Archive for April 2008

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Shawn Mullins - HoneyDew Shows Mullins Still has Soul

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The first time I heard Shawn Mullins (Soul’s Core) his music hit home the way only a local songwriter from your part of the world can do. The language was familiar, the stories were the kind of stories I’d grown up hearing, and still seem uniquely North-east Georgia.

Fast forward to 2008, and Mullins newest offering, Honey Dew. You’d expect Shawn Mullins music and song-writing to have matured over the years, and that it has. But there’s still that sense of reality that’s missing in many mainstream artists’ albums these days.

“All In My Head” starts Honey Dew Off with a bang. This is a radio-friendly introspective song is a great way to start out the Atlanta Georgia (originally from Dawsonville) artists newest album.

“The Ballad of Kathryn Johnston” tells the story of inner-city troubles and a police shoot-out with the elderly Johnston, which left Johnston dead and the police to answer many questions.

“Homeless Joe” is a mix of Skynyrd’s “Curtis Low” and Arrested Devlopment’s “Mr. Wendell” and blends blues, folk, and rock into a unique mixture of Americana

“Cabbagetown” is perhaps the best song on Honey Dew, and represents the best of the “Old” Shawn Mullins and the best of what’s yet to come from this proud Georgia artist.

Its obvious that Shawn Mullins move to Atlanta has affected him as an artist in many ways. I’d dare to say Honey Dew could be an unofficial soundtrack to Atlanta that keeps you coming back to discover new parts of the music, like I discover new parts of Atlanta each time I bring myself to drive inside I-285. He tells his stories with the compassion you expect from someone living in rural America. One listen to Hone Dew will showMullins has not lost his soul.

You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.

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Shawn Mullins On Honeydew

SHAWN MULLINS ON THE SONGS OF HONEYDEW:

“All in My Head”: The song’s theme of self-examination belies the fact that it was written by Mullins and Hansen as a prospective theme song for the sitcom Scrubs. The original 2002 recording was lighter and more uptempo than this powerful new version, in which Mullins delivers an arching falsetto vocal in the chorus. “When we FIRST started the recording, I was having a block, and Gerry said, ‘Shawn, I’m tellin’ you, that shit’s all in your head, just like that song we wrote.’ And I said, ‘Man, we oughta dig that up.’ The next thing I knew, we were all sitting around working it up in a whole different groove.”

“Home”: “The first verse is about my dear friend Melissa Hadley, a musician in Athens and the funniest woman I ever knew, who died at 38 of ovarian cancer. The second verse came to me as I was looking at old pictures of Cabbagetown, a section of Atlanta that was once inhabited by Irish immigrant mill workers. In one photo, there’s a boy sitting in front of a dimestore, looking as emaciated as a POW. I got to thinkin’ that it wasn’t that long ago, right here in my hometown.”

“The Ballad of Kathryn Johnston”: Literally ripped from the headlines, the song is about an aged woman living in a crime-infested Atlanta neighborhood who got a gun to protect herself. When intruders broke down her door one night, the woman started firing, not realizing her assailants were police officers, who, it turned out, had targeted the wrong house in search of drug dealers. “Reading Dylan’s Chronicles inspired me to look for news stories, and this one really grabbed me. So little was said about it because that’s how things are in rough neighborhoods, which is what I meant by the line, ‘everything stays the same.’ But it all changed for me, because I connected with her. Sometimes I don’t feel safe, especially after we got cleaned out last year. But we don’t have a gun in the house. Even though I’ve got a little army in me [after college, Mullins was commissioned in the U.S. Army Reserve], I don’t wanna live that way.”

“Homeless Joe”: “There really is a Homeless Joe here in Atlanta, along with Shorty, Blind Bob, Wolf and other strumming, homeless troubadours. They’re living through their art, even though their lives are tough, without enough to eat or a place to sleep, and they’re viewed as winos on the street. The song is a celebration of those people who are following their bliss, even in the most difficult of circumstances. I’ve always connected with them; I see them as modern-day examples of the wanderer.”

“Leaving All Your Troubles Behind”: “This is the story of a girl who lives in a town in the North Georgia Mountains where there were once textile mills, but now the biggest industry is trailer meth, cooked up by the grandkids of moonshiners. There are a lot of people in small towns in the South that try to escape, and most of them wind up coming back. But not this girl; she’s seen enough to know that’s not where she belongs.”

“Fraction of a Man”: “A modern-day traveling salesman finds himself in Biloxi, and suddenly it hits him — ‘What am I doing with my life?’ That’s a really common thing for a lot of middle-aged American men, who want to follow their bliss and really go for it, but somehow they never do. This one leaves you with a reality check, with the

alcoholism, the loneliness, and the nomadic existence. It’d make a bummer of a movie.”

“See That Train”: “I love trains. My grandfather, father and brother-in-law all worked for the railroad, and I miss all the stories I used to hear. The song is about a hobo whose girl has left him asleep under a water tower and taken the train to Birmingham. I feel so unhip, because all the stuff I’m interested in is old. But there’s something about that America of yesterday that I long for; sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong time.”

“For America”: “I wanted to have something on the record that would express what I wanted to say not as a protest song but more like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger or early Dylan might have written. This song talks about the modern America and that feeling of what’s going on? Where are we headed? Where are our leaders? There’s a longing in the song for something that can’t be felt anymore.”

“Cabbagetown”: “It was a tough neighborhood until the late ’90s; now it’s one of the largest complexes of loft housing anywhere, surrounded by these rows of tiny shotgun houses where the mill workers used to live — now they sell for $400 grand. But this song is set in the late ’80s, when Cabbagetown was overrun by skinheads and junkies. It’s about a guy my age who wakes up one morning, looks around and decides he’s gotta get back to the mountains, where his grandfather came from. My family was full of sharecroppers and cotton mill workers — like my grandmother, who’s 93.”

“Nameless Faces”: “That one has to do with me leaving my family when I first hit the road. I really needed to get out of this little town where my first wife and I were living and play music and be with other people who were creating. I didn’t come home for a long time, and I lost contact with everyone, so it’s about my family trying to call me home.”

“Song of the Self (Chapter 2)”: “I wrote a song called ‘Song of the Self’ in ’95, right after I started going to therapy. I had a great therapist who showed me how to move on from my childhood demons, use them to my advantage and try to forgive. I hadn’t written another song like that since then, until this one. It just came to me early on in the process of writing this record. I sang these words into that little recorder, and it was exactly what I wanted to say. I’m talking to myself, but I’m also hoping that whoever listens can get something out of it. Because with all that’s going on, I feel like a little hope is a good thing.”

“Now That You’re Gone”: “That song is somewhat coming from me talking to my mom, but it’s also about my dad, who’s just had an awful time since she died. He’s remembering those times, especially in the second verse. The first is me imagining them dating, and remembering the stories they would tell about when they were childhood sweethearts in Lakewood Heights.”

(more...)

Martin Page - Songwriter Comes Full Circle

Martin Page - In the Temple of the Muse

MARTIN PAGE, who hails from Southampton, England, first gained recognition as a songwriter in the early 80’s with Top-40 hits for Kim Carnes and Earth, Wind & Fire, among others. With Bernie Taupin, whose usual partner was Elton John (and with Dennis Lambert & Peter Wolf), Page wrote “WE BUILT THIS CITY,” a Number One Hit for Starship (their first) in 1985. Page and Taupin returned to Number One the following year with “THESE DREAMS,” recorded by Heart (also Heart’s first chart topper). Teaming up with Peter Cox and Richard Drummie of the UK group Go West, Page wrote “KING OF WISHFUL THINKING,” which was featured in the movie “PRETTY WOMAN,” and became a Top Ten hit for GO WEST in 1990, and “FAITHFUL,” another hit for Go West. With Robbie Robertson, Page penned the critically acclaimed “FALLEN ANGEL,” featured in Robertson’s first solo album. Page has also written for, produced or worked with such artists as The Commodores, Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones, Paul Young, Brian Ferry, Phil Collins and Josh Groban, among many others. As a Songwriter/Recording Artist, Page gained success in America for his own band Q-Feel, with the dance hit, “DANCING IN HEAVEN,” which brought him to this country in the early 80’s; and later, Page’s debut solo LP “IN THE HOUSE OF STONE AND LIGHT” was released in 1994. In 1995, its title track became a substantial pop and adult contemporary hit – breaking the record as the longest charting single in Billboard’s A/C Chart history, and garnering Billboard’s “1995 Top Adult Contemporary Single Of The Year” Award, and ASCAP’s “most played” Award for 1995 and 1996 at ASCAP’s ANNUAL POP AWARDS. Page is now releasing his 2nd solo album, “IN THE TEMPLE OF THE MUSE”, the first release from Page’s independent label, IroningBoard Records.

Martin Page's Reviews for In The Temple Of The Muse

"'In The Temple Of The Muse' is such a wonderfully rich body of work that looks at a wide range of emotional landscapes within the human heart. Like a great wine, it's a work that deepens your appreciation of it upon each subsequent listen you give it."

- Ritch Esra, Publisher, Co-founder, A&R Registry

"The singer-songwriter-producer (has) created a personal recording that is a midlife meditation on love, loss and growth. His finely crafted pop-rock songs reveal an appreciation for what matters as time passes."

- Steven Rosenfeld, ASCAP Audio Portraits

Martin Page's Official Website

Martin Page's Myspace Page

Meiko: From Roberta Georgia To L.A.

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Meiko, originally from Roberta Georgia, may have moved from Georgia, but her small-town influences remain evident in her self-titled debut release.Meiko counts among her influences artists such as Patty Griffin, Sade, and Portishead, and she has managed to create songs that are all her own.In 2007, Meiko performed at the Sundance Film Festival and Josh Jackson (Paste Magazine), who boldly declared her a "big success story" waiting to happen; predicting it was "only a matter of time" before she found her way onto Nic Harcourt's influential “Morning Becomes Eclectic” radio program on KCRW. A few months later Meiko's music became a staple of the L.A. radio station's playlists.Raised by her dad in Roberta, Georgia, Meiko first held audience at the tender age of eight, singing “White Christmas” for an all-Black Southern Baptist church. She has since performed everywhere from local talent shows to Little League baseball parks.

Georgia Not Big Enough For Meiko

Meiko set out from Georgia to make a name for herself at the age of eighteen. She went to Miami, but eventually headed Meiko Singer toLos Angeles, and played venues all over Southern California while continually writing. Her powerful voice, well-crafted songs, made her a fan favorite wherever she played.

"I ain't wastin' no more time, I got to take back what's mine," she sings on “Under My Bed”, a track from her self-titled debut album. The Georgia Jukebox feels sure Meiko's time has come.

The Dexateens - Alabama Music Showcase

Zac Brown At The Fox

Zac Brown Band DistributionNo Longer Welcomes Affiliates - Help Us Continue To Offer Our Services

-We love to promote independent music, and artists like the Zac Brown Band are the reason we started this project, but the new distributor for the Zac Brown Band's music does not offer an affiliate program, and his music is no longer available on iTunes, Amazon, or CDbaby. The New Distributors have limited Zac Brown Band fan's options of where they can purchase The Foundation, or other Zac Brown Band music, which breaks the independent spirit of Zac Brown Band's music, and the independent music computer scene.

Help Us by sending an email here - Be nice, ask them to start an affiliate program so websites like The Georgia Jukebox can bring you the best new independent music. Thanks! -

The Zac Brown Band recently opened for another Georgia artist Sugarland at the Fox in Atlanta. Here's the best video we could find on youtube.

Shawn Mullins All In My Head

Shawn Mullins Honey Dew Has Been Released: Buy It Below - We'll have our review up soon

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TGJ and GASportsOnline

The Georgia Jukebox and Georgia High School Sports Online are here to provide listeners with the best in southern culture. High school sports are embedded in the southern culture, and we're proud to help bring Georgia High School Sports to the world.

Here are a list of the websites currently operated by GASportsonline.Com

www.Commerce-Tigers.com - Your Source For Commerce Tiger Sports

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www.JHSDragons.com - The Most Up-To-Date Jefferson Dragon Sports website

Dexateens Free Album Available For Download

Dexateens1 Dexateens Free Album Available For Download We get a lot of music here at The Georgia Jukebox, and are continually impressed with the quality of music coming out of the southeastern U.S. The Dexateens, a Tuscaloosa Alabama band is a perfect example of our culture, and their latest release, Lost and Found is stuck in my mp3 player. With roots all around Alabama, and ties to Drive-By Truckers (Paterson produced a previous album, and they’re touring with the band starting in May), these guys are helping to set the standard for Alabama, and Alt: Country in general.

Dexateens Free Album Now Available For Download:

Yes, that’s right totally free. You can download it from here. I’m not sure how long it will be available, so you’d better get it now. It’ll only take one listen to see why these guys will continue to garner fans of their country/punk sound for years to come

Dexateens Bio

Playing a gale-force fusion of punk and hard rock fueled by massive doses of guitar firepower, The Dexateens came together in Tuscaloosa, AL, in 1998. After the breakup of his band the Phoebes, guitarist Elliott McPherson met drummer Craig Pickering (aka Sweet Dog), who was also bandless after Verga called it quits. Looking to form a high-powered rock band, the two recruited bassist Matt Patton (ex-Model Citizen) and guitarist John Smith (formerly with American Cosmic), and the Dexateens were born.

Influenced by classic Southern rock as well as renegade punk, the band began dabbling with a three-guitar lineup and began playing shows with fellow Dixie rockers the Quadrajets, who taught them valuable lessons about generating a wall of sonic pummel on-stage. After an attempt to record an album with Fat Possum Records founder Bruce Watson in the producer's chair failed to satisfy either Watson or the Dexateens, the band hooked up with Texas punk pioneer and seasoned garage punk producer Tim Kerr, who added extra guitar to the band's self-titled debut, released by Estrus Records in early 2004. Little more than a year later, the Dexateens released their second full-length, Red Dust Rising, which found the bandmembers turning down their amps a bit for a less aggressive but still ballsy take on classic Southern rock. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide