ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Bob AndreaBywaterCorritoreCallGiannoniRichChorneAndrewSalgadoRoryGallagherBobMarleyandmore! Shemekia Releases New Album DoneComeTooFar Copeland SEPTEMBER 2022 Rock And Blues International
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Hello Rock And Blues International readers. I hope everybody had a great August. I’ve got to tell you that I’ve been having a great time getting going back to the concerts again. It reminded me just why I love this business. Just a few of the acts that I’ve seen lately include John Waite, Men At Work featuring Colin Hay, and Rick Springfield. I hate to admit, but I was sidelined for a few days with the dreaded Covid. Yes folks, It’s still out there, so I urge all of you to take the neccessary precautions and protect yourself. It’s not much fun! 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 Andwayside.now on to the September issue of Rock And Blues International. In this issue you can read and interview with Blues Songstress Shemekia Copeland. She’s got a new album out called Done Come To Far and it’s fantastic We’ve got a great story by Edoardo Fassio about the Italian Blues harmonica ace, Andrea Giannoni. There are stories on Bywater Call, Andrew Salgado, Claudia Valentina, UWUW, Patrick Luna, Jimmy Cliff, Art d’Ecco, Ronnie James Dio, the Celebrating David Bowie Tour, Creature Canyon, Clutch, The Band, R.E.M., Abba, Rory Gallagher, 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. So far our readers seem to really like this Blues loving Biker. 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.
September 2022 • Rock
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Kevin Wildman and Blues
September 2022
Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher
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Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher Web
Contents VOL. 3 NO .2 SEPTEMBER 2022ISSUE NO. 26 4 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 Page 20 ANDREA GIANNONI Page 6 SHEMEKIA COPELAND Shemekia Copeland Releases Her New Alligator Records Album Done Come Too Far Edoardo Fassio talks about Italian Blues harmonica performer, Andrea Giannoni and his new album releasse Home Again Page Bywater14Call Page 18 BOB CORRITORE Canada’s Southern Soul, Blues and Roots Rock Sensations, Bywater Call, Set September 2nd Release Date for New Album, Remain, on Gypsy Soul Records Bob Corritore & Friends To Release You Shocked Me On VizzTone
Contents VOL. 3 NO. 2SEPTEMBER 2022ISSUE NO. 26 September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 5 Page 40 Jimmy Cliff Page 82 - THE BIKER In This Issue: Page 78 RORY GALLAGHER Reggae Legend & Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee Jimmy Cliff Releases First New Album Since 2012 Refugees - Out Now! Rory Gallagher’s “Deuce” 50th Anniversary Edition Box Set Releases September 30 The Continuing Saga Of A Lone Biker On The Road To Explore The Freedoms Of America And His Love of Music and The Blues 6 Shemekia Copelan 14 Bywater Call 16 Miss Emily 17 Bob Corritore 18 Rich Chorne 20 Andrea Giannoni - (English) 21 Andrea Giannoni - (Italian) 24 Andrew Salgado 26 Claudia Valentina 28 Unloved 32 UWUW 34 Patrick Luna - (English) 35 Patrick Luna - (Spanish) 36 God Alone 40 Jimmy Cliff 44 Art d’Ecco 46 Michele Morrone 48 Love In Reverse 50 Ronnie James Dio 52 Shannen Moser 54 Celebrating David Bowie 56 Creature Canyon 58 Orion Experience 62 Clutch 68 Witchslayer 72 The Band 74 R.E.M. 76 Abba 78 Rory Gallagher 82 The Biker
Shemekia Copeland Releases Her New Alligator Records Album Done Come To Far 6 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
Rock And Blues International: Every album that you do seems to be a complete departure from the previous one, yet the distinct feature in it is your lovely voice. You’ve got such a beautiful voice and even the most serious of songs that you do, you make it sound Shemekiabeautiful.Copeland: Thank you.
Rock And Blues International: Some of the subjects on here are really newsworthy and time worthy. Some of them are very serious. One of the songs is downright hilarious. On the song “Fell In Love With A Honky,” you sound so much like a bona-fide country singer.
Shemekia Copeland: That’s what it was meant to be. It was meant to be funny, so I’m glad you like it. That’s what it was meant to be about.
Rock And Blues International: It was hilarious!Shemekia Copeland: The only thing that’s true about that song is that my husband is white. He’s not a Country guy, he’s a Rockmetalhead.AndBlues International: A metalhead…Shemekiareally…Copeland: Yes, but I told him it’s not as much funny singing about a metalhead as it is singing about a Country dude.
Rock And Blues International: This album really comes out of the gate rockin’. That first song on the album “Too Far To Be Gone” has some really heavy guitar work on it. It really a real rockin’ song. Shemekia Copeland: Thank you.
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 7 continued on next page
On this album she has been reunited with one of the co-writers of her last two albums, Mr. Will Kimbrough. Will and her manager John Hahn write a good bit of the songs on Done Come To Far together and with out a doubt, these are destined to be come huge Shemekia Copeland standards. Joining her on this new album is also a few of her compadres in music, Sonny Landreth, Kenny Brown, Oliver Wood, Cedric Burnside, Aaron Lee, and Charles Hodges. Also appearing on this album are stalwarts Lex Price and Pete Abbott. This album will surely go down as one of the strongest albums in Shemekia Copeland’s catalog. It also contains some of the heaviest guitar licks ever recorded on one of Shemekia’s Albums. Starting off with the rockin’ “Too Far To Be Gone” to the closing notes of “Nobody But You” this album will have your full attention all the way through.Wehad a chance to sit down with Shemekia and gain a little insight into the recording of these songs and some of the inspiration behind this album and really proved to be a great experience. We’d like to share it with you now.
Rock And Blues International: “Fell In Love With A Honky” is just hilarious.
By Kevin Wildman Blues songstress Shemekia Copeland has just released her new album, Done Come To Far on the Alligator Records label. Without a doubt, this new album shows a new side to Shemekia. Done Come To Far is packed with 12 great songs showcasing both her diversity in choosing music and her fantastic vocals. Subjects on the album range from serious dark tones to hilarious. On this album she touches on a few subjects that may be considered a bit taboo, but nevertheless important to comment on, such domestic abuse, child endangerment, and race relations, but they’re not all that serious. There are some hilarious moments such as the song “I Married A Honky,” and there are a couple of great loves songs on here such as “Why, Why, Why” and “Nobody But You.”
Rock And Blues International: Hi Shemekia, you’re out with your Alligator Records release, Done Come To Far. It’s been awhile since you released Uncivil War, so I bet you’re really happy to release this oneShemekianow.
Copeland: Yeah, it’s kind of the end of the trilogy, so I’m very excited about it.
Rock And Blues International: You’ve got Will Kimbrough with you again on this album and Sonny Landreth. Tell me a little bit about the recording of this album and how it came about. Shemekia Copeland: Yeah, I did it like I do most of them. We don’t have the money to go into a studio and create on the spot and stay in there for months at a time like some of these artists do making a Blues record. We pretty much know what we’re going to do when we go in there. We do a few things at a time and we live with it for a bit and see if it was what we were wanting. We do that about three or four times and before you know it, you’ve got a record.
Rock And Blues International: I think you hit the nail on the head with that too. A lot of things that were written when the forefathers started the county don’t apply now. Things were a lot different then. Standing there with a musket reloading is nothing like standing there now and just pulling the trigger over and over again.Shemekia Copeland: Exactly, exactly… and you know and making sure you keep them out of the hands of young people that are not emotionally ready to deal with it. My daddy used to say, ‘you don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground,’ and that’s how they are. You can’t take a drink, but you can go and buy
Rock And Blues International: To me, it sounds like a song about struggling for equality.Shemekia
Copeland: Exactly, and that’s what it’s about. It’s a real positive song in a sense. You know, this is what’s going on, but we’re not going anywhere. We’re going to keep on fighting.
Shemekia Copeland
From the beginning clear through to the end of the song, it was funny as hell.
Shemekia Copeland: Well, this one is kind of a continuation. On the first one we did “We Ain’t Got Time For Hate” and then in 2019 I did “Uncivil War.” And I did that record before all hell broke loose in 2020, so I did that one in 2019. I finished it in December of 2019 and then all hell broke loose in 2020 and the world just got turned over. So many things happened in 2020 that it was just so unbelievable. And so this one is a continuation. “We’ve Come To Far To Be Gone”, culturally and in every way.
Rock And Blues International: Well, “When Pink Turns To Red” sounds as if it could have been written about that specific incident.Shemekia Copeland: I know. It was already pressed. We did that a long time before that, but it’s not the first school shooting. One of the most devastating ones was up in Conneticut. It’s happening too much and we’ve got to do something about it. If a song like this helps in small ways, so be it.
Rock And Blues International: The next song on the album is “Pink Turns To Red.” I’m in Texas and that song hits home pretty good. It sounds so much like it could have been about the massacre in the elementary school in Uvalde. Shemekia Copeland: Yeah, when we did that people asked me if that was about the Uvalde shooting. It wasn’t. That was recorded and pressed long before that ever happened. But it’s definitely an issue in this country and a very scary sad one. It was an important song for me to do.
Rock And Blues International: Well I certainly hope it reaches a lot of people. There’s a lot of meaning in it. There’s a lot of sympathy in the song. There’s a lot of meaning to this Shemekiasong.Copeland: Yeah, exactly. Everybody’s so hell bent on quoting things from the constitution. The constitution was written when the most powerful gun was a musket. It’s like times have changed for all of us. Rules need to be changed because of it.
Rock And Blues International: When that song was first presented to you, what did you think about it when you read throughShemekiait? Copeland: I thought it was hilarious and that we should definitely do it and put it out there.
Rock And Blues International: Let’s talk about some of these other songs on there. “Too Far To Be Gone,” tell me a little bit about that song. It’s the first song on the album and it kicks this project off with some heavy guitar licks.
8 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 (continued from previous page)
Rock And Blues International: What were your thoughts when you heard about the shootings in Uvalde? continued on next page
Shemekia Copeland: Ooh thanks. We were just hoping to get people laughing out loud.Rock And Blues International: And really, you have that fantastic Country voice on that song. It sounds perfect on that song.Shemekia Copeland: Well, you know my mama is from North Carolina and my daddy was from Texas, so it’s pretty easy to fall into it, even though I was born and raised in New York.
Shemekia Copeland: Like most American people, not just American people, but like people for all around the word, I was just sick. It made me sick. It was all we talked about for the longest time. I’ve got a little boy about to go to school now. He’s going to be going to kindergarten and for a long while, to me, it was like “Screw it, I’m not going to be sending him to school.” You have so many things that go through your head, but when you think about those babies you just…. It just hits you in a way that’s awful. Even now I just want to cry talking about it. It’s just devastating. I can’t imagine what those parents are going through. I don’t know what in the world I would do.
Shemekia Copeland: Well, I’ve already been talking to him. He will turn 6 Christmas Eve. The one thing that I’ve been telling him ever since he was a baby is that discipline is going to save his life one-day, and I tell him that all the time. And then, the talk will follow.
Rock And Blues International: Tell me about “Gullah Geechee”, the fourth song off the Shemekiaalbum.Copeland: The Gullah people are in South Carolina. This song is about the Gullah people in South Carolina who also have some amazing roots in music and everything. I love that whole educational thing, being able to talk about things that I’m just learning about too… to be able to put it out there for the folk. Rock And Blues International: Next up is “Why, Why, Why”. Is that one of continued on next page those typical ‘man done his woman wrong’ songs?Shemekia Copeland: Exactly that’s just a classic love song there. Rock And Blues International: Nothing in particular about that song? Just a classic love Shemekiasong?Copeland: Yeah, a beautiful love song.
Rock And Blues International: Are you prepared for that talk with your son?
Shemekia Copeland: No, apparently in Heaven that won’t hurt. Our feet will be able to handle that.
something like that. It’s just devastating. We have to do better.
Rock And Blues International: And you had a guest performance on this next song with you, “Done Come Too Far” Cedric Burnside guested with you on that. Shemekia Copeland: Yeah, and Kenny Brown. Same song, different lyrics. We wanted to do something cool like that and have. It’s the Blues version and the rock version of the same song basically… The same idea, the same concept.
Rock And Blues International: Tell me a little more about that.
Rock And Blues International: That brings us up to “Fell In Love With A Honky”, which we’ve already discussed. Do you have any more to say about that one?
Shemekia Copeland: It’s the same as “Too Far To Be Gone” basically. This one’s “Done Come To Far”, but it’s basically the same meaning. It’s the same meaning, really. Culturally we’ve come too far to be gone and we’ve “Done Come Too Far.” It’s pretty much the same meaning, just different lyrics, different style ofRockmusic.And Blues International: That brings us to “Barefoot In Heaven.” That was pretty interesting. If the streets are paved in Heaven with gold and diamonds, isn’t that going to be a bit rough on your feet if you’re Shemekiabarefoot?Copeland: Not if you have shoes on.Rock And Blues International: But it says you’re walking barefoot.
Rock And Blues International: On “Fried Catfish And Bibles.” I wanna know where that party is so I can go. It sounds like a fantastic church picnic. Is that what it’s about?Shemekia
Shemekia Copeland: Absolutely, because you have to be prepared for everything. Thank god for our law enforcement because they have a really tough job to do and they’re risking their lives every day. But just like in anything, you have some bad apples and we have to make sure that they know how to protect themselves and stay safe. We have to have those conversations with our kids.
Shemekia Copeland: Ray Wylie Hubbard wrote that. I think he’s a great writer and I like him a lot. I love that sentiment. I love the idea of walking in Heaven and singing God’s praise. I like that idea. It made me happy when I heard it. I thought, ‘I want to do that.’
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 9 (continued from previous page)
Rock And Blues International: Well, tell me a little about the meaning of that song.
ShemekiaCopeland
Rock And Blues International: Yeah, that talk and all the other talks. I’ve got a couple of kids myself and mine are in their 30s now, but I remember doing that and it was scary as hell for me. You’re trying to explain something to them, but you don’t really want to scare them, but you want to put the fear of God into them. Shemekia Copeland: Yeah!
Shemekia Copeland: That song was
Copeland: (laughs) Exactly, pretty much. That’s how people got together and had a good time.
Rock And Blues International: And that brings us to the next song, “The Talk.” It’s obviously about a mother warning her son about everything. She’s even warning him about how he behaves with the police should he encounter them.
Shemekia Copeland: Well, I hate reality TV. I hate what it’s all about. Hate is really a strong word, I should say I just dislike it. For me, there’s just too much of it out here right now. I’m so sick of it. Everybody famous for just doing nothing.
Rock And Blues International: You’ve got competition shows like American Idol. What is your opinion on shows like Shemekiathat?
Rock And Blues International: No, at all. I’ve been involved in the music business for over 50 years now, ever since I was a kid and when you watch someone become a star, in what I would call seconds, it’s kind of disappointing for those who have spent their lives struggling to achieve it.
10 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 meant to make people happy and to make them laugh and apparently it does, because everybody I’ve talked to so far about it, that’s what they say.
Shemekia Copeland it’s truth. So, it’s not hard. The only one that was hard for me to sing and get through it was “The Talk.” That was hard for me to get through without crying, but no, that one not so much. It was something that I felt needed to get put out there. Some people want to appeal to the masses, me I like appealing to one person at a time. You never know whom you can help with those songs. I remember years ago I did a song called “Ain’t Gonna Be Your Tattoo” and some woman came up to me after my show and she said to me “that song saved my live because I was in an abusive relationship”, because that was what the song was about. Domestic abuse. She said, “I was in this domestic abusive relationship and I was leaving his house after he beat me and your song came on the radio. I had always gone back to him and from that moment on, I knew I never would.” And then she introduced me to her new husband and we were all crying and crying, so if it just affects that one person, I’m happy.Rock And Blues International: How do you feel when some one comes up and tells you a story like that. Emotionally how does that hit you when someone comes up to you and tells you that your song saved their life, their marriage, or their relationship with another? What runs through your mind? Obviously this wasn’t the first time this has happened.
Rock And Blues International: Yes, it was hilarious… downright hilarious. And I could just visualize that song. That song is followed by a very dark type of song, “The Dolls Are Sleeping.” That sounds as if it’s about a very abusive relationship. Am I right or am I wrong about that one Shemekia Copeland: Yeah, you’re absolutely right. It’s about a young girl being abused. Another dark subject, right? Rock And Blues International: Yes, it is. You’ve touched on a couple of really dark subjects on this album. Why? Shemekia Copeland: Well, you know, because it’s life. It’s what happened. You never know who can relate to it and a lot of people can to that. When I’m out here, I learn more and more about that. That’s what has happened in the past.
Rock And Blues International: Sometimes I think that the most things that people have in common is that they just like to argue. It doesn’t make sense to me.
Rock And Blues International: Was it a hard one for you to sing? Shemekia Copeland: I’ve met a lot of people who have gone through that. Was it a hard one for you to sing to get the meaning across like that so poignantly? Shemekia Copeland: They’re not hard for me because at the end of the day, (continued from previous page)
Shemekia Copeland: Nothing but just being grateful that I’m able to do what continued on next page I do. Music is a healer, so I love that. I love being out here. That’s the whole point. It’s not about the masses, it’s about the one or two people that are affected by what you do. Somehow it helps by what you do. I run into people all the time in my world that are my little angels on earth by saying thing to me or feeding me in some kind of way. It happens a lot.
Rock And Blues International: Absolutely. I watched a show just once for a while called “Jersey Shore” and just couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t stand it and actually couldn’t believe they put something like that on TV.
Shemekia Copeland: The biggest thing on TV is a bunch of stupid women fighting over stupid stuff.
Shemekia Copeland: You only have to see it once to know what it’s about and I’m just sick of it. That’s what that song is about.
Copeland: I don’t like that either. To become a great artist, you have to get out here and work. How many of those people from those shows do you really know? Not many. It’s kind of the idea that they’re going to fast-pace you through and make you a big famous star, and that’s not how things work really.
Rock And Blues International: On “Dumb It Down”, is that about a young lady out to become a star?
Shemekia Copeland: It’s a love song and actually, the title of the last song on the last record was called “Love Song.” I just like doing that because it kind of lightens things up a bit.
Shemekia Copeland
Shemekia Copeland: John Hahn, yeah. They’re like the dream Rockteam.And
Shemekia Copeland: No, not really. I don’t want to say it’s easy, because it’s not. It’s hard work. It happens so organically that it just works. It just works. I love the idea of a whole record, like an entire concept. Versus putting a song out at a time or doing an EP, I just like doing records.
Rock And Blues International: He’s co-writing some of these songs with your manager, Mr. Hahn, right.
Blues International: Really, tell me how that came about. Not a lot of artist’s managers writes for them, but you seem to be anShemekiaexception.Copeland: It’s a real hard one to really explain. I’ve known John since I was eight years old. It’s not just a manager thing, it’s more than that. He’s like a member of the family by now.
And Blues International: What was it that made you pick that song, a certain line, the chorus, a certain verse, what?
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 11 (continued from previous page)
Shemekia Copeland: Yes, he is. As you can see, there’s a lot of meat and potatoes to this album. Shemekia touches on certain subjects that you don’t usually hear in songs, but she is not afraid to share these thoughts with you. The story behind the songs are every bit as important as the songs themselves and we would urge you to go out and pick up a copy of Done Come To Far now. As we said before, this album is without a doubt one of the strongest visions of Shemekia’s work to date. Check it out now!
Shemekia Copeland: Exactly and it’s just a false way of how the business works and what it takes to become an artist in the real way.
Rock And Blues International: Is there any little anecdotes about the recording of the new album that you would like to add, any funny incidents that happened in the studio.
Rock And Blues International: Well, you finish up the album with one of your dad’s songs, “Nobody But You.” That must mean a whole lot to you or you wouldn’t have put it on this album.
Shemekia Copeland: Exactly, I just wanted a song that would lighten things up and make people happy of doing that with my dad.Rock
Shemekia Copeland: Oh absolutely, I feel like I’m doing that whenever I step on stage, but I do like doing his songs.
Rock And Blues International: Well, I also think you like paying a little homage to your father when you get a chance.
Rock And Blues International: When you walk into a studio with Will Kimbrough to record, I guess this is your third album with him.Shemekia Copeland: Yes it is.
Rock And Blues International: What runs though your mind when you walk in and see him standing there? What kind of vibe do youShemekiaget?
Copeland: Excitement, because at this point I know we are going to make some magic.
10 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
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14 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 continued on next page
Powerhouse 7-piece Southern Soul, Blues and Roots Rock band Bywater Call announce a September 2nd world-wide release date for their new album, Remain, on Gypsy Soul Records, distributed in the US by Alliance Entertainment, in Canada by Warner Music and in Europe by Proper Music. Powered by the dynamic vocals of Meghan Parnell and the blistering slide guitar work of Dave Barnes, this Toronto-based band has been generating acclaim throughout their native Canada and now the rest of the world. Formed in 2017, Bywater Call has been Maple Blues and Independent Blues Award nominated and has made waves in the Canadian Festival Circuit. The band has also had the opportunity to tour Europe twice, including most recently in May and June of 2022, featuring a mainstage appearance at the Netherlands’ premiere blues festival MOULIN BLUES. Performances there have been praised in Dutch and German media, with references to Parnell as one of the best singers in blues and roots today. Remain features prominently Parnell’s raw, soulful vocals and Barnes’ emotional singing slide guitar. It was produced by Gypsy Soul Records’ Renan Yildizdogan, engineered by Ross Hayes Citrullo and recorded at Jukasa Studio near Hamilton, with follow up sessions at RHC Studio in Toronto. Born out of a love for Southern Soul, Blues and Roots music and a passion to create a powerful and moving experience for listeners, Bywater Call is completed by Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on bass, Alan Zemaitis on keyboards, Stephen Dyte on trumpet and Julian Nalli on tenor sax. In January 2023, Bywater Call will make an appearance at the famed International Blues Challenge in Memphis, to represent the Grand River Blues Society. They will also be returning to Europe in August and September of this
Canada’s Southern Soul, Blues and Roots Rock Sensations, Bywater Call, Set September 2nd Release Date for New Album, Remain, on Gypsy Soul Records
Bywaterpage)Call year and fall of 2023. For those who have been following the band since its inception, an evolution in sound and concept can be heard on Remain; and yet, the core values of raw emotion and strong musicianship are ever present.Theseeds of the new album were planted just prior to the band’s leaving for their inaugural 2020 European tour, when they penned the title track, “Remain,” to take with them on the road. “The song, which was released as a single on July 29th, is a delicate yet powerful ballad of love lost due to physical and emotional distance and the unwillingness to just let go,” says Meghan“InParnell.addition to ‘Remain,’ early versions of the funky ‘Sea We Swim’ and rock jam ‘Go Alone’ were penned on the road in 2020,” adds Parnell. “The remainder of the album, including the first single release, ‘Falls Away,’ began with me and Dave at home on our back deck in the depth of the pandemic.” “The writing process kept us entertained through a pretty dry spell,” offers Dave Barnes. “We had to try and develop things without the usual feedback. The typical model: ‘write, play (live), and tweak’ had to be replaced. We would just sit in rehearsal spaces playing songs on repeat, experimenting with wildly different tempos, rhythms etc., until we landed in something that “Weclicked.choseRemain as a title, both because of the track, but also in reference to our coping method through the pandemic. With no foreseeable end date during the lockdown, a lot of musicians we knew were thinking about calling it quits. We were choosing to stick it out and stay“Armedput!” with an acoustic guitar and desire to grow as writers and musicians, with ‘Falls Away’ we sketched out a fiery ode to our personal existential crises and to the sociopolitical climate at home and across the world today,” admits Parnell. “ Underneath it all, stripped down to the core, we are all flawed humans looking for meaning, purpose and trying to navigate our way through this crazy life. The song continued to take shape, as most of our tunes do, after bringing it to the full band to workshop.”“Thesecond ballad, ‘Locked,’ can be described as a pandemic love song: a sparse and haunting melody that showcases off the top an emotional fragility in Meg’s voice not often heard, and builds to massive payoff featuring a full choir,” says Barnes. “The song was inspired by our time together in lockdown: seeing our shared goals and passions seemingly fade away, and feeling the urgency to write new music in what was for us, a very uninspiring time, and dealing with the strain this put on our relationship.” Both “Locked” and “Falls Away” were developed along with good friend, Toronto musician and producer Tom Juhas, who helped to draw out the passion and musicality intended for these tunes.
www.bywatercall.com
In “Ties That Bind” and “Left Behind” listeners can hear the band’s love for Southern swamp, combined with the influences of some of their favorite artists, The Black Crowes, The Band, and LittleBywaterFeat.Call’s debut album was released world-wide in November, 2019, received rave reviews across all territories and placed #1 on the Roots Music Report Canada Top 50 for 11 straight weeks. It was featured as album of the month on the International Blues Broadcasters Awards chart, gained repeated top five on the International/US Rock Blues, and top 20 on the International/US Blues RMR charts. They have been featured on Sting Ray, Earshot and the top 30 USA Blues on NACC charts, just to name a few.
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 15 (continued from previous
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Album street date 9/9/22 - First single “The World’s In A Bad Situation” featuring Johnny Rawls is available now! VizzTone is proud to announce the September 9, 2022 release of “You Shocked Me” by Bob Corritore & Friends.Harmonica ace Bob Corritore once again puts together an all-star blues showcase of his amazing friends, the cream of today’s current crop of blues artists, delivering 16 killer songs and electrifying performances! Captured during 12 recording sessions between 2018 and 2022, these 16 hard-hitting tracks deliver pure, unvarnished blues of the highest order. Recorded at Tempest Recording in Tempe Arizona, Corritore’s masterfully understated production captures the urgency of a live performance and the finishing touch to make complete, memorable songs. The glue that holds it all together is the combination of Bob’s focused production work and his expressive “serve the song” harmonicaFeaturedstyle.vocalists on this set include longtime collaborators Alabama Mike (who contributes four powerful songs), soul/blues/gospel icon Johnny Rawls, salt of the earth Southern bluesman Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry, SugaRay Rayford, Diunna Greenleaf, Jimi “Primetime” Smith, Oscar Wilson, Bob Stroger, Francine Reed, and Willie Buck. Corritore has gained a strong presence in today’s blues market by releasing a solid output of music from his storied “Vaults” as well as current gems.
OUT NOW!“The World’s In A Bad Situation” feat. Johnny Rawls Here’s a song that could not be more timely. Soul/Blues master Johnny Rawls and harmonica ace Bob Corritore team up with a solid sender on this modern day masterpiece. grooves vocals the spirit of 1960s Wright with female backing singers jarring heartfelt harmonica! John Primer) Alabama Mike) Greenleaf)
16 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
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Multiple Maple Blues Award winner, and 2022 JUNO Nominee for Blues Album of the Year, Miss Emily is set to release her fourth album, Defined By Love on September 30th, 2022. The high-octane entertainer with a powerful set of pipes calls Kingston, Ontario home and has been a highly soughtafter performer at festivals around the country.We humans are often defined based on a single thing. For some, it could be a career choice. For others, it might be a character trait or even an event. For Miss Emily, it would be simple to say that she’s defined by her unparalleled voice, but she would encourage you to seek a broader definition of who sheWhetheris.
it’s parental love, romantic love, or an all-encompassing love for community; Emily’s contention is that love is at the core of who we are. Emily Fennell’s earliest memories swirl through the dusty fairgrounds of Southern Ontario, accompanied by her parents, as she pursued her love of performing at county fair singing competitions where the creaky floorboards of outdoor stages laid down the backbeat. Later as a young adult, Miss Emily emerged from a soul-drenched gumbo of blues, old-school R&B, and jazz. With Ray Charles and Aretha as her mentors and K.D. Lang as her benchmark she went to school. Studying her craft on the sideroads, backroads, and highways of Ontario; she played every juke joint and nightclub that would have her.
Award-Winning Soul-Blues
When she was pregnant with her daughter Piper, she took up residency at The Merchant in Kingston. Every Friday night she preached love, happiness, and harmony to jam-packed crowds and in the midst of the cover songs, she’d throw in a few of her own. Soon the setlists would be more hers than theirs and as she fell in love with her adopted hometown of Kingston, Kingston fell in love with her. It’s a love that flourished as she played festivals and music halls and more recently six sold-out shows at the Isabel Bader Theatre. Now she’s headlining the City’s centerpiece of artistic performance, “The Grand.” In all that time, despite the advice of highly-placed music industry insiders, never once did Miss Emily assume a persona. She has been hilarious in her honesty, heartfelt in her compassion, or touching in her grief but always and forever she’s been her genuine self on stage and off. That naked commitment to the truth has never been more apparent than in her fourth studio album, Defined By Love. It’s a wartsand-all diary of a year filled with confusion and anger, lost relationships and found humanity.
Defined By Love is a deeply personal 12-song meditation on deception, pain, resilience, and finding strength among the ruins of heartbreak. Someone once said that we are the sum total of our experiences. It’s three words and the fine line between friends, lovers and foes. It’s walking the road less travelled but making that road your own. That may, in fact, be true but those experiences – good or bad – shouldn’t define us. Take Miss Emily’s advice and don’t allow the world to lock you into a single description. Be defined by family, friends, and community. Be defined by love. Track List 1. Defined By Love (2:57) 2. Silver Lining (3:18) 3. Glory (3:27) 4. This Road (2:43) 5. Respect Your Mother (3:38) 6. One Song Left (3:44) 7. Just (3:49) 8. Make It Rain (4:05) 9. Friends, Lovers, Foes (3:38) 10.Three Words (4:09) 11.To the End of the World (4:45) 12.The Keeper (4:31) All songs written by Emily Fennell except Track 7 written by Radiohead Track 11 written by Colin MacDonald, John-Angus MacDonald and Chris Kirby Track 12 written by Rob Baker and Emily FennellAlbumproduced by Steve Marriner www.themissemily.com
Singer Miss Emily Is Defined By Love On New Release
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 17
30 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
ChornéRich
Following the successful release of Rich Chorné’s album Mas in 2020, the guitarist’s passion and energy gained momentum as he entered the studio with a follow-up CD, Bringin’ in the Blues. During that time, he also helped produce and write two EPs for fellow singer/songwriter Kathy Lyon, who lives in Florida after beginning her career in the Washington D.C. area. Heading the team was producer/singer Richard Cagle, owner of Texas and New Mexico based Montrose Records. While Cagle originated his producing endeavors in Houston, he is well known for his singing in the award-winning New Mexico band, the Voodoo Choir, and helping Texas artists such as Annika Chambers and Carolyn Wonderland in their careers.Deciding to move to the cool mountains of Ruidoso, NM, far from the Houston heat, he quickly established a well-equipped high-end studio and began working with surrounding talent. He and Chorné met soon after and became collaborators and colleagues. The two made phone calls and some class “A” band members were more than happy to make the trek to Ruidoso to record Bringin’ in the Blues, a 12-track compilation that stacks up well with Chorné’s previous album, MAS Bringin’ in the Blues is a rockin’ blues album featuring Cagle, Lyon and Washington D.C.’s Tommy Lepson on vocals, Chorné on vocals and guitar, Fort Worth’s Gary Grammar on harmonica, Ruidoso’s Sam Shackleford and El Paso’s Ricky Malichi on drums, Daniel Becker, and Erik Unsworth on bass, and Roswell’s Bud Hewitt and Ruidoso’s Paul Goad on keyboards. All this is punctuated by a horn section provided by Cagle associate, Anthony Terry, on the song “What Are We Doing?” Chorné penned nine new songs for the album. “As a songwriter, I draw from life experiences for the subject of many of my songs,” Chorné said. “You Gotta Have Faith” is truly what my father advised. “Borderland Blues” is about growing up in El Paso. “Voodoo Woman” is about a on a psychic woman I met in New Hope, Pennsylvania. “Please Come Home” is a yearning from loneliness. “Let’s Do It” comes from an appeal for good-time music. “What Are We Doing” refers to the frustrations of insaneChornérepetition.”called on his roots background to include classic blues covers Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Checking Up on My Baby” and “Oh Pretty Woman,” made popular by Albert King. “Those songs were part of my deep-rooted earlyblues listening,” Chorné says. “These bode well with the classic electric guitar blues audience and it plays well from start toVocalistfinish.”Lyon contributed three songs, including “Favorite Fantasy,” and co-wrote the slow blues song “I’d Rather Sleep Alone” with Chorné. Cagle’s vocals were emotional and at times smooth as in the slow blues tune, “Please Come Home,” and at times gritty as in “Walkin’ With My Baby.” The session work involved 21 songs, some of which appear on Kathy Lyons’ jazz EP, Who Knew, and her blues EP, Texas Highway. Chorné co-produced both with“WeCagle.basically double-downed on the songs as we shared them on three CDs and hopefully reached a wider audience,” Chorné says. “We also narrowed the distinction between blues and jazz on Kathy’s songs across these genres.”Chorné’s earlier career found him touring the U.S. with Jay Boy Adams and opening for ZZ Top in the early 1970s. He also toured as a keyboard tech for Hall and Oates, and started out playing with El Paso Blues legend Long John Hunter, to name a few. He formed his own bands in Maryland and New Jersey and produced five CDs which received extremely favorable reviews. He grew up in El Paso and now lives in Alto, NM, after stops in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland –all while staying in his roots of rock and roll with a blues accent, culminating in Bringin’ in the Blues
Guitar Stylist Rich Chorné Releases his Sixth Album and More!
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 19
By Marty Racine
20 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
By Edoardo Fassio
Andrea Giannoni: My music is the same, but never alike
The joke with which jazz star Stefano Bollani invited the public to buy his CDs at the end of a concert has become legendary: “Even if you didn’t like what we played, buy it anyway; our music is never the same, so the one on the CD could definitely be good for you”. Something of the kind could be said by blues harmonica player Andrea Giannoni, whose music, spontaneous, sarcastic and deep, thrives on moods and improvisations that peep out unexpectedly behind the verses and chords.
Andrea has thirty years of experience in live music to his credit and has shared the stage with notables such as Charlie Musselwhite, Peter Green, John Mayall and Dave Alvin. “Thirty years spent grinding my teeth, beating the pork meat and get lost in the litanies of these damn blues that emerge from me and sanctify the matters of the world”.
The name of his latest album, At Home Again, recalls the studio where it was recorded, in Sarzana, a town at the far eastern edge of Liguria. It is an invitation to slip into Giannoni’s metaphorical house, shaken by the whims of a blues where sea airs and winds from the land clash and his own harmonica playing, singing, grumbling and cursing, in fleeting harmony with the supporting instrumentalists, do not disturb the braking of oncoming trains.Numerous top musicians contributed to the album, which is punctuated by the suburban invectives of “Rest of A Slave” and the drawl, vaguely stoned accent of “Waiting for A Sunny Day”. Among them there’s Davide “Youngblood” Serini on guitar, Andrea “Lips” Paganetto on trumpet, who somehow recalls Terence Blanchard, Henry Carpaneto on piano and organ and soul sister Sara Grimaldi on vocals. Along with Bobby Soul, who provides lead vocals to a hallucinated “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” by Hank Williams, the only cover in the playlist, they have all gladly joined the project, guaranteeing its full artistic success and keeping the faith that the blessing of a lay reverend could be their key to salvation.
“What I do is not easy stuff: it mixes and tears up what you thought you knew how to play, and instead you just imitated it”, philosophically admits Giannoni, alias “Reverend Harpo”, who is a cook by trade. In the art of music, he tries to tie together and blend flavors and ingredients of the American songbook, blues, hillbilly, folk, gospel and jazz, avoiding giving around safe reference points. These contaminations are not borne out of compromises, a failure that goes beyond his ethics, but of his conception of the blues as a reflection of real life, of its torments and redemptions.
By Edoardo AndreaFassio
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 21
Giannoni: La mia musica è la stessa, ma mai uguale
La battuta con cui Stefano Bollani invitava il pubblico ad acquistare i suoi CD al termine di un concerto è diventata proverbiale: “Se non vi è piaciuto quello che abbiamo suonato, compratelo ugualmente; la nostra musica non è mai la stessa, e quella sul CD farà sicuramente per voi”. Qualcosa del genere lo potrebbe dire l’armonicista blues Andrea Giannoni, la cui musica, spontanea, sarcastica e viscerale, vive di umori e di improvvisazioni che fanno capolino a sorpresa dietro le strofe e gli accordi.“Quella che suono io non è roba facile, mescola e strappa quello che credevi di saper fare e che invece imitavi semplicemente”, confessa filosoficamente Giannoni, alias “Reverendo Harpo”, che di mestiere fa il cuoco. Nell’arte musicale cerca di legare insieme e confondere sapori e ingredienti del canzoniere nordamericano, blues, hillbilly, folk, gospel e jazz, evitando di dare in giro dei punti di riferimento sicuri. Contaminazioni generate non dal compromesso, un cedimento che esula dalla sua etica, ma dalla sua concezione del blues come riflesso della vita reale, dei suoi tormenti e delle sue redenzioni. Andrea ha all’attivo una trentennale esperienza live, condivisa sul palco anche con personaggi come Charlie Musselwhite, Peter Green, John Mayall e Dave Alvin. “Trent’anni passati a digrignare i denti, a battere la carne di porco e a perdermi nelle litanie di questi dannati blues che mi emergono e santificano le cose del mondo”.Iltitolo dell’ultimo album, At Home Again, richiama lo studio in cui è stata registrato, a Sarzana, una cittadina appollaiata all’estremità orientale della Liguria. È un invito a scivolare nella metaforica casa di Giannoni, agitata dalle bizze di un blues dove cozzano arie di mare e venti di terra e l’armonica, il canto, i borbottii e le imprecazioni del leader, in passeggera armonia con gli strumentisti comprimari, non disturbano la frenata dei treni in arrivo.Aldisco, segnato dalle invettive suburbane di “Rest Of A Slave” e dall’andamento strascicato, vagamente stoned di “Waiting For A Sunny Day”, partecipano numerosi musicisti di punta, tra cui Davide “Youngblood” Serini alla chitarra, Andrea “Lips” Paganetto alla tromba, in odore di Terence Blanchard, Henry Carpaneto alle tastiere e la soul sister Sara Grimaldi alla voce. Insieme a Bobby Soul, che fornisce il canto solista a una straniata “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” di Hank Williams, l’unica cover in scaletta, si sono tutti prestati volentieri al progetto, garantendone la piena riuscita artistica, sicuri che la benedizione di un reverendo profano fosse il passaporto per la salvezza.
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Recording Artist/Songwriter Andrew Salgado Stays The Course Finds #1
Inspiration can arrive from many sources but the most compelling for Nashville’s Andrew Salgado was and remains his father. As a youth living in Chicago Andrew watched his father perform from backstage. Years later the man’s persona and stage presence has been molded by basically on the job training by seasoned professional musicians. Andrew was a natural with rhyming words and as he approached his teens he was stringing verses together, verses that later would become complete songs. So much so that today Andrew has a complete library of eight hundred songs that he has written or co-written. In fact one of those songs “Lipstick Stains On My T-Shirt” is now enjoying the number one spot on The Roots Music Report, the international radio station tracking service. But the molding did not end there, it only began in Chicago and then years later Andrew would become an undeniable stage presence in his own right after he moved to Nashville. Recently while performing in Houston Texas at Katy Vibes due to the loud cheering and comments from the audience Andrew missed some words in his own written song. Most would have died on stage right there and then but not Andrew, he kept on singing bringing the audience into flub along with him. He began smiling while interjecting new rhyming words to the effect of guess who forgot the words to his own song. The packed house loved it and the talent scouts and recording studio executives could see first hand the relaxed personal style of this young man. Darice G, CEO of Synapse Publishing & Entertainment, LLC, brought years of corporate business, marketing and entertainment experience to the table as she sought out and signed Andrew to a multi-year publishing and record label deal which has culminated in earning the number one spot in Roots. Along the way she has placed Andrew’s music in a movie, a theatre production, and on the radio as well as engaged world class publicist, promoters, attorneys, musicians and more to assure the path stays focused and true.
Most recently Christian Lamitschka, President of Country Music International Radio in Germany heard Andrew’s new single and immediately began to share it across the airwaves. The results have been so good that Christian’s team has been spinning it for weeks in a row now. Back in the United States
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 25
MUSIC (andrewsalgado.net)
Recording Artist/Songwriter Andrew Salgado Stays The Course Finds #1 - continued the youthful molding of his career was coming through loud and clear as Andrew was welcomed at radio station after radio station around the country. Additionally, Andrew likes to stop in local record stores while on tour with his guitar in hand and does what are known in the industry as pop up performances. Clearly Dad has paved the way for this rising talent. One of Andrew’s proudest moments was when he won first place in the Panama City Beach FL first annual Pepsi Original Gulf Coast Jam national singer-songwriter competition and went on to co-write songs on his first album with Nashville greats such as Darryl Worley, Jim ‘Moose’ Brown and Don Sampson. The man has a product and he’s eager to share it with others. On the big stage Andrew has toured with such greats as Clint Black and Toby Keith. Most recently Andrew performed at the Chesterfield Outdoor Amphitheater in Missouri and it was a marvelous experience. All of this inspired by a Dad whose life story would in essence mold a young heart some of it by osmosis and the rest by just being Dad and showing his son the ropes. Andrew Salgado is living proof that independent artists can still rise above the usual noise of the industry. Working hand in hand with the professionals associated with Synapse Publishing And Entertainment Andrew’s career is not just blossoming the man is on track to a long and prosperous career. Andrew’s current radio single came from his recent third album, ‘86 Vol 2-Autumn Dawn’ which was his first vinyl release which is now being carried by 10 record stores across the country such as Tom Lounges Record Bin in Indiana to Chief Records in Fort Worth, TX. Tim Board from Front Range Radio shares: “Lipstick Stains on My T-Shirt” is the current hit off of Andrew’s album 86 Volume 2 - Autumn Dawn but don’t overlook some of the other good tracks on the album such as “Grace”, “Why Didn’t I Call”, “Keep Coming Back” and “Bad Boy”. Radio show host Wild Bill Kenton adds: “Sitting in a casino with a pair of dice in your hands is how I would describe Andrew Salgado’s newest release 86 Vol 2. You let the dice fly, and never know how they’re going to land. You could get Country. You could get country rock. You could even get some Latin infused country. Better yet, every song pays out.” Andrew Salgado | Facebook or visit
Claudia Valentina Announces Foreign Affair EP Out September 9th New Music From The U.K. Releases Steamy Music Video For “Sweat” 26 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
Listen to “Sweat” here at https://claudiavalentina.lnk.to/Sweat_PR
Claudia Valentina, a confident 21year-old superstar-in-waiting, is ready to become the new dominant force on the pop landscape. Born and raised in Guernsey, a small, picturesque island between England and France, Claudia spent her formative years singing, dancing and looking for any and every opportunity that would propel her into the music industry. After scoring her first break at age 10 in a production of Billy Elliot, she convinced her mother to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music full-time. In the studio she began to hone her craft with some of the most prolific pop producers in the business, with many of those sessions laying the groundwork for her self-titled EP, which was released in 2020. Her debut single
“Extraordinary song with a very sensuous and alluring video” - Rock And Blues International “Valentina’s raw, unbridled talent is laid bare for us to see.” – Wonderland “Claudia Valentina delivers her lines with the braggadocio of a hip-hop superstar” – Billboard on “Obsessed” “An alluring mix of kohl-eyed, fuck-it-all, superstar and you-hurt-mefuck-you vulnerability” - The Face “This is confessional balladry in its purest form” TIME on “Seven” “An absolute smash” i-D on “4:15” UK artist Claudia Valentina has just dropped the steamy video for her new single “Sweat.” The single is from her forthcoming EP “Foreign Affair” out SeptemberMade9th.with Lost Boy, Tom Mann and Digital Farm Animals, the track sees Claudia Valentina’s sultry vocals glide across the powerful track as she gives an insight of what to expect on her upcoming EP ‘Foreign Affair’. ‘Foreign Affair’ was recorded by Claudia Valentina while she travelled back and forth between London, Guernsey, and Los Angeles with a collection of producers and co-writers from various backgrounds. The EP explores relationships/situations that young women find themselves going through. For Claudia, whenever things would get too complicated in one place, she’d simply pick up and go to another. Speaking on the EP Claudia says “I’m fascinated with different sounds from around the world and as I’m from a small island, I longed to get out of there and discover a new world of sounds since I was young. Growing up in London and LA has allowed me to be exposed to different types of music through the people I work with. I’m inspired by the producers I work with and their own individual sounds and I learn so much about different cultures of music through them so I like to merge all these sounds together to create something that’s unique while putting my own musical stamp on everything to tie it all together. This EP is global sounding, it encompasses everything that has touched and inspired me in my life.”
CLAUDIA VALENTINA SOCIALS: Tik Tok @ https://www.tiktok.com/@claudia_valentina_ Instagram @ Facebookhttps://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/claudia_valentina__/YouTube@https://www.youtube.com/c/ClaudiaValentinaTwitter@https://twitter.com/ClaudiaVLNTNA@https://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaVLNTNA
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 27
Watch Here At https://youtu.be/4mX25kl87ws
“Seven” has amassed over 10 million streams across all platforms, with Billboard calling it a “stunning debut track” and TIME naming it one of “The Best New Songs of June 2020.” Her single “4:15” received over 200K streams in its first week of release, with I-D proclaiming it “an absolute smash.”
Earlier this year, Claudia released “C’est La Vie,” the first off her new EP “Foreign Affair” coming in Sept 2022, giving us a taste of the energy and bangers to come.Foreign Affair EP Tracklist
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In addition to being selected by MTV UK as one of their Push artists for 2021, Claudia was named an artist to watch by British GQ, Hypebae and PEOPLE.
Daddy Issues Extra Agenda C’est La Vie
Name
Photo credit: Gil Lesage
UNLOVED “The Pink Album” Double LP Due for Release September 2nd via Heavenly RecordingsFeaturing Jarvis Cocker, Étienne Daho, Raven Violet and Jon Spencer Jade Vincent of UNLOVED New Music From London 28 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
Unloved: Jade Vincent, Keefus Ciancia, David Holmes. The machinations of a benevolent fate brought them together. A glorious serendipity. In Los Angeles, Ciancia - producer, keyboardist, creator of soundtracks, True Detective among them - met David Holmes, the innovative, inquisitive and ingenious Belfast DJ who recast himself as master of song and image for film and television. Ciancia invited Holmes to the Rotary Room in Los Feliz, where the extraordinary Jade Vincent was singing.
Unvarnished, unabashed, unbridled, uncensored: rising from the ashes, this is raw emotion transmogrified. This is experimental free-flow form, from instrumental arrangement to voice. It’s Man, Woman, Human, Love and Death.
THE PINK ALBUM, is dawn and dusk, the epic and the intimate. This 22-track double album, its title inspired by the artwork of Julian House, features collaborations with Jarvis Cocker, Étienne Daho, Raven Violet and Jon Spencer. Pink has its modulations: shocking at times but signifying also tenderness, intimacy, the carnal.
In the spring of 2016, Unloved were guilty, their album Guilty of Love wholly modern yet steeped in the rich, redolent depths of the past. In 2019, they were heartbroken, with the audacious voodoo spells and sweet delights of Heartbreak. And all the while, Unloved’s immersive power and playful menace has fitted the slippery thriller series Killing Eve like a velvet glove, the thread to the needle. The music and sound of Unloved plays an integral role as their music is the soundtrack, the score, one of the core characters unseen.
And now, in 2022, it’s the magnificent, metaphysical PINK ALBUM. Be seduced by the whispered, languorous, bluesy, not so sweet nothings of “Love Experiment” and the lippy insouciance of “Turn of the screw”. Thrill to the infinite variety: “Mother’s been a bad girl” is brazen, and “I don’t like you anymore” gloriously sultry.
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 23 © Justin Broadbent
UNLOVED “Turn of the screw” Link/Embed: https://youtu.be/fEGH_W-z3tM
Tuesday nights in the Rotary Room in Los Feliz: a place of thrilling sonic alchemy, where musicians could experiment and collaborate at Ciancia and Vincent’s long-running salon. Holmes was asked to DJ and then to curate another night – and then another.
Unloved’s The Pink Album is due for release September 2nd via Heavenly Recordings. “The Pink Album” will be available on vinyl as a double LP with artwork by Julian House on September 30th. Pre Order The Pink Album here at https://ffm.to/thepinkalbum Track List 01. Rainbrose 02. Waiting for tomorrow 03. Now 04. Girl can’t help it 05. I don’t like you anymore 06. Foolin’ 07. Mother’s been a bad girl 08. Boowaah 09. Lucky 10. WTC 11. Sorry, Baby 12. Number in my phone 13. Call me when you have a clue (feat. Jon Spencer) 14. No Substance 15. Love Experiment (feat. Étienne Daho) 16. Turn of the screw (feat. Raven Violet 17. To the day I die 18. Walk on, Yeah 19. Accountable (feat. Jarvis Cocker) 20. There’s no way 21. Ever 22. Thinkin’ about her Website @ https://twitterhttp://weareunloved.co.uk/Twitter@.com/weareunlovedInstagram@ https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/weareunloved/
Nights bled into later nights. Conversation spun into collaboration. These three artists, kindred spirits, sonic familiars, spoke the same language, one whose lexicon included Jack Nitzsche, Morricone, Nino Rota, the electronic sounds of Raymond Scott, the vocabulary of vocal instrumentalists and fearless raconteurs, Edda Dell’Orso, Ruth White, Françoise Hardy, Connie Francis, Brigitte Fontaine, Jacques Brel, Elvis and Lee Hazlewood. Finding sound and programmed beats, Keefus and David excavated and innovated, experimented and re-interpreted, creating a landscape for Jade’s melodies and lyrics, for sublime songs of lament and confession. The legendary Hollywood Vox Studios was where the Unloved trio formally came together as a band, in a studio almost original to its 1936 incarnation.
Go from the jaunty keyboards and hey! hey! hey! of “WTC” to the melancholic poise of “Ever”, the jittery electropop of “Girl can’t help it”, to the spacious Morricone-tinged “Lucky”. Be reminded that the past is a snare, the future doesn’t care. All we have is Now. There is psychedelic world-warping sound, but also times when reality is acutely, achingly, present. “Number in my phone” is a beautiful, wistful paean to those no longer here. Jade’s remarkable voicewhispering, icy, lush, wounded, smoky - unifies the album with its striking diversity.
THE PINK ALBUM knows the shades of love, its nuances, and how it can be delicious - and frightening. Marvelous – and aching. Rather than be the silver lining to the cloud, THE PINK ALBUM mines deeper, to a precious ore, dark and glittering.
“Foolin’”, where languid, world-weary jazz sounds are skewed by a phantasmagoric organ from a funfair hallucinated, and there’s the sparkling fury and celestial chorus of “Rainbrose”, as though some flower-festooned goddess is emerging.
UNLOVED “Mother’s been a bad girl” Link/Embed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y36hiNxjEgY
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 31
Chris A. Cummings aka Marker Starling, adding his distinct, easyglide, story-telling charm to Box Office Poison, and Scattered Ashes, and Drew Smith (Bunny, The Bicycles), providing his trademark, 60s harmony pop and lyrical prowess to Staircase and Landlord Scattered Ashes is the New Music From Canada
Photo Credit: Colin Medley continued on next page Public Stream Scattered Ashes https://open.spotify.com/track/2tddZmVqCTh9FgCqlyj8Vm?si=49f69b84579c4336 doesn’t let you go. The impressive cast of players includes Jason Haberman of Dan Mangan and Yeahsun, Jay Anderson of Badge Epoque Ensemble, Biblical and Lammping, and Ian Blurton of Ian Blurton’s Future Now, Change of Heart, and C’mon. Giving the songs a voice are two of Toronto’s most distinctive songwriters:
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Credit: Nina Rocio UWUW (pronounced youyou) have just announced the release of their debut, self-titled LP with their lead single Scattered Ashes. With some of Toronto’s most experienced and revered musicians making this project possible, it’s no wonder why the sonic presence of this project demands your attention and Toronto Supergroup UWUW Announce Debut LP with Lead Single “Scattered Ashes”
Scattered Ashes breathes soul and rock, while blurring sounds and influences which call to mind James Brown’s horn section and the compositional layers of experimental Beach Boys recordings. In response to the meaning behind his lyrics, singer Marker Starling says, “I attempted to shoehorn every stray apocalyptic thought I had circa Summer of 2021 into the song, including readings from the screenplay of Jean-Luc Godard’s Alphaville (1965). The world is ending, or perhaps, as Sun Ra believed, we’re already past the end of the world. You might end up dying for a cause, or even “just because.” Who knows what tomorrow may bring, and like The Zombies, being forever Hung Up on a Dream—in this case, a lost vision of a kind of hippie or punk utopia—is the only way to live your life, the only way to maintain a healing state of mind”.Order
D I S C O V E R
UWUWhttps://uwuw.bandcamp.com/album/s-tcameintobeingwhenJayAnderson and Ian Blurton came together through a run of shows, backing mutual friend and singer/songwriter, Kate Boothman as her drummer, and guitarist, respectively. Anderson suggested bringing in Jason Haberman, a talented bassist, who Anderson had seen play with Toronto indie-folk band, The Wooden Sky. Realizing they didn’t want an instrumental record, they layered on bright horns and smooth vocals, lifting the songs from instrumental jams, to the undefinable yet distinctive sound that is, UWUW. Saxophonist, Jay Hey, was brought in to provide horn arrangements, along with Tom Richardson on trombone and Patrick McGroarty on trumpet, all three contributing on every song. The result is a blissfully cool album with music that will appeal to all listeners, from record store snobs, garage rock slobs, and even psych-pop heartthrobs!
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 33 first offering from their upcoming self-titled album on We Are Busy Bodies, due out October 21st, 2022. Fans of Euroboys, T2, and Manfred Mann Chapter Three will be enamored with these exceptionally crafted and compositions.excitingTheleadsingle
New Vinyl LP from We Are Busy Bodies
Linktree: https://wwwInstagram:https://wwwFacebook:https://uwuwBandcamp:https://linktr.ee/wearebusybodies.bandcamp.com/album/s-t.facebook.com/wearebusybodies.instagram.com/uwuw_abh
“Moving to Los Angeles this past March was really inspiring and getting to experience how the summer is felt here was something new to me. Coming from my last single ‘Amor o Fantasia,’ I wanted to write a song for the summer that describes feelings that could happen after the lust phase in a relationship and have a more upbeat summer feel while still preserving my Latin X essence,” Luna shares about his latest release.
34 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 Rising Latin Sensation Patrick Luna Heats Up The Summer With New Single “Se Te Nota” STREAM “SE TE NOTA” HERE @ https://ffm.to/qk38gyq For more information go to PatrickLuna.COM Instagram @ http://www.patrickluna.com/ Youtube @ TwitterUCqY5HnmN5OcPDRSop4b99HAhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/@https://twitter.com/patricklunamxx
Following the successful release of his romantic pop banger “Amor o Fantasia,” rising Latin sensation Patrick Luna continues to lay the bricks for what promises to be a fruitful career ahead, today returning to set the summer ablaze with his scorching new single “Se Te InspiredNota.”byhis recent move from Miami to the West Coast, “Se Te Nota” explodes with the heat and freedom emblematic of the summer months, fusing R&B rhythms with Latin pop sensibilities and electronic elements to shape an enticing and refreshing new tone for the season. In a nod to his bicultural upbringing, the talented Mexican-born artist harnesses his Hispanic roots on this track as always, incorporating lyrics both in English and Spanish to lend the song an irresistible global appeal while also demonstrating his passion for innovation and talent for developing alluring new sounds. An undeniable hit brimming with infectious pleasure, “Se Te Nota” is the perfect addition to any summer playlist this year.
“I really hope it adds to people’s summer experience.”Bornand raised in Mexico City, Patrick Luna took his first steps in the music industry after moving to Miami, where he started producing and writing his own music. Before long, he attracted the attention of Prescription Songs, who offered the young artist a publishing deal in the summer of 2021. Now based in Los Angeles, Luna carries on honing his craft and continues his ascent to becoming one of the most indemand artists in the Latin market today, one wildly captivating song at a time.
Tras el exitoso lanzamiento de su romántico tema pop “Amor o Fantasía”, la emergente sensación latina Patrick Luna sigue poniendo los ladrillos de lo que promete ser una fructífera carrera por delante, y hoy vuelve a incendiar el verano con su abrasador nuevo sencillo “Se Te Nota”. Inspirado en su reciente mudanza de Miami a la Costa Oeste, “Se Te Nota” explota con el calor y la libertad emblemáticos de los meses de verano, fusionando ritmos de R&B con sensibilidades de pop latino y elementos electrónicos para dar forma a un nuevo tono tentador y refrescante para la temporada. En un guiño a su educación bicultural, el talentoso artista de origen mexicano aprovecha sus raíces hispanas en este tema como siempre, incorporando letras tanto en inglés como en español para dotar a la canción de un irresistible atractivo global, al tiempo que demuestra su pasión por la innovación y su talento para desarrollar nuevos sonidos seductores. Un éxito innegable que rebosa de placer contagioso, “Se Te Nota” es la adición perfecta a cualquier lista de reproducción del verano de este año.“Mudarme a Los Ángeles el pasado mes de marzo fue realmente inspirador y poder experimentar cómo se siente el verano aquí fue algo nuevo para mí. Viniendo de mi último single ‘Amor o Fantasía’, quería escribir una canción para el verano que describiera los sentimientos que pueden suceder después de la fase de lujuria en una relación y tener una sensación más veraniega y optimista, pero conservando mi esencia Latin X”, comparte Luna sobre su último lanzamiento. “Realmente espero que se sume a la experiencia veraniega de la gente”. Nacido y criado en Ciudad de México, Patrick Luna dio sus primeros pasos en la industria musical tras mudarse a Miami, donde empezó a producir y escribir su propia música. En poco tiempo, atrajo la atención de Prescription Songs, que ofreció al joven artista un acuerdo de publicación en el verano de 2021. Ahora, con sede en Los Ángeles, Luna sigue perfeccionando su arte y continúa su ascenso para convertirse en uno de los artistas más demandados del mercado latino actual, una canción salvajemente cautivadora a la vez.
Twitter @ https://twitter.com/patricklunamx
Mas sobre PatrickLuna.COM PatrickLuna.COMMas sobre PatrickLuna.COM PatrickLuna.COM Instagram @ http://www.patrickluna.com/Instagram @ http://www.patrickluna.com/@ Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/@ UCqY5HnmN5OcPDRSop4b99HAUCqY5HnmN5OcPDRSop4b99HAUCqY5HnmN5OcPDRSop4b99HAhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqY5HnmN5OcPDRSop4b99HAUCqY5HnmN5OcPDRSop4b99HA
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 35 La Nueva Sensacion Latina Patrick Luna Calienta El Verano Con Su Nuevo Single “Se Ts Nota” ESCUCHA “SE TE NOTA” AQUÍ @ https://ffm.to/qk38gyq
Cork, Ireland’s GOD ALONE are today premiering the title track from their forthcoming second album, ETC, via Distorted Sound alongside the tracks accompanying visualizer. GOD ALONE continue to play outside of genre confines on their latest single, which incorporates elements of mathrock, avant-garde and post-metal, representative of their sophomore effort which is set for release on October 21.
Whilst embracing all that the Irish music scene has to offer, GOD ALONE are constantly pushing to make their way out of Ireland and further afield. Cutting their teeth in an eclectic and enthusiastic local scene helped them to refine their live chops, giving their performance increased weight and attention as they progressed. Now when they write, the live iteration of their music is always at the forefront of their minds.
GOD ALONE is: Jake O’Driscoll: Guitar & Vocals Cian Mullane: Bass & Vocals Jack O’Hanlon: Drums Dylan Kelly: Synthesizer Seán Thompson: Guitar ETC tracklist: 1. Tinfoil in the Walls 2. Kung Fu Treachery 3. ETC 4. TskTskTsk 5. 15BM1989 6. UpcomingPeonGOD ALONE tour 2 - Voodoo - Belfast, UK 3 - The Workman’s ClubDublin, IRE 4 - Áras Na Gael - Galway, - Limerick, - Cyprus - Cork, IRE
dates: November
GOD ALONE will be performing select songs from ETC at their upcoming ArcTanGent Festival performance on August 19, ahead of a planned UK tour this November - more details on dates below.Of the single release, the band comments: “We wrote the single ETC during the Covid-19 lockdown period in Ireland almost two years ago. We were heavily influenced by the FIFA soundtracks from the late 2000s and Eurodance at the time. We wanted to
Avenue
The five musicians behind GOD ALONE are quite literally students of their craft; ETC - their second full length album - was recorded at MTU Cork School of Music which they all attend. ETC was produced by the band and Christopher Hockey, and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Witch Fever, GGGOLDDD, Ghost). The origins of the band lie in a heavier, post-metal sound, but the intervening years and an influx of new and stimulating influences has seen them broaden their palette, expand their horizons and hone a distinctive sound.
combine those influences with a more math rock sound. At ArcTanGent people can expect us to throw more shapes than ever before, play more songs from the upcoming album and probably cry at some stage. Cheers and thanks!”
GOD ALONE’s approach traverses through mathrock, dance, avant-garde, post-punk and more on its way to its final destination. Citing the Talking Heads as a big influence, GOD ALONE embrace absurdism at every turn - in particular the absurdity of nothingness; the art of existing without meaning or context. Abstract lyrics are influenced by French dadaist poets as they seek to make heavy ideas into fun, danceableMinimalistvignettes.album art courtesy of Ian McInerney highlights the repetition of things that have no clear beginning or end - the endless loop of everything and nothing all at once.
New Music From Ireland
November
NovemberIRE5- Pharmacia
photo by Shane Horan Listen And Watch The Visualizer For ETC Here At https://youtu.be/X81QQN4KXys
International •
36 Rock and Blues September 2022
FOLLOW GOD ALONE ONLINE: Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/godalonecork Twitter @ https://twitter.com/GodAloneCork
God Alone Premiere New Single, ‘ETC’, VisualizerAlongside
November
NovemberIRE10
Listen to Jimmy Cliff’s single “Refugees” feat. Wyclef Jean here at https://jimmycliff.lnk.to/Refugees
40 Rock and Blues International • November 202040 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
Credit: Vision Addict Music From Jamaica One of the most important reggae artists of all-time, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® inductee, and GRAMMY® Award-winning icon Jimmy Cliff makes his long-awaited return with his first new album in over a decade, Refugees, out today via LastUMe.month, Jimmy released his latest single “Refugees” (Dance Version) featuring Wyclef Jean. The song captures the spirit of Cliff’s most classic output with a neo-soul hip-hop twist courtesy of the legendary Fugees co-founder. It also continues the creative and spiritual connection between these two mavericks as Wyclef famously inducted Cliff into the Roll Hall of Fame® in 2010. Regarding this generational collaboration, Wyclef commented, “For me, coming to America wasn’t easy when I first got here. Having family members who suffered political torment, it wasn’t easy for us. When I say ‘Fugees,’ ‘Fugees’ is short for ‘Refugees.’ I was always like, ‘If I could penetrate a message, it would be that.’ And who inspires that? Jimmy Cliff is one of my biggest inspirations ever, and he has always stayed on message when it comes to peace, love, and unity. The collaboration with this record is just what we are, talking for the forgotten. In an era where love is needed, I don’t think anybody can convey that better than the king.”
New
Reggae Legend & Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee Jimmy Cliff Releases
First New Album Since 2012 RefugeesOut Now!
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REFUGEES TRACKLISTING
Among the thirteen tracks, he notably collaborates with his daughter Lilty Cliff on the emotional “Racism.” Lilty summed it up, “The way the song came about is just a story about musicians having fun together. I was just messing around. The band leader ended up recording a few things. Next thing I know, I hear I’m actually going to be featuring on a song. Jimmy’s a man who has always stayed true to his beliefs. I think ‘Racism’ is a song that really shows what the whole Refugees album is about, which is unity and tolerance. The fact I get to be a part of is really amazing. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. I see you.”As lively as ever, Cliff celebrated his 78th birthday on July 30. This year also marked the 50th anniversary of the timeless The Harder They Come—the classic film starring Jimmy originally released in 1972. His creation of The Harder They Come Soundtrack effectively pioneered and popularized reggae. Given its gravity, The Library of Congress deemed it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and chose it for preservation in the National Recording Registry. The album’s release also fittingly follows the 60th Anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence from the UK on August 6, 2022.
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 41 (continued from previous Jimmypage)Cliff Rock And InternationalBlues
In 2012, Cliff gifted the world with his most recent LP Rebirth. It garnered a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Reggae Album” and closed out the year on Rolling Stone’s “50 Best Albums of 2012.” He stands out as “the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit—the highest honor that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.” Of course, his catalog spans seminal songs “Many Rivers To Cross,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want”, “The Harder They Come,” and “Hakuna Matata.” He contributed covers of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” and Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” to the classic comedy Cool Runnings. However, he incites another era of revolution on Refugees this year.
1. Money Love 2. Here I Am 3. Refugees (Rap Version) feat. Wyclef 8.7.6.5.4.JeanSecurityOneSongMyLoveSongMovingOnWeWantJustice feat. Dwight 9.RichardsRacism feat. Lilty Cliff 10. Bridges 11. Punus 12. Happy Day 13. Refugees (Dance Version) feat. WyclefThat’sJean what the “King” does best on Refugees.Jimmy said, “I’m very proud of this, because it sees Jimmy Cliff in a new musical direction. I’ll always go into something new. Even though Refugees is a heavy title, you’re going to be moving your feet, because it’s on the dancefloor. There we go. I love it.” Regarding his collaboration with Jimmy on “We Want Justice,” Jamaican vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dwight Richards said, “I’ve been working with Jimmy Cliff for 20 years and was honored when he asked me to feature on ‘We Want Justice’. Growing up in Jamaica, that song really touched me. To be able to sing it with Jimmy gives it more meaning. As we all know, Jimmy is a humanitarian, and that speaks for itself and this album. We the people, we want justice, and we deserve justice.”
36 Rock and Blues International • January 2022 and have it delivered directly to your email when it comes out every month! Just email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com and in the subject line put “Sign Me Up Now” and we will email you your own personal copy every month! Subscribe Now To Rock and InternationalBlues 68 Rock and Blues International • February 2021 December 2020 • Rock and Blues International 71 Rock And Blues International EmploymentAvailable!Opportunities Rock And Blues International Is Looking For A Sales Manager and ad salespeople! Please Email Your Resume rockandbluesinternational@gmail.comTo
Art d’Ecco’s last album, In Standard Definition, came out last year via Paper Bag Records.Anall-new Art d‘Ecco movement is imminent; defiantly maximalist and nostalgic in style, After The Head Rush is the latest dynamic release from the British Columbia-based audiophile expressionist.
Art d’Ecco’s newest album, After The Head Rush, was released this summer via Paper Bag Records). An unapologetic ode to the audacity and playful cynicism of growing up, After The Head Rush emerges like the shadow of a sundial cast between two time zonesone in the past, and one in the present. Infused with belated coming-of-age wisdom it sparks the dawn of a new erainspired by a move to his hometown and the thrill of rediscovering the music of his youth.“After The Head Rush is an album that was inspired by a recent move back to my home town of Victoria BC,” Art explains. “It’s a place where I spent most of my formative years - discovering music, learning an instrument, and falling in love with rock and roll. The album explores a dual timeline - the younger, youthful one that’s hopeful, curious, adventurous; and the current one - that’s age-worn and playfully cynical. As the album progresses, we flip-flop between the past and present, co-mingling perspectives and points-ofview, until learn that sometimes - things only seem better in the edited versions of memories.”
With the album’s bed tracks recorded at the legendary Hipposonic Studios (formerly Little Mountain Studios) in Vancouver, d’Ecco was able to harvest its iconic rock sound where history seeps from the walls. The arrangements were filled out on proven home turf at Hive Studios in Victoria alongside key local talent, before
Music News From Canada
Art d’Ecco Announces World Tour, UK/EU Dates with Hot Chip and Blossoms
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d’Ecco’s goal was to face down this new reflection by translating its gaze; what emerged is a paradoxical elixir providing comfort as the varnish begins to wear off.
“The highs and the come down is a line I’m constantly tip-toeing,” d’Ecco tells, “I feel better having gone through it. That said, I’m prone to reframing memories to the positive, even if in the moment, I felt quite differently. I crave that romanticism.”
44 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
Asking myself ‘are you happy? Is life everything you hoped and dreamed it would be?’”
‘After The Head Rush’ LP Out Now via Paper Bag Records
The experience bled into d’Ecco’s obsessive production methods and unlocked a newfound sense of freedom in his writing as the ideas revealed themselves with one simple mission: “Maximalism!” he declares. “I wanted to produce a big, bright, sparkly album. Along the lines of something you hear in a Tears For Fears or Peter Gabriel record, or something Bob Clearmountain would have mixed in the ’80s.”
At SXSW Rolling Stone’s Griffin Lotz declared that Art was one of the “Coolest Things [They] Saw” at the festival. At The Great Escape, The Line of Best Fit called Art an “icon in the making.”
Canadian glam rock artist/producer Art d’Ecco announces a fall World Tour, featuring UK/EU tour dates supporting Hot Chip andThisBlossoms.year,Art has played a number of stellar live shows, including sets at New Colossus Festival in New York, SXSW in Austin, TX, and The Great Escape abroad.
Combining the addictive dazzle and rebellious party of his last album In Standard Definition, with the dizzying effect of what happens in the late-hours once everyone’s gone home, After the Head Rush arrives like a confessional, chock-full of swagger and disarming candor. Infused with belated coming-of age wisdom it sparks the dawn of a new erainspired by a move to his hometown and the thrill of rediscovering the music of his youth.“Returning home as an adult, after being away almost 20 years - before all the travel, touring, and living - put a spell on me. It had me constantly framing and reframing the memories, moving emotional goalposts to better suit my current needs.
An unapologetic ode to the audacity and playful cynicism of growing up, After The Head Rush emerges like the shadow of a sundial cast between two time zonesone in the past, and one in the present.
Art d’Ecco Announces World Tour, UK/EU Dates with Hot Chip and Blossoms
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& SHARE: Art d’Ecco - “Only Ones” Stream @
Slave” YouTube @
LISTEN/WATCH https://ffm.to/3vrqd9 https://youtu.be/9Ia3J-EqZnQ
ART D’ECCO LINKS Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/artdeccomusic/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/artdeccomsic Website @ https://www.artdeccomusic.ca/ After The Head Rush - TRACKLISTING 01. Palm Slave 02. I Was A Teenager 03. Only Ones 04. Until The Sun Comes Up 05. Midlife Crisis 06. Get Loose 07. Run Away 08. SAD Disco Light 09. Erasure 10. After The Head Rush ART D’ECCO LIVE ^ supporting Hot Chip * supporting Blossoms 9/1 - Barboza - Seattle, WA 9/2 - Lose Yr Mind Festival - Portland, OR 9/16 - Rifflandia Festival - Victoria, BC 9/21 - Green Door Store - Brighton, UK 9/23 - O2 Academy Brixton - London, UK ^ 9/24 - The Georgian Theatre - Stokton-On-Tees, UK 9/25 - The Poetry Club - Glasgow, UK 9/28 - Gretchen - Berlin, DE * 9/29 - Knust - Hamburg, DE * 9/30 - Melkweg - Amsterdam, NL * 10/2 - Botanique - Buxelles, BE * 10/4 - Luxor - Köln, DE * 11/26 - Fox Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
Art d’Ecco d’Ecco carried his newest creation to Montreal, ready for mixing with Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire); “an expert at creating space within the Surgicallymix.” precise, yet cheeky and playful, it’s shrewdly intentional; cautionary nods to coping mechanisms so easy to cling to are set to the throbbing backbone of polyrhythms and infectious melodies, whilst swaggering basslines with fever dream synths juxtapose anxiety and resolution to create an atmosphere for catharsis in one moment - and unease the next.
Take the snake oil seeping from “Palm Slave,” or the selfaware cautionary tale, whispered from the front seat of time machine “I Was a Teenager.” “Until the Sun Comes Up” sends a toxic love letter to the bratty version of you with a heavy dose of “screw it” once shit becomes too damn catchy. “Midlife Crisis,” meanwhile, nods to both the mid-30s gumption and world-worn sarcasm of Ric Ocasek, and a weighted blanket of dehydrated anxiety that’s impossible to shake no matter how much coconut water you Withdrink.lifein this album around every turn, each track is a new morning after; warm and comforting odes to hope in the form of the Bonnie and Clyde top-down freedom of “Run Away,” the familiarity of tandem self medication in “SAD Light Disco,” and the stentorian, devoted howl of “Only Ones.” Apt then, now is the moment d’Ecco has chosen to shed his recognizable visage for an unflinching, authentic reality check. When d’Ecco humbly purrs “Day Fevers was an album of mine so long ago,” as if offered in passing to a stranger while at the bar waiting for drinks, you hear the mic drop on the d’Ecco we once knew. You double-take to see this raw soul, whose once raven bob cut has become a naked shock of white-blond with unwavering eye contact, refusing you to ignore the present moment. You sit and begin to relish wisdom in the come down, and the unvarnished freedom in the reflection you earned after losing time in the smoke machine.
YouTube @
LISTEN/WATCH “Palm Applehttps://artdecco.bandcamp.com/album/in-standard-definitionLISTEN/PURCHASEhttps://youtu.be/yWNZLGuXFzk&SHARE:Artd’EccoInStandardDefinitionLPBandcamp@PaperBagRecords@https://shop.paperbagrecords.com/products/in-standard-definitionSpotify@https://open.spotify.com/album/5hNv2aUrZvMwpmjWYl5CtT?si=6tiiFJs-QPOW0xsPWbhdTg&nd=1Music@https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-standard-definition/1542838211
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 45 SEE ART LIVE: Tickets available at LISTEN/PURCHASEhttps://www.artdeccomusic.ca/&SHARE:Artd’Ecco-After The Head Rush LP Stream @ https://ffm.to/jrvmqkl Purchase @ https://ffm.to/jrvmqkl LISTEN & SHARE: Art d’Ecco - “Run Away” Stream @ https://ffm.to/jrvmqkl LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Art d’Ecco - “Midlife Crisis” Stream @ https://ffm.to/xypbxvv.OPR YouTube @ https://youtu.be/IWTXh1xAVpM
& SHARE: Art d’Ecco -
Listen to Here at
https://michelemorrone.lnk.to/AngelsPR
46 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 SOCIAL INSTAGRAM @ IstallmentSingleItalianYOUTUBEFACEBOOKTWITTERhttps://www.instagram.com/iammichelemorroneofficial/@https://twitter.com/MorroneBrasil@https://www.facebook.com/michelemorroneofficial@https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH6pkawiiPNv6_muxpfMq_gActor&MusicianMicheleMorroneSharesNewSingle“Angels”ArrivesAsHighlyAnticipatedFinalTheNext365DaysPremieresOnNetflix New Music From Italy
Projecting his voice like never before, Italian actor, model, singer, entrepreneur, and star of the blockbuster NETFLIX franchise 365 Days Michele Morrone serves up a new single entitled “Angels”Thistoday.emotionally charged ballad places his dynamic vocals front-andcenter. He delivers a powerhouse performance reflective of his impressive range. As cinematic piano rings out, he makes an eternal promise to a lover, “You should never be scared. Whatever you need, I will be there.”
“Angels”
The Next 365 Days will be released via Netflix.However, everything just paves the way for more music to come from Michele very soon. He has officially brought love back to global pop. “Another Day” arrived on the heels of Michele’s 2020 debut album Dark Room- the unofficial soundtrack to the NETFLIX smash 365 Days, which first launched him into global stardom. The record notably spawned a string of fan favorites, including “Hard For Me,” “Feel It,” “Watch Me Burn,” and “Dark Room.” Co-written by Morrone, the songs cumulatively tallied north of 500 million streams with the music video for “Hard For Me” amassing over 52 million views and counting. Last year, he followed up with the release of “Beautiful,” which generated 7.4 million Spotify streams and over 10 million-plus views on the music Followingvideo.the success of his debut album, Morrone became the worldwide face of Guess Men’s Fall/Winter 2020 collection.Originally from the Italian town of Melegnano, near Milan, Morrone grew up in Apulia, a southern Italian region, and currently resides in Rome. Prior to landing the lead role in 365 Days, Morrone had all but given up on acting, and was working as a gardener. In addition to music and acting, Morrone is also a painter and sculptor.
It lands in the wake of the recent fan favorite single “Player.” The latter has already generated over 1 million cumulative streams in addition to 840K YouTube views on the official visualizer. Earlier this year, Michele made major headlines with his return to the world of Netfix’s 365 Days in the megapopular 365 Days: This Day. In tandem, he unveiled his last single “Another Day.” Thus far, it has gathered over 5 million Spotify streams and counting as well as 8.3 million YouTube views on the music video, which sees him back on screen with his 365 Days: This Day costar Anna-Maria Sieklucka. Today, the third and final installment of the film
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48 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
LOVE IN REVERSE
https://m.facebook.com/LoveInReverseBand/online:
By the mid-90s, Michael Ferentino and Andres Karu, the New York/New Jersey based dark electronic art rock duo known as DOG, performed and gained an impressive following in some of the most iconic NY and NJ clubs including CBGB, the Bitter End, the Stone Pony and the Limelight. DOG quickly evolved into the 3-piece indie/art rock/space rock band Love in Reverse, signed with Jon and Marsha Zazula’s Crazed Management (former owners of Megaforce Records) who led the band to a lucrative deal with Warner/Reprise Records. Love in Reverse recorded three critically acclaimed albums with Warner/Reprise (two with legendary producer Russ Titelman and one mixed by Grammy Award Winner, Jason Corsaro and coproduced by NIN producer, John Fryer). In 1996 and 1997, they toured with the likes of Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, Republica, and the Cult’s Ian Astbury. They also played several radio festivals performing with artists ranging from the Spin Doctors and Tonic to The Deftones and Joan Jett. The band’s video for “I’m a Contradiction” was featured on MTV’s 120 minutes and the video for “Blueprint for a Possible Song” was included on the sampler DVD for Sony’s first commercially available DVD player. Love in Reverse was also featured along with Peter Frampton on the Meredith Viera ABC television news show, “Turning Point”. After three albums with Warner/Reprise, Love in Reverse disbanded and evolved once more into the Amazing Meet Project, a band which has been described by Matt Pinfield of MTVs 120 Minutes as “putting the alternative in alternative rock!” During this period, Ferentino and Karu scored the Kevin Smith produced thriller “A Better Place,” a realistically violent film that has become an underground cult classic. Their music was also featured in “Time of Your Life,” the “Party of Five” television spin-off starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and multiple MTV specials. Among a number of positive media articles featuring the band, Rolling Stone named Love in Reverse as one of 6 new promising bands of 1996. Over the next few years, Ferentino and Karu experimented with a myriad of projects, including the noisy lo-fi electronic garage band, Corduroy PooPoo, the spoken word experiment, Speak the Worms, the Diablo Project with Jai Diablo from Interscope Records sludge rock/stoner metal band, Dragpipe, and the electronic ambient/experimental outfit, Bedtime for Robots. In 2002, they teamed up with The Wonder Stuff frontman Miles Hunt for a collaboration dubbed the Miles Hunt Club. Karu also went on to become drummer and producer for the Wonder Stuff in the mid ‘00s while Dave Halpern played drums for multiple artists including the
Love in Reverse’s Michael Ferentino says, “I began writing the majority of the songs for the new album, Fake It, just before the pandemic hit in 2020. Most of the lyrics on this album are poetic attempts at exorcising personal demons while keeping the context broad enough to remain relatable to all listeners. The overall music and vibe of the record is a return to some of our early 90s guitar driven alt rock sound while attempting to remain relevant in the popular music landscape of the 2020s.”
Lovehttps://open.spotify.com/artist/3gszhy5N42RLpSYW1URJJS?si=QhB7u0lNS1GygdzjpKOM2ghttps://youtube.com/channel/UCbQJcolrT0ihE0UM712UQ3Ahttps://loveinreverse.bandcamp.com/InReverseReleasesFakeItAlbumonDaDaDrummingRecords
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 49 BeeGees. Ferentino continued with Bedtime for Robots, releasing several acclaimed albums and tracks throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s. Bedtime for Robots were featured in Fangoria Magazine and their music has been consistently featured on DOOMED Radio, Soma FM and multiple worldwide underground Internet radio shows. In 2020, during the initial lockdown of the Coronavirus pandemic, Ferentino, Karu and Halpern put finishing touches on an album they had been secretly working on for the past couple of years and self-released the reformed Love in Reverse album, I’m an Illusion, which brought them to the attention of Ferentino’s childhood
In Reverse – Fake It CD (42:39)Produced by Andres Karu Mixed by Andres Karu Mastered by Drew Lavyne/All DigitalAllMasteringsongswritten by Michael Ferentino
Michael Ferentino - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synthesizers, Programming Andres Karu - Guitar, Bass, Synthesizers, Programming, Drums Dave Halpern - Drums, Percussion Track List
friend and owner of Dada Drumming Records, an independent label from Texas which specialized in noise, sludge rock and stoner metal. Looking to expand the horizons of the label, Dada Drumming signed the band, now focusing on a return to their guitar-driven indie art rock sound. In 2021, the band put the finishing touches on their newly recorded and strongest album to date, Fake It.Love
1. Manifesto (3:33) 2. Breaking Through (4:27) 3. Assholes & Astronauts (3:30) 4. Don’t Believe Them (4:33) 5. Fake It (5:10) 6. A Song to Myself (3:54) 7. Bones (5:43) 8. I Hope I Never Want to Leave You (4:16) 9. My Misery (3:26) 10. Half of You (3:43)
Ronnie James Dio, who died of gastric cancer in 2010, reigns as one of the most influential rock artists of all time and one of the greatest vocalists ever. With an illustrious recording career spanning from the 1950’s through to the 2000’s, the documentary follows his trajectory from sideman into singer, songwriter and frontman of not one, but three, of rock’s internationally-renowned, multi-Platinum-selling arena attractions: Rainbow, Black Sabbath and DIO. Famous for popularizing the ‘devil horns’ hand gesture that is now synonymous with hard rock and heavy metal music, Dio was known for not wavering in his pursuit of his rock and roll dreams and continues to influence a new generation of music artists. His fans the world over remember him not only for his massive talent, but for his kindness, resulting in millions of dollars raised for cancer research in his memory.
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 51 TICKETS ON SALE BEGINNING AUG.
In addition to the feature-length film, this special cinema event will also include a hand-picked selection of outtakes from the cutting room floor, creating an experience that is exclusive only to fans in Presentedattendance.incinemas worldwide by Trafalgar Releasing and BMG, tickets for “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” go on sale on Wed., Aug. 24 at 10:00 a.m. EDT at www.diodreamersneverdie.com
WWW.DIODREAMERSNEVERDIE.COMAT
“We are excited to be partnering with BMG and Wendy Dio to present ‘DIO: Dreamers Never Die’ in cinemas worldwide,” said Kymberli Frueh, SVP for Programming and Content Acquisitions for Trafalgar Releasing. “Ronnie James Dio has and continues to influence the heavy metal movement. This cinema event will take fans on a big screen journey into the creative and personal life of this notable frontman.”
Present ‘DIO: Dreamers Never Die’ In Cinemas Worldwide September 28 & October 2
Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk, and Jack Black, as they bring viewers inside the life of one of rock and roll’s true heroes and one of the most beloved figures in rock.
Two-Day-Only Film Event Honoring The Life Of Legendary Heavy Metal Singer Ronnie James Dio Features Interviews With Hard Rock Royalty, Never-Before-Seen Footage, Outtakes & Personal Photos 24
BMG
The first-ever, career-spanning documentary on the life and times of legendary metal icon Ronnie James Dio comes to cinemas worldwide for two days only on Wed., Sept. 28 and Sun., Oct. 2. Executive produced by Dio’s widow and longtime manager, Wendy Dio, and fully authorized by the artist’s estate, “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” delves deep into the singer’s incredible rise from a ‘50s doo-wop crooner to his early rock days in Elf and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, to replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, and finally cementing his rock star status with his own band, DIO. The film incorporates never-before-seen footage and personal photos, as well as offering intimate scenes with his closest peers, family, and friends, among them Wendy Dio, Tony & Trafalgar Releasing
“DIO: Dreamers Never Die” was financed solely by BMG and was directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (Framing John DeLorean, Believer, Last Days Here), produced by Don Argott and Sheena Joyce for 9.14 Pictures, and executive produced by Wendy Dio for Niji Productions and Kathy Rivkin Daum for BMG. Argott and Fenton said, “People who have conviction, talent and heart like Ronnie James Dio are in short supply these days. It is refreshing to share his inspiring story of believing in yourself and chasing your dreams. As life-long DIO fans, it is incredibly humbling to bring Ronnie’s journey to the screen and we can’t wait to share it with audiences.”Rhino/WMG will release the soundtrack from “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” in the fall.
“Being able to have a space with my friends and make a record where I was allowed to fully make this art in the face of that pain was really, really beautiful,” they say. “The hands that have touched this record are really special.”
Move
The Sun
The Philadelphia-based artist Shannen Moser announced their first album in more than four years The Sun Still Seems To Move will be released on September 30, 2022 via Lame-O Records at https://lameorecords.com. They also shared the official video for the album’s opening track “Paint By Number.” The Sun Still Seems To Move is now available for pre-order at https:// lnk.to/ShannenMoser.
To piece together the patchwork of The Sun Still Seems To Move, Moser enlisted the help of their extended music community, including co-producer Alex Melendez, Tyler Bussey (Thank You Thank You/Strange Ranger), Julia Peters, Maxwell Stern, Tyler Carmody, Mark Nestman, Eric Muth and Josh Marre (Blue Ranger). Banjo, saxophone, cello, lap steel, woodwind and synth adorn the album, decorating Moser’s arrangements but never overwhelming them.
52 Rock and Blues International • November 2020Rock and Blues International • April 202252 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 Shannen Moser Announces New Album The Sun Still Seems To Move Out Sept. 30 Through Lame-O Records Watch The Official Video For First Single “Paint By Number” https://wwwhttps://youtu.be/1obO-hoF0JAatShannenMoser:Instagram.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/shannenmoser/Twitter@https://twitter.com/shannenmoserBandcamp@https://shannenmoser.bandcamp.com
1) Paint By Number 2) Oh My God 3) Dendrochronology 4) Two Eyes 5) Ben 6) The Sun
Credit: Veronica Mendez Still Seems To tracklist Still Seems To
Move 7) The Bell 8) Foul Ball 9) 11)10)LiminalTranquilizedForever
“I wrote this song at a time when days truly just felt like the days were bleeding into one another. I had been experiencing a lot of change in my life and the dichotomy of monotony and chaos at the same time was really confusing - things felt slow and in that I found a lot of comfort despite the sadness and uncertainty. “‘A series of quiet moments makes forever’ you reply” - Leaning into the stillness of those kinds of feelings can be extremely humbling. This song is really an attempt at gratitude for the loved ones in my life and the experience of being able to quiet the darkness for one another,” explains Moser.On The Sun Still Seems To Move, Moser’s third studio album, they take the arresting simplicity of their previous albums I’ll Sing (2018) and Oh, My Heart (2017) and combine it with orchestral swells and rich harmonies. What started as a simple vocals-andguitar record soon shifted, as Moser experienced a sudden loss. Two years into writing the record, The Sun Still Seems To Move morphed into a texturally diverse and palatial sonic universe, mimicking the immeasurable scope of ever-changing circumstance. “At a certain point I was like, let’s just go for it. Let’s just really lean into the sadness of the world. I really wanted to make a thing that I had never made before, because I was feeling a way that I had never felt before,” explains Moser.
54 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 Celebrating DAVID BOWIE Announces Expanded North American Itinerary Featuring Todd Rundgren, former Bowie Music Director Adrean Belew, Scrote, Spacehog’s Royston Langdon, Fishbone’s Angelo Moore, & Jeffrey Gaines
US Tour Begins October 6 In San Diego, CA And Will Stage Appearances Through November 13 In Phoenix, AZ
Confirmed appearances include 10/06 San Diego, CA Balboa Theatre 10/07 Beverly Hills, CA Saban Theatre 10/08 San Jose, CA San Jose Civic 10/09 Anaheim, CA City National Grove 10/13 Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Show room 10/14 Chicago, IL Copernicus Center 10/15 Akron, OH Goodyear Theater & Hall 10/17 Quebec City, QC Le Capitole 10/18 Montreal, QC Olympia 10/20 Beverly, MA Cabot Theater 10/21 New Haven, CT College Street Music Hall 10/22 Lancaster, PA AmericanTheatreMusic 10/23 Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall 10/24 New York, NY Sony Hall 10/25 New York, NY Sony Hall 10/27 Rahway, NJ Union County PAC 10/28 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak 10/29 Atlantic City, NJ The Concert Venue at Harrah’s Resort 10/30 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre 10/31 Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage 11/01 Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage 11/03 Atlanta, GA The Eastern 11/05 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom 11/07 Nashville, TN SchermerhornSymphony Ctr 11/09 Wichita, KS Orpheum Theatre 11/10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre 11/11 Albuquerque, NM Kiva Auditorium 11/12 Tucson, AZ TCC Music Hall 11/13 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
Note: Jeffrey Gaines appears instead of Angelo Moore in Rahway, NJ, Jim Thorpe, PA, Atlantic City, NJ, Glenside, PA, Annapolis, MD, Atlanta, GA, and Buffalo, NY. Thomas Dolby to appear as special guest in Annapolis, MD on Halloween and November 1. Additional confirmed performances will be announced in the coming weeks.
Performances On-Sale Friday Here AT http://CelebratingDavidBowie.com
Scrote (aka Angelo Bundini) partners with maverick music executive Miles Copeland to produce the tour this year. “Fronting the show with revered innovators Todd & Adrian is an incredible honor. We’re looking forward to unleashing a three-guitar attack for an epic ride fueled with songs for every Bowie fan.”
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 55
Royston Langdon offers, “David Bowie was a master. It’s impossible to put into words quite how much he taught me. I appreciate it. I discovered The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust on vinyl when I was just Fourteen. And it gives me a huge thrill to get to honor Mr. B. & to be a small part of this immense celebration of his life & work with these world-class musicians and everyone, who like me feels his energy alive and vital around me now just as it was then & forever shall be.”
So, what makes Bowie different? “It’s the boldness and the art of it. He’s a wild character from a different time”, Fishbone’s Angelo Moore chimes in. “It’s the theater. It’s got soul. I like music that has honesty, passion, and soul. David Bowie has all of these things.”.Therotating ensemble of world class multi-instrumentalists will perform a show highlighting elements that influenced Bowie and celebrate the spirit of Bowie in the live performance. Scrote shares,” “One of the things we’re doing differently on this tour is featuring a three-guitar attack. David has always been famous for his spectacular guitarists - the epic solos of Mick Ronson, the bluesy feel of Earl Slick, the funkiness of Carlos Alomar and Nile Rogers, the bombast of Reeves Gabrels, and the otherworldly guitar of Adrian Belew who is still one of the most original guitarists working today. To explore all of these guitar sides of
Bowie’s songs, we’re presenting Adrian’s brilliance, Todd’s guitar wizardry, and whatever guitar mayhem I can muster in between. Along with ferocious guitars, we have six lead singers in this group who also play other instruments, sax, and a super groovy rhythm section. We’re looking forward to integrating all of that collective musical firepower to fully flesh out many of David’s biggestCelebratingsongs.
David Bowie has performed to devoted Bowie fans in 17 countries on 5 continents with superstar guest appearances by Sting, Gary Oldman, Todd Rundgren, Seal, Perry Farrell, The B-52’s’ Kate Pierson, Ewan McGregor, Simon Le Bon, Gavin Rossdale, La Roux, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley, Corey Taylor, Ian Astbury, Darren Criss, The Tubes’ Fee Waybill, Living Colour, The London Community Gospel Choir, The Harlem Gospel Choir, and a long list of Bowie friends & former band members.
The tour will be celebrating music education in partnership with Todd Rundgren’s Spirit of Harmony Foundation which advocates for the moral imperative of music education for children. Volunteers will be at all shows to provide music fans the opportunity to learn of their grassroots work and how they can get involved in their communities.
After performing rapturously received and critically lauded shows worldwide pre-pandemic, the original Celebrating David Bowie shows return in 2022 answering the question, “What makes Bowie different?”. Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Famer Todd Rundgren, Adrian Belew (Bowie, NIN, King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Talking Heads), and CdB creator, producer, and featured artist Scrote bring Spacehog’s Royston Langdon, Fishbone’s Angelo Moore, and solo artist Jeffrey Gaines with saxophone great Ron Dziubla (Jon Batiste, Joe Bonamassa), Narada Michael Walden bassist Angeline Saris, and drummer Travis McNabb (Sugarland, Better Than Ezra) to interpret Bowie’s greatest hits. On October 31 and November 1 in Annapolis, MD Thomas Dolby will perform as a special guest for those two appearances. “With such a large catalog to choose from, different songs affect us and the audience in varying measure,” adds Adrian Belew. “It’s always amazing to feel the excitement of a Bowie audience beaming directly at you. Pure adrenaline! So much love for David.”“This is Major Todd to ground control. I’m stepping through the door...In 1973, I met David Bowie and one of us ended up crying,” explains Todd Rundgren. “I met David several times after that. Some of our phases, like glam, coincided. David had more of that Andy Warhol kind of sensibility, a pop sensibility.”
Creature Canyon Announce National Tour, ‘Remarks’ Album Out September 2 Credit: Christiaan Mikey 56 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
credit Andrew Barrack
DATE CITY/STATE VENUE
Thursday, September 15 Phoenix, AZ The Rebel Lounge Monday, September 19 Austin, TX Mohawk Indoor Tuesday, September 20 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall Thursday, September 22 New Orleans, LA Gasa Gasa Friday, September 23 Nashville, TN The East Room Saturday, September 24 Atlanta, GA Vinyl Tuesday, September 27 New York, NY TV Eye Thursday, September 29 Pittsburgh, PA Revel Sunday, October 2 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theatre Monday, October 3 Madison, WI The Bur Oak Wednesday, October 5 Denver, CO Lost Lake Lounge
*MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED*
San Diego-based alternative rock outfit Creature Canyon have announced a national headlining tour in support of Remarks — their forthcoming debut fulllength album. With additional dates to be announced, the tour will begin in Phoenix, AZ at Rebel Lounge on September 15 with stops in Austin, TX, Houston, TX, Nashville, TN, Atlanta, GA, New York, NY, Pittsburg, PA and Denver, CO, among others. Tickets are on saleTonow.purchase tickets and for more information, visit the Creature Canyon website here at creaturecanyonmusic.com.https://Havingattendedarecent performance at The Venice West in California, mxdwn raved that “Musically, the secret weapon of the band is the mixture of unique guitar and keyboard/organ tones, the steadiness of the bass and drums, and a strong lead vocalist…not just talented technically, but led the band’s mixture of charisma with poise, and helped walk the fine line between connecting with the audience and yet keeping a certain meaningfulCreaturedistance.”Canyon encapsulates the fiery energy of indie/alt rock with waves of contemporary psychedelia. Known for their thrilling and captivating live performances, Creature Canyon — Austin Steele (vocals, guitar), Ryan Amyot (guitar), Kyle Victoria (drums), Aaron Lund (bass), and Luc Fralic (keyboards, percussion) — has received nods from Billboard, Paste, and many other industry frontmanProducedtastemakers.byPrivateIslandChristianLum,engineered by Mike Schuppan (Foster The People, Young The Giant, Wolf Alice), mixed by Jordon Silva (Vance Joy, The Avett Brothers), and mastered by Brian Lucey (Cage The Elephant, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys), Remarks is a dynamic portrayal of personal growth and reflection in the modern age. Diving into colorful and nuanced experiences that traverse through organic and synthetic soundscapes both familiar and new, the album highlights lyrics that encompass uncertainty and moments of selfrealization gained by navigating the demise of a dysfunctional relationship and emerging on the other side with a newfoundTalkingperspective.aboutthe album, Creature Canyon say, “creating this album has been a journey for us, both emotionally and sonically. We spent a lot of time early on in the writing process establishing a sound that collectively represented each and every member of the band. We all had equal contributions to the songwriting, pulling from each member’s past experiences to bring it all together.”Remarks track listing:
CREATURE“Not“Faded“Remarks”“Electric“Heartbeat”“Magnesium”“Naive“Sleepwalking”“Simulator”“Pressure”“In“Mirrors”TheDark”Kid”Touch”Fire”Human”CANYON https://linktr.ee/CreatureCanyonONLINE:
The band’s latest single “Sleepwalking” was just added to Spotify’s official “Fresh Finds Indie” playlist at https://music.crhttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWT0upuUFtT7o.Streamthetrackhereateaturecanyonmusic.com/sleepwalkingorwatchthemusicvideohereathttps://youtu.be/vFf91xqHws0.RemarksissetforreleaseonFriday,September2viaGNURoam/KartelMusicGroup.Pre-add/Pre-savethealbumhereathttps://creaturecanyon.lnk.to/Remarks
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 57
CREATURE CANYON TOUR DATES
Cosmicandy and Children of the Stars
58 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
This marks the band’s first physical releases since January of 2020 when the song “The Cult of Dionysus” went viral on social media with more than 70 million streams. In the 2+ years since fans discovered The Orion Experience’s signature sound of catchy hooks and melodies with a positive message and upbeat live show, the band has exploded into another space and time to create a rabid fan base well into the millions. The overall numbers are staggering: * 117+ million streams on Spotify & more than 6 million listeners * 32+ million views on YouTube w/ 176 million impressions, 73K + subscribers * 6+ million streams on Apple Music * 68 million views on TikTok * 13K+ followers on Instagram * 8+ million views of “The Cult of Dionysus” on CurrentlyYouTubetheband is gearing up for live international tour dates to bring their high-energy live show to the fans. Additional singles, full-length albums and videos are coming soon. Stay tuned!
The musical phenomenon from another space and time, The Orion Experience announced today the release of two fulllength albums on vinyl, CD, and cassette for the first time ever. Indie pop’s best kept secret has just released Cosmicandy (which generated a viral sensation around the track “The Cult of Dionysus”) and Children Of The Stars are currently available online from Needlejuice at bothvinylchooseandneedlejuicerecords.com/theorionexperience/https://retailstorestoday.FansofTheOrionExperiencecanfromseveralcoloredandpicturediscoptionsaswellasCDandcassettefrom
First Time Vinyl Full-Length Albums Come in Multiple Color and Picture Disc Options for the Hyper-Colorful Pop Band with Catchy Hooks Spawned by the Viral Success of Hedonistic Love Anthem “The Cult of Dionysus”
The Orion Experience Vinyl For Cosmic Candy and Children Of The Stars Out Now For Indie Pop’s Best Kept Secret
60 Rock and Blues International • September 2022
ADVERTISE HERE Advertise in bymusictakingthatnewrevolutionaryamagazinewillbetheworldstorm!callusnowat281-650-1953 Rock And InternationalBlues
PHOTO CREDIT: DAN WINTERS
Frontman and lyrical wordsmith Neil Fallon “WesharesStrive for Excellence looks back fondly on childhood summers filled with grand plans gone awry, inexplicable bruises, untreated injuries, and of course, the timeless wisdom of Evel CLUTCHKnievel.”havecurated a new Spotify playlist to coincide with the release of “We Strive for Excellence”, check it out here at 3NlZsjNNOoCvwjCv58mcNRhttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/Clutchreleasedtheirfirstnew single off the new album, “Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)” ( https://youtu.be/6snEKE4abHk ), back in April to much acclaim from fans and critics alike. The track has already hit nearly 300k streams on Spotify alone and the official music video has clocked up 340k YouTube views.
US groove rock masters CLUTCH have dropped a brand new single “We Strive for Excellence”. The track is available digitally from all DSPs here at https:// orcd.co/dlyly45. A brand new Clutch album is coming soon. The album is to be titled Sunrise On Slaughter Beach and is scheduled for a September 16th release. The band also announced that fans can now RSVP to be the first to get notified of the official details and early access to all of the albums exclusive variants and bundles. Fans can clutch here at https://orcd.co/dlyly45. Sunrise On Slaughter Beach will be released through the band’s own label, Westhermaker Music. This will be Clutch’s first studio album since Book Of Bad Decision which was released in 2018, making it one of their longest gaps between albums.
62 Rock and Blues International • August 2022September 2022 continued on next page Clutch Out On Tour This Month With Helmet, Quicksand and JD Pinkus Tickets On Sale Now at www.ClutchOnTour.com Release New Single ‘We Strive For Excellence” Stream Here at https://orcd.co/dlyly45 RSVPs For Early Access To New Album Pre-Orders Now Open Here at https://www.clutchmerch.com/
Oct 07 - Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock* Oct 08 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House
Oct 05 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
Sep 20 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Sep 15 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Sep 21 - Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
Sep 30 - Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 63
Sep 16 - New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square
Sep 18 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
Sep 27 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
Oct 02 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s
Clutch On Tour
Sep 13 - Toronto, ON @ Rebel
Oct 10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
*Clutch only (continued from previous page)
Oct 12 - Salt Lake City, UT @ the Depot Oct 13 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
Oct 16 - Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
Formed in 1991 in Germantown, Maryland, the group included Neil Fallon (vocals), Tim Sult (guitar), Dan Maines (bass), and JeanPaul Gaster (drums). They built a local following through constant gigging, and after just one 7" single (the classic Earache release “Passive Restraints”) Clutch were signed by EastWest Records. Their debut LP, Transnational Speedway League, followed in 1993. A selftitled album appeared two years later and afforded Clutch some mainstream exposure. They jumped to the larger Columbia label for 1998’s Elephant Riders, and many thought the group might join its sonic cousins Korn and Deftones in the alternative metal winner’s circle. That didn’t quite happen. But it didn’t matter, because a quality fan base continued to thrive for Clutch. Pure Rock Fury appeared in 2001, and the similarly uncompromising Blast Tyrant came three years later as their first for DRT Records. Their seventh full-length, Robot Hive/Exodus, followed in 2005 and featured the first lineup change since the early ’90s, the addition of organist Mick Schauer.
When they debuted in the early ’90s, Maryland hard rock workhorses Clutch combined elements of funk and metal inspired by Faith No More and Led Zeppelin. Through the decades, they’ve built a devoted fan following through constant touring and hit alt-rock crossover albums, starting in the late ’90s with Clutch and The Elephant Riders and extending into the 2000s. By the 2010s, the veteran quartet reached new heights, achieving late-era success with 2013’s Earth Rocker and 2015’s Psychic Warfare, which both peaked in the Top 15 of the Billboard 200.
Sep 29 - Houston TX @ Warehouse Live
Oct 14 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
Oct 09 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
Clutch’s numerous side releases included a groove-based album (2000’s Jam Room) as well as Live at the Googolplex and the rarities record Slow Hole to China, both issued in 2003. Also issued in 2005, Pitchfork & Lost Needles combined Clutch’s 1991 Pitchfork 7" with unreleased demos and early tracks. In the fall of 2006 the band hit the studio with producer Joe Barresi (Kyuss, Melvins) to record its next album; the resulting From Beale Street to Oblivion appeared in March 2007. In 2008 Clutch released a CD/DVD compilation of live tracks from shows in New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and Sydney titled Full Fathom Five: Audio Field Recordings 2007-2008 on their own label, Weathermaker Music. The band followed up in 2009 with Strange Cousins from the West before delivering its tenth album, Earth Rocker, in 2013. Buoyed by the success of that album (their highestcharting release ever) and eponymous lead single, Clutch continued their relentless touring through late 2015, when they released their 11th album, Psychic Warfare. Topping the rock/hard rock charts, the effort landed just outside the Top Ten of the Billboard 200, making it their highest-charting effort to date. They promoted the album with another extensive tour that carried them into 2018, when follow-up Book of Bad Decisions was released. Like its two predecessors, the album was another Top 20 hit on Billboard, spawning singles “Gimme the Keys” and “In Walks Barbarella.” To close the decade, the band issued a steady stream of one-off tracks under the banner of the “Weathermaker Vault Series.” In late 2020, they collected those songs on the compilation Weathermaker Vault Series, Vol. 1, which featured rarities like “Run John Barleycorn Run” from a 2014 split single with Lionize, and a cover of Pappo’s Blues’ “Algo Ha Cambiado.”
Sep 25 - Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
Oct 04 - Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
Oct 15 - West Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
Clutch Biography by John Bush
Sep 23 - Louisville, KY @ Louder than Life* Sep 24 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
Sep 17 - Baltimore, MD @ Hammerjacks
Oct 01 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
CLUTCH have also announced a new set of US headline dates this fall. Joining them on the 26 date run will be Helmet and Quicksand who will be rotating the main support slot nightly and special guest JDThePinkus.bandalso have an extensive 2022 worldwide touring schedule, including summer festivals, further headline dates, and a return to ClutchEurope.released their twelfth studio album, Book Of Bad Decisions, through their own Weathermaker Music in 2018. Rolling Stone described the album as “bathed in the grit and liberal fuzz tone that has made their live shows legendary.” The band embarked on a successful co-headlining tour with Dropkick Murphys in 2019, with support from Hatebreed, Amigo The Devil, and Russ Rankin of Good Riddance. Two of the band’s most recent albums, Earth Rocker (2013) and Psychic Warfare (2015), were included in Classic Rock Magazine’s 50 Best Rock Albums of the 2010s.
Swedish Symphonic Metal Legends THERION Reissue Iconic Albums Gothic SecretsSiriusKabbalah,B,OfTheRunesandLemuria! Out October 28, 2022 via Napalm Records| Pre-Order now at https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/therion 64 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 photo credit: MINA KARADZIC
8.
Reigning from Sweden, legendary symphonic metal pioneers THERION trumpet their way back to the fans with four colossal reissues of their critically acclaimed albums released twenty years ago! With Napalm Records, get ready to grab limited edition vinyl copies of 2001’s Secrets Of The Runes, 2004’s double release of Lemuria and Sirius B, and 2007’s concept double album Gothic Kabbalah, all releasing on October 28, 2022. Each one of THERION’s full-length offerings feature symphonic metal glory that combines the heavy death metal influences from the band’s early days and a rich presence of orchestral elements with lyrical focus on occultism, magic, and ancient traditions – finally available on LP again!Pre-Order your THERION reissues here at https:// of THERION’s legendary tenth album, Secrets Of The Runes, the album will be available on LP once again via Napalm Records on October 28, 2022! Secrets Of The Runes is a concept album inspired by Norse mythology, with its tracks centered around the nine worlds. Sonically, the ancient stories are wrapped in the band’s signature mix of their deep metal sound combined with bombastic classical arrangements and choir. Compared to other albums by the Swedes, the sound Secret Of The Runes is more raw and brutal, and offers a high variety of sounds. On the one hand, acoustic, quiet tones dominate like on “Ljusalfheim”, while “Muspelheim” offers a splendid hard guitar explosion. At the same time, classical influences overlay it all and are complemented by Celtic and often even oriental melody lines. Secret Of The Runes is a perfect example of how THERION deftly blur the boundaries of metal and classical music!
www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/therionAboutSecretsOfTheRunes:Morethan20yearsaftertherelease
More than 15 years after its simultaneous original release with fellow catalog favorite Sirius B back in 2004, Symphonic Metal originators THERION re-release their album Lemuria in LP format on October 28, 2022 via Napalm Records! Both Sirius B and Lemuria - the latter of which references the mysterious sunken island Lemuria - feature over 170 musicians throughout the two recordings, positioning them as the most elaborate albums of their career. The styles range from gothic parts to melodic death metal and neo-classical elements to power metal in a complex and versatile way. This becomes particularly clear in the opener “Typhon”, which is introduced by some riffs, later transitioning into an orchestral, but not yet opulent passage. A wide range of feeling is also presented largely due to diverse vocals, including soprano and alto singers, tenor and bass singers, solo pieces and even atmospheric choirs. With “Uthark Runa”, the album veers back into heavy metal territory, but with a good portion of orchestral bombast added. Lemuria plays its way gently, melancholically and dreamily into our hearts, only to rock properly in the next moment with rhythmic melody and the ever-present bombast in the sound.Lemuria track listing: 1. Typhon 2. Uthark Runa 3. Three Ships of Berik, Part 1: Calling to Arms and Fighting the Battle 4. Three Ships of Berik, Part 2: Victory! 5. Lemuria 6. Quetzalcoatl 7. The Dreams of Swedenborg 8. An Arrow from the Sun 9. 10.AbraxasFeuerOvertüre/Prometheus Entfesselt [Lemuria BLUE BLACK Marbled Vinyl + Patch]
7. Muspelheim - Gudaskymning Nifelheim - Dimmornas Värld
continued on next page
Lemuria:
9. Vanaheim - Seed Of Ing 10. Helheim - Den Dimhöljda 11. Secret Of The Runes [Secret of the Runes ORANGE BLACK Marbled Vinyl + Patch]About
Secrets Of The Runes track listing: 1. Ginnungagap - The Black Hole 2. Midgård - Olo Midgård 3. Asgård - The Bifrost Bridge 4. Jotunheim - Call Of Jotunheim 5. Schwarzalbenheim - Gold Der Underwelt 6. Ljusalfheim - The Shining Ones
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 65
“Chain Of Minerva” surprises with a very unusual groove, but just like “Three Treasures”, it is an absolute highlight of Gothic Kabbalah.Gothic Kabbalah track listing: Disc One 1. Der Mitternachtslöwe 2. Gothic Kabbalah 3. The Perennial Sophia 4. Wisdom and the Cage 5. Son of the Staves of Time 6. Tuna 1613 7. Trul 8. Close Up the Streams Disc Two 1. The Wand of Abaris 2. Three Treasures 3. Path to Arcady 4. The Trinity 5. Chain of Minerva 6. The Falling Stone 7. Adulruna Rediviva [Gothic Kabbalah ORANGE BLACK Marbled 2- Vinyl + Patch]THERION is: Christofer Johnsson – guitars and keyboards Sami Karppinen - drums Nalle “Grizzly” Påhlsson - bass Thomas Vikström – lead vocals Christian Vidal – guitar Lori Lewis - vocals
About Gothic Kabbalah: Originally released in 2007, Gothic Kabbalah is a concept album based on the book ‘Adulrunan och den götiska kabbalan’ by Thomas Karlsson. This book tells story of Johannes Bureus, who mixed the magic, astrology and alchemy of the 17th century with runes and old Norse gods in order to create his philosophy called ‘Gothic Kabbalah’. Musically, Gothic Kabbalah differs significantly from its two predecessors
About Sirius B: Sirius B offers a high variety of musical styles, not only due the incredible talent of Christopher Johnsson, but the 170+ musicians involved in its recording process. The album picks up seamlessly where part one, Lemuria, left off, as opener “Blood Of Kingu” begins as a traditional heavy metal song before evolving into an extremely catchy operatic metal composition in the chorus, characterized by a great female vocal. The following “Son Of The Sun” is also dominated by these female vocals against classic metal riffs combined with catchy melodies. On “The Khlysti Evangelist”, singer Mats Leven takes center stage again and is supported by various male choir backings, giving the song a rather theatrical touch, but nevertheless making it one of the many highlights of this double album. With “Call Of Dagon”, THERION fully unleash all the bombastic elements that were available for this album.
THERION convince on Sirius B with finest bombast - versatile yet heavy.Sirius B track listing: 1. The Blood of Kingu 2. Son of the Sun 3. The Khlysti Evangelist 4. Dark Venus Persephone 5. Kali Yuga, Part 1 6. Kali Yuga, Part 2 7. The Wondrous World of Punt 8. Melek Taus 9. Call of Dagon 10. Sirius B 11. Voyage of Gurdjieff (The Fourth Way) [Sirius B ORANGE BLACK Marbled 2- Vinyl + Patch]
66 Rock and Blues International 2022
• September
Lemuria and Sirius B, as THERION offer a more progressive approach, and due to the increased use of female lead vocals, the album is wrapped in a gothic touch. The operatic elements have been slightly reduced, though they are still omnipresent. Pieces like opener “Mitternachtslöwe”, the title track or “Son Of The Staves Of Time” show Christofer Johnsson’s gifted songwriting talents and reveal new facts with each listen.
THERION online: Homepage @ https://www.therion.se/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/therion Instagram @ ?next=/therionband/https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/Twitter@https://twitter.com/_therion
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Unfortunately, the group disbanded before a new full length album could be recorded.Fast forward to 2022, original singer Jeff Allen has reformed the band with guitarist Ken Mandat (Damien Thorne), bassist Mick Lucid (Vicious Circle), and drummer Gabriel Anthony (Tyrant’s Reign).
https://wwwhttp://www.witchslayerofficial.com/http://witchslayer.bandcamp.com/.facebook.com/WitchslayerMetal
“The songs were written in the early 80’s and were mostly influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal ( NWOBHM) bands. They are US Power Doom Metal songs and reflect the Chicago Doom Metal sound that was created in the 80’s by Chicago bands such as Witchslayer, War Cry & Trouble. When we wrote the music we wanted it to be creepy/haunting in nature. Most of the songs were written around stories we read about the Salem Witch Trials. I decided to reform the band with active Chicago Metal musicians who were around in the 80’s. We formally recorded this music to keep it’s 80’s sound but with a more modern tuning.” - Jeff Allen/Witchslayer
“Witchslayer is back and may the lord have mercy on anyone who stands in their way. This is a ridiculously brilliant comeback effort, almost too excellent for its own good, if that makes any sense. I’ll tell you what does make sense though: heavy riffs + old school 80s aesthetic + guys who actually LIVED it = a hell of an album. “ - Joe Miller (Defendersofthefaithmetal.com)FollowingthesuccessofWitchslayer’sfive-songdemointheearly1980’s,MetalBladeRecordsincludedthesong“IDon’tWantToDie”ontheiconic Metal Massacre 4 compilation album.
The new album features 11 hardhitting tracks which were originally written by the original lineup in the early 80s, but recorded by the new lineup in the 2020’s.
Chicago Old School Metalers Witchslayer Release Debut Album of 80’s Penned Metal Tracks
68 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 Digital Distribution via The Orchard/Sony Music available now on all digital streaming platforms
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 69 Maybe You Should Run Your Next Tour Schedule In Rock And Blues rockandbluesinternational@gmail.comemail:International!orcalltoday281-650-1953ForFastService
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March 2021 • Rock and Blues International 73 Rock And Blues International EmploymentAvailable!Opportunities Rock And Blues International Is Looking For A Sales Manager and ad salespeople! Please Email Your Resume rockandbluesinternational@gmail.comTo and have it delivered directly to your email when it comes out every month! Just email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com and in the subject line put “Sign Me Up Now” and we will email you your own personal copy every month! Subscribe Now To Rock and InternationalBlues 66 Rock and Blues International • September 2021
featured in the 2013 release, Live At The Academy Of Music 1971, an expansive box set that added a soundboard recording of the entire New Year’s Eve performance to newly mixed versions of the Rock Of Ages tracks. View the previously unreleased photos exclusively at UDiscover Music here: wasspokestandingdylan-ernst-haas-1971-featurehttps://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/the-band-bob-RobbieRobertsonsaid,“BobCato,TheBand’slongalbumdesignerbroughtErnstHaastomyattention.HeofErnstashavingaspecialgiftwithhisuseofcolor.Hethefirstsingle-artistshowofcolorphotographyatNew
Photo: Ernst Haas, Courtesy of Iconoclast
72 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 The Band’s Seminal Live Album, “Rock Of Ages,” Celebrates 50th Anniversary With Previously Unseen Photos By Ernst Haas, Newly Upscaled Videos and More THE LEGENDARY CONCERTS COMMERORATED WITH NEWLY UPSCALED PERFORMANCE VIDEOS PLUS NEW LYRIC VIDEO
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Band’s seminal live album, Rock Of Ages, a series of never-before-seen photos taken by celebrated and influential photographer, Ernst Haas, of the legendary four-night stand at the Academy of Music in New York City during the final week of 1971, have been made available to view for the first time. The beautifully shot color photos, from one of the pioneers of color photography, vividly capture the group of Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Robbie Robertson in their prime on New Year’s Eve, 1971, joined by special guest Bob Dylan, who helped usher in the new year by performing with his longtime friends who once backed him as The Hawks when he went “electric” in 1965. Several of Haas’ photos were included in the Rock Of Ages album, released fifty years ago this week on August 15th, 1972, and additional shots were continued on next page
The Band would fittingly draw the curtain on their time together with another legendary live show, The Last Waltz, but it’s Rock Of Ages that captured them at the apex of their career.
In addition to the concert photos, several performance videos from the December 30th, 1971 show filmed by Howard Alk and Murray Lerner have been newly upscaled and are now available on YouTube for the first time along with a newly created lyric video for “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show” from the same show. The revitalized performances allow fans to experience the concert like never before and include “Don’t Do It,” a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Baby Don’t You Do It,” written by HollandDozier-Holland, the Motown songwriting and production team of Brian and Eddie Holland and the late Lamont Dozier who passed away last week, and The Band’s classics, “King Harvest (Has Surely Come)” and “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show.” The former video was originally released on the 2005 anthology, The Band: A Musical History, while the latter two were released on the DVD included in the Live At The Academy Of Music 1971 box set. Writing in that album’s liner notes, Robertson provided some insight into the footage: “Filmmakers Howard Alk and Murray Lerner shot a few songs of the concert on the 30th. It was just an experiment, because to do a full shoot at the Academy you had to set it up with the Unions. I think some Union guys even showed up and threatened to destroy our equipment and break cameras if it wasn’t organized through them.”
The Band played four remarkable concerts consisting of two sets a night; the first featuring The Band by themselves and the second set with the five-piece horn section. Each night was better than the next as The Band, Toussaint and the horn section gelled and Garth, Levon, Rick, Richard and Robbie showed off the breadth of what they could do and their remarkable catalog, including such standouts as “Up On Cripple Creek,” “Stage Fright,” “The Weight,” “King Harvest (Has Surely Come),” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Across The Great Divide,” “The Shape I’m In” and some inspired covers like Marvin Gaye’s “Don’t Do It” and Chuck Willis’ “(I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes.” The shows culminated early into the first hours of the newly ushered in year of 1972 with a special appearance by Bob Dylan who reunited with The Band for a four-song encore that climaxed with an exuberant performance of “Like A RollingWritingStone.”about the shows, Robertson reflected, “Garth’s improvisation had no limits. His sounds and technique, no one in the world could touch him. He was so completely unique. Rick showed something during this period that I still don’t understand. While singing like a bird, he played a fretless bass… in an unorthodox style that worked against reason and normality. Richard was “in the zone” singing and playing as good as ever. Totally in control and making us cry with that voice. Levon showed up with a musical force that the rest of us leaned on to make the magic happen. He sang and played his heart out every one of those shows, and nailed it every night. All this gave me the freedom to play anything that felt good, ‘fearless abandon’ might be what they call it, and it also allowed me to develop signals and interplay with the horn section for certain dynamics.”
Watch the videos here: bit.ly/ROAVideos Additionally, Rock Of Ages’ golden anniversary is being marked with a new line of merch including t-shirts, buttons, keychains and a poster. Check out the new collection here: https:// www.officialtheband.com/dept/rock-of-agesTheBandarrivedatNewYork’sAcademy
Of Music in the final week of December 1971 energized following an incredibly successful European tour that exceeded all expectations, especially considering the combative reception they received when backing a plugged-in Bob Dylan on his infamous 1966 electric tour. Having recently released their latest album Cahoots a few months earlier, their fourth LP in as many years, beginning with 1968’s game changing masterpiece, Music From Big Pink, and following with 1969’s self-titled opus and 1970’s bestselling, Stage Fright, The Band were firing on all cylinders and sought to document it. As Robertson recounts, “We hit a stride for playing well in our live performances, but more importantly: a pure pleasure of appreciating what each of us was doing. I thought we should capture this on tape, maybe even for a record.”
For the four-night stand, The Band enlisted legendary New Orleans songwriter, producer and arranger Allen Toussaint to write horn arrangements for several songs, following their fruitful collaboration on Cahoots album opener, “Life Is A Carnival.” When Toussaint arrived in New York, he was dejected as someone had stolen his horn charts at the airport leaving him to start from scratch just days before rehearsals. Somehow, despite the setback and coming down with an ear infection, he was able to get the charts done in the eleventh hour. Horn player Howard Johnson (baritone sax, tuba, euphonium) and the band’s longtime friend and producer John Simon helped pull together a handful of crackerjack horn players for the festivities, which included Snooky Young (trumpet, flugelhorn), Joe Farrell (tenor sax, soprano sax, English horn), Earl McIntye (trombone) and J.D. Parron (alto sax, e flat clarinet). A remote recording van with 16-track tape machines was booked and Phil Ramone confirmed to engineer.
Select highlights from the concerts were compiled for The Band’s classic 1972 double LP, Rock Of Ages, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and remains a core album in the trailblazing group’s storied Capitol Records catalog. In 2013, all four of the concerts multitrack recordings were revisited for Live At The Academy Of Music 1971, providing a deep diver into the pioneering group’s stage prowess.
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 73 (continued from previous page) “Rock Of Ages”
1971: Uponhttps://TheBand.lnk.to/Academy1971PRitsreleasein1972,RockOfAgeswas met with widespread acclaim from fans and the music press alike. Music critic Ralph Gleason raved in Rolling Stone’s full-page review, “From the beginning to the end of side four, the entire side simply cooks with a crackling, roaring, swinging energy that leaves you breathless at the end. Rock & roll is surely here to stay if the Band has anything to do with it. Everybody take a bow!” Fifty years on, the album remains a defining, beloved statement of the band’s catalog. “Rock of Ages belongs on any short list of the best live albums ever committed to tape, while serving as a coda to the group’s groundbreaking influence on musicians on both sides of the Atlantic,” exclaimed Best Classic Bands in their appreciation while Ultimate Classic Rock simply called it a “revelation.”
Alex and Victoria Haas of The Ernst Haas Estate said, “We are thrilled about the rediscovery of these iconic photographs and are excited to share them with the world.”
Listen To Rock Of Listenhttps://theband.lnk.to/RockOfAgesPRAges:ToLiveAtTheAcademyOfMusic
York’s Museum Of Modern Art. It would be unusual for Ernst to photograph a live concert but he agreed to shoot the Rock Of Ages shows. His pictures have depth and vibrate to the music and off the page. We were grateful and honored that Ernst Haas helped capture this event for The Band.”
74 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 R.E.M. Celebrates The 40th Anniversary Of Chronic Town Available For The First Time As A Standalone CD Through I.R.S./UMe With Extensive Liner Notes By Producer Mitch Easter CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FOR “WOLVES, LOWER” AT https://youtu.be/zJB628tWEHk Also Available In Picture Disc And Cassette Editions
R.E.M. - CHRONIC TOWN 1. Wolves, Lower 2. Gardening At Night 3. Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars) 4. 1,000,000 5. Stumble
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, R.E.M.’s debut EP CHRONIC TOWN will be released for the first time ever as a standalone CD with extensive liner notes by the original producer Mitch Easter (Let’s Active). It will be released in three different formats: CD, Picture Disc, and Cassette on August 19, 2022 via I.R.S./UMe and can be preordered here at https://rem.lnk.to/chronictownFeaturingsuchadoredclassics in the band’s repertoire as “Gardening At Night”, “Wolves, Lower” and “1,000,000,” the five song EP, as Rolling Stone noted, “served notice that R.E.M. was an outfit to watch.” As a debut release, R.E.M.’s Chronic Town was an anomaly… a record that didn’t quite fit into the constraints of what was played on the radio. So instead of trying to fit into a genre, R.E.M. helped create their own: College Rock. The follow-up to their breakthrough single “Radio Free Europe” which was released in 1981, Chronic Town served as the entry point to what would become one of Alternative Rock’s biggest bands. “One might fancifully say that Chronic Town was the sound of an expedition, ready for anything, setting forth,” says Easter fondly about the EP. “If R.E.M. ‘Radio Free Europe’ single was a signpost, the Chronic Town EP was the atlas.”Introducing their arpeggiated guitar playing, cryptic and often indecipherable lyrics, and radiant choruses that would soon emerge as signatures of the classic R.E.M. sound, Chronic Town is the sound of a restless band, chock full of ideas, operating on a post-collegiate budget. Charmingly ragged and refreshingly immediate, it established the band indelibly upon impact. “Wolves, Lower” opens the EP with Michael Stipe’s trademark impressionistic and idiosyncratic lyrics, while Mike Mills’ rubbery bass lines and Peter Buck’s jangly Rickenbacker keeps Bill Berry’s unpredictable drumming in check. It’s this combination that would not only fuel the band for subsequent decades but make them equally as dependable as songsmiths. Serving as a template for ‘80s college jangle pop, “Gardening At Night” forged a style that combined heartily strummed rhythm guitars with a meandering bass line that proved to be a solid blueprint for college bands to come.
Critically hailed both upon release and in retrospect, Chronic Town heralded “a great band planting their flag in the ground, an historic landmark that portended great things that actually came” (Stereogum). The Stranger praised “everything about the EP, from its gnomic, blue-tinted cover art, to its restlessly discursive music, to the fact that the two sides both had their own titles (‘Chronic Town’ and ‘Poster Torn’), was not only good on its own merits, but an excellent influence in favor of obscurantism and understatement.” Chronic Town’s impact and influence on the future of alternative music is uncontested and described by Magnet Magazine as “essentially a template for the entire indie-rock movement.”
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 75
I Have A Dream The Winner Takes It All Money, Money, Money
2LP Side A Dancing KnowingQueenMe,Knowing You Take A Chance On Me Mamma Mia Lay All Your Love On Me Side
ABBA GOLD was first released on September 21, 1992. With more than 32 million sales worldwide, ABBA Gold has emerged as the group’s all-time greatest success. As the second highest selling album of all time in the UK, it has spent over 1,055 weeks on the Official UK album chart making it the longest running album in the Official Albums Chart Top 100. Including 19 of ABBA’s biggest hits like “Dancing Queen”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, “Take A Chance On Me”, “Mamma Mia” and “The Winner Takes It All” to mention a few it has become a staple amongst fans for three Todecades.celebrate the 30th anniversary, ABBA Gold will be released on the following formats on September 23, 2022:
TheISuperBTrouperHaveADreamWinnerTakes It All Money, Money, Money
• BRAND NEW - 2LP Picture Disc: heavyweight vinyl, housed in diecut gatefold sleeve
• BRAND NEW - Gold Cassette, also available on black cassette • Gold 2LP: gold 2 x 180g vinyl, previously available
Look out for further anniversary updates from ABBA in the coming months, as well as the continuing lyric video series on YouTube.
Gimme!VoulezFernandoChiquititaSideS.O.S.BVousGimme! Gimme! (A Man After DoesMidnight)Your Mother Know
One Of Us The Name Of The Game Thank You For The Music Waterloo
76 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 ABBA celebrate the 30th Anniversary of “ABBA GOLD” with Multiple Format Release on Sept. 23rd! PRE-ORDER HERE https://abba.lnk.to/ABBAGold30thATABBA“TheWinnerTakesItAll” Link/Embed: https://youtu.be/81WhM9dOcYI
Brand new limited-edition ABBA merch items will also be available to pre-order from selected stores.
Gimme!VoulezFernandoChiquititaSideS.O.S.CVousGimme! Gimme! (A Man After DoesSideMidnight)DYour Mother Know
One Of Us
The Name Of The Game Thank You For The Music Waterloo Cassette Side A Dancing KnowingQueenMe,Knowing You Take A Chance On Me Mamma Mia Lay All Your Love On Me Super Trouper
78 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 Rory Gallagher’s “Deuce” 50th Anniversary Edition Box Set Releases September 30 ALL FORMATS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER HERE AT https://rorygallagher.lnk.to/Deuce_50 4CD Deluxe Box Set, 2CD, Limited Edition 3LP, Limited Edition 1LP Coloured Vinyl (D2C), Deluxe Digital HD and Deluxe Digital Standard Formats : 4CD / 2CD / 3LP / 1LP Colour (D2C) / Digital HD & SD
Stratocaster and thinking “how does that come out of there?”
Whole Lot of People - 50th Anniversary Edition
– Joe Bonamassa
There’s a Light - 50th Anniversary Edition
Maybe I Will - Alternate Take 2
– Joe Satriani FORMATS / TRACK LIST 4 CD BOX SET CD1
Don’t Know Where I’m Going - 50th Anniversary Edition
Out of My Mind - 50th Anniversary Edition
“I really liked Rory, he was fine guitarist and singer and lovely–man.”Jimmy Page “He was a magician. He’s one of the very few people of that time who could make his guitar do anything it seemed. It just seemed to be magic. I remember looking at that battered
Maybe I Will - Alternate Take 3
When asked “How does it feel to be the best guitarist in the world,”Jimireplied, “I don’t know, why don’t you go and ask Rory Gallagher.”–Jimi “ThereHendrixareamillion
In Your Town - 50th Anniversary Edition
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rory Gallagher’s “Deuce” sophomore solo album from 1971, a deluxe CD boxset will be released by UMC on Friday September 30th. The album is available to pre-order from https://rorygallagher.lnk.to/Deuce_50Theextensivecelebratoryreleasedigs
guys who sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan, but I never heard anybody who could really pull off sounding like Rory Gallagher.”
– The Edge “An amazing player, very spirited. Rory had a particular sound using that Stratocaster and he really got it because of the brute force in the way that he played. He just had such a passion about it.”
I’m Not Awake Yet - 50th Anniversary Edition
Maybe I Will - 50th Anniversary Edition
Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - 50th Anniversary Edition
Crest of a Wave - 50th Anniversary Edition CD2
Maybe I Will - Alternate Take 5 Whole Lot of People - Electric Alternate Take 1 Whole Lot of People - 6 String Acoustic Alternate Take 1 continued on next page
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 79
Used to Be - Alternate Take 1 Used to Be - Alternate Take 2
– Brian May “A beautiful man and an amazing guitar player.”
Used to Be - 50th Anniversary Edition
I’m Not Awake Yet - Alternate Take 1
– Slash “As soon as I heard Cradle Rock, I was hooked. I thought, ‘This is what I want to be when I grow up’.”
Don’t Know Where I’m Going - Alternate Take 1
Maybe I Will - Alternate Take 4
Maybe I Will - Alternate Take 1
deep into the Rory Gallagher Archives and will include a new mix of the original album, twenty-eight previously unreleased alternate takes, a six-song 1972 BBC Radio ‘In Concert’, and seven Radio Bremen radio session tracks. The package will contain a 64page hardback book with a foreword by Johnny Marr of The Smiths, unseen images by the late Mick Rock, essays, and memorabilia from the album recording. The 2CD and 3LP will be cut down versions from the deluxe box and there will be a special D2C 1LP of the “BBC In Concert – Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972.” “There was one day when I was playing along with the Deuce album which was a complete turning point for me as a guitar –player”Johnny Marr Released in November 1971, just six months after his eponymous solo debut, Rory Gallagher’s second album, Deuce, was the summation of all that he’d promised in the wake of Taste’s collapse. Rory wanted to capture the feeling of a live performance, so he would look to record immediately after live concerts while keeping production to a minimum. He chose Tangerine Studios, a small reggae studio, in Dalston in East London, due it’s history with legendary producer Joe Meek. With Gerry McAvoy on bass guitar and Wilgar Campbell on drums, the album was engineered by Robin Sylvester and produced by Rory. Deuce features many Rory highlights, from the blistering Crest Of A Wave to the Celtic-infused I’m Not Awake Yet.
Maybe I Will - 50th Anniversary Edition Whole Lot of People - 50th Anniversary Edition
Gallagher’s “Deuce”
Crest of a Wave - Alternate Take 1 Crest of a Wave - Alternate Take 2 Don’t Know Where I’m Going - Home Demo Maybe I Will - Home Demo Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Home Demo CD4 Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
Crest Of A Wave - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 Messin’ With The Kid - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 2 CD CD1 Used to Be - 50th Anniversary Edition
Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Deuce Album Session / Alternative Acoustic Take / 1971* Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Deuce Album Session Outtake / Should’ve1971*Learnt My Lesson - Alternate Take 2 Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Alternate Take 3
There’s A Light - Alternate Take 1 Out of My Mind - Alternate Take 3
Used To Be - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 Out Of My Mind - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972
Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
In Your Town - Alternate Take 3
Don’t Know Where I’m Going - 50th Anniversary Edition
For The Last Time - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
For The Last Time - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 Messin’ With The Kid - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
Maybe I Will - 50th Anniversary Edition Whole Lot of People - 50th Anniversary Edition Side B In Your Town - 50th Anniversary Edition continued on next page
80 Rock and Blues International • September 2022 Whole Lot Of People - Deuce Album Session / Alternative Acoustic Take / 1971 * Whole Lot of People - 12 String Acoustic Alternate Take 1 In Your Town - Alternate Take 1 In Your Town - Alternate Take 2 In Your Town - Alternate TakeCD33 In Your Town - Alternate Take 4
Pistol Slapper Blues - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
Messin’ With The Kid - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - 50th Anniversary Edition
Crest of a Wave - 50th Anniversary Edition CD2 Used to Be - Alternate Take 1 I’m Not Awake Yet - Alternate Take 1 Maybe I Will - Alternate Take 1 Whole Lot of People - 12 String Acoustic Alternate Take 1
I’m Not Awake Yet - 50th Anniversary Edition
There’s A Light - Alternate Take 1 There’s A Light - Alternate Take 2 There’s A Light - Alternate Take 3 Out of My Mind - Alternate Take 1 Out of My Mind - Alternate Take 2 Out of My Mind - Alternate Take 3
I’m Not Awake Yet - 50th Anniversary Edition
Rory
Out of My Mind - 50th Anniversary Edition
Don’t Know Where I’m Going - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
Crest of a Wave - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
Pistol Slapper Blues - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 3 LP Side UsedAto Be - 50th Anniversary Edition
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Crest of a Wave - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 I Could’ve Had Religion - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
Crest of a Wave - Alternate Take 2
I Could’ve Had Religion - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
There’s a Light - 50th Anniversary Edition
I Could’ve Had Religion - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972
Don’t Know Where I’m Going - 50th Anniversary Edition
In Your Town - 50th Anniversary Edition
Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Alternate Take 3
Don’t Know Where I’m Going - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
September 2022 • Rock and Blues International 81 Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - 50th Anniversary Edition There’s a Light - 50th Anniversary Edition Out of My Mind - 50th Anniversary Edition Crest of a Wave - 50th Anniversary Edition Side C Used to Be - Alternate Take 1 I’m Not Awake Yet - Alternate Take 1 Maybe I Will - Alternate Take 1 Whole Lot of People - 12 string acoustic Alternate Take 1 Side D In Your Town - Alternate Take 3 Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Alternate Take 3 There’s A Light - Alternate Take 1 Out of My Mind - Alternate Take 3 Side E Crest of a Wave - Alternate Take 2 Crest of a Wave - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 Don’t Know Where I’m Going - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 I Could’ve Had Religion - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 Side F Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 For The Last Time - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 Messin’ With The Kid - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 Pistol Slapper Blues - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971 1 LP Colour (D2C) Side A Used To Be - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 Should’ve Learnt My Lesson - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 (continued from previous page) Rory Gallagher’s “Deuce” Out Of My Mind - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 Side B I Could’ve Had Religion - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 Crest Of A Wave - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 Messin’ With The Kid - BBC In Concert - Live at The Paris Theatre, 13 January 1972 RORY GALLAGHER – ONLINE WEBSITE @ https://www.rorygallagher.com FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/RoryGallagher INSTAGRAM @ https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/rorygallagherofficial/TWITTER@https://twitter.com/rorygallagher
Better hope that you don’t run out of gas, Down In Hollywood They’ll drag you right out of your car and kick your ass, In Hollywood Their standing on a corner just waiting for a sucker like you Down In Hollywood If you wanna stay healthy, keep a movin’ right on through.” Written by Ryland Cooder and Tim Lee Drummond performed by Bruce Willis.I was in Los Angeles and heard it was happening at The Viper Room on Sunset Blvd so why not truk on over and check out the action. The night air was just right for a scoot so I hopped on 101 and made my way to the strip. Now what I am about to tell you may not seem believable but it happened, I know I was there. I had taken the exit onto Sunset Blvd heading west and the further along I rode I was passing through some questionable areas and then the strip started taking shape looking like what you see in the magazines. As I approached the famous area I decided to pull over and snap a few shots. After all how often does one get to the west coast if you are from out of state and this would be a cool memory for sure. As I got into position to shoot some shots out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of some guy lurking over a scantily clad young woman. He pushed her, then looked my way, jumped into his El Dorado and quickly whisked away. The young lady by the way was indeed young but the lady part could have been rather questionable. Know what I mean Jean? Anyway she crossed the street in a fast pace and came right up to me. She said. “I cannot thank you enough he’s my man but sometimes we just don’t see eye to eye.” I replied that I hadn’t done anything and she said, “oh yes you did, he heard your bike, saw you and you pointing your phone and he beat tracks.” I said well that’s all good and all but I didn’t even see you two when I pulled over I was just going to create some frozen memories with my phone. I showed her the photo. She smiled and as she was looking at me, my back was to the street, a car pulled up and rolled by rather slow. She said she had to be going and thanked me again. So the night was off to a bit of a strange start, it was ok but weird. I fired up my scooter, pulled out into traffic and made my way further west. Then I saw this really outrageous nightclub marquee sign and so like a moth to a flame I decided to stop. Went inside and worked my way up to the bar and ordered a Glenlivet and a cigar. They had both. The bar was shaped like a horseshoe and I could see across to the other side. Every stool and all the chairs against the far wall were all filled except one. My scotch and cigar arrived, a nice 50 ring Connecticut wrapped box pressed Rocky Patel. I was a happy camper. As I looked across the bar again I noticed that the empty chair was now occupied and it looked like that same gal that was on the street back a mile or so was sitting in it. I smiled, raised my glass as if to say cheers. A smile and handwave came back at me. A guy and a gal approached me and asked if I would mind moving over one stool so they could sit together I said no problem and moved
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The Biker, The Blues & Hollywood California
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my stuff over one stool. I don’t know why but I volunteered what I am about say to that couple but I did… I put my phone in my hand and said you know about a mile or so east of here I stopped to take a photo of that end of the strip looking west and there was this young woman and a guy across the street. Now just as I started to say more the bartender came up in front of me asked if I wanted another round but also interrupted me and said, “Say that again”. Then as I was repeating myself he broke in again and called for the other bartender. “Ed we got another one”. Got another what I wondered but obviously it had something to do with the girl. Then they told me about a young woman in her twenties that used to stop in and rest in that very chair across the bar by the wall. Every once in a while somebody stops in and we find out about another sighting. Sighting I asked? You see that woman was found dead about ten years ago and every once in a while she returns here to sit down and rest. I told them all that I had just snapped a photograph and went for my cell to show them. The contents of the photo were gone just a blank rectangle remained. No one seemed surprised just grins popping up. Go figure. I decided to have one more so I could time the drink with my cigar and then I would leave. Nobody else saw her just me, I mean come on that’s totally weird but it happened and that’s my story, go figure! Cool place beyond the strange situation but it let me know that I was in what some folks call Hollyweird. As I traveled west from there the shall we say “participants” become a bit more flashy. I wondered if they were outsiders like me just dropping in to check it out or maybe they were “regulars”? Lots of goth looking folks and at one red light I could hear electronic dance music. Whoa I thought maybe they just dropped in to see what condition their condition was in? It reminded me of songwriter Mickey Newbury’s “Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In” made famous in 1967 by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. I was having a good time, started humming the melody and my smile was a mile wide. Then some guy pulled up beside me in this really cool early model Thunderbird with the port holes on each side. Now I felt like I was moving into a scene from American Graffiti. My mind was running on overtime having fun with the possibilities. Three guys walking west heard my bike and stopped and pointed at me and the bike, probably more so the bike. One guy threw up a peace sign and I said to myself yep I am in California for sure. As I sat at the next light I remember thinking how sad it was that so many great rock and blues artists who had lived here had also died here for one
The Biker, The Blues & Hollywood California reason or another, many due to dope and alcohol. Just listen to Janis sing Kozmic Blues and you can feel the blues pouring out of her, to this day people talk about the soul and blues that woman delivered and it is just as relevant today as it was then. Then of course Jimi, wow, Red House now come on read between the lyrics and take a peak at the meaning. “There’s a red house over yonder” was the emotional appeal of the man himself sharing what the lyrics portray as being close to someone but yet away for a reason. Many of rock’s soon to be stars lived at the famous hotel close by and people like Alice Cooper would go there. This is where he met the soon to be famous manager promoter Shep Gordon. One of the greatest promoters the world of rock has ever known. He was creative, ballsy, and he understood discontinuous change. If there sentedrepre-CooperthatanythingwasAlice with his original shock rock shows it was discontinuous change. They knew their target audience just as Gene Simmons dialed in on his too. All of these people were bringing something to life on stage that America was ready for and much of it came out of this area of the country. So here I was puttin’ up the famous Sunset Strip taking it all in feeling curious about it all and reminiscing about it’s history. So many places up ahead like The Viper Room, Whisky A GoGo, The Trubadour, The Rainbow, The Roxy and more. How cool is this trip I kept thinking to myself. My bike was running well, the evening was just right, and the sights and soon the sounds would be over the top. Then there was The Doors and Jim Morrison. How does on top that? It’s all here the history and it’s still cooking even to this very day. Even today’s blues rock greats perform here, after all who wouldn’t want to be on the same stages that these early pioneers if you were them? Up ahead someone scrawled long live Houston of Blues Hollywood. The iconic real estate has since made its departure and made room for the new. I spied a taco truck and decided to stop for a quick bite. As I sat at their picnic table a woman asked me if I knew were Pinks Hot Dogs was located? I told her no I was from out of town but three other people told her immediately. Turns out Pink’s is one of the hot spots for indoor, outdoor quick food where a number of local musicians and movie and television personalities stopped by. The guy putting the tacos, burritos, and sandwiches together turned on “Born To Be Wild” and pointed at me. Indeed it was a good night, this place is cool. As the song goes, “Get your motor runnin’ Head out on the highway Lookin’ for adventure And whatever comes our way Yeah darlin’ go make it happen Take the world in a love embrace Fire all of your guns at once And explode into space” - SteppenwolfAin’titthe truth? Life is good with so much to see and take in before it’s all over. There’s a lot of really cool people in living all over the nation and that’s cool.
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