03.09.2010

Dirk Speksnijder.....

Dirk Speksnijder is the creation of singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and artist Phil Knight. The Dirk Speksnijder concept and the album ‘The Man with Two Brains’ is in homage to the glory days of English pop and rock of the late 60's and the early 70's - when giants like the Beatles, Kinks and Bowie strode the ‘green and pleasant land’ and produced exciting, melodic and witty songs - when albums were journeys of the imagination, whole, complete and entire to themselves - when pop stars were thought of as both remote but accessible, alien but real.

With the exception of drums, all instruments and singing voices are provided by Dirk – and so the production, sound and instrumentation gives a wholeness to the album in an intended departure from the idea of an album being ‘just a collection of songs’. To further underpin the concept and unity, voice artist Gary Stokes provides scripted and improvised spoken words linking tracks that are all semi-autobiographical and encompass universal tales of first love ('Hot Air Balloon'), music business frustrations ('Tracy Played the Saxophone'), teenage exuberance ('Going Out!') and realisation that dreams unfortunately can remain dreams ('Two-0-Eight').

02.09.2010

N.Y. Archives 2.....

The Neil Young Archives team, headed by Will Mitchell and Hannah Johnson, is digging through material supplied by numerous sources, including newspapers, writers, fans, bootleg audio collectors and photographers (special thanks to photographer/collector Joel Bernstein). Much work has been done and there is much left to do. Using the template designed by the late Larry Johnson, the whole team is pushing forward.

Special thanks to audio engineers John Nowland, Tim Mulligan and the team at Redwood Digital for the unbelievable amount of work that has been accomplished so far. 'Volume 2' promises even more content than 'Volume 1', with many unreleased tracks.

Four unreleased albums from this period are being rebuilt and will be available in the 'N.Y.A. Special Release Series'. 'Chrome Dreams', 'Homegrown' and 'Oceanside-Countryside' are the three unreleased studio albums. Also from this period is the unreleased 'Odeon-Budokan' live recording produced by David Briggs and Tim Mulligan. These albums initially will be released in vinyl from analog masters as they originally were created for that format. So now is the time to get your new phonograph player. The new players, built with today's technology, are exceptionally good.

 

01.09.2010

Dafni's Sweet Time.....

When Dafni’s grandmother would sing in the hills around her home in Samos, Greece, her beautiful voice was so compelling that the villagers would stop what they were doing and listen. When the Italians invaded during World War II, Dafni’s grandfather went into hiding because he was in the resistance. His wife was also in danger, but an Italian soldier was so taken with her singing that he hid her from the authorities.

This musical talent lives on in Dafni, whom a friend called “the little girl with a big voice”. She embodies many contrasts, beyond that first, most obvious one. A writer of heartbreaking songs, she is also a doctor of chemistry. A haunter of late night dive bars, she exercises two hours a day. A polite Midwesterner, her drive rivals that of any other dreamer who strikes out for the West Coast. In 'Sweet Time', Dafni’s most personal album to date, she takes a conscious look at her past, her relationships and various facets of her personality.

In advance of hitting the studio, the arrangements of almost all of the songs were worked out with her band through a few rehearsals and many live performances. “When I have a new song I usually introduce it at practice; we play it through a few times and then take it apart".

The new album, 'Sweet Time, is dedicated to Dafni’s grandmother, who died in 2009. In addition to her legendary voice, she raised four children by herself after her husband’s death and worked as a tailor up until the end. Her grandmother’s strength and aversion to fuss have remained an inspiration to Dafni, who hopes that she has inherited at least some of this work ethic and humility. And perhaps some vocal talent.

 

31.08.2010

Justin Rutledge.....

Justin Rutledge returns with 'The Early Widows', a stoic collection of songs that rehabilitate the heart and illuminate the dark. Produced with intense fragility by Hawksley Workman, Rutledge’s fourth album is an arrestingly moving and lyrically meticulous piece of art, penned by one of the most progressive songwriters at work today. Shouldering an electric guitar instead of his trademark acoustic, Rutledge infuses the new material with a newfound conviction and drive. 'The Early Widows' also includes songs co-written with literary giant Michael Ondaatje, and award-winning songwriter Darrell Scott from Nashville.

Each song is like an undisturbed room in which a wounded echo reclines. ‘Be A Man’ is a mantra sung by a mirthless poet at an AA meeting; the rallying drum cry which begins ‘The Heart Of A River’ calls for metropolitan migration; the weathered, blustery scrub of ‘Snowmen’ responds with a longing for spiritual hibernation, with a refrain that escapes the shadows of condo towers. Like the birth of a dawn through a curtain, 'The Early Widows' is a study in light and shadow, with words that move like a pilgrimage towards one’s ear. 'The Early Widows' was recorded live utilizing two drummers, Gary Craig and Blake Manning, with Bazil Donovan (Blue Rodeo) on bass, Burke Carroll on pedal steel, David Baxter on electric guitar, and Jesse Zubot on violins. In addition to this stunning ensemble of musicians, the album features the soaring and explosive voices of gospel choir, The Faith Choral.

Signed to Six Shooter Records, Justin Rutledge’s albums garner impressive amounts of critical acclaim. Between his debut, 'No Never Alone' (2005), his sophomore release, 'The Devil On A Bench In Stanley Park' (2006) and third album, 'Man Descending' (2008), Rutledge has earned a Juno nomination, a Galaxy Rising Star award, countless year-end critics’ picks, the title of Toronto’s Best Local Songwriter (N.O.W. Magazine), a spot on the 2008 Polaris Prize Long List, and a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination. Justin has shared the stage with artists such as Blue Rodeo, Dolly Parton, Martha Wainwright and Great Lake Swimmers.

'The Early Widows' will be released by Six Shooter Records/ADA Global on September 14th, 2010.

 

30.08.2010

Bill Parker.....

Growing up in Calumet City, Illinois, on a steady diet of British Invasion bands and Top 40 radio, Bill Parker began his musical life as “a 14 year-old comic relief bass player in a slightly behind-the-times pop group”. He was as much a student of the music flooding the airwaves as he was a player, and the influence of such diverse bands as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Byrds, The Band, The Faces, Delaney & Bonnie and even Led Zeppelin can be heard in his songs to this day.

At 18, he switched to guitar to facilitate the songwriting process. His goal, he told a friend at the time, was to become “the Ray Davies of the Calumet Region”. But there was still one more major influence in his future.

Shortly after graduating from high school, Bill moved to Texas which - unbeknownst to him - had a thriving homegrown music scene built upon what was called “progressive country”. As he tells it, “I got off the plane with a gold Les Paul, and ear-ring, and silver conchos down the sides of my jeans and I thought, ‘Boy, did I make a mistake’. But Texas is where I became a songwriter”. It’s also where he heard Gram Parsons’ 'Grievous Angel' album and “everything finally came together”, the results of which would one day move Carla Duriyea of 'Midnight Rambler' to write “Parker sounds like the lovechild of Gram Parsons and Keith Richards”.

In the years that followed, Bill has written and recorded 14 albums, including 'sex not guaranteed' with legendary vocalist Kathi McDonald and (the as yet unreleased) 'Cruisin’ For The King', which he describes as “the soundtrack for the best Elvis documentary that was never made”.

At the dawn of the 21st century, his song “The Southern Side Of A Northern Town” was used by the BBC’s World Service to close out a 52-part series on the history of popular music from 1600 to 2000.

On his latest release, 'Texas Tales, Vol. 1', Bill moves easily between the heartbreak of “I Thought I Heard You Call My Name” and the beer joint singalong “I May Not Be An Angel,” from the romantic glow of “That Dress Suits You Fine” to the boys-will-be-boys rock & roll of “Funky In the Bunkhouse.”

For all his ready and enthusiastic acknowledgement of his musical influences, Bill Parker’s sound is uniquely his own, combining pop, country, rock & roll, a bit of the blues and even the occasional 9th chord for jazz fans. A self-described “hopeless romantic and shameless purveyor of faded memories and broken dreams”, his performances - sprinkled with stories and anecdotes - are as intimate as an evening at home with an old friend. So sit back, pour yourself a cool restorative, and say hello to Bill Parker, an old friend you never knew you had.

29.08.2010

Wilson's Youngblood.....

"Youngblood", originally released by Caribou/Epic Records in 1983, was the second solo album from legendary Beach Boys vocalist Carl Wilson. In contrast to the bright pop and airy ballads with which Wilson made his reputation in the Beach Boys, "Youngblood" bursts from the speakers with a pair of tough rockers powered by the guitar of album producer Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers). "Youngblood" continues with dramatic balladry ("Givin' You Up", whose lyric may be seen as a commentary on the state of the Beach Boys at the time; "One More Night Alone", penned by Wilson's then brother-in-law Billy Hinsche, who also wrote new liner notes for this reissue) and finds space for some good old fashioned rock & roll, both from Wilson's own pen and those of John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival) and John Hall (Orleans).

Although commercially unsuccessful upon release, demand for Carl Wilson's solo material has increased dramatically since his tragic death in 1998. "Youngblood" only ever saw release on CD in a very limited Japanese pressing. This Iconoclassic reissue - remastered from the original master tapes by Vic Anesini - marks the first wide release of Carl Wilson's solo music on CD. The Iconoclassic CD includes a bonus track of the single edit of “Givin’ You Up”, one of Youngblood’s standout tracks, along with all the original album packaging and a personal new essay from Billy Hinsche.

Released September 21st.

 

28.08.2010

1100 Springs.....

Eleven Hundred Springs plays real country music. With songwriting hooks Hank Williams himself would be proud of, and a band as tight as Buck Owens’ Buckaroos to back them up, it’s no wonder the dance floors stay packed at their shows. It could be said that the band’s influences such as Hank Thompson blended Western Swing with Honky Tonk, and Waylon Jennings blended country with Rock. Eleven Hundred Springs does all of the above, in a way that is current and relevant in today’s music scene.

Without a doubt, live performance is this band’s specialty. Since the band’s inception, it has maintained a tour schedule of 150 plus dates a year all over the USA and Europe. The band was founded by Steve Berg (bass) and Matt Hillyer (lead Guitar/vocals). Playing the fiddle, is the incomparable Jordan W Hendrix. Burton Lee makes the pedal steel guitar cry in true country fashion and Arjuna Contrareas rounds out the line-up on the drums. In the tradition of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, all of these accomplished musicians’ talents are featured.

Whether listening to their recordings or watching on of their many live performances, Eleven Hundred Springs does not disappoint. With a fan base from coast to coast whose age ranges from eight to eighty, it’s easy to see why these boys have made a name for themselves as some of the best in the business.

New album, "This Crazy Life", out now.

 

27.08.2010

Staples & Tweedy.....

This past winter Mavis Staples joined Jeff Tweedy in Wilco’s Chicago studio, The Loft, where Tweedy wrote two new songs for the soul/gospel legend and produced her forthcoming album ‘You Are Not Alone’ (Anti- Records, September 14).

“I have almost everything she’s ever recorded, and I dug back through very thoroughly when I was given this job to do”, says Tweedy. “I thought that if I refreshed myself about where she’s been, it would help her figure out where she wanted to go. I wanted to be sure that we were making a record that she really wanted to make”.

“You Are Not Alone”, the title track, was written by Tweedy. This is a very personal song for Mavis, she said she shed some tears singing it.

Though the ballad can be sung for anyone (a lover, a sibling, a friend, a child) Mavis had her father, Pops Staples in mind when she belted out the emotional lyrics. Mavis also pours her soul into the other Tweedy composition, “Only the Lord Knows”. “That was our political song”, she says - “You talk to this one, listen to that one, pick up the paper, but you can’t get any answers. The White House, the church — I can’t get any straight answers to the things I want to know. So for now, we’re on our own, and we have to go to the Lord. He’s the only one who knows”.

The album features Mavis’s touring band of the last three years: Rick Holmstrom, guitar, vocals; Jeff Turmes, bass, vocals; Stephen Hodges, drums; Donny Gerrard, background vocals; plus special guests Jeff Tweedy on guitars, bass, and vocals; Wilco’s Patrick Sansone, keys, vibes; Mark Greenberg, vibes, keys; with additional background vocals by frequent Neko Case collaborators Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor, and Richard Parenti.

‘You Are Not Alone’ is Mavis’s second studio release for Anti-. It follows her 2007 critical triumph, “We’ll Never Turn Back,” produced by Ry Cooder, which revisited the great songs of the civil rights era and prompted her hometown paper The Chicago Sun-Times to hail her as “an American treasure.” In 2008, Anti- issued a rapturously received live album, ‘Live: Hope At The Hideout’.

Track-listing for Mavis Staples - ‘You Are Not Alone’ :

1. You Don’t Knock (Pops Staples/Wesley Westbrook)
2. You Are Not Alone (Jeff Tweedy)
3. Downward Road (Pops Staples)
4. In Christ There is No East and West (traditional; arranged by Jeff Tweedy)
5. Creep Along, Moses (traditional)
6. Losing You (Randy Newman)
7. I Belong to the Band (Rev. Gary Davis)
8. Last Train (Allen Toussaint)
9. Only the Lord Knows (Jeff Tweedy)
10. Wrote A Song for Everyone (John Fogerty)
11. We’re Gonna Make It (Little Milton)
12. Wonderful Savior (traditional)
13. Too Close To Heaven/I’m On My Way to Heaven Anyhow (Bradford/Pathway)

 

26.08.2010

Adventure Spirit.....

The Adventure Spirit is a harmony driven, country-soul-pop group from Melbourne, Australia. Based around the songwriting of its two vocalists, Tim Fry and Leigh Young, the band traces its influence to songwriters such as Bob Dylan, whilst taking musical cues from artists like Oscar Peterson and Steve Cropper.

Formed as a home recording project in 2005, Tim, Leigh and drummer Mirra Seigerman made an album of their songs, known as a gem-, electronic/folk- and Simon & Garfunkel/Flaming Lips-styled affair, which became an underground, freely-distributed hit in the hills district of Melbourne.

The following year they recorded a folk inspired album, "Hope Shall Carry On", which would later be released in 2008. The project became a fully fledged band when bass player Ben Tansey was recruited at the end of 2006, changing the sound considerably.

While the folk influence remained, Ben’s pulsating double bass playing lent the group a country/pop sound which became more pronounced as the years went by. With material ranging from the berserk rockabilly song "Terra Nova Blues", to the delicate ballad "Everyone Moves On", the Adventure Spirit became known for having an unusually strong variety of tunes, united by the soaring sound of Tim and Leigh’s vocal blend and Mirra’s jazz-inspired drumming.

The group enjoyed a little radio airplay following the release of "Hope Shall Carry On", and earned a reputation for compelling songwriting and intimate live performances. It was around this time that fans nicknamed them ‘the spiz’ using some seriously unsophisticated australian wordplay.

In the last two years the songwriting has grown to include elements of soul and blues music, and these influences are evident on the brand new album "Grand Standard". Recorded by Craig Pilkington at Audrey Studios, this album affirms The Adventure Spirit’s readiness to reach larger audiences in australia and abroad.

25.08.2010

4 U Bruce.....

 

24.08.2010

Tone Bent.....

Robin Eschner and Bill Horvitz, a.k.a. Tone Bent, double up on guitars and vocals as they perform their original songs, and give an occasional spin to a favorite cover. Both are accomplished musicians and composers, and together they deliver gorgeous harmonies and inspired guitar playing.

Their songs consider the many layers of what it means to be human - the things we all share in common, where we differ, how our lives intersect and influence whatever happens next. The songs move from humorous to contemplative and cover a range of things that include a tribute to Susan Butcher, four-time winner of the Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska, a nod to a daughter leaving home to go off on her own, a memory of floating down a river in the San Joaquin valley on a hot summer night, and a meditation on the discovery of a certain blue feather and the way it might change one's life.

Their first CD, "Say What You Will", has been described as: "a roaring ride through the heartland of human experience. Built on earthy guitar parts that sometimes simmer with heat, these tracks are a collection of what is, what might have been, and what could be. Composed through lyrical compositions with a circular logic and a talent for storytelling, these tracks speak to the journey inside us all."

Tone Bent is presently recording CD number two in-between performances, where their fans show up again and again to hear favorite songs, knowing that Bill and Robin will always have something new up their collective sleeve - be it a song, the story behind the song, or the addition of new instruments.

23.08.2010

Le Young Noise.....

Neil Young has announced that his new album will be called 'Le Noise', and that it will be released on CD and vinyl on September 28th. In late November it will then become available on Blu-Ray. Young and producer Daniel Lanois recorded the album in a Los Angeles mansion earlier this year.

"We cut a couple of solo acoustic songs, but the rest is very electric", Lanois told Rolling Stone last month. "There's no band, but I got in there with my sonics. There's nothing else out there quite like it".

Young previewed many of the tracks on his recent solo theatre tour.

 

 

22.08.2010

Amelia Curran.....

Amelia Curran is a seeker. Nearly a decade ago she left St John’s for Halifax, but still pines for Newfoundland every single day. With a number of East Coast Music Award nominations and an extensive discography, including: 'War Brides' (2006), 'Lullaby For Barflies' (2002), 'Trip Down Little Road' (2001) and 'Barricade' (2000), Curran knew it was finally time to make a record at home - 'Hunter Hunter', to be released by Six Shooter Records/ADA Global on September 7th, 2010.

Over the past two years she recorded with Don Ellis in various caverns in St John’s, the city of legends, from the abandoned CBC building on Duckworth Street to an old farm house on the fringes of town. For Curran St John’s captures the essence of her inner huntress.

A songwriter by trade, but a writer at heart, Curran believes language is everything. She describes the craft of song-writing as an act of “expressing the inexpressible, a means of describing the indescribable”.

“Bye Bye Montreal” could pay homage to Leonard Cohen and the thriving arts scene of yesteryear, but that’s the beauty of Curran. She never explicitly says what her songs about. She just opens the door and allows room for various interpretations and relationships. “All Hands On A Grain Of Sand” speaks to Curran’s ability to elevate the lyrical into the poetical. Her desire to reconcile the past and move into the future is a constant struggle.

“Ah Me” manifests biblical myths into self-reflexive epiphanies, while “The Mistress” is part confession, part obsession. A narrative-driven internal contention of what it means to be the other woman. “Mad World, Outlive Me” mines for the truth and untouchable gems held deep within the soul. With splashes of folk and cabaret aesthetics, “The Company Store” wades through a lost way of life. “Julia” turns the page on a bleeding heart, while “Tiny Glass Houses” shatters expectations and rebuilds the broken places within us all. “The Dozens” is a toe-tapping rendition of harnessing one’s inner lover.

Retribution arrives in both “Love’s Lost Regard” and “Wrecking Ball”, but it’s the album’s closer, “Last Call” that leaves listeners thirsty for another round.

 

21.08.2010

Plant Of Joy.....

Robert Plant takes an eclectic dive into Americana roots music on "Band Of Joy", his first new album since 2007's "Raising Sand". The album was recorded in Nashville with an all-star group of musicians and is due September 14 on Rounder Records.

"Band Of Joy" was co-produced by Plant and the renowned guitarist Buddy Miller, and the group (also called Band of Joy) includes multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott (mandolin, guitar, accordion, pedal, lap steel and banjo lines), vocalist Patty Griffin, Byron House on bass and Marco Giovino on percussion.

"Band Of Joy" finds Plant putting his unique stamp on a wide variety of source material, including versions of Los Lobos's "Angel Dance", Low's "Silver Rider" and "Monkey", and the Kelly Brothers' 1960s soul classic "Falling In Love Again".

Plant's last album, 2007's "Raising Sand", featured vocal duets with Allison Krauss and was produced by T-Bone Burnett. That album won six Grammy Awards - including 'Album of the Year' - and debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 2.

Robert Plant & The Band Of Joy will tour the U.S. in July, with additional dates to be added.

Track listing:

"Angel Dance"
"House of Cards"
"Central Two-O-Nine"
"Silver Rider"
"You Can't Buy My Love"
"I'm Falling In Love Again"
"The Only Sound That Matters"
"Monkey"
"Cindy I'll Marry You Someday"
"Harm's Swift Way"
"Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down"
"Even This Shall Pass Away"

 

20.08.2010

Allan Frank.....

"There is nothing I'd like more, than to take you with me to somewhere you've never been, yet somewhere you'd want to go back to, again and again."

Allan Frank is an artist whose songs invite the listener on a heartfelt journey through life. He's not only a genuine musical storyteller - he's a gentle pied piper who creatively encourages us all to follow our dreams. His captivating lyrics in combination with strong melodies make that journey worth taking.

Born in Central Illinois, Allan’s roots run deep through Midwest, where he developed an interest in folk and traditional music. He got his first guitar at sixteen and never put it down. Attending Quincy College, located on the banks of the Mississippi, he earned a BFA in theater and also studied art. During this last year at Quincy he gained a strong interest in songwriting where he began to pen his own tunes. After college his journeys then took him to Europe in the late 70’s where he played and sang cover tunes and his own compositions in pubs in Frankfurt, Germany. He later moved to Hamburg where, busking on the streets, he met fellow American and German musicians who soon formed the short-lived band Deliverance.

He and one of his band mates then moved to Los Angeles, California. During the next several years, Allan maintained his interest in writing and composed several songs while earning his living in the Aerospace and Defense industry. In the late 90’s he decided to take his songwriting to the next level.

He “retired” from the Aerospace industry to study songwriting full time. He enrolled in classes and workshops in Los Angels and Nashville and over the next few years honed his craft with professional writers/teachers at SGA (Songwriters Guild of America), NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) and at UCLA (University of Southern California) where he earned his Songwriter Certification. During that time he won songwritng awards both in the US and internationally, including 1st place for Best Country Song in the 2000 International Unisong Competition. He was also selected by two-time Academy Award winning songwriter, Al Kasha, to edit Kasha’s and Joel Hirshorn’s book “How to Write a Hit Song.”

Allan, by virtue of his accomplishments, began to write with top writers in Nashville and Los Angels including mega-hit writer Gary Burr and Grammy winning songwriter Chris Tompkins. Around 2005 Allan decided to try his hand at recording his own material.

He spent the next couple of years learning recording in the studio and studying voice and vocal technique. And in 2007 began working on his first CD, the ambitious “The Road So Far”. Recording in Nashville, North Carolina and Los Angeles, he brought all those elements together with noted American producer Ed Tree to finish production in late 2008, and completed manufacturing in the second half of 2009.

In August of 2009 he held his “hometown” release party to high acclaim. In November 2009 he “tested” the European appeal by releasing to some radio markets, and received very favorable response. In early 2010 he performed at the Berlin Country Music Messe, in March 2010 had his USA CD release, and late 2010 will mark his official European release.

19.08.2010

Rick Nelson Box.....

The final installment in Bear Family's documentation of Rick Nelson's recording career includes all of his late career recordings from 1970-1982. Many fans insist that his last years were his best! This set includes his last major hit, 'Garden Party', and it features the complete 1978 'Back To Vienna' sessions produced by Al Kooper. Most of the songs were previously unreleased!

For the first time, the complete 1979 'The Memphis Sessions' songs in their originally-recorded form! Many rare and unreleased songs, including the long-rumored, never-heard 1974 studio versions of 'Mystery Train' and 'California Free'.

'The Last Time Around' brings to a close Bear Family's definitive 3-box overview of Rick Nelson's recording career. Still with his pioneering country-rock Stone Canyon Band, this set begins with four albums - 'Rick Sings Nelson,' 'Rudy The Fifth,' 'Garden Party' and 'Windfall'. 'Garden Party,' of course, featured his last major hit in which he announced his refusal to become an oldies act. The set continues with the 'Intakes' album recorded for Epic, and 'Playing To Win,' originally released on Capitol. And there's more!

For the first time in their entirety, Bear Family presents two previously unreleased albums: 'Back To Vienna' produced in Hollywood by Al Kooper with a band of all-star session players; and 'The Memphis Sessions,' with a sympathetic band of (mostly) locals, produced by Larry Rogers. And still more surprises include an entire, live performance recorded with the second-edition Stone Canyon Band heard here for the first time, as well as several single-only, previously unreleased studio sessions, and even a few commercials.

The 144-page album-sized hardcover book includes dozens of pictures and other artwork; a full sessionography; and a 25,000-word history by Todd Everett, author of the acclaimed notes for the earlier volumes in this series, 'An American Dream' and 'For You'. With the compelling first-person accounts, you'll hear the real stories behind the sessions.

Though Rick's later recordings assembled here didn't match the commercial impact of his earlier songs, they certainly maintained the quality. Rick went out rocking!

 

18.08.2010

Groove Eddy.....

Groove Eddy, aka Eddie Cole, is a roots-folk artist from the Dandenong ranges outside of Melbourne, Australia. He’s been a drifter, an odd jobs man and guitar teacher. He is also an accomplished singer, player and songwriter.

2010 sees him releasing Groove Eddy’s first album: ‘Overload’.

‘Overload’ brings Eddy’s guitar playing and singing to the fore with his band of Nigel Picknell on drums, bassist Joel Hulme, vocalist Amber Rose and on a couple of tracks, violinist/vocalist Judy Hamilton.

This is folk-roots music with echoes from Prince and Pink Floyd, to Ben Harper and James Taylor, which showcases a totally original voice alongside some wonderful guitar playing.

Some of his previous recordings have had airplay across Australia on ABC and community radio, but it’s with this record that he’s starting to garner some serious attention.

He’s played and busked around the country over a twenty-year period, honing his skills and sailing the winds of fortune.

17.08.2010

A Monkee & A King.....

Mickey Dolenz, the Monkees' self-described 'wacky drummer', will release "King For A Day" on August 24, 2010, featuring his versions of 15 songs written or co-written by Carole King, whose contributions to the Monkees legacy includes the hit "Pleasant Valley Sunday". "It's a very exciting project", Dolenz says. "She wrote so many different types of tunes. If you look at my album, things from 'Crying in the Rain' to 'Don't Bring Me Down' to 'Upon The Roof', the spectrum is as wide as you can possibly get. One of her great strengths is she can just write in any genre, any sort of mood and any sensibility".

Among the other songs Dolenz and his producer - Beach Boys and Brian Wilson collaborator Jeff Foskett - chose for "King For A Day" are "Sweet Seasons", "Point Of No Return", "Go Away Little Girl", "It Might As Well Rain Until September", Righteous Brothers' "Just Once In My Life" as a duet with Bill Medley and "I Feel the Earth Move". "We did want to mix it up a bit", Dolenz explains. "Every single cut is not necessarily one of these big, top 10 hits".

Dolenz also opted to include a new version of "Sometime In The Morning", another of the songs King wrote for the Monkees. "I've done it on stage a million times in the classic Monkees-version", he says, "but sitting at home just doodling around on the guitar, I came up with this kind of bluegrass, Cajun version, quite a different rhythm and a little bit faster".

Dolenz says that, depending on time, he might including some of the "King For A Day" songs in his sets on this summer's 'Happy Together Tour', though he says most of his performances will be dedicated to "all the Monkees greatest hits, in their entirety, the way people remember them." As for a another Monkees reunion - the group has been dormant since about 2001 -- Dolenz, who will be part of a U.K. tour in the musical "Hairspray" later this year, says "I've learned to never say never".

"Every year, at least two or three times, somebody'll bring it up or somebody will call and ask if I'm interested," he explains. "You see, in the case of the Monkees, unlike the Beatles with Apple or the (Rolling) Stones with their management company, since the TV show went off the air there's never been a Monkee management, or a Monkee office, or a Monkee business. Every once in awhile someone will come along and track us all down individually and say, 'Do you want to go back and get together?'

"So my stock answer is, 'You never know.' It could happen tomorrow. It could never happen again. It's just one of those things."

 

16.08.2010

Gordie Tentrees.....

Yukon roots music songwriter Gordie Tentrees has just released his 3rd album, 'Mercy Or Sin', produced by Juno Award-winning producer Bob Hamilton. Joining Gordie (dobro, guitar, harmonica) on the CD release tour is legendary multi-instrumentalist Ken Hermanson (banjo, lapsteel, guitar).

Gordie Tentrees is from the cold and rustic Yukon Territory and writes like a doppelganger of the preeminent Texas storytellers on his third album, 'Mercy Or Sin'. “Alfred” leads off the record, a darkly poignant acoustic tale, that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Guy Clark-album. (“Walks with a hitch, right side hip, reads a dirt palm, right before he spits, thinks on the rain, hollers for the end, Alfred is old his blood ain't thin”).

But don’t settle in for a languid country/folk songwriter album, because he brings on resophonic guitar and stomp board on a roaring “No Integrity Man”.

'Mercy Or Sin' is the much-anticipated follow up to critically-acclaimed 'Bottleneck To Wire (2007) and '29 Loads Of Freight' (2004). This album finally captures the bands dynamic live show and unique growth of songwriter Gordie Tentrees. There are 12 tracks delivering story-driven songs, edgy foot-stompers and heart-worn odes that can only be cultivated by a road warrior.

Gordie has toured relentlessly in North America, Europe and the UK, building an international buzz in the roots music world. He has toured with Fred Eaglesmith, Kelly Joe Phelps, Ray Wylie Hubbard and shared stages with the D-Rangers, Rick Fines, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, performed a CBC Saturday Night Blues concert, and showcased at North American Folk Alliance, Western Canadian Music Awards and South by Southwest.

Gordie will be performing 200 shows in support of 'Mercy Or Sin all across Canada, US, Europe and the UK.

15.08.2010

DK Songwriter Fest.....

 

 

10.08.2010

More Mellencamp.....

A 55-year-old reel-to-reel Amex tape recorder, a single microphone and three historic recording sites were John Mellencamp's tools for making his new album, "No Better Than This", which is due out this week - Just 7 weeks after he releases his retrospective box set, "On the Rural Route 7609".

Mellencamp and producer T-Bone Burnett recorded the 13 mono, unoverdubbed tracks for "No Better Than This" during the summer of 2009, while the Indiana Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was on the road with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Using members of Mellencamp's band and guests like guitarist Marc Ribot and former Johnny Cash upright bassist Dave Roe, they set up shop at Sun Studios in Memphis, Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio - where Robert Johnson made his first recordings in November of 1936 - and in the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, GA, the inaugural black church in America and a stop on the underground railroad during the Civil War.

"This is my 25th album", Mellencamp says. "I liked the idea that there was a story behind the record other than, 'OK, here's just another John Mellencamp record. So the fact there is a back story of the Savannah church and Sun Studios and Room 414... I thought those are all places I would want to visit anyway, wouldn't it be great to just record there?"

Mellencamp says Burnett, who produced his 2008 album "Life Death Love and Freedom," was enthusiastic about the idea. "He went, 'Wow, why didn't I think of that?" recalls Mellencamp, who bought the Amex recorder for $175 on eBay and refurbished it for the sessions. "The one microphone, everything, he was on board and he was excited. We had a lot of fun making this record".

The lo-fi recording process, Mellencamp adds, was "just trying to go 180 degrees away from the prefabbed place where pop music is now", capturing the live, present energy of a performance rather than a polished studio production. "All the records that we loved, that we grew up loving, were made that way - James Brown's records, those first five Rolling Stones records, those early Dylan records", he notes. "You felt like you were sitting next to them and they were playing those songs. That's the quality that music has lost, that technology has taken away from us... so we got them back on this record. It sounds authentic".

The songs on "No Better Than This" were culled from a set of more than 30 that Mellencamp wrote before the summer tour. "I was in a zone for 10, 15 days. I didn't even question it", he remembers. They range from rockabilly shuffles ("Each Day of Sorrow", the title track) to brooding, folky pieces ("Thinking About You", "Clumsy Ol' World"), rural blues ("Right Behind Me") and country ("A Graceful Fall", "Coming Down the Road", "No One Cares About Me", "Don't Forget About Me"). Mellencamp previewed some of the tunes last summer, while the Dali Lama used the opening track, "Save Some Time To Dream", as the impromptu inspiration for a sermon after Mellencamp performed it during a May 20 luncheon at the Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington, IN.

"I didn't even know what he was saying because I was behind the PA system", Mellencamp says with a laugh. "I was very flattered that the holiest man maybe on Earth had critiqued one of my songs".

Filmmaker Kurt Marcus documented the "No Better Than This" sessions for a movie that Mellencamp plans to use to open a run of theater shows that's slated to begin in October. The concerts will also include a stripped-down acoustic set with his band, a solo segment and then a fully electrified rock set. "You'll get three different types of John Mellencamp, and you'll get a movie", says Mellencamp, who's playing four shows in July and is also planning some more minor league baseball stadium dates with Dylan later this summer.

"No Better Than This" will add to the story Mellencamp details in "On the Rural Route 7609", a handsomely packaged four-CD set that includes 12 unreleased tracks - Including writing demos of "Jack and Diane", "Authority Song" and "Cherry Bomb" - as well as poetic readings of "The Real Life" by actress Joanne Woodward and "Jim Crow" by Cornell West. What the set is missing, by design, is many of Mellencamp's biggest hits, such as "Hurts So Good", "Paper in Fire" and "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A."

"I have no interest in going back and putting together a bunch of hits", Mellencamp explains. "I had this idea of discovery. I think all of those songs (on 'On the Rural Route 7609') were overlooked... I thought this was just a good way to say, 'OK, so this isn't about hit records. This is about what the rest of these albums were about... Here's really what I do."

Mellencamp is also moving forward on "Ghost Brothers Of Darkland County," his stage musical collaboration with Stephen King. The two recently hired a new director, award-winning actress Liv Ullman, who plans to start revising the script with King in January and work through 2011 on the production. Meanwhile, Burnett has been recording an album of Mellencamp's songs for the project with Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello, Ryan Bingham and the Blasters' Phil and Dave Alvin voicing the characters - but not Mellencamp. "I got fired", he says with a laugh. "I'm spotty at best".

No release dates have been determined for any of the "Ghost Brothers" projects.

05.08.2010

John Carrillo.....

From the moment in his parents' living room, when he strummed his first air guitar chord on his tennis racket while The Who's "Live at Leeds" blared from his dad's stereo, John Carrillo, at the ripe young age of 14 knew he wanted to be a performer. His wish came true many years later when he stepped onto a real stage for the very first time at Quon's Karaoke Bar in Orange, CA, to sing "Mr. Tambourine Man". John hasn't left the stage since.

Since that day he has performed all over Southern California at countless coffeehouses, bars, bookstores, weddings, corporate events (no Bar Mitzvahs yet!) and venues such as The Coach House, The Grove and The Orange County Fair.

He released his first album, "John Carrillo", in 1998. The album, produced by power pop guru Michael Simmons was featured on KLOS' Local Licks radio program. A song from the album, "Civic Pride", was also showcased on NPR's Car Talk.

Although heavily influenced by classic 60's pop groups such as The Beatles, The Byrds, The Who, The Everly Brothers and Simon & Garfunkel, John's music also invokes sensibilities of latter artists such as Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Fountains Of Wayne, Death Cab For Cutie and The Shins, to produce his own unique brand of quirky, yet accessible brand of pop music.

From a radioactive girl, to a pesky possum, to the second best girl in the bar, John's songs are inhabited by an eccentric cast of characters that invite the listener to share in their sometimes surreal, sometimes melancholy, yet always thought-provking, adventures.

In 2001, John released his second album "A Wink To His Career" which featured among others, guest appearances by Lonnie Jordan (War) and Bob Boulding (The Young Dubliners). The album, produced by Dwight Yoakam alumni Shawn Nourse, showcased John's vocal talents, as well as his rapidly developing songwriting skills. In late 2001 John was named one of the top local artists of the year by The Orange County Register. In 2002 the album was named one of the best Do-It-Yourself albums of the month by Performing Songwriter Magazine.

John's third album, "Von Karma", which features performances by bass-guitar legend, and Wrecking Crew-member, Carol Kaye, was released in late 2006.

 

01.08.2010

Black Crowes.....

In celebration of the 20th year anniversary of their 1990 debut, “Shake Your Money Maker”, The Black Crowes will release their first ever double album of all acoustic material on August 3, 2010.

After touring in 2009, The Black Crowes spent time at the Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, recording over 20 songs from their 20 year history. The band arranged acoustic versions of many of their best loved songs and the band’s catalogue picks.

The double album, "Croweology", will be sold at the cost of a single album as a 'thank you' to their fans for 20 years of support. Also to be released on vinyl, the project was produced by Paul Stacey and will be released on The Black Crowes label, Silver Arrow Records.

Following the album release and their 2010 “Say Goodnight To The Bad Guys” tour the band has planned a lengthy hiatus.

Chris Robinson had this to say, “With a smile so wide you can count my teeth and with a heart so full of love that it is spilling over the rim, I offer a humble and simple thank you. Thank you for your time, your imaginations, your heartaches and joy. Thank you for 20 years of cosmic rock'n'roll. 20 years of keeping it weird. 20 years of chasing horizons and before the band that dares dream out loud puts it down for a while, we are proud to give you our 'Croweology'. This year the music is only for you as we celebrate what has been, what is now and whatever will be”.

30.07.2010

Big Rockin’ Daddies.....

Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies! are one of the most popular bands, blues or otherwise, in the Pacific Northwest. Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies! strength lies in its original blues songs, and choice of obscure blues covers that meld together into a Texas meets Chicago meets Pacific Northwest blues stew. Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies! extremely entertaining stage show features the sexy and sassy, Becki Sue, beltin’ ‘em out front and center.

Becki Sue’s supporting cast is a virtual “who’s who” of highly experienced Pacific Northwest blues greats; Tom “T-Boy Neal” Boyle (5-time “BB” Award winner) on electric blues guitar; the multi-talented and “BB” award winning, Jim King, on harp, tenor sax and vocals, and the “BB” award winning rhythm section, featuring Les “Wild Child” White on upright bass and Jeff Hayes on drums.

The band has performed at most of the major blues clubs and festivals in the Northwest, including The Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland.

The WBS has honored the band with 39 “BB” Award nominations since 2005. Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies! has won 13 of those awards, including “Best Blues Band” in 2006 and 2007, and “Best Blues Recording” of 2008 for their 2nd CD release, “Big City Blues".

A new full length CD, “Big Rockin’ Boogie”, produced by Steve Murray and Tom Boyle, includes seven original songs among its twelve cuts, has just been released worldwide on the Underworld Records label.

25.07.2010

Bruce Brittain.....

Born in Oklahoma, and raised mostly in south-central Kansas, Bruce Brittain grew up listening late into the night to WSL radio, Chicago and Wolf Man Jack from Del Rio. When the sun went down and the signal strengthened, those stations played Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins and Ray Charles. Bruce took up a cheap guitar at the age of eight, and was playing in a local R&R band by the age of 12. He shifted to folk music in its mid-60’s heyday, when he joined the fans of singer songwriters such as Carole King, James Taylor and Jesse Winchester. Living in Texas in the 70’s he was introduced to alternative country by the likes of Willy, Ray Wiley, Jerry Jeff, Delbert and Kris. To this formative years stew, he later mixed in some influences of The Eagles, The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Cole Porter, poet Shel Silverstein and Lyle Lovett, stirred vigorously and got a unique blend of Americana R&B music.

Bruce writes for a grown-up audience with references to opportunities and problems beyond the basics of heartache, lust, cheatin’, drinkin’, trucks, momma and prison, not that there isn’t a measure of those things too. He also writes about gold diggers, poseurs, granddaughters, women of a certain age, casual sex, cooking breakfast the morning after and the like.

Bruce lives in Atlanta, GA, surrounded by tall trees, hundreds of books, four cats, one dog and his muse, Mimi, who should get co-writing credit on almost every song he creates. He has five grown children (counting the two sons-in-law), two grandsons, another due in the fall of 2010, and more guitars than he owns up to, for reasons of marital harmony

20.07.2010

Kelly Dalton.....

"Music was very influential to me growing up. My parents were both producers-singer-songwriters, and played and sang in The Back Porch Majority, wrote jingles & produced other artists. I grew up hanging around recording studios, so I was introduced to the piano, guitars and how recording was done at an early age.

As a teenager, I began writing songs on the guitar & piano, but was too shy to get up and sing in front of anyone. So, I just played guitar in a couple of local Los Angeles bands, made a few indie albums, had some great times, but always felt like something was missing.

Unfortunately, in a short amount of time I lost a few people who were very close to me.

I took a deep breath and thought about my own life and what I've given or would leave behind. I didn’t want to someday regret not attempting what I knew I could do, so I felt it was time to get over my stage fright & start singing.

I found a comfortable stage at The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, where local singer songwriters were playing nightly. I drew inspiration and became friends with other local artists who were also getting their start there and shared the same passion in songwriting as I did.

In 2006, I recorded my first album 'The Love In Every Bar', an EP in 2008, 'Home', then I followed my producer Thom Flowers out to Texas to record the new album 'Everything Must Go' in 2010.

I’ve always known that I feel things deeply, maybe too deep at times. And it’s never been easy for me to share these feelings. I now consider myself one of the lucky ones who have learned through my words and music, that I can express myself in a way that is real and truthful for me.

Since my last time recording, I’ve felt the highs and lows of many life experiences, probably not all that different than others. Some highs were positive; some lows painful; some feelings were new, and others so familiar that I had to move on to avoid feeling them again. The songs on my new album 'Everything Must Go' were recorded during this period of time." ~ Kelly Dalton 2010

15.07.2010

Tommy Rickard.....

Drummer and singer-songwriter Tommy Rickard spent 2008 and 2009 in the studio, recording the tracks for his debut album “Dream California”. This record is a melting pot of the music Rickard grew up on. The reverb drenched guitars of California’s surf scene with a raw and honest voice, reminiscent of Johnny Cash. The vocal harmonies of the Beach Boys and laid back feel of the Eagles, with an occasional hint of the punk scene where his musical journey began.

The live shows are equal parts all of this with Rickard fronting the band, singing while standing and playing drums. He’s backed by 2 guitars, bass and a female background singer. At times there could be a pedal steel player or possibly someone playing Hammond organ, or even an accordion player. Every show’s different. Every night a new canvas......

 

 

10.07.2010

Steven G Mednick.....

"Welcome to 'What Remains', my seventh CD since 2006. I am greatly appreciative to the music writers and critics for their words of wisdom and guidance for my work. I hope that you will enjoy this latest collaboration with my producer Eddie Seville.

I am quite certain that I did not start out with a common theme; in fact, 'What Remains' was just a title with no particular meaning, derived from an e-mail reference to some songs left from the 'Sunset At The North Pole' sessions in 2008. Curiously only two of those songs 'remain'. Yet as I look at the songs, lo and behold, it sure looks like the common thread is what occurs when the modern world’s illusions evaporate and we are looking into the face of our own humanity :

Mystery and truth seeking ('The Forger’s Tale')
Choices made (or not) ('The Only Way I Want It')
Deceit and materialism ('Hostages & Orphans')
Time passages and the power of memory ('Time Returns')
Ignoring the obvious, when it is staring you in the face ('Series Of Hits & Misses')
Thoughts about people who come in and out of our lives ('Questions')
Unearthing the artifacts of our own making ('Archaeology')
Doubt and confusion ('Nelio’s Dream')
Living in the wake of the Wall Street escapades ('The Lights Are Out In This Town')
Elusive love and hope ('Clouds Will Pass Away')
Prospecting for old fashion values ('Jasper McPhee')
Knowing when to take the leap ('What Remains')
Ghosts that creep up behind us ('Endnotes')

The CD ends with the film version of 'The Forger’s Tale' to be featured in the film 'Fake'.

Thank you to whoever has been sending me these songs. Keep them coming!"

 

05.07.2010

Jardine's California.....

Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine, who started the group in 1961 with the Wilson brothers (Brian, Carl and Dennis) and their cousin Mike Love, just released his new solo album, "A Postcard From California", through the iTunes music store.

The twelve-song collection includes four cuts that comprise what Jardine calls "the green side" of the new album, compositions that speak to the relationship of man and his environment. "Don't Fight the Sea", "Tidepool Interlude" and "A California Saga" are songs that reflect this artist's deep love for the California coastline and his concern for the ecological health of the planet. "I think this material defines the new project in these days of climate change", he suggests. Unfortunately it also seems especially timely in view of current events in the Gulf of Mexico.

Al Jardine has always embodied that concern for the environment, and the coastline and ocean in particular. Previously, on the Beach Boys' "Surf's Up" album, he and Mike Love had written the song, "Don't Go Near The Water". The new album includes "Lookin' Down The Coast," a tale of the discovery of California by the Spanish, as seen through the eyes of its natural inhabitants, the California condor, the whale, the otter and the bear.

Jardine recently discussed how water, the environment, ecology, and a primary concern for nature are still predominant themes in his material;

"'Don't Fight the Sea' started a long time ago with a Canadian friend of mine, Terry Jacks, who was kind enough to allow me to rewrite his song for an album that Mike Love and I were planning around an ecology theme. I always envisioned it to be the quintessential environmental song, a big statement, but I could never get all the guys together. I started with Carl, Bruce (Johnston) and myself on backgrounds, then years later Brian put on his falsetto, and just recently Mike recorded his baritone signature line. To top it all off, I added son Matt Jardine and friend Scott Mathews to the track, to give additional vocal support to the core group; all this over a period of thirty-plus years. I guess persistence pays off!"

"The song evolved into a beautiful statement", Jardine continues, "with some very passionate vocal work by Carl. And with the recent interest in global warming, I changed the last verse to reflect the plight of the polar bear. Living in Canada, Terry really has his finger on the pulse and has seen the situation first hand. The last verse of the song relates a dream in which we're carried away to the Arctic Ocean and come face to face with a polar bear, who implores us, 'Don't Fight The Sea.' It's an interesting twist. I may be 'preaching environment' on this album, with 'Lookin' Down The Coast' and 'Don't Fight The Sea,' but the latter is really about the futility of man's efforts to tame the ocean".

The track, "Tidepool Interlude" features a spoken word narrative from another special guest, actor Alec Baldwin, who is heard reading a poem written by Stephen John Kalinich, in a moving tribute to California and its natural beauty.

A new version of the song, "California Saga/California", first heard on the Beach Boys' "Holland" album, is also on the CD. The new track is titled simply, "A California Saga". "We were homesick as hell in Holland, and I needed to write some songs about California," Jardine remembers. "It was tough to re-visit the song. We had to cut this one twice. In the new recording, Neil Young and I share lead vocals and have a duet together describing that wonderful west coast vibe we have when we're driving Highway 1. If you listen closely, you can hear strains of CS&N in the backing vocals of David Crosby and Stephen Stills".

The collection, "A Postcard From California", was largely penned by Al Jardine and features a regular "who's who" of classic rock and popular music royalty. Jardine was joined in the studio by a steady and willing stream of famous friends, including Brian Wilson, Glen Campbell, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Marks, Richie Cannata and John Stamos, in addition to those already noted elsewhere. Completing the generational span, Jardine's sons, Matt and Adam, are also heard on vocal harmonies.

Al Jardine's 21st century take on "Help Me Rhonda" has a special place on the new album. "I wanted this version to feel like a blues classic," Jardine says of the Brian Wilson-penned song, and to that end he was thrilled to share lead vocals on the track with rock legend Steve Miller, while also featuring harmonica virtuoso Norton Buffalo, from the Steve Miller Band, to achieve that authentic blues edge. Sadly, Buffalo passed away from cancer on October 30th, 2009 in Paradise, California.

 

01.07.2010

New Pamela Polland.....

Recent news from U.S. singer-songwriter Pamela Polland :

"This is my latest music project 'Hawaiianized', co-produced with John McFee of the Doobie Brothers. John played all the instruments, and I played ukulele on 'Rainbow'. John and Sharon Celani (backing vocalist for Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac) sang all those wonderful back-up vocals. Aren't they great? I love working with them!

'Hawaiianized' is available for purchase on iTunes now."