Music FridayLive!

Shelly Meg Peiken is an American songwriter, nominated for a Grammy this year, who is best known for co-writing the US #1 hits "What A Girl Wants" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" by Christina Aguilera, the US #2 hit "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks, and the US #16 hit "Almost Doesn't Count" by Brandy. She has also written for or with Britney Spears, Natasha Bedingfield, Keith Urban, Celine Dion, Cher, Reba McEntire, Laura Pausini, NSYNC, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, Aaliyah, Selena Gomez, Idina Menzel and Demi Lovato. She is a Huffington Post blogger where she writes of her experiences as a songwriter, the challenges of the current music business, and the balancing of career and parenthood. Shelly's first book, Confessions of a Serial Songwriter, is a personal look into the music industry and her life of adventures through it.

Native New Yorker Blake Morgan is a recording artists, record producer and activist for musicians and the principle that they must be paid.  He is the founder and owner of ECR Music Group, a global music company with record labels in the US and the UK, in which all of the artists own 100% of their master recordings.  The company and its labels and artists have flourished under the principle of fair payment and rights for artists.  Morgan’s music career has also flourished, with  an artists in residence concert series at New York’s Rockwood Music Hall with guests like Tracy Bonham, Jessie Harris and Chris Barron, and headlining performances on 50,000 mile tours across the USA and Europe.  He is launching a new UK tour on Dec. 4.

Phoenix, AZ based JADE has made the move to LA after commuting almost 400 miles every week to record and perform.  The product of this move is “Pink” an EP that symbolizes the end of an era for Jade, who has now come to embrace the contradictions that used to confound her. She says, “PINK is where I landed after going through the phases of growing up and changing to accept myself.” Basically, she had “hated” the color pink her whole life because it was “too girly.” One day she realized, “I'm pretending I don’t like it, all because I want some stuck up ahole to think I'm cool? No way. Now I want pink everything." It took her writing and recording all the songs of the EP and exploring all the different phases and mindsets to realize a new acceptance for who she is. Where she is is an accomplished musician with over 100K views of her songs and thousands of shares and comments and a new single “Find A place”.  She has found a place, in the music crucible of Los Angeles and apparently it suits her fine.

Akshara, the New-York-based South Asian ensemble, Akahara, puts South India’s rhythms together with modern sounds to create technically stunning and musically engaging songs like the  “Mohana Blues” which mashes up  konnakol (spoken rhythmic patterns) and tabla hand drums with lush washes of modern strings. Founder Bala Skandan and the members of Akshara come from a wide variety of backgrounds that merge jazz, Western classical, and Indian sensibilities and instrumentation. Skandan himself studied the barrel-shaped Indian drum, the mridangam, and the  violin until he got into college, when he set music aside for a while. After graduating however, he began composing pieces that highlighted his chosen instrument and incorporated others, like the cello in songs that  flow and swirl in the group’s new EP, In Time. 

The Rigs are TJ Stafford and Caitlin Parrott who began collaborating in 2014. Both prolific songwriters on their own, their unique synth-pop meets gritty alternative rock sound immediately began gaining attention. Their tracks have been featured on major television shows like HBO’s True Blood, AMC’s The Walking Dead, NBC’s Parenthood, FreeForms Pretty Little Liars and many more. The mix of emotive vocals, harrowing melodies and unexpected instrumentation create music that has captivated audiences and critics alike. Their new single, Fall or Fly, is also making news, continuing the unique partnership that breaks rules, upends conventions and makes people feel good.

The Los Angeles band Space Cadets, comprised of Zachary Wexelman, Dan Creed, and John Cocco came together to create a sound that marries blues and hip hop with alt rock in recordings and live performances. Formed in 2012, Space Cadets rose by crafting a unique mix of chill urban vibes and grooving acoustic blues rock. Their style  goes beyond their records into high energy performances first in their home market of LA and then across the country on tour.  The smooth groove they perfected in their first single, "Way Too Loud"  became the template for earworms rooted deeply in hip-hop but with a mix of acoustic and electric guitars and strong beats. A trademark is their ability to counter pose lyrics and music, playing with a  bright and airy feel that belies the heavy handed lyrics about serious topics like power of hate. On their up-coming EP, "Let The Kids Play!" they dive deeper into their  evolved sound with the help of CJ Blair to create music that's both reminiscent and present at the same time. 

The Simpkin Project is a Southern California band that plays a multi-faceted blend of reggae, blues, rock, and Americana, steeped in soulful harmonies  in a sound has been described as “uncompromising…blending authentic roots reggae rhythms with a wall-of-sound production style.” Phil Simpkin and Shawn Taylor, co-lead vocalists, have been with the band since its inception, indulging their love of reggae and their skill in mixing it blues, rock and the roots of American music.  The result is joyful, danceable and a whole lot of fun. They are releasing a new album Beam of Light September 30 and we will preview it this Friday.

Toronto-born, LA-based ARI heals the  mind with music. Her education is in psychology but her art is in songs that dance in and out of genre lines, moving from pop to gritty hip-hop to electronic. ARI’s songs turns pain into power with visceral lyrics of hope and tragedy. Her sound comes to life in the middle, between the light and dark of life. Her most recent album Tunnel Vision demonstrates that in sound and lyrics. She just released Cattle Call and will premiere Cathartic Release Nov. 14 with a film debut for Jack.org, a charity that empowers young to revolutionize mental health. During the next several months, ARI will release 6 singles from her EP, Dis-Order in a music and film campaign “Pain Into Power" dedicated to Mental Health Awareness with all show & film screening ticket proceeds to Jack.Org".

The career of San Diego-based rock artist Christopher Sluka has spanned many different phases, beginning in the rock clubs of New York City’s underground music scene and eventually taking him around the world. While his music is uniquely attuned to the thoughts and melodies living within him, he’s found bits and pieces of influences scattered throughout from artists such as Coldplay, David Bowie, and Radiohead.  His electric-charged live performances are loved by audiences and praised by critics – part of a body of work built on intense dedication to his craft. His newest album, Colorful Radiation  - his 11th -- explores the depths of atmospheric rock with hints of bohemian influence and gothic undertones. He joins us this Friday with songs from the new album.

Andy B.AND (aka Andy Bernstein)  has been the primary singer-songwriter for roots rockers The VooDUDES since 1990.  Inspired by Americana and retro soul music, Andy began a solo recording project with Blues Leaf Records producer John “JP” Pittas to co-produce his latest project, My Roots are Showing. Andy B is now bringing the project to life at events with regional and local artists  under the Andy B.AND SoulFolk moniker. He has performed at the Bourbon Street Blues Festival; the Light Of Day Festivals and, the Hub City Music Festival in his hometown of New Brunswick, NJ. His songs range around American roots to the DAP Records-style soul to  AM radio rockers and rockabilly gospel. Whether it is a guitar, a washboard or just his gravel-lined voice, Andy knows how to bring the songs of American together and make them sing. He joins us with new songs .

Alt-rock band Late Night Episode has been praised by Billboard for their signature version of "rowdy rock," and compared to 'Kings of Leon' by The Music Ninja.  No wonder. Their single releases have established a steady online presence that caught the attention of producers Shep Goodman and Aaron Accetta of Dirty Canvas who signed the band in late 2016. That decision paid off for everyone – they are now giving the world a taste of their forthcoming EP with the new video for their latest single, “Golden Age”. To date, the band have released two previous singles, “Talk About Love” and “Swim”, accompanied by a third release of an acoustic demo of "Lost In Cali”. And Late Night Episode is starting to prove their ability to attract audiences from all genres who get their cross-genre high energy vibe.

William Close is an installation artist and musician who has developed over 100 new types of musical instruments including the Earth Harp, the world’s largest playable musical instrument. He is the leader of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned ensemble that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, composers, and choreographers.  He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of MASS Ensemble --  music architecture sound and sculpture – a group that works with Close’s designs to create music based stage shows that push the envelope of the musical experience.  Close’s installations and performances have been experienced throughout the world, including the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Lincoln Center in New York, to the Coliseum in Rome, The Grand Theater in Macau and Hong Kong just to name a few.

The Austin based band Trouble in The Streets has dubbed their signature sound “Electro Tribe,” a vibe that blends electronic music, international sounds, with hip-hop, rock and R&B.  Led by Nnedi Agbaroji, the band  fuels crowds with interactive calls-to-action and smoothly transfers the energy to recordings.  Their debut EP Electro Tribe, released October 6, 2017 is exactly that. The trio has supported such acts like Rebirth Brass Band, Sting Cheese Incident, and George Clinton and P Funk, and have been invited to perform at Joshua Tree Music Festival, Quantum Flux, UtopiaFest, Black Fret Official SXSW, and Art Outside. In 2015, The Austin Chronicle named them in the top five of the Best New Bands in Austin. They will be touring this Fall in support of the physical CD release and it is in the live shows  where Trouble in The Streets shines with improvised jam sessions, guest performers, and high energy audience participation .

Larkin Poe, the Roots Rock 'n' Roll band formed by singer/songwriter sisters Rebecca & Megan Lovell creates its own brand of gritty, soulful folk rock, flavored by their southern roots. Originally from Atlanta and currently living in Nashville, they are descendants of the tortured artist and creative genius Edgar Allan Poe.  Featuring strong southern harmonies, heavy electric guitar riffs, and slide guitar, they are often touted as "the little sisters of the Almond Brothers”.. And they are fanatically hard workers: over the course of 3 years (2010-2013), Larkin Poe self-released 5 independent EPs, 2 collaboration albums, and a live performance DVD. They are releasing their newest album Peach independently this month to be able to submit it for Grammy consideration in the Best Contemporary Blues album category. It just might win.

Resin is an L.A.-based music project created by Niko Antonucci, known as Resin. Born and raised in Prague, Resin brings a dark and sexy electronic sound entertwined with unearthly vocals that create a mesmerizing environment of swirling images. Her most recent album, Fidget, represents the evolution of her songwriting and producing capabilities and draws upon influences by Nirvana, PJ Harvey, NIN, Portishead, Gesaffelstein as well as classical music.Resin began playing the piano at 6 and stealing her father’s guitar as a teen. She cut her first demo at 15 and sang in different bands until around 19. She realized at a young age that in order to get the sound she wanted she would need to do it herself and so currently she writes and produces every track on the album. Resin’s music combines sophisticated melodies set against dark yet catchy electronic beats that stick in the listeners head leaving them wanting more.

Jackie Venson is an Austin-based blues guitarist and singer/ songwriter known as a queen of blues with her gorgeous, smoky voice and unreal guitar chops.  A graduate of Berklee College of Music where she studied classical piano, she received a Bachelor of Arts in composition and studio production. Venson started playing the guitar in 2011, during her last year at Berklee. She went on to win numerous awards for her playing and her songs and usually performs her own compositions and records with a three-piece band. When she performs as a solo artist, Venson uses a loop pedal to create a layered sound that fills a venue.  She is on tour now, supporting her latest album,Transcends, due out Sept. 29,  and we will premiere it on the radio in this program.

Tamara (Tami) Neilson is a Canadian-born, New Zealand-based country & soul singer/songwriter, whose sheer talent in both songwriting and performing has swept up awards for years. Neilson has won the 2014 APRA Silver Scroll Awards and Best Country Song Award,  the Best Country Album at the New Zealand Music Awards in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2015, and Best Female Artist at the New Zealand Country Music Awards in 2010, 2011 & 2014. Her album Don't Be Afraid debuted at No. 1 on the New Zealand Music Charts, and her previous release Dynamite! was listed in The Guardian as one of the top ten country albums of the year for 2014. She grew up as a member of The Neilsons, performing with her parents and two brothers across North America, and continues to co-write much of her work with brother Joshua 'Jay' Neilson. .Neilson  also appeared as a subject of the documentary The New Sound of Country Prime Rocks in New Zealand. We will be playing full cuts from the album.