Sparkle Stories Original Audio Series.  Creating fresh audio each week for children around the world.

'Somebody's Beloved' ft. Bipolar Sunshine out 10/15. Pre-save now: https://milck.lnk.to/SomebodysBeloved 

For Los Angeles-based singer and multi-instrumentalist MILCK, music is a sanctuary. In her words, “Music is the one place where I can simply be me. When I’m singing my lyrics, I don’t have to be feminine enough, strong enough, American enough, or Asian enough—I can just be a soul that yearns to feel free.” 

MILCK’s life took a 180 degree turn after a cell phone video of her performing her song “Quiet” with a choir of 25 strangers at the 2017 Women’s March went viral. Soon it was being echoed and interpreted by groups around the world, from the US to Sweden to Ghana. “Quiet” was named Billboard’s #1 protest song of the year and earned distinction as part of NPR’s “American Anthem” series. And in 2018, it brought MILCK to the March’s main stage in New York City, where she performed alongside the legendary Yoko Ono. 

Having “cemented her status as one of music’s voices for the women’s movement,” MILCK continues to use music as a means to work towards social justice. Written amidst protests for Black Lives Matter, MILCK’s timely and poignant new song “Somebody’s Beloved” (Ft. Bipolar Sunshine) chronicles the life-shattering effects of systemic racism in America. In partnership with writer/director, Tom Shadyac and his Tennessee-based non-profit, One Family Memphis Foundation, MILCK has created a deeply moving narrative video that will arrive alongside the song on October 15th.

“The California Honeydrops...evoke the greasy rumble of Booker T and channel the spiritual ecstasy of Sly and the Family Stone.” -Rolling Stone

Formed in the subway systems of Oakland, retro-soul outfit The California Honeydrops are an electrifying group that defy convention at every turn. They’ve become a mainstay at festivals including Byron Bay Bluesfest (Australia), Outside Lands, Monterey Jazz, Lightning In A Bottle, and touring with B.B. King, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, and Allen Toussaint. Led by the enigmatic and energetic frontman, Lech Wierzynski, and drummer Benjamin Malament, each member of the band is a virtuoso in their own rite — Yanos “Johnny Bones” Lustig on saxophone, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards/guitar, Beaumont Beaullieu on bass, and regularly accompanied by Oliver Tuttle on trombone, Leon Cotter on saxophone/clarinet, and Miles Lyons on trombone/sousaphone — navigating through a vast repertoire of original songs and timeless classics every night. But what truly sets them apart is their unwavering commitment to the art of improvisation - a skill so finely honed that they have completely abandoned the use of set lists and no two shows are ever the same. Off stage, their music has been streamed more than 200 million times, and placed in a variety of TV and films, including “Dead To Me,” “Alaska Daily,” “Black-ish” and more. They are currently touring North America in support of their new deluxe album, 'Soft Spot'.

https://ineffable.to/softspotdeluxe
 

The Honeydrops have come a long way since guitarist and trumpeter Lech Wierzynkski and drummer Ben Malament started busking in an Oakland BART station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, street-level feel. With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury on bass, they’ve built a powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski’s vocals.

 

Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later at Oberlin College and on the club circuit in Oakland, California. Bringing all those influences together with the rest of the band’s diverse experiences into a unified musical vision, the California Honeydrops expect to play parties for a long time.

 

 Discography:

    Like You Mean It (2013)
     Honeydrops Live (2012)
    Spreadin' Honey (2010)
    Soul Tub (2008)

There's nothing to say when the music is so good! 

But if we must then let's mention that London native, Eric Monkhouse, sure knows how to hold space for a kick ass experience. His choice selections and seamless mixing inspire only one direction - DEEP DOWN - towards the intimacy and longing of shared connection.  We've all felt it - those exquisite moments, when we close our eyes and throw our arms up in sheer joy and appreciation.  

Eric has a knack of prolonging those moments in a series of waves which wash over our bodies and psyches.  It's a home coming of sorts - that warm, spacious, womb like familiarity of the kick drum of our mother's heartbeat.  Drawing from a wide base of culturally diverse music, he'll use rhythms and warm bass frequencies to reconnect to our ancestral roots - when there was only a simple circle, fire and night sky.  Turn up to his gigs ready to feel grounded, centered and liberated. 

At the end and If the setting is appropriate, he loves allowing people to rest where they are and walk around wafting sounds of the didgeridoo.  Primal ear and heart medicine!

www.ericmonkhouse.com

this is brain storm storage.  everything is a work in progress

mourningdove is following