Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 03-19-10

Carolina Chocolate Drops retains the top spot on the Roots Music Report's folk radio chart this week with Genuine Negro Jig, while Jakob Dylan's Women and Country and Mumford & Son's Gentlemen of the Road have moved into the #2 and #3 positions, respectively. Also new among the top 10 albums this week are Heather Bristow's Hope on the Vine and Red Molly's James. The latest Folk chart, based on spin totals reported by music directors and folk DJs, is posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. [To see the current Top 50 Folk Album Chart, click on the headline.]

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AcousticMusicScene.com Editor Speaks at SS Cape May, March 26

AcousticMusicScene.com’s Michael Kornfeld, who also is a communications and public relations strategist, will be among the panelists discussing “Music Marketing, Publicity & Press: The New Media Revolution” during the third annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May. The music business conference is set for Friday and Saturday, March 26-27, in the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community. SS Cape May will feature two afternoons of music business keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, mentoring and demo-listening sessions, exhibits and performance critiques at Congress Hall and Harrison Conference Center, as well as two evenings of artist showcases at various venues. Singer-songwriters Steve Forbert and Nicole Atkins present musical keynotes on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Attendees also will have plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals. [To read a short article previewing the conference, click on the headline.]

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A Quick Q & A with Kelleigh McKenzie

In less than two years' time, Kelleigh McKenzie has made quite a mark in acoustic music circles. A talented singer-songwriter who alternately accompanies herself on banjo, guitar and amplified stompbox, McKenzie has appeared on "Mountain Stage" and the "WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour," was a co-winner in the 2008 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, secured a coveted formal showcase slot at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference, and was selected to participate in emerging artists showcases at both the Falcon Ridge and Grey Fox festivals. Her debut album, Chances, was on the Americana Music Chart for six months, while "Gin," one of the tracks on it, won an Independent Music Award for Best Americana Song. Kathy Sands-Boehmer recently posed a few questions to Kelleigh. [To read Kathy's Q & A with Kelleigh McKenzie, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 03-12-10

Carolina Chocolate Drops remain #1 on the Roots Music Report's folk radio chart with Genuine Negro Jig, while Joe Pug's Messenger and The Honey Dew Drops' If The Sun Will Shine have moved up to the #2 and #3 positions, respectively. The latest Folk chart, based on spin totals reported by music directors and folk DJs, is posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. [To see the current Top 50 Folk Album Chart, click on the headline.]

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A Quick Q & A with John McCutcheon

Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter John McCutcheon has collected a legion of fans since he first started recording and performing in the mid-1970s. As Kathy Sands-Boehmer maintains, "McCutcheon skillfully combines his great storytelling with poignant and evocative songs which continue to inspire young and old alike." [To read Kathy's quick Q & A interview with John McCutcheon, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 03-05-10

The Carolina Chocolate Drops' Genuine Negro Jig has moved up to the top spot on the Roots Music Report's Folk Radio Chart, while Cliff Eberhardt's 500 Miles - The Blue Rock Sessions now occupies the number two position. The weekly radio airplay charts are compiled for various roots-related genres. These are based on spin totals reported by music directors and DJs from more than 400 terrestrial and Internet radio stations. The latest Folk chart is posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. [To see the current Top 50 Folk Album Chart, click on the headline.]

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Liz Longley is Top International Acoustic Music Awards Winner

Liz Longley is the overall grand prize winner in the sixth annual International Acoustic Music Awards competition. The young singer-songwriter from Pennsylvania, who grew up listening to Joni Mitchell and Karla Bonoff, also captured first place in the competition’s Folk category for “When You’ve Got Trouble.” [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 02-05-10

Roots Music Report compiles weekly radio airplay charts for various roots-related genres. These are based on spin totals reported by music directors and DJs from more than 400 terrestrial and Internet radio stations. The latest Folk chart is posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. [To see the current Top 50 Folk Album Chart, click on the headline.]

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Winners Named in 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

Many of the winners in the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy -- including those in the recently renamed and expanded American Roots Music field -- were announced online prior to televised ceremonies on January 31 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. [To view the full article and see the list of winners, click here.]

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Cactus Cafe at UT in Austin Faces Closure

The nationally renowned Cactus Café on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin may be closing later this year. Citing a desire “to minimize the impact of budgetary reductions on students and to protect student core services,” the Texas Union board of directors on Friday announced plans to “phase-out” the intimate live music venue that has attracted a wide array of local, regional, national and international touring acoustic artists since it opened in February 1979. The board's plans are slated to take effect in August. [To view the full article, click on the headline.]

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Irish Music Awards Presented

The second annual Irish Music Awards were presented by the Irish Music Association on January 27 at O’Malley’s Pub in Weston, Missouri. Harpist and singer Orla Fallon, formerly of Celtic Woman and Anuna, won awards in all four categories in which she was nominated. Irish folk musician Donal Lunny -- who has been a part of such groups as Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts and Mozaik, played on a number of Christy Moore albums, and has produced albums for other artists -- was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. [To see a complete list of award recipients, click on the headline.]

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