Friday, July 22, 2011

SHWAYZE & CISCO ADLER RELEASE "YOU COULD BE MY GIRL" WITH BONUS TRACK TODAY

 Shwayze & Cisco Adler's first single "You Could Be My Girl" (ft. Uli Bella of Ozomatli on horns), with bonus track "Island In The Sun"  was released today on all digital platforms ( click here to purchase ).  These two summertime anthems will definitely keep the warm weather vibes flowing until the album drops later this summer.

Island In The Sun (produced by Adler) is the first album on his newly formed label, Bananabeat Records, in a joint venture with The Orchard, an independent music and video distributor.

Bananabeat is a one-stop artist collective which includes recording and TV production facilities, as well as divisions for Internet and street marketing, brand alliances, tour promotion, management and booking.  

Shwayze & Cisco have accomplished quite a great deal since their momentous meeting just three short years ago. 

"We just want people to know that 2011 is the summer of Shwayze & Cisco," says Adler.  Adds Shwayze, "We are excited to share new music with fans and tour this summer." 

Shwayze & Cisco will hit the road this week on the Seedless Summer 2011 Tour with Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution. The tour kicks off this Thursday, July 21st in Missoula, MT and concludes September 17th in Irvine, CA

For complete list of dates and more information go to:

 

Deborah Allen to Release New Album 'Hear Me Now' Aug. 16

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and performer Deborah Allen is releasing her long-anticipated new album, titled Hear Me Now, on Aug. 16.

Hear Me Now
 includes Allen's current single, the danceable Country-shuffle "Anything Other Than Love," which continues its steady climb up the Music Row chart.  The 12 songs on the album reflect Allen's overall versatility as a singer and songwriter, as well as her trademark ability to incorporate elements of Country, Blues, Pop, Rock and Gospel into a cohesive piece of art.  Allen also produced nine of the album's 12 tracks.

"Each song on Hear Me Now is a musical journey, and together they make one of my favorite collections of music I have ever released," says Allen.  "I know it's been a while since my last record, so I thought it would be appropriate for my new album to be called Hear Me Now.  When you are listening to these songs, know that you are listening to a little piece of my heart!" 

Allen is accompanied on Hear Me Now by some of Nashville's finest songwriters and musicians, including Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member Gary Burr ("Anything Other Than Love" co-writer), and nomineeGary Nicholson, 12-time ACM Guitarist of the Year and two-time CMA Musician of the Year Brent Mason, ACM Keyboard Player of the Year Michael Rojas, ACM Guitarist of the Year Brent Rowan and legendary songwriter/producer Bobby Braddock, who produced three songs on the album ("All That I Want," "Last Time For Everything," "What Makes A Woman").  Marty Stuart drummer Harry Stinson, former Shenandoah vocalist Curtis Wright and Pebe Sebert (mother of Pop star Ke$ha) also contribute material as songwriters on Hear Me Now.

"Deborah is singing better than ever, which is saying a lot!" says Braddock.  "'Anything Other Than Love' is one of the best Country singles in years.  It just keeps rockin' my brain!"

Hear Me Now opens with one of Allen's favorite new songs, the powerful and poignant ballad "Amazing Graceland," which the Delta singer wrote after her first visit inside Elvis' Graceland mansion two years ago. 

"I could feel Elvis' spirit in every room," says Allen, who was born and raised in Memphis.  "I was so moved.  On the way back to Nashville, the one word that kept going through my head was 'amazing.'  As soon as I walked in my back door, I went straight to the piano and began writing this song as a tribute for the international legend, my hometown hero and the beautiful place he called home."

The Aug. 16 release of Hear Me Now coincides with Elvis week, held in Memphis Aug. 10-16.  Allen will appear at numerous events during the week, including a performance at George Klein's Memphis Mafia Reunion on Aug. 14 and an appearance at the Elvis Candlelight Vigil on Aug. 16.

As an artist with career hits like "Baby I Lied," "I've Been Wrong Before," "Rock Me" and "I Hurt For You," Deborah Allen is a two-time Grammy nominee and a recipient of multiple BMI Millionaire Airplay awards.  As one of Nashville's most versatile songwriters, Allen has a catalog of more than 1,600 published songs, including cuts for LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless, John Conlee, Janie Fricke, Isaac Hayes, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Fleetwood Mac and others. 

Hear Me Now will be available Aug. 16 at retail stores and through all major digital outlets, including iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody and more.  The album is released in a joint venture with Nashville-based digital label, GMV Nashville.

For more information, visit www.DeborahAllen.com

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Lady Antebellum Reveals New Album Details!

Multi-PLATINUM country music group Lady Antebellum is sharing new details today on their forthcoming third Capitol Nashville studio album OWN THE NIGHT, in stores Sept. 13

After sweeping the 2011 GRAMMY Awards earlier this year, the singer/songwriters returned to Nashville to focus on writing and recording the follow up to their top selling NEED YOU NOW.  The trio penned 10 of the new disc's 12 tracks, including their fastest rising and current Top 10 single "Just A Kiss."  Collaborating again with veteran producer Paul Worley, Lady Antebellum's Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott also return as co-producers.

"We're definitely more in tune with each other musically and personally than ever," said Haywood. "It's an exciting place to be. This album was created from the ground up—we are writing these songs, playing these instruments and creating these arrangements.  With OWN THE NIGHT, more than ever before, I think we share a real feeling of accomplishment both as a band and as friends."

"Our only hope and expectation for this record is that it will build on the first two," adds Charles Kelley.  "At the end of the day, we just want our fans to be able to say that we continue to give them solid albums with solid songs they can enjoy from start to finish."

OWN THE NIGHT Track List:

1. We Owned The Night

2. Just A Kiss

3. Dancin' Away With My Heart

4. Friday Night

5. When You Were Mine

6. Cold As Stone 

7. Singing Me Home 

8. Wanted You More

9. As You Turn Away

10. The Love I've Found In You

11. Somewhere Love Remains

12. The Heart Of The World

OWN THE NIGHT's lead and record breaking track "Just A Kiss" climbs to No. six on Billboard's Country Singles chart this week. The new album follows the band's GRAMMY winning second disc NEED YOU NOW. Since its release in Jan. 2010, the album has sold over five million copies across the globe, spawned three multi-week No. one hits ("Need You Now," "American Honey," "Our Kind of Love"), taken home five GRAMMY Awards and scored over a dozen other award show trophies.  
 
For updates on OWN THE NIGHT and for a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.

Jason Aldean Scores 3rd Consecutive #1 with Brantley Gilbert's "Dirt Road Anthem!"

 Country rocker Jason Aldean scores his seventh No. one song as "Dirt Road Anthem" drives into the top slot on the Billboard Country Songs chart this week.  The third consecutive PLATINUM release off Country's best-selling album of 2011, MY KINDA PARTY, the track also tops the Country Digital Singles Chart again this week with over 1.3 million singles sold to date.  The song also marks the second consecutive No. one Aldean release written by Athens, GA's Brantley Gilbert.

"We definitely knew when we recorded this song, we'd turn some heads.  Thankfully, when they turned, they also started nodding along," laughs Aldean.  "It's been a great song to play live and also to be able to do some experimenting with for tv performances and things like that.  I love being able to put out a big ballad like our duet with Kelly and come back with something a little different the next time.   I don't want anyone to ever think they've got me figured out exactly!"

Simultaneously, Aldean's duet with pop powerhouse Kelly Clarkson "Don't You Wanna Stay" continues to climb the AC, Hot AC and Top 40 charts.  Both songs follow the success of the lead single "My Kinda Party," making this the third consecutive No. one hit from Aldean's fourth studio effort.

Aldean spent this last week in Phoenix at the Major League Baseball's All Star Week, where he played in the Celebrity and Legends softball game and performed on ESPN's broadcast of the 2011 Homerun Derby.  He is also featured this month in ESPN magazine's celebrity series "Fans Like Us" with Justin Timberlake, John Legend and more.  Click here to see behind the scenes of the photo shoot with Aldean and Kenny Mayne:  http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/6761993/celebrities-justin-timberlake-john-legend-eliza-dushku-showcase-their-fan-allegiances-espn-magazine

Aldean's MY KINDA PARTY TOUR continues to crisscross the country selling out the nation's biggest amphitheaters with openers Chris Young and Thompson Square.  For more information and a full list of tour dates, visit www.jasonaldean.com

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Primus Plot Fall Tour in Support of "Green Naugahyde"

Primus is excited to announce a fall tour in support of Green Naugahyde, its first studio album in 11 years out September 13, 2011 on ATO Records and Prawn Songs. An evening with Primus, featuring two full sets, begins on September 23rd in Boston, makes its way west, and ends on October 22nd in Los Angeles. A presale for the tour is now available at clubbastardo.com.

 

Green Naugahyde was produced and engineered by Les Claypool in his personal studio, Rancho Relaxo, in Northern California, and features Claypool, long-time guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Lane was in an early lineup of the band, and was also in Sausage, a 1994 reunion of the 1988 Primus lineup.Green Naugahyde expands on Primus' incomparable sound and also sees them bringing it into the next millennium. It is a cerebral and complex album that, like all of the band's output, is teeming with the band's signature blend of whimsy and underlying darkness.

 

For the past 27 years, Primus have followed in the footsteps of boundary-pushing artists like Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd to create some of the most original and inventive music in existence. Green Naugahyde is a Primus record with all of the magic and mystery that phrase entails-and while no one can say for sure what the future will hold in store for the band, the most important thing is that the album exists and will inevitably hold its own in the band's impressive cannon of music.

 

9/23 - The Orpheum - Boston, MA

9/26 - The National - Richmond, VA

9/27 - Palace Theatre - Albany, NY

9/30 - Roseland Ballroom - New York, NY

10/1 - Tower Theatre - Upper Darby, PA

10/2 - State Theatre - Portland, ME

10/4 - Metropolis - Monteal, QE

10/5 - Massey Hall - Toronto, ON 

10/7 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA

10/8 - Main Street Armory - Rochester, NY

10/10 - Louisville Palace - Louisville, KY

10/11 - Michigan Theater - Ann Arbor, MI

10/13 - Orpheum Theater - Madison, WI

10/14 - The Congress - Chicago, IL

10/15 - Val Air Ballroom - Des Moines, IA

10/17 - Ogden - Denver, CO

10/18 - Ogden - Denver, CO

10/20 - Mesa Amphitheater - Mesa, AZ

10/22 - The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA

Mandala to Release Debut Album The Visitation in October


Mandala, the moniker of the musical project started by London's Cameron McLain, are set to release their debut record The Visitation in October via The Odes records. The Visitation is a unique musical statement, which manages to draw on different musical styles while creating a unified musical world where humor, tragedy, and sensuality are all equally present. Cameron's warm and soulful voice narrates this world and carries us through it by the hand. The Visitation will be followed by an extensive US and European tour. Tour dates to be announced.

Cameron McClain grew up in London, going to high school alongside many now-famous UK folk musicians, including Winston from Mumford & Sons, Charlie Fink and Tom Hobden of Noah & The Whale, and even had a band with Andrew Davie of Cherbourg. Cameron was around at the beginning stages of this now world-famous UK folk scene, performing at some of the early country nights at The Bosun's Locker.

But, instead of pursuing the musician's life, at the age of 18 Cameron felt another calling, and packed his bags to cross the ocean to study Religion and Philosophy at Princeton University. He wrote an award-winning thesis that explored the connection between Mahayana Buddhism and the work of Nathaniel Dorsky, Jack Kerouac and John Cage. During his time at Princeton, Cameron would come to study the art of songwriting with Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon and composition with Paul Lansky, a famous music professor whose musical works have been sampled by Radiohead. Cameron was a regular attendee of a community music night (The Beginning and the End) hosted by his friend Nicole Velasco and it was at these weekly late night communions that his songwriting really began to take shape.

"The whole experience at Princeton, certain things going on in my life at the time, and everything I was reading left me feeling a bit isolated. I became very interested in Buddhism. To be honest, I was just confused and needed to put it down on paper. I wasn't performing, just writing a lot of songs and poems, and not really expecting anyone to hear them." Cameron, who has always composed music and written songs for others, one night, found himself an unexpected performer. "Nicole got me to sing something one night at The Beginning and the End and it all kind of began from there." In August 2010, Cameron recorded a live EP, The Grace and the Grit, with his friends from the Princeton Jazz Ensemble.

Following graduation he returned home to London and spent his days studying composition and writing songs: "I had all these things I wanted to say about the world and I felt that they were best said through words and music so I tried to learn as much as I could about both. I just needed some time to sit down and let it all take shape." In the fall of 2011 Cameron returned to New York where he met Charles Newman (Magnetic Fields, Soko) out at a gig one night. Becoming quick friends they spent the winter months holed up in Charles' studio tweaking arrangements, adding harmonies and instruments over Cameron's songs, which then grew into his debut album, The Visitation.

Scott H. Biram To Release New Album "Bad Ingredients" on October 11

The self-proclaimed "Dirty Old One Man Band" from Austin, TX, Scott Biram is pleased to announce the release of his newest full-length LP, Bad Ingredients, on October 11 via Bloodshot Records. The album features 13 new tracks from Scott, and the album art work is featured above. The LA Times describes SHB, this"one-man band is a tour-de-force of gutbucket guitar squabble, vocals so feral they'll make you lock your doors at night, and a live set that goes down like a cocktail of whiskey, amphetamines and black-humored despair."

 

Don't let the fact that SHB is a one-man band fool you. Two-man bands like the Black Keys have made a lot of noise in the past few years, and Biram's got twice the cri de couer with half the personnel. For more than a decade-a decade which also saw SHB survive a tete-a-tete with a semi-truck that almost killed him-Scott H Biram has fearlessly preached his gospel of blues, punk, country, metal and psychobilly to his congregation of metalheads, barflies, college professors and regular dudes via a pulpit that is just a stack of amps, a '59 hollowbody Gibson and a stomp board.

 

Bad Ingredients, Biram's fourth full-length for Bloodshot Records (his catalog also includes self-released albums he quickly sold out of during his relentless touring schedule), is a decidedly different record for those who have been following B's road-driven career. Recorded at Biram's home studio in Austin, Texas and mastered by Jerry Tubb of Terra Nova Mastering (Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam), Bad Ingredients delivers SHB's classic throat-stomping style ("Dontcha Lie To Me Baby" and "Victory Song"), but showcases a more mature songwriter-both lyrically and musically. It's Biram at his quietest, but don't worry, Hiram Biram still raises a riot.

 

There's a sweet country love song in "Broke Ass" and the heartful waltz of "Memories of You Sweetheart." That's not to say Scott's still not a little twisted-who else could follow up a song like, "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" (originally written by Lightnin' Hopkins) with "Killed A Chicken Last Night?"

 

The blues will always be Biram's first love and in his songwriting he channels his hero Lightnin' Hopkins on the primitive "Born in Jail,"  while "I Want My Mojo Back," is a swaggering R&B throwback that features the help of a guest saxophonist (the only major musical duty that SHB farms out this record) and a gospel choir consisting of ... Scott H Biram.

 

As one of the hardest working dudes on the road, Biram plays close to 300 days a year and his live show is a testament that even as a one-man band, B fills the room with more raucous skill and thunder than acts with twice the gear or players. With a live set up consisting of a collection of vintage guitars; a couple rock guitars wired up through a wall of beat-up, road-worn amplifiers; and boot-driven stomp board of his own creation powered by two huge, big-rig grilled subwoofers, Biram's amplified tramp can turn a bar into a bunch of believers, shaking their fists as an "Amen!" to his feral sermons.

 

On Bad Ingredients, SHB maintains the blues-metal-country-punk-rock but strengthens it with crack guitar playing and shrewdly-crafted songwriting. Even when he's at his most quiet, it doesn't get any more real-or louder-than Scott H Biram.

KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM

erve Records & DH Records are proud to announce the new album from North London-based brother-and-sister trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis entitled Smoking In Heaven. Set for a September 13th release, Smoking In Heaven, the follow-up to the groups acclaimed self-titled debut, is an exciting, self-penned studio album of original material that delves in and out of genres and displays a penchant for multiple styles, textures and tempos. With each of the thirteen tracks challenging senses and pushing the group's boundaries, Smoking In Heaven clearly exhibits Kitty, Daisy & Lewis's admirable dedication to authenticity and secures their rightfully earned reputation as talented and highly original purveyors of sound.

As with all of the tracks on their debut, Smoking In Heaven was produced and recorded by brother Lewis and his father Graeme Durham in their vintage home studio using ribbon microphones and analogue tape formats, eliminating computer generated sound from their musical equation. 

United by a strong sense of playfulness and deep rhythmic quality, Smoking In Heavenrepresents the band's evolution from talented young enthusiasts to bona fide musicians with a groundbreaking contemporary sound. From ska-tinged rock 'n' roll crafted upon seductive trumpet solos, luau guitar riffs and exotic vocals, to boldly pulsating rhythms that connote '60s soul and blues, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis have created an album that is rooted in the past but entirely original - affirming them as one of 2011's sovereign bands.

The first single from the new album is "Messing With My Life." The song clearly showcases the trio's ability to create highly original music in a variety of styles, while not committing to just one. Listen and watch the video for "Messing With My Life" here (approved to embed):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJg8RoJzXcs 

Since their formation, the trio has mesmerized fans and critics with their frenzied live shows - which took place anywhere from pubs to amphitheatres (KDL were Coldplay's main support on their 2009 US Summer tour.) Along with their performances, the trio captivates with their multi-instrumental capabilities, and ability to inspire by living and breathing the music they play. 

Kitty, Daisy and Lewis will spend all of 2011 on the road. Stay tuned for more details.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

"T BONE BURNETT PRESENTS: THE SPEAKING CLOCK REVUE" OCT. 18 CD RELEASE / SHOUT! FACTORY

On October 18 Shout! Factory will release T Bone Burnett Presents: The Speaking Clock Revue, an album showcasing 11 performances from a benefit concert at New York's famed Beacon Theatre that Burnett orchestrated last year with Participant Media. Proceeds from album sales, as with the live show, will benefit The Participant Foundation, to support the inclusion of music and arts education in public school systems.

 

In October 2010, multiple-Grammy® and Oscar®-winning producer T Bone Burnett organized an impressive group of musicians, dubbed The Speaking Clock Revue, and joined with Participant Media for concerts benefiting arts education.  The lineup included Elton John, Elvis Costello, Leon Russell, John Mellencamp, Gregg Allman, Ralph Stanley, Jeff Bridges, Neko Case, Jim James, Punch Brothers, Karen Elson, and The Secret Sisters, as well as T Bone's cracker jack rhythm section consisting of bassist Dennis Crouch and drummer Jay Bellarose. The Speaking Clock Revue was recorded at the Beacon Theater in New York, and featured a house band made up of musicians from many Burnett-produced recordings and led by music director and guitarist Marc Ribot.

 

Burnett was inspired to do the fundraising concerts after attending an early screening of Participant's documentary Waiting for "Superman," from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, It Might Get Loud), which focused on the troubled state of public education in the U.S., following a handful of promising students through a U.S. public school system and offering creative new approaches to education reform.  Participant's Jeff Skoll, Jim Berk, Jeff Ivers and John Schreiber serve as executive producers on the album, the first release under the company's newly-created Participant Music banner.

 

Said Berk, "T Bone and his amazing lineup of musical artists, inspired by Waiting for "Superman," are making it possible for everyone to enjoy their outstanding performances, and at the same time, help to bring music and arts education to students across the country." 

 

Burnett, well-known for his support of the roots and American music traditions, had collaborated previously with nearly all of the performers on The Speaking Clock Revue, with the exception of Jim James, Karen Elson and Punch Brothers, whom he asked to participate out of admiration. The inspired performances focused mainly on songs recorded with Burnett, many from recent albums.

 

With the likes of the venerable Ralph Stanley and duo of Elton John and Leon Russell sharing a stage with up-and-comers such as The Secret Sisters and Karen Elson, the result is a remarkable mix of artistry. The electricity is palpable as Neko Case lends her smoky harmonies to "Midnight Rider" with Gregg Allman, back on stage following a recent liver transplant, and as John Mellencamp delivers a heartfelt "Troubled Land." Other highlights included on The Speaking Clock Revue are Jim James performing "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)" from My Morning Jacket's new album Circuital, Punch Brothers dazzling with their experimental bluegrass stylings on "Rye Whiskey," and Burnett and emcee Elvis Costello accompanying Jeff Bridges for a rousing rendition of "Fallin' & Flyin'." The tracks selected to be included on the album were chosen by Burnett in conjunction with the artists.

 

In a review of the show, Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote "The songs were serious, which didn't mean they were dull. It was a concert of murder ballads and pleas for redemption, tall tales and tales of sorrow. Youthful verve — the breakneck bluegrass picking and warped traditionalism of the Punch Brothers, delicately harmonized and rocked-up versions of Bill Monroe and Johnny Cash songs by The Secret Sisters — was juxtaposed with the burdens and lessons of age."

 

Burnett was aiming to convey the excitement of collaboration and creation to a live audience, and he was successful. "The privacy and the intimacy of the studio afford artists the freedom to create," Burnett says, "but something thrilling happens in getting away from the machines and into the live communication of real-time storytelling in the larger community. The first tour I went on, my first job in show business, was on The Rolling Thunder Revue, and I've come back to that type of collaborative and extraordinarily rewarding experience from time to time."

 

T Bone Burnett Presents: The Speaking Clock Revue will be widely available in stores and online beginning October 18.

Widespread Panic 4-15-89

Monday, July 18, 2011

TYPHOON TO MAKE TV DEBUT ON DAVID LETTERMAN

Portland, Oregon's Typhoon is thrilled to make their television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman on August 4th. Catching the attention of many, Typhoon are currently on the road in support of their EP, A New Kind Of House which NPR simply called "absolutely stunning," and Absolute Punk raved "is the sort of album that makes me feel excited about music all over again."

In addition to their headlining tour, the band will play select shows with The Decemberists and perform at this year's Lollapalooza, Osheaga and Newport Folk Festivals. Tour dates below.

Watch the band's fun "Coast To Coast Tour" video here (approved to embed): http://vimeo.com/26294235 

Excited to perform their single "The Honest Truth" on Letterman, the band is now offering the single for free download at http://tenderlovingempire.com/thehonesttruth 

 
Along with calling "The Honest Truth" one of "The Best Songs of 2011," Paste Magazine raves "Music critics throw around adjectives like 'orchestral' and 'expansive' all the time these days. But here's a band that actually deserves such labels. Portland's Typhoon is an indie rock geek's dream: a dynamic 12-piece with a seemingly unending reservoir of energy, emotive vocals, arpeggiated guitars, horns, multiple drum kits and strings ... Ladies and gentlemen, meet your new critical darlings."         

 

www.wearetyphoon.com 

www.facebook.com/wearetyphoon   

www.myspace.com/wearetyphoon
http://twitter.com/weareTYPHOON    

 

TOUR DATES (more to be announced):

* Indicates shows with The Decemberists

July 19th            Britt Pavilion                                 Jacksonville, OR *
July 20th            Idaho Botanical Gardens,           Boise, ID *
July 21st             Twilight Concert Series              Salt Lake City, UT *
July 22nd           Big Sky Brewery                           Missoula, MT *
July 23rd            The Filling Station VFW              Bozeman, MT
July 25th            Cedar Cultural Center                 Minneapolis, MN
July 28th             The Iron Horse Music Hall         Northampton, MA
July 29th             The North Star Bar                     Philadelphia, PA
July 30th             Newport Folk Festival                Newport, RI
July 31st              Osheaga Festival                        Montreal, QB
August 2nd         The Mercury Lounge                 New York, NY
August 3rd          Littlefield                                     Brooklyn, NY
August 4th          Sixth & Synagogue                     Washington, DC
August 6th           Lollapalooza                               Chicago, IL
August 8th           The Old Rock House                  St. Louis, MO
August 9th           The Riot Room                           Kansas City, MO
August 10th         Hi-Dive                                        Denver, CO
August 12th         Visual Arts Collective                Garden City, OH
September 10th     Musicfest NW @ Pioneer Courthouse Square        Portland, OR

Steep Canyon Rangers Join Steve Martin At America’s Biggest 4th of July Party

The Steep Canyon Rangers brought America's music to America's Day, teaming with entertainment icon Steve Martin to bring serious bluegrass with a comedic twist to the Fourth of July Celebration at The National Mall in Washington DC. Their high-energy performance, part of a star-studded Independence Day event, marks the year's highest profile and most-watched bluegrass concert, the latest milestone for The Steep Canyon Rangers in a year that has included two Presidential concerts!

Performing for almost half a million people gathered on The Mall, as well as millions more at home tuned onto PBS' annual presentation of A Capitol Fourth, Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers debuted their new MP3 single, "Me and Paul Revere." The original song, based on Martin's historical research, sets the record straight amid all the recent confusion and controversy. Sung by Steep Canyon Ranger guitarist Woody Platt, "Me and Paul Revere" tells the story of that famous ride from the point of view of Revere's horse, Brown Beauty. The song has become the official show closer of Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers' 50-plus date national tour in support of their recent celebrated CD, Rare Bird Alert (Rounder), featuring guest appearances by Paul McCartney and The Dixie Chicks.

Part of a patriotic evening that ranged from first-generation rock 'n' roll legend Little Richard to Glee star Matthew Morrison, Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers turned Independence Day into Jubilation Day. Their hard-driving set had folks dancing all over mall, all captured by PBS' cameras. Along with his trademark comical emcee work, Martin displayed his versatility on the banjo, performing both Scruggs style and clawhammer pieces. The Steep Canyon Rangers took the spotlight for the finale, showcasing Nicky Sanders' explosive improvisations on the fiddlers' national anthem, "The Orange Blossom Special."

The Steep Canyon Rangers' appearance on A Capitol Fourth is the latest episode in a remarkable year of working with Martin to bring bluegrass to new audiences at such high-profile, non-traditional venues as Carnegie Hall and headlining Bonnaroo, New Orleans Jazzfest, The Newport Folk Festival and Merlefest. SCR also just signed with Rounder Records, the premier bluegrass record label. Their partnership further establishes Steep Canyon Rangers as an extraordinary presence on the bluegrass and roots music scene, joining the likes of other Rounder artists such as Alison Krauss, Bela Fleck, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Robert Plant. SCR will release a new album with Rounder in 2012.

Sept. 9-10, The Steep Canyon Rangers will present their annual Mountain Song Festival at the world-renowned Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC. With previous headliners like Doc Watson, Sam Bush, Del McCoury, David Holt, David Grisman Quintet and Steve Martin, the festival has raised over $190,000 for the Transylvania County Boys & Girls Club.

"Me and Paul Revere" is available at www.steepcanyon.com, where you can also find Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers' "Jubilation Day" video and a complete SCR tour schedule. For Mountain Song Festival tickets and information: www.mountainsongfestival.com. The archive of the PBS broadcast is located here: http://video.pbs.org/video/2042635078.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

WARREN HAYNES BAND SEPTEMBER TOUR DATES

WARREN HAYNES BAND SEPTEMBER TOUR DATES

We are pleased to announce new tour dates for the September run that will take the Warren Haynes Band to some new places in the Northeast US & Canada. Two shows are going to be added to the run in the next few days, so keep your eyes open. The tour will be:

9/07 Lupos Providence, RI 
9/08 Calvin Theatre Northampton, MA 
9/09 Lowell Summer Music Series Lowell, MA 
9/12 Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT 
9/13 Higher Ground Burlington, VT 
9/14 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Toronto, Ontario 
9/16 Harvest Blues Festival Fredericton, New Brunswick 

The Lowell, MA and Fredericton, New Brunswick dates are already on-sale. The rest of the dates will have their pre-sales this Wednesday 7/13 through Warren Haynes Ticketing. For all ticket links check out the box below.

WARREN HAYNES AT KING OF THE BLUES IN LA ON 9/01

Warren Haynes will be performing at the finals of Guitar Center's King of the Blues competition at The House of Blues in Los Angeles, CA on September 1st. Tickets are available 7/12 @ 10am PT throughLiveNation.com.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Outside Lands Announces Single-Day Tix On Sale Date and More

Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents and Starr Hill Presents, in a partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, announce that a limited amount of Single-Day GA and Single-Day VIP tickets to the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival will go on sale this Wednesday, July 13 at 10am PST via  www.SFOutsidelands.com.  Single-Day GA tickets are $85 while Single-Day VIP tickets are $185. The festival will once again take place in San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park August 12 - 14, 2011. A significant portion of every ticket sold will directly benefit San Francisco's Recreation and Park Department.

 

Festival organizers have also announced the single-day artist lineups and official Outside Lands Night Shows. Tickets for the Arctic Monkeys, Meters and STS9 night shows have sold out but the others are still on-sale now and feature top names from the festival's diverse lineup of artists. More info can be found athttp://www.sfoutsidelands.com/night-shows. A full listing of day-by-day artist lineups and Night Shows is below.    

 

An impressive round of 12 new restaurants and food trucks have been added to the A Taste of the Bay Area 2011 lineupThese additional culinary offerings make up a total of 47 food vendors, an unprecedented number.A new trend for the festival is the first ever food truck experience where local wheels like Señor Sisig, Brass Knuckle, Kara's Cupcakes, and Southern Sandwich Co. will roll in. Some of the standout newcomers to the restaurant line-up are Woodhouse Fish & Co., Nombe and Little Chihuahua. Also newly announced is that the esteemed 300-acre Full Belly Farms will be providing its organic produce for Farm Lands, Outside Lands farmers' market.  Dessert offerings are kicked up a notch with the likes of gourmet funnel cakes from Endless Summer Sweets and Loving Cup's frozen yogurt sandwiches.  More information and menu items can be found at http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/taste/. The complete list of restaurant and food truck additions is below.

 

OUTSIDE LANDS 2011 Single Day Lineups:  
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12TH

Phish
The Shins
MGMT
The Original Meters 
Erykah Badu
Big Audio Dynamite
Big Boi
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Ellie Goulding
Collie Buddz
Best Coast
Foster The People 
Phantogram
Lotus
Toro Y Moi
The Joy Formidable
The Limousines
Orgone
Tamaryn
New Orleans Klezmer Allstars
Kelley Stoltz
Release The Sunbird
K.Flay
Arann Harris & The Farm Band


SATURDAY, AUGUST 13TH

Muse
The Black Keys
Girl Talk
The Roots 
Arctic Monkeys
Warren Haynes Band
OK Go
Sia
The Greyboy Allstars
Old 97's
STRFKR
Christina Perri
Vetiver
Eskmo
The Vaccines
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
The Stone Foxes
Ana Tijoux
Bob Schneider
Ximena Sarinana
Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers
Cosmic Suckerpunch


SUNDAY, AUGUST 14TH

Arcade Fire
Deadmau5
The Decemberists
John Fogerty
Beirut
STS9
Major Lazer
Little Dragon 
Julieta Venegas
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band
Mavis Staples
!!!
Latyrx feat. Lyrics Born & Lateef 
Junip
Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band
The Infamous Stringdusters
tUnE-YarDs
Pajama Club
Wye Oak
Ty Segall
Lord Huron
Fresh & Onlys
Grouplove
Diego's Umbrella
  

 

******************

 

Outside Lands Night Shows: 

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah  Wednesday, August 10th  The Independent  San Francisco, CA  9PM  $15

 

Best Coast  Eskmo  Thursday, August 11th  California Academy of Sciences  San Francisco, CA  6PM  $12

 

The Original Meters - SOLD OUT  Thursday, August 11th  The Independent  San Francisco, CA  9PM  $75

 

Arctic Monkeys - SOLD OUT
The Vaccines
  Friday, August 12th  The Independent  San Francisco, CA  10PM  $35

 

Vetiver  Friday, August 12th  Rickshaw Stop  San Francisco, CA  10PM  $15

 

STS9 - SOLD OUT  Saturday, August 13th  The Independent  San Francisco, CA   10PM  $35

 

Warren Haynes Band  Presented by Stub Hub - 100% of ticket sales go to SF Rec & Park  Sunday, August 14th  The Independent  San Francisco, CA   10PM  $30

 

The Joy Formidable Announces East Coast Tour Dates Supporting The Foo Fighters

Welsh indie-rock trio The Joy Formidable are proud to announce a string of tour dates in support of The Foo Fighters. The band will tour with the legendary alternative rock giants in November for a number of East Coast dates, from Duluth, Georgia to Boston, Massachusetts. The band will also be returning to the U.S. for some brief headlining tour dates in August, including a stop at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago on August 7.

 

The Foo Fighters invited The Joy Formidable out to tour with them following a tweet posted to the Foo Fighter's twitter account by lead-singer Dave Grohl on April 27, saying "I would like to personally thank The Joy Formidable for writing the song of the year, "Whirring." Xxx Dave."

 

The Joy Formidable's new video for their song "A Heavy Abacus" was recently released, and you can watch the video via the band's Youtube channel at the link below.

 

 

Watch "A Heavy Abacus" Music Video   

 

The Joy Formidable have also recently released a digital EP of select remixes and live tracks exclusively on iTunes, which can be purchased today. The EP will be released to all other digital retailers tomorrow, on July 12. The appropriately titled Roarities EP features 5 total tracks, and the track listing and artwork are below.

 

The Joy Formidable Tour Dates

Jul 31 Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Music Festival

Aug 3 Cleveland, OH @ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Aug 5 Kansas City, MO @ Kanrocksas 
Aug 7  Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza Festival

Aug 12 San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Festival

Sept 2 Redmond, WA @ ENDFEST

Sept 4 Edmonton, AB @ Sonic Boom Festival

Sept 8 Portland, OR @ Music Fest NW

Sept 22 Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Festival

Sept 23 Philadelphia, PA @ Popped Festival!

Sept 24 Atlanta, GA @ Music Midtown

Nov 7 Duluth, GA @ Arena of Gwinnett Center*
Nov 8 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena*
Nov 10 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center*
Nov 14 Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center*
Nov 16 Boston, MA @ TD Garden*

 

*With The Foo Fighters   

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Wood Brothers Announce Fall Tour Dates

 The Wood Brothers are excited to announce their US Tour will kick off on August 11th in Hudson, NY. The roots-Americana group will tour through October 9 ending in Virginia. A complete list of tour dates are below.

The Wood Brothers' will release their third album, the atmospherically titled, Smoke Ring Halo, August 2 on Zac Brown's imprint Southern Ground. 

Brothers Oliver (guitar, vocals) and Chris Wood (bass, vocals, harmonica) deliver a wide-ranging album that is as musically and lyrically provocative as it is natural, nearly homespun. Jim Scott (Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams) produced and engineeered. 

The rich, spacious sound on songs like the rousing opener "Mary Anna," the back-porch-funky "Shoofly Pie," the waltz-time plaint "Pay Attention," the elegiac title track, and the moving "Blue and Green" are the thoughtful culmination of Chris and Oliver's divergent musical pursuits. Scott captures it all on two-inch tape for a resonant, organically burnished sound. 

Oliver pursued the blues, honing his guitar chops and (eventually) songwriting voice first as a sideman with blues vet Tinsley Ellis, then with his own outfit, King Johnson. Meanwhile, brother Chris eventually settled on the bass, studying formally at the New England Conservatory and participating in recording and jam sessions, such as the one that lead to the formation of the genre-defying trio Medeski Martin & Wood. 

To celebrate the release of the first single from Smoke Ring Halo, the band debuted a video for "Shoofly Pie", which features Zac Brown Band's Clay Cook, here

The Wood Brothes were featured recently in a NPR Weekend Edition story about Mason Jar Music - a collective of creative types filming and recording artists in vacant buildings. Check it out

here. 

 

 The Wood Brothers' Tour Dates 

08/11 Club Helsinki, Hudson, NY
08/12 Nectar's Martha's Vinyard, Edgartown, MA
08/13 Narrows Center For The Arts, Fall River, MA
08/14 Grand Point North Festival, Burlington, VT
08/16 City Winery Back Parking Lot, New York, NY 
08/17 Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
08/18 Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ
08/19 Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ
08/20 Levitt Pavilion, Westport, CT
08/21 Old Pool Farm, "Philadelphia Folk Festival"
08/26 South Island Field @ Governors Island, New York, NY
08/27 Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA
09/22 The State Room, Salt Lake City, UT
09/23 Swallow Hill - L2 Arts & Cultural Center
09/24 Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO
09/25 Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins, CO
09/27 The Waiting Room, Omaha, NE
09/28 The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
09/29 Mojo's, Columbia, MO
09/30 The Bishop, Bloomington, IN
10/01 SPACE, Evanston, IL
10/02 Majestic Theatre, Madison, WI
10/04 The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
10/05 Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
10/06 Triumph Brewery, New Hope, PA
10/07 Barns At Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA
10/08 World Cafe Live at the Queen, Wilmington, DE
10/09 Devil's Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA

Monday, July 11, 2011

New Johnny Winter CD to Feature Warren Haynes, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, John Popper & More


http://www.jambands.com/images/2011/07/05/29426/JW-Roots-Cover-02a-353x.jpg

Johnny Winter's next studio album is set for a September 27 release on Megaforce Records. The aptly-titled Roots will pay tribute to those musicians who influenced the guitarist, such as: Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Muddy Waters and T-Bone Walker. Numerous guest players also contribute, including: Warren Haynes, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, John Medeski, John Popper and Winter's brother Edgar.

The complete track listing appears below:

1) T-Bone Shuffle (featuring Sonny Landreth slide guitar)
2) Further On Up The Road (featuring Jimmy Vivino guitar)
3) Done Somebody Wrong (featuring Warren Haynes slide guitar)
4) Got My Mojo Workin' (Frank Latorre – Harmonica)
5) Last Night (featuring John Popper on harp)
6) Maybellene (featuring Vince Gill on guitar)
7) Bright Lights, Big City (featuring Susan Tedeschi on lead guitar and vocals)
8) Honky Tonk (featuring Edgar Winter on sax)
9) Dust My Broom (featuring Derek Trucks on slide guitar)
10) Short Fat Fannie (featuring Paul Nelson on guitar)
11) Come Back Baby (featuring John Medeski on organ)

Watch The Strokes "Taken For A Fool" Music Video; Listen to "Taken For A Fool" Live WIth Elvis Costello

The Strokes have just released a trippy new video for their newest single, "Taken For A Fool," which you can watch at the Vevo link below. The video features the band playing the song in what appears to be some alternate dimension, complete with multi-colored lights that groove to the music and swirl around multiple copies of each band member playing at the same time.

 

Back in April, The Strokes played a sold-out show at New York's Madison Square Garden on the heels of releasing their newest studio album, the critically acclaimed Angles. One of the highlights of that show was when the band played Angles cut "Taken For A Fool" with Elvis Costello. A special audio recording of the song can be listened to at the Youtube link below. The live version with Elvis Costello is the B-side to the "Taken For A Fool" single, which you can purchase at iTunes.

 

Watch The "Taken For A Fool" Music Video 

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Joss Stone To Make Multiple Television Appearances Next Week in Support of Her New Album, LP1

Grammy-award winning singer Joss Stone is set to make multiple television appearances next week in support of her upcoming new album, LP1, out on July 26th on her own record label, Stone'd Records and Surfdog Records. Beginning on Monday July 11, Stone will appear on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This will be followed by an appearance on CBS's The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Tuesday, July 12. Later in the week, Stone will appear on Live With Regis & Kelly on Thursday, July 14.

 

Stone recently established her own label, Stone'd Records, and has partnered with Surfdog to release LP1. This is the first album Joss has recorded with total creative freedom. She co-wrote and co -produced it with super-producer and Eurythmics co-founder, Dave Stewart.   Together they immersed themselves into a rock n' soul musical odyssey in Nashville, Tennessee.


"This is the most fun I've ever had making a record with Crazy Dave Stewart at the helm, and yes the players in Nashville are unbelievable!!!" says Stone.  "This album captures a specific moment in time that was spontaneous and full of creativity."


"Joss can sing with the ferocity of a lioness and dynamically switch to the most delicate whisper in the same phrase," says Stewart. "She is always honest and full of real emotion. It is an honor to work alongside a true artist who understands so much at such a young age."

 

Stone has also recently made headlines as a part of SuperHeavy with Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Damian Marley and A.R. Rahman. The group just filmed a music video for their new single, "Miracle Worker." "Yesterday I made a video with SuperHeavy and it was lots and lots of laughs, and I would do it again a billion gazillion bajilion times over, and I hope that we're going to have a lot more fun in the future," says Stone on the recording of the video.  "The music is brilliant, the people that we're working with are hilariously wonderful and life is good right now, woohoo!"

The Duke & The King Announce New Album Available Aug. 16

Critically heralded soul-folk-glam ensemble The Duke & The King has confirmed the Aug. 16 release of their self-titled new album on So Recordings.  Formed in New York by acclaimed musician-writer Simone Felice, previously a key songwriter and founding member of celebrated country rock outfit The Felice Brothers, The Duke & The King are a potent vocal group created by Felice and Robert Bird Burke featuring Simi Stone and Nowell "The Deacon" Haskins.


Named after the traveling Shakespearean troupe in Mark Twain's classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," The Duke & The King create a rollicking undeniably soulful sound in the vein of classic songwriters from James Taylor to Rolling Thunder Review, Fleetwood Mac and Sly & The Family Stone, while adding a distinctly personal touch with Felice's affecting narratives.  It is a quality which inspired the BBC to compare his songwriting to Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.


The band's upcoming release is a collection of songs culled from the group's two previous English albums, not available in the U.S.  Both records have received unanimously enthusiastic reviews from the British press.


Track Listing For The Duke & The King:

1.     If You Ever Get Famous – 3:48


2      Shaky – 4:25


3      The Morning I Get To Hell – 3:27


4      No Easy Way Out – 3:05


5      Union Street- 4:52


6      Hudson River – 2:44


7      You And I – 3:10


8      Shine On You – 3:34


9      Gloria – 2:58


10  Have You Seen It? – 3:18


11  One More American Song – 5:19


12  Don't Take That Plane Tonight – 6:33

The Wood Brothers new album due Aug 2

The Wood Brothers' expansive amalgam of American music-incorporating everything from the plainspoken warmth of vintage country and blues to the liberal rhythmic inventiveness of jazz-carries on with the release of their third album, the atmospherically titled Smoke Ring Halo. The record will be available August 2 on Zac Brown's imprint Southern Ground. 

To celebrate the release of the first single from Smoke Ring Halo, the band debuted a video for "Shoofly Pie", which features Zac Brown Band's Clay Cook, here

Brothers Oliver (guitar, vocals) and Chris Wood (bass, vocals, harmonica) deliver a wide-ranging album that is as musically and lyrically provocative as it is natural, nearly homespun. Jim Scott (Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams) produced and engineeered. 

The rich, spacious sound on songs like the rousing opener "Mary Anna," the back-porch-funky "Shoofly Pie," the waltz-time plaint "Pay Attention," the elegiac title track, and the moving "Blue and Green" are the thoughtful culmination of Chris and Oliver's divergent musical pursuits. Scott captures it all on two-inch tape for a resonant, organically burnished sound. 

Oliver pursued the blues, honing his guitar chops and (eventually) songwriting voice first as a sideman with blues vet Tinsley Ellis, then with his own outfit, King Johnson. Meanwhile, brother Chris eventually settled on the bass, studying formally at the New England Conservatory and participating in recording and jam sessions, such as the one that lead to the formation of the genre-defying trio Medeski Martin & Wood. 

The Wood Brothes were featured this past Sunday in a NPR Weekend Edition story about Mason Jar Music - a collective of creative types filming and recording artists in vacant buildings. Check it outhere

Psychostick "Space Vampires vs. Zombie Dinosaurs in 3D" Due Soo

When you play in a band that's dubbed itself "humorcore," and have made fans across the nation simultaneously mosh and laugh to songs about serious topics like beer and sandwiches, finding new ways to perpetually be funny, and shred at the same time, can be a daunting task, like climbing the comedy-metal version of Mount Everest. That said, Psychostick have made that trek, reached a new zenith, and returned alive, without having to eat any of their personnel.
 
The Phoenix, AZ-based quartet came back from their latest creative voyage armed with Space Vampires Vs. Zombie Dinosaurs In 3D, their new full-length record, and promise to deliver everything Psychostick fans have come to love about the band, and then some. The album is bursting with even more laughs per beat than previous efforts, and contains the most precisely crafted songs the group has composed to date.
 
"In the past we sometimes got too crazy with musicianship—we focused too hard on that, and not enough on the comedy, so we're going back and focusing a little bit more on the comedy this time," says singer Rob Kersey. "Obviously the music is there, too, but I think it's the funniest thing we've put out. We didn't hold back."
 
Psychostick—which includes Kersey, guitarist Josh Key, drummer Alex Dontre and new bassist Matt Rzemyk—formed in Phoenix in 2000, and released their first album, We Couldn't Think Of A Title, in 2003, which was re-released nationally by Rock Ridge Music in 2006. The band's life as a national touring act began that same year, which was kicked into overdrive in 2007 when the song "Beer!" became a cult hit, grabbing a coveted spot as the No. 1 single on XM Radio's Liquid Metal show for seven weeks. Psychostick then took that momentum into the studio for their second full-length, 2009's Sandwich, before embarking on another two years of touring behind the release. Over the years the band has shared stages with Green Jelly, Nashville Pussy, Three Days Grace, Hell Yeah, Nonpoint, Buckcherry, Five Finger Death Punch, Hatebreed, Chimaira, Machine Head, Shadows Fall, Pennywise, and many, many more.
 
After touring tirelessly in support of Sandwich, the band returned home ready to create again, resulting in Space Vampires. But since their last album was a collection of songs written over a six-year span, this time around the effort was considerably different. Space Vampires was written on a clean slate, so there's little filler; the album showcases Psychostick as a lean, mean comedic machine, giving the record an intensity that never wanes, from the first track through the last.
 
"One thing in particular about this new album that was really different for us is we didn't try to cram in as much stuff as possible like we'd done in the past with some of them," says drummer Alex Dontre. "We didn't want to turn around and go totally overboard and write way too many songs. We pretty much wrote everything when we were putting the album together, as opposed to writing it over the past couple of years like we've done with the other albums."
 
Spending most of their time writing and recording in Kansas City, MO, the band started work on Space Vampires from scratch, mostly tracking straight into Key's laptop. It was a new process for the band, who decided to start with lyrics and topics first, followed by music suited to the overall themes of the songs. The end result was smarter song-craft, and musical moments that enhance the hilarity happening within the words.
 
"With this new one, we literally just sat down and said, 'Ok, what do you want to write a song about?' We'd never done that before, and there's a lot of pressure, but once we started going it was also a lot of fun," reflects guitarist Josh Key, who also produced and engineered the album. "Usually we'd write music and then say, 'Ok, this song sounds like it could be about fill-in-the-blank,' and put lyrics on top of it. This album was totally different: We started with the lyrics and we wrote the music around the lyrics, which makes a lot more sense for what Psychostick does. The music supports what the song is about, instead of having an already written song, and making it about something."
 
One track sure to garner laughs, while simultaneously making listeners cringe, is "The Root Of All Evil," a song devoted to spending time with everyone's favorite healthcare practitioner. "It's about going to the dentist," explains Key, who wrote the song, unfortunately from personal experience. "I got a series of dental work done after neglecting my teeth from six years of touring, so I ended up in the course of a few months having a tooth pulled, a root canal, and seven cavities drilled. I wrote it in pieces driving to and from the dentist—I just sat there with my little voice recorder on my iPhone. That song was very genuine; if you're going to write a song about going to the dentist, what better time to write it, than on the way to the f***ing dentist?"
 
"One of my favorites would probably be 'Sad Face Emoticon,'" adds Dontre. "It's all about basically people who get on Facebook and go all overboard with it, and take it so seriously. We created a song about how we want to block everybody, and not pay attention. Hopefully they'll realize how ridiculous they're being, and maybe take a step back from Facebook and actually live a genuine, actual life, as opposed to living online."
 
The band also take some time to skewer the unbearable romantic comedy film genre, which creates a false list of expectations for love, for both guys and gals. The track "It's Just A Movie, Stupid" dispels such delusional notions, of course with classic Psychostick humor and flair.
 
"It's a song basically declaring war on chick flicks, like, 'Ok, romantic comedies, that's all good and well, but it's bullsh*t—that's not the way real life works and it's not the way real relationships work,'" notes Key. "Love at first sight, all that stuff, it makes us think there's something wrong with our real relationships. It's kind of a bittersweet song, and I think it's f***ing hilarious. These movies create this whole unrealistic fantasy that can't be achieved. You can miss the point: You're supposed to enjoy a girl's company, and she's supposed to enjoy yours. That's all there is to it."
 
Psychostick plan on shooting multiple videos for the tracks on Space Vampires, since visual representations of their special brand of musical comedy are a no-brainer, followed by massive touring in support of the new album. Although it's not always easy for a band as unique as Psychostick to find a bill they fit onto, once they're on stage the group are truly in their element. As crushing recent performances in front of large crowds a la the Mayhem Festival prove, Psychostick have evolved into a live force to be reckoned with.
 
"We're trying to get out with bands like Gwar and Every Time I Die—bands that have a comedic edge to them. We're making small baby steps toward finally nailing that big tour, but I'm confident we'll get there," says Kersey, adding that Psychostick continue to grow both as individual musicians and as a unit, only enhancing their prospects for the future. "A lot of bands start up and they don't quite understand that it does take quite some time for your band to mature as far as playing together, and playing shows. It took a long time to get to this point, but it's worth every minute."
 

Young Circles Announce Debut LP "Jungle Habits"

Young Circles are excited to announce the release of their debut full-length Jungle Habits, out August 23rd. To usher in the arrival of their first LP, they've released the single "2012" for free download, available for posting here

 

Young Circles pose a problem. Their songs, with their serpentine structures, dynamic percussion, and many-layered, spacey sounds, are not easily distilled or generalized. It's hard to believe, then, that this genre-defying Florida band spent its first few years playing straight-up garage rock, first as Stonefox and then Blond Fuzz. But in 2010, just weeks before their album was set to release, they abandoned the project completely.

 

They scrapped all but two songs, changed their name and started on their debut work, the Bones EP, released in January 2011. Now, less than a year later, they're back to prove their mettle with their first full-length album, Jungle Habits.

 

Where the Bones EP hits fiercely from the start, with searing feedback and stormy beats, Jungle Habits is all about the hypnotic build in force. The first half of the album is introspective and emotionally raw, but as intensity builds, the band's focus turns outwards; by the time you reach "2012," a danceable end-of-the-world anthem, the album has exploded into something celebratory and carefree.

 

In expectation of the release, Young Circles will head to NYC on July 27th at Spike Hill and July 28th at Piano's, with dates along the way to come. 

 

Jungle Habits tracklist: 

1. Triangles

2. Devil

3. Summer Noose

4. Love Hitch

5. Asthmatic

6. Dreams

7. 2012

8. Jangala

9. Jungle Habits

10. You. Me. Nothing.

11. Changing