New music: Simple Minds, Social Distortion, The Three O'Clock, Don McLean, Gram Parsons & the Fallen Angels

Grab these essential reissues, special collections and archive titles while they are available.

Artist: Simple Minds

Title: Acoustic In Concert (Mercury Studios)

You might like if you enjoy: Simple Minds, U2, Coldplay

Tell me more: Although it has been more than 45 years since Simple Minds formed in Glasgow, Scotland, the troupe's music resonates with as much power as ever as on the Blu-ray+CD release Acoustic In Concert. Captured at London's legendary Hackey Empire on Nov. 10, 2016, Simple Minds' performance as part of BBC Radio 2's "In Concert" series is a revelation for those who love textured and artful melodic alt rock. While the band members use acoustic instruments this is definitely no easy listening affair. Singer Jim Kerr and guitar great Charlie Burchill lead the ensemble through a potent and impassioned concert that includes well-known hits such as "Promised You a Miracle," "Don't You (Forget About Me)," "Someone Somewhere in Summertime," "Alive and Kicking" and "Sanctify Yourself," as well as tributes to some of the group's own heroes (David Bowie's "Andy Warhol" and Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot"). The concert ends with Simple Minds being joined on stage by groundbreaking English singer-songwriter Steve Harley to perform a joyous "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)." The audio and visual elements on the Blu-ray are outstanding. Information: simpleminds.com and mercurystudios.co.

Artist: Social Distortion

Title: Mommy's Little Monster (Craft Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Social Distortion, Mike Ness, The Adolescents, The Offspring

Tell me more: Craft Recordings' 40th Anniversary reissue of Social Distortion's fiery debut Mommy's Little Monster is a must-have for fans of the groundbreaking Southern California punk rock outfit. Released on Nov. 10 on 180-gram vinyl and digital formats, the album has been newly remastered from the original analog tapes that were recorded on Christmas Eve in 1982 at The Casbah recording studios in Fullerton, CA. The album features several of Social Distortion's early standout tracks including the blistering title track, hard-edged "The Creeps (I Just Wanna Give You)," and hardcore-styled single "Another State of Mind." In addition to classic black vinyl, Mommy's Little Monster is available in a variety of exclusive limited edition color ways, including ruby red, black & white marble, an exclusive white pressing at Barnes & Noble, and a gray variant at RevolverMag.com. Information: CraftRecordings.com.

Artist: The Three O'Clock

Title: Sixteen Tambourines (Yep Roc Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Rain Parade, The Bangles, Big Star

Tell me more: As one of the leaders of the so-called "Paisley Underground" Los Angeles area music scene in the early 1980s, The Three O'Clock blended garage rock, psychedelic pop, college rock and power pop into a groundbreaking brew. The band's 1984 sophomore album Sixteen Tambourines has been reissued in celebration of its 40th anniversary, and has been remastered by Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz. The wonderful sounding reissue provides a fantastic chance to discover (or rediscover) this outstanding masterwork. Sixteen Tambourines features a myriad of wonderful tracks including the rocking opener "Jet Fighter," dreamy "Stupid Einstein," melodic "And So We Run," Baroque pop original "Tomorrow," dance-minded "When Lightning Starts" and scintillating "Seeing Is Believing." Information: https://thethreeoclock.bandcamp.com/music.

Artist: Don McLean

Title: Christmas Memories: Remixed and Remastered  (BFD/Orchard)

You might like if you enjoy: Don McLean, John Denver, XXXXX

Tell me more: Acclaimed singer-songwriter Don McLean ("American Pie," "Vincent," "Castles in the Air") has released one of the essential holiday music collections of 2023. Christmas Memories: Remixed and Remastered features McLean's terrific original arrangements of a dozen Christmas favorites. McLean uses his signature vocals to bring warmth and bona fide emotion to all the selections. The disc opens with a delightfully retro take on "Blue Christmas" before showcasing his strong vocals on the mostly a cappella "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." Other standouts include the compelling "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day," a jazzy "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," poignant acoustic-styled "Silent Night," and Renaissance-mining "The Burgundian Carol." "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" is particularly beautiful and McLean's version utilizes nuanced orchestration and a full choir to conjure up the magic of classic '50s and '60s recordings.  McLean will perform at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino in Chandler, AZ on Feb. 10, 2024. Information: donmclean.com.

Artist: Gram Parsons & the Fallen Angels

Title: The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia, 3/16//73 (Amoeba Music)

You might like if you enjoy: The Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons, Wilco, Merle Haggard

Tell me more: Fate is on full display across the two-LP live recording titled The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia, 3/16/73. The second release of the Gram Parsons Archive series, the vinyl release features the first new Gram Parsons solo material issued in 40 years (Parsons died at age of 26 at the Joshua Tree Inn in nearby Joshua Tree, CA on Sept. 19, 1973). The record chronicles a complete performance by Parsons and the Fallen Angels performed on March 16, 1973. In addition to Parsons (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) and the then-unknown Emmylou Harris (vocals), the troupe includes guitarist Jock Barkley, pedal steel guitarist Neil Flanz, drummer N.D. Smart and bassist Kyle Tullis. In a press release distributed in connection with the Record Store Day Black Friday release, Flanz (who sadly died in 2021) stated that he felt this was the ensemble's best performance of the entire tour so he requested a soundboard recording of the show; he held onto the cassette for 40 years before it was acquired by Amoeba Music. The tape was then lost for about 10 years, and recently rediscovered and restored to be used for The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia, 3/16/73. 

Although there are some limitations to the recording captured on a cassette more than 50 years ago, the power of the performance from an outstanding group at the height of their powers shines through across the recording. The version of "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes" is an early standout, showcasing the bewitching sound created when Parson and Harris sing together. A speedy version of the Flying Burrito Brothers' "My Uncle" displays the band's virtuoso chops and Parson's signature alternative country approach.

Other early highlights on the title include a beautiful take on Parsons' Byrds-era Sweetheart of the Rodeo track "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man," and wistful "Streets of Baltimore," the latter featuring incredible harmonies and pedal steel magic courtesy of Flanz.

An energetic take on Merle Haggard's Bakersfield country classic "California Cotton Fields," rousing blues-country track "Cry One More Time," pedal steel- and lead guitar-adorned "The New Soft Shoe" and lovely acoustic original "Sin City" are all spectacular. My favorite selection is a haunting version of the Everly Brothers 1960 recording "Love Hurts," where Harris and Parsons sing in tandem with a palpable and poignant power that brings tears.

The only live club show of Parsons ever released, The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia, 3/16/73 is truly an incredible chance to revisit the groundbreaking artist's legacy. Information: amoeba.com.

Robert Kinsler

Paul McCartney & Wings 'Band on the Run' 50th Anniversary Edition coming Feb. 2, 2024

Get the full details on the forthcoming 50th Anniversary of Paul McCartney & Wings' 'Band on the Run' reissue below...Robert Kinsler

Paul McCartney & Wings Band on the Run 50th Anniversary Edition Featuring Previously Unreleased “Underdubbed” Mixes Album Due For Release February 2nd, 2024

Title Track ‘Band on the Run – Underdubbed Mix’ Released December 7, 2023

50 years to the week of its original release, MPL and UMe announce the expanded 50th anniversary edition of Paul McCartney & Wings’ iconic Band on the Run, due February 2, 2024.   A fixture of all-time greatest album lists for decades, the multiple GRAMMY-winning #1 smash was originally released in December of 1973. Featuring the immortal title track, worldwide hit ‘Jet,’’ the wistful ‘Bluebird,’ long-time live staple ‘Let Me Roll It,’ the multi-faceted ‘Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)’ and climactic closer ‘Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five,’ Band on the Run is undoubtedly Wings’ most successful and celebrated release ever. Experience the 50th anniversary edition of Band on the Run HERE.   The 50th anniversary edition of Band on the Run will be available in a variety of formats, beginning with the essential 1LP. This special vinyl edition was cut at half speed using a high-resolution transfer of the original master tapes from 1973 by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, London. The single vinyl album configuration mirrors the US tracklist, which features the song ‘Helen Wheels’ and includes a Linda McCartney Polaroid poster. The 2LP vinyl edition features the original US album, remastered at half speed, and a second LP titled “Underdubbed” Mixes Edition, housed in a premium slipcase. The set also includes two Linda McCartney Polaroid posters. A 2CD format will feature the original US album, “underdubbed” mixes, and a double-sided fold-out Polaroid poster taken by Linda McCartney. Band on the Run (Underdubbed) will also be released digitally.   Speaking about the “underdubbed” version, Paul said:    “This is Band on the Run in a way you’ve never heard before. When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that’s an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed.”   Band on the Run (Underdubbed) presents Band on the Run’s nine classic songs for the first time without any orchestral overdubs, available digitally. The previously unreleased rough mixes were created by Geoff Emerick, assisted by Pete Swettenham at AIR Studios, on October 14th, 1973. The tracklist, newly ordered as detailed below, mirrors the original analog tapes discovered in the MPL archives.   Finally, Band on the Run will also be available in Dolby ATMOS for the first time, newly mixed by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard.   Of the countless classic albums Paul McCartney has released throughout his illustrious career, Wings’ Band on the Run holds a place of particularly high esteem. The album not only delivered on the promise of Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway but also consolidated Wings’ status as standard bearers of ‘70s rock ’n’ roll. As the soundtrack for a decade defined by the rock radio playlists it dominated, Band on the Run would set the bar not only for Paul’s future efforts but also for generations of arena rock stars.   Exactly 50 years after its release, Band on the Run sounds as vibrant and relevant as ever, and in reaching this magnificent milestone, deserves its amazing story to be celebrated one more time.   By the summer of 1973, Paul had a fresh batch of songs earmarked for a new album. Looking through a list of EMI’s international studios, he chose Lagos, Nigeria, to be the location of its recording, becoming enthralled with the idea of recording in Africa. Just days before departure, lead guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell quit the band. Wings were now, suddenly, a trio. Paul, his wife Linda, and band member Denny Laine (along with recording engineer Geoff Emerick) toiled in the Lagos studio’s relatively rudimentary conditions, working up the new songs over two months. Disaster struck one night when Paul and Linda were robbed at knifepoint while walking home from a friend’s house, the thieves making off with a cassette of home demo recordings of the songs. Paul was able to remember the songs as he’d only recently written them.   Noted for its suite-like structure of three distinct movements, the title track ‘Band on the Run’ was not an obvious pop hit, but it would top the US Billboard Hot 100 and propel its parent album back up the charts, becoming a #1 smash in both the US and UK, returning to the top spot twice more in America, and becoming the best-selling studio album of 1974 in Australia, Canada, and the UK.   Band on the Run has only grown in stature over the years. After scooping two Grammy Awards in 1975, the Deluxe Edition of Band on the Run was awarded a third in 2012—followed by the album’s induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. It is considered the definitive Wings album and a firm fan favorite as new generations discover its genius. It took until 2010 for ‘Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five’ to be performed live, but now, as Paul’s solo career continues unabated, it is a regular presence in his live sets.   Paul is currently performing songs from Band on the Run and across his unparalleled catalog at shows on his acclaimed Got Back tour. First launching in February 2022, Paul completed 16 huge gigs across the US before performing what the Times newspaper described as the “best gig ever” with his history-making headline set at Glastonbury in June 2022, a show that also saw Paul team with Dave Grohl for a special duet of ‘Band on the Run.’   The current leg of the tour has seen Paul return to Australia for his first live performances there in six years. Currently performing in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Paul will complete further concerts in São Paulo, Curitiba, and Rio De Janeiro.   2LP / 2CD Track list Disc One – Band on the Run 1.  Band on the Run 2.  Jet 3.  Bluebird 4.  Mrs. Vandebilt  5.  Let Me Roll It 6.  Mamunia  7. No Words  8.  Helen Wheels  9.  Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)  10.Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five    Disc Two Band on the Run (Underdubbed Mixes) 1. Band on the Run 2. Mamunia 3. No Words 4. Jet 5. Bluebird 6. Mrs. Vandebilt 7. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five 8. Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me) 9. Let Me Roll It   1LP Band on the Run 1.  Band on the Run 2.  Jet 3.  Bluebird 4.  Mrs. Vandebilt  5.  Let Me Roll It 6.  Mamunia  7.  No Words  8.  Helen Wheels  9.  Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)  10.Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five   Digital Formats Band on the Run (Underdubbed Mixes)   1. Band on the Run 2. Mamunia 3. No Words 4. Jet 5. Bluebird 6. Mrs. Vandebilt 7. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five 8. Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me) 9. Let Me Roll It   Band on the Run will also be available to stream in Dolby ATMOS.

Keane Reveals Unreleased Single "Love Actually"

Check out the wonderful previously-unreleased Keane track "Love Actually" and get details on the British band's forthcoming tour...Robert Kinsler

Keane performing in Southern California in January 2013. Photo credit: Kim Kinsler KEANE Reveals Unreleased Single "Love Actually" LISTEN HERE Hopes and Fears 20th Anniversary Out May 10, 2024 2024 World Tour Includes U.S. Run! DECEMBER 1, 2023 (New York, NY) -- Following the announcement of the 20th Anniversary celebrations of their acclaimed debut album Hopes and Fears, Keane have unveiled a very special, unreleased single "Love Actually" to coincide with the re-release of the classic British film. Listen to "Love Actually" HERE.   Originally written for 2003 Christmas romantic comedy Love Actually, the band have finally recorded a version 20 years after its inception. Produced by the band and led by Tom Chaplin’s undeniable vocal, the beautifully poignant single comes alongside a stunning lyric video cutting some of the film’s memorable scenes. Keane "Love Actually" Link: https://youtu.be/JEqSbOiSIPM?si=rEu5IQ_hCBExb5I3 “In 2002 we were an unsigned band; and our friend and manager Adam was working for the producer of Love Actually,” Tim Rice-Oxley said. “While they were making the film, Adam suggested we should quickly write a song and he’d see if he could get it into Richard Curtis’ hands…and maybe we could sneak onto the soundtrack and get our big break! Needless to say it didn’t turn out that way, but Richard always very graciously said he loved the song and wished he’d put it in the film. We all loved the song too, but having called it ‘Love Actually’, it was very hard to do anything with it! In fact, for 20 years whenever I’ve played a new demo to my mum, her response has usually been “Hmm…when are you going to record ‘Love Actually’?” Well, the film Love Actually is 20 years old now, which at last gives us a perfect reason to record our song properly.”   “Everyone makes mistakes - even if they’re understandable ones. When I first listened to ‘Love Actually’ by this totally unknown combo called Keane, I thought it was beautiful. I tried really hard to put it in the film - but in the end it was a little melancholy and, dare I say, a bit DEEP for the film I’d made,” the film’s writer and director Richard Curtis said. “Of course, I realized what a dreadful mistake that had been when six months later Hopes and Fears was Number 1 in the charts. It is SO wonderful that the song is now being released for everyone to hear. I’ve listened to it a lot over the years and love it even more now than I did then. And this time, myself and my son Spike have made a little edit of the whole film to go with the song. I think I actually prefer that three minute version of 'Love Actually' to the long, chaotic film that’s been doing the rounds now for 20 years.” KEANE Photo credit: Alex Lake Alongside the single STUDIOCANAL and UNIVERSAL PICTURES are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Working Title’s beloved holiday classic with a dazzling new 4K restoration of the film. This will be released theatrically in select global markets and on home entertainment.   Keane will release a special remastered version of Hopes and Fears, undoubtedly one of the best debut albums ever, on May 10, 2024 exactly 20 years after its initial release. On the same day, the band play London’s 02 Arena as part of a world tour that kicks off April 1st in Mexico City before reaching Europe and the UK. Their US tour in September includes prestigious dates at LA’s Greek Theatre, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.   Hopes and Fears was a landmark album for Keane and has set all kinds of records in the process. It’s one of the best selling albums in UK chart history having sold over 2.5 million in the UK in its first year, and a million in the USA propelled by their absolutely classic song "Somewhere Only We Know." Hopes and Fears is 9x platinum in the UK, a remarkable achievement. The album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Keane play the following U.S. dates in September 2024. Tickets on sale HERE.   TOUR DATES: SEPTEMBER 2024   Wed 4th      The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA Thu 5th        The Greek Theatre Los Angeles, CA Fri 6th          Humphreys Concerts By The Bay San Diego, CA Sun 8th        TBA Salt Lake City, UT Mon 9th       Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre Denver, CO Wed 11th     The Majestic Theater Dallas, TX Thu 12th      ACL Live At The Moody Theatre Austin, TX Sat 14th       The Eastern Atlanta, GA Sun 15th      Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN Tue 17th      Palace Theater Minneapolis, MN Wed 18th     The Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL Fri 20th        The Queen Elizabeth Theatre Toronto, ON Sat 21st       The Met Philadelphia, PA Mon 23rd     MGM Music Hall At Fenway Boston, MA Tue 24th      Radio City Music Hall New York, NY Thu 26th      The Anthem Washington, DC     Keane "Somewhere Only We Know" Link: https://youtu.be/Oextk-If8HQ?si=kadoQdgYDiIuxH2c

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