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If
there is no new Harris Radio playlist for July, then the blame
will rest squarely with Kristin Sweetland. For since picking
up her debut CD "Root, Heart and Crown" after her impromptu
appearance at the Living Room, I've not been able to listen to
anything else. I'm wondering whether she's cast a spell on me.
And it's a legitimate question, since as well as being an outstanding
singer/songwriter, Kristin is also a witch.
"Well,
I don't use the broomstick so much these days," was Kristin's
quip when I asked her about her witchcraft, which she has embraced
since childhood in London, Ontario. Instead, her principal means
of transport is her van/traveling home Maybelle, in which she
has toured North America continuously in recent years.
Musically,
her CD is a mixture of Americana, blue grass and old English folk
tunes, which showcase Kristin's intricate finger picking guitar
style, set among lush arrangements that include banjos, cellos,
fiddles and trumpets. Her lyrics draw on both personal road warrior
memories and an imagination that's been shaped by research into
the romance of Greek mythology, alchemy, ghost stories and even
the mysticism of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Xena.
For
myself, the standout track is "Battle Hymn," an evocative
account of the bloody opening battle of the civil war, with a
final verse that brings the past up to date with a connection
to more recent horrors. It makes for a moving song for peace.
Kristin is on the road now. Check out her gig schedule, and witchcraft,
at www.kristinsweetland.com.
~~~~~
 It
was nearly midnight on Father's Day, and LadyBug had promised
to call her dad. Knowing that her song "Silence is Sincere"
is one of his favorites, she determined to sing it to him, and
that she was on stage at Piano's at the time added considerably
to the novelty. With an audience member holding the cell phone,
the musical greeting was thus relayed to one very happy father
in Fort Myers, Florida.
The
call home wasn't the only novelty factor that evening, for the
performance was the first time she had played with that particular
line up - there wasn't even an opportunity to rehearse the full
band before the gig. Joining regular bassist Ian Ketteridge that
night were new lead guitarist Josette, and guest drummer Thommy
Price, of Joan Jett fame. It was a combination that clicked from
the first note, with one established musician in the audience
turning to me and remarking: "This girl is the real deal."
Describing
her sound as "pop alternativo for attention deficit disorders,"
LadyBug's debut CD "Plug Me In" draws on such diversity
as salsa and punk, with songs that often switch chords, tempo
and style midway to accompany her commanding lead vocals.
Of
Ecuadorian/Puerto Rican descent, LadyBug began studying piano
at age five and taught herself guitar as a teenager. Later, as
a resident of Miami, she garnered such accolades as best female
vocalist at the South Florida Music Awards. Now back in her native
Brooklyn, she's been perfecting her live act at clubs around the
city, while also contributing bass grooves to the endeavors of
political punksters Team Spider. Find out when the real deal is
playing next at www.ladybugsorbit.com.
~~~~~
"They're
called The Kennedys. No idea who they are. Really good,
though, innit?" Such was the response of the salesperson
at the music store in my native London, England after I enquired
about the songs I was hearing over the PA. The year was 1996 and
I was listening to "Life is Large," the second release
from husband and wife team Pete and Maura Kennedy. Needless to
say, I became an instant fan of the driving guitar pop tunes and
Maura's pure vocals.
 It
wasn't until 2003, though, that I got to see them live, and while
I was expecting a great show, I was simply bowled over by their
live act. Maura is one of a few singers (Rachel Loshak and Kate
Fenner being others) who sounds even better live than she does
recorded. With Pete managing to get his acoustic guitar to give
up more sounds than a synthesizer, and Maura also adding her own
guitar rhythms, they deliver as a duo a sound that fills a room
like a full band.
Married
now for 10 years, Pete and Maura met at the Continental Club in
Austin, TX, where Pete was playing in Nanci Griffith's band. Within
24 hours they had written their first song, marking the beginning
of a collaboration that's resulted in five studio and one live
album.
Their
latest CD "Stand," released on Koch Records, is an eclectic
collection, with a powerful title track that calls for tolerance
among people, and the catchy "Dharma Café," which
they describe as an "ode to your favorite boho coffeehouse,
the kind of place where you wrap your hands around a cup of non-corporate
espresso and wait your turn on open mic night." Learn more
about the Kennedys at www.kennedysmusic.com.
Photograph
of The Kennedys courtesy of www.mebeeb.com.
Pete
Harris is a technology, publishing and marketing entrepreneur,
who founded Harris Radio as a response to the music being
played on corporate-controlled mainstream radio. Check out Scene
and Heard artists on www.harrisradio.com.
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