Mieka Pauley Wins New York Songwriters Circle Contest

Mieka Pauley, a 27 year-old singer-songwriter from Cambridge, Massachusetts, was named the grand prize winner in The New York Songwriters Circle’s 2008 Songwriting Contest. Pauley, whose musical style combines elements of soul, blues, rock, acoustic and alternative, performed a stripped-down acoustic version of “All the Same Mistakes” during live finals held before a panel of music industry judges and fans, Nov. 5 and 6, at The Bitter End in Manhattan’s West Village. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Boston Globe Drops Folk Music Writer Scott Alarik

Scott Alarik, the longtime principal folk music writer for the Boston Globe, has been dropped from the daily newspaper's pages as part of a restructuring of its arts section. A contributing writer for the Boston Globe since 1986, Alarik has been professionally engaged in the folk music community for nearly 40 years -- both as a music journalist and a singer-songwriter. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Folk DJs to Sing During Upcoming NERFA Conference

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On November 13, Folk DJs Graham & Barbara Dean and Wanda Fischer will lift their own voices in song during an AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conference at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New York.

[To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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MerleFest 2009 Lineup Announced

MerleFest, one of America’s most popular Americana music festivals, has announced its 2009 artist lineup. Celebrating the music of the late instrumental virtuoso Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson, the “traditional-plus” music festival – featuring traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region -- takes place April 23-26 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival Set for Nov. 22

The David Grisman Quintet and The Avett Brothers headline the inaugural Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival. Set for Saturday, November 22, from noon to 11 p.m., at the Congress Theater, the festival also will feature more than a dozen other acts – both homegrown and touring musicians – with musical styles ranging from bluegrass and blues to roots and jam-band. Early-bird general admission tickets are $31. A portion of the proceeds will support the research efforts of the Chicago-based Save Tiny Hearts Foundation, which seeks to help eradicate congenital heart defects in children. For more information and to order tickets, visit www.cbgbfestival.com.

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‘Traveling Salesman’ Doesn’t Sell His Soul

New Music Gets Right to the Heart; Spans Folk, Rock, Roots and Americana Genres

Joe IadanzaLong Island -based folk-rock singer-songwriter Joe Iadanza composes and delivers deeply personal and inspiring original music. On his recent debut studio release, Traveling Salesman, Iadanza’s soaring poetic vocals and percussive fingerstyle guitar grooves are accented by the musical talents of a unique group of classically-trained, jazz-schooled and folk-versed musicians.

Featuring original songs by Iadanza, Traveling Salesman is a heart-opening – sometimes foot-stompin’ – album that spans the genres of folk, rock, roots and Americana. It is imbued with what one British music critic called a “European jazz” feel that harkens back to a bygone era. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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The Americana Folk Festival Set for Nov. 1 in Tennessee

Jeff Black, Alison Brown, Casey Driessen (of the Sparrow Quartet), Robby Hecht, Jars of Clay, Gretchen Peters, and The Silver Seas are among the more than 30 local and nationally touring artists slated to perform on three stages during The Americana Folk Festival on Nov. 1 at Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Tennessee, The park is situated in the hills of middle Tennessee, 30 minutes west of Nashville. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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2008 MountainStage NewSong Contest Winners Named

Jeff Ellis of Huntington, West Virginia; Jacob & Lily of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Kangero of Brooklyn, New York; Kelleigh McKenzie of Rosendale, New York; and Rose Polenzani of Somerville, Massachusetts were named as winners of the 2008 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, presented by Folk Alliance. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour Partners with Clearview Cinemas to Bring Show to Big Screens in NY Metro Area

Folksinger Michael Johnathon’s WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour has established a new partnership with Clearview Cinemas — WoodSongs at the Movies — that will bring the weekly program to big screens throughout the New York metropolitan area, preceded by 30-45-minute live sets by regional artists. Showtime is Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m., beginning Oct. 22. AcousticMusicScene.com has signed on to present artists at Clearview’s 62nd and Broadway Cinema in Manhattan. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Mountain Stage NewSong Contest Finals Set for Oct. 11

The international finals of the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, presented by Folk Alliance, take place on Saturday, October 11, at 7:30 p.m., at the Cultural Center in Charleston, West Virginia -- home to the internationally broadcast “Mountain Stage” radio and TV show that has showcased more than 2000 artists since its inception in 1983. Performing artists include this year’s early-bird finalists Maureen Andary of Washington, D.C. and Robby Hecht of Nashville, Tennessee; general round finalists Jacob & Lily of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Kelleigh McKenzie of Rosendale, New York, and Rose Polenzani of Somerville, Massachusetts; plus the following regional winners: Tanya Davis of Halifax, Nova Scotia; Steve Dawson of Chicago, Illinois; Jeff Ellis of Huntington, West Virginia; Kangero of Brooklyn, New York; Boris McCutcheon of Ojo Sarco, New Mexico; and Sarah Sample of Seattle, Washington. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Dailey & Vincent Dominate International Bluegrass Music Awards

Dailey & Vincent, who released their debut CD earlier this year, captured the most awards during last night’s 19th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Show at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tennessee. The group, whose leaders (Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent) apprenticed for years under Doyle Lawson and Ricky Skaggs, was named Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year, while its self-titled debut on Rounder Records was named Album of the Year and “By the Mark” was named Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year. In addition, Dailey was named Male Vocalist of the Year, while Vincent was among the featured artists on the Recorded Event of the Year – Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother (Swift River Music). [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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