Fall Songs from Soul Moves Music

Meet Josh Lewis, who fronts Anita Squeeze. They've got great hard rock sound with influences of the Black Crowes and Rolling Stones.  Josh's yearning tenor reminds me of Axl Rose.  I heard ZZ Top-style guitars on his song THROW ME A LINE.  It's about the loss of a father, and how his "ocean of tears lead me to dry land... Throw me a line." 



Phoebe Legere is touring, writing songs, and teaching children at her Foundation for New American Art. Earlier this year her children's chorus performed songs created in New York City's Lower East Side from the days that Native Americans ruled Manhattan till now, with a rewrite of a Ramones' hit!
This versatile songwriter's LOCAL WINE has delicious double-entendres like “wrap myself around you like a grapevine,” This is the New York version of the song.  We'd love to personalize it for you.

Rebecca and "Kathy Mattea" rhyme!

 Rebecca Loebe loved her debut on Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV.  In addition to Rebecca, featured performers were Shawn Colvin, Lucy Kaplansky, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, and Kacy & Clayton.  This broadcast was hosted by Kathy Mattea.

Rebecca's comforting song, GHOSTS has a great lyric, "Give up the ghosts, at least the ones you love the most--they'll never hold you as close." Her friends and mine, Darin and Denby at Blue Corn Music are administering the songs on her latest album, also called GHOSTS! 832-649-7147, denby@bluecornmusic.com, daria@bluecornmusic.com   



Dean Friedman and John Batdorf perform at the legendary MY FATHER'S PLACE on Oct. 5.  He is the "special guest" for the Steven Page Trio on select dates in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey.  Steven was in Barenaked Ladies, who covered Dean's "McDonald's Girl," a teen idol song from the point of view of a 15-year old baseball player to an "angel in polyester" working at McDonalds. The song was also used in a McDonalds' commercial.   

One of my instrumentalists, Joe Olnick has a new fusion album, IGUANA is available for syncs.  "Don's Theme" features his electric guitar in a thoughtful vibe similar to Pink Floyd, Alex Skolnick, Kyuss.


Listen to Rob Bonfiglio's WARM LOVING CHRISTMAS.  He's one of Brian Wilson and Carnie Wilson’s long time musical partners.  Wilson Phillips also recorded this song with all the imagery of mistletoe and writing our names in the snow!  


We just got word that my partner Karen Besbeck has a song, HIGH LOVE will be in Netflix's "Sweet Magnolias" in 2020!  Yay!  It's like Kelly Clarkson updating Dottie West's "Country Sunshine."

BEHIND THE CURTAIN by Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius is knocking it out of the ballpark.  It's an aggressive rock song about deception OR transparency and lack of.  Uses “Wizard of Oz” keywords, especially “Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain.” Joe and his band Jason Gianni-drums (The Ultimate Queen Celebration, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rock of Ages, Neil Morse Band), Michaelangelo Quirinale-guitar (Thrilldriver), and Paul Ranieri-bass (Mark Wood, Circuline, Rock This Town) have been streamed 3 million plus times on social media.

ProgStock is happening in Rahway, NJ on Columbus Weekend, along with Jane Getter, Robert Berry, Nektar, Rachel Flowers, and Saga.  Saga's leadsinger Michael Sadler was blown away by electric violinist Joe Deninzon at late night showcase at ProgStock last year. said, "I never heard someone approach the instrument that way. Reinventing the way you look at the violin. It’s taking a traditional instrument, and doing your way."

Joe Deninzon and I co-wrote "The Greatest Lives" about what Muhammad Ali would want us to know.  It's going to be on an album by South Africa's Thembeka Mnguni.  Look for a US release on sports radio Jan. 17, 2020.  Thembeka is a superheroine version of Etta James and Cissy Houston combined.  




FAIR WEATHER by Gary Lucas & Jann Klose is a fingerpicking guitar blueser about dealing with psychopathic "friends." Gary has a number of film score performances including “Dracula Vs. Frankenstein” at the Chutzpah! Festival, in Vancouver on Oct. 30  and the 1931 Spanish-language “Dracula” in Mexico on Nov. 2 and 3.  More dates at GaryLucas.com. Jann's vocals was described recently by No Depression as a "Folk version of Sam Cooke!" He opens for the Yardbirds on October 10 in Rockville, MD, has a song in the upcoming movie, MARRIED YOUNG, and sings Gandhi's words in the soundtrack of ONE LITTLE FINGER. Email me for ONE LITTLE FINGER. Visit http://www.theyardbirds.com/tour.html.



NEVER TAKE LOVE FOR GRANTED by the warm folk singer Dan Berggren is one of my favorite Christmas songs with the hook, “You’ll never take love for granted if you always give love in return.”  

2019 Love is in the Air!

Rebecca's latest album GIVE UP YOUR GHOSTS (on Austin's Blue Corn Records) features GROWING UP, a collection of poignant observations on how things change.  Sounding like one of Ed Sheeran's waltzes, GROWING UP''s hook "growing old, getting over it."  

P.S. Rebecca's looking forward to opening for Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche Cookout Concerts in Novato CA 6/2! http://tinyurl.com/yytveyra 

ROLLING STONE loves Rebecca’s album, comparing her “coffeehouse Americana and light folk-pop” to Norah Jones.

 

Rachael Sage has been an inspiration to friends for years.  

"Alive" is such an upbeat song, listing topical possibilities "including microfilm being pulled out of the archive," " the olympics where nobody ever cheats!"  She mentions Frida Kahlo,  and the hook "IT’S GOOD TO BE ALIVE." 

 Dean Friedman's perfect Love Pop song:  PUT YOU IN MY POCKET

Dean has a great Easter song "The Ducks of St. Stephens Green."

PUT YOU IN MY POCKET and other Valentine & Love songs are at

https://soundcloud.com/leightonmedia/sets/valentines-love

AMAZING LOVE by Phoebe Legere is a LOVE song. Someone was that self-centered until YOU came along!  Enjoy the beauty of the video—Phoebe strutting and playing with her squeeze box on an enchanted tropical island.

 .

UNFINISHED by Lisa Sniderman / aka Aoede  

Unfinished is from an album Lisa created (but hasn't released) while writing a book, "A Light in the Darkness", about how she is able to write and record music, score plays, win awards, and many other things while living with a debilitating disease.

https://alightinthedarkness.info 

UNFINISHED is chamber pop, and about reconnecting with lost love, growing up.  It could be used for themes of either Optimism (with a Hollywood Ending) OR Toxic Optimism. Heartfelt, Yearning, Wishful, Poignant, Questioning.

So much distance 

So much unsaid 

We’re perfect strangers 

Under painted smiles  

And I remember 

Remember dreaming 

When we were younger

Oh-we had it all-had it all 

And memories flash in my head    

Back to a time when nothing could break me

Ba ba ba ba da  

Ba ba ba ba da

Ba ba ba ba da-a

If only I could forget you 

Wake up and just regret you 

Ba ba ba da     

Ba ba ba da-a 

Maybe-we’re unfinished

Full of hatred

And foolish games

We blamed each other

Always wanting more-always more

And I closed that door 

I swore I locked it

But I keep trembling

Oh-now you’re here-so near

And we keep playing in my head    

There was a time when nothing could break me

Ba ba ba ba da  

Ba ba ba ba da

Ba ba ba ba da-a

Nothing could break

Do you believe in second chances

Do you believe in charmed romances

oh whoa-oh whoa

Do you believe in second chances

Do you believe in charmed romances

oh whoa-oh 

If only I could replace you 

Wake up and just erase you 

Ba ba ba da 

Ba ba ba da-a

If only I could reject you 

Pretend I never met you 

Ba ba ba da 

Ba ba ba da-a 

Maybe we’re unfinished   

Maybe we’re unfinished

Maybe we’re unfinished

©Aoede/Lisa Sniderman Feb 2017 

Lisa interviews me about how I've been songwriting to share insight on healing and abuse. Lisa Sniderman (AKA Aoede): a quirky folk winner of the IMA, John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and also playwriting contest. She also writes children songs. Sharon Katz is now on tour in North America HAMBA KAHLE MANDELA (GO WELL MANDELA) - Sharon Katz & Nohlandla Wanda:   A stirring and gentle ballad to say goodbye to Mandela and a challenge to carry his lessons forward.  (pronounced HAM-BA-KAH-LE  MANDELA)  (H=soft sound) She continues to lead multi-racial choir performances and marches.

HER OWN LAGOON by Josh Lewis is part Aerosmith/Cheap Trick/Black Crowes: 
The song is about an abused person now in the hospital, and a million miles from the truth.  She’s sending him postcards from her room.  

AMERICAN HEART: Jaclyn Bradley Palmer  

dark patriotic pop, inspired by her love for America, yet sadness over it's current state. The song is still hopeful.

Sounds like pop Halsey mixed with the dark folk pop of Phoebe Bridgers. 
Jaclyn had an amazing time, performing both pop and opera on Ireland's Got Talent this Spring.

Holiday Songs
https://soundcloud.com/leightonmedia/sets/seasonal-christmas-hannakah

JOY TO THE WORLD I GUESS by  Rebecca Loebe and Findlay Napier is topical, about people’s arguments through during the holiday season, and the resolutions we make to fight less, “Joy to the world I guess….  There are friends we no longer will see in the holidays, because they’re shadows in the moonlight on the lawn.”  

https://loebenapier.bandcamp.com/track/joy-to-the-world-i-guess-single

Nelson Mandela & Peace & Grace & Love

I work quite a bit with music from the African continent, both as a newly published songwriter, and in helping artists from there, most notably Sharon Katz, Wouter Kellerman, Jann Klose, Shawn Phillips, Alex Boye’.  I’ve been a cheerleader for many more!

From South Africa Sharon Katz made CNN News in 1993 as she created and led South Africa’s first, 500-voice multiracial choir. This became a 2015 award-winning documentary, WHEN VOICES MEET, selected for 25 film festivals and shown in over 50 countries, premiering in South Africa. (www.WhenVoicesMeet.com). Sharon Katz & the Peace Train have 5 other albums, and appear on the Rainforest benefit album, “Carnival!” alongside of Sting, Elton John, Madonna, Johnny Clegg…

This is Peace Train,” which appears on her 2002 Grammy-nominated album, “Imbizo.”  

  

Peace Train 

by Sharon Katz & Bolden Abrams Jr.(on Sharon Katz & The Peace Train “Imbizo” CD)

Chorus:

We need a sweet survival, love revival Peace Train

Make a heart connection, sweet affection, Peace Train

 Come on get on, come on get on, get on The Peace Train (2x)

Meet the Love Conductor, he’s your brother on The Peace Train

Choo Choo, choo choo! (2X)

Sister Ticket Collector, she’s the Hate Deflector, on The Peace Train

Choo Choo, choo choo (2X)

And when you see a child in her mother’s arms and you see her cry coz baby brother died, you know

There’s too much war in our lives

And when you pull your gun you see the children run, you make them terrified, you know

There’s too much war in our lives, I’m terrified

The world is love deprived.

Chorus:  We need a sweet survival, love revival Peace Train……………….

And when you start to cry and your heart hurts inside you know

There’s too much war in our lives

Hate mongers telling lies, a poor girl’s father dies 

The tears pour from her eyes and I can’t leave your side

I can’t leave your side

The world is love deprived.

Chorus:     Choo Choo to end

© 2002, 2018 by Sharon Katz 

 Listen to our Christmas songs here: https://soundcloud.com/leightonmedia/sets/seasonal-christmas-hannakah

I want to turn you on to the holiday song NEVER TAKE LOVE FOR GRANTED by Dan Berggren.

“Remember it’s the thought that counts!”

Ilona will be performing at the Cutting Room, New York City on August 1.

She has two Nashville gigs: August 5 at the Bluebird, and August 7 at the Basement. 

Ilona’s music, to me, is a cross between Pink’s and Taylor Swift’s, and she has grit with energetic pop arrangements.   

Her song LOVE IS STUPID is upbeat power pop about tossing and turning late at night because she’s missing her ex. (lyric below) 

Gary Lucas' Chinese Pop from the 1930s-'50s has developed quite a following. His partner Feifei Yang with multi-instrumentalist Jason Candler perform new Mandarin versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, Jefferson Airplane, plus songs from the earlier part of the 20th Century.  Check out their new version of “Grace” in Mandarin:  "GRACE" --GARY LUCAS' THE EDGE OF HEAVEN LIVE @ the Laurie Beechman Theatre NYC 2/16/18 Chinese New Year from Gary Lucas on Vimeo. More shows, including today the last day at the Bolshoi Classical Music Festival, performing his original live solo soundtrack based on Russian classical music  accompanying the 1925 silent Soviet comedy “Chess Fever” directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin and Nikolai Shpikovsky.  Please explore www.GaryLucas.com Here are two artists that almost got away—Americana / Roots Rock & Roll ala Faces, Rolling Stones, Black Crowes is Josh Lewis, whose name I remembered as the original guitarist from one of my all time fave hard rock bands, Warrant.

Elliott Murphy; OPEN CITY:  Bluesy, ethereal guitar, Elliott's voice could be described as a cross between Tom Waits & Petty and Bruce Springsteen. This November is going to be an empowering time for this rock troubadour that the universe has been giving back to.  Soon I'll have complete info. One confirmation is Elliott is playing New York City's Rockwood on November 10.

  

Rebecca Loebe is a member of the Austin, TX-based trio, NOBODY’S GIRL, who were at the top of the list in this month’s ROLLING STONE for their country-pop cover of Blondie’s CALL ME:   https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/10-best-country-and-americana-songs-of-the-week-cam-kenny-chesney-and-more-701812/

This is Rebecca’s song, LIE, from her top ten European album, BLINK.

More

Rachael Sage’s new album, MYOPIA, has yielded a finalist in the IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards). The song is ”Tomorrow" is Rachael’s first co-write ever, with James Mastro, who is in her band, and was a member of the classic band, The Bongos.  ”People are crazy, but you’re not crazy, and neither am I”