With a beautiful and poetic name such as Dada Veda and the genuine appearance of a man who has found something very special, listeners might expect a type of music that is for a select audience.
But Dada Veda, now living and working in Albania, is a folk artist and a singer, along with being an “orange-robed meditation-yoga teacher and a social worker.” This performer’s roots are in New York City, where his early musical influences were Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly and other classic rock-and-roll legends.
He was an excellent student in college and began learning guitar at that time. A hitchhiking trip to California led to a meeting with an Indian monk. This was the beginning of a long journey for Dada Veda that led through the Ananda Marga yoga society. Part of his training was in devotional songs called “bhajans” and in mantra chanting. He eventually became a full-time yoga monk.
He has traveled the world, singing and writing. His CD Brighter Than The Sun from 2003 first showed that “The songs are acoustic-based folk music whose lyrics weave together spiritual, ecological and social justice themes. There is also a touch of country in the songs, and one listener dubbed the blend ‘Country and Eastern Music.’” Try out “It’s The System” for a good example.
Band members include Dada Veda – vocals, guitar; Redi Dashi – guitar solos, bass; Vasudeva – backing vocals; Andi Haxihvseni – drums.
Tags: independent music, music, indie music, indie, Dada Veda
This “independent artist” markets himself as a singer of the “melodramatic popular song” as well as billing himself as a player/singer of Americana and folk music. After listening to a couple of tunes, I would buy that definition. I might even buy the Ten Year Sleep CD from 2007, which Gore put on his own label. This fellow is definitely an indie artist.
“Coming Apart” is a slow-moving, sad-atmosphere type of song. It may bring you down the first time you listen to it, but then, I think that’s what Gore intends. It is fairly well produced, to say the least.
Now, I must admit, “Bourbon Cigarettes” is really my kind of tune. Gore gives the listener a good bar song that is somewhat country and only a bit folk. But I could see this scenario playing out in some riverside tavern, where you may find all sorts of folks, and all categories in the social mix. The guitar solo is rather nice. This song puts me in mind of what T-Bone Burnett might produce, or should I say, already has produced.
Hey, now “Eight Years True” is Americana and folk. I hear a song that Gram Parsons would enjoy and John Hartford would understand.
I’d listen to Craig Gore again.
Tags: Craig Gore, indie, indie music, independent music, music
Sure, she’s a good singer. This lady bills herself as folk/rock and from the little I’ve heard so far she fits the mixed genre rather well. “Down To Me” from How Much Noise (2008) reminds me of some of the singers from the 1960s rock ballad heydays. But it’s hard to remember just who they are!!
“Love Song” from the same collection might be Joni Mitchell (at least a bit) and some of Carole King as well. Let’s leave it at this – Kowalchuk sings well, and that should be sufficient to attract plenty of fans. “To a Flame” is a lovely tune.
She sang with a group called All So Jimmy, an a capella group that won awards, according to public relations information. Being from Oakland, California certainly helps put her in position to experience, and possibly work with, excellent musicians.
Those who have experienced her in the past comment on her vocal range and clarity at all levels. Others take note of her personality and sense of humor. That latter trait is exemplified by her reference to monkeys and use of monkey sounds to accompany her own harmonies. Check this out: Nothing says love like a monkey!! You may want to check out “Monkey Business.”
This should be included FYI: “Produced by Margrit Eichler of San Francisco’s True Margrit, How Much Noise features a bevy of talented musicians: Eichler herself on keys, as well as her drummer Andrew Bacon; several members of the rapidly rising Bay Area folk-pop band Blame Sally: Jeri Jones on electric guitar and Pam Delgado on percussion; multifaceted bass players Daniel Fabricant and Paul Olguin; Sacramento-based singer-songwriter Teresa Esguerra on acoustic guitar, and Yair Evnin on cello.”
Christina Kowalchuk on MySpace
Tags: indie music, indie, Christina Kowalchuk, music, independent music
City music, this is. Two cities, to be exact.
Bischeop Csynnikal is from Chicago. It’s his hometown. But, as the Web site states, he hails from the “City of Wind” but is stuck in the “City of Sin.”
Csynnikal’s collection of songs is called 1st of A New Breed. What breed this is meant to be, I’m not sure. The songs are good hip-hop, with some rap feel. The final cuts are well produced and very listenable. Maybe it’s best to let another set of ears weigh in on just where this music fits, if it is necessary to find a category.
On CDBaby, the writer (I think it was Bryson Taylor) calls it this way – “….he describes his flow as a hybrid of lyricism, battle rap, poetry, and philosophy, into one perfect flow unlike the world has ever heard. The name Bishop comes from a Chicago friend who nicknamed him, commenting he was wise but had two sides. The name Cynical comes from a female friend who described to him that he had a Cynical mindframe. He went to go look it up in the dictionary, and it just stuck.”
Damon Hodge, of Las Vegas Weekly Magazine, writes, “When Csynnikal does this, as on “Father’s Smile”—in which he tells his unborn child how growing up without a dad led him to death row—and the a cappella verse on the socially incisive “Illegal,” he’s on his A-game. Csynnikal’s lyrics and storytelling can be quite memorable; his voice and most of his beats, not so much.”
OK, I’ll go with that.
Tags: music, indie, indie music, Bischeop Csynnikal, independent music
For those about to scream, they salute you!
I know, it’s a worn-out phrase, but 5 More Days is straightforward about being a screamo band. The new song featured on the band’s MySpace site is “It Can’t Get Darker.” There are days when I would have to agree.
However, there is some nice vocal work laced in here, though not enough for my taste. This is a pretty tight band, and some of the “bigger” names of the genre have apparently realized this. 5 More Days has played with some of the better-known acts.
According to the limited information on the Web site, “The Band has been playing now for 3 years. Has had the honor to play with national bands such as Alesana, A Day To Remember, The Sleeping, A Thorn For Every Heart, Mayday Parade, and many more.” Not bad, not bad.
The group is from deep in southern California, sort of in the San Diego/Tijuana area. Good place to live and work, if you can get it done. Check out some of the videos of these guys, if you don’t believe they are a balls-to-the-wall act. I’m not sure how far they’ll go, but the girls are screaming. That’s always a good thing.
Tags: independent music, indie, music, 5 More Days, indie music
