Kh'Mi's Limited Edition CD

The Medicine Show

Kh’Mi

Acoustic/Roots Music/Americana. The crossroads where jazz and country meet.

The Medicine Show (HMR005) Limited Edition - CD-R Special run for Jazz Central (Syracuse, NY) Concert (out of the studio just days before their big Jazz Central show, Brian Francis packaged Kh'Mi's newest CD for attending fans... now available, for a limited time, to the rest of us)

I Don't Play By The Rules

I Don’t Play By The Rules
Gary Small & The Coyote Bros.

The long awaited new rockin' blues recording from the three bad boys of Sheridan Wyoming is here. As you can see by the cover, it has plenty of attitude!!!

Gary Small & The Coyote Bros. signed a deal with Hondo Mesa Records, an independent music label based in Syracuse, N.Y. The Native American band released their third studio album, I Don’t Play by the Rules, at the WYO Theater in Sheridan, WY, on Nov. 22, 2008.

Originally from Wyoming, Gary Small & The Coyote Bros. received the honor of “Best Rock Recording of the Year” at the 2007 Native American Music Awards (NAMMY’s). Their two previous albums have included Crazy Woman Mountain and Blues from the Coyote, and they have performed with music legends such as Chubby Checker.

Before forming the band, Gary Small had a successful solo career, where he collaborated with other Native American performers such as Rita Coolidge, Indigenous, Chrystal Gale, and Keith Secola. Small also won the “Songwriter of the Year” award at the 2002 NAMMY’s.

Gary Small & The Coyote Bros. is the third artist to sign with Hondo Mesa Records this year.

For more information about Gary Small & The Coyote Bros., please visit their website. To purchase their CD visit the Hondo Mesa Records store.

Hondo Mesa Records Store

Hello independent music lovers,
Good new - Hondo Mesa Records just opened its online store. Three new releases are now available:

HMR005 -- Kh'Mi, The Medicine Show
HMR006 -- Gary Small & The Coyote Bros., I Don't Play By The Rules
HMR007 -- Joanne Shenandoah and Michael Bucher, Bitter Tears Sacred Ground (available Dec. 31, 2008)

My MC Hammer Story

Back in 1990, I was attending grad. school in California. I had just left my job as Vice President of Decision Research Corp., a public opinion and political consulting firm headquartered in Cleveland, OH. To make some money while a student, I did a little political consulting. I spoke at a Campaign Management conference at UC Davis. There I met a captain of the Fremont, CA. Fire Dept who was the campaign mgr. for Fremont Mayor, Ben Ball. He hired me to do some voter targeting for the Mayor's re-election campaign.

So where does Hammer come in? MC Hammer, a resident of Fremont, was one of the Mayor's biggest supporters. The Fire Capt. mentioned to Hammer that I had a pretty good rap on my answering machine. I'm pretty sure Hammer called me and listened to the rap. He didn't say anything, but I would recognize that laugh anywhere. Hahaha. That's my MC Hammer story. As we all know, Hammer is too legit to quit!

Thanks for calling, but the Kinsey's aren't home
Or at least they can't come to the telephone.
If you leave your leave your name and your number too
chances are they'll get back to you.
You can leave a short message, to be complete
But just remember wait for the beep.

MC Hammer U Can't Touch This

My Man, MC Hammer is all over Twitter. He is classic. I'll tell my Hammer story in the next blog. I was living in San Jo, CA at the time. You gotta love Hammer!

Floyd Red Crow Westerman - "Missionary"

The late great Floyd Westerman in this video from Hen House Studios. Hen House Studios is a California-based record label and documentary film company. They started out recording musicians for free in exchange for the right to film them. Cool concept.

Michael Bucher's New Music Video

From Native American Times:

Hot Springs, S.D. – Michael Bucher’s new short documentary music video, “Don’t Forget About Me” was filmed on location in Western South Dakota in association by 2007 & 2008 Native American Music Awards nominees (Best Short Form Music Video) Karla LaRive of PK Productions, LLC (South Dakota) and Christopher Crosby of musicseenPROductions (New York).

This is the third indigenous music video from PK Productions, LLC and features area re-enactors, Paula Tonemah and Krista Knapp. The music video was shot on location at the Black Hill Wild Horse Sanctuary’s petrogylph site, along with other regional locations including Pine Ridge Reservation in July 2008.

“The music video deals with the protection of Native burial grounds, Native grave sites and sacred sites. I try to tell people you wouldn’t want your grandmother’s grave dug up…nor do American Indian people. And, yet, it happens every day in Indian Country” says Michael Bucher.

Michael Bucher is a Cherokee singer-songwriter who was taught from the beginning of his memory the stories, language and legends of his people. His songs are intended to teach, heal and bring awareness to everyone who hears them. He sings about topics that are important to him and others in Indian Country. From the desecration of sacred sites, to Cherokee legends, to the sometimes seemingly Invisible Indian, there’s a passionate quality throughout. With strong vocals and heartfelt lyrics, his music is a blend of acoustic guitar, native and a contemporary drum, flute, shakers, rattles, bass and electric guitars, and cuts a swath through native folk, blues and rock.

More CD single covers from 3rd & Main

Here are a few more Philippe Pascal created CD single covers from 3rd & Main for display in Second Life. People can go to a Hondo Mesa Records store in Second Life, pre-listen to songs, and buy both singles and full albums. Each product provides the customer with a unique code, allowing the customer to not only play the purchased record in Second Life®, but also allowing him to download the song to his computer as an MP3-file.

On Dec. 4, Larry Hoyt performed live in Second Life, the virtual world that we've mentioned frequently in this blog. This was Larry's first SL gig. Larry, or NewFolk Magic, as he is known in second life, was a big hit. The audience included people from Holland, Germany, UK, Canada and the US. Here is a pic of the man that day.

Joanne Shenandoah and National Anthem

Former Assistant Secretary of the Interior Ada Deer (Menominee Nation) Proposes Joanne Shenandoah Sing the US National Anthem at Obama's Inauguration

At a meeting of Native leaders November 3 on Oneida Nation territory in Green Bay, Wisconsin former Assistant Secretary of the Interior Ada Deer (Menominee Nation) proposed that Joanne Shenandoah sing the US National Anthem at the US Capitol prior to President-elect Barack Obama's taking of the oath of office. This idea was seconded by the leaders of the Oneida Nation. To support this growing movement contact the following members of the National Inaugural Committee in Washington, DC:

US Senator Dianne Feinstein: 202-224-3841 or fax: 202-224-3954
US Senator Harry Reid: 202-224-3542 or fax: 202-224-7327
US Rep. Nancy Pelosi: 202-225-4965

Also supporting Joanne is NY Senator Charles Schumer. Contact him at 202-224-6542 or fax: 202-228-3027. NY Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton may also help. Her number is: 202-224-4451 or fax: 202-228-0282.
Ms. Shenandoah will be performing with her band at the official Native American Inaugural Ball on the evening of January 20th.

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The Ndakinna Education Center
23 Middle Grove Road
Greenfield Center, New York 12833
(518) 583-9958
www.ndcenter.org