A new moody and melancholic void has been filled for me recently after the discovery of music by London based band Trembling Blue Stars.  I stumbled across their song “All Eternal Things” not too long ago, which caught me off guard.  I was doing something and actually thought I was listening to a Cure song.  But this wasn’t the case.. it was actually Trembling Blue Stars.

The band has actually been around since the mid 1990’s.  I’m pretty sure I heard tracks from them quite a few years ago.. perhaps I was too caught up in hardcore metal songs at the time that I didn’t really take note of how good their songs are.  I enjoy the shared vocal duties from Bobby Wratten and Beth Arzy.. good stuff.

Visit Trembling Blue Stars at MySpace.

Visit Trembling Blue Stars at Elefant Records 

I came across some really good bluegrass music from some guys from West Virginia who go by the name The Fox Hunt. First glimpse of the band would probably give you the idea that these guys are a rock group, influenced by 90’s alternative rock, but that isn’t exactly the case. Especially when you hear the bass, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, and bluegrass vocal harmonies. All the guys in the band range from the early to mid twenties, but don’t let their young age fool you. The bluegrass sounds coming from the band are quite mature, and appeal to country music and bluegrass fans of all ages. Their 10 track debut album “Nowhere Bound” was released back in April of this year on Skull City records. Members of The Fox Hunt include John R. Miller on guitar, bass, and vocals; Matt Metz on mandolin and vocals; Matt Kline on vocals, guitar, and bass; and Ben Townsend on fiddle, banjo, and vocal harmonies.

Visit The Fox Hunt at Myspace to download and listen to some tracks from the band.

Upcoming Shows:

Sep 30 2007 Mast General Store – Knoxville, Tennessee
Oct 06 2007 Millstone Barbeque – Burlington, West Virginia
Oct 13 2007 The Coffee Table (Matt K, John) – Frederick, Maryland
Oct 20 2007 Acoustic Brew – Lamont, Pennsylvania
Nov 09 2007 Limerick’s Pub and Grille – 21+ Show – Martinsburg, West Virginia
Nov 10 2007 Longbranch Saloon – 21+ Show – Hedgesville, West Virginia
Nov 16 2007 Floyd Country Store – Floyd, Virginia
Nov 17 2007 Gunther O’Darby’s – 21+ Show – Roanoke, Virginia
Dec 21 2007 Private Function – Martinsburg, West Virginia
Dec 22 2007 Unique Bar & Grill – 21+ Show – Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania

I’ve always admired those who master playing a fretless bass. The four piece band Stryngs based out of London and Cambridge UK features Chris Marshall who showcases his excellent bass playing skills. If you enjoy really good folk songs, the music of Stryngs is absolutely perfect for you. Their colorful acoustic sound is one of a kind, full of beautiful poetic lyrics, accented with the upbeat sounds of a mandolin and violin.

Listen to Perfect Cruelty by Stryngs:

Visit the Official Website of Stryngs
Visit Styngs at Myspace

Toronto indie pop rock group A Certain Symmetry was able to treat their fans to a 3 track teaser CD at one of their live performances back in June. The much anticipated full length release titled “Pursuit” will be released by the end of summer. The three songs that are featured on the teaser CD can currently be downloaded at the band’s myspace site. All three songs are plastered with great sounds, which makes me even more eager to hear what else the band has in store. I’m not going to throw out any comparisons to their sound, because I think they have some very original offerings which deserve full recognition. They write some great music, and I encourage you to give them a listen.

Listen to the song “Fwd: Re Our Appointment” by A Certain Symmetry:

The Official Website of A Certain Symmetry
Visit A Certain Symmetry at Myspace
Read the official blog of A Certain Symmetry

Another surprise to some of you is that I enjoy bluegrass music, a lot.  I have an extensive collection of really good, and really not so good bluegrass music.  And my collection keeps growing.  I’m happy to find a lot of excellent bluegrass music still being played and recorded to this day.  So from time to time I will share info about some of my long time faves as well as some bluegrass musicians I am newly aware of.

My first shout out is to a band in Atlanta Georgia which I discovered not too long ago.  They call themselves “The Barn Rats”.  A pretty awesome name for a good sounding bluegrass band, I must say.  This good ol’ fashion down home bluegrass sounding band has been playing together for quite some time, and it shows.  The band is made up of Scott Morgan on lead guitar and vocals, Jody Hughes (banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and vocals), Chuck Sitero (rhythm guitar and vocals), Todd Freeman (mandolin and lead vocals), and Justin Roberts on the upright bass fiddle.

Visit the official site of The Barn Rats at myspace to view some great videos of some of their live performances and to listen to some of their songs.

It’s the perfect time to experience the music of John Batdorf.  John truly knows he is Home Again, and there is no better place to be.  Anyone who appreciates good music must appreciate John Batdorf.  His energy driven vocals singing heartfelt lyrics, accompanied by perfect harmonic melodies are not to be forgotten.  John leaves a long lasting impression the very second his acoustic guitar is in his hands.

Longtime fans will know that John Batdorf’s journey began in 1970 with Mark Rodney, and they were known as “Batdorf and Rodney”.  They released a couple albums and gained a nice fan-base during the early 70s, John also being part of the group Silver.  Over the past 30 years he has been busy singing as well as songwriting for artists such as America and Kim Carnes.  You will even hear John singing background vocals for a variety of artists like The Jefferson Starship, Motley Crue, David Lee Roth, and James Lee Stanley.

He has released a CD with James Lee Stanley titled “All Wood And Stones” which is an acoustic focused album featuring Rolling Stones songs.  The most recent release is “Home Again” which is John’s latest solo work.  The songs are absolutely fantastic, and I highly recommend giving the album a good listen.

You can read a lot more about John at his website.  The website is very informative, so be sure to check it out.  You can listen to and buy albums and dvds at the site.

The Official Website of John Batdorf
Visit John Batdorf at Myspace

Some Upcoming Shows:

Jul 13 2007    The Coffee Mill – Clayton, North Carolina
Jul 14 2007    House Concert/Block Party – Open To The Public, Mt. Pleasant, SC
Jul 18 2007    Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill – Roanoke, Virginia
Jul 21 2007    Carter Sinclair House Concert – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Jul 27 2007    International Pop Overthrow – Los Angeles, California
Jul 28 2007    Boulevard Music – Culver City, California
Jul 29 2007    “Circle of Friends” Fund Raiser – Santa Barbara, California
Jul 30 2007    BackStage Los Angeles – Chatsworth, California
Aug 03 2007    Minden Village Concert Series – Minden, Nevada
Aug 10 2007    Wood & Souls Concert Series – Costa Mesa, California
Aug 11 2007    Acoustic Music San Diego – San Diego, California
Sep 08 2007    Santa Barbara Acoustic Concert Series – Santa Barbara, California
Sep 15 2007    Casita Enguita House Concert – Lancaster, California
Sep 28 2007    Canal Street Tavern – Dayton, Ohio
Sep 29 2007    Kent Stage – Kent, Ohio
Oct 04 2007    Garfield House Concerts – Northville, Michigan
Oct 05 2007    Trinity House Theatre – Livonia, Michigan
Oct 06 2007    Pam Rossi Radio Show WCSX – Detroit, Michigan
Oct 06 2007    We Be Music Production Center – Cincinnati, Ohio
Apr 12 2008    Bodie House Concert Series – Agoura Hills, California

I’m quite positive it won’t be long before you start hearing the name Rodney Thurman more and more. This talented singer/songwriter is sure to make a pretty good name for himself. The man hails from Kansas City and is getting his music out there.

Rodney’s working on an EP which will definitely grab some attention with tunes featuring a good mix of acoustic and upbeat guitar driven rock. His song “Paint My Emotions” is a wonderfully crafted song with great melodies.

Official Site of Rodney Thurman

I get asked by quite a few people to lead them to great sounding acoustic music. I never have a problem helping them out because there is an endless amount of exceptional acoustic driven songs to be heard. But that’s just it, they need to be discovered in order to be heard. Weather it’s the hard working street musician sitting on the corner with guitar in hand, the poetic folk singer at the coffee shop, or the professionally trained musician performing on stage in front of a large audience.. they all have the ability to showcase amazing songs.

Missing Manchester is the creation of 23 year old Matt Dorrien, an excellent singer, songwriter/musician. Matt has studied music since the age of 10, learning the workings of classical musical composers inside and out. In my opinion, his music paints a picture, an audio and visual masterpiece. With all that said, I highly recommend Matt’s music. You will clearly find that he is influenced by music of yesterday and today.

Visit Missing Manchester at Myspace