'Let's Get L.Aid' announces night of music and comedy for L.A. wildfire relief, March 16, 2025

The need in Los Angeles remains great in the wake of the devastating wildfires that hit the region last month. Breaking news today on a special event to assist with recovery efforts...Robert Kinsler

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 18, 2025

“Let’s Get L.Aid” ANNOUNCES  A NIGHT OF MUSIC AND COMEDY  FOR LA WILDFIRE RELIEF  A BENEFIT CONCERT TO BE HELD ON MARCH 16, 2025 AT THE UNITED THEATER IN LOS ANGELES  TICKETS ON SALE TODAY

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – “Let’s Get L.Aid,” produced by Alex Jules in association with the Wild Honey Foundation, announces a night of music and comedy for L.A. wildfire relief to be held on March 16, 2025 at The United Theater On Broadway, 929 S. Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. Tickets are on sale now (link below), with net proceeds benefiting firefighters, displaced people, and wildlife. “Let’s Get L.Aid” will feature performances by “Weird Al” Yankovic, Al Jardine (The Beach Boys), Bob The Drag Queen, Chris Fleming, Eric Idle, Margaret Cho, Maria Bamford, Mark Proksch, Neil Hamburger, Peter Asher, Puddles Pity Party, Reggie Watts, Rufus Wainwright, and Tim Heidecker, with more to be announced. This unique one-night-only event will consist of standup comedy and LA-themed songs backed by the “Let’s Get L.Aid” house band, featuring Alex Jules, Debbie Shair, Emeen Zarookian, Erik Paparozzi, and Nick Vincent (band member credits include: Brian Wilson, The Monkees, Carole King, Heart, Cat Power, Eric Idle, Badfinger, Hanson, Denny Laine, Frank Black, etc). Alex Jules, producer: “After feeling unbelievably lucky to return home after evacuating, I knew I wanted to do something to help those who were less fortunate in the aftermath of the fires. It became clear that putting on a benefit concert was the best way to do that. My unbelievable team (Emeen Zarookian, Erik Paparozzi, Natalie Peyser, and Nicole Bonelli) and I have put together a truly spectacular and intentionally eclectic lineup, which reflects the uniqueness of Los Angeles itself. Of course, without the generosity of these artists contributing their time and talent, none of this would be possible. We cannot wait to see them all share the stage for an extraordinary, singular night that we’ll remember forever as we help bring the people and animals of Los Angeles some of the relief they desperately need.” Click HERE for tickets.

The Smithereens' masterwork '2011' album set for first-time release on vinyl on March 14, 2025

THE SMITHEREENS’ LAST ALBUM WITH ORIGINAL SINGER PAT DiNIZIO, 2011 RELEASED ON VINYL FOR FIRST TIME EVER & CD FOR FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS ON MARCH 14, 2025

 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- On March 14, Sunset Blvd. Records re-releases The Smithereens’ critically lauded 2011 album on limited-edition clear vinyl – its first-ever release on LP – and on compact disc for the first time in a decade. 

 

The seminal New Jersey power pop quartet’s first all-original album in twelve years upon its original 2011 release was widely hailed as a return to their 1980s hit-making form and was their last with original vocalist Pat DiNizio, who passed in 2017. The darkly sparkling 13-track collection was produced by Don Dixon (REM, Gin Blossoms, Marshall Crenshaw etc.)

 

“Wholly satisfying blast of classic Smithereens songcraft and melodicism, colored with Pat DiNizio’s impassioned vocals,” Goldmine enthused at the time. “The entire collection sounds like a return to the Smithereens’ mid-to-late ‘80s glory years, both song and performance-wise.”

 

The Smithereens in 2011.

Best known for hits like “Only a Memory,” “A Girl Like You”  and “Too Much Passion,” The Smithereens’ unique marriage of East Coast roots rock and 1960s British Invasion pop is fully evident on 2011, along with their signature haunting hooks and DiNizio’s morosely frank lyricism. To this day one of the hardest working bands treading the boards, all that’s great about The Smithereens is captured on 2011.

 

“Everything in Smithereens’ world is like a film noir shot in psychedelic colors,” said NPR’s Ken Tucker of 2011. “But this New Jersey band has a talent for creating fresh variations that prevent dust or mist from clouding their music.”

 

Sunset Blvd Records’ 2011 re-release comprises a limited run of just 1,000 copies on clear vinyl plus the album’s first compact disc release in ten years. Sunset Blvd. Records is a boutique independent label known for releases by iconic artists including Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Everclear and The Dandy Warhols.

Ken Sharp's 'Overnight Sensation: The Story of Raspberries' returns via expanded edition

Fans of power pop band Raspberries are in luck!

Celebrated author Ken Sharp has completed a new super-sized edition of his long-out-of-print book Overnight Sensation: The Story of Raspberries. Sold out for more than 30 years, the expanded 2025 hardcover edition of Overnight Sensation is 820 pages (the original edition was 350 pages) and features a brand new front/back cover, reimagined interior book design and a wealth of essential new content.

Formed in 1970 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Raspberries released four albums between early 1972 and late 1974 that saw the groundbreaking quartet create and champion the so called "power pop" sound via strong songcraft, memorable melodies and sumptuous vocal harmonies. The group's classic lineup included Eric Carmen (vocals, guitars, bass, piano), Wally Bryson (guitars), Dave Smalley (guitars, bass) and Jim Bonfanti (drums). Although the band disbanded in 1975, the original lineup reunited three decades later and completed a well-received reunion tour in 2005. 

Highlights of Overnight Sensation: The Story of Raspberries includes:

• New and expanded interviews with members of Raspberries, producer Jimmy lenner (who produced all of the band's 1970s studio albums) and many others
• A plethora of rare photographs (many previously unseen), handwritten lyrics, archival articles./concert reviews, memorabilia, a massive updated discography and much more
• Essays and remembrances by musical colleagues, road crew, friends, family and band insiders
• In-depth coverage/interviews with pre-Raspberries bands (The Choir, Cyrus Erie, The Quick)
• Extensive post-Raspberries coverage of band member projects
• Expanded section on the Raspberries reunion

Raspberries in 1972.

Over the years, used copies of Overnight Sensation: The Story of Raspberries have sold for ridiculous amounts on the collector's market; a copy on Amazon now lists for $4,401! 

Now fans can get a new copy of the essential book for $75; each copy will include a special bonus of a Raspberries bookmark. 

For information how to get a copy of this special book, email sharpk@aol.com.

Robert Kinsler

Fantastic Cat Announce Deluxe Edition of 'Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat' out April 11 via Missing Piece Records

 

Fantastic Cat Announce Deluxe Edition of Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat—Confusingly Titled Now That’s What I Call Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat – out April 11 via Missing Piece Records Watch The Video For New Single “Some Things Never Change,” Out Today Spring Tour Dates Announced

“...a breath of fresh air. While they take their music seriously, everything else is an ego balloon ready to be popped.” - Rolling Stone   “An album without a dud” - The Boston Globe

February 13, 2025: In a music industry flooded with an endless stream of instantly disposable content, is there anything less necessary than a Deluxe Edition? Sure, an artist might throw an outtake or an acoustic track or a live performance in the mix, but at the end of the day, it’s nothing more than a cynical repackaging of a product you already own, sold to you a second time by a band too lazy or stupid to come up with new material.   At least, that’s what Fantastic Cat thought before they were offered a substantial sum of money to release a Deluxe Edition of their latest album, Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat. The band has since come to understand the vital role that Deluxe Editions play in the modern streaming ecosystem, and today, “the supergroup you need to know” (Rolling Stone) is thrilled to announce the most deluxest album ever editioned, Now That’s What I Call Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat, out April 11 via Missing Piece Records. The new edition expands on the album Rolling Stone called a “gloriously fun…breath of fresh air” with two previously unreleased studio outtakes, a ‘spayed and neutered’ acoustic recording, and a live performance from the World Café in Philadelphia. Along with the announcement, the group shared new single “Some Things Never Change” with a more-or-less accurate video depicting their increasingly contentious group chat.

Watch The Announcement Video Featuring “Some Things Never Change” Here

“When we found out pop stars were using deluxe editions of their album to juice their stats, we knew we had to get in on it, too,” the band explained during a recent interview with the Locust Lake Village Community Announcements Newsletter. “If all goes according to plan, we’ll be able to remain #1 on the Pocono Regional Adult Contemporary Chart for a 45th non-consecutive week, shattering Stroudsburg polka legend Lou Kowalczyk’s 1982 record.”   Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat earned praise everywhere from Q, who hailed its “beautiful harmonies” and “honky tonk Americana storytelling,” to Magnet Magazine, who declared the band’s bio to be “essentially useless” (which is totally fair). The Village Voice, meanwhile, dared to ask,“Is Fantastic Cat the Wu-Tang Clan of folk rock?” The band was also profiled in No Depression, and the song “So Glad You Made It” (featuring Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows)was named one of the Top Songs of Summer 2024 by The Boston Globe. Somehow, the band even made a return to national TV with an appearance on CBS Saturday Morning.   Featuring four different instrument-swapping singer/songwriters who’ve appeared everywhere from NPR’s Tiny Desk and the New York Times to Bonnaroo and Cayamo, Fantastic Cat—lead singer Brian Dunne, lead singer Anthony D’Amato, lead singer Don DiLego, and lead singer Mike Montali—first came together in 2022 for their award-eligible debut, The Very Best Of Fantastic Cat, which Rolling Stone dubbed “a wildly satisfying collection” and “equal doses of Dylan and Springsteen.” The record earned the group their national TV debut on CBS Saturday Morning, sold out headline dates around the US and Europe, a performance at the Sundance Film Festival, and a song in the Paramount+ series Tulsa King. In 2023, the velvet-suited quartet collaborated with all-star producer Butch Walker on a 50th anniversary recording of “Band On The Run,” and at the end of last year, released two holiday-ish songs in “Holiday Road” and “Feliz Navidad.”   The band have also announced a new run of US tour dates kicking off in May. See full list of shows below.   Now That’s What I Call Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat tracklist: 1. Oh Man! 2. Little Bit Broken 3. Later On 4. So Glad You Made It 5. The Hammer and The Nail 6. I Don’t Know Why 7. Go All Night 8. Edinburgh 9. Sometimes Your Heroes Let You Down 10. All My Fault 11. Head Down, Shots Fired 12. Some Things Never Change 13. Goodnight, My Darling 14. The Hammer & The Nail (Live from WXPN) 15. Later On (Spayed & Neutered) 16. Legal Disclaimer   Tour Dates: March 8-9 – Northampton, MA @ Back Porch Festival May 1 – Washington, DC @ The Hamilton May 2 – Hershey, PA @ The Englewood May 3 – Elkton, MD @ Elkton Music Hall May 7 – Pawtucket, RI @ The Met May 8 – Kingston, NY @ Assembly May 9 – Amagansett, NY @ Stephen Talkhouse May 10 – Fairfield, CT @ FTC Stage One May 11 – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace June 8 – Homer, NY @ Homer Center For The Arts June 10 – Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Grandview June 11 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark June 12 – Chicago, IL @ Martyr’s June 14 – Appleton, WI @ Gibson Music Hall June 17 – Indianapolis, IN @ HiFi June 18 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement June 19 – Decatur, GA @ Eddie’s Attic

Credit: Vivian Wang

Omnivore Recordings announces 'The Exciting Sounds of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virgina, 1964'

This is truly exciting news. The earliest known full concert recording featuring Buck Owens and his Buckaroos is set for release on March 28, 2025 courtesy of Omnivore Recordings...Robert Kinsler

Omnivore Recordings Announce The Exciting Sounds of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virgina, 1964 out on March 28 February 10, 2025: Today, Omnivore Recordings announced The Exciting Sounds of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virgina, 1964 will be released on March 28, pressed on strawberry jam-colored vinyl. It serves as the earliest known full concert recording of Buck and his Buckaroos, mastered from the original tape by Grammy®-winning engineer Michael Graves and including extensive liner notes from co-producer Scott B. Bomar.   Buck Owens and his Buckaroos were a phenomenon when they burst onto the scene in the early 1960s. in 1963–1964, they had five #1 Country hits including “Act Naturally,” “Love’s Gonna Live Here,” “I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me),” and “My Heart Skips A Beat.” Their live Carnegie Hall Concert release hit #1 in 1966, but how exciting they were onstage before that was largely unheard. Unless you were there. Until now.   The Exciting Sounds Of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virginia, 1964 is the recently discovered, earliest full-concert recording of The Buckaroos onstage. The band, performing the aforementioned #1 hits and more, shows how their presence and performance in front of a live audience cemented their status as one of the greatest acts of all time—in person and on record.   Painstakingly restored and mastered by multiple Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves, The Exciting Sounds Of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virginia, 1964 shows a band ready to take over the world. (Even showing appreciation to their new labelmates, The Beatles, with a cover of “Twist And Shout.”) With a first pressing on strawberry jam colored vinyl, the record looks and sounds like it could and should have appeared in 1964, but with 21st century style and technology.   So, head to Richmond and hear Buck Owens And His Buckaroos firing on all cylinders. It may have happened over six decades ago, but it sounds as vital and important to music history now as ever.   Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/cilDvaQTXq0   Pre-order: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/live-from-richmond   Tracklist: SIDE ONE 1. intro 2. Act Naturally – (Johnny Russell/Voni Morrison) 3. Love’s Gonna Live Here – (Buck Owens) 4. Together Again – (Buck Owens) 5. My Heart Skips A Beat – (Buck Owens) 6. band intros 7. Orange Blossom Special – (Ervin Rouse) 8. The Streets Of Laredo (The Young Cowboy) – (Trad., arr. by Buck Owens) 9. I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me) – (Buck Owens) 10. Close Up The Honky Tonks – (Red Simpson)   SIDE TWO 1. Mexican Polka/Buck’s Polka – (Buck Owens) 2. Truck Drivin’ Man – (Terry Fell) 3. A-11 – (Hank Cochran) 4. Release Me – (Eddie Miller/W.S. Stevenson) 5. Hello Trouble – (Eddie McDuff/Orville Couch) 6. I Don’t Hear You – (Buck Owens) 7. Dang Me – (Roger Miller) 8. Hello Walls No. 2 – (Willie Nelson/Sheb Wooley) 9. Long Tall Texan – (Henry Strzelecki) 10. Twist And Shout – (Phil Medley/Bert Russell)

2025 Record Store Day preview: George Harrison & Beck, dada, Dave Stewart, John Lennon, Marty Willson-Piper, Omnivore Recordings, Brian Eno & U2, Geddy Lee

The parade of amazing exclusive titles for release on Record Store Day has been announced. This column features some of this writer's most highly-anticipated vinyl and/or audio CD collections set to be released on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Record Store Day (RSD) has been an annual celebration of vinyl and independent record stores since it began in 2008, and this year's music-minded event features a slew of new and notable releases ranging from archival to newly-recorded sets from the celebrated likes of George Harrison, Beck, John Lennon, Dave Stewart, dada, Elton John, Geddy Lee (Rush), Joni Mitchell and many more!

There are three types of releases that are a part of RSD and they are indicated via the official RSD website:

EXCLUSIVES: These titles are physically released only at indie record shops.

RSD First: These titles are issued first at indie record stores but may be released to other physical or online retailers at some time in the future.

SMALL RUN/REGIONAL TITLES: These titles are released regionally and are limited to press runs of under 1,000.

George Harrison's "Be Here Now" (originally recorded in late 1972) has been named as the RSD "Song of the Year" for 2025's Record Store Day. In honor of this recognition, a double A-Side 12-inch single of "Be Here Now" will be released featuring the 2024 mix of Harrison's original version of the song and Beck's recent cover of the track also featured on the title; this will mark the first-ever physical release of Beck's cover of the song (originally released as an Apple Music exclusive). Proceeds will go to the Material World Foundation.

Dark Horse Records and Record Store Day will also continue their partnership to release limited Zoetrope picture disc pressings of Harrison's entire studio album catalog with the announcement of the 1970 masterwork All Things Must Pass for this year's RSD. This limited edition 3LP zoetrope picture disc will be the third title in this RSD exclusive series, following the release of Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound in 2024, and will be available at participating indie stores on April 12.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dave Stewart will revisit the legacy of America's greatest living songwriter with the release of Dave Does Dylan, a 14-song homage to Bob Dylan. The spirit and sonic foundation of Dave Does Dylan is built with live, unedited takes captured in the studio; Stewart is featured on vocals and guitars, and he recorded the tracks in one take. The limited-edition vinyl release will only be available at indie record stores on RSD via Surfdog Records.

The trackless for Dave Does Dylan is as follows:

Simple Twist Of Fate

I Want You

Emotionally Yours

Forever Young

To Ramona

Make You Feel My Love

Lay, Lady, Lay

Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Spanish Harlem Incident

Shelter From The Storm

She Belongs To Me

Visions Of Johanna

Dada's Puzzle (originally released by I.R.S. Records in 1992) is one of the great debut albums of all time. Now the opening statement from the groundbreaking American rock trio featuring singer-guitarist Michael Gurley, singer-bassist Joie Calio and drummer Phil Leavitt will see its U.S. vinyl debut for RSD, in a double-LP pressing in strawberry with black swirl vinyl complete with four bonus tracks and an insert featuring lyrics. Limited to only 2,000 copies worldwide, the RSD Exclusive is worth nabbing if you can find a copy. For more information on dada, visit the band's official website HERE.

On August 30, 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, backed by Elephant’s Memory, and joined by special guests, headlined two historic One to One Benefit Concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City. These performances included an afternoon matinee and an evening performance, to a combined audience of 40,000 people, raising more than $1.5 million to support children with special needs, including children from the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, N.Y, a state-supported institution for mentally handicapped children that gained national infamy after the horrible conditions and questionable medical practices the children endured were exposed to the public. 

These were John’s final and only full-length solo concerts after leaving The Beatles.

Power To The People – Live At The One To One Concert, New York City, 1972, presents four songs from the afternoon and evening concerts on 180-gram yellow vinyl, available exclusively for RSD. Produced by Sean Ono Lennon and mixed and re-engineered from the original multitrack tapes by Paul Hicks and Sam Gannon, the EP features three previously unreleased performances – "Well Well Well" from the evening show, plus "Cold Turkey" and Yoko’s "Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)" from the afternoon show, along with the previously released "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)" (Afternoon Show), which has been new newly mixed. This RSD First release is limited to 3000 copies in the U.S. and 5500 worldwide. 

For more information on any and all of these titles, visit RecordStoreDay.com.

Schoolhouse Records has announced the release of Marty Willson-Piper's In Reflection, the debut solo album from legendary guitarist of The Church, The Saints and All About Eve. Released exclusively on Chase Records in Australia in 1987, the LP will see its first release on vinyl on RSD. The album was recorded in its entirety in an apartment on Bondi Beach on a Teac A-3440 4-track machine using a Roland rhythm arranger and the Sydney Morning Herald hit with a drum stick for the snare drum sound!

As Willson-Piper notes: "This was early daze (days) for drum machines, and getting the pattern you wanted wasn't that easy, and such a machine was not on my radar. All the simplistic techniques involved in creating this music, along with the instruments used, are detailed in the booklet. Recording alone and 'dropping in' an instrument meant putting a heavy book on the record button of the remote control and dropping it in using your sickles big toe on the play button, engaging record mode. Those were the days."

Omnivore Recordings will issue three special LPs on RSD: legendary songwriter Doc Pomus' Viva Doc Pomus: Songs For Elvis (The Demos), power pop greats The Rembrandts' L.P., and French singer Francoise Hardy's En Vogue: Best Of 1962-1967 will see their release on April 12.

Watch the Omnivore Record Store Day trailer HERE

Doc Pomus – Viva Doc Pomus: Songs For Elvis (The Demos) “A Teenager In Love,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Can’t Get Used To Losing You.” There’s not much in early rock history that can equal those songs. Doc Pomus, whose 100th birthday would’ve been this year, wrote hit after hit with an array of songwriting partners with Mort Shuman chief among them. Together they created a template for the sound of the late 1950s and early ’60s. Writing timeless classics covered by artists around the globe, one artist was King—Elvis Presley.   Pomus/Shuman were the names on the sheet music for many remarkable Elvis recordings. “Viva Las Vegas,” “(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame,” “She’s Not You”—all classics. Even among the tracks Elvis didn’t end up recording, there are co-writes with the likes of Phil Spector and Alan Jeffreys. So, where do all those songs start? The demos.    Especially in the Doc "Pot Luck” vein as there’s 3: a Shuman, a Phil Spector, and Alan Jeffreys co-write. Funny that those three pair didn’t land it for Elvis. But, the fans will be excited to see the names.   Painstakingly transferred, restored and mastered from the original acetates by multiple Grammy®-winning engineer Michael Graves and Jordan McLeod, with full approval and cooperation of the Pomus estate  and liner notes by Geoffrey Himes, Viva Doc Pomus: Songs For Elvis (The Demos) explores the recordings submitted to Presley for his consideration to record with 30 previously unissued songs.   Some (the aforementioned hits and more) were recorded and released by Elvis, while others fell by the wayside for reasons lost to time, or recorded by other artists, and we’re left to imagine what might have been had The King recorded and released them.   Available on a double opaque orange-colored LP for Record Store Day, the origins of rock ’n’ roll are in full force on Viva Doc Pomus: Songs For Elvis (The Demos). Hear what Elvis heard for yourself and wonder what could have been! Viva Doc Pomus indeed!   See tracklisting here: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/viva-doc-pomus   The Rembrandts – L.P. After being a member of Los Angeles power pop/glam sensations The Quick, Danny Wilde met Phil Solem, and Great Buildings were born, recording an album for Columbia in 1981. Wilde and Solem continued writing together and rebranded themselves as The Rembrandts.   Their eponymous 1990 debut featured the Top 15 hit “That’s Just The Way It Is, Baby,” and their work on Untitled, brought them to prominence to co-write and record the theme for a new NBC sitcom called Friends. The track topped the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for eight weeks and also hit #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Top 40/Mainstream charts. At the peak of its popularity, the song was not available as a commercial single, therefore becoming the first song to top the Hot 100 Airplay chart without appearing on the Hot 100, but it appeared initially as a bonus track on what would be their third album, L.P. On the Billboard Hot 100, when it was later released commercially as a double A-side, it reached number 17. In Canada, the song peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks and was the most successful single of 1995.   But, L.P. is more than “I’ll Be There For You.” It’s another stellar album in The Rembrandts’ catalog, hitting #23 on the Billboard Top 200. Now, L.P. returns for its 30th anniversary, for the first time on vinyl, as an opaque yellow double-LP. See tracklisting here: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/lp   Françoise Hardy – En Vogue: Best Of 1962–1967 Françoise Hardy’s Vogue years have left a mark on the history of French and international music. Even today, the five years between 1962–67 remain an exceptional moment in her career, the one when she exploded in the eyes of a generation that was born during or just after World War II, the generation that would be part of the May 1968 Paris protests.   Hardy exploded not only in France alongside her fellow “Yéyés,” but also internationally, where she became the symbol of French elegance, talent and charm. The United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain—no one could resist Françoise, who recorded most of her hits in English, Italian, and German.   “Tous les Garçons et les Filles,” “Mon Amie la Rose,” “L’amitié,” “Le Temps de L’amour,” etc. are songs that have crossed generations and can be heard in recent movies (Wes Anderson loves Françoise Hardy and has included her songs several times in his films), international television series (The Walking Dead, Industry, Week-End Family) and advertising spots (Dior 2022 campaign).   Celebrating Françoise Hardy’s indelible mark on the history of modern music, En Vogue: Best Of 1962–1967 includes the best of her Vogue recordings from 1962 through 1967, fully remastered and available as a double LP on opaque red vinyl.   See tracklisting here: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/en-vogue

Island Records and UMe have announced the release of Original Soundtracks 1 (30^th Anniversary Edition) by Passengers, pressed on 2LP recycled black vinyl for Record Store Day, April 12, 2025.

Original Soundtracks 1, the studio album by Brian Eno and U2 was released in November 1995 under the artist pseudonym Passengers. The experimental recording process resulted in a collection of 14 songs, written mostly for imaginary films – hence the album title - with the exception of “Ghost in the Shell,” “Beyond the Clouds,” and the hit single “Miss Sarajevo,” featuring Luciano Pavarotti. Other highlights include guest appearances from musician and producer Howie B and Japanese artist Holi, as well as the bonus track “Bottoms (Watashitachi No Ookina Yume),” which previously featured on the original Japanese version of the album.

 

This special double-vinyl 30th anniversary edition, pressed on recycled black vinyl, is now fully remastered for the first time.

 

The full tracklisting is:

 

Side A:

1. United Colours

2. Slug

3. Your Blue Room

 

Side B:

1. Always Forever Now

2. A Different Kind Of Blue

3. Beach Sequence

4. Miss Sarajevo

 

Side C:

1. Ito Okashi

2. One Minute Warning

3. Corpse (These Chains Are Way Too Long)

4. Elvis Ate America

 

Side D:

1. Plot 180

2 Theme From "The Swan"

3. Theme From "Let's Go Native"

4. Bottoms (Watashitachi No Ookina Yume) – Zoo Station Remix

 

Original Soundtracks 1 (30^th Anniversary Edition) is available at participating independent record stores on Saturday, April 12. 

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Rush lead vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee releases The Lost Demos, two previously unreleased solo songs. Lee originally recorded this pair of demos, “Gone” and “I Am… You Are,” during the writing sessions for his beloved 2000 solo debut, My Favorite Headache. 

With the help of producer/engineer David Bottrill, he has unearthed them for the first time, properly mixed and mastered. Commenting on the project, Lee said “I’m excited to see these two “lost demos” released - I loved the songs when they were written and in some ways they feel as fresh and perhaps more relevant all these years later.” 
Both songs conjure the spirit of the classic My Favorite Headache, which originally arrived on November 14, 2000.

Tracklist
Side A
Gone
Side B
I Am…You Are

Robert Kinsler