About this project
"Music for the Mountains" is a compilation album and live concert created to call attention to (and raise funds to fight against) mountaintop removal, a form of mining in which explosives are used to blast the tops off of mountains so that coal companies can access strips of coal, which eventually gets converted into energy for everyone’s households. Mountaintop removal is employed in the hills of Kentucky, West Virginia and east Tennessee. It permanently destroys the landscape, and it pollutes the environment, including the drinking water for the local residents.
To date more than 500 Appalachian mountains have been dynamited and nearly 2,000 miles of rivers and streams have been choked by mountaintop removal coal mining. The Appalachians are the only mountain range in the country where this practice is allowed.
The CD, a 21-song compilation album of music by artists from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Alabama, will feature a combination of songs specially written for this project and other previously-unreleased tracks not available on any other album. None of the music on this album is available anywhere else. It will be released in conjunction with a "whole-house" benefit concert at the historic Southgate House in Newport, KY on Saturday, February 12, 2011. (By "whole-house", we mean that we have secured all three stages within the venue - lounge, parlour, and ballroom - to feature musicians devoting their time and talents to this project). The concert will also feature authors and speakers on the subject of mountaintop removal coal mining, as well as informational and sign-up tables for people who are interested in getting involved in the ongoing fight against this obscenity.
All the songs were recorded and donated at the artists' expense. We are seeking funds to:
1. Have the tracks mastered and readied for release
2. Have 1,000 copies of the album printed and duplicated
3. Promote and advertise the album and companion concert
4. Pay the Mechanical Licensing Fees for artists recording cover songs for the album
5. Pay for the materials for a limited edition, original screenprinted poster for the show by noted local artist Keith Neltner. (The finished posters will be sold at the benefit)
6. Pay for some of the travel expenses for speakers and artists who are traveling here from outside the greater Cincinnati area
All proceeds from both the album and the concert will be split 50/50 between Ohio Citizen Action and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, the two most local organizations fighting against MTR. By selling most (or all) of the CD's and limited-edition posters, plus generating a strong turnout for the concert, we can contribute well over $10,000 to this urgent cause.
TRACK LISTING FOR THE ALBUM:
1. JOEY KNEISER (of Glossary) - "Me, William, and the Mountain" (original song written for this project)
2. RABBIT HASH STRING BAND - "High on a Mountain" (Ola Belle Reed cover recorded for this project)
3. MAGNOLIA MOUNTAIN - "The Hand of Man" (original song written for this project)
4. SHINY AND THE SPOON - "Black Nag" (original song written for this project)
5. MA CROW AND TRINA EMIG - "Foggy Mountain Top" (traditional tune recorded for this project)
6. DUQUETTE JOHNSTON - "Blood for Money" (original song written for this project)
7. KIM TAYLOR - "Build You Up" (previously unreleased studio track donated for this project)
8. UNCLE MIKE CARR AND TOMMY TAYLOR - "Sugar Hill" (traditional tune donated to this project)
9. THE TILLERS - "My Red River Home" (Boys from Indiana cover recorded for this project)
10. THE RUBBER KNIFE GANG - "Forever Remain" (original song written for this project)
11. CHUCK CLEAVER & LISA WALKER (of Wussy) - "Mountain in Our Backyard" (original song written for this project)
12. FRONTIER FOLK NEBRASKA - "Clay's Room" (original song written for this project)
13. THE HIDERS - "White Hat Blues" (previously unreleased studio track donated for this project)
14. MIKE OBERST (of The Tillers) - "Coal Creek March" (traditional tune recorded for this project)
15. JANET PRESSLEY - "Come Thou Fount" (previously unreleased studio track donated for this project)
16. ED CUNNINGHAM AND BRAD MEINERDING (of Comet Bluegrass All-Stars) - "Brookside '73" (original song written for this project)
17. RED CEDARS - "Coal Miner's Blues" (traditional tune recorded for this project)
18. MURDER CREEK ASSEMBLY - "Note to Jimmie Rodgers" (original song written for this project)
19. DAVID RHODES BROWN - "The Price" (original song written for this project)
20. HICKORY ROBOT - "Bluegrass Lullaby" (original song written for this project)
21. SEAN GEIL (of The Tillers) - "I've Endured" (Ola Belle Reed cover recorded for this project)
JUST CONFIRMED: Acclaimed author/speaker JEFF BIGGERS (Reckoning at Eagle Creek, The United States of Appalachia)
For more information on this project, visit:
http://www.magnoliamountain.net/m4tm.htm
http://www.facebook.com/musicforthemountains
FAQ
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$3,366
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on December 23, 2010.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
A copy of the "Music for the Mountains" CD, to be released on February 12, 2011. In addition, your name will be listed as a donor in the program for the event.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
Two copies of the "Music for the Mountains" CD (to be released on February 12, 2011), plus a CD by the contributing artist of your choice. In addition, your name will be listed as a donor in the program for the event.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
A copy of the "Music for the Mountains" CD (to be released on February 12, 2011), plus a limited edition 19 x 25 three-color screenprinted poster, specially created for the event by acclaimed local artist Keith Neltner. The poster will be signed by many of the contributing musicians. In addition, your name will be listed as a donor in the program for the event.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
A combination of TEN CD's by contributing artists, a copy of the "Music for the Mountains" CD (to be released on February 12, 2011), plus a limited edition 19 x 25 three-color screenprinted poster, specially created for the event by acclaimed local artist Keith Neltner. The poster will be signed by many of the contributing musicians. In addition, your name will be listed as a donor in the program for the event.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Perform a song onstage on the night of the concert with the contributing artist of your choice. You will also receive a copy of the "Music for the Mountains" CD (to be released on February 12, 2011), plus a limited edition 19 x 25 three-color screenprinted poster, specially created for the event by acclaimed local artist Keith Neltner. The poster will be signed by many of the contributing musicians. In addition, your name will be listed as a donor in the program for the event.
Project By
Connected as Mark Utley (510 friends)
I am the chief singer and songwriter for the Americana/Roots band Magnolia Mountain, based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. I am married and the father of five children and operate a freelance graphic- and web-design company called Novena Designworks.
