Eric Hutchinson returns in April with new album

Moving Up Living Down, the new album from Warner Bros. Records artist Eric Hutchinson   will be released on April 17. It's the follow-up to his debut album Sounds Like This, which entered Billboard's Heatseekers chart at No. 1 and contained the RIAA-certified Gold single, "Rock & Roll," which was a No. 1 hit at AAA radio.

"Watching You Watch Him," the new single, provided the backdrop for the opening of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" season premiere and will be released on iTunes Feb. 7. Perezhilton.com recently premiered the behind-the-scenes video. 

Sounds Like This sold more than 250,000 units, while its singles have sold more than one million copies combined.

Hutchinson recorded Moving Up Living Down with Mike Elizondo (Regina Spektor) and Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, James Morrison) after writing the songs at home in New York City. The songs reflect an ever-broadening musical palate, from exuberant folk-pop, reggae and soul.

The new album's title refers to "the chutes and ladders nature of life," explains Hutchinson. "There's no end game. It's about growing pains and I think I've grown a lot since the first album. This is the next step. I feel lucky, really lucky."

Hutchinson will tour in conjunction with the release of the new album. Dates will be announced soon.

Sinead O'Connor news

Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O’Connor will perform stateside next month for select performances with her new five piece band in LA and New York City. The dates are in support of ninth studio album How About I Be Me (And You Be You), out Feb. 21 via One Little Indian/MRI. Tickets go on sale tomorrow. 

 

Produced by longtime collaborator John Reynolds, its ten tracks encompass songs about love and loss, hope and regret, pain and redemption, anger and justice. Last month, Sinead revealed two tracks. Stream “4^th And Vine” and “Take Off Your Shoes” here: 

http://soundcloud.com/sineadoconnor/sets/2-new-songs

 

Recently, the song “Lay Your Head Down” from the film Albert Nobbs, which was written by Glenn Close and performed by Sinead O’Connor, was nabbed a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song. The awards show will air on Jan. 15.

 

North American Tour Dates:

Feb. 20     Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Cemetery

Feb. 21     Los Angles, CA @ Hollywood Cemetery

Feb. 23     New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom

Feb. 24     New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom

Expanded Elvis Country out now

This past Sunday, Elvis fans celebrated the late King of Rock 'n' Roll's birthday. RCA/Legacy just released a newly expanded collection of Elvis Country. 

Originally released in 1971, the album found the singer re-engaging with the Nashville country music community. The deluxe two-CD package is the first Elvis release in a year which marks the 35th anniversary of the artist’s passing and a year-long celebration of his life and legacy.

Included in the new package on CD 1 is the original 12-song album. It peaked at #12 and was certified RIAA gold. Three bonus tracks are drawn from the original recording sessions in 1970. On CD 2 is the original 11-song Love Letters From Elvis, also with three bonus tracks from the original sessions.

Displaying the Tupelo, Miss. native in his prime, Elvis Country is rife with robust vocals. Highlights include his takes on “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” Anne Murray-popularized "Snowbird," and Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away.” The recurring “I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago” is a minor annoyance.

In the liner notes, writer Stuart Colman calls the original Elvis Country "a pivotal release, in that it served to maintain the momentum generated by the ’68 Comeback Special,’ the breakthrough in Las Vegas and Elvis Presley's long overdue return to touring." 

Upon the original release, future Presley historian and biographer Peter Guralnick wrote in Rolling Stone: "[He] has come out with a record which gives us some of the very finest and most affecting music since he first recorded for Sun almost 17 years ago."

The idea of inserting excerpts of “I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago” (a track that did not appear on the original album but does appear on this edition as a bonus track) in between the album tracks gave the LP a conceptual feel that had never been encountered before. And the songs, from the high-energy rock of “I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” to the big ballads that were becoming an Elvis trade­mark (Eddy Arnold’s “I Really Don’t Want To Know” and “Funny How Time Slips Away” among them) were some of Elvis’ greatest performances ever.

The songs chosen for Love Letters From Elvis included an inspired coupling of Muddy Waters’ rollicking “Got My Mojo Working” with “Keep Your Hands Off Of It” (“a peculiar combination of hypertension and soul,” as popularly characterized by Guralnick). It was offset by the ballads chosen as singles, “Rags To Riches” (the Tony Bennett hit of 1953), the inspirational “Only Believe,” and “Life.”

Standouts on Love Letters include the Italian flair in "Heart of Rome," ultra-dramatic “Rags To Riches” and aforementioned "Mojo." Fans will enjoy the 21-page booklet's rare photos, memorabilia and Colman's authoritative essays.

Released barely five months apart, Elvis Country and Love Letters From Elvis are often regarded together in the Elvis canon. In mid-1971, Elvis returned for more recording, resulting in 40-plus masters. Much of them were heard later that year on Elvis Sings the Wonderful World Of Christmas, and the following year on his gospel LP, He Touched Me. 

This Legacy Edition tracks a seismic change in his recording career. It came at a moment which turned out to be a true turning point for him. “Elvis seemed inspired, singing with a passion and soulfulness that recalled Memphis,” wrote Jørgensen in his essential research guide, Elvis Presley: A Life In Music (St. Martin’s Press, 1998).

“The band fell in with equal feeling, their confidence and expressiveness growing along with his. Both singer and band were performing out of genre, improvising their own rhythms and phrasing on the spot, challenging each other.” To paraphrase Jørgensen, “they had something to be proud of.”

 

CD 1: ELVIS COUNTRY – ORIGINAL ALBUM (originally issued January 1971, as RCA 4460)  Selections: 1. Snowbird • 2. Tomorrow Never Comes • 3. Little Cabin On The Hill • 4. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On • 5. Funny How Time Slips Away • 6. I Really Don’t Want To Know • 7. There Goes My Everything • 8. It’s Your Baby, You Rock It • 9. The Fool • 10. Faded Love • 11. I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water • 12. Make The World Go Away • Bonus tracks: 13. I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago • 14. A Hundred Years From Now (studio jam) • 15. Where Did They Go, Lord (single, Hot 100 #33).

 

CD 2: LOVE LETTERS FROM ELVIS – ORIGINAL ALBUM (originally issued June 1971, as RCA 4530)  Selections: 1. Love Letters • 2. When I’m Over You • 3. If I Were You • 4. Got My Mojo Working/Keep Your Hands Off Of It • 5. Heart Of Rome • 6. Only Believe • 7. This Is Our Dance • 8. Cindy, Cindy • 9. I’ll Never Know • 10. It Ain’t No Big Thing (But It’s Growing) • 11. Life • Bonus tracks: 12. The Sound Of Your Cry • 13. Sylvia • 14. Rags To Riches (single, Hot 100 #33).

 

http://www.facebook.com/elvis

elvis.com

Brendan Benson starts own label, hits road

photo by Reid Rolls

Since Benson's last solo album was among my top 10 of 2009, I look forward to hearing what he comes up with next... 

Singer/songwriter/producer and co-founder of The Raconteurs, Brendan Benson (pictured left), has launched his own record label and publishing company, Readymade.

This spring, Readymade will make its debut on the international stage with new releases from Benson 

(What Kind of World - 4/24 through BrendanBenson.com) and the first artist signed to the label, Young Hines (Give Me My Change - 4/10).

Benson will preview his new album at SXSW 2012 as well as on May tour dates where Young Hines will support in the U.S.

Readymade was born in the '90s, when Benson released the Wellfed Boy demos under the imprint as a 12" vinyl. At the time, Readymade was merely a concept due to a lack of resources to build a proper record label. Over a decade later, Benson partnered with manager Emily White, who brought the idea to fruition, making Readymade a legitimate label around Benson's musical output.

Says White, "Brendan produced five albums in 2011, including his own. Launching Readymade gives us the option of a release platform tailored to each album under the same home."

Launching an artist-owned label has its obvious creative and business benefits from artistic freedom to master ownership. But it can hit roadblocks when it comes to funding the team members that help promote a new release. This is where Readymade has found a truly innovative approach to the traditional business model.

Rather than forego promotion or production quality, Benson and his manager developed a team of credible individuals and companies within the industry to work on album releases for a commission taken from music sales and song placements. The new approach allows them to operate without front-end costs while providing greater motivation and potential payoff for all parties involved.

Readymade will be bringing us Benson and Young Hines, as well as the upcoming Benson produced album from Irish duo The Lost Brothers. Each album will benefit from team members and relationships with Thirty Tigers, Downtown Music Publishing, Terrorbird, Big Hassle, Hard Boiled Inc., Toolshed, and Music Alternatives.

Tour Dates:

MARCH

13 - 16 - Austin, TX - SXSW (Brendan Benson only)

APRIL

28 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge (Additional support by The Howling Brothers)

MAY

03 - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live

05 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

10 - San Diego, CA - Casbah

12 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour

www.brendanbenson.com

Dierks Bentley new album details

Here's a press release I received recently...

Dierks Bentley is sharing new details about his sixth Capitol Nashville studio album, Home, in stores Feb. 7.

“I definitely stepped away and explored some things that were more on the fringe of country music for a little while,” said Bentley. “So, this record feels fresh. It doesn’t feel like a continuation of any other project or series of recordings. I love being able to try different things musically, and I'm so thankful my fans have followed me to those places. But I feel like my real 'Home' is in the center of country music."

Bentley's versatility as a writer shines on the disc that has already produced the hit “Am I The Only One." Bentley penned the good-time chart topper, as well as the disc’s spiritual anchor and title track "Home." Additional writing credits on the album are highlighted by the sonic seduction of “Breathe You In” and a father's love letter in “Thinking of You.”

On other tracks, the signature gravel in Bentley’s voice pairs flawlessly with the smokiness of Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild's vocal on “When You Gonna Come Around,” while legendary bluegrass players Sam Bush and Tim O'Brien reunite with Bentley on “Heart of a Lonely Girl.”

The country crankers "Diamonds Make Babies" and "5-1-5-0" have already been road tested and embraced by country music fans, who will also want to listen through the album’s closer for the recording’s hidden special guest.

Bentley is the only country singer who can claim performances from Lollapalooza to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Bonnaroo to the CMA Music Festival, a true artist carefully tailoring his sets to each.

He’s a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and last fall was invited to perform "Home" for the President at the White House. This devotion to developing all sides of his musicianship took Bentley on a successful journey into bluegrass music last year with his acclaimed and Grammy-nominated album Up on the Ridge. And over his diverse career, the CMA "Best New Artist" winner has sold over five million albums, scored eight No. one hits at country radio and collected 10 Grammy nominations.

Bentley will return ‘Home’ for a special album release show at Nashvlle's historic Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 2. The second leg of the Country & Cold Cans tour will resume on Feb. 15 with the first dates scheduled internationally in Canada and Australia.

HOME Track List:
1. Am I The Only One

2. Gonna Die Young

3. Tip It On Back

4. Home

5. Diamonds Make Babies

6. In My Head

7. Breathe You In

8. The Woods

9. When You Gonna Come Around (Featuring Karen Fairchild)

10. 5-1-5-0

11. Heart Of A Lonely Girl

12. Thinking Of You

For more album details and for a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

An interview with MUTE MATH

photo by Claire Vogel

[More excerpts from my interview will be posted later.] 


If you want something done right, the DIY approach is often a good bet. 

That’s what MUTE MATH learned after a highly difficult experience crafting Armistice in 2009. 

The New Orleans post-rock band initially tried to take the reigns on the experimental album. Yet according to singer/keyboardist Paul Meany, there was “a lot of mistrust, too many cooks in the kitchen and tons of conflicts of interest” with multiple producers. 

They ended up doing third and latest effort Odd Soul in Meany’s residential studio, sans interference from management or Warner Bros. Records. He and drummer Darren King handled the bulk of the work; Julian Raymond (Cheap Trick, Fastball) tied up loose ends. 

Meany mixed half the album and King contributed art design/layout.

 “We had to reinvent the process. Making the last record was very dysfunctional. There was no way we could do it that way again,” Meany admits, during a phone interview from his home in the Big Easy. “I still love Armistice and am proud of the end result, but it was just a mess to get there. We found the right way to record MUTE MATH is to have a degree of seclusion.”

MUTE MATH formed nearly a decade ago as a long-distance electronic experiment between Meany and Hill, who lived in Missouri (he’s now based in Texas ). It evolved into a band when bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas and guitarist Greg Hill joined. Their eponymous debut CD came out in 2006. 

The following year, “Typical” became a minor modern rock radio hit on the back of the popular companion music video, shot in backwards motion and later nominated for a Grammy.

In 2010, the group put out a live DVD and was preparing to record when Hill decided to quit. After a quick meeting, the problem was solved within the ranks and Cardenas took on double duties. 

“Roy is the best musician in the band and a natural guitarist. As we started writing and creating songs as a three piece, it immediately clicked and felt right. So we didn’t mess with that. We just went the distance.”

What comes across is a dynamic mix of late ‘60s classic rock (the Traffic-styled “Cavalries”), psychedelic, blues-based grooves (the lurching title track, intense single “Blood Pressure”) and MUTE MATH’s trademark electronica sounds (“All or Nothing,” vibraphone-led “Sun Ray”).

“Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin - he grew up on that type of rock ‘n’ roll,” Meany explains, about Mitchell-Cardenas. “It’s in his DNA as a guitar player and it’s how he thinks. The influence certainly comes through Odd Soul, so we went with it.”

Both King and Meany seized the opportunity to contribute a bit of six string too. “Guitar kind of became a new instrument for all of us. An opportunity that wasn’t there in the past opened up and we all drew inspiration from it.”

More new sonic textures came via an organ built in the 1940s. “My earliest memories are playing [the instrument] as a kid in church. Bringing that angle to this record was something we had fun with. I think this is the most high spirited and cohesive record we’ve done.”

King stepped up in the lyric department for the first time and help take some weight off Meany. “We’ve known each other for 15 years. Through time and us working so much together, the lyrical part became natural.

“There was something both of us felt like we wanted to get across,” in regards to their self-described “eccentric Christian” upbringings and past touring with ministries. The topic informs “Blood Pressure,” “Walking Paranoia” and the album title. “Those things were in our conscious mind as we were dreaming up concepts.”

One past lesson put to use on Odd Soul revolved around critiquing compositions. “The only voice you can trust is the guy you’re going to spend the next couple years on the road with. The opinions that matter most about my songs are Darren’s and Roy’s.”

Upon heading to LA to finish up the album, King spied legendary 1960s-70s timekeeper Jim Keltner’s Brazilian drum tree set up in an adjoining studio. He decided to use it for part of seven-minute, jam-based excursion “Quarantine.” An engineer found out and shut recording down halfway through.

“Darren immediately apologized and said he didn’t know what came over him. He just blacked out. If he sees this amazing Christmas tree-type drum, I can’t expect him to control himself. No matter who it belongs to, he’s going to start recording - as he should,” Meany says with a laugh. “I guess there is a protocol and an ethic we didn’t know about.” The band has since been banned from that studio.

While it might not be obvious, the singer affirms how New Orleans ’ rich music history has influenced MUTE MATH’s sound. 

“Just take The Meters, a band that in our opinion wrote the textbook - or at least a chapter - on groove. Darren and Roy are certainly very inspired by that approach. I grew up listening to artists like them, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John and Professor Longhair. It’s all just the soundtrack of living in the city. We let ourselves go there more on this record.”

Last fall, the group toured with new recruit Todd Gummerman on lead guitar. 

“It feels like the band is turning over a new leaf,” notes Meany. “There’s certainly no better way to build chemistry than to get jam packed into a small, sweaty venue. You’re tripping over and unplugging each other, trying to hold it together. You become a good band. It was a trial by fire for him.”

Now MUTE MATH is amped up for an extended tour set to launch this month.

“Playing this new record live was always in our conscious mind – to have something that was stage ready…I’m building an electric sanctuary, which is something we’re going to take out on the road. We’re raising the stakes and really excited. We’ll play the complete record, along with the old songs and present it as an electric 3-D interactive show.”

Tour Dates

1/26 Houston, TX...House of Blues

1/27 Austin, TX...Stubb's

1/28 Dallas, TX...House of Blues

1/29 Tulsa, OK...Cain's Ballroom

1/31 Denver, CO...Gothic Theatre

2/02 Los Angeles, CA...Club Nokia

2/03 San Diego, CA...4th and B

2/07 San Francisco, CA...Regency Ballroom

2/08 Sacramento, CA...Ace of Spades

2/10 Seattle, WA...Showbox SoDo

2/11 Spokane, WA...Knitting Factory

2/12 Boise, ID...Knitting Factory

2/14 Salt Lake City, UT...Club Sound

2/16 Kansas City, MO...Beaumont Club

2/17 Chicago, IL...House of Blues

2/18 Minneapolis, MN...First Avenue

2/28 St. Louis, MO...The Pageant

3/01 Grand Rapids, MI...The Intersection

3/02 Detroit, MI...St. Andrew's Hall

3/03 Columbus, OH...Newport Music Hall

3/04 Cleveland, OH...House of Blues

3/07 Boston, MA...House of Blues

3/08 New York, NY...Best Buy Theater

3/09 Philadelphia, PA...Trocadero

3/10 Washington, DC...9:30 Club

3/11 Norfolk, VA...The Norva

3/14 Charlotte, NC...Amos' Southend

3/16 Ft. Lauderdale, FL...Revolution

3/17 Orlando, FL...House of Blues

3/18 Atlanta, GA...The Tabernacle

Coachella 2012 lineup announced