Guns Or Butter - Digivegas 114

My guest this week is one of the most active bands I have ever met, Hot Buttered Rum, from San Francisco, CA. Erik Yates joins me to discuss the many activities and causes the band is involved in beyond their music. Hot Buttered Rum makes no separation between their music and their activism. They unapologetically undergird their shows with songs about social equality, environmental responsibility, and political change, and then back it up by touring in a biofueled bus and donating their time to service work at schools, Native American reservations, and political fundraisers.

Oh yeah, then there's the music too. It's a blend of American styles—folk, rock, jazz, and newgrass. It's great stuff! Check it out on episode 114 of DigiVegas.

You can download the show's MP3 FILE here.

You can find the band at www.hotbutteredrum.net and at www.myspace.com/hotbutteredrum

You can buy their music at and at Amazon.com:

DigiVegas 113 - The Silentreatment

My guest this week is from Wilkes-Barre PA, The Silentreatment. Blending radio-friendly rock rhythms with the band’s own mixture of harder melodies and fluent chord progressions, The Silentreatment combines its old school rock and metal influences with a modern pop approach to deliver a fresh, unique version of edgy, sexy rock.

Listen to episode 113 of DigiVegas to hear tracks off their debut CD: Sinful Acts Of Audio.

Download the show's MP3 FILE here.

Check out their WEB SITE or their MYSPACE PAGE

You can buy Sinful Acts of Audio at amazon.com and:

DigiVegas 112 - Donna Lewis

My guest this week is Donna Lewis. You might remember her and her big hit in 1996, I Love You, Always Forever. It became an instant global phenomenon, climbing to the top of the charts in countries around the world. In the USA, it re-wrote the record books at radio by exceeding 1 million 'spins' to claim its place in music industry history as the most-played single ever, at that time. As well as on her own material, Donna's voice has also been heard on a series of other hits. She featured on Fox Films' soundtrack for Anastasia - an album that was certified gold in the USA - with the song At The Beginning.

In 1999 she decided to take a big break in order catch up on her own life. What has she been doing with herself lately? While on "hiatus" she collaborated with various other artists and in 2002 Donna released an intimate, unplugged style CD Be Still, available to her fans exclusively through her web site. In late 2007 Donna released her new Indie Album In The Pink, then released it in the US in Early 2008.

Listen to episode 112 of DigiVegas to hear more of her so-called "rest", as well as tracks off of Be Still and In The Pink.

You can download the interview's MP3 FILE here.

You can go to www.digivegas.com to stream it.

All of Donna's music is available at

Donna's Music is also available at amazon.com

Now in a Minute Blue Planet In the Pink

DigiVegas 111 - The States

Joining me this week is Brooklyn based Indie rockers The States. The States's razor-edged political rock has the uncanny ability to simultaneously sound like Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, and the front page of the New York Times. Their inventive songwriting has been featured on ESPN, VH1, and MTV, and it has also made them Winners in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition ("All the Salt in the Sea") and Grand Prize Winners in the 2007 John Lennon Songwriting Contest ("Black Jack"). The band's latest release, 2007's The Path of Least Resistance, spent 6 straight weeks on the CMJ Top 200. The States recently opened for Candlebox at Summerfest 2008 in Milwaukee, and they are currently working on their 3rd album with producer Chris Grainger (Wilco, Switchfoot).

Download the interview's MP3 FILE here.

You can go to www.digivegas.com to stream it.

You can find The States at their WEB SITE or their MYSPACE PAGE

Path Of Least Resistance is available at

DigiVegas 110 - Carrie Rodriguez

My guest this week is Carrie Rodriguez. Originally from Austin, TX, now living in Brooklyn, NY, she began playing violin at the age of 5 simply to avoid taking naps. She has since graduated from the Berklee College of Music, and has travelled the world as a hired hand, and fronting her own band. She opened for Lucinda Williams earlier this year, and is scheduled to appear on Austin City Limits in late October, 2008. Listen to episode 110 of DigiVegas to hear tracks off her latest CD She Ain't Me.

Download the show's MP3 FILE here.

You can find Carrie at her WEB SITE or her MYSPACE PAGE.

You can find her music on

and at amazon.com She Ain't Me Seven Angels on a Bicycle

and some cd's with her and Chip Taylor

The Trouble With Humans Red Dog Tracks

Live from the Ruhr Triennale Angel of the Morning