Monthly Archives: June 2020

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Sony Music Entertainment is pleased to announce the release of Roger Waters: US + THEM on Blu-ray, DVD, CD, and vinyl. Roger Waters: US + THEM, chronicles the acclaimed 2017-2018 tour of the iconic Pink Floyd artist. Roger Waters: US + THEM, concert film is available now to buy on Digital or watch on demand and will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, CD & vinyl on Friday, October 2, 2020. Preorder the Blu-ray, DVD, CD and vinyl here.

​Founding member, lyricist, composer and creative force behind Pink Floyd, US + THEM presents Waters powerful music in stunning form and highlights its message of human rights, liberty and love. Based around his acclaimed, sold-out US + THEM worldwide tour of 2017-18, comprising a total of 156 shows to 2.3 million people across the globe, it features classic songs from The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here as well as his most recent album, Is This The Life We Really Want?

Directed by Sean Evans and Roger Waters, the film provides a visceral sense of what it was like to be there. With Evans using the most innovative digital and audio technology available, this state-of-the-art show encapsulates a series of breathtaking visual, audio, and sensory experiences. It captures Waters’ legendary live performances taking the audience on an emotionally charged, thought provoking journey.

Waters powerfully demonstrates that he is at heart, a musical activist and one of the most passionate political commentators of his time. He has dedicated his life to fighting against those who seek to control our lives and destroy our planet. “Welcome To The Machine” and “Another Brick In The Wall Part II,” are a stark reminder of the bleak warnings that he gave decades ago about alienation, displacement, greed, suffering, destruction and loss. And yet the humanity of the songwriter cannot be more plainly seen than in “Wish You Were Here,” because, although he presents a grim picture of the state of the world, ultimately his message is one of hope through unity and love.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Chet Baker (1929–1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, actor and vocalist who needs little introduction. Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s but his well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety (he was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late ‘70s and ’80s). Chet’s career included collaborations with greats such as Elvis Costello, Charlie Parker, and Van Morrison. Mr. Baker was the subject of many books and documentaries throughout the decades and he was even portrayed by Ethan Hawke in the 2015 film Born to Be Blue.

​Chet began his musical career singing in a church choir and his mother said that he had begun to memorize tunes on the radio before he was even given his first instrument. Peers called Baker a natural musician to whom playing came effortlessly. In the early 1950s he was chosen by Charlie Parker for a series of West Coast engagements…shortly after this, his song “My Funny Valentine” became a hit and would be associated with Baker for the rest of his career. Mr. Baker (with his quartet) was a regular performer at famous Los Angeles jazz clubs such as The Haig.

Chet Baker’s quartet released popular albums between 1953 and 1956 and he won reader’s polls at Metronome and DownBeat magazine, beating trumpeters Miles Davis and Clifford Brown. In 1956, Pacific Jazz Records released Chet Baker Sings, an album that seriously increased his visibility. During most of the 1960s (before heading to Europe more frequently) Chet recorded music that could be classified as ‘West Coast jazz.” From 1978 until his death in 1988, Chet Baker lived and played almost exclusively in Europe, returning to the U.S. once a year for a few performances. This was Baker’s most prolific era as a recording artist.

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“Seems impossible to tell seasons apart, or know exactly which way the weather’s going to go,” states singer-songwriter Marcus Eaton in “Closer,” the third moodily introspective track on his EP “Invisible Lines,” released last month on vinyl. New and timely in its themes of isolation, sociological questioning, and nature awareness, Eaton’s EP stands as a semi-unintentional testament to the wild, sad, and unpredictable times we are currently living through.

The release date of mid-May was chosen months before the pandemic took center stage. But over the course of the EP’s five original tracks and one cover song, Eaton makes it clear that he is the ideal artist for the right now. He puts forth thoughtful and comfortable-in-uncertainty reiterations and spin-offs of his “Closer” observation. The revolutionarily minded “Step Aside” that inspires personal power and potential political change, the flight-focused “Shadow of a Bird” that encourages risk-taking and assuages fear of failure, and the responsibility-oriented “Handed Down” that investigates the concept of cultural inheritance, all address eternal themes of the human experience: physical and emotional solitude, penning one’s own most authentic creed, and trying to do the right thing while also honoring personal spiritual and material desires.

Different musicians who surmised the same truths that Eaton has on “Invisible Lines” could have reverted to rebellion, rage, ridicule, or disenchantment. But he appears to have chosen an alternate path, that of pursuing newness and insisting on hope. Even his choice of cover song, Sting’s classic world-conscious “Fragile,” merges with these same themes and fits perfectly alongside originals. Eaton’s guitar prowess, carefully cultivated over years of inquiry, practice, and spiritual searching, has served as his artistic calling card for much of his career and once again takes center stage—and exquisitely so—on “Invisible Lines.” As does his compositional penchant to get to the heart of the matter—for the universe at large—via the most musically captivating route.

Eaton released his first album with his jazz fusion-forward group The Lobby in 2003, which was followed by three solo albums before “Invisible Lines.” And his ongoing musical collaboration with the legendary David Crosby ultimately spawned last year’s acclaimed Grammy-nominated documentary Remember My Name, directed by Eaton’s brother A.J. and for which Marcus wrote and recorded a stark and stellar original guitar-based score (with Bill Laurance). And really, what better than intense instrumental acumen and sonic sophistication, to prepare a younger musician for working with an eminent and complex artist like David Crosby?

In conversation with Marcus Eaton, we learn more about the genesis of “Invisible Lines,” his myriad of guitar heroes, and his musical collaboration with one of the most talented and paradoxical artists in rock history.

You produced this new EP, “Invisible Lines,” yourself, but the whole thing—the sound quality, the mixing is very impressive.

Thank you. I’m really proud of this new project because I did it myself. My friend Billy Centenaro mixed it, and he took it way beyond what I expected. When I got the mixes back from him, it was the first time I heard the emotion that I put into the album come back to me. It really affected me; the emotion was translating—before, the emotion wasn’t hitting people. So that just shows you how important mixing is. My friend tracked the drums for me in his studio. We did the strings at my home, the violin parts on “Invisible Lines.”

Those were live players?

That was one live player named Lizzie Ball, she’s incredible, she used to play with Jeff Beck, a top violin player in London. I’d had some temporary synth parts that were replicating strings. She got into it, just went crazy, did like thirteen or fourteen tracks.

Can you discuss working with David Crosby in the past, and your connection to him, as a younger person? Did it feel special, like “not everyone gets to do this,” working with the legends, the masters?

The Crosby thing—what I love about it is that it was so organic. It happened through my friend Norm Waitt, who saw me open for Tim Reynolds, this incredible guitarist I’ve always idolized who plays with Dave Matthews. I started listening to him at 18 and thought if I could ever play with him, that could be the thing. And I ended up touring with him a lot. So on one of these tours, in Aspen, I met Norm Waitt, who asked if I wanted to play at his Christmas party in Omaha, Nebraska. It was a blast, and then Norm said “I really think you need to meet my friend David Crosby.” I found out that Norm had a record label, which he’d built around Crosby, because he loved his music so much. So that’s how I met David. A couple of months later he asked if I’d like to come and play on his album which became Croz (2014). So it was very organic, not through management, or lawyers—a lot in music happens that way—but this was organic. A ’60s-style “hey man, come and jam in my living room” sort of thing. It was very special.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | For The Nomads, a charity organization started by crew members of the music industry at the start of the COVID-19 shut down, has launched the second round of a massive auction to help aid others within the industry today.

​Fans can bid on limited edition memorabilia, one-of-a-kind experiences, merchandise and more from artists like Rage Against The Machine, GWAR, Rancid, Deftones, New Found Glory, Pennywise, Nofx, Wage War, Suicidal Tendencies, Fever 333, Rise Against, Killswitch Engage, I Prevail, Incendiary, Despised Icon and more today at https://www.forthenomads.org/ftnauction. Co-founded by former The World We Knew vocalist Frank Fanelli, and touring Production Assistant and Merchandise Manager Tatiana Danielle, For The Nomads has already raised over $78,000 since it’s start in March 2020.

“After touring steadily in the music industry for the past 14 years as a crew member, musician, and everything else in between, I felt obligated to use my reach and ability to give back to as many people who work their asses off full time on the road like myself and Tatiana (co-fonder) do,” shared Fanelli. “Some of my most cherished memories throughout my life have come from this line of work, so if we can help a few hundred crew members get some food on their tables through our strategic planning, donors, telethons, and auctions, I have no problem utilizing this down time we have due to quarantine to make a difference for the betterment of our peers.”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Adam Schlesinger was a prodigious and prolific songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He died on April 1 at the age of 52 as the result of complications from COVID-19. Not only was Schlesinger in multiple beloved bands—including the power-pop-leaning Fountains of Wayne and sophisticated electro-pop act Ivy—but he also collaborated on songs for movie soundtracks and the TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

​A wide array of artists touched by Schlesinger’s life pay tribute to the many musical projects of which he was a part via a Bandcamp-exclusive benefit compilation, Saving for a Custom Van. The 31-song collection features collaborators, tourmates, friends, and fans putting their own spin on songs spanning his entire career. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator, executive producer and star Rachel Bloom turns Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mom” into a jazzy cabaret moodpiece, while Schlesinger’s Fountains of Wayne bandmate Jody Porter contributes a melancholy, shimmering take on Ivy’s “Four in the Morning.” Sarah Silverman—who teamed up with Schlesinger on the upcoming musical The Bedwetter—joins with songwriter Ben Lee for a gorgeous, folk-leaning take on “Way Back Into Love,” a Schlesinger song central to the film Music and Lyrics.

Other musicians on the compilation tackle Fountains of Wayne songs (Letters to Cleo’s Kay Hanley, “Radiation Vibe”; Motion City Soundtrack, “Dip in the Ocean”; Nada Surf, “Sick Day”; Vivian Girls/Upset member Ali Koehler, “Hackensack”), while Ivy songs are also well-represented (Belly members Tanya Donelly and Gail Greenwood, “Undertow”; Ted Leo, “Everyday”; HUNNY, “Tess Don’t Tell.”) A full tracklist is below.

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“My life wouldn’t have been much without CDs, cassettes, and vinyl! It would have been pretty empty. I’ve sought solace and comfort in records over and over and I think there’s been music playing during most of the memorable or most powerful times of my life.”

“One of the things I love about vinyl is the visual aspect. It’s two for the price of one; a good square foot of beautiful artwork or a photograph plus the music. A friend and I discovered an LA band called Valley Queen fairly recently fronted by lead singer Natalie Carol, she just released a B side single on vinyl called “Red Light and Bad Astrology” and the vinyl artwork is very evocative of sixties and seventies psychedelic artwork. I feel they’ve created a time capsule through the vinyl with the momentum of the current time partnered with a note of psychedelic nostalgia. The fullness of the sound on vinyl compliments this record perfectly.

I remember discovering Shine Eyed Mister Zen by Kelly Jo Phelps—someone must have left his record at my house or something as I don’t remember buying it, but I was bowled over when I put it on. The album conjures up images of trees, dusty trails, wind, mountains and rain for me, and it’s one of those records that makes me itch to pick up an instrument and create upon hearing it. The record and all of Phelps work to me has a purifying effect when I listen to him. Music like Phelps feels like an old friend you trust and you can rely on to pick you up.

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PHOTO: MIKE KIM | It’s unclear whether Washington, DC-based Babbling April intended for their newest album, Days of Retreat, to be a perfect companion piece for ongoing quarantine, but their new tunes fall perfectly in step with the conscious consensus of millennials across the nation.

“We are finding that what we value may not be the same as generations past,” band member Vivienne Machi asserts. “This album is particularly relevant to those who have grown up through one national tragedy after another, graduated into a global recession, and now face a global pandemic.”

Tracks like “City to Spit In” offer up a hilarious spin on gentrification, boasting an unhinged, Violent Femmes vibe that feels like a breath of fresh air in an era of streamlined pop. The gorgeously adorned “Worst Kind of Parties” is another winner, exposing the kind of empty social norms that got tipped on their head after the pandemic and ensuing protests.

It’s a joy to see the band switch it up and indulge their punk ethos, swimming against the tide in a town full of workaholics focused on lofty career ambitions. When things finally mellow out on the acoustic closer “Fumbling for the Mute Button,” one can’t help but think of Babbling April as a contemporary Yo La Tengo, voicing their generation’s misgivings while exploring their internal creative potential.

Will Dorey, a London-based (by way of Swanage, UK) multi-instrumentalist and singer, commenced activities under the name Skinshape in the mid-’00s and has subsequently issued five full-lengths and four singles (one a split) on vinyl. Across those releases, he’s cultivated a generally trip-hoppy approach, infusing it with cinematic and psychedelic elements, and on Umoja, his latest on Lewis Recordings, excursions into World Music and Afrobeat in particular. Across this set, Dorey settles into grooves that’re unperturbed but too hearty to fit the descriptor of laidback, though it’s sure to be a fine listen during the upcoming warmer months. It’s out on vinyl, compact disc, and digital June 19.

The musical neighborhood where Will Dorey resides isn’t exactly underpopulated, but a perusal of his back catalog reveals him to be one of the more consistent practitioners of what we’ll succinctly call post- trip-hop. Less tersely, he blends aspects of old-school funk, soul, and of course, hip-hop (rhythms, not rappers) with touches of rock, often psychedelic in comportment. There are also nods to reggae, folk, jazz and even retro pop.

What I especially dig is how Dorey hasn’t gotten too refined as his discography has grown, and I say that as someone who felt a lot of early trip-hop fell victim to exactly this problem. Instead, Skinshape has maintained an appealing largeness in the rhythmic department as the ambitiousness has spread outward. While 2014’s Skinshape is likeable with the rudiments in place, it still hit the ear like a debut. But on each successive record, Oracolo (2015), Life & Love (’17), and Filoxiny (’18), ingredients were added to the recipe without ever drifting away from the project’s impetus.

This is derived from Dorey’s guitar playing and the singing (oftentimes his voice but just as regularly guest artists as the demands of individual tracks entail) alongside the punch of the rhythm. Another constant (and this relates back to the issue of refinement) is a preference for embodying classic sounds rather than striving for the cutting edge, though there is no mistaking that Skinshape is a contemporary endeavor.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Straitjacket Fits are proud to see the reissue of their beloved album Hail, due for release on July 24th, 2020 via Flying Nun Records.

​Obviously, this announce is deeply tinged with sadness following the loss of Andrew Brough; gifted songwriter and guitarist of the Straitjacket Fits, Bike, and Dunedin band The Blue Meanies. Andrew’s music’s impact is undeniable and it’s unimaginable to think of a world without his contributions to kiwi music. For months, the Flying Nun team had been working away with Straitjacket Fits to produce this special reissue, manufacturing was underway and set to announce right before we heard the tragic news of Andrew Brough’s passing. After a lot of thought and discussion with the band, we wanted to share the reissue, one that includes some of Andrew’s most memorable Straitjacket Fits songs like “Sparkle That Shines” and “Fabulous Things.” Thank you Andrew.

Formed in 1986 following the demise of the Doublehappys, Shayne Carter (vocals, guitar) and John Collie (drums) created Straitjacket Fits with Andrew Brough (vocals, guitar) and David Wood (bass). The band’s debut release, “Dialing a Prayer” EP appeared in 1987 before their bone-chilling, epic 1988 album Hail. Both records were recorded at The Lab studio in Auckland with Terry Moore (The Chills). The forthcoming 2020 reissued version of Hail is a combination of both those records as it was originally released in the UK by Rough Trade, making it a special collectors’ item for Straitjacket Fits and Flying Nun fans alike.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | As part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s yearly fundraiser, The Longest Day, Mon Amie Records announces a benefit album to be released on CD, vinyl, and digitally with 100% of profits going to the organization.

​The album will be released on June 19th and features previously unreleased material from Anna Calvi, Moby, Algiers, Daniel Avery, Sad13, Cold Specks, Rhys Chatham, Rituals of Mine, M83 alumni J. Laser, and Wolfmanhattan Project (comprised of legends Mick Collins, Kid Congo Powers, and Bob Bert). It is also the first time the Extended Mix of New Order’s “Nothing But A Fool” will be released on vinyl. Hayden Thorpe and Jon Hopkins’ haunting cover of “Goodbye Horses” was originally released in 2013 but hasn’t been available for over 5 years. See below for the full track listing.

The compilation is now available for pre-order, and those who order a physical format will have the option to include a name of a loved one affected by dementia in the liner notes. The artwork features photographs by acclaimed photographer Ebru Yildiz, who documented her mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s.

MORE ABOUT DEMENTIA & THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION | Currently every 65 seconds, someone in the US develops Alzheimer’s or a form of dementia. At the current rate, 1 in 4 people will develop the disease, and this rate is increasing at an alarming rate. It is currently the 6th leading cause of death in the US and the #1 cause of death in England.

The disease doesn’t just affect those who are diagnosed. Caregivers provide over 18.6 billion hours, valued at $244 billion in unpaid care. The physical and emotional stress on caregivers is so severe that they are reported to die at a 63% higher rate than people the same age who are not caring for someone with dementia.

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“I was 23 and living in the Beachwood Canyon area of Los Angeles when I was first truly introduced to the sonic beauty of vinyl records.”

“Beachwood Canyon is an area not only famous for the Hollywood sign but also for its Sunday brunch-time garage sales. I was walking down those windy roads one Sunday when I happened on a driveway with a basket that said vinyl records $3 each—I immediately started thumbing through when I came across the record Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass Band.

I have to be honest—at first, I only purchased the record because the album cover art was so striking, sexy and beautiful—but when I dropped the needle on that bad boy I was transported to a place musically that I’ve never been. The grooves, the brass, and the overall feel of it inspired so many new songs for me and my career. Still to this day, 17 years later, we play the album for cocktail hour or pool parties. There’s vibe for days that record—thank you, Herb Alpert. On a side note—what’s also cool is that I found out a month later that my next-door neighbor in Beachwood was Herb Alpert’s son!

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