Blending American and West African influences into a sound all its own, Toubab Krewe has set "a new standard for fusions of rock 'n' roll and West African music" (Afropop Worldwide).
Since forming in 2005, the magnetic instrumental quintet has won a diverse and devoted following at performances everywhere from Bonnaroo to the legendary Festival of the Desert in Essakane, Mali, the most remote festival in the world. The band developed their unique sound over the course of numerous extended trips to Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied and performed with luminaries.
But the group has its roots in Asheville, NC, where many of its members were childhood friends and long-term musical collaborators. It was at home in the Appalachians, where the band recorded their sophomore album, Live at the Orange Peel. Produced by Grammy winning producer Steven Heller (who also produced the band's debut), the new album captures their outstanding 2008 New Year's run.
All of the songs are previously unreleased and continue to mix American rock with the West African musical traditions the band fell in love with on their travels. Along the way, they explore the worlds of surf and zydeco, fusing it all together into what the Village Voice describes as "a futuristic, psychedelic, neo-griot frenzy" and Honest Tune hails as "one of the most innovative voices in music today." The new release features collaborations with legendary spoken word artist Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets and fiddler Rayna Gellert of Uncle Earl.

The sons of an Assembly of God pastor, Bear and Bo Rinehart had inherited their father's gift with words, and put it to good use in their songwriting; their mother taught piano, making music a constant part of their young lives. Formed in 1999, NEEDTOBREATHE (with childhood friends Joe Stillwell and Seth Bolt) built an impressive regional following, playing throughout the Southeast. Along the way, they sold more than 15,000 copies of their self-released EP's, recorded by Seth, who had earned a degree in record engineering. 2006 saw the release of the band's major label debut, Daylight, and a relentless, national touring schedule. Despite being on the road nearly non-stop, NEEDTOBREATHE returned the following year with The Heat, which went to #2 on the Heatseekers chart and spawned the hit single "More Time," a top 10 success at Triple-A radio (sitting alongside established artists like Coldplay and Jack Johnson). The group's penchant for capturing a poignant moment or eliciting an emotion with their music is evidenced by the numerous songs from each of their albums that have appeared in film and television, including the Hilary Swank-starring, motion picture P.S. I Love You and MTV's "The Hills," among many others.

Check out Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers here.

Check out Graham Colton here.

Cornmeal formed over 10 years ago, Cornmeal has grown from humble beginnings into a nationally recognized live music institution. 10 years together is no simple task these days, especially when the last five have seen the band spending over half the year on the road. Heavily influenced by American roots and folk music, Cornmeal blends lightning fast tempos and impeccable harmonies into an unrivaled live performance that continues to expand upon the five-piece acoustic-electric groups' vast musical repertoire. While steeped in the tradition of the past, Cornmeal continues to forge their own path, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass, Americana and folk for a whole new generation of music lovers. With a rapidly growing fan base and ever-evolving sound, Cornmeal challenges the recipe of the bluegrass sound and live performance.

Check out JP & The Chatfield Boys here.

The subdudes formed in 1987, spinning off from the more raucous, original incarnation of the Continental Drifters (the name was later revived by Peter Holsapple and friends) during one of Magnie’s weekly piano gigs at Tipitina’s in New Orleans. With exquisite vocal interplay and unique elements like Malone’s slide, Magnie’s accordion and Amedee’s brushed and hand-struck tambourine, the subdudes established themselves with their blend of soul, roots rock, country, Cajun, funk and gospel.
Seven years after regrouping, the subdudes are going stronger than ever, and the proof's in the grooves: the band's eighth studio CD, Flower Petals was just released on August 25, 2009 on 429 Records.
Flower Petals, which was recorded by the band in Fort Collins, Colo., and produced by the band and well-known producers Ron Albert, Howard Albert and Steve Alaimo, weaves a tale of murder, deceit and redemption.
Tommy Malone (vocals, guitar) and fellow founding members John Magnie (keyboards, vocals) and Steve Amedee (vocals, percussion) make up the core of the band, joined by longtime compadre Tim Cook (vocals, bass, percussion) as well as bassist/guitarist Jimmy Messa. Malone, Amedee and Messa grew up in Louisiana — Malone played Bourbon Street straight out of high school — while Coloradoan Magnie emigrated there in search of Professor Longhair.
The latest release by the subdudes, Flower Petals, their 4th studio effort since regrouping in 2003, is a departure from previous albums. With a new label, 429 Records, an upgraded website and new online store (www.subdudesstore.com), the band is reaching ever higher. Flower Petals is a stunning concept album with an Old West flavor. The songs are loosely tied together by a common theme, set at the turn of the century and mostly told from the point of view of a soldier who has passed on. Near the end of the recording, the narrator's spirit is finally released to the great beyond. This CD evokes aural images of the Band at its height of storytelling powers.
The album was produced by the subdudes and also features guests Al Kooper, Angelo Morris and Vern Monnett. The band performs mostly acoustic on the recordings. Tommy Malone is prominent on lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars; John Magnie plays mostly accordion on this set in lieu of organ, and contributes vocals as well. Steve Amedee shows off his considerable mandolin talent on several songs together with his outstanding percussion and harmonies. Tim Cook and Jimmy Messa again split bass chores, with Tim also helping out on percussion and vocals. Jimmy adds rhythm guitar. The compositions are jointly credited to the five subdudes.

 

 ANDRE WILLIAMS • KICKS BOOKS KICK OFF!  A posh new line of “hip pocket paperbacks” has hit the racks with SWEETS by Andre Williams. The Bacon Fat man joins the Norton Scribblers Assn. with his sensational tome SWEETS, which is causing a regal ruckus wherever it is read!

 

Andre Williams was born in Bessemer, Alabama in 1936, migrating with his family to Chicago when he was a child. After the death of his mother in 1943, he was sent South to the care of his grandparents. The North-South transition was unbearable for young Andre, who was to return to live in the Windy City with his father, a steel mill worker.With little parental supervision, Andre traded into a penny ante career as a juvenile delinquent, barely escaping Illinois State Reformatory by using his older brother’s ID card to enlist in the US Navy. His career in the Armed Forces came to a halt when it was discovered that he was underage. As a civilian once again, he chose to avoid the pitfalls of Chicago and relocated to Detroit, Michigan, where his musical legend began, on joining the Five Dollars, and with writing and recording for the legendary Fortune Recordslabel. Bacon Fat, Greasy Chicken, and the extraordinary Jail Bait would be the tip of the iceberg of Andre’s musical contributions. From his start at Fortune in the 1950’s, he went on to work at Motown with Stevie Wonder, Mary Wells and the Contours. He produced (and co-wrote) the Five Du-Tones’ 1963 hit Shake A Tail Feather ( #28 on BILLBOARD R&B charts) and wrote Alvin Cash’s 1965 R&B chart topper  Twine Time.  In the late sixties, he produced solo hits including the standout Cadillac Jack for Chess Records. He has composed several hundred recordings and continues to be one of the most widely  collected and respected of original soul and rhythm & blues artists.
Hard drugs eventually took a toll on Andre, ultimately leaving him homeless and destitute. In 1995, his career was revived by George Paulus, who produced the acclaimed comeback vinyl album GREASY for Norton Records. Andre continued to record for Norton, as well as for In The Red, Bloodshot and Pravda, while touring internationally to great acclaim. With the return to constant touring and performing came a return to old vices.He was in and out of short-term rehabilitation, but always, there was the return to hard habits. The 2007 film AGILE, MOBILE, HOSTILE documents this period in Andre’s life. Hitting the age of seventy without a permanent address and with his health rapidly deteriorating, Andre checked into a six week program at a Chicago substance abuse facility.

 

Papadosio-Some music, because of its originality, its timeliness, its mass appeal, or perhaps because it is just plain odd, will always be destined for the hallowed halls of cult classicism. No band fits this criteria better than our beloved Papadosio who, in just 3 years of existence, has wowed crowds from Denver to NYC, Cleveland to Atlanta, shaking the earth at festivals and clubs abroad. Papadosio's music is all about unexpected combinations. From Rock/House to Jazz/Hop to Dub/Breaks and so on, every song has a unique approach to attaining originality. Long improvisational interludes and vocal harmonies quickly set this group in a new category of mass appeal.

...with an amplified message of transcendence, unity, and universal understanding, Papadosio's mission is clear: To combine eclectic musical traditions with modern Electronica to stir the heart and fuel the mind.

Instrumentation
Tony Thogmartin- Guitar, Samples, Synthesizer, Vocals

Billy Brouse- Keyboards, Synths, Vocals

Michael Healy- Acoustic/Electronic Drums

Rob McConnell- Bass Guitar, Vocals

Check out Shankbone here.

Check out Frogs Gone Fishin' here.

It was a special day for Barry, so we thought it would be nice for friends and family to remember Barry doing what he enjoyed --"listening to music, talking about the Cavs and having drinks with friends and family". This will also be a nice time for us to help fund Kirin's education that was so important to Barry.

All donations will go to the Barry O'Brien 529 college fund for his daughter Kirin.

 Barrence Whitfield, AKA Barry White, started singing in a Gospel church as a young child. Throughout his high school years, he belonged to bands as both a singer and a drummer.

Barrence came to Boston, where he was discovered by Peter Greenberg, the founder of the original Savages. This is where Barrence first got a taste of the Rock N' Roll life. The Boston scene was great for newcomers, and Barrence was well-received, but he soon found stardom on a larger scale in Europe.

Andy Kershaw, a well-known DJ and journalist in England, heard Barrence and fell in love with his style, his incredible pipes and his unique persona. It wasn't long before Barrence was traveling all over Europe, making records,and being embraced by fans for his matchless and boundless energy and talent.

Before long, Barrence was opening for, and playing with, performers like Bo Diddley, Tina Turner, George Thorogood, Robert Cray, The Reverend Solomon Burke, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Richard Thompson and many more.

While Barrence's European fans were growing rapidly in number, his American popularity wasn't as vast - his fans at home thought he had moved to Europe!

Barrence has received critical acclaim on the two albums he did with renowned country singer/songwriter, Tom Russell, as well as the Merle Haggard Tribute Album. He has recorded an album with Jim Dickerson, who produced the Rolling Stones, and he did an album for Demon Records UK, Elvis Costello's label.

Slam Bam Boo - Cleveland techno-pop group led by singer Scott Hanson; Trent joined when Exotic Birds went on hiatus in '87; Trent played on single "White Lies/Cry Like a Baby."
Boy Wonder/Slam Bamboo
After performing as Boy Wonder, one of the few original bands in the early-'80s releasing records (a six-song EP in '82), this band regrouped in '84 as Slam Bam Boo, a mainstream pop band known for its slickly-produced singles. Their first, "House of Fire," received extensive airplay on WMMS and fit well with the current climate of synth-based Top 40. A second 45, as well as a stint with Trent Reznor on keyboards, followed before the band broke in 1989. Lead singer Scott Hanson went on to launch another group, Hanson: The Movie (with Reznor programming keyboards), in the early-'90s, before forming Son of Slam (with Slam bassist Greg Thomas).