Singer-Songwriter Courtenay Green

Courtenay Green is a colorful character.  By that I mean she really seems to dig colors.  For example her band is called See Green, (it used to be Courtenay Green & The Red Scare), their new EP is called Violet, and there’s a track on it called Goldmine.

Lame pun attempts aside, See Green makes some pretty rockin’ pop music.  The kind that makes me walk back into the room where my computer is to check what’s playing when their songs come up on shuffle.  The songs on Violet have some flavors that I remember from some of my favorite movie soundtracks in the 90’s but with a fresh twist.  Which means for me, listening to See Green feels like catching up with an old buddy from high school who I maybe haven’t seen since graduation.  Familiar enough to slip right into comfortable conversation, long enough time apart that there’s a lot I want to know about them and what they’ve been doing.

See Green just released a brand new music video for their song Get What I Want. If you can watch this without at least bobbing your head, I think there might be something a bit off with you.

If you are viewing this post elsewhere you may need to come to the actual blog to see the video

Courtenay is a multi-instrumentalist, so she composes and arranges all the parts in her songs and has recruited a crack team of LA musicians (who look great in cardigans!) to form the band See Green. They have already been rocking stages and dance floors around the country, and I have a feeling they are only getting started.

I Can Change (LCD Soundsytem Cover) by See Green

If you you like what you are hearing, catch up with See Green around the web!

Check out more of their videos on YouTube.

Stream the Violet EP on Bandcamp.

Follow Courtenay on Twitter

You can purchase the Violet EP on their official website, which also has links to their other social sites.

And of course, you can join me this Tuesday, August 31st, from 9-10am Central to get to know Courtenay, and to get your weekly dose of songs by female singer-songwriters!  KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere! Courtenay will be calling in around 9:30.

Filed under: Lyrical Venus Radio, female vocalists, interview, music, musicians, new album, new release, singer-songwriter, video, women | Post a comment

Singer-songwriter Denise Hudson

Singer-songwriter Denise Hudson is based in Austin, Texas. Don’t let the Texas part put any LeAnn Rimes ideas in your head though, Tori Amos is more the right direction to head while trying to figure out how to describe Denise’s unique style.

I met Denise through an online songwriting contest called SpinTunes and was quickly charmed by her moody-rich piano work, quirky lyrics and arresting vocals.  Smokey, growly, wispy and sweet by turns, Denise’s voice is definitely one that fascinates.  I’m not the only intrigued one either, she’s in high demand for collaborations with many of the other musicians involved in the contests she has participated in recently!

Denise is no stranger to the music world, having played professionally in bands in Austin, and is no stranger to song contests either.  You can hear (and download them for free if you like) a whole album’s worth of tunes she’s written from various contests over on her Bandcamp page.

I am pretty new to this songwriting competition world, but apparently there are at least a few of them that are run in a fun way where the focus is on writing and the prize is pretty much just bragging rights to the winner, but everyone who participates wins really, because everyone gets new songs out of the endeavors!  My favorite description I heard of in terms of explaining this style of contest was comparing it to Iron Chef – there are 4 rounds, each round has a challenge that competitors must meet while writing and recording a new song in about a week.  Each round, competitors are judged and ranked, the bottom scorers are eliminated and in the last round the finalists duke it out for the top position.  One aspect I like the most about the SpinTunes competition is that people are encouraged to submit “shadow” entries.  As in, even after you are eliminated, write a song that meets the challenge and submit it for everyone to check out.  All in all it’s a very supportive, fun and creatively stimulating community!

But getting back to Denise in specific, here is Duality Cupcake, a song that won her Round 3 of a previous competition she was in called Song-Fu:

If you are viewing this elsewhere you may need to come to the actual blog to see the video

Aside from being a fascinating songwriter, Denise is a kind, generous, funny, sensitive, and caring person who cheered me on more than once when I was doubting I could even make it through some of the SpinTunes rounds, and helped me with a cover that I am still working on.  She is also a lover of lists, tacos and unorthodox hair colors (rock on!!).  I feel fortunate to have met her and look forward to hearing more of whatever she produces in the future.  If you want to stay posted too, connect with her at one or all of her homes around the web!

Denise Hudson on:

MySpace
Twitter
Facebook
Bandcamp
Blog

And of course, you can join me this Tuesday, August 24th, from 9-10am Central to get to know Denise, and to get your weekly dose of songs by female singer-songwriters!  KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere! Denise will be calling at about 9:30. I’ll kick off with a half hour of tunes by upcoming guests and new artists I met out at the Rocky Mountain Song School about a week ago!

Filed under: Lyrical Venus Radio, female vocalists, interview, music, musicians, singer-songwriter, video, women | 1 Comment

Singer-Songwriter Kassie Miller

Going from the lyrics on her self-titled debut, Nashville-based Kassie Miller seems like the kind of gal you’d be happy to have as a neighbor.  She’s pretty and talented, but down to earth and honest at the same time, so it’s plenty easy to relate to her.

As it says in her bio, “Kassie Miller is a mix of a little bit of country and a little bit of soul.” And also, “Her raspy voice, reminiscent of Tanya Tucker, combined with her lively southern-country personality on stage create an artist that will capture you heart, leaving you wanting more.”

If you watch CMT, you may already be familiar with Kassie, as she starred on both Can you Duet and Season 1 of the Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search, which she won! The exposure from the shows and her other hard work around Nashville garnered Kassie the attention of a record label. Ultimately Kassie decided to strike out on her own to ensure she could sing her own songs, bolstered by the fact that her fan following was clamoring for her to release her own album.

The result was worth the wait! Check out Kassie performing her song Lazy Day at her CD release party in Nashville this past December:

If you’re reading this elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.

Since the release of her album, Kassie is keeping busy touring and doing house concerts with her husband and guitarist Ben, and her little dog Baby became the proud mama of three little chihuahuas!  You can follow those adventures, (plus see pictures, tour dates, buy her album and more) over on her official site or on YouTube, and connect with Kassie on Facebook and Twitter.

Tune in Tuesday, July 20th to get to know Kassie a little better. KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online from anywhere in the world with internet.  Music from 9-9:30am Central, Kassie will be calling in at 9:30.

Filed under: Lyrical Venus Radio, female vocalists, interview, music, musicians, new album, new release, singer-songwriter, video, women | 1 Comment

Singer-Songwriters Feathe

While students at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Alyssa Rieper, Johanne Swanson, and Adelyn Strei decided they wanted to join musical forces to start a band.  The result was Feathe (rhymes with “breathe”).  Featuring guitar, accordion and light rhythms layered with delicate harmonies, their mellow and sweet folk-pop would fit nicely in a playlist with the likes of Iron & Wine, Neko Case, The Starlings and The Decemberists.

This is the kind of music you can have as a soundtrack to so many things – an art day in your room, a sunny long-distance drive, tea with friends, to name a few.  No matter what, it’s going to bring a little smile to your face and to your heart.

Check out this video of Feathe performing their song Roses to see what I mean:

The Valley: 2.3 from The Valley on Vimeo.

Their music may have that satisfying lo-fi feel to it, but the girls of Feathe are also pretty tech savvy.  They’ve been releasing their EPs on Bandcamp, a great site for musicians, and you can get the songs there for free! (or pay what you want, if you are inspired to support them financially!)  You can also find them on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Feathe is coming to Fairfield for a show at The Beauty Shop on July 31st with She Swings, She Sways and X-Ray Mary!

Join me Tuesday for the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour from 9-10am Central to get your weekly dose of music by female singer-songwriters!  KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere!  Feathe will be calling in at 9am.

Filed under: Lyrical Venus Radio, female vocalists, interview, music, musicians, new album, new release, singer-songwriter, video, women | 3 Comments

Singer-Songwriter Jennie Hunter

Classically trained in piano, LA-based singer-songwriter Jennie Hunter has international connections. Her debut album, Feel the Fire, was recorded in Chile with producer Claudio Valenzuela.

If you jumped to any conclusions after seeing the words “classically trained” and “Chile” in that first paragraph, you probably jumped too soon. With songs ranging from rock to electronica to pop, Jennie’s classical training really only shows in that she never misses a note. You won’t really find any Latin rhythms, but every part of the songs, whether sung or played, is drenched with that passion Latinos are famous for expressing.

So what you get from Jennie and Claudio is lush, rich, piano-driven landscapes, the emotional details painted with a delicate voice that might at times even be described as childlike, except for the maturity of the lyrics and the crystal clear control.

The eleven tracks on Feel the Fire pound, skip, rock, flow and tumble by turn.  The songs are sometimes sassy, sometimes melancholy, sometimes pleading, sometimes gritty, and sometimes playful.  All-in-all, the album is a pretty delightful ride. Check Jennie out on her MySpace or Facebook pages to hear tracks and find out more!

Tune in Tuesday, July 20th to get to know Jennie a little better. KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online from anywhere in the world with internet.  Music from 9-9:30am Central, Jennie will be calling in at 9:30.

Filed under: Lyrical Venus Radio, female vocalists, interview, music, musicians, new album, new release, singer-songwriter, women | 1 Comment