Music News Net

Sleigh Bells' Alexis Krauss & The Our Land Collective Release 'Our Land'

Music News- This week Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells unveiled an original song by Alexis Krauss and the Our Land Collective . Entitled “ Our Land ,” the song was recorded in response to President Trump’s assault on our National Monuments and Parks. All proceeds from the sale of the song and released merchandise (via partners Bandcamp and Revolutions Per Minute ) will directly fund Utah Diné Bikéyah’s legal effort to reinstate protection for the entire Bears Ears National Monument . Utah Diné Bikéyah is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to preserve the culturally significant ancestral lands of indigenous communities.

 

The song, written by Krauss and co-produced by Krauss, Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells), and Chris Vultaggio , features contributions byactivist Josh Fox , Springtime Carnivore’s Greta Morgan, and additional vocals by Tunde Olaniran among others. Full credits for the song are below.

 

The song also features a companion video, filmed in Bears Ears, UT, which was, co-produced by Krauss and photographer/producer Chris Vultaggio, and includes notables from the music, outdoors, and activism communities, including Karen O, Maggie Rogers, Edward Sharpe, Sunflower Bean, Josh Fox, Hey Flash Foxy, Robbie Bond of Kids Speak For Parks , and more. A full list of the video’s participants are below.  

 

 Listen, Watch and Support "Our Land", here

 

The Weight Band Debuts Original Studio LP "World Gone Mad"

Music News- On February 23, Woodstock-based artists The Weight Band will release their first full-length studio album World Gone Mad featuring original tracks, guest vocals and slide guitar from Jackie Greene on a cover of a Jerry Garcia-Robert Hunter song, and writing contributions from the late Levon Helm on previously unreleased songs.

 

"Common Man" is the first single off of the forthcoming full length album, and it will be available on Friday, January 26 on all digital streaming platforms.  Give it a listen, below-

 

World Gone Mad arrives several months after The Weight Band was featured in the nationally broadcast PBS special Infinity Hall Live , where they performed classic Band songs as well as original tracks.

 

The Weight Band originated inside the famed Woodstock, NY barn of Levon Helm, when Jim Weider (guitar, mandolin and vocals) and Randy Ciarlante (drums and vocals)—both former members of The Band—were performing “Songs of The Band” with Garth Hudson, Jimmy Vivino and Byron Isaacs, now a bassist and vocalist with The Lumineers. Weider, Ciarlante and Isaacs began to carry on the tradition of performing songs from The Band, inviting Brian Mitchell (keyboards and vocals) and Marty Grebb (keyboards, saxophone and vocals) to complete their sound. The Weight Band later added Albert Rogers (bass and vocals) and Michael Bram (drums and vocals) to complete their current lineup, alongside Weider, Mitchell and Grebb.

 

The Head And The Heart Announce Spring 2018 Co-Headline Tour With Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

 

Music News- The Head And The Heart have announced a series of Spring 2018 co-headline dates with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. The tour will kick off at Northerly Island Amphitheatre in Chicago and includes shows at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in Cleveland, OH, Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY, and more. A full itinerary can be found below. All tickets go on sale Friday, January 26 at 10:00AM local time with the exception of the Forest Hills show which goes on sale Friday, January 26 at 11:00AM ET.   Last Fall the band hit the road on a headline tour playing to packed audiences all over North America and playing some of the biggest festivals including Austin City Limits and Voodoo. This Spring the band will perform at Bottlerock, Innings Festival, Avetts At The Beach in Riviera Maya, Mexico as well as Sydney City Limits and a headline show at Corner Hotel in Victoria, AUS.   The Head And The Heart released their latest album Signs of Light in 2016. The record debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Rock Album Chart and they were the most played band at AAA in 2017. The Head And The Heart went on to play their hit single "All We Ever Knew" on Ellen, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBS Saturday Morning, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Late Show With James Corden .

JOHN OATES EMBRACES AMERICANA ON 'ARKANSAS'

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member John Oates (Hall & Oates) has teamed with an amazing group of accomplished and rising stars in the Americana music world to bring his new album, Arkansas, to life. Planned for release on February 2, 2018 the project is his first for Thirty Tigers.  Arkansas is available for advance order through e-retailers and a Pledge Music campaign including autographed vinyl, limited edition exclusives, hats, shirts, and more.

 

The project originally began as a tribute to Oates' music idol, Mississippi John Hurt. During a series of Nashville recording sessions, it evolved to become a unique collection drawing from a wide range of Oates' musical influences. Asked about the style and sound of Arkansas, John says, "It's like Dixieland, dipped in bluegrass, and salted with Delta blues."

 

The album was recorded at Addiction Studios in Nashville and produced by Oates and David Kalmusky who also engineered and mixed it. The sonic glue that cements the project is "The Good Road Band". The impressive lineup consists of Sam Bush on mandolin, Russ Pahl on pedal steel, Guthrie Trapp on electric guitar, Steve Mackey on bass, Nathaniel Smith on cello, and Josh Day on drums and percussion.

 

With this incredible band, Oates shines a light on music from America's past long before the birth of rock 'n' roll. Fresh interpretations include the Emmett Miller classic "Anytime" from 1924 as well as the Jimmie Rodgers tune, "Miss the Mississippi and You," from 1932. Reimagined traditional Delta, country blues and ragtime selections salute legendary artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Blake.

 

Two new original songs by Oates blend seamlessly with the traditional roots material, as well as John's deep catalog of Daryl Hall and John Oates hits. Taken together, Oates' music becomes a retrospective of American popular song.

Stagecoach Spotlight Announces Tour Featuring Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real And Nikki Lane

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Nikki Lane will embark on a thirteen date Stagecoach Spotlight Tour kicking off November 1 in Chicago, and including a stop November 18 at the iconic Levon Helm Studios.

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have quietly developed into one of America’s most dazzling new live acts, playing hundreds of shows and major festivals all over the world, attracting a deeply devoted underground following.

Still, with a bounty of invaluable experience under their belts, nothing foretold the artistic leap of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s new, self-titled album; a mesmerizing, emotionally genuine, endlessly rewarding work of cosmic country soul set for release on August 25 via Fantasy Records. The new album includes twelve Lukas Nelson originals that draw on his country and rock lineage, including literate Texas songsmiths like his father, Willie Nelson and ‘uncles’ Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings, along with the enduring influence of J.J. Cale, The Band, Clapton-era Delaney & Bonnie and of course, his mentor Neil Young. Jess Wolfe and Holly Lessig of the indie-pop group Lucius contribute background vocals on five tracks evoking Exile on Main St.’s ecstatic, gospel-rooted harmonies, and Lady Gaga added stirring background vocals to “Carolina” and “Find Yourself.” Listen to “Find Yourself,” “Forget About Georgia,” and “Set Me Down On A Cloud”.

“We have seen some incredible strides by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real over the past year and this new record seems to be something truly special. We have been discussing doing something together for a long time and we have decided now is the time,” said Stacy Vee, talent buyer for Stagecoach and the Stagecoach Spotlight Tour. “We also decided our work with Nikki Lane was far from done so we asked her to come along. This tour will be one for the storybooks! 

The LONE BELLOW "Fake Roses" Video, and Tour News!

MUSIC NEWS- Brooklyn, NY band The Lone Bellow released stunning new music video recently for their tune, FAKE ROSES.  Watch it here-

 

 

Virginia Madsen stars in the piece for the band's song "Fake Roses" about lead singer Zach Williams mother-in-law Edna. Williams tells EW, " Edna was the first single mother that I ever met. I remember walking up and the lawn was super un-kept and I'm this 15-year-old boy who bush hogged fields, so it was weird to me. Then I walked into their house and a lot of the lights were off and that was even weird, I just thought, 'Man, this is crazy.' And then I med Edna, and she is just this sweet sweet soul. She was a nurse and started working days and nights when she and her husband split."

Neil Young + Promise of the Real Add Autumn Tour Dates

MUSIC NEWS - NEIL YOUNG + PROMISE OF THE REAL confirmed a second leg of the Rebel Content Tour recently.  The tour will resume October 1st , in Missoula, MT, and winddown in Berkeley, CA, on October 17.  All tour dates are listed below from MNN.

The Rebel Content Tour presents Neil Young + Promise of the Real; Lukas Nelson (vocals/guitar), along with Micah Nelson (guitar, vocals), Anthony Logerfo (drums), Corey McCormick (bass/vocals) and Tato Melgar (percussion).  Neil and Promise of the Real played together at the Bold Nebraska /Cowboys and Indians Alliance event last year along with Lukas and Micah's father Willie Nelson. They had such  an instant synergy that Neil invited them to record his new album The Monsanto Years with him.

The first leg of the Rebel Content Tour has drawn a truly overwhelming response to Young + Promise of The Real's amazing energy. Ranging from solo acoustic, to full band acoustic, to full on raging rock jams these 2-to-3 hour, ever changing  "dream set lists"  feature material from both The Monsanto Years and Young's  entire catalogue and have left audiences enthralled:

Justin Townes Earle Announces More Tour Dates

MUSIC NEWS  - After an extensive tour run in the USA throughout 2014 and early 2015 to promote his critically-acclaimed companion albums Single Mothers and Absent Fathers, Justin Townes Earle took a short break from the road. Recently,  Earle announced he'll be back on the road with a run of North American tour dates throughout September and October.

Although the majority will be headlining dates, Justin will also be sharing the stage with Warren Haynes in select cities. A full list of dates can be found below from MNN.

Single Mothers (September 2014) and Absent Fathers (January 2015) were recorded along side one another as a double album and released via Vagrant Records. Combined the double album perfectly showcases exactly why Justin Townes Earle is considered a forefather of Contemporary Americana.

Great Hudson River Revival to Honor Pete & Toshi Seeger

MUSIC NEWS- Folk music legend Pete Seeger's vision and desire to clean up NY's Hudson River in the 1960s prompted a series of riverside concerts throughout the Hudson Valley to help raise the funds to “build a boat to save the river.”  The banjo case was laid open to accept contributions, and this was the start of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater that also laid the foundations for the Great Hudson River Revival. This year’s Great Hudson River Revival will honor the late Pete and Toshi Seeger, co-founders of the festival and the organization.  And, organizers of the fest have announced news on the many Clearwater friends that will perform tributes over the festival weekend this June.

The Great Hudson River Revival, the country’s oldest music and environmental festival, brings together major musical performers and Clearwater’s own brand of green activism for a unique weekend every June. This year, the Clearwater Festival will take place on June 21 and 22, on the banks of the Hudson River at beautiful Croton Point Park, Croton-On-Hudson, NY.

 (Pete Seeger photo courtesy: Econosmith)

Neil Young Announces "A Letter Home" Box Set Release

MUSIC NEWS-  Neil Young will release a CD, digital album and a Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set of his recent vinyl album A Letter Home on Reprise Records on May 27. The box set is a beautifully packaged expanded version of the vinyl edition first released on February 21by Jack White's Third Man Records.

The Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set will also contain a Download card for the hi-res Audiophile version of the album. 

Young recorded the collection of covers with White on a refurbished 1947 Voice-O-Graph recording booth at Third Man's Nashville headquarters.  Think of a very simple recording studio not much larger than a phone booth and you'll get the idea.  Young described the album as "an unheard collection of rediscovered songs from the past recorded on ancient electro-mechanical technology captures and unleashes the essence of something that could have been gone forever."  Recorded live to track to one-track, mono, the album has an inherent warm, primitive feel of a vintage Folkways recording.

Conor Oberst Readies "Upside Down Mountain" Release and Tour

MUSIC NEWS- Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst recently signed to Nonesuch Records, which releases his new solo album Upside Down Mountain on May 20.  But before the album release, a limited-edition seven-inch single will be released exclusively for Record Store Day (Saturday, April 19^th). This special single will feature album track “Hundreds Of Ways” along with album outtake “Fast Friends” on the B-side. 

Oberst then kicks off the first leg of a world tour in support of the new album on May 8, 2014 in North Carolina. His friends and colleagues Dawes appear on the bill as “Special Guests”; both opening the concerts and performing as Oberst’s band for the tour.  Tickets are on sale to the general public now

 

Neil Young and Crazy Horse Cancel North American Tour Dates Due to Injury

MUSIC NEWS - Neil Young & Crazy Horse have regretfully announced that in addition to canceling their remaining dates on their European tour, they must also cancel their upcoming USA concert dates due to a hand injury sustained by guitarist Poncho Sampredo.  His doctor has now indicated that Sampredo's hand requires additional time to heal properly.

"We are sorry for any inconvenience this causes to our fans or the Festivals where we were scheduled to appear," the band has said in a statement. "As you must be, we too are disappointed at this unfortunate turn of events."

THE OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW Releases "Carry Me Back to Virginia"

MUSIC NEWS- The Old Crow Medicine Show (OCMS) have released their new EP Carry Me Back To Virginia. The EP features three songs, including "Carry Me Back To Virginia" which is being shipped to Country radio this week. The other two tracks are a newly recorded version of "Ain't It Enough", and a cover of the No. 1 hit Alabama song "Dixieland Delight." This EP is available digitally all digital music outlets. Look for the physical release to hit retail stores on August 6th.

And, the band will be on a big summer tour which will find them traveling from coast to coast through the end of August. The band has made a name for themselves as an exciting and relentless touring act, and this summer will provide no exception to that. For a complete tour itinerary, please see below.

BOB DYLAN, WILCO and MY MORNING JACKET to Embark on Summer Americanarama Festival Tour

MUSIC NEWS- Music legend Bob Dylan will be on tour this summer with My Morning Jacket and Wilco as the "Americanarama Festival of Music".

This morning, an announcement for the tour appeared on Dylan's website, along with the festival's logo, with the slogan "Meet me there – Beat me there!"  Besides Mr Dylan and his band and the other headliners, other music artists will include the Richard Thompson Electric Trio and Ryan Bingham at select venues.

Levon Helm Doc, "Ain't In It for My Health" Set to Release on April 19

MUSIC NEWS - Kino Lorber announced recently their acquisition of North American distribution rights to the music documentary AIN’T IN IT FOR MY HEALTH: A FILM ABOUT LEVON HELM, an in-depth and intimate look at music legend Levon Helm, who died of cancer in April 2012.  On April 19th, the first anniversary Levon Helm’s death,  the documentary “Ain’t in It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm”  will make its USA theatrical debut in NYC.

Levon Helm was in the middle of an intensively creative period in the years just before his death. In addition to establishing the Midnight Ramble concert series as a must-see music experience, Helm’s Dirt Farmer (Vanguard/Dirt Farmer Music) earned the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in February of 2008, and in November of that same year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him among The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2010, his follow up album Electric Dirt, also won a Grammy Award in the inaugural category of ‘Best Americana Album.’ In 2011, his live album Ramble at the Ryman was nominated for the Grammy in the same category – and won.