Sno-Blo Moon
It is with some chagrin that I remember not being able to shut up about it— we’d whined and groused for actual years about local radio’s refusal to give the slightest nod to the original acoustic segment of popular music—- until a detectable whiff of progress in that direction got our eyebrows all a’wigglin’. I will never claim that our extended caterwauling had any measurable influence on today’s Birmingham airwaves becoming what they are today— young people come and old people go, you wait around long enough and some version of what you want will eventually bloom to some extent, and if you’re a reasonable sort, you will at least be grateful to see it. And what DID happen was even better than that.
These thirteen years later, the Central Alabama radio audience has a much wider menu of music choices, and not just the smorgasbord of offerings on Sirius XM. New programming on the NPR/APR stations on opposite ends of the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa see-saw got a lot more folky-Americana over time. The blue ribbon, of course, goes to The Magic City’s Birmingham Mountain Radio, whose exciting development we tracked and celebrated— watching that determined handful of hardworkin’ prophets build a porchdeck container garden into a scaled-up farm-to-market enterprise, one that now features a strong selection of gourmet and specialty programs for the most specific of tastes. From this end of the timeline, we are glad to hear ourselves say “Good on ya all!”
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January 11, 2011
RADIO TO THE RESCUE!
One thing we will not do this week is comment on the weather--- except to say that OK, that's about enough for one winter, already-- jeeze, this is supposed to be the Heart of Dixie, white roofs and glazed driveways oughta be part of somebody else's world. We're done widdit!
One of Moonlight's cherished crusades is our determined campaign to bring original acoustic music to our local radio airwaves... not an easy task, judging by the results of our past efforts. From a purely selfish point of view, we are convinced that more people would take an interest in our concerts and events if singers and songwriters of the type we present were included SOMEwhere in our area's broadcasting schedules.
Beyond that, it's widely acknowledged that a music genre so specific to our region--- and so popular almost everywhere else in the free world-- is mysteriously absent from the FM programming in this community. Why Birmingham listeners should be deprived of this radio format is the question of the hour.... and ought to be considered immediately, now that there MAY be a couple of ways to rectify the situation.
*First, let's congratulate the crew behind The Mountain, the brand-new internet station that launched just a couple of weeks ago--- its birth stirred the passions of local music fans so quickly that it was voted Best Radio Station in the Birmingham News' annual beauty pageant of the town's cultural favorites. Scott Register has returned triumphant with his hand-built Reg's Coffeehouse program--- though the online format hews mainly to an out-of-mainstream indie-rock menu, Reg does toot the horn on occasion for selected Americana bands and songwriters that catch his ear, and we thank him for a decade of lonely flag-waving on behalf of those players.
The station promises to tailor its programming to reflect the interests expressed by its listeners--- we suggest you give 'em some feedback that might result in a time block devoted to folk, blues, and acoustic players from here and beyond... in many cases, the same artists we have been bringing to our live stages for several years now.
What's just popped up, though, is a more democratic online exercise--- possibly in response to the new internet station--- whereby Clear Channel has acquired an unused frequency to throw another dog in the fight, at 103.1 on your dusty old dashboard dial. In a surprisingly open-forum fashion, the behemoth broadcaster has set up a website for listeners to actually vote for their preferred format, while alternating examples of the choices on air until a decision is made... no word as to just when that will happen.
Unless the die is already cast by the time you read this, you still have a tiny voice with which to diversify your drive time entertainment... maybe. Go to this link---> www.mynewradiostation.com and select the AAA format, which is your best shot at discovering original songwriters in today's ocean of contemporary music. No, it's not satellite radio, or as specific as your mp3 cigarette lighter--- but it could be Birmingham's first glimpse at a whole new world of folk, blues, and roots music that it's never known. Drop that vote in the box, and hope for the best---
Even if neither of these nuggets pan out, we still have one more pulsing idea in our head for getting some free John Prine in your ears as you sit at a redlight--- more about that next week, when the bacon starts to sizzle---
(Comments and responses are welcome--- simply click "Reply" and let us hear yo' mind--- )
THIS WEEK'S SHOWS--->
Thursday the 13th-- KIM RICHARDSON and LOUISE MOSRIE, $12
Two accomplished Tennessee songwriters come to warm the room with their Memphis and Nashville flavors-- coupla talented ladies treat us to their take on home, hope, humor, and heartache... almost like a pair of cousins you never met showed up to cook you dinner (and dessert!) New favorites, we betcha--- 7:30pm
www.kimrichardsonmusic.com
www.louisemosrie.com
Kim Richardson, January 13 2011, 17 present
Louise Mosrie
Friday the 14th-- AUDREY AULD, Josh Brown opens, $12
You can't get much further from here than Tasmania, it's an island off the coast of Australia... the natives are not so different from us, though, which you'll understand when Audrey hands you some of her "music with the dirt left on". She's called Nashville her home for several years now, but the Tassie dialect, and the salty, raffish wink-and-a-nod with which she seasons her show, are only part of her appeal. One of our Open Mic winners, Josh Brown, introduces her with a short set of his own. 7:30pm
www.audreyauld.com
www.myspace.com/joshbrownstunes
Audrey Auld, January 14 2011, 40 present
Saturday the 15th--- DIANE DURRETT, with MELISSA MASSEY, Paul Cataldo opens, $12
A true blue-eyed soulstress, one who's performed next to, and matched vocals with, Sting, Gregg Allman, and The Indigo Girls, fits right into our weekend Estrogen Extravaganza, belting a stunning selection of original tunes that spring from her Atlanta roots, with wit and charm paving the way. To add a dash of extra punch to the show, she's in duo with her percussionist "Junebug" Massey... no nodding off tonight! Paul Cataldo, he of those western NC mountains, welcomes us with a short opening set. 7:30pm
www.dianedurrett.com
www.paulcataldo.com
Junebug Massey and Diane Durrett, January 15 2011, 49 present
Sunday the 16th-- WILDER ADKINS, BESIDES DANIEL, and THREADBARE, BROTHER, $7
The tags on his BandCamp weblink are a pretty good description of Wilder's approach to original music-- "alt-country Appalachian lo-fi art folk", a mash he made good use of when taking home one of our Open Mic winner's prizes this past year. The Marietta GA native brings in some friends from North Atlanta way to serve up a most interesting acoustic showcase-- the alt-folk trio Besides Daniel takes a stand next to Timothy Walker, who sometimes calls himself Threadbare, Brother (comma included). 7:30pm
http://wilderadkins.bandcamp.com
http://besidesdaniel.virb.com
http://threadbarebrother.virb.com
Wilder Adkins, January 16 2011, 22 present
Besides Daniel (?)
Threadbare, Brother
Monday the 17th-- OPEN MIC GRAND PRIZE PLAYOFF of 2010 Winners, $5
Twice a month since June, Moonlight has hosted an Open Mic competition, more of a hootenanny than a horse race--- each time, though, we DID select a Best of Night, each of whom has been invited back to a summit-level runoff in a tussle for a $500 demo recording package, very generously donated by Bud Brown of the venerable Higher Ground Studios. At this time, we expect ten very entertaining Open Mic winners to return with their best two songs, and to clang swords in front of three "celebrity" judges in a quest to walk off with the ultimate spoils. Only five bucks! 7:30pm
Open Mic Playoff Winners Aereophonics Atlas, with Bud Brown, January 17 2011, 112 present
AND LOOKING AHEAD--->
Thursday 20th-- DAVID NEWBOULD, KEVIN GORDON, Nashville roots-rockers both, we're not sure if they know each other
Friday 21st-- LOLLY LEE, JASON BAILEY, MARK KIMBRELL, the best of Birmingham's homegrown melodists, all together en trio
Saturday 22nd-- JESSE TERRY, MICHAEL LOGEN, alt-folk Tennessee songwriters, lotta their stuff winds up on your TV shows
Sunday 23rd-- MENEWA, B'ham's own highbrow-gutbucket folk-rock ramblers--- dyspeptic dance tunes and Dylan covers
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