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The Blue News – Audio Gumshoe 150

Reviewed by Rich on Oct 25, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:55 — 25.6MB)

Songs Played

- Just a Game
- Two Lovers
- Hypnotized
- Hitman Blues
- Stay Gone for Good //

I love The Blue News…Sultry, sexy, dirty and organic…Rich and warm songs, genuine vocals, true musicians doing what they love. I’m a fan. – Sylvia Massy (Producer – RadioStar)

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard the blues on Audio Gumshoe. But this isn’t just any blues, it’s tight, rockin’, blues built to last. I was pleased to get the email asking me to consider the group for the show. I’m a closet blues fan (perhaps someone will remember my old show “Blogs, Views and Blues”?) and always enjoy tracks that dig in, rock the beat a bit, yet maintain the feel and passion of the genre. The Blue News does that.

The band has some great news and credit to their name, too. Recently, they were notified that their song “Two Lovers” is featured on the “Fresh Cuts” CD Compilation released by Guitar Center. This volume is not yet released, but we’re told that upcoming Volume 7 will also feature Sublime With Rome (formerly Sublime). Past volumes have included Weezer, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, KRS-One, and New Found Glory.

Songs heard on this episode of Audio Gumshoe are from the EP Wartime Songs.

The album consists of 6 new songs recorded by legendary studio “guru” Jim Devito at Retrophonics Recording Studios in St. Augustine, FL. The album was mixed at RadioStar Studios in Weed, CA by Fernando Flores with famed producer Sylvia Massy! Sylvia worked with Rick Rubin in the 90s and has worked in the studio with Tool, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash and many more multi-platinum artists.

Another great credit for the band: The songs “Hitman Blues” and “Just a Game” can be found on Rock Band 3. Previous releases “So Easy” and “You’ve Got Someone” are found on Rock Band 2. Not bad, eh?

Oh, and if you want to be a triva buff, The Blues News are connected to Kevin Bacon through the legendary six steps of separation:

Yes, The Blues News has reached the status of being connected to Kevin Bacon through six degrees of separation.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
1. The Blue News recorded with Jim Devito
2. Jim Devito recorded Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3. Tom Petty’s video for Into The Great Wide Open starred Johnny Depp
4. Johnny Depp starred with actor Benicio Del Toro in Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas
5. Benicio Del Toro starred in 21 Grams with Sean Penn
6. Sean Penn starred in Mystic River, also starring Kevin Bacon

Be sure to check out the band’s schedule on their site at thebluenews.net. They play throughout the midwest, including Louisville, Indianapolis, and of course, Chicago.

Get the Music

Artist Links

The Blue News
The Blue News on Twitter
The Blue News at Facebook

Associated Links

Association of Music Podcasting
Blubrry Podcast Network
Audio Gumshoe on Twitter
Audio Gumshoe on Facebook

The audio file for this work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Full Review

Secret Skwirl – Audio Gumshoe 149

Reviewed by Rich on Sep 25, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:48 — 22.7MB)

Songs Played

- Jeez Louise
- Fragile
- Where Are You Now? (sample)
- Dream Believer (sample)
- Blow It Away //

In late 2009, a recording engineer (Sheldon Gomberg) and a friend of his drove by a garage sale, in Tarzana, CA; and noticed a stack of 2 inch tape boxes. After a brief discussion with the homeowner, he found out that the tapes had apparently been left in a closet, under the stairs of her home, and were there when she moved in. She found the tapes when the wood floors of the house were being refinished. She was the fourth owner of the home, which was built (according to her) in 1972. There were 23 boxes of tape; which Sheldon bought for the forty-seven bucks that he had in his wallet, at the time.

Sheldon took the tapes back to his recording studio The Carriage House in Silverlake, and cracked them open. The only information in the boxes were song lists with the name “Sloan Kramer” written by hand, beside each title. A quick count of the titles totaled slightly over one hundred songs!

Sheldon had the tapes baked (to avoid delamination) and digitized, for playback in Pro Tools.

And if you want to know more about what happened to these songs — and the entire back story behind Secret Skwirl (and Sheldon Gomberg) you should listen to the podcast. If you just want to read about it — and, of course, pick up a copy of the album for yourself — you should go here. Obviously, you can also click any of the links about Secret Skwirl in the section below.

Though I’m the eternal skeptic about the story behind this music, I dig the tunes. Go get a copy of this album.

Full Review

Nick Tann – Audio Gumshoe 148

Reviewed by Rich on Aug 21, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:56 — 21.0MB)

Songs Played

- How Do You Sleep
- Don’t Make Me Wait (TVP)
- How Can It Be Wrong (TVP)
- 3am (TVP) //

I’ve been likened to Dallas Green, John Martin, Nick Drake and Elvis Costello, but I like to think that I’ve developed my own distinctive sound.

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nick Tann is reaching toward a goal. You can help. I’ve decided to keep my comments to a minimum on this post (please listen to the audio). Instead, I’ve let Nick do the talking as seen at his own site:

In 2009 myself and Matt Stevens came up with the idea of me recording an album funded by fans and supporters. To give it a bit of an edge I decided that I wanted to record it live (hence keeping down costs) AND to produce a vinyl copy hence The Vinyl Project was born.

In March 2011 I went into Livingston Studios and recorded eight live tracks in-front of a specially invited audience.

I am still collecting the money still need to produce the final shiny black disc version but now have something real I can give when people contribute to The Vinyl Project.

Immediately you will get a finished mixed and master cd copy. This has been lovingly mixed and master by the might Kevin Feavey. This I will post to any address on the planet. I have already posted copies to America, Iceland and even Kent!

In time, when I’ve edited it, you will also get a short film shot on the day of recording by Matt Stevens. This will include material not on the cd or the finished vinyl.

You will get your name on the credits of the finished vinyl plus a small picture of you if you wish.

I still need quite a few more donations to make this happen so I really need your help.

To pre-order/contribute to the Vinyl project simply click the links below.

Get the Music

Nick Tann’s “The Vinyl Project” – CLICK HERE

Artist Links

Nick Tann
Nick Tann on Twitter
Nick Tann at Facebook
Nick Tann at ReverbNation

Associated Links

Association of Music Podcasting
Blubrry Podcast Network
Audio Gumshoe on Twitter
Audio Gumshoe on Facebook

The audio file for this work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Full Review

Andy Stone – Audio Gumshoe 147

Reviewed by Rich on Jul 4, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:19 — 18.6MB)

Songs Played

- This Is It
- Topsy Turvy
- In a Coffee Shop, When
- Talk About the Love
- Welcome to Your Love

Imagine a dinner party hosted by the Beatles, with a guest list that includes XTC, Squeeze, the Zombies and Kinks, Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello. Melodic, hook-driven songs with narrative lyrics. Retro and fresh. Drenched in harmony.

I first played Andy Stone’s music on Audio Gumshoe way back in March 2007. I had found a number of musicians that sounded to me to be “Beatle-esque.” The song “In a Coffee Shop, When” stuck in my head; I found myself humming and repeating the hooks and catchy melody time and again.

Fast-forward to Spring 2011. Andy contacted me to let me know of his new EP “This is It”. I listened to the tracks he submitted to the show and again found myself humming and singing the songs. His tunes are catchy. They nod toward a retro-pop sound, yet sound fresh and new. The production is solid and the lyrics will stick in your head better than most new releases today.

Andy has employed some solid vocalists for his projects. “In a Coffee Shop, When” exhibited the talents of Epic recording artist Danny Malone. I felt, at the time, that there was a true George Harrison quality to his delivery on the EP. Some people might remember Malone from his days as vocalist for Diving for Pearls — or for his work with Elliot Easton (from the Cars).

On the 2010 full-length album “You Don’t See Many of These Nowadays” Stone brought in the talents of some of Chicago’s finest vocalists: Phil Angotti, Mike Przygoda, and Tom Godsman, lead singer/songwriter for the Bethesda, MD based group Accidental Charm. I played the song “Talk About the Love” from this album.

“We don’t have the Beatles, but we have Andy Stone.”
-Adam Curry, host of The Daily Source Code, original MTV VJ

You’ll hear all three of the songs from Andy’s latest EP “This is It” on the show. Be sure to pick up a copy of the EP — and his other releases. You’ll find all of the links below.

I should mention, also, that Andy Stone is an author. He has two books to his credit. You can find information about both at his book page at AndyStoneOnline.

Get the Music

Andy’s Online Store

Artist Links

Andy Stone
Andy Stone at Facebook (He says this is the official site, now.)
Andy Stone at ReverbNation
Andy Stone at MySpace

Associated Links

Association of Music Podcasting
Blubrry Podcast Network
Audio Gumshoe on Twitter
Audio Gumshoe on Facebook

The audio file for this work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Full Review

Kristian Jackson – Audio Gumshoe 146

Reviewed by Rich on May 22, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:36 — 23.5MB)

Sponsor: GoToMeeting makes it easy to collaborate online with anyone anywhere. Try it free.

Songs Played

- Time Will Heal
- Blood Eyes Sunrise
- U Without Me
- Set You Free
- More Than This

“I really enjoyed your music. You have a great voice and the chord structure of the chorus (Run Away) is very unique… Thank you for letting me listen.” – Jack Douglas – Producer (John Lennon, Aerosmith, New York Dolls, Miles Davis)

Kristian Jackson submitted his music to me after reaching out to Erk at ErkFM and Insomnia Radio: Australia. I couldn’t have been happier. Jackson’s album “Blood Eyes Sunrise” is one of the finest independent productions I’ve heard this year. As a multi-instrumentalist, he brings a wealth of talent to the album, not only as the singer-songwriter, but as a performing artist. Production by Sean Carey (Thirsty Merc) is top notch.

Kristian talks about his music on his site bio:

“There’s no reason why popular music can’t be both interesting and accessible. I’m trying to make music with enough depth to sustain the interest of the most discerning listener while simultaneously capturing the heart of a mass audience.”

If you live in Sydney, Australia, you’ve like already heard him perform. If not, you must find out when he will be on stage. He’s a regular participant on the local music scene; you can find his show schedule at his ReverbNation profile. Be sure to also follow him at all the regular social haunts. The links are included in this post. You can also follow his latest news on his blog.

This would typically be the point where I would wax on about the performer’s skills, their style, or my thoughts on the music. I can’t really do much more than to recommend that you listen to this show — and purchase Kristian Jackson’s album “Blood Eyes Sunrise” using one of the links below. If you enjoy it as much as I, you’ll be glad that you did.

Get the Music

Blood Eyes Sunrise on Amazon.com

Artist Links

Kristian Jackson
Kristian Jackson at Twitter
Kristian Jackson at Facebook
Kristian Jackson at MySpace

Associated Links

Association of Music Podcasting
Blubrry Podcast Network
Audio Gumshoe on Twitter
Audio Gumshoe on Facebook

The audio file for this work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Before you go: Let me tell you about a cool site for both musicians and listeners alike. TheStage.tv is the “world’s open mic”. I’ve been visiting the site from time to time, to listen and to play. Musicians from all around the world get together in an open mic format to share their talent, try new tunes, get critique, and to just have a great time.

Here’s some info direct from the site:

TheStage.tv is a one-of-a-kind live video open mic format where audience feedback determines how long a performer takes control of TheStage.

TheStage.tv was developed by entrepreneurs who love the arts and entertainment and want to give web audiences the power to share real-time feedback with performers. As well, we did our best to replicate the experience of a contemporary venue where performers can hear the audience cheer, as if they were really performing. And just like in Vaudeville, the audience can still throw them a gold coin! The patent-pending queuing process of TheStage.tv allows an audience to interact with performers like never before!

Creators and staff of TheStage.tv are wonderfully appreciative of EVERYONE who has performed (and will perform) on TheStage.tv, and hope we contribute positively to your performance enjoyment. For audiences, we hope you enjoy our merging of entertainment and the “real-time web” to create a fun and addicting form of entertainment.

They are trying to reach more than 100 viewers/listeners at a time before the year ends. Give it a try!

Full Review

The Muggs – Audio Gumshoe 145

Reviewed by Rich on Apr 24, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:37 — 23.6MB)

Sponsor: GoToMeeting makes it easy to collaborate online with anyone anywhere. Try it free.

Songs Played

- 6 to Midnite
- Born Ugly
- Blood Meridian
- Hats Off to Mr. Beardsley

“Like the Black Crowes, the Muggs make no apologies for their retro influences, but unlike Chris Robinson‘s crew this band has drawn inspiration from a number of sources and learned to fuse them into something that has a personality of its own…” — AllMusic.com

We last heard The Muggs on Audio Gumshoe 102 following the release of their album “On With The Show”. Their first appearance on Audio Gumshoe was back in October 2007 just as the band was competing on the Fox network show The Next Big American Band. Though they didn’t get past round 2, they were able to introduce themselves to new fans across the globe. The Muggs are one of the few bands that have been repeat feature artists on Audio Gumshoe. This band exhibits a style that matches many of the classic rock giants of the past.

The band is preparing their official launch of the their third LP “Born Ugly” on Friday, April 29, 2011. They will be holding a release party at one of their favorite venues, Magic Bag, in Ferndale, Michigan. You can buy tickets now for only $8. If you don’t get them online, tickets are $10 at the door.

“Born Ugly” will be available in CD, mp3 download, and vinyl. There are thirteen tracks sure to please the avid rock fan. Four selections are played on this episode of Audio Gumshoe. Be sure to visit their site to find out all the details about the new release and the details of the release party.

Be sure to visit the band’s official site to catch up to their news — and while you’re there check out the video clip from the July 20, 2010 episode of A&E’s Gene Simmon’s Family Values. The Muggs song “All Around You” was used as a background riff on the show.