Tag: Hotel Cafe

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Monday Mashup Singles and Videos

Monday mashup 2021 (vol 18)

Happy Monday – we’re back with another edition of Monday Mashup and we have some very interesting tunes to share with you this week, including a new single from a baseball legend.  Grab your coffee and let’s get started.

NEW SINGLES

He’s a baseball legend and one of the best pitchers of the past 20 years.  We’re talking of course of the great Barry Zito | Facebook, who pitched for both the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s.  But he’s also a brilliant musician from a musical family (sister Sally Zito is an indie piano musician).  Check out his new single.

Our next single comes from an multi LA Music Critic Award winner, Katie Costello.  She’s got the right idea, as she talks about viewing the world through “Rose Colored Glasses.”

Jay Nash was one of the success stories that came out of the famed Hotel Café.  His latest is a beautiful acoustic cover of one of Tom  Petty‘s greatest hits.  Check out Nash’s version of “Won’t Back Down” with his band, The Contenders.

Our fourth single this week is a future blues classic from the brilliant Karen Lawrence and her band, Blue by Nature.  She’s under a “Bad Spell” and we couldn’t be prouder of this song.  This one bears repeating!

We close out our singles this week with this powerful song from the sultry Christina LaRocca, who reminds us about “The New Normal.”  Welcome to post-pandemic America.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video this week comes from our favorite South African indie artist Cara Frew.  This is the perfect kick-off video for summer.  Check out “Falling.”

Video number two this week features the country sound of Corinne Cook as she discusses her dating life.  This humorous lyric video will have you ROFL with “Blah, Blah, Blah.”

For our third video this week we would love to introduce one of the fastest rising bands in the country.  Composed of Chip Moreland (husband of indie queen Cindy Alexander) and Gregory Markel, All in your head has captured the heart of music lovers with their incredible harmonies, creative videos and a retro sound.  Check out “How Does it Feel to be Real?”  We think you’ll be back for more.

On the pop country front, we stumbled across this amazing artist and we truly his sound, which we think could quickly rise up the charts and deserves serious radio airplay.  Check out J4 and be “Better.”

We close out this week with another future country smash from Seth Michael.  His latest belongs on country radio and the video is amazing.  Check out “She Got a Thing.”

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Reviews

Jesse Macht lays it all out on Hotel Cafe Second Stage

Several years ago our friend Laura G. Falls (Red Boot PR) turned us on to one of her clients, Jesse Macht.  At the time he had just released what became one of our favorite albums, Suitcase Heart, which we reviewed back in January 2015 on AXS.com.

Macht’s father is actor Stephen Macht, and his brother is Gabriel Macht, star of USA’s Suits.  Although he isn’t an actor, he has still made a presence in Hollywood with the placement of his music in a multitude of shows, including The Next Great American Band, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, LA Ink, The Voice, and much of Viacom’s programming.

Through his publicist, Macht became affiliated with Keaton Simons and his step-father, Eric Roberts.  As a result, Simons placed his song “When I Go” on the Suits season 5 episode “Faith,” while Roberts became a recurring character on the show.

Macht brought his “A” game to the intimate Second Stage at the renowned Hotel Café.  His band included Rob Humphreys on drums Kenneth Belcher on guitar, Jeff Liffmann on piano and Tyler Carroll on bass.

During the show, he played songs from his diverse catalog, including the title track to his latest album, I Was Born, which was become one of his most successful songs, and “Broken my Faith,” which is one of our favorite songs off Suitcase Heart.  Despite some technical difficulties mid-set, Macht and his band turned in a superlative set, culminating in one of the best covers we have ever heard of the Tina Turner classic, “What’s Love Got to do With It.”

All in all it was a wonderful night of great music and catching up with friends, as Roberts and his wife Eliza were among the audience members, as well as Alisha and Dan Kalisher of Sleep Machine, another Red Boot client.  We highly recommend going to his live performance if he ever makes it to where you live.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018: vol. 8

The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival has come to a close, and it was a very successful run.  So many of the movies sold out, including a few that we had the pleasure of viewing, such as Dark Money, Fail State and the Greg Barker film The Final Year.  We’ll have more on the winners at the Festival later this week.  For now, here’s the latest news on the indie arts front.

AMERICANAFEST IS ACCEPTING SHOWCASE APPLICATIONS

Showcase submissions for AMERICANAFEST® 2018 are now open and will be accepted through Monday, March 26, 2018. There are two ways to submit:
  • Submissions are open to anyone via our digital platform for a small fee of $25.  Digitally submit here.
  • Become an artist member of the Americana Music Association® today and take advantage of free submissions, access to our expansive artist and industry global community, discounted conference registration rates and more!  To join, click here.  Once you join, you will find a free submission form link in your welcome letter.
Selected artists will showcase Tuesday, September 11 through Sunday, September 16 at many premiere venues throughout Nashville, Tennessee.  For more information, go to our website.
MONTANA REP ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR

Montana Repertory Theatre, the professional theatre-in-residence at the University of Montana School of Theatre & Dance, has selected Michael Legg to become its next artistic director.

Legg is currently the director of the Professional Training Company at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky.  He will start his new role at the University of Montana on July 1.

Montana Rep celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017.  Greg Johnson, whose tenure with Montana Rep began in 1990, is delighted with the choice.

“Mr. Legg brings youth, vision and vitality at a time when the Rep is poised not only to continue its tradition of touring nationally, but also to be a strong artistic presence in Missoula and the region, as the University of Montana begins its renaissance under our new president.”

BLUE ÉLAN RECORDS ARTIST KEITH HARKIN TO PLAY SPECIAL PRE-ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION AT LA’S HOTEL CAFE

Irish singer/songwriter Keith Harkin (of Celtic Thunder fame) is currently on a Stateside tour in support of his new live solo release, In The Round, his fourth album on Blue Élan Records.

He will perform at Los Angeles’ famed indie listening room The Hotel Cafe (1623 Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood) on Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m.  Tickets are available here for $35 in advance.  We strongly encourage you to attend this show.

NEW SINGLES

 Our first single today comes from Ruby Friedman and Two Beards.  It is an amazing Americana song called “Un4gvn.”  We truly dig it and hope you will too.

We just discovered an amazing British country pop band called Delaware.  They have a new single called “Fire,” and we think it is really hot.  Please let us know what you think.

Our final new single today is a rocking number from Australian artist Reichelt.  Here is “Seduced by the Light Side.”  Let it get your new week off to a great start.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

First up today is the title track for the forthcoming EP from Keaton Simons, one of Los Angeles’ elite indie artists.  His new EP will be released on March 9 and is being produced by Nashville legendary producer Marshall Altman.  It will have more of an Americana feel than his previous material.  Let us know what you think.

Last week we reviewed the new EP from Marieme, and were truly impressed with her voice and her message.  Here’s the music video for her most personal and powerful song, “Leave.”  This one will move you.

Our final video today comes from another Blue Élan artist, Cindy Alexander.  She has released a lyric video for her song “Passenger,” from her latest album, Nowhere to Hide.  Have a wonderful week.

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Artists Worth Checking Out LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2017: Vol. 43

Day three of hospice care and I’ve discovered that this is definitely not for the faint of heart.  My brother and I are working hard to provide care for our Dad.  I had no idea how much work is involved in that.  Mad props to anyone who does this for a living.  Taking a break from duties while the hospice nurse works on him and thought it was time to work on our Monday Mashup.

WENDY SWEETLOVE SELLS OUT CD RELEASE SHOW

Wendy Sweetlove, who we introduced to you a few months back at our LA Music Critic Award winners showcase, recently performed at Hotel Cafe for a sold-out house, performing all the songs from her recent release Dirty Sunday.   Alana Sweetwater opened the show, and we wish we could have been there.  From what we hear, it was one of the best shows of the year.

KELLY McGRATH SIGNS NEW PUBLISHING DEAL

Kelly McGrath, who just returned from a tour of the UK, signed a new publishing deal with Luna Music Group, and released her holiday single on iTunes.  We expect even greater things from this indie superstar in the new year.

NEW SINGLES

First up is the latest from powerhouse band FlecHaus with “Finding.”  This one is a keeper – let it inspire you this season.

Next check out “Big G,” the latest from Neosho.  This one has enough energy to get you up and dancing with encouragement for the new year.  Let us know what you think.

Our last new single today comes from the band Echo City.  The tune is called “Burn Me,” and it definitely gets our flames arising.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video today is “Shooting Stars” by Mellott.  We love this lyric video with its awesome background of shooting stars – it is perfect.  Enjoy.

Our next video, “Paint the Road,” by Sierra Blanca, has visually stunning cinematography and a beautiful story sung with a incredibly strong voice.  Please share this one with your friends.

Our final video for the week is “Rise” by Sluka, an intense protest song complete with images to drive home his point.  Let us know where you stand.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Awards Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival LA Music Critic Awards Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre Women in Entertainment

HFF17 – see it or skip it (day 5) part 1

After two days of clearing out our storage unit, we hosted the LA Music Critic Awards winners showcase on the Second Stage at the world-famous Hotel Café on Tuesday night.  During that amazing night of indie music, we were treated to performances by Wendy Sweetlove, Elyse Haren, Jon Mullane, Janey Street, Jerad Finck, Lovers & Poets, Katie Costello, The Spider Accomplice and Papermoon Gypsys.   In addition, Janey Street was awarded the 2017 Icon Award.  Kudos to her team at Blue Élan Records, who showed up in force, led by label owner Kirk Pasich, label-mate Cindy Alexander and their publicist, Melissa Dragich-Cordero of MAD Ink PR.  Other notables in attendance included Alexis Keagan, Aleksey Zharinov of Sika, Kris Angelis, Alisha Zalkin and Dan Kalisher of Sleep Machine, Jennifer Lyneis of Ue3 Promotions and Patrick O’Hefferan of LA Musica Radio.  Thanks to everyone who attended.

Moving on to Wednesday, it was time to get fringing again, and we took in three plays which are reviewed below, and topped it off with the Cherry Poppins production of Shakeslesque, which we will review in part 2.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Magic 8 Ball (My Life with Asperger’s)

VENUE:  Sacred Fools Black Box

REVIEW:  We first learned about this show when he submitted for our Larry Cornwall Award, and we are so thankful he reached out.  This show has got to be one of the hidden gems of HFF 17.  Wonderfully directed by first time directorial team Penni and Crystal Wilson, the show was written and performed by George Steeves, who is also a singer-songwriter with songs available on iTunes.  Needless to say, this was one of the best shows we have seen at Fringe this year.  It is a very personal story of triumph over adversity that was also educational in understanding the struggles of people living on the autism spectrum.

RECOMMENDATION:  If you only have time for a few shows at Fringe, this is a MUST SEE!  We are proud to give Magic 8 Ball one of our highest recommendations.  He still has shows available on June 24 at 4:30 p.m. and June 25 at 2:30 p.m.

TITLE OF SHOW:  “Lovesick” The Misadventures of a Love-Crazed Maniac

VENUE:  Sacred Fools Black Box

REVIEW:  Lovesick is another show wonderfully directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, and amazingly written and performed by Gabriella DeMarco.  Told through a host of characters, including cats, the story was funny, uplifting and all too universal.    What made it all the more special was that DeMarco has had some personal losses while preparing for Fringe that would have driven most people into a deep state of inactivity and depression.  The fact that she was performing during this turmoil goes to the true professionalism she displayed in her acting, and in sharing her story with the Fringe.

RECOMMENDATION:  This was her final show, but hopefully Combined Artform will pick her up for an extension.  If they do, we highly recommend that you See her show.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Shattered

VENUE:  Sacred Fools Black Box

REVIEW:  Our final drama and one-person show of the day turned out to be Diana Varco‘s amazing production of Shattered, which was also wonderfully directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson.  Not since 2010, when Kimleigh Smith rocked the Fringe with her dramatic tale in T-O-T-A-L-L-Y, has such a powerful piece about sexual abuse and its aftermath rocked my Fringe world.   Told through 35 characters, which included many of the emotions that haunt most of us, this show made its mark and earned the distinction of being among our favorite shows of HFF 17.  It was funny, sad, heart-wrenching and hopeful, and left us with a true sense of purpose to becoming the person we were meant to be.  Kudos to Ms. Varco for a true Fringe work of art.

RECOMMENDATION:  We strongly advise you to See the final performance of this show on June 24 at 9:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Awards Hollywood Fringe Festival LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2017: Vol. 23

Happy Monday.  It’s time again for our Monday Mashup, our final one before embarking on two weeks of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.  We are leaving tomorrow for California, where we will be attending 40+ shows at #HFF17 before presenting our first annual Larry Cornwall Award at the Fringe Awards show on June 25.

In addition to two weeks of the Fringe, we will be having our first winners showcase for the LA Music Critic Awards on June 20.  The show will be held on the Second Stage of the Hotel Café, and will feature nine previous and future winners of LAMCA, including Wendy Sweetlove, Elyse Haren, Jon Mullane, Janey Street, Jerad Finck, Lovers and Poets, Katie Costello, The Spider Accomplice and Papermoon Gypsys.  We will also be presenting a special award to one of the performers that night.  Tickets are available in advance through the venue’s website, as well as at the door.  We encourage you to buy your tickets in advance, as we expect the evening to sell out.

NEW MUSIC

Check out this cool tune from Dylyn, “American Nightmare.”  It’s got a great beat and should keep your body dancing all night.  We think she just might be on to something.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

First up this week is the latest from Jared Tyler, who we recently reviewed in Get it or Forget it.  This is the title cut to his new album.  It’s definitely worth a listen.  And since it’s a lyric video, you get to learn the words as you watch.

Next for you this week is the latest from Rococode, another of our recent reviews.  We really dig this band, and think you will too.  Check out “Is it Real” and let us know your thoughts.

And now for our comedy spotlight, check out the latest video from Blue Élan artist Scout Durwood.  The song is called “All the Pretty Bottles.”  We think it will get your new week off to a great start.

Last but not least this week is the latest from Brooklyn’s own Jennifer Vazquez, now based in Nashville.  Check out this amazing lyric video for her song, “Rocked,” from her latest album, Rediscovering Me.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Hollywood Fringe Festival LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2017: Vol 21

Back home in Montana after a wonderful week spending time with my dad and sister-in-law in Oklahoma.  I drove 3100 miles through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma, and enjoyed the trip.  Also got to stop in Denver and catch a performance of one of my best friends, Nina Storey, at The Soiled Dove Underground.

Speaking of the show, her opening act, Ian Mahan, was amazing.  The night was sheer perfection.  Loved the entire vibe of new songs, old songs, Beatles songs and the wit and wisdom of her brilliant on stage banter.  We have been friends for many years (won’t tell you how many but it’s more than 10), and this was the best show I have ever witnessed.  Be on the lookout for new material, as well as a new project that she shared with us.  If you loved her before, you will love her even more now.  If you haven’t discovered the magic that is Nina Storey, then now is the perfect time to come onboard.

HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL OPENS FOR PREVIEWS ON JUNE 1

The Eighth annual Hollywood Fringe Festival opens for previews on Thursday, followed by the Opening Party on June 7.  We will be arriving on June 15, and will provide daily coverage through the awards show on June 25.  We are so excited to present our first award this year, the Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence, in honor of our fallen friend, Larry Cornwall aka Alice in Cooperland.  Stay tuned for our list of the 10 most anticipated shows, which will be published later this week.

LA MUSIC CRITIC AWARD WINNERS SHOWCASE

The LA Music Critic Awards are celebrating five years of recognizing the indie music community with a showcase at the famed Hotel Café on June 20.  We will be honoring a special songwriter with the 2017 Icon Award, and will have performances by Wendy Sweetlove, Elyse Haren, Jon Mullane, Janey Street, Jerad Finck, Katie Costello, Lovers & Poets, The Spider Accomplice and Papermoon Gypsys.  Advance tickets are available on the Hotel Café website and are only $10 in advance and $12 at the door.  Come help us celebrate and support live indie music.

EMILY CLIBOURN DEBUTS ROCK-UMENTARY

Emily Clibourn has been a force in indie music for several years.  We are proud to announce the screening of her new rock-umentary, As the Wind Blows, the story of her recent cross-country tour.  The screening of the five part documentary will be on Saturday, June 3 from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at 1340 E 6th Street, Suite 402, Los Angeles.  Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with live music playing from 8:30 until 10 p.m.  The screening will follow.  Afterwards, attendees are invited to the Villains Tavern for the after party.  The event is BYOB, and it is recommended that you also bring a pillow for your own seating.

Please click here to RSVP and here for more details.

NEW MUSIC

Speaking of Jerad Finck, he has recently released his new single, on the heels of the success of “Criminal.”  His tune is called “New Kids,” and we think you’ll love it.  Check it out.

https://soundcloud.com/jeradfinck/new-kids-master

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Check out this interesting video from Brooklyn based Onesie of their tune, “This Minstrel.”  Please let us know your thoughts.

We haven’t forgotten about you hip-hop fans.  Check out the recent music video from Australian band 27 seconds of their song, “Forever Learning.”

Last  but not least this week is the debut video of an amazing new band fronted by our friend, Justin Foutz.  Check out “American Sweetheart” by the Rye Brothers.

 

 

 

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – The Journey Begins (part 2)

My first show for the day was Tell me on a Sunday at the Black Box portion of the new Sacred Fools Theater.  The location previously housed Theatre Asylum, as well as the Elephant and Lillian Theatres.

Tell Me

Tell me could not have been a better start to my HFF16 experience.  It was a one-woman musical told without any dialog.  The music was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Don Block, under the direction of Calvin Remsberg and the musical direction of Richard Berent.  But what truly set this musical apart was Shannon Nelson, the dynamo behind this musical gem.

Without the use of any spoken dialogue, Nelson told us a story of love and relationship, entirely in song and through her amazing acting chops.  Her performance left no doubt of the story line, or who was the true victor in this all too common story of love found and lost.

We highly recommend this show, with remaining performances on June 15 at 9 p.m., June 19 at 11 p.m., and June 20 at 10 p.m.

Next up was Tilt, one of the ten shows in my article Ten Shows I’m Looking Forward to at the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival.  The cast of Tilt contained two of my favorite Fringe actors, Ben Moroski and Michael Shaw Fisher, and was directed by Nick Massouh.

Tilt

Previous to this production, Moroski has been considered a brilliant storyteller with two award-winning solo shows, while Fisher was considered a musical theater genius of three award-winning musicals and one winner of a solo show.

Needless to say, the energy in this show was palpable, and never lets up from the opening to the closing scenes.  Fisher’s commanding stage presence, and the kinetic energy of Moroski combine to light up the stage.  The dialog is witty and the chemistry between these two giants of the Fringe is worth the price of admission alone.

This is definitely a show that must be experienced.  Remaining performances are scheduled for June 17 at 10 p.m., June 18 at 5:30 p.m., June 24 at 9:30 p.m. and June 15 at 5:30 p.m.  The performances are on the Second Stage portion of Sacred Fools.

My third show was The Rogues Gallery, performed in the Studio portion of Sacred Fools.  It is a fast-moving, campy and comedic one-woman show written and performed by New Orleans’ own original classy broad, Alison Logan.

Rogues

Logan puts four of her previous ex-boyfriends “on trial’ as she explains why they should all be convicted of roguish behavior, separated by song and dance numbers featuring the smoky and powerful pipes of Logan.  The show also includes great audience participation, including a hilarious version of the Village People’s classic anthem, YMCA.

This show is too much fun to miss, and only has one remaining performance at 10 p.m. on Sunday.  Don’t miss it.

At this point, I took a musical interlude to attend the amazing performance of my friends Shannon Hurley and Ben Eisen’s duo, Lovers & Poets, held at the newly opened Second Stage portion of the world-famous Hotel Café.  The show was further proof that Lovers & Poets are becoming a force in the LA indie music scene.  They did not disappoint and kept the small but mighty audience enthralled during the set.  Were Freddy and Francine not celebrating their CD release on the main stage, I’m sure the venue would have been packed.

After spending some time with fringeships David Haverty,  Meghan McCauley, Leigh Neeves, Jeffrey Wylie and others at Fringe Central, I headed over to my final show of the night, Charlotte’s Shorts, held at the Actor’s Company theater on Formosa.  The show features the short stories of the incredibly talented Charlotte Dean, daughter of my friend Tracy Newman, as read and performed by some of Hollywood’s rising talents, including Anastacia McPherson, Lisa Schurga, H. Michael Croner, Hannah Einbinder (daughter of Tracy’s sister, SNL alum Larraine Newman), Lynne Stewart, Navaris Darson and Jordan Black.

Charlotte

Unlike anything I have ever experienced at the Fringe, this show was fun, witty, and non-stop hilarious.  Not only did it showcase Dean’s talents as a writer, but it also showed Hollywood what type of talent is waiting in the wings for their big breaks.  This was indeed one of the best Fringe shows I have ever seen in my six years of covering the Festival.

Indie Voice Blog is proud to highly recommend this show.  Don’t miss one of their remaining performances scheduled for June 17 at 8:30 p.m., June 19 at 5:30 p.m. or June 26 at 3:30 p.m.  With a revolving pool of talent, every show will be different, so why not catch them all?

I closed out the night with a night cap at the Formosa Café with Dean, Newman and several members of the cast.  It was a wonderful ending to a perfect first day of Fringe.

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Reviews

Alice Wallace is making “Memories, Music & Pride” with her latest release

Alice Wallace is set to debut her latest album, Memories, Music & Pride when she brings her SoCal Americana music to one of Hollywood’s premier venues, The Hotel Cafe’ on Friday, October 9.
Already recognized by the Orange County Music Awards (OCMA) with nominations for best country/americana and best live band, Wallace’s latest release should cement this rising star’s place as one of the best Americana performers in America, right next to Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin and Honeyhoney.
Co-produced by Kirsten Proffit of CALICO the Band and Steve Berns (who produced CALICO’s debut album), and released on California Country Records, a label created by Proffit and her CALICO co-founder Manda Mosher, Memories, Music & Pride is the perfect marriage between the classic and future sounds of Americana music.  In addition to co-producing the album, Proffit and CALICO bandmate Aubrey Richmond also provide backing vocals on the album.

According to Wallace, “This record is more cohesive, as far as style is concerned,” she says. “I like blues, I like folk, I like country. This one still touches on all of those. But with this album I feel like I was trying to bridge the gap between my influences in old-time country with newer artists like Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell, whose albums have opened my eyes to what modern country can be.”  Wallace’s previous releases include 2011’s Sweet Madness and 2013’s A Thousand Miles From Home.

 All of the 11 tracks on the CD are originals, with the exception of Wallace’s cover of the classic 1935 Patsy Montana hit “I Want to be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.”  Montana was the first major female country and western solo singing star, and Wallace, who took up yodeling after hearing Jewel talk about the old country singing style on her early records, had to reach back to the style of such earlier yodeling recording artists as Montana, Jimmie Rodgers, and Slim Whitman for her interpretation of the tune.  “I’ve never done anything in the style of Patsy Montana, and I was trying to make it true to the original in a way.”
Every track is stunning, with Wallace’s amazing vocals bringing life to her thought-provoking lyrics and melodies.  Everything you like about Americana music is there – the emotions, the vocal range and the steel guitar combine to create songs that are instantly memorable and reach deep inside the listener to connect on a deeper level than most music being produced today.
Two songs that stand out are “Leave” and “If I Didn’t Win.”  You can literally feel the pain and the joy in these songs, with universal themes of loneliness, love and struggle.  Not only are they great songs to listen to, but they are also the perfect soundtrack for dancing.

Among the amazing musicians that play on the record are jazz-schooled guitarist Tom Bremer, who has worked with Wallace for the past five years; drummer Josh Huppert, another longtime band mate; multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Long, now the pedal steel player in Sam Outlaw’s touring group; and bassist Robert Bowman. Special guests on the album include Ted Russell Kamp, a well-known Los Angeles solo artist who plays with Shooter Jennings’ band and is a frequent guest player with CALICO, who contributes upright bass on the track “Leave.”

Wallace, who was born in Los Angeles and raised in St. Cloud, Florida, began playing guitar at the age of 10 but didn’t truly devote her time to music until she was 15.  Over the years, she absorbed a variety of influences, from her parents’  favorites like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris to ‘80s and ‘90s country performers like Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, and Mary Chapin
Carpenter and singer-songwriters like Jewel, Alanis Morisette and Sarah McLachlan.
It was these songwriters that brought Wallace back to music:  “That’s why I picked up the guitar again and made a more serious attempt at playing and writing songs – I was so inspired by hearing female artists on the radio.”
Wallace and her family left Florida in 2008 and relocated to Fullerton, California.  By 2013, Wallace was doing music full-time, traveling across the country on the strength of her first two albums, and gathering material for what became Memories, Music & Pride.
It should come as no surprise that “A Traveling Song” (Track 8) was inspired by some of those chance companions on the American byways.  “I’ve spent the last two years getting used to traveling – usually by myself,” Wallace says.  “It’s definitely been a personal learning experience, dealing with being alone a lot, and the songs reflect that.”  In addition, some of the album’s most intimate songs – like “Rough Around the Edges” and “Ohio Boy” – are drawn from relationships that developed on the road.   Wallace continues, “Traveling full-time does not lend itself well to romantic relationships; the few that I’ve had have been temporary, and usually they end badly.  They make for good songwriting material, but I definitely look back and say, ‘All right, Alice, you should have seen that coming.’”
For more on this amazing artist, check out her website and Facebook page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.  And if you’re lucky enough to be in Los Angeles, don’t miss her release show at the Hotel Cafe’ on October 9.