BLOG TALK RADIO Interview: Northern California Supergroup RED HOT SHAME Blasts Into Space With Their New Album MY SATELLITE!

Click Here to Listen to MY SATELLITE!

“This episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Music Monday” Show features the Red Hot Shame band who talk about their music and latest album “My Satellite.” Red Hot Shame is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Xeff Scolari and his fluctuating lineup of Northern California based musical partners in crime.

For this new album “My Satellite,” Xeff Scolari recorded with frequent collaborators: Steven Pitsenbarger (vocals, percussion), Ryan Wilson (guitar), Spencer Kennedy (bass), Rick Fugate (drums), James Terris (keys),  Mark Bennet (harmonica).

“My Satellite” was recorded, mixed, and mastered collaboratively by the whole group at Xeff Scolari’s own Shameful Studio in late 2021. The band is full of talented multi-instrumentalists who added layers of sonic textures including horns, vintage mellotron, and even accordion. The album’s songs range thematically from birth, death, and rebirth, to love and loss, and to everything in between. More at https://www.redhotshame.com/

Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation – https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/“

-Blog Talk Radio

“Five years into their existence, the ever-fluctuating line-up of this melody-bound crew that American multi-instrumentalist Xeff Scolari gathered around himself to guide free spirits to celestial realm finally make waves on a scale not a lot of contemporary proggers deem rational, taking the listener on an emotionally expansive, yet temporally concise, psychedelic trip which, unlike many a similar trek, doesn’t favor a hurry.”

-DMME.net

“Xeff Scolari’s Red Hot Shame is an absolute stormer of an album. Pop Rock of the highest quality with an emphasis a little more towards Rock, but with more than a nod towards the more inventive side of Indie. Add in a twist of Psych Pop and a Science Fiction Space feel and you have a top notch affair. My Satellite is a great listen!”

-HearASingle.blogspot.com

“This vibrantly alive, heartfeltly constructed and musically well honed, sonically charged new album (whose songs range thematically from birth, death, and rebirth, to love and loss, and, well, everything in between) opens its first chapter with the harmonious instrumentation within Liftoff and the rocker X.exe and then comes the tuned in, cracking alt-rock, guitar slide title track My Satellite, the second chapter bringing us the languishing The Only Star, the trippy ambiance of Solitude and then we get the laid back, swirled haze of My Shuttle.

The album, which is notably chock full of talented multi-instrumentalists who add continual layers of sonic textures (including horns, vintage mellotron, and even accordion) continues onward within the third chapter with the free flowing ’90s pop-alt vibe of both Stranded and then Synchronizing and the melodic rock of Eject, the fourth and final chapter (Epilogue) next bringing us the harmonica-imbibed, mid-tempo balladry of Come On, Rocket, the recording coming to a close on the laid back, gently melodic hipsway of Little Moon.”

-Exclusive Magazine

Translated: “Red Hot Shame has a new album, “My Satellite”, which is due out on April 15, 2022. This time Xeff Scolari has Steven Pitsenbarger (vocals, percussion), Ryan Wilson (guitar), Spencer Kennedy (bass), Rick Fugate (drums), James Terris (keyboards) and Mark Bennet (harmonica) in the studio. In addition to the brand new studio record, recorded, mixed and mastered in Xeff Scolari’s own studio, the combo plans to follow up with a live album later this year!”

-RockTimes

“I enjoyed this progressive rock album from start to finish with a superb performance, excellent musicianship, amazing songwriting and a brilliant job of recording and production!”

-Oasis Entertainment

For Immediate Release – Eureka, CA – RED HOT SHAME is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Xeff Scolari and his fluctuating lineup of Northern California based musical partners in crime. For the new RED HOT SHAME album MY SATELLITE, available April 15, 2022, Xeff Scolari recorded with frequent collaborators Steven Pitsenbarger (vocals, percussion), Ryan Wilson (guitar), Spencer Kennedy (bass), Rick Fugate (drums), James Terris (keys), and Mark Bennet (harmonica), a lineup that brings an energy and excitement to RED HOT SHAME that Xeff Scolari could not accomplish alone. Together they are a creative force that launches MY SATELLITE into another dimension! Performances feel like a wild ride where anything can happen at any moment, turning the band’s live shows into can’t miss events.

The new RED HOT SHAME album MY SATELLITE was recorded, mixed, and mastered collaboratively by the whole group at Xeff Scolari’s own Shameful Studio in late 2021. The band is full of talented multi-instrumentalists who added layers of sonic textures including horns, vintage mellotron, and even accordion. The album starts with a literal bang on the opening track “Liftoff,” and from there soars into musical outer space. Xeff Scolari puts it best as he later sings, “Hold on dear, come on, rocket!” The album’s songs range thematically from birth, death, and rebirth, to love and loss, and to everything in between.

A resident of Eureka, CA, lead vocalist and songwriter Xeff Scolari has played in several other local bands including Colorblind, Acoustic Gypsies, Sugardaddy, and Chowderhead, the last of which was on the Magnetic Oblivion Records label. Throughout 2020 he created and launched Shelter N Play, an online virtual open mic with musicians signing up to perform 15-minute sets from all over the country, a hugely valuable resource to the musical community throughout the pandemic. These also helped Xeff to further hone his own vocal and songwriting chops, and it was actually through the Shelter N Play open mics that Xeff met bassist Spencer Kennedy and guitarist Ryan Wilson, a fortuitous meeting indeed.

Soaring through this instrumental journey is a vocal blending that is rich with decades of collaboration and friendship; Xeff Scolari has been singing together with Steven Pitsenbarger for so long that it feels like instinct. Steven Pitsenbarger was a member of the San Francisco bands RhythmChaos, and Machine Shop, and has been making music together with Xeff since the late 80s. The only core member of the band that doesn’t live near the rest, Steven collaborated on many of the songs via email, sending tracks back and forth to Xeff. Together they also have another band known as Vanity Project.

Guitarist Ryan Wilson’s inventive stylings bring the RED HOT SHAME sound to life. They call his pedalboard “the spaceship” because of all the crazy sounds he is able to get out of it. He also performs with bassist and multi-instrumentalist Spencer Kennedy in another group called Stable Vices, who were regulars at Xeff’s Shelter N Play open mics. Drummer Rick Fugate has a well-known face in Eureka, playing punk songs on his accordion on the streets during Arts Alive monthly events. When he’s done there, he jumps behind the drum kit for RED HOT SHAME. James Terris has been playing music with Xeff Scolari since his very first band in the late 80s and also plays keys with the touring Neil Diamond tribute band Super Diamond.

RED HOT SHAME began in 2017 when it was just Xeff Scolari with a few guest tracks by some close friends like Steven Pitsenbarger and James Terris on the debut release Curiosity. In 2021, Red Hot shame released the follow up album Sounds Like, which also featured Chad Johnson. The new RED HOT SHAME album MY SATELLITE is available April 15, 2022. The band will have several performances in support of the album across Northern California, and plan to release a My Satellite LIVE album before the year is through.

For more information about RED HOT SHAME please visit:

www.redhotshame.com

To order or stream MY SATELLITE please visit:

https://smarturl.it/RHSMySatellite

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR at

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective at jerome@independentdistro.com

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AVAILABLE NOW! ~ New CIRCUS MIND Single “WEST END ROAD” From Their Upcoming Album BIOLUMINATE!

Click Here to Listen!

Keep an eye out for BIOLUMINATE coming soon!

For Immediate Release – New York, NY – CIRCUS MIND is a New York-based rock outfit and the brainchild of singer/songwriter and keyboardist Mark Rechler. The band is about to celebrate its 20th year and will unveil their fourth release BIOLUMINATE on June 17, 2022. BIOLUMINATE continues to capture the CIRCUS MIND spirit as they weave through past, present, and funky future.

The first BIOLUMINATE single “Baby Come Back Down” (featuring NoLa guitarist Marc Paradis of Johnny Sketch and The Dirty Notes) released March 18 has a funky driving Caribbean back beat mixed with rock and soul vibes and delicious synthesizer work. Opening track and second official single “West End Road” feels like you’re in the gospel tent at Jazzfest while mixin’ in some swampy rock reminiscent of Little Feat, Taj Mahal and The Radiators. Special guest Nels Cline of Wilco shines on the standout track “Miss Fortune” a slower paced beauty, while special guests Matty Fox and Matt Godfrey from the Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Band bring the album full circle on the final track “Vampire Blues.” Longtime bassist Chris Crosby, whopassed during the recording of the album, appears on four of the tracks.

CIRCUS MIND is a camouflaged Cephalopod that can change colors, moods and styles in an instant, swimming from jazzy groove rock to funky reggae roots with ease. Their previous release JOY MACHINE featured Big Sam, Marc Ribot, Ivan Neville, Walter Wolfman Washington, Scott Metzger, and more. An eclectic collection of ’70s rock and funk with modern takes on N’awlins swamp rock mixed with Beatles pop, the first JOY MACHINE single “Are You Ready?” featured guest guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, and its music video was well received by critics and fans alike.

Their earlier release “Silver Flower” was voted one of the Best Indie Albums of 2006 by Newsday and put a modern take on influences such as Traffic, Steely Dan, Little Feat, and Mott the Hoople while mixing in NoLa vibe influences like Dr. John, The Meters and The Neville Brothers. The CIRCUS MIND single “Jazzfest Time” was released as an ode to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. CIRCUS MIND has opened for national acts (Toots & The Maytals, The Neville Brothers, The Radiators) and had many notable guests sit in on their recordings and live performances (Soulive, Rebirth Brass Band, Cyril Neville).

CIRCUS MIND’s members are diverse in their influences and playing styles. Lead vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Mark Rechler performs with multiple projects and has played, toured, and recorded with members of The Meters, The Neville Brothers, The Radiators, Soulive, The Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Ivan Neville, and more. Spending five years in New Orleans studying music, art, & architecture helped influence his style and direction, and he always keeps his listeners salivating and wanting more.

Guitarist Jaime Scott has toured the world as a guitarist and engineer, with renowned ensemble John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards. In doing so he followed the lineage of the legendary and influential Lounge Lizard’s guitarists who came before him. “Baby Come Back Down” also features late and long-time CIRCUS MIND bassist Chris Crosby, who had studied with Oteil Burbridge of The Allman Brothers Band and Dead & Co.

The band’s rhythm section features drummer Dan Roth, a driving force of funky world influences and percussionist Steve Finkelstein, who has worked recorded and performed with pop icons from Ray Charles as well as jam band giants including members of the Dead, Allman’s, and Neville’s, and Tower of Power. Steve is also a founding member of the Funk Filharmonik.

New Member Saxophonist Michael Amendola holds a BA in Arranging from The Berklee College of Music. Credits include touring, film scores, jingles, and Broadway shows. Michael was a member of The Tony Trischka Band for 7 years, producing 2 recordings on Rounder Records and as a leader, released the jazz recording “Big Sunflower” on CDC Records. Also joining the party is Leandro Da Silva, a multi-faceted bassist from São Paulo, Brazil who brings elements of Samba and Funk that can be heard in his diverse playing style.

To purchase or stream BIOLUMINATE please visit:

https://smarturl.it/CMBioluminate

To purchase or stream the singles “Baby Come Back Down” or “West End Road” please visit:

https://smarturl.it/BabyComeBackDown or https://smarturl.it/CMWestEndRoad

For more information including tour dates or booking inquiries please visit:

www.circusmindband.com

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR:

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective:

jerome@independentdistro.com

###

Click here to listen to the previous Circus Mind album Joy Machine!

CIRCUS MIND “JOY MACHINE” Featured AGAIN on iTunes One Year After Its Release!

“Several tunes stand out, but you don’t need to go past the first, the retro-funk single “Are You Ready?,” to latch onto the groove that permeates the entire record. You’re good to go from there. The funk is still in place, with a pronounced predilection toward the New Orleans variety very much front and center. Mark Rechler—who is more often than not called the “ringleader” than bandleader (Circus Mind—get it?)— remains the prime motivating force, but he’s sharp and generous enough to delegate. A number of A-list guests bring their own game to the proceedings. All are pros, and together they build an excitement and original vision into each track that’s not always present in the jamband world.”

-Jeff Tamarkin, RELIX

Click here to read the JamBands.com interview with Mark Rechler!

“Joy Machine resonates with lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist and bandleader Rechler’s adoration of ‘70s classic rock and New Orleans funky grooves. With a who’s who of musicians off the road, Rechler was able to add special guests on all of the album’s hook-filled 10 tracks. That includes Brandon “Taz” Niederauer on opening number, “Are You Ready?” and its roots in P-Funk, Sly Stone and other ’70s rock and soul, Scott Metzger (JRAD) on the title track as well as Nels Cline, Marc Ribot and Walter Wolfman Washington.”

-JamBands.com

“Joy Machine is a fun and swinging album that brings joy back in these special difficult times!“

-Keys and Chords

Click here to listen to the Big Blend Radio interview with Mark Rechler!

This episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Music Monday” show features Mark Rechler, lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and band leader of Circus Mind. Based in new York, Circus Mind is entering their twentieth year and have just released their third album JOY MACHINE, a fresh explosion of sounds and flavors of the ’70s rock era with a modern twist. Like a three-ring circus, the band can slide seamlessly between rock, funk, and swampy N’awlins grooves, all while referencing some of the best bands of that era with infectious hooks that get stuck in your ear hole. Songs featured on this interview include the title track “Joy Machine” and “Are You Ready.”

More: https://www.circusmindband.com/

JOY MACHINE was featured on the New Rock Music page of iTunes the day of release! Congratulations Circus Mind!

For Immediate Release – New York, NY – CIRCUS MIND is a New York-based rock outfit and the brainchild of ringleader Mark Rechler. The band is entering their twentieth year and are soon to release their third album JOY MACHINE, a fresh explosion of sounds and flavors of the ’70s rock era with a modern twist. Like a three-ring circus, the band can slide seamlessly between rock, funk, and swampy N’awlins grooves, all while referencing some of the best bands of that era with infectious hooks that get stuck in your ear hole. JOY MACHINE released May 21, 2021, and also features Nels Cline, Marc Ribot, Ivan Neville, Walter Wolfman Washington, Scott Metzger, and more.

Now You’re Ready!!!! Here is the Official Music Video for the first single from the Circus Mind album “Joy Machine”

Directed by George Panagakos of 525 Media

Lyrics by Mark Rechler

Music by Mark Rechler and Chris Crosby

Produced and Engineered by Chris Fasulo

The first JOY MACHINE single “Are You Ready?” features guest guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and had an official music video release. Both the song and video are a funky rock throwback that has roots in P-Funk, Sly Stone, and other ’70s rock and soul vibes, all flavors that CIRCUS MIND wears on its sleeve as a badge of honor, from the writing to the production. The title track “Joy Machine” features Scott Metzger (JRAD) and released as a single on May 7 with a special music video premiere. CIRCUS MIND will then gather together in New Orleans with some amazing NoLa musicians including Big Sam to celebrate the JOY MACHINE album release on May 21 with a raucous party and live performance!

Official Music Video for the title track of the Circus Mind album “Joy Machine”

Directed by George Panagakos Music and Lyrics by Mark Rechler

Produced and Engineered by Chris Fasulo

“The Joy Machine is as colorful and colorful as the band name, CD title and artwork suggest. Funk power and groove are the two pillars on which the quintet likes to take it easy. The focus is on guitar and organ and are supported by an additional wind quartet from time to time. In the second half of the CD, “Errand Boy” and “Three Muses” go a bit in the direction of Brit-Pop, with the first track in particular being quite playful.

Circus minds are really fun and never fail. Highlights are the opener “Are you ready” with a calm pearly guitar and vibraphone-like sounds, “Jazzfest Time”with a great groove, massive saxophone power and accented organ and the final “Troubled Times” , a rhythm’n’blues soul mixture that really boils up to the end, if you think the piece is about to end.”

-Norbert von Fransecky, MusikAnSich.de

“Joy Machine is a fun and swinging album that brings joy back in these special difficult times!“

-Keys and Chords

“Blues, rock, jazz and funk are fused perfectly across the captivating 10-track disc; the infectious “Mean Mutha Fucka” (with guest Max Newman), Steely Dan-flavored title track, aptly-titled “Jazzfest Time” and poignant “Errand Boy” are definite showcases for how capably Circus Mind fuses its influences into something that is the group’s own. Several of the album’s great tracks are bolstered by the incredible fret work of guest guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer; indeed the funkadelic “Are You Ready” and reflective psychedelia-tinged dreamscape “Air Waves” soar.“

-Rock ‘n’ Roll Truth

“Funky junkies and sonic jokers outta New York radiate their irreverent merriment across the borders. Using their record as a vehicle of moving people’s mood to where the action and fun displace sore spots and featuring a few respectable guests, the Big Apple players spread light and laughter all around – to a fantastic effect. t’s exactly what we need right now: the joy machine to make us happy – this vehicle of exhilaration.“

-DMME.net

“Are you ready to have a blast with Circus Mind? Their latest CD Joy Machine will supercharge your summer with funky jams, rocking guitar, and ear worms that will burrow into your mind and refuse to leave. Mark Rechler (vocals & keyboards) not only knows how to write a hook, he surrounds these melodies with a diverse blend of influences, as each track has its own flavor, and yet this album feels cohesive. Rechler’s unique gravelly voice gives the songs additional punch; he sings from the gut, I can imagine him going for broke live pushing the band forward.

The band has brought in a number of guests such as Brandon “Taz” Nierderauer, Nels Cline, and Ivan Neville among others to add a little spice to the mix. And let’s not forget the core band that is phenomenal, great players in their own right. There is not a clunker to be found here, and this CD is pure summertime fun in the sun. Crank this one up, loud!!”

-Eric Porter, Sea of Tranquility

Translated: “The musical influences on the work of Circus Mind come from seventies groups like Mott The Hoople, Traffic, Steely Dan and Little Feat. We hear that best in songs like “Errand Boy”, “Three Muses” or the bluesy “Nutbag” on which Marc Ribot, known for his work with Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, plays the guitar. The unsurpassed Wilco guitarist Nels Cline provides guitar work on the quietly performed rock ballad “Longing Song.”

Thanks to all these very diverse collaborations, the third album “Joy Machine” by Mark Rechler and his band Circus Mind has become a unique record in this funk, rock and blues genre.”

-Rootstime

“This vibrantly alive and kickin’ new album opens on the ’70s guitar funk and foot-tappin’ beats of ‘Are You Ready’ and the jangling pop-psych ambiance of the title track ‘Joy Machine,’ and then backs those up with the funky ‘Air Waves,’ the soaring, horn-imbibed ‘Mean Mutha Fucka’ and then we get one of my own personal favorites, the earnest storytelling of ‘Longing Song.’

Released one year ago as an ode to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and featuring both Ivan Neville and Big Sam, the magnificently upbeat and joyous ‘Jazzfest Time’ is brought forth next and that’s backed by the free flowing ‘Errand Boy,’ the rockin’ rhythms of ‘Three Muses,’ with the album rounding out on the foot-tappin’ ‘Nutbag,’ closing on the lofi, almost-pleading, graveled-vocal outreach of ‘Troubled Times.’”

-Exclusive Magazine

“Circus Mind’s third studio release, aptly titled “Joy Machine”, is an exuberating cocktail of jazz influenced classic rock, pimped up with a heavy-duty funk kick. Mostly it’s a good-time romp, a slide back to the past with some righteous gems on disposal. Fashioned by Mark Rechler’s love of lushy textured production and spacy, open-ended songcraft springing through top-notch musicianship, the end result is a consortium of hummable, often trippy sounding songs.”

-Daniel Pavlica, The Rocktologist

“They start the album off with the funky, soulful all-out rock assault of “Are You Ready,” which features a phenomenal solo from guest guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer. Circus Mind deliver a southern sounding anthem with the title track “Joy Machine,” featuring some sweet blues licks from the guitar of Scott Metzger, while the smooth, laid-back jam of “Longing Song” highlighted by the addition of Nels Cline floating guitar melody. The band travel down to Bourbon Street with the help of Ivan Neville and Big Sam for “Jazzfest Time,” a tribute to the New Orleans festival. Circus Mind finish up their new album with a return to the funky beats of the instrumental “Nutbag,” which includes some stellar guitar work from Marc Ribot, along the slow blues of the album closer “Troubled Times,” featuring Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Bill Titus.”

-JP’s Music Blog

“I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Joy Machine, from Circus Mind and it’s a funky music party. Opening with Are You Ready?, lead vocalist and keyboard player, Mark Rechler sets the pace backed by Chris Crosby on bass, Dave Berg on guitar, Dane Roth on drums and Steve Finkelstein on percussion and featuring Brandon “Taz” Niederauer with an outrageous guitar solo.”

-Bman’s Blues Report

“This is an album, I can listen to over and over again”!

-Oasis Entertainment Blog

“You might as well sit back and enjoy the deconstruction of everything. Here’s a crew making their third record in 20 years and has the big sounding 70s AOR anthemia rock thing down cold—-and it comes across as a welcome return to when straight ahead rock was the sound of the suburbs. With a guest list of pros that knows what it’s about and what to do, something purely commercial never sounded so right. Well done.”

-MidwestRecord.com

Belgium Review: TECTONICBEATS Crafts Ornately Original Songs of Epic Scale with the Exclusive CD Release of His NIGHTINGALE EP

To purchase or stream the NIGHTINGALE EP please visit:

www.tectonicbeats.com

Translated: “Preserving a fun melody is an absolute priority for this American composer and music producer behind ‘TectonicBeats,’ which will please the fans of this kind of danceable electronic pop music.”

-Rootstime.be

Click Here to Listen to “Nightingale” – Released July 2, 2021!

Click Here to Listen to “Rosemary” – Released July 16, 2021!

Click Here to Listen to “Exemplar” – Released July 30, 2021!

For Immediate Release – San Francisco, CA – TectonicBeats is an American composer, music producer, and artist. He recently released his first series of groundbreaking original singles throughout July 2021, which are now collectively titled the NIGHTINGALE EP and released exclusively on CD with additional bonus material August 27, 2021! This new EP from TectonicBeats is an exploration of sound born out of the spirit of music and the power of technology. Known by his followers as “the synthmaster,” and for his hybridization of genres and expressive polyphonic composition, TectonicBeats is an earthquake and it’s off the Richter scale.

Born as Will Carney, TectonicBeats was conceived while Will was attending the electronic music production school Pyramind in San Francisco. He began selling his instrumental beats online and working with artists around the world including Destorm, Babatunde, and Brooklnn. Inspired by the new era in music, TectonicBeats began collaborating with labels, producers, and singers across genres from K-pop to hip hop and EDM.

In 2017 while in Los Angeles, TectonicBeats wrote and produced an instrumental EP and solo album. Then just prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 he relocated his studio to Arizona and began collaborating with Australian singer Brooklnn. These sessions resulted in all three singles that now comprise the new NIGHTINGALE EP release, a project that sees TectonicBeats weave a delicate narrative seamlessly together with colossal themes to create a vast work of art.

The title track “NIGHTINGALE” released as a single on July 2, 2021, and is a vibrant, triumphant, and epic song that tells the story of a small hero you’d never expect and their story of survival. A story as old as time with a modern pop sound, the track takes the listener on a voyage to somewhere they’ve never been.

A hard-hitting pop song with a sensitive side, the next single “ROSEMARY” released July 16. Delightful melodies on top of a sensational beat make this song a powerful experience. With “Rosemary,” TectonicBeats explores new musical terrain boldly and playfully in ways that reimagine everything.

The last single in the series “EXEMPLAR” released July 30 and delivers an electric and psychedelic experience full of the sound of love and light. TectonicBeats has now assembled these tracks together with some additional material into the NIGHTINGALE EP, a limited edition CD set for release August 27, 2021.

TectonicBeats crafts songs of epic scale, ornately original and striking to the imagination. Get ready for a kaleidoscope of stimulation and a universe of creativity when TectonicBeats hits the scene in the summer of 2021!

“In this EP you can see how the music can be clouded and shaped by technology in a set of songs with strong rhythms, vibrant samples, female vocals that stand out and with an approach to unconventional pop and quite heavy. Within this electronic music genre that will work well on the dance floors, Nightingale assumes an epic posture and with originality and imagination.”

-Via Nocturna

““Nightingale,” “Rosemary” and “Exemplar,” have their finger on the pulse of today’s pop music. The other three tracks featured on this release are the instrumental versions of those songs, which highlight the talents of composer/producer TectonicBeats.”

-JP’s Music Blog

“Californian synthmaster resurrects retrofuturistic psychedelia and puts a contemporary spin on crepuscular tunes. Vocals taking aural space by force on the EP’s title track, its punchy electronica doesn’t hurry to impress the listener or drive them under a glitter ball until the cut’s soulful chorus ruffles one psyche to expose the arrangement’s nuances, letting seductively supple, if insistent, bass to the fore once the words are gone. And though the triumphant pop of “Rosemary” seems slightly patinated, the piece’s deliberate bleakness is balanced with the retro sound’s warmth, while the ever-shifting melodic lines render “Exemplar” a mindboggling experience. So the shuffling of feet might be optional here, but deriving guilty pleasure from this hat-trick feels mandatory.”

-Let It Rock, DMME.net

“A modern version of synth pop by a do it all electronic cat that knows what really smells like teen spirit. A crafty confectionist, this is now pop for now people.”

-Midwest Record Entertainment Blog

“It’s on the money.”

-Record Producer Joel Diamond

“This is great stuff.”

-Al Gomes at BigNoise

“I really love the direction TectonicBeats is going.”

-DJ Max Vangeli

To purchase or stream the NIGHTINGALE EP please visit:

www.tectonicbeats.com

To purchase or stream singles from the upcoming NIGHTINGALE EP please visit:

https://smarturl.it/TBNightingale
https://smarturl.it/TBExemplar
https://smarturl.it/TBRosemary

For more information about TectonicBeats please visit:

www.tectonicbeats.com

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR:

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective:

jerome@independentdistro.com

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US Review: San Francisco Jazz Ensemble ANDY OSTWALD TRIO Releases their Debut Solo Record FIELD GUIDE through Digital Victrola Records ~ Available Now!

Click Here to Listen!

“Accessible, tuneful trio jazz is the order of the day on Field Guide. Pianist Andy Ostwald has a winning, catchy style that will bring a smile to listeners’ lips (and set their foot a-tapping). The rhythm section of Ravi Abcarian (bass) and Bryan Bowman on drums supports Ostwald, but what they’re doing merits close attention as well. This is timeless jazz in a classic style; there’s nothing about the tunes and arrangements that places the music in any particular era, other than to say that it would be most at home among releases from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Tasty stuff.”

-Bill Kopp’s Music Magazine, Musoscribe.com

“One little band from America find new ways to elevate traditional values, take it all above the obvious and get away with it. Comfort and warmth fill these numbers. A field for the intrepid spirits to stand out in.”

-Let It Rock, DMME.net

“This simply beautiful, decadently layered new album opens on the free flowing majesties of Sonar and the quieter, astutely precise melodies of Falling Grace and then seamlessly blends those with the drum-led rhythms of Sweet Emma, the mesmerizing Virgo and then comes the impressive To Wisdom the Prize.

Next up is one of my own personal favorites from this new recording, the dulcet magnificence of Meadow’s Edge which is in turn backed by the organic nature of Memories of Tomorrow, then come the melodic textures within I Hear a Rhapsody, the consummate Beatrice, the album rounding out with the gently swirl and twirl of Like Someone in Love, coming to a close on the heavenly divine orchestrations of The Wedding.”

-Exclusive Magazine

“A vet Bay area piano trio that has the sound and fury of a swinging crew that could take root best in that environment. Sassy, summer Friday after work sounds—-to hear this at that time would be the only reason we could think of for going back to the office now. There’s no question they’re tight and have it going on and you can tell they play it all on the natch. Well done.”

-Midwest Record Entertainment

Andy Ostwald is a San Francisco Bay area-based performer, teacher, and author of the book Play Jazz, Blues, Rock Piano by Ear. He performs as a band leader, sideman, solo pianist, and as a member of Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra. Now with his own ANDY OSTWALD TRIO he is proud to present their debut full-length release FIELD GUIDE on March 18, 2022. The album is a true Field Guide for that meadow we’ve seen before but never traversed, featuring intimate and intensely focused improvised musical travels through overlooked gardens and orchards of sound. Grab a copy of the Field Guide and enjoy your trip!

Andy Ostwald has toured the US and abroad with singer Diane Witherspoon and has performed at many of the San Francisco Bay Area’s notable venues, including the SF Jazz Center, Yoshi’s Oakland & SF, Kuumbwa, and the Great American Music Hall. In 2011, Andy Ostwald began performing with fellow Bay Area musicians Ravi Abcarian (bass) and Bryan Bowman (drums), and the ANDY OSTWALD TRIO was born. They largely developed their group sound while performing at Bocce Café in the North Beach district of San Francisco, an engagement that lasted for five years until 2016. It was during this run that the musicians honed their ability to interact freely and play off one another’s musical ideas.

As a fellow member of Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra, trumpeter Eric Wayne knew the trio and offered to help them record and release their debut album through his own Digital Victrola label. Andy was prepared with a fully formed album concept, including the title FIELD GUIDE, which allowed them to get straight to the business of finding the best material for the release. Recorded during the pandemic, resources were scarce, and it was difficult to find a studio with a worthy piano; they decided to record in Andy Ostwald’s own home with his personal piano on an 8-track HD recorder. They were able to make the most of the home studio environment, with the craftsman-style wood house giving the recording a warm and full sound.

“Since starting Digital Victrola I’ve always had a desire to record a trio album,” says Eric Wayne. “Even though I’m a trumpet player I’ve always felt that the trio format is the distilled essence of jazz and improvisatory music. Every player has to be fully committed, has to listen with their entire body and mind. It was an honor to work with such musicians under the difficulties of a pandemic and limited resources and space, but I’m very happy to have ‘my trio album’ and I hope you will enjoy listening as much as I have.”

Andy Ostwald’s father played a key role in his early musical development. “My dad made a point of introducing me to his favorite early jazz and classical recordings,” says Andy. “He would also pick up his violin and improvise melodies over the scales that I was practicing on the piano; Dad could breathe life into those scales.” By age 12 Andy began improvising over rock songs, and couple of years later he attended a clinic by jazz pianist Dan Hearle, who introduced him to recordings by three towering figures of jazz piano: Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, and Oscar Peterson. “The music these musicians created both moved and mystified me,” notes Ostwald, “and in the end, contributed to steering me in the direction of jazz.”

Ostwald received a BA in music from San Jose State University. While there he focused on performing contemporary jazz, classical compositions, and the Gamelan music of Java, and a few years later he spent a year in New York studying with renowned jazz pianist Harold Mabern. Following his stay in New York, Andy returned to his native San Francisco Bay Area to teach and play music. Soon thereafter he met singer Diane Witherspoon and became her piano accompanist. They performed locally on tour in the States, and then on several occasions in Tokyo. Currently Ostwald is a member of Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra and freelances as both a band leader and sideman.

Andy teaches piano at his home in Oakland. He’s also an instructor at Oaktown Jazz Workshops, where Ravi Abcarian is also an instructor and the executive director. Ostwald’s book/audio series Play Jazz, Blues, Rock Piano by Ear was published by Mel Bay Publications in 2004. It remains in print today.

For more information please visit:

https://andyostwald.bandcamp.com/album/field-guide or www.andyostwald.com

To order or stream FIELD GUIDE on digital services please visit:

https://smarturl.it/AndyOstwaldTrioFG

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR at

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective at jerome@independentdistro.com

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US Review: ALICE AUSTIN Flies Expertly Across Genres to Create a Tantalizing Listen on Her New Album GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA!

Click Here to Listen to GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA!

“Goodnight Euphoria is a vibrantly heartfelt, open and honestly-crafted sophomore solo album.

This enigmatic solo album opens on the retro-alternative vibe of No Such Thing and the languishing Wooden Mind and those are seamlessly backed up by the countrified twang of the title track Goodnight Euphoria, the quietly lush orchestrations within Relentless Sunshine and then we get the upbeat, free flowing rhythms of Loveless Waste. The album continues onward with the trembling balladry of Oxygen and the top down, summers drive appeal of Everything You Touch, which are in turn followed by one of my own personal favorites from the album, the acoustic guitar-led, harmoniously created Jellyfish, then comes the surf’s up flow within The Neighborhood, the impassioned Never Occurred To Me, the album rounding out on the spaghetti western-imbibed The Ward, coming to a close on the aching piano balladry of Saving My Tears.”

-Exclusive Magazine

Click Here to Listen to the new “No Such Thing” single!

Click here to listen to the Big Blend Radio Interview with Alice Austin!

“Allaying her fears and laying delights down to sleep, American artiste accesses the furthest reaches of her soul for all to see and feel. The songstress has retained her erstwhile alternative edge and sometime aural assault which make “Goodnight Euphoria” arrestingly uncategorizable and welcoming repeated spins.”

-DMME.net

“After listening to ‘Goodnight Euphoria’ several times on a long car trip it has revealed many of its qualities. The diversity of styles on what is her second solo album is its strength. There is in the end no overriding influence and this feels like Austin stretching herself into music. Closer ‘Saving My Tears’ is equal parts Cyndi Lauper and Radiohead, and the Oxford band’s style pops up elsewhere in the more atmospheric pieces.”

-Tim Martin, FATEA

“Alice is back and back with a bang. There is a real timeless edge to this classy piece that just allows us to drift away with Alice and let her tell the story that she is feeding us, and brings us another side of this phenomenal artist.”

-Darren McIntyre, JaceMedia.co.uk

“The album gets off to a fantastic start with “No Such Thing,” which has some seriously catchy elements, including that rhythm, but also really rocks on the chorus. “Goodnight Euphoria,” the album’s title track, comes on strong with a steady, prominent rhythm. But it is the vocal work which really stands out for me, and helps to make this one of my personal favorites. I love the way Alice Austin is able to surprise us on these tracks, as she does again with “Oxygen,” which has a gorgeously dark vibe and includes some nice work on keys. The entire album is excellent…it plays out like some spectacular underground film in your brain. This album started off strong, and still somehow manages to just get better and better.”

-Michael Doherty’s Music Log

“You might expect an album from Alice Austin, who is known around the country for fronting Black Sabbitch, to be loaded with dense metallic music and a persistent dark pall. But, on GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA, Alice the artist in her own right shines through on twelve carefully crafted tracks that work hard to elicit exhilaration at any time of day. Our picks – the title tack, “Jellyfish” and “Saving My Tears.””

-OutOfThisWorldMusic.com

For Immediate Release – Los Angeles, CA – ALICE AUSTIN is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who showcases a full spectrum of stylistic leanings on her new album GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA. Released April 22, 2022, GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA is “a wild ride” as described by producer David Drouin, from the retro-alternative opening track “No Such Thing,” to the surfy vibe in “The Neighborhood,” to the spaghetti western riffs in “The Ward.”

Rich with layered instrumentation, this second full-length album from ALICE AUSTIN was artfully mixed and mastered by Timothy Phillips at Mercy Sound Studios. Besides being a melodic guitar-based rock album, GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA features a diverse collection of performances from Seth Campbell (mellotron and piano), Emily Garcia (violin), and Jon Persson (trumpet). The lyrical content of this collection of songs aims to be easy listening on the surface, with a depth that reaches out to its audience if they are willing to dive deeply into some pretty heavy messages about the love and the laws of physics, haunted guitars, mental illness, suicide, and telepathic communication.

Born in Vermont and currently living in Los Angeles, ALICE AUSTIN has written and performed hundreds of songs throughout her musical life. In addition to her solo career, she fronts Black Sabbitch, the Ozzy-endorsed all female Black Sabbath. She was also a founding member and songwriter of Vermont’s all female pop punk band Zola Turn in the early 2000’s, and later Queen Tangerine and Boston’s The Lavas.

To create her second full-length solo album, ALICE AUSTIN reached back to her New England roots and combined forces with Boston producer and musician David Drouin, who also plays guitar, bass, and sings backing vocals on the release. The inspiration for GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA came about after Austin sang backing vocals on Drouin’s production of the Cold Engines single “One of Us Now,” and the collaboration was so natural that Austin asked him to record a single with her. “The Ward” was their first completed song that set off an unstoppable momentum leading to 11 other tracks all written, produced, and recorded remotely within the next few months. As Alice as on tour with Black Sabbitch, she was also composing, writing lyrics, and listening to mixes of GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA tracks.

Alice Austin’s music career has taken her from her native Vermont to her adoptive Los Angeles–and nearly every place in between. Material she recorded and co-wrote with previous groups such as Boston incarnation The Lavas (2006-2009) and Vermont’s earliest all-female 90s powerhouse Zola Turn (Brick Red Records, 2000-2002) draws on a vast corpus including retro garage icons such as Shocking Blue and Jefferson Airplane, a peppering of 90s indie rock artist PJ Harvey, and the twangy delights of vintage country queen Wanda Jackson.

Her solo work also embraces these influences as she moves from country to indie to rock and back again on her self-produced and self-engineered debut album To A Star in the Yard, followed by her Left One in the Rain EP produced by Patrick Avalon, her singles “Cowboy Summer” and “Dirt and Helicopters” (both produced by Robb Torres), and her two most recent self-produced singles “Cirrus” and “Lookout Mountain.”

Many fans know ALICE AUSTIN as the lead singer of Black Sabbitch – a band with exactly one musical influence but a complex creative agenda: to embody the authenticity of formative 1970s metal, making blatant it’s latent feminine swagger by crowning themselves “the all-female Black Sabbath.” According to The New Times, Black Sabbitch is “redefining the cover band.” While touring with Black Sabbitch brings Alice all over North America and Europe to express the most extroverted and raucous aspects of her personality, her solo career continues to satisfy an intimate artistic expression that has only deepened through the polarity of her experiences.

The ALICE AUSTIN single “No Such Thing” is available digitally on March 25, 2022, followed by the release of her new album GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA on April 22, 2022.

To order or stream GOODNIGHT EUPHORIA please visit:

https://smarturl.it/AAGoodnightEuphoria

To order or stream the ALICE AUSTIN single “No Such Thing” please visit:

https://smarturl.it/AAustinNoSuchThing

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR at

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective at jerome@independentdistro.com

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CIRCUS MIND Continues to Deliver With Their New Album BIOLUMINATE ~ Available June 17!

Click Here to Listen!

For Immediate Release – New York, NY – CIRCUS MIND is a New York-based rock outfit and the brainchild of singer/songwriter and keyboardist Mark Rechler. The band is about to celebrate its 20th year and will unveil their fourth release BIOLUMINATE on June 17, 2022. BIOLUMINATE continues to capture the CIRCUS MIND spirit as they weave through past, present, and funky future.

The first BIOLUMINATE single “Baby Come Back Down” (featuring NoLa guitarist Marc Paradis of Johnny Sketch and The Dirty Notes) released March 18 has a funky driving Caribbean back beat mixed with rock and soul vibes and delicious synthesizer work. Opening track and second official single “West End Road” feels like you’re in the gospel tent at Jazzfest while mixin’ in some swampy rock reminiscent of Little Feat, Taj Mahal and The Radiators. Special guest Nels Cline of Wilco shines on the standout track “Miss Fortune” a slower paced beauty, while special guests Matty Fox and Matt Godfrey from the Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Band bring the album full circle on the final track “Vampire Blues.” Longtime bassist Chris Crosby, whopassed during the recording of the album, appears on four of the tracks.

CIRCUS MIND is a camouflaged Cephalopod that can change colors, moods and styles in an instant, swimming from jazzy groove rock to funky reggae roots with ease. Their previous release JOY MACHINE featured Big Sam, Marc Ribot, Ivan Neville, Walter Wolfman Washington, Scott Metzger, and more. An eclectic collection of ’70s rock and funk with modern takes on N’awlins swamp rock mixed with Beatles pop, the first JOY MACHINE single “Are You Ready?” featured guest guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, and its music video was well received by critics and fans alike.

Their earlier release “Silver Flower” was voted one of the Best Indie Albums of 2006 by Newsday and put a modern take on influences such as Traffic, Steely Dan, Little Feat, and Mott the Hoople while mixing in NoLa vibe influences like Dr. John, The Meters and The Neville Brothers. The CIRCUS MIND single “Jazzfest Time” was released as an ode to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. CIRCUS MIND has opened for national acts (Toots & The Maytals, The Neville Brothers, The Radiators) and had many notable guests sit in on their recordings and live performances (Soulive, Rebirth Brass Band, Cyril Neville).

CIRCUS MIND’s members are diverse in their influences and playing styles. Lead vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Mark Rechler performs with multiple projects and has played, toured, and recorded with members of The Meters, The Neville Brothers, The Radiators, Soulive, The Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Ivan Neville, and more. Spending five years in New Orleans studying music, art, & architecture helped influence his style and direction, and he always keeps his listeners salivating and wanting more.

Guitarist Jaime Scott has toured the world as a guitarist and engineer, with renowned ensemble John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards. In doing so he followed the lineage of the legendary and influential Lounge Lizard’s guitarists who came before him. “Baby Come Back Down” also features late and long-time CIRCUS MIND bassist Chris Crosby, who had studied with Oteil Burbridge of The Allman Brothers Band and Dead & Co.

The band’s rhythm section features drummer Dan Roth, a driving force of funky world influences and percussionist Steve Finkelstein, who has worked recorded and performed with pop icons from Ray Charles as well as jam band giants including members of the Dead, Allman’s, and Neville’s, and Tower of Power. Steve is also a founding member of the Funk Filharmonik.

New Member Saxophonist Michael Amendola holds a BA in Arranging from The Berklee College of Music. Credits include touring, film scores, jingles, and Broadway shows. Michael was a member of The Tony Trischka Band for 7 years, producing 2 recordings on Rounder Records and as a leader, released the jazz recording “Big Sunflower” on CDC Records. Also joining the party is Leandro Da Silva, a multi-faceted bassist from São Paulo, Brazil who brings elements of Samba and Funk that can be heard in his diverse playing style.

To purchase or stream BIOLUMINATE please visit:

https://smarturl.it/CMBioluminate

To purchase or stream the singles “Baby Come Back Down” or “West End Road” please visit:

https://smarturl.it/BabyComeBackDown or https://smarturl.it/CMWestEndRoad

For more information including tour dates or booking inquiries please visit:

www.circusmindband.com

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR:

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective:

jerome@independentdistro.com

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AVAILABLE NOW! ~ New CIRCUS MIND Single “WEST END ROAD” From Their Upcoming Album BIOLUMINATE!

Click Here to Listen!

Keep an eye out for BIOLUMINATE coming soon!

Click here to listen to the previous Circus Mind album Joy Machine!

CIRCUS MIND “JOY MACHINE” Featured AGAIN on iTunes One Year After Its Release!

“Several tunes stand out, but you don’t need to go past the first, the retro-funk single “Are You Ready?,” to latch onto the groove that permeates the entire record. You’re good to go from there. The funk is still in place, with a pronounced predilection toward the New Orleans variety very much front and center. Mark Rechler—who is more often than not called the “ringleader” than bandleader (Circus Mind—get it?)— remains the prime motivating force, but he’s sharp and generous enough to delegate. A number of A-list guests bring their own game to the proceedings. All are pros, and together they build an excitement and original vision into each track that’s not always present in the jamband world.”

-Jeff Tamarkin, RELIX

Click here to read the JamBands.com interview with Mark Rechler!

“Joy Machine resonates with lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist and bandleader Rechler’s adoration of ‘70s classic rock and New Orleans funky grooves. With a who’s who of musicians off the road, Rechler was able to add special guests on all of the album’s hook-filled 10 tracks. That includes Brandon “Taz” Niederauer on opening number, “Are You Ready?” and its roots in P-Funk, Sly Stone and other ’70s rock and soul, Scott Metzger (JRAD) on the title track as well as Nels Cline, Marc Ribot and Walter Wolfman Washington.”

-JamBands.com

“JOY MACHINE” Featured on the RELIX Digital Sampler August 2021!

“Joy Machine is a fun and swinging album that brings joy back in these special difficult times!“

-Keys and Chords

Click here to listen to the Big Blend Radio interview with Mark Rechler!

This episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Music Monday” show features Mark Rechler, lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and band leader of Circus Mind. Based in new York, Circus Mind is entering their twentieth year and have just released their third album JOY MACHINE, a fresh explosion of sounds and flavors of the ’70s rock era with a modern twist. Like a three-ring circus, the band can slide seamlessly between rock, funk, and swampy N’awlins grooves, all while referencing some of the best bands of that era with infectious hooks that get stuck in your ear hole. Songs featured on this interview include the title track “Joy Machine” and “Are You Ready.”

More: https://www.circusmindband.com/

JOY MACHINE was featured on the New Rock Music page of iTunes the day of release! Congratulations Circus Mind!

For Immediate Release – New York, NY – CIRCUS MIND is a New York-based rock outfit and the brainchild of ringleader Mark Rechler. The band is entering their twentieth year and are soon to release their third album JOY MACHINE, a fresh explosion of sounds and flavors of the ’70s rock era with a modern twist. Like a three-ring circus, the band can slide seamlessly between rock, funk, and swampy N’awlins grooves, all while referencing some of the best bands of that era with infectious hooks that get stuck in your ear hole. JOY MACHINE released May 21, 2021, and also features Nels Cline, Marc Ribot, Ivan Neville, Walter Wolfman Washington, Scott Metzger, and more.

Now You’re Ready!!!! Here is the Official Music Video for the first single from the Circus Mind album “Joy Machine”

Directed by George Panagakos of 525 Media

Lyrics by Mark Rechler

Music by Mark Rechler and Chris Crosby

Produced and Engineered by Chris Fasulo

The first JOY MACHINE single “Are You Ready?” features guest guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and had an official music video release. Both the song and video are a funky rock throwback that has roots in P-Funk, Sly Stone, and other ’70s rock and soul vibes, all flavors that CIRCUS MIND wears on its sleeve as a badge of honor, from the writing to the production. The title track “Joy Machine” features Scott Metzger (JRAD) and released as a single on May 7 with a special music video premiere. CIRCUS MIND will then gather together in New Orleans with some amazing NoLa musicians including Big Sam to celebrate the JOY MACHINE album release on May 21 with a raucous party and live performance!

Official Music Video for the title track of the Circus Mind album “Joy Machine”

Directed by George Panagakos Music and Lyrics by Mark Rechler

Produced and Engineered by Chris Fasulo

The production of JOY MACHINE began in August of 2019, but it was the Covid-19 pandemic that really set the stage for the record. While some bands took to the internet airwaves to stream performances, Rechler locked down in the studio. “Suddenly we had a ton of time on our hands and we knew we wanted to come out of this with a full album,” says Mark. “I was a man possessed and started writing like a madman!” The band started working remotely but quickly masked up and got down to business. “In a weird way, the pandemic also opened doors for us to find such amazing guests who were not out on tour and were looking to keep busy.”

The previous CIRCUS MIND release Silver Flower was voted Best Indie Album of 2006 by Newsday and put a modern take on influences such as Traffic, Steely Dan, Little Feat, and Mott the Hoople while mixing in NoLa vibe influences like Dr. John, The Meters, and The Neville Brothers. The last CIRCUS MIND single “Jazzfest Time” was released one year ago as an ode to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and featured Ivan Neville andBig Sam. CIRCUS MIND is quite versatile and has opened for national acts (Toots & The Maytals, The Neville Brothers, The Radiators) and had many notable guests sit in on their recordings and live performances (Soulive, Rebirth Brass Band, Cyril Neville).

CIRCUS MIND’s members are diverse in their influences as well as their playing. Lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and bandleader Mark Rechler plays in multiple bands (such as Falling Water), and has played, toured, and recorded with members of The Meters, The Neville Brothers, The Radiators, Soulive, The Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Ivan Neville, and more. Spending five years in New Orleans studying music and architecture helped influence his style and direction, and he always keeps his focus on the hook to keep his listeners wanting more and humming his tunes all day.

Bassist Chris Crosby has a serious case of spider-fingers and can solo as beautifully as any guitarist. A funkster from a family of highly respected musicians, Chris has also studied with Oteil Burbridge of The Allman Brothers Band and Dead & Company. Currently, he has also been busy playing in his brother’s Jason Crosby Band and with New York rock quartet Feverseed.

Guitarist David Berg is rooted in jazz, reggae, and bluegrass. He has toured with Dark Star Orchestra and has played multiple shows with Garth Hudson (The Band). Dave’s fluid rock style keeps CIRCUS MIND in a constant snake-like flow.

Drummer Dan Roth has been banging on things since he was a tyke, and he can’t seem to stop. He’s addicted to crosswords, motor coordination, and avocados.

With over 30 album credits to his name, percussionist Steve Finkelstein has worked with pop icons from Ray Charles and Mariah Carey as well as jam band giants including members of the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, and Tower of Power. Steve is also an original member and current member of the Funk Filharmonik.

“The Joy Machine is as colorful and colorful as the band name, CD title and artwork suggest. Funk power and groove are the two pillars on which the quintet likes to take it easy. The focus is on guitar and organ and are supported by an additional wind quartet from time to time. In the second half of the CD, “Errand Boy” and “Three Muses” go a bit in the direction of Brit-Pop, with the first track in particular being quite playful.

Circus minds are really fun and never fail. Highlights are the opener “Are you ready” with a calm pearly guitar and vibraphone-like sounds, “Jazzfest Time”with a great groove, massive saxophone power and accented organ and the final “Troubled Times” , a rhythm’n’blues soul mixture that really boils up to the end, if you think the piece is about to end.”

-Norbert von Fransecky, MusikAnSich.de

“Joy Machine is a fun and swinging album that brings joy back in these special difficult times!“

-Keys and Chords

“Blues, rock, jazz and funk are fused perfectly across the captivating 10-track disc; the infectious “Mean Mutha Fucka” (with guest Max Newman), Steely Dan-flavored title track, aptly-titled “Jazzfest Time” and poignant “Errand Boy” are definite showcases for how capably Circus Mind fuses its influences into something that is the group’s own. Several of the album’s great tracks are bolstered by the incredible fret work of guest guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer; indeed the funkadelic “Are You Ready” and reflective psychedelia-tinged dreamscape “Air Waves” soar.“

-Rock ‘n’ Roll Truth

“Funky junkies and sonic jokers outta New York radiate their irreverent merriment across the borders. Using their record as a vehicle of moving people’s mood to where the action and fun displace sore spots and featuring a few respectable guests, the Big Apple players spread light and laughter all around – to a fantastic effect. t’s exactly what we need right now: the joy machine to make us happy – this vehicle of exhilaration.“

-DMME.net

“Are you ready to have a blast with Circus Mind? Their latest CD Joy Machine will supercharge your summer with funky jams, rocking guitar, and ear worms that will burrow into your mind and refuse to leave. Mark Rechler (vocals & keyboards) not only knows how to write a hook, he surrounds these melodies with a diverse blend of influences, as each track has its own flavor, and yet this album feels cohesive. Rechler’s unique gravelly voice gives the songs additional punch; he sings from the gut, I can imagine him going for broke live pushing the band forward.

The band has brought in a number of guests such as Brandon “Taz” Nierderauer, Nels Cline, and Ivan Neville among others to add a little spice to the mix. And let’s not forget the core band that is phenomenal, great players in their own right. There is not a clunker to be found here, and this CD is pure summertime fun in the sun. Crank this one up, loud!!”

-Eric Porter, Sea of Tranquility

Translated: “The musical influences on the work of Circus Mind come from seventies groups like Mott The Hoople, Traffic, Steely Dan and Little Feat. We hear that best in songs like “Errand Boy”, “Three Muses” or the bluesy “Nutbag” on which Marc Ribot, known for his work with Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, plays the guitar. The unsurpassed Wilco guitarist Nels Cline provides guitar work on the quietly performed rock ballad “Longing Song.”

Thanks to all these very diverse collaborations, the third album “Joy Machine” by Mark Rechler and his band Circus Mind has become a unique record in this funk, rock and blues genre.”

-Rootstime

“This vibrantly alive and kickin’ new album opens on the ’70s guitar funk and foot-tappin’ beats of ‘Are You Ready’ and the jangling pop-psych ambiance of the title track ‘Joy Machine,’ and then backs those up with the funky ‘Air Waves,’ the soaring, horn-imbibed ‘Mean Mutha Fucka’ and then we get one of my own personal favorites, the earnest storytelling of ‘Longing Song.’

Released one year ago as an ode to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and featuring both Ivan Neville and Big Sam, the magnificently upbeat and joyous ‘Jazzfest Time’ is brought forth next and that’s backed by the free flowing ‘Errand Boy,’ the rockin’ rhythms of ‘Three Muses,’ with the album rounding out on the foot-tappin’ ‘Nutbag,’ closing on the lofi, almost-pleading, graveled-vocal outreach of ‘Troubled Times.’”

-Exclusive Magazine

“Circus Mind’s third studio release, aptly titled “Joy Machine”, is an exuberating cocktail of jazz influenced classic rock, pimped up with a heavy-duty funk kick. Mostly it’s a good-time romp, a slide back to the past with some righteous gems on disposal. Fashioned by Mark Rechler’s love of lushy textured production and spacy, open-ended songcraft springing through top-notch musicianship, the end result is a consortium of hummable, often trippy sounding songs.”

-Daniel Pavlica, The Rocktologist

“They start the album off with the funky, soulful all-out rock assault of “Are You Ready,” which features a phenomenal solo from guest guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer. Circus Mind deliver a southern sounding anthem with the title track “Joy Machine,” featuring some sweet blues licks from the guitar of Scott Metzger, while the smooth, laid-back jam of “Longing Song” highlighted by the addition of Nels Cline floating guitar melody. The band travel down to Bourbon Street with the help of Ivan Neville and Big Sam for “Jazzfest Time,” a tribute to the New Orleans festival. Circus Mind finish up their new album with a return to the funky beats of the instrumental “Nutbag,” which includes some stellar guitar work from Marc Ribot, along the slow blues of the album closer “Troubled Times,” featuring Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Bill Titus.”

-JP’s Music Blog

“I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Joy Machine, from Circus Mind and it’s a funky music party. Opening with Are You Ready?, lead vocalist and keyboard player, Mark Rechler sets the pace backed by Chris Crosby on bass, Dave Berg on guitar, Dane Roth on drums and Steve Finkelstein on percussion and featuring Brandon “Taz” Niederauer with an outrageous guitar solo.”

-Bman’s Blues Report

“This is an album, I can listen to over and over again”!

-Oasis Entertainment Blog

“You might as well sit back and enjoy the deconstruction of everything. Here’s a crew making their third record in 20 years and has the big sounding 70s AOR anthemia rock thing down cold—-and it comes across as a welcome return to when straight ahead rock was the sound of the suburbs. With a guest list of pros that knows what it’s about and what to do, something purely commercial never sounded so right. Well done.”

-MidwestRecord.com

To purchase or stream the new CIRCUS MIND album JOY MACHINE please visit:

https://smarturl.it/JoyMachineCircusMind

To purchase or stream the new single “ARE YOU READY?” please visit:

https://smarturl.it/CMAreYouReady

For more information about the band and the New Orleans Release Party on May 21 please visit:

www.circusmindband.com

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR:

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective:

jerome@independentdistro.com

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CIRCUS MIND “JOY MACHINE” Featured AGAIN on iTunes One Year After Its Release!

Click here to listen to Joy Machine!

Keep an eye out for BIOLUMINATE coming soon!

“Several tunes stand out, but you don’t need to go past the first, the retro-funk single “Are You Ready?,” to latch onto the groove that permeates the entire record. You’re good to go from there. The funk is still in place, with a pronounced predilection toward the New Orleans variety very much front and center. Mark Rechler—who is more often than not called the “ringleader” than bandleader (Circus Mind—get it?)— remains the prime motivating force, but he’s sharp and generous enough to delegate. A number of A-list guests bring their own game to the proceedings. All are pros, and together they build an excitement and original vision into each track that’s not always present in the jamband world.”

-Jeff Tamarkin, RELIX

Click here to read the JamBands.com interview with Mark Rechler!

“Joy Machine resonates with lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist and bandleader Rechler’s adoration of ‘70s classic rock and New Orleans funky grooves. With a who’s who of musicians off the road, Rechler was able to add special guests on all of the album’s hook-filled 10 tracks. That includes Brandon “Taz” Niederauer on opening number, “Are You Ready?” and its roots in P-Funk, Sly Stone and other ’70s rock and soul, Scott Metzger (JRAD) on the title track as well as Nels Cline, Marc Ribot and Walter Wolfman Washington.”

-JamBands.com

“JOY MACHINE” Featured on the RELIX Digital Sampler August 2021!

“Joy Machine is a fun and swinging album that brings joy back in these special difficult times!“

-Keys and Chords

Click here to listen to the Big Blend Radio interview with Mark Rechler!

This episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Music Monday” show features Mark Rechler, lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and band leader of Circus Mind. Based in new York, Circus Mind is entering their twentieth year and have just released their third album JOY MACHINE, a fresh explosion of sounds and flavors of the ’70s rock era with a modern twist. Like a three-ring circus, the band can slide seamlessly between rock, funk, and swampy N’awlins grooves, all while referencing some of the best bands of that era with infectious hooks that get stuck in your ear hole. Songs featured on this interview include the title track “Joy Machine” and “Are You Ready.”

More: https://www.circusmindband.com/

JOY MACHINE was featured on the New Rock Music page of iTunes the day of release! Congratulations Circus Mind!

For Immediate Release – New York, NY – CIRCUS MIND is a New York-based rock outfit and the brainchild of ringleader Mark Rechler. The band is entering their twentieth year and are soon to release their third album JOY MACHINE, a fresh explosion of sounds and flavors of the ’70s rock era with a modern twist. Like a three-ring circus, the band can slide seamlessly between rock, funk, and swampy N’awlins grooves, all while referencing some of the best bands of that era with infectious hooks that get stuck in your ear hole. JOY MACHINE released May 21, 2021, and also features Nels Cline, Marc Ribot, Ivan Neville, Walter Wolfman Washington, Scott Metzger, and more.

Now You’re Ready!!!! Here is the Official Music Video for the first single from the Circus Mind album “Joy Machine”

Directed by George Panagakos of 525 Media

Lyrics by Mark Rechler

Music by Mark Rechler and Chris Crosby

Produced and Engineered by Chris Fasulo

The first JOY MACHINE single “Are You Ready?” features guest guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and had an official music video release. Both the song and video are a funky rock throwback that has roots in P-Funk, Sly Stone, and other ’70s rock and soul vibes, all flavors that CIRCUS MIND wears on its sleeve as a badge of honor, from the writing to the production. The title track “Joy Machine” features Scott Metzger (JRAD) and released as a single on May 7 with a special music video premiere. CIRCUS MIND will then gather together in New Orleans with some amazing NoLa musicians including Big Sam to celebrate the JOY MACHINE album release on May 21 with a raucous party and live performance!

Official Music Video for the title track of the Circus Mind album “Joy Machine”

Directed by George Panagakos Music and Lyrics by Mark Rechler

Produced and Engineered by Chris Fasulo

The production of JOY MACHINE began in August of 2019, but it was the Covid-19 pandemic that really set the stage for the record. While some bands took to the internet airwaves to stream performances, Rechler locked down in the studio. “Suddenly we had a ton of time on our hands and we knew we wanted to come out of this with a full album,” says Mark. “I was a man possessed and started writing like a madman!” The band started working remotely but quickly masked up and got down to business. “In a weird way, the pandemic also opened doors for us to find such amazing guests who were not out on tour and were looking to keep busy.”

The previous CIRCUS MIND release Silver Flower was voted Best Indie Album of 2006 by Newsday and put a modern take on influences such as Traffic, Steely Dan, Little Feat, and Mott the Hoople while mixing in NoLa vibe influences like Dr. John, The Meters, and The Neville Brothers. The last CIRCUS MIND single “Jazzfest Time” was released one year ago as an ode to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and featured Ivan Neville andBig Sam. CIRCUS MIND is quite versatile and has opened for national acts (Toots & The Maytals, The Neville Brothers, The Radiators) and had many notable guests sit in on their recordings and live performances (Soulive, Rebirth Brass Band, Cyril Neville).

CIRCUS MIND’s members are diverse in their influences as well as their playing. Lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and bandleader Mark Rechler plays in multiple bands (such as Falling Water), and has played, toured, and recorded with members of The Meters, The Neville Brothers, The Radiators, Soulive, The Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Ivan Neville, and more. Spending five years in New Orleans studying music and architecture helped influence his style and direction, and he always keeps his focus on the hook to keep his listeners wanting more and humming his tunes all day.

Bassist Chris Crosby has a serious case of spider-fingers and can solo as beautifully as any guitarist. A funkster from a family of highly respected musicians, Chris has also studied with Oteil Burbridge of The Allman Brothers Band and Dead & Company. Currently, he has also been busy playing in his brother’s Jason Crosby Band and with New York rock quartet Feverseed.

Guitarist David Berg is rooted in jazz, reggae, and bluegrass. He has toured with Dark Star Orchestra and has played multiple shows with Garth Hudson (The Band). Dave’s fluid rock style keeps CIRCUS MIND in a constant snake-like flow.

Drummer Dan Roth has been banging on things since he was a tyke, and he can’t seem to stop. He’s addicted to crosswords, motor coordination, and avocados.

With over 30 album credits to his name, percussionist Steve Finkelstein has worked with pop icons from Ray Charles and Mariah Carey as well as jam band giants including members of the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, and Tower of Power. Steve is also an original member and current member of the Funk Filharmonik.

“The Joy Machine is as colorful and colorful as the band name, CD title and artwork suggest. Funk power and groove are the two pillars on which the quintet likes to take it easy. The focus is on guitar and organ and are supported by an additional wind quartet from time to time. In the second half of the CD, “Errand Boy” and “Three Muses” go a bit in the direction of Brit-Pop, with the first track in particular being quite playful.

Circus minds are really fun and never fail. Highlights are the opener “Are you ready” with a calm pearly guitar and vibraphone-like sounds, “Jazzfest Time”with a great groove, massive saxophone power and accented organ and the final “Troubled Times” , a rhythm’n’blues soul mixture that really boils up to the end, if you think the piece is about to end.”

-Norbert von Fransecky, MusikAnSich.de

“Joy Machine is a fun and swinging album that brings joy back in these special difficult times!“

-Keys and Chords

“Blues, rock, jazz and funk are fused perfectly across the captivating 10-track disc; the infectious “Mean Mutha Fucka” (with guest Max Newman), Steely Dan-flavored title track, aptly-titled “Jazzfest Time” and poignant “Errand Boy” are definite showcases for how capably Circus Mind fuses its influences into something that is the group’s own. Several of the album’s great tracks are bolstered by the incredible fret work of guest guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer; indeed the funkadelic “Are You Ready” and reflective psychedelia-tinged dreamscape “Air Waves” soar.“

-Rock ‘n’ Roll Truth

“Funky junkies and sonic jokers outta New York radiate their irreverent merriment across the borders. Using their record as a vehicle of moving people’s mood to where the action and fun displace sore spots and featuring a few respectable guests, the Big Apple players spread light and laughter all around – to a fantastic effect. t’s exactly what we need right now: the joy machine to make us happy – this vehicle of exhilaration.“

-DMME.net

“Are you ready to have a blast with Circus Mind? Their latest CD Joy Machine will supercharge your summer with funky jams, rocking guitar, and ear worms that will burrow into your mind and refuse to leave. Mark Rechler (vocals & keyboards) not only knows how to write a hook, he surrounds these melodies with a diverse blend of influences, as each track has its own flavor, and yet this album feels cohesive. Rechler’s unique gravelly voice gives the songs additional punch; he sings from the gut, I can imagine him going for broke live pushing the band forward.

The band has brought in a number of guests such as Brandon “Taz” Nierderauer, Nels Cline, and Ivan Neville among others to add a little spice to the mix. And let’s not forget the core band that is phenomenal, great players in their own right. There is not a clunker to be found here, and this CD is pure summertime fun in the sun. Crank this one up, loud!!”

-Eric Porter, Sea of Tranquility

Translated: “The musical influences on the work of Circus Mind come from seventies groups like Mott The Hoople, Traffic, Steely Dan and Little Feat. We hear that best in songs like “Errand Boy”, “Three Muses” or the bluesy “Nutbag” on which Marc Ribot, known for his work with Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, plays the guitar. The unsurpassed Wilco guitarist Nels Cline provides guitar work on the quietly performed rock ballad “Longing Song.”

Thanks to all these very diverse collaborations, the third album “Joy Machine” by Mark Rechler and his band Circus Mind has become a unique record in this funk, rock and blues genre.”

-Rootstime

“This vibrantly alive and kickin’ new album opens on the ’70s guitar funk and foot-tappin’ beats of ‘Are You Ready’ and the jangling pop-psych ambiance of the title track ‘Joy Machine,’ and then backs those up with the funky ‘Air Waves,’ the soaring, horn-imbibed ‘Mean Mutha Fucka’ and then we get one of my own personal favorites, the earnest storytelling of ‘Longing Song.’

Released one year ago as an ode to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and featuring both Ivan Neville and Big Sam, the magnificently upbeat and joyous ‘Jazzfest Time’ is brought forth next and that’s backed by the free flowing ‘Errand Boy,’ the rockin’ rhythms of ‘Three Muses,’ with the album rounding out on the foot-tappin’ ‘Nutbag,’ closing on the lofi, almost-pleading, graveled-vocal outreach of ‘Troubled Times.’”

-Exclusive Magazine

“Circus Mind’s third studio release, aptly titled “Joy Machine”, is an exuberating cocktail of jazz influenced classic rock, pimped up with a heavy-duty funk kick. Mostly it’s a good-time romp, a slide back to the past with some righteous gems on disposal. Fashioned by Mark Rechler’s love of lushy textured production and spacy, open-ended songcraft springing through top-notch musicianship, the end result is a consortium of hummable, often trippy sounding songs.”

-Daniel Pavlica, The Rocktologist

“They start the album off with the funky, soulful all-out rock assault of “Are You Ready,” which features a phenomenal solo from guest guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer. Circus Mind deliver a southern sounding anthem with the title track “Joy Machine,” featuring some sweet blues licks from the guitar of Scott Metzger, while the smooth, laid-back jam of “Longing Song” highlighted by the addition of Nels Cline floating guitar melody. The band travel down to Bourbon Street with the help of Ivan Neville and Big Sam for “Jazzfest Time,” a tribute to the New Orleans festival. Circus Mind finish up their new album with a return to the funky beats of the instrumental “Nutbag,” which includes some stellar guitar work from Marc Ribot, along the slow blues of the album closer “Troubled Times,” featuring Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Bill Titus.”

-JP’s Music Blog

“I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Joy Machine, from Circus Mind and it’s a funky music party. Opening with Are You Ready?, lead vocalist and keyboard player, Mark Rechler sets the pace backed by Chris Crosby on bass, Dave Berg on guitar, Dane Roth on drums and Steve Finkelstein on percussion and featuring Brandon “Taz” Niederauer with an outrageous guitar solo.”

-Bman’s Blues Report

“This is an album, I can listen to over and over again”!

-Oasis Entertainment Blog

“You might as well sit back and enjoy the deconstruction of everything. Here’s a crew making their third record in 20 years and has the big sounding 70s AOR anthemia rock thing down cold—-and it comes across as a welcome return to when straight ahead rock was the sound of the suburbs. With a guest list of pros that knows what it’s about and what to do, something purely commercial never sounded so right. Well done.”

-MidwestRecord.com

To purchase or stream the new CIRCUS MIND album JOY MACHINE please visit:

https://smarturl.it/JoyMachineCircusMind

To purchase or stream the new single “ARE YOU READY?” please visit:

https://smarturl.it/CMAreYouReady

For more information about the band and the New Orleans Release Party on May 21 please visit:

www.circusmindband.com

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR:

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective:

jerome@independentdistro.com

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San Francisco Jazz Ensemble ANDY OSTWALD TRIO Releases their Debut Solo Record FIELD GUIDE through Digital Victrola Records ~ Available Now!

Click Here to Listen!

“One little band from America find new ways to elevate traditional values, take it all above the obvious and get away with it. Comfort and warmth fill these numbers. A field for the intrepid spirits to stand out in.”

-Let It Rock, DMME.net

“This simply beautiful, decadently layered new album opens on the free flowing majesties of Sonar and the quieter, astutely precise melodies of Falling Grace and then seamlessly blends those with the drum-led rhythms of Sweet Emma, the mesmerizing Virgo and then comes the impressive To Wisdom the Prize.

Next up is one of my own personal favorites from this new recording, the dulcet magnificence of Meadow’s Edge which is in turn backed by the organic nature of Memories of Tomorrow, then come the melodic textures within I Hear a Rhapsody, the consummate Beatrice, the album rounding out with the gently swirl and twirl of Like Someone in Love, coming to a close on the heavenly divine orchestrations of The Wedding.”

-Exclusive Magazine

“A vet Bay area piano trio that has the sound and fury of a swinging crew that could take root best in that environment. Sassy, summer Friday after work sounds—-to hear this at that time would be the only reason we could think of for going back to the office now. There’s no question they’re tight and have it going on and you can tell they play it all on the natch. Well done.”

-Midwest Record Entertainment

Andy Ostwald is a San Francisco Bay area-based performer, teacher, and author of the book Play Jazz, Blues, Rock Piano by Ear. He performs as a band leader, sideman, solo pianist, and as a member of Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra. Now with his own ANDY OSTWALD TRIO he is proud to present their debut full-length release FIELD GUIDE on March 18, 2022. The album is a true Field Guide for that meadow we’ve seen before but never traversed, featuring intimate and intensely focused improvised musical travels through overlooked gardens and orchards of sound. Grab a copy of the Field Guide and enjoy your trip!

Andy Ostwald has toured the US and abroad with singer Diane Witherspoon and has performed at many of the San Francisco Bay Area’s notable venues, including the SF Jazz Center, Yoshi’s Oakland & SF, Kuumbwa, and the Great American Music Hall. In 2011, Andy Ostwald began performing with fellow Bay Area musicians Ravi Abcarian (bass) and Bryan Bowman (drums), and the ANDY OSTWALD TRIO was born. They largely developed their group sound while performing at Bocce Café in the North Beach district of San Francisco, an engagement that lasted for five years until 2016. It was during this run that the musicians honed their ability to interact freely and play off one another’s musical ideas.

As a fellow member of Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra, trumpeter Eric Wayne knew the trio and offered to help them record and release their debut album through his own Digital Victrola label. Andy was prepared with a fully formed album concept, including the title FIELD GUIDE, which allowed them to get straight to the business of finding the best material for the release. Recorded during the pandemic, resources were scarce, and it was difficult to find a studio with a worthy piano; they decided to record in Andy Ostwald’s own home with his personal piano on an 8-track HD recorder. They were able to make the most of the home studio environment, with the craftsman-style wood house giving the recording a warm and full sound.

“Since starting Digital Victrola I’ve always had a desire to record a trio album,” says Eric Wayne. “Even though I’m a trumpet player I’ve always felt that the trio format is the distilled essence of jazz and improvisatory music. Every player has to be fully committed, has to listen with their entire body and mind. It was an honor to work with such musicians under the difficulties of a pandemic and limited resources and space, but I’m very happy to have ‘my trio album’ and I hope you will enjoy listening as much as I have.”

Andy Ostwald’s father played a key role in his early musical development. “My dad made a point of introducing me to his favorite early jazz and classical recordings,” says Andy. “He would also pick up his violin and improvise melodies over the scales that I was practicing on the piano; Dad could breathe life into those scales.” By age 12 Andy began improvising over rock songs, and couple of years later he attended a clinic by jazz pianist Dan Hearle, who introduced him to recordings by three towering figures of jazz piano: Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, and Oscar Peterson. “The music these musicians created both moved and mystified me,” notes Ostwald, “and in the end, contributed to steering me in the direction of jazz.”

Ostwald received a BA in music from San Jose State University. While there he focused on performing contemporary jazz, classical compositions, and the Gamelan music of Java, and a few years later he spent a year in New York studying with renowned jazz pianist Harold Mabern. Following his stay in New York, Andy returned to his native San Francisco Bay Area to teach and play music. Soon thereafter he met singer Diane Witherspoon and became her piano accompanist. They performed locally on tour in the States, and then on several occasions in Tokyo. Currently Ostwald is a member of Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra and freelances as both a band leader and sideman.

Andy teaches piano at his home in Oakland. He’s also an instructor at Oaktown Jazz Workshops, where Ravi Abcarian is also an instructor and the executive director. Ostwald’s book/audio series Play Jazz, Blues, Rock Piano by Ear was published by Mel Bay Publications in 2004. It remains in print today.

For more information please visit:

https://andyostwald.bandcamp.com/album/field-guide or www.andyostwald.com

To order or stream FIELD GUIDE on digital services please visit:

https://smarturl.it/AndyOstwaldTrioFG

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR at

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective at jerome@independentdistro.com

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Canada Review: Northern California Supergroup RED HOT SHAME Blasts Into Space With Their New Album MY SATELLITE!

Click Here to Listen!

“Five years into their existence, the ever-fluctuating line-up of this melody-bound crew that American multi-instrumentalist Xeff Scolari gathered around himself to guide free spirits to celestial realm finally make waves on a scale not a lot of contemporary proggers deem rational, taking the listener on an emotionally expansive, yet temporally concise, psychedelic trip which, unlike many a similar trek, doesn’t favor a hurry.”

-DMME.net

“Xeff Scolari’s Red Hot Shame is an absolute stormer of an album. Pop Rock of the highest quality with an emphasis a little more towards Rock, but with more than a nod towards the more inventive side of Indie. Add in a twist of Psych Pop and a Science Fiction Space feel and you have a top notch affair. My Satellite is a great listen!”

-HearASingle.blogspot.com

“This vibrantly alive, heartfeltly constructed and musically well honed, sonically charged new album (whose songs range thematically from birth, death, and rebirth, to love and loss, and, well, everything in between) opens its first chapter with the harmonious instrumentation within Liftoff and the rocker X.exe and then comes the tuned in, cracking alt-rock, guitar slide title track My Satellite, the second chapter bringing us the languishing The Only Star, the trippy ambiance of Solitude and then we get the laid back, swirled haze of My Shuttle.

The album, which is notably chock full of talented multi-instrumentalists who add continual layers of sonic textures (including horns, vintage mellotron, and even accordion) continues onward within the third chapter with the free flowing ’90s pop-alt vibe of both Stranded and then Synchronizing and the melodic rock of Eject, the fourth and final chapter (Epilogue) next bringing us the harmonica-imbibed, mid-tempo balladry of Come On, Rocket, the recording coming to a close on the laid back, gently melodic hipsway of Little Moon.”

-Exclusive Magazine

Translated: “Red Hot Shame has a new album, “My Satellite”, which is due out on April 15, 2022. This time Xeff Scolari has Steven Pitsenbarger (vocals, percussion), Ryan Wilson (guitar), Spencer Kennedy (bass), Rick Fugate (drums), James Terris (keyboards) and Mark Bennet (harmonica) in the studio. In addition to the brand new studio record, recorded, mixed and mastered in Xeff Scolari’s own studio, the combo plans to follow up with a live album later this year!”

-RockTimes

“I enjoyed this progressive rock album from start to finish with a superb performance, excellent musicianship, amazing songwriting and a brilliant job of recording and production!”

-Oasis Entertainment

For Immediate Release – Eureka, CA – RED HOT SHAME is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Xeff Scolari and his fluctuating lineup of Northern California based musical partners in crime. For the new RED HOT SHAME album MY SATELLITE, available April 15, 2022, Xeff Scolari recorded with frequent collaborators Steven Pitsenbarger (vocals, percussion), Ryan Wilson (guitar), Spencer Kennedy (bass), Rick Fugate (drums), James Terris (keys), and Mark Bennet (harmonica), a lineup that brings an energy and excitement to RED HOT SHAME that Xeff Scolari could not accomplish alone. Together they are a creative force that launches MY SATELLITE into another dimension! Performances feel like a wild ride where anything can happen at any moment, turning the band’s live shows into can’t miss events.

The new RED HOT SHAME album MY SATELLITE was recorded, mixed, and mastered collaboratively by the whole group at Xeff Scolari’s own Shameful Studio in late 2021. The band is full of talented multi-instrumentalists who added layers of sonic textures including horns, vintage mellotron, and even accordion. The album starts with a literal bang on the opening track “Liftoff,” and from there soars into musical outer space. Xeff Scolari puts it best as he later sings, “Hold on dear, come on, rocket!” The album’s songs range thematically from birth, death, and rebirth, to love and loss, and to everything in between.

A resident of Eureka, CA, lead vocalist and songwriter Xeff Scolari has played in several other local bands including Colorblind, Acoustic Gypsies, Sugardaddy, and Chowderhead, the last of which was on the Magnetic Oblivion Records label. Throughout 2020 he created and launched Shelter N Play, an online virtual open mic with musicians signing up to perform 15-minute sets from all over the country, a hugely valuable resource to the musical community throughout the pandemic. These also helped Xeff to further hone his own vocal and songwriting chops, and it was actually through the Shelter N Play open mics that Xeff met bassist Spencer Kennedy and guitarist Ryan Wilson, a fortuitous meeting indeed.

Soaring through this instrumental journey is a vocal blending that is rich with decades of collaboration and friendship; Xeff Scolari has been singing together with Steven Pitsenbarger for so long that it feels like instinct. Steven Pitsenbarger was a member of the San Francisco bands RhythmChaos, and Machine Shop, and has been making music together with Xeff since the late 80s. The only core member of the band that doesn’t live near the rest, Steven collaborated on many of the songs via email, sending tracks back and forth to Xeff. Together they also have another band known as Vanity Project.

Guitarist Ryan Wilson’s inventive stylings bring the RED HOT SHAME sound to life. They call his pedalboard “the spaceship” because of all the crazy sounds he is able to get out of it. He also performs with bassist and multi-instrumentalist Spencer Kennedy in another group called Stable Vices, who were regulars at Xeff’s Shelter N Play open mics. Drummer Rick Fugate has a well-known face in Eureka, playing punk songs on his accordion on the streets during Arts Alive monthly events. When he’s done there, he jumps behind the drum kit for RED HOT SHAME. James Terris has been playing music with Xeff Scolari since his very first band in the late 80s and also plays keys with the touring Neil Diamond tribute band Super Diamond.

RED HOT SHAME began in 2017 when it was just Xeff Scolari with a few guest tracks by some close friends like Steven Pitsenbarger and James Terris on the debut release Curiosity. In 2021, Red Hot shame released the follow up album Sounds Like, which also featured Chad Johnson. The new RED HOT SHAME album MY SATELLITE is available April 15, 2022. The band will have several performances in support of the album across Northern California, and plan to release a My Satellite LIVE album before the year is through.

For more information about RED HOT SHAME please visit:

www.redhotshame.com

To order or stream MY SATELLITE please visit:

https://smarturl.it/RHSMySatellite

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR at

(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective at jerome@independentdistro.com

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