Friday, October 30, 2015

Shakedown City Rattles n' Rolls in Studio 5!


Shakedown City tore the roof off the motha’ sucka this week in Studio 5, constructing sultry smooth vibes as palpable as the fruit from the Forbidden Tree. Beastly blues fuse with prevalent soul to present a sound that’s equally as relaxing and Uptown-cafe worthy as it is ultra funky and irreversibly in your face.



These cats know how to execute a groove - drummer Tim Schmidt’s punchy syncopation prevents any potential attention from wandering, while Chris Porto’s constant bass-bob provides a resurfacing pop amidst the rhythmic madness. Faye Lewis’ heavenly melody is nothing short of assertion at its finest; she’s tired of men telling her what’s best for her, and she’s something much less than shy when it comes to presenting this message in the funkiest fashion imaginable. Meanwhile, brothers Michael and Tamir Nolley brought out the best that brass has to offer, blasting an armada of sexy sax and trombone infused noise over the delicate funk-fury of guitarist Matt Hughes. Sifting enigmatically through the mix is key tapper Mitch Pucik. Together, these cats conceive an infused funk-soul blast with power comparable to the love child of Mike Tyson and a hydrogen bomb. 




Their upcoming album, (currently nameless), is due for an early 2016 release. Get stoked, young folks.



Links are provided below to Shakedown City’s ReverbNation and Facebook pages:



Be sure to support your local “Fresh Air” Radio Station, KFAI! We are a non-profit organization, so we need your help as the listener to keep this amazing radio station alive and running, so as to deliver a wide-array of music for years to come! 

If you would like to make a donation, simply call us at 612-341-3144, or donate online! 

Online donation: http://kfai.org/node/46434

If you missed the original broadcast you can still listen at ANY time from ANYWHERE on the planet on our FOREVER archives just by clicking here: http://uno.kfai.org/LiveFrom…/LiveFromStudio5_2015-10-28.mp3

(Archive also contains interview with Live From Studio 5!’s blogger, Seth Hynes-Marquette)

Check out the video on our You Tube page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/KFAIRocks 

You can see the Flickr pix from that show here:  https://www.flickr.com/pho…/kfai-fm/albums/72157660487531362


-Article by Seth Hynes-Marquette


Sunday, October 18, 2015

Dirt Road Ramblers Lay It Down Right in Studio 5

Ramblin’ gamblin’ folk as they were, the Dirt Road Ramblers found their way into the studio this week for one night only, bearing with them the thunder of the Wild West and a sound that reciprocates. The group’s powerfully down-home Western style tells tales of lost love and outlaw escapades, guaranteed to being a tear to the eyes of the most rough-and-tumble cow wrangler sitting fireside at the Ponderosa. Haunting background harmonies, supplied by back up vocalists Myra Joan and Angie Frisk, hover delicately amidst a tight-as-f**k rhythm section and the immensely burly bass of lead vocalist Joe Hysell, a voice with enough naturally raw country gusto to shake the foundation of the Grand Tetons themselves.

Boss Man Joe Hysell

Jake Anderson on the Drums.


Dan Neal on the Acoustic Electric Guitar.


The Dirt Road Rambler’s may roost in the Twin Cities, but they boast an inarguably authentic Western sound with a tendency to kick listener ass with nostalgia, balladry, and instrumental finesse. Don’t believe me? Check out their latest album release, 2014’s The Legend of Charley White. Prove me wrong, sucker.


Joe Anderson played guitar.


Backup singers are Myra Joan and Angie Frisk.



Links are provided below to the Dirt Road Rambler’s ReverbNation and Facebook pages:

ReverbNation: reverbnation.com/jhdrr


Be sure to support your local “Fresh Air” Radio Station, KFAI! We are a non-profit organization, so we need your help as the listener to keep this amazing radio station alive and running, so as to deliver a wide-array of music for years to come! 

If you would like to make a donation, simply call us at 612-341-3144, or donate online! 

Online donation: http://kfai.org/node/46434

If you missed the original broadcast you can still listen at ANY time from ANYWHERE on the planet on our FOREVER archives just by clicking here:  Archive

(Archive also contains interview with Live From Studio 5!’s blogger, Seth Hynes-Marquette)

Check out the video on our You Tube page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/KFAIRocks 

You can see the Flickr pix from that show here: Flickr Pix


-Article by Seth Hynes-Marquette


Saturday, October 10, 2015

Reina del Cid Folks Sh*t Up In Studio 5


Folk rock four-piece Reina del Cid sauntered into Studio 5 this week in an ultimately successful effort to sweetly serenade the entire Twin Cities area. Though their stick-wielder Zach Schmidt wasn’t in the studio that night, the temporary-trio still delivered a driving, upbeat folk blast that bore hints of Marcus Mumford and Lucy Michelle's love child. Singer and band namesake Reina del Cid delivered a sweetly soft melodic style over a deceptively lyrical bite. Toni Lindgren’s guitar licks percolated comfortably above and beneath the ever-present thump of Chris Wiberg’s upright bass. Their rhythms slide between laid-back ballad-esque chill and a barrage of syncopated acoustic sucker punches, a willfully deceptive transition between heavenly coddling and strum-savvy jammery.



The group’s 2015 release, The Cooling, was recorded at the legendary Pachyderm Studios of Cannon Falls, Minnesota. The album’s title refers to a concept Cid described in the studio as “missing the light at the end of the tunnel” in the enigmatic moment of death. The cooling itself is the sensation of the heat leaving ones body in this macabre scenario, only before an eternity doomed to wandering and wondering.




Reina del Cid’s next performance will go down at Icehouse in Minneapolis on Friday, October 16th ($8 advance, $10 door, 21+). Check them out. Did you hear that clearly? Cause I’m serious. Check. Them. Out.

Links are provided below to Reina del Cid’s website and Facebook page:



Be sure to support your local “Fresh Air” Radio Station, KFAI! We are a non-profit organization, so we need your help as the listener to keep this amazing radio station alive and running, so as to deliver a wide-array of music for years to come! 

If you would like to make a donation, simply call us at 612-341-3144, or donate online! 

Online donation: http://kfai.org/node/46434

If you missed the original broadcast you can still listen at ANY time from ANYWHERE on the planet on our FOREVER archives just by clicking here:  https://archive.org/details/276ReinaDelCid


(Archive also contains interview with Live From Studio 5!’s blogger, Seth Hynes-Marquette)

Check out the video on our You Tube page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/KFAIRocks 

You can see the Flickr pix from that show here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/kfai-fm/albums/72157657349226964


-Article by Seth Hynes-Marquette

Friday, October 2, 2015

Dan Jass, Sass and Flash - A Plethora of Delights on Studio 5



Local singer-songwriter Dan Jass kicked back in the studio on this crisp and final September night last Wednesday, while simultaneously kicking out old-school tunes from way back when. Laying down covers by essential bluesmen Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Johnson, and others, as well as a slew of originals, Jass delivered a healthy dose of down-home feel-goodness via hard-strummed guitar and raspy vocals. These heart-achy, bluesy numbers most likely put a nostalgic tear or three into the eyes of the Studio 5 crew, but this writer is quite sure that they won’t be admitting to it anytime soon. If that weren’t enough, his ultra-energetic, some-what eccentric dialogue is worthy of having its own bonus track on an upcoming album. If you are into interesting stuff, folks, give this man a try.

A link has been provided below to Dan Jass' Facebook page:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dan.jass?fref=ts


If you missed the original broadcast you can still listen at ANY time from ANYWHERE on the planet on our FOREVER archives just by clicking here:  FOREVER Archives

(Archive also contains interview with Live From Studio 5!’s blogger, Seth Hynes-Marquette)
Check out the videos on our You Tube page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/KFAIRocks

You can see the Flickr pix from that show here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kfai-fm/sets/72157657024867094

!!!Also, our fall pledge drive at KFAI is in full swing! We love the hell out of you lovely listeners out there, and if you'd be willing to show a little love back by donating just a tad, we'd not only be forever in debt to your priceless advice, but we will undoubtedly be able to continue providing you with terrific music, talk shows, and programming for years to come. Either call in or click the link below to donate!!!



Be sure to support your local “Fresh Air” Radio Station, KFAI! We are a non-profit organization, so we need your help as the listener to keep this amazing radio station alive and running, so as to deliver a wide-array of music for years to come!

If you would like to make a donation, simply call us at 612-341-3144 or donate online!

Online donation: http://kfai.org/support-us

-Article by Seth Hynes-Marquette