You may have noticed – or maybe you didn’t – that I’ve been absent for a couple weeks. When my operating system crashed on my laptop, I took that as a sign that maybe it was time to step away from social media for a bit and recharge. Well, now it’s time to get back on track and there’s no better way to do that than starting fresh with this months’local artist playlist on Spotify.

Playlist number 5 includes some fresh, new music from Alyssa Dodge, Ben Tyler, Darrin Jellison and Crooked Ways. We have some newcomers to the playlist like Christian Porter, Regina Sayles, The Bandana Brothers, Scott Reagan, Chris Powers and Porter and Sayles. Rounding out this months’ playlist are local favorites Chelsea Lyn Meyer, Frank Porter, Seth Witcher, Sister Salvaation and Andrew Dunn. Let’s show these local artists some love by following and listening to their music and sharing it with your friends.

I’ll be adding a little more content in the coming weeks including introducing you to some new music, new artists and upcoming albums/songs that may be on the horizon. If you have new music coming out or recently released music, let me know and I’ll be sure to include you. Keep an eye out for a new feature – The Valley Spotlight – and be sure to like and share Voices of the Valley on Facebook. In the meantime, you can listen to this months’ playlist at the link below. Thanks again for all of your support and for supporting the local music scene.

#localmusic #newmusic #newplaylist #Spotify #supportlocal #VOV5 #voicesofthevalley

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ARXjxPLph3fb6a2pj2RLx?si=fgji67fcR0ixD3gP8KyXBQ

Not familiar with the Stay at Home Challenge ? It’s pretty simple, really. For each week we are without live music to enjoy, I’ve challenged you all to find a local artist you have never seen either live, in person or, on line. Tune in to their live performance on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube and share it with your friends. I have given you two each week with links to their social media so you can give them a little support as well. Starting today, I’ll make it even easier for you to check out the artists I found during the past week. Not only will I share the information here, I will also share the video I watched to the Voices of the Valley Facebook page. I still encourage you to visit their social media page and give them a “like” and a share but, you can listen right here https://www.facebook.com/lvvoicesofthevalley/.

My two for this week are Tim Harakal and Mike Metzger. Both performed live on Facebook during the past week and both put on solid performances. Please take some time to get familiar with both artists. The videos will be on Voices of the Valley shortly and both artists have a page for you to like and share. Here are the links https://www.facebook.com/TimHarakalOfficial/ and https://www.facebook.com/Mike-Metzgar-Classic-and-Modern-Acoustic-Rock-106669594103903/.

I’ll keep this challenge going until we have live music to enjoy again. When I run out of “new” artists, I’ll start sharing others I am familiar with. I’ll also be starting a “Valley Spotlight” series featuring bands and/or solo artists from around the Valley on a regular basis. Some of you may have read the first spotlight (Resting Punk Face). If you haven’t taken a moment to read it, please go back and check it out. Upcoming spotlights will feature Crooked Ways and Plum. If you have music you would like featured, feel free to drop me a line at lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to feature it here. Keep doing what you can to help support local music from a distance until we can get out and do it in person again.

#localmusic #supportlocal #facebooklive #instagramtv #youtube #stayathomechallenge #findsomeonenew #VoV #voicesofthevalley

It’s another week of “stay at home”, “self-quarantine”, “social distancing” or whatever term you want to apply. For us it means another week without live music. Venues are closed, there are no “HOT SPOTS” to tell you about and we may be without live music for the foreseeable future. Some of us are hopeful that everything will go “right back to normal” once the stay at home order is lifted. Others believe we will still be feeling the effects of this pandemic long after we can get back to living a near-normal life. So, how are we coping ?

Last week, in place of the Weekly Live Music “HOT SPOTS”, I challenged all of us to find at least one local artist or band we had never seen perform before. Watch a “live” performance on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube and share what you found. It’s an excellent opportunity to discover someone you may not have noticed otherwise and, it is a form of support we can all use right now. While simply taking the time to watch is a way of being supportive, sharing the experience will make a much larger impact and, it costs nothing but a little bit of your time. By sharing the video or starting a watch party, you are inviting a much larger audience to discover new music as well. Now, more than ever, building a larger fan base is important for all of us. We can all benefit from helping each other and, again, it costs nothing but a little bit of time.

I started the challenge last week by “introducing” you to Eliza Rush and Carlos Barata. This week I spent some time watching/listening to two more artists I had never seen before. First up, The Bandana Brothers. Although I had seen Jaycie Cuprill perform solo on a few occasions, this was the first chance I had to see the full band. They are a cover band with their own unique twist on many classic rock favorites. They put on an excellent hour-long performance last Saturday and they will be doing it again this Saturday at 6pm. You can go back and check out their last video here https://www.facebook.com/BandanaBrothers/ or wait until this Saturday and check them out “live”. The second “new” artist I spent time listening to this week was Jonny Cornelius. You can check out his new solo music page at https://www.facebook.com/JonnyCmusic/ where you will find a link to his live performance from last night or keep an eye out for an upcoming performance. Jonny offers a wide range of tasteful covers from the Beatles era to the present and is well worth the time spent.

Another great source for discovering new artists is Rising Tide Music https://www.facebook.com/BeTheTide/. Jaycie posts a list of live performances daily from artists in and around the valley. Whenever you visit a Facebook, Instagram or YouTube page to watch a video, be sure to give that page a like, follow and share. Let’s all try to do a little something to help each other out during this difficult time. Keep the Lehigh Valley music scene alive and well while we are all trying to do the same. Thanks again for all of your support and for supporting the people who make the music.

#localmusic #supportlocal #facebooklive #instagramtv #youtube. #share #watchparty #risingtide #bethetide #VoV #voicesofthevalley

The April version of the Voices of the Valley local artist playlist is now on Spotify. We have new music from Seth Witcher, Plum, Sister Salvation, The Simmers and Jaisen Taylor. Also included are local favorites Acoustic Kitty Project, Dan DeChellis, Kendal Conrad, Mosey Beat, Chelsea Lyn Meyer, Acoustic Mayhem, Smooth Retsina Glow, Nor For Coltrane, Crooked Ways and Roi and the Secret People.

This is the fourth in a series of monthly playlists featuring local artists. This started out as a way to support local music and discover new artists without any cost to you. The goal remains the same while the importance of the goal has changed with the circumstances. We are 30 days in to a quarantine that may last well beyond the April 30 end date currently set by the government. The impact may last much longer than the quarantine. Now, more than ever, the artists on this playlist can use your support in any way you can. Take some time to listen, share the playlist with your friends and follow them on Spotify. Every little bit counts.

As always, if you have music you would like to appear on a future playlist, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. The best way is through email at lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com or through messenger on Facebook. In the meantime, enjoy this months’ playlist at the link below.

#localplaylist #supportlocal #localmusic #Vov #voicesofthevalley #vov2020number4 #spotify

This space is usually reserved for the Weekly Live Music “HOT SPOTS” but, with no live music scene to talk about, we need to divert our attention to what we can do to support the local music scene. Once live music returns to the venues throughout the valley, the “HOT SPOTS” will return to it’s normal Thursday spot.

Let’s face it, nothing about “Stay at Home” is fun. Sure, we can all find something to do for some of the time but, what do we do for the rest of the time ? There are only so many TV shows to binge watch or “live from home” performances we can tune in to before it gets old. There are games and challenges and puzzles all over social media to occupy our time. My news feed is flooded with name 10 bands you’ve seen, jobs you’ve had, celebrities you’ve met, math equations to solve and many more. I’m sure yours is, too. They may occupy your time but, how productive are they ? I would like to throw a challenge out to you that will, hopefully, give you something to do and be productive at the same time.

Whether you are a part of the local music scene or not, you all have at least one friend who is. In an effort to show some support, you tune in when you have the opportunity. That’s great and, I encourage you to continue doing so. By simply listening and, maybe sharing the video or starting a watch party, you are helping them be seen and heard. Your support could lead to a new fan base, more gig opportunities when this is over, merchandise sales and more. Just being there and sharing your experience may be worth more than you’ll ever know. But, supporting your friends is not what this challenge is all about.

Over the past week or so, I have challenged myself to listen to someone I have never seen before, either in person or live on social media. I’m asking you – challenging you – to do the same. Pick one or two local artists you’ve never seen and watch their live performance. Share what you found so that others will have the opportunity to discover someone new. Do this every week while the stay at home order is in effect and, maybe you’ll make a difference for that person that will last much longer than any quarantine. Do it for yourself, as well. There’s plenty of great music out there that you may not discover otherwise.

During this past week, I took the time to listen to two local artists for the first time. If you’ve never heard them, perhaps you can start right here. Or, pick one or two others and share them with us. Either way, discover someone new and help keep the local music scene growing while “live” is something we hope will come back soon. My two “new” artists were Eliza Rush and Carlos Barata. I knew of both but, had never seen or heard either one. Both are very talented and have plenty to offer. If you have never seen them, I highly recommend you take the time to do so. You can find video of Eliza’s past live performances or watch for an upcoming performance at https://www.facebook.com/elizarushmusic/. Carlos appeared live last Friday for the Southside Arts District’s Facebook First Friday and that video can be found here https://www.facebook.com/southsideartsdistrict/. Carlos is also hosting “Go Live! LV”, a virtual live music festival, on April 17 & 18. For more information on that event, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/265648421115358/about/.

Let’s all do our part to keep the local music scene alive and well during this difficult time. Thank you to everyone for your continued support of the Lehigh Valley music scene and Voices of the Valley. Better times are ahead.

#localmusic #supportlocal #livevideo #newmusic #discovernew #lehighvlleymusicscene #musicchallenge #VoV #voicesofthevalley.

I’m sure, by now, the frustration is beginning to set in with many of us. There are only so many Facebook, Instagram, YouTube live performances we can do before we saturate the market. Many of us are losing income at an alarming rate with no real indication when things will get “back to normal”. During the “new normal”, all we can really do is be supportive of each other by doing some simple things that cost nothing. Share each others music and/or social media pages. Invite your friends to do the same and to tune in to “live” events. Maybe we can all benefit from the down time by reaching a broader audience that way which could impact the future of our business in a positive way.

It has been difficult at best to keep track of who is “going live” when and where or who is hosting a virtual open mic night. Honestly, if you don’t reach out to me with your schedule, chances are your performance won’t appear here. I know we all do our own self-promotion but, this is just another platform that may reach an entirely different audience and I am happy to provide that platform. There are others out there that do the same thing and, I encourage you to take a look at them as well. One in particular is Rising Tide Music. Jaycie Cuprill does a great job sharing events there and, they are often events I don’t have on my radar while I share events he doesn’t have on his. There are a few events of note I would like to share for the coming weekend and, hopefully, you’ll take some time to tune in.

Southside Arts District Virtual First Friday – This event begins at 4pm with a virtual tour of the businesses that offer carry-out and curbside services along 3rd and 4th streets. At 7pm, the #FacebookFirstFriday concert series will feature Kendal Conrad, Carlos Barata and myself. We will be performing 30 minute sets from our individual music pages at 7, 7:30 and 8pm respectively. Viewers are being asked to order dinner from one of the local restaurants, then enjoy the music. Everyone who “likes” and shares each video with #FacebookFirstFriday will be entered in a drawing to win a $100 gift card to a Southside business of their choice. Find out more about the event here https://www.facebook.com/southsideartsdistrict/

No Place For Hate 2020 – This concert will also take place tomorrow evening beginning at 7pm. The lineup includes Crys Matthews, George Hrab, Dave Fry, Rob Hinkle & Kristen Jones, Leah Marie Fuls, Karen & Amy Jones, Jenny Founds, Neil Grover, Emily Hall, Carter Lansing, Bronze for Birdy, Dave Deubler, Tom Cooney Music, Janene Otten, Jason Reif and host Not For Coltrane (Michael Duck). There is a link on the Facebook event page to contribute to this 20-year old initiative and all of the details can be found at https://www.facebook.com/NotForColtrane/

Chelsea Lyn Meyer – Live for Leather Corner Post – Chelsea will be going live at 7pm Saturday evening for the benefit of the employees effected by the Stay at Home order. Any money donated during her performance will go directly to the employees at Leather Corner Post. This is a great example of looking out for, and supporting, each other. We’ve all established relationships with people who work at the venues we perform at most frequently and, they are going through tough times just like we are. You can find more details here https://www.facebook.com/ChelseaLynMeyer/

#localmusic #livemusic #supportlocal #noplaceforhate2020 #facebookfirstfriday #notforcoltrane #chelsealynmeyer #leathercornerpost #VoV #voicesofthevalley #risingtidemusic

Resting Punk Face made their Lehigh Valley debut less than a year ago, in April 2019. It didn’t take them long to make their mark on the local music scene, winning Outstanding Punk Band earlier this month at the Lehigh Valley Music Awards. This is no small accomplishment considering there are a number of very good punk bands in the area. Of course, Resting Punk Face is not your typical “old school” punk rock band. They have their own unique style which really comes through on a couple of their original songs and they deliver a dynamic sound on many popular covers.

Being a member of a band has really been a lifelong dream of drummer and vocalist Dorothy Henderson. It wasn’t until she met bassist/vocalist Kizzy that her dream began to take shape. There was an immediate connection and, while learning to play the drums, they began to put the pieces together in 2018. Lead vocalist Cheryl joined guitarists/vocalists Chris and Tim and that dream would soon become a reality. But, there was more to it. It wasn’t just about covering The Dead Kennedys and The Ramones. Dorothy wanted to write and perform her own music as well.

As far as original music goes, theirs is definitely worth a listen. Zoociety and Johnny Ramone deliver that high-energy, get off your seat and on your feet style that you would expect from a punk band. Zoociety features a rock-solid guitar lick about 1:45 into the song that made it a personal favorite for me. But, there’s a unique style in two other originals that stand out. Manboy has a subtle Greenday influence while Maga Swamp has kind of a “reggae meets punk” feel to it. All four tracks have something different to offer, whether you’re a fan of punk or not.

There are several cover songs to listen to on Soundcloud or YouTube as well. They are all good but, their cover of Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill really stands out. Holiday in Cambodia by the Dead Kennedys is another excellent example of what the band can do. If you want a good feel for what they can do live, check out the YouTube video titled “Resting Punk Face 2.0 Clips”. Like the rest of us, they are in a “wait and see” mode and it’s anyone’s guess when we’ll be able to get out and support them at a live performance. In the meantime, let’s give them a little support on the internet. Listening to something new is a great way to fill the void that no live music has left. You can check them out at any and all of the links below. And, while you’re there, give their Facebook page a “like” and a share.

#localmusic #supportlocal #restingpunkface #punkrock #soundcloud #youtube #VoV #voicesofthevalley #valleyspotlight

http://www.resting-punk-face.epk.fm/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGFZneyPEsmmvGNm6AIV2gg

https://www.facebook.com/restingpunkface/