Donita Large Returns with the Blues in ‘Too Much of Anything’: Anticipated Single Follows #1 Single on Indigenous Music Countdown

There’s no such thing as too much of singer/songwriter Donita Large, and thankfully, she is back with her highly anticipated blues single, “Too Much of Anything.” After reaching the #1 spot on the Indigenous Music Countdown with her debut single, “Going To Walk That Line,” fans have been wanting more.

Donita Large brought her bluesy charm when she emerged on the music scene in the summer of 2021. She quickly became a sought-after artist, performing at local festivals and shows, including the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, RavenWood Music Festival, K-Days Indigenous Experience, and a ‘Songs of Reconciliation’ concert at Leduc’s MacLab Centre for Performing Arts. During her early days on the scene, Donita collaborated with lead and bass guitarist Anthony King, which led to the formation of ‘Donita Large & The Small Band,’ alongside bandmates Alan Tymofichuk and Barry Martin.

The idea for “Too Much of Anything” came to life one evening when Donita and Anthony decided to make music during a break from rehearsal. Donita wanted to write a new blues song, and Anthony, who loves the blues, started playing a bluesy 12-bar tune. This inspired Donita to begin writing the lyrics for “Too Much of Anything.”

The song’s message is simple, but the feelings are complicated: it’s about the idea that “too much of anything is bad for you.” It’s like when you have too much of something, and it causes problems. Donita’s song captures the mixed emotions of overdoing something and dealing with the results. That’s why she sings the blues, to connect with those emotions and share them with others.

As the song’s producer, Anthony King sought the best musicians in Edmonton for a live-off-the-floor recording. This effort led to a lineup that included Rooster Davis on the keys, Jamie Cooper on drums, Harry Gregg on bass, and Anthony himself on lead guitar. The recording process was a celebratory experience, resulting in a track that captures the spirit of the blues.
Donita Large will release this new single at Edmonton’s Blues on Whyte – Commercial Hotel as a guest of Secondhand Dreamcar, where Harry, Rooster, and Jamie are all band members, and Anthony will join as a guest guitarist.

Get ready to hit replay and immerse yourself in the emotional storytelling power of the blues with Donita’s ‘Too Much of Anything’ as it debuts on the airwaves now.

Dive into the Eclectic Soundscape of Toronto’s XOCÔ’s ‘Capoeira Blues’ Celebrating Brazil’s North East Rich Heritage

Experience the innovative Fusion of Psychedelic Rock, Blues, and Funk with Traditional Percussion and MPB Música Popular Brasileira of “Capoeira Blues,” the second single from the self-titled album by the internationally acclaimed artist Mestre Sérgio Xocolate, also known as XOCÔ, out now on Lulaworld Records, This musical odyssey transcends boundaries, weaving together the rich heritage of the Brazilian people.

From Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, XOCÔ embarks on a mission with the XOCÔ project to bridge cultural and musical gaps. Initiated in South America and on the shores of Turtle Island South and flourishing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, “XOCÔ” is not just an album but a cultural exchange, a musical journey, and an homage to XOCÔ’s Afro Indigenous heritage.

As a master teacher of Traditional Capoeira, XOCÔ invites listeners on a transformative experience, urging respect for Indigenous cultures, honouring Black heritage, preserving Mother Earth, and fostering unity. “Capoeira Blues” promises an auditory adventure that merges Afro Indigenous Brazilian rhythms with soulful and electric arrangements.

Known for crafting his compositions on the streetcars of Toronto, XOCÔ injects his original pieces with a unique blend of poetry, politics, and spirituality. In “Capoeira Blues,” he channels new life into powerful inherited rhythms, offering an expressive and electric testament to his inventiveness.

The roots of “Capoeira Blues” lie in the Ladainha-style song, penned when just 18, inspired by the crashing waves atop a coração de nego tree. This dynamic composition, sung in Capoeira Rodas worldwide, now undergoes a remarkable rebirth, enriched by a haunting Berimbau paying homage to Afro Indigenous ancestors.

Internationally recognized for his music, culture, and education contributions, XOCÔ embodies the spirit of preserving Afro Indigenous Brazilian heritage while forging new musical frontiers. The accompanying music video for “Capoeira Blues” pays tribute to XOCÔ’s mother, “Lulua,” with the added generational connection of featuring XOCÔ’s first child.

Immerse yourself in the blend of traditional and contemporary sounds, celebrating “Capoeira Blues” as an enthralling chapter within the “XOCÔ” album.

Michael Nero

 

Michael Nero is a South Texas singer-songwriter who writes and performs from a life that’s been “rode hard and put up wet”... the trade-off being years of songwriting material.

Since he is comfortable in multiple American roots genres, his music has been described as being somewhere East of Memphis and West of Nashville. So, he guesses that he is technically an Americana artist. But Blues, both acoustic and electric, has played such a major role in his musical development, he does not suppose he could ever completely erase it’s fingerprint off any thing he does.

More info at...

https://michaelnero.com

The Dobermans

"American Marionette" is the first single from the The Dobermans' forthcoming, fourth full length album "Penniless Philanthropist".

Like Tame Impala, LCD Soundsystem, Bon Iver and others, The Dobermans comes completely from the mind of Archduke Chris Doberman (Chris Beck). Chris has amassed tens of thousands of listens over multiple social media outlets. His music has also been played on over the air radio in North America, Europe and Africa.

The Dobermans were recently featured on Reverbnation's Monthly Mix playlist and garnered interest from London's The Animal Farm record label. The Dobermans offer a unique mix of energy, songwriting, storytelling and heart that is at once quirky, funky and sincere.

Caroline Cotto's First Full Album Bayou Sun is a Bluesy, Soulful Tapestry of Self-Discovery

Fiery blues, rock and soul songstress Caroline Cotto’s first full album is a musical tribute to her quest for her own individual truth. Before landing permanently in her now home of New Orleans, she spent years soaking up experiences while living in New York, Paris and London, walking the same inspirational paths of her artistic influences, writing her own music and poetry, and playing in downtown bars and clubs. Her album Bayou Sun, out now, is Cotto’s own stunning autobiography, with each track divulging crucial weaves that have formed her life tapestry of faith, love, and self-understanding.

Cotto’s track “Young Girl in the City” takes us to the start of her journey which began in New York City, a city Cotto refers to as the first love of her life. “I wanted to capture the rhythm of New York in my song,” she explains. “I see myself vividly walking up and down the avenue with desire in my soul to make a name for myself in the world. I feel the grit of the sidewalk and footsteps of my heroes. I see the young girl with a guitar performing in cafes rambling through the night with love and passion.”

Her success in musically seizing the sound of New York in “Young Girl in the City” is delightfully enchanting, as pounding heart drum beats from Country Hall of Fame drummer Eddie Bayers seem to thrust our senses directly into the routine of Manhattan’s bustling streets and sidewalks. Ronnie Eades’ – the co-founder of the Muscle Shoals Horns Section - saxophone then provides the illusion of scurrying taxi cabs, as Nelson Blanchard’s piano suggests varying conversations and crowded movements. Cotto’s guitar and soulful voice soon lure us in further with the lyrics “Paint my pain into a starry night/I know, the stars ain’t a dime/But dreams are better in moonlight,” reassuring us that any painful learning experiences here have only made her dreams grow clearer and stronger. As she continues on singing “Radio blasts, I’m free at last/All my tears slip through the sidewalk cracks,” we are made confident that music is the outlet that makes her pain disappear, before she leaves us with the hopeful lines “But I’ll find my way/I’ll find my way/I’ll find my way.”

Cotto is also quick to mention that both “Young Girl in the City’s co-producer, David Hyde plays bass on the song, and “Mystery Ride,” another track from her album, were inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run album. “His adventures of rock ‘n’ roll and romance in New Jersey captured my heart” she explains. “I love how Springsteen captures the magic of one night in his music.” Much like “Young Girl in the City”, “Mystery Ride” bursts musically with the excitement of endless possibility and wonder, though this time we are jolted into a shared adventure with someone we love and adore, while Cotto’s lyrics rouse “I see love written on the wind tonight/As we go down and down and down this/Mystery Ride.”
Cotto states that she has a curiosity not only for the capacity of love in the human soul, but also that of suffering. As we head toward the end of the album we hear Caroline Cotto’s solid musical versatility stretched and showcased even further in her track “Awake to Love”, a song that integrates bouncy reggae undertones and saxophone with deeply powerful and provocative lyrics such as “God bless the innocent/They learn from lies/Man throws bombs/In a child’s eyes/Hate grows when one’s asleep/Awake to love on the city streets.” Cotto addresses the heartbreak that innocent people often end up adjusting themselves due to evil, and that those who close their eyes to violence contribute to a growth of hatred. “‘Awake to Love’ is my song for the world,” she explains. “I remember myself in Audubon Park in New Orleans with my pen and paper looking at my reflection in the water and reflecting on the state of the world. ‘Awake to Love’ is my message to the global consciousness that Love is always the answer in any situation, especially in the face of war and destruction.”

Cotto insists that she has learned from her years of travel and through making this album that faith, daydreaming, and love are her greatest powers. “I daydreamed how I wanted my life to be every day until it was. I still have flashes of that young girl with a guitar and suitcase in hand going into the depths of the unknown riding the path into the Bayou Sun.”