John 5 Peels Back Another Creative Layer On His New Abum

John 5 has just released his newest solo album and as always, he is keeping his fans on their toes. This is a musician who continues to peel away creative layer after creative layer, almost re-inventing himself each time. God Told Me To is his newest solo effort and it’s a feast for the senses. If you think you knew everything about this guy, this album will prove you wrong.

The album was produced by John 5 long with Chris Baseford (Rob Zombie/Tommy Lee) and Bob Marlette (Sebastian Bach/Black Sabbath). It’s is an all instrumental effort with John 5 playing all instruments with the exception of drums. The first track, “Welcome to Violence”, opens with a lady saying “Play the guitar, play it again my Johnny” and then the crash of the strings as the assault begins. How does a mere mortal riff like this without peeling the skin away from his fingertips? What a way to open the album!

His cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” is up next and was released digitally about a year ago, so I am sure a lot of people are already familiar with it. John 5 pays tribute to the great Eddie Van Halen but laying down a spot-on recreation of his solo on that song. I thought it was a very nice touch by John 5 to do so, instead of re-working the classic solo and taking away from its legacy.

 The first surprise comes on track three entitled “Ashland Bump”, as it’s an acoustic, bluesy number. A great change of pace and styles and is one mother plucker of a song. “The Castle” is another acoustic number and shows that John 5 can shred acoustically just as he does electrically. I don’t think I have ever heard a musician play an acoustic guitar so fast.

“The Hill of the Seven Jackals” head back to familiar ground for fans and the shredding is back at full force. One of more interesting tracks on the album is the Spanish flavored “Noche Acosador”. I almost felt as if I was watching a Quentin Tarantino and a bunch of outlaws were sitting around a table, exchanging stories with this music being the accompanying track. I love this track and two major thumbs up for John 5 stepping outside of what is probably expected on a solo album of his and do this song.

The last two tracks, “The Lie You Live” and “Creepy Crawler”, are acoustic numbers that are the complete antithesis of songs such as the album’s opener. Each of these tracks show a side of John 5 that is such a drastic departure from the kabuki faced axe warrior that we see alongside Rob Zombie on-stage. These tracks are beautiful, somber compositions that show the diversity of a truly gifted artist whose guitar is an extension of himself. These two tracks totally blew me away and just added another layer this insanely talented and gifted artist.

So, this new solo effort one half acoustic and half electric and switches back and forth on here. John 5 is becoming one of the guitar greats of this time. He is influencing a whole new generation of guitar players and this album will be a great eye and mind opener for many of them. Don’t be afraid to try new things and expand yourself as an artist. It’s a key in maintaining longevity in the industry today. This album tapped into several new keys in his guitar arsenal. What will he do next?

Callaghan: A Coat of Many Musical Colours

I love discovering new music. I love hearing an artist for the first time and being blown away. I love listening to a singer and having their words touch me emotionally and move me. It’s not always that I get to hear a new artist who can do all of those things, but it recently did happen. Her name is Callaghan and her debut album is about to be released and heard by the world.

Hailing from London and transplanted here in the states in the summer of 2010, Callaghan started to work on her debut with Grammy nominee Shawn Mullins. The result of all of her hard work and effort is entitled Life in Full Colour, a courageous twelve song journey, full of emotion and honesty that will make you smile and it will make you cry. You see, Callaghan is a rare breed in today’s turbulent music industry. She writes or shares writing credits on all twelve tracks and is also a skilled musician. She sings from her heart and conveys so much emotion in her vocal delivery that you feel it deep inside.

Her album opens with a toe-tapping little number entitled “Best Year”, which would sound right at home in an Old Navy commercial. Callaghan seems to draw on relationships in more than one song on this album. “To Be Loved by You” is another upbeat number that taps into being appreciative for that special person in your life who loves you for being you.

“Nothing You Say” gives a peek into a more emotional side of Callaghan that really does shine bright. This is one of those songs where she seems to open up and write from the heart. It’s a poignant and emotional song of reassurance from one person in a relationship to the other.

“It Was Meant To Be” is one of those songs that you can get lost in. The emotion that she conveys in her voice really does touch your heart. This is when Callaghan is at her best; when she slows things down and exposes herself emotionally for all to see. Her vulnerability and honesty is something that can be universally felt and any listener can relate to. It’s a beautiful song and one of my favorites on

 the album.

Callaghan is a story teller, an art form that is sorely missing in music today. The best example of that on her album is “Get Me Through the Night”. It’s a story, an acoustic guitar and a woman with a voice as beautiful as the woman who possesses it. I’m not sure if she has experienced such a pain personally, but it certainly comes across in her voice on this track. It’s simply an amazing and heartfelt track. She even gets a little bluesy and soulful on the track entitled “the Edge of Love”.

On Life in Full Colour, Callaghan proves to be a coat of many colors. She combines elements of pop, folk, blues and most importantly authenticity as she takes us along this wonderful ride that she has ventured off on. The album is solid from beginning to end and that in itself is another rarity these days. In an industry that seems to be focused more on singles than an entire album’s worth of great songs, Callaghan has twelve tracks that can stand on their own.

https://www.facebook.com/callaghanmusic?ref=ts
http://www.callaghansongs.com/home.cfm

Talking Music With John Corabi

John Corabi is one of those guys that everyone has heard of, yet nobody knows who he is. Well, don’t take that quite literally! John had been in numerous bands and projects, such as The Angora and The Scream, before landing his biggest mainstream gig as lead singer in Motley Crue. His stint with the Crue back in 1994 is still a controversial subject amongst the ranks of Crue fans.

John went on to form Union with Bruce Kulick, former KISS guitarist and also be a part of ESP: The Eric Singer Project which also included Kulick. John has been busy this year touring with Cinderella and performing a one-man acoustic show. This is to coincide with the recording of and eventual release of his first acoustic album. I had the chance to catch John’s acoustic set in Charlotte, NC and I got the opportunity to speak with him backstage afterwards about all things Corabi.

Hey John, it’s great to see you man. That was one amazing set that you just performed out there. You are one of those rare exceptions where a singer’s voice is actually better live than on the album. It has that rough edge to it, but is full of raw emotion. A very interesting set list too.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that. Yeah, the set list is ever changing. I have so much that I can choose from. I want to throw in a Scream song and something from Union and of course the Crue. I also try to do a song or two from my upcoming acoustic album as well and some covers of songs I love.

Can you tell us more about the acoustic album that you’re working on?

Definitely! I am having a blast putting it together. It’s going to include acoustic versions of my old stuff and there will be about 5 or 6 new songs on there too. I was hoping to have it to sell on the tour, but it may not happen. I am doing this one by myself including releasing it because I have no label right now. The industry is going through such a crazy period right now that this seemed the best way of doing it.

What do you have lined up after the acoustic album comes out?

After I get the acoustic album finished in Nashville, I am going to work on putting out a regular, electric album with the band I am using. I have to work on that between my gigs this summer and hopefully have it out early next year.

I had the opportunity to interview Bruce Kulick at his BK3 release party at the KISS Coffeehouse. We talked about your collaboration on “No Friend of Mine” and the possibility of a full scale Union reunion.

I would love for us to get together and do something. It’s just tough to get all four of us free at the same time. I’m doing mine thing right now and Bruce is busy with Grand Funk Railroad. Jaime and Brent are busy guys too, but I am open to it.

Union put out some amazing music. Do you think the timing was wrong because of what was going on in the industry?

Maybe so because Union seems to have taken on a life all its own. I have had so many people come up to me and tell me how much they loved us. It seems to have grown over the years, almost like becoming a cult favorite. Maybe the market just wasn’t right for what we brought to it.

Almost like the album that you recorded with the Crue! There seems to be a line drawn in the sand when it comes to that album. You have one side saying it was the worst album that they ever recorded, yet the other side stands by it as their best album ever. Personally, I love it and think it’s some of the best material that they ever recorded and definitely some of the best songwriting.

Thanks man! It’s good to hear that from the fans because it seems as if Nikki just wants to forget that album even happened. It’s like they are sweeping it under the rug like there’s this big cover up. They don’t even include it on some of the greatest hits compilations that they put out.

I have to ask you John; you looked like you were having a blast up on that stage tonight. There you were with just the mic, your barstool and your acoustic guitar. You are so vulnerable up there in that type of situation. A few songs into your set and you had the crowd eating out of the palm of your hand. Was it as much fun for you as it appeared to us in the crowd?

Oh hell yeah! That’s what I love, that’s what I live for. I don’t think I could do a normal 9 to 5 job!

I think I can speak on behalf of all of the fans and tell you that we’re all glad that you don’t work 9 to 5.

Erick Baker: Poetry Set To Music

It is amazing how sometimes in the darkest of moments; a person truly discovers who they are and what they are made of. Heartbreak is an emotion that almost all of us have experienced, but each of us deals with it in our own personal way. For Erick Baker, heartache was a key that unlocked a gift that he has been harvesting inside of him, untapped and waiting to express itself.

After graduating from college with a degree in Public Relations, Erick turned to his proud parents and told them that this was not what he wanted to do with his life. “I was lost; I didn’t know what to do. I felt like a blank canvas,” stated Baker. “I decided to do some travel and I also decided to teach myself to play the guitar, it was something that I had always wanted to do.”

Enter the girl who unleashed the artist. Erick had dated her for several years and was in love with her. Then, out of nowhere……she broke his heart. “I had never been in love. I don’t throw that word around lightly,” stated Erick. “My heartache led me to start writing my own songs. Suddenly, the stars started to realign and I started to feel better.” He started back to doing open mic nights and even went back to school to get his masters in English so that he could teach.

One night while performing at one of those open mic nights, a promoter from Nashville was watching. He approached Baker after his set and asked him if he wanted to open for John Legend. “I was really surprised. At that time, which was around May of 2007, I had nothing recorded yet,” said Erick. “Suddenly, I went from playing for 15 people to an audience of 1500.”

The date was finally upon him and Erick performed a 45 minute set for the crowd. Now, Erick’s voice had developed from him performing in bars and trying to sing over talking people. This crowd was a bit different. “They sat there and listened intently to what I had to say,” said Erick. “They got it and at the end of my show, they gave me a huge ovation. At that precise moment, I thought to myself I can do this.” That was a night that changed Erick’s life forever.

In February of 2008, his EP It’s Getting Too Late to Say It’s Early was released. A release party was announced and Erick sold out the venue and turned people away. Three days later, he opened up for James Blunt. The crowd was blown away by his passionate and emotional lyrics and gave him a standing ovation. He also sold every copy of his EP that night.

Erick’s shows continued to draw big crowds. 2010 proved to be a busy year for Erick as he released his full length CD entitled Holding the Pieces in Place as well as a CD/DVD entitled Live at the Bijou Theatre. In the summer of 2010, he was asked to open one show for the legendary band Heart and he impressed the Wilson sisters so much that they asked him to finish out the tour with them. “That was really special for me. They allowed me to bring my family out on tour on their bus. That meant so much to me because my daughter Annabelle was just a baby and I don’t like being away from her or my wife,” said Erick.

Erick’s latest release is a DVD entitled Stay Awhile. It is a small, intimate acoustic performance in which he explains the meaningful stories behind his songs. “With this DVD, I wanted a visual aid to validate and clarify what I am doing and to help the audience get it. My live shows allow me to reach another emotional level of rawness and passion. Songwriting for me is different every time. Lyrics and melody are the key ingredients with minimalistic music,” says Erick. “The depth is in the lyrics themselves. What I write is influenced by my family. The birth of my daughter Annabelle has given me even more purpose and has fueled me. When I am up on stage, I am fighting and singing for my family.”

Erick’s live shows are what he lives for and he truly delivers in those shows. On stage: A man, standing alone, naked in front of a crowd of strangers with only an acoustic guitar by his side. This leaves him vulnerable and exposed for all to see and he loses himself in his performance. That blank canvas is suddenly a collage of feelings and emotions as raw as you have ever heard or felt. “People have told me that I need to pull back a little, that I allow people to see too much. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee and everyone knew each other by their first name. I am not a guarded person and I want to stay that way. I always want to be that guy. I don’t want to be a huge star that you always see on TMZ or in the Inquirer.”

One of the most beautiful and powerful songs that he has recorded is called “Plastic Flowers” and I asked him for some insight on that song. “When I was growing up, my parents owned their own flower business and I delivered flowers to cemeteries. After I married my wife, I started thinking about spending a lifetime with her and the thought of losing her scared me,” said Erick. “My parents have been married for 40 years and I don’t understand that kind of love yet, but I want to. So, I sat down to write a song, from a man’s perspective yet trying to keep it universal, about a guy who lost his wife. He takes her fresh cut flowers everyday and he knows his life is coming to an end. On that last day, he takes her plastic flowers because he knows they will always be there. I have to detach myself when I song it live or I will cry, it’s very overwhelming.”

So, what does the future hold for Erick Baker? “I want to get to the level that Tom Petty is at right now. To just go out there and be able to do whatever you want to do. He is so real and so true. If I can be at least a minor fraction of him, that would be great. I also want to be the best husband and dad that I can be. I want the man that my fans fall in love with to be the same man that my wife fell in love with also.” Erick also went in the studio this past January and recorded his new CD that he hopes to have out very soon.

My best friend and I were lucky enough to see Erick perform last summer with Heart. Neither of us had ever heard of him, but we were quickly captivated by this guy on stage with his acoustic guitar and a voice full of conviction. We waited in line to meet him and bought his latest CD. On the ride back that night, we listened to it and his words moved us to tears. That warm summer night captured one of those musical experiences that forever changed my life.

Erick Baker is a man who turned heartbreak into a pivotal life changing experience, in a positive way. He’s a man who sings from his heart and just lays it all on the line. The amount of passion and emotion in his lyrics and voice is almost beyond comprehension. His live performances truly do help to transcend his songs to another level. Erick Baker: a man whose gift of poetry to music will strike a chord in you like never before.

Kama Linden: A Testament To Positivity

Kama Linden is the embodiment of positive energy. I stumbled across her recently on MySpace and her infectious music immediately commanded my attention. Upon further investigation, I soon discovered that I was about to uncover a shining gem in this bleak music industry.

Kama began recording in 2000 for her debut release entitled "Uninhibited", which was released in the summer of 2004. Her overseas market quickly embraced her and her music, especially in Australia and the UK. A constant barrage of live performances has also helped to showcase her talents to an inviting public.

Her second CD entitled "Better Late Than never" was released in June of 2008 and the media machine got cranked up again. Touring the states and overseas again helped to showcase her talents on a live audience who could see that this young lady is extremely talented and not just a manufactured artist. I asked her how the new CD compared to her first effort? "I think it is much better and more autobiographical. This one took less time to make yet it has a story from beginning to end."

Kama, whose influences include Pink and Melissa Etheridge, describes her sound as ambitious, enthusiastic and intuitive. She can be somewhat of a camillion when it comes to pinpointing her sound. Her new CD has standout rock tracks such as my fav "If Looks Could Kill" and "Drink" to dance songs such as "Been There, Done That" and the title track. She then pulls the rug out from under your feet with a touching ballad entitled "You've Forgotten Me".

Kama is also a skilled yoga instructor. "Sometimes what starts out as your survival job becomes your other life. My idea is that people have been taught by yoga instructors how they need to look and they end up getting hurt. 90 degree feet, head through arms to look at the belly button, take your foot in pigeon and yank it sideways so you can tear your meniscus. I teach people how to use neutral spine, their own turn out and flexibility," stated Kama.

After doing a little research on Kama, I noticed that the term "angrychik" seemed to pop up alot. Is there a story behind this term? "Yes....women with an opinion are considered bitches. How dare you say what you feel, not just wait for your Mrs. degree, get ahead in business and in life. Think Alanis...with a plan."

One last question for you Kama. I am curious to hear your answer to this one. If you were stranded on a desert island with only one store bought CD, what would you want to have there with you? "It would be a tossup between Pink's 'Funhouse' and Evanescence 'The Open Door."

If you like your music upbeat and positive, then I suggest checking Kama out. Her CD is diverse and the styles switch up quicker than you can keep up with. She will always keep you guessing. One constant throughout all of her styles is a message of positivity and hope. Give her a chance and check her out at www.myspace.com/kamalinden or at www.kamalinden.com. With all of the bad news that we seem to see and hear from our various media outlets each day, Kama and her music are a welcome relief.

Amanda Abizaid: Emotional Food For Thought For Hungry Ears

I had a chance not too long ago to witness a truly gifted artist perform. Her name is Amanda Abizaid, a singer/songwriter transplanted from her home in Beirut, Lebanon at the early age of ten. She had garnered quite a bit of attention as of late for her theme to the The 4400, Lifetimes Odd Girl Out and a few movie songs.

Beirut to the US at ten years of age had to be a tough move. “It was a pretty big adjustment for me. I had an accent and kids made fun of the way I talked. I had to stay back a year because the educational system in the US is ahead of Lebanon. My dad stayed in Lebanon and my brother and I were home schooled by my mom as we lived with my grandma not knowing when we were going back to Lebanon or if we were going to be staying in the US in New York.This went on for three years until my parents got divorced and decided to have my mom stay in the US with me. My brother and dad stayed in Lebanon and we got a house and then things started to become more normal, I guess you could say. I never realized the impact of war on me until recently as an adult being married and learning about myself and my personality. I am very happy now and have let a lot of stuff go to leave behind (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome). I never realized that I had been living my life as if I was temporary and in a survivor mode. Now, I am living in the present and have grown past this experience and embrace life here in the US,” commented Amanda.

Her newest CD, “In The Loop”, is a step back for her on a line more typical of her beginnings. “My last CD, The Great Plan Volume II”, was about four years of my life, an 11 song story of what I was going through. I was really depressed and was trying to find a plan to get out and survive this life. As a solo artist and with my new success of “The 4400” and not knowing what to do about all of the fans around the world and internet stuff that was going on about me. “In The Loop” was mainly recorded to drum loops instead of the normal way of recording which would be live with my band mates playing all of their instruments. I was experimenting with protools and looking for a new sound and finding out what I could create to try a new vibe. It is an eclectic EP which talks about peace instead of war on many levels.”

Amanda’s fear of singing actually led her to dabble in hair dressing and modeling. “I have fought my fear of singing my whole life. I will always be singing now and I actually do hair and makeup here in LA and have a personal clientele as well as cutting and coloring. Modeling ended when my music career began at the end of the runaway during a show in Miami when I almost started to sing. That’s when I knew I had to move to LA and pursue my music. I am an artist and I really want to be respected as one and now I embrace my two artistic talents and hope to inspire others to pursue theirs as well.”

Your lyrics are full of so much feeling and emotion. How do you approach song writing? What kind of process do you have or do you even have one? “I sometimes dream my songs or someone has an effect on my life and a song starts happening for me that way. Sometimes I am just hanging out strumming a cord and an idea comes to me. It is kinda random like that. I basically am able when I feel that a song is coming on, it feels like a wave in my brain, a sort of numbing feeling where I can’t do anything else for however long it takes to get it out. The most important thing to do at that time is be able to get it down no matter what time it is even when I wake up at 4 am and record and then go back to sleep three hours later. That’s fun!”

You and Stephanie Erdel had a very successful LA Woman summer tour. Do you have any interesting road stories to share with our readers? “Well, Stephanie’s guitar breaking in Ellenville, NY was bad. That was the worst I guess and losing her keys in Nashville, which we found $60 later from Fed Ex that I had to pay for. Yucky! The best would be in Decatur, GA where we had a show and no one showed up. This was a first. It was a lesbian bar and right as we were packing up to leave, these two women came in and said they were there to see us. So, I said sure, let’s just do an unplugged version of six songs or so for them. The women sat in two chairs in front of us and between songs asked us questions about our tour and what we were doing and how we able to afford it and how it was going. When we were done, we sat at the bar and one of the women came up to me and said that she was a writer and that she had given up on her dream but now that she was so impressed by my dream and courage to pursue it that I had inspired her to write again. She thanked me so much for this inspiration and said ‘Here I want you to have this’. It was a folded up check and I thanked her. I didn’t open it until later and I thought that she probably gave us &50 or something. I opened it and thought I was losing my eyesight. It said $500…..never judge an empty room.”

So, with all of this touring and recording, how do you spend your down time? Or do you even get any? “I hang out with my husband on our “date night” and our two cats. I hike and walk a lot. I am a Buddhist now for the last year and a half so I chant in the morning and evening and am active with the community and am a Unit leader. I go out and support other artists with their gigs too. I love to go to Trader Joes and food shop. I like to say hi to people and smile a lot too and save animals whenever I can.”

Any guilty pleasures that may surprise your fans? “Well, I love the Chipmunks Christmas CD and listen to it every Christmas. I am like Snow White and I always talk to the animals in the park when I hike. I say “Hello Mr. Squirrel, how are you today?” and to the birds too. I also eat Rocky Road ice cream out of the container and chocolate ice cream too and load it with whip cream. HE! HE! Those are my secrets!”

Amanda has a personality that is very captivating. She just radiates positive energy to those in her surroundings. Her performance that night with Stephanie Erdel was very thought provoking. With a mixture of styles and influences ranging from Crosby, Stills and Nash to Dido to Kate Bush, she is not your typical flavor of the week in our stagnant music industry. Check out her music at www.myspace.com/amandaabizaid or at www.amandaabizaid.com.

Textures

Tiffany Shea probably wrote her first song inside her mother’s womb. It seems as if just seconds after birth she had booked her first show. I’m pretty sure that she got her first standing ovation from the visitors looking at her in the hospital. You see, Tiffany is more than your flavor of the week artist. In an industry of manufactured artists, she is definitely a breath of fresh air. She has the personality to win over the most unruly crowd and the spunk and determination to make her dreams come true.


Tiffany last stormed through Greensboro in 2004 when she played the SWET. "You know, I think that it was one of the coolest club shows that I have ever done. All of the kids were really close to the stage and they were really listening intently to what I was expressing. It was kind of like pouring a glass of water. As opposed to pouring it out all over the floor, each kid there was a glass and they were full of the water that I poured out by the end of my set. They really absorbed it and took it all in. It was really cool," said Tiffany in a phone interview we recently conducted.


Tiffany is not a stranger to the music scene as I soon learned. She has been performing since 1997, first solo and then with her band in November of that same year. She has released an amazing 13, yes 13, CDs in that amount of time. I think the only artist to put out more CDs on that time frame would be Tupac, but he doesn’t count since he’s not touring anymore.


She was born into a musical family with her dad being a drummer and her mom was a piano teacher. She then moved to singing in church and later community theater. Her love for the arts also extends to art and her love of painting. "When I was 19 years old, I went to see Sister 7 who were out of Austin, Texas. They were a power, passion funk/rock band. I knew the minute that I saw them perform that was what I wanted to do with my life. It’s kind of funny, Patrice Pike was in that band at the time and she and I will be touring together later this summer."


Tiffany’s sound, both vocally and musically is very unique. Imagine taking the over the top personality of Cyndi Lauper, add a little Pat Benatar, a touch of Tori Amos and sprinkle in some Ani DiFranco and put them all in a blender and process them and you get a touch of what this women is capable of. If someone were deaf and she had to paint a canvas to describe her sound to them, how would she do it? "Wow, that’s an amazing question. Well, you know I love to paint. I think all of my art is an extension of who I am. I think the canvas would have lots of bold colors and it would be multimedia with tons of textures so that they could touch it and feel all the differences. It would be abstract yet evoking a feeling that’s universal at the same time. My music is raw, human emotion. I think I capture that where it’s not cryptic or so black and white that it’s boring." I can say for certain, that boring is one word that has never been used to describe this young lady.


The music industry has been in such turmoil the last few years and yet Tiffany is determined to keep marching on just as she has done for over ten years now. I was curious as to what keeps her going? " I have been doing this since 1997. I have funded all but two of my CD releases, they were on independent labels. In the summer of 2005, I had a major career letdown and I crashed and burned. I was burnt out! I mean, I had been doing all of this by myself: I booked my own shows, I was my own graphic designer, I was funding my CDs, it just got to be too much on me. I just walked away from it and tried to figure out what it was that I wanted to do. I tried working in a office and quickly found out that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I went to audio engineer school and I constantly found myself wanting to be on the other side of the glass. I went to art school and I was constantly drawing about music. The songs just kept coming into my head and I had to get them out. It’s then that I figured out that, music, it’s not what I do, it’s who I am. It’s my gift and I have to be diligent with it."


Her 2003 release "Phoenix" garnered her praise from all over and numerous awards. What was it about that CD that registered with people? "I think it was the first album that really captured the sound and the feeling of me. It was also super high quality. We really took out time and we wanted it to be right and not just do it to do it, you know what I mean? The power of the music on that CD really did shine. Actually we just re-released a new version called ‘Phoenix II’ this year. It’s been re mixed and edited. There are a few songs that were left off from the original release and some stuff added to it. It’s like ‘Phoenix’ on steroids!"


On a personal note, do you have any guilty pleasures that you can share with your fans. Well, as long as they are printable? "Ha ha! If they’re not printable, I think I will keep those to myself. I guess my one big one right now would be chocolate chip ice cream....I sure am glad you didn’t ask me that question ten years ago!"
One more question as a more fun one for your fans. I always ask everyone that I interview this one. If you were trapped on a desert island and could only have one CD, it has to be a store bought CD, what would you want to have with you? "Oh that’s easy, it would have to be U2 ‘The Joshua Tree’, without a doubt. There are other favorites that I would also love to take such as Tori Amos ‘From the Choirgirl Hotel’ or Heart’s ‘Greatest Hits’ with their eighties stuff on it or Sting ‘Ten Summoner’s Tales’."


Again, Tiffany’s performance at the Somewhere Else Tavern is on Saturday, June 6 at 8:00 PM. If you have never seen her perform live, this will be a treat for all. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take us five more years to get her to come back and visit.

Chrissy Coughlin Looks Ahead To The Future

Sometimes it takes a life altering experience to change ones life and make them refocus. This is exactly what happened to Chrissy Coughlin. She knew that she wanted to pursue music, but it was the discovery of a tumor in her leg that gave her a new sense of direction. "I started singing in the ninth grade and gaining musical knowledge. I started writing in graduate school. I moved to DC and started playing live and gaining confidence. I was working in the environmental field and about 5 years ago the doctors discovered a tumor in my calf. It actually gave me the inspiration to make a change in my life. It was then that I decided to put all of my focus on my music," said Chrissy.

Chrissy is one of those unique artists whose vocals can transport you to another place. She does an amazing cover of "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" and you feel as if you are transported to a smoke filled jazz club and she's lying on top of the piano singing to you. It's a very sexy translation of the song. "My producer works with alot of Brazilian music and I've always loved the song. I've never sung the song, but I thought that I should give it a try. There is a part that is sung in Portuguese and I was very adamant about keeping that in there. I think it turned out pretty good," said Chrissy.

Another standout track on her newest cd "Look Ahead" is an interesting choice of a cover song, Robert Plant's "Big Log". I asked her how that cam about. "I wanted to do a cover of a song by a male vocalist and I have always loved that song. I wanted to do something, but not one that everyone knew automatically but not one that was very obscure. I also wanted to put a female twist to it. At the time, Robert was in the news because he was working on his collaboration with Allison Krauss. I told Tim , my guitarist, about it and that i wanted to do a kind of bluesy cover of it."

Chrissy's cd "Look Ahead" also contains very personal songs that touch on the human emotion element of everyday life. "I write about whatever captures my eye. Whether it's observations of people in my life or just walking down the street and seeing something that catches my attention. Some of my songs are about personal relationships. I want to write more about emotions and not necessarily about the environment." Listeners need to look no further than to standout tracks such as "Do It Out Of Love" and "Perfect Time" to hear fine examples of these.

So, who does Chrissy site as being inspirations in her musical journey? "I love Lucinda Williams. I love her grittiness and she just says it like it is. Her lyrics are very simple yet so powerful at the same time. I also love Patty Griffin. She is a poet with very soulful lyrics. You can actually picture what she is singing about because she's so elegant in her delivery. I think Stevie Nicks' vocal ability is just amazing. I think U2 is one of the few bands around who can actually get it all right."

Chrissy's sound is also one that crosses different classifications. She's a little pop, a little country, a little adult contemporary. Songs such as "Perfect Time" or "Back To You" actually have a Sara Evans kind of feel to them. "Look Ahead" also has a certain Sheryl Crowe feel to it. "I don't really follow country closely, but I do know it. I think country fans are some of the most loyal fans out there. I love the comparisons."

Chrissy hopes to do a few mini tours around the Boston, Portland and DC areas to share her music with the masses. No big tours are in the plans right now, just smaller, regional ones. I concluded my interview with Chrissy by asking her if she was trapped on a desert island with only one cd, what would be her choice? "It would have to be something powerful. Probably REM's 'Murmur'. That was such a great release for them. The songs just take me to another place, it definitely relaxes me. Their earlier stuff was just so amazing."

It's easy to listen to Chrissy's cd and hear her influences. Her vocals have a calming, soothing sense to them. Just like her influence Patty Griffin, Chrissy's lyrics do enable the listener to see what she is singing about. Her lyrics touch you and you can feel and hear the emotion in them. Check her out on MySpace or her personal website, www.chrissymusic.com.

Broda: Storytelling 101

Mark Twain. Charles Dickens. Dr. Seuss. All great storytellers who put their thoughts to paper. Lennon and McCartney. James Taylor. Johnny Cash. Also, great storytellers who put their pen to song. It is an art form that is sorely missed in today's music industry. The art of telling a good story. Today's damaged music environment seems to contain three minute adventures into voyeurism, booty calls and how tough it is to be rich and famous. I recently came across a refreshing exception to this rule one cold Friday evening in Martinsville, VA at the Binding Time coffee shop.

I saw a poster advertising a singer by the name of Broda who was to appear there on Friday, January16. The temp never got out of the teens that day and I braved the elements to take a chance on a singer and her acoustic guitar. There was a small crowd gathered in the shop and Broada began her set at 5:30. What proceeded to happen over the next two hours was a soul riching experience in what she calls "Acoustic Americana." Broda sang songs that took you places. Suddenly, it wasn't seventeen degrees outside because you were with her at the county fair at the Battle of the Bands or walking into Hendrick's Store with her. She sang about everything from her dog to her hooptie, which by the way is for sale.

Broda is no ordinary fly by night performer. She is educated in the field of music with a degree in Music Education with a double certification in instrumental and choral tracks. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Governor's Mansion and the White House. She was in several bands of different styles after graduation including a southern rock and a funk band before venturing out on her own as a solo artist. I spoke to Broda after her performance that night to learn more about her musical path that she was venturing out on.

"I was trained in classical piano and it was pretty well structured, so it didn't give me the room to experiment. Being in these different bands allowed me to do that. When my last band broke up because of alot of "band drama", I decided then in the Fall of 2006 that I wanted to do this solo," she said. Broda ventured out to coffee shops and eating places and just about anywhere that would let her play her music.

"My influences range from Brahms to Bonnie Raitt to Wynonna Judd to the buttery goodness of Ella Fitzgerald. All four of those artists display so much emotion and heart in their music, that's why they have inspired me. You're right, the art of storytelling is missing today in music," said Broda.

Being with the state that the industry is in today, I asked her how it felt to be a new artists striving to get noticed. "Well, the internet is a blessing and a curse. Ten years ago you couldn't record and put out an independent release like mine but today you can. The problem is that everyone can also do it too. I mean, I even recorded a couple of tracks at home with my handheld digital recorder. I spend my time off now updating all of my online pages, MySpace, Facebook, so that I can keep my fans updated."

Broda is also involved with Indiegrrl, which is an outlet that supports women in the arts whether it's music, art, poetry, whatever form that is out there. It has allowed Broda to meet other artists and find out that there are other women artists who may be struggling with similar issues. The Indiegrrl festival is coming to Spencer, VA on May 30th to the Spencer Penn Center and is a free event that will contains lots of performers of all types of styles.

Broda has just released her first Cd entitled "Spiral Staircase" and it is well worth listening to. The lyrics definitely take you to a place where you feel like you are a part of the story that she is telling. Songs such as the touching and melodic "Hendrick's Store" to the quirky, toe tapper "Five County Fair" have you wanting to go back and listen to them over again because you don't want the escape to end. I dare anyone who listens to the title track to tell me that you cannot relate to the lyrics. My last question was my what if you were stranded on a desert island with only one cd, what would it be question. "It would have to be "No Additives" by my old funk band Grey Sky Sally. Even if I was stranded, I would still be surrounded by my dear friends."

I am glad that I braved the elements that night and got a chance to see Broda perform. She will be bringing her talent back to our area on May 30 at the Indiegrrl festival in the Spencer Penn Center in Spencer,VA from 10:00 am until 7:00pm with many other artists. I encourage everyone to come out no matter what types of music that you like and support the arts. Thanks again to Binding Time for showcasing such a great talent and to Broda for allowing me the time to talk to her. With as many budget cuts that seem to be hitting all aspects of life, it is very important to support the arts. I think we take for granted the joy that we get from books or TV or from music or movies and we need to do all we can to support these artists. I hope to see everyone in Spencer on May 30th, you will not be disappointed.