Music @ The Fire, Philadelphia, 7/12/12

Posted on July 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Another good music showcase at The Fire in the books. Ordered a Yards Brawler from stylish bartender Julie. Yards is my favorite Philly-area beer company. As usual, I end up arriving about an hour before the music gets going. Opening the showcase was Wilkes-Barre PA songwriter Tony Halchak. His style presents a low and striking voice, a few simple guitar chords with very little deviation, making his delivery rather hypnotic and somewht engaging Tony’s music resembles the best of acoustic Pink Floyd, Gordon Lightfoot, and possibly Mark Knopfler. His opening referenced a lonely vagabond, perhaps a fitting muse for his talent. He also stated “I’m a Lithuanian, and this is my Irish drinking song”. During the set he covered Tom Waits’ “Clap Hands” and also Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire”, segueing out of his song Five Alarm Fire. Someone shouted out “More originals”. Tony replies “I’m from Northeast PA, where people shout ‘Jessie’s Girl’! “.
Up next were NYC’s At Sea, a band I had known about for a few years but never had the opportunity to see. Jason had received airplay from me years ago when he was more solo/songwriter based. Now he’s armed with guitars and Korg (which he used on the bridge of one song), bassist Pier Paolo Pappalardo, and drummer Stefano Baldasseroni. The sound is standard indie rock that all the hipsters like, with occasional backing tracks to fill in some of the beats. James’ vocal delivery makes the difference, with a higher octave register at times that gives the songs a 70’s classic pop-rock sound (think The Raspberries, Cheap Trick) with a foot in 90’s rock (Weezer,). One song saw Jason pull out a plugged-in acoustic. Their sound was good and loud, just the right mix for a sparsely populated room that was beginning to fill up.
  

Those who were entering atthis all-ages event were decidedly underage; they were there to see closing act Worry Ward, a local rock trio. Led by lead guitarist Eddie, they present a number of guitar riffs, rambling lyrics, a small selection of chords, and not much interplay between each other. Boring? Not exactly. Worry Ward’s strength is in their shared guitar chops (in fact, Eddie and his bassist switched instruments for the last song). Some songs have an interesting crunch to them, with Eddie’s hard rock vocal delivery reminding me of Dexter Holland (The Offspring). Eddie mentioned to me after the show that had layered guitar parts for his recordings and does something similar for live shows. I am sure he mentioned the word ‘drives’ which would indicate using different tone pedal (yes?). It produced a sound that reminded at times like Catherine Wheel and their Fripp-like guitar textures). Instead of that band’s long jams, Worry Ward goes for focused chords in several different styles, and remaining true to a vision that notably their own. Next gigs for Worry Ward are undetermined but they appear focused on their debut album and some more Philadelphia-area gigs.

YouTube of At Sea

More photos at the Facebook gallery 

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Radio Crystal Blue 7/15/12 news

Posted on July 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Radio Crystal Blue is sponsored in part by:
Ariel Publicity: http://www.arielpublicity.com
Miles High Productions http://www.mileshighproductions.com
Serge Entertainment Public Relations http://www.sergepr.com
Wampus Multimedia http://www.wampus.com

Radio Crystal Blue is free to share and listen, in accordance with Creative
Commons License 3.0, full attribution, non-derivative, non-commercial.
*************************************************************************
HOW TO LISTEN:
Feed Player at my home page of http://www.radiocrystalblue.net  It is active as a
popup window. Within the page you can stream/share/download the audio. You
can put the player up on your site or blog too.
If you cannot access the Feed Player or do not have Shockwave/Flash in your
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This is the magic link to the popup player. It’s also at the home and
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CONTACT:
EMAIL: cblue456@comcast.net
personal FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/radiocblue
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FANDALISM http://www.fandalism.com/radiocblue
****************
NEXT SHOW will be published on or about July 17 and will be available for
the rest of the year.
Owing to schedule demands, I usually publish on Wednesdays or as soon
as
possible thereafter.
You will hear music in several segments of top indie/DIY/underground
songwriters and bands.
RCB Novus Ordo will also air separately. On this show I spin one song from
as many as 8 songs in one sitting and give you  background info of each
artist.
*******************
At this moment I’ve yet to post a review of last night’s showcase at The Fire, featuring my friends in the NYC band At Sea.  This review will be available later on Friday on my website.  Look for photos on Facebook and video on my YouTube channel. You know where.

I do have a review up from a showcase at The Grape Room, dated 7/10/12.  Read all about it at https://radiocrystalblue.net/2012/07/11/the-grape-room-71012/
‎
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151908264655725.879893.684570724&type=3&l=4dd821deae
Video of Jill Cagney: http://youtu.be/qpQORF0bTiI

I’m doing 6-song versions of RCB Novus Ordo this summer to further stimulate the wait list for CDs that are debuting on  my podcasts. Supply has dwindled, and there is probably a dozen artists I know of that have yet to send new material.

I’m seeking a day job in the areas of support/admin/clerical/research, within a 15 mile radius of Philadelphia.   Contact me if you know of a job that befits my requirements.

Thanks for being friends on the usual social media sites and beyond, and, of course, in person. I’ve no desire to set foot in NYC again unless I’m working there or else if my life depends on it.   I might try nearby cities (Baltimore, DC, hello?) for jobs if need be.  But I’d rather be in Philly for now, at least while I still have some $ to circulate.
**************
TWITTER FIVE TO FOLLOW: These are the last 5 folks that I’m following who
follow back: @connemarastone  @songscene @Brady_Chris1988 @jasonvigil @LateCambrian

****************
COVERAGE:
I do audio interviews, photos, video, and audio of live events.  You can see
and hear evidence across my Facebook and YouTube channels, plus the field
recording FeedPlayer.Time, location and expense will be taken into account
before taking on a job.

Right now here’s what I’ve planned to see:
Greta Gertler presents her band The Universal Thump at the Green Line Cafe,
7/19. http://www.theuniversalthump.com
One of the great Canadian bands ever, The Trews, play at The Grape Room on
7/25.  http://www.thetrewsmusic.com

*********************
RCB REVIEW: The annotated version of the shows, not to be confused with the
actual audio:
RCB Novus Ordo: Outstanding in this week’s 6-pack are Late Cambrian (whose founder had also led The Flying Machines and The Attorneys), and DE rock band Darkin, bringing out the vintage grunge.

RCB proper: Continued a theme of starting with Luna for this week’s show, the long bonus track which is a Serge Gainsbourg cover. Laetitia Sadler of Stereolab in duet vox with Dean Wareham.  I had Serge on the brain after seeing a feature of the man on a public access TV program.  Summer and driving songs were the main part of Segment 1 (notably Amy Speace, Elisa Peimer, and another new one by Garrison Starr).   Segment 2 contained music by artists who are in this year’s Great South Bay Festival.  Yarn and Molasses Creek are in the Floyd Festival later in July.  Professor Louie & The Crowmatix are back with a new album and they kick off Segment 3, featuring guitar from Michael Falzarano.  Also spun more new music here from Changing Modes, This Is She (proud client of Miles High Productions) and brand new song from UK’s JoanOvArc.  Segment 4 featured the major performers of this year’s Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. I did not find a list of the emerging artists, otherwise this show would be a lot longer! And in this segment, more songs relevant to driving. New music here from Nerissa & Katryna Nields plus a reintroduction to Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer from the recently released Little Blue Egg CD.  Closing segment was songwriter oriented, with some fighting words in a few, gently easing out with a song by Ryan Tennis that captures summer very well.
******************
AIRPLAY SUBMISSION:
Send CDs to
Dan Herman
Radio Crystal Blue
1701 Snyder Avenue, #4
Philadelphia, PA 19145
CDs MUST have a 2012 release date or have been released no earlier than
November 2011. No exceptions.
Artists are also advised to add my email address to their general email
list.

I also accept EPKs through these companies. For EPK submissions I select
artists on their body of work and the completeness of the press kit.
SONICBIDS: http://www.sonicbids.com/radiocrystalblue
MusicSUBMIT: http://www.musicsubmit.com.
Search for the words Radio Crystal Blue to find my pages there.
*********
namaste

Dan Herman
Radio Crystal Blue
http://www.radiocrystalblue.net
http://www.bigcontact.com/radiocrystalblu
cblue456@comcast.net
@radiocblue on twitter
215 995 2234

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@ The Grape Room 7/10/12

Posted on July 11, 2012 | 1 comment

Three of four scheduled artists performed at The Grape Room on Tuesday, each with regional and local ties. A good deal of the local audience were attending the free movie being shown on the 2nd floor. I chatted with members of the other bands while opening act, Cranford, NJ’s Jill Cagney was setting up. I recall having a summery and light Yards and also a Blue Moon. I still have the headache to show for it as I type.
Jill performed a solid 40 minutes, solo acoustic. Her personna is straightforward, with slightly aggressive lyrics and the occasional faraway look in her eyes.  Don’t let the sweet delivery of her voice fool you. Her songs have a bit of backbite in them as well. You can imagine the rock star inside her, as she sports a tattoo on her right forearm with her husband’s name on it, and a sun firmly tatted on the inside of her left wrist. One wonders how she might have sounded as a youth. “Riverbed” which appears on her prior CD “It’s All In How You See Things” was the standout song, with a good guitar and vocal groove. Jill sold two sets of t-shirts with lyrics including “If you leave me I’ll kill you” and “sometimes I tell the truth”. She also performed a song in the style of Jack White, musing on how he might have written one of her songs. In Jill’s entourage was Andrea Nardello, herself a local songwriter, based in South Jersey.
Jill’s show at The Grape Room was the beginning of a tour that will see her perform in Asheville, Knoxville, Memphis, and Indianapolis, before more gigs in the Garden State.
 
Complementing Jill’s performance style was the next act, York PA’s Katy Glorioso. In this, her Philadelphia debut, she led her band on keyboard, and did one song on acoustic. The band included electric guitar, bass, drums. The sound is fully built around her swooping,
mercurial voice. The expressions with her voice changing in nearly every part of her songs help to make them memorable. On first observing her music, there appears to be a definite mythology within her songwriting. Easy comparisons to Ingrid Michaelson and Bess Rogers can be drawn here. Considering that she’s released just one EP (Shark And a Bird) and is soon to release ony her first full-length album, Katy is a must-see talent. She and the and follow up this gig with another at the renowned Chameleon Club in Lancaster on July 14.
  
Lower Merion,PA songwriter Max Seidman finished out with a series of country-rock/Americana originals and some choice covers such as “The Weight”, and another which got one guy off his seat and egging on the band. Max mentiond earlier in the evening to me that the band was doing their second ever show together. The sound is thoughtful and engaging. Richie Allen, he of local folk act The Midvale 9, was present on lead guitar. Their bassist, whose name escapes me, was sporting an Uzimon t-shirt. Being a fan of the comedy-reggae star, I inquired about the shirt. He actually is in Uzimon’s band, and they’re recording their 3rd album! Max, with ten years experience recording and performing in Philly, last released an album in 2009. I’m aiming to see more of his craft with this new ensemble, which brough some good rock to the crowd returning from upstairs.   As I left I remembered to pick up a free CD at the bar, songs by acoustic songwriter Tyler Spooner, who had performed during the weekly open mic recently.  Also near the door was a CD by hip-hop artists The Booster Club, whose members include Danny Newport and  Kapano.
More photos from this evening at the latest Facebook gallery 

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Radio Crystal Blue 7/8/12 audio and links

Posted on July 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

Radio Crystal Blue: Novus Ordo spotlights CDs that are debuting on my
standard freeform radio program, Radio Crystal Blue. The show exists as a
weekly podcast.

Listen here:
(1) The FeedPlayer on my home page (visible with Flash-supported browsers)
http://www.radiocrystalblue.net and available to stream/download/share. Click the
pop-up linlk at the ‘home’ tab.
(2) If you cannot view the FeedPlayer, try a different browser, or get
Flash, or try my podcast provider at http://www.bigcontact.com/radiocrystalblu
(3) mp3: https://radiocrystalblue.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/rcbnew070812.mp3
(4) RSS: http://www.bigcontact.com/radiocrystalblu/rss

This show was distributed on 7/11/12

Bovine Social Club “Twelve Years In A Jar” – s/t CD http://www.bovinesocialclub.com
Darkin “Here & Now” – What’s To Come EP http://www.facebook.com/darkinband
Maynard And The Musties “Miles Of Broadway” – Cheap Cigar CD http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maynard-and-the-Musties/107253132678905
Late Cambrian “Song 11” – Social Season EP http://www.latecambrian.com
The 3rd International “ellis island” – entre las americas CD http://www.thethirdinternational.com
Oblivious Bob “Can’t Have Her” – s/t CD http://www.obliviousbob.com
****************
Running time: 49 minutos
****
All content of Radio Crystal Blue’s programming is free to listen and share
to via a Creative Commons License, version 3.0, full attribution,
non-derivative. For more info: http://www.creativecommons.org
Here’s RCB proper:

Radio Crystal Blue is my long-running standard freeform radio program. The
show exists as a weekly podcast.
Listen here:
(1) The FeedPlayer on my home page (visible with Flash-supported browsers)
http://www.radiocrystalblue.net and available to stream/download/share. Click the
pop-up link at the ‘home’ tab.
(2) If you cannot view the FeedPlayer, try a different browser, or get
Flash, or try my podcast provider at http://www.bigcontact.com/radiocrystalblu
(3) .mp3: https://radiocrystalblue.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/rcblive070812.mp3
(4) RSS: http://www.bigcontact.com/radiocrystalblu/rss

This show was distributed on 7/11/12
Artists with shared gigs in the near future are noted with * & **

“I’ve been asleep since December of last year/So come wake me up in the shady summer air”

Opening music:
Luna “Bonnie & Clyde” (Serge Gainsbourg cover) (bonus track) – Penthouse CD

****************
Buskin & Batteau “Good Luck In The Promised Land” – Red Shoes & Golden Hearts CD http://www.buskinandbatteau.com
The Portraits “Liberty” – The Blushing Of A World In White CD http://www.theportraits.info
Elisa Peimer “Find My Way Home” – Pull Of The Moon CD http://www.elisapeimer.com
Garrison Starr “Slow Crawl” – Amateur CD http://www.garrisonstarr.com
Amy Speace “Drive All Night” – land like a bird CD http://www.amyspeace.com
the matthew show “Innocence” – february CD http://www.thematthewshow.com
*******************
*Yarn “Annie” – almost home CD http://www.yarnmusic.net
*Molasses Creek “I Beg You To Stay” – An Island Out Of Time CD http://www.molassescreek.com
These four artists are part of this month’s Great South Bay Music Festival, Patchogue, NY http://www.greatsouthbaymusicfestival.com :
Josh Joffen “Only For One Night” – Postcard From Antigua CD http://www.joshjoffen.com
Alan Semerdjian “Bad Dreams” – The Big Beauty CD http://www.alansemerdjian.com
Brother Joscephus & The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra “I Still Love You” – Live At Brooklyn Bowl CD http://www.brotherjoscephus.com
Stratospheerius “Today Is Tomorrow” – headspace CD http://www.stratospheerius.com
****************
Professor Louie & The Crowmatix “Uncommon Love” – Wings On Fire CD http://www.professorlouie.com
Christina LaRocca “Memories (Don’t Let Them Fade)” – I Stand Tall With My Eyes Open CD http://www.christinalaroccamusic.com
Changing Modes “Down To You” – In Flight CD http://www.changingmodes.com
Antigone Rising “One Foot In” – 23 red CD http://www.antigonerising.com
This Is She “Grow Up” – Nobody Is OK EP http://www.thisisshemusic.com
JoanOvArc “Say Sayonara” – single http://www.joanovarc.co.uk
**************
Kmang Kmang “Glass” – Drifting CD http://www.kmang-kmang.com
These artists are featured performers at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Hillsdale NY http://www.falconridgefolkfestival.com :
Eilen Jewell “Long Road” – Queen Of The Minor Key CD http://www.eilenjewell.com
Aztec Two-Step “Ban Vinai” – Cause & Effect CD http://www.aztectwostep.com
Nerissa & Katryna Nields “Which Side Are You On?” – The Full Catastrophe CD http://www.nields.com
Brother Sun “Highway 4AM (Driving)” – s/t CD http://www.brothersunmusic.com
Ellis “Coming Home To You” – Right On Time CD http://www.ellis-music.com
Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer “hard edge of livin” – little blue egg CD http://www.daveandtracy.com http://www.tracygrammer.com
**************
David Wilcox “Piece Of Me” – Reverie CD http://www.davidwilcox.com
Daniel Levi Goans “Blue To Black” – BrotherStranger CD http://www.daniellevigoans.com
Raina Rose “Stone Around My Neck” – When May Came CD http://www.rainarose.com
Sloan Wainwright “I Can See Now” – Upside Down And Under My Heart CD http://www.sloanwainwright.com
Ryan Tennis “Wake Me Up” – goodbye to the ground CD http://www.ryantennismusic.com
************
Closing music: Robert Sadin “Comment” – Art of Love: Music of Machaut CD http://www.robertsadin.com

Running time: 3 hours, 19 minutes
All content of Radio Crystal Blue’s programming is free to listen and share
to via a Creative Commons License, version 3.0, full attribution,
non-derivative. For more info: http://www.creativecommons.org

Next show will be recorded and distributed in the week of 7/15/12

Dan Herman/Radio Crystal Blue:
cblue456@comcast.net
2159952234
http://www.radiocrystalblue.net
http://www.facebook.com/radiocblue
http://www.bigcontact.com/radiocrystalblu
twitter: @radiocblue

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