Modern Hippie Mag » Music

Rock Meets Soul – Nice & Rough

Jaszy McAllister — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:00:57 +0000

Love rock ‘n roll? Yeah, me too. But did you know there are a number of women bellowing out rock and soul as good, if not better than some of the greats that have been in the limelight for ages? With influences from legends like Jimi Hendrix, Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, and Sly & the Family Stone, there are women of color who are epitomizing the spirit of rock ‘n roll in ways that are more than worthy of recognition.

Shelia J. Hardy

Filmmaker and producer Sheila J. Hardy endeavors to do just that in her documentary film Nice and Rough – Black Women in Rock.

Nice and Rough, an Eve’s Lime Production, is a film that seeks to “honor the true spirit of the American dream: the freedom to pursue our goals and not be limited by race or gender.” Featuring the stories and talents of Joyce Kennedy, Siedahh Garrett, Cindy Blackman, Star Cullers (the first and only female to play in the 18-piece P-Funk All-Stars band until she left to start her own rock group) and others, Nice and Rough gives voice to some amazingly talented ladies in a world typically not open to women, let alone African-American women.

Listen to my interview with Sheila Harding to learn more about the film, her production company Eve’s Lime, and her other documentary and commercial projects.

Watch the trailer for Nice and Rough and be sure to stay updated with the production.

Jaszy

Jaszy McAllister is the woman behind the curtain of Modern Hippie Mag. She is also the host for ModernHippieMag.com video and podcast interview profiles and a Green Guru for TheGreenGirls.com. Find her on Twitter, @msjaszy or connect with her on LinkedIn. Read more articles by Jaszy.

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Rock Meets Soul – Nice & Rough is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Hip Hop Activism and Climate Education

Steve McAllister — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:00:31 +0000

When he co-founded Grind for the Green with Zakiya Harris, Ambessa Cantave wanted to move “youth of color from the margins to the epicenter of the environmental movement.” Building upon the socially relevant message of his musical group Fiyawata, Ambessa guided Grind for the Green to become what Van Jones calls “one of the most innovative and creative youth components of the green wave rising in America and globally… giving the green movement’s political agenda a cultural voice — and that voice is Hip Hop.”

Ambessa Cantave

Grind for the Green accomplishes its mission by:

Utilizing hip-hop culture as a vehicle to attract and engage youth of color in the green movement.
Creating green pathways to success, which include green careers, internships and educational opportunities.
Connecting our local work to national and international campaigns for eco-equity.

Now serving as on the G4G Board of Directors as the project has taken on a life of its own, Ambessa is also and Educator with the Alliance for Climate Education in the San Francisco Bay Area. With nine centers around the country, ACE is a non-profit “dedicated to educating America’s high school students about the science behind climate change and inspiring them to do something about it—while having fun along the way.” Beyond the classroom, the ACE website, www.acespace.com, offers a good amount of videos, a blog, and information about how to get ACE to come you a school in your area.

Ambessa took some time to talk to us about Grind for the Green, the Alliance for Climate Education, and bringing up urban youth to respect the environment.

An Interview with Ambessa Cantave

Modern Hippie Mag Podcast

To see Ambessa in action, watch the Alliance for Climate Education trailer…

ACE Assembly Trailer from ACE Space on Vimeo.

Hip Hop Activism and Climate Education is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Organic Gangster

Steve McAllister — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:00:36 +0000

When I first opened the package and pulled out my complimentary copy of Spencer the Gardener‘s new CD “Organic Gangster,” I was under the distinct impression that it was someone’s idea of a joke. As track one started to happily sing the warnings of genetically modified food, I was almost sure of it. My sixteen-year-old nephew, my wife, and I listened to each of the tracks, and though we often laughed uproariously, I couldn’t help but notice that my foot was tapping.

In the style of groups like They Might Be Giants and the B-52′s, this “California sun-kissed, Latin-tinged, genre-bending big band surf mariachi indie pop affair” has released their fifth CD, an ode to vegetables, organic farming, and healthy eating. Odd as it may sound, these guys are no flash in the pan. The fact that all three of us couldn’t stop singing “Mountain Chicken Frog” and even knew all of the words after only one listen is a testament as to why. Though they’ve been playing together off and on for twenty years, the boys of Spencer the Gardener became an Internet sensation with the release of their video for “The Gobble Song.”

While my nephew will never admit it because they are too far removed from Guns n Roses, and my wife will never admit it because she’s way too cool, I have to admit that musically, these guys are pretty tight. I don’t think I’ll ever love vegetables enough to fully appreciate the album, and I probably won’t add it into my regular music rotation, but the songs are nothing short of infectious. Listen to them once and they are with you for life. Seriously, how can you forget songs like “Worm Girl” and “Applebobbin’?”

If you’re a vegetarian, or if you know a vegetarian, you might just have a new favorite album in this one. It’s a lot of fun, very silly, but positively buoyant listening. It’s almost impossible to listen to and not smile, if not laugh out loud. Though it’s classified as a children’s album, any adult with an affinity for food will get a real kick out of it.

Here’s how to get your very own copy:

To be eligible you must be a Modern Hippie Mag subscriber receiving our updates via email or RSS, Facebook fan, and/or Twitter follower (tell us your Twitter name in your comment below).

Giveaway requirements:

Use the tweetmeme button above to retweet this giveaway.
Tell us your favorite vegetable in a comment below.

More details:

Open to U.S. entrants only.
Recipients chosen at random using random.org.
Won something in the last thirty days? Last month’s winners are ineligible for this giveaway.
Giveaway ends 12 midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 22^th, 2009. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 23rd 2009.

Steve McAllister

Steve McAllister is an acclaimed author, filmmaker, actor, and musician. In addition to contributing to Modern Hippie Mag, he also writes InkenSoul, a blog focused on literature and information that promotes commerce, charity, creativity, spirituality, and environmental sustainability. Purchase his most recent novel, The McAllister Code as an e-book at www.themcallistercode.com. Find Steve on Twitter, @InkenSoul. Read his reviews and articles here.

Organic Gangster is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.