B-52's Cindy Wilson announces solo album 'Realms' out Aug. 25, 2023 via Kill Rock Stars

Listen to the wonderful new dance-minded track from Cindy Wilson's forthcoming album titled Realms...Robert Kinsler

B-52’s Cindy Wilson Announces Solo Album

Realms Out August 25th via Kill Rock Stars

Releases single “Midnight” Today

 

Pre-Order Album

 

Watch Visualizer for “Midnight”

 

Cindy Wilson has always been on the forefront of music’s cutting-edge: As a founding member of The B-52's, she was a pioneer of the New Wave sound that redefined music in the 1970s and ‘80s. Wilson is known for her distinctly melodic voice and her remarkable ability to deliver powerful emotions in her music. Her work continues to influence alternative and mainstream cultures around the globe – and she’s still making new waves of her own: Out August 25, 2023, Realms is Wilson’s forthcoming second solo record released via Kill Rock Stars. And today, Cindy releases the dance-banger “Midnight.” Cindy explains to SPIN: “Being in the B-52s has been a playful and creative endeavor. Doing the solo project with Suny Lyons has been too. I worked with Suny on a previous effort called Changes, and enjoyed working with him, so I asked him to do the next one, Realms. I feel the techno vibe mixed with other elements is modern and unexpected, which is beautiful. I got to use my strong voice emotions with the tender, and I love it. The first song Midnight, goes through the realms of midnight. It’s an upbeat dance dream of love at a magical hour. Inviting the listener to come along. Let’s go!”

Since launching her first proper solo project in 2016, Wilson has released two EPs (Sunrise and Supernatural) and one studio album, Change, collaborating with producers and electronic musicians Suny Lyons and Ryan Monahan to cultivate a contemporary sound that cuts through today’s noise, while staying true to Wilson’s alternative and punk roots. Marrying her instantly recognizable vocals with a backdrop of dreamy, ambient, and dance-friendly music, Cindy Wilson has made a fresh name for herself that extends beyond her band’s legacy, establishing herself as a singular force in her own right.

Nowhere is this more readily apparent than on Realms, Wilson’s spirited sophomore studio album and her most ambitious effort to date. Once again working with Suny Lyons (with Sterling Campbell contributing drums and Maria Kindt on strings), Wilson invites her audience on an immersive, enchanting ten-track journey that peels back the layers of our common humanity. Bookended by the bustling, intimate indie anthem “Midnights” on one end, and the emotive, ethereally atmospheric ballad “Not Goodbye” on the other, Realms provides a singularly stunning listening experience for longtime Wilson fans and new listeners alike. From the glistening golden hues and soul-stirring vocal performance on “Wait” to the cinematic fever dream “Delirious” and the hard-hitting mix of pop and punk on “Daydreamer,” Wilson’s performances are as catchy as they are cathartic.

Realms demands our undivided attention as Wilson takes us on a kaleidoscopic journey through our own minds and souls. Through a series of colorful, dramatic outpourings and dynamic, finessed upheavals, it’s a carefully crafted record proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that Cindy Wilson continues to have her fingers on the pulse of modern music. Pop in style and indie at heart, Realms is the next new wave of Wilson’s already storied legacy.
 

Photo credit: John Stapleton

New music: The B-52s, 'The Soul of Midnight Special,' 'Linda & the Mockingbirds' documentary, Def Leppard live releases

Whether your musical tastes favor groundbreaking New Wave, classic '70s soul, British favorites Def Leppard or traditional Mexican music, there are outstanding new releases to discover. 

Artist: The B-52s

Title: Live At US Festival (Shout! Factory)

You might like if you enjoy: the B-52's, Devo, the US Festival

Tell me more: Thirty-eight years after the B-52s took the stage at the inaugural US Festival in September 1982, the group's fabled appearance – featuring the band's classic era lineup – is available to see via a terrific DVD. The groundbreaking forerunner to Coachella, the US Festival was a music, technology and culture event staged in Glen Helen Regional Park in the Southern California desert in 1982 and again in 1983. The B-52s' performance has long been considered one of the finest of the two-year event and its showcase on the Shout! Factory release delivers on that promise in spades. The B-52s are on fire throughout the performance, fueling a bona fide dance party with one surefire uptempo post-punk New Wave track after another. Led by singer Fred Schneider, singer-percussionist Cindy Wilson, singer-keyboardist Kate Pierson, guitar great Ricky Wilson (who passed away in 1985) and drummer Keith Strickland, the band is also joined by a two-man horn section (sax player Ralph Carney, trumpeter Dave Buck) to further power the dance-minded material in the performance.  The fast-moving set includes 13 classic originals including beloved favorites "Party Out Of Bounds," "Planet Claire," "Mesopotamia," "Private Idaho" and "Rock Lobster." There are also interview segments where Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson discuss the US Festival performance, Ricky Wilson's contributions, and their enduring career. Information: ShoutFactory.com.

Artist: Al Green, Sly & the Family Stone, Ray Charles, James Brown, many more

Title: The Soul of Midnight Special (TimeLife)

You might like if you enjoy: James Brown, Al Green, Sly & the Family Stone, Chuck Berry, the Staple Singers

Tell me more: Fans of '70s soul music will want to get the newly-released "The Soul of Midnight Special," featuring more than 70 live performances. The performances are offered up in chronological order, spanning from February 1973 to December 1976. Highlights on this collection – which includes more than 70 inspired live performances spanning five DVD discs – abound; the Spinners' "I'll Be Around," the O'Jays "Love Train," Ray Charles' "Georgia on My Mind," Gladys Knight and B.B. King collaborating on "The Thrill Is Gone," and Billy Preston's "Will It Go Round in Circles" are among the countless standouts on the early part of this collection. Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean On Me," Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," the Staple Singers' "Let's Do It Again" and "Respect Yourself," James Brown's "Sex Machine," and Earth, Wind & Fire's "Devotion" shine on the latter part of the title. Among the hosts seen on the set are Lou Rawls, The Bee Gees, Paul Williams, Wilson Pickett, Wolfman Jack, Helen Reddy and Chuck Berry (who is also featured offering up a terrific version of "Johnny B. Goode"). The audio and visual quality of the discs is good and it's great to see so many legendary artists performing their greatest hits. Information: TimeLife.com.

Artist: Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, traditional Mexican music

Title: Linda and the Mockingbirds (Shout! Studios / PCH Films)

You might like if you enjoy: Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Los Cenzontles

Tell me more: Since 1989, San Pablo, California-based Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy has trained thousands of children in the art of traditional Mexican music and dance. Multi-Grammy Award winner Linda Ronstadt's long-time support of the group led to the production of a powerful new documentary ("Linda and the Mockingbirds") that chronicles the singer's 2019 journey to Mexico with a group of young students that was captured by award-winning director James Keach (who also directed Glen Campbell's "I'll Be Me" and the Linda Ronstadt documentary "The Sound of My Voice"). Los Cenzontles ("The Mockingbirds") was founded by Eugene Rodriguez – who along with singer-songwriter great Jackson Browne – also features prominently in the compelling documentary. But the true heart of the film is the road trip by Ronstadt, Browne and a large tour bus filled with young singers, dancers and instrumentalists who journey to the small town of Banámichi in the Mexican state of Sonora (where Ronstadt's grandfather grew up) to perform and meet with the folkloric dance troupe Grupo de Danza Xunutzi and stage a performance in the community. The documentary masterfully examines the important role of traditional Mexican music and dance for those who live on both sides of the border, as well as issues related to the hot topic of immigration and how that impacts families who are often divided by politics. "Linda and the Mockingbirds" was released digitally Oct. 20 via Shout! Studios. Information: ShoutFactory.com.

Artist: Def Leppard

Titles: "Hysteria At The O2" and "Hits Vegas, Live At Planet Hollywood" (Eagle Rock Entertainment)

You might like if you enjoy: Def Leppard, Queen

Tell me more: Earlier this year Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rock quintet Def Leppard released the outstanding multi-format release "London To Vegas," available as a deluxe 2Blu-ray+4CD, 2DVD+4CD and via digital formats. Now Eagle Rock Entertainment has just released standalone audio versions of "Hysteria At The O2" and "Hits Vegas, Live At Planet Hollywood" as limited edition 2CDs releases. "Hysteria At The O2," finds Def Leppard celebrating their 1987 album Hysteria with a concert set revisiting that multi-platinum album from start to finish before a hometown crowd in London in December 2018. To be sure this is an important outing for the group, and the members of Def Leppard (singer Joe Elliott, guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, bassist Rick "Sav" Savage and drummer Rick Allen) offer up powerful arena rock-ready takes of classics including "Love Bites," "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Animal," "Gods of War" and the rest of "Hysteria" before delving into other moments in their history for choice cuts including the set-ending "Let's Get Rocked," "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph."  

The second performance "Hits Vegas" — filmed at Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood a few months after the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 — features a far-flung set offering some choice deep cuts from the band. The hard-rocking "Die Hard The Hunter," harmonies-drenched "Too Late for Love," ambitious "Billy's Got a Gun" (bolstered by the tandem lead guitar work of Collen and Campbell) and "Paper Sun" as well as the acoustic-styled "Let Me Be The One" and "We Belong" are delivered with power and perfection. The hits are here as well, including terrific runs through "Foolin'," "Bringin' On The Heartbreak," "Rocket," "Action" and "Armageddon It." Looking ahead hardcore fans should note that the "Hits Vegas" title will be released as a limited edition transparent blue vinyl LP on Dec. 11, 2020. Information: defleppard.com and eagle-rock.com.

Robert Kinsler

'The B-52s: Live At The US Festival' on DVD and Digital coming Sept. 4, 2020

What a thrill! The B-52s' legendary performance at the 1982 US Festival is coming to DVD and digital later this summer! Here is the official media release and title artwork...

Los Angeles, CA – Travel back in time to a carefree Labor Day weekend in 1982, when The B-52s: Live At The US Festival comes to DVD and digital platforms on September 4, 2020 from Shout! Factory. The performance features all five founding band members, and the film is dedicated to Ricky Wilson, who passed away 5 years after the US Festival performance. In brand-new interviews included in The B-52s: Live At The US Festival, band members Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson talk about Ricky, and what he meant to their unique sound, along with memories of performing at the US Festival. 

Dance this mess around with the all-time, good-time party band The B-52s in a wild and unforgettable live performance. This hour-long set, recorded at the inaugural US Festival in 1982, had the crowd dancing from start to finish, and was considered to be one of the best of the entire festival. 

"It was hot as hell in the desert but as soon as we got going we had the audience dancing up a dust storm,” says Fred Schneider.

This rare footage shows off the joyous energy and unique spirit that has been a hallmark of their music and live performances for over 40 years. 

Packed with 13 hits and favorites from the group’s early years, including “Rock Lobster,” “Planet Claire,” Private Idaho,” and others, Live At US Festival is the first-ever live concert DVD release from The B-52s’ classic era, and a tasty slice of rock history that’s an absolute must-see for anyone who likes to party out of bounds! 

The B-52s: Live At The US Festival is available for pre-order now at Shoutfactory.com and amazon.com. 

The B-52s: Live At The US Festival Performances:

Party Out Of Bounds

Give Me Back My Man                                                                               

Planet Claire

Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can                            

Lava

Mesopotamia

6060-842

Big Bird

52 Girls

Dance This Mess Around

Private Idaho

Rock Lobster

Strobe Light

 

About Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network which delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Studios, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Shout! Factory Films, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.

About The B-52s

Selling over 20 million albums worldwide, The B-52s—Fred Schneider [vocals], Kate Pierson [vocals], Cindy Wilson [vocals], — have quietly impacted alternative music, fashion, and culture over the course of four-plus decades. They count John Lennon, Madonna, James Murphy, and Michael Stipe among their disciples. Panic! At The Disco, Blood Orange, The Offspring, Pitbull, Roger Sanchez, and DJ Shadow have sampled classics from the band’s discography as Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy, The Simpsons, Sugarland, and more offered up covers of their own. They inched towards the forefront of the post-punk movement in America codified by 1979’s self-titled The B-52s. Not only did the record go gold, but it also placed at #152 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and #99 on VH1’s “Greatest Albums of All Time.” The gold-selling Wild Planet arrived hot on its heels in 1980. With Keith Strickland brilliantly filling the void in with music composition and live show guitar duties, 1989’s watershed Cosmic Thing elevated the B-52s to another galaxy altogether. It moved 5 million-plus units and spawned a string of Top 10 smashes in the form of the GRAMMY®-nominated “Roam” and “Love Shack”—which Rolling Stone lauded on the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”

She Rocks Awards 2018 Celebrates Outstanding Women in Music

Photo credit: Ron Lyon

NAMM 2018: The Sixth Annual She Rocks Awards Celebrates Outstanding Women in the Music Industry

Melissa Etheridge, members of The B-52s, and many other musicians and audio industry professionals honored at prestigious event

Melissa Etheridge on Jan. 26, 2018.
Photo credit: Brandon Daza

Exene Cervenka of the band X.
Photo credit: Kevin Graft

Anaheim, CA, January 29, 2018 ––The sixth annual She Rocks Awards rocked the House of Blues Anaheim on January 26, 2018. Hosted by the Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN), the gala celebration featured a star studded array of honorees that included Melissa Etheridge, Kate Pierson & Cindy Wilson of The B-52s, Exene Cervenka of X and members of the pioneering all-female rock band Fanny, as well many other women from all corners of the music and audio industry.

Featured performers Command Sisters delivered an upbeat B-52s medley that had the house singing along. The evening also included the premiere of a new song by WiMN founder Laura B. Whitmore and recording artist Jenna Paone called, “Just a Girl,” along with a moving video that delivered a message encouraging girls to dream big. Laura B. Whitmore co-hosted along with Kat Corbett of LA radio station KROQ. 

Other highlights included a fantastic performance of the Etheridge hit “Come to My Window” by Laura Clapp, and Olivia Rox’s rendition of the Pat Benatar anthem “Invincible.” Alaska Reid of Alyeska interpreted X’s hit “Breathless” with sultry abandon. Members of the pioneering rock band Fanny shared their new project, Fanny Walked the Earth, with a preview of their upcoming 2018 release.

The rousing finale brought together members of Fanny, The B-52s, Melissa Etheridge and performers Olivia Rox, Jenna Paone, Laura Clapp and Sabrina Lentini to deliver an inspired performance of “Respect.” The song, made famous by Aretha Franklin, but written by Otis Redding (whose daughter, Karla Redding-Andrews, was also honored during the event), was an energetic ending to a moving evening. 

The full list of 2018 honorees includes:

•    Pat Benatar, four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist
•    Melissa Etheridge, Grammy® Award- and Academy® Award-winning artist
•    The B-52s Katie Pierson & Cindy Wilson, original members of one of the most
      beloved party rock bands of all time
•    Karla Redding-Andrews, Executive Director for The Otis Redding Foundation
•    Exene Cervenka, vocalist for the iconic punk band, X 
•    Amberly Crouse-Knox, Senior Director, Creative and Business Development, BMG Production Music
•    Jean Millington Adamian, June Millington, Brie Howard Darling, Patti Quatro Ericson and         Alice de Buhr of the pioneering all-female American rock band, Fanny
•    Candace Stewart, Studio Manager, EastWest Studios in Hollywood
•    Dawn Birr, Channel Manager for the Americas, Sennheiser Business Solutions 
•    Fabi Reyna, Founder and Editor of She Shreds Media
•    Vanessa Mering, Marketing Manager, HARMAN Professional
•    Kristy Porter, Guitar Center’s Director of Merchandising, General Accessories & Media

Whitmore reflected, “We were proud to formally recognize all the 2018 honorees at the She Rocks Awards. From manufacturers to musicians, our honorees span all corners of our industry. I felt truly humbled to be able to acknowledge their leadership and accomplishments. It was such a pleasure to join with them in this year’s celebration of women in music.”

Find out more at sherocksawards.com.

Sights and sounds: Dr. John, Tyrone Wells, Graham Nash, the B-52s

Here is a quick round-up of some interesting items to get you going on a Friday morning...

Dr. John is set to issue a new tribute titled Ske-Dat-De-Dat...The Spirit of Satch. The New Orleans musical legend will pay tribute to fellow Crescent City icon Louis Armstrong with his new disc, set for release on August 19, 2014 on Concord Records. The six-time GRAMMY-winning Dr. John will be joined by Bonnie Raitt, the McCrary Sisters, Shemekia Copeland, Blind Boys of Alabama and more. 

Singer-songwriter Tyrone Wells will perform at Pala Casino for a concert benefiting the Oak Grove Center for Education and the Arts tonight, Friday, June 27. Visit www.palacasino.com for more information.

Graham Nash has a feeling it might be time to redo 1970's epic Deja Vu. Check out this interesting story on the USA Today site.

Finally, it's hard to believe but the B-52s' stellar 1989 comeback disc Cosmic Thing turns 25 today. Check out this fun story that looks back at one of that era's best albums...