Boomtown Rats reunion album coming

Crossing fingers for some American tour dates...

The Boomtown Rats will mark 2020 (The Year Of The Rat) with the release of ‘Citizens Of Boomtown’, their first new studio album since 1984, plus a UK tour, and a book of lyrics and reminiscence by Rats singer Bob Geldof entitled ‘Tales Of Boomtown Glory’.

Released on March 13 via BMG, the album was produced by Rats bassist Pete Briquette and it will be available on digital platforms, CD and vinyl. The first single ‘Trash Glam Baby’  will be released on January 10.

On the same day as the album release, Faber Music will publish a new book by Geldof. Tales of Boomtown Glory is a collection of the complete lyrics from Geldof’s Boomtown Rats and 7 solo albums, accompanied by an introduction and 28 song stories written by Geldof, with exclusive scans from his notebooks over the years. Lyrics to the 189 songs include previously unreleased material as well as the new songs on ‘Citizens Of Boomtown’.

Also slated for a release early next year is a documentary film by Billy McGrath, a long term confidant of Bob and the band which will tell their story through a mix of interviews and previously unseen personal archive - from their inception in Dun Laoghaire right up to the present day.

Formed in 1975 in Dublin, The Boomtown Rats first toured the UK with the Ramones and Talking Heads. They became one of the biggest bands of the late 70s/80s with a string of top ten hits and platinum albums, earning them Brit Awards and Ivor Novellos. Making history as the first Irish band to have a UK no 1 hit with ‘Rat Trap’, they went on to top the charts in 32 Countries with ‘I Don't Like Mondays’ and racked up 6 era-defining albums: ‘The Boomtown Rats’ (’77), ‘A Tonic For The Troops’ (’78), ‘The Fine Art Of Surfacing’ (’79), ‘Mondo Bongo’ (’80), ‘V Deep’ (’82) and ‘In The Long Grass’ (’84). In 1984, inspired by a TV report on the famine in Ethiopia, Bob Geldof organized the star-studded Band Aid and co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas," one of the biggest-selling singles in history. The next year he organized Live Aid.

When The Boomtown Rats took a break after 6 albums and countless singles it seemed the right time. They went off to their different lives. Bob Geldof made 7 solo albums. Then something pulled them back into each other’s orbit. It felt unforced, entirely natural and the rage and frustrations that drove the earlier incarnation of the band was no less tempered by time or life.

“Indeed if anything”, says Geldof “it was time to hear THAT noise again. But I only knew that when I heard this group of individuals re-constitute their specific racket”.

Were they not afraid of a sort of cosy or complacent nostalgia smothering the original vitality of the music? “Had that happened I’d have instantly knocked it on the head, but when we played “Someone’s Looking At You’ I found I was singing now about the dangerous corporate surveillance of Facebook, Apple, Google, ever-on “smart’ shit whose product is ‘You’. When we do ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ I’m thinking of last week’s mass killing. When it’s ‘Banana Republic’, it is now the death of the American Republic. When it’s ‘Rat Trap’, that abattoir I worked in and where I wrote the song, now still serves as a physical metaphor, not just for the death of the animals there, but the hopelessness of the human lives that worked there. It still works for that same reason. There is no nostalgia here. None.”

So why a new record? “Because that’s what bands do. They make records. Songwriters write songs. There’s so much to respond to in this new and different febrile atmosphere that we live in. People forget we took our name from Woody Guthrie, the great musical activist. I think The Boomtown Rats have always shown that rock’n’roll is a form of musical activism. The music has intent and purpose even if that is just the sound, about boy/girl, nothing particularly at all, everything in general, or pointed polemical…. whatever.”

Does the world need another Boomtown Rats record? “I couldn’t give a shite”, says Geldof, “we do, and that’s enough’.

So here it is. “I love this record”, he says. “It just feels absolutely right!”

Track listing:

Trash Glam, Baby

Sweet Thing

Monster Monkeys

She Said No

Passing Through

Here’s A Postcard

K.I.S.S.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Yé Yé

Get A Grip

The Boomtown Rats

UK tour dates:

MARCH

26 BRIGHTON The Dome

27 CHELTENHAM Town Hall

APRIL

15 BIRMINGHAM Town Hall
17 LIVERPOOL Grand Central Hall
18 CARDIFF The Great Hall
24 CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
25 YORK Barbican
29 MANCHESTER The Ritz

MAY

1 LONDON The Palladium
2 NEWCASTLE The Sage, Gateshead

The Boomtown Rats are: Bob Geldof on vocals, Pete Briquette on bass, Simon Crowe on drums and Garry Roberts on guitar

Out now: Blake Shelton's 'Fully Loaded: God’s Country'

Blake Shelton just released Fully Loaded: God’s Country. The 12-song collection has seven hits from previous albums and five new tracks, including his recent hit “Hell Right” and “Jesus Got a Tight Grip” (LISTEN HERE), co-written by Shelton alongside frequent collaborators Chase McGill, Jessi Alexander and Rhett Akins. See track listing below.

The title track and three-time CMA-nominated multi-week No. 1 “God’s Country” is the fastest country single in the past year to reach one million track equivalents. The smash hit became Shelton’s 26th No. 1 on country radio, where it remained for multiple weeks, becoming his 16th No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart as well. Shelton also earned a Musical Event of the Year nomination for “Dive Bar,” his collaboration with music icon Garth Brooks.

Having championed his friends and heroes this year more than ever, from sharing singles to sharing stages, the multi-media entertainer will hit the road once again for “Friends and Heroes 2020” beginning next February in Portland, OR. The 16-date run will hit major cities throughout the Midwest and West Coast, including a stop at The Forum in Los Angeles (full list below). Joining him is very special guest Lauren Alaina as well as appearances by The Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson and Trace Adkins.

Shelton will perform Tuesday, December 17 on The Kelly Clarkson Show (click HERE for local listings).

Described as having “an anthemic chorus that seems tailed to whip an arena – or stadium – of fans into frenzy,” Shelton’s current Top 20 and climbing radio single “Hell Right” is one of five new tracks on the album.

Joining “Hell Right” is his recently announced duet with Gwen Stefani, “Nobody But You,” as well as the title track, CMA Awards Single of the Year “God’s Country” – the latter of which Billboard named one of the 35 Best Country Songs of the 2010s. Also featured on the project are fan favorite tracks spanning his last several projects, including No. 1 smash hits “Came Here To Forget,” “Every Time I Hear That Song,” “A Guy With a Girl” and “I’ll Name The Dogs” as well as GRAMMY-nominee “I Lived It.”

FULLY LOADED: GOD’S COUNTRY TRACK LISTING

1. God’s Country - Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt, Devin Dawson
2. Hell Right (feat. Trace Adkins) - David Garcia, Brett Tyler, Michael Hardy
3. Nobody But You (Duet with Gwen Stefani) - Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Tommy Lee James
4. Came Here to Forget - Craig Wiseman, Deric Ruttan
5. She’s Got a Way with Words - Wyatt Earp, Andy Albert, Marc Beeson
6. A Guy With a Girl - Ashley Gorley, Bryan Simpson
7. Every Time I Hear That Song - Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, Brad Warren, Brett Warren
8. I’ll Name the Dogs - Matt Dragstrem, Ben Hayslip, Josh Thompson
9. I Lived It - Ashley Gorley, Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman
10. Turnin’ Me On - Blake Shelton, Jessi Alexander, Josh Osborne
11. Jesus Got a Tight Grip - Blake Shelton, Chase McGill, Jessi Alexander, Rhett Akins
12. Tequila Sheila - Mac Davis, Shel Silverstein

TOUR DATES:

2/13 – Portland, OR – Moda Center

2/14 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
2/15 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
2/20 – Bakersfield, CA – Mechanics Bank Arena
2/21 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
2/22 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
2/27 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
3/5 – Glendale, CA – Gila River Arena
3/6 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena
3/7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
3/11 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena
3/12 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
3/14 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
3/19 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
3/20 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
3/21 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Pet Shop Boys news

Pet Shop Boys new album Hotspot is out January 24 via x2 Records/Kobalt. Listen to new album track “Burning the heather” HERE. The album will also be available to purchase on cassette and 2-disc deluxe CD, which includes an instrumental version of the full record on the second disc; pre-order HERE.

“We’ve written much of our music over the last ten years in Berlin and it was an exciting experience to work on this album in the legendary Hansa studios there and add a new dimension to our sound,” Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe say of the album.

Hotspot was primarily written and recorded in Berlin and Los Angeles. The album was produced and mixed by Stuart Price (marking the third PSB album Price has produced, following Super (2016) and Electric (2013).

Track list:

1. Will-o-the-wisp
2. You are the one
3. Happy people
4. Dreamland (feat. Years & Years)
5. Hoping for a miracle
6. I don’t wanna
7. Monkey business
8. Only the dark
9. Burning the heather
10. Wedding in Berlin

World tour dates:

May 1
Mercedes Benz Arena
Berlin

May 2
König-Pilsener
Oberhausen

May 5
Forest National Arena
Brussels

May 6
AFAS Live
Amsterdam

May 8
Leipzig Arena
Leipzig

May 10
Porsche Arena
Stuttgart

May 12
Gasometer
Vienna

May 19
Olympiahalle
Munich

May 20
Jahrhunderthalle
Frankfurt

May 22
Barclaycard Arena
Hamburg

May 24
Torwar Arena
Warsaw

May 28
The O2
London

May 29
Manchester Arena
Manchester

May 30
Resorts World Arena
Birmingham

June 2
BIC Arena
Bournemouth

June 3
Motorpoint Arena
Cardiff

June 5
Utilita Arena
Newcastle

June 6
SSE Hydro
Glasgow

June 17
Ericsson Globe
Stockholm

June 19
OverOslo
Oslo

Christmas 2019: Music Gift Guide Part 1 featuring Prince, Bruce Springsteen, the B-52's, Live, Ken Burns' Country Music from PBS

These gift ideas are sure to be music to the ears of the audiophiles in your life.

Prince: ‘1999’ Box Set

The Purple One crossed over to the pop chart in a big way with the highly successful “1999,” which featured top 20 singles in the title track, “Little Red Corvette” and “Delirious.” The five CD+DVD super deluxe box set contains the first-ever main album remaster, 35 previously unreleased tracks, promotional mixes, B-sides, a 1982 Detroit concert recording and an unseen Houston show filmed the same year.

Cost: $53.38; standard CD, LP configurations available

Information: amazon.com, rhino.com

Live: ‘Throwing Copper: 25th Anniversary’ Box Set

One of the biggest rock releases of the 1990s, the Pennsylvania band’s hard-hitting second major label album sold 8 million copies and topped the Billboard 200 chart. It spawned five top-20 hits on alternative radio (including “Lightning Crashes,” “Selling the Drama,” “I Alone”) and was a mainstay at stations like KROQ and X103.9 FM for more than a year. The deluxe box set edition features the original running order and three bonus tracks on two LPs and one CD. A second CD adds the band’s incendiary set from Woodstock ’94.

Cost: $89.99; single CD, LP, colored vinyl collector configurations available

Information: amazon.com, freaks4live.com

‘Country Music — A Film by Ken Burns: The Soundtrack’ Box Set

If you’ve ever gone to the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, seen some old timers perform in the Palomino or Mustang tents and wanted to examine their roots, this box set is a good place to start. Taken from “Country Music,” the fascinating multi-part PBS documentary and history lesson on the genre, this box set is divided into five CDs relating to each segment.

Cost: $54.55; two CD, two LP configurations plus DVD combo packs available

Information: amazon.com, pbs.org

STOCKING STUFFERS

‘Playing Back the ’80s: A Decade of Unstoppable Hits’ Book

Author Jim Beviglia adeptly reveals the origin stories to 65 hit singles and radio faves from the 1980s via interviews with artists, producers, session players, writers and others. Presented in chronological order by chart peak, this fun book features pop and rock tunes like Gary Numan’s “Cars,” Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Pina Colada Song),” Devo’s “Whip It,” Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” Metallica’s “One” and Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” among others.

Cost: $37 hardcover; $35 eBook

Information: amazon.com, rowman.com

‘Yesterday’ Blu-ray, DVD

This charming, underrated 2019 feature stars newcomer Himesh Patel as a struggling U.K. musician who suddenly wakes up after a worldwide power outage to find that nobody has ever heard of The Beatles. So, he passes off the Fab Four’s songs as his own and becomes an overnight sensation. Kate McKinnon, Lily James and actual hitmaker Ed Sheeran co-star.

Cost: $17-$23

Information: amazon.com

B-52’s: ‘Cosmic Thing: 30th Anniversary Edition’ CD

“Tin roof! Rusted.” Anyone vaguely aware of 1980s pop music will recognize that lyric from the major B-52’s hit “Love Shack.” This newly remastered edition of the zany Athens, Georgia party band’s most successful album — also including top-30 charters “Roam” and “Deadbeat Club” — comes with some B-sides and remixes. Disc 2 has a previously unreleased 1990 concert recorded in Texas.

Cost: $19

Information: amazon.com, rhino.com

Bruce Springsteen: ‘Western Stars — Songs From the Film’ CD, LP

As seen in the magnificent recent motion picture release, The Boss performed all the songs from latest solo album “Western Stars” in his New Jersey barn with an orchestra and band (including E Streeter wife Patti Scialfa and Soozie Tyrell on a few songs). Since the studio album was inspired by the pop music of Burt Bacharach and Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell, it’s only fitting that Springsteen shot a cover of the latter’s “Rhinestone Cowboy” especially for the film.

Cost: $12-$27

Information: amazon.com

A version of this article originally appeared in the Orange County Register, LA Daily News, Press Enterprise and other SCNG (SoCal News Group) newspapers last month.

La Roux unveils another new track; tour dates in '20

La Roux is continuing to tease the release of her new album Supervision due February 7, 2020, and has unveiled another single and video titled, “Gullible Fool.” Watch the video HERE.

This track follows on the heels of “International Woman Of Leisure,” which premiered as Annie Mac of UK radio’s “Hottest Record in the World.” This forthcoming collection is the first offering from Elly Jackson, aka La Roux, in five years.

In her final Supervision recording sessions with co-producer Dan Carey, La Roux found herself up late finishing an altogether different song, but felt compelled to sit down at the piano on her way to bed. In her own words, “Gullible Fool” “is the most special and meaningful song on the record for me, because I feel like it encapsulates a cycle of a life, and that couldn’t have happened if I wasn’t in the process of writing something else. It describes the feeling of being overly trusting, and living under the assumption that you shouldn’t need to protect yourself if you are nice to people.”

Having recently provided vocals for Tyler, The Creator on his critically acclaimed Igor, La Roux is a Grammy-winning, BRIT and Mercury-Prize-nominated artist and producer who shot to worldwide fame with her debut self-titled album. Featuring hits like “In For The Kill” and “Bulletproof,” the album sold more than 6 million singles worldwide and featured collaborations with the likes of Skream, Kanye West, and Major Lazer – which ultimately helped reshape pop as we now know it.

Jackson’s second album, Trouble In Paradise, was a critically-adored reinvention in sound and look, topping the Dance/Electronic charts in the US and landing La Roux her second top 10 record in the UK. Since then, she’s been featured on records by artists ranging from Tyler, The Creator to New Order. It’s undeniable that ten years on from La Roux’s debut album, she has solidified her status as one of modern music’s genuine trailblazers.

La Roux will begin her international jaunt of headlining dates in February, with North American dates to commence in March.

WORLD TOUR DATES 2020:

February 5 London Fabric

February 11 Paris Elysee Montmartre
February 11 Amsterdam Melkweg Max
February 15 Berlin Metropol
March 2 Toronto, ON The Phoenix
March 3 Montreal, QB Corona
March 5 Boston, Mass. House of Blues
March 6 Washington, D.C. 9:30 Club
March 7 Philadelphia, Pa. Union Transfer
March 10 Brooklyn, N.Y. Brooklyn Steel
March 13 Chicago, Ill. Park We
March 14 Minneapolis, Minn. Varsity Theatre
March 16 Denver, Colo. The Gothic
March 19 Seattle, Wash. Showbox Market
March 20 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
March 21 Portland, Ore. Roseland Ballroom
March 23 San Francisco, Calif. The Regency
March 25 Los Angeles, Calif. The Fonda

The NAMM Show '20 news: She Rocks Awards hosts Lyndsey Parker, Mindi Abair

The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) announced that Yahoo Entertainment music editor and SiriusXM radio host Lyndsey Parker and two-time GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist/vocalist Mindi Abair as co-hosts of the upcoming 2020 She Rocks Awards.

Recognizing women who stand out as role models in the music industry, the live event takes place on January 17, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. at the House of Blues Anaheim during the NAMM Show. This year’s honorees include Lizzy Hale, Linda Perry, Gloria Gaynor, Suzi Quatro, and more. Tickets are available at sherocksawards.com

Lyndsey Parker (pictured left) is the music editor at Yahoo Entertainment and co-host of the daily SiriusXM Volume show Volume West. Considered an expert in music and pop culture, Parker is an Online Journalism Award nominee and has written for Elle, MOJO, Rolling Stone, NME, and Guitar.

She has appeared as a commentator for the ABC special The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story, AXS TV’s The Top Ten Revealed, and the documentary I Want My MTV, as well as for VH1's Behind the Music, CNN, MTV, The Insider, and Good Day L.A.

She is the author of Careless Memories of Strange Behavior: My Notorious Life as a Duran Duran Fan (one of the first e-books published as part of Rhino Records’ all-digital music book series, which went to #1 on the iTunes Music Books chart), and is currently co-authoring the memoir of legendary groupie Mercy Fontenot, a former member of the GTOs. For more: www.lyndsanity.com

Highly sought-after saxophonist/vocalist and two-time GRAMMY nominee Mindi Abair (seen left) has been electrifying audiences around the world since her debut album in 2000, flawlessly bringing together saxophone, vocals, and a dynamic stage presence.

She has garnered ten #1 radio hits, six Top 5 solo records and two #1 spots on the Billboard album charts. Abair has toured and recorded with: Aerosmith, Duran Duran, Smokey Robinson, Gregg Allman, Booker T. Jones, Trombone Shorty and more. She also authored the book How To Play Madison Square Garden - A Guide to Stage Performance and served as a National Trustee for The Recording Academy. In 2019, she and her band, The Boneshakers, released No Good Deed, a hard-hitting blues rock album. For more: www.mindiabair.com

The WiMN Founder, Laura B. Whitmore, comments, “Lyndsey and Mindi are perfect complements to the inspiring, high-energy, evening we have in store this year. I look forward to working with them to offer our guests another unforgettable experience.”

Gearing up for its eighth consecutive year, the She Rocks Awards pays tribute to women who display leadership and stand out within the music industry, and has become a standard at the NAMM Show. Previous award recipients include Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, The B-52s, Colbie Caillat, Sheila E, Chaka Khan, Ronnie Spector, Orianthi, Lisa Loeb, The Bangles, and many more, plus a collection of role models from all walks of the music and audio industries.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2020 She Rocks Awards, available in four tiers that include dinner and more. This event is open to the public; a NAMM Show badge is not required to attend the She Rocks Awards. Find out more and purchase tickets at sherocksawards.com.

Learn more about the She Rocks Awards at sherocksawards.com.

About The Women’s International Music Network (WiMN)
Founded in 2012, the Women’s International Music Network unites women who work within all facets of the music and audio industries. With theWiMN.com as its hub, the WiMN provides a community for women within the industry while enriching their careers and musical experiences through networking and sharing. The Women’s International Music Network produces events such as the #SheRocksIt panel & networking series, WiMN She Rocks Showcases and the She Rocks Awards, and is founded by music industry veteran Laura B. Whitmore. For more information, visit www.thewimn.com.

The NAMM Show '20 news: Joni Mitchell to receive Les Paul Innovation Award

photo courtesy of NAMM

Folk legend Joni Mitchell will receive the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award at the 35th Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (NAMM TEC Awards), being held Saturday, January 18, 2020 in Anaheim, California.

The award is given on behalf of the Les Paul Foundation to honor individuals that have set the highest standards of excellence in creative application of artistry in the spirit of the famed audio pioneer, inventor and musician, Les Paul.

“We are excited that Joni will be the recipient of the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award,” says Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of The Les Paul Foundation. “Like Les, she has been a trailblazer and a true renaissance woman – a songwriter, musician, producer and influencer who made her mark with very influential songs in the 60s. She has pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a female singer-songwriter over the course of her four decade career, and like Les Paul, she’s never been scared to take creative risks. We are thrilled that Joni Mitchell will join the list of extraordinary recipients that represent the spirit of the legendary Les Paul.”

"Thank you for this honor,” said Mitchell. “I'm grateful for being appreciated."

Three Junos, nine GRAMMYS®(plus their Lifetime Achievement Award), the Governor General's Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a Polar Music Prize are but a few of Joni’s awards and accolades.

With this award, Mitchell will join the likes of Peter Frampton, Jackson Browne, Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Don Was, Slash, Todd Rundgren, Pete Townshend, Steve Vai and others, as a Les Paul Innovation Award honoree.

The NAMM TEC Awards, held during the global gathering of music, sound and event technology at The NAMM Show, are bestowed annually in honor of the many individuals, companies and technical innovations used in sound recordings, films, broadcast television and video games. Nominees were announced earlier this year.

Purchase tickets on site or in advance here for $65 (General Admission) or $195 (VIP). The show begins with a VIP-only reception at 6PM, followed by the awards ceremony at 7PM, held in the Hilton Anaheim Hotel’s Pacific Ballroom. Portlandia co-creator, Saturday Night Live alumnus and drummer, Fred Armisen will host the event.

ABOUT THE TEC AWARDS

Presented annually by the NAMM Foundation during The NAMM Show, The NAMM TEC Awards recognizes the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and other media in 23 Technical and 8 Creative Achievement Categories. The Les Paul Innovation Award is given at the event in tribute to musical artists and others whose work has exemplified the creative application of audio technology. Through its Hall of Fame, The TEC Awards also honors the pioneers of audio technology and the music industry’s most accomplished producers and audio technicians. The NAMM Foundation’s TECnology Hall of Fame celebrates innovations and ground breaking technical achievements of the past. For more information, visit www.tecawards.org

About NAMM

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry. NAMM is comprised of approximately 10,300 members located in 104 countries and regions. NAMM events and members fund The NAMM Foundation's efforts to promote the pleasures and benefits of music, and advance active participation in music making across the lifespan. For more information about NAMM, please visit www.namm.org, call 800.767.NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.