Citywide Bytes: Synthpop artist Bjorn Felle takes us to “Paradise Moon”

The next guest on Citywide Bytes came to our attention with his single “Theory of Mind,” and now, he’ll be talking about some great new music he has to share.

A sound inspired by synthpop, punk, 90s techno and 16-bit videogame soundtracks, Bjorn Felle’s style is always changing and in this episode we learn about the twists and turns he’s taken since starting his musical career. 

We dive into is new album, “Paradise Moon” and learn about the new sounds he got to try out as well as some of the past sonic experiments he’s conducted.

Bjorn also shares some show stories and gives some clues as to what he’s got in the works, both in the studio and on the road.

Opening the episode is an excerpt from “Dopamine” from the album “Extreme Hazard Planet” and closing out the episode is “Welcome To Paradise Moon,” the lead track from “Paradise Moon.”

“The Thing in the Wind” takes readers on a walk through a haunted woods

With his new book, Bill Mullen is making the pivot from thriller to horror. “The Thing in the Wind” goes on a dark journey through the Canadian wilderness, but there’s a lot more to it. The book is now available through Crystal Lake Entertainment, here’s a look at the story:

A search party stumbles upon an unspeakable horror that threatens both their lives and sanity.

In the heart of the Canadian wilderness, a harrowing tale of survival and psychological horror unfolds in this gripping novel. Amidst the vast, unforgiving landscape, a woman’s world is shattered by the mysterious disappearance of her mother in the remote reaches of northern Saskatchewan. Along with her father and a small, determined search party, she embarks on a desperate quest for answers, only to encounter an unspeakable terror lurking in the shadows of the ancient forests.

As the group navigates the treacherous wilderness, their journey becomes a chilling fight for survival against not only the harsh elements but also a malevolent force that defies explanation. Haunted by eerie premonitions and the feeling of being stalked by an unseen entity, they begin to realize that they are facing a horror far beyond their wildest imaginations.

Bill, Curtis and Max talk about the origins of the book and the work that went into it from a research and story building perspective. Bill shares his love of horror and how it went going from his thriller “Red Nocturne,” to a much darker tale. He also goes into the location for the book and how this shapes the story to come.

 

Citywide Bytes—Two decades of music with Jeneen Terrana

Jeneen Terrana

In our newest episode of Citywide Bytes, I’m joined by Jeneen Terrana, who’s been releasing music since 2002 with her debut album, “Just Me.” Since then, she’s performed all over the US and toured in Europe. Most recently, she released the single “Good Girls Get the Blues.”

Jeneen takes us back to the beginning with what got her into music from her time spent as an actress and why she’s remained there for so many years. She talks about her new single “Good Girls Get the Blues” and the collaboration process with some amazing musicians.

Over the years, Jeneen has toured all over, and during this call she’s currently on the road. She talks about her time in Europe and the memorable experiences she had.

Closing out the interview is the new single, “Good Girls Get the Blues.”

Five By Five: Stage musical pivots to musical audiobook

By Max Bowen

As they say, the show must go on.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought live shows to a halt, the cast and crew of “19: The Musical” (March 2024, Through the 4th Wall) found themselves with a choice: how they would proceed with their musical theater performance when such things couldn’t happen.

The answer? Make a musical audiobook. Here’s a look at the story:

Told through the eyes of Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells, Susan B. Anthony and more, “19” captures the struggle, the injustice, and ultimately, the victory of the women's suffragist movement. The diverse cast explores racial tensions in the movement while simultaneously reflecting the diversity of modern America. Leading suffragettes give enthralling firsthand accounts of the movement’s greatest moments, interspersed with addictive songs include a mix of jazz, traditional musical standards, spoken word, hints of gospel, and dance.

In this interview, co-creator Jennifer Schwed talks about the show’s origin, how they moved from live musical to musical audiobook and lessons learned along the way.


How did this stage musical originally come to be?
Back in 2016, we had finished a large-scale immersive production about Edgar Allan Poe and we were thinking about what's next for us, what will we produce? The musical Hamilton was still very popular at that time and we were also heading into the possibly historic election of the first female president.

This combination of exciting new musical theater about the history of this country and honoring a historic moment for women became the inspiration for creating "19: The Musical," the story of women's fight for the right to vote, the 19th Amendment. Though we had absolutely no background in music, we were experienced writers and we knew that with the right music composer, we could craft lyrics to the story we wanted to tell. It was an enormous challenge and one that we both loved taking on and bringing the concept to the stage!

I read that you were set to open in March 2020 and then COVID closed such shows down. How did you pivot to a musical audiobook?
We spent a lot of time wondering what to do next! We are a two-person company and we had been creating shows based on the generosity of donors. There was no support net for us to try and restage a live show while dodging COVID — we could stand to lose everything. As avid readers, we started to think about the possibility of translating this story into a book, an audio book specifically, that could recreate the stage experience. We had listened to an audiobook production of "Angels in America" and we realized, yes, we can do this! Making "19: The Musical" into an audiobook also meant that we could reach an even wider audience, which was exciting given that the idea of going back to the stage was off the table for the time being.

Did the entire cast take part in this project?
One of the most wonderful aspects of recording the audiobook version of "19" is that the entire original cast came back to record it, minus one cast member who declined only because they are now a flight attendant! We did of course replace that cast member with another wonderful actor and we added a new voice to the chorus, as well.

Have you ever made an audiobook before? If not, what kind of lessons did you learn along the way?
We were new to this process and we learned a lot. Everything from the studio setup to rehearsing for audio vs a stage were lessons we will hold onto. Being on mic with headphones in a small room is a totally different experience than a stage with props and cues and dancers. Scaling down is important and we had to learn the process of inviting the listener into the show instead of having them watch a performance unfold.

Looking back on this, what’s your take on the final project? Do you think you’ll do more?

Overall, creating "19: The Musical" was both an honor and a wild ride! A global pandemic taking down your live production is just never, ever on anyone's bingo card, but here we are — all the wiser on how to pivot in challenging circumstances. We're pleased overall and having completed the audiobook, now we see what we would do differently. We're always working on new productions and I expect we will include audio productions somewhere down the line again.

Penny Lane’s book takes readers on a journey of personal redemption

Penny Lane

CONTENT WARNING: This interview contains recounts of  trauma and abusive relationships.

Penny Lane’s debut memoir “Redeemed: A Memoir of a Stolen Childhood,” (She Writes Press) is a story of personal redemption. Torn from her home by a Hungarian father she doesn't know to enduring abuse and neglect from a stepmother, Penny's journey leads her to another form of captivity: fundamentalist Christianity. It's a tale of resilience against abuse, trauma, and oppressive odds, navigating both family and religious turmoil to ultimately find her way home.

In this episode, Penny shares what led her to share her story with the world, and her process of recounting her abusive relationships. She hold nothing back as she talks about what she endured and how she made it through to a live of love and happiness.

Penny shares her experience with a Fundamentalist Christian world and how it impacted her years later. She talks about the message behind the book and her hopes for what readers will take from it.

This interview was arranged with the help of Books Forward.

Citywide Bytes: NecronomiCon—the home of weird fiction literature

Ken Vaughn

Who here likes weird fiction? Wow, that’s a lot of hands. Ok then, listen up, because NecronomiCon Providence is the place for you!

In this episode of Citywide Bytes, Ken Vaughn, director of core programming for this bi-annual showcase, talks about the panels, guest speakers, special events and much more that await those eager to check out this weird and fun convention. We spotlight the guests of honor and Ken talks about the work to bring them all together.

We also look at how this event has grown over the years from its inception in the 90s to what it has become today. NeconomiCon takes place from August 15-18 in Providence, Rhode Island at the Omni Hotel.

“Hard Style Juice” tells a murder mystery through a wrestling lens

I’ve been a fan of both professional wrestling and comics for many years, so getting to talk about both for this interview was just perfect.

Writer Clay McCormack, artist Ricardo Lopez Ortiz and I dive into “Hard Style Juice,” a new series that you can only see on Comixology Originals. Here’s a look at the story for those new to it:

Wrestling is big business in arenas across the country, and for the Castros, it’s the family business. "King" Castro is the patriarch of the family, he’s also the manager, booker, promotor, MC, and owner of the local independent wrestling promotion KCPW, King Castro Pro Wrestling.

His daughter, Ramonita "Mona" Castro, has dreams of going to business school, but also has a penchant for wrestling. And his son, Rey Castro, is the star. A real showman, Rey is known as the "King of the Death Match," and he's on the verge of getting a contract to go pro.

Pro wrestling built the Castro family, and now it’s about to tear it apart. A shocking in-ring death sends the family spiraling out of control, and down the path of revenge as one big question rears its head: was it an accident? Or was it murder?

We talk about the series origins, and how Clay and Ricardo’s interest in wrestling played a role in shaping it. Clay talks about working with murder mysteries and how he paces the story, while Ricardo shares how he captured the feel of the wrestling world and his favorite parts to draw.

The series is now three issues in, with the fourth to be dropped on July 16, and we go into where the story is now and a few hints as to what we can expect in future issues.