Rock

Frisco Unplugged!

Liz Webb
Guitarists Russ Israel (L) and Ben Mazur (R)

Guitarists Russ Israel (L) and Ben Mazur (R)

Fresh off their three-show run at Main Street’s Home Grown Café, Newark-based band Frisco stopped by The Music Room to chat with Mandorichard and perform some original, acoustic music. Frisco consists of UD students Ben Mazur (guitar, vocals), Russ Israel (guitar, vocals, drums), Will Lescas (bass, vocals), and Matt Beer (drums, vocals, guitar). Drawing influence from both psychedelic rock and R&B, Frisco creates their own unique sound, in turn establishing a genre that they like to call “shake the booty.”

Frisco

Matt goes horizontal

In addition to their in-studio shenanigans, the band discusses their initial formation, artists that inspire them, and their future plans. Currently, Frisco is in the process of recording, mixing, and mastering their music at a local studio. To hear a preview of their upcoming album, check out the band’s first single, “Wonder.”

Bassist Will Lescas and drummer Matt Beer

 

 

Listen to the interview below to learn more about the members of Frisco and to hear their live performance of four original songs (we dare you not to dance along).

 

 

The Interview

Frisco, Host: Mandorichard, Recorded live on WVUD March 22, 2016.
30:00
28.8MB

The Music

Artist Song Source
Frisco Lists WVUD Session, March 22, 2016
Frisco It’s Alright WVUD Session, March 22, 2016
Frisco Going Crazy WVUD Session, March 22, 2016
Frisco Wonder WVUD Session, March 22, 2016

Jessica Graae

Sarah
Jessica Graae

Jessica Graae

Today on the Music Room, we talked to Jessica Graae, a folk singer and songwriter whose latest album, Sea Dream, was released November 2015, and who performed its song “Sea’s Siren” on December 5, 2015, at the World Café in Philadelphia, PA. Operating from Philadelphia along the Eastern coast from Maryland to New York City, she has won 6 2013 WSTW Hometown Hero Homey Awards nominations, the 2013 Philadelphia Folk Factory contest, and placed as a finalist in the 2012 and 2014 Delmarva Folk Hero contests.

Her guitar music juxtaposes the dark, haunting, and even psychedelic with the lyrical and wistful, with similarities to the work of Jill Andrews, Sarah McLachlan, and Sufjan Stevens. Her singing voice, described as “angelic,” also bears resemblance to that of Joni Mitchell.

After all, Jessica Graae has an extensive singing career in classical music ranging from opera to musical theater and sacred music, and has offered vocal lessons for over 20 years to singers of all levels and styles, including actors. She is a member of the NATS (National Association for Teachers of Singing), and also performed the song “Wait by the Water” for the 2013 independent film “Yes, Your Tide is Cold and Dark, Sir“.

Jessica Graae and Mandorichard

Jessica Graae and Mandorichard

For a chance to hear her music, click on the link below for her radio performance here at WVUD, and for a live performance, she will be performing on Saturday 12/19 at 7pm at the Bus Stop Music Café, Pitman NJ, and Sunday 12/20 at 7pm at Andrea Clearfield Salon, Philadelphia, PA.

The Interview

Coming soon!

The Music

Artist / Song / Source and Notes
Jessica Graae / Sea Siren / Live performance at WVUD, 12/15/15
Jessica Graae / Tomb in the Sea / Live performance at WVUD, 12/15/15
Jessica Graae / Wait by the Water / Live performance at WVUD, 12/15/15

Lowell Levinger: Banana still has appeal!

Richard Gordon

Lowell Levinger playing at the QueCumBar French Cafe in London, England. 11/1/15If you want to have a good time, listen to the podcast of this interview!

The host, Mandorichard, reports:

When I was in high school and college, one of my favorite LPs was The Youngblood’s Elephant Mountain. I about wore that LP out and loved just about everything they put out in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. I was especially intrigued by the keyboardist whom we all knew as Banana. But digging around on the liner notes from those Youngblood LPs, I came to realize that except for the bass and drums, whatever the instrument, this Banana guy was the one playing it.

What a pleasure to find that Lowell Levinger, aka Banana, is still making great music today. He was very gracious and witty. We had as much fun chatting off the air as on!

According to Lowell’s website, “he sings Americana songs from bluegrass to country blues to old R&B classics that swing while they tell stories. He plays an Italian 5 string tenor guitar tuned in fifths with a unique style and sound.”

Album CoverListen to the podcast linked below and you’ll hear Lowell telling some great stories about the old days and his current musical life and some great examples of his music.

Listen to the Interview

Lowell Levinger
31:34
29.3 MB

The Music

Artist Song Album or Source Year Notes
Lowell Levinger Get Together Get Together – Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics 2015 Excerpt in podcast
Lowell Levinger Bound to Lose (with David Thom and Dan Booth) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDL-qK0mFm8 2010 Excerpt in podcast
The Youngbloods Hippie from Olema No. 5 Good and Dusty 1971  
Grandpa Banana Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me Even Grandpas get the Blues 2012  
Lowell Levinger Grizzly Bear (with Jesse Colin Young) Get Together – Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics 2015  
Lowell Levinger On Sir Francis Drake Get Together – Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics 2015  

Note: The podcast contains excerpts from two songs we played before the interview began.

Photo: Lowell Levinger playing at the QueCumBar French Cafe in London, England. 11/1/15. From www.lowelllevinger.com