Shawnee Kilgore has a crowdfunding story that most artists can only dream of.​..

Back in 2014, Shawnee launched her Kickstarter campaign. In her video (a tribute to Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues), she held up a card that said “I’m learning to ask for help.” This honest phrase struck a chord for a music fan scrolling through Kickstarter projects on his rare off time — A music fan who just happened to be one of Hollywood’s most prominent directors — Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, The Avengers).

Joss loved Shawnee’s music and voice, and backed her Kickstarter.

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After the campaign ended and Kilgore was working on his reward – a personalized song written for him, he emailed to ask if she would be interested in working on a co-write with him.  Their single “Big Giant Me” came as the result and they went on to create Back to Eden, their new EP.

It features an all-star crew of supporting musicians, including Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins on fiddle and backing vocals. Whedon wrote a large portion of the lyrics, and Kilgore wrote the majority of the music.

The EP release sold out The Alamo in Shawnee’s hometown Austin where they debuted the video starring two beloved Whedon collaborators, Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins and Ashley Johnson. It was shot by Jay Hunter (“Much Ado About Nothing”) on two Alexa 65’s, a cutting edge large format from Arri that until then had only been used on the highest end of big budgeted feature films, such as “The Revenant” and “Rogue One.”

The “Back To Eden” shoot marked the first independent production to have ever used this camera, (In other words, this is the first time this camera has been used for less than a $100,000,000 production.) and it’s Joss Whedon’s music video debut.

Watch Shawnee Kilgore and Joss Whedon – Back to Eden (Official Music Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ktlVlcVvc

“A Little Help From Above” is a nice, smooth track from Lisa Marie Ellingsen. The song opens with a soft acoustic guitar. It’s slow, and soothing, and kind of makes you want to start swaying back and forth. Soft vocals match the soft guitar playing. The beat is very calming. It brings out the feeling in the song. The track is about seeking help from God, which is very uplifting. The feeling is enhanced by the deeper harmonies that match Lisa’s voice. The lyrics are intense and beautiful. It evokes a feeling of peace, like she is finally accepting the fact that she needs to ask for help. Towards the end of the track, Lisa’s lyrics fade out. The guitar stays an extra 20 seconds, strumming slowly. The last strum of the chord is slower than the rest, and then it fades out to silence. It is the perfect ending to a smooth track like this one.

Find more on Lisa Marie Ellingsen, including Nola to Noho, here:
https://www.lisamarieellingsen.com/

Leisure McCorkle, an alternative rock artist from Charlotte, North Carolina who creates music deeply rooted in the nomadic endeavors he undergoes while traveling, has recently released two live jam sessions.  Recorded in St Louis at Gaslight Studio, Leisure smoothly, confidently strums a narrow acoustic guitar while poetically singing each note of Transmission in one video and Turn It Up in the next.

Watch Leisure McCorkle on The Gaslight Sessions – https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=oLLID-TP8dE

Turn it Up – https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=so-ney2fkqA

Leisure pours his heart into Transmission, nailing high falsettos that leave an echo in your ear. His husky voice compliments the riffs which are cleverly written into the music of the guitar. His organic voice then fireworks synonymous with the powerchords of the guitar in Turn It Up. He conveys an infectious energy that gently awakens your inner rocker. Leisure’s classic rock, punk grit feel enables us to time travel back to the 90s and experience a familiar and beloved sound but with a new spin.

Moses Guest have been a band for over 25 years and were originally based out in Colorado.  Moses Guest toured the Rocky Mountain region extensively but now they call Houston, TX, home.

Their new album  also titled Light drops August 4th and currently they are sharing their first single from the release and title track for your listening pleasure.

Frontman Graham Guest states of the new single “I wrote “Light” in Summer/Fall 2015.  It came to me right along with “Black Road.”  My daughter, Edie (9 years old) helped me with it a lot, telling me to keep certain parts and get rid of others.  It’s about the all-too-common (at least for me) experience of being really excited about something or someone, then thinking that thing or person is maybe not cool at all, and finally thinking there just no way to be sure.”

Moses Guest has been creating quite a name for themselves in recent years. They have shared the stage with several high-profile acts including Moe., Steve Miller Band, JGB, Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise, Jayhawks, Lisa Loeb, Colonel Bruce Hampton & the Fiji Mariners to name a few.

For Light, the studio focus is evident. The record marks the line-up’s twentieth anniversary and is their first album release since 2007’s Best Laid Plans. The super-tight, super-polished performances and arrangements hearken back to Moses Guest’s 2002 self-titled release.

Give a listen to Moses Guest “Light”

https://soundcloud.com/user-242278755/01-light-1/s-mUan8

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Laura Rizzotto unleashes her eclectic new single “High,” from her upcoming EP, “Ruby.” At the age of 22 years old, Rizzotto is already proving hersef as a both a recording and performing artist. She has also written over 100 songs, as she makes her mark as a professional songwriter. Opening for the likes of Demi Lovato in front of 7,000 people in Brazil, she has also attended the acclaimed Berklee College of Music and Columbia University.

Laura was  also hired by Sony Music to work in the studio with Jennifer Lopez, as a Portuguese vocal coach for the ballad “Chegaste”, released by Jennifer in partnership with Brazilian music mogul Roberto Carlos.

Listen to Laura Rizzotto’s “High” here:

https://soundcloud.com/laura-rizzotto/the-high

TUELO is led by South African born Tuelo Minah, who blends soul and punk-rock to make what’s been dubbed “revival music.” She sounds a bit like the rebellious daughter of Nina Simone and David Bowie who grew up listening to the Sex Pistols and Blondie, and took music lessons from Miriam Makeba.

“Saint Margaret” is a homage to Tuelo’s mother, Seabi, whose “English” name is Margaret. After leaving her family farm in South Africa and coming to America, Tuelo found her voice and music as a guide to conquer herself. Her mother has yet to hear her sing or see her perform, yet she remains a favorite topic amongst fans because of how Tuelo weaves her into every conversation and every show. Tuelo credits her love for people, environment, tradition, culture, words and learning, spirituality, and her non-conformist and awkward nature to her mum, and often remarks that if somebody had told her as a child that her mother was God, she would have been a believer a long time ago.

​TUELO’s unreal vocals have filled some incredible venues – Brooklyn Bowl​, Carnegie Hall, Late Night with David Letterman, Central Park SummerStage, and most recently The Apollo for the Africa Now Festival.

Stream “Saint Margaret” here: https://soundcloud.com/tuelomusic/saint-margaret-2