Sights and Sounds: Billie Eilish, Allen Ginsberg, the Avett Brothers

Here is a roundup of some of the most notable music-minded updates released today...

Billie Eilish to release personal photo-filled book titled "BILLIE EILISH" out worldwide on May 11, 2021
 
GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING (USA) AND WREN & ROOK (UK) TO PUBLISH SIMULTANEOUSLY

PRE-ORDER  BILLIE EILISH   Grand Central Publishing (GCP), a division of Hachette Book Group, and Wren & Rook (W&R), an imprint of Hachette UK, are excited to announce the release of BILLIE EILISH, a stunning photo-filled book curated by iconic recording artist, Billie Eilish.   BILLIE EILISH will be published in hardcover and e-book, with an audio companion on May 11, 2021 and is available for pre-order now: billieeilish.com/book    Billie Eilish is a 21st century global pop-phenomenon. Uncompromising and unapologetic, between her record-breaking, award-winning music and artistry, it's no surprise that she has become one of the biggest and most loved artists of her generation.  Now in her first book -- a stunning visual narrative journey through her life -- Billie is ready to share more with her devoted audience for the first time, including hundreds of never-before-seen photos. This gorgeous book will capture the essence of Billie inside and out, offering readers personal glimpses into her childhood, her life on tour, and more.  It will be a must-have for every fan.   Published simultaneously with the book, Hachette will release a standalone audiobook of exclusive, unique content in which Billie reflects on her life. Including never-before-told stories and recollections from her personal life and career, from the early years to her breakout success and including memories shared by her parents, this is an audiobook like no other – providing a truly intimate window into her journey, in Billie’s own words.   Of her first book, Billie Eilish said, “I spent many hours over many months pouring through my family albums and archives, handpicking all of the photos in this book. I hope you love it as much as I do.”   Gretchen Young said, “I am absolutely thrilled to be working on the first book by iconic singer and songwriter Billie Eilish.  Her unique combination of sophisticated artistic vision and tenacious creative energy shines through on every page, and the vibrant visual nature of how she has chosen to share herself and her truth captures perfectly the unassailable authenticity for which she is so beloved by her ever-growing legions of fans.”   Laura Horsley said: “We are beyond excited to be publishing Billie Eilish. Rebellious, smart, innovative, and authentic, Billie is a global phenomenon and an inspiration to so many. This much-anticipated book will give us a glimpse at the person beyond the icon. Fans around the globe will devour it.”   Hachette will publish English Language editions simultaneously around the globe.   Billie Eilish has become one of the biggest stars to emerge since the release of her debut single “Ocean Eyes” in 2015 and continues to shatter the ceiling of music with her genre-defying sound. Fast forward from her humble breakout to 2019 when Billie’s album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S as well as 17 additional countries and was the most streamed album of the year.  When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was written, produced and recorded entirely by Billie Eilish and brother Finneas in their childhood home in Los Angeles.  Billie Eilish went on to make history as the youngest artist to receive nominations and win in all the major categories at the 62nd Grammy Awards receiving an award for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album.  Billie Eilish is also the youngest artist to write and record an official James Bond theme song, “No Time To Die.” You can pre-order the book at Barnes & Noble HERE.     About Grand Central Publishing: Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, reaches a diverse audience through hardcover, trade paperback and mass market books and e-books that cater to every kind of reader. Our imprints are GCP Balance, Twelve, Forever and Forever Yours.   About Hachette Book Group: Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre (a Lagardère company), the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. HBG is made up of seven publishing groups: Little, Brown and Company; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Grand Central Publishing; Perseus Books; Orbit; Hachette Nashville; and Hachette Audio.   About Hachette UK: Hachette UK is a leading UK publishing group based in London and is the second-largest British publishing group. Our publishers Headline, Hodder & Stoughton, John Murray Press, Quercus, Bookouture, Little, Brown and Orion publish award-winning fiction and non-fiction; Hachette Children’s Group publishes a wide and vibrant range of books for children across many age ranges. Octopus publishes a distinctive array of illustrated books, and Hodder Education is a market leader in resources for schools. Wren & Rook is an imprint of Hachette Children’s Group.

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'Allen Ginsberg at Reed College — The First Recorded Reading of Howl and Other Poems' to be released on Omnivore Recordings on April 2, 2021 on CD, digital and LP

From the liner notes: "One of the most important documents in the history of American literature in the second half of the 20th century." — Dr. Pancho Savery, Reed College

PORTLAND, Ore. — Allen Ginsberg’s first public reading of his epic poem “Howl” took place at San Francisco’s famous Six Gallery in October of 1955. Along with Ginsberg, the evening included readings by Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Philip Lamantia, and Michael McClure. Poet and anthologist Kenneth Rexroth was the emcee, and Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Neal Cassady were in attendance. Unfortunately for literary history, no one recorded the Six Gallery reading, and it was long-thought that the first recording of “Howl” was from a reading at Berkeley in March 1956. Before visiting Berkeley, however, Ginsberg had traveled to Reed College in Portland, Oregon, with Gary Snyder to give a series of readings. Snyder and Philip Whalen had been students at Reed and had studied under the legendary calligrapher Lloyd Reynolds. Other attendees of Reed have included Steve Jobs, James Beard, Barry Hansen (Dr. Demento), Barbara Ehrenreich, Ry Cooder, Mary Barnard, Lee Blessing, Del Hymes, Arlene Blum, Eric Overmyer, and Max Gordon (founder of the Village Vanguard jazz club in NYC).   On February 13 and 14, 1956, Snyder and Ginsberg read at Reed, with the Valentine’s Day performance recorded then forgotten about until author John Suiter, researching Snyder at Reed’s Hauser Memorial Library, found the tape in a box in 2007. Suiter immediately recognized the significance of the recording. Its discovery made headlines after it was verified in 2008, but the recording itself was never made widely accessible until Reed named its 16th president, Dr. Audrey Bilger in 2019; it happens that Bilger’s wife, Cheryl Pawelski, is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and co-founder of Omnivore Recordings who has long been interested in Ginsberg’s writing and performances.   In collaboration with the Ginsberg Estate, Omnivore Recordings had previously released two Ginsberg projects, The Complete Songs of Innocence and Experience (2017) and The Last Word on First Blues (2016). Excited by the prospect of making the historic recording of “Howl” available on Omnivore, Pawelski obtained permission from the Ginsberg Estate to release the recording and the original tape was sent to Grammy Award-winning engineer, Michael Graves, for transfer, restoration, and mastering.   The recording will be made available a little over 65 years from its original reading, April 2, 2021, on Allen Ginsberg at Reed College — The First Recorded Reading of Howl and Other Poems; formats include CD, Digital and LP, with a special Limited Edition color variant — “Reed Red” vinyl — available only from the Omnivore Recordings web store and the Reed College Bookstore (while supplies last). To reflect the distinctive culture of Reed College, Pawelski tapped Reed Professor of English and Humanities, Dr. Pancho Savery, to write the liner notes and Gregory MacNaughton of the Calligraphy Initiative in Honor of Lloyd J. Reynolds to create the cover in the style of what a poster for the event might have looked like hanging on the Reed campus in 1956. Savery’s notes trace the poem's history and inspiration and highlight differences in this early, work-in-progress version to the final published text. The liner notes are extraordinarily insightful and would be worth purchasing on their own.   Reading “Howl” out loud in front of an audience is an exhausting and emotional experience, so Ginsberg warmed up by reading several shorter poems first. The Reed recording includes these shorter selections and most of Part I of “Howl.” The restored recording is crystal clear; you can not only hear Ginsberg turning the pages, but taking breaths after each long line. The audience is pin-drop quiet except for a few places in the reading, for instance, one moment when someone in the audience says something that can’t be heard that elicits laughter, to which Ginsberg responds, “I don’t want to corrupt the youth.” Other lines generate laughter, but the audience is attentive and respectful, allowing for a present-day fly-on-the-wall listening experience. In testimony to how emotionally draining it was to read the poem two nights in a row, as Ginsberg launches into Part II, he stops after four lines saying, “I don’t really feel like reading any more, I haven’t got any kind of steam. So I’d like to cut, do you mind?” Thus ends the first known recording of “Howl” . . . and now begins its 21st century access for all to hear

Variety broke the story: http://bit.ly/2LNhdhy 

Watch the Allen Ginsberg trailer: https://youtu.be/kEqhNozN5Xk 

The Avett Brothers share live version of "I Go To My Heart" - new digital single out now PERFORMANCE ON THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON JANUARY 7th FOLLOWING STAR-STUDDED NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVESTREAM CONCERT

Three-time GRAMMY Award nominees The Avett Brothers have released a new live digital single, “I Go To My Heart” -- stream/download it HERE. To mark the release, the band gave a stunning performance of the track on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, filmed in their hometown of Charlotte, NC at the beautiful Belk Theater; watch it here.  The original studio version of “I Go To My Heart” is featured on the band’s latest acclaimed album, The Third Gleam, out now via American Recordings/ Loma Vista Recordings (purchase/ stream here). The centerpiece of The Third Gleam, “I Go To My Heart” represents the themes of love and redemption heard throughout the new record. The elegant and stripped-back song is at the heart of their latest effort, compelling the band to gift fans with this new live recording as a hopeful musical offering to kick off 2021.  The Avett Brothers ended 2020 on a high note. Their New Year’s Eve livestream concert, also filmed at North Carolina’s Belk Theater, featured a sonically arresting, full-band performance spanning the band’s extensive catalogue, with host Dax Shepard and an impressive lineup of guests including Willie Nelson, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, Mickey Raphael, Taylor Goldsmith, Ben Bridwell, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Nicole Atkins, Alela Diane, Jimmie Johnson, Jim Avett, David Childers, Paleface, Joseph The Spouse, Langhorne Slim, Clem Snide, Judd Apatow, Pete Holmes, Asleep at the Wheel, Loudon Wainwright III, G. Love and Mandolin Orange. The show was the band’s 17th annual New Year's Eve performance keeping their long-standing annual tradition alive, with a whopping estimated 150,000 fans watching virtually via various platforms. SiriusXM’s The Spectrum also featured an interview and exclusive performance with the band on December 31st in conjunction with highlights from the special, while outlets including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, USA Today, Billboard, Variety and more featured the event in their notable shows to stream on New Year’s Eve. The Third Gleam vinyl debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Vinyl Albums Chart and debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Top Current Album Chart, with “Victory" from the album peaking at #1 on the Americana radio single chart. Following the album release in August, the band stayed connected with fans playing two drive-in shows at The Charlotte Motor Speedway in the span of three months (August and October). They also released a moving new rendition of the Woody Guthrie classic, “This Land Is Your Land,” along with its striking music video directed by the Emmy-winning Samuel Bayer watch it here. Gracing the cover of Relix Magazine December issue, their latest music has been lauded by the likes of Paste, NPR, Esquire, American Songwriter, Rolling Stone Country and CMT.com among others.  Follow The Avett Brothers: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Breaking News: Beck, Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Gov't Mule and Umphrey's McGee to headline Mountain Jam in June 2016

2016 Mountain Jam Line Up Announced  Beck, Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Gov't Mule and Umphrey's McGee to Headline Diverse Lineup of Grammy Winners & Nominees, Festival Favs and Hot New Emerging Artists at Hunter Mountain, June 2-5, 2016  Early Bird Festival Tix On Sale Now

[HUNTER, NY] Mountain Jam returns to Hunter Mountain for its 12th turn as the leading rock and camping festival in the Northeast, with the announcement of the 2016 artist line up - including some of the best live performers, modern day songwriters and a slew of recent Grammy nominees and winners.  Headlining the increasingly musically diverse festival are Beck, Wilco, The Avett Brothers and Umphrey's McGee, who join perennial Mountain Jam co-headliner Gov't Mule.  This year's Festival also will feature a late night set by Thievery Corporation, as well as performances by Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, guitar slinger Gary Clark Jr., Mountain Jam favs Michael Franti & Spearhead (returning for their eleventh annual appearance), Chris Robinson Brotherhood, indie-rock sensation Courtney Barnett,Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lettuce (performing an evening and a late night set), Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, The New Mastersounds (playing late night on the indoor stage), reggae legends Third World, and many red-hot emerging artists who are gracing the Mountain Jam stage before they become household names - something that has become a tradition with up-and-coming performers at the Festival.  "Our 2016 artists literally have been burning up the airwaves, concert halls and music critics' Top 10 lists" says Festival founder Gary Chetkof, noting there are four 2016 Grammy-nominated performers on the Festival bill (Wilco, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and Courtney Barnett), each of them representing the best songwriters in rock today. "These artists are in essence the Bob Dylan's of their generation, emitting powerfully crafted songs that have been resonating with audiences all over the world," Chetkof added. "Beck is a musical genius who's had an amazing twenty-plus year career and who's had a creative resurgence with both his last album, Morning Phase (the 2015 Grammy Award's Album Of The Year) and his highly anticipated thirteenth studio album which features the catchy, upbeat hit Dreams. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats exploded onto the music scene last year with the uniquely catchy hit, "S.O.B." that was on everyone's playlist last year. The Avett Brothers - part of the Mountain Jam family and returning to the Festival for their fourth year - are releasing their ninth studio album this year and Umphrey's McGee are at the peak of their career. This is truly one of the most musically diverse and creative Mountain Jam Festivals to date and we couldn't be more excited."  The Festival begins with a roar on Thursday, with Umphrey's McGee headlining the first night of the Festival with 2 sets, along with upstate favorites Donna The Buffaloand others, giving concertgoers another reason to reserve their four-day passes now and get a jump start on early admission to the camping areas. With its spectacular mountaintop views of the Catskill Mountains, modern indoor facilities and an enormous and varied assortment of food and beverage options, as well as all-ages activities and programming, Mountain Jam truly encompasses the best of the summer outdoor festival season. Tickets go on sale today at 10AM ET for Festival passes (both three- and four-day) featuring either general admission or VIP camping or non-camping passes, with early bird discount pricing only available for a limited time. For 2016, three levels of VIP packages are available, including VIP, Super VIP and Ultimate VIP; additionally, the VIP Village has been moved closer to the stage for easier access and, as always. superior viewing and convenience. Gourmet food, premium viewing, tent-covered hospitality lounge, free merchandise and more are included in all VIP packages. A full menu of camping options also are available, with a new guaranteed on-site tent pass that ensures enough space for all campers, regardless of when they arrive at the Festival throughout the weekend. Slated for June 2-5 at the Hunter Mountain ski resort, the four-day Festival's line up includes the following artists, with a few more exciting artist additions to follow soon: Beck Wilco The Avett Brothers Gov't Mule Umphrey's McGee Thievery Corporation Brandi Carlile Jason Isbell Gary Clark Jr. Michael Franti & Spearhead Chris Robinson Brotherhood Courtney Barnett Nathaniel Ratliff & The Night Sweats Lettuce Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds The New Mastersounds Third World Turkuaz Donna the Buffalo Son Little The London Souls Cabinet The Ballroom Thieves with Maine Youth Rock Orchestra And The Kids Love Cannon Marcus King Band Con Brio Jane Lee Hooker Copious Jones Madaila The Suitcase Junket The Paul Green Rock Academy

ABOUT MOUNTAIN JAM Originally conceived in 2005 as a single-day celebration of Radio Woodstock's 25th anniversary, Mountain Jam has blossomed into a four-day, multi-stage event, featuring onsite camping, and one of the Northeast's most pristine natural amphitheaters. The Festival is now produced by Chet-5 Festivals and Townsquare Live Events, in collaboration with Radio Woodstock and Warren Haynes. Over the years, Mountain Jam has hosted some of the top names in live music, including Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, The Black Keys, The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & Ratdog, Widespread Panic, Gov't Mule, My Morning Jacket, Dispatch, The Lumineers, Steve Winwood, The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Ray LaMontagne, Ben Folds Five, Primus, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Roots, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem), Gary Clark, Jr., Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Mavis Staples, Girl Talk, The Hold Steady, Coheed & Cambria, Drive-By Truckers Yonder Mountain String Band, Les Claypool, Matisyahu, Dave Mason, Medeski Martin & Wood, Mike Gordon, G. Love & Special Sauce, Richie Havens, Martin Sexton, Ozomatli, Galactic, Brett Dennen, Gomez, New Orleans Social Club, Jackie Greene, Ingrid Michaelson, and The Felice Brothers, among many others. In 2010, the festival presented Levon Helm's 70th Birthday Jubilee with very special guests Warren Haynes, Donald Fagen, Ray LaMontagne, Sam Bush, Steve Earle, and others. http://www.mountainjam.com Mountain Jam is produced by Mountain Jam, LLC, which is owned by Townsquare Media Group and by Gary Chetkof's Chet-5 Festivals, LLC, in association with Radio Woodstock and Warren Haynes. ABOUT RADIO WOODSTOCK Radio Woodstock is a global multi-media company that includes the award-winning radio station, Radio Woodstock 100.1, Woodstock's hometown radio station, as well as internet radio stations, Radio Woodstock 69, and Radio Woodstock LIVE. All three are available online at RadioWoodstock.com. http://www.radiowoodstock.com ABOUT WARREN HAYNES Warren Haynes has been ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as the 23rd Greatest Guitarist of All Time and most recently among the few top "Guitar Gods." Haynes is a Grammy winner for his work with Gov't Mule and The Allman Brothers Band. He's been called both an "American treasure" and a "legend in the making" by his peers. http://www.warrenhaynes.net http://www.mule.net ABOUT TOWNSQUARE MEDIA GROUP Townsquare Media, Inc. is an integrated and diversified media and entertainment and digital marketing services company that owns and operates market leading radio stations, digital and social properties and live events in small and mid-sized markets across the United States, delivering national scale and expertise to the communities it serves on a local level. The Company owns and operates 310 radio stations, over 325 search engine and mobile-optimized local websites and approximately 500 live events in 66 small and mid-sized U.S. markets, making Townsquare the third largest owner of radio stations in the United States by number of radio stations owned. The Company supplements its local offerings with the nationwide reach of our owned, operated and affiliated music and entertainment websites, which, on a combined basis, attracted the largest audience among music focused digital advertising networks as of June 2015 as well as certain large scale live events. http://www.townsquaremedia.com

Sights and Sounds: Holiday Music Roundups, Austin City Limits, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

With Christmas set to arrive in just over three weeks, best to catch up with the latest holiday music collections. Indeed, there are exciting new holiday recordings from the celebrated likes of Erasure, Johnnyswim, The Living Sisters, Darius Rucker, Idina Menzel and more!

You can read my roundup of new seasonal sounds in my latest column on the Music News Nashville site here. You can read George A. Paul's fantastic roundup on his Music Minded blog here.


Austin City Limits Announces Complete Season 40 Broadcast TV Schedule

Milestone Season Continues January 3rd With Seven New Episodes Including Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis, Nickel Creek, Spoon and Sam Smith

Austin, TX—December 3, 2014—The landmark television music series Austin City Limits (ACL) unwraps the second half of its milestone Season 40, celebrating a four-decade run with more legendary artists, innovators and highly-anticipated debuts.  Seven brand-new shows begin airing in January 2015 as part of the program's fourteen-episode season. Providing viewers with a front-row seat to the best in music performance for 40 years, ACL returns on Saturday, January 3, 2015 with a double-bill featuring the return of roots rockers The Avett Brothers and Grammy-winning bluegrass trio Nickel Creek. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at http://video.pbs.org/program/austin-city-limits/ immediately following the initial broadcast. The show's official hashtag is #acltv40.

A highlight of the season is powerhouse rock duo The Black Keys, with the six-time Grammy winners making their highly anticipated ACL return, having first appeared in Season 36. ACL favorites Spoon make their fourth appearance, sharing the bill with fellow Austin natives White Denim. Acclaimed singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis returns for her solo ACL debut, originally appearing in Season 31 as part of the indie rock duo Rilo Kiley; in what's sure to be one of ACL's most talked about episodes, Ryan Adams shares the bill in a memorable ACL return. The extended line-up features a number of artists making ACL debuts, among them chart-topping British sensation Sam Smith, synth-pop trio Future Islands and southern rockers J. Roddy Walston & The Business.

Rock superstars Foo Fighters return to the ACL stage with an hourlong, monumental performance. Joined by Austin legends Gary Clark Jr. and Jimmie Vaughan, Foo Fighters’ powerful performance is a high point of the standout season.  The renowned band recently immortalized Austin and ACL's executive producer Terry Lickona in an installment of their HBO series Sonic Highways, even recording a song, “What Did I Do?/God As My Witness”,  in ACL's historic Studio 6A for their companion new release.  

ACL closes out the celebratory season with a special episode featuring performance highlights from the first annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame presentation.  Performers include music legends Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett,Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy and Double Trouble.  

“We’ve had an amazing 40th anniversary year,” says ACL’s Terry Lickona, “and the second half of the season says as much about the future as our past. As always, we try to showcase the best music being created today, and every one of these shows is exceptional. Then for a grand finale, we’ll tie it all together with a celebration of the artists and individuals who have inspired the longest-running music show on TV.”

Season 40 | 2015 Broadcast Schedule

January 3, 2015      | The Avett Brothers | Nickel Creek
January 10, 2015    | Spoon | White Denim
January 17, 2015    | Sam Smith | Future Islands
January 24, 2015    | Ryan Adams | Jenny Lewis
January 31, 2015    | The Black Keys | J. Roddy Walston & The Business
February 7, 2015    | Foo Fighters
February 14, 2015  | Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Special

Honoring ACL's milestone 40th anniversary, PBS releases the DVD AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS on December 2, 2015, featuring an all-star lineup of ACL royalty paying tribute to the show's enduring legacy with unforgettable music performances. With guest hosts Jeff Bridges, Sheryl Crow and Matthew McConaughey, the two-hour program features memorable moments from the trailblazing show’s remarkable run, while the brightest stars in the series’ history return to the ACL stage for dream duets and choice collaborations. Artists performing on the special include: Alabama Shakes, Jeff Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Joe Ely, Foo Fighters, Buddy Guy,Emmylou Harris, Robert Earl Keen, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jimmie Vaughan. DVD bonus material includes additional music performances from artists such as Willie Nelson and Alabama Shakes, as well as two behind the scenes segments.


About Austin City Limits
ACL offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. The program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in American television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the pilot episode taped in 1974 with Willie Nelson. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that's helped secure Austin's reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic KLRU Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.

ACL is produced by KLRU-TV and funding is provided in part by Budweiser, the Austin Convention Center Department, Dell and HomeAway. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

Florida Georgia Line, Magic! and Idina Menzel to join Taylor Swift on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve; set to perform for more than one million fans in Times Square

 
“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015" Begins Live 
at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC-TV from New York’s Times Square
 
 

Los Angeles, CA (December 3, 2014) – Florida Georgia Line, MAGIC! and Idina Menzel will perform live for over one million fans in Times Square as part of the lineup on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015.” Menzel will sing the winter wonderland instant classic “Let It Go,” Florida Georgia Line’s medley of songs will include their record-breaking, multi-platinum #1 smash “Cruise,” platinum-certified hit "This Is How We Roll" and current single “Sun Daze,” and MAGIC! will perform their chart topper “Rude” and recent release “Let Your Hair Down.” They will join headliner Taylor Swift for the biggest music celebration of the year as the New Year's Rockin' Eve programming begins at 8:00 pm ET/PT on ABC Television Network.

The bi-coastal celebration will include hours of special performances and reports on New Year’s celebrations from around the globe, and Ryan Seacrest will lead the traditional countdown to midnight from Times Square in New York City as he has for the last 9 years. As previously announced, Jenny McCarthy will report live from Times Square and Fergie hosts the Billboard Hollywood Party with previously announced performers Charli XCX, One Direction and Meghan Trainor.

Florida Georgia Line is continuing the record-breaking momentum with the release of their GOLD-certified sophomore album ANYTHING GOES (Republic Nashville) soaring to a #1 debut on the all-genre Billboard 200 and Billboard Top Country Albums charts. Fueled by their hot new single “Sun Daze” and PLATINUM, #1 smash "Dirt," music critics and fans alike have embraced the superstar duo’s fresh sound. FGL has skyrocketed to stardom becoming the only artist in history to join Brooks & Dunn in achieving four back-to-back, multi-week #1 singles; breaking the record for longest #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and selling nearly 20 million tracks worldwide of their 2X PLATINUM debut HERE’S TO THE GOOD TIMES. In addition to collaborating across genres with sensations like Nelly and Jason Derulo, FGL has won numerous industry awards and for a second consecutive year were named one of CMT Artists of the Year. In addition to scoring the 2014 Billboard Touring Award for Breakthrough Artist and the American Music Award for Favorite Band Duo or Group, Country, FGL scored their first nomination for the 2015 People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Country Group and fans can vote now at http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/. The talented pair, who was named one of CMT’s Artists of the Year for a second time, has also been tapped to perform on WWE’s “Tribute To The Troops” later this month and to host the first-ever American Country Countdown Awards on December 15. Airing live on FOX, FGL scored six nominations for the new awards show, including the top nod for Artist of the Year. Just off the road as direct support on Jason Aldean's BURN IT DOWN TOUR, FGL will take their signature show worldwide next year on the headline ANYTHING GOES TOUR 2015.

Toronto born, Los Angeles based quartet MAGIC! consists of Nasri (lead singer), Mark Pelli (guitar), Ben Spivak (bass) and Alex Tanas (drums). Their debut album, Don’t Kill The Magic debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 and #2 on the Digital Albums Chart. The album produced the certified platinum single “Rude” which was #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 6 consecutive weeks, the most Shazammed song of the Summer in the US and has sold over 4 million singles worldwide. The music video for “Rude” has over 230 million views. MAGIC! is set to hit the road in 2015 with Maroon 5 in support of Don’t Kill The Magic. Their follow up single, “Let Your Hair Down” is currently rising up the charts.

Tony Award-winning icon Idina Menzel has a diverse career that traverses stage, film, television and music. Menzel’s voice can be heard as Elsa in Disney’s global box office smash Frozen, in which she sings the film’s Oscar-winning song “Let It Go.” After Menzel’s performance of the multi-platinum song at the 86^th annual Academy Awards, she made history as the first person with both a Billboard Top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting. Menzel earned her first Tony nomination as Maureen in the Pulitzer Prize winner Rent, and won the award for her performance as Elphaba in Wicked. Other notable roles include Rachel Berry’s mother, Shelby Corcoran, on the hit television show Glee as well starring opposite Susan Sarandon and Amy Adams in Disney’s Enchanted. Menzel starred in her own PBS special, Barefoot at the Symphony, with an accompanying live album of the same name, and her highly successful international concert tour recently included a sold-out performance at Radio City Music Hall. In addition to cast albums, Menzel’s prolific recording career includes the solo albums I Stand, Here and Still I Can’t Be Still. Her first-ever Christmas album Holiday Wishes, released October 2014 on Warner Bros. Records, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Holiday Albums chart and is already receiving rave reviews. Menzel can currently be seen on Broadway as Elizabeth in the original production If/Then, for which she earned critical acclaim and her third Tony nomination, and performed “Always Starting Over” from the musical at this year’s Tony Awards.

“Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015” is produced by dick clark productions with Ryan Seacrest, Allen Shapiro and Mike Mahan serving as executive producers, and Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are co-executive producers. Larry Klein is producer.

The complete lineup Wednesday night, December 31 on ABC is:

8:00 - 11:00 p.m. – “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015”

11:30 - 1:09 a.m. – “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015, Part 1”

1:10 - 2:13 a.m.– “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015, Part 2”
          
Cheat Tweet: 
.@FLAGALine, @ournameisMAGIC & @idinamenzel to perform on #RockinEve. Watch @OfficialNYRE 12/31 at 8pm ET on ABC: http://bit.ly/RockinEvePerformers

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Twitter:           @officialNYRE
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Hashtag:         #RockinEve
Website:           newyearsrockineve.com

ABOUT DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS
dick clark productions (dcp) is among the world's largest producers and proprietors of televised live event programming. dcp produces perennial hits such as the "American Music Awards," "Golden Globe Awards," "Academy of Country Music Awards," "Billboard Music Awards," and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest." Weekly television programming, includes "So You Think You Can Dance" from 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group, and dick clark productions; as well as "Rising Star" and the upcoming “Boom!” from Keshet DCP, the joint venture between Keshet International (KI), the global distribution and production arm of Keshet Media Group, and DC Media, the parent company of dick clark productions (dcp). In 2014, dcp will debut the "American Country Countdown Awards" (FOX), “Hollywood Film Awards (CBS) and "The PEOPLE MAGAZINE Awards" (NBC). dcp also owns one of the world's most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with more than 55 years of dcp's award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances, and legendary programming. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.