Just a little promotion for our rockin’ friends of Antigone Rising!
KnockDown Ninja’s newest project is some fun promo for AR, “For this promotion, you can win signed drum sticks, a Starbucks gift card and best of all Antigone would like to play a live impromptu show and record it for fans. Help spread the word and see something amazing!”, they said on their Facebook page.
Click ‘Share’ for Facebook & Twitter. Doooo iiiit! Rock. Get ready plant your butts below!
_______________________________________________________________
by Amanda Vontobel & Lorraine Mazza
Antigone Rising’s much anticipated new release 23 Red finally hits the stores today, August 2nd. This marks the first studio release with Nini Camps in the band, a wise bet that was clear to anyone who witnessed those early gigs such as we did. Since then, AR has been playing shows and crafting the new songs into studio form, which would become 23 Red. We don’t know if this was intentional, but it sounds to us like a perfect summer album. 23 Red is ripe with harmonies, instruments that don’t get lost in the background and heard clearly, yet it’s also one full sound. When listening you can hear everything. And with this group that’s a very good thing. Every little sound, rip, hit, strum, vocal comes together and sounds damn good. Beautiful melodies, lyrics, layers. There is a definite feel good vibe to the music, even when singing to a lover who’s half in and out the door (One Foot In).
But, let’s back up for those who may be reading about this band for the first time. Antigone Rising is Kristen Henderson, Cathy Henderson, Nini Camps & Dena Tauriello. And we mean that in more than just the introductory way. This time around, they are more themselves than ever. We have seen the ups & downs of the band over the years. And this is a great time for them, and anyone that gets to hear their music. Something their fans know all to well, as many of them contributed to the many of this album via a Kickstarter campaign. The band worked very hard on this recording and has some great news to show for it, they recently signed with Meryl Music Distribution, which is the distribution arm of Blackheart Records.
The addition of Nini to the band has made both sides shine and compliment each other’s talents perfectly. There’s this mix of warm alternate country & bluesy rock that is now thrown in with AR’s ’70s rock & roll influence. A winning combination. This album is truly a reintroduction to Antigone Rising. An album like no other that they have released previously, but we mean that in a good way. This band has a found the right formula for themselves. The right talent plus the right people. To say that there’s harmony, both musically & personally would be quite accurate.
We can remember being there for a lot of these songs debut performances. The day Borrowed Time was finished being written, it was performed for the first time at the late great Caserta Vecchia restaurant in Brooklyn on a cool October night. Nini & Kristen had just written it, Cathy & Dena hadn’t even heard it yet. There’s even video on youtube if you search. It was a casual, intimate night. Just the type of night that makes for great memories. That’s AR, their team and the people around them, the fans… friends… family. Good times. The song itself is inspired by the fact that both Kristen and Nini were new Moms, but it can be about anyone you love. It serves as a gentle reminder that no one has time on their side and we should cherish all that we have here and now. Truly one of the most beautiful songs we’ve ever heard.
Everywhere is Home, was the song that convinced Kristen to offer Nini the spot in the band. The song is an older Nini favorite. Kristen would joke about wanting that song, so she had to take Nini to get it. But, it all seriousness, it’s a favorite of ours too, from years ago. When Nini had a side project called The Hamiltons, with Trina Hamlin & Marilyn D’Amato. The lyrics lightheartedly sing of chasing down summer and finding open road, perfect for an album released in the lazy days of summer. And while I’ve always thought of this as the perfect song to play while driving with the windows down, Nini had that same idea for another tune. Pink Sunglasses is like an ode to New York City and all it’s hopes and dreams. The opening lines “New York skyline”, takes us back to the show on the Rock Boat around Manhattan with everyone trying to stay put while the boat literally rocked and rolled around the city.
They’ve also switched up the sounds of some songs as compared to live shows. Breaking Me went from an upbeat rocker to a laid back mellow vibe with Dena’s drums up front. Nini’s vocals are also mellow and relaxed. This version is like nothing we’ve heard live. More haunting than previously heard. Essentially, a very cool sound. It works perfectly, another successful bet. Goodbye & One Foot In, two very get up and stomp songs. Lots of fun. A bit of an alt/country, rock fusion. Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring is another great boot stomper. Nini is well known for her amazing slide guitar tactics, and she holds nothing back on this one. Gracefully, a very new song, that was never played live. So we got to hear it first on this record. A song about knowing someone going through a difficult time and wanting to do whatever you can to fix it. No Remedy, a hit, I tell ya, a hit! (that’s for our friend, Joely, check out her blog) But, yes. A hit. Great song.
There are a few guest musicians as well. We get to hear the vocal talents of the one and only Garrison Starr, who just happens to have co-written a few of the songs on 23 Red. She makes a vocal guest appearance on Pink Sunglasses. And the quite skilled classical cellist, Julie Biber, adds a moving tone to Borrowed Time. Besides Garrison, other co-writers are McGowan Southworth, Wes Hutchinson, Daniel Tashian & Justin Moore of Ingram Hill. And as if that’s not eclectic enough instrumentation for you, there is also an electric mandolin in Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring. - Amanda would like to add that she loves that there’s an electric mandolin and it’s not just because her name is Amanda Lynn.
So by all accounts, 23 Red is a definite hit. For the fans who have been going to shows and watching these songs grow, 23 Red will not disappoint. AR has kept all of the vitality that their stage presence is known for and incorporated it into the studio. For those listening for the first time, you will in awe when you see these songs come to life on stage. It’s a win/win for everyone, really. Life may be a gamble, but when you know the game and trust the players, you will never be disappointed.
________________________________________________________
TIMES TWO BOOK COVERAGE & MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN NEW YORK
press photos for book by Katie Ambrose
Times Two is a memoir written by partners Kristen Henderson and Sarah Kate Ellis. Partners who are committed to each other in every sense of the word, other than through marriage. Fortunately, that can all change now thanks to Governor Cuomo’s introducing and then persistent support of the Marriage Equality Bill. The fight was long and hard, finally coming to pass in a nail biting NY State Senate session that had all of New York and the internet on the edge of their seats. Facebook and Twitter were in a frenzy with second by second updates. Somewhere out on Long Island, Kristen and Sarah had been watching, tweeting, and waiting too. They lived their lives no different than any heterosexual couple. They met, fell in love, built a life, and then built a family together. Both are life long New Yorkers, Kristen hailing from Long Island and Sarah from Staten Island. Both have lived in Manhattan for several years as well. So it makes perfect sense that they would only want to solidify their union into a marriage in their own state.
Now that the bill has passed, Kristen and Sarah (and all other gays, of course) are allowed to be legally married like every other citizen. Just take a moment to think about that. Imagine your basic civil rights being voted on by a room full of lawmakers. Your right to have your relationship legally recognized by the state, so that your partner can be your spouse and you can both be afforded the same rights that married heterosexual couples take part in. This room of lawmakers get to play judge and jury with your life. They get to deny you basic freedoms simply because they don’t approve of who you are. They think it’s wrong and immoral. And the majority of their reasons are based on religious views, something that is not supposed to factor into our legal system but somehow always does. But, that is a whole other blog in itself. For this, I will stick to the legal issues on gay marriage, many of which are recounted by Kristen and Sarah in Times Two.
Kristen and Sarah’s story is told through humorous and heart wrenching accounts of their unique experience. Having suffered through several trials and tribulations, they both ended up getting pregnant on the same day. That’s 9 months of physical, hormonal, and psychological changes to go through together. If that doesn’t justify writing a book together, I don’t know what does! So they did, and it is a warm, touching, and most importantly, a real story.
At the start of the book, Kristen and Sarah describe their somewhat different upbringings. Kristen’s artistic tendencies were prevalent as a kid. She and her sister Cathy had formed bands and played neighborhood gigs together. The music continued into college when Kristen joined the band Cathy started up, which was the very first incarnation of Antigone Rising. Sarah showed a strong business sense early on, though her first attempt at corporate success was not so honorable. She made a few fast bucks selling science test answers to her schoolmates. In college however, Sarah and a friend had a more legitimate enterprise going, cleaning houses and dog walking. I’m sure if you ask any of their long time friends and family, they’d agree it was no surprise that both would continue to build upon these traits and develop them them into ongoing careers. Kristen is still a successful musician and Sarah is an executive at Real Simple magazine.
The book continues with Kristen and Sarah telling their experiences of learning they were gay. This of course brings them to the world of dating women, and they share some background on their relationships prior to finding each other. Although Kristen and Sarah originally met through mutual friend Liz Brooks, it isn’t until years later that they connected on a much more soulful level. That moment is one of my favorites in the book. It is the stuff all great love stories are made of. The point where all the stars align, confusion leaves, everything makes sense, and you just know. Kristen and Sarah had been in the right place, at the right time, and they knew they were ready to be a couple and start a family. It is the first of several such moments to come throughout this story.
Not long into their relationship, Kristen and Sarah decide it’s time to start on their dream of having a family. They now take us along on their painstaking journey of research, donors, doctors, countless pregnancy tests, and late night runs to the local pharmacy. All of this is told with both hilarious honesty and heart warming sincerity. I can’t possibly describe the essence of the book or the range of emotions it takes you through. It is an absolute read for yourself experience. If you are a fan of Antigone Rising, you probably already have it in your possession. But even if you’re not familiar with Kristen or her band, Times Two still has appeal that reaches far and wide beyond the scope of fans or the gay community. This is a story that any woman can relate to no matter what type of relationship she is in, or even single and trying to conceive. Some may read it and find similarities in their own lives. And some may read it and find hope where they thought there was none. It’s a story about love, life, and family.
In light of the recent marriage equality bill being discussed as I type this blog, Kristen and Sarah’s story is more important than ever. Kristen had taken to her blog several times on issues that her family were facing. Issues such as having a social worker come into their home to deem them proper parents. Having to adopt each other’s child in order to be considered their parent. Issues that heterosexuals do not have to endure no matter what circumstances their child may be raised in.
More recently, Sarah wrote a blog that made it to the front page of Huffington Post and has been shared on various sites across Facebook and Twitter. Kristen and Sarah want to be legally married to protect their children from the unjust criticism that is bound to happen as they grow up. They want their children to be just like others, born into a family that loves them with parents who are legally wed. And now, they will. A few days after the bill passed, Kristen wrote a touching blog for Huffpost Women. She brings us back to her own childhood where she was never comfortable thinking about the all important “white dress” that all little girls are supposed to dream of. Now having gained the right to do so, it seems Kristen may not have a problem wearing one after all. It just comes down to this…No one wants to defile the sanctity of marriage. The only “gay agenda” is equality. To be legally accepted, legally recognized, and legally afforded the same rights as every other citizen. We work and pay taxes. We vote. We honor our military and respect our country. Love, life, and family. We believe in that too. And we are grateful that the NY State Senate has finally recognized that.
____________________________________________________________________
