bands continuously touring America for nearly thirty years, Donna the Buffalo has created a community environment at their shows through their distinctive, groove-heavy, and danceable music. With roots in old time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful electric American mix infused with elements of cajun/ zydeco, rock, folk, reggae, and country, Donna’s music often contains social and moral responsibility as core beliefs, and they are just simply fun to get out and celebrate life with.

Donna the Buffalo is Jeb Puryear (vocals, electric guitar) and Tara Nevins (vocals, guitar, fiddle, accordion, scrubboard) joined by David McCracken (Hammond organ, Hohner Clavinet & piano), Kyle Spark (bass) and Mark Raudabaugh (drums).

Donna the Buffalo is excited to announce their Fall and Winter upcoming tour dates. They’ll be in the NorthEast in mid-September before heading south for a few shows including a performance at the historic Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee and Deep Water Soul Fest in Hot Springs, North Carolina and their very own Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival in Pittsboro, North Carolina. In mid-October they return to Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in northern Florida for the Suwannee Roots Revival before returning north for shows in Binghamton and Tarrytown, New York.

In November they bring their new bus out west for shows in Fort Collins and Nederland, Colorado, then on to the Moab Folk Festival in Utah, as well as appearance at the Musical Instruments Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. They’ll travel up the coast of California for six shows including Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown and the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Mid-month on they explore the NorthWest a bit more with shows in Eugene, Seattle, Portland, and Missoula. The band returns home and has a few shows in New York State in early December, along with a show at the new Boston City Winery!

Donna the Buffalo’s New Year’s run brings them back to Florida starting off December 29 at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and then two nights (Including New Year’s Eve) at Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa. After a day of rest on New Year’s Day, they loop through Key West, Boca Raton, Orlando, Charleston, and Saxapahaw, NC.

Their Winter tour has more to be announced and already includes shows in Washington DC, Charlottesville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Saranac Lake, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. Stay tuned for more dates to be added →  www.donnathebuffalo.com/on-the-road.

Donna the Buffalo Fall / Winter Tour
9/14 Thu – Infinity Hall – Hartford, CT
9/15 Fri – New Hope Winery – New Hope, PA
9/16 Sat – Harwich Cranberry Arts & Music Festival – Harwich, MA
9/22 Fri – Bijou Theatre – Knoxville, TN
9/23 Sat – Deep Water Soul Fest – Hot Springs, NC
10/5-8 Thu-Sun – Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival – Pittsboro, NC
10/13-15 Fri-Sun – Suwannee Roots Revival – Live Oak, FL
10/20 Fri – Touch of Texas – Binghamton, NY
10/21 Sat – Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, NY
11/2 Thu –  Hodi’s Half Note – Fort Collins, CO
11/3 Fri – The Caribou Room – Nederland, CO
11/4 Sat – Moab Folk Festival – Moab, UT
11/5 Sun – Musical Instruments Museum – Phoenix, AZ
11/8 Wed – Saint Rocke – Hermosa Beach, CA
11/9 Thu – Pappy and Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA
11/10 Fri – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
11/11 Sat – The Catalyst Atrium – Santa Cruz, CA
11/12 Sun – Hopmonk Tavern – Sebastopol, CA
11/14 Tue – Humboldt Brews – Arcata, CA
11/15 Wed – WOW Hall – Eugene, OR
11/16 Thu – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
11/17 Fri – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
11/18 Sat – Top Hat Lounge – Missoula, MT
12/1 Fri – Cohoes Music Hall – Cohoes, NY
12/2 Sat – City Winery – Boston, MA
12/8 Fri – The Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY
12/9 Sat – Anthology – Rochester, NY
12/29 Fri – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra, FL
12/30-31 Sat-Sun – Skipper’s – Tampa, FL
1/2/18 Tue – Green Parrot – Key West, FL
1/3 Wed – The Funky Biscuit – Boca Raton, FL
1/4 Thu – The Social – Orlando, FL
1/5 Fri – The Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
1/6 Sat – Haw River Ballroom – Saxapahaw, NC
1/19 Fri – The Hamilton Live – Washington, DC
1/20 Sat – Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, VA
1/26 Fri – City Winery – Atlanta, GA
1/27 Sat – Neighborhood Theater – Charlotte, NC
2/8 Thu – The Waterhole – Saranac Lake, NY
2/9 Fri – Tralf Music Hall – Buffalo, NY
2/10 Sat – Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA

More shows to be announced at www.donnathebuffalo.com/on-the-road

 

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Jane Kramer’s ‘Carnival of Hopes’ Out Today! New Music Video

Jane Kramer Makes a Full Voiced Return to Her Roots with Mountain-made Second Solo Album,
Carnival of Hopes – Out TODAY Fri, Feb 26, 2016

ASHEVILLE, NC — Vocalist and songwriter Jane Kramer independently release her gutsy and ambrosial second solo album entitled Carnival of Hopes on Friday, February 26, 2016. With deep ties to the area, Carnival of Hopes boasts a sparkling cast of Ashevillian producers and players. Kramer’s longtime friend Adam Johnson of Sound Lab Studios, whose portfolio of clients includes such names as Alison Krauss and Yo Yo Ma, produced and engineered the album. You can now pick it up at iTune: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/carnival-of-hopes/id1071615103.

The ten-song album was recorded at the award-winning Sound Temple Studios in February of 2015, while she still lived on the other side of the country in Portland, Oregon. A few months later, after a four-year run spent writing and reflecting on the West Coast, Jane Kramer pulled up stakes and returned to Western North Carolina with a renewed energy to share her new music with the world. The sense of homecoming that rings through was a conscious effort, Kramer says. “I did that because Asheville is my dirt. It’s my home and my culture, musically and otherwise. I missed it and knew somewhere in my bones I would be coming back to stay soon,” she says.

Kramer is backed by Chris Rosser on piano and harmonium, Eliot Wadopian on upright bass and River Guerguerian on drums and percussion, the virtuoso trio that comprises Free Planet Radio, as well as master Georgia-based bluegrass musicians/ multi-instrumentalists, Pace Conner (steel string, high string and baritone guitars, ukulele, mandolin, and backing vocals) and Michael Evers (Dobro, banjo, mandolin, and backing vocals) who arranged the songs for recording and perform and tour with Kramer regularly. Virtuoso players, Nicky Sanders of Steep Canyon Rangers and Franklin Keel of Sirius B play orchestral fiddle and cello, respectively, on “Good Woman.” The New Orleans jazz-influenced “Why’d I Do That Blues,” features a horn section comprised of JP Furnas on trombone and Ben Hovey on trumpet.

Jane Kramer. Photo By Sandlin Gaither.

She credits her songwriting hero and mentor, Mary Gauthier, with helping her reach for, and express, everything she hoped to communicate with the album. Carnival of Hopes aches and soars with her connections to Appalachian balladry, a force she first encountered at Warren Wilson College and honed while performing with the Asheville-based all-female trio, the Barrel House Mamas, who helped reintroduce Americana music to the Blue Ridge Mountains a decade ago. However, it is as a solo artist where the power of Kramer’s songwriting and world-class vocals truly shine. The songs on the album were all penned by Kramer with the exception of one cover, “Down South,” written by Tom Petty.”

Kind Words About Carnival of Hopes

“Pulling from her roots as a mountain-made musician, she zeroes in on Americana elements like folksy instrumentation while giving her lyrics center stage… Kramer’s voice is so smooth it melts into her own guitar-playing and violin overlays.” —Elmore Magazine’s Savannah Davanzo
WATCH World Premier of Music Video for “Carnival of Hopes.”

The Bluegrass Situation premiered a stream of the title track here.

“Kramer’s vocal glides between sorghum-sweet low notes and a breathy upper register, maintaining a wink the whole time. But even with its moments of levity and meet-cute two-steps, Carnival of Hopes is sincere.”
—Mountain Xpress, Alli Marshall

“[Jane] embraces songwriting that runs through a gamut of emotions, with heartache, regret, fear, and hope resounding deeply in her lyrics, and each tune is delivered with a voice that only be described as one of the purest in modern Americana… Carnival of Hopes is a steady stream of beauty.”
—Blue Ridge Outdoors, Dave Stallard

“… you can tell Kramer is having fun singing these songs and that feeling endearingly transcends to the listener. Kramer’s vocals are soulful and textured allowing for a range of emotions to illustrate each beautifully poetic song.”
—That Music Mag, Jane Roser

“Jane Kramer says her new album Carnival of Hopes is about facing down inner demons while still clinging to ‘that tiny chirping of light in your bones that somehow keeps you tethered to keeping on.’ And if that sounds like the sort of perseverance Tom Petty writes about, well that might not be a coincidence… Jane Kramer Brings Appalachian Past Into Cover of Obscure Tom Petty Song”
—Ray Padgett, Cover Me Songs premiered “Down South.” Stream it here.

“Jane Kramer is writing and playing classic folk with mountain influences, her strong voice lilting through honest expressions of life, love and the human condition.” —Asheville Citizen Times, Carol Rifkin

“Enchanting and accessible song-crafting; country, honky tonk, blues.”
—Rapid River Magazine

“Well produced, highly melodic and beautifully accessible”
—Northern Sky, Allan Wilkinson

“Like the title implies, Carnival of Hopes presents a festival of emotions from a woman who is cognizant of the fact that life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but one who embraces hope, knowing that through hardship often comes something of beauty.” —The Daily Country, Tara Joan

“…this album has the feel of a country record from the late 1980s, similar to Patty Loveless or Kathy Mattea.” —WNC Magazine, Tim W. Jackson

“Jane Kramer makes gorgeous music. With sensual magnetism in her voice, honesty in her lyrics and elegance in her melodies, her songs cast a wonderful spell. Give this record a listen; you will be taken on a lovely ride deep into the mystical world of an artist on the rise.” —Mary Gauthier, American songwriter and performer

Learn more about Jane Kramer and her music at www.JaneKramer.net and stay up to date with news at www.facebook.com/janekramersongstress.

 

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The Honeycutters Debut Music Video for “Jukebox,” A Swingin’ Honky Tonk Anthem

The Honeycutters Debut Music Video for “Jukebox,”
A Swingin’ Honky Tonk Anthem

ASHEVILLE, NC — The Honeycutters recently filmed a music video for their original song “Jukebox” at the historical and eclectic Town Pump Tavern in Black Mountain, NC, just east of their hometown of Asheville. Folk Alley premiered the video and writes of it, “The jolly, honky-tonk rhythm of the song underscores the sweet plaintiveness of Platt’s voice…until it doesn’t. As she steps up on to the stage to join the band, her smile wide, her voice big and bright, she and the other musicians seem to be in perfect sync, swinging, swaying and encouraging the whole of the bar to join in and look ahead to the brighter side of life.”

“Jukebox” is the lead track and perfect introduction to their new album Me Oh My [Organic Records® April 2015], an album which is threaded with themes of love, loss, acceptance and regrowth. “‘Jukebox’ features a woman done with waiting to fully live and imploring her partner to come along and make some magic with her, ‘I’m going dancin’, you comin’ or not? Take a chance on me daddy, this may be all we got,’” writes Front Row Focus’ Beth Baldino. “And in a line that reflects an overarching theme running throughout the album, ‘no use asking why, songbirds just ain’t built to fly, but sooner or later we all have to try.’ In other words, don’t dwell on why it’s taken us this long, it’s about time for us to shine.”

The Honeycutters. Photo by Sandlin Gaither.

The Honeycutters are fueled by the powerful songwriting and vocals of founder Amanda Platt who is also the album producer, band leader, and principal creative force behind the group. With songs that are honest and relatable, part chagrin and part hope, Platt’s voice carries a timeless appeal shaped by a raw honesty that comes straight from the heart and emits a sort of melancholy happiness. Joining Platt in The Honeycutters are Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith on pedal steel, electric guitar, and dobro.

The Honeycutters set out to visually tell the story of “Jukebox” by calling in a cast of friends and cohorts, as well as a few actors from the area, to spend a day filming in the perfect locale of this well-worn honky-tonk tavern. The video was directed and produced by Ty Gilpin, Senior Director of Marketing at Organic Records.

The visuals lead the viewer through an entire transformation. In this rustic and sleepy bar, Amanda plays the role of the bartender. She drops a quarter in the jukebox and starts washing the bar and dreamily singing while a few desolate souls sit and drink. She has a heart to heart with a couple of them, reminding that the music is on and begins to dance with a lonely man and woman, in turn, as she gets to the lyrics, “It’s only a song, so for heaven’s sake won’t you sing along?”

The band has entered the bar by then, set up, and is playing. An excited fan who peers through the window likes what he sees, so he calls in a whole crowd to come in and dance. As The Honeycutters get to the line, “Sooner or later we all have to try,” Amanda’s character shifts her own energy and the scene flashes to her on the stage performing. The leading male and female, no longer in despair, start dancing. The color is brighter; everyone is there; the bar is full of happy people spinning and cowboy boots kicking. Flash back to the first bar scene and the couple is now slow dancing peacefully with just a few others in the bar. They found their place in the music.

For making the “Jukebox” video possible, The Honeycutters send a special thanks to the Town Pump Tavern and their staff, Ty Gilpin (Producer/Director), John Litschke (Director of Photography/J. Martin Productions, Inc.), Dan Burke (Videographer/Lighting), Michael Hendrix (Videographer/Media Management), Don Talley (Associate Producer), Adam Foster (Jib Operator/Lighting/Production Assistant), Katie Kasben (Makeup/Stylist), singer-songwriter Lance Mills (Male Lead and a friend of band), and female lead Deena Wade (NYS3 – The Meisner Conservatory for the Southeast Graduate).

“Their music is the kind that you’d want to play on a jukebox in a bar, if bars still had jukeboxes.” No Depression’s Amos Perrine writes, “You can sit in a booth with a beer and a tear or stretch out and take a twirl with some like-minded stranger. And their new album is one of the year’s best.”

What Folks Are Saying about “Jukebox”

“From the first track – ‘Jukebox’ – to the closer (‘A Life For You’) this is a perfect album of tunes that – in most cases will have you dancing around the room (or at least tapping your toes)”
—Amazon, Steve Ramm

“Frontwoman Amanda Anne Platt writes potently vivid narratives that mine the underside of hardscrabble rural America: her characters are people we all know…, Jukebox, sets the tone, a swaying midtempo number with a cajoling cynicism: it’s sort of a ‘better enjoy this because this might be all we’ve got’ scenario.” —New York Daily News, Delarue

“When I first heard the opening track ‘Jukebox’, I thought ‘how did my Patsy Cline CD get in there?’… It’s a fun, toe-tapping honky tonk anthem…”
––That Music Mag, Jane Roser

“Not taking things too seriously is the theme of opening track ‘Jukebox,’ which immediately draws you into a place where you’ll remain throughout the record. The title track comments on the state of the modern woman.”
—The Daily Country, Tara Joan

“From the very first track, ‘Jukebox,’ Platt’s words will have listeners hooked on the entire album. ‘Don’t go calling me the angel on your doorstep/Cause I fell just like all the rest/I was too broke down to fly.’ These lyrics in ‘Jukebox’ are sure to grab the hearts of listeners and force them to clear their schedules just to finish the record. If the first track doesn’t leave listeners in tears by the end, the opening lines of the third song, ‘Me Oh My,’ will.”
—The Daily Lobo, Skylar Griego (New Mexico)

“Me Oh My… damn near beats anything coming out of Nashville these days. Singer/songwriter/producer Amanda Anne Platt is an irresistible and irrepressible force of nature. It’s all so authentic, organic, acoustic, sprightly, lively, lyrically profound and catchy that—when buoyed by Tal Taylor on mandolin and Matt Smith on pedal steel, electric guitar and dobro—you can’t get these songs out of your head. ‘Jukebox’ should be the obvious single… Americana comes up aces here.”
—The Aquarian’s Rant N Roll, Mike Greenblatt

“‘Jukebox’ is on a different plane, as country as anything you would have heard on the radio back in the day.”
—Lonesome Road Review, Larry Stephens

“The Honeycutters are a combo of supremely talented and empathetic musicians, fully committed to her vision. Whether driving and seasoning with pedal steel and brass the gently swinging honky-tonk of ‘Jukebox’, or creating the ideal atmosphere for the eye-opening dramatic desolation and stoic acceptance of life’s travails in the title track, they are indispensable. Their vocal harmonies, too, multiply the emotional effect of Amanda’s narratives.”
—No Depression, Amos Perrine

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

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Head For The Hills Releases a New Music Video, Summer Tour Dates, Free Download

Head For The Hills Releases a New Music Video For “Never Does”
WATCH “Never Does”–> http://youtu.be/F7-rlIfFG7s

Head for The Hills On Tour Summer of 2014
Including stops at Summer Camp, Denver Botanic Gardens, Planet Bluegrass and more
Shows with The Steep Canyon Rangers, Nickel Creek, and Yonder Mountain String Band

From Telluride Bluegrass Festival to SxSW and all points beyond – Head for the Hills creates a sound based in bluegrass that reaches into indie rock, jazz, hip hop, world and folk to stitch together fresh songs that bridge the divide between past and future acoustic music. Bluegrass Today said they are “On top of modern string music.”

Head for the Hills is Adam Kinghorn (Guitar), Michael Chappell (Mandolin), Joe Lessard (Fiddle), and Matt Loewen (Bass). The quartet recently released their third studio album, Blue Ruin, of which CMT’s Edge said it “effortlessly matches integrity against innovation.” The album also charted in the CMJ Top 200.

Today, they are thrilled to announce the premier of their newest music video for the song “Never Does”from Blue Ruin. Written by Joe Lessard, “Never Does” is a driving pop infused song about love and loss. It is a pulsing, minor-key tale about a lack of fulfillment and closure told with a rapid-fire vocal delivery. Subtle audio effects and haunting background vocals add to the unceasing and urgent sense of anxiety within the track. They are also offering the song as a free download at: http://bit.ly/H4TH_NeverDoes.

Head for the Hills will also be on the road this summer beginning with an appearance at Pickin’ on the Poudre at the Mishawaka Amphitheatre on May 17th. The end of May brings them to Illinois for Summer Camp Music Festival, The Revival Festival in Minnesota, and the Campout for the Cause in Bond CO.  They pick back up in mid-June with Vaudeville Mews (IA), Love Fest in the Midwest (NE), Fly Me to the Moon Saloon (in Telluride and featuring special guest Anders Beck from Greensky Bluegrass), and Clear Creek RapidGrass in Idaho Springs. In July they are set to play Camp Euforia (IA), Dawg Daze of Summer (MO), and a co-bill with The Steep Canyon Rangers at the Denver Botanic Gardens. August has them at the Mohawk Valley Music Fest (OR) and supporting Nickel Creek at the Festival at Sandpoint. They will also be at Yonder Mountain String Band’s Kinfolk celebration in Lyons this September and the Boats and Bluegrass Festival (MN). More tour dates will be announced as the season progresses, so please stay tuned to headforthehillsmusic.com.

Head for the Hills has performed and appeared at many premier festivals and radio programs including Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Wakarusa Music Festival, SxSW, NPR-Ideastream, eTown, High Sierra Music Festival, RockyGrass and several more. They also appeared on the River’s Rising Flood Compilation to benefit Colorado Flood victims alongside: Furthur, Widespread Panic, Devotchka amongst others. The band was named “Best of Colorado” for 4 consecutive years via Westword Music Showcase (Denver, CO) and also co-released a craft beer with one of USA Today’s “Top 15 Craft Beer Breweries” – Odell Brewing Co.

Head for the Hills Summer 2014 Tour
05.17 | Mishawaka Amphitheatre – Pickin’ on the Poudre – Bellvue, CO
05.23 | Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL
05.24 | Revival Festival at Harmony Park Music Garden – Clarks Grove, MN
05.25 | Campout For The Cause – Bond, CO
06.13 | Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
06.14 | Love Fest in the Midwest – Bellevue, NE
06.18 | Fly Me to the Moon Saloon – Telluride, CO +
06.28 | Clear Creek RapidGrass Music Festival-  Idaho Springs, CO
07.11 | Camp Euforia – Lone Tree, IA
07.12 | Dawg Daze of Summer Festival – Savannah, MO
07.27 | Denver Botanic Gardens – Denver, CO #
08.08 | Mohawk Valley Music Festival – Marcola, OR
08.09 | Festival at Sandpoint – Sandpoint, ID *
09.19 | Kinfolk Celebration at Planet Bluegrass – Lyons, CO ~
09.27 | Boats and Bluegrass Festival – Winona, MN

+ with special guest Anders Beck (of Greensky Bluegrass)
# co-bill with Steep Canyon Rangers
* supporting Nickel Creek
~ with Yonder Mountain String Band, John Bell (of Widespread Panic), The Travelin’ McCourys, The Milk Carton Kids and more

For more information, to purchase tickets, and keep up-to-date with Head for the Hills, please visit  http://headforthehillsmusic.com.

Blue Ruin is available on iTunes: http://bit.ly/1aVRLfe & Amazon: http://amzn.to/12fiYSj.

 

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Call for Submissions: The 7th Annual Music Video Asheville: DEADLINE is March 14th

Call for Submissions:
The 7th Annual Music Video Asheville: DEADLINE is March 14th
A Showcase to Highlight the Pairing of
Asheville Musicians & Filmmakers

Submission Deadline: Friday, March 14th 2014

Screening @ Diana Wortham Theatre: Wednesday, April 16th, 2014
Networking Party 6-8pm, Curtain at 8pm. Awards at 9:30pm

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
(available online and at Harvest Records)
$10 adv/ $12 dos
VIP Tickets: $25 online sales only;
includes unlimited popcorn, two beers and preferred seating

The 7th Annual Music Video Asheville (MVA), a showcase to highlight the pairing of Asheville musicians and filmmakers, is calling for submissions to this years event which will take place on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at the Diana Wortham Theater located at 2 North Pack Square Asheville, NC 28801. The deadline to submit a video for consideration to to this year’s event is Friday, March 14, 2014. Guidelines on how to submit are at www.MusicVideoAsheville.com.

Prizes for winning videos will include a free day of studio time at Echo Mountain Recording Studios and a $500 cash prize! Other awards to be given this year include Best Cinematography, Best Soundtrack and Best Costume Design and Best Visual Design.

To celebrate the 7th Anniversary of one of Asheville’s favorite music events, the MVA crew is once again rolling out the red carpet…literally. Music Video Asheville strongly suggests “Grammy style” attire (with Asheville flair, of course) and will be offering tickets for preferred seating. Pre-show cocktail hour will take place in the lobby at 6 o’clock. The viewing and awards ceremony will be from 8-10pm.  Tickets are now on sale at Harvest Records in West Asheville and at MusicVideoAsheville.com.

MVA 2013 is produced by Lush Life Productions and theONcorps. If you’d like to get involved as a sponsor or volunteer for the event, please contact Kelly Denson at Kelly@LushLifeToday.com or call 828-515-1081.

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Head For The Hills’ New Music Video Debuted on Relix.com

Head For The Hills’ New Music Video Debuted on Relix.com
WATCH “Take Me Back”→ http://bit.ly/14ZMEns

Colorado quartet, Head for the Hills’ first official music video featuring their song “Take Me Back” from their studio new album Blue Ruin has been debuted on Relix.com. Written in the great tradition of sunny sounding bluegrass songs with morose lyrics, “Take Me Back” is about being born at the wrong time. Breakneck fiddle work plays counterpoint to a probing look at loss of innocence and longing for days past in this modern bluegrass tour de force.

“Effortlessly matches integrity against innovation.”
–CMT Edge, Brian T. Atkinson

“Blue Ruin starts with the song ‘Take Me Back’… real, smooth catchy… bluegrass-most just.”
–The Horn

“‘Take Me Back’… an easygoing, rambling ballad steeped in traditional bluegrass.”
–Westword

“The opening cut, ‘Take Me Back,’ is reminiscent of an early Country Gazette-style offering, particularly with respect to the rhythm style and vocal arrangement.”
–Prescription Bluegrass

Head for the Hills. Photo by Marc Leverette.

Head for the Hills has a simple but continuing dilemma they can’t seem to resolve. Specialists have been hired to no avail and the predicament persists: how does one describe the multifarious music of Head for the Hills? Among the top contenders are catchy turns of phrase like post-bluegrass, progressive string music, modern acoustic noir, and bluegrass bricolage. “On top of modern string music,” (Bluegrass Today), “Cutting edge,” (Drew Emmitt) or “Best in Colorado Bluegrass” (Westword Showcase Readers Poll).

Strip away the artful descriptors and you have a forward thinking group of {mostly} acoustic musicians drawing on eclectic influences, tastes and styles. They didn’t grow up immersed in bluegrass music but came to it later in life, with each other. The result is a sound based in bluegrass that reaches into indie rock, jazz, hip hop, world and folk to stitch together fresh songs that bridge the divide between past and future acoustic music. Think Meta-fictional sea shanties. Pop-infused newgrass murder ballads and urbane lyricism. Twang and punch. Blue Ruin finds Head for the Hills inspired by love and misery and comic books.

Summer tour highlights for Head for the Hills have included performances at RockyGrass, Northwest String Summit, the band’s debut in Alaska for Salmonstock Music Festival. They also hosted a ‘Blue Ruin’ album release block party in the streets of Denver, CO with Breckenridge Brewery.

H4TH also collaborated on a custom craft beer with Odell Brewing Company (Ft. Collins, CO) named ‘Head for the Hills – Colorado Amber Ale’ and also was voted “Best in Bluegrass” for the fourth consecutive year by the Denver Westword Magazine via a reader’s based poll.

Head for the Hills is Adam Kinghorn on Guitar and vocals, Joe Lessard on violin and vocals, Matt Loewen on upright bass and vocals and Mike Chappell on acoustic and electric mandolins.

Kind Words about Blue Ruin:

“Sheer exuberance” –The Bluegrass Situation, Lee Zimmerman

“The guys put a fresh spin on string music… Highly recommended.” —  Daily News, Pittsburgh, Jeffrey Sisk

“Head for the Hills uses misdirection like a veteran magician on Blue Ruin… a surreal, heady and innovative fusion of styles.” –Westword

Stay tuned for more about the new release on the band’s website and social networks. www.headforthehillsmusic.com. For the most up-to-date list of tour dates, click here.

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Afropop Band, Zansa, Release New Music Video “Mi Wa”

Album Release Celebration at Isis Music Hall in Asheville on Sat 9/7
Zansa CD Release Brings Cultural Music to the Mountains

Afropop band Zansa is releasing their debut album Djansa, with a live performance at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall on Saturday, September 7, 2013. More details about the show are here: http://bit.ly/17hTGGc.  Senegalese griot musician Diali Cissokho and his band Kaira Ba will be opening the show. Robust and rhythmic, melodic and smooth, the music of Zansa presents a dynamic synthesis of centuries’ old West African songs and modern instrumentation. Zansa is a Nouchi slang word meaning “blend,” and the group’s debut album, Djansa, meaning “dance,” delivers a dance party vibe with a folkloric storyline.

Based in Asheville, NC, Zansa is led by Adama Dembele (lead vocals, djembe, and percussion), a 33rd generation musician from Ivory Coast, whose ancestry is recognized throughout West Africa as the House of the Djembe. Along with Dembele, Zansa is Patrick Fitzsimons on guitar and vocals; Sean Mason on the drumset; Ryan Reardon and bass and vocals; and Matt Williams on violins, guitar, and vocals.

Djansa is being released nationally online (iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby) and in select record stores on September 10, 2013, with performances throughout the Southeast to follow. Pre-order Djansa on iTunes and immediately receive “Mi Wa” single for free.

Stay tuned towww.zansamusic.com for more information.

“Mi Wa” Lyrics and Translation:

Mi Wa: A love song, about love near and far, and love lost and found.

ROUGH TRANSLATION:
Light of my heart, light of my life.
Even if I leave, far away from you.
You still know without you my life doesn’t make sense.
With your love you make me happy, my natural beauty.

You’re my love, you’re my joy.
You spoiled my life with your choice.
You know without you baby my life doesn’t make sense.
Your love just makes me happy, my natural beauty.

LYRICS:

Eh, eh eh eh, mi wa, mi wa gnoh…

Lumière de mon coeur, lumière de ma vie.
Meme si moi je vie, loin de ta presense.
Tu sais bien que sans toi chèrie
Ma vie na plus de sèance, a ton amour,
Vient me rend heureux ma beaute naturelle

Eh, eh eh eh, mi wa, mi wa gnoh…

Oh toi mon amour, oh toi ma joie due
Tu a gache ma vie, par un notre choix
Tu sais bien que sans toi chèri
Ma vie na plus de sans, a ton amour
Viens me rend heuruex ma beaute naturelle

“Eh, eh eh eh…”

Oh l’enfant, “Allez yako”

Zansa
“Mi Wa”
Recorded by Matt Williams at The Eagle Room, Weaverville, NC
Produced by Matt Williams and Ryan Reardon
From the album Djansa
©2013 Zansa Music

Music Video recorded and produced by Dark Energy Pictures.

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Town Mountain’s ‘I’m on Fire’ Featured on The Bluegrass Situation, Runnin’ From The Lawdog

Town Mountain is Robert Greer on vocals & guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Phil Barker on mandolin & vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, & Jake Hopping on upright bass. Photo by Jason Beverly.

Town Mountain’s ‘I’m on Fire’ Featured on The Bluegrass Situation,
Runnin’ From The Lawdog

Hard Drivin’ Carolina String Band, Town Mountain, is touring with their fourth album, Leave the Bottle [Pinecastle 2012]. Want to know what it is like to be on the road with Town Mountain? Arthur Hancock writes about his experience traveling with the band on The Bluegrass Situation. He says, “What I’ve come to learn by spending time with the band is that they share a deep reverence for the players and singers that are the foundation of bluegrass music. Although sometimes late at night driving back from a gig ‘Purple Rain’ might come on the iPod, most of the time you’d be more likely to hear The Gillis Brothers, early Stanleys, or a live recording of Town Mountain that they are poring over in pursuit of their craft.”

The Bluegrass Situation also premiered the band’s official backstage video of their version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” in the same post. Read the article and see the video here → http://bit.ly/132c2bS

This video is the first installment of the new “Town Mountain Covers Series” hosted by The Bluegrass Situation. They’ll do two or three more cover songs of their choice and then let the audience chime in with suggestions on what cover song they would like to hear Town Mountain do. Stay tuned to The Bluegrass Situation for more details as the festival season unfolds!

“I’m On Fire,” is a song that has been in Town Mountain’s repertoire for years and was recorded on their 2008 album Heroes & Heretics; the band has continued to play and develop their version at live shows. After a nice mention about their version of the “I’m On Fire” in Pop Matters [2012] and a shout out from Dale Earnhardt Jr to check out the song when he took over the National Guard’s twitter account in November of 2012, it has resurfaced into the public eye. A YouTube video with the track, which simply shows Heroes & Heretics’s album cover, has garnered 100,000+ views. We are happy to present an official backstage video of the band performing the song.

“They pick and sing with a passion you don’t find much these days, it’s refreshing and real good.  Put the cd in the truck, hit the parkway or some other good riding road, roll the windows down, and play it loud. PS. Watch out for the lawdog,” says John Roten of WPEK/WMXF.

All of the members of Town Mountain are songwriters and bring original tunes to the band’s sound. One notable song,  “Lawdog,” is a song from the road that opens a cappella and is sung and written by Barker in the manner of Jimmy Martin; it is relatable to anyone that inevitably gets pulled over while trying to make good time traveling. Juli Thanks writes, “Phil Barker’s ‘Lawdog’ sounds like an unearthed classic, and the group’s tight harmonies alone make this record a treat for any bluegrass fan.” She listed Leave the Bottle on the Top 20 Bluegrass Albums of 2012 by Engine 145 and said, “This is one up and coming band you’ll want to keep an eye on in 2013 and beyond.”

WATCH Town Mountain perform “Lawdog” live on WAMU–>

Town Mountain is chasin’ the horizon this summer and heading to a town near you from the east to the west, from the deep south to close to the Canadian border.

For more information about Town Mountain and their current tour dates, please visit TownMountain.net and facebook.com/TownMountain.

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