Posts Tagged ‘Music’
Our latest album, One For The Team, is the result of a lot of love. We set out from the start to make this something special. 100% of the proceeds go directly towards helping Special Needs Athletics build a new field. It’s an important cause and we wanted some of our favorite artists to be involved. The album would be nothing without the support from these amazingly talented people . . .
Here’s a few reasons we love Shaky Voices:
1. He’s been with us from the beginning. He just had to bring his music back for our second album because he’s just way too cool. You may remember his song “Lets make an album tonight” as the first track on our first album My Heart is in Haiti. Shaky even performed at our first album release party. Shaky and LIS go way back so we just had to keep him on the second album.
2. He’s wickedly inventive. We’ve been told that to make some of his music he doesn’t always use your average Gibson or Casio. Things like empty computer cases, boxes and children’s toys have been known to make appearances in his recordings. Sounds like equipment that would be perfect for a children’s album right?
3. His music is worth spreading. His quirky style and inventive lyrics make for the perfect addition to any music library. If you like what you heard on our One For the Team Album you can find more awesome hits like “Phil Collin’s Head” and “So Cool” for free on his Bandcamp Page.
We are honored and excited to once again have Shaky Voices join us in our newest effort to help those in need. You can find his track “Ken Griffey Jr.’s Rookie Card” alongside several other songs on our new album One for the Team.
Listen to Shaky Voices’ music
Shaky Voices on Facebook
Purchase One for the Team
Tags: album, Music, one for the team, shaky voices
Posted in Music, Why We Love: | No Comments »
There are a ton of reasons why we’re excited about our upcoming Love In Stereo kids album, here’s a big one:
Meet Nathan Durfee.
As an artist – his work has been celebrated and featured all over and as a person – he’s as good as they come. We approached Nathan about incorporating some of his work into this project. He not only said yes, he set out to make sure it was exactly what the project needed. He’s not only ridiculously talented, he has a heart for people.
We can’t wait for you to see the album art. It’s fun. It’s intelligent. It’s witty. It’s absolutely him.
The album is coming out next month. Get excited.
Here’s some of his work, just to give you an idea of what to expect:
Tags: album, Artist, cover art, Music, Nathan Durfee, painting
Posted in Music, Updates | No Comments »
Image: Todd Roeth
Joe finishes our interview talking about The Vickie Honeycutt Foundation, Terra Nova High School and a simple way to make a difference in everyone’s life.
by Bryson Leach
If you missed part one of this interview check it out here
BL: Your manager mentioned to me that you guys are big supporters of the Honeycutt Foundation. Can you tell us about that?
JK: Dane Honeycutt is our tour manager who’s been with the Brothers since the beginning of their touring. He is their tour manager, guitar tech, he’s our boss and good friend. He was someone that the band could not function without. Seth and Scott had his mother, Vickey Honeycutt as their teacher in elementary school. Last year Vickie was diagnosed with cancer and what was initially only breast cancer spread to the other parts of her body as a form of terminal cancer. She passed away this year and it was a hard time for Dane.
Dane set up a foundation under Vickie’s name to help teachers who are going through the same things that she went through. For Seth and Scott, Vickie was a big support in their lives growing up, so supporting her and now supporting others in the same position was a big goal for them. Since they are so underpaid, it’s just a little bit of an extra help for them during their difficult time. Vickie and Dane were and are a major influence in our lives. It will continue to be something that is apart of our group.
BL: Are there any other causes that you’ve come across recently that have really caught your eye?
JK: Oh yea man! We played a benefit concert in Portland during our tour this year for this high school called the Terra Nova School in Portland. We were driving through and had and extra day to kill. So, we called up one of our favorite venues in the area, the Crystal Ballroom, and asked if we could do a secret show there and if there were any local causes that needed help from the ticket sales. We were told about this school where kids learn to work a farm from seed to preparation. It’s a school that functions on very little but they are teaching the kids the value of the foods that we eat and where it comes from. So we were able to sell out all the tickets with the proceeds benefitting this school. The best part about it was the kids came and brought the food they learned to grow and make. It was the best food that we’ve ever eaten on tour. It was awesome to see these kids that just understood food. It’s something we wish was available across the country.
BL: Doing good and making a difference in the lives of others is such an important characteristic that we feel everyone needs. What is one way that everyone can incorporate that into their own character?
JK: You know, the biggest thing, the easiest thing and just the most selfless thing you can do is to just talk to someone. You don’t have to give financially. You don’t have to give any sort of gift. There are tons of foundations that need financial backing but there are countless numbers of people who just need someone to talk to. That’s why when we are on the road and someone wants to talk to us about anything, talk about music or talk about their lives, we’re never going to turn them down. We’re never going to think that we’re somehow better than anybody else. Just being able to talk to someone and listen to them and to what they have to say, even if it’s for two minutes may be the difference of someone committing suicide or not or someone self-esteem being raised just that little bit or someone that just needs that little push to get through the day. There’s so many little things that can be done without money and I feel like talking openly with each other is such a good thing.
If someone wants to talk to you, you’re no better than anyone else. It’s such an important thing to remember, we’re all in this world together and trying to make it from day to day.
Learn more about:
The Vickie Honeycutt Foundation
Terra Nova High School
Joe Kwon is the cellist for The Avett Brothers and has also contributed his stringed talents to our friends The Apache Relay on their first album 1988
Tags: Avett Brothers, interview, Joe Kwon, Music, Terra Nova High School, Vickie Honeycutt Foundation
Posted in Artist Interviews, Interviews, Music | No Comments »
One week after launching our project through Kickstarter and we’re more than halfway there.
As you might’ve heard, we’re trying to put out an album to help Special Needs Baseball in Jackson, TN. They need a new field. This album will help tell their story and help them raise funds to make this field of dreams a reality.
You guys are so awesome! We think it’s totally possible for us to surpass our goal and really do some good. Will you help us? Click here!
Help us spread the word and TWEET us or update your status about us on FACEBOOK
Tags: album, Baseball, Jackson, Kickstarter, Music, special needs, tennessee
Posted in Awesome Causes, Get Involved, Music, Video | 1 Comment »
We’re starting a new series on Fridays called Fair Trade Fridays. We love stuff that not only provides you with something cool but helps others at the same time. We’ve handpicked each project just for you!
Montreal based group, The Yellowbird Project are making some awesome T-shirts.
The best part? Each of Yellowbird’s t-shirts are designed by indie artists from all over the globe. Musicians like Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear and Ra Ra Riot have all contributed designs.
For just $25 you can buy a shirt crafted by your favorite artist, and the money goes to the artist’s favorite charity.
Here’s some of the artists and the charities they are connected to:
• Andrew Bird – Pegasus Special Riders Inc. – horseback riding for individuals with special needs
• The Shins - The Nature Conservancy of Canada
• Grizzly Bear – Brighter Planet – A group working to reduce our carbon footprint
• Devendra Banhart – Teenage Cancer Trust
• and many, many more
Head on over to The Yellowbird Project and get yourself a cool t-shirt. If you do, let us know! post a comment or shoot us a picture.
Tags: Andrew Bird, Bon Iver, Charity, Indie Artists, love in stereo, Music, Ra Ra Riot, T-shirts, The Shins, Yellowbird Project
Posted in Awesome Causes, Fair Trade Friday | 1 Comment »
Zach Williams is a Brooklyn based singer/songwriter who is currently on tour with none other than Ben Folds. He is an active supporter of To Write Love On Her Arms and his album, Story Time, is out now.
Story Time is a nicely crafted collection of songs that fully captures the hope and exuberance of Zach’s live show. His honest, personal approach has garnered him some much deserved attention and his gift for doing what his album title suggests: telling stories, is placing him in front of more and more audiences daily. He was kind enough to take time out to chat with Brad. Here’s what happened.
How did you become involved with To Write Love On Her Arms?
Someone brought Jamie (Tworkowski) to a show I had here in NYC last year at a fantastic spot called Rockwood Music Hall. After the show he wrote a blog about it and I emailed him to thank him. He wrote me back and asked if I would come and play at a TWLOHA gig in Athens, GA. I had never heard of TWLOHA so I went to the website and checked out what they were doing. It seemed like a worthy cause so I said yes to doing the show.
The show ended up being a very inspiring night for me. I was not aware of the challenges people were facing regarding “cutting”, depression, suicidal thoughts, loneliness and anxiety. During the Q and A time at the show I was moved by a few of the stories that were shared. I decided I wanted to be a part of as many of these special nights as possible. Since then my friendship with the whole TWLOHA crew has grown. They have been very kind to me and my family.
I heard you perform a few months back in Atlanta. One of the things you talked about was how community helped you through tough times. Can you tell me a little bit more about how this happened?
Specifically what I was talking about was a tragic time I went through with my wife Stacy. My wife fell off a horse at my family’s home a few years back and broke her neck. She was paralyzed for a while and we lived at a few different hospitals in the Atlanta area. My friends stayed beside me through it all. The awkward hard times, the moments of being completely numb, and the bright moments of hope. I wrote a song about it called “Hospital”. It was the first song I wrote. This time at the hospital birthed a dream in my heart to move to NYC with my friends and pursue the arts. A few years later we did. We have been here for the past 4 years. We live within walking distance from each other. While we have been here in Brooklyn our families have grown, a church has been established, art has been pursued and this beautiful city has melted into the heartbeats of what matters to us. Our group of friends have also grown. Turns out tons of young strange people move to this great city all the time to pursue what matters most to them.
You mention writing “Hospital” and it being the beginning of many more songs to come. How did music help to heal the wounds?
For a while I lived at The Shepherd Center Spinal Clinic’s living space in Buckhead, GA. This particular day I was told my wife was paralyzed from the neck down, I was $700,000 in hospital bills with student insurance of that covered the first few hours of our 3 week stay in “intensive care”, and I was about to start taking classes on how to clean my wife for the rest of our life to steer clear of bed soars. I was sitting outside at a place called “Atkins Park” in an area called “virginia highlands”. They graciously let me sit there with nothing but coffee for hours into the night. That is where I wrote my first song “Hospital”. It basically says “I want to leave this place and I want you to get better”. I stumbled through it with my close friends and they encouraged me to write more. This process has since then been very life-giving to me. After my wife miraculously healed we moved back down to West Palm Beach to finish college. I started playing a few songs at the local bars. The stories of frustration and hope seemed to bring clarity to my heart and to the strangers I sang in front of.
The title Story Time really seems to fit the album and your style. Do you approach each song as a story?
All of my songs are story songs. They all represent something that characterizes one of my friends or shares their stories. So I named the album “Story Time”, because it just fit the project.
What’s next for you?
A couple things are in the works. I am co-producing my first record with a good friend of mine named Eric James Marshal for a wonderful organization called Restore. www.restorenyc.org. We have five local singer/songwriters coming together for a 10 track album. The instrumentation will be beautiful! From double bass to pedal steal this record is going to be fun and meaningful.
I am also working on my next record. Story Time was a collection of songs that I wrote a good while ago. I am looking forward to this next record because its fresh on my heart.
Zach’s website
Buy Story Time on iTunes
Tags: artist interview, Music, To Write Love On Her Arms, TWLOHA, Zach Williams
Posted in Artist Interviews, Music | 2 Comments »
The weekend is here! We’d like to share a few things we’re loving right now.
1. Krochet Kids is doing some major good. Check out our interview and jump on over to their store.
2. This month Krochet Kids have partnered with Full Circle Exchange, who use the sale of fair trade and organic coffee, tea and chocolate to promote justice and cultivate good. Mmmm. Good idea: more here
3. It was a big week for new music:
Some of the cool albums that dropped this week:
Frightened Rabbit – Winter of Mixed Drinks, Broken Bells – self titled, Liars – Sisterworld, Jason Collett – Rat A Tat Tat, BRMC -Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, and Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – The Brutal Bricks. Let us know if we missed something we should check out!
4. Download the first track from MGMT’s upcoming album Congratulations!
5. Watch this video of The Morning Benders performing Excuses from their new album.
6. Broken Bells invite children to review their first single.
Broken Bells – Kids Clip #1 – The High Road (Official Music Video) – Watch more top selected videos about: Broken_Bells
7. Read this great post from our friends at Sidewalk Chalk. It doesn’t take much to change a kid’s life.
8. Watch this video to find out more about a great organization, One Day’s Wages and hear their story.
9. We’re on a mission to have YOU create your own version of The Cure’s ‘It’s Friday, I’m In Love’. We’re collecting them and hope to edit together a super epic version of all of you singing the song. Want to be a part of it? Send us your video. It doesn’t even have to be you doing the whole song! Get your friends, your family – even your cat involved.
Tags: Broken Bells, Friday! Love!, Krochet Kids, Links Roundup, Morning Benders, Music, One Day's Wages, sidewalk chalk
Posted in Email-Newsletter, Friday! Love! | No Comments »
For me, the term World Music used to be a red flag for “that aisle in the record store you stay away from.” Music was only relevant in my world if it was from my part of the world. Thankfully my ears have opened up.
The Very Best is a collaboration between three artists: Johan Karlberg, Esau Mwamwaya and Etienne Tron. They come from Sweden, Malawi and France, respectively, and have created a unique brand of music that transcends the traditional “world” genre.
After becoming obsessed with the album Warm Heart of Africa I had to find a way to contact these guys. They hijacked my ears and I wanted to thank them. Johan, one-third of this distinctive trio was kind enough to take a moment with me.
“We tend to watch a lot of nature films in the studio and have too many plants everwhere makin it feel like a jungle,” says Johan on how they set out creating the music they do. He remarks, “That works for whatever music we’re workin on, whether its African or American pop.”
The Very Best transcends all cultures, countries and styles. Taking dance, reggae, hip-hop and traditional Malawi music as their inspiration, the three have created a sound that set speakers on fire across the globe this past year. “Reactions have been great everywhere really. It’s amazing doing sold out shows in Europe and America then go do a festival in Malawi the next month,” says Johan.
The album received massive critical acclaim all over the world and rightfully so. Gareth Grundy of The Guardian UK Observer writes:
“Warm Heart of Africa has something to say to about the possibilities for music in a world made small by technology and its hand-maiden, globalisation.”
Their collaboration has produced songs that are layered with signature sounds from each artist. “We work in many different ways. Sometimes we work alone. Sometimes there’s two of us, sometimes there’s all three. Either it works or it doesn’t. Working with Esau is very easy and fun so that makes everything smooth, and we easily get in the right vibe cause of that.”
The crew’s global mindset not only shows in their music but reflects in their love for people. “Right now we’ve been doing some little things with OxFam to try to raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti. We try to get involved when we can with things. At the end of the day it’s important for people to realize the small things make a difference. Most people can afford a few £ per month to a few different charities and thats a good start.”
Johan agrees with Love In Stereo’s mission: Together, we’re louder. “We could change the world over night if we all pulled together -” He goes on to say, “I think art can inspire and that’s a big thing. If art makes you feel something, whether it’s a painting or a song, that’s a good thing. If music can make you happy -if only for 3 minutes when you’re listening – then that’s positive energy being sent out. We all need to send out positive energy and focus our intention on things that will make our lives better, BUT also other peoples lives, all over the world.”
This interview was done by Love In Stereo co-creator Brad Montague. Below is his favorite song from The Very Best. Please do not ask him to do his accompanying dance to the song because he’ll do it.
Watch the video for Warm Heart of Africa
featuring Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend: here.
www.myspace.com/theverybestmyspace
Tags: artist interview, Esau Mwamwaya, Etienne Tron, Ezra Koenig, Haiti, Johan Karlberg, Malawi, Music, oxfam, The Very Best, Vampire Weekend, Warm Heart of Africa
Posted in Artist Interviews, Music | No Comments »
After a decision to make a move from Philadelphia in 2009, Nashville newbie Joel Rakes is using his new surroundings to his advantage as he breaks into the rich indie scene of the Music City. Bryson scored an interview with Joel in the midst of postproduction on his new album The Philadelphia Session, which released February 16.
JR: Before I moved on to Nashville I wanted to do a record with friends to commemorate the time we played music together. What came out of it was a raw live-in-studio album called “The Philadelphia Session.” We tracked 6 songs in 5 hours. No overdubs. What we played is what you get. So I’m going to be releasing that album on February 16th (also my birthday) as a digital release with limited edition hard-copy CDs also.
LIS: Producing a CD takes a lot of work as far as writing words and music. What are some things that inspire you? Are there places, people, words, forces that move you to create?
JR: I think I probably have an answer that a lot of us have, but extreme places of beauty in nature just slay me. Standing in the middle of the French Alps, or at Lake Saranac in the Adirondacks. Unfortunately, I don’t get to do these things as often as I’d like. So I look to the everyday, what’s going on in my life, my friend’s lives. It is amazing the things that happen everyday in our lives that can inspire… if we’re looking. And if I’m being honest, that doesn’t happen very often in my life. I wish it happened more.
I recently read Donald Miller’s new book and it’s severely affecting me at the moment. I highly recommend the book; it talks about living better “stories” in our lives. Not settling for the average or just okay, but going out of our ways to do things that matter and make a difference. Reading that book has been inspiring for sure and is a definite wakeup call also. This year, 2010, I want to live better stories in my life.
I guess for me, creating is such an open and free way to communicate. There is just something about releasing a feeling or thought through the creation of music. I can’t achieve that same outcome through speech. I just can’t. It’s this necessity that moves me to create. I’m grateful I have this outlet for release.
LIS: What cause do you support? Is there one that you work with or that you support through your music?
JR: There is a ministry I’ve been involved with for the last 4 or 5 years in different capacities called Young Life. The organization is nationwide and is for middle & high school kids. All over the world, thousands of leaders are mentoring and sharing Truth with kids.
As I’ve gotten older, and gotten a few years of perspective, I really realize how important your teen years are. These years really set you up in many ways for who you’re going to become later on. So I think it’s really great that there are so many leaders that want to help kids shape their lives for the better. This organization and their mission is something I really believe in.
You can check out Joel’s music on his website www.joelrakes.com. Be sure to pick up his new album The Philadelphia Session on iTunes or Amazon.com. Joel is also an avid photographer. For the past three years he has kept a photo of the day blog and flickr page of all his photos. Very cool indeed.
Joel Rakes will be at the Love In Stereo party this March 7th at 7:00 p.m. in Henderson, TN. He is one of the incredible artists who donated songs for our upcoming release “My Heart Is In Haiti”. All proceeds from the album will go to support the SonLight Children’s Home & Nutrition Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Joel is a friend of Love In Stereo and we’re excited to share him with you! Show him some love.
Twitter: @joelrakes
Blog: joeljoeljoel.com
Flickr.com: joelrakestheleaves
Tags: artist interview, bryson, joel rakes, Music, younglife
Posted in Artist Interviews, Interviews, Music | No Comments »
Binki Shapiro from Little Joy is creating more than just music. She has started something that involves art, artists and fans coming together to create change. Crafts For A Cause is an auction that launches online this March. “In an effort to raise money for the relief efforts in earthquake-devastated Haiti, I’ve rallied a bunch of artists to contribute custom-made artwork – tshirts, tote bags and other personalized items – for the Crafts For a Cause auction.”
Rally a bunch of artists she has. The impressive roster of people and products includes: ballet slippers signed by Natalie Portman, a shirt decorated by Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, a bag featuring a poem handwritten by Jenny Lewis, Conor Obert’s Fender Strat, sketches by director Spike Jonze and the list goes on.
These one of a kind items will all be auctioned off to help fund Artists for Peace and Justice, an effort launched by award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis. Along with friends, Haggis founded APJ to bring creatives together behind social justice issues. Currently the group’s immediate goal is to build schools to serve the poorest areas of Haiti. The schools they are building will provide education, food, clean water and regular medical treatments to around 3,500 Haitian children. With the help of donors, APJ “plans to expand that to serve 10,000 children as quickly as possible.”
The auction begins at 8:00 a.m. on March 15th at biddingforgood.com/craftsforacause. Until then you can get a sneak peek at the items and artists included at her blog craftsforacause.tumblr.com. Find out more about Artists for Peace and Justice and other ways you can get involved in their work at www.artistsforpeaceandjustice.com
Tags: artists, Artists for Peace and Justice, auction, Binki Shapiro, cause, Conor Oberst, crafts, filmmakers, Fleet Foxes, Haiti, Jenny Lewis, Little Joy, Music, Natalie Portman, Paul Haggis, social justice, Spike Jonze
Posted in Awesome Causes | 2 Comments »
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