Inbox Update: Record Store Day, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Maine, Lemuria, kindlewood

With Record Store Day less than a week away, there is plenty of music minded news about all things music being issued fast and furious. Here is a lengthy post with all kinds of updates about forthcoming releases set for spring and summer 2013.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Releases New Song "Hiding"

Lyric Video for "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)"Out Now

Patterns Out Digitally 4/1 & Physically as a Limited Vinyl Only Record Store Day Piece 4/20

Detroit-based  Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. just premiered a brand new song via Earmilk. The new track, entitled "Hiding" is off of the duo's upcoming EP, Patterns, which will be available this coming Tuesday, April 16th digitally and April 20th physically as a vinyl only Record Store Day piece. The physical version of the EP will include two exclusive remixes. Earlier this week, the band released the official lyric video for "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)" the EP's first single with ELLE. Upon it's release, "If You Didn't See Me..." hit #1 on HypeMachine's Most Popular Chart. 

"If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)" Lyric Video on YouTube
http://youtu.be/WcEHVPA7j8o

"If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)" on SoundCloud

https://soundcloud.com/dale-earnhardt-jr-jr/dale-earnhardt-jr-jr-if-you

Josh and Daniel had this to say about the lyric video: "Hi friends. A few months back we were asked to make a 'lyric video' for our new song "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't on the Dancefloor". We didn't exactly understand what a lyric video's purpose was,  but it was explained to us that Justin Timberlake and Michael Buble had recently done lyric videos. Since we enjoy any comparison of us made with a straight face to two such perennially snappy dressers as JT and M Bubes we went for it. We also thought it might be fun to turn the video into what is essentially one long, strange commercial for our favorite synthesizer that we used on our forthcoming album... the Teenage Engineering OP-1. If you're not familiar with the OP-1 it's really, really amazing AND is the reason you see Daniel playing the world's smallest keyboard in the video (i'm sure at least a couple of you were wondering). If you ARE familiar with the OP-1 this sorta serves as a fanboy video for its usage and illustrates how we sampled our own vocal, chopped it up and ran it through the OP-1 to create the 'hook' you hear intermittently throughout "If You Didn't See Me...". "

It's been a crazy ride for these two Detroit boys. Within a year of posting a self-produced EP on their website, DEJJ were performing in front of 10-15,000 people at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, and selling out headlining dates across the country. Warner Bros. Records released the band's debut album, It's A Corporate World, in June of 2011, which was championed by Rolling Stone, Paste, Filter and Stereogum. DEJJ became one of the most blogged about bands of 2011. Josh and Daniel are modern day musicians not resigned to a certain category. 

Tour Dates:

4/20 - DETROIT - MAJESTIC THEATER (Record Store Day Show)  

4/25 - DC - ROCK AND ROLL HOTEL 

4/26 - BROOKLYN - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG    

4/27 - BROOKLYN - BROOKLYN BOWL (DJ Set)  

5/10 - DALLAS - THE LOFT 

5/11 - AUSTIN - THE PARISH

5/16 - LOS ANGELES - EL REY

5/17 - SAN FRANCISCO - THE INDEPENDENT

5/24 - CHICAGO - LINCOLN HALL

Official Website: http://www.daleearnhardtjrjr.com/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/daleearnhardtjrjr

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dalejrjrmusic

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/daleearnhardtjrjr

THE MAINE TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM 'FOREVER HALLOWEEN' ON JUNE 4, 2013

 

THE MAINE TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM, ‘FOREVER HALLOWEEN,’ ON JUNE 4

 

Phoenix, Arizona’s The Maine will release their fourth studio album Forever Halloween worldwide on June 4th*. The record will be released independently in the US in partnership with their management team Eighty One Twenty Three, and released via Rude Records in Europe, UK, Southeast Asia, Australia and Japan.

 

The album, produced by Brendan Benson of The Raconteurs, will be the band’s second consecutive self-­funded release following their departure from Warner Bro. Records.

 

"To be seen and treated as an equal by someone you hold in high regard is a gratifying and refreshing feeling” says frontman John O’Callaghan on working with Benson. “[He] opened his studio doors, did that and much more which helped provide the platform to create an album we can now all stand behind."

 

In support of the new record, The Maine will embark on a US tour from June through July. They will be headlining the first ever 8123 tour and share the stage with friends A Rocket To The Moon, This Century and Brighten. Look for The Maine’s new album Forever Halloween on June 4th and check out www.wearethemaine.net for more information.

 

The Maine is John O'Callaghan, Garrett Nickelsen, Pat Kirch, Kennedy Brock, and Jared Monaco.

 

For More Information:

http://wearethemaine.net/

https://www.facebook.com/themaine

https://twitter.com/themaine

        

Lemuria announces new LP and tour dates

Without a distinguishable understanding of the pop and intensity, a silent video of a Lemuria show would appear to be that of a blistering hardcore trio. To the viewers surprise, turning the audio on they'd find the stage diving mania and screamers are really chanting "Maybe I should wear lipstick too" or "You fit in my skin, softest I've let in" as guitarist/vocalist Sheena Ozzella's dynamic, melodic voice guides the unlikely chorus. Lemuria might not sound like they are from Buffalo, NY, but the band was proudly birthed there, following the legacy of an oddly eclectic, if not eccentric, music scene. When you loosen your ears to the sugary indie-pop, you'll discover discordant notes, odd time signatures, and brutal riffs creating menacing yet catchy music. Releasing their early 7" EPs and splits on drummer/vocalist Alex Kerns' label Art of the Underground, they landed their debut full length Get Better on west coast pop-punk label Asian Man Records. Following their debut, and worked into an ambitious DIY touring schedule, they sprinkled 7" releases around on labels such as Hex, No Idea Records, and Suburban Home. Eventually, they would settle in with the Boston-based Bridge Nine Records with their 2011 sophomore album, Pebble. Pebble received great critical acclaim and was featured with SPIN,RollingStone.com, and countless other magazines and websites. Now, Lemuria are gearing up to release their newest effort The Distance Is So Bigon Bridge Nine Records on June 18th.  Their most mature and best effort to date, this album was recorded at the Magpie Cage with J Robbins (Against Me!, Jawbreaker, The Promise Ring) earlier this year.  Look for song premieres, pre-orders, and more news coming very soon. LEMURIA  Sat-May-04    Purchase, NY        SUNY Purchase    Fri-May-17    St Catherines, ON    Mansion House Sat-May-18    Toronto, ON        Polyhaus Sun-May-19    Montreal, QC        Pouzza Fest Mon-May-20    Winooski, VT        Monkey House Tue-May-21    Boston, MA        TT The Bears Wed-May-22    Providence, RI        The Met Thu-May-23    New Haven, CT        Cafe Nine Fri-May-24    Hoboken, NJ        Maxwells Sat-May-25    Brooklyn, NY        Shea Stadium Sun-May-26    Philadelphia, PA    Barbary   Tue-May-28    Baltimore, MD        Metro Gallery Fri-May-31        Pittsburgh, PA        Mr. Smalls Theatre Sat-Jul-20        Blacksburg, VA        I Got Brains Fest 2 Lemuria  The Distance Is So Big   (Bridge Nine) Street Date: June 18, 2013 Michael and Stephen Moon Brilliant Dancer Clay Baby Scienceless Paint The Youth Dream Eater Oahu, Hawaii Chihuly Bluffing Statistics Public Opinion Bath Congratulations Sex Survivors' Guilt Ruby      LEMURIA LINKS:    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Lemuriapop     Official Site - http://www.lemuriapop.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/lemuriapop Label - http://www.bridge9.com/  kindlewood Premieres Video For "Give & Take" On Paste Magazine Sophomore Release Due Summer/Fall 2013   WASHINGTON, D.C. – “Gritty and delicate” (C-Ville Weekly) folk trio kindlewood premiered the video for the single “Give & Take” on Paste Magazine.   "Give & Take is about holding on to and being passionate about core beliefs and causes, but being willing to change and expand or take a step back; it's about that balance,” explains kindlewood’s Kelci Smith.  “It takes more than one mind and more than one heart to make a difference and live in peace with each other." The trio enlisted director Cory Pampalone and his crew - Michael Hartnett (cinematography) Jen Thompson (production) – to bring the song to life.   “My intentions were to present a new look for kindlewood, something that was still loyal to who they are and what the song "Give & Take" represents but a departure from the overly folksy/earthy imagery and introducing some polished stark studio-esque environments.”   Released in 2012, the single follows their 2011 debut Desiderium – nominated for “Best Contemporary Folk Recording of 2011” by the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA). And the trio was also nominated by The Deli Magazine/DC for “Best Emerging Band” of 2011.   Kindlewood’s sound is “marked by the pretty dulcet vocals of frontwoman Kelci Smith, sister to Fleet Foxes’ J. Tillman and Pearly Gate Music's Zach Tillman.” (-Creative Loafing Tampa) But as Dallas’s Pegasus News notes, “Family ties aside, Kelci has proven herself an adept songwriter through and through.”   Kelci is backed by her husband, Galen Smith, and friend Jamison Lyman whose technical proficiency on the guitar and proclivity to fingerstyle picking provide the perfect landscape for Kelci’s imagery and are often times the catalysts for her inspiration. With the incorporation of assorted percussion and various instruments like the ukulele, Shruti box, harmonica and glockenspiel, the trio delivers “an enchanting bucolic sound” (– Musicalshapes blog) and a remarkable live performance.   kindlewood is currently writing and recording the follow up to Desiderium due later this year.

Merle Haggard leaves 'em cheering in Anaheim

The country maverick returned to the Grove for another hearty helping of classics.

The Hag doffs his hat at the start of his Grove set on April 11, 2013. Photo: Kelly A. Swift, for the Register

Orange County had two chances to catch Merle Haggard on Thursday night, April 11, 2013.

The California native's initial appearance came when he threw out the first pitch at the Angels game against the A's.

But that was quickly overshadowed by Haggard's winning 70-minute concert across the parking lot at City National Grove of Anaheim.

Performing 20 songs spanning his 50-year career, the 76-year-old country legend brought his real-life inspired stories of love, loss, incarceration and mortality (he successfully battled lung cancer last decade) to a thrilled audience. The show's rewarding mix yielded cheers, sing-alongs, applause aplenty and tears from those around me.

Supported by a fantastic seven-member band, including his talented son Ben on lead guitar and two additional female singers, there was nevertheless no doubt that Haggard led the charge.

He sang and played his electric guitar with a confidence and skill that was never short of inspired, and his rich baritone connected from the first lines of "Big City," growing increasingly powerful as he tackled more nuanced material.

"Silver Wings" found his voice blending with the others in the group, and he further weighed in with a guitar solo that flowed gracefully into an arrangement featuring his pedal steel and fiddle players.

It wasn't until he had performed the first four songs of his set before he properly paused to chat with the crowd: "Good evening. Thank you very much. My name is Merle Haggard." The last line elicited as many cheers as some noteworthy songs still to come.

The set was weighted heavily in favor of the many hits he scored on country radio in the '60s-'80s. "Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star," "Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)," "If We Make It Through December" and "That's the Way Love Goes" were energetically offered with arrangements that breathed additional life into the material.

"I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink" featured a gleaming, speedy solo from Ben Haggard before Merle played a decidedly rawer one of his own. A bit later "If I Could Only Fly" featured Hag's most tender vocal, the ballad casting an emotive spell in the large theater.

The maverick also showcased his skills on fiddle during "Working in Tennessee," the title cut from his latest album, as well as on the bluegrass-flavored "Take Me Back to Tulsa."

After performing his most iconic hit, "Okie from Muskogee," Haggard sat down and ended the magical concert with another title track, the reflective piece from his 2010 album "I Am What I Am." Midway through it, he put aside his guitar and quickly left the stage, leaving his band to finish it off to still more resounding cheers.

How Important Are Lyrics? Check out the new episode of Music Worth Buying

Check out the new episode of Music Worth Buying where TJR and I discuss and debate the importance of song lyrics. This is a subject we tackle in-depth.

Sights and Sounds: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Walter Trout

Here is the latest roundup of several new items from a couple of great artists...

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE O.M.D. LIVE - ARCHITECTURE & MORALITY & MORE ON BLU-RAY MAY 7, 2013

On May 7 2013, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s first ever Blu-ray Live - Architecture & Morality & More.

Featuring the classic OMD line-up of Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper, this show was exclusively recorded on the band’s hugely successful UK and European tour in 2007. For the early part of this tour, including this concert recorded at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, the concert was split into two halves. The first part of the evening was a complete performance of the Architecture & Morality album, while the second half was a greatest hits set covering the rest of the band’s career. The concert is spectacularly presented with films specially created to complement the songs running on huge screens around the stage.

Architecture & Morality, originally released in 1981, is considered by many to be the pinnacle of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s career. This album, a staple of British New Wave and synthpop, spawned three Top 5 UK singles and the album itself peaked at No.3, as well as skyrocketing the band into worldwide recognition.

In addition to this two-tier concert, the Blu-ray includes bonus alternate edits of “Joan of Arc (Maid Of Orleans),” and “The New Stone Age,” as well as interviews with the band members and director Hari Haralambous.

Live – Architecture & Morality & More clearly underscores why the band are beloved by so many music fans. Additionally, there will be a new OMD studio album English Electric released on April 8 and the band will be on tour in April 2013!

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.

 

MASCOT LABEL GROUP'S PROVOGUE TO RELEASE

WALTER TROUT'S LUTHER'S BLUES ON JUNE 11, 2013

Title is Trout's First Covers Album in Illustrious Career In Tribune To Luther Allison

Walter Trout has released 22 solo albums over a career that has spanned the globe, and delivered notoriety as one of the great purveyors of the Blues. At the age of 62, in tribute to friend and legend, the late, great Luther Allison, he has recorded a album of covers for the very first time. Trout reveals, "I’ve thought about doing this album for years. Luther was one of the all-time greats, and it was just an unbelievably potent thing to watch him perform. Just the energy and commitment that guy had, he was one of a kind. We played together once, and just as we walked offstage, somebody pointed a camera and we hugged and smiled. And that photo is on the cover of the CD. When he died [in 1997], the idea of this album was planted in my brain." Luther's Blues will be released on June 11th via Mascot Label Group's Provogue.

Trout's back-story is a page-turner you won’t want to put down. Five decades in the making; it is equal parts thriller, romance, suspense and horror. There are musical fireworks, critical acclaim and fists-aloft triumph, offset by wilderness years and brushes with the jaws of narcotic oblivion. From 1973 when he left his New Jersey home headed to Los Angeles, he followed a road that afforded him an opportunity to just play, sharing the stage as a sideman with Jesse Ed Davis, Big Mama Thornton, Lowell Fulson, Joe Tex, and of course the great John Mayall following a 3 year tenure in Canned Heat. Trout recalls, "As far as being a blues-guitar sideman, the Bluesbreakers gig is the pinnacle. That’s Mount Everest. You could play with B.B. King or Buddy Guy, but you’re just gonna play chords all night. This guy features you. You get to play solos. He yells your name after every song, brings you to the front of the stage, and lets you sing. He creates a place for you in the world." And that destiny continued on down a road that has been nothing but prolific.

On March 6, 1989, the guitarist who had brought thrilling flammability to the Breakers’ sound and produced stone-cold classics including "One Life To Live," was newly sober and on his 38th birthday sensed the hand of destiny. He walked away from the Bluesbreakers, embarking on a solo career that has yielded a catalogue that establishes a deep legacy in the world of Blues. A quarter century later, what seemed like career suicide has been vindicated by 22 solo albums, a still-growing army of fans, and accolades including a nod as “the world’s greatest rock guitarist” in legendary DJ Bob Harris’ autobiography The Whispering Years, and a #6 placing on BBC Radio One’s countdown of the Top 20 Guitarists of All Time. Meanwhile, Trout’s most recent original album, Blues For The Modern Daze, was heralded by titles like Classic Rock Blues as perhaps his finest to date. In the U.S., USA Today selected the track "Lonely" as their Pick of the Week publishing, "Trout is the man who followed Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor as chief guitarist for John Mayall's blues outfit, and who had a long career as a leader of his own band. He brings all of his life experiences to bear on Modern Daze. " Trout offers, “I feel like with Modern Daze I found the style I’ve been searching for over 20 albums. It’s working, it comes out good, and I can play it well.”

Of all the peaks in Trout’s trajectory, his abiding memory of the late Chicago bluesman is perhaps the most literal. It’s 1986, and high above Lake Geneva, at the palatial Alpine chalet of late Montreux Jazz Festival Svengali Claude Nobs, lunch is being served. “So we’re up at the top of the Alps,” Trout recalls, “in this big room with John Mayall, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Robert Cray, Otis Rush, and as we’re eating, Dr. John is serenading us on acoustic piano. I sat there with Luther Allison, and we had a great talk."

This collection was bottled at Hollywood’s Entourage Studios alongside producer Eric Corne: the same combination that birthed 2012’s acclaimed solo release, Blues For The Modern Daze. The atmosphere, remembers Trout, was one of spit, grit and seat-of-the-pants energy: “Spontaneity is so important with this sort of music. Everybody was saying, ‘Well, aren’t you gonna get together and rehearse?’, but you don’t want to over-analyse or get too sterile. This album was all pretty much first or second takes. It’s gotta have warts on it. It’s gotta have a bit of grease in it.”

As Walter Trout powers into his 25th year as a solo star, there’s no whiff of the ennui or creative autopilot that hobbles the later output of most veterans. On the contrary, there’s a sense of growing momentum, perhaps even of a little surprise. “It’s hard to believe I’m still alive, to be honest,” he smiles. “I should have been dead by 30, with the life I was leading. But I still have a career, and at 62, I’m still climbing the ladder, which keeps it exciting, instead of trying to rekindle past glories. I feel like I play with more fire than when I was 25. I’m still reaching, y' know…?”

Sights and Sounds: Coachella & Stagecoach festivals, Record Store Day, Rick Springfield

Since I have been busy prepping for my coverage of both Coachella and Stagecoach festivals out in Indio, I have not had much time to posting much this past week. Yesterday I had a chance to listen (and re-listen) to music from many of the fine acts I hope to catch at Coachella including New Order and Phoenix. I thought I'd quickly post a few things here before I get back to my listening...

Record Store Day always lands on the Saturday I'm at Coachella and this year is no different. As we get closer to April 20, I'll make sure to post as much news as I can on the special event. Here is the latest news release highlighting some of the day's special releases. 

Astralwerks Records will celebrate its own 20th anniversary in connection with the day. Founded in 1993 in New York City, Astralwerks Records began as an independent boutique label releasing visionary records that helped ignite two explosive waves of musical creativity: first with Electronica in the '90s, and more recently with EDM in the new millennium. Over the last 20 years, the label has become one of America's pre-eminent homes for unique and forward-thinking artists, nurturing a roster of genre-bending musicians and bands.

To celebrate this 20-year anniversary, Astralwerks is proud to announce the release of a strictly limited edition box set entitled Astralwerks: Music in 20/20, produced exclusively for Record Store Day on April 20, 2013. The box set spans 20 artists, over 20 years, and includes 20 tracks pressed onto retro-groovy vinyl flexi discs. Included are exclusives or rarely heard bonus tracks from Air,Diamond Rings, Hot Chip, Kings Of Convenience, Kraftwerk and The Kooks. Astralwerks General Manager Glenn Mendlingerobserves “Astralwerks is proud to celebrate this important milestone for the label and to document our history in artist development and ground-breaking music.  It is incredible to be a driving force in electronic music and DJ culture for 20 years starting with The Future Sound Of London, The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, leading into such iconic legends as Kraftwerk and Pet Shop Boys and landing where we are today with David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia.”  He adds, "This anniversary box set is really only a snapshot, when compared to the entire canon of extraordinary artists we have worked with. The tracks included are a mix of staff and fan favorites, commercial highlights and unsung rarities."

In the Summer of 1993 Astralwerks released its first album - Tales Of Ephidrina by Amorphous Androgynous - a pseudonym of the legendary Future Sound of London, and catalyst for the sub-genre known at the time as 'ambient techno'. A landmark series of compilations called Excursions in Ambience followed, as did Big Beat, Breaks and the early progenitors of tech-house, subsequently spawning classics by some of the most groundbreaking electronic artists of the era - Future Sound Of London, Photek, Spacetime Continuum, and µ-Ziq, to name just a few. As the new millennium dawned, the label added luminaries such as The Beta Band, Beth Orton, doves, Hot Chip, Kings of Convenience, Phoenix and Placebo to its roster, as well as releasing Tour De France, the first new album in 12 years from legendary electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, as well as re-issuing their fabled catalogue.

This box set celebrates many important milestones for the label: Fatboy Slim's You've Come A Long Way Baby was the first DJ album to go platinum in the USA. The Chemical Brothers' "Block Rockin' Beats" was the first track by an electronic artist to win a Grammy® and crack the Alternative Top 40 Chart.  Astralwerks continued to break new ground by establishing David Guetta as a major mainstream artist in America selling over 11 million singles from the smash album Nothing But The Beat.   The label continues to break uncharted territory as evidenced by its partnership with Swedish House Mafia who became the first-ever DJ artists to sell out Madison Square Garden (in an incredible 10 minutes).

So here we are, 20 years on, and Astralwerks has successfully launched the U.S. careers of many new artists - including Gold Fields, Diamond Rings, Empire of the Sun, NERVO, Eric Prydz, and Swedish House Mafia. As a label, it continues to look to the future, not only within the resurgence of electronic dance music but amidst a continually morphing array of musical genres and artists who continue to break new ground.

Astralwerks: Music in 20/20 Tracklisting:

1: Future Sound of London - The Far Out Son Of Lung And The Ramblings Of A Madman (Original 12" Version)

2: The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats

3:  The Beta Band - Dry The Rain

4: Fatboy Slim - Praise You

5: Cassius - Cassius 1999

6: Doves - The Cedar Room [Promo-only version previously unreleased in the US]*

7: Kings of Convenience - Winning A Battle, Losing The War (J-Walk Remix) [Previously unreleased in the US]*

8: Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At

9:  Royksopp - Poor Leno

10: Sia - Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix)

11: Hot Chip - My Shit's On Fire Right Now [First ever commercial release]*

12: The Kooks - Put Your Back to My Face [Previously unreleased in the US]*

13:  Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream

14: David Guetta - Sexy Bitch (feat. Akon)

15: Air - Indian Summer [Previously unreleased in the US]*

16: Kraftwerk - Die Roboter [German language version of "The Robots." Previously unreleased in the US]*

17:  Eric Prydz - Allein

18: Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child (feat. John Martin)

19: Diamond Rings - Put Me On (Diamond Dance) [Previously unreleased]

20: Gold Fields - Dark Again

*Exclusive tracks

About Record Store Day: Record Store Day is managed by the Department of Record Stores and is organized in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) and celebrates the culture of independent record stores by playing host to in-store events/performances, signings and special product releases on a global scale.www.recordstoreday.com

Rick Springfield is returning (briefly) to General Hospital in connection with the show's 50th anniversary. Check out writer George A. Paul's post on his Music Minded blog to learn more.

Sights and Sounds: The Moody Blues featured on two forthcoming releases

Although I'm busy prepping for my coverage of both Coachella and Stagecoach this month, I wanted to  post breaking news that will excite fans of The Moody Blues...

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE

 

THE MOODY BLUES

LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970

LIVE AT MONTREUX 1991

 

~ON DVD/CD MAY 21, 2013~

 

 

 

On May 21, 2013, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release two titles from The Moody Blues: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 and Live at Montreux 1991. These re-issues are now being made available on DVD/CD sets, truly giving fans the ultimate live experience.

 

Featuring such classic tracks as “Question,” “Nights In White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Legend Of A Mind,” “Ride My See Saw,” “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band),” and “Your Wildest Dreams,” Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970 and Live at Montreux 1991 traces twenty years of The Moody Blues  incredible live shows, proving that these songs stand the test of time.

 

At the end of August 1970, shortly after the release of their album A Question Of Balance, The Moody Blues took to the stage of the Isle Of Wight Festival in front of an audience estimated at over half a million. Live at The Isle Of Wight captures this stunning performance, and the DVD includes a 20-minute documentary.

 

Live At Montreux from July 1991 is the band’s only Montreux appearance to date. With a line-up including John Lodge, Justin Hayward, Ray Thomas and Graeme Edge, this was a very special night with inspired performances of all their classic hits.

 

The Moody Blues formed in Birmingham, England in the early 60s and were immediately successful, going to No.1 with their second single “Go Now.” As the sixties progressed, their music evolved into a lusher, more progressive sound, fusing classical music and hard rock. With the arrival of Justin Hayward and John Lodge the classic line-up came together and produced the masterpiece Days Of Future Passed, which contained their classic hit singles “Nights In White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon.” Between 1967 and 1970 they released five more albums, four of which hit the Top 5 in the UK with two of them going to No.1. They enjoyed similar success in the USA, where four of the albums hit the Top 20.

 

Eagle Rock Entertainment has also recently released Justin Hayward’s new album Spirits Of The Western Sky.

Follow Eagle Rock Entertainment at:

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: www.twitter.com/EagleRockNews

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/eaglerocktv

 

 

 

TRACK LISTING

 

Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970:

DVD:

Documentary (approx 20 mins)  

The Concert:

1)    Gypsy  

2)   Tuesday Afternoon  

3)   Never Comes The Day  

4)   Tortoise And The Hare 

5)   Question  

6)   Sunset                

7)   Melancholy Man  

8)   Nights In White Satin  

9)   Legend Of A Mind  

10) Ride My See Saw  

11) Conclusion

 

CD:

1) Gypsy  

2) Sunset  

3) Tuesday Afternoon  

4) Minstrel’s Song  

5) Never Comes The Day  

6) Tortoise And The Hare  

7) Question  

8) Melancholy Man  

9) Are You Sitting Comfortably?  

10) The Dream  

11) Have You Heard (Parts 1 & 2)  

12) Nights In White Satin  

13) Legend Of A Mind  

14) Ride My See Saw

 

 

Live At Montreux:

1) Lovely To See You  

2) Gemini Dream  

3) Tuesday Afternoon  

4) Bless The Wings (That Bring You Back)*  

5) Lean On Me (Tonight)*  

6) Say It With Love  

7) The Story In Your Eyes  

8) Your Wildest Dreams  

9) Isn’t Life Strange  

10) The Other Side Of Life  

11) I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)  

12) Nights In White Satin  

13) Legend Of A Mind  

14) Question  

15) Ride My See-Saw

* = tracks not on CD