Hello folks.
"Raspberry Moonshine" is the mixture and meeting of several musical worlds. A bunch of countrified genres being stirred in a pot for years, and served up for the music lover, and open minded listener.
12 original songs, including a moonshiner's up tempo bluegrass tune, a sci-fi banjo factory disaster = Manjo!, a waltz, a revved up murder song, a presidential train tune, a square dance number, love songs, and even an Americana soundtrack piece with a poem reading by Jimmy Cameron (bassist of the Clinch Mountain Boys) about Rabbit Dogs.
This is an album we basically made for ourselves with the hopes that others would enjoy it.
Is it straight up Bluegrass? no.
Is it Americana or Country Rock. Nope.
3 years of coordinating tour schedules, day jobs, traveling thousands of miles, studio schedules/mixing, and $, have made this a very special and new sounding record we think.
With the support of friends and supporters like Rebb Firman, Todd Novak with special guests The Clinch Mountain Boys were able to record 12 songs in two days. The lead vocals here are the original basic tracks Todd cut at the two day sessions in Big Stone Gap VA. There was a return trip for Todd to do 3 part backing vocals with Clinch Mountain Boys, Dewey Brown and Jimmy Cameron, while James Nash was adding his mandolin wizardry to the mix on the west coast.
What began as just an interesting idea and project is now a reality and IS "Raspberry Moonshine"!
A labor of love complete.
Thanks for listening.
Todd Novak's musical journey began as he sprouted up in rural Pennsylvania and southern Ohio. He soon outgrew the scenery and moved to Columbus, Ohio where he met kindred spirits on the local music scene.
After spending several years in the legendary "Ronald Koal and the Trillionaires", he was soon looking for a more rootsy/country band to scratch his itch. "Rickey Barnes and the Hootowls" became that back scratchin' band. Equipped with hay bales and an upright bass fiddle, the Hootowls played barns & club dates warming up for the likes of Rank N' File and many other early alt-country greats, with Dave Schramm often joining in on lap steel guitar. Todd felt he was out-growing his britches in Ohio (ouch!), and he moved to New York City to play in the Ska band "Cryin' Out Loud". C.O.L found themselves the first independent label band to have a video on MTV in regular rotation. Once again the britches shrunk. So Todd joined Dave Schramm's group "The Schramms" and recorded with them on their first CD "Walk To Delphi" on Okra records. Still in a growing spurt, Todd formed and fronted a surf band "The Dragsters". He left the Schramms when "The Dragsters" received a recording deal from Great Jones/Island records.....Loads of touring, surfing, and sun followed. Enter Kevin Salem of Dumptruck, Freedy Johnston, and Yo La Tengo fame. Kevin asked Todd to join his group, and they soon landed a recording deal with Roadrunner records via Jeff Pachman. Todd appeared on Kevin's first CD "Soma City," produced by Nico Bolas (of Neil Young fame), playing guitar and singing harmony vocals with Syd Straw . The KS band played on national tours supporting The Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, The Bottle Rockets, and many others. Other New York activities included performing and producing cuts on the Brian Wilson tribute album "Smiles, Vibes and Harmony", and teaming up with virtuoso jazz guitarist/mandolin player Peter Brazier in a 1920's/Django-style group "The String Tickers". Soon the growing pains started again and sunny California started callin' Todd's name. He flipped coasts and formed a band of all-star Bay Area musicians called, yes, you guessed it, "The Cowlicks." Don't worry though, he's all grown-up now, and the Cowlicks are here to stay.
The Cowlicks now have 3 albums. C.W.A which won the California Music Awards in 2004 beating Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Psychedelic Service Station which received play on the BBC, and Hey Hey We're The Cowlicks.
Now Todd has a new album of original songs called Raspberry Moonshine with special guests The Clinch Mountain Boys, James Nash, as well as mountain- bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley making a special appearance (on two songs). This is Todd's first solo album ever! check out toddnovakmusic.com. buy the hard copies & MP3s here folks. Also available on Cdbaby, Itunes , other download sites, as well as your favorite record stores.
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