04.02.2012
I See Hawks.....
I See Hawks in L.A. have released five critically acclaimed albums since they began writing songs in their Echo Park living rooms 11 years ago. The band’s sound layers electricity and Southern California psychedelia over acoustic guitars and rich vocal harmonies.
Meanwhile, fans have always treasured the Hawks’ acoustic shows, where Rob Waller’s rich voice, the band’s subtle guitar arrangements, and the dark, literate lyrics take the spotlight. A three-year one-mic acoustic series hosted by the band at Cole’s bar in downtown LA, and memorable acoustic shows all over the US with Ray Wylie Hubbard, Chris Hillman and Dave Alvin have honed the Hawks’ sound.
So in 2012, 'The End Of The World' according to the Mayan calendar, I See Hawks In L.A. will finally release that acoustic album ("New Kind Of Lonely"), recorded live in a circle at Marc Doten’s Echo Park studio with lovely German microphones.
It’s been a long and colorful journey for LA’s best-known alt-country band. Countless whiskey-fueled shows from Santa Monica to downtown to the high desert with Mike Stinson, Randy Weeks, Tony Gilkyson and dozens of other artists spawned a now-thriving roots country scene amidst the palm trees and yuccas. Four I See Hawks In L.A. releases notched #1 on the Freeform American Roots (FAR) Chart, and several have hit the Euro Americana Top 10. Dave Alvin has cited the Hawks as “one of California’s unique treasures”.
Treks to Europe and U.K. and repeated tours through most of the 50 states have created a solid following scattered across the globe. “We thrive in the margins,” the Hawks always say. "New Kind Of Lonely" could be the recording to push them into prominence.
On every track, shimmering textures of Martins and Gibsons and upright bass, with touches of dobro and some beautiful fiddle from Gabe Witcher, embellish haunted themes. Death and loss, in very personal terms, weave into almost every song. LA Americana’s favorite sister, fiddler-songwriter Amy Farris, is mourned lyrically; the sorrow waiting at the end of every long and joyous marriage is explored in the bittersweet “Your Love Is Going To Kill Me (Someday)”.
In reaching back to pre-electric traditions, the Hawks seem to have tapped into the mortality that looms in the work of Hank Williams, Stanley Brothers, and Carter Family, far from the feel-good suburbiana of today’s Nashville songwriting. Dark times do need some kind of acknowledgement. I See Hawks In L.A. have taken this on.
But much of the music is rocking and uplifting. “Big Old Hypodermic Needle”, a black humored two beat about two best friends overdosing, is perfect for a barn dance. “Hunger Mountain Breakdown”, in which the singer plans a dramatic ridgetop suicide, is driven by Cliff Wagner’s kickass bluegrass banjo and Gabe Witcher’s virtuoso fiddling. “The Spirit Of Death” is hard charging Cajun rock. “I Fell In Love With the Grateful Dead”, a compendium of the three bandmates’ Dead show experiences over four decades, ventures into jam band territory, with lots of notes expended on guitar and bass.
I See Hawks In L.A. will launch "New Kind of Lonely" with, appropriately enough, an acoustic show at McCabe’s, followed by an electric version of the new tunes at Pappy & Harriet’s in the high desert. Over the summer they will hit the road to places new and familiar.
03.02.2012
Skyler Jett.....
Skyler Jett is an award-winning, Grammy recognized vocalist and one of the most sought after singer-songwriter and background vocal producers in the music industry.
Skyler’s impressive resume includes some of the biggest recording artists of our times. His accolades include receiving a Grammy Award-embossed plaque from N.A.R.A.S. for singing with Celine Dion on the Grammy-winning hit song “My Heart Will Go On” from the blockbuster hit film “Titanic”, Record Of The Year in 1998 and still the highest grossing movie theme song of all time. Skyler’s other movie credits include background vocal arrangement on “I’m Every Woman” from the blockbuster hit film “The Body Guard”, also Movie Of The Year in 1992, featuring Whitney Houston.
From 2003 to 2007 Skyler also played a pivotal role in reintroducing Sly Stone back to the world stages for a European tour. Skyler performed with Sly in such venues as The Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival in Cannes, Olympia in Paris, The Love Box Festival in London and the George Wallace Show in Las Vegas.
Skyler has recorded and performed with the following legendary stars :
Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Patti Austin, Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Sting, Ray Charles, Al Jarreau, James Brown, Al Green, Paul Anka, Lou Rawls, Chaka Khan, Barbara Streisand, Christina Aguillera, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Patti LaBelle, Tom Jones, The O’Jays, Todd Rundgren, The Commodores, Kenny Loggins, The Temptations, Steve Winwood, Curtis Mayfield, Kenny G, Michael Bolton and many more…
Skyler Jett is the funder and CEO of "Music Can Save The World Corp" and First Kiss Records, a new niche record company that provides music CD’s and instant download songs on the internet for the wedding industry. First Kiss Records works with a number of marquee artists, producers and writers as well as up and coming new talent in the music industry. Skyler is also the co-host of SolutionsNowRadio with S Denise Newton — a high ranking Blog Talk radio show offering dynamic solutions for some of today’s most pressing issues.
02.02.2012
Franka De Mille.....
Franka De Mille is a London based singer, songwriter and composer. Her debut album ‘Bridge The Roads’ has already received critical acclaim and extensive airplay all over the world. Emotionally raw, truly original and with sophisticated arrangements Franka De Mille’s music has an elegant blend of Americana, chamber music and alternative folk.
Franka’s focus on strong melodies really underline the powerful emotional charge of her unique voice and deeply personal lyrics. Her deliberate use of violin, cello, accordion, mandolin and flute as ‘second voices’ add an awesome depth to her compositions.
Although she has been compared to Patti Smith, Tori Amos, Kate Bush and PJ Harvey, the only real comparison with them is a shared creative clarity in the expression of their music. Franka remains uncompromisingly herself, both musically and vocally. She is the first, and only, independent artist to be selected for the British Phonographic Industry’s ‘Why Music Matters’ campaign, alongside Nina Simone, The Beatles, Kate Bush, Louie Armstrong, John Martyn and Nick Cave.
01.02.2012
inLOve.....
Once upon a time acclaimed Swedish singer-songwriter Lo Kivikas gave a CD to drummer Bosse Skoglund and asked him if he wanted to play with her. He went home, listened and was deeply touched by the authenticity. Bosse Skoglund read the lyrics and heard the music in itself, called Lo Kivikas and said, "Come on, let's record!".
Lo Kivikas already had harmonica player and guitarist Roland Nilsson. Now a bass player was needed. Bosse Skoglund knew exactly who he would call. Hans Larsson, of course. Hans Larsson said 'yes' right away. Many music meetings later, in Bosse Skoglund's living room, inLOve's soundstage began to emerge.
31.01.2012
Beach Boys.....
The Beach Boys are set to reunite for a new album and tour to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary, and member Mike Love says being in the studio again has been "thrilling". "I'm looking forward to getting together with Brian, writing something together again", Love says. His musical nature is so phenomenal. Even doing the background vocals we did in the studio recently, he was just sitting at the piano and stretching those chords the way he does spontaneously. It's just amazing".
Wilson has enjoyed a productive period in recent years, releasing a re-recorded version of "SMiLE" in 2004, tributes to Gershwin and Disney and several albums of new original material. According to Love, Wilson's current band will be joining the reunited Beach Boys on the road.
“Brian has an incredible band. We're using most of his band. And we've got current Beach Boys touring drummer John Cowsill and our guitarist, Scott Totten. We're kind of blending things together. I think, musically, it's going to be incredible", Love says.
He said that they've "not done much" on a new album yet and are in the planning stages of a tour that will begin with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest in April.
"The idea is to do four or five shows a week" before heading to Europe, Love says. "I'm hoping that we'll do places associated with summer".
And as for group's past difficulties, Love says after 50 years, they're ready for "Fun, Fun, Fun" all over again.
"A lot of the ups and downs were as the result of other people's incursions, I would say, whether it be a Murray Wilson or a Dr Landy, you know. Everybody's getting along great", he says.
30.01.2012
Bonnie Raitt.....
In April 2012, Bonnie Raitt will release "Slipstream", her first new album in seven years, with major tour dates to follow. The album will be put out by Raitt's own new label, Redwing, and will feature covers of two songs by Bob Dylan, production on several songs from Joe Henry and a reggae cover of the late Gerry Rafferty's hit "Right Down the Line".
The album marks a return to the spotlight for the singer, who has been on hiatus in recent years after the deaths of her parents, her brother and her best friend. She took an extended break from music "to get back in touch with the other part of my life", she said in a statement.
The comeback coincides with a recent surge of interest in Raitt's music from a younger generation. Adele released a live version of "I Can't Make You Love Me" on iTunes last year, and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon played a medley of that song and "Nick Of Time" on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'.
29.01.2012
Joan Osborne.....
Joan Osborne recalls how “Blues music rescued me when I was in need of rescue”.
On her forthcoming album, "Bring It On Home", Joan returns the favor and it’s the blues that gets new life. Drawing from a voice the New York Times called “angelic ecstasy and sexual abandon,” Joan Osborne has at long last made an album of vintage blues, r'n'b and soul songs. "Bring It On Home" will be released on March 27th, 2012, by Saguaro Road Records.
A collection of some of her favorite classic songs, "Bring It On Home" is Osborne’s tribute to the music she has long loved and drew inspiration from. “I knew that, someday, when the time was right and my voice was ready”, Osborne says, “I wanted to make a recording like the one you’re holding now”. With vocals that growl and soar, Osborne alternately cries out with heart-wrenching soul and foot-stomping grooves.
“The voices of Otis Redding and Al Green soothed a troubled soul, the power of Etta James and Tina Turner gave me courage, and the depth of feeling of Muddy Waters and so many other great blues artists allowed me to find and express my own depths”, explains Osborne. “When I began to sing in New York City in my early 20’s, I wanted nothing more than to model myself on these people, to inhabit the music as they did in some small way”.
She personally selected the obscure gem “Roll Like A Big Wheel” from her own record collection and added rock n’ roll-fueled urgency to it. She also dug deep into John Mayall’s work and came back with “Broken Wings”, where her vocal performance draws both goosebumps and tears. The often overlooked Ike Turner-penned “Game Of Love” was another treasure Osborne chose to record, and during the sessions an impromptu rendition of “Shake Your Hips” made its way onto the album. “Shake Your Hips” is the lead track off of "Bring It On Home" and will be shipped to radio stations in January for airplay.
"Bring It On Home" also includes tracks originally made famous by American blues masters such as Sonny Boy Williamson (“Bring It On Home”), Muddy Waters (“I Want To Be Loved”), as well as recordings originally released by some of the greatest r'n'b singers ever, including Ray Charles (“I Don’t Need No Doctor”), Al Green (“Rhymes”) and Otis Redding (“Champagne & Wine”).
"Bring It On Home" was produced by Joan and her longtime music director/guitarist Jack Petruzzelli. It was recorded live in the Waterfront Studios in Hudson, New York, by engineer Henry Hirsch (Lenny Kravitz), who used an original 24-track Studer tape machine to recreate the warm and organic analogue sound of the era. Guest musicians include Barbecue Bob Pomeroy (harmonica), Allen Toussaint (piano on his own “Shoorah! Shoorah!”) and vocalists the Holmes Brothers and Rufus Thomas’ daughter, Vaneese Thomas. Jimmy Vivino, Conan O’Brien Show Band musical director, assembled all horn arrangements and also played electric piano on “I Don’t Need no Doctor”.
28.01.2012
Wallis Bird.....
“The sheer visceral energy of Wallis Bird could kick-start an entire economy” ~ The Irish Times
Wallis Bird is wild. Wallis Bird is unpredictable. And she is contradictory. The best way to sum-up an artist who combines so many different styles is with the person themselves - hence the reason for self-titling her new upcoming album.
A musical magpie whose mature, self-affirming songs display an unusual emotional breadth, Wallis defies categorization. The Irish artist has paid her dues, shredding her fingers and breaking string after string from the sheer force of playing on stages small and large across Europe, and throwing her entire soul into each performance with a level of energy that makes her an unassailable force of nature.
Wallis Bird cannot - and should not - be pigeonholed easily. Capable of the delicate, gossamer-thin ballads that her tiny 5ft2 frame would suggest, she can also summon up a whirlwind of passion and rage in the blink of an eye. Her performances can transition seamlessly from the defiant anthems that can motivate thousands of festival-goers into a rousing sing-a-long, to the most hushed and fragile ballads that can captivate an audience into a spellbound silence. Wherever you may find Wallis, she stands out as a contradictory, powerful presence, one that can unite audiences anywhere she plays.
”Wallis Bird” was written and recorded in three places that, while geographically separate, were all deliberately chosen to impose their unique atmospheres onto the songs. From the communist broadcasting station in Berlin of the former GDR where the government broadcast its propaganda until the Berlin wall came down; to an isolated ghost ridden cottage on a godforsaken cliff edge in Ireland during the worst snowstorms in thirty years; to her own flat in Brixton, South London against a backdrop of screaming sirens and looting as the London riots threatened to overrun the city. The result is a record that strives to makes sense of the chaos around us all.
A double Meteor Award winner in her native Ireland, Wallis Bird’s new album is her third and follows her debut ‘Spoons’ and 2009’s ‘New Boots’, both of which saw her garner critical acclaim and tour with the likes of Billy Bragg, Gabrielle, The Feeling & Rodrigo y Gabriela. Bird has also played some of Europe’s biggest festivals, with her recent appearance at Paris’ Rock En Seine Festival prompting one of France’s biggest daily papers, 'Le Monde', to hail her performance as one of the highlights of the festival alongside Arcade Fire. An exceptional guitarist, her unique playing style only adds to the intrigue of her performances. Following a childhood accident which permanently damaged her left hand, Bird learned to play her instrument flipped back to front, thus having to create her own bafflingly complex chord fingerings, much to the bewilderment of any musicians in the audience.
The new album "Wallis Bird" marks another progression, a record deliberately self-titled to mark it out as the defining statement of her career so far. So the confident strut that opens the first single ‘Encore’ nestles alongside the astonishing vitriol of ‘Who’s Listening Now’, the folky pledge of ‘In Dictum’ and the almost carefree ‘Heartbeating City’ – all disparate musical elements that go towards creating the whole that is Wallis Bird as a songwriter. The intimacy of the recordings captures the sound and smell of an acoustic guitar being pushed to its physical limits, the sense of a packed-out local bar being conducted in time and in thrall to the energetic, captivating presence who marshals every element.
This is Wallis Bird, an unpredictable artist who chooses her own path and beckons us to follow.
27.01.2012
Lyle Lovett.....
Though it has been over 20 years since he had enjoyed a hit at country radio, Lyle Lovett remains a consistent seller as well as one of the format's more recognizable faces.
The singer has a pair of projects that he is very excited about currently. Lovett's recent Christmas EP, "Songs For The Season," released just before the holidays, is available at iTunes, Amazon and other online outlets. Produced by Nathaniel Kunkel and Lovett, the EP features the Vince Guaraldi classic, "Christmas Time Is Here", Frank Loesser's timeless "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and Lovett's own "The Girl With The Holiday Smile". "Christmas Time Is Here" and "Baby, It's Cold Outside" feature Austin, TX-based singer Kat Edmonson on vocals.
The singer will also release a new studio album titled "Release Me" on February 28th, 2012. Also produced by Kunkel and Lovett, it will mark his final release for Curb/Universal, where he has been with since the beginning of his career in 1986.
It was his self-titled debut record 25 years ago that brought him his biggest success at radio - His lone top ten single, "Cowboy Man". In spite of that fact, each of Lovett's albums since 1996 have hit the top ten on the Top Country Albums chart, with 2007's "It's Not Big, It's Large" peaking at # 2.
26.01.2012
Gilbert O'Sullivan.....
If 1971 had established Gilbert O'Sullivan as an intriguing new song writing talent with an unforgettable off-beat image, 1972 saw him become even more successful and, somewhat surprisingly, a sex-symbol. The pale, be-capped 'Just William' character pictured on the previous album, "Himself", had become a not-so-distant cousin of manager and producer Gordon Mills other manly stars, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, and on the front of his second album he looked handsome, tanned and sexy.
"Alone Again (Naturally)" and "Clair", the singles that preceded the album, had been enormous hits in both Europe and America. The former spent six weeks at number 1 in the US and the latter was only kept from the American top spot by Carly Simons "You're So Vain". Yet it wasn't until the release of "Back To Front" in October 1972 that Gilbert finally got around to touring.
"I wanted to concentrate on writing", explains Gilbert. "My apprenticeship wasn't going through clubs and small venues, it was sitting in a room trying to write songs. So I didn't miss getting on the road. Television was easy in and out, and I could go home to my house and concentrate on the real work. And the real work was now really paying off".
"Back To Front" was hugely popular in the UK and, alongside the aforementioned singles (and his exciting new image) it helped to propel Gilbert to international superstardom. Three bonus tracks, including the international smash "Alone Again (Naturally)" - a UK and US Number One, and the UK Number Eight-hit "Ooh Wakka Do Wakka Day", 20 page booklet containing detailed liner notes, and track-by-track guide by Chris Ingham from new interviews with Gilbert, plus full lyrics and rare photos The deluxe digipack recreates the original sleeve art and poster.
Released by Salvo Records on February 20th, 2011.
25.01.2012
Paul McCartney.....
Paul McCartney will pay homage to some of the songs that inspired his greatest songwriting achievements on a forthcoming, still-untitled album, due out February 7, 2012, on Hear Music/Concord Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Memory Almost Full" will feature reinterpretations of songs that shaped McCartney's career with the Beatles and as a solo artist, as well as two new tracks, "My Valentine" and "Only Our Hearts". "My Valentine" will feature a guest appearance by Eric Clapton, while "Hearts" finds McCartney re-teaming with "Ebony & Ivory" collaborator Stevie Wonder.
McCartney recorded his take on the classic tracks at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, New York and London throughout this year with producers Tommy LiPuma and Diana Krall. "When I kind of got into songwriting, I realized how well structured these songs were and I think I took a lot of my lessons from them", says McCartney in a press release. "I always thought artists like Fred Astaire were very cool. Writers like Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, all of those guys - I just thought the songs were magical. And then, as I got to be a songwriter I thought it's beautiful, the way they made those songs".
24.01.2012
The Move Live.....
The only complete Move concert in existence! 100 minutes of previously unreleased Move live magic recorded at San Francisco s Fillmore West. Full colour 12-page booklet with rare and unseen photos and lots of memorabilia. Exclusive commentary, new & archive interviews with members of The Move.
Released February 6th, 2012.
23.01.2012
Chandelier.....
"In the 1860's a 17 year-old girl boards a sailing ship that will take her across the Atlantic to America. She falls for a sailor, they wed and begin a life together in Virginia. He is soon drafted into the Civil War, deserts and vanishes.
Now alone, she picks herself up and goes West to California and Mexico, gold mining towns and saloons, Indian missions, bullfighting arenas, stagecoaches and romance.
These songs are her imagined diary."
The album "Chandelier" will be released and available for purchase in February 2012. The album contains 28 songs that portray the adventures of a of young woman who comes to America in the 1860's. Sixteen of the songs are vocal songs and twelve are instrumental pieces. The CD includes a 12 page storybook that contains lyrics and images of the saga.
Let the story begin!
22.01.2012
Ringo 2012.....
Ringo Starr's 17th solo studio album, and his second on Hip-O/Universal will be released on January 31st, 2012. Titled simply "Ringo 2012" and produced by Ringo, it was recorded in LA and mixed in England by Ringo and Bruce Sugar, and features 9 songs. Of the 9 tracks two are covers, "Think It Over", and "Rock Island Line", and two are new versions of his own songs, "Wings" and "Step Lightly".
Joining Ringo in the studio for Ringo 2012 were Michael Bradford, Ann Marie Calhoun, Matt Cartsonis, Steve Dudas, Charlie Haden, Amy Keys, Kelly Moneymaker, Richard Page, Van Dyke Parks, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Dave Stewart, Bruce Sugar, Benmont Tench, Joe Walsh, Don Was and Edgar Winter.
21.01.2012
Colosseum II.....
Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of the album “Strange New Flesh”, the debut of the now legendary band Colosseum II, to be released January 31th, 2012.
Formed in 1975 by virtuoso drummer Jon Hiseman upon the demise of his band Tempest, Colosseum II was famous for showcasing the talents of Irish guitarist Gary Moore, keyboard player Don Airey, bassist Neil Murray and vocalist Mike Starrs who comprised the ranks of the group.
“Strange New Flesh” was released by Bronze Records in 1976 and was a masterpiece of progressive rock with jazz overtones. This Esoteric Recordings reissue is expanded to include ten bonus tracks comprising studio demos from 1975 and 1976, including a version of Graham Bond’s “Walking in the Park”.
The release restores the original album artwork and includes a new essay.
20.01.2012
Even More Byrds.....
In 1969, Together Records released 'Preflyte', a collection of the Byrds' raw demos dating back to their earliest days in 1964 (Columbia later reissued it in 1973.) The release was timely, with the success of the 'Easy Rider' soundtrack and spin-off groups like Crosby Stills & Nash and the Flying Burrito Brothers. It was a chance for 60's fans to hear their pre-"Tambourine Man" sound, including a couple of songs that never made it to the big-time (David Crosby's wistful "The Airport Song", Gene Clark's tender "For Me Again"). Alternative, gentler versions of later favourites like "You Won't Have To Cry" and the McGuinn/Clark composition "You Showed Me" (later a hit for the Turtles) are included, and already McGuinn's trademark jangling 12-string Rickenbacker guitar sound is apparent.
This collection is pre-Columbia material, and is the most definitive collection yet. Previously available on Sundazed records as a 40 track collection, there is an extra 20 minutes of material only recently found. The package has been re-mastered and redesigned.
Released by Floating World on January 31st, 2012.
19.01.2012
Jenai Huff.....
Jenai Huff began singing as a child. Her favorite piece of furniture was the stereo cabinet that her father built. Music moved her from the inside out and it still does. Although she stopped singing for almost 2 decades, there were periods where she managed bands because she felt that music could impact the world in a positive way. Now with her first CD, "Transitions", released, she wants to do just that. And certainly the world could use some positive impressions these days. Her pure and soulful voice touches people and stirs their souls. Her style is a little bit folk, a little bit country, with a touch of bluegrass.
"Transitions" was produced by two-time Grammy Winner, Ben Wisch. His two Grammy Awards were for 'Album of the Year' with Marc Cohn, for the album of the same name, and for Mexican superstar, Ricardo Arjona. He, also, plays piano and keyboards on the album. Jeff Pevar, internationally known multi-instrumentalist plays multiple instruments on the album – acoustic, electric, bass, resonator and classical guitars, banjo and mandolin. Jeff has performed and/or recorded with James Taylor, Ray Charles, Marc Cohn, Jennifer Warnes, Rickie Lee Jones, Crosby Stills & Nash, to name only a few. Background vocals were sung by Eugene Ruffolo, Shawn Thies and Doug Ingoldsby. Sammy Merendino, Tom Lackner and Chris Marshak played drums and percussion. All of the musicians who accompany Jenai Huff on the album are triple A players, as well as her friends.
Each of the songs can be listened to separately and certainly have a stand alone quality. However, when listened to as an album there is a feeling created. Almost as though you had just read a good book.
Currently Jenai Huff is playing her music out in California and later this year will be on the east coast of the United States.
18.01.2012
Ghost Trains.....
The "Hallelujah Mornings" CD package contains the third studio album from Ghost Trains on CD, complete with an 8-page booklet, exclusive digital download of bonus tracks and a set of 6 limited-edition postcards.
Release date set for late January 2012.
17.01.2012
The Doors.....
Fans of iconic rock band The Doors are in for something special. The group's final album - 1971's "L.A. Woman", with the signature hits "L.A. Woman", "Love Her Madly" and "Riders On The Storm" - is being celebrated with a special two-CD release from Rhino.
"The L.A. Woman 40th Anniversary Edition" features a never-before-heard song, "She Smells So Nice", which captures the band - organist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, drummer John Densmore and late singer Jim Morrison - joyfully barreling through a full-throttle original before segueing into the blues standard "Rock Me". As the song closes, Morrison can be heard chanting, "Mr. Mojo Risin" - an anagram of his name that was made famous during the bridge of "L.A. Woman". The track was recently discovered by producer Bruce Botnick while reviewing the "L.A. Woman" session tapes.
In addition to "She Smells So Nice", the second disc of the “L.A. Woman” reissue includes eight never-before-heard versions of songs from the album. Alternate takes of “L.A. Woman”, “Love Her Madly” and “Riders On The Storm” offer a fresh view on this landmark album, which was the group’s sixth straight Top 10. The studio chatter between the songs is a revelation, transporting listeners to The Doors workshop: the West Hollywood rehearsal space where they recorded the album with Botnick. One segment in particular captures a fascinating moment of inspiration when Morrison suggests they add the now-iconic thunderstorm sound effects to the beginning of “Riders On The Storm”.
Rhino will also release “L.A. Woman: The Workshop Sessions”, a double LP featuring all of the previously unreleased material found on the CD collection on three sides of vinyl, with the fourth side featuring a laser etching of the original "Electric Woman" art originally included with the “L.A. Woman” album.
“Mr. Mojo Risin : The Story of L.A. Woman” (Eagle Rock Entertainment DVD/Blu-ray) is told through new interviews with Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore, as well as Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, original manager Bill Siddons, engineer/co-producer Bruce Botnick and others. The high-definition video also features live and studio performances as well as rare archival photos. This fascinating documentary contains rare footage of The Doors in the studio and on stage. The documentary was made with the full involvement, approval and cooperation of The Doors.
‘The Year of The Doors’ will be marked by other special releases, with details to be announced soon.
16.01.2012
Lennerockers.....
Influenced musically by the rock’n’roll revival in the early eighties when Matchbox, Shakin’ Stevens and the Stray Cats dominated the European charts, the 5 school friends teamed up in February 1984 to form the band called The Lennerockers. The brothers Michael Ele Koch (banjo + vocals) and Stefan Koch (piano), as well as Frank Butgereit (guitar), Michael Schott (drums) and Dieter Korth (upright bass), who all grew up in Hohenlimburg an der Lenne, were able to book the first appearance at the local riding club after just 3 weeks in the rehearsal room or children’s room.
The rock’n’roll standards were soon supplemented by the first compositions of their own and the influences of other kinds of music such as country, blues, boogie and skiffle, made the stage programme ever more versatile. With strong logistical and financial support from parents and grandparents, it was possible to release the first LP in 1986 and an old beverages store was reconstructed as an official rehearsal room. The bookings quickly went beyond the local, regional and national field and concerts were scheduled throughout Europe. The Lennerockers have been the livelihood of the 5 musicians since 1992 and in retrospect the assuredly risky step to turn professional has proved to be the absolutely right decision.
Over 2,200 concerts in 20 countries and the sale of more than 50,000 sound recordings are already a ballpark figure. Over the years The Lennerockers have shared stages with many international stars such as Fats Domino, Wanda Jackson, Tanya Tucker, Mark Chesnutt etc.
A world record was even set in 2003 resulting in an entry in the Guinness Book of Records (German edition, page 258). The concert at the highest altitude in music history took place at a flying altitude of 11948.16 metres in a Boeing 757-300 that had been chartered especially for The Lennerockers.
The Lennerockers amaze their fans time and again with highlights such as fan trips to Malta, Bulgaria or Majorca, Mediterranean cruises or concerts at 502 metres below ground (Merkers potash and salt mine).
Thanks to the new album on AGR Television Records things are moving towards the future rapidly and at full steam. In addition to brand new recordings, the international line dance hit of the same name is also the title song of the new album "High Class Lady – Best of the Lennerockers".
Covered by many country and rock’n’roll bands, the Lennerockers’ own composition "High Class Lady" is a floor-filler in English jive clubs and, choreographed as "My New Life", is established as a line dance hit from Canada to Singapore.
The current line-up of the Lennerockers have been touring for nearly 30 years, and consists of Michael Ele Koch (banjo and vocals), Stefan Koch (piano), Frank Butgereit (guitar), Dirk Mankel (drums) and Chuck Shoker (upright bass). The suitcases are already packed and the instruments loaded. Even after travelling more than 1 million miles on European highways, they’re off to the next festival stage full of joy in performing.
15.01.2012
Foxy Shazam.....
"Hello, my name is Eric Nally and I am the singer and founding member of this rabble-rousing pack they call Foxy Shazam. Our other five members are (in alphabetical order): Daisy (bass) Aaron McVeigh (drums), Alex Nauth (horns) Loren Turner (guitar) and Sky White (piano). I love them, but before I get into their story, I would like to spend a little time on myself: I am twenty-four years old, the father of two boys, Julian Michael and Francis Jordan, as well as a loving husband to Karen Nally. This creates an interesting contrast to my career as a professional musician.
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was one of two white boys in an all-black high school. The band name Foxy Shazam came from a saying in my school meaning, 'cool shoes'. If you had cool shoes kids would say those are 'foxy shazam'. Because of this we have a lot of soul, and try to let it bleed through our music as much as possible. Mom and Dad were pretty poor as I was growing up but always supported my musical interests nonetheless. In the early years they bought my band cheap guitars and amps and drove us to shows in the family Thunderbird. I owe them big time and will someday repay them.
Now that you know a little about my history, I would like to talk about my bandmates. Alex, our trumpet player is my right hand man and as a matter of fact he is transcribing this for me right now. Alex is classically trained, has a likable personality and is easy to get along with. We picked him up on the corner of Hollywood and Las Palmas a couple of years into the band’s existence and I feel like his horn playing has added to the uniqueness of our sound. I meet a lot of people that think horns are stupid, but he’s going to change that.
Loren, our guitar player is a weird guy to get the hang of and he’s very quiet. Everyone that meets him gets the impression that he’s mad at them but that’s not the case, it’s just the way his face looks. He loves Dimebag Darrell and I love the influence that gives him in his guitar playing.
Daisy, our bass player has been in the band for about three years. To be honest, I don’t know too much about him and I like him like that. That’s what makes him Daisy. However, I do know that his contribution to our band is enormous and without him we would not sound the way that we do.
Aaron our drummer is the newest member of the band. The position of Foxy’s drummer, until Aaron, has been one that is filled temporarily but never permanently. I would never be caught dead in the clothes he wears but, hey, to each his own. His drum playing is not fancy but it’s extremely solid and is exactly what we’ve been looking for all these years.
Last but not least is Sky White, our pianist who is trained in classical and jazz performance. I remember Loren and I went to a show his old band was playing and the second I saw him stand on his keyboard with a piñata on his head I knew we had to get him in Foxy Shazam. It didn’t take too much convincing and a week later we were recording our first album 'Flamingo Trigger' (which came out in 2005) and went on to do 'Introducing' (2008). Our self-titled major label debut is quite simply 'Foxy Shazam'.
When I listen to a Foxy Shazam record I think of Evel Knievel, Bruce Springsteen, my childhood, Van Morrison, my old friends from high school I don’t talk to anymore, Elton John, the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and beyond, Iggy Pop and my first kiss. One of my favorite things to do when listening to my music is to close my eyes and picture a crowd of six million people all chanting 'Foxy! Foxy! Foxy!' The lights go out and my band walks on stage. It gives me goose bumps. It all makes sense to me. When you listen to our record, think of your favorite things and it’ll make sense to you as well.
Foxy Shazam is not concerned with what category it falls into. We want to stand for our generation.
We want to be the biggest band in the world. We are the Michael Jordan of Rock ‘N’ Roll."
"The Church Of Rock And Roll" released by Capitol Records on January 24th, 2012.
14.01.2012
Captain Beefheart.....
Captain Beefheart's "Bat Chain Puller" will be released in January 2012, 36 years after its intended release date.
The idiosyncratic act's lost album was reportedly shelved after a disagreement between producer Frank Zappa and DiscReet Records business partner Herb Cohen. Alternate versions of tracks from the release surfaced on Captain Beefheart's 1978 album "Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)", though the new release will mark the much-bootlegged's set's first official availability.
Beefheart himself, Don Van Vliet, died on December 17th, 2010. "Bat Chain Puller" will be released on the week of his birthday, January 15th.
The tape is owned by the Zappa estate and although Don didn't want it released they've been true to the work. Not only that, its availability was announced on the anniversary of Don's death and will be released on his birthday.
Magic Band members Denny Walley and John French mixed the release, which will include the original 12-track set and three bonus tracks.
The upcoming release is available for pre-order through Zappa's web store.
13.01.2012
DownTown Mystic.....
DownTown Mystic is the alter ego of American Rocker, Robert Allen. When asked about how he got the name DownTown Mystic, Robert says, “I wanted a name that could work for a group, as well as represent me personally. One fateful day I was driving up to Boston and saw a little sign that said ‘NEXT STOP DOWNTOWN MYSTIC’. I immediately knew that was the name I was looking for… DownTown represents my rock’n’roll nature and Mystic represents my imagination… It’s perfect!”
DownTown Mystic’s CD, “Standing Still”, is the 1st release under a new deal with AGR Television Records. On "Standing Still", Robert is joined by a stellar cast of musicians, including drummer extraordinaire Steve Holley (Paul McCartney/Wings/Elton John/Ian Hunter) & urban legend Paul Page (Dion/Ian Hunter) on bass, as well as one of the great rhythm sections in the history of American Rock'n'Roll - Garry Tallent and Max Weinberg of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
The sound of DownTown Mystic is “vintage yet modern”. The music is rooted in all the great traditions of rock‘n’roll, blending story telling songs with vintage guitars and analog recording into a unique style that owes nods to Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, Poco, The Beatles and Rolling Stones.
On playing roots/rock‘n’roll, Robert says, “There’s a good deal of country in the roots of rock ‘n’roll. Going back to Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Everly Brothers and even the skiffle craze in Britain that had a big influence on The Beatles. Country was in the ‘feel’ that was a big part of that music.”
And it’s a big part of what makes “Standing Still” DownTown Mystic’s most fully realized album, landing on both the EuroAmericana Top 25 Chart in Europe and the Americana Chart in the US, thanks to a good deal of Americana Radio airplay. And it seems like radio has played a big part in the career of DownTown Mystic.
It started with veteran tastemaker, Jed The Fish, playing a DownTown Mystic track as his “Catch of The Day” on KROQ in Los Angeles, one of the most influential stations in the US. This would be followed by the “Mayor of The Sunset Strip”, legendary KROQ DJ Rodney Bingenheimer, playing another track and leading to national airplay.
From there, DownTown Mystic was off and running.
12.01.2012
Daniel Bustone.....
Torn between the two sides of the ocean, Daniel Bustone’s music sounds like a perfect mixture of Americana and English pop, influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, but also by David Bowie and the Beatles.
Born in France, Daniel has recorded and collaborated with several different bands in his younger days, before heading to a solo project that gave birth to "Those Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", a collection of 10 original songs that find their roots in the pop-folk format which he has always been fond of.
“With the latest of my bands, the music we played was very Radiohead-oriented. Then one day, I started to realize that I was making too many compromises by continuing with my fellow musicians and that in the end, it resulted in something I was totally disconnected with”. “I had to follow my own way…..” This way was to return to the kind of music Daniel Bustone had always been fond of. Writing simple format songs that could be sung under the shower by anyone. No need to play easy-listening muzak to reach that goal. It just takes a bunch of good tunes, coupled with meaningful lyrics, and to deliver the whole thing with all the passion and sincerity it deserves.
“I tried my best to reach that goal with 'Those Thrilling Days', and even though it’s been recorded on a homemade studio within a couple of weeks, I don’t think it sounds amateurish. And I like being spontaneous. I wouldn’t see myself hanging around on the studios for months, trying to find the ideal sound for the bass drum. It’s so alienating to me!” Torn between the two sides of the ocean, Daniel Bustone’s music sounds like a perfect mixture of Americana and English pop, influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, but also by David Bowie and the Beatles.
Born in France, Daniel has recorded and collaborated with several different bands in his younger days, before heading to a solo project that gave birth to "Those Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", a collection of 10 original songs that find their roots in the pop-folk format which he has always been fond of. “With the latest of my bands, the music we played was very Radiohead-oriented. Then one day, I started to realize that I was making too many compromises by continuing with my fellow musicians and that in the end, it resulted in something I was totally disconnected with”.
“I had to follow my own way…..” This way was to return to the kind of music Daniel Bustone had always been fond of. Writing simple format songs that could be sung under the shower by anyone. No need to play easy-listening muzak to reach that goal. It just takes a bunch of good tunes, coupled with meaningful lyrics, and to deliver the whole thing with all the passion and sincerity it deserves.
“I tried my best to reach that goal with 'Those Thrilling Days', and even though it’s been recorded on a homemade studio within a couple of weeks, I don’t think it sounds amateurish. And I like being spontaneous. I wouldn’t see myself hanging around on the studios for months, trying to find the ideal sound for the bass drum. It’s so alienating to me!”
11.01.2012
Elvis Country.....
The Elvis Presley series of Legacy Edition multi-disc packages continues its focus on important phases of the king’s recording career at RCA Records. Forty years after its release in 1971, "Elvis Country", an LP that found him getting back in touch with the Nashville country music mainstream, is the lynchpin for "Elvis Country: Legacy Edition", the newest entry in the series.
Included in the new package on CD one is the original 12-song "Elvis Country" (“I’m 10,000 Years Old”), first released in 1971. Three bonus tracks are drawn from the original recording sessions of June and September 1970. On CD two, from the June sessions, comes the original 11-song "Love Letters From Elvis", also with three bonus tracks from the original sessions.
10.01.2012
Dyl's Folk Off.....
Dyl was born and raised in South France, and the first connection with music was his mother’s Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour record collection. Soon came the punk-rock explosion. Dyl has slept with his guitar since then...
He moved to South America and spent years in French Guana where he started his first band (The Brown Band), playing some noisy folk-rock to people more inclined to Creole rythmns. At the same time he started to write for music magazines in France (Rolling Stone, Rock Sound, Le Cri Du Coyote) and never stopped.
Back in Europe, he forgot about this musician and singer thing. The virus came back around 2005 and he decided to gather a lot of friends from all over the world (Sweden, USA, Argentina, Italy, France) to record his own material, songs written by friends and a handful of covers (Bruce Springsteen, Joe Henry, Sam Phillips, The Sonics, Jean-Louis Murat). The result is «Folk Off», mastered by Al Ursini (Michelle Shocked, Cheap Trick) in Chicago.
Dyl is currently working on a side-project with Petra Borén Supparo (Göteborg, Sweden), in an alternative folk duo: Dyl & Petra.
09.01.2012
More Byrds.....
A lovely hard-bound book with an excellent photo section, it more than justifys the 'must-have-for Byrds-fans' tag. 1152 pages, 234x156mm, with images, and black & white photos in a hardcover.
The most ambitious rock biography ever written, Rogan’s epic study of the Byrds is the product of over 35 years work. It tells the gripping story of the chart-topping group whose songs included such classics as ‘Mr Tambourine Man’, ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’, ‘Eight Miles High’ and many more. Johnny Rogan’s previous Byrds’ book, ‘Timeless Flight Revisited’, published in the mid-90’s received extensive media coverage and glowing reviews. This new work, more than twice the length of its predecessor, is a completely new book, looking at every aspect of the Byrds tragic lives, music and continuing importance, right up to the present day. It is one of the great stories of popular music.
The Byrds’ story is one of the most dramatic in rock history, full of dramatic intrigue, hedonism and tragic death, involving a cast that includes David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, Gram Parsons and many more. Johnny Rogan has interviewed all the major participants over decades, including many now dead. The result is one of the most provocative and critically revered books ever produced in its field.
18.12.2011
Almost Gone.....
A companion video for "Almost Gone" - a brand new song by legendary singer-songwriter Graham Nash and musician James Raymond (son of David Crosby) - is being released today in support of accused U.S. Army whistleblower Bradley Manning. The free download is available on Nash's website and the Bradley Manning Support Network site.
The release is timed to Manning's first judicial hearing scheduled for December 16th, following more than 17-months in custody, including a year in solitary confinement that Amnesty International has characterized as "harsh and punitive."
Visually, the "Almost Gone" video is punctuated with bold graphics, disturbing images and harsh facts. Its release is scheduled to precede Manning's pre-trial hearing on December 16, which is the day before his 24th birthday. The Bradley Manning Support Network has named the following day, December 17, its International Day of Solidarity. PFC Manning, an Army intelligence analyst who had been stationed near Baghdad, was arrested in May 2010 under suspicion of leaking classified information, including a video showing the killing of civilians, to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.
Nash and Raymond composed the song "Almost Gone (The Ballad of Bradley Manning)" during this spring's US tour of Crosby-Nash, and the new recording serves as the music bed for the video; it features an impassioned lead vocal by Nash, a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted (Crosby Stills & Nash and The Hollies). "Bradley Manning is a hero to me", he sings, acknowledging Manning's role in making public videos and documents that shed light on such as issues as the true number and cause of civilian casualties in Iraq, human rights abuses by U.S.-funded contractors and foreign militaries, and the role that spying and bribes play in international diplomacy.
Chimes Of Freedom.....
Bob Dylan gets a broad-spectrum musical salute with the new four-CD, 75-song multi-artist tribute album “Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan: Honoring 50 Years Of Amnesty International,” being released as part of anniversary efforts for the human rights organization.
Participating arists include Adele, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Pete Townshend, Patti Smith, Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha, Joan Baez, Nils Lofgren, Pete Seeger, My Chemical Romance, Queens Of The Stone Age, Sting, Sugarland, Airborne Toxic Event, Dave Matthews Band and lots more.
Dylan was selected as the focus of Amnesty International's latest project because 2012 also will be the 50th anniversary of the release of his debut album, “Bob Dylan”. The “Chimes of Freedom” album seeks to raise funds for and awareness of the organization that lobbies on behalf of political prisoners and victims of human rights abuses throughout the world.
The 92-year-old Seeger, one of Dylan’s prime influences during the folk music revival of the '50s and '60s, sings “Forever Young,” among 70 tracks recorded especially for the album. A small handful of previously unreleased recordings round out the tribute, along with Dylan’s own 1964 recording of the title track.
“Bob Dylan’s music endures because he so brilliantly captures our heartbreak, our joy, our frailty, our confusion, our courage and our struggles”, Karen Scott, Amnesty International’s manager of music relations, said in a statement. “His words convey a depth of meaning that few artists can equal, inspiring us and always moving ahead of our expectations”.
To be released by Fontana/Universal on January 24th, 2012.
DISC 1:
Raphael Saadiq Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Patti Smith-Drifter's Escape
Rise Against-Ballad of Hollis Brown
Tom Morello-Blind Willie McTell
Pete Townshend-Corrina, Corrina
Bettye LaVette-Most of the Time
Charlie Winston-This Wheel's On Fire
Diana Krall Simple-Twist of Fate
Brett Dennen-You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Mariachi El Bronx-Love Sick
Ziggy Marley-Blowin' in the Wind
The Gaslight-Anthem Changing of the Guards
Silversun-Pickups Not Dark Yet
My Morning-Jacket You're A Big Girl Now
Airborne Toxic-Event Boots of Spanish Leather
Sting-Girl from the North Country
Mark Knopfler -Restless Farewell
DISC 2:
Queens Of The Stone Age-Outlaw Blues
Lenny Kravitz-Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35
Steve Earle & Lucia Micarelli-One More Cup of Coffee
Blake Mills-Heart Of Mine
Miley Cyrus-You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Billy Bragg-Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Elvis Costello-License to Kill
Angelique Kidjo-Lay, Lady, Lay
Natasha edingfield-Ring Them Bells
Jackson Browne-Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Joan Baez-Seven Curses (Live)
The Belle-Brigade No Time To Think
Sugarland-Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You (Live)
Jack's Mannequin-Mr. Tambourine Man
Oren Lavie-4th Time Around
Sussan Deyhim -All I Really Want To Do
Adele-Make You Feel My Love (Recorded Live at WXPN)
DISC 3:
K'NAAN-With God On Our Side
Ximena Sariñana-I Want You
Neil Finn with Pajama Club-She Belongs to Me
Bryan Ferry-Bob Dylan's Dream
Zee Avi Tomorro-Is A Long Time
Carly Simon-Just Like a Woman
Flogging Molly-The Times They Are A-Changin'
Fistful Of Mercy-Buckets Of Rain
Joe Perry-Man Of Peace
Bad Religion-It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
My Chemical Romance-Desolation Row (Live)
RedOne featuring Nabil Khayat-Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Paul Rodgers & Nils Lofgren-Abandoned Love
Darren Criss featuring Chuck Criss and Freelance Whales-New Morning
Cage the Elephant-The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
Band of Skulls-It Ain't Me, Babe
Sinéad O'Connor -Property of Jesus
Ed Roland and The Sweet Tea Project-Shelter From The Storm
Ke$ha-Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Kronos Quartet-Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
DISC 4 :
Maroon 5-I Shall Be Released
Carolina-Chocolate Drops Political World
Seal & Jeff Beck -Like A Rolling Stone
Taj Mahal-Bob Dylan's 115th Dream
Dierks Bentley Senor -(Tales of Yankee Power) (Live)
Mick Hucknall-One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)
Thea Gilmore -'ll Remember You
State Radio-John Brown
Dave Matthews Band-All Along the Watchtower (Live)
Michael Franti-Subterranean Homesick Blues
We Are Augustines-Mama, You Been On My Mind
Lucinda Williams-Tryin' To Get To Heaven
Kris Kristofferson-Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
Eric Burdon-Gotta Serve Somebody
Evan Rachel-Wood I'd Have You Anytime
Marianne Faithfull-Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Live)
Pete Seeger-Forever Young
Bob Dylan-Chimes Of Freedom
17.12.2011
Crossing Keys.....
Crossing Keys was formed in 1994, based on a mutual love to modern country-rock, in the style of Eagles, Little Texas, Vince Gill and similar artists.
Efforts to record their debut album began in autumn of 2008 and continued at regular intervals during 2009 and 2010. In addition to studio work, the band has continued to develop as a live band, and as such has a little tougher sound.
"Perhaps it is our problem", the band says, "we are a little too tough for those who want traditional country music, while we haven't got a chance to get into other scenes, because we're still considered too country".
When Crossing Keys won the Swedish Country Championships in 2008, the guys got proof that they were on the right track, and it was then that they decided to start recording an album.
"But we decided from the start that we would take our time and not rush out an album. Better let it take a while and get a really good result", the band says.
Periodically the band lived in the studio and recorded the album, song by song. Now, about two and a half years later, the album is finished.
.....and, as they say, it's about time!
16.12.2011
Occupying Cheevers.....
Recent news from acclaimed singer-songwriter Bob Cheevers :
"We all can choose how we support things we believe in here on the planet. I personally am a great supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has spread world wide. With the very enthusiastic contributions of my former Sacramento pal David MacNeill who now lives outside of Boise, Idaho, I wrote this song called 'Occupying Wall Street' about the movement from my perspective.
David assembled his Macband to record the track, and my Austin, Texas pal Jeff Tveraas added guitar/organ parts and my lead vocal to it in his studio here in Austin. Mixing the track was a combined effort by the 3 of us, and Jeff mastered it.
My Sacramento video editor pal Steve Holsapple is assembling a music video from Occupy Wall Street national footage, so the video is soon to follow, but we wanted to get this song out into the ether as soon as it sizzled off the presses today. David, Jeff, Steve and I feel this is one way we can offer our voices of supoort to be heard, and we're sending this one out for the 99%.
If you like it, please share it with anyone you choose."
Occupy The Album.....
14.12.2011
Whitehorse.....
"Smokin' hot" ~ Ron Sexsmith
Six Shooter Records' Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet tie the musical knot with the debut of their new band, Whitehorse, marrying their talent and chemistry on stage as an undeniably smoldering duo.
Individually, they have been recognized with awards and nominations from the Juno Awards, the Canadian Folk Music Awards, the Hamilton Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards and the Polaris Prize.
Gutsy and resolute in their pursuits of sound and substance, Luke and Melissa's fusion of the personal and professional brings to mind the road-tested romance of Johnny and June.
Whitehorse breaks headlong and heartstrong in pursuit of it all, cards on the table, everything on the line. Whitehorse figures the odds the way travelers count miles, undaunted by twists and turns of luck and road, so let dice and wheel roll.
Released by Six Shooter Records/ADA Global on January 31st, 2012.
01.12.2011
Downtown Ramblers.....
They call it “nordic urban bluegrass”. A mixed expression that indicates the music they play, where they’re from and what they love. Their music is based on traditional bluegrass with influences from all kinds of music, including Swedish folk, pop and jazz.
It all started in December 2005, when singer Emelie Junsten asked Pär Öjerot if he wanted to play some country music with her, and together with Martin Blomberg and Oskar Ruter they formed Downtown Ramblers. In early stages the band played all kinds of country covers. However, their focus gradually shifted towards being a dedicated bluegrass band only. When bass player Kalle Annerhult joined, Downtown Ramblers took the form that still remains the same to this very day.
After several gigs and showcases the turning point came in September 2007 when Downtown Ramblers won the Swedish Bluegrass Championships in Sälen. Due to the success in Sälen, the following summer they performed at almost every major country and bluegrass festival in Sweden. Later that year, in December 2008, they released their first, self-titled album, with all original material.
Only a few months after the CD release, in May 2009, Downtown Ramblers attended the European World Of Bluegrass Festival, in Voorthuizen, Netherlands, where they were voted #1 European Bluegrass Band 2009. The award gave the band the opportunity to perform at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass 2010, in Nashville, USA.
In October 2010 Downtown Ramblers attended the yearly I.B.M.A. conference where they presented some new nordic bluegrass music for the Nashville audience.
In 2011 Downtown Ramblers releases their 2nd album, "On The Other Side Of The City". On this CD you can hear Grammy Award winner Tim O'Brien doing a beautiful duett with Emelie, and marvelous fiddler Brittany Haas from Crooked Still on three tracks.
09.11.2011
Robert Lamm Solo.....
Recent news from Chicago's Robert Lamm :
"'Liquid Sky' is the first single from the new Robert Lamm album, 'Living Proof'. Look for new Robert Lamm-tracks every other other Monday throught October, November and December. Robert will make the CD version available early in 2012."
08.11.2011
I See Hawks.....
Recent news from I See Hawks In L.A. :
"Hello friends!
We've just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund our forthcoming CD, 'New Kind of Lonely'.
We cut 13 songs on acoustic guitars and bass, sitting in a circle, live! It's quite intimate and intense, with beautiful sounds captured by Marc Doten at his studio. Gabe Witcher played some sweet fiddle, Cliff Wagner cut some wicked banjo, and Dave Raven laid down subtle snare on several songs. These are mostly brand new tunes, and we think you'll really like them.
Check out the Kickstarter page, watch our video, and consider the fun and unusual premiums we've put together. We have one more month to raise funds to put out the CD, and we're counting on our musical family. Hope you can join us!"
28.10.2011
Allan Thomas.....
After almost three years in production we are thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Allan Thomas’ 5th studio album ‘Deep Water’. The CD is being manufactured right now and will be in hand and available for purchase the last week of November 2011, with an offical release of early 2012.
Besides AT’s usual cast of incredible characters the record features such luminaries as David Crosby and Graham Nash, plus members of the Bonnie Raitt, Neil Young, James Taylor, Van Morrison, CSN and Yellowjackets bands. The album contains 12 songs that span time from as recent as the summer of 2011, to ‘Homegrown’ written in 1976.
Keeping up with his promise of releasing at least one album of original material each decade Allan offers up ‘Deep Water’. With the help of over 21 stellar musicians playing their hearts out, we find songs ranging in territory from ‘The Longest Ride’, a tribute to fallen surfer Andy Irons, featuring backing vocals by David Crosby & Graham Nash, to ‘Other Than That’, a vocals and drums only nod to a late ’50′s groove, and a meditation on the worst aspects of some people we all know. ‘The Downturn’, a Marleyish blues takes on the theme of the wild-ride current economic times, while several songs traverse the in’s and out’s of that slippery-slide world of love, including the ballad ‘It All Comes Down To Love’, and a first time studio rendering of the 1979 AT classic ‘Fall In Love Too Easy’.
Here – within a week – you can can listen to all tracks in their entirety, read stories about the writing and recording of the songs, plus find lyrics and special credits. Bandcamp offers downloads in 6 different compression file sizes to suit your bandwidth and preference, and you can pay by credit card or PayPal should you so desire.
‘Deep Water’ CD's, and downloads of the full album and single-song tracks will soon also be available at CDBaby.
23.10.2011
Árstíðir.....
Árstíðir is a vocal-based indie band from Reykjavík with a sound unique to the Icelandic music scene. All six members are distinguished players known from various bands in the Reykjavík soundscape. Over the three years since Árstíðir’s formation the band has released two records praised by trendsetting music critics, had two number-one hits on Icelandic radio, made several TV appearances in Iceland, Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic, and played sold out venues all over Europe.
Aside from their trademark vocal harmonies, it is Árstíðir’s instrumentation that set them apart, effusing a warm tide of resonant acoustic and baritone guitars, virtuosic piano, and melismatic strings. The result is an unusually wide sound spectrum, further emphasized by the impressive vocal range of all six members. Consequently, Árstíðir’s music is a rare composition of the clear-cut and the complex. Their songs are easy to fall in love with yet mixed with diverse influences such as progressive rock, indie, classical music, and Icelandic folk music.
Árstíðir was formed in Reykjavík in the summer of 2008 by Daníel Auðunsson, Gunnar Már Jakobsson and Ragnar Ólafsson. After four weeks Árstíðir got their first break supporting the Icelandic pop giant 200,000 Naglbítar on the main stage of Reykjavík Culture Night. During the fall of 2008, Árstíðir continued to support 200,000 Naglbítar at a series of concerts and was joined by its fourth member, renowned cellist and sought-after session player Hallgrímur Jónas Jensson. Árstíðir also recorded their first single 'Sunday Morning' and the song became a number-one hit on Icelandic National Radio. In December Árstíðir’s concert at the historic Fríkirkjan church in Reykjavík was recorded and released as an EP, 'Live At Fríkirkjan', on Árstíðir’s own label Nivalis. It was mixed by multi-instrumentalist and producer Ólafur Arnalds, a friend of Árstíðir who has continued to collaborate with the band on their most recent album.
In 2009 Árstíðir snowballed into a six-piece when two more distinguished musicians joined: piano prodigy Jón Elísson and virtuoso violinist Karl Aldinsteinn Pestka. Following the release of their eponymous debut album in June, Árstíðir embarked upon a lengthy tour of Iceland and played several festivals, while the single 'Með Hallandi Höfði' became another number-one radio hit. The fall brought more high-profile concerts, such as playing the main stage of Iceland Airwaves, which generated considerable international media attention.
During 2010 Árstíðir's debut album was officially released in Sweden by Adore Music/Border and acquired international distribution through Norwegian-based Phonofile/Artspages. In the summer and fall, Árstíðir toured Scandinavia and Russia and were met by sold-out venues, local fan clubs, and high praise by both audience and media.
Árstíðir has broadened their musical direction in 2011, commencing work on their second album 'Svefns Og Vöku Skil'. The album was recorded in June at the legendary Icelandic studio Hljóðriti with Ólafur Arnalds as producer. Since July, Árstíðir have toured in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria and Russia, representing Iceland’s largest foray into the Russian Federation to date.
05.10.2011
Sadie Jemmett.....
Sadie Jemmett’s debut album, ‘The Blacksmith’s Girl’, will be released by Wildflower Records on October 25th, 2011.
Produced by Steve Lee, mixed and co-produced in L.A. by David Bianco (Teenage Fanclub/Del Amitri/Tom Petty) and mastered in London by Kevin Metcalfe (Queen/David Bowie/Kinks/Oasis), 'The Blacksmith’s Girl' is the distillation of Sadie’s astonishing life story. Mostly written over the last year, the magical, eloquently confessional songs are all about coming to terms with her extraordinary and often traumatic past. Many of them delve deep into her own sub-conscious. Yet like the best songs of Joni Mitchell, at the same time they’re far more than pages torn from a private diary.
The album is set to appear on Wildflower Records, the label run by American folk legend Judy Collins. ”I opened for Judy at a show at London’s Jazz café last year”, Sadie recalls. ”She appeared when I was sound checking, which was a bit intimidating because I’ve always regarded her as an inspiration. But she seemed to like what she heard and afterwards invited me to her dressing room, wanting to know all about me and the songs”.
At the time Sadie assumed that Wildflower was purely a vehicle for Collins’ own releases. When she discovered that the label was signing other acts, she got back in touch. Collins had not forgotten the singer and the songs that had so impressed her that night at the Jazz Café, and a deal followed.
By this time, 'The Blacksmith’s Girl' was already intact as an album. But in the meantime, of course, Sadie had been writing new songs, among them the wonderful ”Up On The Heath”, which has now been added to the album. Produced by Ed Harcourt, the track will be the first single.
”I was introduced to Ed and played him the song and he loved it and said he wanted to be part of it”, says Sadie. ”He plays on it and produced it and he got Cass Browne from Gorillaz in on percussion. We did it in a day and I sat back and let him do it. He knew exactly what to do with the song”.
“The songs are a journey of healing and coming to terms with everything that has happened to me”, she says. “I wasn’t able to launch a career until now because I had to sort my life out – and I did that through the process of writing and playing. It’s a very personal and cathartic album. It’s saying this is where I came from, this is where I am”. But it sometimes feels as if it isn’t me really who wrote the songs. Somehow they were channeled through me and I think everyone can relate to what I’m singing about because the emotions are universal”.
04.10.2011
Kiki Ebsen.....
Kiki Ebsen, an accomplished singer and songwriter, known for backing up such artists as Chicago, Christopher Cross, Wilson Phillips, Boz Scaggs, Tracy Chapman and many more, introduces her first original CD in five years. Already with four CD's under her belt, her latest endeavor is an impressive collection of thirteen self-penned tunes inspired by her own real life stories. The CD is beautifully packaged in a full color digipack filled with pictures and lyrics for each song.
Taking a candid look at her own relationships, Kiki carries the listener on an emotional journey of honesty, passion, purpose and peace as she negotiates her way through her own darkness and eventually back into the light. This CD is sure to connect with everyone who wishes to dig deeper for the truth in their heart, past the superficial, to find... "The Beauty Inside".
Part of each sale will go to The Healing Equine Ranch to support equine learning and outreach programs and the rescued horses that are used in these programs. If you haven't visited this site before, please take a moment to check it out. When Kiki is not touring the world, she and her associates are doing some great things in their community for horses and humans.
30.09.2011
Sweet Judy Collins.....
Legendary icon Judy Collins is plotting a monumental fall, augmenting her brilliant, extensive body of work with the release of two books and a new album.
On October 18, 2011, Crown/Random House will publish "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes" - a revealing, evocative memoir highlighting the 60's, when the prolific songwriter and activist cultivated a love affair with Stephen Stills, battled alcoholism, and became a fixture in the pop culture scene alongside Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, and David Crosby, against the decade's turbulent backdrop.
The same day, Collins, who was called "one of the greatest interpreters of modern times" by Mojo Magazine, will unveil 'Bohemian' (Wildflower Records), a new album inspired by her recollections of the southern California scene of the 60's. The release is the newest addition to her ever-growing catalog of over 40 albums and features four new original songs, special guests, and music by Joni Mitchell and Jimmy Webb, among others.
Also in the works for 2011 is the October release of Collins' new children's book/CD "When You Wish Upon a Star" (the follow up to the 2010 New York Times' best-selling "Over the Rainbow"), an extensive fall tour covering more than 30 cities across North America, and a guest appearance on moody UK rockers Puressence's hit single "When Your Eyes Close".
Judy Collins has delighted audiences worldwide with her inimitable, timeless folksongs and inspiring performances over a career that spans over 50 years, more than 40 albums, and countless accolades. In addition to her extensive music career, the icon has also authored several books, advocated for social change on a global scale, founded her own record label, and garnered an Academy Award nomination. Now 72, Collins is still actively writing and touring, bringing her relentlessly creative spirit to audiences worldwide.
27.09.2011
Hymns From Home.....
"Hymns From Home" are completed and ready to be served!
New and exclusive tracks by Kate Campbell, Citizen K, Greg Copeland, Anthony Crawford, Jude Johnstone, Elliott Murphy, Steve Noonan, JD Souther, Jack Tempchin, Gary Wright and a host of others, are available right here.
Click on the blue song titles, and, voilá, sweet music!
