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Monday, August 25, 2008

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Interview with Laura Reed

August 13, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

laura reed deep pocketLaura Reed & Deep Pocket fill the stage with captivating, soul shaking, conscious music. The crowd is emerged with lyrics of truth and a voice of intensity backed by bass, organ, and drums, horns, and harmonies reminiscent of the past days of motown and funk.

The roots of their sound and message stem from Laura’s diverse experience of growing up in South Africa and the American South. Formed in the summer of 2006, the band switches up the music between funk, progressive R&B, and pure SOUL behind Laura Reed’s captivating stage presence.

Throughout their career Laura Reed & Deep Pocket have shared the stage with/recorded with: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, George Clinton, Peter Rowan, Belita Woods (PFUNK), Gary "Star Child" Shider (PFUNK), Rob Mercurio (Galactic), Larry Jackson (Earth Wind and Fire), Ike Stubblefield (The Funk Bros), Kendra Foster (PFUNK), Sam Bush, The Blue Rags, The Overtakers, Natti Love Joys, The Lee Boys, Dan Adams (Chaka Khan), Blueground Undergrass, DC (Dr. Dre/Erykah Badu), and Pato Banton.

This music is visionary in it's strive to spread a message of empathy and love for humanity in the unconditional form of music and the raw reflection of the human condition. Laura states music as the most honest and pure expression in her life, a language that allows her to release "what I could never even admit to myself or say out lout, but can sing.” When she sings you can feel her soul coming through the speakers, whether it’s smooth R&B, funky reggae, or just down right SOUL MUSIC.

Cincy Groove: Did your gig go well at Floydfest?

Laura Reed: In fact I think it might be in my personal top 5 favorite show we have ever done. There was a really good energy from the crowd. They came with a really nice vibe and we responded to that. It was really awesome.

Cincy Groove: Is there any live recordings of your shows?

Laura Reed: Yeah, there is a lot on archive.org and on our website. We are also releasing a live album in October. There's quite a bit of live material out there. I'm not even sure how much, because there are always tapers at our shows.

laura reed deep pocket


Cincy Groove: Is the live recording your releasing in October one whole show or a combination of shows?

Laura Reed: It's actually part of 2 shows. One was on New Years Eve at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, which is the studio we work from. The other show was a Pandora private party we did. Pandora footed the bill for hiring a professional film crew to come in and video record the show. The live album will come with a disc of live music from those 2 shows and a live dvd that is in high def.

Read the full interview here

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Interview with Theresa Andersson

August 11, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

theresa anderssonMelody, harmony, rhythm, timbre; these are the traditional building blocks of pop music. Yet although you will find them in abundance on Hummingbird, Go!, the new album by Theresa Andersson hardly sounds like conventional pop. That's because the New Orleans singer-songwriter chose to approach her craft from different perspectives before she even began composing. "I stopped thinking in terms of traditional songwriting," Andersson explains. "I worked on shapes, forms, and textures, scents and colors. Elements which are more earthy and organic inspired me." She would walk along the Mississippi River, or relax in her garden. As ideas emerged, she caught them in her butterfly net – or rather, on her laptop – and let them converge, then blossom.

Produced by Swedish songwriter and recording artist Tobias Fröberg (who also helmed The Last Tycoon for Peter Morén, of Peter Bjorn and John fame), and featuring lyrical contributions from poet Jessica Faust, Hummingbird, Go! evokes a distinctly unique universe via its inventive songs. From the funky backbeat, pizzicato plucking, and vocal leaps of "Birds Fly Away," to the smoldering "Locusts Are Gossiping," with its interwoven vocals – as haunting as any Bulgarian choir – and percussive clicking reminiscent of chattering insects, each cut vibrates with polychromatic detail.

Cincy Groove: Tell me about your new album "Hummingbird Go". Any collaborations? who produced it? How much of it was recorded in your kitchen?

Theresa Andersson: The making of "Hummingbird, Go!" was special. The process was different for me this time as I wrote the music more as one would make a collage piece of art. Finding inspiration in colors, forms and textures in my garden and along the Mississippi river. I handed finished songs to Jessica Faust who magically found just the right words. The entire record was then recorded in my kitchen with Tobias Froberg producing. Tobias and I both grew up on the Swedish island of Gotland. I never knew him then. We met the first time when he played a show in a small New Orleans club 1 1/2 years ago. Working with Tobias really tied my New Orleans influences together with my Swedish background. Tobias introduced me to the fantastic Norwegian artist Ane Brun who contributed her beautiful vocals on the only Swedish track on the album. Also my hero Allen Toussaint joined me on one song.

theresa andersson


Cincy Groove: Who do you consider some of your influences?

Theresa Andersson: A lot of New Orleans retro R&B; Allen Toussaint, Betty Harris, Smokey Johnson. I love Leonard Cohen, Bobbie Gentry and Nina Simone. The Swedish singer/songwriter Cornelis Wreeswijk is awesome.

Cincy Groove: How do you feel the internet has affected the music industry?

Theresa Andersson: My personal experience is that it has opened up a lot of doors. There are a lot more avenues to reach potential listeners/fans.

Read the full Interview here

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Video - Freekbass, 8.1.08, House of Crave, Columbus, OH

Just posted video of Cincinnati funk band, Freekbass from 8.1.2008 at The House of Crave in Columbus, OH:


http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/435


Scott

Interview with Tori Sparks

August 5, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

tori sparksTori Sparks calls Nashville home, but spends most of her time on the road in the U.S. and Europe. Called “a knockout” by the Village Voice, her dynamic live show is equal parts soulful singing and zany stand-up-style humor. Tori’s latest album Under This Yellow Sun was co-produced with indie rock veteran David Henry (R.E.M., Ben Folds, Josh Rouse, Widespread Panic, Cowboy Junkies) , and features players such as Steve Bowman of Counting Crows, Aaron Sands of Jars of Clay, John Deaderick (Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams), and Pat Buchanan (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dixie Chicks).

Under This Yellow Sun is the first release under the auspices of Tori’s own record label (Glass Mountain Records) and publishing company (Hand Over Foot Publishing). It has been praised by Relix, Harp, Maverick, Skope, The Nashville Music Guide, XM Radio, and others. After breaking the Top 100 on the RIYL Weighted College Charts, the album was immediately licensed by MTV, Lifetime, and the Oxygen Network for use in their 2008 television seasons. A subsequent feature by XM Radio Unsigned prompted Universal Music France to contact Sparks, has toured in France and other parts of Europe. Universal included Sparks’ single “Cold War” on their double-disc compilation, released internationally in March 2008, which has sold 25,000+ copies to date."Cold War" is also featured on the Paste Magazine New Music Sampler released in June 2008. (from myspace.com/torisparks)

Cincy Groove: How did you recent show at Sitwell's here in Cincinnati go?

Tori Sparks: I really enjoyed playing there because its kind of an informal setting. The people there are really sweet and its a nice change from all those smokey clubs that I play at sometimes.

tori sparks


Cincy Groove: Do you handle all of the day to day operations of your career yourself?

Tori Sparks: Yes I do, I was with a label, but it didn't really work out because they said they were an all country label and wanted to expand into areas that wasn't country. I think it was some kind of story they told people so they would sign with them. They just weren't very honest people, so ultimately it worked out quite well to go out on my own. It took a while to get out of that situation but now I have complete control over what I am doing. Although its a lot of work and can be difficult, driving to gigs, checking emails, and doing interviews. But at least you know that things are being done the way you want them to get done.

Cincy Groove: Do you mostly do solo gigs?

Tori Sparks: Yes most of the time. I have this really great band that plays with me in Nashville when I have shows there. I would love to take them on the road, its just very difficult to be able to afford to pay a full band on the road. Basically I have to convince these rock and roll clubs that I'm not going to put on a sleepy show because I'm just one girl.

tori sparksCincy Groove: Who are some of your influences?

Tori Sparks: There are so many! I think whatever I'm listening to at the time influences what I'm writing. Here are some longtime favorites, though... Tom Waits, U2, Martin Sexton, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Billy Bragg, Amos Lee, Bill Withers, Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, Radiohead, Regina Spektor, The Beatles, The Boss (mainly just Nebraska), Ben Folds, Chris Isaak, Feist, David Bowie, Cecilia the Band, David Gray, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Ray Charles, Ryan Adams, Nirvana, the White Stripes, Iron and Wine, Wilco, any and all blues, local bands, people who like local bands. And Mitch Hedberg.

Read the full interview here