The Edgy but Charming Sasha Mercedes

by Doug MacRostie

I would say that Sasha Mercedes was born to play music. Her style and intimate songwriting combined with her honest lyrics and passionate vocals, come across in a natural, powerful way. Sasha joins me in-studio this week on Centerstage MN to talk about her new record "Temporary Monsters", her first album backed by a full band.

Daughter of Dan "Bart" Bartik of Backroad, a legendary blues band from Grand Rapids, Sasha was born in a cabin in the middle of the Northern MN woods. Her passion for music has taken her all over the world; from going to Prague to become a rockstar, to teaching music in Macedonia, to dominating all 3 bars in Bayfield, WI.

Her songs sometimes cover serious, taboo topics and I asked Sasha about what inspires her, "I want to be able to write something that people can relate to. I’m just tired of listening to all this pop radio where they’re filling lyrical lines with ‘la la las’ or whatever, just taking all these short cuts. Songwriting is not about shortcuts. It’s about taking a story and putting it to music and people listening to it and being able to relate and enjoy it. I write 95% from personal experience."

Click here to see a video preview of her performing at the KAXE Studios.

In other news, a Bemidji hip-hop group was brought to my attention this week and we'll hear the latest track from Aurora Borialis the North Stars followed by Big Quarters, two brothers who spent some of their youth in Clearbrook, now operating out of the Twin Cities.

Plus, a preview of next week's hour long special! I went to see Two Many Banjos perform at Terrapin Station in Nevis and recorded an interview with Marc Gartman. We'll hear that conversation next week, along with highlights from their concert. And I'll start with the wonderful surprise of the evening: Colleen Myhre from Mahtowa. She is an excellent singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice. [Read more about that evening here].

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org. 

Video Preview: Sasha Mercedes on Centerstage MN

Sasha Mercedes is an edgy but charming singer-songwriter from Northern MN, operating out of the Twin Cities. In this preview, she performs the unreleased song "Get Lucky" before recording an interview for Centerstage MN on 91.7 KAXE. Tune in for the full conversation about her new album "Temporary Monsters" this Thursday night (Feb. 24th, 2011) at 6pm, streaming at http://www.kaxe.org.

More info:
Centerstage MN: http://www.kaxe.org
Sasha Mercedes: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sasha-M...

VIDEO: Matt Ray with 'Georgia Buck'

Matt Ray and his banjo performing on Centerstage MN on 91.7 KAXE.

It's not too often that the debut release from a band is a double CD, but Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses aren't typical. Complete with washtub bass, harmonica, washboard, spoons, guitar, fiddle and banjo, these guys are a high energy string band from the Iron Range playing roots, Americana, and old time music with a modern twist. Matt Ray joined us talk about the new album "Then and Now". The first CD, "Then", is a collection of traditional tunes they reworked for modern times. Songs that defined their time and built the foundation of the music we hear today. The second CD, "Now", is all original tunes with that same throw-back style under contemporary currents. Read more: http://kaxeblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/...

More info:
Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Ra...
KAXE: http://www.kaxe.org

Video: Mary LaPlant Performing In-Studio

How perfect that Mary played "Somewhere over the Rainbow" at our studios in Grand Rapids :)

Read more about Mary's visit on Centerstage MN.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org. 

Mary LaPlant, Welcome Back to Centerstage MN

by Doug MacRostie

I could sit and talk with Mary LaPlant all day; she's one of those positive people that is just fun to be around. Classically trained on the violin, Mary is a 3 Time MN State Fiddle Champion with 2 albums out, Serenity & Out of Nowhere. Her style is lyrical and sure.  While Mary clearly loves music, her concern for the environment was stronger and she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Minor in Music. With the sounds of the woods and birds recorded and mixed into her albums, you can close your eyes and picture her sitting high in a tree playing music with the wilderness. Mary says, "When I'm playing violin and when I'm in the forest, time stands still and I am fully alive". She'll perform in-studio for us and we'll talk about her music this week on Centerstage MN.

And Mary will be joining The Itasca Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Keith Swanson to open the season with an overture, concerto and a symphony on Saturday, November 20, 7:30 pm at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids. Part of the program will feature soloists Kristine Arntson and Mary LaPlant.

We'll have a set of Hip-Hop style MN music too with Brother Ali, Dalia and Mayda. And a set representing Northern MN including a song from the forthcoming release from the high energy Iron Range string band Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses, called "Then & Now".

Next week I welcome back Big Walter Smith, and we'll hear another song from his new CD "Royal Blue Cadillac."

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.