About a year ago, Kenny introduced me to a great artist/storyteller/musician, Karen Stever. I have listened to her music and realized that her music comes from deep down in her soul. Her music is her outlet for so much introspection into her life. Her 2 albums are absolutely wonderful. She has worked with her co-producer Frank Gryner, who has worked with Rob Zombie and Tommy Lee. Her 2 albums are Playground Isolator which covers the topic of depression and Idiot Savant which is a rock/orchestral concept record about a nine-year-old Savant from the 1930s.
http://localmusicplay.com/main/7075/
"Funeral Mute"
"While working on her album Playground Isolator she hit a place where she began to have fun with words again on the song "Funeral Mute". Its not to say she wasn't creative during that record, its just that creativity was normally spawned from severe hurt and fuelled by a need to get some things off of her chest. She was deeply depressed and coming off of bad cycle in her world. "Funeral Mute" was a place where she could shut things out and have some sarcastic fun with her pain. As it turns out, she was not alone in her agony. There were thousands like her who were drowning in depression. They were misery loving company, but they helped each other survive"
http://localmusicplay.com/main/645/
"Juggernaut"
This is one of my favorite songs of hers. Crank it up loud when you listen to it. "Her hope with her album Idiot Savant is to inspire others to Thrive. She picked a character who she thinks most of us can relate to which was a 9 year old boy named Ian. Ian has talent with no outlet. Ian's childhood was robbed. Ian has a special connection with animals, Ian sees things that others don't. Ian is a Savant in an ignorant world where they view him as an idiot. He has good mentors and bad teachers. She set it in the 1930s because she loves that era but believes it set some very bad patterns that are still present today. This makes the title of the record actually timely, not archaic or politically correct"
The 12 songs on Idiot Savant represent moments from the chapters of the book she is also writing by the same name. It chronicles this pattern of childhood innocence trying its damnedest to get back to the spirit of play again. Her hope is not to have some trendy viral event, but a solid life-changing experience where we reunite with who we really are and get back to the things we are passionate about.
http://localmusicplay.com/main/7035/
Playlist from Idiot Savant
This playlist has a couple of the songs from the album, but also has some interviews with Karen Stever so you can kind of get to know her. It is very interesting to be able to hear her speak and to be able to get a glimpse of her creativity that comes from way down deep in her soul. In her bio, she says "She absolutely cannot accept that living in Hell was the original intention for us".
Follow her:
http://www.karenstever.com/
twitter @KARENSTEVER
facebook @KarenStever
Thanks for following me on this musical journey! We will see what comes next. Don't forget to download our app at https://localmusicplay.appsme.com
Beth
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These guys were new to us. We got to experience their set full of heavy metal and crowd interaction. They are a local band out of Asheville, NC. The bass player even came down into the crowd with the fans, went up to the bar and even went outside to get everyone to come inside, all the while still jamming with the band. Their sounds are real tight and the vocals are very heavy. It was great to discover another new band. Check them out!
These guys brought the house down. It was great to discover their music. They have just joined Wednesday 13 and One-Eyed Doll for the remainder of this tour. Band members include : Lindy Gabriel: Vocals, Jake LaCore: Guitar, Zach Williams: Drums,
