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Written by Al Whirly.
These days we're bombarded with social injustice in countless forms. We convince ourselves that change starts from within, but our actions reveal otherwise. As long as our lives remain unaffected, we go on as usual. Cyndi Lauper warned us decades ago, that money changes everything. It won't be long before we hear the next story of theft and deception. However, as long as our bank accounts remain unaffected, we go on as usual.
It's been (almost) 30 years since Cyndi Lauper released her 1983 debut solo album, She’s So Unusual .To celebrate the anniversary, she's on tour performing all 10 tracks, as well as, a few other surprises. After 3 decades, her music still, fills the heart with emotion. Her anecdotes were both poignant and inspiring. How could anyone not be affected by someone who has remained true to herself, her cause and her art form. Time after time, she has affected the masses
with her genuine personality and song. She
really is, so unusual.
Well known as an American singer, songwriter, writer, actress, and LGBT human rights activist, Lauper has a list of charities which she champions. Added to this, a visit to the White House and a project to help end homelessness.
In my experience, people form opinions without knowing all the facts.
Or if well informed, they still accept the status quo. Spending an evening with Cyndi Lauper may not change the world, but one fan at a time, the power of her music can change a mind.
Press Release: Recorded and released in 1983, She’s So Unusual, Lauper’s debut solo album, is a colorful portrait of a unique and multifaceted talent. The album features some of Lauper’s most well-known songs and perennial radio favorites including “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Time After Time,” “She Bop,” “Money Changes Everything,” and “All Through the Night.” She’s So Unusual made Lauper a household name and also cemented her place in musical history as the first female artist to have four top 10 singles on a debut album. The release went on to sell over 16 million copies worldwide and won Lauper a Grammy® Award for Best New Artist.
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Indie pop Boston ensemble, Gentlemen Hall, are well known for their sound that "stands strong between the high-handed anthemic choruses of the Killers and the retro synth melodies of MGMT, along with a dash of wildman flutist antics. Gentlemen Hall have established themselves as one of the most talked about bands to emerge from Boston in recent years."
If you are new to their music and want to know what to expect from a live show, that is hard to describe. Every performance has the signature, bright, electric bolted energy sound of GH, however, after seeing the band three times in two years, I have to say, Gentlemen Hall continues to surprise, even their closest followers.
Read more: Gentlemen Hall, "Sailing Into The Sun" with new horizons and The Life Is Good festival.
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It was wonderful to meet the passionate fans at the Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters show in Boston last night.
Check back here for a full concert review from this show. Leave your impressions of the performance in the comments section and we'll include them in our write-up.
"I can't stop, keep on climbing, looking for what I knew ... "
Call the tune, because you know we love to ramble.
~bluebird
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The indie folk sibling duo, June & The Bee, is now a trio, with the addition of sax player/vocalist Zoe Langsdale. The dynamic team have been hard at work on writing new songs since last we saw them debut at the Iron Horse Music Hall in 2012. They headlined the Horse last month and have had so many tour dates this year, we haven't been able to keep up with them. Emma June and Eli Ayres are mixing up their styles too, bringing on guest musicians, and playing in unchartered regions beyond the Pioneer Valley, including the legendary, Club Passim. Take a listen to their new recordings here and let us know what you think!
Click here for a review of their debut show at the Iron Horse/2012:
June & the Bee at The Iron Horse Music Hall, September 22, 2012
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- Written by Deb Hebert
Colwell Brothers: Guilty Pleasures
Former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (Pat, left) and music producer (Bob, right) are 100% American, "Maine-made", regular folk. They're the guys next door: neighbors by day; musicians by night. And because their personable reputation speaks volume on and off the music grid, I'm sure whenever the Colwell Brother's walk about Hallowell, Augusta, Gardiner or Portland, Maine, heads turn and people shout, "Hey Pat! Hey Bob!"
With a combined total of over 50 years in the entertainment business, Pat and Bob have carved out a unique, high-energy electric blues and R & B sound that keeps them relevant and in the public eye. Each has traveled the national tour circuit with their respective solo bands (Boneheads, Soul Sensations, the Radiators, and Inspectors), opening for big name acts like BBKing, NRBQ, CCR, Rick Danko and Roseanne Cash. But now, the brothers stay closer to home, performing at music halls, festivals, community events, and private parties throughout the "207" listening area. What's more, the Colwell's are always accompanied by any given number of veteran studio musicians, who, in their own right, add to the musical experience. On this album music fans are treated to Dicky "Doo" Hollis on drums/rubbermaid container, Mike Auger on cowbell, Justin Maxwell on bass, and Dave Wakefield on tenor sax/alto sax/blues harp. Guest musicians include Greg Lindholm on bass (tracks 2, 4), Stephen B. Jones on guitar (track 9) and D.W. Gill on blues harp (track 4).
"Lock us up. We're guilty as charged!" the introduction to "Guilty Pleasures" reads."
This record is old school Blues/Soul/R&B. 100% auto tune drumm achine synthesizer free stuff, and we had a blast making it: Cheap guitars, nice guitars, Wurlitzers, Hammonds, Mephis horns, Fender Rhodes, Danelectro bass, scorching blues harp, drums that sound like drums, and lot's of first and second takes." Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered at Bob's studio, The Root Cellar, Hallowell, Maine, the mixture of original works and covers show the artist's depth, versatility and humourus side. Before long, I was singing along with Pat and his "Muddy Waters' style of blues. Then, Bob's soulful vocals and New Orleans flavored piano made my heart melt and yearn for a live show.
Other than where noted, original songs written by the Colwells Brothers. The three covers feature new arrangements. For your listening enjoyment, I've added links to live performances on several numbers.
Tracklist includes:
01 – Black Leather Jacket
02 – Beautiful Delilah (Check Berry)
03 – Can't Sit Down
04 – The Chicken And The Hawk (Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller) (Feat. D.W.Gill)
05 – U Gotta Make Doo
06 – Pain Of Love (Johnny Bristol)
07 – Critical List (Don Covay)
08 – The Blues Done Done It
09 – Sally’s My Girl (Feat. Stephen B. Jones)
10 – Cgs (Cheap Guitar Stomp)
Guilty Pleasures is available at Bull Moose Records (Maine and New Hampshire stores) or via iTunes here. To follow the Colwell Brothers, check out their show schedule, book the band, or download a free MP3 off the CD, click here.
"Kick back, turn up the Hi-Fi to 10, and grab your favorite Guilty Pleasure."
Yours in music,
DebFromMaine Hebert