MAGNET MAGAZINE
(National music magazine) – “Heartbreaker” featured MP3 AT 3PM with photo and positive post.
MP3 At 3PM: Bonnie Whitmore
Originating as a songstress in the Americana lands of Denton, Texas, Bonnie Whitmore just put out the follow-up to Embers To Ashes. Her new LP, There I Go Again, swings more on the positive side of life, rather than its breakup/heartbreak predecessor. Ironically enough, download the latest single off the album, “Heartbreaker,” below. – See more at:
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2013/08/16/mp3-at-3pm-bonnie-whitmore/
POPMATTERS
(online music site): Positive 8/10 album review.
Bonnie Whitmore: There I Go Again
By Andrew Gilstrap
As many have pointed out, 2013 has been a pretty good year for young female country artists. Kacey Musgraves, Holly Williams (granddaughter of Hank Williams), Ashley Monroe, and Caitlyn Rose are just a few of the musicians who have released strong albums this year. Another newcomer, Brandy Clark, who co-wrote a song with Musgraves, has her own highly-anticipated record coming soon. If there’s one name that needs to be added to that list, though, it’s Bonnie Whitmore.
Whitmore is the sister of Eleanor Whitmore, who forms half of husband/wife duo the Mastersons, whose Birds Fly South album was one of 2012’s best Americana efforts. Eleanor and husband Chris Masterson offer Bonnie plenty of help on There I Go Again, supplying everything from backing vocals to guitars, violins, pedal steel, and more. Both Eleanor Whitmore and Masterson are experienced hired hands, having worked with acts like Son Volt, Kelly Willis, and Steve Earle, but there’s a real sense of musical sympathy when they team up with Bonnie.
For all that family chemistry, though, this is firmly Bonnie Whitmore’s record. She’s a take-no-prisoners kind of singer—think of clear-voiced artists like Tift Merritt or Aimee Mann—who can cover a lot of vocal ground (she often performs with Hayes Carll, providing raucous counterpoint on his drunken hook-up duet “Another Like You”). With There I Go Again, she also shows an evolution from the Americana sound that defined her previous release, 2011’s promising and enjoyable Embers to Ashes. Here, she’s moved beyond a strict Americana sound and taken on more pop leanings. That’s pop that keeps its twang and growl, though, in a way that’s reminiscent of Tom Petty.
Perhaps most impressive about Whitmore’s songwriting—and singing—is her unique way of going from a no-nonsense kiss-off with bite like “Heartbreaker” (“You ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker / You ain’t nothing but a reason to cry”) to a tender love song. Lots of singers can do that, of course, but the imagery in a song like “Colored Kisses” is especially noteworthy when Whitmore sings lyrics like “Hold us under the water colors / We can tangle each other in these sheets / I will stencil you with my fingers / You can color me in your kisses.” Later, she brings it home with “let’s try living and breathing / as a new form of healing / I will sing in mermaid tones / but please don’t turn me to sea foam.” This is the same songwriter who left at least two men dead on Embers to Ashes.
In the end, Whitmore might chafe at being lumped in with the latest group of Nashville starlets, or of even being labelled “country”. Even having just turned 30, she’s been playing music and performing for nearly as long as some members of the new crop have has been alive. The hope that many listeners lay on that group, though, are that they’ll finally return some small part of Nashville away from the booming country-rock machine it’s become and stake out a claim for songwriting and personal artistic visions again. In that sense, Whitmore very much belongs in the company of any group whose members aren’t afraid of being accessible, as long as it allows them to stay on their own paths. To this listener, Whitmore is very much part of a groundswell of talent that shows no signs of letting up, who should be penning insightful tales of life—and singing them well—for years to come.
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/173831-bonnie-whitmorethere-i-go-again/
THE INTER-MOUNTAIN
(West Virginia daily) – Feature/interview to preview WV show.
Singer-songwriter to appear at The Purple Fiddle
August 17, 2013
By Chad Clem
Austin-based Americana singer-songwriter Bonnie Whitmore will play at The Purple Fiddle Monday, and the Texas native says she’s looking forward to making her way back to the Mountain State.
Whitmore, a nationally recognized performing artist, is touring with the roots rock and R&B band, Somebody’s Darling, to support her recently released sophomore album “There I Go Again.” The album, which was released June 11, is being described by No Depression magazine as “a heady mix of modern Country and Mountain Music” and by Blog Critics as “crammed full of soulful, insistent Americana, with sharp-edged songs reminiscent of Tom Petty.”
Originally, from Denton, Texas, Whitmore said the last time she’s traveled to West Virginia the state left quite an impression on her.
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said in a telephone interview with The Inter-Mountain Thursday. “The scenery and the people, you get the feeling like it is all a very well-kept secret nestled in the mountains.”
Whitmore said she prefers intimate venues, such as the one at The Purple Fiddle because it is “easier to hold the energy of the room.”
Born into a talented family – her father, a rock/pop musician and her mother, a trained opera singer – music is in Whitmore’s blood. Performing in her father’s band when she was only 8 years old, she claims he helped shape her taste in music and her desire to be a performer.
“It’s interesting growing up with a family that is always performing.” Whitmore said. “My dad would be performing a song by Roy Orbison, Chuck Barry or The Beatles and as a kid I’d just think it was his. For all I knew, he had written all of those classics. At least he played them like they were his.”
Though she claims her roots are firmly planted in country music, she also dabbles in bluesy sounds and influences from the rock and pop music culture. Whitmore draws inspiration from many different sources, using music as an outlet for her to focus her experiences into something more, embracing and utilizing some darker subjects to express herself.
“It took me a long time to write a love song,” Whitmore said of her songwriting. “I’m more drawn to the underdog stories. But sometimes life is more complicated than happy endings.”
Touring with Whitmore is the self-proclaimed “roots rock” band, Somebody’s Darling. The five piece-band, from Dallas, Texas, includes lead singer and rhythm guitarist Amber Farris, lead guitarist David Ponder, Michael Talley on keyboards and back-up vocals, Wade Cofer on bass guitar and Nate Wedan on drums.
Farris said the band was looking forward to its first gig in West Virginia. This is their first tour with Whitmore, who Farris said had the “same vibe” as Somebody’s Darling.
“She’s a born performer and a good lead woman,” Farris told The Inter-Mountain via telephone.”Her music really complements our classic rock style and classic ballad style.”
Inspired by the sounds of popular rock talents like Stevie Ray Vaughn, their music has been described as a “proudly messy blend of rock and country with a roiling rhythm that rips out of the speakers like a wild night on the town” by dfw.com.
“Being on the road, we try to have a plate of songs on the table at all times,” Farris said. “We are looking forward to what West Virginia has to offer.”
There is a cover charge of $8 for the show. For more information, check out www.bonniewhitmore.com or www.somebodysdarling.com.
http://www.theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/564007/Singer-songwriter-to-appear-at-The-Purple-Fiddle.html?nav=5014
CONCERTLIVEWIRE
(Chicagoland online music site) – Positive show preview for St. Charles and Chicago shows.
This Week’s Picks: Austin-based Americana: Landing somewhere at the crossroads of country and Americana, Bonnie Whitmore is earning comparisons to Lucinda Williams, Neko Case and even Stevie Nicks. Aside from sounding like a southern angel, her self-penned lyrics throughout “There I Go Again” (This Is American Music) are cut in the classic storyteller tradition, racking up raves from CMT Edge, No Depression and hometown papers like the Austin Chronicle. Friday, August 16 at House Pub: www.thehousepub.com and Saturday, August 17 at Tonic Room: www.tonicroom.ticketfly.com.
http://www.concertlivewire.com
KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
(St. Charles, IL daily) – Feature interview to preview St. Charles show.
Bonnie Whitmore to bring Americana sound to St. Charles
By ERIC SCHELKOPF
Singer-songwriter Bonnie Whitmore has garnered comparisons to music legends like Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams.
The Austin-based musician will bring her Americana sound Friday, Aug. 16, to The House Pub, 16 S. Riverside Ave., St. Charles. Somebody’s Darling also is on the bill, and the show starts at 9:30 p.m.
Kane County Chronicle reporter Eric Schelkopf had the chance to talk to Whitmore about her music.
Eric Schelkopf: Your sophomore album, “There I Go Again,” came out in June. I understand you turned to Kickstarter to raise the money to finance the record.
Bonnie Whitmore: It was really great. It was a real honest way of kind of just going to my fans and friends.
It was a great way to get the affirmation and to have a lot of people willing to support us and take part in it. It kind of just gives you a little more confidence and affirmation of what you are doing when people are willing to show their support.
There was a great crew of people that got to play on the record, with Chris Masterson producing it. My sister Eleanor, she is part of the band The Mastersons, and they lent their beautiful talents to it, as well as some other Austin artists.
We made a really good record, and I’m proud of it. Everything with this record is the contribution of everybody, not just myself.
ES: What does the album’s title refer to?
BW: “There I Go Again” is a song from the record. This record is my second full-length record.
Music, I think, in general, is not the easiest career path that you can make. I feel a lot of the songs on the album refer to just being willing to be true to yourself and do what you love and do what is going to make you happy. Let the rest of it work itself out.
ES: You started performing in your father’s band, I understand.
BW: He’s the reason why I started playing bass guitar. It was a really good way to get to know and meet people, and play with certain people.
It was really great to have a family band and be able to sing and play with my dad and my mom and my sister, and all of us together. It was what we knew growing up.
You don’t realize how special that is when you are in it. Not everybody’s dad taught their children to play instruments and actually book the shows in order for them to play the instruments.
ES: But you don’t feel like you were forced in the business?
BW: I didn’t come to it as honestly as someone who found an instrument and learned to play it because they loved it.
We were sort of raised to become musicians. But it wasn’t like a mandatory scenario. It was just what we did.
My parents were not surprised it was the career path that we did, in fact, take. It was either going to be that or be a pilot. That’s what we grew up with.
But now we are both very satisfied in our life choices and love being able to do it.
ES: Your music has been compared to people like Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris. Do you consider those people influences?
BW: Not necessarily. I appreciate those comparisons.
If I had to compare myself to somebody, I aspire more to be like Bonnie Raitt and Tom Petty.
But my mom and dad are my biggest influences.
http://www.planitkane.com/articles/2013/08/14/64674820/index.xml#.Ug00trwWkrx
JACKSON SUN
(Jackson, TN daily): Photo gallery from live show.
Bonnie Whitmore played Wednesday evening at the Downtown Tavern. Whitmore recently released her second album, “There I Go Again.” MEGAN SMITH/The Jackson Sun
http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DQ&Dato=20130814&Kategori=PHOTOGALLERIES04&Lopenr=308140803&Ref=PH
JACKSON SUN
(Jackson, TN daily) – Show preview
Bonnie Whitmore to perform in Jackson
Austin, Texas-based Americana singer-songwriter Bonnie Whitmore will perform in Jackson at 9 p.m. today at the Downtown Tavern, at 208 N. Liberty St. She will perform with Somebody’s Darling, an Americana/indie band from Dallas.
Both groups are on national tours, according to a news release. Whitmore’s tour is in support of her recently released sophomore album, “There I Go Again,” out now through This Is American Music.
Somebody’s Darling has a record — “Jank City Meltdown” — that came out last year.
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20130814/NEWS01/308140012/Briefly-Police-charge-one-man-seeking-second-North-Side-Express-robbery-Jackson-police-seek-help-finding-thieves-Police-probe-robbery-pizza-delivery-driver
NO DEPRESSION / FREIGHT TRAIN BOOGIE
(online Podcast Radio): RecKless & Young and Cryin Out For Me aired on on Aug 10th http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/freight-train-boogie-show-221-featuring-new-music-from-bonnie
KRFC “ROUTES & BRANCHES
(Fort Collins, CO Public Radio): Heartbreaker aired on Scott Foley’s “Routes & Branches” show on Aug 10th http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=krfc&plid=12723
ST. CHARLES PATCH
(St. Charles weekly) – Show preview from press release
BONNIE WHITMORE LIVE IN ST. CHARLES AUG. 16 IN SUPPORT OF HER NEW “THERE I GO AGAIN” LP
http://stcharles-il.patch.com/groups/announcements/p/bonnie-whitmore-live-in-st-charles-aug-16-in-support-of-her-new-there-i-go-again-lp
FLAGPOLE
(Athens weekly) – “Calendar Pick” (older stock) show preview with photo
Bonnie Whitmore
w/ Some Dark Holler, Matt Hudgins and His Shit-Hot Country Band
Friday, July 13 @ 40 Watt Club
Self-sufficiency finds new meaning in Bonnie Whitmore. The woman can write her own songs, fly her own plane and even knock off her own embittered lovers—or at least pose a convincing threat.
Whitmore’s music career began at the impressionable age of eight, when she joined her father’s folk band, the aptly named Daddy & the Divas. Daddy, a licensed pilot, flew the family around its home state of Texas to showcase his genetic musical wonders. Bonnie played bass and cello, while her sister Eleanor learned violin.
Whitmore began writing songs of her own in her early teenage years. “I’d like to say that being an independent artist is completely different than playing with my family,” she says, “but it’s not, really, [except] that I don’t tend to argue with myself, and I sing lead on all my songs.”
Indeed, even as a solo performer, Whitmore maintains her familial ties. She collaborates frequently with Eleanor; her brother-in-law, former Son Volt guitarist Chris Masterson, produces her music; and she tours with her boyfriend, guitarist Chris Porter of Some Dark Holler. Meanwhile, at least once a year, the Whitmores have a family band reunion.
Although her sultry Southern voice and country sound pay rightful homage to her roots, her music reflects an angst all her own. Rather than give in to self-pity or sorrow, her album, Embers to Ashes, is vengeful, even murderous. While Whitmore may not have actually committed any of the capital offenses she alludes to in her music, she attributes her lyrical violence to the depth of her affection, saying, “If you’ve never had any type of homicidal tendencies, then you’ve never really been in love.”
This seasoned veteran’s experience both in love and music—two things not always independent of one another—is sure to make for a rowdy show.
http://flagpole.com/music/calendar-picks-3/2012/07/11/bonnie-whitmore
FEARLESS RADIO
(Chicago Internet Radio) unplugged in-studio 3pm Sat. Aug. 17th
http://www.fearlessradio.com/en/
METROMIX NEW YORK
(online NYC A&E site) Show preview (with older Bonnie photo and bio)
Somebody’s Darling, Charlotte Cornfield, Bonnie Whitmore
August 22 : 7:30 p.m.
The RockShop Brooklyn, NY
After dropping out of the institution at the age of 15, Bonnie Whitmore has gone on to pursue her career as a professional performer. She has tried on several musical roles for size, including playing the bass, the cello, and most lucratively as freak show extraordinaire, impersonating a living and breathing jukebox for tourists. Born and bread as a musical performer, Bonnie has created a sound and voice of her own. She brings to every show a veracity of honest emotion and vulnerability.
Bonnie Whitmore may have a heart of gold, an outsize personality and a roof-raising laugh, but don’t be fooled: her debut album has a body count. No fewer than two men die by Bonnie’s own hand over the course of the record: one of them is burned alive, one the victim of a knife that, in Whitmore’s own words, “just slipped.” Take a look at that album cover and consider what secrets she’s trying to get you to keep quiet. And then think twice before you spill ’em. It’s all part of a grand plan – one methodically designed by Whitmore – from album cover, to album content. The songs concern themselves with the slow disintegration of a relationship, and the album’s title – Embers to Ashes – is meant to represent that story’s painful arc – from the first fires of young passion to the scorched ruin of heartbreak. As a killer, Whitmore’s the last you’d suspect: Embers to Ashes is full of sly, spry country music, whiskey-soaked songs that recall prime Loretta Lynn and early Neko Case and, in their more uptempo moments, Miranda Lambert at her rowdiest. But be warned: those revelers carry daggers, and there’s a bit of arsenic in that glass of cherry wine. As Whitmore herself puts it, “Nothing says ‘go to hell’ better than an uptempo, catchy song!” Whitmore learned her way around country music early, touring at the ripe old age of 8 with her parents and her sister in a traveling roadshow cheekily titled “Daddy & the Divas.” “Basically, my dad had children so he could have a band,” she jokes. “He really wanted a bass player, so I learned how to play bass. My sister played the violin.” Whitmore’s father has a pilot’s license – an accomplishment Whitmore herself would later achieve – so he’d fly the family to their gigs at remote Texas bars and overcrowded fall festivals. And though they were a family act, Bonnie often stole the show: “As a little girl with a big voice singing ‘Gold Dust Woman,’ a lot of times I’d get the biggest applause.” As much as she loved playing with her family, the older she got, the more she wanted to strike out on her own. “I started to realize that I loved playing music,” she says. “So when I was 16 I started writing my own songs.” As her teen years progressed, Whitmore began working as a session player with other local musicians, while still continuing to perform with her family from time to time. For her first proper statement as a solo artist, she wanted to do something conceptual – something that told a story from beginning to end. “I wanted to set up the album so it’s: ‘Boy meets girl, they breakup, but then there’s the kind of postscript. At the end of the album, you have to deal with the lingering memory of that lost love.” Whitmore realized that vision to a striking degree. The title track is the kind of rough-and-tumble country song that would do Kathleen Edwards proud, but its rollicking rhythms conceal a sinister message: “Well, the preacher said until death do us part/ so you’re gonna have to pay for this broken heart.” “Tin Man” barrels forward like vintage Liz Phair, Whitmore using the classic Wizard of Oz character to pillory a heartless ex. Its lyric is built on a sly double-entendre: “Replaced by a girl named Mary who shares my middle name” (Whitmore’s middle name is “Jane”). “She Walks” is a sparkling, mid-tempo number with all the ache of Lucinda Williams or Gillian Welch, while “Cotton Sheets” plays out like a bright update of Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Passionate Kisses,” Whitmore cannily using its central metaphor to stand in for the tension between upper and lower class. She’s just as adept on the record’s softer numbers. “You Gonna Miss Me” is a slow ramble Whitmore wrote around the time she was moving from Texas for a brief stay in Tennessee. “I was really concerned about how leaving was going to be, and I think I was hopeful that I was going to be missed,” she explains. “Sometimes, if I’m really emotionally involved when I’m playing a show, this song can get me to the point where I’m almost in tears.” The album was cut in a marathon two-day session in the studio, guided by the sure hand of producer Chris Masterson. “Chris produced my sister’s record, Airplanes” Whitmore explains, “and it’s unbelievable the things that he pulled together when we worked together. He had such great vision -– he could hear sounds that weren’t there yet. I went into the studio with the intention of doing an EP, and he pushed me to do a full album.” The gambit paid off – Embers to Ashes is full of ragged, rugged, instantly memorable country songs, a document of a relationship where passion burns hot, bright and quickly, and danger looms like a thunderstorm in the distance. “I’m so grateful I have songwriting as an outlet, because it lets me relieve some of my darker emotions,” Whitmore explains. “Instead of going and maybe being a bit destructive, I just write songs instead. I know sometimes I write angsty songs, but that’s how I get the angst out.” Then she pauses and adds, with a wry smile, “Kinda makes you wonder about the people who write all those happy songs!”
http://newyork.metromix.com/music/concert/somebodys-darling-charlotte-cornfield-park-slope/3587138/content
SKOPE MAGAZINE
(online music magazine) Tour news posted with artist photo, press quotes and Heartbreaker mp3.
Bonnie Whitmore Shares Her Recent Single “Heartbreaker” as a Free MP3!
http://www.skopemag.com/2013/07/29/bonnie-whitmore-shares-her-recent-single-heartbreaker-as-a-free-mp3
INNOCENT WORDS MAGAZINE
(online music magazine) Tour news posted with artist photo, press quotes and Heartbreaker mp3.
Bonnie Whitmore Kicks Off Summer Tour In August In Support Of ‘There I Go Again’
http://innocentwords.com/bonnie-whitmore-kicks-off-summer-tour-in-august-in-support-of-there-i-go-again/
BROADWAY WORLD
(online music site) – News post on tour (from press release), with album art, tour dates and related links.
http://music.broadwayworld.com/article/Bonnie-Whitmore-to-Tour-in-August-in-Support-of-New-Album-THERE-I-GO-AGAIN-812-20130724
CINCY GROOVE
(Cincy music blog) Show preview from press release, with photo, Heartbreaker mp3 and tour dates
Bonnie Whitmore Performing At MOTR Pub on 8/18 In Support Of “There I Go Again”
http://www.cincygroove.com/?p=20879
FARONHEIT
(online Chicago music blog) – “Heartbreaker” featured in their 7/25/13 Pick Your Poison.
http://faronheit.com/2013/07/pick-your-poison-thursday-7-25-13/
NO DEPRESSION
(online Americana music site) – Very positive album review with album art.
Bonnie Whitmore “There I Go Again”
[This Is American Music] ****
Another Americana Star is Born
Three weeks ago I’d never heard of Bonnie Whitmore; but a positive review of the Mastersons; of which Bonnie’s sister Eleanor is 50% meant I received this delightful surprise through the post yesterday.
Sometimes it can take me several plays of a record to get a taste for it; but with THERE I GO AGAIN it was during the first spin that I decided that I was now an unashamed fan.
Even without an array of songs that are really well written, interesting and intelligent Bonnie’s voice would still excite me if she was singing a telephone directory.
There is a richness and depth to her singing style that can only be equated to Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt and she is supported by a band that wants the listener to hear the singer without trying to steal any glory.
The title track There I Go Again opens the album and is the heady mix of modern Country and Mountain Music that so many singers coming out of Music Row have failed to achieve in the last 10 years (you know who I mean).
Heartbreaker is pretty much what it says on the tin; and Bonnie’s voice soars and sweeps not unlike Dionne Warwick did on her song of the same name; but this song is Americana right through to the core.
THERE I GO AGAIN is Bonnie Whitmore’s second album and, much like its predecessor was written on the back of a broken relationship; but this time she certainly isn’t feeling sorry for herself as Too Much Too Soon and Cryin’ Out For Me, which follows will testify. Whitmore isn’t sitting crying in the corner; she’s giving as good as she got in song.
I keep coming back to the rolling rootsy Borderline time and time again and I don’t know why; as it has all the hallmarks of a great Alt-Country song with the punchy drumbeat and organ groove; but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone like Mumford and Sons recorded it note for note.
The album ends with the wonderfully sweet and soulful Be The Death of Me; which features some clever acoustic guitar playing, but it’s the subtle mandolin breaks that made my hair stand on end.
As is the way of the World these days THERE I GO AGAIN is the product of a Kickstarter campaign and those who supported Ms. Whitmore can be assured that she won’t be Americana’s Best Kept Secret for much longer. – Alan Harrison
http://www.bonniewhitmore.com/
Released 11th June 2013
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again
LONESTAR MUSIC MAGAZINE
(Texas monthly) Positive album review
BONNIE WHITMORE – There I Go Again
[This Is American Music]
With There I Go Again, Austin’s Bonnie Whitmore continues to provide greater proof of the promise she’s been showing on the Texas music scene for years. While she’s spent much of her career to date playing as a side person for others (most notably Hayes Carll), Whitmore is very much her own artist at this juncture. If 2011’s stunning Embers to Ashes was Whitmore stretching her solo-legs, her new album is a triumphant sprint. Her voice is bolder now, and through tracks such as the smoky, country noir “Crying for Me,” she displays a great deal of authentic gumption instead of mere pistol-packed posturing. Further displaying her maturity, Whitmore goes moody-rock with the sensuous imagery of “Colored Kisses” set to a melodic, unobtrusive organ and crunchy, perfectly placed guitar bits. But given her folk-rich bloodline she shares with her both her singing father Alex and fiddle-playing older sister Eleanor, it’s no surprise that Whitmore shines especially bright when the There I Go Again’s rootsier elements kick in. “Too Much Too Soon,” a vulnerable wish to not fall too hard, soars with pedal steel, and both the title track and “Reckless and Young” rollick while letting the fiddle dance plenty. — KELLY DEARMORE
https://www.lonestarmusic.com/magazine/mag_html/July13/lone_star_music_reviews.html
CMT EDGE
Discover Five New Acts From Austin
Brian T. Atkinson
Bonnie Whitmore opening for Hayes Carll one night during his February residency at Austin’s Cactus Café sliced hearts as much with their inspired banter as deep-browed songwriting. Songs debuted at the Cactus suggested Whitmore’s new There I Go Again will follow 2011’s Embers to Ashes with superb results.
http://www.cmtedge.com/2013/07/15/discover-five-new-acts-from-austin/
BROADWAY WORLD
(online music site) – News post on tour (from press release), with album art, tour dates and related links.
http://music.broadwayworld.com/article/Bonnie-Whitmore-to-Tour-in-August-in-Support-of-New-Album-THERE-I-GO-AGAIN-812-20130724
CINCY GROOVE
(Cincy music blog) Show preview from press release, with photo, Heartbreaker mp3 and tour dates
Bonnie Whitmore Performing At MOTR Pub on 8/18 In Support Of “There I Go Again”
http://www.cincygroove.com/?p=20879
WERU RADIO
(East Orland, ME Community Radio): Spin of “Colored Kisses” on Brother Al’s “Morning Maine” show July 11th. http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=weru&plid=6735
KRFC RADIO “ROUTES & BRANCHES”
(Fort Collins, CO Public Radio): Spin Cryin’ Out For Me on Scott Foley’s “Routes & Branches” show on July 6th http://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/2013/07/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
ATLANTA EXAMINER
(online A&E site) – Positive album review with cover art.
Bonnie Whitmore’s voice shines on There I Go Again
By: Chris Martin
I have seen the latest record – There I Go Again – from Bonnie Whitmore classified as roots, Americana, country and a few other genres. After listening to the album several times I agree it is all of those. Her tunes are not only a well paired collection of words and music but are a treat to the ears. Her voice effortlessly moves from sweet southern to smoldering and sultry as she belts out songs dealing with life, love and regrets that are flushed with lyrics that are catchy and stick in your head like a hearty meal in your belly.
While the subject matter of her songs may not be anything original, her approach definitely is. She stays away from cliché song writing by delivering tunes that take on said subject matter in different ways. On “Heartbreaker” she doesn’t let us know the things the guy did to break her heart, just that he is a bad dude and it is just his nature. Commitment comes into play on “Too Much Too Soon”, but it is not what you think. She sings about falling in love but is uncertain if she is ready to offer up her love and maybe things are moving too fast. The album gets a little rowdy with “Reckless And Young” as she sings about the benefits of being young. Whitmore lays down the law to her man letting him know that he is going to love her so just accept it on the tune “You’re Going To Love Me”. (It made me think of the old Jayhawks song “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”.) My favorite track is the first one on the album, “There I Go Again” which is a look into never learning your lesson. I could go into more with the rest of the songs on the album but I need to leave some things a mystery so you will have to listen to them yourself.
Bonnie Whitmore is a very talented musician. While many of the female Southern singers today sound like clones of each other, Bonnie possess a sound that is fresh yet classic all at the same time. Her vocals drive the record as she shifts her range bringing true emotion to each word and this is the main reason There I Go Again is such a good record. Give it a listen you will dig it folks.
http://www.examiner.com/review/bonnie-whitmore-s-voice-shines-on-there-i-go-again?cid=rss
NO DEPRESSION
(online Americana music site)
The Greatest of the Great Unknowns
Bonnie Whitmore
Bonnie Whitmore’s latest CD ‘There I go Again’ was very positively reviewed by Alan Harrison last month in No Depression, who described her as ‘Americana’s Best Kept Secret’.
Funded via Kickstarter, the music and lyrics of ‘There I Go Again’ are completely original but Whitmore’s voice has overtones of Stevie Nicks, the Dixie Chicks and even Lucinda Williams at times.
Bonnie Whitmore may still be unknown to many but she started writing songs at 16 and moved to Austin at 18, lived in Nashville for a while, and spent a year singing with Hayes Carll. Chris Masterson (of The Mastersons) appears on and produced her latest CD, as he did her first CD ‘Embers to Ashes’.
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/the-great-unknowns
THE OKLAHOMAN
(OK City, OK daily) – Simple show listing in Entertainment A-List for June 28th.
Bonnie Whitmore tonight at The Blue Door.
http://www.engine145.com/friday-five-top-june-songs/
DENTON RECORD CHRONICLE
(Denton, TX daily) – Show preview in B.J. Huchtemann’s “Hoodoo “ music column with Hayes Carll w/ Bonnie video.
Whitmore’s latest still rootsy, but more grown up
Bonnie Whitmore
9 p.m. today at Dan’s Silverleaf, 103 Industrial, with Dawn and Hawks opening. $7
When Bonnie Whitmore was coming of age in Denton, she didn’t know exactly who some of her biggest influences were.
“I grew up playing bass in my dad’s band at Cappucino Cafe,” Whitmore said. “The variation of that question is hard to explain. My mom went to University of North Texas. She’s a classically-trained opera singer. My dad was a singer-songwriter. I was eight years old playing in my dad’s band at Cappucino Cafe. What I didn’t realize until I was older was that my dad liked the songs that he liked and just played them. I didn’t necessarily know that he was playing song by Chuck Berry, or The Beatles.”
Whitmore said she grew up listening to singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne, and said the Traveling Wilburys provided the soundtrack for the Whitmore family’s road trips to Corpus Christi, which accounts for the traces of Tom Petty, George Harrison and Roy Orbison in There I Go Again, a radio-ready follow up to her 2011 release Embers to Ashes
Whitmore is treating her gig in Denton tonight as an official release party for her latest album.
‘There I Go Again’ is Denton native Bonnie Whitmore’s latest album. The full-length sets stories of perseverance and life after disappointment to mostly upbeat soundscapes. Whitmore plays Dan’s Silverleaf on Thursday, June 27, 2013.
‘There I Go Again’ is Denton native Bonnie Whitmore’s latest album. The full-length sets stories of perseverance and life after disappointment to mostly upbeat soundscapes. Whitmore plays Dan’s Silverleaf on Thursday, June 27, 2013.
“When you write your own songs, you never draw from one particular genre, I don’t think,” Whitmore said. “You use what you feel. You borrow, or pilfer, from everything you’ve ever really connected with, musically.”
The Austin-based artist said There You Go Again is much more of a celebration of music than Embers.
“Embers to Ashes was very much more personal,” she said. “I wrote that record for myself. I was going through a breakup. I was in a different place. There I Go Again is a different record. It’s more from the perspective that you fall and you pick yourself up.”
Some of the songs on the album have been simmering with Whitmore for about eight years. Others were written a few months ago. Chris Masterson, Whitmore’s brother-in-law and one-half of the huband-wife duo The Mastersons, produced the record. (Eleanor Whitmore joins Masterson and drummer Falcon Valdez tonight in the show.) The result is a record that is still rootsy, but a lot less country than Embers. The record was funded by a Kickstarter campaign, which was affirmation to Whitmore that fans wanted to hear more from her.
“I essentially went to Chris Masterson with a variety of songs, and I think we knew what the core was,” she said. “There were some songs that didn’t make it. I think when you put a record together, you just want to be cohesive.”
The latest record follows themes of one-sided love and questionable risks, but musically, most tracks are up-tempo. A playful sense of pluck pervades the album. It starts with the title track, Whitmore’s confession of a gambler’s tendencies. It’s moves into “Reckless and Young,” an anthem about spirited (and sometimes spirit-soaked) escapades that are losing propositions to start with, but done with no regret. Things slow down for “Colored Kisses,” a tune about the all powerful pull of desire. Eventually, Whitmore insists “You’re Gonna Love Me.” Whitmore’s no angel in this record, but she’s woman enough to live with truth and consequence.
Whitmore said audiences have embraced “Borderline,” the one song on the album that gave her second thoughts.
“I love how well ‘Borderline’ has been accepted. That one can be taken the wrong way, people might be offended by it,” she said. “There’s a person I’ve known who has worked in a mental institution, and the song really came out of a conversation with them. We were talking about how borderline personality disorder is really difficult. There’s not a whole lot you can do about it, because they don’t have a personality disorder, but they do have a sickness.”
The song makes light of the topsy-turvy ride you can have when caught up with a person who might be “borderline” or just act like they have it.
“You write songs, but you don’t always know what’s going to happen with them. Hays Carll has this song ‘She Left Me for Jesus,’ and I played with him on bass on a tour and we played it and this one person got really offended. You take chances with songs. Not everybody’s going to like it. Whenever you’re dealing with humor, people are going to take it how they take it,” she said.
Whitmore said she adopts a humble posture after she puts a record out.
“I try to be a non-reactor. I think that changed for me as I’ve gotten older. I tend to have a way of consciously humbling myself, where I realize that there was a mistake here or lyrically and it just becomes a story to tell or a different perspective,” Whitmore said. “It’s still new. I haven’t quite found that chink in the armor or that extra little secret identity about it. I know it will, because it always seems to happen. I think it’s a little bit tighter sounding or a little more compressed in the sound mix.
“There I Go Again is a little bit more grown-up, more cohesive and fit together – there’s a little bit more clarity than on Embers to Ashes. I still love that record. It has a lot of positive energy going into it. That Kickstarter, that all these people are supporting my art, that put everything in a different perspective. On Embers to Ashes, I was needing to get my voice heard. One thing I’ve never allowed myself to do – some people make a record and there not really happy with it. I’ve never done that. Both of my records, by and large, I like. I’m happy with both of them. I love these songs and I love how they came together. I don’t have anything really negative to say, and that’s not bullshit.”
Track by track
“Colored Kisses” — As one of the few slow numbers on There I Go Again, “Colored Kisses” is a steamy song that draws one long, pretty metaphor for romantic intimacy. “I was singing in mermaid tongues/But please don’t turn me to sea foam/I disappear in the sea foam.” Nothing fussy or esoteric here. “Colored Kisses” is about getting pulled under currents and surrendering to fingertips. The song is a sign of a mature songwriter who knows how to ebb, flow and tie up a song with a pretty, if predictable, resolution.”
“The Gavel” — A relationship is about to come to a bitter end in this blues-tinged number. A strong bass line and well-placed banjo phrases give this song of suspended animation a dusty-but-timeless quality that ends with the artist singing “I keep waiting” a cappella.
“Reckless and Young” — Whitmore could have wrapped this song, put a bow on top and offered it to Tom Petty for his treatment of the laidback, devil-may-care song.It’s about messing up and then getting on with life, and Whitmore delivers it with just the right amount of wry, oh-well spirit.
– Lucinda Breeding
http://littledtx.com/whitmores-latest-still-rootsy-but-more-grown-up/
HOODOO ROOTS & BLUES
(Omaha music blog) – Show preview IN B.J. Huchtemann’s “Hoodoo “ music column with Hayes Carll w/ Bonnie video.
And BONNIE WHITMORE playing a special show at Barley Street Tavern Sunday, June 30, 6 p.m. You’ve seen her on tour and on Austin City Limits with Hayes Carll. Catch her solo show up close and personal at The Barley Street in Benson!
http://hoodoorootsblues.blogspot.com/2013_06_01_archive.html
THE READER
(Omaha weekly) – Show preview with Bonnie photo
Bonnie Whitmore
Austin singer-songwriter Bonnie Whitmore is at Barley Street for an early show Sunday, June 30, 6 p.m. Whitmore has appeared in Omaha with Hayes Carll, both opening and backing him on bass and vocals. She has also appeared on Austin City Limits with Carll. Whitmore is a solo artist with a beguiling presence, fine songs and emotive voice. She’ll be doing a duo show at the Barley with her fiddle player as they head north for a Canadian tour. Whitmore just released There I Go Again (This Is American Music). See facebook.com/BonnieWhitmore.
http://www.thereader.com/index.php/site/comments/james_bonnie_zoo_40th/
ENGINE 145
(online music blog) – “Too Much Too Soon” mp3 featured as Top June Songs.
Top June Songs
2. Bonnie Whitmore – “Too Much Too Soon”
Whitmore There I Go Again is a gem of an alt-country record that’s flown under a lot of radars, but is worth seeking out. She’s made it easy for you, offering the insanely catchy “Too Much Too Soon” as a gateway drug/free download.
http://www.engine145.com/friday-five-top-june-songs/
ROUTES & BRANCHES / KRFC RADIO
(Americana Radio show on Fort Collins public radio) – Positive review with album art and a spin of “Cryin’ Out For Me”
Seem just yesterday I was singing the praises of the lil’ This Is American Music label on these pages. Well, apparently they do these things in batches, because we’re about to be gifted with another couple gems. With a promising covers release from Hurray For the Riff Raff in the wings, TIAM also sends Bonnie Whitmore our way.
There’s been a good deal of talk lately about how 2013 will be remembered as the year of the female country artist. Folks will generally mention Kacey Musgraves and Ashley Monroe, generally throwing in some combo of Caitlin Rose, Holly Williams, a couple Pistol Annies and maybe Kim Richey or Patty Griffin for good measure. In truth, I think it’s all a matter of our short musical attention span. Women have always held a strong place in the worlds of country and americana. We just might not be paying good attention …
Anyhow, please add to your list of Excellent Country Women Bonnie Whitmore from Denton, TX. Her 2nd album, released on This Is American Music, is a remarkably consistent batch of tough but tuneful songs. Wielding a voice as strong as any of the aforementioned singers, there are several tracks on There I Go Again that might find a foothold on mainstream country radio, if mainstream country radio actually played country music. Produced by Chris Masterson (of Mastersons fame), the album boasts a solid and mature sound that migrates effortlessly from more folky to “alt” and edgy. Whitmore wrote or cowrote every song on There I Go Again, achieving Kim Richey or Patty Griffin-esque moments at her best. While there is a good chance Bonnie Whitmore won’t appear on the radar of some of these “year of the country woman” pieces, her new work certainly deserves the accolades.
http://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/2013/06/routes-branches-featuring-very-best-of_26.html
DUST INTO DAYLIGHT
(Norwegian roots music site) – Very positive album review in Norwegian
TRANSLATION:
Bonnie Whitmore – There I Go Again
This is as far as I can see her third album. The previous Embers To Ashes was pretty traditional country music, but she has this record gone a little further.
Whitmore has followed the dream of becoming a professional musician since she was 15 She has played bass and cello, sung in Hayes Carll’s band. She has also been involved in a freak show where she, with great success, imitated a living jukebox. But lately she has remained with the couple in The Mastersons, where her sister Eleanor is detached half. Both the tournament and disc recordings. Chris Masterson and has produced this album. At the same time as it is the same gang that took part in last year’s fine Birds Fly South by The Mastersons which stands for music making.
This time she turned more towards Tom Petty than Hank Williams. She has let the organ fill some of hola steel guitar usually takes care of. The sound is more pop and rock, and the songs are more oriented chorus.
And just tunes here well worth writing home about. Where she went from hot coals to ash at Embers to Ashes from 2011 and goes out, it is now time to stand up again. And with “There I Go Again” shows she again she really is time again. Nice organ driven americana. With a lot of nice violin from Eleanor Whitmore. Very tastefully played. Dominant without dominating. “Heartbreaker” is a half-tempo song with some bluesy guitar. And this changes the mood. It reminds ho about the wonderful Swedish artist Ebba Forsberg. More violin on “Reckless And Young.” Here in interaction with an electric guitar. Again very nice, both. A little faster. “Colored Kisses” slows down the pace. And pulls slowly over you. The organ in the main role. As the foundation and seal coat. Tough and detests.
“Too Much Too Soon” is neither the sole nor the other. Neither too much or too early, ie. Just a wonderful, wonderful half-tempo song with great violin solo. It is even more cadence in “Cryin ‘Out For Me”. A little wall between accompaniment that gets lucky firmly in place all vege. Season with fine violin and electric guitar. “You’re Gonna Love Me” opens with piano calm before the shoot fast with fresh organ present. In addition to the mandolin as lies and controls. It is almost småfunky on “The Gavel”. With a tough banjo as lies and stresses along the way, together with the organ. Plata takes a little sidetrack here. But one great one. “Borderline” contains a bit stuck in the småfunky. But here eventually violin really romp, in addition to the organ takes a little guy eventually. The pace is roa way down at the finish “Be The Death Of Me.” And has the acoustic guitar in the main role. But rumors of her death is of course greatly exaggerate. It is just beautiful and special feeling was.
This is an album I’ve been waiting anxiously for the long time. Ever since she launched a Kickstarter project last October. But now finally the record available to the wide audience. And it should get this album. A large audience.
It is completely sovereign.
Buy Online – Listen in Spotify
http://www.musikkbloggen.no/2013/06/bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again/
DO 512
(Austin A&E blog) – Austin show preview
Bonnie Whitmore @ Cactus Cafe Wed 06/26
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $10.00 CD RELEASE SHOW! Special Guest: Chris Porter Bonnie Whitmore’s last album had a body count and a title, “Embers to Ashes,” that implied a fiery finality. There are broken bones and hard lessons learned on Whitmore’s new album, but its title – “There I Go Again” – suggests less ominous themes. “I feel like I’ve grown up a lot,” she says. “I just turned 30 this year, and I’ve been in the business 15 of those years. There’s been this humbling aspect to my writing, this attempt to make the songs in a way that’s singable and relatable. It’s not as selfish as ‘Embers,’ which was a record I needed to do to get through that period of my life. This one’s more a celebration of some successes but also learning from failures. Plus, nobody wants to hear two breakup albums in a row.” Fittingly, the music also reflects a radiant change of direction. The rootsiness of “Embers” isn’t absent, but the songs are decidedly less country sounding. Keyboards are played up in places a steel guitar might have inhabited, the drums are more prominent, and Whitmore lets her big voice run through some big, inviting choruses. By 15, Whitmore was playing professional gigs outside the family. She sang and played in Hayes Carll’s band for a while, and recently she spent quite a bit of time touring and recording with the Mastersons, the husband/wife band featuring sister Eleanor and Houston native and guitarist Chris Masterson. They’re good family to have: Both of them play on Whitmore’s albums, which Masterson produced.
http://i.do512.com/event/2013/06/26/bonnie-whitmore
KUTX RADIO
(Austin public radio) – 6.25 in-studio
Bonnie Whitmore at KUTX 6.25.13
Bonnie Whitmore was born into music. By age 8 she was already playing bass in her father’s family-band (aptly named Daddy & the Divas) and has since emerged as an Austin-based songwriter with a golden voice and lyrics that can bite. Whitmore describes her songwriting as “an outlet, because it lets me relieve some of my darker emotions. Instead of going and maybe being a bit destructive, I just write songs instead.” Her often sly style of country-folk is piercing yet playful, and you can witness it for yourself below! Bonnie performed right here on KUTX on June 25th – the day before she releases her latest album There I Go Again at the Cactus Cafe!
http://kutx.org/category/musicarchive
BEAT SURRENDER
(online music blog) – Positive review with album art
And artist photo
Bonnie Whitmore – There I Go Again
By Simon
Last October I made a Kickstarter recommendation and put my money where my mouth was to support Bonnie Whitmore’s latest music venture, I’ve had a copy of the recording for some weeks now and it’s very remiss of me not to give it a mention before, but prompted by an email from the wonderful This Is American Music it’s time I reminded the one or two who occasionally read my musings that the album is now available to buy after the success of the Kickstarter campaign.
Departing from the country flavoured music of her previous album Bonnie delights us this time with a ten track serving of roots pop that lets her show of her vocal talents to the full, recommended listening and another winner from Bonnie the TIAM team.
Bonnie is touring in the US and Canada in June and July check with her site for updates and more dates.
June 27 Denton, TX @ Dan’s Silverleaf
June 28 Oklahoma City, OK @ The Blue Door
July 2 Minneapolis, MN @ Lee’s Liquor Lounge
July 3 Winnipeg, MB @ TBA
July 4 Saskatoon, SK @ Rock Bottom (The Fez)
July 5 Edmonton, AB @ Avenue Theatre
July 6 Bonnyville, AB @ Bonnyville House Concert
July 7 Calgary, AB @ The Ironwood
July 8 Lethbridge, AB @ The Slice
July 9 Waterton, AB @ Waterton Park
July 10 Winlaw, BC @ Cedar Creek
July 11 Penticton, BC @ Voodoo’s
July 12 Vancouver, BC @ Kozmik Zoo
July 17 Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe
(more dates to be announced soon)
http://www.beat-surrender.com/2013/06/24/bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again
ALT.COUNTRY.NL
(Netherlands roots music site) – Positive review (in Dutch) with album art
SPOTTY GOOGLE TRANSLATION:
Bonnie Whitmore
REVIEWS – Hugo Vogel
If you read the biography of Bonnie Whitmore on its website you can see that she comes from a very musical family. Pa Whitmore taught his two daughters to play so they could act with him. Early age an instrument He himself had a pilot’s license so they could fly for those shows. Crisscrossing Texas and surrounding states Bonnie’s sister was the first to put her songs on a CD. A large part of the readers will have a few weeks ago, these sister seen at work. It is natural to Eleanor Whitmore, the female half of The Master Sons, who stood by Steve Earle on stage. Bonnie Whitmore, who also still in the band of Hayes Carll has been sitting a while now delivers her second album, There I Go Again (This Is American Music). Then 10 nice songs, sometimes to classic country and sometimes lean to country rock. In both cases provides otherwise very accessible music, which you can place. Somewhere in the area between Robin Ludwick, Kelly Willis and Mary Chapin Carpenter
The more rocking songs like Heartbreaker and The Gavel (it should also look up a hammer that the judge in the U.S. used) like me the most, but it’s the slower songs which the beautiful voice of Whitmore most comes into its own . Key leaders on this great album are other weather Elenanor Whitmore and Chris Masterson (including production). The combination of The Master Sons and Bonnie Whitmore also seems like a great addition to the lineup of large roots festival (padding, Take Root?).
There I Go Again (CD) is available at This Is American Music
http://www.altcountry.nl/blog/2013/06/bonnie-whitmore/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
BARN OWL BLUES
(Netherlands roots music site) – Positive review (in Dutch) with album art
Bonnie Whitmore – There I Go Again
Actually she is from the corner of Americana and rock, but I think Bonnie Whitmore has enough soul and blues in her to be discussed here as well. She comes from a musical family and traveled from the age of eighth with the family band (consisting of dad, mom and daughters) throughout the country. She plays bass, cello and guitar and writes her own songs. Listening to her music, she reminds me a little of a female Tom Petty.
With “There I Go Again”, she released her second solo album. An album full of soulful Americana and full of songs that give a message or at least tell a story. They range from merry rock’n’roll-like songs like the title song “There I Go Again” and “High In The Sky” to the quieter thoughtful “Heartbreaker” and “Colored Kisses”. And whatever style, it is contagious and catchy. Each song is well crafted and performed, but the best for me are the nimble “Young And Reckless”, with an intriguing interplay between 12-string guitar and violin, and the sad and poignant “Borderline”.
Bonnie Whitmore is an outstanding representative of contemporary serious music. A excellent mix of rock, country and blues. In short, Americana. She is a good composer of fine catchy, yet meaningful songs. And as result a good album.
http://barnowlblues.punt.nl/content/2013/06/Bonnie-Whitmore–There-I-Go-Again
SOUTH SOUNDS REVIEW
(online music site) – Positive review
Bonnie Whitmore: There I Go Again (This Is American Music)
Originally posted on Tank Full of Dreams
by Wess Floyd
I’ve written quite a bit about the This Is American Music crowd, which is probably as sinister as it sounds – I’m good friends with the whole crew. Obvious nepotism aside, I would not write about anything I didn’t feel deserved to be heard. Bonnie Whitmore is the first girl to crash the boys club (well, aside from Kelly Kniser of Glossary). The Texas Spitfire is right at home with the label’s trailblazing and establishment challenging roster and ethos.
Miss Whitmore’s new record There I Go Again has Lone Star State sass to spare. The record blends the strong women of Classic Country like Loretta and Dolly with the independent spirit of the 90’s chick rock revival. However, there’s no need to tell the world that she’s some sassy-pants, liberated woman of the New Century…in the same way Lucinda’s “Car Wheels” & “World Without Tears” didn’t need to – Bonnie Whitmore is a sassy-pants, liberated woman of the New Century. In this way – the record makes itself very relevant to 2013.
Where Nashville has given (some may say fabricated) us a new breed of Female Rebels (Kasey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, and Ashley Monroe) who have made great tunes wide a nod to classic country, while pushing the boundaries of what has been acceptable for women to talk about in song. Whitmore may be more controversial. Bonnie’s not asking anyone for their permission, and she doesn’t feel the need to declare herself a rebel. She just is one, and she writes damn fine songs as well.
Bonnie grew up in a musical family, and this record is a family affair. Her brother-in-law Chris Masterson lends the masterful production, as well as the tasty guitar licks. Masterson dials of the jangle-power-pop when needed, other times the songs are cradled with down home harmonies & fiddle (provided by his wife, and Bonnie’s sister Eleanor). The team never loses sight of the record’s true beauty, and those are the MOST important, tried and true strengths for an artist/album to have – strong, infectious songs with a big, engage voice to deliver them.
Purchase Here: http://thisisamericanmusic.bigcartel.com/product/bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again
Facebook Stalk: https://www.facebook.com/#!/bonniewhitmore
http://southsoundsreview.modmobilian.com/2013/06/19/new-atx-album-bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again-tfd/
AMERICANA ROCK MIX
(Internet radio show) – Spins of “The Gavel” & “Cryin Out For More” on Allen’s Bittersweet Melody” show June 20th
http://americanarockmix.com/tag/bonnie-whitmore/
KDHX RADIO / ST. LOUIS
Spins of “Heartbreaker” & “Cryin Out For More” on Allen’s Bittersweet Melody” show June 19th
Bonnie Whitmore “Heartbreaker” from There I Go Again (This is American Music 2013) N —From the 2nd album of this Denton, TX singer/songwriter produced by Chris Masterson, former guitarist in Son Volt and now leader of The Mastersons.
Bonnie Whitmore “Cryin’ Out For Me” from There I Go Again (This is American Music 2013)
http://kdhx.org/spinitron/playlist.php?station=kdhx&playlist=12307
ENGINE 145
(online music blog) – Link to “Too Much Too Soon” mp3 featured.
This week’s album releases. As always, thank you to those who purchase stuff through our affiliate links; it helps us keep the lights on:
Bonnie Whitmore – There I Go Again (check out “Too Much Too Soon” here)
http://www.engine145.com/curly-seckler-recovering-from-stroke-alison-krauss-celebrate-cmt-awards-performers-see-digital-sales-boost/
KAFM RADIO
(Grand Junction, CO radio) – Colored Kisses aired June 13th.
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kafm&plid=11138
WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY
(online music blog) – Positive album review with album art, TMTS mp3 and related links.
REVIEW: Bonnie Whitmore – There I Go Again
Bonnie Whitmore’s new album, There I Go Again, is a country-rock keeper. Whitmore is a terrific songwriter with a clear, strong voice and a way with a pop hook. She’s also got echoes of country and folk rock legends all over her work, in the best way possible. Emmylou is an obvious comparison for her light, pretty vocals on upbeat songs like “You’re Going To Love Me”, but there is also heavier stuff like “The Gavel” – a bluesy song with a definite resemblance to another famous Bonnie.
And there are other touchpoints as well, some openly acknowledged by Whitmore as she discusses Tom Petty’s ability to balance roots music and catchy pop-rock. “He makes these amazingly awesome pop songs, but is also able to keep them within the lines. You could hear how beautiful the melodies are beyond the grit of rock and roll,” she says. “I struggle with the question – ‘who inspired you?’ – but Petty’s music has, and always will inspire me.” This inspiration is clear on a lot of the tracks here, but to me the clearest indication is the way the guitars and keyboards ring out on the opening, title track.
This album is highly recommended if you enjoy the music of singers like Neko Case, the aforementioned Emmylou and Bonnie, and WYMA favorite Tift Merritt.
Here’s “Too Much Too Soon”, which she’s made available for free download:
That pedal steel is just wonderful, but as with everything else on the album, her voice is the featured instrument, and rightly so. We’re looking forward to hearing more from this talented Texas native. There I Go Again is out this week (June 11) on This Is American Music.
Bonnie Whitmore website
This Is American Music
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
(Seattle daily) – Positive album review (originally published in Blog Critics)
On Bonnie Whitmore’s new album There I Go Again she sings, “Borderline, Borderline, everything’s fine ’til it’s not.” The borderline Whitmore walks, with a tread a good deal more surefooted than most sophomore-album artists can manage, is the one between familiarity and originality, planting solid footsteps on both sides.
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Bonnie-Whitmore-There-I-Go-Again-4594721.php
MIDWEST RECORD
(Chicagoland music blog) – Positive album review
BONNIE WHITMORE/There I Go Again – THIS IS AMERICAN MUSIC
She’s 30 years old but her second record shows she listened to plenty of singer/songwriters who tried to adapt at the start of the folk rock revolution when many had as much of a problem as silent actors that tried to convert to talkies. She listened to what worked as well as what didn’t and the noble failures in between. The result is a wonderfully personal album that kicks off with a riff that sounds like she reassembled Bob Dylan’s first electric band. Loaded with songs that Stevie Nicks could have stolen and released as her next album, Whitmore is an original that understands the dictates of the commercial world serving up a nice pairing of both. Quite a smashing set.
http://midwestrecord.com/MWRBlog.html
AUSTIN CHRONICLE
(Austin weekly) – Feature interview
There Goes Bonnie Whitmore Again
Local bassist celebrates second LP
By William Harries Graham, 4:20PM, Tue. Jun. 11
Bonnie Whitmore, not a kid anymore
I have two words for you this week: Bonnie Whitmore. Her new album There I Go Again – out today – has me hook, line, and sinker.
Whitmore started playing bass as an 8-year-old in her father’s family band, Daddy & the Divas, along with her sister Eleanor Whitmore, who plays with the Mastersons. As a pilot for Delta, her father would get the family out gigging around Texas when he wasn’t working.
“It’s what he and my mom loved to do,” nods Bonnie. “Music filled our house. The joke I make is, to be a Whitmore, you have to play an instrument, sing harmonies, and fly a plane.
“I don’t think I would have chosen this life if it hadn’t been something that I’d always done,” she adds. “You’re a product of what you grew up with. Your parents wind up influencing your music. I discovered music like the Eagles and Chuck Berry through my dad’s interpretations.
“Instead of listening to guys like Doc Watson, I’d listen to my dad singing Doc Watson.”
Lucky girl. Of course it helped that she grew up in Denton, a city strapped with the University of North Texas, which lays claim to one of the finest music schools in the country.
“Denton has a really great jazz program at the college and there was a lot of that,” she says, “but it wasn’t like living in Austin, where there’s great music all over town every night of the week. When I was 15, I made more money playing in a band as a job than anyone else at my school.”
Whitmore spent some time in Nashville before moving to Austin last year, where she linked up with Hayes Carll. The meeting provided dividends for the young Whitmore, who took Carll’s lessons to heart on the making of There I Go Again. The result: a more upbeat album than 2011’s Embers to Ashes, her debut.
“I’m not a kid playing in bars and I’m not just a hired bass player,” she reasons. “I’m doing this because there’s nothing else that I would rather do.”
A lifelong bassist, Whitmore’s advice to young Austin musicians is to “stick with it,” no matter how long that road may run
“There are short attention spans,” she said. “The harder it is, the better it will be.
“Don’t be afraid to use it as an outlet. I write songs as therapy. You can tell a story through a song. You can make a guitar sound like how you feel. I think that any time of creativity is good for anyone to grow.”
Bonnie Whitmore celebrates the release of There I Go Again on Wednesday, June 26, at the Cactus Cafe. The Mastersons open.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/music/2013-06-11/there-goes-bonnie-whitmore-again/
EAST PORTLAND BLOG
(Portland, ME music blog) – Positive post with TMTS mp3 and related link.
Bonnie Whitmore – Too Much Too Soon
Austin-based singer-songwriter Bonnie Whitmore has just released her second album, There I Go Again, on This is American Music. There’s a rumor she references Hunter S. Thompson on one of the songs. If this true, it is something I’d like to hear. Whitmore turned 30 recently and she’s been “in the biz” since she was 15. That’s a lotta time for heartache. But the song below isn’t a downer, it’s a fun, up-tempo piece of country-pop. Listen and enjoy.
http://www.bonniewhitmore.com
http://www.eastportlandblog.com/2013/06/11/bonnie-whitmore-too-much-too-soon/
BUCKET FULL OF NAILS
(online music site) – Very positive album review.
Review: Bonnie Whitmore – There I Go Again
NPRrecently declared 2013 “Country Music’s Year of the Woman.” With due respect to Ann Powers, Bonnie Whitmore wasn’t included in the discussion. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been. Comparing Whitmore to artists beholden to the Nashville music machine would do her a disservice.
This is not to label Whitmore a country artist or her latest release, There I Go Again, a slick Nashville album. It’s quite the opposite. When compared to her 2011 debut, Embers to Ashes, this new album is indeed more pop influenced. Pop in the vein of Heart’s late ’70s output.
Read: Loud.
Such loudness vacillates throughout the album, the same way attitude and tenderness form the yin and yang of There I Go Again. Loudness from Whitmore’s voice astutely paired with Chris Masterson’s production. The wrinkles from both that informed Embers to Ashes are ironed out here for the right reasons. From the piercing fiddle of “Reckless and Young” to the solemn acoustic guitar and piano of “Be the Death of Me,” Whitmore’s voice is never buried in the mix. It can dominate a song like “The Gavel” and yet be reigned in on “Colored Kisses.”
I will sing in mermaid tones but
Please don’t turn me to sea foam
Don’t be fooled, the same instruments and attitude that placed Whitmore in the Americana camp remain. “Crying Out for Me” is a direct relation to the songs on Embers to Ashes.
I get what I need
When you’re crying out for me
There I Go Again is a huge step forward for Whitmore and her team. To independently produce an album that suits Nashville’s every need should only serve to highlight the talents of a true artist, rather than the formulaic caricatures that pass for empowered women dominating today’s popular country music scene.
Flawless production aside, the strength of There I Go Again rests in Whitmore’s songwriting. It takes only one listen to create an ad hoc list of artists to cover each song with great success. While this may not sell albums, it’s Whitmore’s disposition to fight rather than fawn that’s endearing. If Embers to Ashes represented Whitmore’s tough-as-nails persona, There I Go Again showcases her artistic, soulful side. This is a definitely a statement album. She has made her album, her way. And this is why we love her and There I Go Again.
Download “Too Much Too Soon” below and purchase the album through This Is American Music.
http://bucketfullofnails.com/2013/06/11/review-bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again/
TOP-4O CHARTS
(online music site) – News post (from press release), with album art, tour dates and related links.
Bonnie Whitmore’s Second Studio Album There I Go Again Out Today Through This Is American Music!
http://top40-charts.com/news/Tour-Dates/Bonnie-Whitmores-Second-Studio-Album-There-I-Go-Again-Out-Today-Through-This-Is-American-Music/90899.html
BLOG CRITICS
(online music site) – Very positive album review.
Music Review: Bonnie Whitmore – “There I Go Again”
By Jon Sobel
Bonnie Whitmore‘s second disc is crammed full of soulful, insistent Americana, with sharp-edged songs sometimes reminiscent of Tom Petty, delivered in a sure voice that’s both powerful and plaintive and throws in a touch of twang just when it feels most called for, as in the rootsy “Cryin’ Out for Me” and the elemental “The Gavel,” a pounding soured-love song that’s one of my favorites. In “Heartbreaker” (speaking of Tom Petty), she displays an ability to elevate lyrics that border on cliché (“You ain’t nothin’ but a heartbreaker/You ain’t nothin’ but a reason to cry”) with a compelling melody.
Yet while the songs and arrangements follow familiar patterns, tired cliché isn’t what Whitmore is about; it’s hooks. The more energetic songs, like “High in the Sky” and “There I Go Again,” shine with rock-and-roll joy that bring to mind Mary-Chapin Carpenter, while the more contemplative numbers, like “Colored Kisses” and “Heartbreaker,” get their strength from plainspoken, hummable melodies and precision arrangements often dressed up in organs and strings and mandolins. Harmony vocals are another strength on display in many of these songs, sweetness and raw emotion hanging together in the air in thrilling tension as she holds out those long notes.
“Too Much Too Soon” has a memorable hook and gratifying rave-up, while “You’re Going to Love Me” shows what a skillful melodist Whitmore is. But the best distillation of her style is a good-hearted paean to persistence called “Reckless and Young,” where a twelve-string guitar and a fiddle dance around an irresistible chorus built on a raw, basic 5-4-1 chord progression that illustrates as well as the lyrics do how “you can choose to be reckless and young.”
Elsewhere she sings, “Borderline, Borderline, everything’s fine ’til it’s not.” The borderline Whitmore walks, with a tread a good deal more surefooted than most sophomore-album artists can manage, is the one between familiarity and originality, planting solid footsteps on both sides.
http://blogcritics.org/music-review-bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again/
POPA’S TUNES
(online music blog) – News posting (from press announcement) with “Too Much Too Soon” mp3, album art, artist photo, and related links.
http://popatunes.blogspot.com/2013/06/bonnie-whitmore-shares-her-new-single.html
HELLHOUND MUSIC
(online music site) – News posting with “Too Much Too Soon” mp3 link, album art, artist photo, and related links.
BONNIE WHITMORE TO RELEASE SOPHOMORE LP “THERE I GO AGAIN” JUNE 11TH
http://www.hellhoundmusic.com/bonnie-whitmore-to-release-sophomore-lp-there-i-go-again-june-11th/
BEARLY RAMBLING
(online music blog) – Positive news post with album art and multiple artist photos and videos.
Bonnie Whitmore
Bonnie Whitmore is a purveyor of fine, fine Indie/Rock/Americana, she hails from Denton in the musical state of Texas. And she will blow your mind.
It was said about her first album: “Bonnie Whitmore may have a heart of gold, an outsize personality and a roof-raising laugh, but don’t be fooled: her debut album has a body count. No fewer than two men die by Bonnie’s own hand over the course of the record: one of them is burned alive, one the victim of a knife that, in Whitmore’s own words, “just slipped.” Take a look at that album cover and consider what secrets she’s trying to get you to keep quiet. And then think twice before you spill ’em.”
Bonnie Whitmore’s last album had a body count and a title, Embers to Ashes, that implied a fiery finality. There are broken bones and hard lessons learned on Whitmore’s new album, but its title – There I Go Again – suggests less ominous themes.
“I feel like I’ve grown up a lot,” she says. “I turned 30 this year, and I’ve been in the business 15 of those years. Songwriting as a profession is a humbling career choice. To write songs that are accessible and relatable as possible required a level of maturity and focus that I have strived to attain on this record. It’s a less self-indulgent record then Embers. Embers To Ashes was what I needed to get through that period of my life. There I Go Again is a celebration of success and failure. Plus, nobody wants to hear two breakup albums in a row.”
Bonnie Whitmore’s There I Go Again will be released on CD and digital formats on June 11th through This Is American Music.
To say that Bonnie is a versatile singer is an understatement, this is one lady who cannot be pigeon holed. From burning torch singer to hard rockin’ country babe to smooth, smooth purveyor of love songs the range goes on forever.
Check out this fine acoustic take on a cool song from her new album.
When a song is that good you have to hear the full band version, especially if it is also live.
So here’s Bonnie Whitmore at SXSW 2013 just a few days ago @ Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar Austin, This Is American Music in a Mod Mobilian Showcase.
Here’s another great performance, this time from Dogwood @ SXSW 2013, this time filmed by a fan.
Yet another of the great tracks from the album, this being track seven.
Thanks Jay.
Jumping into the waybackmachine to 2011 we find Bonnie Whitmore in termendous voice on the Music Fog stage at Threadgills in Austin, TX.
This was one kickass gig.
That was so good gotta try another, here’s Bonnie Whitmore, with Eleanor Whitmore and Chris Masterson, perform “Tin Man” from her album “Embers to Ashes.”
Recorded during the Music Fog Marathon 2011 at Threadgill’s in Austin, TX.
Great voice, great guitar and great fiddle.
Finally today check out this beautiful song from a couple of years back, Bonnie has one totally awesome voice.
Not much of a video, just warm and inviting vocals, with a touch of melancholy here and there. Prepare for chills.
http://bearlyrambling.blogspot.com/2013/06/bonnie-whitmore.html
COUNTRY FRIED ROCK
(online music blog) – “Too Much Too Soon” mp3 featured.
Bonnie Whitmore: There I Go Again
Our alumna, Bonnie Whitmore, has a new album coming out on This Is American Music, There I Go Again
http://countryfriedrock.org/bonnie-whitmore-there-i-go-again/#.Ua-7busWkco
BROADWAY WORLD
(online music site) – News post (from press release), with album art, tour dates and related links.
http://music.broadwayworld.com/article/BONNIE-WHITMORE-Sophomore-LP-There-I-Go-Again-Out-Today-20130611
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS
(online music site and weekly music industry newsletter) – News post (from press release), with album art, tour dates and related links.
http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=165002