Episode 6

It’s another eclectic mix of hard-driving rock and soulful, haunting neo-folk, with a little acoustic instrumental action thrown in for good measure as the Dark Asteroid descends to Earth from the Podosphere for Episode 6. Kick back, relax, grab a glass of your favorite beverage, and enjoy this shorter-than-usual version of the Dark Asteroid Radio Program.

Artists and titles from this episode included:

Just-Bus — (Give It Back)
The TriSonics — (All I Ever Wanna Do)
Circe Link — (Blue Bird Tattoo)
Todd Smith — (The Cliffs of Aran)
Christa Couture — (Day 4)

Just-Bus — From their web site: “If you're looking for one heavy, tight fisted son of a blues band, then you're looking for  Just Bus.  This young gang of blues miscreants hails from the sticks of Des Moines.  With blues influences ranging from Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton to Buddy Guy & Bernard Allison,  Just Bus will keep the beer tastin' just as sweet during every tune.  Lead man Gabe Van Nordstrand shows his versatility with his "fret-board manipulation" on the fast ones, and his "my woman done left me" howl on the slow burners.  Accentuating his lunacy is keys man Mike Fust, described by "Blues Wax" as, "one of the premier organ and piano players in Iowa."  Another member of the "controlled chaos" is drummer Levi Baber, with a bad reputation of bustin' heads...literally.  I believe the bumper sticker on his car says it best with "Don't feed the drummer."  Putting the harness on this four man blues beast is bass man Ben Fust. Whether you're looking for the grueling Texas blues, an edgy Just Bus original, or a mean southern shuffle, Just-Bus will take you where you want to go.” View the complete site at http://www.just-bus.com/.

The TriSonics — The TriSonics were featured in Episode 5; you can find their information there.

Circe Link — Circe Link was also featured in Episode 5.

Todd Smith — Todd is from Boston, and recently graduated from Berklee College of Music. He is currently pursuing a career as a songwriter/performer, arranger/producer. He performs every instrument on his songs, which are influenced by a diverse group of artists including Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Band, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, and more. He is also a proficient arranger/composer in all styles of music including jazz and classical. Find out more at http://www.garageband.com/artist/toddsmith and http://go.berkleemusic.com/toddsmith.

Christa Couture — From Christa’s web site: Christa's music is neo-folk pop. Described in reviews as "the new Ani" and "Tori Amos with a guitar," she's a formidable young woman armed with a haunting voice and a quick-witted, poignant turn-of-phrase. Her live performances are energetic and moving and it is in this context that Christa's work is at its spontaneous best — fueling her attentive audience with candor, wit and passion. Christa recently recorded her first full-length album, entitled "Fell Out of Oz," which should be released in April. You can find much more information at her web site, http://www.christacouture.com.

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The Dark Asteriod          

Episode 5

Lab mice and dark, dark songs — German groups singing American rock and roll — and a song called “FALDNWM Blues.” This episode of the Dark Asteroid Radio Program brings you another eclectic mix of music and information that you just ought not be without. It’s a cold November night and the Dark Asteroid is feeling a little whimsical, so hold on to something soft and let’s go…

Artists and titles from this episode included:

The-Low-Country — (Lord I Want an Exit)
Michael Heaton — (The Good Times)
The TriSonics — (Mystery Lady)
Suspects — (FALDNWM Blues)
Circe Link — (Travelin’ Daddy)

The-Low-Country — The group is sort of based in Cambridge, UK, though singer/songwriter for the band, Emily Barker, is a Western Australian currently living in London. The band was formed by guitarist Rob Jackson roughly 3 years ago. Also in the band are Ian Pickering on drums, and Alex Machell on bass guitar. In the first few weeks of their existence, they managed to put together a demo cd which they abruptly sent to their DJ hero the late John Peel. Incredibly enough, he played a track from it: their slow, atmospheric interpretation of the ubiquitous Stephen Foster song, "Oh Susanna." Since that healthy start, the band have been gigging around the UK at various Americana-friendly venues and festivals, and have managed within a couple of years to record and self-release two albums, the latter of which received distribution through Proper. They are currently gigging around as a band, as well as pursuing individual musical ventures. You can find more at http://www.the-low-country.com.

Michael Heaton — Call him rock, call him pop, or call him country - Michael Heaton's music is "Bluejean rock" in the musical traditions of Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and John Hiatt. Based in the Chicagoland area, Michael Heaton is a musician with a talent for creating heartfelt lyrics and melodies about life, love, work and burning houses. "I try to write songs that everyone relates to," says Heaton. "I like my songs to tell a story, and maybe people can see themselves in these songs." Although music has always been a passion, Heaton reminisces about former jobs. "From diaper delivery person to making false teeth to performing singing telegrams, I guess I've done a little bit of everything." It's his previous life of "doing a little bit of everything" which makes Heaton's music and lyrics so accessible. With a knack for using a unique combination of musical styles to create tunes that are catchy and light-hearted, Heaton delivers an astounding and compelling experience both live and on CD. Heaton’s web site is http://www.michaelheaton.com.

The TriSonics — Just like Jerry Lee Lewis said: "Either be hot or cold. If you are lukewarm, the Lord will spew you forth from his mouth". True to this motto, the TriSonics favor hot - red hot! They've spent the last three years rocking clubs, festivals and parties all across Europe. Members are Derek Singleton: Lead Vocals (Guitars), Ralf Nickolaus: Drums (Backing Vocals), and Barbara Streidl: Bass (Backing Vocals). Find them online at http://www.trisonics.de.

Suspects — The group is from Rapid City, SD.  They are Black Hills musicians that got thrown together to play a gig and decided to make it a Wednesday night "boys’ night out" which turned into an aclaimed local jazz/blues staple. So instead of bowling, they play music. Their last world tour encompassed Spearfish, Deadwood, Sturgis, Piedmont, and Rapid City. No more international tours are planned, but they would be willing to consider one...  Members are Will Waller: Keyboards, Bob Fahey: Lead Guitar, Jon Margolis: Drums, Greg McDonald: Lead Guitar, and Bernd Winkler: Bass. Their online home is at http://www.garageband.com/artist/suspects.

Circe Link — Straight from her own publicist: “Sweet sassy and sexy this gal is cooking with the right stuff. A colorful blend of nostalgic Country, steamy Jazz, and weeping Blues only stimulates ones appetite for more. Accompanied by acoustic guitars, mandolin, violin and upright bass a voice of pure feminine charm reaches through the player to leave red red lipstick on your collar. With a shot of Patti Page, a dash of Sara Vaughn and a side of Patsy Cline this is the sound discriminating ears were waiting for.”  Her backup group includes Christian Nesmith: Acoustic Guitar, Producer , Sarah Schweppe: Backing Vocals, Ian "Skillet" Walker: Bass, Christopher Allis: Drums, and Bart Ryan: Acoustic Guitar. Her web address is http://www.circelink.com.

We truly value your opinion; let us know how we’re doing! Comment here or send an email to dark.asteroid@gmail.com and give us our report card.

You may click here to download this episode.

The Dark Asteriod          

Episode 4

It’s 2:58 AM, Central Standard Time, and Episode 4 has just landed from somewhere deep in the Podosphere. A slightly more eclectic mix this time, the program was probably influenced by the autumnlike night outside the door of the Dark Asteroid’s studio, evocative of campfire nights and weenie roasts and homecoming bonfires and jack-o-lanterns carved beside a fire’s dying embers with the help of two small boys.

Artists and titles from this episode included:


La Tribu — (Sylvia)
Anyma — (Anyma – Submarine MIX)
Jenn Watts — (We’re Okay)
Tools — (I Know Where I’m Goin’)
Verbal Kint — (Harbour Lights)


La Tribu — Here’s what they have to say about themselves: “For the past year this sensational 12-piece orquesta from Austin has been redefining the term "big band" weekly - with style, panache, and a show that brings audiences out in droves and packs local dance floors to capacity. The immediate popularity of the "big band" style among jaded Austin rock and blues clubgoers has been a pleasant - though not entirely unexpected - turn of events for La Tribu. Just how popular is evidenced by the fact that the barely year-old group was awarded "Best World Music Group" at the 2001 Austin Music Awards. "World Music" is in fact an apt description - drawing on influences as diverse as their nationalities, the group leaves virtually no stone unturned or influence un-namechecked in its spirited exploration of El Musica De La Tribu. From Perez Prado to Duke Ellington, Tito Puente to Earth, Wind & Fire and De La Soul to Santana, La Tribu creates a seamlessly amalgamated style that respects tradition yet remains fresh and innovative enough to appeal to fans of all ages, races and musical tastes. In targeting crossover audiences, this multinational outfit has taken the current latin dance craze out of the salsa clubs and "taken it the street" with extraordinary results.” Find La Tribu at http://www.tribumusic.com.

Anyma consists of two artists, Christian Bourassa and Ghislain Caya.  They have been composing music together since 1991 and say, "we are exploring the world of sounds through various sources of media."  Anyma’s music is a blend of different styles, from tribal-techno through atmospheric-electronica up to ambient; the resulting music is often hard to classify. Their web site is http://www.anymaworld.com.

Jenn Watts is a repeat artist from episode two.

Tools (Jim Tullio) is a repeat artist from episode one.

Verbal Kint — Rogier Oster & Dennis Moerkerk are the people behind Verbal Kint. They used to play in a rock band called Twist of Fate which was (and still is) very popular in the Rotterdam rock scene. During the Twist of Fate years Rogier & Dennis became interested in more laidback grooves and chilled sounds, and when the band broke up they decided to try out some new stuff. Before joining Twist of Fate, Dennis had already made productions in his studio for several respected dance labels (Blackhole, NEWS). Now they make the Verbal Kint sound with Rogier playing the drums and Dennis other sounds and production. Featured on: http://www.dennis-m.nl and http://www.muziek4um.nl/forum/

This was a bit of a different show in terms of the music selected; let us know how we’re doing! Comment here or send an email to dark.asteroid@gmail.com and give us our report card.

You may click here to download this episode.

The Dark Asteriod