When I started working for Creative Loafing just more than 10 months ago, I knew that one of the things I wanted the music section to do was support more local music.
The section should be about music -- local, regional, national. I introduced the La Vida Local column so there would always be a local music component to the Vibes section every week.
One of the other ideas I thought of was to create a compilation CD of area music. It's a way for bands to get more exposure and for music fans to get a quick sampling of what's being created in the Queen City.
After letting area bands know that we were looking for independently produced music to include, that was recorded/released in the last half of 2007, my mailbox -- both electronic and actual -- was flooded.
When all was said and done, I had approximately 40 submissions to choose from in creating a CD that would feature just 12 songs -- one song by each artist.
The songs were picked by variety of genre and quality of the recording, among other requirements. I also received some after the deadline. Some submissions were recorded early in 2007 or outside of the range I was looking for.
In the end, the 12 tracks selected show a range of talent in the Queen City that should be noticed. While there were a handful of additional tracks I would have loved to include, I thought limiting it to 12 was the right thing to do.
Songs were put in alphabetical order by band name or last name -- it seemed like the fairest way to organize them. Thanks also go out to Rob Tavaglione with Catalyst Recording of Charlotte who mastered the CD.
Without further ado, the track listing for the album, Creative Loafing Presents Jeff Hahne's Homebrew; Winter Harvest 2008, is:
1) Erika Blatnik: "...Glisten..."
2) Blue Static: "Leap of Faith"
3) Gigi Dover: "Crazy Molly"
4) Holster: "Spy vs. Spy"
5) Junque Gallery: "Stuck in the Middle"
6) Bayou Butch Lucas: "Lunch Break"
7) Masonboro Boys: "Eliza"
8) Nelace: "Like This"
9) The New Familiars: "Got This Disease"
10) S.O.Stereo: "Just Like a Stone"
11) Silent Weapons: "Driving"
12) Transmission Fields: "While I Sleep"
Of those included are Blatnik, who was voted as the Best Female Vocalist in CL's "Best of.." issue, Lucas, who has performed with Aretha Franklin and Al Green, and The New Familiars, who were included on my list of the best 10 albums of 2007.
What's next? We'll put a few copies here and there around Charlotte, we'll hand some out at local shows and we'll have a CD-release party at The Evening Muse on Feb. 18 featuring some of the artists that are on the CD. The first 50 people through the door will get a copy of the disc that night -- hey, we need to build a buzz and slight demand, right?
The overall idea behind the project is that we hope that if you get one while you're at a show for one of the artists, you may also find you like some of the other 11 bands on the CD.
If all goes well, there will be another release soon down the road with music that's been released at the end of 2007 or early part of 2008. We're also looking for sponsors to help fund the project so we can continue to distribute the CDs free of charge. Hopefully, we can brew up a batch each season for your listening pleasure.
Keep an eye out for the first one, pick one up and give it a listen!
