Refrain Magazine - Northern Plains Music » December 2009

10,000 Lakes Festival on Indefinite Hiatus

Janie Franz — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:22:16 +0000

Dave Weissman, the publicist for 10KLF, announced today that the 10,000 Lakes Festival will not be held in 2010. Though his press release indicates that the festival might return sometime, the indications are there that this festival sang its swan song last year.

In my conversations with the festival owners over the seven years it’s been in existence, I was given the impression that though numbers were lower than some other festivals, that was just fine with the owners because they appreciated the scenic location of the festival and none of the problems mega festivals like Bonaroo has had. However, financial reason were named as the reason this festival will not return.

Here is what the official press release said: Rose Presents, one of the principal partners in the 10,000 Lakes Festival, announced today that 10KLF would be on official hiatus until further notice. Unfortunately, 10KLF could not grow to financial success.

Festival promoter Rand Levy states, “We want you to know we have heard your voices as community and the 10,000 Lakes Festival wants to deeply thank all of our fans, artists and attendees for seven amazing years at Soo Pass Ranch. While 10,000 Lakes will be on hiatus for 2010, we believe that the music never stops. It can’t, you make it possible.

“The organizers of 10KLF love our ardent fans and we will do our best to keep the music coming. We will strive for better days ahead. We will certainly notify you when Rose Presents promotes like-minded events.”

Any questions and comments may be directed to info@10klf.com.

Lost Angel Crew Releases New Album

Janie Franz — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:58:17 +0000

Some of you out there may remember The Lost Angel Crew™ when they played here in the region. WestKoast and his brother Lobes may have felt that they were indeed lost little angels far away from LA, the City of Angels, when they started rhyming here in North Dakota. They scored a record deal with LatinThug Records and now their debut album, Hello My Name Is…, is finally here.

The first edition of hard copies are available only at www.thelostangelcrew.com or at a live show! This album features B-Real of Cypress Hill and Brevi in “The Harvest” and 2MEX of The Visionaries in “The Beat,” plus new artist debuts and Executive Production by one of the most highly regarded producers in the game Charlie Mizza of Charlie Mizza Productions™.

The Lost Angel Crew™ pitched their rhymes in the region for four years, beginning in 2004 and garnered fans in Fargo as the interest in hip-hop has grown. They came to the notice of Cypress Hill Records and inked a deal that many MC s could only dream of, but that deal was tabled and were picked up by LatinThug Records, which is a much better fit for them.

WestKoast was a battle rapper in high school back in LA, taking on any and every rhyming competitor around. “I wasn’t trying to make music or anything at the time,” he says. He continued to rhyme when he followed a friend out to North Dakota.

Then, he challenged his brother Lobes. “I was teasing him one day about it to see if he wanted to try and write some rhymes.” And Lobes did. “I realized he was kicking some serious verses,”says WestKoast. “I brought him out here with me for a couple of years and told him, ‘We’ll give it five years.’” He was counting on something serious to happen if they stayed dedicated to it.

They did a cut on B-Real’s mix tape on Cypress Hill, and thought that they could approach the company to help them with distribution of their own albums. During a conference call with the president of Cypress Hill, Fred Sherman, they were stunned. Instead of a distribution deal, they were offered a record contract and set the wheels in motion for them to work on kicking out a single that would grab national attention. “If we can make that big song,” says Lobes, “it will attract a lot of attention, get everybody’s ears going, listening, trying to figure out who’s the name.”

In our region, The Lost Angel Crew™ were a hot item when they last performed here in 2008 and WestKoast said back then, “Everybody in town is doing hip-hop, but right now it’s just barely being accepted here. It’s still not all the way there, but we’ve made a really, really big difference since we started doing hip-hop here….A lot of bars that you wouldn’t expect to allow hip-hop in love to have hip-hop there because of the crowds it brings.”

What these guys pump out isn’t gangsta rap or anything you’ll see on commercial MTV or BET, though they will admit they have some familiarity with it. “We come from gangland,” WestKoast says. “We grew up around the hoods. We’ve been around gangs all of our lives. We don’t like that stuff per se, but we know it and we’re familiar with it. So we can relate to some of that music. But what we’re trying to do is combine the two, combine the street smarts and the street credibility with a message, man. Because we both got kids, we’re trying to say something.”

They say they are fighting for the roots of hip-hop. “At the same time, we’re fighting for our whole family,” says Lobes. He and WestKoast come from a large extended Hispanic family. Lobes sees the message helping to elevate them. “Right now, we have people in LA hat are so happy for our success that it’s bringing everybody to a better space to be. We hope to help everyone in the future and help our kids as well.”

And their songs are indeed different. “We’re MCs, not rappers….We want to be more on the intellectual level when we rhyme,” says WestKoast. “We want to bring it back to its roots, to get it away from cat-pat-hat-rat-sat. That’s not intelligent. That’s not articulate. That’s not interesting. I read that stuff to my kids when I put them to bed. We’re adults here. Let’s be a little more intellectual about what we’re saying. That’s how we entertain people. We entertain them with the complexity of our delivery and our rhyme style.”

For a time, WestKoast and Lobes were bringing out family members to this region, offering them a taste of North Dakota honesty and Minnesota nice. Their cousin Deviate Minded sometimes performed with them as a trio of MCs.

To be sure The Lost Angel Crew™ and their music has not been watered down by their experience in this region. Back in LA now, they are standing up with the best and are always performing.

Currently, WestKoast owns an independant label, ILL-EGO Entertainment, and is looking to solidify his position as an entrepreneur and CEO in all genres of the music industry. Meanwhile, he and The Lost Angel Crew™ are enjoying their relationship with LatinThug Records. That label was founded in 2004 and is the recognized leader in West Coast hip hop and rap. Their initial launch was the Ghetto Therapy album from The Reyes Brothers, (real life brothers) Sen Dog of Cypress Hill and Mellow Man Ace, the godfather of Latin Rap. That album featured appearances by Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and even the Bishop Don “Magic” Juan. They have since released over 20 albums and spurred the re-launch of Latin Thug Wear clothing and are developing several television and film projects.

You can get your copy of Hello My Name Is… at the The Lost Angel Crew™ website, www.thelostangelcrew.com . It costs $11.99 w/free shipping. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery and pay now via paypal/credit card. Get autographed edition for $20 (please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery on autographed copies) or if you are ever in LA, you can catch them live and get your copy that way. (The guys played the House of Blues in San Diego last summer!)

SISTER HAZEL’S MOUNTAIN STAGE APPEARANCE TO AIR WEEKEND OF DECEMBER 11th

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:02:02 +0000

Sister Hazel, the five-piece rock band from Gainesville, Florida, continues to promote their latest album, “Release,” which debuted at #37 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart in August. The appearance they taped in November at Mountain Stage (www.mountainstage.org) on will air the weekend of December 11th – 13th, 2009. A complete list of stations that air Mountain Stage can be found at: http://www.mountainstage.org/mtnstageaffiliates.aspx. The following week, their set will be posted at http://www.NPR.org/mountainstage and archived for continued access.

Their “Release” tour continues (please see tour dates below), and while in Chicago, Sister Hazel will perform the national anthem for the Chicago Bulls/Atlanta Hawks basketball game on December 19th. The band will also be hosting the 10th annual Rock Boat aboard the Carnival Inspiration, which hits the high seas January 7 – 11, 2010. This time, the boat sails from Tampa to Cozumel, Mexico. Sister Hazel co-founded the cruise with Sixthman in 2001.

The band’s online presence continues to grow: they have over 654,000 followers on Twitter (@sisterhazelband). All five band members update their Twitter feed regularly, with everything from information about upcoming appearances, shows, and special offers to fans; the five guys also offer fans a glimpse into more personal thoughts regarding their interests, hobbies, what it’s like to be in a touring band, and their families.

Holiday Downloads

Janie Franz — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:52:56 +0000

It truly must be the season of giving. I have sooooo many more free downloads for you all. I'll start with the holiday ones.

HOLIDAY MUSIC

Nicholas Mrozinski & the Feelin Band

Nicolas has a FREE Mp3 Download gifts to share with you in the spirit of giving and the holiday season. It is Nicholas’ rendition of the classic holiday gem, “O Holy Night.” This one is free every day, all day, so make sure to get it and feel the good vibrations of holiday times. This Song was contributed to the Charity CD “Best of the Midwest” Christmas Jams. The proceeds of the album go to various Minnesota Food Shelves. This one is spectacular!

http://thefeelin.com/music-group-8.html

William Fitzsimmons--photo Timn Gaylord

William Fitzsimmons

Downtown/Mercer Street Records artist William Fitzsimmons has made his holiday song “Covered in Snow” available on iTunes. “Covered In Snow,” which is streaming on his MySpace, is an honest reflection on his father who left home at Christmas time. When asked to comment on the song’s meaning to him, William said he wrote it “with the hope of mending the memories of the holiday and restoring my faith in the season.” http://www.myspace.com/williamfitzsimmons Buy on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/covered-in-snow-single/id341657077



Brett Dennen
Brett Dennen’s holiday song "The Holidays are Here (We're Still at War)" from the Vanguard holiday collection is available as a free download here:
https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=Z01QRFFWT01PSHdLSkE9PQ
<https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=Z01QRFFWT01PSHdLSkE9PQ%20>
He also is asking his friends to do something extra special at his “White Elephant” holiday concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles this Saturday, December 12. Brett is asking fans coming to the show to participate in gift exchange. Fans are to bring a small gift and during the show, Brett will ask each fan  to trade presents with his or her neighbor. He suggests that fans pick something up at a local record store and share the gift of music you love with another fan
www.brettdennen.net


Orba Squara 
Orba Squara (www.orbasquara.com) has three seasonal songs available for download. Mitch Davis has recorded the new original “What I Want For Christmas” and his cover of Elvis’ “Blue Christmas.” Also available is the timely new single “Very Very (Snow in June)” from his album The Trouble With
Flying.

“What I Want For Christmas and “Blue Christmas” are on Orba’s iLike page available for download, embedding and streaming: http://www.ilike.com/artist/Orba+Squara/songs
“Blue Christmas” on iTunes:http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-blue-christmas-single/id206554056
From The Trouble With Flying, download “Very Very (Snow in June)”
Tiny URL link: http://tinyurl.com/Orba-VVSnow


Jer Coons--phote Ben Bloom


Jer Coons
Debut artist Jer Coons (www.jercoons.com) offers his thoughts on the season with “White Snow,” which includes the line “when I hear Deck the Halls, it drives me up the walls”…when love goes bad at Christmas. This track is not on his debut album Speak, but available for download.
Download “White Snow”
https://www.yousendit.com/download/MVNkOU1iTERlcEpMWEE9PQ
(Tiny URL link: http://tinyurl.com/JC-Snow)



Steve Wariner 
Just in time for the holidays, Steve Wariner has released a new single called “Feels Like Christmas Time,” written by Wariner and Rick Carnes. Along with the new song, Wariner prepared a short video clip demonstrating how he added the guitar parts to the recording.  The video can be viewed on 
www.stevewariner.com. 


Moneypenny--photo Joe Reyes


Moneypenny
Chicago-based electro duo Moneypenny are putting the finishing touches on a great year by offering up a FREE holiday single AND special holiday mixtape to the masses. The 2-sided single features Moneypenny's reworking of the classic “Peanuts” Christmas song “Christmas Time Is Here” as the A-Side and a cover of the much-loved Joy Division song “Love Will Tear Us Apart” as the B-Side, while the mixtape comes as the final installment of Moneypenny's Spandexxx monthly mixtape series of 2009, complete with yule tide cheer to keep you warm this holiday season. 

You can download those here:
http://www.enpriseentertainment.com/moneypenny/music/christmastimeishere.mp3
and 
http://www.enpriseentertainment.com/moneypenny/music/lovewilltearusapart.mp3

and the Spandexxx mixtape that features Louis Armstrong and many, many more artists here:
http://www.enpriseentertainment.com/moneypenny/SPANDEXXXMASMixtape09.mp3


Joe Bonamassa
Bluesman Joe Bonamassa is offering a free MP3 download of  “Merry Christmas Baby” to fans who 
visit his online store. The song normally costs 99cents but is free using the coupon code #1fan. He also offers 30% off on holiday packages. 
http://www.jbonamassa.com/jbstore

OTHER MUSIC


T-MODEL FORD
Alive Naturalsound Records is pleased to announce the release of T-MODEL FORD's The Ladies Man on January 12th, 2010. T-Model is 80-something years old and he's been playing guitar in the style of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, but with his own nuances. In fact, he doesn't tune like most folks, creating a unique sound with what he has coined "open T" tuning. 

The Ladies Man is T-Model Ford's seventh acoustic album. Recorded at Planet Sound Studios in Wichita, Kansas, the album is the product of a live, one-take afternoon session with no overdubs and minimal mixing. T wanted to play acoustic guitar and have 100% control over the record, and everyone involved in the project agreed he should do it the way he wanted. The result is pure T Model, with some newer young musician-friends playing along with him.

You can get a Free MP3 of the track “Two Trains” here: 
http://www.alivenergy.com/T-Model_Ford_MP3_Two_Trains.html

Signal Path

Clash by Signal Path—Go here http://clash.signalpathmusic.com for the immediate download of 11-track album in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire. Some of this material has been curing in our vault for up to 2 years, other songs are brand new. Either way we’re very excited to introduce to you Signal Path’s latest musical expression- totally free of charge. If you are a seasoned Signal Path fan, you may find this material to be very exploratory and different.

Galactic

On February 2,Galactic will release their groundbreaking new album,Ya-Ka-May, a visionary mix of intertwining New Orleans sounds from jazz to brass band to funk and the distinctive gender bending regional hip hop known as “bounce.” Vocals are provided by an eclectic roster of area legends including Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas, as well as emerging underground bounce artists like Cheeky Blakk, Big Freedia, and Sissy Nobby.

You can preview the first song off the record, a wicked reinvention of soulful blues called “Dark Water,” featuring vocals by award wining New Orleans native John Boutte, currently available for download at http://www.anti.com/galactic/

And beginning in the New Year, Galactic will embark on an ambitious tour, taking their one of a kind energetic live show to venues across North America, including an appearance April 9 at Cabooze in Minneapolis, MN.

Cloud Cult--photo Cody York

Cloud Cult

They Live on the Sun + Aurora Borealis double-disc reissue was released on Tuesday, December 8th! Cloud Cult has re-envisioned, remastered, and remixed two of their earlier albums, and this reissue will contain previously unreleased bonus tracks. The albums are out of print, and are currently only available for purchase at live gigs and in select independent record stores. With this double-disc reissue, fans nationwide will be able to have copies of their very own for the first time ever!

You can check out an exclusive video on KEXP and enter a giveaway for your chance to win a copy of the reissue here: http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2009/11/10/cloud-cult-giveaway-exclusive-live-video

Cazals

The British band, Cazals, is splitting. As a parting gift to fans, Cazals will be releasing remixes of “Life is Boring” on limited edition vinyl through Insound on December 8. You can get a free MP3 of that song here:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/693430043cde84ff

and you can see a great video of the band here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRstyBy_H74

Woodhands

Woodhands (Dan Werb and Paul Banwatt) a synth and drums duo that is injecting electro-pop with a dose of glam rock swagger. Known for their vivid live performances, free from the calculable presence of pre-recorded samples, laptops or other safety nets so aptly found in so many of their contemporaries, Woodhands compiles original dance tracks that rise forth from the pain of their own blood, sweat, and tears. This innovative two-piece rely on monstrous drum patterns, speedy keytar licks, and punk rock lyricism guaranteed to overheat any room with a threshold of sound and complexity. Since the 2008 release of their debut album Heart Attack, Woodhands has received impressive accolades for both their recorded work and their relentless live performances.

The offer a free MP3 here:

http://paperbagrecords.com/mp3s/Woodhands_Pockets.mp3

NDMOA Hosts Human Rights Symposium

Janie Franz — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:30:33 +0000

The North Dakota Museum of Art (NDMOA) is hosting a human right symposium beginning Sunday November 29 and running through Wednesday December 2. It will feature lectures, concerts, readings, and some incomparable art.

As prelude to this four-day event, the museum opened the critically acclaimed exhibition The Disappeared, curated by Museum Director Laurel Reuter, on Thursday, November 19. This haunting exhibit debuted at the North Dakota Museum of Art in March 2005. In its current form, it presents the work of 27 artists, some with solo work, some with collaborative pieces, who understand all too well what “to disappear” means in Latin American countries where citizens lived under military dictatorships during the 1970s. In this context, persons thought to be threats to the government were kidnapped and brutally tortured and often killed. Many in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay were never heard from again.

Some of the artists had family members had family members who were disappeared;others worked in the resistance; still others fled. And, some were born after their countries overcame their dictators and others still live were wars still rage. As a flyer for the exhibit explains: “Through their art, these artists fight amnesia in their own countries as a stay against such atrocities happening again.”

Since 2005, this exhibit has toured five Latin American countries and four U.S. Cities, including New York. In April 2007, it mounted a three year tour throughout both North and South America with a bilingual catalog of the work. The NY Times wrote the exhibit when it was mounted at El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem that spring saying: “From Ms. Reuter’s stunning essay to the supplementary material, it is a total- immersion emotional experience……And why is it that an on-the-road exhibition from a small museum in the Midwest is the most potent show of contemporary art, political or otherwise, in town? All I can say is that curators in our local museums should pay a visit, and ask themselves that question.”

With The Disappeared as the cornerstone for the human rights symposium, NDMOA has brought in scholars, musicians, and activists to broaden our awareness of other human rights issues in other parts of the world. On Sunday, November 29 at 4 pm, Laurel Reuter, curator of The Disappeared, will give a tour and lecture about the exhibition.

Then at 5 pm, Father Jack Davis, a priest who was born in Devils Lake ND and who has spent his life in service to the poor in Chimbote, Peru, will speak about life there during the Shining Path movement.

At Monday noon, Father Jack will host a conversation with Dr. Jack Weinstein, Founding Director of the Institute of Philosophy in Public Life.

That evening, Ishmael Beah, former child soldier from Sierra Leone, will read from his New York Times bestselling book , A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, and will give a lecture. He is a UNICEF advocate for Children Affected by War, a member of the Human Rights Watch Children’s Advisory Committee, Advisory board member of the Center for the Study of Youth and Political Violence at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Co–Founder of The Network for Young People Affected by War (NYPAW), and President of the Ishmael Beah Foundation. He earned a BA in Political Science from Oberlin College in Ohio and presently lives in Brooklyn.

Tuesday’s events continue to put an additional human spin on life in areas of hardship and violence as refugees now living in Grand Forks share their personal stories. Laurel Reuter will lead another exhibition tour of The Disappeared in the afternoon and Cristian Correa, Senior Associate for the International Center for Transitional Justice, will give a lecture. Correa previously was Legal Advisor to the Commission for Human Rights Policies of the Presidency of the Republic of Chile that was created to investigate and provide remedies for the errors made on the identification of remains of the disappeared and to suggest reparation policies for victims of human rights violations.

The evening will be rounded out with a multi-media performance by pianist and composer Sarah Cahill at the Empire Arts Center. She will perform “A Sweeter Music,” a new project she developed with video artist John Sanborn. The project’s title is from Dr. Martin Luther King’s Nobel Lecture where he said: “We must see that peace represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody, that is far superior to the discords of war.” Cahill took this idea and commissioned a diverse group of composers to write new works about war and peace that Sanborn would respond to in video.

Some of those composers followers of classical music might know, such as Larry Polansky (a guitarist, mandolin player, professor at Dartmouth, and a non-pop new music composer), Terry Riley (associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music), Frederic Rzewski (a pianist and composer), and even Meredith Monk (a performer, director, vocalist, film-maker, and choreographer who has composed multi-disciplinary works). But Cahill also included Paul Dresher (minimalist composer with world music influences), Carl Stone (composer of live electronic music), The Residents (avant-garde, noise rock, and experimental music), Pauline Oliveros (a composer and accordionist), Bernice Johnson Reagon (founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock), and Yoko Ono (who no one ever said was lyrical, but certainly was a peace activist).

Cahill’s performance Tuesday will consist of six to eight piano compositions performed with a 3-channel, 3-screen synchronized video projection for each composition.

The final day of the symposium will feature a live interview for radio broadcast at 10 pm, hosted by Dr. Jack Weinstein with Sarah Cahill, Emmanuel Jal, Father Jack Davis and Cristian Correa. At noon, the UND Memorial Union will host a screening of War Child, a documentary detailing the life of Emmanuel Jal, another child soldier, and his return to Sudan 17 years after his exile. Laurel Reuter will give one final tour of The Disappeared in the afternoon. And, in the evening Emmanuel Jal will offer a hip-hop performance and lecture at the Empire Arts Center, and will sign his book, War Child, at NDMOA.

[For more about Emmanuel Jal, see the companion piece I wrote this summer for Biermag.com reprised here on Refrain.]

Here is the complete human rights symposium schedule. All events at NDMOA, unless otherwise noted.

Sunday, November 29

4 pm – Laurel Reuter, curator of The Disappeared will lead an exhibition tour.

5 pm – Father Jack Davis will speak about life in Peru during the Shining Path movement. Reception to follow.

Monday, November 30

12 pm – Father Jack Davis in conversation with Dr. Jack Weinstein, Founding Director of the Institute of Philosophy in Public Life.

[1:30 pm – Ishmael Beah will speak with middle and high school students, $2 student tickets]

7 pm – Ishmael Beah reading and lecture at the Empire Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Reception and book signing to follow at the North Dakota Museum of Art.

Tuesday, December 1

12 pm – Stories From Those Who Live Among Us: Refugees in North Dakota. Refugees now living in Grand Forks will share personal stories.

4 pm – Laurel Reuter, curator of The Disappeared will lead an exhibition tour.

6 pm – Cristian Correa lecture

8 pm – Sarah Cahill performance, The Empire Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults

Wednesday, December 2

10 am – Dr. Jack Weinstein interview for radio broadcast with Sarah Cahill, Emmanuel Jal, Father Jack Davis and Cristian Correa. Free and open to the public.

12 pm – Screening of War Child, a documentary detailing the life of Emmanuel Jal and his return to Sudan 17 years after his exile, UND Student Union

4 pm – Laurel Reuter, curator of The Disappeared, will lead a tour of the exhibition.

7 pm – Emmanuel Jal performance and lecture, The Empire Arts Center Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Reception and book signing to follow at the North Dakota Museum of Art.

Tickets for Beah’s reading and talk, Cahill’s performance, and Jal’s performance and lecture, which will be held at the Empire Arts Center, Grand Forks ND, are available by calling NDMOA at 701-777-4195. All other events are free and open to the public.

The Symposium is underwritten by Jean Dean Holland, and cosponsored by Amnesty International and the Multicultural Awareness Committee, a Division of Student Government.

Emmanuel Jal

Janie Franz — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:22:06 +0000

I wrote this story in June, and it was printed in July of this year under the title, “The Long Journey of Emmanuel Jal” on Biermag.com. It currently is showing an incorrect byline……..

Once in a while I am awestruck by a story and Emmanuel Jal’s is the stuff of legends. It begins in Sudan, a land of extremes—deserts, swamps, rainforests. The largest country in Africa, it has a long history of conflict from other nations, even from its early beginnings as ancient Kush and later Nubia. In modern times, though, Sudan has been plagued by internal civil wars that have produced unimaginable horrors. Born into this nightmare was Emmanuel Jal.

Though it was difficult enough as a villager to live in the midst of war, suffering famine and raids on their home, Jal was taken from his family, as many young boys were, to fill the ranks of the rebel armies. The cause may have been just: independence from a tyrannical government that engaged in wholesale slavery and discrimination against non-Muslims. But that idealism was lost on a seven-year-old boy, though anger and hatred at his oppressors was ever present. Jal and hundreds of other boys were marched to Ethiopia to begin training in discipline and handling a gun.

After six years of war, Jal joined 400 of his comrades, who became known as the Lost Boys, and deserted the rebel camps to flee across Sudan to a a refugee camp in Waat in the southern part of the country. Only 16 survived that long journey, and Jal was one that did. Here, his life changed dramatically.

Emma McCune, a 23-year-old British Foreign Aid worker, had come to Sudan at about the time Jal had started his military training. She stayed for a short time and returned six years later to teach for the British organization Volunteer Services Overseas and later for the UNICEF-funded Canadian organization Street Kids International, which built or re-opened more than 100 village schools in southern Sudan. Through her efforts, she rescued more than 150 children of war in the country. At Waat, she found Emmanual Jal and smuggled him into Nairobi. Unfortunately, she died in a car crash hardly a year after rescuing the boy.

Married to Riek Machar, one of two leading southern guerrilla commanders, Emma and her bravery in Sudan inspired a book, Emma’s War, written by a journalist friend Deborah Scroggins. The book is also coming to the screen in 2011, starring Nicole Kidman, amid some objections from McCune’s family because they feel it sensationalizes (and possibly scandalizes) Emma’s life.

Supported by the McCune family, Jal was able to stay in school in Kenya where he was safe. He became a Christian and started singing in a gospel choir. He sang in concerts in the church and in the local school. He discovered American hip-hop in Kenya. The growing African hip-hop movement was just beginning, and Jal was able to connect with that, too. “I didn’t understand the history, but I enjoyed listening to rap because it was shocking. The problems, the issues,” he says. “I like the hip-hip that talked about the neighborhood going through issues; and I identified in a different way.” Jal began dropping some rhymes into his local concerts.

“Music is a form of communication,” Jal says. “This is what spoke to me as a young man…Musicians are prophets, and music is the only thing that can speak to your soul without your permission.”

As a child of war, Emmanuel Jal has been able to speak about peace like few hip-hop, or even reggae, artists can. In 2005, Emmanuel Jal released his first album, Gua, which means peace in Jal’s native Nuer tongue. The title track was broadcast over the BBC all across Africa, becoming a number one hit in Kenya. Gua also earned him a spot on Bob Geldof’s “Live 8” concert in the UK.

Music has brought Jal to the world’s stage. His music has been used on three episodes of ER, the National Geographic documentary, God Grew Tired of Us, and the recent feature film, Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio. He also has performed with Moby and Five for Fighting in the film, The Concert to End Slavery (2007), and he toured with the National Geographic All Roads Film Festival in 2007, playing major cities in the US, including New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and New Orleans. Last June, Jal was tapped to perform at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebration in Hyde Park, London, and went on to share the stage with Alicia Keys, Annie Lennox, Damien Marley, and Stephen Marley at the Black Ball in London later in July. He also addressed delegates at the UN in New York in the same month.

Emmanuel Jal and Nelson Mandela

Emmanel Jal’s latest CD, Warchild, was released last year on the Sonic360 label (distribution by ADA Global/Fontana). He also is the subject of a full-length documentary, also called Warchild, that has been touring the film festival circuit. It premiered at the Berlinale festival last year and won the Cadillac audience choice award at the Tribeca Film Festival. In addition, his autobiography, co-written with Megan Lloyd Davies, was released in hardcover in February of this year by St. Martin’s Press.

“I believe I’ve survived for a reason, to tell my story, to touch lives,” Emmanuel Jal states in the title cut of his album. He does this through all of his efforts, even in his own charity, Gua Africa, which strives to work with individuals, families, and communities as they rise above the effects of war and poverty. Centering on education, the charity is currently working in Kenya and Sudan, but hopes to expand into other areas of Africa, partnering with other organizations. Gua Africa’s first big project is the Emma Academy on fifteen acres in Leer, South Sudan. The facility will serve the whole community and become a safe haven for children of war and poverty.

But it is Emmanuel Jal’s music that is raising his country’s issues and urging peace in the world. In his CD, he writes about how the demand for oil has helped devastate his country, the horrors of war, the illusions of the music industry, and the temptations and responsibilities of success. His CD also has inspirational songs such as “Stronger” and his new lyrics to the Jimmy Cliff song “Many Rivers to Cross.” After performing in New Orleans, he wrote “Ninth Ward,” about poverty even in affluent America. And, of course, he includes a song about Emma McCune, whom he calls “his angel.”It is one of several he has written about her, but this one, he thinks, is his best effort.

Lyrics aside, Warchild, isn’t a run-of-the-mill hip-hop album with a canned beat. It is an innovative mix of rap and spoken word, singing, incredible reggae and Afrrica instrumentation, and thematic additions, such as guns on the title cut. Jal is joined on the album by other voices including C. Outten. The production is complex, layered, and beautiful. Even if you never get into the message Jal puts forth—though how could you escape its soul-touching pull?– you will love Warchild! The album is not only brilliant, but blessed.

Emmanuel Jal has made a long journey, but it’s not over for this dedicated hip-hop artist.

December Free Downloads

Janie Franz — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:17:29 +0000

Well, you can’t say I never gave you a present. Here is a sleighload of free downloads I’ve found this month. You can snag some free mp3 singles or watch videos or listen to entire streamed albums (and even download some). There is a wide mix of genres here, but they all are solid artists who deserve a listen. Check them out! And Happy Holidays!

Steep Canyon Rangers

The Steep Canyon Rangers have been touring with Steve Martin recently, appearing on late night TV and Prairie Home Companion. They have a new CD out, Deep in the Shade (Rebel Records). If you’re into original bluegrass and would like to know more about this band, check out this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdsxGKtjPRY

Rob Halford

Judas Priest’s frontman, Rob Halford has a new holiday album. The songs range from hardcore to pop with metal instrumentation. His multi-octave voice shines on traditional carols, drawing forth delicious vocals that could be destined to knock holiday pop artists like Barry Manilow and Perry Como from their garland and tinsel thrones. He’s offering a free download of “Christmas Is For Everyone,” one of the more metal tracks from that album at: http://robhalford.com/

Sting

See Sting’s video about his new holiday album, If On a Winter’s Night, which is exceptional, by the way: http://stingwintersnight.com

The Greening

Experimental psychedelic British-pop band from Northern California The Greening released their latest EP, (She’s So) Electric, this fall. The EP has four catchy tunes, one of which inspired an animated video for the single, “Sunday Afternoon,” directed by renowned local artist/animator Danny Ochoa. It’s a super fun video, made with a 21 st century wink at “Yellow Submarine.”

You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JUQEKf3yhI&feature=related

Or you can download the EP here: http://www.myspace.com/thegreening

Army of Me

“I never intended for anyone to hear this music,” says indie rock Army Of Me singer Vince Scheuerman. The recordings on Make Yourself Naked, a new EP Scheuerman just released originally were meant to be song ideas and demos for the next Army Of Me record. But what he found during his brainstorming was an intimate snapshot of an acoustic singer/songwriter that had to be shared. The songs on the 5-song EP paint a picture of vulnerability that stands in contrast to anything the band has done before.

If you want a free MP3 of “Love Song,” track 4 of Make Yourself Naked, email me at:

editor@refrainmagazine.com and I’ll email you the track.

Tim Fite

Musician, carnival barker, and fine artist Tim Fite, who Esquire Magazine called “one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most subversive renaissance men,” has been producing not only music, but books, videos, web series, and drawings. Unfortunately, this talent has been overlooked by most music fans. For a sampling of some of his work—and complete downloads of albums, books, and videos, go to http://timfite.com

The wealth of freebies there is unheard of.

Midnight Masses

Midnight Masses, a Brooklyn-based group led and formed by Autry Fulbright, released their debut album, Rapture Ready, I Gazed At The Body, this November on Collect Records. When they play live, there can be a small core group of players or an imposing 14-piece collection of string players, organists, and guests pulled from any number of Brooklyn’s finest bands. They are offering a free download of “Walk On Water” from their album. You can grab it here:

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Midnight_Masses/track/Walk_On_Water

Brett Dennen

Singer/Songwriter Brett Dennen and New York based Brazilian ex-pats Forro in the Dark collaborated in the studio to record new Brazilian flavored versions of hit songs from Dennen’s 2007 album Hope for the Hopeless and a new track called “Joan of Arc.” These songs formed a new EP that also includes a duet by Jason Mraz and Dennen of “Long Road to Forgiveness.” Dennen currently is touring with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and will lend up at the Fox Theatre in Oakland for a special homecoming New Year’s Eve show (12/31).

Dennen is offering fans a free download of “Weed Money Man,” the hit single from Dennen’s band F.T.E. (For The Establishment). You can go here to sign up for the free download: http://www.downtownmusic.com/brettdennen/wmm

You can watch a video of that song at that site or at YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKKgeAr6Tj0

Dan Zanes and Friends

Grammy winners Dan Zanes and Friends’ new album 76 Trombones, which was released in November, introduces music from Broadway to younger folks with fresh-sounding renditions of classic musical theater pieces. It features collaborations with Carol Channing (from Hello, Dolly!), Matthew Broderick (from The Producers), Brian Stokes Mitchell (from Kiss Me, Kate), de’Adre Aziza (from Passing Strange), and Derick K. Grant (Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk) re-working songs from The Most Happy Fella, A Chorus Line, The Music Man, and Annie.

Here is a free download of the title track, “76 Trombones.”
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ncj3uc

The Six Red Carpets

The Six Red Carpets, a rock trio from Milan, Italy that recently expanded into a foursome, will post some unreleased songs on their FACEBOOK profile. This is a gift for all the Facebook fans of the band. Every week they will upload a track … all you have to do is to get on our Facebook space (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Six-Red-Carpets/16024128674) and become a fan! You can also download an entire album from their website: www.sixredcarpets.com

EELS

EELS are offering a FREE download of the track “Little Bird” from their eighth studio album End Times, in anticipation of the album’s release on January 19 on Vagrant Records. EELS is the ever-changing project of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett (aka E). End Times follows on the heels of EELS’ critically acclaimed 2009 release Hombre Lobo, hailed by Vanity Fair as “anti-anthems that get your dopamine pumping instead of your fist” and praised by Rolling Stone for its “muddy roadhouse rockers.” Largely self-recorded on an old four-track tape machine in the basement of Everettt’s Los Angeles home, the “end times” he writes about isn’t “Mayan calendar conspiracy theory bullshit,” says Everett, but, “the state of the desperate times we live in. The bottom line-ness of it all.”

While Hombre Lobo was written from the point of view of a fictional character (namely, the Dog Faced Boy of EELS’ 2001 album Souljacker), End Times is purely real life as Everett sees it: a “divorce album” with a modern twist. He equates his personal loss with the world he lives in losing its integrity. This isn’t Everett’s first break-up record. His 1993 solo effort, Broken Toy Shop, chronicled the broken heart of a young man in his twenties. End Times focuses on the loss of a middle-aged man growing as an artist. The loss has more weight.

You can download the rootsy track “Little Bird” here: http://eelstheband.com/eels_endtimes.php

Mary McBride

Singer-songwriter Mary McBride’s Every Day is a Holiday is the latest release since her “No One’s Gonna Love You Like Me” from her By Any Other Name album in 2004) that became part of the soundtrack for Academy-award winning film Brokeback Mountain.

Every Day is a Holiday features McBride’s soulful interpretations of traditional carols “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” as well as originals “Bring It On” and “Christmastime,” as well as versions Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Louis Armstrong’s “Cool Yule,” Patty Griffin’s “Oh Heavenly Day,” and William Bell’s “Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday.” It also includes a duet with Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, Lakeview Terrace, Angels in America) on “Do You Hear What I Hear.”

McBride’s songs have been featured on episodes of The L Word and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy; and she is currently writing the score for the new musical, The Nitpicker, which will be directed by Tony-award winning director Scott Ellis.

You can stream or download “Do You Hear What I Hear” at: http://www.mediafire.com/?uzkjzjlgczc

Califone

Chicago band, Califone, has a new album, All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, on Dead Oceans. The album is a companion to Califone frontman Tim Rutili’s first feature film that he wrote and directed, also called All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, starring cult indie actress Angela Bettis of Girl, Interrupted fame. The film will make the festival rounds early next year.

The music video for the track “Funeral Singers” features footage from the film. Here is a video link for your enjoyment: http://www.vimeo.com/7717625

Photo by John Anderson

Ocote Soul

Adrian Quesada and Martin Perna, respective band-leaders of famed ensembles Grupo Fantasma and Antibalas, are united under the Ocote Soul Sounds banner for their new full length album, Coconut Rock, released on ESL Music. After two stellar albums, this time around Coconut Rock (June 2009) finds the duo loosened up, slipping effortlessly into their trademark psychedelic Afro-Latin funk groove. From the Latin breakbeat rhythms of album lead-off “The Revolt of the Cockroach People” to the cumbia bounce of “Tu Fin, Mi Comienzo” to the easy guitar soundscapes of “Vendendo Saude e Fe,” featuring Brazilian songstress Tita Lima, Coconut Rock is the third album Ocote Soul Sound has recorded.

Due out December 8, Coconut Rock Deluxe, a ramped up holiday package, will include five exclusive new remixes, a full digital booklet, and a music video added to the original album. In addition to the original album music, Coconut Rock Deluxe includes a new electro funk version entitled “Electric Cockroach,” a hip-hop rhythm remix of “Vendendo Saude e Fe” by Adrian Quesada, a swinging reggae remix of “Cara de Yo No Fui” by label mates Ancient Astronauts, and other remix exclusives by DJ Obah and Grant Phabeo.

Check out some of their music at: http://www.myspace.com/ocotesoulsounds

GARAGE A TROIS Offers Free MP3

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:06:09 +0000

GARAGE A TROIS to Release POWER PATRIOT On OCTOBER 27 Through THE ROYAL POTATO FAMILY

Garage A Trois is a collaboration of four of the most visionary improvisers of the time: Skerik on saxophones, Mike Dillon on vibes, Marco Benevento on keyboards, and Stanton Moore on drums. While improvisation is at the heart of what this quartet has built its reputation on at their legendary New Orleans Jazzfest sets and rare, but in demand, club tours, it’s the intricate sonic collages, tightly orchestrated arrangements and positively modern approach to instrumental songwriting that’s at the heart of their latest album, Power Patriot. Set for release October 27 by Brooklyn-based label The Royal Potato Family, Garage A Trois will play select tour dates.

Unfortunately, the closest gig to us is Austin TX or New Orleans. Still, you can savor this jazz quartet in a free download. They are offering an MP3 cut from their 10-track CD Power Patriot called “Fat Redneck Gangster.”

To download, go to:

http://files.royalpotatofamily.com/mp3/07FatRedneckGangster.mp3?attredirects=0