Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Obscure Bob Dylan track from 'Bringing It All Back Home' sessions to see release!

Among the new and previously unreleased tracks on the forthcoming NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack - Vol.2 is "California" from Bob Dylan. This never-before-released track dates from theBringing It All Back Home sessions and has been newly mixed and mastered exclusively for this soundtrack album. To coincide with the album's release date, the November 3rd episode of NCIS will prominently feature "California." This true gem from the Dylan vaults is available only on NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack - Vol.2 and can be pre-ordered on Amazon today!

In addition to Bob Dylan's "California," the album also features new and previously unreleased tracks from some of music's most popular artists - including Norah Jones, John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow and Joss Stone. In its seventh season, NCIS is the #1 most-watched show on television, with more than 20 million viewers weekly. You can see the full track listing and sample music clips athttp://ncismusic.com.

NCIS airs Tuesdays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Bob Dylan's brand new album of holiday songs, Christmas In The Heart, is also in stores. All of the artist's world-wide royalties will be donated in perpetuity to organizations that provide meals for the hungry guaranteeing that millions of meals will be served to the hungry and homeless this holiday seasons, and hopefully for many years to come. Over 200,000 meals have been donated so far!

Get Christmas In The Heart today at bobdylan.com, iTunes or Amazon.

To find out more about how you can help feed the hungry year round and contribute to Feeding America, Crisis, or the World Food Programme, please see the links below:

About Feeding America: FeedingAmerica.org
About World Food Programme: WFP.org
About Crisis: Crisis.org.uk

~Information courtesy BobDylan.com

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

New Watson Twins album coming just in time for V-Day

THE WATSON TWINS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM ON VANGUARD

TALKING TO YOU, TALKING TO ME OUT FEBRUARY 9, 2010

The Watson Twins will unveil their sophomore release Talking To You, Talking To Me on Vanguard Records February 9, 2010, their most ambitious album to date. The new album finds The Watson Twins taking a soulful turn a la Carole King, but with a pop edge reminiscent of Feist. The result is a heartfelt nod to their roots, retaining the ethereal harmonies that have become their signature while incorporating a variety of influences and inspirations.

In June of 2009 Chandra and Leigh, along with producers J. Soda and Russell Pollard, went to a remote cabin in the High Sierras near Yosemite to demo songs for the new album. What they captured there would be the backbone of Talking To You, Talking To Me. The songs were brought back to Los Angeles where a band of friends (including members of Everest and My Morning Jacket) came together to help record the album at Fairfax Recordings. Talking To You, Talking To Me captures the essence of The Watson Twins' extraordinary music... driving, poignant and beautiful.

More information and links below.

"The Watson Twins are a strong songwriting team, and one that has earned its time in the spotlight." -BILLBOARD

"...deep knowledge of the canyons of the heart." - BLENDER

Tour Dates
10/28/2009 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
10/29/2009 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
10/30/2009 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre
11/1/2009 Seattle, WA - Neumo's
11/2/2009 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
11/3/2009 Boise, ID - The Knitting Factory
11/5/2009 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
11/6/2009 Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre
11/7/2009 St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill - Duck Room
11/8/2009 Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Soundstage Theatre
11/10/2009 Saint Petersburg, FL - State Theatre
11/11/2009 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
11/13/2009 Orlando, FL - The Social
11/14/2009 Atlanta, GA - Center Stage Theatre
11/15/2009 Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
11/17/2009 Washington, DC - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
11/19/2009 New York, NY - Webster Hall
11/20/2009 Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero Theatre
11/21/2009 Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theatre
11/22/2009 Boston, MA - House of Blues Boston

~Information courtesy Biz 3

Mojo Nixon: 'Did I lose a million dollars or gain a million fans?'

ORCHARD ARTIST MOJO NIXON SURPASSES ONE MILLION FREE DOWNLOADS ON AMAZON MP3
New Album and Entire Past Catalog Were Made Available for Free Download During Special Two-Week Promotion; Promotion Showcases The Orchard's Position as an Innovator In the Music Space

New York, NY - October 27, 2009: On October 6th, in support and celebration of the release of Mojo Nixon's latest album "Whiskey Rebellion", The Orchard, a full service media company specializing in the distribution of music and video entertainment, announced that Mojo's entire catalog would be available to download at no cost, exclusively from Amazon MP3. Since this announcement, the promotion has led to more than one million downloads of Mojo's music. As an innovative promotional tool to expose new and existing Mojo fans to his vast body of work, the free downloads are available at www.amazon.com/mojo until October 28th.

"The successful execution of this pioneering promotion has generated tremendous awareness for Mojo," said Brad Navin, EVP and General Manager of The Orchard. "This is a showcase of how The Orchard, as a nimble and forward-thinking company, has the ability to orchestrate trendsetting promotions for our clients. The success of this promotion will be measured by its long-term benefits, not the short-term risks, and our expectation is that it will generate sales momentum."

Mojo Nixon's current catalog includes 11 albums and 144 tracks. The downloads for this music during the two weeks of the Amazon promotional period amounted to a 23,000% increase from paid downloads across all digital retail networks in the United States during the first half of 2009.

BigChampagne, a technology-driven media measurement company that analyzes the trends of popular entertainment media, reported that the number of users and corresponding volume of files stayed pretty consistent overall on P2P sites during the two week Amazon promotion that began October 6th. In August and September, the average volume of files on P2P networks was 35,000 and in the first week of the promotion, there was 13% increase on the networks, but this fell back down to around 35,000 the following week.

"The success of this promotion is demonstrated by the numbers," commented Eric Garland, CEO of BigChampagne. "As a result of the giveaway, Mojo's online popularity is spiking across key indicators. It's also worth noting that there has been no concurrent increase in piracy of Mojo's material. Free Amazon MP3 downloads now completely dwarf the unauthorized flow of his catalog."

Mojo Nixon, remarking on his career and lack of digital marketing skills, said:
"Great googley moogley. I'm almost speechless. A million Mojo songs stirring up trouble across this great land. I'm a cult artist and apparently I've grown the cult and made the cult happy. A little blast of joy in these dark and desperate times. A retired lunatic with no Facebook, no Twitter, no MySpace or tour. Not even an e-mail list. Never underestimate the power of the Mojosity. The true sound of the American nutjob is forever. You can't kill rock 'n roll. The question is--did I lose a million dollars or gain a million fans?"

About Mojo Nixon

Mojo Nixon is currently a full-time on-air personality on Sirius XM Satellite radio hosting a daily music show on the Outlaw Country channel, a weekly political talk show on the Raw Dog Comedy Channel and a weekly racing show on the NASCAR channel. Bruce Springsteen has called him "The King Of The DJs."

Mojo is coming out of retirement for a tour to support Whiskey Rebellion. The tour includes a total of two shows in Texas with his backing band The Toadliquors. On Friday November 6th he will be performing at The Continental Club in Austin and Saturday November 7th at The Continental Club in Houston. Dash Rip Rock and New Duncan Imperials will support both shows.

Mojo Nixon released his first album in 1985. He has shared the stage with artists ranging from Dead Kennedys, The Pogues and The Butthole Surfers to Koko Taylor, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ali Farka Toure. He officially retired from touring in 2004. He was the unofficial captain of the medal winning 1998 US Olympic Luge team. In one week he appeared on a cover story in the Wall Street Journal while also appearing nude in Future Sex Magazine. A column he once wrote for Hustler Magazine was censored for inappropriate material. He has appeared in several bad movies. He debated Pat Buchanan on Crossfire. Don Henley once joined him onstage to sing along with the song Don Henley Must Die. He has surprisingly never been shot or arrested. He has been named Drunk of the Month by Modern Drunkard Magazine. He has performed in Moosejaw, Sasketchewan. In 2009 he was very surprised to find a shoe box under his front porch with 17 cassettes of unreleased songs.

~Information courtesy The Orchard

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

First impressions of … Islands’ ‘Vapours’

An “impromptu” track-by-track review of Nick Diamonds’ latest album-of-the-year contender by Matthew R. Perrine:

Islands releases just belong on the open road.

To be fair, I’m probably more than a little biased. My first “moment” with the genius of frontman Nick Diamonds was listening to the second Islands outing, “Arm’s Way,” while traversing up and down Highway 53 late last winter. I was covering the new Bob Dylan exhibit at Ironworld — sorry, Minnesota Discovery Center — but my excitement for that wonderful ode to Duluth’s most famous native son somehow took the backseat to the enthralling sounds being produced by my Canadian “co-pilot”: That Islands record was all at once epic (the Who-y “In the Rushes”), clever (“Kids Don’t Know S---”) and, with songs like “Pieces of You,” unabashedly powerful.

It was deep enough to keep me entertained on a roadtrip but exciting enough to keep me from dozing off and taking out a few mailboxes. That is, it was the perfect highway companion.

Since that unforgettable afternoon and evening, I’ve since discovered the rest of Diamonds’ acclaimed output: the Islands debut, “Return to the Sea,” and the Human Highway side project. So, needless to say, I was more than a little excited to hear “Vapours,” which finds Islands welcoming Jamie Thompson back into the fold. (Thompson left the group after the release of “Return to the Sea.”)

Here are my thoughts on the new one, whose tracks, regrettably, haven’t been “road tested” yet:

1. “Switched On”
Stop sweating. While most of the mid-2000s “It” bands have proven to be just flashes in the pan, Islands is in it for the long haul: Not only is “Switched On” a beautiful continuation of the ever-expanding soundscape that was “Army’s Way,” it also manages to pull off a more accessible vibe, which should land the Canadian group some new legions of listeners.

2. “No You Don’t”
Wow, listen to that intro — Michael Jackson would be so proud! Diamonds and company are really taking Islands in bold new directions: After those “Thriller”-worthy opening notes, “No You Don’t” incorporates ear-pleasing elements of some of today’s favorite throwback genres (reggae, ’80s pop).

3. “Vapours”
This grooves like old-school Elvis Costello and the Attractions, and then there’s that brazen brass section … I’m starting to subscribe to Diamonds’ assertion that “Islands are forever.” These tracks will surely be pumping on my stereo for years to come.

Another chance accolade: This is the best title track in some time.

4. “Devout”
Given the booty-shaking foundation this one sits on, a quick DFA remix and “Devout” will be rattling all the world’s dance floors in no time.

5. “Disarming the Car Bomb”
If this is an attempt at getting political, I’m not hearing it, because I’m too busy concentrating on ways to describe this expertly-pieced-together gem: Take any ubiquitous Robert Palmer backing track, throw in some of those guitar riffs preferred by Frank Black and … oh, hell, just go listen to it. No amount of flowery prose will effectively get across how amazing this track is.

6. “Tender Torture”
Again, is this about foreign wars? Or tickling? Nevermind, it doesn’t matter; this is simply midtempo gold. If Moby were to produce more rock bands (or any…), there’d be a lot more mood-elevating No. 1 shots in the world sounding just like this.

7. “Shining”
Kind of a snoozer, though, to be fair, there’s a buildup near the “dénouement” that’s at least a little rewarding.

8. “On Foreigner”
A strange little piece of tape. Did this psychedelic reel escape from the Flaming Lips’ acid-washed “Embryonic” by chance?

That’s not to unfairly dismiss this dreamlike affair, however, as it possesses impressive parallels to Danny Elfman’s Tim Burton-related body of work (the “Edward Scissorhands” theme in particular). I approve.

9. “Heartbeat”
Auto-Tune? Why? Is this some kind of “Gotcha!” response to Kanye West’s polarizing “808s & Heartbreak” album and its “Heartless” single?

Funny, I say that now, but this will probably be the one that lands Islands those aforementioned legions of fans. Which they deserve.

So, I guess, go on with your bad selves….

10. “The Drums”
Swimming in reverb, this is a fine return to form. Fans of Björk’s 1995 electronic pop masterpiece “Post” will find much to love here.

11. “EOL”
Perhaps a nod to the genius of Jeff Lynne, this track features a number of the tricks he employed with Electric Light Orchestra (or ELO, for those of you without any game). There are circling percussion grooves, crunchy guitar bits that sound as if they were molded in a more-adventurous 1950s and, evocative of that beloved group’s underrated 1981 album “Time,” trancelike synths that dance around in the background.

12. “Everything is Under Control”
Have you ever stood on the edge of an ocean — or, hey, maybe one of the Great Lakes — during a blustery storm and studied the crashing waves with such detached amazement that you totally forgot about all of life’s little problems? Good, because A) everyone needs a little release sometimes and B) this song is expansive enough to allow you to recapture that feeling and live it again and again, no matter where you are. Now that is a powerful piece of rock and roll music.

Listen to tracks from “Vapours” at www.myspace.com/islands.



Matthew R. Perrine (aka me, the guy wrote this) is a reporter for the Duluth Budgeteer News. Read his regular Arts & Entertainment coverage at www.duluth.com.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Supergrass side project Hot Rats a glorified cover band. And it's awesome.

Clear your holiday playlists: Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey of Supergrass have teamed up with producer extraordinaire Nigel Godrich to bring you the must-have party record of 2010 (and beyond) with Turn Ons, their debut as THE HOT RATS, scheduled for release January 19 on Fat Possum.

What began as Gaz and Danny taking a little time out from their Supergrass commitments for a studio lark has now resulted in a modern day psychedelic punk descendant of Bowie's Pin Ups: often irreverent and sometimes initially unrecognizable but always loving and respectful re-imaginings of 12 classics spanning 40 years of rock, punk and even hip hop. Icons receiving the celebratory HOT RATS treatment range from the Kinks, Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd to the Sex Pistols, Beastie Boys and more.

Having whipped festival crowds into rock and roll frenzies across the UK this summer, THE HOT RATS have now targeted the lovely weather of the U.S. in January for their first ever stateside shows. Confirmed dates are as follows and will be on sale Friday October 2:

Tue-Jan-12 Brooklyn NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thu-Jan-14 New York NY Bowery Ballroom
Tue-Jan-19 Los Angeles CA Spaceland
Thu-Jan-21 Los Angeles CA Troubadour

http://www.thehotrats.com/
http://www.facebook.com/thehotrats
http://www.myspace.com/thehotrats
http://www.bebo.com/thehotrats
http://www.twitter.com/thehotrats
http://www.youtube.com/thehotrats
http://www.ilike.com/artist/hotrats

~Information courtesy Nasty Little Man

Monday, October 12, 2009

Motion City Soundtrack loves you and everyone you know (in Chicago)

MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK take a Look Back with Three Special Nights at Lincoln Hall in Chicago this December; Band set to Perform their First Three Albums in their Entirety over Three Separate Nights – I AM THE MOVIE on DEC 18th, COMMIT THIS TO MEMORY on DEC 19th, and EVEN IF IT KILLS MEon DEC 20th

New York, NY – Motion City Soundtrack are giving fans a holiday season treat this year when they spend three nights at Chicago’s newest venue – Lincoln Hall – in December. The band will be taking a look back at their seven year career when they perform their first three albums in their entirety over three separate nights – I Am the Movie on the 18th, Commit This to Memoryon the 19th and Even if it Kills Me on the 20th. Tickets will go on sale on Friday October 23rd at 12pm and fans will be able to buy a three show pass for $49.99 and a single show ticket for $20. For more information you can visit the band’s web site: www.motioncitysoundtrack.com and the venue’s web site: www.lincolnhallchicago.com

Motion City Soundtrack – Justin Pierre, Joshua Cain, Matt Taylor, Tony Thaxton, and Jesse Johnson – wowed fans from the start with their 2002 debut I Am the Movie (Epitaph). The album features the undeniably catchy “The Future Freaks Me Out” (still a fan favorite) and earned them a tour with Blink-182 as well as a fateful friendship with Mark Hoppus. In 2004 the band asked Hoppus to produce their next album, 2005’s extremely successful Commit This to Memory (Epitaph). The album went on to sell more than 300,000 copies and garnered raves fromSpin, Rolling Stone, and Entertainment Weekly among others. It also found the band making their late night TV debut on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. In 2007, MCS released Even If It Kills Me (Epitaph). Produced by Adam Schlesinger, Eli Janney and Ric Ocasek, the album debuted at #16 on the Top 200 Billboard Chart and earned them accolades from the media again including New York Times, SPIN and Blender as well as the cover of Alternative Press’ “Most Anticipated” issue.

Now it’s 2009 and the band will be taking a look back at the past seven years with their fans during this special three night engagement at Lincoln Hall. The event also comes on the heels of the band finishing up a new album – due out early next year and produced by their good friend Mark Hoppus. More news to come in the weeks ahead.

~Information courtesy Stunt Company

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Paul McCartney returns to Shea Stadium ... kind of

Multi-Disc CD/DVD Special Package Features Dazzling Performances of Beatles, Wings and Solo Classics From Citi Field, Formerly Shea Stadium, Historic Site of The Beatles' Landmark 1965 Concert

US Release - 17th November
FROM HEAR MUSIC/CONCORD MUSIC GROUP

"It was three great nights for the band and for me personally it was very exciting to be back opening a new stadium on the site of the old Shea Stadium where we had played 44 years previously. Even more exciting because this time round you could hear us!"


Paul McCartney's historic three-night musical christening of New York's Citi Field, witnessed by 120,000-plus attendees and universally hailed as a concert experience for the ages, will be immortalized November 17 when Hear Music/Concord Music Group releases "Good Evening New York City". This momentous musical experience will be available in two formats: a 3-disc (2 CD + 1 DVD) standard edition and a 4-disc (2 CD + 2 DVD) deluxe version featuring expanded packaging and a bonus DVD including McCartney's traffic-stopping, headline-making July 15 performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee (including bonus numbers not aired on the Late Show with David Letterman broadcast). The set will also be made available in high quality vinyl. In any configuration, the 30+ songs and nearly 3 hours of music comprising "Good Evening New York City" are a must-have for attendees wishing to relive the July 17, 18 & 21 shows, those who couldn't get tickets and/or anyone interested in an audiovisual document of a living legend. "Good Evening New York City" marks McCartney's 2nd release for Hear Music. The first was 2007's highly acclaimed Memory Almost Full. The standard version of "Good Evening New York City" will be available at participating Starbucks company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada and wherever music is sold.

As the inaugural musical event at Citi Field, the site of the former Shea Stadium, the July 2009 shows held special significance not only for McCartney but for generations of his fans. The shows were performed on the same hallowed ground that The Beatles, in 1965, played the 34-minute show that would set the precedent for the modern day stadium rock show--and where in 2008 McCartney joined Billy Joel for the final rock show before the original stadium's demolition. As documented on "Good Evening New York City", "I'm Down" from the 1965 set list was revived for the Citi Field shows, albeit this time played through a PA that was not overpowered by screaming fans (though there were still several thousand who tried). Other highlights of "Good Evening New York City" include faithful takes on Beatles classics "Drive My Car," "Got To Get You Into My Life," "The Long And Winding Road," "Blackbird," "Eleanor Rigby," "Back In The USSR," "Paperback Writer," "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "Helter Skelter" and more, plus "Something" rendered on ukulele gifted to Paul by George Harrison, and a tribute to John Lennon in the form of a medley of "A Day In The Life" and "Give Peace A Chance." Wings era chestnuts include "Band On The Run," "My Love," "Let Me Roll It" and the pyrotechnic tour de force of "Live And Let Die," while timeless McCartney solo material ranges from "Here Today" to the upbeat "Flaming Pie" and "Dance Tonight" to a pair of numbers from Electric Arguments, the 2008 album released under the alias of The Fireman.

The concert footage featured on "Good Evening New York City" standard edition features concert footage directed by Paul Becher, who has overseen live visuals for McCartney for some 200 performances and counting. The 33-song 2 hour 40 minute performances were shot in High Definition using 15 cameras and digital footage incorporated from 75 Flipcams handed out to fans over the course of the three night stand. The audio mix, in both stereo and 5.1, was handled by longtime McCartney engineer Paul Hicks, whose credits include the recent Beatles remasters, The Beatles Anthology, Let It Be...Naked, and two Grammy awards for his mixing work on the Beatles' Love album.

The deluxe edition bonus DVD will feature footage of McCartney's July 15 performance on the outdoor marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater, previously available only as a webcast on the Late Show with David Letterman website. The marquee set, which marked McCartney's return to the site of The Beatles U.S. television debut, generated front page headlines and literally stopped traffic as word of mouth generated a crowd that packed Broadway from Columbus Circle to Times Square.

Paul McCartney's July 17-21 Citi Field stand has already been unanimously hailed by critics and audiences alike as the concert experience of a lifetime. On November 17, "Good Evening New York City" will document it for the ages.


About Hear Music
Hear Music is an innovative record label operated by Concord Music Group exclusively for Starbucks. Rooted in quality, authenticity and passion, Hear Music works directly with artists, both emerging and established, to bring quality music to the widest possible audience, in both Starbucks locations and traditional music retailers worldwide.

~Information courtesy Nasty Little Man