{"id":16675,"date":"2015-07-23T12:28:09","date_gmt":"2015-07-23T16:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=16675"},"modified":"2015-07-23T11:34:07","modified_gmt":"2015-07-23T15:34:07","slug":"on-stage-emily-king-has-music-in-her-blood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=16675","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Emily King has music in her blood"},"content":{"rendered":"

Also: new albums, local shows for Kopecky, SLV<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Staff Writer, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"emily-king-2\"<\/a>

Singer-songwriter Emily King plays Underground Arts in Philadelphia, July 25.<\/p><\/div>\n

The phrase \u201cin one\u2019s blood\u201d means \u201cingrained in or fundamental to one\u2019s character.\u201d It could be used in reference to music and Emily King, a talented and versatile singer-songwriter-guitarist who will headline a show on July 25 at Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/undergroundarts.org<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Actually, King\u2019s music is more than something that is in her blood. Music is embedded in her DNA.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy folks got me into singing,\u201d said King, during a phone interview Tuesday evening as she was travelling north between gigs in Atlanta and Petersburg (Virginia). \u201cIt was something I was raised to do. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019d be doing other than making music because I don\u2019t know how to do anything else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her parents, Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti, were a singing duo who performed and traveled regularly, bringing her and her older brother along with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cowings is a jazz singer who was mentored by the legendary Jon Hendricks and is a master of scat and vocal technique. Involved in commercials, voiceovers and jingles, Cowings received the advertising industry\u2019s Clio Award. He is also a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant and a published lyricist with Quincy Jones, Wayne Shorter, Frank Foster, and Sonny Rollins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kalesti is an acclaimed torch singer who is known for her project \u201cKimistry, The Living Museum,\u201d a moveable feast of sounds, beats, visuals, philosophy, and words that deals with emotional subjects that affect the way we live and feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents sang jazz together for 14 years,\u201d said King. \u201cThey\u2019d tour with bands and take my brother and me along with them. We were bored at the time. But, we were constantly exposed to the music so we were subconsciously soaking it in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey sang jazz standards such as the music of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. My father wrote a lot of lyrics for jazz sings. He also sang a lot of scat and be-bop. But, they also let us listen to whatever we wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother and I were into hip-hop in the early 90s — also Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson and a lot of Motown — whatever we heard on the radio. My uncle gave me a tape of Nirvana\u2019s \u2018Nevermind\u2019 album and that was my first love connection with rock-and-roll. Later, I got into the Beatles, Cat Stevens and soft rock.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

King stepped out on her own at an early age.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 16, I asked my parents if I could leave school and they said yeah,\u201d said King, who grew up in the East Village near Little Italy, Chinatown and Greenwich Village.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI spent the summer taking classes from a teacher in Harlem to get my GED. I started doing shows at restaurants. They fed you and paid you $50. That\u2019s when I realized I could be a professional. My first show at a big venue was at the Bitter End here in New York.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for King\u2019s talents to get noticed by people in the music industry. In 2004, she has a meeting with legendary music mogul Clive Davis that led to her signing a record deal with J Records\/Sony Music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt that meeting, people were nervous because it was Clive Davis but I was feeling rebellious at the time,\u201d said King. \u201cHe walked in and the result was that I signed with J Records. That was my dream — to sign with a label. I made the album and it took three years to be released. I went through a lot of growing pains.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

King\u2019s debut album East Side Story was released in August 2007. The crtitically-acclaimed album earned a Grammy nomination for \u201cBest Contemporary R&B Album of the Year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Grammy nomination did help my career a bit,\u201d said King. \u201cBut, it wasn\u2019t a win. It did get people to start paying attention to my music. I got a Grammy nomination and then got dropped by the label later that years and that was that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2001, King released a well-received EP titled \u201cThe Seven.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was pretty determined to create something I was proud of,\u201d said King. \u201cI recorded \u2018The Seven\u2019 on my own with produced Jeremy Most. From then on, I\u2019ve gotten good response to my record.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In May 2012, King was awarded the Holly Prize (a tribute to the legacy of Buddy Holly) from The Songwriters Hall of Fame for recognition of the \u201call-in songwriter\u201d whose work exhibits the qualities of Holly\u2019s music — true, great and original.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWinning that award was a real boost to my confidence,\u201d said King.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the last few years, King has toured with John Legend and Sara Bareilles and has recorded duets with Jos\u00e9 James and Taylor McFerrin. Last month, she released her sophomore album titled \u201cThe Switch.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJeremy and I started working on \u2018The Switch\u2019 about three years ago,\u201d said King. \u201cWe really kicked it in about a year ago after I finished a tour with Sara Bareilles. \u2018The Switch\u2019 was a natural progression from \u2018The Seven.\u2019 We worked on keeping a variety of styles of songwriting and finally got the songs we wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m touring, I have a steady band that I use. There are six of us — electric guitar, backup singer, keyboards, bass, drums and I sing and play guitar. I have fun playing old songs and new songs. I try to pull from a lot of styles — R&B, jazz, blues and soul.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Emily King — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=r-qGzywSz9Yideo<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

King\u2019s show at Underground Arts on July 25 will start at 8 p.m. with opening act Jaime Woods. Tickets are $20.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to its website, Belmont University is a \u201cstudent-centered Christian community providing an academically challenging education that empowers men and women of diverse backgrounds to engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and faith.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"kopecky2\"<\/a>

Kopecky<\/p><\/div>\n

Belmont University is also a hotbed for musical talent — not surprisingly since it is located in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark Volman, a core member of the classic rock band The Turtles, is a professor there. The school\u2019s alumni roster includes Brad Paisley, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, Kimberley Locke and the late Minnie Pearl (who was an undergrad when the school was known as Ward-Belmont College).<\/span><\/p>\n

Another musical act that traces its roots to Belmont University is Kopecky Family Band, a six-piece indie rock band from Nashville that includes Kelsey Kopecky, Gabe Simon, Steven Holmes, David Krohn, Markus Midkiff and Corey Oxendine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Formed in 2007, the band has a new name — shortened to Kopecky — and a new album — \u201cDrug for the Modern Age.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kopecky will be in the area for two shows this weekend. On July 25, Kopecky will perform at Tellus 360 (24 East King Street, Lancaster, 717-393-1660, www.tellus360.com<\/span><\/a>). On July 26, the band will be part of an ambitious line-up at the Xponential 2015 Music Festival on the Camden Waterfront (Harvour Boulevard, Camden, New Jersey, http:\/\/xpnfest.org<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were all going to college together at Belmont University back in 2007,\u201d said Simon, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Nashville. \u201cI met Kelsey when she was my R.A. We played our music for each other and liked what the other was doing, We just started doing our thing and having fun with it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t even thinking about making music as an occupation. We were just booking shows wherever somebody would pay us. We didn\u2019t even have a van. We were driving around in a Honda Pilot. Our first $500 show was amazing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Four of Kopecky\u2019s first five records were EPs — \u201cEmbraces\u201d (2008), \u201cThe Disaster\u201d (2010), \u201cOf\u00a0 Epic Proportions\u201d (2010) and \u201cWe\u2019ve Got It Covered\u201d (2015). The band released its debut album \u201cKids Raising Kids\u201d in 2012 and just released its sophomore disc \u201cDrug for the Modern Age\u201d last month on ATO Records. \u201cKids Raising Kids\u201d was an independent release that ATO later picked up and re-released.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe funded and produced \u2018Kids Raising Kids\u2019 ourselves,\u201d said Simon. \u201cSix months after a self-release, we signed with ATO. It\u2019s been awesome. They\u2019re a great label.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wrote about 35 songs for the first album and then cut it down. It\u2019s better to have 30-35 and get 120 out of it. Some songs, we\u2019d write and then go back take the riff, scrap everything else and then work off of that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal in making music is to be constantly challenged. Music is something that should make you bleed and cry. We never want to be just going through the motions. I write songs all different ways. I write on guitar, piano and sometimes even on bass. I wrote the track \u2018Talk to Me\u2019 on bass.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve gotten away from writing songs from a first-person perspective. Now, I write about what\u2019s happening with other people — never going through what you\u2019re going through but I think this is what it\u2019s like. With other people\u2019s perspective, you\u2019re not thinking about yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDrug for the Modern Age\u201d includes 12 tracks featuring a variety of musical styles and a wide range of well-crafted emotional lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album at a couple studios here in Nashville and one in Charlottesville, Virginia,\u201d said Simon. \u201cWe used the same producer for the entire album. Now, in our live shows we\u2019re playing primarily the new record because it\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Kopecky — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xdu5n0sDNw8<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kopecky\u2019s show on July 25 at Tellus 360 will start at 8 p.m. with a number of opening acts — Angela Sheik, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Kate Faust and Ton Taum. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"slv2\"<\/a>

SLV<\/p><\/div>\n

The Xponential 2015 Music Festival will have a line-up on July 26 featuring Kopecky, Wailers, George Ezra, Grace Potter, Cheerleader, Rayland Baxter, Israel Nash, Bombino, Pine Barons, Buckwheat Zydeco, Lone Bellow, Courtney Barnett and Indigo Girls.<\/span><\/p>\n

The roster of performers for July 25 includes St. Vincent, My Morning Jacket, Hop Along, Calexico, First Aid Kit, Lord Huron, Delta Rae, Vita & the Woolf, Field Report, Son Little, Fly Golden Eagle and Gina Chavez.<\/span><\/p>\n

On July 24, the performers will be Cole Redding, Milton, Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear, Lost Bayou Ramblers, JD McPherson, The Word and Dawes. Tickets range from $25 (single event) to $150 (three-day pass).<\/span><\/p>\n

Sandra Lilia Vel\u00e1squez and Sean Dixon have each built a strong fan base with their own music and now are recording and performing together in a new band called SLV — a band that will make its Philadelphia debut on July 24 at Fleisher Art Memorial\u00a0(719 Catharine Street,\u00a0Philadelphia, http:\/\/fleisher.org<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Vel\u00e1squez, who sings and plays guitars, is the founder of Pistolera, an accordion-driven, Latin-flavored dance band from New York. Dixon is the drummer of an experimental, electronic New England band called Zammuto.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans of the two musicians will be surprised when they hear SLV — a band that doesn\u2019t sound at all like Pistolera or Zammuto.\u00a0 In its press release, SLV is described as a band with \u201cretro-electro grooves that blur the dividing lines of rock, pop, R&B and experimental digi-funk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

SLV just released its debut album \u201cThis Kind\u201d in May.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe original idea was that his would be a solo project for me because I had been doing Pistolera for 10 years,\u201d said Vel\u00e1squez, during a phone interview Tuesday from her home in Brooklyn. \u201cInitially, I had the band under my initials because it was just me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

SLV\u2019s maiden recording was the \u201cDig Deeper\u201d EP, which was produced by 10-time Grammy nominee and legendary bassist\u00a0Meshell Ndegeocello, who played bass on three of the songs and co-wrote one.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven before the EP with Meshell, I had been collaborating with Sean. We met in Manhattan\u2019s Chinatown. Pistolera\u2019s drummer Sebastian Guerrero was a childhood friend of Sean and arranged for me to use Sean\u2019s rehearsal space.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSean is a multi-instrumentalist and a composer is I used him at times as a sub with Pistolera. With SLV, I write all the words and the music is collaborative. It was this unplanned miracle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPrior to this, I always wrote alone and my songs were very personal. I always wanted to write with someone else and now I am — lucky that it happened by accident. I always write choruses but I\u2019m not good with intros, codas and bridges. Sean is very good with those things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for the two talented musicians to find a mutual groove.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe original demos were more in a soul direction but I didn\u2019t have an idea of how they would happen live,\u201d said Vel\u00e1squez. \u201cSean\u2019s influences were a lot of blues — and he also has a classical background. Both of our influences melded together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it was time to start recording \u2018This Kind\u2019 we had a lot of songs backlogged — and we continued to write. We did 17 songs and kept nine for the album. We recorded it last summer at The Bunker in Brooklyn. We had our guys that we like to work with — Jordan Scannella on bass and Mark Marshall on guitar. Then, we mixed it at Nick Zammuto\u2019s studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe direction of the music is still fairly new. With this album, we\u2019ve solidified the sound. And, it keeps going. We want to keep exploring more textures and more sound palettes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for SLV — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=64PSv-RBrG4<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

SLV\u2019s show at Fleisher will start at 8 p.m. \u00a0The co-bill also features Daniel de Jesus. <\/b>Tickets are $12.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The-Machine-\"<\/a>

The Machine<\/p><\/div>\n

There a hundreds of tribute bands and acts performing in America and some of the most frequently acts being honored\u00a0 are the Rolling Stones, Elvis, the Beatles and Pink. Some are good, some are not so good and some are atrocious.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the best Pink Floyd tribute bands is The Machine, a New York-based foursome that will be in the area for a show July 23 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, philly.worldcafelive.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

What separates The Machine from the rest is the band\u2019s authenticity and longevity. Another key factor is the group\u2019s ability to jam when the music calls for it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going on 26 years in November,\u201d said Tahrah Cohen, during a phone from Manhattan earlier this week. \u201cPink Floyd has a lot to offer people. It\u2019s a very rich music.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cohen, who is The Machine\u2019s drummer, is also one of the founders of the band. The other members are Scott Chasolen (keyboards, vocals), Ryan Ball (guitar, vocals) and Adam Minkoff (bass, vocals).<\/span><\/p>\n

The show this weekend will be special. It will be one of only a handful of \u201cunplugged\u201d shows the band presents each year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe do about 10 acoustic shows every year,\u201d said Cohen. \u201cPerforming an acoustic show requires concentration. The acoustic show is very organic — especially the drums. I could drown out the whole thing if I wasn\u2019t paying attention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shutting down the amps and leaving the bombast out is nothing new for The Machine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing unplugged shows for about 10 years now,\u201d said Cohen. \u201cOur first acoustic show was a Syd Barrett show. Then, we just morphed it into older, more obscure Pink Floyd material.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how it started. It\u2019s taken a turn. Now, it\u2019s more like 50 per cent popular and 50 per cent older. We\u2019ve kind of tried everything. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn\u2019t. \u00a0Songs like \u2018Money\u2019 work. They\u2019d work even if they were played on a kazoo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest surprise was \u2018The Dogs of War.\u2019 We have our sax player play some of the guitar lines. It\u2019s a very unique arrangement. We improvise a lot in the acoustic version of our show.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCertain songs end up working very well acoustically with changing arrangements. When it\u2019s on, it\u2019s really special — really unique. You can hear the brilliance of the writing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pink Floyd — even during its early experimental stage — always has had the knack for writing good songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy first experience with Pink Floyd was when \u2018Another Brick in the Wall\u2019 came out,\u201d said Cohen. \u201cI loved the guitar. Joe (now-departed founding member Joe Pascarell) and I saw them on their \u2018Momentary Lapse of Reason\u2019 tour. And, I saw Roger (Waters) do \u2018Another Brick in the Wall.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel very complete with how we handle Pink Floyd\u2019s music. We\u2019ve been in it for 25 years. We carefully have decided what to play \u2013 what we can play, what the audience wants and what the audience doesn\u2019t want. At this stage, we know what works and what doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cohen and her band mates also know that the appreciation of Pink Floyd\u2019s musical canon spans generations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of younger audience members,\u201d said Cohen. \u201cOur audiences get older and younger at the same time. Younger people are discovering the brilliance of Pink Floyd. There is nothing like it out there now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe try to play songs everybody wants to hear \u2014 \u2018Have a Cigar,\u2019 \u2018Wish You Were Here,\u2019 \u2018Dark Side of the Moon,\u2019 \u2018Comfortably Numb\u2019 and anything from \u2018The Wall.\u2019 We\u2019re considering the whole audience when we make our set lists.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for The Machine — http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/ThePinkFLoydMachine<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Machine\u2019s show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will start at 8 p.m. with tickets priced at $32.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Also: new albums, local shows for Kopecky, SLV By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times The phrase \u201cin one\u2019s blood\u201d means \u201cingrained in or fundamental to one\u2019s character.\u201d It could be used in reference to music and Emily King, a talented and versatile singer-songwriter-guitarist who will headline a show on July 25 at Underground Arts (1200 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,4],"tags":[6442,6444,6443,5568],"class_list":["post-16675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-featured","tag-emily-king","tag-kopecky","tag-slv","tag-the-machine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16676,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16675\/revisions\/16676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}