Yellow Dog Records

Asylum Street Spankers featured on NPR's Weekend Edition

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:13:00 +0000

The Asylum Street Spankers joined NPR's Liane Hansen for an interview and performance, aired nationwide on Weekend Edition Sunday. Hear live versions of songs from the new album, God's Favorite Band. Discover which Spanker was twirling a fire baton that night in Llano, Texas, which one was conceived on a Slip 'n Slide, and what sort of vehicle God might drive on his anonymous visits to Earth.

Listen to the whole thing right here
Album shipping now! Visit the Order page to get your copy.

Eden Brent, Fiona Boyes nominated for Blues Music Awards

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:20:00 +0000

Congratulations to Eden Brent and Fiona Boyes for their nominations in this year's Blues Music Awards! Eden earned a nomination for the second year in a row for "Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year", while Fiona Boyes is nominated for the fourth consecutive year, this time as "Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year".

The Blues Music Awards (formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards) are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists. And best of all, you can vote in the awards process! Visit The Blues Foundation to join, and then this link to vote once you are a member. Voting is open now through February 28.

Mary Flower - Independent Music Awards finalist for "Acoustic Song of the Year"

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:52:00 +0000

"Slow Lane to Glory", an instrumental track from Mary Flower's new album Bridges, has been nominated as one of five finalists for "Acoustic Song of the Year" in the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards. The general public is invited to vote for their choice of best song in the IMA's "Vox Populi" award -- visit this link to check out the song and vote! Voting goes through the end of February.
<a href="http://music.yellowdogrecords.com/maryflower/track/slow-lane-to-glory">Slow Lane to Glory by Mary Flower</a>

Asylum Street Spankers - God's Favorite Band

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:33:00 +0000

<a href="http://music.yellowdogrecords.com/spankers/album/gods-favorite-band">Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground by Asylum Street Spankers</a>
Austin's postmodern jug band takes a wide left turn with the world's first agnostic gospel album. Mixing raucous old traditionals with wryly humanistic originals from co-bandleader Wammo, the all-acoustic roots mob pays homage to one of America's seminal musical styles while staking out a theology of healthy skepticism leavened with tolerance. With special appearances from emeritus band members Guy Forsyth and Stanley Smith!

Album shipping now! Visit the Order page to get your copy.

Woodbrain - Swimming in Turpentine

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:17:00 +0000

<a href="http://music.yellowdogrecords.com/woodbrain/album/swimming-in-turpentine">Port Chicago Highway by Woodbrain</a>With a guitar/harmonica/bass/drums line-up, Woodbrain might be mistaken for a typical blues collective -- at least until this fiery Portland, Oregon foursome begins to play, when it quickly becomes apparent they are potentially an evolutionary force in the genre. Or several genres at once.

Woodbrain's energy is incendiary; their music deeply rooted in tradition. And yet their songwriting and improvisation pull those roots in all kinds of directions informed by the generations of Son House, Jimi Hendrix, and John Coltrane. Without sacrificing an iota of heart or soul, their sound effortlessly skirts boundaries to reach blues, rock, Americana, and jam scene listeners alike.

Killer reviews in the Oregonian and Willamette Week
More details and sound samples
Official press release (PDF)
Album shipping now! Visit the Order page to get your copy.

Fiona Boyes - Blues Woman released

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Sun, 10 May 2009 05:06:00 +0000

<a href="http://music.yellowdogrecords.com/fiona/album/blues-woman">Woman Ain't a Mule by Fiona Boyes</a>Blues Woman, Fiona Boyes' second album for Yellow Dog Records, captures the striking, original talent that allows Boyes to write, sing and play anything in the blues realm with total conviction. Its 15 songs run a rollicking trip through the contemporary blues landscape -- from Chicago to Texas to Mississippi's hill country and the Delta, all evocatively conjured by Boyes' and producer Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff's true-to-the-bone arrangements.

Recorded in Austin TX, with a full band including special guests Marcia Ball, Pinetop Perkins, and Watermelon Slim, Blues Woman manifests the soulful, authoritative style of this native Australian and three-time Blues Music Award nominee to full effect.

More details and sound samples
Official press release (PDF)
Album shipping now! Visit the Order page to get your copy.

Eden Brent wins! Twice!

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:45:00 +0000

Here's the list of artists who won in more than one category in last night's 30th Blues Music Awards: Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Janiva Magness. That's a pretty exclusive list.

But you can add another spectacular performer to the list: Eden Brent , who took both "Acoustic Album of the Year" and "Acoustic Artist of the Year" honors.

For the record, Buddy edged out B.B., Janiva, and Eden with three wins to two for each of the others. If you weren't able to make it to Memphis for the big night, there's a great recap published by our friends at BluesWax magazine.

Festival and tour dates for Eden Brent
Sound samples, press reviews, and more about Eden Brent
Order your copy of the award-winning album "Mississippi Number One"
Thanks to Dusty Scott for the photo of Eden Brent at the Blues Music Awards

Mary Flower - Bridges released

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:52:00 +0000

<a href="http://music.yellowdogrecords.com/maryflower/album/bridges">Rhythm of the Road by Mary Flower</a>Mary Flower's newest studio album, Bridges, is another chapter in the acoustic guitarist's narrative of the diversity of American roots music, deftly melding ragtime, country blues, swing, folk styles, and hot jazz through the mastery of her fingerpicked and lap-style guitar playing.

It's also a love letter of sorts to her adoptive home town of Portland, OR -- the "bridges" of the title allude to the many crossings of the Willamette River that give the city its unique character, as well as metaphorically referencing the connections to many different musical genres that give Mary's distinctive sound its own unique character.

As Terry Currier, owner of indie-music cornerstone Music Millennium, summarizes in the album's liner notes, "Throughout her career, Mary has brought her own roots and blues sensibility to a wide variety of genres. Bridges is a unique, only-in-Portland blend that could only have been created by the versatile Mary Flower."

More details and sound samples
Official press release (PDF)
Album shipping now! Visit the Order page to get your copy.

Last chance to vote in Blues Music Awards!

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:06:00 +0000

2009 Blues Music Award voting is coming to a close... we hope you will join the Blues Foundation and participate!

We are thrilled that Eden Brent is nominated in four categories: "Acoustic Album of the Year", "Acoustic Artist of the Year", "Best New Artist Debut", and "Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year". (Is four nominations a record for a "new artist"?)

Fiona Boyes is also nominated, for the third consecutive year, for her acoustic album "Live from Bluesville".

To mark the occasion, we've posted Eden's entire album "Mississippi Number One" for preview from our "YDR Radio" player - visit http://yellowdogrecords.com/radio to check it out and enjoy the music!

Important: voting ends early Monday morning (8am EST March 2) so if you want to vote, or need to revisit your ballot to make any final choices, please do it by the end of this weekend! Visit http://www.blues.org/bluesmusicawards/vote.php4 to get your ballot.

And while we are at it... voting is also coming to a close in the Independent Music Awards! Eden's song "Mississippi Flatland Blues" has been nominated as one of five finalists for "Blues Song of the Year". The general public is invited to vote for their choice of best song in the IMA's "Vox Populi" award -- visit this link to preview the finalist songs and vote.

Festival and tour dates for Eden Brent
Sound samples, press reviews, and more about Eden Brent

Fiona Boyes named Official Ambassador for the Australian Blues Festival

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Fiona Boyes is honored to be the 2009 Ambassador for the Australian Blues Music Festival, held annually in a variety of venues throughout the historic NSW city of Goulburn. The Festival showcases the very best of emerging and established blues acts from around Australia.

Festival Program
Other tour dates for Fiona Boyes
More information and sound samples for Fiona Boyes

Free Showcase at IBC Memphis

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Five roots music masters... Thirteen Blues Music Award nominations... One lineup... Zero cover!

Yellow Dog Records presents an afternoon of blues excellence, this Friday Feb 6 2009 during International Blues Challenge weekend. We'll be at King's Palace, 162 Beale Street, downtown Memphis. It's free to the public, so please join us as we present:

Eden Brent will perform songs from her 2008 album Mississippi Number One, nominated as "Acoustic Album of the Year" in the 2009 Blues Music Awards.

Rich Del Grosso and Fiona Boyes will perform songs from their 2008 album Live From Bluesville, also nominated as "Acoustic Album of the Year" in the 2009 Blues Music Awards!

And, Mary Flower and Fiona Boyes will each premiere songs from their upcoming albums Bridges and Blues Woman, set for spring releases from Yellow Dog Records.

See you there!

Blues Revue profiles Eden Brent in "New Women of the Blues" feature

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Eden Brent is featured as one of seven "New Women of the Blues" in the current issue (Feb/Mar) of Blues Revue magazine. Detailing her partnership with pianist Abie "Boogaloo" Ames, Eden explains, "Here I am, a young white lady, and there's Boogaloo Ames, an older black man. I came from a family of privilege; he lived on the other side of the tracks. The state of Mississippi liked us because we represented the way it really is and not a Mississippi Burning Hollywood production."

Going on to describe her transition to solo performer after Boogaloo's passing, and release of Mississippi Number One, Eden summarizes, "All I ever wanted to do is play music, meet a lot of great people, travel to new places, have a good time, and make a damn living... So far, so good."

More info on Eden Brent
Mississippi Number One available from our Order Page

Eden Brent, Fiona Boyes nominated for Blues Music Awards

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:36:00 +0000

Yellow Dog Records is once again well-represented in this year's Blues Music Awards, with two artists recognized with award nominations. Eden Brent and her Yellow Dog Records debut album Mississippi Number One notched nominations in four categories: "Acoustic Album of the Year", "Acoustic Artist of the Year", "Best New Artist Debut", and "Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year". Fiona Boyes earned a nomination for the third consecutive year with a nomination for "Acoustic Album of the Year".

The Blues Music Awards (formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards) are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists. And best of all, you can vote in the awards process! Visit The Blues Foundation to join, and then this link to vote once you are a member. Voting is open now until March 2nd, 2009.

Eden Brent - Independent Music Awards finalist for "Blues Song of the Year"

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:37:00 +0000

"Mississippi Flatland Blues", the opening track from Eden Brent's new album Mississippi Number One, has been nominated as one of five finalists for "Blues Song of the Year" in the 2008 Independent Music Awards. The general public is invited to vote for their choice of best song in the IMA's "Vox Populi" award -- visit this link to check out the song and vote!

In other news:

"Mississippi Flatland Blues" will also be featured as "Blues Breaker" song of the week on the nationally syndicated House of Blues Radio Hour over the weekend of December 13-14 - check out station listing and air times at http://www.thebluesmobile.com. Eden recently returned from a tour of the West Coast where visited the House of Blues Radio Hour studios in San Francisco and was interviewed by Elwood Blues - we're told that the interview might air on the Radio Hour in February - we'll keep you posted!

Eden will be profiled in a feature article "New Women of the Blues" in the upcoming (Feb/Mar 2009) issue of Blues Revue magazine. The issue mails to subscribers in mid-Dec so keep an eye out for your copy!

We're Twitter-iffic

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:57:00 +0000

Yellow Dog Records is now posting news updates to Twitter! For instant notification of news announcements, events, and links of interest, please join us. Visit http://twitter.com/ydrecords to "follow" our updates.

Mary Flower on WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour this week

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:17:00 +0000

Mary Flower appears on the nationally syndicated WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour this week, as part of a co-bill with The Giving Tree Band. Mary, the only woman in history to twice place in the top three at the legendary national Fingerpicking Guitar Championships, will dazzle listeners with her fingerpicking virtuosity, as well as chat with host, folksinger Michael Johnathon. The program airs on NPR stations nationwide in a timeslot scheduled by each local station. Check here to see when the show airs in your town this week! It's also easy to listen online, or check out the archives if you miss the original broadcast.

Reviews, sound samples, and more information about Mary Flower
Three albums by Mary Flower available! Visit our Order page to get yours
Update: Free MP3 of Mary's performance posted on the Woodsongs archive page (show #508): http://www.woodsongs.com/showlist.asp

"Soul Men" Soundtrack featuring The Bo-Keys released Nov 4th by Stax

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:08:00 +0000

The soundtrack to the film Soul Men, featuring Yellow Dog artist The Bo-Keys, and staring Bernie Mac, Samuel L. Jackson, and a cameo by the late music icon Isaac Hayes, will be released Nov 4th by Stax Records.

Music naturally plays an integral part of Soul Men, particularly poignant with the appearance of Stax legend Isaac Hayes whose passing on August 10 was mourned worldwide. The 1968 No. 1 UK pop hit, Private Number (originally recorded by William Bell & Judy Clay) is given a solid makeover by soul singer/songwriter and musician Chris Pierce and Leela James accompanied by The Bo-Keys (whose line-up includes famed Stax musicians Willie Hall and Charlie Pitts).

Read press release
Visit the order page to pick up The Bo-Keys' The Royal Sessions

What? And Give Up Show Biz?

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:49:00 +0000

<a href="http://music.yellowdogrecords.com/spankers/album/what-and-give-up-show-biz-2">"Ladies and Gentlemen... I've Wasted My Life" by Asylum Street Spankers</a>A man works long hours at the circus, cleaning up after the animals and giving enemas to constipated elephants. A friend, observing the menial nature of the work, offers to help the man find another job. The man replies, "What? And give up show biz?"

The punch line to that worn-out vaudeville joke served as the title when the Asylum Street Spankers set up shop for two weeks in January 2008 at New York's Barrow Street Theatre to look back on their underwhelming career and complain about their place in the music world. Juicing their acclaimed live show with a double shot of theatricality, the Spankers presented a musical revue and memoir of the troupe's fourteen year history. Featuring many of the most popular songs in their large repertoire along with tales of the ups and downs of life on the road, the show ran for fourteen performances, garnering good critical response, strong ticket sales and many free drinks for the band.

All fourteen shows were recorded, then edited to make this album.

"What? And Give Up Show Biz?" contains adult humor, including frank discussions of sexuality, drug use and/or rock and roll. It also contains four-part harmonies, blues, country, pop, jazz, rock and hip-hop songs, inventively clever arrangements, and a musical saw.

More details and sound samples
Album shipping now! Visit the Order page to get your copy.

Eden Brent, The Soul of John Black nominated for Blues Blast Music Awards

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:02:00 +0000

We were delighted by the announcement that Eden Brent and The Soul of John Black are both nominated in this year's Blues Blast Music Awards, sponsored by the Illinois Blues Society and their weekly Blues Blast Magazine.

Eden is nominated for the "Sean Costello Rising Star Award" while The Soul of John Black's recent album The Good Girl Blues is nominated for "Best New Artist Debut Recording".

JB's nomination follows on the heels of his nomination for "Best New Artist Debut" in this year's Blues Music Awards, while Eden's recognizes the buzz around her new album Mississippi Number One, which has earned a raft of great reviews and radio play - reaching #1 on XM Satellite Radio's Bluesville, #1 on the Roots Music Report Blues chart, and charting for 4 consecutive months on the Living Blues Radio Chart.

To preview these artists' albums in more detail, please visit their artist pages at Yellow Dog Records. Chicago-area radio station WGLT has also put together a page with sound samples of all BBMA nominees at http://www.wglt.org/programs/blues/blues_blast.phtml.

Voting closes on August 31st, so please visit http://www.illinoisblues.com/bbmavote today to support these artists with your vote! While you're there, we can recommend Blues Blast Magazine as a high-quality source of blues-genre music news.

Yellow Dog Records Featured by Voice Of America

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:10:00 +0000

Voice of America gives some love to the Yellow Dog Records roster, which they note "boasts some of today's best blues and Americana performers." Read the article here, or get an MP3 of the whole radio piece here.

"The Hole" named one of '10 Best Songs from 2007' by Indie Acoustic Project

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:36:00 +0000

"The Hole" by Yellow Dog artist The Soul of John Black has been named in the prestigious Indie Acoustic Project's top ten songs of the year. The purpose of the award is to give well-deserved recognition to outstanding works of innovative, independently produced acoustic music, and to generate interest in independent music in general.

Sound samples of "The Hole" as well as other tracks from The Good Girl Blues
Visit our Order Page to get your copy

Yellow Dog signs Eden Brent

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:57:00 +0000

On the eve of this year's International Blues Challenge, we're thrilled to announce the signing of 2006 IBC winner Eden Brent, a masterful blues and boogie pianist and vocal stylist. Dubbed "Little Boogaloo" by her mentor and duo partner, the late Abie "Boogaloo" Ames, this Mississippi Delta native holds a degree in music performance but credits Ames' down-home tutelage with teaching her how to "really play."

Described by one critic as "Bessie Smith meets Diana Krall meets Janis Joplin," other reviewers have compared her to Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn and Norah Jones (our favorite line, though, involved something about "an angel on Viagra.") Never mind the comparisons. Eden's fresh voice is one-of-a-kind, and her distinctive style, fusing elements of blues, jazz, soul, gospel and pop, is turning the heads of roots music lovers nationwide.

Eden's new album, Mississippi Number One, is a tribute to her home and the "blues highway" that passes nearby. It will be in stores in April, but we'll have advance copies available in late February!

More details and sound samples
Taking pre-orders now! Visit the Order page to reserve your advance copy, shipping later in February.

Three Yellow Dog artists nominated for Blues Music Awards

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:07:00 +0000

Yellow Dog Records is well-represented in this year's Blues Music Awards, with three artists recognized with award nominations. The Soul of John Black and his Yellow Dog Records debut album The Good Girl Blues are nominated for "Best New Artist Debut", while Mary Flower is nominated for "Acoustic Artist of the Year". Fiona Boyes becomes a two-time nominee with this year's nomination for "Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year".

The Blues Music Awards (formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards) are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists. And best of all, you can vote in the awards process! Visit The Blues Foundation to join, and then this link to vote once you are a member. Voting is open now until Feb 29, 2008.

New SoJB videos

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:22:00 +0000

Posted recently -- a couple of videos for JB aka The Soul of John Black:

I Got Work
Deez Blues
a great mini-documentary that shows what JB is all about

WLE on Mountain Stage this week

noreply@blogger.com (YDR) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:08:00 +0000

William Lee Ellis appears on the nationally syndicated Mountain Stage radio program this week, as part of a star-studded lineup including Leon Redbone, Tracy Nelson, and Marie Knight. WLE performs songs from his critically acclaimed albums God's Tattoos and Conqueroo. The program airs on NPR stations nationwide in a timeslot scheduled by each local station. Check here to see when the show airs in your town this week!

Reviews, sound samples, and more information about William Lee Ellis
Three albums by William Lee Ellis available! Visit our Order page to get yours