Featured Artists: August 2010

Hi -

This month I have two featured artists, one from right here in the Hudson Valley, and two record labels.

First is A Viberatto, a group based in the Hudson Valley. It features Jimmy Goodman on vibraphone, piano and synths, and a bunch of session people, including luminaries like Tony Levin and Garth Hudson. He calls it "chamber rock", though I'd call it more modern chamber music, akin to the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. I only wish the pieces were longer. Still, this is beautiful stuff. Check out the website for more info:

http://www.aviberatto.com/

Second is a man who needs little introduction in the world of ambient music, Steve Roach. He's one of the early pioneers of ambient music, having been around for well over 20 years. My discovery of his music early on certainly helped define the types of music I play on my show. He's also one of the most prolific artists, releasing several CD's a year. His newest, Sigh Of Ages, is a bit different. It's still identifiable as Steve, but it's a bit more majestic, more elegaic than usual for him. I like it a lot. For more info, check out his website.

http://www.steveroach.com/

The first record label this time around is Palace Of Lights Records. PoL has actually been around a long time, since the early 80's. It served mainly as a vehicle for the music of Kerry Leimer, but also included albums from a few others. The label vanished in the mid-80's, presumably never to be seen again. But Palace Of Lights resurfaced in 2002, with CD reissues of the early K.Leimer albums and new work as well. Since then, they've released a couple of albums a year, primarily of introspective ambient music. This time, there's three new CD's, from K.Leimer, Marc Barreca, and Gregory Taylor. All are well worth listening to. For more info, look at the website.

http://www.palaceoflights.com/

The other record label feature this month is Candy Rat Records. First, I love the name. Second, they're a label of guitar music. There are a few jazz/rock/folk albums, but primarily it's solo acoustic guitar. It's one of the few labels left that presents solo acoustic guitar music, and certainly the most innovative. There's a ton of good acoustic guitar music here from all over the globe. For more info, check out their website.

http://www.candyrat.com/