Compass Records Group, home of Colin Hay, the Infamous Stringdusters, Nicki Bluhm and others, is proud to welcome Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) to their roster.
On May 4, Compass will deliver the commercial release of Phillips’ introspective, intimate 2016 solo album, SWALLOWED BY THE NEW, with the addition of a bonus track co-written with Lori McKenna,“Nobody’s Gonna Get Hurt.” The song recently premiered at No Depression. Listen to "Nobody's Gonna Get Hurt"
“Lori McKenna and I wrote ‘Nobody’s Gonna Get Hurt’ at her home just outside of Boston," Phillips says. "I’d been reading and listening to a lot of David Whyte and was taken by his assertion that heartache is the inevitable byproduct of loving anything deeply, a sign of a life well lived instead of something to be avoided. I came in with the title and an idea that the song should be entirely lies. Lori jumped in and we finished it all in under two hours. That was a good day.”
"I’m excited to be partnering with Compass Records for the broad release of SWALLOWED BY THE NEW," Phillips says. “I’m proud of this piece of work and am excited to have their expertise and support in helping it be heard by a broader audience."
SWALLOWED BY THE NEW will be available worldwide on CD, vinyl and all digital service providers followed by tours in the US and abroad. It’s the most intensely personal album of Phillips' career, reflecting his mastery for converting raw emotion into sound. Taking on life’s difficult transitions -- the album was written following his divorce from his wife of 23 years -- Phillips delivers some of his most vulnerable songs to date.
“This album was written to give myself a set of tools to deal with transitions that big and to understand that just because something hurts doesn't mean it's injurious," Phillips told Billboard. "It can hurt, but it can also be a sign of growing and learning to allow change and have some fundamental trust that what's happening is what needs to happen.”
Tour dates:
Apr 20 - Red Clay Music Foundry - Duluth, GA *
Apr 21 - Hendershot’s - Athens, GA *
Apr 22 - Balch Residence - Morganton, GA *
Apr 25 - The Armory - Fort Collins, CO **
Apr 26 - eTown Hall - Boulder, CO **
Apr 28 - Daniel’s Hall - Denver, CO **
Apr 29 - Friend’s HC - Colorado Springs, CO **
May 04 - Bell’s Eccentric Cafe - Kalamazoo, MI **
May 06 - Yellow Cab Tavern - Dayton, OH **
May 07 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA **
May 09 - Music Box Supper Club - Cleveland, OH **
May 10 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI **
May 11 - The Ludlow Garage - Cincinnati, OH **
May 12 - Colectivo - Milwaukee, WI **
May 13 - City Winery - Chicago, IL **
Jun 02 - HopMonk Tavern - Novato, CA **
Jun 03 - Hopmonk Tavern - Novato, CA**
* acoustic trio
** solo acoustic
 |
| photo: Justin Close |
My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James announced his third solo album Uniform Distortion, will arrive June 29 via ATO Records. First track "Just a Fool" premiered through NPR's All Things Considered.
While flipping through the pages of The Last Whole Earth Catalogue, a resource that was in 1971 basically the internet before the internet, Jim James stumbled upon a distorted photo of "The Illuminated Man' by Duane Michals.
Immediately moved by the photo, he asked for permission to to use the image as the album cover of Uniform Distortion. The first request to Michals was rejected. In hopes of changing his mind, James wrote a letter to Michals personally and was ultimately allowed to use the image.
The letter, which sheds some light on the album and James current state of mind, reads in full below:
"hello duane- your piece "the illuminated man" was used in "the last whole earth catalogue" in 1971. i wasnt even born yet. i was born in 1978...but i found my copy of "the last whole earth catalogue" about 6 months ago in a thrift store and it blew my mind. i have been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the speed of technology and its place in our lives and here was this beautiful book/catalogue from the past showing me me all these beautiful things and amazing images to help one learn different ways to look at the world... or "get off the grid?" funny they had no idea back then just how crazy "the grid" would get. or did they?
so i am trying to put down my phone... use the computer and social media less... and just focus on real life and the people i love and my art. of course i am not fully "off the grid" because i am sending you this email in hopes of you changing your mind about letting me use your image as it appeared in "the last whole earth catalogue" in 1971 because when i saw it on the page there it spoke to me so deeply of how my head feels like it is exploding with the amount of information we are forced to consume on a daily basis and how that information is so DISTORTED there is almost no longer any tangible truth. the name of my new record is "UNIFORM DISTORTION" because i feel like there is this blanket distortion on society/media and the way we gather our "news" and important information...and more and more of us are feeling lost and looking for new ways out of this distortion and back to the truth...and finding hope in places like the desert where i write this email to you now...finding hope in the land and in the water and in old books offering new ideas and most importantly in each other and love.
i feel like there was a reason i found "the last whole earth catalogue" and there was a reason your art spoke to me... and i really think it would speak to others who would see it exploding out at them illuminating from the record store shelf or the glow of their phone or computer screen and feel its organic mind blowing distortion connect with this new music.
i also like the natural "distortion" that time and the pulp of the paper meeting the ink from "the last whole earth catalogue" add to your original image and that is why i am asking your permission to use this "distorted" version of your original beautiful image.
i hope you are well and thanks for listening-
jim james"
ALBUM PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW, INCLUDING LIMITED EDITION VINYL
Shows:
5/20 - Brooklyn, NY -David Lynch's Festival of Disruption at Brooklyn Steel
6/21 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre Berkeley *
* solo acoustic w/Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters
Track listing:
Just A Fool
You Get To Rome
Out Of Time
Throwback
No Secrets
Yes To Everything
No Use Waiting
All In Your Head
Better Late Than Never
Over and Over
Too Good To Be True
Sounds like a very ambitious undertaking from Peters, who never shies away from a challenge. Can't wait to hear the latest music. Read below for the latest...
To celebrate this year's Record Store Day (April 21), THE ALARM's MIKE PETERS will undertake a massive feat: a three-stop transcontinental trip within 24 hours, hitting record stores in London, New York and Los Angeles.
For RSD, the band will issue a limited edition eight-song EP, WHERE THE TWO RIVERS MEET. It's the latest release from the Welsh band who've had 17 Top 50 UK with over five million in album sales worldwide in their 35+ year career.
This is an official exclusive release for World Record Store Day 2018. "I'm so proud of the new music that is being made in the name of The Alarm right here and now," says singer, songwriter and guitarist MIKE PETERS.
Born out of the intense Blood Red Viral Black sessions (2017), the new release stands alongside some of the best work to carry the hallmark of The Alarm. It is a vital piece of music that features an electric contribution from Billy Duffy of The Cult and songs that will only be available in this limited edition format for #RSD18.
The day will kick off with a sold-out listening party in the UK hosted by Diverse Music in Newport, Wales before PETERS crosses the Atlantic for stops in New York at Looney Tunes Records in Babylon, Long Island and Los Angeles at Fingerprints Records in Long Beach.
Armed with an acoustic guitar and a camera, creating an "on the run" video, PETERS adds, "It's probably a good idea to make sure your favorite Alarm t-shirt is clean and ready to be worn on Record Store Day!" As PETERS explained on THE ALARM's website, "the 24-hour Transatlantic Tour marks the start of a very exciting new era for all of us in the Alarm community, and I hope each and every fan will enter into the spirit of the times and step forward to take part in these new Alarm adventures."
To commemorate the day, the band have created a limited-edition t-shirt that is available for pre-order now. Throughout the day on April 21, the band is asking all Alarm fans to take a picture wearing their favorite Alarm t-shirt sharing the photo on social media using the #RSD18thealarm and #RSD18 hashtags. Those who share their photos online (and using the appropriate hashtags) will automatically be entered into an online Alarm lottery that will entitle the winner to a unique and special 7" vinyl single that will recorded and pressed by PETERS at the beginning of the day. The winning entry will be announced by PETERS following his final appearance of the day.
Next up, PETERS and the ALARM are prepping a new album that's due out this June and world tour, which kicks off June 1 in Europe with North American dates to follow. PETERS promises "that we will blow the roof, the doors and the fences down at each and every gig."
Stay tuned for additional details on the album and tour.
Cold War Kids' Audience – a live, greatest hits album, is available at all digital partners. Fans can pre-order Audience on vinyl, which features three exclusive bonus tracks, and CD today at shopcoldwarkids.com.
Recorded at The Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA on September 24, 2017, Audience takes its title from a song that appeared on Cold War Kids’ 2010 EP, Behave Yourself. The career-spanning live set, available now on Capitol Records, also features key songs from each of the band’s six studio albums, including “We Used to Vacation,” “Hang Me Up To Dry” and ‘Hospital Beds”from Cold War Kids’ 2006 debut, Robbers & Cowards, and “Miracle Mile and “Bottled Affection” from 2013’s Dear Miss Lonelyhearts.
The band’s most recent releases are represented with “All This Could Be Yours” and the Gold-certified, Alternative Songs chart topper “First” from 2014’s Hold My Home plus “So Tied Up,” and “Restless” and “Can We Hang On?”which originally appeared on LA Divine, the band’s 2017 sixth studio album. See below for track listing.
Says front man Nathan Willett, “What makes Cold War Kids special is our live show. The energy that we have on stage every night is what we try to capture in the studio. But in some ways it’s just never gonna be as good as it is on stage when we have an Audience to play for. Many songs -especially from the first few albums - have evolved so much from over 10 years of performing them (over 3,000 shows !?). For me personally - these versions are just so much more raw and emotional. We had hundreds of recordings from live shows. But after playing one night at the Georgia Theater in Athens we decided that the truest way to show who we are is to release this show exactly how it was this one special night. Thanks for coming out. See you in the audience.”
Watch the video for a live version of Cold War Kids’ new single, “Can We Hang On?” HERE. Willett describes the track as “a hopeful love song that looks back with nostalgia on the good old days but is uncertain about the future.”
Tickets are now sale now for Cold War Kids’ North American headline tour, which launches May 21 at The Rustic in Dallas, TX. The band will also perform at numerous 2018 festivals, including Hangout, LaurelLive and Firefly. See below for itinerary or visit http://www.coldwarkids.com.
Cold War Kids are Nathan Willett, Matt Maust, Joe Plummer, Matthew Schwartz, and David Quon. Formed in 2004 in Fullerton, CA, the band has sold more than 800,000 adjusted albums, over two million singles, and racked up over 200 million streams to date. Released in April 2017, LA Divine has sold over 100,000 adjusted albums globally and racked up more than 100 million streams.
Track listing:
All This Could Be Your
Miracle Mile #
Hot Coals ###
Louder Than Ever ****
Hang Me Up To Dry *
Can We Hang On ##
Restless ##
Mexican Dogs
Bottled Affection #
So Tied Up ##
We Used To Vacation *
Cameras Always On
Hospital Beds *
First ###
Audience ***
Somethings Not Right With Me **
* from the album Robbers & Cowards
** from the album Loyalty to Loyalty
*** from Behave Yourself EP
**** from the album Mine Is Yours
# from the album Dear Miss Lonelyhearts
## from the album LA Divine
### from the album Hold My Home
North American Tour Dates:
5/18 Gulf Shores, AL Hangout Music Festival
5/20 Houston, TX Love Street Music Festival
5/21 Dallas, TX The Rustic
5/22 San Antonio, TX The Rustic
5/24 Chattanooga, TN The Signal
5/25 Winston-Salem, NC Gears & Guitars
5/30 Charleston, SC Music Farm
5/31 Jacksonville, NC The Tarheel
6/1 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
6/2 Burgettestown, PA KeyBank Pavilion (supporting Jack White)
6/3 Knoxville, TN The Mill & Mine
6/5 Fort Smith, AR TempleLive
6/7 Columbia, MO Rose Park
6/8 Kansas City, MO Coors Light Friday Summer Concert Series
6/9 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
6/10 Russell Township, OH LaureLive
6/13 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
6/14 Richmond, VA The National
6/15 Dover, DE Firefly Music Festival
6/16 Syracuse, NY New York State Fair – Chevy Court Stage
6/17 Baltimore MD Rams Head Live!
6/19 New Haven, CT College Street Music Hall
6/20 Portland, ME State Theatre
6/22 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground Ballroom
6/23 Hamilton, ON Tim Horton’s Field (supporting Arkells)
6/26 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room
6/27 Bellvue, CO Mishawaka Amphitheatre
6/28 Ogden, UT Ogden Amphitheatre (co-headlining with Metronomy)
UMe will release Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack on June 8. The album comes on the heels of the film’s streaming debuts on Hulu and Amazon Prime following last year’s successful theatrical run and the DVD/Blu-ray releases.
The soundtrack is the first official career retrospective compilation for the guitar virtuoso, Mick Ronson. As well as highlights from Ronson’s solo records, the compilation includes material from his key collaborations with David Bowie, Elton John, Ian Hunter, Michael Chapman and Queen. The album also includes a previously unreleased cover version of “This Is For You” by Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and a piano tribute to Ronson from Bowie’s piano-man and band alumni Mike Garson (David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins). The soundtrack includes extensive essay and liner notes and will be available on CD and digital and heavy-weight 180-gram black vinyl.
There will also be a limited edition red vinyl version available exclusively at uDiscover. Pre-order Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack now on CD/digital: https://Besidebowie.lnk.to/CD-Digital or vinyl: https://Besidebowie.lnk.to/Vinyl
Limited edition red vinyl: https://UMe.lnk.to/BesideBowieRedVinyl
For the career-spanning documentary, producer/director Jon Brewer (“BB King: The Life of Riley,” “Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark,” “Jimi Hendrix: Guitar Hero,” “The Most Dangerous Band in The World”) gained the unprecedented access and permission for use of materials relating to the life of rock hero Mick Ronson, who was largely commercially overlooked despite his direct contribution and pivotal involvement in countless iconic compositions of David Bowie and The Spiders from Mars.
Track listing:
Queen, Ian Hunter, David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Joe Elliott & Phil Collen – “All The Young Dudes” (Live)
Recorded live at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert For AIDS Awareness, April 20, 1992 at Wembley Stadium, London
Michael Chapman – “Soulful Lady”
Originally appeared on Fully Qualified Survivor (1970)
Elton John – “Madman Across The Water”
Originally appeared on Rare Masters (1992)
David Bowie – “Moonage Daydream”
Originally appeared on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
David Bowie – “Cracked Actor”
Originally appeared on Aladdin Sane (1973)
David Bowie – “Time”
Originally appeared on Aladdin Sane (1973)
Ian Hunter – "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"
Originally appeared on Ian Hunter (1975)
Mick Ronson – “I’d Give Anything To See You”
Originally appeared on Just Like This (1999)
Mick Ronson – “Hard Life”
Originally appeared on Just Like This (1999)
Mick Ronson – “Midnight Love”
Originally appeared on Heaven and Hull (1994)
Mick Ronson – "Like A Rolling Stone"
Originally appeared on Heaven and Hull (1994)
Joe Elliott – “This Is For You” *
Queen, David Bowie and Mick Ronson – “Heroes” (Live)
Recorded live at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness, April 20, 1992 at Wembley Stadium, London
Mike Garson – “Tribute To Mick Ronson” *
* Previously Unreleased
SOUNDTRACK
CD/digital: https://Besidebowie.lnk.to/CD-Digital or
Vinyl: https://Besidebowie.lnk.to/Vinyl
Limited Edition Red Vinyl: https://UMe.lnk.to/BesideBowieRedVinyl
Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro have announced details of their first acoustic album, MTV Unplugged: Live At Roundhouse London, to be released on May 25. Album pre-orders are live now. Click here or here to pre-order and get an instant audio/video download of “Many Of Horror”.
Recorded last November, the set represented the U.K. relaunch of the iconic MTV Unplugged series. Biffy Clyro follow in the footsteps of influential rock bands who have previously performed as part of the series, notably Nirvana, Pearl Jam and R.E.M.
MTV LIVE will broadcast this rare Biffy Clyro acoustic session on Saturday May 26, at 9:00 P.M. ET and again at 12:00 A.M. ET. Additionally, the show will repeat 5 times the following week. Click here for further details.
Click here to view and share a preview of MTV Unplugged: Live At Roundhouse London
The album also has a cover of the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” and a new song, "Different Kind of Love”.
Everyone who pre-orders the album from the Biffy Clyro official store - http://mtvunplugged.biffyclyro.com/ - will subsequently receive a pre-sale code for the band’s MTV Unplugged U.K./Ireland tour which commences in September. The U.K. MTV Unplugged tour presents a chance for a wider audience to see Biffy Clyro play a rare full-length acoustic set in intimate surroundings.
Track listing:
1. The Captain
2. Biblical
3. Re-arrange
4. Drop It
5. Black Chandelier
6. Folding Stars
7. Different Kind Of Love
8. Mountains
9. God Only Knows (Beach Boys cover)
10. Opposite
11. Small Wishes
12. Bubbles
13. Medicine
14. Many of Horror
15. Machines
 |
| photo: Shore Fire Media |
While recording her new album 'Hell-On' -- and with the finish line in sight -- Neko Case received a surreal 3am call informing her that her house was burning and would likely be completely destroyed. The fire had started in the barn, where she kept an assortment of belongings, from artwork to old pianos. A friend had managed to get the dogs to safety. After the flames jumped to the house, her home was engulfed, too.
A few hours later, she went into a studio in Stockholm and laid down the vocals for the galloping, resilient "Bad Luck," singing lines she had written long ago that were now more apropos than ever: "It's not as bad as I thought it would be / but it's still pretty bad luck."
Neko Case has released "Bad Luck," the latest single from her new album 'Hell-On,' out June 1 on Anti-. Listen to it below.
YouTube /Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon: https://ffm.to/badluckneko
Case is now stoic about the fire. "If somebody burned your house down on purpose, you'd feel so violated. But when nature burns your house down, you can't take it personally." The month before the blaze, Hurricane Harvey had slammed into Texas and flooded Houston. Her home burned just as Puerto Rico was plunged into a nightmare by Hurricane Maria and wildfires incinerated California. "In the big picture, my house burning was so unimportant," she says. "So many people lost so much more: lives and lives and lives."
Produced by Neko Case, 'Hell-On' was partially co-produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn & John in Stockholm, Sweden where she mixed the 12 track album with Lasse Mårtén. It features performances by Beth Ditto, Mark Lanegan, k.d. Lang, AC Newman, Eric Bachmann, Kelly Hogan, Doug Gillard, Laura Veirs, Joey Burns and more.
Case goes more in-depth:
I am a music producer, songwriter, and musician. I just finished a record called 'Hell-On' with a cast of talented musicians, techs, label folks and friends.
What I want you to know about me isn't too much, nor do I want to over talk it. What you take away on your own, as a listener is most important. I worked really hard and I was present for every second of this project. Producing a record is a huge task and there were times I was deep in the weeds, but that is normal for a record that takes a year plus. The weeds aren't so bad. There were a lot of break-through moments, belly-laughs, sleepless nights and grubby, shiny jeans. In the end it was all worth it and I am so proud of how it turned out, and I am so grateful to have worked with such dedicated, giving artists to make it happen.
There were a few challenges during the making of this record from small (scheduling difficulties, and occasional miscommunication) to large (my house burning down while I was overseas.) But none of them are the story of this recording, the songs are the story. They are my best self. They are everything I've worked for since I was a kid, whether I knew it or not.
I write songs from a feeling of solidarity with folks who feel alone or isolated, I think I'm trying to comfort people in this way. It's not a forceful way rather "No commitment necessary;" take it if you want it, take it as you can.
My style is odd, I don't know what genre this is. I don't have a pretty voice or a trained voice, and I am constantly disappointed that I don't have a "tough" voice, no matter how hard I practice, but it's mine, and for all its loud, heavy-handed, nasal, vibrato-less qualities I accept it. The closest sound I have found to compare it to is Bulgarian Folk singing. My Eastern ancestors could have been proud of me a century ago? I could have been a droning "caller of wasps" perhaps? I just invented that job, I like the sound of it.
The songs are who I believe myself to be and that will change, but for now that's how it is and I'm very satisfied with that.
Neko Case will hit the road this summer, including dates with Ray LaMontagne and at Sasquatch Festival.
Watch a Teaser Video Here: https://youtu.be/T1qzgDlDlNg
Listen to "Bad Luck": https://ffm.to/badluckneko
Tour Dates:
May 27 -- Gorge Amphitheatre, WA @ Sasquatch Festival
May 28 -- Boise, ID @ Summerfield At Memorial Stadium*
May 30 -- Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre*
June 1 -- Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre*
June 2 -- San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre*
June 3 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre*
June 5 -- Phoenix, CA @ Comerica Theatre*
June 8 -- Irving, TX @ The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory*
June 9 -- Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheatre*
June 10 -- Sugarland, TX @ Smart Financial Centre*
June 12 -- Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion*
June 13 -- Southaven, MS @ Bankplus Amphitheatre at Snowden Grove*
June 15 -- Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Lawn at White River Amphitheatre*
June 16 -- Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island*
June 17 -- Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheatre*
June 19 -- Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre*
June 20 -- Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion*
June 22 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn's Landing*
June 23 -- Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion*
June 24 -- Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion*
June 26 -- Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theatre*
June 28 -- Bangor, ME @ Darling's Waterfront Pavilion*
June 29 -- North Adams, MA @ MASS MOCA*
June 30 -- Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica*
July 1 -- Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre*
July 3 -- Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall*
July 4 -- Cooperstown, NY @ Brewery Ommegang*
July 6 -- Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field*
July 7 -- St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House*
July 8 -- Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre*
July 10 -- Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
October 29 -- Stockholm, SWE @ Nalen
October 30 -- Copenhagen, DEN @ Bremen Theatre
November 1 -- Berlin, GER @ Bi Nuu
November 2 -- Cologne, GER @ Stadtgarten Cologne
November 4 -- Brussels, BEL @ Rotonde - Botanique
November 6 -- Dublin, IRE @ Vicar Street
November 7 -- Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
November 8 -- London, UK @ Barbican
*w/ Ray LaMontagne
Track list:
Hell-On
Last Lion Of Albion
Halls of Sarah
Bad Luck
Curse of the I-5 Corridor
Gumball Blue
Dirty Diamond
Oracle Of The Maritime
Winnie
Sleep All Summer
My Uncle's Navy
Pitch Or Honey
