Friday, April 26, 2013

Second Wind Gets a Second Chance with Eudora


For Immediate Release
April 26, 2013

Second Wind Gets a Second Chance with Eudora
Folk duo reunites after 30-year absence, releases acoustic folk EP as Autism Benefit

Eudora, KS -- Thirty years ago, singer/songwriters Mike Farley and Dave Kenna were familiar faces on Long Island’s folk-rock circuit. They frequented the area’s bars and coffee shops with their acoustic duo, Second Wind, trading harmonies and sharing guitar duties. The band fizzled out as the two grew older... only to be revived in late 2012, when a routine long weekend turned into an inspired recording session.

Eudora sits in a cozy pocket of northeastern Kansas. It’s a small city, mostly known for its proximity to Kansas City and its handful of famous residents, including Leave It To Beaver actor Hugh Beaumont. It’s also the name of Second Wind’s new EP, which Farley and Kenna recorded after meeting up in Kansas City to attend an NFL football game.  The official release date was April 2, and Eudora will soon be available on iTunes, Amazon and most digital platforms.

We hadn't played together in a really, really long time,” Farley explains, “but this past October, when we got together as we do every year for an NFL game, Dave asked if I wanted to record together for posterity sake.  At first, I wasn't sure... but then I thought, "Why not?" So I wrote a new song for this project, Dave wrote one, and he sent me one unfinished track that I finished.”

The project grew from there, with the two adding a cover of Jim Croce’s “Which Way Are You Goin’” and another pair of original tunes.  One of those, “Foxhole,” is a track Farley wrote about he and his wife raising a son with autism, and plans are to donate most of the proceeds from the sale of Eudora to an autism-related charity. 

At the suggestion of one of Farley’s PR clients, they left Kansas City and recorded the EP at a small studio in Eudora with Ed Rose at Black Lodge Recording, where they captured the songs with simple, focused arrangements. The result is a collection of rootsy Americana tunes and acoustic ballads that evoke everyone from James Taylor to the Everly Brothers, with the band’s guitar skills and interlocking vocals on full display.

“I close the loop; I’m tying up loose ends,” goes the breezy chorus on the EP’s first track, “Close the Loop,” a loping song about turning over a new leaf. It’s an appropriate mission statement for an EP that was 30 years in the making.

“To me, Eudora is a tribute to anyone who ever had the desire to crawl out of their comfort zone and do something meaningful across life’s landscape,” Farley says, adding that the band plans to donate all proceeds to autism research. “It’s proof that you can always go back, that memories can share time and space with experiences that become new memories.” 

In the liner notes to the EP, which hits stores on April 2, Kenna adds one final bit of advice: “Pick up the phone and call an old friend. You will be glad you did.”

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/secondwind30

To purchase a CD, please visit http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00L5R1PH

Publicity: Mike Farley/Michael J. Media Group/ 608-848-9707/ mike@michaeljmedia.com

# # #

Monday, April 1, 2013

Michael J. Media April 2013 Newsletter


Contact: Mike Farley
608-848-9707
mike@michaeljmedia.com
 
Twitter: @MadisonGman

Sometimes, for better or for worse, life smacks you in the face.  A few years ago, when my wife and I were watching a reality show -- I think Top Chef Masters -- she asked me what charity I would play for if I was in a competition like this.  I had no idea and still do not remember what my answer was.  Then not long after that, our son Jonathan was diagnosed with autism, and our lives were forever altered, I’d like to think for the better (read more on our blog if you are interested).  Not only could we get the help Jonathan needed, but when we had the chance to give back, Jen and I both revived our long-dormant musical exploits to contribute to Autism Speaks.   I wrote about Jen’s cover band, No Matter What, having a reunion show in her hometown of Cleveland (and in what was my adopted hometown for a decade), and that show took place this past Saturday in what was an incredible performance by her and the band, and a huge success in raising money for the cause.  This month, my good friend Dave and I revived our acoustic duo, Second Wind, to release an EP and will be donating proceeds to the cause as well (more on that below).  Some would say being “smacked in the face” as I mentioned is a bad thing.  For our family, it was the opposite, and it sure feels good to give back to a cause that we’ve become entrenched in and feel connected to now. 

Happy spring everyone—it’s a time of year that is full of renewed hope, warmer weather (we hope!) and great music releases and tours…..so let’s have at it!

New Clients
Mustered Courage Mustered Courage is a bluegrass band from Melbourne, Australia that combines four-part harmonies, virtuosic picking and brilliant songwriting to create a unique take on bluegrass—a sound that has been captivating festival audiences Australia wide. Their new album, Powerlines, is due worldwide May 10 with a U.S. tour planned for late summer/early fall.    www.musteredcourage.com

Upcoming Releases

Second Wind Eudora (April 2): A bit of shameless self-promotion here, my buddy Dave and I have released an EP for our acoustic duo that is, in many ways, three decades in the making.  We are donating proceeds from the EP sales to Autism Speaks.  More to follow, but please e-mail me to mike@michaeljmedia.com for more information. 

Dan Miraldi The Freewheelin’ EP (late spring): This Ohio based rocker is releasing his first ever acoustic EP and will be launching two other projects over the course of 2013.  Stay tuned!  www.danmiraldi.com

David Mayfield Parade  Good Man Down (April 2) www.davidmayfieldparade.com
Tommy & The High Pilots (May 28) www.thehighpilots.com
Burning River Ramblers (title and release date TBA) www.brramblers.com
Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project Devils ‘n’ Darlins (release date TBA)

Recent Releases
Poco All Fired Up www.poconut.org
Tim Mahoney Shine Through www.timmahoney.com
Paper Bird Rooms www.paperbirdband.com
Lizanne Knott  Standing in the English Rain www.lizanneknott.com
Breaking Laces Come Get Some www.breakinglaces.com
Charlie Parr: Barnswallow  www.charlieparr.com
The Nadas Lovejoy Revival www.thenadas.com
FAT OPIE Victoryville www.fatopie.com
Todd May Rickenbacker Girls www.pelotonrecords.com/toddmay.cfm
A Fragile Tomorrow Be Nice Be Careful www.afragiletomorrow.com
War Poets Dulce et Decorum Est  www.warpoets.net
Jacob Blazer I Am Jacob  www.jacobandthegoodpeople.com

Other News

Twin Cities based singer, songwriter and performing musician Tim Mahoney knows firsthand what it’s like to prepare for auditioning for reality TV shows.  He was a contestant on CBS’s INXS: Rock Star in 2006, and The Voice in 2011.   Now Mahoney is blazing a new trail – by teaching a course at the Macphail School of Music in Minneapolis called, Nailed it!  How to Audition for The Voice and other Vocal Competitions” on Sunday, May 5.

In March, Paste Magazine debuted the new video from David Mayfield Parade, “Human Cannonball” and the new Paper Bird video for “As I Am” was launched on American Songwriter. 

Red Wanting Blue, after another successful gig on The Rock Boat, is in pre-production for their new album, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed and career-altering From the Vanishing Point.  RWB is planning on a release later in 2013, and we will tell you more as we have more information.  www.redwantingblue.com

Northeast Ohio rocker Dan Miraldi has a new video for his song, “Record Collection,” just in time for Record Store Day later this month.  www.danmiraldi.com

Katey Sagal: It's been several decades since Katey Sagal sang back-up for Bob Dylan, Bette Milder and Etta James, but the Sons of Anarchy star says that in spite of her success as an actress, music is still her true passion.  So it’s with that in mind that a touring show was put together— KATEY SAGAL: An Evening of Music and the Cast of Sons of Anarchy.  The first dates will consist of a Midwest run April 18 through 21 (Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Chicago).  www.facebook.com/kateysagalsoatour

Canton Symphony Orchestra  The Canton Symphony Orchestra announced today that it will donate a portion of the proceeds for its presentation of Here to Stay-The Gershwin Experience on April 6 to the Aultman Breast Care Center in Canton.  Donations from the April 6 concert will be used for mammograms and other testing for women in need who do not qualify for other aid.  Sylvia McNair, the soprano who is soloing during the performance, is a breast cancer survivor and the impetus for the donation.   www.cantonsymphony.org

On Tour Now
Jeff Campbell/Brad Brooks/Clay Bell: Billed as San Francisco Songwriters in the Round, this trio of excellent Bay area based artists are hitting the road in the Southeast (including Bell’s hometown of Little Rock, AR) this month for a short but mighty tour.  www.jeffcampbellmusic.com 

The Whiskey Gentry  www.thewhiskeygentry.com
Badfish, a Tribute to Sublime www.badfish.com
FAT OPIE www.fatopie.com
The Speedbumps  www.thespeedbumps.com
John Oates  www.johnoates.com
Brian Lisik  www.brianlisik.com
JP Harris & The Tough Choices  www.ilovehonkytonk.com
Cash'd Out (Johnny Cash Tribute) www.cashdout.com
Michael Kaeshammer  www.kaeshammer.com
Pure Prairie League www.pureprairieleague.com

The Companies We Represent

Bullz-Eye.com: With reviews, original entertainment features, sports, commentary, men's fitness advice, humor and blogs covering a wide range of topics, Bullz-Eye.com is one of the premier online entertainment magazines for men. Bullz-Eye.com/Black Mountain Publishing also publishes several blogs including Premium Hollywood, The Scores Report and Mikey's Kitchen.
www.bullz-eye.com
Blogs and Writing Contributions

Mikey's Kitchen
Progressives Punch Back

Just Another Autism Blog

                                                                                         # # #