Cafe Eleven

   Hailing from Philadelphia, Man Man are an astonishingly original quintet who have found the perfect berth for their gypsy-swamp-rock-carny-soul sound at the equally singular Anti- Records, home to other such illustrious iconoclasts as Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Neko Case.

The band had the following to say about the signing:
Honus (vocals/keys/etc): “Championship Rings!”
Chang Wang (sax/etc): “Wow! Yes!”
Sergei Sogay (bass/etc): “Warm Socks!”
Cougar (guitar/trumpet): “Pizza Party!”
Pow Pow (drums/etc): “Ladies Please!”

Man Man have been understatedly described by NPR as “quirky and mischievous… often with old-world instrumentation and plenty of theatrics.” The pre-eminent online music publication Pitchforkmedia.com more extravagantly enthuses, “Man Man’s power isn’t derived from the genres they stumble across, or the maniac light in their eyes, or the sweat pooling in their beards. It’s the unbearable sadness in their marrow and how they transform it, like the existentially distressed but heroically steadfast men men they are, into a terrible and lionhearted joy.”

Known for their literally non-stop kinetic live shows, which utilize a variety of more traditional musical instruments like the accordion, the Moog keyboard and the xylophone, as well as incorporating often overlooked noisemakers like soup pots, shoes, a fire extinguisher and squeaky toys, Man Man have floored crowds around the world on tour with indie darlings such as Cat Power, Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse.

   With 6 albums under her belt, an active touring career throughout the U.S. and a string of accolades from the likes of The Washington Post, The Village Voice and The New Yorker, Susan Werner has become one of the defining artists of the folk music genre. Her songs effortlessly slide between folk, jazz and pop, and are delivered with a sassy wit and classic midwestern charm.

“Susan Werner, a clever songwriter and an engaging performer, brings literacy and wit back to popular song.” -The New Yorker

“(Susan Werner is) a triply blessed artist who sings adroitly, plays the piano smartly and, best of all, writes songs of genuine distinction and high craft…” -Chicago Tribune

“(Werner is) a songwriter and musician who is in such complete command of her gifts that it’s almost scary.” -All Music Guide

“Vulnerability has rarely been so witty or concise in modern song.” -Boston Herald

“Always an impressive songwriter, Werner continues to compose sharp, funny, compassionate lyrics, a gift rare enough to set her apart…” -The Washington Post

“The classically trained and jazz inspired singer is redefining the genre and winning admirers around the country…” -Philadelphia Inquirer

   Bill Callahan (born approximately 1968 or 1969), also known as Smog and (Smog), is an American singer-songwriter born in Silver Spring, Maryland. Callahan began working in the lo-fi genre of underground rock, with home-made tape-albums recorded on four track tape recorders. Later he began releasing albums with the label Drag City. He is currently dating indie folk songstress Joanna Newsom, to whose newest album he contributed on the song “Only Skin.”

   ”Blistering contemporary blues…piercing attack, funky, shivery guitar tones and aggressive, soulful vocals” -Blues Revue

“In a world of blues guitar pretenders, Coco Montoya is the real McCoy. Be prepared to get scorched.”-Billboard

Over the course of his 30-year career, guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya’s explosive guitar playing and soul-driven voice have propelled him to the upper reaches of the blues-rock world. From his early days as a drummer to his current status as one of the top-drawing guitarists and vocalists on the blues-rock scene, Montoya has forged his reputation through years of hard work and constant touring. And it all started with a chance meeting in the mid-1970s with legendary bluesman Albert Collins, who offered Montoya a gig as his drummer. Albert took an immediate liking to Montoya, becoming his mentor and teaching his new protégé secrets of the Collins “icy hot” style of blues guitar. Five years later, John Mayall happened to catch Montoya at a jam session and was blown away. This led to Montoya’s touring the world for ten years with the legendary Bluesbreakers. Since stepping out as a bandleader in 1993, Montoya has released four solo albums and has performed non-stop at clubs, concert halls and major festivals all over the world. At every show, fans’ jaws dropped, and critics raved about Montoya’s mind-bending guitar licks and impassioned vocals. “The fiery blues that issue forth from Coco Montoya’s guitar are awe-inspiring and boogie requiring,” shouted The Village Voice. “Blistering, pure blues,” cheered Blues Revue. Now, with Can’t Look Back (AL 4885), Montoya turns up the intensity with another dose of his feral, soul-stirring music.

   Richie Havens is gifted with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. His fiery, poignant, always soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless since he first emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960’s. It’s a voice that has inspired and electrified audiences from the Woodstock Music & Arts Fair in 1969, to the Clinton Presidential Inauguration in 1993 -coming full circle with the 30th Woodstock Anniversary celebration, “A Day In The Garden”, in 1999.

For over three decades, Richie has used his music to convey messages of brotherhood and personal freedom. With more than twenty-five albums released and a touring schedule that would kill many a younger man, he continues to view his calling as a higher one. As he told The Denver Post, “I really sing songs that move me. I’m not in show business, I’m in the communications business. That’s what it’s about for me”.

   Blending Malian, American and “Dirty South” influences into a sound all its own, Toubab Krewe “has set a new standard for fusions of rock ‘n’ roll and West African music,” says Banning Eyre at Afropop Worldwide.

Since forming in early 2005, the magnetic instrumental quintet has been credited with bridging the gap between West African and American music unlike any group before them, quickly winning a diverse and devoted following at top venues such as the Bonnaroo and Vegoose festivals to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Their live shows and self-titled debut album have won international acclaim from the New York Times, Global Rhythm, fRoots, NPR and more.

The members of Toubab Krewe developed their unique sound over the course of numerous extended trips to Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied and performed with luminaries such as Lamine Soumano, Vieux Kante, Madou Dembele and Koungbanan Conde. The band kicked off 2007 in Essakane, Mali, where they played the legendary Festival of the Desert, known as the most remote festival in the world.

The band is currently working on their sophomore album with Grammy winning producer Steven Heller, slated for release in early 2008.

The Lee Boys are one of America’s finest African-American sacred steel ensembles. This family group consists of three brothers, Alvin Lee (guitar), Derrick Lee and Keith Lee (vocals) along with their three nephews, Roosevelt Collier (pedal steel guitar), Alvin Cordy Jr. (7-string bass) and Earl Walker (drums). Each member began making music at the ages of 7 and 8 in the House of God church they attended in Perrine, FL. Here they underwent a rigorous course of training in a variety of musical instruments, including lap and pedal steel guitars. Born and raised in Miami, each of The Lee Boys grew up in the church where their father and grandfather, Rev. Robert E. Lee, was the pastor and a steel player himself.

’Sacred steel’ is a type of music described as an inspired, unique form of Gospel music with a hard-driving, blues-based beat. The musical genre is rooted in Gospel, but infused with rhythm and blues, jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, country and ideas from other nations. Influenced by the Hawaiian steel guitar fad of the 1930’s, brothers Willie and Troman Eason brought the electric lap steel guitar into the worship services of the House of God church in Jacksonville, FL. The Pentecostal congregation embraced the soulful sound, and over time this unique sound became the hallmark of the church. The pedal steel guitar was added to the mix and soon became the central instrument. The Lee Boys are part of the fourth generation of musicians in this faith.