There is a Music Genome Project website called Pandora.
It's great. It's a personal programmed Radio Station. You put in your favorite Artist, let's say Springsteen or MO, Pandora then makes a custom Radio Station of them and plays their music and music that is similar, each time showing some art work and background of the artist/song. It has no commercials or ads. I just made a MO Radio Station and it led off with "No Good Day For Dying", then it played some more great music, "Tender Mercies" by Eliza Gilkyson, "She's Saving Me", by the Indigo Girls and "Little Road" By Cheryl Wheeler. Terrific stuff, I think it comes back to another MO song and then other stuff too. There are links to buying the music and you can bookmark your favorite artist, or song. When a song pops up if you don't like it you can skip it. If you like it you click a box and it remembers that too. The site is called Pandora and it's lots of fun when your sitting at a computer you can put it on in the background.

Here is the brief Bio they gave for MO:

Maura O'Connell embodies many paradoxes: lead singer for De Dannon, she was not a traditional Celtic singer; resident of Nashville, she is not American; collaborator with New Grass Revival, she is not a bluegrass performer. Nevertheless, O'Connell has made a name for herself on two continents as a superb singer.

O'Connell was born and raised in County Clare, Ireland, where she began singing at an early age. Involvement in the folk club scene led to an invitation from celtic traditionalists, De Dannon, to join their ranks. Her involvement with De Dannon resulted in the recording of Star Spangled Mollie, a clear indication of interest in trans-Atlantic culture. O'Connell then began to collabrate with members of New Grass Revival, and in particular with Bela Fleck who produced several of her tracks. Together with Fleck and others, she recorded Just in Time and made the decision to settle in Nashville, Tennessee. Since then, she has released Helpless Heart, Blue is the Colour of Hope, and Real Life Story, each album registering a move toward a pop synthesis. Stories followed in 1995, with Wandering Home appearing two years later. As the new millennium unfolded, O'Connell signed with Sugar Hill in late 2000 and began working on her seventh album. Instead of working with her longtime producer Jerry Douglas, O'Connell had Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams) produce Walls and Windows, which was released in 2001. Don't I Know was issued three years later. ~ Leon Jackson, All Music Guide

Laura found this and told me about it and I've had lots of fun with it.

Just wondering what you all are listening to?

I bought the new Jakob Dyan CD...I really like it a lot? Very talented, just like his father.

I also have the new Emmylou Harris CD...It is more of a return to her roots....very country again...also very good!

Always looking for new suggestions....

Any update on the new Maura Cd?

First off - sorry I have been off the boards for awhile. I switched jobs a couple months ago and life suddenly became even more busy!

I went to a free show at The Ark a couple weeks ago and saw Rose Polenzani, Rose Cousins and Meg Hutchinson. I enjoyed their music so much that I bought a cd from each of them - it was the most expensive "free" concert I have ever been to!

I really like Patty Larkin's latest album, Watch the Sky. I also have been listening to Kris Delmhorst's latest (which is growning on me, but at first listen, all I could think of was "over-produced") and The Waifs' latest, sundirtwater.

That's all for now. However, in a couple of weeks, we're going to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and I know I will have to buy new albums by Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Vance Gilbert, Jim Henry, Eliza Gilkyson and Nerissa & Katryna Nields......

Theresa

Oh, my! I DO love what I'm hearing from a young cellist-singer, Ben Sollee, who is a member of The Sparrow Quartet. He plays the cello like a guitar at times and uses it to accompany himself as he sings. His song "It's Not Impossible (for me to cry)" is a favourite, as is his "Bury Me With My Car". You can listen on his MySpace site. http://www.myspace.com/bensollee

The Sparrow Quartet is like no classical music quartet you've ever heard. They are Ben Sollee, Bella Fleck, Abigail Washburn and amazing fiddle player Casey Driessen. Go see them some time.

I'm off to check out Pandora. I wonder if they've heard of Ben Sollee?

Oh, I just can't help myself!

http://www.myspace.com/abigailwashburn listen to The Sparrow Quartet's "A Fuller Wine"...elements of classical music, immersed in Chinese and Appalachian traditional music. My description-not theirs.

Intrigued? Hmmmmm...............

...........been listening to Kathleen Edwards and Gilian Welch along with a group called Railroad Earth, a newish band made up of some guys who recorded as From Good Homes, a while back, good country-tinged acoustic rock.

Patrick Fitzsimmons opened for MO in a gig she did at the Outpost in the Burbs a couple of years back, he was a member of From Good Homes, but not Railroad Earth. He's solo now, his music is fine. I think MO enjoyed his set that night.

Of course on the popular music scene, the new Coldplay album is great.

Love, love, love Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings with his funky guitar playing!

Railroad Earth, love them tooooo. Saw them on their first tour, at MerleFest, on Dewey's birthday. How cool is that!

Dewey got his photo take with Rawlings and Welch on that same birthday--he's rather proud of that.

Just got back from COOL camping in Virginia...there for FloydFest, a great Woodstock-wannabe festival.

Heard Railroad Earth--they were great!

Our favourites and new to us:
Oliver Mtukudzi--boy, did we all dance and feel the love--a hugely popular artist in his native Zimbabwe (49 albums!!!!) and just touring in the U.S. http://www.tukumusic.com/ and http://www.tukumusic.com/
Oneside http://www.myspace.com/oneside Todd Schaeffer from RREarth was there, smiling, beating time and enjoying their music too. They describe themselves as "a rock band with a banjo" and that description is apt, but too simplistic...they are very good.

It's difficult when there is so much good music, but you know when you've found something just a bit different and better. These were our choices. I'm headed to Pandora (which I love...thanks Bob) to try them both there.

Smiles and good wishes to all!!!

Despina,

You guys really have a great time!. You don't let any moss grow under you. ...I am listening to Oneside on myspace right now.....sounds really good.

A few years ago, I went to the Newport folk festival and heard lots of lesser known artists...I loved it... I would like to go there again. I saw Maura there (alas it was already 6 years ago!)

I am glad you had a good time!

Mike

Despina-

You and Dewey have a whole lot of good times with some great music, you're making us jealous.

I thought Railroad Earth was like this real obscure group, guess I was wrong, I am glad you got to see them live!

Take care,

Bob

Oh, Bob, you've got to catch RR Earth some time--they're from New Jersey, but their sound is so Colorado. They even have one song called Colorado--great for dancing!

Yes, Dewey and I are fortunate. We've always tried to balance our life together against work and family needs. As you know, it was rather difficult these last two years with my father, but we tried to go camping nearby or save a little time for the two of us. Sometimes, it's hard work having fun!

The music festivals ARE fun and always seem to have a wonderful re-energizing quality. You go and you feel as if you're part of this community of strangers, but you are no longer strangers because you share this great love of music...and it binds you together. These festivals are usually great family-oriented events. You leave such an event with a renewed sense of goodness in the world. You support your faith in mankind and our ability to get along...and all that good old-fashioned peace, love and understanding stuff.

I saw Railroad Earth 5 years ago at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. My husband and I went there again this year; unfortunately due to waht they're calling a "mini-tornado," the festival was cancelled about 6 hours before the end so I missed main stage sets by Railroad Earth, Eliza Gilkyson, Eileen Ivers, Gandalf Murphy and Janis Ian, plus a couple of workshops that looked fabulous.

Oh well, we still got to hear about 36 hours of great live music

Theresa

It's good that you're positive about what you DID see. I'll tell you, though, it seems like an awful lot of good music to miss.

Glad you enjoyed some of the festival.

I cannot stand another political speech. Let's hope it ends soon.

What I want to hear is not another partisan speech, but more good music from our muse, Maura O'Connell; when is the new album coming?? and when are we going to see a show in NYC?

I just listened again to "Poor Man's House", (can't get over that song) Maura's version of this great song is stirring, let's hope that's there's more stirring stuff like this on the new record.

Gosh, I wanted to get this Message Center going again, we have a lot of good people on here.

Hello, again, to all the good folks on here.

Yes, Bob, I'm with you!

No more political mumbo-jumbo, PLEASE.

We want Ms. Mo down south, in South Carolina, too. Of course, right now--wind and storms and such going on--I don't imagine she's too keen on going up and down the east coast.