Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2022
September 13, 2016
Fela Kuti Box Set #3 (curated by Brian Eno) now avail as individual LPs
FELA KUTI BOX SET #3 (CURATED BY BRIAN ENO)TO BE RELEASED AS INDIVIDUAL VINYL REISSUESOCTOBER 14, 2016 VIA KNITTING FACTORY RECORDS+WORLDWIDE FELEBRATION EVENTS IN OCTOBER
WATCH: Brian Eno talking about his love of Fela via YouTube
LISTEN: Fela Kuti's "Lady" off Shakara via Soundcloud
PURCHASE: Individual Vinyls from Fela Box Set #3, curated by Brian Eno, viaKnitting Factory Records
Since 2011, Knitting Factory Records has released three limited edition Fela Kuti Box Sets curated by musicians who are long-time admirers of Nigerian icon and Afrobeat originator Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The first by Questlove, second by Ginger Baker and the most recent by Brian Eno.
On October 14th, seven individual vinyl reissues from the Brian Eno-curated Fela Kuti Box Set (#3) will be available via Knitting Factory Records. Eno's album selections span the ten years in which Fela's afrobeat progressed from its formative stage to a rich maturation of the form. It begins with 1971's Shakara and ends with 1980's I.T.T.(International Thief Thief) . It also includes London Scene (1972), Afrodisiac , Gentleman (both 1973) and Upside Down (1976). The ultimate selection is 1976's Zombie , which was a huge hit in Nigeria. All of the albums are pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
On discovering Fela Kuti, Eno says: "Before about mid-September 1973 I didn't have much interest in polyrhythmic music. I didn't really get it. That all changed one autumn day when I walked into Stern's Record Shop off Tottenham Court Road. For reasons I've long forgotten, I left the store with an album that was to change my life dramatically. It was Afrodisiac by Fela Ransome-Kuti (as he was then known) and his band The Africa 70. I remember the first time I listened and how dazzled I was by the groove and the rhythmic complexity, and by the raw, harsh sounds of the brass, like Mack trucks hurtling across highways with their horns blaring. Everything I thought I knew about music at that point was up in the air again. The sheer force and drive of this wild Nigerian stuff blew my mind. My friend Robert Wyatt called it 'Jazz from another planet' - and suddenly I thought I understood the point of jazz, until then an almost alien music to me."
October also marks Felabration month. Felabrations are the annual celebrations that commemorate the life and music of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The first Felabration, the brainchild of Fela's eldest child Femi Kuti and his sister Yeni, was created nearly a decade ago. It was a week-long series of events held at the atmospheric 2,500 capacity New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria. Felabrations have now expanded all over the world-- last year there were over 20 held across the United States, Europe, and Africa as well as Indonesia and Japan. Afrobeat fans and artists (both big and small) have joined the parties, including Damon Albarn, Flea, Third World, Ziggy and Rita Marley.
This year the official London Felabration will take place at the Electric Ballroom on Friday, October 7th with the Kuti family blessing. A full list of more confirmed Felabrations coming soon!
Shakara - Original year of release: 1971(KFR2027-1) Shakara is one of a clutch of early 1970s albums, on which Fela's Afrobeat transitioned from foetal stage to something approaching full-grown form. Shakara (1971) includes three of mature Afrobeat's signature ingredients. There are two guitarists, rhythm guitarist Tutu Shoronmu and tenor guitarist Segun Edo. The pair's repetitive, interlocking riffs - part melody, part rhythm - play a similar role to the rhythm and mi-solo guitars used in contemporary Congolese rumba. Fela's Broken English lyrics extend his music's audience beyond Yoruba speakers and make his words understandable across Anglophone Africa. And female backing vocalists echo Fela's lead vocals in what was to become Afrobeat's trademark call-and-response pattern. In "Lady," Fela highlights the adoption of European social habits to the detriment of African culture. "Shakara" is a mainly instrumental track, with a brief lyric, sung in Yoruba, warning against boasters and braggarts. Up-tempo, with a suitably turbulent horn arrangement, it includes strong solos from Fela on keyboards and the fearsome Igo Chico on tenor saxophone. --Chris May
Shakara Tracklisting:1. Lady2. Shakara (Oloje)
London Scene - Original year of release: 1972(KFR2004-1) Fela's London Scene, released in 1972, is a top-notch affair, made with a smaller band but one that punches above its weight. There is no tenor guitarist and no call-and-response choir, though sing-along vocals are a feature of "Egbe Mi O" ("please carry me"). Throughout, Fela's electric piano is gym-ripped and razor sharp, and Igo Chico turns in three stirring tenor solos. "Buy Africa," written in 1970, was one of Fela's first politically-informed songs. The lyric was written in support of a government campaign to encourage local industry. "J'Ehin J'Ehin" ("eat teeth eat teeth") is along similar lyric lines as "Shakara." This time Fela is lampooning people who are so greedy that they eat their own teeth. In "Who're You," Fela channels James Brown's vocal style over an angular funk groove. "Fight To Finish" draws on Yoruba folklore to offer advice: once you have started something, be prepared to finish it. --Chris May
London Scene Tracklisting:
1. J'Ehin J'Ehin (Chop Teeth - Chop Teeth)
2. Egbe Mio (Carry Me)
3. Who're You
4. Buy Africa
5. Fight To Finish
Gentleman - Original year of release: 1973(KFR2009-1) 1973's Gentleman is the last of Fela's early 1970s transitional albums - it was followed by 1974's Alagbon Close, on which he brought all Afrobeat's signature ingredients together. The title track from can be interpreted literally or as metaphor concerning a wider issue. In this case, Fela's topic is the colonialism-induced inferiority complex which led many in Africa's new governing elites to reject African style, concepts of beauty and modes of behaviour in favour of European imports. Gentleman's other tracks, "Fefe Naa Efe" and "Igbe," have briefer lyrics. On "Fefe Naa Efe," an Ashanti motto from Ghana, Fela tells a woman dumped by her boyfriend that she must get over the heartache and move on. On "Igbe" (shit), Fela declares that anyone who betrays a friend is shit, and that anybody who lacks self-respect is shit - something you want to expel from your body as soon as possible. He sings the word "shit" in a several Nigerian languages, so there is no misunderstanding. --Chris May
Gentleman Tracklisting:1. Gentleman
2. Fefe - Naa Efe
3. Igbe
Afrodisiac- Original year of release: 1973(KFR2008-1) Afrodisiac was recorded at EMI's Abbey Road studios in London. The best known song on 1973's Afrodisiac is "Jeun Ko Ku," a satire about gluttony and Fela's first major hit in West Africa. In Broken English, the title means "chop and quench," which, in turn, means "eat and die" in Standard English. Lyrically, the standout track is the closing "Je'Nwi Temi" ("don't gag me"), a critique of the Nigerian political/military establishment and a defence of free speech. Fela vows that he will always tell it like it is, no matter what. This proved to be prophetic stuff, given the police and army assaults, intended to silence him, which were just around the corner. "Alu Jon Jonki Jon" draws on the interaction between animals and humans that is part of Yoruba mythology, in a tale about a dog who betrays his friends. Like many of Fela's lyrics of the period, the lyric employs parable and metaphor to encourage ethical conduct in everyday life. In "Eko Ile," Fela sings that there is no place like home (Eko was the pre-colonial name of Lagos). --Chris May
Afrodisiac Tracklisting:1. Alu Jon Jonki Jon
2. Jeun Ko Ku (Chop and Quench)
3. Eko Ile
4. Je'Nwi Temi (Don't Gag Me)
Zombie - Original year of release: 1976(KFR2025-1) On the title track of 1976's Zombie, Fela and the backup singers ridicule the mindset of men in uniform over an urgent, quick-march accompaniment from Afrika 70. "Attention! Quick march! Slow march! Salute!" sings Fela, "Fall in! Fall out! Fall down! Go and kill! Go and die! Go and quench!" Each phrase is followed by the women singers' taunting response, "Zombie!" Just a few months later on 18 February, 1977, around 1,000 soldiers, most of them armed, swooped on the Kalakuta Republic. Fela was badly beaten, sustaining a fractured skull and several broken bones. His mother, then aged 77, was thrown out of a window, fracturing a leg and suffering deep trauma. The army then set fire to the compound and prevented the fire brigade reaching the area. The blaze gutted the premises, destroying six Afrika 70 vehicles, all Fela's master tapes and band equipment, a four-track recording studio, all the residents' belongings and, for good measure, the free medical clinic run by Fela's brother, Dr Beko Ransome Kuti (who was also severely beaten in the attack). The first journalists to arrive on the scene were assaulted by soldiers. Inquisitive passers-by were similarly set upon. The army didn't want any witnesses. --Chris May
Zombie Tracklisting:
1. Zombie
2. Mr. Follow Follow
Upside Down - Original year of release: 1976(KFR2023-1) Upside Down and Zombie, both released in 1976, were made at the mid-point of an extraordinary three-year purple period during which Fela recorded 24 albums of new material. Upside Down is unusual in that it includes a second lead vocalist, Fela's American friend Sandra Izsadore, who he'd known since touring the US in 1969. Izsadore, a black rights activist, introduced him to the writings of Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael, Huey Newton and other revolutionary thinkers. Fela later credited Izsadore with helping inspire his philosophy of Blackism. Izsadore can take credit for something else, too: she affirmed Fela's use of weed. Fela had first smoked in London in 1960 or 1961; during his time with Izsadore, he began to use weed regularly, continuing to do so until the end of his life. "Go Slow" was one of several songs Fela recorded which critiqued the consequences of over-rapid urbanization - in this case, traffic jams - using them as a metaphor to describe deeper social breakdowns. --Chris May
Upside Down Tracklisting:
1. Upside Down
2. Go Slow
I.T.T. (International Thief Thief) - Original year of release: 1980(KFR2038-1) I.T.T. International Thief Thief (1980) was recorded following Afrika 70's disintegration and the formation of Egypt 80. It is one of a quartet of courageous 1979/80 albums completed by V.I.P. (Vagabonds In Power), Authority Stealing and Coffin For Head Of State. In "International Thief Thief ," Fela makes highly insulting, personal attacks on former Nigerian president General Obasanjo, and Moshood Abiola, the local chief executive of the multi-national corporations Internal Telephone & Telegraph (ITT) and Decca Records. Obasanjo Fela regarded as a crook, an incompetent and a thug, and held him responsible for the death of his mother following the 1977 sack of Kalakuta. Abiola, he believed, had both cheated him out of royalties and conspired with Decca's London bosses to silence him after the 1977 attack, in order to maintain favourable relations with Obasanjo's regime. Both men, Fela says, are "thieves," "rats" and of "low mentality." --Chris May
I.T.T. Tracklisting:1. ITT (Part 1)
2. ITT (Part 2)
http://www.knittingfactoryrecords.com/artists/fela/
http://fela.net/ http://findingfela.com/https://www.facebook.com/felakuti
http://www.youtube.com/Fela
https://www.twitter.com/felakuti
http://www.knittingfactoryrecords.com
WATCH: Brian Eno talking about his love of Fela via YouTube
LISTEN: Fela Kuti's "Lady" off Shakara via Soundcloud
PURCHASE: Individual Vinyls from Fela Box Set #3, curated by Brian Eno, viaKnitting Factory Records
Since 2011, Knitting Factory Records has released three limited edition Fela Kuti Box Sets curated by musicians who are long-time admirers of Nigerian icon and Afrobeat originator Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The first by Questlove, second by Ginger Baker and the most recent by Brian Eno.
On October 14th, seven individual vinyl reissues from the Brian Eno-curated Fela Kuti Box Set (#3) will be available via Knitting Factory Records. Eno's album selections span the ten years in which Fela's afrobeat progressed from its formative stage to a rich maturation of the form. It begins with 1971's Shakara and ends with 1980's I.T.T.(International Thief Thief) . It also includes London Scene (1972), Afrodisiac , Gentleman (both 1973) and Upside Down (1976). The ultimate selection is 1976's Zombie , which was a huge hit in Nigeria. All of the albums are pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
On discovering Fela Kuti, Eno says: "Before about mid-September 1973 I didn't have much interest in polyrhythmic music. I didn't really get it. That all changed one autumn day when I walked into Stern's Record Shop off Tottenham Court Road. For reasons I've long forgotten, I left the store with an album that was to change my life dramatically. It was Afrodisiac by Fela Ransome-Kuti (as he was then known) and his band The Africa 70. I remember the first time I listened and how dazzled I was by the groove and the rhythmic complexity, and by the raw, harsh sounds of the brass, like Mack trucks hurtling across highways with their horns blaring. Everything I thought I knew about music at that point was up in the air again. The sheer force and drive of this wild Nigerian stuff blew my mind. My friend Robert Wyatt called it 'Jazz from another planet' - and suddenly I thought I understood the point of jazz, until then an almost alien music to me."
October also marks Felabration month. Felabrations are the annual celebrations that commemorate the life and music of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The first Felabration, the brainchild of Fela's eldest child Femi Kuti and his sister Yeni, was created nearly a decade ago. It was a week-long series of events held at the atmospheric 2,500 capacity New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria. Felabrations have now expanded all over the world-- last year there were over 20 held across the United States, Europe, and Africa as well as Indonesia and Japan. Afrobeat fans and artists (both big and small) have joined the parties, including Damon Albarn, Flea, Third World, Ziggy and Rita Marley.
This year the official London Felabration will take place at the Electric Ballroom on Friday, October 7th with the Kuti family blessing. A full list of more confirmed Felabrations coming soon!
Shakara - Original year of release: 1971(KFR2027-1) Shakara is one of a clutch of early 1970s albums, on which Fela's Afrobeat transitioned from foetal stage to something approaching full-grown form. Shakara (1971) includes three of mature Afrobeat's signature ingredients. There are two guitarists, rhythm guitarist Tutu Shoronmu and tenor guitarist Segun Edo. The pair's repetitive, interlocking riffs - part melody, part rhythm - play a similar role to the rhythm and mi-solo guitars used in contemporary Congolese rumba. Fela's Broken English lyrics extend his music's audience beyond Yoruba speakers and make his words understandable across Anglophone Africa. And female backing vocalists echo Fela's lead vocals in what was to become Afrobeat's trademark call-and-response pattern. In "Lady," Fela highlights the adoption of European social habits to the detriment of African culture. "Shakara" is a mainly instrumental track, with a brief lyric, sung in Yoruba, warning against boasters and braggarts. Up-tempo, with a suitably turbulent horn arrangement, it includes strong solos from Fela on keyboards and the fearsome Igo Chico on tenor saxophone. --Chris May
Shakara Tracklisting:1. Lady2. Shakara (Oloje)
London Scene - Original year of release: 1972(KFR2004-1) Fela's London Scene, released in 1972, is a top-notch affair, made with a smaller band but one that punches above its weight. There is no tenor guitarist and no call-and-response choir, though sing-along vocals are a feature of "Egbe Mi O" ("please carry me"). Throughout, Fela's electric piano is gym-ripped and razor sharp, and Igo Chico turns in three stirring tenor solos. "Buy Africa," written in 1970, was one of Fela's first politically-informed songs. The lyric was written in support of a government campaign to encourage local industry. "J'Ehin J'Ehin" ("eat teeth eat teeth") is along similar lyric lines as "Shakara." This time Fela is lampooning people who are so greedy that they eat their own teeth. In "Who're You," Fela channels James Brown's vocal style over an angular funk groove. "Fight To Finish" draws on Yoruba folklore to offer advice: once you have started something, be prepared to finish it. --Chris May
London Scene Tracklisting:
1. J'Ehin J'Ehin (Chop Teeth - Chop Teeth)
2. Egbe Mio (Carry Me)
3. Who're You
4. Buy Africa
5. Fight To Finish
Gentleman - Original year of release: 1973(KFR2009-1) 1973's Gentleman is the last of Fela's early 1970s transitional albums - it was followed by 1974's Alagbon Close, on which he brought all Afrobeat's signature ingredients together. The title track from can be interpreted literally or as metaphor concerning a wider issue. In this case, Fela's topic is the colonialism-induced inferiority complex which led many in Africa's new governing elites to reject African style, concepts of beauty and modes of behaviour in favour of European imports. Gentleman's other tracks, "Fefe Naa Efe" and "Igbe," have briefer lyrics. On "Fefe Naa Efe," an Ashanti motto from Ghana, Fela tells a woman dumped by her boyfriend that she must get over the heartache and move on. On "Igbe" (shit), Fela declares that anyone who betrays a friend is shit, and that anybody who lacks self-respect is shit - something you want to expel from your body as soon as possible. He sings the word "shit" in a several Nigerian languages, so there is no misunderstanding. --Chris May
Gentleman Tracklisting:1. Gentleman
2. Fefe - Naa Efe
3. Igbe
Afrodisiac- Original year of release: 1973(KFR2008-1) Afrodisiac was recorded at EMI's Abbey Road studios in London. The best known song on 1973's Afrodisiac is "Jeun Ko Ku," a satire about gluttony and Fela's first major hit in West Africa. In Broken English, the title means "chop and quench," which, in turn, means "eat and die" in Standard English. Lyrically, the standout track is the closing "Je'Nwi Temi" ("don't gag me"), a critique of the Nigerian political/military establishment and a defence of free speech. Fela vows that he will always tell it like it is, no matter what. This proved to be prophetic stuff, given the police and army assaults, intended to silence him, which were just around the corner. "Alu Jon Jonki Jon" draws on the interaction between animals and humans that is part of Yoruba mythology, in a tale about a dog who betrays his friends. Like many of Fela's lyrics of the period, the lyric employs parable and metaphor to encourage ethical conduct in everyday life. In "Eko Ile," Fela sings that there is no place like home (Eko was the pre-colonial name of Lagos). --Chris May
Afrodisiac Tracklisting:1. Alu Jon Jonki Jon
2. Jeun Ko Ku (Chop and Quench)
3. Eko Ile
4. Je'Nwi Temi (Don't Gag Me)
Zombie - Original year of release: 1976(KFR2025-1) On the title track of 1976's Zombie, Fela and the backup singers ridicule the mindset of men in uniform over an urgent, quick-march accompaniment from Afrika 70. "Attention! Quick march! Slow march! Salute!" sings Fela, "Fall in! Fall out! Fall down! Go and kill! Go and die! Go and quench!" Each phrase is followed by the women singers' taunting response, "Zombie!" Just a few months later on 18 February, 1977, around 1,000 soldiers, most of them armed, swooped on the Kalakuta Republic. Fela was badly beaten, sustaining a fractured skull and several broken bones. His mother, then aged 77, was thrown out of a window, fracturing a leg and suffering deep trauma. The army then set fire to the compound and prevented the fire brigade reaching the area. The blaze gutted the premises, destroying six Afrika 70 vehicles, all Fela's master tapes and band equipment, a four-track recording studio, all the residents' belongings and, for good measure, the free medical clinic run by Fela's brother, Dr Beko Ransome Kuti (who was also severely beaten in the attack). The first journalists to arrive on the scene were assaulted by soldiers. Inquisitive passers-by were similarly set upon. The army didn't want any witnesses. --Chris May
Zombie Tracklisting:
1. Zombie
2. Mr. Follow Follow
Upside Down - Original year of release: 1976(KFR2023-1) Upside Down and Zombie, both released in 1976, were made at the mid-point of an extraordinary three-year purple period during which Fela recorded 24 albums of new material. Upside Down is unusual in that it includes a second lead vocalist, Fela's American friend Sandra Izsadore, who he'd known since touring the US in 1969. Izsadore, a black rights activist, introduced him to the writings of Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael, Huey Newton and other revolutionary thinkers. Fela later credited Izsadore with helping inspire his philosophy of Blackism. Izsadore can take credit for something else, too: she affirmed Fela's use of weed. Fela had first smoked in London in 1960 or 1961; during his time with Izsadore, he began to use weed regularly, continuing to do so until the end of his life. "Go Slow" was one of several songs Fela recorded which critiqued the consequences of over-rapid urbanization - in this case, traffic jams - using them as a metaphor to describe deeper social breakdowns. --Chris May
Upside Down Tracklisting:
1. Upside Down
2. Go Slow
I.T.T. (International Thief Thief) - Original year of release: 1980(KFR2038-1) I.T.T. International Thief Thief (1980) was recorded following Afrika 70's disintegration and the formation of Egypt 80. It is one of a quartet of courageous 1979/80 albums completed by V.I.P. (Vagabonds In Power), Authority Stealing and Coffin For Head Of State. In "International Thief Thief ," Fela makes highly insulting, personal attacks on former Nigerian president General Obasanjo, and Moshood Abiola, the local chief executive of the multi-national corporations Internal Telephone & Telegraph (ITT) and Decca Records. Obasanjo Fela regarded as a crook, an incompetent and a thug, and held him responsible for the death of his mother following the 1977 sack of Kalakuta. Abiola, he believed, had both cheated him out of royalties and conspired with Decca's London bosses to silence him after the 1977 attack, in order to maintain favourable relations with Obasanjo's regime. Both men, Fela says, are "thieves," "rats" and of "low mentality." --Chris MayI.T.T. Tracklisting:1. ITT (Part 1)
2. ITT (Part 2)
http://www.knittingfactoryrecords.com/artists/fela/
http://fela.net/ http://findingfela.com/https://www.facebook.com/felakuti
http://www.youtube.com/Fela
https://www.twitter.com/felakuti
http://www.knittingfactoryrecords.com
September 12, 2016
THE GROWLERS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, CITY CLUB, PRODUCED BY JULIAN CASABLANCAS ON CULT RECORDS
THE GROWLERS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, CITY CLUB, PRODUCED BY JULIAN CASABLANCAS ON CULT RECORDS (9/30/16)
SIRIUSXMU PREMIERIES NEW SINGLE, "I'LL BE AROUND"FALL TOUR DATES ON SALE NOW,INCLUDING GROWLERS' BEACH GOTH FESTIVAL
Photo by Pamela Littky / Artwork & Design by Warren Fu and Liz Hirsch
Cult Records is thrilled to announce the release of City Club, the forthcoming new album by The Growlers on September 30.
The album was co-produced by Julian Casablancas (The Strokes / Founder of Cult Records) and Shawn Everett (this year's Grammy Award winner for his work with Alabama Shakes). City Club was recorded earlier this year in Everett's studio in downtown Los Angeles, which served as inspiration for the album title and cover art.
Known for their relentless touring schedule and DIY work ethic, the band is one of the most exciting independent success stories of recent years.
Casablancas states: "The Growlers may be the most interesting band in the world, certainly one of the coolest. Nor gypsy, nor goth, nor surfer, nor punk, yet somehow all of them."
From the disco skronk of title track "City Club" to the William Onyeabor-inspired Afrogroove of "I'll Be Around," the record marks a twist on their Beach Goth sonics. It's still a swirl of reggae, punk, ragged country, and twangy psychedelia, but now with prominent synthesizers, danceable beats and some serious anthems.
Lead singer/songwriter Brooks Nielsen states: "I was really into Afrofunk when we made this record," says Brooks, "and a lot of English 70s punk I listened to as a kid, particularly when Jamaica was mixing in with all the punk kids."Last night, indie tastemaker, SiriusXMU, premiered the new single, "I'll Be Around". This comes on the heels of the premiere of that album's title track, "City Club," on Casablancas' new radio show, Culture Void several weeks back upon announcement.
The Growlers will head back out on the road this fall in both in support of the new album with dates in North America, Mexico and Europe. The 20 date US trek culminates with a return home to headline their 5th Annual Beach Goth Festival on October 22 and 23 in Orange County, California.
THE GROWLERS FALL WORLD TOUR 2016Friday, September 16 @ Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NVSaturday, September 17 @ The Fox Theatre, Boulder, COSunday, September 18 @ Waiting Room, Omaha, NEMonday, September 19 @ Riot Room, Kansas City, MOWednesday, September 21 @ Thalia Hall, Chicago ILThursday, September 22 @ Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MIFriday, September 23 @ Opera House, Toronto, ONSaturday, September 24 @ Tralf Music Hall, Buffalo, NYSunday, September 25 @ The Basement, Columbus, OHTuesday, September 27 @ Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PAWednesday, September 28 @ The Paradise, Boston, MAThursday, September 29 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYFriday, September 30 @ Webster Hall, New York, NYSaturday, October 1 @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DCMonday, October 3 @ Terminal West, Atlanta, GATuesday, October 4 @ Music Farm, Charleston, SCWednesday, October 5 @ Orange Peel, Asheville, NCThursday, October 6 @ Exit/In, Nashville, TNFriday, October 7 @ Headliners Music Hall, Louisville, MOSaturday, October 8 @ Off Broadway, St. Louis, MOSaturday, October 22 @ Beach Goth, Orange County, CASunday, October 23 @ Beach Goth, Orange County, CAFriday, November 4 @ Lunario Del Audiorio Nacional, Mexico City, MEXSaturday, November 5 @ Festival Catrina, Puebla, MEX Tuesday, November 8 @ Krust, Hamburg, GERWednesday, November 9 @ Zoom, Frankfurt, GERThursday, November 10 @ Strom, Munich, GERFriday, November 11 @ Beatpol, Dresden, GERSaturday, November 12 @ Columbia Theatre, Berlin, GERMonday, November 14 @ Paradiso, Amsterdam, NETHTuesday, November 15 @ Brixton Electric, London, ENGThursday, November 17 @ Cabaret Sauvage, Paris, FR
Tickets for all fall tour dates, including Europe, Mexico and Beach Goth Festival are available now via: http://www.thegrowlers.com
This year's Beach Goth Festival lineup continues in the fine tradition of years past with a lineup that includes Bon Iver, Justice, King Krule, Gucci Mane, RL Grime, Patti Smith, TLC, James Blake, Devendra Banhart, Nicolas Jaar, 2 Live Crew, Violent Femmes, Future Islands, The Drums, Melanie Martinez, Reel Big Fish,The Faint, Tricky, Sebastian, Albert Hammond Jr., Kali Uchis, Hinds, Gang of Four, Cold Cave, ThePharcyde, Leftover Crack, DJ Quik and more.
SIRIUSXMU PREMIERIES NEW SINGLE, "I'LL BE AROUND"FALL TOUR DATES ON SALE NOW,INCLUDING GROWLERS' BEACH GOTH FESTIVAL
Photo by Pamela Littky / Artwork & Design by Warren Fu and Liz HirschCult Records is thrilled to announce the release of City Club, the forthcoming new album by The Growlers on September 30.
The album was co-produced by Julian Casablancas (The Strokes / Founder of Cult Records) and Shawn Everett (this year's Grammy Award winner for his work with Alabama Shakes). City Club was recorded earlier this year in Everett's studio in downtown Los Angeles, which served as inspiration for the album title and cover art.
Known for their relentless touring schedule and DIY work ethic, the band is one of the most exciting independent success stories of recent years.
Casablancas states: "The Growlers may be the most interesting band in the world, certainly one of the coolest. Nor gypsy, nor goth, nor surfer, nor punk, yet somehow all of them."
From the disco skronk of title track "City Club" to the William Onyeabor-inspired Afrogroove of "I'll Be Around," the record marks a twist on their Beach Goth sonics. It's still a swirl of reggae, punk, ragged country, and twangy psychedelia, but now with prominent synthesizers, danceable beats and some serious anthems.
Lead singer/songwriter Brooks Nielsen states: "I was really into Afrofunk when we made this record," says Brooks, "and a lot of English 70s punk I listened to as a kid, particularly when Jamaica was mixing in with all the punk kids."Last night, indie tastemaker, SiriusXMU, premiered the new single, "I'll Be Around". This comes on the heels of the premiere of that album's title track, "City Club," on Casablancas' new radio show, Culture Void several weeks back upon announcement.
The Growlers will head back out on the road this fall in both in support of the new album with dates in North America, Mexico and Europe. The 20 date US trek culminates with a return home to headline their 5th Annual Beach Goth Festival on October 22 and 23 in Orange County, California.
THE GROWLERS FALL WORLD TOUR 2016Friday, September 16 @ Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NVSaturday, September 17 @ The Fox Theatre, Boulder, COSunday, September 18 @ Waiting Room, Omaha, NEMonday, September 19 @ Riot Room, Kansas City, MOWednesday, September 21 @ Thalia Hall, Chicago ILThursday, September 22 @ Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MIFriday, September 23 @ Opera House, Toronto, ONSaturday, September 24 @ Tralf Music Hall, Buffalo, NYSunday, September 25 @ The Basement, Columbus, OHTuesday, September 27 @ Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PAWednesday, September 28 @ The Paradise, Boston, MAThursday, September 29 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYFriday, September 30 @ Webster Hall, New York, NYSaturday, October 1 @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DCMonday, October 3 @ Terminal West, Atlanta, GATuesday, October 4 @ Music Farm, Charleston, SCWednesday, October 5 @ Orange Peel, Asheville, NCThursday, October 6 @ Exit/In, Nashville, TNFriday, October 7 @ Headliners Music Hall, Louisville, MOSaturday, October 8 @ Off Broadway, St. Louis, MOSaturday, October 22 @ Beach Goth, Orange County, CASunday, October 23 @ Beach Goth, Orange County, CAFriday, November 4 @ Lunario Del Audiorio Nacional, Mexico City, MEXSaturday, November 5 @ Festival Catrina, Puebla, MEX Tuesday, November 8 @ Krust, Hamburg, GERWednesday, November 9 @ Zoom, Frankfurt, GERThursday, November 10 @ Strom, Munich, GERFriday, November 11 @ Beatpol, Dresden, GERSaturday, November 12 @ Columbia Theatre, Berlin, GERMonday, November 14 @ Paradiso, Amsterdam, NETHTuesday, November 15 @ Brixton Electric, London, ENGThursday, November 17 @ Cabaret Sauvage, Paris, FR
Tickets for all fall tour dates, including Europe, Mexico and Beach Goth Festival are available now via: http://www.thegrowlers.com
This year's Beach Goth Festival lineup continues in the fine tradition of years past with a lineup that includes Bon Iver, Justice, King Krule, Gucci Mane, RL Grime, Patti Smith, TLC, James Blake, Devendra Banhart, Nicolas Jaar, 2 Live Crew, Violent Femmes, Future Islands, The Drums, Melanie Martinez, Reel Big Fish,The Faint, Tricky, Sebastian, Albert Hammond Jr., Kali Uchis, Hinds, Gang of Four, Cold Cave, ThePharcyde, Leftover Crack, DJ Quik and more.
SONGWRITER BELINDA ESQUER ANNOUNCES 'THE TRUTH', SHARES "LOOK INSIDE"
SONGWRITER BELINDA ESQUER ANNOUNCES 'THE TRUTH'SHARES FIRST SINGLE "LOOK INSIDE" VIA PUREVOLUME'The Truth' Available October 28, 2016
Download and Share "Look Inside" Here Via Soundcloud
/
PureVolume
Tucson, AZ-based, by way of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, singer songwriter Belinda Esquer is pleased to announce her sophomore effort The Truth. Available October 28, 2016, The Truth marks Esquer's most personal and compelling collection of recordings to date. Recorded by Steven Lee Tracy at St. Cecilia Studio in downtown Tucson, the seven songs on the record seamlessly blend Americana and electronic elements with a mix of Latin influences. To celebrate the release, Esquer is making the first single, "Look Inside," available for free download via
PureVolme
.
Download and share "Look Inside" 'here
. "'Look Inside' is a song with a sweet and simple melody but haunting lyrics," Esquer explains. "The track is inspired by my abrupt realization that my hero in life is ultimately just human and flawed like everyone else. As I watched my hero fall from her pedestal, I found it difficult to look at myself (Look Inside) knowing that I have modeled my life and values much like hers'; that reflection is too hard for me to face." A Note From Belinda Esquer: "This album is very personal to me, as are all of my songs. I have never really written a song just to write. I always write about events in my life almost like a diary. This album for the most part is a follow up to my previous album SAND written about the strained relationship with my father. The story continues to evolve as he vanishes from my life. Things are changing rapidly for me and my family dynamic, affecting all the different relationships that I have including the relationship with my sisters, mother and my husband. The Truth is mostly my journal of events." "I wrote and performed all of the tracks on the album, which was a complete blast to accomplish. With my previous album, I performed all the tracks as well but this time around the process was smoother because Steven Lee Tracy of Saint Cecilia studios and I have got the process down. Having worked together in the past, we nailed down a good schedule for tracking - We'd get to the studio early on Saturday mornings with coffee in hand and got to work. I would first lay down the drums for all the tracks, then the next session I would lay down the bass and guitar parts. After that I would lay down synths, keys and other percussion. The last day I would lay down the many vocal layers. It's a bit different than playing in a band with various members to contribute. I'm all alone in the studio and frankly it moves things along quite quickly because there isn't much consulting to do among members, it's just me and my choices." "I began writing when I was a teen. Within weeks of picking up a guitar for the first time, I already had put together a song in its most basic form about a boy from school. Addicted to this new amazing feeling music gave me, I begged my mother to let me take drum lessons and by 16 I played drums and guitar. I wrote songs through my teens but didn't really join a band 'til I was 21 (Yardsale Heart). Since then I've been in several bands as songwriter and musician but always wished I could put together a solo album. My solo project finally emerged in 2015 when I began writing what would become my first solo album titled SAND. At this time I couldn't touch a piano or guitar without creating a song expressing my current feelings. My family was dealing with some painful separation and there was so much emotion pouring out of me I needed to let it out through the only way I know how - music. It was an amazing feeling because for one moment in my life I felt clarity. I knew the time had come to pursue my solo project and all the pieces began falling into place." "The Truth is a record that naturally poured out of me with ease because every song is like a page from my journal. It is exactly how I feel. It is my truth."
(Photo Credit: Faisal Al-Rasheed) Track List:01. You Are02. Just Like You03. Look Inside04. Silverlining05. The Truth06. Black Jeans07. Every Time Live Dates09/16 - JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort (Tucson, AZ) || 6-9PM09/17 - Coronado Vineyards (Wilcox, AZ) || 1-4 PM09/22 - Noble Hops Gastropub (Oro Valley, AZ) || 7-10PM09/23 - Borderlands Brewery (Tucson, AZ) || 7-9PM https://belindasmusic.com/https://www.facebook.com/BelindaEsquerMusic/https://soundcloud.com/belindaesquermusic
Tucson, AZ-based, by way of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, singer songwriter Belinda Esquer is pleased to announce her sophomore effort The Truth. Available October 28, 2016, The Truth marks Esquer's most personal and compelling collection of recordings to date. Recorded by Steven Lee Tracy at St. Cecilia Studio in downtown Tucson, the seven songs on the record seamlessly blend Americana and electronic elements with a mix of Latin influences. To celebrate the release, Esquer is making the first single, "Look Inside," available for free download via
PureVolme
.
Download and share "Look Inside" 'here
. "'Look Inside' is a song with a sweet and simple melody but haunting lyrics," Esquer explains. "The track is inspired by my abrupt realization that my hero in life is ultimately just human and flawed like everyone else. As I watched my hero fall from her pedestal, I found it difficult to look at myself (Look Inside) knowing that I have modeled my life and values much like hers'; that reflection is too hard for me to face." A Note From Belinda Esquer: "This album is very personal to me, as are all of my songs. I have never really written a song just to write. I always write about events in my life almost like a diary. This album for the most part is a follow up to my previous album SAND written about the strained relationship with my father. The story continues to evolve as he vanishes from my life. Things are changing rapidly for me and my family dynamic, affecting all the different relationships that I have including the relationship with my sisters, mother and my husband. The Truth is mostly my journal of events." "I wrote and performed all of the tracks on the album, which was a complete blast to accomplish. With my previous album, I performed all the tracks as well but this time around the process was smoother because Steven Lee Tracy of Saint Cecilia studios and I have got the process down. Having worked together in the past, we nailed down a good schedule for tracking - We'd get to the studio early on Saturday mornings with coffee in hand and got to work. I would first lay down the drums for all the tracks, then the next session I would lay down the bass and guitar parts. After that I would lay down synths, keys and other percussion. The last day I would lay down the many vocal layers. It's a bit different than playing in a band with various members to contribute. I'm all alone in the studio and frankly it moves things along quite quickly because there isn't much consulting to do among members, it's just me and my choices." "I began writing when I was a teen. Within weeks of picking up a guitar for the first time, I already had put together a song in its most basic form about a boy from school. Addicted to this new amazing feeling music gave me, I begged my mother to let me take drum lessons and by 16 I played drums and guitar. I wrote songs through my teens but didn't really join a band 'til I was 21 (Yardsale Heart). Since then I've been in several bands as songwriter and musician but always wished I could put together a solo album. My solo project finally emerged in 2015 when I began writing what would become my first solo album titled SAND. At this time I couldn't touch a piano or guitar without creating a song expressing my current feelings. My family was dealing with some painful separation and there was so much emotion pouring out of me I needed to let it out through the only way I know how - music. It was an amazing feeling because for one moment in my life I felt clarity. I knew the time had come to pursue my solo project and all the pieces began falling into place." "The Truth is a record that naturally poured out of me with ease because every song is like a page from my journal. It is exactly how I feel. It is my truth." (Photo Credit: Faisal Al-Rasheed) Track List:01. You Are02. Just Like You03. Look Inside04. Silverlining05. The Truth06. Black Jeans07. Every Time Live Dates09/16 - JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort (Tucson, AZ) || 6-9PM09/17 - Coronado Vineyards (Wilcox, AZ) || 1-4 PM09/22 - Noble Hops Gastropub (Oro Valley, AZ) || 7-10PM09/23 - Borderlands Brewery (Tucson, AZ) || 7-9PM https://belindasmusic.com/https://www.facebook.com/BelindaEsquerMusic/https://soundcloud.com/belindaesquermusicDUA LIPA PREMIERES 'BLOW YOUR MIND (MWAH)' VIDEO
DUA LIPA PREMIERES'BLOW YOUR MIND (MWAH)' VIDEO
Today, Dua Lipa releases the video for her first official U.S. single, 'Blow Your Mind (Mwah)' off of her highly anticipated self-titled debut album, out February 10th on Warner Bros. Records. The single has been streamed over 6 million times on Spotify and is already in the Top 40 on Shazam. NYLON included 'Blow Your Mind (Mwah)' in their "17 Best Music Releases of the Week," proclaiming that the track's "irresistibly upbeat synths and toe-tapping beats makes it worthy of hitting repeat," and V Magazine has declared "our girl Dua Lipa strikes again with another smash single." This follows her global success on previous hits 'Hotter Than Hell' and 'Be The One', collectively reaching #1 on iTunes across 21 countries and top #5 on iTunes in 65 countries.
Last week, Dua was hand-picked to be a part of
NPR's
new documentary series
Noteworthy
which examines the creative process behind some of today's most prolific musicians. The intimate conversations and rare footage reveal her family's rich background in music, her writing process and her lifelong passion for singing that has defined her art. Watch Dua's episode here. This fall, be sure to catch Dua Lipa's upcoming US shows in support of Troye Sivan. Find Dua Lipa online: WEBSITE /INSTAGRAM /TWITTER /FACEBOOK
Today, Dua Lipa releases the video for her first official U.S. single, 'Blow Your Mind (Mwah)' off of her highly anticipated self-titled debut album, out February 10th on Warner Bros. Records. The single has been streamed over 6 million times on Spotify and is already in the Top 40 on Shazam. NYLON included 'Blow Your Mind (Mwah)' in their "17 Best Music Releases of the Week," proclaiming that the track's "irresistibly upbeat synths and toe-tapping beats makes it worthy of hitting repeat," and V Magazine has declared "our girl Dua Lipa strikes again with another smash single." This follows her global success on previous hits 'Hotter Than Hell' and 'Be The One', collectively reaching #1 on iTunes across 21 countries and top #5 on iTunes in 65 countries.
Last week, Dua was hand-picked to be a part of
NPR's
new documentary series
Noteworthy
which examines the creative process behind some of today's most prolific musicians. The intimate conversations and rare footage reveal her family's rich background in music, her writing process and her lifelong passion for singing that has defined her art. Watch Dua's episode here. This fall, be sure to catch Dua Lipa's upcoming US shows in support of Troye Sivan. Find Dua Lipa online: WEBSITE /INSTAGRAM /TWITTER /FACEBOOK
JOHN FOXX AND THE MATHS - 'WALK'
JOHN FOXX AND THE MATHS - 'WALK'You can watch the video for 'Walk' HERE
Filmed by Macoto Tezka in Tokyo, Japan.
Taken from the Deluxe CD/DVD edition of John Foxx -21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City.
Still some copies left of the Deluxe HERE
Reviews for 21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City.
'This sampler demonstrates the breadth of his excellence.' Q MAGAZINE'John Foxx is a cult hero for a new generation of electronic artists. Collaborating seems to bring out the best in him.' UNCUT'Ample evidence of a still vital talent' MOJO'A perfect storm of brilliant synthpop.' THE QUIETUS'This retrospective reveals a man who, 40 years into his career, is at the top of his game.' ELECTRONIC SOUND'Confirms his cool status with the new generation of electronicists.' CLASSIC POP
www.metamatic.com
Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Awarded to Rhiannon Giddens
RHIANNON GIDDENS WINS STEVE MARTIN PRIZEFOR EXCELLENCE IN BANJO AND BLUEGRASS
The Seventh Annual Prize Recognizes an Individual or Group for Outstanding Accomplishments in the Field of Five-String Banjo or Bluegrass Music
"One of the most promising voices in American roots music" - Rolling Stone "Ms. Giddens's glorious voice ... merges an opera singer's detail and a deep connection to Southern roots. She can summon the power of a field holler, Celtic quavers, girlish innocence, bluesy sensuality, gospel exaltation or the pain of slavery. She can sing velvety, long-breathed phrases or rasp and yip like a singer from the backwoods long ago." - New York TimesLOS ANGELES, CA, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 - Critically acclaimed singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Rhiannon Giddens is the recipient of the seventh annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass . Described by T Bone Burnett as one of the "most profound musicians active today," Giddens is the co-founder of the GRAMMY Award-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, in which she sang and played banjo and fiddle. That group has long investigated and promoted the foundational role African-American performers and songwriters have played in folk-music history, while making recordings that are vital, contemporary, and exuberant."Rhiannon has made a rare contribution to American music," said Steve Martin. "She - along with the Carolina Chocolate Drops - has resurrected and revitalized an important part of banjo history."
Giddens began gaining recognition as a solo artist when she stole the show at the T Bone Burnett-produced Another Day, Another Time concert at New York City's Town Hall in 2013. The elegant bearing, prodigious voice, and fierce spirit that brought the audience to its feet that night is also abundantly evident on Giddens' critically acclaimed solo debut album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, which masterfully blends American musical genres like gospel, jazz, blues, and country, showcasing her extraordinary emotional range and dazzling vocal prowess. Giddens is currently working on her follow up album and will have a recurring role in the fifth season of the hit TV show Nashville.
The Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass provides the winner with an unrestricted cash prize of fifty-thousand dollars, as well as a bronze sculpture created specifically for the prize by noted artist Eric Fischl. Created to bring recognition to an individual or group for outstanding accomplishment in the field of five-string banjo or bluegrass music, the prize highlights the extraordinary musicianship of these artists and bluegrass music worldwide. The winner is determined by a board consisting of J.D Crowe, Pete Wernick, Tony Trischka, Anne Stringfield, Alison Brown, Neil V. Rosenberg, Béla Fleck, and Steve Martin.
The award is given to a person or group who has given the board a fresh appreciation of this music, either through artistry, composition, innovation or preservation, and is deserving of a wider audience. Recipients must be a professional or semi-professional and should currently be active in their careers.
The award is funded personally by the Steve Martin Charitable Foundation. Its first winner was Giddens' Nonesuch Records labelmate, Noam Pikelny of Punch Brothers.
The Seventh Annual Prize Recognizes an Individual or Group for Outstanding Accomplishments in the Field of Five-String Banjo or Bluegrass Music
"One of the most promising voices in American roots music" - Rolling Stone "Ms. Giddens's glorious voice ... merges an opera singer's detail and a deep connection to Southern roots. She can summon the power of a field holler, Celtic quavers, girlish innocence, bluesy sensuality, gospel exaltation or the pain of slavery. She can sing velvety, long-breathed phrases or rasp and yip like a singer from the backwoods long ago." - New York TimesLOS ANGELES, CA, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 - Critically acclaimed singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Rhiannon Giddens is the recipient of the seventh annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass . Described by T Bone Burnett as one of the "most profound musicians active today," Giddens is the co-founder of the GRAMMY Award-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, in which she sang and played banjo and fiddle. That group has long investigated and promoted the foundational role African-American performers and songwriters have played in folk-music history, while making recordings that are vital, contemporary, and exuberant."Rhiannon has made a rare contribution to American music," said Steve Martin. "She - along with the Carolina Chocolate Drops - has resurrected and revitalized an important part of banjo history."
Giddens began gaining recognition as a solo artist when she stole the show at the T Bone Burnett-produced Another Day, Another Time concert at New York City's Town Hall in 2013. The elegant bearing, prodigious voice, and fierce spirit that brought the audience to its feet that night is also abundantly evident on Giddens' critically acclaimed solo debut album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, which masterfully blends American musical genres like gospel, jazz, blues, and country, showcasing her extraordinary emotional range and dazzling vocal prowess. Giddens is currently working on her follow up album and will have a recurring role in the fifth season of the hit TV show Nashville.
The Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass provides the winner with an unrestricted cash prize of fifty-thousand dollars, as well as a bronze sculpture created specifically for the prize by noted artist Eric Fischl. Created to bring recognition to an individual or group for outstanding accomplishment in the field of five-string banjo or bluegrass music, the prize highlights the extraordinary musicianship of these artists and bluegrass music worldwide. The winner is determined by a board consisting of J.D Crowe, Pete Wernick, Tony Trischka, Anne Stringfield, Alison Brown, Neil V. Rosenberg, Béla Fleck, and Steve Martin.
The award is given to a person or group who has given the board a fresh appreciation of this music, either through artistry, composition, innovation or preservation, and is deserving of a wider audience. Recipients must be a professional or semi-professional and should currently be active in their careers.
The award is funded personally by the Steve Martin Charitable Foundation. Its first winner was Giddens' Nonesuch Records labelmate, Noam Pikelny of Punch Brothers.
SARA JACKSON-HOLMAN STREAMS 'DIDN'T GO TO THE PARTY' LP VIA THE 405
SARA JACKSON-HOLMAN STREAMS 'DIDN'T GO TO THE PARTY' LP VIA THE 405
OUT THIS FRIDAY 9.16 ON EXPUNGED RECORDS
Photo Cred: Myles KatherineLISTEN & SHARE: Sara Jackson-Holman - 'Didn't Go To The Party'
"Layered beauties like 'Monsoon' pair gorgeously with R&B-tinged gems like 'Run.'" - The 405
"'Too Late' takes the listener on an emotional, personal journey through the lens of Jackson-Holman’s voice." - All Things Go
"Gorgeous string arrangements... a lush, groovy track"
- Brooklyn VeganSara Jackson-Holman is now streaming her new album 'Didn't Go To The Party' on The 405. The record is set to release via Expunged Records next week, on September 16th.
I’m a feeler, I’m a dreamer, a monsoon….enigmatic, but magnetic too
These are some of the first lines from Sara Jackson-Holman’s new album, Didn’t Go To The Party, to be released this autumn on Expunged Records. Opening track “Monsoon” is an exploration of self and an embracing of contradictions, a theme which echoes throughout this work of lush, timeless orchestral pop. A classically-trained pianist as well as a pop singer-songwriter, Sara weaves together her varied musical loves (including Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Serge Gainsbourg and Erik Satie) into a rich and playful fabric.
Didn’t Go To The Party is introspective and contemplative, a long-playing answer in stereo to questions like: “what kind of woman am I? “what kind of woman have I been?”
I crawled through love, blind
In part, Didn’t Go To The Party explores the arc of romantic relationships. Sara sings of the way that affections wax, and then wane, like cycles of the moon. One such relationship of inspiration was with her longtime collaborator in the studio. They worked on the album even after their relationship had ended, and, for certain, the twilight of that romance was entangled with the creative process. A new friendship for the former lovers was born alchemically out of this time in the recording studio, laying these songs about their own shared experience to tape.
Didn’t go to the party
The title track speaks to the album’s creation and a facet of its creator. Sara grew up in the forested landscape of Eastern Oregon, and has always been comfortable with solitude. Her current home in Portland is a rustic cottage house, where she explored her inner life in a series of late night songwriting sessions. The process was a means of healing, and of assessing her spiritual growth as a newly single woman. Embracing the “loner” self was a vehicle for poetic revelation.
You’re the song my heart is singing
There is a subtle yet important coda to this narrative of solitude and singleness, found on the album’s lead single, “Run.” At first blush, it may sound lyrically like a traditional pop song. In actuality, it’s a love song for Sara’s female friends, the ones who supported her and inspired her through rocky emotional terrain. When she sings: if you want a partner in crime, I will be your girl, or more simply, this love is different, it’s with a distinctly feminine energy in mind.
Sara belongs to a close-knit friend group of female musicians, artists and makers, blossoming out of Portland’s thriving arts community. They’ve been known to throw elaborate costume parties and engage in all matter of practical magic, channeling everything from the opulent femininity of French Colonial fashion to the subversive feminism of the Czech New Wave. The element which unites their flights of fancy is always a sense of play, a joyful fount of creativity. The elegance and the honesty, which are both intrinsic to Didn’t Go To the Party, are dual products of this feminine understanding.
String arrangements from Jherek Bischoff (Xiu Xiu, Amanda Palmer) bolster the elegant and cinematic quality of Sara’s songwriting. Her heartrending pop songs are indeed fit for the screen, as she has already seen many placements on top television shows within the span of her young career (Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, Orange is the New Black, Bones, Castle).
The road ahead looks promising for this talented and thoughtful artist.
DIDN'T GO TO THE PARTY - TRACKLISTING
01. Monsoon
02. Go To My Head
03. Run
04. You’ll Come Around
05. Warmed Through
06. Killing Me Boy
07. Didn’t Go To The Party
08. Along For The Ride
09. Fire Fire Fire
10. Too Late
11. Spring Comes Again
LINKS
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Soundcloud - Instagram
OUT THIS FRIDAY 9.16 ON EXPUNGED RECORDS
Photo Cred: Myles KatherineLISTEN & SHARE: Sara Jackson-Holman - 'Didn't Go To The Party'"Layered beauties like 'Monsoon' pair gorgeously with R&B-tinged gems like 'Run.'" - The 405
"'Too Late' takes the listener on an emotional, personal journey through the lens of Jackson-Holman’s voice." - All Things Go
"Gorgeous string arrangements... a lush, groovy track"
- Brooklyn VeganSara Jackson-Holman is now streaming her new album 'Didn't Go To The Party' on The 405. The record is set to release via Expunged Records next week, on September 16th.
I’m a feeler, I’m a dreamer, a monsoon….enigmatic, but magnetic too
These are some of the first lines from Sara Jackson-Holman’s new album, Didn’t Go To The Party, to be released this autumn on Expunged Records. Opening track “Monsoon” is an exploration of self and an embracing of contradictions, a theme which echoes throughout this work of lush, timeless orchestral pop. A classically-trained pianist as well as a pop singer-songwriter, Sara weaves together her varied musical loves (including Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Serge Gainsbourg and Erik Satie) into a rich and playful fabric.
Didn’t Go To The Party is introspective and contemplative, a long-playing answer in stereo to questions like: “what kind of woman am I? “what kind of woman have I been?”
I crawled through love, blind
In part, Didn’t Go To The Party explores the arc of romantic relationships. Sara sings of the way that affections wax, and then wane, like cycles of the moon. One such relationship of inspiration was with her longtime collaborator in the studio. They worked on the album even after their relationship had ended, and, for certain, the twilight of that romance was entangled with the creative process. A new friendship for the former lovers was born alchemically out of this time in the recording studio, laying these songs about their own shared experience to tape.
Didn’t go to the party
The title track speaks to the album’s creation and a facet of its creator. Sara grew up in the forested landscape of Eastern Oregon, and has always been comfortable with solitude. Her current home in Portland is a rustic cottage house, where she explored her inner life in a series of late night songwriting sessions. The process was a means of healing, and of assessing her spiritual growth as a newly single woman. Embracing the “loner” self was a vehicle for poetic revelation.
You’re the song my heart is singing
There is a subtle yet important coda to this narrative of solitude and singleness, found on the album’s lead single, “Run.” At first blush, it may sound lyrically like a traditional pop song. In actuality, it’s a love song for Sara’s female friends, the ones who supported her and inspired her through rocky emotional terrain. When she sings: if you want a partner in crime, I will be your girl, or more simply, this love is different, it’s with a distinctly feminine energy in mind.
Sara belongs to a close-knit friend group of female musicians, artists and makers, blossoming out of Portland’s thriving arts community. They’ve been known to throw elaborate costume parties and engage in all matter of practical magic, channeling everything from the opulent femininity of French Colonial fashion to the subversive feminism of the Czech New Wave. The element which unites their flights of fancy is always a sense of play, a joyful fount of creativity. The elegance and the honesty, which are both intrinsic to Didn’t Go To the Party, are dual products of this feminine understanding.
String arrangements from Jherek Bischoff (Xiu Xiu, Amanda Palmer) bolster the elegant and cinematic quality of Sara’s songwriting. Her heartrending pop songs are indeed fit for the screen, as she has already seen many placements on top television shows within the span of her young career (Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, Orange is the New Black, Bones, Castle).
The road ahead looks promising for this talented and thoughtful artist.
DIDN'T GO TO THE PARTY - TRACKLISTING01. Monsoon
02. Go To My Head
03. Run
04. You’ll Come Around
05. Warmed Through
06. Killing Me Boy
07. Didn’t Go To The Party
08. Along For The Ride
09. Fire Fire Fire
10. Too Late
11. Spring Comes Again
LINKS
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Soundcloud - Instagram
MARK STOERMER Premieres "Take My Time" Video
MARK STOERMERPremieres "Take My Time" Video on Interview
PRESS HERE to Watch
Single art
"From the fuzzed up, louche psych of album opener 'Drifting Caterpillar,' to the string-draped, soaring prog-pop of 'Are You Stars Out' to Steely Dan organ grooves of 'Take My Time,' Dark Arts is a record to sink into, track by consecutive track"- Noisey
"Dark Arts is a musical kaleidoscope. It's the sort of record you get from a multifaceted musician left to hone his craft" - Billboard Mark Stoermer, bassist of The Killers, premiered his new music video for "Take My Time" today on Interview. PRESS HERE to watch the video, which features kaleidoscopic black and whitevisuals evoking Don Quixote. Dark Arts , Stoermer's second solo album, was released August 5 - PRESS HERE to stream the album in full on Noisey . Dark Arts' 13 songs comprise a mosaic of sixties-induced psychedelia, bluesy desert rock swagger, plaintive lyrical poetry, and lithe and lush cinematic orchestration. Co-produced by David Hopkins of Bombay Heavy and recorded at The Killers' Las Vegas headquarters Battle Born Studios and Studio at The Palms, Dark Arts weaves together a twisting and turning trip through a myriad of styles. PRESS HERE to watch the music video for lead single "Spare the Ones That Weep" on NME PRESS HERE to watch the video for "Are Your Stars Out?" on Billboard PRESS HERE to watch the lyric video for "39 Steps"PRESS HERE to watch the music video for "Drifting Caterpillar" Since the release of his first solo album Another Life in 2011, Stoermer has released 2012's Battle Born with The Killers, performed alongside Dhani Harrison on Conan for "George Harrison Week" and joined The Smashing Pumpkins on tour, handling bass for their Monuments to an Elegy Tour.
Mark Stoermer, credit Spencer Burton
www.markstoermer.comFacebook / Twitter / Instagram
Single art
"From the fuzzed up, louche psych of album opener 'Drifting Caterpillar,' to the string-draped, soaring prog-pop of 'Are You Stars Out' to Steely Dan organ grooves of 'Take My Time,' Dark Arts is a record to sink into, track by consecutive track"- Noisey
"Dark Arts is a musical kaleidoscope. It's the sort of record you get from a multifaceted musician left to hone his craft" - Billboard Mark Stoermer, bassist of The Killers, premiered his new music video for "Take My Time" today on Interview. PRESS HERE to watch the video, which features kaleidoscopic black and whitevisuals evoking Don Quixote. Dark Arts , Stoermer's second solo album, was released August 5 - PRESS HERE to stream the album in full on Noisey . Dark Arts' 13 songs comprise a mosaic of sixties-induced psychedelia, bluesy desert rock swagger, plaintive lyrical poetry, and lithe and lush cinematic orchestration. Co-produced by David Hopkins of Bombay Heavy and recorded at The Killers' Las Vegas headquarters Battle Born Studios and Studio at The Palms, Dark Arts weaves together a twisting and turning trip through a myriad of styles. PRESS HERE to watch the music video for lead single "Spare the Ones That Weep" on NME PRESS HERE to watch the video for "Are Your Stars Out?" on Billboard PRESS HERE to watch the lyric video for "39 Steps"PRESS HERE to watch the music video for "Drifting Caterpillar" Since the release of his first solo album Another Life in 2011, Stoermer has released 2012's Battle Born with The Killers, performed alongside Dhani Harrison on Conan for "George Harrison Week" and joined The Smashing Pumpkins on tour, handling bass for their Monuments to an Elegy Tour.
Mark Stoermer, credit Spencer Burtonwww.markstoermer.comFacebook / Twitter / Instagram
Jack White shares surprise Michel Gondry video for "City Lights"
MICHEL GONDRY-DIRECTED VIDEO FOR THE WHITE STRIPES' "CITY LIGHTS"PREMIERES ON
JACKWHITEIII.COM
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
WATCH
JACK'S INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE ONTHE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON
LISTEN TO JACK'S INTERVIEW ON NPR'S ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
JACK WHITE ACOUSTIC RECORDINGS 1998 - 2016 OUT NOW
"A genreless foot stomper." - Rolling Stone "✮✮✮✮" "A stripped-back, career-spanning set shows off the guitarist's gifts as a folk-blues songwriter."- EW "A-"
"These tracks illuminate White as intriguing and masterful songwriter."- Mojo "8/10"
"What Acoustic Recordings best illustrates...is a consistency to White's songwriting that has enduredthrough his myriad projects..."- Uncut "8/10"
Third Man Records is pleased to share the genius surprise gift they received from their friend Michel Gondry. On his own and without anyone's knowledge, the legendary filmmaker shot a video for "City Lights," which he sent them the other night. The video is Gondry's fifth visual collaboration with The White Stripes. "City Lights" was written for The White Stripes' GET BEHIND ME SATAN but then forgotten until White revisited the 2005 album for Third Man's Record Store Day 2015 vinyl reissue and finished the recording in 2016. The track is the first new, worldwide commercially released song by The White Stripes since 2008.
WATCH THE GONDRY-DIRECTED "CITY LIGHTS" VIDEO AT JACKWHITEIII.COM
And in case you missed it, White sat and chatted with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show Friday night, September 9th. After the hilarious talk segment, White performed the rare "Love Is The Truth" and an incredibly moving rendition of "You've Got Her In Your Pocket," both from the just released career-spanning album JACK WHITE ACOUSTIC RECORDINGS 1998-2016 (Third Man Records/ Columbia). It was White's first solo acoustic performance on TV ever, as well as being his only US TV appearance for the acoustic compilation.
WATCH THE TONIGHT SHOW PERFORMANCE HERE
AND THE FULL EPISODE WITH INTERVIEW HERE
On Saturday, September 10th, NPR's All Things Considered aired a compelling interview with White and host Ray Suarez.
LISTEN TO ALL THINGS CONSIDERED HERE
White heads to London next for Later...With Jools Holland Tuesday night, his only other TV appearance in support of the new acoustic compilation.
JACK WHITE ACOUSTIC RECORDINGS 1998-2016 is the essential Jack White songwriting collection - a 26-track double-LP and double-CD that features alternate versions, mixes and previously unreleased recordings, along with original album versions, from The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and White's solo material, all completely remastered. Explore the interactive timeline to find out more about each song on the new album and Jack's songwriting career.
# # #
LISTEN TO JACK'S INTERVIEW ON NPR'S ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
JACK WHITE ACOUSTIC RECORDINGS 1998 - 2016 OUT NOW
"A genreless foot stomper." - Rolling Stone "✮✮✮✮" "A stripped-back, career-spanning set shows off the guitarist's gifts as a folk-blues songwriter."- EW "A-"
"These tracks illuminate White as intriguing and masterful songwriter."- Mojo "8/10"
"What Acoustic Recordings best illustrates...is a consistency to White's songwriting that has enduredthrough his myriad projects..."- Uncut "8/10"
Third Man Records is pleased to share the genius surprise gift they received from their friend Michel Gondry. On his own and without anyone's knowledge, the legendary filmmaker shot a video for "City Lights," which he sent them the other night. The video is Gondry's fifth visual collaboration with The White Stripes. "City Lights" was written for The White Stripes' GET BEHIND ME SATAN but then forgotten until White revisited the 2005 album for Third Man's Record Store Day 2015 vinyl reissue and finished the recording in 2016. The track is the first new, worldwide commercially released song by The White Stripes since 2008.
WATCH THE GONDRY-DIRECTED "CITY LIGHTS" VIDEO AT JACKWHITEIII.COM
And in case you missed it, White sat and chatted with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show Friday night, September 9th. After the hilarious talk segment, White performed the rare "Love Is The Truth" and an incredibly moving rendition of "You've Got Her In Your Pocket," both from the just released career-spanning album JACK WHITE ACOUSTIC RECORDINGS 1998-2016 (Third Man Records/ Columbia). It was White's first solo acoustic performance on TV ever, as well as being his only US TV appearance for the acoustic compilation.
WATCH THE TONIGHT SHOW PERFORMANCE HERE
AND THE FULL EPISODE WITH INTERVIEW HERE
On Saturday, September 10th, NPR's All Things Considered aired a compelling interview with White and host Ray Suarez.
LISTEN TO ALL THINGS CONSIDERED HERE
White heads to London next for Later...With Jools Holland Tuesday night, his only other TV appearance in support of the new acoustic compilation.
JACK WHITE ACOUSTIC RECORDINGS 1998-2016 is the essential Jack White songwriting collection - a 26-track double-LP and double-CD that features alternate versions, mixes and previously unreleased recordings, along with original album versions, from The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and White's solo material, all completely remastered. Explore the interactive timeline to find out more about each song on the new album and Jack's songwriting career.
# # #
PETE YORN'S NEW VIDEO, "I'M NOT THE ONE," FEATURING CHARLOTTE MCKINNEY, PREMIERES TODAY
PETE YORN'S NEW VIDEO, "I'M NOT THE ONE," FEATURING CHARLOTTE MCKINNEY, PREMIERES TODAY
Clip Can Be Seen Exclusively On HowardStern.com Yorn Supports New Album, ArrangingTime, With Fall Tour That Includes Performances At Austin City Limits Festival And October 5 Show At Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre
Pete Yorn has unveiled the official video for his new single, "I'm Not The One." Directed by Delaney Bishop (Marilyn Manson, Little Boots, Nite Jewel), the clip featuresCharlotte McKinney, who is best known for being a Guess girl, starring in a recent Super Bowl ad that became a global viral sensation, and appearing in Season 20 of "Dancing with the Stars." McKinney has also just been cast in the upcoming Baywatch film, set for release in 2017 by Paramount Pictures.Beginning today and continuing through Sunday, September 18, the video can be viewed exclusively on
HowardStern.com
."I really liked her performance in a "Funny or Die" video about Coachella. Whencasting the lead for the video, we felt she could really evoke an icy, classic beauty reminiscent of lead actresses in Hitchcock films - and that was the style and aesthetic we were aiming for," said Pete Yorn.Yorn returns to the road this Friday, September 16, with a headline show atAvondale Brewery in Birmingham, AL. His fall tour includes an evening at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA (October 5) and performances at several festivals, including Music Midtown, Life is Beautiful, Oaktopia and both weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. See below for itinerary.The bittersweet "I'm Not The One" is from
ArrangingTime
(Capitol Records),Yorn's first solo studio album in more than five years, which debuted in the Top 5 ofBillboard's Alternative Albums and Folk Albums charts and in the Top 10 of the Top Rock Albums chart. "ArrangingTime...affirms his skill and sensibilities. The songs shine," observedPaste Magazine.Entertainment Weekly noted,"propulsive cuts like 'Summer Was a Day' and 'Lost Weekend' sound refreshingly back-to-basics, like rediscovering a long-forgotten Jackson Browne record."MAGNET Magazine noted, "the unforgettable choruses and custom Yorn finger-strum pattern are abundant." In an 8/10 review, Uncut hailed
ArrangingTime
as "a creative reboot" while AllMusic.com found its "enveloping warmth...alluring."The albummarks hisfirst collaboration with producer R. Walt Vincent since Yorn's2001's RIAA Gold-certified debut, musicforthemorningafter, and 2003's Day I Forgot.
ArrangingTime
follows Yorn's acclaimed 2010 self-titled album, recorded with The Pixies' Frank Black, and a pair of adventurous collaborations - 2009's Break Up withScarlett Johanssonand The Olms (2013), a '60s-styled retro-pop duo with J.D. King.
PHOTO CREDIT: JIM WRIGHT PETE YORN TOUR DATES 9/16 - Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewery9/17 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In9/18 - Atlanta, GA @ Music Midtown9/23 - Las Vegas, NV @ Life is Beautiful Festival
9/24 - Denton, TX - Oaktopia Festival 10/2 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival - Zilker Park10/4 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up10/5 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre10/9 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival - Zilker Park Purchase tickets here: https://www.facebook.com/peteyorn?sk=app_123966167614127
Clip Can Be Seen Exclusively On HowardStern.com Yorn Supports New Album, ArrangingTime, With Fall Tour That Includes Performances At Austin City Limits Festival And October 5 Show At Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre
Pete Yorn has unveiled the official video for his new single, "I'm Not The One." Directed by Delaney Bishop (Marilyn Manson, Little Boots, Nite Jewel), the clip featuresCharlotte McKinney, who is best known for being a Guess girl, starring in a recent Super Bowl ad that became a global viral sensation, and appearing in Season 20 of "Dancing with the Stars." McKinney has also just been cast in the upcoming Baywatch film, set for release in 2017 by Paramount Pictures.Beginning today and continuing through Sunday, September 18, the video can be viewed exclusively on
HowardStern.com
."I really liked her performance in a "Funny or Die" video about Coachella. Whencasting the lead for the video, we felt she could really evoke an icy, classic beauty reminiscent of lead actresses in Hitchcock films - and that was the style and aesthetic we were aiming for," said Pete Yorn.Yorn returns to the road this Friday, September 16, with a headline show atAvondale Brewery in Birmingham, AL. His fall tour includes an evening at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA (October 5) and performances at several festivals, including Music Midtown, Life is Beautiful, Oaktopia and both weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. See below for itinerary.The bittersweet "I'm Not The One" is from
ArrangingTime
(Capitol Records),Yorn's first solo studio album in more than five years, which debuted in the Top 5 ofBillboard's Alternative Albums and Folk Albums charts and in the Top 10 of the Top Rock Albums chart. "ArrangingTime...affirms his skill and sensibilities. The songs shine," observedPaste Magazine.Entertainment Weekly noted,"propulsive cuts like 'Summer Was a Day' and 'Lost Weekend' sound refreshingly back-to-basics, like rediscovering a long-forgotten Jackson Browne record."MAGNET Magazine noted, "the unforgettable choruses and custom Yorn finger-strum pattern are abundant." In an 8/10 review, Uncut hailed
ArrangingTime
as "a creative reboot" while AllMusic.com found its "enveloping warmth...alluring."The albummarks hisfirst collaboration with producer R. Walt Vincent since Yorn's2001's RIAA Gold-certified debut, musicforthemorningafter, and 2003's Day I Forgot.
ArrangingTime
follows Yorn's acclaimed 2010 self-titled album, recorded with The Pixies' Frank Black, and a pair of adventurous collaborations - 2009's Break Up withScarlett Johanssonand The Olms (2013), a '60s-styled retro-pop duo with J.D. King. PHOTO CREDIT: JIM WRIGHT PETE YORN TOUR DATES 9/16 - Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewery9/17 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In9/18 - Atlanta, GA @ Music Midtown9/23 - Las Vegas, NV @ Life is Beautiful Festival9/24 - Denton, TX - Oaktopia Festival 10/2 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival - Zilker Park10/4 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up10/5 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre10/9 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival - Zilker Park Purchase tickets here: https://www.facebook.com/peteyorn?sk=app_123966167614127
