Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate/Baseball Project) Debut Memoir & Solo Album Set for August 30

Very exciting! Today we learn that acclaimed singer-songwriter Steve Wynn will release his official autobiography and his first solo album in 12 years this summer...Robert Kinsler

STEVE WYNN (DREAM SYNDICATE/BASEBALL PROJECT) CONFIRMS AUTOBIOGRAPHY I WOULDN’T SAY IT IF IT WASN’T TRUE (JAWBONE PRESS) AND FIRST SOLO ALBUM IN 12 YEARS MAKE IT RIGHT (FIRE RECORDS) FOR RELEASE ON AUGUST 30   Debut Memoir and New Album Written in Tandem, Tell the Autobiographical Tale as Memoirist and Musician, a Duel One-Man Exploration into the History and Present Day Journey of One of the Founders of the Indie Rock / Post Punk Scene FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   LOS ANGELES, CA AND NEW YORK, NY (THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024) – Steve Wynn, leader of the band The Dream Syndicate, founding member of The Baseball Project and solo artist, announced today that he will release both his autobiography I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True (Jawbone Press) and his first solo album in 12 years, Make It Right (Fire Records) on August 30.   I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True is the vivid and revealing memoir from leader and founder of one of the most revered indie-rock bands of the 1980s, The Dream Syndicate. It’s a tale of writing songs and playing in bands as a conduit to a world its author could once have barely imagined—a world of indie and major labels, luxury tour buses, and sold-out theatres, but also one of alcohol, drugs, and a low-level rock’n’roll Babylon. Ultimately, it’s a tale of redemption, with music as a vehicle for artistic and personal transformation and transcendence.   Make It Right features contributions from Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Vicki Peterson (The Bangles), Chris Schlarb (Psychic Temple), Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh), Linda Pitmon (The Baseball Project) and a cast of dozens. The songs aren’t directly autobiographical although the album does start with “Santa Monica,” the city and boulevard where Wynn was born and concludes with “Roosevelt Avenue,” the main thoroughfare of the Queens neighborhood in New York City that he calls home today.   “I wrote and recorded the songs on Make It Right in tandem with working on I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True, my memoir, which are being released the same week as Make It Right, my first solo album since 2010,” said Steve Wynn. “With each chapter, I would get ideas for songs inspired by the deep dive into my past and vice versa. The reflections became intertwined after a while, a mutual commentary between literal and metaphorical ruminating.”   Wynn will also be touring solo across the UK, Europe North America this Autumn as a one-man show blending songs from and inspired by the book along with a narrative structure of readings and storytelling. Fans can expect a selection of evergreens and rarities from the Dream Syndicate’s catalogue along with reflective numbers from the new album as well, all adding up to an evening of a past revisited. Baseball Project Tickets here and tickets for A Night of Songs and Stories here.   Select tour dates include:   Baseball Project Tour Dates: July 4 @ Space, Evanston, IL July 5 @ Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI July 6 @ Turf Club, St. Paul, MN July 7 @ Wooly’s, Des Moines, IA July 8 @ The Waiting Room, Omaha, NE July 10 @ The Record Bar, Kansas City, MO July 11 @ Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK July 12 @ Tannahill’s, Ft. Worth, TX July 13 @ Antone’s, Austin, TX July 14 @ White Oak Music Hall, Houston, TX   Steve Wynn European Tour Dates – A Night of Songs and Stories: Sept. 16 @ Jericho, Oxford, UK Sept. 17 @ Hen & Chicken, Bristol UK Sept. 18 @ The Greystones, Sheffield, UK Sept. 19 @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, Scotland UK Sept. 20 @ Gulliver’s, Manchester, UK Sept. 21 @ Bluebird, York, UK Sept. 22 @ Walthamstow Rock n Roll Book Club London, UK Sept. 24 @ Mid Sussex Music Hall, Hassocks, UK Sept. 25 @ Life Is A Minestrone House Show, Paris, France   Steve Wynn North American Tour Dates – A Night of Songs and Stories: Oct. 8 @ City Winery, New York, NY Oct. 9 @ Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA Oct. 11 @ Pie Shop, Washington, DC Oct. 12 @ Pinhook, Durham, NC Oct. 15 @ Snug Harbor, Charlotte, NC Oct. 16 @ The Earl, Atlanta, GA Oct. 17 @ Basement, Nashville, TN Oct. 20 @ Hideout, Chicago, IL Oct. 22 @ Happy Dog, Cleveland, OH   Additional US Tour dates for Steve Wynn to be announced shortly.   Make It Right track listing: 1. Santa Monica 2. Make It Right 3. What Were You Expecting 4. You’re Halfway There 5. Making Good On My Promises 6. Cherry Avenue 7. Then Again 8. Madly 9. Simpler Than The Rain 10. Roosevelt Avenue    ABOUT STEVE WYNN Steve Wynn is a founding member of The Dream Syndicate, whose debut album, The Days Of Wine And Roses, is widely regarded as a cornerstone of the indie/alternative rock scene of the 1980s. He has also enjoyed a prolific solo career, touring the world on a regular basis and performing and recording in groups such as Danny & Dusty, Gutterball, and The Baseball Project (also featuring R.E.M. founders Mike Mills and Peter Buck). He scored two Norwegian hit TV shows, Dag and Exit, and his songs have been covered by Luna, Yo La Tengo, and Concrete Blonde, among others. I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True is his first book. He lives in New York City.

The Three O'Clock’s 'Sixteen Tambourines' 40th Anniversary Edition out October 20

Very exciting news with today's announcement that legendary band The Three O'Clock's "Sixteen Tambourines" will be released as a special 40th Anniversary Edition on Oct. 20, 2023 courtesy of Yep Roc Records. On a released note, read my review of The Three O'Clock's memorable concert in Santa Ana, CA in December 2013 HERE. Additionally, the band performed at Coachella in April 2013; read my coverage of that appearance HERE.

The official media release about the forthcoming "Sixteen Tambourines" reissue is below...Robert Kinsler

Yep Roc Records Announces 40th Anniversary Edition of The Three O'Clock’s Sixteen Tambourines Out October 20, 2023 

 

Remastered Album Features Brand-New Double Front Artwork

 

Baroque Hoedown Features Four Songs Not On Original EP Out Now

 

Yep Roc Records celebrates the 40th anniversary of Sixteen Tambourines by The Three O’Clock, one of the core groups in L.A. 's Paisley Underground scene, with a remastered edition of the band’s second album featuring new artwork. 

 

Out October 20 and available on CD and LP (transparent green vinyl), Sixteen Tambourines was remastered by Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz, lacquer cut at Bernie Grundman Mastering, with the vinyl pressed at Citizen Vinyl in Asheville, NC; pre-order here.

 

Blending psychedelic pop with contemporary sounds, Sixteen Tambourines was produced by Earle Mankey, who encouraged the band in their experimentation. The result yielded a college-radio hit, "Jet Fighter," which remains one of the group's most well-known songs. Other standouts include, "A Day In Erotica," "Stupid Einstein," "Fall to the Ground," and their version of the Bee Gees "In My Own Time." 

 

Originally released in October 1983, for the anniversary reissue the band updated the artwork which features a double front cover, meaning no matter which way you view the album, it will always appear like you are looking at the front cover - front cover image with the opening for LP or CD on the right side. The photos used for the new cover(s) are never-before-seen images taken from the era the album was recorded.

 

Remastered by Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz, the 40th anniversary reissue of the band’s seminal debut Baroque Hoedown was released earlier this year and originally available only for Record Store Day. Now available for wide release, the expanded edition of the debut EP features the five original songs with four additional recordings from the era to create a full-length album. One of the new songs is a cover of Pink Floyd's "Lucifer Sam.” The album is available for order here.

 

The Three O'Clock –  Michael Quercio (vocals, bass guitar, percussion); Danny Benair (drums); Louis Gutierrez (guitars, vocals, percussion); and Mark Mariano (keyboards, vocals, percussion); were the quintessential L.A. Paisley Underground band. Lead singer/bassist Michael Quercio coined the term to describe the bands that incorporated their love of various sixties music with more modern sounds, including the Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, and The Bangles.

 

Beginning as the Salvation Army in 1982, and forsaking the name due to a conflict with the actual organization, The Three O'Clock originally included Quercio and guitarist Louis Gutierrez. Their self-titled debut in 1982 featured a garage-y sound. When ex-The Quick drummer Danny Benair and keyboardist Mickey Mariano joined for the follow-up EP, Baroque Hoedown and the LP Sixteen Tambourines in 1983, the band found a more polished, perfect pop sound.

 

In 1985, the band released Arrive Without Travelling for I.R.S. Records, followed by Ever After. Gutierrez departed in 1986. For their Warner Bros./Paisley Park debut (Prince was a fan), Vermillion, Jason Falkner joined to play guitar for what would be the band’s last album release. 

 

After years of turning down offers to reunite, in 2013, the band’s original lineup (minus Mariano, who was replaced by Adam Merrin of the 88) re-formed to play the Coachella Festival. In November 2018, Yep Roc Records released three new recordings by The Three O'Clock as part of a compilation album called 3 × 4, including The Dream Syndicate, The Bangles, and Rain Parade, with each of the four bands covering songs by the other bands (Read my review of the "3 x 4" collection HERE).

 

Sixteen Tambourine Tracklisting: 

Side A

1.Jet Fighter

2. Stupid Einstein 

3. And So We Run 

4. Fall to the Ground 

5. A Day in Erotica

Side B

1.Tomorrow

2. In My Own Time

3. On My Own

4. When Lightning Starts

5. Seeing Is Believing

 

Baroque Hoedown Tracklisting:
Side 1

1.With A Cantaloupe Girlfriend

2. I Go Wild

3. Marjorie Tells Me

4. Lucifer Sam

 

Side 2

1.Sorry 

2. In Love In Too

3. All In Good Time

4. Feel A Whole Lot Better

5. As Real As Real

New Music: Cowboy Junkies, Colin Hay, The Loud Family, Anton Barbeau

March 2022 is being marked by a number of stellar new audio releases.

Artist: Cowboy Junkies

Title: Songs of the Recollection (Proper Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Hope Sandoval, Cowboy Junkies, Mazzy Star

Tell me more: The Cowboy Junkies are back with Songs of the Recollection, a set of nine artfully reworked covers that surprise and thrill. The potent "Five Years" mines the introspective elements of the David Bowie classic, with Margo Timmins' signature vocals focused and then subsequently detached as the song purposely unravels to great effect in its burgeoning close. The cosmic country feedback-adorned reading of Gram Parsons' "Ooh Las Vegas" is equal parts Americana and shoegaze. The troupe's countrified folk rock is the perfect sonic brush to paint the lovely "No Expectations" (a Mick Jagger and Keith Richards co-write), haunting version of the Neil Young favorite "Don't Let It Bring You Down" (bolstered by some fiery electric guitar work) and atmospheric reading of Bob Dylan's "I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You." Other songs artfully revisited include Neil Young's "Love In Mind," Gordon Lightfoot's "The Way I Feel," Vic Chesnutt's "Marathon" and The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds." In addition to singer Margo Timmins, Cowboy Junkies' talented lineup includes her brothers Michael Timmins (guitar) and Peter Timmins (drums) along with Alan Anton (bass guitar). Songs of the Recollection will be released via Proper Records on March 25, 2022. Information: CowboyJunkies.com.  

Artist: Colin Hay

Title: Now And The Evermore (Lazy Eye/Compass Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Colin Hay, Men At Work

Tell me more: Let's face it; the last few years have been tough. A global pandemic that continues to claim thousands of lives everyday, relentless violence across American cities — and now a terrible invasion led by Russia against the Ukraine resulting in the genocide of countless men, women and children — is all enough to make even the best of us to retreat from the real world. Leave it to singer-songwriter Colin Hay to cast a welcome ray of hope amidst the darkness. His new album Now And The Evermore (available now) finds Hay frequently tackling life and mortality with an optimistic approach. Just listen to the bona fide singalong original "Love Is Everywhere," wistful "Into The Bright Lights," defiant "The Sea Of Always" and Celtic-minded "All I See Is You" to be inspired by Hay's infectious songcraft. The title track (enhanced by terrific drumming from Ringo Starr) is aimed at making the best of the days we have left ("Nobody gets a sequel, no / Everyone gets shown the door / I'll be counting on the rising sun / To give me all my waking days / Until it sets upon the now and evermore"). Hay is able to explore loss as well, as he does on the chamber folk gem "Starfish And Unicorns," reflective "A Man Without A Name" and shimmering album closer "When Does The End Begin?" Information: ColinHay.com.  

Artist: The Loud Family and Anton Barbeau

Title: What If It Works? (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Game Theory, Anton Barbeau, Big Star, The Three O'Clock

Tell me more: Founded by singer-songwriter Scott Miller in 1982, Game Theory released a number of outstanding albums and several EPs that secured the power pop band's hero status. After the end of Game Theory in 1990, Miller recruited a new group of players and formed The Loud Family. In 2014, Omnivore Recordings began to release a series of remastered and expanded reissues of Game Theory's complete catalog. That record label's ambitious effort to champion the work of Miller now includes an expanded and deluxe edition of The Loud Family's 2006 album What If It Works, an LP which found Miller teaming with rising singer-songwriter Anton Barbeau to create a true masterpiece (sadly, Miller passed away in 2013 at the age of 53).  The material across What If It Works? is melodic to be sure, but the surrounding layers made up of literate songwriting, sharp musical arrangements, great musicianship and experimental elements make for an action-packed listen with new discoveries to be heard with every listen. Just listen to original album track-list offerings "Rocks Off" (a Rolling Stones cover), "Pop Song 99," "Flow Thee Water" and the title track, as well as bonus tracks like the cascading "Don't Bother Me While I'm Living Forever," melodic "I've Been Craving Lately," and rocking "Little Daisy." The reissue (due March 25 via Omnivore Recordings) features the original 10-track release, as well as more than a dozen bonus tracks. The wonderful packaging includes a 16-page booklet filled with photos, an essay from Stew Stewart, and a conversation between Barbeau and Scott Miller's widow (Kristine Miller) discussing the making of the album. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com. 

Artist: Anton Barbeau

Title: Power Pop!!! (Big Stir Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet, The Beatles

Tell me more: March 25th is twice as nice for songsmith Anton Barbeau; not only is Omnivore Recordings issuing a must-hear reissue of his 2006 collaboration with Scott Miller and the Loud Family, but Big Stir Records is issuing his highly-anticipated new studio album Power Pop!!! the same day. Power Pop!!! features 19 tracks, including a mix of brief entries (including the 6-second "When I Am Happy") and full-length selections that are both listenable and ambitious. Barbeau's return comes on the heels of parade of notable titles including Manbird (2020) and Oh The Joys We Live For (2021). The title Power Pop!!! is somewhat sardonic with Barbeau's melodic music gifts on display even while he bends and outright expands the genre powerfully exclaimed in the album title itself. In addition to melodic and memorable tracks such as "Power Pop," the psychedelic "American Road," Beatlesque "The Drugs," bewitching "Rain, Rain" and Baroque ballad "Valerie's Waiting"; the intoxicating instrumental "Entrez-Vous Dans Les Maisons," driving electronica-tinged "The Never Crying Wolf Boy," hard-charging minute-long "Hillbilly Village," experimental "The Sound," jazzy instrumental "Fretless Bronze (For Matthew)" and Neo-funk sortie "Free" collectively keep the listener on the edge of their sonic seat. Information: antonbarbeau.com and bigstirrecords.com.

Robert Kinsler