About Me
- Ira Blonder
- Franklin, TN, United States
- Ira Blonder is the Managing Partner of Sound Kitchen Studios (www.soundkitchen.com)and The Blonder Group, LLC (www.blondergroup.com)
2010 SGN Music Awards Handed Out
Jim Booth, Rusty Golden, Ronnie Booth, Lari Goss, Michael Booth
Congratulations to our Sound Kitchen Clients! All of these winners have worked with us throughout the years and we're very excited about their success.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The 2010 SGN Music Awards were handed out at a special concert celebration in Smyrna, Tennessee to a standing room only crowd. The award winners were spread evenly throughout the course of the evening as three artists and one songwriter walked away with four awards apiece.
Karen Peck & New River, who tied with the most nominations this year, walked away with Song of the Year and Country Song of the Year (for “I Want to Thank You”), Progressive Southern Album of the Year (for No Worries), and Fan Favorite Artist of the Year.
The Booth Brothers won their sixth Male Group of the Year award this year, as well as Progressive Southern Song of the Year (for “What Salvation’s Done For Me”), Best Live Performer, and Special Event Project of the Year (for Jubilee!).
Hit songwriter Rusty Golden was the most awarded individual of the night – taking home four SGN Music Awards for his songwriting contributions. He won Song of the Year and Country Song of the Year (for co-writing “I Want to Thank You”) as well as Progressive Southern Song of the Year (for co-writing “What Salvation’s Done For Me”). Rusty also won the coveted Songwriter of the Year (Professional) award. What an amazing group of artists. We continue to celebrate their success!
Paramore Films at Sound Kitchen Studios in Big Boy Studio
Pictured: Ira Blonder, Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis
The power-pop-punk fivesome known as Paramore dates back to the band's high school years in suburban Franklin, Tennessee. Lead singer Hayley Williams was just 14 when she met guitarist Josh Farro and his younger brother, drummer Zac. Jeremy Davis and Hunter Lamb joined on bass and guitar respectively. The group started off gigging in Nashville in 2004 and quickly rose to popularity in early 2005, when Fueled By Ramen (The Academy Is..., Gym Class Heroes, Panic! At the Disco) founder John Janick signed the band almost immediately after seeing them perform in Florida. Paramore played the Warped Tour during the summer of 2005 and then released their debut album, All We Know Is Falling -- hailed by The New York Times and Spin magazine -- followed by a sold-out tour of North America in 2006. Paramore recorded their sophomore album, RIOT! in the winter of 2007 and released the album June 12 of that same year, selling 44,000 its first week in the U.S.
Little Texas brings it home for A Vintage Affair
Little Texas brings it home for A Vintage Affair By Mindy Tate, Editor Celebrating the end of their 20th anniversary tour by headlining A Vintage Affair’s “Legends at the Sound Kitchen” April 12 seems completely appropriate to Little Texas drummer Del Gray because it fits with the band’s commitment to family and community. “Back in the 1990s, we were gone all the time, playing 300 dates a year,” said Gray. “Now we play 60 to 80 dates per year. We say we get to go out on the weekend and be rock stars and then come home in the week and spend time with our family and go to our kids’ games.“As we get older, speaking for all four of us, we realize how important community is,” Gray said. “A Vintage Affair is a valuable organization that has given so much back to the community and we are honored to be part of the event at the Sound Kitchen.” A Vintage Affair is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Since its inception by founder Ralph Drury, the event has raised more than $750,000 for charities that benefit women and children and this year hopes to break the $1 million mark. As the kickoff event for the weeklong A Vintage Affair, Gray promises attendees will go away wanting more from the band whose biggest hits include “What Might Have Been” and “God Blessed Texas.” “We are what we ware. We are a rocking country band,” Gray said. “I am not sure how long we get to play, but it will be up beat and exciting. “We are basically a rocking Eagles. We have big vocals,” said Gray, adding the guys in the band — bassist/vocalist Duane Propes, lead guitarist/vocalist Porter Howell and rhythm guitarist/vocalist Dwayne O’Brien — have written many of their hits, as well as having success individually as songwriters. “We are just about to go in the studio again,” Gray said. “Unfortunately, we had a record deal that tied us up for a few years where we couldn’t record. We are writing and starting to record again.“We are getting older and I think the themes of our music are a little more mature. No telling what we will come up with,” Gray said. “Time certainly does fly, but we have been blessed. We have been able to make a living doing what we love to do and making music and it is a good time to be in Little Texas.” The band showed its community spirit last year when they served as the “pep band” for the Nov. 6 regional playoff game between the Brentwood Bruins and the Rossview Hawks after O’Brien heard the marching band would be out of town.“I hope they ask again,” Gray said of the experience, in which they wore Brentwood Bruins jerseys and performed not only their songs, but classic rock and roll between plays.“You get called to do that and then you think, man this is a great football game,” Gray said. “If we get asked again, we will come prepared with a strong set list.” Filling out the bill at “Legends at the Sound Kitchen” will be Crossville native Mandy Barnett, who started singing at 5-years-old and as a teenager, drew national acclaim when she starred as country music legend Patsy Cline in the stage show “Always . . . Patsy Cline” at the celebrated Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Barnett has released two albums and has appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” as a result of her acclaim. She is currently working on a variety of projects and a new CD for release this year. She continues to play shows, both nationally and internationally, and is a frequent guest on the Grand Ole Opry. Barnett will reprise her role as “Patsy Cline” in the acclaimed production “Always . . . Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, during June and July 2010, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Patsy Cline’s induction into the Grand Ole Opry. Tickets to “Legends at the Sound Kitchen are $100 and First Tennessee is the sponsor of the evening, which features heavy hors d’oeuvres and the wines of Robledo Vineyards, a longtime A Vintage Affair favorites. A new event Tuesday, April 13, “Cigars & Cordials,” will be held at the Franklin Men’s Club, featuring the food of Giovanni’s Restaurante in Nashville, as well as the cigars of CAO and cocktails created by Horizon Wine and Spirits. Century Construction is the evening’s sponsor and tickets are $75 per person. A Vintage Affair Managing Director Ashley Roberts the event will feature a “speakeasy type” atmosphere with the vintage cocktail recipes and CAO cigars, but the Men’s Club does feature a non-smoking area where those not wishing to be near the cigars can enjoy the evening. Order tickets online or get more info at www.avintageaffair.org for this or any of the week’s events, including the Main Event April 16 at The Factory at Franklin. | |
NATALIE MERCHANT’S FIRST STUDIO ALBUM IN SEVEN YEARS
NATALIE MERCHANT’S FIRST STUDIO ALBUM IN SEVEN YEARS
LEAVE YOUR SLEEP
OUT APRIL 13 ON NONESUCH RECORDS
"One of the most successful and enduring alternative artists to emerge
from the eighties –- intact and uncompromised." —Vogue
Natalie Merchant is poised for the release of Leave Your Sleep, her first studio album since 2003’s The House Carpenter’s Daughter. Out April 13 on Nonesuch Records, this release is the culmination of six years’ research and collaboration and is, in Merchant’s words “The most elaborate project I have ever completed or even imagined.”
A two-disc set, Leave Your Sleep is a collection of songs adapted from poems selected by Merchant including pieces by both well-known and obscure writers. Featured are works by British Victorians, early- and mid-20th century Americans and contemporary writers as well as anonymous nursery rhymes and lullabies. Among the authors included are Ogden Nash, e.e. cummings, Robert Louis Stevenson, Christina Rossetti, Edward Lear, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Robert Graves. Please see attached for a complete track listing.
In addition to a new method of lyricism, Merchant stretches out musically on Leave Your Sleep by collaborating with a broad spectrum of artists—some old friends, some she has admired from afar—including the Wynton Marsalis Quartet, Medeski Martin & Wood, members of the New York Philharmonic, The Klezmatics, Lúnasa and Hazmat Modine. “The sessions were recorded in live ensemble settings to capture a fresh and spontaneous energy,” notes Merchant. “They were some of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had making music.”
Having sold millions of records worldwide over the course of her recording career, Merchant has remained busy in the time since her last studio album by curating compilations for both 10,000 Maniacs’ Campfire Songs and her own Retrospective. Additionally, Merchant performed live to the accompaniment of Philip Glass, Dr. John, Pete Seeger and Wynton Marsalis and collaborated with British composer Gavin Bryars as part of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works series.
Steff Nevers' "Skypes" a Recording Session
Norwegian Country artist, Steff Nevers, "Skyped" a recording session in Studio E with engineer Matt Coles and session leader and percussionist Pete Abbott. A host of A-list session players; ie: Brent Mason, Michael Rhodes, Dan Dugmore, and Pete Abbott tracked Steff's project while Steff produced the session players from Norway. "The Skype tracking and mix sessions were flawless! So, it was like Steff was in room, all the while working from his home in Norway" commented Pete Abbott.
Steff Nevers was born in 1975 in the small Norwegian town of Drammen. He grew up in the similarly unknown town of Geithus in Modum. Still, the move was worthwhile for the toddler because it was here that he came into contact with music. He was already convinced at a young age that he would become a musician. Instead of a classic violinist, his original career goal, Steff Nevers became an outstanding guitarist. His speciality: finger picking. Soon the stocky virtuoso was a heavily booked session guitarist across all of Norway. KERRANG magazine said about the guitarist that he had a very promising career ahead of him.
Lonestar returns to The Big Boy
This will be the band's first studio album in four years. Party Heard Around The World, their 10th album, is a total ‘hands on’ creative effort, produced by the band with eight of the ten tracks written by the foursome. Noted lead guitarist and original member Michael Britt said in a recent interview: “We feel that this album is a complete reflection of the group, circa 2010. It’s personal and powerful music that reflects the core values of Lonestar through lyrics, performance and production.” The Sound Kitchen is very proud to be part of their continued success.
Musicartists4U Films at Sound Kitchen Studios
Little Texas
Little Texas
INFO ABOUT MusicArtists4U.com
"MusicArtists4U.com is a totally new media that will create a place for good quality music by talented musicians which up until now will never be heard. A place for established artists to be recognized and be able to be seen and heard again. A place for Singer/Songwriters with catalogs of great music that no one has ever heard will now be able to get their music in the hands of YOU the consumer! Everyone in the music business is trying to figure out how to introduce new artists and how to sell their music. It's almost impossible to get your music aired on radio or television so we have created a totally new media which allows all these artists to be seen and heard. Artists like Little Texas, John Anderson, Confederate Railroad and more have had new CD's released, but radio and television refuse to play their new material so the general public has no way of knowing they have new music available. We intend to change that! MusicArtists4U.com is a place where you will be able to buy and download the artists music, videos, as well as purchase artist merchandise.