MUSIC Forum at canaaninstitute.org

[Mike_L]

Scroll down for most recent news.

This album along with all other Horse Flies CDs available at Ludgate Farms on Hanshaw Rd http://www.ludgatefarms.com/

====================

The Horse Flies
are celebrating to mark the release of their new album
UNTIL THE OCEAN
with a free concert
at
The Bernie Milton Pavilion
The Commons
Ithaca, NY 14850

6:00-8:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 12, 2008


The Flies’ new album, Until the Ocean, is their first
since the passing of their beloved bass player of 17
years, John Hayward, in 1997. Recorded at Electric
Wilburland, Pyramid Sound, and the band’s Gray House,
it was mixed by Canadian, Kevin Doyle (Sinead
O’Connor, Van Morrison, Ron Sexsmith, Alannah Myles,
and many more) and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling
Sound in Manhattan.

The band is excited to celebrate the album release
with Ithaca in a free, outdoor concert, Thursday, June
12 on the Commons in downtown Ithaca from 6:00-8:00
p.m.

-----------------

This concert is part of the M& T Bank Summer Concert
Series, produced by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. For
more information about the series:
http://www.downtownthaca.com

For more information about the Horse Flies:
http://www.thehorseflies.com

About the Horse Flies

Together since 1981, The Horse Flies were one of the
earliest bands to bring a punkish energy to
traditional American music and then to move beyond,
creating a sound that still today is wholly unique and
fresh. With artful original songs, a wild
groove-oriented approach to fiddle music, powerful
instrumental skills, improvising prowess, and emotive
singing the Horse Flies’ music reaches audiences from
folk to alternative to jamband and more.
Critics have said “ ... a world without the Horse
Flies' wholly unique music would be a much, much
poorer place.” (Melody Maker, London). “A band that's
earned a buzz ... The Horse Flies churn out swirling,
addictive songs, blending tradition with invention.”
(Rolling Stone). “The Horse Flies combine musical and
lyrical quirkiness with beguiling wit and intelligence
… a melange of rock, folk, and minimalism … music
that challenges the brain without sacrificing the
groove.” (Chicago Tribune). “Music of astonishing
centrifugal force ... breathtakingly complex rhythms
... unexpectedly rich textures ... stunningly modern
... gravity and grace ... their ancient, yet modern
sound and their easy, seemingly limitless energy make
The Horse Flies special.” (The Plain Dealer,
Cleveland). “The textures are a blend of the ancient
and the ultra modern. Realism coexists with
surrealism, and synthetics and acoustics are
interwoven. A record of dark brilliance.” (Melody
Maker, London). “Demented, post-modern mountain music
...”(Village Voice, New York). “The Horse Flies have
figured out how to hold a hoedown in a physics lab.”
(New York Times) “Brilliantly peculiar ... new music
with gnarled and twisted roots.” (The Boston Herald).
“Bewitching and beguiling ... a band for our trying
times” (The Dallas Observer).

The Horseflies are releasing their eighth album, Until
the Ocean in June 2008. Their other albums are:
Gravity Dance (MCA), Human Fly (Rounder/MCA), In the
Dance Tent (Live and Kicking), Two Traditions (Callin'
the Kettle Black), Chokers and Flies (Rounder), Where
the Rivers Flow North (film score, Alcazar Records),
and A Stranger in the Kingdom (film score) and
appeared on a number of compilation recordings. Both
Human Fly and Gravity Dance reached the top 40 on the
Gavin and CMJ charts. Gravity Dance was nominated for
a New York Award.

They have performed throughout the U.S., Canada and
Europe at major venues such as the Central Park
Summerstage (NYC, U.S.), WOMAD (Toronto, Canada), Big
Beat Festival (Vienna, Austria), Vancouver Folk
Festival (Vancouver, Canada), Birmingham City Stages
(Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.), Independence Days
(Berlin, Germany), Philadelphia Folk Festival
(Philadelphia, PA, U.S.), Tonder Festival (Denmark),
and the Telluride Festival. They have also appeared
numerous times on radio and television programs
including MTV News, MTV’s Week in Rock, Prairie Home
Companion, Mountain Stage, The Entertainers, and many
more.

During the summers of 2000 and 2004, Flies Judy Hyman
and Richie Stearns joined pop singer Natalie
Merchant’s band. An album of the music from those
tours titled "The House Carpenter's Daughter" was
released in September 2003 on Myth America Records.
The album's lead cut, "Sally Ann", is a song by Flies'
Jeff Claus, which Natalie’s band performed on Late
Night with David Letterman in August 2004 and which
also appears on Ms. Merchant’s Greatest Hits album.

The Horse Flies are: Judy Hyman (violin, vocals),
Jeff Claus (guitar, banjo uke, vocals), Richie Stearns
(banjo, vocals), Taki Masuko (percussion), Jay Olsa
(bass) and Rick Hansen (accordion, Moog, organ).

For photos:

http://www.thehorseflies.com/publicity.htm

For audio and video:

http://www.myspace.com/thehorseflies

To contact the Horse Flies:

info@thehorseflies.com
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

Hello Horse Flies Friends …

As you know, our new album, Until the Ocean, is now out. We’re excited by
the initial response.

KCRW’s Morning Sounds Eclectic, hosted by Nic Harcourt, has selected the
song “14 Reasons” as their featured “Top Tune” for tomorrow, Thursday,
July 3. They’ll make it available as a free download for 24 hours on
their page and on the podcast pages of I-Tunes, and then stream the song
for 3 months on their page. A few of the recently featured artists have
included Neko Case, Mike Doughty (of Soul Coughing), Aimee Mann, Fleet
Foxes, The Kills …We’re honored to be in that company and to have been
noticed by this nationally known and influential show.

The stations we know about at this point beyond KCRW that are playing the
album include:
*Festival Radio (Online Folk Festival) where Rafting came in at number 4
of top rated songs in June
*WPKN, Bridgeport, CT (where we did a live interview last night)
*WVFS, Tallahassee, FL
*Maine Public Radio
*KVMR, Nevada City, CA
*KRVM, Eugene, OR
*RadioFreeAmericana.com
*Radio Bremen, Germany
*WDYN, Rochester, NY
*WMWV, North Conway, NH
*Radio Shift
*3INR, Australia
*WVBR, Ithaca, NY
*WICB, Ithaca, NY

We’re enjoying seeing reviews at Amazon and I-Tunes as well as those that
are coming straight to us. Here are a handful …

Stunning new album. Boy am I a happy man. If you know the music of the
Horse Flies, you'll know what you're in for. Wowdom. Unique and groovy.
(Amazon)

… The Horseflies are like advance scouts adventuring into new territories.
I can hear several "traditional" musics embedded in the mix, but you pull
all these together into what we scholars call a "creolization" in which
all the old is carried forward into the new. Flailing banjo with oriental
melodic lines and African rythmic patterns could be just a "new age"
pastiche, but you have created a unity. This musical excitement induces us
to accept the tough messages of the poetry. All these years I've been
excited about every new stage of your music, knowing the next adventure
would be as bold as the last. So I follow behind, delighted and grateful
for this opening you create for us to enter new places. Thank you.

This is the abum of 2008 for me. I can't believe that this band hasn’t
gotten the recognition that they should have. The music industry isn't
what it used to be, with terrible bands and singers becoming millionaires
with songs written by ghost-writers and all of the best music forced into
the underground. Actually... I think the music industry has always been
like that. Anyways, anyone with a respect for amazing music should buy
this album... there are so many different styles of music from all over
the world being blended together so perfectly on this one disc that I
think my head will explode every time I listen to it (that’s a good
thing.) (Amazon)

I've been a fan of the Horse Flies for years but never really enjoyed
listening to their albums from beginning to end in one sitting. I usually
pulled out one or two songs from each and left the others behind. Gravity
Dance has some great numbers but the full drum kit takes away from the
overall Horse Flies sound. Then I found out they were releasing a new
album. On their website I found about 5 sample tracks and I was hooked
enough to buy the download as soon as it appeared on Amazon. Until The
Ocean is really, really good. Classic sound and some nice percussion mixed
in. There are certainly tracks that are my favorites (Veins of Coal, Build
a House and Burn It Down, Drunkard's Child) but I can truly enjoy the
entire album. The Horse Flies are unlike any band out there today and if
you can ever catch them live you will be in for a treat … If you've never
heard the Horse Flies then plunk down the bucks and give it a listen.
(Amazon)

This album is definitely not to be missed. It is amazing how well this
band blends so many different styles of music into something that sounds
so good! You have to listen to every single song on the album, but my
favorites have to be “Carnival Lips”, “Build a House and Burn it Down”,
and “Oh Deah.” I hope that this amazing band gets the recognition that
they have deserved for so long with this new release, which, in case you
didn’t know, is the band’s first in over a decade. (I-Tunes)


WHERE THE ALBUM IS AVAILABLE
Ithaca's ONLY family owned natural food and farm store! Ludgate Farms: http://www.ludgatefarms.com/



It’s also available at Funkyside.com, Amazon, I-Tunes, CD Baby and many more, as a
physical CD, an album download, and download by the track.

In addition, we’ll have it with us at all our summer performances. It
will also be available at the Great Blue Heron Festival (July 4-6), even
though we won’t be there. (Many thanks to GBH fest for making that
possible.)

July 12-13 Blissfest, Harbor Springs, MI

July 17-20 GrassRoots Festival, Trumansburg, NY (we’ll play Saturday at
1:00 p.m.)

July 23 Lake George Concert Series

July 24-25 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (our main stage set is at 6:00 on
Thursday
In addition we’ll play for a late night dance with Beth Molaro calling on
Thursday, and a free-form concert/dance set midday on Friday), Hillsdale,
NY

July 26 Taughannock State Park Concert, outdoor concert,
Trumansburg, NY

August 9 Mountain Music Meltdown Festival, Saranac Lake, NY

August 15 Knowlton Riverfest, Delaware NJ


Hope to see some of you out there this summer! Thanks for spreading the
word and thanks for your support.

Best,

The Flies

http://www.thehorseflies.com
http://www.myspace.com/thehorseflies
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

Hello Horse Flies Friends …

We wanted to let you know that we’re playing in Brooklyn, New York in
October. Here are the details:

October 25
10-Midnight
2 sets
Barbès
http://barbesbrooklyn.com

We hope you can join us. This is an intimate, friendly setting and should
be lots of fun.

As you know, this summer we released our first new album of many years,
Until the Ocean. We’ve started getting reviews, have been getting good
airplay in many areas, and a lot of very nice comments from fans, radio,
and elsewhere. The album will be featured in October by Paste Magazine’s
“Paste Recommends” (http://www.pastemagazine.com/recommends).

If you’re interested in seeing reviews/comments about the new album, etc.:

http://thehorseflies.com/news.htm

If you know of additional radio stations where the album is being played,
please tell us!

Until the Ocean is available at Ludgate Farms http://www.ludgatefarms.com/ , Funkyside.com, I-Tunes, CDBaby.com,
Elderly Instruments, Amazon and several other places.

We thank you all for your support. And we hope you’re liking the music!

Best,

The Flies

http://www.thehorseflies.com
http://www.myspace.com/thehorseflies
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

Continuing the celebration of their new album, Until the Ocean, The Horse Flies will perform at Castaways in Ithaca on Saturday December 13, 2009 from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

THE HORSE FLIES

One of the earliest bands to bring truly innovative ideas and energy to American fiddle music, The Horse Flies have undone tradition to create a unique sound that remains fresh, powerful and captivating. Artful original songs; a strong, wild groove; esteemed instrumental skills; and emotive singing come together in a mix of alternative rock, world percussion; modern songwriting, fiddle music, and minimalism.

NEWS

Featured on influential radio station KCRW, Santa Monica, CA and currently in Paste Magazine's "Paste Recommends", The Horse Flies' new album, Until the Ocean, is being played around the world and garnering positive comments from all corners.

Of the new album, radio is saying things like:

"Man, this new CD is the BEST you guys have ever done. Absolutely top-notch. "Build a House and Burn It Down," "Carnival Lips," you just can't pick a best cut. Nothing bad on this album. We're playing the crap out of it at WVTF. It has gotten instant phone and e-mail response. Thanks for sending this. We're gonna be playing this one continually for a long time."
Seth Williamson, WVTF, Roanoke, VA

Fans are saying:

"Sounds like they used all their influences and made a darn near perfect album." (I-Tunes user)

"Stunning new album. Boy am I a happy man. If you know the music of the Horse Flies, you'll know what you're in for. Wowdom. Unique and groovy." (Quincy, MA)

Press is saying:

"Unique and treasurable" (fRoots Magazine – 5 star review)

"To start a CD review with superlatives is unusual, but outstanding, sublime, magnificent, innovative, breathtaking and arresting are terms that spontaneously come up when listening to this studio album from the Horse Flies, their first in a long time." (Rootstime, Belgium)

"Until The Ocean, The Horse Flies' first studio release in more than fifteen years, is an immense and captivating work of sophisticated art: not only the finest album to come out of the Ithaca area in many years, it stands among the best American releases from any region in any genre this year. While most US bands seem content to rehash and revisit well-trodden territory, only venturing tentatively and hesitantly into the uncharted landscape of new sounds and ideas, The Horse Flies confidently chart a course that transcends both topographic and sonic classification." (Luke Fenchel, Ithaca Times)



==
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusicblog/?p=677#comment-254

The All Music Guide has just selected Until the Ocean among their Favorite Folk Albums of 2008:

http://blog.allmusic.com/2008/12/08/allmusics-favorite-folk-albums-of-2008/

and given it an excellent review:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gifyxzlkld6e
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

The Horse Flies at The Dance Flurry, Feb 13-15, Saratoga Springs First dance from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Friday night Feb 13 ....

The Horse Flies at The Parting Glass, Feb 14, 11:30 a.m., Saratoga Springs

The Horse Flies at Caffe Lena, Feb 15, 7 p.m, Saratoga Springs
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

Sunday, April 5, 8:15, Ford Hall, Ithaca College
Concert, Enduring Masters Series
Dick Hyman, jazz pianist and composer
Yes, it's Judy Hyman's (The Horse Flies and Boy with a Fish) dad. No, she's not playing at this concert.
There's a bio at:
http://www.ithaca.edu/enduringmasters/bios/DickHyman/
It would be great to show him a big Ithaca welcome. Besides, he gives a great concert.


Sunday, May 3, 4:00 p.m., First Baptist Church, Dewitt Park
Ithaca Community Orchestra Spring 2009 Children's Concert
Featuring narrator Raya Lee Then and violinists Judy Hyman and Laurie Hart, and Cayenna Ponchione, music director
Gounod: Petite Symphonie
Dukas: Sorcerer's Apprentice
Then: Fiddler Crabs (with music by J.S. Bach) [this is the part Laurie and Judy are playing]
Reception to follow
This concert will be repeated at the Library at 6:00 on Wednesday, May 6.
For more info:
http://www.cayennaponchione.com/ICO/
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

Boy with a Fish show at Castaways on June 27, 10:00 p.m.

Boy with a Fish is 4 members of The Horse Flies -- Jeff Claus (electric guitar); Judy Hyman (electric violin); Rick Hansen (Moog synth, organ, and accordion); and Jay Olsa (bass) -- PLUS drummer Ryan Cady (who has played with Hubcap, Mary Lorson, and others). Hyman has toured and recorded with Natalie Merchant; Hansen and Olsa are also members of Plastic Nebraska and Family Knife; and Claus' music has been used by Merchant, film director Oliver Stone, Fiery Furnaces, and Rock the Vote. And, Hyman and Claus have done music for a number of feature films and PBS documantaries.

www.boywithafish.com
www.myspace.com/boywithafish

AND

OPENING THE SHOW WILL BE
Mary Brett Lorson and the Soubrettes www.myspace.com/marylorson

Lorson moves fluidly between somber piano tunes and raunchy guitar riffs, her wistful, expressive songs decorated with tightly woven female vocal harmonies and the occasional deep rumble of the lone man in the band.

The band includes: the seasoned Jen Middaugh (Sim Redmond Band, Wingnut, Orbiting Art Ensemble) who provides rich backup vocals and fairy tale percussion; Amelia Sauter and Leah Houghtaling (both of Black Eyed Susies and ZipWire) who add harmonies and the yesteryear speakeasy ambiance of upright bass and banjo, respectively; and Joel Blizzard (Thousands of One, Small Kings) who plays dark, smoky café drums and adds a deep voice to the harmonies.


==
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

A two-performance weekend
with
The Horse Flies

** http://www.thehorseflies.com and http://myspace.com/thehorseflies **

Castaways
Taughannock Blvd.
Friday, June 19
10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Discount for people attending Vieux Farke Toure concert at the Haunt earlier that same night.

and

Ellis Hollow Community Center
Genung Road
Early show, family friendly, outdoors (if rain, in the Center)
Free admission
Saturday, June 20
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.



The Horse Flies’ 2008 album “Until the Ocean” garnered comments both locally and internationally such as:

Equal parts New Weird America and Global Localism, The Horse Flies' "Until the Ocean" is not only the strongest local release of 2008, but it is a serious contender for best album of the year from any region in any genre ... Compared to the sophomoric Soweto dabblings of Vampire Weekend, the neo-pseudo-folk of CSNY-impersonators and the thin veneer of fusion so prevalent throughout the "world" music scene, The Horse Flies stand as giants among dwarves.
Luke Fenchel, Ithaca Times, Year-End Reflections

It's a rarity to hear a band return with this much confidence after such a lengthy hiatus, especially after losing a key member (original bass player John Hayward passed away in 1997) … without a doubt the greatest "Yankee gothic/northern Appalachian/neo-traditional/college folk-rock" album of 2008.
James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide's Favorite Folk and Favorite Pop Albums of 2008

To start a CD review with superlatives is unusual, but outstanding, sublime, magnificent, innovative, breathtaking and arresting are terms that spontaneously come up when listening to this studio album from the Horse Flies, their first in a long time.
Marcie, Rootstime, Belgium, Top 10 Year End 2008

Of the original songs, the standouts are Claus’s Build A House And Burn It Down and A Hundred Camels, with their dry observations and weird conclusions (is there a code in Ashburn, Georgia?), and Stearns’s freakshow Carnival Lips and disturbing Baghdad Children, where the verses say ‘All god’s children have no place to hide/When the bombs come falling from the sky’ and are set against a refrain of ‘I believe in love’. With Claus’s banjo-uke rattling away to set an acoustic electronic rhythm in tandem with the percussion, Hyman’s drone fiddle and Stearns’s Motown-meets-Uncle Dave Macon banjo, the classic Flies sound reminds one what a joy it always was. Unique and treasurable.
Ian Kearey, fRoots Magazine, England (5 Stars!)
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

A collaboration in the Ithaca spirit by Castaways, Dan Smalls Presents Inc,, The Haunt, and The Horse Flies …

A night of great roots music in Ithaca with 2 great bands at 2 great clubs …

Friday, June 19, 2009

Vieux Farka Toure at the Haunt at 8:00 p.m.
($16.50 advance/$20 at the door)

The Horse Flies at Castaways at 10:00 p.m.
($10 advance/$12 at the door/AND only $6 to attendees of Vieux Farka Toure – coupons for The Horse Flies will be distributed at the Vieux Farka Toure event)
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

Hello Horse Flies Friends …

Just letting you know our festival schedule for the summer and fall as it
stands now. We’re excited to have added the Lotus World Music and Arts
Festival in Bloomington, Indiana since the last note we sent you.


July 25-26, 2009
FloydFest, Floyd, VA

September 12, 2009
Colorscape Chenango, Norwich, NY
Outdoor festival, we play at 3:00 p.m.

September 25-26
Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, Bloomington, IN

October 15, 2009
Berea College, Berea, KY
Evening auditorium performance

October 16-17, 2009
Lake Eden Arts Festival, Black Mountain, NC

We thank you all for your support!

Best,

The Flies

http://www.thehorseflies.com
http://www.myspace.com/thehorseflies

==
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

The Horse Flies
At
The Rongovian Embassy

Two nights!!!

Thursday, October 1 from 8:00-11:00 p.m. (No alcohol ... all ages)
And
Friday, October 2 from 9:00 to midnight (Beer and wine will be served)

$8

The fantastic Mike Stark will be sitting in for the fantastic and beloved Rick Hansen on keyboards.

One of the earliest bands to bring truly inventive ideas and energy to traditional American music, The Horse Flies have created a unique sound that remains fresh, powerful and captivating. Artful original songs, a wild groove-oriented approach to fiddle music, esteemed instrumental skills, and emotive singing come together as old-time music meets alternative rock, minimalism, modern songwriting and world percussion.

Critics have said:
“ ... a world without the Horse Flies' wholly unique music would be a much, much poorer place.” (Melody Maker, London)

"The Horse Flies combine musical and lyrical quirkiness with beguiling wit and intelligence … a melange of rock, folk, and minimalism … music that challenges the brain without sacrificing the groove." (Chicago Tribune)

FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131750130285




==
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT

Donna the Buffalo, The Sim Redmond Band, and The Horse Flies will play a concert to benefit Shaleshock Citizens Action Alliance:

http://www.shaleshock.org

on Saturday, December 5 beginning at 8:00 p.m. at the State Theatre in
Ithaca, NY.

If you can, please come. We'll play, we'll dance, we'll learn, and we'll
get active. If you can’t come (we’re sending this message to the whole
list and understand that many of you are many miles away), please continue
reading to understand what this concert is about.

Shaleshock Citizens Action Alliance is a grassroots group of Finger Lakes
residents who are concerned with understanding and protecting our
communities and environment from exploitation by the energy industry with
regard to drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. We who live
over the Marcellus Shale are engaged in the environmental battle of our
lives. For a quick overview: http://catskillmountainkeeper.org/node/290
and links below.

Part of the mission of giving this concert is to raise money for
Shaleshock, but another significant reason we are doing this is to educate
and raise awareness about this issue.

We are in the middle of the public comment period for the NYS Department
of Conservation's draft Supplemental Generic Impact Statement (dSGEIS).
The comment period ends December 31, 2009.

If/when this document is revised and approved by the governor, a new
massive and hazardous level of drilling for natural gas will begin all
over our beautiful area endangering our water, air, view-shed, culture,
way of life.

On Thursday, November 16 in Ithaca we had a public comment session, one of
several such meetings around New York State. The November 16 meeting was
a start. 85 people spoke (including many legislators) on record and in
front of a DEC representative and a crowd of 1000. All but one were
critical of the dSGEIS. But so much more needs to be done. And quickly.

Now is the time to make your voice heard. All residents of New York State
are encouraged to submit written comments to the NYS DEC. Whether we are
in favor of or opposed to drilling we need to hold the NYS DEC accountable
for a higher standard of citizen protection than is in the current
document. We cannot afford to make the same environmental mistakes in New
York that have been made in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, etc.

For help with how to create and submit your comments:

http://www.shaleshock.org/take-action-now/

And more will be available soon to support you in this important task.

To self educate:

http://docs.nrdc.org/health/hea_08091702.asp
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=863369
http://www.tiogagaslease.org/videos.html
http://nywellwatch.org/2009/11/17/15-reasons-why-dec-draft-sgeis-needs-to-be-rewritten/
http://tcgasmap.org/
http://www.un-naturalgas.org/image_gallery.htm
http://tcgasmap.org/default.asp?metatags_Action=Find('PID','5')
http://www.shaleshock.org/drilling-101/
http://www.earthworksaction.org/FracingDetails.cfm
http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/videos/ignitable_drinking_water
http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/videos/land_polluted_by_oil_drilling
http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/videos/bixby_hill_road
http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=wastewater-sediment-natural-gas-mckeesport-sewage
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=marcellus-shale-natural-gas-drilling-radioactive-wastewater
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=natural-gas-make-water-burn
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=drill-for-natural-gas-pollute-water
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=contaminants-in-air-aroun
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nyc-officials-urge-gas-dr
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nyc-sees-alarming-risks-i
http://www.earthworksaction.org/FracingDetails.cfm
http://www.shaleshock.org/drilling-101/
http://www.shaleshock.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/reapresentation.pdf
http://www.shaleshock.org/resources/
http://www.shaleshock.org/water-contamination-and-gas-drilling-the-legal-issues/
http://www.shaleshock.org/of-local-interest-new-york-natural-gas-summit/
http://www.splitestate.com/

See you on December 5, we hope.

--The Flies

==
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

===

[Mike_L]

The Horse Flies at Castaways on Saturday, June 12, 2010

$15, $2 off to people attend the film, "Gasland", at Cinemapolis earlier on June 12. Coupons will be distributed at Cinemapolis.

THIS WILL BE THE HORSE FLIES’ ONLY UPSTATE NY PERFORMANCE DURING SUMMER AND EARLY FALL 2010.

This is because Horse Flies members Judy Hyman and Richie Stearns will tour with Natalie Merchant's band during July and August in support of her current release, “Leave Your Sleep,” on which they both appear. For more information: http://www.nataliemerchant.com

ABOUT THE HORSE FLIES

A longtime favorite of critics and fans, but a pigeonholer's nightmare, The Horse Flies blend Americana roots with indie rock, ethnic percussion, creative songwriting, and a fierce, percolating groove. With a love of both the traditional and the modern, The Flies have consistently explored the intersection of the two to create a musical world all their own. Part trance-inducing minimalism, achieved through a neo-primitive approach to fiddle music, and part folk-rock American gothic, achieved through emotive singing and haunting, original songs, The Flies’ music is recognized for its intensity, quirkiness, poetry, and skill.

SOME REVIEWS

All Music Guide
AllMusic’s Favorite Rock *and* Favorite Folk Albums of 2008
James Christopher Monger

Unabashedly cinematic, experimental, and oblivious to the musical trends that have so violently pumped through pop culture's veins since the Ithaca-based group's 1981 inception as a straight-up traditional folk outfit, upstate New York's resident "old-timey/post-folk/art rock" ensemble the Horse Flies' last non-soundtrack studio album was 1991's Gravity Dance, a typically eclectic set of Northern oddities that straddled the line between new wave and new weird America. Where the latter fell upon the slippery sword of the era's penchant for slick over-produced commercial knob-twiddling, the band's first proper album in nearly 17 years fulfills the promise made on 1987's electrifying and dystopian bluegrass collection Human Fly. Until the Ocean draws on all of the band's strengths, allowing all the players enough space to carve out their own days in a week filled with overcast skies, brisk spring mornings, and brake lights on black ice. Each of the 11 cuts, with the exception of Richie Stearns' gripping rendition of the late-19th century temperance movement ballad "Drunkard's Child," is anchored by Jeff Claus' hypnotic banjo-ukulele and Judy Hyman's heavily delayed violin, both of which have been the backbone of the Horse Flies' sound since the mid-'80s. Claus offers up four originals, all of which echo the atmospheric minor-key musings found on Human Fly, as well as his 2004 album with Flies offshoot Boy with a Fish; Stearns provides two wildly different signature pieces; Hyman tosses in a pair of devilish instrumentals; and the band lays to waste any preconceived notion of the word "traditional" on the three remaining tracks, two of which (the old-timey standard "Oh Death" and backwoods dance piece "Cluck Old Hen") are as good as anything they've released in the past. It's a rarity to hear a band return with this much confidence after such a lengthy hiatus, especially after losing a key member (original bass player John Hayward passed away in 1997). The Horse Flies will always be a niche band (too dark and weird for "folkies" and too "folky" for rockers), but Until the Ocean makes for an awfully sturdy bridge between the two, and is without a doubt the greatest "Yankee gothic/northern Appalachian/neo-traditional/college folk-rock" album of 2008.

“ ... a world without the Horse Flies' wholly unique music would be a much, much poorer place.” (Melody Maker, London)

"The Horse Flies combine musical and lyrical quirkiness with beguiling wit and intelligence … a melange of rock, folk, and minimalism … music that challenges the brain without sacrificing the groove." (Chicago Tribune).

"Music of astonishing centrifugal force ... breathtakingly complex rhythms ... unexpectedly rich textures ... stunningly modern ... gravity and grace ... their ancient, yet modern sound and their easy, seemingly limitless energy make The Horse Flies special." (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland).

"The textures are a blend of the ancient and the ultra modern. Realism coexists with surrealism, and synthetics and acoustics are interwoven. A record of dark brilliance." (Melody Maker, London).

"Demented, post-modern mountain music ..." (Village Voice, New York).

"The Horse Flies have figured out how to hold a hoedown in a physics lab." (New York Times)

"Brilliantly peculiar ... new music with gnarled and twisted roots." (The Boston Herald). "Bewitching and beguiling ... a band for our trying times" (The Dallas Observer).

BRIEF BIO

The Horseflies released their eighth album, Until the Ocean in June 2008. Their other albums are: Gravity Dance (MCA), Human Fly (Rounder/MCA), In the Dance Tent (Live and Kicking), Two Traditions (Callin' the Kettle Black), Chokers and Flies (Rounder), Where the Rivers Flow North (film score, Alcazar Records), and A Stranger in the Kingdom (film score) and appeared on a number of compilation recordings. Both Human Fly and Gravity Dance reached the top 40 on the Gavin and CMJ charts. Gravity Dance was nominated for a New York Award.

The band has been written about in major publications such as Rolling Stone, Musician Magazine, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, The Chicago Tribune, New Musical Express (London), Melody Maker (London) …

They have performed throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe at major venues such as the Central Park Summerstage (NYC, U.S.), WOMAD (Toronto, Canada), Big Beat Festival (Vienna, Austria), Vancouver Folk Festival (Vancouver, Canada), Birmingham City Stages (Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.), Independence Days (Berlin, Germany), Philadelphia Folk Festival (Philadelphia, PA, U.S.), Tonder Festival (Denmark), and the Telluride Festival. They have also appeared numerous times on radio and television programs including MTV News, MTV’s Week in Rock, Prairie Home Companion, E-Town, Mountain Stage, The Entertainers, and many more.


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_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

Hello Horse Flies Friends …

Here’s a mid-winter update from snowy, cold upstate NY.

We’ll be playing in Ithaca at one of our favorite local venues, Castaways,
on March 5. Let’s heat it up and chase the winter away!

Summer 2011 The Horse Flies will be at:

Great Blue Heron Festival, Sherman, NY, July 1-3
GrassRoots Festival, Trumansburg, NY, July 21-24
Downtown Concert Series, Ithaca, NY, July 28

Richie Stearns has just released his long-awaited solo album, “Missing”.
This collection of 14 songs includes Carrie Rodriguez, Dirk Powell, Corey
Ledet, and many more. For more info: http://richiestearns.com To
order: http://www.funkyside.com

Judy Hyman has recently completed the musical score for a 2-hour
documentary about the War of 1812 (Florentine Films/Hott Productions) that
will air on PBS next fall, approaching the bicentennial of that war. For
more information: http://www.florentinefilms.org/index.php?id=28

The band Boy with a Fish, which features 4 members of The Horse Flies
(Jeff Claus, Judy Hyman, Rick Hansen, Jay Olsa along with Ryan Cady), is
poised to release a new CD and vinyl LP, “I Put My Tongue on the Window”.
Mixed by Pat Dillett (David Byrne, They might Be Giants, and more) and
mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound. For more info:
http://www.boywithafish.com

Jeff, Judy, Richie and former Horse Flies keyboardist, Peter Dodge, all
have some music in the film “Buck” (Cedar Creek Productions), a
documentary about Buck Brannaman, the real horse whisperer who’s the
inspiration for the Robert Redford film of that title. This film just won
the U.S. Documentary Audience Award at Sundance. For more info:
http://www.buckthefilm.com/

Stay warm. Be happy. Hope to see you down the road.

--The Flies

http://www.thehorseflies.com
http://richiestearns.com
http://www.boywithafish.com
http://www.judyhyman.com
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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