Goodnight, SF Hit Radio

Well, we are getting really excited about the release. This past week, the record went to radio and cracked the CMJ 200 in it's first week, as well as being among the top 25 most added records in the country.

Thanks for all of your help, and remember to call your local station to request us!!!

Show in New Orleans



We headed to New Orleans to play the famed Tippitina's. Our show was part of the Ryko music conference and we were very excited to be a part of it! We were billed with a famous hard rock band (to be named later) so we turned it up and blew the doors off that place like a hurricane! (Not like a REAL hurricane. You have to be respectful...)

Truth is this night of music started years ago, in the 80's, when fans of softer songs started wanting to "rock" after artists like Hall and Oats and Sheena Easton "changed their tunes" (literally) and introduced a surprised new fan base to screeching guitars and pouty lips. Then the 90's came and mainstay rockers like The Scorpions and Aerosmith discovered their inner beauty and started thinking about summer radio hits. Seemed before you could say "Janie's got a GUN!" hard rock had morphed from "Led" to "Def" to "Limp".

Last year when Over the Rhine toured with Pantera we started wondering when we, The Bittersweets, would be able to take advantage of this exciting cross pollination of musical styles. Well, we just found out and the answer to that question is: TippiTIna's!

The Bittersweets and Tesla! - sharing a stage... an evening... a backline! One night only.

Presenting Steve's most recent publication in The Tennessean!

Dear Nashville Publicity Group -

I hear you will be handling the press release for the Bittersweets' Sept. 4th record release show at the Rutledge. Congratulations in advance for getting involved in what will likely be the biggest thing to come out of the Music City since Elvis! I normally do all the band's publicity but they felt we should hire a professional this time because "it's a really big show!". (Apparently penning a Novella isn't enough to be this band's official pub guy.) Though I'm not a "pro" writer (whatever) I have very strong feelings about this project and intend to give you lots of great input. (No charge for my guidance and spice.)

As I said, the release party is September 4th, 8:00p.m. at the Rutledge - with Sarah Siskind and Mando Saenz. I would suggest using lots of exclamation points in the headline so it looks exciting!!! Then I would say this:

"The Bittersweets 'Goodnight, San Francisco' is coming out in September on Compass Records. It is produced by Lex Price and features many of Nashville's best musicians." Here you might hint at some names like Steve Earle, Emmy Lou Harris, Darius Rucker, etc. Don't say it directly because they weren't involved! Just a little whiff. You know the drill.

Then talk about the band. Although I am an accomplished writer I have a hard time describing things on paper. I can never seem to get my... thinking thoughts... to convey... you know... Blah blah blah! So we'll need you to handle the band intros. Here are the deets on the peeps:

Hannah Prater:

"That girl doesn't just SELL a tune - she drives it to your house and INSTALLS it for you!"

Hannah's Uncle Carl (After the Harrisburg show)

Hannah's voice is just like... MAN! The only thing I can say is, like, "Aaaaaaaaaa! HooooooWOW!" (Maybe you can describe it better.) Hannah also plays a wooden, box style (non-electric) guitar and she plays piano and she plays the guitar a harmonica strapped around her neck - at the SAME TIME!!! (Please include that cool fact!)

Chris Meyers:

Chris plays two piano keyboards - stacked right on TOP of each other - and also plays guitar (electric and wooden, box style), AND sings backdrop vocals. Chris is a molti-instrument player and, besides his great musicianing, happens to sing like a young Stevie Winwood! Not kidding! (Fit that in?)

Steve Bowman:

When it comes to drumming this guy is like the best drum player of drum players. I would say he is as good as Neil Peart. However, Steve sings backdrops and Mr. Peart does NOT. Hmmmmm. Does that make Steve better than Neil Peart? I don't know... (Fit it!)

Jeff Irwin:

Have you ever heard of a real smooth guy who "plays his woman like a violin"? Well, Jeff does that on base guitar. He actually plays his base like a violin! Maybe you could make up a name for whatever you might call a lover/base player? Something like... Cassaplunka. Actually that's very good. Please include Cassaplunka. (I'll need to be credited.)

At the end of the press release say something about giveaways and special event stuff. We're not really doing anything so don't be specific but people like freebies so slip it in there somehow. Also, try to get them to thinking "Merch" at the show. Merch is the band's code word for CD's and T-shirts. Not sure why "merch" but there you go. (Artists!)

Lastly, if you could make a separate, condensed version I'd like to send out a mass mailing to the internet. The Bittersweets have a lot of cyberfans and they tend to hang on my every email. (It's hilarious really.) I can hit them all with the mere punch of a button!

Thanks again for taking on this "gig", and for lowering your rate and for accepting a post-dated third-party check, etc. This is not a "rush job" but if we could have something today or tomorrow that would allow me to clean it up, fix whats broken, and get you crackin' on the next draft. I have my fingers crossed that after a few re-writes we'll know if we're headed in the right direction.

Yaaaaaaay!

Artie Fufkin
Director of Creativeness - Bittersweets
info@publiccitypublicity.com

P.S. This is going to be fun for you - AND - you will get great exposure! :U

CD Release Party September 4th

We're getting really excited about our upcoming release show at The Rutledge in Nashville, which will kick off our Fall tour. One way we prepare for performances is never missing an opportunity to get in front of people to do something musical. Which is why on August 9th if you're in town, stop by the roller derby to see Steve, Hannah and Chris sing the Star Spangled Banner. This is something we never envisioned doing in a million years, but there's a first time for everything. Go Rollergirls!

We're playing in Nashville....

....this coming Monday July 21st!!! It's been awhile since we've played at Grimey's. Our full 5-piece will be rockin' out. Hope to see lots of people there!