Kira Isabella - Caffeine & Big Dreams (2014)

Isabella will likely get the ingenue label thrown at her — after all, she's only 21 — but she's been doing this a long, long time. She's been playing guitar, writing songs and performing since she was seven, and left her hometown of Ottawa for Nashville as a teenager. Her debut album, Love Me Like That, came out in 2011 and she's already opened for Carrie Underwood.

Caffeine & Big Dreams should push Isabella to the next level, and her timing couldn't be better, what with fellow upstarts like Kacey Musgraves and Lindi Ortega making a splash, and Taylor Swift breaking up with country music, leaving a giant hole in the Nashville scene. In fact, we're so sure that this is Isabella's time to shine, CBC Music recently kicked off its Next Big Thing series by profiling her.  

Matt Hillyer - If These Old Bones Could Talk (2014

Matt Hillyer, also known as “Matt the Cat” and as the leader of Dallas-based and beloved Honky-Tonk band Eleven Hundred Springs is, rather simply, an artist. Few artists stick to a single, narrow path as they wander, viewing things in a philosophically unique way than many non-artist types might.

With the release of Hillyer’s debut solo album, the Lloyd Maines-produced If These Bones Could Talk, we get to see a new side to Hillyer’s country-gold vision, but to be clear, his solo foray isn’t the end of Eleven Hundred Springs, which was formed in 1998, nor is it the death of the rockabilly-flavored Matt the Cat Trio. Hillyer as a solo artist with a fresh group of players, including some buddies from Eleven Hundred Springs, is merely a fascinating, new chapter to a musical life that’s never been conventional, and isn’t going to be anytime soon.

With 11 new songs, all written or co-written by HIllyer except for his rocking, stomping cover of the Everly Brothers’ classic the “Price of Love,” a rare occurrence has taken place. The leader of a popular, established band has branched out to go on a personal, musical vision quest, and has come back with a sound that satisfies on all levels. In some ways, These Old Bones resembles the stone-cold country of his band, but the new collection has increased the sonic value of everything he’s affiliated with, thanks to spreading his tattooed, whiskey-soaked wings a bit.

The notion for a solo record came from a wonderfully personal spot that’s as honest as it is meaningful to Hillyer.

“I was very close with my Grandmother, he says. “She was always pushing me to do it. She loved Eleven Hundred Springs, but she really wanted me to make something with my name on it. So, over the years, it started to seem like a good idea as I did more solo acoustic shows. It also seemed like a good idea for me to have a CD of my own to sell at some of those shows. Then when these songs started to come out in my writing, I really wanted to make this happen.”

While cuts such as “Home is Where the Heartbreak Is” certainly recalls a familiar Buck Owens-esque brightness and “Try Not to Take it So Hard” has the classic Texas Tornadoes playfulness some of Eleven Hundred Springs best tunes boast, one listen to “Dancing With the Moon,” a smooth, soft romancer of a tune, and it’s clear Hillyer’s found another gear of country storytelling that is only the beginning of a new era for him, whether it’s solo, as a trio or leading “Eleven Hondo.” The same can be said for the begging-to-be-two stepped-to “I Still Have a Lot of Falling Left To Go,” as it’s gentle fiddle leads Hillyer through a piano-twinkling sawdust shuffler that doesn’t kick the footlights as hard as some of his other band’s best tunes do.

Hillyer acknowledges the similarities between his past band-related works, but highlights the differences in a manner that’s clear with drama-free simplicity.

“To me it always boils down to the material, he says. “I know there are songs on this album that I would not have put on an Eleven Hundred Springs album. Even the songs that would fit like a glove on an Eleven Hundred Springs album are, for the most part, rooted in very personal places. When the collection of these songs started to really come together it became apparent to me that the majority of them felt like something I was trying to say independent of a group.”

Jo Burt"Indestructible"2014

Jo Burt is an English songwriter, storyteller, singer and guitar player possibly best known for his incredible history working with musical legends such as Freddie Mercury, The Troggs and Black Sabbath over the past 40 years. The last few years have seen Jo making a name in his own right with his project 'The Jo Burt Experience'. Originally created as a songwriting development tool, in the last three years the band have become an outstanding live act playing festivals and venues around the UK, Europe and North America.

The Sunny Cowgirls"My Old Man" 2014

THE SUNNY COWGIRLS have delivered their seventh album with a collection of carefully selected covers paying tribute to paternal figures across the country.

Their new release ‘MY OLD MAN’ will be unveiled nationally on Friday 29th August 2014.

Produced by the singer/songwriter sister duo that make up THE SUNNY COWGIRLS, SOPHIE and CELESTE CLABBURN have ensured the album showcased the country siblings’ musical influences and songs that have stood the test of time… and resonated with fathers all over!

The eclectic song choice gives an insight into the sisters’ musical upbringing and the many influences that have shaped their successful recording and touring career thus far.

They are without question, one of the most in demand country acts in Australia and continue to bring their unique and unashamedly Australian sound to audiences across the county.

Freely admitting the album recordings are also a personal tribute to their own father, Sophie and Celeste said, "Our Dad is a huge inspiration to us and our music. He brought us up on these songs, and taught us what good music was. Our style is very similar to his! We would jam with him as kids and a lot of those old songs ended up on this record! It's our little way of saying "thank you" for teaching us. I think most Dads will find something they love on this album… and Mums too, because we love our Mum!"

Don McLean to John Williamson, Paul McCartney to Joy McKean and only enhanced further by the likes of Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan and Burt Bacharach to name just a few, the underlying tone of this album is recognising great songwriters domestically and internationally.

Of course, SOPHIE and CELESTE bring their own style and sound to these iconic songs like only they can. Like the songs, you recognise their voices and sound as THE SUNNY COWGIRLS without even having to ask.

This album, though their seventh, is the first time THE SUNNY COWGIRLS have taken on the role of Producer, a new territory that they welcomed.

Pawn Shop Gold

This is the band's sophomore studio effort, following their 2012 release (Pretty Enough - EP). This album was written in its entirety by members of the band, and is a songwriter/americana driven record with a couple of mid-tempo rockers along the way.

Pawn Shop Gold formed in early 2011 after frontman, Jason Bednorz, released his debut solo album (What You Never Said). In February of 2011, after Jason had played a string of happy hour gigs at Billy's Ice in New Braunfels, venue owner, Nick Sisoian, told Bednorz he was booking him a headlining gig on April 28th, and he'd better have a band by then. The rest is history.

The band was made up of a group of guys that Jason had met during his time in San Marcos, and the band's name comes from the first cover song that they learned...a Slaid Cleaves and Rod Picott tune called Broke Down. The opening line is "Sherry had a pawn shop band of gold..."

Waylon Speed

Waylon Speed was created by Noah Crowther, Reverend Chad Hammaker, Kelly Ravin and Justin Crowther after playing together at a local honky-tonk in Burlington, Vermont. Three days and one practice later, Waylon Speed was born. By instilling each band members individual musical influence, they have created a genre all of it’s own. Named after the Rev. Chad Hammaker’s son, Waylon, THE BAND is a family owned and operated enterprise. Waylon Speed will be releasing their second full-length record Kin on April 29th, 2014 followed by a full national tour. They have offered support for large-name outfits. Waylon Speed is not influenced by mainstream music. They write, release and distribute their music independently. 

Dulcie Taylor

Dulcie Taylor's foray into the music business could have turned out far differently if she had continued to pursue her first love, the ukulele. Fortunately for fans of her guitar and dulcimer work and vocals, Taylor's ukulele dreams were smashed -- literally -- when she saw her beloved instrument crumpled to pieces beneath a drunken teenager's behind when he unwittingly sat on it. For a ten-year-old, it was a hard way to see a dream die. But in hindsight, a grown-up Taylor sees the ignominious demise of her ukulele as something of a blessing in disguise. The loss led her mother to present her with a guitar as a Christmas gift and Taylor went on to pursue the new, larger instrument with the same fervor she had previously reserved for the ukulele. MORE THAN A decade later, Taylor is putting out CDs and winning awards for her songs. Other Side of the Bed, a self-released recording, took home a Wammie, presented by the Washington Area Music Association, in 2000. That same year, in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, five Taylor-penned numbers won awards. At North Carolina's Merlefest the following year in the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, Taylor placed among the finalists. In addition, she performed for the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest's ceremony, as well as at Merlefest. Taylor continued to build a strong catalog with subsequent albums Diamond & Glass (2002), Mirrors and Windows (2004), Free of this Sorrow (2012), and Only Worn One Time (2014). The South Carolina native was based in Los Angeles for a period. In California, she performed as an opener for a long list of artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Asleep at the Wheel, Vern Gosdin, and Eddy Raven. She later settled in Washington, D.C., but it's her early life in South Carolina that helps infuse her songs with magic, causing critics to rave about her keen understanding of the human heart and small-town living. During her childhood, Taylor was surrounded by music. She took lessons and her relatives were positive role models. An aunt was a radio singer in their small town, while another aunt was a piano teacher. Overlying it all was the recorded music favored by different family members. Her sister grooved to the Beatles and Bob Dylan, while her mom's eclectic tastes spanned everything from Old Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, to the hip Ella Fitzgerald, to the hip-swiveling Elvis. Show tunes captivated another relative. Taylor absorbed it all, including Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade," a haunting melody that her mom would make sure played after every screening in the movie theater the family owned. 

Ags will PLAY a headline show at The Blue Lamp in Aberdeen, Scotland on 24th October 2014.

Ags will PLAY a headline show at The Blue Lamp in Aberdeen, Scotland on 24th October 2014.

The show is being promoted by Almost Blue Promotions, who have previously promoted artists like Sam Baker, Madison Violet and THE PRODUCER of Ags’ album ‘How About Now’, Dean Owens.

Tickets are £8 in advance or £10 on the door. More info and ticket details can BE FOUND at the Almost Blue website.
http://agsconnolly.com/

Ags Connolly is a traditional country singer-songwriter from West Oxfordshire in the UK. Country is the simplest description, but Ags is a proud supporter of Dale Watson’s ‘Ameripolitan’ movement, which supports new music with a roots influence, away from THE MODERN incarnation of country that exists today

Ags’s influences come essentially from hardcore country like David Allan Coe, Johnny CASH, Johnny Paycheck, Robert Earl Keen and Chris Knight. However, he also takes major non-country influences from the likes of Loudon Wainwright III and Ron Sexsmith.

Ags’ debut album ‘How About Now’, produced by Dean Owens, was released on Drumfire RECORDS IN February 2014, receiving rave reviews

KIRSTEN DAUGAARD

Kirsten Daugaard kommer fra Kristiansand, har sunget “så lenge hun kan huske“, men har tidligere kun hatt tilfeldige opptredener, da familien har hatt førsteprioritet.

Sammen med Ole Morten Andersen fra Lillesand startet Kirsten duoen «Six o’clock news» våren 2012. Dette resulterte både i spillejobber samt CD’en “Ready for the times to get better“ som lokalt fikk mye positiv omtale.

Ved utgangen av 2012, valgte de to imidlertid å oppløse duoen, og Kirsten fortsetter nå som soloartist, hun har med seg Bengt Vagle som gitarist og vokalist på enkelte låter. Samt at Kirsten også opptrer for seg selv enkelte ganger.

Kirsten har en særegen stemme, og en musikalsk innlevelse som fasinerer lytteren,

noe som har resultert i radiospilling i en rekke land. Responsen har vært god og positiv.

2013 har vært et innholdsrikt år for Kirsten, hun har hatt en rekke oppdrag rundt om i Norge og arrangørlisten vokser i rask tempo. Å få være med Arne Benoni og åpne hovedsenen på Vinstra countryfestival var høydepunktet for Kirsten, sett alle konserter under ett i 2013.

Opptreden med Highway Connection på bransjefest i Sandefjord må også nevnes.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC82SX5hBJ53-h4I6pamw0aQ/featured

Samarbeid med Arne Benoni som produsent har i 2013 resultert i Kirsten`s første solo album som nå er kommet ut. Vokalen er spilt inn hos Arne Benoni recording studio i Sandefjord, musikk og kor er innspilt i Nashville T.N

Albumet har Kirsten valgt å kalle COUNTRY MUSIC MY WAY, denne tittelen er valgt på grunn av at albumet inneholder 12 låter som dekker de fleste sjangere innen country som Kirsten sammen med sin produsent Arne Benoni har tolket på sin måte.

2014 ser ut som et nytt spennende år for Kirsten Daugaard, opptre med fullt band på festivaler i inn og utland med låter fra sitt nye album.

8 dager i mai var ho på countryklubber i Danmark , Som og resulterte i tvopptak

Kirsten Daugaard er en country artist som kommer til å bli lagt merke til fremover med sin opptreden og stemme som får gode tilbakemeldinger fra både arrangører og ett stadig voksende publikum i alle aldre

Kirsten Daugaard satser 100% på artist karrieren og jobber hele tiden med å utvikle seg som vokalist og artist.

Kirsten kan bookes som enkel artist, som duo med sin gitarist Bengt Vagle og også med fullt band ved behov

.

For kontakt, vennligst ring manager Jan Daugaard på telefon: +47 91581467

Kjøp musikken her      jandaugaard@outlook.com

Kirssten kan også nås på      https://www.facebook.com/kirsten.daugaard.14