As a youngster, Licia Chery wanted to “talk to music.” She started learning piano at age 6 and discovered Soul music a few years later. Born and raised in Switzerland by Haitian parents, Licia Chery craved for references during a long time. With Soul music, she could finally see artists who looked like her physically …
“Candy”, captured beautifully on 8mm film and playfully nodding to pushy photographers and crazed shoots, was shot by director, songwriter and actress Nöel Wells (perhaps best known for her role in season one of Master Of None / Saturday Night Live) and is a perfect meeting of minds between the two artists. Of the collaboration, …
I love this new tune from Stephen Michael Murphy. Check it out. Here’s what he has to say about it: “We were heading for the hills when I got that familiar call from mission control to create something new . The end result “Root Down Low” is another soulful voice in a booming chorus demanding …
Here’s the most recent from The Black Tones, you’re gonna love it!
Known for his comic and controversial lyrics, Kafinal brings us another song that should be a definite conversation starter. After having won Canada’s coveted music award, the Juno, in 2016, fans have been greeting each new release from Kafinal as a long awaited hit or crowd favorite. Timing is everything; this summer was busy with …
Oh this is dumb. But I want to know how dumb it is. Can you water proof regular cordless headphones? Probably not. I am betting 3 to 1 odds against me. None of the headphones for swimming are really suitable for a myriad of reasons, including the fact that bluetooth is trash when it comes …
8 years ago at The Boom Boom Room George Clinton sent down his troops in Parliament Funkadelic to sit in The Staxx Brothers after their show at Yoshis. The owner Zander Andreas who was considering managing The Staxx Brothers at the time, gave us the heads up that George had mentioned his plans, and that …
I replied to my old and dear friend Richard Mockler just moments ago, upon encountering in my FB feed this latest evidence of his audacious creativity and legendary Montana charisma. Ahem, “Richard, to describe this exemplary feat of communicative compression as a Masterpiece would be to undersell, I think, its many charms! I for one …
January 5th one of my dreams comes true. Eva Walker is interviewing me that evening on KEXP’s Audio Oasis. The label, which I have yet to announce and will soon, is reintroducing ‘Free Your Mind’ in digital stores in conjunction with Eva’s interview. To my knowledge, I have never been played on KEXP. Given that I released …
ElectroBluesSociety has succeeded again. I love this tune. They are a group of Dutch musicians who gather to record blues songs in the most faithfully traditional way possible by using vintage equipment. Here’s what they have to say about “Tell Me.” For this recording ElectroBluesSociety went back to basics and teamed up with Mississippi bluesman Boo Boo …
Let’s hear it for the SoundCloud algorithm. Less than four hours after the song above was posted. SoundCloud was making sure I heard it because the algorithm “just knew” I would love the classical choral sound and appreciate the enormous social import of this piece. (Don’t worry, I write these words facetiously. I am concerned …
Getting into the Irish poet Phil Lynott. I always knew I would. I think I need to start covering ‘Whiskey in a Jar’. He had what Van Morrison called the Hurrrrah in his voice, that real singers have. You either have it or you don’t. A singer should make you turn your head and turn …
Pretty Archie, Cape Breton’s finest and friendliest Canadiana band wants you to love them: “This Whole Town” is about falling in love in a town that could really use some warmth. The song was inspired by the people of our hometown Sydney (including ourselves) and the internal struggle of wondering if you’re in the right …
Don’t watch either of these videos if you’re afraid of the truth or overly sensitive about anything. Both of these videos– the doll-centric motion-capture lyric video and the energetic live action official vid– have their particular charms. Born in Boston with roots in Haiti, now residing in LA, TeaMarr is a force of nature. Check …
You are going to hear more about my label and production company Soul United. I am launching a new band called The Soul United Allstars to bring music to stage in some exciting ways at home and around the globe. I have a label that has been teaming up with other labels to get music …
Things that fascinate me #137 about this Brave New World today: What if I did pass out 5000 fliers? It used to be the normal thing. Now you trust an algorithm. And now thanks to algorithms Donald Trump is President, and America is a fascist state the world genuinely enjoys laughing at – with every …
Bad Religion have released a new single titled “My Sanity.” Greg Graffin’s vocals on this tune are, by the humble punk standards of Bad Religion’s origin, simply beautiful. Previously, Bad Religion released “The Profane Rights of Man,” a “short, fast, and packed with righteous harmonies” track according to Consequence of Sound. Additionally, the band released …
“Earth is the Right Place for Love came after my dad passed away. He was sick for 9 months and until the day he died my heart didn’t even consider that as a possibility. So when it actually happened I couldn’t believe it. This song was written when I was in deep depression and as …
Yeah, I am never getting past the House of Representatives, even when I’m 80. Thank you Justin Smith for pausing from your duties on keyboards to capture this Golden moment, moments after a fan said, “You said you would” And I said I said, “A f☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ck I did.” …and then I realized I was wearing the undergarments …
Recently as life’s challenges have seemed unsurmountable, like climbing a frosty ass glacier in just my adidas warm ups, I have managed to overcome that sense of helplessness and improbability, because of one secret. Sly Dunbar wants ‘Free Your Mind’ to be a hit, he loves the video, and is happy to tell people about …
My word. I rushed out of the house this morning to work out at Body By Impulse which I am excited to tell you all about, but knowing I wear the electric super hero suit there, I left in my pajamas, clinging to my work clothes in a bag. But at some point I stopped clinging to …
I have ten killer recordings to put on The Staxx Brothers‘ last record. I am not sure if they will all make it. But these are outstanding songs that just took a little more time. I note where we recorded basic tracks. Most of these songs could have been on Hot Chocolate. But that album had …
Ah a day off. Stingshark Sting invited me to his studio to work on vocals for my collaboration with Hold in Fyah, ‘Going South’. It’s this exciting new direction for me, where I bring a song to a band that I know will knock it out the park, and we cut it with the crew backing me up …
In Paris, at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, aggressor Germany waived the white flag to end the Great War. The Treaty of Versailles would be signed months later. Over 16 million soldiers and civilians were killed in the first war that relied on modern technology such as …
I am lucky that for the last three years I have worked with Chris Mcfann & Erin Mikkelsen on an annual Staxx Brothers weekend at der Hinterhof. Leavenworth is a magical little place. We actually picked one of the slower weekends between seasons to bring more business and original live music to the community. Chris is a visionary. He and …
Over summer I moved and downsized, so vegetable produce was limited. Luckily it was a bonus year for squash. At Fall parties gardeners brought their abundance of winter squash to share. Winter squash is the United Nations of vegetable in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Winter squash have many health benefits from …
Well that was a wild ending. I didn’t want to strip tonight. But I mentioned off hand last night that I would get down to my boxers if people came back the second night to my last Staxx show. Well f☆☆☆☆☆ck. I drank a bit last night and I usually don’t, and I forgot that …
On the evening of November 8 I had the unmitigated privilege of seeing Britain’s Two Tone ska legends the Selecter for the third time in just over a year. Quel honneur! This show commemorated the 40th anniversary of Two Tone ska. The Selecter is fronted by the very charismatic Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, …
If You’re Gonna Ride Your Trojan Horse to the Party and Pack the Champagne, by Davin Michael Stedman
Trump did fire his attorney general Jeff Session in yet another attempt to cover up an obstruction of justice probe that is most legally viable way to hold our President accountable for Treason. It’s called a Trump-Russia probe because we witnessed a Coup and millions of calculated attacks on America and Americans using Facebook as …
Jumping rope, listening to great song after great song; thinking about these last shows, and what comes next. I’ll be in Leavenworth this weekend singing with The Staxx Brothers, celebrating. You can join me. It’s been quite a year. I was reminded that a year ago I wrote a song at a 502, covered in …