Antigone Rising

The Harmony Ridge Antigone Rising website has moved to http://www.hrmusic.com/artists/arart.html

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Michelle Penn

The Michelle Penn Band (MPB) is a three piece rock and roll trio fronted by Detroit-born Michelle Penn. Before you groan and say "not another female artist", take note that Michelle Penn is not part of the current bandwagon of little-girl voiced singer-songwriters. Michelle is uniquely different in that she is an accomplished guitar player with a passionate and wide ranging voice. She projects a combination of attitude and sensitivity in the tradition of Chrissie Hynde. Michelle has already shared the stage with the Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge, Pat Bentar and Janis Ian.

The band’s music crosses musical formats and fits comfortably on rock, triple A and modern rock stations. MPB is rounded out by John Frampton on bass and Mike Dupke (John Mellencamp) on drums. Formed in 1993 to support Michelle’s debut CD, Running From the Seasons, the Michelle Penn Band has now released a harder-edged follow up album titled How Do You Live. The CD features a guest appearance by Will Turpin of Collective Soul.

Greg Nicoll of Atlanta’s Creative Loafing calls Michelle a "golden-throated electric guitar sorceress" and declared the CD "a triumph of genuinely electric performances." Charles Earle of Nashville’s In Review says the CD is, "a highly enjoyable disc of passionate rock songs that build to choruses you’ll be singing along with after one or two listens." Nashville’s WRLT, Detroit’s CIDR and WDET and Atlanta’s WKLS and WNNX have all played Michelle’s new single "Good".
How Do You Live
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. Good
2. How Do You Live
3. Here I Go
4. Not Lovin' Anybody
5. Save My Life
6. House of Blues
7. Fool Come Down
8. Drown
9. Cold World
10. Runaround

CD cat.# (mpo1971) $13.99
To Place order, note Title and catalog #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

Check The Michelle Penn Web Page

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Erin Benjamin
ORIGINAL,ECLECTIC,ACOUSTIC POP

In the spring of 1996 Erin released her debut self-titled CD which has steadily been gaining notoriety with reviewers and fans alike. Her recorded material has been featured on CBC's provincial program Heartland, CIUT's (University of Toronto Radio) Great North Wind, and in January of 1997 it hit the number 10 spot on CFRC's (Queen's Radio, Kingston) top 40 chart. In November of 1996 Erin was one of four winners of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals "Song's From The Heart" song writing competition with her original song Long Hard Fall. She has performed for Canada's national AIDS fund-raiser The Kumbaya Festival and was unofficially showcased on behalf of the OCFF at the 1997 Folk Alliance conference in Toronto. In the summer of 1997 Erin's CD was in the 6th spot on Vic Bell's top 10 list of Canadian artists getting the most air play on folk stations in the United States. Her CD is also being played in Germany, Hong Kong, Australia and Guam.

Erin's music is an eclectic blend of folk, pop and jazz and is characterized by open tunings, unconventional phrasing, unusual chord progressions and powerful vocals. The result is a dramatic, sensual, passionately original sound that defines the tribulation and ardour of her 28 years on the planet. Her unique combination of styles has been revered and welcomed on festival, club and concert stages. She is accompanied on stage by her musical director Dick van Raadshooven, a gifted bass player and cellist, whose accomplishments as an innovative arranger and producer are widely respected.

Monster In My Heart Review

Since her first, self-titled, release, Erin Benjamin has grown, both as a writer and as a performer. The songs on Monster In My Heart no longer have the self-conscious folkiness evident in many of the songs on her first CD. This is music which, while still clearly falling somewhere on the folk continuum, could easily make the crossover to a number of other contemporary genres.

Benjamin's lyrics now have the depth and richness of a Janis Ian rather than the sometimes obvious folkiness of Joni Mitchell and the orchestrations provide a powerful engine to drive Benjamin's stories forward.

Where Benjamin had once seemed to wear her songwriting influences like her heart on her sleeve, now the sound is uniquely hers. Certainly Benjamin has extracted and kept the best of what her idols could teach her, and there is still a lot of Joni Mitchell in her style, but the soup of her beginnings has evolved into something new and wonderful and alive in its own right.

The fullness of the arrangements here fall just this side of syrupy, managing just the right lush consistency to carry Benjamin's unique vocal technique. This is a fine line to walk, and arranger Dick van Raadshooven has managed it exquisitely, achieving luxuriant warmth without falling into schlock. I have before compared Erin Benjamin to Holly Cole, both for talent and her tendency toward jazz stylings. That comparison still holds.

A casual listener may not notice, but Benjamin's lyrics have a much harder edge this time around. Indeed, to those who actually listen to the words (and not everybody does), these lyrics may even shock.

There are songs here about bulemia (She is a Beauty), the murder of a child (Amy), abusive relationships (Harder Than the Rain), and other hard things life can bring. As stand-alone poems (that is, for the lyric alone), my preference among these lyrics would be "Carry On" and "Hang On to Me," although all the lyrics are as tightly and powerfully written.

Choosing a favourite, or even defining a best song for qualitative or other reasons, could be a difficult task. The songs on this CD are relatively uniform and balanced in quality, and that quality is high. Erin Benjamin is definitely an artist to watch. It will be most interesting to see where she goes from here.

Sound Bytes by Bob MacKenzie February 22, 1999

Monster In My Heart
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. She Is A Beauty
2. Hang On To Me
3. Amy
4. Harder Than The Rain
5. This Girl
6. Carry On
7. Too Young To Lose
8. Scream
9. I Didn't Think So
10. Going Strong
11. Bittersweet

CD cat.# (bhpcd002) $12.99

To Place order, note Title and catalog #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018


Erin Benjamin
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. Steal Away My Heart
2. Long Hard Fall
3. Just To Be Alone
4. Blame It On The Wind
5. She Is A River
6. Hey Mr. Weatherman
7. Home Is Where The Heart Is

CD cat.# (itm25 ) $12.99

To Place order, note Title and catalog #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

For more information on Erin, check her Web Site

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Kara Barnard/Troy Seele

Kara Barnard is a singer-songwriter and a nationally competing multi-instrumentalist. Already counted among the nations finest fingerstyle guitarists, she is also currently Indiana's top ranked female mandolinist (4th overall). Her Mountain Dulcimer skills earned her an invitation to perform and give workshops at an international convention in Bogota, Colombia in 1997. Her banjo playing has yet to win her any awards or invitations to perform abroad, but it does provide easy joke material for her fellow musicians.

Home
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. Poppin' Wheelies, Kara Barnard and Troy Seele
2. Rose of Sharon, Kara Barnard
3. Send Down the Rain, Geri Kay
4. Luna Moth, Kara Barnard
5. Bogota, Kara Barnard
6. Chasing One Rain Drop, Kara Barnard
7. The River, Kara Barnard
8. Jackie's Song, Kara Barnard
9. Never the Less, Kara Barnard
10. Alabama Jubilee, traditional
11. Old Home Place, traditional
12. Blackberry Blossom, traditional
13. Claire's Fancy, Alan Burdette
14. TheGarden, KaraBarnard
15. Black Bush Whiskey, Johnna Maze
16. Sweet Sunny South, traditional
17. PatienceofJune, KaraBarnard
18. Passing the Road Home, Kara Barnard

Mary Barker-Klene, congas and percussion. Kara Barnard, Taylor and classical guitars, mandolin, banjo and dulcimer. Pam Barnard- Berns, harmony vocals. Steve Brunner, drums. Alan Burdette, claw hammer banjo on Claire's Fancy. John Cannady, bass on The River. Shane Donald, harmony on The River. Sam King, harmony on Rose of Sharon and Send Down the Rain. Jennifer Kirk, various basses. Johnna Maze, lead vocal on Black Bush Whiskey. Troy Seele, lead vocal on Old Home Place and lead guitars. Loretta Vinson, guitar on The Garden.

CD cat.# (tcl64) $14.99

To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

The Waters Edge
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

The Water's Edge

Oh Donna

Pop Bottle Annie

My Friend Gwen

Sweetiny

I Obsessively Yours

Leavin' Time

As Something

The World Revolves Around You

Lee's Lament

Kookaburra's Tree

The Whiskey And The Pen CD cat.# (surf1801) $12.00

To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
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Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

Cheshire Cat Moon
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. The Farm 4:43
2. Heartstrings 3:10
3. Secret's Safe With Me 4:03
4. Cheshire Cat Moon 4:03
5. Prodigy 2:46
6. Marry Me 4:42
7. Cardboard Box 2:25
8. Hangin' On 3:48
9. Treehouse 3:04
10. Family Secret's 4:33
11. Now That I've Found Myself 3:20
12. Kiss the Rain 4:05

Engineered by Grey Larsen at Lemon View Studio
Kara Barnard: vocals, guitars, banjo, mountain dulcimer, bass, synthesizer on Cardboard Box
Grey Larsen: Fiddle, wooden flute, harmonium, concertina, synthesizer on Prodigy and Kiss the Rain
Pam Barnard: Back up vocals
Abby Peach: percussion
photography by S.R. Horn
All songs BMI, Sleepy Creek Music
All songs copyright 1991 K.Barnard

CD cat.# (sr101) $12.00

To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018


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WildFlowers
Wildflowers

Elly Wininger and Susan Cohen, two bright singer-songwriters, team up with producer Steve Burgh (Steve Forbert, Phoebe Snow, Steve Goodman) and top notch musicians to create a tasty sound rooted in rock, folk, country, and classical. Intriguing harmonies, choice lyrics, sparkling guitars, and liquid flute lines complement the duo's strong, unique voices. The title cut, "Housewife From Hell," is getting significant airplay on public radio stations, and inspires some intense listener response. With Charlie Giordano on keyboards, Jon Sholle on guitar, Barry Lazarowitz on drums, Larry Packer on violin, and other guests.

Susan Cohen
Susan has played extensively in the New York metro-area performing country, rock-oldies and folk music in clubs, bars and coffee houses for more years than she cares to admit. After studying classical flute and piano, Susan took up guitar to accompany her unusual voice, paying her way through college by teaching music and playing with a local bluegrass band. Despite her college degree, Susan worked with Al Aronowitz to produce the Country in New York concert series and also opened for Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Throughout all this Susan's creative song writing side was gaining more and more steam and what started out as a trickle of interesting songs has burgeoned into a flood of fine music.

Elly Wininger
Elly is a classically trained musician who cleverly developed an acute wrist ailment that forced her to give up violin lessons. By some miracle of fate, her wrist was fine when she played guitar! As a student of David Bromberg she played the basket houses of Greenwich Village when it was way past her bedtime. Eric Frandsen even said she was good, "and not just for a girl." Sleep deprivation soon became a way of life for Elly as she picked her way through as much formal education as a musician can stand. She has composed original scores and toured with numerous theater companies. Elly is the co-producer of the award-winning program "Rockin ' the Boat, which can be heard on public radio, if it still exists by the time you read this.

Housewife From Hell
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. Crystal Clear
2. Housewife From Hell
3. Sailing
4. Happiness
5. You'll Never Know
6. What I'm I Doing In Virginia
7. Mirror, Mirror
8. Sea Of Heartbreak
9. Silver Wings
10. I'll Still Be Loving You
11. I Don't Hurt Anymore

CD cat.# (lmr1926) $13.99

To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018


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Halley DeVestern

"Put this CD right next to Maria McKee, Joan Osborne and Janis in your record collection. Filled with strong, gutsy tracks of R&B- and country-flavored rock, SUGAR FREE is a debut any artist would be proud of. There is very little gentle or delicate in DeVestern's songs. Rather, her tunes are populated by real-life sufferers and survivors. Her tracks are vibrant, her melodies catchy and her delivery is soulful and sure. There is passion fused into every groove...of this disc, with DeVestern's crack team of musicians matching her every step of the way...****" - Jennifer Shields, The Musicians' Exchange

"Kicks into high gear from the first tune, an R&B smoker on the Aretha tip. 'I'm Over It' displays a vibrato and twang descended directly from Janis, backed by an organ-fed groove evocative of Rita Coolidge's early 70s work. A tight, polished band ably backs De Vestern's bluesy flights, lifting her substantial melodies and never overpowering them... Soulful, strong and sure, Halley fits comfortably next to Joan Osborne in your unalphabetical record collection." - Jim Santo's Demo Universe Click here to Link to Demo Universe

"Halley has an incredible voice...Overall, the cd makes you wanna go out and beat the crap out of whoever that guy was who pissed her off. Believable emotion is key to music like this, and Halley pulls it off expertly. Look out world, here comes Halley DeVestern."
- Women in Musica

Sugar Free
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

I'll Light Myself On Fire

Animal

Scary

They Ain't Got The Ways

Anthropologist

The Family Way

Tied

She Is A Bitch

Ring Of Love

I'm Over It Catalog # sdcd-100 CD $9.99 To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

More Information at Halley's site.


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Karen Tyler

"Karen Tyler succeeds where 99 percent of 'sassy blues mamas' fail, and it's thanks to her exceptional songwritintg skills and a voice that can deliver the full spectrum of blues from slow, smoky and sultry to raise-the-roof rockinitis."
- Real Blues Magazine

"This lady has a voice...a great voice...sultry and smoky...one of my favorite blues vocalists."
- Austin Blues Monthly

"Karen Tyler is an outstanding singer and guitar picker of the smoky blues variety...good blues, with fluid guitar playing and deeply felt singing."
- Mike's Feedback Magazine

"...the title cut alone is worth the price of the CD. A brilliant blend of gospel and blues, with great writing, vocals..."
- Texas Beat Magazine

"Karen blew the crowds away at the Austin Acoustic Music Festival this year..."
ORB Confidential:The Musician's Trade Journal

Alone And Blue
So what’s next? “Alone & Blue”, Tyler’s new solo, guitar and vocal project, was conceived as a vehicle for Tyler to showcase her prolific songwriting talent. Where “Lovin’ the Blues Too Long” was a great introduction to Tyler’s music, “Alone & Blue” is the perfect second date. Without her musical chaperons on board you can really get to hear what Tyler can do on her own. Archtops, resonator guitars, flat tops and even a six string banjo are Karen’s canvas for her next release and an exciting and much anticipated release it is. The songs sizzle and snap with southern imagery, heartbreak and spunk. Sweltering hot one minute, and cool as a mint julep the next, this project is well played, impressively sung and expertly written. A diverse blend of blues styles, true life stories and Tyler’s engaging personality make this a very exciting acoustic blues release.

Alone And Blue
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. Alone And Blue
2. You Shone The Light
3. Hand It Over
4. Love Letters
5. Lazy River
6. One Long Storm
7. Blues By Candlelight
8. Nobody's Mama
9. Pretty Blackbird
10. Florence And Delilah
11. Set Me Up
12. Tangled Roots
13. Cappuccino Please
14. Big Bright Life
15. My Time To Cry

Catalog # rc104CD $13.99 To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

Lovin' The Blues Too Long
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

Don't "Sugar" Me

Lovin' The Blues Too Long

Rich In Love

Hello Moonlight

Comfort Me On

Two Hearts

Songbird Blues

Stars In Heaven

I Got A Man

House Of Cards

Too Much Love

Leave Me Lonely

Ain't No Thing

Stand Up Sister Catalog # rc103 CD $13.99 To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

Karen recently won the following awards in Delta Snake Blues News in the Feb. 1998 edition:

BEST FEMALE ACOUSTIC ARTIST: Rory Block Sheila Wilcoxson Jessie Mae Hemphill Karen Tyler Del Rey

BEST ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYER: John Hammond R.L. Burnside Rory Block Alvin Youngblood Hart Karen Tyler

BEST ACOUSTIC BLUES CD/TAPE: Gone Woman Blues - Rory Block - Rounder Anything by Keb' Mo' R.L. Burnside Acoustic Stories MC Records Big Mama's Door Alvin Youngblood Hart [OKeh / 550 Music] Twist It Babe - Catfish Keith Karen Tyler "Loving the Blues Too Long" 'Philadelphia' Jerry Ricks, "Deep in the Well" Fish Ain't Bitin'/Cory Harris

More Information at Karen's site.


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Susan Didrichen

Everybody's News - Cincinnati, Ohio
Home Grown April 5, 1996

Singing bikinigrams wasn't exactly the ideal form of vocal exposure Susan Didrichsen planned. While attending Ohio University, the native Cincinnatian routinely plugged herself into the Athens, Ohio open-mike circuit, spoiled by the utopia of performing her own music. But upon relocating to New York after graduation, Didrichsen learned to master certain necessary methods of financing a music career, which progressed from bikinigrams to performing jazz standards at private parties.

Didrichsen's payoff finally came in the form of her first independently-released CD, Soulsex, a collection of steamy, R&B centered original rock songs full of aching, sexually powerful messages. Didrichsen's delivery is a potent white woman's wailing, like Joplin or Etheridge, a trait that she gratefully credits t o her years spent doing cover songs.

"When I came to New York, I had not a clue what I was doing and I didn't really want to do cover music because like a lot of people, I just wanted to do my own music, I wanted to do original stuff. Then I figured out that the way you make money in New York City is, you do cover material," she says of her resignation. "So once I started doing cover music, I actually developed my style a lot; my style changed. I did a lot of black Top 40. I did a lot of soul music. And I started being influenced by people like Gladys Knight and Tina Turner and it changed my voice. And the voice you hear on the album now is really the result of having done a lot of soulful music."

Soulsex boasts a plump list of musicians - both friends and studio players - which gives many of the tracks the feel of a religious revival meeting. She repetitively refers to the "vision" of the album, a soulful style that she says might not be particularly commercially appealing to current radio, but one that gets her message across.

"The reason doing the music that I put on this album was so important to me and the reason I called it Soulsex is because I really believe that sex and spirituality go together. And I think it's one of the number one problems in the world, that religion and politics try to divide those things....The very last song on the album, 'Time To Be A Woman', is really all about that, where I say, some people may say you're hot or cold, or black or white. This is the way we tend to polarize women. It's kind of a different aspect of the virgin/whore complex. You're either this or you're that. You're a good girl or you're a bad girl. What about all the stuff in between? I can be really intelligent and a good business person and a really good, moral person and I can also love sex. And maybe even be drawn to the darker sides of sex, as long as I take responsibility for it. I find that a lot of people really respond to women who are strong and in command of their sexuality."

Soulsex
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. Sexuality
2. Intoxicated
3. Spinning
4. Making Up For Lost Time
5. Man-O-War
6. Little Fool
7. For Bear
8. Making Up For Lost Time
9. Chill
10. Time To Be A Woman

Catalog # sdcd-100 CD $13.99 To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

More Information at Susan's site.



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Marguerite Conti

Tapping into the incomparable beauty of California's Central Coast for inspiration, Marguerite Conti has created 10 musical paintings of vivid color on her latest project, Angels. This collection combines depth and energy in its extremely well-crafted music and lyrics. Marguerite's intricate acoustic guitar and melodic voice are delightfully complimented by co-producer, Jeff Mayer's stirring electric guitar artistry. Angels will take you on a mythological adventure in song, evoking images and emotions of holding on to hope, believing in dreams, feeling passion, finding strength, and accepting who you are and what you need.
Produced by Marguerite Conti and Jeff Mayer

Angels
Check out the Real Audio Sound Sample

1. Ocean Ocean
2. Angels
3. Night Wind
4. The Ballad Of The Seal Maid
5. There's A Way
6. Keeper Of The Flame
7. Across The Universe
8. Hey Joan
9. Inside The Ideal
10. Merry-Go Wheel
11. And Birds
    Catalog # VH101 CD $13.99 Cassette $9.99

To Place order, note Title and cat. #
select ORDER FORM:
or Call Toll Free: (800) 611-4698
or: e-mail: hrmusic@rahul.net
Harmony Ridge Music
P.O. Box 995
El Granada, California 94018

You can e-mail Marguerite at: mconti@artvarkproductions.com

for more information contact hrmusic@rahul.net © copyright 1997