Tim Young Band’s ‘The Cost’ is the perfect summertime soundtrack. It feels best to listen to it while sitting in front of a campfire, surrounded by company but alone with your thoughts. Every fleeting idea of pain, loss, and confusion come to full circle on each track, bringing to light the themes we all need to spend time thinking about.

The single ‘The Cost’ tugs right at your heart-strings with fully-charged, emotive lyrics like ‘Now the night is sawin’ at my heart…nobody knows the cost of losing you.’ Moving forward from the pain of loss, this twang-y, sorrowful lament about heartbreak infuses country-western rock to create a catchy melody. ‘Outta Town’ adds the electric guitar and makes you imagine what it would be like to just run away from all your problems as Young lists daily hassles we all deal with, such as traffic, landlords, and stresses from work.

One of the strongest songs, with the best intro, is ‘Drifting Cowboy.’ With sliding guitar riffs, the vocals slow down, providing a nice tune to meditate to, amidst your confusion. While listening, you can actually envision a cowboy alone on the ranch, gazing out at the flat land ahead, wondering where to go. Creating an original story on this track, Young tells the tale of a young cowboy from Alabama who quit school: ‘Rejection filled his cup until he landed on the stage in Nashville.’ As Young switches to first person with ‘I’m a drifting cowboy,’ we have to wonder if Young himself is the drifting cowboy. Either way, the story is nothing short of riveting.

‘Just For You’ has a nostalgic feel to it, bringing Elvis’ generation of country/rock back to the mainstream music scene with strumming guitar and wailing, honest vocals: ‘I’d shine every night just for you / I can see just what I need to do.’ ‘Remember’ certainly has an Elvis attitude, with its ‘bad boy’ tone shining through: ‘And even when I write these words / I don’t understand the past.’ The track presents a concept any listener can understand: being at a crossroads of the past and present, trying to decipher what’s happened before in order to know where to go in the future.

On ‘Hangin’ In,’ Young sings the blues, country-style, telling middle class woes of trying to get by, while inspiring listeners to keep their heads up: ‘It’s a long road every day / everyone I know says they’re hangin’ in.’ Shifting the album’s tone, on ‘Cold Wind’ Young introduces the theme of being, as Bob Dylan sings, ‘Blowin’ in the wind’: ‘Cold wind keeps on blowin’ me around; cold wind spins the truth right through the ground.’

‘Renegade’ fittingly closes the album, since after moving from a wandering cowboy, to a lost soul, to the dust blowing through the cold wind, Young advances to a renegade: a proud, brave man advancing forward through nature and city scenes alike, ready to dominate whatever environment he finds himself in. Without looking back, and with his eyes always set straight ahead, Young proves the ability that we all have to completely move on past the painful yesterdays and transform ourselves into powerful individuals that we never thought we could become. Then, truly, the cost of the pain becomes inconsequential; all that matters are the rewards reaped from the incredible growth process that we all are able to enter and emerge from.

‘The Cost’ forces listeners to ask themselves, ‘Where am I? Where have I been? How does it all make sense?’ And more importantly, ‘Where am I going?’ But by the time the CD stops spinning, you realize, thanks to the Tim Young Band, that, no matter what the answers are, everything’s going to be all right.

http://www.timrocksweb.com
http://www.myspace.com/timnycyoung

Polarity/1, the multi-genre artist best known for bold, honest, hard-hitting songs, is releasing a brand new instrumental record titled Music From the Other Side. Fitting to the title, the album consists of smooth, jazzy tracks much different from louder albums like Yankin’ the Food Chain. Polarity/1’s music has been incorporated by dance theaters and documentarists, including Danny Schechter’s feature-length film documentary ‘In Debt We Trust and Battery Dance Company’s 26th Annual Downtown Dance Festival last year.

Music From The Other Side is the soundtrack for a dance performance by Lisbon’s Quorum Ballet. The Other Side’s principal objective is to fuse the style and art of the dance of Lisbon and New York. The work is the collaboration of choreographers Daniel Cardoso, Jonathan Hollander and Thaddeus Davis, artistic directors of Quorum Ballet, Battery Dance Company and Wideman/Davis Dance, respectively. Dark, moody, erotic and aggressive, it explores the theme of oppression, which has always been an issue for the people on both sides of the Atlantic. The piece examines the roles of the different agents: the instigator, the oppressor, the oppressed and the observer.

The most impressive song is the vocals version of “Fulano de Tal,” included on the album as a bonus track. Also noteworthy is the exotic, media-infused sound of “Land O’ Debbies.” The entire albums feels like the fusion of every type of media coming together to blend spooky, unique melodies that echo through every track. What really drives the record, though, is the steady, trance-like beat that proves impossible to ignore.

The music of Polarity/1 is exactly what the name suggests - “conjoined opposites,” including the new (cutting-edge electronica, hip-hop and nu-jazz) and the old (roots music of America, including blues, funk, country and early jazz, Brazil (samba, pagode, etc.) and West African groove science).

You can check out Polarity/1 for yourself and learn how to purchase Music From The Other Side by heading to http://polarity1.musicdish.net

Artist development and marketing firm MusicDish announced that four new acts have signed on to its roster over the last month, including 2008 GMA Dove Award winning Ryan Farish, gospel singer Desmond Pringle, jazz fusion artist Gary Paul Bryant, and NY rocker Tim Young.

Each artist will be supported by a customized mutli-pronged marketing campaign incorporating a mix of PR, syndication, online street and viral distribution. Marketing will be coordinated a variety of platforms, from its business music portals and syndicated network to MP3 blogs, webradio and groups/forums. For more information, visit http://www.musicdish.net/marketing/

Ryan Farish
Grammy nominated, 2008 GMA Dove Award winning songwriter/producer/composer Ryan Farish, first launched his music career on the first generation mp3.com, where his music quickly took to the masses obtaining a whopping 1,800,000+ downloads of his trademark, electronic-jazz-world music.
http://www.ryanfarish.com

Desmond Pringle
Tommy Boy Gospel artist Desmond Pringle is a passionate vocalist with a unique brand of balladry — and one of the most talented songwriter/producers in gospel music today. Whether delivering his signature-smooth ballads, thought provoking lyrics or energetic choir songs, Desmond has already taken his place among the ranks of great gospel artists of his generation.
http://www.desmondpringle.com

Gary Paul Bryant
Veteran jazz fusion artist Gary Paul Bryant has released his latest (10th) album “WildLife.” Applying the rock energy of artists like Joel, John and Keith Emerson with lighter touches of Jazz and New Age artists like David Arkenstone and David Lanz, Bryant creates a unique blend of rock, pop jazz and world music that’s very unique and appealing.
http://www.wildlifethecd.com
http://www.garypaulbryant.com

Tim Young
Rocker Tim Young, veteran to the New York music scene, has been performing in Manhattan for years. Tim Young’s third CD The Cost features twelve new songs and a brand new version of his own tune “Renegade” from RED. On the album, Tim takes guitar, bass and drums and puts them together in a classy classic kind of way to create music that envelopes not only rock, but also country and folk influences woven into the fabric of rock ‘n roll.
http://www.timrocksweb.com

MusicDish, LLC has been at the forefront of the digital music sector, publishing some of the industry’s leading music magazine, including MusicDish.com and Mi2N.com, as well as dynamic white label content solutions. MusicDish also offers artist development and label management support, combining saturated online marketing with business networking and consulting.
http://www.musicdish.net

When you ask someone why he or she likes a band, performer or style of music, the usual response is either, “they’re awesome,” “they rock” or “it’s fun stuff.” People tend to say that music is simply for entertainment. And as for musicians, the reason they play music either involves “the call” to do so or the ego-driven need to stand in front of a crowd. But why do we even have music? Is it, as Shakespeare stated, “to soothe the savage beast”? It’s not like it’s life or death. Or is it? For Gera Clark and John Sarantos, who perform on Native American flutes as the NightDancers, music is that deep. Mr. Santos started with the simple desire to express himself musically, but discovered that the Native American flute, by its nature, takes one beyond pigeonholed functions, including new-age “meditation” music. Ms. Clark’s journey to music started with desperately needing something of a life line at a critical time. She states: “After a prolonged critical illness, I began to put my life back together…While on this spiritual path, I discovered the Native American flute.” In this era of art-as-diversion, or lifestyle accessory, it is a wonderfully pleasant surprise to be reminded that, as Clark and Santos reveal in the interview below, music is a powerful and healing force.

[Mark Kirby] What kind of music was played in your home when you were growing up?

[Gera Clark] My mother played classical music on the piano as an escape from her existence as an urban housewife raising four children. When I started school, my mother went back to work and I noticed her appetite for opera increased dramatically. My father fancied himself as being Bing Crosby and I would catch him now and then trying to learn the cha cha. Meanwhile, my sister would sneak in rock and roll. We aspired to write music together in the style of Carol King. We also listened to some of my relatives’ records, one being Seamus Ennis, my grand uncle who played the Uilleann pipes (an Irish type of bagpipes).

[John Sarantos] During my early years, my mother would play classical and operatic music when I was in school, but very little music was played while I was home except at Christmas.

[Mark Kirby] What kinds of music have you studied prior to the Native American flute?

[Gera Clark] As a child, my mother would bribe me with soda to take piano lessons because she wanted me to be a child prodigy. When I was able to travel on my own, I took up the traverse flute, which I carried with me for three years.

[John Sarantos] I tried learning the drums from the junior high school music teacher, but he told me I had no rhythm and would not work with me. After attending a Jethro Tull concert and being inspired by Ian Anderson’s flute playing, I tried the transverse flute, but was told by my flute instructor that I was tone deaf and she wouldn’t work with me. I tried singing, but I was told that I was tone deaf by three major Los Angeles voice coaches and they would not work with me. I tried guitar and banjo, but it was hard to play just cords as I could not sing along with myself. Then I discovered the Native American flute.

[Mark Kirby] How did you come to start playing Native American music in general, the flute in particular?

[Gera Clark] After the death of my husband and a quick rebound marriage and divorce, followed by a prolonged critical illness, I began to put my life back together. I also began searching for beauty. While on this spiritual path, I discovered the Native American flute.

One day, I found myself about a hundred miles west of New York standing outside a Tibetan Buddhist Temple, when suddenly I heard the most beautiful sound. Following the powerful, yet haunting sound, I discovered it emanating from a Native American flute, played by Ed Callshim (Ponca Sioux). After this experience, I finally found a flute of my own at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. Later, when traveling to Niagara Falls with my teacher, Amy Lee (Iroquois), a deep desire to connect with my earlier travels in the southwest was awakened. On one particular journey, I found myself exploring the canyons along the Rio Grande. Eventually I was led to the mountains and the Taos Pueblo, where I heard that haunting sound drifting through the air. I followed it to its source, a little adobe. Looking inside, I met a kind and talented gentleman who encouraged me to play the native flute. That gentleman, unbeknownst to me at the time, is one of the finest Native American flute players in the world, John Rainer, Jr. (Taos/Creek). Leaving New Mexico with renewed faith, I was led, via The American Indian Community House in New York, to Franc Menusan (Muskogee Creek). He became my extremely patient mentor for several years.

On my birthday, I flew out to an R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) concert with the San Francisco Symphony, where I learned about the Renaissance of the Native American Flute workshop in Montana. I came back to New York and booked myself a flight to Montana, which was where I met John Sarantos, and our musical partnership was born.

[John Sarantos] My mother, who was 84-years-old at the time, introduced me to the music of the Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai duo. Mr. Kater, who is of German heritage, played piano, and Mr. Nakai the native flute. I discovered that I too like the sound of the native flute. I went to a Kater and Nakai concert in Chicago, where Nakai mentioned a week-long workshop at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Helena, Montana. I had a choice of paying about $1,200 for the flute workshop taught by Mr. Nakai and his partner and flute-maker, Ken Light, or going to Japan for two weeks, all expenses paid by the school where I was teaching. I chose Montana.

[Mark Kirby] What lead you to play this kind of meditative music?

[John Sarantos] We don’t think of it as only meditative music. We worked hard to stay away from falling into that stereotype of musical style on our CD. Although a lot of people use our record for meditation, they also use it for healing and relaxation. Several people who have cancer told me that they find inner peace while listening to ‘Montana Crossings’.

[Gera Clark] In fact, after John had his cancer surgery last year, we decided that 10% of the gross sales from ‘Montana Crossings’ would be used to buy flutes for cancer patients. So far, we have donated flutes to cancer flute circles and individuals in New York City, Chicago, Lansing, Michigan and Jefferson City, Oregon.

[Mark Kirby] Are Native American flutes more like shakuhachi flutes or transverse flutes in terms of technique?

[John Sarantos] Neither. The shakuhachi can take three months just to get one note. The transverse requires many hours of playing to learn just the basic scale. The native flute is one of the easiest instruments to play. I have taught elementary children to play the native flute, and they have started playing songs in about five minutes or less.

Photo by Sandro Lamberti

[Mark Kirby] Describe the flutes that you use in terms of size, number of holes, type of wood, etc.

[Gera Clark] We use flutes ranging from four to six holes and from four inches to five feet.

[John Sarantos] Traditionally, most flutes were made from soft woods; for example, cedar and pine. However, when the Europeans came, they brought with them tools that made it easier to create flutes out of harder woods; some flutes were even made from old gun barrels.

[Gera Clark] Today, flute-makers are creating flutes from all types of woods, from cedars to walnut to iron wood, to even flutes made out of one of the hardest woods: ebony.

[John Sarantos] We also have a wide assortment of clay flutes based on the Aztec and Mayan cultures made by master flute-maker Xavier Quijas Xyotol.

[Mark Kirby] How did you arrive at the name of NightDancers for your musical duo?

[Gera Clark] One day John and I were talking and discovered that we both used to walk around our individual houses in the middle of the night without any lights on. We came up with the name Night Walkers.

[John Sarantos] However, most people we talked to thought that the name sounded too much like vampires or ladies of the evening.

[Gera Clark] After discussing a variety of names, we came up with NightDancers.

[Mark Kirby] When did you decide to record ‘Montana Crossings’?

[Gera Clark] John and I had been playing together for about two years. John would travel from Milwaukee during his vacations, and we would play for our friend Bob Hegler, who encouraged us to keep playing together. We enjoyed playing so much that we used to spend hours playing over speaker phones when John was still living in Milwaukee. When we started performing in local New York venues, people would ask if we had a CD they could purchase. After about a year of doing live performances, we felt that we had created a wide variety of songs that we wanted to share with others.

[Mark Kirby] Why did you choose to record at Avatar Studios in New York City?

[John Sarantos] I had been writing record reviews for the International Native American Flute Journal for about ten years and could tell when an artist used a home computer all the way up to a professional sound studio. If we were going to put our time, effort and money into a recording, we wanted it to sound the best it could. I asked several people if they could recommend a sound studio in New York City. Avatar Studios was one of the top three studios on several people’s lists.

[Gera Clark] We were also very fortunate that Tino Passante of Avatar recommended Jim Anderson for our sound engineer. Jim understood the sound that we were striving to obtain, and he succeeded in capturing that sound.

[Mark Kirby] How are the titles connected to the songs you are playing? Are these titles indicative of what the music is supposed to evoke?

[Gera Clark] The titles are indicative of the inspiration behind the music.

[John Sarantos] Hopefully, each person will have their own emotional response to the music depending on their own journey.

[Mark Kirby] What types of events or venues do you play?

[Gera Clark] One of our goals is to help spread the beauty of the flute to others, whether it be playing our music for others to listen [to] or sharing our knowledge on how to play the flute.

[John Sarantos] herefore, we play in a variety of venues for all types of events. You can view our schedule at: www.nightdancersmusic.com and www.myspace.com/nightdancersmusic.

A Review by Mark Kirby

Over a decade ago, rappers Chuck D and Public Enemy asked, “Who Stole the Soul?” Today, after Christina Aguilera’s R&B-infused Back To Basics double CD and the Amy Winehouse soul explosion, the real question is, “Who stole it back?” Part of the answer can be found in Lorraine Reid’s single “How Can I Keep Him Lovin’ Me?“

It always comes as a surprise when I hear a modern R&B singer who has both the pipes to belt out with intensity and the good taste to let the song tell the story, choosing to not over-saturate a classic melody with vocal gymnastics. Reid dazzles her listeners with the perfect balance of vocals, just like the classic soul, rock and pop singers did back in the day. This timeless track by the Canadian, 7-time Juno nominee would fit right in with the best of soul and funk in any age.

“How Can I Keep Him Lovin’ Me?” begins to amaze listeners with its instrumentals — the keyboard starts with mellow soul chords and is followed by gently plucked guitar and sparse bass that flows with restrained energy even while in ballad mode. The drums play a beat that has previously anchored old pop and soul songs as well as bawdy stripper show tunes; it’s a beat that is part-waltz, part-easy-going phat back groove. While this stew is bubbling, Ms. Reid tells the story: “No more than 15 but grown before her time / This young girl was seekin’ love from men who would dim the lights / How can I keep him lovin’ me? / Here she was still seeking love / it was no where to be found.” Aside from the modern beat of the drums and the contemporary soul sound, the track is undeniably old school because it deals with real people and real-life issues, concepts that are often lost in mainstream music today.

The sales of R&B records — as with those of hip-hop and most other genres — continue to slump. Illegal downloads aside, the vast majority of these records deal with unattainable fantasies of sex, glamour, white linen suits and matching Bentleys. People who have just been laid off, had their benefits run out, or their home foreclosed don’t want to hear about such lavish topics. And they can’t even afford to buy overpriced CDs, anyway. That’s why real people, especially women, like Mary J. Blige’s tales of being a survivor. Like Blige, Reid tells a tale of survival and, like the best soul and gospel singers, past and present, she goes beyond this simple tale: “At 22, a mom of two, but she was still a child / Her mama’s advice to her was a message meek and mild / what this baby boy sees in you I tried my whole life to find / so dry your tears, my baby girl, you’re lookin’ at piece of mind.” Throughout the song, Reid’s vocals follow the lyrics and melody on a rollercoaster of emotion, saving the soaring peaks of her sweet yet powerful voice for the pinnacles of the song, especially the last lines. By the end of “How Can I Keep Him Lovin’ Me?”, the sadness becomes both redemption and a spiritual epiphany — all because of the power of love. Now ain’t that what soul music is all about?

www.myspace.com/lorrainereid

Polarity/1, the multi-genre artist best known for bold, honest, hard-hitting songs, is re-releasing his hit album, Yankin’ the Food Chain, now with re-mastered tracks. Polarity/1’s music has been incorporated by dance theaters and documentarists, including Danny Schechter’s feature-length film documentary ‘In Debt We Trust’ and Battery Dance Company’s 26th Annual Downtown Dance Festival last year.

Yankin’ the Food Chain fuses electronica, acid jazz, alternative and electro-folk to create a set of funky-fresh beats infused with crucial political messages to future generations. The serious issues covered on Yankin’ force listeners to reanalyze their own ethics, especially when cornered with their own self-images in “Look at Your Shoeshine”: “Can you see yourself in your shoeshine?/ Step back!”

From the excitingly chilly vocals of “Salesman,” to the persuasive political raps found in “News Goo,” to the astoundingly real lyrics of “Di Hard” (”The good die young/ and the bad get paid”), Yankin’ has something to offer every music-lover. Perhaps most notable, though, are the album’s funky, upbeat tracks, such as “Boomers Blues,” “Jam Inya Jimmies” and “Cincinnati Pink.” With lyrics like “She’s catchin’ the groove and won’t let go,” it’s obvious that once you put on this Polarity/1 record, you won’t be letting go of the groove either.

Buy Yankin’ The Food Chain:

But don’t take our word for it; here’s what others have to say:

“Polarity/1 is a musical force unleashing some of the hippest beats and timely lyric[s] on the scene” (MediaChannel.org).

“‘Di Hard’ is a medium tempo groove with rapped and sung vocals, everything done by Polar except for exquisite backing vocals by Scott Parker Allen and Sabina Sciubba. The song is a comment on Princess Di’s demise, the role of the media, and the times we live in, serious without becoming sentimentalized or preachy. An interesting exercise in a style that’s very hard to pull off” (Recording Magazine).

“Polar succeeds in his mission of forcing you to pay attention and not lull into the sounds you ‘expect’ to hear” (StarPolish.com).

The music of Polarity/1 is exactly what the name suggests—”conjoined opposites,” including the new (cutting-edge electronica, hip-hop and nu-jazz) and the old (roots music of America, including blues, funk, country and early jazz, Brazil (samba, pagode, etc.) and West African groove science).

After a few years of playing percussion in samba bands at S.O.B.’s and other venues. Polar landed in hip hop which combined his interests in grooves, samples and wordplay into one form. He and rapper D.A.V. became Medicine Crew. In the aftermath of 9/11, Polar was asked to do a remix of Nile Rodgers’ We Are Family Project released on a compilation by Tommy Boy Records. His experience of 9/11 which was perpetrated in his neighborhood led to a collaboration with multi-platinum Pakistan rock band Junoon resulting in their hit song ‘No More’. John Hollander has choreographed four Polarity/1 compositions for New York’s Battery Dance Company’s fall season opening in November 2006 and has been touring extensively with the piece. In 2008, he scored “The Other Side” for the Quorum Ballet from Lisbon Portugal. P/1’s new collaboration, Koko Dozo, released their first album Illegal Space Aliens in February 2008.

And you can check out Polarity/1 for yourself and learn how to purchase Yankin’ the Food Chain by heading to www.musicdish.net/polarity1/

On August 24, 2006, Wildflowers Records alternative-country artist Amy Speace stopped by Fort Collins’ KRFC 88.9 FM for a live in-studio interview and performance on the station’s Live@Lunch show. Now MusicDish is making 8 tracks available from that memorable show freely available in MP3 format through social networking site ReverbNation at http://www.reverbnation.com/amyspeace

Amy’s ReverbNation profile offers 8 live tracks from her third album “Songs for Bright Street,” recorded at the station, including “Double Wide Trailer,” “Dreamin,” “Make Me Lonely Again,” “The Real Thing,” “Row Row Row,” “Shed This Skin,” “Step Out of the Shade” and “Two.” KRFC 88.9 was voted Best Radio Station by Coloradan readers, as its Live@Lunch show has a listening base of thousands which grows daily toward FM range/demographics in Colorado of over 700,000 (without counting internet listeners). Live@Lunch has celebrated over 1,000 shows since launching in March 2003.

The promotional campaign is part of a larger effort to promote MusicDish’s latest downloadable MP3 album “Amy Speace - Live On Radio.” Gathering nine tracks Amy’s most memorable radio performances on Ft. Collins’ KRFC 88.9 FM, NY’s WFUV 90.7 FM and Boston’s WMBR 88.1 FM, as well as syndicated show The Art of Song, the full album is available for download at http://www.musicdish.net/amyspeace/mp3/

Amy Speace has already won a loyal grass-roots fan base, thanks in large part to live performances that merge warmth, humor and emotional immediacy, and to a tireless touring schedule that’s already taken her across the United States. She’s also won considerable critical acclaim, with The Village Voice observing that Speace is “taking her Americana away from twangy contemplation toward tangy confrontation” and noting that she’s “not another of those breathy would-be child poets, but a real singing writer of songs.” Time Out New York stated, “Amy Speace plays sweet, twangy folk music with a clear voice and an innocent vulnerability,” while The Nashville Scene noted that she “balances wry humor with open-hearted honesty.” And renowned Nashville critic Robert K. Oermann, writing in Music Row, dubbed her a “new star.”

MusicDish, LLC has been at the forefront of the digital music sector, publishing some of the industry’s leading music magazine, including MusicDish.com and Mi2N.com, as well as dynamic white label content solutions. MusicDish also offers artist development and label management support, combining saturated online marketing with business networking and consulting.
http://www.musicdish.net

Talented songstress Lorraine Reid is not just reveling in her previous success as lead singer for dance group Temperance; she’s making a major shift in her career with the release of a hot solo R&B album “Lessons Learned.” Hailing from Toronto, Reid has opened for Lou Bega, Monica, Coolio and Destiny’s Child, and “is vocally ready to take her place beside other international R&B songbirds. Some would even go as far as to grade her deep, rich voice against the bluesy sounds of Billy Holiday or Sarah Vaughan” (Georgette Charlicombe, Mic Check).

It’s no surprise that Reid lists Whitney Houston as one of her influences, since her new album contains vocals comparable to those of Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige and India.Arie. Says Charles Bouley II from Billboard, “Reid delivers inspired vocal[s] that prove she’s a seasoned performer; it could easily elevate her to diva status. Her delivery is reminiscent of classic Donna Summer.”

Reid’s musical style can be described as a combination of R&B and soul with an edge. Having recorded two previous albums with Temperance, Virtues of Life and If You Don’t Know, she has the experience and the skills to infiltrate the music industry by simply sharing her powerful voice– with her help, Temperance was able to secure more Juno nominations than any other dance group to date.

Soon after Reid’s 7th Juno nomination in 2000, she began to feel as though her life needed a new direction. She decided to pursue a teaching career while continuing to record commercial jingles for radio and television, as well as perform backup vocals for countless other artists.

In the fall of 2005, the combination of full-time teaching and evening-gigging eventually took a toll on Reid’s health. She suffered a lengthy and extensive bout with laryngitis and was diagnosed with vocal nodules. Reid went through with an operation to have her nodules removed, which caused some loss in range and forced her to use an amplification system when speaking publicly.

Lessons Learned couldn’t be released at a better time in Reid’s life; the album’s title emulates the various challenges she has faced to make this record a reality. You are sure to hear a more soulful and established artist, as Reid provides a window into her heart by sharing the experiences that have made her the talented vocalist she is today.

You can expect to see the highly anticipated album out soon this summer, and while you’re anxiously awaiting the album’s release, go see Reid live July 12th, 2008 at the Montreal Reggae Festival (www.montrealreggaefest.com). Reid is also scheduled to play the Michigan Reggae Festival this coming August.

www.myspace.com/lorrainereid
www.musicdish.net/lorrainereid/

Maybe you’ve noticed that America’s debt industry — based on legalized loan-sharking — has created an economic crisis that threatens to go global. On a more local level — millions of families are facing home foreclosures and bankruptcy. And the credit card offers just keep flowing into our mailboxes.

“The avalanche of propaganda from the US debt industry with offers of ‘cheap’ credit is downright immoral as millions of families see their homes foreclosed,” noted NY-based multi-instrumentalist/arranger/composer/producer Polarity/1. “Having long worked on the subject, I felt I had to do something in order to educate Americans and counter the propaganda”

Polarity/1, a multi-instrumentalist/arranger/composer/producer, was one of the early voices warning of the impending debt crisis, having composed most of the score and served as Music Supervisor for Danny Schechter’s feature-length documentary IN DEBT WE TRUST. Focused on America’s dangerous addiction to debt and the predatory nature of our credit and loan industry, the film predicted over two years ago the economic meltdown being experienced today. And he’s now making the message available to the public, offering all his tracks from the documentary - including “Free Money,” “Charge It,” “Free Money Blues,” and “I’m So Broke” - as free MP3 downloads at www.reverbnation.com/polarity1

The music of Polarity/1 is exactly what the name suggests: conjoined opposites — a mash up of new: cutting edge electronica/hip hop/nu-jazz and old; roots music of America (blues, funk, country, early jazz), Brazil (samba, pagoda, etc.) and West African groove science. Polarity also describes the dual streams of Polarity/1’s musical output: songs and instrumentals.

After a few years of playing percussion in samba bands at S.O.B.’s and other venues. Polar landed in hip hop which combined his interests in grooves, samples and wordplay into one form. He and rapper D.A.V. became Medicine Crew. In the aftermath of 9/11, Polar was asked to do a remix of Nile Rodgers’ We Are Family Project released on a compilation by Tommy Boy Records. His experience of 9/11 which was perpetrated in his neighborhood led to a collaboration with multi-platinum Pakistan rock band Junoon resulting in their hit song ‘No More’. John Hollander has choreographed four Polarity/1 compositions for New York’s Battery Dance Company’s fall season opening in November 2006 and has been touring extensively with the piece. In 2008, he scored “The Other Side” for the Quorum Ballet from Lisbon, Portugal. P/1’s new collaboration, Koko Dozo, released their first album Illegal Space Aliens in February 2008.

Check out IN DEBT WE TRUST — the scariest movie of the century. www.indebtwetrust.com (Better hold the butter on the popcorn.)

To get more information on these issues, assistance with debt problems and ways you can fight back — go to www.stopthesqueeze.org

7-Time JUNO Nominated R&B/Neo-Soul singer Lorraine Reid has been invited to perform at the Montreal Reggae Festival on July 12, 2008. Known to many for her work with the dance group Temperance, Lorraine will be performing songs from her debut solo album “Lessons Learned,” to be released this summer. Lorraine is also scheduled to play the Michigan Reggae Festival this coming August.

Montreal Reggae Festival
July 12, 2008 12pm - 8pm
“Loto-Quebec” Stage
Old Port of Montreal
http://www.montrealreggaefest.com

The Montreal Reggae Fest’ has ranked among the top annual festivals held in Montreal each year. The 3-day weekend-long event is by far the largest of its kind in Canada, currently attracts over 30,000 people with fans traveling from across the globe to attend.

Lorraine Reid pours her soul into the mic every time she steps on stage to sing. While recording dance music for Temperance, Lorraine’s heart as always been with soul and rhythm and blues. Lorraine attributes her unique vocal style to the influences of Billie Holiday, Sade, Sarah Vaughan and Whitney Houston and primarily enjoys listening to vocal jazz, rhythm and blues, and reggae. While with Temperance, Lorraine achieved many successes on top of her Juno Nominations, including six top ten singles on the Canadian National Dance Chart and a Much Music Video Award for Best Dance Video. She also toured extensively throughout North America, the U.K. and Europe.

http://www.musicdish.net/lorrainereid/
http://www.myspace.com/lorrainereid