NICOLE ATKINS signs to Razor & Tie

Nicole Atkins is a name that will be very familiar to long term blog readers and podcast listeners. Besides twice featuring her music on the show, we gave her first ever Dutch gig a glowing review, and named her debut album (the sublime 'Neptune City') our favourite album of 2007. Recently Razor + Tie records made the following announcement:

Razor & Tie is excited to announce the signing of Nicole Atkins, a Brooklyn, New York based songstress. Nicole is bringing her unique voice and crooner core sound to Razor & Tie, who will release Atkins’ second album in early 2011.

Formerly signed to Columbia Records, Nicole Atkins and her edgy personality have found an exciting new home with New York City based independent label Razor & Tie. Nicole’s powerful, one of a kind voice transcends genres and allows her to feel at home touring with indie musicians to classic rockers.

“I’m so excited to be working with Nicole; I’ve followed her career for years. This is one of those moments when the fan inside of me gets to work with one of my favorite artists,” stated Beka Tischker, Razor & Tie’s Vice President of A&R and Music Publishing. Nicole echoed the sentiment, “I’m really happy to be working with a group of people that share my musical vision and who are so supportive.”

On the new album, Nicole reveals her growth as a singer and songwriter with a sophisticated batch of new songs. Be prepared for a darker, grittier album with a bluesy, psychedelic sound that still showcases the stunning range and richness of tone that Nicole’s voice is known for.

Nicole Atkins grew up in Neptune, New Jersey where she began playing the guitar and writing songs at age 13. She spent her younger years listening to classic artists such as Traffic and Pink Floyd instead of the bubblegum pop that was popular amongst her peers. Eclectic music taste helped shape the sounds on her previous releases, the full length album Neptune City, and two EP’s Bleeding Diamonds and Nicole Atkins Digs Other People’s Songs.

Nicole is currently recording in Brooklyn, New York with producer Phil Palazzolo. Once the album has been mixed, Nicole will be joining Regina Spektor for several UK shows, followed by a west coast US tour supporting The Black Keys. Nicole has previously toured with The Avett Brothers, AC Newman, Ray Davies, Aimee Mann, and Chris Isaak.

The signing of Nicole Atkins reflects Razor & Tie’s commitment to a growing and diverse artist roster which includes Dave Barnes, All That Remains, Dead Confederate, Norma Jean, and The Summer Set. The New York-based label is one of the fastest growing independent record companies in the United States, and has garnered both Platinum sales and Grammy awards in its 20 year history.

It has now been revealed that the new album's title will be 'Mondo Amore'.

Visit www.nicoleatkins.com

DAR WILLIAMS to release 'Many Great Companions', October 12th

Dar Williams is set to release her eighth studio album, Many Great Companions, via Razor & Tie on October 12th. Many Great Companions is a new album of Dar Williams classics recorded acoustically with special guests, with an additional disc of Williams' most significant songs. Songs span Dar's impressive career from 1993's The Honesty Room through 2008's Promised Land.

On Songs Revisited With Guitar and a Few Friends, Dar re-records 12 classic songs from her extensive catalogue, all performed acoustically. She's joined by several fellow musicians and friends on the new versions, including Sean and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Larkin, Motherlode, and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks who also produced the album. The second disc, Best of Dar Williams, is not just a compilation, but rather a journey through Dar's career. Listeners are able to follow Dar as she transforms from a folk singer just starting out to the seasoned musician she is today.

Many Great Companions showcases classic Dar Williams in a remarkably unique way, different than anything the songstress has ever put out before. Dar's personal and artistic growth can be seen throughout her career, and this album is the perfect summation of her natural evolution. Songs Revisited With Guitar and a Few Friends and Best of Dar Williams complement each other flawlessly, creating the memorable Many Great Companions. The new album will not only engage and interest Dar's current fan base, but will surely intrigue those who may not be as familiar with her prior music.

Dar Williams is one of the most respected singer-songwriters of her generation, and continues to engage her loyal fans and growing audience throughout the country. Dar's personal and artistic growth have happened concurrently. After attending Wesleyan University, Dar spent 10 years performing at coffee houses in the artistic town of Northampton, Massachusetts before self-releasing her first album, The Honesty Room. She now spends her off time with husband Michael and their two children, Stephen and Taya. Dar will be touring from September through November, with residencies in a few select cities.

For more information, visit www.darwilliams.com.

New Holiday music offerings on the way from Shelby Lynne, Annie Lennox

Two iconic female singer songwriters will be releasing their first full-length Christmas albums later this year. Shelby Lynne (who's most recent studio album 'Tears, Lies and Alibis' also sees a belated UK release this week) and Annie Lennox will both be vying to be the soundtrack to your Yuletide. Hopefully we'll be able to play you a track from each of these on our annual holiday podcast this December. More info below!

SHELBY LYNNE’S MERRY CHRISTMAS

GRAMMY® winner Shelby Lynne will release Merry Christmas, her first-ever holiday collection, on October 12th. The album will mark her second release on her own independent label, EVERSO RECORDS, which is distributed through Fontana, the award-winning independent distribution division of Universal Music Group. Tears, Lies, And Alibis, EVERSO’s first release, debuted at No. 16 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart earlier this year. It became a Top 10 hit at Americana radio and was hailed by Newsday as “her strongest album in a decade,” a sentiment echoed by numerous critics.

From its cover – a photograph of Shelby at age four, playing in the snow in her Mobile, Alabama front yard – to the music, Merry Christmas is a warm and heartfelt collection. Rootsy and off-the-cuff, it has an immediacy that makes you feel like you’ve joined Lynne and her musician pals around the hearth.

“I’ve always wanted to do a Christmas record and now that I have my own label, the time seemed right,” says Lynne, who produced the album and penned two original songs for it.

She’s been called “one of the greatest voices of her generation” (The Aquarian Weekly) and when she kicks off the festivities with a stanza of richly layered acapella vocals on the medley “Sleigh Ride/Winter Wonderland,” it’s clear why. Childhood favorites like “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” are playful and vibrant while Lynne brings a subtle majesty to the traditional Christmas carols “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night.” Her two new compositionscapture both sides of the season. ”Ain’t Nothin’ Like Christmas” is a rollicking celebration of all its joys:

“Ain’t nothin’ like Christmas, baby

Don’t come but once a year

Ain’t nothin’ like Christmas, baby

With carols and good cheer

Ain’t nothin’ like Christmas, baby

Let’s meet around the tree

I’ll bring the nog, you put on a log

It’s a Christmas party.”

On the flipside, “Xmas” acknowledges that not all of our holiday memories are happy ones. The song builds from a slow burn to a blistering finale as Lynne engages in a mesmerizing call-and-response with special guest Dave Koz, whose soulful saxophone lines accentuate her bluesy vocals.

Other highlights include a dreamy version of “Christmas Time Is Here” from one of Shelby’s favorite Christmas albums, the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas, and an exuberant version of “Christmastime’s a Comin’,” a song she heard bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe perform years ago. “I liked its back porch, family vibe,” Lynne recalls.

A stellar group of backing musicians help give Merry Christmas its down-home vibe, including: John Jackson (acoustic, electric and slide guitars, percussion); Mike Ward (acoustic and electric guitars); Gregg Field (drums); Marc Doten (upright bass); Dave Palmer (Wurlitzer, piano); Ben Peeler (mandolin, steel guitar); Val McCallum (harmonica, acoustic guitar) and Jim Honeyman (clarinet, flute). Brian Harrison engineered the album.

At 18, Lynne’s demos landed her an appearance on TNN s Nashville Now series, which led to a Top 50 duet ("If I Could Bottle This Up") with George Jones and a record deal. On the strength of 2000’s I Am Shelby Lynne, she won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist. Love, Shelby was released in 2001, followed by a pair of intimate, self-produced albums – Identity Crisis (2003) and Suit Yourself (2005). She made her acting debut in 2005, playing Johnny Cash’s mother in the Fox Searchlight motion picture Walk the Line. Just a Little Lovin’, her critically acclaimed tribute to Dusty Springfield, was released in 2008. Lynne has been on the road since Tears, Lies, And Alibis was released in April. For upcoming dates, please visit http://www.shelbylynne.com/.

Merry Christmas – Track Listing

1. Sleigh Ride/Winter Wonderland

2. Ain’t Nothin’ Like Christmas
3. Christmas Time Is Here
4. Silver Bells
5. Christmastime’s a Comin’
6. O Holy Night
7. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
8. Xmas
9. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
10. Silent Night
11. White Christmas

Visit www.shelbylynne.com for pre-order info and tour dates.

ANNIE LENNOX'S 'A CHRISTMAS CORNUCOPIA'

Internationally renowned recording artist, songwriter and musician Annie Lennox has signed with Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company, for a long-term worldwide recording agreement.

As one of the world’s most successful and critically-acclaimed British female artists in pop music history, Ms. Lennox will release her brand new album, “A Christmas Cornucopia,” on November 22nd through Island Records UK and Decca Records in the US and the rest of the world.
The album features Ms. Lennox’s unique and personal interpretations of some of her favorite Christmas carols as well as a completely new, and wonderful, original composition entitled, “Universal Child.”

“I’m absolutely delighted to be working with Island Records on my upcoming recording,” stated Ms. Lennox. “This album is something I’ve wanted to do for many years. It’s a true labour of love, and I feel very fortunate to be in partnership with such a cutting edge team, especially when I’m at a stage in my creativity when I want to diversify, and pursue my passion in my own individual way. I’ve never been part of a “mold,” and Island are really supportive and appreciative of where I’m coming from. I want to make timeless music that people will love in many years to come…and I’d like to think that “A Christmas Cornucopia” is going to be of those recordings.”

“There are precious few artists who redefine the boundaries of popular music like Annie,” said Lucian Grainge, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music Group. “And we are delighted to be part of the next exciting chapter in her already storied career.”

“Annie Lennox is one of world’s greatest singers,” commented Ms. Lennox’s manager Simon Fuller. “She has sold tens of millions of albums, celebrated countless hit singles and won every major award and honour there is to receive. However there is one thing she has always wanted to do and now it’s about to happen. Annie has always wanted to record an album of Christmas songs and to see this finally come to fruition is very special. Annie and I are thrilled to now be working with Island Records and all my friends at Universal around the world. We are looking forward very much to a long, happy and successful partnership for many years to come.”

“The album Annie has recorded is timeless and inspiring, a very special showcase for her extraordinary voice,” added Universal Music UK chairman David Joseph. “This record is just the start of what feels like a natural, and very exciting, new partnership between Annie and Island Records.”

Throughout her remarkable career, Annie Lennox has been celebrated as an innovator, and a symbol of enduring excellence. Both as a member of the groundbreaking Eurythmics and as a solo artist without peer, Annie has amassed sales of more than 80 million albums worldwide and claimed 34 hit singles, four Grammy Awards, 11 Brit Awards, five Ivor Novellos, an Academy Award and two Golden Globes.

Visit www.AnnieLennox.com for more information.

R.E.M. announce Live At Austin City Limits DVD release

Veteran alt-rock favorites R.E.M. recently reported that work on their forthcoming album is complete. A Spring 2011 release date is being targeted for what will be their 15th full length studio release.

In the meantime, the band have announced that New West Records will release R.E.M. Live From Austin, TX, the latest DVD from the acclaimed PBS Austin City Limits (ACL) television series, on October 26, 2010. Taken from the band's March 13, 2008 ACL concert, which has been edited into an hour TV show, the DVD contains an extended performance including three songs never aired on the original broadcast. The 17 songs have been re-mixed and re-mastered in LPCM stereo and DTS-HD 5.1 surround sound to provide the highest-quality concert DVD available.

R.E.M. Live From Austin, TX, captures the band "at a pivotal moment in their career," says ACL producer Terry Lickona. The DVD, Lickona adds, presents a band "still breaking new ground and still doing it their way." R.E.M. Live From Austin, TX clocks in at just over an hour and features songs spanning the band's career up to their most recent album Accelerate.

Austin City Limits, the longest-running music show in American television, will re-air the original broadcast of the performance on November 27th, 2010. Check local PBS listings for broadcast information.

Tracklisting:
1. Living Well Is The Best Revenge
2. Man-Sized Wreath
3. Drive
4. So. Central Rain (previously not broadcast)
5. Accelerate
6. Fall On Me (previously not broadcast)
7. Hollow Man
8. Electrolite
9. Houston
10. Supernatural Superserious
11. Bad Day
12. Losing My Religion
13. I'm Gonna DJ
14. Horse To Water
15. Imitation Of Life (previously not broadcast)
16. Until The Day Is Done
17. Man On The Moon

Visit REMHQ.com for more info/pre-order details.

Paul McCartney & Wings' legendary 'Band On The Run' album to be rereleased

Paul's Epic #1 Album From 1973 Will Be Available In Multiple Configurations Featuring Remastered Rare Bonus Audio & Video Content With Special Exclusive Packaging

Available November 1st in the UK November 2nd in the US


MPL and the Concord Music Group are pleased to announce the re-release of Paul McCartney & Wings’ iconic Band on the Run. Heralded as one of the greatest albums of all time, the GRAMMY winning, smash # 1 album - originally released December of 1973 - yielded the immortal title track and world-wide hit “Jet” becoming Wings’ most successful and celebrated album ever.

Paul personally supervised all aspects of the Band on the Run reissue. The remastering work was done at Abbey Road using the same team who recently remastered the complete Beatles’ catalog.

Band on the Run will be available in a variety of formats originating with the single disc digitally remastered, essential 9-track standard edition. The 3 disc (2CD, 1 DVD) special edition features nine bonus audio tracks (including the top 10 smash “Helen Wheels”), rare footage of the McCartneys in Lagos and behind-the-scenes at the famous album cover shoot, original Band on the Run promotional video clips, the One Hand Clapping television special (highlighted by studio performances filmed at Abbey Road in 1974) all with beautifully enhanced packaging. Collectors will be especially thrilled by the 4 disc (3CD, 1 DVD) deluxe edition which adds an extraordinary 120-page hard bound book containing many unseen and unpublished photos by Linda McCartney and Clive Arrowsmith, album and single artwork, downloadable hi-res audio versions of the remastered album and bonus audio tracks, a full history of the album complete with a new interview with Paul and expanded track by track information for all four discs. The deluxe edition also includes a special Band on the Run audio documentary (originally produced for the 25th Anniversary edition.) The original remastered album and bonus audio content will also be issued in a 2 disc 180gm audiophile vinyl edition that comes with an MP3 download of all 18 tracks. Lastly, the standard and deluxe versions of Band on the Run will be available digitally worldwide.

The musical achievement of Band on the Run is nearly matched by the amazing story behind its creation. Intrigued with recording abroad in the summer of 1973, McCartney searched for a list of studios around the world. Spotting one in the remote location of Lagos, Nigeria, he became enthralled with the idea of recording in Africa. Days before departure, lead guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell quit the band leaving the entire project to the three core members, Paul, his wife Linda McCartney and band-member Denny Laine (along with recording engineer Geoff Emerick). Recorded in August and September of 1973 (with further work done at AIR Studios in London in October 1973), they persevered through a tumultuous, yet creatively invigorating 2 month recording process battling difficult studio conditions, oppressive heat and a dangerous mugging at knife point. The thieves made off with the demo tapes (among other valuables), forcing the band to record the entire album from memory.


Band on the Run triumphed both critically and commercially. The album topped the US album chart 3 separate times, won a Grammy and went on to sell more than 7 million copies. Upon the release of Band on the Run, then Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Landau famously gushed, “The finest record yet released by any of the four musicians who were once called The Beatles.”

Paul is currently playing five songs from the album on his ‘Up and Coming Tour’. Live favorites over the last 8 years of touring have included “Jet”, “Band on the Run” and “Let Me Roll It”. In 2008 when Paul played a free outdoor show to over 500,000 people in Kiev, a Ukrainian poll listed “Mrs Vandebilt” as their all time favorite Paul McCartney song. It’s been included in the set ever since. At the start of this tour Paul added “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” to the set.

Band on the Run marks the first release from the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, an ambitious reissue program that encompasses 40 years of cherished, classic material from the most successful songwriter and recording artist in music history. It’s also the initial physical release of the recently announced agreement between McCartney’s MPL and Concord Music Group to globally market and distribute Paul’s venerated solo and Wings catalogue.

Robert Plant to release 'Band Of Joy' this month

Robert Plant - Band Of Joy
Available everywhere September 13th 2010

When Robert Plant collected the 2009 Grammy for Album of the Year
for Raising Sand, and a further five more for his work with bluegrass singer
Alison Krauss, it confirmed what has been apparent all along - that Plant is
one of the few musicians of his generation whose appetite
for musical innovation remains keen.

His critically-acclaimed new album Band Of Joy was recorded at Gillian Welch and David Rawlings' Woodland studio in Nashville, an important hub from the Seventies which the duo rescued from oblivion. Despite Plant's name being above the title, it's clearly a collective endeavour by him and the musicians, built on mutual sensitivity.

"I found it incredibly refreshing, the lightness of it all was wonderful," he recalls. "And I didn't want to lose the essence of that. After all the things I've done, the idea of just stepping forward with other people and letting them take the lead, is an exciting prospect. And with Buddy, Patty and Darrell on this record, it promises to be exciting... Nothing is daunting for me - but forever challenging. I have to be able to just get out there into the great drift of music and possibility, and hang onto great themes and ideas."

Visit www.robertplant.com to hear samples and order now.