Top Ten Tracks Week of December 21, 2008

1. Susan Tedeschi - Blues On A Holiday - Wait For Me

2. Henry Correy - The Silence Says It All *Indie Artist

3. Steve_Earle-Rex_s_Blues___Ft._Worth_Blues-Just_an_American_Boy

4. Little Walter - My Babe - His Best :(Little Walter)The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection

5. Larry Tillery - Bury Me With My Guitar - They Call Me Lil' Larry *Indie Artist

6. Rocky Jackson - Blues for Texas - Squeeze Here * Featured Indie Artist*

7. The Black Keys - Grown So Ugly - Rubber Factory

8. John Earl Walker Band - Welcome Back Mr. Blues - People Are Talkin

9. Randy Pavlock and Twenty Four Seven - Hey Joe - Miles To Go *Indie Artist

10. Larry Tillery Band - Next To You - They Call Me Lil' Larry *Indie Artist

The Blues with The Doobie Brothers

It's a cold rainy gray day here in Beaumont.

Church service was totally great this morning
and the band was rockin'. I love the contemporary
bands that many churches have today.

And now in an effort to take a few days off for the
holidays, I find myself trying to find something to
watch on the ole boob tube.

Came across a Doobie Brothers concert in Hi Def!
I love the Hi Def stuff and feel like it was worth
it to have invested in a flat panel HD television.

So this is the "old school" (pre Michael McDonald)
Doobie Brothers. I was such a fan before Mr. McDonald
added his own interpretation of what a doobie should
sound like. Yeah, you get me on this one...

Not only are they playin' some great Classic Rock
stuff, but even a little resonator slide stuff
slipped in for good measure that just really blows
the lid off a swirling pot of blues that goes to show
ya what a talented bunch of guys the Doobie
Brothers really are.

Yeah, I gotta say, I'm still a fan of their old stuff
and so happy to see that they're doing it again.

Sponsors Needed

Blues City Radio is actively seeking Sponsors

Blues City Internet Radio is a Live365 station.

It is solely owned and paid for by me and is
outgrowing it's server. What this means is that
sometimes listeners have to be turned away due
to a "sold out" condition of the station. We are
only allowed so many listeners at a time.

It also means that we have a limit on how many
tracks we can have on the station at any one time.
So there are many new and Indie artists having
to wait to get their music some air play.

We currently get about 155 streams per day and
that number is trying to grow. But it can't due
to the restrictions of the small package we rent.

We currently receive about 200 visitors per day,
that's 6000 visitors per month, without any real
advertising of the station. So far it's all been
pretty much word of mouth. Those totals don't
even reflect the visitors to our MySpace or this
blog, or our Twitter space. That number of
visitors has grown from about 4 visitors per day
since just over a year ago!

We rank # 9 out of several hundred stations
in the Blues Genre. We would have a much
better ranking if we could accommodate more
listeners. But, again, we are limited by our space
on Live365.

We rank #547 out of tens of thousands of stations
and again, can't reach much higher than that
due to the current situation.

In just over a year, we have launched close to
59,000 streams. We have 1205 people who have
put us as a "pre-set" station. (That's like having
a button set on your car radio to a particular
station).

We are currently listened to in over 75 countries,
the top listening countries being the following:

1. United States
2. Canada
3. Sweden
4. Brazil
5. Germany
6. Netherlands
7. United Kingdom
8. Turkey
9. Finland
10. Mexico
11. Spain
12. Australia

A sponsorship would mean your ads would
be seen in all of the countries and more and
your 30 second radio spots would be heard
8 to 12 times a day in each of these countries
PLUS at the beginning of each stream (about
160 times a day)

If we acquire a sole sponsorship, that company's
Logo would appear on BluesCityRadio.com, this
blog, MySpace and Twitter as well as a few other
places that I haven't even mentioned.

A sole sponsorship would also mean your company
logo on our t-shirts if approved by you. Your logo
on my car in either the form of a wrap or window
wrap (provided by the sponsor) We would be able
to sell the T-Shirts at promotions we sponsor in
S.E. Texas and S.W. Louisiana and soon in Austin, TX
the music capital of this great state. Your logo
would be prominent on any of the upcoming tours
we have proposed including but not limited to
a week long trip along the Blues Hwy. starting from
Beaumont, TX to New Orleans, LA all the way
up through Mississippi (including Clarksdale, MS
The Crossroads itself) and into Memphis!

This week long excursion would culminate in
video (featuring your Logo) on YouTube, Google
Video and on many MySpace pages.

Each place your logo is displayed will include
a link to your site. I will not limit your
exposure to just the ideas listed above. I
am always open to new ideas!

These Royalty Included Professional Broadcast options
will ensure the Internet broadcast is covered for any
United States royalty and licensing fees from SoundExchange,
ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.

This package would give us 5 TIMES the listening hours
we currently have and 3 TIMES the number of tracks we
can hold on the station.

With these increased capabilities, it is my goal to become
the #1 Blues Station on Live365! Our ranking in all genres
would also soar closer to the top of the list and give us
the opportunity to become a Featured Station on Live365
as well as an Editor's Choice Station.

The cost for a one year Sole Sponsorship is $7500

If you are a company interested in participating in
this exciting growth opportunity, or know of a
company who might be, please contact me at
the following email address for more information.
beaumontlive (at) sbcglobal.net Please replace
the (at) with @ when you email us. (this is to
cut down on the plethora of spam we receive
on a daily basis.)

I urge you not to pass up this opportunity to
support Independent Artists, established artists
and Blues Music per se. The music industry is
a great way to show your support!

Top Ten Tracks Week of December 7, 2008

Top Ten Tracks Week of December 7, 2008

1. Susan Tedeschi - Blues On A Holiday - Wait For Me

2. Henry Correy - The Silence Says It All *Indie Artist

3. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Doyle Bramhall - Too Sorry - Bird Nest on the Ground

4. Rocky Jackson - Blues for Texas - Squeeze Here *Indie Artist

5. Steve Earle - Rex's Blues / Ft. Worth Blues - Just an American Boy

6. John Earl Walker Band - Welcome Back Mr. Blues - People Are Talkin *Indie Artist

7. Cyril Lance - Blues Ain't Nothing - Live from the Outskirts

8. Lightnin' Hopkins - Mojo Hand - Best Blues Masters, Vol. 2

9. Larry Tillery Band - Next To You - They Call Me Lil' Larry *Indie Artist

10. Randy Pavlock and Twenty Four Seven - Hey Joe - Miles To Go *Indie Artist

Top Ten Tracks for Week of Nov. 23, 2008

Top Ten Tracks Week of November 23, 2008

1. Susan Tedeschi - Blues On A Holiday - Wait For Me

2. Rocky Jackson - Treats Me Like A Dog - Squeeze Here *Featured Indie Artist*

3. Buddy Guy - Feels Like Rain - Feels Like Rain

4. Rocky Jackson - What Was She Thinkin? - Squeeze Here *Featured Indie Artist*

5. Henry Correy - The Silence Says It All - none *Indie Artist

6. Kalamazoo Allstars - Day Job Blues - OF IT

7. The Robert Cray Band - Twenty - Live From Across The Pond

8. Cyril Lance - Blues Ain't Nothing - Live from the Outskirts

9. John Earl Walker Band - Welcome Back Mr. Blues - People Are Talkin *Indie Artist

10. Bonnie Raitt w/ B.B. King - Baby I Love You - Deuces Wild

40% of the Top Ten this week is comprised of Indie Artists!
That's awesome.

State of the Station - Blues City is Growing!

We're Moving to our own server soon.

Just to update you guys, and thank all of you...

Blues City Radio is just over a year old, and without
much promotion, just word of mouth, we are becoming
a force to reckon with in the world of Internet Radio
Stations.

We have just about outgrown our little plot of turf in
the virtual real estate that is Live365. With rising Royalty
Rates, and a hike in fees to run a station on Live365, AND
a decrease in the number of listeners we can have at a time,
it's just time to move on.

But this is all great news. Blues City is a labor of love, but
it's never been a money making project. It does not support
itself in any way. So I will be seeking sponsorship from the
big boys to keep it thriving. Which big boys I don't know yet.
Am always open for ideas. Or if any companies that might be
reading this are interested in sponsoring a great Blues Station,
please contact me.

I'm about to move all of the tracks for Blues City onto it's own
computer. Then I'll set up the software and find a dedicated
server to hold all the station info and keep the tracks playing.

This will also mean that we will be able to sell advertising spots
and do interviews and live spots as well. Exciting times ahead
for Blues City fo sho!

I'm currently building The Blues City Indie Artist Wall of Fame to
celebrate our growth and honor the Indie Artists who have
graciously lent their talent to help Blues City become the
incredible station that it is. And it's only going
to get better. Once I have the wall up here in my new office,
and a sponsor or two in place, I will be issuing a Press Release
and doing interviews with local TV stations here in S.E.
Texas. I'll be placing these on YouTube to drive in more
listeners.

My aim is not to make money off the station (although I wouldn't
complain if that did happen) but to bring it up to a level where
it is self supporting. And where it can better support the Indie
Artists out there working themselves every single day to keep
the blues alive and well! I tip my new cowboy hat to you all!

More news as it happens, but for now, just a big Thank You
for supporting Indie Artists, Indie Stations and music in general.

I need to add here that supporting all artist means making
sure they get their royalty payments. If moving the station
becomes financially impossible, then an upgrade to a Pro
Station on Live365 is still a possibility. I would still
be able to have sponsors, sell advertising and know that
the musicians are getting paid. That is so important.

The very best way to keep up with what's going on with me
and the station, is to hop over to the website at:
http://bluescityradio.com and sign up for our mailing list.
I'll be updating you on what's happening as it's happening.
When you get to the site, a form will pop up that allows
you to sign up. So please, go on over there now and
get on the list.

See ya online!

Sheila A. Cain
Blues City Radio

Post Hurricane Blues

Being down here on the coast of Texas, we
are used to bad weather. But we don't mess
with Hurricanes. If we're smart, we get
out of the way.

Hurricane Ike was no exception. We high
tailed it as they say here in the south.

Being evacuated can give you the homesick blues.
I couldn't get a guitar in the car...no room. I
was afraid squeezing the guitar in might do more
damage than good, so I left without it.

It was weird how many times a day I would go to
reach for my guitar and remember I didn't have
one with me.

In stressful times, or sad times, or just those
old blusey down times in life, I always reach for
my guitar and play blues songs.

I just thought I would share that...

I also want to share this:

By far the best guitar lessons online!
I've tried quite a few, wasted a lot of
money, but Griff Hamlin has an awesome
Blues Guitar Course.

Playing Through The Blues. Secrets To Learn Killer Blues Guitar
Click Here!

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

Well, it's been a while since
I posted a new bloggerie, so it's
high time.

Two EVACUATIONS in September.

Gustav and Ike

I've learned not to trust hurricanes
with Male names. Not to be sexist or
anything like that.

The good thing is that working from
home made it a little easier. But being
away from home while a hurricane rips
through your hometown and surrounding
memory locations, can give one
the blues fo sho!

"bloggerie - a term from http://bloggeries.com/forum/

Yep, we're still at it!

It may seem that Blues City never changes.

Lately that's not too far from the truth.

Not sure what's going on with me, but one illness
after another has kept me from updating much of
what is going on in the world, my life and my
online life.

Please bare with me as I attempt to catch things
up.

Never Too Late To Learn

As you know from previous entries, I recently
began to re-learn to play guitar. I wondered
if waiting until I was in my fifties to do so
was crazy, but it doesn't seem to be.

I turned 54 yesterday and had just about the
best birthday I can ever remember having. I
was intending to just sort of pretend it was
not happening this year, but it happened
anyway.

I work with a lot of musicians in this area
and they all seem to be the nicest people
that I've ever encountered. Not that I
expected them be monsters or anything,
I just had no idea HOW nice people can be.

A blues guitar player named Larry Tillery
came over yesterday and played guitar with
me all day. This guys is a huge bundle of
talent and I am always blown away when
watching his fingers fly effortlessly over
the fret board. I often wonder if I could
get my fingers to move that fast even
without a guitar in hand.

Now Larry's band plays all over the place
and he's a busy guy. He could have spent
his day ANYwhere but he chose to spend it
here. He never acted like I was new to
this or gave me a feeling that he wished
he was playing with someone more experienced.
He showed me licks that I'll be able to use
in the future and a few tricks that I would
have probably never learned on my own.

We played guitar and sang for hours. The
whole day just seemed to zip by. If I got
stuck, Larry would just say "look, try it
like this" and show me a better/easier way.
He never once said, "look old lady, this
is crazy, why don't you take up knitting?"
Yeah that was meant to be funny but true.

During that afternoon, my best friend from
high school dropped by and brought a big
bag of my favorite burgers with her. To
hell with the diet, it's my birthday! At
least that's what I told myself. She hung
our for a while and listened to the music
and seemed to have a great time.

Thinking Larry would have had all of my
playing he could take, I expected him to
go on home as the evening approached.
But he had one more trick up his sleeve
and that was that he and his girlfriend
were taking me out for sushi. I ADORE
SUSHI. He and his girlfriend don't even
eat it. He did it because he knows it's
my favorite.

We sat at one of the hibachi tables. I
dined on sushi while the guy threw knives
around and made volcanoes out of onions
right there on the grill. He had a big
combo of different foods going but never
seemed to miss a beat...I wondered if
my hands could move that fast. Maybe
they can, but I'll stick with getting
just my fingers to move faster. Guitar
strings just seem safer in my hands
than huge sharp knives do.

Cruisin' The Blues Highway (Hwy. 61)

The stories of Hwy. 61 (The Blues Highway) go on for
more miles than the Highway itself.

The official name is U.S. Route 61 and stretches out
for about 1400 miles from New Orleans, LA to
Wyoming, MN. What I am concerned with is in the
south which spans from New Orleans to St. Louis.

61 Highway is the longest road I know Goes all the
way from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico. - Son Thomas

We are gearing up early for a road trip to experience
the historical path that so many blues artists have
travelled in pursuit of living the blues, listening
to the blues and above all, playing the blues.

Starting at The Old Absinthe House in New Orleans
where many a celebrity has downed a few strong
concoctions and working our way up to Clarksdale
in the Mississippi Delta is sure to prove an interesting
if not enlightening experience.

Hwy. 61 winds it's way up from Louisiana to Clarksdale
and intersects there with Hwy. 49. Probably one of the
most famous intersections in American Music History
and known as "The Crossroads", where Robert Johnson
(or legend has it) sold his Soul to the Devil in return
for his great musical talent.

I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees.
I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees.
Asked the Lord above for mercy, "Save me if you please."
- Robert Johnson





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