INVISIBLE FORCES By The Whispering Tree Tops The Charts As The #1 Album On Folk Radio For September

Franco-American folk rock duo, The Whispering Tree were the most played artist on the International Folk DJ Chart for September 2018 and their new release, Invisible Forces was the #1 album, with four songs in the top 20. Big Takeover Magazine called the project "a socially potent commentary of humankind's modern times."

At the heart of The Whispering Tree are singer/songwriter Eleanor Kleiner and multi-instrumentalist Elie Brangbour. Together, they craft richly immersive folk-rock brimming with evocative lyrics and a panoramic musicality.

Invisible Forces, the fourth recording by the fiercely independent twosome, was self-produced, fan-funded and recorded at Elie and Eleanor's home studio in Beacon, NY and at Old Soul Studio in Catskill, NY. The album explores a deeply personal and political landscape, with messages of hope, despair and social consciousness.

The song, "Fat Cat" which was #5 for September, has its origins in Elie's French background and the old-time gypsy jazz tradition back in his hometown while the satirical, anti-capitalist sentiment of the lyrics is firmly rooted in the protest songs of the folk revival and music of folk legend and longtime Beacon resident, Pete Seeger.

Watch the video for "Fat Cat" here: https://youtu.be/_XQsEGHimv4

Other highlights include the impressionistic "These Houses,"(which was #2 for September) a song describing urban decay and the haunting beauty of abandoned places; the revelatory "Heavy" which elegantly connects New Orleans-style jazz with 1960s rock and pop harmony vocals; the darkly foreboding environmental ballad, "Garden;" and the sweetly rousing protest song of social change, "Bells" which was inspired by the struggle to legalize gay marriage.

Watch the new video for HEAVY here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2tX2xtXwDU

Since its 2007 inception, The Whispering Tree has issued two albums and two EPs, and toured nationally and internationally. The duo has also earned prime critical acclaim from The Big Takeover Magazine and Keyboard Magazine, among others. Other marquee career moments include being Kerrville New Folk finalists; Philadelphia Songwriter's Project winners; and Eleanor and Elie having the honor to lend their voices to Pete Seeger and Lorre Wyatt's album, A More Perfect Union.

"A musically diverse take on classic Midwest Americana, sung with the soul of the gospel"
- Americana UK

"A socially potent commentary of humankind's modern times"
- Big Takeover Magazine

http://www.thewhisperingtree.com
http://thewhisperingtree.bandcamp.com/album/invisible-forces

Carys - A Different Kind Of Normal - Debut CD Release

Carys is a singer songwriter with an enthusiastic and evocative stage presence displaying a natural charm that has won her many admirers, not only within the folk scene, but also far beyond it. Her first solo album 'A Different Kind Of Normal' certainly reflects that, with its roots firmly in folk, but also dipping into rock, pop and even a little electronica.



The title describes Carys perfectly, because she has Asperger syndrome, and she realised a long time ago that her mind has a unique way of producing some interesting songs. So it's no surprise that 'A Different Kind Of Normal' is chocabloc full of varied and thought provoking lyrics and musical ideas covering several genres, but imbued with the unique musical and vocal style of Carys.



Most of the tracks on 'A Different Kind Of Normal' are self penned and the album features numerous guest musicians including Rick Kemp, Mike Briggs and Triangle, with David Wright adding his input on rhythms, bass, keys/synths and strings.



Carys is a unique talent, beautifully interpreting her songs with a creative verve and enthusiasm that is sure to enchant, entrance and entertain in equal measure.



More information about Carys and her music, including soundbites for the album 'A Different Kind Of Normal', can be found on the admusicshop website.



Also, please vist Carys on www.carysmusic.com or on facebook.



http://www.admusicshop.com/product/a-different-knd-of-normal/

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=203053

From Phoenix to Wisconsin: Midwest Soul Xchange Debut Album

The Midwest Soul XChange, a collaborative effort between long-time friends and Chippewa Falls, Wis. natives Ryan Summers and Nate Cherrier, will be releasing its debut album on November 24. 'New American Century' is an eclectic powerhouse of influence.

The Midwest Soul XChange describes their sound as Americana infused with folk, progressive rock, and pop influence. With a passion for acts like Kula Shaker, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and many more, the project is a vehicle to meld those stylings into a coherent, exciting new product. Even though Summers lives in Marshfield, Wisconsin and Cherrier lives in Phoenix, Arizona, the two were able to collaborate in Phoenix during the recording process.

Many times during the creation of 'New American Country,' the Midwest Soul XChange did have to collaborate over a great distance. "What comes to mind is a theme of 'flying blind with precision," Summers explains. "When you can't sit in the same room and hash out a song, you have to wait for the other person to record, upload, and see how the recording fits. It can be challenging if it wasn't what you were expecting, but also exciting."

"There were a lot of happy accidents..."

'New American Country' features eleven new original songs from the two performers. With such a broad spectrum of influence, however, the XChange is somewhat difficult to classify into a genre. 'Americana' is a suitable blanket for the effort, since it doesn't "pigeonhole them into one specific genre." The Midwest Soul XChange often classifies their material as "American Melancholia."

"We tend to write with a national/autobiographical sense," Cherrier detailed. "We consider the tales of our history as well as the harsher realities of today." The core recipe for that creation? The duo considers it a "sprinkling of protest, a dash of sass, a pinch of progressive, and a light glaze of folk."

'New American Century' will be available November 24 on iTunes and many other online services.
https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1004031478

http://midwestsoulxchange.com

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=188021

Chattanooga Folk Rock Singer-Songwriter, Jim Ramsey, Revives Career With Re-Release Of Album In Wake Of City's Music Revolution

Chattanooga, Tennessee's long lost musical native son, Jim Ramsey, has embarked on an effort to jump-start his performance career by re-releasing his visionary progressive folk rock album, On the Dying Breath of Wisdom (originally released in 2012), and launching a new website, JimRamseyMusic.com.

Jim, a Southern bard who struggled to market his songs in the 80's and 90's—before putting his efforts on hold to become a mental health counselor—is once again taking to the stage with his signature romantic, Celtic-tinged power ballads which chronicle his coming of age in Southern Appalachia.

Jim will be performing at the next Whole Foods Open Mic Night on December 3rd, and hopes to be included in the next "The Floor is Yours" lineup at the Barking Legs Theater on December 4th. Jim's optimism is buoyed by the recent founding of SoundCorps, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building Chattanooga's music economy, as well asby The Pulse's November 5th issue heralding the city's "music revolution."

A classically-trained brass and woodwind player, Jim was influenced by British folk and progressive rock artists (Al Stewart, Strawbs, Sandy Denny, Yes, Renaissance, Fairport Convention, Alan Parsons Project), and began writing songs in his teens. In the 1980's he taught himself to play guitar and began performing in small venues. Jim recorded his album between the years 1997-2000, but spent the better part of 2007-2011 just trying to survive the Recession, and in 2013 founded an interfaith ministry, Crossvine Church.

While Jim has been absent from the live performance scene for some time, he's back and better than ever with 15 years' worth of new material to share. He is currently seeking regional acoustic solo gigs and preparing to record his second album.

Please get in touch with Jim at info@jimramseymusic.com for booking information.

http://jimramseymusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jimramseymusic
http://jimramsey.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/rev_jamesramsey

http://www.jimramseymusic.com/files/JimRamsey_ConcordToParis.mp3

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=187646

Noughts and Exes to Release Album Globally

http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=179459

Noughts and Exes is set to release their self-titled album to the US & Global Markets on December 1st. "Noughts and Exes" will be available through CD Baby, Amazon and iTunes with a special Cyber Monday launch. Noughts and Exes is the critically acclaimed indie folk rock band out of Hong Kong that TIME Magazine named one of the "Top 5 Bands to Watch" in 2011. Noughts and Exes is the brain child of Joshua Wong, who first started the band in its original incarnation in 2007. They went through several lineup changes and have settled on an eclectic international mix of talented musicians. Wong is originally from Australia and moved to Hong Kong at age 16 after visiting and being positively impacted by the culture. He started playing music a few years later at age 19 because he wanted to start a band that stayed around in the ever changing Hong Kong music scene. Noughts and Exes came to be in large part because the culturally diverse nature of the Indie music scene lends itself to the collaborative process.

Bigger Picture
The current Noughts and Exes lineup consists of Joshua Wong, guitar/vocals (Australia), Gideon So, keyboard (Canada), Alex Bedwell, drums (UK), and Alix Farquhar, vocals/percussion/glockenspiel (UK). The essence of the band is truly an international mish mash - and it works beautifully. The band members all bring their own life experiences to the table and the Third Culture aspect of Hong Kong contributes almost as another voice. These four talents from all over the world converged in a city that is rich in Asian heritage and has a major Western influence - not wholly one or the other. The climate was ripe for Noughts and Exes to become a part of the growth and excitement of the Indie music scene; writing about their lives and cultural observations to tell stories of people all their own. Now they are sharing with the rest of the world.

"We have always wanted to get our music are wider international audience, firstly because we just believe in the music and would love to share with as many people as possible, but also because we really believe there is some great independent music coming out of Asia and are excited to share that with the rest of the world." (Joshua Wong)

Heart to Hearts
The band has indeed started reaching the rest of the world - their performance video "Hearts" was filmed in Hong Kong’s Times Square to showcase the Indie music scene. It was shot with the help of numerous other musicians and gives good insight into how a coming together of talents can work in the face of challenge. The piece was never meant to be a commentary on how public artistic expression is stifled in Hong Kong, but it has become just that, with over 70,000 hits on YouTube in the first week. The global launch of their new album ties in perfectly with the international point of view Noughts and Exes has. They know that telling stories of people has nothing to do with where you live - it’s all about reaching out across the miles and touching mankind.

For more information, press only:
Stacey Sherman
RSP Entertainment Marketing
734-564-6640 (mobile)
Stacey@RSPEntertainmentMarketing.com
RSPEntertainmentMarketing.com

For more information on Noughts and Exes or to watch "Hearts":
Noughtsandexes.net

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvYONbqZCy8