Sights and Sounds: The Babys, Randy Rhoads tribute, J. Geils Band

Happy Tuesday everybody!

Here is a roundup of what's happening...

The Babys kick off 2015 with a bang

~Hit Single “I See You There” On The Charts – New Video Out Now!~

~Exclusive Representation with Ashley Talent International~

~2015 Tour – Dates To Be Announced Soon~

With the release of their new album I’ll Have Some Of That, and their single “I See You There” hitting the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Single Sales chart at the end of 2014, The Babys aren’t slowing down any time soon...

The newly released video for “I See You There” is an intimate look at the band in a “behind-the-scenes” setting: songwriting, collaborating, performing, and generally enjoying making music together. The song, written by guitarist Joey Sykes, revitalizes the classic Babys melodic flair – that sound that made smash hits out of “Every Time I Think Of You,” “Head First,” and “Back On My Feet Again.”

Additionally, The Babys are proud to announce exclusive representation with booking agency Ashley Talent International, and a 2015 tour is in the works.

“We’re thrilled and honored to represent a band that not only possesses a rich history of hit records in the past, but has now achieved a Top 10 Billboard sales chart position in present times,” states Ashley Talent International CEO Mark Hyman.

The release of I’ll Have Some Of That marked a new era for the band. With new members Sykes and John Bisaha (lead vocalist/bassist), The Babys have retained the hooks, the melodies, the pristine songwriting, and the rich female backing vocals. It’s all there, reinstating the band’s signature sound.

The Babys are ready to carry that sound across the US and beyond when they hit the road this year, because let’s face it… “Isn’t It Time?”

CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO OF “I SEE YOU THERE”: http://youtu.be/EiVLuE6_l0U

Announcing “Immortal RANDY RHOADS – The Ultimate Tribute”

A Celebratory Album Feat. All-Star Guests SERJ TANKIAN, TOM MORELLO and More

Out March 3, 2015 via UDR Music

The Late Legendary Guitar Hero Memorialized in Sensational Cover Tracks

Featuring an All-Star Line-Up of Music Greats:

TOM MORELLO

SERJ TANKIAN

RUDY SARZO

FRANKIE BANALI

VINNY APPICE

TIM “RIPPER” OWENS

CHUCK BILLY

ALEXI LAIHO

GEORGE LYNCH

GUS G.

BRUCE KULICK

DOUG ALDRICH

DWEEZIL ZAPPA

BERNIE TORME              

JON DONAIS

BRAD GILLIS

… and More

Album Includes Bonus DVD w/ Artist and Producer Interviews and More

One of the most venerated guitarists ever to grace hard rock music, the late, great Randy Rhoads (heralded as the legendary lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot) will be celebrated in the truest of fashions with the release of Immortal Randy Rhoads – The Ultimate Tribute on March 3, 2015 via UDR Music.

A collection of 11 classic Rhoads co-written songs, Immortal Randy Rhoads – The Ultimate Tribute is performed by twenty top contemporary artists, including old friends and performing partners Rudy Sarzo and Frankie Banali, his brother Kelle Rhoads and more designated musicians like Serj Tankian, Tom Morello, Vinny Appice, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Chuck Billy, Alexi Laiho, George Lynch, Gus G., Bruce Kulick, Doug Aldrich, Dweezil Zappa and others.

The album was produced and compiled by the Grammy-award winning guitarist and producer Bob Kulick at his own studio.

Along with the album, Immortal Randy Rhoads – The Ultimate Tribute will also contain a bonus DVD available in the digipack version, including interesting interviews with some of the involved artists, hosted by Bob Kulick and a feature on the Musonia School of Music, a teaching school on North Hollywood, California, set up by Randy’s mother and run by his brother Kelle Rhoads.

Pre-order details coming soon! Immortal Randy Rhoads – The Ultimate Tribute will also be available in double vinyl gatefold and digital formats.

Full track listing with performers:

1. Crazy Train

Vocals: Serj Tankian

Gtrs:  Tom Morello

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums:  Vinny Appice

2. Over the Mountain

Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens

Gtrs: Jon Donais

Bass:  Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Frankie Banali

3. Mr Crowley

Vocals: Chuck Billy

Gtrs:  Alexi Laiho

Keyboards: Kelle Rhoads

Bass Rudy: Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Vinny Appice

4. Believer

Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens

Gtrs:  Doug Aldrich

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Vinny Appice

5. Back To The Coast (Quiet Riot)

Vocals: Kelle Rhoads

Gtrs:  Bruce Kulick

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Frankie Banali

6. I Don't Know

Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens

Gtrs: George Lynch

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Brett Chassen

7. S A T 0

Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens

Rhythm guitars: Bob Kulick

Lead guitar: Dweezil Zappa

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Vinny Appice

8. Killer Girls (Quiet Riot)

Vocals:  Tim “Ripper” Owens

Gtrs: Joel Hoekstra

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Brett Chassen

9. Goodbye to Romance

Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens

Gtrs: Gus G.

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Brett Chassen

10. Suicide Solution

Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens

Gtrs:  Brad Gillis

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums: Brett Chassen

11. Flying High Again

Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens

Gtrs:  Bernie Torme

Bass: Rudy Sarzo

Drums:  Brett Chassen

A lover of classical music, Rhoads had taken initial steps into rock’n’roll as a 16 year old when he formed a band, that soon became Quiet Riot. Rhoads was vaulted to the limelight in 1979 when Ozzy Osbourne chose the relatively unknown guitarist to help shape a new future for him via his band, Blizzard of Oz. The result saw Rhoads co-script two of the most famous albums in hard rock history,Blizzard Of Oz and Diary of A Madman, and rapidly ascended the stairway of fame and recognition for his virtuoso playing and writing. Famed for the way he fused classical flavors with technically-excellent hard rock, Rhoads became one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock.

When he tragically passed away on March 19, 1982 in a plane accident, Rhoads was only 25 years old, but thankfully, the legend of his work, ethos and their continuing influence on a whole new generation of guitarists, has never dimmed.

Celebrate the life and legend of Randy Rhoads with Immortal Randy Rhoads – The Ultimate Tribute.

For more information on this release, please visit http://udr-music.com/index.php/randyrhoads-info.

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE

 

THE J. GEILS BAND

HOUSE PARTY LIVE IN GERMANY

 

~FIRST TIME EVER RELEASE OF THIS CLASSIC CONCERT~

 

DVD+CD, DIGITAL AUDIO

 

~FEBRUARY 24, 2015~

On February 24, 2015, Eagle Rock Entertainment will issue the first ever release of House Party Live In Germany – the classic Rockpalast concert from The J. Geils Band – on DVD+CD and Digital Audio. [Pre-book Order Date January 30, MSRP $19.98]

 

The year was 1979. The J. Geils Band were touring Europe in support of the Sanctuary album and its hit single “One Last Kiss,” when they made a pit stop in Essen, Germany to perform on the famed television seriesRockpalast. Filmed on April 21 at the Grugahalle, the aptly-named House Party Live In Germany features The J. Geils Band delivering their brand of raw, raucous, R&B-soaked Rock ‘N’ Roll in a solid 14-song set. The first half of the concert focuses on material from Sanctuary, while the second half blasts through earlier breakthrough hits, like “Looking For A Love,” “Give It To Me,” and “Ain’t Nothing But A House Party.”

 

In the 70s, The J. Geils Band developed a reputation for their faithful devotion to down-n-dirty bar blues (while most of their contemporaries drew more heavily from British blues-rock and psychedelia). As time progressed, their sound expanded into new directions and acquired more pop influences, leading them to score massive crossover appeal and commercial success with their 1981 album Freeze Frame and its smash hit “Centerfold.” House Party Live In Germany catches the band just before that key turn in the band’s career.

 

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world.  Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne, Genesis, Alice Cooper, Eric Clapton and Aerosmith. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 40 multi-platinum, over 80 platinum and over 144 gold discs, worldwide.  Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Paris and Hamburg.

 

Follow Eagle Rock Entertainment at:

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: www.twitter.com/EagleRockNews

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/eaglerocktv

 

 

Track Listing:

1.) Jus’ Can’t Stop Me

2.) I Could Hurt You

3.) Sanctuary

4.) One Last Kiss

5.) Teresa

6.) Nightmares

7.) Wild Man

8.) Looking For A Love

9.) Give It To Me

10.) Whammer Jammer

11.) Ain’t Nothing But A House Party

12.) Where Did Our Love Go

13.) Pack Fair and Square

14.) First I Look At The Purse

Sights and Sounds: Mike + the Mechanics, The Jayhawks, Gavin James,

Happy Monday everybody! Here is a roundup of noteworthy stuff that has landed in my inbox since Friday...

Mike + the Mechanics will hit the road in 2015 in celebration of the group's 30th anniversary - as well as the 25th anniversary of their hit album The Living Years. Check out George A. Paul's Music Minded Blog for all the details.

The Jayhawks wrap up a short West Coast tour with a concert at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano tonight. I'll be at the show, and if you are going or are a fan of the legendary troupe, check out Orange County Register writer Peter Larsen's great story where he interviewed Gary Louris about the current tour and future plans for the band. Read the story here.

Capitol Records has signed Gavin James and is introducing the Irish artist in the U.s. with Live At Whelans, which is now available everywhere, including iTunes andSpotify. The album features James performing in the stripped-back environment of a rapturously received hometown show. "Nervous," his pin-drop account of a one-sided relationship, can be streamed HERE. James' soulful cover of The Magnetic Fields' "The Book of Love," which can be heard HERE, recently hit #1 on Shazam in Holland. Live At Whelans - released in international markets via Good Soldier - climbed to #1 on iTunes in Ireland shortly after the pre-order launched.

The 22-year-old artist will join Seinabo Sey on her U.S. tour, which kicks off with a Popshop show at Le Poisson Rouge on January 27 and includes an evening at Hollywood Forever's Masonic Lodge in Los Angeles on February 4. (See below for itinerary.) Jameswill return to Dublin thereafter, where he will play a sold-out show at The Olympia Theatre on March 20. He is the first artist ever to sell out the historic venue before releasing a studio album.

James started playing guitar at the age of eight and comes from a family with a rich musical heritage - both of his maternal great grandparents were famous Irish Opera singers. He has already won Ireland's answer to the Mercury (the Choice Music Prize for Song of the Year). Say Hello, James' Irish debut EP, charted for more than six months, leading to a string of sold-out headline dates and supporting tours with such artists as Lianne La Havas, Beth Orton, Kodaline and Marina & The Diamonds. Clash has praised him as "tender, emotional...no mean talent" and Hotpress noted, "The fresh-faced soul machine possesses the power to hush a room."

Gavin James - U.S. Tour Dates

(All dates are supporting Seinabo Sey)

1/27 - New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge - Popshop

1/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club

1/30 - Chicago, IL @ Martyrs

2/4 - Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever

2/5 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel

Willie 'Popsy' Dixon, drummer-vocalist of The Holmes Brothers passes away

Sad news that just landed in my inbox...


WILLIE "POPSY" DIXON, DRUMMER AND VOCALIST OF ACCLAIMED SOUL/BLUES BAND THE HOLMES BROTHERS, 1942 - 2015

Willie "Popsy" Dixon, drummer and vocalist of the critically acclaimed soul/blues band The Holmes Brothers, died in Richmond, Virginia on Friday, January 9. He had recently been diagnosed with stage four bladder cancer. He was 72 years old.

Dixon, born in Virginia Beach, Virginia on July 26, 1942, was celebrated for his soaring, soulful multi-octave vocals and his driving, in-the-pocket drumming. He first met brothers Sherman and Wendell Holmes at a New York gig in 1967. Dixon sat in with the brothers and sang two songs. "After that second song," recalls Wendell, "Popsy was a brother." They played in a variety of Top 40 bar bands until 1979, when the three officially joined forces and formed The Holmes Brothers, which The New York Times described as "deeply soulful, uplifting and timeless." They toured the world, releasing 12 albums starting with 1990's In The Spirit on Rounder. Their most recent release is 2014's Brotherhood on Alligator.

Dixon first played the drums when he was seven. He told Blues On Stage, "My mom and dad took me to the store and told me to get anything I liked. There was this tiny red drum set, with a tiny little kick drum and snare...little cymbals. Now, that's what I wanted! By the next morning, the thing was in the trash can. I beat it all to death. But, I tell you what...I knew how to play after that. I just knew. I had the rhythm down pat and had timing too. Just that fast. I been playing ever since."

The Chicago Tribune described Dixon's voice as "otherworldly...a gift to the world of music." Living Blues said, "Popsy’s voice is a wonder...spontaneous and raw."

In September 2014, The Holmes Brothers were honored with a National Endowment For The Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor the United States bestows upon its folk and traditional artists.

Dixon is survived by daughter Desiree Berry and longtime partner Isobel Prideaux.

Funeral service information is pending. Interment will be at the Holmes' family plot in Saluda, Virginia.

'Austin City Limits' showcases Austin's own

It only makes sense to feature some of Austin's own great on the new episode of 'Austin City Limits' this weekend...

Double-Bill Featuring Spoon & White Denim Premieres January 10th on PBS

Watch Spoon Perform "Do You" on Austin City Limits

Watch White Denim Perform on ACL

Austin, TX—January 9, 2014—Austin City Limits (ACL) presents standout alternative music in a double-bill featuring two bands hailing from Austin itself—Spoon and White Denim. ACL has a long-standing legacy of showcasing music from around the globe, but in this installment the program is thrilled to cast a spotlight exclusively on homegrown talent. The new episode premieres Saturday, January 10th at 8pm CT/9pm ET on PBS as part of ACL's milestone Season 40. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at http://video.pbs.org/program/austin-city-limits/ immediately following the initial broadcast. The show's official hashtag is #acltv40.

Returning to ACL for the fourth time, Spoon is at the top of their game. Pitchfork hails them “one of the most stand-up bands of their generation” and of their twenty-year streak, Rolling Stone raves, “It's just been one long stretch of slow-build greatness”. The Austin natives perform songs from their acclaimed eighth album, They Want My Soul, their first album after a four-year hiatus, named one of the 50 Best Albums of 2014 by Spin, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and NPR, and landing on year-end best lists across-the-board. Spoon's six-song ACL set is a tour de force drawing primarily from the recent release and highlighting fan-favorites. Chugging guitar, tight melodies, killer hooks, and frontman Britt Daniels’ indelible vocals coupled with drummer Jim Eno's impeccable beats to create a sound all their own—it's a master-class performance from a band that has made it strictly on its own terms.

White Denim makes their ACL debut performing songs from their fifth album, Corsicana Lemonade, produced by Jeff Tweedy. Recently hailed “one of the city's best up-and-coming acts” by Rolling Stone, the Austin band has firmly established itself as an international draw on the club and festival circuits.  The Wall Street Journal raves, “White Denim is a band for fans who want their music served with serious playing and a touch of the experimental.”  Known for their exceptional live shows, the shape-shifting quartet mixes psychedelia, punk energy, prog rock and Southern rock-jamming to create a sonic blend that has the Austin crowd on their feet.

“Both Spoon and White Denim go way beyond being ‘Austin’s Own,’” says ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “When people ask me, ‘What’s the Austin sound,’ I say ‘it’s 1,000 different sounds.’ That's what helps to define Austin, and why we'll always continue to showcase the best of the best from the Austin music scene."

Spoon Setlist:
Inside Out
Rainy Taxi
I Turn My Camera On
Outlier
Do You
Knock Knock Knock

White Denim Setlist:
Pretty Green
Comeback
At the Farm
Anvil Everything
Sometimes I Don't Wanna Shake
I Start to Run

Season 40 | 2015 Broadcast Schedule

January 3, 2015    | The Avett Brothers / Nickel Creek
January 10, 2015  | Spoon / White Denim
January 17, 2015  | Sam Smith / Future Islands
January 24, 2015  | Ryan Adams / Jenny Lewis
January 31, 2015  | The Black Keys / J. Roddy Walston & The Business
February 7, 2015  | Foo Fighters
February 14, 2015 | Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Special


About Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. The program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL is the longest-running music series in American television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the pilot episode taped in 1974 with Willie Nelson. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that's helped secure Austin's reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic KLRU Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.

ACL is produced by KLRU-TV and funding is provided in part by Budweiser, the Austin Convention Center Department, Dell and HomeAway. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

Steven Wilson weaves chilling musical tale with 'Hand. Cannot. Erase.'

Exciting news that we can expect to hear new music from Steven Wilson in early March 2015... 

Album Available March 3, 2015 – North American Tour Begins May 21

Groundbreaking songwriter, four-time Grammy-nominated artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Steven Wilson, is set to release his fourth solo album, Hand. Cannot. Erase. (Kscope) on March 3, 2015.  Hand. Cannot. Erase. will be available at retailers nationwide and digitally with a limited deluxe edition for pre-order via Kscope (http://bit.ly/1DhHN6c). Wilson and his band will embark on a tour through the UK and Europe in March and April 2015, then head to North America dedicating much of the summer beginning on May 21 in Albany – itinerary below.  

This latest collection from the prolific song-writer is a dynamic 11-song conceptual set, bringing together diverse aspects of his expansive sonic history. Recorded in September 2014 at AIR Studios London, Hand. Cannot. Erase.features the guitar-driven power, infectious melodies, and progressive sensibility of Wilson’s sprawling body of work.

Wilson describes the collection as inspired by a news story, of a woman who died in her apartment and went undiscovered for three years. "The basic concept of the record – it's about a woman growing up, who goes to live in the city, very isolated, and she disappears one day and no one notices. Now, your initial reaction when you hear a story like that is, 'Ah, little old bag lady that no one notices; no one cares about.'  But she was young; she was popular; she was attractive; she had many friends; she had family, but for whatever reason, nobody missed her for three years."  The dramatic theme of Hand. Cannot. Erase. is punctuated with moments of rhythmic urgency, somber introspection, and soaring beauty.  Fans are invited to follow the blog entries at  http://Handcannoterase.com.

Tracklisting:

“First Regret”

“3 Years Older“

“Hand Cannot Erase”

“Perfect Life”

“Routine”

“Home Invasion”

“Regret #9”

“Transience”

“Ancestral”

“Happy Returns”

“Ascendant Here On...”

Best known as founder and front man of British rock act Porcupine Tree, Wilson has produced and collaborated with diverse acts as Opeth, Blackfield, Yes, Roxy Music, and XTC. His prolific engineering work can be heard on his mixes of classic releases from King Crimson, Jethro Tull, and most recently the 5.1 surround sound version of Tears For Fears’ classic Songs From The Big Chair reissue, released in November 2014. Porcupine Tree’s last album went top 30 in both the UK and USA, and the tour climaxed with sold out shows at Royal Albert Hall in London and Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Following the release of his critically acclaimed 2012 release, The Raven That Refused to Sing, Wilson set out on a world tour, having assembled a virtuoso band - Marco Minnemann (drums), Nick Beggs (bass), Theo Travis (flute and sax), Adam Holzman (keys) and Guthrie Govan (guitar).  His latest studio creation completed, the cinematic Hand. Cannot. Erase. features dynamic performances by Wilson, his touring ensemble, and vocal accompaniment from Ninet Tayeb.

# # #

www.stevenwilsonhq.com

Tour dates:

Thursday, May 21     Albany, NY              The Egg

Friday, May 22          Boston, MA             Berklee Performance Center

Saturday, May 23     Harrisburg, PA          The Whitaker

Tuesday, May 26      Washington, DC       930 Club

Thursday, May 28     Philadelphia, PA        Keswick Theater

Friday, May 29          New York, NY          Best Buy Theater

Saturday, May 30     New York, NY          Best Buy Theater

Thursday, June 04    Chicago, IL              Park West

Friday, June 05         Chicago, IL              Park West

Saturday, June 06     Madison, WI            Barrymore Theater

Tuesday, June 09     Denver, CO             Boulder Theater

Friday, June 12         Anaheim, CA            The Grove

Saturday, June 13     Los Angeles, CA       The Wiltern

Sunday, June 14       San Francisco, CA     The Warfield

Tuesday, June 16     Portland, OR            Aladdin Theater

Wednesday, June 17 Seattle, WA             Neptune Theater

Friday, June 26         Toronto                  The Danforth Music Hall Canada

Saturday, June 27     Montréal                 Montréal Jazz Festival Canada