It’s Thursday, August 27, 2020 as I write this, and while there is much to say, I know you are bombarded with many of the tough times we are in right now in this country and world! Prayers and good health and peace. Good news – my paypal is up and working at Paypal.me/carolynstriho1, and if you would like to buy any merch from me, including my book “Detroit (Maiden Energy),” any of my recent albums or CDs, or t-shirts, please send me a note in here at my website, and I’ll get it mailed off to you in a timely fashion. You can buy my book or our CDs for $12.00 with postage included through September! T-shirts would be $15.00, postage paid! Thank you!
My Audio book is finally coming out in September, too! It will be on Findaway Voices and Audible/Amazon and hopefully also Google Play https://findawayvoices.com/. Details shortly – so you could also order an Audio or Kindle version of “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” street princess poems & lyrics. I’m grateful for all the nice reviews and articles regarding my book, and hope you get a chance to check it out on Aquarius Press. In other news, last month I was honored to announce that some of my music is on new compilations that have gotten great notice. And The Congregation Cafe in Detroit was a great, distanced live show – thank you!
We’ve recorded a new single “I Will Rise” that’s coming out soon, too!
It’s summer and I sure miss performing! Postponements are now going into 2021 and remote teaching this spring was sure new for teachers and students. I was proud of my students. Now summer is here with so much anger, outrage, illness and lives in danger. It’s hard to write with gushes of emotion then silence.
There’s good news in that I’m about to record an entire new album which surprises me. But it’s been a very strange year and I’ve written new songs that are in demo form now. I’m excited to be able to record even without an entire band. The restrictions with covid 19 are so necessary and yet people still want to “break out of them” and go against wearing a mask or caring about each other. With the virus of racism and police brutality against Black people, too, these have been sad times.
Carolyn at home going out on the street! May 2020
And in recording the new album, I thought it’s time to finally get “I Will Rise” done, which I had started to write after The Women’s March in early 2017 (and 2018). We knew from the start that getting that so-called president out of office would be best. I felt like I had an idea which came to fruition last year with The Pink Fund and PBS’ Those on the Front Lines of Cancer. Molly McDonald from the Pink Fund encouraged me to continue finishing “I Will Rise,’ and filmmaker Keith Famie also used the demo song for his PBS special in Detroit both in 2019.
Carolyn at Max Fisher Music Hall in Detroit with Scott Dailey and Amp Fiddler on Don Was’ Concert of Colors
So I premiered the song live with my husband/guitarist Scott Dailey at The Pink Fund’s Dancing with the Survivors in October just before my new book “Detroit (Maiden Energy) street princess poems and lyrics” came out. It was a great time, and inspired me to record a final version now of “I Will Rise.” I’m also updating my website to include some poems in my blogs and also, photos of my retrospective of posters and Bands I’ve had. Also, I’m doing a new Zoom or Facebook Live event of music and poetry. I’ve been writing, singing and recording for years, working with some of the best musicians in the world for years, and am proud of my recordings and shows and bands.
Photo from The Pink Fund 2019 Dancing with the Survivors – Scott Dailey and Carolyn Striho – (credit: Stacey Sherman)
In other record release news, Orchide Records Detroit released an album with Detroit Energy Asylum which was my band for many years. Featuring Dave McMurray, Luis Resto, myself and many well-known and wonderful Detroit musicians, Patti Smith also makes several appearances. “Recreation” is available on Orchide Records Detroit and for those who liked “Secrets and Space,” “Recreation” features new mixes of several numbers and a never-before-heard lead vocal on Smokey Robinson’s song (sung by The Marvelettes) “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game” by Patti Smith. Patti and I duet on The Four Tops’ “Reach Out.” Produced by Freddie Brooks, it’s a gem! https://orchiderecords.bigcartel.com/product/dea-recreation
Luis Resto, Carolyn Striho, Dave McMurray – by Gary Graff/Oakland Press, photo Bill Schwab and Freddie Brooks 2000
And another record release! I’m featured on Detroit Punks Archive entitled “End of the Night” compiled by Rob St. Mary and distributed by Light in the Attic Records (Seattle) with Record Store Day 2020 U.K. My song “Rockin’ Right” is included with one of my first bands The Cubes. The album includes Don Was’ first band The Traitors and also Hiawatha Bailey and The Cult Heroes “Amerikan Story” with much more! Check it here at https://lightintheattic.net/releases/6628-detroit-punk-archive-presents-the-end-of-the-night-1976-1983
Detroit Punk End of the Night double album Record Store Day U.K. 2020 Photo: Bookie’s Club Sue RynskiCarolyn Striho’s “Detroit Maiden Energy” with Kate Parker’s “Strong is theNew Pretty”, HorizonBooks 2019 Traverse City, MI
And it looks like we have several new livestream shows in late July at Detroit’s Music Hall, Otus Supply in Ferndale, Michigan, and even a new book/Audio livestream show! So that is cheery news in these times. The Audio Book for my book “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” is also coming this summer. My book is at many Michigan bookstores and soon to be in Milwaukee, Chicago and in England. You can buy it on Amazon, too, Aquarius Press, or directly from me https://www.amazon.com/Detroit-Maiden-Energy-Carolyn-Striho/dp/1733089837
Begin Again
All the confusion couches the coast
rocks, rain, ruin return again
inside, harder, happens to me,
but happens to be the one quick avenue of alive in the pain
Birds floating, singing loud, sun shining, seems so rude to leave Detroit’s beginning so fast
hurtling hurdles of hard crunch as shoes hit pavement near the river again
again and again the city won’t end just begging to begin again
scatters our blood and only pretends to not care,
when it’s very soul depends on our love
through the hate we consider,
watching the dove spread its wings over water
and splash as it flies away from the smokestack,
away sunrise… away from rocks, rain, ruin, return again
again and again the city won’t end just begging to begin again
Detroit Energy Asylum w/Patti Smith (Carolyn Striho, Kenny Scott, Pam Marcil, Dave McMurray, Lenny Kaye pictured) Industry, Pontiac, MI 1995
Thanks for the support. Love, and stay safe! xx Carolyn
Carolyn Striho, Sinead O’Connor and Tori Amos, 2005 Royal Festival Hall, London England2005Scott Dailey and Carolyn Striho, Hope and Anchor Islington, London, U.K. 2018
Well…a tentative Happy May! It’s hard to hear about
our community, state and world music, writing and art events being cancelled.
Everyone’s safety and health is so important, and we’ll all be back soon…
First, thank you for so many, many views the first night of our Facebook Music Livestream on Saturday April 4th ! It was in the room, so to speak, so I’m glad you liked it as it was quite live! Here is the Facebook link. The Video was just uploaded to You Tube by The Isle of Wight, U.K., too, where we performed 2 years ago and will again! “I Will Rise” is a forthcoming music Release coming up this year when we get into the studio soon.
April 30th, I was honored to be talking about my music and art in an online appearance on PBS Detroit’s WTVS and the City of Detroit’s Covid 19 Artist Relief Fund by Rochelle Riley & Mitch Albom with such artists as Jeff Daniels, Big Sean, Steffanie Christi’an and many Detroit artists. You can watch my segment at the .mov link or view the entire 90 minutes here at Channel 21 Comcast TV/Detroit WTVS. http://detroit-vod.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/watch/4?channel=3
With music events/gigs and poetry events in April, May, June and July cancelled or postponed, our U.K. tour 2020 has been moved to 2021. The south Florida Book Tour is hopeful but likely moved to Spring 2021. I’m writing new music and we’ll be recording more, too. The band will come into the studio when we’re allowed to get all together again!
Thank you for the Detroit Music Award Nominations 2020 for Outstanding Rock/Pop Songwriter and Singer, and for Scott Dailey for Outstanding Rock/Pop Instrumentalist too! https://www.detroitmusicawards.net/2020-nominees
I’ll be releasing the Audio Book on Amazon and other outlets, so look for it this early Summer. It’s good news with some more good news on “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” soon. I miss everybody, my family, students, musicians and friends. And there’s so much emotion behind this post, even if it seems like a “regular” update/blog. We’re all so grateful for grocery and pharmacy delivery and the bright days ahead, with special big thanks to the hospital workers. In the meantime, as we’re artists and everything is cancelled, please download music, books and support Detroit, Michigan and world artists. Here’s a bit of my recent music catalogue (partial list) or the book in the meantime, and prayers to the world!Love, Carolyn https://music.apple.com/us/artist/carolyn-striho/276003130
UPDATE – Will be RESCHEDULED due to Coronavirus – Friday night, April 3rd I’m part of the National Book Event at Detroit’s Scarab Club in early April for National Poetry Month with my book “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” street princess poems & lyrics. I’m honored to be on this national poetry show, hosted by Aquarius Press and The Scarab Club, which features Lupe Mendez from Texas, Brian Gilmore, John Jeffire and so many Detroit poets – and with music by me and Scott Dailey on guitar, and Tracy Kash at 6 pm to 8 pm -! https://scarabclub.org/
There’s some super music shows we’re doing in April and May with bigger details next month and specifics. And the U.K. tour is coming this summer. But first, we’re recording new songs and there will also be new Book/Music Event in Grand Rapids this Spring, too, at Schuler Books for “Detroit (Maiden Energy).” https://www.schulerbooks.com/
Good news also on my book: “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” street princess poems & lyrics was just added to Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor and Brilliant Books in Traverse City! You can also pick it up at Book Beat, Dearborn Music, Mayflower Bookstore, Horizon Books Traverse City and Horizon Books Cadillac, Leelanau books Schuler’s in Grands Rapids, at Pure Detroit and in Toronto, Canada. It’s also on Amazon, Target or Barnes and Noble websites. Thank you! https://www.amazon.com/Detroit-Maiden-Energy-Carolyn-Striho/dp/1733089837
Thanks to Jeff Milo from WDET-FM and The Metro Times and Ferndale Library for a great interview for the podcast! https://alittletooquiet.podbean.com/ where I was interviewed recently, – here is the Interview! https://podbay.fm/podcast/1485477183/e/1584098894. Jeff gave me such great press, too! And thanks for the airplay on Local Spins podcast and airplay in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Local Spins WYCE 88.1 FM John Sinkevics – appreciate it! And don’t forget to support Michigan music with this great compilation CD we are on – you can also hear it at all Starbucks (!) – https://localspins.com/product/michigan-music-compilation-cd/
Happy December 1st. There is so much beautiful music and energy coming up in The City of Detroit, and Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, and all through Michigan, Canada and the world. Time to think about the strength and hope of the cold winter resilience as a theme with creating this winter. Just an update or two on what I just did and am doing 🙂 A couple of Friday nights ago, November 22nd in Detroit, I performed at Detroit’s Tree Lighting at Campus Martius Park. Attended by nearly 50,000 people and broadcast on WXYZ Detroit Channel 7, we were thrilled to be on the main stage! We performed with Mayer Hawthorne and Beth Griffith Manley, and there were beautiful choirs and skaters, families and friends…with many thanks to my amazing musicians, Scott Dailey, Dave Dion and Dominica Lamarra, and the fantastic Downtown Detroit Partnership! https://www.facebook.com/events/488208235243032/
Sunday December 1st at Third Man Records Detroit Cass Corridor, it is the debut for the new book “Respect: The Poetry of Detroit Music” on Michigan State University Press. I’ll be reading one of my included poems in this very cool anthology. Thankful! Details http://msupress.org/event/r-e-s-p-e-c-t-book-launch-at-third-man-records-detroit-mi/
The holidays are coming and please don’t forget to check my new book “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” as a holiday gift. You can find it locally at Book Beat, Mayflower Bookstore and Dearborn Music – soon to be added to stores in Ann Arbor and Traverse City, and Toronto, Canada – or on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Aquarius/Auxmedia’s website. Thanks again to the Metro Times for the November feature! I’ll be heading up to northern Michigan for Book Events/Signings/Readings and also over to Canada in the New Year. https://www.amazon.com/Detroit-Maiden-Energy-Carolyn-Striho/dp/1733089837
We’re on a new Michigan CD Benefit album with many Michigan bands This compilation features Carolyn Striho’s “East of Eden” written by Striho and Scott Dailey. We’re grateful for the Michigan music community coming together for Ralston Bowles, and we’re happy to be included on this special “Michigan Music” compilation album, featuring over 30 songs from artists across Michigan. BUY ALBUM: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/michganmusic DETAILS & INFO: https://localspins.com/the-unprecedented-michigan-music-co…/
I’m grateful for writing today on December 1st and gratitude is a theme…Thank you again to Jim McFarlin/Detroit Metro Times for the nice 2 page feature on my new book earlier this month. Also so many gracious thanks to everyone who came out to the shows and book events, and bought my book from me or online – or at a store! Also, thanks to NPR Detroit’s WDET-FM’s Ann Delisi for the great interview and airplay. Thanks to WHFR-FM Henry Ford College and Scott Boatright. And thanks to Gary Graff, Ann Delisi, ML Liebler, Brian Jabas Smith, Brian Gilmore, John Jeffire, Heather Buchanan and kind words about the book from many… I’m amazed, and it’s deeply super stuff to have so many care about my music, and writing. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa – more shortly xo
