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Legendary music producer and FAME Studios founder Rick Hall has died at the age of 85. Hall died this morning at his home in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, not far from his world famous recording studio.
The family has issued the following statement: It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of our father, husband and beloved grandfather, Rick Hall. His spirit will live on forever through the massive amount of legendary music that he so tirelessly produced. Music was his life and because of him, Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals will always be “shooting for the stars!" We hope the band in Heaven is ready. If not, there’s going to be a problem. Rick Hall made music history when he founded FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals. Hall went on to earn international fame and eventually a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement. In the days when Martin Luther King Jr. was marching for freedom, Hall proved to be a civil rights pioneer through his music. His open collaboration among black and white artists was a revolutionary cultural standard not only to “deep south” Alabama, but to the nation at large. FAME’s color blind atmosphere, and the raw music it produced, would help shape American culture during its most troubled and tumultuous time. Considered the “Father of the Muscle Shoals Sound,” Hall helped define a generation by pioneering a new sound that would inspire artists, give birth to new kinds of music and launch the careers of hundreds of superstars, songwriters, musicians and music executives. Record executives literally flocked to Muscle Shoals for Hall to produce and engineer a mind-boggling array of major artists, including Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Mac Davis, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Alabama, Tom Jones, Allman Brothers, The Osmonds, Shenandoah, Wayne Newton, TG Sheppard, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Little Richard, Lou Rawls and so many more. With more than 300 hit singles to his credit, and more than 40 Gold and Platinum records, Hall was one of the top producers of Pop, Rock, R&B and Country records in the world. Hall was featured in the 2013 Grammy Award-winning documentary "Muscle Shoals,” and in 2015 he released his autobiography, "The Man from Muscle Shoals: My Journey from Shame to Fame,” with a foreword by famed music historian Peter Guralnick. A television series centered around Hall and FAME Studios is currently in development. Hall is survived by his wife Linda, sons Rick Jr., Mark and Rodney, as well as his 5 grandchildren, Rebecca, Mary Elizabeth, Jackson, Sara and Sam.
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January 2, 2018 (Press Release) - Folk/Americana singer/songwriter R. Finn (aka Chris Rondinella) has officially announced his forthcoming debut LP, Collecting Trip, out 1/19. Co-produced by Jim Keltner (Bob Dylan, Neil Young, John Lennon), the album's first single, "Quiet House," premiered at Glide, who said, "It’s impossible to ignore the song’s rustic, heartfelt tone that is brought to life by Finn’s reflective lyrics and warm harmonies."
With his new debut, Collecting Trip, R. Finn has created a heartfelt album rooted in timeless Americana and colored by subtly lush, alternately haunting and hopeful arrangements. The Southern California songwriter took the long way around on this journey, some of his songs on the record tracing back nearly a decade. The LP's title not only references the “collecting trips” taken by folk musicologists John and Alan Lomax, but also what the album represents to Finn: All the years of accumulating songs, players, styles and gear that have resulted in his affecting, long-evolving sound. And then there’s his deep devotion as a student of songwriting and music history. “I’m just trying to do what I love and what I listen to,” Finn says. “I’m always trying to evoke Ray Charles or Woody Guthrie.” James McMurtry Releases New Social Satire Song, "State of the Union," Available Now as Free Download1/1/2018  Courtesy: Conqueroo New single arrives as the celebrated tunesmith launches tour supporting Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit for six weeks starting in early January.
Rolling Stone premiered the track: http://rol.st/2DFdCsB AUSTIN, Texas (Press Release) — James McMurtry’s new single, “State of the Union,” is now available as a free download via his website www.jamesmcmurtry.com. The singular songwriter’s razor-sharp sociopolitical commentary surely will turn heads: “My brother’s a fascist, lives in Palacios, fishes the pier every night,” the song opens. “He holsters his glock in a double retention. He smokes while he waits for a bite. He don’t like the Muslims. He don’t like the Jews. He don’t like the Blacks and he don’t trust the news. He hates the Hispanics and alternative views. He’ll tell you it’s tough to be white.” “Every region of the United States seems to have its own way of Anglicizing, or rather, Americanizing Spanish names,” McMurtry explains. “There’s a town called Palacios on the Texas coast. Texans pronounce it ‘Palashuss,’ which just happens to kinda rhyme with ‘fascist.’ While there’s usually at least one in every town, I don’t know for a fact that there’s even one actual fascist residing in or near the town of Palacios, Texas. This song, like most of my songs, is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of any of my characters to actual persons, living or deceased, is just plain lucky.”  Previously of the Nashville-based Americana group The Good Routes, Dom Wier is setting out to make an impression of his own. Recently, Wier joined with producer and friend Matthew Miller to record his upcoming solo EP New Waters, a four song collection that blends rock, country, and blues textures with an honest, roadworn vocal delivery.
With a tip of the hat to rock heroes (Petty, Seger, and Mellencamp), as well as folk (Carole King, Jim Croce, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles) and country influences (Waylon, Willie, and Cash), Wier captures something both familiar and distinct in his sincere songwriting. Today, TDC is pleased to premiere the acoustic performance video for the album's first track, "Doses," a heartland rocker about holding your head up high and taking the bad with the good as we travel this path called life. "Everything comes in doses Some weak, some strong Where we end no one knows it Like we've always done, we risk the fall" Dom has been steadily touring since 2010, sharing show bills with acts like Asleep At The Wheel, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Shooter Jennings, Blackberry Smoke, Candlebox, Foghat, members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Toto, among others. Wier plans to hit the road in January. See tour dates below. Tour Dates January 6 – Evansville, IN – Ri Ra January 16 – Knoxville, TN – WDVX Blue Plate Special January 19 – Nashville, TN – The Country January 26 – Blue Ridge, GA – Blue Ridge Brewery February 3 – Evansville, IN – Ri Ra March 3 – Evansville, IN – Ri Ra March 3 – Makanda, IL – Starview Vineyard March 9 – Lexington, KY – Lynagh’s Pub March 10 – Shelbyville, KY – Talon Winery April 7 – Evansville, IN – Ri Ra May 12 – Evansville, IN – Ri Ra For more information: Website YouTube Pre=Order  Throughout the year, my friend and fellow music lover Kasey, from Hitting All the Right Notes, and I do varied lists called "Ten Favorites," including, at the conclusion of every December, a list of our favorite albums of the year. Check out what made our ears happy in 2017 and let us know what records were your favorites this year!
5 The Rest Of Our Life, Tim McGraw & Faith HillThe balance of the two vocals intertwined on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s first collaborative album is just right and supports the duo throughout some remarkable performances. An album that is sure to offer at least one track a listener will find themselves drawn to – and grounded by it’s gorgeous title track – The Rest Of Our Life is certainly an impressive release that hopefully heralds many more collaborative albums from Tim and Faith. 4 Brett Eldredge, Brett EldredgeBrett Eldredge is a multi-faceted album that showcases it’s namesake very well. Narrowing his song-writing circle with impressive results, Brett Eldredge’s third album takes you on a journey through upbeat, catchy numbers like Somethin’ I’m Good At and Superhero to slower, really emotive tracks like Brother and No Stopping You, all delivered with Brett’s distinctive vocal. 3 Puxico, Natalie HembyThe debut album from a talented song-writer, Puxico is both intriguing and rewarding. Throughout the release it is evident that this is an album full of captivating melodies and emotive lyrics and grounded by an impressive vocal. Undoubtedly the strongest release from a solo female artist this year, Puxico is sure to leave you full of anticipation for what Natalie can produce with future albums. 2 Slowheart, Kip MoorePerhaps best described as ‘Heartland Rock’, Kip Moore’s third album builds upon the distinctive sound he has crafted throughout his previous two albums. Arguably one of the most under-rated male country artists, Kip has managed to craft an album that shows him at his strongest. His gritty, gutsy style comes through strongly and His distinctive tone easily blends to the collection of tracks, leaving you with an overall impression of a natural and comfortable performance. 1 Steel Town, Steve MoaklerWheels was the first song I heard from this album and from the moment I first listened I knew I was in for a brilliant listening experience from Steel Town as a whole. Without a doubt an album you will want to hear time and time again, Steve undoubtedly has a talent for story-telling and paints a compelling picture throughout each of the songs. Steel Town firmly plants Steve Moakler as a force to be reckoned with within country music.  Courtesy: Cannonball PR
(Press Release) Canadian band Port Cities are still bathing in the afterglow of November's Nova Scotia Music Week, where they scooped no less than five awards, including album of the year, digital artist of the year and entertainer of the year. In light of such accolades then, its only right that the band launch themselves back into the game with their trademark single 'Back To The Bottom,' a heart-racing stomper of a track that only partially disguises much deeper emotional undercurrents. As vocalist Breagh MacKinnon explains, “The song tells the story of a toxic relationship. It’s about being stuck in the cycle of coming back to something or someone that isn't good for either person; yet you still can't get out."
 Listen: "Share It With You"
Released December 22, 2017, After All This Time — the newest project by the Richmond-based alt-country band Exebelle — is proof that there is strength in numbers. A fixture of Richmond's roots-rock community for more than a decade, Exebelle formed in 2007. Co-founders Phil Heesen III and Chris Wright first bonded over their mutual love of Whiskeytown, the ramshackle alt-country band fronted by Ryan Adams during the late-Nineties. That sound — a blend of guitar grit, stacked harmonies, swooning pedal steel and Southern twang — has remained the foundation of Exebelle's sound ever since, although the band shows the full range of its abilities with After All This Time. A double album that was written, recorded, and mixed in Richmond, After All This Time offers up plenty of roadhouse roots-rock, bar-band country, and singer/songwriter folk music. There's even some prog-rock tossed into the mix — a result not only of the band's appreciation for bands like Rush and Yes, but also the self-described "music school tricks" of Heesen, who graduated from Berklee College of Music. Cinematic, anthemic, and always engaging, this is an album that avoids the predictabilities of Americana music — a genre that was still in its infancy when Exebelle had its first rehearsals in 2007 — and chases its own weird, wild muse.  The career-spanning, genre-splitting 2-CD set, out February 23, features 25 previously unreleased songs that include performances from Jakob Dylan and Marc Ford.
Billboard premiered a track: http://bit.ly/2BJWXa3 LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Press Release) — Selective Memories: An Anthology offers 41 reasons Luther Russell is so highly regarded by his peers and so treasured by fans who have fallen in love with his eclectically personal songs, which careen rambunctiously among power pop, rootsy Americana, folk-rock, punk, funk and country. This 2-CD compilation, due February 23, 2017 via Hanky Panky Records (and as a double cassette on Burger Records), also provides newcomers a wonderful introduction to an artist whose work critics have compared favorably to Wilco, the Replacements, Ryan Adams, Elliott Smith, and Big Star. Big Star’s drummer Jody Stephens, who plays in the duo Those Pretty Wrongs with Russell, describes Selective Memories as “an epic musical landscape that takes you from painted deserts to graffiti'd urban walls. All united by melody and colorful production."  Courtesy: Prescription PR (Press Release) Legendary singer, songwriter, activist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joan Baez, will release a new album Whistle Down The Wind (Proper Records) on March 2 2018. Produced by three-time Grammy® Award winner Joe Henry and recorded over ten days of sessions in Los Angeles, Whistle Down The Wind gathers material by some of Baez’s favourite composers.
Whistle Down The Wind track listing: Whistle Down The Wind by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan Be of Good Heart by Josh Ritter Another World by Anohni Civil War by Joe Henry The Things That We Are Made Of by Mary Chapin Carpenter The President Sang Amazing Grace by Zoe Mulford. Last Leaf by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan. Silver Blade by Josh Ritter The Great Correction by Eliza Gilkyson I Wish The Wars Were All Over by Tim Eriksen  (Los Angeles, CA Press Release) – Star of ABC’s hit sitcom, “The Goldbergs,” Hayley Orrantia, will be going on the road in the Spring of 2018 for the first-time-ever with the Strong, Sweet & Southern Tour. Hayley has been hard at work continuing her country/pop music career and cannot wait to perform for all the fans who have supported her along the way.
“I couldn’t be more excited to get a chance to meet everyone and share music that has been deeply inspired by this wild last year of my life,” says Hayley. “I’m looking forward to meeting and personally thanking the fans who have followed my musical journey from the beginning and those who have found me through “The Goldbergs.” 2018 will be Strong, Sweet & a little Southern.” |
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