Month: July 2010

Ruf Records announces an August 10 U.S. release date for the label debut from blues guitarist/singer JW-Jones, <em>Midnight Memphis Sun</em>. Recorded primarily at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, <em>Midnight Memphis Sun</em> features special guest appearances by two iconic blues performers: guitarist Hubert Sumlin and harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite. Ruf Records is distributed in the U.S. by the Allegro Corporation.

Considered Canada’s top touring blues artist, Maple Blues award-winner JW-Jones wrote or co-wrote eight of the dozen tracks on the new CD, which also includes exquisite covers of songs from Lowell Fulson ("Love Grows Cold"), Bryan Adams ("Cuts Like a Knife"), Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee ("Burnt Child") and Jimmy Reed ("I Don’t Go for That"). His original songs demonstrate a special affinity for the feel of blues, R&amp;B and other roots music forms, while adding topical lyrics that reference everything from the global recession ("Off the Market’) to the Bernie Madoff scandal ("Born Operator"). His incendiary guitar playing showcases a variety of styles and influences: from Magic Sam on "Born Operator" and B.B. King on "Right on Time;" to Buddy Guy on "Make a Move" and Peter Green on the appropriately-titled "Howlin’ with Hubert," wherein Jones and the great Hubert Sumlin engage in some wonderful guitar interplay.

The legendary Sumlin, whose signature guitar work graced the music of Howlin’ Wolf for over 20 years and was named in the list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" by <em>Rolling Stone</em>, clearly had a ball recording his three tracks on <em>Midnight Memphis Sun</em>. "JW’s got it down! So much soul, and nice material. You can’t beat it. I am telling the truth," he said after the sessions. Another blues legend, harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite, also adds his trademark harmonica work on three tracks, including the soon-to-be-classic original tune, "Kissin’ in Memphis," as Jones throws down some funky Texas guitar licks on a song extolling the sights and sounds of The Bluff City. And on "I Don’t Go for That," Jones, Musselwhite and company conjure up classic Chicago ’50s blues from the South Side.

Seven tracks on the new CD were recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, featuring a band including all-stars Larry Taylor (Canned Heat) on bass and Richard Innes (Kim Wilson) on drums. Throughout, regular touring band member Jesse Whiteley adds funky and soulful touches on Hammond organ and piano.

Learn more at .jw-jones.com.

Iconic British songwriter Nick Lowe will bring a full band this side of the Atlantic for a national tour for the first time this millennium.

Droves of U.S. fans have watched enraptured, as Nick has perfected his now legendary solo performances over the past ten years, culminating in his awe-inspiring Austin City Limits performance from season XX. Constant clamoring for full band renditions of his new and classic material has finally paid off, resulting in a national tour this fall. The U.S. line-up will feature Geraint Watkins (keyboards), Robert Trehern (drums), Johnny Scott (guitar) and Matt Radford (bass).

An architect of pub rock with Brinsley Schwartz and Rockpile, then later emerging as the co-founder of Stiff Records, Lowe debuted as a solo artist with pop monolith <em>Jesus of Cool/Pure Pop for Now People</em> in 1978. In recent years, Lowe has continued to produce some of his most critically-acclaimed solo albums with <em>The Impossible Bird, Dig My Mood, The Convincer</em> and most recently, the amazing <em>At My Age</em>.

Considered by Nick to be a "trilogy" of sorts, the three albums immediately preceding <em>At My Age<I/> – <em>The Impossible Bird, Dig My Mood<I/> and <em>The Convincer</em> – will be pressed on vinyl for the first time ever, hitting stores September 21. Learn more at yeproc.com.

Riot Fest announces the largest punk festival yet, set for October 6-10, 2010 in Chicago. Bad Religion, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Circle Jerks, Articles of Faith, Snapcase, Less Than Jake, The Lawrence Arms, Bouncing Souls, High On Fire, Corrosion of Conformity, Riverboat Gamblers, Red Oktoberfest presented by Red Scare, "Busted at Oz" Reunion, Cro-Mags, FUN., Negative Approach, Smoking Popes, Bhopal Stiffs, The Meatmen, Agnostic Front, Off With Their Heads, Brendan Kelly, The Toasters, Roy Ellis a.k.a. Mr. Symarip, Righteous Fool and many more. A full listing of announced bands is available at www.riotfest.org. Fans should be ready for new announcements of another batch of heavyweight bands in the coming weeks – Riot Fest is by no means done announcing major additions to this hoard of punk stars.

Riot Fest is revered for reuniting classic bands from years past (last year the UK’s Cock Sparrer electrified audiences in two sold out shows). This year is no exception. Snapcase plays their first show outside their hometown of Buffalo in years, Articles of Faith play with their original line-up for the first time in 25 years, Bhopal Stiffs reunite for one Riot Fest show only, New York crossover giants Cro-mags return and Negative Approach play a rare show. Corrosion of Conformity will return for their first show with the original three-piece "Animosity"-era line up of Mike Dean, Reed Mullin and Woody Weatherman, performing songs from "Animosity" and "Technocracy".

An extraordinary array of punk bands will take the stages at Congress Theater, Metro, House of Blues, Double Door and Subterranean. There will 17 shows over five venues (not including secret shows), making 5 day passes extraordinarily economical. With more headliners than ever before, Riot Fest saw the need to make traversing the city easier and answered the call – 2010 will find shuttle buses running from Cobra Lounge (there is ample free parking nearby) to each venue and back, where rumor has it that late-night free shows will be going down. A series of official Riot Fest secret shows will be announced via RiotFest.org; they’ll take place undisclosed locations over the summer and fall.

Now in its sixth year, Riot Fest has come a long way in a very short time. When Mike Petryshyn launched Riot Fest in 2005, only two of the bands he really wanted to play agreed to do so. In the first five years, 25,000 fans have attended to see over 200 bands.

Learn more at riotfest.org.

One of the most distinctive and respected songwriters of the Deep South, Tony Joe White, gets raw and real on his new record, <em>The Shine</em>, set for September 28 release on his own Swamp Records. <em>The Shine</em> is a stripped-down collection of ten new White-penned songs that beautifully lays bare his rich, nuanced baritone, and distinctive brand of swampy southern soul.

While White’s last record, the critically acclaimed ‘Uncovered,’ featured a slew of special guests including Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Michael McDonald and J.J. Cale, ‘The Shine’ is all about White. He produced and recorded the album himself in his home studio outside Nashville. From the first whispery notes of "Season Man," in which he recounts an ominous dream, to the record’s closing track, "A Place to Watch the Sun Go Down," <em>The Shine</em> is an album of understated beauty and beguiling mystery.

Over the past five decades, Tony Joe White a.k.a. the Swamp Fox, has scored major hits of his own, and seen some immortal artists turn his compositions into signature songs–from Elvis Presley’s version of "Polk Salad Annie" to Ray Charles’ take on "Rainy Night In Georgia." Tony Joe has also written for Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Kenny Chesney, Hank Williams Jr. and Dusty Springfield to name but a few.

White will tour extensively this fall. Learn more at tonyjoewhite.com.

Steve Earle has received an Emmy Award Nomination for his song, "This City" in the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Category. The new song closed the season finale of HBO’s series "Treme." Produced by T Bone Burnett and featuring arrangements by Allen Toussaint, "This City" was written specifically for the series. From David Simon (creator of The Wire) and Eric Overmyer (writer/producer of Law &amp; Order), "Treme" begins in the fall of 2005, three months after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation on the city of New Orleans. The series title refers to one of New Orleans’ oldest neighborhoods and a historically important source of music and culture. The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards telecast, which will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon, will air on August 29th on NBC. This is Steve Earle’s first Emmy Award Nomination.

As he appeared in the critically acclaimed David Simon series, "The Wire"/, Steve Earle played a recurring character, Harley, a street musician, in three episodes of "Treme". When speaking about the brand new song, Steve Earle stated, "David Simon came on the set one day and asked me to write a song that my character would have written in ’05. The next morning I woke up and wrote it."

Steve Earle has also announced summer tour dates with Electric Hot Tuna in addition to multiple nights, which begin this evening, in his adoptive hometown of New York City at the City Winery. Each night will feature his wife, critically acclaimed singer songwriter Allison Moorer and special guests. Among those announced are Roseanne Cash, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Greg Trooper, and Steve Earle’s son, the critically acclaimed singer songwriter, Justin Townes Earle.

To read more, go to steveearle.com.

Alejandro Escovedo’s 10th album, <em>Street Songs Of Love</em>, was released last week and made the highest chart debut of the Texas troubadour’s career at #93 on <em>Billboard</em>’s Top 200 Album chart. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker chart.

The new record, out on Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group, features Bruce Springsteen, Ian Hunter, and was produced by Tony Visconti.

Alejandro’s summer tour continues and he will perform on "The Late Show with David Letterman" July 21. Learn more at alejandroescovedo.com.

The third annual SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL (SSMF), set for Aug. 26-28, 2010, has announced 2010 honoree Slash will perform with FERGIE and MYLES KENNEDY–two of the vocalists on Slash’s self-titled album, which topped the charts as the #1 rock album and #3 on the Billboard Top 200 list in its first week of release–during the Saturday, August 28 outdoor street festival. Organizers also announced COMMON, SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS, NEON TREES, BIG B, and STEEL PANTHER have been added to the street festival lineup that is being headlined by the previously announced Smashing Pumpkins.
The boulevard is closed to traffic between Doheny Drive and San Vicente Boulevard and will be transformed into a premier concert destination with outdoor stages, beer gardens, a VIP lounge, food trucks, interactive experiences and live performances within the venues during the day.

Multi-Grammy Award-winning musician and noted actor Common, who has spent his career pushing boundaries and taking listeners out of their comfort zones with his socially conscious words, will close the East outdoor stage. The street fest will also feature Semi Precious Weapons (whose appearance marks a break in their tour with Lady Gaga and a return to their Sunset Strip roots); Neon Trees (who "are excited to share the stage with such an amazing eclectic group of artists as well as have the time to become fans for the day"); Big B with special guests (known for his high caliber collaborations with guest performers, Big B will preview songs from his upcoming fifth studio album); and a larger than life performance by The Sunset Strip’s resident heavy metal band Steel Panther.

For more, visit www.ssmf.com.

The Grascals kept their cool as a 100-plus degree heat wave hovered over the mid-state during an all-day video shoot for their current country and bluegrass radio single, "Last Train To Clarksville." Directed by Marcel Chagnon (Clay Walker’s "She Won’t Be Lonely Long"), the piece was filmed at several locations, including Cummins Station/The Gulch, Lower Broadway and at Franklin, Tennessee’s Riverstone Farm.

A bright orange 1966 Dodge van co-stars with the band and is featured throughout the video. Quick close-ups of each Grascal, mixed with fast-frame action, keep the tempo pumping. Director Marcel’s choice of the 12 frames-per-second shooting technique gives the clip an intentional, stop-motion feel reminiscent of 1960s and ’70s home movies. The video gives a strong, original "shout-out" to The Monkees and their 1966 #1 hit with "Last Train."

The single, the first release from their newest CD, <em>THE FAMOUS LEFTY FLYNN’S</em>, has just shipped to country radio, but is already a proven hit on the bluegrass charts. "Last Train To Clarksville" currently holds the #2 spot on the Bluegrass Music Profiles July Chart and is #20, on the July Bluegrass Unlimited Chart. <em>THE FAMOUS LEFTY FLYNN’S</em> is currently #3 on the <em>BILLBOARD</em> Top Bluegrass Albums Chart, # 2 on the Bluegrass Unlimited Chart and #1 on the Bluegrass Music Profiles Top 10 National Bluegrass CD Chart.

Learn more at www.grascals.com.

Fender Musical Instruments Corp. (FMIC) is proud to announce that it will honor rock legend Jimi Hendrix and founding employee George Fullerton at its fourth annual Fender Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony August 13 at the Tempe Center of the Arts in Tempe, Arizona.

The Fender Hall of Fame was created in 2007 as an annual celebration of Fender founders, artists, leaders, innovators and other historically significant figures, and as an institution in which their contributions to the company’s legacy are permanently commemorated.

Special guests at the 2010 induction ceremony will include Janie Hendrix, Eddie Kramer, Geoff Fullerton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Chris Layton.

Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC, is the central figure in preserving and protecting the ongoing legacy of her legendary stepbrother, Jimi Hendrix. As the head of the Hendrix estate for nearly a decade, she will be present at the induction ceremony that afternoon to accept the honor on behalf of Jimi Hendrix and the Hendrix family.

Over a career spanning nearly half a century, world-famous recording producer and engineer Eddie Kramer is well known as the man who recorded Jimi Hendrix; playing an integral role in recording every seminal Hendrix album from the 1967 debut Are You Experienced to 1971’s The Cry of Love. Kramer is unquestionably one of the most renowned and well-respected producer/engineers in rock history; his work has also included famous albums for the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Peter Frampton and many other artists.

Fender’s own Geoff Fullerton is the son of George Fullerton, one of Leo Fender’s best friends, first employees and key right-hand men during Fender’s original 1940s-1960s golden age. A generation later, Geoff Fullerton has lent his own talents as a builder to the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, Calif.; he remains there today and will be on hand at the induction ceremony to accept the honor on behalf of his father and family.

The fourth annual Fender Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will also feature a musical performance by noted blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd, ably backed by premier electric blues drummer Chris Layton, formerly of Double Trouble and also known for his work with a variety of artists including Storyville, Arc Angels, Doyle Bramhall II and many others.

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (1942-1970) is universally hailed as the greatest electric guitarist in the history of rock and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. In the annals of rock history-and especially in Fender history-he towers above all others as an artist whose life and work were as phenomenal as the era which he helped to define and personify.

Innovative, enigmatic and astoundingly talented, Hendrix pioneered an explosive new role for the electric guitar in the latter 1960s over the course of a meteoric career that was as musically adventurous as it was all too brief. Indeed, one can only speculate on the even greater musical heights he would have achieved had he lived beyond the age of 27.

With bands the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys, he recorded groundbreaking hit singles and albums, including Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold as Love (1967), Electric Ladyland (1968) and Band of Gypsys (1970), all of which are as acclaimed and influential today as when first released. A mesmerizing performer, Hendrix also turned in unforgettable concert moments, including his literally fiery performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and his immortal appearance at the 1969 Woodstock Music &amp; Art Fair.

With his Stratocaster guitar slung upside down and his artful and inventive use of distortion, feedback, and other effects, Jimi Hendrix bequeathed to the world an artistic legacy so powerful that he has transcended mere stardom to become a worldwide cultural phenomenon that endures to this day.

George William Fullerton (1923-2009) played a pivotal role during Fender’s original 1940s-1960s golden age.

In the mid-1940s, as a gifted artist and working musician with a keen interest in electronics, George became friends with Leo Fender. The two men eventually became business associates after Leo personally enlisted George to sign on with the fledgling guitar and amplifier company. With his artistic sense and natural ability to translate ideas into practical processes and machinery on the shop floor, Fullerton contributed to the creation of several of the most important musical instruments of the 20th century, including the Telecaster&reg;, Stratocaster, Precision Bass and Jazz Bass&reg; guitars.

George Fullerton reported to work at Fender on Feb. 2, 1948, after performing several years of side work for Leo. He ran the small shop and supervised the crew during those first formative years, bringing a congenial, family-like atmosphere to the feisty young company. He became vice president in charge of production in April 1959, and from that early era through the 1960s, he remained both well liked by everyone at Fender and steadfastly loyal to Leo, with whom he remained a lifelong friend and business partner long after both men retired from Fender in 1970. For more, visit www.fender.com.

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) today announced the appointment of Larry Thomas to Chief Executive Officer, following the retirement of long-time Chairman and CEO Bill Mendello. The announcement is part of a corporate succession plan that has been in place for nearly a year and officially positions Thomas in his new role, effective Aug. 1, 2010. Thomas was appointed to the FMIC Board of Directors in 2009 and brings nearly 40 years of music industry experience to FMIC, including his successful tenure (1996-2004) as Chairman and CEO of Guitar Center, Inc.

The organizational move also names current FMIC Board members, Mark Fukunaga and Michael Lazarus as Co-Chairmen, effective Aug. 1, 2010. Mark Fukunaga has served as a member of the FMIC Board of Directors since July 1993 and is currently the Chairman and CEO of Servco Pacific Inc. Michael Lazarus has served as a member of the FMIC Board of Directors since December 2001. Lazarus co&amp;#8209;founded Weston Presidio, a private equity firm and FMIC’s largest shareholder, in 1991, where he currently serves as Managing Partner.

"Larry Thomas is a proven entrepreneur and seasoned professional manager with an impressive record of success throughout his entire career," said Lazarus.

"We are very excited about our opportunity to work closely with Larry as he continues to build the FMIC culture and lead the FMIC team into the future," said Fukunaga.

"I am delighted to be able to pass the leadership of FMIC into the very capable hands of Larry Thomas," said Mendello. "Larry is a widely-respected person with an incredible amount of experience and valuable insight about music companies and music retailers, large and small. He is one of the true legends in the industry and brings the credentials that will help lead FMIC to even greater future success."

"It is an incredible honor and responsibility to be chosen to lead Fender Musical Instruments Corporation," said Thomas. "As one of the world’s best known and most respected companies, there continues to be great potential in the FMIC brands, and I look forward to contributing to future success while growing the company’s powerful musical legacy."

Thomas began his career in 1971 with instrument wholesaler/importer Buegeleisen and Jacobson, Inc. He joined Guitar Center in 1977 as a salesperson, subsequently rising through increasingly responsible roles including store manager, regional manager, general manager, president and ultimately chairman and CEO. At Guitar Center, he played an integral role in the company’s continued growth, acquisitions and subsequent public offerings, and eventual status as the largest, most popular music chain in North America.