Pauline Alexander is an emerging unsigned Scottish Singer-Songwriter based in Glasgow. Her music is extremely easy on the ear and encompasses Easy Listening, Folk or Acoustic elements. She cites Eva Cassidy, Joan Baez or Karen Carpenter as her main influences.
There are a growing band of radio stations playing her music at home or abroad. She was recently the recommended album of the week on BBC Radio Scotland with Iain Anderson. Something that was echoed by the listeners of Revival FM on Iain Arbuckle's radio show when they nominated her their favorite artist of the week .
2011 has been a busy year for Pauline as she has been performing at a number of festivals in Scotland. These have included The Arran Folk Festival in June, playing at Glasgow Cathedral for the Merchant City Festival and a performance at Perthshire Amber's Cabaret Amber concert on the 1st of November 2011.
In short, Pauline is a girl who sings with passion. Her vocals are reassuringly soft like velvet and easy on the ear.
Influential artists include, amongst others Joan Baez, The Carpenters and Eva Cassidy. Annie Lennox
GREG NAGY, formerly with the Root Doctor Band, took his rightful place among today’s leading American roots musicians with the 2009 release of his first feature album, Walk That Fine Thin Line. His songwriting, singing, and guitar playing were at high levels, the ten tracks evidencing a personalized blues music refreshingly infused with elements of soul, r&b, rock, and gospel. Greg’s album earned him a prestigious Best New Artist debut nomination from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, as well as favorable reviews from hard-to-please critics at top media outlets like All About jazz, Blues Revue, DownBeat, and Elmore. Blues/roots DJs throughout North America, Europe, and Australia responded enthusiastically to Greg’s music, with Walk That Fine Line added to enough playlists to appear on the Living Blues radio chart. At XM satellite radio, the album peaked at number three, no small achievement. Blues societies all over joined notables like Living Blues 2009 "Producer of the Year" Jeff Konkel and writer-Producer Dick Shurman (who contributed the liner notes) in praising Greg’s stellar release on the Big O label. www.big-o-records.com
Born in 1963, in Flint, Michigan, the “Auto City” birthplace of once-mighty General Motors, young guitarist Greg was fortunate to grow up with friends whose older siblings encouraged them to explore soul, rock, funk, jazz, and the Motown Sound originating down Interstate 75 in Detroit. The emotional blues of Muddy Waters and Albert King made a particularly strong mark on the Kearsley High School student who went on to college and military service before, in the early-1990s, working regularly seven nights a week in blues and funk bands. There probably hasn’t been a better blues or soul band than Root Doctor in the Wolverine State, and Greg happily signed on with that long-established group in 2004. He prompted singer Freddie Cunningham and the other three guys to record their debut album, the aptly titled Been a Long Time Coming. Two more discs, Change Our Ways(2007) and Live At The Cadillac Club(2008), followed. All three were critically acclaimed, played frequently on blues radio, and turned out to be favorites of award-show nominating committees. Word about the superior talents of the Root Doctor group spread far beyond the Midwest. Not too long after Cadillac Club appeared and the band performed at the highly regarded Pocono Blues Festival, Greg left the band on good terms for a solo career. Walk That Fine Thin Line marks its auspicious beginning.
Music has been my consuming passion ever since my days as a teenaged street singer. Possessing a deeply expressive and soulful voice and an infectious enthusiasm for the blues, my band and I have developed a devoted and growing following.
My Blind Pig debut, “Treat Me Right”, fulfills the promise of my previous two releases, revealing an accomplished artist of rare polish and originality.
In the late sixties when America's youth was "rediscovering the Blues," Robin Rogers was "living the Blues." As a runaway teen trying to escape a troubled home, she made my way to cities like Richmond, Virginia; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Atlanta, Georgia, and Coconut Grove, Florida. Living the hippie lifestyle of the times, even sharing residence in a commune in Love Valley, North Carolina for one summer, sometimes sleeping in parks, under picnic tables and in abandoned cars.
After serving time as a juvenile in reform school for truancy and being out of parental control, I was released at age 15 to begin life on my own. It was a hard life for a young girl, and it wasn't long until I was addicted to drugs and alcohol and, thank goodness, to singing! I eventually learned to play guitar and began accompanying myself. I performed on the streets, at parties and coffee houses for food and tips, setting the stage for the emergence of an independent, strong-willed spirit and charismatic singer. After hearing the applause of strangers, I knew I was hooked! My goal was to make a living performing music, and this I have done for over 30 years now.
As fate would have it, I became drug and alcohol free in 1989 and began to turn my life around. I moved to North Carolina in 1990, performing in the Southeast area for the next ten years, recording, writing and enjoying music clean and sober for the first time in many years. I got involved with the Charlotte Blues Society in the mid-nineties. Shortly after that, I met and married fellow musician and Blues lover, Tony Rogers. We performed as an acoustic duo, with Tony playing guitar/dobro and myself on harmonica and percussion. It wasn't too long before I was heard by producer/musician, Jim Brock and was asked to do a CD which was released in 2001 entitled "Time For Myself," a contemporary Blues record which contains six originals penned by myself and Tony.
I signed with Blind Pig in 2008, and my debut release for the label, “Treat Me Right”, was issued in June of that year. It’s a showcase formy stylistic variety and passionate vocal intensity, from the rolling r&b title track to the jazzy “Nobody Stays” to the soulful groove of “Nobody’s Gonna Hurt You.” It also features perhaps my most powerful composition, "Color-Blind Angel", a moving account of the life and death of white civil rights worker Viola Liuzzo, who was assassinated by the KKK in 1965. "Color-Blind Angel" won second place in the blues category of the 2007 International Songwriters Competition.
Update: Robin Rogers
On December 15, 2010, Robin learned that she had been nominated for a prestigious Blues Music Award in the category of Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year. On December 16, Robin asked Tony to please travel to the Blues Music Awards presentation in Memphis on May 5to accept the award on her behalf if she won. On December 17, Robin passed away peacefully at home.
On May 5th, 2011 Robin won the Blues Female Artist of the Year. Those who knew her will all miss Robin terribly but it is comforting to know that her spirit is still with us and will live on forever through her music.
The Inflictors are fronted by psychedelic folk bluesman Cameron O'Hagan. For the last eighteen months Cameron has been building up a steady following with his solo shows. He's now decided its time to go full on electric and added a bassist, drummer and rhythm guitarist (who recently blew the doors off the King's Arms). If you like 60's Garage and Psych don't miss this band. Cameron O'Hagan mixes blues and folk with rock and roll and draws on influences from the guitar playing of past masters such as Page, Hendrix, Jansch and modern players like Squire and Marr combining this with lyrics rooted in the real and delivered with a growl. Moving around from city to city has seen him gain plaudits the country over and he is now forging a reputation for himself on the underground scene In Manchester in his new band, The Inflictors. With well crafted songs and a solid live set they are gaining more fans each time they take the stage..
In early 2003, lead singer of Epochate, Victor Love, met with friend and designer Grace Khold in Rome, Italy. Grace introduced Love to Darin Yevonde, who had a desire to start a band with Khold. Yevonde and Khold asked Love to front their band and he agreed. This was following Love's return from Finland, where he has since stated Finnish music as being an influence for him. In a later interview in 2009, Love has cited “Hanoi Rocks” and “HIM” as major Finnish influences. The name "Dope Stars Inc." soon followed with "Dope" coming from the leading tone of the band, "Stars" came from their upcoming status, and "Inc." coming from the industrial influence of their music. The trio soon found Brian Wolfram and all four converged to began casually writing a demo EP. The demo, "10,000 Watts of Artificial Pleasure", was self-produced and quickly sold out following the November 2003 release. Dope Stars Inc. was soon signed by Trisol Music Group and began working on their debut album.
Later, in 2005, the band released their debut album, //Neuromance, shortly before the releasing their second album. ://Neuromance was a two-disc bundle Digipack that contained 31 tracks. A few tracks were taken from 10,000 Watts of Artificial Pleasure, while many were original tracks. Soon after, the band was awarded with the title "Newcomer of the Month" by both Orkus and Sonic Seducer music magazines
Make a Star and Gigahearts(2005-2008)
Following the release of ://Neuromance, the band began working on a second EP, which was released one year after the full studio album. The EP, Make a Star, contained fewer tracks than their first EP and mainly consisted of remixes of the eponymous song, Make a Starcontaining five tracks of the full nine. Remixes included bands, L'âme Immortelle, Samsas Traum and The Birthday Massacre. Later in 2005, the band remixed labelmate Emilie Autumn's track Dead Is the New Alive with the title "Dead Is the New Alive (Manipulator Mix by Dope Stars Inc.)". This track was also included on the Saw IV Soundtrack. The band also did a second track for Autumn's "Liar (Machine Mix by Dope Stars Inc.)". Both these remixes were included on Autumn's EP Liar/Dead Is the New Alive, which was released in 2007.
Following the release of Make a Star, Dope Stars Inc. began working on their untitled second album. In 2006, Gigaheartswas released, again through Trisol Music Group, the same label as their debut album. Soon after, the band played at the 2006 M'era Luna Festival with about 40 other bands. A single from Gigahearts titled Beatcrusher was included on the Saw IV Soundtrack for the 2007 film Saw IV. This shot the band to a more mainstream audience, with gaining popularity. This would also mark the band's third appearance on a Saw soundtrack following a version of "Make a Star" included on the Saw II Soundtrack and the song "Getting Closer" being included on the Saw III Soundtrack. Their biggest appearance for the Saw franchise, however, was their live show at the premier of Saw III in Munich, which gained them many fans. This led to the band's inclusion in the 2007 Infest Festival along with other prominent bands including: Apoptygma Berzerk, Caustic, Faderhead, and Synnack. This was the band's second festival with other similar bands.
Criminal Intents/Morning Star and 21st Century Slave (2008-2010)
Dope Stars' third album and a third EP were both in production for over two years, the longest gap to date for the band to release music. On April 24, 2009, the band released their third EP, Criminal Intents/Morning Star. Rather than Trisol Music Group, who had been their label since 2003, the band released the EP under a new label, Subsound. Their song, "Lost", was remixed later in 2009 by The LoveCrave as the single "Lost (Remix for Dope Stars Inc.)". This was a recollaboration from 2007 when Dope Stars also mixed their song "Vampires (The Light That We Are)" into a song titled "Vampires (The Light That We Are) (Remixed By Victor Love / Dope Stars Inc.)" for a collection album released that year.
For their third album, the band continued to use Trisol Music Group and it was released on July 21, 2009. The album, 21st Century Slave, was the band's full breakthrough album and has earned mention in the industrial music industry, with much attention being spread online. The album was first released in Europe with North American and Australian releases following, along with other minor releases. The European and Italian versions of the album included artwork and lyric booklets. The North American and Japanese versions also included booklets, but with varying content. In addition, the North American version got a special edition jewel case with an exclusive 16-page booklet. All versions were released in July 2009. After release, the album received much attention from critics. Dom Smith of Sphere magazine wrote "While ’21st Century Slave’ doesn’t make any major adjustments to DSI’s tried and tested formula of monstrous cyberpunk, it’s certainly their most vibrant and accessible record to date."
Ultrawired (2010-present)
The band was initially expected to begin working on future projects sometime in 2010. Rather than continuing to use a drum machine for albums and live performances, the band is planning to hire a real drummer for their future projects. On July 7, 2010, the band opened A.Live Rock Festival in Barletta with Extrema and Skid Row as headliners.
In early 2011, the band released the single "Banksters" online with artwork and a remix by the band Angelspit. No official music video was made, but several fan-made videos were endorsed by the band and posted on their website. In March 2011, the band announced the title of their fourth album, Ultrawired, and released cover art for it. Rather than releasing the album commercially, they have decided to drop their records labels for this release and give it away as a free download. To cover expenses, Ketaware users can sell the album to donate to the band. Ultrawired was released on May 30, 2011.
Musical styles and influences
Victor Love has stated that his earliest inspiration for starting the band came from Finnish rock bands where they derive their original glam rock poise from. Specifically, Love named Hanoi Rocksand HIM as inspiration. Dope Stars' actual music are influenced heavily from '80s rock and pop bands such as Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses. In contrast, Love stated that the lyrical content has little to do with 80's music.
The band has maintained a "hardcore industrial" tone with emphasis on technology and cyberpunk imagery. Noting differences in the social standards, Love has felt that he did not want to imitate earlier bands with irony just to sell more records. Keeping with a technological style, the band has focused on the strength of computers and society's overdependance on them. The title of their third album, 21st Century Slave, is derived from the idea of falling slave to technology
A group made up of brothers and childhood friends, Run The Red Light formed on the notion of pushing each other past their inhibitions. The result merges the intensity of heavy riff-rock with the sensibility of atmospheric brit-pop. The band's upcoming debut EP was recorded live off the floor at Supernatural Sound Studios near Portland, Oregon. Vocals and finishing touches were added in the band's studio space in Vancouver, Canada.
Before recording was complete, an early mix of Run The Red Light's track "In Too Far" won a Lennon Award for Rock song of the year in the international John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Following a a sold-out local CD release party at the legendary Richards On Richards in Vancouver and several regional tours, the group supported Stone Temple Pilots at Save on Foods Arena in Victoria, Canada at the end of 2009. The debut EP will be available worldwide on iTunes and a range of digital carriers in January 2010.
Roddy Doyle wrote that “the Irish are the blacks of Europe and Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland and the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin”. Born in Donaghmede on Dublin’s Northside in 1975, Damien Dempsey is the voice of that underclass and the quintessential Irish singer songwriter.
An imposing six foot two, Dempsey is a former amateur boxer and a survivor of street gang culture. His youthful audience identify with a singer who has emerged from the rough working class streets with his powerful self belief intact. And his lyrics - “Stevie smashed the delf / ‘cause he can’t express himself / He’s consumed by rage / Like his father at his age” - speak of their shared childhood experiences.
But the optimism that he reaches for amidst Ireland’s industrial and social collapse - “I can see the evil, but I can feel the good, shining out to greet me” - is an inspiration to his burgeoning troubled audience. His concerts can be almost spiritual occasions – his fans sing along to every word and look to him as a leader for expressing such intense social and cultural concerns. Dempsey is reminiscent of Terry Malloy the prize fighter turned longshoreman in Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront – a man whose conscience forces him to speak the truth, despite the consequences of his honesty.
The Times recently described Dempsey as “the Bob Marley of Ireland”; a comparison which holds true when one witnesses the devotion of his audience and his charismatic presence on stage. “Going to a Damien Dempsey show was like stumbling on a secret society” observed David Sinclair. “The audience greeted him like a superstar.” His singular stage presence was nurtured by the legendary Irish Folk singer Christy Moore who in mentoring a shy, young Dempsey advised him, “if you’re nervous, tell the audience you’re nervous”. Dempsey concludes “the audience has always been with me. They feel what I feel.”
Since his first concerts in 1995 Dempsey has come to be regarded as the pre-eminent Irish singer songwriter. The Irish Examiner wrote that “he now stands as one of the most important and evocative Irish singers of all time.” Morrissey, who was deeply moved by Dempsey, declared that “to hear him sing is to realise the magnitude of his astounding voice and heart. The songs are true, and his is the best and often the saddest voice of this generation.” And it’s a generation that Dempsey is compelled to speak up for: “the kids have no religion now, nothing to look up to. I try to teach them about their history and lead them towards spirituality, give them some light and some purpose”
Yet Dempsey’s music and vision extend far beyond Ireland itself. He speaks to Africans, Aborigines, the dispossessed and underprivileged, never more poignantly that on his 2005 song “Colony” - “how many years and sure still we’re not free, and your mother cries and you ask God why. Greed is the knife and the scars run deep, how many races with much reason weep. And your children cry and you ask God why.” Dempsey has travelled on his with his guitar throughout Australia, and America and his empathy for the people he's seen is palpable. “Those people [the aborigines] have a spirit that we have almost lost. They have kept a spirituality that we’re not preserving.”
But it was with Shots in 2005 that Dempsey delivered his masterpiece and his defining album. Backed by Eno, John Reynolds and Justin Adams, the music achieved a new finesse and songs like “Sing All Our Cares Away” and “Not on Your Own Tonight” were bracing views of Irish society that were both shocking and compassionate. On “Colony” he spoke of the bloody colonization of the world and identified his own countrymen with the indigenous people of Africa, Australia and America: “They raped, robbed, pillaged, enslaved and murdered / Jesus Christ was their God and they done it in his name / So he could take the blame if it's not all a game / With bible in one hand and a sword in the other / They came to purify my land of my Gaelic Irish mothers / And fathers, and sisters and brothers” The Times described it as “a powerful fierce polemic, sung with quivery emotion”. His mentor Christy Moore observed that “Damien uses his own language; he's not looking to Hollywood for his vernacular” and proudly added, “when Damien reaches where he is going to reach everyone will say 'we always knew he'd make it - we've always loved him from the very start'.” The album topped the Irish charts and went Platinum. He released his first live album, Live at the Olympia which captured the enthusiasm of a wild Dublin audience. He then toured the USA coast to coast and was honored as Best Irish Male at 2006's Meteor Awards.
In 2007 he released To Hell or Barbados, which debuted at number two in the Irish charts. It was a harder edged record that opened with the brutal “Maasai”; “When I die / I want to die / Not in a home built for the unknown / But by the hand of a Maasai / When I love / I want to love / Not like some swine with no semblance of spine / But like a flower loves sunshine.” The album’s title referred to the 50,000 Irish sent as slaves to Barbados by Oliver Cromwell in the 1600’s. The Guardian stated that “To Hell or Barbados confirms Dempsey’s position as one of Ireland’s great singer-songwriters”. The album debuted at number one in the Irish charts and won him the Best Irish Male award at the Meteors for a second year running (he has won six Meteor Awards to date).
In 2008 he recorded a set of traditional songs with the Dubliners for his fifth album, The Rocky Road. Mojo wrote that “listening to the ancient folk anthems like 'Kelly from Killan' and 'The Hot Asphalt' it’s like hearing a social history set to music, but the arrangements lend the performances a stirring mix of grit and grace”. Dempsey said that he recorded the album not for the old folk music guard but the teenagers who came to his shows; “I have a lot of very young fans, so naturally these kids are gonna hear all these timeless songs that they may not have heard otherwise. I want to give the young kids an alternative to the new MTV generation, gangster rap, Britney Spears and maybe get them interested in their own history through music”.
The live tour that followed demonstrated that Dempsey had equaled and surpassed most of his peers, The Guardian noting that Dempsey’s “musical heroes are now his admirers”. He had become the most vibrant and vital Irish live performer working today. Having played with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, U2 and The Pogues, Dempsey’s stage craft and voice had become so powerful that it prompted Bono to say “when he opens his mouth - it's like the end of the world."
After returning this summer from an extensive furlough in South East Asia and Australia, where he was invited by Brian Eno to perform a sell out concert at Sydney Opera House as part Eno’s inaugural Luminous Festival, Dempsey was asked by U2 to support them at the Croke Park concert in Ireland. He has begun recording his sixth album with John Reynolds. It promises to consolidate his position as one of Ireland’s greatest ever songwriters. As Shane MacGowan recently explained “It's great music and it’s great lyrics. It's angry and it's humorous. He sees the beauty that is Ireland and that is Ireland's past and that can be Ireland's future.”
"It (To Hell or Barbados) confirms Dempsey's position as one of Ireland's great singer-songwriters" - The Guardian (London)
"...one of the greatest songwriters of his generation" - Irish Abroad (USA)
"To Hell or Barbados is folk and roots rock with substance, with the sound of Ireland mixed in for good measure. A most intriguing cocktail." - Billboard
"It's clear from the first moment he sings a note that Damien Dempsey is one astonishingly gifted individual" -The Daily Express, London - 5* review of To Hell or Barbados
"...whip-smart lyrical tours de force...his songwriter's eye for detail astounds.." - HOT PRESS (Shots)
"A phenomenal voice..." - Sunday Times (Seize the Day)
"...Dempsey's arrow-true voice has a liquid quality...this is bold, compelling stuff" - Mojo (Shots)
"...not for the faint hearted...extraordinary" - Q (Shots )
"This is a hearty, fraternal embrace of an album" - Telegraph (Shots)
"If you need to be convinced, look no further; Damien Dempsey is the real thing" -Hotpress (Live at the Olympia)
"...the future of Irish songwriting is in good hands" -Irish American News (Shots)
"...America is about to hear a voice she will not want to forget" - Irish Voice(Shots)
Shy-Anne is an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and performer from Northwestern Ontario who began singing at the age of three and has been performing on stage since, she was nine years old. Shy-Anne is a natural born performer whose talents shine in multiple genres, who has found her niche and passion in the realm of “Country Music”.
Her third album “Interwoven Roots” will be released on June 25th, 2012, in conjunction with the debut video release for one of the albums single releases, called “The Glue”.
Shy-Anne’s debut album “Black Thunderbird” sold several thousand copies and was nominated for 15 music awards. The sales of her second album “Pseudo” that won two music awards, have eclipsed the sales of her debut album and garnered her a lucrative licensing deal for the song “Can’t Change The World” in the “Blackstone” TV series. Shy-Anne’s song titled “Too Young Too Late”, has been licensed to the Ministry of Transportation Ontario and will be incorporated in their new 2012 advertising campaign against texting and driving.
She has appeared on various television shows including Breakfast Television & Global News and has been interviewed by numerous radio stations across Canada including CBC Radio. She has garnered more than 125,000 views of her original music on her YouTube channel, that hosts seven original music videos.
Shy-Anne was selected as a spotlight performer for the “Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards” in 2010 and in 2008, where she performed at the RBC Centre and Winnipeg MTS Center, respectively. She was chosen to be the Master of Ceremonies for the 2009 “Aboriginal Youth Achievement Awards” and inspired those around her, as the keynote speaker at many significant youth events. Her song “Can’t Change the World” won a coveted spot in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 World Interfaith G-8 Summit. She performed as the headline act for the 2010 Indigenous Festival with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and as the opening act for the 2010 Winnipeg Music Festival. This year, Shy-Anne will also be travelling to Brazil to perform as the headlining act at the “International Earth Concert”.
Shy-Anne has also embarked on three previous Inter-Provincial & Multi-Provinicial tours of Canada, winning the hearts of her fans and admirers. She is currently booking her fourth tour to support her new album, including shows with the “Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra” that will showcase material from her new album release. Complete tour dates to be announced.
She has performed as the featured soloist for the Thunder Bay Symphony under David Bowser and has won numerous awards for her performances at many Classical Musical Festivals. Shy-Anne holds, an “Honours Bachelor of Music” and “Bachelor of Education” degrees from Lakehead University and was featured as a soloist for the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. She also directs a community choir, is an accredited “Royal Conservatory of Music” teacher and educates in the Ojibwe language in her home community, when she isn’t touring.
Multi-talented, Canadian alt-rockers GLO released a new CD entitled “No One Hears Me”. The album is a strong blend of unyielding melodic prowess with catchy, fast-paced anthems, as well as beautiful flowing ballads that redefine the modern rock genre. No One Hears Me was recorded with the help of platinum-certified record producer John Nathaniel. It is a libidinously sweaty commingling of three extraordinarily talented musicians and is not to be missed. No One Hears Me was released in April 2012.
Comprised of Eddie Mazzola (guitarist / keyboardist & bassist), Patrick Rowan (drummer) and Riccardo "Rick" Cordi (vocalist / rhythm guitars), GLO has had much success in Canada with their previous album called On The Outside. The lead single off that album - "Move Along" - took over the rock charts for four solid months — an accomplishment by any standards, let alone one for a completely autonomous band. Every recording on their previous CD — including the song "Move Along" was tracked, produced and engineered in Mazzola's own studio, but for the final mix the group turned to veteran Los Angeles producer/engineer Paul Lani (Red Hot Chili Peppers & Megadeth).
"GLO's new material should take them into a new stratosphere of international recognition. These guys are ready for prime time." - Rob Braide ~ Stingray Digital
“GLO is another thing for Canada to be proud of.” – Chad McDonald ~ Rock 102
"I've been listening to your music, "Move Along" and "Muse"....Great stuff..." - Brad Gillis ~ Guitarist for Night Ranger, 2011 World Tour With JOURNEY and FOREIGNER
GLO Highlights:
WIth a judging panel that included The Cure, Tori Amos, Massive Attack, Keane, and Ozzy,and with over 16,000 entries, GLO's song "Into My Arms" was selected as semi-finalist in presitgious International Songwriting Competition
