Bill Copeland
NH country and western singer-songwriter Nicole Knox Murphy flies high on Full Circle album
Nicole Knox Murphy has come Full Circle in her life and music career. Interrupted by family life and work, Knox Murphy was out of the music business for several years. Once her kids were grown and out on their own, she went back into the music life. Winning state, regional, and national awards for her music shows that this New Hampshire country and western singer-songwriter made the right choices. She has a lifetime of experience from which to draw her material from. Her debut album Full Circle is a fine document of her abilities and perspective.
Kala Farnham off to promising start with debut CD Anahata: Wake Up Your Heart
Kala Farnham’s first full length CD Anahata: Wake Up Your Heart marks the debut of an artist we will be hearing from for sometime to come. Farnham’s affective vocal lines delivers emotional punch within their sturdy chirp. Her songwriting is crisp, clear, direct, and immediate, forcing the listener to feel something each time he hears her songs. This Connecticut singer-songwriter is also a master of complex keyboard techniques, adding extra depth, texture, and emotional drama with a variety of touches in each tinkling.
Heather McKibben gears up for the bluesy, groovy, giving HeatherFest20
Heather McKibben never would have guessed 20 years ago that she’d be hosting HeatherFest20 this September 7th. What started it as a backyard party with a single blues band at her then Canton, Massachusetts home has become a mini festival, eventually named after her, in her backyard in Norton, Massachusetts. HeatherFest has been known to draw up to 3,000 people over the course of the day. A $25 donation goes towards charities supported by HeatherFest.
BeatleJuice impressed St. Rocco Festival audience in Malden, MA
BeatleJuice rocked the St. Rocco Festival in Malden, Massachusetts yesterday evening with their fine-tuned presentation of material by The Beatles. Selecting songs from throughout The Beatles ten year career, BeatleJuice unveiled one gem after another during their gig in the cordoned off blocks in the neighborhood hosting the festival.
Charlie Farren rocks St. Rocco Festival in Malden, Massachusetts
A cordoned off city block in Malden, Massachusetts became another place that Charlie Farren turned into a concert hall. Maybe it was his knowledge of technology. Maybe it was his mellifluous voice and melodic electric guitar. Maybe it was his strong, vibrant personality at the microphone. Maybe he just had to work hard, following a couple of wild comedians that were on stage before him. Farren put heart and soul into his performance at the Saint Rocco Festival last night.
Hirsh Gardner goes back to the beginnng with upcoming New England reunion concert
Drummer-producer Hirsh Gardner has been a very busy man these days. Aside from his Cambridge studio chores, he‘s been organizing a reunion concert for his once nationally famous band New England. “Don’t Ever Want To Lose Ya” and many other New England originals will come alive. Gardner and his original three band mates will perform a full concert at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts on Friday, August 15, at 8:00 p.m. New England is one of those bands that have been kept alive on the internet and in the memories of fans.
CT musical genius Daphne Lee Martin brings her music to the masses
Daphne Lee Martin just might be a musical genius. The New London, Connecticut Chanteuse released two full length albums in a year’s time. Moxie, released in 2013, and Frost, released in 2014, are companion pieces. Loaded with every influence from 1920s gypsy jazz, to big band swing elements, to modern electronic experimentations, to Appalachian folk, to jump blues, both albums are the product of a very fertile musical mind. Co-owing a record store with her husband reflects the broad musical vocabulary and tastes Martin carries around in her head. How she developed the skill to mesh these diverse elements into her own unique style requires a closer look at the singer-songwriter-composer-arranger‘s history.
Magic Man off to promising start with Before The Waves CD
Magic Man have just released their debut full length CD Before The Waves, and it’s loaded with energetic, synth-pop fun. Just when you thought this kind of music had died out after the 1980s, Boston’s Magic Man comes on strong with this force of nature album.
Daemon Chili off to solid start with Rise Up CD
Daemon Chili released the blues-roots drenched album Rise Up only a few months ago, and it’s already catching the ears of music fans all over New England. It is certainly a must have for any fan of this sort of music. Every note from the Dobro, lap steel, bluesy piano, mandolin, accordion, and every instrument played on this album sounds so real it’s not funny. Authenticity as well as pure joy come through loud and clear on every track. This is the kind of music that will take the listener back in time to a special place in Americana music, until it rocks out in a live setting to liven any concert.
John Hall continues Marshfield Fair blues festivals; 4th day of music added this year
John Hall is a very busy man this time of year. Hall is the creator and director of the hugely popular Green Harbor Roots Festival and North River Blues Festival at The Marshfield Fair. It runs the third and fourth weekend of August. Hall has quite a story to tell about his festival, the history behind it, and his multitude of other jobs, past and present, in the local music industry.
