MUSIC NEWS AND REVIEWS

The latest music updates from New Orleans and South Louisiana

Homegrown kids' music quartet the Imagination Movers are scheduled to appear on "Good Morning America" Thursday, Aug. 21.

Brett Duke / Times-Picayune ArchiveHomegrown kids' music quartet appears on "Good Morning America" Thursday.

The four Movers -- Rich Collins, Dave Poche, Scott Durbin and Scott "Smitty" Smith -- are expected to perform with their auxiliary horn section featuring former Iguanas saxophonist Derek Huston and Bucktown Allstars trumpeter Ryan Thibodeaux.

"Good Morning America" airs in the New Orleans area on WGNO Channel 26.

The Movers are promoting the Sept. 6 premiere of their daily show on Disney Channel. They'll also sing the national anthem at the Saints' regular season home opener in the Superdome on Sept. 7.

Geoff Koch plays the Neutral Ground Thursday, August 21, 2008.

With the indie rock gods of Wilco on his side, St. Louis based singer-songwriter, Geoff Koch, is rolling along on his way to success.

Ok, well, maybe not all of Wilco has placed their full trust upon this acoustic folk-rock indie singer, but one ex-Wilco member saw something he believed in.

Michael Patrick Welch (to his students and readers), or White Bitch (to concert goers) releases The White Bitch's Prey Drive.

» Hear selected tracks
» Read Briana Prevost's review of the release.

Briana Prevost of NOLA.com interviews Michael Patrick Welch.Watch the interview »Hear selected tracks »

With a name that's undeniably set to grab attention, White Bitch (click here to find out why the vulgar name choice ), has released his first album full of guitar driven pseudo-pop tunes that will keep listeners interest from the first instrumental intro to the last ringing electronic gun-shot of an instrumental outro.

Michael Patrick Welch (to his students and readers), or White Bitch (to concert goers), knew he wanted to be involved with music since he was about fifteen. But it took a while for the often one-man-band performer to record and release his debut, The White Bitch's Prey Drive, for audiences to enjoy.

Keith I. Marszalek / NOLA.comThe band Ash performs on Royal Street during Dirty Linen Night Saturday, August 9, 2008.

Ash is Ashleigh and Aimee Alleman. Sisters born and raised in New Orleans. Fusing folk, pop, and rock Ash creates a sound all its own blending the sisters southern rock influences with their diverse musical upbringing.

Ashleigh, a classically trained vocalist, brings her vocal range and unique style to Aimee's folk pop rock riffs. Ash is about stripping the music down to its core and presenting a song in its true raw form. Ash is vocal stylings and acoustic guitars. Ash is something different in the world of the same.

To hear selected tracks from Ash's latest release click here

This past week got very busy, business-wise (which means I had to put on my "suit" and burn up the e-waves). We're starting to book work in the months to come back home, AND perhaps some more gigs abroad in 2009. Exciting, scary, and tedious (working out details) all at once. But before all of this heated up, I had another fun, "turistical" day last Monday.

First thing Monday morning, I boarded a train with Harry and Chris, bound for Leipzig. Harry had gotten a recommendation from a "foodie" for a great German restaurant in Leipzig, so we decided to make a day trip and explore the area.

Sorry to be "out of pocket" for so long, but this entry took me a while to write. . .
Saturday
I'm determined to do something "touristical" today, so I get up and moving fairly early. There's not a lot of detail (nor a map, for that matter), but my guidebook mentions a huge park (Grunewald) and lake (Wannsee) directly southwest of our neighborhood. I get on the S-bahn at Charlottenburg and ride for about 30 minutes to the Wansee station. Come up into sunshine, wander a bit, and there it is - a gorgeous, sparkling lake. Follow the inevitable bike path for a ways, but this is a huge lake, no walking all the way around. So enjoy the sun and water for a bit, then back the way I came.

Olympic sized savings all day long, all still $8 and $29 through 8/29 to help New Orleans residents come home to four star rooms. We're back behind Rock and Bowl At 731 S. Solomon St. from now until 6 p.m. so take home the gold (drapes) through Furnishing Our Neighbors and the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund.

Jennifer Zdon / The Times-Picayune Lauren Cangelosi of the Tipitina's Foundation sorts through hundreds of musical instruments searching for a sousaphone among the many instruments to be donated young musicians.

Early Wednesday morning, a truck laden with 3,300 pounds of music pulled up to a Mid-City storage facility.

Four sweaty staffers from the Tipitina's Foundation, the nonprofit philanthropic arm of the famed music club, spent the day unpacking, sorting and labeling brass, woodwinds, drums and more.

"There's a little bit of everything, " said the foundation's Lauren Cangelosi, flanked by 72 black trumpet cases stacked 10 high. "Cellos, violins, violas, sousaphones, clarinets, baritone saxophones. You name it, we've got it."