Tag: Women in Entertainment

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Katie Garibaldi, troubadour to the Golden Gates

Merry Christmas – Indie Voice to pleased to present the final Women in Entertainment profile for 2015, shining the spotlight on San Francisco own’s Katie Garibaldi, singer-songwriter extraordinaire, label owner and the unofficial troubadour to the Golden Gate city.  She also recently obtained an endorsement deal with Breedlove Stringed Instruments, who worked with her to build a new custom Master Class guitar.

Garibaldi, who has been compared to the likes of Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile, Ani DiFranco, Fiona Apple, Jewel and Taylor Swift, continues to play regularly in her San Francisco Bay Area home base  at such premier music clubs as Hotel Utah, The Little Fox, Cafe Du Nord, and Neck Of The Woods.  She has also toured nationally, including frequent stops in Nashville where she has performed at Music City’s (world-famous) Bluebird Cafe.

Garibaldi is also an innovative entrepreneur and the owner of her own label, Living Dream Music.  She has acquired a devoted fan base, due in no small part to her incredibly engaging live shows and the personal connection she has developed with her listeners through her music.  Regardless of whether she is performing by herself or with a band, Garibaldi shares her emotions with her audience through melodic and catchy songs and soulfully expressive vocals, creating a distinct sound that is both pop and country with a tinge of Americana.

A prolific writer, she recently released her seventh full-length album, Follow Your Heart, which was recorded at John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone Recording Studios in San Francisco and engineered by Ian Pellicci.  The album features some of Garibaldi’s most personal songs, many of which are inspired by her recent marriage, reflecting back to her simple yet powerful message of the importance of having the conviction to follow one’s heart.  The album also includes performances by several notable musicians, including the Magik*Magik Orchestra.

Follow Your Heart is the first full-length release of all new compositions since her award winning Next Ride Out album in 2009.   During those six years, she has continued to tour the country, building her brand DIY-style with help from her friends in Nashville and elsewhere, and has garnered critical acclaim from both press and peers.

Guitar Player magazine called her “a gifted songwriter with a gorgeous voice,” while Music Connection magazine wrote “Garibaldi is blessed with a sweet and pure soprano, and we hear a sincerity in this artist that is real.”   Music Connection also included Garibaldi on their annual list of the Top 100 Live Unsigned Artists, while her peers in Songsalive! voted her the Songwriter of the Year award.  Garibaldi is an active voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) and the current Emerging Artist Of The Year winner from the Indie Music Channel 2015 Awards.   Most recently, Bay Area music blog The Deli Magazine named Garibaldi the San Francisco Artist Of The Month for September 2015.

What inspires Garibaldi?  “My relationship with my husband inspires me a lot, as I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of writing love songs that are inspired by him. Also, I get really inspired to write when I’m touring, seeing different cities and just soaking up all of the various adventures that come with traveling and new experiences. I always seem to come back home with an itch to write something new. And in general, my family and my faith have always inspired me to be myself, do what I love, and follow my dreams, which keeps me motivated as a person, as well as an artist and songwriter.”

Where does she see herself in the future?  “Regarding the near future, I’m working on wrapping up my new EP, which I’m very excited about and planning to release it sometime in the early part of 2016. The EP consists of five new songs that I recorded in Nashville with some extremely talented musicians. These songs are a bit of a departure from my usual song topics, where I focus more on self-discovery and faith. They’re also a bit different sonically speaking from my last album, being more stripped down in production and feature a lot of intricate string arrangements. I can’t wait for people to hear them! It’s the latest piece of my heart and soul. I’ll be promoting and touring with the new release next year, and also plan to release a new music video for one of the songs leading up to the release, which I’ll be working on soon. As far as long term plans, I hope to keep living my dreams, making and sharing music, and growing my business as an artist/songwriter to encompass larger opportunities in this industry. ”

To find out more about this artist, check out  her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

 

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Tracy Byrnes, keeping the beat alive

Happy Monday.  Let’s take a break from our remembrances of Pearl Harbor Day and take a moment to shine the Women in Entertainment spotlight on another incredible indie musician, Tracy Byrnes, one-half of the alt-americana band The Fallen Stars and the keeper of the beat for others, including Riddle & the Stars and the Leaves on the Wind Music Project.

Growing up to the soundtrack of folk music of the 70’s and her parents’ love of Tom Rush, Bonnie Raitt, Janis Ian and Bruce Springsteen, Byrnes always seemed destined for music, whether performing in high school musicals, internationally-touring folk groups or college choir.   This background culminated in her current role as the bassist and vocalist for The Fallen Stars where she combines her narrative songwriting style with the power of a Springsteen delivery.

Byrnes was drawn to the bass by its design and function as the one that holds it together and keeps everyone grounded.  Her bass of choice is a Rickenbacker 4001 that was made the week after she was born.  “I love how the bass is both rhythm and melody and I’m in control of the heartbeat of the song,” explained Byrnes.

She and her husband, Bobbo Byrnes, co-founded The Fallen Stars, who have earned the titles “Best Live Acoustic Band” and “Best Country/Americana Band” from the OC Music Awards’; “Best Live Acoustic Band” and “Best Live Rock Band’ from the SoCal Live Music Competition, and most recently, “Best Live Band” from the OC Weekly.  They have released a total of five albums while completing multiple tours throughout the United States and Europe, including stints in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Besides her work with The Fallen Stars, Byrnes has also released two CDs and toured with Riddle & The Stars, a band consisting of both Tracy and Bobbo as well as Melbourne, Australia’s Ben Riddle, whom they met while touring together in Europe.

Byrnes’ most recent collaboration is the creation of the Leaves On The Wind Music Project, a fan project striving to write, record and release an original song inspired by each and every episode of the cult sci-fi TV show Firefly.  As a result of this project, The Fallen Stars have become a global sponsor for the fan-based charity organization Can’t Stop the Serenity, which helps raise money for Equality Now, an organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights for women and girls around the world.  A portion of the proceeds of every Leaves on the Wind Music Project sale will be donated by The Fallen Stars to Equality Now.

What inspires Brynes?  “I’m always inspired by the next song and seeing where it will take us.”

What does Byrnes plan for the future?  “To continue following Bobbo from one disaster to another!  No!  Our tours are not disasters!  We’re going to write the third installment of our “Leaves On The Wind Music Project”, release a new Riddle & The Stars CD in the spring and tour the United States in the spring before heading to Europe in the fall.”

To find out more about this amazing artist, click on the links above, visit their website, follow her (and her projects) on Twitter, and subscribe to their various YouTube channels.

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Janelle Barreto, rocking the indie world

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and had the chance to spend time with family and friends.  Indie Voice Blog is so thankful to be able to continue its series on Women in Entertainment, and shine a spotlight on one of LA’s hardest rocking indie voices, Janelle Barreto, current lead singer of the indie-pop-punk-rock band ROCKET.

Barreto grew up in Southern California where she first began performing on stage in musicals, winning local talent competitions and landing a Press Telegram Award in Performing Arts.  Immediately after high school, she was discovered by and signed to her first development/production deal with Howling Dog Productions.  Shortly thereafter she recorded several 12” singles and began showcasing at local dance clubs and venues, which led to her being signed to Solar/Sony Records as part of an all female pop group.

Barreto soon realized that pop music was not her calling, either musically or lyrically, and began to write her own original alternative rock material.   This led to her co-founding the alternative indie rock band Exploiting Eve, which built a huge local following in Los Angeles and performed at some of best and largest of the local venues, including House of Blues (both Sunset Strip and Downtown Disney), BB King Blues Club, The El Rey Theater, Huntington Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Gay Pride Fest, Key Club, Viper Room, Roxy Theater, and countless others.

We first met Barreto back around 2001.  The band was starting to take off, having just released their second CD, Getting Thru, and was getting airplay from LA legendary rock station, KLOS.  DK Films created a live music video for the band from a show held at the world famous Whisky-a-go-go in 2002.

After winning numerous awards, she decided to continue her music education by returning to school and graduating in Music Theory and Guitar from the Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena.

Barreto left the band around 2007 to pursue solo musical aspirations.  She spent several years performing as a singer-songwriter and as a studio vocalist, all the while perfecting her songwriting chops.  When The Pills, an LA indie rock band, lost their lead singer, Barreto answered the call, and Rocket was born.

Based out of Los Angeles with music in the vein of Paramore, Foo Fighters, Joan Jett and Stone Temple Pilots, Rocket recently released an amazing music video for their single “HEY BABY” as a follow-up to their radio single and current EP “The Singles.”

Rocket is currently enjoying success at commercial Alternative Radio, receiving national airplay on such stations as KROQ 106.7 “Rodney on the Roq” (Los Angeles); Indie 103.1 “Go Deep” (Los Angeles); East Atlanta Village Radio – Regular Rotation (Atlanta, GA); FM 90 KACV Regular Rotation including Featured Artist interview “Under the Radar” & “The Indie Show” (Amarillo, TX), KRZQ 104.1 The Real Alternative “New Music Show” (Reno, NV); WRIF2 101.1 “Undercover Sound System” (Detroit, MI); WLKK 107.7 “Underground Collective” (Buffalo, NY).  At the same time, the band has provided tour support to some of rock’s biggest and most infamous bands, including Puddle of Mudd, Missing Persons, Bow Wow Wow and Gene Loves Jezebel.

Here’s what a couple of local LA music critics had to say about Barreto and Rocket:

“We think the band is ready for larger venues and would not be surprised if we hear their music placed in TV commercials and movies very soon. . . Front-woman Janelle Barreto, always impresses with her powerhouse vocals and stage presence.  She is literally unstoppable.”  (Renee Silverman, AXS.com).

“Barreto’s diva stage presence fits well with her voice, which seems to project and reverberate throughout a crowd with the depth and power of a great rock voice.”  (Mari Fong Burr, Campus Circle Magazine)

But what inspires Barreto?  “My greatest inspiration comes from a desire to fulfill my destiny of being a messenger.  The influence, energy and power that music and lyrics have to move, change and effect people is very special.  I feel honored and grateful to be blessed with this gift, so I look to care for it, and to maximize its use.  I create songs to have people be reflective, engaged, taken on an emotional journey, and be evolved by my music and words.  I’m also inspired by everyday things like beauty, kindness, love, loyalty, friendship, achievement, and coincidence.”

The band has also received critical support, including the 2015 Best Rock Band award from the LA Music Critic and Best Music Video for “Hey Baby” at the Other Venice Film Festival.  In addition, Rocket was selected by World Arts Music and I am Musicology to perform at their Touring Kick-Off event at the historic Ivar Theater.  They also participated in the Levitt Pavilion “Emerging Artist” Summer Concert Series.

What does the future hold for Barreto and Rocket?  “On a personal perspective, as long as I can breathe and I’m here in this existence (forever how long that is), I will sing and make music. You never know when the ride is going to end, so I might as well spend as many moments doing the thing that I love the most, and feel I was put here to do. So, I will continue to write songs and make records for as long as I can. On a business aspect and more in the near future, for my band Rocket, our focus is on collaborating with a good record label to get us to higher heights, help us complete a new album and get radio play. Ultimately we aim to tour, so more music lovers can be exposed to and influenced by our art.”

Keep up with Barreto and Rocket by checking out their website and Facebook pages, following them on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribing to their YouTube channel.

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Danni Rosner, sweet country songstress

As we head into Thanksgiving, it is our privilege to present this week’s Women in Entertainment profile of Danni Rosner, former television host, singer-songwriter and founder of the future country wonders, Honey County, one of the brightest of country music’s newcomers.

Born and raised in Virginia, she relocated with her family to Tokyo, Japan as she was entering the fifth grade.  She remained abroad until high school, when her family returned to Virginia.  Rosner then attended Virginia Tech, where she graduated with degrees in English and Musical Analysis.

Her musical career truly began in 2009 when she won the legendary NYC Amateur Night at the Apollo with a rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.”  Since then, she has been featured several times at the Sunset Sessions Radio Film & TV Showcase in Las Vegas and has performed live on a myriad of NBC, FOX & WUSA morning news and talk programs.  She was also the host for PBS’s music video program Strictly Global on the MHz Networks.  Her music has been placed in several television shows and indie films, including A&E’s TEACH:  Tony Danza, ABC’s General Hospital, and the indie film The Umbrealla Man.

In 2013, her solo single, “Didn’t Mean it That Way,” debuted at #6 on the iTunes POP ‘Hot Tracks’ and quickly followed with notable placements on iTunes New & Noteworthy Country and iTunes Rising Stars of Country.  Along the way, she also found time to tour as a solo artist in support of Grammy winners Leeann Rimes, Marc Cohn and current Top 40 artist Matt Nathanson.

In 2014, Danni founded the female pop-country trio Honey County.  The band has already had a song placed on the 2014 season finale of HBO’s True Blood, a pop-country trio.  In addition, the band was chosen as a semi-finalist on VH1’s Make a Band Famous.

After the band released their first self-titled EP earlier this year, their single, “99 Bottles” was selected to represent them in CMT’s contest to chose the opening band for country superstar Brett Eldredge.  Los Angeles-based country station Go Country 105 also sponsored the band in the 34th annual Country Showdown competition, where they finished second.  Go Country was so impressed with the band that they booked them for their Hot Country Nights cruise.  Rosner also found time this year to share her voice on Disney’s TV movie event Descendants.

What inspires Rosner?   “I’m constantly inspired by my younger sister, April.  With every day that she battles ulcerative colitis, she continues to remain upbeat and positive.  She is one of the most resilient and courageous people I know.”

Honey County has received airplay not only on popular Los Angeles radio station KCRW, but also on iheartradio station WPOC 93.1, and continues to perform throughout California, most recently at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood and Incahoots in Fullerton, as well as the legendary Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.

Where does Rosner see herself in the future?  “It’s hard to see 10 or 20 minutes down the road much less years, but I dream BIG!”

WPOC DJ St.Pierre said it best:  “I know it’s hard to compare anybody to this (speaking of Danni Rosner) superstar’s voice, but Danni has a ‘Carrie Underwood’ feel, and it’ really powerful.”
With an upcoming show at the newly relocated House of Blues on December 17, fans will have the chance to see why Honey County, featuring Danni Rosner is definitely on their way up the charts.
To find out more about Rosner and her band, check out their website and Facebook pages (solo and band), follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Manda Mosher, California country personified

It is quite an honor to present this week’s featured Women in Entertainment artist, Manda Mosher, accomplished solo artist and member of CALICO the band, new mother and the true personification of the California country sound.

A sixth generation Californian and Angeleno. Mosher’s family first came to the City of Angels in the late 1800’s before establishing a chicken farm in the Valley in 1911.  She grew up in a musical family that lived in the little town of La Crescenta, a sleepy and secluded community located at the foot of the mountains just north of Pasadena and east of Los Angeles.

She picked up her grandfather’s Gibson ukulele at the age of five.  With her father playing flamenco guitar and her mother singing, music was truly an integral part of her daily family life.  Mosher learned her father’s flamenco tunes from memory and quickly developed an ear for and interest in music.  She spent much of her youth studying her parent’s musical library, reading Neil Young liner notes, all the while keeping her ear to the stereo speakers, listening to the likes of Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Beatles and Leo Kottke.   As a result, writing and singing became a more natural form of communication than talking.  “I found I would leave encounters thinking ‘I wish I would have said…’ and this would give me the impetus to sit down and compile my thoughts along with images and poetry and set it to song. This was and still is my most powerful form of communication,” Manda explains.

After high school, Mosher decided she needed a more serious place to study music, so she relocated to the east coast to attend the renowned Berklee School of Music in Boston.  While there she honed her talents of playing guitar and piano, learned music theory as well as reading and writing music.   She returned to Los Angeles after graduation, but learned that touring could also provide a good escape from Los Angeles when she needed it.  ‘The best part of touring is getting out to realize how big the world is while making new connections with people you may never have met otherwise.  Being on the road naturally puts miles between you and everything at home, bringing with it a new freedom that allows you to break your everyday routine and just live in the moment.”

Mosher signed with Red Parlor Records in 2008, after winning the Los Angeles Music Award for best Female Singer/Songwriter of the Year in 2005.  Her first album, Everything you Need was produced by the great Guy Erez (Gipsy Kings, Ziggy Marley, Alan Parsons), and allowed Mosher to perform on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, as well as opening for, and singing with, Jackson Browne.  “These were childhood dreams come true for me.”   She followed these feats with a critically-acclaimed EP City of Clowns in 2010, leading to another Los Angeles Music Award for National Touring Act.

The title track was written about Mosher’s relationship with Los Angeles, which she describes as a love/hate sort of affair, as depicted in the song.  Mosher admits she has often thought of leaving Los Angeles, but it is her family that has kept her here.  “I’ve always felt sadness for this town.  I’ve watched all these people come and go, taking what they can, getting famous, getting rich, with little regard for the community and the people that call it home.  On the other hand the opportunities are endless here.”

In 2013, Mosher combined her talents with Kirsten Proffit and Jaime Wyatt to form CALICO the band.  Right off the bat, the group started touring and performed more than 200 shows, leading to their selection as the Los Angeles Music Awards’ National Touring Artist of the Year.  Wyatt left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Aubrey Richmond, a world-class fiddler and the perfect complement to the band.   Their first album, Rancho California was released in September 2014 on their own California Country label, and won Americana Album of the year for the Los Angeles Music Awards, as well as winning LA Music Critic’s award for Best Country Album.  They have continued their hectic touring schedule, which included a stop at the 2014 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, where they were joined onstage by special Foo Fighter guests, Chris Shiflett & Rami Jaffee, as well as the 2015 Americana Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We’re very connected to a community of artists and venues that are flying the Americana flag,” said Mosher, “deeply influenced by the old scenes from the Palomino days, the Bakersfield Country sound from Buck Owens carried on by Dwight Yoakam, the sound of Gram Parsons’ music, Joshua Tree and more.”  “We’re here to tell people that Americana music is very much alive,” said Proffit, “and California is a viable source for this style.  We’re passionate about carrying on the tradition by incorporating these influences, but through a new lens, and always with respect.”

But what inspires Mosher?  “Inspiration is an elusive thing to control . . . I often think thoughts that are the strongest push themselves to the forefront drowning out other thoughts forcing themselves to be expressed and written about in song. When an inspired song is coming it’s important to stop what you’re doing and allow it to arrive . . . the timelessness of a song trumps most any other activity that may happen in a day. Anything from spending time with a favorite guitar to a quiet setting can allow the space for inspiration to peak through.”  

Mosher’s music has been featured on the Emmy Award-winning Venice The Series, while the music of CALICO the band can be heard on  ABC’s hit series Nashville and NBC’s The Night Shift.

What are Mosher’s future plans?  “What keeps me going is the need to always create something new that is evolved beyond what I’ve been involved with in the past, be it striving to reach new levels of quality in recording or performing in venues that bring a new challenge.  We’re working on our second CALICO the band album which we hope to have completed by the end of the year and we plan to continue on with our touring adventures.”
You can learn more about this amazing artist and her band by checking out their websites and Facebook (solo and Calico) pages, following them on Twitter (solo and Calico) and subscribing to their YouTube (solo and Calico) channels.
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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Heather Jacks gives buskers a needed voice

Welcome to another beautiful Monday morning – time for another in our Women in Entertainment series.  This week the spotlight falls on Heather Jacks, author, journalist and music lover who is on a mission to share the magic of busking with the world.
Jacks grew up on an Indian reservation in southeastern Oregon until she was 15, when she was selected as the first ‘experimental exchange student’ to Australia with an organization called YFU (Youth for Understanding).  She spent ten and a half months with the program before returning to the States to attend the University of San Francisco.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at USF before going to the University of California at Davis for an additional two years. 
Since the 1980’s, Jacks has worked in the music industry in various capacities, including radio, production, A&R, booking and most recently as a music journalist.  She recently won a Book of the Year Award for her multi-media project, The Noise Beneath the Apple®, which was inspired by her love for street music, busking and the people who make it.
Besides her love of music, she is a certified TV junkie, an unapologetic Twitter practitioner and a SF Giants loving fiend.   She travels extensively, but continues to hang her hat in San Francisco.
As we do with all our articles, we asked Jacks what inspires her.  In typical journalistic style, she expounded on the subject:  “As a writer, I spend a lot of time online, researching, interviewing, refining and sculpting words, creating cadence and turning good writing into better stories.  I find this journey inspirational.  Still I make time to step away from the blinking screen to breathe in life and the world around me; to re-charge and renew.  At the risk of sounding like I’m writing a love letter, my greatest inspiration comes from the City I call home, San Francisco.  I love walking her streets, wandering aimlessly into shops, undiscovered nooks and crannies, taking guided walking tours, trekking the Coastal Trail—Karl Fog, keeping me close company.  I love stopping at dive bars, where I can get a barrel-aged shot of whiskey AND a can of Olympia at the same time.  I love all the staircases and stunning views that rise up to greet you in the most unexpected place.  I love that we have a baseball team, that no matter how great they do, are always considered the underdog, and they persevere in style.  I love that everyone here is a little weird, and that San Francisco is pretty OK with that.  In the end, I am inspired simply, by doing what I love most.”
Jacks has recently launched a crowd funding campaign on Rocket Hub for one of her new projects, a multi-media project similar to the “Noise Beneath the Apple” project, which is dedicated to the buskers of San Francisco.  Check out the cool gifts you get for contributing to the project by clicking here.
We asked Jacks to expound on her future plans, and here’s what she had to say:
“Currently I am working on TWO separate Coffee Table Books, showcasing and preserving separate pieces of San Francisco history. My earlier book, The Noise Beneath the Apple®, which celebrates the spirit of busking, aka; street performance, and was set in New York City, won an independent Book of the Year Award.  I am replicating that book in the Bay Area, with 25 amazing street performers spanning from Oakland, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Napa Valley, and of course, San Francisco.  The Bay Area edition, like the NYC version, will include film, music, stories and photos.
The second project is about The San Francisco Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.  The Sisters are a leading order of queer nuns, who began here in 1979 and are now a worldwide charity organization. They continue to devote themselves to community service, promoting human rights and outreach to those on the edges of society. They are an integral, (sometimes misunderstood), part of San Francisco culture. 
These two projects, along with my line of Vintage Vinyl Record Bags, (www.rockarecord.com), will definitely keep me very busy for the next few years!”
Street performers definitely have a friend in Jacks and the public truly benefits from this friendship, as we are exposed to amazing artists that we may not have known were out there.  Many thanks to Jacks for providing this service.  We wish her well in her campaign and look forward to seeing the finished project.
You can keep up with this amazing music supporter by checking out her Facebook page, following her on Twitter, Instagram, and Google Plus, and by subscribing to her YouTube channel.

 

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Julie Neumark, an artist on the cutting edge

It’s another beautiful October Monday, and time to introduce our latest in the #WomeninEntertainment series, Julie Neumark, an artist who is on the cutting edge, not afraid to stand up for herself and what she believes.
Neumark grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television.  Once arriving in the Golden State, she lost no time in securing roles on Lifetime’s Oh Baby, The Gilmore Girls and various pilot episodes, as well as in the film Tattered Angel, which starred her childhood idol Lynda Carter.  She also appeared in numerous commercials and print ads.
After performing a song about an ex at an open mic night, Neumark reconsidered her artistic direction, and opted to pursue songwriting and singing.  It didn’t hurt that she was immediately offered a full spot to perform at the club the following Friday night.
Over the next three years, Neumark performed at every opportunity at venues throughout Los Angeles, including shows at the famed Hotel Cafe where this writer first encountered her.  Her perseverance and drive helped build a large fan base and landed her a manager and a full length album, Dimestore Halo.

Dimestore Halo was an album filled with the passion, fury, sadness and triumph of life, inspired by Neumark’s own coming-of-age story and the loss of her father to cancer in 2005.

Her record release party was held at a Italian restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard that had originally been the location for the studio where the Doors made L.A. Woman, their final album with Jim Morrison.  For Neumark, the location was perfect, as she epitomizes the true L.A. Woman – unafraid to stand up for her beliefs and driven to share her talents with the masses.

As a result of the critical acclaim for the album, Neumark was signed to Europe’s Hyena Records, which released Dimestore Halo in late 2008.  This led to Neumark being asked to support two tours for chart-topping indie rocker Beth Hart (“LA Song”) in 2009.

Lonesome Day Records also signed Neumark and released the album in June 2010 in the United States.  Neumark and her band supported the album during a tour of the southwest, including a stop at the SXSW Music Conference in Austin, Texas before returning to Los Angeles.

Despite advice to the contrary, Neumark chose to “come out.”   As a result, she won over a new fan base which respected her for her honesty and spunk.  She married Dr. Holly Lucille, a renowned expert on women’s health issues, who also plays bass in Neumark’s acoustic band and has toured extensively with her, when she’s not busy doing television talk shows herself.

What inspires Neumark?    “I have been most inspired by a quote from fellow indie artist Joss Whedon:  ‘Don’t just be yourself – be all of yourself.  Don’t just live; be that other thing connect to death.  Be life.'”

Neumark’s music also caught the attention of key music supervisors in Hollywood, leading to the placement of her song “Uncharted Water” in the indie film Steam, starring Ruby Dee and Ally Sheedy, as well as placement of the title track “Dimestore Halo” by ABC.

Since then, Neumark has released an EP, No More, in 2013, and has just finished her sophomore full length album, Giving Trees, which will be released in early 2016.

What are Neumark’s plans for the future?  “I recorded my upcoming album (Giving Trees) over the course of 7 months with the help of incredibly talented and generous people.  Being able to take my time and remain present throughout the recording process added a magical element that allowed a sparkly kind of joyful creativity to pervade.  I took with me one of the most impactful lessons of my life:  when there is no joy in your art, there is no art.  Always make room for the joy.”

To find out more about this amazing artist, check out her Facebook page, follow her on Twitter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

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Women in Entertainment

Future Women in Entertainment: Meresha brings a “New Revolution” to the indie music scene

Happy new (fiscal) year!  It’s time for another article in our Future Women in Entertainment series.  This month we feature 18-year old Meresha, an Alien-loving vegan singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and producer, who has plans to take over the world.  We believe she just may be destined to join the ranks of those artists like Björk, Beck, Gaga, Madonna and Cher who are on a first name basis with their fans.

While many artists talk about chasing their dream and following whatever path is laid out in front of them, most of them never leave their hometowns and cities and expect it all to come to them.  This is definitely not the case with Meresha. Born and raised in Warsaw, Poland, she was deeply influenced by artists such as Robert Plant, Joss Stone, Freddie Mercury, Björk, Hayley Williams and James Blake as she learned and honed her craft.  She and her family relocated to Florida when she was 15 so that she could pursue her music career.

Meresha is a trendsetter and became the first artist to launch an EP exclusively on the new social media site tsu, one week before it was available publicly.  She made videos with the CEO, prominent tsu users, the tsu leadership team as well as prominent charities ahead of the launch.

New Revolution is a four-track EP in the electronica and electro-pop genre.  The title track has already cracked the Top 100 and appears to be headed for the Top 40.   “New Revolution” is a celebratory song that Meresha hopes each listener will interpret to be meaningful for his or her own “revolution.”   It’s an upbeat song that was designed to get listeners to dance and sing along and was written and composed to lift spirits and simply have fun.   Explains Meresha, “I created this song as a celebration of the past, creation of the new and a respect of the classics.  But it really can be about many things and people can interpret it in many ways. It can be applied to music, innovation or even technology.”

Meresha wrote and sang every song on her album, as well as performing them  as a pianist, guitarist and drummer.  Her sound is described as a combination of a soulful voice with modern beats, and is truly unique.   That’s not just hyperbole, since the EP has already either won or been a semi-finalist in several global music competitions, eliciting praise from the music press and extensive global radio play.

For the “New Revolution” video, Meresha enlisted five-time MTV VMA nominee David Rousseau (Pitbull, Magic!, Enrique Iglesias, LMFAO, Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Wayne) to helm the director’s chair.  You can check out the results here.

For more information about this rising star, check out her website and Facebook page, follow  her on Twitter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.  You can also listen to her stream on Spotify, Soundcloud and iTunes.

Once again, special thanks to Jennifer Lyneis of Ue3 Promotions for introducing me to this electrifying artist.

Categories
Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Connie Lim, gifted lyricist and musician

Categories
Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Alisha Zalkin, fearless front woman

Happy Monday – it’s time for another edition of the Women in Entertainment series.  Today we will spotlight Alisha Zalkin, a Los Angeles based singer/songwriter and the lead singer of the popular rock band Sleep Machine,  which was recently featured by Entertainment Weekly.
Alisha was brought to this reviewer’s attention by another Women in Entertainment member, Laura Goldfarb of Red Boot PR in June 2014, after the release of On This Road, which was reviewed by Examiner.com.  This reviewer was so impressed with the EP that he attended a live performance in Los Angeles later than month, which resulted in Alisha’ first live review.
In addition to the attention given to Alisha by Examiner.com, she was also named one of the eight break-out artists of 2014 by AXS.com and was the recipient of two 2014 LA Music Critic Awards:  Best CD for On This Road and Best Music Video for the album’s single, “Fearless.”
AXS.com had this to say about Alisha:  “San Diego may have been her hometown, but Los Angeles is falling in love with Alisha Zalkin.  What sets her apart from other singer/songwriters is her heartfelt passion for social change and her willingness to set an example for others to emulate.  Her ballad “Fearless” has set the standard for social change and become an anthem for those fighting oppression and social stigma.  Alisha is well on her way to becoming one of Los Angeles’ biggest stars in 2015.”
It seems that the writer at AXS.com nailed his prediction in this case.  Since December 2014, Alisha has become the lead singer for Sleep Machine, a hard-rocking LA indie rock band which is quickly coming to national attention.  The band has already received placements for their music on several national shows, including The Fosters (ABC Family) and Younger (TV Land), in addition to a commercial for the upcoming ABC drama series Quantico.  The band’s single “Wild for You” was featured by Entertainment Weekly in their TV Jukebox feature.
What inspires Alisha?  “I’ve always been one to find inspiration from music that comes from a pure place, regardless of genre.  I’m inspired by well-written songs that are delivered with purpose.  Anything that reaches out and grabs my emotions.  Music and emotions go hand in hand.  My emotions inspire my music and the music I listen to influences my emotions.”
Where does Alisha see herself in the future?  “I’m currently playing around town (LA) with my band Sleep Machine.  We will be releasing a music video for our song, “Game Over,” from our debut EP Cover me in Gold.  We are also in the process of putting together our second EP.  In addition, I am working on a new solo record, writing and recording for a new folk project, and working as a session singer.”
It is just this kind of work ethic that has propelled Alisha into the spotlight, and promises listeners that good things are still to come for this impressive artist.  To keep up with Alisha, check out her website and Facebook page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.
Thanks to Laura Goldfarb for the background information and for turning this reviewer on to this amazing artist.