Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears

 

Austin, Texas-based Black Joe Lewis is a contemporary singer and guitarist with a bent toward vintage blues, soul, and R&B. Backed by his band the Honeybears, Lewis draws inspiration from such legendary "shouters" as Howlin' Wolf, Wilson Pickett, and James Brown, as well as smoother crooners like Sam Cooke. Black Joe Lewis released his debut album on Weary in 2007. 

Around the same time, his appearance at Austin's South by Southwest festival garnered increased fan and press support. In 2009, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears released Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! on Lost Highway, produced by Spoon drummer Jim Eno. The band toured relentlessly over the next year before reconvening at Austin's Public Hi-Fi studio with Eno to record the even grittier follow-up, Scandalous. The set contained an appearance by gospel group the Relatives on "You Been Lyin'." Scandalous was released on Lost Highway in March of 2011. In 2013, Vagrant Records released Electric Slave, which was simply credited to Black Joe Lewis. While Lewis was still working with his band, he'd grown tired of the Honeybears tag. 

But Lewis soon discovered that both fans and promoters imagined that its absence meant he was working as a solo act. After taking some downtime, Lewis brought back the Honeybears billing for 2017's Backlash (his first album for INgrooves Music Group), which also found him exploring harder grooves and a stronger rock & roll influence.  

https://www.blackjoelewis.com/

Todd Barrow

 

A chance encounter at Cook Children’s Medical Center is all it took to set Todd Barrow on his mission to revamp classic country with his signature modern twist. One day, an American Idol contestant was slated to perform for the patients at Todd's place of employment, but the audio tech was nowhere to be found. When he heard the call, “Can anybody here run sound?” Todd answered. In walked Texas Music Hall of Fame Honoree Sonny Burgess just as Todd was setting up the live rig, and the two musicians struck up a conversation. Sonny told Todd about his work with Charlie Pride and Randy Travis, and asked Todd if he might lend his technical skills to help build the recording studio sponsored by Garth Brooks and Troy Aikman he that had in the works. This serendipitous encounter yielded a coffee meeting to review the blueprints for the project, and before long, Sonny was meeting Todd for coffee weekly to discuss music. Eventually, he became Todd’s mentor, forever changing the course of Todd’s career.

Now, Todd Barrow is making a name for himself as a country artist to watch. The Texas singer-songwriter has racked up more than a few accolades, from a PRSA Award of Excellence, to an Akademia Award for Best Country Album, and an artist spotlight in Alternative Roots Magazine, American Pride Magazine and AVA Radio. Recently,featured in Red Silk Carpet magazine as chart topping country artist. Performed along side Allison Balson the TV star from Little House On The Prairie! He has appeared on television shows including Good Morning Texas with Jerry Matheny and Texas Music Café on PBS. He’s even shared the stage and studio with some of country music’s heaviest hitters, from CMA musicians in Miranda Lambert’s band to Fort Worth Producer of the Year Bart Rose. But it’s more than just Todd’s success to date that makes him such a compelling country artist. What’s most readily apparent in Todd Barrow’s music is his heart. 

Todd’s music is no country for old men. While he undoubtedly draws his sonic influence from titans like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, his melodies skew modern. He plays almost every instrument, from piano to guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and drums, and the multi-instrumentalist doubles as a songwriter for himself as well as for other artists. “"If I can put a smile on someone’s face through song, well that just means the world to me,” he says. “I try to get to the real heart and soul of a song. To me, it's not just words but a story, and I do my best to portray that with every line. That’s my main draw to country music; the stories, the people, and the sincerity that comes from the heart." 

It’s precisely that heart that has won over audiences around the world. Todd Barrow’s recent single, “The House That Love Built”, co-written with Sonny Burgess, was featured on RightNow TV and was honored by PRSA Fort Worth for its fundraising efforts on behalf of the Ronald McDonald house. He is a big giver to charities and a elite actor with Backstage Casting. Todd was featured in the lineup for Bo’s Extravaganza festival at John Schneider’s Studio, alongside such artists as Kid Rock and Tom Wopat from Dukes of Hazzard. He has received radio airplay from Italy Radio 6.75 for his single “Hot Southern Night”. 

Todd Barrow just released his latest single, “Girl Like You,” he is  hard at work on new music in the studio. Todd is a proud member of the Harry Fox Agency, the Country Music Association, the International Singer-Songwriters Association, the Texas Music Office, BMI, the Fort Worth Songwriters Association, American Music Podcasting, the NSAIDFW Songwriters Association, the Dallas Songwriters Association, the British Country Music Association and the Bayou Country Music Association.

 https://www.toddbarrowmusic.com

Lance Wing

 

Hello, I'm Lance Wing, a songwriter, singer, and entertainer based in the Nashville area. I've been performing music for over 30 years (whoops, I'm telling my age) and writing songs nearly as long. For about 12 of those years I played 5 nights a week in clubs with many one nighters, corporate, and jazz gigs thrown in also. I worked with many of the best players along the coast in Northwest Florida. In Nashville, now I get to work with some of the best players in the world.

I've had songs on five grammy winning albums by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, the "King of Polka". On two of those I had the title cut, 'Let's Polka 'Round' and 'Polka In Paradise'. My songs have been sang by many independent artists as well as Bobby Vinton, T. Graham Brown, Whispering Bill Anderson.

As a recording artist I've put out a number of my songs in the soulful Carolina Beach Music scene, some of which have charted there, including 'Heat', 'To A T', 'Be My Lady', 'Shag Time', 'Haul Off And Love Someone', 'All Done With Me'.

I moved to Nashville in 1992 to further pursue songwriting which I'm still very busy with and I also have a corporate/casino style show that I perform. I grew up listening to the great songs of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Rock, Pop, Country, Rhythm and Blues, Jazzy, Vegas, Easy Listening, whatever. I just love great songs of all styles, so that's what I do. My variety show has songs of all those styles or I have a show called - 'It Happened In Vegas - The Songs, The Singers, The Era, The Place' - featuring songs from back in the heyday of Las Vegas entertainment by many of the great singers like Dean Martin, Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Tom Jones and Elvis.

 https://www.lancewing.com/

Black Merda

 

Black Merda were a funky rock combo with a significant debt to Jimi Hendrix, mixing fuzz-toned, psychedelic blues-rock with folky acoustic passages and contemporary late-'60s soul. Featuring guitarists Anthony and Charles Hawkins, bassist VC Veasey (aka Veesee L. Veasey), and drummer Tyrone Hite, the group got its start in the late '60s after Veasey, Hite, and Anthony Hawkins had spent time in a band called the Soul Agents, backing Edwin Starr and Gene Chandler. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced?, they added Anthony's younger brother Charles on second guitar and christened themselves Black Merda. Despite some interest around their Detroit base -- including Norman Whitfield and Eddie Kendricks -- Black Merda signed to Chess, thanks in part to the psychedelic soul eccentric Fugi (aka Ellington Jordan), who they also backed on his Mary, Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip LP for Chess.

Black Merda's self-titled album sounded revolutionary enough, although the bandmembers were disappointed that it didn't reflect their heavy live shows. They then moved to the West Coast to continue playing with Fugi, but returned to Chicago to record a second album. Shortening their name to Mer-Da, the group returned in 1971 with Long Burn the Fire, a funkier outing that bore a likeness to early Funkadelic. The band quickly fizzled out, but over the next three decades, continued record-collector interest in the group eventually resulted in a reunion with Veasey, both Hawkins brothers, and Fugi, although Hite had died in 2004. 

 http://www.blackmerda.net/

MECHANICAL ROOSTER

 

Founded in 2016 by Mustafa Kaçar and Onur Çağlar in Izmir, Turkey; MECHANICAL ROOSTER is proud to present their debut album; “Episode One”. Supervised by Turkish blues veteran / producer Sarp Keskiner, the album suggests an innovative formula by blending urban blues with old school hip hop while preaching their idiosyncratic view on global issues in a cut-up tradition, reminding pioneers of the Beat Generation. 

• Mustafa Kaçar: vocals, lyrics, harmonicas, synthesizer
• Onur Çağlar: vocals, lyrics, sampling, turntable, fx
• Guest) Sarp Keskiner: guitars, bass, percussion, slide ukulele

The EP is released digital and available on all the download and streaming platforms.

The band suggests an innovative formula by blending urban blues and electronic with old school hip hop while preaching their idiosyncratic view on daily issues in a cut-up tradition, reminding pioneers of the Beat Generation.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1nQL40VBcItNiTFCUO6ylB?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=submission_mechanical_rooster_harmonicats&utm_term=2022-07-22

https://www.facebook.com/MechanicalRooster

News from JAM 66 RADIO: New releases

 From today, RAMA SECA, SONNY MORGAN, CHRIS ANTONIK and others on JAM 66 Radio. ONLY THE NEWEST.

Many new groups and artists every day on the radio. Every day, the newest in rock, country, folk, blues and jazz music.

The Blog of JAM 66 Radio, is the blog of the radio that plays rock, country, blues, blues rock, music of route 66 and the newest.

Every day new stories on radio, new posts, new bands, blues, blues-rock , country, folk and rock music are posted on this blog. Also, updated news on the blog in real time.

Tune in and hear on this blog or through the links on the right column. https://jam-radio.blogspot.com/

Dani Wilde

 

Over the past 10 years Blues and Country singer-songwriter Dani Wilde has performed at thousands of venues and festivals across Europe, America, Canada and Africa; from the main stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall, to the slum communities of Kenya, to Times Square – New York City.

Wilde has secured three number one’s in the Official I-tunes Blues Music Charts (Two self penned songs and a cover of The Rolling Stones “Bitch’ as part of the girl group “Girls With Guitars”). She has also crossed over to the I-Tunes Country Charts Top 40 placing her alongside Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift in Luxembourg and Switzerland. In September 2017, Wilde was the only British artist in the Roots Music Report's Blues Top 50 - She peaked at Number 28, just beneath the Tedeschi Trucks Band. On October 11th 2017, following BBC Radio 2 airplay and the support of many independent radio stations, Wilde hit the Number 5 spot in the UK I-Tunes Blues Charts, placing her alongside her contemporaries Van Morrison, Beth Hart, Joe Bonamassa and Jonny Lang. ​

In September 2015, Wilde was awarded 'Best Female Vocalist" at the British Blues Awards. 

In July 2016, Dani Wilde's self-penned pop song 'R U Sweet On Me' was featured in NBC's Award Winning Drama Series 'Aquarius'. The hit 'sex, drugs and rock' n'roll' TV series stars David Duchovny as a fictional LAPD detective investigating the case of a missing teenage girl who is found to be with serial killer Charles Manson and his family. The series is known for it's superb 60's soundtrack including The Who's "I Can See For Miles" and "The Seeker", Nina Simone's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" as well as Brighton Blues Belle Dani Wilde's cross-over pop/soul track "R U Sweet On Me".​

Dani's International Radio Play has included live special feature sessions for The Paul Jones Show on BBC Radio 2 and Bill Wax’s XFM Bluesville show in the USA. On her travels, Wilde has performed as the opening act for Jools Holland (with the Chris Holland Band), Nazareth, Johnny Winter, Journey, Foreigner, Maddie Prior (Steeleye Span) and Robben Ford, to name but a few.

Wilde has performed on The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise alongside her hero’s Bobby Blue Bland, Bobby Womack and Taj Mahal. Live collaborations have included sharing the stage with Pee Wee Ellis at Womad Festival, Christopher Holland, Samantha Fish (Girls With Guitars) and Sue Foley as well as recording with top producers Mike Zito and the legendary Mike Vernon (Clapton/Fleetwood Mac)

Wilde has released three solo studio albums plus a ‘Girls With Guitars’ album for Ruf Records (Luther Alison/Jimmy Vaughan/Louisiana Red). She also manages her own independent record label “Bri-Tone Records”.​

In 2017 Wilde signed to VizzTone Label Group in the USA. Her new album “Live at Brighton Road” will be released in June 2017. Dani recalled:

“I’ve always wanted to be a VizzTone Artist. I was brought up on Muddy Waters and I’m a huge Susan Tedeschi and Sean Costello fan. I saw Susan play when I was a teenager and it’s what made me want to be a blues artist. So when Richard Rosenblatt sold ToneCool and set up VizzTone with Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin, I longed to have the opportunity to work with them both. I’ve had a great career with Ruf Records but I’m so excited to be moving forward with VizzTone! I feel my new record “Live at Brighton Road” is by far my best work. It’s true to the blues, and inspired by the American music that I love; but it’s also true to me and tells my story as a British Blues Woman”.

“Live at Brighton Road” was recorded live at Brighton Road Studios in England. Produced by Wilde, It’s a collection of heartfelt Acoustic and Electric live performances that will tug on your heartstrings and get your feet stomping. The CD release features a bonus DVD of the ‘live in the studio performance’. The album will also be available on 180g-heavyweight vinyl.​

In 2020, Wilde resigned with Vizztone, extending her contract for a collection of three singles. The first 'Howling at the moon' was released in March 2020, the second 'Brave' was released in May 2020 and the third 'Masters of War' released July 2020. ​

A further trilogy of singles is to be released on Vizztone in Summer 2021, Pluto (May 21), Wild Women (June 21) and Don't Fish In My Sea (July 21). 

A passionate advocate for the charity ‘Moving Mountains’ and Toto Love Children's Home, Kenya, Dani Wilde is also recognised for her humanitarian work, raising funds and awareness for children in Embu, Kenya. 

https://www.daniwilde.com/