Salem

“Salem unites seemingly disparate topics: global peace and powder shots. Salem is as much at home in Warren Miller’s film Off the Grid as it is participating in Bono’s global ‘One Campaign.’ Blending jazz, funk, spoken word and some Afro-Cuban beats, it makes crowds dance and think.” Katy Niner, Jackson Hole News and Guide, March 12th, 2008“Salem's Todd Anders Johnson reinvented his band when he moved to Colorado a couple of years ago. His socially conscious reggae/Afro-influenced music has found a home in the ski and snowboard industry, as its soundtrack. After being featured on Warren Miller's "Off the Grid," he and band are touring with the athletes, playing X-Games last weekend, Copper's U.S. Freesking Tour and the Jeep King of the Mountain Tour.” Leslie Brefeld, Summit Daily News, January 31, 2008“Like Bono and Franti, Johnson utilizes his music to help create awareness. Masterfully weaving hip-hop, neo-soul, funk, jazz, and Afro-Cuban styles, Salem is bound to move and groove you.” Rebecca Thoreson, Telluride Daily Watch, November 9th, 2007“Todd Anders Johnson can pound out mad beats while culling some tight lyrics, reaching that percussive Nirvana of five-part independence. Salem is certainly a band on the rise.” Jason Blevins, Denver Post, January 30, 2008“ Salem, a band with an eclectic mix of Hip-Hop, Funk and Afro-Cuban music, bridges that gap and creates a union between these genres. The end product is a groundbreaking and unique sound.” Spotlight story by Nicole Cormier, Colorado Music Buzz Magazine, January 2008“In Salem, the drummer/composer uplifts his band with infectious grooves and dynamic interplay, while also rhyming thought provoking and socially-conscious lyrics.” Michael Dawson, Modern Drummer Magazine, November 2006Salem has released the group's debut studio CD, As It Is Above, So It Is Below. You can purchase downloads and CD orders at:
Salem playing Timeless live on KGNU in Boulder featuring P-Nut Daniels Salem playing Many Have Tried live on KGNU in Boulder featuring P-Nut Daniels Harvest by Salem recorded by Geoff Gray, edited by Kim Schneider for Warren Miller with Corona and was featured in the 2008 Warren Miller national tour for the new film, Playground. Salem music is an amalgamation of funk, hip-hop, jazz, and Afro-Cuban idioms. Infused with diverse lyrical content, the songs have a unifying socially-conscious theme. Salem not only represents the musical voice and diverse perspectives of composer, Todd Anders Johnson, but also integrates active pursuits in the processes of social change.Todd is now nominated as a Clouveil inspired mountain ambassador and is producing a documentary film on glacial recession with Charles K. Forest. The two began filming in Alaska in March 2009 with on site footage on the Ruth Glacier and interviews with scientists and mountaineers throughout the state. Salem returns to Alaska in May 2009 and Todd and Charles will be filming throughout the state and at the June 1st Kahiltna Glacier-Denali Basecamp event.Salem is now sponsored by Libtech Snowboards, Ayotte Drums, Columbia Sportswear, Native Eyewear, Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures, Folsom Custom Skis and Boulder Outdoor Center. The group has played at the biggest ski and snowboard events like EXPN’s Winter X 12 Games, the 48 Straight King of the Mountain in Sun Valley, the US Freeskiing Open in Copper, and the Northface Masters US Snowboarding World Championships in Girdwood, Alaska. Todd has been featured in Modern Drummer magazine in the "On the Move" column in the November issue of 2006 and the new Salem CD review is featured in the June 2009 Modern Drummer issue.Salem has now released the group’s debut studio record, "as it is above, so it is below" and it is available online at Digstation, CDBaby and iTunes. The album was recorded at Far & Away Studios in Boulder, Colorado, by Geoff Gray. The first track, Northward, was mixed at Outkast’s Stankonia Studios by Grammy winning mix engineer and studio manager, John Frye. The album was mastered by Grammy-winning mastering engineer, David Glasser, at Airshow Mastering in Boulder.Salem has been working with Kim Schneider, Warren Miller's video and music editor, over the last few years with new mergings of Salem music and epic Warren Miller ski and snowboard footage. "Harvest" toured the nation with the film, "Playground" and Salem music was featured in "Off the Grid" as well.Salem has been on CD release tours all year through Colorado,Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming and Alaska. Salem headlined the Seattle Hempfest for 10,000 people in August. Salem has performed nationally alongside acts such as Keller Williams, Pato Banton, De La Soul, Sweatshop Union, The Meters (PBS), Bone Thugs N Harmony, DJ Logic, Stanton Moore and Will Bernard, Hells Belles, Mama's Cookin, Tab Benoit, Rebirth Brass Band, The Motet, Steve Earle and Zilla. Salem festival dates include the Winter X12 Games, the Jeep King of the Mountain World Championships in Sun Valley, the Suzuki US Freeskiing Open at Copper, the Subaru US Freeskiing Open in Jackson, the US Snowboarding Open in Girdwood, Alaska and the Breckenridge Spring Massive Festival. National festivals include the Rukus in the Rafters in Crested Butte, Nedfest in Nederland, the Seattle Folklife Festival on the Mother Jones stage, Anchorage's Live After Five Series, the Girdwood Forest Fair and the Southeast Alaska State Fair.In September 2007, Todd travelled to Washington DC to meetings with Bono's organization, One Coalition, Jubilee Coalition, Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth regarding the international promotion of the Salem song Saragua. In November, One Campaign brought Todd to Philadelphia to UPENN for him to take part on a panel discussion and to perform Salem music. Todd composed Saragua around the poem titled "Saragua"written by Ken Saro-Wiwa. The song features performances by Salem, Nigeria's Bola Abimbola joining Todd on vocals, Ghana's Mohammad Alidu and Guinea's, Fara Tolno joining Todd's drumming on djembe, dun dun, talking drum and bell.Interviews and reviews about Salem have been featured on PLUM TV in Nantucket, Sun Valley and Telluride, Colorado Music Buzz Magazine, The Summit Daily News, Telluride Daily Watch, Grand County News, Denver Post, Nantucket's Independent and the Inquirer and Mirror, Boston Universitys Daily Free Press, The Phoenix in Portland, ME, The Anchorage Free Press, Homer News, Fairbanks Daily News Miner, Juneau Empire, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Lewiston Tribune, and the Northwest Jazz Chronicle and more.Salem music has been played on radio stations nationwide and the group has had radio interviews and live performances in Boulder, Telluride, Boston, Nantucket, Burlington, Seattle, Idaho, Homer, Anchorage, Girdwood, Fairbanks, Seward, Haines, and Juneau.