The Dissipated Eight from Middlebury are one of the older groups around (over 50 years young), and are one of the many bright jewels of all-male a cappella in the New England region.  They're bookending this show with a pair of Dave Matthew Band covers.  Both show off one of the D8's greatest strengths: clean arrangements that aren't overcomplicated, but also aren't bland or simplistic.  Not a lot of reliance on block chords or parallel octaves.  And on Two Step, take a listen at those fabulous high notes sprinkled on top!  If that's not enough, go check out 'Windmills' on the BOCA 2000 album.

And let's not forget the boatload of great music from the other groups as well!  Here's what's in the show:

• Dissipated Eight - Satellite (orig. Dave Matthews Band)
• Route 66 - Demo Medley
• An Octave Above - Sample Medley
• Down 4 The Count - Shut Up (orig. Black Eyed Peas)
• Amalgamates - Killing Me Softly (orig. Roberta Flack/Fugees)
• Dissipated Eight - Two Step (orig. Dave Matthews Band)

Route 66 and An Octave Above can both be seen at next weekend's Acappellafest 2008, along with Vocal Chaos, elmoTHUMM, and Scott Leonard of Rockapella fame.  If you are anywhere near there, you owe it to yourself to go check out this great show.

Just a reminder to the listeners; if you like what you hear, leave a comment in the iTunes Podcast Directory!  The more favorable reviews I get, the more likely others are to find the show in their searches, and that helps us all out.

Take a listen to Show #49!

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My is it hot out!  And with tracks like these, it's only going to get hotter!  Not to keep you waiting, here's the cure for your a cappella fever, Episode #48 !

Heard on this episode:

• Stanford Testimony - Breathe Me (orig. Sia)
• OnCue - Mirage
• OnCue - Lull In My Life (Gordon & Revel, performed by dozens)
• UMass Dynamics - Runaway (Orig. Jamiroqui)
• UMass Dynamics - Apologize (Orig. One Republic)
• Deep Treble - 3 songs

Also, go check out AC100 and the BACS!  Stay cool, and I'll see you around...

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I said last time that I would have to give up regular updates, and post new episodes as I could.  Here I am posting a month after the last show, as if to prove my point.  But this is a special show.  This show has just as much music as usual, but it has way more interview.  And because I was interviewing Deke Sharon and the members of The House Jacks, all of the tracks on this episode are by them.  Here's what you'll hear on show #47:

• Bam!
• Believe
• The Only One I Want Around
• All You Need Is Love (The Beatles)
• Summertime (Gershwin)
• No Ride

With the exception of All You Need Is Love (which you can find on Come Together: An Acappella Tribute to The Beatles), all of these tracks come from the 2006 CARA award winning album Get Down Mr. President, and were included in the playlist from the recent concert (in a Firehouse!) where I conducted the interviews.  In addition to the music, we also talk about the new guy Jake Moulton (entering in where Wes Carroll exited), the upcoming book (and possibly feature length movie) Pitch Perfect, and the new thing (which has me very excited as a post-collegiate a cappella singer) the Contemporary A Cappella League.  Thanks again to the group, and I'm looking forward to their forthcoming album, which they've just started working on.

ERRATA: At one point I say that Jake Moulton sang with Hookslide.  What??  No, , no, I meant Kickshaw.  You know, that same band that spawned Blake Lewis, of American Idol fame?  Blake was apparently brought into Kickshaw to help replace Jake.  And yes, Jake did sing in M-Pact with Rudy Cardenas, also an Idol.  So, Roo, will you be on the next season then?  And my apologies to Jake, Hookslide, and Kickshaw for the mistake.

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You've all been waiting, and here it is, Show #46!

In this long awaited episode, you'll hear:

• The Magnets - All The Wrong Reasons
• USC SoCal VoCals - Slumber (Gabriel Mann)
• UnderCover - Your Daddy Don't Know (Toronto/New Pornographers)
• Hyannis Sound - Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel)
• Tufts Beelzebubs - Linger (The Cranberries)
• The Magnets - In Love Since Then

Thanks for your patience!

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We're in the middle of Harmony Sweeps season, a series of regional competitions, with the winners of each region going on to a knock-down drag-out winner-take-all vocal throwdown in San Rafael, California.  Many regionals took place in March, and there are more regionals happening across the month of Apri.  This year the final battle of the vocal bands will take place on May 3rd.  In show #45, I've got a number of competitors from different regions.  These groups all fared pretty well, even if they aren't going on to San Rafael.  All the reports I've seen have said that 2008 is one of the fiercest years, and that the caompetition is raw.  Kudos to all of these groups, and I look forward to the May lineup.

• MAUF - The Truth
• Curious Gage - Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon and Garfunkel)
• The Richter Scales - Stockholm Syndrome
• Down 4 The Count - Four Sopranos
• 'Round Midnight - Hello My Baby (Andrew Sisters)
• Six13 - Lo Yisa Goy

Oh, and do yourself a favor and check out MAUF on YouTube!

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