Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Zum Reinhoeren - Band of Heathens - Cody Canada & The Departed - Live aus Berlin

Blue Rose Records ist die wichtigste Vertriebsorganisation/Plattenfirma in Deutschland, wenn es sich um Americana und Roots-Musik handelt.

Firmen-Chef, Edgar Heckmann und seine Crew bringen seit Jahren hervorragende und interessante Sounds nach Europa. Diesen kommenden Samstag feiert Blue Rose Records ihre Weihnachts Party mit einem fantastischen Konzert im "Roadrunner's Rock & Motor Club" in Berlin. Mit dabei sind auch zwei der heissesten Americana Bands aus Austin, The Band of Heathens und Cody Canada & The Departed.
Nun die Show ist vollstaendig ausverkauft; wer trotzdem vom heimeligen Sofa reinhoeren moechte, kann dies uebers Internet bei
rockradio.de+ tun. (Den vollstaendigen Sende/Showablauf findet Ihr weiter unten.)



"Heart On My Sleeve", aufgenommen im Kessler Theater in Dallas anfangs November mit Colin Brooks als Leadsaenger.
Es lohnt sich, die Show mitzuverfolgen, denn nach den neusten Meldungen der Band, verlaesst der Multi-Insturmentalist Brooks, einer der Gruender und wesentlichen Liederschreiber, Band of Heathens auf Ende Jahr.

Nachdem sich die Oklahoma Red Dirt Band Cross Canadian Ragweed vor Jahresfrist aufgeloest hat, zog es Cody Canada nach Texas, wo er sich im Sueden von Austin, in New Braunfels niederliess. Mit der neuen Band "The Departed" gings ab ins Studio und im Juni dieses Jahres veroeffentlichten sie mit "This Is Indian Land" ihren ersten Tontraeger. Das Album offeriert einen geschmackvollen Mix aus Roots- und Southern-Rock, Singer/Songwriting bis hin zum allumfassenden Americana.



Der Interviewer in diesem Clip war uebrigens "Asleep At The Wheel" Frontmann, Ray Benson. Wer ein Smartphone hat, kann "The Departed" auch ueber deren eigene Android-App link folgen.
Im uebrigen finden sich von beiden Bands, Zusatz-Gratis-Tracks auf deren Webseiten.

Hier der Programm-Ablauf der Blue Rose Records Christmas Party vom Samstag 3. Dezember 2011
18:10 Julian Dawson
18:20 Baskery (aus Schweden)
19:50 Cody Canada & The Departed
21:45 The Band of Heathens
12:00 Blue Rose Rockestra (Jam Session)

Two Central Texas Bands live from Berlin

Blue Rose Records is Germany's first label for Americana and Roots music.

For years, Edgar Heckmann and his crew bring substantially valid and interesting sounds to Europe. Well this Saturday they celebrate their annual Christmas Party at Roadrunner's Rock & Motor Club in Berlin. Two central Texas bands are part of this year's celebration, The Band of Heathens and Cody Canada & The Departed. And no, you don't have to buy a over-priced short-term airline ticket to attend this show in Berlin. You can actually listen in the comfort of your La-Z-Boy to a live stream of this show, starting at 11am (CST) (Saturday 12/3/11) on the internet @ rockradio.de+ (For the full schedule please scroll down)



"Heart On My Sleeve", recorded live at the Kessler Theater in Dallas in early November with Colin Brooks singing lead vocals.
Tune in, it may be one of your last opportunities to listen to Colin Brooks, the band just announced that the multi-instrumentalist, one of the founding members and main songwriters of the band will leave the Band of Heathens by the end of the year. The last time to see the band in it's original formation in the Austin area will be on the opening night of the "2011 Armadillo Christmas Bazaar" at the Palmer Event Center on Wednesday, December 14, at 8pm.

After the break-up of the Oklahoma Red Dirt Band "Cross Canadian Ragweed," one of the frontmen, Cody Canada - after his move to New Braunfels, in the south of Austin, decided to form a new group around him, "The Departed". A first album, "This Is Indian Land" was released earlier this year. It offers an intriguing mix between Roots- and Southern-Rock, Singer/Songwriting and Americana.



BTW, the interviewer in this clip is Asleep At The Wheel frontman, Ray Benson.
To follow The Departed on your Android Smartphone, this is the link for the app.
Talking about apps & links - both bands' websites offer free downloads of bonus tracks.

If you don't have any New Year's Eve plans yet, plan on a two-day trip to Gruene and it's legendary dance hall. The Band of Heathens will play on December 30th, while Cody Canada & The Departed will entertain on New Year's Eve.

Here is the full schedule of the Blue Rose Records Christmas Party (CST)
11.10am Julian Dawson
11:20am Baskery
12:50pm Cody Canada & The Departed
  2:45pm The Band of Heathens
  5:00pm Blue Rose Rockestra (Jam Session)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

White Ghost Shivers Announce New Album & Release Party



You may have seen the collaboration between Bluegrass stalwart Del McCoury and his band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on PBS in an Austin City Limits taping. Well if you take a bit (maybe a lot - I don't really agree with Del on that this is something new) of the seriousness out of this, add some traditional Blues, eastern-European Klezmer, Gypsy- and Hillbilly-Swing and Vaudeville stir the whole thing up with some more suggestive Hokum Blues lyrics, garnish the whole dish with the antics of the Prohibition and excellent show(o)men ship, you have Austin's White Ghost Shivers.



The Ghost Shivers are ready to release their new album, a task that these days is more and more difficult, with the disarray in the music business, the economic downturn and conglomerates owning all the airwaves. Thanks to websites like kickstarter and other ones, it is now possible to generate the needed cash for an album with donations from the audience, fans, or through simple patronage. So WGS decided to promote their fundraising - not just with simple begging at the next street corner - but with a funny video.



Well the funds came in, the third full-lenght album (not counting a DVD)in the can and will be available right before Christmas on December, 13th 2011. (To order a copy).
Three days later Cella Blue, Saturn, Shorty Stump, Hot Thomas, Smokebreak Slemenda, Poppiticus and Baby-Faced Finster want you to celebrate the release of "Nobody Loves You Like We Do" with a grand party at Antone's. Celebrating with the white Ghost Shivers, will the East Side Dandies and the Whiskey Shivers. WGS, will take the stage at 11.30pm. And as a bonus a little Christmas Hokum ditty, called "Santa's Sack"




Swiss Jetman Rossy flies alongside fighter jets

Daredevil Jetman Rossy joins fighter jets over the Swiss Alps.

Swiss Jetman, Yves Rossy has another flight for the aviation history books. This time he synchronized to fly in formation with two Aero L-39C Fighting Jets, from the largest private aerobatics team, both sponsored by watchmaker Breitling. The world's first jet-powered man, jumped off a helicopter, flew some aerobatic figures before joining the two jets. To keep in formation with the Jetman, the two fighting jets had to reduce their speed to 220 km/h (137 mph), close to their stalling speed.
Rosssy is also known for having flown over the English channel, the Grand Canyon and flying a looping around a hot air balloon.

Jetman fliegt neben Jets

Draufgaenger Rossy fliegt in den Schweizer Alpen.

Der Schweizer Jetman, Yves Rossy schreibt wieder einmal mehr Fluggeschichte. Diesmal flog er in Formation neben zwei Aero L-39C Kampf-Jets, der privaten Kunstflugstaffel Breitling ueber die Schweizer Alpen. Um die Formation aufrechtzuerhalten, mussten die Jets ihre Geschwindigkeit auf 220 km/h (137 mph) reduzieren, was fuer die Jets nahe der "Stall"-Grenze war.
Der Pilot Rosssy hat auch schon den Englischen Kanal ueberflogen und einen Looping um einen Ballon geflogen.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Ungefaehre Adresse

Ungefaehre Adresse
Ein Spielzeug Roboter auf dem Weg zur Westkueste und dies alles mit der Hilfe von "Google Street View"
Der Brite, Tom Jenkins brauchte in seinem Kurzfilm "Ungefaehre Adresse" einen Roboter, der die US-West Kueste erreichen will. Der dreiminuetige Kurzfilm, der an "Toy Story" erinnert, braucht als Hintergrund nichts anderes als "Google Street View". Kurz, das geniale Kleinopus wird (koennte) zur Internet-Sensation (werden).



Fuer weitere Infos ueber den Filmemacher (allerdings auf Englisch), klickt auf die folgende Seite. The Atlantic.

Address Is Approximate

Address Is Approximate
A toy robot travels to the west coast with the help of "Google Street View"
Tom Jenkins made a short film - "Address is Approximate" about the "Toy Story" like robot who tries to go the west coast. The three minute - inspired - short film uses "Google Street View" as a backdrop. Very cool and will potentially go viral.



For more info and an interview, please visit The Atlantic.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Liz Anderson RIP

Famous country singer/songwriter Liz Anderson passed away Monday evening (10/31/2011) of complications from heart and lung disease, her family announced. The singer, who is the mother of country/pop singer Lynn Anderson was admitted to St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville on Friday. She was 81 years old.

Born Elizabeth Jane Haaby (1/13/1930) in Roseau County, northern Minnesota, she played the family mandolin as a child and also sang in the local church. When she was 13, her family moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota. She got married to Casey Anderson when she was 16 and had her daughter Lynn just a year later. In 1957, the family moved to California, where - after being convinced by her husband Casey - she started writing songs.

Liz began publishing her songs and became a groundbreaking songwriter at a time when woman songwriters were not excepted in the country music business. She made fast friends within the burgeoning country music community in Bakersfield during the early 1960s. "Be Quiet Mind" by Del Reeves and "Pick of the Week" by Roy Drusky were some of her first hits as a songwriter. In 1965, Merle Haggard recorded her song "All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers", and was able to celebrate his frist Top Ten song. He would later name his band "The Strangers" after this song.



Liz won a first BMI award for this song. She also wrote Merle's first number one hit "The Fugitive". Daughter Lynn told me in an interview in Grindelwald, that often, musicians would drop by the house after their shows. While Liz was cooking some early breakfast, Lynn was told to sing the songs to people like Merle, Buck Owens, Wynn Stewart, Tommy Collins, Freddy Hart. Liz published over 260 songs during her career and won 5 BMI awards. Many major artists of the 1960s recorded her songs, including Charley Pride, Tammy Wynette, Brenda Lee, Ernest Tubb, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Skeeter Davis, Waylon Jennings, Kitty Wells, Connie Smith and Bill Anderson.

Liz later moved to Nashville and became (with Casey) a co-founder of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).

In 1965, after hearing some demos, Chet Atkins signed her to RCA. Produced by famed producer Felton Jarvis (Elvis), some of her hits included "Husband Hunting," "Go Now, Pay Later," and the two Grammy nominated songs "Mama Spank" and "The Game of Triangles," a trio with Bobby Bare and Norma Jean.


Liz Anderson - "Husband Hunting"

10 - Mama Spank by amucomm


Liz was also influential in the start of her daughters career, and wrote some of her early hits, like "Ride, Ride, Ride," "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)" - before Lynn had the country/pop number one hit "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden".



Mother and daughter also had Top 25 in 1968 with "Mother May I," which appeared on the Mother's Day edition of the Lawrence Welk Show.



By the start of the 1970s Liz's career started to fade, in 1971 she moved to Epic records and released four minor charting singles. She semi-retired from the industry in 1974 and only made a handful of records since then, but kept on writing. Lorrie Morgan charted with the Liz Anderson song "Tell Me I'm Only Dreaming".
In the mid 1990s Liz started her own record company, Showboat Records (where I actually found some of the information in this article). If you are interested in Liz Anderson albums or would like to leave a memory, please visit Showboat Records.
Liz is survived by her loving, co-writing husband of 65 years (Casey), daughter Lynn, three grandchildren (Lisa Lynn Sutton, Gray Stream and Melissa Hempel) and two great-grandchildren (Grace Stream and Geddings Hempel).