Alanna Royale Present Debut Album “Achilles”

Alanna Royale release their debut album, ACHILLES. Sample a taste of the band’s new album with their first single “Animal” which premiered exclusively through American Songwriter.
Alanna Royale combines the best elements of rock, pop, funk and soul, all executed by their fearless leader and sensual vocalist, Alanna Quinn-Broadus, an unparalleled rhythm section – Jared Colby on guitar, Gabriel Golden on bass and Matt Snow on drums – and a tremendously talented two-piece horn section – Kirk Donovan on trumpet and Diego Vasquez on trombone.
The band’s vivacious and soulful live shows have catapulted Alanna Royale onto the music scene. And now, thanks to their impressive fanbase and reputation, Alanna Royale’s, ACHILLES, is posed to skyrocket them to superstardom.
Without a single recorded song, Alanna Royale was able to obtain an impressive fanbase and a reputation solely because of their unforgettable live performances. In January of 2013, the band released its debut EP, Bless Her Heart, which led to sold-out shows across Nashville and prompted Mike Grimes, owner of the world famous Grimey’s to declare them, “the next big thing.”
Alanna Royale shines bright by marrying smooth, retro roots with dirty Rock n’ Roll attitude. Since the release of Bless Her Heart, the band has shared the stage with some of Nashville’s finest, and made appearances at Bonaroo, Austin City Limits, East Nashville Underground and Music City Roots. They’ve been featured in Garden & Gun and Nashville Lifestyles and on NPR.
Proving to be unstoppable, Alanna Royale has just put the finishing touches its full-length debut, ACHILLES. Recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, the album was engineered and produced by Andric Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff), and features a revolving door of local talent including members of Los Colognes, Fly Golden Eagle and Lynyrd Skynyrd. “We were pushed to the boundaries,” shares Quinn-Broadus, “and we came out on the other end with an amazing record.

ACHILLES is OUT NOW.

Alanna Royalle

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Bebe Buell To Celebrate The Release Of New Two Song Single

The Original Rebel Heart Brings Her Brand Of AmerEclectic Music To Nashville

September 3, 2014, Nashville, TN – The legendary Bebe Buell continues her remarkable journey in Music City with the release of a new two-song single. Secret Sister and Hello Music City will drop on September 22nd. It will be available digitally on iTunes and on CD exclusively at Manuel and Grimey’s in Nashville. Buell’s highly anticipated release follows on the heels of recent sold-out shows at Nashville’s most prestigious venues. Buell and her band, The Nashville Aces will celebrate with a release party at Manuel located at 800 Broadway in Nashville on Friday, September 19th. Public participation in the event is free. A complete selection of capabilities are pre-built within the Timely event ticketing platform. In addition to cuisine from M Street eateries and Deep Eddy Vodka drinks, there will be live acoustic music. To the first 50 visitors, free signed CDs will be given out. Buell will self-release the single through her new imprint, AmerEclectic Records. Buell coined the term to describe her unique blend of explosive Rock & Roll and Americana inspirations. This is what Music City Mike had to say about the single’s B-side “The new upbeat single Hello Music City used some clever words rhyming with “city” to get across how she was not sorry to leave New York. This one may just catch on as one of the best local songs of 2014.”
On Secret Sister and Hello Music City, Buell and her Aces, whose members include Shannon Pollard- the grandson of the great Eddy Arnold on drums, Sally Tiven on bass, and Jimmy Walls, Buell’s husband and associate producer on guitar. The project was produced by Grammy-nominated Jon Tiven, who is a songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, he also plays guitar and sax in the live line-up. Tiven has produced many music icons including Robert Plant, Black Francis, B.B. King and Wilson Pickett. “Handsome” Harry Stinson from Marty Stuart’s band, The Fabulous Superlatives is on board lending percussion and backing vocals along with renowned vocalist Beth Hooker. Hello Music City features Alabama Shakes’ Ben Tanner on keys and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Bruce Bouton on steel guitar.

Information At A Glance:
Who/What: Singer-Songwriter Bebe Buell’s Secret Sister/Hello Music City single release party
When: Friday, September 19, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Manuel
Navigational Address: 800 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-321-5444

CALENDAR LISTING: September 19, 2014, 6 p.m., Secret Sister/Hello Music City release party, Bebe Buell. The legendary Bebe Buell will celebrate the launch of new two-song single, Secret Sister and Hello Music City at Manuel. Manuel is located at 800 Broadway in Nashville. The event is free and open to the public. It will feature live acoustic performances, food from M Street restaurants as well as cocktails by Deep Eddy Vodka. Complimentary autographed CDs will be given to the first 50 guests.

Prepared by Milton

Bebe Blue

Bebe Blue

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Pioneer Music Museum, The Only One In Iowa

Anita, Iowa….. It may be the ONLY museum in America’s upper Midwest devoted to Iowa’s pioneers, settlers and homesteader’s music. It is without a doubt the ONLY museum that contains a Hall of Fame devoted to the music of these same people. According to the curator of this unpretentious undertaking, Bob Everhart, “We’ve been working hard for the past 39 years, accumulating, sorting, filing, displaying, and telling the stories about the musical instruments and the music itself that found its way to Iowa. It’s called the Pioneer Music Museum. It’s an ongoing task, and to have the museum broken into, with thieves making off with Johnny Cash’s harmonicas and Patsy Montana’s guitar is heart breaking to those of us who find their celebrity, their music, and their memories taken away so easily. I guess that’s why we keep working so hard on the building in Anita, Iowa, that has become a focal point of Iowa’s musical history.”
Everhart is a recording artist for the Smithsonian Institution. He and his wife Sheila have developed a program for the Smithsonian called a “Traveling Museum of Music.” In their performance they do the music that was popular during all the wars America has fought. According to Everhart, “We will be doing this musical presentation for a number of Iowa museums this summer. It’s especially attractive, not only to seniors, but to kids who might not know what the music was like so long ago, or what the wars were like on such a personal basis.”
The Everhart’s were honored by American Profile Magazine for their preservation work dealing with Iowa’s old-time music, and their continuing work as museum music curators in Anita, Iowa. They are members of the Iowa Museum Association, and as such, work hard keeping Iowa’s musical heritage alive.
The Pioneer Music Museum has become a focal point for tour groups, and smaller gatherings like the ‘Red Hats.’ According to Everhart, “We’ve had a number of tours already this summer, and expect more. At the same time, we are trying hard to stem some leaks in the old building’s roof, and that has become a challenge to say the least. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit group, very dedicated to Iowa’s musical memories, but we haven’t found that special sponsor or grant donor to help us keep up with Iowa’s very changeable weather, so we keep spot-fixing, hoping for the best.”
To keep the museum financially going, the Everhart’s produce and direct a festival of old-time acoustic music, now in it’s 39th year. “We’ve had to move the festival locations a few times,” Everhart said, “either because of rate increases or non-availability, but we are now in our 6th year at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in LeMars, Iowa, the ice cream capital of the world. The event is seven days long, August 25-31 this year, and has ten stages going from 9am to midnight everyday all seven days, to accommodate the many performers of old-time music that attend. It’s also where we conduct the induction ceremonies of those going into America’s Old Time Music Hall of Fame, which is why we have the Pioneer Music Museum. Some amazingly famous and popular artists come for the ceremonies, this year is no exception with John Carter Cash being inducted on a Tuesday. John is the only child of Johnny and June Carter Cash, and is very busy and productive keeping his own family’s traditional music alive. Also going into the Hall of Fame is LuLu Roman a comedienne from the very popular television show Hee Haw, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Thursday. She is a very popular gospel singer today. Add to that David Davis of the Warrior River Boys, from Alabama, who goes into the Hall of Fame on Monday, and a host of other celebrities awaiting confirmation, and anyone who likes an older style of acoustic music can begin to see why this event has been going for 39 years in Iowa.”
The University of Iowa Mobile Museum “Iowa’s Ancient Agriculturalists” will be at the festival on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and another display at the fairgrounds ‘Round Barn’ will also be open. “It’s all about Iowa’s history,” Everhart said, “and Iowa’s music, from the very first homesteader to today. It’s incredibly entertaining, and for young people it’s incredibly educational. We even have a Tipi Rendezvous Village in an old ghost town that will be hosting an autoharp gathering, a dulcimer do, a fiddler’s jubilee, a poet’s corner, a songwriters circle, a guitar pull, a mandolin pickin’ and even a storytellers sit. We’ve offered free admission to any school that wants to have a ‘field day’ to be with us during our stay in LeMars.”
More information about the ONLY museum in Iowa devoted to Iowa’s pioneer’s music is available at their website at www.ntcma.net or telephoning them at 712-762-4363.

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Preserving AMERICA’S RURAL MUSIC

When American Profile Magazine did a story on Iowan’s Bob and Sheila Everhart, they started with an interesting analogy. “When Bob Everhart plays ‘Down In the Valley’ he hears the voices of pioneers. And those voices have inspired a museum, two halls of fame, and a festival to honor America’s traditional and rural music.” Everhart is quick to add to that. “The festival we do is now is in its 39th year. That’s a record for Iowa, and for the kind of music we present, it’s a record for America. When I say the names of some of our presentations, like a guitar pull, or a harmonica howl, a banjo jamboree, a dulcimer do, an autoharp gathering, a poets corner, a fiddler’s jubilee, even a mandolin pick-in, it fosters images, and in many cases definite memories, of what America’s music used to be like. Doing this for 39 years has created a situation where we now need seven days and ten stages to accommodate the over 600 performers. What’s even more amazing is where they come from.”
Everhart, and his wife Sheila, work on the event the entire year. According to Sheila, “This is a monumental task for us, just scheduling that many performers can be a nightmare, but Bob has been doing it for a very long time now, and he enjoys each and every performance, especially those that engender the continuation of what America’s early rural music was like.”
“America’s rural music is the most discriminated musical genre in America,” Bob is quick to point out. “It has been under the gun so many times it’s a wonder it even still exists. When radio and recordings first came into being, the only licensing agency was A.S.C.A.P. who refused to license the old-time mountain music for radio airplay, because they felt it was unfit for human consumption. Perhaps they weren’t listening to ‘America’ then, and in many cases they do not listen to ‘America’ today. That’s why we work so hard keeping this particular event alive and well. We formed a 501(c)3 non profit agricultural exposition organization way back in 1976, to help us keep it alive. We’re kind of like a church. Our religion is of many stripes, but the stars of our flag are the ones that still keep the light of America’s musical heritage unextinguished.”
The Everharts are recording artists for the prestigious Smithsonian Institution. Created by Moses Asch in New York City, it is now the most respectable record label maintaining America’s musical heritage in the country. The Everharts feel the same way. “We’ve recorded six albums for the Smithsonian, and that has led us to creating a program we call the “Traveling Museum of Music.” Working on it, and researching it for two years now, this is a program of the music that was popular, especially in rural America, during all of the wars America has been in. It’s an incredible historically accurate, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, most times very meaningful entertainment suitable for all ages, especially appreciated by an older audience. That’s exactly how we continue our work saving America’s rural musical heritage.”
The festival the Everhart’s conduct, as volunteers, takes place August 25-31, at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds, in LeMars, Iowa. “LeMars is the ice cream capital of the world,” Everhart said, “so we are very pleased to be in a location that has air conditioned buildings that can accommodate the ten stages we have, everything from a Log Cabin front porch, to a quiet little nook in front of an old wind mill in what we call a pioneer ghost town. That’s where the Carl Sandburg readings, poetry, autoharpists, storytelling, dulcimers, and zither playing and quiet music takes place. What a very interesting way to hear the music calling from the prairies of our ancestor’s past. It includes Native American’s too, tipi’s and all. Our main stage which accommodates nearly 2,000 fans is also air conditioned.”
Add the many professional performers that come from around the world and it becomes very international in scope. This year the number one country singer from Japan, Hank Sasaki, and the queen of country music from Denmark, Tamra Rosanes, meet up with Lucky Susan Crowe (Russell Crowe’s stepmother) from New Zealand, and Greta Elkin, the Yodeling Queen of Ireland. Everhart adds with a chuckle, “We have an incredibly large international presence at this event. We have five performers coming from Canada. But that’s not all, as the old-time rural music makers would proclaim, we have special guests like John Carter Cash, the only child of Johnny & June Carter Cash. Larry Cordle the guy who wrote ‘Murder on Music Row’ a song very dear to the hearts of our rural audience. Stephen Pride, the younger brother of Charley Pride, and LuLu Roman, one of the stars of Hee Haw, all making the trek to the corn fields of Iowa, to re-discover what rural country music is all about. Even bluegrass music is represented by the likes of Alabama’s David Davis and the Warrior River Boys, and Goldwing Express from Branson, and Larry Gillis and Swampgrass from Georgia. Nashville songwriter, Terry Smith says it best of all in the words of his song “The Far Side Banks of Jordan” which was a huge hit for Johnny & June Carter Cash.”
According to Smith, “That one song I wrote touches the hearts of married rural people, because it says with powerful love, the very same thoughts they have for each other.” Smith has been coming to the festival for the last 17 years. “This is the only legitimate musical event I am aware of that keeps the music in the original rural, very heart felt, style that made it so popular from the very beginning of America, and it’s still alive today, here in Iowa.”
The Everharts feel much the same way. “When America was just a young’un in the late 1700’s, and growing fast, there wasn’t so much an opportunity to be ‘from’ somewhere so much as there was to be ‘going’ somewhere. Agriculture was, and still is, one of the most important industries in America. That’s why we even have the “Mobile Musem” containing displays relative to Iowa’s ancient agriculturists, right up to the present, with us. We invite every school in Plymouth County, and all counties surrounding Plymouth, to send their kids to us for a field day of incredible history as revealed in the old songs that Bluegrass legend Bill Monroe (who by the way, found his wife in Iowa) labeled this musical history the ‘ancient tones.’ “We make stage time available for even the very beginning performer,” Sheila noted, all they have to do is call us at 712-762-4363 and we’ll find a stage for them.”
There’s also a huge arts and crafts vendor area at this non-profit event, even a large flea market. According to the Everhart’s, ‘We find room for everyone. We even have RV camping on the grounds with electricity, and some of the best ‘rural’ food you’re likely to find anywhere, including Native American food.”

Prepared by Bob Phillips, Correspondent for NTCMA www.ntcma.net
P O Box 492, Anita, Iowa, 50020

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The Far Flung Empire of Musicale

The far-flung empire of Musicale is located smack dab in the middle of Usa (pronounced Oosa) in a rural location called LeMars, Iowa. Far removed from the teeming urbanite, it is a closely guarded and hidden location.

The empiricists continue to keep alive the ancient tones handed down from generation to generation via strange stringed melody making contraptions.
This empire’s King has been gone for centuries, and all those that gather during the maize harvest season, continue to wait for His return. He was a lowly carpenter but He was the architect of the universe.

While the empire waits, during this time of celebration, they engage in dawn to dusk rustic musicale messages handed down from the past. In these very personal messages are coded reminders of how they should live their lives as they patiently await the return of their King. During the evening gloaming they gather to partake of many various types of music and food; wild rice dishes, spiced meat repasts from animals they raise like bovines, swine, and domestic fowl; and simplified recipes which include sweet offerings like strange curly-que funnels of cake, and a very cold and refreshing dessert they call iced cream.
The dark hours are spent, sometimes gathered around warming log fires, sharing harmonic soirees that remind them that purity of mind, soul, and body, keeps them alert for the eminent return of their King. Many will tell you that there is monumental lures and distractions on the planet to steer them aside, but the sentinels continue their steadfast gardein duties, many times accompanied by a rood.

The many visitors that attend the 7-day celebration, come from other strange places on the planet. From Nippon (often referred to as Japan) a representative will arrive to share in the rustic Usa music. From the British Commonwealth of Nations, New Zealand, Lady Crowe will attend, sharing the stories in songs of Usa’s ancient past. From the land of Hibernia, a special envoy will arrive bearing news of the legends from their ancient world, legends still alive in Usa. This too, is revealed with vibrating strings and irradiating brilliance. Another ancient Kingdom, known as Jutland, will send their Queen of Musicales from Copenhagen. All of it performed in a rustic rural manner with hundreds of performers from Usa participating in the various songs, stories, and message offerings, many of them undecipherable to the vast civilization who knows little of these roborant rustics who still hold the key to eternal life.

Some of the activities have outrageous names like ‘Dulcimer Do’ and ‘Poet’s Corner.’ Yet others are more easily recognized like the ‘Harmonica Howl’ and the ‘Autoharp Gathering.’ Some are even a one-of-a-kind historical like ‘Carl Sandburg Readings’ and ‘Fiddler’s Jubilee.’ Others are more feverous like the ‘Banjo Jamboree’ the ‘Band Scramble’ and the ‘Guitar Pull.’
The event always takes place in time-inspiring reverence and admiration. Octavia was the original time-name, then called Agustus, now shortened to the last week of August, continuing the supreme dignity and majestic grandeur of the assemblage of highly respected keepers of the ancient tones. Some are plenipotentiary ambassadors coming from far away in Usa. The House of Cash is sending their only living diplomat, John Carter Cash. From the ancient hills of Hee Haw, the amassadress LuLu Roman; and from the Kingdom of Alabama, the Warrior River Boys. From the home of the founding fathers of Usa, a tribe that plays a musical instrument having a set of small metallic reeds mounted in a case and played by the breath, sometimes referred to as a mouth organ. These representatives attend the gathering with a sense of humor. They call themselves the ‘Harmonicats.’ From deep in the far-flung jungles of Africa, comes a descendant of one who has kept the rustic Usa ancient tones alive. Stephen Pride, the younger brother of Charley Pride, brings greetings and subtle tonal harmonious effects to the musicale. Even the dangerous bogs of Usa is represented by ‘Swampgrass’ an exciting and rapidly moving stringed instrument ensemble.

Over 600 musicale participants place honor and homage on those scribes who continue to give expression and artistic execution to the stories and tales handed down from generation to generation. They do this in the form of their own original compositions. Terry Smith with Far Side Banks Of Jordan; Hugh Moffatt with Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You; and Larry Cordle with the mysterious Murder On Music Row, a devastating tale of how the creators and communicators of the ancient tones can be destroyed and erased from humanoid records in a very short period of time.
Electronics (pale imitations of the real instruments used to create ancient tones) are not permitted at this 39th annual convocation, even though there are ten performance venues operating daily from 9am to midnight. The cultivators of the concourse do use electronic communications with information available at www.ntcma.net or passages available at 712-762-4363 or at bobeverhart@yahoo.com

Prepared by Bob Phillips, Correspondent for the National Traditional Music Association

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Invitation – ROCK POD KAMENOM

     The recreation area of “Sninské Rybniky” is going to be awaken again for the11th time by the most resonant Slovak and foreign rock & metal names.

     Music festival ROCK POD KAMENOM will start on 8th of august and last until 10th of the month.
     Fans, who will come to “far east”, can enjoy very energic, metal, 120 minutes long show of the Avantasia on the first day. It’s the project of The Edguy´s frontman. They have started the new chapter of their being with the latest CD The Mystery of Time and have started their tour as well. The story, guests, songs, timing, opera in opera, world of the fantasy. Everything is hidden in the name of this configuration.p>

     By the combination of the words Stratocaster & Stratovarius was formed legendary Finnish power-metal group Stratovarius. It won’t be their first concert in Slovakia, but their first here, in “Sninske Rybniky”. People can also look forward to almost 30-years old German metal band Helloween.
Italian folk-metal impact is going to bring here group Elvenking during their “ERA” tour.

     Festival Organizers also thought about Slovak and Czech music and so they gave out first headliners Doga, Alkehol and rock band Harley which is going to present their new album. Fans can also see brilliant performances of Czech band Wanastowi Vjecy and Slovak

Metropolis.

     There is possibility to buy limited edition of 3-days tickets via Ticketportal, on specialized places or by COD.
     During the last 10 years our open air music festival has grown in popularity and our audience was able to see performances from not only Czech and Slovak top bands but also foreign stars such as:

Lordi (FI), Primal Fear (DE), U.D.O. (DE), The Sweet (UK), GOTTHARD (SWI), Tarja Turunen (FI), GUANO APES (DE), EDGUY (DE), SONATA ARCTICA (FI), Die Happy (DE), Mike Terrana (USA), Korpiklaani (FI), Eluveitie (SUI), Pretty Maids (DAN), Sabaton (SWE), Kabát (CZ), Wanastowi Vjecy (CZ), Arakain (CZ), Ewa Farná (CZ), Divokej Bill (CZ), Aneta Langerová (CZ), ŠKWOR (CZ), Kreyson (CZ), Horkýže Slíže, Iné Kafe, Tublatanka, Desmod, IMT Smile, Peter Cmorík, No Name, Gladiátor, Peha, Polemic, Zuzana Smatanová, HEX, P.S., Nocadeň, Aya, …

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Wilsonic Festival 2014 in Bratislva, Slovakia

Date: June 06, 2014

What’s that:
Wilsonic is an international music festival, held annually in Bratislava, Slovakia. The festival is a spectacular celebration of today’s forward-thinking music, connecting the best elements of music fused within the atmosphere of a concert, a club and a party. Wilsonic is presenting a wide variety of modern music which transcend categorization.

Opening: June 06, 2014 – Club Atelier Babylon

Artists:
Cid Rim live (AT)
Bobby Tank live (UK)
Slick Shoota live (NO)
Hermigervill live (IS)
Sekuoia (DK)
Ben Frost AURORA live (IS/AU)
Jimmy Pé + Biotrick (SK)
Stratasoul (SK)

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Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires discuss their marriage in a highly personal interview on WNYC’s Death, Sex & Money

I thought this new, highly personal interview with Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires – just release today–might be of interest.

While not household names, these two musicians – married to each other – have achieved critical acclaim. Americana Award-winning musician Jason Isbell, formerly of Drive-By Truckers and whose latest solo album Southeastern was hailed by Rolling Stone as “one of the year’s best in any genre,” recently married Texan fiddler Amanda Shires who was praised by the Huffington Post as “ha(ving) a way with words that goes far beyond her 31 years.”

Though they’ve only been married a year, the couple has already had their share of hardship: Isbell checked into rehab, Shires and Isbell both released solo albums, they’ve spent lots of time on the road, and they are still navigating the everyday complexities of settling into marriage all couples face.

On the latest episode of WNYC’s hire a podcast studio, Death, Sex, and Money, Isbell and Shires open up to host Anna Sale for a very revealing conversation about marriage between artists, sexual temptations on the road, and the challenges of living a clean and sober life as a touring musician.

Some excerpts from the interview:

On their first year of marriage:
Isbell: I think we did a great job, we got along for a large part of it, and we don’t have the same arguments at the end of the first year that we had at the beginning of the first year. And I think that’s important. I think for anything to be successful, your problems have to become different problems over time.

On the importance of trust and how it can be unsettled by technology:
Isbell: Trust. Trust, we didn’t know each other very well. And I was a philanderer in a past life, so it was hard for her to trust me. That I was actually going to stick around, and wasn’t gonna make a fool of her. As far as—relationship wise. I wasn’t an easy person to trust, because I hadn’t been sober very long. I felt like hadn’t been a grown-up very long at that point. But I was determined. And I think we’ve had some more proof of that over the last year.

Sale: Would you put it the same way?
Shires: Yeah trust too, cus, he pretended like he put his trust more than he did. I think. All this technology and stuff, it’s easy to develop a new relationship with somebody else if you wanted to, but we got over that.

On co-parenting and family planning:
Shires: Generally when a woman has a child, the child is always left to the woman. The guy can go off touring or gallivanting around the world. I understand there’s sacrifice and everything, but I’m still a selfish person. I still want my own career and freedom and time. I want the — and I don’t know how this is gonna work, I guess I’ll see. I feel like if I do have a child, it’s something I’d be very involved in.
Isbell: I’ll be there until the baby or I’m gone from the earth. I’ll take care of it. I’m not gonna screw up on that responsibility. But at the same time, that motherly instinct when it’s combating the desire to be your own individual person for a woman, I can’t even weigh in on that. That’s just incredibly difficult for me to even wrap my head around.

On how cheating is a lose-lose situation:
Isbell: We don’t ignore it, the fact that there are other people vying for our attention. And that when you’re on the road, it makes it easier to think you can get away with stuff like that. We discuss it. If somebody’s worried, we talk about it. And usually if you name something, it becomes a lot less difficult to defeat.
Shires: Some days, I’m like, whatever he does, I have no control over his actions. Whatever he does or does not do, it’s no reflection on me. . . . Sometimes it helps me to say it right out, or say it in my brain, I’ll feel so bad for you if you f*** this up. I say it all the time.

On communication helping maintain sobriety
Isbell: I have certain things that I do when I want to drink, and usually the first thing I do is tell her I want to drink. I’m not gonna have one, so I’m not telling you this because you need to be on guard. I’m telling you this to say it out loud.
Shires: When you do that, it winds up being that we talk about why that is. For me it’s cool, I like to know what and when and why, and then, I’m just glad to be a part of it, I’m proud of you.

To hear the entire interview and read a full transcript, go to: http://www.wnyc.org/story/episode-preview-jason-isbell-long-distance-marriage/

You can also hear Jason and Amanda performing songs off “Southeastern” on WNYC’s Soundcheck here: http://soundcheck.wnyc.org/story/jason-isbell-in-studio/

Prepared by Mallika Dattatreya, Publicist of New York Public Radio, 160 Varick Street, New York NY 10013
T: 646.829.4331, F: 646.829.4327, E: mdattatreya@nypublicradio.org

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Mickey Gilley To Be Inducted Into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall Of Fame

 LeMars, Iowa…..”1976 was a big year for the National Traditional Country Music Association,” says Bob Everhart, current president of the organization. “That was the year of its founding, and it has been running continuously ever since. It conducts the upper Midwest’s most successful festival of early American country, bluegrass, folk, mountain, hillbilly, and western music. There’s lots of labels and genres to describe ‘country’ music, but we are pretty much in the time-frame before it became what it is today. Thirty-eight years is a long time to keep any kind of event going, and to see Mickey Gilley one of the best known country music piano players ever, to become one with America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame, is indeed a recognition of the importance of the roots of country music. Mickey Gilley’s most prestigious year was that same year the NTCMA was founded, 1976, when the Academy of Country Music awarded him with Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Top Male Vocalist of the Year, and Music City News proclaimed him the Most Promising Male Artist of the Year. 1976, bicentennial year celebration of the birth of America. Amazing isn’t it, that in 2013, 38 years later, this same man, Mickey Gilley, will be inducted into this kind of Hall of Fame, that emanates from rural America.”

 Gilly joins a spectacular star-studded event, that just in the past few years have inducted the likes of Bill Anderson, Jim Ed Brown, Michael Martin Murphey, Lynn Anderson, Charlie McCoy, and the legendary Patti Page. “I couldn’t hardly believe it when Patti Page told me she was coming out of retirement to join us in LeMars, Iowa, for our annual old-time music festival,” Everhart said. “She was such a gracious lady, the one single artist that made the “Tennessee Waltz” an international favorite. She made the trip just fine, came on stage to a staggering number of people, accepted their standing ovation of appreciation for her contributions to the musical genre they love, and sang some of her favorite songs. She had to use a cane, but she certainly blossomed as the entertainer she was her entire life. That was in 2010. She passed away in 2011, our event was her last performance. It is so distressing that the largest Hall of Fame for country music only inducts two or three people a year. We try to honor deserving individuals on many different levels. International, national, regional. state-wide, even locally. There are so many incredibly gifted artists in America today, many of them go un-noticed simply because the entertainment world is so locked-up in corporate control. Locked-out might be a better term.”

 Everhart is a strong advocate of keeping America’s ‘roots’ music alive, and no longer refers to contemporary country music as ‘country’ music. “We have to place ourselves in a different genre entirely,” Everhart said. “We refer to our music as ‘rural’ music now. Mickey Gilley, unlike many country artists today, grew up in that same ‘rural’ atmosphere. Natchez, Mississippi, produced not just Mickey Gilley, but his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis who emerged as one of America’s most popular rock n’ rollers, as well as cousin Jimmy Swaggert who emerged as an evangelist. What’s amazing about these three gifted cousins is they all played the piano. All three developed their own style, their own genre, their own musical personality on the piano. Certainly not the electric digitalized keyboards of today, but good old-time upright pianos, whose tones and sounds have never been adequately imitated by the electronic revolution.”

 Gilley will be inducted into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame at the annual convention/festival that Everhart still directs. Dates are August 26 through September 1, the full week before Labor Day in LeMars, Iowa. “It’s amazing,” said Everhart. “We started this with just three stages and three days, now we have ten stages and seven days, to accommodate the many pickers and players that come. There must be well over 600 entertainers, so we start at 9am and go to midnight every day for seven days, and even then we sometimes don’t have enough time for all of the participants to get stage time. We’re also very stringent about instruments, they must be acoustic, meaning we can survive even if there isn’t any electricity. We’ve had to relax the rules on a number of occasions, the bass-guitar being a substitute for the upright acoustic bass simply because there are not that many acoustic bass players around. Add to that the celebrities that attend, and it’s a formidable undertaking to say the least. Joining Mickey Gilley this year is: Joanne Cash (Johnny Cash’s younger sister); Ed Bruce (composer of ‘Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys”); Terry Smith (composer of ‘Far Side Banks of Jordan’ for Johnny & June Carter Cash); Michael Martin Murphey (probably America’s best and most successful cowboy and western singer); LuLu Roman (from HeeHaw); Kenny Seratt (the man who taught Merle Haggard how to sing like Merle Haggard); and Dr. Harry Yates (founder of Cowboy Church).”

 Everhart likes to include ‘beginners’ in the celebration. “We’ve consistently been aware that any musician or entertainer needs to ‘start’ somewhere. Just picking up an instrument doesn’t necessarily mean that person will become good at it. Therefore we have one of our stages devoted to workshops, giving free lessons and instruction on nearly every musical instrument used in early country music. It’s the same with what we call ‘jamming.’ One of our most popular jam spots is the “Patio Jam” that almost qualifies as a ‘stage’ area. We even have ‘contests’ for those a little further advanced, and then we have shows, all kinds of shows on no less than ten stages. Mickey Gilley is one of those gifted entertainers that has already seen what the top looks like. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a theater in Branson, induction into the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame, and he appeared in ‘Urban Cowboys.’ From where he came, and where he went is absolutely incredible, and we welcome him with open arms as we induct him into “America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame.”

 The NTCMA also owns the Pioneer Music Museum where the Hall of Fame is located. According to Everhart, “We have been offered considerable amounts of money to either sell or move this Hall of Fame to a more touristy area, but we firmly believe that ‘country’ music should stay in the ‘country’ and Iowa is one fine ‘country’ state. Our problem with the museum is that it’s getting so full of mementos and memories of our great country music artists. We need to expand but we’re not quite at that point yet.”

 The NTCMA has a website that also features the Hall of Fame as well as their many activities at www.ntcma.net

Prepared by Bob Phillips, Correspondent for the National Traditional Country Music Association, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit corp.
P.O. Box 492, Anita, Iowa, 50020 – 712-762-4363 – ruralcountrymusic@gmail.com – www.ntcma.net

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Festivals during May and June in Slovakia and Czech

Festivaly SK:
1. May 2. – 30, 2014 Month of LGBTI history
2. May 17. – 18, 2014 – Rotenstein – historical fest
3. May 22. – 23, 2014 – Slovak Food Fest 2014
4. May 23, 2014 – Bažant on Mills
5. May 23. – 25, 2014 – Cirkul art 2014-Fest of new cirkus
6. May 28. – June 30, 2014 – Tutti Frutti fest
7. May 30. – June 01, 2014 – Bratislava book fest
8. May 30, 2014 – Gurman fest Bratislava
9. June 03. – 06, 2014 – Artterapy
10. June 05. – 21, 2014 – Eurokontext.sk 2014
11. June 06, 2014 – Wilsonic 2014
12. June 07, 2014 – Farm fest 2014
13. June 21. – 28, 2014 – Viva Musica!
14. Jule 18. – August 03, 2014 – Summer Shakespeare fest 2014

Festivaly CZ:
1. May 17, 2014 – Klášterecká Country koza
2. May 17, 2004 – Wanted Ranch
3. May 17, 2014 – Dřetfest
4. May 17, 2004 – Malá parta (Pidi Free Fest )
5. May 17, 2014 – 1. annual country fest
6. May 17, 2014 – Country club Těrlicko
7. May 23. – 25, 2014 – 39. annual of Tramp song Fest
8. May 24, 2014 – Třinecká country sešlost
9. May 24, 2014 – 13. meeting of Bob Dylen fans
10. May 24, 2014 – Country galaevening
11. May 30, 2014 – Habart Fest
12. May 30. – June 01, 2014 – Karl May fest in Radebeul Germany
13. June 07, 2014 – Přílepské Békal
14. June 07, 2014 – Bluegrass Party

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