Tim Wallace and His 40 Seconds of Fame

October 29, 2004

Ohio folk musician Tim Wallace is expanding his purview by producing the winning entry in a contest sponsored by People for the American Way and Salon.com. The contest awarded the prize for the best use of Flash animation to remind people of the importance of the Supreme Court in the election on Tuesday. View Tim's winning work here. Tim will be appearing at Susan's Coffee & Tea during Folk Alley 'Round Town night at the Kent State Folk Festival in Kent, OH on Nov. 19.

Folkaween T-shirts Are Gone

October 28, 2004

Thanks to everyone who responded to our offer of scary orange Folkaween t-shirts (thanks to Susan D. in California for coming up with the name). They are all gone, so if you email me, you'll have to email me about something else.

The response to this offer was overwhelming and since we have a small fulfillment center (moi!) it will take a few days to get them all packed up and out of here.

When you get your t-shirt, take a photo and email it to donna@folkalley.com. We just might feature it in an upcoming blog. Or mail you some stale, leftover Halloween candy.

Dolly and Norah - the People's Choice

October 27, 2004

Dolly Parton and Norah Jones have been nominated for a 31st Annual People's Choice Award in the music "Favorite Combined Forces" category for their duet of Dolly's Grass is Blue - a song Jones covered on the tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman. Their random list of competitors includes Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliot and Lil' Kim for their remake of Carwash; the Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake for Where is the Love; Lil' John and Usher for Yeah; and Britney Spears and Madonna for Me Against the Music. Jones is also up for Favorite Female Singer. For the first time, voting for the awards (which used to be decided by Gallup Poll), is open to the public via the People's Choice web site. Vote Dolly!

Kent State Folk Festival Gets New Web Site

October 25, 2004

The new web site for the 38th Kent State Folk Festival is now live, complete with dates, times, artist bios and directions to the annual Kent, OH event. Once a student-run activity at Kent State University, the Kent State Folk Fest is now produced by WKSU-FM, Folk Alley's parent organization. Headliners include Sam Bush and Vienna Teng on 11/12, Roomful of Blues on 11/13, Karla Bonoff and Jesse Winchester on 11/18 and Doc Watson on 11/20. On Nov. 19, a day of free concerts throughout Kent has been renamed Folk Alley 'Round Town. For more, visit KentStateFolkFestival.org or click the sponsorship logo above.

Wear a Scary Folk Alley Shirt For Halloween

October 20, 2004

WDET Dumps Folk Music

October 19, 2004

A month ago, WDET in Detroit told folk DJ Matt Watroba that his services were no longer necessary (this in an area home to a giant pile of folk music fans). The station did this in attempt to present a more cohesive music schedule that would prompt listeners to stay tuned longer. While this defense is fair (and a pretty standard argument in public radio), it does leave many folk listeners looking for a new source of music. Are you a Folk Alley fan living in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area? Please, take this opportunity to tell your friends about us. We may not be there physically, but we are in spirit. And I wouldn't mind making a few more trips up to The Ark, it's a great club!

Suzzy and Maggie Roche Hold a CD Release Party

October 18, 2004

Suzzy and Maggie Roche (two-thirds of The Roches) will officially launch their new Red House Records release, Why the Long Face, at Joe's Pub in New York City on Wed., Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The new album follows the sister's 2001 Zero Church, a collection of songs examining prayer. Why the Long Face also has a prayer-inspired song and offers the words of a wide-variety of writers, including African American poet Jessie Fauset and Jon Turner, a teen-ager Suzzy met at a summer camp where she was conducting a workshop.

Ralph Stanley Honored with Museum

October 15, 2004

The life and career of bluegrass great Ralph Stanley is the centerpiece of a new museum opening tomorrow (10/16). The man himself will be on-hand as the Ralph Stanley Museum and Traditional Mountain Music Center is dedicated with a host of activities this weekend in Clintwood, VA. Stanley got his start touring with his brother Carter and The Clinch Mountain Boys. After Carter's death in 1966, he continued on with his band, exploring the harder-edged traditional music of Appalachia. Producer T Bone Burnett gave Stanley's career a boost by including Dr. Ralph on the outrageously popular soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? Stanley's standout rendition of the classic O Death earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

Chris Thile Releases Deceiver

October 14, 2004

Chris Thile, Mandolin Wunderkind and one-third of Nickel Creek, has released Deceiver on the Sugar Hill label. The album continues Thile's lean towards a sound that is less bluegrass and more modern rock (as heard on Nickel Creek's latest, This Side, and Mutual Admiration Society's eponymous "debut"). Simple Shoes is holding a contest in honor of release. Tell them about your favorite Nickel Creek song and you could win an autographed pair of shoes.

What was Great at the World of Bluegrass?

October 11, 2004

Tom Hoover posted below about a band called the Hickory Project that he heard stood out at the recent World of Bluegrass conference in Louisville. Were you there? Did you hear Hickory Project? Were there some other great musicians performing that you had never heard of? Share the skinny - give us the lowdown. Then we can all be the "first to know!"

The IBMA Hands Out Awards

October 8, 2004

The International Bluegrass Music Association handed out awards to the tops in their field last night during the annual World of Bluegrass conference in Louisville. The Del McCoury Band was named Entertainer of the Year with Rhonda Vincent continuing her five-year winning streak as Female Vocalist and Larry Sparks earning the counterpart Male Vocalist award. Other big prizes went to Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder for Instrumental Group, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver for Vocal Group, Rhonda Vincent's Kentucky Borderline for Song, and the Del McCoury Band's It's Just the Night for Album of the Year. The Emerging Artist of the Year award went to young studs King Wilkie.

This is the final year for World of Bluegrass in Louisville. Activities move to Nashville in 2005, following the IBMA organization, which moved its headquarters to Tennessee last year.

Minnie Driver Goes Folk

October 7, 2004

Actress Minnie Driver is following in the footsteps of many of her fellow thespians (including Michele Greene and Kevin Bacon) who have combined screen time and record deals with the release of her album Everything I've Got in My Pocket. Driver actually began her career as a singer in London and wrote most of the songs on her album. The CD is being released on Zoe Records, a division of folk staple Rounder. She is set to appear on the David Letterman show tonight (10/7) and The View tomorrow.

A Special Offer from Tracks

October 4, 2004

This offer of a free yearlong subscription to Tracks magazine is valid only for registered users of Folk Alley. If you have already registered, log in and you will see a link to follow in this blog. If you are not registered, please consider doing so now - for the free Tracks but primarily to be connected to the world of folk music through FolkAlley.com.