Artist Category: Americana | Page 17

Alice Howe & Freebo

Alice Howe and Freebo present a unique study in contrasts, bringing together a rising voice in Americana music and a venerable rock, folk, and blues icon. Each a compelling performer in their own right, they both lead and support each other in their well-crafted songs with flawless harmonies and tasteful instrumentation. They have worked as creative collaborators in the studio and on stage since 2017. Freebo weaves his unique fretless bass stylings into Alice’s superb vocals for a presentation with undeniable chemistry.

To hear Alice Howe sing is to be enraptured by the natural, unaffected beauty of her voice. There’s no artifice, no histrionics — just honest, authentic, emotionally resonant singing in the tradition of the roots music that shaped her. On Circumstance, her second and latest album, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter guitarist displays her vocal prowess and introspective writing in abundance, mining both her heart and her musical tastes for a deep, personal journey across an Americana soundscape dotted with blues, folk, country, soul and rock. Recorded in two sessions at the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where Etta James and Wilson Pickett once shook the walls, the record channels their spirits with 11 stirring tracks that pull no punches diving into the vagaries of the heart and her own personal journey. As an old soul inside a 30-something millennial, Alice puts her stamp on Americana’s venerable strands with 10 standout originals evoking both the classic singer-songwriters and the seminal music that once filled airwaves, roadhouses and juke joints.

Freebo is best known for his decade of touring and recording with Bonnie Raitt, and has distinguished himself as one of the great bassists of our time, playing on records with CSN, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, and Neil Young as well as appearing on Saturday Night Live, The Midnight Special, The Muppet Show, and in concert with the legendary Spinal Tap. Not willing to simply rest on those achievements, Freebo delved more deeply into his creativity and has become a highly regarded singer/songwriter, now working on his 6th full-length solo CD. A multi award winner and finalist in numerous songwriting contests, Freebo’s music reflects his compassionate concern for the world and people around him, and his lyrics and open stage banter have helped him connect with listeners worldwide. A live musical experience with Freebo is astute, insightful, clever, and truly melodic.

https://www.alicehowe.com
https://www.freebomusic.com

John Craigie

Renowned for his eloquent Americana style, engaging live shows, and off-the-cuff clever observations, John Craigie carries on the legacy of classic singer-songwriters, while blazing a trail of his own.

Recently, that trail twisted and turned into new territory for the Portland, OR performer who The Stranger appropriately dubbed, “the lovechild of John Prine and Mitch Hedberg.” His music speaks loud to both audiences and fellow artists. Todd Snider notably hand-delivered a gift on-stage, and Chuck Norris has sent fan mail. His fifth full-length album, No Rain, No Rose boasted two collaborations with Gregory Alan Isakov, namely “Highway Blood” and “I Am California.” The latter quickly cracked 500K Spotify streams and counting, as his knack for a captivating narrative and rustic aural palettes powered the 13-track offering together.

“It’s about transparency,” he explains. “The storytelling enables listeners to relate. Really good music doesn’t make you feel good; it makes you feel like you’re not alone.”

When Craigie plays, it’s one of those special shows that can make you laugh and cry in the same song. It’s a musical journey that can’t be denied.

T Sisters

Distinguished by close harmonies, catchy melodies and potent lyricism, the T Sisters have created a refreshing brew of indie-folk/Americana music. Blood sisters Erika, Rachel and Chloe Tietjen flow seamlessly between styles and moods, from roots to pop and sassy to sincere, captivating listeners with their eclectic sound and soaring harmonies.

This past spring, the T’s journeyed to Nashville to create a compelling EP with renowned artist/producer Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers. While T Sisters’ prior releases delved into personal themes, this project represents a more mature and reflective chapter for the sisters, exploring deeper subjects of societal division, dubious authority, spiritual renewal and activism through music. Adding to the T Sisters’ self-accompaniment and inimitable sibling harmonies, We Are Bound features the distinctive playing of Jano Rix (The Wood Brothers), Chris Wood (The Wood Brothers; Medeski, Martin and Wood) and Oliver himself. Oliver says of the T’s, “Coming from a brother band, I especially appreciate the T Sisters. The soul of the family comes through their combined voices, and they create that sound that only family can get.”

T Sisters have been chosen for American Musicians Abroad, a selective State Department-sponsored program fostering diplomacy through music. The sisters will perform and conduct workshops in the Middle East and North Africa emphasizing girls empowerment and the power of music to create social awareness and change.

Melanie Brulée & Her Bad Manners

Born in Cornwall Ontario to bilingual parents, Toronto-based Melanie Brulée interweaves her native language into her art like she crisscrosses musical genres: with ease.

From the first listen, you can hear how her years living in Australia and France have influenced her style and sound. The first offering rich surf-style guitar tones and catchy hooks and the latter blurring the lines between audience and performer, like a speakeasy cabaret. What most might call Americana, folk-rock or country music, Melanie colours with her own distinctive essence, bringing a vintage respect to a modern sound. Seeing her ease onstage, it’s clear that’s where she feels most at home, quickly winning over audiences with her charisma.

Melanie’s striking stage presence, unique vocal stylings and expressive confidence have opened several doors for her since the release of her French album Débridée (2015), giving her the chance to build a solid team including management, booking, distribution and publishing. Critically acclaimed by media in Québec as well as across Canada, the album earned Melanie a Stingray Music Rising Star Award as well as three Trille Or nominations at Canada’s largest recognition of excellence in the arts outside of Québec. Melanie was featured on the official Ontario 150 anthem ‘A Place to Stand’ which was highly distributed across the province during 2017.

Violet Bell

Violet Bell is re-wilding Americana music. Lizzy Ross’s rich soprano intertwines with Omar Ruiz-Lopez’s fiddle, guitar, banjo, and harmonies to create a lush and sinuous sound. Together they draw on a thread of untamable energy and natural magic passed down through generations of storytelling.

Ruiz-Lopez was born in Panama and raised in Puerto Rico, and Ross was born and raised in Maryland and NYC. As a duo with wildly different backgrounds, Violet Bell has a unique perspective on the roots music traditions that inform their sound. They’re tending to traditions and creating a new way forward for like-minded musical innovators, with our shared humanity at the forefront.

Whetherman

Whetherman is the music of 33 year-old independent troubadour Nicholas Williams, who has self-produced eight full-length albums since beginning the project in 2007. By artfully bridging the gap between folk, blues, country, soul, and bluegrass with a timeless tinge, Williams is earning his keep amongst the vast pool of independent American talent in the Americana scene. His songs aim at the heart center, emboldened by the moral struggles of modern man with earnest and poetic lyrics that accompany infectiously melodic vocals, under the current of percussive guitar and rolling harmonica.

Williams’ most recent album, the critically acclaimed ‘This Land’ released in June of 2017. The Alternate Root hails “Over the course of the last decade, Williams has been a student, immersed in the varied styles available in the American Roots songbook. ‘This Land’ introduces the man who has staked out claim in its territory.”

Living on the road for the better part of the last five years, Williams has remained completely independent from labels and management, having taken a grassroots approach to spread the songs he’s created. As Whetherman, he has had the opportunity to open for Taj Mahal, The Wood Brothers, The Wailers, Howie Day, Kim Richey, Donavon Frankenreiter, and Anders Osbourne among many others.

Reed Foehl

Born in a small country town in New England and into a musical family, Grammy-nominated songwriter Reed Foehl writes stories with a lyric and voice which push boundaries while also paying homage to tradition. Dusty and patient, his music is genuine Folk/Americana.

Foehl released his sixth studio album – “Wild Wild Love” – in May 2022, marking his second consecutive collaboration with The Band of Heathens in Austin, TX, who produced and play on these records. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his song “Fly” co-written with Brent Cobb which was covered by country legend Lee Ann Womack. Foehl now resides in the Green Mountains of Vermont and continues to tour whenever and wherever he can.

Yani Batteau

Yani Batteau calls her music, ‘Americana Soul.’ Her roots run deep encompassing the sounds and lore of Vintage Country, traditional folk and, the unique mystique that is embedded in Appalachian music and culture. When she plays the banjo, her intricate picking extends beyond the traditional claw hammer style. She skillfully launches into improvisational riffs that are at once complex and dynamic.

The Lonely Heartstring Band

Nourished by deep roots in the expansive canon of traditional American music, The Lonely Heartstring Band embodies the modern American condition—an understanding and reverence for the past that informs a push into the future. George Clements (guitar, vocals) Patrick M’Gonigle (fiddle, vocals) Charles Clements (bass, vocals) Matt Witler (mandolin) and Gabe Hirshfeld (banjo) bring together their own musical styles to create a sound greater than the sum of its parts.

Combining soulful instrumental virtuosity with soaring three-part harmonies, their growing repertoire of original songs and compositions showcases not only their considerable talents, but a dedication to meaningful roots-conscious music.

Already they have generated a devoted following of music-lovers across North America, performing and headlining at major music festivals and historic venues from Western Canada to California, from Kentucky to New Hampshire. Whether it’s a festival stage, theatre, or intimate listening room, The Lonely Heartstring Band always delivers a dynamic, diverse, and heartfelt performance. Over the last three years of touring, the band has crafted shows that generate a genuine connection and bring crowds to their feet.

The Loomers

The Loomers are a band of friends who have been passionate about making music an integral part of our hectic, full-time lives for almost 25 years. Our songbook is a trip through the American musical landscape –– infused with the classic sounds of driving rock, heartland folk, rock & soul, and retro-1980s pop –– filled with the joy, hope, sorrow and wonder of growing older.

Our musical family has expanded over the years. These days it’s comprised of JON SVETKEY (acoustic guitar, lead vocals, songs), EVERETT PENDLETON (electric guitar, harmony vocals), JACK CAVALIER (bass guitar, harmony vocals), MICHAEL CAHILL (drums), ROB LAURENS (keyboards), HEATHER QUAY (harmony vocals), and TOM SIMONS (electric guitar). Occasionally some of our incredible friends — like Jeff Isen (guitar, mandolin, trombone), Jakub Trasak (violin), Josh Kantor (keyboards) or Jim Wooster (electric guitar) — will sit in with us.

Some cool things we’ve been lucky enough to do over the years: we backed John Mellencamp at a party at the 2004 Democratic National Convention; performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Fenway Park, The House of Blues, Club Passim, The Somerville Theatre, and CBGBs, among many venues; and, we won the Berklee College Of Music “Battle Of The Executive Bands” twice. We’ve released five albums — Reeling Down A Road (2010), Tomorrow Today (2006), SHINE (2004), Simple As That (1998) and escalation(1997) — and our songs have been played on CBS, Cinemax, MTV, NBC, & PBS, as well as internationally online and on cable. We have been immensely honored to have performed at events that have raised tens of thousands of dollars for charities big and small.