Win A Free Linford's CD!

Cal and I started this blog to not only chronicle our musical/life journey, but to also stay connected with all of you who support us. I am starting an e-mail list this year as another way to keep everyone up to date and informed about upcoming shows, fundraisers, CD's, and projects. I promise your information will be used only to notify you of important things going on with The Linford's Music. Please e-mail me your contact information and I will add you to our list. As a little incentive and bonus, we will be drawing a name from those who sign up to win a free CD of your choice. (we have two to choose from ;)



e-mail me at; teddycunningham@hotmail.com



Thanks!

It's here

Friends of the Military Families Fundraiser

Monday December 7th, 6:30 pm at the Afton Civic Center, there will be a fundraiser for the FRIENDS of the MILITARY FAMILIES. Donations taken at the door will go to the families of the the men and women serving in the Military who ensure our safety and freedom. Bring your family and your cash or non-perishable food items donation and join us for a night of live music provided by The Linford Band. Santa may even make a special appearance :) See you Monday night!

Gratitude

This time of year we are mindful of all the ways in which we are blessed. As brother and sister we are grateful for our family and for the way music continues to bring us together. We are thankful for the talents we have been blessed with and for the opportunities we have to continually develop and share them. We are thankful for each person who finds joy in music and especially for those we share our music with. It means the world to us to have the love and support of so many. Thank you.

And thank you Kelly and Amanda for the fantastic interview and pictures. Photo by Amanda McDonald (she's the bomb!)

RMAF in Great Falls

Well, we've been to Great Falls Montana and back for the Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs Showcase and Convention, and because I got NO awesome pictures of the great musicians and people we hung out with for a few days, I'll just have to make do with the pictures from the road :) It seems that when the fun was happening, I wasn't getting any pics! Good thing there is a next time. On our way we ran into storms, black ice, semi-wrecks, beetle-killed forests, prescribed burns and equally desolate and glorious scenery.

My favorite thing on the road was Jesus. Yes, we found Jesus on our way through Butte Montana. I only wish we could have seen it glowing in the darkness, as I've heard it does.

Our time at RMAF was spent with great friends and great music. We loved watching the showcases and we loved the jam sessions after hours even more. Many thanks to John, The Bad Larry's, The Doo-Wah Riders, and more fantastic musicians for sharing your songs and stories and time with us. Playing together made our trip. It was so fun to see the new talent this year as well. We hope to see you on the road this summer.

On our way home, I realized that we didn't have one picture of us this year, so we took these shots about halfway through our trip to Wyoming.

We only made one stop, in Dell Montana, where we revisited Yesterday's Calf-A and their to die for food.

GOOD REVIEWS FROM TAXI

Cal sent in a few songs to Taxi for them to critique and here is some of the feedback we got;

On the song FREE ~ "The vocal duo and cohesive, tender narrative, the acoustic guitar playing and well put together chord progression frame the vocals quite well here. The perspective is obviously romantic, but inrospective."

WESTERN NIGHTS ~ "Well thought out imagery reveals your love for this part of the country. . . sweet chorus and vocal harmonies (here is my favorite part) The set up recalls the work of John Denver, accessible and easy to relate to."

AMY ISN'T AMY ~ "Dramatic narrative . . . title . . .. good message behind this sad tune. Harmonies are a plus."

Then they comment on our style and give an overall critique of our work.

"Country influences . . . traditional/folk elements."

"It's no stretch to say that your music can potentially work for play-lists that feature Faith Hill and Tim McGraw".

"Warm, natural and 'organic' vocal blend, shared sense of sincerity, vocal emotion come through here. You have an excellent range and 'pure country' vocal sound."

"Clear vocal timbre, personal lyrics and well crafted, natural arrangement here."

"After hearing your work, we're not surprised that you've shared the stage with so many stars. Keep getting your music out there."

If you want to hear the songs they are talking about you can get a preview on CDBABY (click our link at the top of our page) and we are also on THUNDERBOLT RADIO, where Amy Isn't Amy is on the playlist. If you want to REALLY hear us, hire us:) Or come to a show, we'll be posting more dates soon! Thanks for listening everybody!

Somebodys Off!

NEW INSPIRATION

Driving home from work last night on snowy roads I flipped through the radio stations and stopped cold when I heard one of my favorite songs "BLUE EYES CRYIN' IN THE RAIN", but it wasn't good old Willie singing, and it wasn't Brandi Carlile either :) It was Eva Cassidy. Her phrasing and beautiful tone and effortless winging from one note to the other nearly broke my heart. How have I lived my life without her voice on my playlist? So lest you live the rest of YOUR life without Eva enriching your musical catalog, turn on my playlist and hear her for yourself. I didn't find her version of Blue Eyes, but I found "EARLY MORNING RAIN".

p.s. yes, I am aware that I'm a total music nerd :)

KRISTY MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY

Our cousin Kristy Anderson Mayes stayed with us for the weekend and we did several photo shoots. She has such a great eye and was very patient with our perfectionism :) Many hours were spent shooting and editing. We really appreciate the time she spent and are so happy with the finished product. We're putting together our promotional materials for the Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs Showcase this year in Great Falls Montana. It's exciting to have new music and pictures to work with. We can't wait to see everyone and spend some time playing.

Here is a sneak peak of some of the pictures so far;

Christmas ALREADY???

Some things his sister does makes Cal do THIS . . . . . . For example; THIS


He does not understand why I would leave my home and family and 'work' through the Holiday Season. I've tried giving up Caroling in Sun Valley, but I just can't :) It's become not only part of what I do, but also who I am. I can't think of a better way to spend the Holiday's than in Sun Valley Idaho singing my vocal chords into oblivion!

I've yet to convince Cal that he should join me in Singing Christmas Carols and ringing handbells, but he's not buying it.
YET!

*you may be wondering why a Christmas post already? Well, Christmas starts early around here with gettting music ready for December, and I was just confirmed as a Sun Valley Caroler again this year, so I'm giving all my family a heads up to book their rooms in the INN now ;)
Cal and I are also working on a Christmas project that we hope to finish sometime before next Christmas. Hey, it's busy here in the Fall, you'll have to give us some extra time:)

Not To Be Missed!

Concert Weekend

I had a fantastic couple of days in SLC and caught three great bands before heading back to the mountains. My friend Liz was game and we drove her little focus to the city for the Brandi Carlile, Giving up the Ghost tour. Brandi's new CD drops in October and SLC's THE DEPOT was the first stop of her tour. We loved the venue and the opening band was fantastic as well. I had checked them out on myspace and listened to the song Brandi did with them; MY REPAIR. I knew both bands were going to be great so we forgoed the great looking seating and stood on the floor the whole night. I really showed my music nerd side checking out the sound system, and guitars (OH! THE GUITARS!). I also wanted to slam some drunken heads together so they would shut up while the band was playing. (I contained myself;) The picture below is of the first song Brandi did with her band, OH DEAR. She added a guitar player/slinger and a drummer to the mix this time and I have to admit, it didn't detract from the acoustic vibe I love so much. She still did several songs without them, and the ones with added vocals, guitar, piano and drums were fuller and richer. It was a great sound! Before Brandi took the stage THE NOISES 10 hit it hard, and although they are a far to the indie side I loved them as well. They were pretty tight and the vocals were on. I love it when a band sounds like the recordings they put out.

Even though my friend Liz wasn't familiar with very many songs played that night, she still loved the concert and bought some CD's which I think is half the point of live music. I left feeling totally inspired and equally covetous:)

We stayed at THE HAMPTON INN and thank goodness for air conditioning and down comforters:) We awoke so refreshed that I checked on line for tickets to the UTAH STATE FAIR which we had driven right by on our way to the concert the night before. I was pretty sure THE BAD LARRY'S were playing there, so we got a schedule, discount admission online and because we were feeling adventerous we got all day ride passes to the CARNIVAL! After making ourselves sick going on ride after ride, but forgoeing the "redhead special" we dragged ourselves to THE GAZEBO to enjoy THE BAD LARRY'S. They were the perfect antidote. Not only is their set list entertaining but their witty banter had us cracking up. Liz loved them as well and we were glad to be able to pick up their newly released CD after the show. Scott and Jay are always so welcoming and invited us to tag along to lunch at THE RED IGUANA. I wish I had some pics of our adventures that day, but alas my camera chose to die on me. Even though there is no picture proof, the food was divine and the company fantastic. It was the perfect ending to our girls weekend. Thanks Scott and Jay! We listenend to our new CD's the whole way home. I'm already planning my next concert adventure.

Preston and Gaudy Maude

Cal and I ran out to Preston Idaho for a two hour show at the Franklin County Fair Saturday morning and when that was done we raced back to Star Valley for the Gaudy Maude Balloon Festival dance. It was such a fun day. Preston always feels like we're playing in Mom's living room just with a few more people:) We really appreciate being invited back to play this year. They treat us so well and it's a nice low key atmosphere. The Balloon Festival was a new thing for us this year and because it was a dance we added Stephanie on the bass and Dave on the drums to fill it out. All the rehearsals were worth it, we had three great sets, people showed up to drink and dance and we can't wait for the next one! Dave's sis. in law took these pictures of all our family and friends. Thanks for sharing the good times everybody!
Shan, one of my favorite people, came out to support us. It was great to chat with him for a minute between sets.


Thanks for the pictures Shan!

Cal and I are excited that we now have the flexibility to play in either a band or just as the two of us. We loved playing for a dance, it seems like people don't get out and shake a leg often enough. It was such a great day.

Sublette Fair

Here is beautiful Sublette County this summer. The rain has made the high plains deserts of Wyoming green and fresh. It made me want to saddle up and ride off through the sage brush. Instead, we got out the guitars, set up and sang in the hot sunshine. It was a great weekend. We rolled into town a day early to catch the Doo Wah Riders at their free show. They guys looked and sounded great and as always were so welcoming to us. We loved spending a little time with them. They opened Friday night for Jason Michael Carroll in the big indoor arena. Both bands were great. Jason was a surprise for me, I had heard him on the radio and was not dissappointed in his live performance. Had I been ten years younger I'm sure I would have been peeling my clothes off to throw on the stage to be signed along with the rest of the girls! O.K., maybe not, but he really sang well and put on a great show.
We also caught some of the magicians free stage show which the kids LOVED and the Hypno Hick who suffered sunstroke for his craft. Another random thing was our last conversation with the guy running the sound for the fair, he and his cutie companion were saying how familiar Cal looked and lo and behold they knew each other. Jim Calhoun, son of Jim Calhoun who did our radio interview at RMAF last year. They had met years ago when Cal was playing the bars with a band. Jim is now running sound and putting together his own album, so we hope to hear it soon.

Cal and I played Sublette as "The Broken Spokes" a name we showcased with last fall. Since then we've decided to go back to the name "THE LINFORDS" because it just feels right. That's how we are known here and that is how we think of ourselves.

There is something you may not realize about the sun in Wyoming, especially this part of Wyoming. It shines hotter at this elevation than it does for us in our little valley. We were burnt to a crisp and even my guitar protested by the second day. On the last song of our last set my Taylor just fried in the sun and gave up. I've got him up and running again, but I'll tell you what, the people who stuck it out to listen to us were fantastic! It was HOT. Everything is more intense in Wyoming. The sun, the heat, the wind, the dust, the thumb sized horse flys. That is why we love it so much.

We also loved stopping in at the Patio Grill in Pinedale when we were done with our sets. The favorites were the pie and hot chocolate. I took a picture of Cal's EMPTY plate because it's the first time he's actually emptied his plate. He has this thing about always leaving a bite or two of whatever he eats.

We also had THE BEST cotton candy ever! We tried the cherry and green apple and it cost a mere dollar a bag. It made us feel like kids again.

We met some great people at the fair and around Pinedale, Marbleton and Big Piney. Of course the Fairboard who brought us here, and the little waitress at the Patio Grill who took some good natured ribbing and big tips from the boys, and we can't leave out Kathy with the water conservation booth. We talked bugs and frogs and swimming in the rivers of Wyoming.

I took the above shot of the fenced in trees because they were the only shade we could find out in the parking lot, and that fence looks identical to the one my Grandma Dixie built up on Slippery Hollow Heights to keep the deer and dogs out of her trees.

All right. THIS had to be my FAVORITE random thing about our trip to the Sublette County Fair. Our rooms at the Marbleton Inn. They were so awesomly vintage that I had to take some shots of the pristine clean bathroom vinyl! We had this exact pattern in my Mom's bathroom when I was growing up! We loved the beer box at the door labeled "Muddy Boots", the ladies at the front desk with the dog, housekeeping! and the tub that didn't fall through the floor even though by the noise it made you were sure it would. These things made our trip so memorable and we'll be telling these stories forever. If you ever need to stay in Marbleton Wyoming, I highly recommend the Marbleton Inn, you will not be dissappointed.

This cowboy statue was another cool thing they had at the fair this year. He sweltered in the heat and his makeup stayed on much better than mine did. The kids loved coming up and teasing him. He was really great.

When it was time to say goodbye to Sublette County, I couldn't leave without giving two thumbs up to the whole experience, even my hair do courtesy of the whipping wind. Till next year. . . . . . . THANK YOU SUBLETTE!

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

http://testdrive.taylorguitars.com/BandProfile.aspx?c=7780&p=325

Please click this link and vote for the Linfords on the Taylor Elixir Contest. You can vote every day once a day. We need your vote to make it to the next round of the competition. We can't do it without YOU!

SINGING THIS WEEKEND

Here is our write up for the Sublette County Fair. We are listed as "The Broken Spokes" because thats how we showcased last fall. Since then we've simplified things as "The Linfords" so people know who we are. We're really excited for the lineup at the Fair. We'll be heading out Friday morning to catch "The Doo-Wah Riders" and hope to take in some of the other acts booked this year.

The Broken Spokes





Two performances Aug. 1 and one performance Aug. 2, 2009
Cal Linford and Teddy Cunningham bring a lifetime of performing experience to delight their audiences. Cal has headlined two country bands and opened for Chris LeDoux, Martina McBride and Toby Keith. Teddy has entertained Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen and Julie Andrews. Family brought them back to Wyoming. They have been writing music and performing as a brother/sister duo and getting rave reviews for their pure harmonies, traditional sounds, and continued innovation. This music duo will entertain on the Free Stage. See schedule for details. Their album "Cowboys are Dreamers" is available on cdbaby.

Singing to the Goats

Cal and I sang at the Thayne Farmers Market on Thursday. There was plenty of community support and lots of home town goodies to buy. It was a fun night, can't say I've ever sung ON a barn door TO a goat before, but theres a first time for everything. Cal's Boy saw said goat wandering around the market and took him (her?) by the leash and didn't let go, that was entertainment in itself. We sold quite a few CD's and tried out some new songs. There's nothing like playing live to show you your weaknesses. We had a great time and really love the unique opportunities that are in our beautiful little Valley. There are many reasons we live here, and singing to goats at the farmers market is just one of them!

If you happen to find your self in Star Valley this summer, stop by the Farmer's Market at the Haderlie Farm. Traveling North on Hwy 89, look to the west just as you get out of Thayne and you'll see the signs for the market. I do believe it's open from now until the first of October, every Thurs. 6-8(ish). Don't miss out on supporting local agriculture, businesses and of course music.

Fourth of July

We had a great Fourth of July weekend. It started plenty early with us singing "God Bless the USA" at the Thayne flag raising. The best part by far was the community singing Patriotic songs together, I remember every time I sang one as a kid and later on in my Glenn Miller shows. I was tempted to do full out choreography, but restrained myself;) We then got the kids ready to ride their bikes in the Thayne Town Parade
They were so cute and serious.

Cal's little squirt was the funniest, he kept getting off his bike to pick up candy in the road, and when he was told not to he informed the men helping the kids, "O.K., then you pick it up for me and give it to me later."

So they did. What a kid.

As part of SonicBids, I submitted for a song writing contest (hey, you can't beat free). I hope you'll all go to the site and play our song and vote for us. Otherwise, we won't be a winning! :) I chose the song "FREE" because Cal and I recorded it using my new Taylor guitar. Thanks for listening!

Below is the submission reply with the info. on the contest.

Hello Teddy,Thanks for your submission to Test Drive 2009 presented by Taylor Guitars and Elixir® Strings. Your profile will be uploaded on TestDrive.TaylorGuitars.com where your fans, along with the Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings faithful, can vote for your band as their favorite on the site in Round 1 of this competition.Good luck!Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings

Have You Ever Been Mellow

We're getting ready to play a wedding this weekend, and in going through our song lists, I've noticed we don't have very many "happy love songs". We've got break up songs, somebody died songs, fishing songs, and the list goes on of songs a bride may not want sung at her wedding. In rounding out the repoitre with a few good old love songs I've been re-visiting some of my FAVORITES, and lo and behold, Time Life Music has already compiled them for me in a 156 song collection! I'm not afraid to admit; I stuck with Tony Orlando and Tiki and watched that infomercial start to finish just waiting for the next musical nugget to hit me. :) So awesomely mellow. Don't miss adding these to your playlists;)
*She Believes In Me ~ Kenny Rogers
*I Just Fall In Love Again ~ Ann Murray
*Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest. . . ~ Elton John
*Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue ~ Crystal Gayle
*You Light Up My Life ~ Debbie Boone (this song was #1 for 10 weeks!)

There are more of course. I'm going to load them on my MP3 right now and you can be sure I'll sneak one into my next wedding set:)

Introducing . . . . .

Cal and Stef's latest production was released to the public just last week. Mom and Baby are doing great. Cal is impressed with his third child's ability to belch and let 'er rip at the exact same moment. He takes after his father.

Saddened

The Linfords would like to express our deepest sympathy to the Doo Wah Riders Family at their time of loss. We pray that the comforter will be with all of you. You are in our hearts and prayers.

Where Is Cal?

Just in case you've been wondering, Cal has been waiting out the birth of his third child holed up in a closet in my mother's basement recording some songs on his new digital recorder. He's taught himself how to play the bass and run the whole shootin' match by himself. He'll lay down all the tracks and I'll fill with some harmony. It's going to be a great tool for us. We're going to make some little promo discs (like Angel Taylor was handing out when she opened for Brandi Carlile in Salt Lake) for our summer gigs. It'll have a couple of our new songs on it, I may try out a cover.

Brandi? Nope, Olivia. . . . .

So, tonight Cal and I were singing for family who are visiting for Memorial weekend over at Mom's. I'm belting out "The Story" for my Mom's sister thinking I have found a new nuance to my usually so mild and blendy voice, I'm feeling the groove and wanting to show off my newfound vocal prowess to my family at least, and when it's over Dea says, "Sounds kinda like Olivia Newton John". So much for channeling my inner Brandi C. Damn. Maybe next time. :)

Till They Bleeeeeed . . . . . .

I've been feeling guilty that I didn't play my guitar for a week while I was on a mini-vacay so here is my post about playing until my fingers literally bleed. All right, so it's a miniscule amount of blood, but still . . . work with me here. Cracked, bloody, callused fingertips are the new look for me.

Cal and Ricky Skaggs

Cal called me tonight with the latest news on our Taxi critiques. Here is one we have never heard before. The person writing the critique loved Cal's songs and voice and compared him to Ricky Skaggs. We'll take it;)

We have also been told to 'find our niche' which in this critique rs opinion is County Folk. I can't say I disagree. Of course after being compared to Ricky Skaggs, we went on You-Tube to take another listen and compare and we stumbled upon this little gem, ALBERT LEE. We are no longer ignorant of this fantastic picker.

Trail Center Show

The Trail Center Show in Montepelier went fantastic. Cal and I had worked hard and to ensure there was someone there to witness it, Mom and Dad called up some friends and loaded them up for a night in Idaho. The Allinger Theatre inside the Trail Center is a hundred seat facility with great sound and an intimate feel. We loved playing a 90minute show there and really appreciate all the work Jodi and Rick did to make sure everything went well. We LOVE having a sound check and the show ran perfectly.

We started out the night with an electric set and Cal broke in his new Tele. It's a beautiful little guitar with the versitility we need to be MELLOW at times. I've been an acoustic purist, but Cal's work with this particular guitar is winning me over. I played my Taylor of course, and although I'm not used to hearing so much sound ring through, I love the fullness it lends. I've finally built up some decent calluses and I swear by Arnica Salve to get through long practice sessions with carpal tunnel:)
Thanks to everyone who supports us, and if you didn't make it to this show, we hope to see you later this summer. We have a small show in town for a church group and then we're booked for Big Piney/Pinedale and Preston and the Fair Showcase in Montana. We'll update the site with new bookings as they come.

CLARIFICATION

Cal and I had a great show on Friday night, I'll be posting about it in a little more detail later in the week, but I just have a quick correction/clarification to post. I always joke that all the songs I sing are sad ones, and that is for the most part true, and when I got done singing "You Don't Even Know Who I Am" I made a smart-alec crack about how it's a good thing I didn't dedicate that song to my husband. . . . .well, not every one heard the first half of that sentence clearly which left them to believe I dedicated that song to my husband. !!! So, for the record, "You Don't Even Know Who I Am" is NOT dedicated to my sweet, loving, tolerant husband who appreciates my sense of humor and knows I would never dedicate that particular sad song to him. :) Love you Del!