Summer's Musical Colors

Right Where I Should Be  Jenn Cristy  dramatic and vulnerable reflection leading to personal triumph over sad and hard times, piano driven band, female vocals. about the climb and "Here I stand more naked...”  dramatic build with descant harmony and much orchestral. Grounding.  

Jacaranda Trees Erinn Alissa  Contemporary folk, electric guitar solo, female voice-a little Joan Baez range, this is a metaphor or memory of losing everything, including her beautiful Jacaranda Trees after the fires. descriptive lyrics. The house slipped away, the sun always stays.

Archilochus Re-Deemed  James Naughton  Folk rock with bold male vocals, hook: "I am a servant of the Lord God of War" shout out to Greeks gods and a poetic approach to old-fashioned war and supporting those in the trenches not the guy in a high horse manicuring his beard. No self pity. 

Drive  The Veitch Boys  Beach Boys inspired harmonies with jazz chords, tenor vocals, summertime pop pop, guitar, the hook is "Drive my baby driving." It's about togetherness and summer nights. Towards the end of the song, it lifts the tempo of "California Girls"  

Walk Away Renee  Michael Veitch  An acoustic cover of the Left Banke hit. male tenor with falsetto. thoughtful interpretation dedicated to Renee Good. sadness, forced to cry,

   

Zombie Cornelius Eady  Electric guitar and hey yeah vocals, About a zombie rising again, eating the sensitive ones, being judge & jury, we'll never get out of the zombie's way. this song could be taken literally or used as a metaphor,

I Can’t Take it Anymore  Arianna D.  female, rich harmonies, cold ending, jazzpop/yacht rock, inspired by Taylor Swift. Break up song. It's direct about waiting by the door for the boyfriend that never comes and ultimately she realizes he’s useless when he feels like it, "you're wasting all my time." Teenager.  

 Slaying Dragons  Jonell Mosser  live recording, bold female vocals and electric guitar w/ reggae rhythms, singing about recovering from abuse. "I am not that fragile little girl…I am slaying dragons…. armor bright… rescue princess….fearless knight.”  

Juneteenth Playlist

Inspired by Bandcamp, who are giving 100% of its sales’ revenue to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund on Monday, June 19, here’s my first Juneteenth playlist.  These songs are on Bandcamp, and links are provided.   

Choose Your Weapon Kj Denhert  reggae, female voice, about war and how to prevent it, "If you don't choose a weapon, war will choose a weapon for your child." kjdenhert.bandcamp.com/track/choose-your-weapon

Help Kj Denhert  voice and guitar thoughtful ballad, bringing new life to the lyrics. Sony Music is contact for Beatles.  KJ owns her master, and has permission to record song.  motemamusic.bandcamp.com/track/help

Be A Pain  Alastair Moock  country, upbeat, tempo kindred to "Thank God, I"m a Country Boy" standing up to what's wrong, Rosa Parks, Harvey Milk, be a pain shout about it and complain, equal pay--Billy Jean King, Parkland, “Don't be polite, raise your alastair mock: be a pain: Be A Pain by Alastair Moock  country, upbeat, tempo kindred to "Thank God, I'm a Country Boy" standing up to what's wrong, Rosa Parks, Harvey Milk, be a pain shout about it and complain, equal pay--Billy Jean King, Parkland, “If you see something that’s wrong, raise your hand and say that’s wrong Point it out and name that thing by its name”   alastairmoock.bandcamp.com/track/be-a-pain

Slim in Atlanta Cornelius Eady/Rough Magic   male vocal- slang "accent" piano, early jazz, N word The poem “Slim in Atlanta” by Sterling Allen Brown is a satire that humorously looks at race relations. In the poem, the protagonist discovers that blacks are forbidden to laugh in public and are lining up to laugh in the security of a telephone booth. The poem is a commentary on the absurdity of segregation laws and how they were used to control black people’s behavior. roughmagic.bandcamp.com/track/slim-in-atlanta 

Sterling Allen Brown, Poet

If We Must Die Robin Lane  female vocals, acoustic guitar, blues, If we must die, let us noble-y die is the from the most acclaimed poem by Harlem Renaissance writer, Claude McKay  (1922).    The poem was created in response to mob attacks by white Americans upon African-American communities.  therobinlane.bandcamp.com/track/if-we-must-die

Claude McKay, Poet

Peace Begins in My Own Heart  Dan Berggren folk music male baritone, guitar, "I'm a poor wayfaring stranger traveling through this world of greed." "help my neighbor, do my part... peace begins in my own heart" danberggren.bandcamp.com/track/peace-begins-in-my-own-heart-2
 

Used to be White Ceili Rain   male vocals, rock, celtic instruments, "Strawberry Fields"-like, "It wasn't just my skin, it was the shape my mind was in--I used to be white." Writer Bob Halligan, Jr. was thinking of the American evolution regarding racial justice, and celebrating his own transformation, in a fairly sober way.  ceilirain.bandcamp.com/track/used-to-be-white

Peace on Earth  Steve Bonino  male vocals, slow, dreamlike, produced pop like Paul McCartney Beatles, Shins dream pop , wish for peace on earth.  it lists the bad times in the first verse and by the end of the second verse, it asks us all to dream.  stevebonino.bandcamp.com/track/peace-on-earth

Cognitive Dissonance   Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius  (two versions, studio and live)  male tenor vocals hard rock electric-violin & guitars People believing rumors, and losing friends due to politics and religions. “Hatred is taught.” 

Studio link: stratospheerius.bandcamp.com/track/cognitive-dissonance 

Live link: Cognitive Dissonance (Live at ProgStock) | Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius (bandcamp.com)

 

New Music Winter 2022

What’s a Place Like This Doing in a Girl Like Me  Val Kinzler

Uptempo & edgy, spoken word female voice like Kathryn Hepburn meets Tim Curry, spooky music.  haunted woman inside of a MAN-made hell, graveyard full of rights gone wrong, weak from being strong. dr. jekyll, watch me hide. dismember me. 

Well, Well, Well  John Roy Zat 

Male vocals, upbeat violin about surviving it all.  "Well, well, well, I've been down in the well... my own private hell" and coming out of it.  "I rise up now to dance w/ the sun" 

Inside Looking Out Joe Matera  

Tenor male voice w/ best elements of rock & roll British (Yardbirds-y/Spencer Davis/Hollies tempos) meets modern rock instruments and electronica as rock instruments. Analyzing the situation.  hook: "Lost in Transit, Inside Looking Out"   

Valentine’s Day Michael Veitch 

Slow tempo, male singer w/ falsetto, acoustic instruments, setting a winter melting mood, comparing to a true love who blooms "from beneath the ice and snow

One Good Man  Cornelius Eady

Male vocals. percussion, John Henry's hammer, one good man shook people up, against the odds, mock the devil straight to his face, Resist.

Halfway Normal World Dean Friedman

Slow tempo, piano, tenor. covid-related, wanting to hang out friends again at the movies & at home, diner, ballgame, , throw a party and sound effects from ballgame, "I wish I could get back to a halfway normal world."

Save the Monarch John Hall & Dar Williams 

John & Dar Williams duet on this hymn-like singer-songwriter song, guitar/bass/drums, environment, Monarch, emperor, queen, king--animals with royal names that are endangered species 

Leadership Playlist

Welcome Home John Hall   commercial pop like the Doobie Brothers with vocals, leadsinger male, about a man that was shipped out to fight for our country and waiting to hear "welcome home." Reality of wounds that don't heal 

 

https://soundcloud.com/cornelius-eady/let-there-be-a-new-flowering?si=473451a7738f4cdeb5988300c80e895b

Let There Be New Flowering Cornelius Eady Dreamy-sounding male and vocal with a guitar, cello.Last line:  “Let Love be at the end”  1:14 song length. 

https://soundcloud.com/karen-besbeck/my-rivers-run-dry?si=3dcf029496e741f6b13317ca90cc5029  My River’s Run Dry Karen Besbeck  Country, like Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Cassadee Pope.  The song is a metaphor for land going barren and love going barren. He won't change even though it's too late.

Nobody Knew   Carmine Appice’s Guitar Zeus Like the heavier parts of the Beatles’ “I’m the Walrus” and “Strawberry Fields,” Brian May guitar, vocals by Kelly Keeling. The song is apocalyptic about the environment.  Powerful line “Nobody knew who’s running the White House,” gas, “all we wanted, here we are,” “Hear me now.” “Nobody Knew where they were going.” “There’s a hole in the blue sky” “Thought it would last.”     

Help Kj Denhert Singer-songwriter KJ owns her master, voice and guitar thoughtful ballad, bringing new life to the lyrics.     

A Void  Andrew Alling with guitar and harmonica male vocals  A Void in relationships, why are we against the world? DirtyWords, time to heal, rock & ground shaking poetics.

 

Dedicated to Greta Thunberg & Pete Seeger

Songs of The Environment, Leadership, the Pandemic

Wake Up   Orleans Adult Album Alternative, trumpet, group harmony, wake up, people, “wake up!” environment, pollution, “stop throwing plastic in the sea/can’t you let the fishies be!” ecology, snow, lightning, birds in flight, seasons, signs of life, “the day’s gonna come” air pollution, water pollution, #MusiciansUnitedForSafeEnergy,  

 This Darkness  Rachael Sage female singer with CSNY protest guitar sound, environment, the song is about the Dakota Pipeline, keywords:  see myself, grieve myself, somebody's fool, hate, “I don’t know why you’re full of hate.”   

 

Beez (I Know Where The Beez Have Gone Slambovian Circus of Dreams Rock, slow tempo, environment, Americana, vocals like Tom Petty, “Stopped controlling the world,” lyrics offer ideas on how to increase the bees to visit plantlife. “the bees are in my yard, I know where the Beez Have Gone,” “Reteaching me the facts of life” “creatures great and small”    

Freedom Hymn CC Clevenger patriotic southern rock starting with a drum roll & Charlie Daniels/ Molly Hatchet style guitars & voice, respect for our military, hook is "thank you Air Force & Marines, Coast Guard, Army and Navy to the men and women." recites Pledge of Allegiance.

Backbone Emily Hurd  country, female lead vocals, like Alison Krauss, rising above obstacles, against the people that got in the way of her success or love, it breaks her heart but you played your part building my backbone. 

One Good Man   Cornelius Eady male vocals percussion, John Henry's hammer, one good man shook people up against the odds, mock the devil straight to his face, Resist 

Divided We Fall Bill Leverty  hard rock/classic rock, male vocals, bass, lead   guitar, dangerous song, standing up to a troublemaker who can anything than anyone else.  "You're a natural--natural disaster."  

A Void  Andrew Alling acoustic/singer-songwriter Neil Young style with guitar and harmonica male vocals  A Void in relationships, why are we against the world? DirtyWords, time to heal, rock & ground shaking poetics. 

Songs of Leadership and the Pandemic

Mask by Phoebe Legere rock and roll, female vocals, going out with parents, and wearing a mask.
"I love my mask, I love my mom, I love my dad."  

No More Walls by Dan Berggren Original Folk song, Mending fences with family, friends, and the world! Border walls, even. The hook is “no more walls.” 

World on Fire by John Hall John Hall’s publishing is handled by Sony Music Publishing, Nashville. reggae, tenor, slight autotune, percussion, comparisons of the fire and sisters & brothers not talking.  Talk about it. talk about destruction, all the animals that are perishing. age of reason!  

 

Rebecca Loebe  Popular  Sweet and gentle song, reminding us that everyone has felt unpopular. Fact is, “it’s not about you anyway.”  Her voice is like a soprano Dar Williams, gentle pop arrangement with tambourine.    

 Let There Be New Flowering by Cornelius Eady     Dreamy-sounding male and vocal with a guitar, cello.Last line:  “Let Love be at the end”  1:14 song length.    

https://soundcloud.com/cornelius-eady/let-there-be-a-new-flowering

 

  "Trump" by Cindy Lee Berryhill Cindy’s prophetic song TRUMP, recorded in 1989 on her album, NAKED MOVIE STAR. With a marching tempo and Cindy’s dynamic proclaiming of lyrics that include “If I can fatten up my salary, soon there won’t be any poverty as far as I’m concerned!” At 1:35 men chant TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP! (Warner handles Cindy’s publishing and syncs.)  

Songs of Leadership & Fighting this Pandemic

Capitalist Without A Soul  Dan Berggren  folk with banjo, singalong and the hook "Capitalist without a soul." The story of a man that takes advantage of the rich and the poor.  Great rhymes "I've always done what I please, brought the economy to its knees!"

Be A Pain by Alastair Moock  country, upbeat, tempo kindred to New Grass Revival/John Denver tempos. About standing up to what's wrong, Rosa Parks, Harvey Milk, be a pain shout about it and complain, equal pay--Billy Jean King, Parkland, “Don't be polite, raise your voice and do what's right.”  Second Place in the ISC song competition for best children’s song.  

#WeSayThankYou by Leslie Mandoki & Ian Anderson Gentle piano starts this soft rock band (with flute) duet with male voices.  Giving respect to the people—from the hospitals to the grocery store workers that are helping people fighting the Coronavirus. There is also a jab to corrupt speculators that are using this time to make money off of this serious health problem. 

Help! by Kj Denhert voice and guitar thoughtful ballad-style, bringing new life to the lyrics. 

We Know What To Do by Sharon Katz & the Children of Bellas Artes  English and Spanish. Grownup and children’s voices. Unison rapping in Spanish.  It’s about washing your hands.The tempo is similar to the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.” 

Hamba Kahle Mandela (Go Well Mandela) by Sharon Katz & Nonhlanhla Wanda:  Piano and acoustic and electric guitar, the right amount of harmonious electric instruments give “Go Down Mandela” a comforting blend with two gentle female voices in English and Zulu.  Stirring ballad to say “goodbye” to Nelson Mandela, whose birthday is July 18.  The song is a challenge to carry his lessons forward.  (pronounced HAM-BA-KAH-LE  MANDELA)  (H=soft sound).   

Let There By New Flowering sung by Cornelius Eady   Poem by Lucille Clifton, a respected African-American poet from Western NY.   Dreamy-sounding male and vocal with a guitar, cello.Last line:  “Let Love be at the end”  

Cornelius Eady · Let There Be New Flowering

Anne Leighton Crowdfunding Her Poetry Book, "The Leighton Explosion"

Writer/Music Manager/Publicist's CrowdFunding Campaign Runs Through March 27th, her Father's Birthday

Performing Poet Anne Leighton is crowdfunding to publish her up-and-coming poetryprosepoetry book and perform her poems live. Her book THE LEIGHTON EXPLOSION will be published late winter/early spring 2014 with a Canadian publisher. The link is http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anneleighton/1046158700?token=f9ff5eb5

April 2013 through May 2014, Anne will performing at least five or six shows in Washington, DC, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey with Jim Gibson, who was in Tooth Fairy, who were popular on the radio show of the late BBC presenter John Peel. This spring, she and New York City-based poet Cornelius Eady plan on laying some grooves to their poems live in New York City for a show. She is scattering her tour dates because she also has an active management and publicity career, publicizing Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull, the Strawbs, Emily Hurd, Lonnie Hill, Grand Funk Railroad...

Anne believes the road will be a powerful experience for her, "I used to travel all the time on my own, but developed agoraphobia. As recent as September 2012, I was sobbing and having panic attacks on the streets AND in wide open spaces including sidewalks, even when other people were helping me. I've come a long way."

Anne's poetry has been read in THE AQUARIAN, BROADSIDE, THE MUSIC PAPER, NICKEL, BOG GOB, POWERLINE, SHOUT!, and LIVE WIRE. Her poems are also heard on the GRAMMY-nominated album, HEALTHY FOOD FOR THOUGHT: GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT, and on Jay Tausig's THE TRIP AROUND THE SUN progressive rock series on the Greek Zodiac. She is recording a poetry album, HEAVY PEOPLE that already includes other artists including actor/poet Michael O'Keefe, New York City performance artist Marla Mase, and her other artists Joe Deninzon and Jann Klose, along with Jahmane Bright of Triangle Studios producing.

She's written books: USING YOUR ART & THE MEDIA TO COMFORT PEOPLE and PAWS FOR THOUGHT: HOW TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR CAT IS THINKING, and plays, including REACH FOR THE SUN (Performed by the Poets Repertory Theatre of Long Island), ONE WAY TO HEAVEN (performed by the Living River Church in San Antonio, TX, and read at the HOWL! Festival in New York City), and THE PASSION OF MARY (read at the Kingsbridge Library Center, Bronx, NY).

Anne hopes to raise $3500, and her rewards include writing personalized poems, phone or SKYPE consults, a copy of another upcoming self-published book, GET THE GIGS, which will be available late 2013. The least expensive reward will be two PDF files of one of her plays and one of her screenplays for a $10. donation. The most expensive reward for a $10,000. donation includes autographed CDs, DVDs or photos of her artists, a phone and SKYPE chat, personalized poem and inclusion in her book credits.

For $3500, (plus travel and lodging expenses), Anne will lead a poetry and creativity workshop and present a reading with the students.

An autographed copy of the LEIGHTON EXPLOSION for $25 (or more with other rewards) is also a reward.

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects: films, games, music, art, design, and technology. Kickstarter is full of ambitious, innovative, and imaginative projects that are brought to life through the direct support of others. Since its launch on April 28, 2009, over $466 million has been pledged by more than 3.3 million people, funding more than 35,000 creative projects. See http://www.kickstarter.com/ .