It’s obvious from the title track of Sarah Siskind’s new album, ‘Say It Louder’, that a goal for her life and songwriting is potent, from-the-gut expression: “If I had the chance to say it again, I’d say it louder.” But the Nashville singer and songwriter needn’t aspire to make an enduring impact on the ears. She’s got a good handle on that already.

Sarah Siskind on amazon.com

The bold melodies, strong vocal performances and emotional depth on Siskind’s sixth release capture her musical vision more clearly than anything she’s done to date. And that’s saying something, considering how highly respected she already is across acoustic, pop and rock music fields, in Nashville and beyond.

Top-tier singers and rising talent across the country, including Alison Krauss and Union Station, Randy Travis, the Infamous Stringdusters and April Verch have recorded her songs. Two of Siskind’s compositions – “Goodbye Is All We Have” and “Simple Love” – have been hit singles for Krauss, the latter even leading to a GRAMMY nomination.

Siskind’s electric live band, featured on ‘Say it Louder’, is known for putting on a formidable alt. rock show, but she’s also a sought-out solo performer. Bon Iver was so taken with her song “Lovin’s For Fools” that the popular indie-rock act closed most of their shows with the song on their 2008 tour. Due to the overwhelming fan response to the song, they invited her on a recent European tour. Ireland’s legendary artist, Paul Brady, invited her to join him on-stage for a premier collaboration in New York City in 2008 and had her contribute backing vocals on his new album.

On ‘Say It Louder’, Siskind has found new ways to unite her varied musical strengths. There are penetrating Appalachian melodies—the outgrowth of a youth spent traveling with her bluegrass-playing parents to festivals all over North Carolina – and deeply confessional, poetic lyric-writing that lends the songs a distinctly modern tint. Then there’s the blues flavor of Siskind’s plunging vocal lines, which she attacks with a clear, resonant alto that can’t be mistaken for anyone else’s. The whole 13-song set has a cohesive, full-bodied sound, easily fusing folk and rock, anchored by Sarah’s mid-70’s Gibson ES-175 named “Larry”.

Siskind stoked the album’s fire with songs that narrate a journey through difficult trials, ultimately arriving at a renewed embrace of life. “It’s probably the most focused album I’ve ever made, as far as all the songs really tying together,” Siskind reflects. “There is a real sense of rebirth. Each song is a different little corner of my life, of what I’ve been through in the last several years.”

- Jewly Hight

Widget – listen to music:

Sarah Siskind’s new album ‘Say It Louder’ is available on Noisetrade at:

Sarah Siskind Official Website

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss received the highest honours at last night’s Grammy Award ceremony in LA, when ‘Raising Sand’ was named Album of the Year and “Please Read The Letter” won Record of the Year.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss on amazon.com

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss on amazon.co.uk

The duo also took home awards for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for “Rich Woman”, Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “Killing The Blues” and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album for ‘Raising Sand’.

Last year Robert and Alison received a Grammy for their single “Gone Gone Gone” in the only category they were eligible for.

Last night they performed “Rich Woman” and “Gone Gone Gone” with producer/bandleader and fellow Grammy winner T Bone Burnett along with a stellar cast of musicians including Buddy Miller, Dennis Crouch and Jay Bellerose.

T Bone Burnett as producer and Mike Piersante as engineer/mixer also received Grammys for Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Myspace

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Official Website

Good afternoon. With the Grammy’s taking place next week (February 8, 2009) and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss announced to perform at the bash, what better time to stoke the Grammy fire and fill you in on the show…

The duo have been nominated for an impressive 5 awards including, Album of the Year, (for their Mercury nominated ‘Raising Sand’) and Record of the Year, for their stunning single “Please Read The Letter”.

Duffy will be in attendance on the night after gaining 3 nominations for Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for “Mercy”) and Best Pop Vocal Album (for ‘Rockferry’). She will also be presenting an award.

Jason Mraz will be at the ceremony. He’s been nominated in 3 categories. Jason is up for, Song of the Year (for the irresistible “I’m Yours”), Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Engineered Album.

As well as the success in his homeland, Jason is finally receiving notable acclaim and success this side of the pond. His album ‘We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things’ broke into the Top Ten this week at No. 8. His worldwide smash-hit single “I’m Yours” is currently No. 11 in the iTunes chart, on course for the top Ten.

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Rufus Wainwright is speaking at the Oxford Union on Thursday (Feb 5th), Rufus will field questions in a Q&A session about his first, upcoming opera ‘Prima Donna’ which premieres at the Manchester International Festival – the world’s first festival of original, new work on July 10th, 14th, 17th (evening) and 12th, 19th July (Matinee) at Manchester’s Palace Theatre.

Rufus is also up for a Grammy nomination next Sunday for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (for ‘Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall’).

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In breaking news, Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour goes back on the road this Summer. Already the No.1 biggest grossing tour in history for a solo artist, Madonna kicks off the tour at London’s O2 Arena on Independence Day (July 4th) and then Manchester’s MEN Arena (July 7th).

Never one to miss out, Madonna is up for 3 Grammy Awards too, for Best Dance Recording (for Give It 2 Me), Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (for 4 Minutes) and Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical (for 4 Minutes – Junkie XL Remix).

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Saddened by the loss of singer-songwriter John Martyn, Jersey Budd had some kind words to say: “John Martyn was one of only a few people to leave me absolutely spellbound by his musical genius. It turned out that I was the last person to ever be asked to support John. Whatever I achieve in music, this will go down as one of my proudest moments, and a great honour.”

Jersey continues to impress, and impress is exactly what he did on Wednesday at Water Rats. The singer-songwriter showcased songs from his stunning forthcoming album ‘Wonderlands’.

Jersey releases his infectious new single “Visions Of You”, February 16th.

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Russell Brand is currently on his 28-date, sold out UK tour, but due to phenomenal demand he announced a rare and simply unmissable, stand-up show at London’s O2 Arena, April 17th.

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Politics enthusiast Will Young takes to the Question Time hot seat next Thursday (Feb 5th). Will, who is a fan of the show assured us that he is swotting up on the hot topics of the day.

Will releases his last-ever physical single ‘Let It Go’ from the same titled album on March 2nd.

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Delta Spirit were impressive on Tuesday night at Borderline. The five-piece ripped through a storming set that included their irresistible single “Trashcan”.

They play their last London gig tonight at Koko (Club NME), before heading back to the U.S. They are playing SXSW in March before returning to the UK for more live dates. Their stunning album ‘Ode To Sunshine’ is released March 23rd.

The goal of Moneyland is to raise awareness of serious economic issues facing Americans today through a thoughtful selection of six new (or newly recorded) songs, mixed with eight neglected gems and classic favorites that offer a hard-hitting look at today’s economic injustice.

In addition to songs from the Del McCoury Band, the album features songs from Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Bruce Hornsby along with The Fairfield Four, Chris Knight and others.

Fortunately, the concept behind Moneyland isn’t a novel one; there are many great organizations that have been fighting these battles for a long time.

Del’s goal with Moneyland is to draw that connection between the sentiments of each song and the organizations that are dedicated to the issues dealt with in the songs.

It is the intention of each of these organizations to gather inspired individuals together for a greater good. We believe that music–especially this music–is a great way to start the process; we hope it will inspire listeners to move from awareness to action.

Please visit this special Moneyland Page to hear the music and find out more information about the organizations that we’re speaking about. Each song offers something special; for example, listen to “Farmer’s Blues” performed by Marty Stuart and Merle Haggard and find out more about organizations who are on the front lines of the battle to save the American Farmer. Or listen to “Carry Me Across the Mountain” performed by Dan Tyminski with Alison Krauss and learn about how the National Rural Health Association is addressing the health care and medical issues of rural America.

In addition to all of this, IFC (Independent Film Co.) have teamed up with Moneyland for a contest that inspires filmmakers to react and respond to the issues addressed on the album. Click the video below for more information about the IFC contest and visit www.livinginmoneyland.com for more information about the project.

Watch video

Living In Moneyland Official Website

Like Plant, we hail from West Bromwich in the heart of the Black Country (indeed, my dad frequented the same drinking hole as Planty) and wondered what the leonine rock god must make of the changes to the ’second city’ since he last strolled its streets. Gone are the grubby factories and warehouses, replaced by shimmering glass towers and a slick, cosmopolitan atmosphere. We were certainly struck anew by the city’s transformation as we wandered down the canal-side before the gig.

It seems Brum is not the only thing to have changed – there’s no trace of a Black Country twang in Plant’s voice and his partnership with Krauss on ‘Raising Sand’ is a departure from the heavy rock of his Led Zeppelin days. It’s also the stuff of music critics’ wet dreams: a beautiful bluegrass angel collaborating with the hoary old man of rock to make one of the finest and unlikely parings in recent musical times.

Anticipation was high for this, Plant’s homecoming performance. From a purely anthropological bent, there was also much fun to be had in identifying fans there for Alison Krauss and those there for Robert Plant. Needless to say there were ponytails aplenty on men of a certain age and later in the evening, some head-banging in the aisles to some of the rockier numbers. Of course I can only speculate that they were Led Zep fans …

But before I discuss the main act … the support. This was Scott Matthews, Wolverhampton-based urban-folk troubadour whose band and he were, he cheerily confessed, ’shitting ourselves’. The local feel of one up-and-coming Black Country lad supporting another made good, set a nice tone and the audience warmed to Matthews fast. He opened with the beautiful “Dream Song”, arguably his best work to date, and gave a soulful and professional support to the main act.

As “Rich Woman’s” swampy guitars kicked in, Plant and Krauss crept out from either side of the stage each looking a million dollars. There’s a strange kind of symmetry seeing them live, all big blond hair and even bigger voices, although this is as far as the visual resemblance goes. In her diaphanous, floaty dress with her perfectly coiffed hair, Alison Krauss looked like she’d been whisked in from Stepford; whereas Robert Plant, wearing block colours and some pretty fine winkle pickers, looked every inch the rock god. He trod the stage like a caged animal for the first few songs, a mesmerising “Sister Rosetta” and “Through the Morning, Through the Night”, and I like to think it did the old boy some good when he finally let rip on tracks like “Nothin” – it certainly looked and sounded like it!

The two were on fire; their voices were nothing short of awesome and melted into each other’s tones perfectly. “Stick with Me Baby” was mesmerising. I’d expected them to sound good, but this good? Krauss’s demure presence belied a torrent of feeling conveyed through her singing which was by turns eerie and angelic. Her rendition of Tom Waits’ “Trampled Rose” was goose-bump inducing and her violin playing exceptional. Her voice was as sweet as honey but more penetrating than any I’ve heard in a long time, filling every crevice of the cavernous NIA.

Despite the obvious difference between her vocals and Plant’s blues wail, his voice was equally on form. He sang as if he wanted to tear the audience’s eardrums out on tracks like “Gone, Gone Gone” and an old Led Zeppelin track (that’s the head-bangers happy then).

By far his finest moment was on “Fortune Teller”, an amusing old standard on which Alison supplemented his bluesy delivery with haunting backing vocals. Of this track he confided that he’d first come across it in the ’60s and that only two others knew it – he got ‘free prescriptions and a long memory’ he self-deprecatingly joked.

On other songs his sound was more restrained, allowing the gravely textures of his voice to reveal themselves in a wonderfully new way. The two were generous to each others’ performances, stepping back to spotlight the others’ strengths through songs which ranged from the old standards from “Raising Sand” and beyond, to blues, country and soul.

The legendary T-Bone Burnett, a black-clad, narrow and angular presence on the stage, was met with adulatory cries of ‘you the man T-Bone!’ from an enthusiastic crowd when he performed two of his own tracks. Krauss nodded to his producing the score to ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’, on which Krauss sings, when she threw in “Down to the River to Pray” with Plant joining in for backing vocals.

To see the three on stage together, their chemistry and obvious ease with each other, was a live crystallization of the successes of ‘Raising Sand’ and was really something. In short, the gig was a triumph. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss made it look so easy and surpassed the elegance of their recordings. Long may the partnership between the bluegrass beauty and rock beast continue.

By: Lindsey Davis

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have been picking up rave reviews for their ‘Raising Sand 2008′ Tour in the US. The UK leg of the tour kicked off May 5th, 2008 at the Birmingham NIA Arena.

Read Robert Plant & Alison Krauss review at Birmingham NIA.

Performing songs from their hugely popular and critically acclaimed album, ‘Raising Sand’, Robert and Alison played a dazzling set at the New Orleans Jazz Fest last month. According to the Boston Herald, “The unlikely pair’s harmonies and chemistry were something to behold…” while USA Today declared that the duo “…set the early high bar for the rest of Jazz Fest’s eclectic bill”.

The Raising Sand tour features legendary producer T Bone Burnett on guitar and renowned musicians Stuart Duncan on guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, Buddy Miller on guitar, autoharp, mandolin and pedal steel, Jay Bellerose on drums and percussion and Dennis Crouch on bass.

Named album of the year by the Sunday Times, ‘Raising Sand’ has sold over two million copies to date worldwide and topped critics 2007 best-of lists. The thrilling first single “Gone Gone Gone” went on to win a prestigious Grammy Award.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss tour dates:

UK tour dates:

May 2008

7th MANCHESTER, Apollo – Tel: 08444 777 677
8th CARDIFF, International Arena – Tel: 02920 224488
22nd LONDON, Wembley Arena – Tel: 0870 060 0870

European Dates:

May 2008

10th DUSSELDORF, Philipshalle
11th BRUSSELS, Forest National Club
13th PARIS, Le Grand Rex Theatre
14th AMSTERDAM, Heineken Music Hall
16th STOCKHOLM, Hovet (Ice Hall)
18th OSLO, Spektrum
19th BERGEN, Bergenshalle

The new single, “Rich Woman” is out now on Rounder/Decca.

Raising Sand on amazon.com

Raising Sand on amazon.co.uk

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Myspace
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Official Website

On the eve of their eagerly anticipated tour, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are set to release their new single “Rich Woman” on the 14th April, 2008 in the UK.

Taken from their critically acclaimed album ‘Raising Sand’, it follows the Grammy Award winning single “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” and the sublime “Please Read The Letter”.

Written by Dorothy LaBostrie and McKinley Millet, and produced by T Bone Burnett, “Rich Woman” is characterised by a unique honey sweet delivery from Alison Krauss matched perfectly with Robert Plant’s haunting vocals. This is the third single taken from ‘Raising Sand’ that debuted on the US Billboard chart at #2, and Top 5 here in the UK. It has sold nearly 2 million copies internationally, and over 440,000 in the UK.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss embark on a 47-date North American and European tour beginning April 19th, 2008 in Louisville, KY. Joined by a stellar group of musicians featuring T Bone Burnett (band leader/Guitar), Jay Bellerose (Drums and Percussion), Dennis Crouch (Double Bass), Buddy Miller (Guitar) and Stuart Duncan (Fiddle/Mandolin/Banjo/Guitar).

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss 2008 UK tour dates:

May 2008

5th Birmingham, NIA
7th Manchester, Apollo
8th Cardiff, International Arena
22nd London, Wembley Arena

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
Robert Plant
Alison Krauss

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ gold LP ‘Raising Sand’ continues its hold on the UK Top 10, where it currently resides at #2!

The album’s second single “Please Read The Letter” is released today in the UK, January 28th, 2008 and follows the Grammy nominated “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” – Watch video.

They’re set to play US and UK dates this spring, including Wembley Arena, May 22nd.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss ‘Raising Sand’ April 2008 US tour dates (More dates TBA):
(Featuring T Bone Burnett in a special role for US dates)

Dates could change! Go to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

20 April – Louisville, KY – Palace Theatre
22 April – Knoxville, TN – Knoxville Civic Coliseum
23 April – Chattanooga, TN – Memorial Auditorium
26 April – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Arena

May 2008 UK tour dates:

5 May – BIRMINGHAM, NIA – Tel: 0871 945 6000
7 May – MANCHESTER, Apollo – Tel: 08444 777 677
8 May – CARDIFF, International Arena – Tel: 02920 224488
22 May – LONDON, Wembley Arena – Tel: 0870 060 0870

Raising Sand on amazon.com

Raising Sand on amazon.co.uk

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on Myspace
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Official Website