The Beautiful and Lonely Courtney Yasmineh

by Doug MacRostie

While dreams of being a rockstar and performing around the world are in the hearts and minds of many aspiring songwriters, the reality of the music industry can be a cold, hard place. Through hard work and dedication Courtney Yasmineh has taken her music not only all over the U.S., but around the world and her latest release, "Beautiful Lonely" has taken her revealing and emotional songwriting in more of a rock direction sonically with highlights of pop, and she'll be joining me in-studio to talk about it on Centerstage MN - plus, she'll have her guitar along for some live music.

Having started playing guitar at the age of 8, Courtney Yasmineh releases music on her own label, "Stupid Bitch Records" and she does all her own management and promotion. This hands on approach may be too time consuming and hectic for some, but Courtney embraces it and puts in her all. As she describes in on her website, "I used to be a person, and when I was a person I liked nature, reading and writing, romance and friendship. Now I'm a musician and I am consumed by my musician-ness. When I come up for air, I hope a person I will again be."

I'll be starting the show with another song of Janiva Magness's "The Devil is an Angel Too," an outstanding album of blues/R&B with enough emotion to make Oscar the Grouch weep. It's on the top of my list to contact her label to get her back on the show to talk about this new CD. We'll also hear from The Hold Steady's new CD "Heaven is Whenever." A national act out of Brooklyn, they were formed by Craig Finn and Tad Kubler, the former members of 1990s Minneapolis band Lifter Puller. This new album is a rockin' homage to the classic rock of their youth dancing on the edge of the mainstream. Plus some High Bongo from Grand Rapids and Trampled by Turtles from Duluth.

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 Pioneer 90.1 in Thief River Falls, Saturday nights at 11pm KFAI at 90.3 FM Minneapolis & 106.7 FM St. Paul Tuesday nights between 8 and 10pm.