NAMM 2019 Roundup: Gibson, Yamaha, Brandon "Taz" Niederauer at D'Angelico Guitars, Alice Wallace at Shubb Capos, more!

The 2019 NAMM Show / Photo: Bob Steshetz

Star-studded concert events, intimate booth performances, new music making-related products and educational sessions make the annual NAMM Show an essential destination for those who make or love music.

This year's Winter NAMM Show was held at the Anaheim Convention Center January 24-27, 2019, with this writer also attending the NAMM Media Preview Day on Jan. 23 to get an early, in-depth glimpse at several music-making products on the eve of their debut to the more than 115,000 music enthusiasts who attended the industry event.

Here are some of the standout performances and cool gear I experienced during my long weekend at the 2019 NAMM Show!

Billy F Gibbons at Gibson's
"NAMM Jam" on Jan. 24.
Photo: Bob Steshetz 

Gibson Brands returned to NAMM in a big way in 2019. The iconic Nashville, Tennessee-based guitar maker was a major presence during the show. The company teamed up with Chuck Berry's son and grandson to create Berry's ES-350T (to be released later this year). Gibson also showcased a limited-edition Chris Cornell Tribute Model ES-335; only 250 of the instruments will be available. 

The company staged many live music events, notably the outstanding "NAMM Jam" featuring Billy F Gibbons (ZZ Top), Peter Frampton, Robby Krieger (The Doors) and Nancy Wilson (Heart) staged at City National Grove of Anaheim on Jan. 24. That show was truly spectacular with several emerging artists including Austin, Texas-based Emily Wolfe and Black Pistol Fire adding firepower to the night. Read my full-length review of that show here.

Nathan East performing at NAMM.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

The Yamaha Grand Plaza Stage hosted almost continuous music across the event, including three major concerts. Although I missed the Thursday night affair (I was at the aforementioned Gibson "NAMM Jam" that evening), I did catch the Friday and Saturday night headline events. Yamaha's second annual "All-Star Concert on the Grand" featuring Sarah McLachlan, Jonathan Butler, James "J.T." Taylor, Jon McLaughlin, and Loren Allred. The terrific concert event featured Yamaha artist/bassist Nathan East (Fourplay) as musical director. Elle King & the Brethren delivered a strong 80-minute set on Saturday, displaying her unique hybrid of blues, rock, pop and country via a mix of original material and several artful covers (Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and Paul McCartney's "Oh! Darling"). She capped her well-received outing with the pop-rock hit "Ex's & Oh's." Read George A. Paul's full-length review of both concerts here.

Plasmic showcasing "Keytar" at Yamaha booth.
Photo: Robert Kinsler

Speaking of Yamaha Corporation of America, the company showcased a number of innovative products during the show. Among the most impressive was the Yamaha Sonogenic "Keytar," an affordable-for-all $299 keyboard that will appeal to those who don't know how to play the instrument as well as those who do! I was able to watch as musician-producer Plasmic demonstrated the ease and fun of using the shoulder-worn Sonogenic SGS-500, which she wore like a guitar while fingering the instrument's 37 mini-keys. The use of the "Keytar" is bolstered by Yamaha's free companion Chord Tracker app that links the user's iTunes music library so the player can accompany their favorite artist. "There are no wrong notes," Plasmic explained. Information: https://usa.yamaha.com/.

Martin's DX Woodstock 50th Anniversary
model. Photo: Robert Kinsler

Ciari Guitars unveiled a premium electric guitar that folds in half. The full-size Ascender Travel guitar is designed to be played like any favorite electric guitar, and then quickly folded and placed into a protective backpack that can be taken on the road and even tucked safely underneath the passenger seat of a commercial flight. Those wondering if the instrument sounds as cool as it looks should watch the amazing video on the company's official website: CiariGuitars.com.


Those looking to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock might want to get the C.F. Martin @ Co. DX Woodstock 50th Anniversary model complete with custom artwork by Robert F. Goetzl that replicates the iconic Woodstock music festival poster from 1969. The X Series D-14 model also includes certified sustainable wood parts. Information: MartinGuitar.com.

Xander Hitzig, left, with Alice Wallace.
Photo: Robert Kinsler

In a recent column I declared that singer-songwriter-guitarist Alice Wallace's "Into the Blue" is one of the first great albums of 2019. Released via Rebelle Road Records on Jan. 18, the 10-track album is a perfect showcase for the Southern California songstress' winning mix of contemporary Americana and traditional country music styles. Performing at the Shubb Capos booth on Jan. 26, Wallace was joined by virtuoso fiddle player Xander Hitzig for a 15-minute set featuring several original cuts as well as an inspired cover of Don Walser's "Rolling Stone From Texas," the latter featuring Wallace's impressive yodeling that mirrored Hitzig's dazzling play on his fiddle. The new original "Santa Ana Winds" was driving and infectious to be sure while Wallace's top-flight vocals bolstered the track. And sure enough, Wallace's capo worked perfectly as she was able to raise the pitch of her acoustic guitar by shortening the neck; "I couldn't play a show without my capo," she said. Information: AliceWallaceMusic.com.


Taylor Guitars always offers a wide range of great concerts in their upstairs booth. I was most impressed by roots rocking trio White Buffalo. The group's energetic set thrilled the Saturday afternoon crowd with a forceful mix of roots, Americana and Southern rock stylings. Information: TaylorGuitars.com or https://www.revelationmgmt.com/the-white-buffalo/.

Brandon "Taz" Niederauer performing at D'Angelico Guitars
booth on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019. Photo: Bob Steshetz

I can't finish up this roundup of my NAMM experience without sharing my absolute praise for 15-year-old Brandon "Taz" Niederauer, who blew me away again this year. I first caught the young guitar master at the Doheny Blues Festival in May 2015 when the-then 12-year-old emerging guitarist performed with bluesman Otis Taylor; he stunned with his guitar work then – especially on a version of the trance blues Taylor original "Rain So Hard" (read my review of that festival event here). Niederauer was flat out incredible when I caught him at the 2018 NAMM Show (read my recap of that appearance here). 

Brandon "Taz" Niederauer.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

Fast forward to the D'Angelico Guitars booth on Friday afternoon, Jan. 25, 2019 and I was only partially prepared for the 40-minute performance featuring Niederauer and his fantastic band. Featuring a mix of original songs and instrumentals, the prodigy's set demonstrated top-tier skills on lead and rhythm guitar, as a songwriter, vocalist and band leader. Among his great songs was the soulful "My Revival" and "Dare," as well as the funk-tinged blues rocker "Paralyzed." Some of the great moments came when Niederauer would trade lead solos with his fellow guitarist Mat Godfrey. 

Information: https://www.tazguitar.com/. 

You can also watch a special episode where I interviewed Niederauer and Godfrey during the 2019 NAMM Show here.


Article written by Robert Kinsler

Photography courtesy of Bob Steshetz

Annual Holiday Music Releases Roundup

Thanks to a slew of wonderful new holiday releases it is definitely beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. 

Artist: Gene Autry
Title: A Melody Ranch Christmas Party (Varèse Sarabande)
You might like if you enjoy: Gene Autry & the Pinafores, Roy Rogers, Rosemary Clooney
Tell me more: Gene Autry's A Melody Ranch Christmas album is a wonderful time machine, featuring recordings from the 1940s and early 1950s originally recorded on Autry's long-running "Melody Ranch" radio show aired on the CBS Radio Network. Fans of classic country-western music and Christmas music will love this sentimental set filled with great recordings of "White Christmas," "Jingle Bells," "Joy to the World," "Winter Wonderland," "Frosty the Snow Man" and many more. The album's great booklet includes insightful liner notes and vintage black & white images of Melody Ranch cast members that add to the magic. Information: VareseSarabande.com.

Artist: Neil Diamond
Title: Acoustic Christmas (Capitol)
You might like if you enjoy: Neil Diamond
Tell me more: Neil Diamond brings his rich baritone and signature style to some of the season's most beloved standards and several originals on his Acoustic Christmas. The sparse arrangements bring depth and introspective enchantment to all the performances, from the weighty "O Holy Night" and "Do You Hear What I Hear" to the anthemic "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and delightful Celtic-flavored "Christmas in Killarney." The album features two new shining originals, notably the lovely piano-anchored "Christmas Prayers." Information: NeilDiamond.com.

Artist: Tony Hadley
Title: The Christmas Album (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Spandau Ballet, Kim Wilde
Tell me more: Fans of '80s new wave band Spandau Ballet know well the power of singer Tony Hadley. Now the British singer's soulful vocals come in the service of 18 stellar tracks on The Christmas Album. Hadley mines enduring standards ("White Christmas" "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), traditional fair ("Ave Maria," "Silent Night") and several originals ("Every Second I'm Away," "Snowing All Over the World") on a terrific title centered around his top-tier vocals. A duet with Kim Wilde on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is among the treasures on the set. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.

Artist: Sarah McLachlan
Title: Wonderland (Verve)
You might like if you enjoy: Sarah Brightman, Enya, Sarah McLachlan
Tell me more: Sarah McLachlan brings her beautiful soprano to a number of beloved Yuletide favorites on the aptly-titled Wonderland. There is a nostalgic and yearning tone to this album with "Angels We Have Heard On High," "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "O Holy Night" among the adored songs covered with a mix of reflective melancholy and sumptuous beauty. A Barnes & Noble exclusive edition (reviewed here) includes two indispensable bonus tracks "Amazing Grace" and "Snow." Information: SarahMclachlan.com.

Artist: Kacey Musgraves
Title: A Very Kacey Christmas (Mercury Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson
Tell me more: Alt-country songstress Kacey Musgraves is one of country music's most exciting young artists, and her first full-length holiday music offering (A Very Kacey Christmas) is as superb as her other recent albums for Mercury Nashville (2013's Sam Trailer Different Park and 2015's Pageant Material). In addition to affecting covers of classics such as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Let It Snow" four Musgraves originals sparkle with the magic of the season; this writer's favorites include the beautiful ballad "Christmas Makes Me Cry" and the Hawaiian-styled "A Willie Nice Christmas," the latter a memorable duet with legend Willie Nelson. Information: KaceyMusgraves.com.

Artist: Pentatonix
Title: A Pentatonix Christmas (RCA)
You might like if you enjoy: Pentatonix
Tell me more: Texas-spawned a cappella group Pentatonix has released another holiday set sure to please fans of the vocal quintet. Formed in 2011, Pentatonix has already established a bona fide signature style built atop original arrangements boasting tight and dynamic vocal harmonies, innovative percussion achieved with their voices as well as riffing and beatboxing to boot. The group's latest album release (A Pentatonix Christmas) continues that welcome tradition with impressive versions of "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "White Christmas" (performed with the Manhattan Transfer), "Coventry Carol" and more. Information: ptxofficial.com.

Artist: She & Him
Title: Christmas Party (Columbia)
You might like if you enjoy: Aimee Mann, She & Him
Tell me more: Since bursting on the scene with their first album Volume One in March 2008, She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) have been reviving '60s-styled sunshine pop across a number of winning releases. The duo released the wonderful A Very She & Him Christmas in fall 2011, and have just issued a new holiday collection titled Christmas Party that finds the duo offering up a dozen gems including a spirited "All I Want for Christmas Is You," a dreamy jazz-tinged "Let It Snow" and old-time country take on "Winter Wonderland" that finds Deschanel sharing lead vocals with guest Jenny Lewis. Information: sheandhim.com.

Robert Kinsler

Sarah McLachlan celebrates the holidays with multiple TV appearances

More holiday cheer is on the way via several high-profile appearances from Sarah McLachlan...

 Sarah McLACHLAN SET TO PERFORM ON NBC'S WORLD FAMOUS

MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE ON NOV. 24 AND

 NBC'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER SPECIAL ON NOV. 30

 

McLACHLAN WILL ALSO PERFORM ON ABC'S CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

SPECIAL ON NOV. 28 AND LIVE WITH KELLY ON DEC. 8

 

McLACHLAN's NEW HOLIDAY ALBUM 'WONDERLAND' OUT NOW

Multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Sarah McLachlan is getting ready to make the season bright with multiple TV appearances in celebration of her new holiday album Wonderland. McLachlan will perform on NBC's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 24 as well as NBC's annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center special which airs on November 30. McLachlan will also perform on ABC's CMA Country Christmas Special on November 28 and Live with Kelly! on December 8. McLachlan's new holiday album Wonderland is available now and sparkles with fresh, inspired interpretations of 13 traditional and contemporary holiday classics. 

 

McLachlan's Wonderland is a new holiday classic. Recorded last winter in Montreal and Vancouver with her longtime producer Pierre Marchand, Wonderland radiates the joy and magic of the holiday season with McLachlan's warm and vibrant soprano, a voice Rolling Stone praised for its "astonishing strength and clarity." 

 

The album features classics such as "Silver Bells" reimagined into a shimmering, orchestrated picturesque tale as well as "Angels We Have Heard On High," a percussive hymn of adoration and Randy Newman's forlorn "Snow" from the 1960s. Emmylou Harris contributes vocals on "Go Tell It On The Mountain," also featuring Martha Wainwright, and "Away In A Manager," a new holiday song reinvented as a country shuffle.

 

Members of Canadian quartet, Half Moon Run, play on five tracks and helped McLachlan flesh out some of the arrangements, including "Huron Carol," Canada's oldest Christmas song. "They're all in their mid-to-late 20s. They're incredible musicians," McLachlan says.  Rounding out the guests is the world famous Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra, who perform on four songs, including "Let It Snow," "Silver Bells," "Huron Carol," and "O Come All Ye Faithfull." McLachlan enlisted orchestral arranger Brian Byrne to handle the particulars. "We had decided early on that it would be great to have string arrangements," McLachlan says. "We left some space for that and sent the arrangements to him and said 'Work your magic.' He did."

 

McLachlan is a revered singer/songwriter who has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. An ardent philanthropist, she is also the founder of the Lilith Fair tour, which was an unprecedented platform for female musicians and raised over $7 million dollars for various local and national charities. In 2002, she founded her non-profit organization the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. The School provides top quality music instruction at no cost, in a safe and nurturing environment, for at-risk and underserved children and youth who otherwise would have no access to music programming.

Sights & Sounds: Watch Sarah McLachlan's performance with The Roots on 'The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon'

Watch Sarah McLachlan's performance with The Roots on 

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

New album SHINE ON out now

Los Angeles, CA - May 8, 2014 - Multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning artist Sarah McLachlan performed her new single "In Your Shoes" last night with The Roots on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. The song is the first single off McLachlan's new album SHINE ON, which is out now on Verve Records. Click HERE to watch.

The album has earned critical praise since its release on Tuesday. Here's what critics are saying about SHINE ON:

"Her songs materialize in grand resonant spaces, with pealing guitars, piano chords haloed in reverb and drums that boom without aggression. Her voice whispers breathily, swells right up to the verge of tearfulness and then gracefully backs away, ever sympathetic and ever poised."

-The New York Times

"Still sounding like an angel"

-People Magazine

"Sarah McLachlan has created an album that's deeply personal-and more directly autobiographical than anything she's done till now."

-Parade Magazine

"[Shine On] conveys personal and artistic growth."

-USA Today

"One hears her familiar voice accompanied by stark guitar riffs that give songs such as "Flesh and Blood," "Love Beside Me" and the album's first single, "In Your Shoes," a stripped-down, almost-live feel."

-The Wall Street Journal

The Shine On Tour 2014 kicks off June 20^th in Seattle, WA. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at SarahMcLachlan.com.

Sarah McLachlan SHINE ON Tour 2014 Dates:

06/20 - Seattle, WA @ Chateau St. Michelle

06/21 - Seattle, WA @ Chateau St. Michelle

06/22 - Portland, OR @ Edgefield

06/24 - Lake Tahoe, NV @ Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey's

06/25 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl

06/27 - Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre

06/28 - Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre

06/29 - San Diego, CA @ Humphreys

07/01 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden

07/02 - Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre

07/03 - Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Amphitheatre

07/05 - Chicago, IL @ Ravinia

07/06 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre

07/08 - Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre

07/09 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre

07/11 - Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion

07/12 - Detroit, MI @ Meadowbrook Music Festival

07/13 - Toledo, OH @ Zoo Amphitheatre

07/14 - Lewiston, NY @ Artpark

07/16 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga PAC

07/18 - Bangor, ME @ Waterfront Pavilion

07/19 - Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion

07/20 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena

07/22 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

07/23 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

07/24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center

07/26 - Vienna, VA @ The Filene Center | Wolf Trap

07/27 - Charlottesville, VA @ nTelos Wireless Pavilion

07/29 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium

07/30 - Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre

08/01 - New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre

08/02 - Austin, TX @ ACL Live | The Moody Theatre

08/03 - Dallas, TX @ AT&T Performing Arts Center  

 For more information on Sarah McLachlan, visit SarahMcLachlan.com 

NAMM 2013: Squeezing in Yamaha's 125th Anniversary Celebration, Take 6, bumping into Matthew Sweet and more!

Newcomer Isaac Moore at the NAMM Show in Anaheim. Photo: Bob Steshetz, for the Register

Even as late as the eve of this year’s NAMM Show, it appeared as if the only can’t-miss event would be Yamaha’s 125th anniversary concert with Elton John, Sarah McLachlan, Michael McDonald and more on Friday night (January 25, 2013). But once more musicians started gathering in and around the Anaheim Convention Center it was clear that this year was going to be another banner batch of performances from top names in pop, rock, jazz and Americana.

Only a few hours after wrapping up Thursday with an impressive Tower of Power concert, it was time to arrive early on Friday to see what the day had in store. The first great set of the morning came via the Tora Bora Boys, mostly comprising musicians who are with San Francisco’s Saga Music. The band’s 25-minute set of rousing bluegrass was enhanced by 11-year-old guest singer and guitarist Isaac Moore.

Saga president Richard Keldsen led the band through several classics, notably the upbeat “Shady Grove” (with Paul Shelasky tearing it up on fiddle) and even faster “Salty Dog” (kicked off by banjo virtuoso Rick Shubb, of Shubb Capos). When Moore was brought up front (he had been playing guitar throughout the set) to sing on the sixth cut, “I Just Think I’ll Go Away,” he instantly impressed with emotive vocals revealing a depth beyond his years, then sealed the deal with a strong lead solo on his Blueridge acoustic guitar.

After that, I dashed to the Hilton Acoustic Stage for O.C.’s own Fallen Stars, an Americana outfit led by husband-and-wife duo Bobbo and Tracy Barnes. They attracted a capacity crowd to hear sterling originals like melodic “Massachusetts” (with harmonies evoking the magic of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris), ambitious rocker “Dam” and country-flavored “Part Time Cowboy,” as well as a loose but winning take on AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” to cap their 35-minute showcase.

Later, waiting for award-winning a cappella ensemble Take 6 to appear at the Shure booth, it dawned on me that all six members might not fit onto its relatively small stage. Instead, it was as if the large crowd were watching them in a small rehearsal space, which created palpable energy as the group performed its unique blend of jazz, gospel and R&B in astounding arrangements. The nonstop 15-minute turn included a powerful cover of “Stand by Me” that showcased Joey Kibble’s lead vocals and their own harmony-filled “Spread Love.”

Of course, the highlight of the weekend was my opportunity to attend the Yamaha concert featuring a big cast of legends on Friday night. Over the course of almost four hours, everyone from openers Earth, Wind & Fire to Sir Elton performed brief sets. While it was great to see John's energetic five-song set that completed the night, my favorite sets were actually from McLachlan, the aforementioned EW&F, newcomer Leogun's rocking (as in "hard rocking") blistering two songs and a lengthy jazz piece featuring Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin and some of their pals. You can read Ben Wener's full-length review of the show here on the Orange County Register site.

Saturday is always the busiest day at NAMM, with tens of thousands of conventioneers crowding into the main hall as well as the adjacent Hilton and Marriott hotels, which also host performances.

It was just after 8 a.m. when Ian Ethan Case took the stage to kick off a long day of music-making. Inside the Hilton’s Pacific Ballroom he served up a 20-minute set of his compositions, delivered on both acoustic double-neck guitar and kalimba (a small African percussion instrument often called a thumb piano).

Spotlighting material from his new album The Narrow Way, he admitted to having “this thing for weird instruments” before performing “The Ridge” entirely on kalimba. Plucking at the tiny metal tines and utilizing small holes on the instrument to further ornament the sound with rich vibrato, he concocted rich, involving soundscapes out of an instrument many western audiences view as alien. His finished on guitar, however, for “North by Northeast,” blending harmonics and hammering on the neck with top-flight fretwork.

Deering is one of the industry’s most celebrated banjo manufacturers and the San Diego company always attracts aces to perform at its booth. Mark Johnson (the father of “clawgrass” banjo) and Emory Lester (mandolin) were slated to perform as a duo but were quickly joined by several high-profile friends, including Uwe Kruger (guitar) and Joel Landsberg (bass) of the Kruger Brothers. Jamming in such a casual setting allowed fans to get up close with these picking heroes.

Caught up with singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet, who had stopped by Fano Guitars’ booth to check out the new GF6 guitar and GF4 bass models. He was so impressed, according to company head Dennis Fano, that he ordered one of each and now owns about a dozen Fano instruments. While checking out the various wares, chatting with fans and signing autographs, Sweet did a little jam with his lead guitarist Dennis Taylor, but they opted out of playing a structured set — the hall was simply too loud to get it right.

Among the many celebrated players I ran into on Saturday but missed seeing perform were guitarist Craig Chaquico, lead guitarist of Jefferson Starship, Vicki Peterson of the Bangles and Mike Collins, drummer of Throwback Suburbia. Also spotted but not there to perform were Walter Clevenger and members of his great local band the Dairy Kings, John Borack (of the Popdudes) and singer-songwriter James Grey.

New 'Music Worth Buying' episode, Bon Iver, Heart, Stripes and Lines, Kut U Up

This post is a collection of various (and noteworthy) news and notes, as well as an invitation to watch the latest episode of Music Worth Buying...

This week TJR immerses into dark psychedelic rock world of the Black Angels latest album Phosphene Dream. Meanwhile I celebrate Joan Osborne's latest album of soul music titled Bring it on Home. - Check it out and give us your feedback"

Bon Iver Announces New U.S. Tour Dates

Last week Bon Iver released a new iTunes Session (click HERE to stream its version of "Beth/Rest") and picked up the award for Independent Album of the Year at the inaugural Libera Awards curated by the American Association of Indepedent Music. Bon Iver's label has announced new dates along the Eastern United States, including two additional dates in New York at Radio City Music Hall. Anais Mitchell will open for most of these dates. Much has been said of Bon Iver's transformation into a nine-person live band. The Miami New Times in a recent live review, captures the essence of this magic particularly well: "Often, live music is an attempt to approximate something captured in a studio. As exceptional as Bon Iver's recordings are, Bon Iver in concert is an entirely different creature. By turns defiant and pliant, pained and triumphant, with Bon Iver, the songs are not merely live but living." Check out the full list of tour dates at the band's Web site here.

2010 Proves banner year for Heart with new studio album and hardcover memoir arriving this fall

With Heart's Fanatic, a new studio album, and Kicking and Dreaming, an insiders' memoir, arriving this fall, 2012 is shaping up as a banner year for the iconic American band who--beginning with hits like "Crazy on You," "Magic Man," and "Barracuda" in the mid-1970s running through 2010's Red Velvet Car--have created an enduring catalog of bona fide stadium rock classics and power ballads while establishing a lasting template for women in rock.

* * * * *

Fanatic, Heart's 14th studio album, arrives Tuesday, October 2.  The group's second full-length studio album for Legacy, Fanatic premieres 10 new essential performances from sisters Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson on songs including "Fanatic," "Dear Old America," "Walkin' Good" (featuring Sarah McLachlan), "Skin and Bones," "Million Miles," "Pennsylvania," "Mashallah," "Rock Deep (Vancouver)," "59 Crunch," and "Corduroy Road." NOTE; YOU CAN READ MY REVIEW OF HEART'S EXCELLENT CONCERT IN ANAHEIM IN FEBRUARY 2012 HERE. SPECIAL THANK YOU TO KELLY A. SWIFT FOR THE USE OF HER IMAGE FROM THAT SHOW.

The first album of new music from Ann and Nancy Wilson since 2010's Red Velvet Car had its Top 10 debut in 2010, Fanatic was recorded in hotel rooms and studios up and down the West Coast, with Grammy-winning producer Ben Mink back at the helm with the Wilson sisters drawing from their own lives and personal experiences as inspiration for their music.  "Dear Old America" comes from memories of a military household and is written from the point of view of their father, a Marine Corps officer, returning from war ("When I get home, I'm going to own this town/Shine this medal/Wear that crown…."); "Rock Deep (Vancouver)" harkens back to the city where Dreamboat Annie was written; and "Walkin' Good" (a duet with Vancouver resident Sarah McLachlan) captures the joy of finding new life in a new love.

The title song is a celebration of the Wilson's life spirit: Ann and Nancy are fanatics about love, art, truth, and the belief that they can do anything together they set their minds to.  

"What a crazy year we are having," said Ann Wilson.  "Our box set, Strange Euphoria, and our book, Kicking and Dreaming, each tell the story of our lives so far, personally and musically. Our new album, Fanatic, tells our story as it is now and brings it all up-to-the-minute. What a thrill to have worked with both Charles Cross and Ben Mink respectively on these, and of course to touch the musical magic Nancy and I have always shared together. Anybody want to RAWK??"

Released in 2010, Fanatic's predecessor, Red Velvet Car (the first new studio album in six years from the groundbreaking Seattle-based band) entered the Billboard 200 best-selling album charts at #10, becoming the seventh Top 10 album of Heart's career.  Heart's critically-acclaimed first album for Legacy Recordings marked the return of Heart to the Sony Music Entertainment family, reaching #1 in sales on Amazon.com on Sunday, September 5.

On June 5, Epic Records/Legacy Recordings released Strange Euphoria, the first definitive career-spanning, multi-label boxed set retrospective chronicling the seminal American rock band Heart, personally curated by Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson.

And, finally, if you are in San Diego this weekend, the poster reproduced here pretty much provides you with the details about a special concert on Saturday, June 30th...