Chakra Bleu Releases Electronic Dance Single 'When We Dance'

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 2015) – Hit Americana/rock/pop artist Chakra Bleu is expanding into the electronic dance genre with "When We Dance", a new single featuring the keyboard wizardry of former Wynonna music director Harry Sharpe and engineering by former Donna Summer bassist John Billings.

            Released by Nashville-based 1746 Records, "When We Dance" is described as a "magnetic, pulsing recording that captures the timeless, passionate moment of a couple dancing closely together on the dance floor." The rhythmically entrancing recording was mixed by Billings, with keyboards by Sharpe and lead guitar by Paul Allen, a veteran musician who has toured with Big & Rich, Richard Marx and others. 

            To download "When We Dance", visit http://www.chakrableu.com/music/ or iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/when-we-dance-single/id1002229131 .

            Bleu's latest release follows a string of hit singles that have climbed into the top 10 on various charts. Her most recent single, "All of Me", recently hit number seven on the NMW Top 40 Main Chart and number 10 on the NMW Hot 100 Chart, with airplay on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Another recent single, "The Shadow", reached number four on the same chart, where it remained for six weeks.

            "I'm having the time of my life," said Bleu, who sings, plays guitar, and writes most of her own music. "How many artists get the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most successful musicians of all time? 'When We Dance' was written on my guitar, yet I knew it would need keyboard arrangements and an electronic dance beat to bring it into its full element. Harry Sharpe did an excellent job adding an infectious vibe to the recording."

            Bleu, also a visual artist, said she wrote the tune while reflecting on a dancing experience with an old flame. For the cover art, she painted herself twirling hand-to-hand with the bearded man on a glowing dance floor. 

            "Dancing closely together with someone can be intensively passionate," the pop artist added. "When two people become interested in each other, it seems that the desire to dance together is natural. Becoming lost in the music, engaging closely in each other's energy, can be a euphoric feeling in and of itself. That's what I wanted to bring out with 'When We Dance', and I believe we've succeeded."

            Bleu also expresses these sentiments in her lyric, which includes editing contributions from Mary L. Boyd. The artist uses her Pretenders and Bowie-esque vocals to draw the couple into a mesmerizing embrace. "I hear our bodies whisper in a language of their own... Pull me into you and take me home... Losing ground I slip into another world... I'm letting go so baby hold me close."

 

            The recording, which was mastered by Jim DeMain at Yes Master Studio, is available for digital download at a host of online retailers, including iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Sony Music Unlimited.

            According to Dave Carew, a writer for the blog Underground Nashville, Bleu is "hands down one of the most original and distinctive pop/rock/Americana artists ever to grace the underground Nashville music scene. Inspired by everything from the styling of bands like Heart and the Cowboy Junkies, to transcendent New Age thought, she has forged, over the past decade, some of the most uplifting, eclectic, thought-provoking, and empowering music ever created in Music City USA."

            Born and raised in Spokane, Wash., Bleu grew up with a passion for music and the outdoors. She started writing songs in middle school and performing with jazz choirs and grunge bands in high school and college. On weekends, she headed to the mountains for hiking and camping. After college, she lugged her guitar and synthesizer to Paris, only to lose her green card a year later. She spent the next two years back home in Washington working in secondary education. But a trip to Nashville changed her life. Successful performances at the Bluebird Cafe and other venues convinced her to move to Music City to pursue a professional career as a singer-songwriter. 

            Bleu's music accomplishments have been substantial since then. One of her recent singles, "The Shadow", quickly climbed various NMW charts, reaching number four on Top 40, number four on Hot 100 A/C, number five on Top 40 Internet, and number one on Indie Top 40 (where it remained for six consecutive weeks). Her sixth album, "Souvenir", generated five top-40 hit singles on various charts, with the song "Addicted to You" receiving "Spotlight" recognition in Cashbox Magazine. Other hit singles from previous albums include "When I Hold Your Hand" and "Hopelessly in Love". 

             "I want to be as inclusive as possible, providing music that is inspiring, empowering and joyful," added Bleu, who returns home to Spokane every summer for songwriting, while enjoying the outdoors of the Great Northwest. "My songs speak to individuals from every walk of life."

            Bleu said there is nothing better than playing live in front of enthusiastic audiences. She has performed at a wide range of Nashville venues, even taking the honors of being the showcase artist for BMI and Bluebird Cafe shows. She is the recipient of the prestigious "Arena Award", an honor bestowed to legendary artists such as Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, and Jo Dee Messina. 

            Selections from her latest album, including the hit singles "All of Me" and "The Shadow", can be downloaded at iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-of-me/id882273855?uo=4 or her website at www.ChakraBleu.com . Her latest video single. "Love Me Like My Guitar" can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/Pvs05GYuARc .

            Music industry veteran Gary Lefkowith is overseeing radio promotion. Whiting Publicity and Promotions is handling publicity.  

         

            For more information about Chakra Bleu or to hear her music, visit www.ChakraBleu.com. To book the artist for an upcoming event, send an e-mail message to 1746Records@chakrableu.com .

           

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Folk-Americana Artist Mary Beth Cross Releases Techno-Pop-Dance Version of 'Babes in the Wood'

            DENVER (December 2014) – Award-winning folk-Americana artist Mary Beth Cross is exploring new musical territory by releasing a techno-pop-dance version of the late Irish songwriter Noel Brazil's classic song, "Babes in the Wood".

             Cross's new single features re-mixed vocals from an existing recording with the electronic wizardry of Nashville producer/arranger/keyboardist Matt Stanfield. Her smooth soprano vocals are energized with vocal echoes, drifting synthesizers, electronic pulses, and heavy percussion. The atmospheric, rhythmic recording is a sharp contrast to the popular folk version she recorded for her last album, "Beyond Good and Evil". She describes the newer dance version as darker and more moody, creating an atmosphere of mystery and evoking the imagination of the listener -- a full departure that reaches a new audience.

            "You might call my techno-pop recording of 'Babes in the Wood' a creative endeavor," said Cross, who recently received the "2014 Folk-Country CD of the Year Award" from the National Traditional Country Music Association. "There are times when we need to step out of our comfort zone. In this case, I wanted to help listeners experience the deeper subconscious meaning of the battle between Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. The latest version of the song is both beautiful and haunting."

            In the lyric, Brazil paints a striking picture of the battle between good and evil. For Cross, his message is both troubling and reassuring. Predatory wolves are lurking about to sabotage one's dreams. Families fall apart, criminals do harm, and the innocent become prey.

            "There's a Big Bad Wolf lurking inside all of us," the artist continued. "The song brings to light the process of our childhood innocence maturing into adulthood and the choice of becoming the predator or prey, and finding a balance of the two within ourselves. By bringing this to one's consciousness, we can make the choice to allow others to co-exist without a ruthless battle, living in peace and harmony. I believe that the hope for the planet lies in the balance of progress and thoughtful living."

            "Babes in the Wood" is available for download at CD Baby and iTunes. To download the song at iTunes, visit https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/babes-in-the-wood-single/id943666599 .

            Cross is already hard at work on a new "Babes in the Wood" song video. The elaborate production is set for release in February 2015.

            "I plan to release the video just before heading to 'Folk Alliance International'," said Cross, who also is staying busy with live performances. "It will be a visual story of the wolf in nature at Yellowstone and mankind's living in harmony with the Earth, nature, one another and ourselves."

            Cross received national exposure in 2013 with the release of her fourth CD, "Beyond Good and Evil". The project, which was produced by Dave Bechtel, landed a top-five ranking on Airplay Direct. Critics around the world praised the album, with Country Music News International calling it worthy of "Americana CD of the Year". In 2014, she received the "Folk-Country CD of the Year Award" at the Old-Time Music Festival and Convention.

            The CD gives voice to the pioneer spirit of the American frontier with original songs and cover tunes. Cross spent more than a year penning songs reflecting the grit and determination of the adventurers who blazed a trail from the East to the West in search of what they treasured most: beauty, adventure, land, new opportunities for work, and freedom from oppression. Although she didn't write it, her folk-Americana rendition of "Babes in the Wood" remains a favorite.

            The artist has also performed extensively across the U.S. and Canada. Highlights include Folk Alliance International in Kansas City and Toronto; the Black Rose Acoustic Society in Colorado Springs and Black Forest, Colo.; radio station KRFC-FM’s “Live @ Lunch” show at Colorado State University; the “Colorado Performing Arts Jamboree” in Golden, Colo.; Swallow Hill Music in Denver; Metropolitan State College in Denver; the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto; the Denver Coliseum; the Colorado Association of School Nurses in Breckenridge, Colo.; the Fall Out Urban Arts Center in Minneapolis; the "Summer Concert Series" in Arvada, Colo.; and the Musicians United to Protect Bristol Bay Concert in Raleigh, N.C. In 2015, She will visit Paris for a performance at the "European Independent Film Festival".

            When she isn't on the road performing, Cross is busy writing songs for her fifth album. The project, which is set for release in 2015, will reflect on what it feels like to be home. Like her other albums, including "Beyond Good and Evil", her songs will offer "thoughtful, soothing music for thoughtful living".

            “I’ve discovered that people are yearning to find acceptance and solace in a dizzying world of pressure-filled expectations,” Cross added. “People long for an authentic, non-formula approach.

            An accomplished vocalist and tunesmith, Cross moved to Denver in the 1980s to pursue a nursing career. Her music is influenced by the rural farmland and forests of her Wisconsin upbringing and the Rocky Mountains where she currently resides. She carefully chooses acoustic instrumentation to bring her story-driven songs to life. Her music represents a few of the cultures that have contributed to what has become American music today, including the banjos of African immigrants; the pipes, whistles and percussion of Celtic music makers in the British Isles; and the horns, accordions and fiddles of French cafes. Cross's recordings spotlight her soaring, pure-tone soprano vocals.

            "Through the sweet purity of her voice, Mary Beth has captured the underlying haunting story in 'Babes in the Wood'," said artist Dierdre Keohane, partner of the late Irish songwriter Noel Brazil. "I know Noel would be proud of this version."

            Matt Stanfield is known around the world for his beautiful, strange, evolving and hauntingly addictive arrangements featuring forward-thinking piano. He has worked with artists such as Norah Jones, Kelly Clarkson, Natalie Grant, Jonas Brothers, Newsboys, and Chris Thomlin.

            To learn more about Mary Beth Cross or her music, call (303) 842-1587, send an email message to MaryBeth@MaryBethCross.com, or visit www.MaryBethCross.com or www.reverbnation.com/marybethcross.