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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass


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Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival announces area ticket locations for 7th annual festival set for Sept. 8, 2018

From the good folks over at the Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival:

 

MOCKSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – Organizers for the seventh annual Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival announced statewide locations for purchasing tickets to the Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, event featuring musical artists Alison Brown, Bobby Hicks and Mark Kuykendall and Asheville Bluegrass, Song of the Mountains emcee Tim White and Troublesome Hollow, Fireside Collective, The Snyder Family Band, The Trailblazers, and Dwight Hawkins.

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First Listen: Couldn’t Be Happiers release ‘His and Hers’ tunes on Spotify

A year after the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based dynamic musical duo, Couldn’t Be Happiers, formed, they will release two tracks — “Cajun Spider-Man” and “Mad” — on July 24 that couldn’t be more different or more reflective of the artists. The two-track CD is appropriately called “His and Hers” and is available on Spotify.

Jordan Crosby Lee (vocals, guitar) is a tattooed Texas troubadour who blends melodies and shares harmonies with a Jodi Hildebran (vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion), a sassy blonde country crooner from North Carolina. Hildebran is a singer/songwriter whose love of pop and Americana music permeates her writing.

I have written in the past that the Couldn’t Be Happiers combine all the best things about classic country music.

That hasn’t changed with the release of the duo’s latest two tracks. I find Lee’s up-tempo “Cajun Spider-Man” tune reminiscent of the storytelling song genre the great Tom T. Hall and Roger Miller, among others, made famous. It’s outlandishness also reminds me a bit of Bruce Springsteen’s more recent “Outlaw Pete.”

Hildebran’s “Mad” is unique in its delivery allowing her the depth of her vocals to shine with a Rhiannon Giddeons’ quality I haven’t heard from Hildebran until now. “Mad” sounds like it should be listened to in a dim speakeasy lit only by candlelight while sipping on a Manhattan.

But don’t take my word for it. Take a listen for yourself:

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Cary Live presents The Roosevelts, Koka Booth Amphitheatre presents Summerfest with legendary North Tower Band on Saturday, July 21

The Town of Cary is offering three live musical opportunities for fans of all ages and all kinds of genres on Saturday, July 21, 2018. And the cost ranges from free to $30. Continue reading


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New Reveille set to release debut album, ‘The Keep,’ on Sept. 7

Jack the Radio fans, listen up:

The Americana band, New Reveille, which recently signed a label and management deal with Loud & Proud Records, will release “The Keep” on Sept. 7, 2018.  Nashville-based producer / engineer Ben Fowler (Rascal Flatts, Ruby Amanfu, Lucy Hale, Kip Moore), a Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award winning, ACM Engineer of the Year nominee, produced their debut release, according to a press release. Continue reading


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Six String Presents Chris Rosser, Aaron Price at The Cary Theatre on July 21

Six String Presents Chris Rosser and Aaron Price at The Cary Theater at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 21. Rosser has opened for John Mayer, Nickel Creek and won songwriting contests at MerleFest and Rocky Mountain Folk Festival.  Aaron Price Music is a multi-instrumentalist from Asheville.

Tickets are $15 to $25.
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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to perform at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds on July 20

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 20, at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds as part of the 2018 Classic Country Concert Series. The concert will be held in the Annex Theatre at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, 421 W 27th St.

Opening for Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will be aspiring local recording artist Jukebox Rehab.

Read my interview with NGDB on The Huffington Post.

 

 


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Steep Canyon Rangers, the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters return to Blue Ridge Music Center on Saturday, June 14

From the good folks over at the Blue Ridge Music Center, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, Virgnia:
The Steep Canyon Rangers are perennial favorites at the Blue Ridge Music Center and fans look forward to their annual show. Playing together since 2000, the the group has developed a sound all their own. Combining original songs, traditional tunes, and a whole lot of fun in their shows, they received IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year Award in 2011 as well as a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2013. Their dynamic live performances include a great deal of humor and playfulness.  With tight harmonies and instrumental dexterity, the band plays bluegrass and beyond, incorporating elements of folk, country, Americana and pop music to create a unique take on their “traditional plus” sound. As they approach their second decade, the Steep Canyon Rangers are still moving forward, searching for new horizons and musical vistas.
With their hard-driving old-time rhythm, the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters are a favorite among flatfoot dancers and mountain fiddle music fans. The group takes its name from the original Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, a popular Galax string band during the 1930s that was a frequent winner in the early years of the Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention.

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Scythian, David Childers to play benefit for Water For People at Lincoln Theatre in downtown Raleigh on Aug. 4

Celtic rock band Scythian and folk singer-songwriter David Childers have announced they will perform on Saturday, Aug. 4, in downtown Raleigh’s the Lincoln Theatre at a benefit concert for Water For People.
Doors for this all-ages show will open at 5 p.m. and the music starts at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $50.
Water for People is a non-profit dedicated to providing water and wastewater education, training, and service in an effort to protect public health and the environment.

“We are always excited to come back to North Carolina and Raleigh in particular hold a lot of great memories for us with IMBA and the First Night Raleigh show we’ve played,” explains one of Scythian’s frontmen Danylo Fedoryka (vocals, guitar, accordion).

“To link a return show to a great cause makes it twice and meaningful for us and we hope that people will come out and support a great cause.”

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The Judy Chops share the love this summer with latest album release

One of my favorite places to discover new music is at festivals like this week’s Red Wing Roots Music Festival in Mt. Solon, Virginia. And three years ago, one of the acts my husband and I were lucky to find was The Judy Chops who hail from the nearby Shenandoah Valley. Continue reading


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The Steel Wheels present sixth annual Red Wing Roots Music Festival on July 13-15, 2018, with a new stage

The Steel Wheels present the sixth annual Red Wing Roots Music Festival on July 13-15, 2018. Three days, four stages and 40 bands at the beautiful Natural Chimneys Park and Campground in Mt Solon, VA, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. Continue reading