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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Singer-Songwriter Sheila Nicholls

7/19/10 UPDATE: We are working to reschedule the interview with Sheila, should be in early to mid August, stay tuned! In the meantime, check out this fantastic in-depth feature on Sheila over on the amazing site KGRL.

It’s always interesting to hear what sort of music an artist comes out with after they’ve been with a label and decide to go independent.  Whether it’s very different or essentially the same, you know it’s definitely the artist’s true vision.

It’s also always interesting to hear what sort of music an artist comes out with after having a child.  Such a profoundly life-changing experience is bound to change your artistic expression as well.

I admit to not knowing Sheila Nicholls’ music before either of these events that happened in her life, but I do know I like what I hear now! Ranging from acoustic to alternative to trip hop, Sheila’s style is grooving and twinkling by turns, her versatile voice sliding easily up the scale and dropping into a gritty growl. With song after multi-textured and rich song, Sheila is one of those artists so easy to put on repeat!

But don’t take my word for it, here are two of her new tracks available to stream or download:
Sheila Nicholls – Bardo by artofbroadcast

Mighty Love (Live)
Sheila Nicholls – Mighty Love (Live) by artofbroadcast

Lovely interview about music, songwriting, being an artist and behind the name of the album:

Connect with Sheila online:

http://sheilanicholls.com/

http://www.myspace.com/sheilanicholls

http://www.facebook.com/sheilanichollsmusic

http://twitter.com/splendidfrock

Tune in Tuesday from 9-10am Central for your weekly dose of Lyrical Venus! KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, or http://kruufm.com online anywhere!  The first and only solar powered radio station in the Midwest!  Sheila will be calling around 9:30.

Singer-Songwriter Anne Heaton

In the strange small world of coincidences, this Iowa girl’s first experience with both the Boston-based songwriters featured in this post was in Colorado!

Long-time readers know that I met Anne Heaton at The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival last year, and interviewed her on my show when she came through Iowa with Winterbloom, a group of four women songwriters joining forces for the holidays.

Singer-Songwriter Rose Polenzani

I have yet to meet Rose Polenzani in person, but back when I lived in Boulder for a short while after college, my roommate came home from a concert with a CD that would become a fast favorite of ours to play in the house – Voices on the Verge.  Rose was one of four artists who had joined forces and were touring together under the name.  When I started my radio show a couple years ago I was re-introduced to the album and featured it one week, plus a new song by each of the four.

Anne contacted me again earlier this year when she was in the planning stages of a tour with Rose from the East Coast to the Midwest.  I offered her an interview and the option of a house concert on either side of a show up in Cedar Rapids and she took me up on both!

Then a few months later I found out that Winterbloom was in the running for the Lilith Fair Local Talent Search in Boston, and that Rose had joined Anne, Meg Hutchinson, Antje Duvekot and Natalia Zuckerman for the competition.  With that much star-power, it’s perhaps no surprise that they won!

Still, it’s no small feat, considering how many amazing musicians live in the Boston area. Winterbloom will be performing July 30th.  That sounds like a great show. It’s not looking good for me to make it to any Lilith Fair this year, but having two Lilith Fair performers in my living room is going to be pretty darn exciting!  (And heck, who am I kidding, I was stoked about them coming LONG before I even heard about the competition.)

Before their Lilith Fair performance though is Anne & Rose’s tour!  Check them out together in this video for Anne’s song, Where Your Scar Is.

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

Sweet, funny, talented, quirky, creative and smart are all words I would use to describe each of these women and their music.  If you’re ready to find out more about them, check out their websites for more info, music clips, tour dates and more.

AnneHeaton.com

RosePolenzani.com

The house concert with Anne & Rose at our place will be on July 13th, starting with an optional potluck at 6:30pm and the music getting started at 7:30.  Suggested donation is $10-$15 per person.  Email me to RSVP and ensure a seat, plus get directions! LyricalVenus [at] gmail [dot] com.

Get to know them a little better before they come by tuning in Tuesday from 9-10am Central for the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour!  KRUU-LP 100.1 here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere.  The 9am interview will be followed by more music.

Singer-Songwriter Emily Zuzik

Checking out her bio, it seems like Emily Zuzik can do pretty much anything. Maybe it’s her initials, EZ, that bless her with the ability to handle so many different skills and opportunities and collaborative projects with grace, but whatever it is, she sure is doing something right!

Currently based in New York, Emily is a singer, songwriter, journalist, voiceover artist and fit model. Her songs have appeared in TV and movies. She has written with artists such as Moby, Wes Hutchinson, UK dj duo REFIX, Tim Lefebvre, Art Hays, Tom Glynn and Marwood.

Emily’s sultry vocals are equally at home over all-out rockers like Potential, sparkling-sweet folk-pop like This Time Around, or torch-tinged ballads like Make It Right, to pull a few examples from her album You Had Me At Goodbye.

Her latest release is the Jagged Life EP, which includes the sweet downtempo Magic.  Check out the video of Emily performing it with her band at Rockwood Music Hall in New York earlier this year:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video

There are a bunch of other great tunes from the same show on her YouTube channel that show off Emily’s versatility and more of her charming stage presence.   If you’re already ready, head on over to Emily’s website and besides getting the rundown of all her projects, from there you’ll find links to the other places you can connect with her on the web.

Tune in to Lyrical Venus Radio on Tuesday, June 29th from 9-10 am Central to get to know this super-talented women a little bit better! KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere!  Emily will be calling at 9am.

Lauri Kranz of Snow & Voices

So I’m sitting here in front of a fan on high speed, it’s thundering outside and apparently there’s a flash flood warning and a tornado watch going on for the I don’t know how many-th time in the past couple of weeks.  I’m also cooking a big batch of caramel sauce that involves boiling down a gallon and a half of milk for two hours, as in, all four stove burners are going.  So yeah, it’s hot and the humidity is sticking to me, along with a huge buzzing swarm of thoughts and to-do’s.

Then I scroll to the album Anything That Moves by Snow and Voices and click play.  A sweet, relaxed voice floats on top of an ocean of cool piano and waves of ambient strings.  I remember to breathe.

Lauri Kranz and Jebin Bruni are the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist fronting Snow and Voices, and they pulled together an impressive collective of other artists in their LA area to create Anything That Moves, which just released on May 25th.

Have a listen to their track Maybe Finland and see if you get the same sense of fresh air that I did:

Snow and Voices Maybe Finland by artofbroadcast

There’s a picture on their website of Lauri and Jebin lying in a patch of sunlight on a shaggy rug. Between the relaxed attitude, the fact that Anything That Moves is their third full-length album and their just coming off a month-long Saturday residency at Hotel Cafe, I have a feeling that the sense of ease created by their music has more to do with their incredible skills and putting in the time to make good music than actually having a mellow attitude toward life. Which they may have as well, but I’m just saying, sometimes really talented people have this way of making things look easy that are not.

I also have the feeling that I could put this album on in the winter and feel all toasty warm somehow.  That’s pretty powerful all-weather stuff!  Check them out yourself on their website or MySpace page.

Join me Tuesday, June 22nd from 9-10am Central for music by female singer-songwriters and an interview with Lauri Kranz from Snow and Voices.  Tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere!  Lauri will be calling at 9am.

The Whispering Tree

Now based in New York, classically trained vocalist Eleanor Kleiner and French bassist Elie Brangbour met at the London Center of Contemporary Music in 2004. Together they formed The Whispering Tree, Eleanor’s liquid-sweet voice balanced and grounded by Elie’s solid bass, their extensive training only evident in how effortlessly the songs flow.

Since their meeting, Eleanor and Elie have traveled the world, sharing their music and picking up new influences everywhere from China to South America. Their new release, Go Call the Captain, combines elements of folk, rock, jazz and bluegrass into a melting pot of musical inspiration that is at once familiar and otherworldly.

Indeed, if one listened to only a couple of tracks, they might get a fairly different impression of the duo compared to listening to the whole album.  Piano-rich songs like By the Side of the Road and Las Vegas evoke a certain melancholy.  So Many Things speaks to consumerism in a quirky, jazzy upbeat flavor including peppy brushed drums.  The twangy banjo in Slide sidles up to the funky bass and adds a down-homeness to the groove I could see myself dancing to at an outdoor concert on a summer evening.

It may be hard to imagine without actually listening to it, but all the variety works well together, and listening to the album is like getting to know the different sides of a friend.  The different styles come one after the other as naturally as a coffee shop conversation turns from one subject to another over the course of an hour.

Speaking of spending time with friends, it seemed like a friend popped over a few weeks ago when I was de-cluttering in my little home office with my iTunes set on random and So Many Things came up for the first time.  I stopped for a moment and laughed a little – it was almost as if Eleanor was standing over my shoulder observing the many things I had managed to cram into the tiny space over the past couple of years!  Have a listen and see if you can relate to any of it as well:

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

Check out their website to hear and purchase other tracks.
You’ll also find easy links there for connecting with The Whispering Tree on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter.

Finally, don’t forget to tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town or kruufm.com online anywhere for The Whispering Tree interview on Tuesday, June 1st!  Eleanor and Elie will be calling in at about 9am Central.  Plus we’ll have more great music for the second half hour too!