Andrew McMahon celebrates Jack's Mannequin's legacy via forthcoming DVD/CD collection

Here is a special media release I wanted to re-post celebrating Jack's Mannequin...I covered the band several times over the years (including in 2008) and they were always tremendous. 

ANDREW MCMAHON ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF “JACK’S MANNEQUIN LIVE FROM THE EL REY THEATRE” DVD AND CD PACKAGE AVAILABLE IN STORES JUNE 25^TH

Pre Order Available Via AndrewMcMahon.com Today

Andrew McMahon performing at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, CA in July 2008. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Los Angeles, CA (May 29, 2013) –Andrew McMahon has announced the release of Jack’s Mannequin’s highly anticipated CD and DVD package Jack’s Mannequin Live from the El Rey Theatre set to hit stores June 25 through Be Why and Alternative Distribution Alliance.  Filmed over two nights on November 11^th and 12^th 2012 at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles at last year’s 3^rd annual Dear Jack Foundation Benefit Concert, the two shows mark the final performances from Jack’s Mannequin, wrapping their critically acclaimed 7-year run.  All net profits from the CD and DVD sales will go to the Dear Jack Foundation.  Fans can pre-order the CD and DVD package today starting at 9AM EST atAndrewMcMahon.com.

“With a strong desire to honor the live performances Jack's had become known for, we set out to capture the last two nights of a partnership that spanned seven years, four continents, three full length albums and hundreds of concerts,” said McMahon of the special two evening event.  “The two November nights that add up to ‘Live from the El Rey Theatre’ are a celebration of the strange history and myriad threads woven together to create what I now carry in my heart as Jack's Mannequin.”

"The AYA cancer community has largely gone unrecognized over the last 20 years,” stated Dear Jack Foundation Executive Director Steve Smith.  “Andrew's personal experience and passion drives us on a daily basis to directly impact the lives of young adults and change the statistics." 

The Dear Jack Foundation is a non-profit charity that was founded by McMahon in July of 2006 after his own battle with leukemia.  The organization is dedicated to serving the adolescent and young adult cancer community through collaboration, support, and focused initiatives.

McMahon will embark on a summer trek with O.A.R. for the Summer of Sounds tour in support of his new solo EP, THE POP UNDERGROUND beginning June 20^th at the Pageant in St. Louis, MO (full routing below).  McMahon’s new band is comprised of 6 musicians in total, including former band-mates Jay McMillan and Mike Wagner.  Fans can purchase tickets for The Summer of Sounds tour with O.A.R. at Ticketmaster.com. For further purchase information, please visit AndrewMcmahon.com.

O.A.R. Tour Dates:

DATE                           CITY                             VENUE           

6/20/13                       St. Louis, MO               The Pageant

6/21/13                       Kansas City, MO          The Crossroads

6/22/13                       Morrison, CO              Red Rocks Amphitheatre

6/25/13                       St. Paul, MN                The Myth

6/28/13                       Chicago, IL                  Charter One Pavilion

6/29/13                       Indianapolis, IN           White River State Park

6/30/13                       Rochester Hills, MI     Meadow Brook Music Festival

7/1/13                         Muskegon, MI             Coast West Music Festival

7/6/13                         Columbus, OH             LC Pavilion

7/7/13                         Cleveland, OH             Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

7/11/13                       Pittsburgh, PA             Stage AE

7/13/13                       Charlotte, NC              Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre

7/16/13                       Myrtle Beach, SC        House of Blues

7/17/13                       Charleston, SC             Family Circle Magazine Stadium

7/21/13                       Raleigh, NC                 The Red Hat Amphitheater

7/25/13                       Philadelphia, PA          Festival Pier at Penn's Landing

7/26/13                       Wallingford, CT           Toyota Oakdale Theatre

7/27/13                       Boston, MA                 Bank of America Pavilion

7/28/13                       Saratoga Springs, NY  Saratoga Performing Arts Center

7/31/13                       Chesterfield, VA          Pocahontas Live

8/1/13                         Columbia, MD             Merriweather Post Pavilion

8/3/13                         Holmdel, NJ                 PNC Bank Arts Center

ABOUT ANDREW MCMAHON:

Long-time resident of southern California, Andrew McMahon is best known as lead vocalist, pianist and primary songwriter for bands Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin.  Andrew’s blend of vocal and songwriting skills combined with the incorporation of his piano playing, led punk-pop quintet Something Corporate to their first major record label signing under MCA Records, who released the band’s critically acclaimed album Leaving Through the Window in 2002.  Shortly thereafter, the band found success on the road with main stage gigs on the Warped Tour and tours overseas.  In the summer of 2004, Something Corporate decided to take a break, at which point McMahon found himself writing a batch of confessional piano-driven songs that explored his return home to Orange County and the dissolution of a long term relationship. With the help of several musician friends (which included producer Jim Wirt and Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee), McMahon began recording Everything in Transit under the moniker Jack’s Mannequin which released in August of 2005 under Warner Brothers’ Maverick Records.  McMahon went on to release another studio album with Jack's Mannequin titled The Glass Passenger, under which he toured with the likes of The Fray and Weezer.  People and Things was the final release from Jack’s Mannequin which was released in the fall of 2011 and charted at number 9 on the Billboard album charts.  

The band played their two final sold out shows on November 11^th and 12^th 2012 at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.  In July 2006, McMahon founded a non-profit charity, entitled “The Dear Jack Foundation” which advocates for and supports initiatives that directly benefit adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer.  McMahon released a documentary titled "Dear Jack" in November of 2009 which chronicled his own battle with leukemia, his treatment and recovery.  On April 30^th, 2013, McMahon released his first solo EP, The Pop Underground, which marks the first project under his own name.  For more on Andrew McMahon please visit: AndrewMcmahon.com

Sights and Sounds: Sly & The Family Stone, Status Quo

My inbox is definitely stuffed. Here are some highlights worth sharing...

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE'S CAREER
CELEBRATED WITH DELUXE 4-CD BOX SET, HIGHER!


Features 17 previously unreleased tracks; box set offers the chance to experience the songs you know and love but often in alternate versions, including mono singles, demos, instrumental tracks, live concert and television recordings, and more

Available everywhere August 27, 2013, through Epic/Legacy

The music of Sly & The Family Stone is celebrated with a new 4-CD box set, Higher!, available every­where August 27th through Epic/Legacy, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Released in celebration of Sly Stone's 70th birthday,Higher! is the first career-spanning anthology to celebrate the musician whose funk has influenced everyone from Miles Davis and Michael Jackson to Public Enemy and the Roots. Housed in a colorful slipcase with a lavishly-illustrated 104-page book, the box set will feature 77 tracks, 17 of them previously unreleased.


Spotlighted throughout the first three CDs of Higher! are rare mono single masters of every classic Sly & The Family Stone signature hit like they've never been heard before in the digital era. Paying homage to the golden age of transistor radios are mono versions of "Dance To the Music," "Everyday People," "Stand!," "I Want To Take You Higher," "Hot Fun In the Summertime," "Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again)," and many others, more than 30 mono single masters and mono album cuts that were a call-out to get up and dance, dance, dance. Decades after the chart debut of Sly & The Family Stone with the game-changing "Dance To The Music," fans and newcomers will have the opportunity to dig into this far-reaching anthology, covering the recording career of Sylvester Stewart starting in 1964, and the band he master­minded from 1966 to 1977 on Epic Records.


Higher! pays tribute to the unique style of Sly & The Family Stone with its innovative ten-inch square package design, which houses the CDs in its interior pockets. The middle compartment contains a painstakingly detailed 104-page book featuring a liner notes essay, a beautifully-illustrated timeline of Sly's career, track-by-track annotations, rare and uncirculated photography, 45 rpm label and picture sleeve repros, eye-popping vintage concert posters and ticket stubs from Sly & The Family Stone shows, and more.


Sly & The Family Stone laid down a template that not only inspired an era of youthful rebellion and independence as the '60s turned into the '70s, but also had (and continues to have) a potent effect on the course of modern music in general. Sly's DNA is traceable to every cell of the musical stratosphere.

"Sly Stone's music is relevant because he was able to take from all the influencing genres before him and along side him, and combine it like gumbo," said Public Enemy frontman Chuck D. "Then inside the band, having women, having it mixed race and ethnic background − I mean, come on now. You really couldn't point and say 'well, this is the reason why it's funky,' it's all this together like gumbo that's making this happen. And Sly & The Family Stone was the epitome of a group playing the music, saying the lyrics, and also backing with the words."


Sly & The Family Stone have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the Grammy Hall Of Fame, and have received the R&B Foundation Pioneer Award, among many other recognitions of their importance and enduring influence.


Higher! is a tribute to the far-reaching horizons of Sly & The Family Stone. Their repertoire, every composition penned by Sylvester Stewart aka Sly Stone, kept the Pop and R&B charts jumping for seven glorious years from 1968 to 1975. There are the three career-defining RIAA gold Billboard #1 Pop/#1 R&B hits, "Everyday People," "Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again)" and "Family Affair." Their signature Top 40 hits began with "Dance To the Music" and went on to include "Stand!," "I Want To Take You Higher," "Hot Fun In the Summer­time," "Runnin' Away," "If You Want Me To Stay," "Time For Livin'," and more. Their top-charted RIAA gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums include Stand! (1969), Greatest Hits (1970), There's A Riot Goin' On (1971), and Fresh (1973), every one a must-have.


In addition to those durable numbers (all of which are in mono up through 1969's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"), Higher! opens CD One with seven pre-Epic Records tracks. These include five rare solo sides by 'Sly Stewart' during his time as A&R-producer-song­writer-staff musician circa 1964-'65 at San Francisco's Autumn Records. These include both sides of the rare (and widely bootlegged in the U.S. and Europe) Loadstone Records single of January 1967 by Sly & The Family Stone, which helped win the band their Epic Records deal. One of these sides is a cover of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose." The Epic story begins with the mono single master of "Higher" in May 1967 (Disc One, track 8).

Of the many impossibly rare and fascinating inclusions on Higher! special attention is paid to the four tracks that close CD Three. They were recorded live at the Isle of Wight Festival in the UK, early Sunday morning, August 30, 1970, one year after Sly's memorable wee hours performance at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Two of the Isle of Wight numbers, "Stand!" and "You Can Make It If You Try," were subsequently issued on the Columbia three-LP release from 1971, The First Great Rock Festivals Of The Seventies. (The big multi-artist package coupled Isle of Wight performances with others at the first Atlantic Pop Festival of July 1970.) The two other numbers by Sly & The Family Stone at Isle of Wight, namely "Dance To The Music" and the medley of "Music Lover / I Want To Take You Higher / Music Lover" (a variation on their medley from the Woodstock soundtrack album), are both previously unissued until now.


Higher!serves as a new model for the most diligent and imaginative efforts that can go into a vintage collection of this nature. The box set was produced by Legacy Recordings veteran and Sundazed Records owner Bob Irwin, with Project A&R by Rob Santos at Legacy. All music was mastered by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios in New York.


Three major elements are central to the 104-page book. There is the authoritative liner notes essay written by Jeff Kaliss, author of I Want To Take You Higher: The Life And Times Of Sly & The Family Stone, the group's only authorized biography. The booklet also contains a comprehensive, lavishly-illustrated timeline compiled by Dutch authorities Edwin & Arno Konings. Nearly 100 entries span from March 15, 1943 ("Sylvester Stewart is born in Denton, Texas. Six months later, the family moves to Vallejo, California") to a final update in late-2012. The Koningses have also contributed track-by-track annotations for all 77 cuts in Higher! The notes contain excerpts from Thank You, the Koningses' own forthcoming biography of Sly & The Family Stone. (Go to slystonebook.com).

Every track-by-track annotation contains at least one revelation, as told to the writers by original Sly & The Family Stone band members Greg Errico, Larry Graham, Jerry Martini, Cynthia Robinson, and Sly Stone himself, as well as such figures as Rachel Donahue (widow of Tom Donahue), managers Rich Romanello (1967) and David Kapralik (1967-1972), Epic A&R man Stephen Paley, bassist Rustee Allen (who succeeded Graham in 1973), all three drummers who succeeded Errico post-1971 (Gerry Gibson, Andy Newmark, Bill Lordan), various background vocalists, saxophonists, bassists, and so on. All their collective statements and observations, as transcribed by the Koningses, add to the value of Higher! as a valuable memoir in and of itself.

"Refracted in these treasures," Kaliss says of the kaleidoscopic delights on Higher! "are colors you may be unused to seeing in Sly: old R&B, jazz, nursery rhymes, gospel, and even country, fused and transformed by a precious visionary and his fellow musical alchemists."

In addition to Jeff Kaliss, and Edwin & Arno Konings, other essential reading includes: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History by Joel Selvin (HarperCollins, 1998); and There's A Riot Going On by Miles Marshall Lewis (Bloomsbury "33 1/3" series, 2006).



Higher! by Sly & The Family Stone


(Epic/Legacy 88697 53665 2)


Disc One (1964-1967):

1. I Just Learned How To Swim by Sly Stewart (Autumn Records single, 1964)


2. Scat Swim by Sly Stewart (Autumn single, 1964)


3. Buttermilk (Part 1) by Sly (Autumn single, 1965)


4. Dance All Night by Sly and Freddie (1965, originally unissued)


5. Temptation Walk by Sly (Autumn single, 1965)


6. I Ain't Got Nobody (For Real) (Loadstone single, 1967)


7. I Can't Turn You Loose (Loadstone single, 1967)


8. Higher (mono Epic single master, promo only, 1967)


9. Underdog (mono Epic single master, 1967)


10. Bad Risk (mono Epic single master, 1967)


11. Let Me Hear It From You (mono Epic single master, 1967)


12. Advice (A)


13. If This Room Could Talk (A)


14. I Cannot Make It (A)


15. Trip To Your Heart (A)


16. I Hate To Love Her (A)


17. Silent Communications (1967, previously unissued)


18. I Get High On You (version one, 1967, previously unissued)


19. I Remember (1967, previously unissued)


20. My Woman's Head (instrumental demo, 1967, previously unissued)



Disc Two (1967-1968):

1. What's That Got To Do With Me (1967, previously unissued)


2. Fortune And Fame (1967, previously unissued)


3. What Would I Do (1967, originally unissued, B)


4. Only One Way Out Of This Mess (1967, originally unissued, B)


5. I Know What You Came To Say (1967, previously unissued)


6. Dance To The Music (mono Epic single master, 1967)


7. Ride The Rhythm (C)


8. Color Me True (C)


9. Are You Ready (C)


10. Don't Burn Baby (C)


11. We Love All (D)


12. Danse A La Musique by The French Fries (mono Epic single, 1968)


13. Small Fries by The French Fries (mono Epic single, 1968)


14. Chicken (mono Epic single master, 1968)


15. Into My Own Thing (E)


16. Life (mono Epic single master, 1968)


17. Love City (1968, previously unissued mono mix)


18. M'Lady (mono Epic single master, 1968)


19. Dynamite! featuring Johnny Robinson on vocals (1968, previously unissued)


20. Undercat (instrumental, 1967, previously unissued)





Disc Three (1968-1970):


1. Everyday People (mono Epic single master, 1968)


2. Sing A Simple Song (mono Epic single master, 1968)


3. I Get High On You (version two, 1968, previously unissued)


4. Wonderful World Of Color (instrumental, 1968, previously unissued)


5. Pressure (originally unissued, F)


6. I Want To Take You Higher (mono Epic single master, 1969)


7. Seven More Days (originally unissued, F)


8. Feathers (instrumental, 1968, previously unissued)


9. Somebody's Watching You (G)


10. Sex Machine (G)


11. Hot Fun In The Summertime (mono Epic single master, 1969)


12. Everybody Is A Star (mono Epic single master, 1969)


13. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (mono Epic single master, 1969)


14. Stand! (LIVE at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 30, 1970, H)


15. You Can Make It If You Try (LIVE, same as track 14, H)


16. Dance To The Music (LIVE, same as track 14, previously unissued)


17. MEDLEY: Music Lover / I Want To Take You Higher / Music Lover (LIVE, same as track 14, previously unissued)




Disc Four (1971-1977):

1. Luv N' Haight (Epic single master, 1971)


2. Family Affair (I)


3. Brave & Strong (Epic single master, 1971)


4. Runnin' Away (Epic single master, 1971)


5. (You Caught Me) Smilin' (Epic single master, 1971)

6. Spaced Cowboy (I)

7. You're The One featuring Little Sister (LIVE on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, September 1973, previously unissued)


8. In Time (J)


9. If You Want Me To Stay (Epic single master, 1973)


10. Frisky (Epic single master, 1973)


11. Skin I'm In (J)


12. If It Were Left Up To Me (Epic single master, 1973)


13. Time For Livin' (Epic single master, 1974)


14. Can't Strain My Brain (Epic single master, 1974)


15. Loose Booty (K)


16. Le Lo Li (Epic single master, 1975)


17. Crossword Puzzle (Epic single master, 1975)


18. Family Again (Epic single, 1976)


19. Hoboken by Sly Stone (originally unissued, 1975-1977)


20. High by Sly Stone (1975, previously unissued)




Epic Records album index:

A - from A Whole New Thing (originally released November 1967, as Epic LN 24324, mono)


B - from A Whole New Thing (Expanded Edition) (originally released April 2007, as Epic/ Legacy 82796 90277 2)


C - from Dance To The Music (originally released April 1968, as Epic BN 26371)


D - from Dance To The Music (Expanded Edition) (originally released April 2007, as Epic/Legacy 82796 90274 2)


E - from Life (originally released November 1968, as Epic BN 26397)


F - from Life (Expanded Edition) (originally rel. April 2007, as Epic/Legacy 82876 83945 2)


G - from Stand! (originally released April 1969, as Epic BN 26456)


H - from The First Great Rock Festivals Of The Seventies (originally released August 1971, as Columbia C 30807)


I - from There's A Riot Goin' On (originally released October 1971, as Epic KE 30986)


J - from Fresh (originally released June 1973, as Epic KE 32134)


K - from Small Talk (originally released July 1974, as Epic PE 32930)


www.slystonemusic.com


www.legacyrecordings.com








earMUSIC / Eagle Rock proudly announces 'STATUS QUO
BULA QUO!' set for release on July 9, 2013

More than “just” a new studio album by British rock icons Status Quo! One audio CD features Quo’s new album; a second disc with all their hits as heard in the spy-comedy movie Bula Quo!, starring the band

New York, NY (May 29, 2013)—Experience classic rock artists Status Quo as you’ve never encountered them before. On July 9 2013, the band will release their new double album, Bula Quo! via earMUSIC/Edel/Eagle Rock Entertainment.



Bula Quo! has been inspired by their incredible adventures filming their first ever feature-film of the same title. The first disc features nine brand new tracks, written as the soundtrack for the duo’s madcap escapades in the movie. Disc 2 contains exclusive reworked studio songs or live versions of 10 classic Quo hits, which are also featured in the film (including an amazing Fijian-style rendition of “Living On An Island”).

Status Quo is enjoying an exciting phase in their long and successful career, after the critical acclaim and the support received by their loyal audience for their previous studio album Quid Pro Quo and the relative tour. The 90-minute action movie Bula Quo! features the band as themselves and stars Craig Fairbrass [Cliff Hanger, Rise Of The Footsoldier, Eastenders] and Laura Aikman [Keith Lemon The Movie, Freight, Surviving Picasso] with Jon Lovitz [Saturday Night Live, The Critic, Friends, The Wedding Singer]. The film was directed by Stuart St. Paul, who has worked on projects ranging from Duran Duran’s seminal “Wild Boys” video, to Aliens, Batman and three James Bond films. The movie will hit the stores and theaters soon after summer.

“Making the film in Fiji was a fantastic experience and we couldn’t help but be inspired by our surroundings,” states vocalist/lead guitarist Francis Rossi. “We had no plans to write and release a new studio album as well as filming our parts for the movie, it just happened.”

Adds singer/rhythm guitarist Rick Parfitt: “We hope that Quo fans will enjoy the film, which is certainly something new for the band, but we know they are going to love the music.”

As the new material sounds inspired and fresh, it is one album not to be missed and the film is destined to become a cult for Quo fans. For everybody else… Bula Quo! will “simply” be one of their strongest releases ever!



www.statusquo.co.uk
www.ear-music.net
www.youtube.com/earMUSICofficial
www.facebook.com/earmusicofficial


Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.

Follow Eagle Rock Entertainment at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: www.twitter.com/EagleRockNews

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/eaglerocktv


TRACK LISTING


CD1 – THE NEW ALBUM

1. Looking Out For Caroline / 2. GoGoGo / 3. Run and Hide (The Gun Song) / 4. Running Inside My Head /

5. Mystery Island / 6. All That Money / 7. Never Leave A Friend Behind / 8. Fiji Time / 9. Bula Bula Quo (Kua Ni Lega)



CD2 – STUDIO AND LIVE

1. Living On An Island (Fiji Style) / 2. Frozen Hero / 3. Reality Cheque / 4. Rockin' All Over The World (Bula Edit) /

5. Caroline (Live) / 6. Beginning Of The End (Live) / 7. Don't Drive My Car (Live) / 8. Pictures Of Matchstick Men (Live) / 9. Whatever You Want (Live) / 10. Down Down (Live)

Flying high with Vintage Trouble courtesy of 'Live at 35'

Vintage Trouble, from left, Rick Barrio Dill, Nalle Colt, Richard Danielson and Ty Taylor. 

I've interviewed and covered countless music events over the years, but my opportunity to go on a unique and exciting "Live at 35" adventure with the band Vintage Trouble on Friday, May 24 certainly ranks as one of the most memorable and exciting. Check out this video which chronicles my adventure and also provides you a chance to hear from members of the Los Angeles-based rock 'n' soul band, which offered up one of the standout performances I caught at Coachella Weekend 2 last month. It was that concert in Indio, as well as an invitation from the good folks at Taylor Guitars and Southwest Airlines that allowed me to cover this one-of-a-kind concert flight.

Music Worth Buying episode: Phosphorescent's 'Muchacho' and She & Him's 'Volume 3'

On the latest episode of Music Worth Buying, we celebrate the latest discs from Phosphorescent (Muchacho) and She and Him (Volume 3). 

The Travelin' Taylor Tour taking music higher

As many of you know, I am a long-time fan of Taylor Guitars. That San Diego-based guitar maker has teamed with Southwest Airlines for a very special contest that is definitely taking music to new heights. Check out the information below and make sure to keep checking back here for more updates on the special series of concerts happening in connection with the "Live at 35" series!

Click here for more details on the event, which includes the giveaway of Southwest-themed GS Mini Taylor Guitars and a series of six inflight shows featuring artists such as Vintage Trouble, The Farm, Taylor Hicks and Easton Corbin. Watch the video below for more details.

Kinks guitarist Dave Davies to release 'I Will Be Me' on June 4

Here is the latest notable news release to land in my inbox...Please note that the media release below was provided to me and it was not my intention to omit all references to Ray Davies...my understanding from reading an entry on Wikipedia is that The Kinks were co-founded by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964...

Kinks Legend Dave Davies To Release New Album 'I Will Be Me' – June 4, 2013



Los Angeles, CA - The man who forever changed the sound of rock 'n' roll when he invented distortion, Kinks legend Dave Davies, has recorded a brand new solo album of all original material! To be released on Cleopatra Records on June 4, 2013, I Will Be Me features guest appearances by The Jayhawks, Anti-Flag, award winning UK blues guitarist Oli Brown, Chris Spedding, US stoner rock band Dead Meadow, Aussie rockers The Art, Geri X and others! In support of Dave's new album release, a special engagement of live performances in New York and Los Angeles (and here in Orange County, California) are scheduled for the end of May to mid-June! (see below for complete list of shows)

Kinks in 1965. From left: Pete Quaife, Dave Davies, Ray Davies, Mick Avory.

Dave Davies founded the Kinks in the early 1960s and forever changed music after he sliced up the speaker cone of a little green amp and created a revolutionary, distorted guitar tone and frenetic solo on the song "You Really Got Me". Musicologist Joe Harrington described the Kinks influence: " 'You Really Got Me', 'All Day And All Of The Night' ... were predecessors of the whole three-chord genre ... The Kinks did a lot to help turn rock n roll into rock." In 1998, writer Bill Crowley wrote, "As lead guitarist and founder of The Kinks, Dave Davies is one of the most unpredictable and original forces in rock, without whom guitar-rock styles including heavy metal and punk would have been inconceivable. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Dave's massive guitar sounds have inspired bands from Van Halen to Green Day."

Dave's new album I Will Be Me is a return to his groundbreaking guitar sound and innovative songwriting. His classically English voice shows off a new depth but still hits his famous high notes in this collection. The hard rocking track "Livin' In The Past", takes a look at obsession with all things retro but, ever the Mod, Dave surprises with the lyric, "No matter what they do or say, the future's here to stay!" He takes a look back with "Little Green Amp", a playful, punk homage to days when his jagged, blues driven sound wave ripped ahead of the British Invasion through stereos the world over. "Cote du Rhone (I Will Be Me)", an uncensored look at ugliness in the world today, is as angry and biting as any song in Dave's repertoire with an innovative yet heavy slide guitar tone. Soothing lyrics and sounds of Jonathan Lea's sitar playing on "Healing Boy" show Dave's sensitive side. In a recent radio interview he said, "Rock music is a positive force for good." This hopeful and optimistic vision manifests and bridges themes personal, social and universal in I Will Be Me.

Since the early days, Dave Davies has worked on a slew of critically acclaimed records, ranging from solo hit single "Death of a Clown", to experimental Kinks records like 'Village Green Preservation Society' and 'Arthur' as well as the classic single "Lola" in the '70s. In the '80s Dave released experimentally prescient solo work like the eponymous album titled 'Dave Davies' or 'AFL1-3603' named after himself and/or the barcode symbol face cover art. His mainstream success continued in the 80s on hit Kinks albums Low Budget and State of Confusion. In the '90s he released more solo work such as 'Bug' and the compilation 'Unfinished Business'. His songs have been featured in films by John Carpenter and on TV shows like 'The Sopranos', which used his tune "Living On A Thin Line". His tell-all autobiographical book 'Kink' was well received in the late '90s as well. In recent years, Dave has collaborated creatively with his sons. In 2010 he worked with son Russell Davies to create the hauntingly, beautiful rock electronica album, the Aschere Project. The film 'Mystical Journey', directed by son Martin Davies, narrates Dave's longtime interest in the paranormal, Eastern philosophies and spirituality (the film inspired Julien Temple s BBC documentary 'Kinkdom Kome'). No matter how diverse the ambition, Dave Davies puts his heart and soul in all of his projects.

Tracks include:

1. Little Green Amp

2. Livin' In The Past

3. The Healing Boy

4. Midnight In L.A.

5. In The Mainframe

6. Energy Fields

7. When I First Saw You

8. The Actress

9. Erotic Neurotic

10. You Can Break My Heart

11. Walker Through The Worlds

12. Remember The Future

13. Cote Du Rhone (I Will Be Me)



Dave Davies tour dates:


May 27, 28 & 29 - City Winery - New York, NY

May 30 - The Bull Run - Shirley, MA

May 31 - Infinity Hall - Norfolk, CT

June 1 - Musikfest Cafe - Bethlehem, PA

June 2 - The Arcada Theatre - St. Charles, IL

June 6 - Sainte Rocke - Hermosa Beach, CA

June 7 - Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA

June 9 - The Canyon Club - Agoura Hills, CA

June 11- Del Mar Fairgrounds - Del Mar, CA

More dates to come!

Sights and Sounds: The Hootenanny, Ray Manzarek's last album celebrated

Don't think because Coachella, Stagecoach and Doheny Blues fests have passed that the Southern California festival season is over. Indeed, Hootenanny is just around the corner! I have news on that and other stuff in this weighty post...

THE HOOTENANNY KICKS OFF JULY 6TH WITH SOCIAL DISTORTION, OLD 97'S FACE TO FACE AND MORE!

 

Old 97's singer Rhett Miller at Hootenanny in 2010.  

Southern California’s most anticipated music and kustom car festival The Hootenanny will return to Oak Canyon Ranch in Orange County on Saturday, July 6, 2013 for its 19th annual festival with some of the Southland’s coolest kustom cars and performances by Social Distortion, Face to Face, Murder By Death, Old 97’s, Nashville Pussy, and more!  

 

The annual festival will feature hundreds of local vendors, food & drink, classic cars and The Hootenanny Pinup Contest.  Fun for the whole family!  Tickets will be available to the public on May 23 at 10 a.m. via Front Gate Tickets.

 

Topping this year’s lineup is the much anticipated return of SoCal’s favorite rock ‘n’ roll band Social Distortion, who are currently touring in support of their latest, critically acclaimed album Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes.  The band has performed at the Fest several times over the years including a memorable performance in 1996 at the 2nd annual show alongside Jerry Lee Lewis.  

 

Attendees at The Hootenanny will also be able to check out hundreds of kustom cars, kustom kulture artists, pinstripers and painters and a live “chop top” demo at the Car Show, as well as catch the revealing of the next “Sullen Angel Miss Hootenanny,” winner of the annual Pinup Contest, while enjoying tasty food and refreshing beverages.  

 

Don’t miss out on SoCal’s most anticipated music and kustom car festival!

 

The Hootenanny Location:

Oak Canyon Ranch

4700 Santiago Canyon Road (at Blue Diamond)

Silverado Canyon, CA 92676

 

The Hootenanny Stage Schedules:

MAIN STAGE A

1:00 – 1:30 Gamblers Mark

2:00 – 2:30 Lindi Ortega

3:00 – 3:30 Wheeler Brothers

4:00 – 4:30 Nashville Pussy

5:00 – 5:30 Old 97’s

6:15 – 6:16 Gretsch Giveaway

6:16 – 7:30 Social Distortion

MAIN STAGE B

12:30 – 1:00 The 454’s

1:30 – 2:00 Bloodshot Bill

2:30 – 3:00 Roger Alan Wade

3:30 – 4:00 Phil Alvin & Exene Cervenka

4:30 – 5:00 Murder By Death

5:30 – 5:35 Miss Hootenanny Contest

5:35 – 5:36 Gretsch Giveaway

5:35 – 6:15 Face To Face

SIDE STAGE

1:00 - 1:30 Seven Year War

2:00 - 2:30 Red Devil Squadron

3:00 – 3:30 Vinnie & The Hooligans

4:00 – 4:30 Not In The Face

5:00 – 5:30 Custom Made Scare

6:00 – 6:30 Battle For Hootenanny Winner

 

For More Information:

http://thehootenanny.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Official-Hootenanny/218666250547?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/hootenannyfest

RAY MANZAREK'S LAST RELEASE CELEBRATED

photo: Bob Hakins

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of the one of the most popular American rock groups of all time, The Doors, passed away today (MAY 20, 2013) at the age of 74.   He was at a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany undergoing alternative medical treatments for cancer.

Manzarek formed The Doors in 1965 after a chance encounter on Venice Beach with poet Jim Morrison. The band went on to become one of the most successful rock 'n' roll acts to emerge from the 1960's, selling more than 100 million albums worldwide, and receiving nineteen Gold, fourteen Platinum and five multi-Platinum albums in the U.S. alone.   In 1993, The Doors were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It is Manzarek's keyboard work that serves as the iconic opening to one of the group's biggest hits, "Light My Fire."   And his keyboard-as-lead-instrument stylings were prominent on their other ground-breaking hits such as "L.A. Woman," "Break On Through to the Other Side," "The End," and "Hello, I Love You."  

Manzarek, one of the most influential keyboard players in the history of rock music, went on to become a best-selling author, and a Grammy-nominated recording artist in his own right following Morrison's death in 1971.

Manzarek's last release, Translucent Blues on Blind Pig Records, was a 2011 collaboration with slide guitar master Roy Rogers.  It is a hard driving record with influences from blues, rock and jazz and lyrics that include tinges of poetry and literature.  Minneapolis City Pages called it "very nearly a masterpiece that emphasizes Doors-like driving roadhouse blues-rock tinged with noirish overtones."

Manzarek, a Chicago native, said of the album, "This is a head-first dive into American contemporary Blues.  Roy and I take the unique art form of the Blues and add a 21st century twist to the genre."  

Rogers issued a statment saying, "I am very saddened that my great friend and collaborator Ray Manzarek passed away today at the age of 74.  Always stretching the boundaries in music, art and poetry - this is one of the true rock icons that had heart, intellect and talent - and a terrific sense of humor.  He was a great friend and will be missed."

To watch Ray performing "Blues In My Shoes" with the Manzarek-Rogers band, please click HERE.  To hear Ray and Roy discussing another collaboration, "Hurricane," please click HERE

Smithsonian Channel to commemorate Ray Manzarek with 'Mr. Mojo Risin' - The Story of L.A. Woman'

SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL TO COMMEMORATE LIFE OF MUSIC INNOVATOR RAY MANZAREK WITH ENCORE PRESENTATIONS OF


THE DOORS: MR. MOJO RISIN’ - THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN

Ray Manzarek performing in 2011. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Commemorating the passing of music legend Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors, Smithsonian Channel will air encore presentations of THE DOORS: MR. MOJO RISIN’ - THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN throughout the next week. One of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s, the Los Angeles group The Doors personified the turbulent era in America at the time with its raw form of rhythm-and-blues-inspired rock and its charismatic, poetic and unpredictable front man Jim Morrison.
THE DOORS: MR. MOJO RISIN’ - THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN will air on:


Thursday, May 23 at 8pm and 11pm ET/PT


Sunday, May 26 at 10pm and 1am ET/PT


Tuesday, May 28 at 9pm and 12am ET/PT

The one-hour documentary is an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the making of what would be the iconic rock band’s final album together. Released in 1971, L.A. Woman represented a return to the band’s roots. Considered one of the group’s finest achievements, the album reached #9 on the Billboard Chart and yielded several popular hits, including two Top 20 singles—“Love Her Madly" and "Riders On The Storm"—and the popular classic “L.A. Woman,” lauded as a masterful composition and centerpiece of the album. The LP went on to be one of The Doors’ best-selling studio albums.


Exclusive interviews with Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger give viewers candid new insights into the band and its creative arc.


The film also taps Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, Bill Siddons, the band’s manager at the time, as well as some of the group’s closest colleagues and collaborators and other industry insiders, who make trenchant observations on the making of the final album. Woven throughout the narrative are exclusive performances and studio sessions, archival footage, gritty L.A. scenes and other compelling visuals. Commentary by producer Bruce Botnick and an examination of the original multi-track master recordings help to deconstruct the music—from the first song, which beckons listeners to “get loose” (“The Changeling”), to “L.A. Woman,” the noir anthem to the City of Angels, the song that introduces Mr. Mojo Risin’—the character who emerges by scrambling the letters in Jim Morrison’s name. Together, these elements help to tell a fascinating story of the landmark record by one of rock history’s most influential and infamous groups.


THE DOORS: MR. MOJO RISIN’ - THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN was produced by Jeffrey Jampol for Eagle Rock Entertainment. Executive Producers for Smithsonian Channel are David Royle and Charles Poe.

ABOUT SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL

Smithsonian Channel is owned by Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution. Its programs are largely inspired by the assets of the world's largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features award-winning original documentaries, series, and groundbreaking programs highlighting America's historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Smithsonian Channel brings the American experience home in high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available to customers of DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Learn more at www.smithsonianchannel.com.