I’m always interested in speaking with musicians that consider themselves artists. I’ve found that these artists are bolder and don’t restrict themselves to one genre. They usually have a repertoire that is colored with different intriguing  inspirations. This is the case with Juliet Annerino. Juliet has gone everywhere in pursuit of her art and has toured throughout Europe and beyond. Juliet has also ventured into risque territory with some of her work, especially with her muti-media cabaret show “The Lord’s Lover.” But who doesn’t love a little controversy with their art? I know I do, so I give you Juliet Annerino…

Your music is very unique, who are your biggest influences?

I’m influenced by so many great composers and performers. From the classic jazz composers like Cole Porter and George Gershwin, to jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, to more contemporary pop/composers like Sting, Annie Lennox, Bjork, and Portishead. I can appreciate the trendy, the quirky, all the fluff de jour.

You have toured all over  the world. What has been your favorite place so far and why?

Ah! I can’t play favorites like that. Every place I’ve performed has been special and precious in its own way. People do seem warmer personality-wise in warmer climates. And I’ve never had a problem with anyone being snobbish. The French were so sweet and very friendly. The most friendly people might be the Egyptians. Lebanese people are amazing given their history of wars and destruction. They’re so brave and proud and they sure know how to enjoy life!

Did you grow up studying music?

Well, I never really grew up–but that’s a story for another time. I took some piano lessons  in grade school, but I was undisciplined and just wanted to make up my own melodies. Then I took some free guitar lessons in the 7th grade and really started to use the guitar to write songs. Later, another musician friend of mine suggested that I get away from the guitar when I was writing songs because the guitar was more of a crutch than a tool for me.

I wasn’t a very good guitarist, and the limited vocabulary I had in guitar chords was keeping my melody in a pretty tight frame. I did find that if I wrote a melody without the aid of the guitar first, I’d write much more creative songs. I was freed. This is how I write now, without the use of any instruments first. Then I go to the piano and write charts for my musicians.

What charities or organizations do you affiliate yourself with?

I’m a member of We Are Change LA, The Hollywood Freedom Activists and Code Pink: Women for Peace. I’m a big fan of Anti-war.com and the Iraq Veterans Against the War, too. A percentage of the proceeds from all my records sales as well as my shows always go to wonderful charity called, Mercy Corps or to Code Pink.

Your album has a lot of instrumentation, which ones do you play?

I sang all the vocals except that very deep “Dance!” on “Dance Between the Raindrops” which was my engineer, John X. I programmed all the virtual drums and played all the virtual (as in synth) bass, keys and strings, and I played the acoustic guitar on “Drowning” and “Just for Fun.” And of course, I played the dog toy on “Cigarette.”

Who is you favorite person that you have worked with so far?

The dog toy. Oh, you said “person” I love them all, of course! Well I have to say I really loved working with the late, great Jamie Tisdale, who played guitar on “Save Yourself.” He really understood what I was going for with that cut and he put all of his creative energy and his passion into that performance, as he did with everything he did. His talents will be missed, always.

What is the best prank you ever played?

That would have to be the prank I played on my little brother when we were kids. My sister and I were a few years older than him and he was always trying to get us in trouble, so we decided to try something…

I pretended to call him a “swear word” that we’d agreed on previously that was just a made up word. I told her I’d call him a “little blanchard” and then my sister would act really shocked that I’d used a bad word. When it happened, he went to tell my Dad. Of course, he was  confused  and then amused. My little brother was so embarrassed. We thought it was hilarious at the time.

Listen to her music on MySpace and Facebook

–Sheena Felix

Recently, I got to chat up Edison Sunrise about their newest EP Lifer. I got to ask them about their songwriting process and how they came up with the name Edison Sunrise. There is a lot of great new talent coming out of Canada and this is proof. Check out their music at www.EdisonSunrise.com

What is the origin of the band name Edison Sunrise?

I came up with the name “Edison Sunrise” after hanging out in a friend’s basement. His father had an old Thomas Edison record player, that played some of the first ever recorded music.  I was very impressed by the antique record player because it doesn’t need electricity to play. You simply wind it up and it plays the music on the record. Someone mentioned that The Edisons would be a good band name. I had never been interested in being a “The” band so I used my wits and put together Edison Sunrise.

Who are some of your greatest musical influences?

Some of my favorite artists are Blind Melon, Bob Dylan and Oasis. They all have their unique style and sound and they all genius songwriters. I rely heavily on my songwriting to get me ahead and open up doors.

You are about to release a new EP, what song are you most excited to play live?

The third song on my EP called “Life Forms” is always fun to play whether in practice or in a show. The song is short, catchy and packed full of energy. It is the perfect song to play if you want to leave the audience wanting more.

What is the Edison Sunrise songwriting process like?

It tends to not take that long at all for me to write a full song. I tend to drop a song if I am struggling to write it. I have always felt my best work flow through me with ease when I am “in the zone.” I have stuck with this formula and I have managed to write over 40 originals thus far.

What are the main themes or topics that influence your songs?

Society and equality is a big one for me. I am a free spirit and I try to encourage people to think outside of the box and not judge people.

I like to sing about the dangers and shadiness in the world. The world isn’t all butterflies and beautiful flowers you know! There is evil at work.

I write about friends and memories. I can’t forget about all the good times and friends I have made along the way. Everyone needs a song to remind them of the people in their life.

How has your music evolved since you first started playing?

Being able to write lots of songs in a short amount of time has given me an edge. I have written everything from country roots to heavy rock and hip hop. I am constantly changing. One of the most compliments I get it that all my songs are different from one another and I have a unique sound.

What’s the best part about being a musician in Canada?

I currently live in a beautiful mountain town, Banff AB.It is vast and inspiring and people their really dig their music.

What are you looking forward to in 2010?

Having an EP for sale worldwide through digital download and having a much more experienced mindset. I have been learning and working hard at getting better at my craft. I feel that in 2010 I will finally start getting the recognition I have been working toward.

Recently, I had a chance to talk to the up-and-coming Hip-Hop duo RIBKAT AND JOSY B. They’ve already had a placement in the Oscar-nominated film the The Wrestler, a 2008 Hollywood Music Award nomination and an Effigy Award for best Hip Hop song in 2009 under their belts. They recently released their latest album Theory of Addicts and it looks like 2010 is going to be a good year for Tak and Josy B.

The chemistry between the two of you is undeniable, how did you meet and what made you start performing together?

I wrote a song called “Redrum” and I really wanted a female to sing the chorus I had written, and then, what do you know? With the snap of a finger, I was introduced to a cute, vivacious Puerto Rican girl with amazing vocals that went by the name of Josy B. Shortly  after the recording, I realized our chemistry was so magnetic and decided to release the song as our first single, which did great overseas, and we continued to work together from that point on

What is the first song you ever wrote together?

It was a song called ‘Reveriez” which happened to be our first single from our new album Theory of Addicts. You can get a free download of our album at www.RIBKATANDJOSYB.COM. I strongly encourage all you folks out there to come join us and get yourself a free copy!

Tak, you’ve been in the game a long time with groups like Styles of Beyond and Fort Minor, how is RIBKAT AND JOSY B. different?

For starters, I’ve never done an entire project with a female. Another is I got a chance to reinvent myself and showcase my music production and songwriting ability in a way the fans have never heard or would ever expect. Our sound is more electro-pop tip with a fusion of 80’s music and early 90’s Hip Hop in it’s prime. I never considered myself to be a rapper for the most part, but more of a songwriter who was always intrigued by the art of storytelling, with the soul of a musician.

Josy B., you’ve had the opportunity to work with the legendary Dr. Dre, tell us about the experience.

It was an awesome opportunity and a great learning experience. At the time, Dre was doing the soundtrack for a movie called El Diablo and we worked together to write some lyrics in Spanish for a track that was used for one of the scenes. The song turned out great! He was a really fun and down-to-earth guy and it was an honor to have worked with the Dr.

Josy B., you seem to love fashion, does your style influence your music and stage persona?

Fashion is my love!!! I’m addicted to accessories and colorful bags. What I wear is who I am which has a lot of influence not only with the music that I do but on stage as well. I don’t try to think too hard about what I’m going to wear when I perform. I’m very versatile with my visions and mood and sometimes I throw something together spontaneously, so you never know what I may be wearing when I come out!

Your new album Theory of Addicts was just released, what tracks are you most excited to perform live?

To be honest, we get excited to perform all of our songs because we love our album! We don’t use profanity in any way and we strongly believe in unifying a nation of people young and elderly through a positive medium of enjoyable music with an innovative energy behind it.

If you could collaborate with any other artist/s who would it be?

A man-made android combining the DNA of Culture Club, Talking Heads, Human League, Huey and the News, Tears for Fears, Public Enemy, Tribe Called Quest, LL Cool J., Leaders of the New School, with a splash of Michael Jackson.

What’s the game plan for 2010?

To infect the world with a plague called “Good Honest Music”

–Sheena Felix

A seasoned singer and budding songwriter, Emanuela Bellezza is a steadily developing artist whose full culmination will yield an artist with lyrical prowess to match her intense vocal delivery. So far, her newest EP Rain and Sunshine of Heart delivers Emanuela’s powerful bittersweet voice nestled in some rich soulful tunes.

I love Emanuela because she has a lot of talent and shows so much promise. She wrote all the songs on her EP (except for Arethra Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way”) and her first language isn’t even English! What she is unable to convey with words, she is able to communicate with her spirited vocals. And boy, does she ever. I think that is where her greatest strength lies. Her dynamic range, and at times raspy vocals accentuate simple lyrics and remind us that when it comes to things like heartbreak, sometimes words just don’t cut it.

On Rain and Sunshine of Heart, Emanuela also sings beautifully in Italian. “Stai Con Me” has a vulnerability and sweetness to it that is absent on the rest of the album. Just when you think that all this girl can do is sing at the top her lungs, she reveals a warmer and softer tone. The song’s feel is completely different from its English counterpart and the rest of the EP.  I think it’s one of the EP’s highlights, even if you can’t speak Italian.

Emanuela also covers Arethra’s “Ain’t No Way” and the result is a good mix of Emanuela’s emotional range. Some of the song even gives me chills. Emanuela is incredibly dynamic and when she taps into this talent, she has the ability to convey emotions as they truly are–complex and changing.

I can’t wait to see what she does next. This is definitely an artist with a lot of talent on the verge of a breakthrough. Check out her music at www. EmanuelaBellezza.com

-Sheena Felix

Guest post: Treadmarkz is my brother-in-law, a Human Beatles Encyclopedia and the author of the weblog Treadmarkz.wordpress.com.

Some Country music purists would probably say that anything that warrants the name “Alternative Country” is not really Country. But ultimately it is the domain of the fan to judge what an artist is or is not, to them.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Jennifer Dixon.

A little country sensibility with a style that hovers along the cusp of blues, pop, jazz owing to a stint on Memphis’ legendary Beale Street, and nearly a decade in Nashville, her new CD, “2 Years” is the fruit of experience. She did not come out of nowhere.

Which makes it all the more uncanny that she has been labeled “un-Nashville.” Read the rest of this entry

If you write music, lyric or both and you want to  see where you stand in the sea of songwiriters – and maybe win a little cash – why not enter a songwriting contest. Here are a few contests you could should enter this year.

• 100% Music Songwriting contest
• USA Songwriting competition
• Nashville International Song and Lyric Contest

Last year I entered into the USA Songwriting Competition to see if I could win. Plus, I was just curious to see how these things worked and  maybe even get a little feedback.  

Well I didn’t win anything and I didn’t get any feedback BUT I feel that just going through the motions really helped me to improve my skills, to push myself to learn more about writing and also realize that  I needed to touch up my recording skills. 

So if you write, give it a shot. 

Do you know of any more? Let us know in the comments below.

In case you are wondering, I am found a new theme and I am playing around a bit. My last theme as kind of cluttered and the white text on black background made it difficult to read (in my opinion anyway).

I am not going to try to get the design and layout done in one shot but rather over the course of days – maybe weeks, lol. Well see. I am doing that because, for one, my time is limited, and two, sometimes it takes awhile to get something right (kinda like a good recipe or a good song).

Anyway, it shouldn’t effect anything but just thought I would let you know. Feel free to jump in with your thoughts. Later! Read the rest of this entry

Just a note if you have been looking for a new podcast from yours truly. The studio – aka spare room – that I record my podcast in is currently under construction. I am not sure how long it is going to take before I can use it again – since I am only able to work on it on the weekends – but i am looking into some other remote options.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. Hey, maybe this would be a good time for you to catch up on – or revisit – some of the older Melting Pot Podcasts.

I just wanted to give a ginormous thanks you to everyone over at the Mixxing Bowls Social Blend for selecting my appearance on their show one of the best of 2009 2008 (oops).

I remember the show well and I really had a great time. Hopefully this means I will get another spot somewhere down the line.

If you haven’t ever listened to Social Blend, go check out the Social Blend Best of 2008 Podcast now to get a taste.

Yes, I am still alive. I have been extremely busy but I am planning a modern rock podcast which I hope to get out in the next week or so. 

I recently moved accross town into a new house and have been busy doing all the things you do when you move. 

For those of you who are looking to submit music for review, shoot me an email so that I can get you my new address.  i wasn’t able to get in contact with everyone and I think I may have missed the Indie Bible publishing deadline so I may be wrong there too. BUT, like I said, shoot me an email.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know I am still alive and that i miss play music for you. See you soon.