We just got news that Mingo Fishtrap is launching a KICKSTARTER campaign.  Here is the info from the campaign page:

Be a part of Mingo Fishtrap’s new album!

We’re so glad you’re checking out this campaign!  For those of you KS supporters who aren’t familiar with Mingo Fishtrap, welcome!  We’re an eight piece band based in Austin, TX.  Our music has its roots in the soul & funk from New Orleans, Muscle Shoals, Memphis and Detroit (with a twist of Oakland & Philly!).  We’re on the road a good deal of the time, and we’re eternally grateful to those who have supported us through the years!

For those who are new to Kickstarter it basically works like this: We have a limited amount of time to reach (or surpass) our goal.  For this project, that’s 45 days total.  It’s an all or nothing thing – if we don’t reach the goal, the pledges are not charged and the project isn’t funded!

Mingo has been recording what we feel is the best batch of tunes we’ve written. We’re hoping to team up with you fine folks to give this project the wings we feel it deserves.  We’ve laid down most of the songs and had some preliminary mixing done. A bit of the funding will help us to finish recording, mixing and mastering the album.  The majority of the funding will be dedicated towards the release & promotion.

The total budget for the project, between what we’ve spent already and what we hope to get done, is right around $50,000 for a release with a 3-4 month publicity campaign.  For an independent band – particularly one with eight mouths to feed and eight butts to haul around the country – that’s a lotta dough!  The way it works for most indy bands – including us – is you record and release an album on your own, printing 1,000 copies at a time, selling them at shows and eventually online if there’s demand.  You take the modest profit from those and record and release another and so on and so on…

Unfortunately there’s no real budget built into that cycle for promoting the album properly.  So in order to kick that part of our game up a notch or three, our options are limited; either sign a record deal to get the publicists, radio promoters &distributors we need, or hire them directly to handle the project.  Although there are some labels out there doing great, honest work for their artists, it’s getting tougher and tougher to find that perfect fit.  We feel we’ve made the right connections to put together an amazing team that will help us to better share the music we love to make!

So we’re hoping, with your help, to start a new chapter in the band’s history. We’ve set up 10 pledge levels, each with a corresponding gift package.  Take a few moments to check out the different rewards.  There’s obviously a big dose of patronage here on KS, and we are humbled by that.  We’ve tried to come up with some unique rewards for those of you who fall into that category.  But we’re hoping this will also be the first choice to get the album for about the same price as you’d pay online or at a show.  But you’ll get it first!

Just remember…it’s a Cinderella story and the clock is ticking!

Peace & grease!

Mingo Fishtrap

Link to KICKSTARTER Campaign is here in red Mingo KICKSTARTER

For more info on Mingo Fishtrap check out the Horn Driven Radio page dedicated to the band (link in red) Mingo Fishtrap

10.Everybody goes to church wearing going to court clothes.

9. Easter Egg and biological Daddy hunt at Lake Merritt.

8. Rabbit stew.

7. Matching glove and handbag sale (see # 8)

6. Baptist women with big hats, homeboys put down their Gats.

5. Easter bonnets, that double as Harley helmets.

4. Tower Of Power fans make their kids decorate eggs to look like favorite band members.

3. North Oakland Yuppies confuse Ethnic Easter with Aunt Esther.

2. Official start of “Who makes the best potato salad in the Town” season.

1. Oakland Raiders practice losing egg toss contests.

10.Get arrested on a misdemeanor, once downtown, check out the clubs.

9. Anything over one hundred dollars, liquor stores will deliver.

8. Ride 3 up on a Harley, suited and booted to gig.

7. Make the airport shuttle take you to get groceries on the way home from touring.

6. If you take public transit, make your horn case look like a machine gun.

5. Buy five feet of rubber hose and don’t smoke.

4. Test drive new cars to do errands.

3. Drink 6 Red Bulls ride a bicycle, and use your horn, as a horn.

2. Take a couple of broke in-laws with you in case they have to push.

1. New Girl friend with good credit.

Lorenzo Bombacini

Lorenzo Bombacini is the Baritone Sax player, and Band Leader of Bononia Sound Machine (BSM) a great Horn band based in Bononia Italy.  They are often in our rotation, as witnessed by our current playlist that includes three of their songs.  BSM’s most recent CD, “Funky Dreams” has several current, and former members of Tower Of Power as guest artists, and many of the arrangements, were written by former TOP member, and current leader of “East Bay Soul” Greg Adams.

This past February 18th, East Bay Soul released their second CD “East Bay Soul 2.0” and Lorenzo was asked to play at their CD release party.  Lorenzo had recorded one of the songs “The Love Of My Life” playing the Baritone on the song.  At the end of this article is the video of Lorenzo sitting in with East Bay Soul.

Lorenzo wanted to share with everyone the story of how he first met Gret Adams:

Lorenzo writes:  In 1998 a was in London for a vacation with my girlfriend.

At that time there were a lot of internet cafès. One day we stopped into one, I decided to take a look to the TOP website and I see a message posted on the TOP message board by the great Greg Adams.

Greg was my idol, and I immediately replyed to his post, writing how much I like his arrangements and his style. My message went something like this: “Dear Greg, thank you very much for the wonderful arrangements you wrote for TOP. You’re my hero! I also liked the job you did for Diane Schuur’s CD “Blues for Schuur”. You can write a private message to my personal email address if you want. Ciao Lorenzo”

While I’m sending this message my girlfriend says :”He won’t ever write you a private message……he’s to busy”. I say “You’re right…”.

A couple of days after, I go to the same Internet Cafè. Taking a look at my emails I see a private message from Greg! Oh boy, what a thrill!!!

That was my first meeting with Greg.

After that first message a virtual friendship started between Greg and I. We wrote a lot of messages to each other, talking about music and his experience with TOP and other great musicians.

One day I say “Dear Greg, as you know I play in a horn based band and I’d really like to see one of your arrangements. I’m so curious to see how you use the horns and mix the voices”.

He says “Sure, tell me which song you like”. You can imagine my surprise! At that point I say “I’d really like to see the arrangement of You Got To Funkifize but I’ve nothing to trade for it so….let me know what’s the price”.

Greg says “Dear Lorenzo, you live in Bologna, Italy. Send me the recipe of the Ragù alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce)  and I’ll send you the arrangement…”.

THAT’S GREG ADAMS

For more on BSM you can check out their page here at Horn Driven Radio click the link in Red Bononia Sound Machine.

For more on East Bay Soul go to www.eastbaysoul.com

Video:

10. Lime jello shots, apple martinis.

9. Corned beef and cabbage on the contract rider.

8. Blame Leprechauns for all purse snatchings.

7. Yeager’s at Yoshis.

6. Female thugs are called Hoochiegans.

5. The 2.0 tune; I’m coming ”O’ Homie”.

4. Shamrocks on the Ham hocks at Everette and Jones BBQ.

3. Kissing the Blarney while stoned.

2. Irish Parade Saturday SF., no one will attend because its alcohol free.

1. River dancing in handcuffs around Jack London square.