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Contact: Leah Mahan, Co-Producer at rivsong2@aol.com Boston, MA -- Minneapolis rockers Soul Asylum and Babes in Toyland join Missouri natives The Bottle Rockets and alt-folk diva Ani DiFranco in “The Mississippi: River of Song.” A four-part PBS series, a seven part Public Radio International series, a companion book from St. Martin’s Press, and double CD set from Smithsonian Folkways, the sweeping “River of Song” is an far-ranging look at music created along the banks of the Mississippi. From the indigenous to the chart-topping, the music presented in this project weaves a quilt from the vibrant sounds of the clubs, streets, backyards and churches of mid-America. “River of Song” brings together an amazing collection of musicians, ranging from the punk “riot grrls” in Babes in Toyland and the country/rock of The Bottle Rockets, to the sweet soul of Irma Thomas and the driving rhythms of the Memphis Horns. The project serves as a harmonizing force, uniting musicians by proximity instead of stratifying them by musical genres. Narrated by Ani DiFranco, “River of Song” was recorded and filmed live on location, and the 45 finished segments were culled from more than 70 performances and over 100 first-person interviews. Traveling 12,000 miles and visiting over thirty cities in all ten states that border the Mississippi River, the filmmakers have tapped deep into the music being created along the river. Soul Asylum and Babes in Toyland represent the Minneapolis alternative rock scene and lend their songs “I Did My Best” and “Ariel,” respectively, to the accompanying double CD set and The Bottle Rockets add two alternative country tracks -- “Get Down, River” and “If Walls Could Talk.” Throughout the series, Ani DiFranco’s unmistakable voice weaves in and out of introductions and interstitials to narrate both the PBS television and PRI radio series. For more information on “River of Song,” please contact Susan Makarichev or Mark Satlof at Shore Fire Media, 718.522.7171. |
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