"He was a man who made a decision. This decision broke hearts but set him free." - Patti Smith
It is with sadness and respect that we report on the death of singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt, who passed away on December 25th 2009 at the age of 45.
Disabled in a car accident at the age of 18, Vic went on to craft 15 albums of haunting, beautiful music showcasing his vulnerable, cracked voice and unique view of the world. His work attracted the admiration of fellow musicians including Smashing Pumpkins, Patti Smith, Victoria Williams, and R.E.M. - who's frontman Michael Stipe would go on to produce Vic's first 2 albums.
Burdened with ill-health and the resulting debts of his treatment, the L.A. Times pointed out his case as 'a clear example of the institutionalized cruelty of the American healthcare system'.
Vic Chesnutt passed away on December 25th, "surrounded by devastated friends and family" (according to friend and producer Jem Cohen), following a coma induced by taking an overdose of muscle relaxants. He is reported to have owed more than $70,000 in medical debts. Friend Kristin Hersh has set up a donations page in order that Vic's fans, friends and supporters can aid Vic's family in paying off these debts. If you have been touched by Vic's music or his life, please consider making a donation at the link below. Donations.
Patti Smith has posted a moving tribute to Vic here.
Stream or download a 2009 interview with Vic from NPR, for free here.
Download six free songs from Vic's own website here.
Happy Holidays to all our readers and listeners, and very best wishes for a prosperous new year.
Due to other commitments I've been unable to put together a holiday special in time for this year's festivities, but I'm pleased to tell you that the Insomnia Cafe podcast will be back for a full season beginning in January. We have some great episodes and exciting guests lined up (stay tuned for further info), so I hope you'll join me in 2010.
As always, if you are an independent musician or poet interested in having your work included in our show, you're welcome to send a sample along to insomniacafepodcast@gmail.com
Don't forget, our 2007 and 2008 holiday special episodes are both still available for free download (Season 1, Episode 7 and Season 2, Episode 6), so if you're in the mood for Holiday favorites from the likes of Darlene Love, Adrienne Pierce, Serena Matthews, Crash Test Dummies and even Twisted Sister, be sure to check them out!
Shortly, I'll be naming my favorite album of 2009, so stay tuned to the blog to find out my pick.
In the meantime, here are two videos in support of a couple of this year's best festive offerings. They are, from the always enchanting Tori Amos' 'Midwinter Graces' album; 'Star Of Wonder' and from Bob Dylan's eclectic (and somewhat unfairly maligned) 'Christmas In The Heart', the insane frenetic polka of 'Must Be Santa'. Hopefully these will put a smile of your face and get you into the spirit of things, if you weren't already!
Thanks as always for your continued support.
- Michael
Tori Amos - Star Of Wonder (Live) From the album Midwinter Graces
Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa From the album Christmas In The Heart
The Guardian reports that the long-awaited sixth and final installment in Johnny Cash's critically acclaimed 'American Recordings' series may finally see the light of day in early 2010.
As of this posting, Amazon is listing the title 'American VI: Ain't No Grave' with a release date of 23 February.
James Gurley, the guitarist of reknowned 60s psychadelic rock act Big Brother And The Holding Company has passed away of a heart attack, 2 days shy of his 70th birthday.
The influential group was a central part of the 1960s counter culture forged in San Francisco that would go on to define the decade musically. Particularly noted for their first two albums (1967's self titled effort, and the following year's 'Cheap Thrills'), the band's legacy would often, somewhat understandably be overshadowed by that of their dynamic vocalist, the irresistible Janis Joplin, who cut her teeth as a member of the band.
However Big Brother's creative, vivid arrangements were far from pedestrian, and their often avant garde playing held a marked (though often unacknowledged) influence over both their peers and their followers. As of 2009, BBHC continues to tour to widespread acclaim.
James Gurley's musicianship, both through recordings and through influence will of course continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Tributes from the surviving original members of the band, Sam Andrew, Peter Albin, and David Getz can be found here:
Listen to and download the Smashing Pumpkins excellent new track, 'Song For A Son' - the first of 44 songs that will comprise the free album 'Teargarden By Kaleidyscope'.
Issa (Jane Siberry) - With What Shall I Keep Warm? Released November 2009, Sheeba records (independent)
Issa (the artist formerly known as Jane Siberry) has released the second in her trilogy of albums, following on from 2008's joyous 'Dragon Dreams'. The new set, titled 'With What Shall I Keep Warm?' is available now both via CDBaby and on iTunes worldwide.
Album notes:this is the second of a story told in three parts. the first story is 'dragon dreams' which was released november 2008. musicans include marlon saunders, catherine russell, leslie alexander, 'betty' (amy, elizabeth and alyson), maggie moore, john macarthur ellis, pauline kim, christine kim, james roe, ilttle people: jacob switzer, paige escoffery-stewart, ruby salvatore palmer).
Be sure to visit www.issalight.com for further information, including Issa's forthcoming international tour dates and salon details.
Nonesuch records have announced a March 2010 release date for Natalie Merchant's "Leave Your Sleep" - her first album in 7 years, and her first for the label. To celebrate the event, a special career-retrospective video piece has been made available at nonesuch.com/media.
Over her 28-year career Natalie Merchant has earned a place among America’s most respected recording artists with a reputation for being a songwriter of quality and a captivating performer.
Merchant began her musical career as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the pop music band 10,000 Maniacs and released two platinum and four gold records with the group between 1981 and 1993 (The Wishing Chair, In My Tribe, Blind Man's Zoo, Hope Chest, Our Time in Eden, and MTV Unplugged).
In 1994, Merchant began her solo career with a self-produced debut album, Tigerlily (1995), which astounded the music industry by selling four million copies. In the years following, she released Ophelia (1998), Natalie Merchant Live (1999), and Motherland (2001). In 2003, she left Elektra Records, after 18 years with the label, and independently released an album of traditional and contemporary folk music, The House Carpenter’s Daughter, on her own label, Myth America Records. In 2005, she was persuaded to curate a collection of her own work for a double album she titled Retrospective.
She has collaborated both on stage and in the studio with a wide range of artists, including REM, Wynton Marsalis, The Chieftains, Mavis Staples, Daniel Lanois, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, David Byrne, Philip Glass, Billy Bragg, Wilco, Tracy Chapman, Cowboy Junkies, Ryan Adams, Lokua Kanza, Yungchen Lhamo, The Fairfield Four, Gavin Bryars, Jakob Dylan, Susan McKeown, Chris Botti, Lúnasa, The Klezmatics, Katell Keineg, Dan Zanes, and Medeski, Martin & Wood.
Throughout her entire career, Merchant has also been dedicated to supporting a wide array of non-profit organizations lending both financial support and raising public awareness. Scenic Hudson, The Center for Constitutional Rights, Riverkeeper, Doctors Without Borders, Greenpeace, The Association to Benefit Children, Planned Parenthood, and The Southern Center for Human Rights are among the social justice groups to which she has been devoted. She was recently appointed by the governor of New York to serve a five-year term as a member of the prestigious New York State Council on the Arts.
After the birth of her daughter in 2003, Merchant took an extended break from recording and touring. For the past five years, Merchant has been researching, writing and recording a collection of songs adapted from the works of various classic and contemporary poets. She is currently in the studio preparing this project, her first studio album in seven years, due for release in the spring of 2010.
Townes Van Zandt - In The Beginning Available Nov. 23rd, Fat Possum records
1. Black Widow Blues 2. Maryetta's Song 3. Hunger Child Blues 4. Gypsy Friday 5. Waitin' for the Day 6. Black Jack Mama 7. When Your Dream Lovers Die 8. Colorado Bound 9. Big Country Blues 10. Black Crow Blues
Widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of his generation, Townes Van Zandt has been hailed by such singers as Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson. Fat Possum is proud to reissue In The Beginning, a collection of ten recordings produced by Jack Clement (Johnny Cash, U2, Waylon Jennings) in 1966. Recorded almost two years before the original release of For Sake Of The Song, this is Townes in his original element and already writing about drifters, losers and gamblers.
Toward the end of next month we'll be publishing our 3rd annual Holiday Special podcast on iTunes.
If you're an independent artist or bandmember who has recorded a great seasonal tune, this is your chance to have it heard alongside established acts on a show that has previously included music from Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Marianne Faithfull, Alice Cooper, The Concretes and many, many more. We'd love to share your music with our audience.
If you're interested in being considered for inclusion, please send an mp3 (in no lower quality than 192kbps) to insomniacafepodcast@gmail.com with the subject line 'Holiday Podcast Submission' no later than December 13th.
Please understand that spaces within the show are limited.
This November, we are releasing a 23 track compilation featuring rarities, classics and previously unreleased tracks from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, The Budos Band, Binky Griptite, Lee Fields, Antibalas and more. Vinyl release is a double LP packaged in a deluxe gold foil gatefold jacket with extensive liner notes, and will include a poster, sticker and .mp3 download card. CD release is a deluxe gold foil digipak with 6 page booklet including extensive liner notes and photos. Coming November 24th
TRACKS: Introduction by Binky Griptite ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “I’m Not Gonna Cry” ● The Budos Band “Up From The South” ● Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens “What Have You Done” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - “How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?” ● Lee Fields “Could Have Been” ● Antibalas featuring Mayra Vega "Che Che Cole Makossa" ● The Budos Band “Budos Rising” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Got A Thing On My Mind” ● Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band “The World” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Make It Good To Me” ● Lee Fields and Sugarman & Co. “Stand Up” ● Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens “What Is This” ● Binky Griptite with the Sugarman Three “A Lover Like Me” ● Menahan Street Band “Make the Road by Walking” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Tell Me” ● Sugarman & Co. “Down To It” ● The Dap-Kings “Nervous Like Me” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Giving Up” ● The Budos Band “Ghostwalk” ● The Gospel Queens feat. Cynthia Langston “I Need You To Hold My Hand” ● Binky Griptite & the Mellomatics “The Stroll Pt. 2” ● Sharon Jones & Lee Fields “Stranded In Your Love”
The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You Available now, American Recordings
"I and Love and You"
"January Wedding"
"Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise"
"And It Spread"
"The Perfect Space"
"Ten Thousand Words"
"Kick Drum Heart"
"Laundry Room"
"Ill with Want"
"Tin Man"
"Slight Figure of Speech"
"It Goes On and On"
"Incomplete and Insecure"
There is no harmony like brotherly harmony. Something indelible in the weave of voices and play of sensibilities is stamped into the fraternal DNA and also stems from a lifetime of shared experiences. You can hear it in classic brother acts across the musical spectrum, from the Louvin Brothers to the Everly Brothers and on down the decades through the Wilson brothers (Beach Boys), the Davies brothers (Kinks), the Allman Brothers and even the Brothers Gibb (a.k.a., the Bee Gees). You can clearly hear fraternal magic at work in the songs of Scott and Seth Avett, better known as the Avett Brothers, as well.
That magic is abundantly evident on I and Love and You, the Avett Brothers’ big-label debut. Its 13 songs are delivered in a style that defies pigeonholing but might be described as a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop – even a jab of punk-style dynamics here and there. Drawn by the naked honesty of their songs and the rousing intensity of their live shows, legendary producer and talent scout Rick Rubin signed the Avett Brothers – consisting of siblings Scott and Seth, plus bassist Bob Crawford - to his American Recordings label in 2008.
“As soon as I heard the depth in their singing and songwriting, I was in for the ride,” says Rubin, who has worked with some of the most talented mavericks in the business, including Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and The Dixie Chicks. “The Avetts’ songs have such a sincere emotional resonance. The purity of the messages stops you in your tracks. It’s unusual to hear such open-hearted personal sentiment from young artists today.”
For their own part, the Avett Brothers instantly felt at home in the studio with Rubin. “While growing up, his work influenced us in some weird way to do what we do, and it influenced our sound quite a bit, too. I mean, from the Beastie Boys to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Johnny Cash, we explored all those records he did in depth. We felt comfortable working with someone we had faith in based on his credentials and track record. We wouldn’t be that way for anybody, we really wouldn’t.”
By the time Rubin found them, the Avett Brothers had compiled their own impressive track record. They’d already issued five full length albums and two EPs, on their manager’s Ramseur Records label. They debuted in 2001 with a self-titled six-song EP and then issued a full-fledged album, Country Was, a year later. The heart of their catalog is the albums that followed: Mignonette (2004), Four Thieves Gone (2006) and Emotionalism (2007), which offered a generous 49 songs among them. The Avett Brothers’ latest release, an EP called The Gleam II, reached #82 on Billboard’s Top Albums chart in 2008 – quite a showing for an independent CD with minimal marketing and publicity.
Over the years, the Avett Brothers built up a sizable following based on their rowdy, infectious stage shows. In concert, the high-flying ensemble tears through tunes with unbridled energy, popping banjo and guitar strings right and left while inciting stomping singalongs among audiences that appear to know every word. At times they would seemingly create their own subgenre onstage - “punkgrass,” for lack of a better word. This much is for certain: the Avett Brothers are a grassroots phenomenon, built from the ground up. I and Love and You marks the point at which they’re poised, with perfect timing, to break through to a broader audience.
I and Love and You was rehearsed and recorded at the Document Room, located high on a hillside in Malibu, California. After cutting discs at various spots around their native North Carolina for eight years, the Avett Brothers were ready to take on the challenge of making an album at a top-of-the-line studio on the far side of the continent. The brothers were hardly unfamiliar with the Golden State, as they’d been visiting family in the Sacramento area since childhood and had gigged around California in recent years. But working with Rick Rubin in Malibu represented a giant step forward.
“A benefit of making the record in California is that it switched everything up,” says Seth. “It helped put us in the mind set that we’re starting a new chapter. We’re looking to make a record in a different way than we have in the past, and we want to be open to these new methods. There’s no better way to try something new than to work in a place you’ve never been.”
The results speak for themselves. From the 17 songs they cut with Rubin, 13 made the final cut. Rubin sequenced I and Love and You – the only time the Avetts have delegated that task to someone else. “This is the first time we have not been critical of the song sequence,” Scott noted approvingly.
In fact, the Avett Brothers are rightfully proud of I and Love and You in every aspect. It is, they feel, an album they’ve been building toward. “Years ago, Seth had told me that he someday wanted to make a record where everything was as crisp and clear and well-produced as it could possibly be,” recalls bassist Crawford. “And with the help of Rick Rubin and [engineer] Ryan Hewitt, we’ve done that.”
“It’s how I’ve always wanted our band to sound,” affirms Seth. “What I like is an absolute presentation of clarity. It’s not that I want to be glossy, and I don’t know that we ever could be glossy in the way that some pop artists are. But I love music you can grasp hold of because there’s no mistaking what the person is saying and presenting, and I feel like we’ve come the closest to that on I and Love and You.”
Themes that recur on the album have to do with commitment, maturity, and moving forward through life with a positive outlook. I and Love and You has little to do with the ephemeral world of latter-day pop, even if several songs (notably “Kick Drum Heart” and “Slight Figure of Speech”) are tuneful and catchy enough to merit radio play. The Avett Brothers mean to create music of substance for the long haul. Seth Avett is just under thirty years of age while Scott is slightly over. A lot of what they’ve been writing about lately has to do with transitioning from youth to adulthood. You can hear this clearly on such songs as “The Perfect Space” and “Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise,” thoughtful disquisitions that serve as the album’s thematic centerpieces.
“It’s hard to tell where some of these songs are coming from and they can have many meanings,” Seth allows, “but I think on the whole the album makes some comment on the fact that we are young men, but that youth is fleeting and it goes by very quickly. When you’re moving out of your twenties and into this time when you’re hoping to build something, it’s a beautiful thing and a scary thing. It still feels like things are up in the air like they were in your twenties when everything was up in the air and you didn’t know what the hell was going to happen and who you were going to be. But during that time you start gaining the tools you’re going to use in the rest of your life.”
The Avett Brothers have spent much of the past decade nurturing their skill as songwriters, along with their proficiency as vocalists and musicians. Although Seth and Scott are principally identified with acoustic guitar and banjo, respectively, from their live shows, both brothers also play piano, drums and most anything else with strings. (The brothers possess formidable artistic skills, too, and their sketches and paintings adorn their albums.) Clearly, however, songs are the center of the Avett Brothers’ universe. The brothers turn out songs in profusion. They write them individually, and they write them together. Each might write an entire song, or credit might be split down the middle or any conceivably fractional way. There is no set method to their songwriting. The point is, Seth and Scott generate songs constantly, because that’s what they feel that they were born to do.
“There’s not an option,” explains Seth. “It feels like a living thing, and if we want to keep it alive, we have to nourish it. There are so many things we have to consider now - the stage show, business issues, our relationship to different people and our fans - but at the heart of it is the songwriting and the connection we have with ourselves and others through that writing. It’s an essential and imperative element to our existence.”
“On top of all that, it’s just exciting,” Seth continues. “Scott and I and Bob get these new songs going, and that is our lifeblood. It’s obvious we’ve got to keep rolling with it. Whether the records come out or don’t come out, and whether there’s a market or not a market, the important thing is that we’re writing songs. They’re not just for a release date; they’re for posterity.”
The Avett Brothers formed in 2001 in Charlotte, North Carolina when banjoist Scott Avett and guitarist Seth Avett joined forces with standup bass player Bob Crawford. At the time, the brothers fronted a neo-punk band called Nemo. They enjoyed blowing it out on electric instruments but eventually began feeling the tug of the acoustic music they’d heard growing up. They were raised in the textile town of Concord, about a half-hour north of Charlotte. Their dad, Jim Avett, had a box of eight-track tapes that Scott and Seth picked through, listened to and digested. It included albums by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Jim’s own folksy duo, Common Decency. Other roots musicians from the folk and country realms filtered into their subconscious, too. Thus, in 2001, the brothers launched an acoustic side band, called Nemo Back Porch Project, for which they added upright bassist Crawford. He recalls the initial meeting with Scott and Seth:
“They were wanting to do some of the music they were raised on via their dad, which was old songs by Rambling Jack Elliott, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williams and Tom T. Hall. I met up with them on a Sunday night in an empty parking lot. I got out my bass, and these two guys showed up in a gold Ford Taurus station wagon wearing flannel shirts and cutoff pants. They were total grunge kids. We sat in the parking lot, just the three of us, and played ‘Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad’ and ‘More Pretty Girls Than One.’ Then they showed me an original song called ‘Kind of in Love,’ and it was very interesting. It wasn’t like any of those traditional songs. Different chord structure, with all these minor substitution chords. I was like, ‘This is really unique.’”
From there, Nemo’s acoustic sideshow blossomed into the main attraction, and the Avett Brothers were born out of it. Still and all, while they built up a loyal following around their home state in places like Charlotte, Greenville and Chapel Hill, they weren’t exactly setting the woods on fire beyond those pockets of regional fandom, and Scott and Bob forged ahead with plans to attend graduate school in the fall of 2002. However, there was one unfinished piece of business in Crawford’s mind.
“I said, Listen guys, I’ve always wanted to go on the road with a band,’” Crawford recalls. “’If I book a tour, will you guys go? Can we just go on the road for a couple weeks this summer?’ And they were like, ‘People have said things like this to us before, but if you do it, we’ll do it.’” And so Crawford got on the Internet and booked a month-long 21-city tour. They camped out or slept in the truck when they couldn’t find a floor to sleep on, subsisted on peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and returned home with $4,000 and a flock of new fans in 21 cities. The Avett Brothers were off and running, and grad school got shelved.
Live shows remain the Avett Brothers’ calling card. In the spring of this year, they opened selected dates for the Dave Matthews Band. On their own, they’ve filled a 7,000-seat venue in Cary, North Carolina, and sold out two nights at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon – one of their strongholds. In June 2009, they performed back-to-back sellouts at New York’s Fillmore East.
With I and Love and You, they’ve also taken a giant step forward on the recording front. Whereas they’d previously opted for a first-take freshness, now they wanted to proceed at a more deliberate pace, taking advantage of the options that Rubin’s wisdom, a bigger budget, a better studio and more time allowed them. In short, while they’d always tried to bottle their live magic in the studio, this time they set about making a more nuanced and well-crafted record.
“We were totally up for spending more time on it,” says Scott. “As time goes on, you become more critical about your work. And the more critical you become, the more willing you are to explore the options. We did a lot of revising and reworking in the studio. For instance, it was like ‘Let’s try drums in this part.’ ‘No, that won’t sound good.’ ‘Well, how do you know, we haven’t tried it?’ ‘Okay, you’re right, let’s try it.’ There was a lot more of that going on.’”
In harnessing the tools available to them in the service of the strongest set of songs they’ve written so far, the Avett Brothers have surpassed themselves on I and Love and You. There’s really no great secret or magic formula for what they’ve achieved here. It comes down to honoring inspiration with an awful lot of hard work. “The brothers have an incredibly strong work ethic,” affirms Rick Rubin, “and they continually worked at honing their craft. Hearing brothers who have sung their whole lives together – singing the truth – was a revelation each new day.”
“We know what we’re worth, and we’ve been campaigning for a long time to be heard,” notes Scott without false modesty. “Rick is helping that by sitting up and saying, ‘Let me work with you.’ We can tip our hats and pat ourselves on the back momentarily and say, ‘Good job guys, we have been heard by somebody who’s been heard by a lot of people, and he’s let us in his camp.’ I really look at it as a positive thing and a good milestone. And when it comes time for the next step, we’ll do our best again and keep moving.”
“We’ll just keep writing our songs and making our records, and how it goes is how it goes,” concludes Seth. “We’re trying our hardest and having some fun doing it, and that’s all it needs to be.”
Online Music store announces new music category listing for independent and unsigned Christmas Music.
New York, NY, October 31, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Independent and unsigned music website Boost Independent Music (www.boostindependentmusic.com) went live today with a new music category specifically listing Christmas songs.
“Our research shows a huge spike in the number of people searching for Christmas music in the lead up to the holidays”, said MD Graeme Longworth. “Buying mainstream music can be expensive and searches show only a limited, boring range such as traditional Christmas carols. We thought this was a great opportunity to give our huge database of independent unsigned artists and bands the opportunity to upload their Christmas music recordings – and give consumers the chance to search for something a bit different to add to their festive celebrations.”
Boost invites all artists to visit the site at www.boostindependentmusic.com and register for free to create a profile and start uploading mp3 music today. Artists wanting to add their Christmas music to the site can follow the simple prompts when uploading their songs to add them to the Christmas tracks page. Existing artists can re-categorize their music if they want to take advantage of this new listing opportunity.
For listeners wanting to find Christmas music just go to the Boost Independent Music homepage and use the easy drop down navigation menu to browse by music style.
Boost Independent Music is one of the world’s largest online music stores selling songs from independent and unsigned artists from around the world. All proceeds from track sales are split 50/50 with the artist, allowing an invaluable opportunity for bands to promote themselves and make some money in the process.
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session Originally released 1988, Latent Recordings
1. Mining For Gold 2. Misguided Angel 3. Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis) 4. I Don't Get It 5. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 6. To Love Is To Bury 7. 200 More Miles 8. Dreaming My Dreams With You 9. Working On A Building 10. Sweet Jane 11. Postcard Blues 12. Walkin' After Midnight
Cowboy Junkies sophomore effort provided them with both their artistic and commercial breakthrough, and took the low-fi, whispered midnight blues of their early years to it's zenith.
The album's unique recording circumstances have been well documented. On November 27th 1987, the band gathered around a single microphone at Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity to perform a combination of original songs and covers from (amongst others) the likes of Hank Williams and The Velvet Underground, who's classic 'Sweet Jane' would become one of the Junkies most enduring hits in its new bare-bones form. Michael Timmins' original compositions pack a powerful emotional punch, and are far from dwarfed by such lofty company. Indeed the beautifully sad 'To Love Is To Bury' and concert-favorite 'Misguided Angel' are amongst the album's greatest moments, as is their interpolation of the well-worn 'Blue Moon'.
Cowboy Junkies emerged from Trinity with a unique, haunting, gossamer masterpiece of a record, and the finest roots release of the 1980s.
Both the band's sparse, methodical approach to the material, the awe-inspiring Margo Timmins languid, dreamsome delivery and the brief recording time ensure that there's nothing out of place on 'The Trinity Session'. The project has a raw immediacy and cohesion rarely heard outside of early 1930s and 40s blues recordings and is an essential listen for all roots music fans.
In 2007 the band returned to the Trinity church to revisit the album with guest musicians including Vic Chesnutt and Natalie Merchant. The beautifully shot DVD of this performance also comes highly recommended.
Dusty Springfield - From Dusty With Love Originally released April 1970 on Philips records
1. Lost 2. Bad Case Of The Blues 3. Never Love Again 4. Let Me Get In Your Way 5. Let's Get Together Soon
6. Brand New Me 7. Joe 8. Silly, Silly Fool 9. The Star Of My Show 10. Let's Talk It Over
Dusty is often referred to as the greatest soul singer that England ever produced, and she's absolutely deserving of such high praise. From early hits like 'I Only Want To Be With You', 'The Look Of Love', 'Son Of Preacher Man' and 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me', to the sophisticated, soulful adult pop of the 'Dusty In Memphis' album, and fan favourites such as See All Her Faces and Cameo, Dusty's commanding, versatile voice is unparalleled. Like other genre-defining artists, she is the subject of frequent comparisons - most recently to 'new soul' acts like Adele and Duffy but the truth is her skill and range set a high benchmark in music that has yet to be matched or bettered.
Though her star diminished somewhat in the mid to late 1970s, Dusty's voice remained as disarmingly powerful as ever, with a combination of personal tribulations, record company politics, and weak material playing the most part in her lack of success throughout the decade. As is well documented, it took the Pet Shop Boys to bring Dusty back in to the limelight, featuring her on their huge 1987 hit 'What Have I Done To Deserve This'. They would go on to produce and write much of her successful electronica leaning album Reputation in 1990.
Today's album was released just as Dusty was first beginning to slip from the public consciousness in 1970. A combination of lack of public interest and lack of promotion sealed From Dusty With Love's' fate, but as the Memphis album's spiritual twin, it's ripe for reassessment.
Misleadingly titled 'A Brand New Me' outside of the UK, I personally I find it to be one of her most solid albums, and an extremely enjoyable listen. Like many of our 'classic albums', it's runtime is brief to say the least - just over 25 minutes - but the 10 hook-filled songs are beautiful vehicles for Dusty's voice. The album is produced by the team of Gamble and Huff, who would later work on two of The Jacksons late 70s releases, and they bring with them an authentic Philadelphia soul sound that is a perfect match for Dusty's sultry, defiant and pleading performances. The musicianship on the album is superb, with backing vocals from The Sweethearts of Sigma, a Sam Reed led horn section, and Don Renaldo providing strings. The result is every bit as lush and transformative as you'd expect.
The short run time packs in everything from gospel, blues, pop and soul, but Dusty is always front and centre. Though rarely heard and underappreciated, songs like 'Bad Case Of The Blues', 'Never Love Again' and the heartwrenching ballad 'Joe' can stand shoulder to shoulder with her most well known tunes as A+ examples of Dusty Springfield's mastery of her her craft.
Karen DaltonIt's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love you The Best Originally released 1969 on Capitol Records
1. Little Bit Of Rain 2. Sweet Substitute 3. Ribbon Bow 4. I Love You More Than Words Can Say 5. In The Evening (It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best) 6. Blues On The Ceiling 7. It Hurts Me Too 8. How Did The Feeling Feel To You 9. Right, Wrong or Ready 10. Down On The Street (Don't Follow Me Down)
Yesterday I talked about The Beach Boy's Today, an album often overlooked in favor of it's critically acclaimed successor. The same could be said of today's selection, It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best by Karen Dalton.
It's followup, In My Own Time, is most often considered to be the pinnacle of Karen's woefully brief recording career - a career that has only recently come to be appreciated on a wider scale. Vinyl copies of Karen's two studio albums had changed hands, been copied and passed around for decades, eventually forming the kind of cult appreciation afforded to those dubbed 'musician's musicians'.
Finally, over the last few years her albums have seen the kind of deluxe reissue treatment they deserve thanks to small labels Light In The Attic Records in the US and Megaphone in Europe, and both a live album and a disc of home recordings have been added to her discography. All are worth checking out.
However, neither of Karen's original albums were particularly successful upon their first release, and the woman who Bob Dylan described as his favorite singer from the Greenwich village folk scene of the 1960's passed into obscurity. She would never release a further album during her lifetime, which was cut short in 1993 when she passed away, reportedly following an 8 year battle with AIDS.
Of her 2 studio offerings, 1971's In My Own Time is lushly produced, jazz oriented, and provides a warm, accessible environment for Karen's unusual voice, which is frequently compared to that of Billie Holiday. It is indeed an underground classic, but to find the woman Bob Dylan spoke so highly of, you have to look to her debut. It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best takes an altogether sparser, more stark approach. It's uncompromising, raw and challenging while also beautiful and vulnerable. Karen plays the banjo like no one else I've ever heard, and much like Lady Day, her material has those unflinching, not-to-be-messed-with, yet sensitive and sympathetic characteristics at its core.
Her versions of traditional folk songs 'Ribbon Bow' and 'In The Evening' are particularly affecting, and her take on 'It Hurts Me Too' rivals Elmore James' as a personal favorite. If you're in the mood for it, the stark intimacy and hushed tones of the album are absolutely arresting, and the delivery of the material has an authenticity that personally I've never found from her contemporaries like Joan Baez and Judy Collins. Uncloaked and uncompromising, Sweet Mother K.D. is the pure heart and the dark soul of folk blues.
New European Tour Announced Including Paul's Only UK Date In 2009
Following a massive tour of the US this summer, Paul McCartney today announces his first European Tour since 2004. This December will see Macca play seven special arena shows across Europe, culminating with his first ever public performance at London's O2 Arena, which will be his only UK date of this year. Other firsts on this tour will include shows at Berlin’s O2 World venue and Dublin’s The O2. Paul's legendary live performances are a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience. The audience gets to re-live some of the greatest moments in music from the last 50 years, many of which have become the soundtrack to living.
Paul commences his tour in Hamburg – a city he is very familiar with. Incredibly, it's now 49 years since The Beatles historic visit, which created rock folklore and put Hamburg on the map as a musical Mecca for hundreds and thousands of music pilgrims over the years. This will be Paul’s first time back in Hamburg (as well as Arnhem, Cologne and Dublin) since his 2003 "Back In The World" tour. Meanwhile, the people of Berlin will get their first Paul McCartney concert in 16 years, since 1993's "New World Tour"! December will take Paul back to Paris for the first time since he played an intimate club show at the Olympia in 2007.
London's O2 Arena will host Paul's final show of 2009 where he will bring the year to an end on a high. This will be his ONLY live show in the UK this year! Paul’s last UK show was a massive sellout concert at Anfield Stadium in 2008. At the time the Liverpool Echo wrote, "If Anfield had a roof, Macca would have blown it off." The O2 Arena does have a roof so it’s set to be a massive night of excitement and rock n' roll Macca style! Although this is Paul's first public performance at the O2 Arena he is very familiar with the venue. In 2004, before the O2 Arena was up and running as the world’s greatest music venue, Paul used the Millennium Dome (as it was known then) for rehearsals for his massive stadium "04 Summer Tour" which ended with Paul headlining the Glastonbury Festival which has gone down in rock history as the greatest festival moment ever. Although his rehearsals at the Millennium Dome were meant to be top secret, he was soon rumbled when a near by resident complained about the rock n’ roll noise upsetting his cat!
Speaking about the tour, Paul said: "This is my chance to bring our current show home to where it all began. Starting in Hamburg, ending in London and rocking everywhere in between. I'm very much looking forward to ending the year on a high."
What a year 2009 has been for Paul. He kicked it off by teaming up with Dave Grohl to perform "I Saw Her Standing There" at the Grammys, where he was also nominated for two awards. In April, Paul performed in New York at the David Lynch Foundation's benefit concert, "Change Begins Within". He was joined on stage with Ringo Starr for a special finale. Paul also headlined the Coachella Festival (his first US festival appearance) and performed a show to mark the opening of The New Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, a gig which sold out in seven seconds, setting a new sales record with tickets selling at a rate of 600 a second. July 11th took Paul to Halifax, Nova Scotia for his first ever concert there, which took place on the Halifax Commons. The mayor of Halifax described the show as the largest and most exciting concert in its 260-year history.
Following Halifax, Paul embarked on a five-week tour of the US; 'Summer Live '09'. The tour commenced with the inaugural run of shows at New York's Citi Field Stadium, which was the site of the former Shea Stadium where The Beatles made history in 1965 when they played a concert that set the precedent for the modern day stadium rock show. Critics hailed the Citi Field performances, seen by over 120,000 people, as the concert experience of a lifetime. The tour concluded in Dallas on the 19th of August.
For those of you who won't be able to make it to one of the European shows this Christmas you can re-live the Macca magic with 'Good Evening New York City', a multi-disc CD/DVD featuring performances recorded at New York’s Citi Field from Paul's 'Summer Live '09' tour.
THE DATES IN FULL: 2nd December - Hamburg, Color Line Arena 3rd December - Berlin, O2 World 9th December - Arnhem, Gelredome 10th December - Paris, Bercy 16th December - Cologne, Koln Arena 20th December - Dublin, The O2 22nd December - London,The O2 Arena
London ticket details. Tickets available from Monday 26th October: Box Office: 0844 856 0202 24hr Credit Card Hotline: 0871 230 1103 www.ticketmaster.co.uk
The Beach Boys Today! originally released March 1965 Capitol Records
When it comes to The Beach Boys, most fans and critics agree, Pet Sounds was unquestionably their masterpiece. It's landmark sound saw the 23 year old musical prodigy Brian Wilson take the Phil Spector produced pop production that he loved and turn it into something entirely his own. It's timeless, unique, endlessly moving and for some people has never been matched.
But Pet Sounds' direct predeccessor, The Beach Boys Today! is often unfairly overlooked, and rarely discussed. Reissues have been few and far between, and all but the diehard fans seem to have forgotten it's existence.
It's impossible to overestimate how key this album was to the band's development. Today! is the junction where the innocent, fun-in-the-sun Beach Boys of the early days meets the sophisticated and poignant genius of Pet Sounds, and consequently is one of the band's most satisfying albums.
Fittingly, the album is divided into one side of upbeat pop tunes, and a second of the kind of longing, lovelorn ballads that would make the Boys' next album a classic.
But first side one, which opens with a storming version of Bobby Freeman's frequently covered 'Do You Wanna Dance', which gives Dennis Wilson his first ever lead vocal slot. While he may technically not be a great singer, he brings a nervous energy to the song that really brings it to life. Undoubtedly its a great party song, and a killer jolt of energy to kickstart the album.
Brian and Mike feature significantly for the rest of the half. It's almost like the end of an era - it was their songwriting partnership that gave the band it's first taste of success with songs like 'Catch A Wave', 'Fun, Fun, Fun' and 'I Get Around', but as Brian's creativity flourished, he would increasingly look to outside collaborators like Tony Asher and Van Dyke Parks to fulfil his vision.
The always pitch-perfect voice of Al Jardine takes lead on Help Me, Ronda. Unfortunately the titular character's 'h' isn't all that's missing in this version - so is much of the musical sparkle and polish that would make this song's later single release a huge hit. While this early cut has potential, it's hard to argue that the single version isn't vastly superior.
The second half, not surprisingly is where Today! really comes into its own, offering a side of The Beach Boys that had only been hinted at before on songs like 'In My Room', 'The Warmth Of The Sun' and 'Don't Worry Baby'.
Songs like Please Let Me Wonder, She Knows Me Too Well and I'm So Young are simply beautiful, incredibly moving and perhaps represent Brian's peak as a lead vocalist. The harmonies are lush, plaintive and amongst the group's best - and The Beach Boys early 60's lineup always had the best harmonies in all of music available on tap.
Lyrically side 2 of Today! is much more introspective, emotionally invested, and meaningful than much of what had gone before. Musically, it's nothing short of stunning. Brian's arrangements feature session musicians like Steve Douglas, legendary bassist Carol Kaye and even a young Glen Campbell to fill out the sound, which incorporates vibraphones, saxophones, timpani drums and other instruments that had rarely been used in pop music until that point. Listening now leaves you in no doubt of where the group were headed, and that it was this experimental approach that would come to full fruition on Pet Sounds.
Clocking in at under half an hour, as a standalone album or simply listened to as a companion to it's followup, The Beach Boys Today! is a true classic.
Guns N' Roses will bring their Chinese Democracy World Tour to Canada in January 2010. The Winnipeg, Manitoba concert at the MTS Centre on January 13th is the first of thirteen Canadian concerts on the GN’R world tour, which begins in Asia on December 11th, with tour updates and announcements planned throughout 2010.
Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy Tour:
December 11 - Taipei December 13 - Seoul December 16 - Osaka December 19 - Tokyo
January 13 - Winnipeg January 16 - Calagary January 17 - Edmonton January 19 - Saskatoon January 20 - Regina January 24 - Hamilton January 25 - London January 27 - Montreal January 28 - Toronto January 31 - Ottawa
February 1 - Quebec City February 3 - Moncton February 4 - Halifax
BEACH BOYS CO-FOUNDER TO RECORD TWO ALBUMS, INCLUDING COVERS OF GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN CLASSICS
WILSON TO CRAFT COLLABORATIVE COMPOSITIONS FROM PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED MUSIC FROM GEORGE GERSHWIN
Burbank, CA – October 8, 2009 - Two giants of popular entertainment have come together as Brian Wilson, the pioneering musical genius who co-founded the Beach Boys and wrote many of the band's greatest hits, has signed with Walt Disney Records.
In the months ahead, Wilson will record two new solo albums for the label's Disney Pearl imprint, including one featuring covers of classic songs by great American songwriters, George and Ira Gershwin. For that recording, the Gershwin estate has given Wilson access to rare, unfinished pieces of music by George Gershwin, with which he will craft collaborative compositions unlike anything the world has seen.
He will follow that with an album of classic Disney songs, which the artist promises to “Brian-ize” with his trademark vocal stacks and unique arrangements. Release dates for each album have yet to be determined.
Said David Agnew, Walt Disney Records president and general manager of the Disney Music Group, “We are honored to be in business with one of the greatest musical artists of all time. It is impossible to overstate the impact Brian has had on contemporary music and culture -- it has been nothing less than profound. We look forward to partnering with Brian on this exciting new voyage in his musical journey.”
“I've always tried to make music that entertained people,” Wilson said. “I also wanted my music to last, to be able to speak to any generation. Thankfully, nearly 50 years since the Beach Boys were born, that seems to have come true. Now, a new musical chapter begins for me, and teaming up with Disney means it's going to be a chapter to remember. I promise.”
Wilson chose to record George and Ira Gershwin songs because he considers the late composers of classics like “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Summertime” as a critical influence on him. “I've always loved George Gershwin. The earliest music I remember hearing is 'Rhapsody in Blue,'” says Wilson, referring to Gershwin's groundbreaking 1924 orchestral piece. “Along with Irving Berlin, Gershwin basically invented the popular song, but he did something more. He had a gift for melody that nobody has ever equaled yet his music is timeless and always accessible. This is the most spiritual project I've ever worked on.”
Said Todd Gershwin (George Gershwin estate) and Michael Owen (Ira Gershwin estate): “The Gershwin families are delighted that the legendary musician Brian Wilson has chosen to record a collection of George and Ira Gershwin songs for his next project. In every generation, American music has been pushed forward by visionaries, from the Gershwin brothers to Brian Wilson. This latest interpretation will be a new opportunity to discover the magic of Gershwin music."
Like Gershwin, Brian Wilson is one of the great composers of the last 100 years. The Southern California native, along with his brothers, a cousin and a friend, formed the Beach Boys while still in his teens. With Wilson as chief songwriter and arranger, the band not only enjoyed dozens of hits, but changed music forever thanks to Brian's innovative melodies and harmonies. Songs like “I Get Around,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “California Girls,” “Wouldn't It Be Nice,” and the #1 smash “Good Vibrations” remain indispensable staples in the rock 'n' roll canon. The band's “Pet Sounds” (1966) is regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time.
Wilson continued to make great music after the Beach Boys, with 10 solo albums including his breathtaking “Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE,” which he began recording in the 1960s and finally completed in 2004 to thunderous critical acclaim and Top 20 chart success (as well as earning a Grammy). A member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center honoree and recipient of multiple Gold and Platinum records, Brian Wilson has earned his well-deserved pop music immortality.
ALICE COOPER’S NEW SINGLE “KEEPIN’ HALLOWEEN ALIVE”
FOR DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION
Theatre of Death World Tour This Fall
Los Angeles, CA – Shout! Factory and Alice Cooper announced an exclusive alliance to bring Alice Cooper’s brand-new Halloween single, “Keepin’ Halloween Alive,” to the digital music entertainment marketplace. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory founding partner and COO Bob Emmer.
Under its agreement with Cooper, Shout! Factory will be the exclusive digital media distributor for Alice Cooper’s new single, “Keepin’ Halloween Alive,” as well as the track’s bonus Karaoke (aka “Cooperoke”) version for digital music downloads
Alice delivers the song with the garage-punk snarl he is best known for, ensuring that it will soon be a Halloween classic. “At home my family all gathers around an old spooky tree decorated with skulls and bones in the living room, and we exchange gifts,” says Cooper. “It’s our holiday. We even all have matching black-and-orange Halloween sweaters! I wanted a theme song for people like me, and for us Halloween never ends. In the chorus I say, ‘I’m keepin’ Halloween alive, baby, 3–6–5’... and I mean it!”
“Keepin’ Halloween Alive,” was co-written and co-produced by Cooper with Piggy D. (a member of Rob Zombie’s band), who played rhythm guitar/backup vocals. Dave Pino (Powerman 5000) is featured on lead guitar, and David Spreng (Bob Dylan, The Bravery) on drums. Of the recording, Cooper says, “We played it live as a band to capture the vibe. It was the easiest work I think any of us have ever done, not to mention a blast!”
“We are thrilled to be working closely again with the legendary Alice Cooper on his new Halloween-themed single and adding to Shout! Factory’s expansive digital audio library,” said Bob Emmer, Shout! Factory founding partner and COO. “Throughout his long and storied career, Cooper has always been a master entertainer and a consummate showman. His connection to the dark and spooky holiday is definitive. It’s great to be working with him as he is crowned the King of Halloween.”
In addition to releasing the new single, Cooper is busy hosting his “Nights with Alice Cooper” radio program, now syndicated on more than 100 stations worldwide and staying on the road with his Theatre of Death world tour—tour dates below. For more information on “Nights with Alice Cooper” please visit www.nightswithalicecooper.com
Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com.
We have previously reported the upcoming release of Betty Davis' unreleased album 'Is It Love Or Desire'. That album will now be joined by a deluxe re-release of her 1975 album 'Nasty Gal'. See below for all the details:
On October 6th Light In The Attic Records will release the never before heard (and never bootlegged) lost album Is It Love Or Desire, as well as reissue the classic third release Nasty Gal, by unparalleled funkstress BettyDavis.
BettyDavis was a musical maverick with a vision. Imagine substance, sex, and grit combined with a badass band that could deliver the funk bed backbone to the sultry music between the sheets.
Ahead of it's time in 1975, Davis' unapologetically uncompromising, self-referential album Nasty Gal showed her digging deeper into her musical and cultural expression that ever before. Riding high with a new record label, a series of high profile relationships, and an intensely sexualized live performance, Davis was poised to take the world by storm. From the title tracks mutant groove to the ballad co-written by one-time husband Miles Davis, Nasty Gal is Hendrix and Sly Stone inspired funk-rock at it's finest.
Is It Love Or Desire (1976), on the other hand, is a little known gem in the Davis catalog. After cutting Nasty Gal for Island Records, Davis recorded her most personal and expressive record to date at Louisiana's remote Studio In The Country. Unfortunately a creative difference with the label caused the record to be unexpectedly shelved and was never released to the public. Now, thirty-plus years later, Light In The Attic is proud to announce that BettyDavis' time has arrived!
Both mastered from the original tapes, Is It Love Or Desire features detailed liner notes by Oliver Wang (Soul Sides), the originally intended risqué artwork housed in a lavishly packaged digipak, rare photos, archival material, and recent interviews with Davis and her skin-tight band Funk House; while the Nasty Gal re-release features new liner notes by John Ballon (Wax Poetics 2007 Davis cover story), original album art, complete lyrics, rare photos, and interviews, all housed in a beautiful foil-stamped digipak.
These releases cement this bold soul sister's undeniable contributions to music and popular culture. Long live BettyDavis!
Here's a quick overview of some of our pick of next month's new releases.
Joe Perry - Have Guitar, Will Travel Roman Records Released: October 6th
2009 release, the fifth solo album from the co-founding member, principal co-songwriter, electrifying lead guitarist and co-producer of Aerosmith. Have Guitar, Will Travel is a 10 song collection that contains the legendary guitarist's trademark Rock and Blues ferocity. From the opening bars of the blazing first track and single 'We've Got A Long Way To Go', which showcases the voice of a young German singer known as Hagen, to classic cuts including 'Freedom', 'Head Kicked In Tonight' and 'Do You Wonder', Have Guitar, Will Travel grabs a hold of you, shakes you and doesn't let go. Perry is planning a 'short, fast, hard tour' with the Joe Perry Project after Have Guitar, Will Travel is released.
Vic Chesnutt - Skitter On Take-Off Vapor Records Released: October 6th
Vic Chesnutt has recorded with many different people for all kinds of labels, but he’s never made an album like his debut on Vapor Records. ‘Skitter On Take-Off’ allows Vic Chesnutt to create his most dramatic album yet, recording devastating songs like “Rips in the Fabric” and “Dick Cheney” live with no overdubs.
Bob Dylan - Christmas In The Heart Columbia Records Released: October 13th
Christmas In The Heart is Bob Dylan’s 47th album. All of his U.S. royalties from sales of these recordings will be donated to Feeding America, guaranteeing that more than four million meals will be provided to more than 1.4 million people in need in this country during the 2009 holiday season. Bob Dylan is also donating all of his future U.S. royalties from this album to Feeding America in perpetuity. Songs performed by Dylan on this new album include, “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Little Drummer Boy” and “Must Be Santa.”
Leonard Cohen - Live From The Isle Of Wight, 1970 (CD/DVD) Sony Legacy Released: October 20th
This CD/DVD package contains the new, beautiful film documentary by Lerner featuring interviews with fellow festival performers, as well as Cohen's full performance on CD. All tracks are previously unreleased (sans bits of "Suzanne" which were featured in the documentary Message to Love, also by Lerner). Included are live versions of classic songs from the first two Leonard Cohen LPs: "So Long, Marianne," "The Stranger Song," "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye," "Suzanne," "Bird On The Wire," "You Know Who I Am," and "The Partisan" as well as spoken word and poetry.
You can also download the new song 'Blanchard' as part of the most recent episode of Insomnia Cafe (Insomnia Friday #6)
The delicious dichotomy between darkness and light, the space between inspiration and the manifestation of thought, is where Hope Sandoval’s music and lyrics catch fire. Through The Devil Softly, her second album with Warm Inventions partner Colm Ó Cíosóig (My Bloody Valentine), is a rich brocade of pastoral meditations that resonate with the kind of restrained yet provocative intimacy that only these two artists can provide. Well known for their reticence in the media, they’ve once again chosen to pour out their hearts and minds on record.
It’s been eight years since the release of the critically acclaimed Bavarian Fruit Bread, but Colm and Hope aren’t ones to adhere to traditional timetables and conventions. “Time is vibrations for us,” he says. “We didn’t feel like [this album] was ready until it was ready.” In the meantime, however, neither artist has been creatively idle. Hope has collaborated with Devendra Banhart, Air, Bert Jansch, Death In Vegas, and is due to appear on Massive Attack’s forthcoming album. And yes, a new Mazzy Star record is on the horizon. (“It’s almost finished,” says Hope, “but when it will be coming out, I don’t know.”) Meanwhile, 2009 saw the reunion of My Bloody Valentine for a select group of live shows, kicking off with an incendiary performance at this year’s Coachella Festival.
“It’s like the opposite ends of the spectrum,” says Cíosóig of the difference between MBV and his work with Sandoval. “I play very held back, but there’s a tension to it.”
Written and recorded over the past two years in both Northern California and the Wicklow Mountains of southeast Ireland, Through The Devil Softly sees Sandoval and Ó Cíosóig sharing production and engineering credits, with Dave Trumfio (Wilco, The Rentals) and Jim Putnam of the Radar Brothers assisting in the mix. Other guests of note include Mazzy Star keyboardist Suki Ewers and cellist Ji Young Moon, who provides the solo on the sublime “Thinking Like That.” But the album’s most broad brush addition comes courtesy of Ireland’s Dirt Blue Gene, the group who tracked the recordings with Sandoval and Ó Cíosóig, and will accompany them on their upcoming tour. While the simplicity of “Lady Jessica and Sam” and the bucolic beauty of “Fall Aside” represent one facet of the record, Dirt Blue Gene help inject an undulating, sultry swagger into songs like “Trouble” and “For The Rest Of Your Life” that compliments the album’s more delicate passages. Elsewhere, autoharps, vibraphones, slide guitars, and crystalline bell chimes flicker across the tape heads like shadows, used so sparingly at times that their sound is barely audible above Hope’s hushed inflection. On “There’s A Willow,” her verses are carried on the back of a simple, singular cymbal, cresting and falling like ocean waves. Meandering guitar and harmonica parts waltz together like old lovers, while the distant knocking of a solitary woodblock and the tapping of a tom provide the only cadence. “I merely standing on holes in the ground. If I fall, well they’ll never know I’m found,” she coos on “Banchard.” Later she muses, “I play death in the space of my life. That’s how I feel, and I never think it twice,” and you’re left to wonder if she’s ruminating on her own taciturn nature. As with the album’s title, the words are not there to be explained. They’re to be felt and interpreted. The mystery is magnetic.
“We just make music for ourselves,” says Colm. “We don’t really pay attention to what’s going on in the big world when it comes to pop music or anything.”
Anyone whose seen Sandoval perform live, either with Mazzy Star or the Warm Inventions, can attest to that intimacy. Often shrouded in low light, she rarely communicates with the crowd outside the boundaries of a song. “I go into myself, close myself off,” says Hope of her relationship with audiences. “But I do know that they’re there.”
Rife with lush sonics and textures, Through The Devil Softly is a deliberate body of work that gently solicits your patience, and like the cover photograph, it’s creators reveal very little so that the art can reveal so much.
On October 12th, a new Michael song will be released entitled ‘This Is It’. There is also a two disc album available from October 27th which includes a spoken poem from Michael entited ‘Planet Earth’. Below is the official information relating to the releases.
On October 12th, the first new Michael Jackson song to emerge since the world mourned the loss of this musical icon will be released - a brand new single entitled “This Is It.” Soon after, Sony Music Entertainment’s Columbia/Epic Label Group will release the two-disc album This Is It featuring the music that inspired Sony Pictures’ forthcoming film MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT. This two-disc album will be available internationally on October 26th and North America on October 27th to coincide with the worldwide release of the motion picture which arrives in theaters on October 28th and runs for a limited two-week engagement.
“This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows - that Michael is one of God’s greatest gifts, “comments John McClain, co-producer of the album.
Disc one will feature the original album masters of some of Michael’s biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of the never-released “This Is It.” This song is featured in the film’s closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael’s brothers, the Jacksons.
Disc two offers previously unreleased versions of some of the artist’s classic tracks. This disc also features a touching spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled “Planet Earth” that has never been heard before.
The two-disc This is It is a stand-alone companion to the motion picture and includes a 36-page, commemorative booklet featuring exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal.
The motion picture MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London’s O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a chance to discover the man they never knew through this privileged and private look at Jackson. In raw and candid detail, MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show.
Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson’s creative partner and the director of the stage show is also directing the film, which is being produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware. Executive producers are John Branca and John McClain. The film will be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Tickets for the limited two-week engagement of the film go on sale beginning September 27. For more information about the motion picture, please visit the website www.thisisit-movie.com
After nearly two decades writing and recording some of her generation’s most emotionally powerful music, Tori Amos will release her first seasonal album, Midwinter Graces, on November 10 via Universal Republic. A follow up to Tori’s critically acclaimed studio album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, Midwinter Graces will find Tori reworking and expanding on classic carols as well as developing some of her very own seasonal tracks.
Midwinter Graces is an album that has been in the making for the past 40 years. Raised in the Baltimore area under the watchful eye of her Methodist minister father, Tori grew up playing holiday carols at Sunday services and Christmas Day celebrations in her father’s church. These were the songs that gave a young Tori her first taste of music, and now almost 40 years later Tori gets her own chance to reimagine the classics.
Midwinter Graces Tracklist: What Child, Nowell Star of Wonder A Silent Night with You Candle: Coventry Carol Holly, Ivy, and Rose Harps of Gold Snow Angel Jeanette, Isabella Pink and Glitter Emmanuel Winter’s Carol Our New Year
I'm happy to finally announce the plans for the new Smashing Pumpkins album.
Recording began yesterday, September 15th, 2009 on the new record which will be entitled 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope'. The album will feature 44 songs, 4 of which are now being recorded. My desire is to release a song at a time beginning around Halloween of this year, with each new release coming shortly after until all 44 are out. Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached. Free will mean free, which means you won't have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish.
We will however sell highly limited edition EP's (of 4 songs each times 11), and details of how those EP's will be made available are still being worked out. Because the songs themselves will be free, the EP's will be more like collectors items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EP's will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal cd single. We may also offer other variations for sale, say for example a digital single with a demo version of a song. The commitment that is most important is the one I'm making to you: that the music of 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope' will be available for free to everyone. All 44 songs: free for ALL.
When the entire album is finished, it will be compiled into a deluxe box set which will also be made available for sale. Those who have bought the EP's need not worry, as the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces.
The story of the album is based on 'The Fool's Journey', as signified in the progress of the Tarot. It is my intention to approach this by breaking down the journey of our life here into four phases as made by these different characters; the Child, the Fool, the Skeptic, and the Mystic.
The music of 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope' harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins: atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.
I already have 53 songs written for the record, so I am quite confident that I already have much of the material that I would need to undertake such an extensive project. I am very committed to seeing this album through to its completion and very, very excited about the prospect of delivering new Smashing Pumpkins music to you in a unique and exciting way.
Co-founding member, principal co-songwriter, lead guitarist and co-producer of Aerosmith, JOE PERRY, will release his fifth solo CD Have Guitar, Will Travel on Tuesday, October 6th. The hard driving, ten-song, in your face, collection features Perry’s trademark rock and blues ferocity, as well as the CD’s first single, the blazing “We’ve Got A Long Way To Go,” set for release later this summer. Recorded this past spring at the BoneYard, Perry's state-of-the-art home studio, where Aerosmith’s Honkin’ On Bobo and Just Push Play were recorded, Have Guitar, Will Travel is entirely written and produced by Perry.
Still as scorching hot on guitar as he is preternaturally cool in his persona, Have Guitar, Will Travel is a departure for Perry in that the CD was conceived as a band recording. From start to finish it took only forty-seven days to complete. "Making this record in such a short period of time gave us a chance to capture an energy and flow that was very different from the last record,” said Perry. “The way the players came together at a time when I had the music and lyrics in my head ready to go was pure synchronicity. The last record rocked, but this one rocks and then some. I’m really proud of it.
“We’ve Got A Long Way To Go,” the CDs first single, showcases the voice of a young German singer known as Hagen, found completely by chance on YouTube by Joe’s wife Billie. “I first called him from Cleveland when I went to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Jam with Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ron Wood, Flea and Metallica,” said Perry. “It took several minutes to convince him that it wasn’t a prank call, but a true invitation to audition to sing on the CD.” Hagen mans the microphone for five tracks, while Perry sings lead on four. The remaining tenth song is an instrumental entitled “Wooden Ships.”
In addition, Perry attracted an esteemed roster of some of the best players that the music world has to offer; bassist David Hull, who played with The Buddy Miles Band at 19 and was in the Joe Perry Project in the 80s, drummer Ben Tileston, a Boston University percussion graduate, who plays drums with two of Perry’s sons in TAB The Band, Paul Santo, whose played Hammond Organ/Pipe Organ with the likes of Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Ozzy Osbourne, drummers Scott Meeder and Marty Richards and Willie “Loco” Alexander, Boston’s “Godfather of Punk,” who was part of the Bostown sound of the band “the Bagatelle.”
A six-week Twitter search was conducted to find the CDs title. The winner, out of nearly 2000 entries, was Joe Piscitelli, who used a play on the old CBS television program “Have Gun – Will Travel.”
The release of Have Guitar, Will Travel follows self-produced solo releases including Let The Music Do The Talking (1980), Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker (1983), I've Got The Rock 'N' Rolls Again (1981) and 2005’s Joe Perry, which received universal critical praise and earned Perry his first solo Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Song (“Mercy”).
Perry is planning a “short, fast, hard tour” with the Joe Perry Project.
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