Carolyn AlRoy

Carolyn AlRoy grew up in Princeton, NJ, home of eclectic oddballs and intellectual misfits. She went to Rutgers to study acting, but ended up becoming a poet. She studied with poet Laureate Robert Pinski, doing readings throughout the New York City area throughout the 90’s until she began pursing her doctorate as a licensed psychotherapist and writing songs. “The process of songwriting is similar to therapy”, according to AlRoy. “When I hear patients use unusual language, it makes me stop and ask questions… The language holds something that is not directly expressed, but is tangible”. She has a private practice in Manhattan where she helps people with their inner demons during the day before showing off her own in New York clubs by night.

"Gorgeous Enormous" is AlRoy’s debut album, and is co-produced by singer-songwriter Matt Keating and indie rock producer Adam Lasus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). The album is a breath of fresh air - Familiar but completely original, and as addictive as a controlled substance. The songs on "Gorgeous Enormous" are influenced by artists such as Crowded House, Matthew Sweet, Roseanne Cash and Cowboy Junkies.

AlRoy’s music vacillates between upbeat power-pop numbers with jangly guitars and quietly lilting folk ballads. Featuring an all-star band including drums by Mark Brotter from HEM, bass by Jason Mercer (Ron Sexsmith, Ani DiFranco), and Matt Keating on almost everything else, AlRoy’s songs alternately shine with exuberance and melancholy.

Her cover of “Helter Skelter” ranks up there as one of the best Beatles covers ever, with it’s subversive take on that 60’s classic.

New mini-album "Through A Screen Door Darkly" has just been released.

www.carolynalroy.com

www.myspace.com/carolynalroy

Carus Thompson

As a solo artist and with his three piece backing band ‘The True Believers’, Carus Thompson has sold over 30,000 CDs independently, supported luminaries such as Dave Matthews, Damien Rice, Jack Johnson, John Butler and The Waifs and been a regular at many of the major festivals.

Having toured the world relentlessly for the last ten years, Carus continues to garner substantial followings in the U.K, Germany, France and Australia. Carus Thompson’s latest album “Creature Of Habit”, his most acclaimed offering to date, sees him leave The True Believers behind, setting out to make a record that rested on one foundation – the strength of his song writing. Produced by Greg Arnold and mixed in Nashville by Brad Jones (Josh Rouse, Bob Evans) worldwide, “Creature Of Habit” reviews have been stellar.

A recent 35 show European tour saw Carus playing to over 2000 people on the Germany leg alone. His most successful European trip yet, Carus has fostered a European fan base via thrice yearly tours. 'Long Time', the first single lifted from the album in Germany has also gone Top 40 in the German National College Radio charts.

After a successful Australian album launch tour last month, Carus has just announced dates for his 'Doing Time' Australian tour. 'Doing Time' is the latest single lifted from “Creature Of Habit” and was co-written with Neil Murray; ex Warumpi Band member & writer of "My Island Home".

Accompanied by Andrew Darling on trumpet and The Waif’s Ben Franz on double bass, The 'Doing Time' tour live’s up to it’s name, seeing Carus & co play a massive 28 shows nationwide. Long renowned as an enigmatic, passionate performer, especially in an acoustic setting, the shows promise to see Carus’ ever-growing crowds build even further as fans and critics alike spot an artist who’s exactly where he needs to be.

www.carus.com.au

www.myspace.com/carusthompson

Cassis & The Sympathies

“Keep an eye on Cassis. Her band is taking pop to new places.” - Rolling Stone

Hailing from a tiny Black Forest village, New York-based Cassis’ new CD, "ANALOG LOVE" – itself a labor of love seven years in the making – fuses Cassis’ passion for scoring films and penning cinematic songs. Cinematic connections permeate "ANALOG LOVE".

‘River’ springs from Cassis scouting locations in the Oregon wilderness for Jim Jarmusch’s masterpiece, ‘Dead Man’. Working with Jarmusch for years, Cassis had earlier produced the Cannes Palme D’ Or winning segment of 'Coffee & Cigarettes', the one with two of Cassis’ inspirations - Tom Waits & Iggy Pop.

‘Girltime’ anchors the soundtrack for the Oscar-nominated film ‘Ferry Tales’ and ‘Open The Blinds Of One Heart’ is the end credit song for ‘About A Girl (Die Boxerin)’, the prize-winning feature about an ambitious female boxer. Peter Patzak’s 'Zodiac Sign (Sternzeichen)' has the upbeat ‘I’ll Sue You’ in the soundtrack. A big fan of Cassis, Peter also directed a ½ hour documentary about Cassis that played on national German television.

Finally, several lush instrumental tracks from the wistful documentary ‘Living Lightly’ tie together all the songs on "ANALOG LOVE".

A transatlantic production, notable contributors are many, among them the legendary studio session team of Herbie Flowers, bassist for David Bowie and also Lou Reed’s ‘Walk On The Wild Side’, and ‘Guitar God’ Chris Spedding. Malcolm Mortimore, drummer for Ian Dury, also makes an appearance. Their cover of ’96 Tears’ with Cassis is a funky, accordion-driven, anti-war bonus track.

Sometimes gritty, sometimes ethereal, sometimes playful, always warm, Cassis’ voice is often compared to Nico and Bjork, while her punchy yet playful delivery is reminiscent of Tori Amos. Love, loss, heartache and hope are the themes that Cassis here digs deep into, often with her spritely sense of humor, and spins new lyrical gold.

www.cassisvision.com

www.filmmusicvision.com

www.myspace.com/cassisandthesympathies

Celilo

"Sloan writes the tunes. He quit the drums cold turkey a few years back and picked up the guitar and taught himself to sing.

Damon came from Illinois and brought with him impeccable taste and vision.

Kipp was a fusion junky and though we reeled him in he still sneaks in some fancy shit.

We heard Dave play with Cabinessence and knew we had to have those far out spacey colors he was painting with his fingers.

Tucker, what can you say, he's the master of the high lonesome starry desert noir sound-scape.

Adam is the most versatile musician in Portland and has the attitude of a saint, mostly."

- About the new record 'Bending Mirrors' -

"Well... lets see... this record has taken almost two years! The writing began one sunny Easter Sunday lying with a scantily clad friend in a Portland churchyard, much of it was written while gazing out the windows of Amtrak trains traveling across the country to New York City and back, road trips to the North Cascades, the Oregon Coast, L.A. to dry the bones, an Indian picknick for the Celilo Wy-am folks out at their village which was the inspiration for the tune 'Wy-am'…..

The material was helped along by the fresh young ears of Sloan's little brother Sam, inspirational shop talk with Johnny McDonald (The Woolwines), Darin Craig (Meridian, Jackstraw), Matt Sheehy, Jordan Leff (UHF, engineer at Secret Society), and informal song fleshing jams with Damon and Matt Cadenelli aka “The Don” (drummer for Fernando).....

And it ended at winter's tomb with Portland covered in record snows. It was mostly tracked at Secret Society with Jordan at the helm. A few tunes were recorded in David Pulliams living room. A couple tunes were started in Kipp Crawford's humble unheated garage last winter, others in Graham Nystrom's sunny old living room last summer. A couple original demo vocals ('Wy-am', and 'Winter Pills') made it onto the record. Often Sloan would bring Kipp the songs in their infancy, and then later start fleshing them out with the rest of the band. About two-thirds of the way through he bought a type writer and an old Tascam digital 8-track, started finger picking, and that seemed to help sustain the flow of tunes."

www.myspace.com/celilo

Charley Cruz & The Lost Souls

One time it's a slow and tear-jerking ballad about a long-lost love portrayed in melancholy tones... The other a rocking and electrifying uptempo country blues... Charley Cruz & The Lost Souls don't like musical parochialism. Ron Cruz (drums, vocals), DJ Ciggaar (bass, vocals), Jerry Brown (guitar, vocals) and Charley Cruz (vocals, guitar) travel the country-blues-pop-rock road equipped with a convincingly diverse musical outlook.

After the release of their album "Life On The Edge" in 2005 they have gigged almost everywhere in Holland. Successful as the supporting act of Dwight Yoakam, The Hacienda Brothers, The Drams, Chatham County Line, Patricia Vonne, Frank Carillo & The Bandoleros and many, many others.

Their new album "The Last Warrior" has just been released by Sonic Rendezvous.

www.thelostsouls.nl

www.myspace.com/charleycruzthelostsouls

Charlie Faye

Austin singer-songwriter Charlie Faye has just released her debut album 'Wilson St'.

Showcasing her sultry voice, the release also demonstrates Charlie Faye’s extraordinary ability to capture the American experience as a songwriter. Aptly named, 'Wilson St', is much more than an album title or even a street name to Charlie Faye; it is a beautiful tapestry of her experiences across this country, from New York to Texas, sewn together through lyric and melody over state lines.

After making a name for herself in her hometown of New York playing with her band the Jerks and touring as a sideman with Dan Zanes and Friends, Charlie Faye moved to Austin in search of a change of scenery and some new inspiration. She was quickly enveloped by Austin’s vibrant local music scene and found herself collaborating with local and traveling musicians alike. She came looking for a community, and between music-filled nights and afternoon barbeques, that’s exactly what she found. In the process, she became a rising star in the Live Music Capital of the World.

On 'Wilson Street' in Austin, Charlie Faye found her home, as well as her cause, among the run-down cottages that served for decades as a sanctuary for the city’s musicians. When the neighborhood was to be destroyed by a local developer, Charlie single-handedly fought back and devised a plan to relocate the affordable cottages instead. She had discovered magic in that musical enclave, a magic that had been present for generations, and she was not willing to let it go. Her community needed her to save it and she rose to the challenge. An Austinite for two short years, Charlie’s undeniable presence has already left a mark, both on 'Wilson Street' and city wide, through music and activism.

Many of the songs on 'Wilson St' were composed on Charlie’s old Gibson in her cottage on that very street and, in true bohemia fashion, are organic and candid. Album standouts include “Runaround,” a roll the windows down summer hit that speaks to the uncertainty of young love; “Coward’s Lament,” a wistful, crooning tale of love’s weakness; and “Bottletops,” a story of the passing of time by a lonely character, ready to tell his story over a jug of wine. These songs are a reflection of Charlie’s experiences. They are songs about real people and real places that have changed her life.

Charlie Faye understands that her artistic truth is achieved through a connection to those around her. Through her new home of Austin, the beloved Wilson Street and unconventional tour schedule, Faye will nurture relationships. 'Wilson St' is only the beginning.

www.charliefaye.com

www.myspace.com/charliefaye

Chasing Gravity

Few bands boast such a will to succeed, to create, that they can surmount any obstacle placed in front of them. For Chasing Gravity this is second nature, as the band have overcome the usually-crippling blows of, firstly, a name change (from when they were based in Brisbane as Elephant Mojo) and, secondly, losing two founding members. Not many bands would walk the high, hard road back into the musical fold, but Chasing Gravity, with an album already recorded, are the one band you’d never pin down for the count.

In terms of talent and ambition, too many bands burn too brightly, too quickly, whereas Chasing Gravity have turned this to their own advantage. Their brand of highly-charged rock is a sweeping testament to their durability, their drive, their burning desire to simply create the best music they can. Their ambition actually matches their talent, and their self-financed, independently released debut album 'Autumn In The Platinum Desert' reflects that perfectly. It’s the sound of a band finally comfortable with the music they’re creating, and now, with two new members, they’re finally content in their own skin, content in making Chasing Gravity more than the sum of its parts.

Having began life as Elephant Mojo in Brisbane in 2003, the band discarded that limiting persona and reinvented themselves both philosophically and musically, moving to Melbourne and re-emerging as Chasing Gravity. They gave up their jobs, their binding ties and their lives and it was a move that quickly paid dividends. They created a studio in their new house and simply rehearsed and wrote the songs that would end up forming their debut album 'Autumn In The Platinum Desert'. Financing the record was done the old fashioned way – show after show after show was played in a seemingly never ending tour. But the work was worth it, as 'Autumn In The Platinum Desert' is the professional opening salvo from an immensely professional band.

Melodic rock is rarely done in such a way that it captures the essence of what rock ‘n’ roll sets out to personify. Chasing Gravity are powerful, transformational and always engaging in their subject. This is because their subject matter hinges on the essence of what makes us human: our interactions, our relationships, our way of interpreting the actions and words of others. There’s a gravity (pun intended) to the way they approach relating music to life, and it’s more than clear with the sheer empowerment behind the charging 'Bright Lights', torch-bearing title-track and grinding power-rock of 'Latest Enemy'.

Chasing Gravity are powerful, anthemic, hook-driven guitar-rock, of a gene pool that would leave many a wannabe-rockstar shaking in their boots at their sheer emotive resonance... but Chasing Gravity will do more than that. Chasing Gravity aren’t here simply to rock your foundations; they’re here to move you. With a new line up, a killer record and only more scintillating rock to come, move you they will.

www.myspace.com/chasinggravity

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iKjy5KuFoU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO9zMuVKN9A

Chet Nichols

Acclaimed U.S. singer-songwriter Chet Nichols is an award-winning creative director, songwriter, composer, music producer, engineer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, film producer, animation producer, creative artist, designer, photographer, novelist, poet, TV and feature film actor and stage performer.

He has produced 14 CD's over his life of original material. He has produced music that has been used in films, television and radio. His novel, “The Last Riders On Route 66”, is currently in development to become a feature film. His movie script, “The Ghosts Of Santa Barbara” is also currently in development to become a feature film. His newest novel, “The Judas Tree”, will soon be available for purchase.

Chet has just released a new singer-songwriter CD, “Walking In Circles”. It is filled with unique stories and is a blend of folk, rock, pop and world music. The title tune, “Walking In Circles”, just won the 'Broadjam Lyric Writing Contest'.

John Fahey once called Chet 'America’s best acoustic guitarist'. Chet is a living, breathing renaissance man with a big heart, a love for planet Earth, a bottomless sense of humor and an amazing zest for the creative arts.

www.chetnichols.net

www.chetnicholsmusic.com

www.myspace.com/chetnichols

Chris Laterzo

From Colorado’s front range, to Belgium, to Massachusetts, to Washington, DC, to Santa Fe, and eventually on to California, Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Chris Laterzo has never quite settled down. Chris’ songs evoke this same restless spirit- the wanderer, the nomadic soul, and the traveler. He is an artist whose music evokes the open road, and whose style is often described as folk-rock, alt-country, or even American cowboy rock. Chris was drawn at an early age to music by the likes of Elton John, Cat Stevens and Neil Young. By his late teens, Chris had picked up the guitar and soon after began to develop a passion for songwriting.

In 1997, Chris released his debut album 'American River'. Co-produced by Laterzo and Denny Weston Jr, the 'L.A. Music Connection' called it “an engaging collection of American folk rock, and the essence of a rustic album”. After two years of playing the local scene and touring throughout California and the Southwest, Chris garnered solid album reviews, as well as airplay on both NPR and small market stations.

For his 2nd album 'WaterKing', Laterzo teamed up again with producer Denny Weston along with producer Ty Stevens. The core band for this album included notable talents such as Tad Wadhams (Sheryl Crow) on bass, Hank Linderman (America, Timothy B. Schmitt) on electric guitar, and Buck Johnson (Matthew Sweet, Shawn Mullins) on organ. Released in late 2000, 'WaterKing’s' eleven original songs weave among the boundaries of rock, folk, and alternative country.

Touring over the last few years through the Southwest - and most notably his tours in Europe - has brought Laterzo many new fans. Chris has been a featured artist on ASCAP’s ‘Quiet on the Set’ and the musical guest on the number one national television talk show in The Netherlands ‘Barend en van Dorp’.

The fall of 2004 brought the release of 'Driftwood', Chris’ 3rd album. In realizing 'Driftwood', Laterzo opted to take on full production and engineering responsibilities. Chris admits that in recording 'Driftwood', “the end result is that I achieved exactly what I had envisioned - an album that has a homegrown and live-in-the studio band vibe. I specifically kept the instrumentation simple (drums, bass, guitars, piano, pedal steel) and strictly ruled out layering guitar tracks and the use of all the bells and whistles”.

March 2009 brings the latest album by Chris Laterzo, 'Juniper & Pinon'. Basic tracks for the album were recorded at Sonora Studio in Glendale, California with overdubs being recorded in a variety of locations. “Many of the vocal tracks, including two solo acoustic numbers, were recorded over two days in a suite at The Joshua Tree Inn. For bass and drums on ‘Hacienda’ and ‘Senorita Sunshine’ we returned to Joshua Tree, CA, where we rented a house and set up all the recording gear. The high desert offered an ideal setting for making this record, and we were able to capture some great moments”, Laterzo said.

Co-produced by Laterzo and Jeff LeGore, 'Juniper & Pinon' consists of nine Laterzo compositions and an alt-country version of Elton John’s ‘Holiday Inn’. The album features Laterzo with his band Buffalo Robe, and includes several solo acoustic numbers as well. Some highlights include the electric guitar driven ‘Misfit Child’, the breezy pedal steel laced title track, and the ballad ‘Woman’.

Expect to see Laterzo continue to tour through the Southwest and California, with a return to Europe later in the year.

'Juniper & Pinon' available here.

www.chrislaterzo.com

www.myspace.com/chrislaterzo

Christine Albert

Moonhouse Records is proud to announce the release of “Christine Albert – Paris, Texafrance”. This is the third in Ms. Albert’s acclaimed “Texafrance” series of recordings that celebrate her love of French chansons, European heritage and Texas musical roots. Produced by Albert’s husband/partner Chris Gage (together they are well known as the Austin based Americana duo Albert and Gage), the CD contains songs by French icon Edith Piaf (whose recent biopic film “La Vie En Rose” garnered star Marion Cotillard an Academy Award) as well as two Charles Trenet songs and a Jesse Winchester song with English translations by Christine. Her French music has been called “a waltz across Texas with Maurice Chevalier”. “Texafrance” was released in 1992, followed by 2003’s “Texafrance-Encore!”. “Paris, Texafrance” continues the tradition and further develops the unique sound that Christine Albert has created.

Christine’s grandmother was from Paris, so she grew up surrounded by the French language and fell in love with the music of Edith Piaf at a young age. A Texan by choice for 25 years, her voice is naturally country/folk but with an added dimension in her interpretations of the classic French music of the 40’s and 50’s.

The band for this recording includes Gage on guitar, piano and accordion; Albert’s longtime musical compadre Paul Glasse on mandolin; Shawn Sanders (Strings Attached) on cello; David Carroll on upright bass; and Paul Pearcy and Eddie Cantu sharing the duties on drums and percussion.

“Paris, Texafrance” was recorded in the new and improved MoonHouse Studio, Albert and Gage’s recording studio that was recently moved to a commercial location in south Austin. Ms. Albert said that “singing these French songs in our new space was the prize I kept my eye on throughout five months of sheetrock, wiring, paint and the usual remodeling chaos. It was worth every ounce of effort – especially hearing our new/old Bechstein grand piano on this music.”

"Paris Texafrance" available here.

www.christinealbert.com

www.moonhouserecords.com

Citizen K

Citizen K was born on August 4, 1966. The bastard son of a beautiful go-go-dancer, and a famous rock'n'roll star.

The story goes, that during a few weeks in November 1965, K's mother happened to meet George Harrison, Brian Jones, Syd Barrett, Keith Moon, Dennis Wilson, Gene Clark, John Phillips and Frank Zappa on separate occasions, and she had brief affairs with all of them - 9 months later, K was born. During his childhood, K never knew who his father was. His mother always told him that his father died in a boating accident before he was born, and he never seemed to question this fact.

Two years ago, on his mother's bed of death, the truth was finally known, and K finally understood it all - Where he came from, who he was and what he was destined to do in this life.

Work began on what was to become "Meet Citizen K" - The forthcoming debut album, and tribute to all of his eight possible fathers.

The album itself is chockfull of instant pop-classics, choruses that washes over you like a tidal wave, and with hooks as sharp as the evil man in Peter Pan.

“Meet Citizen K” is like nothing you’ve ever heard before, and at the same time, it’s like everything you’ve ever heard - Ever.....

www.plugged.se

www.paraplyrecords.se

www.myspace.com/citizenksweden

City Fritter

Combining the best elements of country, folk and classic rock, Topanga Canyon’s CITY FRITTER presents “FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT”, their debut full length CD release.

What ARE the best elements of country?
The simple honesty and grit of Loretta Lynn and Buck Owens
Folk?
The storytelling of Bob Dylan and the harmonies of CSNY.
Classic Rock?
The ringing guitars and energy of The Beatles, Byrds and Stones.

What IS CITY FRITTER?
A fried-up tasty mix of all those influences flavored by the experience and creativity of songwriting duo Jewels and Johnny Nation. Incorporating and reflecting all of the varied environments and circumstances that have shaped the band and their sound.Rooted firmly in the present, listening to what’s come before,with eyes to the future - this is timeless music.

“FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT” is like a road movie:
The story of Jewels and Johnny Nation as they came together in music and in life.
The 10 tracks were written in Topanga Canyon and Joshua Tree, California, Baja, Mexico, on Kauai, Hawaii and on the journeys between them. Each song is a little side trip down a different path – internal or external.
One of the songs, the ridiculously catchy “Don’t You Know”, can be heard in the 20th Century Fox film “FLICKA” starring Tim McGraw. Listen carefully during the rodeo scene!

Recorded with producer Eric Corne at Dusty Wakeman’s Mad Dog Studios, headquarters of LA’s rockin’ Americana sound, “FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT” features Johnny’s warm acoustic and twangy electric guitar work perfectly complemented by Chris Lawrence’s shimmering pedal steel, 12 string and b-bender. Jewels’ expressive harmonica accents add a rootsy quality to “See You” and “I Know What To Bring” the latter a pied piper sing along that adds mandolin and banjo on the way. Holding everything together, master drummer Fabian Jolivet kicks out a wide variety of drum styles from dirty Bakersfield shuffles to jazz inflected fills. Eric Corne lends his considerable skill on the bass as well as his incredible ear and knowledge of the vintage Neve 880 board. Jewels and Johnny’s organic harmonies float over the carefully layered instrumentation.

The result?
A beautifully crafted album, each song realized to it’s fullest potential collectively adding up to a whole more than the sum of it’s parts. A complete work - clocking in just under 40 minutes, listeners will want to let it spin and take the trip “FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT” again and again.

“Massively talented” – Jimmie Dale Gilmore

“Wild and fun” – The Sun Runner Magazine

“A feel good cross between alt-country and sonic country rock” – Skratch Magazine

www.cityfritter.com

Claire Holley

Claire Chamblin Holley, a native of Mississippi, was exposed from an early age to the southland's rich variety of musical influences, and from an early age she responded. She took a ukulele to church and sat out in the hot car strumming it between Sunday school and the church service. She ruined her father's classical guitar by replacing the nylon strings with steel strings so she could imitate what she'd been hearing on her favorite record 'Chet Atkins & Merle Travis Traveling Show'.

"Between all my father's records and my mother's collection of musical instruments, there was plenty to learn from. When we listened to music, my father and I would pretend to conduct the orchestra in front of us. I remember my mother showing me how to play the autoharp, and I still have a wooden music box that she played for me when I was a girl. Now I play it for my son sometimes when he goes to sleep; it's a beautiful, melancholy tune." Her grandmother was an accomplished jazz pianist and made sure that Claire took piano lessons for seven years, though it was playing guitar that really interested her. "I was never that good at playing piano, and maybe that's because I didn't practice enough, but I found the guitar fun to play. It wasn't a chore to practice."

She moved to Chicago for college and began performing at coffeehouses and writing songs. At the suggestion of one of her professors, she studied the poems of William Blake and set one of them to music. That, along with two songs she wrote for the college arts CD, 'Kodon', set a nice foundation for recording songs for 'Night Air', her first independent release. She moved to North Carolina, where she collaborated with producer John Plymale on the 1999 release, 'Sanctuary', a visionary collection of traditional hymns and gospel songs which struck a chord with many radio listeners: "Every time we play 'Bounty of the Lord' or 'Come Thou Fount' the phones ring and ring." (Keith Weston, WUNC Chapel Hill, NC). She signed with Yep Roc Records soonafter and her self-titled release from the label was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition with Liane Hansen. Performing Songwriter calls her work on this record, "straightforward, unabashed, and beautiful".

Since then, Claire has established a significant presence as a singer and a songwriter. "…She is graced with a fine voice," says 'Dirty Linen Magazine', "but more than that, she has learned how to use it expressively."

Of her next release, 'Dandelion', also on Yep Roc Records, Claire "displays the instincts of a master short-story writer, crafting vivid, folkie vignettes of everyday folks, eccentric and otherwise." (Harp). "Simulaneously sweet and gruff, she can sing luxuriant, summer-drenched ballads with the best of them, but there's something of the honky-tonker lurking underneath." (Paste Magazine)

These songs and performances display Claire's commitment to staking out new musical ground while still remaining true to her southern song-writing roots. Last year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art used two of her arrangements of seasonal songs for one of their music releases.

Her brand new release, 'Hush', takes you to a quiet, simple place . It combines the authenticity of Mississippi John Hurt with the vocal power and whimsy of Feist. Lyrical storytelling at its finest.

'Hush' available here.

www.claireholley.com

Clare Burson

“If Lucinda Williams grew up on Yo La Tengo ballads instead of Hank Williams blues, she’d sound something like Clare Burson.”—The Riverfront Times

Armed with a voice that The Nashville Rage praises as “a breeze whispering through soft curtains . . . rumpled, a little seductive, and highly musical,” Tennessee native Clare Burson will release her second full-length album on August 21. The new album, Thieves, follows her critically acclaimed 2003 release The In-Between and her two previous Eps, Undone and Idaho.

Inspired by her relocation from Nashville to Brooklyn, Thieves reflects Burson’s newfound perspective on music, centered on the desire to write and perform solely for the joy of writing and performing. Recorded in a friend’s Brooklyn brownstone with the windows open, the album contains an organic and effortlessness sensibility. In addition to the collaboration with Nashville based producer Fognode (Sarah Siskind, Cortney Tidwell), the album also features instrumental contribution from Joe McMahan, James Digirolamo and Travis Vance.

From 2001-2005, Burson was actively involved in a tight knit group of Nashville producers, players and writers whose credits include Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, John Prine, Matthew Ryan, Josh Rouse, and Alison Krauss. During this time, Grammy® nominated Irish singer Maura O’Connell rerecorded Clare’s song “Hold On” for her 2004 Sugar Hill release, Don’t I Know. Furthermore, Burson’s music has been featured on the ABC drama, “Six Degrees” as well as the WB’s “Dawson’s Creek.”
Burson will begin a nationwide tour in Georgia on July 10.

www.clareburson.com

www.myspace.com/clareburson

Clarence Bucaro

"New Orleans", the new release from Clarence Bucaro due October 26, 2009, on Hyena Records is a set of 10 timeless songs brought to life by the 28 year old singer/songwriter’s stunning falsetto vocals infused with the flowing spirit of the Big Easy. "New Orleans", named after the city where it was written and recorded, was produced by Anders Osborne and features a stellar ensemble, including Kirk Joseph (founding member of Dirty Dozen Brass Band), Doug Belote and Mike Burkhart. Dripping with romance, despair and the restlessness of youth, it documents an intense love affair with the enchanting Crescent City as a backdrop.

Clarence Bucaro, a Cleveland Ohio native, moved to New Orleans in 2004 after a long two-year haul touring the U.S. and Europe and hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. He intended to soak up its rich culture and make music with his mentor and collaborator Anders Osborne. Soon thereafter, Bucaro found himself enmeshed in a relationship. The combination of both his new love and home opened the creative floodgates. The results culminated in recording this collection of freshly penned songs in a single six-hour session. Bucaro abandoned the project, however, immediately after laying the tracks to tape, the personal nature of the material weighing heavy on him. Soon thereafter, he would head west to Los Angeles to find new direction before eventually settling a year later in New York City. After the 2008 release of his critically acclaimed "‘Til Spring", Bucaro decided to open up the material from the “New Orleans” session, going on to complete it and now share it for release.

The final results are 10 intimate songs that range from the sweet syncopated soul of “Let Me Let Go of You” to the skewed rocker “The Other End,” the pleading gospel-tinged “Light in Your Eyes” to the intimate ballads “Matters of the Heart,” “On My Coast” and “Abandoned Mine.” The warm tone of the recording paired with Bucaro’s love worn lyrics and heartfelt delivery call to mind artists like Jackson Browne and Van Morrison, but never impeding on his uniqueness as an artist.

In support of the October 26th street date, Clarence will be touring both nationally and internationally to introduce the songs of "New Orleans" to new fans, and showcase its material to old fans.

www.hyenarecords.com

www.clarencebucaro.com

www.myspace.com/clarencebucaro

Cliff Wagner & The Old #7

Cliff Wagner & The Old # 7 has just recently completed work on their latest album entitled, “Hobo's Lullaby”, which has debuted at #9 on the Euro Americana charts and # 39 on the USA Americana charts in November 2008. The album contains recordings of many of the songs the band performed on “The Next Great American Band” TV show, along with some choice originals. Cliff and the band made this latest record with the gold & platinum award winning producer/engineer, Michael Vail Blum.

“Working with someone with the caliber of talent and experience of Michael Blum, has helped grow, expand and develop the band both as individual musicians, as well as made the band stronger as a whole unit, by ten fold.”

The Old #7 has an original sound that utilizes traditional bluegrass, blues and honky tonk to create an American roots music that people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy.

"If Bill Monroe had started a band with Muddy Waters and Levon Helm, this is what it would sound like".

"Hobo's Lullaby" available here.

www.oldnumber7.net

The Coal Porters

Recorded during two fruitful weeks in the mountains right outside the Colorado town (Durango) which gave the album its name, this is the fourth, and best, "alt-bluegrass" album by ex-Long Ryder Sid Griffin's outfit, The Coal Porters. This highly anticipated follow up to 2007's 'Turn The Water On, Boy!' is a clear country mile step forward.

Featuring the amazing fiddle of Carly Frey, the virtuoso banjo of Europe's best five string picker Dick Smith, the songs and mandolin of writer/author/broadcaster Sid Griffin, and the production of the legendary Ed Stasium (Ramones, Smithereens, Belinda Carlisle, Jeff Healey), without question 'Durango' is one of the choice musical highlights of the year.

The album features two key guest appearances; the first being Tim O'Brien who plays a wild mandolin solo on "Roadkill Breakdown" and the second being Peter Rowan who duets with Miss Frey on his own song "Moonlight Midnight".

This is the sound of a bluegrass Clash, of a Bill Monroe for the 21st century, of a folk Goddess, two ex-punks, an Americana founder and, ...errr... a London lawyer making the best music of, not just their careers, but their lives.

www.sidgriffin.com

www.myspace.com/thecoalporters

Cooper

"Magic Rocks" by Cooper is the debut album with 9 hard rocking songs with fantastic hooks, crystal clear production and excellent playing by highly talented musicians.

A number of impressive individuals were involved in this project, including guest vocalist Jamie Dart who was flown to Los Angeles to audition for the TV show 'Rockstar Supernova' with Tommy Lee.

Co-engineer Troy Williams has worked with numerous artists, including Prince. Co-producer Brad Stella appears on the TV show 'Duets' on CMT.

The high energy tunes were recorded with no samples, as the intention was to get back to truly talented players relying on their own skill and virtuosity rather than "studio trickery".

If you like to rock, you will love this CD.

www.coopermusic.ca

Count To Fire

Exeter might not have a lengthy rock and roll history, but its isolation from the tired and predictable sounds of the city may have actually helped give the place its first great band. Meeting in Exeter’s Martian Records in early 2006, Count To Fire were formed over a love of bands such as Wilco and My Morning Jacket, and a frustration that their records and gigs never came to town.

Sharing their own self-penned songs, Will Odgers (vocals and guitar), Joe Baxter (bass and backing vocals) and Jake Chivers (drums) realised that they had what it takes to make their own musical magic. Since then, the band, joined by fiddle player Joe Mansfield, have released a self-titled EP to rave reviews, gained a large local following, and played with the likes of Great Lake Swimmers, I Am Kloot and Richmond Fontaine.

Building on their growing stature, Count To Fire have recently released their debut full-length recording – ‘Songs That Remind Me Of You’ to great acclaim - and scored a No.2 slot in the UK Americana Charts featured in Maverick Magazine.

Recorded in Exeter on vintage 1960s equipment, the album builds on the promise displayed in their first EP, delivering a more mature, natural set of original material that draws on influences such as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, My Morning Jacket and Cat Power whilst also revealing the band’s own unique voice. Songs That Remind Me Of You showcases a band who prefer subtlety to overblown rhetoric, building layers of violin, chiming guitars and swooping harmonies behind frontman Will Odgers impassioned vocals to deliver a disarmingly affecting collection of music.

These are songs that stick in the mind.

Having played a wide variety of festivals, radio appearances and shows around the UK, Count To Fire are now completing their D.I.Y. journey by self releasing their own album.

www.myspace.com/counttofire

Craig Bickhardt

Craig Bickhardt’s new CD "Brother To The Wind" contains some of the best work he has done in a long career dedicated to ennobling the art of song. One listen and you'll be reminded of the days when artists like James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot were pioneering the singer-songwriter genre.

"Music used to change people,” Bickhardt notes. “Records used to be made for careful listeners who read the lyrics and talked about the songs, interpreted their meanings. That’s the kind of music I relate to.” Craig is following in the footsteps of his admired predecessors.

For this project, Bickhardt dug deep into his 800-tune catalog. The record contains songs that have already proven their strength, having been recorded by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Trisha Yearwood, Tony Rice, Charlie Louvin and others.

But Craig is not merely a tunesmith capitalizing on his thoroughbred discography. These songs are highly artistic, and throughout his extraordinary career he has picked up many believers among the better artists of his generation. You can hear them “sitting in” on nearly every cut of the new CD; Janis Ian, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Terri Hendrix, Lloyd Maines, John Mock, Tim O'Brien, Darrell Scott, Maura O'Connell, Rusty Young, Jack Sundrud and a host of others.

"I wanted to include some of the artists and friends I've known and respected on this CD. You get to a point where you realize you don't have forever in this world. It's time to do the things I've put off, and one of those things is to sing and pick with these great people I've met and admired,” Craig says.

The Native Pennsylvanian’s big break came in 1982 when he was chosen to write and sing two songs for Robert Duvall's Academy Award winning film "Tender Mercies". In the wake of that film’s success, Craig made his move to Nashville where his songs found their way onto platinum and Grammy winning CDs by legends such as Ray Charles, B. B. King, Martina McBride, The Judds, and Dianne Schuur. Along with his friends and collaborators Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch and Don Schlitz, Craig was one of the original Writers In The Round at The Bluebird Café. He went on to have three hits as an artist when he joined Schuyler and Knobloch to make their SKB CD 'No Easy Horses' for MTM Records, which yielded Craig's chart topper "Givers And Takers".

In 2006 Bickhardt made the bold move to leave Nashville and return to the concert stage and to his roots in eastern Pennsylvania. Since his move he has shared the stage with Kathy Mattea, Judy Collins, Billy Joe Shaver, Livingston Taylor, and Janis Ian among others. His performance at the 2008 Philadelphia Folk Festival prompted the concert’s promoter Jesse Lundy to say, “Craig Bickhardt stands among the giants of songwriting. His main stage show at this year's Philly Folk Festival was absolutely outstanding.”