CHARACTER BUILDING CHARACTERS - TWO NEW TODD BURGE CDS OUT NOW

TWO NEW CDS THIS YEAR
I'm excited to say that I have two new CDs out now!  One CD is most certainly for grownups and entitled "Building Characters". The second is for kids and grownups and I call it "Character Building".  The CD for kids will serve as an ongoing fundraiser for The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. (FAAN).

Building Characters (Artwork by Dan Gloyd)

Character Building (Artwork by Dan Gloyd)

Put them together, and they are 

"Character Building Characters"
Listen below

order yours today right here in my store

www.toddburge.com

The Tour

I will be touring throughout the year supporting both of these CDs,  possibly at a finer venue near you in (some shows with Tim O'Brien in April and June) in PA, TN, WV, OH, MA, NY and more.
Many dates in June will be with Tim O'Brien

I'll also be playing some shows for children and conducting songwriter workshops for kids and grownups along the way.   www.toddburge.com 

BUILDING CHARACTERS

The new Todd Burge CD for Grownups
Featuring Tim O'Brien, Kenny Malone and Don Dixon
Produced by Don Dixon


"I dedicate this recording to the Mayan Calendar.  This year we’ll party like it is 2012. I feel that I’ve built one character out of many here. He is following life’s path and along the way, is blocked by insecurity, predictions of the world’s impending doom, religious fanaticism, fatalistic egoism and less. Oh, it is tragically fun too. I certainly hope you have trouble relating to these twisted stories, but enjoy them all the same."Todd Burge

"On his new recording, Todd Burge inhabits his invented characters. The scat singing and lyrical humor lighten the mood of some heavy subjects, letting his insights sneak up on you. He just keeps getting better and better."

Tim O’Brien  (Singer-Songwriter, Grammy winner)

"Defying gravity and age, Todd just gets better. This collection includes songs that no one else could have conceived, much less written. Todd belongs in the company of Peter Stampfel, Todd Snider and Paul Thorn with Roger Miller winking from beyond. Dixon, O'Brien and Malone put up the perfect front to make it all seem so normal.

 Look upon his works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Larry Groce – Host of NPR’s Mountain Stage

“With wit and pathos in equal measure, Todd Burge takes on subjects in his songs that never occur to most folks.  Subjects too quirky, too controversial, too obtuse for most writers to get a handle on.  His compelling vocal style and

unique perspective keep me interested long after the last note rings out.”

Don Dixon – Producer, Performer, Songwriter

CHARACTER BUILDING
The New Todd Burge CD for Kids (and Grownups)

Many of these songs were written for my children, Will and Sophia.  Some were inspired by them and one was even co-written by Will.  Some are simply tunes that they enjoy listening to.  Kansas City Star is a Roger Miller song I’ve loved since I was about five years old, so I felt it belonged here.  My friend John Bolten and his wife Allison wrote a good one in “Lily and the Bee” and I felt it belonged here too.  I hope you enjoy these and I dedicate this CD with love to my family, Lisa, Will and Sophia. 

25% of the profits from this CD will forever be donated to The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.  
Our 6 year old daughter Sophia has severe food allergies.  The Food Allergy Network assisted us in a huge way with negotiating the everyday challenges we face.  We support their ongoing research and legislative goals! www.foodallergy.org 

The CD includes guest appearances by Sophia Burge, William Burge, Angela Perley, Tim O’Brien, Dennis Crouch, Dirk Powell, Kenny Malone, Billy Matheny, Ammed Soloman and Steve Hill 

order now and check out other Todd Burge recordings here

www.toddburge.com

First Day of Spring (A new song for you entitled "First Day of Sping")

I wrote this song a year ago.  LISTEN HERE 

It was cold on the day I was thinking these thoughts and our family dog, Lou had just passed.  He was John Radcliff's dog too, but that's another story.  This is for Lou, John and you and new beginnings on the first day of Spring 2012.

Lou up on Quincy Hill 2011

The tune is from my upcoming CD project entitled
Building Characters

Produced by Don Dixon and featuring Tim O'Brien

Available April 23 2012 but you can 

pre-order and listen Right here

Check out its companion CD also out April 23 2012  entitled 
Character Building 

A CD for kids and grownups

pre-order and listen here
25% of the profit from this recording go to the Food Allergy Network 

Today's view from the window of my studio

www.toddburge.com

WATCH MY 7 YEAR OLD CUT MY HAIR!

THE CD RELEASE CONCERT! TODD BURGE, TIM O'BRIEN, The Carpenter Ants, John Walsh  in Concert April 28th 2012 8pm The Adelphia Music Hall at the Galley - Marietta Ohio Also - Free Songwriter Workshops by Tim O'Brien and Todd Burge during the day.** Tickets on $12 in advance and on sale now by clicking here http://j.mp/toddtim or here http://www.theadelphia.com  or call 1-740-374-8278 A concert celebrating the release of Todd Burge's upcoming CD release "Building Characters" The CD for grownups Produced by Don Dixon and featuring Tim O'Brien. Todd and Tim will play songs from the new CD, but the evening will also showcase a healthy dose of the music that has made O'Brien famous around the world. The Carpenter Ants will rock and groove you into the late night with special guests. You simply won't know who might show up! Looking for a place to eat? Dine with us! www.thegalleymarietta.com Looking for a place to stay the night? Stay with us! www.thehacketthotel.com (only four rooms left) **SONGWRITER WORKSHOPS Come early in the day and participate in the Songwriter Workshops conducted by Tim O'Brien, Todd Burge and more. They are FREE and brought to you by The Colony Theater Restoration Project and The Ohio Arts Council. Find out more soon here. www.songwriternight.com Todd Burge (www.toddburge.com) Coming in April "Building Characters" by Todd Burge The New CD featuring Tim O’Brien, Don Dixon & Kenny Malone Produced by Don Dixon Listen to clips from this CD here www.reverbnation.com/toddburge "On his new recording, Todd Burge inhabits his invented characters. The scat singing and lyrical humor lighten the mood of some heavy subjects, letting his insights sneak up on you. He just keeps getting better and better." Tim O’Brien (Singer-Songwriter, Grammy winner) "Defying gravity and age, Todd just gets better. This collection includes songs that no one else could have conceived, much less written. Todd belongs in the company of Peter Stampfel, Todd Snider and Paul Thorn with Roger Miller winking from beyond. Dixon, O'Brien and Malone put up the perfect front to make it all seem so normal. Look upon his works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Larry Groce – Host of NPR’s Mountain Stage “With wit and pathos in equal measure, Todd Burge takes on subjects in his songs that never occur to most folks. Subjects too quirky, too controversial, too obtuse for most writers to get a handle on. His compelling vocal style and unique perspective keep me interested long after the last note rings out.” Don Dixon – Producer, Performer, Songwriter "I feel that I’ve built one character out of many here. He/She is following life’s path and along the way, is blocked by insecurity, predictions of the world’s impending doom, religious fanaticism, fatalistic egoism and less. In this recording you’ll hear about a woman who buries her husband of 35 years in her own flower garden, then waters him daily, telling him to “Grow Up”. There a tune about how Joseph must have felt when Mary said she was with child, without his assistance. A man buys enough Jesus night lights to plug into every receptacle in his house and is blinded by that light. Springtime comes and a hungry squirrel goes crazy and loses his religion while looking for his nuts. A cocky fly is shown some mercy and his raw attitude brings on some bad Karma. I certainly hope you have trouble relating to these twisted stories, but enjoy them all the same. We certainly enjoyed recording them for you.” Todd Burge TODD BURGE bio Over the last two decades, Todd Burge, has played everything from Alternative Rock to Bluegrass, performing over 100 shows per year in venues as diverse as CBGB’s, The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Kennedy Center. Burge is a repeat guest on Public Radio’s Mountain Stage and has been called the “dean of WV songwriters, the best we have”, by the show’s host, Larry Groce. Burge has performed and toured with Tim O’Brien, Kathy Mattea, Lucinda Williams, Bela Fleck, Mike Seeger, Larry Groce, Ricky Skaggs and many others. In April of this year, Burge will release two CDs, One for grownups entitled “Building Characters” produced by Don Dixon (R.E.M. Mary Chapin Carpenter) and featuring Tim O’Brien (Hot Rize, Mark Knopfler, Steve Martin) and one for children entitled “Character Building”. The Children’s CD will serve as an ongoing fundraiser for The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. His high energy shows are packed with songs and stories of bizarre characters and critters, from dogs to sharks to humans and beyond. Burge has the ability to twist his catchy tunes into something we can all relate to. Todd Burge also hosts his own radio show and podcast, Songwriter Night with Todd Burge. He resides with his wife Lisa and two young children, Sophia (5) and William (7) in Parkersburg WV. For bookings or more info www.toddburge.com (304)481-2766 Other websites of interest www.songwriternight.com (The Radio Show and Podcast) www.facebook.com/toddburgemusic www.twitter.com/toddburge Tim O'Brien (www.timobrien.net) In Tim O’Brien’s music, things come together. The uncanny intersection of traditional and contemporary elements in his songwriting, his tireless dedication to a vast and still-expanding array of instruments, and his ongoing commitment to place himself in as many unique and challenging musical scenarios as possible has made him a key figure in today’s thriving roots music scene – and well beyond it. O’Brien’s presence – be it as a bandleader, songwriter, mentor, instrumentalist, or vocalist – has been strongly felt not only in his own rich music, but in the many recordings of his songs by such artists as the Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks, Dierks Bentley, Nickel Creek, Kathy Mattea, the New Grass Revival, and the Seldom Scene, and in his recorded collaborations with Steve Martin, the Chieftains, and innumerable others. Most recently, O’Brien has been performing before capacity crowds in the band of Mark Knopfler, who described O’Brien as “a master of American folk music, Irish music, Scottish music – it doesn't matter; a fine songwriter and one of my favorite singers.” O’Brien listens to bluegrass and hears the music’s roots in modal Irish ballads and vintage swing. He insightfully re-examines and reconstructs those styles, and many others, in his own music, throwing off new sparks by reawakening the tension and interplay of the colliding components at the heart of American music. “Over the years,” he explains, “my music has become a certain thing. Each time I go into the studio to make a new album, I could make an Irish record, or a bluegrass record, or a country record…but it seems artificial to sift anything out. I feel like I’d be leaving out something important. In the end, I just try to make it round…” That roundness of vision and scope permeates every aspect of Chicken & Egg, O’Brien’s thirteenth solo album, available July 13 via his own Howdy Skies imprint. Mixing O’Brien originals, collaborations, and a handful of outside compositions, Chicken & Egg is an illuminating, engaging, and ultimately life-affirming meditation on the art of living. “This stuff reflects what goes on in the life of someone my age,” O’Brien reflects. “I’m 56 years old. I’m not the young kid on the scene – and I’m happy about that. I’m at a strange point in my life: my kids are growing up, while my parents and teachers are passing on. There’s a lot happening – but it’s just life, and that’s what this album is about. There’s a little love song action here and there, but mostly it’s about living life.” The Carpenter Ants (www.carpenterants.net) Even the best bands come and go but the Carpenter Ants have been around – with virtually the same lineup – for 25 years. The Ants have defied the odds and outlasted most of their peers for a number of reasons. First and foremost, after more than 2,000 performances, regardless of the occasion, the band never fails to have a good time – and that feeling is contagious.Check out the amazing new CD with Bill Kirchen - Ant and Uncles. www.carpenterants.net Tickets  http://j.mp/toddtim Free workshops www.songwriternight.com

A Song For the Buckeyes, Super Tuesday & Rush Limbaugh

Rush & His Pussy

With both sides of my brain tied behind my back, I wrote this song back during the Clinton years.  The story goes out to my buckeye friends and seems just right for super duper Tuesday and all the Rush Limbaugh hubbub.

Whole Lotta Choice (Lost in Cleveland)
LISTEN HERE

Whole Lotta Choice (Lost In Cleveland)
From "Most Requested" found in the store here www.toddburge.com
(C) & (P) Bunj Jam-BMI

Three strikes and you’re out

Two strikes and you’re a little bit down

One strike might send a king off to play golf

That same strike might send a pauper

A much lessor offer

But what if one strike went right to your pretty daughter’s face?

She’d have to hide that mark when she wanted to go anyplace

Way back when things were a bit more fair

The only care in her world

Was the perfect curl in her hair

And how the boys would stare

Must have had a friend

Must have had all kinds of friends

Once had a voice

And a whole lotta choice

Now I was leaving a show one night in Cleveland Ohio

My right hand was fishing around my car’s interior for a map

And the next thing you know

Instead of going down 90 South

I was destined to go up and get a drink

Out of a lake at the upper end of the state

Now I could’ve been driving just about anyplace

There was paint rotting off the houses and holes in the streets

There were beer cans along the curb

And about every other block I could see

The bright green

Squeaky clean sign that read “BP”

Like a light watching over me

So I drove up to get directions and a big bag of potato chips

But the door was locked and the speaker was broken

So we had to read each other’s lips

And man I thought I’d thanked that lady kindly

But just about then she flipped me the bird

And when I looked down in that sliding metal box

I saw a small container of paper clips

She didn’t see a single word

Must have had a friend

Must have had all kinds of friends

Once had a voice

And a whole lotta choice

Now I don’t know about the land of the free

But I can see the home of the brave

It’s behind bullet proof plastic

At a BP Station in Cleveland

So I got in my car with no more sense of direction

Than when I arrived at that service-less station

It was just about then that I met my escort

Came in the form of a police car, the finest in Ohio

He said what’s a white West Virginia boy doing

Driving a Geo, at 1 AM  in the Cleveland ghetto

I filled him in on my show and everything else I thought he’d like to know

I said, I’m trying to connect up with I-90 South

He said,  Follow me boy, I’ll direct you out

And man I thought I’d seen it all

When I saw a lady sleeping in the street

While I was cranking up my heat

And tuned into a re-broadcast of Rush Limbaugh

Must have had a friend

Must have had all kinds of friend

Once had a voice

Must have made that her choice