CONSCIOUS ALLIANCE
PARTNERS FOR
Sunshine After the Storm: "M.A.D.E." CD TO BENEFIT
HURRICANE VICTIMS
Musicians from across the country, and even Japan are
teaming up on a new album. The CD project is dedicated
to assisting disaster efforts.
"Musicians Assisting Disaster Efforts, A
Conscious Alliance of Voices, Vol. 1", is
the title. The limited-edition album compilation went
on pre-sale this week, with the proceeds going to help
Katrina victims. The Deep Fried Pickle Project is producing
the CD and will partner with Conscious Alliance . The
CD is set to start shipping in early
January.
"As soon as we saw news coverage about the hurricanes
we knew we had to do
something to help", says Daniel "Boone"
Daniel, CD Project Coordinator.
Boone's band, the 'Deep Fried Pickle Project' traveled
the country over the
past two summers meeting and jamming with other bands.
"I figured I might
as well ask all our newfound musician friends if they
would like to lend a
pickin' hand with the album." Most groups DID want
to help. To date, the
CD's roster includes Umphreys McGee, the Gourds (who wrote
a song Just for
the album), Split Lip Rayfield, Hit and Run Bluegrass,
Chubby Carrier and
the Bayou Swamp Band, Jefferson Hamer w/ Ben Kauffman
from Yonder Mountain
String Band, Zen, Kathryn Keats w/ Darol Anger, Cornmeal,
Steppin' In
It,Toni Brown Band, the Tallboys, Jah Sun, Stairwell Sisters,
plus a
"surprise band", and of course Boone's band-
the Deep Fried Pickle Project
<http://www.pickleproject.com>www.pickleproject.com.
Genres and styles range from Bluegrass to Honky-tonk to
Rock to Reggae
Zydeco-funk, to Dixieland Jazz. "It's hard to find
an album with this much
diversity, and such musicianship" says Daniel, of
the eclectic compilation.
That excitement is shared by the Conscious Alliance crew.
"I love working
with folks from the music scene in this capacity. This
project allows music
lovers a way to give back." says Evan Baker- C.A.'s
Office manager/ Truck
Driver. Conscious Alliance has made a "kind"
name for themselves, having
taken their mobile, orgainization-on-wheels to concerts
by friends Dave
Mathews Band and The String Cheese Incident. In the weeks
since the
disaster, the C.A. crew has taken truckloads of food and
supplies to the
Gulf Coast. Funds from benefit CD sales will be used to
provide food,
formula, baby supplies, toys and other supplies to hurricane
victims during
the holidays. Daniel "Boone" Daniel also hopes
to deliver musical
instruments to some of the New Orleans musicians who have
lost their
livelihood. "It is important not to forget our brothers
and sisters in the
Gulf Coast area, even though the storm was over three
months ago. In this
media - saturated culture, we tend to put yesterday's
tragedy on the back
burner", says Daniel
The Musicians didn't forget. For their part, the bands
were asked to submit
songs in the following themes- "Disaster and Hope"
Says Selvidge of the
DFPP, "I wrote the song "When's it Gonna Rain"
in church, so it has a lot
of biblical references to water. Fact is, it rains when
you don't want it
to and doesn't when you do." Zen sings a song about
feeling good after bad
times in 'Feels Good to Feel Good'. Said Mark Branciaroli,
Zen's Mandolin
and Guitar player-" We need something to help us
all feel good, again and
again and again." Said Jake Cinninger, of Umphrey’s
McGee- " Hopefully
people will dig into their pockets- that's why I chose
a live version of
'Walletsworth'.
"M.A.D.E. will be the first album of its kind that
I know of", says Boone.
With a lineup of some of the best bands from the "Americana"
scene, the
limited edition album is already being talked about on
many message boards.
"This is a big undertaking and we certainly use the
help of wonderful grass
roots folks to help publicize the album" says Boone.
"We know our efforts
will pay off for the people effected by this disaster.
M.A.D.E. will spread
a little sunshine after the storm." For information
on how you can get this
free cd with your monetary donation, go to
<http://www.consciousalliance.org>www.consciousalliance.org.
for sound clips and photos of the project go to
www.pickleproject.com/MADE.html
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