Tuesday, December 03, 2024

Larkin Poe share new song about slowing down and being present; new album out Jan 24

Check out the newly-released advance single / music video for Larkin's Poe's latest single "Little Bit." The bewitching song is off the duo's forthcoming album Bloom coming in January 2025...Robert Kinsler




 

GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING SISTER DUO

HERALD EAGERLY AWAITED NEW ALBUM WITH SINGLE ABOUT

PASSIONATE PRESENCE AND MINDFULNESS  – LISTEN

 

OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERES TODAY – WATCH

 

EPIC WORLD TOUR BEGINS APRIL 8, 2025 IN ST. LOUIS

 

HIGH-PROFILE COLLABORATIONS WITH

ELVIS COSTELLO, T-BONE BURNETT, AND RINGO STARR

INCLUDE RECENT LIVE PERFORMANCES

WITH THE COWARD BROTHERS (COSTELLO AND BURNETT) ON

CBS’ LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT AND CBS SATURDAY MORNING

 

BLOOM ARRIVES VIA TRICKI-WOO RECORDS ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2025

 

PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW


Larkin Poe – the GRAMMY® Award-winning duo of Georgia-bred, Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell – have shared their latest single, “Little Bit,” available now via their own Tricki-Woo Records. An official music video premieres today on YouTube. The song, in which Rebecca passionately sings about being present, mindful and in the moment,  heralds Larkin Poe’s eagerly awaited new album, Bloom, arriving Friday, January 24, 2025. Pre-orders are available now.

 

“From the word go, it feels like we’ve been tempted to live life leaning forward,” says Rebecca Lovell. “As touring musicians, we have cultivated a pedal-to-the-metal, high-octane culture, but the shine has slowly worn off that penny. ‘Little Bit’ is all about slowing down and savoring the precious little details, as lyrics say: ‘more ain’t always more than a little bit.’”

 

LISTEN TO “LITTLE BIT”

WATCH “LITTLE BIT” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

 

PRE-ORDER BLOOM

 

Bloom – which follows 2023’s GRAMMY® Award-winning Blood Harmony – was first unveiled this fall following Larkin Poe’s “Duo/Group of the Year” triumph at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards. The album includes such recently released singles as the contemplative opening track, “Mockingbird,” the lush, blues-soaked “If God Is A Woman,” and the genre-bending “Bluephoria,” all accompanied by official music videos streaming now on YouTube.


LISTEN TO “MOCKINGBIRD”

WATCH “MOCKINGBIRD” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO


LISTEN TO “IF GOD IS A WOMAN”

WATCH “IF GOD IS A WOMAN” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO


LISTEN TO “BLUEPHORIA”

WATCH “BLUEPHORIA” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO


Presented by the Americana Music Association at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, Larkin Poe’s prestigious “Duo/Group of the Year” victory marked the latest achievement in what is proving a landmark 2024 for the dynamic sister duo, beginning earlier this year with their first career GRAMMY® Award, winning “Best Contemporary Blues Album” for 2023’s critically acclaimed sixth studio album, Blood Harmony. Bloom now sees Larkin Poe venturing further along on their evolving musical journey with a collection of songs that resonate with introspection, authenticity, and a profound connection to their roots in American music.

 

Produced and largely co-written by Megan, Rebecca, and Tyler Bryant, the album marks a significant evolution for Larkin Poe, reflecting a synergy that extends beyond mere musical partnership. Already hailed for the sincerity of their songcraft, the Lovell sisters now place an even greater spotlight on their gift for storytelling, delving deep into personal narratives with universal themes of self-acceptance and individuality against a backdrop of contemporary blues and rock influences. With their distinctive blend of poetic lyricism, masterful instrumentation, and soulful harmonies, songs like “Little Bit” and the gritty punk-energized anthem “Pearls” affirm their willingness to confront current realities while staying true to their musical heritage. A triumphant celebration of the authentic self, Bloom fully cements Larkin Poe’s status as modern torchbearers of American roots music, inviting their ever-growing fan following to flourish and thrive alongside them.

 

“Bloom” is about finding oneself amidst the noise of the world,” says Rebecca, “about wholeheartedly embracing the flaws and idiosyncrasies that make us real. In one way or another, pretty much all of the songs on this album are about finding yourself, knowing yourself, and separating the truth of who you are from societal expectations.”

 

In addition, Larkin Poe have united with a pair of indisputable British rock legends for a series of remarkable collaborations. First, the duo are featured on Elvis Costello’s new King Of America & Other Realms box set, performing a new version of his “That’s Not The Part Of Him You’re Leaving” recorded earlier this year. Larkin Poe recently backed The Coward Brothers (Costello and T-Bone Burnett) for a special performance of the song, “Always” on CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert. They also backed The Coward Brothers on CBS Saturday Morning. Larkin Poe will also team with the one and only Ringo Starr on his first album in six years, Look Up, joining Billy Strings for a featured appearance on the new T-Bone Burnett composition, “Rosetta.” Look Up arrives everywhere on Friday, January 10, 2025.  

 

WATCH LARKIN POE W/ THE COWARD BROTHERS

(ELVIS COSTELLO AND T-BONE BURNETT) PERFORM “ALWAYS”

ON LIVE ON LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT


Long praised as one of hardest touring acts on the road today, Larkin Poe will celebrate Bloom with an epic world tour beginning April 8, 2025, at St. Louis, MO’s The Hawthorn and then traveling North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom through November. Highlights include headline dates at such historic venues as Denver, CO’s Ogden Theatre (April 11), Vancouver, BC’s Commodore Ballroom (April 19), Los Angeles, CA’s The Fonda Theatre (April 23), San Francisco, CA’s The Fillmore (April 25), Washington, DC’s 9:30 Club (May 9), New York, NY’s Irving Plaza (May 10), Minneapolis, MN’s First Avenue (May 16), and Nashville, TN’s Ryman Auditorium (May 29). Special guests for North America include Parker Milsap (April 8-27) and Amythyst Kiah (May 8-17). In addition, top-billed festival performances in 2025 include Floyd, VA’s FloydFest (July 23-27), and Las Vegas, NV’s Big Blues Bender (September 4-7). For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.larkinpoe.com/tour.

Photo Credit: Robby Klein

# # #


LARKIN POE – TOUR 2025


APRIL 2025

8 – St. Louis, MO – The Hawthorn *

10 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman *

11 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre *

12 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot *

15 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall *

17 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox *

18 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom *

19 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom *

23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre *

25 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore *

27 – Santa Barbara, CA – Arlington Theatre *

 

MAY 2025

8 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer ^

9 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club ^

10 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza ^

12 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur ^

14 – Toronto, ONT – The Concert Hall ^

16 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue ^

17 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre ^

29 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium

30 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern

 

JUNE 2025

1 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel

 

JULY 2025

23-27 – Floyd, VA – FloydFest †

 

SEPTEMBER 2025

4-7 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender †

 

OCTOBER 2025

17 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy

18 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy

19 – Bristol, UK – Bristol Beacon

21 – London, UK – Eventim Apollo

22 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute

24 – Paris, France – Salle Pleyel

25 – Tilburg, Netherlands – 013 Poppodium

26 – Cologne, Germany – E-Werk

28 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene

29 – Stockholm, Sweden – Circus

30 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Falkoner Center

 

NOVEMBER 2025

1 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom

2 – Warsaw, Poland – Klub Stodola

4 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer

5 – Munich, Germany – Tonhalle

8 – Geneva, Switzerland – Salle De L’Alhambra

9 – Nimes, France – La Paloma

12 – Lisbon, Portugal – Coliseu Dos Recreios

14 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Riviera

15 – Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz 1

16 – Bordeaux, France – Le Rocher de Palmer

18 – Clermont-Ferrand, France – Le Cooperative de Mai

19 – La Rochelle, France – La Sirene

21 – Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma

 

* w/ Special Guest Parker Millsap

^ w/ Special Guest Amythyst Kiah

† Festival Appearance


# # #


LARKIN POE

BLOOM

(Tricki-Woo Records)

Release Date: Friday, January 24, 2025


Tracklist:

1. Mockingbird

2. Easy Love Part 1

3. Little Bit

4. Bluephoria

5. Easy Love Part 2

6. Nowhere Fast

7. If God Is A Woman

8. Pearls

9. Fool Outta Me

10. You Are The River

11. Bloom Again


CONNECT WITH LARKIN POE

OFFICIAL | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

Sunday, December 01, 2024

'Beatles '64' revisits the magic of Beatles first visit to the U.S.


"Beatles '64" is now available on Disney+ / Photo credit: Apple Corps, Ltd.

More than 60 years after they first arrived in America, the impact and influence of the Beatles continues to loom large on seemingly every aspect of popular culture not only in the U.S. but around the globe. The marvelous new 107-minute documentary "Beatles '64" that premiered on Disney+ on Nov. 29 and is available to stream now sheds light on how John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr worked their magic with a sound, style and palpable energy all their own. The riveting documentary 
— produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by David Tedeschi — is anchored by black and white footage shot by Albert and David Maysles over the British quartet's 14-day trip to the United States in early 1964. 


This essential film captures the moment in time when the Beatles performed in front of 73 million Americans while appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964; photos and archival footage are artfully interspersed with more recent interviews with McCartney, Starr and others who were there. There are also archival clips featuring the late Lennon and Harrison that add depth to the film.

The documentary features the Beatles in New York, Washington, D.C. (the latter where they performed their first American concert), and in trains where they are traveling.

The concert footage is extraordinary, as are the insightful interview segments.

"I was very excited when they recorded 'You've Really Got a Hold On Me'," recalls soul singer Smokey Robinson. "I had no idea they were going to record its until the record (With The Beatles) came out. I was elated."

For Baby Boomers and classic rock aficionados, the film will add to their appreciation of the Beatles' enormous legacy. And for those younger viewers who have heard about the Beatles but are not completely sure about why the Fab Four continues to be a "big deal," best to just sit back, watch and enjoy the exhilarating ride. 

Or as Lennon notes in one clip looking back at the Beatles' arrival in America: "It was like being in the eye of a Hurricane." 

On Nov. 22, one week before the documentary made its debut on Disney+, an eight-LP "1964 U.S. Albums In Mono" box set was released in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the Beatles stateside.



Robert Kinsler


Friday, November 22, 2024

Paul Thorn announces new record; shares lead single “Tough Times Don’t Last”

 Paul Thorn Announces New Album Life Is Just A Vapor

Album due February 21, 2025 via Thirty Tigers


Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano

November 22, 2024: Today, Southern singer-songwriter Paul Thorn announced his new album Life Is Just A Vapor will be released on February 21 via Thirty Tigers. The album is an outspoken account of the life lessons Thorn has experienced throughout his unique and extensive career, and a reflection of his 6 decades on this planet. Along with the announcement, Thorn also shared the lead single and album opener, “Tough Times Don’t Last,” a bluesy, resilient track offering words of support and encouragement meant to uplift the listener, especially in times of struggle.


"’Tough Times Don’t Last’ is a song that everyone can relate to as we’re all looking at something that’s hard to face at one time or another,’” Thorn explains. “There are two kinds of people in the world. There are people that lay down and cry when faced with adversity and there are those that understand that you have to sometimes fight your way back up.  Things can get better but you have to stay tough to endure and this song is about that."

When it comes to songwriting, less is more, and simplicity is strength. Just ask Paul Thorn, who’s spent three decades turning soulful grooves and small syllables into songs that pack a big wallop. Maybe he learned the power of minimalism from his years as a pro boxer; maybe it just comes naturally. But whether he’s targeting heads, hearts, hips or the occasional funny bone, he somehow manages to condense large nuggets of wisdom into tight little mantras, the kind embroiderers stitched onto pillows before internet memes existed.

Whether he’s expressing love, warning an ex’s new conquest about the dangers ahead, extolling the value of holding off on sex, or listing the ingredients for making a marriage work, Thorn delivers his messages with consummate skill — and pinpoint precision. One minute, he’ll unwind an outrageous tale full of wild characters (often accompanied by his own cartoonish illustrations); the next, he’ll tug at heartstrings with confessions of love, loss or failed dreams, balancing wit and pathos with an ease only the best storytellers can pull off. One of Thorn’s favorites was his friend and mentor John Prine, who inspired the title tune. “I'm just trying to put out a good body of work that will be remembered like John's music,” Thorn admits. “I'm trying to carry on his tradition, to keep it alive.”

Thorn has earned wide-spread acclaim throughout his career from the likes of Rolling Stone who said, “Thorn knows a thing or two about shaking it onstage. Much like Elvis Presley, Thorn has distinguished himself early on in his career with a live-performance energy that has enraptured audiences.” NPR called Thorn “a natural-born Southern storyteller with humble stage banter and musical delivery that's gritty and gruff,” while Guitar World exclaimed that his storytelling is “sometimes heartbreaking, other times exuberant, at all times universal.”

“I like for people to be touched by music and get something from it, something that they can take with them throughout the day,” Thorn says. “Every song on this album, there's a message in it of some sort about how to live life.”

Life Is Just A Vapor Tracklist:
1. Tough Times Don’t Last
2. Courage My Love
3. She Will
4. Chicken Wing
5. Life Is Just A Vapor
6. Geraldine and Ricky 
7. I’m Just Waiting
8. I Knew
9. Wait
10. I Love You Like A Cigarette
11. Melodies


About Paul Thorn:
Paul Thorn has created an innovative and impressive career, pleasing crowds with his muscular brand of roots music – bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern American, yet also speaking universal truths. Among those who value originality, inspiration, eccentricity and character – as well as talent that hovers somewhere on the outskirts of genius, the story of Paul Thorn is already familiar. Raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, among the same spirits (and some of the actual people) who nurtured the young Elvis generations before, Paul Thorn has rambled down back roads and jumped out of airplanes, worked for years in a furniture factory, battled four-time world champion boxer Roberto Duran on national television, signed with and been dropped by a major label, performed on stages with Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Sting, and John Prine among many others, and made some of the most emotionally restless yet fully accessible music of our time. He’s also appeared on major television shows such as Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live, been the subject of numerous National Public Radio (NPR) features and charted multiple times on the Billboard Top 100 and Americana Radio Charts.

Rick Springfield's Photographer, Jay Gilbert, Set To Release Coffee Table Book Spanning 20 Years Of Work

Rick Springfield fans take note. A very cool book titled Burning Film: Rick Springfield Through the Lens featuring the photography of Jay Gilbert is set for release in early 2025. Details and images below...Robert Kinsler











RICK SPRINGFIELD’S PHOTOGRAPHER, JAY GILBERT,
SET TO RELEASE COFFEE TABLE BOOK
SPANNING 20 YEARS OF WORK
 
“Burning Film: Rick Springfield Through the Lens” will be available
exclusively as part of the deluxe edition of Rick Springfield’s
‘Big Hits: Greatest Hits, Volume 2’ available February 14, 2025
 
Photo credit: Chris Schmitt
 
 
November 20, 2024 -- Longtime photographer for pop icon Rick Springfield, Jay Gilbert, will be releasing his first-ever coffee table book to celebrate his work with the artist.
 

Burning Film: Rick Springfield Through the Lens 
presents a comprehensive photographic 
documentation of Rick Springfield from 2005 to 2025, showcasing his dynamic stage performances and studio work through the camera lens.
 
The book will be available exclusively as part of the deluxe edition of Rick Springfield’s BIG HITS: GREATEST HITS, VOL. 2, which is due out February 14, 2025. Pre-orders are available here.
 
“This is a collection of shots taken by my good friend and permanent-owner of-an-RSpress-pass, Jay Gilbert. Jay has taken pretty much all the photos you’ve seen of moi in the last 20 years and these are quite a few of them.”
– Rick Springfield
 
“I had so much fun going back through the archives of over 60,000 photos I’ve shot of Rick in the studio, in concert and on location to present the 200 or so images for the book. They align perfectly with the music on his upcoming ‘Big Hits – Rick Springfield’s Greatest Hits, Volume 2.’” – Jay Gilbert
 
BIG HITS: RICK SPRINGFIELD’S GREATEST HITS, VOLUME 2 will be released February 14, 2025 via SING (distributed by Symphonic/AMPED Distribution). It is the latest career-spanning retrospective chronicling his more recent recording output from 1999’s KARMA through his most recent new album, 2023’s AUTOMATIC. It will include the just announced brand new single, which is only available on this compilation. Springfield remarks on the package, “The GH 2 is more a fan favorite songs album. The albums I have made in the past 20 years I think are the best work I've done musically.”
 

Jay Gilbert’s Photography website: https://www.jaygilbert.net

Thursday, November 21, 2024

New music: Ollee Owens, Continental Drifters, Beth Hart, The Armoires

In this column I highlight a number of outstanding new audio titles available now.



Artist: 
Ollee Owens
Title: Nowhere to Hide (Ollee Owens Music)
You might like if you enjoy: Beth Hart, Larkin Poe
Tell me more: 
On her outstanding new album Nowhere to Hide, Canadian soul/blues singer Ollee Owens taps into the day-to-day ups and downs of everyday life and sets that palpable tapestry to song. Her real world-focused songcraft is bolstered by her rich soprano that fuses soul, gospel and blues as well as the musical contributions of famed guitarist Will McFarlane on eight of the album's 11 tracks. Produced by Bobby Blazier, a number of studio musicians add magic to the proceedings. The range of material ranges from the nuanced title track and Muscle Shoals-flavored "Some Days" to the emotive blues ballad "Roots," joyful "Love You Better" and soulful "Still in Pieces." The album closes out with a rousing horn section-adorned reading of the 1990 Los Lobos track "The Neighborhood" and stirring version of Bob Dylan's "Lord Protect My Child." Information: olleeowens.com.


Artist: 
Continental Drifters
Title: White Noise & Lightning: The Best of Continental Drifters (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: The Bangles, Peter Holsapple, the Jayhawks
Tell me more: For those who haven't yet caught up with the magic of Continental Drifters, White Noise & Lightning: The Best of Continental Drifters is the perfect introduction to the beloved collective. The 11-track LP and 15-track audio CD collection casts an outstanding light on the congregation of musical talents whose members first found fame in the illustrious likes of the Bangles, Dream Syndicate, the dB's, the Cowsills and more. Brilliant songcraft, top-tier musicianship and alluring vocal harmonies are among the key elements of Continental Drifters' signature sound. Among this writer's top cuts is the jangly opener "The Rain Song" co-penned by Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson, the propulsive Americana rocker "Mezzanine" featuring Carlo Nuccio, countrified Peter Holsapple-penned "Invisible Boyfriend," shimmering "Get Over It," dreamy "Mixed Messages" and reflective "Drifters." The CD version of the collection features a previously unissued 12-minute live version of "Who We Are, Where We Live." The beautiful LP and audio CD packaging of the Omnivore Recordings release contains new liner notes from Sean Kelly (author of the band biography "White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story." Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.


Artist: 
Beth Hart
Title: You Still Got Me (Provogue Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Beth Hart, Slash, Eric Gales, Janis Joplin
Tell me more: Modern blues songstress Beth Hart is back with her 11th studio album You Still Got Me, a hard hitting disc of original blues-rock sure to please fans of the Los Angeles-based artist. Armed with a strong and gritty voice, Hart delivers a slew of great tracks on the Kevin Shirley-produced album including the forceful "Savior With A Razor" (featuring lead guitar from Slash), the heavy blues cut "Suga N My Bowl" (the latter bolstered by the work of guitar great Eric Gales), the lovely title track "You Still Got Me," the tender "Little Heartbreak Girl" and the stirring single "Wonderful World." Information: bethhart.com.


Artist: 
The Armoires
Title: Octoberland (Big Stir Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs, Fleetwood Mac, The Sundays
Tell me more: Released on Oct. 11, the Armoires' fourth album Octoberland is an exhilarating listen sure to please fans of top-tier indie rock and power pop. Produced by Michael Simmons (of sparkle*jets u.k. fame), the Armoires — singer-keyboardist Christina Bulbenko, singer-guitarist Rex Broome, drummer John M. Borack and bassist Clifford Ulrich — showcase an inviting sound that blends great musicianship,  sophisticated songcraft and effortless tunefulness that collectively elevate each of the 11 tracks on the disc. The tandem lead and harmony vocals of Bulbenko and Broome are a key element of the Armoires' signature sound. Broken into two parts, Octoberland's strength and momentum shines at every turn. Part One standouts include the psychedelic opener "We Absolutely Mean It," the shimmering new wave-mining "Ridley & Me After The Apocalypse," melodic "Ouroboros Blues (Crow Whisperer)" and Celtic-tinged "Green Hellfire At The 7-11." Part Two highlights include the sumptuous "You Oughta Be Cut In Half," sweeping "Snake Island Thirteen" (the latter "a windswept cry of solidarity with Christina Bulbenko's war-torn ancestral homeland of Ukraine"), and the winning ear candy-drenched closer "Music & Animals." Octoberland is one of the great new studio albums of 2024. Information: bigstirrecords.com.

Robert Kinsler