Balsam Range: New Album Available Today

FIVE is the latest project from IBMA Album of the Year winning band
Nashville, TN --- IBMA Album of the Year winner, Balsam Range, returns with the band’s appropriately-titled fifth album. Five is set for release today, June 17th.

Five exemplifies Balsam Range as one of the most remarkable bands in Acoustic music. If the goal was to elevate the level of songs, performance, production value, and excitement, then Five surely marks the successful achievement of that goal.

From deep in the Appalachians where the Great Smoky Mountains meet the Blue Ridge come the gifted men of Balsam Range, creatively blending Bluegrass, Folk, Gospel and Jazz into a new American acoustic music experience. Mountain Home Recording artists founded in 2007, Balsam Range is five friends with unique experiences and backgrounds blending together effortlessly to form their distinctive sound. Since bursting onto the scene, Balsam Range has made a definite mark in the Bluegrass and Acoustic music world.

The band's 2010 release TRAINS I MISSED brought in a #1 hit and Bluegrass Song of the Year award for its title track. PAPERTOWN (2012) built on that momentum with five consecutive months as the #1 album on Bluegrass radio, and won the 2013 IBMA Album of the Year award.

In the wake of PAPERTOWN’S success, expectations have been high.

"Papertown was received so well that we were a little anxious about what we could do next," said Tim Surrett, vocalist and bass player for the band. "How do we follow an Album of the Year? We finally just went in there and made the best record we could and had some fun."

The band has a consistent knack for conveying emotion with power. The result is a heartfelt delivery of tributes to working class heroes, an original Gospel a cappella song, a driving instrumental, and even a John Denver classic. The group draws from diverse influences and original sources while giving each track the Balsam Range treatment.

The band has also just announced its revamped fan benefit site, www.balsamnation.com which offers free music, discounts and exclusive merchandise to its growing population of dedicated fans. Information on Balsam Nation is available through the band web site. Additionally, Balsam Range has posted a fun video on the making of the tune, “Moon Over Memphis.”

Hi Rez Images and eReview LINK

For more on Balsam Range, visit www.balsamrange.com

FolkWeekly Launched by NewFolkRadio.com

(PORTLAND, OR -- July 12, 2013) -- A new online magazine has been launched by NewFolkRadio.com, Portland, Oregon's only full-time folk and bluegrass station. The new online magazine, titled FolkWeekly, will be published every Saturday with features articles, profiles, album reviews, artist news, and other news about Americana, Folk, and Bluegrass artists.

John Hart, founder of NewFolkRadio, and publisher of FolkWeekly, acknowledges that the folk and bluegrass online publishing space is a tad crowded, but "there is room for a publication that adds value to the space, and FolkWeekly can certainly do that."

FolkWeekly will accept finished articles and photos from PR and management firms who represent Americana, Folk and Bluegrass artists. Articles should be no longer than 1000 words and should not be press releases. Photos can be jpegs with a maximum size of 1024x768 pixels. Articles and photos can be emailed to newfolkradio@gmail.com.

FolkWeekly will also feature exclusive commissioned pieces and pitches from well-known writers in Americana, Folk, and Bluegrass.

The premiere issue of FolkWeekly is now online and can be found at www.FolkWeekly.com.

NewFolkRadio Lands on iTunes; Audience Numbers Jump Big Time

(PORTLAND, OR -- April 2, 2012) -- NewFolkRadio.com (NFR) is pleased to announce that its IP Radio service has been accepted by iTunes. NFR is the only radio station in the Pacific Northwest that streams folk, roots, and bluegrass music 24/7 without subscription fees or commercials.

Now in its second year of broadcasting online, NewFolkRadio.com streams its service via Live365, which means the stream can be heard on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. "With the addition of iTunes, NFR is now technologically agnostic -- we can be heard on any IP stream anywhere around the world," said John Hart, owner and founder of NFR. "We are ready for the next stage of IP Radio in car radios which the Big Three automakers are planning for next year," he said.

The NewFolkRadio listening audience numbers have taken a big jump since landing on iTunes. "We're now serving 5,000 listeners per month from around the world, with 40% of the audience in the Pacific Northwest" Mr. Hart noted. "However, the rate of growth seems to be around 10% a day, which is astonishing. It's hard to know where this is going to level off. I should probably send Apple a thank you card and buy a Mac," he said.

NewFolkRadio's format is 3-in-a-row bluegrass followed by 3-in-a-row folk music. "Bluegrass and folk music are more than cousins, their roots go deep and wide and cross one another like sun and shadows in the Smokey Mountains," Mr. Hart said.

NewFolkRadio.com is signatory to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and Sound Exchange. NewFolkRadio does not require any plug-ins whatsoever.

CONTACT:
John Hart
NewFolkRadio.com
14222 SE Division St. Unit 19
Portland, OR 97236
Member: AirPlayDirect
Member: RadioSubmit
Member: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SoundExchange

Premier of AcousticMusicPinboard.com

All the acoustic music that's fit to pin premieres on new website: AcousticMusicPinboard.com

(PORTLAND, OR -- Nov 30, 2012) -- A new website has been launched that features news and events in the acoustic music arena. John Hart, founder of NewFolkRadio.com, launched the site October 27, 2012 at www.AcousticMusicPinboard.com.

The news site is designed to allow anyone connected with acoustic music in some fashion to become an author and post images and text. New authors must first register then log-in and post at will. Instructions on how to post are on the site. Understanding that folks in the acoustic music business are busy and may not have time to post, the information can be sent directly to newfolkradio@gmail.com, and the editor will post it.

Artist, labels, festival managers, pr folks, radio stations, and anyone else connected with acoustic music, such as folk, old-timey, and bluegrass, are invited to register and post news, events, reviews, etc. "In this age of discovery by searching, it makes sense to have more than one search result for any given news story or press release you may have, in order to reach a broader audience" Mr. Hart said. "Post on your own blog or website, then add it to AcousticMusicPinboard. Each post is picked up by the major search engines, giving more exposure to the story."

In addition to free posting by those folks in the acoustic music business, the site will solicit articles from established freelance writers familiar with the acoustic scene.

AcousticMusicPinboard.com has been designed in the style of the popular site, Pinterest.com. Images and summary text appear on the main page. A single click on any headline reveals the full story.

AcousticMusicPinboard is a sister site of NewFolkRadio.com, an organizational member of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and a signatory to ASCAP and BMI.

CONTACT:
John Hart
AcousticMusicPinboard.com
NewFolkRadio.com
503-946-8890 (PT)
Email: newfolkradio@gmail.com
Facebook: NewFolkRadio
Twitter: #newfolkradio

THE ANNIE MOSES BAND SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH SEPTEMBER 25th RELEASE OF, PILGRIMS & PRODIGALS

Los Angeles, Calif. (September 25, 2012) – The universally acclaimed Annie Moses Band soars to new heights with today’s release of Pilgrims & Prodigals. With more than 1000 hours of airings on PBS stations across the country, garnering the highest debut for any artist on public television thus far, the chart-topping band continues to build momentum with its latest release.

The two-disc CD/DVD package is a collection of songs that explores the timeless theme of roaming and redemption. To celebrate the album launch, AOL.com is hosting a week-long exclusive listening party of this diverse record that blends the captivating styles of classical, jazz, folk, and even a frission of Celtic.

To participate in the AOL listening party, please visit: http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds#/10.

“Pilgrims & Prodigals is based on the idea that everyone in the world is going somewhere,” observes Alex Wolaver, who for the first time shares lead vocalist duties with his sister Annie. “We’re all on a personal journey. We are all either someone who’s finding our way back home or we’re someone who’s running away from home. Every song on this album tells one of those two stories.” Eight songs on the album were written or co-written by members of the group.

Five other tunes receive inventive re-imaginings that bring fresh new seasonings to familiar standards like “Poor Wayfaring Pilgrim” and “Girl of Constant Sorrow” while the project’s two pop cover songs – “Love Song” (Elton John) and “I Got a Name” (Jim Croce) take on unexpected new life. Recorded in the heart of Music City, Nashville, TN., Alex teamed up with award-winning producer Michael Omartian (Christopher Cross, Michael Bolton, Amy Grant,) to produce the new project that was originally imagined nearly a decade ago.

Pilgrims & Prodigals is marketed and distributed in partnership with Dream Journey, the television production company behind the many highly-popular Public Television Specials. The album is packaged as a double-disc set, containing the CD plus a companion DVD showcasing the Annie Moses Band performing the entire album in concert.

“Video is very important to us, because what we do as the Annie Moses Band is very visual,” explains Annie. “By including the live concert DVD with the album, people can see us performing and playing each song on the album.” Known for their breathtaking instrumental virtuosity and shimmering layered vocals, the Annie Moses Band accolades include a Billboard top-ten Classical Crossover album, an extensive tour schedule of over 80 concerts a year, performing before 100,000+ people and high profile media appearances in print and on television. The family act is made up of six siblings, with their parents Bill and Robin spearheading the lyrics and arrangements.

Annie Wolaver serves as the lead vocalist and violin player, Alex Wolaver accompanies on vocals and violin, Benjamin Wolaver on the cello, Camille Wolaver plays the harp and keyboard, Gretchen Wolaver performs the violin and mandolin and Jeremiah Wolaver handles the Classical and electric guitar.

In support of the new release, the Annie Moses Band will be seen on PBS stations around the U.S. starting in October for their brand new Pilgrims & Prodigals Public Television concert that will air throughout the fall.

For more information on Annie Moses Band, Pilgrims & Prodigals, and their Public Television Special please visit www.anniemosesband.com.

Founder of NewFolkRadio Launches $999 Start-Up Package for Folk and Bluegrass Artists

(PORTLAND, OR -- July 18, 2012) -- NewFolkRadio.com, an online interactive radio station that streams folk, roots, and bluegrass music 24/7 without subscription fees, has announced a bargain start-up package for folk and bluegrass bands.

"It's an expensive process to record a CD, get a cover designed, get the CD to radio stations, get a video shot, and so on," according to John Hart, founder of
NewFolkRadio.com. "It can run between $10,000 and $20,000," he said. "That's just too much for a start-up band or soloist, so NewFolkRadio has launched a sister
site titled StudioMotion.biz that features a low-priced start-up package starting at $999, designed exclusively for folk and bluegrass artists."

The StudioMotion start-up package contains most everything a band or soloist would need to get a career going, from recording a 5-song EP, to cover design,photography, website design and implementation, website hosting, video production, etc. Details are available at StudioMotion.biz.

"This isn't a gimmick," Mr. Hart said. "It's a genuine offer to help folk and bluegrass artists get started in their pursuit of fans. Bands who have a sophmore CD issued could also take advantage of this offer," Hart said. "We want to help anyway we can."

Mr. Hart has 20 years experience in all phases of music and video production, as well as web site design, including software and server programming. He will personally execute every aspect of the start-up package.

StudioMotion is located in Portland, Oregon, but bands or solo artists outside of Oregon could make arrangements to travel to Portland and take advantage of this
opportunity.

NewFolkRadio.com is an organizational member of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and a signatory to ASCAP and BMI. The newely redesigned NewFolkRadio website does not require any plug-ins whatsoever for listening online.

CONTACT:
John Hart
NewFolkRadio.com
503-946-8890 (PT)
Email: newfolkradio@gmail.com
Facebook: NewFolkRadio
Twitter: #newfolkradio