“What am I to build, if my hands are broken, if I’m not the chosen one?” sings Steven McKellar of Civil Twilight on “Story of An Immigrant”, over a lush, dynamic beat that evokes the sounds of his native South Africa while steeped in the band’s everevolving present. The foursome (Steven, his brother and guitarist Andrew, drummer Richard Wouters and Kevin Dailey on keys and guitar) are living proof of what happens when you stop worrying about being the chosen one and make music built on both the roots that grew you and the love that keeps you thriving every day. Civil Twilight’s songs embrace every corner of human emotion, balancing delicate, poetic lyrics with sweeping arrangements that touch all the senses: a phrase to make you think; a rolling drumbeat you can feel in your bones; a guitar vamp as illustrative as a picture; a shimmer of keys whose light can nearly be seen and heard. Produced by Ben H. Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Bombay Bicycle Club, Cut Copy), their third record on Wind-Up is built on this vibrancy, on the permanent dust of a Cape Town youth; on the connection that unites them all as brothers beyond blood and on their new home in America where they pull from the innate, thriving musicianship of Nashville, where they live. When you listen to Civil Twilight, from their self-titled debut, to 2012’s widely lauded Holy Weather to now, it’s easy to understand why the band has topped five million YouTube views and reached historic success with film and television syncs – because it’s music you can’t shake, that translates experience into moments and creates melodies that become imbedded deep under the skin. We’re all immigrants, in some way, and Civil Twilight’s singing our national anthem.

Multi-Grammy winning Gospel group. New album "I'll Find A Way" Out October 1, 2013!

Hey gang, I'm Don "Buddy" Blackburn!  I'm a professional percussionist, songwriter, instructor, and author of four drum set instruction books entitled, "Fill the Beat," "So You Want To Be A Rock Drummer," "The Circle of Drums," and "The Percussionist's Toolbox," which I promote and sell on Amazon.com Kindle eBooks.  I've been a member of the music community now for over forty years, and have had the opportunity to play, and/or work with, some of the finest musicians in the industry, including Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, Wally "Gator" Watson of The Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Dr. Mike Beheimmer, Yamaha Organ's "Organist of the Year," in 1979, and Mike Kinnard of The Imperials.  Recently, I've been involved in a world-wide internet collaboration with a new band called Black Adder, which just released its first single entitled, "Killer Dance."  I also just completed the drum track to a new song from an amazing young artist named Ivana Fisher from Austria.  It's a blast being part of the new internet music revolution, and I hope that you enjoy my site!  If you would like to contact me, I can be reached at email:  donbuddyblackburn@gmail.com, or by phone at:  (812) 664-1120 (USA).  My best always, Don "Buddy" Blackburn.

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