Archive for the ‘CLASSIC ALBUMS’ Category
KENDAL CALLING Lowther Deer Park Kendal 25th-28th July 2019
Posted: January 29, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, FESTIVALSTags: kendal, Kendal Calling, Lowther Deer Park
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PREOCCUPATIONS – ” Compliance “
Posted: January 29, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Calgary, New Material, Preoccupations
Calgary post-punk outfit Preoccupations have shared a video for “Compliance,” the epic instrumental closer of their 2018 album New Material. The black-and-white video was directed by Nicholas Brown and Evan Henderson, and follows a forest spirit named Mariah as she explores a post-apocalyptic universe.
“Mariah has awakened from eons of slumber to a world that has long been abandoned by humans and heavily mutated by their waste and consumption,” Preoccupations say of the video in a statement. “As Mariah struggles to make sense of this new world, she grieves for the one she has lost forever. The Mariah creature was painstakingly designed and constructed by Brown, portrayed by Henderson, and captured by the haunting and beautiful cinematography of Adam Stewart. ‘Compliance’ brings a close to this chapter of the band as we look towards the future and marvel at the new heights their music will take.”
Along with the video, Preoccupations have also announced a string of tour dates for this spring that cover much of southern and western Europe.
VARIOUS ARTISTS – ” Revolutionary Spirit: The Sound Of Liverpool ” 1976 – 1988, Various Artists, 5CD Deluxe Boxset
Posted: January 29, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: A Flock Of Seagulls, Big In Japan, China Crisis, Dead Or Alive, Echo and the Bunnymen, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, OMD, Teardrop Explodes, The La’s, Various Artists, Wild Swans
Extensive 5CD/book set exploring the ‘second wave’ of music on Merseyside, from 1976-1988
Features classics, rarities, album tracks and previously unreleased gems from Echo And The Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, OMD, The La’s, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Dead Or Alive, China Crisis, A Flock Of Seagulls, Wild Swans, Big In Japan and many more.
5CD + 56pp A5 book format contains many artists’ own sleeve-notes, previously unseen photographs and essays from key observers and participants in the city’s music scene – Bernie Connor, Mike Badger, Yorkie and Joe McKechnie.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL – ” Uncomfortably Numb “
Posted: January 29, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: American Football, Hayley Williams, IL, LP3, Mike Kinsella, Nate Kinsella, Polyvinyl Records, Steve Holmes, Steve Lamos, Urbana
American Football have just released a new single, “Uncomfortably Numb,” ahead of their forthcoming third album, American Football (LP3). This newest track features accompanying vocals from Hayley Williams of Paramore, who pops up on the impending album’s tracklist alongside Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell and Land of Talk’s Elizabeth Powell. LP3, due out March 22n via Polyvinyl Records, is the band’s second release since their 2014 reunion, and offers a contrast from their previous records. Notably, the album will not feature cover photography of the Urbana, Ill., home that has appeared on the band’s previous album covers so famously as to spark fan pilgrimages and photo ops. Rather, the band has opted for imagery (still by photographer Chris Strong) of Urbana’s misty hillsides. This conscious visual break signals American Football’s move in a bolder, more unfamiliar direction.
“Uncomfortably Numb,” featuring Hayley Williams, is taken from American Football’s third self-titled album, out March 22nd, 2019.
Band Members
Steve Holmes,
Mike Kinsella,
Steve Lamos,
Nate Kinsella,
Mike Kinsella,
Steve Lamos,
Nate Kinsella,
EMILY FAIRLIGHT – ” The Escape “
Posted: January 29, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Emily Fairlight, Mother Of Gloom, New Zealand, Singer/Songwriter, Wellington
Emily Fairlight is a poet and a songwriter. She describes her own music style as introspective alternative folk, written with a rock ‘n’ roll heart. Others have compared her sound to Natalie Merchant, P.J. Harvey, Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) and Cat Power.
Her voice ranges from the most intimate of whispers to the strongest of wails, delivering beautiful and honest lyrics with heartfelt melodies. Emily has been composing and performing for over a decade now, and in this time has played throughout New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Her third and most recent trip to the USA saw her record her sophomore album with Doug Walseth of The Cat’s Eye Studio in Austin, Texas, featuring some incredible Texan musicians including Cully Symington (Bright Eyes and Okkervil River) and multi-instrumentalist Kullen Fuchs.
Emily Fairlight writes both poems and lyrics, and you can tell. The New Zealand singer/songwriter makes music that feels purposefully introspective and intimate, the kind of thing you might listen to alone in the kitchen or with a few friends on the couch, but not too many friends—you’ll want to keep these sounds and words to yourself. She released a thoughtful new album, “Mother of Gloom”, in 2018, which landed her a spot as a showcasing artist at this year’s South By Southwest festival in March 2019.
The MOUNTAIN GOATS – ” In League with Dragons “
Posted: January 28, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Durham, North Carolina, The Mountain Goats
John Darnielle has written almost 600 songs now, and some of them are very sad, dealing with hard drugs and tragic ends, hurting yourself and others, sicknesses of both body and brain, off-brand alcohols. They are told in beautiful, unnerving, specific detail because he is a very good writer, and also some of them are just true stories about his own life. The mountain goats are John Darnielle, Peter Hughes, Jon Wurster, and Matt Douglas.
They have been making music together as a quartet for several years. three of them live in North Carolina and one has moved back to Rochester. their songs often seek out dark lairs within which terrible monsters dwell, but their mission is to retrieve the treasure from the dark lair & persuade the terrible monsters inside to seek out the path of redemption. as Axl Rose once memorably asked, in the song “Terrible Monster”: “what’s so terrible about monsters, anyway?” this is the question the Mountain Goats have been doggedly pursuing since 1991. they will never leave off this quest until every option has been exhausted. thank you. vinyl cut at half-speed mastering. album recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville tn & produced by Owen Pallett.
Releases April 26th, 2019
Jon Wurster – drums & percussion
Peter Hughes – bass
Matt Douglas – woodwinds, guitars, vocals
John Darnielle – guitars, vocals
Thom Gill – guitars
Johnny Spence – organ, Memorymoog, piano, Wurlitzer, synth
Bram Gielen – guitars, piano, synth
Owen Pallett – piano, organ, guitar
Dan Dugmore – pedal steel on “In League with Dragons”
Vocal arrangements on “Younger,” “In League with Dragons,” “Waylon Jennings Live!” and “Cadaver Sniffing Dog” by Robert Bailey, performed by Robert Bailey, Everett Drake, Jason Eskridge, and Michael Mishaw
VARIOUS ARTISTS – ” Back To The Garden: ‘Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration’ Tribute Concert
Posted: January 28, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration, Various Artists
Few musicians have had as lasting an impact on music as Joni Mitchell. In her four-decade career, she made groundbreaking music that traversed genres and continually stunned fans and critics alike. The music icon celebrated her 75th birthday in style last November, as Jörn Weisbrodt and The Music Center in Los Angeles hosted a pair of star-studded Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration concerts in her honor. The line-up (which Joni helped select) featured many of her closest friends and dearest collaborators, including Graham Nash, Seal, Chaka Khan,Kris Kristofferson, and James Taylor. Also on the bill were Diana Krall, Brandi Carlile, Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, Glen Hansard, Norah Jones, and Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro & Xochi Flores. Featuring a set of Joni classics and deep cuts from across her career, each night was a thrilling tribute full of excellent music. November 7th was even more magnificent, as Mitchell herself attended and even appeared onstage to blow out birthday candles and sing along as the all-star band and more than 3,000 fans sang “Happy Birthday” and “Big Yellow Taxi” in tribute to her.
Next month, Joni Mitchell fans will be able to enjoy the celebrations again. Global film distributors Trafalgar Releasing and The Music Center have partnered for a special, one-night-only screening of Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration, taking place in movie theaters across the U.S. and Canada on Thursday, February 7th. The two-hour, Martyn Atkins-directed film includes footage of the entire concert (captured over two nights), along with special behind-the-scenes interviews with the artists.
“We are thrilled to bring audiences together in movie theaters across North America to experience this magical evening,” said Trafalgar Releasing SVP of Programming, Kymberli Frueh. “The incredible talent featured in this concert is a true testament to the impact that Joni has had on musicians and fans alike.”
PRE-ORDER SOUNDTRACK ALBUM AT AMAZON.COM
A CD of highlights from the concert — also entitled Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration will be available on March 1 from Decca. The album’s 16 tracks include such highlights as Brandi Carlile and Kris Kristofferson’s heartfelt take on “A Case of You,” Seal’s breathtaking “Both Sides Now,” Diana Krall’s haunting take on “Amelia,” and and Los Lobos and Friends’ rollicking “Dreamland,” which features Chaka Khan reprising her guest vocal spot, as she did on the original recording back in 1977.
Anchoring each live performance — on CD and on screen — is a top-notch house band full of Joni’s collaborators. Led by drummer Brian Blade and pianist Jon Cowherd, the band also includes guitarists Greg Leisz and Marvin Sewell, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, as well as Jeff Haynes on percussion, Chris Thomas on bass, Bob Sheppard on woodwinds, and special guest Scarlet Rivera on violin.
With a wealth of musical talent and selections from across Joni’s illustrious career, Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration is a fitting tribute to one of the legendary musicians of our time. The upcoming film screening and CD are perfect for fans who want to relive those two nights in November, or for those who weren’t able to see it in person. The film will screen across North America for one night only on February 7th. You can find the screening nearest you and purchase tickets at Joni75.com. Scroll down to see the trailer. The soundtrack CD is set to arrive from Decca on March 1st.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and the E.STREET BAND – ” The Live Series: Songs of the Road “
Posted: January 28, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Bruce Springsteen, Legacy Recordings, The E Street Band, The Live Series: Songs of the Road
In the last few months, Legacy Recordings has launched an extensive digital campaign with the aim of releasing Bruce Springsteen to the streaming age. This last May saw the digital debut of 17 rare singles and EPs, as well as the new compilation, Spare Parts, which collected highlights from those releases. Now, Legacy has teamed up with Nugs.net on a new compilation, The Live Series: Songs of the Road that celebrates The Boss’s incendiary concert performances and his music’s association with the open road.
As the name suggests, The Live Series: Songs of the Road is a themed compilation featuring songs related to roads, cars, and travel. The 15 live performances are culled from Nugs.net’s ongoing Live Archive series, which brings full concerts from Springsteen’s live vaults to digital download and CD. While these tracks have been available for download on Bruce’s website, The Live Series: Songs of the Road brings this material to mainstream digital download and streaming services for the first time.
With blazing versions of “Thunder Road” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and the hard-to-find “Action in the Streets” from his transitional 1977 upstate New York shows, a swinging 2006 take on “Open All Night” with the rootsy Seeger Sessions Band, the acoustic “Used Cars” from an intimate acoustic show from 1996, plus the arena rock god prowess of “Born To Run” from 1984 and the more recent impassioned performances of “Out in the Street” and “The E Street Shuffle,” this collection brings together all the different sides of Bruce’s live work, past and present.
You can find the new Bruce Springsteen collection, The Live Series: Songs of the Road on streaming platforms now. Check it out on Spotify
Bruce Springsteen,The Live Series: Songs of the Road(Columbia/Legacy, 2018)
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and the E.STREET BAND – ” Songs of Friendship “
Posted: January 28, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Bruce Springsteen, E.Street Band, Songs of Friendship, The Live Series
In December, Columbia Legacy Recordings surprised Bruce Springsteen fans with a digital album of live rarities called The Live Series: Songs of the Road. Now, The Live Series continues with Songs of Friendship, which brings even more rarities to digital and streaming for the first time ever. Culled from Springsteen’s extensive vault of live material that was previously only available from the Nugs.net on-demand site, the 15-track set spotlights iconic tracks about the unbreakable bonds of friendship.
While the previous volume mixed solo and E Street Band recordings, Songs of Friendship fittingly features only band performances. Four decades’ worth of live greatness is on-display here, from the rousing New Year’s ’75 version of “Spirit in the Night” and the East Rutherford 1984 take on “Glory Days,” to the sparse “If I Should Fall Behind” from 2014 and the 2017 outing of the obscure “Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart.” Altogether, the collection is a testament to the power of Springsteen’s live shows, the talents of The E Street Band, and the enduring quality of these songs. So take a listen and share it with a friend or blood brother.
The collection is available now from digital download and streaming services, including Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify.
Bruce Springsteen, The Live Series: Songs of Friendship (Columbia/Legacy, 2019)
The WEATHER PROPHETS – ” Mayflower “
Posted: January 27, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Creation Records, Mayflower, Pete Astor, The Loft, The Weather Prophets
The first two 45s by The Loft had gone down a storm in the music press. Creation Records thought they were onto a good thing with The Loft. The four piece’s first two singles – “Why Does The Rain” and “Up The Hill and Down The Slope” in late 1984 and early 1985 had picked up a fair amount of critical acclaim and sold reasonably well for a purely indie-based label. Theirs was the sort of music that had mainstream radio chart potential.
But The Loft called it a day in mid 1985 and out of the ashes emerged The Weather Prophets just under a year later with Pete Astor (vocals/guitar) and Dave Morgan (drums) joined by Oisin Little (guitar) and David Goulding (bass).
The debut single, “Almost Prayed”, wasn’t all that far removed from the sound of The Loft and by the end of the year a second single and a German import LP that had come out on an overseas imprint of Rough Trade Records had seen many tip them for great things in 1987.
But by now Alan McGhee had been given money by Warner Brothers to form a new label which he named Elevation Records and its first releases involved The Weather Prophets – two singles (one of which was a re-recording of The Loft’s debut 45) and an album. But pop music and critical acclaim have always had a fickle relationship and those who had supported the band through the Creation years were disparaging with the Elevation releases although musically there wasn’t much between them.
The band went back to Creation in 1988 and released two more singles and an album which was a little bit rockier than previous efforts but still success eluded them. The band broke up in late 1988 at which point Pete Astor pursued a solo career and Messrs Morgan and Goulding became part of a new alt/country group called The Rockingirds.
The Weather Prophets are still fondly remembered and regarded as one of the ‘should’ve been’ bands of the era and so it is no surprise that they were included on the CD86 double CD. The song was one of the b-sides on their 12″ debut single for Creation back in may 1986:-
The actual single itself is a belter:-
Peter Astor’s previous band, the Loft, was a Creation Records labelmate of Felt and sounded like it, but with the Weather Prophets he smoothed the edges to create a more commercial, if somewhat generic, guitar pop style that lives on through groups such as Brideshead and Northern Portrait. Mayflower doesn’t have an abundance of individual character, but the songs and performances are excellent, even though the album didn’t achieve it’s hoped-for mainstream success. “Almost Prayed,” from the group’s first single, and new songs such as “Can’t Keep My Mind Off You” and “She Comes from the Rain” are full of hooky, jangly goodness.
from: “Mayflower” (1987)
