"Few people write songs with as direct a line to our hearts.
Bill Isles' work is appealing, disarming and when
sung with Kate Isles, well-nigh electric"
Words like "mesmerizing"¯ and "transcendental" are common in descriptions of Bill Isles (Duluth, MN) live performances, not to mention, "very funny."
He performed his first show of original songs in twenty-five years in February of 2000. Since that time, he has become one of the most well known singer/songwriters in the Minnesota acoustic scene and has been getting national and international attention.
His love of life has strong roots in his childhood, but his urgency to tell these stories comes from an experience in 1993 when, with just enough warning to drive himself to the hospital, his heart stopped beating. He arrived with just ten minutes to spare. After being defibrillated, and before the doctors had time to detect and open a blocked artery in his heart, he made a commitment to himself that, if he survived, he would begin to write again. Those paddles restarted more than his heart.
Kate Isles was a closet singer/songwriter, full-time wine representative and dedicated single-mom when she came to a CD release concert for Bill's first CD, "Weightless"¯ after hearing a radio interview. She bought the CD and signed up on his e-mail list. ("Grounds for marriage!" quips Bill)
Their relationship began soon afterwards with afternoon sessions with guitars, harmonies and coffee. They've been together ever since, marrying in May of 2004. While Bill initially toured solo, Kate is becoming an integral part of the act, with extensive duo touring planned for 2008 to support their upcoming duet album, "Matching Baggage" which will include several songs that they've co-written. The response has been very positive with many comments about the "perfect blend of two voices". "I'm honored to hear such things," said Kate, "it reflects the wonderful relationship that we've enjoyed."
"...she delivers the truth of her music through a voice that is at minimal angelic and can be best described as viscerally intoxicating." Elizabeth Wills Official Talent Trust Recipient CD Release Show
featuring special guests Betty Soo & Susan Gibson!
Tonight is the official release of Elizabeth Wills "Love Comes Home" CD made possible by The Bugle Boy Foundation Talent Trust. Read more about Elizabeth and the Talent Trust here All proceeds from tonight's show benefit a future Talent Trust recipient.
On January 28th the Mayor of La Grange presented Ms. Wills with a key to the city and if that wasn't enough, by proclamation, Fayette County Judge, Ed Janecka declared January 28th Elizabeth Wills day in Fayette County.
Elizabeth Wills is a confessional songwriter with a musical force that presses Americana pop music to discover its highest self. Her draw comes from her pure accessibility and the emotional connection she makes with her listener by delivering her songs through a voice that is at minimal angelic and can be best described as viscerally intoxicating.
"The crowd was hers from the start...Her lush voice calls to mind female singer/songwriter greats such as Carly Simon, Shawn Colvin and Sarah McLachlan. " Jenny Block - Dallas Morning News
Elizabeth Wills featured artist in The Bugle Boy's Texas Music Magazine Ad Campaign
Elizabeth Wills is our featured artist in the 2010 1st quarter edition of Texas Music Magazine. These ads were made possible by the City of La Grange's Tourism Grant Program.
Each quarter we will highlight a different Bugle Boy performing artist.
Thank you Elizabeth for your participation in 2010 1st quarter edition!
"She sings with immense hillbilly heart and writes like a champion..." Robert K. Oermann-Music Row Magazine Irene Kelley w/ special guest, daughter Sara Kelley
You will have an immediate familiarity with Irene Kelley because her original songs have been recorded and taken to the top of the country music charts by such Nashville greats as Alan Jackson, Pat Green, Loretta Lynn, Trisha Yearwood, Bill Anderson, Ricky Skaggs, Pierce Pettis, Pure Prairie League, and many more. Irene will be joined by her daughter Sara Kelley for tonight’s show.
Listed here are just a few of Irene's top songs:
"A Little Bluer Than That" Alan Jackson, Drive- BMG
"Hold Her", Loretta Lynn, Still Country- Audium
"O, Mexico", Trisha Yearwood , "Thinkin About You"- MCA
"Somewhere Between Texas And Mexico" Pat Green-Universal/Mercury/Republic
"Tremblay’s show felt like an evening spent with a close friend. There were laughs, there were tears, and you came away from it feeling richer for having been there…” - Sara Barss, The Lancaster Times
For over 20 years, Lucie Blue has performed in Canada, the US, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, at vaious folk venues and festivals as well as women's music festivals.
Her name has been whispered through the cracks in the music business since her first television appearance in 1984. Since then she has shared the stage with such prominent names as Randy Newman, James Taylor, Jane Siberry, Pete Seeger, Judi Richards, Sarah McLachlan, Cris Williamson and Meg Christian to name a few.
Her whistle became a trademark and her concerts a personal experience. While one frequently finds new concert attendees buying all her music at once, and though her CD sales through the years have surpassed any independents dreams (her first CD selling over 30,000 units), Lucie Blue remains one of Canada's best-kept secrets, yet her first release, "Lucie Blue Tremblay's" was on the Boston Globeā€™s Top Ten List in 1986.
She is one of Canada's beautiful voices and songwriters. Her music goes straight to the heart of men and women alike. Her universal theme is LOVE. Her global message is honor, strength, laughter, thought, peace and love.
On selected Sundays of each month, Lane Gosnay, founder of The Bugle Boy, hosts an afternoon PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE as a forum for aspiring performing songwriters.
Consisting of both state and national acts, performers have ten minutes each to make The Bugle Boy stage their own. Each act performs two original songs, and a panel of 3 judges chooses three finalists. These three are invited back to the stage at the end of the afternoon to perform one more song, and the judges select one winner. Performers are judged in six different areas: songwriting, vocal performance, playing ability, stage presence, entertainment skills and audience response.
"Hey out there....listen up to this guy..you'll be glad you did. He's great!!!!! This is the real deal." -Eliza Gilkyson
"Ben Mallott's pearl snaps and patterned cowboy boots on the cover of his debut LP are a bit misleading. Although he's backed at times by some solid steel and gently chugging rhythms, the Austinite's propelled by his impressively soulful vocals. Opener "Heartbreaks" showcases an impressively subtle range, and though there are touches of Damien Jurado, Daniel Lanois, and even Ray LaMontagne's mellow grit, Mallott winds with dexterous versatility. Unexpected horns blaze mariachi on "Purgatory's Last Massage Parlor" and Memphis on "I Want It All," while "Love Is Cold Water" bounces with B-3 organ and a New Orleans' jazz romp at the end. The sway behind Mallott's low, breathy swells on "The Artful Dodger" counter the rockabilly piano romp of "Cold Feet." Eliza Gilkyson lends her vocal magic to "Shotgun Suzy," and tender numbers such as "Leaving," "Over Time," and the darkly twisted "Just Like Angels" are all beautifully wrought" - Doug Freeman, Austin Chronicle
"His profile shoots up with the release of 'Look Good, Feel Good.' First-rate songwriting." - Michael Corcoran, Austin American-Statesman
Fresh enthusiasm. A divine voice. Electric stage presence Terri Hendrix
When Terri Hendrix walked away from her opera scholarship in college, it was only because she found the classical music path too narrow for her free spirit. But there was just no shaking her love of music. Armed with the Mississippi-John-Hurt-style guitar chops she learned from her mentor, Marion Williamson, in exchange for milking goats on the philanthropist's Wilory Farm, Hendrix began hauling her own P.A. in the back of her beat-up pick-up to gigs throughout the Texas Hill Country. From her native San Antonio to the live music hotbed of Austin and every small town honky-tonk and coffee shop in Texas, it wasn't long before the fans started adding up and Hendrix had to recruit some of them to help her keep up with her mailing list. All this in the pre-email/Web site dark ages of the early '90s.
"Simply put, Terri Hendrix creates the kind of music that makes you feel good, conceived and delivered with utter sincerity." -- Richard Skanse, Texas Music Magazine
Terri Hendrix is an amazing performer and a great writer. Her storytelling has a certain kind of believability that is natural, and she can turn on a dime and twist it around where itā€™s as unexpected and as funny as anything you could imagine. All combined, it's pretty amazing."
--Joe Ely, Texas singer-songwriter
"Terri Hendrix is a gifted songwriter and performer. Her ability to reach people with music and her positive attitude amazes me. Listen to her music, see her, and then . . . you'll understand."
--Helen Leicht, Music Director, WXPN-Philadelphia
KINKY FRIEDMAN'S TWENTY-TEN TOUR
Appearances Scheduled Across Texas
The man that the Washington Post called, “…the last public intellectual in Texas since the death of Molly Ivins,” Kinky Friedman, will be touring Texas to share his tunes, stories, and readings from his literary masterpiece, 'Heroes of a Texas Childhood.' Kinky's Twenty-Ten tour is set to run from February 18th through February 28th with stops scheduled throughout the state.
“I want a chance to talk to the people of Texas, share some of my childhood heroes, and sing some songs,” Friedman said. “I think the people of Texas appreciate a guy who rides, shoots straight, and tells the truth. That’s the kind of guy I am.”
One of a kind! Guitar Auction To be auctioned during the Kinky Friedman show this afternoon.
EMAIL US if you would like to place a silent bid.
Thanks go to all of the great Bugle Boy artists who have autographed the guitar over the past 6 months, making it a one-of-a-kind collectors' item. A live auction during the intermission of the Kinky Friedman show will determine which lucky fan gets to own this treasured piece of Bugle Boy and Texas Music memorabilia! Only this one item will be auctioned.
All proceeds from the guitar will go to benefit the The Bugle Boy Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity, and are tax deductible to the extent that the law allows.
2009 Artist Signatures
Carolyn Wonderland, Janis Ian, Guy Forsyth, Pierce Pettis, John Beland, Paula Nelson, Duke Davis, Austin Lounge Lizards, Jimmy LaFave, Big Wide Grin, Molly Venter, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart, Brooks Williams, Woody Russell, Hamilton Loomis, Sara Hickman, John Gorka, Darden Smith, Roscoe Beck, Michael Fracasso, Ian McLagan, Elizabeth Wills, Eliza Gilkyson, Ray Bonneville, Seth Walker plus many more
2009 Texas Music Awards Nominee for
Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year! David Lutes
David Lutes music is a unique blend of Americana, folk and pop. The Austin-based singer-songwriter is playing behind his latest release Big Top from which he has received high critical acclaim. The Daily Texan calls the record "...the music that actually makes it worth your time to listen to all these free [promotional] discs," and Austin.com's Nichole Wagner praises Big Top as "flashy and dangerous, with room for the occasional flare of the unexpected."
Lutes also garnered praise from the 2009 Texas Music Awards with nominations for "Song of the Year" and "Male Vocalist of the Year," which included a feature performance at the ceremony.
Big Top features a double disc offering of Lutes’ genre-bending mix of folk and pop that stays true to his Americana roots and songwriting with explorations into spirited pop-rock.
"Beautiful harmonies, emotional lyrics, joyous, uplifting, catchy tunes and a sweet,spunky sound that is part folk, part rock, part country and all heart." - The Folk Times (Capitol Region, NY) The Burns Sisters Band
You can think about the Burns Sisters in descriptive terms – powerful songs,
gorgeous sibling harmony, a distinctive blend of folk, country, and rock styles —but their essence is spirit, soul, if you will. Marie, Jeannie and Annie Burns sing together and their music follows an inner path they know by heart. Every song is tied to the center of things, to the everyday hunt for warmth on a cold planet, to family and history and blood.
The three sisters have been singing together all their lives. At times others of their siblings joined in. Their mother, Teresa, who sang in the church choir, taught them and so it began.
They are from a family of twelve children brought up Irish Catholic in upstate New York. Their father, the late John Burns, had an impressive career in politics as Democratic State Chairman of New York state, Campaign Manager in NY State for Robert Kennedy’s Presidential race and Mayor of Binghamton, NY. They all grew up in a family culture that believed in standing up for the rights of all people.
They still walk their talk and bring their beliefs into their music.
"From the opening bars of the first tune, Chip Dolan had me hooked. The more I listen to right now, the more I want to listen."
-Joan Kornblith, Voice of America Chip Dolan
For more than 20 years Chip has been one of Austin's most sought after and most versatile musicians. He's had a hand in recording and performing some great music made by some of Texas' finest artists. His musical ability has taken him across America and across the Atlantic, from Austin to Amsterdam ... from South by Southwest to Sweden ... from the White House to Wolf Trap... from Gruene Hall to Hyde Park. Now Chip Dolan is following his musical dreams down a new road. After years of helping make legendary music with Bruce Robison, Charlie Robison, Kelly Willis, The Mavericks, Tish Hinojosa, Greg Trooper, Eliza Gilkyson, Jimmy Lafave, Sara Hickman, Slaid Cleaves, and many more, Chip is making his own music, his own way. "Right Now" is the first album from an artist who's earned respect, admiration and praise from some of the major names in Texas music. His talent and versatility on piano, keyboards and accordion have kept Chip in high demand, providing great back-up for major artists in concerts, clubs, music festivals and recording studios in Austin and far beyond. Now Chip moves out front with his own record, his own music, his own style.
2007 "Best Singer Songwriter"
Austin American Statesman Wendy Colonna "Wendy Colonna offers a tonic for those who remember Aretha, Marvin, and Stevie making meaningful albums that helped weave the socio-sonic tapestry of a generation..." Adam Black- Texas Music
Award winning musician and songwriter, Wendy' Colonna's music is a savory gumbo of soul, poetry and groove. With a smoky voice and poetic lyricism borne of her rich Gulf Coast heritage, she stirs up an eclectic mix of stylistic ingredients, creating a delicious musical experience for listeners.
Among her recent accolades, Wendy was voted 2007 "Best Singer Songwriter" in Austin (Austin American Statesman), received Grand Prize the Famecast International Talent Competition in the "Pop" Category and has won multiple songwriting competitions.
In her 12 year musical career Wendy has toured extensively throughout the US and Europe, and has released three critically acclaimed studio albums as well as a double live album/DVD.
Honky Tonk Legend
Two Shows 3pm & 6pm Joe Ely 1st show
JOE ELY "He sings of distance, about rivers and ranches, of smoldering passions and sad laments, of faraway longing and unrequited love." by Joe Nick Patoski
Everybody else romances the road. Joe Ely lives it. Call him what you want - a wandering minstrel, gypsy cowboy, visionary song poet, or houserocker on fire - whatever he is, Ely's covered a lot of ground in his time. He really has ridden the rails (in a circus train, no less), thumbed his way across the country, hopped boats to exotic foreign lands, and ridden horses across the prairie. All part of the relentless quest for revelation that only a journey can satisfy. Those sort of restless yearnings come naturally to a boy from Lubbock, Texas, where the flat dusty landscape, endless sky and vast horizons have inspired several generations of young creative types to fill up all that empty space with music, as Buddy Holly did, as did Waylon Jennings, and Roy Orbison all the way to the current Lubbock Mob consisting of Ely and his compadres Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, and Terry Allen. Like them, Joe Ely has proved to himself before he proved to a growing number of faithful that when it comes to the mystical process of writing, singing, and performing music, there's no pretending or holding back. Where he comes from, you put your emotions on the line each and every night.
JOE ELY "He sings of distance, about rivers and ranches, of smoldering passions and sad laments, of faraway longing and unrequited love." by Joe Nick Patoski
Everybody else romances the road. Joe Ely lives it. Call him what you want - a wandering minstrel, gypsy cowboy, visionary song poet, or houserocker on fire - whatever he is, Ely's covered a lot of ground in his time. He really has ridden the rails (in a circus train, no less), thumbed his way across the country, hopped boats to exotic foreign lands, and ridden horses across the prairie. All part of the relentless quest for revelation that only a journey can satisfy. Those sort of restless yearnings come naturally to a boy from Lubbock, Texas, where the flat dusty landscape, endless sky and vast horizons have inspired several generations of young creative types to fill up all that empty space with music, as Buddy Holly did, as did Waylon Jennings, and Roy Orbison all the way to the current Lubbock Mob consisting of Ely and his compadres Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, and Terry Allen. Like them, Joe Ely has proved to himself before he proved to a growing number of faithful that when it comes to the mystical process of writing, singing, and performing music, there's no pretending or holding back. Where he comes from, you put your emotions on the line each and every night.
Ed Miller has been hailed as "one of the finest singers to come out of the Scottish Folksong Revival" and as "one of Scotland's best singing exports." Originally from Edinburgh, he has for many years been based in Austin, TX where he gained graduate degrees in Folklore and Geography at the University of Texas.
Ed also hosts Austin's KUT 90.5 "Across The Water" on Sundays from 7-8pm. The show largely focuses on the music of Scotland, Ireland and England, along with occasional visits to other Celtic areas of Europe.
Fredy Argir was born in Hibbing, Minnesota and has lived in and worked out of Austin, Texas, for the past 40 years. He cut his first record in Austin in 1968, and has made at least one album every decade since then, including three in the past eight years. He toured for five years on the National College Coffeehouse Circuit in the 1970s, and has lived in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and New York, but his base has always been Austin. He's appeared with a wide variety of American music icons, and has headlined music venues across the country, from the Bitter End in New York to the Winnipeg Folk Festival to the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin. Best-known for his poetic lyrics (he has published 'The Blackhawk Manuscript,' a book of poetry) and his unique electric guitar style, Fredy continues to write, record and tour. His latest album, titled 'Last Time Around,' was released in the spring of 2009.
"Argirs music and performance, song after song, combine the depth and dimension of mature creations with the freshness, immediacy and aesthetic drive of a first album. Last Time Around is an achievement years in the making. It may eventually be considered the work of a lifetime. But chances are, to venture an educated guess, it won't be the last of its kind." - Doug Shea
On selected Sundays of each month, Lane Gosnay, founder of The Bugle Boy, hosts an afternoon PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE as a forum for aspiring performing songwriters.
Consisting of both state and national acts, performers have ten minutes each to make The Bugle Boy stage their own. Each act performs two original songs, and a panel of 3 judges chooses three finalists. These three are invited back to the stage at the end of the afternoon to perform one more song, and the judges select one winner. Performers are judged in six different areas: songwriting, vocal performance, playing ability, stage presence, entertainment skills and audience response.
George Ensle has a unique fingerpicking style originating from his classical guitar training and honed over the years to flow seamlessly with his lyrics. He has been called a "songpainter," capturing "lifescapes", with storysong portraits of "real people making it in the real world."
George, is a veteran Texas singer-songwriter, who began performing as a teenager in the late sixties in his hometown, Houston at such venerable clubs as the Sand Mountain Coffeehouse and the original Old Quarter, sharing stages with legendary greats Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Billie Joe Shaver. He was awarded prestigious federal government grants to be an Artist-In-Schools, teaching songwriting and the creative process to young students. George has won songwriting awards from The American Song Festival, the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Music Umbrella, and the Austin Songwriters Group. In 2008 he was nominated for Singer/Songwriter of the Year by the Texas Music Academy. His songs have been recorded by Gary P. Nunn, Bob Cheevers, Will T. Massey, and Jeff Talmadge, to name a few. He has released five albums in the U.S. and Europe.
a mix of the Beatles & The Simpsons... Austin Lounge Lizards
The Austin Lounge Lizards have been making music for 25 years, earning a reputation for slaughtering sacred cows. The band - a showroom of tropical shirts - has released nine albums, all dedicated to satirically skewering politics, love, religion and whatever passes for culture. And from the Austin American Statesman: These Lizards do More Than Lounge Around Austin The Austin Lounge Lizards might have a local flavor and name, but the group has performed in venues across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Their style is based on both satire and folk as they mix famous Texas country sounds with biting lyrics. The Austin Lounge Lizards cleverly bring out the humor in subjects ranging from politics to religion to love, an ability made clear on their most recent release, "The Drugs I Need."
Berkley Hart is the combination of Kerrville New Folk Songwriter Award winner, Jeff Berkley, and stand-out wordsmith, Calman Hart. Hailed as masters of two part harmony and dazzling song craft, Berkley Hart have established themselves as one of the premier acoustic duos in the country. Their virtuoso playing as well as their good natured humor make it easy to see why Jeff Berkley & Calman Hart have become live favorites.
When your dad is a founding father of outlaw country and a major musical legend, at some point, you realize resistance is futile: Even if you don't seek a career in music, eventually, it's gonna seek you.
Paula Nelson Band plays a smart collection of jazzy rockers, seductive love songs and heartfelt ballads that makes the most of Nelson's vibrant alto-to-soprano vocals and the band's guitar driven sound.
Like the Cash and Jennings kids, Paula Nelson picked up "Papa Bear" Willie's way with a song early on, along with her aunt Bobbie's skill on piano, which Paula started playing at age 7. Although her dad once advised her, "Remember to watch everything I do and do the exact opposite," she drew influences from his Highwaymen pals and contemporaries such as Kris Kristofferson's then-wife, Rita Coolidge, whose bluesy, supple vocal style provided one of Paula's earliest templates as she found her own voice. Texas Monthly has called that voice "torchy," and the Los Angeles. Times praised, "There's no missing the unforced power of Paula's singing."
Watch this video. Keep in mind it is staged & no drunks were really injured.
“The purest voice I’ve heard in years, and that little catch in Celeste’s throat gives it just a touch of hillbilly soul. I was so enchanted that I practically held my breath.” – Rbt. K. Oermann, Music Row Magazine. Rhythm Angels
The Rhythm Angels are a duet with seamless harmonies and smart lyrics, both earthy and transcendent. As happens with traveling troubadours, careers found Celeste Krenz and Rebecca Folsom circling around each other for years. Celeste hails from the ranch country of North Dakota, while Rebecca comes out of the mountains of Colorado. It wasn't until they performed in-the-round at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee that they sang together for the first time. Inspired by the magic of their contrasting voices and harmony blend, they started performing together on a regular basis. After sold out shows across the country, it was clear audiences felt the magic too.
Their track record includes performances at Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheater, the Gerald Ford Amphitheater, Nashville’s Summerlights Festival, and the Boulder Theater, and they’ve held down spots on the main stage at venues such as the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Colorado, Texas’ renowned Kerrville Folk Festival, the Sweet Pea Festival and many more.
Susan's current record New Dog Old Tricks was released in 2008 on Smith Entertainment Records. Produced by Walt Wilkins New Dog Old Tricks is remarkable journal of a songwriter savvy enough to land one of the biggest-selling singles in country music history ("Wide Open Spaces " - Dixie Chicks). With this release fans have the chance to hear some old favorites from back in Gibson's early days with the Groobees, and 4 brand new tracks to boot. The first single "Perfect World" debuted on the Americana Music Chart and the Texas Music Chart!
Susan has been what they call a "road dog" for the last decade. She has remained a prominent female figure in the Texas Music scene and is vastly respected by her fans, friends and peers. She is a true storyteller of the most authentic kind and her music is a friendly companion to any life enthusiast. 2010 plans include heavy national and international touring and recording a new album.
Susan Gibson's "Wide Open Spaces" was a massive hit for the Dixie Chicks and her platinum calling card to fame. Last year's Outer Space re-established the Austin area resident in the ranks of popular singer-songwriters and reaffirmed her determined direction down heartfelt highways. – Margaret Moser - Austin Chronicle
"...singer Susan Gibson’s growl grabs you in a headlock and doesn’t let go ... She has the intensity of steel-lunged belters such as Joan Osborne or Beth Hart, although, unlike them, she keeps her voice firmly tethered to the song..." - Marc Rigrodsky, SoundStage! Magazine
