Showing posts with label Janis Joplin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Janis Joplin. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Pop Twist announces 'Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll' on DVD

This promises to be an entertaining and informative documentary. Pop Twist is set to release an in-depth documentary on the life and music of legendary folk and blues singer-guitarist Lead Belly this spring..Robert Kinsler


'Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll' coming to DVD on April 11, 2025




   
George Harrison famously claimed, "No Lead Belly, no Beatles." Revered by countless musicians - the 1st record Janis Joplin ever bought was Lead Belly. The definitive bio, with historic performances and extraordinary archive access. The folk/blues icon, from childhood through prison to worldwide fame. Stories and performances from Joplin, Harry Belafonte, B.B. King, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Odetta and many more.

Huddie Leadbetter: Lead Belly. King of the 12 String Guitar. Born in poverty, he became a master folk innovator who inspired rock and roll. Woody Guthrie called him the greatest folk singer. Hundreds of artists have covered his songs - The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin spring to mind. Interviews and performances by Janis Joplin, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney, B.B. King, Alan Lomax, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Odetta. Hollywood film clips, archive performances and intimate inside accounts dispel myths and let his true personality shine through.

Friday, December 02, 2022

New music: Ruthie Foster, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin & Jorma Kaukonen

Songstress Ruthie Foster, rock and roll great Bruce Springsteen, and classic rock notables Janis Joplin and Jorma Kaukonen are featured on new releases.


Artist: 
Ruthie Foster
Title: Healing Time (Blue Corn Music)
You might like if you enjoy: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, Ruthie Foster
Tell me more: Ruthie Foster's stirring ninth studio album Healing Time is a fantastic disc of genuine and authentic soul. No surprise that Foster delivers another batch of winning songs that soar, her vocals a constant wonder across the dozen-track disc that simultaneously showcases her immense skills as a top-tier songwriter. The gospel mining "Feels Like Freedom" brings chills with its power and beauty all while avoiding the modern day bombast that would diminish the might of the track. The potent and anthemic "Soul Searching" is an explosive celebration of love. Blues lovers will appreciate the longing "What Kind Of Fool," where the Austin songstress uses her full vocal range across the song's wonderful arc. The wistful "Lie Your Way To The Truth" dips into pop, but the soundscape shares more in common with the artful sonics of Florence + the Machine than the disposable and robotic approach of so many contemporary R&B hitmakers. Other memorable selections on Healing Time include the spiritual-minded "I Was Called," tuneful "Finish Line," acoustic blues foray "4 AM" and majestic "Paradise." Information: RuthieFoster.com.



Artist: 
Bruce Springsteen
Title: Only The Strong Survive (Columbia Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Sam Moore, Bruce Springsteen, classic Motown
Tell me more: On his first new album since 2020's Letter To You, Bruce Springsteen revisits a number of Gamble and Huff, Motown and Stax classics on the rousing 15-track Only The Strong Survive. Rather than recreate faithful takes on the material (such as the approach KISS lead singer Paul Stanley took on Paul Stanley's Soul Station's impressive debut album in 2021), Springsteen fuses his own signature sound with the well-known musical stylings identified with the original versions. Among the memorable tracks is an emotive take on the Commodores' 1985 track "Nightshift," the joyous Frank Wilson 1965 hit "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)," nuanced reading of the Walker Brothers 1966 hit "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore," a tender version of the Four Tops' "When She Was My Girl" and the sorrowful "I Wish It Would Rain," the latter a song recorded by the Temptations in 1967. Springsteen is joined by 87-year-old soul music great Sam Moore on the inspired "Soul Days" and lovely "I Forgot To Be Your Lover." Across the album the receives backing from The E Street Horns, full string arrangements by Rob Mathes, as well as backing vocals from Lisa LowellDoozie Tyrell, Curtis King Jr., Michelle Moore, Dennis Collins and Fonzi Thornton. Information: BruceSpringsteen.net.


Artist: 
Janis Joplin & Jorma Kaukonen
Title: The Legendary Typewriter Tape: 6/25/64 Jorma's House (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna
Tell me more: Set for release on Dec. 2, The Legendary Typewriter Tape: 6/25/64 Jorma's House is an important and historical release featuring singer Janis Joplin and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna along with Jorma's wife Margareta Kaukonen typing away intermittently in the background  recorded on a reel-to-reel machine at the beginning of their respective careers. Although the recording has previously been available via inferior bootlegs, the official version released by Omnivore Recordings today (Dec. 2, 2022) features restoration and mastering from Grammy-winner Michael Graves and sounds wonderful. There are a mix of originals and reworked blues standards. Joplin's own "Kansas City Blues," the evocative "Hesitation Blues," a moving take on Jimmie Cox's "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," and the fiery Joplin-penned "Daddy, Daddy Daddy" are among the winning performances captured back in the summer of 1964. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.


Robert Kinsler

Friday, July 19, 2019

Sights and Sounds: 'Woodstock: The Director's Cut' coming to movie theaters on Aug. 15; new titles from +LIVE+ and The Flaming Lips

Going into the weekend, plenty of cool music news to share...




‘Woodstock’ 50 Years Later – The Most Legendary Weekend in Music History Rocks Movie Theaters Nationwide August 15 Only

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Iconic Festival,
Fathom Events Brings the Extended Director’s Cut of Michael Wadleigh’s
Oscar®-Winning Documentary to Movie Theaters



DENVER – July 19, 2019 – Before it happened, the rock-music festival on a dairy farm was billed as “An Aquarian Experience: 3 Days of Peace and Music” and no one realized the weekend would become one of the seminal moments not just in music history, but in American history.

Fifty years later, the groundbreaking film that captured the original Woodstock music festival has become one of the most acclaimed documentaries ever produced – and Fathom Events is partnering with Warner Bros. to bring it back to movie theaters for one night only. “Woodstock: The Director’s Cut” will play at 7:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, August 15, in movie theaters nationwide.

Tickets are available now at www.FathomEvents.com.

“Both as a documentary and as a pop-culture phenomenon, ‘Woodstock’ is a milestone, a pivotal moment in history captured forever, proving the enduring power of cinema,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “Fifty years later, there has never been anything quite like it, either as a music festival or as a film, and Fathom Events is proud to be part of the anniversary of Woodstock.”
Directed by Michael Wadleigh and utilizing extraordinary perspectives, including split-screen and multi-screen sequences, “Woodstock” received an Academy Award® for Best Editing for Thelma Schoonmaker, a longtime collaborator of Martin Scorsese, who is also credited (along with Stan Warnow, Yeu-Bun Yee, Jere Higgins and Wadleigh) as one of its editors. The movie features 30 musical performances, among them a five-song set by Jimi Hendrix (including “Purple Haze”); The Who; Ten Years AfterJanis Joplin; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Jefferson Airplane; and Joan Baez.

But apart from the raw, intimate ways it captures the performances, “Woodstock” also offers extraordinary insight into the people who attended the festival, the chaotic mood of the era, and the incendiary sparks let off by the event. Entertainment Weekly called “Woodstock” “the single greatest film ever made about the 1960s.”

The 3-hour, 44-minute director’s cut features performances – like Joplin’s and Jefferson Airplane’s – not seen in the original theatrical version, which was a box-office smash when first released in March 1970. This one-night-only Fathom Events presentation is the first wide, national theatrical re-release of the film since its original run.

For more information, visitwww.FathomEvents.com.


+LIVE+
Today release the Super Deluxe 25TH Anniversary edition of their landmark 8X Multi-Platinum sophomore album 'Throwing Copper'


BAND ALSO SHARE LYRIC VIDEO FOR
“SUSQUEHANNA,”
AN UNRELEASED TRACK FROM THE ORIGINAL SESSIONS
FOR ‘THROWING COPPER’


Seminal rock band +LIVE+ today (July 19) release the super deluxe 25th anniversary edition of their landmark 8x multi-platinum sophomore album Throwing Copper on  Radioactive/MCA/UMe. The band today also shared the lyric video for “Susquehanna,” an unreleased track from the original sessions for the album. View the video here: https://UMe.lnk.to/ThrowingCopper25/YouTube. The haunting song with questioning lyrics about life, love and spirituality appears on the deluxe multi-format reissue of the album.

The Super Deluxe 25th Anniversary Throwing Copper box set edition not only features the album with bonus tracks on 2LP black vinyl, and a 12-page booklet with an in-depth interview with the band chronicling the era of the album, but it also contains 2CDs with a 26-track lineup that includes LIVE’s previously unreleased, explosive eight-song performance at Woodstock ’94 on a separate disc, mixed by +LIVE+ guitarist Chad Taylor. The 25th anniversary Throwing Copper collection is also available in a deluxe digital version, as well as a standalone 1CD set as well. Read the press release about the album here and its multiple configurations.

Initially released on April 26, 1994, Throwing Copper cemented the band’s position as one of the most instrumentally powerful and lyrically impactful bands of the modern alternative-rock era. Throwing Copper, which topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart a year after its initial release, also features a pair of No. 1 Modern Rock singles (“Lightning Crashes,” “Selling The Drama”) and has since been certified 8x multiplatinum by the RIAA, having sold over 8 million copies. The album also features the previously unreleased track “Hold Me Upwhich is spinning at rock radio stations nationwide. View the lyric video here.

This summer at amphitheatres and arenas throughout North America, +LIVE+--Ed Kowalczyk (vocals, guitar),Chad Taylor (guitar, backing vocals), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass) and Chad Gracey (drums, percussion)--ismarking Throwing Copper’s milestone on the co-headline The ALT-IMATE Tour with Bush produced by Live Nation. Among the upcoming dates are a concert at the legendary Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Aug. 6, and a date at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, CA on Saturday, Aug. 10.

ABOUT +LIVE+:
+LIVE+, the multi-platinum band from Pennsylvania--Ed Kowalczyk (vocals, guitar), Chad Taylor (guitar, backing vocals), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass) and Chad Gracey (drums, percussion)--have sold over 22 million albums worldwide and earned two number one albums (Throwing CopperSecret Samadhi). Their catalog is filled with such gems as “Lightning Crashes,” “I Alone,” “All Over You,” and “Lakini’s Juice,” which live on today as classics at rock radio. Throwing Copper—which is being celebrated in 2019 with a new deluxe 25th anniversary edition via Radioactive/Geffen/Ume--produced the band’s biggest single, “Lightning Crashes,” which was #1 at Modern Rock radio for 10 consecutive weeks. Throwing Copper reached #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and eventually surpassed sales of 10 million albums sold with Rolling Stone honoring the album with placement on their list, “1994: The 40 Best Records From Mainstream Alternative's Greatest Year.” Secret Samadhi (1997) immediately shot to #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and eventually went double platinum. The release of the platinum-selling The Distance to Here (1999) turned +LIVE+ into an international powerhouse and moved the band from arenas into stadiums. +LIVE+ has been and remains today a global concert juggernaut. The band released an acclaimed five-song EP in 2018, LOCAL 717, their first new music in over a decade.


For more information on +LIVE+, visit:



The Flaming Lips release 'King's Mouth: Music and Songs' on all formats today

NEW VIDEO “HOW MANY TIMES” OUT NOW 
 
SUMMER 2019 TOUR WITH THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM AND PARTICLE KID BEGINS JULY 23. TICKETS ON SALE NOW



July 19, 2019 (Los Angeles, CA) – Today, THE FLAMING LIPS release their 15th studio album, King’s Mouth: Music And Songs, via Warner Records on vinyl, CD and digital platforms. The original gold colored vinyl Record Store Day limited edition pressing sold out instantly. King’s Mouth is now widely available on all formats. To coincide with the album’s release and tour, a brand-new video from the album “How Many Times,” is also released today. In typical Lipsian fashion, the video is lysergically colorful and completely joyous in its simplicity. It was shot in the band’s hometown of Oklahoma City and directed by Wayne Coyne. Click HERE to view and share. Click HERE to purchase King’s Mouth: Music And Songs.

The Lips have previously released a lyric video for ”Giant Baby,” and a visualizer for “All For The Life Of the City,” from King’s Mouth.  

King’s Mouth: Music And Songs was produced by The Flaming Lips, Dennis Coyne and Scott Booker with additional production by Dave Fridmann and Mike Fridmann. This is The Lips’ first new studio album since 2017’s Oczy Mlody and features twelve new originals that create a conceptual storyline threaded together by the dulcet-toned narration from Mick Jones of The Clash. The music provides the soundtrack for Wayne Coyne’s immersive art installation of the same name. The album has already received critical praise in advance of its release:

“Musically, King’s Mouth is very Soft Bulletin / Yoshimi — you know, orchestral space rock psych flower power pop…there are so many great moments on this album. Glad to have that spirit back in a new Lips record. A psychedelic experience that is kind of like the last 10 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey.” Brooklyn Vegan

’King’s Mouth’ is planetarium-ready space pop.” – Stereogum

“Consistently weird, consistently fresh, artistically adventurous. Nowhere is the band’s bold vision more evident than on its new album KING’S MOUTH: MUSIC AND SONGS. A full-on concept album, King’s Mouth breaks new ground.” – The Daily Beast 

“’King’s Mouth’ is the most “Flaming Lips” release you could possible imagine…a psychedelic explosion of sound. Kind of a spiritual follow up [to The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots] it returns to the breezy, optimistic space pop that made them the band of choice. Classic Lips…the most complete Flaming Lips album in over a decade.” – Under The Radar

Originally introduced in 2015, the art installation A King's Mouth: An Immersive Installation, showcased its psychedelic visuals and soundscapes through North America in museums such as Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, NM, the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD, the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR and Wayne’s own creative space, The Womb, in Oklahoma City, OK, Rough Trade NYCNashville’s Fort Houstonand currently installed at the Arts Center of the Ozarksin Springdale, AR.

A true handcrafted marvel, it consists of a giant metallic head that welcomes spectators inside. Once inside of the foam mouth, an LED light show begins in tandem with music from the album. Now, the record doubles as the sonic companion to the exhibit and allows fans to experience the aural side at any time. Further expanding this multi-faceted world and detailing a fascinating creation myth, the accompanying literary tome, King’s Mouth: Immerse Heap Trip Fantasy Experience tells the story of the King’s Mouth through words and visuals by Coyneadds yet another dimension to the project, which ranks among the bands most ambitious thus far. About the vision, Coyne wrote, “The King’s Mouth immersive/child-like qualities are born from the same spark and womb as The Flaming Lips’ live performances. The King’s Mouth adventure was made for humans of all sizes, ages, cultures, and religions.” Click HERE to view and share the making of the KING’S MOUTH Part 1. HERE for Part 2. HERE for Part 3, and Part 4 HERE.

King’s Mouth: Music And Songs Track listing:
We Don’t Know How And We Don’t Know Why
The Sparrow
Giant Baby
Mother Universe
How Many Times
Electric Fire
All For The Life Of The City
Feedaloodum Beedle Dot
Funeral Parade
Dipped In Steel
Mouth Of The King
How Can A Head

In other Lips news, Steven Drozd has created a podcast that covers their 35-year recording career. This multi-part series will illustrate their inimitable and out there creative process covering their aural oeuvre in their own words: THE SORCERER’S ORPHAN: A SONG BY SONG HISTORY OF THE FLAMING LIPS: Episode 6 “King’s Mouth”— is available now. Check out the latest episode HERE. Catch up on previous episodes HERE.

As previously announced, THE LIPS have confirmed a twelve-date summer tour with The Claypool Lennon Delirium with support from Particle Kid. Click HERE for further details. Special VIP packages will also be available for those who want the ultimate LIPS experience. This will include early access to the venue, so fans can be part of the pre-show warm up on stage during soundcheck for a few songs. Wayne and members of The Lips will then spend some time for an intimate meet and greet before fans have the chance to grab the best seats in the house close to the stage or be first at the merch booth before the crowds enter the venue.
 
The Flaming Lips/The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Particle Kid Summer 2019 US Tour:
July 23            Wichita, KS                              Wave
July 24            Des Moines, IA                         Water Works Park Amphitheater
July 26            Indianapolis, IN                        Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn @ White River State Park
July 27            Lewiston, NY (Niagara Falls)   Artpark Amphitheater
July 28            Asbury Park, NJ                       Stone Pony Summer Stage
July 30            Port Chester, NY                      Capitol Theatre
July 31            New Haven, CT                        College Street Music Hall (w/o The Claypool Lennon)
Aug 02            Utica, NY                                  Saranac Brewery
Aug 03            Worcester, MA                          The Palladium Outdoors
Aug 05            Charlotte, NC                           Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug 06            Charlottesville, VA                    Sprint Pavilion
Aug 07            Raleigh, NC                             Red Hat Amphitheater

Europe/U.K./Australia Headline:
Sep 01            Prato, ITL                                Piazza Duomo
Sep 05            Edinburgh, UK                        Usher Hall
Sep 06            Manchester, UK                      Manchester Academy
Sep 07            London, UK                             O2 Brixton Academy
Sep 28            Brisbane, AU                           Fortitude Music Hall
Sep 30            Sydney, AU                             Sydney Opera House
Oct 01             Sydney, AU                             Sydney Opera House

 
Dates below are Festivals:
Sep 13            Chicago, IL                              Riot Fest Chicago
Sep 20            Louisville, KY                           Bourbon and Beyond Festival
Oct 03-04        Melbourne, AU                        Melbourne International Arts Festival
Oct 10-13       Lake Perris, CA                        Desert Daze


Follow The Flaming Lips:
Twitter: @TheFlamingLips

Monday, March 25, 2019

Mark Farner thrills faithful with classic rock favorites

Mark Farner's American Band
With: 7Horse
Where: The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA
When: Sunday, March 24, 2019


Mark Farner's American Band in concert at The Coach House.


Walking around the legendary Coach House on Sunday night, I took some time to soak in the sight of some of the hundreds of signed photos of artists who have played at the venue over the past 30 years. Dick Dale  who passed away at the age of 81 on March 16  is the latest of the countless notables whose pictures line the walls of the Coach House who are gone. 
Mark Farner displaying a sense
of fun at The Coach House.

Flint, Michigan-spawned rocker Mark Farner was the headliner this night and his inspired performance was a powerful reminder that legendary artists are worth catching whenever possible (Farner had a pacemaker installed earlier this decade). The former lead singer and lead guitarist for '70s hitmakers Grand Funk Railroad, Farner and his excellent two-man backing band delivered a stellar 100-minute acoustic set that hit all the high points with the near-capacity crowd.

To be sure many came to hear the hits that were a part of their formative years, but were also surely impressed that the 70-year-old Farner has the energy, vocal range and sharp guitar chops of a musician half his age. 
Mark Farner unleashing a solo.

Opening with the apt cut "Are You Ready," Farner played the first of may snappy guitar solos that would bolster the set. 

"Thank you! It's good to be back here," Farner said after the audience greeted the opening number with loud cheers and strong applause. 

The next song, "Aimless Lady," found Farner pushing his talents even higher. This was a night where Farner would perform memorable versions of some of his best-known Grand Funk Railroad songs, and also share magical stories of his early days including fascinating tales of hanging out with Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King and Janis Joplin.

Among the early standouts of the set were the blues-heavy "Mr. Pretty Boy," classic rock-styled "Little Johnny Hooker," infectious "Hooked on Love" and jazzy-rocker "Creepin'," the latter which featured Farner masterfully working his Korg keyboards.

Of course the night's biggest songs were still to come, including a shimmering power-pop worthy take on "Bad Time," a joyful clap-along of "The Loco-Motion," soulful version of "Some Kind of Wonderful" and chilling home run with the night-ending "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)." And throughout the entire show, Farner displayed a genuine sense of fun  something that is all too rare at rock shows nowadays.


7Horse tearing it up at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano.
Phil Leavitt of 7Horse on March 24, 2019.

Opening the concert was the blues-rock bending powerhouse trio 7Horse. Comprised of dada's Joie Calio (guitar, vocals) and Phil Leavitt (percussion, vocals) and Michael "MK" Kelly (bass, vocals), the group's razor-sharp songs and performance quickly won over the crowd. 


Joie Calio at The Coach House.

"Low Fuel Drug Run" opened 7Horse's 45-minute epic outing; the crowd were rewarded with an intoxicating track best described as having a driving rhythm, searing slide work and sublime harmonies.

Other great originals included the melodic "Two-Stroke Machine," spirited "All My Friends (Hate Me in the End)," a cover of Johnny Cash's "Man in Black" and the ferocious set-capping "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" (the latter featured in director Martin Scorsese's film The Wolf of Wall Street.



Review by Robert Kinsler

Photographs by Bob Steshetz