Thursday, October 31, 2013

Sights and Sounds: Rosanne Cash, Lady Antebellum, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings

It might be Halloween, but there is still plenty of music news to share. Especially for fans of country, roots and Americana music!

ROSANNE CASH LOOKS SOUTH ON NEW ALBUM
THE RIVER & THE THREAD, OUT JANUARY 14, 2014
 
PRODUCED AND CO-WRITTEN WITH JOHN LEVENTHAL,
ALBUM IS CASH’S FIRST SINCE 2009’s THE LIST,
AND MARKS HER BLUE NOTE RECORDS DEBUT
 
 
CASH PREVIEWS NEW SONGS DURING
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RESIDENCY IN DECEMBER

Rosanne Cash photo credit: Patrick McBride
The River & The ThreadRosanne Cash’s first album in more than four years, will be released on January 14, 2014 by Blue Note Records. Cash wrote the album’s 11 original songs with her longtime collaborator (and husband) John Leventhal, who also served as producer, arranger and guitarist. See below for track listing.
 
 
The Chicago Tribune hailed Cash’s 2010 bestselling memoir, Composed, as "one of the best accounts of an American life you will likely ever read." With The River & The ThreadCash turns her attention to other American lives and locations. The album richly evokes the Southern landscape – physical, musical, emotional – and examines the indelible impressions it has made on our own collective culture and on Cash.
 
 
The River & The Thread is sweeping in its breadth, capturing a unique, multi-generational cast of characters – from a Civil War soldier off to fight in Virginia to a New Deal-era farmer in Arkansas to a contemporary Mobile, AL couple. While Cash and Leventhal found inspiration in the many musical styles associated with the South – swampy Delta blues, gospel, Appalachian folk, country and rock, to name a few – this is a completely contemporary collection. Cash’s crystalline voice and Leventhal’s compelling guitar work are at the heart of the album, and they bring in additional instrumentation to suit the tone of each particular song – from the delicate orchestral passages of “Night School,” (which nods to Stephen Foster, who also had a deep affection for the South) to the ghostly keyboards of album closer “Money Road.”

The River & The Thread follows 2009’s The List, which was named Album of the Year by the Americana Music Association and nominated for two GRAMMY® Awards.
 
“If I never make another album I will be content, because I made this one,” says Cash ofThe River & The Thread, which is a marked departure from her earlier works.
 
She was joined in the studio by a cast of friends and fellow musicians who also have a deep affection for and/or roots in the South, including Cory Chisel, Rodney Crowell(who also co-wrote one song), Amy HelmKris KristoffersonAllison MoorerJohn PrineDerek TrucksJohn Paul White (The Civil Wars), Tony Joe White and Gabe Witcher (The Punch Brothers.)  
 
On December 5, Cash will begin a three-day residency at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Events will include a concert, a round robin with Leventhal, Crowell, Cory Chisel and Amy Helm and a conversation with Natasha Trethewey, U.S. Poet Laureate. For additional details, click here.
 
“We were dreaming of the Tallahatchie Bridge, and we found it,” says Cash. It’s an inevitable, essential destination on this journey through the Southern spirit, a journey that begins with the artist’s assertion in the opening track that “a river runs through me.”
 
Cash, who was born in Memphis and raised in California, has recorded fifteen albums, including 1981’s Seven Year Ache and 1987’s King’s Record Shop – both certified Gold. She has charted 21 Top 40 country singles, 11 of which climbed to No. 1. She has received 12 GRAMMY nominations, winning in 1985. Cash has also published four books and her essays and fiction have appeared in The New York TimesRolling Stone and New York magazine, among others.
 
Rosanne Cash - The River & The Thread - Track Listing
1.      A Feather's Not A Bird
2.      The Sunken Lands
3.      Etta's Tune
4.      Modern Blue
5.      Tell Heaven
6.      The Long Way Home
7.      World Of Strange Design
8.      Night School
9.      50,000 Watts
10.    When The Master Calls The Roll
11.    Money Road       


LADY ANTEBELLUM CELEBRATES THE RELEASE OFGOLDEN DELUXE WITH A HIGH PROFILE STRING OF TELEVISION APPEARANCES
Upcoming Appearances Include the 2013 Country Music Awards, TODAYKatieLive On Letterman and
Late Show With David Letterman
Nashville, TN – Oct. 31, 2013 – Following the primetime television debut of their new single "Compass" on Wednesday's Country Music Awards, Multi-PLATINUM trio Lady Antebellum will head to New York City for the release of GOLDEN DELUXE, available in stores Nov. 11, 2013.
The group will kick off the week on Monday with a two song performance on TODAY (11/11).  They will also perform on Katie on Thursday (11/14) and the Late Show with David Letterman on Friday (11/15).  Additionally, fans can tune-in to see Lady A's full concert from the historic Ed Sullivan Theatre as part of the Live On Letterman concert webcast series on Thursday night (11/14).
“We've been itching to get this new material out the past few months,” said Lady A’s Dave Haywood. “It's so great to be back on stage together after having the summer off from touring. There's new music, new excitement and lots to look forward to in Lady A world. We can't wait for fans to hear all the new material on the Deluxe Edition of Golden, it's all for them!  Now fine tuning the set list for the tour to kick off in January!”
The upcoming GOLDEN DELUXE includes previously released tracks off their No. one album in addition to six bonus tracks special for the new release.
GOLDEN DELUXE Bonus Tracks:
1. “Compass”
2. “And The Radio Played”
3. “Life As We Know It”
4. “Need You Now” (an iTunes Live Session Performance)
5. “Just A Kiss” (Backstage Acoustic Session)
6. “I Run To You” (an iTunes Live Session Performance)
The announcement of GOLDEN DELUXE coincides with the release of the group’s new single, the arena sized sing-along “Compass.” “Compass” follows seven No. one hits at country radio, five PLATINUM singles and over 11 million album sales worldwide. Most recently, the trio received nominations for “Vocal Group of the Year” and “Music Video of the Year” for their recent No. one “Downtown” at next week’s CMA Awards where they are slated to perform. Lady A is also nominated for the AMA’s “Favorite Country Band, Duo or Group.”  For updates on additional upcoming appearances and on new music, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.  

BLACKIE AND THE RODEO KINGS GO 'SOUTH' 

Seminal Canadian alt-country supergroup achieves a border-crossing landmark with acoustic-flavored new album available
January 14, 2014 via File Under: Music; 7” vinyl with tracks “South” and “North” out on October 29, 2013

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — “We’re very sensitive men,” notes Tom Wilson, who with longtime compatriots Stephen Fearing and Colin Linden comprises Blackie and the Rodeo Kings’ singer-songwriter-guitarist triumvirate. “And when we’re not sensitive, we’re loud.” 

The fabled Canadian roots-rockers are a virtual institution in their home country, where they’ve been crafting bracing, catchy, introspective music for nearly two decades. Yet they’ve managed to maintain a relatively low profile in the United States. That situation seems likely to change with the U.S. release of the band’s eighth album, South, coming out through File Under: Music on January 14, 2014. A limited edited 7” vinyl containing tracks “South” and “North” was issued on October 29, 2013. 
South represents a fresh creative step for Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, while embodying the qualities of rootsy musical uplift and quirky lyrical depth that have long distinguished the ensemble’s varied output. The album’s largely acoustic yet reliably punchy arrangements showcase the three songwriters’ multiple strengths, while their organically energetic performances maintain the vibrant chemistry that’s kept Blackie a consistently vital and distinctive musical force.
Fearing, Linden and Wilson were already seasoned veterans of the Canadian music scene when they first forged their collaboration in 1996 in Hamilton, Ontario. The group was initially assembled as a one-off side project to record High or Hurtin’: The Songs of Willie P. Bennett, a tribute to the Canadian folk artist whose 1978 LP Blackie and the Rodeo Kinginspired the combo’s name.
Despite the original plan, the new unit quickly took on a life of its own, spawning such memorable albums as Kings of Love (1999), which won a Juno Award for Best Roots and Traditional Album, Bark (2003), Let’s Frolic (2006), Let’s Frolic Again (2007), the compilation Swinging From the Chains of Love (2009) and Kings and Queens (2011).

Meanwhile, the three have maintained their individual careers outside of Blackie. Fearing is a widely respected solo artist, and is half of the duo Fearing and White with noted Irish artist Andy White. Wilson has worked solo, as well as leading the bands Junkhouse and Lee Harvey Osmond. Linden, who relocated to Nashville in 1996, has released several solo albums and recently played guitar in Bob Dylan’s touring band. As guitarist, songwriter and/or producer, he’s also worked with the likes of The Band, Ray Bonneville, T-Bone Burnett, Bruce Cockburn, Amos Garrett, Emmylou Harris, Colin James, Keb’ Mo’, Diana Krall, Leon Redbone, Chris Thomas King and Lucinda Williams.
South represents both a consolidation of the qualities that have already endeared Blackie and the Rodeo Kings to fans, and a bold departure from the band’s established sound. The project first began to take shape while the group was touring the Canadian festival circuit in support of its last album Kings and Queens. On several occasions, inclement weather caused Fearing, Linden and Wilson to retreat to the shelter of the merch tent, where they would stage loose acoustic sets. These impromptu performances soon began to take on a sound and groove that was distinct from the five-piece electric sets for which Blackie was already renowned.

The experience of stripping down their sound had such a rejuvenating effect on the three frontmen that they decided to capture that vibe on record. They had initially planned to record a low-key all-acoustic vinyl-only release, with one original and one cover from each singer. But when they brought the material to Linden’s Nashville studio, they found their originals to be more exciting than the covers, and before long they’d accumulated an album’s worth of new original tunes. They then added the band’s longtime rhythm section of bassist Johnny Dymond and drummer Gary Craig to the sessions, and the material evolved yet again. By the time they were finished recording, the only element of the original plan that remained was the absence of electric guitars. Instead, Linden applied his production prowess to give the songs a vivid sonic depth that enhances the songs’ melodic and emotional resonance.
Titled in honor of the sessions’ Nashville location, South features Blackie’s most infectious and expressive batch of compositions to date. Linden’s autobiographical title track reflects poignantly on how he followed in his parents’ footsteps by moving his family from Canada to America. Wilson also took a crack at writing a title song for the album, but got turned around and instead penned the rousing album-opener “North.” The band’s capacity for insightful introspection is demonstrated on Fearing’s affecting “Everything I Am,” and on the heartbreaking Fearing/Wilson co-write “I’d Have To Be a Stone.” The album closes, appropriately enough, with its only cover, “Drifting Snow,” by the aforementioned Bennett, who inadvertently inspired Blackie and the Rodeo Kings’ birth back in the day.

“Tom named this album South,” Linden notes. “The title was rooted in the idea that he and Stephen had come down to my house in Nashville to record, and the mythology of being Canadian musicians venturing from the cold, cold winters and short night to the land of plenty — plenty of wine and barbecue.”
“The way we sound when we’re sitting around in Colin’s kitchen and in dressing rooms playing music is how we wanted these songs presented,” Wilson says. “There’s a different musical conversation that takes place when you’re stripped to the wood and skins and strings, with the comfort and confidence of the moment when the world stops outside your kitchen window.”
If Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson have learned anything in the past 17 years, it’s that Blackie and the Rodeo Kings is a journey, not a destination. Their original plan to make one album and then go their separate ways has given way to an enduring musical rapport that’s grown deeper — and more integral to their lives — than they could have ever imagined.
“Blackie is there because we want it there, and when we don’t want it there it will be gone,” Wilson states. “Blackie enhances our lives, and gives us the kick in the ass that we need to rave on. And sometimes dinner gets burned, so it’s good to have three great cooks watching the oven.”
For Fearing, The Rodeo Kings are brothers, "We all come from crazy homes and this band is the family that we created for ourselves. It's a chance to step outside of the solo spotlight and climb aboard an ensemble that puts musicality and soulfulness above everything. I know that no-matter what happens, those characters have got my back."
  “We love each other, and we love playing together,” Linden observes. “That’s the main and most important thing. And Blackie’s not the only thing we do, so every time we get together, it’s an event, and even when I do other things, I bring the spirits of my pals with me. Sometimes getting together is a challenge to organize, but that just makes you savor the time you have together more.”
 Linden is looking forward to getting on the road and bringing South to old and new fans on both sides of the border.
“The prospect of playing for new people is exciting, and we want to play whenever and wherever we can,” he says, “I like the idea of being the oldest new band around. It makes me feel like the great older blues artists I knew as a kid, when they were getting rediscovered.” 
Linden also opines that, despite being a stylistic departure, South is as good a place as any for new converts to discover Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. 
“Each of our records has its own character, but we’re unable to be anything other than what we are,” he says. “So they’re all good intros to us, for better or worse.”
 “South is where we’re at right now,” Wilson adds. “Who we were is not important. Who we’ll be is unknown. America needs Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. They are starving for us and they don’t even know it . . . yet.”

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

'George Thorogood & The Destroyers: Live At Montreux 2013' coming to DVD, Blu-ray and CD on November 19

Earlier this year, I caught George Thorogood & The Destroyers deliver an outstanding 90-minute headlining set at the Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point, California. Now comes word that another full-length 2013 performance from the enduring troupe is coming to DVD...I couldn't be happier! Here is the official media release on the forthcoming title featuring the band at Montreux...

On November 19, 2013, Eagle Rock Entertainment will proudly release George Thorogood & The Destroyers: Live At Montreux 2013 on DVD, Blu-ray, and CD.

In 2013, George Thorogood & The Destroyers finally brought their hard-rockin’ blues to the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival for the first time -- an event that hosted many of the artists that inspired them. Delivering a high-octane performance as only they can, the band delved into their rich repertoire, performing songs stretching back to their eponymous 1977 debut album, right up through their most recent releases. “Who Do You Love?” “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” “Move It On Over,” “Bad To The Bone,” -- these classic and many others are all performed to perfection on Live At Montreux 2013.

Since the mid-seventies, George Thorogood & The Destroyers have solidified a legacy as musical icons. With their all-American brand of Rock ‘N’ Roll, they have achieved massive success, with 16 studio albums and worldwide sales of over 15 million. Taking cues from ‘50s Chicago blues, and drawing inspirations from the likes ofElmore JamesHound Dog Taylor, and Chuck BerryThorogood & The Destroyers cranked the volume, intensity, and rebellious attitude. Live At Montreux 2013 brilliantly showcases their long-overdue debut at the famed jazz festival, and is an incredible addition to Eagle Rock’s Montreux collection.
 
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:
 
Track Listing
1) Rock Party  
2) Who Do You Love?  
3) Help Me  
4) Night Time (On DVD and Blu-ray only)  
5) I Drink Alone
 6) One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer  
7) Cocaine Blues  
8) Get A Haircut  
9) Bad To The Bone  
10) Move It On Over  
11) Tail Dragger  
12) Madison Blues
 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Inbox Update: Phosphorescent, Muse

Here is a brief roundup focusing on two great bands I first caught playing in Indio...

Phosphorescent's Deluxe Album Out Today
Stream
 Muchacho De Lujo at The AV Club
Phosphorescent at St. Pancras Church by Darius Van Arman
 
Muchacho De Lujo is the deluxe edition of Phosphorescent's renowned 2013 album. The album is out today and the bonus disc is now streaming exclusively at The AV Club.

De Lujo features bonus material from an intimate pre-release live show recorded at St. Pancras Church in London. The set, performed with Matthew Houck on guitar and Jo Schornikow on piano, features Muchacho's "Song for Zula," Pride's "Wolves," and a cover of Waylon Jennings' "Storms Never Last."
 
 
Disc One
Sun, Arise! (An Invocation, An Introduction)
Song For Zula
Ride On / Right On
Terror In The Canyons (The Wounded Master)
A Charm / A Blade
Muchacho's Tune
A New Anhedonia
The Quotidian Beasts
Down To Go
Sun's Arising (A Koan, An Exit)

Disc Two
Muchacho's Tune (Live at St. Pancras Church)
A New Anhedonia (Live at St. Pancras Church)
Song For Zula (Live at St. Pancras Church)
A Picture Of Our Torn Up Praise (Live at St.Pancras Church)
We'll Be Here Soon (Live at St. Pancras Church)
My Dove, My Lamb (Live at St. Pancras Church)
Terror In The Canyons (The Wounded Master) (Live at St. Pancras Church)
Storms Never Last (Live at St. Pancras Church)
Down To Go (Live at St. Pancras Church)
Wolves (Live at St. Pancras Church)
Mrs. Juliette Low (Live at St. Pancras Church)
Los Angeles (Live at St. Pancras Church)
 
Phosphorescent will resume touring in Europe next month including their biggest London show to date. They'll cap off 2013 with a four-night run of nearly sold-out shows at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, December 18th-21st. The few tickets left are on sale here.
 

 
"There are wonders all over Muchacho, an album that hopefully will take
Houck to a wider audience as popular musical tastes begin to turn his way"
The Associated Press

"These songs deftly map out that mess of ragged hurt,
smoldering hope and self-righteous spite"
The New York Times

"On Muchacho, Houck gathers together everything he's attempted - beery,
rollicking country-rock, haunted tribal hymnals, regret-soaked bar room
heartbreak - and fashions it into something close to a defining statement"
BEST NEW MUSIC (8.8), Pitchfork

"A dizzying experiment forever teetering between the synthetic
and the organic, and that tension is ultimately what makes it so
visceral. If Gram Parsons were alive and making music on his
laptop and still tripping on peyote, Muchacho would be his latest masterpiece"
The Boston Globe

"Muchacho is also Houck’s most accomplished release
to date--his most heartrending and life-affirming, equal parts
lost-love devastation and hip-swaying, horn-led exultation."
AV Club

"["Song for Zula" is] brutal, beautiful, and like the rest
of Muchacho, masterfully executed."
Austin Chronicle

"No matter what happens to Phosphorescent from here on out,
Muchacho is an artist setting a new standard."
Under the Radar

"Muchacho is a vibrant, evocative LP, and a welcome
addition to the Phosphorescent catalogue."
BBC Music

"A hell of a production."
MOJO
 
TOUR DATES:
11/04/13 Gateshead, UK - Sage Gateshead
11/05/13 Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
11/07/13 Belfast- IE - Empire Music Hall
11/08/13 Dublin, IE - Whelans SOLD OUT
11/09/13 Liverpool, UK - Kazimier
11/10/13 Bristol, UK - Thekla
11/12/13 Cambridge, UK - Junction
11/14/13 Enschede, NL - Crossing Border
11/15/13 The Hauge, NL - Crossing Border
11/16/13 Paris, FR - Fleche d'or
11/17/13 Antwerp, BE - Crossing Border
11/19/13 Milan, IT - Salumeria della Musica
11/20/13 Dudingen, CH - Bad Bonn
11/21/13 Zurich, CH - Rote Fabrik Clubraum
11/23/13 Weissenhauser Strand, DE - Rolling Stone Weekender
11/24/13 Munster, DE - Gleis 22
11/26/13 London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire
12/18/13 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg (solo)
12/19/13 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg SOLD OUT
12/20/13 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg SOLD OUT
12/21/13 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg


LINKS:
 
Buy Muchacho De Lujo 
 
 

MUSE – LIVE AT ROME OLYMPIC STADIUM, JULY 2013
SCREENING IN 4K (ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION)
AT THE
LAEMMLE CLAREMONT - CLAREMONT,CA
LAEMMLE NOHO - NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA
LAEMMLE PLAYHOUSE - LOS ANGELES
VINTAGE VISTA - LOS FELIZ, CA
ON
NOVEMBER 6, 10, AND 11, 2013
READ THE STORY IN THE WASHINGTON POST HERE
For ticket information, please go to: http://film.muse.mu/

The first concert film in 4K Ultra High Definition
 
The greatest, most ridiculously enjoyable rock band in the world. - NME
The rock concert equivalent of a blockbuster movie. - The Times
 The Muse boys are out of this world. - The Sun
British Rockers Muse Offer next-level technology that's 'almost unsettling' in concert film. - Associated Press

Muse - Live at Rome Olympic Stadium, July 2013 is the first concert film ever to be presented in 4K, a format soon to be adopted by Hollywood as standard for all blockbuster films. Now becoming widely known as Ultra High Definition, 4K means more pixels - to be precise 8.8 million of them - bursting off the screen in every frame, 4 times more than we’re used to seeing in the cinema.
 
For fans of the band, more pixels mean an unrivalled opportunity to experience the full visual spectrum of their Rome stadium show shot in July this year. The Ultra High Definition format gives the cinema audience astonishing detail combining jaw-dropping shots of the Stadio Olimpico with views from 'spider' cameras darting above the surging crowd and on stage close-ups that expose the musical mastery and showmanship of the trio.
 
On 5th November 2013, 20 cinemas in 20 cities worldwide will host a special advance screening of Muse – Live at Rome Olympic Stadium, July 2013 exclusively in 4K. The unique screenings will start in Sydney and finish in Los Angeles, taking in other capital cities throughout the day including Tokyo, Paris, London and Rio.
 
Following the advance screenings, the film will be released in over 700 cinemas in 40 countries for limited screenings from 6th November
 
For an exclusive preview of the cinema trailer along with a full list of cinemas with links to buy tickets visit: 
 
Where 4K is not available the film will be shown in 2K High Definition.
 
Muse said “This is the biggest tour we’ve done in terms of scale and production value and it’s definitely the show we’re most proud of so we’re really excited to be able to release it as the first ever ultra high definition concert film. It captures an extraordinary amount of detail and not just everything we’re doing - the fans, even those at the back, the set, the actors and the incredible atmosphere on a very special night in Rome. We can promise our fans, whether they managed to come to the live shows or not, an entirely new Muse concert experience.” 
 
About the film  
Muse – Live at Rome Olympic Stadium filmed on 6th July 2013 in front of a capacity audience of over 60,000, captures the momentous evening in the Italian capital and showcases the most extravagant set build and spectacular stage show of any Muse tour to date. The three school friends from Devon take the audience on a mesmerizing journey using pyrotechnics, expansive digital screens and a troop of actors to accompany their epic playlist of 20 tracks, mixed in incredible surround sound, including hits from their most recent studio album The 2nd Law, as well as classics such as Uprising, Supermassive Black Hole, Time Is Running Out, Starlight and Plug-In Baby.
 
About Muse
Muse are an English rock band who have released six studio albums and sold in excess of 15 million albums worldwide. Widely recognised as one of the best live bands in the world, they have won numerous music awards including five MTV Europe Music Awards, six NME Awards and six Q Awards. The have twice been awarded "Best British Live Act" at The Brits and have also been nominated for five Grammy Awards, wining Best Rock Album for The Resistance. Their current tour commenced in October 2012 and has seen the band perform to over 1.5 million fans worldwide.

About Omniverse Vision
Omniverse Vision was formed in 2010 and produces and distributes alternative content for cinemas globally. With a network of more than 4,000 locations in more than 60 countries, Omniverse Vision is at the leading edge of digital cinema content and has delivered cinema events in the music, stage and sports categories. For more information, visit www.omniversevision.com
 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Sights and Sounds: Big Head Todd & The Monsters, John Hiatt, The Milk Carton Kids

Still playing catch up in the wake of so many noteworthy items landing in my inbox earlier today. Roots music lovers really have something to celebrate with news concerning Big Head Todd & The Monsters, John Hiatt, and The Milk Carton Kids.



BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS
TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM
BLACK BEEHIVE
ON SHOUT! FACTORY FEBRUARY 4

NATIONAL TOUR KICKS OFF IN BROOKLYN ON JANUARY 16

Los Angeles, CA – 25 years after releasing their first album, Big Head Todd & The Monsters are stronger and more committed to their craft than ever. Their new album, Black Beehive, due out February 4 from Shout! Factory, arrives a quarter-century after the group’s debut album, Another Mayberry, first put Big Head Todd & Monsters on the American music map. Today, the original trio—Todd Mohr on guitar and vocals, Brian Nevin on drums and vocals and Rob Squires on bass and vocals—along with keyboardist/pedal steel guitarist Jeremy Lawton, who joined in 2004, are still on an evolutionary path, open to new possibilities even as they further explore their roots.

Black Beehive was recorded at Butcher Boy Studios in Chicago, Mohr’s hometown of the past seven years, and produced and mixed by Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Steve Jordan, whose previous production credits include John Mayer, Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Solomon Burke and Robert Cray. Mohr and Jordan first met while planning an 80th birthday party for the great blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin, who died in 2011. Jordan was the musical director.  Mohr says, “When Hubert passed away it ended up being a tribute concert at the Apollo Theater: Eric Clapton and Billy Gibbons and Keith Richards—there were probably 35 incredible musicians at this thing. I was immediately awestruck by Steve’s command of the material and his understanding of it and his ability to get it done on short notice with all these people. I thought this guy would be an unbelievable producer for me to work with.”

As he began writing material for the album, Mohr drew from both from his own life experiences and from events in the news. The title track, “Black Beehive,” which refers to the late British soul singer Amy Winehouse, was written following her untimely death. “I love her voice and her performances, and obviously her shenanigans were part of her persona,” says Mohr. Several other songs were also ripped from the headlines, including “We Won’t Go Back,” which Mohr penned about the 2010 Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East, and “Fear, Greed and Ignorance,” whose topical lyrics declare that it’s those three dishonorable traits that are “driving you America off the edge of the road.”

Not every track is quite so pointed, however. “Hubert’s Dream,” is for the aforementioned Sumlin, while “Hey Delila,” which opens the album, is Mohr’s tribute to another blues giant, Memphis Minnie. “I happened to acquire a great example of her instrument, which was a 1941 Spanish National resonator guitar. Plus, she has an incredible life story,” he says. “Everything About You” is dedicated to America’s space program, a nod to NASA which, in 2011, called upon BHTM (as their fans call them) to awaken the Discovery space shuttle crew with their song “Blue Sky,” the first time live music was ever used for that purpose. Among the album’s other tunes, “Josephina,” and “Seven State Lines” are what Mohr describes simply as “blues-based themes,” while “I Get Smooth” is “a comedy piece.” The cautionary tale “Travelin’ Light” is the story of lovers who “threw away our hearts and fled” and the moving “Forgive Me Bonnie” is based on a true story of a “gentleman who got a love letter delivered to him 53 years later by the Postal Service.”

Guests on the album include Eddie Shaw, who played with Howlin’ Wolf for many years, on harmonica and saxophone, Ronnie Baker Brooks on guitar, and Steve Jordan, who played on almost every track.

For BHTM, Black Beehive serves as both a reaffirmation of the band’s roots and a step into the next 25 years. Founded as a trio in Boulder, Colorado in 1986, Big Head Todd & the Monsters quickly built a reputation via their intense, soulful live performances, a signature mix of funky rock and blues, soul, country, folk and jazz, Caribbean and African rhythms and more. They started out on the club circuit and ultimately graduated to larger venues, including Colorado’s Red Rocks, which they’ve now played more than 20 times.

When Big Head Todd & the Monsters launch their extensive national tour behind Black Beehive in January—which will continue through May and hit most major markets—they will be honing the album’s ageless blues along the way, and simultaneously affirming their own longevity. It’s the rare musical aggregation that can not only survive for more than 25 years but still look forward to creating music together night after night. “The other guys have shown great support of my songwriting and what I’m able to do, and all of the band members bring a lot to the plate, both musically and as a unit,” says Mohr. “No one ever expects a band to last this long. We’re very, very lucky.”

Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD and Blu-Ray™ offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials in lavish packages crammed with extras.  Shout’s audio division boasts GRAMMY®-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations.  In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast digital distribution network which delivers video and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America.  Shout! Factory also owns and operates Timeless Media Group, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, HighTone Records and Video Time Machine. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention.  Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com               

Black Beehive Track Listing:
01. Hey Delila
02. Everything About You
03. Seven State Lines
04. Josephina
05. Black Beehive
06. We Won't Go Back
07. Fear, Greed and Ignorance
08. Hubert's Dream
09. I Get Smooth
10. Travelin' Light
11. Forever Bonnie

Black Beehive Tour Dates:
Thu Jan 16      Brooklyn, NY               An Evening With BHTM @ Brooklyn Bowl
Fri Jan 17        Philadelphia, PA         An Evening With BHTM @ Union Transfer
Sat Jan 18       Washington, DC         An Evening With BHTM @ 9:30 Club
Tue Jan 21      Charlottesville, VA     An Evening With BHTM @ Jefferson Theater
Thu Jan 23      Knoxville, TN              An Evening With BHTM @ Bijou Theatre
Fri Jan 24        Asheville, NC              An Evening With BHTM @ The Orange Peel
Sat Jan 25       Atlanta, GA                 An Evening With BHTM @ Buckhead Theatre
Sun Jan 26      Nashville, TN              An Evening With BHTM @ 3rd and Lindsley
Fri Jan 31        Raleigh, NC                 An Evening With BHTM @ Lincoln Theatre
Sat Feb 01       Charlotte, NC             An Evening With BHTM @ The Fillmore
Tue Feb 04      Macon, GA                  An Evening With BHTM @ Cox Capitol Theatre
Thu Feb 06      St. Petersburg, FL       State Theatre w/ Martin Sexton
Fri Feb 07        Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues w/ Martin Sexton
Sat Feb 08       Ft. Lauderdale, FL       An Evening With BHTM @ Revolution
Thu Feb 20      Northampton, MA     An Evening With BHTM @ Calvin Theatre  
Fri Feb 21        Port Chester, NY         The Capitol Theatre w/ Anders Osborne
Sat Feb 22       Boston, MA                An Evening With BHTM @ House of Blues
Tue Feb 25      Pittsburgh, PA                        An Evening With BHTM @ Mr. Small's Theatre
Thu Feb 27      Cincinnati, OH            An Evening With BHTM @ 20th Century Theatre
Fri Feb 28        Cleveland, OH                        An Evening With BHTM @ House of Blues
Sat Mar 01      Royal Oak, MI                         An Evening With BHTM @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Thu Mar 06     Milwaukee, WI           An Evening With BHTM @ Turner Hall
Fri Mar 07       Chicago, IL                  An Evening With BHTM @ House of Blues
Sat Mar 08      St. Louis, MO              An Evening With BHTM @ The Pageant
Sun Mar 09     Council Bluffs, IA        An Evening With BHTM @ Whiskey Road House
Fri Mar 28       Seattle, WA                An Evening With BHTM @ Showbox
Sat Mar 29      Portland, OR               An Evening With BHTM @ Crystal Ballroom
Tue Apr 01      San Juan Capistrano, CA  An Evening With BHTM @ Coach House
Thu Apr 03      Solana Beach, CA       An Evening With BHTM @ Belly Up Tavern
Fri Apr 04        Solana Beach, CA       An Evening With BHTM @ Belly Up Tavern
Sat Apr 05       San Francisco, CA       An Evening With BHTM @ The Fillmore



JOHN HIATT'S HERE TO STAY - BEST OF 2000-2012 
OUT NOVEMBER 11 ON NEW WEST RECORDS 

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS BEST SONGS FROM HIS INDEPENDENT
RECORD YEARS, INCLUDES PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED 
TITLE TRACK FEATURING JOE BONAMASSA

ON TOUR NOW WITH LYLE LOVETT 
LOS ANGELES, CA, October 28, 2013 - John Hiatt, who has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "one of rock's most astute singer-songwriters of the last 40 years," will release a Best Of compilation entitled Here To Stay - Best of 2000-2012 onNovember 11 on New West Records. The 17-track collection is comprised of key singles and live show favorites such as "Crossing Muddy Waters," "Master Of Disaster," "What Love Can Do," "We're Alright Now" and the previously unreleased title track, "Here To Stay," featuring Smokin' Joe Bonamassa on guitar. Hiatt, who has been on tour since June in support of the critically acclaimed album, Mystic Pinball, reunited with longtime friend Lyle Lovett last week for the aptly titled tour "An Acoustic Evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt." The run, which began October 22 in Vermont, will take the pair across the East Coast, Midwest and Southwest before wrapping up on the West Coast.
           
The dawning of the new millennium coincided with a new chapter in the career of Hiatt, one of America's most respected and influential singer-songwriters. After a quarter century of releasing records on five different major labels, the Indiana-bred musician kicked off a now-13-year run as an independent artist, recording eight albums (an initial pair of albums with Vanguard before moving to New West, his label home for more than a decade). This collection captures two songs from each of those eight albums, ranging from the pastoral "Crossing Muddy Waters" from the self-produced Grammy nominated album of the same name to the flat-out basher "Everybody Went Low" recorded with his then backing band The Goners.

Hiatt's venerable and prolific New West years are duly represented here with tracks from each of his six releases, Beneath This Gruff Exterior, Master of Disaster, Same Old Man, The Open Road, Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns and last year'sMystic Pinball. Among the many highlights are "Master of Disaster," produced by iconic Southern producer Jim Dickinson and featuring his sons Luther and CodyDickinson's band the North Mississippi All Stars, the lilting, redemptive "What Love Can Do" with daughter Lilly Hiatt providing beautiful harmonies and the front porch twang of "Blues Can't Even Find Me," from Mystic Pinball, produced byKevin Shirley (Journey, Aerosmith, Black Crowes).   
           
Here to Stay concludes with the title song, a smoldering roadhouse blues number featuring slide guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa, originally recorded for Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns. Why Hiatt chose to leave it off that record is unknown but it turned out to be a prescient move. The song and performance serve as a thematically and musically perfect coda to this captivating collection - a batch of songs and recordings as artful, affecting and poignant as any in the nearly four-decade career of this distinguished American roots musician.

Hiatt has long been a favorite songwriter amongst musicians and many of his songs have been covered or recorded by artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt ("Thing Called Love"), Buddy Guy, Emmylou Harris, Ronnie Milsap, Iggy Pop, the Neville Brothers, Rosanne Cash (the #1 country hit, "The Way We Make A Broken Heart"), the Jeff Healey Band ("Angel Eyes"), Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Linda Ronstadt, and even the cartoon bear band of Disney's 2002 film, "The Country Bears." He earned a Grammy nomination for his album Crossing Muddy Waters, and shared a Grammy with B.B. King and Eric Clapton for their albumRiding With The King, the title track from which was a Hiatt composition. Hiatt was honored with his own star on Nashville's Walk of Fame and his legacy was even further cemented with the Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting and his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.




THE MILK CARTON KIDS TO PERFORM ON AUSTIN CITY LIMITS
 
Duo Make Third Appearance On A Prairie Home Companion
 
Lineup For Los Angeles Revue Announced, On tour now
 

On Nov. 10, 2013, fresh on the heels of their 3rd appearance on A Prairie Home CompanionThe Milk Carton Kids have been invited to tape an episode of the renowned television show Austin City Limits.
 
Flat-picking harmony duo The Milk Carton Kids have emerged in the last three years as a powerful voice defining the continuing folk tradition. A refreshing alternative to the foot-stomping grandeur of the so-called "folk revival", an understated virtuosity defines The Milk Carton Kids to the delight of traditionalists and newcomers to the folk movement alike. Indeed, Garrison Keillor has called them "absolute geniuses in close-harmony", while cultural purveyors like T Bone Burnett and Billy Bragg continue to refer the importance of The Milk Carton Kids among a group of new folk bands expanding and contradicting the rich tradition that comes before them. 
 
The Los Angeles Times lauds their latest Anti- Records release The Ash & Clay as displaying "absolute mastery of their craft" while Paste Magazine emphasizes the "intellectual sophistication of their songs…making The Milk Carton Kids an option for purists unsatisfied with some of the pop tendencies seeping in to the genre." Beyond their inventive guitar lines and intricately interwoven vocals, the road-addicted duo is celebrated for the wry and biting humor that has become a beloved mainstay of their shows, with Fretboard Journal declaring, "The Milk Carton Kids are funny. Seriously funny. And what is only hinted at on their albums and within some of the lyrics is on full display during their live performances." 
 
On Nov. 12, 2013, the duo will host the second iteration of "The Milk Carton Kids Revue" at Largo in Los Angeles. The collaborative show emphasizes the band's versatility as they play a supporting role to a curated lineup of acclaimed Los Angeles artists. Featured guests this time include Griffin & Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Gaby Moreno, The SongBirds, Leslie Stevens, and Willie Watson, with additional very special unannounced guests. (Past guests have included Ed Helms, Joe Henry, Over the Rhine, Jill Sobule, Joe Purdy, John C. Reilly and Billy Bragg.)
 
RECENT ACCLAIM FOR THE MILK CARTON KIDS:
 
"gorgeous contemporary folk" - NPR
 
"A sweetly dazzling variation on close-harmony vocals, part Simon and Garfunkel and part Everly Brothers, with occasional acoustic prestidigitation." - New York Times
 
“Both heartbroken and healed." - Filter
 
"The Milk Carton Kids transport with heartbreaking understatement. Extraordinary musical facility, both vocal and on vintage guitars, meets humor, smarts and style on an otherwise ordinary stage." - Huffington Post
 
“The duo makes four sounds - two voices, two acoustic guitars - sounds as big as a prairie. It's modern roots music sung in close harmony with exquisite guitar work, but unselfconscious about any old-timey signifiers." - Los Angeles Times
 
"Although their songs range from back-porch country to every variety of folk, from flat-out bluegrass to Tin Pan Alley romanticism, there is nothing "old-timey" about The Milk Carton Kids' music. Quite the contrary; their music feels timeless" - Fretboard Journal
 
"Bittersweet and beautiful" - San Francisco Chronicle
 
TOUR DATES:
 
10/28 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
10/29 - Columbus, OH - Lincoln Theater
10/30 - Knoxville, TN - The Bowery
11/1 - Asheville, NC - The Altamont Theater
11/2 - Middletown, OH - DFA at Miami U.
11/3 - Birmingham, AL - Workplay
11/4 - New Orleans, LA - The Parish at HOB
11/5 - Houston, TX - Mucky Duck
11/6 - Dallas, TX - The Kessler Theater (Opening for Sarah Jarosz)
11/7 - Austin, TX - The Paramount Theater (Opening for Sarah Jarosz)
11/8 - New Braunfels, TX - Gruene Hall (Opening for Sarah Jarosz)
11/9 - Elgin, IL - Arts Center at Elgin CC
11/12 - Los Angeles, CA - Largo - The Milk Carton Kids Revue
11/14 - Berkeley, CA - Freight & Salvage
11/15 - Berkeley, CA - Freight & Salvage
11/16 - Los Angeles, CA - Largo