Mavis Staples 'Have a Little Faith' Deluxe Reissue Set For Record Store Day, April 20

 

MAVIS STAPLES' HAVE A LITTLE FAITH TO RECEIVE DELUXE 20TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD STORE DAY REISSUE "Have A Little Faith was the beginning of my solo career. That’s why I’m here today...Every song on Have A Little Faith comes straight from my heart." –Mavis Staples Originally Released In 2004 On CD Only -- Have A Little Faith  Ignited Mavis' Solo Career    Now Available For The First Time As A Remastered 2-LP Set Pressed On Silver Vinyl In Deluxe Gatefold Jacket With Expanded Artwork Featuring A Newly Written Remembrance By Mavis Staples

"One of the finest albums of Mavis' career...blues-tinged gospel about making the most of troubled times, a message Staples has been delivering her entire life." –The Chicago Tribune "A glorious album...filled with the kind of gutsy, emotional performances that have defined Mavis Staples' stellar career." –Billboard

On April 20, 2024, Record Store Day, Alligator Records will release the deluxe 20th Anniversary 2-LP vinyl reissue of soul and gospel legend Mavis Staples' landmark 2004 release, Have A Little Faith. The album, when first released, sparked Mavis' solo career and launched her into the musical mainstream. Have A Little Faith is an exhilarating collection of timeless, uplifting songs deeply seated in Mavis’ faith and spirituality. It has now been remastered and will come in a deluxe gatefold jacket with expanded artwork. The set also features a spirited remembrance of how the record came to be by Mavis herself. The two 12-inch records, pressed on silver vinyl, will spin at 45 rpm, and will deliver the best possible sound. Mavis Staples enjoying herself (and thrilling crowd) at Doheny Blues Festival in May 2011. Photo credit: Robert Kinsler Mavis possesses one of the most recognizable and treasured voices in contemporary music. From her early days sharing lead vocals with her groundbreaking family gospel group, The Staple Singers, to her storied solo recordings, Mavis Staples is an inspirational force in modern popular culture and music. So it was surprising, upon the passing of Mavis' father -- family patriarch and Staple Singers leader Pops Staples -- in 2000, that Mavis' future was uncertain. She self-financed and recorded her own solo album, and after being turned down by major labels unable to see the commercial appeal of this legend’s fresh, genre-busting approach to spiritual music, it was embraced by Alligator Records. The label's unbridled enthusiasm in working the album to press, radio and the public helped Mavis fulfill her dream and ignite her solo career. Upon release, Have A Little Faith brought Mavis' powerful music and message songs into the 21st century. From the positive and uplifting title track to the spiritual fervor of God Is Not Sleeping to the reinterpretations of Staple Singers classics Will The Circle Be Unbroken and A Dying Man's Plea (with Mavis singing lead on these two songs for the first time), the album re-introduced the world to Mavis Staples. "I was a Staple Singer," Mavis remembers in the album's new liner notes. "I wasn’t no Mavis Staples, the solo artist. But, all of a sudden, I was so busy with interviews and television shows and radio stations and concerts. That was a shock to me, because I started asking myself, 'Now how long can this last?' Because they were playing that record everywhere, and the record sounded pretty good!" Ever since the release of Have A Little Faith, Mavis has been embraced by new generations of fans through her collaborations with the likes of Jeff Tweedy, Run The Jewels, Neko Case, Ry Cooder, Justin Vernon and many others. On April 18 in Los Angeles, an all-star 85th Birthday Party concert celebration will take place at the YouTube Theatre, featuring some of today's biggest musical stars, including Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Jackson Browne, Norah Jones, Jeff Tweedy, Black Pumas, Grace Potter, Michael McDonald, Keb’ Mo’, Nathaniel Rateliff, Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal and others. This is a testament to the far-reaching, ongoing influence of Mavis Staples, and the lasting impact and beauty of Have A Little Faith.

New music: Jeff Tweedy, Wild Rivers, Lights & Motion

In this week's column, I feature a trio of outstanding under-the-radar titles that have landed in early 2022.

Artist: Jeff Tweedy

Title: Chelsea Walls (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Jeff Tweedy, Jim O'Rourke, Wilco, Neil Young

Tell me more: Fans of Jeff Tweedy, Wilco and indie music will want to get the reissued and expanded soundtrack for director Ethan Hawke's 2001 film "Chelsea Walls" available now via audio CD, digital and 2-LP vinyl. The music blends edgy electronic moodscapes with a rootsy Americana vibe that challenges and rewards the listener across 14 tracks. Tweedy and Glenn Kotche improvise the eight instrumental selections, with contributions by the likes of Wilco ("Promising"), Billy Bragg & Wilco ("When the Roses Bloom Again"), jazz legend Jimmy Scott (a cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy") and Robert Sean Leonard ("Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling") adding depth to the soundtrack. A 16-page booklet features new photos, along with new and original liner notes from Hawke, a remembrance from Kotche, as well as an interview between Tweedy and Grammy-winning set producer Cheryl Pawelski. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.  

Artist: Wild Rivers

Title: Sidelines (Nettwerk Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Kathleen Edwards, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Fleetwood Mac

Tell me more: Beautiful and introspective, Wild Rivers' sophomore album Sidelines allows the Canadian trio to explore the coming-of-age truths that come in the years immediately after college. Khalid Yassein (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Devan Glover (vocals) and Andrew Oliver (lead guitar, synths) have teamed up with producer Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Sharon van Etten) to create a disc that is as sonically lush as it is lyrically rich. Armed with a mix of rock, pop, indie, Americana and folk stylings, the trio's palette couldn't be stronger. The harmonies-drenched "More or Less," pop-mining "Bedrock," R&B ballad "Long Time" (showcasing Glover's winning soprano vocals), tuneful "Stubborn Heart," sparse "Untouchable," scintillating "Weatherman" and soaring "Safe Flight" are among the strong originals on Sidelines. Information: WildRiversMusic.com.

Artist: Lights & Motion

Title: The World I Remember (Deep Elm Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Sigur Rós, Autumn Leaf, Explosions In The Sky

Tell me more: The compositions across the new Lights & Motion album The World I Remember are truly expansive and cinematic, showcasing the artistry of Swedish-born composer/multi-instrumentalist Christoffer Franzer. "From Dust" starts out gently, the ethereal guitar textures eventually building as drums, piano, synthesizers and more instrumentation cascade toward a powerful finish. The aptly-titled "Touching Sky" is just as sonically vivid, but more nuanced in its triumphant finale. The dreamy title track is bolstered by some especially atmospheric guitar work. The lovely "Wilderness" is embellished by ethereal vocals that blend with the stirring musical current. "Year Zero" is a haunting track in both its quiet and explosive moments; the Neo-classical "Sleeping Giant" starts with evocative guitar textures before a massive musical wave sweeps the listener away. Information: lightsandmotion.com.

Robert Kinsler

Big Star's 'Third' all-star performance at Alex Theatre, April 27, courtesy Concord Bicycle Music

Wow! Huge news for fans of Big Star coming in today...

CONCORD BICYCLE MUSIC PRESENTS“THANK YOU, FRIENDS”:BIG STAR’S THIRD LIVE AND MOREWITH SPECIAL GUESTS KRONOS QUARTET 

To be filmed for DVD Release
Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at the Alex Theatre 

Performers include members of Wilco, R.E.M., Big Star, Semisonic, Yo La Tengo, The Posies, The HeartbreakersLet’s Active, the dB’s

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Concord Bicycle Music will present a concert of the music of Memphis legends Big Star, performed by an all-star lineup of musicians and guest vocalists. The event, featuring fan favorites such as “In the Street,” “September Gurls” and “Thirteen,” as well as the entire Third album, is to be filmed for Thank You, Friends, a DVD and CD release set for release in 2017 and will take place Wednesday, April 27, 2017 at 8 p.m.sharp, at the Alex Theater, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Doors are at 7 p.m. 

Jeff Tweedy and Pat Sansone of Wilco, Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, Robyn Hitchcock, Dan Wilson of Semisonic, Benmont Tench from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Jessica Pratt, Brett Harris, Django Haskins, and Skylar Gudasz are among the guests who will be joined by a full chamber orchestra helmed by the Kronos Quartet, performing scores created directly from the original multitrack tapes from Ardent for this event. Carl Marsh, who wrote the original orchestrations, will conduct.

While the band may not be Big Star per se, the fabled group’s sole surviving original member, Jody Stephens, heads an amazing cast, whose membership includes latter-day Big Star alumni Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of the Posies, R.E.M’s Mike Mills, Let’s Active’s Mitch Easter, Chris Stamey of the dB’s, and others.

The concert will be filmed by Yes Equals Yes as part of a Concord DVD release, slated for Spring 2017.

Big Star’s third album, Third/Sister Lovers, has long been revered by artists and critics as one of the most influential albums ever produced. Written and recorded when the legendary ’70s band was primarily a studio project consisting of Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens, the third album was never performed in public with the original string and wind orchestrations. That changed in December 2010, when an ace ensemble unearthed the original scores, assembled an orchestra and performed Big Star’s Third at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina. Stamey notes: “Now, to have Carl Marsh conduct his own original exacting, unearthly orchestrations for the first time—and to have the amazing Kronos Quartet joining all of us in bringing them to life on stage—is a dream come true.”

Much like Nick Drake, the Velvet Underground, or other critically esteemed artists whose work only gained commercial traction long after its initial release, Big Star’s trademark mix of shimmering jangle pop with a side of elliptical melancholia was originally let loose into a world that just wasn’t ready for it. Nonetheless, an underground core of fanatical enthusiasts kept the fire burning. The Replacements famously released “Alex Chilton,” a song that paid tribute to his songwriting genius. R.E.M.’s Peter Buck said, "Big Star served as a Rosetta Stone for a whole generation of musicians." Third is included as one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Experience this classic of late ’70s power pop through the prism of a one-of-a-kind collective of immensely talented fans of one of the most influential American rock bands ever.

Of very special guests the Kronos Quartet, Los Angeles Times wrote: “Kronos has led and continues to lead what surely must be the longest unending revolution by any ensemble ever in music history.”

Ticket link:http://www.alextheatre.org/event/concord-music-group-presents-thank-you-friends-big-stars-third-live

Sights and Sounds: Son Volt Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Trace With Reissue and Tour

Here is pretty exciting news for fans of Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo...

Son Volt celebrates 20th anniversary of 'Trace' with deluxe reissue and ambitious tour

Two-Disc Deluxe Edition Of Acclaimed Debut Arrives October 30 With Remastered Audio, Unreleased Demos, And Live Recordings Trace 20th Anniversary Tour Kicks Off With Special Performance At AmericanaFest

LOS ANGELES - This fall, Jay Farrar will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Son Volt's acclaimed debut album, Trace, with tour dates featuring original pedal steel player, Eric Heywood, along with multi-instrumentalist, Gary Hunt. The tour is billed as "Jay Farrar Performs Songs Of Trace" and tickets for the tour will go on-sale Friday, August 14. For more information please go towww.sonvolt.net. The dates will begin with a special AmericanaFest performance at 3rd & Lindsley on September 20. Farrar will also bring the tour to New York City on October 30, and on the same day, Rhino will release a two-disc version of Trace that features newly remastered sound and more than two dozen unreleased bonus tracks. TRACE: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION will be available for a suggested retail price of $24.98. The original album will also be re-issued on 180-gram vinyl for $24.98. TRACE: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION includes audio that has been digitally remastered from the original analog masters. Farrar was heavily involved in the remastering process and contributes highlighted track commentary to the liner notes, which also feature a contribution from No Depression magazine founder Peter Blackstock. In addition to every song from the 1995 original album, the first disc also features previously unreleased demos for eight album tracks, including "Drown," "Live Free," "Windfall," and an acoustic version of the rocker "Route." The second disc contains an unreleased live performance recorded at The Bottom Line in New York's Greenwich Village on February 12, 1996. At the show, the band played nearly every song from Trace , covered Del Reeves' "Looking At The World Through A Windshield," and performed "Cemetery Savior," a tune that wouldn't surface until the following year on Son Volt's sophomore release, Straightaways. The show also features songs originally recorded by Uncle Tupelo, the vastly influential alt-country band that Farrar started with Jeff Tweedy in the Eighties. Among the standouts are: "Slate," "True to Life" and the title track from the band's final album Anodyne (1993).

TRACE: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Track Listing Disc One 1.    "Windfall" 2.    "Live Free" 3.    "Tear Stained Eye" 4.    "Route" 5.    "Ten Second News" 6.    "Drown" 7.    "Loose String" 8.    "Out Of The Picture" 9.    "Catching On" 10.    "Too Early" 11.    "Mystifies Me" 12.    "Route" -Acoustic Demo* 13.    "Drown" - Demo* 14.    "Out Of The Picture" - Demo* 15.    "Loose String" - Demo* 16.    "Live Free"  - Demo* 17.    "Too Early" - Demo* 18.    "Catching On" - Demo* 19.    "Windfall" - Demo* Disc Two: Live from Bottom Line 2/12/96 1.    "Route"* 2.    "Loose String"* 3.    "Catching On"* 4.    "Live Free"* 5.    "Anodyne"* 6.    "Windfall"* 7.    "Slate"* 8.    "Out of the Picture"* 9.    "Tear Stained Eye"* 10.  "True to Life"* 11.  "Cemetery Savior"* 12.  "Ten Second News"* 13.  "Fifteen Keys"* 14.  "Drown"* 15.  "Looking For a Way Out"* 16.  "Chickamauga"* 17.  "Too Early"* 18.  "Looking at the World Through a Windshield" - Del Reeves cover* *previously unreleased

JAY FARRAR PERFOMS SONGS OF TRACE - 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR SEPTEMBER 20    3rd & Lindsley (AmericanaFest) Nashville, TN OCTOBER 28    The Birchmere 29    Ardmore Music Hall 30    City Winery Alexandria, VA Ardmore, PA New York, NY DECEMBER 2    The Troubadour 3    Slim's 5    Aladdin Theatre 6    Tractor Tavern Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA Portland, OR Seattle, WA

Sights and Sounds: Weezer, Beck, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Interpol

Happy Thursday everybody! Here is your morning update to go along with that first delicious cup of coffee...

Weezer will release their ninth album, Everything Will Be Alright In The End, on Sept. 30, 2014 via Republic Records. Great news that Ric Ocasek will produce the new disc. Ocasek, who first rose to fame as the leader of The Cars, previously produced Weezer's first album ("The Blue Album") and their third disc ("The Green Album"). 

For more information and to see Weezer's upcoming summer tour dates, visit the Music Minded blog post here.

Beck has announced the upcoming release of a Song Reader album via Capitol due on July 29, 2014. As fans of Beck will recall, back in 2014 the singer-songwriter released his "album" of original songs released only as sheet music! Now, two years later, there is an official LP of the material due. What's more, a stellar line-up of artists will participate with a different artist tackling each track. Jack White, Jarvis Cocker, Jeff Tweedy, Sparks and many more are set to be a part of the innovative recording. Check out Pitchfork for all the details here.

Whenever I worry that rock has become far too serious, along comes "Weird Al" Yankovic to remind us that there is nothing wrong in having a good time. The ageless Yankovic has announced the release of his 14th studio album, Mandatory Fun, which should be - well - fun! Check out the insightful article on Stereogum here that has plenty of insights on the forthcoming collection.

Finally, check out a new song titled "All The Rage Back Home" off Interpol's next album via YouTube here.