01.07.2009

Tim Bragg.....

Despite having an innate love of music, Tim Bragg began his musical career somewhat late. First taking up drums, he imagined this would be his sole role as a musician. But the vagaries of band-life are such that he would often give loyalty and service to a group only to find the singer and/or songwriter throwing a tantrum and ‘moving on’ – leaving the rest of the band ‘high and dry’. It was obvious that being a drummer who could write songs would further integrate him into whichever band he was playing with. He sang from behind the kit but needed to demonstrate his songs harmonically too. Picking up a friend’s guitar he began tentatively playing chords and soon after was given a flute – and was thus able to explore many song melodies.

Having grasped melodic and harmonic rudiments, Tim was happy playing and recording his stuff either with bands or calling on friends. Life chugged on… Later he took up another long-held dream – writing novels and short stories. In the nineties he had a number of short-stories published and won some prizes – but in 2001 he had his first novel published and three others followed quite quickly (these had been written over many years – there was no overnight success – though some critical acclaim!).

In 2006 he heard how musicians were writing their own stuff and then recording it on home computers – learning surprisingly quickly (being somewhat of a technophobe!) he recorded his first solo work – 'Fields Of England' (though some of the tracks were recorded in a “proper” studio).

A string of albums followed and Tim’s technical skills improved as well as his production. These albums weren’t always completely successful but held an appeal and a certain charm. On the back of his album 'Take The Fruit?' he got a publishing deal for the song “Rise Above It” and later “Perfect”. With the purchase of his Roland TD6 Tim was able to record the jazzy, ambient 'Night Ferry' where he played all instruments.

His latest album 'Waiting For The Light' is without doubt his most accomplished. Tim’s work is always interesting lyrically but with this CD he finally seems to have captured his songs in their best light (no pun intended!). Tim plays drums, percussion, bass, keyboards and some guitar on this album (and sings of course) but the added contributions of guest guitar players and sax and harmonica give it more depth and breadth. There is more space and life in its production too – a definite maturing of production skills. For the past seven years Tim has also been playing drums in a jazz band and more recently flute and bodhran in an Irish-flavoured folk outfit. There might well be more novels to follow too. And definitely more albums! But for the time being 'Waiting For The Light' is his acknowledged consummate work.

 

30.06.2009

Johnny Hawthorn.....

When you think of the 90’s multi platinum selling band Toad The Wet Sprocket, you probably would not associate them with loud electric guitars layered with fuzz, wah-wah and lapsteel slide – but when Todd Nichols (guitar player & singer from TTWS) met Johnny Hawthorn, their two worlds collided and something happened: catchy hooks combined with fiery guitar playing resulting in one diverse and explosive CD.

'Death & Taxes' the new CD by Johnny Hawthorn features ten songs, nine original and one classic blues cover. The CD breaks out with the melodic rock anthem 'Punk In The Street' with its catchy chorus and layered harmonies. Other tracks stylistically jump around offering the listener a flavor of blues ('Cold Hearted Woman'), the distorted vocal & harmonica title track and the jazzy 'When I Kiss You'. There’s also a spin on the classic blues standard 'In My Time Of Dying' (with a slight nod to Led Zeppelin) and the song 'Losers Game with its atmospheric vibe. “On this CD I incorporated many of my influences (past & present) and used many usual guitars in the production. The result is a sonically diverse CD with songs of different moods and textures.

Johnny Hawthorn (vocals & guitars) has been on the Los Angeles music scene for about ten years. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, he came out to Los Angeles to attend Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Upon graduation he hit the club scene and became a “hired gun” around town playing in (at one time) six bands. Along the way he hooked up with Toad the Wet Sprocket” in 2002 and has been touring with the band playing lapsteel, mandolin and guitar for their live shows.

“I was fortunate with my first CD as people embraced it and I played shows across the US and a few in the UK as well. When I got back to LA I put the call out to Todd Nichols to assist in the production. We had a great time experimenting with vintage amps, guitars and various recording gear.”

The Johnny Hawthorn CD “Death & Taxes” has been called “a guitar pickers dream” as it includes electric, acoustic, lapsteel, baritone and pedal steel guitars.

 

29.06.2009

Sugarcane Jane.....

As it turns out, Sugarcane Jane is not just another promising Nashville upstart paying its dues as a tour warmup act. Instead it's a new name for a couple of familiar faces, and the latest step in the evolution of a partnership rooted right here in Lower Alabama.

There is no Jane. The act is a duo consisting of Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee.

She is a Baldwin County-based singer-songwriter. He's a Birmingham-native whose day job happens to be playing guitar and other instruments for a guy named Neil Young.

A couple of years ago, after meeting in Nashville, they recorded an album of folksy adult pop titled "Redbird." Her name and face appeared on the cover; the songs were his, but she sang them as if they were hers.

She moved back to Baldwin County. Disaffected with Nashville and wanting to be closer to his parents, who live in Daphne, so did he.

"It's really been a blessing to come back to Alabama and be close to family," he said.

To say working for Young keeps Crawford on the go would be an understatement. He figures that in the last year Young's tours have taken him to Europe four times, to Canada twice, and across the United States several times, not to mention jaunts to such far-flung places as Australia.

"He has been very prolific of late, and it seems I've been involved in every episode of it," Crawford said. "When I come home, I make good use of it."

Crawford, it turns out, is pretty prolific in his own right. On the Internet, he's been posting installments of a humorous video documentary titled "On The Road With A Rock Star", based on his experiences with Neil Young's band. He recently released a new solo album, "Five is Red." He and Lee have put together a no-frills live recording of Sugarcane Jane material (which they will release soon), and are hard at work on a new studio album.

28.06.2009

Old Californio.....

A few years ago, Old Californio self-released their debut album, 'Along The Cosmic Grass'. It was an effortlessly charming album, clearly grounded in a quintessentially West Coast California musical tradition that combines the very best in folk and rock and country. Alas, too few actually got the chance to hear that album, even as the band were drawing relatively large crowds to their frequent L.A. area gigs. Sometimes the best things just go unheard, unless you're lucky enough to stumble across it.

Well, that was then, and this is now, and Old Californio have returned with their sophomore effort, although there's certainly nothing sophomoric about 'Westering Again', if you'll pardon the obviousness of such an overused rock cliché.

You may already be a fan of some of the bands Old Californio might likely name as influences - particularly the counter-culture Bay Area bands like Moby Grape, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service... Or a handful of the smokier Topanga Canyon bands further down south, like Canned Heat, Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Spirit - and yet... Well, they don't really sound like any of these bands if you want to know the truth.

Like many of the best bands who released LPs some forty years ago, this new album, (and like 'Along The Cosmic Grass' before it), finds its roots in sounds that once gave California it's own identity at a converging time and place, the late sixties and early-to-mid-seventies. Try to imagine a musical interstate stretching and twisting like overgrown Napa grapevine, snaking along the foggy Bay Area coastline to the golden San Gabriel Mountains, all the way down to the sparse desert of the Inland Empire.

Now imagine that interstate leads right to 'Westering Again'!

 

27.06.2009

O.T.R.W.A.R.S.....

If touring with Neil Young, recording his new album ‘Five Is Red’, and performing with new duo Sugarcane Jane is not enough, Anthony Crawford surprises us with yet another release. This time of his far-out episodes of ‘On The Road With A Rock Star’, that he recorded while touring with Neil Young, band, and crew.

The music behind the footage is all Crawford’s and has been sitting in his vault of greatness. The out of the ordinary style and outside the box mentality of Crawford has revealed an artist capable of captivating attention and admiration.

All songs are written by Crawford and performed by him solely. This is a great album. 14 great songs, backstage footage of Neil Young, and inspiring original photos all from one artist. Remember Anthony’s cover photo from Neil’s 'Chrome Dreams II'-album? Stay tuned for exact release date and purchase options.

"I would like to thank Neil Young and my fellow bandmates for their participation in these episodes. It is a chronicle of our lives during these tours and it is something worth remembering."

www.anthonycrawford.com

26.06.2009

Zachary Richard.....

"Last Kiss" is the first English language album by Zachary Richard in 15 years. Co-produced by Zachary and the celebrated New Orleans pianist, David Torkanowsky, the album was recorded in Montreal, Paris, Brussels, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Lafayette, Louisiana.

Recordists include Don Murnaghan, David Farrell, and Nick Petrovski, who also mixed four songs on the album. The remaining songs were mixed by Mike Napolitano. The album features a duet with Céline Dion on the Band's classic song “Acadian Driftwood”. This track was produced by Larry Klein and mixed by Dave Way.

 

25.06.2009

Yorn & Johansson.....

Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn's 2009 is shaping up as a very busy year. After his fourth album "Back and Fourth" hits stores on June 23, he's scheduled to release a Serge Gainsbourg/Brigitte Bardot-style duets record with actress/singer Scarlett Johansson this fall. Entitled "Break Up," the nine song set is due September 8 via Atco/Rhino. The lead single, "Relator," is available starting today (May 26) via iTunes and streaming on the album's website.

While best known for her film work ("Lost In Translation," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," "Match Point") Johansson released her first album "Anywhere I Lay My Head" in 2008, under the production helm of TV on the Radio's David Sitek. The album featured 10 Tom Waits covers along with one original and was met with mixed critical reception.

Yet the conception and recording of "Break Up" predates "Anywhere I Lay My Head" by two years. In a release, Yorn says "I was having a strange week of insomnia and when I finally passed out, it came to me in a dream. I woke up and the whole thing was in my head, fully formed."

Only after playing the resulting recording efforts for a few friends, was Yorn convinced to finally release "Break Up." The album features eight Yorn originals plus a cover of Big Star's "I Am The Cosmos".

 

24.06.2009

Woodstock Experience.....

Woodstock, August 15-18, 1969. Three days of peace and music that changed history. The event that revolutionized live music and invigorated a generation 40 years ago continues to resonate. For the fans, it was a rain and mud filled weekend of ecstasy. For the artists, it was an opportunity to perform for a crowd larger and more powerful than they had ever imagined.

The five artists included in this collection each gave one of the performances of their career - energetic, exciting, spontaneous, historic. These five complete performances have never been available before in their entirety, and they are presented here with each musician's classic 1969 studio album. This set captures Santana, Janis Joplin, Sly & The Family Stone, Johnny Winter and Jefferson Airplane at a critical point for each of them and their fans.

10 CD's, 6 posters (including the Original Woodstock Poster Exclusively in this box), 25 previously unreleased tracks and rare photos all add up to "The Woodstock Experience". Released by Sony Music on June 30, 2009.

 

23.06.2009

Wilco The Album.....

Wilco revisits the unpredictable leanings of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost Is Born" on its latest project, "Wilco (The Album)," due June 30 from Nonesuch. The 11-track set was produced by the band with Jim Scott, who mixed 2007's "Sky Blue Sky."

Whereas that album reveled in a cohesive, laidback vibe and toned down the experimentation of its two predecessors, musically, "Wilco (The Album)" offers a little bit of everything while making good on frontman Jeff Tweedy's stated goal to use "the studio as another instrument."

That approach is best heard on the nearly six-minute "Bull Black Nova," which is built on a pulsating rhythm akin to "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" from "A Ghost Is Born" and is layered with clattering piano and unhinged, interlocking guitar workouts.

Elsewhere, Wilco offers up unusual song structures on the gauzy "Deeper Down," which has short verses that come to a full stop and a wealth of sonic details in its nooks and crannies.

The gripping "One Wing" builds from a quiet introductory section to a strident, arena-worthy stomper, while strings and horns color the majestic final portion of album closer "Everlasting." Premiered last year on "The Colbert Report," opener "Wilco the Song" is a humorous, self-referential rocker with the reminder that even when life gets you down, "Wilco will love you, baby."

Fans of Wilco's more straightforward side will revel in "You & I," a gorgeous duet between Tweedy and Feist about the simple pleasures of love. Also in this vein are the hushed, largely acoustic "Solitaire" and the stately, harmony-rich "Country Disappeared."

Rounding out the album, "You Never Know" is a flashback to the ebullient pop/rock of 1999's "Summerteeth," while "Sonny Feeling" kicks out a groovy, slide guitar-laden jam that would fit nicely alongside "Walken" from "Sky Blue Sky."

Feist also plays percussion with Wilco on a non-album cover of Woody Guthrie's "The Jolly Banker," which is available for download on WilcoWorld.net. The band is asking fans to donate a minimum of $2 when they download the song, with all proceeds going to the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives. Wilco and Billy Bragg previously recorded two albums worth of unreleased Guthrie songs under the banner "Mermaid Avenue."

 

22.06.2009

Woodstock Book.....

Working with Woodstock’s executive producer, Michael Lang, Genesis Publications has created the definitive record of three days that shook the world - a multimedia boxed set comprised of 2 volumes, new essays, fine art pieces inspired by Woodstock, and even an original Woodstock Music & Art Fair event pass.

We are pleased to offer a superb opportunity to secure your copy of this new Genesis limited edition of only 1,000 copies - ahead of time and at a substantial pre-publication saving.

Starting now, both new and returning Genesis subscribers can make the most of early bird ordering. Place a deposit to secure your copy of "Woodstock Experience" and benefit from a saving of as much as £70 (converts to US$100).

Simply click here to download the "Woodstock Experience" PDF-file with more details about this major new edition, and complete the special order form to be returned by fax / email / post.

 

21.06.2009

Sorta Trey Johnson.....

Although you may own all the Sorta back catalogs, might have attended their gigs with religious zeal, memorized the words to every song, and be the virtual president of the gone-but-not-forgotten band’s fan club, you’re still in for 44-plus minutes of surprise when you drop your laser on Trey Johnson’s debut CD, "Mount Pelée".

“To me it all sounds like songs that basically came from the same well,” Johnson says with characteristic self-effacement, “but according to Don [producer Don Cento] it sounds dramatically different. He was wonderful about taking these songs and presenting them in different ways.”40-year-old Johnson, who’s best known to fans as Sorta’s songwriter, voice and musical compass, isn’t one to recycle ideas or fluff up the pillows in his comfort zone. With "Mount Pelée", he comes of age as a mature songsmith on a creative high-wire and establishes himself as an artist who can stand on his own two feet without a band, drawing instead, on empathetic session players and an imaginative production team to realize his vision.

For Johnson, a Dallas native who’s married and the father of two, songwriting has always been key: His influences range from Dylan to Cobain to “all the Hanks” and beyond. “Stumbling on melodies that seem fresh and alive is the most exciting thing for me,” he enthuses. “And one thing that’s really influenced this record is children’s books: I’ve been swimming in nursery rhymes for the last five years, and a few of these songs started as children’s songs, bouncy and really repetitive.”

In producer/arranger Cento and co-producer/engineer Stuart Sikes he’s found a dream team of kindred spirits, and the collaborative gestalt imbues "Mount Pelée" with the élan of arrival. “Stuart likes pure sound, and I do, too,” Johnson says. “Sonically, he doesn’t want to just fill up empty space, or put butter all over the sound of a particular instrument. Don was willing to take chances and put weird faces on things. I’d bring in songs that wound up being something totally diff erent than I’d initially thought. It was great, and very exciting.”

Unlike Johnson’s earlier, guitar-driven material, most of the songs on "Mount Pelée" were written at the piano: "Songwriter credits that departure as a significant change in direction. Cento’s astute arrangements, which involve everything from horn section to string section, Hammond to Wurlitzer, mandolin to female voices, recall at times the pioneering work of Jack Nitzsche with Neil Young, Jon Brion with Aimee Mann and T-Bone Burnett with Sam Phillips. As a first-time producer, his contributions to "Mount Pelée" are auspicious. Immediate standout tracks include the wryly humorous 'Unfavorable Way', the artful chamber-pop of 'Old Reactions', and the quietly dramatic confessional that is 'Struggle To Find'. “I’m as happy right now as I’ve ever been in my whole life, and certainly my family is a huge part of that,” Johnson acknowledges. “And I’m so pleased to be able to be a songwriter, and thankful I made that decision.”

 

20.06.2009

Son Volt Returns.....

Son Volt, the Americana-inspired rock group fronted by Jay Farrar, returns this summer with a new album and new label. "American Central Dust," the band's sixth full-length and its first since signing with Rounder Records, will be released on July 7.

"Rounder has shown a long term commitment to music forms, like folk and blues, that I have a lot of respect for," said Farrar. "Going with Rounder has been a kind of a full circle continuum - the first Rounder person I met with was instrumental in booking Uncle Tupelo gigs years ago."

Son Volt's last album, 2007's "The Search," saw the band diversifying its musical palette to include ore electric atmospheres, horns and pedal loops. "American Central Dust" see the group returning to the melodic simplicity of its debut album "Trace."

The album features Farrar on guitar, harmonica, and vocals; Dave Bryson on drums; Andrew Duplantis on bass and backing vocals; Chris Masterson on lead guitar; and Mark Spencer on keyboards and steel guitar.

 

19.06.2009

Phil & Bill Chambers.....

Kick out the dinner guests, kick off your shoes, grab that last bottle of red and your loved one, and get comfortable for this 51 minute disc from Australian singer-songwriter Phil Smith.

Eleven tracks of love, loss and redemption, 'Goldmine' will sit comfortably with fans of Americana and good old fashioned storytelling.

From the upbeat 'Annie' and the redemptive 'Baby Doll', featuring Australian country-star Kasey Chambers' father Bill on dobro and mandolin, to the reflective 'Where Does It Go?' a waltz sung with Roz Pappalardo from folk-legends Women In Docs, this is an album that gets better with every listen.

Recorded in a small house in the dark hills of northern New South Wales, interwoven with piano and pedal steel, these well crafted songs take us on a journey to the heartland of Smith's own experiences, and with another two albums already written, 2009 promises to be a busy year for this Australian artist.

Hop on and enjoy the ride.

 

18.06.2009

New Jim Weider.....

Jim Weider's Project Percolator's new CD "Pulse" is soon available. Go to Jim's merchandise page at www.jimweider.com or copy and paste www.jimweider.com/merchandise.asp.

This record was recorded live in three days at the famed Allaire Studio in Shokan, NY, featuring: Jim Weider - guitars, Rodney Holmes - drums, Steve Lucas - bass, Mitch Stein - guitar plus some special guests. (Check out the video "Squirrels In Paris" on Jim's website)

"Pulse" is a multi media CD that also has two video's on it, "Squirrels In Paris" and the recording of "Pulse "at Allaire Studio's.

Jim Weider has also been in the studio recording a new CD for Canadian artist Dean Batstone, and is also playing with Levon Helm at his 'Midnight Rambles' in Woodstock, NY, and is getting ready to do a tour in June with The Levon Helm Band in the U.S.

 

17.06.2009

New Jim Photoglo.....

Jim Photoglo's upcoming album, "Is It Me?", is a collection of 10 great new songs, featuring an eclectic assortment of the kinds of heartfelt tunes you've come to expect from Jim. His music has been expressed in pop, r&b and country music through such diverse artists as Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Dusty Springfield, The Everly Brothers, James Ingram, Kenny Rogers, The Dirt Band, Alabama, Run C&W and, of course, Photoglo himself. But, despite the wide stylistic range of his hits, Photoglo's music really represents only one artistic voice - his own.

He combines a broad musical background with an equally broad range of emotions, and the result is a unique artistry that transcends stylistic boundaries and appeals to a universal audience. With guest appearances from industry stalwarts such as Jonell Mosser (harmony on 'Jesus Saves'), Suzi Ragsdale (harmony on 'Here For You Now'), David Hungate (Toto), Harry Stinson (Marty Stuart Band, the Vinyl Kings), George Marinelli, Jr. (Bonnie Raitt), Larry Lee and Vince Melamed (the Vinyl Kings) plus Mark T. Jordan (Dave Mason), Jim delivers a new record you're not gonna want to miss! So, don't.

 

16.06.2009

New Jim Campilongo.....

Recent news from guitar-player extra-ordinaire Jim Campilongo (known for his work with Nora Jones, The Little Willies and Martha Wainwright, among many others) :

"We've been putting on the finishing touches on my new record (tentatively called "Jim Campilongo") and I'm really proud of it.

Anton Fier produced the record and it features the talent of Tony Mason, Stephan Crump, Leah Siegel and Steve Cardenas. We recorded the band at Brooklyn Recording. Additional tracks and overdubbing were done at Matt Wells' 'One East'.

Right now we apparently have a ton of music that includes two acoustic duets with me & Steve, two vocal contributions from Leah, a solo guitar piece, an additional solo guitar piece with overdubs, and eleven tracks of instrumental trio music..... 'Blues For Roy', 'Backburner', 'Fingerpuppet', 'Cross My Heart', 'One Mean Eye', 'I'm Helen Keller And You're A Waffle Iron', 'Chelsea Bridge' and many more.

Unless I make it a double CD set, some songs need to be cut. Not an easy task but maybe that's a good place to be.

I think it's a good record, if not my best record ever - and it should be available in July or August 2009. Thanks!"

 

15.06.2009

New Bob Cheevers.....

Recent news from US singer-songwriter Bob Cheevers :

"A brand new CD has just been completed. It's called 'Tall Texas Tales' and features ten of the 25-30 songs I've written since moving to Austin a year and a half ago. Under the direction of one of Texas' top producers, Stephen Doster, the record was done live to tape in his state-of-the-art analogue studio (with the exception of keyboard parts, accordion and backup vocals which were overdubbed). It really gave the record much more of an edge doing it that way. We are all very excited about it, and I'll be promoting it on the autumn Europe tour then releasing it in the US after the new year."

Check out photos from the studio:

www.flickr.com/photos/bobcheevers

 

 

 

14.06.2009

More Ron Wood.....

Ron Wood's got his own album to do - Again.....

After inducting Bobby Womack into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Cleveland, Wood said that he's recorded about a dozen songs for a solo album called "More Good News." During an after-party at the House of Blues, producer Bob Rock confirmed that he worked on an as-yet-untitled track with Wood which features a guest appearance by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder.

Womack, meanwhile, predicted that Wood's album - his first studio outing since 2001's "Not For Beginners" - "is gonna be great" and acknowledged he's "trying to get on it".

Also hatching future plans is soul great and Hall of Fame inductee Sam Moore. "As we talk it's happening", Moore, who performed at the House of Blues after-party, said. "Hopefully before the year's over we're gonna go back in the studio. We're gonna cover a lot of stuff people wouldn't even think that Sam would do". It will be Moore's first recording project since "Overnight Sensational" in 2006.

 

13.06.2009

Lee Harvey Osmond.....

"I'll be honest. I never expected to sink so deeply into A Quiet Evil, but it started to float around the rooms and pulse through my veins. One listen turned into six or seven and soon I couldn't imagine turning the record off at all." - Hero Hill

Lee Harvey Osmond's first album, "A Quiet Evil", will be released on Latent Recordings on July 7th, 2009.

Grab a free MP3, "The Love of One", and listen to more of the songs online at LHO's myspace.

 

 

12.06.2009

Joshua Singleton.....

Joshua Singleton confronts love and whiskey, hurts and triumphs, with raw power and a spellbinding voice in his very own roots rock style.

Born and raised around Jackson, Tennessee, Joshua Singleton comes from a musical family that includes a grandfather who hung out with Elvis, a mother who is a long time singer/songwriter and a brother who has two number one country hits under his belt.

He's been musically inspired since he could walk the delta blues from Memphis, rockabilly from Jackson, and country from Nashville. He cut his teeth in the clubs on Beale Street in Memphis and Broadway in Nashville, and went on to tour most of the U.S., France, and Sweden.

In 2004, after two years of living in France, Joshua returned to the U.S. and took a serious step into songwriting, and today he is becoming a welcome new roots rock sound in the U.S.

New album out now

 

11.06.2009

Big Star Box.....

Four discs worth of unreleased demos, alternate takes, rarities, and live cuts are on tap for cult-rock act Big Star this fall when Rhino releases "Keep An Eye On The Sky" on September 15. The 98 tracks cull from 1968 – 1975, and include pre-Big Star bands Rock City and Icewater, solo work from Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, and unreleased material from the "#1 Record," "Radio City" and "Third/Sister Lover" sessions.

While Big Star struggled with success commercially, their early 70's, power-pop sound is often cited as directly influencing bands like Cheap Trick, R.E.M. and the Replacements. Big Star's music is undergoing a resurgence, with a film is reportedly in the works - based on Rob Jovanovic's biography, "Big Star: The Story of Rock's Forgotten Band" - and songs have been used in several TV shows, including the Cheap Trick version of "In The Street" as the theme song to "That ‘70s Show."

"Just when you're thinking everything has been released, apparently it hasn't," Big Star drummer Jody Stephens says. "Adam Hill is an engineer here at Ardent [Studios] – and the Big Star tape vault aficionado. He's the guy who's been digging through stuff, figuring out when stuff was done."

While there are numerous demos unearthed on the first two discs, Stephens doesn't recall the band utilizing a demo process that often. "With the first album, ["#1 Record] I don't really remember "demoing" things per se," he says. "I do remember sitting down with the material for the first album, and have the material unfold as the rehearsal went on. It was a pretty remarkable time."

While Big Star gigs were that of a rare thing, the fourth disc culls live material from three nights the band performed in January 1973. They were booked as the opening act for soul pioneers Archie Bell & The Drells at the Lafayette Music Room in Memphis. Stephens recalls those performances being rather difficult. "Not exactly our crowd," Stephens says. "After our performances you can hear one person clap. Not a lot of energy coming back from the audience. The good thing about that particular recording is that there were mics set up in the room. It wasn't a board feed, where those can be kind of dry."

Aside from Big Star material from "#1 Record," the band tackles The Flying Burrito Brothers' "Hot Burrito # 2," The Kinks' "Come On Now," and T.Rex's "Baby Strange." "It's an interesting snapshot of what we were doing while we were trying to make out way," he says of the live material.

In related news, Rhino will rerelease Chris Bell's solo record, "I Am The Cosmos," as a deluxe edition this fall. Big Star still plays the occasional gig and will join Tindersticks on July 1 at London's Hyde Park.

"I'm always glad people are interested," Stephens says of the band's work. "It'll be fun to sit down and drive around Memphis with this. There's much I haven't heard."

 

10.06.2009

Best Of Henley.....

To coincide with the Eagles tour of Europe, Universal Music has just released "The Very Best Of Don Henley".

As a member of the successful rock band the Eagles, Don Henley has also had a successful solo musical career. From classic Eagles hits to the wildly successful, Grammy Award winning album 'The End of the Innocence', Don Henley has left many marks on the musical world. Out of all of the Eagles, he has had the most successful solo career. After the group broke up in 1982, Henley released solo albums, 'I Can't Stand Still' and 'Building the Perfect Beast' with the hits "Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" making Henley a star in his own right. Henley's third album, 1989's 'The End Of The Innocence', was his most ambitious record yet, as well as his most commercially successful. The album sold over three million copies and stayed on the charts for nearly three years, launching the hit singles "The End of the Innocence", "Heart of the Matter", "New York Minute", "How Bad Do You Want It?", and "The Last Worthless Evening."

Henley reunited with the Eagles in 1994, embarking on a worldwide tour and releasing a live album culled from an appearance on MTV Unplugged called 'Hell Freezes Over'. However, the group decided not to pursue any more projects together and Henley continued working on his fourth solo album, finally issued in mid-2000 under the title 'Inside Job'.

"The Very Best Of Don Henley" brings together Henley's best loved and most enduring tracks, plus an extra DVD featuring the following tracks :

1. Boys Of Summer [video]
2. All She Wants To Do Is Dance [video]
3. Last Worthless Evening [video]
4. Heart Of The Matter [video]
5. Everything Is Different Now [video]
6. For My Wedding [video]
7. Love Rules [audio]
8. Who Owns This Place? [audio]
9. Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat [audio]
10. Through Your Hands [audio]

 

09.06.2009

Almost David Mead.....

"Almost & Always" is David Mead’s fifth full-length release. His most intimate work to date, the album examines life after marriage and the promise of things to come.

Mead collaborated with producer Brad Jones (Over The Rhine, Josh Rouse) and new songwriting partner Bill DeMain (Swan Dive) to create a quiet, soulful collection that sets his 21st century pop songs in classic arrangements that recall Harry Nilsson, Paul Anka and Harry Belafonte.

As always, Mead’s honeyed voice is front and center, gently accented with classical guitar, woodwinds and string quartet. "Almost & Always" is already released in Japan, and will soon be available in Europe and the US.

Mead will be touring later in 2009 in support of the album.

 

08.06.2009

Woodstock Expanded.....

To be released June 9, 2009 :

"Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music - Director's Cut" (40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition with Amazon Exclusive Bonus Disc).

This limited and numbered Amazon Exclusive 3-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition features more than three hours of extras - two hours of rare performance footage plus a third hour of featurettes showcasing interviews from Martin Scorsese, director Michael Wadleigh and producer Michael Lang.

Included in the set is an Amazon exclusive bonus disc with additional never-before-seen performance footage in hi-def from Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Country Joe & The Fish, plus three additional featurettes!

 

07.06.2009

More Limited JD.....

More news from the 'JD Souther-team' :

"We're excited to announce a special offer, exclusively through JD's online store!

For a limited time only, buy any two items from JD's online store and receive a free, autographed copy of an extremely limited edition promotional CD. This exclusive, not for sale, promotional radio sampler features five songs that span JD's career. From 'Faithless Love' ("Black Rose"), to the most recent 'House Of Pride' ("If The World Was You"), this uniquely designed promo CD features notes and insights written by JD for each song featured on the sampler."

http://hifidelity-jdsouther.11345.com/catalog.php

 

06.06.2009

Jimmy Barnes.....

Jimmy Barnes was originally the lead singer in Cold Chisel. Leaving in 1983, he pursued an amazing solo career and gained a massive worldwide following. Lemon Records now re-releases his debut solo album, which features members of Little Feat, Journey, Fleetwood Mac, Kim Carnes and many more. This album went multi platinum in Australia and Japan on original release and had not been available worldwide for some 12 years prior to to this reissue on June 9, 2009.

 

 

 

 

05.06.2009

Hunter Overboard.....

It's been nearly two decades since Ian Hunter has released a pair of solo albums just two years apart. But the Mott the Hoople frontman credits 2007's "Shrunken Heads" with helping prod him towards "Man Overboard," which is due out July 21 on New West Records.

"I really had a good time on 'Shrunken Heads,'" Hunter says. "I thought if I could write (another album) quick and do it, the situation will not have changed, so I was able to do that." Hunter adds that three of the new album's songs, including the opening track "The Great Escape" and "Babylon Blues," were started during the "Shrunken Heads" sessions. "Man Overboard" was co-produced by John Mellencamp's guitarist Andy York, who Hunter has been working with since 2001's "Rant." He recorded in the same studio in Prawling, N.Y., where he made "Shrunken Heads" and used many of the same players.

"I've noticed that a few (song) writers seem to be doing quick ones now," Hunter says. "My only thought is it was kind of a time where (George W.) Bush was coming to an end and we knew (Barack) Obama would get in, and you think, 'There might not be so much to write about 'cause he seems like he's a decent guy.' So people had a lot of songs to get out. I know people who normally take five years to make a record are just getting stuff out there now, or that's how it seems."

Hunter hopes to tour in support of "Man Overboard," but not long after his release he'll be turning his attention towards the five Mott the Hoople 40th anniversary shows taking place in October at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London, which were broached by keyboardist Verden Allen during Hunter's last solo tour of the U.K.

"My attitude was, 'Yeah, if it's painless, if everybody wants to do it, if it can go nice and easy and no farting about and the usual bullshit, I'll do it,' " Hunter says. "It'll live up. I'm looking forward to playing with them and rehearsing with them especially. They're a lot of fun, extremely funny people to work with."

Hunter says not to expect more out of Mott than these shows, however. "That's not on my agenda," he says. "But that could change, I guess. I mean, I never thought I'd ever do this. So I haven't got a clue."

 

04.06.2009

Jeff Larson's Heart.....

Some recent news from U.S. singer-songwriter Jeff Larson :

"There has been enough progress of late that an update was in order concerning the new project. The upcoming Jeff Larson release will be titled 'Heart Of The Valley' and is due out mid-August 2009 on the Human Nature label.

As noted earlier, this project consists mainly of new songs produced and written by Gerry Beckley (America) with a couple co-writes in the mix. Special guests include Dewey Bunnell (also America), Rusty Young (Poco), Jeff Foskett (Brian Wilson) and Hank Linderman among others.

The graphic work has started (with photos by Henry Diltz!) and we hope to preview that soon.

Every week or so, a new sample track will be included on the preview page at :

www.jefflarson-music.com/preview.html

Thanks as always for your support of this music!

Stay tuned for future updates."

 

03.06.2009

Holmes Again.....

Holmes is here again! After his debut album "Stop Go", and the widely acclaimed EP "Basement Tapes", it's time for the follow-up, cleverly titled "Holmes".....

Among the songs, you'll find gems as "Let Go", "Not A Political Song", "Hurts So Bad", and Holmes very own take of David Bowie's "Let's Dance".

Soon to be released by Groove Gravy Records.

 

 

 

 

02.06.2009

CSN & Rubin.....

Crosby, Stills & Nash are preparing to road test a series of cover songs that they plan to record for a forthcoming album with producer Rick Rubin.

According to Graham Nash, the collaboration came about after Columbia Records A&R executive Jay Landers heard a Crosby, Stills & Nash song on the radio and inquired about who was recording them. The answer: No one. So Landers went to Columbia Records Chairman Steve Barnett, who in turn contacted Rubin.

"Steve Barnett said, 'If Crosby, Stills & Nash theoretically were available to record, what do you think?' Rubin replied, 'I know exactly how to do it. I have the people in place. I know where I want to record it in Laurel Canyon. I want to do this.' That's how it started," Nash says.

"The amazing thing is this: one of the reasons why Crosby, Stills & Nash has not made 50 records is me and my yearning for it all to be as democratic as possible. We have to wait for Crosby to write. David writes at a much slower rate than me and Stephen do. So we'd have to wait until David had four to five songs that we love, so we could take three of them and put three of Stephen's, three of mine and a couple of others and make a record."

But this time, things are different, said Nash.

"This time, they don't want Crosby, Stills & Nash songs," Nash said. "They want the Crosby Stills & Nash vocal sound on songs that we love, that we'd wish we'd written, that we'd wish we recorded.

"It's been a very interesting time choosing. I went to my friend Joel Bernstein's house in Oakland. Joel is our archivist. He knows more about Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills & Nash than anybody in the world. I said, 'Here's what we need to do. I need 50 songs that (a) have a great melody (b) say something and (c) can be Crosby Stills and Nashed to death. That's what we need to search for.'"

Bernstein and Nash found 50 songs and took them to Stills and Crosby. They threw out 15 and took 35 to Rubin, who tossed another 15.

"We ended up with 15 to 20 songs that we all loved," Nash said. "We're going to try to do six or seven of them per night and road test them - Get them ready to be recorded by playing them live night after night."

Crosby, Stills & Nash will be on tour all summer, and will issue "Demos," a collection of previously unreleased demos today, June 2.

 

01.06.2009

Blue Ridge Fogerty.....

John Fogerty says that he can "take a deep breath and kind of go, 'OK, we're done' " now that he's finished his next album, "John Fogerty: The Return Of The Blue Ridge Rangers," a sequel to his 1973 solo album. He just won't tell us what's on it yet - or when it will be released.

"We don't know when it's coming out," Fogerty says. "We're in talks. Stuff can change. I'm just glad that it's done. I stuck with it quite awhile there, to get it right. I wasn't going to let it go until it was what I wanted it to be."

A collection of vintage country and American roots music covers like its predecessors - along with a new version of one of his own songs - Fogerty recorded the new album with producers T-Bone Burnett and Lenny Waronker at Village Recorders in Santa Monica, CA. Rather than the one-man-band affair of the original "Blue Ridge Rangers" album, the new set features players such as Buddy Miller, Greg Leisz, Dennis Crouch, Jay Bellerose and Kenny Aronoff.

"Those guys are just fantastic players," Fogerty says. "They really captured or understood what the Blue Ridge Rangers vibe is. It's a really cool record."

Fogerty says he'd like to put the Blue Ridge Rangers on the road once the album is out. "Lord knows we played it great live in the studio - it's probably more live than many rock 'n' roll records," he says. "I think it really needs to be presented that way to an audience. We'll have to wait and see how everything shapes up."

Fogerty and company, meanwhile, are still putting the finishing touches on a new DVD, "John Fogerty - Comin' Down The Road," which was filmed last year at London's Royal Albert Hall and will also include a documentary about his life and career. It's release date is undetermined.

Fogerty's Creedence Clearwater Revival tenure will be represented this year, too, with first-time sanctioned contributions to an upgraded and expanded version of the "Woodstock" documentary that's due out June 9 as well as a six-CD Woodstock box set that's being released August 18.

"I gave my blessings after all this time," Fogerty explains. "We weren't in the movie on purpose; nobody really understood what the movie would be; the track they wanted to use was 'Bad Moon Rising,' and I just didn't feel like it was our best work. But now it's OK. Historically it is what it is. It doesn't matter if it's well done or not well done. It's just history..."

 

31.05.2009

Matthew Davies.....

With an honest approach to songwriting, and a healthy respect for those who have had an influence on his work, Matthew Davies is quickly becoming an artist to watch out for. His first record, 'Road Song', was recorded in unoccupied rooms of the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

Matthew spent several years in Chicago learning from peers and playing the local venues. Since the release of 'Road Song', Matthew has been touring the country and recording new material.

His brand new release, 'Highway Specific', draws upon his roots in folk and blues. With the help of esteemed producer JonChristopherHughes and several talented musicians, Matthew has created an album that goes beyond himself, a notebook's worth of words and a guitar.

The future will certainly bring many great recordings from this talented artist, but for now keep your eyes peeled and your ears open from your local cafe to the street corner.

 

30.05.2009

Dan Fogelberg.....

Dan Fogelberg's "Love In Time" is set for release on August 13, 2009. Jean Fogelberg tells it all :

"In 2003, while compiling material for a CD of live recordings, Dan came across some rough demos he had recorded earlier in his career. He felt inspired to finish them and worked on the songs until May of 2004 when he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. We decided we would get treatment in Boston, as we were in the process of building a home in Maine and felt that it would be healthier to be there where Dan could sail and ski, and the new house would be an engrossing, therapeutic project to work on. Dan began receiving the standard course of treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital and we became immersed in all the minute decisions of home building, with trips to Boston every other month for tests and shots.

In January and February of 2005 Dan returned to Colorado to resume working in the studio while I stayed in Maine to oversee the final construction phase. While there he recorded three new songs, one of which was "Sometimes A Song", a valentine for me that would later be released as a download on Valentine's Day 2008 to benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation. In April of 2006 we returned to Colorado together. The ranch was for sale and and we needed to start sorting and organizing things. It was the most beautiful time of the year, warm and lush and everything in bloom. Dan completed, sequenced, and wrote the liner notes for the CD he titled “Love in Time”. He put it in our safe deposit box in Maine and asked me to release it after he was gone.

We never gave up hope that we would somehow beat this disease: we knew every cancer is different and every person is different, but we also knew the odds were against us. Dan was the strongest, bravest person I've ever known and I believed (as did our friends and family) that if anyone would be able to conquer this cancer, it would be him. He fought for every day with incredible determination and grace, and lived every minute to the fullest, sailing right up until two months before he died.

Dan left us on December 16, 2007 but his music continues - a living legacy to one of the most versatile and talented musicians, singers, and songwriters of his generation."

 

29.05.2009

Charley Cruz' Soul.....

One time it's a slow and tear-jerking ballad about a long-lost love portrayed in melancholy tones..... The other a rocking and electrifying up tempo country blues..... Charley Cruz & The Lost Souls don't like musical parochialism. Ron Cruz (drums, vocals), DJ Ciggaar (bass, vocals), Jerry Brown (guitar, vocals) and Charley Cruz (vocals, guitar) travel the country-blues-pop-rock road equipped with a convincingly diverse musical outlook.

After the release of their album "Life On The Edge" in 2005 they have gigged almost everywhere in Holland. Successful as the supporting act of Dwight Yoakam (Paradiso, Amsterdam), The Hacienda Brothers and The Drams (De Bosuil, Weert), Chatham County Line (Paard van Troje, The Hague), Patricia Vonne and Frank Carillo & The Bandoleros (Qbus, Leiden), and many, many others.

Their new album "Last Warrior" has just been released by Sonic Rendezvous.

 

28.05.2009

Barry Charles.....

Australian singer, Barry Charles, is renowned for his exceptional vocal range and technique. With inspirational inflections from the likes of Tom Waits, Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, Tim Buckley and Al Green evident in the emotional colour of his delivery, Barry is an engaging performer,
passionate and wonderfully alive.

He was born into a family of singers, his grandfather was a bass baritone and his father a tenor. Barry can incorporate in a performance innovative scatting, interwoven with the unmistakable sounds of Tuva singing with influences here from [the late] Paul Pena. He also explores the technique of split harmonics and his phrasing is quite unique.

His song writing touches the soul with observations of life, love, the environment, indigenous causes, fantasy, humor - darkness and light. His guitar playing has loads of power and passion, which he delivers rhythmically and percussively. Sometimes referred to as an 'extreme vocalist', his performances showcase his song-writing skills, incorporating some very innovative scatting that has its roots in the blues, soul and jazz idioms.

Barry has recorded three albums of his original songs. Just released is the new album titled "Something Going On Out There..."

 

27.05.2009

Allan Thomas.....

Hawaiian singer-songwriter Allan Thomas is just about to release "Brooklyn Boy In Paradise - The Unreleased Collection" on his own website at www.allanthomas.com :

"This collection of recordings is composed of songs I wrote between 1980 and 1994. Some of the tracks were recorded in real working recording studios with actual producers, engineers, and vintage mic's and mic preamps, while others were laid down in my or my co-writers home studios with whatever recording device we happened to have.

For one reason or another these tracks never found their way onto one of my four major album releases, but having withstood the test of years gone by, Stephen Barncard and I felt it was about time they saw the light of day. We tried to find the best versions with the least amount of generations and tinkering. Lucky for me Barncard has always been unceasingly adept at archiving mine and others recorded works. I decided to include details about the writing of the songs as well as the recording sessions for those of you who might be interested. Speaking for myself regarding the recording of music, I am a much reluctant engineer of the new digital-age school, and only learned - in all my years of recording, from my first singing group demo when I was twelve, right up to 1992 or so - in the last 17 years.

I was never that interested in what mic's, compressors, or pre amps the recording engineers used on my records. I didn't have a clue or even care what they used, as I really had enough to think about with leading the band, playing a solid guitar part, and performing a convincing vocal. I thought it best left up to the producer or engineer of the session to figure out what tool worked best for the job. But with the advent of affordable home digital recording rigs, and the price of buying studio time in commercial recording studios rising and becoming unaffordable, it became imperative for me to learn the medium. Instead of paying for studio time elsewhere why not invest what I could into my own rig. So that's the tack I took, and I'm glad of it. But when the shit hits the fan tech-wise, I go the the old-school recording engineers for advice and direction."

 

26.05.2009

The Plastic Christs.....

In Halden, Norway, The Plastic Pals has been invited to open up for the legendary The New Christs from Australia, featuring members from Radio Birdman, Barracudas och Hoodoo Gurus - The venue is called 'Feelgood' and the date is June 6 - Don't miss it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

25.05.2009

Jeff Pevar Live.....

Recent news from guitar-player extra-ordinaire, mr Jeff Pevar :

"My girlfriend, Inger Jorgensen, has an art gallery called 'Bohemia Art & Framing Gallery' in Ashland, Oregon. A couple visiting from Holland came into the gallery many months ago and saw Inger's artwork and fell in love with it. They mentioned that there was an annual painters week in Domburg, Netherlands, where they live, and the couple asked Inger if she would mind if they submitted her art to the people who choose the artists to come participate. Sure enough Inger was chosen to come participate and I am very excited for her!

I shared this story with my good friend, Hans Veldhuizen, over a dinner in L.A. last week where I was rehearsing for the tour with Jennifer Warnes which I am on now. I had mentioned to Hans that I have recently started doing solo concerts when I am not touring, as it is yet another way to celebrate live performance in a more intimate arena that playing these larger concerts. Hans suggested I set up some solo gigs around Amsterdam while I was going to be there, as he was assured that there were enough CPR fans and music lovers that would be interested in coming to see me perform. I am hoping he is correct and that many of you would come to attend to share in the evenings festivities.

In my solo concerts I sing some songs solo with guitar accompaniment, and I also bring a 'looper' where I can overdub tracks live, to create more of an ensemble sound. In addition, I am bringing some tracks I recorded in my studio to play along with to create a more diverse musical experience.

I will play some songs I have written for Crosby (CPR) and Nash, as well as some songs that feature my guitar playing in both a jazz and blues format. It a varied musical experience. As an added special guest, Inger will be in town and I will feature her later on in the evening on vocals, as we will perform some of the songs we have written together, and also play some unique interpretations of other classic material."

Full tour info found here.

24.05.2009

Heavy Water.....

LA-based Heavy Water Experiments passionately resists the tendency of modern bands to revive sounds of bygone eras. While admittedly taking influence from 60’s and 70’s genres such as psychedelic and progressive rock, this is a group who strives to break new ground according to an avant-garde or art rock sensibility. One of the ways HWE achieves this is through unique instrumentation, such as the use of an 8-string bass along with a regular 4-string bass, keyboards, and drums. However, the band never relies on this approach as a marketing gimmick since it also incorporates electric and acoustic guitars in the usual way.

The sound of the band is eclectic and can range from a dark, heavy quality to a mellower, acoustic-oriented vibe. Certain tracks might seem to fit well in the stoner rock category, for example, while others could be deemed indie rock or some other current genre. In the past, the band has used marriage characterizations such as “Pink Sabbath,“ “Doorphine,” and “Radio Queens of the Stone Head.” These are intended to underscore the notion that HWE neither sounds like one particular band nor like any specific combination of bands. Accordingly, HWE has been compared to a vast number of past-to-present artists, and yet there has never been a tendency toward one or even a few in particular.

So far, HWE has enjoyed a laudable degree of progress while still remaining independent. To date, the band has toured the US and the UK (twice) as well as performing a handful of shows in Holland and Belgium. Locally, the band has played a wide range of venues from Spaceland, The House of Blues, and The Viper Room to more acoustic-oriented venues like The Hotel Café, which culminated in being chosen as one of Amoeba Records’ local picks. The band’s newly released debut album has received enthusiastic reviews internationally, and the album has been accumulating steady international momentum through underground radio airplay and live interviews from DJ’s in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia. Tracks from the album have also appeared on popular American TV shows such as 'Friday Night Lights', and the band’s promo poster appeared on various sets for an entire season of 'The O.C.'. The band has also self-organized two underground music festivals in the neighboring Mojave Desert with many notable LA bands performing.

 

23.05.2009

Fillmore Days.....

The DVD debut of out-of-print documentary with performances by The Grateful Dead, Santana and many more, will finally see the light of day. A documentary originally released in 1972.

Rhino Records and the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation present the DVD debut of "Fillmore: The Last Days".

Features highlights from all five nights, including songs by the Grateful Dead ("Casey Jones", "Johnny B. Goode"); Santana ("Incident At Neshabur", "In A Silent Way"); Quicksilver Messenger Service ("Mojo", "Fresh Air"); Jefferson Airplane ("Volunteers"/"We Can Be So Good Together"); along with performances by Cold Blood, Hot Tuna and Lamb.

Author and original Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres wrote the liner notes for the DVD.

To be released June 2nd.

 

22.05.2009

Dare Dukes.....

The songs that make up Dare Dukes’ new album, 'Prettiest Transmitter Of All', are a striking combination of incisive intelligence and sweet, doleful hooks. Looking past the shiny surfaces of American life, the Savannah, GA-based singer-songwriter chronicles the everyday world, mining the margins for the eccentric characters and bizarre events that are the heart of his music.

Born and raised in the exurb of San Jose, California, Dare grew up as the state blossomed into what he calls, "exit-ramp culture" — a maze of smoked-glass franchises and cookie-cutter subdivisions that took root along the vast network of interstate freeways. "Everyone knows the clichés about suburbia: It's a stark, sanitized landscape, pretty much soulless,” Dare explains. “No one needs to remind us of that. I'm more interested in the poetry I see there - the weirdness, the anomalies, the resistance. Even in this unlikely grid you can find courageous people and precious things."

Moving to Minneapolis in his twenties, Dare began playing music as bands like Soul Asylum, Babes in Toyland, and the Jayhawks were emerging to define that city's post-Replacements sound. Influenced by seminal post-punk groups like the Pixies and Fugazi, and musical raconteurs like Tom Waits and Kurt Weill, Dare fronted the Penelopes, a frenetic quartet that was a fixture in the city's rock clubs. After moving to New York City, Dare took a hiatus from music to focus on writing and theatre, but began playing out again, backed by friends and expert musicians Mark Boquist and Paul Garisto. This collaboration led to the bulk of the arrangements for the songs Dare produced for 'Prettiest Transmitter Of All'.

"America is a crazy, scary, and fascinating landscape," Dare says. "The reality is a lot more interesting to me than what the nightly news depicts. The way I see it, it's a place filled with eccentric characters, all on their own strange mission - some nuts, some saner than the rest of us. These missions, these people, they are what my music is about."

 

21.05.2009

Cowboy Casper.....

It seemed like an innocent enough meeting. Steven Casper, a Los Angeles based songwriter, grew up in Japan, Italy, Nigeria and Mexico as an American Embassy brat. Steven spent countless hours listening to his parents record collection of American music icons such as Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie and Mahalia Jackson. Now here he was, knocking on guitarist Glen Lynskey’s door so he could play him some of his roots based songs.

Steven, who was looking for a guitarist to help him record some of his new songs, was given Glen’s phone number by a mutual friend. They spoke briefly and now Steven was about to sing some of his songs for Glen who had performed for numerous major label acts and in 1996 won best electric guitarist in the Northwest. Glen liked the songs and the two quickly became good friends.

A three song demo was recorded. The drummer on the session, Tony Felicetta(who now plays Ringo in the highly successful Las Vegas Beatles tribute show) asked Steven if he had any other songs because he thought we could put a set and play some clubs. “Yeah, I’ve got about 300 tunes” Steven said. A band was started.

At this point Steven spoke to a longtime friend, Ross Levinson, a film and TV music composer, who played violin and keyboards, to see if he was interested in joining the band. Ross had previously played with such artists such as Tom Waits, Harry Belafonte and Joan Jett.

Ross came by a rehearsal and immediately clicked with the band. The interplay between Ross on violin and Glen on lead guitar has become one of the features of the band’s sound. Ross also went on to produce the band’s first two records, “Cowboy Angst” and “I Used To Be The King Of The World”.

Steven Casper & Cowboy Angst are just about to release the four-track EP “Topanga Ranch Motel”. It was produced by Ira Ingber who has been a guitarist and producer with numerous artists including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Canned Heat and Captain Beefhart. Ira was able to capture the bands dynamic live sound which Music Connection Magazine described as “country music originating in the Allman Brother’s backyard”.

The band’s current line up was completed two years ago with Jay Nowac on drums and Herb Dietelbaum on bass.

All this from a knock on the door.

 

20.05.2009

Best Of George.....

'Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison' features solo hits from 1970's 'All Things Must Pass' through 2002's 'Brainwashed' plus live recordings from 1971's 'Concert For Bangladesh'.

This first-ever career-spanning solo hits collection (on CD and digitally) contains 19 tracks that have been selected by Olivia Harrison and digitally remastered by Giles Martin at EMI's Abbey Road Studios. The CD's special packaging was designed by Olivia Harrison and includes a 28-page booklet featuring previously unseen and rare photos, and newly-written liner notes.

Featuring classic singles such as "My Sweet Lord," "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)," "Got My Mind Set On You" and "When We Was Fab", the new title also features live recordings of three timeless Harrison-penned Beatles songs, "Something," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and "Here Comes The Sun," from his 1971 all-star 'Concert For Bangladesh' benefit at Madison Square Garden.

The album also contains two rare recordings: "Cheer Down" (co-written with Tom Petty) from the 'Lethal Weapon 2' soundtrack and "I Don't Want To Do It" (written, but never recorded, by Bob Dylan) which featured in the lost classic, 'Porky's Revenge'.

"Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison is a gathering of material that takes us far into the territory that was ultimately a place unique to George Harrison," writes Warren Zane in his liner notes essay for the new collection, released by EMI, June 16th, 2009.

Track-list :

1. Got My Mind Set On You (2009 Digital Remaster)
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (2009 Digital Remaster)
3. Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (2009 Digital Remaster)
4. My Sweet Lord (2009 Digital Remaster)
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Live At Madison Square Garden ) (2009 Digital Remaster)
6. All Things Must Pass (2009 Digital Remaster)
7. Any Road (2009 Digital Remaster)
8. This Is Love (2009 Digital Remaster)
9. All Those Years Ago (2009 Digital Remaster)
10. Marwa Blues (2009 Digital Remaster)
11. What Is Life (2009 Digital Remaster)
12. Rising Sun (2009 Digital Remaster)
13. When We Was Fab (2009 Digital Remaster)
14. Something (Live At Madison Square Garden ) (2009 Digital Remaster)
15. Blow Away (2009 Digital Remaster)
16. Cheer Down (2009 Digital Remaster)
17. Here Comes The Sun (Live At Madison Square Garden ) (2009 Digital Remaster)
18. I Don't Want To Do It (2009 Digital Remaster)
19. Isn't It A Pity (2009 Digital Remaster)

 

19.05.2009

A New Solid Air.....

The new version of John Martyn's landmark album "Solid Air" from 1973, compiled by John Hillarby from the official John Martyn website and with sleeve notes by Record Collector's Daryl Easlea, has now been digitally remastered and expanded into a 2CD set.

Disc one contains the original album, considered by many to be his best album, digitally remastered and sounding better than ever. Disc two contains 12 previously unreleased out-takes, 3 live tracks and the 7" single version of May You Never.

All with John Martyn's blessings and to be released on May 26, 2009.

Disc 1
1. Solid Air Album Version
2. Over The Hill Album Version
3. Don't Want To Know Album Version
4. I'd Rather Be The Devil (Devil Got My Woman) Album Version
5. Go Down Easy Album Version
6. Dreams By The Sea Album Version
7. May You Never Album Version
8. The Man In The Station Album Version
9. The Easy Blues / Gentle Blues

Disc 2
1. Solid Air Alternative Take
2. Over The Hill Alternative Take
3. Don't Want To Know Alternative Take
4. I'd Rather Be The Devil (Devil Got My Woman) Alternative Take
5. Go Down Easy Alternative Take
6. Dreams By The Sea Alternative Take
7. May You Never Alternative Take
8. The Man In The Station Alternative Take
9. The Easy Blues/Gentle Blues Alternative Take
10. Keep On Previously Unreleased
11. When It's Dark Demo
12. In The Evening Previously Unreleased
13. May You Never Single Version
14. The Easy Blues Live
15. May You Never Live
16. I'd Rather Be The Devil (Devil Got My Woman) Live Version

 

18.05.2009

Ugly Stick.....

Ugly Stick formed in Delaware County, Ohio, in 1989. Its members all came of age in this Midwestern backwater, an odd crucible of cultures where terse, independent-minded farmers and defeated factory workers coexist uneasily with imported East Coast academics and collegians.

Here the band formed their unique cow-punk style, energetic guitar rock that calls upon the hard, the heartsick, and the hillbilly. Through expressive and evocative songwriting they conjured a haunting musical portrait of a rural Middle America in decline.

After releasing their first full-length effort 'Absinthe' (1993, Bluehouse Records), the band split up, but regardless of where the members of Ugly Stick lived, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the Lower East Side of New York City, the four friends never lost touch with each other or their musical roots.

A reunion show a few years ago brought them back together, and it was clear from that spirited performance that Ugly Stick’s own raucous brand of American roots rock was as fresh as ever perhaps even more relevant.

The band went into the studio to produce 'Still Glistening' (2009, Hovercraft), fourteen new original songs that capture the ragged beauty and the seduction of what’s left of the American dream. Take a listen — there’s always room for one more at this moonshine party.

 

17.05.2009

Neil Get's Around.....

In true Neil Young fashion, Young`s film company Shakey Pictures has dropped a surprise 43 minute Blu-Ray on fans. 'Get Around` is the footage of Neil Young cruising a freeway in Texas in his Lincvolt and singing all of the songs from his new album 'Fork In The Road'.

Young was in Austin for a few days at the start of SXSW to film the videos. In the DVD, you get to go on the drive with Young in the Lincvolt while he sings the songs to you.

The Lincvolt is the 1959 Lincoln that Young has had converted into a electric car. It asks the question 'why do you have to drive an ugly Prius when we can drive a environmentally friendly work of art?'

Young shot 'Get Around' on the Texas Highway between La Grange and Austin. It features all of the songs from 'Fork In The Road' and the bonus track 'Get Around'.

 

 

16.05.2009

JD Limited.....

Recent news from the JD Souther-team :

"For a limited time only, we're offering an exclusive free mp3 download of the Souther/Frey/Henley penned classic hit, 'New Kid In Town', recently recorded by JD at the Belcourt Theater in Nashville, TN.

To receive your download you need to either be a member, or sign up for the 'Official JD Souther' mailing list. Since all of you are current fan club members, we encourage you to spread the words to your friends. Just have them to go to www.jdsouther.net and click 'mailing list' in the navigation bar.

Now, click here to download this previously unreleased live classic for a limited time only."

 

 

 

15.05.2009

Grant's Pawnshop.....

US singer-songwriter Grant Peeples will release his new album "Pawnshop" on June 30, and these are his own words :

"Pawnshop" is my third record in as many years. I got a late start. So I’m catching up.

Songs for the record were tediously selected from an intimidating pile. The best players imaginable were brought in to do their magic. A very good record promoter has taken me on as a client. I’ve got a wad of dates on the calendar to promote it all. This is, well… this is it, folks.

Just a short time ago, an artist would make a record, then tour to promote it. Nowadays you make a record, then use it to promote your touring. Like lots of economic models here in the Bush/Maddoff Economy, things have gotten backwards, inverted.

Still, the reality is: I need to sell some CDs to keep the wheels rolling on this music career I started at the very same time bulk mailings from AARP began showing up in my mailbox. Ha-ha-ha...

My hope is that you haven’t been so beaten down by notions of impending doom that art and music are not important to you any more. Hope you’re still in the game. Wanna hear what I got. And if you do, just visit my website…. Now."

www.grantpeeples.com

 

14.05.2009

Fur & Steve.....

"Travelers" is here! I've been listening to songs from this release by Fur Dixon & Steve Werner at most of their shows I've been to lately, and I was hungry to get them home! And now I can, and you can, too.

As the title suggests, these are songs about the love of the road. Ten new jewels of americana/cowboy/folk original songwriting from these two sparkle out at you from this album, ranging from the love of freedom and fireside friendship, wide open-space sadness and heartbreak, to the down-and-out joy of "being exactly who I am." Man, it doesn't get any better than this. These folks are so downright lovely honest that it makes you weep!

Steve and Fur have this really wonderful way of writing natural sing-alongs that actually contain real messages, and the fourth cut is the perfect "Homesick For The Highway Blues" from Steve Werner that absolutely puts me in mind of Hank Williams, and not just for the use of the word "homesick" - it's just a great old-fashioned way of constructing classic cowboy songs. It's as simple and pure, funny, sweet and easy as you could get, and you'll be singing before the second chorus gets started. Steve is impressive as a writer for the way he can marry humor and pathos, put them right up together, side by side (just like life), and you find yourself laughing and crying and singing all at the same time.

However, one offering on this album is just way above and beyond: the powerfully classic "Scars" is the big, big Kahuna on this CD. It's a song that everyone over the age of whatever should hear and memorize. Anyone who can look back will feel the power of its naked intimacy, and weep for the pure fact of pain and experience. Then by the end you feel damned proud of yourself. He sings of memory and hurt, the scars visible and not, he sings, “I can’t bury them, so I carry them, and I wear them like a crown" And if you feel it, you realize that you do, too. He likens each scar to a "crooked little roadmap of the life that I have led" - Isn't that just right? This song will haunt me and stay with me for a long time, and I'm glad.

Other players on this record are great and add a lot, especially Brantley Kearns on fiddle, playing tastily on several cuts. The others are Cliff Wagner on banjo, George Pandis on trumpet, Gary Johnson on accordian, John McDuffie on pedal steel and dobro and Paul Marshall on bass. The real core, though is Steve and Fur playing their songs and singing their great harmonies. The purity and charm of their full sweet guitars is a perfect match for what they sing about: the grace and yearning and beauty of our lives lived in the joy of simple harmony.

 

13.05.2009

Bill LaBounty's Back.....

18 years after the excellent "The Right Direction", Bill LaBounty is back with a new album titled "Back To Your Star", featuring many guests, including Larry Carlton, Robbie Dupree, David Hungate, Danny Parks, Steve Wariner, Michael Rhodes, Tommy Wells, Sam Levine and Brian Fullen.

The album is due for release in late May for Japan, and later in June for US and Europe.

Bill will begin taking advance orders for the new album by May 15th on his website.

 

 

12.05.2009

Anna Wolfe's Love.....

Anna Wolfe was born on March 10th, 1972, the third of five children and raised on an Arabian horse farm outside of the two stop light town of Kirtland, Ohio. Anna’s family lineage is filled with artisans. It was the woods that gave her inspiration, as she would literally imitate the songbirds as she walked and played outside.

She gave her first performance at age three and started to make up songs in play soon after. Her mother reports that “Anna came out singing and hasn’t stopped since.” At age nine, with guitar lessons, came the further knowledge that she could write songs, and she wrote many throughout grade school and beyond recording six albums of all-original material. In 2008, Anna was signed to the Muddy Sunshine label in Nashville, TN, the town in which she now calls home. "Love", her 7th all original recording, is her first release on this new label.

Wolfe's music has been compared to such greats as Joni Mitchell, Laura Nero, Joan Baez, Annie Lennox and Kate Bush. With classically inspired piano and guitar and with vocals and lyrics that stem from roots folk, she performs with poetic grace and natural wisdom. Having fronted five bands, including her own Albuquerque band, "Anna Wolfe & The Hounds of Carlisle", Anna is currently booked as a solo act.

"Love", is true to her solo, live performance. With fantasia, faith and authenticity, Anna’s compassionate lyrics offer comfort and character. Her music is a gentle hand on the brow and loving arms for anyone who may need them. Her imagination exceeds the ordinary and blossoms free with melodies of grace. Wolfe’s music is gentle, yet vivacious. Anna Wolfe is unassuming and down to earth with one ear to the sky.

“Love” can be purchased at www.muddysunshine.com.

 

11.05.2009

Timothy B Schmit.....

Amidst touring with the Eagles and last weekend's Poco reunion at the Stagecoach festival in Indio, CA, Timothy B. Schmit is putting the finishing touches on "Expando," his first solo album in eight years. The singer and bassist says that the album, which he plans to release in the fall, is comprised entirely of original songs and features a guest list that includes the pairing of Dwight Yoakam and Kid Rock plus Graham Nash, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Keb' Mo', Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Van Dyke Parks and The Band's Garth Hudson.

"I'm really, really happy with this because for the first time I feel like it's totally me," Schmit says. "I wrote the whole thing. I did it at my home studio, and I play as much on it as possible. For the first time I think it's really more me, really what I represent. It's kind of hard to describe, but I would say in many cases it's much more raw than anything I've ever done before." Schmit adds that he had little trouble lining up guests to be part of "Expando." "It's pretty great because I didn't even go through management to get most of these guys," he says. "I would call these people myself and just set it all up. Everybody came to my house, my studio, and it was really, really great. I thought, 'Why not just try asking some of these people that I really admire? What's the worst that could happen - they might say 'no,' and some did, but the people I mentioned were all sitting here in my studio and had a lot of fun."

And although he included his Eagles bandmates - including former guitarist Don Felder - on 2001's "Feed the Fire," Schmit wanted to put a bit of distance between them this time. "I just decided I was going to do this myself, with other people," he explains, "not because there's anything weird going on - there's not. But it's not the Eagles. It's just me, for better or for worse. It's been a really joyous experience, and it's been taking long time because I have been so busy with the band - and that is not a complaint." The Eagles will be keeping Schmit busy in the future, too. After a May 9 show in Sandy, Utah, the group wings to Europe for a tour starting May 29 in Sweden. But Schmit isn't predicting whether he'll find his way into the studio again with the Eagles, whose Grammy-winning 2007 "The Long Road Out of Eden" was the group's first studio release in 28 years.

"We're working so much right now on the road that I don't see any (recording) in the near future," Schmit says. "Do I think it will happen someday? You just never know. Right now I just work on my own project when I'm home between tours."

 

10.05.2009

Phillip Bracken.....

“A moon on an album cover; nothing more, nothing else. I was a click away to discover the most brilliant EP this year hold so far... For a debut, it’s a monument! Such a major act won’t be unpunished!” – www.youcrazydreamers.com

Phillip Bracken’s music explores the space between the sea and the moon. Just like him it is nomadic in spirit. An obvious dreamer, he expresses a curious nature within his tunes. With a unique and warm voice he is at once absorbing as his music emanates from all that consumes his senses. Powerful enough to take you with him, his rhythms are calm yet somehow intense and hypnotic at the same time.

From busking in tunnels around Sydney and playing in people’s lounge rooms, he has since moved into venues such as the Basement in Circular Quay and Bar Me in Kings Cross.

"Everything Looks Better In Candlelight" is his debut EP.

www.myspace.com/tranquildwarf

 

09.05.2009

New Ned Doheny.....

US singer-songwriter Ned Doheny is finishing up work on his first new album in 15 years. The album is called "The Darkness Beyond The Fire" and the label is Tres Rosas Records.

Look for a summer release, as Henry Diltz and Gary Burden are finishing up the cover right now.

www.myspace.com/neddohenymusic

 

08.05.2009

Michael Tomlinson.....

A beautiful singer-songwriter release that reminds one of the days when full albums were great, like early James Taylor and Jackson Browne records; the songs range from folk pop and folk rock to hauntingly beautiful ballads.

Michael Tomlinson has been well known since the late 80s for his jazz-inflected vocals and strong, poetic lyrics. The Way Out West is a long awaited return to a full band format. Michael has released several solo acoustic discs over the last fifteen years but this is his first full production in over a decade. Two years in the making, it's a rich mixture of rhythmic, melodic songs, ranging from rock and pop influenced to folk and country. In fact, those influences permeate almost all of Michael's music until finally, it simply becomes his own genre: Michael Tomlinson Music.

Tomlinson was born and raised in Texas, beginning to write songs in his early 20s - before he could even play an instrument. By his mid-twenties he was moving around Texas seeking a way to get a foothold in the music business. His first real break came in Seattle where he wrote a song about a famous mountain climbing event and the song became a huge success on local radio. He moved to Seattle and started his career releasing his first album, Run This Way Forever, on his own Desert Rain label.

From there it was a series of record deals and convoluted world distribution deals for the next few years before he decided to take back ownership of all his music and find a more peaceful way to live and play music. In the years since, Michael has continued to release a new record of brilliant new tunes every few years and play occasional concerts around the US.

With the release of The Way Out West, there is speculation that a resurgence is coming, look for much more touring and activity in this upcoming year.

 

07.05.2009

Diltz Rock On.....

One of the pioneers of rock 'n' roll photography, Henry Diltz, has created indelible images of the icons of rock music, including The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Mamas & The Papas, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, and Neil Young. Diltz was the official photographer at the Woodstock and Monterey Pop festivals, and through the years his work has focused not only on the famous but also on the fashion and culture that has surrounded rock music from its inception.

As a close friend of many of his portrait subjects, Diltz shows them in intimate moments at home and on the road, as well as in studios and on stage in live performance, in this great book published by Steidl Books in May, 2009.

 

 

 

06.05.2009

Kimon & The Prophets.....

In the vast Prophets library of songs, anything is possible. Whether it’s raising eyebrows with their superbly crafted originals, exploding the hits of Stevie Wonder into the ultimate groove tune, or funkin’ up a Stevie Ray Vaughn blues jam, The Prophets do it all..... And do it with a blues style all their own, and a funk back beat that will make you stand up and move your feet.

Veteran musicians who have long since paid their dues in the NYC club circuit and beyond, the members of the Prophets have been in numerous bands with national releases. Early on Kimon survived a long stint as guitarist and co-writer with an over-the-top, edgy NYC garage band called The Wilsons, later joining Hoboken NJ favorites Fear of Falling as guitarist where he met drummer Rob Savoy. There they gained much experience in making albums and performing via touring in Europe and the U.S. They both went on to form the electronic rock group Psonica, signing with the now defunct Navarre Entertainment. They released their debut effort, but disbanded soon after, at which point, Kimon went on to release 4 critically acclaimed solo albums, methodically cultivating his own brand of protest rock. Much of the material featured Savoy on drums.

Along with Savoy, and now joined by long time friend and musical conspirator Marc Gambino on bass and vocals (Marc enjoyed much European success as a member of the rock band Concrete Jungle and later a six year stint with Asbury Park favorites Maybe Pete) the trio emerged as Kimon & The Prophets, and quickly developed their own melodic blend of blues, funk, 70’s rock, and hip-hop; a musical homecoming back to their roots.

A true working class rock band, Kimon & the Prophets have performed up and down from MA to WV, from venerable original music clubs The Bitter End & Arlene’s Grocery in NYC, Maxwell’s & The Stone Pony in NJ to the The Trocadero Balcony & Grape St. Pub in Philly.....

They are just about to release their new album "Roadhouse Party" on Ultrascene Entertainment.

 

05.05.2009

Laurel Canyon.....

"Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic & Music Of Laurel Canyon" by Harvey Kubernik and Henry Diltz will be released by Sterling Books later this year.

A lavishly illustrated insider’s look at 80 years of music and culture in Laurel Canyon.

Laurel Canyon is a zip code with its own play list: to name just a few: Sony & Cher, The Doors, The Turtles, Canned Heat, Monkees, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Eagles and Carole King all cultivated their immortal sounds in this L.A.-based musical fraternity.

Written by a long-time Canyon resident who knows them all, "Canyon Of Dreams" traces the history of the community and its enduring legacy. Taking a deeply personal approach, it uses a multiple-voice narration based on exclusive interviews with the area’s musical elite. Because of their close and long-time connection with Kubernik, some of these stars are speaking openly for the first time. Eye-opening both visually and informationally, this is a book no music lover can be without!

Interview highlights include:

- Randy Meisner reminisces about the Eagles first gig and the recording of “One of These Nights”

- Graham Nash reflects on life with Joni Mitchell and describes writing “Our House”

- For the first time in years, the three surviving Doors talk about performances, recordings, band dynamics, and, of course, Jim Morrison

- Lou Adler discusses his legendary Sunset Strip venues — Whisky A Go-Go, Roxy Theatre, Rainbow Bar & Grill and Tapestry — and, with Michelle Phillips, reflects on the Monterey Pop Festival.

- Slash, a child of the Canyon, details the formation of Guns N' Roses

- And much, much more!

 

04.05.2009

Jill Sobule's Dreams.....

Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule took a uncharted path to her sixth studio album, "California Years." Instead of the usual record company routine, Sobule financed the recording, production and publicity for the set with donations solicited through jillsnextrecord.com, where she raised $75,000 between January and March 2008.

Sobule just celebrated the release of "California Years" on her own Pinko Records with an intimate performance at Joe's Pub in New York City. During the show, she expressed an interest in extending the model for other unsigned artists' futurereleases, and put out a call to the audience to begin informal A&R scouting.

Fans who sponsored the record at levels between $10 and $10,000 received perks ranging from an album download, to various production credits, to the chance to sing with Sobule on the album, which one $10,000 donor earned.

Sobule has earned critical acclaim since her 1990 debut, "Things Here Are Different," for the clever storytelling of her songs, often starring humorous and poignant fictional characters. She achieved her greatest commercial success with 1995 coming-out anthem "I Kissed A Girl" - the predecessor to Katy Perry's 2008 hit of the same name.

Beginning alone with a guitar, Sobule opened the Joe's Pub set with new album track "Nothing to Prove," a song about growing older and wiser and at peace in the L.A. entertainment business, with lines like "everyone's in the industry, and I hate when they use that word, and when they tell me they're in the industry, I ask, 'Oh, are you in steel?'"

Sobule was joined later in the set by New York jazz band Sex Mob, who accompanied the singer on first "California Years" single "Bobbie Gentry," as well as by violin-cello duo Ethel. The set included a number of songs from the new album as well as older favorites such as "Lucy At The Gym," about an anorexic gym addict, and doomsday love song "Good Life." Near the end of that song, she broke from a sustained note saying that her voice was going from a full schedule of interviews earlier in the day, including "a lot of top-40 radio, where all they wanted to ask me about was Katy Perry."

While declining to share any feelings about the younger pop star's success with the loaded song title, Sobule did use the encore to politely ask if she could "take the song back," closing the show with a triumphant full-band performance of her original version of "I Kissed A Girl," about two suburban teenagers finding unexpected romance.

The new album is produced by Don Was and features stellar musicians such as Mark Goldenberg, Jim Keltner, Greg Leisz, Geoff Pearlman and Benmont Tench.

Track-list for "California Years" :

"Palm Springs"
"San Francisco"
"Nothing to Prove"
"Where Is Bobbie Gentry?"
"A Good Life"
"Sweetheart"
"Empty Glass"
"League of Failures"
"Wendell Lee"
"Bloody Valentine"
"Mexican Pharmacy"
"While You Were Sleeping"
"Spiderman"
"The Donor Song"

 

03.05.2009

Canyon Legends.....

Universal Pictures will release the 2 disc DVD 'Crosby Stills & Nash: Legends Of The Canyon' on July 13, 2009.

This summer as fans all over the world celebrate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, the Classic Artist Series will tell the definitive and inspirational story behind a unique era of music history, which produced more legendary and ground-breaking artists than any other has since.

The documentary 'Crosby Stills & Nash: Legends Of The Canyon' is packed with insightful interviews from musicians of the era and pays special attention to the story behind Crosby, Stills and Nash, a fantastic example of the musical greatness to emerge from Laurel Canyon, and a band which helped pave the way for the arrival of the California singer-songwriter movement. Other contributions include Michelle Phillips of Mamas & Papas fame and Gerry Beckley from America.

Produced by IMPACT Film Sales Ltd, the production house behind the authoritative rock music DVD series, The Classic Artists Series, 'Legends Of The Canyon' captures a moment in time when music was political. When the youth culture of America found a voice and rose up against the
establishment. When the transition from folk to rock music, heralded in by the arrival of the Beatles, changed the musical landscape of the US and for a golden generation living in the garden of the Hollywood Hills, true, musical legends of the canyon were born.

Adding depth, colour and certainly authenticity, legendary rock photographer Henry Diltz (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young official photographer) not only narrates part of the film, but also contributes a variety of original, archive photographs, many never-seen-before, as well as rare 8mm footage shot amongst the musicians that were once the tribe of the Canyon.

In preparation for its 2009 DVD release 'Crosby Stills & Nash: Legends Of The Canyon' will be packaged alongside an exclusive 20 page plus full colour booklet containing a collection of Henry Diltz's intimate photographs of some of the legendary artists of Laurel Canyon.

 

02.05.2009

Jim Savarino.....

Jim's third album of Appalachian roots contemporary folk songs. His lyrics and melodies have a timeless quality, with strong, poetic song forms and roots in folk, Appalachian, and old time country.

Jim is a performer and songwriter of Appalachian roots contemporary folk music. He lives near Morgantown, West Virginia and began songwriting in 1989 after a hitch in the Marine Corps, graduate school in physics, and a career in medical physics and aerospace. His musical influences include Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Joni Mitchell and Butch Hancock.

Besides performing at coffeehouses, house concerts and clubs, Jim also puts much of his effort into performing at benefits for a variety of organizations and grass roots efforts.

Jim has performed on the main stage and hosted songwriting workshops at the Traditional Music Festival in Avoca, Iowa. Also, he has performed at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas and and is a regular at the campfires there.

Jim's second recording, released in February 2002 is titled "Don't Let the World Get You Down". His first CD titled "The Man in the Street" was released February of 1998. Earlier recordings included a self produced cassette, and a release on Prairie records titled "Avoca by Night". Jim was a regular on "Malibu Folk", a syndicated radio show hosted by the late Brian May, and has been featured nationally on "River City Folk", a one hour music and interview program on the NPR. Fast Folk Records included Jim's song "Avoca by Night" on their Los Angeles 1993 CD.

A song co-written with Kathy Hussey, "Sing My Memory" appears on Kathy's 2005 release: "Moments of Wonder" and has also been recorded by the Irish band "Carmel Sheerin and the Ravens".

 

01.05.2009

Anthony Crawford.....

Anthony Crawford, vocals/guitars/keyboards in Neil Young's touring band, releases his brand new album "Five Is Red" on his own Admiral Bean Records on May 26, 2009.

"Music. It’s a part of who I am. I have written over 400 songs in my life and have recorded each of them probably 5 or 6 times at the very least. I don’t think i’ll ever stop.

I have just released my latest album, "Five Is Red", with some great friends of mine who make up the band ‘Everest’. The album was recorded at New Monkey Studio in Van Nuys, CA. I went into the project with no expectations other than to enjoy some time with great people and artists. Joel (of Everest) told me before I went out to CA that they wanted to find out what was beating in this cage of mine. Well, I guess they did that and then some. It is an album that I am very proud of."

www.anthonycrawford.com

 

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