2000s Chuck Berry concerts comprise archival album due in December

Dualtone Records announces the December 17 release of Live From Blueberry Hill, a document of the rock & roll icon’s hometown shows at St. Louis’ Blueberry Hill.

Taken from performances recorded between July 2005 and January 2006, Live From Blueberry Hill features Berry tearing through classics like “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” and “Johnny B. Goode” on the stage that he played more than any other in the latter decades of his life.

Listen to the raucous “Carol / Little Queenie” from Live From Blueberry Hill here.

By 1996, Chuck Berry had conquered the world and, after his seminal “Johnny B. Goode” was included on the Voyager Gold Record and sent into space, the stars. But one evening, in a conversation with Joe Edwards - longtime confidante and owner of the beloved St. Louis restaurant Blueberry Hill - Berry commented “You know, Joe, I’d like to play a place the size of the ones I played when I first started out.”

A lightbulb went off and a scheme was hatched. “Let’s do it at Blueberry Hill,” they decided. On a new stage that Edwards had christened The Duck Room after Chuck’s signature onstage move, Berry would give 209 performances over seventeen years. Chuck Berry shows at Blueberry Hill became a rock & roll talisman, inspiring pilgrimages from all sorts of luminaries: the Band’s Robbie Robertson, Motorhead’s Lemmy, Lorde, fellow St. Louisans Nelly and Bob Costas, to name just a few.

Berry’s hand-picked backing group for the Duck Room shows evolved over time, but eventually became codified as the “Blueberry Hill Band,” a combination of family members, longtime Berry collaborators, and stars of the St. Louis scene, including daughter Ingrid Berry on harmonica, son Charles Berry, Jr. on guitar, bassist and band leader Jimmy Marsala, pianist Robert Lohr, and drummer Keith Robinson. Together they formed the longest-running band of Berry’s 60+ year career.

It’s this lineup that crystallizes the free and spontaneous atmosphere of The Duck Room on Live From Blueberry Hill. Whether Chuck and the Blueberry Hill Band are retracing his musical lineage on his cover of the slow-burning blues “Mean Old World,” spinning an origin myth on “Bio,” or reaffirming the vitality of the singular “Johnny B. Goode,” Live From Blueberry Hill is an exhilarating opportunity to hear one of the true giants of 20th century music onstage and unfiltered.

Pre-order Live From Blueberry Hill here.

In related news, Gibson has announced the release of the limited-edition Chuck Berry 1970s ES-355 in Wine Red. It’s a meticulous re-creation of Chuck’s favorite go-to guitar, a 1978 Gibson ES-355. The Chuck Berry 1970s ES-355 is now available worldwide at www.gibson.com.

Track List:

Roll Over Beethoven

Rock And Roll Music
Let It Rock
Carol / Little Queenie
Sweet Little Sixteen
Around And Around
Nadine
Bio
Mean Old World
Johnny B. Goode

The Band’s 'Cahoots' next to get deluxe box set treatment in December

On December 10, Capitol/UMe will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Band’s fourth album, Cahoots, with an assembly of newly remixed, remastered and expanded 50th Anniversary Edition packages, including a multi-format Super Deluxe 2CD/Blu-ray/1LP/7-inch vinyl box set along with digital, 2CD, 180-gram half-speed-mastered black vinyl and limited-edition 180-gram black vinyl packages.

All the Anniversary Edition releases were overseen by principal songwriter Robbie Robertson and sport a new stereo mix by Bob Clearmountain from the original multi-track masters. The box set, CD and digital configurations boast a bevy of unreleased recordings, including Live at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, May 1971, a rousing bootleg partial concert consisting of 11 tracks culled from the initial throes of a European tour that found The Band perched at the top of their live game; and early and alternate versions of “Endless Highway” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece” along with six other early takes, outtakes, instrumentals, and stripped-down mixes.

Exclusively for this box set, Clearmountain has also created new Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround-sound mixes of both the album and four bonus tracks, presented in high resolution on Blu-ray, alongside the new stereo mix. Every new audio mix has been mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering. The lift-top box set also includes an exclusive reproduction of the Japanese pressing of The Band’s 1971 7-inch vinyl single for “Life Is A Carnival” b/w “The Moon Struck One” in their new stereo mixes; a 20-page booklet with new notes by Robbie Robertson and extensive insider liner notes by Rob Bowman; three classic photo lithographs, one each by Barry Feinstein, Richard Avedon (his infamous eyes-closed group portrait from the back cover) and noted New York artist/illustrator Gilbert Stone (who painted the still stunning stretched-out portrait of The Band on the album’s front cover); plus a wealth of additional material and other historical data from the original recordings sessions. The limited-edition 180-gram black vinyl release that features a tip-on jacket also contains a photo lithograph by Barrie Wentzell that’s unique to the package.

Pre-order for the Cahoots 50th anniversary editions is available now, and the first flavor of the new mix can be heard with today’s release of “Life Is A Carnival” (2021 Stereo Mix), streaming now and available for immediate download with digital album pre-order. Listen to “Life Is A Carnival” and pre-order Cahoots (50th Anniversary Edition) here: https://theband.lnk.to/Cahoots50thPR

As with the acclaimed 50th anniversary collections for the winning trio of Music From Big Pink, the self-titled record and Stage Fright, Clearmountain and Robertson’s approach to remixing Cahoots was undertaken with the utmost care and respect for the music and what The Band represents. That said, Robertson’s instructions for how his right-hand mixing partner should handle the Cahoots mixes possessed one key difference: Robertson wanted Clearmountain to transform them based on what he felt was lacking from the original mixes. As Clearmountain shares in the liners, “Robbie told me, ‘Just think of the original mixes as rough mixes. Pretty much don’t pay attention to the mixes themselves.’” 

This directive gave Clearmountain the leeway to unclutter some of the album’s original arrangements, all with Robertson’s blessing: “In the beginning of these sessions, we didn’t know if we were making another Basement Tapes where nobody would hear the music or if we were actually making a real record,” Robertson admits. Though Robertson felt the first three Band records wound up sounding better due to a combination of how today’s technology actually enhances the limitations of yesterday’s technology, he doubled down with his instructions to Clearmountain for Cahoots: “I told Bob, ‘There are no rules. So, every mix we do, I want to start from scratch. I don’t even want to listen to the original. I want to listen to the way we hear it now and be fearless and experimental with it.”

Clearmountain took Robertson’s wishes to heart not only in terms of his 2021 stereo mix – as is instantly evident in the greater clarity of the punch of the drums and bass and how putting guitar and organ lines a bit back in the mix enables certain vocal elements to be more out front – but most especially in terms of the breadth so readily apparent in his groundbreaking Dolby Atmos mix, a first for The Band’s core catalog. In his Atmos mix of Cahoots, Clearmountain puts the listener dead-center and smack dab in the middle of the band in the most “you-are-there” fashion imaginable. Concludes Robertson, “This is what I really meant. This is the honesty of this now. This is a trip. This is something special.”

In May and June of 1971, The Band set off to tour Europe, where they hadn’t played since their tumultuous tour with Bob Dylan in 1966, during which they were booed every night as folk rock purists felt betrayed by Dylan’s going electric as backed by The Hawks, who would soon enough become The Band.

Not having played the continent in five years, the guys were justifiably wary and didn’t really know what to expect in Europe – but rather than garnering boos and catcalls, they received a rapturous response at their first concert in Hamburg, Germany and would continue performing for one enthusiastic crowd after another. Playing at the Olympia Theatre in Paris on May 25, 1971 was one such gig especially near and dear to The Band’s collective heart. “We hadn’t been back to this place since playing there with Bob Dylan, when the Paris show was a complete disaster,” Robertson recalls. “We wanted so much to do a special performance for the French. We wanted a certain kind of feeling in the Olympia. When we played the show, I felt like we did it.”

The set list that night reflected each of The Band’s ten two-set European concerts, and it was recorded by a French radio station and filmed by French media. Sadly, only the second half of that show survives, but it’s full of a slew of Band classics, such as “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show,” “We Can Talk,” the Stevie Wonder-penned Four Tops hit “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Across The Great Divide,” “The Unfaithful Servant,” “Don’t Do It,” the Garth Hudson showcase “The Genetic Method” that leads into “Chest Fever,” “Rag Mama Rag” and a rousing cover of the Little Richard barnburner, “Slippin’ And Slidin’.” This portion of the Paris show is presented on CD2 as a “bootleg partial concert,” but even so, each of these 11 electrifying live tracks serve as even more evidence of just how good The Band sounded onstage at this point in their career.

Originally released on September 15, 1971, Cahoots contains a number of The Band’s best-loved and most enduring songs, including “Life Is A Carnival” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” As recounted in the liner notes, longtime Band road manager Jonathan Taplin notes how “Carnival” was born in part out of Robertson’s infatuation with some of the more peculiar characters on display in Marcel Carné’s 1945 film Les Enfants du Paradise, not to mention his having worked on the midway at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in his youth. In addition to The Band’s own impeccable style of groove-making, the song’s Mardi Gras-esque atmospherics are also due to legendary New Orleans R&B producer Allen Toussaint having been deployed to compose a most excellent, and decidedly funky, horn arrangement to buttress the track.

Meanwhile, “When I Paint My Masterpiece” ensued from a visit by lifelong Band compadre Bob Dylan, an instant classic that’s bolstered by Levon Helm’s mandolin and Garth Hudson’s accordion, both of which lent the track a European feel that best matched Dylan’s lyrical axis. Be sure to spend time with the “Masterpiece” alternate take near the end of CD1, which begins with a more prominent mandolin chord and world-weary Levon vocal, rather than the song’s more familiar 25-second fade-in. You’ll also discern differences in Garth’s accordion accompaniment, Rick Danko’s animated bass playing and Richard Manuel’s insistent drumming. (Manuel often took to the drum chair whenever Levon would switch off to mandolin.)

Cahoots features another guest of note who also happened to be a Woodstock resident at the time: namely, Van Morrison, who adds his indelible vocal stamp to “4% Pantomime.” One afternoon, Morrison stopped by Robertson’s writing studio, heard Robertson noodling on some chord changes and a melody on piano, and the next thing anyone knew, Morrison was singing and creating lyrics on the spot while looking right at Richard Manuel. Morrison (whom Robertson dubbed the “Belfast Cowboy”) was so galvanized by the tune that he suggested they all head to the studio to cut it that same night. A few hours and a few false starts later, “4% Pantomime” was officially on tape. In the finished version, Morrison and Richard Manuel trade impassioned face-to-face vocals captured only a few feet apart (with Manuel also turning in double duty on piano), Levon Helm supplying the unmistakable backbeat, and Garth Hudson adding all the right organ fills. (You can hear that initial false start version on one of the key outtakes on CD1.)

Cahoots peaked at #21 on Billboard, marking The Band’s fourth consecutive Top 30 album appearance. Fifty years on, Cahoots remains a stone-cold masterpiece, reinforced with a vibrant swath of refreshing stereo and surround-sound mixes alike for lifelong fans and those discovering the wonders of The Band for the very first time. Believe it or not, Cahoots is most definitely worth more than “two bits a shot.”

Cahoots (50th Anniversary Edition) Track listing:

CD1

1. Life Is A Carnival
2. When I Paint My Masterpiece
3. Last Of The Blacksmiths
4. Where Do We Go From Here?
5. 4% Pantomime
6. Shoot Out In Chinatown
7. The Moon Struck One
8. Thinkin’ Out Loud
9. Smoke Signal
10. Volcano
11. The River Hymn

Bonus Tracks

12. Endless Highway
(Early Studio Take, 2021 Mix)
13. When I Paint My Masterpiece
(Alternate Take, 2021 Mix)
14. 4% Pantomime (Takes 1 & 2)
15. Don’t Do It (Outtake – Studio Version, 2021 Mix)
16. Bessie Smith (Outtake)

CD2

Live at The Olympia Theatre, Paris, May 1971 (Bootleg, Partial Concert)*

1. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
2. We Can Talk
3. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
4. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
5. Across The Great Divide
6. The Unfaithful Servant
7. Don't Do It
8. The Genetic Method
9. Chest Fever
10. Rag Mama Rag
11. Slippin' And Slidin'

Bonus Tracks

12. Life Is A Carnival (Instrumental)*
13. Volcano (Instrumental)*
14. Thinkin’ Out Loud (Stripped Down Mix)*

Blu-ray

Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and Stereo

High Resolution Audio: 96 kHz/24 bit

1. Life Is A Carnival

2. When I Paint My Masterpiece
3. Last Of The Blacksmiths
4. Where Do We Go From Here?
5. 4% Pantomime
6. Shoot Out In Chinatown
7. The Moon Struck One
8. Thinkin’ Out Loud
9. Smoke Signal
10. Volcano
11. The River Hymn

Bonus Tracks

12. Endless Highway

(Early Studio Take, 2021 Mix)
13. When I Paint My Masterpiece
(Alternate Take, 2021 Mix)
14. 4% Pantomime (Takes 1 & 2)
15. Don’t Do It (Outtake – Studio Version, 2021 Mix)

Out now: Island Records' The Vinyl Series, Vol. 3 feat. Robert Palmer, Bryan Ferry, Jimmy Cliff, Bad Company, Traffic, Sparks, others

Here's a press release from the latest in a series of Island compilations...

Since its beginnings in Jamaica in 1959, the story of the pioneering Island Records label has been inextricably linked to the story of its founder, Chris Blackwell. Now, Blackwell has curated a series of compilation LPs featuring his hand-picked tracks that correspond with his and Island's legendary history.

Today, Island Records/UMe released the third volume of The Vinyl Series, an 18-track double LP compiling some of the label's key releases of the late 1960s and early '70s. Volume One included pivotal songs from 1962 to 1969, and Volume Two, released over the summer, covered the years 1969 to 1973. Taken together, the sets explore the wide-ranging highlights from Island's remarkable and extensive catalog. Volume 1 + 2 + 3 are available now HERE. Order The Vinyl Series, Volume 1-3 bundle HERE.

"The counterculture, which came to full force in 1967, had coincided with Island's launch as a label," writes Blackwell in the new collection's liner notes, examining the connections that remained strong as the label moved into the evolving world of the '70s. "Most of the acts we started off with remained with Island…To many of us, there didn't seem to be much change."

This volume of The Vinyl Series includes material which remained rooted in the folk and acoustic-based styles that were crucial to Island's foundation. That side of the label's history is represented by Nick Drake's "Way to Blue" (from his first album, Five Leaves Left) and "Late November" by Sandy Denny, which first appeared on a 1971 label sampler. But it was Cat Stevens who was identified most commonly with Island in the U.K.—he "continued to be Island's biggest seller," notes Blackwell—and this album contains his 1971 global smash "Morning Has Broken," an adaptation of a Christian hymn.

But Island had also broken through into enormous success on the harder rock front. Free hit big with the 1970 album Fire and Water, whose title track opens the Volume Three collection. "Incredibly young, but in many ways wise beyond their years," Blackwell writes, "the four-piece was such a talented group, led at the time I signed them by the 15-year old (!!!) Andy Fraser."

When Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke split with Free to form Bad Company, they stayed with Island and became a worldwide sensation; "it seemed like a culmination and justification of their great talents," writes Blackwell. And prog-rock supergroup Emerson,

Lake and Palmer, represented here with their biggest hit single, 1970's "Lucky Man," were also "hugely successful on a global scale," as Blackwell puts it.

Island's rock roster reached into the world of glam in the early '70s. Blackwell admits that "When I heard the first Roxy Music album, I confess that I wasn't immediately certain of it." But when he fully absorbed the group's complete sound and vision, he said, "I understood that this was a true artistic endeavor, conceived and executed as such." Along with Roxy's magnificent first single, "Virginia Plain," and lead singer Bryan Ferry's solo cover of "The In Crowd," The Vinyl Series: Volume Three also includes Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy," and "Better By You, Better Than Me," by Spooky Tooth, as well as "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us," by the enigmatic duo Sparks, whose unparalleled career was recently the subject of an acclaimed documentary film.

But Chris Blackwell and Island Records will forever be associated with the music of Jamaica, and the period addressed in this album includes two landmark events that changed the world. Blackwell observes that he "began to see [reggae] was also starting to be taken up by some of the same audience who were the fanbase for underground rock." Though he had released Bob Marley's first solo single in the UK in 1962, he finally met and signed the Wailers a decade later. "I loved what they recorded in Jamaica for what became the Catch A Fire album," he writes. "Although initially, it didn't sell in colossal terms, it was critically a smash." And it set in motion one of the greatest careers music has ever seen.

Concurrently, Island released the soundtrack for the revolutionary 1972 film The Harder They Come, which introduced reggae to an international audience. This collection includes two classics from that film—"Johnny Too Bad" by the Slickers and Jimmy Cliff, the star of the movie, singing "You Can Get It If You Really Want." The majestic Toots and the Maytals, heard on this set performing 1974's "Time Tough," were also part of the soundtrack, which helped launch them to global prominence. "This Is Reggae Music," a declarative single by the Jamaican band Zap Pow released in the wake of the soundtrack's success, is also included.

In track-by-track essays by noted author and longtime Island Records chronicler Chis Salewicz, the album package features reminiscences that offer Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Blackwell's own perspective. The third volume of The Vinyl Series—which also illustrates the label's ventures into funk (The Meters), dub (Augustus Pablo), and blue-eyed soul (Robert Palmer)—rounds out the tale of Island's visionary, eclectic path as it solidified its place as one of the most distinctive and bold labels in music history.

The Vinyl Series

Volume Three

Various Artists

Disc 1 - Side A:

Free- Fire And Water
Robert Palmer - Sailin' Shoes
The Meters - Cissy Strut
Bryan Ferry - The "In" Crowd

Disc 1 - Side B:

Zap Pow - This Is Reggae Music
Toots and the Maytals - Time Tough
The Slickers - Johnny Too Bad
Jimmy Cliff - You Can Get It If You Really Want
Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown

Disc 2 - Side A:

Traffic - Dear Mr. Fantasy

Bad Company – Bad Company

Spooky Tooth - Better By You, Better Than Me

Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us

Roxy Music - Virginia Plan

Disc 2 - Side B:

Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken

Nick Drake - Way To Blue

Sandy Denny - Late November

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Lucky Man

Joywave preps a musical 'Cleanse'

Joywave's fourth studio album Cleanse will be released on February 11 (pre-save/pre-add/pre-order HERE.) 

It is the follow-up to 2020’s Possession. Cleanse was written and recorded during quarantine in Joywave frontman Daniel Armbruster’s home studio. 

Says Armbruster about the making of Cleanse:

“With our dense touring schedule shelved, I was able to reflect on past travels and appreciate them in a new way. But reminders of our fragile mortality were everywhere, punctuated by the ongoing pandemic and civil unrest. The music began to encompass all of this. It became the words, encouragement, and occasional cautions that I would want to share with you if this was the last time we spoke. And with all this time spent looking inward came the realization that there were still a few chips I was carrying on my shoulder that I needed to let go of."

There are six new songs, one of which “Cyn City 2000,” was just released and four previously released tracks including “Pray For The Reboot,” “The Inversion,” “After Coffee” and the introspective “Every Window is A Mirror.”

"Cyn City 2000” is about being thankful for the things you have instead of focusing on what you don’t. Comparing yourself to others is a recipe for disaster every time. The pandemic allowed me to slow down and take in what we’ve been able to do over the last several years and left me feeling both grateful for the past and excited for the future,” explains the singer. 

Joywave return to the road in February with tour stops include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brooklyn, N.Y., Washington DC, Denver, Chicago, Philly and Boston and wraps up in their hometown of Rochester, N.Y. on April 8. Tickets go on sale November 4 at 10am local time. For more information, visit joywavemusic.com.

About Joywave: 

Since their formation, Rochester-based band Joywave, have released a series of mixtapes, EP’s and 3 critically acclaimed albums: 2015’s HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW? 2017’S CONTENT (Top 10 Billboard Heatseeker debut) and 2020’s POSSESSION. Career highlights include a #1 hit with Big Data’s RIAA platinum certified single, “Dangerous (Feat. Joywave),” along with a string of multi-format hits, including “Destruction,” “Doubt” and “It’s A Trip!” Joywave has done sold out headline tours, sets at high-profile festivals including Lollapalooza, Coachella, Firefly and the UK’s Reading/Leeds, and tours with The Killers, Bastille, Young the Giant, PVRIS, Foals, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Metric, Sir Sly, and more.

Track listing: 

1-Pray For The Reboot
2-Buy American
3-Every Window Is A Mirror
4-Cyn City 2000
5-After Coffee
6-We Are All We Need
7-Goodbye Tommy
8-The Inversion
9-Why Would You Want To Be Young Again?
10-Have You Ever Lit A Year On Fire?

Portland artist and LGBTQ activist Logan Lynn covers Liz Phair, Elliott Smith on upcoming album

Portland songwriter, producer, filmmaker, television personality and award-winning activist Logan Lynn shares a new single and animated video “Here’s To Us,” from his 10th album New Money, out January 21 via Kill Rock Stars.

Following two electro-pop tunes, “Eat&Drink&Smoke&Shop&Fuck” and “Rich And Beautiful,” the latest unveiled track is an empowering anthem that Logan says is “a rally cry for me and anyone who has ever felt pushed aside or left out, just for being themselves. To every queer or trans person, to my BIPOC friends and family, and to all of you who feel like you don’t belong anywhere: I see you. You belong here. We can belong together.”

The video, directed by Daniel Napoli (Netflix's We The People), “is fairly autobiographical; life is weird and hard but in the end, we are all ultimately just stardust. That feels true to me, and is comforting somehow,” he explains.

“Here’s To Us”: Watch / Listen
Pre-order: New Money

Returning to his electro-pop roots after collaborations with 80’s pop star Tiffany, The Dandy Warhols and Styrofoam, New Money is Logan’s first full-length for Kill Rock Stars. Produced in collaboration with longtime co-writer Gino Mari and written at home over the course of 2020, the album tackles themes of life in the face of suffering, COVID loneliness, and addiction recovery, lampooning New Portland and gentrification, and including two tributes to his all-time musical heroes Liz Phair and Elliott Smith. 

Lynn is the former host of NewNowNext Music on MTV’s Logo Network. He has been producing and releasing music for the past two decades on labels like Caroline Records, EMI Records, The Dandy Warhols’ Beat The World Records, Greyday Records, Mohr Media, Banana Stand Records, and his own label imprint, Logan Lynn Music. His music has been featured on MTV, VH1, Logo, Spike TV, the Emmy Award-winning series EastSiders on Netflix, and international advertising campaigns by CoverGirl Cosmetics, Oscar de la Renta, Nicole Miller, Volkswagen and other major brands.

Logan has received numerous awards and accolades for his activism, including the prestigious 2017 Award of Excellence from the National Council and being named to Kink FM’s ‘The Portland 50’ in 2018. In 2019, Lynn officially joined the Portugal. The Man team in the role of PTM Foundation Director to help build the band’s charitable foundation, which he launched in partnership with the band. Logan also spearheaded the global launch of the .gay domain — alongside George Takei, GLAAD, CenterLink, PFLAG National, Adam Lambert, Roxane Gay and other queer luminaries — for which he is the brand spokesperson.

Track list:

1. It’s Been Forever
2. Rich And Beautiful (Album Version)
3. Eat&Drink&Smoke&Shop&Fuck
4. Fight or Flight
5. Sit And Spin
6. Fuck And Run (Liz Phair Cover)
7. Is There Anyone Else Like This In The World?
8. Baby Britain (Elliott Smith Cover)
9. Here’s To Us

Midlake returns after extended absence with 'For the Sake of Bethel Woods'

Midlake's fifth studio album, FOR THE SAKE OF BETHEL WOODS, arrives via ATO Records in the US and Bella Union in the UK on March 18. Pre-orders are available now. The Texas-based band’s first new music since 2013’s Antiphon, the album is prefaced by the first single, “Meanwhile…,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services; an official lyric video is streaming now at YouTube.

“’Meanwhile…’ is a song referencing the time in between what transpired leading up to our hiatus in ‘14, and what inspired us to reconvene in ’20,” says lead singer Eric Pulido. “The former being an unhealthy and unsustainable place that called for pause and the latter a serendipitous visit from Jesse’s late father (Dave Chandler, depicted on the album cover) in a dream encouraging him to reunite with the band. Everyone had their respective experience during the uncertain time apart culminating in a confident and celebratory return to form.”

WATCH “MEANWHILE…” OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO
LISTEN TO “MEANWHILE…”
PRE-ORDER FOR THE SAKE OF BETHEL WOODS

Midlake will celebrate their long-overdue return with a North American tour schedule. For complete details and ticket information, visit www.midlakeband.com/tour.

Produced, engineered, and mixed by GRAMMY® Award-winner John Congleton (St. Vincent, Explosions in the Sky, Sharon Van Etten) at Elmwood Recording Studio in Dallas, TX, FOR THE SAKE OF BETHEL WOODS marks Midlake’s fifth full-length release and first time recording with an outside producer.

The cover art was designed by pro skateboarder/filmmaker/visual artist Brian Lotti and features a photo of keyboardist/flautist Jesse Chandler’s father, who died in 2018.

“At age 16 my father and his friend hitchhiked from Ridgewood, NJ to the Woodstock festival in 1969,” says Chandler. “This image of him with his hand to his face appears in the 1970 Woodstock documentary, as the camera pans across the crowd during John Sebastian’s set. My father actually ended up moving to Woodstock, NY – where I grew up – in 1981. For me, the picture of that kid, my dad, forever frozen in time, encapsulates what it means to be in the throes of impressionable and fleeting youth, and all that the magic of music, peace, love, and communion bring to it, whether one knows it at the time or not. (I think he knew it).”

Formed in Denton, TX, the band debuted with 2004’s Bamnan and Slivercork, followed two years later by 2006’s The Trials of Van Occupanther. Midlake adopted darker psych-folk terrain on 2010’s The Courage of Others while also backing John Grant on that same year’s album, Queen of Denmark. Guitarist Eric Pulido stepped into the role of lead vocalist with 2013’s Antiphon, joined by new members Jesse Chandler (keyboards, piano, flute) and Joey McClellan (guitars).

Since then, Midlake have been active on an array of fronts, including the all-star project BNQT, founded by Pulido and featuring Fran Healy (Travis), Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), and Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), backed by Chandler, McClellan, and Midlake drummer McKenzie Smith.

Midlake is: Eric Pulido, Eric Nichelson, McKenzie Smith, Jesse Chandler, and Joey McClellan.

Track list:

Commune
Bethel Woods
Glistening
Exile
Feast of Carrion
Noble
Gone
Meanwhile...
Dawning
The End
Of Desire

Shows: 

11/26– Fort Worth, TX – Tulips
11/27 – Austin, TX – 3TEN
12/30-31 – Pelham, TX – The Caverns *

* The Flaming Lips 2 Night New Year's Underground Celebration
More dates to be announced soon

Elvis Costello has a new studio album due in January

On January 14, Elvis Costello and The Imposters release new album The Boy Named If via EMI. It is preceded by the song “Magnificent Hurt.”

In a press release, Costello says, ”The full title of this record is 'The Boy Named If (And Other Children’s Stories).’ ‘IF,’ is a nickname for your imaginary friend; your secret self, the one who knows everything you deny, the one you blame for the shattered crockery and the hearts you break, even your own. You can hear more about this ‘Boy’ in a song of the same name.”

Speaking of the lyrical content of the record, Costello adds, “Once upon a time, when I didn’t know what a kiss could do and didn’t even dare to caress, the way ahead was a mystery; a departing from that magic state called innocence for the pain that leads to pleasure and all that jazz.”

“Don’t get me started about the guilt and shame and all those other useless possessions that you must throw overboard before you set sail with your dreamboat (and a runcible spoon).” 

Once again co-producing with Sebastian Krys, the album is a collection “that take us from the last days of a bewildered boyhood to that mortifying moment when you are told to stop acting like a child - which for most men (and perhaps a few gals too) can be any time in the next fifty years," as Costello put it.

Formats include vinyl, CD, cassette, download and stream. 

For those who like to hold something more substantial in their hands, the record can also be found tucked into an 88-page hardback storybook edition - each one numbered and signed by the artist.

This edition features thirteen illustrated short stories, which have the same titles as the songs on the record. Some of these fables set the scene for the songs, others are sequels, or a clue or hint to what might have been going on before the music began.

The lyrics can also be found in bold print alongside the colourful, dashing, sometimes macabre, daubs from the electric pencil of Eamon Singer.

Costello says, “Whatever you take out of these tales, I wrote them for you and to make the life of these songs a little less lonely, if you should care to dive in a little deeper.”

“I started ‘The Boy Named If’ with just an electric guitar, some sharps and flats, high heels and lowdowns, with five songs in bright major keys and carried on to write a whole new record for The Imposters to play.”

Speaking of recording sessions, Costello says, “The initial rhythm section for this record was my guitar and Pete Thomas’ Gretsch drums, recorded down in Bonaparte Rooms West. Our Imposter pal of 20 years standing, Davey Faragher soon dialed in his Fender bass and vocals while we awaited dispatches from France.”

“If the record sounded swell as a trio, Steve Nieve’s organ was the icing on the cake, the cherry and the little silver balls,” Elvis says.

Since being forced to cut short a U.K. tour after a Hammersmith Apollo appearance in March 2020, Elvis Costello has released the album, ‘Hey Clockface’ and the subsequent French language E.P., ‘La Face de Pendule à Coucou’ - featuring the voices of Iggy Pop and Isabelle Adjani.

In the last 12 months, Costello has also completed “How To Play Guitar & Y," a comedic, “Words & Music” production for audible.com, and released the lavish vinyl box-set edition of the 1979 album, “Armed Forces” containing facsimiles of his original lyrical notebooks bound as pulp novels and comic books.

Speaking of re-fashioning a record, Costello says, “Pete, Steve and myself started out playing rocking pop music in another century. This year, ‘This Year’s Model’ came back to surprise us in another tongue. That edition is called, 'Spanish Model.’”

Costello adds, “Both that album and ‘The Boy Named If’ are records that are happening right now and if you want to draw a line between them, go right ahead.”

"Sometimes I sit and write things down, the rest of the time I play guitar in a rock and roll band. I love my family. I really love everybody, especially the people I can’t stand, even those who trespass against us and there are a lot of them.”

Track listing:

1. Farewell, OK
2. The Boy Named If
3. Penelope Halfpenny
4. The Difference
5. What If I Can't Give You Anything But Love?
6. Paint The Red Rose Blue
7. Mistook Me For A Friend
8. My Most Beautiful Mistake (guest vocal by Nicole Atkins)
9. Magnificent Hurt
10. The Man You Love To Hate
11. The Death Of Magic Thinking
12. Trick Out The Truth
13. Mr. Crescent

Spoon band news

Spoon’s tenth album, Lucifer on the Sofa, will be released on February 11 via Matador Records. It is the first set of songs that the quintet has recorded in its Austin hometown in more than a decade. Frontman Britt Daniel calls it “the sound of classic rock as written by a guy who never did get Eric Clapton.”

First single “The Hardest Cut” was co-written by Daniel and Alex Fischel. “I spent a lot of 2018 and 2019 listening to ZZ Top,” Daniel explains. The track is accompanied by a video featuring Spoon at a bizarre house party. Listen/share “The Hardest Cut” HERE

The album was co-produced by Spoon and Mark Rankin with contributions from Dave Fridmann and Justin Raisen. The artwork was created by renowned artist Edel Rodriguez, in a vinyl format that will be featured in multiple color variants, including an exclusive opaque orange and black pattern available at www.spoontheband.com and www.matadorrecords.com

Pre-order Lucifer On the Sofa HERE

Track list:

Held

The Hardest Cut
The Devil & Mister Jones
Wild
My Babe
Feels Alright
On The Radio
Astral Jacket
Satellite
Lucifer On The Sofa

LGBTQ music news: Morgxn, Ryals, Mouth Congress (feat. Scott Thompson of 'Kids in the Hall')

Morgxn unveiled the latest single from The Meridian Vol. 2 EP, set for release on November 11.

Listen/share “The Way it Was” HERE.

After receiving a flood of hatred and hurtful comments when posting a Tik Tok teasing the new song, the Nashville artist decided to team up with The Trevor Project—an LGBTQ+ support organization offering a 24/7 hotline and trained counselors to LGBTQ+ youth—and hopes the incident brings awareness to the dangers of bullying on the Internet. A portion of the sales from his new merch with be donated to the organization. More info HERE.

“I was the victim of bullying growing up without knowing there was a lifeline out there to keep going,” morgxn says. “'The Way it Was’ is about reclaiming that spark I lost due to the pandemic and getting older. When I got a bunch of hate on the Internet it reminded me that ‘the way it was’ didn’t always make room for people like me and so many I love. But there’s something powerful about reclaiming that joy and that hope that no one can ever take away from you.”

On November 1 morgxn is hitting the road with Smallpools for a North American tour. List of dates below. Watch morgxn perform with Sara Bareilles on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Morgxn's animated lyric video for Don't Think About It can be viewed/shared HERE.

The lyric video joins the track's recently released official music video, which depicts a spin on the traditional gender reveal party. “There is so much pressure and attention on gender as if it’s something new. It’s not… why [has] gender become such a heated debate when we are debating something that is, at its core, deeply personal," says morgxn.

The new EP follows Meridian Vol 1, which was heavily inspired by a rollercoaster 24-hour period in which morgxn experienced some of his highest highs and lowest lows. Just as the world was going into lockdown due to the pandemic in March 2020, morgxn saw a lifechanging day in which Billie Eilish included morgxn’s single “home” in a list of inspirations behind her Grammy-award winning track “bad guy.”

Nashville-born Morgan Isaac Karr, best known as morgxn, released his debut album vital in 2018 including the hit lead single “home” featuring Walk The Moon. The track was a Top 10 Alternative Radio hit, landing on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart and Billboard Rock Airplay Chart. He has toured extensively with the likes of X Ambassadors, Phoebe Ryan, miike snow, Skylar Grey and more, and has played festivals worldwide including Lollapalooza, Firefly and Hangout. 

TOUR DATES:

November 1—The Loft—Atlanta, GA
November 2—Motorco Music Hall—Durham, NC
November 4—Brighton Music Hall—Boston, MA
November 5—The Foundry at The Fillmore—Philadelphia, PA
November 6—Music Hall of Williamsburg—Brooklyn, NY
November 7—Union Stage—Washington DC
November 9—Adelaide Hall—Toronto, ON
November 10—Blind Pig—Ann Arbor, MI
November 11—Grog Shop—Cleveland, OH
November 13—Bottom Lounge—Chicago, IL
November 14—Fine Line Music Cafe—Minneapolis, MN
November 16—Encore at the Uptown Theater—Kansas City, MO
November 17—Blueberry Hill Duck Room—University City, MO
November 18—Exit/In—Nashville, TN
February 3—House of Blues Bronze Peacock—Houston, TX
February 4—Antone’s—Austin, TX
February 5—Club Dada—Dallas, TX
February 8—Valley Bar—Phoenix, AZ
February 9—House of Blues Voodoo Room—San Diego, CA
February 11—Roxy Theatre—Los Angeles, CA
February 12—Popscene—San Francisco, CA
February 14—Polaris Hall—Portland, OR
February 15—The Crocodile—Seattle, WA
February 17—Hangar House at Infinity Event Center—Salt Lake City, UT
February 18—Marquis Theatre—Denver, CO
February 20—Vanguard—Tulsa, OK

Forward, the new EP by electronic/dance/pop artist Ryals, is now available on streaming services.

On the motivation for the EP, Ryals said, “Forward is my life story: an oppressive society, battling homophobia, immigration, establishing my own identity, love and break ups, my mom’s alcohol addiction and the pain of ultimately losing her. There is so much happening in my life and the way I process it is to write about it. At the end of the day, it’s my dream that got me through my adolescence and continues to get me through the hardest times of my life. The hard work that goes into sustaining a dream gives meaning to what I had to endure along the way.”

The most important thing he wants people to take away from this EP is that “We all only have one life to live and that we can’t dwell on the hard times forever.” He wants his fans to walk away from the EP with hope for a better future, saying “It is your perception that makes life brighter, you can manifest your life and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. You just keep moving it forward.”

About Ryals:

He grew up in Kyiv, capital city of Ukraine and earned a scholarship to a Bachelor of Arts in Acting and Musical Theatre from the Kyiv Academy of the Arts. After which, he performed in musical theater where he continued crafting his singing, dancing, and acting skills. In between touring Ukraine in musicals, Ryals was cast for a role in the movie Let’s Dance, which premiered nationwide. He then began his own career path as a songwriter and a performer with his first album State Of Liberty. He signed a contract with the Holland American Cruise Line and embarked on his journey around the world performing onboard the ship. While working on the cruise ship, Ryals was struck with the realization that there were other countries that had already started accepting homosexuality and people were able to be themselves. Ryals made one of the hardest decisions in his life to immigrate to America and start his life in the United States in attempt to reach his full potential.

After reestablishing his life and finding support in his husband, he was ready to get back to music, and this time with a strong established message.

“No one ever deserves to be shamed, persecuted or killed because of their sexual orientation. I am grateful for all the people who fought and are continuing to fight for human rights. Thanks to them, a lot of people already are able to at least know how it feels to live a normal life. But there’s still 72 countries on this planet where being part of LGBTQIA community is illegal and in 12 countries nowadays it’s being punished by a death sentence,” says Ryals.

Now that Ryals can live his authentic life, he focuses on joining the activists that paved the way for him to continue fighting homophobia and supporting people like him who are going through the same issues he recently faced. Ryals and his husband work with Rainbow Railroad that provide immediate assistance to vulnerable people across the globe, and other human rights organizations that assist LGBTQIA people around the world. In addition, for the release of the Forward EP Ryals is partnering with New York based community center The Ali Forney Center the largest LGBT community center helping LGBT homeless youth.

Track listing:

Midnight
Midnight (Acoustic Version)
NMFA
Great Society
My Days
Forward
Better

Toronto’s Mouth Congress — friends Paul Bellini and Scott Thompson of Kids In The Hall fame — wrote and recorded hundreds of songs between 1984 and 1988 without ever putting out a proper release. Alongside various cohorts and conspirators, the band drew on their experiences as gay men in the ‘80s to craft hilariously crude punk songs that run the gamut of strange characters and taboo subject matter. Their rag tag approach to songwriting blended various styles from noisy punk to lo-fi new wave and DIY disco, all with a very gay bent.

Waiting for Henry collects 29 tracks over 2 LPs and includes a booklet with interviews and ephemera from one of the ‘80s last queercore bands. The first 1000 copies are pressed on tan and blue vinyl, and a limited edition of 300, exclusive to Captured Tracks, includes a photo print signed by Paul and Scott.

Mouth Congress began as a dare. Paul Bellini and Scott Thompson’s friend Brian Hiltz always had a rock band and dreamed of being Pete Townsend. Having no musical talent, all Paul could do was dream. One day in 1984, Brian rented a beatbox from a local music store. Paul was fascinated by this thing, which played whacky mambo and samba beats. And then Brian dared Paul to start his own band, so he rented that beatbox and set it up in the basement on top of an old freezer in the house where they lived.

At the time, Paul’s sister Christine, who also lived in the house, was dating Rob Rowatt. He brought over his electric guitar and they jammed in the basement. Then Christine’s high school friend Gord Disley came over with his guitar. Later that same week, Scott Thompson came by for a visit, and together they had a massive jam session that yielded about thirty short, ridiculous songs, mostly about genitalia and identity. Pleased with the results, they set out to find a name. At the time, Christine was studying Hinduism and had a copy of the Sir Richard Burton translation of the Kama Sutra. Their eyes fell upon ‘mouth congress,’ his term for oral sex. Still in their mid 20s and coming to terms with their homosexuality, Scott and Paul decided that this was the ideal name for their rock band.

For a while, they recorded everything on a standard cassette tape recorder with a condenser mic. The results were generally unlistenable, so they upgraded to a Tascam 4-track recorder. Most of the songs on Waiting For Henry were recorded in this fashion, over a period of nine years and in at least nine different Toronto-area houses or apartments. The band’s approach to lyrics was unusual.

Because Scott was a sketch comedian, he was always inventing new characters. They decided rock ’n’ roll was the ideal form in which to explore homosexual experiences. They did all the recording and mixing with whatever musicians were around at the time. Paul enjoyed filtering Scott’s vocals through guitar pedals like a phase shifter or a wah wah pedal. Scott loved edgy topical material, like sexuality, race, and gender issues, though sometimes the songs were just pure nonsense. Without trying, they were surprisingly cutting edge. It wasn’t long before Scott, a performer by nature, decided that Mouth Congress should appear live at The Rivoli - the Toronto club where the Kids in the Hall performed most often. They sang songs about cigarettes and the Holy Ghost to a flummoxed audience.

Over the next three years, Mouth Congress did dozens of live shows with various combinations of Rob, Gord, or Brian, and often including Steve Keeping on drums and Tom King on keyboards and vocals. They also had several bass players – Blaine Vanstone, Steve Gelling, and Tim O’Neil, who, in true Spinal Tap fashion, have all since passed away. They are remembered fondly, and Paul and Scott continue to keep a close eye on the current bass players.

The live shows gained a reputation for being theatrical, to say the least, as they combined props, sets, multiple costume changes, unusual song choices, lots of guest stars, and Scott’s stand-up comedy. Unlike other bands, Mouth Congress didn’t just have a set list – they wrote whole scripts. In 1988, they decided to record a 7-song demo tape. The tracks were recorded quickly, as the Kids in the Hall were about to go to New York City to spend a year developing their material for Broadway Video. 

Then, caught up in the excitement of The Kids in the Hall being signed to television, they neglected to distribute the demo tape. Making the TV show was so time-consuming that Mouth Congress activities slowed to a crawl.

In 2011, Paul dug out an old VHS tape of one of the live shows. It was footage of Scott singing (or rather, screaming) a noisy punk song called “Showland.” In it, he strips down to his underwear, peeling off layer after layer of clothing until almost naked on stage. The sight of one of the Kids in the Hall covered in sweat, writhing on stage like Iggy Pop, was something he felt comedy fans might actually enjoy seeing. Naturally, Scott agreed and they decided to make a ‘documentary’ about the band. At the same time, Gord Disley suggested they upload some classic Mouth Congress songs to Bandcamp, so they dumped everything - over 600 recordings - onto the site. Some of them were just jams, crude beyond description. Others were professionally produced, and many were live tracks. Mouth Congress never made much of a distinction between the stuff that sounded like real music and the stuff that was just creative ‘junk’. They loved all their creations equally.

One day in 2019, Mike Sniper of Captured Tracks stumbled upon the Bandcamp page, got in touch with Paul and Scott, and suggested assembling a compilation of the best recordings to be officially released for the very first time. So Paul and Scott chose 30 songs to share with the world and that’s how we got the first Mouth Congress compilation, Waiting for Henry.

Who is Henry? We don’t really know, but we certainly hope he shows up soon.

Listen to the single "The People Have Spoken" below, it was recorded live at the Rivoli in Toronto. It is about the fight for reproductive rights. At the time, abortion clinics in Toronto run by Dr. Henry Morgentaler were besieged by pro-life activists in daily noisy protests. It all came to a head with a deadly bombing. The track opens with a sample of an activist’s rallying cry, and the song was performed in drag while brandishing placards. The music video features an archival performance by the band in 1986, cut with footage from a pro-choice rally in Toronto from the same year.

Listen & Watch: Mouth Congress - "The People Have Spoken"
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N57g9mg5Wls
Smartlink: https://capturedtracks.ffm.to/thepeoplehavespoken.opr

Pre-Order: Mouth Congress - Waiting For Henry
https://capturedtracks.ffm.to/waitingforhenry.opr

Track listing: 

1. Sex and Love
2. Be My Hole
3. Heavy Breather
4. Guess I’ll Just Jerk Off Again
5. Wind in My Belly
6. Guilt
7. Band from France
8. Tom
9. Womyn
10. What Is This Thing Called Love?
11. Fascist Love Song
12. Lullaby on Blow
13. Why?
14. We Back Together
15. Young and Alive in 1975
16. Thanks for the Disco
17. A Wig
18. Pepper Pot
19. Lorenzo The Chef
20. Give In
21. The People Have Spoken
22. What Do I Wear On A Trip To the Moon?
23. Christopher
24. Testicle Delight
25. Water Nymph
26. A Queen's Lament
27. Julie Newmar
28. Madamifesto
29. Let’s Hear It for Show Business

Green Day news

Opening up the vault and revisiting a series of UK broadcast performances, Green Day have The BBC Sessions live album out on December 10. The 16-track collection features four seminal performances recorded at BBC’s legendary Maida Vale Studios from 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2001 together on one album, marking the first time these recordings have been mastered for official release. Pre-order/Pre-save HERE.

Four months after the Dookie album came out, Green Day entered BBC’s Maida Vale Studios on June 8, 1994 and did a four-song set: “She,” “When I Come Around,” “Basket Case,” and “2000 Light Years.” That day, they even took advantage of the free studio time—much like forbearers in the seventies and eighties—and discovered the title of the Insomniac album’s eventual opener in the loo, “Armatage Shanks.”

They returned to the BBC during 1996 in support of that album, turning up with “Brain stew/Jaded” and “Walking Contradictions.” Two years later, they snuck an F-bomb into a hyper-charged “Nice Guys Finish Last” in the midst of the Nimrod era. Finally, they capped off summer 2001 with four Warning anthems such as “Church On Sunday.” It’s all on The BBC Sessions.

The BBC Sessions will be available on CD, digital, and limited-edition 2LP vinyl configurations, including Sea Blue/Hot Pink vinyl for the band’s official store and Milky Clear Color vinyl for indie retailers. It’s complete with liner notes by Steve Lamacq Host of Radio 1’s legendary Evening Show (who was there at each session).

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is fresh off of The Hella Mega Tour, their sold-out North American headline stadium run, which brought the band to stadiums including Dodger Stadium, Wrigley Field, Citi Field, Fenway Park and more. The tour will resume in the UK and Europe next Spring, click here for the full list of dates.

TRACKLISTING:

She (Live at the BBC June 8 1994)
When I Come Around (Live at the BBC June 8 1994)
Basket Case (Live at the BBC June 8 1994)
2000 Light Years Away (Live at the BBC June 8 1994)
Geek Stink Breath (Live at the BBC November 3 1996)
Brain Stew/Jaded (Live at the BBC November 3 1996)
Walking Contradiction (Live at the BBC November 3 1996)
Stuck With Me (Live at the BBC November 3 1996)
Hitchin’ A Ride (Live at the BBC February 12 1998)
Nice Guys Finish Last (Live at the BBC February 12 1998)
Prosthetic Head (Live at the BBC February 12 1998)
Redundant (Live at the BBC February 12 1998)
Castaway (Live at the BBC August 28 2001)
Church On Sunday (Live at the BBC August 28 2001)
Minority (Live at the BBC August 28 2001)
Waiting (Live at the BBC August 28 2001)

Out now: '8th and Jane' by musician/actor Johnny Gallagher

This engaging album brings to mind the ragged charm of Ryan Adams mixed with a bit of the early Wilco sound. Read more from the press release below...

Award-winning actor and musician Johnny Gallagher (better known as John Gallagher Jr.) has released his sophomore album 8th and Jane.

Some people may know Gallagher from his Tony Award-winning performance in Duncan Sheik’s hit musical Spring Awakening in 2007, or his portrayal of the Jesus of Suburbia in the 2010 Broadway adaptation of Green Day’s Grammy-winning rock opera American Idiot.

(Personally, I discovered him through some fine acting work on Tony-winning HBO drama The Newsroom during the 2010s.)

Outside of his many accomplishments in film, television and on Broadway, the Brooklyn-based talent has become known for his rock and folk music. With the release of his first solo album Six Day Hurricane in 2016, Gallagher earned attention of major outlets including Paste and Billboard, and snagged support slots on tour for Anaïs Mitchell and Aaron Lee Tasjan.

On Oct. 1, he released his second single "Wurlitzer in Space," which shows off Gallagher's folkier roots, supplying a trippy, heartfelt ode to his object of affection, floating just beyond his reach.

“'Wurlitzer in Space' is a cosmic ballad about a love so unspoken it can never be requited," Gallagher explains. "It’s a humbling moment to realize that circumstance won’t allow your feelings for someone to be expressed thus rendering the possibility of any union as likely as an impossible feat. I don’t imagine I’ll ever move to Memphis to live in the Graceland Mansion and I think it’s doubtful that my crush will ever travel to the cosmos to play an electric piano in zero gravity but hey, a man can dream."

Earlier this summer, Gallagher shared his lead single "Lost Love," which was first conceived as a grungy anthem created specifically for the live stage. When the lyrics began pouring out, Gallagher realized that the song was coming from a much darker place than he expected.

"It turned into an ominous power anthem about striving to stride a straight line and resist the tempting urge to self-destruct in the face of shaky uncertainty and heartsick anxiety," Gallagher says. "Many of us see romantic relationships come and go, yet seeking out where all that love goes once it’s lost and gone remains a frustratingly unsolvable mystery."

8th and Jane, Johnny’s second record with Thad DeBrock at the knobs, is a short but sweet, 8-song sophomore effort. It serves as a fast and fierce postcard jammed with power pop rock and roll numbers, smoothed out by several soul searching acoustic ballads. An almost tragicomic blend of the rootsy bravado and vulnerable heart-on-sleeve reflection that has become a staple of Johnny’s music.

In 2022, Gallagher will also head to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre to star in the world premiere of Swept Away, a new musical featuring songs by The Avett Brothers.

Track listing:

You Don't Know it Yet

Mark Twain's Initials

Lost Love 

Call Me Thursday

Wurlitzer in Space

Give 'em Hell Kid

Snaggletooth

8th and Jane

iDKHOW reveal more tour dates for '22

Alt-pop band I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (iDKHOW) have a new round of tour dates kicking off in January 2022. Recently, the group had a #1 chart-topping single “Leave Me Alone” at alternative radio and it also embarks on the 15 date Razzmatazz tour next month. Both tours support 2020 debut LP Razzmatazz on Fearless Records.

Tickets for the new dates are on sale now. 

Singer Dallon Weekes says, “We’re excited to get back out into the world and play these songs in front of real live people (safely). We’ve missed it terribly, and we look forward to seeing everyone.”

STREAM/BUY RAZZMATAZZ HERE

Razzmatazztour Dates:

11/2 - Tempe Marketplace - Tempe, AZ
11/3 - The Roxy - Los Angeles, CA
11/5 - The Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO
11/6 - Slowdown - Omaha, NE
11/7 - Recordbar - Kansas City, MO
11/8 - Woolys - Des Moines, IA
11/10 - Deluxe - Indianapolis, IN
11/12 - The Rave II - Milwaukee, WI
11/13 - Elevation - Grand Rapids, MI
11/14 - The A&R Bar - Columbus, OH
11/15 - The Rec Room - Buffalo, NY
11/17 - The Castle Theater - Bloomington, IL
11/18 - Majestic - Madison, WI
11/19 - Rose Music Hall - Columbia, MO
11/20 - Outland Ballroom - Springfield, MO

2022 The Thought Reform Tour Dates (Produced By Live Nation):

1/18 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
1/19 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
1/21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco
1/22 San Francisco, CA - UC Theatre
1/24 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
1/25 - Vancouver, BC - The Vogue*
1/26 - Seattle, WA - The Neptune
1/28 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
1/29 - Denver, CO - The Summit
1/31 - Minneapolis, MN - The Varsity Theater
2/1 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
2/2 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
2/4 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall
2/5 - Montreal, QC - The Corona Theater
2/6 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live
2/8 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
2/9 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theater
2/11 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
2/12 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
2/13 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
2/15 - Charlotte, NC - Underground
2/16 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theater
2/18 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
2/19 - Tampa, FL - Jannus Live
2/21 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
2/22 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
2/24 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
2/25 - Austin, TX - Emos
2/26 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues

Jamie Cullum expands 'The Pianoman At Christmas' album

Singer, songwriter, and pianist Jamie Cullum announces The Pianoman At Christmas – The Complete Edition, a deluxe repack of his 2020 holiday album which is due out Nov. 19 via Blue Note Records in the U.S. and Island Records elsewhere.

The new release completes last year’s part 1 with a 13-track part 2 that features 11 covers of classic Christmas songs, as well as 2 festive original songs including the lead single “Christmas Don’t Let Me Down,” which is out now.

The Complete Edition sees Jamie team up with London innovators Kansas Smitty’s, composer and producer The Vernon Spring, and LA-based singer Lady Blackbird to complete a piece of work that is imbued with seasonal sophistication. Alongside his two original tracks, Jamie tackles classics like “Winter Wonderland,” “Silent Night,” “Frosty The Snowman,” and “Sleigh Ride.”

“I had a huge amount of fun creating part 2 of The Pianoman At Christmas,” said Cullum. “Recorded live, all in the room together - it’s the party after the big show, with friends, drinks and some of the finest musicians on planet earth.”

Released almost a year to the day before The Complete Edition is due out, The Pianoman At Christmas featured 11 original songs recorded in Abbey Road’s famous Studio 2 and produced by Greg Wells (The Greatest Showman).

It followed the 2019 release Cullum’s 9th studio album, and most introspective work, Taller. With more 10 million album sales to date, the celebrated musician has loyal fans in every corner of the globe. Over the course of a career spanning over 20 years, he’s worked alongside artists as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Pharrell Williams, and Kendrick Lamar. The success of Jamie’s major label breakthrough, Twentysomething in 2003 and its follow up Catching Tales saw him nominated for a BRIT, GRAMMY and numerous other awards around the world. In addition to his recording career, Cullum has also established himself as a multi-award-winning music broadcaster on BBC Radio 2 with The Jazz Show.

Track listing: 

Part 2:

1. Winter Wonderland (feat. Kansas Smitty’s)
2. I Believe In Father Christmas
3. Man With The Bag (feat.. Kansas Smitty’s)
4. Christmas Don’t Let Me Down
5. Sleigh Ride (feat. Kansas Smitty’s)
6. Amazing Grace (feat. The Vernon Spring)
7. This Winter (feat. Lady Blackbird and Kansas Smitty’s)
8. Silent Night
9. Jingle Bells (feat. Kansas Smitty’s)
10. Frosty The Snowman (feat. Kansas Smitty’s)
11. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (feat. Kansas Smitty’s)
13. Let No Walls Divide

Part 1:

1. It’s Christmas
2. Beautiful Together
3. Hang Your Lights
4. The Jolly Fat Man
5. The Pianoman at Christmas
6. Turn On The Lights
7. So Many Santas
8. Christmas Never Gets Old
9. How Do You Fly
10. Christmas Caught Me Crying
11. In The Bleak Midwinter