Morphine band doc scheduled for LA screening, home video release

"Journey Of Dreams," a documentary about acclaimed 1990s band Morphine, arrives on DVD 10/21 and VOD 10/18.

A special showing will take place in Los Angeles on 10/19:
7:30 PM @ Hotel Cafe - Film Screening
9:15 PM @ Hotel Cafe - Vapors Of Morphine performance

The Boston "low rock" trio Morphine rose through the international music scene in the Nineties, going from local small clubs to indie and major label record deals and packed shows until their untimely demise. The film is the definitive, in-depth tale of this unique musical act's compelling career and life together and their resonant musical creativity.
 
Journey of Dreams doesn't just get behind the music but inside the band as its story is primarily told by the trio's surviving members, saxophonist Dana Colley and drummers Billy Conway and Jerome Dupree plus the close-knit familial coterie that worked with them as well as late singer/bassist Mark Sandman's girlfriend Sabine Hrechdakian.

It's punctuated by incisive commentary and observations from such friends and admirers of the group as Henry Rollins, Joe Strummer and Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. A wealth of live performance footage was gathered from across Morphine's career, with road experiences, as Colley reads from his tour diaries at key points in the film as well as through his accompanying Polaroid pictures and Super 8 films.

Journey of Dreams is not just a tale of music business struggle, triumph and tragedy, but also a love story - among its members and team as well as Sandman and Hrechdakian - as well as an adventure, drama and travelogue. 

Winner of:
- Best Music Documentary @ Doc'N Roll Festival 2015
- Audience Choice Best Feature Award @ Indy Film Fest 2015
- Best Music Documentary @ Grossman Festival 2015
- Special Jury Mention @ DORF Festival 2015
 
The DVD can be ordered now at the MVD Shop or on Amazon.
Website: http://www.morphinemovie.com/

Season premier of Austin City Limits features Paul Simon

Austin City Limits (ACL) launches a new season of performances with Paul Simon, in his first-ever appearance on the ACL stage. The set includes hits and other songs off his acclaimed latest album, Stranger to Stranger. On this rare television appearance, Simon is backed by a world-class nine-piece band.

The hour-long season premiere airs Sat., Oct. 1 at 8pm CT/9pm ET as part of ACL’s new Season 42. The program airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. The show's official hashtag is #acltv.

Episode Setlist:
 
BOY IN THE BUBBLE
THAT WAS YOUR MOTHER (ZYDECO)
REWRITE
ME AND JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOLYARD
WRISTBAND
HOMEWARD BOUND
THE WEREWOLF
THE COOL, COOL RIVER
DIAMONDS ON THE SOLES OF HER SHOES
YOU CAN CALL ME AL
THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Season 42 | 2016 Fall Broadcast Schedule (seven additional shows to be announced)
 
Oct. 1 Paul Simon
Oct. 8 James Bay / Rhiannon Giddens
Oct. 15 Robert Plant
Oct. 22 Florence + The Machine / Andra Day
Oct. 29 Iggy Pop
Nov. 5 Natalia Lafourcade / Grupo Fantasma
Nov. 12 My Morning Jacket / Ben Harper
Nov. 19 ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2016

A complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2017, will be announced at a later date. Check the news section of acltv.com for additional episode updates.

Robbie Williams returns

I'm always intrigued by anything Robbie does and glad to hear his latest will get a US release. Now if only we could get him to do a club tour here...

British pop superstar Robbie Williams has announced new studio album ‘Heavy Entertainment Show’ will be released Nov. 4 on Columbia Records. The title track from the album is available now HERE. A 16-track deluxe version of the album will also be available and will feature five bonus tracks. See full track listing below.

The album is Robbie’s first to be released through Sony Music and follows a string of 11 UK chart-topping albums, a tally only matched by Elvis Presley. Robbie’s last solo No. 1 album “Swings Both Ways” was also the 1000th album to reach the top of the UK charts.

Speaking on the album, Robbie says: “I was musing over the phrase ‘light entertainment’ - all the huge TV shows from when I was a kid, 30 million people watching them, this huge shared experience of these moments called light entertainment. Sometimes it can be leveled at people in a bad way, but for me that’s heavy entertainment. That’s what I’m hoping to do with this album – to have a shared experience with millions of people though the medium of light entertainment…but on steroids.”

ABOUT ROBBIE WILLIAMS
 
“Heavy Entertainment Show” is the 11th studio album from Robbie Williams, a man who has sold over 70 million albums in his solo career and won more BRIT Awards than any other artist in history. Robbie’s 2010 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution To Music brought his tally of Brits to an astonishing 17. Six of Robbie’s albums appear in the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the UK. He has had 11 UK Number 1 albums and 7 UK number 1 singles. “Swing When You’re Winning” was released in 2001 and spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the UK chart achieving 7x platinum sales status. It remains Robbie Williams’ bestselling album ever. Williams also holds the record for the most concert tickets sold in one day – 1.6 million in 2006. These accolades coupled with the honor of playing the largest open-air concert in UK history to 375,000 people show Robbie’s status as a live performer matches his massive achievements as a recording artist.

TRACK LIST (STANDARD)
 
Heavy Entertainment Show
Party Like A Russian
Mixed Signals
Love My Life
Motherfucker
Bruce Lee
Sensitive
David’s Song
Pretty Woman
Hotel Crazy (Featuring Rufus Wainwright)
Sensational
 
DELUXE
 
When You Know
Time on Earth
I Don’t Want To Hurt You (Duet With John Grant)
Best Intentions
Marry Me

www.robbiewilliams.com

Stones' historic 2016 Cuba concert coming to home video

I can't wait to see this...
 
On Nov. 11, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release ‘’Havana Moon’’ by The Rolling Stones on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, DVD+3LP plus a special deluxe edition.

Good Friday - March 25, 2016 - is a date that will go down in both Cuban and rock ‘n’ roll history. The Rolling Stones became the first rock band to play a massive free outdoor show to hundreds of thousands in Havana.

This historic concert event was captured by award winning film director Paul Dugdale.

The British rockers' free show attracted a million people in the country's capital city in the same week as President Obama became the first US President to visit Cuba in 88 years. TV News Networks around the world reported that Obama was ‘the warm up act’ for the Rolling Stones.

As the Stones took to the stage under a perfect ‘Havana Moon’ in front of an ecstatic crowd everyone knew that this was a life changing cultural moment for a country on the brink of change. There was nothing that was going to come between the band and their eager fans including the Vatican in Rome who had objected to a big rock ‘n’ roll concert staged in Havana on a Good Friday.

Track listing:

1) Jumpin’ Jack Flash
2) It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)
3) Out of Control
4) Angie 
5) Paint It Black
6) Honky Tonk Women 
7) You Got the Silver
8) Midnight Rambler
9) Gimme Shelter
10) Sympathy For The Devil
11) Brown Sugar
12) You Can’t Always Get What You Want
13) (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

VIEW TRAILER HERE

Adam Ant to embark on US tour marking 'Wild Frontier' milestone

photo: Laurie Paladino/All Rights Reserved

This exciting news just reached my in box...

Following his recent sold out UK tour, pop icon Adam Ant is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the release of his landmark “Kings of the Wild Frontier” album with a newly-remastered reissue (Sony Legacy UK) and North American tour.

Adam will play the classic album in its entirety, and in sequence, including the first-ever live performance of the track “Feed Me To The Lions”. For ticket information, visit http://www.adam-ant.com/.

"I'm really looking forward to performing the 'Kings of the Wild Frontier' album live and in sequence plus my other favorite songs from the repertoire, in the USA,” Adam said.

“Kings of the Wild Frontier” introduced the Burundi Beat style of thundering, infectious, Central African drumming to a pop-music audience. Adam captured the live sound by incorporating two drummers into his band, a musical signature that remains to this day.

In addition to remastering the classic album, Adam personally designed the deluxe box set that includes items from his extensive personal archive and a bonus DVD of the out-of-print “Ants In Japan” concert video.

The platinum album, originally released in 1980, crowned the UK Album Chart and spent more time in the top position than any other album at the time. The album went on to achieve worldwide recognition and produced massive chart-topping singles including the classic “Antmusic”, the breakthrough tribal onslaught of “Dog Eat Dog” and the epic title track.

The original USA version of the album replaced the track "Making History" with the classics "(You're So) Physical" and "Press Darlings". The album climbed the Billboard Top 200 chart and produced three Top 20 hits for “Antmusic”, “Dog Eat Dog” and “(You’re So) Physical.”

VIP presale tickets are on sale now through 9/29 at 10 p.m. local time; on sale to the general public 9/30 at 10 am local time.

North American Tour:

Monday, January 23, Washington DC, Lincoln Theatre
Tuesday, January 24, Boston, MA, The Wilbur Theatre
Thursday, January 26, Philadelphia, PA, The Keswick Theatre
Friday, January 27, New York, NY, Webster Hall
Sunday, January 29, Toronto, ON, The Danforth Music Hall
Tuesday, January 31, Chicago, IL, Vic Theatre
Thursday, February 2, Portland, OR, Revolution Hall
Friday, February 3, Seattle, WA, Neptune Theatre
Saturday, February 4, Vancouver, BC, Vogue Theatre
Tuesday, February 7, San Francisco, CA, The Fillmore
Thursday, February 9, Los Angeles, CA, The Fonda Theatre
Friday, February 10, Las Vegas, NV, Brooklyn Bowl
Saturday, February 11, Tucson, AZ, The Rialto Theatre
Tuesday, February 14, Dallas, TX, The Majestic Theatre
Wednesday, February 15, San Antonio, TX, The Empire Theatre
Saturday, February 18, San Diego, CA, The Observatory North Park

For more information, visit www.Adam-Ant.com.
To order the “Kings of the Wild Frontier” boxset, visit Amazon.

Paper Route displays some 'Real Emotion'

Nashville-based alt-rock trio Paper Route just released their third full-length album, Real Emotion. Blending digital-age pop/rock with ambient vocals, the 16-track album -- produced and written by JT Daly (vocals, keyboards, percussion), Chad Howat (bass, piano, programming), Nick Aranda (guitar) -- is available now on all digital platforms and double vinyl (purchase links below).

To celebrate, the trio hosted an album release party last week in Nashville, where they played an intimate stripped down performance of new songs, featuring members of the Blood Orchestra. The performance was live streamed on their Facebook and took place inside an art installation the band conceived and built based on the lyrics and imagery of their new album. More info on the creation of the band's installation below.

Real Emotion -- featuring singles "Laugh About It,""Chariots,""Balconies"and "Writing On The Wall"-- marks the band's third full-length album and first with Kemosabe Records/Sony Music Ent. Current single "Chariots" is at Alternative radio nationwide, premiered at E3 this summer as the official track for the FIFA 17 - Official Gameplay Trailer (over 6 million views) and has been featured on three of Spotify's top playlists New Noise, Indie Pop and FIFA 17 Soundtrack. The band partnered with BAEBLE MUSIC (8/11) to premiere their animation lyric video for "Chariots".

With Real Emotion, the band's creative vision didn't end with the music. When the time came to select artwork for the album cover, main lyricist and frontman JT Daly, a lifelong artist, found visual inspiration from the themes emerging within the new music. Using mixed materials--prints, paint, and items such as an old TV, cassette boombox radio, playing cards, flowers and a bowl of pill capsules--Daly and his longtime collaborative art partner Micah Bell crafted an immersive art installation, with all surrounding walls and floor draped with several individual pieces, each inspired by a track off Real Emotion. The album cover is a photograph of Paper Route actually inside the room installation. Video clip documenting the making of the art installation here: https://youtu.be/4twWuPH0krg

"The album title, Real Emotion, comes from a conversation I had with author David Dark about mental health," Daly explains. "How it can be embarrassing when those closest to you witness the real you, and the struggle of balancing everyday life. How it might almost seem fake but it is very real. It's a real emotion. The album art is a visual expression of these emotions."

Paper Route first conjured up their melody-driven take on electronic-leaning alt-rock in 2004. Over the next few years, the band split their time between touring with arena-filling acts like Paramore and sharing smaller stages with the likes of Thurston Moore and Mark Kozelek (their fellow performers at SXSW 2008's Lou Reed tribute show). They released their full-length debut Absence in 2009 and their second LP The Peace Of Wild Things in 2012. World tours with Imagine Dragons, Passion Pit and Mutemath ensued.

A new tour starts in late October. For tickets and full list of shows visit the band's website.

Track listing:

1. Intro
2. Writing On The Wall
3. Pretend
4. Chariots
5. Untitled
6. Blue Collar Daydream
7. Real Emotion
8. Mona Lisa
9. Second Place
10. Laugh About It
11. Lara
12. Zhivago
13. Bleary
14. Balconies
15. Love Is Red (with Every Shade Of Blue)
16. Vanisher

Real Emotion available here:
Official Store: http://flyt.it/paperrouteMN
iTunes: http://flyt.it/PRRealEmotionIT
Apple: http://flyt.it/PRRealEmotionAM
Spotify: http://flyt.it/PRRealEmotionSp

T.A.M.I. Show, Big T.N.T. Show get Blu-ray release

Fans of classic rock and soul rejoiced when the legendary concert film T.A.M.I. Show made its DVD debut on Shout! Factory in 2009. 

Now that beloved film makes its Blu-ray debut, along with its long-lost—and much requested—follow-up, The Big TNT Show, on Dec. 2, as part of the 2-disc Blu-ray set T.A.M.I. Show / The Big T.N.T. Show Collector's Edition, from Shout! Factory (The Big TNT Show will also be released as a standalone DVD on the same day).

The set will contain all the bonus features from the T.A.M.I. Show DVD, plus new interviews with The Big T.N.T. Show performers Petula Clark, Henry Diltz and John Sebastian, and a 36-page booklet featuring detailed essays by Don Waller, rare photos, and memorabilia.

Filmed in Los Angeles in November of 1965, The Big T.N.T. Show stars some of the biggest acts of the day, including many future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, performing their best material. The Byrds are in their original line-up of Gene Clark, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, and Roger McGuinn. Others include Ray Charles, The Ronettes, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Bo Diddley, Ike & Tina Turner Revue, Petula Clark, Roger Miller, Donovan and Joan Baez.

Performing to the side of the stage in between acts, but not seen in the film, was the Modern Folk Quartet. Made up of future luminaries - songwriter/producer Chip Douglas, Lovin’ Spoonful member Jerry Yester, famous rock photographer Henry Diltz, and songwriter/musician Cyrus Faryar, with session player “Fast” Eddie Hoh on drums, the band closed the evening with the show’s Harry Nilsson-composed theme song “This Could Be The Night.”

Originally billed as a companion piece to the T.A.M.I. Show after that show’s success, The Big T.N.T. Show holds up as an essential time capsule from its day. Phil Spector was on board to help produce, to serve as the on-screen music director, and to play piano for Baez’s rendition of The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.” David McCallum, a rising star appearing in the new TV series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., was tapped to emcee. Filmed at what was then the Moulin Rouge nightclub on Sunset, footage also includes shots of the Los Angeles haunts Chateau Marmont, Ben Frank’s coffee shop, and fleeting hot spot The Trip nightclub. 

One of the most acclaimed rock events ever captured on film, the 1964 concert known as T.A.M.I. Show also featured performances by several future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. In a lineup like no other, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, the Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, the Supremes, Chuck Berry, Lesley Gore and others took the stage one after another on October 29 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Aside from the five rock groups, all the performers were backed by a band that we've come to know as the Wrecking Crew, famed for playing on Phil Spector-produced hits, Beach Boys albums and much more, with future stars Glen Campbell and Leon Russell, among others. Fanita James, Jean King, and future solo star Darlene Love, billed as The Blossoms, provided backing vocals.

Both The T.A.M.I. Show / The Big T.N.T. Show Collector's Edition were mastered from a new High-Definition transfer.

Peter Hook & The Light start North American tour

photo: Tim Norris

I caught the band's Pomona, Calif. show in 2014 (read my review elsewhere on this blog) and can confirm they do a fine job at handling New Order and Joy Division songs live. In a recent interview with Dave Kendall (SiriusXM, MTV), Hook admitted that a lot of the rarely played album tracks were difficult to nail down at first because many had mistakes in their original forms. Now the guys have mastered them. Read more info about the tour and a full list of dates from the press release below...

Peter Hook & The Light return to North America to perform Joy Division and New Order's legendary Factory Records compilation albums "Substance" live, sequentially and in their entireties.

Released in August 1987, New Order's Substance was originally conceived as a way for Factory Records boss, Tony Wilson, to play the New Order singles on the CD player of his new Jaguar car. Substance became the best selling New Order album ever upon its release, the double LP going on to sell 2 million copies in America alone.

Widely considered New Order's strongest album, Factory Records' 200th release featured the bands seminal 12" mixes of their singles as well as versions of ‘Confusion’ and Temptation re-recorded for the LP.

Running from "Ceremony" in 1981 up to "True Faith" in 1987 (again recorded especially for the album), the set takes in the high points of New Order's catalogue, including "Temptation", "Thieves Like Us", "The Perfect Kiss" and "Bizarre Love Triangle."

Released the following year in July 1988, Joy Division's Substance features all the singles which did not appear on the albums such as "Transmission", "Komakino", "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Atmosphere," as well as their B-sides, tracks from their EP "An Ideal For Living" and the Factory Records sampler.

Factory Records' 250th release, it begins with "Warsaw" and takes in the development of the band through "Digital" and "Dead Souls" to the band's final tracks. The collection demonstrates the same energy as a full length LP with several key B-sides added.

Peter Hook & The Light have toured Joy Division and New Order's albums extensively since debuting "Unknown Pleasures" back in 2010 with dates all across the world which have been very well received by critics and fans alike.

Tour dates:

Thurs 22nd Sept 2016 Webster Hall, New York, NY
Fri 23rd Sept 2016 Webster Hall, New York, NY
Sat 24th Sept 2016 The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
Wed 27th Oct 2016 St Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
Fri 28th Oct 2016 Metro, Chicago, IL
Sat 29th Oct 2016 Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI
Sun 30th Oct 2016 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Tues 1st Nov 2016 Venue, Vancouver, BC
Thurs 3rd Nov 2016 Showbox At The Market, Seattle, WA
Fri 4th Nov 2016 Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Sat 5th Nov 2016 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
Mon 7th Nov 2016 Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
Tues 8th Nov 2016 House Of Blues, San Diego, CA
Fri 11th Nov 2016 Granada Theatre, Dallas, TX
Sat 12th Nov 2016 The Mohawk, Austin, TX
Mon 14th Nov 2016 Republic, New Orleans, LA
Tue 15th Nov 2016 Terminal West, Atlanta, GA
Thu 17th Nov 2016 Plaza Live, Orlando, FL
Fri 18th Nov 2016 Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Sat 19th Nov 2016 The Ritz Ybor, Tampa, FL
Mon 21st Nov 2016 The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
Tue 22nd Nov 2016 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
Weds 23rd Nov 2016 Howard Theatre, Washington, DC
Fri 25th Nov 2016 The Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
Sat 26th Nov 2016 The Sinclair, Boston, MA
Sun 27th Nov 2016 Theatre Fairmount, Montreal, QC
Tues 29th Nov 2016 Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON

Ticket Links & Full Details At http://bit.ly/TheLightLiveDates 

For videos and concert footage from The Light check: www.youtube.com/peterhookandthelight

www.peterhook.co.uk 
www.facebook.com/peterhookandthelight 
www.twitter.com/peterhook 
www.instagram.com/peterhook_thelight 

Crowded House reissues on the way

Crowded House will be celebrating their 30th anniversary by reissuing their entire catalogue in two disc deluxe CD packages and 180-gram heavyweight vinyl, unlocking a wealth of rare material that has been personally selected by Neil Finn and the band.

They will be released on Nov. 18 through Universal Catalogue, and are available to pre-order at the official Crowded House Store. Digital versions will also be available on Nov. 4.

The two-CD packages will feature the original album with a bonus disc of rarities, b-sides and previously unreleased home demos and outtakes unearthing over 100 unreleased tracks across the campaign. Each CD package will be delivered in high quality fan-deluxe packaging, with extended notes featuring new interviews with the band and memorabilia from personal and fan archives in a 36 page book. Exclusive CD bundles will also be available here.

True to the original releases, there will also be classic reissues of each album on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl. These are all cut from the original analogue tapes at Abbey Road Studios. The LPs will not include bonus tracks.

Upon announcing the reissues Neil Finn said, “We are thrilled all seven of our albums are about to be reissued in all formats including vinyl, each one accompanied by a rich trove of rarities including writing demos and other unreleased musical curiosities, as well as new original artwork from my dear friend Nick Seymour. This has been many years in the making with much of the exhaustive listening, editing and remixing being done by the keeper of knowledge Jeremy Ansell in Auckland. It has been a labour of love for us and our mission all along was making a superlative quality, definitive document of Crowded House’s unique history for all the fans who have given us their affection over the years.”

Crowded House's seven studio albums are:

Crowded House (1986) 
Temple Of Low Men (1988)
Woodface (1991)
Together Alone (1993)
Time On Earth (2007)
Intriguer (2010)
Afterglow (1999)

The self-titled debut Crowded House, released in 1986, saw the band instantly launch onto the global stage with lead vocalist and mastermind Neil Finn, bassist Nick Seymour and drummer Paul Hester premiering timeless hits including “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “World Where You Live” and “Something So Strong.” 

1988’s Temple Of Low Men drew critical acclaim and platinum awards with Finn crafting a set of intense and personal songs revealing his true mastery of melody – highlights including “When You Come,” “I Feel Possessed” and the defining “Better Be Home Soon.” 

The band’s third studio album Woodface in 1991 spawned a remarkable European following with their first UK Top 10 and hit singles “Weather With You,” “Fall At Your Feet,” “It’s Only Natural” and “Chocolate Cake.”

With 1993’s follow up Together Alone, Finn’s shining pop song-craft joined forces with legendary producer Youth’s energetic and experimental approach to deliver catalogue highlights "Locked Out," "Distant Sun," “Private Universe” and was another phenomenal global chart success.

After the bands breakup in 1996 and subsequent reunion in 2007, the bands fifth studio album Time On Earth followed. 

2010’s Intriguer is the sixth and latest studio record from the band ionizing the commercial and artistic longevity of the group with Finn's durable song-craft shining across highlights “Saturday Sun” and “Falling Dove.”

Key 1999 compilation album Afterglow features a selection of rarities and outtakes recorded between 1985 and 1994 including “I Love You Dawn” and “Recurring Dream.” It is rightly regarded as an essential album in the catalogue and rounds out the campaign.

The entire collection is on sale from Friday November 18 and can be pre ordered individually or together as an exclusive bundle at the official Crowded House Store. Full tracklisting and images - http://bit.ly/CHTracklisting_Images.

This November, almost 20 years to the day when Crowded House said Farewell to the World with a celebrated concert held on the steps of the iconic Sydney Opera House, they return to that iconic space to celebrate their induction into the ARIA Hall Of Fame at the 2016 ARIA Awards.

Crowded House will perform two very special Encore shows exclusive to Sydney and Australia, their only appearances worldwide during 2016, on Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26. Tickets for both shows will go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 26 at 10.00am.

Christmas album news: Neil Diamond, Jennifer Nettles, She & Him, Loretta Lynn

Another week, another slew of new holiday album announcements. This time, they're led off by the King of Christmas Albums, Neil Diamond... 

Capitol Records has announced the global release of Acoustic Christmas, a new holiday collection from Neil Diamond. Hitting Oct. 28, with a vinyl version arriving Nov. 19, pre-orders are now available HERE. Acoustic Christmas will feature new recordings of holiday classics and original tracks by Diamond, with 2 songs on albums bought exclusively through Target.

This new collection was produced by Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan) and Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol, R.E.M.), the pair behind Diamond’s 2014 acclaimed album, Melody Road.

“One need look no further than Neil's earliest hits to know that something special happens when you set his voice in the middle of a few acoustic guitars: the vibrant expression that lives in the nuances of Neil's singing moves to the forefront and creates a profoundly intimate experience,” says Was.

“The vibe in the studio seems inspired by the folk scene of Neil’s early years in Greenwich Village. We had a stellar cast of musicians sitting around in a circle of microphones, eclectic acoustic instruments and Christmas lights! We had a wonderful time making this record and the good vibes permeate every track.” 

“He's got such a warm voice, it is like gravy or hot chocolate,” adds Lee. “The moments that worked so well during those sessions were when Neil sat with us and played the songs on the sofa, with his acoustic guitar, and we'd all pick up instruments that were lying about and join in,” says Lee of the album’s stripped-down format. “It was like traditional holiday gathering, when small family groups would sing together at home.” 

Track Listing: 

O HOLY NIGHT
DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR
CHRISTMAS PRAYERS
HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING
MARY’S BOY CHILD
SILENT NIGHT
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN
CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND THEE
CHRISTMAS IN KILLARNEY
THE CHRISTMAS MEDLEY:
IT’S ALMOST DAY
MAKE A HAPPY SONG
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
*#1 RECORD FOR CHRISTMAS (BONUS TRACK FOR TARGET)
*WE THREE KINGS (BONUS TRACK FOR TARGET)

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Jennifer Nettles is prepping the release of her first holiday album, To Celebrate Christmas, slated for Oct. 28 on Big Machine Records. It is available for pre-order now: http://smarturl.it/JNChristmas.

Producer Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell, Cheap Trick) joined Jennifer in the studio. The project includes collaborations with Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel on “Little Drummer Boy,” and the jazz-influenced melody alongside American-soul sensation Andra Day on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.” Friend and mentor Dolly Parton – penned “Circle Of Love.”

Jennifer will also star in the NBC television special based on Dolly’s life this December called Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, a holiday-themed sequel to the rating success Coat of Many Colors.

“I’m such a lover of this season and all of the magical feelings that surround us during the holidays so it will be exciting to share it with fans at our live shows,” expressed Jennifer. “Especially since the birth of my son, who arrived to us in December, I’ve found even more joy Christmas traditions and music. Having both Idina and Andra lend their idyllic voices to some of my favorite songs is the bow on top!”

Jennifer will join fans for select tour dates beginning in Nashville, TN (12/8) and continuing to Tallahassee, FL (12/9) as well as Lake Charles, LA (12/10). Tickets go on sale Friday (9/23) at Ticketmaster.com.

The multi-talented entertainer has kept a full schedule this year, releasing her critically-acclaimed sophomore album Playing with Fire, joining label mates Cheap Trick for a CMT Crossroads that earned a CMT Awards nomination for Performance of the Year and headlining the 30+ city CMT Next Women of Country Tour across the US and Canada alongside Brandy Clark, Lindsey Ell and Tara Thompson.

Track listing:

1. Go Tell It On The Mountain
2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (featuring Andra Day)
3. Little Drummer Boy (featuring Idina Menzel)
4. Celebrate Me Home
5. Circle Of Love
6. Do You Hear What I Hear
7. Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep
8. O Holy Night
9. Merry Christmas With Love
10. The First Noel

JenniferNettles.com

She & Him's album Christmas Party is out Oct. 28 on Columbia Records. The sixth release from the duo comprised of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward is the follow up to A Very She And Him Christmas.

Christmas Party features guest appearances by Jenny Lewis, The Chapin Sisters and Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley. There are classics like Darlene Love and Phil Spector's "Marshmallow World," Bing Crosby's "Mele Kalikimaka" and Chuck Berry's "Run Run Rudolph."

Ward and Deschanel also may introduce listeners to the more obscure tracks such as folk singer Vashti Bunyon's "Coldest Night of the Year" and the lesser known Frank Sinatra track "Christmas Memories." Pop favorites such as "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and The Chipmunks "Christmas Don't Be Late" round out the celebration.

Track listing:

1. All I Want for Christmas Is You
2. Let It Snow
3. Must Be Santa
4. Happy Holiday
5. Mele Kalikimaka
6. Christmas Memories
7. Run Run Rudolph
8. Winter Wonderland
9. The Coldest Night of the Year
10. A Marshmallow World
11. The Man with the Bag
12. Christmas Don't Be Late 

sheandhim.com 

Loretta Lynn invites you to celebrate the 2016 yuletide season with the release of her new album, White Christmas Blue, on Oct. 7.

The track "White Christmas Blue" is newly penned by Loretta Lynn and Grammy Award winner Shawn Camp. This is the second volume of the Cash Cabin Recordings and part of a planned multi-album deal with Legacy Recordings/Sony Music. It will be released on CD, LP and digitally and is available for pre-order now at:  
http://smarturl.it/ll_wcb_amzn?IQid=pr.1.

Loretta's first collection of seasonal songs since 1966 (and her second release this year for Legacy), White Christmas Blue premieres 12 studio performances including new versions of two original compositions ("Country Christmas" and "To Heck with Ole Santa Claus") which first appeared on Country Christmas; traditional carols ("Away in a Manger," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Silent Night"); in-the-moment contemporary takes on seasonal pop standards ("Winter Wonderland," "Frosty the Snowman," "Jingle Bells," "White Christmas") and the title track. The album concludes with Loretta's recitation of the beloved seasonal story "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."

White Christmas Blue is the celebratory successor to Loretta's first Legacy release, Full Circle (her 40th Top 10 country album and her highest-charting album ever on the Billboard 200). At the time of Full Circle's release, in March 2016, it had been more than a decade since Loretta Lynn had recorded or released any new studio music.

Like Full Circle, White Christmas Blue pays homage to Loretta's deepest musical roots and influences and was recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, produced by Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash.

Track listing:

1. White Christmas Blue
2. Country Christmas
3. Winter Wonderland
4. Away in a Manger
5. Blue Christmas
6. To Heck with Ole Santa Claus
7. Frosty the Snowman
8. Oh Come, All Ye Faithful
9. Jingle Bells
10. White Christmas
11. Silent Night
12. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas