Category Archives: Activism

Dave Van Ronk, The Anthology of Folk Music by Harry Smith

Posted on by Musicofourheart
Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger

Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s been sheer joy listening to Dave Van Ronk‘s memoir, The Mayor of MacDougal Street on Audio CD. Dave Van Ronk and Elijah Wald guide readers along like Robin Hood and His Merry Men on a passionate journey through the colorful past of Greenwich Village’s folk music scene. The story has added significance as our son lives right in the heart of the neighborhood. He is next to Washington Square Park and Dave Van Ronk Street across from Sheridan Square.

The book has rekindled my dormant flames of interest in folk music. I got the yearn for musicology when I attended the University of New Haven minoring in music. Thankfully that interest continues to guide my conscious flow. The first album by Dave Van Ronk  that played endlessly on my hi-fi was Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger (Prestige). I had no idea until I heard the book how important Izzy Young‘s Folklore Center (pictured on the cover) was to Dave and the folk music idiom.

Which brings me to the folk music foundation classic, The Anthology of Folk Music by Harry Smith. I first learned about the uniqueness of Harry Smith from Patti Smith’s book, Just Kids. Patti Smith and Harry Smith (no relation) were neighbors and close friends residing at The Chelsea Hotel. Harry Smith was also friends with Allen Ginsberg who captured his image in the last week of his life.

“Harry Smith, painter, archivist, anthropologist, film-maker & hermetic alchemist, his last week at Breslin Hotel Manhattan January 12, 1985, transforming milk into milk.” – Allen Ginsberg, Photo by Allen Ginsberg, Courtesy of Allen Ginsberg Trust and Fahey Klein Gallery, Los Angeles

After hearing Dave Van Ronk speak his praises of this essential box set I have to ask myself why haven’t I seen fit to add these essential recordings to my music collection. Arguably the most important release of all-time (1952), The Anthology is a collection of old-time music from the late 20′s and early 30′s that spawned the folk and blues revival of the 60′s and influenced everyone from Dylan to the Grateful Dead.

I must rectify that situation and trust me I will, soon ;) . For the music of our heart is incomplete until I have the works by Harry Smith safely listened to and tucked away in my music library.

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Music Journalism A-Z – Daphne Carr

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I appropriate the letter C music journalism post to Daphne Carr who helms the independent publishing project for best music writing.

Daphne Carr

I discovered the resolve of Daphne Carr in my pursuit of music writing excellence. First and foremost Daphne has been the series editor of Best Music Writing (Da Capo Press 2007-present). The Best Music Writing book series (2000-2011) was published by Da Capo Press until the 2012 edition.

Daphne Carr is taking the Best of Music Writing publication independent in 2013. Last year a  Kickstarter project was created and successfully funded to carry out that goal.

Launch Best Music Writing as an independently published book series

I pledged $15 to get an e-book version of Best Music Writing 2012 delivered to me on launch day and a thank you postcard. Launch day has not been announced yet but I remain hopeful for future communications in this regard.

Daphne Carr has started Feedback Press which provides a home for new writing about music, along with other reflections on culture and fiction. Feedback’s titles will be available in print and electronic editions.

The first publication from Feedback Press was Pop Papers, a series of short works about music that were  released simultaneously in print and digital formats. The first five titles in the series (Session One) had their début at the IASPM-US/Experience Music Project Pop Conference (March 22-25 at New York University).

I am very interested in this music writing appreciation community. The Music Book club meets periodically in Greenpoint, Brooklyn at WORD the Independent Bookseller to discuss music writings and published works. I hope to attend one of their 2013 meetings the writer series looks interesting.

So hopefully you have a better inkling why Daphne Carr’s momentum matters in the dynamic evolution of music publishing. I know I do ;)

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A Song From Sandy Hook – Over The Rainbow

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We are blessed to have such compassionate music neighbors to the south of us in Connecticut. Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz (Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads) of Fairfield opened their hearts and studio to produce a special song from Sandy Hook.

A Song From Sandy Hook – Over The Rainbow

Most of the children were students at Sandy Hook Elementary, survivors of the horrific school shooting in December. With guidance from the project’s executive producer, CBGB co-owner Tim Hayes, along with Newtown-based music teacher Sabrina Post, the group recorded “Over the Rainbow,” accompanied by singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson on ukulele. The song will make its debut on Good Morning America this morning and is available on iTunes and Amazon. All proceeds from the project will go to the non-profit Newtown Youth Academy and the United Way of Western Connecticut.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/a-song-from-sandy-hook-20130114#ixzz2Hzthv1Cq Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Tina Weymouth, Ingrid Michaelson and Chris Frantz

Natalie Maines – Mother

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Natalie Maines stopped by The Howard Stern Show today. I was surprised and pleased to learn she is an official Howard Stern Celebrity Superfan :)

Natalie Maines@1NatalieMaines

If you don’t like Howard Stern then you shouldn’t follow me.

Natalie performed the song, “Mother” (Pink Floyd) live in the studio with Fred Norris playing guitar. I love the edge she creates for this progressive rock classic from The Wall.

Copyright 2013 howardstern.com

Mother will be available as a track on West of Memphis: Voices of Justice which I reported about yesterday.

Mother is also the name of the new rock solo album by Natalie Maines, produced by her friend and fellow musician, Ben Harper. Mother, the album will release on May 7, 2013, Mothers Day ;)

Here is the YouTube video of Natalie Maine performing “Mother” with Ben Harper and his band from last summer.

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Let’s Work Together

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The choice is over. It’s time for Congress to work together with our President.

President Barack Obama addressing a joint session of Congress on Thursday.

Enough of this obstruction, partisan politics and voting against legislation.

C’mon Let’s Work Together!

Love this song by Canned Heat, it underscores the problem polarization has created for us.

Check out Larry “The Mole” Taylor on bass and Bob “The Bear” Hite on outstanding vocal in this 70′s video from  Beat-Club in Germany.

Together we’ll stand
Divided we’ll fall
Come on now people
Let’s get on the ball
And work together
Come on, come on
Let’s work together

© EMI Music Publishing

We Take Care Of Our Own

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Bruce Springsteen has played a strategic role in the re-election of President Obama. The song, “We Take Care of Our Own” has become the rallying cry for the next four years.

Bruce Springsteen for Obama:

Last night when President Obama gave his victory speech the song at the end of the event as confetti flew through the air was ”We Take Care of Our Own”. I was so proud of President Obama, his family, his campaign team and of the merits of Bruce Springsteen’s song. How fitting and right was the message the song communicated.

Wherever this flag’s flown 
We take care of our own

2012 Bruce Springsteen

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Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono Launch Artists Against Fracking

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Artist Yoko Ono and her son Sean Lennon attend the launch of "Artists Against Fracking", an activist partnership project opposed to hydraulic fracking, at a press conference in New York.

Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono have launched a coalition, Artists Against Fracking.  A vital cause for our planet and its citizens.

Please watch this video to learn why we should be concerned about the dangers fracking for natural gas poses us all.

The aim of Artists Against Fracking is simple yet inevitable.

OUR AIM IS FOR THE WORLD TO EMBRACE SUSTAINABLE LIVING AND DEVELOP RENEWABLE ENERGIES THROUGH ECONOMICALLY-VIABLE ALTERNATIVES TO FOSSIL FUEL.

Let’s all get in league with Artists Against Fracking Now! Power to the People, Right On!

Letter from Yoko Ono to Governor Andrew M Cuomo, 56th Governor of New York State, 4th July 2012.

Dear Governor Cuomo,

This is July 4th, an important day for all of us to think of our beautiful country and be proud of it. Strange, I did not think that I would end up writing this letter to you today, but that’s how it’s working out.

I want to ask you a question. How Green Is Our Valley? I’ve been in this country since 1935, and for the most part loved every minute of it. When the youth of today talk about this country as if it was theirs, I have an urge to say – listen, kiddo, it’s not yours yet! It belongs to people like me and my generation who fought hard to make this a beautiful and healthy country. What did we do? We went through a lot…The San Francisco earthquake, the second World War, the detention of Japanese Americans, Korea, Vietnam, Black Tuesday, the list goes on. Through thick and thin, we never lost the love we have for this beautiful, beautiful country. Why? Because of the American idealism: justice for all! There’s not another country in the world that was built on such idealism.

Right now, some people are trying to make easy money, and meanwhile ruin this country’s future, by a thing called ‘fracking.’ It is clear to everybody in this city, and certainly most everyone in the state, that by doing this our beautiful natural green valleys of New York will be devastated and ruined forever. Nothing is worth doing that.

It will immediately make the pure water we have now in this state become dirty and poisonous. Many adults and many children will get cancer. The ones who have means will get out of the State. There could even be a string of class actions suits against the State of New York and its agencies. New Yorkers will only be too glad to join in the demand for reparations. The heavy legal cases will go on until the next century and more.

There is another scenario available to us. We, under the wise decision by you, our Governor, can get together to protect the State and even the whole country from being ruined. Like what the governor of Vermont, our next door State has done: leading America into a sustainable future based on renewable energy.

Our Governor, and possibly the future President of the United States, we are counting on you. You will only have to say “no more fracking in our State.” That’s all. It’s as simple as that. We will then make this State and the city connected to it, into a model of sustainability, with technologies and policies to produce clean energy and live in an enlightened land. Many wealthy people who are now thinking to flee from the potential disaster, will come back to join our model of a future for the world to visit and perhaps emulate.

We need your wisdom and leadership to make this happen. Please say YES to life, and NO to Fracking. Thank you.

A proud resident of New York State,

Yoko Ono Lennon
New York City
4th July 2012

IMAGINE PEACE © 2011 Yoko Ono

Free Pussy Riot

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Three young women are being detained by Russian authorities for allegedly performing a protest song in a cathedral as part of a feminist punk group “Pussy Riot”.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Ekaterina Samutsevich were arrested in March 2012 and charged with “hooliganism”. If found guilty, they could be jailed for up to 7 years.

The three women deny any involvement in the protest although even if they took part, the severity of the response of the Russian authorities would not be a justifiable response to the peaceful – if, to many, offensive – expression of their political beliefs.

Tell the Russian authorities to drop all charges and release them!

Take Action Here

Add your voice in protest along with Patti Smith, Madonna, Sting and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers to the cause.

mysticalpsychosis:</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p>Patti SmithFree Pussy Riot<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> ” /></p> <h6 class=Related articles

Let Mother Earth Speak – Dennis Banks & Kitaro – Domo Records

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Kitaro is releasing a new recording in collaboration with Dennis Banks. It is called Let Mother Earth Speak and will be available from Domo Records on September11, 2012. It’s a journey we all should take and a message to which we all should carefully listen.

First, you must understand of our relationship that we have with Mother Earth. This is the planet that we call Mother Earth and we believe that we are the Children of this Earth. We believe that we are all that is, that we are, comes from, our Mother the Earth. All living species, we are related to all the four leggeds, all the winged things, every blade of grass, the smallest insect. We are related to the air, we are related to the water and there are certain ceremonies in connection to all of these. The Moon is looked upon as our Grandmother, and the Sun, is looked upon as our oldest Brother

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Kitaro is an award-winning Japanese musician, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who is regarded as the vanguard pioneer of New Age music.[1]

Dennis Banks is a Native American leader, teacher, lecturer, activist and author. He is an Anishinaabe born on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. Dennis Banks is also known as Nowa Cumig.

Together they form a strong partnership that reflects their spiritual leadership and the deep respect they possess for Mother Earth.

The story of Dennis Banks and his movement for peace is captured in the film, Nowa Cumig: The Drum Will Never Stop.

The film tells the story of his friendship with Buddhist monks, musicians and revolutionaries, their lifelong partnerships in peace and anti-nuclear walks worldwide; it tells the story of the Hopi Prophecy, and the three Longest Walks. It tells the story of those whose lives were changed by the beat of his drum; it tells the story of a people whose drum will never stop.

Patti Smith – Banga News

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IMAGEI am glad I waited closer to the release date of Patti Smith‘s Banga recording (due June 5th) to place my pre-order. I had a premonition that Columbia Records would have a limited edition available. Today I got an e-mail from pattiwmith.net that outlines the final promotional push for Banga.

I am excited that there is so much to read, view, hear and absorb when it comes to Banga. In true Patti Smith form it is a work of art, with many objects of literary inputs to study and pursue. Its going to be great to immerse in the enrichment Patti Smith, her group, music collaborators and her video documentarian, Steven Sebring will be offering us. It’s also a family affair with Jesse Paris, Patti’s daughter and her son Jackson, playing guitar on this recording.

Rather than my repeat what has already been shared with Patti Smith fans, click on this Web link to see why I am so pumped about Banga the limited edition, the new videos and so much more!

I can’t wait to give Banga a full listen and sit down with the hard cover book including 64 pages of original images, complete lyrics and liner notes.

Its music as it should be, a work of art and ongoing education about  the literary world that begs us to explore and discover its wondrous universe.

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