New Interviews Added to the Lyrical Venus Radio Archives!

Wow, I think this is the first week in a looong time that I DON'T have an interview lined up for The Lyrical Venus Radio Hour! That's fine though, I'm sure not lacking in fantabulous music to play. Tune in Tuesday from 9am-10am Central time to hear it! http://kruufm.com

If you're needing an interview fix though, I've got just the thing for you - last week I spent FOUR hours at the station after my show and posted up a huge bunch of past interviews to the archives! It doesn't take that long to actually post an interview, but if I have to tweak levels or something, that's the part that takes a while. I'm no audio engineer, so sometimes in the craziness of the moment - running the sound board, two mics, the computers, the playlist, the phone AND trying to have an intelligent conversation LIVE on the air, well, things can come out a little less than perfectly sometimes. There's some stuff I can do to make parts of it a little better, but I can't fix everything.

I hope that the love and appreciation I have for these artists is evident enough in the interviews and can make up for any little technical glitches you might notice. It's rather similar to a live recording of a concert - if something messes up, it's recorded that way forever!

That said, I think the mess ups are far fewer than the fun and magic moments, and I may be listening with a hyper self-critical ear! I'll let you be the judge! Here is the link so now you can stream them to your heart's content, or even download them and listen later on your iPod (or computer or whatever mp3 device you have):

http://kruufm.com/station/archives/2482

Sadly there was some sort of glitch at the station a few weeks back which resulted in a couple months worth of interviews being temporarily inaccessible to me, so I couldn't post ones from part of October and November, but those will be coming as soon as I can get them up! And you'll have plenty to check out in the meantime (the blog entries will have more info and links to all of their websites):

Jana Pochop Interview Blog
Beaucoup Shakti (LIVE in the studio)Interview Blog
Kristi Martel Interview Blog
Bonnie McKee Interview Blog
Truckstop Souvenir (LIVE in the studio)Interview Blog
Moira Smiley of VOCO Interview Blog

So there you have it! Tune in Tuesday from 9-10 central for the live show, this week and every week! KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in town, kruufm.com online anywhere.

(If I cook up some good theme idea between now and then I'll put up another post to let you know. )

Music Videos & Musings on Indie Arts & Businesses

It's cooooold here in Iowa. I've been spending lots of time snuggled under my down comforters (yes, two at a time, I told you it was cold!) watching music videos. So if you've got a snow day, I encourage you to make some hot coco and snuggle down under your own blankets for a nice little music break, because I found a few really great clips from some live shows at a cafe in Massachusetts called Mocha Mayas.

The artists that caught my eye were ones I'd actually seen at house concerts on my street! I hosted Brooke Brown Saracino at my place, and Truckstop Souvenir hosted The Starlings at their place across the street. These videos are such good quality, it's almost like being back in the living room with the musicians singing a few feet in front of me!

Feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see all the videos

Here's Brooke Brown Saracino singing Half a Buck, Left to the Birds and Lonely Song.


Here she is again, singing a cover of Anais Mitchell's Namesake and her songs Falling, and Boat.


Next up are The Starlings singing Rosie, Hand to Mouth and Acorn.


Three more by The Starlings: Wild Child, Bluebird and Bone to Ashes.

Looks like Mocha Mayas is a pretty cool place to hear good music, eh? They have a bunch more videos! Here's the description of the cafe from their YouTube channel:

Mocha Mayas is a small cafe situated in the hills of western Massachusetts. A small town on the banks of a lazy river rolling over an expanse of glacial potholes provides the scene for what is known as Shelburne Falls. A small town where artisan shops and excellent restaurants provide the atmosphere for intelligent discourse and clear headed thoughts. Intimacy and community is what we are about. Mocha Mayas provides musical interludes on most friday and saturday nights - for those in our general area who might be interested in attending a live show please check out our Myspace for information on upcoming shows and events.

Unless otherwise labeled all video and sound by Elijah Rottenberg.

I'm always singing the praises of my local coffee shop/acoustic listening room Cafe Paradiso and all the great acts they bring through. It's really nice to discover there are other great places out there with the same type of commitment to quality in everything they do - from their coffee to the entertainment they host on their stages.

Mocha Mayas also has a website and a MySpace page:
http://www.mochamayas.com/
http://www.myspace.com/mochamayas

While we're on the subject of awesome listening rooms, I'd like to take a moment to encourage you that wherever you live, be sure to go out and support your local small businesses like this! While watching clips online can certainly be a good reminder of the magic that happens in those concerts, nothing can replace the electric connection that happens when you're actually in a room full of people sharing the experience.

Plus, if you don't go to shows and such, they'll stop having them. No joke. I heard about a restaurant near Cedar Rapids, IA called Cibo Fusion that used to have live music every weekend, but stopped having musicians play because they had to cut back. That was a regular gig for some of my friends. I just came across a restaurant called Calavino's in Decatur, Georgia that is in danger of closing altogether, that has also been a regular gig for a great musician down there, Doria Roberts.

It's a crazy time for our country, where it's easy to feel a pinch between the desire to give during the holidays and a need to save money to help ward off uncertainties in the months ahead. I'd like to humbly suggest that if you give gifts this year that they be from local businesses and independent artists - musical and otherwise. For an independent artist, every dollar really does count, and when you buy locally, your dollar circulates through the community 3 to 15 times before leaving!! That's what I call strengthening the economy!

As a citizen of the web, I also would say there are plenty of really cool "neighbors" selling stuff on their own sites and others like Etsy and eBay. And if you do end up with a few special requests that need to be purchased from big companies online, consider clicking through to those shopping sites from your friend's blogs and websites to kick back a commission to them.

Finally, as an artist myself, and supporter of artists and indie business owners everywhere, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for every time you have gone to a live show, bought a CD or handmade gift, shopped at your local Farmer's Market or got your latte at a local coffee shop! Really! You're supporting the kind of world I want to live in!

Alrighty, I think you get the idea! I'll get off my soapbox and leave you with a completely fun promo for a completely non-local event, though it IS connected to Indie artists. :-)

Girlyman Gives Advice on Packing for the 2009 Cayamo Music cruise:


OK, one last question! What are your favorite listening rooms and local businesses?

Moira Smiley Interview on Lyrical Venus! Tues 9am

Moira Smiley & VOCO

You might not notice them a first glance, but check out the boots on the ladies of VOCO. More than just a fashion statement, the boots are actually an important part of their act! The wide variety of music they perform, from original folk to traditional ballads, makes VOCO a little hard to categorize. But one thing that makes them stand out as a super cool band, above and beyond their gorgeous harmonies, is their body percussion sets. And that's where the boots come in - slapping their ankles is a lot louder (and probably less painful) with boots!

I first saw Moira Smiley, radiantly living up to her name, at Song School when she lead the opening sing at the beginning of the week. I didn't get a chance to take any classes with her that week (there were SO many classes to choose from!), but I sure appreciated how she got everyone involved, moving and singing as a group right off the bat, and brought it all back together for the closing sing as well.

And then, I got to see Moira perform with her band VOCO during the Folks Fest that happened the weekend after Song School:

Feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see the video

That was when I found out Moira plays banjo, one of my favorite instruments! She also plays accordion, and composes and arranges music for the group. Jessica Catron plays cello, Jess Basta and Christine Enns round out the group - all four of them provide vocals and body percussion.

I think it's a testament to how tuned in Moira is to traditional music that when listening to both of the latest VOCO albums, I can't really tell which of the songs are her originals without looking at the CD case! (Except maybe the ones that aren't in English are pretty obviously Eastern European traditionals.)

The newest release from Moira Smiley & VOCO is a live EP called Circle Square Diamond and Flag, which is a reference to the notation used in traditonal shape note singing, which is the style mainly used for this collection of songs. And while the songs may come from varied backgrounds, somehow the harmonies tie together the diversity of the music across the disc. That and the fact that the performers all have sense of a joyous celebration of life that radiates from every note, every boot stomp, every hand clap, hoot and holler.

The description on their site sums up VOCO pretty perfectly: "stompin' gorgeous vocals - lush, fierce vocal harmony and delicious vaudevillian combo of cello, accordion and banjo. Original songs, sweet hard-driving Americana, rompin' body percussion, emotional ballads of Eastern Europe. A visionary blend of four exquisite voices."

Join me for an interview with Moira Smiley on Lyrical Venus Radio, which is this Tuesday from 9-10am Central Time! KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

Check out Moira Smiley & VOCO on their website or MySpace.
Get their CDs Blink and circle, square, diamond, & flag at CD Baby.

Truckstop Souvenir On Lyrical Venus Radio! Tues 9am

I've been a big fan of the husband and wife Americana duo Truckstop Souvenir pretty much since they moved to town a couple years ago from Seattle. First off, anyone who can see and appreciate the beauties of this state gets big points in my book! I know it's not perfect here, but there's plenty to enjoy if you take the time to recognize it. Secondly I loved how their sound on their debut album Leave Nothing Behind was so vintage, yet completely new.

So I've been eagerly awaiting their new album for a while now, and I'm super excited for the CD release party is this weekend at Cafe Paradiso (Sat 8pm)! Under A Big Blue Sky was recorded in Lauryn and Dennis' home studio here in Fairfield, which is no easy trick with all the frequent trains passing by. They did slip one appropriate train whistle on the album between the songs For The Coal and Railroad Man!

You just may hear a train whistle during their interview on Lyrical Venus this Tuesday, what with the station being right by the tracks! Luckily it's a nostalgic sound that fits with their themes - dusty roads, wide rivers, tiny mining towns, old time rodeos and lonely motels. Whether it's a slow, heartbreaking ballad like Sing those Blues Away or a twangy, loping country tune like The River Is Wide, every track is sparse yet perfectly accompanied by either guitar, mandolin, fiddle, piano, bass, viola, cello or clawhammer banjo. And either Lauryn or Dennis played practically all of those on the album!

That's just the instruments. One of my favorite parts of Truckstop Souvenir's music is how their voices blend in the kind of harmonies only a husband and wife team can achieve. That and their deep love of the land, and things that may have slipped from the common person's awareness but really matter.

So if you need an escape to the good ole days with some real good people, tune in at 9am Central for some Lyrical Venus-y tunes, and the Truckstop Souvenir interview at 9:30. KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in town, kruufm.com online anywhere!

Get the Under a Big Blue Sky and their debut album Leave Nothing Behind directly from Lauryn and Dennis on their website.

Hear song samples on their website or MySpace.

Interview with Ellis & Terri on Lyrical Venus Radio! Tues 11/25

Back in February, just days before I left for my 2 month Spanish Immersion trip to Colombia, I did an interview with Ellis. It was my second interview on the show, and my first phone interview and I generally am a nervous wreck at phone calls, especially when I don't know the person I'm calling. It went really well (although I did have a little bit of trouble getting the exact songs I wanted to play in the right order :-P), we ended up talking for over half an hour about all sorts of things. It was actually the official release day for her latest album Break The Spell. (You can download or stream the interview here)

So I missed the concert, but I begged my husband to go and at least get me a CD. He ended up going to the whole show, and when I asked him about it he said he didn't want to tell me anything. I finally dragged it out of him that it was an AWESOME show and he didn't want to tell me about it because he didn't want me to feel bad that I missed it.

Then this summer when I went to the Rocky Mountain Song School, I found out that Ellis was one of the teachers, and she was also available for mentoring sessions. I bee-lined it for the sign-up sheet as soon as it was put out because I knew I had to meet her in person, and she only had 4 slots.

My first class that week was a guitar class, which ended up being a little beyond my skill set, at least in that I couldn't keep up in the moment with the rest of the class. And then ALL the doubts came rushing in - "See I told you that you weren't good enough to be here! You should just go back and stay in your tent the whole week!" sort of thing.

Luckily my mentoring session was right after that. I sat down with Ellis and told her I was the one who interviewed her from Fairfield and she thanked me for it again, and then asked what I wanted to get out of the session. I said I wasn't quite sure but just knew I liked her vibe and wanted to meet her in person. And then I told her about the guitar class just previously and pretty much burst into tears.

She told me that every person - student and teacher alike - at the camp was feeling the way I was feeling, or had felt that way before, or would likely feel that way at some point in the future. Which was a huge relief to hear. We went on to have a great conversation about lots of things relating to the artistic gremlins that everyone deals with, and some strategies for dealing with them.

It was really a perfect way to start the week, to have my confidence breakdown right away, and get some great, supportive words of wisdom directly after that to help me get my head on straight for the rest of the classes.

A couple days later I met her manager Terri when they did a "Musician Think Tank" class to talk about different strategies for musicians to make money and survive the touring world. Terri is just as sweet, supportive and down-to-earth as Ellis, but she also has a very focused, no-nonsense mind that makes her a perfect moderator for those kinds of conversations and ensures they keep moving along and questions actually get addressed instead of lost in vague/creative/artistic land. :)

All of that is to say really, that I'm SUPER excited that both of them are coming to Fairfield this weekend. Ellis is doing a concert on Saturday at Cafe Paradiso, and then Ellis and Terri will be doing a workshop on Sunday! Here's the workshop info (email me at LyricalVenus at gmail dot com for more details):

Host: Steve Cooperman
Location: Bonnell Building
107 1/2 S. Main St., Fairfield, IA 52556 US
When: Sunday, November 30, 2:00PM

You are invited to spend an afternoon with singer/songwriter Ellis and booking agent/artist Terri Mazurek, who will be sharing their advice and ideas on the business aspects of making music in a workshop entitled "Making a Living Making Music in the 21st Century." The workshop takes place on Sunday, November 30 from 2 to 4 pm at the Bonnell Building in Fairfield. The cost is just $20/$15 for students. Topics include: how to set direction for your music career, how to find an audience for your music, promotion and marketing ideas, and how to plan/book your own tours. All levels of performing musicians are welcome, from those just starting out to touring musicians. Since 2006, Terri and Ellis have been the official business instructors at the prestigious Rocky Mountain Song School. Their workshops help creative artists to get on friendly terms with the business aspects of making music. They tackle music business challenges with humor, optimism, and compassion. Gemma Cohen, who was part of a large contingent of Fairfield musicians who attended this year's Song School, says of Terri and Ellis, "I'd pay to just hang out with them!"

But of course, before all that, you can hear from Ellis and Terri LIVE on the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour! Just tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town or kruufm.com online worldwide, Tuesday from 9am-10am.

Official Ellis Website

The Coffee Song at Rocky Mountain Folks Fest 2007:


How Would It Be:

Feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see the videos.

Update! Rachel Ries and Anaïs Mitchell on Lyrical Venus Radio Too!

Well, here I go double posting on one day again, but I'm doing a bit of last minute scrambling to schedule an interview with Rachel and Anaïs. They won't be together on Tuesday so we're not sure if they'll be able to do a 3-way call or if they will call in separately. But in any case they WILL be together when they come to Fairfield this weekend and I am SO looking forward to their show at Cafe Paradiso on Saturday. It is not to be missed!! See my previous post about their duo project - Country EP for more details on what they have been up to lately. Very excited!

Interview with Rachael Sage on Lyrical Venus Radio! Tues 11/18

When I got the Rachael Sage press packet including her latest album Chandelier and several other of her recent releases I was floored. Rachael has 8 solo albums, her first release was in 1996 and she has won plenty of significant awards since then, including one of the “100 Most Influential Independent Artists Of The Past 15 Years” by Performing Songwriter magazine. How had I not heard of her?

On the first spin, the gorgeous voice, quirky/thoughtful lyrics and bright, brassy pop sound were enough to make me fall in love immediately with her music and feel kind of cheated that I didn't know about it before. "You mean I could have been rocking out to this song for TWO YEARS now had I only known about it?!" (as in the song Wildflower off her 2006 release The Blistering Sun. Here's the video, with a cameo by Randy Jones, original Cowboy of the Village People and Pharaoh in the production of Joseph that I was in this summer!)

Feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see the video

But back to Chandelier, it was released this summer and it is just as glittering as they say - glam guitars, twinkling piano and that bright horn section (omg can I tell you how much I LOVE the horns?!?! I LOVE them!) Somehow all the sparkle lifts up the songs that have heavy themes and transforms the album experience into one of hope and celebration of life.

For example here is the video for Vertigo, a song she wrote in response to finding out that someone she dated for a brief period was actually married:


Aside from the music, Rachael is a person I admire in many ways, from her fabulous fashion sense (her clothes are sparkly too!) to her producing her own records and running her own label to her generous spirit. Her MPress Records has released several compilation albums featuring up-and-coming or established-but-under-the-radar songwriters where 100% of the profits go to a charity. What a great way to raise the profile of many a cool and deserving artist, and help good causes in the process. (past Lyrical Venus featured artists included on the compilations include Ellis, Melissa Ferrick, Kyler England (of the Rescues) and Girlyman.)

Find out more about Rachael, listen to music samples and order her albums on her website or MySpace.

And tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM on Tuesday for the interview! (That'd be kruufm.com if you want to listen online from anywhere in the world with an internet connection!)

photo credit: Bill Bernstein

New Weepies Video!! With Muppets!

O
M
G

I usually try not to post twice in one day, but this was too awesome not to share immediately. As if The Weepies weren't cute enough already, now they are MUPPETS?!! Be still my heart!

Feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see the video

I think one of my favorite parts is when they turn around on the words "turn around". But it's all good.

From the video info:

Can't Go Back Now is the brand new video from folk-pop act The Weepies. The Weepies' new record Hideaway has launched them into the mainstream with an appearance on ABC's Dirty Sexy Money and even an Obama Campaign commercial. For information on The Weepies, please click here: http://www.theweepies.com

Brooke Brown Saracino: Interview on Lyrical Venus Radio and House Concert!

When I found Brooke Brown Saracino on MySpace earlier this year, I immediately fell in love with her song About My Heart and was delighted to discover she was offering it as a free download. I played it the next week on my radio show and sent her a note saying so, and inviting her to do an interview sometime. She replied that she was working on a new album and planning to tour the Mid-West in the fall so she’d be in touch.

Late summer Brooke emailed me again, asking for recommendations of places to play in Iowa. I gave her several suggestions but none of them were panning out since she would be coming through on a weekday. I’d gone to a few house concerts at my across the street neighbor’s house and had a great time, so I told Brooke that I would be up for trying one myself.

If you haven't heard of it, a house concert is pretty much just what it sounds like – a concert in a house instead of a bar or coffee shop venue. More and more artists are looking to do house concerts these days as the atmosphere is relaxed, respectful and intimate; just a small group of people in a living room. In a small space there’s little to no sound equipment to deal with and the artist plays for donations rather than a cut of the door at a venue. (For more on house concerts check out concertsinyourhome.com)

Brooke describes her sophomore release Stranger’s Story as minimal and melancholy with a playful sound. While her debut album Treading Water included trumpet, accordion and drums on some tracks, Stranger’s Story is stripped down to just Brooke and her guitar, with the occasional ukulele, xylophone, fiddle and kazoo layered in.

A truly independent artist, Brooke did all the recording, editing, mixing and production on the album herself. Her music has won her honors in the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Singer/Songwriter showcase every year since 2005, and she was selected to perform at this year’s Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase.

Brooke has also opened for some of my very favorite singer/songwriters like Lori Mckenna, Rose Polenzani, Beth Amsel, and Cheryl Wheeler to name a few. While her sound is her own, Brooke definitely has a resonance with the aforementioned ladies, and I occasionally hear a hint of Anaïs Mitchell and maybe even a little Rachel Ries in her some of her songs too.

I’m looking forward to my interview with Brooke on Tuesday morning and the house concert that night. If you’re interested in the concert but didn’t get an invite consider this your official invitation and email me at [LyricalVenus at gmail dot com] for details!

If you can’t make it to the concert (or even if you can!), tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM or kruufm.com from 9-10am for an interview and to hear a few songs from Brooke!

You can get Brooke's first album Treading Water from:
her website
CD Baby
or iTunes:

Check out Brooke's MySpace to hear tracks from the just released Stranger's Story, which should be available online soon!

Jana Pochop on Lyrical Venus Radio Tues 9am!

I found Jana Pochop’s blog shortly after I started mine. I was on the lookout for other blogs by or about female singer-songwriters who I could network with and somehow or another I stumbled on Jana’s. She became a quick favorite – her entries were funny, honest and interesting to me, especially since many of them were charting her path to become a better singer, songwriter, guitarist and performer, something near to my heart.

As for her music, man can Jana play guitar! But I guess that's to be expected from someone who has been playing since they were twelve. I really love her fast fingers and the fun she has with open tunings. And she has as much appreciation and respect for a good lyric as I do, as evidenced by all the little snippets of lyric she has sprinkled all over her site.

It's not just guitar she's good at, Jana played all the instruments on her new EP The Early Year (she says it’s cheaper than hiring musicians!) minus a few handclaps by her producer Daniel Barrett (of Porterdavis) and some backing vocals by Susan Gibson, writer of the Grammy winning “Wide Open Spaces” (as sung by the Dixie Chicks).

Speaking of Daniel and Susan, another thing that has impressed me about Jana is how she has surrounded herself with great mentors and teachers down in Austin, Texas. She's working and studying with Daniel at the Red Leaf School of Music (aka Folk Musician Grad school). She’s getting a lot of road experience as a merch girl touring with Susan and plenty of support and tips from Terri Hendrix among others.

So I’ve been watching with excitement over the past many months as Jana's shared the process of making her EP. While she probably beats me for excitement that it just released, since it's her own record, I’m right there behind her. Which is why I'm very excited to have Jana on Lyrical Venus Radio this Tuesday, October 14th!

Listen in at KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, or stream it live from kruufm.com anywhere you've got a computer with a connection to the interwebs.

Check out Jana's website or her MySpace to hear tracks from The Early Year

Sarah Sample on Lyrical Venus Radio Tues 9am

I first saw Sarah Sample down by the St. Vrain river at Planet Bluegrass, with platium pixie hair and in a flowing green dress, stretching her arms above her head and drinking in the view and the vibe like someone who had just come home. I didn't know who she was, but I could tell there was something special about her. A sort of settled confidence among a crowd of many others who were (justifiably) buzzing and/or nervous.

Later that night when Sarah "outed" a fellow Song-Schooler she was backing up on an open mic performance for having recently turned 50, it was done with a knowing twinkle in her eyethat implicitly urged the woman to accept and celebrate the very place she was at in life as just perfect. Sarah's gracious heart seemed to want everyone just to feel comfortable in their own skin.

It was perhaps a bit after that I finally connected that it was Sarah who had won the 2007 Folks Showcase and therefore a slot on the Mainstage during the Folks Fest. She was a trooper during her set, as it rained the whole time. But those who braved the rain were treated to her smart songs and that amazing, amazing voice:

Sarah Sample at Folks Fest 2008

Feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see the video

Sarah's newest album Never Close Enough has been in pretty regular rotation on my playlists lately, and I'm excited to be interviewing her on the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour this Tuesday, October 7th. Tune in from 9-10am for great music and to hear from Sarah! KRUU-LP 100.1 FM locally or kruufm.com online anywhere.

Check out Sarah's offical website and her MySpace for preview tracks and to buy her music.



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Driftwood Fire Interview This Tuesday on Lyrical Venus

Charlotte, JJ and Lynn

So remember when I said I'd be introducing you to people I met at Song School? I'll be interviewing a few of them on my show this week! The ladies of Driftwood Fire are coming to Des Moines on October 3rd and they'll be calling in to Lyrical Venus Radio around 9:15 am on September 30th.

Mixing singer-songwriter, jazz and Appalachian flavors into their sound, Driftwood Fire has been compared to artists like Vienna Teng, Cowboy Junkies, The Ditty Bops and Gillian Welch. But their name alone evokes the feeling of their music - a late and quiet night on the beach with friends, a slight chill on your back off the waves, and barefoot toes toasty in the sand around a fire where everyone takes turns passing a guitar and sharing their stories.

I can personally vouch for their awesome show at the Wildflower Pavilion at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival this year, and they've also played at the National Women's Music Festival this summer. Later in October Driftwood Fire will take the stage as one of the Folk Alliance - West Main Showcase acts.

The three-piece band features Lynn Scharf on lead vocals and acoustic guitar (and she even had a song where she played washboard), Charlotte Formichella on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo (we all know how I love the banjo) and backing vocals, and Jennifer "JJ" Jones on drums and percussion (she drummed for tons of people at the Song School open mic - JJ has this fluid/electric quality on the drums that is just amazing to see.) They all know their stuff and their live show is a joy to watch because as well as being great musicians they are also very funny!

To preview tracks from their self-titled debut album as a trio, check out the official website or their MySpace. If you like what you hear, you can order Driftwood Fire directly from their website or CD Baby.

But either way, tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM or krrufm.com on Tuesday the 30th to get to know the gals a little better!

Interview with Lynette Diaz! New Album Out Saturday!

A while back my friend Millicent on MySpace (when you have a chance, Millicent's profile has a wealth of links to great female singer-songwriters) introduced me to Lynette Diaz, saying we had similar musical styles and outlook on life and we'd probably get along well. She was right - Lynette is a sweet, powerful and positive person who is absolutely passionate about music and I'm sure I'd like to hang out with if she didn't live halfway around the world in New Zealand!

Lynette is releasing her debut CD this Saturday! In spite of her busy schedule getting ready for the release party, she took some time to answer a few questions about her songwriting process, recording the album and her musical heroines. Check out the interview, links to Lynette's sites are below.


When did you know you wanted to be a songwriter?

I fell into songwriting quite by accident about two years ago. I’ve written poetry off and on for many years since I was a child. I’ve written some short stories, and I was editor of my high school paper and participated in journalism workshops when I was younger.

Words have always intrigued me and they’ve always been a really cathartic way for me to express myself. Just putting stuff on paper makes me feel better. I was going through a really trying time in my life, including a divorce after 19 years of marriage and coming out in mid-life. I was finally (after a couple of failed half-hearted attempts) going to make a real effort to learn guitar.

A neighbor gave me a chord chart and a few pointers and off I went. Within a few months, the words just started pouring out of me. As I learned different chords, new songs were born.

The combination of playing music with my lyrics really struck a chord. Ha, seriously no pun intended with that answer.


Which typically comes first for you - music or lyrics?

It really depends, as sometimes I’m playing around with a melody and then the words fall into place, But I’ve probably had more instances when the words are there and they need an outlet, so I pick up the guitar and fiddle with it a bit and the melody comes.


Do you revise or rework your songs a lot?

At this point, I feel really fortunate, as most of my songs up to this point have practically written themselves. Not that they all come out shiny and polished, but that the general theme and the key phrases tend to write themselves.

I find if I push to try and make a song happen, I run into walls. So, I don’t do that. I’m quite happy to put it aside and usually, whether it’s a day or even months later, it ends up being written close to original form


What has the process been like for recording your CD? When is the official release?

The album is set to be released on September 27th!!! I’ve got a cd release party that day at a nice intimate listening venue/art gallery. My music will be available soon at cdbaby.com and the usual digital distribution methods, such as iTunes and Amazon Mp3.

The recording process was made easy for me, due to the fact that I had really good friends working with me. Andrew Morriss and I have performed together, and he is this amazingly talented guitarist/songwriter/singer. We recorded at his home-based studio, and I would spend every Friday afternoon there for, oh, almost three months, and we would record and go over logistics etc. I had another friend, Simon Ritchie, come in and play harmonica for me. He and I perform together all the time, and I really love the way the harmonica blends with my music.


Where is your favorite place to sing?

I’ve got this really comfortable couch, and I love to sit in this one corner of the room and practice. But, as far as places outside home, anywhere with a friendly atmosphere.

I’m a real positive vibey kind of person, and I sing best when I can feel supported by other positive vibes. I tend to stay away from performing as background noise, such as in bars. LOVE small intimate venues.


What's the hardest thing about performing? What's the best thing?

The hardest part of performing for me has been getting my guitar to match my songs and vocals. Seriously, I’ve been playing guitar for less than two years and even though I practice all the time, because I’m writing so much, a lot of my guitar time ends up working through my songs. I’m not disciplined enough to go through guitar exercises. I’m not lazy at all about guitar, just really, I know I’m a songwriter first, and the guitar is the instrument that brings the words alive.

The best thing about performing is it means that I’m bringing those songs alive. I’m really quite petite, at 5’0 and I love the reaction of the crowd when I sing and really open it up. My voice is very passionate, and I get comments from the audience that they didn’t expect that voice from such a small gal, LOL! Really though, getting across the message in my songs is the highlight.


Who/where do you get support to do your craft?

I have two sons who have cheered me on since the beginning. Well, except for the first few months when my guitar playing was really obnoxiously horrid. They’ve been so positive about the process that I’ve gone through to get to do what I love,

I have a lot of other really special people in my life who have all been positive and supportive in various ways. My partner has been supportive from day one, and we both will play guitar together and sing for fun.

I’ve got a circle of musician friends here in Christchurch that are so good to me, with their time and energy. I’ve got some amazingly supportive MySpace friends who’ve encouraged me to make music and record an album from the get go. I could go on and on.

I also have a very spiritual side. I stay open to possibilities and positive energy and listen to my inner guidance. I think that is quite apparent in my music and in the way I approach life these days.


Name 3 artists you are listening to a lot these days OR your top 3 all time musical inspirations.

Oh, right off the bat, my #1 desert island disc would be ‘Flaming Red’ by Patty Griffin. The fact that so many of the songs on that disc have been covered by other artists, Wow. And, Patty really rocks on that album.

Carol King’s ‘Tapestry’ was my favorite album growing up. Really, another album where the songwriting stands out.

Brandi Carlile’s music is really doing it in the same way for me these days. I’m a word person, and the way the words are conveyed. Brandi has so much energy and passion for the music and her fans, and I really like that.


Where can people listen to samples of your songs/order the CD?

I’ve just created my official website at www.lynettediaz.com

My Myspace site is www.myspace.com/jlynettediaz

My tunes will be available on Cdbaby.com anyday now, as well as through iTunes, Amazon’s mp3 store.

Listener’s can also drop me a line on any of my websites to get a copy directly from me. If someone buys it direct, I’ll sign it and/or personalize it with a note.


How long have you been living in New Zealand and what brought you there?

I’ve been in New Zealand for almost 4 years now, and the story of what brought me way down South is way too long to publish. But, in general, it’s a beautiful place with lots of adventurous stuff to do. And, I get to live near the beach.


Any other current or upcoming projects (musical or non) you want to talk about?

Right now, I’ve got a site devoted to promoting other New Zealand Female Musos called the New Zealand Women’s Acoustic Collective. The myspace page is www.myspace.com/nzacousticwomen

There is so much great music being created by women here in New Zealand, and I really want to help give them a wider voice to share their craft. Eventually, there will be more going on, including some joint music projects and performance nights.

I’ve got some other projects that I am working on, but I’m taking some time off soon for knee surgery that I’ve been putting off, and a much needed vacation to see family overseas.


Bonus questions!

What's your favorite sandwich?

A vegetarian version of the BLT

What's your favorite hot drink?

Green tea

Do you have pets or a favorite animal?

A very sweet Rottweiler girl doggie

Melissa Ferrick Interview on Lyrical Venus Tuesday at 9am

When I was at the Song School in August I had the pleasure of taking a creative writing class with performing singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick. She gave us a great exercise to get the creative juices flowing, and listened to a few people's songs and gave them feedback.

After the class I mentioned to her that I had a radio show and said I'd be happy to do an interview with her sometime and she said "How about tomorrow?" Luckily I had a digital recorder with me (for recording classes) so I said "Sure!"

The next day Melissa and I managed to fit in a quick interview before her next class and she talked about the artists she was excited to see at the Folks Festival, staying ahead in the indie music industry, plus all about her new album Goodbye Youth.

Goodbye Youth is a departure for Melissa in that it's just her and the guitar. That's how most of her fans know and love her in concerts, but she's never done a studio album that way. From what I've heard of it so far, it sounds really great!

The album is released only on iTunes and at concerts starting today, with an "official street date" in January. Sounds like it's a great way to get the album out in the hands of the fans without having to wait for all the hoops you have to jump through for a traditional album release.

You can preview some tracks on Melissa's MySpace.

Get the album on iTunes:

I'll be airing the interview on the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour this week. That's Tuesday from 9-10 am KRUU-LP 100.1 FM, or kruufm.com for you internet listeners!

P.S. For a little sneak peek into Song School, here's a video of Melissa working out a song with Sarah Sample (winner of the 2007 Folks Festival Showcase and soon to be guest on Lyrical Venus Radio!). It's in the tent where I had my class and interview with Melissa. You can see the main Festival stage in the background:

Feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see the video.

Interview with Amy Kuney on Lyrical Venus - Tues 9am!

This week on the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour I'll be interviewing singer-songwriter Amy Kuney. She's currently based out of Los Angeles and her full length debut album Bird's Eye View was released last month.

Amy has come a long way from the cinder-block home in Honduras she grew up in as a teen with her missionary parents - the quiet and simple life she lived there provided a fertile ground for her musical creativity. I met Amy on MySpace a little over a ago and it's been exciting to watch her career take off. Her talents are the kind that get her songs on TV shows, and catch the eye of established performers and inspire them to take her on tour with them. (She recently got back from a tour in Iceland with Damien Rice. He saw her cover of one of his songs on her YouTube channel, which is definitely worth checking out! Be sure to watch her cover of Anyone Else But You from the movie Juno where Amy plays both Bleeker AND Juno.)

I personally love how her quirky/clever lyrics always catch me by surprise. "Headache in my chest"? "Rocket surgery"? "Third party at a table for two"? Why yes actually, those images describe certain relationship situations perfectly!

Check Amy's website and MySpace for more info, songs and album ordering info. Or you can download the album on iTunes:


Tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM or kruufm.com on Tuesday at 9am and I'll kick off with some tunes by great female singer-songwriters before Amy calls in!

Rachel Ries and Anaïs Mitchell Duo Project: "Country EP"

I'd like to introduce you to Rachel Ries and Anaïs Mitchell. I've mentioned them in passing a few times on this blog but especially in Rachel's case never really properly which is a shame and quite selfish of me honestly. So without further ado, here they be:



Now imagine them singing to you...

Yes, it's as divine as you think. But not all sugar sweetness.

Rachel has been playing with a band lately in Chicago and calling them "The Brawny Angels". While I haven't heard the band, knowing Rachel's music I think it suits just perfectly - heavenly with a little grit around the edges. Light and fresh like laundry dried in the sun but with the kind of quiet, rooted strength that a prairie wind won't knock over. Songs that remind you of rocking chairs and rowboats, clattery upright pianos and cross-country trains. Songs that always inspire my poetic side and make me wish I could do them justice with my descriptions. It's probably better just to hear for yourself.

Anaïs has a voice that people will often describe as childlike but a listen to her songs will quickly prove her wisdom and world experience. I still would give a lot to see Hadestown, her folk-opera based on the Orpheus myth, but so far it's only been put on in the New England area. I was so proud and excited when she was signed to Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe label.

Righteous Babe is also putting out the Country EP that Rachel and Anaïs did together. It's a limited edition run CD that includes a 7 inch vinyl record. The vinyl has 3 songs - one by each of the girls and one by their friend Louis Ledford. The CD has those 3 songs plus one more from each gal. And of course all the songs have their amazing harmonies and that warm and comfortable vintage-y feeling you'd expect from them.

Rachel also did her latest album Without A Bird on vinyl which I thought was a brilliant idea. I bought it even though I don't have a record player, seeing as it was only five dollars more than the regular CD, the CD came with it anyway, and it was totally worth it just for the beautiful album art in that big record size.

Here are the gals singing one of the songs off the album called O My Star!

feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see the video

Rachel and Anaïs are doing a tour of the Northeast with a band starting September 9th. See either of their MySpace pages for more details. (and to hear songs and see pictures and buy albums)
http://www.myspace.com/rachelries
http://www.myspace.com/anaismitchell

Oh and here's that link to the limited edition Country EP on Righteous Babe again so you can order it!

photo credit: Emma Gluckman

Beaucoup Shakti on Lyrical Venus Radio!

Back in January I had the great pleasure of hosting Sharon Bousquet in the KRUU studio for my very first interview on Lyrical Venus. This week I'm excited to have her back with her newly formed trio!

Beaucoup Shakti takes the first half of its name from French and the second from Hindi to mean "lots of creative energy/life force" and they are aptly named. Multi-instrumentalist Eric Hurlin and vocalist Heather Love take Sharon's songs to a whole new level, and they were dang good before! (Vocalist Gemma Cohen often adds her beautiful harmonies to the mix for an extra treat.)

The gang will be sharing the stage with fellow Iowa artists of the BeJae Fleming Duo at Cafe Paradiso on Saturday, September 6th ate 8pm.

Tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 (kruufm.com for those of you out of town) Tuesday at 9am for a taste of what you can hear at the concert, plus a few new tracks from more of the amazing gals I met out at Planet Bluegrass.

Ani DiFranco Talks About Mindful Parenting, New CD Coming Soon!

I just saw this video of Ani DiFranco talking with Mindful Mama Magazine. They have a great contest going on for moms to win a trip to see Ani in NYC, with a spa package and babysitting included. :)

Feed and email readers may need to come to the blog to see the video

What astounds me about this video is Ani's honesty and presence. And the fact that someone who seems so confident and bold and has been running her own show/label/life for so long could still be experiencing moments of self-hatred, but is self aware enough to both recognize and work on it. Kind of blows the whole "But I have to be perfect before I can do it and be a success" tape that I bet a bunch of us still play in our heads out of the water. (Somebody please remind me I said that next week when I am in Song School freaking out and self-doubting myself into a pit of despair and "I'm not worthy"-ness from all the talented people surrounding me. I hope that doesn't happen, but it's kind of happening to me right now before the fact...)

Anyhoo, in other Ani related news, she has a new album called Red Letter Year coming out September 30th. Her first new one in a couple of years. (Sounds similar to Dar's story!) You can hear a new song from it on her MySpace, and there should be more new stuff posted there in the weeks leading up to the release. Can't wait to get my hands on Present/Infant.

PS Dar Williams has a great pre-order deal going on now - order the CD and get one free, plus a "making of" DVD.

Banjo Babes on Lyrical Venus 9am Tuesday

Ok, I admit it, I have a thing for banjos. There's just something about that rich twangy sound that gets me every time. And I've had them on the brain since the theatre company I worked with for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat started rehearsing for a brand new musical called Banjo Boy. It's a story (not sure how historically accurate it is) of Meredith Wilson, the guy who wrote The Music Man. Those crazy talented interns started working on the show while we were still performing Joseph, and they open on Friday! So this week I've gathered up a collection of songs by female singer-songwriters that feature banjos for the Lyrical Venus Radio hour.

I'll finish up the morning with an extended set of songs by Leela and Ellie Grace, the singing, dancing, harmonizing sisters extraordinare who many of you may remember from their past live Fairfield shows on the square and at Cafe Paradiso! I've been looking for an excuse to finally download their new album on iTunes and Leela's banjo prowess made it a no-brainer for this show.

Check out Leela and Ellie's website or their MySpace to get to know them a little better. Then join me from 9-10 am central time on Tuesday for an hour of banjo babes - 100.1 FM in town, kruufm.com online from anywhere. It'll be finger-pickin' good!

(Yeah, groan if you want, I had to. Grin.)

Photo credit: Steph Barr

And The Winner Is...

Bud!!

Congratulations Bud! I've sent you an email asking for your address.

Thank you so much to everyone who read and commented on the Priscilla post to win a signed copy of A Good Day, I think that was the most comments I've gotten so far on a single entry. It was really fun to hear about what a good day would be for everyone too!

I hope this is just the first of many contests on Lyrical Venus, because I would sincerely love to give prizes to each and every one of you! Bookmark me, sign up for email updates, or add me to your feed reader so you'll know when the next one comes up. (I just remembered I have an extra copy of a Waterbug Records sampler hiding somewhere that would be a happy addition to someone's music collection...)

Oh, and if anyone else is interested in doing a contest on your blog where you "draw out of a hat", my friend Ananda turned me on to random.org - they have all sorts of ways of randomizing your data!