• Local songstress RACHEL GRIFFIN got in on the Barack Obama love-fest with a song called "Struggle Leads to Grace." As a response to NPR's Historic Times Songwriting Challenge, the tune was among six chosen by BOB BOILEN, host of ALL SONGS CONSIDERED, which is a pretty popular podcast and a fine way to get in the ears of a few hundred thousand people, if we were to guess. Go and watch Griffin accompanying herself on keyboard, per usual, at www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs.
• Last weekend saw the debut of the OKBARI MIDDLE EASTERN MUSIC ENSEMBLE, a sort of Okbari on steroids featuring original Okbari members AMOS LIBBY on ud and vocals and ERIC LAPERNA on percussion, teamed with MIKE GALLANT (formerly of the Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian Middle East Ensemble) on violin and Casco Bay Tummler CARL DIMOW on flutes. They're playing the type of music you'd hear if you found yourself in a nightclub in Old Istanbul, so check out www.okbari.org if you want to get your Turk on.
• PINKSY are in the studio at ANDREWS LANE STUDIOS in Wells, working on a full-length follow-up to last year's EP, Two for the Road. Look for a couple of songs to get posted to their MySpace page shortly.
• We're not sure what to make of the new video for the SEA CAPTAINS' "Lonely All the Time," a supremely catchy pop-rock tune. Search them on YouTube, though, if you've always wanted to get a close-up of their epiglottises.
• The TIM SULLIVAN BAND recently played a release show for My Shade of Blue, the band's third album, at SLATES in Hallowell. Recorded at the ROOT CELLAR, also in Hallowell, and engineered by BOB COLWELL, it features 12 separate local musicians backing Sullivan. Generally, though, the band consists of ROGER SAMPSON on guitar, ERIK GLOCKLER on bass, and either J.R. DAVIS or ROB ROBERTSON on drums.
