 Play Berlin in NYC on 4/28
Chapel Hill, NC-based group Sarah Shook & the Disarmers will release their second album, Years, on April 6. In advance of the release date, Brooklyn Vegan launched the album's first single, "Good As Gold" with a new video. Watch it HERE Sarah Shook says of the album: This record is about finding a way. A way through exhaustion, depression, betrayal, hangover after hangover, upper after downer after upper, fight after never-ending fight. It's about picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after years of being trampled and beaten down, jutting your chin out, head high, after they've done their worst, and saying, "Still here." Years album link: https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/album/years The band will be touring far and wide this spring in support of Years, including appearances at SXSW, Knoxville's Rhythm 'N' Blooms Festival, and at clubs across the map.
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 Courtesy: Adkins Publicity ROBERT “KOOL” BELL, RONALD BELL, GEORGE BROWN & JAMES “JT” TAYLOR P/K/A “KOOL & THE GANG,” STEVE DORFF, JERMAINE DUPRI, ALAN JACKSON, JOHN MELLENCAMP AND ALLEE WILLIS ALSO TO BE INDUCTED
NEW YORK (Feb 6, 2018 Press Release) – Musical titans Bill Anderson, Robert “Kool” Bell, Ronald Bell, George Brown & James “JT” Taylor P/K/A “Kool & The Gang,” Steve Dorff, Jermaine Dupri, Alan Jackson, John Mellencamp and Allee Willis will become the latest inductees of the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization’s 49th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner. These legendary songwriters wrote mega-hits such as, "Mama Sang a Song," “Celebration,” “Through The Years,” “Always Be My Baby,” “Chattahoochee,” “Jack And Diane,” and “I’ll Be There For You.” The star-studded induction event is slated for Thursday, June 14th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel inNew York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon. “The 2018 roster of Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees is a prodigious representation of creators of cross-genre hits, certain to resonate with everyone,” said SHOF co-chairs Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff and president/CEO Linda Moran. “Each year, the slate of songwriters we induct is more diverse and illustrative of the history and contributions that we strive to acknowledge and honor. We could not be more excited to preside over this year’s event and to give these songwriters their due respect.” Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) serves as a vital bridge between music’s past and future. In the Hall, musical pioneers are enshrined and celebrated, while the organization’s outreach to the music community grooms the next generation of troubadours. To qualify for induction, a songwriter must be a published writer for a minimum of 20 years with a notable catalog of hit songs. Brooklyn-based artist Jeremy Bass released his latest album, The Greatest Fire, on January 19th. The ten song project showcases not only the classically trained (in Italy and Spain) guitarist's beautiful arrangements, but his powerful lyrics filled with astute observations, self-awareness, and hope.
Today, TDC is proud to premiere the video for "1,000 Years." A delicate, string filled ballad, "1,000 Years" questions love, it's fragility, it's risk and reward, and it's ability to make you feel both one with another and alone - all of which the video captures perfectly. Bass relays the story behind the song, "1,000 Yrs is the album's post-apocalyptic love song. Compositionally I wanted to challenge myself to write a song using the fewest amount of building blocks, few (if any) major harmonic changes, all organized around one driving, incessant riff. Thematically I wanted to explore how love manages to coexist in this self-destructing world, even in spite of its own fragility. It might seem incongruous that love continues in the face of destruction and chaos, but it does. It can also seem paradoxical to continue to love, and to want to love, when we know those bonds will eventually (at least in my experience) dissolve or fade. But we do so anyway, and it's that willingness to risk in the face of both literal death and the death of love that makes the feeling of love authentic and necessary to our existence." Enjoy, and share, the video above then read on as Bass answers his Essential 8 and talks the story behind his album's title, "a-ha" moments, his favorite NYC venue, and more. With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? I don't think I ever reach a moment where I think a song is "perfect." There's the old cliche that a work of art is never finished, only abandoned, and I still think there's some truth to that. There is, however, a sense of geometry to a good song, where all the components are in balance. I found that "a-ha" moment with the first single from the album, "Trees for the Forest," where we cut the band out and dropped the tempo in half for the second rendition of the chorus. It created an energy pitch that drove the rest of the song into an almost frenzied race to the finish. It works in the recording, but it's even better live. What’s the story behind your album’s title? I'm a poet as well as a songwriter, and one of my favorite poets is Jack Gilbert. Perhaps his best book is The Great Fires, and though the lyrics to that song and the material on the album in general isn't very much related to his work, that phrase stuck in my head for many years and eventually made its way into the album title. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? I draw inspiration wherever and whenever I can. I'm not as much a methodical, write-every-day type of writer. I try to log regular hours, but when a song comes it is usually something that needs to be expressed, that needs to work its way out of me. So I draw a lot from my own life, my own thought-patterns and struggles, but I also try to filter it so the music doesn't become a confessional show-and-tell.  Credit: Paige Kleckner Tickets and camping passes on sale Friday, February 16
DES MOINES (February 6, 2018 Press Release) – The fourth annual Hinterland Music Festival, on Friday and Saturday, August 3 – 4, 2018, returns to the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater in St. Charles, Iowa. It’s two days of music curated for people who love both music and the outdoors. The festival features a blend of music, camping, art, craft vendors, family engagement and more. VIP tickets, SAINTS passes, GA tickets, camping passes and parking passes will go on sale Friday, February 16 at 10:00 a.m at http://hinterlandiowa.com. Grammy Award-winning country music and roots rock singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson and South Carolina-based indie-rock band Band of Horses will headline the fourth annual Hinterland Music Festival. The 2018 installment of the festival also features Scottish synth-pop band CHVRCHES, Denver folk artist Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, classic Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke and up-and-coming country star Margo Price. R&B musician Anderson East, independent Melbourne busker turned singer-songwriter Tash Sultana, the energetic, piano-driven roots rock of J Roddy Walston and The Business, country singers Tyler Childers and Joshua Hedley will also perform. Completing the lineup are Iowa acts The Nadas, celebrating their 25th anniversary and R&B synth gaze group Ancient Posse. Alice DiMicele is a singer-songwriter-guitarist who seamlessly works jazz/blues phrasing and R&B and rock & roll rhythms into a broadened Folk/Roots/Americana sound she calls "Organic Acoustic Groove." Whether playing solo or with her band Force of Nature, Alice brings her wide-ranging vocal prowess, humor, and distinctive guitar style.
Over the years, DiMicele has self-released fourteen albums on her Alice Otter Music label including her latest project, One With the Tide, and today TDC is pleased to premiere the emotional video for one of the album's tracks, "Lonely Alone." A tender melody accompanied by DiMicele's sincere vocals and Jenny Conlee Drizos' (The Decemberists) stirring accordion leads the listener on a powerful journey of loneliness that one may feel when their loved one is afflicted with addiction. DiMicele relays the story behind the song "Almost everyone I know has been affected by addiction in some way or another. Some being addicts or ex-addicts and some being family members, spouses, or in relationship with addicts. The song “Lonely Alone” expresses the experience of being in love with an alcoholic and the feelings of loneliness that often comes with the package. It’s one side to a many sided story." The video, which follows the story of a couple dealing with addiction, features Alice DiMicele (vocals, guitar), ), Mikey Stevens (electric guitar), Jenny Conlee Drizos (accordion), Rob Kohler (bass), Nick Kirby (drums) and was produced and recorded by Row 211 films from Ashland, Oregon. Row211 Website: http://www.row211films.com/ Bandcamp: https://alicedimicele.bandcamp.com/album/one-with-the-tide Website: http://www.alicedimicele.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alicedimicele YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/aliceottermusic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5GTLKa7etYFhkKklJyoSgX Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceDiMicele  London, UK (Press Release) – Part western balladeer, part borderland chronicler, songwriter GEORGE ST. CLAIR is a master of conjuring feelings and images of lives past and present. Growing up on the high plains of Texas put George in touch with the vastness of the American West, and his songs evoke the dry deserts, rolling grasslands, and high mountains of his West Texas homeland. Living for the past several years in the UK has given him a renewed perspective on the land where he grew up, and these reflections take shape on his new album BALLADS OF CAPTIVITY AND FREEDOM. Although George is based in Europe, the album was recorded at Bird and Egg Studios in Richmond, CA, mixed by Ben Bernstein at Petting Zoo Studios in Oakland, and will release in stores and online worldwide March 2, 2018.
GEORGE ST. CLAIR has known Ben Bernstein for many years as a friend, collaborator, and producer, and has long trusted his taste, musicianship, and technical expertise. To break the ice on their first recording session at Bernstein's Petting Zoo Studio, they laid down a quick demo of George’s song “The Places Where They Prayed,” with George playing Ben's vintage Gibson acoustic and singing into a single mic. It seemed to George that they were just getting started, but the initial bounce of the song didn't sound bad at all. George went back to his home in the UK and was floored when he later heard Ben's version complete with drums, bass, and pedal steel. The song came bursting through, sounding authentic and natural. After that George knew he wanted Ben to produce the whole record.  Leslie Tom - Photo by Josh Vertucci. Stream "Hey Good Lookin'" via Soundcloud
February 6, 2018 - Denver, CO-based traditional country singer-songwriter Leslie Tom has announced her latest LP, Ain't It Something, Hank Williams, and recently shared the lead single "Hey Good Lookin'" at Wide Open Country, who praised the song by saying "Tom's Texas swing take on the track makes the classic sound as fresh as ever." Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams is out March 23 on Coastal Bend Music. Leslie Tom’s Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams is not your typical tribute record. It’s a 10-track reflection of Leslie’s own journey in life, thoughtfully—and often playfully—intertwined with Hank Williams-inspired tales of addiction, love, heartache and loss. “A part of all of us died, too, the day he passed away,” she croons on “Mr. Williams,” spotlighting the legend’s lasting emotional and musical impact. Leading with her irresistible vocals and proclivity for grounded storytelling, Leslie has worked extensively with some of country music’s finest players, from honky-tonk piano veteran and Country Music Hall of Famer Hargus “Pig” Robbins (Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Sturgill Simpson) and pedal-steel genius Lloyd Green (George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, Charley Pride) to Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson. Leslie has also had the honor of sharing stages with Lee Roy Parnell, Gene Watson and Kevin Fowler, and played the 2017 ZiegenBock Music Festival alongside such acts as Aaron Lewis, Josh Abbott Band, Blackberry Smoke, Whiskey Myers and Jamestown Revival  BRAND NEW TRACK FROM FIRST ALBUM IN FOUR YEARS, SLOAN 12
ANNOUNCE 2018 TOUR WITH OVER 30 DATES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA LISTEN/SHARE: “THE DAY WILL BE MINE” LYRIC VIDEO (Press Release) Today, Canadian indie-rock royalty, Sloan are excited to kick-off their mighty return with their new song, “The Day Will Be Mine.” The track is released as part of the band’s announcement of their 12th studio album appropriately titled Sloan 12, which is set to release April 6 via Murderecords/Yep Roc Records. Listen to “The Day Will Be Mine” NOW. Fans can also pre-order the album today HERE. Sloan are one of the rare bands to make it to their 12th album with all four original members who are equally prolific songwriters and all still working at the top of their respective games, sounding utterly ageless in the process. Sloan 12 includes three songs written by each member with the band being eager to initiate more creative cross-pollination in their songwriting. Each of the four individuals contribute unique qualities that play into their core strengths: Patrick Pentland with the soaring rock anthems, Chris Murphy with the playful, participatory sing-alongs, Jay Ferguson with the jaunty prog-pop gems, and Andrew Scott with the whimsical innerspace explorations. In comparing their last album Commonwealth (2014) Ferguson says, “That album was more of everyone retreating to corners to produce and sequence a side of their own material, this one would potentially have more collaboration than usual.” While the 12 songs on Sloan 12 greatly emphasize each member’s distinct personality, they’re all ultimately united by their lean economy and punchy precision.  Courtesy: Shore Fire Media (Press Release) Donovan Woods' new album 'Both Ways' (Meant Well) is less an LP and more a collection of short stories and anecdotes brought to life with radio-ready acoustic accompaniments, and Woods' low, stirring, and unmistakable rasp. The multiple JUNO Award and Polaris Music Prize nominee today shares details and artwork for his fifth full-length, and follow-up to the highly praised 'Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled'. Recorded in Toronto, and produced by James Bunton, 'Both Ways' will be available April 20, 2018.
The twelve new songs are an ambitious lyrical and sonic departure for the songwriter. The album is laid with beautiful nuances that make the songs feel intimately raw and tenderly familiar. Citing the work of poet Bronwyn Wallace, novelists Richard Ford and Alice Munro as major creative inspirations for his approach to 'Both Ways', Woods says "The writing I have always liked, is about things that are indicative of a world but not the entire world." He continues, "I'm inspired by writing that lead you into the room and then leave you to fill in the details."  (Press Release) Indie folk-pop duo Big Little Lions are set to turn helpless apprehensions into hopeless optimism with their latest album, Alive and Well, a collection of songs that manage to capture this moment in time in a way only songwriters can. The group's third studio album, set for worldwide digital release on February 23rd release (Far Flung, via The Orchard), features 13 original songs that deliver their signature folk-pop shimmer with a hint of Americana twang and a new lyrical edge inspired by the growing polarity of our world.Alive and Well is currently available for pre-order in the iTunes store via https://apple.co/2nfu6B8.
The album’s title track, released earlier in January as a single, is also an instant-gratification track and will be available for immediate download when a pre-order is placed; two additional songs will be delivered to pre-order customers before album release (“Find Your Tribe” on February 9th and “Static” on February 16th). In addition to the digital worldwide release, fans can get physical copies of the new album at www.biglittlelions.com. Fans can also check out the brand new video (directed by Greg Otten) for the first single and title track on B-sides and Badlands. Big Little Lions’ most cohesive project to date, Alive and Well dances from songs that acknowledge human frailty and modern preoccupations to anthems of hope and resistance. It turns the duo’s illuminating songwriting to the tasks of buoying spirits, inspiring sing-a-longs, and lighting candles of optimism in difficult times. Watching Big Little Lions on the stage, audiences will understand what the closing lyrics of “Alive and Well” proclaim so clearly, when people gather to share music, “love is all there is.” The duo will kick off its Canadian tour in Red Deer, Alberta on February 23rd, followed by over 20 stops north of the border. Big Little Lions will then head down to the U.S. for a run from Ohio down to Florida in the month of April. The U.S. tour dates will be announced soon. Confirmed tour dates are listed here. |
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