New England Music Scrapbook Newsletter
Alan Lewis, Editor

Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life

February 16, 2008
Issue 2008:262

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We've got Thrills, chills, Dirty Water
What more do you need?
When the big beat hits ya
Comin' from your transistor
Like the T at full speed
When the big beat hits ya...

-- "Boston Lullaby," Dudick/Naihersey.
Copyright c. 1980 by Camaraderie Music, BMI.
All rights reserved. Used with permission.


. . . . .


BRATTLEBORO, VT, February 16 - We received e-mailed news in a QUANTITY
far beyond what time will permit us to organize into this issue. I
will fit in all that time allows. We also received a tremendous
VARIETY of news, covering everything from house concerts to the coming
Rothbury Festival - the next generation of rock fests, it says
somewhere. E-mails sent us covered everything from children's music
to noise rock to opera.

As for the

ROTHBURY FESTIVAL

in Michigan, the list of headliners did not interest me to speak of.
We are all different, and maybe the stars will appeal to you. But New
England popular music scenesters who scroll through the whole list of
performers I think will have no problem finding points of interest.
One of the acts -

DRESDEN DOLLS -

has already sent a fan newsletter saying how excited they are to be
playing this event. I'm betting they won't be the only ones. This
should be a really good festival.

- >>>

There are bands that we like and bands that we need, and Boston's

THREE DAY THRESHOLD

is both. I was more than a little nervous late yesterday when I saw
in our inbox the subject line,

THREE DAY THRESHOLD'S LAST SHOW.

For some reason I caught just that part of the subject line and missed
the remainder,

BEFORE WE DO EUROPE.

Whew!!!

If this had been news of a 3DT breakup, as I first thought, I would
have broken up. But the whole thing turns out okay, and these guys
are taking their first-class punk-grass to Belgium and The
Netherlands. (I hope they know the Beach Boys' hit from their
"Holland" period, "Sail On Sailor" or the classic album cut, "Leaving
This Town.") Three Day Threshold will be Boston's representatives in
Europe of the great Peace and Whiskey political movement. Here is
what the 3DT folk had to say:

"We have ONE MORE SHOW in town before THREE DAY THRESHOLD HEADS OVER
TO EUROPE!

Saturday Night, Feb 16, 2008
Matt Murphy's
9:30pm – close!
(three day threshold all night)
14 Harvard St.
Brookline Village, MA 02445

"(Then it's off to Belgium and The Netherlands for 11 shows!)"

-- "Three Day Threshold's Last Show Before We Do
Europe," February 15, 2008

I sailed an ocean
Unsettled ocean
Through restful waters
And deep commotion...

Happy sailing to 3DT! - Ed.

- >>>

I almost discarded this next item from the

DROPKICK MURPHYS

thinking, since it sat in our inbox so long, it must be out of date
and shows must already be sold out. Just before clicking the "Delete"
button I noticed that tickets for one big show go on sale TODAY. It
doesn't get a lot more NOW than TODAY. So, here you go:

"Thank you for your patience, we have managed to secure another venue
for the St. Patrick's weekend and are adding a second show on Saturday
March 15th at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Tickets for this show
will go on sale this Saturday February 16th at 12 noon EST. We will
send out the online ticket link on Thursday.

"Saturday March 15th - Lowell Memorial Auditorium,
Lowell, Massachusetts

http://www.lowellauditorium.com/

with Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

http://www.tedleo.com/

Doors open: 7.30pm.
Tickets: on sale Saturday February 16th
at 12 noon EST."

-- Dropkick Murphys, "St. Patrick's Day Weekend
Show Added," February 12, 2006

We did not receive the online ticket link or any other DKM mailing
Thursday, Friday, or early today (Saturday). Since these guys are
TREMENDOUSLY motivated to keep fans informed and to get their music
out there to anyone who wants to hear it, we imagine DKM members hit
an unforeseen snag. - Ed.

- >>>

There cannot possibly be many rooms Boston's rhythm 'n' howl band

THE LOVE DOGS

has not played at least once. For years the Love Dogs have been on
the road without pause (paws). But these folks do have a venue debut
this very night. There are a lot of reasons for catching a Love Dogs
show, and the playing of keyboardist Alizon Lissance is chief among
them. Here is what the Dogs sent for us to chew on about tonight's show:

"This Sat 2/16
Foccacia - Wilmington, Massachusetts
978 988-7999

www.foccaciafood.com

"It's our first time at this terrific venue on Boston's north shore.
Award winning italian cuisine and an intimate music room - The Phantom
Gourmet calls Foccacia 'a hidden gem' and WRKO says 'the service and
food were the best we've ever seen.'

"Come early for dinner and stay for the show!"

-- "Love Dogs Go Italian This Sat," February 14,
2008

- >>>

Our readership has just gone up. Since the New England popular music
community has sprung back to life, after being in a semi-coma for over
half of last year, I thought this was the explanation for a clear
growth in our circulation. And it is definitely a big part of it.
But also a little upstart Web-based company, Google, has recently
taken to indexing our newsletter's home page.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uridfm/

We get no data whatsoever about visits to that page. But clearly we
have started receiving a different grade of e-mail responses to our
newsletter issues. This ain't the same old ballgame. For several
years it has been apparent that most newsletter-related correspondence
comes from people who do NOT subscribe to our scrappy little
publication. This has suggested in strong terms that our newsletter
is circulating to a readership which is much, much larger than our
subscription list. This new development, by way of Google Search,
increases our readership further. It is not likely to do us any harm.

- >>>

Someone once added us to the mailing list of the

BOSTON BABYDOLLS

without offering even a hint as to why we might be interested in this
company. A recent mailing, finally, answered the question: we would
be interested in the Boston Babydolls because a lot of rock 'n'
rollers really like this troupe.

Alright, it's reason enough.

Until lately, we have let a lot of BBabydolls' mailings pass by. And
now we are making up for lost time but including excerpts from their
mailings here.

These Dolls have a new show worked up. Here is what they are telling
us about it:

"Geometry of Love
Saturday, Feb. 16, 9 p.m.

"Love! The triangles, the math where one plus one equals one ... or
three! The Boston Babydolls celebrate this most complex of human
emotions with a brand-new show!

"Let The Boston Babydolls bring you the best in classic burlesque.
Along with our bevy of beautiful burlesquers Geometry of Love features
juggling, hula hooping, magic, tap dance, and a torchsinger to set
your heart ablaze!

Tickets are $15 in advance,
$20 day of the show.

The Ioka Theatre
55 Water Street
Exeter, NH 03833

-- Boston Babydolls, "A Hand to Hold on
Valentine's Day," February 12, 2008

There is a museum of the American Revolution in Exeter, New Hampshire.
Have you ever been there? If you have and you would be willing to
send us a quick note about it, please e-mail us by way of the
following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

To my way of thinking, America, as we now know it, was born out of the
antislavery movement, and the Civil War that followed, every bit as
much as out of the Revolution. The Early Republic was VERY different
from what we have today. Be that as it may, world events do not get a
lot bigger than the American Revolution, and a museum dedicated to it
ought to be a place well worth visiting.

I understand Exeter is a really beautiful town. - Ed.

- >>>

I hope you did not get a huge slush storm like the one that hit here.
It was a MESS!

Between that and the fact that the New England Patriots lost a
Superbowl that they seemed born to win, I would have to say that this
year is getting off to an uneven start at best. But our area's
weather forecast is showing real improvement and New England's popular
music community is doing some serious kicking. So we will forget
about the Superbowl, concentrate on the Red Sox, and buy a new pair of
running shoes.

- >>>

At or near the end of this newsletter issue are a good number of press
releases or messages - because it is the way we do things around here
- that we are treating LIKE press releases.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


MIDDLE EARTH MUSIC HALL
Bad, Very Bad News

For a band of stunt-doubles with a self-made reputation for
intemperance, members of the Drunk Stuntmen are surprisingly public
spirited and highly informative. This is not to say, though, that the
information they pass along is always what we want to hear.

The following is really bad news, especially for many east-central
Vermonters as well as for people who live in nearby sections of New
Hampshire:

"[T]he Middle Earth Music Hall in Bradford, Vermont, has announced
that it will cease operations in 2008. They cite the reasons being
that they just wanted to be a music venue but somewhere along the line
turned into a bar and restaurant. There are still a number of
wonderful acts scheduled and we encourage you to patronize the Middle
Earth as often as you can. The opportunity to see the Drunk Stuntmen
on final time at this wonderful oasis is in the works."

-- Drunk Stuntmen Mailing, February 13, 2008

- >>>

DEAN WAREHAM
Ex-Galaxie 500, Ex-Luna
Future Lizard Lounge Lizard

Here is a different show listing from the good folks at the Lizard Lounge:

Friday 3/21 - an intimate evening of book signing and music with DEAN
WAREHAM

Dean Wareham, of Galaxie 500 and Luna fame, will be here to play a few
songs [and] read excerpts from his memoir, 'Black Postcards,' being
released March 13 on Penguin Press. The book will be available for
purchase and signing.

7:30 doors / 8:00 show

www.deanandbritta.com

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Postcards-Rock-Roll-Romance/dp/1594201552/ref=pd_bbs\
_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198164514&sr=8-2

followed at 9:30 by

VICEVERSAH

and special guests
$10 at the door
9:15 doors / 9:45 show

www.myspace.com/viceversah

DEAN WAREHAM'S BAND, LUNA, is not to be confused with the earlier
(circa 1980) Rick Berlin outfit of the same name. Rick Berlin's Luna
was a new wave successor to his better-known ensemble, Orchestra Luna.
The old Luna was more than a one-record band. Still, if you know
those rockers for anything it is probably for the single, "Hooray for
Hollywood."

Dean Wareham has been in some really popular acts, and his
concert/book-signing ought to be a show very much worth catching. - Ed.

- >>>

SARA COX (of The Coming Grass)
"White Dress"

"By way of modern technology, I have a brand new song, 'White Dress
and All,' up on my myspace page. I played it live this morning on
WCLZ and whammo here it is for you.

"Happy Valentine's Day.

"Sara"

www.myspace.com/saracoxmusic
www.saracox.net

-- The Coming Grass, "A Valentine for You,"
February 14, 2008

AS A SONGWRITER, Sara Cox has got "the gift." If you get a chance,
definitely give a listen to her band, Maine's The Coming Grass. In
the case of TCG, it is best by far to drop in to a show or hear a
whole album. These folks are at their best when they get a chance to
stretch out. Catching an individual track here and there is no match
for the full Coming Grass experience. - Ed.

- >>>

DAVE KELLER
at Montpelier, Vermont's Black Door

I DO NOT RECALL RECEIVING ANYTHING for a while from Vermont's Dave
Keller, so here is his announcement of a concert which is approaching
so fast it is breathing down our collective necks:

Sat 2/16 The Black Door Bar & Bistro www.blackdoorvt.com Montpelier,
VT, 9:30pm, $5 cover, with Jan Schultz (bass), Brett Hoffman (drums),
and Ira Friedman (organ).

-- David Keller, "Black Door and Skinny Pancake,"
February 12, 2008

If like us you have been a little out of touch with the guy, this
could be a great opportunity to catch up. - Ed.

- >>>

BOSTON BANDS AROUND 1970

We received a query about Boston bands or at least bands that played
in and around Boston in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Here is the
main part of it:

Do you know who the members were or have any info or contacts
regarding the following local Bands?

The Cloud
The Freeborne
Ascension
The Flock

We found information about The Flock and about a band called Clouds,
which looked like a match. I also referred our correspondent to a
real Boston rock legend, Blowfish, who he knows already; so our
correspondent is definitely on the right track. Nonetheless, I am
interested still in sharing this query with our readers. It is
readily apparent that a lot of New Englanders are interested in the
region's rock history: even folks who are WAY too young to remember
those years, themselves.

If you have information about any of these groups or, on the other
hand, if you would like to add a band or two to the list, please send
us an e-mail by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

The period our correspondent is looking into was particularly hot
hereabouts. A southern New Hampshire kid, Carlton Fisk, who was
actually born in Bellows Falls, Vermont, was working his way up in the
world of baseball. Before declaring hardship and joining the old
American Basketball Association's New Jersey franchise, Julius Erving
was the Greatest Show on Earth at the main UMass campus in Amherst.

He's long and he's tall
They double-teamed him
Ever since he could crawl
Don't miss much, if he misses at all
His name's Dr. J
And he plays basketball.

Remember that? And a zesty little rock band with a lad called Steve
Tyler on drums was hanging around in southern New Hampshire and was
already known to teens in this town. Sooner or later, this band
settled on the name, Aerosmith, and has done okay ever since.

It was a nifty time to be based near where New Hampshire, Vermont, and
Massachusetts meet. - Ed.

- >>>

THE AEROSMITH - GUITAR HERO ALLIANCE

Here is a Friday afternoon Yahoo News headline:

Activision unveils Aerosmith edition of 'Guitar Hero' video game

Woo woo!

I do little if any checking of websites, toward the end of the week,
while working on this newsletter. I have a lot going on all at once,
computer-wise, and this system's resources are taxed quite heavily.
So while I imagine the following link supplies more information about
the new Aero-Hero Alliance, you will only know for sure if you check
it yourself.

The e-mail arrived on Friday. So when it says "tomorrow," that
figures out to be today. - Ed.

You may have seen this already, but if not, a heads up:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2008-02-14-aerosmith-guitar-hero_N.htm

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and a free version of "Dream On" for Guitar
Hero 3 (Tomorrow through the 18th).

- >>>

CLUB 47
JIM KWESKIN AND THE JUG BAND

Our friend Millie Rahn wrote to say that I was just a hair off to
suggest that Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band should have been named on
the new Club 47 historic marker. Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band was a
phenomenon of the SECOND location of Club Passim, not the first. This
must be right. Millie is quite expert on the history of Club 47 and
Club Passim.

Certain members of the group - Kweskin, himself, being an excellent
example, along with the great Bill Keith - had a substantial history
at the original Club 47 location on Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge.
I guess that must have been what I was thinking about at the time.

This region is VERY fortunate to have had a coffeehouse of the stature
of Club 47 and a successor organization as loved and respected as Club
Passim. The Passim events calendar for the coming weeks is loaded
with amazing shows. There is lots to rave about; but if I could
attend one program and ONLY one, it would be Steve Morse's talk with
Joan Baez. Every one of us owes J.B. - and Steve Morse, for that
matter - and the only question is whether or not we know it.

- >>>

TONY TRISCHKA
Prime Mover of the Banjo

Several nineteenth-century banjo innovators have come up lately in my
research. I'll need to go back and make note of the player who is
believed to have introduced the five-string banjo to concert
audiences. But I remember that Bostonian Swayne Buckley is thought to
have been first to finger-pick the instrument on stage.

A phenomenal TWENTIETH-century banjo innovator is stopping soon at
Club Passim. The latest Passim events calendar included this entry:

Thursday 3/20 8pm:
Tony Trischka's Double Banjo
Bluegrass Spectacular
Reg: $20.00/Member: $18.00

A lot of the banjo greats would not be doing what they are doing today
if not for what they learned from Tony Trischka.

- >>>

BROOKS WILLIAMS
Pickin' His Ol' Guitar and
Writin' for Mel Bay's Guitar Sessions

"Brooks has begun writing for Mel Bay's Guitar Sessions. You can read
his 'Tales From The Road' article in the February issue. More
articles on guitar playing and touring will follow in the months ahead."

-- Brooks Williams, "Red Guitar Blue Music
Newsletter," February 6, 2008

- >>>

YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE
Which Ran Thursday Afternoon

Yahoo! asks shareholders to have faith
in company

If I were a Yahoo shareholder, I would be inclined to go along. I
have been highly critical of Yahoo in this newsletter, going back to
its beginning. But Yahoo was a good company to do business with in
the 1990s when I first hooked up with that firm; and from the point of
view of a daily user, there has been a major, obvious turnaround in
recent months. Who knows whether it will continue. But to my own
personal experience, recent company behavior has earned Yahoo the
benefit of the doubt.

These days, I have no idea how Yahoo's frontline staff are at
answering requests for technical help because, for many months now,
practically nothing has gone wrong. This is the way it used to be
back in the 1990s, and it is nice to see Yahoo restored to some degree
of technical competence and customer orientation.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


THE GREAT BANDINI
Record Release
and Other News

We, The Great Bandini, will be doing our best impression of a
professional band this week by releasing our first LP! We recorded it
and everything. It'll even be on a convenient "compacted disc" format.
Floppy disks will be offered for free, bundled with a copy of "Bank
Street Writer". Please come celebrate with us as we headline
Cambridge's The Lizard Lounge (below Cambridge Common Restaurant) this
Friday, February 15th. Supporting us will be the great Teenage Prayers
and Levee Drivers. I believe the cover is a very reasonable $8. For
those of you not in the area, the album will be available online very
soon. Look for us in The Boston Herald on Friday, too.

To the NEW YORKERS: Yes, you get your very own record release show.
Lucky bastards. It's just a week later, on February 24th at The Annex.
It's a Sunday, but it's also an early show. We play last, at 9:30.
Before us are a great band called Heroes of Popular Wars (8:30). COME
ON OUT!

If you haven't heard The Russians EP yet, I'm telling you you're
missing out. Go listen RIGHT NOW (or at some other time) at
THERUSSIANEMBASSY.COM

Finally, I'll be playing my first show as a member of one of my
favorite bands, The Figgs, on the following weekend 2/29-3/1 (two
shows) at The Church in Boston. I, for one, am curious as to how this
will go. Either way, The Figgs will be onstage, so you can't lose.

See you there, and there, and there,
Scott J

-- Scott Janovitz, "Record Release Shows,"
February 11, 2008


Benefit Show for
U. UTAH PHILLIPS

I was researching the growth of the City of Philadelphia and linked to
websites which made such vast use of system resources that this
computer literally stopped. If you have read the Boston children's
book, "Make Way for Ducklings," as everyone should, you will know what
I mean when I say that the stopping of my computer was every bit as
dramatic as the cop stopping traffic in the "Ducklings" book. I am
very skittish at the moment and did not link to the Club 47 (alias
Passim) page about an upcoming U. Utah Phillips benefit concert. But
it is sure to be good, and here are the details I have at this time:

Wednesday 3/5 8pm: Tribute and Fundraiser
for Utah Phillips
Reg: $12.00/Member: $6.00

ONE OF THE VERY FIRST SHOWS I attended in this town, Brattleboro,
Vermont, was a U. Utah Phillips benefit. The guy has a lot of REALLY
talented friends, and the concert I took in, more than 30 years ago,
was as good as the one at Club Passim is going to be.

As a personal aside, this is the event

THIS IS THE EVENT

after which I got to play a banjo autographed by Leadbelly, Woody
Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Andres Segovia,
Josh White, and the list goes on and on and on. Margo Mayo - New York
City's pioneer of the twentieth-century folkdance revival -
autographed that banjo. I take special interest in her autograph
because she was the former owner of two of my Hutchinson Family books.
I know this by virtue of the fact that she wrote her name in each
book, and they were sold to me, by a New York City bookseller who
specialized in science and music, some months after she died.

Yes, it was a magic night, that time we benefitted U. Utah Phillips at
our West Village Meeting House long, long ago. And the upcoming Utah
Phillips benefit show sponsored by the good folks at Club Passim
should be every bit as good.

After several years of hearing Utah on record and reading and hearing
about him and reading his own writings, it was a major kick to attend
one of his concerts and watch him arrive. He split the show with
Rosalie Sorrels, so you know it couldn't be beat. They were both, and
no doubt still are, bigger than life characters, and you felt it
immediately when they walked through the door. - Ed.


Twistin' the Night Away With
MOBY

As far as I recall, we have never run a news item about Moby, though
it seems to me he may be a Connecticut native. I believe he is. The
length of time since his last album probably has something to do with
our lack of attention to his career. But lately we have received an
announcement of Moby's "upcoming record, 'Last Night' (Mute Records/EMI).

"With over 20 years in the business, 15 million records sold and 3
years since his last album, Moby comes back to a place on the dance
floor with an album that taps his many influences....

- - - - -

"'Last Night' will be released on Mute Records on April 1 in the US,
March 31 in UK.

"MOBY ON THE CONCEPT BEHIND 'LAST NIGHT':

'"Last Night" is basically a love letter to dance music in New York
City. What I love about the New York approach to dance music is the
eclecticism and the open minded-ness on the part of the musicians, the
dj's, and the people in the bars and clubs. In making 'Last Night,' I
essentially tried to take a long 8 hour night-out in New York City and
condense it into a 65 minute long album.'"

-- Brendan Telzrow, "Moby Previews Upcoming
Album," February 14, 2008


February 13, 2008
For Immediate Release

THE NEXT EVOLUTION IN U.S. MUSIC FESTIVALS
HAPPENS JULY 3 – 6, 2008 IN ROTHBURY, MICHIGAN

ROTHBURY

FEATURING
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, WIDESPREAD PANIC, JOHN MAYER, 311, PHIL LESH AND
FRIENDS, MODEST MOUSE, PRIMUS, SNOOP DOGG, MICHAEL FRANTI AND
SPEARHEAD, THIEVERY CORPORATION, STS9 AND MANY OTHERS.

THE FOUR DAY CAMPING FESTIVAL PROMISES ON-SITE LODGING OPTIONS,
UNPRECEDENTED SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES, AND MUCH MORE.

TICKETS ON SALE ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27 AT NOON EST AT
WWW.ROTHBURYFESTIVAL.COM

On July 4th weekend 2008, ROTHBURY emerges as a new American
celebration. For this next generation of the rock and roll music
festival, ROTHBURY sets forth as a huge party with a purpose. Hosted
at the one-of-a-kind Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan, the unique
festival site offers trails, forests, fields, lakes and beach fronts,
and even on-site lodging, bars and eateries. The four day,
environmentally sustainable music and camping festival promises to be
an inspiring cultural assembly; one where music fans, artists and
progressive thinkers gather to celebrate much more than music.

It is ROTHBURY's goal to harness the unique energy of the live music
community into a durable social movement toward an important cause:
Climate Change and Clean Energy Alternatives. In addition to a diverse
and stellar lineup of over 70 bands on 8 stages, ROTHBURY will host a
Think Tank and Energy Fair, and features unprecedented audience
participation opportunities.

Music is the soul of ROTHBURY, which today makes its initial artist
line-up announcement. Confirmed musical acts include Dave Matthews
Band, Widespread Panic, John Mayer, 311, Phil Lesh and Friends, Modest
Mouse, Primus, Snoop Dogg, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Thievery
Corporation, STS9 and many others. A complete list of confirmed
artists follows, and many others will be announced in the coming months.

The ROTHBURY Think Tank is an event within the event, offering various
buzz sessions and roundtables between leading scientists, scholars,
writers, progressive political and corporate leaders, youth leaders,
and entertainers. Confirmed as ROTHBURY Think Tank Curator is Dr.
Stephen H. Schneider, with participants Dr. Eban Goodstein, L. Hunter
Lovins, Winona LaDuke, and many, many others to be announced. The
Think Tank will address the topic of Climate Change and Clean Energy
Solutions, geared toward conversations related to corporations,
government/policy makers, and the individual. Think Tank events will
share ideas about how to lessen our ecological and carbon footprint.
Interactive participation, both face-to-face and through the use of
multi-media technology, enable the ROTHBURY community to engage with
the Think Tank at multiple levels.

ROTHBURY's Energy Fair, where attendees engage hands-on with cutting
edge, sustainable technology and products, offers a flurry of
scheduled and surprise activities, plus food/drink, vending,
performances/presentations on the Workshop Stage, contests and
interactive opportunities, and so much more.

ROTHBURY itself is committed to producing a near zero-waste concert.
The first to tackle a green program of this magnitude at an
around-the-clock (camping) concert in the USA, ROTHBURY has an
on-staff Greening Chief, and has implemented multiple initiatives
toward this effort, including replacing disposables with 100%
compostables, recycling and composting, choosing clean energy,
carbon-offsetting, and Green Ticket options.

ROTHBURY's Solar Schools Program powered by Black Rock Solar will
outfit a local school with a free solar panel system. ROTHBURY is
committed to donating an absolute minimum of $50,000 worth of solar
panels. This year's Solar Schools Program recipient: Shelby High
School in Shelby, MI. Visit www.rothburyfestival.com for more
information on ROTHBURY's School Solar Program and other
sustainability initiatives.

ROTHBURY's current list of confirmed artists is as follows:
Dave Matthews Band
Widespread Panic
John Mayer
311
Phil Lesh and Friends
Primus
Thievery Corporation
Snoop Dogg
Modest Mouse
Michael Franti and Spearhead
Gov't Mule
Slightly Stoopid
STS9
Colbie Caillat
The Black Keys
Yonder Mountain String Band with Jon Fishman
Gogol Bordello
Citizen Cope
Keller Williams and The WMD'S
The Disco Biscuits
Medeski Martin & Wood
Ray LaMontagne
Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival
Drive-By Truckers
Of Montreal
The Dresden Dolls
Gomez
Brett Dennen
Taj Mahal
Mike Gordon
Zappa Plays Zappa
Crystal Method DJ Set
JJ Grey & MOFRO
The Greyboy Allstars
The Secret Machines
Beth Orton
Jakob Dylan and the Green Mountain Rebels
A 3
Bettye Lavette
Lotus
Yard Dogs Road Show
State Radio
The Beautiful Girls
Sage Francis
Tea Leaf Green
Emmitt Nershi Band
EOTO
Panjea with Michael Kang
Railroad Earth
Bassnectar
Pnuma Trio
Diplo
Flosstradamus
The Juan MacLean
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Dead Confederate
DJ Rekha
Motion Potion
DJ Rootz
SOJOURN
Busdriver

Additional acts to be announced in the coming months.

Early Bird Tickets to ROTHBURY go on sale on Wednesday, February 27 at
noon EST at www.rothburyfestival.com and at 1-888-512-SHOW (Open
Mon-Sat 9am-9pm CST).

ROTHBURY is produced by Madison House Presents and AEG Live.

For more information please visit www.rothburyfestival.com


DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGICIANS

I like to bring in my nineteenth-century research here and there.
While much of it would only be of interest to specialists, some of it
would be of broad, general interest. Never underestimate - for just
one case in point - how many people out there are curious to know all
they can about the United States Civil War and whose opinions about
the war and the times are powered by serious passion. If I were to
start into an account, say, of the destruction of the Confederate
ironclad ship, the "Albemarle," by a group of Union Navy commandos on
a suicide mission led by Lt. William B. Cushing, a percentage of our
readers would likely already know the story. This is a HIGHLY popular
topic. A man who was a major source of information about the
"Albemarle" mission was a brother of a future member of the
nineteenth-century music group I am researching, the Alleghanians.
The brother later, as a Union Navy sea captain, provided naval support
for the attack that resulted in the fall of the Confederate capital at
Richmond.

As I said, a lot of people - no doubt including some of our readers -
would know this already.

But how about a magician named Robert Heller. I, for one, had never
heard of him. His name came up, for me, solely because he leased a
certain New York City theater so he could produce shows there; and the
building, which was fairly important, had a long, odd, colorful
history that intrigues me. Heller, who was also an accomplished
pianist, was such a powerful magician that people of his times did not
hesitate to compare him to the great Harry Houdini. One book, as far
as I can tell, presented Heller, not as if he created the ILLUSION of
second sight, but as if, like Merlin, he actually possessed and used
the power of second sight. Obviously this magician was REALLY good.

Or he had second sight.

Or both.

So why is it then that we remember Harry Houdini but we do not
remember Robert Heller?

I sure don't know.


Grammy Awards for
ROUNDER RECORDS ARTISTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 11, 2008

ROUNDER RECORDING ARTISTS ALISON KRAUSS|ROBERT PLANT AND JIMMY STURR
GARNER GRAMMY® AWARDS

Burlington, MA – Rounder Records is pleased to announce that its
artists garnered two Grammy® awards at last night's 50th Annual
Grammy® Awards ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Alison
Krauss|Robert Plant received the Grammy® award for `Best Pop
Collaboration with Vocals' for "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)," from
Raising Sand. The song is the only track from the album eligible for
this year's Grammy® Awards. Raising Sand debuted at #2 on the
Billboard 200 chart following its October 23 release on Rounder
Records and was certified RIAA Gold soon after. The album and
subsequent tracks from Raising Sand will be eligible for nominations
next year, at the 51st annual awards. Krauss, as a solo artist,
collaborator, producer, and with Union Station, now has 21 Grammy®
awards to her credit, the most of any female artist or any country
artist.

Jimmy Sturr continued his reign as polka king, winning his 17th
Grammy® award for `Best Polka Album' for Come Share the Wine. Sturr
and His Orchestra have received 21 Grammy® nominations in the category
of `Best Polka Album.' Released in August, Come Share the Wine, is a
sharp collection that covers a range of source material – from classic
polka standards like "Red Wing" and "Snappy Time" to an ingenious
reinvention of the Singing Nun's infectious "Dominique" and two
versions (both as a ballad and as a polka) of the sterling title
track. The band's in-house vocalists Johnny Karas (who doubles on
saxophones), Frankie Urbanovitch (who also contributes fiddle), and
Gennarose are all featured extensively, along with twin brothers Jerry
and Jack Calhoun, who contribute guest vocals on the rousing "I'm
Gonna Steal Your Shoes."


DRESDEN DOLLS
Yes, Virginia,
There Is a New DD Record

"NEW DOLLS' RECORDINGS

"Brian and I are proud to announce that we've just spent the last week
together in the studio (with the esteemed producer of Yes, Virginia,
Sean Slade) recording a bunch of older Dolls? songs that never got put
to tape. We're maniacally happy with the way things turned out. Our
current plan is to package these new songs with the unreleased
material we kept from the Yes, Virginia sessions and give y'all a
whole new happy CD. We'll keep you posted on release.

- - - - -

"We're currently looking at putting out the new Dolls' album sometime
this spring. Yes, ma'am, BEFORE the solo record. So don't ask, it
just worked out that way. We won't be touring on the record but we
will hopefully do a handful of shows and maybe even make a ridiculous
video involving lawn ornaments (and we might ask for help, so get ready)."

-- Dresden Dolls Mailing, February 13, 2008


ROUNDER RECORDS
Honored

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEBRUARY 12, 2008

ROUNDER RECORDS TO BE HONORED BY

THE NORTH AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC AND DANCE ALLIANCE

TO RECEIVE THE ELAINE WEISSMAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Burlington, MA – The North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance
(Folk Alliance) will honor Rounder Records as a recipient of the 2008
Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards (LAAwards) at the Folk
Awards Show Wednesday, February 20, 2008 in Memphis, TN. The awards
are given to those who have inspired others, achieved definitive
leadership in their field and contributed to the advancement of folk
music and/or dance. Each year the LAAwards honor two performers, one
living and one legacy, and a person or institution involved in the
business or academic side of the folk world, who have devoted their
life's work and talent to the advancement of the performing folk arts.
The awards are a highlight of the Folk Alliance's annual conference.

In 1970, with only their passionate enthusiasm for American roots
music lighting the way, three Cambridge, Massachusetts college
students, Bill Nowlin, Ken Irwin, and Marian Leighton Levy, cast their
lot into the perilous music industry. The tenacious trio went the
distance: from humble beginnings to what is now America's premier
independent record label. From its early interest in rural American
music (via fiddle, stringband, blues, and bluegrass recordings) to an
expansive catalogue of more than 2,500 titles running the gamut from
folk to world, soul to socas, jazz to juju, Cajun to Celtic, and
beyond, Rounder has emerged as the preeminent source for vital,
uncompromised music of all genres.

The 2008 International Folk Alliance Conference runs from Wednesday,
February 20 until Sunday, February 24. Rounder artists The
SteelDrivers and Vienna Teng will be performing at conference
showcases throughout the week. For the full schedule please visit:
www.folkalliance.org/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=13&page=1.


The Folk Alliance was founded in 1989 and seeks to create new and
better opportunities for all those involved in the performance folk
arts. With thousands of attendees annually, their conference offers a
complete view of the business world of traditional and contemporary
folk music and dance through showcases, educational seminars, films,
and a networking-rich trade show.


- >>>


THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL MORE NEWS, but I am quite simply out of time.
Until next we meet, listen to records, catch a lot of shows, and do an
anti-slush dance.

Well ... it sounds to me like a productive way to spend a week.


NEMSnews

New England Music Scrapbook
Brattleboro, Vermont

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believe this is one of the main ways we pick up readers.


As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS. The reason is quite
simple. Though our name is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, probably
an easy majority of our readers are based outside the six New England
states. The great majority of show listings would be of no interest
at all to the great majority of our readers.

We make exceptions when show listings are part of an item of more
general interest. CD-release events are great examples. For us, the
main point of an item of this sort is that an act has a new record.
The show being announced is of secondary interest to us - if that - as
far as the contents of our newsletter goes.

In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we post show
listings...


... Shows can be canceled, sold out, or even moved to another
date or location. We recommend checking the Web, calling ahead or
otherwise confirming details.


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Issue 2008:262

Published no less often than monthly.
We're guessing eventually we'll settle
into an every-other-week schedule.

Copyright © 2008 by the New England Music Scrapbook. All rights reserved.

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