American Singer/Songwriter Hayfitz Releases Intimate New Alt-Folk Single; Touring UK In May

Los Angeles-born, Berlin-based by way of Brooklyn, “gentle folk” purveyor Hayfitz announces the first chapter of his personal queer journey through his new single “Music Room,” out now via Vienna, Austria-based SeaYou Records.

With a brave idea, Hayfitz sought ultimate closure by isolating in a cabin for three weeks to record and co-produce his forthcoming sophomore album, Everything Else - out on Oct. 6 - with the very person it was written about. 

A lengthy path towards his late-discovered queer identity via an unrequited love with collaborator-turned-best friend, Sam Cope, Hayfitz details a confusing, often excruciating three-year period following a chapter of necessary separation and eventual reunion between the friends.

WATCH “MUSIC ROOM”

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

“I knew that as soon as I admitted to Sam what it was all about, that it was no longer going to be just hypothetical,” says Hayfitz. “It was a very dark internal chapter for me. But it had to happen one way or another as far as me telling him. And it’s all embedded in the record. It’s right there, starting with the first song, ‘Music Room.’”

At 25, Hayfitz was questioning his sexuality and confronting the consequences of his response to Cope’s rejection and the falling out of their friendship.

"For one thing," says Hayfitz, " I didn't think that we were going to be friends again, necessarily. For another, I didn't think we were going to make music together again. And then I definitely didn't think that both of these things would happen. So, I don't take anything for granted at this point."

Hayfitz reveals,"'Music Room' is in a lot of ways the thesis statement for this new record. Sonically, conceptually, emotionally - all of it really outlines what’s to come in the record. For me it was the quickest song to write and the song that I knew I needed to write more than any of the others. I remember showing the demo to Sam for the first time and him being shocked by how all of these experiences we had somehow fit perfectly together rhyming wise. Everything about its conception just felt very mystical and we tried to capture that with how it sounds too.Thinking about how I genuinely never expected to make music with Sam again and then flashing forward to years later listening back to this song together at the cabin after recording it.. it was just the most emotional moment with music I think I’ve ever had. Music has taken on a whole new level of meaning and purpose for me from that point forward - really understanding the power that it can have."

After a two-year period of silence followed by an eventual reconciliation, Hayfitz and Cope finally reunited in the fall of 2021 to produce a set of songs as lush as they are intimate, a near-chronological depiction of their story. The album was recorded outside Pittsburgh at the cabin of their close friend, with the musicians having hauled out a carload of gear from Brooklyn and set up their studio in a large, fully windowed three season porch.

Hayfitz captured the three week recording process on Super 8mm and shares the first footage from that with the lyric music video for ‘Music Room’.

Everything Else releases in full on 10/06/23 with extensive tour dates to include the UK, EU, US, and Canada between May and December.

https://hayfitz.com/

UK Concerts:

May 11 London, UK - Spiritual Bar

May 12 Brighton, UK - Folklore Rooms

May 12 London, UK - St. Pancras
May 13 Winchester, UK - Railway Inn
May 16 Brighton, UK - Folklore Rooms

The Interrupters' 'In The Wild - Deluxe' Out Now

Currently on a co-headlining tour with Frank Turner, Los Angeles’s The Interrupters have released the deluxe version of their fourth studio album, In The Wild Deluxe. Expanding on their 2022 Hellcat/Epitaph Records release, the band is sure to delight fans with three bonus tracks including an acoustic rendition of “Raised By Wolves”, cover of Joe Strummer’s “Get Down Moses”, plus a live performance video of Bad Religion’s “Sorrow."

"Sorrow is such a beautiful song that has always deeply moved me,” Aimee Interrupter explains. “There’s something other worldly about it. Profound. Timeless. Inspiring. Heartbreaking yet uplifting. I have always wanted to sing it because it’s a song I wish I wrote.” Watch the performance below:

Watch/Listen “Sorrow LIVE” HERE

Listen to In The Wild DELUXE HERE

In The Wild Deluxe is the follow-up to 2018’s Fight the Good Fight, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart. The album contained the smash hit “She’s Kerosene,” which entered the top five of Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart and has amassed over 50 million combined global streams to date.

During the COVID lockdown, Aimee Interrupter, partner and guitarist Kevin Bivona, and his younger twin brothers, Jesse (drums) and Justin (bass), built a home studio in their garage. In this cocoon-like environment, Aimee found the strength to confront the past and together the bandmates created their most personal album yet. Gliding across a spectrum of breathless punk rock, doo-wop, gospel, dancehall and the band’s customary nods to the lineage of two-tone, the album is infused with an uplifting spirit. Guests include Tim Armstrong, Rhoda Dakar, Hepcat and The Skints. The band penned the album’s 14 songs together and Kevin Bivona produced.

The group performed their lead single “In The Mirror” on Jimmy Kimmel Live—watch their performance HERE.

The Interrupters are Aimee Interrupter, guitarist Kevin Bivona, and his younger twin brothers, Jesse on drums and Justin on bass.

Tour Dates:

April 30—Chicago, IL—House of Blues

May 1—Pittsburgh, PA—Roxian Theatre *
May 3—Toronto, ONT—History*
May 5—Montreal, QUE—Olympia de Montréal*
May 6—Hampton Beach, NH—Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom*
May 7—Boston, MA —MGM Music Hall at Fenway*
May 10—Wallingford, CT—The Dome at Oakdale*
May 12—NYC, NY—The Rooftop at Pier 17*
May 13—Asbury Park, NJ—Stone Pony Summer Stage*
May 14—Philadelphia, PA—The Fillmore Philadelphia*
May 16—Norfolk, VA—NorVA*
May 17—Silver Spring, MD—The Fillmore Silver Spring*
May 19—Cincinnati, OH—Bogart’s*
May 20—St. Louis, MO—The Pageant*
May 21—Denver, CO—Fillmore Auditorium*
May 23—Salt Lake City, UT—The Complex*
May 24—Garden City, ID—Revolution Concert House
May 26—Monterrey, CA—California Roots Music and Arts Festival
May 27—Las Vegas, NV—Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival
May 29—Sacramento, CA—Ace of Spades
May 30—San Francisco, CA—The Fillmore
June 1—San Diego—SOMA
June 2—Los Angeles, CA—The Wiltern
June 3—Anaheim, CA—House of Blues

*Frank Turner co-headline with The Interrupters

WHAM! The Singles Box Set Arrives in July

WHAM! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven is a multi-format release including a special edition 7” vinyl singles carry case containing all the hits, which spanned four years, kicking off with 1982’s Young Guns (Go For It) and culminating in 1986’s The Edge Of Heaven. 

The collection will be released as a deluxe vinyl singles 7” box set. The stylish collection includes all the singles, plus additional content.

Available to pre order now and released on July 7, WHAM! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven is also available in multiple additional formats: 10CD box set, 2LP coloured vinyl, 2LP black vinyl, CD and digital.

PRE-ORDER: http://wham.lnk.to/TheSingles

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Additionally, on the way is WHAM! - a feature length documentary from director Chris Smith (Fyre Fest, Sr) and producers John Battsek (The Deepest Breath) and Simon Halfon (Supersonic). With access to both George and Andrew’s personal archive including remarkable and never-before-seen footage, alongside rare, candid and previously unheard interviews, WHAM! charts their journey from school friends to superstars.

The documentary WHAM! is released globally on Netflix on July 5.

About WHAM!

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley formed WHAM! in 1981 and released eleven singles as WHAM!, five of them (Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Freedom, Last Christmas, I’m Your Man and The Edge Of Heaven) were British Number 1s.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Careless Whisper and Everything She Wants were chart toppers: all three were from the same album, Make It Big, which sold six million copies in America alone. 

In 1985, WHAM! became the first western group to perform in China, where two rapturously received concerts broke countless cultural barriers!

WHAM! toured the world. The Big Tour of 1984 and ‘85, comprised thirty-nine shows in support of the multi-platinum British and American Number One album - Make It Big. It took in the UK, Ireland, Japan, Australia, United States, Hong Kong and China and in the summer of 1985, their WHAMAMERICA! stadium tour played the USA.

On June 28, 1986, WHAM! The Final saw the duo finish their partnership at Wembley Stadium. The concert included performances by their friend Elton John.

Vinyl Track Listing:

Disc 1

Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) [Club Mix]

Disc 2

Young Guns (Go For It)
Going For It!

Disc 3

Bad Boys
Bad Boys (Instrumental)

Disc 4

Club Tropicana
Blue (Armed With Love)

Disc 5

Club Fantastic Megamix
A Ray Of Sunshine

Disc 6

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Instrumental)

Disc 7

Freedom
Freedom (Instrumental)

Disc 8

Last Christmas
Everything She Wants

Disc 9

I’m Your Man
Do It Right (Instrumental)

Disc 10+11

Edge Of Heaven
Wham! Rap ’86
Battlestations
Where Did Your Heart Go?

Disc 12

Interviews – fan club gift from Wham

Musician/Actor Noah Reid of 'Schitt's Creek' Sets World Tour Dates

Since singer-songwriter and actor Noah Reid’s sold out North American tour was disrupted due to COVID-19, he has now announced The “Everything’s Fine” Tour; the first batch of world-wide concert dates in Noah’s career. Reid will perform this fall, taking stage in North America, Europe and Australia from September through November.

Tickets on sale now. 

Noah Reid put out a debut album Songs from a Broken Chair (2016), sophomore album Gemini (2020) and third album Adjustments (2022), which collectively have garnered over 180 million streams, two nominations at the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards in the ‘Songwriter of the Year’ and ‘New/Emerging Artist of the Year’ categories and landed Noah on four Billboard charts.

As an actor, Reid is best known for playing ‘Patrick’ in the Emmy-winning comedy series Schitt’s Creek, for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with the cast, for ‘Best Ensemble.’ In 2022 he was seen in Brian Watkins’ Amazon series Outer Range opposite Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots and Lewis Pullman and wrapped up his Broadway debut as the lead of Tracy Letts’ Tony-nominated play The Minutes, which received rave reviews.

World Tour Dates:

09.15.23 The Academy Dublin, IE

09.16.23 The Limelight Belfast, IE
09.18.23 The Caves Edinburgh, UK
09.19.23 Gorilla Manchester, UK
09.20.23 Islington Assembly Hall London, UK
09.22.23 Melkweg Amsterdam, NL
09.29.23 The Enmore Sydney, AUS
09.30.23 Eatons Hill Brisbane, AUS
10.02.23 Forum Melbourne, AUS
10.03.23 Astor Perth, AUS
10.10.23 The Belasco Theatre Los Angeles, CA
10.11.23 August Hall San Francisco, CA
10.12.23 Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
10.14.23 McPherson Playhouse Victoria, BC
10.15.23 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC
10.27.23 The Orange Peel Asheville, NC
10.28.23 The Underground Charlotte, NC
10.29.23 The Fillmore Washington, DC
10.30.23 Roxian Theatre Pittsburgh, PA
11.01.23 The Fillmore Philadelphia, PA
11.04.23 Adler Hall New York, NY
11.05.23 The Wilbur Boston, MA
11.24.23 Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
11.25.23 Park West Chicago, IL
11.26.23 Saint Andrew’s Hall Detroit, MI
11.30.23 Danforth Music Hall Toronto, ON

Out Now: Wilderado's Live Album

Tulsa, OK band Wilderado have a fall US headline run and first-ever concert album Wilderado Live out now. It was recorded during their past year and half on the road in support of their self-titled debut album, released in October 2021 via Bright Antenna Records.

"Our hearts and souls went in these performances. Years of anguished rehearsal and blistering repetition culminating into a roaring release of rhythm and blues. Banging of drums! Voices feathering on the wings of eagles! The scream of the fan! Torn from limb to limb by a tsunami of frequency and bliss! Only to be mended in harmony. A togetherness that comes not from witnessing but sharing. Consumption and creation in unity. Peace begins with me. Now you can have it to," said Max Rainer of Wilderado.

The 12-track live album features the band’s two Top 10 Alternative Radio hit singles from their self-titled debut – “Surefire” and “Head Right” – along with several older songs including “Wheat” and “Morning Light” as well as crowd favorite “Rubble to Rubble.”

Since first forming in 2015, Wilderado has accrued 170+ MILLION streams and 3+ MILLION monthly listeners across platforms. Just last year, Wilderado made their Late Night TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and AM TV Debut on CBS Saturday Morning. Check out Wilderado’s self-titled debut LP HERE, pre-order/pre-save Wilderado Live HERE, and for all up-to-date information visit: https://www.wilderado.co/.

Tour Dates:

5/6 @ Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, GA

5/18 @ Whale Aid 2023 (Max) in Boston, MA
5/28 @ WonderWorks in Pittsburgh, PA
8/5 @ Hinterland Music Fest in St Charles, IA
9/23 @ Marquee Theatre in Tempe, AZ
9/24 @ Life is Beautiful in Las Vegas, NV
9/26 @ Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO
9/27 @ Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins, CO
9/29 @ Tannahill Tavern in Fort Worth, TX
9/30 @ Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City, OK
10/1 @ Treeline Festival in Columbia, MO
10/3 @ Thalia Hall in Chicago, IL
10/4 @ The Basement East in Nashville, TN
10/6 @ Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA
10/7 @ Riverfront Revival Fest in Charleston, SC
10/8 @ Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC

FIrst Album in Six Years by PJ Harvey coming this summer

PJ Harvey has released a new song and video, “A Child’s Question, August,” with the announcement of her 10th studio album, I Inside the Old Year Dying. The new album - Harvey’s first since 2016’s Grammy-nominated The Hope Six Demolition Project - will be released on July 7 via Partisan Records. The album is produced by long-time collaborators Flood and John Parish. Today’s song release comes with a video, directed by Steve Gullick.

STREAM “A CHILD’S QUESTION, AUGUST” HERE

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

PJ Harvey is the only musician to have been awarded the UK’s Mercury Music Prize more than once, winning first in 2001 for Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea and again in 2011 for Let England Shake. An accomplished poet and visual artist, as well as a musician and songwriter, since the release of The Hope Six Demolition Project, which went to #1 album in her native UK, she has contributed compositions for stage and screen; most recently for Sharon Horgan’s acclaimed Bad Sisters mini-series.

Pre-order I Inside the Old Year Dying here

The new songs, Harvey says, offer “a resting space, a solace, a comfort, a balm - which feels timely for the times we’re in.”

I Inside the Old Year Dying’s story goes back six years, to the end of touring around her last album in 2017 and how Harvey felt immediately afterwards. What she keenly felt was that somewhere in the endless cycle of albums and tours, she had lost her connection with music itself, a realization that was troubling beyond words.

This was hardly a time of creative withdrawal: thanks to mentoring by the Scottish poet Don Paterson, she worked on Orlam, the accomplished work of poetry – her second, after 2015’s The Hollow of the Hand - that was published last year and became one of the new album’s key inspirations. There were also the reissues of Harvey’s preceding albums – and, in new editions, their demo versions – that came out between 2020 and 2022. But eventually, two things began to push her in the direction of new songs, music and sounds.

One was the memory of a meeting with the artist and film-maker Steve McQueen, in Chicago, during the Hope Six period. His advice was to remember what she loves about words, images and music and to put away the concept of writing “an album” to focus on and play with these three passions. The other catalyst for a return to music was simple: the sheer act of playing it. Picking up the guitar or sitting down at the piano to play her favourite songs by such artists as Nina Simone or Bob Dylan - reconfirmed her passion for the art form.

Something soon started to cohere. When Harvey began to write new songs, there was a liberating sense of making music for its own sake, rather than the first steps back into the album-tour-album-tour cycle. She drew on the sense of creative freedom she had felt in past musical work on soundtracks, and in the theater. At the same time, her perspective was shifting, away from the big themes of Let England Shake and Hope Six (“looking out, at war, politics, the world”), towards something more intimate and human.

The new songs, Harvey says, “all came out of me in about three weeks”. But that was only the beginning. The key to what would happen next – at Battery Studios, in North West London - lay in a three-way creative bond that now goes back nearly thirty years, between Harvey, her enduring collaborator and creative partner John Parish, and Flood: nominally a producer, though that word does not really do him justice.

“The studio was set up for live play, and that's all we did,” she says. The importance of this is hard to overstate: if I Inside the Old Year Dying is a very tactile, human record, that is partly because just about everything on it is rooted in improvisation: spontaneous performances and ideas, recorded at the moment of their creation.

There is something profoundly uplifting and redemptive in the recording, qualities exemplified by the album’s lead-off single, “A Child’s Question, August.” “I think the album is about searching, looking - the intensity of first love, and seeking meaning,” says Harvey. “Not that there has to be a message, but the feeling I get from the record is one of love – it’s tinged with sadness and loss, but it’s loving. I think that's what makes it feel so welcoming: so open.”

Track list:

Prayer at the Gate
Autumn Term
Lwonesome Tonight
Seem an I
The Nether-edge
I Inside the Old Year Dying
All Souls
A Child’s Question, August
I Inside the Old I Dying
August
A Child’s Question, July
A Noiseless Noise

Next John Mellencamp Album Due in June; On Tour Now

John Mellencamp’s forthcoming new album Orpheus Descending is set for release June 2 via Republic Records. Pre-order the album HERE.

His self-produced 25th album was recorded at his own Belmont Mall Studio. “The Eyes of Portland” focuses on social issues Mellencamp continues to passionately advocate for.

Mellencamp is currently in the midst of his Live and In Person 2023 North American tour, with dates running through June 27 including stops in New York City, Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston and more. A complete list of remaining dates is below and tickets where available for purchase HERE.

He’s currently performing songs from the new album during his live set. Critically acclaimed studio album Strictly A One-Eyed Jack was released early last year. Mellencamp also recently released a deluxe edition reissue of his seminal album, Scarecrow, which features a collection of bonus tracks, rarities and more never previously shared before. Listen HERE.

Mellencamp is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Mellencamp has continued to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. Last year, he released a self-curated book of his work, John Mellencamp: Paintings and Assemblages, which is out now on Rizzoli New York.

Track Listing:

1. Hey God
2. The Eyes Of Portland
3. Land Of The So Called Free
4. The Kindness Of Lovers
5. Amen
6. Orpheus Descending
7. Understated Reverence
8. One More Trick
9. Lightning And Luck
10. Perfect World
11. Backbone

Tour Dates:

May 5—Old National Events Plaza—Evansville, IN

May 6—Old National Events Plaza—Evansville, IN
May 8—Ryman Auditorium—Nashville, TN
May 9—Ryman Auditorium—Nashville, TN
May 10—Ryman Auditorium—Nashville, TN
May 12—Aronoff Center—Cincinnati, OH
May 13—Aronoff Center—Cincinnati, OH
May 15—Embassy Theatre—Ft. Wayne, IN
May 16—Embassy Theatre—Ft. Wayne, IN
May 17—Palace Theatre—Columbus, OH
May 19—Peace Center—Greenville, SC
May 20—DPAC—Durham, NC
May 22—Benedum Center—Pittsburgh, PA
May 23—Benedum Center—Pittsburgh, PA
May 25—Playhouse Square—Cleveland, OH
May 26—Playhouse Square—Cleveland, OH
June 2—The Lyric—Baltimore, MD
June 3—Kimmel Cultural Center—Philadelphia, PA
June 5—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY
June 6—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY
June 7—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY
June 9—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY
June 10—Boch Center-Wang Theatre—Boston, MA
June 11—Providence Performing Arts Center—Providence, RI
June 13—Palace Theatre—Albany, NY
June 14—Landmark Theatre—Syracuse, NY
June 16—Shea’s Performing Arts Center—Buffalo, NY
June 17—Masonic Temple Theatre—Detroit, MI
June 19—Massey Hall—Toronto, ON
June 21—Devos Performance Hall—Grand Rapids, MI
June 23—Morris Performing Arts Center—South Bend, IN
June 24—Morris Performing Arts Center—South Bend, IN
June 26—The Riverside Theater—Milwaukee, WI
June 27—The Riverside Theater—Milwaukee, WI

Coachella Festival 2023 - Weekend Two Review Part 2 featuring Blondie, MUNA, Snail Mail, more

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a leading light among American music festivals. Launched in 1999, it set the bar for events of this type. Since then, Coachella has drawn the cream of the music crop. More Latin and electronic dance artists or DJs comprised this year’s lineup than ever before. Weekend 2 of the 2023 edition was toplined by Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK. Blink-182, a last-minute addition the prior weekend, replaced Frank Ocean who cancelled due to injury on the Coachella Stage. Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred Again closed everything out with a late-night DJ set.

Predicting which unannounced performers might show up - or return - is an essential activity at Coachella. Jose Feliciano (Bad Bunny), Sia and Zendaya (Labrinth), La Roux (Chromeo), CeeLo Greene (Tobe Nwigwe), The Weeknd (Metro Boomin) and many others were among the special guests. Another interesting way to spend downtime is people watching – especially all the EDM enthusiasts in their outlandish or “barely there” outfits.

More than 150 music acts from around the world performed in Indio on nine stages. Below is an overview of my experience.

Lewis OfMan - The French electronic musician, a collaborator on Carly Rae Jepsen’s recent hit “Move Me,” delved into house, drum and bass and Italian disco on his 2022 debut album Sonic Poems. Clad in a white jacket and partially transparent pants, Lewis OfMan proved to be quite a character while playing songs from it Friday in the Mojave Tent. The delightful, high-energy set saw him quickly switch between synth and keyboard on “Such a Good Day” (adding a snippet of Daft Punk’s “One More Time”), emerge from behind the instruments to do some pitch shifting vocals during “Dancy Girl” and then jog and shake his booty amid a festive “Las Banistas.”

Gabriels – Over at the Gobi Tent, this SoCal-based soul trio brought some spirituality to the desert. Lead singer Jacob Lusk - a top 5 American Idol finalist in 2011 - admitted to being nervous and advised people not to wear new shoes to a festival (no mention of his white suit though). Before doing a gospel song, he also urged the crowd to spread the love. Then Lusk was in full-on falsetto mode on the jazz-tinged “Professional” from Gabriels’ upcoming album and nicely segued into the Barbra Streisand-popularized “The Way We Were."

BENEE – Talk about exuberant. The young New Zealand Tik Tok star pogoed as she sang rap-inflected alt-pop tunes like “Green Honda” and “Sports Mode” with attitude aplenty at a packed Mojave.

MUNA – The LA trio prompted loud cheers from the minute they took the stage to a large Mojave crowd. Scantily dressed lead singer Katie Gavin was a riveting presence as she traversed the stage and did bump ‘n’ grind moves during scintillating synth pop tunes like “What I Want” and “Number One Fan.” The other members provided strong backing vocals during “Stay Away” (reminiscent of CHVRCHES) and a moodier “Runner’s High” even contained a NIN-style section. MUNA finished with enthusiastic hit “Silk Chiffon” with label boss Phoebe Bridgers of boygenius (pictured left) guesting.

Blondie – The influential 1970s pop/rock band fronted by a still feisty Debbie Harry, 77, drew an overflow crowd to Mojave. Launching with a supercharged “One Way or Another” - included on last year’s exceptional career spanning box set Against the Odds: 1974-1982 – the group hit all the bases on Friday night with such hits as “Rapture,” “The Tide is High,” “Call Me” and “Heart of Glass.”

After an action-packed Friday, heading back to Empire Polo Field when gates opened on Saturday was difficult, but necessary. New discoveries are often found within the undercard acts performing in the early afternoon. While walking to another stage, the exotic sounds from Israeli-born female singer Elyanna, who sings in Arabic, were enticing.

Horsegirl – This female indie rock trio from Chicago took awhile to gain momentum in the Sonora Tent, but definitely impressed with an intense, feedback-laden “Option 8” as well as some angular guitar work on “Anti-Glory.”

Snail Mail – The breezy alt-pop of Maryland’s Lindsey Jordan went down easy in the Mojave Tent. In striking contrast to her frequently frank lyrics, Jordan’s between song banter veered from giddy (obviously happy to be at Coachella) and surprising (chastising rude on-site security) to funny (getting lost trying to walk to a nearby hotel). Sometimes recalling Juliana Hatfield, the best moments in the set came from 2021’s Valentine: The synth-laden “Ben Franklin,” a more aggressive “Glory” and “Forever (Sailing),” where Jordan encouraged fans to continue tossing beach balls around and even kicked one herself.

Just before BLACKPINK performed, a dazzling 8-minute drone show by Skymagic paid tribute to past Coachella art installations.

Christine and the Queens - On Sunday evening, this European electropop act put on a totally unique and captivating performance in the Mojave Tent. Emerging with angel’s wings attached to his back, singer Chris mixed French and English vocals with some interpretive dance, spoken word and deeply personal lyrics about identity, family dynamics and romance. The Massive Attack-styled music was sparse and haunting. Set standouts included “People, I’ve Been Sad,” “Tears Can Be So Soft” and “Tilted,” which deftly incorporated Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” – first as an acoustic guitar intro and then woven into the song’s midsection.

Blink-182 – A little over halfway through the veteran punk-pop band’s invigorating 18-song set on the Coachella Stage, singer/bassist Mark Hoppus said, “We’ve all been through so much the past few years. I found out I had cancer and now I’m here with you tonight. Music brings us all together. Thank you for being here.” Despite that bit of reality, the tenor of the band’s performance adhered to the teen/young adult angst and potty humor that first made them alt-rock superstars in the late 1990s. With singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge finally back in the fold since last fall, Coachella Weekend 1 marked his first full live gig with Blink in nine years. Bolstered by fireworks, onstage fire plumes, great backdrop visuals and solid sound, the trio’s cavalcade of hits spanned from the earliest (“Dammit,” with a Skee Lo nod) to most recent (“Edging”). In between, came such radio staples as “What’s My Age Again,” “All the Small Things,” “The Rock Show,” “Down” and “First Date,” complete with a quick Ramones intro tribute.

This is the second part of my coverage for Weekend Two of Coachella. It originally appeared in Desert Star Weekly. The first part, from Rock Cellar, can be found elsewhere on this blog.

All photos courtesy of Coachella.

Coachella Festival 2023 - Weekend Two Review Part 1 feat. The Breeders, Linda Lindas, boygenius, more

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival cut its teeth on alternative and rock music, but recent years have seen the event’s bookings increasingly focused on EDM (One data company reported that Electronic Dance Music comprised 34 percent of the 2023 lineup) and different genres.

This year, Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK were the first Latin and Asian artists respectively to headline the tastemaker festival that began in 1999.        

Some acts playing at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif. on April 21-23 were geared toward keeping the party going strong; others provided more gravitas by sharing their views on equality and social justice.

Friday night, during the final minutes of Blondie hit “Dreaming,” a few people appeared onstage holding pro-abortion signs. The Linda Lindas’ teenage bassist Eloise Wong lamented all the “bad stuff” permeating America right now, such as abortion and transgender rights being taken away, lack of gun control and racism. “Do what you can to not let them happen,” she implored on Saturday. And later that night, singer/guitarist Lucy Dacus of boygenius said, “We’re grateful to visit these lands of the Indigenous people.”

Below are noteworthy rock/indie performances from Coachella Weekend Two.

The Murder Capital released its solid sophomore album Gigi’s Recovery in January. The young Dublin post-punk band did a compelling set in the Sonora Tent on Friday, opening with “For Everything” from 2019 debut When I Have Fears. It saw frantic guitar squalls from Damien Tuit and Cathal Roper deftly paired with James McGovern’s urgent vocals. “Return My Head” recalled The Walkmen, while a tension filled “A Thousand Lives” featured skittering beats and shards of PiL-style guitar sounds. Before a manic Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds-leaning “Feeling Fades,” McGovern asked the moderate sized crowd (well, it was early afternoon) to move closer and sit on the floor. He briefly went into the crowd and a mosh pit ensued. Totally enthralling.  

YUNGBLUD (real name: Dominic Harrison) has collaborated with Bring Me the Horizon, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds and Avril Lavigne, among others. His 2022 self-titled album went top 5 in several countries. YUNGBLUD possessed attitude in spades and worked up quite a sweat while running across the large Outdoor Theatre stage amid the peak of Friday’s Ninetysomething heat. On the rare occasion he actually stood still, such as on the snarling “Sex, Not Violence,” YUNGBLUD brought to mind a punkish Liam Gallagher. Alt-rock radio hit “Fleabag” was heightened Adam Warrington’s hard-hitting guitar solo. The frank, self-reflecting “I Think I’m OK,” a top 5 alt-rock charter with Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker, prompted fans to wave their arms in the air. After finishing with “Loner,” the British singer trashed the stage.  

Blondie didn’t bring out any special guests as it did on Weekend One when Chic’s Nile Rodgers played guitar on frontwoman Deborah Harry’s 1981 solo single “Backfired.” Still, few fans could complain about an hour of basically wall-to-wall hits. Wearing wraparound shades that made her look like an extra in Blade Runner, Harry possessed plenty of spirit. The band – which released the excellent career-spanning box set Against the Odds: 1974-1982 last year – still features co-founder Clem Burke, a powerhouse on drums. Although this writer saw the group play last year, it was still very cool to watch ex-Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock among the younger musicians onstage. 

In Indio, Blondie punched through “Hanging on the Telephone” with abandon as colorful images of the Blondie graphic novel sped by on the backdrop. “Call Me” was exciting as ever; reunion-era U.K. No. 1 “Maria” was done in a lower key than usual. Young and old people alike sang along loudly to “Call Me,” “The Tide is High” and an extended “Rapture.” Harry quickly dashed offstage to put on a reflective hoodie for, what else, “Heart of Glass.” The song cleverly segued into instrumental bits of The Pistols’ “God Save the Queen” (Matlock co-wrote it) and Donna Summer-via-Giorgio Moroder’s “I Feel Love.” Harry, at 77, likely the oldest performer on the Coachella bill, finished the set by saying, “I hope they ask us back next year.”   

Gorillaz brought out several rappers and R&B singers during its Coachella Stage set, but the one alt-rocker was an outlier. Beck joined main man Damon Albarn on the upbeat “The Valley of the Pagans” off the 2020 Gorillaz effort Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez.

While watching The Linda Lindas in the Sonora Tent on Saturday, it was hard to believe the members are still teenagers. The LA punk band played several songs from the 2022 debut album Growing Up like old pros. All four gals traded off on lead vocals, with the two de la Garza sisters – guitarist Lucia and drummer Mila – coming across the strongest on “Talking to Myself” and “Growing Up.” They did a terrific cover of The Go-Go’s “Tonite,” a perfect choice with four-part harmonies.

Speaking of sisters, singer/guitarists Kim and Kelley Deal of The Breeders followed in Sonora and definitely had fun onstage. The Linda Lindas reprised their guest spot from a week ago on “Saints” to dance around and sing. Back with the “classic” lineup which recorded the platinum album Last Splash in 1993, The Breeders did the bulk of it in loose, but fine fashion. They even utilized a violinist on a few songs. Jim Macpherson remains a force to be reckoned with on drums. Standouts included the off-kilter signature song “Cannonball,” the harrowing Beatles’ cover “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” the sweet harmonies of “Divine Hammer” and dynamic set closer “Gigantic,” from Kim’s stint in The Pixies.  

Watching boygenius at Coachella provided a sense of déjà vu. Last year, singer/guitarist Phoebe Bridgers also performed on the same Outdoor Theatre stage, in the evening, and utilized a big, impressive production. Now she has Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker to share lead vocal duties. All three ladies’ lyrics on the songs from new album The Record and an eponymous 2018 EP cut to the quick in concert. Launching with the brief a capella “Without You, Without Them” from backstage, they ran onstage and immediately rocked out to “$20.” The lighting and effects on three large screens, dozens of small squares and TV monitors was just plain brilliant, befitting boygenius’ so-called indie supergroup status. At times during the 50-minute set, you could almost hear a pin drop (no easy feat during the 8 O’Clock hour on a Saturday night with so much going on around the festival) as they did tender or heart wrenching songs like “Emily, I’m Sorry,” “Letter to an Old Poet” and “Me and My Dog.” The trio was the best band at the entire festival, hands down.

A version of this review originally appeared in Rock Cellar Magazine: www.rockcellarmagazine.com

All photos courtesy of Coachella.

Roddy Bottom and Joey Holman Set New Album for June; J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. Guests

Man on Man - Imperial Teen and Faith No More co-founder Roddy Bottum and guitarist Joey Holman - have announced forthcoming sophomore album Provincetown, set for June 16 via Polyvinyl Record Co.

First track and music video for “Showgirls” is out now. A summer tour begins in July in New York City. Full dates below.

The pop punk duo was initially formed during the pandemic (so was their romantic relationship). The 2021 self-titled debut album began as a project to pass the time and a way to share their blossoming emotional feelings for one another.

Provincetown is a reflection on queerness at a time when wise, clever and unapologetic LGBTQ+ voices are the most needed to scream from the rooftops.

“Showgirls” was named for a Provincetown-based variety show. The music video can be seen HERE. 

“As we lean into what Man on Man is and will be, two things immediately come up. Energy and community,” said Roddy Bottum about the next era, and adding in regards to the first track drop, “Showgirls is all that.”

The album was largely written in the town that gives it its namesake and that is the site of Roddy & Joey’s first home together. It explores their deepening relationship while also providing a broader look at the nuances of adult queerness in 2023, be it with irreverence via the bewildered observations of Grindr culture on “Piggy”, with celebratory spirit on the unwavering love anthem “I Feel Good”, or with applause for the efforts of today’s youth who are leading the charge for societal change on “Kids”. The album closes with an appearance by J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr.). 

Track Listing:

Take It From Me

Showgirls
I Feel Good
Haute Couture
Piggy
Kids
Feelings
Gloryhole
Who Could Know
Hush (feat. J Mascis)

Tour Dates:

07/01 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
07/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb's
07/15 - Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed # [SOLD OUT]
07/17 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater #
07/18 - Millvale, PA @ Mr Smalls Theatre # [SOLD OUT]
07/20 - Asheville, NC @ Static Age Loft Bar
07/21 - Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records - The Blue Room
07/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade - Purgatory
07/24 - Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub
07/25 - Miami, FL @ Gramps
07/26 - Tampa, FL @ New World Brewing
07/28 - Durham, NC @ Pinhook
07/29 - Washington, DC @ DC9
* w/ Imperial Teen, Nastie Band (Roddy’s 60th B-day Show)
# w/ Le Tigre

Foo Fighters next album slated for June

Foo Fighters return with But Here We Are, out June 2 on Roswell Records/RCA Records.
First single “Rescued” is Available Now.

The band's 11th album was once again produced by Greg Kurstin (2021's Medicine at Midnight) and Foo Fighters. 

But Here We Are is available for preorder now, with all preorders including “Rescued” as an instant grat.

Track Listing:

Rescued
Under You
Hearing Voices
But Here We Are
The Glass
Nothing At All
Show Me How
Beyond Me
The Teacher
Rest

Marshall Crenshaw’s 1983 Album 'Field Day' to Get Deluxe Reissue; On Tour This Summer

Yep Roc Records celebrates the 40th anniversary of Marshall Crenshaw’s Field Day with a deluxe reissue available July 14. The expanded CD and LP anniversary edition features previously unreleased bonus tracks and recently discovered behind the scenes photos. Remastered by Greg Calbi, the reissue also features Crenshaw-penned liner notes and an exclusive interview about the album.

Crenshaw says, ”Out of all my albums, ‘Field Day’ was by far the most fun to make. It really occupies a zone of its own and has a special place in my heart."

The follow up to his successful self-titled debut, Field Day was produced Steve Lillywhite and engineered by Scott Litt at New York’s Power Station Studios. The album includes “Whenever You’re on My Mind,” “Our Town,” and “Monday Morning Rock,” which was “about this sorta fast-paced life that I lived for a short time. I’m sure you’ve had the experience, where you walk out of the club and find out that it’s the next day, that the sun is out, and you didn’t know,” Crenshaw says.

Marshall Crenshaw Tour Dates:

July 12-13 – SPACE – Evanston, IL
July 15 – Parkway Theater – Minneapolis, MN
July 16 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
July 17 – The Ark – Ann Arbor, MI
July 18 – Natalie’s Grandview – Columbus, OH
July 19 – City Winery – Pittsburgh, PA
September 21 – Spire Center – Plymouth, MA
September 22 – The Center for Arts – Natick, MA
September 23 – The Rex Theater – Manchester, NH
September 27 – Elkton Music Hall – Elkton, MD
September 28 - The Kate – Old Saybrook, CT
September 29 – Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA
September 30 – Rams Head Tavern – Annapolis, MD
October 1 – The Birchmere – Alexandria, VA

Track Listing:

Whenever You're On My Mind
Our Town
One More Reason
Try
One Day With You
For Her Love
Monday Morning Rock
All I Know Right Now
What Time Is It
Hold It
Our Town (TV Track)*
Monday Morning Rock (TV Track)*
What Time Is It? (Guide Vocal Version)*
Jungle Rock
AKA "Durham Town"*
Little Sister
*previously unreleased

Available on CD and LP, the album is now available for pre-order.
LP limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.

Rancid Returns with 'Tomorrow Never Comes' in June

Veteran punk band Rancid's 10th studio album ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ is due for a June 2 release via Epitaph Records. Their first studio album in six years, it was produced by longtime collaborator, Bad Religion guitarist and Epitaph founder, Brett Gurewitz. The title track is available now. “Tomorrow Never Comes”: LISTEN | WATCH

Track listing:

1. Tomorrow Never Comes

2. Mud, Blood, & Gold
3. Devil In Disguise
4. New American
5. The Bloody & Violent History
6. Don't Make Me Do It
7. It's a Road to Righteousness
8. Live Forever
9. Drop Dead Inn
10. Prisoners Song
11. Magnificent Rogue
12. One Way Ticket
13. Hellbound Train
14. Eddie the Butcher
15. Hear Us Out
16. When The Smoke Clears

Tour Dates:

5/28 - Las Vegas, NV - Punk Rock Bowling

6/2 - Rimini, Italy - Slam Dunk
6/3 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Media Center Cvetlicarna *
6/4 - Linz, Austria - SBAM Festival
6/6 - Warsaw, Poland - Letnia Scena Progresji *
6/8 - Hyvinkaa, Finland – Rockfest
6/9 - Solvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival
6/10 - Stockholm, Sweden - Annexet *
6/12 - Berlin, Germany- Columbiahalle *
6/13 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof *
6/15 - Vitoria, Spain - Azkena Rock
6/16 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
6/17 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop
6/20 - London, UK - OVO Arena Wembley*
6/21 - Manchester, UK - O2 Victoria Warehouse *
6/23 - Ysselsteyn, Netherlands - Jera On Air Festival
6/24 - Munster, Germany - Vainstream Rockfest
6/25 - Tabor, Czech Republic - Mighty Sounds Festival
* w/ The Bronx, Grade 2
9/21 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life Fest
10/8 - Sacramento, CA – Aftershock

Culture Club and Berlin Back on Another Summer U.S. Tour, This Time with Howard Jones

A great lineup. Last summer, I reviewed Culture Club and Berlin (see elsewhere on this blog). I've interviewed Berlin and Howard Jones in the past.

Boy George and Culture Club announced their 2023 tour, The Letting It Go Show, featuring Howard Jones and Berlin across all dates. It kicks off in July in Florida and ends in August in Concord, CA. 

Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning Wednesday, April 19. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 21 at 10 AM local time at livenation.com.

Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 19 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, April 20 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

TOUR DATES:

Thu Jul 13 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

Sat Jul 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sun Jul 16 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily's Place Amphitheatre
Tue Jul 18 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
Wed Jul 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Thu Jul 20 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater
Sat Jul 22 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Sun Jul 23 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre
Tue Jul 25 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Wed Jul 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Fri Jul 28 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Sat Jul 29 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sun Jul 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann
Tue Aug 01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Thu Aug 03 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Fri Aug 04 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sat Aug 05 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Tue Aug 08 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
Thu Aug 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Fri Aug 11 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sat Aug 12 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Mon Aug 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Fri Aug 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Sat Aug 19 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 20 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion

Belinda Carlisle has a new EP on the way in May

Somehow this news slipped by me...

Belinda Carlisle's latest single “Big Big Love” is her first new English language studio recording since 1997 and a reunion with songwriter Diane Warren. Produced by Mati Gavriel, the single is released on Warren’s label imprint RAF through BMG and is available on all streaming platforms and digital services.

Stream / Share / Download “Big Big Love” HERE

Watch the official “Big Big Love” music video HERE

“Big Big Love” will be followed by 5-track digital EP Kismet, featuring the single and four additional new songs all with words and music by Diane Warren. The EP is scheduled to be released May 12 again via RAF/BMG

Track listing:

Big Big Love
If You Go
Deeper Into You
I Couldn’t Do That To Me
Sanity

Pre-Save / Pre-Add / Pre-Order Kismet HERE

Of working with Belinda Carlisle again Diane Warren commented, “I'm so excited for everyone to hear Belinda’s new record. She’s never sounded better. It's so great to be working together again after all these years. From “I Get Weak” and now to “Big Big Love,” a new chapter has begun. I can't wait for everyone to hear these new hits."

Belinda and Diane first collaborated in 1987 for Belinda’s second solo album Heaven on Earth, which featured the Diane Warren penned songs, “I Get Weak” and “World Without You,” and also “Heaven Is A Place On Earth,” the major worldwide hit. 

In addition to Belinda’s new solo outings, she has also recently recorded another Diane Warren track – “Gonna Be You” which is featured in the movie 80 For Brady. This song saw Belinda team up with Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry.

Discussing working with Diane Warren, Belinda Carlisle commented, “Twenty-seven years on from making my last English language pop record I really wasn’t thinking I would ever make one again…… and I was quite happy with that idea. Then a chance encounter in a coffee shop led me back to the wonderful Diane Warren and she gave me the incredible gift of this song and the other songs on my upcoming EP.”

Carlisle goes on to add, “Diane’s songwriting is both a joy and mystery to me. She makes it look so easy, where I imagine it must be unbelievably hard, to do what she does so amazingly well over so many years and so many records. I can’t thank her enough for writing this music for me and I only hope everyone else loves it as much as I do.”

US Tour Dates:

July 1 - Fred Amphitheatre / Peachtree City, GA
July 4 - TBA
July 6 - Stephanie H Weill PAC / Sheboygan, WI
July 9 - North Shore Center for the Performing Arts / Skokie, IL
July 11 - The Rose Music Center at The Heights -/ Huber Heights, OH
July 14 - Melody Tent / Cape Cod, MA
July 15 - South Shore Music Circus / Cohasset, MA
July 17 - Sony Hall / New York, NY
July 18 - NYCB Theatre at Westbury / Westbury, NY
August 18 - Blue Note Summer Sessions / Napa, CA
August 20 - August Hall / San Francisco, CA
August 22 - House of Blues Las Vegas / Las Vegas, NV
August 24 - Libbey Bowl / Ojai, CA
August 26 - Honda Center / Anaheim, CA
August 27 - Greek Theatre / Los Angeles, CA

For more tour info click HERE

Record Store Day 2023 News: Liberation Hall releases by Romeo Void, Eddie Money, others

Liberation Hall has 7 titles scheduled this Saturday for Record Store Day, the annual retail event which celebrates independent record stores in the U.S. and abroad. 

The lineup features 2LP sets from singer-songwriter Phil Ochs and jazz legend Charlie Parker; previously unreleased live albums from Romeo Void, the Sir Douglas Quintet, and Muddy Waters; a covers album from Eddie Money; and a long out-of-print live recording, Bossa Nova at Carnegie Hall. All titles are distributed by MVD Entertainment.

ROMEO VOID – Live from Mabuhay Gardens: November 14, 1980

The first fully authorized concert album from San Francisco new wave band Romeo Void, Live from Mabuhay Gardens, was captured during the same period the musicians were recording their David Kahne-produced debut album, It's a Condition, arriving the following July on San Francisco's legendary 415 Records. 

This 11-song set features eight of those album tracks, later B-side, "Guards," and two previously unreleased songs, notably a cover of the Swingin’ Medallions’ 1966 hit "Double Shot of My Baby’s Love." 

The raw and captivating concert provided a preview of what was to come in 1982-84 with the band's MTV/college and alternative radio faves "Never Say Never" and "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)." The latter went to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both were also hits on Mainstream Rock radio and dance charts. 

Liner notes were written by former San Francisco punk fanzine writer Jack Johnston, who puts the show into perspective with Romeo Void's then-young career. There are also archival photos and gig posters.

Standouts here include a frantic "Fear to Fear" and the snappy "Drop Your Eyes" with its "whoa" backing vocals and memorable sax work by Benjamin Bossi. Debora Iyall's matter-of-fact lyrics are steeped in dark reality ("White Sweater," "Talk Dirty to Me"), while the quintet's take on the Swingin' Medallions tune is fun. 

Live from Mabuhay Gardens: November 14, 1980, will be available on galaxy-blue colored vinyl and CD.

TRACK LIST: 1. Guards | 2. Nothing for Me | 3. Confrontation | 4. Fine Line | 5. Charred Remains | 6. Drop Your Eyes | 7. Love Is an Illness | 8. White Sweater | 9. Talk Dirty to Me | 10. Fear to Fear | 11. Double Shot of My Baby’s Love

EDDIE MONEY – The Covers

In 2009, Eddie Money recorded eight cover songs that were released as a pair of CD EPs. Those songs now make their vinyl debut. In addition to a pair of Beatles classics, the LP includes tracks popularized by AC/DC, the Doors, the Four Tops, Green Day, and Train. Between 1978 and 1991, Money scored 11 Top 40 pop & rock hits. His self-titled 1977 debut album included the classic rock staples "Baby Hold On" and "Two Tickets to Paradise," and sold two million albums in the U.S. In 1986, Money scored big again with "Take Me Home Tonight," a Top 5 single that earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. By the late 1990s, Money could be seen in guest spots on The Drew Carey Show and The King of Queens. The singer died in 2019.

TRACKLIST: 1. Drops of Jupiter | 2. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window | 3. It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) | 4. Reach Out (I’ll Be There) | 5. Gimme Some Lovin’ | 6. Roadhouse Blues | 7. When I Come Around | 8. Ticket to Ride

SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET – Texas Tornado Live: Doug Weston’s Troubadour, 1971

The Sir Douglas Quintet came out of the box swinging in 1965 with the international hit "She's About a Mover.” They quickly established a fanbase in Texas before relocating their mix of regional Mexican conjunto and British Invasion flash to California.

Touring frequently, the Quintet was in top form when they visited Doug Weston’s legendary Los Angeles venue the Troubadour for this performance. Four-fifths of the original Quintet are on hand: sidekick Augie Meyers, the maestro of syncopation on the Vox organ; Frank Morin, who sings harmonies and plays shakers, sax, and harmonica; and drummer Johnny Perez, the former boxer who moved from San Antonio to L.A. to start his Amigos de Musica production company. Martin Fierro, the blazing saxophonist from El Paso who started playing with Sahm on the adventurous Honky Blues + 2 album, is also present.

Jimmy Stallings, aka JJ Light, is the high-energy, relatively new addition to the Quintet. Texas Tornado Live features liner notes by Texas music historian Joe Nick Patoski. Due to its short running time (29:00), this title is pressed at 45 RPM for greater audio fidelity. Digital single “She’s About a Mover” is available now.

TRACKLIST: 1. She’s About a Mover | 2. Tortilla Flats | 3. Be Real | 4. Mendocino | 5. I’m Glad for Your Sake (But I’m Sorry for Mine) | 6. Heya, Heya | 7. And It Didn’t Even Bring Me Down | 8. Dynamite Woman

PHIL OCHS – The Best of the Rest: Rare and Unreleased Recordings

Phil Ochs is known primarily as a songwriter, but his talents extended far beyond that, including short stories, poetry, and satire. Songs poured out of Ochs so quickly that not all were able to find their place on his albums, many only emerged decades later. His Warner/Chappell demos — which make up the main portion of this double LP — were recorded during the same period as his final two albums for Elektra. Originally released on CD in 2020, this 20-song collection makes its vinyl debut on two LPs packaged in a gatefold sleeve with liner notes by Ochs biographer David Cohen.

TRACKLIST: 1. In the Heat of the Summer | 2. That’s What I Want to Hear | 3. The Men Behind the Guns | 4. Days of Decision | 5. Here’s to the State of Mississippi | 6. Sailors and Soldiers | 7. City Boy | 8. I’m Tired | 9. I Wish I Could Have Been Along | 10. I’m Gonna Say It Now | 11. Canons of Christianity | 12. Song of a Soldier | 13. Colored Town | 14. The Confession | 15. Love Me, I’m a Liberal | 16. Take It Out of My Youth | 17. Bracero | 18. War Is Over (WBAI broadcast, November 20, 1967) | 19. All Quiet on the Western Front (1969) | 20. No More Songs (rehearsal take, 1970)

CHARLIE PARKER – The Long Lost Bird Live Afro-CuBop Recordings

This double LP features 18 selections from saxophone great Charlie Parker. All these recordings were captured in the late 1940s and early '50s at such storied venues as Carnegie Hall and Birdland in New York, The Jubilee in Los Angeles, and the Portland Civic Auditorium. Focused on experiments in Afro-Cuban fusion, Parker is joined by a dazzling array of jazz legends including Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Art Blakey, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Red Rodney, and others. The package includes essays by keyboardist Keith Emerson and contemporary jazz saxophonist Cory Weeds. While a number of these recordings have previously appeared on other albums, this is the first time they have been gathered on double 180-gram vinyl in a gatefold sleeve.

TRACKLIST: 1. Dizzy Atmosphere | 2. A Night in Tunisia | 3. Groovin’ High | 4. Confirmation | 5. Lament for Congo | 6. Mambo Fortunado | 7. Salt Peanuts | 8. Leo the Lion I | 9. Cuban Holiday | 10. Lemon Drop | 11. The Goof and I | 12. Leo the Lion II | 13. Night and Day | 14. My Funny Valentine | 15. Cherokee | 16. On the Alamo | 17. Manteca | 18. A Short One

MUDDY WATERS – Hollywood Blues Summit: Live at The Ash Grove July 30, 1971

Muddy Waters is one of the most important singer-songwriter/guitarists of the post-war blues era. His early tours of the UK inspired many British musicians, including the Rolling Stones who took their name from his classic song “Rollin’ Stone.” This previously unreleased live set was recorded at the Ash Grove club in Los Angeles over the 1971 Blues Summit weekend. One year later, Waters would win the first of his six Grammy Awards. Digital single “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” is available now.

TRACKLIST: 1. Juke | 2. I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man | 3. Blow Wind Blow | 4. Strange Woman | 5. Honey Bee | 6. Walkin’ Through the Park | 7. Long Distance Call | 8. Got My Mojo Working

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Bossa Nova at Carnegie Hall

Recorded November 21, 1962, on a rainy night at New York's Carnegie Hall, this gathering of Brazilian musical legends was the idea of Sidney Frey, President of Audio Fidelity Records. Two months before the concert, Frey had traveled to Brazil to recruit performers. His trip yielded results as Sergio Mendes, Carmen Costa, Bola Sete, José Paulo, Luiz Bonfá, João Gilberto, Oscar Castro-Neves, and others, were booked for the concert, and eventually displayed their virtuosic talents to a packed house of 3,000 fans. Out of print for decades, Bossa Nova at Carnegie Hall returns in a limited edition 180-gram vinyl pressing.

TRACKLIST: 1. Sergio Mendes Quartet – “One Note Samba” | 2. Carmen Costa, Bola Sete, and José Paulo – “Bossa Nova York” | 3. Sérgio Ricardo – “Zelão”| 4. Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Não Faz Assim” | 5. Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Influência Do Jazz” | 6. Luiz Bonfá – “Manhã De Carnaval” | 7. Agostinho dos Santos, Luiz Bonfá, and Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Manhã De Carnaval” | 8. Agostinho dos Santos, Luiz Bonfá, and Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “A Felicidad” | 9. Joao Gilberto and Milton Banana – “Outra Vez” | 10. Carlos Lyra and the Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Influência Do Jazz” | 11. Ana Lúcia and Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Ah! Se Eu Pudesse” | 12. Caetano Zama and Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Bossa Nova Em Nova York” | 13. Roberto Menescal and Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Barquinho” | 14. Normando and Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Amor No Samba” | 15. Chico Feitosa and Oscar Castro-Neves Quartet – “Passarinho”