Pistol Annies releasing their first ever holiday album, "Hell of a Holiday," Oct. 22, 2021

Another major holiday music release announcement, and this one sure looking promising! Check out Pistol Annies' track "Snow Globe," an advance track from "Hell of a Holiday" coming in just three weeks...Robert Kinsler

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 1, 2021

IT’S A VERY ANNIE CHRISTMAS! 

PISTOL ANNIES RELEASING THEIR FIRST EVER HOLIDAY ALBUM, HELL OF A HOLIDAY, OCT. 22

FIRST RELEASE “SNOW GLOBE” AVAILABLE NOW

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country music trio Pistol Annies will deck the halls with new original holiday tunes as their first Christmas album, Hell of a Holiday, arrives Oct. 22. Listen to the first release, “Snow Globe,” here.

“We couldn’t be happier we got to make a Christmas Album. Once we finally surrendered and let the Christmas songwriting spirit take over, we were so inspired and felt that magic on every single one of these songs,” said the trio’s Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley. “We hope to be a part of so many people’s Christmas memories for years to come.”

Full of new yuletide treats, Hell of a Holiday includes 10 festive original tracks written by the Annies with their signature winking humor, while also honoring the spirit of the season. The title track conjures images of the hectic holiday whirlwind that arrives every Nov. 1, while “Snow Globe” dreams of a romantic winter wonderland. Elsewhere, a family of country-fried characters come to life, and there’s even a new ode to Santa himself.

The project also features their take on standards including “Sleigh Ride,” and Merle Haggard’s “If We Make it Through December,” plus a reimagined “Auld Lang Syne.” Photographer and artist Gina Binkley created the striking cover artwork. 

This marks the fourth studio album for the trio, following their Grammy-nominated 2018 project Interstate Gospel. They recently celebrated the 10^th anniversary of their Platinum-certified debut release “Hell on Heels,” the title track of their acclaimed first album. 

HELL OF A HOLIDAY 

1. Hell of a Holiday (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
2. Snow Globe (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
3. Harlan County Coal (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
4. Come On Christmas Time (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
5. If We Make it Through December (Merle Haggard)
6. Make You Blue (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
7. Leanin' on Jesus (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
8. The Only Thing I Wanted (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
9. Believing (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
10. Happy Birthday (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
11. Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson/Mitchell Parish)
12. Joy (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
13. Auld Lang Syne (Public Domain/Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley) 

ABOUT PISTOL ANNIES: A musical “force of nature” (Entertainment Weekly), Pistol Annies combines the talents of acclaimed country standouts Miranda Lambert (Lone Star Annie), Ashley Monroe (Hippie Annie) and Angaleena Presley (Holler Annie), delivering a high-spirited take on life the way real people live it. Each prolific songwriters and vocalists, the Annie collective allows the women the freedom to explore the genre beyond their individual careers celebrating friendship, the rough patches and girl power. Having recorded with both the Chieftains and Jewel, their music has also been featured on The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond. They have released three albums: 2011’s Gold-certified Hell on Heels, which produced the Platinum single “Hell On Heels”; 2013’s Annie Up; and 2018’s Grammy-nominated masterpiece Interstate Gospel. Their new Christmas album Hell of a Holiday arrives Oct. 22. 

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Eclectic Range of Releases Close Out 2018

Although 2018 is in the history books, there are several late-year releases worthy of attention. The latest releases from country music supergroup Pistol Annies and Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry, as well as important deluxe reissues from English rockers the Kinks and bluesman Henry Townsend are available now.

Artist: Pistol Annies
Title: Interstate Gospel (Sony Music Nashville)
You might like if you enjoy: Kacey Musgraves, Pistol Annies, Ashley Monroe
Tell me more: Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley have each carved out successful solo careers in country music so when they join forces as Pistol Annies expectations are high. On the celebrated trio's third full-length studio set Interstate Gospel there is an honesty and depth across the 14-track album that fully delivers on the talents of the three singer-songwriters. While never abandoning the greater sonic template associated with contemporary country music, Pistol Annies offer up original songs of empowerment and independence from a welcome feminine perspective. The freewheeling "Stop Drop and Roll One," lovely "Best Years of My Life," buoyant "Got My Name Changed Back," and introspective "When I Was His Wife" and "Cheyenne" leave their mark via undeniable song craft and telling lyrics. In addition to confessional tales of lust, regret and love gone mostly wrong, there are uptempo proclamations of faith ("Interstate Prelude," "Interstate Gospel") and a particularly affecting look at the challenges of life on the farm ("5 Acres of Turnips"). It doesn't hurt that Lambert, Monroe and Presley have voices that shine and soar with every stellar turn. Information: PistolAnnies.com.

Artist: The Kinks
Title: The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (Sanctuary Records)
You might like if you enjoy: The Kinks, Blur, the Zombies' "Odessey and Oracle"
Tell me more: The 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the Kinks' 1968 masterwork The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society is amazing. It features both stereo and mono mixes from the HD masters, bonus tracks and a previously-unreleased new single titled "Time Song." The two-disc audio CD version reviewed here also comes with a 20-page booklet and extensive liner notes. Lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies penned a slew of outstanding nostalgia-drenched songs exploring life and death, growing up and growing old, and wove those works together via a mix of musical styles that work perfectly. Indeed, pop-rock ("Starstruck"), psychedelia ("Wicket Annabella"), blues ("Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains"), chamber pop ("Big Sky," "Village Green"), and an intoxicating dose of British Music hall ("Sitting By The Riverside," "All Of My Friends Were There") are among the styles used by the Kinks on the wide-ranging title. Casual rock fans who only know the Kinks via the band's radio hits should consider delving into this wondrous title that was sadly overlooked at the time of its release in November 1968. Information: abkco.com.

Artist: Henry Townsend
Title: Mule (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Big Joe Williams, Pinetop Sparks, Sonny Boy Williamson
Tell me more: Armed with a potent baritone voice and keyboard and guitar skills to match, Henry Townsend's talents shine across the expanded reissue of his 1980 album Mule. The late bluesman was born in 1909 and his spirit and sound emerge as fresh and enthralling today as when the disc was recorded nearly 40 years ago. Townsend's recording career dated back to the early 1930s and Mule marked an effort to put Townsend front and center on a full-length recording. The album is worth discovering, with the artist artfully pounding away on keyboards and plucking on guitar across the disc. As detailed in the album liner notes, Townsend would improvise while recording; the result is the performance of tracks that are vibrant and fully unique. The Delta-flavored "Tears Come Rollin' Down," rollicking piano-anchored "It's A Hard Road To Travel," spot on "Talkin' Guitar Blues" and the joyful romp "The Other Night" (a bonus track) ring out with an immediacy and power that are as much a tribute to Townsend as American blues music itself. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.

Artist: Bryan Ferry and his Orchestra
Title: Bitter-Sweet (BMG)
You might like if you enjoy: Roxy Music, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, DeVotchKa
Tell me more: Bryan Ferry and his Orchestra are casting new light on the music of Roxy Music and some of Ferry's solo works via the aptly-titled Bitter-Sweet. Fans of the early 20th century British Music hall genre will be find that aplenty on "Bitter-Sweet." Ferry's work on the LP was inspired by his role with the Sky Atlantic/Netflix television series "Babylon Berlin" (a show set in the 1920s and based on the books authored by Volker Kutscher). The pensive "New Town," yearning "Bitter Sweet," gorgeous "Zamba" and ambitious instrumental "Limbo" are among this writer's favorites on the sweeping collection. Information: BryanFerry.com.


Robert Kinsler

Pistol Annies' new album 'Interstate Gospel' hailed as one of the best of 2018

With the end of 2018 clearly in sight, some clear favorites are appearing on many "Best Of" lists, including the latest album from the trio comprised of Miranda Lambert (Lone Star Annie), Ashley Monroe (Hippie Annie) and Angaleena Presley (Holler Annie)...

Pistol Annies' latest album, 'Interstate Gospel, is being hailed as one of the best of 2018

Featured on Year-End lists by Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Esquire, Stereogum, EW, Billboard and many more

 

NASHVILLE, TN - Country supertrio PISTOL ANNIES released their third album INTERSTATE GOSPEL last month via RCA Records Nashville. Since its first announcement early this fall, the album has garnered continuous critical acclaim and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. Listen now on all streaming platforms and purchase the album HERE.

 

Penned by the Pistol Annies, the 14-track album showcases the group’s stunning harmonies, such as the "classic country tearjerker" (Stereogum) "Masterpiece"; "sly take on gender roles" (Variety) "Sugar Daddy"; "saucy, high-spirited" (Rolling Stone) "Stop Drop and Roll One“; "more irreverent than earnest” (NPR) “Interstate Gospel”; and “confession of dead-end desperation" (New York Times) “Best Years of My Life.” Moving from celebratory anthems, classic country storytelling and vibey swagger, the Grammy-nominated trio are back and sounding Annie-er than ever.

 

The Pistol Annies' very first single to go to Country Radio is "Got My Name Changed Back." Fans should listen for it on their local radio stations. The fun-spirited music video for the single is out now. Watch it HERE.

Year-End Praise for Interstate Gospel:

Rolling Stone - 40 Best Country & Americana Albums of 2018
"This supergroup is a true group, part of why the songs on their third set cut so deep."

NPR Music - The 50 Best Albums of 2018
"After their long hiatus, they deserved to be received like a trio of heroines this year."

Esquire - 10 Best Country Albums of 2018
"...the best country record to release in 2018 and one of the finest collections of the decade. It's a celebration of the female experience, scars and all, and a phenomenal ode to the ties that bind us."

Entertainment Weekly - The 20 Best Albums of 2018
“Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley— singular talents alone, fiercely formidable together—are the girlfriends we all need right now. Brimming with rich harmonies, sass, and sorrow, this album feels like the Gospel truth.”

Billboard - Best Albums of 2018
“Lambert, Monroe and Presley have, in a two-year span, each released damn good albums on their own, but the camaraderie on their third full-length together makes a strong case for keeping the band together, till death do them part.”

Stereogum - The 10 Best Country Albums of 2018
“The Pistol Annies are a respite from the memoiristic songwriting Nashville so often demands of its female artists: the supergroup as a creative outlet for three storytellers who understand that there’s strength in numbers.”

Uproxx - The 20 Best Folk And Country Records of 2018
“On their third collection of songs together as a trio, Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe prove that country’s insistence on keeping women down is not based on any logical realities regarding talent or listeners.”

New York Magazine/Vulture - The 15 Best Albums of 2018
"Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley are all country powerhouses in their own right, and when they unite as the Pistol Annies, it’s like iron sharpening iron."

American Songwriter - Top 25 Albums of 2018
"Sweet, sister-like harmony, from badass galpals Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angeleena Presley, who share the Dixie Chicks’ lyrical honesty and playfulness."

The Ringer - The Best Albums of 2018
"Interstate Gospel is raucous and joyful even at its most scathing, with triumphant anthems about divorce (“Got My Name Changed Back”) and crushing ballads about the wonders of parenting. (“I picked a good day for a recreational Percocet,” begins an exhausted, unfathomably raw ode to motherhood called “Best Years of My Life.”)"

AV Club - Best Country Albums of 2018
“Talk about a welcome comeback: Pistol Annies’ refreshingly honest third album, Interstate Gospel, chronicles smart life changes and bad decisions alike, via a deft combination of winking wit and hard-fought wisdom.”

Taste of Country - 10 Best Country Albums of 2018
“It's the album fans wanted and the album Pistol Annies needed. A one-word review? Generous.”

About the PISTOL ANNIES: Combining the talents of acclaimed country forces of Miranda Lambert (Lone Star Annie), Ashley Monroe (Hippie Annie) and Angaleena Presley (Holler Annie), Pistol Annies deliver a high-spirited take on life the way real people live it. Songwriters/vocalists, the Annie collective allows the women the freedom to explore the genre (roots music) beyond their individual careers celebrating friendship, the rough patches and girl power. Having recorded with both the Chieftains and Jewel, their music has also been featured on The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond. They have released two albums, 2011’s Gold-certified Hell on Heels, which produced the Platinum single “Hell On Heels” and 2013’s Annie Up.
 

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