The Warm Up with The Memphis Dawls Vol 2

06/14/2012 By
The Warm Up with The Memphis Dawls Vol 2 [ 15:56 | 36.47 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s no secret that The Memphis Dawls are one of our favorite bands, so of course, we were really excited to get them back on the show and see what the latest news is since they were our guests last September.

In addition to their debut EP ending up being listed as New & Noteworthy on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Page and opening for Jack White back in the spring, they’ve been keeping busy with appearances on BalconyTV Nashville, Lindsay Street Hall Presents and Oxford’s Music in the Hall. Yesterday they were listed as #7 on Paste Magazine‘s 12 Tennessee Bands You Should Listen To Now! and on September 22nd they’ll be opening for one of their heroes, Emmylou Harris, at The Levitt Shell.

If you haven’t seen the band live, you’ll have two chances in Memphis this weekend. The Memphis Dawls will be playing a free show tomorrow afternoon 4PM at The Overton Square Block Party with Star & Micey, and then they’ll open for the amazing Tristen on Sunday at The Hi-Tone. If you want to be able to say that you saw them before they were huge, now’s your chance…

And be sure to take a listen to the show to hear TWO brand new songs…

Holly Cole, Jana Misener & Krista Wroten began creating music together in high school. Although the surroundings were less than romantic, their sound was powerful even then. The three rejoined after roaming the country for college and other bands. The girls took some cues from artists like Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. Folk and classic country provide a foundation while the heavy string laden R&B songs from Otis Redding to Minnie Riperton make up the walls and roof. Including Jonathan McLaren on vibraphone and drums and Nahshon Benford on trumpet and euphonium allowed the band to explore more territory. A typical show can take a listener from a warm morning in the arms of a lover to a cold night alone lost in a desert and, thankfully, back again. 

They all take inspiration from outside influences: Cole with a degree in sculpture and Misener and Wroten involvement with several film soundtracks. The band continues to play across the country and their sound continues to grow bigger and more graceful than it’s humble beginnings.

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SoundCheck @MinglewoodHall: Lindi Ortega – “All My Friends”

05/02/2012 By

We were lucky enough stop by Lindi Ortega‘s sound check yesterday before she played at Minglewood Hall to a packed house. She opened for Social Distortion (who we are pretty sure we saw John Stubblefield of Lucero showing around Ardent yesterday afternoon!) which seemed like an odd fit at first, but we figured SD must have fallen in love her lovely persona and music  just like we did and just couldn’t resist bringing her on the road!

Personally, we wanted to check her out after we read that the Canadian-born singer, whose voice has been described as a blend of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris, had moved to Tennessee.  That sounded right up our alley and we were not disappointed! She’s going to be on the road with SD and The Toadies for the rest of the month, we highly recommend the show, if you can get a ticket. Check out this excerpt form her sound check last night …

Here’s the Bio:

Biography

Somewhere in an old 1960’s apartment building in the city of Toronto, Canada, a well worn pair of cherry red cowboy boots wait by the door. About a half foot from those boots sits a guitar case, brightly decorated with glittery stars and images of Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo.A little down the hallway and towards the bedroom, a Johnny Cash record is spinning away. On the bed is a journal with a bird on the front cover and the saying “Go Slow, Life in Progress”.Sitting on the floor with a bottle of merlot and a red flower in her dark hair is where we find Lindi Ortega.It’s rather obvious from her appearance that Miss Ortega, with her ruby lips and Mexican/Irish background, is the kind of gal that would stand out in a crowd, but she prefers to be standing in front of one. [Read more...]
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My First Record: Amy Dalley

01/16/2012 By

My parents were hippies. Hippies who loved music.  They had this giant stereo equipped with Kenwood speakers and an Ampeg amp. It sounded killer!  The stereo console took up the entire wall in our living room.  Sitting in front of the one of the speakers made you feel like you were sitting in front of a wall of sound. It was my favorite place to be. Oh, and if my baby sister happened to be asleep we had these huge white headphones that I loved. Total immersion. Amazing.

I loved to listen to Rita Coolidge, Kris Kristofferson, Linda Rondstadt…all while studying the pictures on their album jackets.  This wasn’t the music my friends listened to. I grew up in East Tennessee. Most of my peers were listening to the radio and loving what they heard whether it be Dolly Parton or Pantera; they weren’t caught up in music that was a decade or so past its prime. But I was. Living in the lyrics. Closing my eyes and painting pictures in my head. Studying every turn of phrase. Every lift and dip of melody. It was my therapy and my sanctuary.

Then I heard Pat Benatar‘s  Crimes of Passion. That album changed me. I really don’t remember if I bought it with my own money. But I remember going to the record store and holding it and trying my best to imagine what it would sound like if I had the stereo cranked and I was sitting in my favorite spot. I remember wanting it so bad I could taste it. I wanted to hear it, to feel the speakers thump as she sang “You Better Run” or “Treat Me Right.”

[Read more...]

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