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Carrie Rodriguez

March 28, 2009 – 2:41 pm by sleeper
Tour Dates
03/28/09 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s (duo) w/Erin McKeown Hoboken, New Jersey
03/29/09 Dave Marsh Show on Sirius/XM Radio (11 am) New York, New York
03/29/09 Fairfield, CT @ Stage One/Fairfield Theatre (duo) w/Erin McKeown Fairfield, Connecticut
04/02/09 Conroe, TX @ Heritage Place Ampitheater/First Thursday Concert Series (band) Conroe, Texas
04/03/09 Austin, TX @ The Cactus Cafe (duo) Austin, Texas
04/04/09 San Antonio, TX @ Casbeers At The Church (duo) San Antonio, Texas
04/06/09 Des Moines, IA @ Flying Mango (duo) Des Moines, Iowa
04/08/09 Showcase Minnesota, KARE TV - Channel 11 (w/Romantica) - 10:30 am Minneapolis, Minnesota
04/08/09 KTCZ interview/performance in Minneapolis, MN - listen @ www.cities97.com - 12:30 pm Minneapolis, Minnesota
04/08/09 Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theatre (w/Romantica) Minneapolis, Minnesota
04/09/09 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall (duo) - opening for Alejandro Escovedo Milwaukee, Wisconsin
04/10/09 Danville, IN @ Royal Theater (duo) opening for Alejandro Escovedo Danville, Indiana
04/11/09 Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music (duo) - opening for Alejandro Escovedo SOLD OUT Chicago, Illinois
04/14/09 New York, NY @ The Living Room (trio) - WVUV “On Your Radar” Event New York, New York
04/18/09 Stone Ridge, NY @ Center for Creative Education (duo) Stone Ridge, New York
04/22/09 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head (duo) - opening for Willy Porter Annapolis, Maryland
04/25/09 WFDU “Crash On The Levee” interview/performance (duo) - 10:30 am - listen @ www.wfdu.fm Teaneck, New Jersey
04/26/09 Freehold, NJ @ Concerts in the Studio (trio) Freehold, New Jersey
05/08/09 San Pedro, CA @ Grand Annex (trio) San Pedro, CA
05/09/09 San Diego, CA @ Anthology (trio) San Diego, Californi
05/10/09 Santa Monica, CA @ McCabes Guitar Shop (trio) Santa Monica, California
05/11/09 Tucson, AZ @ Plush (trio) Tucson, Arizona
05/14/09 Santa Rosa, CA @ Last Day Saloon (trio) Santa Rosa, California
05/16/09 Fallon, NV @ Barkley Theatre (trio) Fallon, Nevada
05/17/09 Chico, CA @ The Big Room/Sierra Navada Brewing (trio) w/The Greencards Chico, Nevada
05/21/09 Denver, CO @ The Soiled Dove (trio) Denver, Colorado
05/22/09 Taos, NM @ KTAO Solar Center (band) Taos, New Mexico
05/23/09 Albuquerque, NM @ Q-Jam @ Harry E. Kinney Civic Plaza (band) - opening for The Gin Blossums Albuquerque, New Mexico
05/25/09 She Ain’t Me RELEASE DATE in Europe Wageningen, Overijssel
06/01/09 (t)London radio & media day London, London and South East
06/02/09 Bob Harris Radio Show (BBC2) taping London, London and South East
06/06/09 Bob Harris Show (BBC2) airs London, London and South East
06/12/09 Fish Creek, WI @ Door Community Auditorium (band) Fish Creek, Wisconsin
06/13/09 Green Lake, WI @ Thrasher Opera House (band) Green Lake, Wisconsin
07/11/09 Austin City Limits (PBS) segment re-airs (internationally)! Austin, Texas
07/12/09 (t)Stanley, ID @ Redfish Lake Lodge (duo) Stanley, Idaho
07/14/09 (t)Halley, ID Halley, Idaho
07/15/09 Boise, ID @ Alive After Five Concert Series (band) Boise, Idaho
07/16/09 Moscow, ID @ Rendezvous in Moscow (band) Moscow, Idaho
07/17/09 Ephrata, WA @ Basin Summer Sounds (band) Ephtara, Washington
07/18/09 (t)Sandpoint, ID andpoint, Idaho
07/19/09 (t)Missoula, MT Missoula, Montana
07/20/09 (t)KRVO 103.1 FM Riverside Lounge interview/performance - TBD Kalispell, Montana
07/20/09 (t)Whitefish, MT @ Great Northern Bar & Grill (band) - KRVO show Whitefish, Montana
07/22/09 Crested Butte, CO @ Live! from Mt. Crested Butte Crested Butte, Colorado
07/23/09 Ridgway, CO @ Summer Concert Series - KVNF broadcast Ridgway, Colorado
07/24/09 Cedar City, UT @ The Grind Coffeehouse Cedar City, Utah
08/06/09 Bethlehem, PA @ Musik Fest (band) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
09/26/09 (t)WTMT 105.9 FM interview/performance in Asheville, NC - TBD Asheville, North Carolina
09/26/09 Flat Rock, NC @ Flat Rock Music Festival (duo or trio) Flat Rock, North Carolina

Discography


[2002] Let’s Leave This Town

[2003] The Trouble with Humans

[2004] Angel Of The Morning EP

[2005] Red Dog Tracks

[2006] Seven Angels on a Bicycle

[2008] She Ain’t Me
Carrie Rodriguez is a singer/songwriter, from a Mexican descent, currently based out of New York. Her father, David Rodriguez, is also a singer/songwriter, having long relocated in the Netherlands in the mid-90s, where it seems he’s still producing music.

Anyway, she first came on the music scene via 2001’s SXSW*, where Chip Taylor met Carrie Rodriguez and was impressed with her that he asked her to tour with him in Europe. Since then, together, they released three albums and one EP.

By 2006, Rodriguez went solo and released Seven Angels on a Bicycle, however with the help of Taylor (who co-wrote and had a major influence on the first album). With She Ain’t Me, released late last year on the Manhattan Records (who I also just recently found out makes most of their music available on the BMG Music Club), Rodriguez is mostly on her own, employing the songwriting help of ex-Jayhawks Gary Louris, folk singer Mary Gauthier, producer Malcolm Burn (who won a Juno award for producer of the year for Emmylou Harris’ “Here I Am”), among others.

Listening to She Ain’t Me, I was immediately taken to the title track (”She Ain’t Me”). I marked it as a five-star track on iTunes and it became an instant repeat track for me. I feel that the song has a country folk influence, but the melodies sounds more like a great radio pop song. The singer warns the listener that this new woman might be perfect, but she simply cannot replace the singer (because she simply isn’t her.)

The most surprisingly thing I found about the song, having looked up the song credit as co-written by “D.Wilson”, I have concluded it is Dan Wilson - who you may all remember as being from Minneapolis’ Semisonic.**

I also enjoyed “El Salvador”, which is a long-distance (love?) song. If it’s not love, it’s definitely about missing someone… apparently that person is in El Salvador. The song is surprisingly optimistic in tone as well, despite all the waiting and wishing she could swim across the ocean.

The most surprising thing for me was that Rodriguez only wrote/play fiddle on a few of the songs (the rest, she settled on guitar). The most noticible fiddle song is “Absence”, which sounds like a southern bluegrass song and reminds me a lot of Bobbie Gentry. The reason why I bring this up is because she is known for her fiddles - and compared to her first solo album, the majority of banjo & fiddles gave that album more of a bluegrass feel to it.

If you love folk, pop, and a little bluegrass, you should want to check out Carrie Rodriguez. Judging from her major promotional tour, I think you will be hearing from her soon - if not already.

* I am happy to report that Rodriguez is returning back to SXSW in a few short weeks.

** From a Minneapolis point of view, she’ll be appearing on KARE TV and on Cities97, as well as playing at the Varsity, the same night (April 8th). I would not be suprise if Wilson shows up at the Varsity show - so be on the lookout.


   vu () carrierodriguez.com myspace.com/carrielrodriguez


Benjamin Taylor

September 20, 2008 – 9:07 am by sleeper
Tour Dates

09/20/08 Joe’s Pub New York, NY
10/18/08 Borgata Atlantic City, NJ
10/19/08 World Cafe Live (WXPN Studios) Philadelphia, PA
11/21/08 Troubadour West Hollywood, CA
Discography

[2003] Famous Among the Barns

[2005] Another Run Around the Sun

[2008] The Legend of Kung Folk: Part 1 (The Killing Bite)

ENTER THE TAYLOR
I think I get what Benjamin Taylor - of musician parents of James Taylor and Carly Simon - is trying to do with his themed The Legend of Kung Folk: Part 1 (The Killing Bite). The way I see it, with the television show, Kung Fu, a Shaolin monk wanders along the countryside spreading his kung fu. Instead of a monk, it’s Benjamin Taylor spreading his co-called Kung Folk! I love the idea and name of Kung Folk, it seems like an American Folk with an Eastern philosophy. It is obvious to me that Taylor is deeply interested in Asian culture - and not just because of Bruce Lee (although that’s cool too).

In 1997, Taylor took the musical path as The Ben Taylor Band, a “neo-psychodelic folk funk” as Taylor puts it. He changed that music style, more classic folk starting with his 2005 album, Another Run Around the Sun.

FOLK OF FURY
The melodies and backup singers on “Wrong” makes the song an obvious choice to represent Taylor, plus it’s a great song. I also really enjoyed “Wicked Way”, a fun song about a guy who wants to have his wicked ways with this girl. I love bluntness of it:

I don’t want to meet your friends or just pretend I like you
I don’t want to talk about what happened on your favorite TV show
I just want to get you close enough so I can take off all your clothes
I am not going to make you cry or break your heart

Girl, we don’t have the time
I’m just thinking of three hours or more
So I can have my wicked way with you.

The most interesting song on this album is “Wilderness”, the only song that’s not written by Taylor. I found out that it comes from rapper John Forte, who’s currently serving time in prison for procession and intent of distribution of narcotics. The song is what you would expect from Taylor, so I am interested in what it would sound like under Forte’s direction.

RETURN OF THE KILLING BITE
The Legend of Kung Folk was released September 16th on Iris Records. I recommend buying it from Newbury Comics as it comes with an autographed CD booklet.

I leave you with this Taylor quote:

Laughing at myself is proving to be very good Kung Fu.

- Benjamin Taylor

Links: bentaylormusic.com myspace.com/bentaylorofficial