New Music: Neil Young + Promise Of The Real, Lotus, Ken Sharp

Neil Young + Promise Of The Real, Lotus and Ken Sharp are back with new must-hear releases.

Artist: Neil Young + Promise Of The Real

Title: Noise & Flowers (Reprise)

You might like if you enjoy: Lukas Nelson, Promise Of The Real, Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Tell me more: Few rock artists are as prolific, gifted and eclectic as Neil Young. Listening to his recent release Noise & Flowers available on audio CD (the edition reviewed in this column) and via a deluxe edition that includes an LP, audio CD and Blu-ray featuring a concert film, it is amazing how the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer can sing the most intimate of quiet acoustic songs and then suddenly launch into thunderous rockers. The tracks on Noise & Flowers were captured on Neil Young + Promise Of The Real's 2019 European nine-date tour that began just two weeks after Young's lifetime friend and manager Elliot Roberts passed away. “Playing in his memory [made it] one of the most special tours ever,” Young says in the album’s liner notes. “We hit the road and took his great spirit with us into every song. This music belongs to no one. It’s in the air. Every note was played for music’s great friend, Elliot.” This collection offers raw and decidedly emotional takes on a far-flung range of Young gems. The classic "Mr. Soul" and "Alabama," explosive rocker "Throw Your Hatred Down," timely "Rockin' in the Free World," enduring "Helpless," rarely-heard '70s cut "Field of Opportunity," and gentle "From Hank to Hendrix" are among the songs that shine on the title. Information: NeilYoungArchives.com. 

Artist: Lotus

Title: Bloom and Recede (Frontiers Music Srl)

You might like if you enjoy: Moby, Tycho

Tell me more: The best electronica artists stretch their work beyond robotic beats and paint-by-numbers synth sounds to infuse their original music with emotion and experimental-focused creativity. Such is the case with Denver-spawned Lotus' new full-length album Bloom and Recede (out on Aug. 26, 2022). The nine tracks — crafted by talented brothers Luke and Jesse Miller — are enticing while challenging and rewarding the listener. The hypnotic opener "Desert Blooms" Latin-tinged celebration "Pluck," lush "Pacific Glow" (watch the official video for "Pacific Glow" HERE), immersive "Time Dilates" and cinematic "Desert Recedes." The diverse field of instrumentals also benefit from some stellar guitar work that pumps up the electronic-anchored soundscape. Lotus will be appearing at a number of upcoming festivals, including the Summerdance festival over Labor Day Weekend in Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville, OH. Information: LotusVibes.com. 

Artist: Ken Sharp

Title: I'll Remember The Laughter (AFM Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Fountains of Wayne, Rick Springfield, The Zombies' "Odyssey and Oracle" 

Tell me more: Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ken Sharp's marathon-length 7th album I'll Remember the Laughter features 50 songs; even better not a moment on the album is wasted. "Like most people, the pandemic turned my world upside down, but in that isolation, I was deeply inspired and found solace in creativity, writing/recording my music, and this robust productivity spurred the creation of some of my best music," Sharp noted of the new project. Indeed, the range of material extends from the tuneful opener "Maybe Next Summer" (Sharp is featured on lead and background vocals, piano, organ, Moog, tremelo guitar, mellotron vibes, sleigh bells, percussion on the track!) and Baroque pop swirl “Say Goodbye To One Of The Good Ones” to the driving indie rocker "There Goes My Sanity," the power pop sortie "Lady Godiva," tuneful garage rocker "It Pays To Be A Rock & Roll Star" and Philadelphia soul-steeped "Philly Get Back." Adding to the magic are the contributions of Rick Springfield, who adds vocal firepower on "Comic Book Heroes" and "I'm Your Superman." Other interesting tracks on I'll Remember the Laughter include Sharp's original psychedelic-flavored “I Am You, You Are Me,” a shimmering take on The Who's "The Kids Are Alright," Beatlesque version of Gene Simmons' "Mr. Make Believe" and lovely reading of Davy Jones' "Girl" — the latter featuring Roger Manning of Jellyfish fame on piano. Information: ken-sharp.com. 

Robert Kinsler

Sights and Sounds: BeachLife Festival, Mary Chapin Carpenter, My Morning Jacket, Rufus Wainwright

Here is a roundup of timely music news that has landed in my inbox over the last day or so...Robert Kinsler

The Record Company rocking the Backporch stage at the 2016
Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point, CA.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

The BeachLife Festival has been rescheduled until May 21-23, 2021, but the Redondo Beach, California event organizers has embraced the "new normal" of live streaming with a super cool lineup for July 23, 2020. Tune in at 7 p.m. Pacific Time for two hours of live performances and special guests, including Lukas Nelson, The Record Company, Roots of Creation, Anuhea and more. The stream will be free thanks to the generosity of Herradura Tequila.

Visit the official BeachLife Festival site for more details on the upcoming live stream and next year's event...

Mary Chapin Carpenter released her wonderful new single "Secret Keepers" yesterday and you can hear it here. The track is the latest gem unveiled from her highly-anticipated new album The Dirt And The Stars set for release on Aug. 7, 2020 on Lambent Light Records via Thirty Tigers (pre-order).

Of the single, Carpenter notes: "'Secret Keepers' is about holding onto things that feel too dangerous to let go of, too perilous to share, too complex to shine a light upon. The deeper you think you've buried something, the more power it seems to have over your life. The scars may be invisible but that doesn't mean the pain that caused them has disappeared. It's a constant reminder to be kind out in the world, because you never really know what someone is carrying around..."

Produced by Ethan Johns (Ray LaMontagne, Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon) and recorded entirely live at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Bath, in southwest England, the album finds the 5-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter pondering life’s intimate, personal moments and exploring its most universally challenging questions at an unprecedented time. Written at her rural Virginia farmhouse before stay-at-home orders became the “new normal,” the songs celebrate invaluable experiences and irreplaceable wisdom, while also advocating exploration of the best in all of us. In advance of the release, the album’s stirring title track, “Between The Dirt And The Stars,” premiered last month. Listen/share HERE.

Speaking of the gifted Carpenter, watch the 2016 episode of MUSIC WORTH BUYING where co-hosts TJR and yours truly celebrated her outstanding album The Things That We Are Made Of. Watch that episode HERE. 


This week saw the release of several notable albums, including new full-length efforts from My Morning Jacket and Rufus Wainwright.

Officially announced earlier in the week, My Morning Jacket have released their new record, The Waterfall II, an unforeseen and timely continuation of a psychic and sonic journey begun long ago. The album was massively inspired by the band’s idyllic surroundings in Stinson Beach, CA — and a sense of charmed isolation that frontman Jim James likened to “living on our own little moon.” There, the Kentucky-bred five-piece ended up creating over two dozen songs at the mountaintop studio known as Panoramic House. Though they flirted with the idea of putting out what would have been a triple album, the band ultimately decided that less would be more at the time and divided the project into two halves, releasing the first segment as The Waterfall: a 2015 full-length that earned the band their third consecutive Best Alternative Rock Album Grammy Award nomination in a row (Evil Urges, Circuital, The Waterfall). The Waterfall II will be released on CD and vinyl on August 28. Pre-orders, including both standard and deluxe versions featuring 180-gram vinyl with Zoetrope labels in a gatefold foil jacket, are available now.

PRE-ORDER THE WATERFALL II

As James reveals, the decision to unearth The Waterfall II was sparked from a bit of serendipity in the early days of self-quarantine. While out on a walk, he placed his music library on shuffle and soon stumbled upon “Spinning My Wheels,” a tender rumination on the struggle for presence, its lyrics confessing to feeling “hypnotized from doing the same old thing.” Struck by the song’s enduring relevance, James revisited the other tracks reserved from the Panoramic House sessions and found that they invited a welcome moment of self-reflection—an outcome perhaps even more perfectly suited to the chaos of the current day than the circumstances of their recording.

My Morning Jacket / Photo Credit: Danny Clinch

Like its predecessor, The Waterfall II mines its mood of dreamy contemplation from certain heartbreak James had recently experienced, including the demise of a monumental relationship. Unfolding in a loosely threaded narrative of loss and recovery, the album conjures an indelible pain but never drifts into despair, gracefully conveying James’s message that “there is hope beyond the pain and loss, if you learn to flow with life like water.”

Even in its most heavy-hearted moments, The Waterfall II radiates an undeniable sense of wonder, a testament to the wild-mindedness that’s long imbued the music of My Morning Jacket. With their unabashed curiosity infinitely stirred by their time at Stinson Beach, the band hopes that the album might lead others to look beyond what’s human-made in the search for solace and renewal. “As so many of us feel out of tune and long for the world to be a better place, we have to look to nature and the animals and learn from them: learn to love, accept, move on, and respect each other,” says James. “We gotta work for it and change our ways before it’s too late, and get in harmony with love and equality for all of humanity and for nature too.”

My Morning Jacket will perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday July 15.

Rufus Wainwright's new LP Unfollow The Rules. You can view the singer-songwriter's fiery new video for the song "Devils and Angels (Hatred)" HERE. The video was directed by Wainwright's husband/co-manager John Weisbrodt with costumes by renowned designer Zaldy.

Fans are also invited to attend an #UnfollowTheRules VIP Virtual Record Release Party on Saturday, July 11 at 11 AM PT/ 2 PM EDT/ 7 PM BST / 8 PM CDT. Attendees will have a first look at some exclusive one-of-a-kind Unfollow The Rules merchandise, and will get a private virtual concert, including meet and greet and a tour of Wainwright’s Laurel Canyon home. For tickets and special merch bundles, visit rufuswainwrightvip.com.

Wainwright’s ninth studio LP and first new pop album since 2012, UNFOLLOW THE RULES finds the artist at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness while remaining as creative, bold, and mischievous as ever. Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Randy Newman) at a variety of legendary Los Angeles studios – including Sound City Studios, United Recording, and EastWest Studios – the album serves as both bookend to Act I of an extraordinary career which, like Unfollow The Rules, began in the studios of Los Angeles, but also now as the first lines of a remarkable new chapter. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon, songs like “Only The People That Love” and the spirited, symphonic “Hatred” find the gifted singer-songwriter ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past by making sense of how he has grown both as a musician and the contented family man he has become.

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

UNFOLLOW THE RULES

(BMG)

Release Date: Friday, July 10, 2020

TRACKLISTING

ACT I

1. Trouble in Paradise

2. Damsel in Distress

3. Unfollow The Rules

4. You Ain’t Big

ACT II

5. Romantical Man 

6. Peaceful Afternoon *

7. Only The People That Love

8. This One’s For The Ladies (That Lunge)

ACT III

9. My Little You

10. Early Morning Madness

11. Devils and Angels (Hatred) *

12. Alone Time

* French versions for Peaceful Afternoon "Pièce à Vivre" and Devils and Angels (Hatred) "Haine" available as well 

See lyrics on Genius

Joan Jett, James Bay and Lukas Nelson to appear on Rolling Stone’s “In My Room,” presented by Gibson this week

Looking to see how to help in-need musicians during the coronavirus outbreak, or to catch some cool new performances while sheltering in place? Read on...

Rolling Stone’s “In My Room” IGTV Music Series, Presented by Gibson: Tune-In At 3:00 PM ET This Week On Rolling Stone Instagram (Here) To Watch Performances From Music Icon: JOAN JETT (Friday, April 24) & LUKAS NELSON (Wednesday, April 22) JAMES BAY (Monday, April 20) Joan Jett / Photo courtesy of Gibson Starting April 20, Bid To Win An Autographed Signature Guitar On CharityBuzz.com Proceeds Will Benefit MUSICARES® COVID 19 Relief Fund: JOAN JETT ‘Gibson ES-339 Electric Guitar’ (Limited Edition) JAMES BAY ‘Epiphone 1966 Century Electric Guitar’ LUKAS NELSON ‘Gibson Les Paul Junior Electric Guitar’ (Here)

NASHVILLE, TN (April 20, 2020) -- Rolling Stone and Gibson have teamed up to offer a special week-long series of music performances and give music fans the first-ever chance to make a charitable donation to support musicians worldwide and walk away with a piece of rock ‘n’ roll history. As previously announced, Rolling Stone’s “In My Room” Presented by Gibson will be headlined this week with a rare special performance from rock ‘n’ roll icon JOAN JETT on Friday, April 24. The week will also feature music performances from Gibson artists LUKAS NELSON on Wednesday, April 22 and JAMES BAY on Monday, April 20. Tune-in to watch the “In My Room” music series Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3:00 p.m. ET on Rolling Stone’s Instagram--Here. “Gibson Guitars and Rolling Stone have been partners for over fifty years, so it seems natural to take our partnership to a new creative level for our fans during this challenging time,” says James ‘JC’ Curleigh, President and CEO of Gibson. “Along with our iconic artists, we are proud to support MusiCares through our Gibson Gives movement at such a pivotal time for musicians and the music industry.” "About a month ago, we launched ‘In My Room’ as a way to foster greater connection between Rolling Stone fans and the artists they admire most,” says Gus Wenner, President and COO of Rolling Stone. “We found the perfect partner in Gibson, who similarly believes that music brings people comfort, and provides a welcome distraction and powerful message, particularly during stressful times in our society. We're thrilled to partner with the Gibson team and three extraordinary artists to give back to the music community through MusiCares at a moment when it’s needed most." To support the music community in these uncertain times, starting Monday, April 20,Gibson Gives--the charitable arm of Gibson--and Rolling Stone will provide fans the chance to support the MusiCares® COVID-19 Relief Fund and take home an autographed artist guitar. The MusiCares® COVID-19 Relief Fund offers immediate financial assistance to musicians, production crews, music industry creators, to donate, visit: https://www.grammy.com/musicares. Arriving first at auction on CharityBuzz.com, JOAN JETT teamed with Gibson guitars to donate an autographed, limited-edition ‘Gibson Joan Jett ES 339 Electric Guitar’ in Wine Red--of which only 150 were made worldwide--Here. Later that day, JAMES BAY’s Epiphone 1966 Century Electric Guitar in Cherry andLUKAS NELSON’s Gibson Les Paul Junior Electric Guitar in Vintage Sunburst both autographed, will also open for bidding Here. Bidding for the autographed guitars will open on CharityBuzz.com on Monday, April 20at 11:00 AM ET and close on Friday, May 8 at 3:00 PM ET. Shipping is contingent on COVID-19 restrictions; shipping ETA Summer 2020. For more information, visit: http://www.charitybuzz.com/RollingStoneGibsonHomeMadeMusic.

Netflix acquires new Daryl Hannah-directed feature starring Neil Young + Promise of the Real

I am really looking forward to catching this film on Netflix...

NETFLIX ACQUIRES 'PARADOX,' DIRECTED BY DARYL HANNAH

FEATURING NEIL YOUNG + PROMISE OF THE REAL

This whimsical tale also features new music and performances

Paradox will debut at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and Launch Globally on March 23

Netflix announced today (March 7, 2018) that it has acquired worldwide rights to Paradox, directed by Daryl Hannah, featuring Neil Young + Promise of the Real. The whimsical tale also features new music and performances. The film will world premiere at next week’s SXSW Film Festival on March 15, and will launch globally on Netflix on March 23 and in limited theatrical release.

A fantasy, a loud poem and a free-spirited tale of music and love, Paradox is a one-of-a-kind personal expression. Sometime in the future—or is it the past?—a band of outlaws hide high up in the Mountains. The "Man in the Black Hat" (Neil Young), the "Particle Kid" (Micah Nelson) and "Jail Time" (Lukas Nelson) pass the hours searching for treasure while they wait for the full moon to lend its magic, bring the music and make the spirits fly. Vibrating with original music by Young + Promise of the Real, Paradox furthers the legacy of an iconic performer who has always broken the rules.

Paradox is written and directed by Daryl Hannah, making her feature-length debut behind the camera. Hannah’s "The Last Supper," a 1993 short which she wrote, directed and produced, won a Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival. 

"PARADOX sprung up spontaneously and unexpectedly, like a peculiar dandelion, popping up between the cracks in the pavement. We were fortunate to find this brief window of opportunity to share the love for the natural world, each other and for the precious seeds of creativity and life. We are all thrilled the film will premiere at SXSW and that NETFLIX will be sharing it with the world," said Hannah.

Paradox features new music from Neil Young + Promise of the Real. The cast includes Young, Lukas Nelson, Micah Nelson, Willie Nelson, Corey McCormick, Anthony LoGerfo, Tato Melgar, Charris Ford and Dulcie Clarkson Ford. The film is produced by Bernard Shakey and Elliott Rabinowitz, edited by Paul Snyder and photographed by Adam CK Vollick.

On March 23 on digital and vinyl, Reprise/Warner Bros. Records releases PARADOX (Original Music from the Film), including studio and live performances by Neil Young + Promise of the Real, classic covers and music composed exclusively for the film.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world's leading internet entertainment service with over 117 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 140 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

Neil Young + Promise of the Real release new song and music video "Children of Destiny" today

Neil Young + Promise of the Real have just issued a media release of interest to fans of the troupe...

NEIL YOUNG + PROMISE OF THE REAL RELEASE NEW SONG AND MUSIC VIDEO "CHILDREN OF DESTINY" TODAY

NEIL YOUNG AND MICAH NELSON WILL BE ON FACEBOOK LIVE TODAY

AT 11:00 A.M. PT

June 30, 2017 (Burbank, CA) - Neil Young + Promise Of The Real have recorded a brand new Young composition titled "Children of Destiny," which is available beginning today via all digital music retailers. Click here to order. The video, a Shakey Pictures / DHNY production, will accompany the song and also launches today at 11:00 a.m. PT. Click here to view and share the video.

Today, Neil Young and Micah Nelson will premiere the song and video on Facebook Live at 11:00 a.m. PT.  

"Children of Destiny" was recorded and mixed at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA, and produced by The Volume Dealers: Neil Young and Niko Bolas. Young, along with Promise Of The Real, and a 56 piece orchestra - 62 musicians in all - played together on the final piece. Al Schmitt recorded and mixed, while strings were arranged, orchestrated, conducted and co-produced by Chris Walden.

# # #

Official Site: www.neilyoung.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/NeilYoung

Twitter: @NeilYoung

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NeilYoung

Instagram: @NeilYoung

Press materials:

http://press.wbr.com/neilyoung

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Records

Neil Young + Promise Of The Real:

Neil Young - guitars, vocals

Lukas Nelson - guitar

Micah Nelson - guitar

Corey McCormick - bass

Anthony Logerfo - drums

Tato Melgar - percussion