PREMIERE: Mama Magnolia Displays Grit And Grace On Self-Titled EP [Listen]
Mama Magnolia‘s roots date back to 2013, when the majority of band’s members were enrolled in the music program at the University of Denver. With a keen ear for classical jazz compositions, the six-piece started jamming outside of their curricula and started to develop their unique sound. Comprised of Megan Letts (lead vocals, keys), Thomas Jennings (guitar), Zach Jackson (bass, vocals), Jackson Hillmer (drums), Carrie McCune (trumpet, vocals) and Alex Cazet (saxophone), Mama Magnolia incorporates elements of rock n’ roll, funk, soul, R&B, and so much more, to create the electrifying live shows they bring to any city lucky enough to host them.In 2016, Mama Magnolia released their independent debut EP, Something About Fire, while hitting the Colorado live music scene and beyond as hard as they could. Opening up for beloved live acts such as the California Honeydrops and Marco Benevento, the six-piece earned the respect of their hometown community, appearing regularly at Denver’s fixture arts and industry events.Their 2019 self-titled full-length, Mama Magnolia, was produced by Grammy Award-winning producers and engineers Steven Vidaic and Mike Yach, with Mama Magnolia trying to constantly emulate a live sound and approach with their recording process. “There’s a lot going on,” Megan Letts admits to Live For Live Music. “We certainly get down, but we’re not a rock band per se. It’s retro, but there’s a grittier side with the horns. Most of us grew up as jazz nerds. After playing by the book for so long, we’ve allowed ourselves to push the boundaries. It feels good.”“We tracked everything together, so drums, bass, guitar, horns, and keys were all done live,” recalls Megan. “That really captured who we are. We just react to each other very well musically. It’s a symbiotic relationship. The EP was like a preview; this second EP and upcoming record is an introduction to who we truly are and what we sound like.”The single “Half His Heart” opens up the world of Mama Magnolia. “Lyrically it’s about discovering the good in people even when they don’t seem like good people,” she explains. “Half of your heart is being told to be a certain way, but you still have that pure serenity somewhere inside you.”Meanwhile, “Ain’t Your Mama” tempers a simmering musical groove with raucous and robust vocals punctuated by funky bass and rambling horns.“It’s a reminder to bad roommates,” smiles the singer. “Clean up after your own self, because I’m not your mom! So many of our songs have these deep, intentional meanings and shadowy lyrics. This is very straightforward!”In the end, the soul of Mama Magnolia comes from the “family” bond shared by all six members.“Our fans always say we’re like a family,” Megan leaves off. “We can express anything musically, because we’re so comfortable with each other. We just like sharing our music with everybody as a family. When you listen to us, I hope you take away that experience. You’re a part of it too.”On Friday, November 2nd, Mama Magnolia will release the first half of their brand-new self-titled album as an EP. Today, Live For Live Music is proud to premiere Mama Magnolia, Pt.1 in its entirety before it’s official release.You can take a listen to the Live For Live Music premiere of Mama Magnolia’s new self-titled EP for yourself below. If you like what you hear, make sure to snag a copy of the band’s full album when it’s released Spring 2019. For more information on the band’s upcoming shows, check out their tour dates listed below or head to their website here.
Addressing a packed house at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) on Tuesday evening, former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez called for bipartisan solutions to the nation’s housing problems that would largely reduce the role of the federal government and transfer initiative to the private sector.“After the November election, no matter who wins, it is my hope that Republicans and Democrats will work together to repair the housing market,” said Martinez, a Florida Republican who also was secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for several years under President George W. Bush.Martinez delivered the 13th annual John T. Dunlop Lecture, with his topic “America’s Housing Policy: Charting a Course for Recovery.”Introducing Martinez, Eric S. Belsky, managing director of the GSD’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, emphasized that Dunlop, the late Lamont University Professor emeritus, was renowned for his bipartisan spirit, having advised every president from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush.Affirming the importance of crafting bipartisan solutions, Martinez emphasized his respect for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat with whom he once worked in the Senate.“Sen. Kennedy was that rare kind of breed who had the ability to maintain his principles and also reach across the aisle to make a deal,” Martinez said. “We often sat around a table and sought to come together on issues.”Summarizing the continuing ills in housing, Martinez said, “After six years of decline, few would have predicted that the U.S. housing market would still be trying to find its footing.”He said that 11 million American households are underwater on their mortgages (with the value of their homes below what they owe on their mortgages), and 1.2 million Americans are in the foreclosure process, with minorities disproportionately affected.While acknowledging that “home ownership is the American dream” and describing his own Cuban-American family’s pride “when we bought our first home in America,” Martinez bemoaned the lack of prudent underwriting in home financing before the crisis, as well as inadequate regulatory oversight of said financing.“In hindsight,” he said, “it’s obvious there were insufficient controls to prevent practices like reverse redlining,” whereby lenders targeted poor neighborhoods with predatory credit products such as subprime mortgages.Turning to potential solutions, Martinez began by admitting “there are no magic remedies.” He said that “government is playing far too large a role in our housing finance system” and needs to “allow the private sector to step in and fill the gap.” He called for “circumscribing the government’s role” to one of “an insurance backdrop of last resort.” Martinez was especially critical of a financial system where “profits get privatized and losses get socialized” via taxpayer-funded bailouts.As for the private sector’s role, Martinez, who is chairman of the J.P. Morgan Foundation, called for more “prudent underwriting” of mortgages. Banks need to be more careful about extending loans to customers with dubious credit histories. He also called for a more robust financial system that “must be able to weather dips in market conditions.”Martinez reserved much of his time to bemoaning a lack of clarity in new financial reforms like the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Pointing to the uncertainty surrounding new financial regulations, Martinez said that “their effect on credit availability could be devastating” for the housing market.“I have a suggestion for the next president,” Martinez continued. “Issue an executive order to inventory all of these new rules and regulations and assess their overall impact on mortgage lending. We need a much clearer picture” of the impact of these regulations. Most of all, Martinez said, “We must strike the right balance between protecting consumers and expanding credit for qualified borrowers.”Martinez concluded by reaffirming the importance of housing as a bellwether for economic recovery, and asking that government address the issue right after the election, because, he said, “Housing is just too important to be put off for another day.”
Kristin Chenoweth can do it all: she’s got great comedic timing, she can nail a dramatic ballad and she’s just as comfortable singing opera as she is belting out a tune from Wicked. Whether she’s channeling Eliza Doolittle, Sally Bowles or Jean Valjean, there’s one thing we know for sure—this Tony-winner is wildly entertaining. Of all the roles that Kristin Chenoweth takes on in her new album Coming Home, which one would you pay to see the On the Twentieth Century star actually tackle onstage? Sure, she’s not exactly the right type to play Dorothy Gale or prisoner 24601, but let your imagination run wild for a second. Cast your vote below, then pick up her new album in stores and online November 17! Kristin Chenoweth View Comments
Star Files
Governing party official Ace Magashule is accused of corruption, which he denies.- Advertisement –
Hannah Cockroft, Jonnie Peacock and Sammi Kinghorn remain on the Paralympic programme while Jemma Reekie and Andrew Pozzi are included in Olympic podium potential funding.This year’s Tokyo Olympics was postponed until 2021 because of the pandemic and athletes will be supported, having been before it was rescheduled.World class programme director Steve Paulding said: “The last few months have provided many challenges for everyone, so we are pleased to be able to retain all the athletes who were on the world class programme last year, for 2021.- Advertisement – “Additionally, we are delighted to be looking at creating alternative ways to support several athletes via a Tokyo Support Package.“These discussions are taking place following a year in sport which has been like no other we have experienced.“We want to engage and support as many athletes as possible who have shown real potential for Tokyo during the disrupted season, but we have not been able to add to the Olympic WCP.“So, we will aim to support a limited number of athletes in accessing the support which will help them achieve this.” Dina Asher-Smith, 200m world champion, is just one of the British athletes who will maintain their world class funding – Advertisement – British Athletics has kept all current athletes on its world class funding programme for next year.No athlete has lost their place on the programme as the sport battles the coronavirus crisis.Sir Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic champion, 200m world champion Dina Asher-Smith and world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson are all included in Olympic podium funding.- Advertisement –
Twitter has removed more than 7,000 accounts linked to the “QAnon” movement over abuse and harassment concerns, saying Tuesday it will limit the spread of conspiracy theories by its supporters.Members of the informal, pro-Donald Trump group believe — with no credible evidence — that the United States has been ruled for decades by a criminal organization involving people they describe as the Satan-worshipping global elite, including Hollywood stars and the “deep state”.The right-wing group is also convinced of a secret plot against Trump, and its members have targeted his political opponents on social media with harassment. Topics : The FBI has identified QAnon as a potential domestic terrorism threat, according to US media.QAnon members have recently been involved in protests against measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus, especially lockdowns and face masksTwitter said it would help stop the spread of QAnon conspiracy theories by, among other things, making sure the Twitter algorithm does not highlight sites and tweets associated with their accounts.It will also “block URLs associated with QAnon from being shared on Twitter.”Some 150,000 accounts will also be hidden from trends and search on Twitter, a spokesperson said.Supporters of the group claim that “Q” or “QAnon” is a mole in the president’s inner circle who has decided to reveal tidbits of intelligence concerning the global conspiracy on fringe internet platforms.While it originated on the edges, QAnon has built a growing following on mainstream social media platforms too. Some QAnon adherents are even running for Congress this November.Twitter’s decision comes after nearly 1,000 advertisers announced they were boycotting Facebook, demanding more aggressive action against content that promotes violence and hate.In April, Facebook removed 20 accounts, five pages and six groups linked to QAnon.
“We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm,” Twitter said.”In line with this approach, this week we are taking further action on so-called ‘QAnon’ activity across the service,” it added.”We will permanently suspend accounts Tweeting about these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension.”A spokesperson said that the social media giant had decided to act because QAnon followers were causing increasing harm.
Marketing losses But the business of football is never as straightforward as that. “At 854 million euros, Barca have the highest turnover among the biggest European clubs,” said Gay de Liebana. “The main core of their income comes from marketing [381 million euros] and TV rights [298 million euros] so it’s clear that the departure of Leo Messi will negatively affect Barca’s figures.” Without Messi, Gay de Liebana believes that Barca’s sponsorship contracts, including deals worth 55 million per year with Rakuten and 19 million euros with Beko, could be significantly reduced. And without Messi — and assuming a return to the days of pre-coronavirus attendances at La Liga matches — will there still be so many tourists travelling to watch a game at Camp Nou and buying a Messi replica jersey as a souvenir? The departure of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner — as well as the possible transfer of Suarez who, according to the press, is not in Koeman’s plans for the 2020-2021 season — would thus mark a major blow for Barca’s marketing income while considerably reducing the club’s payroll. With 100 million euros per year more in its coffers and a relatively cut-price replacement in the dressing room Koeman’s Barca may well be able to begin the reconstructive surgery the team so urgently needs if it is to bounce back from that mauling by Bayern and regain the Spanish title from Real Madrid. The focus, naturally enough, has been on the football ramifications for Barcelona: how would a Messi exit affect them on the pitch as they try to rebuild under new coach Ronald Koeman?But equally important for the Barca board is the financial implication of allowing the 33-year-old, who earns over 100 million euros ($118 million) in salary and bonuses per year, to take his brand to another club. The Catalans, however, are in deep financial difficulty. Quite apart from the 200 million euros it claims to have “lost” since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Barca have been carrying a net debt of nearly 200 million euros since 2019. Bottom line “Negotiate, agree, and smile,” wrote FC Barcelona journalist Xavier Bosch in a column in Mundo Deportivo on Tuesday, asking everyone to “act intelligently”.That may be harder done than said in the world of football, where passion often overrules economic pragmatism.Not surprisingly the supporters do not want to see the player nicknamed La Pulga (The Flea) leave, even though his performances in the last year suggest a slight waning of his considerable powers.But his transfer could be the real starting point on and off the field for the reconstruction of a club that not so long ago was the yardstick and envy of the world.”I like Messi a lot, but I like Barca even more,” former club president Joan Gaspart told the Marca sports daily last week. “It is the club that is in control, not the player. If Messi leaves for an amount lower than that of his clause, it will be more humiliating than the 8-2″ against Bayern, he said. According to Football Leaks, Messi’s annual gross salary in 2018, including bonuses, was more than 100 million euros, almost double that of his former teammate Neymar.The Brazilian, who left Barcelona for Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world record fee of 222 million euros, is paid around 52 million euros in salary per year.”There has been a lot of talk about the fact that Barca have a very high payroll but a large part of that sum was intended for Leo and Luis Suarez,” economist and FC Barcelona specialist Juan Maria Gay de Liebana told AFP.So in simple terms, even if they recruit another high-profile replacement, Barcelona could slash a chunk of cash from the payroll. And that might give Koeman, who arrived in August to replace Quique Setien, some wiggle room in recruiting new players to fulfill his vision for the team. Barcelona would be shattered if Lionel Messi left the club he has graced since he was a boy, but could the departure of arguably the world’s top player create the financial conditions to rebuild?The Argentinian maestro, who has been with the club since he was 13, handed in a transfer request after Barca’s humiliating 8-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.After all the highs of his 21 years with the club, this was one step too far for Messi. 
The club has taken out a loan of 140 million over five years with an American investment fund to help pay off the debt.And it has a massive player payroll, reported to be 542 million euros in the 2018-2019 season.So, in simple commercial terms a transfer fee, even if well below the 700 million euros quoted in his disputed release clause, would be a welcome windfall. Topics :
June 29, 2017 Bill Signing, Human Services, Press Release, Public Safety, Results Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today signed House Bill 217, renewing the commonwealth’s commitment to the safety of its children and increasing penalties for those who carelessly and flagrantly endanger them.Act 12, House Bill 217, introduced by Representative Rob Kauffman and passed unanimously by both the House and Senate, will strengthen Pennsylvania’s child endangerment laws and further protect children from abuse and mistreatment.“Our children are the most precious and vulnerable members of our society,” Governor Wolf said. “We need to protect them from harm and ensure that they can grow up in a safe environment so that they can develop into successful and happy adults. This bill will strengthen the child endangerment laws in Pennsylvania – and will help to ensure that Pennsylvania’s children have the chance to live and grow safely.”The new law allows the courts to take into account the age of a child who is put in danger, as well as the degree of harm done in order to more accurately reflect the reality of the situation when deciding how to prosecute those who harm children.Age and level-of-harm distinctions will work by increasing the penalty based on the degree of harm the child is placed in by the individual and increasing the penalty by one grade if the child is under six years old. The bill also requires the court to consider ordering an individual convicted of endangering a child to undergo counseling. Governor Wolf Signs Law to Increase Penalties for Endangering Children
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter
CAPTION: Italian State Railways received the first of 20 Class E412 three-system locomotives at a ceremony in the Vado Ligure works of Adtranz. Present were Rolling Stock supremo Mario Moretti and Transport Minister Claudio Burando. Able to run in Austria and Germany, the 200 km/h locos are also able to run under 1·5 kV DC catenary in FranceCAPTION: Sri Lanka Railway last month put into traffic the first of 10 diesel locos rehabilitated by Adtranz and fitted with new Caterpillar Series 3312 engines
I hope a lot of you were able to attend the Reds Caravan last Thursday at the Y. If you didn’t, I hope you were able to listen to the broadcast on WRBI. A good-sized crowd was present to see the Reds in person.The Reds management is planning on a much better performance from the Reds this season. Walt Jocketty stated that after 2 losing seasons the Reds should not be dwelling on rebuilding, but should be planning to win. Area fans are sure hoping this is true. It still may be a steep climb since the Reds are in the same division as the Chicago Cubs.