Thursday, March 26, 2020

More TV news: Academy of Country Music presents: Our Country

The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions unveiled the all-star lineup of performers for ACM PRESENTS: OUR COUNTRY, a two-hour special featuring intimate conversations and at-home acoustic performances with Country Music’s biggest stars, along with clips from the Academy of Country Music Awards’ 55-year history.

Confirmed performers include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown & John Legend, Luke Bryan, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Old Dominion, Brad Paisley & Darius Rucker, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban. The special will be broadcast Sunday, April 5 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT and 7:00 PM CT) on the CBS Television Network and on CBS All Access.
ACM PRESENTS: OUR COUNTRY will also honor 10-time ACM Award winner Kenny Rogers with performances by Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker. As previously announced, artists will appear from their homes to share heartfelt thoughts and perform acoustic versions of Country hits. Additionally, video clips from previous ACM Award broadcasts will highlight favorite ACM moments from the past. It will be a night filled with entertainment, hope and reflection, bringing the healing power of music to Americans at a time when they need it most.

The program will air during the time slot previously scheduled for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards, which will now be broadcast Wednesday, Sept. 16 (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on CBS All Access. The 55th ACM Awards, hosted for the first time by reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year and 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban, honors the biggest names and emerging talent in the Country Music industry.

TV news: 'The Big Interview With Dan Rather' debuts new episodes in April; Elton John hosts benefit concert for America

                                   photo: AXS TV/Julio Bedoya
AXS TV announced that the eighth season of its critically-acclaimed celebrity sit-down series The Big Interview With Dan Rather will premiere with chart-topping rock legend Huey Lewis on Wednesday, April 15 at 8 pm. ET/ 5 p.m. PT.

Hosted by legendary newsman Dan Rather, The Big Interview consistently ranks as one of AXS TV’s top-performing and most popular original programs. Each episode puts the spotlight on eclectic trailblazers and tastemakers from across the entertainment spectrum, who join Rather to reflect on the personal lives that shaped them and the unparalleled legacies that have defined them.
In addition to Huey Lewis, other highlights include punk pioneer Debbie Harry of Blondie (April 22) and Don Felder, a former lead guitarist of the Eagles (April 29). The season will also feature legendary singer/songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertson of The Band (May 6); Jethro Tull frontman and flutist Ian Anderson (5/13); and celebrated folk artist Don McLean (May 20); and more.

“I am honored to return with The Big Interview for an eighth season,” Rather said. “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to sit down with these industry icons who have forever transformed entertainment as we know it, and I am humbled by the positive response we have received from the AXS TV audience throughout all these seasons.”
AXS TV is available in the U.S. and via Spectrum, DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon, Suddenlink, Frontier, select Comcast markets (check your local provider), SlingTV, Philo and other distributors.

SCHEDULE:

Wed., April 15 – Featured Guest: Huey Lewis
Wed., April 22 – Featured Guest: Blondie’s Debbie Harry
Wed., April 29 – Featured Guest: Don Felder formerly of the Eagles
Wed., May 6 – Featured Guest: The Band’s Robbie Robertson
Wed., May 13 – Featured Guest: Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson
Wed., May 20 – Featured Guest: Don McLean

And on TV this weekend...

Airing Sunday, March 29, from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/6:00-7:00 PM PT on FOX is THE IHEART LIVING ROOM CONCERT FOR AMERICA, a music event to provide entertainment relief and support for Americans to help fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to celebrate the resilience and strength of the nation during this pandemic.

Hosted by Elton John, the event will feature performances by Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw and more, from their own homes, filmed with their personal cell phones, cameras and audio equipment, to ensure the health and safety of all involved.

The concert can also be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and via the iHeartRadio app. The benefit special will be broadcast commercial-free.
In addition to featuring music, the hour-long concert will pay tribute to the front line health professionals, first responders and local heroes who are putting their lives in harm’s way to help their neighbors and fight the spread of the virus. It also will encourage viewers to support two of the many charitable organizations helping victims and first responders during the pandemic: Feeding America® and First Responders Children’s Foundation.

To extend the reach of the commercial-free special’s charitable component, FOX will offer the event across all of its linear and digital platforms. For more information, visit iHeart.com/LivingRoomConcert.

Prince news: Grammy Salute airs on CBS next month; new date for next batch of reissues

"Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince" will be broadcast Tuesday, April 21 (9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on CBS All Access. The tribute concert is hosted by comedian Maya Rudolph, who will also perform with her Prince cover band Princess. Filmed Jan. 28, the special will air on the four-year anniversary of the superstar’s passing.

An all-star lineup will perform hits from Prince's catalog, including Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Common, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Foo Fighters, H.E.R., Juanes, John Legend, Chris Martin, Miguel, Morris Day And The Time, Princess, Sheila E., St. Vincent, Mavis Staples, the Revolution, and Usher, with special appearances by Fred Armisen, Naomi Campbell, Misty Copeland, FKA Twigs and Jimmy Jam. Sheila E., Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are the co-musical directors of the special.

In related news:

The Prince Estate and Legacy Recordings/Sony Music Entertainment, are rescheduling the release of the next batch of titles in the comprehensive Prince reissue program, originally slated for April 17 to Friday, May 29. If any fan has already ordered these titles, those pre-orders will be honored at the later date.

Pre-order titles here: https://Prince.lnk.to/2001-2002
Besides the physical releases, The Prince Estate will continue to add videos from the 2003 home video release Prince Live at The Aladdin Las Vegas and other live performances to the growing Prince Live Playlist.

Watch Prince Live here: https://Prince.lnk.to/PrinceLive

As previously announced, the new batch of reissues from 2001-2002 includes two studio albums released six months apart—2001's The Rainbow Children and 2002's One Nite Alone... – plus Prince's first official live albums from the tour that occurred in between those two releases. One Nite Alone…, the 4 LP set One Nite Alone…Live! and the double LP One Nite Alone: The Aftershow…It Ain't Over! will each get their first-ever vinyl release in limited-edition purple, while sought-after title The Rainbow Children will be available on CD for the first time in decades and on a crystal-clear double LP with limited-edition custom rainbow slipmat.
The five disc collection Up All Nite with Prince: The One Nite Alone Collection will make the CDs for these sought-after releases widely available for the first time. Combined in a slipcase with a 48-page bound book, One Nite Alone… and the two live albums are packaged with the long-out-of-print bonus DVD Prince Live at The Aladdin Las Vegas. Prince.

New album roundup: Inland Empire-related indie artists (Southern California)

Independent acts can find it difficult to garner widespread attention, so we’re shining a spotlight on recent standout album releases revolving around those with Riverside, Calif.  connections.













Brainstory
Buck
(Big Crown)
The Rialto psychedelic jazz/pop trio, including two members who studied jazz at Riverside City College, has toured with Chicano Batman and performed at the Riverside Art & Music Festival. Debut album Buck boasts a laid back 1970s vibe, grooves reminiscent of War and Santana and smooth Smokey Robinson-styled vocals. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Purchase/listen via bandcamp.com, Amazon and major streaming platforms.













DAVIS
Alright
DAVIS grew up in Riverside, has had songs featured in video games and landed airplay on influential terrestrial SoCal FM radio stations like KROQ and KCRW. For his eclectic latest EP, the quirky alt-rock musician deftly traverses a variety of terrain, both modern (Queens of the Stone Age, the Strokes, Beck) and retro (Mott the Hoople, Velvet Underground).

Purchase/listen via Amazon, Apple Music and Spotify.













The James Hunter 6
Nick of Time
(Daptone)
Riverside native Bosco Mann (Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings) re-teamed with James Hunter to produce the British R&B/blues vet’s sumptuous Nick of Time. Recorded here in town at Penrose Studios, these engaging tunes contain spirited sax blasts, vintage street corner backing vocals and wicked harmonica work straight out of the Sixties. Hunter’s gritty, yet soulful singing evokes Sam Cooke and Ray Charles.

Purchase/listen via daptonerecords.com, Amazon and major streaming platforms.













The New Division
Hidden Memories
(Division 87)
Inspired by new wave, techno, trance and progressive house music, John Kunkel formed The New Division in 2006 while attending Riverside's California Baptist University. Since then, the popular electronic dance group has amassed nearly 8 million Spotify streams – an astounding feat for an Inland Empire musician. On the first full-length effort since 2015 (following several EPs), there are alluring sonic nods to M83, Underworld and New Order, while Kunkel’s stream of consciousness lyrics add to the overall mystique.

Purchase/listen via bandcamp.com, Amazon and major streaming platforms.
A version of my story also appeared in the spring 2020 issue of Riverside Magazine and the Riverside Press Enterprise online at www.pe.com

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

'Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar' returns in April

courtesy: AXS TV
AXS TV's popular music interview series Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar will premiere its fifth season on Sunday, April 19 at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT.

The season features six all-new episodes, kicking off with a stop in Las Vegas where rock superstar Sammy Hagar checks in on his world-famous eatery The Cabo Wabo Cantina, and receives the key to the city.
After that, Hagar sits down with Shaquille O’Neal at the Laker great’s Big Chicken restaurant, and closes out the day with a jam session with metal pioneers Def Leppard during their residency at Planet Hollywood.

On April 26, Hagar visits his hometown of Fontana, CA, where he catches up with GRAMMY® winner Rob Thomas and the duo take the stage to deliver a powerhouse performance of Thomas’ mega-hit “Smooth” in front of a roaring crowd.

And, on May 3, The Red Rocker (Hagar) meets the Motor City Madman, Ted Nugent, for a unique road trip featuring a wild ride on a four-wheeler and a lesson in archery, before sitting down for a lively chat in Nugent’s living room followed by a jam on the classic hit “Jenny Take A Ride."

Other season five guests include country music superstars Big & Rich on May 10; quintessential Queen guitarist Brian May, multi-talented guitar virtuoso Joe Walsh and GRAMMY®-winning country artist Tanya Tucker on May 17; and heavy metal mainstays Extreme, along with former Van Halen frontman Gary Cherone on May 31.
The series will return later in the year with six additional all-new episodes, once production can safely commence again due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We have an absolute blast producing this show each year, visiting incredible locations to sit down with some of the most legendary entertainers of all time,” Hagar said.

“This is a dream come true for me, traveling the country to hang out and play music with my friends, and I am excited to show our fans all the epic things we have planned in season five. The first six episodes include great jam sessions and conversations with some truly talented entertainers, and I already cannot wait for production to start back up again so we can get out there and film this next batch of epic episodes.”

SCHEDULE:

Sunday, April 19 – Featured Guests: Def Leppard & Shaquille O’Neal
Sunday, April 26 – Featured Guest: Rob Thomas
Sunday, May 3 – Featured Guest: Ted Nugent
Sunday, May 10 – Featured Guests: Big & Rich
Sunday, May 17 – Featured Guests: Brian May, Joe Walsh & Tanya Tucker
Sunday, May 31 – Featured Band: Extreme

Happy Birthday Elton John; New archival concert release out now

Since today is Sir Elton John’s birthday, it's a good time to remind fans about the stellar new archival concert release that came out earlier this year from Rocket/Mercury/UME Records on digital, 2CD, double LP vinyl formats as well as streaming services.

Live From MoscowJohn’s 1979 performance alongside percussionist Ray Cooper, was initially transmitted via England's BBC Radio 1 and remastered by Bob Ludwig in 2019 from the original BBC analog tapes.

Recorded amid the tour for A Single Man, the show made history at the time because John was the first prominent Western pop star to play in Russia. The LP version was previously available as a 2019 Record Store Day exclusive.

The intimate May 28, 1979 solo sets on electric and grand pianos find the legend in fine vocal and instrumental form. He frequently adds captivating flourishes and extends the length of some fan favorites and hit singles ("Rocket Man" is a prime example).

John has said this 16-song concert (and tour) were among his most memorable ever and it's easy to hear why with these passionate, no frills arrangements. Disc 1 highlights include opener "Daniel," "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and a riveting take on Marvin Gaye's "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" that verges on jazz territory.

Among the Disc 2 standouts are "Bennie and the Jets," where John suggests the restrained seated Russian hotel audience sing along and starts with a vaudeville song snippet. The crowd responds by loudly clapping and cheering, while a manic Cooper really goes to town on the tambourine. Then there's the exciting medley of "Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting (plenty of bongos and frantic piano pounding action) and The Who's "Pinball Wizard" plus the closing "Crocodile Rock" ("This wasn't one of my favorites," Elton tells the crowd) with the Beatles' "Get Back" and "Back In The U.S.S.R."

Full track listing:

1. Daniel
2. Skyline Pigeon
3. Take Me To The Pilot
4. Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
5. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
6. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
7. Candle In The Wind
8. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
9. Funeral For A Friend
10. Tonight
11. Better Off Dead
12. Bennie And The Jets
13. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
14. Crazy Water
15. Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) / Pinball Wizard
16. Crocodile Rock / Get Back / Back In The U.S.S.R

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Sara Evans takes the covers route on 'Copy That'

Sara Evans has revealed the May 15 release of Copy That. The 13-song collection finds the country singer putting her own stamp on some of the most iconic songs in country and pop music spanning six decades. 

Her first solo studio album since 2017’s critically-acclaimed Words, it is released on Evans' Born to Fly Records. The project, featuring collaborations with Old Crow Medicine Show and Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet, is co-produced by Sara and Jarrad K (Ruston Kelly, Weezer, Goo Goo Dolls).

The fifth most-played female artist at country radio in nearly the last two decades, Sara's  first offering from the album is the 70’s disco smash “If I Can’t Have You.” The song is is available for streaming and download when people pre-order or pre-save the project at saraevans.co/copythat. Special fan packages will also be available at SaraEvans.com.

Evans just visited talkshoplive in Nashville for a special live event revealing the album details and retro art, showing off a new blonde look, and giving viewers the chance to pre-order the album. Visit https://talkshop.live/stream/2270 to watch the conversation and pre-order vinyl and/or CD copies of Copy That.

Track listing:

“If I Can’t Have You” (available March 20)
“Don’t Get Me Wrong”
“Come On Eileen”
“Crazy Love”
“Whenever I Call You Friend” feat. Phillip Sweet (available May 1)
“It’s Too Late”
“Monday Morning”
“All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye“
“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” feat. Old Crow Medicine Show (available April 3)
“6th Avenue Heartache”
“My Sharona”
“She’s Got You”
“Hard To Say I’m Sorry” (available April 17)

Paul Weller returns in June with 'On Sunset'

Paul Weller's new song "Earth Beat" (featuring Col3trane) from his 15th studio album On Sunset (due out June 12 on Verve Forecast) is available now on all digital platforms. It features guest vocals from the US singer Col3trane.

LISTEN TO "EARTH BEAT" HERE

The veteran British artist started work on On Sunset soon after finishing 2018's True Meanings. Opening track "Mirror Ball" was from the TM sessions and originally slated as a b-side.

Most of the album sees Weller multi-tasking on various instruments with accompaniment from his regular band - Ben Gordelier appears on all tracks and Andy Crofts on most whilst Steve Cradock pops up with his guitar on 4 songs.

Among the guests that appear on On Sunset: Slade's Jim Lea adds violin to "Equanimity" and old Style Council mate Mick Talbot adds Hammond Organ to 3 tracks. "More" features a verse sung by French singer Julie Gros, from the band Le Superhomard (whose album Meadow Lane Park was one of Weller's favourites of 2019) as well as the return of The Strypes guitarist Josh McClorey. English folk trio The Staves contribute backing vocals for 3 tracks. Once again Hannah Peel does string arrangements and The Paraorchestra are on 4 selections.

Track listing:

ON SUNSET
TRACK-LISTING:
MIRROR BALL
BAPTISTE
OLD FATHER THYME
VILLAGE
MORE
ON SUNSET
EQUANIMITY
WALKIN'
EARTH BEAT
ROCKETS

Pretenders have new album, tour with Journey ahead

The Pretenders' new single. “The Buzz” is available now via BMG at all DSPs and streaming services. The song heralds the Pretenders’ upcoming 11th studio album, HATE FOR SALE, due via BMG on Friday, May 1. Pre-orders are available now.

“I think we all know that love affairs can take on the characteristics of drug addiction,” says Chrissie Hynde. “’The Buzz’ is about that. Not mine, of course – I’m never obsessive never obsessive never obsessive.”

LISTEN TO “THE BUZZ”
PRE-ORDER HATE FOR SALE

Produced by Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur), HATE FOR SALE features 10 new songs written by Chrissie Hynde and Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne – their first full-length songwriting collaboration to date. Furthermore, the album – which follows 2016’s acclaimed ALONE – marks the first Pretenders album to feature the band’s longtime touring line-up of Hynde, Walbourne, bassist Nick Wilkinson, and founding drummer Martin Chambers.

The Pretenders embark on a North American tour alongside Journey, with dates beginning in May and continuing into mid-September. In addition, the band – which recently toured alongside Stevie Nicks and supported Fleetwood Mac at their historic 2019 two-night-stand at London’s Wembley Stadium – will also make a festival appearance, serving as support to Pearl Jam at the upcoming Ohana Festival 2020, curated by Eddie Vedder and Kelly Slater and set for September 27 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA.

TRACK LISTING:

Hate For Sale
The Buzz
Lightning Man
Turf Accountant Daddy
You Can’t Hurt a Fool
I Didn’t Know When To Stop
Maybe Love Is In NYC
Junkie Walk
Didn’t Want To Be This Lonely
Crying in Public

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2020

MAY
15 – Ridgefield, WA – Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
16 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre
18 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
20 – Boise, ID – Taco Bell Arena
21 – West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
23 – Inglewood, CA – The Forum
24 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
26 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
27 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
29 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
30 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

JUNE
1 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
2 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
4 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
6 – East Troy, MI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre
7 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
9 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
10 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
19 – Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena
20 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
22 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
24 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
26 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
27 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
29 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
30 – Cuyahoga Falls OH – Blossom Music Center

JULY
2 – Moline, IL – TaxSlayer® Center
3 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
5 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
6 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
8 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
10 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
11 – Burgettstown, PA- KeyBank Pavilion
13 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
14 – Quebec City, PQ – Videotron Center
17 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
18 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
29 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
30 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

AUGUST
1 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
2 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
4 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
5 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
7 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
8 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
10 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
12 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
13 – Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
21 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
22 – West Palm Beach, FL – Coral Sky Amphitheatre
24 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
26 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf
27 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
29 – Bossier City, LA – CenturyLink Center
30 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

SEPTEMBER
2 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
3 – Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center Arena
5 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
6 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
11 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
12 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
27 – Dana Point, CA – OHANA Festival 2020 *

ALL DATES W/JOURNEY EXCEPT * FESTIVAL APPEARANCE

Collective Soul, Better Than Ezra and Tonic join forces for summer package tour

Note: Any tour dates these days are subject to change.

COLLECTIVE SOUL heads out on the road this summer with Better Than Ezra and Tonic, starting May 29 (see dates below). VIP packages, which include exclusive merchandise and more are available now. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 20 at 10am local time.

“Touring with Tonic and Better Than Ezra is a beautiful combination of music and friends,” says COLLECTIVE SOUL bassist Will Turpin. “Playing with BTE and Tonic always has the feeling of a fun musical family reunion,” continues guitarist Dean Roland. “I can’t wait for the tour. Emerson and Kevin will probably get sick of seeing me on the front row singing along. They’ll just have to deal with it though.”

“This tour is all about good times, great friends, and amazing nights of music,” Better Than Ezra singer Kevin Griffin declares. “We’re fired up to spend the summer with Collective Soul and Tonic. Put on your dancing shoes.”

“Collective Soul is more than Just an amazing Rock band to us in the Tonic world,” proclaims Tonic singer Emerson Hart. “Yes, we have had some of our finest nights with them on stages around this country of ours through the many years on the road, but at the heart of it, they are family. Collective Soul, Better Than Ezra and Tonic is an unstoppable summer night of hits.”

As previously announced, COLLECTIVE SOUL will be taking part in Record Store Day (Saturday, June 20) with the release a limited edition 45 rpm/180g vinyl EP exclusively to independent record stores only entitled HALF & HALF. It features covers of “Opera Star” (Crazy Horse and Neil Young), “The One I Love” (R.E.M.), and two brand new songs. For participating stores, fans can go to Recordstoreday.com.

COLLECTIVE SOUL’s 10th studio album, BLOOD, was released last June on download or CD at these digital retailers, with vinyl copies of the album currently available on the band’s official website.

Tour dates:

Fri 5/29 Scottsdale, AZ Talking Stick Resort
Wed 6/10 Dubuque, IA Q Casino
Thu 6/11 Maryland Heights, MO St. Louis Music Park
Sat 6/13 Anderson, IN Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino
Mon 6/15 Bethlehem, PA Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks
Tue 6/16 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Wed 6/17 Oxon Hill, MD MGM National Harbor (on sale April 3)
Fri 6/19 Atlantic City, NJ Ovation Hall
Sat 6/20 Greensboro, NC White Oak Amphitheatre at Greensboro Coliseum
Sun 6/21 Atlanta, GA Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
Tue 6/23 Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center at The Heights
Wed 6/24 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Festival (on sale April 28)
Sun 6/28 Roanoke, VA Berglund Coliseum
Wed 7/1 Mashantucket, CT Foxwoods Resort Casino
Thu 7/2 Canandaigua, NY CMAC
Fri 7/3 Orilla, ONT. Casino Rama Entertainment Centre (on sale April 18)
Fri 7/17 Minot, ND North Dakota State Fair (on sale March 31)
Fri 7/24 Airway Heights, WA Northern Quest Casino Theater

Larkin Poe ready May album

Sister duo Larkin Poe have announced “She’s A Self Made Man,” the first song from the Atlanta-bred, Nashville-based Rebecca and Megan Lovell's upcoming album, SELF MADE MAN. The track is available now with all album pre-orders as well as at all DSPs and streaming services.

LISTEN TO “SHE’S A SELF MADE MAN”
PRE-ORDER SELF MADE MAN

“Life is all about balance,” says Rebecca. “Sometimes it’s sweet, sometimes it’s sour. With ‘She’s A Self Made Man,’ I wanted to write a song about the up-and-down ride that Megan and I have been on for the past 10 years of building Larkin Poe. It’s hard to know who you are and it can take time to figure out what your purpose is, but I feel thankful that in recent years, my own feelings have started to click and make sense. Knowing and accepting yourself: that is empowerment.”

SELF MADE MAN follows 2018’s chart-topping, Grammy Award-nominated fourth studio album, VENOM & FAITH.

“This is, in a lot of ways, is the first lyrically uplifting record we’ve made,” Megan says. “People can go through terrible things. People can weather immeasurable sorrow and hard times, and yet we can still come out on the other side, pull ourselves together, and thrive. This record reflects some of the joy and positivity that we ourselves feel and appreciate.”

Like its predecessor, SELF MADE MAN is self-produced by Larkin Poe with Roger Alan Nichols at his studio, Bell Tone Recording, in Nashville.

“Taking the creative reins and producing the last three records ourselves has been a formative experience for us, as sisters and as artists; it has been essential in the development of our own artistic voice,” says Rebecca. “It has brought us even closer together as a team and has done wonders in crystallizing and distilling the vision that my sister and I share.”

“Being authentic is very important to us,” Megan says. “Rebecca and I are heavily involved with every decision that is made. We’re independent artists and it filters into everything that we do.”

Track listing:

Self Made Man
Holy Ghost Fire
Keep Diggin’
Back Down South (feat. Tyler Bryant)
Tears of Blue to Gold
God Moves on the Water
Every Bird That Flies
Scorpion
Ex-Con
Easy Street

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Johnny Cash reissue news













In the mid-1980s, Mercury Records signed Johnny Cash for a prolific string of six albums in five years. Released from 1986-91, they included a notable reunion with fellow Sun Records alumni Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, star-studded collaborations with Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney, Glen Campbell, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Hank Williams Jr. and others. Then there were takes on songs by Elvis Costello, Guy Clark and Harry Chapin. And The Man in Black revisited his classic hits. Despite the quality of material, Cash’s stint with Mercury has never been revisited—until now.

On April 24, Cash's often overlooked and underappreciated chapter of his body of work will be showcased with a suite of releases via Mercury/UMe including a comprehensive new box set, The Complete Mercury Recordings 1986-1991, and a new greatest hits album, Easy Rider: The Best Of The Mercury Recordings, a newly assembled collection that compiles 24 highlights selected from Cash's Mercury catalog. Easy Rider will be released as a single CD, double LP and digital download.

Pre-order The Complete Mercury Recordings 1986-1991
https://JohnnyCash.lnk.to/CompleteMercuryAlbums
Pre-order Easy Rider: The Best Of The Mercury Recordings:
https://JohnnyCash.lnk.to/EasyRiderBestOf

The Complete Mercury Recordings 1986-1991, available on 7CD or 7LP on 180-gram vinyl, collects all six albums – Class of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming (1986), Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town (1987), Water from the Wells of Home (1988), Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series (1988), Boom Chicka Boom (1990) and The Mystery of Life (1991), and – that Cash recorded during his Mercury tenure and presents them together for the first time in a slipcase emblazoned with the distinctive bold Cash logo.

All of the albums have been remastered from the original Mercury master tapes by noted engineer Kevin Reeves at UMG Studios Nashville. The set was assembled by Grammy Award-winning producer Bill Levenson and features new liner notes by veteran music journalist Scott Schinder.

Also on April 24, all of the albums will be released individually on 180-gram black vinyl, with Classic Cash: Hall Of Fame Series as a two-LP set. This marks the first time that Cash's Mercury albums have been reissued.

The CD version of The Complete Mercury Recordings 1986-1991 is augmented with several rare or previously unreleased tracks and an additional 20-track disc of spare early mixes aptly titled Classic Cash: Hall Of Fame Series (Early Mixes), mastered from tapes newly discovered in the Mercury vaults. Although these never-before-heard versions are not included in the vinyl box, they're being released on April 18, 2020 as a Record Store Day exclusive, as a stand-alone limited edition double LP.

Cash’s first album for Mercury, the all-star session, Class of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming, reunited him with fellow Sun Records alumni Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins. With veteran Memphis producer Chips Moman behind the board, the four singers tackle a mix of old and new material, including the Cash-led "I Will Rock and Roll with You" and the Presley tribute, "We Remember the King." Another Elvis ode, John Fogerty's "Big Train from Memphis," features a vocal chorus that includes Fogerty, June Carter Cash, Rick Nelson, Dave Edmunds, Dan Penn and the Judds.

Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town reteamed Cash with producer "Cowboy" Jack Clement, who as Sun Records' house engineer had overseen many of Cash's '50s sessions and written some of his early hits. The album’s studio team includes wife June Carter Cash and her singing siblings Anita and Helen and daughter Carlene Carter, Cash’s then son-in-law Marty Stuart, and Waylon Jennings, who lends his voice to the warmly nostalgic "The Night Hank Williams Came to Town." There are readings of Elvis Costello's "The Big Light" and James Talley's "W. Lee O'Daniel (and the Light Crust Dough Boys)."

With Clement producing again, the star-studded Water from the Wells of Home features guest appearances by Cash’s wife June Carter Cash and daughter Rosanne Cash, along with Glen Campbell, Jessi Colter, the Everly Brothers, Tom T. Hall, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney and Hank Williams Jr. on a set of material including "That Old Wheel," a duet with Williams that became Cash's highest-charting single in over a decade.

Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series finds Cash revisiting such vintage classics as "I Walk the Line," "Ring of Fire," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Get Rhythm," "I Still Miss Someone" and "Sunday Morning Coming Down."

With veteran Nashville musician Bob Moore producing, Boom Chicka Boom was named in honor of the trademark rhythm that Cash pioneered in the '50s. There is a remake of Harry Chapin’s "Cat's in the Cradle" and "Hidden Shame," which Elvis Costello wrote for Cash. The CD of Boom Chicka Boom includes seven bonus tracks not on the original album, including several b-sides and early versions and the unreleased "I Draw The Line."

The Mystery of Life, again produced by Clement, emphasized Cash’s own songwriting, e.g. "The Greatest Cowboy of Them All" and "I'm An Easy Rider," while also dipping into the songbooks of Tom T. Hall and John Prine. The CD version of The Mystery of Life also includes Cash's collaboration with U2, "The Wanderer," which appears as an extended version previously released only on the soundtrack album of director Wim Wenders’ film “Faraway, So Close.” The song also closes out the best of collection.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Out now: Phantogram album 'Ceremony'

Phantogram has released their fourth studio album, Ceremony. Listen HERE! The 11-track release features lead single, “Dear God,” which they debuted on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night. Watch it HERE.

The band recently posted a revealing letter to fans unveiling how the loss of Sarah Barthel’s sister, Becky, to suicide, and peers like Mac Miller, Chris Cornell, Prince, Avicii, Chester Bennington and more, impacted their lives and influenced the album. Read more HERE.

The process for Ceremony began in summer of 2018, after several years of touring the world in support of their most commercially successful album, Three. The album hit Top 10 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, Top 3 on Billboard’s Rock Albums chart and Top 5 on Billboard’s Top Albums Sales chart. The lead single, “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore,” also peaked at #6 on the alternative radio chart.

Barthel says, “When ‘Three’ was finished, I thought the weight of sadness and anger would release after finishing recording. Boy, I was wrong. Performing those songs every night was like reliving the feelings over and over again. After that tour, I was completely drained and spent. After 10 years of being in this band and pouring my heart into everything that is Phantogram, I felt like I didn’t have anything else. I think life was put on hold for a long time for Phantogram. Going through the loss of my sister from suicide was the icing on the cake.”

She continues, “After ‘Three,’ it was a time to reflect in a way we never had before. Life after losing someone from suicide is very confusing. Performing those songs every night kept us stuck in that one moment. It didn’t allow us to move forward and grow as people. When tour was over, we had to step outside of the Phantogram bubble and face real life. It almost felt like we were in survival mode. ‘Ceremony’ was inspired by self-care and seeing how common of a struggle everyday life had become."

Ceremony features the band’s previously released singles, “Pedestal,” “In A Spiral,” “Mister Impossible” and “Into Happiness.” It marks the first project the band made entirely around Los Angeles, recording the bulk of the album at Barthel’s new home studio.

Of creating Ceremony, Carter says, “When the cycle for ‘Three’ wound down, we took some much-needed time to focus on our personal life, friendships and mental health. Going into the creation process of ‘Ceremony’ was a more refreshing approach to making music than how we normally create. We went back to our roots in a lot of ways—making art, listening to records and writing in our own secluded studio in the hills of Laurel Canyon. It was liberating and inspiring to just make music as it flowed, while also having fun doing it. This allowed us to still push our boundaries and create new ideas that we hadn’t explored yet.”

Track listing:

1. “Dear God”
2. “In A Spiral”
3. “Into Happiness”
4. “Pedestal”
5. “Love Me Now”
6. “Let Me Down”
7. “News Today”
8. “Mister Impossible”
9. “Glowing”
10. “Gaunt Kids”
11. “Ceremony”

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Bush details 'The Kingdom' and world tour

British rock band Bush have announced the May 2020 release of their new album, ‘The Kingdom’. Hear lead track ‘Flowers On A Grave’ HERE. “We are really proud of The Kingdom,” says vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Gavin Rossdale.

“It’s as if all roads traveled over the last few years have gotten us to this point. We look forward to this cycle – old fans, new fans, like minded people who are searching for their kingdom.”

Last Friday, Bush premiered “Flowers On A Grave” in front of a sold-out crowd in Las Vegas at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Then on Saturday night in Reno, Rossdale jumped on stage with Benjamin Burnley and Breaking Benjamin to surprise a sold-out crowd of 7,000 people at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center with a rendition of the Alice In Chains classic, “Would.”

European headline tour dates, include the band’s Download Festival debut, and a summer US tour with Breaking Benjamin. This summer’s tour will also feature Canadian hitmakers Theory of a Deadman, who are enjoying their recent No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with “History of Violence."

"Flowers On A Grave," co-produced by Erik Ron and Rossdale himself, is the follow-up to the cinematic “Bullet Holes,” heard by audiences all over the world atop the end credits to the international blockbuster, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Watch the Jesse Davey-directed visual for “Bullet Holes” HERE, which features a Bush performance interspersed with footage from the action thriller. Produced by Tyler Bates (John Wick 1 & 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool 2), “Bullet Holes” will also be featured on Bush's forthcoming album The Kingdom.

EUROPEAN HEADLINE TOUR DATES:

June 5 – Hamburg, D @ Große Freiheit
June 6 – Nuremberg, D @ Rock Im Park
June 7 – Nurburg, D @ Rock Am Ring
June 9 – Warsaw, PL @ Proxima
June 10 – Berlin, D @ Astra
June 11 – Nicklesdorf, A @ Nova Park
June 13 – Donnington, UK @ Download Festival
June 15 – Tilburg, NL @ O13
June 16 – Antwerp, B @ Trix
June 17 – Muenster, D @ Skaters Palace
June 19 – Zurich, SW @ Rock The Ring
June 20 – Milan, I @ Magazzini Generali
June 21 – Padova, I @ Hall
June 25 – Madrid, E @ Sala Riviera
June 27 – Lisboa, P @ Rock in Rio Lisboa


U.S. tour dates with Breaking Benjamin:

July 15 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
July 17 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
July 18 – Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
July 20 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre
July 21 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 23 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
July 24 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheatre
July 26 – Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre
July 27 – Mansfield, MA @ The Xfinity Center
July 29 – Burgettstown, PA @ S&T Bank Music Park
July 30 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
August 1 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
August 2 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
August 4 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
August 6 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
August 7 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
August 10 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
August 11 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
August 13 – The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 15 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
August 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
August 18 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
August 19 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
August 21 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
August 22 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 24 – Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf Amphitheater
August 26 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
August 29 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Providence Amphitheater
August 31 – Englewood, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
September 2 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
September 3 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
September 5 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center
September 6 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre
September 8 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Date TBA – St. Louis, MO

VIP packages and tickets for BUSH’s artist presale are available at BUSHofficial.com. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning March 6 at 10 AM local time at LiveNation.com.

PVRIS album, tour news

photo by Sasha-Samsonova
PVRIS have announced third full length studio album Use Me, out May 1 on Reprise/Warner Records.

First track “Dead Weight” is accompanied by an official video created in Milan with Italian director YHELLOW who recently directed videos for “Hallucinations” and “Old Wounds.”

PVRIS also just announced a spring headline tour, ahead of a North American amphitheater run with Halsey and blackbear this summer. Tickets for all headline dates will go on sale this Friday, March 6 at 10am local time. A full list of dates is below.

Watch/Share “Dead Weight” (Video) HERE
Watch/Share “Dead Weight” (Audio) HERE
Pre-Order/Pre-Save Use Me HERE

Frontwoman, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Lynn Gunn Lynn explains, “‘Dead Weight’ is about being a people pleaser, holding others up and never asking for anything back. Quite often that can being taken advantage of and can be hard to say "no"/set boundaries, this feels amplified especially as a woman. This song is about stepping into my power as a woman, shedding old skin and taking nurturing/caretaker feminine nature and turning it into a super power.”

For years, Lynn remained in the background, too shy to take all of the credit for the vision of PVRIS and her role in the songwriting, presentation, much of the production, merch, and visual video concepts. Now she is ready to shine a light on who she is and what she does—like she should’ve a long time ago.

“I allowed myself to support a narrative I thought I had to support of PVRIS being a band,” Lynn says. “I didn’t really have a role model for this. Coming from a ‘band culture,’ it’s about how the group is always greater than the sum of its parts, and you’re not supposed to take credit, even if you do everything. There’s no template or role model for really owning it as a woman. I wanted to make everyone else happy and uphold an image I thought we had to. Growing up, I learned I don’t have to do that anymore. I’m finally allowing myself to take credit. I’ve got the full support and encouragement of my bandmates. PVRIS is a unit and very much a team, but the heart and soul of the vision and music always has sourced from me. I’m just saying it now. I fulfilled my own vision of what a role model should be.”

Writing and recording all of 2019, she collaborated with JT Daly [K. Flay]. With Lynn writing, creating beats, playing guitar, drums, and bass, and singing, he amplified and augmented her vision and versatility in the studio. PVRIS set the foundation for the new era with recent EP, Hallucinations, spawning lead single and title track “Hallucinations,” which clocked 10 million total streams in a few months’ time, as well as fan favorites “Old Wounds” and “Death of Me.”

More About PVRIS:

Growing up in Lowell, MA, frontwoman Lynn Gunn taught herself drums, guitar, and bass by sneaking into her brother’s bedroom in grade school and playing for hours on end. During computer lab at school, she discovered production and recording software, tuning out the day’s lessons in order to tinker with her very first beats.

This process carried over to PVRIS, which she officially formed in 2013 joined by band mates Alex Babinski [guitar, keys] and Brian MacDonald [bass, keyboards]. A year later, White Noise inspired a growing fan base and scored a silver certification in the UK. 

Meanwhile, 2017’s All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell bowed in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top Alternative Albums Chart and ushered their stream tally past 220 million by 2020.

Over the next seven years, they performed everywhere from Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Reading & Leads to Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! in addition to supporting Muse, Fall Out Boy, and 30 Seconds To Mars in arenas and selling out headline dates worldwide. Advocating for the LGBTQ community, she supported organizations such as The Ally Coalition.

Track listing:

1. Gimme A Minute
2. Dead Weight
3. Stay Gold
4. Good To Be Alive
5. Death of Me
6. Hallucinations
7. Old Wounds
8. Loveless
9. January Rain
10. Use Me
11. Wish You Well

NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE TOUR:

5/8 Columbus, OH Newport
5/9 Chicago, IL House of Blues
5/12 Detroit, MI The Majestic
5/14 Harrisburg, PA Harrisburg University
5/15 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
5/19 Norfolk, VA The NorVa
5/20 Baltimore, MD Ram’s Head
5/21 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre
5/22 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
5/24 Boston, MA Boston Calling (FESTIVAL)
5/26 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore
5/27 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
5/28 New Orleans, LA Republic
5/30 Austin, TX Emo’s
5/31 Dallas, TX Canton
6/2 Phoenix, AZ The Van Buren
6/4 Los Angeles, CA The Fonda
6/5 Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades
6/7 San Francisco, CA Regency
6/9 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
6/10 Seattle, WA Neptune

SUMMER 2020 TOUR WITH HALSEY:

7/12 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage 
7/15 Forest Hills, NY Forest Hills Stadium
7/18 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/19 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
7/22 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
7/24 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
7/25 Saint Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
7/27 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
7/30 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
8/1 Irvine, CA Five Point Amphitheatre