Tuesday, February 22, 2011

SXSW is coming: Ron Sexsmith, World Party, Queens of the Stone Age, Henry Wolfe



Although I will not be attending the South By Southwest Music and Film Festival in March, there is lots of news relating to the event I wanted to highlight here.


'Love Shines' Music Documentary On Ron Sexsmith Offers Rare Glimpse Into Life Of Award-Winning Artist

U.S. Premiere At SXSW Film Festival In Austin, Texas March 15 and 16; A Film By Douglas Arrowsmith


Paperny Films is pleased to announce the US Premiere of Love Shines at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, TX, showing on March 15 (6:15 p.m. Alamo Ritz 2) and March 16 (7 p.m. Vimeo Theater). Almost a decade in the making, the film documents the journey of lauded Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith as he attempts to transform from a respected indie balladeer to a mainstream artist. Sexsmith's new album Long Player Late Bloomer will be released March 1 on Ronboy Rhymes.

In Love Shines, Ron Sexsmith lays everything on the line to make a hit
album. The curtain is pulled back for a rare and intimate glimpse inside the studio and creative processes as Sexsmith partners with legendary hit-maker producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe) to record his forthcoming Long Player Late Bloomer, one of the artist's best albums to date. Sexsmith dreams of emerging with a commercial hit that achieves widespread radio play. Through a series of flashbacks the songwriter confronts the meaning of success, weighing the lure of stardom against the humble beginnings that sparked the birth of his songs. Punctuated by Super 8 footage chronicling the early years, an extraordinary playlist and a stellar cast featuring Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, Feist, Kiefer Sutherland and Daniel Lanois, Love Shines is a journey to the heart and soul of what songwriting is truly about.

"Director Douglas Arrowsmith has done something quite rare, and quite
remarkable: He's dedicated the last several years of his working life into following Sexsmith through the highs and lows of his career. The result is a film that delivers genuine honesty and intimacy." - David Paperny, Executive Producer, Paperny Films.

'Love Shines' was commissioned by The Movie Network and Movie Central with funding from Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund and Rogers Documentary Fund.

'Love Shines' at SXSW Film Festival:
March 15 - 6:15 p.m. - Alamo Ritz 2
March 16 - 7 p.m. - Vimeo Theater

Douglas Arrowsmith - is a Gemini award-winning director (The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television) who specialises in singer/songwriter films.

His last film Memory & Desire (2009) follows Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy,
Duran Duran originator and Brit-pop songwriter as he journeys to reunite with his folk roots and his band The Lilac Time, following his world tour with Robbie Williams. The film was nominated for the "Sound & Vision" Award at Copenhagen's CPH:DOX Festival, and for "Best Micro-Budget Feature" at London's 17th Raindance Festival. Douglas has a Ph.D. in Social & Political Thought from York University where he began his passion for studying singer/songwriters after completing a series of interviews with famous performers.

Paperny Films Inc. - run by partners David Paperny, Audrey Mehler, and Cal Shumiatcher - is an independent, Vancouver-based production company that has garnered worldwide acclaim for its provocative, innovative, and entertaining television programming. From groundbreaking documentaries to reality television series to lifestyle programming, Paperny Films excels in capturing the essence of human stories.

http://ronsexsmith.com



WORLD PARTY CONFIRMS SXSW SHOWS AND March 22 and 28, 2011 PERFORMANCES AT JOE'S PUB IN NYC

GROUP TO CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2011 WITH NEW MUSIC, AN ENDLESS COLLECTION OF UNRELEASED MATERIAL, AND THEIR MOST EXTENSIVE U.S. TOUR IN 5 YEARS


World Party has confirmed their return to the U.S. this spring for a string of SXSW dates - including a Friday performance at Auditorium Shores - and two performances at Joe's Pub in NYC on March 22 and 23.

Formed in 1986, essentially as the solo project of Karl Wallinger (previously of cult heroes The Waterboys), World Party celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with a flurry of activity and new projects that will give fans plenty to look forward to in 2011.

The group will release a 4-5 CD collection this spring, packed with unreleased studio gems and live recordings via Wallinger's own label, Seaview Records. Painstakingly curated, the tracks in this collection are as fresh and relevant as anything Wallinger has released in his storied career with World Party. This collection will be preceded by the launch of an all new World Party song.

World Party will also embark on its most extensive U.S. tour since 2006 later this year. A full list of dates will be announced soon.

Beloved by critics and fans, World Party has amassed a collection of hit singles over its history, including "Ship of Fools", "Message in the Box," "Way Down Now" and "Is It Like Today?". In recent years, Wallinger has taken World Party to the stages of Bonnaroo, Bumbershoot, San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and elsewhere.

CONFIRMED 2011 DATES:
Fri, 3/18 - Austin, TX (SXSW) @ The Speakeasy (Fontana day party)
Fri, 3/18 - Austin, TX (SXSW) @ Auditorium Shores
Sat, 3/19 - Austin, TX (SXSW) @ Cactus Café (KUT day party)
Tues, 3/22 - New York, NY @ Joe's Pub
Wed, 3/23 - New York, NY @ Joe's Pub
(all shows w/ full band)

For more information on World Party, visit www.WorldParty.net


Queens of the Stone Age to Headline Rolling Stone’s South by Southwest Showcase


Rolling Stone announced last week that Queens of the Stone Age will headline the magazine’s South by Southwest showcase on March 16, kicking off four days of events at La Zona Rosa.



Queens of the Stone Age will be re-releasing their self-titled 1998 debut album on their own label, Rekords Records, in March, and their SXSW performance will launch the band’s 2011 North American tour.



“We’re excited to be doing another year of concerts at SXSW,” said Jason Fine, Rolling Stone. “We can’t think of a better lineup to help kick it off.”



The Wednesday showcase lineup also includes The Black Angels, Mini Mansions, J Mascis and Beast Make Bomb (winner of the Converse Get Out of the Garage contest). The complete lineup for all four days of events will be announced next week.



More information on the Rolling Stone showcase is available at RollingStone.com


Dual Threat Henry Wolfe Debuts at SXSW, on the Silver Screen This Spring

The intrinsically melodic songwriter Henry Wolfe is earning his LA Times title as a "2011 Face to Watch." In addition to his "smart, immediately hummable" debut album Linda Vista (April 5, Undermountain Records), Wolfe will also make appearances in two different films this year and has a song in the Sundance competitor 'Terri.'

At SXSW, Wolfe will perform at:
--The Billions Day Party - Thursday, March 17, 4 p.m. on the indoor stage at Mohawk
--Hotel Café's showcase - Saturday, March 19, 10 p.m. at The Tap Room (at Six Lounge)

Wolfe appears in The Wait - directed by M Blanch, and starring Chloe Sevigny ('Big Love,' 'American Psycho') and Jena Malone ('Saved!', 'Into The Wild') – which he describes as a "supernatural drama" about two sisters who keep their deceased mother's body anticipating that she will come back to life.

Wolfe's plays himself in the David Zuckerman-directed 'Wolfe With an E.' An idea borne out of the recording sessions for Linda Vista, 'Wolfe With an E' follows real-life music journalist Sophie Heawood (Times of London) as she tries to track down the songwriter for an interview while contending with the age-old conundrum of trying to navigate Los Angeles without a car.

"Someone Else" from Linda Vista also made an appearance at Sundance this year, playing over the closing credits of the Azazel Jacobs-directed 'Terri.' Another song from the album "Stop the Train" was featured in 2009's 'Julie and Julia.'


For more information, visit www.HenryWolfe.com

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