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While we're in post-production with our upcoming music video for Blinding, we decided to release the single online. Check it out on CDBaby and iTunes. Please write reviews on these sites, too - We want to hear what you think - and others want to know what you think, too! |
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We recently got yet another request from a fan for "More Merch!"
Well, we've got a little something for ya. A live recording from our
trio show in October on Yoshi's San Francisco's Main Stage is featured
on Songwriters Unplugged Volume 1.
You can purchase this compilation, produced by Bay Vibes & Sonic Zen Records, at all of our live shows or online at CD Baby. Proceeds
benefit Bread and Roses.
So many great Bay Area songwriters are also on this compilation: Justin Ancheta, Robin Applewood, Garrin Benfield, Brad Brooks, Jeff Campbell, Heather Combs, Amity Eliaz, Ziva Hadar, Francesca Lee, Anita Lofton, Matt Lucas, and Megan Slankard. |
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Sign-up for our e-newsletter by May 31st at http://valerieorth.fanbridge.com/ and get a FREE download of our brand new recording of "Maribel"! The download link for "Maribel" will be sent to you as an email confirmation to your inbox.
Valerie wrote "Maribel" in Portland, Maine, watching her big sister, Annemarie, fall so deeply in love with her newborn. Never quite figuring out how to fit this lullaby onto one of our rock albums, we decided it'd be most appropriate to release it on May 8, for Mother's Day. So while touring in Southern California, we spent our down time recording this song for you, our fans, to show our appreciation for your love and support, to thank you for believing in our music - just like our Mamas would. :-)
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE MP3 OF "MARIBEL" TODAY by signing up at http://valerieorth.fanbridge.com/. |
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010
A labor organizer funnels her message into folk music
By Rachel Swan
Valerie Orth's cell phone isn't working. Her apartment is cold. She has no central heating, and the large windows make the rooms feel drafty. Orth paces the floor in hiking boots and a long knit scarf. She piles blankets on the sofa and stocks the cupboards with Throat Coat medicinal tea. Even in such conditions, she remains relatively sanguine.
"If I were going to be sponsored by a company, it would be Throat Coat," the singer said, setting her kettle to boil on a recent Wednesday afternoon. She smiled facetiously, brown eyes twinkling.
Despite her humble living conditions, Orth has a lot to be happy about these days. Five years since leaving an activist job with Global Exchange, she's become a successful folk singer, clocking two full-length albums. Her current one, Faraway City, took a year and half to make, and the effort shows. Orth plays guitar and sings multi-part harmonies over tracks provided by a seven-piece band. Her personnel include pianist Julie Wolf of Ani Difranco fame, and free-jazz titan Scott Amendola, playing the part of a rock drummer. For a fledgling singer with a completely intuitive composition style, it's a remarkable piece of work. Read entire featured article. |
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010
I have been a fan of Valerie Orth for years, and her latest CD Faraway City is in constant rotation on my CD player. She has catapulted herself to the likes of major artists such as Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco. There is an honesty to Valerie's music that is both brilliant and heartbreaking. See article. |
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Thursday, December 9, 2010
San Francisco singer-songwriter Valerie Orth blends rock and soul with a penchant for Ani DiFranco. Her second full- length, "Faraway City," features Julie Wolf on piano and organ, Scott Amendola on drums and Jon Evans on bass and electric guitar. Tonight's CD release is also a donation drive for BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self- Sufficiency), so bring canned food or other goods. See article. |
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Thursday, December 2, 2010
Singer Valerie Orth ... plays her own songs regularly at clubs in San Francisco and the East Bay. Orth can pack a room. Her music and stage presence command attention. Her songs resonate with the pain of relationship struggles to which everyone can relate, and she delivers them with a sexy vulnerability. Orth sets lyrics to diverse rhythms of rock, jazz, reggae and folk that grow more sophisticated each year. Read entire article. |
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Wednesday, December 1, 2010
In the spirit of Thanks and Giving, our east bay CD Release Party to celebrate Valerie's new album, Faraway City, will also be a Donation Drive for Building Opportunity for Self Sufficiency (BOSS). . So, along with your holiday spirit, please bring an item to donate. See suggestions below. Doors at 8pm, Music begins at 8:45pm, and AGES 18+! Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Buy your tickets now! and RSVP at Facebook.
HOLIDAY DONATION DRIVE SUGGESTIONS - What to bring to The New Parish on Dec 9:
*Socks, towels, hats scarves, gloves, rain gear - all sizes
*Toiletries, tooth brushes, brush, comb, soap, shampoo, conditioner, sewing kits
*Canned Goods, grocery store gift cards
*Bus & BART tickets
*Toys for all ages, gift cards for teenagers, board games, musical equipment
*School and art supplies for the Children’s Learning Center and Adult Classes
*Special Need: Gently used DVD player, television or DVD movies
*Cash donations also accepted
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Friday, October 15, 2010
The Examiner
Yoshi’s is the Bay Area’s ultimate destination for jazz, featuring touring and local acts on its intimate stage. But with the help of Bay Vibes and SonicZen Records, Yoshi’s is becoming a destination for singer/songwriters as well....
I was excited to see Bonnie Hayes in action, as she is a Bay Area veteran and teaches songwriting at the Blue Bear School of Music. Valerie Orth kicked it up a notch with a sultry performance and really cool interplay between her guitar stylings and those of bassist Veronika Safarova. Women like Safarova are exactly why I’m learning to play the bass. (Jamie Freedman, SF Music Examiner). Read the entire article. |
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Posted August 27, 2010
SF Bay Guardian
"Valerie Orth is a sexy, soulful singer-songwriter whom I've been lucky enough to catch for truly memorable sets ranging from a powerful performance at Cafe du Nord to an intimate acoustic session rolling across the playa in an art car with a konked out generator at Burning Man last year. Now the SF artist has just come out with a new album, Faraway City, that beautifully captures a voice and style that is reminiscent of Ani DiFranco or Björk, two of her key influences. The album, filled with catchy original songs developed over the last two years, was produced by Jon Evans, another local who plays bass for Tori Amos and helped record music for the likes of Tom Waits, Third Eye Blind, and Boz Scaggs. Stop by this CD release party and see what I mean." (Steven T. Jones)
East Bay Express
"Valerie Orth, Faraway City. Multi-octave range and nimble, yowling vocals aren't the only things that Valerie Orth has going for her. She's also buttressed by one of the best bands in the Bay Area, with Scott Amendola on drums and Jon Evans playing bass, electric guitar, Rhodes, and a little piano. Local emcee Mystic makes a dramatic cameo on "Black & White." But that's nothing compared to the call-and-response breakdown on 'Waterfall.'" (Rachel Swan)
SF Examiner - Calendar highlight
Bay Area Reporter - Calendar highlight
SF Weekly - Interview with Emily Wells
SF Chronicle - Calendar highlight (SF version of 96 Hours)
Radio:
KFOG - Renee Richardson plugs the Slims show
KPFA - On-air interview with Larry Kep, plus show plugs
KALX - On-air interview with Women Hold Up Half The World
Pirate Cat Radio - Two live interviews and performances with Common Thread Radio; one performance with League of Pissed Off Voters |
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Posted July 27, 2010
Valerie's forthcoming CD, Faraway City, produced by Jon Evans, features Scott Amendola (Charlie Hunter) on drums, Julie Wolf (Ani DiFranco, Indigo Girls) on piano and organ, and Evans (Tori Amos) on bass and electric guitar. Take a listen to some tracks hot off the press on the Home Page.
Marked by recurring themes of both longing and empowerment, Valerie’s songs evoke an openness and honesty at once personal and political. LA-via-Oakland rapper, Mystic, gives a powerful performance on Black & White, a critical song about racial profiling and white privilege. Valerie's vocals are rich with melody and dynamic range, settling into grooves, only to punctuate them with unexpected rhythmic twists.
Valerie is excited to officially release Faraway City at Slim's, one of her favorite venues in San Francisco. With Veronika Safarova on bass and backing vocals and Eryn Pola on keys, they’ll be debuting their exceptionally talented drummer, Jeff Marrs, along with numerous special guests (including Jon Evans) to ensure this show will be one to remember.
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Monday, July 5, 2010
From "Bird In The Tree" blog
Among the diverse and deep pool of talent that makes up the Bay Area songwriting community, Valerie Orth ranks as one of its most passionate performers. Whether playing solo acoustic, on guitar or keys, with an all-women's band or guest musicians, her commitment to careful lyric, dynamic melodies and showing up fully as an entertainer have kept her star on the rise. As she readies for the release her highly anticipated full-length CD "Faraway City," Valerie took a moment to answer some questions about her music. Read full interview.
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