New From Hemifran July 2019

Hemifrån is an independent A&R, promotion and marketing company, based in the heart of Sweden, specializing in, what they call, “gut music” – The kind of music that you can feel in your gut, no matter what. Hemifran is promoting a lot of singer-songwriter, westcoast-pop, country, AOR and more. Here are featured some of their latest news – it is not all west coast, but dig into it!

Diesel Park – Let It Melt

There are bands that go the distance. And then there is Diesel Park West. In a tale of Homeric proportions, the group from Leicester, UK, have kept faith throughout a career that stretches back, unbroken, to the era of major label deals, MTV and music industry excess. Now, 30 years after their first album “Shakespeare Alabama”, a new chapter begins with the release of “Let It Melt”, an album of savvy, street survivor, sign of the times rock’n’roll that only a band with their immense experience, resilience and know how could have written and recorded. More information at Hemifran.

Jaime Michaels – If You Fall

A venue operator in California refers to Jaime Michaels as a songwriters’ songwriter. He came late to the craft having enjoyed a long career as a covers artist both as a soloist and, for a while, full tilt rock and roll band lead singer with The Truly Dangerous Swamp Band. Not being much of a radio fan, he chose his covers carefully, sometimes something recognizable like Dylan or the Beatles, sometimes just damned fine songs he happened to run across from lesser known writers like Canadian Murray MacLauchlan. He sang the hell out of all of them. More information at Hemifran.

Steve Mednick – Enough!

“Enough!” was the latest collaboration with Eddie Seville and Karl Allweier. Steve is also joined by his Hard Road compatriots, Tony Casagrande and Joey Sciortino, his long time vocal partner, Natalie Modugno, and, Steve Jacobs, who, again, plays some mean violin. Steve was especially pleased that Frank Carillo contributed the guitar solos on “What Are You Going To Do?” and “A Dark Night Is Upon Us” and, Jen Durkin contributed her pipes to “The Whole World Is Watching”, ”A Dark Night Is Upon Us” and “Don’t Let This Season Pass”. More information at Hemifran.

Jan Seides – Unsung

The song, “Sarah Laughed”, was her take on the biblical story of Sarah and Abraham, which she learned when her daughter was studying it to recite for her bat mitzvah. Seides didn’t know it at the time, but that was the genesis of “Unsung”, a 12 song album packaged with a book containing lyrics, illustrations and short commentaries about each song. “Sarah Laughed” refers to Sarah’s reaction when an angel told her husband that she would give birth, despite the fact that both were over 100 years old. Seides’ song addresses the difficulty of believing in miracles. At that point, she felt healing might require one. But Seides recovered, no miracle needed, and after she performed the song one night, an audience member came up and suggested a book, “Women In The Bible”, noting the stories of those women might make good songs. More information at Hemifran.

Ralph Molina – Love & Inspiration

Crazy Horse drummer and vocalist Ralph Molina is set to release his 1st solo album, entitled “Love And Inspiration”. Named as one of the ‘100 Greatest Drummers of All Time’ by Rolling Stone magazine, he is best known for his decades long work with Neil Young & Crazy Horse. However, Molina is a superb vocalist and songwriter in his own right, as evidenced by the album’s 11 self penned tracks. More information at Hemifran.

Jono Manson/Eliza Gilkyson/Terry Allen – The Christian Thing

“It’s a folk gospel tune for complicated times”, says singer songwriter Jono Manson of “The Christian Thing”, adding “what really matters in the end is how you actually live your life and treat others along the way, regardless of what beliefs, or lack thereof, you profess”. For this recording he enlisted the help of 2 friends, twice Grammy nominated singer and songwriter and activist Eliza Gilkyson and modern day renaissance man, musician and Visual artist, alt country godfather Terry Allen, who share the lead vocals with Manson. More information at Hemifran.

King Of The Tramps – Wild Water

King Of The Tramps is an original roots rock group, whose sound calls upon influences from modern roots rock, rhythm and blues, rock and southern country rock. Their sound has been described as ‘whiskey gospel’ and ‘midwestern roots rock’ by critics. The band has released 5 albums of original music, “Good People”, 2011, “Wicked Mountain”, 2013, “Joyful Noise”, 2014,  “Cumplir Con El Diablo”, 2016 and “Wild Water”, 2018. More information at Hemifran.

Randy Lewis Brown – Red Crow

Songwriter and poetic lyricist Randy Lewis Brown was born in Louisiana, spending his childhood in pre civil rights Shreveport, LA, immersed in the formative structures and music of the church. He discovered a new world when, at 12, his family moved to Houston. It was there, as he grew to adulthood, that he began to connect with and make music in a deeper sense. Having grown up in both Louisiana and Texas, Randy Lewis Brown’s tales are those of hard resignation with the occasional dappled sunlight of wounded optimism shining through.  You might say Randy Lewis Brown’s songs are as windswept as his heart. Having been tapped to open for Ray Wylie Hubbard, David Olney, Jim Lauderdale and more, Randy Lewis Brown has played across the country, extensively through Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, including multiple festivals like Tommy Alverson’s Family Gathering and the South Florida Folk Festival. More information at Hemifran.

Dennis Roger Reed with Don Reed – Before It Was Before

Dennis Roger Reed is a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist based in Southern California. He’s performed throughout the US and Canada at folk, blues and bluegrass festivals, clubs and concert halls. His recordings have been written about and received radio airplay throughout the world. He’s shared stages with many stars such as JJ Cale, Rodney Crowell, Bo Diddley, John Hammond, Doug Kershaw, BB King, Little Richard, John Sebastian, Texas Tornadoes and Jessie Colin Young. More information at Hemifran.

The Vignatis – Let´s Hit The Road

What happens when you mix the passion for rockabilly and gypsy music with the love for jazz and country music? You get a whole new genre called gypsybilly. The Vignatis have been rockin’ their gypsybilly style for 3 albums. The aurally and visually colorful Los Angeles based group’s dynamic performances charter audiences on a journey from nostalgic times to the unknown future. They innovatively fuse american and european traditions, musicianship and a sense of humor cleverly expressed in their songs. Their unmistakeable, neo-nostalgic sound is a natural musical union so diverse it avoids strict categorization. More information at Hemifran.

Michael Jerome Browne – That´s Where It´s At!

Whether he’s gliding a slide across his acoustic guitar, pulling his bow over the fiddle strings to play a lively Cajun waltz, or frailing away on his gourd banjo, Michael Jerome Browne’s passion and virtuosity always shine through. In the true tradition of folk music, his performances inspire us to see the interconnections between the many cultures and influences that gave birth to american roots music. Gospel, blues, old time, country, soul and cajun, expect to hear all of this and more from a performer who’s been called a street smart archivist and an absolute treasure. More information at Hemifran.

Frank Migliorelli & The Dirt Nappers – The Things You Left Behind

It’s been a long time since classic rock legends such as The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello and John Mellencamp saturated airwaves with driving rhythm sections and instantly relatable lyrics. Frank Migliorelli & The Dirt Nappers’ new album ”The Things You Left Behind” brings back those cherished memories of 70’s and 80’s rock‘n’roll. The record reminds us that a casual, direct and honest species of rock is alive and well. More information at Hemifran.

Blind Lemon Jazz – After Hours

From the opening track to the final melodic flourish, “After Hours”, the new album from James Byfield, aka Blind Lemon Pledge, delivers an exotic and creatively unique ride through the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s era of The Great American Songbook, in a set of stylistically diverse, and thematically rich, original jazz compositions. More information at Hemifran.