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Mazzy Star Announces EP "Still" + Listen to New Track, QUIET

Music News-  Santa Monica alt-rockers Mazzy Star have announced the release of their new EP Still, which will be out on June 1 on Rhymes Of An Hour Records / Distributed by INgrooves Music Group.

 

And, they revealed the band will perform for the first time in Australia; with three shows at the Sydney Opera House on June 11,12 and 13.

 

For almost 30 years, Mazzy Star; Hope Sandoval and guitarist David Roback, have been the enigmatic heart of the underground psychedelic music scene. The band released their fourth studio LP Seasons Of Your Day in 2013, preceded by She Hangs Brightly (1990), So Tonight That I Might See (1993) and Among My Swan (1996).

 

Still is the beloved band's first release since 2014's "I'm Less Here". Still will be available on 12 inch vinyl and DSP's (iTunes, Amazon, Spotify), and STREAM "QUIET, THE WINTER HARBOR" via SPOTIFY AND iTUNES

 

Mazzy Star Still EP Tracklist-

1. Quiet, The Winter Harbor

2. That Way Again

3. Still

4. So Tonight That I Might See (Ascension Version)

Immediate Records Presents “Humble Pie On 79th Street” Limited Edition Vinyl LP

Music News- With Record Store Day fast approaching, you won’t find this special compilation LP by one of the UK’s most iconic bands in any store on April 21st. Except one. “Humble Pie On 79th Street” will only be  available from Pie & Vinyl.

Obvious? Or are we bucking the trend of Record Store Day in the manner that Andrew Loog Oldham, legendary founder of Immediate Records and Rolling Stones manager might have done? Or does this oneoff LP celebrate the spirit of RSD more than any other release?

Inspired by the beautiful pied-piperess Katherine who led us all to Pie & Vinyl and discoveries that linked her vibrant, musical town of Portsmouth & Southsea, an amazing record store and the timeless sounds of Humble Pie to dramatic events in Southsea over 40 years ago that culminated in a truly local effort to press the LP in Portsmouth and have it on sale in Southsea
for Saturday April 21.

Says Immediate Records reissue producer Rob Caiger: “Wouldn’t it be great if by doing all of this, a new fan on Record Store Day discovers Humble Pie - in Pie & Vinyl - and feels the same excitement hearing ‘Natural Born Bugie’ as I did in my own local record shop Downtown Records many years ago. There’s no better place to hear new sounds (however old…) then in a record shop - and that’s just one reason why we should celebrate Record Store Day.”

The Tallest Man On Earth Releases Second Song "Somewhere In The Mountains, Somewhere In New York"

Music News- The Tallest Man On Earth today released the newest song from his five part series, When The Bird Sees The Solid Ground. The new original studio recording, "Somewhere In The Mountains, Somewhere In New York", is released via Rivers / Birds Records through AWAL / Kobalt Recordings, and accompanied by a video episode directed by Kristian Matsson.  NPR proclaimed, "f or all his stated love of imperfections, Matsson's actual performance is a thing of refined and impeccable beauty: A dreamily melancholy wonder, 'Somewhere in the Mountains, Somewhere in New York' works equally well played or as a more finely crafted studio recording.

Photo credit: Kristian Matsson

 

Mattson says:

For most of my career, I've written songs and saved them up in notebooks and voice memos. I'd record some of those songs, and then wait a half a year for them to be released. It all seemed very separate and compartmentalized and that's always struck me as a bit unnatural. Even though they were abstract and maybe naive, they came from reacting to things happening around me in the moment.

 

Of course what those moments are change as we get older and so does how we process them. "Somewhere In The Mountains, Somewhere In New York" is about learning more and more about gratitude for positive things in life, big and small, and how to accept life's changing nature, to snap out of fear of change and new challenges. But there are moments when being reasonable is not on the map; "I don't want this to happen, please". This is a song that is a snapshot of a moment like that and was written and recorded in just a couple of hours.

 

COURTNEY BARNETT SHARES NEW TRACK “CITY LOOKS PRETTY” - LISTEN

Music News- Today Courtney Barnett reveals her latest tune,"City Looks Pretty," the third single from her highly anticipated album Tell Me How You Really Feel .  Watch/listen below.  Following on from the focused fury of "Nameless, Faceless" and the gorgeously contemplative "Need a Little Time ,"  the new single takes Barnett in an entirely different direction. "City Looks Pretty" has Barnett experimenting with new song structures while delivering one of her most exhilarating guitar performances to date. It's metronomic drive and squealing lead guitar provide the remarkable sonic foundation from which Barnett sings a melodic exploration of friendship, place and home –  “friends   Photo Credit: Pooneh Ghana treat you like a stranger,"  Barnett sings,  “And strangers treat you like their best friend."  You can stream or purchase the track today.

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Announce New Summer Tour Dates

Music News- Four-time Grammy Award winner Jason Isbell and his longtime band the 400 Unit have announced new Summer 2018 tour dates bringing them to the West Coast in August and September. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Aimee Mann has been tapped as support for most of the dates. See full itinerary below.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit recently took home two Grammy awards for Best Americana Album for their celebrated album The Nashville Sound and Best American Roots Song for the gorgeous “If We Were Vampires”. The album has received tremendous support from the press, garnering high praise that includes NPR Music, Associated Press, Rolling Stone and Noisey as well as extensive coverage from Men’s Journal, GQ, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weeklyand more. Isbell was recently featured in The New York Times Magazine and is on the current cover of Fretboard Journal. The independent album, released on Isbell’s own Southeastern Records, has gone on to sell over 150,000 copies.

Jason Isbell has established a reputation for being one of his generation’s finest songwriters. Together with his mighty band the 400 Unit, which features Derry deBorja (keyboards), Chad Gamble (drums), Jimbo Hart (bass), Sadler Vaden (guitar) and Amanda Shires (fiddle), they have become one of the strongest live acts on the road today. The band continues to pack houses all over the U.S. and abroad, including 6 sold-out nights at the historic Ryman Auditorium last fall. In the last year, national television performances have included The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Austin City Limits, with featured segments on CBS This Morning, PBS Newshour, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and more. Recently the group performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert (View HERE).

Jim James announces new album; shares new song

Music News- Flipping through the pages of The Last Whole Earth Catalogue, a resource that was in 1971 basically the internet before the internet, Jim James stumbled upon a distorted photo of "The Illuminated Man' by Duane Michals. Immediately moved by the photo, he asked for permission to to use the image as the album cover of  Uniform Distortion .  The first request to Michals was rejected. In hopes of changing his mind, James wrote a letter to Michals personally and was ultimately allowed to use the image. The letter, which sheds some light on the album and James current state of mind, reads in full below:

 

"hello duane- your piece "the illuminated man" was used in "the last whole earth catalogue" in 1971. i wasnt even born yet. i was born in 1978...but i found my copy of "the last whole earth catalogue" about 6 months ago in a thrift store and it blew my mind. i have been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the speed of technology and its place in our lives and here was this beautiful book/catalogue from the past showing me me all these beautiful things and amazing images to help one learn different ways to look at the world... or "get off the grid?" funny they had no idea back then just how crazy "the grid" would get. or did they?

 

so i am trying to put down my phone... use the computer and social media less... and just focus on real life and the people i love and my art. of course i am not fully "off the grid" because i am sending you this email in hopes of you changing your mind about letting me use your image as it appeared in "the last whole earth catalogue" in 1971 because when i saw it on the page there it spoke to me so deeply of how my head feels like it is exploding with the amount of information we are forced to consume on a daily basis and how that information is so DISTORTED there is almost no longer any tangible truth. the name of my new record is "UNIFORM DISTORTION" because i feel like there is this blanket distortion on society/media and the way we gather our "news" and important information...and more and more of us are feeling lost and looking for new ways out of this distortion and back to the truth...and finding hope in places like the desert where i write this email to you now...finding hope in the land and in the water and in old books offering new ideas and most importantly in each other and love.

 

Neko Case Announces Headlining, North American "Hell-On Tour" for September 2018

Music News- With a continent-hoping series of almost forty tour dates already booked to kick off next month; from an extensive string of shows with Ray LaMontagne to Sasquatch Festival and a just-announced European tour, Neko Case continues to widen the scale of her bold, highly anticipated return to the stage.  Today, she revealed a series of headlining North American performances for September 2018 (below in bold), including New York's Beacon Theatre and over a dozen more stops following the release of her forthcoming LP, 'Hell-On' (out June 1st on ANTI-). Thao (of the Get Down Stay Down) will support each night - full dates below.

Tickets are on-sale Friday, April 20th, at 10am local time.

Self-produced by Case, 'Hell-On' reaffirms why Rolling Stone has called her "one of America's best and most ambitious songwriters." The album's twelve songs are reliably profound and fearless, charming and unflinching.

Last week, Case released the album's second single, "Bad Luck," which Rolling Stone hailed as "an indie rock gem...injected with a twinge of sorrow, but also a playful existential shrug." Listen and share.

ROBIN ZANDER of Cheap Trick Confirms New Their Album Is On The Way

Music News- As he preps his Broadway stage debut in Rocktopia Robin Zander has now confirmed that CHEAP TRICK is working on a new album for a tentative release later this year.

CHEAP TRICK has released almost 20 studio records, including three in the past two years: "Bang Zoom Crazy Hello" back in 2016, and "We're All Alright" and "Christmas Christmas" in 2017.

In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Zander said even more music is on the way from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band.

"We're working on another record right now as we speak," the singer said. "In fact, we just did a John Lennon cover song. I'm thinking we should put it out now, because it's a great version of 'Gimme Some Truth'."

Oh whether the new record will arrive this year, Zander said: "Oh, it will be this year. We've already got a couple of songs that are mixed and ready to go. I'll tell you one thing that we're working on, that we've finished already, because it might not be on the record. It might be, but it might not be. I'd like to get [the cover of 'Gimme Some Truth'] out as soon as possible, even if we don't have the record ready, I'd like to put that out somewhere."

CHEAP TRICK's current lineup includes three of its original members. Drummer Bun E. Carlos ceased touring with the band in 2010.

The Illinois rockers were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016.

The Lone Bellow Performs on Conan, Start Tour Today

Music News- The Lone Bellow gave an enthralling performance of their latest single " May You Be Well " on Conan this week. The Americana favorites kick off their current tour tonight in Hickory, North Carolina and will continue on through the Southern part of the country throughout April. Full list of dates is below.   The Lone Bellow released their third studio album Walk Into A Storm last fall on Descendant Records/Sony Music Masterworks. The album was produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded in Nashville, TN.

THE LONE BELLOW 2018 TOUR Itinerary- April 13 | Hickory, NC at Music in the Mill April 14 | Decatur, GA at Amplify April 16 | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall April 17 | Pensacola, Fl at Vinyl Music Hall April 18 | Mobile, AL at Soul Kitchen April 21 | Jackson, MS at Duling Hall April 22 | Hattiesburg, MI at Thirsty Hippo April 24 | Dallas, TX at Granada Theater April 26 | Austin, TX at Emo’s Austin April 27 | Helotes, TX at Floore’s Country Store April 28 | Houston, TX at The Heights Theater June 10 | Spoleto Festival USA

Benjamin Lazar Davis (Okkervil River) Premieres New Song "Choosing Sides"

Music News- Benjamin Lazar Davis (Okkervil River, Cuddle Magic) released his new single "Choosing Sides" today; the track will appear on his forthcoming solo debut album Nothing Matters.  NPR's Songs We Love premiered "Choosing Sides," saying, " In the simple melody, and perfectly-placed key modulations, you can feel Davis harmonizing with his own thoughts and dancing the pas de deux of a divided heart... He plays instruments in a way that makes them feel less like strings and wood and wires, and more like stop-motion scenes witnessed through the rear-view mirror of life's highway."

 

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

 

Nothing Matters, which also features the previously released singles "A Love Song Seven Ways" and "Right Direction" is out May 4 on 11A Records and is available for pre-order now.  Listen to Choosing Sides, below-

 

 

The Security Project Feat. King Crimson & Peter Gabriel Members to Tour East Coast US & Canada in May/June 2018

Music News- The Security Project has once again reinvented itself, this time with vocalist Happy Rhodes. Together with Jerry Marotta (drummer from Peter Gabriel's first five records, Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Michael Cozzi (Shriekback) and NY keyboardist David Jameson, the group continues to reimagine the early work of Peter Gabriel (and also on this disc - Kate Bush), but with Happy's impressive four-octave vocals adding an entirely new dimension.

The band's latest digital release of the classic Peter Gabriel song “Here Comes The Flood” is now available. This follows on the heels their last live album CONTACT released in November; material culled from their US and Japanese tours.

Folk Noir, Americana Duo Society of Broken Souls Release "Midnight and the Pale"

Music News- Society of Broken Souls, the folk noir/Americana songwriting duo of multi-instrumentalists Dennis James and Lauryn Shapter, is set to release its second album, Midnight and the Pale, on April 13, 2018.  Midnight and The Pale, the follow-up to 2016’s Things Still Left Unsaid, is the pair’s second album under the moniker Society of Broken Souls and their fifth collaboration.

 

Photo by Liz Brown

The new album once again sees James and Shapter writing, arranging, producing, and engineering the 10-song collection, as well as performing all the parts. Starting a music career considerably later in life than most emerging artists, this Midwestern duo is embracing the maturity and experience that comes from years passed, life lived, and challenges faced. Their latest album is a study in the interplay of light and dark, and the beauty that results when they are allowed to walk comfortably side by side.

“There is a growing propensity in our culture to show ever more curated versions of ourselves, where everything is Photoshop perfect and everyone is living the dream,” Shapter explains. “But that’s just not real life, and it only seems to leave people feeling more isolated. We got tired of the lack of authenticity we saw around us and decided to shine some light on the broken bits, but still have fun while we were doing it.”

Listen to Florence + The Machine’s new ‘Sky Full Of Song’ Tune

Music News- Florence + The Machine have shared a new song, the first off their upcoming album, and it's called ‘Sky Full Of Song’.

The track is their first since 2015 album ‘How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful’ and was previously rumored that the lead track from the follow-up would be released today (April 12). It will also be released for upcoming Record Store Day.

The sparse, string-laden  and elegant ‘Sky Full Of Song’ is accompanied by an artful black and white video directed by AG Rojas. In the song, Florence Welch -sings, “I want you so bad, but you could be anyone.” Watch/listen , below.

FLEET FOXES ON TOUR NOW, & EXCLUSIVE RECORD STORE DAY 7” OUT APRIL 21

Music News- Fleet Foxes’ North American tour is now underway and the band will play at the Coachella Festival this, and next weekend. Their extensive headline run also includes Boston Calling, Shaky Knees, Pitchfork, and Panorama Festivals, as well as two nights at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium, the first of which is sold out; tickets are still available for the second. The full tour itinerary is below. Today the band released a vertical video directed by Vidanoise with animation by David Hession and Rosie Holtom for Crack-Up track “If You Need To, Keep Time On Me.” View the video below-     “The vertical video format provided an opportunity to make a compositionally different visual for 'If You Need To, Keep Time On Me, '’ stated Director and Animator David Hession. “ Taking advantage of the aspect ratio. This lent itself to the constantly evolving, impossible landscape, with each scene an expression of time passing and how time is measured through nature, as majestically delicate as the song itself.”   Next week, on Record Store Day, April 21, 2018, Fleet Foxes release a special edition 7” featuring a unique recording of "Crack Up" performed with renowned Icelandic women’s choir Graduale Nobli at Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, as well as an intimate version of “In The Morning” recorded live at the 2017 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

Fleet Foxes released Crack-Up last June on Nonesuch Records. Following a six-year hiatus, the band delivered an internationally beloved full-length album, sold out notable venues including Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Hollywood Bowl, performed on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and CBS This Morning.

Fleet Foxes 2018 Tour Itinerary-   April 12 | San Pedro, CA at Warner Grand April 14 | Indio, CA at Coachella April 15 | San Diego, CA at Humphrey’s Concerts April 17 | Pomona, CA at Fox Pomona April 18 | San Luis Obispo, CA at Madonna Expo Center April 20 | Berkeley, CA at Greek Theatre Berkeley April 21 | Indio, CA at Coachella May 03 | Raleigh, NC at Red Hat Amphitheater May 04  | Atlanta, GA at Shaky Knees May 05 | Atlanta, GA at Variety Playhouse (Shaky Knees Side Show) May 07 | Houston, TX at Revention Music Center May 08 | San Antonio, TX at Tobin Center for the Performing Arts May 10 | El Paso, TX at Abraham Chavez Theatre May 11 | Mayer, AZ at FORM: Arcosanti May 12 | Albuquerque, NM at Sunshine Theater May 14 | Tulsa, OK at Cain’s Ballroom May 15 | St. Louis, MO at Peabody Opera House May 17 | Pittsburgh, PA at Benedum Center for the Performing Arts May 18 | Washington, DC at The Anthem May 19 | Columbus, OH at Express Live May 21 | Nashville, TN at Ryman Auditorium (SOLD OUT) May 22 | Nashville, TN at Ryman Auditorium May 23 | Louisville, KY at Iroquois Amphitheater May 24 | Indianapolis, IN at The Murat Theatre May 26 | South Burlington, VT at The Green Shelburne Museum May 27 | Allston, MA at Boston Calling   July 02 | Prague, CZ at Velký sál Lucerna July 04 |  Gdynia, PL at Open’er Festival July 06 | Roskilde, DK at Roskilde Festival July 07 | Werchter, BE at Rock Werchter July 10 | San Sebastian, ES at Auditorio del Centro Kursaal July 11 | Gijon, ES at Teatro Laboral July 12 | Madrid, ES at Mad Cool Festival   July 20 | Cincinnati, OH at Taft Theatre July 21 | Chicago, IL at Pitchfork Music Festival July 23 | Cleveland, OH at Agora Theatre July 24 | Toronto, ON at Sony Centre July 25 | Montreal, QB at Corona Theatre July 27 | Lewistown, NY at Artpark July 29 | New York, NY at Panorama Music Festival   August 05 | Curraghmore, IE at All Together Now August 07 | Glasgow, UK at Summer Nights At The Bandstand August 10 | Helsinki, FI at Flow Festival August 12 | Tallinn, EE at Nordea Concert Hall August 16 | Tabaçô, PT at Paredes de Coura Festival August 18 | Wales, UK at Green Man Festival

Crack Up TRACKLIST 1. I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / T humbprint Scar 2. Cassius, - 3. - Naiads, Cassadies 4. Kept Woman 5. Third of May / Ōdaigahara 6. If You Need To, Keep Time on Me 7. Mearcstapa 8. On Another Ocean (January / June) 9. Fool's Errand 10. I Should See Memphis 11. Crack-Up