Rock And Blues International

MAY 2022

Rock And Blues International Ted Nugent ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Mario Donatone Dear Rouge Andrekza Visions Of Atlantis Natalie Clavier Conan Gray Dishwalla

Rock And Blues International May 2022 Hello Rock And Blues International readers. I hope everybody had a great April. We still have a lot more tours on the road in North America, South America, The British Isles, and Europe. Slowly but surely, the music business is returning to normal... or whatever normal might be at this time. I know that some of the shows up near the Russian border are feeling a little bit uneasy about the conflict and genocide taking place in the Ukraine. We all pray that it doesn’t go any further than that, but that in itself is a travesty. Should any of you know about any benefits for the Ukraine people taking place, please pass on the information to us. We are more than happy to provide free advertising for any of these events. We pray that this conflict ends soon!

Also, be sure to check out all the tour announcements and ads in this issue. If you’re a publicist and your act doesn’t have a tour announcement in here, then you’re client is really missing out. Don’t leave them by the wayside.

And now on to the April issue of Rock And Blues International. In this issue you can read stories about Ted Nugent’s new super-charged release, Detroit Muscle. Also in this issue, we’ve got a great story by Edoardo Fassio about Italian Bluesman, Mario Donatone and his new album release, Blues Is My Bad Medicine. Also in this issue, there are stories on Paul Waring, Dear Rouge, Visions Of Atlantis, Swedish House Mafia, Teo LB, Nick Leng, Luke Reyvn, Queen Kwong, Kat Von D, Conan Gray, Natalia Clavier, Audrey Horne, Andrekza, Caitlyn Smith, Dishwalla, and more! As you can see, there are a lot of varied genres of music here for you to check out, or as we like to say, there’s a little of something for everyone here. We have even included the current installment of the novella, “The Biker”. Read it and than email us back with your thoughts on this.

Should we continue it or should we scrap it?

I sincerely hope that everybody reading this publication finds something here that they like and I would like to encourage you to let your friends and colleagues know about us. Just look for us every month at http://www.rockandbluesinternational.com. I would also like to encourage you to email us for a free subscription to Rock And Blues International as well. Just email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com and in the subject line simply put “Sign Me Up” and we’ll email you a link to the magazine each month when it is published.

Kevin Wildman Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

Rock And Blues International Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

Web Address Http://www.rockandbluesinternational.com Mailing Address Box 1162, League City, TX 77573 Phone 281-650-1953

For Advertising email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com or call 281-650-1953 For A Free Subscription email us at rockandblues international@gmail.com and in the subject line put “Sign Me Up Now” May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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Contents

VOL. 2 NO .10

MAY 2022

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6

ISSUE NO. 22

TED NUGENT Ted Nugent Unleashes His New Musical Masterpiece Detroit Muscle

20 MARIO DONATONE Edoardo Fassio Taks About Italian Bluesman, Mario Donatone and The Healing Power Of Bad Medicine

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22

22

DEAR ROUGE Dear Rouge Release Their New Album, Spirit, Out Now via Pheromone Records Featuring The Singles “Small Talk” and “Fake Fame”

32 ANDREKZA

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Andrekza Releases Debut Album Featuring Focus Track “Mil Curitas”

34 34

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS Visions Of Atlantis Release Their Second Single “Melancholy Angel” and Music Video From Their Upcoming Album Pirates

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Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Contents

VOL. 2 NO. 10

MAY 2022

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ISSUE NO. 22

NATALIE CLAVIER Natalie Clavier (Thievery Corporation) Shares “Underwater” Single And Lyric Video

52 CONAN GRAY

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Conan Gray Releases New Single ”Memories’ From Superache

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62

DISHWALLA Dishwalla Release Their New EP Alive Via Pavement Entertainment On May 13

82 THE BIKER

The Travels And Adventures Of a Lone Motorcycle Rider, The Biker

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In This Issue: 6 14 16 20 21 22 24 25 26 28

Ted Nugent Paul Waring Brock Davis Mario Donatone (English) Mario Donatone (Italian) Dear Rouge Teo LB (English) Teo LB (Spanish) Lloyiso Nick Leng

30 32 34 36 38 40 44 46 50 52 54

bülow Andrekza Visions Of Atlantis Monako Koffee Natalia Clavier Swedish House Mafia Govi Audrey Horne Conan Gray Kate Clover

56 58 62 64 66 68 74

Seth Swirsky Caitlyn Smith Dishwalla Monophonics Luke Reyvn Queen Kwong Atmosphere and Iration 78 Kat Von 80 Northlane 82 The Biker May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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Ted Nugent Presents Detroit Muscle 6

Rock and Blues International • May 2022

By Kevin Wildman Our favorite Motor City Madman, Ted Nugent, is back and primed for action.

Ted has just released his newest solo album, the lightning charged Detroit Muscle, and this album is heading down the road at 90 miles an hour with extreme Mopar performance. Ted’s last album was the ever-popular The Music Made Me Do It. It came out in 2018, just before Covid came into our lives and was the first album to feature his newest drummer, Jason Hartless. Jason delivers some great twofisted action on this new release and has been with Ted since 2016. Also performing on the album with Ted is longtime bassist and backup singer, Greg Smith. Greg has been in the Ted Nugent camp since 2007.

Without a doubt, this is one of the tightest units that Ted has had together in a long time and it really shows on Detroit Muscle.

Detroit Muscle features 11 super-charged songs that are delivered in a way that only the Motor City Madman can deliver.

From the opening sounds of Ted’s Hellcat Redeye on the title song, “Detroit Muscle” to the closing notes on the albums last song, the patriotic “Starspangled Banner”, Ted performs some of the tastiest licks he’s ever laid down, not to mention a few pearls of wisdom.

All in all, the album is a salute to the town that Ted was born and raised in, Detroit. It salutes everything from the Motor City that it became to the music it delivered to the world. As Ted puts it, “The mighty Motor City is forever globally known as the epicenter of the ultimate high energy soul-music firestorm, and everybody desperately needs a suckerpunch of Detroit Muscle now more than ever.

Relax, it’s good for you.”

Songs on the album include the title song, “Detroit Muscle”, which as we mentioned before, starts off with the grinding sounds of his Hellcat Redeye.

Also on the album is an homage to Detroit as his birthplace, “Born in the Motor City.”

There are a couple of political statements as well included in the songs “Come And Get It” and “Alaska.” Ted covers a variety of subjects on his latest masterpiece as mentioned in his love for the outdoors in “American Campfire” and “WinterSpring SummerFall.” There is even a nod to his brother John who passed away not too long ago, with the song “Leave The Lights On.” If you really want something that will chew you up and spit you out, then try out “Feedback GrindFire.” That song is really something else. Finishing out the album is a salute to United States of America, the country that Ted grew up in, with the “Starspangled Banner.” Put your hand over your heart and say a prayer for your country when you listen to that one. It can get pretty emotional.

We had a chance to sit down with the

Ted Nugent Unleashes His New Musical Masterpiece

Detroit Muscle Motor City Madman himself, Ted Nugent, to discuss his new album, past songs, and a little hint of politics. It made for a great afternoon of fun and conversation, so let’s not waste any more time, here’s Ted Nugent.

Rock And Blues International: It’s great to see that you have a new album out.

Ted Nugent: Yeah, God knows the world needs a new soundtrack for animal breeding and all the important things in life. What a great record! Have you been listening to it?

Rock And Blues International: Yeah, I’ve been listening to it for a couple of days now and it’s simply fantastic!

Ted Nugent: How about Greg Smith on bass and Jason Hartless on drums. Am I the luckiest guitar player in the world… or what!!!

Rock And Blues International: It’s really not that surprising, you’ve always had great musicians performing live and on records with you. Without a doubt, you are blessed when it comes to having a great crew. continued on next page May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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Ted Nugent continued from previous page Ted Nugent: You know, I get on bended knee every day and thank God because you’re right, going all the way back to The Lourdes. We won “The Battle Of The Bands” in Detroit in 1960 and the musicians I had back then were just like “samurai” teenagers of music, just monstrously gifted, soulful, work-ethic musicians, right to the Damn Yankees, The Amboy Dukes, and The Ted Nugent Band, all these unbelievable musicians. I’m the just the luckiest guitar player in the world.

Rock And Blues International: Absolutely! Did you ever imagine that 60 years later you’d still be doing this? Did you ever think back then that this was going to become your career for life?

Ted Nugent: You know, I was born in 1948, so there was no precedent. There was Do Wop. There were artists, but I don’t think people spoke in terms of tours. There was no such thing as Gold and Platinum albums. It was just a different world. It was the ‘Lewis and Clark’ music era.

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Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Really, it was all adventurous and all new and I remained, even at 73.4 years, because I’ve been clean and sober my whole life.

Everything still works pretty good, so my instincts and my spirit is, dare I say, ‘pure.’

And so when I first started, that youthful instinct was pure from the youth itself and the world around me. So my inspiration came from Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, Little Richard, and certainly everything Motown, and James Brown, Wilson Picket, and all these black musical forces that inspired everybody. Every musician was just driven wild by this soulfulness and the music of the day and here it is 73 years later and so, no, I never thought in terms of career or success or longevity. I’m so lucky that it’s all spontaneous. I picked up my guitar this morning and I was playing shit that God hasn’t authorized yet. I’m makin’ patterns and notes and rhythms and noises and grooves and chord manipulation and bastardization notes, playing dissident stuff. You know what I mean… Even at my old age, it’s still that kid from the garage with his first loud amplifier looking

for new territory, so I never really thought in terms of career, or dreams, or goals, or longevity, or future. I just pick up the guitar and it’s right there, right then, right now, and I think if you put your heart and soul into anything totally, that you’re going to progress, you’re going to develop dreams. Of course, when I started I was too young to even know what a dream was or what a future might be, so I think it was just super-luck and just an indefatigable animal work ethic and the pursuit of music.

I never wanted to be a rock star, I wanted to make music, I wanted to find out what was on this guitar neck. What could I find on this little tiny space that makes the girls dance, and make me smile, and makes the veins on my forehead pop, and here it is 2022 and nothing has changed. How beautiful is that!

Rock And Blues International: Yeah, it’s amazing what you can get out of a two foot piece of a wooden neck with 24 frets.

It’s amazing how many sounds and feelings you can conjure up with that piece of wood.

Ted Nugent: Yeah, it is unlimited, and then again, I was playing stuff this continued on next page

Ted Nugent continued from previous page morning that… I don’t record it. I just pick up the guitar and I have different amps, different Byrdland’s, different Les Paul’s, different PRS’s and whatever my gut fancy might drive me, I grab that guitar and plug into that amp. I’m so driven by the world around me, the pulses of nature, the pulses of my musical heroes, the grooves, the James Brown tightness, the Motown Funk brothers pulsation’s, and that they’re all manifested and optimized because of Greg and Jason. And again, by all these musicians I’ve been performing with. You look at my rhythm sections for the last 60 years… Holy God, have I been surrounded by the best drummers and bass players who have walked the earth or what!!!

Rock And Blues International: Not to mention vocalists as well…

Ted Nugent: Yeah, Derek St. Holmes and Charlie Huhn… Are you kidding me!

Absolutely!!

Rock And Blues International: Even Meat Loaf. How about that vocal on “, “I Love You So I Told You A Lie”.

Ted Nugent: Yeah, Meat Loaf! 1976 Free For All!! “Hammerdown” and “Street Rats”, “I Love You So I Told You A Lie”, and “Together”. Yes, absolutely!

Rock And Blues International: And now you’ve got this new album that sounds like it’s a total salute to Detroit and the industries that were formed there, Detroit Muscle, music and automotive. The album kicks off with the sounds of supercharged automobiles.

Ted Nugent: Yes that’s what it starts off with. I’m a horsepower freak. I love driving performance vehicles. I raced professionally off road for about 12 years back in the 70s and the 80s with Parnelli Jones, Bill Straub, Mickey Thompson, Ivan Stewart, and just the greatest off road racing monsters. Yeah, I’ve always been a performance vehicle nut. I’ve got these Bronco’s with 600 horsepower. I’ve got this new Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye with 840 horses. Are you kidding me!

What the F*#k! I get such a kick out of that control factor where you know you have more power than you can really use.

You’re always on the cusp of danger of letting the power overcome your control

capabilities, but I think we can both agree, the greatest philosopher of all time was Dirty Harry when he said a good man needs to know his limitations. So when you’re off road racing in the Parker 400 or the Mint 400 Desert Races, you wanna just floor it the whole time, but you’ll end up killing yourself, so you have to push that envelope of speed and control at the edge of danger. I’ve got to tell ya, I’ve never said those words before in a music interview, but I think that edge of power and control/danger is where a lot of my music licks come from. So when “Detroit Muscle” starts with that Redeye Hellcat 840 horses of Mopar Detroit Muscle, I think that the next guitar lick is up to speed, shall we say, with the sound of that engine.

Rock And Blues International: Well, you’re going 90 miles an hour with the licks on this album. You’re pushing some high-velocity guitar licks throughout this entire album.

Ted Nugent: Yeah, you know, all those solos and most of the songs were take one, Kevin. We’re in a barn in a swamp in Michigan and it’s so easy going.

There’s an intensity because we all kept waiting to unleash these songs, but there’s also an ‘at-ease’, like you hear in “American Campfire.” It’s an intense lick, but there’s an easiness to it… Don’t you think?

Rock And Blues International: Without a doubt. You definitely have that going for you there. You’ve even included a couple of rockin’ instrumentals on here, like “WinterSpring SummerFall” and a helluva inspiring version of “Starspangled Banner” on here.

Ted Nugent: Well, thank you… I love “WinterSpring SummerFall.” Jason just sent me a Go-Pro video of our performing the basic track, take 1 of “WinterSpring SummerFall” and how I opened it with that melody (sings melody).

I started off with that and then when they came in, I went right to the rhythm guitar track, and you can see on that video that we’re so unified, and you mentioned that there’s some high-velocity guitar licks on the album. Michael Lutz, who coproduced it with me, as he has with the last half dozen albums… He’s the author of “Smokin’ In The Boys Room”, Brownsville Station… just a musical pulse.

He’s a walkin’, talkin’, breathin’, shittin’ music kind of guy. So are Andy and Tim, my engineers and co-producers. Everybody in that barn loves music and we all come from those black heroes. We all come from Motown and the Chuck Berry originals and we can all name every great killer song by every great killer artist.

There’s an intensity to perform these songs, continued on next page May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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because of Jack (Blades) and Tommy (Shaw) that I plunged myself in to. I’m real, real proud of the different adventures on Detroit Muscle. It’s really because of Jason and Greg with what they put into every song.

Rock And Blues International: Where some people might say, ‘Oh, he plays the same thing over and over,’ I find just the opposite. Every album sounds completely different from the one before that… Chord structures, melodies, vocal inflections, and topics. To me each one is completely different. What would be your take on that?

Ted Nugent: I’m glad you mentioned that, cause yeah, isn’t it a shame that people will presume instead of examine, and if you examine my songs and my albums, I go off on tangents. There’s no where I’m not willing to go. There’s no musical approach I’m not willing to try and I think on this record if you listen to the song I wrote after my brother John died, “Leave The Lights On”… It’s a beautiful song and it’s different. It’s different from anything I’ve done. You referenced Meat Loaf and the song, “I Love You So I Told You A Lie” or the song that Cliff Davies and I wrote together on the Free For All!! album. Those are beautiful, beautiful ballads.

Ted Nugent continued from previous page but there’s also an easygoing shit-kicker vibe. We just relax, we got a coffee machine, we got water and we’re just bull shittin’ and telling jokes and testing amps and placing mics. There’s an easy goingness, but there’s not a lot of moments on the record where it’s guitar frenzy. You know, the soul in “Detroit Muscle” could qualify as some guitar frenzy, but in “WinterSpring SummerFall” there’s a couple of moments of frenzy, but mostly, dare I state it, it’s understated. On “Driving Blind,” I just picked up a Les Paul instead of the Byrdland when I overdubbed the solo work and it’s really restrained, don’t you think? It’s easy going. It’s almost Billy Gibbons meets B.B. King like.

Rock And Blues International: It’s a bit different than a lot of your other stuff on here. It’s shows another side of you.

Ted Nugent: Yeah, I think so. If you go back to the first Ted Nugent solo album, there’s a song on it called “You Make Me Feel Right At Home.” Cliff Davies, God rest his soul, played vibes on it and the

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drum tracks was played with brushes, a jazz approach, and on the Gibson Byrdland, I backed down the distortion, an almost Wes Montgomery like octave.

Yeah, I’ve always been a diverse musician.

A lot of people may not want to admit that, there’s moments where… like on the last album, The Music Made Me Do It, there’s an acoustic version of “Fred Bear” and I love playing acoustic guitars around campfires, so yeah, nothing is sacred, and nothing is sacrosanct. I follow my guts. I follow my instinct, but I think “WinterSpring SummerFall,” as an instrumental, shows that. The bastardized Am7 chord that goes to Am6 and then augmented. You know, I didn’t even know those were the chords I was playing at the time (laughs). I grabbed the neck and put my fingers where I thought it would sound cool and it turned out to be some real different chords. So yeah, I appreciate someone like you, and I think a lot of real music lovers will reference the adventurous nature of my musical career. There’s some real adventure going on, especially during the Damn Yankees period. There’s some really beautiful ultra melodic songs

Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Rock And Blues International: Absolutely! Let’s talk about a few more songs on Detroit Muscle and the inspiration behind them. We’ve touched a little on “Detroit Muscle,” but what was the inspiration behind that song?

Ted Nugent: Well, my guitar licks happened. I don’t write songs, I ejaculate them. I go down into my mancave cuckoos nest, sonic bombast every day and I pick up a guitar and plug it in and licks happen.

When my hand hits the guitar, licks happen every time. I mean, I can literally write 50 songs a day because I come up with these rhythmical patterns that have a lyricism to them. And then when that happens, what a great lick, and immediately when the syllables came out and maybe I was driving one of my fire-breathing Broncos or my Hellcat that day, but “strap yourself in, I’ve got a fire-breathing Mopar.

Downtown Detroit’s like a rock and roll dream. Kick out the jams if you really want to go far. The motorcity’s soul is gonna make you scream.” It’s a celebration of the juxtaposition of Detroit musical horsepower muscle and Detroit horsepower muscle. I mean, I love both of them. Being raised in Detroit, it really… it imprints on you the musical soulfulness of Detroit and the incredible history of Detroit horsepower, so what a great combination, if I do say so myself. continued on next page

Ted Nugent continued from previous page Rock And Blues International: The album comes across as a complete tribute to the motor city, especially with songs like “Detroit Muscle” and “Born In The Motor City.”

Ted Nugent: It’s a biographical celebration. I was born in the motor city back in 1948 and my dad said, ‘you’d better get your gun son and never be late.’

Literally, he taught me how to shoot and never be late (laughs). Again, I didn’t have a pad of paper or a pencil. I didn’t write the song. I literally played the lick and started singing and then I went back and wrote down what I sang. I didn’t write lyrics, then sing them. I sang and then went back and wrote what I sang. It’s like a good jam session. The best jam session is out-of-body, isn’t it… where you don’t plan anything. You don’t look up and say, ‘Gee, I wonder what note should I play…

A. Maybe there’s a scale I should use… f*#k that! You know, in the movie Last Samurai, when the Samurai master was watching Tom Cruise and he couldn’t work the sword properly, the master walked up to him and looked him right in the eye and said, ‘too many minds.’ The best things in life are purely instinctive, spontaneous, raw, and without the baggage of prethought. Send me a copy of that last sentence. That was a great sentence. And you know it’s true. The best jams in the world are in a smoky pub or a speakeasy and the band is just unleashing. That’s what we accomplished every time Jason and Greg and I get together and again as you mentioned, going all the way back to all these incredible bands I’ve been so honored to be part of. Everything you hear on this record is primal, instinctive, autobiographical, and natural. So, I think people who love music will love the ingredients I just mentioned. I think all of our favorite artists are raw, spontaneous, guttural, defiant, fun, and whether your talking Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Motown, James Brown, or Wilson Picket, or AC/DC, or Aerosmith, ZZ Top, or Cheap Trick, it doesn’t matter. Their best music is guttural and raw. Those are our favorite songs.

Rock And Blues International: I wasn’t surprised to hear “American Campfire.” I’ve seen a lot of your podcasts, and you seem to spend a lot of

your time around a campfire at one time or another. It looks a bit like your home away from home.

Ted Nugent: It is the greatest enviornment available historically and most importantly now because the world is very treacherous and there’s a lot of negativity and evil perpetrated by a corrupt government, dishonest media, manipulative anti-America big tech, academia brainwashing, Hollywood stupidity. We need sanctuary Kevin. There’s nothing more calming, more battery recharging, and more soul cleansing than a campfire when your family and friends are maybe poking at the coals or dropping in a log. My family and friends like to drink beer out of a glass or wine. Maybe we’ve got some slabs of venison on the coals, or maybe a marshmallow on the end of a green stick.

You know what I mean...

Rock And Blues International:

Exactly.

Ted Nugent: It’s the most calming, happy zone in the world. How old are you Kevin?

Rock And Blues International: I’m 69.

Ted Nugent: Okay, then you can relate to everything I’m saying.

Rock And Blues International: How about the song “Driving Blind.” Where are we going with that one?

Ted Nugent: What a cool, jazzy, blues song that is. I played that really different. That’s where I played the basic tracks with the Byrdland through a Fender Twin and then when it came time for the overdub lead, I just happened to grab a Les continued on next page May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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fighting to be free.” Yeah, “Tooth, Fang, & Claw” from Spirit Of The Wild. I’ve always paid musical tribute to the Native Lifestyle and the Native People.

Rock And Blues International: Let’s talk about a song that I know is dear to you. You wrote “Leave The Lights On” after your brother John had passed. I’m sure that made quite an impact on you.

Ted Nugent: My brother John was just a wonderful man and he worked his ass raw. He got up everyday at 4am and went to Chicago to work. He was a funny guy, smart guy, super marksman, just positive, positive, positive. He was a great father, great husband, great American, and he finally retired at 65. He had developed lung cancer because he smoked, and I did everything but punch him, but I finally got him to quit smoking I think. They got the cancer. They got that out of there, and then they performed surgery on his arm and he developed a blood clot and he died. It was just earth shattering for all of us. Then, that song happened. It’s about my brother John. “Keep The Lights On”, because just like Tony Dukes, and our loved ones, our fellow man… If you keep their spirit in you, they will always be with you. That’s what that song is about.

Rock And Blues International: And here’s one with a very interesting title, “Feedback GrindFire.”

Ted Nugent continued from previous page Paul and played that through the Fender Twin. It’s a great groove. It’s Rock And Roll meets Jazz and Blues I think. I couldn’t be more proud of those songs.

Everyone really loves that song.

Rock And Blues International: So, did I detect a little hint of politics in the song “Alaska”?

Ted Nugent: Yes, now there’s a song that I actually composed way back around 1980 when… I forget the year the Exxon Valdez spilled it’s crude because the Captain was drunk, which is another example why I despise substance abuse, because it’s not just the abuser that gets f*#ked, it’s everyone else around him that gets f*#ked. I’ve always gone to Alaska to Rock and Roll, and hunt. It’s one of the last frontiers. It’s literally a wilderness, wildlife paradise and I would see the ravages of a culture gone stupid with the substance abuse, the Exxon Valdez, the environmental damage, and the native Americans abusing themselves, and the government bureaucrats mismanaging wildlife resources, and so it was a lament.

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It was a statement that good should overcome evil, and honesty should overcome corruption, so that’s where that song came from, and I played it one day when I was tuning my guitar. We were preparing the new Detroit Muscle recording and the guys went, ‘what song is that?’

I told them it was an old one, but it is cool.

Let’s record this one.

Rock And Blues International: Is seems that you have always been a great advocate for the native Americans, the Indians, which I admire quite a bit.

Ted Nugent: I always have been.

My song, the “Great White Buffalo” has been embraced by all the tribes as their spiritual theme song. Again, I didn’t write that song, I just sang it one day. I didn’t even know the legend of the White Buffalo, but I instinctively sang the information that I had picked up over the years talking with Native Americans. I always admired them obviously, but then on the Love Grenade album, there was “Geronimo and Me”. “Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Geronimo and Me, blood brothers

Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Ted Nugent: God help us all Kevin, what the f*#k kind of song is that?

Rock And Blues International: It’s wild!

Ted Nugent: But listen to the lyrics.

It’s literally a song to my wife Shemane, and again I walked in… What a story! You should interview Michael Lutz, my coproducer, or Jason or Greg. I walked in, did my chores, let the dogs out and trained the dogs a bit, shot my bow and arrow one morning. I do every morning. And I walked into the barn with my coffee and I said, ‘cue up “Feedback GrindFire.” We just recorded it the night before, and I think Michael or Andy said we don’t have the lyrics for that. I said, ‘just put it up, is this mic good? Have you tested the mic? Play the f*#kin’ song, I’m gonna sing it. I literally had my coffee cup in my hand, I hadn’t written lyrics for it and the song started and the energy was just overwhelmingly beautiful! And I sang “Tell me what you want, tell me what you need, tell me all your wildest dreams. Give me some Feedback GrindFire! Tell me what all of this means. Did it feel good, did it feel right, did I set your soul on fire, did you find love, did you live your dreams. Give me some Feedback GrindFire!” Kevin, if that’s not spontaneity, raw and instinctive, I continued on next page

Ted Nugent continued from previous page don’t know what is… and that take one vocal is you hear on that record. And the energy level… God bless the grunge guys, the punk bands, and these other guys, but I dare you to find another song with that much piss and vinegar. It’s just so much fun!

Rock And Blues International: It seems that when you write a song, it’s definitely not like your typical songwriter where you go, ‘we’ll write the music down and then write the lyrics,’ and we’ll put the music to it later. It sounds like it’s all organic and seems to pop out at the same time with little to no planning.

Ted Nugent: 100 percent organic, spontaneous… organic and raw, primal…

Yeah! “Cat Scratch Fever,” “Stranglehold,” “Dog Eat Dog,” “Living In The Woods” by The Amboy Dukes. Everything I ever created happened like that. I’ve never sat down in my life with a pad of paper and a pencil and said, ‘jeez, I think I’ll write a song today. Golly, what key should it be in? What kind of f*#k is that?

You don’t analyze primal music, you unleash it, and that’s what you hear on Detroit Muscle. And if I do say so myself, I’ve got a lot of killer f*#kin’ songs that I’ve written, but I don’t think any song I’ve ever created is as outrageous as “Feedback GrindFire!” What a great piece of music!

Rock And Blues International: No kidding! It’s one of my favorites off the album… I was a bit surprised to hear the “Star Spangled Banner” on the album, but after thinking about it a bit, and knowing how patriotic you are, I’m equally surprised that you haven’t recorded that one before this album.

Ted Nugent: I’m called upon all the time at youth events, charity events, political events, conservation events, gatherings, motorcycle rallies, to play the “Starspangled Banner.” I guess that over the years I’ve developed a delivery of that National Anthem with adequate fire and when we were in this barn recording Detroit Muscle, I’m tuning my guitar, sometimes I just whip into the song. I whip into that and I don’t know if it was Jason or Greg that said, ‘You should record that motherf*#ker and put it on the album.’

And I said, ‘you’re right, let’s record that motherf*#ker. Put it on the f*#kin’ album.

So, there it is. I don’t think it’s the best version I’ve done, but it certainly is appropriate, sincere, and adequately firey, If I say so myself.

“Free For All.” I’ve got to play “Great White Buffalo.” It’s going to be a bitch.

Rock And Blues International: I really enjoy this new album. In fact, I’ve always enjoyed your albums. I probably have all your albums.

Ted Nugent: Every once in a while you just might see a flaming arrow at a Ted Nugent concert. Yeah! We should probably do that. People don’t know whether to shit or go blind when we light that arrow and I send it across the stage. How cool is that!!

Ted Nugent: I love all my albums.

There’s some great music there. You know, someday when the liberals get their heads out of their asses and Ted Nugent is properly in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame instead of Grandmaster Flash (laughs). How f*#kin’ stupid is that!!!

They’re going to finally admit, they’re going to say, ‘that f*#kin’ Nugent… Boy did he write some killer f*#kin’ songs. I mean, just “Dog Eat Dog” and “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang”, “Geronimo And Me”, the instrumental “Hibernation”. Real music lovers know that I unleashed some of the greatest fuckin’ music in the history of the world. I don’t need any organization to authenticate that or admit it because I know it, you know it, real music lovers know it and I couldn’t be more proud.

Rock And Blues International: You know Ted, if you keep cranking out the hits like you’ve been doing for the last 60 years, it’s going to be hard for you to do anything less than a 4-hour set. In fact, you should be jamming for 4 hours now.

You’ve got way too many songs that people want to hear you perform live.

Ted Nugent: Kevin, when we sit down and try to figure out what songs we’re going to play in two hours, it drives me nuts, cause you’re right. I’ve got about 6 hours worth of material I would love to play every night.

Rock And Blues International: You’re getting ready to go out on tour soon. How many of these new songs might we be hearing in your show? You’ve just upped the anti with this new album. It’s going to be hard to not include some of them now given the subject matter, not to mention the shear veracity of the new songs.

Ted Nugent: Well, Jason, Greg and I have already agreed that we have to play “American Campfire”. We have to play “Come And Take It.” We have to play “WinterSpring SummerFall.” We have to play “Feedback Grindfire”, if I can sing that song every night. Good Lord! We want to play “Drivin’ Blind.” We want to play “Born In The Motor City.” I’m not doin’ this just for the fans, but I have to play “Cat Scratch Fever.” I have to play “Stranglehold” and “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang.” I’ve got to play “Dog Eat Dog” and “Paralyzed.” I’ve got to play

Rock And Blues International: Are you still doing the bow and arrow on stage?

Rock And Blues International: When you do that, the applause is deafening!

Ted Nugent: Well, no one’s seen that till I did it on a Rock And Roll stage. The Rolling Stones had a 40-foot penis. Alice Cooper chops his head off and has nurses inject him. The result is fun and vaudeville. But nobody shoots a fiery arrow and rides a buffalo on stage.

Rock And Blues International: Well Ted, I want to thank you for talking with me about your new album. It’s definitely a tour-de-force filled with a lot of great songs and incendiary licks. I just can’t wait to see you back on the road soon.

Ted Nugent: Thank you for pursuing the discussion of the celebration of my new record on behalf of Jason and Greg and Michael Lutz, Tim and Andy, and the whole team. We are so f*#kin’ proud of this, and yes I make political statements.

“Come And Take It” is a huge middle finger right in the face of Beto O’Rourke and the entire Democrat Party. You’re damn right I’m political cause I’m a free man and I experiment in self-government and so many times my music reflects that.

Let me tell you, an afternoon with Ted Nugent is a wonderful thing. If you ever get the chance, take it. It could be life-changing. Ted is definitely a man of man accomplishments. He has definitely cemented his place in Rock And Roll history with a legacy that the average musician would be envious of and sell his soul for. He has sold over 40 million albums, performed more than 6,750 concerts around the world, and written some of the most memorable songs in Rock And Roll. Who can not think of Ted Nugent without remembering classics like “Cat Scratch Fever,” “Great White Buffalo,” “Free For All,” “Fred Bear,” and the ultimate rocker, “Stranglehold.” Now Ted has added another notch to his musical belt with songs off of Detroit Muscle like “Detroit Muscle,” “American Campfire,” “Born In The Motor City,” “Drivin’ Blind,” and the coolest of the cool, “Feedback GrindFire.” When you get a chance, get out there and buy this album. You’ll be glad you did. It’s one of his best!! Thank you Ted for one of the best conversations I’ve ever had!!!

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Paul Waring and His Band of Blues Men Declare It’s a Mad Mad Bad Dad World on New CD Now Out On PieHole Records Sitting in guitarist Pete Galanis’s studio in south Chicago on a cold February day in 2021, singer/guitarist Paul Waring knew the time was right to commit his newest work to a second Bad Daddy album. The two friends were drinking beers, talking music and working on Waring’s busted amp.

The pandemic had turned the world upside down, upending many businesses including the music industry.

News from rural Maine that his bass player was leaving Waring’s band only added to the feeling of uncertainty. It was beginning to feel – to Waring – like a mad, mad world and it was time to create something positive.

got all these songs written, half of them are done and the others are close — how about we make a record together?’ It’s that bond with Pete, in collaboration with his band and my will to push on that ultimately got this record made The result, It’s a Mad Mad Bad Dad World, released March 11 on PieHole records, highlights Bad Daddy’s sound, rooted in classic blues and roots rock. Nine original songs and a cover of Mighty Sam McClain’s “Where You Been So Long” make up MMDBW. Pete Galanis on guitars, Ari Seder on bass guitar and Jason “Jroc” Edwards on drums backed Waring‘s vocals and guitar on all 10 tracks, recorded at Chicago’s JoyRide Studio and Galanis’ Studio 3036. .” Its striking cover art by Chicago’s own Kate Moss is inspired by the classic film title work of the legend-

“Pete’s become a close friend whom I trust and respect,” Waring says.

“Sitting in that studio, I said to him, ‘I 14 Rock and Blues International • May 20222

ary Saul Bass.

Bad Daddy released a first digitalonly single on January 14th of “Pork Pie Hat,” followed by “Blues at Home” (also via digital distribution only) on February 4, prior to the album’s full CD/digital release on March 11. On Sunday, March 13, Bad Daddy celebrated the new album with a special Record Release Party at Rosa’s Lounge in Chicago.

The crispy, bluesy tracks on the new disc convey a sense of passion honed and hardened to a sharpened edge.

It’s one man’s story of love and sorrow speaking to a broader human predicament: the pain and joy that define blues storytelling. Waring’s voice, backed by skilled Chicago musicians, creates a continued on next page

Paul Waring continued from previous page It’s a Mad Mad Bad Dad World Tracklisting 1. Blues At Home 2. Just My Luck 3. Left Me With The Blues 4. Blue On You 5. Pork Pie Hat 6. The Blues I Can Use 7. These Times 8. This Mother’s A Miracle 9. Trip On Your Love 10. Where You Been So Long

modern blues soundscape that speaks to these mad, mad times.

Collaboration, a crucial feature in his day job as a Maine-based boat designer, drives Waring’s aspirations for his musical projects.

“As most musicians find out early in their careers, a band is not a democracy,” Waring admits. “But collaboration is vital to making music, and working as one unit in service of a singular vision results in good vibes and leaves bandmates feeling like their input and performance actually matters. It’s the best way to create musical art.”

Waring had been hanging around Chicago blues clubs since 2010, when he began dating a Chicago girl. During trips to the city, he brought his guitar and played blues jam nights at Buddy Guy’s Legends and Rosa’s Lounge. Other nights he’d hang at clubs like B.L.U.E.S. and just soak in the music.

Waring married that Chicago girl in 2014, the same year he met Galanis during a set break one Tuesday at Rosa’s where the guitarist has a residency. The two became friends and Waring asked Galanis to remaster his first album.

Galanis would also help mix and master “Beautiful Thing,” a song Waring and other Maine musicians produced to honor a friend who had died of cancer.

All that time, songs for a future Bad Daddy album kept coming. In 2016,

Waring wrote “Blue on You” after learning a friend and former bandmate had committed suicide. Other tunes, like “These Times” and “Trip on Your Love,” are more recent creations. The oldest songs on the new record, “Blues at Home” and “Just My Luck,” came in 2015.

Two years later, Waring was sitting in Galanis’s studio, asking him to collaborate on what would become It’s a Mad, Mad Bad Dad World. Waring sent demos of the songs to Galanis, Seder and Edwards. “They said, ‘yeah, when can we get started?’” Waring recalls. By March 2021, the group was at JoyRide recording the rhythm section, quickly nailing all 10 songs in no more than three takes in one 10-hour day. “The guys were killing it,” Waring says.

With the rhythm section done, Waring and Galanis turned to completing the production, a process that eventually spanned about six months. Six of the songs were so fresh, the duo explored guitar rhythm work, fills and solos.

When turning to vocal work, Waring focused on delivery, style and tenor.

soundscape is a matter of dovetailing parts—finding texture and space that sonically blend two similar instruments,” Waring states. “But we each have a unique sound and that comes through beautifully on the record. Our process gave me freedom to explore how to express myself playing and singing these new songs.”

In late May of 2021, organist Elton Jaan burned his way through each track in a single 8-hour session. With live gig work on the calendar, both Galanis and Waring began to balance work and production. Waring returned to a summer of live shows with his band in Maine, while Galanis continued the work of mixing and editing in Chicago when he wasn’t playing his own gigs. In September, the final stages of mastering were done.

“The process of making this record was one part voodoo and one part experimentation, but exactly what I’d hoped — an honest collaboration,” Waring enthuses. “I feel like these songs are a reflection of my soul and my message is captured in every one of these tracks.”

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Singer/Songwriter Brock Davis Releases His New Album A Song Waiting To Be Sung On Raintown Records Brock Davis is healing before our ears. His latest solo album, “A Song Waiting To Be Sung”, is a cathartic collection of americana and indie country. Here, the singer songwriter confronts childhood trauma, the demise of an unsustainable marriage, and years going 100 miles an hour running a Silicon Valley startup. Ultimately, though, the 13 song album is a triumphant statement of 2nd chances, love, oneness and forgiveness.

“Out of the ashes comes rebirth, and out of pain and loss, against all odds, comes love”, Brock says. “I repressed so 16 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

much, and I didn’t really start addressing any of it until I pretty much had a breakdown. In the end, the way out of it for me was to go back and connect with the thing in life that had always given me the most joy, music. This album comes from that, these were the songs waiting inside of me all this time”.

Today, Brock splits his time between Santa Cruz, CA, and Nashville, TN, but he grew up in a small mill town near Vancouver, Canada. He started working as a professional musician in his early teens and spent many years performing and recording before taking a

sabbatical from the music industry to raise a family.

Brock’s previous releases have earned critical acclaim.

Vancouver Arts Alive Magazine said, “His powerful and authoritative voice brings to life the honest and intense emotions within the heart felt lyrics”.

Kitsilano News remarked his work shows “impressive, emotional songwriting depth”.

His adult life took an unexpected turn when he became a CEO of a high tech startup.

“There are a lot of parallels between building a startup and managing a music career. In both cases, you’re building something entirely new from scratch, and selling that vision”, he says. “I don’t know who hears more pitches every day, the venture capitalists on Sandhill Road in Palo Alto, or the music industry executives on Music Row in Nashville”. Brock’s tough childhood, his small-town roots, his experiences as a musician; his sense of adventure, and his savvy gleaned from his time in the business world, and his challenges as an adult, all come together to inform his seasoned songwriting.

Brock was initially inspired by Bruce Springsteen, he often says seeing Bruce with the E Street Band live on TV at the age of 15 was his Beatles on Ed Sullivan moment. His songs share with Springsteen an exhilarating sense of romantic optimism. No matter how much the songs dip into the darkness, they always shine forth rays of hope. Brock’s music encompasses the rural landscapes of country music and folk, and the rousing anthemics of pure rock’n’roll. These are achingly beautiful roots rock songs lavished with fingerstyle acoustic guitar, twanging Telecasters, redemptive bursts of B3 organ, and lonesome slide guitar.

“A Song Waiting To Be Sung” bursts open with the sweetly reflective americana track, “I Choose Love”. The continued on next page

Brock Davis continued from previous page

A Song Waiting To Be Sung Tracklist 1. I Choose Love 2. Can’t Get Close Enough To You 3. I Get It Now 4. All Free 5. A Song Waiting To Be Sung 6. Your One And Only Life 7. We Will Rise 8. Bullets And Blood 9. Second Time Around 10. Bet On Love 11. Marking Time 12. Any Lie 13. I don’t Wanna Be That Guy

song is elegantly adorned with folk guitars, delicate female harmony vocals, splashes of B3 and chiming, clean toned electric guitars. Brock’s richly expressive low register vocals shine throughout as he sings about detaching from divorce with kindness. “I wrote that song because it was a message I needed to hear. It’s a message that sinks in a little deeper every time I sing that song”, he says.

While many of the songs on the album address relationships and love, some of the songs, like “All Free”, speak about the broader social condition. “All Free” was written during the summer of 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. Brock wrote the song from the perspective of a white male US immigrant being confronted with and exposed to the reality of racial injustice.

The chorus features the goose bump inducing refrain, “if we’re not all free, then we’re not free at all”. The power of these words is amplified as the gospel vocals join in singing it.

The Dylanesque title track showcases some of Brock’s poetically

poignant lyric writing. In this powerful song, written from the perspective of a father to his newborn son, he sings, “these old hands have played a song or two, I look at yours and I wonder what they’ll do, my simple dream is lying in my arms, a tiny son, the greater scheme enfolds us in the mystery that has come, a circle culminating, you’re a song that’s waiting to be sung”.

The country tinged ballad, “Second Time Around”, highlights Brock’s vocals, which ooze a paternal warmth balanced by just the right amount of rugged grit. This is almost a fairytale song for those of us longing for late in life love, but, in actuality, it’s an autobiographical love song about rekindling an old flame. “Every detail in the song is true”, Brock affirms. “My sweetheart happened to live in Nashville and was writing and recording songs. It was her influence, more than anything else, that helped me rediscover my passion. And then, we co-wrote this song about finding each other again”.

“A Song Waiting To Be Sung” was

recorded and mixed in Nashville by Grammy award winning engineer Zach Allen (Keb Mo’, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram) at Ronnie’s Place in Nashville, TN, a historic studio once owned by Roy Orbison and, later, Ronnie Milsap. Brock produced the album, and his vision for the production aesthetic was an organic live from the studio floor vibe captured by crisp modern fidelity. The band is made up of A-list Nashville session cats whose credits include work with Keb Mo’, Taj Mahal, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Michael MacDonald, among others.

Now that these songs are no longer waiting to be sung, Brock is firming up live dates and working on several videos to support the new album. Pondering his journey thus far, he says, “I feel like the reason I was put here was to write songs that touch people, but I got a bit lost along the way. Writing and playing these new songs released years of grief about innocence lost, and as that weight lifted, so many other emotions became available to me, including, surprise, surprise, happiness”.

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Mario Donatone: The healing power of bad medicine

By Edoardo Fassio Mario Donatone is a certainty for the blues in Italy. Active since the 1980s as a pianist, singer and arranger, he has faced a career both as a soloist and as an accompanist, in particular to African American artists visiting or resident in Europe, including Eddie C. Campbell, Peaches, James Wheeler, Harold Bradley, Herbie Goins and Cheryl Porter.

He has collaborated with top names on the national scene (Tiromancino, Neri Marcorè, Greg, Mario Biondi) and promoted an intense didactic activity throughout Italy. His recording career combines blues albums as such with works like Verdi in Blue, a jazz reinterpretation of Giuseppe Verdi, and Black History, a stimulating contamination between sacred and secular, traditional and authorial black music. Here Mario conducts the World Spirit Orchestra that he created in 2011 with Gio’ Bosco, a talented and experienced performer and leader of choirs in her own right.

In Blues Is My Bad Medicine, the Roman musician visits with rare skill 15 enduring standards, dating back to the early blues era. The title is inspired from an interview in which Sting confessed his love for the pre-war blues, often rough and hard but whose knowledge is crucial even to modern players: he compared it to a medicine that tastes bad to your palate but no doubt is good for you.

The CD is released at the same time as a 340-page book, Blues che viaggiano in prima classe (Blues Traveling in First Class). An essay with popular intents, for Donatone it represents a way to balance the score with the music that has inspired him for a lifetime.

Donatone traces the path that led the blues, which originally seemed destined to the meaningless and dead-end life of segregated rural communities, to become a universal sound and get able to “travel first class”. By passing on its secrets to genres such as rock ‘n roll, soul and pop, blues helped create the global music business. The study goes on to an in-depth historical and sociological analysis on the emergence of the pre-war blues, extending the research to the harmonic, melodic, metric and lyrical structure of a number of songs which, through subsequent interpretations, will provide the pass for success, especially to Anglo-American rock icons.

The writing, agile but rigorous, is enlighten by considerations on the author’s own life, which has “brought him in touch with artists of great depth, who have fully grasped the philosophy of blues without having neither great recognition nor relevant economic return”. And he stays loyal to his “bad medicine”, “a music that I was lucky enough to practice”.

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Mario Donatone: il potere terapeutico della cattiva medicina

By Edoardo Fassio Mario Donatone è una garanzia per il blues in Italia.

Attivo dagli anni 1980 come pianista, cantante e arrangiatore, ha affrontato una carriera sia come solista che come accompagnatore, in particolare di artisti afroamericani di passaggio o di stanza in Europa, tra cui Eddie C. Campbell, Peaches, James Wheeler, Harold Bradley, Herbie Goins e Cheryl Porter. Ha collaborato con figure di primo piano della scena nazionale (Tiromancino, Neri Marcorè, Greg, Mario Biondi) e promosso un’intensa attività didattica in tutta Italia. Il suo cammino discografico affianca album di blues in quanto tale a lavori come Verdi in Blue, una rilettura di Giuseppe Verdi in chiave jazzistica, e Black History, interessante contaminazione tra black music sacra e secolare, tradizionale e autorale. Qui Mario dirige la World Spirit Orchestra, creata nel 2011 con Gio’ Bosco, interprete e direttrice di cori di talento ed esperienza.

In Blues Is My Bad Medicine, il musicista romano visita con rara competenza una serie di duraturi standard risalenti alla prima era del blues.

L’idea per il titolo arriva da un’intervista in cui Sting confessava il suo amore per il blues prebellico, spesso ruvido e ostico ma la cui conoscenza è di fondamentale importanza: lo paragonava a una medicina cattiva al palato ma che fa bene.

Il disco è pubblicato in contemporanea a un saggio di 340 pagine, Blues che viaggiano in prima classe. Si tratta di un lavoro dagli intenti divulgativi, che per Donatone rappresenta un modo per pareggiare i conti con la musica che lo ha ispirato per una vita.

Donatone vi rintraccia il percorso che ha condotto i blues, che in origine sembravano destinati alla vita senza storia e senza sbocco di comunità rurali segregate, a diventare un suono mondiale e riuscire a “viaggiare in prima classe”. Rivelando i suoi segreti a generi come il rock ‘n’roll, il rock, il soul e il pop, il blues ha contribuito a creare il business mondiale della musica. Lo studio si addentra in un’approfondita analisi storica e sociologica sull’emersione del blues dell’anteguerra, estendendo la ricerca alla struttura armonica, melodica, metrica e testuale di una serie di brani che, attraverso successive interpretazioni, forniranno il lasciapassare per il successo soprattutto al rock angloamericano.

La scrittura, agile ma rigorosa, è illuminata da riflessioni sulla vita stessa dell’autore, che lo ha “portato a contatto con artisti di grande spessore che hanno colto a pieno la filosofia del blues, senza averne né grandi riconoscimenti né particolari ritorni economici”. E conferma la fedeltà alla sua “cattiva medicina”, “una musica che ho avuto la fortuna soprattutto di praticare”.

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Vancouver alt-rock duo Dear Rouge have released their long-awaited third fulllength album, Spirit (out now via Pheromone Records). As the band wrote of the record, “Spirit is the most vulnerable and raw side of Danielle’s inner thoughts, and the line being thrown from these questions and deep reckonings within oneself, urging you to grab hold and hang on for dear life.”

New Music From Vancouver

The band recorded Spirit secluded away from busy cityscapes. Drew and Danielle took up residence in a lakeside cabin shortly after the release of PHASES, their sophomore record. The duo found themselves spending their days alone together, and Spirit began to take form over the winter months.

“I had this epiphany,” Danielle shared, “that we needed to come back to ourselves and the joy and comfort we found in each other when we began writing music together.”

Photo by Lindsey Blane

Dear Rouge Release Their New Album, Spirit, Out Now via Pheromone Records featuring the Singles “Small Talk” & “Fake Fame” On Tour Now With Vance Joy LISTEN/PURCHASE & SHARE: Dear Rouge - Spirit LP Stream and Purchase @ https://dearrouge.lnk.to/spirit LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Dear Rouge - “Small Talk” Stream @ https://open.spotify.com/album/3LjY1oEoo5nLW5IgAUTER9 YouTube @ https://youtu.be/nSsZR989D1s LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Dear Rouge - “Life Goes By And I Can’t Keep Up” Stream @ https://ffm.to/lifegoesby YouTube @ https://youtu.be/XqV-Fhf1jWI LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Dear Rouge - “Fake Fame” Stream @ https://ffm.to/fakefame YouTube @ https://youtu.be/0-9menh3W4E DEAR ROUGE LINKS Website - https://www.dearrouge.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DearRouge/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/DearRouge Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/dear-rouge

Her epiphany meant a return to vulnerability, honesty, the enjoyment of their own art and an authenticity in working with what’s true for you. Instead of seeking out high brow co-writers and listening to too many outside voices, Danielle felt compelled to hear those already closest to her. On Spirit, the band enlisted Thomas D’arcy (Neko Case, July Talk, The Sheepdogs), their longtime collaborator Ryan Worsley (GUS, Mathew V), Broken Social Scene founder Brendan Canning, close friend and drummer Daniel Klenner (Peach Pit, We Are The City), pop-star and former tour-mate Lights, as well as singer-songwriter Jordan Klassen, and producers Derek Hoffman, Frederik Thaae, and Herag Sanbalian.

Spirit is a different avenue of sound for Dear Rouge. Along with raw individual reflections, the duo strove for a more grassroots approach to the instrumentation.

Acoustic guitars from the tracks’ demo stages remain audible. Songs written on piano are kept to their instrument of origin, instead of being replaced by synthesizers. Rather than opening a computer, Dear Rouge and Thomas D’arcy utilized Hammond organs, strings, and glockenspiels to create atmospheric elements. It’s all still distinctly Dear Rouge, but more personal, more vulnerable, and more intimate. Spirit is an inspiration to its listeners to be bold and brave; to foster, to create, to encourage and to celebrate ourselves and others.

What does the word “spirit” invoke in you? Does it inspire confidence, as in someone saying “that’s the spirit!,” or a team rallying together? Is it deeply personal, aiming for a spirit of reconciliation, or carrying a religious connotation? Perhaps you think of a group communing together, or someone reflecting in solitude. The dictionary defines ‘spirit’ as “the nonphysical part of a person, regarded as their true self and capable of surviving physical death or separation.”

Dear Rouge offer up their newest record Spirit as an exploration of these ponderings and themes, as we all emerge from a season steeped in hardship and isolation.

2022 WORLD TOUR ON SALE NOW

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continued on next page

Dear Rouge continued from previous page Secluded away from the busy cityscapes, Drew and Danielle McTaggart took up residence in a lakeside cabin shortly after the release of PHASES, their stellar sophomore record. PHASES reflected on the paradox of their success in music whilst the ones closest to them weathered the storms of life. On PHASES, the duo wrote in studios all across North America with some of the most elite names in music. This time, the duo found themselves spending their days alone together and Spirit began to take form over the winter months. “I had this epiphany,” Danielle shared, “that we needed to come back to ourselves and the joy and comfort we found in each other when we began writing music together.” Her epiphany meant a return to vulnerability, honesty, the enjoyment of their own art and an authenticity in working with what’s true for you. Instead of seeking out high brow co-writers and listening to too many outside voices, Danielle felt compelled to hear those already closest to her.

On Spirit, Dear Rouge turned to the ones that had been there all along: their bassist Jordan Kern, longtime collaborator Ryan Worsley (GUS, Mathew V), Broken Social Scene founder Brendan Canning, close friend and drummer Daniel Klenner (Peach Pit, We Are The City), pop-star and former tourmate Lights, and the most intimate pairing of all, each other. The only invitation to an outsider was extended to producer Thomas D’arcy (Neko Case, July Talk, The Sheepdogs), who felt like an insider already, given his close friendship with several of those already in the “inner circle.” Leaning out the writing and production team allowed the most vulnerable and raw side of Danielle’s inner thoughts to shine through.

Spirit is the line being thrown from these questions and deep reckonings, urging you to grab hold and hang on for dear life.

Dear Rouge aren’t content to simply ask the lofty questions either. These finely crafted alternative tunes are a confection to the ear, but a glimpse below the surface reveals ideas and answers, while being deeply aware of our human fallibility. Record opener “Facedown” signals the immediacy of the band’s new work. Within the first minute, Danielle commands all of us, “Left to right, come on, open your mind,” a message that could be applied to a crowd at a show. Yet also every person on the current political spectrum needs to take note of her message.

This isn’t blind optimism either, as she notes shortly after, “It might get a little ugly,” an inconvenient truth of trying to unify the masses. “Small Talk” asserts how the reality of the world right now has changed our needs, as we are all aching for authentic connection. We don’t have the time or space for “cheap love.” They plead outwardly for the energy to continue onward and upwards

Spirit TRACKLISTING: 01. Facedown 02. Small Talk 03. Dream Dreamer 04. Gimme Spirit 05. Fake Fame 06. Way Down 07. Relationship Problems 08. Heavy Hearts 09. Life Goes By And I Can’t Keep Up 10. You Rattle Me 11. Meet Me At The Rio 12. That’s It, That’s All (feat. Lights)

in “Gimme Spirit.” This is an especially important plea given that the song title is the defining essence of both the band and of Danielle herself. On the aptly titled “Fake Fame”, Dear Rouge makes short work calling out the overinflated socialite influencers we see across our media. Danielle spits out “I don’t want your fake fame!” with palpable bitterness, the latter word stretching out like an elastic before snapping into a chanting chorus melody. “Heavy Hearts” is a reflection on simpler times, and all that’s been, but there is always a new beginning.

We are encouraged to draw from all that is positive to gird our spirits for battle, whether that be passion, power, or faith. Tracks like “Way Down,” “Relationship Problems,” and “That’s It That’s All” beautifully articulate the complexities of anxiety, pain, and existentialism amidst simplistic melodic lines and ambient textures.

The heart of the record is “Dream Dreamer,” with its pondering mantra “Born here to burn, where am I now?” Danielle asks the listener to consider what that fire is for them. “It’s a bit of a bizarre idea, but I think it’s a positive that we are born to burn, so-tospeak,” she reflected. “We are born with this flame within us to love, create, and make our mark here. The last two years have been incredibly challenging; to my health, to the world at large, and also feeling like some of my own dreams were crushed. I had to get that emotion out, to become open-handed again. Maybe the answer is to replace cynicism with hopefulness; to keep the dream alive no matter what and ‘give everything that I have to see it,’ while still acknowledging the fear I have, both of failure, but also that dreaming can make you an outcast.”

Danielle confesses that, “If there’s a dream, I’ll be the dreamer”, admitting that her head can be up in the clouds. But “Life Goes By” brings her and us crashing back down to earth again. It underscores the monotony of day-today existence, with the all too familiar realization that you are somehow falling

behind, even as you try to keep up and still love the old authentic you that existed before you felt the weight of life, when you were still just on the periphery of life’s hardships.

Spirit is a different avenue of sound for Dear Rouge. Along with these raw individual reflections, the duo strove for a more grassroots approach to the instrumentation.

Acoustic guitars from the tracks’ demo stages remain audible. Songs written on piano are kept to their instrument of origin, instead of being replaced by synthesizers. Rather than opening a computer, Dear Rouge and Thomas D’arcy utilized Hammond organs, strings, and glockenspiels to create atmospheric elements. It’s all still distinctly Dear Rouge, but more personal, more vulnerable, and more intimate. Spirit is a call to live a freer, more courageous life. It’s a battle cry, and the cover art reflects the traces of the fight on Danielle’s face. Spirit is an inspiration to its listeners to be bold and brave; to foster, to create, to encourage and to celebrate ourselves and others.

DEAR ROUGE LIVE *with Vance Joy May 27 - Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena * June 4 - Burnstown, ON Neat Coffee Shop June 5 - Gravenhurst, ON Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival June 9 - Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage * June 10 - Ridgeway, ON The Sanctuary - Centre for the Arts July 1 - Victoria, BC Laketown Shakedown July 22 - Squamish, BC Constellation Festival May 2022 • Rock and Blues International 23

New Music From Columbia

Following the success of his previous singles, “Tienes el Toque” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/tienes-el-toque ) and “Stunt 3” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/stunt-3-remix ), the latter of which birthed a remix with artists such as Afaz Natural and Kiño, Teo LB releases “Clásico,” the first single off of his upcoming album. With this reggaeton track, the artist chose to pay tribute to his roots and share first-hand what he’s experienced throughout his career in the industry. The musical production was led by Mateo Álvarez Jaramillo (Teo LB), along with Jonathan Venegas Alzate, Brayan Bedolla Jaramillo and 11 Y 11 INC. “Clásico” is accompanied by a music video that was released on his YouTube channel the night of April 7. The video was filmed in Medellín under the direction of Fernando Velásquez, who captured the artist’s passion for the street and motorbikes.

Additionally, this Friday, April 8 at 10 pm, Teo LB will premiere his single live at the Club Social Prestige in Pereira, Colombia, where he will be accompanied by Puerto Rican trap and reggaeton artist Ñengo Flow, who is known for contributing to the spread of these rhythms around the world.

Mateo Álvarez Jaramillo, better known as Teo LB, is a Paisa artist and songwriter who is passionate about motorbikes, sports, tattoos, and music. He began his career as a freestyler in the streets, and thus made a name for himself as an artist. In 2015, he released his first single titled “Adiós” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/adios-teolb ), with which he trended on YouTube and went viral on social media. The song currently exceeds 10 million streams on digital platforms.

Teo LB Releases His Newest Single “Clasico” Whow Presents His Newest Single & Music video “Clásico” One of the greatest figures in Colombian hip hop sets his sights on the United States with his second single of the year

LISTEN TO ‘CLASICO’ HERE @ https://farolatino.ffm.to/clasico-teo-lb Follow TEO LB Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/people/Teolboficial/100063481003381/ YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIyjM_rMcNW3gB8NAddLufg 24

Rock and Blues International • May 2022

In 2016 he released his second single “Stunt Life” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/stunt-life ), which became a fan favorite and a huge success on platforms with more than 12 million streams. With influences from dance hall, reggaeton, reggae and corridos, Teo LB has made a difference by capturing reality in each one of his songs, which has led him to be one of the most renowned rappers at a national and international level. Singles such as “Real Love,” “Gracias Mamá,” “Stunt 2” and “De Luto” have been some of his most acclaimed songs over the course of his career, exceeding 3 and 5 million plays.

In 2018 he shared a collaboration with Nanpa Básico titled “Vuelve,” a song with which he trended, accumulating more than 12 million streams. Last year, in 2021, Teo LB trended again at a national level with his big hit “Stunt 3” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/stunt-3-remix ) and followed the release with “Stunt 3 Remix,” which itself garnered more than 6 million streams on all digital platforms.

Teo LB kicked off 2022 with “Tienes El Toque” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/tienes-el-toque ), the perfect song for lovers, which he released on February 14 and trended in Colombia.

Luego del éxito de sus previos temas, “Tienes el Toque” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/tienes-el-toque ) y “Stunt 3” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/stunt-3-remix ), que contó con su respectivo remix junto a artistas como Afaz Natural y Kiño-, Teo LB presenta “Clásico”, el primer adelanto de lo que será su próximo álbum. Con este reggaetón, el artista decidió rendir homenaje a sus raíces y contar de primera mano lo que ha tenido que vivir durante su carrera en la industria. La producción musical corrió a cargo de Mateo Álvarez Jaramillo, Jonathan Venegas Alzate, Brayan Bedolla Jaramillo y 11 Y 11 INC.

New Music From Columbia

“Clásico” viene acompañado de un video que se estrenó en su canal de YouTube la noche del 7 de abril. La grabación se realizó bajo la dirección de Fernando Velásquez en Medellín, quien plasmó la pasión del artista por la calle y las motos. Asimismo, este 8 de abril a las 22 h Teo LB estará estrenando su tema en vivo en el Club Social Prestige de la ciudad de Pereira, Colombia. En esta ocasión lo acompañará el artista puertorriqueño de trap y reggaetón, Ñengo Flow, conocido por contribuir a la expansión de estos ritmos latinos por el mundo.

“Clásico” ya se encuentra disponible en todas las plataformas digitales y en su canal oficial de YouTube.

Mateo Álvarez Jaramillo es un artista y compositor paisa, reconocido como Teo LB, apasionado por las motos, el deporte, los tatuajes y la música. En sus inicios empezó como freestyler en las calles, y así se dio a conocer como artista. En el año 2015 estrena su primer sencillo titulado “Adiós” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/adios-teolb ), tema con el que fue tendencia en YouTube y viral en redes sociales; actualmente supera 10 millones de reproducciones en todas las tiendas digitales.

Para el 2016 estrena “Stunt Life” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/stunt-life ), su segundo sencillo y éxito total en plataformas, con más de 12 millones de reproducciones y una de las favoritas del público.

Con influencias de dance hall, reggaetón, reggae y corridos, Teo LB ha marcado la diferencia por plasmar la realidad en cada una de sus canciones, lo que lo ha llevado a ser uno de los raperos más reconocidos a nivel nacional e internacional.

Sencillos como “Real Love”, “Gracias Mamá”, “Stunt 2” y “De Luto” han sido de las canciones más reconocidas a lo largo de su carrera superando los 3 y 5 millones de reproducciones.

En el año 2018 realiza colaboración con el artista Nanpa Básico con “Vuelve”, tema con el que fue tendencia (más de 12 millones de reproducciones).

En el 2021 Teo LB logró ser tendencia a Nivel Nacional con su gran éxito “Stunt 3” ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/stunt-3-remix ) Por su parte, “Stunt 3 Remix” alcanzó más de 6 millones de reproducciones en todas las plataformas digitales.

En el año 2022 arranca con el estreno de “Tienes El Toque”

Teo LB Presenta Nuevo Single y Videoclip “CLÁSICO” Uno de los más grandes referentes del hip hop en Colombia comienza a tirar cable hacia los EE. UU. con su segundo single

ESCUCHA ‘CLASICO’ AQUÍ @ https://farolatino.ffm.to/clasico-teo-lb Sigue a TEO LB Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/people/Teolboficial/100063481003381/ YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIyjM_rMcNW3gB8NAddLufg ( https://farolatino.ffm.to/tienes-el-toque ), una canción perfecta para todos los

enamorados, la cual se estrenó el 14 de febrero y logró ser tendencia en Colombia.

May 2022 • Rock and Blues International 25

New Music From South Africa

Dynamic South African Singer Lloyiso Shares Music Video For New Single “Speak” Watch “Speak” Here at https://youtu.be/dtKKNYBc2lU Listen to “Speak” Here at https://lloyiso.lnk.to/SpeakPR Quickly emerging as an international phenomenon, Credit, Vision Addict South African singer and songwriter Lloyiso revealed the music video for his new single “Speak” via Universal Music Group South Africa/ Republic Records.

In the visual, he delivers a powerful and passionate performance from behind the piano. Meanwhile, the ebb and flow of a couple’s turbulent relationship is translated on-screen into dynamic choreography that’s as emotionally charged as Lloyiso’s vocals. It serves as the perfect complement to the track.

“Speak” arrived last week and has already gathered hundreds of thousands of streams worldwide, affirming him as a global artist to watch.

Last year, he made his international debut with the single “Seasons.”

Right out of the gate, it tallied 16 million streams and garnered a ton of buzz.

Hailing from just outside of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, singer, songwriter, and producer. Lloyiso wields the kind of voice that instantly tugs at heartstrings. It’s the kind of voice that shines in any arena—whether in front of a laptop camera or under the lights of a festival stage. It’s the kind of voice that makes you stop what you’re doing and sing along. At 16-years-old, he appeared on South African Idol and placed fifth in the competition. Following “three weeks at university,” he left school and focused on music inspired by the likes of Sam Smith and Kanye West. He performed anywhere possible, singing in exchange for dinner at local pubs. He even recorded in English and ten different African languages. Taking over social media, Lloyiso amplified his voice globally by posting covers on Facebook before embracing YouTube. He gained the endorsement of everyone from Kygo to Tyga and gradually amassed an enthusiastic audience. Nailing viral renditions of Rihanna, Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi, and more, he launched his TikTok during 2020, generating tens

Right now, Lloyiso is working on more music for release very soon.

26 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

of millions of views and attracting the attention of labels worldwide. Finding his home, he notably made history as “the first South African artist signed to Republic Records.” Following the 2021 fan favorite “Seasons,” he connects like never before with the powerful pianodriven ballad “Speak” in 2022 with much more to come.

May 2022 • Rock and Blues International 27

New Music From South Africa

Today, Nick Leng shares a music video for his new single, “Morning/ Midnight,” directed by Josh Sondock.

The video was inspired by Mountain Goats’ “Woke Up New” video, which was directed by Rian Johnson.

“Morning/Midnight” is part of Nick’s brand new double-single featuring B-Side “My Mind is a Mess in the Morning.” Both tracks are out now via SOTA Records.

Speaking on the two new tracks, Nick wrote the following: “I’ve always had trouble writing quotes that summarize songs. It feels like the words can put songs in boxes, and possibly snuff out any personal interpretation a listener might have. In a similar way, when I was finished with ‘My Mind is a Mess in the Morning,’ and was thinking about releasing it as a single, it really excited me to pair it with ‘Morning/Midnight.’ They’re equally important to me, and, one might say, quite different. together, I felt like they painted a better picture of what I’m trying to say.

Nick Leng Shares New Video For “Morning / Midnight” New Double-Single Out Now via Sota Records NICK LENG LINKS Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/nicklengmusic/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/nick_leng?lang=uk SoundCloud @ https://soundcloud.com/nick-leng 28

Rock and Blues International • May 2022

‘My Mind is a Mess in the Morning’ was written while I was living in Topanga in a trailer park which, subsequently, (and arguably hilariously) became rat infested prompting a hasty departure. ‘Morning/Midnight’ was started there as well one late night when I was chopping up a classical piano improvisational piece I had recorded, on a sampler. There’s a video on my Instagram of me playing the melodica in the intro in the morning and the sun peeked through that ended up in the final version. I had considered dividing that intro, with the chopped piano and the ‘second part’ when the beat comes in, into two songs, but the journey of the intro, and duality and sensation of when the bass and kick comes in, had a real story to it that it cemented the conviction that it’s one idea.”

Last fall, Leng shared a new live LP, LEMONS - Live From Drive In OC. The live LP followed Leng’s successful 2020 debut album LEMONS. Sometimes, you have to explore the most painful moments of your life to release your most inspiring contemplations about it. For musician Nick Leng, this came after an emotional breakup, apartment fire, and subsequent loss of a friend, which led him on a journey through wistfulness, isolation, and continued on next page

Nick Leng continued from previous page

WATCH & SHARE: Nick Leng - “Morning / Midnight” YouTube @ https://youtu.be/z6Ldnn5G3wg LISTEN & SHARE: Nick Leng - “Morning / Midnight” // “My Mind is a Mess in the Morning” Stream @ https://ffm.to/midnightmymindisamessinthemorning LISTEN & SHARE: Nick Leng - LEMONS - Live From Drive In OC Stream @ https://nickleng.lnk.to/lemonslive LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Nick Leng - “LEMONS (Live)” Stream @ https://nickleng.lnk.to/lemonslive YouTube @ https://youtu.be/Tcr_6hVIc_I LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Nick Leng - “Fine Little Rhythm” Stream @ https://nickleng.lnk.to/FineLittleRhythm YouTube @ https://youtu.be/0DlojuwlHf4

ultimately, a renewal of spirit. His diligence paid off with the release of his powerful debut LP, LEMONS, in April 2020 on SOTA Records. It’s an album precise even in its idiosyncrasies, featuring a heady mix of throwback dream-pop, classically routed, singer-songwriter introspection, and beat-driven whimsy.

Flaunt Mag described it as “calm, but groovy” while Wonderland hyped the release of LEMONS with, “The South African singer-songwriter is about to have you in your feels with his debut album,” and Complex UK excitedly shared their anticipation with, “The visuals, which veer between dreamy and nightmarish, don’t just bring his dramatic, maximalist indie sound to life, they hint at an ambitious album with a scaled-up artistic vision.” Fader described his recent single, “Plastic Moon,” as “the sound of a musician who took something a little stronger than expected then sat inside to ride out the trip,” and Colors described that same single as “cosmic.”

LISTEN & SHARE: Nick Leng - “One More Time” Stream @ https://nickleng.lnk.to/OneMoreTime Soundcloud @ https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.listmanage.com/track/click

On Spring North American Tour with LP Sun 05-01-22 - Philadelphia, PA, USA - The Fillmore Tue 05-03-22 - New York, NY, USA - Terminal 5 Wed 05-04-22 - Brooklyn, NY, USA - Brooklyn Steel Fri 05-06-22 - Washington, DC, USA - The Anthem Sat 05-07-22 - Charlotte, NC, USA The Fillmore Charlotte Sun 05-08-22 - Asheville, NC, USA - The Orange Peel Tue 05-10-22 - Atlanta, GA, USA - Tabernacle Wed 05-11-22 - Nashville, TN, USA - Ryman Auditorium Fri 05-13-22 - Austin, TX, USA - Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Sat 05-14-22 - Houston, TX, USA - House of Blues Sun 05-15-22 - Dallas, TX, USA - House of Blues Tue 05-17-22 - Albuquerque, NM, USA The Historic El Rey Theater Wed 05-18-22 - Phoenix, AZ, USA - The Van Buren Fri 05-20-22 - Oakland, CA, USA - Fox Theater Sat 05-21-22 - Los Angeles, CA, USA - Greek Theatre Sun 05-22-22 - San Diego, CA, USA - SOMA May 2022 • Rock and Blues International 23

Taking inspiration from Frank Ocean, The Kooks, and Yung Lean, bülow’s ability to fuse melancholic synth-pop melodies and witty songwriting continues to set her apart from her peers. A self-proclaimed nomad, bülow was born in Germany and spent parts of her childhood in the UK, the US, and the Netherlands. Bülow has attributed her ability to blend diverse musical influences in part to the various music environments she was exposed to growing up. A true pop-iconoclast, bülow’s experimental approach to music has garnered support from Vice, Vogue UK, Pigeons & Planes, and Billboard.

New Music From Canada

Photo credit: Peter Nikolai

Bülow Releases Booty Call EP With Title Track Produced By Finneas Listen to “Booty Call” Here at https://bulow.lnk.tt/bootycallPR Alternative pop singer and songwriter bülow shares new EP booty Quote: call via Republic Records/Universal “booty call. it’s not a sad song. its Music Canada. The new EP highlights not about pining after someone. more the new sound from bülow, which has longing for a connection with no strings been unleashed with previously released attached. i want to give power to this tracks “Playin’ Me Back” and “Don’t word. its always seen as such a negative Break His Heart”. thing. it doesn’t have to be.”

30 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

After racking up over a-billion streams and receiving acclaim from Vice, Pigeons & Planes, Billboard, Vogue UK, and more, bülow has learned to trust her gut when it comes to music. The songstress infuses alternative pop with clever observations, personal confessions, and boundary-breaking spirit underpinned by live instrumentation. Spending the first eight years of her life in Germany, she moved to England with her family and started busking by the time she turned eleven. She has lived everywhere from Holland to Toronto and channelled a musical wanderlust into her songwriting.

Along the way, she dropped four Eps— Damaged Vol. 1 [2017], Damaged Vol. 2 [2018], Crystalline [2019], and The Contender [2019]—and collaborated with everyone from Ty Dolla $ign and Mura Masa to Fall Out Boy and MadeInTYO. Not to mention, she graced the bills of festivals such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Osheaga and shined on NBC’s The Today Show.

As the world slipped into quarantine during 2020, she settled in Holland and musically turned back the clock. Nodding to favourites from her parents’ record collection, she re-embraced formative influences, including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Kate Bush, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, and The Shins.

Creative freedom defines her forthcoming new music, kicked off by the guitardriven “First Place.”

April 2022 • Rock and Blues International 31

New Music From Venezuela

Venezuelan artist and creative director Andrekza [An•DRECK•sa], releases debut album Cassette featuring focus track “Mil Curitas” produced by famed producer Albert Hype (Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis, Rauw Alejandro) via Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak En Fuego. The album includes collaborations with genre-bending artists such as Gabriel Garzón-Montano and Carlos Sadness.

“Andrekza is a true creative. She’s a fusion of life experiences, and it shows in her music, style, and overall creative. She represents what we are looking for at Dim Mak En Fuego - Latin artists that can be a global force. We are excited to release her first album,” said Steve Aoki.

Andrekza’s first memory connecting with music is with a cassette player her mom gifted her when she was young, so when it came time to finally share her story she wanted others to experience a little bit of the magic she felt through her very own Cassette.

“There are 15 stages of my life that shaped me to become the person I am today, I navigate through different rhythms from r&b to dembow, experiencing new sounds that I call japoneton,” explains Andrekza about the concept of her album. Cassette is an experimental album like Andrekza’s life which she considers an experiment of ebbs and flows.

The visuals for the focus track “Mil Curitas” and all the songs on the album were created, directed, and produced by a combination of Andrekza and her team at Lotus Visual Arts and Costa Rican Sebas Coto. Inspired by a mixture of cosplay and 90s vibes that encapsulate Andrekza’s essence and empower her to break free from the mindset that you need someone to make you complete. There are 15 visuals for Cassette, one for each song, with three more being released post-album release.

SIDDHARTHA

Andrekza Venezuelan Artist, Andrekza, Releases Debut Album Featuring Focus Track “Mil Curitas” Produced by Albert Hype

Photo Credit to Soloman Chiniquay

Steve Aoki’s Latin Label Releases Eclectic 1st Album by Venezuelan Creative Artist Andrekza!

Buy & Stream @ https://ffm.to/cassette Watch Music Video @ https://youtu.be/ObF8dVw0mXo 32

Rock and Blues International • May 2022

“‘Mil Curitas’ is the realization that we have been receiving less than we deserve and when the love is gone and you find yourself alone you finally understand that you don’t need anyone to be happy because happiness is a state of mind that depends on you,” explains Andrekza about her inspiration behind the focus song.

Andrekza’s single, “Sangre Poderosa’’, was featured in Anastasia Beverly Hills’ campaign for Norvina’s new Palette. The promotion featured Andrekza’s likeness alongside Norvina (Claudia Soare) as principal talent. Andrekza recently announced a partnership with Playboy’s new online platform, CENTERFOLD, making her one of the first Latina creators of this platform which will serve as a home for the world’s top creators to interact with their fans, expand their communities and build their content and commerce businesses. Andrekza recently performed alongside Steve Aoki at his soldout Dim Mak’s show during Miami Music Week and with Doris Anahi, Flores, and Kordelya in LA. Stay tuned for more news and music by Andrekza coming soon and see below for a track by track of her 15 genrecontinued on next page

Andrekza continued from previous page bending tracks in her own words.

A Track by Track of Cassette by Andrekza “TÉ” a. “There are things that heal my soul and tea is one of those. It’s a great way to get to know someone.”

“Ya Fue” a. “If we mistakenly fall in love, then do we deserve the same karma as Adam and Eve? We think too much and stop feeling and flowing with our emotions — this is what I realized, which led to the melodies of this story.”

“Nerviosa” a. “It’s one of my favorite songs on the album. I produced it with brilliant star, Luis Salazar, and wrote it with GALE. The way we transitioned between genres and melodies was amazing. The message of the song is liberating because it allows you to put that first feeling when you like someone into context.”

“Tuve” ft. Gabriel Garzón-Montano a. “I am a fan of GGM and I greatly admire his work, his expression, his moments, the subtle way he has to travel between genres and rhythms. It is a fortune for me to have a star like him in a Japoneton.”

“Pedro Pan” a. “I’ve often seen how people are loved because of their physical characteristics or how we think of love as a need and how we leave people because of their skin color, their ethnicity, looks or lack of material wealth…’Peter Pan’ taught me that no matter how different the love of your life is from you if you want it to work you will find a way to take them to Neverland.”

“Paris” a. “This is a song to fall in love to, but to also be conscious that love isn’t a cage nor being alone is freedom…love is the freedom to fly together, to let others be without possession.”

“Tom y Jerry” a. “This is a song to empower those women who decide to leave when something isn’t right and always bet on their emotional stability because if you are what everyone wants you to be, you will become someone who you are not.”

“Sangre Poderosa” a. “I feel an obligation to represent and raise my voice for my people so that we’re all aware of what’s happening…to exhibit our language, our beauty, our virtues, our powerful blood, and hold our faces up high.”

“Miedo” a. “My dad always said the worst thing in life is to be afraid of being afraid. That is why today I sing to fear, I want to empower others and let them know that love is not conditional, that verbal or physical abuse doesn’t equate to love or passion. Love is freedom” “Oro Negro” a. “I feel I have a responsibility to talk about where I come from and be a voice for those who are fighting a battle with a life that they did not choose. I am proud of us immigrants because we always know how to pick ourselves up from the very bottom.”

“Mil Curitas” k. “Is the realization that we have been receiving less than we deserve and when the love is gone and you find yourself alone you finally understand that you don’t need anyone to be happy because happiness is a state of mind that depends on you.”

“Paz” a. “People always think that they can access you when they want and how they want, the psychological abuse that women suffer when they want to set a limit is surprising, that’s why I wanted to be conscious of this reality that I have had to live, we are tired of having that raising our voice every day to make ourselves worthy.

This is a call for peace, equality, and respect.”

magic is; It seems to me that each stage gives us an opportunity to live and learn in a different way. This is a trap with Japanese sounds that I produced with Yuta.”

“TÉ” ft. Carlos Sadness a. “Subtlety and naiveté, I connected with Carlos’ music since I first heard it. I’m a fan of the simplicity with which Carlos treats art. When we met, I asked him to do this version of ‘TÉ’ and he loved the idea, so we’ve been working and creating the visual world for this new take at a distance. Not even the pandemic could stop all the beautiful things we’ve created for you all,” “Outro” a. “The outro was a challenge for me because I wanted all the songs to form one so that after almost two years I could summarize all my songs in one song. I produced this song with Stylo Live, Stylo introduced me to Dim Mak and that changed my life. I hope to continue changing and inspiring lives, with music and with my life.”

“Quasimodo” a. “I love songs about heartbreak, I think they have a unique vibe. When one has the realization that a personal relationship is over, one is reborn and that is where the

ANDREKZA Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/ 7K2ZrWY8iteGlM7G4V9B0s Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/Andrekzaa Twitter @ https://twitter.com/AndrekDoll Soundcloud @ https://soundcloud.com/user-829522582 Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/andrekza/ May 2022 • Rock and Blues International 33

New Metal From Austria

Photo Credit: Stefan Heilemann

Symphonic Metal Force VISIONS OF ATLANTIS Release Second Single “Melancholy Angel” And Music Video From Their Upcoming Album Pirates New Studio Album, Pirates, to be Released on May 13 Pre-Order Now At https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/visionsofatlantis Watch The Video For “Melancholy Angel Here At https://youtu.be/9RH8rVt4Z8k VISIONS OF ATLANTIS online: Website @ https://www.visionsofatlantis.at/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/visionsofatlantisofficial Napalm Records @ https://label.napalmrecords.com/visions-of-atlantis 34

Rock and Blues International • May 2022

continued from previous page VISIONS OF ATLANTIS are set to release their upcoming studio album, Pirates, on May 13, 2022 via Napalm Records! Today the band released the second single “Melancholy Angel” – a song that has already proven to be one of the fan favorites, when played live during the ongoing US tour. The single comes together with a stunning official video, including great visual effects and outstanding acting by the band around singer Clémentine Delauney, who has clearly developed further vocally and has both beautiful high tones and deeper more soulful colorings in her vocal repertoire.

The mighty new single “Melancholy Angel” is representative of the new VISIONS OF ATLANTIS sound, who with Pirates, reveal their most honest and intimate album to date. With their latest albums, visionaries VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have without a doubt proven that they are on top of the scene. Now, the band sets sail on an adventurous new journey and exciting chapter, marking a turning point in their discography with the upcoming album, Pirates.

This emotive twelve track experience allows you to taste the salt of the sea in the air and embrace the wilderness that only true pirates know!

Pirates tracklist: 1. Pirates will Return 2. Melancholy Angel 3. Master the Hurricane 4. Clocks 5. Freedom 6. Legion of the Seas 7. Wild Elysium 8. Darkness Inside 9. In my World 10. Mercy 11. Heal the Scars 12. I will be Gone Pirates will be available in the following formats: Wooden Deluxe Box (incl. digisleeve, flag, hip flask, signed autograph card) – strictly limited to 300 Canvas (100x50cm) + CD Digisleeve – strictly limited to 100 2 LP Gatefold GLOW IN THE DARK – strictly limited to 300 2 LP Gatefold Black CD Digisleeve Digital Album

With their eighth full-length, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS deliver their most confident and honest record so far, proving that they have definitely stopped wandering to finally unleash their rebellious side and a free spirit as untamed as the seven seas.

Pre-order your copy of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS upcoming album “Pirates” NOW!

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS on Pirates: “Being a Pirate to us is being fully aware and having our lives in our own hands, living and thinking freely, embracing life as an adventure with all its light and darkness. With the new album we are opening a new era for VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, fully embracing the identity we have been flirting with for several years now - making the music that truly resonates with our souls.

We continue our journey taking us through darker waters, heavier storms, where all serves as background for a metaphor about personal growth and spirituality. If Wanderers was more about the bright side of our path, Pirates

The album pulls the anchor with the epic opener “Pirates Will Return”, which instantly enchants with its hymnlike chorus and showcases the high-class versatility from the very first second. In the blink of an eye, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS manage to create their very own incomparable universe of symphonic epicness, intense riffing and, above all, the impressive vocal symbiosis of Clémentine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli. Delauney’s bewitching offerings oscillate between clear vocals, powerful belting and operatic techniques, whereas matchless counterpart Guaitoli adds spice with top-notch power metal infusions. Pirates presses ahead with catchy hook lines, like in mighty

definitely takes us deeply into shadow work, where we are facing other kinds of monsters along the way!”

“Melancholy Angel”, rousing “Clocks”, charging “Wild Elysium” and majestic “Master The Hurricane” – the latter of which will make every symphonic metal enthusiast’s heart pound faster through its perfectly balanced mixture of dramatic choirs, heavy orchestration and dedicated vocals. Pirates reaches the harbor for now with mesmerizing “I Will Be Gone”, building up a dramatic wall of sound accented by harmonizing flutes and bagpipes, delivered by no less than FEUERSCHWANZ virtuoso Ben Metzner, who joins also on “In My World”, “Master the Hurricane” and “Heal The Scars”.

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS are: Clémentine Delauney - Vocals Michele Guaitoli - Vocals Christian Duscha - Guitars Herbert Glos - Bass Thomas Caser - Drums

Rock And Blues International May 2022 • Rock and Blues International 35

German/Canadian Project

LISTEN& SHARE: Monako - In Shapes I-III Stream @ https://pias.ffm.to/monako_inshapes WATCH & SHARE: Monako - “Hollow Moon” Ft. Vagabon Youtube @ https://youtu.be/hHc3-FibUZY LISTEN & SHARE: Monako - “Know My Name” Ft. Bibi Club Soundcloud @ https://soundcloud.com/piasgermany/02killing-feels/s-wNclLnQPxTX Youtube @ https://youtu.be/kKWRuGthrbc LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Monako - “Know My Name” Ft. Valentin Hansen Soundcloud @ https://soundcloud.com/piasgermany/01know-my-name/s-1SGGJN9RFV8 Youtube @ https://youtu.be/6FfRNS2m7OA that capture the ethos of the group: moving without the confines of genre, their sound is precise and unique, forging a path that incorporates elements of R&B, alt rock, and neo-jazz.

Their unbridled commitment to collaboration, In Shapes I-III includes various artists featured on the tracks, such as Vagabon, Bibi Club, and Valentin Hansen.

Wonderland premiered the EP + the music video for focus track “Hollow Moon” Ft. Vagabon, noting the track “as one of the most intimate tracks of the EP, “Hollow Moon” comes with a spellbinding visual, which shows silhouettes of people with the lyrics plastered over them — signifying the song’s ability to communicate the emotions we find difficult to express.”

Photo Cred: Meltem Kaya

Monako Shares EP & Focus Track Ft. Vagabon “Hollow Moon” , ‘In Shapes I-III’ via [PIAS] Germany Website @ https://monakomonako.com/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/ Monakomonakomusic/ Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCWQx3x_ALw_eCw8A-G8AjTA Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/ 6C2OWSuRcg7cZL4fsAJ3No German-Canadian alternative pop collective Monako share their cinematic EP In Shapes I-III, out now via [PIAS] Germany A genre-bending journey, Monako unleash three tracks 36

Rock and Blues International • May 2022

German-Canadian outfit Monako might be one of the only few upcoming artists that actually don’t fit into just one musical niche – when they say so. The sonic experience ranges from Canadian inspired folk, to grooved up R’n’B, finest indierock melancholia but also intelligently built neo-jazz tracks.

Originating from several projects they operate as an interdisciplinary collective between Montreal and Hamburg. With their debut self-titled EP (14th Dec 2018, Euphorie) and the sophomore EP “Take Care” (17th Jan 2020, Euphorie) they’ve proven crafty in their unique sound and an excellent taste in creating their very own visual world around each project.

Something that also caught the attention of US-American artist Vagabon, who then invited Monako to guest as the only feature on her critically acclaimed self-titled LP (2019) - which put the quintet on the radar of Pitchfork, The New Yorker and Complex UK. Having worked tirelessly on new material during the past two years of the pandemic MONAKO is now ready to present their evolved sound to the world again.

Counting more than 2 Mio. Spotify plays, 60 shows and 3 support-tours through Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

A 3-track EP “In Shapes I-III” will be released in April, featuring the Berlin-based multi- talent Valentin Hansen, the Cameroonian-US-American electro-pop multi-instrumentalist Laetitia Tamko aka Vagabon, as well as Bibi Club, a music project from Montreal. The band are currently working on a musical short movie featuring (musical and visual) artists from Germany, Canada and the US - including artist friend Vagabon.

Monako are Sadek Martin-Massarweh, Jakob Hersch, Valentin Hebel, Pamier Hilal, Jan Hendrik Schnoor – founding member & Montreal based singer Naomie De Lorimier is a trusted collaborator on Monako releases.

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Following the release of her hugely anticipated debut album Gifted via Sony Music UK/RCA Records last month, Koffee is taking her electrifying live show to stages across the nation in The Gifted Tour as well as her debut appearance at Coachella beginning this weekend. Produced by Live Nation and Duke Concept, Koffee’s tour launched earlier this week in Seattle and will see shows in San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City featuring support on select dates from Ayra Starr and Buju. The tour marks an exciting return to the stage for the artist whom Billboard deemed “the most exciting reggae crossover artist in years.”

Koffee has also partnered with Global Citizen across the dates to offer a rewards program for fans that take action in fighting poverty, climate change & demanding equity who will have a chance to enter and win tickets for select dates. More information is available here at https:// www.globalcitizen.org/en/collections/koffee/.

Released to high acclaim and featuring the crossover anthems “West Indies” ( https://youtu.be/EvOABOa3IrU ), “Lockdown” ( https://youtu.be/oSzv3K3Keyg ) and the JAE5-produced “Pull Up” ( https://youtu.be/rvp9E12E4hQ ), Gifted cements 21-year-old Koffee’s position as the artist who has reshaped, modernized and revitalized reggae, bringing it to a whole new audience. It’s a stunning showcase of her vocal, production and songwriting talents with Koffee producing half of the album in addition to tracks with globally renowned producers JAE5 and Frank Dukes and fellow Jamaican breakout star iotosh.

photo credit: Nwaka Okparaeke

Koffee Embarks On 2022 ‘Gifted’ North American Tour Debut Album Out Now Via Sony Music UK/RCA Records 2022 North American The Gifted Tour Buy Tickets Here At https://www.originalkoffee.com/events/ Gifted LISTEN: https://Koffee.lnk.to/gifted 38

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Having garnered global attention with her 2019 anthem “Toast” and subsequent EP Rapture, in the short time she’s been making music Koffee has become a pillar of the global music community, radiating her message of hope and positivity from her home in Spanish Town, Jamaica to audiences everywhere.

Prioritizing authenticity, Gifted transcends its influences, creating an innovative and fresh body of work that is ready to push the genre forward.

21-year-old Mikayla Simpson, the artist widely known as Koffee, never expected to become an artist. “There’s a clip of me on live TV saying I want to become an astronaut,” she laughs, recalling early childhood ambitions.

It’s a surprising statement to hear from an artist now a behemoth force in the reggae and dancehall genre, but indicative of her humble mindset. Music, deep down, was the artist’s gift, and as if by fate it wasn’t a career switch she’d make herself. “The switch met me,” she says.

2022 sees the release of her debut album Gifted, a milestone in a brief yet already illustrious career, and with it comes a determination to speak to the times. “I keep saying I try to be as honest as possible with the music. Because I think what I put out and create speaks to the moment, and I want it to,” she says. Koffee is on a mission to bring light

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Koffee continued from previous page and brevity to the stories of now; songs like “Lockdown” expertly articulate the hope many of us have felt during months of isolation (“Where will we go / When di quarantine ting done and everybody touch road,” she sings).

The upbeat, punchy rhythms of “Where I’m From” and classic reggae tones of “X10” are her way of scoring the scenes of life. As producer of half of the album’s ten tracks, Koffee crafted the album from bursts of inspiration in hotel rooms whilst on tour and freestyle sessions with her band. “I want it to be authentic; in the future with generations gone, people can listen to my music and think ‘Yeah, this speaks to the time, I feel like I can relate to what was happening.’ We keep to the moment because that’s what art is, or what it should be.”

Meanwhile she instigated collaborations with globally renowned producers like JAE5 and Frank Dukes alongside homegrown Jamaican talent such as iotosh, crafting the huge crossover anthems “Pull Up” and “West Indies” along the way. Of “West Indies” she says “It comes from the heart of the Caribbean. It speaks to the beauty and creativity that flows through its veins and that escapes into the rest of the world. It’s a colorful celebration, a toast to culture, and to good times.”

The story of how she got to where she stands now is an inspiring one. Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, she lived a “simple stripped back life” as a child, sheltered within a routine of “going to school five days a week, church on Saturdays and doing my chores on Sundays,” she says. She’d grown up close to her mother, an actress, and valuable early music lessons came via the church choir she’d be a part of as young as around 8 years old.

Whilst these experiences would attune her ear to music and instruments like the guitar and piano, it was her background and community that would nurture her attitude to life embedded within her music. “It’s definitely played a huge role in how I carry myself now, and also how I express myself through my music,” she says. “I feel like I have an understanding of different aspects of life coming from the West Indies, just coming from the ground up. It’s a lot to reflect on.”

Koffee Gifted Sony Music UK/ RCA Records 1. x10 2. Defend 3. Shine 4. Gifted 5. Lonely 6. Run Away 7. Where I’m From 8. West Indies 9. Pull Up 10. Lockdown I was in high school.” For her, it’d start off as recreation.

During her early teens, a friend gifted her an old, tiny guitar he’d used in childhood.

A natural talent, she never learnt theory, she says, rather relying on the music of Protoje and Chronixxx, reggae artists whose melodies she’d follow along with by ear in teaching herself the craft.

In the end, the success seemed like it was destined for her. In 2017, Koffee would upload a tribute to Olympic medallist Usain Bolt, with only the intention of showing love to a national hero. It ended up doing much more than that; Bolt saw and reposted the video and shared her talents with audiences who would be instantly captivated by her artistry. Her career would only snowball from there to bring us an artist now globally recognised. The next year she’d release her blowout smash single Toast, a glowing track that’d carry the essence of summer parties throughout the globe. Her 2019 EP Rapture would earn her a Grammy for Best Reggae Album, making her both the youngest recipient of the award and the only woman to date only 2 years into her professional career.

Her Grammy win comes alongside other successes immense for what is only a brief time in the industry. She’s since shared the stage with her musical inspirations WizKid, Protoje and Chronixxx, and has appeared on blockbuster film soundtracks like 2021’s “The Harder they Fall.”

says. It’s an outlook that resonates with the making of Gifted. A much-anticipated offering from Koffee, it’s a continuation of artistry that expertly blends in music from her forefathers in the West Indian music scene to create something genreless, evocative and fresh. “My mum always compliments me on being a very empathetic person. I find pleasure in bringing everyone together as much as I possibly can.”

We all have different feelings, sometimes you feel good or bad,” she says “but I think it’s important to inject a positive energy into the world, and just try to stay on a path that can keep people feeling light.”

It’s the ways in which she’s harnessing her own gifts as a musician that makes her artistry all the more relevant – here, she’s using it to teach others of their own. “The message I would like to pass on is that one, we’re all gifted – because life is a gift. Two, it’s said that everyone has a talent, and I think we should all tap into our own talents. Once you have life you have the ability to tap into your gift; you should do it because it can take you places. I think my life has been an example of that.”

Upcoming Live Dates

5/2/2022 - Charlotte, NC @ The Underground 5/3/2022 - Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring Though monumental, her accolades 5/5/2022 Toronto, ON @ History hold resonance outside of personal gratifica5/7/2022 - Montreal, QC @ MTELUS tion. She’s committed to being a voice of her 5/9/2022 - Boston, MA @ Big Night Live community, always referencing her backThe music bug didn’t catch till fairly 5/11/2022 - Philadelphia, PA @ ground and the country that made her. “For late for her though. “My mum said when I was The Fillmore Philadelphia me, the bigger takeaway was being able to about five years old, I told her I wanted to be a 5/12/2022 - New York, NY @ give my country something to brag about,” she singer and totally forgot about that until when The Rooftop at Pier 17 5/14/2022 - Ferndale, MI @ Magic Bag Connect with Koffee: 5/15/2022 - Chicago, IL @ Spotify @ House of Blues - Chicago 5/18/2022 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle https://open.spotify.com/artist/1gWjcmBsveEYMxOZ0VRi32 5/20/2022 - Gulf Shores, AL @ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/originalkoffee Hangout Music Festival 05/26/2022 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/originalkoffee/ 05/27/2022 - Bakersfield, CA @ Website @ https://www.originalkoffee.com/ Lightning In A Bottle May 2022 • Rock and Blues International 39

concert halls in her hometown, to world tours performing in front of large audiences in the biggest music festivals, prestigious concert venues, and opera houses (both in the US and internationally) as lead singer of the acclaimed electronic/world music duo Thievery Corporation.

In 2008, Natalia released her debut solo album, Nectar, produced by Eric Hilton (one half of Thievery Corp) and released on ESL Music.

Always pushing the boundaries of her experience, Natalia eventually moved to Brooklyn—a city that symbolizes her evolution as a musician. She was inspired by new sounds, new ideas, and a new urge to incorporate one of the world’s most dynamic cultural hubs into her soul, and her music.

Natalia Clavier (Thievery Corporation) Shares “Underwater” Single And Lyric Video New Track Out Now via Symphonic Distribution LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Natalia Clavier - “Underwater” Stream @ https://hypeddit.com/nataliaclavier/underwater YouTube @ https://youtu.be/qXd5SxTyx1c NATALIA CLAVIER LINKS Website @ https://www.nataliaclavier.com/ Bandcamp #@ https://nataliaclavier.bandcamp.com Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/NataliaClavierOfficial Twitter @ https://twitter.com/nataliaclavier Soundcloud @ https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/click Speaking on the track, Clavier says: “My intention was to infuse fluidity and calm in honoring the element of water and our Mother Earth. For the first time ever, I used the same instruments in the making of ‘Underwater’ that I use in my Sound Journeys or Sound Ceremonies.

They are guided meditations with live music including looping, beatboxing, chimes, forest leaf rattles, harp and vocals.

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My husband, Michael Raymond Pereira, engineered the song and played cello. I’m excited about this new chapter in my career that finds me finally realizing ways to combine my songwriting with the Healing Arts side of music.”

A life dedicated to music and singing has led Natalia Clavier all over the world.

From her home of Buenos Aires, to Barcelona. From solo performances at

Rock and Blues International •• May November 2022 2020

Soon after, Natalia began working with Adrian Quesada, Grammy-winning producer and guitarist with Black Pumas, Grupo Fantasma and The Echocentrics amongst others, and together they brought a transformation for her new album, Lumen (released on Nacional Records in 2013).

In 2015, under the same label, Natalia released a live album, produced by her brother, Pablo Anglade aka Polsick, and recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Live In Buenos Aires features songs from Nectar and Lumen.

Natalia’s early interest in Alternative Healing Arts led her to experiment with medicine songs and deepen the connection with her South American roots. Since 2016, she has been leading song rituals, sound healing circles, and is now writing her own medicine songs.

Recently adding DJ to her list of skills, Natalia also spins and performs live for private parties, dinner gatherings, and conscious dance events, such as Ecstatic Dance NYC. Her third studio album, TRANS, was released worldwide on all digital platforms in September 2018 through Nacional Records and was co-produced by Natalia and Polsick.

Natalia’s latest music collaboration is a duo with Brazilian/American virtuoso violinist and producer Andrei Matorin called VOXMANA. VOXMANA blends electronica with Southamerican roots, soul and jazz. Clavier and Matorin share similar spiritual paths and come together to create what they describe as Intentional Dance Music IDM. Their debut EP Dança Da Liberaçao was self released on 2/2/22.

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December 2020 • Rock and Blues International

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New Music From Sweden

Global supergroup Swedish House Mafia, the trio of Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Axwell, have just released their long awaited debut full length Paradise Again via Republic Records, just as the trio head back to the California desert for a landmark headlining performance with The Weeknd to close out this weekend’s Coachella Festival.

Paradise Again came together in the wake of rediscovering their musical synergy on the band’s 2019 reunion tour, spending countless hours in the studio over the course of the subsequent years, exorcizing new sonic palettes, textures, and tones from an arsenal of analog synths. While the new batch of material is recognizably Swedish House Mafia, it also represents an ambitious broadening of their musical scope, as evinced by the wide ranging roster of collaborators and guests, including The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, Sting, Ty Dolla $ign, 070 Shake, Jacob Mühlrad, Seinabo Sey, Mapei, and English singer-songwriter Connie Constance on the soaring album cornerstone “Heaven Takes You Home.” “There’s always new ground to break,” states Angello. “However, the biggest challenge was to do what nobody expected us to. We needed to find sounds in the studio we had never heard before and were excited about. It’s super inspiring for me to be in a band where we actually want to challenge ourselves. This is definitely one of the most exciting times for us, because we’re having fun like 15-year-olds again.”

photo by Alexander Wessely

Swedish House Mafia Reunite And Release Long Awaited Debut Album Paradise Again Features Include Contributions From The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, Sting, 070 Shake, Ty Dolla $ign, Jacob Muhlrad, And More!

Headlining Coachella 2022 With The Weeknd Followed By First Global Tour In 10 Years Stream Paradise Again https://swedishhousemafia.lnk.to/ParadiseAgainPR Watch the video for “Redlight (with Sting)” https://youtu.be/D64a2fb72sE Watch the video for “Moth To a Flame (with The Weeknd)” https://youtu.be/u9n7Cw-4_HQ Watch the video for “It Gets Better” https://youtu.be/xxqy7Wz22Gs Watch the video for “Lifetime (with Ty Dolla $ign & 070 Shake)” https://youtu.be/t0RwGmzFCdA 44

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The album was initially teased in a cover story for Billboard Magazine last Summer, which kicked off a momentous run of album singles including “Redlight (with Sting),” “It Gets Better,” “Lifetime (with Ty Dolla $ign & 070 Shake),” and their hit collaboration with pop auteur The Weeknd “Moth To a Flame.” The intervening year has been riddled with other highlights, including a performance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, contributing production to the new Weeknd album Dawn FM (including the smash single “Sacrifice”), a nomination for iHeartRadio’s Dance Artist of the Year for 2021, a career spanning cover story for SPIN, and much more.

SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA 2022 TOUR DATES Fri Jul 29 - Miami, FL - FTX Arena Sun Jul 31 - Orlando, FL - Amway Center Wed Aug 3 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium Fri Aug 5 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena Sun Aug 7 - Montreal, QC - îleSoniq Festival Tue Aug 9 - Boston, MA - TD Garden Wed Aug 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center Thu Aug 11 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena Sat Aug 13 - Chicago, IL - United Center Wed Aug 17 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena Fri Aug 19 - St Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center Sun Aug 21 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena Thu Aug 25 - Austin, TX - Moody Center Fri Aug 26 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center Sat Aug 27 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center Tue Aug 30 - Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center Fri Sep 2 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena Sun Sep 4 - San Diego, CA - Pechanga Arena Tue Sep 13 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena Wed Sep 14 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena Fri Sep 16 - San Francisco, CA - Chase Center Thu Sep 29 - Manchester, UK - AO Arena Fri Sep 30 - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro Arena Sun Oct 2 - London, UK - The O2 Thu Oct 6 - Dublin, Ireland - 3Arena Sat Oct 8 - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena Birmingham Mon Oct 10 - Paris, FR - Accor Arena Fri Oct 14 - Madrid, Spain - IFEMA Madrid Live Sat Oct 15 - Lisbon, Portugal - Altice Arena Tue Oct 18 - Milan, Italy - Mediolanum Forum Wed Oct 19 - Zurich, Switzerland - Hallenstadion Fri Oct 21 - Krakow, Poland - Tauron Arena Sat Oct 22 - Prague, Czech Republic - O2 Arena Tue Oct 25 - Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena Thu Oct 27 - Munich, Germany - Olympiahalle Sat Oct 29 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis Mon Oct 31 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome Thu Nov 3 - Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle Sat Nov 5 - Frankfurt, Germany - Festhalle Sun Nov 6 - Berlin, Germany - Mercedes-Benz Arena Tue Nov 8 - Hamburg, Germany - Barclaycard Arena Wed Nov 9 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Royal Arena Fri Nov 11 - Oslo, Norway - Telenor Arena Sun Nov 13 - Tampere, Finland - Uros Arena

May 2022 • Rock and Blues International 45

New Music From Canada

Toronto-based artist GOVI announces his album WHERE DO WE FALL due May 6th via Platoon. The 12track project traverses GOVI’s beatcentric, dancefloor-ready sonics he has become known for as a DJ in Toronto’s underground electronic scene, combined with the ambient, cinematic sound that’s inspired by his love for sci-fi movies and scores like Tarkovsky’s Solaris. Along with the announcement of WHERE DO WE FALL, GOVI shares the single “NOT WHAT, BUT HOW,” which continues to expand his entrancing sound.

Speaking about the genesis of the new song, GOVI says, “‘Not What, But How’ was one of the last songs I made for my project. The day I wrote this track I was reading The Power of Now and a line that stuck with me was ‘it’s not about what you’re doing, but how you’re doing it.’ For me, the best things come when my intention is in the right place. I chose the line ‘you don’t know’ to repeat throughout the song because accepting that you don’t know all of the answers allows you to be more in the moment.”

GOVI by Jorden Lee

Govi Announces New Album WHERE DO WE FALL And Shares New Single “Not What, But How” “NOT WHAT, BUT HOW” LISTEN: https://platoon.lnk.to/not-what-but-how WHERE DO WE FALL PRE-ORDER/SAVE AT https://Platoon.lnk.to/where-do-we-fall Twitter @ https://twitter.com/govibeats YouTube @ https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp SoundCloud @ https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp

GOVI WHERE DO WE FALL May 6, 2022 Platoon 1. MONOLITH 2. DAFFODIL 3. SOME DAYS I WAIT 46 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

4. EUPHORIA 5. WHAT YOU NEED 6. STARGATE SEQUENCE 7. IN SEARCH OF 8. AS WE SPEAK 9. NOT WHAT, BUT HOW 10. HARI 11. CYCLES 12. NOBODY KNOWS

The announcement of WHERE DO WE FALL follows the project’s lead single “EUPHORIA,” which arrived alongside a Jorden Lee-directed video and introduced listeners to the breadth of his vision as a producer. He first found a home DJing in Toronto’s underground nightlife scene as the son of Guyanese immigrants, and quickly became a local staple, catching the eye of Drake who tapped him to produce “Race My Mind,” and producing for others like Nicki Minaj’s “Seeing Green” and Sabrina Claudio’s “On My Shoulders.” All the while he was honing his own distinct sonic identity of club-ready dance music and more insular, experimental ambient sounds that he lays out on his forthcoming full-length, which aims to cement his place in the larger electronic music landscape.

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Bergen-based heavy rock overlords AUDREY HORNE have rung the Devil’s Bell with a future Scandinavian hard rock classic!

Four years after their much-acclaimed Blackout record, the band has just released their seventh studio album, Devil’s Bell via Napalm Records.

New Music From Norway

What started back in 2002 soon took the Norwegians and their expertly executed, riff-soaked fury all the way to the top of the rock scene. As with every AUDREY HORNE album, there are no duds or misfires as the songs flow together seamlessly, making Devil’s Bell a delight to play from the first note straight to the end. Devil’s Bell offers nine fist-pumping songs that will shake concert venues worldwide. Frontman Toschie once again proves that he has one of the most charismatic and energetic voices in rock, and the kinetic guitar-work of Ice Dale (Enslaved) and Thomas Tofthagen (ex-Sahg) underlines an outstanding genre-warp of 70s and 80s rock via NWOBHM, keeping the music rocking and the listener locked in. The band is tight, the music is festive, and the songs stick upon first listen – that’s how a modern hard rock album should sound!

In support of their newrecord release, the heavy rock outfit has just shared a third single alongside a killer music video for “Animal” - a stripped down rocker with an anthemic arena chorus that will make you go crazy!

Photo Credit: Studio Haara

Audrey Horne Releases “Animal” Music Video, New Album Devil’s Bell Out Now! Watch the new clip here at https://youtu.be/ywisUKF7Cng Buy the Album here at https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/ audreyhorne AUDREY HORNE online: Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/AudreyHorneOfficial Napalm Records @ https://label.napalmrecords.com/audreyhorne Devil’s Bell tracklisting 01. Ashes To Ashes 02. Animal 03. Break Out 50 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

04. Return To Grave Valley 05. Danse Macabre 06. Devil’s Bell 07. All Is Lost 08. Toxic Twins 09. From Darkness

Says frontman Toschie says about “Animal”: “Now there’s just a few days left until we release Devil’s Bell upon you. It is a beast of a record, so it is only fair that we give you all a heads up with a song like ‘Animal’. We hope it will only make you hungrier for the rest. Play it loud and jump start the weekend with it. Lots of love from the Audrey Wolfpack!”

Devil’s Bell was recorded and produced by the band, with mixing by Herbrand Larsen. Highly praised by the music press, with several top album soundcheck positions and acclaimed critiques worldwide, AUDREY HORNE is: Torkjell “Toschie” Rød – Vocals Arve Isdal – Guitar Thomas Tofthagen – Guitar Espen Lien – Bass Kjetil Greve – Drums

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Conan Gray Releases A New Single, “Memories” From His Upcoming Full Length Album Superache LISTEN TO “MEMORIES” HERE AT https://conangray.lnk.to/MemoriesPR PRE-SAVE SUPERACHE HERE AT https://digital.umusic.com/conan-gray-superache Platinum-selling singer, songwriter, and Gen Z pop king Conan Gray shared a brand-new single entitled “Memories.” It heralds the arrival of his anxiously awaited second full-length album, Superache [Republic Records], on June 24, 2022.

Once again, he presents a personal anthem rooted in raw feeling with “Memories.” His cathartic delivery glides over sparse piano as he pleads, “Please don’t ruin this for me. Please don’t make this harder than it already is.

I’m trying to get over this.”

Currently crisscrossing the country on “The Conan Gray World Tour 2022,” he has quietly dropped hints to his fans each night about the forthcoming Superache.

christened him “The New Prince of Sad Songs,” while Vogue included him in its massive new fashion spread in this month’s issue.

Since releasing original demos on his YouTube channel at the age of 15, Conan Gray has emerged as one of the pre-eminent pop superstars of his generation. Even after the commercial success of global multi-platinum hits “Heather” and “Maniac”, his music continues to maintain its unflinching authenticity and originality. Gray’s debut album, Kid Krow, crafted by Gray and longtime collaborator and producer Dan Nigro,

Making headlines, GQ featured Conan in their March 2022 issue and 52 52 Rock Rockand andBlues BluesInternational International ••• May November April2022 20222020

reached #5 on the Billboard 200, #1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and became the biggest new artist debut of the year. In the summer of 2020, when “Heather” topped charts around the world, Sir Elton John publicly praised Gray for being the only artist on the Spotify top 50 to have written the song entirely on their own. With over 7 billion streams, Gray has attracted unanimous applause from a who’s who of tastemakers including Vogue, GQ, V Man, Paper, Fader, Billboard, NPR, MTV, I-D, Wonderland, Clash, Notion, and has delivered rapturous performances on television shows such as Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and The Today Show. Gray’s much anticipated sophomore album is set for release June 24th, 2022.

The Conan Gray World Tour 2022 Dates 5/5 Oslo, Norway 5/6 Stockholm, Sweden 5/7 Copenhagen, Denmark 5/9 Hamburg, Germany 5/10 Berlin, Germany 5/11 Warsaw, Poland 5/13 Munich, Germany 5/14 Prague, Czech Republic 5/15 Vienna, Austria 5/17 Zurich, Switzerland 5/18 Milan, Italy 5/20 Barcelona, Spain 5/21 Madrid, Spain 5/24 Paris, France 5/25 Brussels, Belgium 5/26 Cologne, Germany 5/27 Amsterdam, Netherlands 5/30 Dublin, Ireland 6/2 Glasgow, UK 6/3 Leeds, UK 6/4 Manchester, UK 6/6 Birmingham, UK 6/8 Bristol, UK 6/9 London, UK

Sentrum Scene Annexet K.B. Hallen Edel-optics.de Arena Verti Music Hall COS Torwar Tonhalle Forum Karlín Gasometer Volkshaus Fabrique Sant Jordi Club Palacio Vistalegre L’Olympia Ancienne Belgique Palladium AFAS Live 3Olympia Theatre O2 Academy O2 Academy O2 Victoria Warehouse O2 Academy O2 Academy Eventim Apollo

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Photo by Allan Wan

Kate Clover Shares “Daisy Cutter” Single & Video Off Her Debut LP Bleed Your Heart Out KATE CLOVER LINKS Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/kateclover.music/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/kate_clover_?lang=en YouTube @ https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/click Today, LA-based rocker Kate Clover shares, “Daisy Cutter,” the latest track off her forthcoming debut LP, Bleed Your Heart Out (due April 22, 2022 via SongVest Records / SVR). The track is a true rollicking punk-rock number, exhibiting Kate’s affinity for fuzzed-out riffs and toe-tapping melodies. The single comes alongside a music video, directed by Nicole Lipp and featuring Kate performing the track live in front of gawking onlookers.

Speaking on her newest single, 54 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Kate wrote: “‘Daisy Cutter’ is the first love song I ever wrote. It was sonically influenced by The Buzzcocks, Ramones and Pub rock. I wrote it while falling in love and wanted it to reflect the adrenaline rush of that feeling and how your heart feels like an exploding grenade. To me, there’s no greater feeling.”

Touching on her forthcoming debut album, Kate continued:

“Bleed Your Heart Out is inspired by the glitz and grime of classic LA punk.

Bands Such as X, The Gun Club and The Germs, spiked with a power-pop punch of the Buzzcocks. Lyrically inspired by Nick Cave and X’s transgressive and poetic approach to songwriting and the wit and musical cadence of Hunter S. Thompson. Thematically, it explores the intricacies of government conspiracies, self-discovery, love, hate and selfpreservation. It’s a rallying shout to continued on next page

LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Daisy Cutter” Stream @ https://hypeddit.com/aga8zl YouTube @ https://youtu.be/dlrZ-nRvDog LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Heaven Down Here” Stream @ https://hypeddit.com/6h9jlx YouTube @ https://youtu.be/I61-KWUnqi0 WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Cut The Wire” (Documentary) YouTube @ https://youtu.be/pM83uwGtuVE LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” (ft. Warren Thomas) Stream @ https://hypeddit.com/znc4vf YouTube @ https://youtu.be/Urn0F9nKSIA LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Crimewave” Stream @ https://hypeddit.com/link/y4jv5b YouTube @ https://youtu.be/f_69td0ySiQ WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Tearjerker” YouTube @ https://youtu.be/E3l6KoLuAoE LISTEN & SHARE: Kate Clover - Channel Zero EP Soundcloud @ https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/click LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Love You To Death” Soundcloud @ https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/click YouTube @ https://youtu.be/IfbdbrtilLk LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Channel Zero TV” Youtube @ https://youtu.be/rWiLHK4fPQo LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Channel Zero” (Live On Channel Zero TV + Episode1) YouTube @ https://youtu.be/xGC68Z_9UQg LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kate Clover - “Channel Zero” Watch @ https://youtu.be/YutYeXN5RNQ Stream @ https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/click would be believers.”

Kate Clover is a songwriter and musician from Los Angeles, California.

From the local lineage of bands like X, Germs, and The Gun Club, to the glamorous destitution of the downtown streets, Clover is inspired by the city that raised her, exploring the intricacies of self-discovery, self-creation, and selfpreservation in the place where dreams are born to die. With the live-wire energy and crackling force of defiant fists raised in the air, Clover’s music is the rallying cry of a natural born killer. Leading an ace band of rangy, rowdy boys, Clover cuts an electric figure—a next-gen underground hero for the would-be believers.

With Patti Smith and Iggy Pop as her artistic North Stars, Clover mastered three chords and defected to art school, where she learned to play “Chinese Rocks” by Johnny Thunders, and wrote her first song. She cut her teeth playing in various projects but was determined to go solo, seeking independence and total control. In 2019 she parted ways with her former bands and was in search of a

new start. In need of self-discovery and an escape from her life in America, she headed to Mexico City to write. A four day trip turned into four months, as Clover decided to stay and record her album. Upon her return to the US she assembled a band and quickly carved out a space for herself in the LA scene.

Earning a rep for explosive live shows, Clover spent 2019 hitting the road with Death Valley Girls, Crocodiles, King Dude and SadGirl. After independently releasing her first single last year, Clover’s first offering of 2020 is a new mix of “Channel Zero” by Carlos de la Garza (Cherry Glazerr, Bleached, Paramore, Wolf Alice) ahead of an upcoming EP.

what any of it meant yet,” she explains.

“I was attracted to the rebellion I felt I shared with the subjects of his work. I connected to the bravery.” Within those photos, Clover’s nascent unrest found a cause to cling to. Weekends at the beach turned to weekends going to shows. “I would go home in a cab smiling, covered in sweat, spit, and beer. I found where I belonged.” Determined to enter the fraternity of the artist, she submerged herself in the salvation of rock ‘n’ roll.

Bleed Your Heart Out TRACKLISTING 01. Crimewave 02. Love You To Death 03. Channel Zero 04. Gnarcissist 05. Pleasure Forever 06. Daisy Cutter 07. Heaven Down Here 08. Tearjerker 09. Roulette 10. Follow My Heart

Growing up within the fringe cultures of skating and surfing, Clover has always been attracted to the otherness of west coast counter-culture— the gritty innocence of the saintly barbarians and dissatisfied kids around her. But it was her brother’s copy of photographer Glen E. Friedman’s book ‘Fuck You Heroes,’ where Clover first saw herself, reflected back in the energy and intensity of his punk-rock images. “I didn’t know May 2022

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Photo by Ruthie Brownfield

Seth Swirsky Releases New Songs From His New Album, The Green Couch New LP Out Now via Lolipop Records LISTEN & SHARE: Seth Swirsky - Songs From The Green Couch LP Spotify@ https://open.spotify.com/album/0vnHifhegoqxTU2TAoRLLB Apple Music @ https://music.apple.com/us/album/songs-from-the-green-couch/1609689916 LISTEN & SHARE: Seth Swirsky - “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/track/6B56p0zvF945RdzdJCmu47 Apple Music @ https://music.apple.com/us/album/i-dont-wanna-lose-you/1612401268 LISTEN & SHARE: Seth Swirsky - “Sunny Day” Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/track/51Gz0X3IvK0PB7aA5wXrpD Apple Music @ https://music.apple.com/us/album/sunny-day/1608144312 SETH SWIRSKY LINKS Website @ https://realseth.com/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/seth.swirsky/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/realsethswirsky Bandcamp @ https://sethswirsky.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-green-couch Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/sethaswirsky/ YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmqwy70MwJv8PavGo-1x9IQ 50 Rock Rockand andBlues BluesInternational International •• May October 56 20222021

Seth Swirsky continued from previous page Indie-rock singer-songwriter Seth Swirsky shares his brand new album, Songs From The Green Couch, via Lolipop Records.

Speaking on the album, Seth wrote the following: “We all have a ‘safe space’ — a place where we can go and escape from the world.

The green couch in my art room in my house is such a space. It was there where most of the songs on this album were written, either on guitar or with lyrics thus, the title, Songs From The Green Couch.

Rob Campanella, of Brian Jonestown Massacre — who engineered the album — introduced me to two guys in The Triptides: bassist Glenn Brigman and drummer Brendan Peleo-Lazar. The three of us (me on most guitars, pianos and mellotrons) became the core of the entire record. I sang all vocals and arranged the live strings. L.A. musicians, Kirk Hellie and Fernando Perdomo contributed their talents on some songs as well. But, as I said, the core was myself and the Triptides, which added a certain ‘toughness’ to my natural pop sensibilities.

The record was a two year process: I started writing and recording the record at the beginning of a serious new relationship I was having — it continued during a very painful breakup. Thus, the album oscillates between many hi’s and lo’s for me personally, which are reflected in the lyrics.”

01. Sunny Day 02. I Don’t Wanna Lose You 03. Cashmere Sweaters 04. Whatever Happened To… 05. Dead 06. Every Time

07. Becky 08. Making it Up As We Go Along 09. I’m In a You Kind of Mood 10. Rose Avenue 11. Susie Sunshine 12. What Was I Thinking?

13. September Sunday 14. New Painting 15. American Bar

Seth Swirsky is a modern day Renaissance man. From the #1 songs he’s written for Taylor Dayne (“Tell it to My Heart”), Tina Turner, Celine Dion, Air Supply, Smokey Robinson, Michael McDonald, Olivia Newton-John, and others, to his 5 bestselling books on subjects ranging from baseball to self-help (21 Ways to a Happier Depression is his latest) — to his multi-award winning documentary Beatles Stories, which is currently showing on SkyArts TV in the U.K. to the gallery show of his abstract expressionist paintings in Santa Monica — Swirsky’s creativity and accomplishments, know no bounds.

love and reverence for the music of the golden age of pop — guaranteed to raise a smile!’”

whistle and hum, and that’s just what he does on his new, 4th solo album, Songs from The Green Couch.

Syndicated DJ of the Sirius radio program Breakfast With The Beatles, Chris Carter says: “This highly creative album must be listened to in headphones. Loud. A truly top-shelf record from the first track to the last.” Jack Oliver, first President of The Beatles’ label, Apple Records agrees, adding: “Seth Swirsky’s irresistibly melodic tunes are in full bloom, a treat for those of us who love classic pop music.”

His love of classically constructed pop songs continues from his winning solo debut, Instant Pleasure (Best Pop Album 2005, Los Angeles Music Awards) to Watercolor Day (Best pop single, Hollywood Music and Movies Awards) through his 3rd solo album, 2016’s Circles and Squares.

Now comes Seth’s 4th solo album, Songs from The Green Couch, filled with 15 brand new original pop songs. The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs says of Seth’s music: “It’s a sonic bouquet of delicious melodies, melt-in– your-mouth harmonies, warm butterscotch guitars that jangle and shine — made with

Songs From The Green Couch TRACKLISTING

Seth is also the founding member of the popular retro-pop, Indie band, The Red Button, who have scored “The Coolest Song in the World This Week,” 4 times on Little Steven’s Underground Garage Sirius radio show.

In 2021, Sony Records in Japan released The Best of Seth Swirsky. He is featured in a 2-page article in Japan’s premiere rock magazine, Music Life, in their special “Beatles/Get Back” issue.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and holding a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology, Swirsky is a native New Yorker now living in Los Angeles.

Seth just wants to make the world May 2022

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songwriting and vocal prowess of Smith, whom Billboard goes on to note is “one of Nashville’s most versatile creatives.”

The Minnesota-native takes the stage Monday performing “High” on the 2022 CMT Music Awards, airing live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on April 11 and available to stream on-demand via Paramount+. Smith is a nominee at Monday’s Awards ceremony for the emotive music video accompanying her previous single, “I Can’t” featuring Platinum-selling band Old Dominion, in the CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year category.

Caitlyn Smith Releases Her New Album High On Monument Records Monument Records’ acclaimed singersongwriter and powerhouse vocalist Caitlyn Smith has ventured into the unknown and expanded her own artistry with latest album, the highly-anticipated and self-produced High, praised by NPR as “her most fully realized project yet.” The album is a new and creative stretch for Smith who spent her early years in Music City as a songwriter earning what the Tennessean calls “enviable career credits” with superstars like Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton and more cutting her songs.

Like her debut Starfire (2018) and sophomore Supernova (2020), High is filled with the same stellar writing chops and soaring vocals that earned her both critical praise and diehard fans, but this time Smith is in control behind the board too. Listen to High HERE. “I am beyond excited to finally have High out in the world for everyone to hear,” shares Smith. “It has been such a labor of love, born out of a really tough two years for all of us. But pressure creates diamonds, right? And if even one of these songs can add a little magic to someone’s day, my job is done.”

Together,” “I Can’t,” and “Contact High.”

For her encore Smith returned to silence an already rapt audience with what has become a staple of her live performances, the showstopping “Tacoma.”

Earlier this week, Smith performed the album’s arena-ready title-track “High” on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” before taking the stage later that night at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre. Watch her performance HERE. The project’s lead single released in March, “Downtown Baby,” hit the ground running with 50 first week adds. Sonically jovial, the song spotlights both the High Tracklist High - Intro (Caitlyn Smith, Jennifer Erin Decilveo, Miley Cyrus) High (Caitlyn Smith, Jennifer Erin Decilveo, Miley Cyrus) Dreamin’s Free (Caitlyn Smith, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna) Good As Us (Caitlyn Smith, Dave Barnes, Ben West) Downtown Baby (Caitlyn Smith, Gordie Sampson, Thomas Tawgs Salter, Simon Wilcox) Nothing Against You (Caitlyn Smith, Shane McAnally, Matt Jenkins) Maybe In Another Life (Caitlyn Smith, Jennifer Erin Decilveo) I Don’t Like The World Without You (Caitlyn Smith, Gordie Sampson, Troy Verges)

On the eve of her new album’s release, Smith celebrated with a packed and raucous crowd at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl performing tracks from the new project including recent release “Dreamin’s Free” and lead single, the second-most added track at Country radio, “Downtown Baby.” The set also featured fan favorites from her previous works including “Rare Bird,” “Put Me Back 58 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Already logging dates at Minneapolis’ iconic First Avenue, Gramercy Theatre in New York City and Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, the Pollstar “Hotstar” will continue her 14-city headlining High & Low Tour 2022 throughout the spring. Tickets are available for purchase now at caitlynsmith.com.

After winning a Critics Choice Award, earning a nomination for ACM New Female Artist of the Year and writing songs for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton, Meghan Trainor and John Legend, Garth Brooks, Caitlyn Smith has established herself as one of Nashville’s brightest rising stars. Undeniably one of the best vocalists of this generation, Smith’s 2018 Starfire and 2020’s Supernova saw her in the pages of TIME Magazine and The New York Times, and had her named to Rolling Stone’s 10 country artists to know and Paste’s 10 country artists to watch. Smith’s forthcoming, self-produced third album, High, is due out April 8 via Monument Records.

Visit CaitlynSmith.com for more information and follow along on Instagram and Twitter @caitlynsmith or @caitlynsmithmusic on Facebook and TikTok.

In the opening lines of her new single, “Cosmic Flower,” Nashville-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lydia Luce effortlessly demonstrates her ability to paint immersive, technicolor scenes with her music, singing, “Today the trees are weightless and I am close behind / No strings fly between me and the sky.” Luce wrote the song while sitting on a literal cliff on Orcas Island while participating in an artist residence just off the coast of Washington state. “Cosmic Flower” offers a series of similes, drawing a parallel between nature and love. It folds Luce’s passion and inspiration for the vastness of nature with those same feelings in her relationship. Luce recalls, “My partner was on tour, and I was traveling. We had been apart for about a month and wouldn’t see each other for a while. In the past, I might have felt insecurities about our distance, but the strength of our relationship has shown me that we can provide each other space and always come back to one another.” In the end, “Cosmic Flower” is a song about longing, about missing someone. “After Covid, everybody knows what that feels like,” Luce says. Her parting lyrics leave a lasting sense of hope, wrapped in a beautiful string arrangement.

“I know that I’m always going to find my way to you.”

Recently, Holler premiered “Cosmic Flower,” writing, “the lush orchestration gently building as it washes over you and pulls you under its spell. It’s profoundly beautiful.” On June 24, Luce is set to release Garden Songs, a five-song EP sown from her time spent reconnecting with songwriting on Orcas Island. Fans can listen to “Cosmic Flower” here on this pager, check out Luce’s previously-released Garden Songs track “Yellow Dawn” here on this page, and pre-save or pre-order Garden Songs now on this page.

Writing in such a picturesque setting helped Luce focus her attention on the world around her—quite literally in the case of the EP’s first song, “Matter of Time.” The summer before Luce landed on Orcas Island, the northwest suffered two brutal heat waves, and the extreme weather killed dozens. It got Luce thinking about the cognitive dissonance of wanting to be present in this remarkable place while grappling with how the same area was deadly to so many during a bout of extreme weather. For a woman who grew up by the ocean, the mountainous water vistas reminded her of her smallness. It also helped to shrink her anxieties and ego down to a manageable enough size to not get in the way of simply writing a song.

Luce turned to her impending wedding for “Vow,” which is the tale of the next step in a relationship that had been turbulent.

The song lands on a moment of looking forward, Luce explains, to “what we’ve built together and all of our hard work in our relationship and also getting to be present and enjoy where we’re at.” Another love is at the heart of “Air Castle”—that of Luce’s great grandparents. Her father shared a book of their love letters, written between 1909 and 1920, while he was in California and she was in Georgia. The song captures how important it can be to feel like someone is in your corner, seeing the best of you and rooting for your triumph.

The EP ends with the beautiful “Yellow Dawn,” summing up the feeling that propelled the writing and creation of Garden Songs. Persistence, in love and living, is a choice Luce continues to make, and the fruits of her carrying-on are on full display through this gorgeous musical window into her life.

In addition to her solo work, Luce created Lockeland Strings, a community arts organization showcases local artists with a string quintet and performances of new contemporary classical pieces from local composers. They’ve been joined by Kacey Musgraves and Lucie Silvas, among others, and partners with nonprofits, including the ACLU of Tennessee, Girls Write Nashville and The Little Pantry That Could. She also plays viola as a session musician.

Lydia Luce Paints A Portrait Of Hope And Longing With “Cosmic Flower” From upcoming EP Garden Songs, out June 24th Listen To “Cosmic Flower” at https://youtu.be/-r9yJeG0LPU Listen To “Yellow Dawn” at https://youtu.be/3CInEsV3Iic Pre-Order or Buy Garden Songs at https://www.lydialuce.com/ Follow Lydia Luce at https://www.lydialuce.com/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/LydiaLuce Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/lydialuce/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/lydialuce Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/5e1SaJPn6U7YpOrNTkW1jH May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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Rock and Blues International • November 2021

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found the band charting again on Billboard with the release of Opaline (2002), the acclaimed live album, Live…Greetings From The Flow State (2003), and their self-titled Dishwalla in 2005. In the summer of 2017, Dishwalla released their critically acclaimed 5th full-length studio album Juniper Road”through Pavement Entertainment/ Sony, produced by Sylvia Massy (Prince, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers), and recorded at Rock legend Eric Burdon’s retreat in Joshua Tree, CA. Their edgy, yet melodic, signature sound became part of the soundtrack of a generation being featured in hit movies such as Empire Records, Blast from the Past, The Avengers, Stir of Echoes, American Pie, The Banger Sisters, as well as TV shows such as Smallville, The OC, NCIS, Charmed (musical guest), written into the plot of How I Met Your Mother on CBS, and recently, NFL football and the CW sci-fi series, Pandora.

Dishwalla Release Their New EP Alive Via Pavement Entertainment On May 13 Follow Dishwalla Onlline At: Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dishwalla/ Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Dishwalla Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/6F3NW2aC9Sni1FH7QPSLvw Twitter at https://twitter.com/dishwalla YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9fkjbg-sCoAGUBAiGaieWQ DISHWALLA: The platinumselling, award-winning Rock band with a career spanning over 25 years and 5 critically acclaimed studio albums.

In 1994 Dishwalla signed to A&M Records and immediately began their successful launch into the music scene with a rendition of It’s Going to Take Some Time that was chosen as a single for The Carpenters tribute album, If I Were a Carpenter, a live performance on the Jon Stewart Show, and MTV coverage.

for music fans to crown “Counting Blue Car”s one of the most requested songs of that year. The track earned them a Billboard Award for “Best Rock Song” for 1996 as well as two ASCAP Awards for “Rock Track of the Year” in both 1996 and 1997, driving Pet Your Friends to sell more than a million copies worldwide.

Rock royalty, the band shared the stage with the likes of No Doubt, Sheryl Crow, Cheap Trick, Blind Melon, Lenny Kravitz, Gin Blossoms, and the Goo Goo Dolls, including a signature performance at the infamous Woodstock in 1998. Later that same year, the band released its follow-up album, And You Think You Know What Life’s About, and recorded a fresh version of “Policy of Truth” for Depeche Mode’s tribute disc, For the Masses.

When A&M released Dishwalla’s debut album, Pet Your Friends, it lit up the airwaves in 1996 with their edgy smash-hit single “Counting Blue Cars” (“Tell Me All Your Thoughts On God“).

With a gritty attitude and edgy musicianship reminiscent of past musical legends, Dishwalla’s Alt-Rock sound was enough 62 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Heavy touring and new releases

Modernly, the band continues to tour extensively World-wide, sharing the stage with many notable friends such as Eric Burdon, Collective Soul, Vertical Horizon, Tonic, Stroke 9, Nine Days, Fuel, Marcy Playground, Candlebox, Gin Blossoms, Alien Ant Farm, including a special hometown appearance at the Santa Barbara Bowl with Tears for Fears.

In the Spring of 2022, Dishwalla emerges with a fresh new EP titled Alive featuring three songs pondering themes of life, love, and loss.

Dishwalla is timeless, and Counting Blue Cars’ recurrent airplay on Triple A and Hot A.C. radio are a testament to this.

Dishwalla pop-culture references, songs, and videos continue to be a part of the daily lexicon of online social media. Fans from around the world stream their music millions of times per month.

Touted by fans and industry alike as one of the best live bands to come out of the 90’s, Dishwalla is here to stay, with the stories and bruises to prove it.

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album announcement came last month with a video for the first single “Warpaint.”

What started as a quaint motor lodge and a common pitstop for travelers and truckers in the 1940s, Sage Motel morphed into a bohemian’s hang by the 1960s and 1970s. Artists, musicians, and vagabonds of all types would stop there as seedy ownership pumped obnoxious amounts of money into high end renovations, eventually attracting some of the most prominent acts of the era. But when the money ran out, The Sage Motel devolved into a place where you rent by the hour.

Photo by Geoff Whitman

Monophonics Release New Single “Love You Better” New Album Sage Motel out 5/13 via Colemine Check Out “Love You Better” At https://youtu.be/3CKgjf7UH1I Check out Their First Single “Warpaint” From Sage Motel at https://youtu.be/0YZ5tiXSouc Connect with Monophonics: Website @ https://www.monophonics.com/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/monophonics Twitter @ https://twitter.com/monophonicsfunk Bay Area-based Monophonics HAVE released “Love You Better,” the second single from their upcoming fulllength Sage Motel (out May 13th via Colemine Records). The world’s premier psychedelic soul band, Monophonics cordially invites you to attend the grand re-opening of the once thriving, once vibrant establishment, the legendary Sage Motel. A place where folks experience the highs and lows of human existence. A place where big dreams and broken hearts live, where people arrive without ever knowing how they got there. It’s where individuals find themselves at a crossroads in life.

right way, only to be hurt and taken for granted. It’s empowering and important to have that self worth and remind somebody that they really missed out on a really good thing.” The Sage Motel

Sage Motel Tracklist: 1. Check In 2. Sage Motel 3. Let That Sink In 4. The Shape Of My Teardrops 5. Broken Boundaries 6. Love You Better 7. Never Stop Saying These Words 8. Warpaint 9. Crash & Burn 10. Check Out

“The song ‘Love You Better’ is rooted in the spirit of soul music and hip hop,” Monophonics explain. “It’s a braggadocio tune with a clear message to the one you loved that no one will ever be as good to them. It is that feeling of knowing you gave your all to your partner and really tried to love them the 64 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Sage Motel, Monophonics’ fifth studio album since 2012, tells its story.

Once again produced by brilliant bandleader Kelly Finnigan, the album captures a timeless sound that blends heavy soul with psych-rock. With their previous album, It’s Only Us, selling over 10,000 physical units and garnering over 20 million streams, Monophonics have built a reputation over the past decade as one of the most impactful bands in the country. It’s Only Us was praised by Billboard, FLOOD, Cool Hunting, and American Songwriter, who said “Take some Norman Whitfield-era Temptations, add Sly and the Family Stone circa There’s a Riot Goin’ On’s greasy funk, inject early 70s Curtis Mayfield Superfly, Marvin Gaye vocal dynamics and Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul dust, sprinkle in a pinch of Isley Brothers’ silky ballads and you’ve got a reasonable aural idea of the ballpark Monophonics are playing in.”

If these walls of the Sage Motel could talk, this is what they’d say. So join us as we examine where the stories are told and experiences unfold.....and sink into a soft pillow of soulful psychedelia.....down at the Sage Motel.

photo by JP Cordero

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Revyn grew up in Hawaii where he immersed himself in artistic expression, participating in school theater, band, and chorus programs while playing in fledgling punk bands around the region. As a young teen, he was unaware of his clinical depression and his learning disabilities, and directed his frustrations outwardly. He faced brushes with the law, pushed his family and friends away, and dropped out of college fed up with the monolithic curriculum.

Upon leaving college, Revyn made the courageous decision to clean up. “When I started embracing things I didn’t want to accept— like admitting I had dependency issues, depression, and learning disabilities—I started to experience positive change,” Revyn reveals.

During this time, he immersed himself in music, and put in hours homing his aesthetic, finetuning his innate artistic sensibility, learning how to produce and mix, and studying the art of songwriting. Diving into music with such force dredged up dreams he had as a kid to be a professional musician and make a name for himself. In the blur of addiction and self-destruction those passions and desires were cast aside. Freed from the inner insanity, he was clear on his purpose to be a musician as he boarded a LA-bound plane on New Year’s 2022.

Rising pop-alternative star Luke Revyn Releases New Single and Video for “Another Day” The song will be featured on Reyvn’s debut EP, out late 2022 Watch “Another Day” a https://youtu.be/B1R5rUjMMHE Stream “Another Day” on all platforms here at https://onerpm.link/anotherday Rising pop-alternative star Luke Revyn (pronounced Raven) cuts a striking first impression befitting of his painfully complicated past - but his story is also a triumphant one: a troubled teen who got the help he needed and bravely got on a plane to pursue his pop star dreams. He’s been releasing a steady stream of ultra-catchy, viscerally emotive singles over the past few months; a dizzying swirl of pop, hip-hop, EDM, R&B, punk, alternative, and indie, frothing over with energy and authenticity. Today he releases “Another Day,” a bittersweet rocker capturing adolescent alienation with grimy basslines, scratchy rock guitars, and rugged beats.

“The purpose of my music is to share my stories and life experiences to make a positive impact. I want to connect with as many listeners as I can, empower others to better their lives, and inspire those that need help to get it,” Revyn shares. “I worked through a lot of inner struggles, and I’m passionate about mental health.”

Revyn’s innate talents, charisma, edgy authentic style, and boundless determination earned him entry to work with powerhouse producers in legendary studios. To date, he’s released a brace of adrenaline-rush singles. “Kiss Me Girl” is a mosh pit-ready darkly romantic banger replete with punky guitars, an onslaught of hardhitting drums, and Revyn’s impassioned singing which often climaxes into a rousing falsetto. “Razors” is a haunting tale of addiction bursting with dreamy 1980s new wave guitars and pounding loud/soft dynamics. The moody “Goodbye” oozes chilling comfort through connecting with the listener over disturbing thoughts, and breaking through the pain with the song’s soaring chorus.

Revyn captures adolescent alienation poetically and powerfully on “Another Day.” His vocals here exhibit a raw-throated beauty, and his lyrics are evocative and smolder. One choice passage is: Don’t try there’s no way to save us/I think I always liked you better with no makeup/I know I need to escape this/You’re like alcohol it’s better when you chase K7H913 K7H913 it.

Revyn’s urgently-cathartic pop bursts with purgative punk aggression, anthemic hooks, and fearless personal revelation. Revyn writes from what he knows. “I’m not afraid to be vulnerable,” he says.

His thought-provoking lyrics draw on his own struggles with alcohol and substance abuse; his battle with clinical depression and anxiety; his frustrations with his learning disabilities; the dissonance of having big-city dreams while feeling stifled in a small town; and the thrill of the pop-alternative lifestyle. He expresses hard-luck truths and sage insights through relatable stories, clever metaphors, and hooky wordplay.

It’s been a fast-paced, powerfully transformative journey for Revyn. One clarifying moment recently came when he took some time out to see the American landmark Hollywood sign with his girlfriend and some friends. “As cliché as that is, it was very meaningful to me,” he says with a good-natured laugh. “As I sat there, I realized I had to hit rock bottom to get up and fight for those dreams I put away so many years ago. I have a shot now, and I hope my story moves others into action. This life is yours for the taking, but you have to want it and put in the work

Follow Luke Reyvn Online at: https://lukereyvn.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Luke-Reyvn https://www.instagram.com/lukereynoldss_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@lukereyvn https://www.twitter.com/LukeReyvn https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCea49TRqMouFr-T8AI7GKkw 66 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

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Laura-Mary Carter

Queen Kwong Releases Second Single “On The Run” From Her Forthcoming Album Couples Only Couples Only Out July 12th via Sonic Ritual Check Out “On The Run” At https://lnk.to/QKOnTheRun Featuring Roger O’Donnell (The Cure) Check Out The First Single From The Album, “I Know Who You Are” At https://youtu.be/8Y3mhmH0JpE Pre-save Couples Only: https://lnk.to/CouplesOnly LA-based Queen Kwong, a.k.a.

Carré Kwong Callaway shares “On The Run” from her forthcoming album Couples Only, to be released July 12th via Sonic Ritual. The second single to be lifted from the record, “On The Run” features keys and synths by close friend of Carré, Roger O’Donnell (The Cure).

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Speaking of the track, Carré says: “’On the Run’ is the song that inspired the record’s title, Couples Only. It’s a romantic, slow-dance-sounding song, but if you listen carefully, the lyrics are more realistic and self-aware. I spent a lot of my life confusing dramatic, whirlwind, fleeting romance with true love, but they’re not the same thing. Mature,

healthy, loving relationships can be quite boring, and even though that’s what I want, it’s also what I’ve always run from.”

A few years ago, Carré was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and told she may only have a decade left to live. continued on next page

Queen Kwong continued from previous page Couples Only Tracklist I Know Who You Are EMDR ATM Sad Man Death In Reverse The Mourning Song No Rules Stanley (RIP) On The Run Biggest Mistake Giver Taker Faker Without You, Whatever As a result of the condition, she’s prone to episodes where her lungs fill up with blood and she’s literally drowning. If that wasn’t bad enough, two months after her diagnosis, her husband jumped ship.

Couples Only could be described as a divorce record, but really it’s much more than that. Carré’s third album is a fearless account of facing the worst betrayals and accepting the deepest losses; it’s the realization of one’s mortality and the impermanence of everything we know and cherish.

Assembling a notable cadre of contributing musician friends including The Cure’s Roger O’Donnell (keyboards), Swans’ Kristof Hahn (lap steel) and Blood Red Shoes’ Laura-Mary Carter (backing vocals) who appear on assorted tracks on the upcoming LP, Carré worked closely with friends and allies, including Joe Cardamone of The Icarus Line, and Tchad Blake (Arctic Monkeys, Elvis Costello, Fiona Apple), who mixed the record.

Couples Only was entirely improvised and recorded on the spot—nothing was pre-written lyrically or musically.

For three weeks, Carré and longtime producer Cardamone crafted about one song a day, which would eventually be whittled down to the final 11 songs.

Check Out Never Meet Your Idols at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-meet-your-idols/id1526296375 Interestingly, Carré hadn’t picked up an instrument for nearly a year before going into the studio. Instead, she was filling her time with other projects—after graduating from university with honors, she founded an all-natural skincare line, co-starred in American Primitive film series Quarentina, launched the immensely entertaining music podcast Never Meet Your Idols, and is nearly finished with her first collection of sculptural artwork scheduled to show next year.

Check Out Never Meet Your Idols at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ never-meet-your-idols/id1526296375 “I don’t play music because it’s

fun,” she explains. “It’s a coping mechanism. It’s for survival. I have to keep playing music because it’s my way of allowing myself to feel.”

Queen Kwong has been making music since 2005 when she was discovered by Trent Reznor who invited her to open Nine Inch Nails’ With Teeth tour (2005), and again in 2009 and 2018. She has released two albums (Get a Witness in 2015 and Love Me to Death in 2018) and two EPs (2013’s Bad Lieutenant and 2019’s Oh Well).

Needless to say, Couples Only is Carré setting the record straight, and across these 11 songs, she takes no prisoners.

Follow Queen Kwong Online At: Website @ https://www.queenkwong.com/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/QueenKwong Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/QueenKwong Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/7eVMHPJuAw7Basmy5KYGk8 May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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Maybe You Should Run Your Next Tour Schedule In Wood & Wire’s Tony Kamel Announces Rock And Blues International!

Solo Release email: Back Down Home rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com or call today 281-650-1953 For Fast Service

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Photo Credit: Chris Colclasure @chrisfiq

Atmosphere // Photo Credit: Dan Monick

Atmosphere And Iration Announce CoHeadline Sunshine & Summer Nights Tour Special Guests THE GROUCH with DJ FRESH and KATASTRO Tickets here at https://www.sunshineandsummernights.com/ Follow Atmosphere: Website @ https://atmospheresucks.com/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/Atmosphere/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/atmosphere YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/playlist SoundCloud @ https://soundcloud.com/atmosphere-6 Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/1GAS0rb4L8VTPvizAx2O9J Apple Music @ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/atmosphere/2556490 Follow Iration: Website @ https://www.irationmusic.com/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/iration Twitter @ https://twitter.com/iration YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/user/Irationlive SoundCloud @ https://soundcloud.com/iration Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/0q9lPhJHW5R9J7RXIJRbTk Apple Music @ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/iration/200864846 74 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

Atmosphere And Iration continued from previous page Returning to the road this summer, underground hip-hop titans Atmosphere will co-headline the Sunshine & Summer Nights Tour with California-based reggae-influenced alternative rock band Iration.

The tour kicks off on Friday July 8 in Las Vegas, NV at Las Vegas Events Center, rolls through major markets coast-to-coast, and concludes on Friday August 26 in Irvine, CA at FivePoint Amphitheatre. Support comes from alt-rock/hip-hop hybrid band Katastro, founding member of Living Legends, rapper and producer The Grouch, with DJ Fresh.

Along the way Atmosphere and Iration will also grace the lineups of the San Diego Bayfest in San Diego, CA on July 9 and Reggae Rise Up Maryland in Baltimore on July 30.

A special pre-sale began Wednesday April 13 at 10am local time. General on-sale goes live on Friday April 15 at 10 am local time.

Click here at https://www.sunshineandsummernights.com/ for tickets and tour information.

“We cannot wait to run around this summer making party with the people,” adds Slug of Atmosphere. “I need to hear the sounds of smiles and feel the sun’s nourishment. Going out on the road with Iration is a blessing. They are pros at making party. We will bathe in the vibes.”

“We’re incredibly stoked to be going out this summer alongside Atmosphere,” shares Iration lead vocalist/guitarist Micah Pueschel.

“They are a group that we have loved and listened to since our first tour. We’ve also got Katastro and The Grouch joining us who are great artists that will make the show a rad and diverse blend of sounds. See you out there!”

In advance of the tour, Atmosphere are also celebrating the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking sophomore album Lucy Ford. In honor of the occasion, the album is to be released on vinyl for the first time ever, Friday May 27 via Rhymesayers Entertainment. An exclusive vinyl variant, limited to 1000 colored copies and sold directly through Atmosphere’s web store, was sold out within hours of its announce. Meanwhile, the standard version on black 2xLP vinyl will be widely available on release day. Pre-Orders available here at https://atmospheresucks.com/collections/lucy-ford.

For over two decades, Atmosphere have quietly influenced and instigated progression of hip-hop as evidenced by sales of 2 millionplus units independently and over 1 billion streams as well as widespread critical acclaim. Last year, they teamed up with Cypress Hill for a massive co-headline run with Z-Trip. Additionally, they took the stage at Reggae Rise Up Florida, Cali Vibes, and Cali Roots Baja Sessions (Mexico). Over the years, they’ve ignited Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Soundset, Life Is Beautiful, Governors Ball, Riot Fest, and beyond.

Atmosphere – rapper Slug and DJ/producer Ant – is touring in support of their most recent album WORD?, released October 2021 via Rhymesayers Entertainment, which debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #29 overall and has accrued over 5 million streams on Spotify to date. The 14-track collection features “Barcade” (feat. Aesop Rock & MF DOOM), “Woes,” and “Clocked”. WORD? has received rave reviews with Under The Radar Magazine hailing the album “successfully proves that Atmosphere still have the chops to pull off a compelling record” and HotNewHipHop stating, “it’s all Atmosphere, who remain in fine form both lyrically and behind the boards.” Listen to WORD? here at https://rse.lnk.to/ WORD. Iration is touring in support of their latest full-length album

Coastin’, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart upon its June 2020 release. Coastin’ (Three Prong Records), the band’s seventh full-length studio album, is a 13-song musical journey showcasing Iration’s distinct hybrid style of music blending rock and reggae with elements of pop and newly incorporated R&B, funk and jazz sounds. Coastin’, declared “truly a melting pot of what this group is capable of” by mxdwn, features the singles “Right Here Right Now,” “Move Forward,” “Coastin’” and “Chill Out” along with guest appearances from Common Kings and Eli-Mac. Iration has racked up more than 1 billion total streams worldwide and established themselves as one of the most popular reggae-rock bands in the world.

Listen to Coastin’ here at https://www.iration.fm/coastin-album.

ATMOSPHERE & IRATION “SUNSHINE & SUMMER NIGHTS” TOUR DATES With special guests Katastro and The Grouch with DJ Fresh Friday, July 8 Las Vegas, NV @ Las Vegas Events Center Saturday, July 9 San Diego, CA @ San Diego Bayfest Sunday, July 10 Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee Theatre Tuesday, July 12 Flagstaff, AZ @ Fort Tuthill Park – Pepsi Amphitheater Wednesday, July 13 Albuquerque, NM @ Downtown Albuquerque Friday, July 15 Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum Saturday, July 16 Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater Sunday, July 17 Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Pavilion Tuesday, July 19 Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern Thursday, July 21 Saint Augustine, FL @ The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre Friday, July 22 Boca Raton, FL @ Sunset Cove Amphitheater Saturday, July 23 St. Petersburg, FL @ Spa Beach Park Sunday, July 24 Cocoa, FL @ Cocoa Riverfront Park Tuesday, July 26 Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station) Thursday, July 28 Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater Friday, July 29 Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Saturday, July 30 Baltimore, MD @ Reggae Rise Up Maryland Sunday, July 31 Portsmouth, VA @ Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion Tuesday, August 2 Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall Thursday, August 4 Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point Friday, August 5 Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summerstage Saturday, August 6 New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 Thursday, August 11 Casper, WY @ The Gaslight Social Friday, August 12 Billings, MT @ ZooMontana Saturday, August 13 Spokane, WA @ Pavilion at Riverfront Sunday, August 14 Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater Wednesday, August 17 Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden Thursday, August 18 Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater Wednesday, August 24 Fresno, CA @ Rotary Amphitheater at Woodward Park Thursday, August 25 Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl Friday, August 26 Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre ATMOSPHERE 2022 TOUR DATES Friday, May 27 - Monterey, CA @ California Roots Festival Saturday, June 25 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest Saturday, August 20 - Spencer, MA @ Terptown Throwdown May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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Kat Von D 78

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Photo Credit Rock Candy

Kat Von D Shares Original Versions “Enough” and “Lost At Sea” Ftr Dave Grohl on Drums Available on all streaming platforms - Listen to “Enough” and “Lost At Sea” (Bat Cave Mixes) Here at https://katvond.lnk.to/batcavemixes Kat Von D shares unreleased alternative versions of singles ‘Enough’ and ‘Lost At Sea’, featuring Dave Grohl on drums. Stream ‘Enough’ and ‘Lost At Sea’ (Bat Cave Mixes) here at https:// katvond.lnk.to/batcavemixes Recorded in London with producer Adam Noble and mixed by iconic Grammy award-winning producer and mixing engineer Alan Moulder, the Bat Cave mixes are the original versions of the singles included on Kat’s acclaimed debut album ‘Love Made Me Do It,’ before she re-recorded them with her live band and finished what would become the final version of the record with Dan Haigh of British synthwave pioneers Gunship on mixing duties. Bringing his high-powered rock ‘n’ roll spirit to the songs, Dave Grohl injects the tracks with an urgent, alternative edge compared to the album’s more darkwave, synth-laced versions.

“I’m so excited to release the versions of these songs that were recorded so long ago with Adam Noble in London,” Kat says, “I think fans will get to hear a version of these tracks that explains the evolution of these songs into what they are now.” On having the opportunity to collaborate with Grohl, Kat says, “One of the things I admire about Dave Grohl as a drummer is how versatile he is, it was so cool to watch him play drums on songs that no one would ever expect to hear him play on.”

The mixes are the latest in a string of releases from Kat Von D during a musical hot streak, including last month’s release of her very personal take on ’Fotos Y Recuerdos’ ( https://katvond.lnk.to/ FotosyRecuerdos ) -the hit song from iconic Mexican-American recording artist Selena - the Deluxe Remix EP ‘Exorcisms’ ( https:// katvond.lnk.to/ExorcismsDeluxe ), featuring reworks by Gunship, darkwave favorite Cold Cave, French evocative synth pop purveyors Scratch Massive, and Kraftwerk’s Henning Schmitz aka NEO. Described as a “pastiche of shapeshifting analog synths, post punk dreamscapes, gothic hues and shy pop magnetism” by Loudwire, Love Made Me Do It is Kat Von D’s irresistible portrait of love and life. The LP released on September 30th spawned the successful darkwave singles “Enough” ( https://youtu.be/sXnios05mbU ),”I Am Nothing” ( https://youtu.be/BjlUz0ubU-k ), and “Fear You” ( https:// youtu.be/Wmfo5iGZjQU ), and “Exorcism” ( https://youtu.be/ DlwXpPUAFhM ).The LP features collaboratons with Linda Perry,

Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio), Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails), Ladyhawke and Charo.

Kat Von D New Singles ‘Enough’ and ‘Lost At Sea’ featuring Dave Grohl are out now. Stream ‘Enough’ and ‘Lost At Sea’ (Bat Cave Mixes) here at https://katvond.lnk.to/batcavemixes. Debut Album ‘Love Made Me Do It’ Available on all Platforms here at https://katvond.lnk.to/lovemademedoit.

Long before the history-making tattoos, ubiquitous television shows, best-selling books, and influential beauty empire, Kat Von D sat down at a piano for nearly two hours a day and played. In essence, music became her first creative language and most trusted outlet.

Classical training and a deep appreciation for music of all genres essentially underscored her life. She studied voice under Ken Tamplin six days per week, strengthening her vocals. In 2012, she began writing with GRAMMY® Award-nominated legend Linda Perry.

Following this experience, Kat continued to write on her own, sitting at the piano and summoning songs from raw emotion. During 2014, she retreated to London to record the original mix of what would become her full-length debut album ‘Love Made Me Do It’ (KVD/ Kartel Music Group) before cementing it with her band—Gregg Foreman AKA Mr. Pharmacist (synth 1), Sammi Doll (synth 2), and Brynn Route (contortionist). They moved into a bungalow cottage on her property, lived together, and finished the record. Capping off the process, Dan Haigh of Gunship handled mixing. A pastiche of shapeshifting analog synths, post-punk dreamscapes, gothic hues, and shy pop magnetism, these eleven songs echo the eternal will of the perennially brokenhearted to love until death. It’s highlighted by standouts such as the first single ‘Exorcism’, ‘Protected’ featuring Peter Murphy of Bauhaus and produced and co-written with Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle), and ‘The Calling’ capped off by never-before-heard recordings from original scream queen Vampira.

FOLLOW KAT VON D WEBSITE @ https://katvond.com/ SPOTIFY @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/0eLQCmRxdnxAK9rchhAFlU APPLE MUSIC @ https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/kat-von-d/1564286242 FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/katvond TWITTER @ https://twitter.com/thekatvond YOUTUBE @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU2ACt2gy77iJAZq46Uzqkw May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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Northlane Releases Their New Album Obsidian If you had to sum up Northlane in a word, it would be ‘resilient’.

In their 12-year career, the four-piece have weathered the kind of storms that would have seen most other bands bow out of the game without a second thought. Yet, through every bout of turbulence, Northlane emerges on the other side with fortitude and a trailblazing body of work that shifts the tectonic plates of heavy music around the globe.

they vitally needed.

Upon its release, Alien debuted at #3 on the ARIA Album Chart (their fourth top 3 record) The record also scored Northlane their third consecutive ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album as well as the AIR Award for Best Independent Heavy Album. Alien went on to become Northlane’s highest selling debut globally, culminating the biggest world tour of their career. As Northlane revelled in their renaissance, the backlash from Bridge’s family came flooding in. It is here where the Obsidian story begins.

The last time Northlane had to push through adversity the end result was Alien.

Staring down financial ruin, waning ticket “There was a bit of backlash from my sales and a less than supportive network, family and people close to me who were Northlane channeled their frustrations into referenced in the songs from Alien,” sighs a Alien. A confronting album that converged weary Bridge. “I felt like I had upset these Northlane’s trademark technical metal with people who were close to me and, well, I disparate genres not often present in heavy don’t really want to be diving that deep into music, it was an unsettling soundtrack in my personal life anymore. I’m quite a which frontman Marcus Bridge laid bare his sensitive person to what other people think of harrowing life story. This raw vulnerability me.” coupled with their sheer grit to forge ahead delivered Northlane the watershed moment Stepping off the stage into an unfold80 Rock and Blues International • May 2022

ing pandemic and a series of lockdowns, the isolation deepened Bridges’ wounds and by the time the band were able to come together to record Obsidian, his confidence was shattered.

“Something just doesn’t feel natural about not being in the same room with the band or playing music for over a year and then immediately jumping into writing 14 songs. I felt I didn’t really have much to say after being locked up for so long.”

Northlane moved into a tranquil house at the top of the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne to record album number six. They set up a makeshift studio in the cinema room but as the songs started to take shape, Bridge struggled to find his groove, fretting about his vocal performance right through to his ability to pen an album’s worth of lyrics.

“I think it was just not happening because I was feeling all these things and continued on next page

Northlane continued from previous page hadn’t really spoken to the guys about it.

There was a night where I just broke down and told them how I was feeling both in a creative sense and, on a personal level, what’s been going on in the past year. It was quite difficult for me to even initiate that conversation.”

In true Northlane spirit, the band completed by Jon Deiley (guitar), Josh Smith (guitar) and Nic Pettersen (drums) rallied around Bridge and their mateship that has pulled the band out of their darkest moments galvanised him into action.

Picking up where Alien left off, the album opener “Clarity” beckons you in with its alluring synth before plunging you into the depths of hell, with Bridge growing, “You said you didn’t deserve this / that my truth struck a nerve / well I meant every word”.

Bruised but not broken, through the course of the song, Bridge regains his confidence, reclaims his story and then closes that chapter of his life for good.

From here, we are immersed into Northlane’s most expansive and daring album yet. Self-recorded and self-produced with the help of their longtime collaborator Chris Blancato, the sound Northlane have been working towards over the span of their career has been fully realised on Obsidian. Sonically spanning the gamut of their entire discography, Northlane’s signature bottom-heavy groove coexists side-by-side with fully fledged EDM and techno, drum and bass, soaring guitar work and nostalgic atmospherics. It’s this fearless evolution that keeps Northlane light years ahead of everyone else in heavy music.

“I think the main thing that Alien did was instill quite a large amount of confidence in what we do and what we make,” says principal songwriter Jon Deiley. “For me, it showed that I can experiment as far as I can and gave me the confidence to be creatively free with my music.”

That freedom can be heard through tracks like “Echo Chamber” and “Is This A Test” that conjure up futuristic Matrix rave vibes while the widescreen chorus of “Xen” demands to be sung in the car with the windows down. Elsewhere, the pensive synths of “Nova” sound like the kind of song Moby would’ve written in the mid-00s.

“I like music that focuses around rhythm, pulse and being able to easily move your body to it,” says Deiley. “A lot of the songs on Obsidian came from curiosity playing with synths and bending electronic

genres that I like.

“On this album I really wanted to steer the band away from riff city,” he continues “I’ve written enough riffs and contributed enough to the metal world.”

While Deiley focused on writing more melodic material that felt nice to listen to as a way to lift himself out of the anger and depression spiral spurred on by the ongoing pandemic, Bridge channeled his despair at the state of the world around him into the lyrics, creating a dark duality that underpins Obsidian.

The title track takes aim at the selfish nature of humans completely desensitized to destroying the planet and spreading hate “we’re too far gone” sings Bridge over an uncomfortable riff that sounds like your speakers are malfunctioning. “Cypher” is completely void of melody, trudging through a wall of distortion as the protagonist longs to tap out of his reality and into a simulation.

The otherworldly synths of “Nova” narrate a somber journey through the many cycles of falling apart and picking up the pieces that are starting to crack. “Plenty” is a bleak look at forsaking reincarnation with its perplexing time-signature bookending a delicately soaring chorus.

these songs that it is depressing with no moral to the story,” explains Bridge. “The thing to take from this album is that things aren’t always great and I’m sure people know that after these past couple of years. I think it’s more so just an exploration of those feelings and how someone who’s stuck in their own head is dealing with that and trying to move forward with awareness of how you feel, as opposed to pretending like everything’s okay when it’s not.”

The release of Obsidian will mark an important milestone for Northlane as the band’s first self-released record. Forging ahead as a wholly independent entity, Northlane have shunned machinations of the music industry to take complete control of their career. By backing themselves in this way only strengthens their resolve in the music they are creating now and into the future.

“It’s shown me that the other guys in the band really believe in the vision I have. If they didn’t believe in it, then they probably would have left some time ago. The fact that they’re still sticking with it shows that they really give a shit,” says Deiley.

“I’d be surprised if there’s really anything that can stop us from doing this.”

“I did realise as I was writing a lot of May 2022 • Rock and Blues International

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The Biker, The Blues And An Artist Named Tom Waits Sometimes a good song impresses you immediately because of its sound or its beat, others reach you because the lyrics hit home. Something catchy in the message, something about the way the artist comes across with not just the words but the vibe. Enter Tom Waits. Tom Waits writes about life from the view point of an observer just passing through, he gets just close enough to the song material to make it relational to listeners and this sentiment comes through rather well, even if it’s sad content it draws a relatable smile. In one of his songs “Semi Suite” he writes about the steam heat dripping off the wall as the man showers ready to leave a one night lay over. Earlier in the song he places emphasis on the last two words. He uses a rest beat between the words lay and over to drive the point home on why he’s in the shower. In another song he presents a poetic portrait of a man that can see himself falling in love but he’s afraid to fall in love again “I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You”. He expresses the man by refraining, “I hope that I don’t fall in love you ‘cause falling in love just makes me blue”. Sort of a potential been there, done that kind of situation for any of us. One has to wonder where does this creative posturing come from that reaches so many so perfectly? Surely a songwriter has to envision a mental image of the subject matter first but then how does he convey the message through street verbiage using precise street slang in order to paint additional hue into the piece? Tom Waits has the ability to do just that as he writes about strip joints, ladies of the evening, bums, all night diners, people in jail, people hopelessly detached from those they love, people giving their money to strangers, one bit of street level reality after another. We’ve all felt restlessness motivated by a common denominator such as being dumped, left behind, broke, or destitute for one of many reasons. Tom Waits pens his messages marvelously. Yet conversely the man writes excellent love songs albeit through his interpretation of a man just passing through life just wanting to be accepted but who’s vulnerable.

When Mr. Waits received his induction into the rock and roll hall of fame Neil Young was the master of ceremonies. Mr. Young’s fascination with Tom Waits included how surprised he was at how many songs Tom had written that have been covered by others including the Eagles no less. He invited Tom to the stage and the inductee was polite but also mentioned that he was skeptical about accepting the award. He said something to the effect that he wished the award had come on a key chain so he could wear it. This way if he were ever arrested they would say we can’t arrest this man why he’s won an award from the rock and roll hall of fame. The room of creatives immediately acknowledged the levity. Typical Waits tongue in cheek for sure. Some poets, songwriters have a gift, a great connection to observing life and they write about it masterfully. In another Tom Waits song he describes a waitress in a late night diner. His description is brought to you in diner lingo as he comments about her having maxwell house eyes, marmalade thighs and scrambled yellow hair her rhinestone star studded moniker reads Irene “The Ghosts Of Saturday Night”. He picks up on the pace of the place, the vibe of this all night diner and uses diner slang to describe orders being passed along to the cook. “Adam and Eve on a log you can sink them continued on next page

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Page 2 - The Biker, The Blues And An Artist Named Tom Waits damn straight, hash browns, hash browns you know I can’t wait.” He writes about attraction, the possibility of love, and the softness of a woman yet at the same time he expresses the aloofness of a hesitant man admiring this potential from basically afar. He writes about people being in these kind of situations as if he is in the first person. He presents an admirer who for whatever reason feels he knows his place in society and colors inside those lines. In his “Fumbling With The Blues” song he shares: “Friday left me fumbling with the blues it’s so hard to win when you always lose.” He captures the lingering spirit of a lonely person who feels left out. A person on the other hand who is out and about on a Friday night, who hasn’t experienced this to some degree? The songwriter paints this situation rather well and it begs the philosophical, has the songwriter lived these various portraits he brings to life? Where does his understanding of these common but very different street life situations originate from? He’s observing life in various subcultures. He envisions it, feels it, and crafts what he envisions. His street level descriptions are crystal clear, you get it right away.

Anyone that has even remotely been close to even just one of the situations he presents totally gets it. Being able to craft mental images into street lingo lyrics is an art form. In another song “Virginia Avenue” he sings: “Cause I’m walking on down Columbus Avenue the bars are all closing ‘cause it’s quarter to two, every town I go to is like a lock without a key, those I leave behind are catching up on me, let me tell you they’re catching up on me, they’re catching up on me, catching up on me, catching up on me, catching up on me. The phrasing does it, it’s like an echo that reveals desperation as the man shares what is going on mentally. The music sets the tone and then the phrasing places the emphasis on a specific mood. Here’s a drifter moving from one frail reality into another living with this daily mental anguish. We witness a private inward cry, one through verses reveal a person moving away from heir past and the past continually follows along in his mind where ever he goes. The songwriter pens this living hell, this anguish, with precision. As listeners we get it.

We may not have experienced life with a daily haunting memory to the degree of the man in the song but we get it.

Personally, in my own life I keep moving from one city to another, one strip joint to another, one blues bar to another, moving between one short intimate moment into another somewhere down the road. I am out here because this is who I am. I am a soul that is not looking for purpose but observing and celebrating life for what it is. Not running away but then not embracing long term commitment either. The good news is that I meet lots of people that like me are happy being themselves. They are not trying to climb any social ladder, they are just experiencing life being as free as they can be given their choice in lifestyle. Sometimes I think these are the people in life that have won. They have found inner peace as they are not humans attempting to be spiritual but rather free spirits in their own right attempting to be human. Their world is a place of acceptance with very little to no condemnation toward anyone. They work late hours, odd jobs, often times judged by the straights of conformed society as outcasts, some say low life. Nah, that’s wrong. They get it. For the most part they are happy with who they are and of course everyone wishes things could be better but then again they are ok with where they are in life. Pretty cool if you ask me. I am going to keep riding, meeting people, sharing what I find with you. Observing shift changes, the waving down of an early morning taxi by a tired late night waitress, the motel maid that arrives at work early in the morning armed with a song and a smile knowing what lies ahead. The late night tow truck driver, the third shift nurse waiting at the bus stop vulnerable but doing what she has to do, the night time cop doing his or her job but reluctantly so, and as Mr. Waits writes, the street sweeper that is sweeping up the remnants of Saturday Night.

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