InRadio 7: Perritos

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Dirk Powell / Rounder Records
"Dirk Powell is making living music that grows out of a tradition he loves and respects, carrying this particular strand of young America's cultural DNA into the unknowable future - with hope and joy." - Charles Frazier, author of Cold Mountain

InRadio 7: Perritos starts with a pair of tracks from Dirk Powell, considered one of the world's leading experts on traditional Appalachian fiddle and banjo styles. Dirk's grandfather in Ashland, Kentucky first exposed him to Appalachian music and his own mountain heritage. After recording five albums with Cajun band Balfa Toujours in the early 90's, Dirk shifted his focus from accordion to fiddle and banjo. He has released three solo albums in addition to participating in scoring a number of plays, documentaries and films. After a short tape-recorded conversation with his grandfather, InRadio 7 kicks off with "Waterbound," described by Dirk as "a new song from an old place."


Erik Friedlander
Brassland
."..an album of stark beauty and haunting poignancy...Maldoror is, quite simply, an important recording of solo improvised pieces, regardless of the instrument; but all the more compelling because it shows a side to the cello that has not been seen before." - jazzreview.com

InRadio is proud to bring listeners "Flights of Starlings" from genre-bending cellist, composer and master improviser Erik Friedlander. His new record was a time-traveling collaboration, created in a darkened recording studio in old East Berlin. Erik's producer carefully selected 10 excerpts from 19th-century poet Isidore Ducasse's "Maldoror" which he believed would be particularly good for inciting musical inspiration. In the course of one hour, the excerpts were placed in front of Erik one at a time. He responded to each excerpt with what you hear on this recording. The music is mystical and intense--a journey into, in his words, music's darkest heart.


The Wrens
Absolutely Kosher Records
"It's been so long / since you've heard from me." - Opening line of The Meadowlands.

Seven years long to be exact. After building a serious buzz around their early records in 1994 and 1996, and subsequently being courted by major label suitors and a million-dollar multi-album deal, the Wrens ditched the money and walked. Refusing to renegotiate their contract, the band was dropped by its label, and hunkered down in a shared home in suburban New Jersey. Playing fewer and fewer shows, the Wrens' future seemed uncertain at best. Temp jobs turned into permanent ones, with band members commuting five days a week to work in Manhattan in advertising, pharmaceuticals and sales. Nonetheless, after four years of work at home on a new record and several label courtships, The Wrens bring us The Meadowlands, a spectacular new album of exceptional beauty and depth.


The Clumsy Lovers
Nettwerk America/
"If you like your bluegrass played at the speed of light, and loaded with Celtic-flavoured pub rock energy, 1960s West Coast harmonies, and cunning rhythm stunts, then this record's for you. The Clumsy Lovers ascendancy is assured with this raucous, full-throttle vehicle... Well-turned, effectively retro sing-along choruses racked to blazing banjo and mandolin will make any diehard folkie tingle, but with the clever detailed battery provided by the bass and drums, this rocking quintet slips into killer overdrive on every track. Could be the breakout Canadian roots act of the year." - Toronto Star


Carolyn Mark and The New Best Friends / Mint Records
Carolyn has come a long way since her days growing up on her family's dairy farm in British Columbia. Her first band, the Vinaigrettes, an all-girl foursome from Victoria B.C. recorded six records before disbanding due to "nervous indifference." Now, after recording with label-mate Neko Case as The Corn Sisters and a few solo records, she's back with her best effort to date: The Pros and Cons of Collaboration. The record shows off Carolyn's ability to carry songs in several genres (rock, country, torch and blues) as well as her unparalleled sense of humor. We promise you'll love her as much as we do!


Danny Michel
MapleMusic Recordings
It's been just over two years since Danny Michel released In the Belly of a Whale, widely hailed as his best work to date and marking his arrival to new audiences who discovered an irrepressible talent: the voice, the guitar chops, the clever and literate lyrics, the strong songwriting, and a charming personality. With buzz building, Danny was worn down by the business side of his career and dropped out of sight, retiring to his lakeside home outside of Guelph, Ontario. Continually asked by friends and onlookers what he was up to when surfacing in Toronto, Danny dubbed his new record Tales from the Invisible Man. Recorded in his home studio, with Michel playing pretty much everything, including drums and a theremin, Tales... is a strong statement from an gifted musician who will likely become more and more visible in years to come.


Vinicius Cantuaria
Bar/None Records
Legendary singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his collaborations with Brazilian superstars Gil, Chico Buarque and Caetano Veloso, has been pursuing his solo career for nearly a decade. On Horse and Fish, Vinicius' new release on Bar/None records, he has realized a brilliant fusion of cool jazz and bossa nova that, while remaining utterly contemporary in feel, recalls the pioneering work of Cantuaria's life-long inspirations: Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Bill Evans and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The music that Cantuaria has created over the last decade represents a bridge between classic bossa nova and the hip 21st Century variations on the Tropicalia sound coming out of Rio De Janiero, New York City and Tokyo. His "Perritos" is the title track of InRadio 7 and hopefully will be just the beginning of his entrance into your music collection.


Ester Drang
Jade Tree
With Infinite Keys, the second full length from Oklahoma's Ester Drang, the band has begun to cover new ground. Their debut, Goldenwest, quickly earned them a reputation as masters of epic, spectral guitar squall. On Infinite Keys, they have given themselves a more solid and earthly tone, though they are still rooted in the same celestial realm that won their earliest fans. Taking it's lead from a vast array of sources, yet beginning a path all it's own, the members of Ester Drang, together for nearly a decade, are ready for the new the direction their collective destinies have taken.


JKettle
SoulShard Records
One day, in the city of cement and sunshine that is Los Angeles, the mad genius JKettle became fed up with the world's lack of artistry. After locking himself away in a small room, he emerged a chemist working with sounds. He labored towards the ultimate breakthrough, mixing up elements from all media and feeding himself on a steady diet of Serge Gainsbourg's music, Radley Metzger's movies, the French language, and more. Soon he had the right balance of ingredients to share with you the ideas inside him. Those ideas appear on his new LP, Momentary Delights. Formerly known as Jeff Kettle, he gained his musical expertise by writing a thesis on hip-hop graffiti, acting as a programming director for a Nashville radio station, assembling an astounding collection of rare vinyl, and spinning records in the Los Angeles area.


Jack West and Curvature
Ahead Behind Music
"Phenomenal forward looking music" - East Bay Express
"Bold, boundless exploration...seamless ensemble give and take...By all means, expect the unexpected." - Pacific Sun.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Curvature is an ensemble of virtuoso musicians engaged in the development of Jack West's ground breaking progressive acoustic jazz concept. The music is an exploration of unusual rhythmic ideas infused with elements of acoustic blues, modern jazz improvisation, and funk. Reaching beyond the realm of ordinary music, Curvature seeks to balance the opening of the mind with the shaking of the behind. Curious sounds are reflected in the curve of the groove... InRadio brings listeners "Not What You Think," from Curvature's new release Around About Now on Ahead Behind Music.


The Heavenly States
Baria Records
The Heavenly States, a three-piece hailing from Oakland, CA, is the second project from front man Ted Nesseth, whose first band, Fluke Starbucker (named in honor of the cult film Hardware Wars) released two independent EPs. After releasing a farewell EP in 2002 (Elephants from Ants), the band took on its current name and has been moving forward in leaps and bounds ever since. Their self-titled debut features eleven very different but superbly crafted tracks, moving effortlessly from classic pop/rock balladry to powerful post-punk, and has justifiably earned the band rave reviews around the globe. But despite their dedication to crafting melody and powerful lyrics, THS is a band that un-ashamedly rocks. Their powerhouse live set is nothing short of unforgettable and may give some disenchanted music fans hope that there is more to see and hear than the neatly styled, slickly oiled performances of so many of their peers.


Ol' Yeller
Iron Range (northeastern Minnesota) native Rich Mattson has made a name for himself as one of today's most promising songwriters. A hardworking creative prodigy who somehow manages to avoid the spotlight, Rich records out of his own garage studio in Minneapolis. After 12 years and four critically acclaimed albums with his first group, Minneapolis' beloved mainstay the Glenrustles, in 2000 he decided to focus his efforts on a new project with some new collaborators. Enter Ol' Yeller. The band's upcoming release, Sounder, is another solid effort and reaffirms his reputation as an outstanding songwriter.


Crystal Brandt
Mungler Winslowe Records
"These songs may be simple arrangements - acoustic guitar, melodic piano, various percussion instruments, and croon-at-the-moon harmonies - but Brandt's job is anything but simple. She writes, arranges, plays, sings, mixes, and records it all herself. Such studio savvy, combined with that strong, folky voice, is enough to earn nods of approval from Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell...She's a shot of whiskey, a few extra guitar strings, and a pair of dusty cowboy boots... a country/folk artist with a penchant for confrontational lyrics and refusing to conform to anything routine." - Jennifer Layton, indie-music.com


Clarelynn Rose
After her viola and harp were burned in a fire, Clarelynn picked up guitar at age 17 and has been writing her own compositions ever since. Having trained with influential guitarists Alex De Grassi and John Renbourn, Clarelynn relies on intuition when composing, having chosen not to learn theory. California's forests have also been an important source of inspiration. Returning from China, Clarelynn earned masters degrees in Forestry as well as Environmental Engineering at Humboldt State University, became a professional forester, and established a solid career in sustainable forestry. Still active in forestry, she donates 10% of CD sales profits to environmental education.


The Rite Flyers / Paisley Pop Records
The Rite Flyers are among Austin, Texas' best-kept secrets. For the last few years, they've been off in their home studio, honing a new brand of kaleidoscopic pop, but sharp music fans will recognize the band's front men: Steve Collier led perhaps Austin's most raucous, fiery guitar band of the '80s - Doctor's Mob; John Clayton was a key member and songwriter for Balloonatic, a psychedelic wonder brimming with unforgettable songs. Heading into the '90s, the duo joined forces, forming the late, lamented Sidehackers. The Rite Flyers' new record reveals a sackful of sparkling pop/psych gems. Veering from pure rhythmic crunch to gorgeous floating balladry, clanging, rainy-day rockers to irresistibly rendered power pop, the Rite Flyers remind you of everything that's important about pop music - immediacy, unfettered melodicism, lyrical acuity, and instrumental flourishes painting each song with a hard-won emotional complexity.


J.W. Sykes
Wading through swamps, recording under bug nets, and battling leaf cutter ants, InRadio brings listeners a track from J.W. Sykes' "Bush Recordings from Darkest Peru 2003." Exploring the concept of art under duress, the project was written and recorded entirely in the Peruvian Amazon, without overdubs of any kind. J.W. thanks the devastating heat, malaria infested mosquitoes and the ants that committed every imaginable form of suicide in his tape machine for the rich working environment.