The Minstral Show – (Episode 056)

Positive music with themes of love and home on today’s episode of the Minstral show featuring:  Hoobastank, The Fixators, Ivan & Alyosha, Yusuf Cat Stevens, Wheat Fields, The Greek Theatre, Saintseneca, Marqui Adora, Travel Mind Syndrome, The Nadas, Houndmouth & Chris de Burgh.

More than just a podcast, World United Music has emerged to bring you the best music being made in the 21^st century by signed, unsigned and Independent artists.

To all the Artists, be sure to share the podcast episode with your network as it helps bring attention not only to your work but to the work of others as well. That's what the “World United Music” project is all about, bringing attention to all the artists who make great music.

SET: 01

Opening today’s program is Hoobastank with the title track of their December 2003 album “The Reason”. This song is a personal favorite of mine in lyric, music and in the passion in which it is delivered. It’s truly a great song of emotional healing. The album went double platinum in the US alone selling 2.3 million copies which is a testament on how good the album is. Incidentally, Hoobastank will be on tour from October to December 2018 for the 15^th anniversary of their album “The Reason” so this is a great time to play the song and check out this band if you don’t know them already. Great stuff.

Next up is Sydney Australia’s “The Fixators” with “Rust” taken from their January 2014 album “Colorblind”

Rust is a wonderful Pop rock song about looking back in time…a very well produced sound, full of hooks to send the approval meters into gold territory…it has that summers end feel to it as well, that makes it especially likable as we pass through the days of September looking back with a farewell to summer. A very pleasant and enjoyable song.

Seattle Washington band “Ivan & Alyosha” follow with “Be Your Man” taken from their 2013 album “All the Time We Had”. Another, up beat, feel good, energy booster kind of song that harnesses the youthful excitement boys show when interested in girls. Love this tune. There’s a good video of the song on YouTube that deserves a million more hits so please do check it out…Ivan & Alyosha – Be Your Man

Closing the set is Yusuf Cat Stevens with “See What Love Did to Me” taken from his 2017 album “The Laughing Apple”

The Laughing Apple brings Yusuf's career full circle, as it reunites him with producer Paul Samwell-Smith and guitarist Alun Davies who were prominent collaborators on the 1970's multi-platinum, Tea for the Tillerman.

“See What Love Did to Me” is the wonderful result of Yusuf's search for spiritual meaning put to music that expands the fantastic creative expressions of the Tillerman days. This song is very catchy AND one listen is not enough. I love this tune.

And so we offer, a set of passion, longing and love to pick your spirits up, on the Minstral Show.

SET: 02

Black-heath Australia band “Wheat Fields” kicks off our second set with “Let’s Play” taken from their 2013 Album “Saturnalia”… “Let’s Play” is a laid back psychedelic tune that puts the mind at ease and releases the listener into an expanding universe of mello…I love the state of mind this song leaves me with. It’s really Good stuff.

From Sweden, the Greek Theater follow with “Still Lost at Sea” taken from their 2017 album “Broken Circle”. “Still Lost at Sea” reminds me of the infectious Pop sounds of the 60’s…songs such as “How Can I Be Sure” by The Young Rascals, “You Showed Me” by The Turtles and “You didn’t have to be so nice” by the lovin spoonful come to mind when I hear this song. In fact, I’m convinced that if this song was on the radio back then it would have gone multi platinum for sure…it’s certainly a pleasant and refreshing sound amongst all the noise that passes as pop today…good laid back sounds.

Saintseneca from Columbus Ohio follow with “Beast in the Garden” from their August 31^st 2018 release “Pillar of Na”. I love the harmonic sounds in this song, the old and new folk instrument’s and the way the vocals blend with them. It certainly caught my attention the moment the album dropped a few days ago. “Beast in the Garden”

Marqui Adora from Miami Florida follow with their 2008 single “Catch the Sun”. Here’s an upbeat feel good tune that celebrates our youth, through the time and life we spent together with friends…a time when it felt that we could reach out and catch the sun and live forever. If you love singing, this is a good one to sing to.

Marqui Adora have put out some excellent music in the past and certainly deserve mucho radio play…a band I feel that is very underrated.

And so, “Let’s Play” while we’re “Still Out at Sea”, but beware, “The Beast in the Garden”, while trying to “Catch the Sun”, on the Minstral Show.

SET: 03

“Travel Mind Syndrome” from Athens Greece start our final set with “Breeze of Light” taken from their 2010 Album “East Action to Saint Friday”.

“Breeze of Light” is a song that recalls the memories of a past love that sparks a beacon of light to guide the way for that special person to return. Very positive energy by Travel Mind Syndrome.  

“The Nada’s” follow with “Feel Like Home” taken from their 2008 album “Ghosts Inside these Halls”.

"Feel Like Home" is about embracing the familiar while away from home in a strange place. A good connecting song when on the road.

The song is also used as the community anthem for the Des Moines, Iowa "Do More" campaign… What a great choice of songs for a community program. Very positive with a big thumbs up

Houndmouth follows with their 2015 single “Sedona”.

The song refers to “Sedona Arizona” a little town that played host to more than 60 Hollywood movies through the 1920’s to the 1970’s including the first big movie filmed there called “Stagecoach” produced by John Ford. It’s a great little tune that tells the story of the rise and fall of the movie industry there. Sedona!

Chris de Burgh closes today’s program with “Big City Sunday’s taken from his 2014 album “The Hands of Man”. A fantastic album by the way if you haven’t heard it.

“Big City Sunday’s” is a song written with passion with the emotional connection to home. We always feel a little alone when far away and in that loneliness our thoughts often turn to youthful days of home, the place where everything’s ok, the place we live forever.

Be sure to support the artists by going to their official websites, buying their music and joining their email platforms. Details are in the episode description.

You can also find these songs in playlists on the World United Music Blog…@ worldunitedmusicDOTblogspotDOTcom

And so a set of deep connecting music with thoughts of friends we will live forever with, in the places we call home, on the Minstral Show.

See you next week everybody.

The Minstral Show – (Episode 056)

SONGS:

SET 01

Hoobastank – The Reason

The Fixators – Rust

Ivan & Alyosha – Be Your Man

Yusuf Cat Stevens – See What Love Did to Me

SET 02

Wheat Fields – Let’s Play

The Greek Theatre – Still Lost at Sea

Saintseneca – Beast in the Garden

Marqui Adora – Catch the Sun

SET 03

Travel Mind Syndrome – Breeze of Light

The Nadas – Feel Like Home

Houndmouth – Sedona

Chris de Burgh – Big City Sunday’s

ALSO:

Be sure to support the artists by going to their official websites, buying their music and joining their email platforms. (See Links below.)

ARTIST Links:

Hoobastank

The Fixators

Ivan & Alyosha

Yusuf Cat Stevens

Wheat Fields

The Greek Theatre

Saintseneca

Marqui Adora

Travel Mind Syndrome

The Nadas

Houndmouth

Chris de Burgh

The World United Music Podcast was carried on 11 different platforms including Anchor FM, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Castbox, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, PodBean and of course on our World United Music Blog. You can still find the show on Breaker & PodBean linked below. Hey, “Catch the Wave!”

Breaker

PodBean

Catch the Wave!

The Nadas



About: The Nadas

The Nadas are Iowa's signature alt-rock-country band, selling more than 200,000 albums through their own label, Authentic Records. Singers/guitarists Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith, bassist Brian Duffey, and drummer Brandon Stone mix country, rock, alternative, and indie with flawless songwriting and catchy melodies for a crowd-pleasing experience.

CONTACT: http://thenadas.com/contact/

The Nadas – Official Website

http://thenadas.com/
The Nadas - MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/thenadas
The Nadas – Last FM
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Nadas
The Nadas - Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/thenadas
TheNadas- Twitter
http://twitter.com/thenadas
The Nadas - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nadas
VIDEO
The Nadas - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/nadaschannel
BUY MUSIC
The Nadas – Official Store
http://thenadas.com/blog/index.php/music/
The Nadas - iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/almanac/id353918943
The Nadas - eMusic
http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/artist/the-nadas/11573774/
The Nadas – Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/The-Nadas/e/B000APIUI4

BIO: The Nadas

From the White House to "Real Housewives," transparency has become the promise of the digital age; everyone is broadcasting everything all of the time. So what happens when a rock band throws open the studio doors, stops being polite and starts getting real?

Des Moines rockers The Nadas found out when they set out last January to record their seventh LP, Almanac, virtually live. The rules were simple: the band would write, record and release one song a month all year. What’s more, every step of the process would be streamed live on the band's website and with unprecedented access to the creative process; fans were allowed to become an integral part of this album. By joining the band’s web-based Almanac Project, fans could monitor their blog and read the band’s project journal. Comments and criticisms on everything from lyrics to instruments were welcomed and even, in a few choice cases, incorporated into The Nadas’ music. In September of 2009, select fans that had joined the Almanac Project were extended an exclusive invitation to a special songwriting session arranged to write that month’s addition to this most unique album.

By 2009, with hundreds of thousands of copies of their previous six albums sold, and having toured along thousands of miles of highway (in Meatloaf's old tour bus, no less), one would think Playboy Magazine's "Best College Band You've Never Heard Of" would have little to worry about. However, singer/guitarist Mike Butterworth regretted the whole song-a-month idea almost immediately, “By February, I'd decided it was a terrible mistake," he says. "I didn't like being forced to be creative on a schedule, and it wrecked havoc on the creative process. Knowing that people were watching me fumble through musical and lyrical ideas was really difficult. I was self conscious the time whole time."

Co-founding singer/guitarist Jason Walsmith was equally dubious, "The truth is, the process of writing and recording is kind of ugly. I felt dumb singing things for the first time, sounding like junior high choir boy."

Butterworth and Walsmith are known for their flawless songwriting, but opening the normally intimate process for public scrutiny proved to be a trying time. By the end, though, the finished product is truly their best to date. Despite (or perhaps because) of the rigorous, self-imposed deadlines and wildly public creative process, the 12 tracks produced on Almanac, finds The Nadas in top form.

Their previous efforts The Ghosts Inside These Halls (2007) and Listen Through The Static (2005) have found the band (rounded out by bassist Jon Locker, drummer Jason Smith, and violinist Becca Smith) alternating between alt-rock and alt-country. Now, Almanac finds the band fully embracing muscular, anthemic rock. "Bitter Love," "Dodged a Bullet" and "Last to Know" stand confidently alongside the band's most amplified efforts.

The surprise is in the band's strong-but-subtle instrumental choices: staccato strings in "Long Goodbye," tin whistle in "Crystal Clear," steel drums "All I Want Is You." Where a crisp keyboard sound in "Parachute" borrows from Van Halen's "1984," the hint of auto tune in "Long Goodbye" appropriates a dash of Kanye West.

Less surprisingly, though, is the affect of the band's very-public recording process on the lyrics. Tracks like "Call Me" and "Crystal Clear" find both frontmen at their most exposed.

"I'm not gonna' let it break down," Butterworth (whose marital woes read like an open wound in “Ghosts”) sings in "Crystal Clear." 0"I'm not gonna' let it fall apart the way it did again."

In the end, even he admits that Almanac somehow captures all twelve months. "It was an average year: I lived in the same house, had the same wife, toured in the same bus, and took the same vacation. But I don't think Almanac is an average record. We stepped way out of our comfort zone in terms of writing and producing. Somehow, it's our most cohesive record yet."

"It was a risk," Walsmith said. "But our die-hard fans were game. They came along for the ride. And, just because a little bit of the magic was taken away doesn't mean they didn't relish the process.”

Like so many American bands, The Nadas started as a way for its members to pass the time between college classes. Unlike so many American bands, The Nadas outlasted their educations and rode a growing fan base to a genuine, honest-to-goodness career.

While Butterworth is known for his rock ‘n’ roll intuitions (on perfect display in his live cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”) and Walsmith for his alt-country roots, they work perfectly as a songwriting unit, skillfully evoking the romance, introspection and uncertainty of living life on one’s own terms in the 21st Century.

Those terms are what brought on the thoughts of intertwining their fans and the rise of social networking into the process of the album. Over the past sixteen years, The Nadas have built a strong community of fans and together they have sold more than 125,000 albums through their own Authentic Records, including 2003’s Transceiver and 2005’s Listen Through The Static, both produced by Todd and Toby Pipes of Deep Blue Something, as well as 2007’s The Ghosts Inside These Halls. Now, with Almanac, their seventh LP, they are confident they will continue to grow their community, bringing in new fans and new beginnings.

“We started The Nadas sixteen years ago with just a couple of songs, a van and a newsletter, then grew a community from there,” said Walsmith. “The tools we have now to communicate with and build that community are crazy. But it’s still about the songs, and our fans. They’re why we do this.”