I'll take a sandwich and a side of romance

It is always this time of year that the writing bug strikes me.  Winter chills?  Gracious it's not that women in Wisconsin or Minnesota dress scantily to entice me... it just takes kindness.  A flash of tender caring eyes, or just hearing them be nice to another soul.  I could die tomorrow, and I would feel confident that the world has enough love in it.. never sure if it's shared enough... here's my short little piece tonight to get you thinking...

http://davezeman.blogspot.com/2013/02/coffee-house.html

Your sweet and shiny eyes..

This is one of my favorite Bonnie Raitt songs... so much so it's my current most played song in my iTunes database.  Our little Lucky Dog group has a a few women who have adopted it.. and I play the part of Tom Waits from the original song and join in on the bar chorus.  I just absolutely love this group and wish I was with them to party after the video was done.

Always Trust your Cape

Guy Clark is one of those artists I keep coming back to... a great story song writer; nothing fancy about his voice either.  When this video came up in my YouTube video feed, I clicked on it figuring it was one of those dumb fan videos that just put on photo up and steal the song in YouTube.  I was wrong, and enjoyed the work done with pictures and words.



Then of course I figured I could find an interesting thing out there about the site... found this blog post that is very well written.  http://www.thindifference.com/2012/03/29/always-trust-your-cape/  hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Fellow music blogger

This blog "songs:Illinois" came up in my reader and I forgot all about it.... as they say:

Songs:Illinois is committed to writing about music that is under-appreciated and unique. I've found that the music I write about shares a couple of traits. And they are: lyrical integrity, musically diverse, and written/performed by compelling characters. 

http://www.songsillinois.net/

Dance me to the end of love

Just last week my Lucky Dog band added this song to our set list.  A Civil Wars cover or a Leonard Cohen song... looks like my friend Gabrielle Louise has also added it.  So you suppose if I host her for a house concert, she'll let me sing with her?... I'd want to play guitar so that she can fawn all over me like Joy Williams does to John Paul White.... HA...

Sooner or later..

"Sooner or later God will cut you down..." John sings in this old traditional song and for some reason I either forgot I had this CD or it was one of the American releases I missed... Well also, Sooner or later you learn if you as a parent did right raising your children.  Today I had one of those, "A ha!" moments when the iTunes account we share had this song appear in it.  I had to text him to make sure I didn't get hacked... HA.. seriously he does have a 22 year old tastes, but it bends to the new folk, and definitely Americana when he's not listening to electronic weird stuff.  HA.

Since my dad raised me on Johnny Cash Show.. generations continue..

Emmy Lou & Rodney

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell on "Old Yellow Moon"... 

Royalty in the world of country is joining forces and a CD is now out... well that's piquing my interest. One of the best cd's Emmy had ever put out is when she joined up with Mark Knopfler

Dear Boss.. let's get ready for St. Pats.

I truly love this old tune, story.. I first heard it 30+ years ago live by Kevin Burke when he was playing with Mícheál Ó Domhnaill... we did feel so lucky we saw them in an incredible small setting at UWGB's Blue Whale Coffee House.. so it might have spurred our passion for house concerts.. our next one is coming up so that is one my mind....Bluff View Concerts... Blog... FB
Here's your blog host... Dave Zeman Schipper

Anyone for Freak Folk?

My son told me about a new genre, Freak Folk, and said it's in this article he read.  While Niels van Poecke might be really digging into this too much... I did find it very interesting; and the second article had many more names that I could associate with; like M. Ward and the Vertiver (more on them later)

The New Weird Generation I

The New Weird Generation II

Niels van Poecke is lecturer in Cultural Sociology at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He is the author of the book The tragedy of tragedy, on Nietzsche, Wagner, and blues music (in Dutch: De tragiek van de tragedie, over Nietzsche, Wagner en bluesmuziek).

Introducing 3 Penny Acre

At least for me.. 3 Penny Acre is preparing to release it's third CD, and this song is on it and it available free at Noisetrade.



And of course here's thier FB page.

One Bed, Two Girls & Three Bottles of Wine

Hayes Carll will never win the good house keeping seal of approval, nor any American Idol competitions, but what he will win is your smile and laughter when he pulls off another witty song.  Now this is a pretty good recording and you can hear the words pretty good.  His voice wavers enough that my perfectionist bandmate would trouble with his on key performance... but you got to hear the story... and stay with it to the end.. at least he tries to... ;-)  Mind you there are no dirty words in this entire song.



Go say way to go at his FB page.

I agree with this Blogger.

Sorry Cillian, but this is one pretty good girl band, this Outside Track!

http://newyorkirisharts.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/music-outside-track.html

Fragile - Sting Vs. The Paperboys

I was describing the The Paperboys last night with a passion.  Like how they took "All along the Watch Tower" and turned it into a world beat classic in the Red House "Nod to Bob Dylan"... then today I was making a genius playlist and "Fragile" by Sting came up.  Instantly I said... oh that's a blog, because I bet his video beats The Paperboys in views, but his version pales in passion.  See what You think...





Here's their Facebook link.. tell them you agree with me.

Dar Williams - Wilder that her

Last night at our committee meeting this song came up in conversation about Dar Williams.  It's such a wonderful cover of Fred Eaglesmith's song.

Click here for the video... it's prohibits embedding but it didn't prohibit me embedding Fred's version and if you never heard his intro... it's wonderfully funny.  To a point where I won't write it in the blog, you have to listen to it.



Of course go like Dar and Fred

Tell me a story...

The apple did fall to far from the tree, Larry McMurtry's son James McMurtry works in short stories, in lyric from; and when his take longer than 4 minutes no one complains.

Introducing Crystal Bowersox

Ha now isn't that brash! Everyone knew Crystal Bowersox but me! My bandmate Paula is always telling me to watch American Idol, but I just grow weary of the production hype. Once I heard "oh so and so covered Hallelujah and it was great" I went to the video... "It SUCKED.." no depth to the lyrics and passion to the song. Guess who loves gritty vocals to fine tuned slick vocals.. HA!

So now I ran into Crystal Bowersox in an iTunes new music release and it was good.  Then I started to back track and understand who she was.  Wow a busker who made it to number two on the elitist media music hype machine.  Well done.  Do you want to play our folk fest? or a House Concert?  Probably will sound a lot like this:

Annabelle Lee

Study of Annabelle Lee in YouTube... first a reading and photo collage in front of a fitting instrumental version of "My heart will go on"
 

 Then leave it to Joan Baez to put a lofty ballad to it... Not my favorite, only made it through 40 seconds.

 

Then there the lovely Sarah Jarosz with the all star Transatlantic backup band. She is a wonderful young musician.  I'd love to see her entertain LaCrosse at the Great River Folk Fest.

   

 Then there is this beautiful poem read to clips that belong to the BBC, Warner Brothers, ITV, and Pathé/Paramount Pictures. The song overlaid with the poem is 'Trees' by Keiko Matsui.

  

 This one surprised the heck out of me... STEVIE NICKS... The video about says, Taken from the iTunes Deluxe Version of "In Your Dreams", there's extra artwork, pics & song-info on that not on the regular or the Fan Edition CDs. Well worth the purchase IMO... Check out my Playlist "In Your Dreams"

 

 Now this one by a latin group Radio Futura is very interesting. Makes me want to grab the congas and start an version based on the groove in English.  

 Another group that was new to me, Sweet Sister Pain, is more in my vocal range, and I absolutely love the Cello and how the choir joins this mournful bluesy vocal.

Happy Birthday Angela

Angela Easterling has graced our blog before, here on her birthday she posted a NEW Song... I thought I would share it. I love how her website describes her "as bright shining star on the country/folk/alt.music horizon" she sure is beaming in this picture.

Lady Olivia loved Lindsay Lou & Flatbellys

Here is Dave playing his pussy! So Lady Olivia was not deliberately seeking to become the spoke kitty for a hot new string band, but she did really enjoy them during our house concert. She was ready to dance and play during their song HATs Off. If you never have heard of Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys, YOU SHOULD. Great instrumentation, great original songwriting, great interaction with the audience, and awesome people to kick back and drink a few dark beers while petting a pussy cat. BTW... Lady Olivia can be bought to promote any video... she plays for food. This posted sponsored by Bluff View Concerts.

I've always loved the passion in Serena

I ran into Serena Postel again on Facebook tonight, and boy I love the intensity in her singing. And maybe she's just really nice to cats, and anyone from Winnipeg Canada has to be pretty nice, eh? Photo source.

Happy Valentines day..

I thought there should be a little romance in the blog for Valentines Day... so why not a a different video on one of my all time favorite break down songs at the end of a band gig.  Amy Speace's "It's too Late to Call it a Night..."

Here's hoping that's the case for all you lovers out there tonight.

Congrat Janis Ian...

Sunday I thought by reading the Chocolate Drop Facebook feed that they had just lost to Janis Ian, but on Monday settled and I had time to check the Grammy went to Janis for Spoken word... oh my as part of the Great River Folk Fest Performance committee, I'd love to listen to Janis a Friday night concert.  She still has it... and then I could apologize for changing her words to Mary Eyes to glorify Lady Mary Crawley.  She was 14 when she wrote Society's Child... enjoy.

Generation Celebration - How great thou art.

Our church has been celebrating the contributions to our faith from all the generations that show up during service over the weekend.  This weekend was filled with talk of Hair, Atari, Bible Camps, Rollerskating, Walkmans, Desert Storm, Reagan, Challengers, MTV, Contemporary Worship, and change mixed with rebellion.  We played an Gen X inspired twist of How Great Thou Art... Had to share it ..

Introducing Mary Mack

Back in May 2010 Lori and I went to Big River Wave radio taping at the Big River Theater in Alma Wi. It was a blast, and I would tell you to go but with limited seating I'd be worried eventually we would show up without reservations at the last minute and there wouldn't be chairs for us. So you just stay away and listen to the re-broadcasts Friday night at 6 pm in August on Wisconsin Public Radio. It might not be picked up everywhere... so go drop them a note at www.wpr.com

Besides great music the show has a regular by the name of Mary Mack. I think I want to go back just to see the 10 minutes of Mary. Of course I'm going to brashly add Mary as a regular to The Zemmy Show. She has a great youtube site, but don't subscribe to it. I'll post the good ones here.



Since then I hosted Mary at our house concert... she was a tremendous hit.  Everyone loved her and can't wait to see her again.  Here she is on with her gang banger song...

Introducing the Erickson's

I'm always partial to sisters making music together (SHEL, Ellie & Leela Grace...) and here's another group, The Erickson's with a local LaCrosse flair.  Even playing here this weekend at The Root Note.

Where Do You Dwell (Official music video)- The Ericksons from Jenny on Vimeo.

Excerpts from their bio:

The community of musicians in Brooklyn supported The Ericksons and in 2008, they released their first record, Middle of the Night, a raw, acoustic set of songs. Home called to the sisters, though, and they returned to the Midwest and in 2010, released Don’t Be Scared, Don’t Be Alarmed, a record more fully fleshed out by producer Beau Sorenson (who recently produced Field Report’s debut). Their first records, with their picked guitars and string, their animal, natural harmonies and deep melancholy hinting at greater loss......The result is the fullest, richest record yet from The Ericksons, an honest reckoning with that grief and love, rooted in American sounds. Wearing influences like A.A. Bondy, Emmylou Harris and The Pines on their sleeves, The Wild completely envelops the listener in the life that Bethany and Jenny have made in song. From the torch song with a gasping punch of “Find Yourself a Lover” to the open, beating heart of “Six Feet Underground” and the everyday blues of “Dirty Dishes,” there is a universal beauty here that transcends lived pain.



Practice Time with The Ericksons-- Turtle Dove from The Ericksons on Vimeo.

You want to come over to my house and listen to music?

So do you?  Ha... I'm not inviting you over for a night of Barry White, more like some acoustic music performed live for 20-40 people.  Intimate.. of course, just not the way you were thinking originally.  I've hosted about four of these a year since 2008, and they are documented in our other blog or Facebook page.  I do love when I get newbies to our series; they are astounded the quality of artist and the incredible freshness of the venue.  (Of course I clean the house beforehand... Ha)  Now I read that this format is generating speed everywhere... check out this article.

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/are-house-concerts-taking-over-modern-music-scene

And of course if you are within two hours of LaCrosse Wisconsin... consider coming over to my house and listen to some great music!  I met David at the Great River Folk Fest, and this is his second time to our series!  He writes such great songs, witty, funny and of course touching at times. This time he joins Beth Wood who is also coming back for a second stop... what an absolute treat she is. (Speaking of cleaning the house.... for Beth the carpets even get Rug Doctor'd to eliminate our cat dander... yes we have three of them... so you know how much I love to listen to Beth to go through that work!)

Evergreen Grass Band.. Rock on

There is a new trend in our area for intense repetitive bluegrass, and Evergreen Grass Band embodies it..  I do wonder where it came from, and it's definitely fueled by alcohol; but it's not that there isn't a marvel for harmonies, and the sheer endurance.  It's like bluegrass on steroids. After I watched the first video, I thought... sure it's not every song, so onward I kept going, and going.  Frankly I was tired for them; but I admire them.

Introducing Davina and The Vagabonds

My friend Grace has great tastes!  Here is a group that packs a little dixie punch, so it's fitting they like to play gigs up and down the Mississippi.  Davina & The Vagabonds are known as one of the hardest working bands with over 300 gigs a year... wow.  Here's what Grace had to say:

"They like to play the river road all the way down to the gulf and back. They also enjoy playing at a little bar in Lansing, IA called the Other Place. I saw them late this spring and it was a packed house. Based out of the Twin Cities, playing occasionally at the Dakota ( a blues club) in Minneapolis. More good dancing music."

Introducing Nahko and Medicine for the People

You want to get a groove on with a surfer free form, look into Nahko who my friend Grace described Nahko and Medicine for the People to me as:

My parents are big fans! They happened across them last fall up near Madeline Island, they were playing a benefit. Also a friend of mine was on tour with them this last summer and has nothing but good things to say.  Nahko sounds like such a nice, down to earth guy and he writes beautiful lyrics. They are on tour in Australia right now but will be back for the summer. They have dates set up until July and play many festivals. 



There website describes them:

Oregon-native Nahko, born a mix of Apache, Puerto Rican, and Filipino cultures and adopted into an American family, suffered an identity crisis from an early age. But the unifying power of music entered his life as a healing remedy, when he took up the piano at age six. Armed with his newfound talent, he set out to bridge the cultural gaps dividing his own psyche and began producing a public, musical journal of his journey toward personal, spiritual, and communal healing.

From his hometown of Portland to the shores of Hawaii or Bali, wherever he has traveled, Nahko is joined by a tribe of culturally alienated truth seekers for whom Nahko’s story resonates with their own, and who find redemption in his voice, guitar, flute, and drum. Whether solo or with the dynamic group of musical troubadours known as “Medicine for the People,” Nahko delivers a soulful dose of curative vibrations that moves audiences to dance, laugh, and cry. His ‘spirited redemption music’ lays bear the scars of cultural wounds, environmental wrongs, and social injustices. His lyrics bear the burden of heavy messages, but the load is lightened by agile melodies and driving rhythms that coerce all who bear witness into spirited, purifying, movement. His humor disarms, and his lyrical stories open listeners to the power of “Real Talk Music”—songs that reveal an honesty and depth so raw, it inspires an internal revival that echoes out into the world. Sometimes exuberant, sometimes savage, but always transformational, Nahko makes the movement move.

Introducing Rhythmic Circus

Rhythmic Circus, if you want to get funky and get some dancing going on I think these guys do it. They are a large group and is based out of the Twin Cities and one of the members also has a solo act and plays at our local bar Popcorn  in La Crosse often. They are very energetic and family friendly! 

Hope you enjoy!

We're considering them for our Festival.. aren't they cool.

Mary's eyes.. oh my.

Wow... I've written classy lyrics to Mary Crawley's Eyes and Grace that really belong to Michelle Dockery... now should I work some hot lyrics to go with her outfit from SAG's.  Sorry, but there was no sag really noticed. ;-)

For a dancer... Angel in Disguise

I loved the song, "For a Dancer" by Jackson Browne growing up.  Maybe that's why seven years ago I wrote this melody and the lyric at my prose site, for a young teenage dancer.  She looked so much like a little Natalie Portman.  All I could think of was how precious, and my prayer would be the good Lord watches over this little Angel.  With all the sadness that pours out in violence to young women and of course the random killings like Newton, just brings remorse.  We should rejoice that there are many a dancers that grow into fine young women, who have little dancers of their own.

Don't ever let nobody drag your spirit down..

Win or lose your Super Bowl bets... "Don't ever let nobody drag your spirit down".. this comes for the great BBC Transatlantic Session... come on PBS.. I love Downton Abbey and you quickly found everyone else did too.. pick this one up.. I WANT TO WATCH them all and not just the YouTubes. Eric Bibb is lead but I recognize Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush too.