Ron Rogers and The Wailing Wind talk to Oregon Music News/video

Ron Rogers recently sat down with Oregon Music News to talk about his latest release "Ron Rogers and The Wailing Wind"





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Ron Rogers talks to DMM about his band The Wailing Wind and his Shrines to Dead Musicians..

 Ron Rogers Just released "Ron Rogers And The Wailing Wind" November 5th 2013. It has been two years since Rogers released "Country and Eastern" But for fans of Portland Oregon's very own Ron Rogers the wait is well worth it. For a limited time you can receive a free download of  "Real Time Religion" at Civil Defense Music . Digital Music Marketing had a chance to ask Rogers about the New release, His band and his very unique artwork. Thank you Ron for taking the time and sharing your experience with us."Ron Rogers and the Wailing Wind" is available now at all digital retail outlets and streaming radio.




DMM: When did you become aware that you had a strong gift for writing and storytelling?

RR: I've been writing songs since I first picked up the guitar at 16. when I was 20 I got in my first serious band and the other three guys liked and wanted to play my songs so I kept writing songs. I don't know that I thought of it as a "strong gift" but I thought it was cool to do it.

DMM: When it comes to your band  you say:

“the quartet has become tighter than a rusted lug nut and hotter than a habanero. “

 How did you come to find your current line up ?

RR: I had played in a short lived band with Chris Bond the drummer and Don Campbell, bass, and I had talked about playing together for 5 or 6 years before we finally did. Don and I were working up some songs on our first little get together and he said "what about steel guitar" ? I had been thinking about the same thing and I said"know any" ? He called Dave Grafe and Dave came over and it sounded good right from the start. Next time Chris came and that was it.

DMM: You are originally from Texas where you obviously get your Texas roadhouse, Blues and country influences. So why the move to Portland, Oregon?

RR: I'd been living in LA for 15 years and needed a change. I had been to Portland a couple times to play and always thought it was a cool place, similar to Austin. The music scene was very "alive" with venues and lots of musicians. Lots of artists and creative people live here. And great neighborhoods, unlike what I was used to.

DMM: What did you take away from your experience as a staff writer at Island records?

RR: Oh, Island, let's see. I guess I learned the way to get some where was relationships with people and you have to keep them interested in what you are doing. You can write good songs but getting them cut is another thing. If you are signed as an artist or writer you need an advocate pushing for you. People move around a lot in the business and sometimes your "guy" moves on. Things are different now but in some ways it's the same, you have to be very pro active to stay noticed.

DMM: When did you start recording in your own studio? Is there an upside or downside to this process for you?

RR: I have had my own studio since 1983. It's all upside for me. I don't care about the clock

DMM: When you are in the studio you have said that you like:

“ recording tape with the passion and inspiration of single-take performances, preferring mood and feeling to note-for-note perfection”

Is this because you like to keep it as close to a live experience as you can? or is it something else that you like about it?

RR: did I say that? I do like it when I show the guys a song and we cut it before they really know it. On the new album there are several that happened that way, first or second takes on the night I show 'em the song. In the end the feel of the take is most important to me.
As David Briggs used to say, "it's gotta have the spook".

DMM: Beyond Music, you are also a mixed media artists. Known for your Shrines to Dead Musicians. When did you start start creating this subject matter and how many have you created to date? 

RR :I have always painted on canvas, since my twenties. I did my first "Shrine" in 1996. I don't do it full time but I have probably done 400. It comes in waves. Writing songs is a lot easier for me.

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Latest Press Release: Ken Will Morton releases 7th solo effort "Slow Burn" January 21,2014

KEN WILL MORTON TO RELEASE 7th SOLO EFFORT, SLOW BURN. ON JANUARY 21, 2014, ON RARA AVIS RECORDS ATHENS, GA—November 11, 2013—Prolific Athens, GA- based singer/songwriter KEN WILL MORTON will release his 7th full-length recording entitled Slow Burn on January 21, 2014, on Rara Avis Records. While his last CD, Contenders, was a loose, acoustic recording that received rave reviews, Slow Burn reflects Morton’s propensity to rock and showcases his prowess on electric guitar and harmonica.   Players on the CD include:  Dean Johnston, drums; Tim Adams, bass; Scotty Nicholson, keyboards; Andrew Vickery, slide guitar; and John Keane, harmonies (track 6).  The 9 original songs were tracked at John Keane Studios and Chase Park Transductions.  They were mixed by Richard Salino at 1093 Boulevard and mastered by J.P. Pruett.   The cover art for the CD was created by local musician/artist Jack Logan. Morton consistently receives stellar press and is recognized for his distinctive voice and unique lyrical style.   His music has been praised by Relix, American Songwriter, Vintage Guitar Magazine, Performer Magazine, Georgia Music Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Maverick Magazine (UK) and more!  Morton’s song “Oh Lord” was prominently featured in the TV show The Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel.  “On My Feet Again” was used in the closing sequence of the indie film “Flight Of The Cardinal” (now on Netflix).   Most recently, his song “Devil In Me” was used in the HBO series, True Blood. Morton is an extremely engaging performer and has toured most parts of the U.S., opening for Todd Snider, Billy Joe Shaver, Tommy Stinson, Sugarland, & more.  He has toured Ireland, performed at South-by-Southwest, the Americana Music Festival, and more. Morton will be touring in Sweden in February of 2014 in support of the release of a “best of” compilation entitled Tell It To The Wind, which was released in Europe on Ball & Chain Records.  Additionally, Morton is already putting the finishing touches on yet another 15 recordings for a spring 2014 release. To hear music and see video go to http://www.kenwillmorton.com michelle@michelleroche.com 706-353-3244 360 University Circle | Athens, GA 30605 US

Guitar International interviews Wiser Time for their latest single XII and Learns more about Chuck Hammer's contribution with his signature "Guitarchitecture"

Wiser Time's latest single "XII" is now available at all digital retail outlets visit wisertimemusic.com to hear more

Chuck Hammer's Guitarchitecture Meets Wiser Time
By Deb Devi





How does a Jersey rocker with the kind of huge soulful voice possessed by only a royal few (think Paul Rodgers meets Chris Robinson) wind up creating trippy-yet-hooky, vintage-yet-futuristic, slammin’ rock-and-roll with seminal synth-guitarist Chuck Hammer (Bowie, Lou Reed)?

Not how you might think.

Although Hammer’s roots are in rock, what he wanted from Wiser Time singer and guitarist Carmen Sclafani initially was a bit–unusual.

“I invited Carmen into my studio to cut a couple tracks that required him to–on the spot–invent a vocal language,” Hammer explains. “I wanted something not in English. I wanted a kind of primitive, pre-language vocal. He did such a great job of layering his vocals in a completely invented language that I realized he was someone I wanted to collaborate with further.”

Hammer began expanding the guitar’s vocabulary when he toured with Lou Reed from 1978 to 1980, re-creating string parts from Berlin, Street Hassle and The Bells live with a Roland GR 500 guitar/synthesizer.  Back home in NYC, Hammer layered guitar and guitar-synth tracks to create “Guitarchitecture” instrumental works, like his Glacial Guitars album.

These caught David Bowie’s ear, who invited Hammer to record on Scary Monsters. Rolling Stone named him a guitar “pioneer,” in a select group with Robert Fripp and Allan Holdsworth. Today, Hammer is also an Emmy-nominated soundtrack composer for shows including Trauma: Life and Death in the E.R. and The First 48, and has collaborated with avant-garde artists like Laurie Anderson.

Sclafani’s classic-rock band, Wiser Time, had already released three fine albums of ‘70s-influenced rock–There and Back Again, All for One and Beggars and Thieves—when he met Hammer at a jam session. Once Hammer heard Sclafani’s latest songs, the two found common ground in a mutual desire to love and honor the rockness inherent in cranking guitars through vintage tube amps–yet nudge it into the future.

They co-produced Wiser Time’s new EP, XII, which flows without pause from the swirling instrumental “Renaissance” to Sclafani’s righteous rock anthem “Gonna Be Alright.” Former Gov’t Mule/Black Crowes bassist Andy Hess and drummer Steve Decker laid down thick grooves, and keyboardist Rob Clores (Black Crowes, Warren Haynes) added Hammond B-3 organ and bluesy piano. Sclafani’s Wiser Time partner, Jimmy Somma of Sommatone Amplification, contributed blues-rock leads, plus the pick of his sweet boutique amps.

“There’s a real sense of rebirth happening right now that I wanted to express on XII,” Sclafani notes. “We’ve all had to persevere through so much adversity over the last ten years, and I think many people are embracing the idea of ‘moving forward’ in a more positive direction. It’s gonna be alright!”

“I think people can clearly hear my rock ‘n’ roll roots in the flow of my first three albums,” Sclafani adds, “and with XII, Chuck brought Wiser Time’s classic sound into a more modern place with technology and the influence of his creative process. This EP is just a taste of what we've’ve got cooking!”

More tracks are in the works, including some with drummer Billy Martin of Martin, Medeski & Wood. These are some exciting collaborations with the potential to refresh and revitalize the guitar’s role in rock, so Guitar International had a few questions for Hammer and Sclafani.

For the Full interview visit  Guitar International

Learn more about writer Deb Devi the author of  "The Language of The Blues" Here.

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Catching up with New Noise Music Festival Founder Jeff Theimer and celebrating the festivals 5th year anniversary!

This October Digital Music Marketing was involved as a first time sponsor on the Santa Barbara New Noise Music Festival. The festival is now in it's fifth year of operation and continues to grow. We recently got a chance to catch up with founder and fearless leader Jeff Theimer and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for us. Here is what he had to say.


DMM:  How did the New Noise Music Foundation form and who was involved?

Jeff:  NNMF formed in 2009. I was working in radio marketing in Los Angeles and had this bug to get back to Santa Barbara where I grew up. I loved music and digital technology and was an avid SXSW attendee. I was interested in exploring where the music industry was headed and how we could affect positive change for artists.

After going to SXSW for 3 consecutive years, I realized there was room for something like it in Santa Barbara-- perhaps a bit smaller. : ) I reached out to a friend who worked at the local Alternative Weekly paper (Matt Kettman, Santa Barbara Independent) and asked if this sounded like something he and the paper would/could get behind. He told me they had discussed something similar but never got it going and suggested I meet another friend (Tim Boris) who was also discussing having a music industry type event in SB. Together we formed the Festival and then the Foundation as a way to keep both the New Noise brand active throughout the year and to explore things we were interested in and thought important to the Santa Barbara music and tech scene. The Foundation is an avenue for us to do fun things with youth music, local music and bring a diverse group of concerts to Santa Barbara. At the time, there was only a couple promoters/groups doing concerts. Our main goal is to see SB artists succeed and try our best to help them by creating opportunities within and outside of Santa Barbara.

DMM: The New Noise Music Conference & Festival celebrates its 5th anniversary this year (Congratulations!)  Can you tell us about some takeaways learned from the past and how the event has evolved over the last 5 years?

Jeff: I think the longevity comes from not trying to "hit a single and wake up on third." What I mean is we started New Noise with very little money (and it still operates on a beer budget). We've always had that 'let's see if we can pull it off again next year' attitude. I think that organic growth is healthy. We have never had a ton of big corporate sponsors, so that has made us lean and thankful for what we can do with relatively little. The basic format has remained the same, but we have added a few things like our annual Block Party which definitely is going to be a big part of our future growth. We are also evolving in that I am trying to actively get local clubs to join in with their own events/parties/bookings rather than just trying to do it all on our own. I think that will also add to the festivities and this is the first year I felt we were turning the corner on that type of participation. It felt really good. I also believe this year we had more people taking advantage of purchasing our badge (where you can go in and out of venues for three days). That definitely has been something we actively try to encourage and I think the concept is finally kicking in for our participants. Year one we sold a lot more single event tickets. I think our brand has really grown and people know we aren't going to put just anything on our stages during the festival. We care. We listen.

DMM: What is the future of New Noise? 

Jeff: Keep partnering with other organizations and businesses. Keep growing and hopefully continue bringing new music that people dig to Santa Barbara. I hope to partner with the Santa Barbara Bowl more in the coming years so we can have that amazing venue play a bigger role in our event. That is something I definitely want to try n make happen. It's by far one of the best venues in the country so it just makes sense right? As Joe Strummer said, "The Future is Unwritten." As long as it's fun and their is an audience, we will keep rocking.

DMM:  The “Living Room” is an all ages Drug and alcohol free environment for young artists to have a platform to express themselves. What got you started on this journey to help give young artists a 300+ capacity venue to call home? 

Jeff: We have been through a ton of issues with trying to reopen the Living Room. Unfortunately, real estate is expensive in Santa Barbara so finding the right space in the right location has been a challenge. That said, I think it will happen eventually. I grew  up in SB in the 80's & 90's. the Living Room opened and we had a 300 capacity all ages venue that had some of my favorite bands would play, and then we could perform there easily the next week and even take part in the club decisions if you cared enough to sit in on the meetings and participate. That was a WOW moment for me (and a ton of people to this day). Without it, I would never have been inspired to be in a band, explore what I could do around the music industry etc. That is why I care so much and want to see it open. We do a ton of youth music concerts and events throughout the year, but having a dedicated space that can host both nationally touring artists as well as locals without having to rely solely on alcohol sales would be a coup for this town. It would also serve as a hub for creative arts. I really think with all the great music and arts organizations in town, we will get it eventually. The vision and will is there. Patience I suppose....

DMM: What have been some of the challenges associated with providing an all ages event in Santa Barbara? Also what is the rewarding upside to such events? 

Jeff: The challenges are simple: they cost more to produce then they can bring in at the gate. The economics of producing concerts on a small scale is not great. I do not suggest anyone to become an independent promoter (for a full time job). Do it for the passion. All ages shows essential in my opinion to a music scene. That said, Bars/clubs need alcohol revenue to pay their high rents, so what happens is they either are forced to charge some ridiculous rent to the promoter or simply decline even a sold out all ages show on a weekend (when kids need something to do) because they know they won't make any money even with 300 kids in the house. It's lame. It's honestly probably one of the main reasons New Noise is non profit- we have hosted hundreds of all ages events over the past 5 years. A lot of them we did knowing we weren't going to make our money back. Sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is, so we try to whenever we can.

When it's a youth oriented show, the reward is easy. How can you NOT dig seeing kids who are barely 12 years old ripping a Zeppelin song by the Skate Park??

Another reward is a more diverse set of local artists, better shows and the growth of a music scene. Muddy Waters Cafe should be given an award for all they have done in Santa Barbara for our SB music scene and artists. Without it, I think SB would be a wasteland for new music. We definitely need more all ages opportunities and that is what New Noise will continue to support. Whether it's our show or not. That is rewarding- just being in Santa Barbara and getting to work with all these talented people and bands.


Thank you to Jeff and his whole crew for an excellent time in Santa Barbara! If you would like to learn more about The New Noise Music conference and festival you can vist them @ NewNoise.org Next event for The New Noise music festival is coming up this December.

Friday December 6, 2013
Seymour Duncans 3rd Annual Benefit Concert For Notes For Notes
The Lobero Theatre
Featuring Jimmy Vivino,The Basic Cable Band,Slash and the Robert Randolph Band

Clip from this years Festival





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Digital Music Marketing Signed to Distribute Jumpsuit Records

 Digital Music Marketing is happy to announce the addition of Jumpsuit Records to our Digital Distribution Family. Formed by The Polish Ambassador, Jumpsuit Records is a platform for artists to release music, collaborate and tour internationally. The label will shine a light on melodic mid-tempo, organic hip hop, textured electronica, and acoustic roots music.

Wildlight is the first act featured on The Polish Ambassador’s imprint Jumpsuit Records. Look for this duo on tour this fall.

Jumpsuit Records is proud to announce saQi as the newest member of our roster and present the title track to his upcoming album, "Quest's End".