Eagle Rock Entertainment to release John Mellencamp's 'Plain Spoken: From the Chicago Theatre' on DVD+CD, BLU-RAY+CD and digital formats on May 11, 2018
VIEW “SMALL TOWN” HERE
Pre-order Available For DVD+CD and Blu-ray+CD
“…The star's singing voice and speaking voice become an engaging duet, revealing the deeper meanings and motivations behind a great singer-songwriter's work.”
-The Los Angeles Times
“(Mellencamp) leads a stellar band through the hallmarks of his own career, while a voice speaks of the passion, excitement, triumph, and trouble of youth creates a contrast that is thrilling." - No Depression
Pre-order Available For DVD+CD and Blu-ray+CD
“…The star's singing voice and speaking voice become an engaging duet, revealing the deeper meanings and motivations behind a great singer-songwriter's work.”
-The Los Angeles Times
“(Mellencamp) leads a stellar band through the hallmarks of his own career, while a voice speaks of the passion, excitement, triumph, and trouble of youth creates a contrast that is thrilling." - No Depression
New York, NY—Songwriter. Storyteller. Musician. Actor. Artist. Social Activist… These are just some words that come to mind when the name John Mellencamp is spoken. On May 11, fans will have the ability to get a deeper look at this artist when Eagle Rock Entertainment proudly presents Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, and digital formats.
“Try to keep it as plain spoken as possible…” those are some of the first words the viewer hears in Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre. A self-narrated musical journey, the film encapsulates the sound and soul of John Mellencamp. Stepping outside the boundaries of a concert film or documentary, Plain Spokenblends highly personal voice-overs from Mellencamp with live footage of him performing with his full band at the historic Chicago Theatre, just 250 miles from his native Indiana. He tells us the story of his Midwestern upbringing, the trials, turns and triumphs of his career, and his overall outlook on life while the music plays, supporting his stories. The result is the essence of John Mellencamp, delivered fully on-screen.
In addition to the full film with Mellencamp’s commentary, this audio visual release offers a “non-commentary” option (available in the Main Menu) in which viewers can watch the concert on its own. The audio visual set is completed with a component CD of concert audio. The set, which includes special guest Carlene Carter, showcases Mellencamp performing his most cherished songs. “Small Town,” “Minutes To Memories,” “Pop Singer,” “Cherry Bomb,” “Longest Days,” “Authority Song,” and “Pink Houses” are just some of the gems cherry-picked from his brilliant catalogue, as well as including songs from his most recent album Sad Clowns And Hillbillies.
With a career spanning more than 35 years, John Mellencamp has elevated his legacy from pop star to one of the most highly-respected songwriters of a generation. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, “The Souls of the People” John Steinbeck Award, and will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 14, 2018, among many other prestigious honors. He has achieved a total of 22 Top 40 hits in addition to earning the record for the “Most #1 tracks by a solo artist on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks” chart.
Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre serves as a stunning cinematic experience that offers a welcoming, intimate glimpse into the words and wisdom of John Mellencamp.
TRACK LISTING:
John Mellencamp’s career in music, spanning more than 35 years, has seen him transition from pop star to one of the most highly respected singer/songwriters of a generation. Mellencamp is incredibly acclaimed; a recent nominee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he is also member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He is also one of the most successful live concert performers in the world. The social activism reflected in his songs helped catalyze Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years. John Mellencamp’s latest album, Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, featuring Carlene Carter, is his 23rd over the course of a remarkable career and was released on April 28, 2017. Sad Clowns & Hillbilliesreturns Mellencamp to the musical eclecticism that is, itself, a reflection of his wide-ranging musings on life and showcases a poet who has wisely used the years between youth and the present day to become an absolute master of songwriting and interpretation. That passion and experience resonates most beautifully in this showcase of his music. John also wrote the title song for the upcoming film, The Yellow Birds.
John continues to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. His style has progressed over the years as evidenced by several gallery shows and published portfolios, and in recent years he has increased his output by completing over 100 new works. His pieces were shown in 2012 at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville under the under the title “Nothing Like I Planned: The Art Of John Mellencamp” and, more recently at the Butler Institute of American Art in an exhibition entitled “The Paintings Of John Mellencamp.” “The Paintings of John Mellencamp” traveled to the Museum of Art-DeLand, Florida and John’s art was showcased at the ACA Gallery in New York. The unique instrumentation of his band and his poignant songs about everyday life in the American heartland, are widely credited with being the forbearer of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music. An extraordinary collaboration performed by an ensemble cast of 15 actors and a four-piece live band, comprised of members of John Mellencamp’s band is The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a musical with music and lyrics by John Mellencamp, a libretto by author Stephen King and production by T Bone Burnett. The show is being further developed in London, though King and Mellencamp are no longer as actively involved. Mellencamp continues his journey as the walking embodiment of heartland rock; passionate, plain-spoken, and a self-proclaimed rebel.
“Try to keep it as plain spoken as possible…” those are some of the first words the viewer hears in Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre. A self-narrated musical journey, the film encapsulates the sound and soul of John Mellencamp. Stepping outside the boundaries of a concert film or documentary, Plain Spokenblends highly personal voice-overs from Mellencamp with live footage of him performing with his full band at the historic Chicago Theatre, just 250 miles from his native Indiana. He tells us the story of his Midwestern upbringing, the trials, turns and triumphs of his career, and his overall outlook on life while the music plays, supporting his stories. The result is the essence of John Mellencamp, delivered fully on-screen.
In addition to the full film with Mellencamp’s commentary, this audio visual release offers a “non-commentary” option (available in the Main Menu) in which viewers can watch the concert on its own. The audio visual set is completed with a component CD of concert audio. The set, which includes special guest Carlene Carter, showcases Mellencamp performing his most cherished songs. “Small Town,” “Minutes To Memories,” “Pop Singer,” “Cherry Bomb,” “Longest Days,” “Authority Song,” and “Pink Houses” are just some of the gems cherry-picked from his brilliant catalogue, as well as including songs from his most recent album Sad Clowns And Hillbillies.
With a career spanning more than 35 years, John Mellencamp has elevated his legacy from pop star to one of the most highly-respected songwriters of a generation. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, “The Souls of the People” John Steinbeck Award, and will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 14, 2018, among many other prestigious honors. He has achieved a total of 22 Top 40 hits in addition to earning the record for the “Most #1 tracks by a solo artist on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks” chart.
Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre serves as a stunning cinematic experience that offers a welcoming, intimate glimpse into the words and wisdom of John Mellencamp.
TRACK LISTING:
- Lawless Times
- Troubled Man
- Minutes To Memories
- Small Town
- Stones In My Passway
- Pop Singer
- Check It Out
- Longest Days
- The Full Catastrophe
- My Soul's Got Wings
- Overture
- Rain On The Scarecrow
- Paper In Fire
- Authority Song
- Pink Houses
- Cherry Bomb
John Mellencamp’s career in music, spanning more than 35 years, has seen him transition from pop star to one of the most highly respected singer/songwriters of a generation. Mellencamp is incredibly acclaimed; a recent nominee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he is also member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He is also one of the most successful live concert performers in the world. The social activism reflected in his songs helped catalyze Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years. John Mellencamp’s latest album, Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, featuring Carlene Carter, is his 23rd over the course of a remarkable career and was released on April 28, 2017. Sad Clowns & Hillbilliesreturns Mellencamp to the musical eclecticism that is, itself, a reflection of his wide-ranging musings on life and showcases a poet who has wisely used the years between youth and the present day to become an absolute master of songwriting and interpretation. That passion and experience resonates most beautifully in this showcase of his music. John also wrote the title song for the upcoming film, The Yellow Birds.
John continues to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. His style has progressed over the years as evidenced by several gallery shows and published portfolios, and in recent years he has increased his output by completing over 100 new works. His pieces were shown in 2012 at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville under the under the title “Nothing Like I Planned: The Art Of John Mellencamp” and, more recently at the Butler Institute of American Art in an exhibition entitled “The Paintings Of John Mellencamp.” “The Paintings of John Mellencamp” traveled to the Museum of Art-DeLand, Florida and John’s art was showcased at the ACA Gallery in New York. The unique instrumentation of his band and his poignant songs about everyday life in the American heartland, are widely credited with being the forbearer of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music. An extraordinary collaboration performed by an ensemble cast of 15 actors and a four-piece live band, comprised of members of John Mellencamp’s band is The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a musical with music and lyrics by John Mellencamp, a libretto by author Stephen King and production by T Bone Burnett. The show is being further developed in London, though King and Mellencamp are no longer as actively involved. Mellencamp continues his journey as the walking embodiment of heartland rock; passionate, plain-spoken, and a self-proclaimed rebel.
Jim James unveils 'Uniform Distortion'
MY MORNING JACKET FRONTMAN ANNOUNCES THIRD SOLO ALBUM OUT JUNE 29 VIA ATO RECORDS
"JUST A FOOL" PREMIERES TODAY VIA NPR'S ALL SONGS CONSIDERED
PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW, INCLUDING LIMITED EDITION VINYL
Flipping through the pages of The Last Whole Earth Catalogue, a resource that was in 1971 basically the internet before the internet, Jim James stumbled upon a distorted photo of "The Illuminated Man' by Duane Michals. Immediately moved by the photo, he asked for permission to to use the image as the album cover of Uniform Distortion. The first request to Michals was rejected. In hopes of changing his mind, James wrote a letter to Michals personally and was ultimately allowed to use the image. The letter, which sheds some light on the album and James current state of mind, reads in full below:
"hello duane- your piece "the illuminated man" was used in "the last whole earth catalogue" in 1971. i wasnt even born yet. i was born in 1978...but i found my copy of "the last whole earth catalogue" about 6 months ago in a thrift store and it blew my mind. i have been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the speed of technology and its place in our lives and here was this beautiful book/catalogue from the past showing me me all these beautiful things and amazing images to help one learn different ways to look at the world... or "get off the grid?" funny they had no idea back then just how crazy "the grid" would get. or did they?
so i am trying to put down my phone... use the computer and social media less... and just focus on real life and the people i love and my art. of course i am not fully "off the grid" because i am sending you this email in hopes of you changing your mind about letting me use your image as it appeared in "the last whole earth catalogue" in 1971 because when i saw it on the page there it spoke to me so deeply of how my head feels like it is exploding with the amount of information we are forced to consume on a daily basis and how that information is so DISTORTED there is almost no longer any tangible truth. the name of my new record is "UNIFORM DISTORTION" because i feel like there is this blanket distortion on society/media and the way we gather our "news" and important information...and more and more of us are feeling lost and looking for new ways out of this distortion and back to the truth...and finding hope in places like the desert where i write this email to you now...finding hope in the land and in the water and in old books offering new ideas and most importantly in each other and love.
i feel like there was a reason i found "the last whole earth catalogue" and there was a reason your art spoke to me... and i really think it would speak to others who would see it exploding out at them illuminating from the record store shelf or the glow of their phone or computer screen and feel its organic mind blowing distortion connect with this new music.
i also like the natural "distortion" that time and the pulp of the paper meeting the ink from "the last whole earth catalogue" add to your original image and that is why i am asking your permission to use this "distorted" version of your original beautiful image.
i hope you are well and thanks for listening-
jim james"
MAY
20 - Brooklyn, NY -David Lynch's Festival of Disruption at Brooklyn Steel
JUNE
21 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre Berkeley *
* solo acoustic w/Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters
# # #
JIMJAMES.COM I FACEBOOK I INSTAGRAM I TWITTER I YOUTUBE
# # #
JIM JAMES
UNIFORM DISTORTION
(ATO)
Release Date: June 29, 2018
Tracklisting:
Just A Fool
You Get To Rome
Out Of Time
Throwback
No Secrets
Yes To Everything
No Use Waiting
All In Your Head
Better Late Than Never
Over and Over
Too Good To Be True
THE MILK CARTON KIDS UNVEIL
'ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO'
GRAMMY® AWARD-NOMINATED AMERICANA FAVORITE
RETURNS WITH A FULL BAND FOR THEIR NEW LP
EXPANSIVE NEW COLLECTION REFLECTS ON DRAMATIC CHANGES INCLUDING
A BREAK UP, A CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND NATIONAL POLITICS
PRODUCED BY GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNER JOE HENRY
EPIC "ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD" PREMIERES TODAY VIA NPR
UPCOMING HEADLINE TOUR BEGINS JUNE
ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO
ARRIVES VIA ANTI- ON FRIDAY, JUNE 29
ANTI- is proud to announce the release of ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO, the anticipated new album from 2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated acoustic band The Milk Carton Kids. The LP is available for pre-order beginning today. ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO arrives everywhere on Friday, June 29.
The Milk Carton Kids' fourth studio album, ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO is heralded by today's NPR premiere of the project's unprecedented centerpiece, "One More For The Road." An epic 10 minute-plus musical excursion through folk, jazz and psychedelia, the landmark track serves as a remarkable signpost of what the album has in store. "One More For The Road" is available today for individual purchase and on all streaming services.
The Milk Carton Kids - a.k.a. singer-guitarists Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale - will celebrate ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO with a wide-ranging tour, including North American headlining dates beginning April 25 in Milwaukee. The schedule also includes a number of dates supporting John Prine as well as festival appearances at such summer gatherings as Pasadena, CA's Arroyo Seco Weekend (Saturday, June 23rd). For updates and ticket information, please visit www.themilkcartonkids.com.
THE MILK CARTON KIDS
2018 TOUR
APRIL
25 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater * -- SOLD OUT
27 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre *
28 - Champaign, IL - Virginia Theatre *
JUNE
22 - Tucson, AZ - Fox Tucson Theatre
23 - Pasadena, CA - Arroyo Seco Weekend
25 - Denver, CO - Denver Botanic Gardens
26 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Commonwealth Room
29 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
30 - Sacramento, CA - Crest Theatre
AUGUST
19 - Lyons, CO - Folks Festival
* Supporting John Prine
 |
The Milk Carton Kids / photo credit: Joshua Black Wilkins
|
The Milk Carton Kids underwent a number of dramatic changes in the time since their last recorded outing, 2015's acclaimed MONTEREY. Ryan is now the father of two children and works as a producer on Live From Here with Chris Thile. National politics have left him feeling disoriented and mournful. Pattengale's relationship of 7 years ended, he is now producing records in Nashville, and he survived cancer - breaking a long cigarette habit in the process. Perhaps as a result, ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO is the band's most profoundly personal thus far, the evocative full band sound providing a mournful, disorienting foil for lyrical themes of mortality, loss, heartbreak and national decline.
"We wanted to do something new," Pattengale says. "We had been going around the country yet another time to do the duo show, going to the places we'd been before. There arose some sort of need for change."
"Musically we knew we were going to make the record with a bigger sonic palette," says Ryan. "It was liberating to know we didn't have to be able to carry every song with just our two guitars."
Having spent much the last decade affirming themselves as among contemporary folk and Americana's finest songwriters, musicians, and live performers, The Milk Carton Kids ascend to even greater heights with ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO. The band's most expansive and experimentally minded collection to date, the LP was recorded last October in the Sun Room at House of Blues Studio in Nashville, TN with GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Joe Henry (Solomon Burke, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Carolina Chocolate Drops) and GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Ryan Freeland (Ray Lamontagne, Bonnie Raitt). The Milk Carton Kids once again opted to push the envelope of their distinctive sound, this time crafting their first-ever LP to feature backing by other musicians. ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO sees Ryan and Pattengale joined in the studio by a truly stellar lineup of top session players, including Russ Pahl (Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton) on pedal steel and other guitars, bassists Paul Kowert (Punch Brothers) and Dennis Crouch (Gregg Allman, Johnny Cash), Wilco's Pat Sansone on piano, mellotron, and Hammond organ, drummer Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Elton John, Willie Nelson), cellist Nathaniel Smith (Sarah Jarosz, Abigail Washburn), Levon Henry (Blake Mills, Nico Muhly) on clarinet and saxophone, Live From Here with Chris Thile favorite Brittany Haas on fiddle and mandolin as well as Lindsay Lou and Logan Ledger lending additional vocals .
Founded in 2011, The Milk Carton Kids swiftly emerged as a major force in the continuing American folk tradition, blending ethereal, oscillating harmonies and intricate, inventive musicianship with a uniquely powerful brand of contemporary songcraft. 2013's ANTI- debut, THE ASH & CLAY, proved their national breakthrough, earning The Milk Carton Kids their first GRAMMY® Award nomination, for "Best Folk Album." A second GRAMMY® nomination for "Best American Roots Performance" followed in 2015, honoring "The City of Our Lady," from The Milk Carton Kids' acclaimed third studio album, MONTEREY.
The Americana Music Association Award-winners for "Best Duo/Group," The Milk Carton Kids have spent much of the past decade on tour, as international headliners, worldwide festival favorites, and special guests to such like-minded artists as Old Crow Medicine Show, Punch Brothers, Sarah Jarosz, The Lumineers, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Josh Ritter, and The Avett Brothers. Ryan and Pattengale have also made numerous high profile media appearances, including TBS' Conan, CBS This Morning, and NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts.
In addition, The Milk Carton Kids have proven in-demand collaborators, including musical partnerships with Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Shovels & Rope, Chely Wright, Joe Henry, Dar Williams, and the great Chris Hillman, as well as teaming with T-Bone Burnett & Joel and Ethan Coen for the acclaimed concert documentary, Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of Inside Llewyn Davis. In 2016, the band joined forces with Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, and Robert Plant for the sold out Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees tour.
# # #
THE MILK CARTON KIDS
ALL THE THINGS THAT I DID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T DO
(ANTI-)
Release Date: June 29, 2018
Tracklisting:
Just Look At Us Now
Nothing Is Real
Younger Years
Mourning In America
You Break My Heart
Blindness
One More For The Road
Big Time
A Sea Of Roses
Unwinnable War
I've Been Loving You
All The Things That I Did And All The Things That I Didn't Do
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