Saturday, October 31, 2009


This is the final reminder - We'll see you at Spider Ball Saturday night!



So you've put together a wicked cool costume and it's time to show it off Saturday night, so be our guest with your friends at the First Annual Spider Ball in Tulsa at the IDL Ballroom & Enso at 1st & Detroit on Halloween night, Saturday, October 31st - add it to your night of fun as you're out showing off your sweet costume, and remember, Spider Ball is free and there will be lots of fun swag giveaways along with a huge dance party with DJ's Steve Cluck and Synthkon and a performance by Tulsa's own PDA.  The party starts at 8pm and will be rockin' till 2am (there's an extra hour in there because of Daylight Savings!)
Check out the full details below and we'll see you on Halloween!
It’s the first annual Spider Ball, a mega dance party in two clubs!
Located at the IDL Quad Group at 1st & Detroit in downtown Tulsa, Enso bar will feature "Steve Cluck" live visual DJ spinning super hot dance trax. The IDL Ballroom will host a live performance by PDA and more hot spins by DJ Synthkon. We’ll have a huge video screen showing horror movies, photographers taking your photos, fun Halloween drinks and party favors, and a super fun posh Halloween vibe to add to the party mix! This is a full on dance party. So bring your sexy!

This is a FREE event, but we have some ground rules, first, you must be 21 or up, and, in costume or all Black or all White attire. Enso and IDL Ballroom are non-smoking venues (but you can light it up outside in our designated smoking areas).
Get ready to party, come in costume and be a part of the eye candy at this hot Halloween party!  Be the first to catch a glimpse of what’s to come in the IDL Quad Group event center with the newly renovated Enso bar.  Though IDL Ballroom will be decked out for Halloween, the real renovations for the ballroom and Electric Circus are planned ahead with many upcoming attractions in store – the first of which is this Halloween’s Spider Ball!
The Deets:
Date:  Saturday, October 31, 2009
Start Time: 8:00pm – 2:00am (remember it’s Daylight Savings, so we all get an extra hour to party!)

Location: Enso & IDL Ballroom
Map it!:  1st & Detroit, 230 East 1st Street, Tulsa, OK
Cost:  FREE! To get in and dance!
Extra info: Wear a costume or all white or all black attire to enter

Age:  Must be 21+

Let us know if you’re coming to the party at
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139848172458&index=1

Go Pokes - Need to eat some big ole Texas steaks tonight...

Friday, October 30, 2009

Taddy Porter

TaddyPorter: Come out to Midland Theater tonight in Kansas City. Doors are at 6 pm, so come out early and chat us up!

Brandon Jenkins

Brandon Jenkins In Dallas...be on 95.3 The Range around 11am...Playing Hank's in McKinney Tonight...Drunken Mule in Denison, TX on Halloween!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009




Colgate Country Showdown
Saturday, October 31, 2009 6:00 pm

Don’t miss the state finals of the 28th annual Colgate Country Showdown this Saturday at the McSwain Theatre! The finals will consist of seven talented groups and individuals from Oklahoma vying for a spot, moving them one step closer to being named winner of the Colgate Country Showdown.

www.ColgateCountryShowdown.com
Immediately following the showdown will be a concert by rising country star Jimmy Wayne. Jimmy’s hit single “Do You Believe Me Now” went straight to #1 on Billboard Country Charts. Jimmy’s latest album “Sara Smile” will be released in November.


www.jimmywayne.com


Purchase tickets now!

Pricing:
  • Platinum Seats $35 Senior Discount $34 (includes tax)
  • Premium Seats $30 Senior Discount $29 (includes tax)
  • Regular Seat $25 Senior Discount $24 (includes tax)
  • Upper Balcony $20 Senior Discount $19 (includes tax)



130 W. Main Street, Ada, OK 74820 Phone: (580) 332-8108
tickets.mcswaintheatre.com

USA Songwriting Competition

Deadline For Acoustic Music Awards, Winning Songs On Radio This Week

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10/28/09
***IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards) DEADLINE APPROACHING

The 6th Annual IAMA's deadline is fast approaching; you have less than 2 weeks left to enter! IAMA promotes excellence in Acoustic Music Performance and Artistry. Acoustic artists in various genres can gain exciting radio and web exposure through this competition. Participating sponsors include D'Addario Strings, New Music Weekly, Loggins Promotion, AirplayAccess.com, Tanager Music Software (Songframe), Sonicbids.com, Broadjam.com, Acoustic Cafe Radio Show and XM Satellite Radio.

IAMA is open to all independent artists and labels. Unlike other music industry competitions, IAMA focuses on developing new markets for Acoustic artists, labels and with or without CD releases. Past year's winners include The Refugees (USA), Kate Lush (Australia), Wayne Southards (USA), Larry Pattis (USA), Omega (Uganda), etc.

Win awards in 8 different categories: Folk/Americana/Roots, AAA/Alternative, Instrumental, Open, Bluegrass, Best Male Artist, Best Female Artist, Best Group/Duo. There will also be an Overall Grand Prize winner awarded to the top winner worth over US$11,000, which includes radio promotion to over 250 radio stations in US and Canada.  Winning songs will be heard on radio! Winners and runner-ups will be featured on our CD compilation. Also, we feature up to 10 different artists get featured and promoted on IAMA website every month, which provides a review, ratings, CD information and more. The sooner, you enter, the sooner you get featured!

Judging is based on excellence in music performance, songwriting/composition/song choice, Music Production and originality. (Please note that IAMA is a different competition from USA Songwriting Competition).

 All entries must be entered by November 9 or earlier. Ways to enter:

 ** For the regular entry form, please go to:
http://www.inacoustic.com/entryform.html

 ** Or enter online, with Broadjam :
http://www.broadjam.com/contests/details/contest/index.php?contest_id=1493

** Or enter online via Sonicbids:
http://www.sonicbids.com/iama2009




===[Sponsored in part by New Music Weekly]======================
NEW MUSIC WEEKLY covers the radio and music industry within its
weekly magazine, website, NMW-mail and fax services. NMW, built
by radio stations who "break" the hits first, has become the
standard for tracking radio airplay nationwide. For information
visit: www.newmusicweekly.com or call 310-325-9997

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*** PAST WINNERS & FINALISTS' UPDATES

*Ready In 10, Runner Up of 5th Annual IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards), Group/Duo) has their song "One More Chance" on Acoustic Cafe radio show this week of 10/26/09  11/1/09.

*Larry Pattis, 1st Prize winner, Instrumental of 5th Annual IAMA had his song "Eleven Doors" aired on Acoustic Cafe radio show on the week of 10/19/2009 - 10/25/2009

*The Refugees, Overall Grand Prize winner of 5th Annual IAMA had their song "Unbound" aired on Acoustic Cafe on the Week of 10/12/09  10/18/09. It is available on 65 radio stations in North America as well as on it's site: www.acafe.com

*Duane Andrews (USA Songwriting Competition Winner & IAMA Finalist) Wins Award at Atlantic Film Festival

*Rachael Sage (5th Annual IAMA Finalist and 1st Annual IAMA Runner-up) has her song "Too Many Women" appear on the new movie "Fame", starring Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker & Kelsey Grammer. "Fame" is a remake of the 1980 of the same name.

*Jen Foster (2nd Annual IAMA Top winner) launched "The Writer's Share" songwriter's series at the Bluebird Cafe with top name artists such as Richard Marx, Mike Reid, Chuck Cannon, and Lari White.

*Kate Voegele (2005 USA Songwriting Competition, 1st Prize Winner, Pop) appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Conan O'Brien performing her hit song "99 Times", a Billboard Adult Top 40 Hit, currently at #24.  She hit Top 10 On Billboard 200 Albums Chart on June 15, 2009. Her album "A Fine Mess" is released on Interscope/MySpace records. USA Songwriting Competition would like to congratulate Kate Voegele on her first Billboard Top 10 album!

*Quinn Loggins (2004 USA Songwriting Competition Honorable Mention Award Winner) wrote a song "Trial of Lies" with Lisa McCallum and Katie Armiger. It's been released to radio along with a music video on CMT and GAC where Katie is the artist of the month.

 ~Were you a past winner or finalist of the USA Songwriting Competition or IAMA and have some interesting news on yourself? If so, please e-mail us at:
info@songwriting.net



===[Sponsored in part by D'Addario]==============================
From the D'Addario-pioneered phosphor bronze acoustic strings
to the world-famous XL electric strings, D'Addario has your
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** COMPILATION CD [sponsored by WWW.SUPERDUPS.COM]
"NEW MUSIC NOW Vol 6" - THE USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION COMPILATION CD sponsored by SUPERDUPS.COM. USA Songwriting Competition's CD Compilation. This CD is now out and features winners such as Jordan Zevon, Nathan Brumley, Hanneke Cassel & more.

"New ACOUSTIC MUSIC Vol 5" - featuring winners and runner-ups of the 5th Annual IAMA is now out. Artists includes; The Refugees, Larry Pattis, Katy Kinard, Wendy Colonna, Kate Lush, Wayne Southards, Jeanette Williams Band, Victoria Vox, etc.

** COOL MERCHANDISE
You can now purchase our cool USA Songwriting Competition T-shirts, Hats & other stuff online:
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===[ Sponsored in part by IBANEZ Guitars ]========================
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** BLOGS:

Top 10 Emerging Acoustic Music Artists:
http://www.inacoustic.com/blog/2009/10/top-10-best-acoustic-music-artists

Top 10 Best Venues and Clubs For Acoustic Music In USA:
http://www.inacoustic.com/blog/2009/09/top-10-best-venues-and-clubs-for-acoustic-music-in-usa/

Are Steel Strings Making Your Fingers Sore?
http://www.inacoustic.com/blog/2009/09/steel-strings-making-your-fingers-sore/

Songwriting Blog - Articles of interests to Songwriters/Musicians:
http://www.songwriting.net/blog



** CD RECYCLING INFORMATION

Did you know each year, billions of CDs and DVDs are manufactured, while millions of these discs end up in landfills and incinerators? This is harmful to our environment.

If you use, sell, promote, distribute, or manufacture compact discs, it is important to know how and where to recycle them.

Compact Discs, when recycled properly, will stop unnecessary pollution, conserve natural resources, and help slow global warming. Learn how at:
www.cdrecyclingcenter.org







** MUSIC AUDITIONS, CONFERENCES, FESTIVALS, AUDITIONS & WORKSHOP PARTNERS

~WOMEX - the World Music Expo: Oct 28 - Nov 1, 2009, Copenhagen, DENMARK

~Winter NAMM: Jan 14 - 17, 2010, Anaheim, CA, USA

~MIDEM Music Tradeshow – January 24-27, 2010, Cannes, FRANCE

~22nd International Folk Alliance Conference:  February 17 - 21, 2010 Memphis, TN

~Canadian Music Week: March 10-24, 2010    Toronto, Canada

~SXSW (South By South West Music): March 17-21, 2010, Austin, TX, USA

~Winter Music Conference: March 23 - 27, 2010, Miami Beach, FL, USA

~Musikmesse Frankfurt: March 24 to 27, 2010, Frankfurt am Main, GERMANY

~I Create Music ASCAP Expo 2010: April 22-24, 2010, Los Angeles, CA, USA



===[Sponsored in part by Loggins Promotion]=================
LOGGINS PROMOTION is the leading radio promotion and marketing
firm providing services to all genres of music. We operate at
the highest level of efficiency and integrity, so that you
receive maximum promotion, exposure, and attention. For further
info: 888-325-2901 or email: promo@logginspromotion.com 
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==================================================================



*RADIO STATIONS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MATERIAL:
KYHY Burbank Community Radio
3500 W. Olive Ave. 3rd Fl. Burbank, CA 91504
PH: 800-974-3747 x802
William Olive info@925kyhy.com
www.925kyhy.com
We play & promote indie and unsigned artists of all genres.

KRIM
500 E. Tyler Pkwy. Ste. A, Payson, AZ 85541
PH: 928-978-3795
Kit McGuire kit@krimfm.com
www.krim-fm.com
I am well known for presenting unsigned/Indie artists to the masses. Since we are about to stream (target date is April 1st) this will give artists a major boost and worldwide exposure. I personally screen all the artist's demos, media kits, promo packs, track-by-track myself. I screen for great music from artists hard at work touring and fullfilling their dream. I venture to say that I turn down at least 87% of what I hear. My show is only 2 hours long weekdays here so I am searching for the best artists there are!

High Plains Morning - HPPR
101 W. 5th St. #100, Amarillo, TX 79101
PH: 806-367-9088
Johnny Black music@hppr.org
www.hppr.org
Singer/Songwriters, Bluegrass, Contemporary Folk, World, Jazz and much more. Includes a performance studio.

WFUV (90.7 FM and WFUV.org)
eva@buzzwordpr.com
Feature established and emerging New York City-based indie rock and other styles.

Samm Brown's "For The Record", a weekly radio program on KPFK 90.7 FM, is seeking artists/bands for airplay and critique. Each Sunday, Brown hosts a program that focuses on the entertainment industry in general and the music business in particular. Send a package to Samm Brown's For The Record, KPFK Radio, 90.7 FM, 11054 Ventura Blvd. No. 237, Studio City, CA. 91604.

KFJC 89.7 FM
19144 Brookview Dr. Saratoga, CA 95070
PH: 831-325-9013
Meat Hooks meathooks@unfunrecords.com
www.kfjc.org
I have been a DJ at KFJC in Los Altos Hills, CA since 1999 and will get any CDs or vinyl you send me to our music director. Please send to me directly, or to the station ATTN: Meat Hooks.

Radio Rietveld
Frederik Roeskestraat 96, 1076 ED Amsterdam, The Netherlands
PH: 003120-5711600 FX: 003120-5711654
Hans Kuiper/ Gijs Muller radiorietveld@gmail.com
www.radiorietveld.nl
We feature independent music, originally produced programs, soundscapes, radio plays, interviews and art specials. We are connected to the Gerrit Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam.

WBMB Baruch College Radio, 87.9 FM The Biz
55 Lexington Ave. Ste. 3-280, New York, NY 10010
PH: 646-312-4720
Gina Alioto ginanalioto@gmail.com
www.wbmbradio.com
Featuring all styles of music.

WNCW - Isothermal College
PO Box 804, Spindale, NC 28160
PH: 828-287-8000 x349 FX: 828-287-8012
Martin Anderson marting@wncw.org
www.wncw.org
We're always looking for new Americana, Rock, Singer/Songwriter and World music to play.

WOJB - Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa College
13386 W. Trepania Rd. Hayward, WI 54843
PH: 715-634-2100 FX: 715-634-4070
Nicky Kellar programdirector@wojb.org
www.wojb.org
We're one of the most diverse and popular stations in Wisconsin.

KRCK-FM 97.7
73-733 Fred Waring Dr. #201, Palm Desert, CA 92260
PH: 760-341-0123 FX: 760-341-7455
The Big KC kc@krck.com
http://www.krck.com
KRCK supports local talent and encourages independent artists. Rock & Alternative format.


*The list of radio stations are brought to you by INDIE BIBLE. You can find the Indie Bible in these stores: Borders Books & Music, Barnes & Noble, etc. All USA Songwriting Competition subscribers can get the $5 discounted Indie Bible. Go to:
http://www.indiebible.com/usasong



*** IAMA Featured Artists Of the Month Spotlight

~El McMeen

~Neil Austin Imber

~Zanna


For more details of the featured artists, please visit:
http://www.inacoustic.com/artists2.html

Hear IAMA winners, please, click on the right hand bar, lower side of this site:
http://blog.inacoustic.com

Details on winners and runners-up of the 5th Annual IAMA, please go to:
http://www.inacoustic.com/winners.html



===[ REFER A MUSICIAN FRIEND TO US ]==============================
Tell a musician or songwriter to sign up for this FREE informative
e-mail newsletter of USA Songwriting Competition with chock full
of opportunities for the musician or songwriter, please e-mail
them on where to sign-up:
http://www.songwriting.net/join
==================================================================



NEW PRODUCTS FOR MUSICIANS

*Cakewalk V-Studio 100
Cakewalk V-Studio 100 is a portable music production studio with 8-in/6-out USB 2.0 Audio Interface, Live Mixer with Effects, Standalone SD Recorder, and DAW Control Surface. Compatible on Mac/PC. You can turn your music ideas into full productions, plus record band practices and mix shows! It's a complete practice, studio and stage solution. The cool thing is that the VS-100 doubles as a computer-free live mixer/SD recorder. It doesn’t hurt that it is industry quality at 24-bit/96kHz resolution.
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*Acid Pro 7
ACID Pro goes from Acid Pro 6 to 7 software. It is a DAW powerhouse that combines full multitrack recording and mixing, MIDI sequencing, and legendary ACID looping functionality for a seamless music-creation and post-production environment.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/acidpro

*SongFrame
Introducing the missing half of your DAW studio setup - the musical half that makes your songs better. SongFrame Songwriters Toolkit software places a rich set of musical tools at your fingertips all aimed at improving your songwriting. Work out chords, progressions, melodies, lyrics, rhythms and song form using expert tools, and save your finished work to a form easily imported into your favorite DAW or sequencing application - complete with all your guide tracks and even markers showing every song section and chord change.
http://www.tanageraudioworks.com/Products/SongFrame



MUSIC RESOURCES
*Songwriting Blog - Articles of interests to Songwriters/Musicians:
http://www.songwriting.net/blog

*Follow USA Songwriting Competition on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/usasong

*BerkleeMusic.com
http://www.berkleemusic.com/?pid=2625

*ASCAP
http://www.ASCAP.com

*Cakewalk
http://www.cakewalk.com

*Folk Alliance
http://www.folk.org

*Acoustic Guitar Magazine - Acoustic Guitar Exclusive Offer for USA Songwriting Competition entrants:
https://subscribe.pcspublink.com/subscribeFormGeneric.asp?track=JGSC08&pub=GUIT&term=12

*TheLessonRoom.com - For music students and teachers
http://www.TheLessonRoom.com

*AirplayAccess.com - available to Program Directors, Music Directors, Syndicate Radio, and Internet radio. Radio airplay is tracking using the STS technology. AirplayAccess is the music industry's answer for fast, secure music delivery, enabling registered industry professionals, records labels, artist/bands to get their promotional music directly to radio as broadcast quality digital files. Airplay Access is a complimentary service to radio stations from a trusted name in radio airplay tracking...STS
http://AirplayAccess.com

*New Music Weekly
http://www.newmusicweekly.com

*Loggins Radio Promotion
http://www.logginspromotion.com

*Hal Leonard
http://www.halleonard.com

*Ibanez
http://www.ibanez.com

*Sony
http://www.sonystyle.com

*Live2Play - Live To Play Network and Singer & Musician magazine
http://www.ilivetoplay.net 

*Livewire Contacts
http://www.livewiremusician.com

*Onlinegigs - Onlinegigs Version 4 fully automates the booking and promotional process for bands, booking agents, record companies and music managers. Onlinegigs will do it all for you, from finding the right venue to automatically reminding your fans about upcoming performances right on their cell phones.
http://www.onlinegigs.com

*Intellitouch Tuners
http://www.tuners.com

*SongFrame - Songwriting Software for writing and refining songs
http://www.tanageraudioworks.com/Products/SongFrame

*Sonoma Wire Works
http://www.sonomawireworks.com 

*Christian Songwriter's Network
http://ChristianSongwriters.org

*MusicGorilla.com

*USA Songwriting Competition's YouTube page:
http://www.youtube.com/usasongcomp

Jimmy Webb


American music legend to play exclusive gig in city

HE’S the legendary US singer-songwriter whose hits have been immortalised by everyone from Frank Sinatra and The Supremes to Glen Campbell and REM.
But while he may have written the most-played song of the last millennium with Wichita Lineman and has a mantelpiece groaning with Grammys, Jimmy Webb is to play an intimate gig in a Roath backstreet to kick off his upcoming UK tour.
“That’s down to my boys Christiaan, Justin and James, they love Cardiff,” said the 63-year-old Oklahoma star who’s been dubbed ‘a musical genius’ by the likes of Sinatra.
“They’re in a band called The Webb Brothers and when they were starting out they did some shows there and the kids made them so welcome they were desperate to come back.
“But this time they brought the old man too,” laughed Webb, who, with his three sons, will no doubt thrill fans at the 350-capacity The Gate on Sunday by running through a back catalogue stuffed with such classics as By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Up, Up And Away and MacArthur Park.
And while it may only be his second time over the Severn Bridge, Webb said he’s always had a long spiritual relationship with Wales, having met up with Pontypridd’s Tom Jones a number of times during the ’60s to discuss working together.
“I remember we had a couple of meetings about us doing something, but unfortunately it never really came to anything,” said Webb, adding that Sir Tom’s fans in possession of some of the Voice Of The Valleys’ earlier vinyl could still hear their idol putting his stamp on the likes of By The Time I Get To Phoenix.
“Tom does a slightly different type of number to what I write so I guess we just went in different directions.
“He had a more up-tempo approach to his career than I did – I was more a ballad man.”
And what about the prospect of playing such a low-key show?
“I love it, I really enjoy getting up close and personal and rubbing shoulders with the crowds,” enthused Webb.
“I like to tell stories about how the songs came about, funny little looks behind the curtain that explain the backgrounds behind them.
“So it really helps with that kind of gig if you can see people’s faces,” he added.
“I can’t speak for the boys though, I’m sure they’d rather be playing somewhere the size of Madison Square Garden.
“But you know how kids are,” laughed Webb.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009



CD Review: The Flaming Lips' Embryonic

Published 10.27.09



The Deal: Latest studio album from Oklahoma group is more than an hour of music via 18 tracks.
The Good: From the opening notes of The Flaming Lips latest album, you can instantly tell it's going to be different from what you've heard before. The band had gone a bit commercial – literally – on its last disc, At War with the Mystics, but the 18 tracks offered here are on the other side of the spectrum. "Evil" is a slow, depressing song that recalled images of Pink Floyd – interesting side note that the band's next planned album is a complete cover ofDark Side of the Moon. "Your Bats" sounds like it borrowed a drum beat/bass line from Jimi Hendrix's "If 6 was 9." "The Ego's Last Stand" speeds things back up, but it's hard to imagine mountains of confetti shooting out to it during a live show. Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs lends her vocal – and animal-noise-making skills – to the album.
The Bad: It's not one of those albums you can really throw on, enjoy, sing along easily and put on for the good vibes. Look at it as the "thinking man's" Lips album. You really need to spend some quality time with this one to let it sink in to every pore. There are also moments when it sounds unfinished or completely raw in the editing process. You can even hear Karen O asking, "Do you need me to do it again?" at the end of "I Can be a Frog." You can hear singer Wayne Coyne clear his throat, clearly, on "If" – a song that is mostly falsetto and not one of my favorites.
The Verdict: For me, the verdict is still out, but I don't think it's one of their best by a long shot. I'm curious to see how it all comes across during the live show. At times, the album plays like a series of jam sessions that their better ideas might come from. Instead of letting those ideas germinate and develop, they just threw them down on plastic and made them available for fans.




Multimedia message

TJ McFarland
Playing 12th and porter tonight...Billy block show...full band: smith curry, Joel king, steve Latanation backing me up.
Taddy Porter says...
Yo! If you or anyone you know is in the San Antonio area, we are playing at Scout Bar tonight. Doors are at 6 pm! See you there...

Lyle Lovett Wears "Legend" Mantle Lightly

By Ros Krasny

Reuters

BOSTON

Recording artist Lyle Lovett can talk for hours about the musicians he respects and attempts to emulate; men like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.
But suggest that up-and-coming musicians might view him as having similar stature, and the shy Texan politely begs to differ.
"Well, I don't know that that's true," Lovett told Reuters in his courtly Texas drawl.
Lovett, 51, has just released his 14th album, "Natural Forces," which combines new material with songs by Texas songwriters such as the late Van Zandt, Vince Bell and Eric Taylor, that have long been part of the musician's repertoire.
Lovett and his long-time ensemble, the Large Band, kick off a month of concerts on Monday with a show in Orange, Texas.
Lovett will then rest up before joining artists such as Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle in February for a cruising music festival in the Caribbean, and in March he will make his first tour of Australia.
"Natural Forces" is the second time Lovett has delved into the rich story-telling tradition of the Lone Star state to supplement his own quirky brand of writing, following 1998's double-disc "Step Inside this House."
"The songs on this latest record are all songs that have been part of my musical life since I was 18," Lovett said.
Lovett's own music distinctively melds folk, Texas swing, blues, jazz, gospel, and traditional country and western.
His lyrics often reveal a wry wit, and the songs are often as infused with Texas spirit as tumbleweed and wide open plains.
"It's nice that people sound like where they're from," he said.
The musician lives in Klein, Texas, northwest of Houston, in the house once owned by his grandmother. An only child, Lovett's parents both worked in the oil industry.
RODEO, MOTOCROSS AND SONG WRITING
He dabbles in horse breeding, rodeo and motocross but has no interest in giving up his day job.
"Having this long a career is not something I ever expected ...but anybody that gets to do something in his life that he loves to do, with the most talented people, is a lucky person."
Lovett said song-writing is an organic process.
"My songs have always been a reflection of what's going on in my life, or just a stray thought that might be a reaction to something that's going on. It's not a terribly methodical or conscientious approach."
And not every song can be a winner.
"I have songs that I'll never, certainly never tell anyone about," he said flatly. "Because they're that bad."
Lovett said he keeps fresh on the road by remembering that each of his gigs will be a first for some of his audience.
"It's never just 'push the button and roll tape.' It's never automatic ... You're standing on the edge of the cliff every day, and it's quite possible you could fall off."
Lovett has assembled four Grammy awards in his 20-year recording career, including best male country vocal performance and best country album.
His biggest brush with fame came with his 1993 marriage to actress Julia Roberts which threw the pair into the full glare of the Hollywood spotlight. The couple divorced in 1995.
The musician added acting to his resume in the 1990s with roles in a series of films by director Robert Altman, who died in 2006.
It was Altman's mastery, more than a love of acting, that got the musician in front of the cameras, he said.
"Altman was such a supremely confident person and director. He was happy for anyone to watch him do anything he did. He was so open with his process. And I just found that to be extraordinary, and rare. Most people don't have the confidence to be that open."
From musicians and film directors to horse trainers and veterinarians, Lovett said the drive for excellence inspires him.
"That's where life is, really. The ability to look forward with enthusiasm and hope -- if you can live like that, well, life is good."
(Editing by Jill Serjeant)
Copyright 2009 Reuters News Service. All rights reserved.

Brilliant dancing makes ‘Dracula’ a treat
BALLET REVIEW

  
Published: October 27, 2009

With its premiere production of Ben Stevenson’s "Dracula,” the Tulsa Ballet recently offered a delicious Halloween treat to audiences at Oklahoma City’s Civic Center Music Hall. Eerily spooky sets, ghoulish costumes and the somber score of Franz Liszt’s music provided the perfect backdrop for the company’s talented performers.

Multimedia

In a production complicated enough to require two stage managers, the tricks — which included flying vampire brides and exploding chandeliers — went off without a hitch. But the real thrill of the performance was the spectacular dancing of the artists of the Tulsa Ballet.
Choreographed 12 years ago by Stevenson while he was artistic director of the Houston Ballet, "Dracula” begins with images of bright red blood and the shadowy interior of Dracula’s crypt. This version of Dracula’s story features his brides as primary characters, especially in the opening act.
The brides flitted back and forth across the stage with their filmy dresses floating around them like an otherworldly gray mist, while Count Dracula, danced by Alfonso Martin, appeared with an enormous bat-winged cape. Although the brides portrayed the Count’s mesmerizing hold on them, their sheer number in this section seemed at times to overpower his performance.
Of special note in the first act was the pas de trois danced by Martin with Ashley Blade-Martin and Kate Oderkirk as two of his brides. The intricately choreographed dance showed the two brides and Dracula reaching and intertwining, moving seamlessly from lifts to promenades and even down to the floor.
The second act, set in the village near Dracula’s castle, is where the most memorable dancing took place. Frederick, danced by Wang Yi, is in love with beautiful Svetlana, danced by Karina Gonzalez. Their pas de deux was a seven-minute tour de force of spectacular, technically challenging ballet. Yi and Gonzalez’s performance of Stevenson’s exquisite choreography took the audience on a dazzling journey. The movement in this lovely pas de deux swooped, glided and finally soared to an exuberant conclusion.
The final act takes place back in Dracula’s castle, where he has abducted Svetlana and enthralled her to be his next bride. The fight scene in which Frederick and the other villagers come to rescue her was particularly well done. The stage was filled with action, giving the appearance of chaos, but it was perfectly executed dance mayhem that led to Dracula’s demise.
Other outstanding characters in the ballet included Flora, danced by Soo Youn Cho, and Renfield, danced by Mugen Kazama. Kazama’s portrayal of Dracula’s favorite minion was both creepy and charismatic, and very well danced. Bravo to the Tulsa Ballet for making its way down the turnpike to share its artistry with Oklahoma City audiences.
— Kathleen Redwine

BackTalk with the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne

By Alex Rawls




It takes a rare talent to make a hit out of song that tells the listener “everyone you know / will die,” but “Do You Realize” changed the Flaming Lips’ p
profile in 2002. Really though, it and the album it came from, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, were the natural follow-ups to 1999’s The Soft Bulletin, which AllMusicGuide.com describes as “a plaintively emotional, lushly symphonic pop masterpiece eons removed from the mind-warping noise of their past efforts…. The Soft Bulletin might be the best record of the entire decade.” It certainly changed the shape of indie rock with long coattails that brought into existence a host of expansive, sound-oriented bands with an affinity for melody.

That lush, beautiful, melancholy phase of the Flaming Lips was a radical shift for a band that once almost asphyxiated an audience by adding a revving motorcycle engine to their early pre-college rock roar, and the sweet strings were a long way from front man Wayne Coyne’s “Parking Lot Experiment” during one SXSW. In a parking lot, he had 40 cars parked in a circle and the drivers, on cue, all started their assigned tapes of specially composed music at the same time with the windows of their cars rolled down. During that period, they recorded Zaireeka, a four-disc set with each disc designed to be played at the same time to hear the piece in its entirety.

The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots are best thought of as experiments in beauty, and it’s no more surprising that the band’s unpredictable muse led them away from it with 2006’s At War with the Mystics and last year’s movie-and-soundtrack Christmas from Mars than it was that it took them to beauty in the first place. On the new Embryonic, strings and sweeters are replaced by hard, distorted sounds of indeterminate origins, and soaring songs are replaced by meditations that might or might not have choruses. It, like their live show and every phase of the Flaming Lips’ career, offers an intense experience—maybe or maybe not more, and certainly not less.

The Flaming Lips play the Voodoo Music Experience Sunday, November 1 at 5:45 p.m. on the PlayStation/Billboard.com Stage.

What do you remember about coming to New Orleans to play Voodoo in 2006?
When we were there, people were still asking, “Will New Orleans come back? What do you think?” And I said, “I don’t think a rock festival is any gauge of that,” but it didn’t stop that festival from happening, and here we are, so it seems like it’s working. We expected there to be more despair, but the worst thing I saw was watching a 14-year-old girl get her teeth knocked out during My Chemical Romance. But she was very happy because she was in the front row.

It was the first time we had been down there since the Katrina stuff, and you brace yourself to think, “How much of this is going to be ruined? How much of the thing that you remember about it will be non-existent anymore?” We were kind of surprised that a lot of it seemed—especially in the areas that we would have gone—there was some relief. But there were things that we saw that were disheartening, not just because of the hurricane. I’m always leery of having too many casinos downtown, and I saw that and went, “Oh boy.” We first came to New Orleans in the early ‘80s and we already felt as though it was at times sadly overrun with mindless drunks who just came down there to pee on the sidewalk. But all cities change, and all cities have things that are prosperous in one decade and are useless in the next; New Orleans like Oklahoma City, the city I live in, goes through the same things.

I’d imagine coming in to town for a show like that could be insulating as well.
It can be. You’re at a hotel where people who have money are having a good time, and everything they do is based in, “We’re having a good time here.” But I know people who were working in relief efforts, and it’s weird when you get a can of sterilized water. They gave me this can, and I went, “What is that?”

You’re only doing a handful of shows to accompany the release of Embryonic; why so few?
We play all the time. In a sense, the crucial time has become right now, this time before the record comes out. In the ‘80s when we put out a record, no one would have it for two months. That didn’t seem long back then; it seemed normal. Now, you can make something in the morning and people have it by lunch. There’s no waiting for things anymore, and people don’t want to wait. The way our Web site and the Internet works, the record coming out is the last thing that happens because you build up. You talk about it, you play shows. When the record comes out, it’s like Christmas. Christmas isn’t like a day, then we party for a week. Christmas is the thing; then we go back to normal.

But it’s a coincidence that we’re playing England in November. We’ll be playing all over America next year, and really, for the next couple of years.

Is it hard to work songs from the new album into the show?
People would think that because our show, overall, evokes this euphoria with confetti and people in costumes, and it’s big and it’s bright, and you’d think, “These songs are weird, and they’re dark.” But we’ve always had things in our set that go back even to 1990—we have songs sprinkled in there from all times of the group—and they’re not all happy, upbeat songs. I think that’s precisely why it works; in a way.

Some of these new songs in, as weird as they are, are very dynamic, and that’s what you want from a song in concert. I remember seeing footage of Fleetwood Mac in their heyday, and as great as their songs are, they’re not dynamic, crazy rock songs. They’re just well-played, well-sung songs. The stuff on Embryonic, as weird as it sounds, is dynamic. When we put them in the middle of the set, they work great. They’re a great, other thing we get to do, and why we wanted to make this kind of music. We could go in this other, strange direction and still be us.

Has the success of the show and elements like the space ball, balloons and confetti cannons become confining at all?
No. Artists sometimes speak this—like Bob Dylan—”I’m not what you think I am!” The Flaming Lips wouldn’t do those things if we weren’t ready to embrace it if it worked. All those things, especially something as dumb as the space bubble, I had no idea it would work. I had no idea it would define an element of what we’re about so well.

Is it hot in there?
We do a Halloween parade in Oklahoma City, and I walk down one of the main streets there for about 40 minutes in the space bubble, and yeah, it’s hot but it’s not overbearing. Mostly when I’m on top of the audience, I’m worried that I’m standing on your head. “I hope you don’t mind”—that’s mostly what I’m thinking, and I’m more in control than it looks. It’s a panic, but it’s a controlled panic.

I was thinking as I was asking about the show elements, who wouldn’t want to play with those toys? After the age of 5 or 6, who wouldn’t want to fire off confetti cannons?
Exactly. I’m not thinking these things and wondering if they’re great. We all know they’re great. A lot of these things are just dumb, obvious, cool things. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to one of the shows where we give the audience laser beams, but they shoot them at us. That’s exactly what a 10-year-old would say: “Wouldn’t it be great if you gave the audience lasers and they shot them at you? And you brought out a mirror and shot it back at them.” I go and do it. 

One of the things I’ve admired is the amount of spectacle you generate in a fairly low-tech way. Is that an aesthetic decision?
I want the audience to know that the money they’re giving us is well-spent. I’ve been to shows where you see a crew of a hundred people doing the job of one person; with the Flaming Lips, we do so much of it ourselves, we do it efficiently. We have this giant video wall that we bought a couple of years ago, and in the beginning we used this very elaborate pulley system to raise it up. That took a lot of effort and it was dangerous, and it took a lot of time and money, but it was professional. One day at my house, I didn’t want to set up the costly thing, so I used a rope to pulley it up. I thought, “I just did that with a fuckin’ rope by myself. Why do have to build this thing that takes 10 guys and is dangerous and costs all this money?” It’s not that we’re smart or think of things other people don’t think of; we just fuck everything up 10 times before we get it right.

Do all those amps onstage do something?
If you’ve ever been in the front row or onstage with us, you know that’s no fake cabinet. Not only do they work; they have Flaming Lips-sized speaker cabinets so they don’t blow up during the show.

Is it really loud onstage?
It’s insanely loud, but we want it be. [The show’s] a spectacle, but it is about presenting these songs. We’re just making an atmosphere by which we get to sing and perform these songs. To me, it’s all about intensity. When music’s played at a certain volume, it takes over. It blurts out some of your other sensory perceptions and you must pay attention because you have no choice. We want the volume to be, a little more would kill you, but any less wouldn’t be as much fun. For the dynamics of the music we want to play, sometimes we want it to be extremely loud, and sometimes we want it to be quiet. Sometimes we want to hear the crowd; sometimes we don’t want to hear the crowd. You can’t have that dynamic unless you have crazy equipment.

When did you decide to wear a suit onstage?
There’s a picture of Miles Davis that has to be early-’60s. He’s standing outside of a nightclub in New York, and it’s a black and white photo. He’s been hit in the head by a police officer with a nightstick, and he’s wearing a pale suit—I don’t know if it’s yellow or white—but you can see his blood all over this jacket. I’d been pouring blood on my head while I was wearing a pea coat—this was 1998, 1999—and when you play small places, everyone can tell you have blood on your head. My blood’s not real, unlike Miles Davis’. As audiences started to get bigger, they simply couldn’t tell that I was pouring blood on my head. I remembered this picture, so I got a tan suit one day and sure enough, when the blood got on the suit, it wasn’t just that you could see it. Here was a guy in suit and he’s bloody, which is different from being in the Hell’s Angels and being bloody. Here’s a guy who seems to be on the edge of sophistication, and he’s all bloody, so it had a bigger dynamic to it. Then I started to find suits that fit me well, and they fit the kinds of songs and the types of personality I could be while singing these songs. Then it got to where I’m not sure people would recognize me if I’m not in a suit. It’s like Santa Claus; if he doesn’t show up in that suit, he’s just a weird old guy with a beard.

Published November 2009, OffBeat Louisiana Music & Culture Magazine, Volume 22, No. 11.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Brandon Jackson

Brandon Jacksonbjackson12 Is playing tonight, Oct. 26, at Dirty's in Stillwater with Sam Caire. Showtime: 11pm

No Justice


Check out recent articles about No Justice!!!

My Solstice

You are invited to ...

My Solstice LIVE @ Flytrap Music Hall!


When:
Saturday, November 07, 2009
7:00 PM to 12:00 AM CST

Where:
Flytrap Music Hall
514 E. 2nd St.
Tulsa, Ok 74120

Click here to view the event
 We'd love it if you'd join us for our final show of 2009!!! :-)
      - My Solstice (NEW BLOG!)

Sunday, October 25, 2009

from Heather... for Halloween party

Kitty litter anyone? Looks real doesnt it

Multimedia message

Oklahoma Rock and Roll with Steve Ripley Recording technology 101 at 6PM on KWGS.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Brandon Jackson

New Show added:
Nov. 21 at Club One in Shawnee, OK

Friday, October 23, 2009

Make Spider Ball a part of your Halloween plans!

Make Spider Ball a part of your Halloween plans!


While you're making your Halloween plans for next weekend, we want to invite you to the First Annual Spider Ball in Tulsa at the IDL Ballroom & Enso at 1st & Detroit on Halloween night, Saturday, October 31st - add it to your night of fun as you're out showing off your sweet costume, besides Spider Ball is free and there will be lots of fun swag giveaways along with a huge dance party with DJ's Steve Cluck and Synthkon and a performance by Tulsa's own PDA.  The party starts at 8pm and will be rockin' till 2am (there's an extra hour in there because of Daylight Savings!)
Check out the full details below and we'll see you on Halloween!
It’s the first annual Spider Ball, a mega dance party in two clubs!
Located at the IDL Quad Group at 1st & Detroit in downtown Tulsa, Enso bar will feature "Steve Cluck" live visual DJ spinning super hot dance trax. The IDL Ballroom will host a live performance by PDA and more hot spins by DJ Synthkon. We’ll have a huge video screen showing horror movies, photographers taking your photos, fun Halloween drinks and party favors, and a super fun posh Halloween vibe to add to the party mix! This is a full on dance party. So bring your sexy!

This is a FREE event, but we have some ground rules, first, you must be 21 or up, and, in costume or all Black or all White attire. Enso and IDL Ballroom are non-smoking venues (but you can light it up outside in our designated smoking areas).
Get ready to party, come in costume and be a part of the eye candy at this hot Halloween party!  Be the first to catch a glimpse of what’s to come in the IDL Quad Group event center with the newly renovated Enso bar.  Though IDL Ballroom will be decked out for Halloween, the real renovations for the ballroom and Electric Circus are planned ahead with many upcoming attractions in store – the first of which is this Halloween’s Spider Ball!
The Deets:
Date:  Saturday, October 31, 2009
Start Time: 8:00pm – 2:00am (remember it’s Daylight Savings, so we all get an extra hour to party!)

Location: Enso & IDL Ballroom
Map it!:  1st & Detroit, 230 East 1st Street, Tulsa, OK
Cost:  FREE! To get in and dance!
Extra info: Wear a costume or all white or all black attire to enter

Age:  Must be 21+

Let us know if you’re coming to the party at
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139848172458&index=1