Remembering Davy Jones

Like millions of other music fans, I was shocked and deeply saddened when I learned that Monkees singer Davy Jones died earlier today. He was only 66.

Although I never had the chance to meet or interview Jones (you can read my preview of the Monkees' 2011 tour featuring my interview with Micky Dolenz here), I did get to see and review the Monkees for The Orange County Register at the Doheny Days festival in the late 1990s and at the Greek Theatre last year when the group went out in celebration of their 45th anniversary. Jones' positive persona, fantastic tenor voice and comedic talents were on display throughout both those shows, as they were in the Monkees' popular TV series and groundbreaking 1968 film Head.

I have been among the small, but growing number of music writers puzzled (and admittedly a bit angry) at how The Monkees have not been given credit for their contributions to the late 1960s music explosion. Orange County Register pop critic Ben Wener posted an outstanding tribute to Jones and the Monkees earlier today and I really recommend that (click here to read his article).

Also, on a "guilty pleasures" episode of Music Worth Buying we posted last year, I spent a considerable amount of my energy articulating why the Monkees mattered in the 1960s, and why the group's spirit and music endures today.



I still can't believe that Davy Jones is gone, but thanks to his wonderful recordings (notably his lead vocals on “Daydream Believer,” the emotive “Shades of Gray” and rousing "Valleri”) and classic television series, the talented singer-actor will be remembered for his considerable gifts to pop culture, and yes, rock 'n' roll too.

Sights and Sounds: Altan, Brock McGuire Band, Keane

There is exciting new music on the way courtesy of a wide-range of notable artists from across the Pond. Altan, the Brock McGuire Band and Keane have already or are set set to issue new releases soon. Here are highlights from my inbox.


Irish troupe Altan set to tour in support of Gleann Nimhe - The Poison Glen

On The Poison Glen, Altan is propelled by a raw energy seemingly channeled from the pub sessions on which the band cut their teeth and which has inspired the last 40 year wave of interest in the “new traditional” Irish sound.

Here are Altan's upcoming tour dates in the U.S. in support of The Poison Glen:

3 March - The Cedar - Minneapolis, MN
4 March - The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI
6 March - Barns at Wolftrap - Vienna, VA
7 March - Sellersville Theater - Sellersville, PA
8 March - City Winery - New York City, NY

9 March - The Music Hall - Portsmouth, NH
10 March - Somerville Theatre - Somerville, MA

Visit the band's page on the official Compass Records site for more information.


Brock McGuire Band - Green Grass Blue Grass

Lauded as the ‘Best Instrumental Irish Band of the Decade’ by the Irish American News, the Brock McGuire Band presents Green Grass Blue Grass, a cross-cultural collaboration which celebrates the music of the Irish and Appalachian traditions.

Paul Brock on button accordion and melodeon, and Manus McGuire on fiddle, are joined on tenor banjo and mandolin by Co. Galway’s multiple All-Ireland champion Enda Scahill, and on keyboards by acclaimed composer and arranger Denis Carey from Co. Tipperary.

Recorded at Skaggs Studio in Nashville TN, with the help of such bluegrass luminaries as Ricky Skaggs, Aubrey Haynie, Bryan Sutton, and Mark Fain this Compass Records release received it’s debut performance at the Grand Old Opry this past March.

Released on Feb. 28, 2013, you can purchase the album on Amazon.com.


Keane's Strangeland due in May

British pop/rockers Keane will release their fourth Cherrytree/Interscope Records studio album, Strangeland, on Tuesday, May 8 in America. It is available for pre-order now at amazon.com.

Four years have elapsed since Keane’s last album Perfect Symmetry; two since Night Train, the mini-LP which followed its three full-length predecessors to the top of the British album charts, securing Keane a place in pop history.

The first single from the forthcoming 2012 effort, “Silenced By The Night” will have an early TV debut on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 12.

Below I've posted the tracklisting for Strangeland:

1. You Are Young
2. Silenced By The Night
3. Disconnected
4. Watch How You Go
5. Sovereign Light Café
6. On The Road
7. The Starting Line
8. Black Rain
9. Neon River
10. Day Will Come
11. In Your Own Time
12. Sea Fog

Information: www.keanemusic.com/

Sights and Sounds: B-52's, John Mayer, Joan Osborne, Eric Hutchinson

Who cares who wore what at the Academy Awards? I'm more interested in the latest news on upcoming music releases and tours. Here are highlights from my inbox...

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT INVITES YOU TO THE "LOVE SHACK"

THE B-52'S WITH THE WILD CROWD - LIVE IN ATHENS, GA

~On DVD and Blu-ray March 20, 2012~


In February 2011, 34 years into their reign as the World's Greatest Party Band, The B-52's returned to celebrate in the town where it all began -Athens, Georgia. Now this concert will be available as the band's first-ever live DVD and Blu-ray, when With The Wild Crowd - Live In Athens, GA is released via Eagle Rock Entertainment on March 20, 2012. [MSRP $14.98 for DVD, $19.98 for Blu-ray]


With The Wild Crowd! was recorded in the B-52s' hometown at a show that commemorated the band's 34th anniversary of their first-ever live show on Valentine's Day 1977. Wig-wearing, boa-draped, glitter-covered fans came from near and far to celebrate this historic event as the band delivered a sizzling set that turned Athens' Classic Center into a cosmic dance hall.


Filmed in high-definition with DTS Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, this 90-minute set is packed with fan favorites like "Love Shack," "Rock Lobster," "Roam," "Funplex," "Give Me Back My Man," "Private Idaho," and "Planet Claire." With The Wild Crowd! is filled with all the excitement, fervor and energy of a classic B-52s dance party, a showcase for the non-stop, high-octane force of a group that has never lost their youthful and dynamic energy.


Only the B-52s can lay claim to their one-of-a-kind sound. There's certainly no mistaking the signature call-and-response vocal play of singers Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson matched with the unique guitar stylings of Keith Strickland. And with over twenty million albums sold and a nonstop touring schedule, this revolutionary rock band shows no signs of slowing down. The band has just celebrated their 35th Anniversary and has announced plans to embark on a very special 35th Anniversary Tour in Summer 2012, including many co-bill dates with their good friends Squeeze.

Track Listing:

1.)Pump

2.)Private Idaho

3.)Mesopotamia

4.)Ultraviolet

5.)Dancing Now

6.)Give Me Back My Man

7.)Funplex

8.)Whammy Kiss

9.)Deadbeat Club

10.) Roam

11.) 52 Girls

12.) Party Out Of Bounds

13.) Love In The Year 3000

14.) Cosmic Thing

15.) Hot Corner

16.) Love Shack

17.) Wig

18.) Strobe Light

19.) Planet Claire

20.) Rock Lobster


Eagle Rock Entertainment recently released the CD component of With The Wild Crowd - Live In Athens, GA in October 2011.


John Mayer set to tour in support of Born and Raised

Seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician John Mayer launches his first U.S. tour in two years on April 9, stopping in 18 cities through May 6. The tour leads into Mayer's upcoming fifth album Born and Raised, which will be released soon thereafter.

Mayer produced Born and Raised with Don Was, who worked on albums for acts such as the Rolling Stones, B.B. King and Bonnie Raitt. Rock legends David Crosby and Graham Nash provide vocals on the title song and musicians joining Mayer on the album and on the road include highly-regarded keyboardist/pianist Chuck Leavell — who has worked with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and The Allman Brothers Band —as well as previous collaborators Sean Hurley on bass and Aaron Sterling on drums. Rounding out the touring band are David Ryan Harris on guitar and vocals, Doug Pettibone on guitar and Michito Sanchez on percussion.

Mayer recently previewed the album's first single "Shadow Days" on his tumblr blog (http://jhnmyr.tumblr.com/). The song will be serviced to radio on Feb. 27, 2012. He debuts his new album with a performance at SXSW on March 17.

Mayer became passionate about supporting U.S. war veterans following a visit to the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune in North Carolina four years ago. He has since spent time with active military and veterans while touring, and partnered with the Northern California Institute of Research and Education (NCIRE) to provide veterans with a healthy reintegration into civilian life which will help heal the battle scars caused by the trauma they experienced.

Concertgoers can join Mayer in his support of veterans in two ways. A block of third-row orchestra seats will be made available for sale at a premium price exclusively through Tickets-For-Charity, with proceeds going to Mayer/NCIRE programs. At Tickets-For-Charity, fans pay the same or better price found elsewhere for high-demand seats, with 100% of above-face benefit redirected to charity. For more information, go to www.ticketsforcharity.com/johnmayer.

And at http://celebrity.ebay.com/john-mayer, Mayer fans can bid on four front-row tickets, plus a chance to meet him, with proceeds also going to Mayer/NCIRE programs for veterans.

In 2011, through his partnership with NCIRE, Mayer was able to launch the first of several pilot programs to benefit the young men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Programs include a mobile exercise and wellness program; the development of a program of integrative medicine for traumatic stress; a study on veterans' readjustment to civilian life which aims to develop new therapeutic tools to aid the transition; and a first-of-its-kind screening and intervention program for women suffering from eating disorders triggered by post traumatic stress related to combat.

Mayer's previous albums--Room for Squares, Heavier Things, Continuum and Battle Studies--have sold more than 11 million copies combined. He has been honored with seven Grammy Awards and an additional 11 nominations. He has also been included in Time Magazine's annual Time 100 list of the most influential contemporary thinkers, leaders, artists and entertainers, and twice been featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine's annual "Guitar" issue.

John Mayer Spring Tour 2012 Schedule:

Monday, April 9: Bloomington, IN; the IU Auditorium
Tuesday, April 10: East Lansing, MI; the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
Thursday, April 12: Grand Rapids, MI; DeVos Performance Hall
Friday, April 13: West Lafayette, IN (Purdue University); Elliot Hall of Music
Saturday, April 14: Detroit, MI; Fox Theatre
Tuesday, April 17: Orono, ME (University of ME); Collins Center for the Arts
Wednesday, April 18: Providence, RI; PPAC Providence Performing Arts Center
Thursday, April 19: West Point, NY; Eisenhower Hall Theatre
Saturday, April 21: Buffalo, NY; Shea's Performing Arts Center
Sunday, April 22: Wallingford, CT; The Oakdale Theatre
Tuesday, April 24: Richmond, VA; Landmark Theater
Thursday, April 26: Tuscaloosa, AL; Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
Sunday, April 29: New Orleans, LA; Jazz & Heritage Fest
Monday, April 30: Memphis, TN; The Orpheum Theatre
Wednesday, May 2: Kansas City, MO; Starlight Theatre
Friday, May 4: Albuquerque, NM; Sandia
Saturday, May 5: Las Vegas, NV; The Joint
Sunday, May 6: Phoenix, AZ; Comerica Theatre


Joan Osborne Bring It On Home set for March 27, 2012 release

Joan Osborne once recalled how “Blues music rescued me when I was in need of rescue.” On her newest album, Bring it on Home, Joan returns the favor and it’s the blues that gets new life. Drawing from a voice the New York Times called “angelic ecstasy and sexual abandon,” Joan Osborne has at long last made an album of vintage blues, R&B and soul songs.

Bring it on Home also includes tracks originally made famous by American blues masters such as Sonny Boy Williamson (“Bring it on Home”), Muddy Waters (“I Want to Be Loved”), as well as recordings originally released by some of the greatest R&B singers ever including Ray Charles (“I Don’t Need No Doctor”), Al Green (“Rhymes”) and Otis Redding (“Champagne and Wine”).

Bring it on Home was produced by Joan and her longtime music director/guitarist Jack Petruzzelli. It was recorded live in the Waterfront Studios in Hudson, NY by engineer Henry Hirsch (Lenny Kravitz), who used an original 24 track Studer tape machine to recreate the warm and organic analogue sound of the era. Guest musicians include Barbecue Bob Pomeroy (harmonica), Allen Toussaint (piano on his own “Shoorah! Shoorah!”) and vocalists the Holmes Brothers and Rufus Thomas’ daughter, Vaneese Thomas. Jimmy Vivino, Conan O’Brien Show Band musical director, assembled all horn arrangements and also played electric piano on “I Don’t Need No Doctor.”


ERIC HUTCHINSON ANNOUNCES HEADLINE TOUR IN SUPPORT OF UPCOMING ALBUM,
MOVING UP LIVING DOWN, SET FOR APRIL 17th RELEASE

Photo credit: Jeff Lipsky


Warner Bros. Records recording artist Eric Hutchinson will celebrate the April 17, 2012 release of his latest album, Moving Up Living Down, by hitting the road. Hutchinson's North American headlining tour will kick off that evening at Denver's Bluebird Theatre and will also include shows at Highline Ballroom in New York City (May 2) and here in Orange County at the legendary Coach House in San Juan Capistrano(Friday, May 18). See below for itinerary.

"Hutchinson is undeniably charismatic, splitting his time between keyboard and guitar, crooning about stormy romances and everyday struggles," said The Washington Post in a live review.

In its first month at radio, "Watching You Watch Him," the lead single from Moving Up Living Down, tied with Coldplay for #1 Most Added at the Triple A format and quickly climbed into the Top 15. It is Top 40 at Hot AC radio. Last week Hutchinson gave "Watching You Watch Him" its national television debut on "Late Show with David Letterman." You can check out his performance here.

Moving Up Living Down is the follow-up to Hutchinson's full-length debut album, Sounds Like This, which entered Billboard's Heatseekers chart at No. 1 and has sold more than 250,000 units. Fueled by Hutchinson's non-stop touring, numerous television appearances and the album's three radio hits - the RIAA-certified Gold single "Rock & Roll," which hit No. 1 at Triple A, and the Top 5 singles "OK, It's Alright With Me" and "Oh!" - Sounds Like This re-entered the Top 10 of the Heatseekers' chart two years after its initial release on Hutchinson's own indie label, Let's Break Records.


Hutchinson recorded Moving Up Living Down with producers Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Regina Spektor) in Los Angeles and Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, James Morrison) in London. The album pre-order is now available on the iTunes Music Store. Fans who purchase "Watching You Watch Him" on iTunes will instantly receive a free download of the teaser video for "Breakdown More," another track from Moving Up Living Down, and a longtime fan favorite that originally appeared on Hutchinson's live EP, Before I Sold Out.


Eric Hutchinson - Spring 2012 North American Tour:

4/17 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre

4/18 Omaha, NE Waiting Room

4/19 Des Moines, IA Wooly's

4/21 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line

4/23 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall

4/24 Madison, WI Majestic

4/26 Detroit, MI Magic Bag

4/27 Columbus, OH The Basement

4/28 Cleveland, OH Beachland

4/30 Pittsburgh, PA Club AE

5/1 Boston, MA Paradise

5/2 New York, NY Highline Ballroom

5/4 Danbury, CT Heirloom Arts Theatre

5/5 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

5/6 Philadelphia, PA World Café

5/8 Charlotte, NC Visulite

5/9 Charleston, SC Pour House

5/10 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre

5/11 Nashville, TN 3rd& Lindsey

5/12 Birmingham, AL Zydeco

5/14 Dallas, TX House of Blues

5/15 Austin, TX Stubb's

5/17 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom

5/18 San Juan Capistrano Coach House

5/19 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour

5/20 San Francisco, CA Slim's

5/22 Seattle, WA Chop Suey

5/23 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater

5/24 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory


Information: www.erichutchinson.com

Heart rocks Front & Center show in Anaheim

Ann Wilson sang with power throughout Heart's performance at Honda Center in Anaheim on Feb. 25. 

Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson at Heart's performance
at Honda Center in Anaheim on Feb. 25. 

  

Photo credit for both images - KELLY A. SWIFT 

My review was originally posted on The Orange County Register site earlier today. 

Because the annual Front & Center shows held at Honda Center serve as a benefit for Cal State Fullerton’s President’s Scholars Program, they really are two events in one. Saturday’s (Feb. 25, 2012) first half at the Anaheim arena celebrated the university itself with a series of performances by its theater and dance department, as well as several tributes to former CSUF president Dr. Milton A. Gordon, who received the Orange County Titan Award. Musical star and Cal State Fullerton alumnus Dashaun Young served as master of ceremonies, and several of the most memorable parts of the evening’s opening portion were when he joined more than a dozen students to perform numbers from Hairspray (the rousing “Not Until Then” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat”) and The Lion King (the ballad “Endless Night”). 

But ultimately the night belonged to Heart. The band, led by singers Ann and Nancy Wilson, may have served as warm-up act for Def Leppard at Jack’s 6th Show at Irvine’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheater last summer, but here the sisters and their group reminded they can be every bit as big a headliner. 

Performing a 15-song set chock-full of the band’s best-known originals, the Seattle-spawned outfit’s mostly hard-charging approach in concert was a smart one, wasting no time by launching with “Even It Up,” “Magic Man” and “Kick It Out” before briefly breaking their momentum to greet and thank the audience. While Heart merits ground-breaker status for being among the first successful bands to feature women in roles beyond singing, it’s also one of the rare bands that survived the ’70s (during which time the Wilsons gained an ardent following on FM radio) only to return as a bona fide monster-hit makers in the ’80s. 

Many longtime followers of the band were surprised that Ann (61) and Nancy (soon to be 58) didn’t make the cut for induction into the next class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though at least they finally made it onto the final ballot. The group ranks alongside Hall & Oates, the Cure, Yes, Roxy Music, Linda Ronstadt, Dire Straits, Journey, Pat Benatar, Rush, Kiss, Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Ray Vaughan and dozens more who have been both successful and influential yet have failed to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame, even as decidedly “rock-free” acts like Madonna have gained immediate access. 

The Wilson sisters were definitely not snubbed during their 85-minute concert in Anaheim, however. Many in the former Pond cheered wildly when mighty-voiced Ann delivered power ballads such as “What About Love” and “Alone,” and there were cheers for “These Dreams,” enhanced by the blending of the sisters’ vocals while Nancy played mandolin and Ann showcased her skills on flute. Indeed, the group’s material was really the star: the single most potent performance, for instance, didn’t come in service of their hits but rather via a version of “Mistral Wind,” from the 1978 album Dog & Butterfly, an opus that began with Nancy playing acoustic guitar alone before Ann added her soprano. The song artfully grew until the rest of the band came in, and soon the piece had built into an epic rocker before concluding quietly. 

Heart also played a new hard-rock song, revealing that this was the first time it had been performed live. The title wasn’t clear (at least to me), but the vibe and approach recalled Perfect Strangers-era Deep Purple. But that detour didn’t detract from more familiar tunes, including “Crazy on You,” “Straight On” and hard-edged “Barracuda,” complete with Nancy Wilson and Craig Bartock’s shining mixture of lead and rhythm fretwork. The night ended, as it often does at a Heart show, with the band brandishing its love for Led Zeppelin; this time they rollicked through a mostly faithful and energetic take on “Misty Mountain Hop.” 

The good news for those who missed Heart this time is that the band just announced it will return to Orange County to perform at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on Aug. 9

America brings folk rock sound to The Coach House tonight

One of the most successful artists to emerge in the 1970s is making an eagerly-anticipated return to The Coach House tonight (Feb. 24).
America will likely deliver a mix of well-known classics such as “A Horse With No Name,” “Ventura Highway,” “Sister Golden Hair” and “Tin Man,” as well as songs from the group’s most recent albums at the concert.
Led by founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, America continues to surprise and please audiences more than four decades after the group’s launch in 1970. America’s most recent studio album Back Pages was released in 2011 and found the band offering up artful remakes of material from the likes of the Zombies (“Time of the Season”), Bob Dylan (“My Back Pages”), Paul Simon (the apt gem “America”) and even Fountains of Wayne (“A Road Song”).
The group’s career has seemingly come full circle with the 2012 release of “Live at the Troubadour,” a collection released by Time Life that features new, acoustic versions of the folk rock group’s biggest hits recorded lives at the Troubadour club in Los Angeles. The Grammy Award-winning group was honored on Feb. 6 when they were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Orange County Register writer Ben Wener has penned an update on a number of promising shows coming to Orange County this weekend, including the America concert. Click here to view his roundup.

America, Beyond Conception, Don Brennan
Where: The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano
When: 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, 2012
Tickets: $75
Information: 949-496-8930

Sights and Sounds: Julia Stone, Sweet Wednesday, Lyle Lovett

A little bit of this, a little bit of that - it all adds up to a lot of good music.
Here are the latest items to share...


ANGUS & JULIA STONE ANNOUNCE 2012 SOLO ALBUMS

JULIA STONE TO RELEASE BY THE HORNS ON MAY 29th;
NEW SINGLE “LET’S FORGET ALL THE THINGS THAT WE SAY” AND ACCOMPANYING MUSIC VIDEO OUT NOW


Earlier this year, critically-acclaimed Australian siblings Angus & Julia Stone announced plans to each release solo albums in 2012 before pairing back up for another Angus & Julia Stone full-length. Julia Stone announces the release of her album By The Horns on May 29, and celebrates by delivering her captivating first single “Let’s Forget All The Things That We Say.”

The single, along with the entire album, is produced by Thomas Bartlett and Patrick Dillett, whose combined work includes credits on records by Antony & The Johnsons, David Byrne, The National, and Mary J Blige. The single is released as a 4-song EP today in iTunes, with three additional and previously unreleased tracks, two of which feature The National’s Bryan Devendorf on drums.

“Let’s Forget All The Things That We Say” EP Track Listing:
1. Let’s Forget All The Things That We Say
2. Tell Her A Story
3. Take Me Home
4. The Shit That They’re Feeding You

Stay tuned for more news from Julia Stone, as well as details on Angus Stone’s forthcoming solo album.

www.juliastonemusic.com

www.facebook.com/juliastoneofficial


Sweet Wednesday Releases New Album

"Escaping From The Pale Moonlight"
May 2, 2012


A sailor lost at sea, a young girl stranded along the desert stretch of Route 66, and a revolutionary war army deserter, are just some of the characters you'll meet when you listen to ESCAPING FROM THE PALE MOONLIGHT, the NEW ALBUM by Alt Country/Roots Duo SWEET WEDNESDAY - out May 2, 2012.


Formed in 2004, Boston-based Singer/Songwriters Dave Falk and Lisa Housman write and perform in the roots rock, folk, alt country genres, combining elements of comedy, tragedy, and haunting beauty into their eclectic songs. Lisa's voice has been compared to that of Natalie Merchant and their music, perhaps akin to Gillian Welch jamming with Gram Parsons with the quality of writing of Leonard Cohen or Townes Van Zandt.


Multi-instrumentalist Dave Falk plays the guitar, mandolin, harmonica, banjo, and violin, while Lisa plays guitar. Both sing, with rich vocal harmonies laced throughout.


Since putting out their first record, Wherever You Go a few years ago, Lisa and Dave have toured in the U.S. and Europe, steadily building their fan base while performing live at colleges, festivals, clubs, coffeehouses, radio stations, and television stations. Songwriting awards include First Place in the Great American Song Contest, First Place in the Dallas Song Competition, and Runner-Up in the John Lennon Song Contest.


The pair perform both as an acoustic duo and with various supporting musicians, including a string band and a rock band. Check out upcoming Tour Dates HERE.


LYLE LOVETT ANNOUNCES ACOUSTIC TOUR WITH JOHN HIATT



APPEARING ON LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, THE VIEW, & MORNING JOE NEXT WEEK

SET TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM, RELEASE ME, ON FEBRUARY 28, 2012


Curb/Lost Highway is excited to announce that four-time Grammy Award-winner Lyle Lovett will be touring this spring. Next week, Lovett will also appear on the Late Show with David Letterman on February 27, The View on February 29, and Morning Joe on March 2nd

Lovett, who Garden & Gun recently called "one of America's most beloved singer/songwriters" and was featured in the coveted "What I've Learned" column from this month's Esquire, will be playing solo acoustic on this tour. After an acoustic band set at The Concert Hall at New York Society for Ethical Culture in New York City on February 28th, Lovett will be joined by John Hiatt, beginning their solo acoustic run at the State Theater in Minneapolis on March 7 and wrapping up at the Saenger Theatre in Pensacola on March 25.


Lovett will release his new album, Release Me, on February 28, 2012. Produced by Nathaniel Kunkel and Lovett, Release Me represents the end of an era as it's his last record for Curb/Universal Music Group after being on the label for his entire career. Release Me is quintessential Lyle, mixing a smart collection of originals and covers that show not only the breadth of this Texas legend's deep talents, but also the diversity of his influences, making him one of the most infectious and fascinating musicians in popular music.

Since his self-titled debut in 1986, Lovett has evolved into one of music's most vibrant and iconic performers. His oeuvre, rich and eclectic, is one of the most beloved of any living artist working today.


Lyle Lovett On Tour:

02/28 The Concert Hall - New York, NY (with acoustic band)

03/07 State Theater - Minneapolis, MN

03/08 Pabst Theater - Milwaukee, WI

03/09 Star Theatre - Merrillville, IN

03/10 The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI

03/11 Brown Theatre - Louisville, KY

03/13 Schermerhorn Symphony Center - Nashville, TN

03/14 Symphony Hall - Woodruff Arts Center - Atlanta, GA

03/15 Durham Performing Arts Center - Durham, NC

03/16 McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square - Charlotte, NC

03/17 North Charleston Performing Arts Center - N Charleston, SC

03/20 Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium - Spartanburg, SC

03/21 Sunrise Theatre / City of Fort Pierce - Fort Pierce, FL

03/22 Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, FL

03/23 Saint Augustine Amphitheatre - Saint Augustine, FL

03/24 Trustees Theater - Savannah, GA

03/25 Saenger Theatre - Pensacola, FL



All dates solo acoustic with John Hiatt except 2/28

Sights and Sounds: Norah Jones, The GRAMMY Museum, Hank Williams Jr.

Today's roundup of news releases features news on Norah Jones, a tribute to heavy metal and a collection celebrating a country music icon.

NORAH JONES SETS MAY 1 RELEASE FOR LITTLE BROKEN HEARTS

REVEALS ALBUM COVER & TRACK LISTING


Norah Jones has set a May 1 release date for Little Broken Hearts (Blue Note/EMI), her stunning new album produced by Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton). Jones has also revealed the album cover and track listing of the 12-song set, which features original songs co-written by Jones and Burton.


Jones drew the inspiration for the album cover from the vintage movie posters that adorn Burton’s Los Angeles studio. “Brian has this great collection of Russ Meyer posters in his studio,” explains Jones, “and this particular one, called Mudhoney, was right over the couch where I sat every day. I always was looking at it and thinking ‘that’s so cool I want to look like her!’ I remember staring at the poster the whole time we made the record. It’s a great visual."


Little Broken Hearts is the fascinating next step in the artistic evolution of one of the music world’s most consistently intriguing singer-songwriters. Jones first emerged on the world stage 10 years ago this month with the February 2002 release of Come Away With Me, her self-described “moody little record” that introduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Grammy Awards and signaling a paradigm shift away from the prevailing synthetic pop music of the time. Come Away With Me has just become the #10 best-selling album of the Soundscan era. The album has sold 25 million copies worldwide.


Since then, Jones has released three more critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums— Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), and The Fall (2009)—as well as two albums with her country collective The Little Willies. The 2010 compilation …Featuring Norah Jones showed her to possess an incredibly versatile voice by collecting her collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Outkast, Herbie Hancock, and Foo Fighters. Jones previously collaborated with Danger Mouse on his acclaimed 2011 album ROME, a valentine to classic Italian film score music that also featured Jack White.


Jones will tour extensively in 2012, performing at a mixture of festivals, amphitheatres and theatres in the US and abroad. Select summer European dates, including a pair of sold out London shows at the Royal Festival Hall, are already posted at www.norahjones.com, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. US tour dates will be revealed shortly, but in the immediate future Jones will be performing at SXSW in Austin, Texas. She will debut songs from Little Broken Hearts with her new band at La Zona Rosa (March 17 at 7:45pm), and will also be performing with The Little Willies at Waterloo Records (March 15 at 1:00pm) and Antone’s (March 15 at 10:00pm).

The track listing for Little Broken Hearts is as follows:


1. Good Morning

2. Say Goodbye

3. Little Broken Hearts

4. She's 22

5. Take It Back

6. After The Fall

7. 4 Broken Hearts

8. Travelin' On

9. Out On The Road

10. Happy Pills

11. Miriam

12. All A Dream


*All songs written By Norah Jones & Brian Burton




The GRAMMY Museum to Premier First Major Exhibition To Explore The History of Heavy Metal

Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal To Open April 11, 2012, In Conjunction With The REVOLVER Golden Gods Award Show


The GRAMMY Museum, in conjunction with REVOLVER Magazine, has announced additional details surrounding the Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal exhibit, set to open on April 11, 2012. Launching on the same day as the REVOLVER Golden Gods Award Show taking place next door at Club Nokia, this will be the first major museum exhibition to explore the more than four-decade history of Heavy Metal in America , and the genre’s impact across the globe.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with REVOLVER Magazine to tell the story of heavy metal,” said GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli . “This exhibit is dedicated to the legions of metalheads around the world who have made the genre what it is today.”

This one-of-a-kind exhibit will provide an in-depth look at the genre by drawing attention to the artists and moments that exemplified Heavy Metal as we know it. The goal is to capture the elaborate innovation that helped develop the genre from the late 1960s to present day. Through rare artifacts from iconic metal bands and interactive experiences, the exhibit will teach visitors about the origins of Heavy Metal, its many subgenres, the bands that made Heavy Metal famous and offer a look into the controversy that has surrounded the genre. The exhibit will bring together more than 40 diverse artifacts, rare photographs, handwritten lyrics, interactive experiences and more.

In addition to the exhibit, Golden Gods: The History Of Heavy Metal will also include a host of public programming events, educational curricula, intimate performances, lectures, and more. Additional information will be released in the coming weeks as specific exhibit information and related event information becomes available including V.I.P. preview dates and confirmed talent.

Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal will be on display in The GRAMMY Museum’s Special Exhibits Gallery – where temporary exhibits are showcased on a rotating basis – through February, 2013. The GRAMMY Museum is located at 800 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite A245 , and Los Angeles , CA 90015 . With an entrance off of Figueroa Street , the Museum resides within the L.A. LIVE district, at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles .

About The GRAMMY Museum
Paying tribute to music's rich cultural history, this one-of-a-kind, 21st-century Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music — the GRAMMY Award. The GRAMMY Museum features 30,000 square feet of interactive and multimedia exhibits located within L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. Through thought-provoking and dynamic public and educational programs and exhibits, guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only The GRAMMY Museum can deliver.


ARE YOU READY FOR SOME COUNTRY?

BEST OF HANK WILLIAMS JR. (ALL MY ROWDY FRIENDS) LAUNCHES FROM CURB RECORDS MARCH 27, 2012

Album available exclusively at Walmart


Fans of Hank Jr. can kick the wintertime blues with the announcement from Curb Records of the March 27, 2012 release of a retrospective collection of signature hits from the iconic superstar. The package will feature 22 of Hank Jr.’s best songs that span decades of his high octane music making career, that includes high points such as Family Tradition, A Country Boy Can Survive, All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin’ Over Tonight, and Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound.

In the history of recorded music, perhaps no ‘second generation’ heir to a musical dynasty has surpassed superstar status to become a true American icon as boldly as Hank Williams, Jr. With stacks of gold and platinum lining his walls amid Grammys and Emmys and the reflection of the nearby crowns of Entertainer of the Year resting comfortably on his mantle, Jr. has carved a giant niche in the annals of the record industry. Stepping from the shadows of the greatness of Hank Sr. the current incarnation of family greatness is unique in Hank Jr’s relevance and the amazing influence of his music and image as part of America’s pop culture. He is by any definition a 21st century pop culture force to be reckoned with.

Along the way, as witnessed by the new Curb package, Hank Jr.’s music has become rooted as a unique creative barometer consistently reflecting both our nation’s challenges and the resilience of human nature in general—and Hank’s creative finger on the pulse of culture in particular. From the familiar shout of "Are You Ready For Some Football" to the brooding country patriotism of "A Country Boy Can Survive," Hank is seemingly permanently woven in the midst of America’s daily soundtrack of life--from football, to politics, to his latest reincarnation of the Williams family’s traditional way with a song.

Tracks include:
"Family Tradition"
"Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound"
"Women I've Never Had"
"Outlaw Women"
"Kaw-Liga"
"Old Habits"
"Dinosaur"
"The Blues Man"
"Texas Women"
"Dixie On My Mind"
"All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)"
"A Country Boy Can Survive"
"If Heaven Ain't A Lot Like Dixie"
"The Conversation"
"All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight"
"Country State Of Mind"
"Born To Boogie"
"If The South Woulda Won"
"There's A Tear In My Beer" (with Hank Williams)
"Red, White, & Pink-Slip Blues"
"Bartender Song (Sittin’ At The Bar)" (with Rehab)
"All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming For Monday Night Football"

Whether old or new friend or fan of Hank’s, the March 27 release from Curb offer a singular reminder across the span of all 22 tracks: Now in a sixth decade of making music, Hank’s totally ‘done it his way’.

Sights and Sounds: Big Time Rush and Roberta Flack get fab; Brass Bed & Allison Bohl champion Harry Nilsson

An entire new generation of youngsters is about to get introduced to The Beatles courtesy of Big Time Rush, while legendary singer Roberta Flack's full-length tribute to the Fab Four has landed her in the Billboard Top 200. Speaking of new tributes to great songsmiths, Brass Bed & Allison Bohl's forthcoming disc offers up a healthy dose of Harry Nilsson. Check out several media releases I have posted here.

Big Time Rush releases soundtrack to 'Big Time Movie'

Six beloved Beatles classics covered for Soundtrack to first-ever Big Time Rush TV movie premiering March 10


Columbia Records international recording artists and Nickelodeon TV stars Big Time Rush bring the Fab Four's legacy to a new generation with the release of an iTunes exclusive soundtrack to their first-ever Nickelodeon movie, Big Time Movie on Tuesday, March 6, available now for pre-order. The Big Time Movie Soundtrack features covers of the beloved Beatles classics "Help!," "A Hard Day's Night," "We Can Work It Out," "Revolution," Can't Buy Me Love and I Want To Hold Your Hand* (see below for track listing.) Big Time Movie will premiere Saturday, March 10, 2012 on Nickelodeon.

In Big Time Movie, Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan head to London for their first big world tour, but instead get mixed up in a mission to save the world. With their bags switched at the airport, they inadvertently gain possession of a fearsome device that, in the wrong hands, could destroy the world. The guys must tap into their inner spy as their adventure finds them driving exotic cars and jumping out of helicopters, while trying to make it to their first world tour concert on time. Hot on their trail are evil henchmen named Maxwell, British secret agents and Swedish spies as well as billionaire businessman, Sir Atticus Moon who wants back his precious device code named: "The Beetle," an anti-gravitational device with enormous power. Once they learn they're carrying this precious cargo, the guys get pulled into a madcap mission throughout London, which threatens the onset of their world tour. With the help of teen spy Penny Lane, the guys set out to save Penny's father MI6 Agent Simon Lane and stop Sir Atticus Moon's plot to use "The Beetle" to gain world domination.

Big Time Rush – Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Pena Jr. and Logan Henderson – recently released their second album, Elevate. The highly anticipated follow-up to the group's Gold-certified debut BTR, Elevate features tracks including "Music Sounds Better With U (featuring Mann)," Show Me" and "All Over Again," plus brand-new music that will debut on upcoming episodes of the TV series. Big Time Rush's sold out "Better With U Tour" kicks off nationwide February 17, 2012 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. For more information, please visit: www.BigTimeTour.com.

The full track listing for Big Time Movie Soundtrack is as follows:
1. A Hard Day's Night
2. Revolution
3. Help
4. Can't Buy Me Love
5. We Can Work It Out
6. I Wanna Hold Your Hand*
*not featured in movie


Roberta Flack's New Album "LET IT BE ROBERTA: ROBERTA FLACK SINGS THE BEATLES" Lands in Billboard Top 200!
#30 Billboard R&B Chart
First Single Still Going Strong At Three Radio Formats
"On each track, Ms. Flack transforms the familiar with her penetrating, soulful voice and passionate phrasing…" - Marc Myers, Wall Street Journal


Roberta Flack, the four-time Grammy Award-winning artist, is back after an eight year absence with a brand new album, LET IT BE ROBERTA: ROBERTA FLACK SINGS THE BEATLES —a collection of Beatles song interpretations. For the first time in over 13 years, Roberta has debuted in the Top 200 Albums Chart, plus LET IT BE ROBERTA also landed at #30 on the R&B Albums chart. The first single "We Can Work It Out" is currently going strong at several different radio formats including AC, Urban AC and Smooth Jazz (where it just entered the Top 10 this week). In additional radio news, Roberta Flack's interview with NPR's Weekend Edition will air this Saturday (Feb. 18, 2012). Flack has also been planning a series of tour dates to coincide with the release of the album. Newly signed to a partnership of 429 Records, Sony ATV Music Publishing and Flack's RAS Records, the album, which was produced by Sherrod Barnes, who has also produced Beyonce' and Angie Stone, with contributing producers Jerry Barnes and Barry Miles, is available now.

Roberta Flack has long been known as an unparalleled musician who effortlessly inhabits the worlds of pop, soul, R&B, jazz and folk. From her very first recording, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" which hit #1 in the U.S across all charts, Flack has created strong emotional bonds with her listeners through her poignant musicality and unerring stylizations while also shining an uncompromising light onto the culture and politics of the times.


Brass Bed with Allison Bohl
'On Nilsson' comes out March 13, 2012 on Crossbill Records

Catch them live at SXSW, the New Orleans Jazz Festival and more...
After being asked to perform for a Harry Nilsson tribute night, Brass Bed and long standing art director/collaborator Allison Bohl, decided to record their take on Harry's classics: "One," "He Needs Me," "He's Large" and "Don't Forget Me." On Nilsson is no mere tribute record though, the band imbues each of the four songs with their trademark pop schizophrenia wherein songs can swing wildly from excited pop to a mood that's akin to the most lonesome paranoia, but then again maybe it's that Bohl's voice is near perfect conjuring of Shelly Duvall's vocals from Popeye.

This EP follows their highly acclaimed album, Melt White, which won fans at Vanity Fair, CMJ, and beyond. Fans fell hard for the album's pop hooks awash in distorted keyboards. With high profile slots opening for Shearwater, Givers and Smiths Western, their high energy live shows became the stuff of legend. The band took most of the summer of 2011 off working on honing their sound so that everything they put to tape was capable of being pulled off live.

When asked why, frontman Christiaan Mader stated that, "Nilsson is a gifted songwriter still overshadowed by his famous friends. His work hearkens back, in the best ways, to a time when the song itself was the prize. So it bears revisiting with new ideas for production." Out March 13, 2012 on California's Crossbill Records, On Nilsson shows a band transitioning away from standard pop songs and delving into the darker depths of songwriting and sets the stage for the release of their third and finest LP to date, The Secret Will Keep You, in late 2012!


Tour Dates:
03.02.12 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon with Shearwater
03.08.12 - New Orleans, LA @ Foburg Festival at the Howlin' Wolf
03.13.12 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.14.12 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.15.12 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.16.12 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.17.12 - Lafayette, LA @ Feed and Seed (EP Release Party)
05.04.12 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz Fest (Lagniappe Stage)
05.04.12 - New Orleans, LA @ Siberia

Emerald Sounds: The Chieftains, Celtic Thunder, Clannad

Is St. Patrick's Day only a month away? Here is an update on all things Irish (music, that is...). I've gathered several of the latest media updates to land in my inbox and posted them here.

THE CHIEFTAINS CELEBRATE 50th ANNIVERSARY WITH VOICE OF AGES


Hardly a day goes by without The Chieftains gathering more (well-deserved, I might add) acclaim as they proceed to celebrate their 50th anniversary as a musical troupe. The band's highly-anticipated Voice of Ages arrives on Feb. 21, 2012.

Did you see the New York Times Arts & Leisure cover story on The Chieftains, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys and El Gran Combo on Sunday, Feb. 5th? Ben Ratliff says they have much more than a 50th anniversary year in common. Check out the entire piece here: http://nyti.ms/A4YWPL

The Chieftains 'Voice of Ages,' out Feb. 21, features collaborations with Bon Iver, The Civil Wars, Carolina Chocolate Drops and others. Check out The Decemberists and The Chieftains take on Bob Dylan's "When the Ship Comes In" via Rolling Stone here: http://bit.ly/wBB1c6

Here is a link to purchase the deluxe edition of Voice of Ages from Amazon.com.


GET READY TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY WITH IRISH MUSIC PHENOMENON CELTIC THUNDER
WITH THEIR NEW CD AND DVD, VOYAGE

AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE FEBRUARY 28th ON DECCA
PUBLIC TELEVISION SPECIAL PREMIERES LATE FEBRUARY

**CELTIC THUNDER HAILED AS BILLBOARD’S TOP WORLD MUSIC ARTIST, WORLD ALBUM AND WORLD MUSIC IMPRINT OF 2011; DECCA TOP WORLD LABEL FOR 2011**


Surpassing sales of one million units combined, the musical phenomenon that is Celtic Thunder have just been hailed as BILLBOARD’s Top World Music Artist, along with Top World Music Imprint and Top World Album of 2011 for their most current disc, Heritage. Celtic Thunder rings in 2012 with a new CD and DVD concert special, VOYAGE just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. VOYAGE the concert special will be broadcast across the U.S. on Public Television stations during the March 2012 pledge period, with an estimated one thousand airings beginning in late February (check local listings). Both the new CD and DVD will be available February 28th on Decca.

VOYAGE continues to pay homage to the musical culture of Ireland, while exploring the musical journey each soloist has undertaken since the beginning of Celtic Thunder four years ago. Former members Damian McGinty and Paul Byrom have moved on - McGinty’s star continues to rise after securing a reoccurring role on FOX’s hit show GLEE (a result of winning last year’s “The GLEE Project”), while Paul Byrom launches his own solo career as well. Keith Harkin is also working on a solo project while maintaining his integral role in Celtic Thunder. He is the first artist signed to the newly helmed David Foster Verve Music Group, and is readying his forthcoming solo debut wildly anticipated by “Thunder Heads” everywhere. The rest of the ensemble including Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly, Neil Byrne, George Donaldson and Emmet Cahill welcome 13-year-old Daniel Furlong to the fold as a guest artist on this recording. The group performances highlight the diversity of Irish music and song; from the powerful rendition of “Dulaman” to the love song “Maid of Culmore,” the collection also features a rousing performance of “Galway Girl” and beloved Irish party song “My Irish Molly-O.” To view highlights of VOYAGE please click here: http://bcove.me/11tep1gm

In addition to their impressive sales statics, their official YouTube channel, “Thunder Tube” has received over twenty five million views since its inception in 2008. Celtic Thunder’s successful resume includes performing for President Obama at The White House’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration in 2009, opening New York City’s famed St. Patrick’s Day Parade two consecutive years in a row (2008 & 2009), and most notably six hit Public Television specials and numerous sold out concerts all across America.

Celtic Thunder’s three-week US promotion for VOYAGE will end with the group appearing once again on QVC March 17th. Celtic Thunder have appeared on multiple national TV programs including The Today Show, CBS Early Show’s Saturday Second Cup Café, Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends, as well as numerous regional shows in major cities.


Ireland's Clannad Ushers in St. Patrick's Day With Career-Spanning 2-CD Set, TIMELESS


Brand new 30-song collection celebrates the band's 40-year career, with liner notes written by Larry Kirwan of Black 47; Available everywhere starting March 6, 2012 through RCA/Legacy

March 17th, St. Patrick's Day: "Clannad - Live from Christchurch Cathedral" premieres on NY-area PBS stations, recorded at 2011 Tradfest event in Dublin
Prelude to September 2012 tour, first North American shows in 20 years

Grammy Award®-winning Irish family band Clannad – the original Celtic artists who introduced their native Gaelic tongue into contemporary pop as far back as 1970 – will be the focus of attention on St. Patrick's Day this year, as PBS stations across the north­east broadcast Clannad – Live from Christchurch Cathedral. In advance of the PBS broadcast, a new 30-song, double-CD collection has been compiled, spanning the past three decades of Clannad's recording career. TIMELESS will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting March 6th through RCA/Legacy, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

The PBS special, produced and directed by Cathal Watters, premieres on St. Patrick's Day, Saturday, March 17th. Airings will continue through­out the month (please check local listings). The concert was recorded at the ancient Irish cathedral on January 29, 2011, as part of the annual Temple Bar Tradfest.

The release of TIMELESS and the broadcast of "Live from Christchurch Cathedral" set the stage for Clannad's first North American tour in almost 20 years, to commence in September. Dates will be announced in the months ahead via their website, www.clannad.ie.

Clannad's rich heritage is as deep as their own roots in rugged, secluded Donegal, the most northwestern county in Ireland, and their hometown of Gaoth Dobhar (pronounced 'Gweedore'). They were originally known as An Clann as Dobhar, 'the family from the townland of Dore,' which was compacted to Clannad (pronounced clan-ehd).

With worldwide sales of more than 10 million records, Clannad has maintained a presence on the concert and festival circuit. After 14 years they are finally back in the studio working on a brand new Clannad album for release in September. It is fascinating to consider that what today is so widely regarded as Celtic music was first called "Clannad music." There is perhaps no greater testament to the impact of this groundbreaking group than that simple fact. It all begins with Clannad.

TIMELESS by CLANNAD
(RCA/Legacy 88691 95775 2)
CD One:

1. I Will Find You [Theme from The Last Of The Mohicans] (from Banba, 1993)
2. In A Lifetime - Duet with Bono (from Macalla, 1985)
3. You're The One (from Anam, 1990)
4. Something To Believe In – Guest vocal, piano and accordion: Bruce Hornsby (from Sirius, 1988)
5. Robin (The Hooded Man) [Theme from Robin Of Sherwood] (from Legend, 1984)
6. Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn) (from Macalla, 1985)
7. Broken Pieces (from Lore, 1996)
8. Closer To Your Heart (from Macalla, 1985)
9. Why Worry? (from Anam, 1990)
10. Mystery Game (from Banba, 1993)
11. A Bridge (That Carries Us Over) (from Lore, 1996)
12. The Hunter (from PastPresent, 1989)
13. White Fool - Guest vocal by Steve Perry (from Sirius, 1988)
14. There For You (from Banba, 1993)
15. Let Me See (from Landmarks, 1998)

CD Two:

1. Ri na Cruinne (from Anam, 1990)
2. Theme From Harry's Game (from Magical Ring, 1983)
3. Caislean oir (from Macalla, 1985)
4. Newgrange (from Magical Ring, 1983)
5. Buachaill on Eirne (from Macalla, 1985)
6. Fado (from Landmarks, 1998)
7. Anam (from Anam, 1990)
8. Coinleach Glas An Fhomhair (from Magical Ring, 1983)
9. Na Laethe Bhi (from Banba, 1993)
10. Of This Land (from Landmarks, 1998)
11. Ta' Me Mo Shui (from Magical Ring, 1983)
12. Poison Glen (from Anam, 1990)
13. Uirchill an Chreagain (from Anam, 1990)
14. The Bridge of Tears (from Landmarks, 1998)
15. Banba Oir (from Banba, 1993)

Visit www.clannad.ie and www.legacyrecordings.com.

Music Worth Buying: Jimi Hendrix, Kate Bush & Otis Taylor

Watch the latest episode of MUSIC WORTH BUYING where TJR and I discuss two wonderful albums from opposite sides of the sonic universe, Otis Taylor's Contraband (released today) and Kate Bush's 50 Words For Snow.

Sights and Sounds: Valentine's Day, Phil Collins, Walter Trout

With today being Valentine's Day, I wanted to kick off this post with an interesting update I received from Facebook about music listened to by those getting in or out of love. Kind of fun. Also, there is big news for fans of singer-songwriter-drummer Phil Collins and blues great Walter Trout.

FACEBOOK CHRONICLES THE LOOK (AND SOUNDS) OF LOVE WITH TIMELY PLAYLISTS

Jason Derulo is popular among lovebirds on Facebook with two songs in the top 10 on the “In a relationship” playlist, including his hit "Don't Wanna Go Home" coming in at #1 and "It Girl" at #6. On the other hand, people prefer Drake when breaking up. The hip-hop star has two songs on the break-up playlist, including “Take Care” and "Crew Love." Bruno Mars has a universal appeal with “Just the Way You Are” on the love playlist and “It Will Rain” on the breakup list.

"The Cave" by Mumford and Sons, "All of the Lights" by Kanye West and "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele are also frequently listened to songs when ending a relationship. Those three tunes are also nominated for Song of the Year at the GRAMMY Awards last Sunday! Another fun fact is that people tend to listen to fewer songs when they enter relationships than when they end them.

Most listened to songs by people after changing their status to 'In a relationship':
1. Don't Wanna Go Home by Jason Derulo
2. Love On Top by Beyoncé
3. How to Love by Lil Wayne
4. Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars
5. Good feeling by Flo Rida
6. It Girl by Jason Derulo
7. Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes feat Adam Levine
8. Criminal by Britney Spears
9. No Sleep by Wiz Khalifa
10. Free Fallin' by John Mayer

Most listened to songs by people after changing their status to “Single”:
1. The Cave by Mumford and Sons
2. Crew Love by Drake
3. All of the Lights by Kanye West
4. Rolling in the Deep by Adele
5. Take Care by Drake
6. It Will Rain by Bruno Mars
7. We Found Love by Rihanna & Calvin Harris
8. Call It What You Want by Foster the People
9. Love You Like a Love Song by Selena Gomez and the Scene
10. Without You by David Guetta featuring Usher


For more information & To Link:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-data-team/lovebirds-or-heartbreak-top-valentines-day-playlists-on-facebook/10150560271528859

Facebook love mix:
http://open.spotify.com/user/slycoder/playlist/2SSUnGaPl8YtWFNYrPYHg1

Facebook breakup mix:
http://open.spotify.com/user/slycoder/playlist/4yXygxW4AtM722kquUikD0


PHIL COLLINS IS LIVE AT MONTREUX 2004


Eagle Rock Entertainment To Release Blu-Ray Concert Spectacular On March 27

Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Phil Collins Live At Montreux 2004 on Blu-ray. This marks the first time Phil Collins can be experienced in high-def performing every single one of his major hits live in concert.

The 25-song, 231-minute blockbuster features the celebrated drummer-turned-frontman singing the hits from his long and storied solo career. "In The Air Tonight," "Sussudio," "Two Hearts," "Take Me Home," and many others are prominently on display in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1 and LPCM Stereo, and the high-definition of the Blu-Ray visual.


As a bonus, 13 songs from his 1996 Montreux appearance (filmed in standard definition) are included, performed by the Phil Collins Big Band. The rarely seen big band material, with a special guest appearance by Tony Bennett, completes the Live at Montreux 2004 disc, showcasing the breadth of musical genres that Phil Collins has perfected.


Previous Phil Collins titles from Eagle Rock Entertainment include Going Back: Live At Roseland Ballroom, NYC (DVD and Blu-Ray) and Classic Albums: Face Value (DVD).


Track Listing:

2004 Set List:

1) Drum Thing

2) Something Happened On The Way To Heaven

3) Against All Odds

4) Don't Lose My Number

5) You'll Be In My Heart

6) One More Night

7) Can't Stop Lovin' You

8) Hang In Long Enough

9) True Colours

10) Come With Me

11) A Groovy Kind Of Love

12) I Missed Again

13) Another Day In Paradise

14) No Way Out

15) Separate Lives

16) In The Air Tonight

17) Dance Into The Light

18) You Can't Hurry Love

19) Two Hearts

20) Wear My Hat

21) Easy Lover

22) Sussudio

23) It's Not Too Late

24) Drums Again

25) Take Me Home



1994 Set List:

1) Two Hearts

2) That's All

3) In The Air Tonight

4) Invisible Touch

5) West Side

6) Against All Odds

7) Hand In Hand

8) There'll Be Some Changes Made (featuring Tony Bennett)

9) Milestones

10) Los Endos

11) Always

12) Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me

13) Sussudio





WALTER TROUT RETURNS WITH BLUES FOR THE MODERN DAZE VIA THE MASCOT LABEL GROUP ON APRIL 24, 2012

FIRST 35 DATES OF MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN TOUR ANNOUNCED
Trout Hits The Road On February 25 In Regina, SK

The Mascot Label Group has announced an April 24 release date for Walter Trout's 21st album Blues For The Modern Daze. The offering displays the contemporary guitar legend returning to his hard-core blues roots, with songwriting at a creative and personal zenith. Blues For The Modern Daze is Trout’s sixth recording for Provogue Records, a division of the Mascot Label Group, and his first pure blues album in 23 years as a bandleader.

Trout’s practical schooling in blues started when he arrived in Los Angeles in 1973 and got gigs behind Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, Finis Tasby, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulsom, Percy Mayfield and Joe Tex. In 1981 he joined the remaining original members of Canned Heat. But the real turning point was his tenure with British blues giant John Mayall. Trout became part of the Bluesbreakers’ lineage of great guitarists along with Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor. Beginning in 1984 he shared six-string duties with Coco Montoya in Mayall’s band, creating a flexible guitar dynamic that helped provide the Bluesbreakers a renaissance that returned the group to the apex of the international blues touring circuit. Trout began leading his own group in 1989 and cut his debut album Life In the Jungle, rapidly becoming a star in Europe. His first Stateside release, 1998's critically heralded Walter Trout, made him start down the road towards becoming the fixture of the American blues-rock scene that he is today.

Trout's travels over the past 39 years, and his wide appreciation of his predecessors, yield a significant influence to Blues For The Modern Daze. Trout shares, "My main inspiration for this album was the country bluesman Blind Willie Johnson, an early blues innovator who recorded such timeless gospel informed blues numbers as 'Soul of a Man' and 'Nobody’s Fault But Mine.' His music is so beautiful, primal, direct and deeply spiritual that I wanted to feel it at my back when we were cutting these songs.” He continues, "This album captures my interest in exploring a side of my music that’s rooted in my first musical love, and it reveals something about me too. It sums up the thoughts and attitudes of somebody who is getting a little older and is feeling a little like he’s a part of another era, with different values and a different perspective on life than often seem to be prevalent today. And I stand behind those values, like compassion, authenticity and honesty, as strongly as I stand behind my music.”

Blues for the Modern Daze was recorded at Entourage Studios in North Hollywood, California, with Trout and engineer Eric Corne producing. It’s the fifth time Trout has collaborated with Corne, who contributed to the arrangements and sonic palette of the songs that Trout wrote and demoed on acoustic guitar during the year before the sessions.

Trout returns to the road in the U.S. on April 25th in Solana Beach, CA. Confirmed appearances include:
2/25 Regina, SK (Canada) Mid-Winter Blues Festival @ Casino Regina
4/25 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
4/26 Las Vegas, NV Boulder Station Casino
4/27 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
4/28 Simi Valley, CA Simi Valley Blues Festival
5/09 Collinsville, CT Bridge Street Live
5/10 Bethlehem, PA River Jazz Festival @ Musikfest Café
5/11 Shirley, MA Bull Run
5/12 Stanhope, NJ Stanhope House
5/14 Buffalo, NY The Tralf
5/16 Fall River, MA Narrows Center for the Arts
5/18 New York, NY Iridium Jazz Club
5/19 New York, NY Iridium Jazz Club
5/20 New York, NY Iridium Jazz Club
5/21 New York, NY Iridium Jazz Club
5/23 Charlotte, NC Double Door Inn
5/24 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
5/25 Atlanta, GA Smith’s Olde Bar
5/26 Biloxi, MS MS Gulf Coast Music, Art, Craft & Seafood Festival
5/27 Biloxi, MS MS Gulf Coast Music, Art, Craft & Seafood Festival
6/02 Hagerstown, MD Western Maryland Blues Festival
6/06 Davenport, IA Redstone Room
6/07 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
6/08 Canton, OH Canton Blues Festival
6/09 Minneapolis, MN Famous Dave’s Blues Festival
6/10 Des Moines, IA House of Bricks
6/12 Lincoln, NE Zoo Bar
6/13 Kansas City, MO Knucklehead’s Saloon
6/14 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House
6/15 Chicago, IL House of Blues
6/16 Henderson, KY WC Handy Blues Festival
6/30 Silverado, CA Irvine Lake Blues Festival
8/12 Duluth, MN Bayfront Blues Festival
8/26 Marshfield, MA North River Blues Festival
9/01 Laramie, WY Snowy Range Music Festival

Whitney Houston: dead at 48

With the news that singer Whitney Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel yesterday afternoon, there have and will be countless family members, friends, music writers, industry insiders and fans who will have plenty to say about the death and legacy of the 48-year-old singer.

In situations like this (and I can remember so many, as far back as when Elvis Presley died when he was only 42 in 1977), I always see it best as to remember an artist for the music they left that affects you (the listener) most deeply. CNN and Fox News were broadcasting coverage non-stop in the aftermath and there will surely be a tribute at tonight's GRAMMY Awards ceremony too.

I won't opine here as to the cause of Houston's untimely death; her tragic battle with drugs is well-known and kept the tabloids thrilled (as did Amy Winehouse's lost battle with substance abuse). But what I will say is that Houston was a singer who in her prime in the 1980s and early 1990s, sang with a power and range that few others ever have.
One can only pray that young singers might be inspired by her voice, but wary of the lifestyle that robbed her of her life at such a young age.

I would really recommend checking out Orange County Register writer Ben Wener's wonderful tribute in his Soundcheck blog too.

Sights and Sounds: Saw Doctors, World Party

Talk about kicking off another week on a winning note, now comes word that Ireland's Saw Doctors and Karl Wallinger's World Party are set to release new collections. I've listened to some of the advance material made available to the media and there is plenty to recommend on each of the discs. Below I've re-posted the media releases and artwork. Enjoy!

‘The Further Adventures Of Saw Doctors’ Receives Long-Awaited US Release, March 13, 2012


On March 13, The Saw Doctors’ new album The Further Adventures Of Saw Doctors will receive its US release on Megaforce Records. It is by far The Saw Doctors’ grittiest album to date, dealing with some of the most serious lyrics of the band’s career. The songs highlight the band’s blend of “reverence and irreverence, of resilience and exuberance, of alternately raucous and beautiful but always well-constructed songs.”

Listen to the opener “Takin’ The Train” with its angst-driven tempo and layered guitars here: http://bit.ly/bNheiD

On February 22, The Saw Doctors will embark on their largest North American tour with over 25 dates in several major markets including Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Toronto, as well as debut performances in Florida, North Carolina and Iowa.

Complete list of The Saw Doctors’ upcoming 2012 tour dates: http://bit.ly/xM8JPu

In 2011 the band had a runaway hit with their cover of Petula Clark’s sensational 1960s pop single “Downtown,” which reached #2 on the Irish Singles Chart in December. Clark joined the band in the studio to rerecord the chorus and harmony and made a cameo in the music video.

Watch the new video with Clark filmed on the streets of Galway here: http://bit.ly/tnk7g6

The Saw Doctors are: Davy Carton (vocals, guitar), Leo Moran (guitars, vocals), Anthony Thistlethwaite (Bass Guitar, Saxophone), Kevin Duffy (Keyboards, Vocals) and Rickie O’Neill (Drums, Vocals).

http://www.sawdoctors.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sawdoctors


World Party Returns with 5-CD "Arkeology," 70 Previously Unreleased Tracks Spanning 25 Years


World Party has confirmed the April 10, 2012 release of Arkeology: a massive, 5 CD collection of 70 never-before-heard tracks packaged in a unique Any Year Diary for fans’ personal use. Spanning the band’s 25-year history, Arkeology is at once a new album—with songs finished as recently as 2011—and an unreleased, unheard history of rare studio gems, live sessions, concert recordings, radio interviews, covers, demos and B-sides.

As much a throwback to the 60’s rock that World Party leader Karl Wallinger grew up loving as it is a reinvention of it, “Arkeology” showcases some of Wallinger’s strongest work to date. New songs like “Waiting Such a Long Time” (2008), “Everybody’s Falling in Love” (2011), and “Photograph,”—a sprawling piano anthem recorded over a period of seventeen years (1994 to 2011)—are more evidence of Wallinger’s already-known talent for writing infectious pop hooks.

The entire collection is packaged in the Any Year Diary, a 142-page, full-color day calendar for fans’ personal use that features rare photos, clips of articles, and World Party memorabilia from Wallinger’s personal archives, as well as his notes and commentary about various shows and recordings. “The reason it’s all inside an any-year diary,” Wallinger says, “is because I just got so sick of the CD packaging. I’m glad the whole CD format is dying, but I really didn’t want to put something out that was only digital.”

“Arkeology” also provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Wallinger’s quirky humor and love of studio experimentation with several genre-bending demos, some recorded as early as 1985. A pitch-shifted, effects-heavy rendition of “What is Love All About” (from 1993’s Bang!) for instance, wouldn’t be out of place on a contemporary R&B record. And live versions of familiar hits—including an ascendant crowd sing-along of “Ship of Fools” from Boulder, CO in 1998, and fan favorites like “Love Street” from 2006’s Bonnaroo Festival—capture the band at some of its finest moments.

Formed in 1986, as Wallinger’s solo project, (previously of cult heroes The Waterboys), World Party has amassed a collection of hit singles over its history, including "Ship of Fools", "Put the Message in the Box," "Is It Like Today?" and the chart-topping "Way Down Now," while contributing to movie soundtracks for Reality Bites and Clueless. In recent years, Wallinger has taken World Party to the stages of Bonnaroo, Bumbershoot, San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and elsewhere.

World Party on the web:
http://www.worldparty.net/