Music FridayLive!

Canadian-born, LA-based Neo-Ragtime singer Dessy di Lauro describes herself as a "Feathered Frohawk Futuristic Art Deco Centric Harlem Renaissance Hep Music'' singer/songwriter.  She is also the leader and producer of a spectacular  Las Vegas Show that run at the  at the Cosmopolitan Her latest EP was released for her 2015 her world tour in parallel with Madonna’s Rebel Heart tour.

Vanessa Campagna is a young pop singer/songwriter with an accomplished past and a brilliant future who has has sung with symphonies,  shared the stage with Reba and Blake Shelton and Loretta Lynn,  and who can and does belt pop and rock with the best of them, She has been on Star Search, she wrote the music for an Oscar winning film, and has herself been the subject of a PBS documentary. And that is only the beginning of the career of a woman the press has called a vocal powerhouse,  a precociously gifted entertainer and a singer reminiscent of a  young Celine Dion.

Jessika Dawn (Jessica Dawn Fekete) started singing at an early age, recording herself . She started a podcast,"Human Nature" which was just recently had a début on iTunes, and her own annual, “Female Week” spotlighting female singer/songwriters, producers, and Dj’ s.  In 2011 she collaborated with  Russian producer Safron/off on “Don’t Go”,  released records with local producers in Drum & Bass, Trance, and House and the song  “Cat Eyes” on It’s Not A Label Records.  Her latest release,  “Fall For You” under Armada Captivating  with Suspect44 and Soar has charted within the top 20 on Beatport’s top 100 in Trance

 

Irene Diaz is Los Angeles’ modern day torch singer-songwriter, who, in a very short amount of time, has gained national acclaim. Starting in late 2011 Irene began playing her brand of soaring love songs in venues from coffee houses to  Hollywood’s House of Blues.  Her first E.P. “I Love You Madly” was a hit with both fans and critics, and her subsequent releases have cemented her place in the nation’s music capital. With the release this week of her newest single and video, "This Cannot Be", fans nationwide are lining up to experience to Irene Diaz magic.

Salme Dahlstrom –Salme -- is  a New York-based  musical artist who not only writes and produces irrepressible dance music,  but she licenses virtually everything she  does to TV or movies. That means you have  probably heard her music even  if you don’t know it.  Which is to say, that chances are, Salme Dahlstrom is a part of the soundtrack of your life.  Salme is a woman so confident in her talent that she has long ago transcended pop’s angst to produce music that is intelligent as well as hooky,  sophisticated as well as accessible passionate as well as strategic, and always, always fun to listen to.  She is releasing new songs in advance of a new album and we are going to debut them Friday on MusicFridayLive!

The Nick Valentini Collective is a critically acclaimed eight-piece, fusion musical collective born in Los Angeles about six months ago and led by singer and keyboardist Nick Valentini.  Blending indie rock, jazz and experimental psychedelic soul,  the band has been often dubbed as a “jazz fusion Radiohead”. The group quickly made a name for themselves in the Southern California music scene attracting large audiences to their dynamic live shows and is now set to announce the release of their first album. We will debut 2 songs from the forthcoming album, the first time they are heard on the radio anywhere.

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True Violet, comprised of members Jessie Covets (vocals/keys/guitar), Alayna Miller (bass/Vocals), Kayla Miller (drums/Vocals), and Shae Padilla (Guitar), True Violet is an alternative/pop all-girl band.  In 2012 Jessie, along with sisters Kayla and Alayna, moved across the country from Florida, to take the next step in their music career. Broke, and a little scared, they armed themselves with instruments and made Los Angeles their home. Now complete with Los Angeles native guitarist Shae Padilla, True Violet is taking the music scene by storm. In their short time on the west coast, they’ve already headlined shows at legendary venues such as The Viper Room, The Roxy, Dresden, House of Blues, and The Chameleon Club. We have their album and will play cuts from it and talk with the band.

Austin Texas-based Jeff Plankenhorn, long the go-to guitarist for Texas music stars, offers an such an incredibly varied range of styles that he was called the “chameleon of performing” by Emily Robison of The Dixie Chicks. “Plank”, as he is known, blends the soulful vocals of the church, Motown, and funk with bluegrass and rock  into an intoxicating sound that spans them all. In just released his debut album, Soulside, Plank steps out solo on his trademark stand-up steel lap guitar, backed by a red-hot Texas band and many guest appearances by Grammy-winning stars. 

Plus, Athena, the golden-voiced star of the UK and Greece now in LA csutting her first album for the US market drops by.

Eric Zayne is a soul infused pop-rock musician and record producer who blends electronics to create a sound that is edgy and unique. After fleeing to Canada from the Congo as a child, Zayne started his career at 13 by playing in multiple bands in Montreal. His first major gig was a five-year tour across Asia where he played keyboards, guitar and sang in a funk band. He is now in Los Angeles, getting ready to release a new album after his breakout hits, “Maneater”, "Spin the World” and winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2015.  And we get to debut songs from teh new album...you will hear it first on Music FridayLive!

Our second guest,  Jayson Won, Executive Creative Director & COO, World Arts,  is a professional drummer who branched out into the business side of music, forming his own label, a creative agency 1K Studios, which helped launch the first DVD releases for MGM, Disney, Polygram, Universal, 20th Century Fox and Paramount and developed the graphic and design concepts for iDVD and iTunes Originals. His latest adventure, World Arts, offers a platform for bands, artists, fans and the music industry to come together in new and mutually beneficial ways.

 

...and a wonderful surprise, joining us at the top of the hour is Buika, a global phenomenon who fuses African, Spanish, Western music into hypnotic beats and songs.  She will be playing to a sold-out Disney Hall in L:A Saturday and we get to talk with her Friday morning. And we talk to Kawehi, who will stop by before her performance tonight at the Hotel Cafe.

Brandon Stansell was debuted at age 6 on the Grand Ole Opry stage and never stopped. . He traveled the world as a backup dancer onTaylor Swift’s Fearless tour, singing solo for years and now has released his first album and his first go at songwriting, Dear John. Written and produced in almost in real-time during the breakup that inspired it, it introduces the world to Brandon’s skill  with the feelings, memories, and  music.

Polar Rose is the high-octane music duo of Maddie Elyse and Peter Anthony who emerged onto the LA scene in  2013 with the release of their debut EP, “The Moon & its Secrets” and later their first full length album, “Telescopes” in 2014, all bound together by otherworldly inspirations, science fiction fantasy, and pure imagination.  Their next album, Ocean Blue, Velvet Skies is due out next week and we have , along with their new video, “Tiger Bait.”  Peter and Maddie join Music Friday Live this Friday for a sneak peek.

The Portland-based band Dirty Revival has gone literally from the basement to the top – the top clubs in their region – and now they are spreading the word of their “unique “soul-hop” sound across the country.  Led by the soulful vocals of Sarah Clarke, the seven-member Dirty Revival has made their mark on the Pacific Northwest music scene with original tracks and tightly arranged classics that shine on stage. Their self-titled debut album captures the excitement of their live show and is now drawing fans to performances from sunny Los Angeles to snowy Idaho. 

Raised  in Corpus Christi, producer, DJ, and nu-cumbia pioneer El Dusty translates the Southern Texas border experience into barrio anthems with a sampler and chopped clips of Latin music history.  Following the success of his single “K Le Pasa,”  El Dustry released the Trapanera EP, the first of his collaborative projects since signing with Universal Records AfterCluv division.  Following the success of the record, El Dusty created PRODUCE®, a multi-disciplinary production/design house where he produced “K Le Pasa.” and houses Chicas Rock, a non-profit after school program dedicated to building girls’ self-esteem through music creation and performance.

The Portland-based band My Brothers and I are often called “Northwest Soul” for the melodic, soulful, and danceable music influenced by pop, hip-hop, the blues, Motown, funk and soul. they The three brothers and two friends quintet initially released a digital EP, Live Sessions and have just released their debut first full-length LP, Don’t Dream Alone. They are bringing it with them for the show this Friday and we will play cuts ...a radio first.

Texas-based guitarist Van Wilks has won  Best Guitarist for both electric and acoustic and Best Blues-Rock Band four years running in the Austin Chronicle music poll.  He is not stopping – he just released  his first studio album in 10 years, 21st Century Blues, and  has gigs booked almost every night until July.  No wonder – when critics call 21st Century Blues the best “rock” album and it really bluesis blues and the band is compared to ZZ Top and Bad Company, you know you are in the presence of greatness on a guitar.

Tracy Newman is an Emmy-winning TV writer and producer  and a long time roots musician who has been a staff writer on Cheers, The Nanny, Hiller & Diller, Ellen and Drew Carey. Her long history in folk music includes a New Christy Minstrel in her teens) and playing places and, with her band the Reinforcements, play in virtually every roots and folk music venue in Southern California. Her albums are for both children and adults and one even includes a coloring book. She will bring us great stories and great music!

The Americans play original rock and roll with deep roots in traditional American music – not quite folk rock, not quite rocking folk, but its own unique thing.  The have backed up Nick Cave, Tim Robbins, appeared on PBS,and The Late Show, played on film soundtracks and rocked venues across.   Made up ofPatrick Ferris (vocals, guitar), Zac Sokolow (electric guitar, banjo, violin), Jake Faulkner (bass), and Tim Carr (drums, at least two of them will join us Friday and maybe all three. 

Plus, we will have a surprise guest at the top of the hour.  Can't say who because it is a surprise.

Daisy House is  father-daughter  Southern California-based  folk-rock band formed in December of 2012. Doug Hammond plays guitar, bass, vocals and keys, and Doug's daughter Tatiana Hammond handles vocals. The duo – sometimes augmented by Christ Stiles on a lute, is grounded in late 60’s British folk, like Fairport Convention, the Byrds and Donovan.  They have recently released Western Man, their third album and we will be playing cuts while we talk to Doug (and maybe Tatiana if she can call in from the uK)..

From studying art at one the nation’s most respected schools to busking in a village in Peru for airfare, Laura Jean Anderson has a breadth of experience that makes her not only a great songwriter and musician but a great storyteller.  You have seen her on the Jack In the Box Music Minute series on TV, now you can hear her on Music Friday Live!. Her new EP, Righteous Girl, which evokes the ghost of Janis Joplin, updated for the 21st century, is due for release March 4.  But we have her on the air this Friday and may get a sneak peak.