When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Ever hear that American saying before? In October, I sampled some of the finest lemonade I’d ever gotten my hands on. What makes good lemonade? A touch of sour. An overall sweetness. And finally, a great, memorable aftertaste. In this case, the lemonade is the brand new Welcome to Soonville album by Maxi Dunn, the Twirl Radio Featured Artist for Fall, 2009! I interviewed her on Twirl Radio on Saturday, October 24th, 2009.

Maxi is a singer-songwriter from Liverpool, UK. I first met her on Facebook. She was a friend of several of my other friends. I enjoyed chatting with her–she always had something witty, pertinent, or charming to say. Finally, I heard her music on some other radio shows (so no, I don’t get credit for “discovering” her), and asked her if she’d send me some tracks for airplay. Thus began a six month odyssey, one in which she’d occasionally email me another new track for airplay consideration. By default, I pretty much got to watch the making of Welcome to Soonville, real time! With characteristic modesty, she would often preface her emails with disclaimers like “I’m not sure if this’ll fit your show, but I hope you like it”. And then it would turn out to be a magnificently performed and produced song, which indeed wound up in my playlist. She repeated this procedure several times, and before long, I became familiar with much of the album before the October 12th release.

So what does Maxi sound like? She’s got a very versatile voice–I think she sings alto and soprano parts equally well, and uses each range to good effect, depending on what the song or phrase calls for. A lot of her songs have a bouncy, early 1980’s sound–something like you might have heard from early Madonna or Sheena Easton–but with much more depth of songwriting than you would ever hear from either of those two legendary songstresses. But no–not all her songs are upbeat and fun. Soonville has a range of emotions to explore, and some truths to uncover, and that is reflected in the sound and range of songs. Maxi may have grown up in the 1980’s, but she’s living in the here and now.

Maxi has been a musician for the last twenty years, and had been in a few bands. So what moved her to release this fine debut album in 2009? Well, a traumatic year, in which a long term relationship ended bitterly, was the motivating factor.

One doesn’t even have to know the exact circumstances. The songs say it all. And they divide up into two groups–those written back in the 1990’s with her old band CS Drift, and the ones written this past year. The older ones have a wistful tone–they’re generally about sad relationships. They’re very good. But the ones written this year–these are the focused words of a survivor. These autobiograhical vignettes tell you everything that happened to Maxi. In the course of about a year, she walked through fire, and came out alive on the other side. A little scorched, and wiser for it all. But here to tell us about it.

The songs also break up into two groups soundwise, as well. Songs such as How Was I To Know, Don’t Look Back, Always Be My Friend, Seattle In The Sun, and the epic title track Welcome To Soonville were produced by Pete Hackett from Cult Of Wedge, who supplied the sterling guitar work as well. Paul Wright added some keyboard and saxophone work too. Some of my favorite songs from 2009 emerged from this batch. To my ears, these are the more driving, and in some cases, rocking songs on the album. Most of the newer songs are in this group. Interestingly enough–Mr. Hackett and Ms. Dunn have not yet met in person as of this writing. They live a couple of hours apart. That fascinates me, because the artist-producer relationship is perhaps the most important in music, and it speaks volumes that they could produce such fine songs via long distance–there’s a certain empathy and intuition going on here.

And there are four important songs on the album produced by the production team of Coke Belda and Roque Esteban, otherwise known as Cokeroque. High As A Kite, Waiting To Go Round, Pull You Down, and I Mean That were also created as a result of a virtual collaboration, as Cokeroque are located in Spain. Coke played guitars and Roque, keyboards, on these tracks. These guys generally have a lighter, poppier, almost 1980’s sound, fitting Maxi’s voice very nicely.

So if I had to pick a few tracks to focus on from this great batch of songs, I’d start with the leadoff How Was I To Know. This song sets the tone for the entire album. The great lyrics tell the story of the aforementioned relationship. Some great Pete Hackett guitars. A big sound, very dramatic indeed. And there is a lot of drama on this album. Don’t Look Back follows and continues the theme of lies and contradictions. And then–after all this heaviness comes the happiest song on the album, Always Be My Friend, written for Adam Waltemire’s Pop Garden Radio 4th anniversary show. Entirely different tone from most of the album, but in a way, it fits well. Despite the heaviness of the last year, this is a reminder that Maxi has some good supportive friends out there.

Other memorable songs include Waiting To Go Round from the Cokeroque batch, a tune written back in the 1990’s, which remarkably foreshadows the trauma of the relationship. Pull You Down has Cokeroque stepping out of their mellow sound–it rocks as hard as any of the Pete Hackett-produced tracks. And finally, the title track of Welcome To Soonville. What can I say? It’s got a sweeping, mysterious, James Bond theme kind of sound. Determined vocals. You’ve got to hear this one to believe it. You’ve never heard this song before, but it will instantly feel familiar to you. Destined to become a classic. This is Maxi the survivor. She comes out on top after a harrowing sequence of events. It’s a magnificent song that perfectly closes the album. I’ll often play this one at the end of a set of songs on my radio shows.

It was truly a pleasure to chat with Maxi on my show, and so interesting to find out how this great album was produced. I am pleased to have had her as the Artist of the Month for Fall, 2009, and am looking forward to what 2010 brings for Maxi!

October 1, 2009
Categories: Reviews . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

Ever make a decision that you regret? Here’s mine. When I bought my car, I forgot to buy a convertible. I can already hear you thinking, “what ARE you talking about?” Well, it’s summer, I’m in California, and I’m driving around, blasting Laurie Biagini’s CD Ridin’ The Wave on my car stereo. But I’m not doing it right–I need a convertible to give this shiny, summery music the proper treatment! I am pleased to announce that Laurie Biagini is the Twirl Radio Artist of the Month for both June and July, 2009! I interviewed her on Twirl Radio on Saturday, June 20th, 2009.

I first heard Laurie’s music on The Time Machine, based in Maui, Hawaii. Her infectious You’re A Dangerous Thing sounded so good coming out of my little computer speakers. I immediately begged her for some music to play on Twirl, and she sent me the entire Ridin’ The Wave album. I have since heard her music on Pop Garden Radio (Florida) and ShockPop Radio (North Carolina). Hmmm…Hawaii, Florida, North Carolina, and California. All sunbelt states with ocean beaches. It’s a great fit for Laurie, because my favorite description of her sound is “Karen Carpenter fronting the Beach Boys”. Her music is definitively sunny, and reminiscent of good time beach music from back in the 1960’s. If the Beach Boys had a kid sister who sang and played keyboards, she would sound like this.

Laurie hails from Vancouver, BC, Canada–not a place you’d expect to be a hotbed of beach music. But her sensibilities are definitely 1960’s/1970’s-era Southern California. Her voice is warm and rich like Karen Carpenter. Her subject matter and some of her melodies bring to mind the Beach Boys, and her harmonies are reminiscent of the Mamas and the Papas. She told me in the interview that those artists, along with the Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis, were indeed her greatest influences.

Ridin’ The Wave is Laurie’s debut album. It starts off with the title track, an upbeat pop tune about grabbing that perfect opportunity–framed within the context of surfing and the beach. This sets up the rest of the album with her signature soaring vocal harmonies, and perfect pop melodies. The unusual thing about this song is the prominence of the guitar. Most of Laurie’s music is piano-based, and she is quite an accomplished keyboardist. Doin Nothin At All is one of the most fun songs on the album–and that’s really saying something, because the whole album is fun. It’s more typical of the Laurie Biagini sound–the piano and the organ sounds take the lead. The lyrics are great–encouraging you to take it easy, and forget the schedules, burdens, problems, and deadlines. And one of my favorites is Bambuzled, which turns out to be a tribute to Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. By the time I get to this song, I’m ready for Laurie to come pick me up in a red ’68 Camaro convertible, for our day at the beach.

There are some songs covering more serious topics. A Face In The Crowd deals with trying to fit in with the “cool” people. Crazy On Me is about a person who’s had some kind of breakdown or crisis, and is acting pretty strangely. The aforementioned You’re A Dangerous Thing turned out to be the big surprise of the album for me. I thought it was a really clever tune about a guy who’s bad for the singer. As it turns out, it’s an even more clever song, literally about sugar. Laurie told me that sugar and sweets are medically bad for her, so she wrote this song and masked the subject with relationship references. Her upbeat music makes the darker subjects easy to listen to, but if you dig a little bit into the lyrics, you’ll find some keen observations.

There are also a number of romantic songs–Away On A Cloud, Vancouver Rain, Under A Tropical Moon, and Two Feet Off The Ground, among others. I’m not a big fan of love songs on their own, unless the music itself has something to offer. In this case–the music offers the instantly-memorable melodies.

Ridin’ The Wave is one sweet album–in every sense of the word. Sweet pop melodies. Sweet vocals. Sweet harmonies. Sweet keyboards. Laurie proves that this kind of music is back, and more vibrant and alive than ever. She’s working on a new one, A Far Out Place. I’ve heard sneak previews of a few of the new batch of songs, and so far, she’s got another winner on her hands!

As for live performances, Laurie hasn’t played out all that much, but did have a nice gig at the International Pop Overthrow (IPO) festival last summer in San Francisco, and is scheduled for one of the IPOs in Vancouver this summer. She’s also got a club date or two on tap as well. She’ll be expanding her solo wizardry to include a band for at least some of these dates.

Laurie Biagini’s music is the perfect accompaniment to summer. She’s been a staple on Twirl Radio for over a year now, and I’m looking forward to more of her classic sound, from the great beach city of Vancouver. A hearty, summery congratulations to Laurie, our Twirl Featured Artist for June/July 2009!

July 16, 2009
Categories: Reviews . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

A few years ago, I received a 5-song EP from New York City band Goodfinger. Its tight rock songs practically burst out of my CD player, screaming “play me on the air!” So I did. These songs promised so much. Here we are in 2009, and Mike, the drummer sent me their full length debut, Killing With Kindness. Well, consider this a promise delivered, and for that, I am happy to announce that Goodfinger are the Twirl Radio Artists of the Month for April, 2009! I interviewed them on Twirl Radio on Saturday April 18th, 2009.

So what does Goodfinger sound like? It’s really hard to say, because they’re fairly original. I spent the better part of the last week trying to work out the analogy, and it’s been tough. If I had to do it, I’d say they sound something like an updated version of Blondie, but with a much harder edge. But they’re not exactly New Wave, and not exactly hard rock. They’re a four piece ensemble–Mike Williams on drums; Seth Skolnick, guitar; Frank Caira, bass; and Scrappy Calloway on vocals. Mike and Scrappy co-write most of the songs, and Scrappy is clearly the centerpiece and focal point of the band. She has a strong vocal and stage presence (click here to view Love Digitale video). I’d call their sound a “throwback”, but to what? They would have sounded good in the 1980s, with their New Wave influenced synthesizers and vocals. But they would have also sounded good in the alternative early 1990s, with those soaring, atmospheric guitars. And they sound great right now in the 2000s.

So let’s dive right into the album. 10 tracks–and they’re all straight-up radio friendly. It’s rare when I can say this about an entire CD–but I will be playing each and every track on my show. The album is that good.

It starts off with the title track, Killing With Kindness, a great rock ballad–but not like your typical s-l-o-w ballad. This one rocks at mid-tempo. Another Night is next, and starts off with Seth’s soaring guitars–both he and Scrappy share center stage on this rocker, giving each other room to work. Said And Done starts off with the rhythm section of Mike and Frank laying some pretty impressive drum and bass groundwork, building up tensions. Then Seth’s sinewy guitar work edges in, and finally Scrappy’s mysterious, sultry vocals take center stage. A few drum crashes later, and this becomes a full blown rocker, complete with some tasty alternative-style keyboard work.

Ghost slows down the speed of the assault, but not the intensity. It’s a song about being lost in a big city of unfriendly, uncaring, superficial people. Scrappy wraps her world-wise vocals around this moody song, singing “I’m a ghost in this town, that’s how they want it to stay.” Radio Perfecto, one of two carryovers from the debut EP (featuring Johnny B. on guitars) picks the pace right back up again. This is sheer rock and roll glory here–an anthem if I ever heard one. Sounds Of The City sounds like something Iggy Pop might have done–an observation of urban decadence. It rocks pretty hard, and would sound especially good prowling around the streets of a big city after midnight, turned up loud on your car stereo. Take Me I’m Yours is a great surprise–they do a New Wave-sounding take on this great Squeeze tune. They make it their own, and you realize that nobody else could have covered this tune–it now belongs to Goodfinger!

Love Digitale, a throbbing, pulsing number, is the other tune from the EP. Untouchable is another straightforward rocker. The album concludes with And So We Are Forever, a nice, mostly acoustic showcase for Scrappy’s voice. Most of the CD’s production, engineering, and arranging is done by Mike, and it sounds top-notch. A phenomenal album, one of the best I’ve heard this year to date.

Tom Verlaine of Television called Goodfinger “the future of New York music”. I would slightly beg to differ–same statement, but take out the words “New York”–these guys belong everywhere–and that includes Twirl Radio. Congratulations to Goodfinger, the Twirl Artists of the Month for April, 2009!

April 1, 2009
Categories: Reviews . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

It’s been several months since I’ve had a Featured Artist here on Twirl Radio. It was starting to feel almost like a self-imposed semi-retirement from doing interviews. Kind of a rut. So what would it take to break this cycle? How about an interview with none other than the legendary singer-songwriter Tish Hinojosa, the Twirl Radio Artist of the Month for March, 2009!

Tish’s music doesn’t neatly fit into any one classification. That’s why I like it so much–it crosses borders into folk, rock, Latino, and country. She’s lived and performed in many of the coolest music scenes in the country–Austin, Nashville, New Mexico, and Hamburg. Wait–what’s that last place I said? Hamburg? Oh–is that the one in Germany? Yes, that’s where Tish now resides. I’m not sure what kind of music scene Hamburg had before, but it’s a lot cooler now that Tish is there!

I’d been a fan of Tish for quite some time–really, since her 2000 release Sign Of Truth. As she told me, it was very much a crossover album, and it garnered her some new fans. It was playful, lively, and included Latino sounds, Memphis-style horns, and even an understated tribute to Monty Python. I was taken by her sweet, crystal-clear singing voice and impeccable songwriting.

She really made her mark in the highly-regarded Austin, TX music scene. Major label recording contracts, 15 albums, and many tours of North America and Europe followed. She’s worked with several of my favorite artists, including Los Lobos, Dwight Yoakam, Joan Baez, and Kris Kristofferson. And she is the only artist in the world to have appeared at both the White House AND on Twirl Radio! (Thanks for letting me put that bit of self-serving aggrandizement into this review!)

You can imagine the excitement I felt when my very own autographed copy of Our Little Planet arrived in my mailbox here at Twirl Radio. A chance to hear the latest sounds from this acclaimed artist. So what are the latest sounds from Tish Hinojosa? Well, retro! Pure, straight-up country, with a twist of folk and Tex-Mex. Tish spent part of the 1980’s in Nashville, working as a demo singer for Mel Tillis’ publishing house. She penned some songs during that phase of her career, and decided that this was the perfect time to polish them up and record them. Her lyrics are deceptively simple–she says a lot in an unusually economical manner. This leaves room for her fine vocals and the exquisite instrumentation of her longtime collaborator, multi-instrumentalist Marvin Dykhuis.

Some standout tracks include the wistful but uptempo leadoff, What You Don’t Know, Roadsongs And Bygones, a traveling song–but thoughtfully observant about the human imprint on the landscape she’s passing through, and her duet with Rosie Flores, We Mostly Feel That Way, an ode to, well, us–average people who’ve been subject to the ups and downs of the last few years.

The bilingual title track, Our Little Planet, is the centerpiece of the album. It’s an optimistic song, and the single line “We’re doin’ the best that we can” pretty much summarizes Tish’s take on life. It’s a reason to keep going. I love the fact that the first two verses are in Spanish and the third is in English. No matter which language you speak, you can really feel the positive energy of this song. And finally, my favorite track is the love song Count Me In, an upbeat duet with the rich baritone-voiced Dale Watson. Throw in some pedal steel guitar work by Greg Leisz, and you have an instant classic. If you didn’t think you liked country music before hearing this one, you do now!

It was truly a pleasure to visit with Tish, and a thrill to receive this advance Europe-only release of Our Little Planet. If you want to get this wonderful album before the rest of your American friends have it available to them in May (U.S. release date), you can get your very own copy at Tish’s online store. In the meantime, I am pleased that Tish is the Twirl Artist of the Month for March, 2009!

March 1, 2009
Categories: Reviews . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

Twirl Radio has scoured the country, and sometimes the world, to bring you the finest music from the rock era. It’s fun finding this unlikely stew of sounds which blend so nicely on the radio. But to start off the new year, I didn’t need to travel any farther than my hometown of Sacramento to find the Twirl Radio Artist of the Month for January 2008, Lisa Phenix! Lisa and former Beer Dawg Steve Wall visited me on Twirl Radio with an in-studio live performance on Saturday, January 26th, 2008.

A few years ago, when I was on hiatus from Twirl, I received an unsolicited email from local talent Lisa. The subject line simply stated “Play my music”. In the body of the message, this homegrown talent offered me the chance to receive a copy of her just-released CD Homegrown. I felt a little embarrassed, because I wasn’t currently doing a radio show. But things change, and I started doing my show again in late 2006. And fortunately for me, Lisa’s offer of the disc still stood, so I took her up on it.

Homegrown is an impressive debut. What’s the style of this delightful album? Well, perhaps you could say something like Bonnie Raitt meets John Fogerty, but with the most crystal clear voice you can imagine. That would make her bluesy. But there’s also elements of jazz, folk, and Americana in the music. It all depends upon the song. You might even find a voice like hers on a country music station–if they ever decided to start playing good music again.

The disc leads off with the fun Lazy Daisy May, which showcases Lisa’s crystal-clear voice, and some fine guitar work. This song sounds like it would fit in perfectly with the repertoire of Sacramento’s own Mumbo Gumbo (if you’ve never heard them, they’re sort of a bayou-boogie type band–sort of like the Sacramento River meets the Mississippi River, and winds up in New Orleans). Almost a nursery-rhyme type of song. Then another song in the same vein, but for the grownups, Chocolate=Love. Two can’t-miss songs which succeed in introducing Lisa to the world. And then she goes deep–Losin’ Your Good Woman Blues is a moody, folky performance with wistful vocals and a strong, soulful guitar performance. My favorite song on the album.

Other highlights on the disc include Lisa’s signature song, Silly Little Mama, a rockabilly tune for kids of all ages. (Incidentally, Lisa teaches music and movement to pre-school kids in the Sacramento area, so it’s no surprise that she appeals to all ages.) There’s a run of three blues songs in a row: Good Man, which sounds like it comes straight outta Austin, Texas; and Good Lovin’ Baby, with a similar sound. Then comes Bad Blues, which gets a little grittier, as if she took that pretty ’61 Cadillac on the cover of the CD, and drove it north to Chicago. Peace of Mind and Patience are beautiful folk songs, showing off Lisa’s voice and songwriting. Irie’s Song is a fine Americana piece, which could have fit in nicely with the Jayhawks circa 1995. And the album closes with another swingin’ blues number, Cockadoodle Doo. In just 45 minutes, Lisa Phenix takes us through America’s songbook–using her original songwriting! The most amazing thing is that Lisa has only been performing and recording for the last four years. There’s hope for all of us!

I should also tell you that Lisa just released a kids’ album, Holidays Are For Hugging, over the holidays. It’s a sweet little disc, and furthers her work teaching really little kids. But you know what? It’s a fun listen for adults, too!

Those of us here in Northern California are lucky, because we can see Lisa performing around town. For the rest of you, I’m proud to present her as the Twirl Artist of the Month for January, 2008!

January 1, 2008
Categories: Reviews . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

His music doesn’t kick your butt. Rather, it sweeps over you and stuns you with beautiful melodies, personal lyrics, pristine guitar playing, and distinctively warm baritone vocals. Either way, same effect. You’re still knocked out by how good Stephen Fearing is. And he’s the Twirl Radio Artist of the Month for December 2007!

Born in Vancouver and raised in Ireland, Stephen moved back to North America when he came of age. He spent a couple of years in Minnesota, then finally relocated to Ontario, back in his native Canada. Not surprisingly, a recurring theme in Stephen’s music is that of being on the road.

I first caught wind of this major talent eleven years ago, when he opened for one of my favorite musicians, John Wesley Harding. It was a Thanksgiving weekend show in Chicago, and many of us faithful bundled up and came out to see this traveling folk show. I had heard that “Wes” personally handpicked a couple of kindred spirits as opening acts for this tour. Stephen Fearing was one of them, and he did not fail to impress. Armed with nothing more than a guitar, some great songs, and his charisma, he set off some serious acoustic fireworks that night.

Apparently, I’m not the only one impressed with Stephen’s music. He’s been nominated several times for a Juno Award (think Canada’s equivalent of the Grammy), and earned a Juno for his latest release, Yellowjacket.

He has always been known for his songcraft and perfectionism. When he met up with producer Colin Linden several albums ago, his attitude changed. Not that he’s any less meticulous now, but Colin helped him loosen up in the studio. Stephen told me that Colin’s insistence on capturing the music in just a few takes has made making records more fun. Instead of being too self-critical, he now relishes the fact that he’s more accurately captured the soul and spirit of the songs.

Yellowjacket, his most recent solo effort, and first self-production, utilizes a broad palette of instruments and melodies, ranging from mellow ballads to mid-tempo pop, and from “Americana” (or would you call it “Canadiana” in this case?) to symphonic pop sounds.

The title track, Yellowjacket, leads off the album with a mellow tale of a jam band music fan who’s on the road, “following the big beat”. A nice string section and dobro accompaniment turn Stephen’s acoustic playing into a sweeping mission statement. The Man Who Married Music is a bittersweet ballad about a traveling singer/songwriter torn between his music and his wife: “the man who married music and the man who married you”. One Flat Tire is about being on the road, and out of position to help in the crises which befall your loved ones. It’s a full band piece, and despite the desperation in the lyrics, is rather upbeat sounding. This one should be a radio hit. Another radio-friendly track is This Guitar, my personal favorite track on the album, which revels in the life-affirming qualities of making music. There’s also a whimsical little acoustic guitar instrumental called Whoville. Stephen said that this track was written in a failed attempt to fit in on a local charitable holiday compilation album with a theme of “60 second songs”. The inspiration for the song was an imagined meeting between Dr. Seuss and John Philip Sousa. Fortunately for us, he expanded this one to almost three minutes.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the other huge part of Stephen’s life: Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, aka “BARK”. He and fellow Rodeo Kings Tom Wilson and the aforementioned Colin Linden have released five albums over the course of the last decade. These three friends share vocals, songwriting, and guitar duties. The feel of their Let’s Frolic album is somewhat akin to that of the Traveling Wilburys, with its loose, rootsy feel, and the presence of superstar musicians who genuinely enjoy each other’s company and musicianship. I tried making that comparison during the interview, and with characteristic humility, Stephen waved off my putting him in the same class with those incredible Wilbury superstars. He did admit that the conditions that produced the Wilburys were similar to those under which BARK operates: three well-known artists, checking their egos at the door, coming together to blend their distinctive styles (blues, folk, rock) into something that they all like. Working in the BARK ensemble is a respite from the usual expectations placed on these guys, and has resulted in a warm, organic album.

If that weren’t enough, several A-List musicians helped out on Let’s Frolic and the follow up, Let’s Frolic Again: Garth Hudson, Daniel Lanois (produced U2’s The Joshua Tree), and Pam Tillis. I told Stephen that the track I Give it Up Everyday sounded to me like something that would happen if the Wilburys ever met up with Al Green in Memphis. I apparently called that one right, because he responded that the horn player was none other than Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns, who helped shape the sound for Al Green, Isaac Hayes, and Otis Redding–in fact, they played on nearly every Stax release in the classic Memphis label’s heyday! These musicians had such a good time living and recording together in the famed Bearsville Studios in upstate New York, that they recorded 29 tracks–enough for both Let’s Frolic albums!

Whether solo or in Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Stephen Fearing is immersed in an incredible music career. His impeccable music continually earns him critical acclaim, award nominations, and fans on both sides of the border. I’d like to see him become more well-known here in the U.S.; albums like Yellowjacket and Let’s Frolic will help grow his American fan base. I’m proud to honor Stephen Fearing, as the Twirl Artist of the Month for December, 2007!

December 1, 2007
Categories: Reviews . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment