A group of longtime area residents has teamed up to re-record and release a very timely music video for a song called The New Depression Blues, which we present for your amusement below:

Here’s a note from Co-Writer, Musician and video Director Beau Robinson:

Originally written by Carl Larson and Pat Robinson in 1971, The New Depression Blues was rewritten in 1982 following the recession that gripped the country then, when the unemployment rate crested at 9% and the famous billboard went up asking the ‘last person to leave seattle’ to turn out the lights.

Now that the economy is faltering again, “Country Carl,” who grew up in the Standring Lane area of Burien, and Pat and Beau, who lived in White Center, decided to resurrect The New Depression Blues and shoot a video to accompany it.

Shot in High Definition video in the actual Maple Valley trailer park that “Country Carl” lives in today, the trio figured it was an appropriate set to exemplify the state of mind of the people of this nation.

The song includes a plea to President Obama, along with a promise to vote for him again if he does well.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Here are the lyrics if you feel like singin’ along:

My jeans are wearin thin
My pockets wearin through
I aint had a paycheck
Since they’ve closed the factory too

I got the new..I got the New Depression Blues
And things aint been this bad here since 1932

The unemployment office,
they pay my salary
but when my checks stopped coming
You know I just can’t live for free
I got the new..I got the New Depression Blues
and things aint been this bad here.since 1932

(Instr.)

Now they bailed out the big banks
And motor city too
They foreclosed on my house
and my trailer rent is overdue
I don’t know how they figure
That a man’s supposed to live
When they’ve taken just bout everything
He could ever give
I got the new.I got the new depression blues
and things aint been this bad heresince 1932

So lets ask President Obama
have some mercy on us too
get this country back in shape
we’ll vote you back in Oh One Two

I got the new..I got the new depression blues
And things aint been this bad here since 1932.

Copyright © 2009 Robinson, Larson, Robinson

More info at the “Nickel Records” website.

The Seattle Weekly has an interesting story on how Normandy Park resident Eddie Rodriguez and his band, Los Volcanes, ended up recording the song “Red, Red Wine” for pop legend Neil Diamond.

And this Friday (Feb. 6th), Eddie and his band will be playing it at a tribute to Diamond in LA. Other bands on the bill include Coldplay, Foo Fighters, and Tim McGraw, among others

Read the full story here.

Here’s a video we found of Los Volcanes on MySpace:

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=41547935

12/20/08 UPDATE: This performance has been POSTPONED until Sunday, Dec. 28th at 10am!

Crosspointe Christian Presents “A Christmas Trilogy,” which is a blend of music, dance and scripture on Saturday, Dec. 20th at 2pm at Crosspointe Church, located at 1807 S. 223rd Street in Des Moines (map below).

This production is directed by Sarah Edwards-Strode, and will feature live musicians from Crosspointe Christian’s Worship Team, as well as local dancers from Burien’s New City Dance Company:

• Marina Davies
• Sarah Edwards-Strode
• Jordan Kimmel
• Maren Sherwood

Admission is free, with a $5 suggested donation to benefit Pastor Paul Kwon’s fund (as you may recall, Pastor Kwon is fighting Acute Myelogenous Leukemia; he is the pastor of Crosspointe Church, and is also a dedicated father and husband. New City Dance held a benefit for him on Nov. 8th that raised over $11,000).

For more information please visit www.crosspointechristian.com.

To read Pastor Kwon’s blog, click here.
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The poster above pretty much says it all – the Burien/White Center Rotary Club is holding its annual Holiday Benefit Concert on Monday, Dec. 15th, starting at 7pm at the Highline Performing Arts Center (map below).

This concert will feature the music of the Boeing Employees Choir. Here’s an audio clip of them singing selections from Strauss’ ‘Die Fledermaus’ with the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra:

 

 Enhanced Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Admission is free with a non-perishable food item, and all proceeds go directly to both the Highline and White Center Food Banks.

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The Burien Coalition for the Arts is holding a special Showcase this Sunday, Oct. 5th, which will be a perfect way to Introduce Your Children to the Arts.

This FREE event features short performances by:

• Higline Community Band
• New City Dance Company
• KidSounds/YouthSounds Northwest
• The Hi-Liners
• ChoralSounds Northwest
• Northwest Symphony Orchestra

This is a great opportunity to sample some of the amazing and diverse arts available in Burien.

Performances begin at 2pm at the Highline Performing Arts Center, located next to Highline High at 401 S 152nd (map below).

The lobby opens at 1pm, so you can browse the displays by local arts groups and find out what events, classes and other activities they have coming up.

Oh, and while this is an all-ages event, you don’t have to be a kid to have fun!

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Last Saturday night (Sept. 6th) we sponsored an outdoor mini concert/music stage on SW 152nd and 10th Ave SW in Olde Burien at B-Town’s annual Artwalk.

We called it B-Town BlogstockAPalooza, and we had a great turnout (most likely due to the fact that both The Mark and The Tin Room featuring “extended outdoor seating”).

The show featured four bands:

• Daybreak
• Lost in the Bamboo
• Skwish
• Morris Can Fly

Here’s one of many videos we shot, this one an annotated “Pop-Up Video” styled clip featuring the original song “Oceans” by Lost in the Bamboo, whose founding member Ted Walker was instrumental (pun intended) in helping us line up the bands and get the show done:

More videos coming soon, and be sure to check out our new Music Channel!

Only two more days until this weekend’s Burien Strawberry Festival (where we’ll have a booth so be sure to drop by and say hi), and here’s another sneak peek music sample of a featured band.

Today’s band is Amber Tide, who play the Kids Stage at 1:30pm Saturday June 28th, and describe themselves as:

Soaring vocals, 12 string jazz, upbeat blues, wild stories, rowdy harmonica, folk gospel, solo trombone, soulful ballads, the relentless bando-fluke, awful jokes, mariachi swing, the world’s smallest trap set and thirty years of wedded bliss.

Today’s track is “Cheek to Cheek,” a classic old swingin’ and scattin’ song:

Full Strawberry Festival schedule is here.

Only three more days until this weekend’s Burien Strawberry Festival (where we’ll have a booth so be sure to drop by and say hi), and here’s another sneak peek music sample of a featured band.

Today’s featured band is Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana, who will be strolling through the Festival playing their authentico Mexican mariachi music (and tell me, who doesn’t love a live mariachi band?); here’s a sample video:

Full Strawberry Festival schedule is here.

Only four more days until this weekend’s Burien Strawberry Festival (where we’ll have a booth so be sure to drop by and say hi), and here’s another sneak peek music sample of a featured band.

Today’s track is “Slowdown (The 12th St. Blues)” by the Staxx Brothers, who play the Main Stage at 2:45pm Sunday June 29th, and are described as:

A Blind Black Rapper, a ½ Puerto Rican Jagger, and Gypsy-walk out of a bar with one of the seminal Rock & Roll Records of the past decade. Backed by Seattle Jazz & Rock heavyweights Joe Doria, Dave Carter, Andy Coe and RL Heyer, The Staxx Brothers have created a living document that uncovers Seattle’s lost identity as an urban crossroad for classic R & B, Hip Hop and Hard ASS Soul.

Full Strawberry Festival schedule is here.

In order to help all our B-Town area neighbors decide on what to do and see at this coming weekend’s Burien Strawberry Festival (where we’ll have a booth so be sure to drop by and say hi) we will be releasing one sneak peek music or video track per day leading up to it.

Today’s track is “Johnny Can’t Dance” by Captain Leroy and the Zydeco Locals, who will be on the Main Stage on Sturday June 28th  at 4:30pm:

 

Full Strawberry Festival schedule is here.

Less than a week to go until the Burien Strawberry Festival (where we’ll have a booth so be sure to drop by and say hi), and here’s a sneak peek music sample of a featured band.

Today’s featured band is Caela and the Dangerous Flares, an all-woman R&B Seattle band that specializes in sultry R&B vocals, and have been described as:

From the sultry pipes of their lead vocalist, Caela, to the smooth harmonics and seductive looks of the fiery babes, you will be smitten. The exciting singing and dancing of Caela and her backup singers has thrilled and entertained…rhythm and blues meets comedy/Varietè.

They will play the Main Stage next Sunday June 29th at 4pm, and for a taste of their music, listen to this track, called “I Couldn’t Be Rude”:

Full Strawberry Festival schedule is here.

Her name is Alexa Boggs, and according to the Youtube video, she’s just 3 years old.

Here she is singing the Michael Jackson love song to a rat “Ben“:

Groovy oompa tuba ska band plays at the Burien Skate Park:http://www.vimeo.com/401494