Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Urban Monroes- New Single for the Season "Underneath The Stars"

Urban Monroes-New Christmas Single

With the Holiday season quickly approaching, the release of a new bluegrass Christmas single is as timely as a sleigh full of Rolexes. Rather than "Ho-Ho-Ho-ing" into the holidays though, the Urban Monroes offer a song with a more personal message. That song, "Underneath the Stars," begins in the dry arid troubled lands of life and ends at the joy filled Nativity where the gift of all gifts arrived in the most humble surroundings and underneath the stars.

Written by the Urban Monroes' Fran Kent, "Underneath the Stars" was originally created for a Christmas CD put out by the Menards chain of stores. The Midwest based retailer's Yuletide offering included singles by several of Portland's best artists. The UM's track includes its own guest star with the band's long-time fiddle-friend Annie Staninec joining the guitar, banjo, and bass in a rapid flight across a desert landscape to a Christmas culmination. "Underneath the Stars" is available to DJ's for download at Airplay Direct at www.airplaydirect.com/urbanmonroes where they will find other UM treats with songs for the season like Mr. Grinch and others.

While the band was hard at work on "'Stars", Santa dropped in to make an early delivery as they topped the RMR Top 50 Bluegrass Chart in the number one spot for the second time in three months. It was one more exclamation point for an exciting month and the band looks forward to a new year with their new CD Appaloosa Daydream.

Fashioned from the heart or tradition and infused with adrenalin, the Urban Monroes contemporary bluegrass style includes some the Northwest's finest musicians. Fast paced and highly energetic the band delivers a bluegrass sound that is uniquely its own.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Urban Monroes New Single on Acoustic Rainbow Radio Bluegrass Sampler #3 by Poetman Records


Mountain Sky Media is proud to announce the release of a new single by the Urban Monroes entitled “Hole in My Heart” which will appear on Acoustic Rainbow Bluegrass Sampler #3. Kentucky’s Acoustic Rainbow samplers have continued a proud tradition releasing 41 roots radio compilations. Recently they expanded their repertoire to include a sampler of bluegrass, old time and mountain music with distribution to over 800 radio stations world-wide and includes such artists as Alison Krauss, Steve Martin, the Grascals, Dolly Parton, Doyle Lawson and many others.

The new single will be the Urban Monroes fourth Acoustic Rainbow release following, “When the Aspens Turn”, “Time of Your Life” and “You Don’t Have to Move That Mountain.” Beautifully tragic, “Hole in My Heart” is bluegrass without blisters, slower and weepier. It was selected for release not only because of the band’s love for the song, but because download trends indicated listeners were moved by it as well.

“Hole in My Heart” appears on the band’s recent CD release Pavement and Pathways, which was recently nominated for the prestigious Best of Portland Awards. Several tracks have appeared on national and international charts with review accolades still coming in.

"With a panoramic view through inspiring originals and a driving rootsy style unrelentingly their own, Pavement and Pathways is a joyride down the Appalachian Trail's fast lane. "  -The Fireball Mail

“Passionately executed, high flying fun!” -The Oregonian
 “Bluegrass music in all-wheel drive.” -The Register Guard
The Urban Monroes bluegrass music follows the trail of tradition as it merges with the contemporary. This is the same roadmap the band has always used as they intricately wind through the music-scape.  Bluegrass has the ability to be sledge hammer hard, technically intricate, highly arranged and spontaneously explosive all at the same time and that’s the energy the band wants to capture.

With “Hole in My Heart” on the upcoming Acoustic Rainbow Bluegrass sampler the Urban Monroes find a soft shoulder on their bluegrass highway.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Monday, May 28, 2012

Pavement and Pathways-Nomination for Best of Portland

Urban Monroes have been nominated for the Best of Portland Awards for their latest CD Pavement and Pathways.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Urban Monroes- A New Single for a New Year

Mountain Sky Media is proud to announce the release of a new single by the
Urban Monroes. Entitled “Lamp in the Window,” this upbeat bluegrass original
was written by Fran Kent and it is a warm winter’s walk on a path heated by
high-spirited fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and bass. These combine to
illuminate a story of finding one’s way on a cold night’s journey.






Performed and produced by the Urban Monroes, the song has been released to
Airplay Direct making it available for DJ downloads and is also available on
CD to DJ’s by request. “Lamp in the Window” can already be heard on Bill
Knowlton’s Bluegrass Ramble in Syracuse, New York, Gentleman Jim’s shows on
World Wide Bluegrass, and many others.

The Urban Monroes have released two full length CD’s: One Fret Makes A
Difference and Pavement and Pathways, the latter being released last May.
From those two albums the singles “Time of Your Life,” “When the Aspens
Turn” (another Fran Kent original), and “You Don’t Have to Move That
Mountain” were released on Kentucky’s Poetman Records’ Acoustic Rainbow
Radio Samplers to approximately 1400 radio stations internationally, as well
as on AR Bluegrass Sampler Volume One.

During late November the band released two Holiday singles at Airplay
Direct, which signaled the beginning of a very eventful season. Christmas
Eve radio shows featuring the singles allowed the Urban Monroes to share the
holiday hearths of all those listening to the various broadcasts. Then at
the start of the New Year, the band found it had been featured on the
Nashville DJ Public Showcase several times and were also in the Bluegrass
Special’s Top 20 of 2011 Round Up.

“Lamp in the Window” is one of several singles slated for release in
anticipation of a new Urban Monroes CD. Stay Tuned.

www.urbanmonroes.com

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Urban Monroes Release DJ Stocking Stuffer





The Holidays are here! Okay, no big surprise there, but we wanted to let DJ's know that there's a gift (well it's free anyway) just for them from the Urban Monroes. The band has loaded a new Christmas single into their AirPlay Direct account. Gift wrapped on 11/22, it's ready to be opened and played with right away. We peeked under the wrapping paper and discovered it to be a rollicking bluegrass version of Little Drummer Boy and it's available for download now. Also on the UM's AirPlay Direct page is another shiny package; an additional Christmas single, the Seussian bluegrass classic: Mr. Grinch. Both singles are available for download right now and you should be able to stream them from their Airplay Direct account. www.airplaydirect.com/urbanmonroes


With a little help from Santa's elves and a lot of help from Santa's dj's during the eight days that the songs were in Airplay Direct, on November 30th the Urban Monroes found themselves with the #1 album in all genres, http://tinyurl.com/7wtoogc, #3 in the top singles All Genres, http://tinyurl.com/7vjsjrd and # 6 in the Global Top 50 Bluegrass Albums for the month.


Fashioned from the heart of tradition and infused with adrenalin, the Urban Monroes' bluegrass style combines the skills of some of the Pacific Northwest's finest talent. Fast paced and highly energetic, the band performs both traditional and original material with a style and delivery uniquely its own


If you'd like to know what else the band is planning to put under its tree, there's an up-to-date news stream at their domain www.urbanmonroes.com

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Urban Monroes-New Review-"Pavement and Pathways is a joyride down the Appalachian Trail's fast lane"

"Pavement and Pathways, the Urban Monroes' second CD, rolls down the band's backwoods super-highway on a tour of bluegrass' rural roots and modern skylines; a stretch of road where Old Joe Clark and Secret Agent Man merge from the same onramp. The vehicle that drives Pavement and Pathways is an adroit arranging ability fortified with a divine pairing of sublime voices and precision picking. Navigating that pavement and those pathways, the Urban Monroes put an added twist into every mile of the excursion, taking the most scenic route at every opportunity and seeking the adventure in every song. With a panoramic view through inspiring originals and a driving rootsy style unrelentingly their own, Pavement and Pathways is a joyride down the Appalachian Trail's fast lane." The Fireball Mail

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Urban Monroes Flying into Fall at the Historic Old Liberty Theater



Urban Monroes are excited to perform at the historic Old Liberty Theater in Ridgefield, Washington on October 8th at 8pm for the 12th annual Bluegrass at Birdfest Festival. Sponsored by the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, the National Wildlife Refuge System and the City of Ridgefield, the entire town will be transformed over the course of the weekend in a celebration of the changing of the season and the influx of migratory birds to the area that results. As part of that celebration, from breakfast til bedtime, an entire flock of bluegrass bands will be performing at the Old Liberty Theater and there will be ongoing jamming throughout the town with multiple locations designated specifically for that purpose. Along with all the bluegrass there will be food vendors, dozens of birding events, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, a wide variety of family activities, discussions and demonstrations of Northwest Native American traditions, and a traditional salmon bake just to name a few of the happenings to be enjoyed throughout the weekend.

With fall fast approaching and the outdoor festival season cooling off both literally and figuratively, the Urban Monroes will be migrating as well, moving to indoor stages. Playing the Old Liberty Theater kicks off this year's shift to weather-proof venues. Bluegrass at Birdfest offers the band a delightful seasonal transition, which is good because it might be hard to let go of the last few months. This summer saw the Urban Monroes' single "You Don't Have to Move That Mountain," in Powersource Magazine's Top 35 Bluegrass chart and tracks from their latest CD, Pavement and Pathways, on the Roots Music Report National Top 50 Bluegrass chart. As a result, the band is justifiably excited to see what fall has to offer.

Fashioned from the heart of tradition and infused with adrenaline, the Urban Monroes’ bluegrass style combines the skills of some of the Pacific Northwest's finest talent. Fast-paced and highly energetic, the band performs both original and traditional bluegrass with a style and delivery uniquely its own.

www.urbanmonroes.com

Monday, August 22, 2011

Urban Monroes-Two Days and 100,000 People, Jammin' With Salmon







Urban Monroes will be joining Danny Barnes, Scott Law, Wayward Vessel and many other great artists as they perform at the Issaquah Salmon Days Festival just 15 minutes east of Seattle, Washington on Oct 2nd, 2011. They will be appearing on the Salmon Hatchery Stage which is located near the actual salmon hatchery grounds along the river. Sponsored by Microsoft and the City of Issaquah Arts Commission, the band is part of an event expected to draw over 100,000 people with food, free activities, vendors, crafts, and the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains in addition to the live music. The Salmon Days Festival is in its 42nd year of music and celebration of returning salmon and the Urban Monroes are pleased to be a part of the 2011 lineup.

Salmon Days will be one of the last “outdoor” festivals of the season for the Urban Monroes, but the last few months have been as busy away from the stage as on it. During the summer, the band has been enjoying the successes of its most recent CD, Pavement and Pathways, which in June and July appeared on Powersource Magazine’s Top 35 Bluegrass chart with their latest single “You Don’t Have To Move That Mountain,” which was released on Poetman Record’s radio sampler. Tracks from Pavement and Pathways spent three consecutive weeks on the Roots Music Report National Top 50 Bluegrass chart as well as being on the Roots Music Report Chart in Washington state for all genres, where it continues to remain. The Urban Monroes are also currently enjoying the band’s presence on the Folk and Bluegrass DJ Org’s most played bands chart.

Fashioned from the heart of tradition and infused with adrenaline, the Urban Monroes’ bluegrass style combines the skills of some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest talent. Fast-paced and highly energetic, the band performs both original and traditional bluegrass with a style and delivery uniquely its own.

For more information please visit www.urbanmonroes.com

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mountain Sky Media Releases Urban Monroes "Pavement and Pathways"

Mountain Sky Media is pleased to announce the release of the Urban Monroes second CD: Pavement and Pathways. Three singles were released in advance on Kentucky's Poetman Records; "When the Aspens Turn", "Time of Your Life," and most recently "You Don't Have To Move That Mountain" on Poetman's premier Bluegrass Sampler. The band had three #1 bluegrass charting positions with songs from Pavement and Pathways and have continued to be in both American and European airplay and DJ charts since last October and in the Top 50 Bluegrass both nationally and globally.

Pavement and Pathways follows the trail of tradition as it merges with the contemporary. This is the same roadmap the Urban Monroes have always followed as they intricately wind through the music-scape. This CD is a reflection of the band in that way, presenting the way they hear, feel and play bluegrass.