October 3-6, 2012

Featured songwriter: Sam Llanas

The Ypsi Song Fest returns for its sixth year of celebrating the art and craft of songwriting with YSF'12. YDL-Whittaker will host a variety of free programs beginning Wednesday, October 3 and culminating on Saturday, October 6 in two events with our featured songwriter, the extraordinarily gifted Sam Llanas.

Llanas' illustrious career includes membership in several roots rock bands, most notably the BoDeans. Llanas is known for his bittersweet, distinctive voice. His latest work, a solo album titled 4 A.M., stands alongside the best work of his career.

Saturday, October 6, Corner Brewery

12 pm: Tune in to 89.1, WEMU. Jeremy Baldwin, of the Roots Music Project, will interview Sam Llanas on-air
8 pm: Martin Bandyke, of ann arbor's 107one, will talk with Sam Llanas about his music and songwriting
9 pm: Join us for a free performance by Llanas and his band

Additional YSF'12 events include:

Wednesday, October 3

Home Recording with Paul Tyson, 7 pm

Thursday, October 4

Schedule a Session with a Seasoned Songwriter, beginning at 5 pm. Call 482-4110, ext 1301 to reserve a spot
Songwriting for Teens with John Lawrence, 6 pm
Salute to the Songs of Motown with John Lawrence, 7 pm

Friday, October 5

After-Hours in the Garage with local bands, 7 pm

Our Brother the Native
Known Moons

About Sam LLanas: 

Sam Llanas (born in 1961) is a singer, acoustic guitarist, and songwriter in several rock and roots rock bands active from the 1980s to the 2000s, including the BoDeans and Absinthe. Sam is known for his unusual and distinctive voice.

Llanas was one of the founding members of the roots rock band the BoDeans, which he formed with high school friend Kurt Neumann in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In 1985, after adding Guy Hoffman (drums) in 1984 and Bob Griffin (bass), the quartet signed a contract with Slash/Warner Records and shortened their name to the BoDeans.

Under the guidance of producer T-Bone Burnett, they entered Hollywood's Sunset Sound Factory in October to record their first album. The critically acclaimed debut Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams was released in 1986. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band had several singles in the top 40 "mainstream rock" charts. In the mid-1990s, the band had two top 10 songs in the "Adult contemporary" charts.

The BoDeans took some time off in the late 1990s so Neumann and Llanas could record solo albums. Llanas founded Absinthe, with the help of Milwaukee musicians Jim Eannelli (guitars and bass) and Guy Hoffman (formerly of Oil Tasters and Violent Femmes, currently of Radio Romeo). They have released one album, 1998's A Good Day To Die. In 2011 Sam Llanas released 4 A.M. (The Way Home) and left the BoDeans to pursue his Solo career.

Watch & listen to Sam Llanas perform:

Nobody Luvs Me

Two Souls