Ohana Festival 2019 details revealed

I had the pleasure of attending last year's event for the first time (see review elsewhere on this blog). It looks like another weekend of heavy hitters...

Ohana - the annual three-day festival curated by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder - will return to Doheny State Beach in Dana Point (Orange County), CA. Set for Sept. 27-29, this year's fest will be led by performances from the Strokes, Eddie Vedder, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and more than 25 acts throughout the three-day weekend of music (full line-up is below). Tickets go on sale Friday, March 8 at 10 a.m. via OhanaFest.com.

Now in its fourth consecutive year, Ohana has become known for its unexpected collaborations. Last year (2018), Vedder showed up throughout the festival joining the John Doe Folk Trio (X's "The New World") on Friday, Johnny Marr (The Smiths' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out") on Saturday and closing out the weekend by appearing with Mumford & Sons on Sunday for a rocking version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower." In addition, during his Saturday headlining set, Vedder was joined by Liz Phair on Pearl Jam's "Better Man"; later in the set he was accompanied musically and vocally by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Scott Thurston on three songs ("Wildflowers," "Room At The Top," and "I Won't Back Down") in tribute to his friend.

The full lineup is as follows:

The Strokes, Eddie Vedder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tash Sultana, Incubus, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, LP, Glen Hansard, Jenny Lewis, Devendra Banhart, Donavon Frankenreiter, Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real, Benjamin Booker, Fontaines D.C., Madison Ryann Ward, Jacob Banks, Las Cafeteras, White Reaper, Mudhoney, Sunflower Bean, Poolside, Dustin Kensrue, Mt. Joy, The Messthetics, Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers, Lewis Capaldi, Jesse Jo Stark, Paul Cauthen, Jack Irons, Henry Jamison, L.A. Witch, Erin Rae, Jonny Roundhouse, John Craigie, and Gretta Ray.

A portion of proceeds will benefit the San Onofre Parks Foundation and the Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association (DSBIA).

Peter Gabriel unveils Record Store Day exclusive release

'Rated PG' is a collection of Peter Gabriel songs from films and due out April 13 on LP.

“I have always loved film and any chance I have been offered to work with good film projects and good directors I have jumped at," said Peter Gabriel.

"This is a mixture of songs that have been written for specific films, and existing songs that found an appropriate place in a story. Consequently, there is a mix of different styles and moods.”

Having always loved the combination of film and music (at age 17 he gave up a place at film school to pursue a career in music) Peter Gabriel's first opportunity to really marry these twin interests came when he was asked to create the music for Alan Parker’s film ‘Birdy’ in 1985. Further film work, including his music for Martin Scorsese’s ’The Last Temptation of Christ’ (that became the album ‘Passion') and the soundtrack to Philip Noyce’s film ‘Rabbit-Proof Fence’ (released as the album 'Long Walk Home'), has continued to feed that interest.

Alongside those longer soundtrack commissions Peter Gabriel has also regularly contributed songs to a diverse range of movies and 'Rated PG' explores this other connection forged by Peter between his music and film.

'Rated PG' is an opportunity to bring together in one place, for the first time, a selection of songs be they written especially for, or used to notable effect in, movies and includes new and previously unreleased versions, otherwise unavailable songs and a brand new track.

Available as a single LP, it is specially packaged for Record Store Day, as a picture disc in a die-cut sleeve. The LP is numbered, a limited edition and comes with a hi-res download code.

Track listing:

Side 1 

That’ll Do - from Babe 2: Pig in the City

Down to Earth - from Wall-E
This Is Party Man - from Virtuosity. New version, previously unreleased
The Book of Love - from Shall We Dance? The film version, different to the 'Scratch My Back' version
Taboo - from Natural Born Killers, featuring Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Side 2

Everybird - from Birds Like Us, previously unreleased

Walk Through The Fire - from Against All Odds
Speak (Bol) - from The Reluctant Fundamentalist. New version, previously unreleased
Nocturnal - from Les Morsures de l’Aube. Previously unreleased
In Your Eyes - from Say Anything. The film version, previously unreleased.

Bad Religion examines the 'Age Of Unreason' in May

photo: Alice Baxley

Bad Religion will release a new album, Age Of Unreason, via Epitaph Records on May 3.

“The band has always stood for enlightenment values,” Brett Gurewitz, co-songwriter/guitarist for the veteran LA punk rock group, explains. “Today, these values of truth, freedom, equality, tolerance, and science are in real danger. This record is our response.”

The track “Chaos From Within” examines the current border wall controversy with the lyrics, “Threat is urgent, existential / with patience wearing thin / but the danger's elemental / it’s chaos from within.”

As co-songwriter and lead singer Greg Graffin says, “Throughout history, walls have been used to keep the barbarians out, but it seems to me the truly barbaric aspect of a civilization is the chaos that comes from within.”

Listen to “Chaos From Within” by going here:

https://youtu.be/clI_8HnCGVo

Age Of Unreason is Bad Religion’s 17th studio album and was co-produced by Carlos de la Garza. The song “Candidate" vividly evokes the current president, “I am your candidate / I am bloody lips and makeup /I'm your caliphate, opioids and mutilation / a celebrity and my name is competition.” Another track, entitled “The Approach,” addresses the possible demise of democracy with the lyrics, “There’s a moral and intellectual vacuum / and you're right to be lookin' askance / philosophically moribund, revolution hasn't a chance.”

The overall message is to seek truth about the world and oneself. As Graffin, who holds a PhD in the history of science, says, “When I saw all these headlines about how terrible our world had become, I started doing a lot of reading. I read about the French revolution, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and I started to recognize that this is a pattern of history and something we should never venture into. There are ample warnings against it. Every school child should know this but it’s hard to get people to read about these things. Maybe this album can help. Because right now, with social media, we are just playing a version of kill the guy with the ball.”

Track listing:

Chaos From Within 

My Sanity
Do The Paranoid Style
The Approach
Lose Your Head
End of History
Age of Unreason
Candidate
Faces of Grief
Old Regime
Big Black Dog
Downfall
Since Now
What Tomorrow Brings
The Profane Rights of Man (bonus)

Nick Lowe continues his recording, touring partnership with Los Straitjackets

On May 17, Yep Roc Records will release Nick Lowe’s Love Starvation/Trombone, his latest collaboration with Los Straitjackets. Recorded in Woodstock, New York over a short break from touring, the collection features three new Lowe originals and a cover of the obscure Phil Spector-produced gem "Raincoat In The River."

Lowe's second consecutive release with Los Straitjackets (after 2018's Tokyo Bay/Crying Inside) brings the ongoing collaboration to new heights, as he notes “The Straitjackets definitely influenced these new songs. Love Starvation was written very specifically with them in mind.”

Love Starvation/Trombone will be released via all digital platforms and as a 12" featuring unique sequencing on each side and exclusive artwork for each. The EP is now available for pre-order here: https://yeproc.11spot.com/nick-lowe-love-starvation-trombone.html 

Listen to “Love Starvation” here:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-nick-lowe-love-starvation-los-straitjackets-797626/

Lowe on “Love Starvation”: “It has a kind of Ritchie Valens feel to it that I thought might suit Los Straitjackets. It’s funny, that song could’ve been a Rockpile song. But in a way, I don’t think I was good enough to write a song like that back then. It sounds like old stuff, but I’m just better at doing it now.”

Love Starvation/Trombone comes at an exciting time for Lowe, who was just the subject of a career-spanning profile in the December 2018 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. The group brought single “Tokyo Bay” to Conan for a special performance during the show's final week of music bookings.

Track listing:

1. Love Starvation

2. Blue On Blue
3. Trombone
4. Raincoat In The River

Tour dates:

April 3: Atlanta, GA - The Variety*
April 5: Asheville, NC - Orange Peel*
April 6: Saxapahaw, NC - Haw River Ballroom*
April 7: Washington, DC - The Hamilton*
April 9: Philadelphia, PA - Ardmore Music Hall^
April 11: Boston, MA - The Wilbur*
April 12: Tarrytown, NY - Tarrytown Music Hall*
April 13: New York, NY - The Bowery Ballroom*

April 14: Infinity Music Hall and Bistro - Hartford, CT*

* with Dawn Landes

^ with Molly Parden

Taking Back Sunday adds dates to 20th anniversary tour

Throughout 2019, Taking Back Sunday is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a year-long celebration, including an extensive worldwide tour, paying tribute to their catalog – and their fans – with full album performances, plus a 21-song career-spanning compilation (featuring two new songs), titled Twenty, available now on Craft Recordings.

Now the rock band from Long Island announced the second leg of their U.S. tour, kicking off this September in Kansas City, MO. The first leg of the North American tour begins in Houston next month. A full list of dates is available below for both legs of the North American tour. For tickets and VIP packages, visit:TakingBackSunday.com/tour.

At all shows, Taking Back Sunday – vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist John Nolan, drummer Mark O'Connell and bassist Shaun Cooper – will be performing their debut album Tell All Your Friends in its entirety.

For tour stops where the band are performing over two nights, each nightly set will offer a double-album play – using a specially designed coin, Taking Back Sunday will flip to play either their Where You Want To Be or Louder Now, in addition to Tell All Your Friends.

In headline cities where they are playing only one night, they’ll perform Tell All Your Friends, plus a selection of fan favorites from their extensive catalog. Click here to watch a video of Adam elaborating on the coin toss concept, when the tour was first announced in 2018.

Celebrating not only their career-defining moments but also landmark albums that chronicle the band's story, Twenty includes 19 catalog tracks from all seven of their full-length albums, plus two new studio recordings (single "All Ready To Go" and "A Song For Dan"), which hint at the direction the band is heading in.

Recently, Taking Back Sunday premiered the debut episode from their eight-part "album-by-album" series, featuring the band looking back on one album from their discography in each episode. Click here to watch the first episode featuring the guys share insight on the making of their new compilation and how they're feeling about the band’s 20th anniversary.

Click here to buy and/or stream Twenty (available in CD, 2-LP, and digital formats).

Click here to watch the video trailer for Taking Back Sunday’s 20th anniversary celebration.

Tour dates (previously announced, on-sale now):

March 25 & 26: House Of Blues, Houston, TX

March 28 & 29: Emo’s, Austin, TX (3/29 sold out)
March 30 & 31: House Of Blues, Dallas, TX (3/30 sold out)
April 1: Charley B’s, Lubbock, TX
April 3: Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM
April 4 & 5: Marquee Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
April 6 & 7: The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA (4/6 sold out)
April 9: 1933 Club, Bakersfield, CA *
April 11 & 12: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA
April 13 & 14: The Warfield, San Francisco, CA
April 16 & 17: Ace of Spades, Sacramento, CA (both sold out)
April 19 & 20: Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR (both sold out)
April 21 & 22: Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
April 24: MacEwan Hall, Calgary, AB
April 26: Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB
April 27 & 28: First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN (4/27 sold out)
April 30 & May 1: The Summit, Denver, CO
May 2 & 3: The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT
May 4 & 5: House Of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
July 18: Great South Bay Festival, Patchogue, NY *

* Newly announced dates

Second leg of North America tour (on-sale details below):

September 13: Kansas City Live!, Kansas City, MO
September 19: Waterside District, Norfolk, VA
September 20: Power Plant Live!, Baltimore, MD
September 21: Ballpark Village, St Louis, MO
October 3 & 4: Fillmore, Charlotte, NC
October 5 & 6: The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
October 8 & 9: House Of Blues, Orlando, FL
October 11 & 12: Revolution Live, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
October 16 & 17: Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN
October 18 & 19: Bogart’s, Cincinnati, OH
October 24 & 25: St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit, MI
October 26 & 27: Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON
Oct. 31 & Nov. 1: Buffalo RiverWorks, Buffalo, NY
November 2 & 3: Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY
November 5 & 6: Webster Theater, Hartford, CT
November 8 & 9: House Of Blues, Boston, MA
November 10 & 11: Fillmore Silver Spring, Washington, D.C.
November 13 & 14: Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA
November 15 & 16: Terminal 5, New York, NY

VIP on-sale date: Wednesday (2/27) at 12:00pm ET / 9:00am PT (no password required)

Public on-sale date: Friday (3/1) at 10:00am local time

For tickets and VIP packages for all tour dates, visit TakingBackSunday.com/tour.

Morrissey covers album due in May

Well this is a pleasant surprise...

Following last year’s cover of Pretenders’ “Back on the Chain Gang,” Morrissey is releasing a covers album, ‘California Son,’ on May 24 via BMG.

It includes 1960s and '70s tracks, covering Joni Mitchell, Dionne Warwick and Bob Dylan while also delving into more obscure musicians of the time, such as early gay icon Jobriath and political activist Phil Ochs.

Paying equal tribute to the marginalized stars as he does household names, Moz has help from guests including Billy Joe Armstrong (Green Day), Ed Droste (Grizzly Bear), Sameer Gadhia (Young the Giant) and LP.

"We love Morrissey! Morrissey's hair, and melancholy and poetic lyrics always reminded me of my dad. His version of “It’s Over” is great." - Roy Orbison, Jr.

“When I would think of Morrissey and his music it was always with great respect and appreciation as I’m sure is the case with many of his fans. However, I soon realized when I hung out with him and he played me all the songs he was putting on this record that behind this was the heart of an audiophile and a deep fan of his own musical heroes. He is well versed in so many genres and knows deep cuts of artists I thought I knew so much about. It is inspiring to see the enthusiasm and intellect he brings to people through his own musical journey." – LP

PRE-ORDER ‘CALIFORNIA SON’ HERE

Track listing:

1. Morning Starship (Jobriath) with Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear
2. Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow (Joni Mitchell) with Ariel Engle of Broken Social Scene
3. Only a Pawn In Their Game (Bob Dylan) with Petra Haden
4. Suffer the Little Children (Buffy St Marie)
5. Days of Decision (Phil Ochs) with Sameer Gadhia of Young The Giant
6. It’s Over (Roy Orbison) with LP
7. Wedding Bell Blues (5th Dimension) w/Billie Joe Armstrong; Lydia Night of The Regrettes
8. Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets (Dionne Warwick)
9. Lady Willpower (Gary Puckett)
10. When You Close Your Eyes (Carly Simon) with Petra Haden
11. Lenny’s Tune (Tim Hardin)
12. Some Say I Got Devil (Melanie) 

Alan Parsons album, tour details; new single features Jason Mraz

Alan Parsons will return with a new album, “The Secret” on April 26 via Frontiers Music Srl. The first song from the album, entitled "Miracle", featuring Jason Mraz on vocals, has been made available. Listen to the track HERE.

Of the collaboration with Mraz, Alan says, “I met Jason two years ago through a neighbor who grows coffee on his ranch. Jason wanted to grow coffee himself and our neighbor, Jay was kind enough to introduce us since we had mutual musical interests. For 'Miracle’, Jason recorded his vocals in Dallas while I listened in Santa Barbara and we sent files back and forth, resulting in this song. Thus proving that you don't necessarily have to be in the same studio with someone to create music. This was also the case with Lou Gramm on the track "Sometimes", which he sang in New York.

Mraz adds, "'Eye In The Sky' is a song I have a very early memory of, strapped in the backseat of my mom's green Fiat, 1982. Alan Parsons is on the radio and I’m singing along, harmonizing. That sound of rich harmony over magical words would stick with me for my whole life and ultimately become what my own career is about, trying to solve universal quandaries through song craft." When Mraz heard "Miracle", he said, "I loved it. It sounded like a song right off of 'Eye In The Sky'. As if no time had passed, proving time might just be a construct after all". Woking with Alan was "[m]agic. Alan is very kind, very creative, and very authentic," concludes Mraz.

Pre-order "The Secret" in multiple formats and stream "Miracle" HERE: http://radi.al/AlanParsonsTheSecret

U.S. fans can pre-order signed copies, limited edition blue vinyl, & more HERE: https://shop.bandwear.com/Frontiers

EU fans can pre-order signed copies, limited edition blue vinyl, & more HERE:
https://www.frontiers.shop/parsons-alan/

Available on CD, CD + DVD Audio Deluxe Edition (DVD includes Stereo Hi Definition Mix and 5.1 Surround Audio Mix), LP (Standard & Color), limited edition Box Set, and Digital. Box Set includes CD+DVD Deluxe Edition, 180g Gatefold Vinyl, the rare "LiveSpan" 2CD set, exclusive T-shirt (size: XL for US retailers, L for all European retailers), Poster, Numbered Lithograph (album cover).

Alan’s longtime hobby has been performing magic and this brand new album showcases his own passion for the craft, hence the title “The Secret.” The album sees a return to the pop rock sound with symphonic and progressive rock interludes which the Alan Parsons Project was known for.

"Magic has always been a passion of mine, I am a member of The Magic Castle in Los Angeles. I've also worked with the Japanese magic company Tenyo, writing instruction books and catalogs for their tricks. I dabble with magic myself in my free time, so an album with magical influences was a natural progression”.

Alan’s history in the music business one is a storied and unique one. He was fortunate enough to work as assistant engineer on the last two albums by The Beatles and after he became a fully-fledged recording engineer, he went on to work with Paul McCartney and The Hollies, among many others. But it was his contribution as engineer on Pink Floyd’s classic "The Dark Side Of The Moon" that really got him the world’s attention. That soon led to striking successes as a producer, notably with Pilot’s “Magic", John Miles’ “Highfly" and “Music”, and Steve Harley’s "Make Me Smile". He also produced the hugely successful "Year Of The Cat" album with Al Stewart and two albums with American prog rock band Ambrosia.

In 1975 he met Eric Woolfson who not only became his manager, but joined forces with Alan as a songwriting and performing partner for what became known as The Alan Parsons Project. The APP’s debut album, "Tales Of Mystery And Imagination" based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe paved the way for signing to Clive Davis’ newly launched Arista label and a string of hit albums, namely, "I Robot" (1977), “Pyramid" (1978), "The Turn of a Friendly Card" (1980), "Eye in the Sky" (1982), "Ammonia Avenue" (1984), "Vulture Culture" (1985), “Stereotomy" (1986), and “Gaudi" (1987).

With his long-standing previous APP collaborators, guitarist Ian Bairnson, drummer Stuart Elliott and orchestral arranger Andrew Powell, Alan dropped the “Project” identity for Alan Parsons’ “Try Anything Once” in 1994. The partnership continued for “On Air” in 1996 and “The Time Machine” in 1999. During this time, the first incarnation of “Alan Parsons Live Project” toured extensively all over the globe. Following Alan’s relocation to California in 1999, a brand new Live Project band was formed in 2003. Another band reshuffle happened in 2010.

The current live band consists of Alan on acoustic guitar, keyboards and vocals, P.J. Olsson on vocals, Tom Brooks on keyboards, Guy Erez on bass, Jeff Kollman on guitar and vocals, Danny Thompson on drums, Todd Cooper on sax, percussion and vocals, Dan Tracey on guitar and vocals.

Parsons’ last album "A Valid Path", a unique foray into the world of electronica, was released in 2004.

Track listing:

1. THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE (instrumental)*
2. MIRACLE (lead vocal: Jason Mraz)
3. AS LIGHTS FALL (lead vocal: Alan Parsons)
4. ONE NOTE SYMPHONY (lead vocal: Todd Cooper)
5. SOMETIMES (lead vocal: Lou Gramm)
6. SOIRÉE FANTASTIQUE (lead vocal: Todd Cooper, Alan Parsons)
7. FLY TO ME (lead vocal: Mark Mikel)
8. REQUIEM (lead vocal: Todd Cooper)
9. BEYOND THE YEARS OF GLORY (lead vocal: PJ Olsson)§
10. THE LIMELIGHT FADES AWAY (lead vocal: Jordan Huffman)
11. I CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE (lead vocal: Jared Mahone)§ featured in Motion Picture “5-25-77”

Guitars: Steve Hackett (on *), Jeff Kollmann, Dan Tracey, Tony Rosacci, Ian Bairnson (solo on §), Alan Parsons
Synth, Keyboards: Andy Ellis, Tom Brooks, Dan Tracey, Alan Parsons
Piano: Pat Caddick, Angelo Pizzaro
Bass: Nathan East (on *), Guy Erez, Jeff Peterson
Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta (on *), Danny Thompson, Carl Sorensen
Sax: Todd Cooper
Cello: Michael Fitzpatrick

ORCHESTRAL ARRANGEMENTS Tom Brooks / STRINGS CONDUCTED BY Alan Parsons except on * Tom Brooks
ORCHESTRA The CMG Music Recording Orchestra of Hollywood

PERCUSSION Alan Parsons
UKULELE Jake Shimabukuro
TROMBONES Oscar Utterström
TRUMPETS Vinnie Ciesielski

Tour dates:

02/26/19 Quebec City, QC Grand Theatre De Quebec
02/27/19 Medford, MA Chevalier Theatre
03/01/19 Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall
03/02/19 Mashantucket, CT Foxwoods resort Casino
03/03/19 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
04/04/19 Beverly Hills, CA Saban Theatre
04/06/19 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort – Grand Theatre
04/07/19 Jackson, CA Jackson Rancheria Casino
04/09/10 Boise, ID Egyptian Theater
04/10/19 Portland, OR Revolution Hall
04/12/19 Bow, WA Skagit Casino Resort
04/13/19 Bow, WA Skagit Casino Resort
04/15/19 Calgary, AB Grey Eagle Event Centre
04/16/19 Edmonton, AB Winspear Centre
04/27/19 Milan, Italy Live Club Frontiers Rock Festival

04/28/19 Pratteln, Switzerland Z7 Pratteln
04/30/19 Amsterdam, AQ Paradiso
05/01/19 Nijmegen, AQ De Vereening
05/02/19 Brussels, BE Ancienne Belgique
05/04/19 De Oosterpoort Groningen, Netherlands
05/05/19 TivoliVredenburg Utrecht, Netherlands
06/03/19 Mann Auditorium Tel Aviv, Israel
06/04/19 Mann Auditorium Tel Aviv, Israel
06/10/19 Crocus City Hall Moscow, RU
06/14/19 Oldenburg, DE Weser-Ems-Halle
06/15/19 Leipzig, DE Haus Auensee
06/16/19 Hamburg, DE Stadtpark
06/18/19 Munster, DE Halle Munsterland
06/19/19 Dusseldorf, DE Mitsubishi Electric Halle
06/21/19 Frankfurt am Main, DE Jahrhunderthalle
06/22/19 Berlin, DE Admiralpalast
06/24/19 Munchen, DE Circus Krone