TJR and Robert Kinsler celebrate album releases of 1983

 

On their latest video, TJR and Robert Kinsler celebrate the parade of amazing new studio albums released in 1983! They each highlight their favorite three albums of that year. Watch the video HERE.

Alligator Records to reissue Fenton Robinson's 'Somebody Loan Me A Dime,' and Lonnie Mack's 'Strike Like Lightning' on Vinyl on June 2

Very exciting news from Alligator Records, which plans to reissue to seminal blues titles later this spring...Robert Kinsler

Blues Hall Of Famer Fenton Robinson's Somebody Loan Me A Dime

Considered A Classic Blues Recording

Lonnie Mack's Strike Like Lightning Produced By And Featuring Guest Performances From Stevie Ray Vaughan

Both Album Reissues Available on Vinyl for the First Time in 30 Years. Learn more via Alligator Records' official website HERE.

On Friday, June 2, Alligator Records will reissue two classic titles from its unparalleled blues and roots rock catalog: 2023 Blues Hall Of Famer Fenton Robinson's Somebody Loan Me A Dime and Lonnie Mack's Strike Like Lightning. Both albums have been remastered and pressed on 140g black vinyl and will be available for the first time on LP in 30 years.

Originally released in 1974, Somebody Loan Me A Dime, by blues icon Fenton Robinson, is a bona fide blues classic, and only the fifth album to be released by Alligator at the time. An inventive, melodic guitarist with a soaring voice, Robinson had a long recording career, cutting singles (and one LP) for various labels before releasing Somebody Loan Me A Dime on Alligator. That album fully captures the depth of Robinson's subtle, nuanced, jazz-inflected blues and spectacular guitar and vocal talent, and features his definitive versions of the title track (covered by Boz Scaggs) and Texas Flood (covered by Stevie Ray Vaughan). Robinson was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2023. Since its release, Somebody Loan Me A Dime has sold over 50,000 units in the U.S.

Originally released in 1985, Strike Like Lightning, by rock and soul originator Lonnie Mack, was the celebrated comeback of the legendary rock guitar pioneer. A blazing guitarist and raw, soulful singer, Mack rose to fame in 1963 with his instrumental singles Memphis and Wham! and a handful of albums. With the encouragement of his greatest disciple, Stevie Ray Vaughan (who offered to produce and guest on the album), Mack went into the studio for Alligator in 1984 and relaunched his career. Strike Like Lightning features timeless slash-and-burn performances, including the songs Hound Dog Man, If You Have To Know, Double Whammy and Oreo Cookie Blues. Strike Like Lightning has sold over 100,000 units in the U.S.

'The Jimmie Vaughan Story' box set coming September 17 from Last Music Co.

Jimmie Vaughan performing at
The Coach House in 2010.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

The legendary singer-songwriter/guitar great Jimmie Vaughan is the focus of an upcoming box set coming later this summer. I first caught Vaughan when he was a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the band was opening for Rush back in the mid-1980s! Vaughan has a long and winning career worthy of an in-depth dive to be sure. You can read my review of his memorable concert at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano HERE.  Details on the forthcoming box set follow via a new media release...Robert Kinsler 

AUSTIN, Texas — Blues guitarists have been the foundation of American music for more than a hundred years, back to early acoustic musicians performing in the Deep South. The evolution of the blues has been one of the truly captivating legacies of popular music in America, from early jazz to even country and, to everlasting success, rock ’n’ roll. 

 

The guitarists in the pantheon of blues players reads like a Who’s Who of the world's finest musicians, and for the past 50-plus years one of those people has been Jimmie Vaughan. The guitarist fell in love with that most moving of styles when he was still a young teenager in early 1960s Dallas, Texas, and while it took him a few years to find a true home for what he heard in his head and felt in his heart, once he got to Austin in 1969 and found some fellow blues lovers, he set off on a journey that still continues, playing the blues whenever and however he hears it. The man has spent countless years treating the blues with full respect. 

 

The Last Music Co.'s guiding light Malcolm Mills took on the mission a few years ago to create The Jimmie Vaughan Story a five-CD box set that captures Vaughan's blues journey, starting with some of his earliest recordings from the mid-1960s and continuing all the way to his most recent in the 2020s. The result is a stunning collection of not only music, but really Vaughan’s history, on the record and in person.

 

From early bands Storm through the Fabulous Thunderbirds, including previously unreleased recordings with producers Joel Dorn and Doc Pomus; Jimmie’s collaboration with brother Stevie Ray Vaughan on 1990's award-winning Family Style album; and into the past 30 years of duets, shared albums and solo releases featuring a divergence of styles, the box showcases Jimmie’s take on the blues. Jimmie Vaughan built a world of blues from the only sound that completely captured him as a very young Texan. He is often seen as being in a party of one in this pursuit, and he wouldn't have it any other way. 

 

Along with all the powerful music and newly discovered recordings on The Jimmie Vaughan Story, there is a treasure trove of never-before-seen photos and writings in the gorgeous book included in the set. There are images of the Vaughan family, including childhood photos of Jimmie, Stevie and their parents, and a bonanza of photos that illustrate, tour-guide-like, Jimmie’s entire career, from childhood onward to today. Among the writings is an interview from the 1978 Austin Sun, considered to be the first Jimmie Vaughan ever did, along with an essay by journalist and record producer Bill Bentley, and Jimmie’s life story in his own words: a lifetime of memories, historical occurrences and family insights, all shared now for the first time.

 

The Jimmie Vaughan Story is a unique collection of music, words, and images, the kind of release that can only come based on a life of belief in the blues. It has given Vaughan an ability to take the music he loves so much on a worldwide journey of discovery, and one he is devoted to sharing with others. Listen, see and read how he’s lived it, and where it might be going.

 

COMPLETE TRACK LISTING HERE

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

Sat., Aug 21  NORWICH, NY Chenango County Fairgrounds; Chenango Blues Festival

Mon., Sept. 13 FORT WORTH, TX Dickies Arena;  with Eric Clapton

Wed., Sept. 15 AUSTIN, TX  Frank Erwin Center;  with Eric Clapton

Fri., Sept. 17   HOUSTON, TX Toyota Center;  with Eric Clapton

Sat., Sept. 18 NEW ORLEANS, LA Smoothie King Center;  with Eric Clapton

Tues., Sept. 21 NASHVILLE, TN Bridgestone Arena;  with Eric Clapton

Thurs., Sept. 23 ATLANTA, GA South Gas Arena;  with Eric Clapton

Fri ., Sept. 24  JACKSONVILLE, FL The Florida Theater

Sat Sept. 25  TAMPA, FL Amalie Arena;  with Eric Clapton

Sun., Sept. 26  HOLLYWOOD, FL  Seminole Hard Rock;  with Eric Clapton

Wed., Oct.   NEW YORK, NY  Sony Hall;  The Story Tour

Thurs., Oct. 7  FAIRFIELD, CT  The Warehouse;  The Story Tour

Fri., Oct. 8 HARTFORD, CT  Infinity Hall;  The Story Tour

Sat., Oct. 9   FALLS RIVER, MA Narrows Center;  The Story Tour

Sun., Oct. 10  SELLERSVILLE, PA  Sellersville Theater;  The Story Tour

Wed., Oct. 13  CLEVELAND, OH  The Music Box;   The Story Tour

Thurs., Oct. 14  WARRENDALE, PA  Jergels;  The Story Tour

Fri., Oct. 15  WESTLAND, MI  The Token Lounge;  The Story Tour

Sat., Oct. 16  WARREN, OH Robins Theater;  The Story Tour

Sun., Oct. 17 CINCINNATI, OH  Ludlow Garage;  The Story Tour

Wed., Oct. 20  FORT WAYNE, IN Clyde Theater;   The Story Tour

Sat., Oct. 23 MARION, IL Marion Cultural and Civic Center;  The Story Tour

Sun., Oct. 24   ST. LOUIS, MO Old Rock House;  The Story Tour

Tues., Oct. 26 MINNEAPOLIS, MN The Dakota; The Story Tour

Wed Oct. 27 OMAHA, NE Barnato; The Story Tour

Thurs., Oct. 28  KANSAS CITY, MO Knucklehead’s;  The Story Tour

Fri., Nov. 12  HOUSTON, TX The Heights Theater;  The Story Tour 

Sun., Nov. 14 SAN ANTONIO, TX Sam's Burger Joint;  The Story Tour

New music: Uncle Walt's Band, Alabama Slim, Richard Hell and the Voidoids

Three special early 2021 releases are worthy of discovery by music lovers.

Artist: Uncle Walt's Band

Title: Recorded Live at Waterloo Ice House (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Buck Owens, David Ball, Lyle Lovett, Americana music

Tell me more: Omnivore Recordings continues its series of essential and expanded reissues with Recorded Live at Waterloo Ice House, a recording featuring groundbreaking Austin trio Uncle Walt's Band (Walter Hyatt, Champ Hood and David Ball). The track listing was pulled from concerts staged March 19-20 and April 9-10, 1982.  Originally issued as a private pressing in 1982 on the band's own Lespedeza label, that 14-track set has been expanded to an impressive 21 tracks. There is no filler to be heard here; the gorgeous harmonies-drenched ballad "Love Has Laid Me Down," '50s-styled "Stagger Lee," jazzy "Bye, Bye Baby" and "Desiree," countrified "Motor City Man" and "I'm Going To Break My Heart In Two" are just a few of the stellar selections on the wonderful title. The audio CD package includes an insightful 12-page booklet with historical photos and terrific liner notes adding depth to the set. While Ball is alive and well, Hyatt died in a plane crash in Florida in 1996 and Hood passed away after a battle with cancer in 2001. Catch up with Uncle Walt's Band's important legacy when Recorded Live at Waterloo Ice House is released on Feb. 5, 2021. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.

Artist: Alabama Slim

Title: The Parlor (Cornelius Chapel Records)

You might like if you enjoy: John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Little Freddie King

Tell me more: Alabama Slim's The Parlor was tracked in a single session over the course of four hours in June 2019, with the Vance, Alabama native's resonant baritone vocals and guitar work bolstered by guitarist Little Freddie King and drummer Ardie Dean. That session was engineered by Reginald Nicholas and produced by Dean; later Matt Patton and Bronson Tew took those raw files, remixing and mastered the 10 tracks back to tape with the addition of bass guitar, organ and piano (courtesy of Matt Patton and Jimbo Mathus). The results of their collective efforts shine across the authentic blues-styled The Parlor. Slim — whose birth name is Milton Frazier — was born in March 1939. He is truly impressive across a solid and stirring effort recorded a few months after he turned 80; the album is sure to please all fans of traditional blues. Highlights include the nuanced "Rob Me Without A Gun," politically-minded "Forty Jive" and decidedly loose "Someday Baby" and "Down in The Bottom." Little Freddie King takes over lead vocals on the driving "Freddie's VooDoo Boogie." Information: musicmaker.org/artists/alabama-slim/. 

Artist: Richard Hell and the Voidoids

Title: Destiny Street Complete (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Television, the Clash, the New York Dolls, punk rock

Tell me more: Richard Hell and the Voidoids' Destiny Street was the follow-up to 1977's acclaimed punk album Blank Generation. The sophomore effort Hell and the Voidoids recorded in 1981 and released in 1982 didn't ultimately meet Hell's standards. And as Hell notes in the liner notes on the outstanding new Destiny Street Complete collection: "The final mix was a morass of trebly multi-guitar blare." Indeed, Destiny Street Complete includes four newly remastered albums on two audio CDs, including a new remix of the album (and the bonus track "Don't Die"). The good news is that the latest remix was made possible with the unexpected discovery of three of the four original 24-track master tapes from the original recording sessions, which Hell had been told had been lost. With their discovery, Hell realized he could add new guitar solos and vocals in order to create a new and improved version of the album. It's fun to hear the different versions of the hard-driving songs (including a dozen demos recorded 1978-1980). 

The mix of material that benefits from Hell's signature style includes his covers of the Kinks' rousing "I Gotta Move" and Bob Dylan's reflective "Going Going Gone" as well as blistering original rockers ("The Kid With the Replaceable Head," "Lowest Common Dominator," "Destiny Street") and genre-mixing gems ("Downtown at Dawn," "Time," "Staring in Her Eyes"). In addition to Destiny Street Complete being available as the wonderful two-disc audio CD title reviewed here (complete with a fully-illustrated 22-page booklet), Omnivore Recordings also has a very limited supply of clear vinyl editions of the title Destiny Street Remixed available as a stand-alone vinyl release via the record label's website. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.

Robert Kinsler 

Here is the version of the column as it appeared in print in Desert Star Weekly on Feb. 3, 2021.

Titans of the Blues thrill at The Coach House

Singer-Guitarist Coco Montoya and singer-guitarist Tinsley Ellis
performing together at The Coach House on March 1, 2019.

Titans of the Blues Tour
Who: Coco Montoya, Tinsley Ellis
Where: The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA
When: Friday, March 1, 2019
Information: https://www.cocomontoyaband.com/ and http://www.tinsleyellis.com/

Coco Montoya on March 1, 2019.

Review by Robert Kinsler

Photography by Bob Steshetz

Tinsley Ellis at The Coach House on
March 1, 2019.

One of this writer's favorite concerts of 2018 was a headlining turn from Atlanta, GA-based singer-songwriter/guitarist Tinsley Ellis, who performed a terrific and memorable concert at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Feb. 28, 2018 (Read a review of that show here). 

Fast forward a year and a day later and Ellis was once again appearing at the venerable venue, this time appearing with legendary singer-songwriter/guitar great Coco Montoya on the duo's Titans of the Blues Tour. Needless to say (but I'll go ahead and say it anyway), I was determined to catch Ellis again on March 1. What a bonus that this night afforded seeing two blues legends together, each performing full-length sets and playing a trio of lengthy songs together to end the long night.

Ellis and his backing band (a bassist and drummer) performed a stellar 75-minute set of Southern-fried blues-rock, with the 61-year-old kicking off his turn by showcasing excellent tracks off his latest album (2018's Winning Hand). Ellis is an especially impressive guitarist whose ability to blend speed, expression and tone draws comparisons with greats ranging from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Eric Clapton. Those talents were showcased on the inviting opener "Sound of a Broken Man," Ellis' smooth guitar playing and top-tier vocals thrilling the crowd of 500 on hand.

Tinsley Ellis on March 1, 2019.

Other standout tracks performed by Ellis during his set was the blues ballad "Saving Grace," the Texas blues-styled sing-along "To the Devil For a Dime," tender "A Quitter Never Wins," and playful rocker "Double Eyed Whammy." 

Bringing chills was "The Last Song" bolstered by Ellis' emotional vocals and an extended guitar solo that served as the segue when the song grew from a ballad to a stronger Chicago blues burner, the power and force of guitar work burgeoning to a shimmering roar. Many in the crowd immediately got to their feet and gave Ellis a well-deserved standing ovation at the end of the cut.

Montoya, who came to fame as a member of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers in the 1980s, used his 80-minute set to showcase his own unique style of blues, built equally around his unique style of guitar, R&B vocals and as a gifted band leader able to share the spotlight with members of his three-man troupe.

Coco Montoya, far left, and his terrific trio at The Coach House.

Among the definitive moments in his set was the performance of a new song "Stop Running" (slated to be on a future release). The song itself was strong, enhanced by Montoya's solid baritone vocals and signature guitar work. For sheer blues-rock fun, the pedal-to-the-metal "Hard As Hell" allowed Montoya to unleash some of his most fiery guitar play of the night.

The lengthy encore allowed Ellis and Montoya to perform together, with the two guitarists trading licks and sharing an obvious joy of making music with the enthusiastic crowd. "Gotta Mind to Travel" is an fun and joyful Chicago blues-styled cut that launched the end of the night, both artists immersed in an 11-minute version that sped by courtesy of the musicians' collective skills and passion. The Mayall & Bluesbreakers classic "Have You Heard" ended the night on a powerful note with hopes this writer will get to catch both artists appearing together on stage together again.

Long-time friends, Montoya and Ellis' Titans of the Blues Tour marks the two artists' first-ever tour together. It is simply not to be missed for blues fans. The tour has just started and there are plenty of upcoming stops across the U.S. where music lovers can catch Montoya and Ellis in action.


Editor's Note: You can read a review of Robert Kinsler's review of 2013's Blues at the Crossroads 2 featuring Ellis, singer-harmonica great Kim Wilson and the late James Cotton here. The review also includes photography by Bob Steshetz.

Tinsley Ellis' showcases his 'Winning Hand' at The Coach House

Review by Robert Kinsler

Photos by Bob Steshetz

Tinsley Ellis playing up a storm at The Coach House on February
28, 2018. / Photo: Bob Steshetz

To put it simply, Tinsley Ellis' 90-minute concert at The Coach House on Wednesday night (Feb. 28, 2018), was about both celebrating the blues and pushing the genre forward in the best of all possible ways.

The famed Atlanta-based singer-songwriter/guitar virtuoso –  backed only by a bassist and drummer – performed a dozen songs touching on the most traditional of Delta blues stylings via a short acoustic-styled set as well as offering up his own blazing Southern-friend electric selections that comprised most of the songs featured this night.

Kicking things off with the first track ("Sound of a Broken Man") off his outstanding 2018 Alligator Records-issued disc Winning Hand, Ellis, 60, immediately immersed the crowd with his muscular-meets-nuanced guitar work. The track was bolstered by two thrilling guitar solos, the second enhanced by the use of his wah-wah utilizing the classic sound to enhance the song's lyrical arc.

While influences ranging from B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan to Eric Clapton and Bob Margolin can be heard in Ellis' sound, his style is decidedly distinctive. That was evidenced across the fast-moving set, in large part because of the power of his songs and artful approach in how he fuses his guitar work into the songs. Take the soulful blues ballad "Saving Grace" (another highlight on his latest LP), his vocals were as prominent and emotive as his jaw-dropping skills on the electric guitar.

Tinsley Ellis playing his Gibson electric
guitar during the encore at The Coach House.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

Making his first appearance at The Coach House in five years, Ellis seemed loose and thoroughly enjoying himself. The blues-rocker "To The Devil For a Dime" was both playful and potent, with Ellis again using his wah-wah pedal to add fire to his lead guitar work.

On the electric ballad "A Quitter Never Wins," Ellis positioned him back from the microphone a bit to give his vocals a far-away sound; his sparse lead guitar matched the haunting effect.

There was also an acoustic-styled two-song set where Ellis had a chance to recall his own heroes; a faithful take on the Muddy Waters classic "Can't Be Satisfied" ("Bob Margolin taught it to me and Muddy Waters taught it to him," Ellis noted in his introduction) and a powerful take on the Howlin' Wolf classic (penned by Willie Dixon) "Little Red Rooster" elicited big cheers from the crowd of blues lovers.

The last half of the set was filled with an equal number of highlights including the rousing "Pawnbroker," which featured some of Ellis' most expressive lead guitar playing of a night.

Opening the night was the Anaheim-based Claude Von Trotha Band, a nine-man ensemble offering up a solid set of mostly-original blues tracks adorned by a mighty four-member horn section.

Here is an embedded video of Ellis' performance of "A Quitter Never Wins" performed at the concert:



Editor's Note: A special thank you to photographer Bob Steshetz for his wonderful photographs used here.

MUSIC WORTH BUYING: "What Happened to the Blues?"

On the latest episode of MUSIC WORTH BUYING, Robert and TJR discuss blues music, and possible things that can be done to champion the genre going forward:

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces class of 2015

Ringo Starr performing at the Santa Barbara Bowl on
July 12, 2014. Photo: Robert Kinsler

It's about time! Ringo Starr is finally going to join his fellow Fab Four mates in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While Starr was previously inducted as a member of The Beatles, he will now be inducted for his stellar solo career too.

The Cleveland-based Rock Hall announced the class of 2015 this morning. In addition to Starr, who is receiving a special Award for Excellence, the other inductees include rocker Joan Jett, Bill Withers, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Lou Reed, Green Day, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Those six artists were selected from a list of 15 nominees. Sadly not getting into the Rock Hall next spring are The Smiths, a band I consider to be one of the most influential groups to emerge in the 1980s. N.W.A., Nine Inch Nails and Chic also didn't make the cut.

The upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, April 18, 2015. The event is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased beginning at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Dec. 18, 2014. This will be the 30th induction ceremony.

Information: www.rockhall.com/

Inbox Update: Cracker, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces nominees

Here is a roundup of news related to announcements this morning...

Cracker to issue 10th studio album 'Berkeley To Bakersfield' on December 9, 2014

This December Cracker will be releasing their tenth studio effort, entitled Berkeley To Bakersfield, on 429 Records.  It's a double-album that finds this uniquely American band traversing two different sides of the California landscape – the northern Bay area and further down-state in Bakersfield. With founding members David Lowery and Johnny Hickman anchoring the project, they've brought in a host of musicians to help out, including putting together the original Cracker lineup for the Berkeley side (see credits below).  Berkeley to Bakersfield was recorded by Drew Vandenberg.  429 Records will release the album worldwide on December 9th. 

Despite being less than a five-hour drive from city to city, musically, these two regions couldn't be further apart from one another. In the late '70s and '80s a harder-edged style of rock music emerged from the Bay area, while Bakersfield is renowned for its own iconic twangy country music popularized, most famously, by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard in the '60s and '70s. Yet despite these differences, they are both elements that Cracker's two cofounders, David Loweryand Johnny Hickman, have embraced to some degree on nearly every one of their studio albums over the last two decades.

As Lowery explains, "On the Berkeley disc the band is the original Cracker lineup - Davey Faragher, Michael Urbano, Johnny and myself. This is the first time this lineup has recorded together in almost 20 years. We began recording this album at East Bay Recorders in Berkeley, CA. For this reason we chose to stylistically focus this disc on the music we most associate with the East Bay: Punk and Garage with some funky undertones.  To further match our sense of place we often took an overtly political tone in the lyrics."

"This Bakersfield disc represents the 'California country' side of the band.  Throughout the band's 24-year history we've dabbled in Country and Americana but this time we wanted to pay homage to the particular strain of Country and Country-Rock music that emerges from the inland valleys of California."

Cracker has been described as a lot of things over the years: alt-rock, Americana, insurgent-country, and have even had the terms punk and classic-rock thrown at them. But more than anything Cracker are survivors. Cofounders Lowery and Hickman have been at it for almost a quarter of a century – amassing ten studio albums, multiple gold records, thousands of live performances, hit songs that are still in current radio rotation around the globe ("Low," "Euro-Trash Girl," "Get Off This" and "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With Me" to name just a few), and a worldwide fan base - that despite the major sea-changes within the music industry - continues to grow each year.

Disk 1 Berkeley Tracklisting:
1. Torches and Pitchforks
2. March of the Billionaires
3. Beautiful
4. El Comandante
5. El Cerrito
6. Reaction
7. You Got Yourself Into This
8. Life In The Big City
9. Waited My Whole Life

Disk 1 Berkeley band line-up:
Davey Faragher: Bass and Backing Vox
Johnny Hickman: Guitars and Backing Vox
David Lowery: Guitars and Vocals
Michael Urbano: Drums and Percussion
With
Thayer Sarrano: Keys and backing vocals
Marc Gilley: Saxophones
Mark Golde: Additional keys

Disk 2 Bakersfield Tracklisting:
1. California Country Boy
2. Almond Grove
3. King Of Bakersfield
4. Tonight I Cross The Border
5. Get On Down The Road
6. I'm Sorry Baby
7. The San Bernardino Boy
8.. When You Come Down
9. Where Have Those Days Gone

Disk 2 Bakersfield band line-up:
Davey Faragher: Backing Vocals
John Hickman: Guitars and Vocals
Bryan Howard: Bass Guitar
David Lowery: Guitars, Banjos and Vocals
Sal Maida: Bass Guitar
Luke Moeller: Fiddle
Thayer Sarrano: Keyboards, Guitar and Vocals
Matt "Pistol" Stoessel: Pedal Steel
Jeremy Wheatley: Drums

Recorded by: Drew Vandenberg with additional engineering by John Morand, David Lowery, Bond Bergland, David Barbe and Mark Golde. Mixed By Drew Vandenberg.

Recorded at: East Bay Recorders in Berkeley, CA, Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA, Rock Garden Studio in Appleton, WI, and We're Clothes Studios in Richmond, VA.

To preorder visit:
http://smarturl.it/CrackerAMZ

For more information visit:
http://www.429records.com
http://www.crackersoul.com
https://www.facebook.com/CrackerSoul

429 Records is a unit of The Savoy Label Group (SLG). SLG is the North American based division of Nippon Columbia the oldest music company in Japan. The Savoy Label Group has evolved into a Grammy Award winning and chart topping independent music company consistently outperforming competitors in key music categories as monitored by Billboard Magazine. The Savoy Label Group is led by Steve Vining and is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, The Smiths and Stevie Ray Vaughan among those nominated for induction into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Check out USA Today for a straightforward article on today's announcement as it relates to a strong slate of nominees hoping to gain admission into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am really pulling for The Smiths, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, but I wonder if any of those three groundbreaking artists really has a chance given the Hall's spotty record of selections in the past...Here is a media release as it relates to Nine Inch Nails, another of the artists that really deserves a place in Cleveland..

NINE INCH NAILS NOMINATED FOR INDUCTION INTO ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY

Nine Inch Nails - a band regarded as a pioneer in the industrial music movement and highly influential in the evolution of electronic music - has been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility. To be eligible for this year's ballot, an artist or band must have released its first single or album in 1989 or earlier. Nine Inch Nails' first album, Pretty Hate Machine, and first single, "Down in It,"were released in 1989. The nominees who receive the most votes will be announced toward the end of the year and inducted on April 18, 2015 at a ceremony in Cleveland, OH. Trent Reznor was working at a Cleveland recording studio when he founded Nine Inch Nails in 1988. Recordings such as Pretty Hate Machine, Broken (1992) and The Downward Spiral (1994) revolutionized detailed digital production. The band has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, released a remarkable series of singles, including the No. 1 Modern Rock radio hits "The Hand That Feeds," "Only," "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" and "Survivalism," and received two GRAMMY® awards. 2013's Hesitation Marks debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums charts and was named one of the best albums of the year by Rolling Stone, SPIN, Alternative Press, ABC News and The New York Times' Jon Pareles. SPINdeclared, "this is the most important artistic statement from NIN leader Trent Reznor since the late '90s, when SPIN dubbed him 'the Most Vital Artist in Music Today.'" Nine Inch Nails supported Hesitation Marks with an extensive world tour that The New York Times said offered "the kind of sensory onslaught - musical, visual, emotional -that fans have missed." In a live review, the Los Angeles Times noted, "[Reznor] provedthat he's still at the vanguard of progressive machine music - and he can also make it emotionally meaningful...no band can call up a wraithful wail of noise like NIN." Praising a "mammoth, vibrant" show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, THE FADER said, "one of Reznor's intangible talents is his uncanny ability to maintain relevancy over the decades." Building on Nine Inch Nails' long history of soundtrack work, Reznorcollaborated with Atticus Ross on scores for three David Fincher films - The Social Network (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) and the director's most recent release, Gone Girl (2014), which was No. 1 at the box office in its opening weekend.Rolling Stone hailed the Gone Girlsoundtrack as "haunting" and "sublimely uneasy." NPR Music compared the composers' fruitful collaboration with Fincher to that of Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann, observing, "Gone Girl again fits its story's mood to perfection."Their score forThe Social Network won an Academy Award® and a Golden Globe® and the pair won a GRAMMY® for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo score. Reznor has also turned his attention to improving how fans discover and experience recorded music. As Chief Creative Officer of Beats Music, he was instrumental in the creation of the streaming service, which launched in January 2014. Founded by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, Beats Music was acquired by Apple Inc. earlier this year. For a more extensive history of Nine Inch Nails, visit http://thehistory.nin.com/.