30:51 minutes (28.24 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

We communicate, we appreciate
That we are in contact some way
We forget that we are the living ones
Bound by chips and soldiered wires
~ Post Data/We Communicate, Lisa Bianco

I fell in love with Lisa Bianco's music right away for the rockin', catchy, crunchy wall of sound on the title track of her album Post Data. Then on a trip back from the airport I was listening to her CD in the car and I was able to catch more of the lyrics than on my previous listens and I started liking the songs even better! Fun and introspective? Loud and intimate? Yes, Lisa's music is all that and more.

Find out for yourself, listen to the podcast of the interview!

55:30 minutes (50.82 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

So what does moonlight represent when it disappears?
Even if I can't see it is the light still here?
~ Eclipse, Ember Swift

Independent Canadian artist Ember Swift has been touring internationally since 1996, and has released 9 albums plus a DVD project in that time. In 2007 she finally realized a goal of traveling to China and has been splitting her time between Canada and China ever since. Her new project, Lentic, is a musical expression of her experiences in merging East and West - everything from the lyrics to the packaging to the instrumentation is a beautiful merging of languages and cultures, allowing the two to learn from, inform and celebrate each other.

24:31 minutes (22.45 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

What if I knew your name?
What if we had the same home room?
What if the things that tie us are stronger than we knew?
~ Passerby, Allie Moss

I've been looking forward to this album for almost 2 years now and it was worth the wait! The lovely and talented Allie Moss does not disappoint with her new EP Passerby, featuring her beautiful voice, gorgeous melodies and relatable, relevant lyrics.

30:48 minutes (28.2 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Don't look at me that way,
I gotta head on down this road
Take your broken heart back home
I don't know where I'm gonna go,
but that don't mean I should stay
I keep these boots a walkin' till I reach my grave
I gotta take it slow
This heart just needs some time to grow

~ Time to Grow, The Lovell Sisters  read more »

26:42 minutes (24.45 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

There's a quiet and a still
It's nothing like you've ever seen
The way they lights cast on the hill
The light I'm seeing in a dream

~ Road to Paradise, Wendy Wall

The first thing that hits you on listening to Wendy Wall's music is her voice - rich and textured like a tapestry. But if you keep listening you realize that the words are as beautifully woven as the vocal elements. Wendy's new album Road to Paradise charts a course full of "heartbreak, inner demons, deferred dreams and the sometimes seemingly unforgiving terms of life as an artist" in a way that pulls out the the lessons learned and emphasizes the transformations, in a way that everyone can relate.

37:03 minutes (33.92 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Maybe you'll go to Chicago and get a little peace of mind
and maybe you'll find
memories pieced together, people come undone
your heart is heavy with time
you sit and watch the world walk by
~ Birthmark(Chicago), Jessie Frye

Singer-songwriter Jessie Frye hails from Texas, but don't expect a lot of twang from her. There are touches of it here and there, but much of the music is lush, piano driven pop, infused with soul and a bit of blues. One description of her music says it sounds like "if Oscar Wilde crawled inside of a piano and then drank a lot of espresso." Nice.

28:54 minutes (26.46 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

New England singer-songwriter Lori Diamond has just released her second album. The songs on lush, piano-based Mystery speak of love, loss, gratitude and other facets of the human experience. Her crystal clear voice and sparkling piano work also live up to her name!

30:59 minutes (28.37 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Treefrogs are singing, hoping that it rains
I'm sitting on my couch and I'm wishing for the same
but it's dry, dry, dry
in Gainesville today

~ Gainseville Today, Kathleen Taylor

Her bio says to "Think an Art Noveau princess with a pair of brass knuckles." I think that fits Kathleen Taylor's music pretty well. The Austin based singer-songwriter recently released her album Defy The World. To listen to it is to take a whimsical little adventure through Kathleen's various inspirations, as well as encountering a variety of creatures in the wild, or at least the wilderness of suburbia!

22:24 minutes (20.51 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

 

Pre-Valentine's Day Show!

Lyrical Venus Valentine's special.

Treats for your ears include a visit with one of our favorite special guests Sharon Bousquet of Beaucoup Shakti and some lovely love poems!

30:14 minutes (27.68 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Someone wrap themselves around me
Wear my edges down won't you please?

~ Shapes, Lauren Zettler

Lauren Zettler is a savvy DIY type of gal. The bio on her website talks about her journey to musicianhood, from the childhood dream, to the detours due bouts of practicalness, to the lightning-bolt epiphany that the “jealous tears”
at every musical performance she attended were probably not necessary
and that she should follow her heart.

33:48 minutes (30.95 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

 

Show me to the river, somewhere to wash away this feeling,
these days of disbelieving.

~ Show Me to the River, Amie Penwell

Marin County singer-songwriter Amie Penwell just released her debut full-length album King in a Temple this past November. The first thing that hits you on hearing the album is the voice. A voice for Gospel, or like the voice of an angel lowered an octave as it says on her website. It's an apt description. Amie's voice not just soulful, you really do feel like it's a healing balm to sooth away the pain of life she sings about in her songs, and turn it into something beautiful.

34:36 minutes (31.68 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

After a fabulous concert this past February, many Fairfielders are looking forward to the return of Ellis for a concert this weekend. What many may not know is she is also bringing booking agent/artist Terri Mazurek, and the two of them will be presenting a workshop on Sunday entitled "Making a Living Making Music in the 21st Century." Topics include: how to set direction for your music career, how to find an audience for your music, promotion and marketing ideas, and how to plan/book your own tours. All levels of performing musicians are welcome, from those just starting out to touring musicians.

I met Ellis and Terri in person at the Rocky Mountain Song School and they are both the kind of vibrant, funny, sweet and down-to-earth people you just want to hang out with!

29:26 minutes (40.42 MB) Stereo 44kHz 192Kbps (CBR)

When we are born under the sky
We wonder what makes it oh so blue
Every day I blink with wonder
That's why the stars are blinking too
~Deep Blue, Moira Smiley & VOCO

You might not notice them a first glance, but check out the boots on the ladies of VOCO. More than just a fashion statement, the boots are actually an important part of their act! The wide variety of music they perform, from original folk to traditional ballads, make VOCO a little hard to categorize. One thing that makes them stand out above and beyond their gorgeous harmonies is their body percussion sets. And that's where the boots come in - slapping their ankles is a lot louder (and probably less painful) with boots!

23:02 minutes (21.09 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

I cannot say my daddy farmed these fields
and I cannot say my mama roamed these hills
I've been high in the mountains, in the desert and by the sea
and now this rolling land is calling me.
~ Song For Iowa, Lauryn Shapter

I've been eagerly awaiting the new CD by husband and wife Americana duo Truckstop Souvenir for a while now, and the release party is this weekend! Under A Big Blue Sky was recorded in Lauryn and Dennis' home studio here in Fairfield, which is no easy trick with all the frequent trains passing by.

And you just may hear a train whistle during their interview on Lyrical Venus this Tuesday, what with the station being right by the tracks! Luckily it's a nostalgic sound that fits with their themes - dusty roads, wide rivers, tiny mining towns, old time rodeos and lonely motels.

25:23 minutes (11.62 MB) Stereo 44kHz 64Kbps (CBR)

Bonnie McKee surprised the Cafe Paradiso open mic one Wednesday with an impromptu performance and stopped by the station the next day to talk about her experience in the movie August Rush, her songwriting process and what she's learned since her first album Trouble.

17:18 minutes (15.84 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

 

 

 

 

Redheaded piano-playing alt-pop diva with an A-mazing voice, Kristi Martel is a Fairfield favorite, having performed here several times! Kristi took some time out of her busy touring schedule to tell us about her latest album Ravengirl, how she got started singing and what she's been up to since her last visit.

30:12 minutes (27.65 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Beaucoup Shakti (Boo-Coo/ Shock-Tee) is Fairfield's newest musical ensemble and we'll get to hear from them live in the studio on Lyrical Venus this Tuesday! Beaucoup Shakti means "lots of creative energy/life force" and they are aptly named. With singer-songwriter Sharon Bousquet, multi-instrumentalist Eric Hurlin and vocalist Heather Love as the core members, this group sure packs a punch! (Vocalist Gemma Cohen often adds her beautiful harmonies to the mix.)

44:29 minutes (40.73 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Took an offer for a ride to Amarillo
It was 23 miles by a drunken crow
Be careful who you talk to when you roll down your window
And you can't call home
~ Paper Rock Scissors, Jana Pochop

My fellow musician, blogger and internet buddy Jana Pochop (that'd be with a silent “h”) has just released her new EP The Early Year. The Austin based history major turned singer-songwriter has had a jam packed year, from going to Folk Music Grad school to putting out the EP (which includes playing all the instruments you hear on the album!) to touring as a Merch girl with the Grammy winning Susan Gibson and more.

40:17 minutes (36.88 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Hold me close while sun drips like sap through our veins
Slowly coursing despite the pressure of planetary strains
The earth spins the clocks tick the ceiling fan ignores
~Blown Asunder, Driftwood Fire

Mixing singer-songwriter, jazz and Appalachian flavors into their sound, Driftwood Fire (Lynn Scharf, Charlotte Formichella and Jennifer "JJ" Jones) has been compared to artists like Vienna Teng, Cowboy Junkies, The Ditty Bops and Gillian Welch. But their name alone evokes the feeling of their music - a late and quiet night on the beach with friends, a slight chill on your back off the waves, and barefoot toes toasty in the sand around a fire where everyone takes turns passing a guitar and sharing their stories

40:27 minutes (37.04 MB) Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

It’s a beautiful morning
Beautiful morning
Dressed up in summer and tied with a bow
Let’s be courageous and face tiny dangers
Let’s climb those fences
With signs that say “don’t”
~ Simple Things, Amy Kuney

This week I'll be interviewing singer-songwriter Amy Kuney. She's currently based out of Los Angeles and her album Bird's Eye View just came out last month. Amy has come a long way from the cinder-block home in Honduras she grew up in as a teen with her missionary parents - the quiet and simple life she lived there provided a fertile ground for her musical creativity. Amy's talents are the kind that catch the eye of established performers and inspire them to take her on tour with them. (She recently got back from a tour in Iceland with Damien Rice.) I personally love how her quirky/clever lyrics always catch me by surprise.