Cathy-Anne McClintock and the Valley Boyz

Cathy-Anne McClintock’s Canadian Music Fest set was a unique breath of fresh air, blending folk, country and bluegrass influences with pop and adult contemporary. I brought home her self-titled debut solo CD, which is stunningly produced by McClintock, who spent many years in Canadian bluegrass band Tumbleweed, and award-winning songwriter/producer Steven McClintock. The album has some pretty impressive contributors, including Grammy Award-winning bluegrass/folk legend Tim O’Brien and fellow Canadian Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea). The songs on the album and live show are honest and memorable, including “How Can We Be Friends,” “I Wanna Live Like That,” “Crazy Bout You” and her softer,gentler version of “Strong Enough” that Sheryl Crow made popular. This beautiful Canadian living in the U.S. seems to have already won a ton of awards internationally. “Who Knew” is another song of Cathy-Anne’s that made me wish I knew about this talent long before now, however, it definitely won’t be the last we see of her. — Diane Foy - Spill Magazine

Cathy-Anne McClintock was named one of Music Connection magazine's Hot 100 Unsigned Band of the Year. She was also named one of their Top 25 New Music Critiques of 2010 and will be in the 2010 December issue along with the top 100 honor. - Music Connection

“…the only Canadian bluegrass videos we’ve ever played….nice to see someone playing the music the way it began so well and so well produced.” CMT Music Director, quoted from BILLBOARD MAGAZINE - Billboard Magazine

Canadian folk and sometime bluegrass artist Cathy-Anne McClintock finally delivers her first solo album after years of (prior)recording with the Canadian acoustic band Tumbleweed. Joining a long and illustrious list of Canadian based folk artists she proves that the new generation will be as well received as the old guard. Working with Tim O’Brien and Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle she’s in good hands for sure. There’s plenty to enjoy here if you’re ready for some new blood. - Village Records

How do you want to live? In Cathy-Anne McClintock's signature song "I Wanna Live Like That" she tells us what her preferences are. Profound and poignant, each lyrical line hits a familiar and relatable chord while conjuring up feelings from a particular stage in a person's life.

"I wanna learn from my mistakes, I wanna give back what I take, I wanna be there for my friends, I wanna always make amends, I wanna live like that."

The lyrics are woven into the fabric of an undeniably Bluegrass style but Cathy-Anne simply calls her sound 'acoustic'. When she speaks of her music roots, however, and tells about the past experiences, there's fire in her eyes and a great emphasis on Bluegrass.

Born to a Texan and a Canadian, she grew up in British Columbia, Canada and remembers listening to strains of Patsy Cline and Conway Twitty. It wasn't until her sister Trisha started getting into Bluegrass that Cathy-Anne began an appreciation as well.

Positively impacted by an initial experience at the Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, Cathy-Anne remembers watching HOT RIZE with Grammy winner Tim O'Brien. Here was a Bluegrass band with a lead singer that "made everything look effortless". He transmitted zeal and inspiration. It was the fodder for the passion Cathy-Anne would come to know in her own music.

After her sister began playing banjo and then learned the bass, the two girls and a guy friend formed a band and began performing almost immediately. Their first festival was in Fort St. John, a small town in canda where they appred with country music greats Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakam, and Canadian star Ian Tyson. From the very beginning, Cathy-Anne was fortunate enough to play with icons.

Cathy-Anne is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She has spent a significant amount of time touring with her music internationally. I Wanna Live Like That was written after her daughter was born. The song has been recorded by 30-plus artists all over the world. A striking moment came when she heard that it was performed at some benefits for the victims of the Wold Trade Center disaster.

Now, Cathy-Anne is going it alone because, as she says, "There are no band politics with what I'm doing now. I love collaborating, but it's nice to be able to make my own decisions with how the music sounds and enjoy that kind of creative freedom."

The creative freedom came into play when she took on the task of producing her first solo, self-titled CD. Choosing her sister's band, John Reischman and the Jaybirds, (which includes two Juno award winners), and having Tim O'Brien as a guest artist, were choices she was glad she alone could make. Cathy-Anne believes that these talented people were essential in helping to make her first album a success.

Whe she isn't traveling with her music, Cathy-Anne enjoys her life in Long Beach. Besides being a talented musician and songwriter, she's a mom to two little children and she does voice over work. Her husband, Steven (an accomplished musical artist himself) and children Tessa and Jesse go with her on tour. The festivals that she travels to are family oriented venues. Her children are learning about different places and diverse cultures, but where they're home, they love their California lifestyle.

I guess my songs are my journals. It's alsmost like I speak to my children through my songs," she says.
" I wanna laugh right out loud. I wanna make my momma proud. I wanna have the strength to cry I wanna always wonder why, I wanna live like that"
by Dianne Austin - Long Beach Magazine

Swooningly lovely. A gentle acoustic confection that boasts a soaring, wafting melody, plus meaningful lyrics and Tim’s perfect shadowing harmony vocal. Cathy-Anne McClintock is a singer-songwriter to keep an eye on. - Music Row Magazine

Canadian folkies have played major roles in the LA music scene for decades, and now Cathy-Anne McClintock’s self-titled solo debut shows that she’s poised and honored to follow their path.
- PHIL SWEETLAND, Music and Radio contributor, The New York Times

Great team!
Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de
Translation by Charlotte Bailey-Smith

Für ihr erstes Album hat sich Cathy-Anne McClintock ein starkes Team gesucht. So finden sich als Duettpartner Leute wie Tim O’Brien und Alan Doyle, in der Musikszene respektiert und bekannt für ihr Können, wieder. Die Musikrichtung auf dem Album wechselt zwischen Country und Folk, kein schlechter Ansatz für ein Erstlingswerk. Das Album selber wurde von Ehemann Steven McClintock produziert.

For her first Album Cathy-Anne McClintock gathered a strong Team around her. So you can find Duet partners like Tim O’Brien and Alan Doyle, respected and known for their knowledge in the Music scene. The Music genre on the Album changes between Country and Folk, good first piece of work. The Album itself was produced by her husband Steven McClintock.

- Christian Lamitschka

ROOTS

Cathy-Anne McClintock

(cathyannemcclintock.com)

She used to be Cathy-Anne Whitworth, co-singer fronting the oft-awarded local bluegrass outfit, Tumbleweed. She went on to marry songwriter/producer Steven McClintock, have a couple of kids and move to L.A. but this is the project she's long wanted to put together and it's very much worth the wait. Her "I Wanna Live Like That" is hooky and sweet and that's roots legend Tim O'Brien singing harmony. She also has Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle accompanying her on the Maritime-sounding "No Matter What" and even daughter Tessa gets in on the fun. This is lovely stuff -- make room, Alison Krauss. A+

- John P. McLaughlin

- Vancouver Province Newpaper

With a breath of Canadian fresh air, Cathy-Anne effortlessly stakes her claim on this album, without the need for comparison.
Elegance and soul. Fred Mollin Grammy/Juno Award winning record producer, film and TV composer



The music industry is filled to capacity with people who sing songs … but very few singers.
It is over flowing with people who write songs … but very few songwriters. Cathy-Anne McClintock
is blessed to be a gifted songwriter who sings like a bird! Joe Wood Past Board Member Canadian Country Music Association/Owner RDR Music Group - HEG

Cathy-Anne McClintock CD Review
July 25th, 2009 | Author: Losillë
Writing music reviews can be little over whelming and can make you feel like you are slogging through mud. There is always a pile of CD containing envelopes on my desk.

In those envelopes you will find garnets, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and pearls. If you are like me there are a few you will say you don’t have time to review. Those are the reviews you can’t bring yourself to write. An honest review would be, “someone should have loved you enough to say don’t record that”.

Then it happens you open the envelope pop in the CD and you hear an exquisite voice. You realize you have fished a perfect diamond out of that envelope pile. In this case it is the voice of Cathy-Anne McClintock.


Now for the disclaimer: I listen almost exclusively to hip hop and rap. It would never have occurred to me to listen to Cathy-Anne McClintock.

I like to review the CDs in the car when we travel. At times my husband has accused me of torturing him and my son won’t get into the car with me and a bag of CD’s. This time my husband was happy that I was listening to “descent music”. However, somewhere around the hundredth time I played Cathy-Anne McClintock’s CD he asked me to put in a different CD. Later when I forced my son to listen, my husband automatically played my favorite tracks. He had the track numbers memorized! Ok, I might have played the songs too many times.

One the members of a band called Prylosis said he didn’t want their CD to be a “run on sentence.” I knew exactly what he meant. Sometimes you can’t tell when one song ends and another begins. Cathy-Anne McClintock’s self titled CD is definitely not a run on sentence. Each track stands on it’s own while keeping the over feel of the CD.

It was difficult with this CD to narrow down my remarks to one or two songs, but I will try.

“How Can We Be Friends” starts playing and you are no longer in your car. It is nightfall and a warm ocean breeze is blowing through your hair. It is eyes closed slow dancing alone, margarita in hand, tears just below the surface. Cathy-Anne’s voice gently touches that bittersweet memory in a part of your heart that never really heals.

“I Want To Live Like That” My favorite song on the CD calls you to sing along. This song is a “headset turned up to the hearing loss range” song. It’s a flowing skirt, eyes closed and that guy that makes you dizzy when he is a little too close. Cathy-Anne with Tim O’Brien sweeps you in and you are forced to hit replay. It quickly became my “play it over and over until someone around you snaps and threatens to hurt you” song.

“Are You Strong Enough To Be My Man”. At home this song would be the moment that can only comes when you are happy, alone and dancing around with the freedom that no one is ever allowed to see. Cathy-Anne’s voice is perfect. Everything about this song is perfect.

“Crazy About You” is FUN! This is a perfect “car dance” song. It is that high you get thinking about “him”. “It’s what you do to me, oh how you see through me, I think that I’ve lost my mind” Oh yes, we have all had one of those guys.

“All The Time” This is a lying in the sun, singing at the top of your lungs song, in my case badly and off key. Cathy-Anne’s voice is dreamy and relaxing. Hopefully, the guy in this song is the one that you were thinking about when you were singing “Crazy About You”

Step back in music history and you will find a tradition of artists recording gospel music. (Elvis is the first artist that comes to mind.) With the last track McClintock follows the time honored tradition and adds a hymn to her work. Cathy-Anne touched the little girl that I had almost forgotten. The one that loved going to all night sings at our church. My favorite music quote is by Edgar Watson Howe he wrote, “When people hear good music, it makes them homesick for something they never had, and never will have.” surely he was anticipating “Treat His Children Kind” and how it would make me feel.

I could go on about this CD and Cathy-Anne McClintock’s voice all day, but it is time to put fan girl back in her cage. Later in the week I will post the phone interview I had with Cathy-Anne’s and her bio.
- Losielle

Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Cathy-Anne McClintock - I Wanna Live Like That
What gives a normal song the oomph it takes to be noticed by the eartaster? It differs on every song, but this one was easy. I was bouncing along with the song thinking about its upbeat lyrics and low key presentation and out of nowhere two words were whispered, “trust me”. The lyrics are simple, yet within that simplicity is much wisdom. “I wanna learn from my mistakes, I wanna give back what I take.” The shout-out tune is Strong Enough. Yep, that one. When Ms Crow sings with her strong blasting voice the message is clearly ‘I’m a strong woman, can you take me on?’ Cathy-Anne has a totally different approach – she’s being extremely honest about all her weaknesses, but isn’t shouting proudly about them. She approaches them as a fact of being a woman – there’s going to be times she’s hard to live with. Knowing these truths, all she wants is consistency in her man. Cathy-Anne takes a powerful song and turns it inwards showing a completely different depth in its poetry. A quiet album, with a tasty back-up band that never overwhelms. Cathy-Anne McClintock
Posted by Eartaste at 7:41 PM - Eartaste