Monday, January 31, 2011

DOWNLOAD - New Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues


About time!!! The amount of people asking me if I've heard anything on what the Fleet Foxes are up to lately has been crazy. Finally, we have a release date, album title AND a new song to listen to. Helplessness Blues (LOVE the title) comes out on May 3rd and is absolutely one of the most hotly anticipated records of 2011. Listen and download below. Joy!



Friday, January 28, 2011

DOWNLOAD - Monsters of Folk - Austin City Limits 2010


Gotta thank Honest Abe for this one, a true patriot he is. Work has been intense, I'll have more for you next week!



01 Say Please
02 The Right Place
03 Soul Singer
04 Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)
05 Man Named Truth
06 Baby Boomer
07 Just To Know What You’ve Been Dreaming
08 Whole Lotta Losin'
09 Smokin From Shootin
10 The Sandman, The Brakeman And Me
11 Map Of The World
12 Losin Yo Head

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

DOWNLOAD & WATCH - Iron & Wine - 2011-01-24 - Live at Amoeba Records


Iron & Wine come out with their latest record today, Kiss Each Other Clean, and to celebrate we've got their in store performance at Amoeba Records all ready for you. Check out some old and new tunes in this set and go buy the latest record, it's absolutely splendid.



01 Amoeba Intro
02 Band Setup
03 Tree By The River
04 Banter I
05 Big Burned Hand
06 Banter II
07 House By The Sea
08 Banter III
09 Half Moon
10 Tuning
11 Boy With A Coin
12 In My Ladies House
13 Banter IV
14 Me and Lazarus
15 Banter V
16 Rabbit Will Run > Outro

New Music . . .umm, Tuesday?


Ok, I have a confession to make.  I've been slacking a bit.  Well, not really.  There was a mishap involving my laptop which basically set me back a few days on EVERYTHING.  As I type this, I'm looking a a Windows operating system that I haven't used in a few years and going from the Mac OS to Windows has been . . .well, let's just say it's been interesting.  I'm not going to badmouth one or the other, but I'd forgotten how slow it can be to work in Windows and don't get me started and all the restarts that accompany any sort of software install or upgrade.

Ok, this week, I thought I'd go for a something a little more upbeat.  I know it's cold all over the U.S. (i only say that because i know TSE has some readers from various countries).  Winter has a sound all its own.  The music should somehow mimic the scene outside.  It's cold, the trees are bare and there isn't much vegetation on the ground, so the music seems to feel just as sparse and lonely.  Well, it does for me, so during the winter, the music slows down and takes on a lonely feel to it.  Thankfully, I don't have any sort of seasonal affective disorder or I'd spend most of the winter with my head in the oven, praying for a "one off" at the pearly gates arguing scotch with St. Peter.

So, with all of that in mind, I give you the upbeat musings of Toronto's Ruby Coast.


Look  at these guys.  If they look young, it's because they are.  Most of them have just donned the cap and gown that high school kid wear when they walk across the stage and accept their diploma.  Seriously, these guys are young.  Their sound, however, isn't.  I'm not sure if it's something they put in the water in Canada, but these guys are making music that rivals other Canadian bands, like Wolf Parade (i hope their hiatus isn't permanent).  It's an upbeat, pop tinged sound that allows you to tap your foot and have fun with the music.  I'm not sure if you could dance to it because I'm entirely too cool to dance (kidding . . .kind of).  They bring an 80's sound to their music, using the occasional synthesizer and harmonized backing vocals, but update the sound so that it sits somewhere between Bloc Party and The Arctic Monkeys. 

So, warm yourselves up with a little upbeat music.  Here's the external stuff:

Ruby Coast on Facebook.

Ruby Coast on Twitter.

I almost forgot the most important part.  On January 18, they released "Whatever This Is," and it's sitting on their Bandcamp page FOR FREE.  

What are you waiting for . . .GO GET IT.

Stay warm and classy . . .until next time . . .

chris

Monday, January 24, 2011

Friday, January 21, 2011

WATCH & DOWNLOAD - Wanda Jackson w/ Jack White - Shakin' All Over - Live on Letterman


Had to get this up too. Thanks AudioPerv.



DOWNLOAD - Blitzen Trapper - 2009-10-16 - The Canopy Club


More than a few of you have recommended Bllitzen Trapper to me over the years but they've been one of those bands that have been on my "To Get Into" list forever. A few days ago I came across this live set from the Canopy Club (University of Illinois) and figured I"d give it a listen. My initial thoughts were Widespread Panic/Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (2005 RA&TC, a little dirtier). Now I've only given this two listens but as of now I really like it, definitely enough to share. We've got them covering some Neil Young playing below, enjoy the weekend ladies and gents, stay warm.

I might have time later to get another set up, no promises but I'm going to try.



Disc I:
01. Intro
02. Sleepytime In The Western World
03. God & Suicide
04. Stolen Shoes & A Rifle
05. Wild Mountain Nation
06. Canyon's Edge
07. Gold For Bread
08. Jericho09. Love U
10. Echo11. Silver Moon
12. Furr
13. Country Rain
14. The Man Who Would Speak True

Disc II:
01. Not Your Lover
02. Black River Killer
03. Lady On The Water
04. Going Down
05. Fire & Fast Bullets
06. Big Black Bird
07. Devil's A-Go-Go
08. Booksmart Baby
09. Saturday Night
10. Harvest (Neil Young)
11. Country Caravan
12. Miss Spiritual Tramp

Thursday, January 20, 2011

DOWNLOAD - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - 2006-03-19 - The Triple Door


Great acoustic set from a band that has been getting more and more of my attention. Hope everyone's week is coming to a graceful end. Enjoy "Shuffle Your Feet" below.



01 Promise 
02 Restless Sinner 
03 Complicated Situation 
04 US Government 
05 Shuffle Your Feet 
06 Shuffle Your Feet (w/ Audience) 
07 Love Burns 
08 Lonesome Death of Hattie 
09 Fault Line 
10 Mercy 
11 Ain't No Easy Way 
12 Devil's Waitin' 
13 Feel It Now

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

LISTEN - Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean


I'm really excited about the direction Iron & Wine is moving and it's great to have new material finally! Enjoy the music everyone. Right now "Monkeys Uptown" "Rabbit Will Run" and "Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me" are blowing me away but it's solid cover to cover.

They've just announced a slew of tour dates, check the links below for more info.


Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The National / Band of Horses - Austin City Limits

The Austin City Limits broadcast schedule has been phenomenal lately.



New Music Mon...Tuesday - Lunes . . .


I would usually have something smart to say right here, but for now, i don't. today, i don't have anything smart to say. to be honest, i just want to get to this weeks music because it is simply masterful.

when i first heard justin vernon, i was hearing the same sort of thing i heard with early MMJ. it was empty and orchestral at the same time. it was full of this feeling that couldn't be described with a few lines on paper or on the internet. in my case, this began with illegible handwriting on paper because that's how i get down . . .seriously, i still write with a pen (always blue, on paper) and sometimes there's a bottle of something associated with these notions when i listen to a given album.


it's winter.  the ground is cold and the weather follows closely, as if ordered by some sort of cold hearted drill instructor, yelling at you in a manner that makes you wonder why you're awake at all when it's this cold.  i though that, on a daily basis, sans liquor, because it was just a natural reaction to the dropping temperatures and grey skies.  i can hear it as each snowflake drops, as each number falls on the thermometer and plummets closer and closer to bare kelvin's zero.

winter always begs to hear "for emma, forever ago" by bon iver.  i don't know what it is about the season, but that album just fits the season.  it's the empty longing you hear in each stanza of each song that really tears at your heart, much in the same way beck's "sea change" pulls at you. as i listened to this week's album, i couldn't help but feel the same sort of loss that i heard while listening to bon iver's "re:stacks."  coincidentally, the mastermind behind this album happens to also play drums for bon iver.


writing and performing as s. carey, bon iver drummer sean carey managed to craft one of the most stirringly beautiful albums i've heard in a long time, recording during brief hiatus from recording and touring with the eau claire group.  as justin vernon's band garnered more praise, it afforded carey the ability to write and record music at his leisure.  like radiohead's phil selway, carey managed to write an achingly personal album that manages to embrace the vulnerability that we find in albums crafted by justin vernon, sufjan stevens and sam beam.

on his debut, "all we grow," carey utilizes the piano and viola to craft orchestrally stirring songs like the heartbreaking, "in the dirt."  listen to the clapping in the background and the piano.  it sounds like there's an inherent rhythm in the song that happened accidentally on purpose.  somehow, the drummer from bon iver manages to write and perform songs that don't showcase his talent as a drummer.  i know, it sounds weird to say that a drummer (by trade) makes an album that doesn't focus on percussion, but carey does it and he does it with the same sort of approach that you hear in the best songs written by ryan adams and  bruce springsteen.  it makes me wonder how much input carey had on the "blood bank ep" that bon iver released two years ago.   go back and listen to "babys" and tell me that you don't hear a gorgeous similarity between the rousing piano in that song and in the aforementioned "in the dirt."

the fact is this: it's been awhile since i've been so moved by an album.  i wish i could say there was a bad song on the album.  hell, there's not even an "average" song on the album.  simply put, the album is amazingly beautiful. each song manages to capture this gigantic sound, meant for an opera hall, and translates it perfectly through your speakers.  if you really want to hear how beautiful the music is, plug in your headphones and close your eyes.  you'll miss someone.  if not, you'll find it impossible not to fall in love with  the person you're thinking about at that moment.

so, there you have it . . . a whiskey drunk music review from the heart.  don't get used to it because it is a truly rare occasion.  in the meantime, i've been listening to the new social distortion album as well as an advance copy of the new iron and wine album, "kiss each other clean."  i am ridiculously in love with this album so look for more on one word titles.

sundays provide me way too much time to drink.  the bears won today which means my packers will be back at soldier field this weekend.  i'm a cubs fan through and through, but when it comes to football, i'm a green bay fan.  sue me.

chris

Friday, January 14, 2011

Lou Reed - 1978-04-14 - Park West - Chicago, IL + Week Wrap Up


I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend. Here is a quick week wrap up for those who've been busy:

We debuted TSE's first ever "The Steam Engine Sessions" with Chicago artist John Farrell this week. Check out John's gorgeous acoustic set when you get a chance.

"New Music Monday" featured the seriously kick a*s band Wake Up Lucid, check out Chris's write up for the scoop on those guys. Chris also writes about music at his site, One Word Titles, it's highly recommended.

It was announced that My Morning Jacket are headlining Mountain Jam this year along with Gov't Mule. I think they are going to truly kill the festival circuit this year. Joy.

Check out Monsters of Folk complete Austin City Limits performance. I wonder when we'll get more from them... It better not be before another Jacket record.



01 Gimmie Gimmie Some Good Times
02 Satellite of Love
03 Leave Me Alone
04 Walk on the Wild Side
05 Coney Island Baby
06 Dirt
07 Street Hassle
08 Sweet Jane
09 Rock'n Roll

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

John Farrell - The Steam Engine Sessions


On January 6th I had the immense pleasure of recording an acoustic set with one of Chicago's finest young budding songwriters, John Farrell. Johns shallow but impressive collection of rootsy Americana folk songs read like pages from a diary kept close to his chest. It's that close personal connection that draws the listener in and sheds insight into the increasingly transparent life of a not so transparent individual.


In the last year John has released a full length LP (2009's "In Passing") and his most recent work, a 5 song EP titled "If We Should Wander," all while playing with 3 different bands, going on a national tour and doing solo gigs. He plays all the instruments (except drums, those are done thanks to Kyle Gibson) and mixes the tracks himself. Did I mention that he has a film score or two under his belt? For only 25 the guy has some experience, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. Check out the short interview below to  get a better idea of what makes this songwriter tick find out what five bands lit up his 2010.


The Steam Engine: Both of your official releases and a lot of your lyrics seemed to be themed towards movement. Is this a coincidence or a conscious effort? "In Passing" "If We Should Wander"

John Farrell: Well, it wasn’t a conscious effort, but clearly it was unconscious.  Sometimes I don’t even realize why I’ve written something until someone asks me.  “In Passing” seemed almost serendipitous as it came together.  I was just writing songs in my own basement apartment while I was working two jobs and trying to stay in school.  It was something I did (if I may be so cliché) “in Passing.”  Since then I’ve quit my job, put a hold on school, sold my car, moved out of my apartment, and joined a touring band.  The idea behind “If We Should Wander” is answered in the last song on the EP- “We’ll Come ‘Round.”  So to put it plainly “If We Should Wander” for me personally, and a lot of musicians and song writers my age it means staying the course, which is the state of mind I was trying to capture.  To me, doing something you’re willing to put everything you have into never comes easy.  That’s why I think a lot of really talented people become bored so easily.  I was an awful songwriter when I first started, and I feel like I’m only marginally better now, but that’s how I know I’m on the right course.  This EP is about me really putting myself out there and giving music more than a secondhand effort.  Since I was fifteen years old I’ve been doing everything I can to keep music a part of my life, and now just a part isn’t good enough.  I want to make it what I do for a living, and I hope that one day I can.

TSE: Your a very personal song writer. How does being on the road and not having your usual stable of consistant relationships effect your songwriting?

JF: To be honest, being on the road helps lyrical process more that being at home.  I have this great opportunity to travel and see things I wouldn’t normally see, and meet people (in my industry) that I wouldn’t normally meet.  That’s one of the great things about being on the road.  There’s always a story to tell, and always time to reflect on them.  I wrote “Devil” in about two hours in the van one morning while everyone was still sleeping.


TSE: You'll be on the road pretty much non stop until February 2012 playing with another band, what are your plans for 2011 other than the EP?

JF: I really don’t know what my plans are.  Everything in 2011 is contingent upon You, Me, and Everyone We Know.  I’m very committed to that band and the guys that welcomed me into it.  I feel like their latest album (which I did not play on, so that no one thinks I’m blowing myself) is very well done, and basically sold me on joining the band.  That being said, the music I write is still my passion, and is always in the forefront of my mind.  I already have more than enough songs for another EP, (if not an album) and some of those songs I’ve been working on with my old friends David Paha, Kyle Gibson, and Rico Vigil. (Kyle and Rico are also a part of YMAEWK.)  Hopefully after this next tour and between the tours after that I will have time to record these songs.  I want the next collection of music I put out there to be more of a collaborative effort, rather than only having my input and occasionally Kyle’s.  Kyle has tracked drums and percussion on both of my solo projects, and has offered insight throughout.

TSE: Last five bands you listened to?

JF: I’m not sure what the last five artists that I’ve listened to are, but I’ll give you five artists that I’ve listened to a whole hell of a lot this past year in no particular order.  Arcade Fire, the National, Tokyo Police Club, Elbow and Band of Horses. TSE

All of John's releases are available at his official website for free. He has a Radiohead type payment system setup. Catch John playing guitar, keys and trumpet for You, Me and Everyone We Know this year and check his official page for solo tour dates. For those of you in the Chicago area, John will be holding his official EP release party this Friday (1/15), I know I'll be there. For details click here.


=======================================

01 Sudden Realization
02 Digging A Hole
03 Devil
04 Until We Dream
05 That's The Way (Led Zeppelin Cover)
06 La Cienga Just Smiled (Ryan Adams Cover)


Tuesday, January 11, 2011

My Morning Jacket Headlining Mountain Jam 2011

Photo by: Anthony Ilk
It's their first time back since 2006. My Morning Jacket are gearing up to own the festival circuit in 2011. Now we just need that Bonnaroo confirmation...


Mountain Jam 2011

My Morning Jacket (June 5)
Gov't Mule (June 4)
Warren Haynes Band (June 3)
Hot Tuna
Michael Franti & Spearhead
The Avett Brothers
North Mississippi Allstars
Portugal. The Man
Mavis Staples
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Toubab Krewe
Tim Reynolds
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Dawes
Zach Deputy
Ryan Montbleau Band
Chris Barron
Civil Twilight
The Heavy Pets
Lotus (late-night)
7 Walkers featuring Bill Kreutzmann (late-night)
George Porter Jr. (late-night)
The New Deal (late-night)
Papa Mali (late-night)
Matt Hubbard (late-night)
Soulive (June 2)
The London Souls (June 2)

Monday, January 10, 2011

New Music Monday - Welcome Back To The Week . . .


I know you're just as excited about this week as I am.  I mean, I'm sure there's going to be some TV show that someone really wants to see that I could care less about.  It seems like every week someone's asking me if I saw some show and when I tell them I've never even heard of it, they look at me like I have a giant green vibrator coming out of my head.  I never saw a single episode of Lost or Heroes.  I've never seen Modern Family or Desperate Housewives, and I probably won't.  I don't really care for TV and don't even get my started on so called "reality" television.  I have an ongoing feud with MTV's "Jersey Shore" that, if you check in on my Facebook or Twitter, you'll see that the only thing in this world that I pray for, is for Snooki to get a horrid case of herpes and die a slow painful death. The fact that this ignorant Monchichi is famous baffles me to no end.

So, very little TV for me, aside from sports and news, so that gives me plenty of time to find genuinely great music . . .like this week's band.


When Rolling Stone says, “If their demos are any indication of what’s in store, we’re expecting raunchy rock at it’s best,” my ears perk up.  Not that Rolling Stone is the first or last word when it comes to music, but they usually get it right (they ranked “Brothers” really high on their year end list, so they’ll do.).  That’s what they said about the L.A. trio, Wake Up Lucid.

When I got an email from their PR person, Corey (not sure if Corey is a guy or girl, hence “person.”), I checked it out and I have to say, I absolutely love the sound of this band.  I’m not a fan of labels, so I’ll avoid them, but Wake Up Lucid plays a raw, bluesy rock that sounds like it could have been played in the sixties a la The Rolling Stones or it fits perfectly alongside more recent bands like The White Stripes.  It’s bluesy and raw and singer Ryan Baca’s howl brings Jack White to mind immediately.

The best thing about Wake Up Lucid is how refreshing it is to hear a band that doesn’t try and hide anything in production.  Wake Up Lucid is three people and they never try to make the sound bigger by overproducing their songs.  The songs are loud and gritty and that’s the best thing about them.  Here’s all the info links:


Have a good week, boys and girls.  Don't forget to check out my vulgar musings at one word titles.  

See you next week . . .

chris

Monsters of Folk - Austin City Limits

Enjoy.


Watch the full episode. See more Austin City Limits.

Friday, January 7, 2011

My Morning Jacket Headlining Wakarusa 2011


Looks like our boys are headlining the Ozark, Arkansas festival come June 2-5. Check www.wakarusa.com for tickets.

What does this mean for a headlining Bonnaroo slot? I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts.


2011 Wakarusa Fest Lineup
My Morning Jacket
Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 
Thievery Corporation
STS9 (2 sets)
Umphrey's McGee
Bassnectar
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Mumford & Sons
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings 
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Toots & the Maytals
Ghostland Observatory
Modeselektor
Shpongle
Hallucinogen
Ozomatli (2 sets)
Rebelution (2 sets)
Galactic (2 sets)
Lotus
The New Deal
JJ Grey & MOFRO
Quixotic (2 sets)
Dark Star Orchestra (3 hour set) 
North Mississippi Allstars
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue 
Ryan Bingham
Lucero (2 sets)
The Heavy (2 sets)
Perpetual Groove
Wookiefoot
Budos Band
Grupo Fantasma
Split Lip Rayfield (2 sets)
Cornmeal (2 sets)
Ekoostik Hookah (2 sets)
MarchFourth Marching Band (2 sets) 
EOTO (2 sets)
Skrillex
Beats Antique (2 sets)
Stanton Warriors
Big Gigantic
The Beautiful Girls
Here Come The Mummies
Hot Buttered Rum (2 sets)
Langhorne Slim
Truth & Salvage Co.
Iration
John Brown's Body 
Delhi 2 Dublin
Dana Fuchs
Hugo
Ott
VibeSquaD 
Peelander-Z
Roy Davis Jr. 
Eliot Lipp (2 sets)
Karsh Kale (2 sets)
SBTRKT
Two Fresh
Resident Anti-Hero (2 sets)
Janover
Paper Diamond (Alex B) 
ANA SIA (2 sets)
Syd Gris (2 sets)
Lance Herbstrong
An-Ten-Nae (2 sets)
Emancipator
TOKiMONSTA
Random Rab
Those Darlins
Jay Nash (2 sets)
Carrie Rodriguez
TFDI
Dubskin
Dirtfoot (2 sets)
The Pimps of Joytime
Ha Ha Tonka
Mountain Sprout (2 sets)
Mountain Standard Time (2 sets) 
Lubriphonic
Papa Grows Funk
Papadosio
Hoots & Hellmouth
Scythian (2 sets)
Spoonfed Tribe
Zoogma
Family Groove Company 
These United States (2 sets)
Josh Phillips Folk Festival
Big Sam's Funky Nation
Marrakesh Express
Honey Island Swamp Band (2 sets) 
Poor Man's Whiskey (2 sets)
Spiritual Rez
Frontier Ruckus
The Werks
Moon Taxi
Kinetix
The Congress
The Floozies
Somasphere
The Ben Miller Band
Radiohiro
MO7S
TAKE

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Iron & Wine - 2011-01-05 - The Greene Space - WNYC


Enjoy. Don't know the names of the new songs so this will be updated in the future. Sadly I don't have time today to listen closely enough to the songs to pick up on the titles but I wanted to get this out to everyone because it's pretty fantastic. Iron & Wine have a record coming out on January 25th, it's called Kiss Each Other Clean and by the sounds of it, we're in for a treat.

Contribute to the excellent WNYC here.

Get involved with The Greene Space here



01 Intro
02 Tree By The River
03 Banter I
04 Big Burned Head
05 Biting Your Tail
06 Half Moon
07 Banter II
08 Monkeys Uptown
09 Banter III
10 Mouth of the River
11 Summer in Savannah
12 Godless Brother In Love
13  Rabbit Will Run
14 Banter IV
15 Me and Lazarus
16 Band Roll Call
17 Boy With A Coin
18 Sent End/Thanks
19 Naked As We Came

THIS IS THE CORRECT VERSION. AFTER TWO FAILED ATTEMPTS... SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE AND ENJOY, THE NEW MATERIAL IS EXCELLENT

Watch Iron & Wine Play Their Forthcoming Album In It's Entirety


I'm beyond excited for this record. Pick it up January 25th. If you hop on their mailing list you can get a free bonus track here.


Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Living Green

A few months ago I started to think of how I could incorporate some “green” speak into The Steam Engine. My biggest issue initially was that I didn’t want to come off as some overbearing hippy “What do you mean you don’t pocket compost?!?!” but I did want to come off as active and aware. Coincidentally the best way I came up with was to have a local business owner do the talking for me! Marius Morosanu is part owner of Nazca Energy, a Rockford, IL based renewable energy company. Marius is a man on a mission, spreading the word on efficient, green technology, specifically LED lighting.

“Living Green” will be a twice monthly piece that will discuss everything from being more efficient at home (and saving a few pieces of scratch) to green technology and it’s place in the music industry. Keep your eyes peeled for some super excellent giveaways!

-Jason

===========================================================================

Hi all, first off thanks for checking out Jason’s latest Steam Engine segment, “Living Green.” My name is Marius and I’m really excited about sharing ideas and talking directly to people who are eager to make a difference in our world. You may be amazed at how the simplest things can help the environment we all share while saving you money. I won’t bore you with too much of my background. I’m in charge of operations at a small Renewable Energy Company in the Midwest. At the moment, we primarily deal with LED lighting for home and business. If you have questions about any of this stuff, feel free to email me directly at marius@nazcaenergy.com

To kick of Living Green, I thought I’d take a stab at something we all have in common.. The love of music...

There’s a lot going on in the music industry to help it “green up”. From packaging and distribution, to organic promotional merchandise (no kidding) and more, the industry is gearing up for a new generation of savvy green music lovers.

First there’s product packaging. Think about all of that cellophane, paper pulp, plastic, and chemical inks it takes to get those CD’s on the shelves. One can argue that the best way to package something is to just put it online. While that may sound great, a lot of people out there still want the experience of having something tangible in their hands. There are solutions on the horizon. Companies like PaperFoam offer all-natural, fully biodegradable jewel case for CD’s and DVD’s as an alternative to conventional plastic versions. DiskMakers, one of the biggest names in the duplication industry has implemented sustainability into their business process. They are using recycled board, vegetable based inks, internal recycling programs and are even finding ways to reduce shipping weight which uses up less fuel to deliver.

Eco-Friendly promotion is also making waves in the industry. You can now find organic cotton alternatives vs. synthetic t-shirts for promoting your music to fans. There are companies that even offer silk screened prints using non-toxic vegetable dye. Another cool item is the stainless steel mug. There are few things that reduce waste more profoundly than reusable mugs and cups. Check out Klean Kanteen or Sigg, they offer customizable water bottles for shameless self-promotion or personal use. Finding green promotional materials isn’t hard, we just have to start searching for alternatives and demanding them from companies that don’t offer them yet .

And then there is touring. Perhaps the most polluting part of the music industry, and the one we all love the most. Most people think there is nothing we can do about it but there are businesses out there that offer sustainable energy solutions for the entertainment industry. Take Sustainable Waves for example, these guys provide solar powered stages, sounds systems and lighting. Reverb Nation for instance is helping artists take their first green steps by offering carbon neutral suggestions for venues and coordinating bio-diesel and waste reduction services at events.

What can you personally do when going to check out your favorite bands live? Here are some suggestions:

  • Car Pool. I know many people already do this, but if you don’t consider it. It’s best to share these experiences anyway -  right?!
  • Bring your own water in one of the above mentioned stainless steel bottles. If they don’t allow it, shoot the venue an email the next day and let them know - get your friends to do the same. Be polite but put the issue on their radar.
  • Purchase merchandise that uses natural fibers and dyes. They feel great and don’t use harsh chemicals that end up in water supplies.
  • Use the garbage can. This may sound stupid but how many times have you tossed your empty beer on the lawn instead of waiting for the garbage can?
  • Let your favorite bands know that you care about these issues. Write an email or a letter.
  • Reuse your beer cups – if you just don’t want to do this, consider refilling it at least once. Everything helps!

In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for other topics and please email or leave a comment with your ideas, questions and thoughts! marius@nazcaenergy.com

  • Efficient Products and Technologies
  • Living Green Commentary
  • Around the Home – Simple Steps
  • Green and the Music Industry
  • Green Company Highlights
  • Green Trade Shows and Fairs
  • Your comments, questions and ideas...

This Steam Engine’s ‘Living Green” segment is “sponsored” by Nazca Energy (meaning Jason uses us to green up his image - ha ha). You can check us out @ www.NazcaEnergy.com or follow us on FaceBook (www.FaceBook.com/NazcaEnergy ) and Twitter (www.Twitter.com/NazcaEnergy ).