New EP from ex-Carrie Underwood sideman Ashley Clark out now

Greyhound, the debut EP from I.R.S. Nashville recording artist Ashley Clark, is out today and available now on iTunes, Amazon, Google play and Spotify. The five-song EP gives listeners a taste of Clark's upcoming full-length debut, which was produced by Mutt Lange (AC/DC, Shania Twain, Maroon 5, Muse).

 

Over a two-year period, the pair recorded Clark's original compositions and co-wrote a host of other songs - marking Lange's closest collaboration with a brand new artist since his work with Shania Twain 20 years ago.

Fans can view Clark making his Grand Ole Opry debut and performing a soulful, stripped-down version of "Greyhound," the EP's title track and first single, in a new performance video, which premiered today.

 

It can be viewed HERE. Ashley penned the song with Austin Clark, one of his brothers. "Greyhound" has been added by numerous country radio stations and the official video, which premiered on RollingStoneCountry.com, has been added by CMT Pure. The "Greyhound" video can be seen HERE and this short clip takes viewers behind the scenes at the video shoot in Los Angeles.

Clark is the subject of a "Who's New" feature in Country Weekly and Billboard recently singled him out in its "Tomorrow's Hits" column, which focuses on new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success. He will be performing at a number of radio station concerts this summer. See below for itinerary.

Born in Virginia, Clark is one of 11 children. His father, a traveling Pentecostal preacher, brought the entire family on the road and each member was expected to perform as they stopped at churches, tent revivals and festivals across the South.

 

When Ashley decided to blaze a path of his own in country music, his winning vocals and lightning-fast fiddle playing set him apart. He quickly went from sleeping on the floor of a stranger's house in Nashville to touring the world with Carrie Underwood, who had just won the "American Idol" competition and was putting together a band.

 

After two-and-a-half years on the road with Underwood, Clark came to the attention of manager Simon Fuller - XIX Entertainment (Annie Lennox, Spice Girls, David Beckham) who hooked him up producer Mutt Lange.

Lange was knocked out by Clark's talent after hearing his initial batch of songs. "I thought they were very universal," Lange says. "He has authenticity in spades."

Clark hopes his songs evoke a wide range of emotions in listeners. "On 'Greyhound,' I want people to feel that longing," he says. "On 'To the Moon,' I want people to be cruising in their car at night and forget all their problems."

Upcoming Performances:

6/18 - Fresno, CA @ KISS Country Summer Concert @ Rotary Amphitheatre
6/21 -Denver, CO @ Jackson's All American Sports Grill - KWOF
7/4 - Greeley, CO @ Greeley Stampede (w/ Gary Allan and Jerrod Niemann)
7/5 - Los Angeles, CA @ Go Country 105 new artist series @ JW Marriott

Long awaited new music from Violent Femmes, concert schedule

Violent Femmes' first new collection of songs in 15 years, the Happy New Year EP, is out now via all major digital outlets. The EP was recorded this past New Year's Eve in Hobart, Tasmania, after the band performed a sold out concert at the Sydney Opera House.

 

The EP was originally released in April exclusively on 180 gram champagne clear vinyl for Record Store Day.

 

It ended up being one of this year's top sellers. Rolling Stone premiered the audio of the first single, "Love Love Love Love Love," and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon premiered the video of the song.

Violent Femmes - guitarist/singer Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie and drummer Brian Viglione - have announced they started recording again in May for a new album.

 

The trio will begin a major North American tour as special guests on Barenaked Ladies' "Last Summer On Earth 2015," now through late July (complete dates below).

Returning to action in 2013 with an acclaimed performance at Coachella, Viglione (The Dresden Dolls, Nine Inch Nails) came aboard as the newly reconstituted band embarked on a tour that included headline dates and festival sets around the world. 

Violent Femmes first came together in 1981 in Milwaukee, WI, and released eight studio albums and more than a dozen singles, notably "American Music," "Gone Daddy Gone," "Nightmares," "Add It Up," and "Blister In The Sun." The band's self-titled 1983 LP earned RIAA platinum certification eight years after its initial release.

Violent Femmes/Barenaked Ladies tour dates:

JUNE
5 - Columbus, OH - LC Amphitheatre
6 - Cleveland, OH - Jacob's Pavilion
7 - Toledo, OH - Zoo Amphitheatre
8 - Cedar Rapids, IA - McGrath Amphitheatre
10 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks
12 - Welch, MN - Treasure Island Resort & Casino Island Events Center
13 - Milwaukee, WI - BMO Harris Pavilion
14 - Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah's Council Bluffs
16 - Chicago, IL - First Merritt Pavilion
17- Indianapolis, IN - Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
19 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion
20 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
21 - Salamanca, NY - Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino
23 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
26 - Portland, ME - Maine State Pier
27 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
28 - Philadelphia, PA - Mann Music Center
29 - Boston, MA - Blue Hills Bank Pavilion

JULY
1 - New York, NY - JBL Live at Pier 97
2 - West Windsor, NJ - Mercer County Park Festival Fairgrounds
3 - Solomon's, MD - PNC Waterside Pavilion @ Calvert Marine Museum
4 - Raleigh, NC - The Red Hat Amphitheatre
8 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Uptown Ampitheatre
10 - Boca Raton, FL - Sunset Cove Amphitheatre
11 - St. Augustine, FL - St Augustine Amphitheatre
12 - Atlanta, GA - Verizon Theatre
13 - Nashville, TN - The Woods at Fontanel
15 - Dallas, TX - Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Boulevard Pool at Cosmopolitan
19 - San Diego, CA - OAT
21 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
22 - Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery
24 - Boise, ID - Idaho Botanical Garden
25 - Portland, OR - McMenamin's Edgefield Amphitheater
26 - Seattle, WA - Marymoor Park

https://www.facebook.com/officialviolentfemmes

MS MR on the road

MS MR (Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow) will release sophomore album How Does It Feel on July 17 via Columbia Records.

The music duo has unveiled details of their North American/European fall headline tour, which starts in September. See below for full touring details. Some shows are on sale now. 

Watch the band’s tour announce video, created under the direction of acclaimed photographer/filmmaker Luke Gilford, here: http://smarturl.it/HDIFTour.

Throughout their fall tour, MS MR will be donating a portion of every ticket sold to an inspiring organization, Third Wave Fund.

“We're thrilled to be able to contribute a portion of ticket sales from the How Does It Feel Tour to Third Wave Fund, a grassroots fund that supports feminist, queer and trans-rights organizations,” said Lizzy and Max.

“A deep-seated belief in equality, self determination and equal opportunity is at the root of our ethos as a band, and we feel we have a responsibility to bring attention to organizations that work towards those causes. Please read up on the important work TWF is doing in communities around the country and get involved at www.thirdwavefund.org.”

Watch MS MR’s new video for the album’s lead single “Painted,” inspired by Kubrick and the 70s documentary The Secret Life of Plants here: http://smarturl.it/PaintedVid. “Painted” is currently Top 30 at Alternative radio.

Tour dates: 

6/10 – London, UK – Victoria
6/19 – Kansas City, MO – Boulevardia 2015
7/12 – Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier (Radio 104.5 Summer Block Party)
7/22 – Melbourne, Australia – Russell
7/24 – Byron Bay, Australia – Splendour In The Grass Festival
7/25 – Sydney, Australia – Metro Theatre
7/30 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall (Lollapalooza After Show)
7/31 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
8/1-8/2 – Montreal, QC – Osheaga
8/7 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Field (96.3 Go Fest 2015)
9/8 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Pumpehuset
9/9 – Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser Strand
9/10 – Oslo, Norway – Parkteatret
9/12-13 – Berlin, Germany – Lollapalooza
9/24 – Houston, TX – House of Blues (w/ Circa Waves, Crater)
9/25 – Austin, TX – Emo’s (w/ Circa Waves, Crater)
9/27 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues (w/ Circa Waves, Crater)
9/28 – Nashville, TN – The Cannery Ballroom (w/ Circa Waves, Crater)
9/29 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West (w/ Circa Waves, Crater)
10/1 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club (w/ Circa Waves, Crater)
10/5 – Boston, MA – Royale (w/ Jack Garratt, VÉRITÉ)
10/8 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 (w/ Jack Garratt, VÉRITÉ)
10/10 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall (w/ Jack Garratt, VÉRITÉ)
10/12 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall (w/ Jack Garratt, VÉRITÉ)
10/17 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre (w/ Jack Garratt)
10/19 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom (w/ Jack Garratt, Tigertown)
10/20 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre (w/ Jack Garratt, Tigertown)
10/21 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom (w/ Jack Garratt, Tigertown)
10/23 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theatre (w/ Jack Garratt, Tigertown)
10/25 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues (w/ Jack Garratt, Tigertown)
10/27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern (w/ Jack Garratt, Tigertown)
11/6 – Brighton, UK – The Arch
11/7 – Manchester, UK – Club Academy
11/8 – Glasgow – Art School
11/10 – London, UK – Electric Brixton
11/12 – Brussels, Belgium – Orangerie
11/13 – Paris, France – Trabendo
11/14 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg (Old Room)
11/16 – Zurich, Switzerland – X-Tra
11/17 – Munich, Germany – Technikum
11/18 – Frankfurt, Germany – Batschkapp
11/19 – Cologne, Germany – Gloria
11/21 – Hamburg, Germany – Mojo

www.msmrsounds.com

The Maccabees announce new album, tour dates

The Maccabees have started their North American tour which includes dates with Mumford and Sons for their Gentlemen on the Road Stopover Festival, alongside select headlining shows.

 

Forthcoming full-length effort "Marks To Prove It," due July 31, is available for pre-order in the US on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and Spotify.

Written by The Maccabees - Orlando Weeks, Hugo White, Felix White, Rupert Jarvis and Sam Doyle - "Marks To Prove It" features eleven magnificent tracks that veer from the anthemic "Spit It Out", to the majestic next single "Something Like Happiness", the mournful lilt of "Kamakura" and the raw, explosive joy of the title track, first single "Marks To Prove It".

Produced by Hugo White, The Maccabees and Laurie Latham (Echo & the Bunnymen), "Marks To Prove It" is highlighted by the addition of female vocals to bring the songs to new emotive heights.

Recorded at their own Elephant Studios, the artwork has a striking photograph of the Faraday Memorial on Elephant & Castle roundabout taken by David Busfield, provides the perfect visual extension of the album’s intended association with the area in which it was made.

“It became about the night time, the inner city stripped-back and about the band dynamic again,” says Felix White.

“One of the things we were clear about for the album, “ adds Orlando Weeks, “was not having too many voices, too many characteristics, so that you could get to know the sounds, the instruments. And then, at the end, that meant we could reintroduce those characters, not in a way that was aping what had gone before but as a familiar force.”
 

Track listing:

 

1. Marks To Prove It
2. Kamakura
3. Ribbon Road
4. Spit It Out
5. Silence
6. River Song
7. Slow Sun
8. Something Like Happiness
9. WW1 Portraits
10. Pioneering Systems
11. Dawn Chorus
 

NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINING TOUR DATES
 

06/04 - The Mod Club – Toronto, ON* - TICKETS
06/09 - Le Poisson Rouge - New York, NY* - TICKETS
06/13 - U Street Music Hall – Washington, DC* - TICKETS
06/18 - Fine Line – Minneapolis, MN* - TICKETS
06/19 - Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL* - TICKETS

MUMFORD AND SONS SUPPORT & FESTIVAL TOUR DATES
 

06/02 - MCU Park - Coney Island – Brooklyn, NY**
06/03 - MCU Park - Coney Island - Brooklyn, NY**
06/06 - Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Festival - Seaside Heights, NJ***
06/08 - Xfinity Center – Mansfield, MA**
06/10 - Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD**
06/11 - Walnut Creek Amphitheatre – Raleigh, NC**
06/15 - The Commons at Bulter's - Niagra-on-the-Lake, ON**
06/16 - DTE Energy Music Theater – Clarkson, MI**
06/17 - Montrose Beach & Park Chicago, IL**
06/20 - Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Festival - Waverly, IA***
10/2-4 – Austin City Limits Music Festival – Austin, TX
10/9-11 – Austin City Limits Music Festival – Austin, TX
**Supporting Mumford & Sons
*** Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Festival w/ Mumford & Sons

Garbage celebrates 20 years of 'Queer'

photo by Joseph Cultice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garbage was born out of such unusual elements and unusual circumstances, and we were shocked when the first record became such a success. We're just as surprised to be here now, intact, so many years later, enthusiastically preparing to get back on the road with that album and all its attendant b-sides and lord knows what else. A big piece of our lives remains caught up in the making of that record, and we know it holds a special place for the fans that have kept us going for so long. We can't wait. This tour is going to be a blast.
-guitarist Steve Marker

Twenty years after the release of their self-titled debut album, Garbage will celebrate their lauded career with a US Anniversary tour. Christened the 20 Years Queer Tour, the band will play their debut album in its entirety for the first time. A full list of dates can be found below.

Later this summer, Garbage will release a special 20th Anniversary edition of the album that will be re-mastered and feature all of the remixes and previously unreleased versions of songs from their debut.

Garbage will offer VIP experience packages for the US tour through Adventures in Wonderland. Offers will include premium seating, sound check access, meet and greets, soundboard viewing, and exclusive merch.

Tickets will go on-sale Friday, June 12. Check Garbage.com for additional ticketing information. 

Garbage is Shirley Manson, Duke Erikson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig. After forming in Madison, WI, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1995. Follow up album Version 2.0, released in 1998, topped charts all over the world and garnered multiple Grammy Award nominations including Album Of The Year. Garbage went on to release two more albums: 2001's Beautiful Garbage and 2005's Bleed Like Me, the latter which earned the band its highest chart position with a No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart.

 

After a 7-year hiatus, the band released their fifth studio album Not Your Kind of People in 2012 on their independent record label, Stun Volume. Garbage has sold over 12 million albums worldwide and performed in over thirty-five countries. The band is currently working on their sixth studio album, set for release early next year.

US TOUR

October 6, 2015 San Diego, CA Humphrey's Concerts By the Bay

October 7, 2015 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
October 8, 2015 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
October 10, 2015 Las Vegas, NV Blvd Pool @ Cosmopolitan Hotel

October 13, 2015 Houston, TX Bayou Music Center

October 14, 2015 Austin, TX Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
October 15, 2015 Dallas, TX South Side Ballroom
October 17, 2015 Chicago, IL The Riviera Theatre
October 18, 2015 Madison, WI Orpheum
October 19, 2015 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Theater
October 21, 2015 Boston, MA Orpheum
October 23, 2015 Westbury, NY The Space @ Westbury
October 24, 2015 Brooklyn, NY Kings Theater
October 26, 2015 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
October 28, 2015 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
October 29, 2015 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

EUROPEAN TOUR

October 31, 2015 Cologne, Germany Palladium
November 2, 2015 Copenhagen, Denmark Store Vega
November 4, 2015 Tillburg, Holland 013
November 5, 2015 Brussels, Belgium Forest National
November 7, 2015 Paris, France Zenith
November 8, 2015 London, UK Brixton Academy
November 9, 2015 London, UK Brixton Academy
November 11, 2015 Moscow, Russia Crocus City Hall*
November 13, 2015 Manchester, UK Academy
November 14, 2015 Edinburgh, UK Usher Hall

http://garbage.com  

Muse news

Muse has released seventh studio album - Drones - on Warner Bros. Records. It was co-produced by Muse and Robert John "Mutt" Lange (Def Leppard) and contains a dozen tracks.

To purchase the album on iTunes, click HERE. Drones features current single "Dead Inside" which has been at the top of the Mediabase and Billboard Modern Rock Charts for four consecutive weeks and is the trio's fourth #1 song. Additionally, the band revealed a new music video for the song "Mercy"

Muse recently performed a private concert for SiriusXM listeners at Webster Hall in New York City. The performance will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers listening via smartphones and other connected devices or online at siriusxm.com.

For current European tour dates and more info, go to www.muse.mu

Brad Paisley, Justin Moore concert review: Hollywood, Calif.

A version of my review originally appeared at ocregister.com.
Photos by Kelly Swift.

When it comes to masterful electric guitarists in modern country music, Brad Paisley is right at the top with Keith Urban.

During a sold out Hollywood Bowl show, he continually amazed with a series of runs that were tasteful without coming across as self-indulgent.

This tour’s set design, in support of last year's solid "Moonshine in the Trunk," incorporated a working bar where fans and other musicians could watch selected songs. Paisley has said he considers the concerts to be therapy sessions after hard days at work – a theme of latest single "Crushin' It."

Friday night, the LA crowd definitely had no problem letting off some steam. Paisley first appeared on a raised platform to launch the spirited 95-minute proceedings with a jaunty "River Bank," as images of people cavorting around a lake and a hamster on jet skis was projected on the screens.

Humor plays a major part in Paisley's appeal (two hand-picked comedians served as emcees and did short routines here). "Celebrity" prompted plenty of laughter: the video footage included outlandish TMZ-style story headlines and a Paisley-style mascot who got into mischief (clad in a New England Patriots jersey, it deflated a football). A real version came out to slap high fives at the end. 

A minute into the serious-minded "This is Country Music," Paisley stopped and gave his electric guitar to a young man in the audience. The title track, which name checks old TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard," featured Paisley's fast fretwork in tandem with his fiddle player. 

Opening act Justin Moore joined Paisley on rowdy 2007 country chart topper "I'm Still a Guy," which reinforced macho attitudes. The pair joked around and grabbed a fan's phone for a "manly" selfie. Romantic ballad "She's Everything" contained some excellent guitar work. Mickey Guyton, third act on the bill, ably subbed for Alison Krauss with smooth vocals on captivating, platinum-seller "Whiskey Lullaby."

Paisley constantly worked both sides of the stage and peppered the songs and images with ample LA references. He even went into the audience for "Beat This Summer." The band added soaring Kings of Leon-esque vocals during the amorous selection, "Perfect Storm." Both were set highlights.

"Old Alabama" served as a lead in for the singer/guitarist's trip to a second stage at the benched section. He played fine solo acoustic takes of "Waitin' on a Woman" (still with poignant Andy Griffith screen cameo) and "Remind Me" (duet partner Carrie Underwood was virtually "connected" via Facetime). 

Later, two teenage boys were invited onstage to play a Nintendo game as the band did blazing instrumental "Time Warp" and the results were projected behind them. It was fun to watch cartoon superhero versions of Paisley's country contemporaries during the party-hearty "Crushin' It." Impressively, he crafted the animated music video for under $1000.

Finally, the barroom singalong "Alcohol" ended the gig on a fun note. 

"Let's get this redneck party on, Hollywood style," urged Justin Moore, during his 50-minute set immediately preceding Paisley. He frequently celebrated hillbillies in lyric and deeds.

The singer started off with the brash, twangy country rocker "Point at You," got rowdy on a honky tonkin' "Bait a Hook" and then whipped the crowd into a frenzy during the sinister, swampy "Backwoods" and high energy "Small Town Throwdown" - a recent hit with Brantley Gilbert.

Yet the Arkansas hitmaker also showed his sensitive side amid the touching ballad "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" (dedicated to armed services personnel like his grandfathers) and affecting "Smalltown USA," about remembering your roots. Moore got caught up in emotion from the song's sentiment and playing the Hollywood Bowl. He graciously thanked fans, radio and said the show meant he could strike an item from his bucket list.

First up was Mickey Guyton. The promising newcomer went to high school and college in LA before heading to Nashville and signing to Capitol Records. She performed at the White House for a PBS special.

Also overcome by the importance of playing the Bowl and a very responsive audience, she barely finished "Better Than You Left Me."

A current top 30 single, it was inspired by an ex-boyfriend and is among several songs played from her terrific new self-titled debut EP.

The exuberant "It Happened So Fast" was highly appealing, while the heartbreaking "Why Baby Why" displayed Guyton's full vocal range. It recalled Lee Ann Womack and drew loud cheers.

Meanwhile, "Pretty Little Mustang" boasted a more country/rock edge with mandolin and some dancing around.

She is definitely one to watch.