News, etc.

05.14.06
Now at the Map Room in West Ashley every Wednesday, you don't want to miss my trio The Sirens. Having been together for almost a year now (time sure flies) we have a strong show and a huge variety of tunes.

And I'm finally out of school, licensed as a Massage Therapist, and I love it. That's right! I have a career... strange things do happen. :) If you're a friend of mine, why haven't you called me for a massage yet, hMMM?



01.14.06
Wow, I haven't updated this page in almost a year? Geez, I'm slack. OK, here's the rundown. The Cool have accepted me as a part-timer now, seeing as I'm in school and can't stay up late 2-3 nights a week :) So you never know where I'll show up next! Now, on the other hand, we're going strong with the trio, us ladies. Since mid-June, Fiona, Christi and I have put together an acoustic trio and are playing regularly at Penachio's, and now The Map Room in West Ashley. Fiona is on keys, Christi congas, and I'm on guitar and bass. The sirens, as you probably know, are those beautiful lady-creatures from Greek mythology who lure sailors to their deaths with their amazingly tempting voices. We're so named, as all 3 of us sing, taking our turn in the spotlight and singing 2 and 3 part harmonies. We do a variety from folk, to modern pop, to raspy classics and standards.

02.03.05 New Band!!!
     Come out soon & check out my new band The Cool! Show dates are posted on The Cool website, and we play a good 2 to 3 times a week around town. Yeah, I know, the site is The King of cheese, but it's fun, & that's what it's all about. It's great to be playing high energy again, covering everything from Janis Joplin to Jimmy Eat World, with a fun group of people that are very much like a family- a family with a helluva lot of musical equipment and pro lighting gear! (you should see my bulging biceps by now) Send Fiona an e-mail to be added to the mailing list, so you'll always know where we'll be next.
     With 4 vocalists (three female, one male), drums, bass, guitar, keys & congas, we're capable of pretty much anything- And you'll be surprised to see me playing not just guitar, but also bass, and wailing out the vocals on songs from the likes of Evanescence. Thanks Bill, Fiona, Christi, and Scotty, for bringing me on board!


The girls of The Cool



11.05.04 All good things gotta come to an end. The thrills have to fade before they come round again
- Jackson Browne
     This is the official announcement that Little Pieces is no more. We celebrated our last show on September 30th at the Village Tavern, played our hearts out, and called an end to our mutual endeavor. It has to be the most friendly breakup in history, and I will truly miss playing music with Mike & Bobby. But our visions for our band have diverged over the years - artistic differences strike again - and the wheel turns.

     We are now off to our own pursuits, searching for like minds & hearts, trying to find that "fit". This Website will gradually become more and more my own before a probable shift to another, devoted to either a solo project or a future band.

     I am now 2/3 of the way through a 3 song solo EP to be released in December and available online as well as at my shows. It will be entitled "Coming Home" and will be a sneak preview of a full length solo disc to be released next year. Tracks will be:


• Daddy Will be Home
• So Fine
• Too Late Now


Thanks for everyone's support! ~Rachel


07.24.04
     Cumberland's is back! They celebrated their opening last week, Wednesday, 7/14. Their schedule is full of great things in the coming weeks, check it at Cumberlands.net. Thank God! We played there Thursday to an excellent crowd of happy people- The room sounds fantastic (though it could still use some soundproofing :) wooow that place is live!) The Moto-Litas from Atlanta opened, and I highly recommend you catch them next time they're in town. 2 girls playing lead guitar! When else do you see that? Very cool people, and good music.
     Anybody else notice that the old Cumberland's building is still empty? I certainly don't know the whole story, but what occurs to me is that greed can hurt, Mr. Rent Raiser. Greed can hurt.


03.26.04 Rant Rant Rant
     The Warehouse is kaput, shortly before its one year anniversary (ads were still in the paper). Because of what? I don't know, licensing mistakes of the owner? Or was it the recent shooting there that put it over the edge? (someone shot blindly through the windows, injuring a patron-- wtf??) Regardless, The Warehouse started with such dreams and hopes of bringing back something of its former rock club glory (remember the one on E. Bay? ohh, I miss that room), but after less than a year, it had more cover bands than original bands, and more reggae and sports nights than rock nights. That's what a lot of clubs seem to have to do to make money.
     And now Cumberland's is gone, in yet another example of the gentrification of downtown. It was bought out by someone who wants to make another high scale restaurant at that location. Give. Me. A. Break. The empty, stripped building will now serve as a bulldozed effigy of the Charleston music scene to all those who would like to make the city barren of all elements of culture that might be disturbing to the neighbors. Another frickin' restaurant I can't afford, but at least it won't be a hotel. Mayor Riley is surely doing his part to help turn this town into a la-la land for tourists and rich folks, while turning the college kids, food industry workers, and young non-Richie Rich's out with a slap in their faces, saying "no you can't do that, because it might disturb my voting demographics!" 2 AM bar closings (which skyrocketed the DUIs on the Connector before James Island had to adopt the same law- putting The Reef out of business). Building hugely expensive tourist traps that can't sustain themselves, while the archaic sewer system deteriorates. Cracking down on street performers, even the Silver Lady. (tell me why they're harmful?? tip money you can't tax???)
     Rest in pieces, Cumberland's. We can only hope you'll be like the Phoenix and will rise back into your old glory at your new location on King. If you can jump through the city's hoops. And if you don't get run out of business by another restaurant, Starbuck's, or Gap-- or by the city itself.

     All right, all right, enough with the negativity. With death, there is rebirth, with decline, a new rising. Johnny Ola's Anchor Cafe is a new, dang fine place, with a room just for music. The Village Tavern is going strong and is talking about building a real stage one of these days. The Plex in North Chuck has 2 of the best sounding rooms in Charleston. So give us good places to play, come out to see us, and g*dammit, you'll like it.
~R
Comments?


02.21.04
The independent films, Arya & Dots, by Director Manan Katohora, now have an online presence. These are the films for which Rachel, along with the Damien Project, has licensed 3 songs. Read the latest about these films & also click on music links to the side of their main pages to see Rachel's song credits, & to hear a sample of the "Dots Theme Song" (So You Say).

Jaffa Entertainment- Arya
Jaffa Entertainment- Dots


01.24.04
Rachel's collaboration with The Damien Project is seeing some fruits of their labor. If you have a high speed internet connection or can get to one, visit Arya Trailer to see the trailer of this independent film, screening on Feb 21st in Atlanta. (Arya is a Tirlok Malik Production, a Manan Katohora Film ). The trailer looks slick and intense, and you can hear the "You and I" remix in the background. Arya is a psychological thriller set in India about a man seeking his identity while strange things happen around him. Is it reincarnation? Multiple personalities? Or has he just flat out gone nuts? The original song You and I (available on CD, just e-mail rachel@littlepieces.com) is also featured in the film itself, as is an instrumental version.

Rachel and The Damien Project have also licensed another song, "So you Say" for another independent film done by the same director who's also asked them to work specifically for scenes on an upcoming project in the earliest stages of development. I don't have to say it, we're jazzed!


01.09.04
Rachel's voice is back- Bookings shall commence, woohoo!

12.03.03 Rachel's Ramblings     Have you seen my voice? She's missing. She's translucent, and blue, and very shy, but once she comes out to play, you can't miss her. Maybe she got trapped in the shower, lured by the sweet echoes in that space, and then got sucked down the drain with that gurgling, growling, metallic sound. Maybe she's somewhere high with the oak leaves on Highway 61, drifting along, just passing the time till the cold sets in and sends her flying home. She must not know I miss her so, or she wouldn't keep me so distressed. I've asked about her in bars and clubs, but no one seems to hear me! I've tried to conjure her by playing the music she knows so well, but it's empty without her. Maybe she's on a warm Mediterranean holiday, floating on shining blue water (We should all be so lucky). Or she got lost in the Bermuda triangle and will be back in 50 years, when her receptacle (me) is no longer suited for her. Wherever she is, I think that if I don't find her soon, I may just lose my mind. (Dementia, have you found me yet? would you tell me if you had?)     In any case, all shows for the month are cancelled, all singing for the month wiped out of my life. Remind me next time not to hurt my favorite companion by taking her for granted. Sweetheart, if ever we meet again, there will be so much singing! (but not too much, oh no, no, no, not too much!) Feeling a bit lost, and just a touch deranged, Rachel

11.27.03
The producer who was going to mix & master our album is no longer with the studio, so we're kind of in limbo with the album, waiting to see what happens.

9.25.03
We've got a new booking agent who is working hard for us, so check Shows for many added dates. Thanks Bruce, you're the bomb! The CD is coming along slowly but surely, and we're still aiming for completion in the fall.

8.28.03
I've gotten a weekly solo gig at Kaminsky's in Millenium Music, downtown Charleston. Come on down for Happy Hour, Wednesdays 5-8. I really dig this low-key venue, and the tiramisu ain't bad either :) My computer is now down for the count, so I have to delay putting pictures up on the site. Hopefully I'll have all that solved in a few weeks.

8.11.03
Music is now up! 3 songs are available for streaming audio or free download. Go to Music. We're now in full pre-production phase for our first full length album. We're set to go in the studio in September.

8.01.03
Welcome to our fabulously new Web Site! We hope you like it, and it will be continuously growing. Return soon for more updates, more pictures & content.