Category Archives: Music

Music defines my world.

The Sunday Funday Playlist – August 7, 2011

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And…another trip around the sun.  Birthday week has come and gone again.  Here are the songs that accompanied my week of cake and celebration.

1.  When I’m Drunk – David Philips

I stumbled across David on SoundCloud a few months back and then randomly happened to win a copy of his album, Heal Yourself Alone, for liking his page on Facebook.  This UK neo-folk songwriter resides in Spain and has played guitar with some AMAZING artists (Sting, Gil-Scott Heron, and one that will catch Stacy Gilroy’s attention, Richie Sambora!), and it’s easy to hear why when you listen to songs like “Love Is Gonna Ruin A Good Thing” and the very Marc-Broussard-ish “Right Back.”  He recently released a new album, The Rooftop Recordings, totally self-recorded and produced, and I’m SO loving this track (which, by the way, is played on ukelele).  And…huge bonus, he’s amazingly interactive on his social media sites, which I absolutely love. Go check out more of David’s stuff:  Heal Yourself Alone | The Rooftop Recordings | SoundCloud | Facebook

2. Three Tree Town – Ben Howard

So, I’m a clicker, we all know that. When UK songwriter Josh Bray (see this Sunday Funday Playlist) tweeted about a blog last week, I went and checked it out.  Music for Those Who Listen is my kind of site…and it just so happens that the first post I read was entitled, “Male Singer Songwriters Are Back.”  Hellooooo up my alley!  I went and hunted out information on the artists listed there, and fell immediately, madly in love with Ben Howard, who the blog described as having built up a fan base among the UK surfing community…um, the UK has a surfing community?  Anyway, totally diggin’ Ben’s sound and stuff.  Problem is, not easy to buy here in the U.S.  His Facebook team finally clued me in to where I could by his Old Pine EP.  This is my favorite track for the moment.  More Ben Howard: Website | The Old Pine EP | Facebook

3. Monster in the Closet – The Ascot Royals

BalconyTV, my go to these days for new music, aired and episode with this funky band from Canada a few months back, and I’ve been waiting and waiting for the song they played to be available.  Alas, no new album.  yet, so I’ve been listening to their 2009 EP.  It’s a little schizophrenic, but I can’t get over the vocals.  There’s something about siblings that sing together that is just perfection, and there’s definitely magic happening with these kids.  This is one of the slower numbers on their EP, but if you want a rocker, go check out “Zap Zap.”  Will be interesting to watch these kids as they grow – they have the potential to be as big as lead singer Ben Chauveau’s hair.  More Ascot Royals:  Website | Facebook | SoundCloud | Secret SoundCloud (with some new songs!)

4. The Race – Tim Brantley

Those of you that know me know that this man is no stranger to anything Krissie music related.  Tim Brantley is one of my favorite songwriters of the past few years, introduced to me back in December ’08 by my friend Gail, who knows my tastes almost as well as I do.  One listen and you can understand – Tim has an epic storytelling ability like no one else.  Gail flew into town this weekend from Texas to go see Tim in Chapel Hill last night, and his performance is every bit as magical as it was the first time I saw him – if not more so now.  So, in honor of the brilliance that is Tim Brantley, I thought I’d put up the very first song of his that made me a fan.  And, it’s a true story.  More Tim Brantley:  Goldtop Heights | Facebook

5.  You, Me & The Boatman – Quiet Company

It’s no secret that I love everything about Austin, Texas … especially its musical core.  One of my favorite bands from Austin is the always energetic, quirky, witty and hilarious Quiet Company.  In addition to having one of the most amusing Twitter feeds ever, these guys know how to rock out. Their new album, We Are All Where We Belong, comes out on September 30, but the band is giving out a little preview with a free download of this new ditty…an absolutely unique and wonderful love song that just makes me want to Phoebe dance around the room.  “May our legends live to tell, how I burned down heaven and conquered hell…” Freaking awesome!   Totally makes me excited for the new record.  More Quiet Company:  Website | SoundCloud (hint – more freebies!) | Facebook

A birthday wish…and the present is for you!

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It’s now 12:47 AM, August 3rd.  Officially my birthday.  37.  Damn.

My friends, who I adore, keep asking me what I want to do to celebrate and this year … well, frankly, I feel like I’ve been given a lot already.  My mom beating cancer, for one.  Getting closer with my family over the last year. Truly amazing friends who are supportive, creative, hilarious, and bring all sorts of goodness to my life.  A good year at work.  I honestly have everything I could possibly want or need.

So I started thinking…what would I do if I had extra birthday wishes?  Beyond health and happiness for everyone that I love, what are the things that make me happiest?  And the answer was easy:  Music.

I have taken so much joy, love, comfort, camraderie, strength, inspiration, hope and happiness from music.  I wish there was a way I could give back to all of the artists whose songs have done this for me.  I try to find ways to do it…they are small, but I like to think every once in awhile I make a difference. It will never balance out, though.  It always seems like I’ll take more than I’m ever able to give back.

If you’re not into music, let me tell you this:  it is not easy to be a musician these days.  There are more artists than ever fighting for a piece of the pie.  Audiences listen to a greater number of artists than they’ve ever listened to – and that also means their dollars are divided up into smaller amounts for each artist.  If you ask me, I think the days of the superstar musician are over.  We’ll never see another Michael Jackson again.  Musicians now are like the rest of us, going out there and making music just to earn a living.  Yet music is the one “consumable” that no one wants to pay for.  We think we’re entitled to get it for free. Honestly, how fair is that?  Do we expect to walk into a Best Buy and just be able to pick a Wii up off the shelf for free?  Then, add in touring costs.  Think about it – my car costs $43 to fill up; what do you think a six-passenger van costs to fuel and maintain? Add in food, lodging, and equipment costs (guitar strings are NOT cheap!), and the fact that on a Tuesday night in East Bijip, North Carolina you might play for an audience of 20 people, and have to split the cover charge with the opening band.  Then there are the costs of making a record (studio time, getting it pressed, art, photography), promoting yourself, and buying merchandise which you hopefully can sell back and maybe make a buck or two for every CD or t-shirt you sell. Add up all of this and you can see how being a musician must really be a labor of love – because most artists aren’t making money.  Most are losing it.  To make music.  For you to listen to.

Which brings me to my birthday wish.  One of my favorite bands of all time – Alpha Rev – is making a new EP.  They’re doing it on their own.  No record label support.  Just a bunch of guys making music because they love it and they want their fans to hear it.  And they do make beautiful music.  Music with meaning, heart, emotion and depth.  They’ve asked their fans to help fund the record, and they are 81% of the way to their goal.  They’ve got 26 days left to raise the rest of the money, or they lose it all.

So…that’s what I want for my birthday.  I want Alpha Rev to reach their goal.  It’s a selfish wish, really, because in the end, I get new Alpha Rev music.  But it’s also a gift to you.  Because if you help them, they’re going to give you their music.  It’s a totally win-win situation. Oh, one more thing (they’re just that awesome of a group), the guys are also giving part of the money they raise to two charities (read more about them here).  So I guess that makes it a win-win-win.

Can you help me make my birthday wish come true?  Check out Alpha Rev’s Pledge Music page. Give ’em a few bucks.  It’ll be the best birthday present ever.  I swear.

Just get used to me talking about them…More Saints of Valory

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106.5 The End has posted the videos from Saints of Valory’s End Session last week. Check ’em out when you get a sec…I made a little YouTube playlist for easy watching. “Providence” still isn’t posted, but I’ll add it when it is.

Here’s my favorite, their new song “Million to None.”

Alpha Rev with Carbon Leaf in Charlotte

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Coming to Charlotte on October 21 - Alpha Rev! Best news ever!

The fall touring season is really ramping up, and today, I got the best two-days-before-my-birthday gift I could ever get.

Was trolling venue websites to update the live music calender and there it was, on the Visulite website.  Carbon Leaf.  October 21st.  Normally, that would be enough to make me squeal with delight.

But this time…big, big, big news.  Tour support?  ALPHA REV.  Yes, that’s right.  My favorite boys from Austin, Texas.  One of the Top 5 of all time.  OH.MY.GOD.  I seriously felt my face getting flushed when I read it.

If you have not heard or seen Alpha Rev before… well, that just makes me sad for you.  They are phenomenal.  Beyond phenomenal.  One of the most musically gifted acts on the scene right now.  Cellos.  Violin – played by one of the most energetic musicians I’ve ever witnessed on stage.  Left-handed guitar playing lead singer.  Damn freakin’ orchestral.  Amazing.  Brilliant.  Every ridiculous over the top adjective there is.  Couldn’t be enough to describe them.

Buy your tickets for this one now, kids.

Free New Single from Stephen Kellog & The Sixers

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Stephen Kellogg (8057)Big tour announcement today from Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers regarding all their fall tour dates. If you haven’t seen this band live at least once, you should. In addition to being master song craftsmen, they’re hilarious.

As part of the announcement, they also are giving away a free download of their new single “Gravity” off their upcoming album, Gift Horse, until August 22. The new album drops October 11. Pre-orders start on August 23rd at their website.

SK6ers are in Charlotte at Visulite Theatre on September 30th – Will Hoge’s there the night before, so I suspect the stage will be still smoking when Stephen, Boots, Goose and Sam hit it. Not many people could follow up Will Hoge, but I think this crew will make a good run at it.