Friday, September 27, 2019

Sights and Sounds: Grace Potter, The New Pornographers, Waylon Jennings & Merle Haggard

The 50th Anniversary deluxe reissue of The Beatles' Abbey Road is obviously grabbing lots of attention in the music universe today, but there are some other notable news items worthy of your attention too.


Make sure to check out Grace Potter's great new song "Release," just out today. The song is off her forthcoming album Daylight set for release next month...Robert Kinsler



New Grace Potter Track 'Release' Out Today 


Forthcoming album DAYLIGHT
due on October 25, 2019
 
TICKETS FOR POTTER'S 2020 NORTH AMERICAN 
TOUR ON-SALE TODAY

Grace Potter
Photo Credit : Pamela Neal
LOS ANGELES, CA - September 27th, 2019 - Grace Potter's stark and powerful new piano ballad "Release" is available today. The new song off her forthcoming album Daylight "can only be described as holy," says ESQUIRE in a recent interview with the acclaimed singer/songwriter. Daylight, Potter's first new album in four years, is due for release via Fantasy Records on October 25th, 2019. Tickets for Potter's recently announced North American headlining tour are on-sale starting today. The tour kicks off January 8th, 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina and will hit theatres in major cities nationwide. Full routing below. For ticket information, head thttps://www.gracepotter.com/.
 
An acclaimed songwriter and electrifying performer, Potter has been described by SPIN as "one of the greatest living voices in rock today." Over the course of her career, the Burlington, VT native has commanded stages around the world including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Rock in Rio and her own thriving music festival, Burlington's Grand Point North, which just celebrated its ninth year. 
 
The major touring throughout 2020 will support the release of DaylightProduced by her husband Eric Valentine, (Keith Urban, Gwen Stefani, Maroon 5) Daylight is a soul-inflected, deeply personal collection of songs that capture a particularly tumultuous period in her life - from the breakup of her band and a divorce - to more joyful events like a new marriage and the birth of her first child.
 
Grace wrote the album's 11 tracks with the help of renowned songwriter Mike Busbee (Pink, Maren Morris) who co-wrote the powerful first single "Love is Love," which PASTE asserted is "the kind of song that'll stop you dead in your tracks," "Everyday Love," and "Release." The gorgeous new track "Release" was written while Potter was in the process of moving out of her home. The song transmits a quiet sorrow but ultimately finds its resolution in a lyric supplied by Busbee ("I hope that someday/The sun will shine again/And you'll release me too").

Longtime collaborators Benny Yurco and Matt Musty contribute guitar and drums respectively with Benmont Tench and Larry Goldings on keys as well as Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig from Lucius providing background vocals.
 
In addition to "Love Is Love", Potter recently released another brand-new track from the album called "Back To Me," which ESQUIRE called in a feature length profile, "a triumphant soul-burner." Watch her mesmerizing 3-song acoustic performance for PASTE HERE.

Pre-order Daylight  HERE
Grace Potter - 2020 Tour Dates
January 08                  Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
January 09                  St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
January 10                  Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
January 11                  Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
January 12                  Key West, FL @ Sunset Green Lawn
January 15                  Jacksonville, FL @ Florida Theatre
January 16                  Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
January 17                  Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
January 18                  Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
January 19                  Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
January 22                  Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
January 23                  McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre
January 24                  Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
January 25                  Washington, DC @ Anthem
January 28                  New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
January 29                  Portland, ME @ State Theatre
January 30                  Albany, NY @ The Egg
January 31                  Boston, MA @ House of Blues
February 01                New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
February 04                Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue Theatre
February 05                Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
February 06                Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
February 07                Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
February 08                St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
February 09                Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place
February 12                Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
February 13                Oklahoma City, OK @ The Jones Assembly
February 14                Houston, TX @ House of Blues
February 15                Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater
February 18                Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
February 19                Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
February 20                St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
March 12                     Vancouver, BC Canada @ Commodore Ballroom
March 13                     Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
March 14                     Seattle, WA @ Showbox
March 15                     Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
March 18                     San Diego, CA @ Observatory NorthPark
March 19                     Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
March 20                     Stateline, NV @ MontBleu Resort Showroom
March 21                     Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
March 24                     Missoula, MT @ The Wilma
March 25                     Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
March 26                     Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
March 27                     Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
March 28                     Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom



The New Pornographers’
In The Morse Code of Brake Lights out today via Collected Works/Concord Records
 
BAND ADDS WEST COAST DATES TO U.S. TOUR

Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz
In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights, the highly anticipated new album from critically acclaimed group The New Pornographers, is out now via the band’s own Collected Work Records imprint in partnership with Concord Records.
In celebration of the album, the band is adding a number of dates to their U.S. tour, kicking off their west coast run January 30 at Seattle’s Neptune Theater. The band is also adding a second date in Washington, D.C. following their sold-out show at the 9:30 ClubSee below for a complete itinerary, tickets are available for purchase at thenewpornographers.com.
Most recently the band premiered the tracks “One Kind of Solomon” (Listen HERE), “The Surprise Knock” (listen HERE) and “Falling Down The Stairs Of Your Smile” (listen HERE and watch the Mitchell deQuilettes-directed video HERE). Upon the album’s announcement, Stereogum raved that the “power-pop all-star team are back in action” while hailing the “long-running power-pop army of melodically gifted mostly-Canadians.” SPIN praised “One Kind of Solomon” as “a chaotic arena-rock number, with heavy drums immediately reminiscent of bands like U2 and Arcade Fire. Soon enough, shimmering guitars and keyboards peak through a wall-of-sound mix mostly composed of multi-tracked drums and vocals.”
Album art and track list follow below, and the record is available for purchase HERE.
“I was about two-thirds of the way through the record when I began to notice that lyrically so much of it was pointing toward car songs,” notes Newman. “The opening track is ‘You’ll Need a Backseat Driver,’ and that was a metaphor that seemed to be running through other songs, too. Next to the love song, I feel like the car song is one of the most iconic kinds of songs in pop music, from Chuck Berry to the present. There was so much of that throughout it that I started thinking: ‘Oh, no, there’s too many references to cars on this record!’ And then I thought, ‘No, that's good—people might think it’s a concept album.’”
The New Pornographers have released seven studio albums to date including their most recent, Whiteout Conditions. The first album released on their own imprint, Collected Works Records, in partnership with Concord Records, the album received widespread acclaim and was hailed as “rich with new wave synths and closely blended harmonies” by Pitchfork, while Rolling Stone praised its “uplifting three to four minute indie-pop numbers, imbued with lush vocals.”

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS,
IN THE MORSE CODE OF BRAKE LIGHTS
1. You’ll Need A Backseat Driver
2. The Surprise Knock
3. Falling Down The Stairs Of Your Smile
4. Colossus Of Rhodes
5. Higher Beams
6. Dreamlike And On The Rush
7. You Won’t Need Those Where You’re Going
8. Need Some Giants
9. Opening Ceremony
10. One Kind Of Solomon
11. Leather On The Seat
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS LIVE
September 27
Madison, WI
Majestic Theatre
September 28
Urbana, IL
Pygmalion Music Festival
September 29
Columbia, MO
Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival
October 1
Minneapolis, MN
First Avenue
October 2
Chicago, IL
Vic Theatre
October 3
Detroit, MI
Majestic Theatre
October 5
San Francisco, CA
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
November 4
Boston, MA
Royale
November 5
Washington, DC
9:30 Club (SOLD OUT)
November 6
Washington, DC
Lincoln Theatre
November 7
Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Steel
November 8
Philadelphia, PA
Union Transfer
November 10
Saxaphaw, NC
Haw River Ballroom
November 11
Asheville, NC
The Orange Peel
November 12
Atlanta, GA
Buckhead Theatre
November 14
North Adams, MA
Mass MoCA
January 30
Seattle, WA
Neptune Theatre
January 31
Portland, OR
Roseland Theater
February 3
Los Angeles, CA
The Fonda Theatre
February 4
San Diego, CA
The Observatory North Park
February 5
Phoenix, AZ
The Crescent Ballroom
February 6
Santa Fe, NM
Meow Wolf
February 8
Dallas, TX
Canton Hall
February 9
Houston, TX
White Oak Music Hall
February 10
Austin, TX
Emo's
February 11
Oklahoma City, OK
Tower Theatre
February 12
Kansas City, MO
The Truman
February 13
Omaha, NE
Slowdown
February 15
Englewood, CO
Gothic Theatre
February 16
Salt Lake City, UT
The Depot



New West Records to release Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard performances as part of its 'Live From Austin, TX' series on November 15, 2019

Available on vinyl for the very first time 

New West Records will release two separate archival performances from Country music legends Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard as a part of its acclaimed Live From Austin, TX series on November 15th, 2019. Both live recordings were originally filmed for the legendary PBS television series Austin City Limits and will be issued on vinyl for the very first time.  The recordings have been remastered from original sources and feature liner notes from Austin City Limits producer Terry Lickona.  
 
Waylon Jennings Live From Austin, TX ‘84 documents his first ever appearance on the legendary program, recorded in August of 1984.  The 14-song set features seven Top 10 singles, including two #1 singles, “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” and “I Ain’t Living Long Like This.”  From his liner notes to Waylon Jennings’ Live From Austin, TX ‘84, Terry Lickona states, “Looking back, why did it take ten years to finally lure Waylon Jennings to the Austin City Limits stage for his first performance? Like everything else about the man, he did things his own way - when he was damn good and ready.”
 
Waylon Jennings Live From Austin, TX ‘84 will be released on 180g Standard Black Vinyl, 150g Blue Splatter Colored Vinyl Limited to 500 copies available at Independent Retail, and Limited 150g ‘“Outlaw Swirl” Colored Vinyl available exclusively from Vinyl Me Please.  Waylon Jennings Live From Austin, TX '84 is available for Pre-Order Now Via New West Records
 
Merle Haggard Live From Austin, TX ‘78 also documents his very first Austin City Limits performance, recorded in January of 1978.  The 14-song set features five #1 Country singles including “I’m A Lonesome Fugitive,” “Sing Me back Home,” “Cherokee Maiden,” “Farmer’s Daughter,” and “Workin’ Man’s Blues.”  It also features classic Bob Wills songs with Merle on fiddle. 
 
From his liner notes to Merle Haggard Live From Austin, TX ‘78, Lickona offers, “When he stepped onto the Austin City Limits stage for the very first time on that brisk January day in 1978, Merle Haggard was at the top of his game. It had been over a decade since his first national hit, ‘Sing A Sad Song,’ and not that long after ‘Okie from Muskogee’ had firmly planted his music in the public consciousness. He had already been declared ‘Entertainer of the Year’ by both the Country Music Awards and Academy of Country Music – in the same year (1970). He had just released A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (Or My Salute to Bob Wills), which sparked a revival of interest in western swing. And with his band, The Strangers, it’s no stretch to say that he had the best live show in country music of his day.”
 
Merle Haggard Live From Austin, TX ‘78 will be released on 180g Standard Black Vinyl, 150g Red Splatter Colored Vinyl Limited to 500 copies available at Independent Retail, and Limited 150g “Orange Blossom” Colored Vinyl available exclusively from Vinyl Me Please.  Merle Haggard Live From Austin, TX '78 is available for Pre-Order Now Via New West Records
 
The Austin City Limits archives hold more than 400 concerts, many of them one-of-a-kind performances of rare television appearances by some of the world’s most acclaimed artists. In Addition to DVDs, separate live, audio-only CDs are also available for many of the performances.  New West Records’ Live From Austin, TX series, presenting more than 50 critically acclaimed titles and multiple Gold and Platinum-certified releases, continues its impressive run. Previous releases include Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, R.E.M., Steve Earle, Guided By Voices, Widespread Panic, Dwight Yoakam, Fats Domino and many more. 
 
 
Waylon Jennings Live From Austin, TX ‘84 Track Listing 
 
1. Are You Ready For The Country
2. Clyde
3. I Can Get Off On You
4. People Up In Texas
5. It's Not Supposed To Be That Way
6. Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out Of Hand
7. You Asked Me To
8. Dreaming My Dreams With You
9. Good Hearted Woman
10. I May Be Used (But Baby I Ain't Used Up)
11. Let’s Turn Back The Years
12. Honky Tonk Heroes
13. I Ain't Living Long Like This
14. I've Always Been Crazy

 
Merle Haggard Live From Austin, TX ‘78 Track Listing 
 
1. Working Man Can’t Get Nowhere Today 
2. Silver Wings 
3. I’m A Lonesome Fugitive 
4. Sing Me Back Home 
5. Orange Blossom Special 
6. Old-Fashioned Love 
7. Brain Cloudy Blues 
8. Ramblin’ Fever 
9. Long Black Limousine 
10. Cherokee Maiden 
11. San Antonio Rose 
12. Misery 
13. The Farmers Daughter 
14. Workin’ Man Blues 
 

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