Henriette Sennenvaldt, the former frontwoman of the acclaimed, boundary-defying Danish band, Under Byen, delves further into the far edges of jazz-pop on her debut solo LP, Something Wonderful out this Friday via Paper Bag Records. Today, she releases “Very Fantastic”, a dark jazz lament carried by Sennenvaldt’s soft whispers and swelling orchestral horns. Addictive to the ear, it rewards the patient listener with a tune both generous and strange. Inspired by watching technicolor musicals, Bambi, and The Godfather as a kid and listening to Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come, Sennenvaldt shares, “I consider it both lament and ode, a burial procession. It’s sort of a field recording – reporting on bombasticness, and overwhelmedness, and claustrophobia. And – like many songs of this album – it’s also about light and luminosity, the shimmering of in-between, disintegration, melting, union."

Stream / Share: “Very Fantastic”

Listeners were previously ushered into Henriette’s mysterious music space with album opener and lead single, "New Skill" and the evocative, haunting “Clumsy”. Throughout Something Wonderful, horns blow – feverishly, delicately, confused, or structured – in the richly instrumented arrangements’ collage-like style that encourage each voice to do more than merely accompany. They contradict each other, often appear out of joint, approach and leave abruptly or softly, and form a continuity of interruption that carves out a choppy, precarious groove someplace between fragility and possibility. The album was recorded by Peter Barnow, Nils Gröndahl, Mike Hillier, John McEntire and Henriette Sennenvaldt in various sessions in Chicago, Copenhagen and London over 2016 - 2019.

Coming off a breakthrough year, including receiving their first JUNO Award nominations for “Rock Album of the Year” and “Breakthrough Group” earlier this week, today powerhouse Canadian rock duo Crown Lands — Cody Bowles (vocals and drums) and Kevin Comeau (guitar, bass, and keys) — make their mighty return with two new songs “Context: Fearless Pt. 1” and “Right Way Back.” Backed by Universal Music Canada, the band premiered the tracks and the seven-minute official video for “Context: Fearless Pt. 1” with Rolling Stone. The songs bring Crown Lands back to their prog-rock roots and point the way to a limitless future while connecting the group to their legendary countrymen Rush, the band that served as their initial inspiration, in ways they never could have expected. “Context: Fearless Pt. 1” is a full-circle moment for Crown Lands as their admiration for Rush is returned back to them by three producers who were vital to Rush’s iconic career.  Bowles reflects, “To have grown up with nothing but the purest adoration for this band, to have finally scaled the impossible summit together and sit at the table with our heroes is a humbling surreality unlike anything else. Working with these legendary producers-now-friends is something we hold near and dear to us. If life is a wheel, please let it spin.”

Watch / Share:
“Context: Fearless Pt. 1” + “Right Way Back”
Stream Here

Early last year, Crown Lands revisited “Context: Fearless Pt. 1”, a song they had been working on for years. They cut early demos with Terry Brown, Rush’s producer for ten years – a dream come true for two massive Rush fans. After touring and performing the song live, it got sharper - so they decided to re-record it. This time around, they travelled to Nashville to collaborate with Nick Raskulinecz, Rush’s producer in their later years. “These guys are the two most important producers in Rush’s career,” says Comeau. But the day before the scheduled session, Rush’s legendary drummer Neil Peart died after a fight with brain cancer. Crown Lands assumed the trip was off, but Raskulinecz texted them with a message: “you guys need to carry the torch — you need to come down here.” In the studio, the producer brought out a drum kit that Peart had used on the 2007 Snakes & Arrows album for Bowles to play – in what they call “the most spiritual experience in my life.” Finally, to produce the vocals, the duo hooked up with David Bottrill — who remixed Vapor Trails, Rush’s 2002 comeback record. “He’s the mythical third Rush-associated producer,” says a disbelieving Comeau. “This one fucking song had the triad of Rush producers!”

The second new song, “Right Way Back,” is a tribute to Peart that came almost effortlessly. They brought it to Nashville as a rough demo, working out the chorus and writing the lyrics on the spot. “It’s about the feeling of trying to carry on from where your heroes left off,” says Comeau.

The final recording for “Context: Fearless Pt. 1” is an epic, hydra-headed beast of a song, complete with a full-scale, Mandalorian-style sci-fi music video which premiered on today with Rolling Stone. Crown Lands enlisted Blake Mawson, their collaborator on the “Leadfoot” video, to help them realize their concept.

"When Crown Lands approached me about working on a second video together, I was blown away by the scope of the vision they had in mind for their upcoming release,” said Mawson. “In the video, Crown Lands saw themselves as space travelers on a diplomatic mission to spread music to new worlds. A sort of retro-galactic space fable. Among their stop-overs on this voyage is a fallen civilization on a planet where music and hope had been lost for generations.” Watch the seven-minute intergalactic Orc-filled adventure here.

Soul Land Records announces new compilation Soul Land Music Series: Volume 1 out August 6, a collection of live music inspired by the life of spiritual teacher and cultural icon, Baba Ram Dass. With the announcement, they share first compilation single “Mid-America Motel” from Experimental-Americana band Dirtwire featuring Ram Dass and accompanying music video by acclaimed visual artist Johnathan Singer (Grateful Dead, Tipper, Dead & Company). Representing a merging point of ancient eastern spiritual traditions and contemporary western music culture, the band invites listeners into a “Mid-America Motel” for the peak of a psychedelic experience, illustrated through the interpolated, transformative words of Ram Dass and his meditation wisdom. Offering an eclectic and expressive assortment of genres ranging from folk and world, jam, rock and kirtan, to ambient electronic meditations, the new collection leads listeners through an ethereal and entertaining journey to the heart. 

Dirtwire shares: “This track was built off of a jam that was initially recorded at Echo Mountain studios in Asheville, North Carolina. We felt we had a match when we tried combining it with Ram Dass' description of a powerful psychedelic experience he had in the Mid-America motel in Salina, Kansas. Something about the cyclical mystery of the harmonic progression and the sound of a vintage Telecaster through a vintage amp seemed to resonate with how he speaks of the transcendental set within the familiar, felt to us like expressions of a spiritual Americana that lies just below the surface of what this country believes itself to be. As we started to shape the music underneath Ram Dass' story, we began to add new parts to underlie and support the narrative tension. We found that musically, at the point Ram Dass' of surrender and ego death, the underlying tension of the guitar ostinato could rupture to support his realization - and through it an entirely new world of release and realization could be built.”

Featuring American Jam band Papadosio, soulful singer/songwriter Trevor Hall, chant master Krishna Das, artfully melodic East Forest, Shantala’s Benjy Wertheimer on the Esraj, the sophisticated electronic atmosphere of Boreta/Superposition (The Glitch Mob), and more extraordinary musicians. The collection is made up of hand-selected mastered tracks from each artist’s unique and specially-curated live performance on the first season of the virtual concert series Soul Land Music Series: Songs & Stories Inspired by Ram Dass. Soul Land Music Series: Volume 1 serves as a way to both honor Ram Dass’ deep connection to music, and provide listeners with a tool to bypass the thinking mind and be welcomed with open arms into the heartspace that is Soul Land. 

Today, four-time Grammy-winning pianist, composer, and producer Robert Glasper announced a pair of one-off, visually immersive live streams presented in partnership with On Air. The first show, Robert Glasper Electric Trio, will air on Friday, October 8 at 8pm EDT, PDT, BST* & AEST* (*October 9) with guests Burniss Travis, Justin Tyson, and DJ Jahi Sundance sitting in with Glasper on stage. The second stream, Dinner Party — a nod to last year’s critically acclaimed self-titled album — sees the Robert Glasper Electric Trio lineup adding long-time collaborator, co-producer, and creative partner Terrace Martin, as well as Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. Dinner Party will stream on Friday, October 29 at 8pm EDT, PDT, BST* & AEST* (*October 30). Tickets are available for both streams here.
 
Robert says, “I’m really excited for people to see these shows. People have been asking when I’m coming to their city but I can’t travel everywhere right now, obviously. It was a really cool experience to perform in the space with 3D screens. It looked kind of trippy and fun while we were recording, so I’m looking forward to watching it again and being able to experience it with fans that can’t see me live right now. I hope they have as much fun watching it as we did while recording it.”
 
On Air is pushing the boundary by offering live streams in 4K UHD resolution and Dolby Atmos sound — providing fans with a rare opportunity to see one of this generation’s foremost artistic talents operating amongst state-of-the-art production design in a quality truly befitting of his music. On Air CEO Jakub Krampl says, “We are very excited to announce that On Air’s first production out of the US will be with the incredibly talented, 4x Grammy winning Robert Glasper. Given the current travel restrictions, On Air, with the help of our global partners, did the entire production remotely. We couldn’t have asked for a better performer than Robert, and we can’t wait for everyone to see not one, but two (!!) incredible shows”.

 
Robert Glasper is the leader of a new sonic paradigm whose work and accolades bridge all aspects of the music business — from live touring to film scoring, composing and producing. To date, he boasts four Grammy wins and nine nominations across eight categories, and an Emmy Award for his song for Ava Duvernay’s critically hailed documentary 13th with Common and Karriem Riggins. Glasper is entrenched as the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists including Kendrick Lamar, Herbie Hancock, Mos Def, Bilal, Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Kaytranda, and more. With boundless innovation and elite technique as his signature, it’s no surprise that Glasper has an avalanche of accolades, awards, and achievements to his name. He’s an artist at the heart of a moment — and a movement — to champion Black music, Black people, and the possibility of a better future.

Today, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Corrina Repp announced her new album Island, out November 12 via Jealous Butcher Records, and shared the lead single + video, “Count The Tear Drops.” Soft, spare strumming sets the mood for catharsis as Corrina muses on confronting sadness and honoring grief; her bright voice falling like rain on a dry day, constructing a sound both plaintive and serene. Repp explains, “In order to be able to move through and past grief, one must look into its eyes and name it. ‘Count the Tear Drops’ is about sitting with pain and loss and trying to find a way to live with it. Somehow the sun still rises and we are still here celebrating the smallest of things that keep us going.”

“Count The Tear Drops”: Listen / Watch

Island is Corrina’s first self-written and self-recorded album, produced in a tiny apartment on a hill in Echo Park during a time of isolation at the start of the pandemic. Resonant and resolute, the album is suffused with peaceful energy, touching on universal themes while existing as a document of Corrina’s inner life during that time. Hyper-focused due to these limits, Repp drew on her natural strengths of voice and guitar, resulting in music even more markedly intimate than her previous work. Island spans everything from haunting folk to exploratory guitar to cinematic pop, with Corrina’s voice and instrument taking turns sharing center stage. In Corrina’s sparse yet emotive way, her album calmly presents a score for our everyday lives that is as elegant as it is frank in both form and substance.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Corrina Repp originally emerged in the Portland scene where, across six albums, the critically acclaimed guitarist and singer-songwriter developed her sound and carved out a space for her music. During that time, she also joined experimental indie rock band Tu Fawning, which allowed her to explore and hone her skills in a quartet setting. In addition to her musical history, Corrina has graced television screens across the country, thanks to recurring turns on Portlandia and an on-screen performance of her song “Lightest Light” on FX’s Better Things. The critically acclaimed show also featured Repp’s “Release Me,” as did others like Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black, and The Fosters. Her song “Only A Beat” was also featured in the credits of the Netflix film, Mercy Black.

Island Track List:

1. End Of A Gun
2. The Shore
3. One Summer
4. The Hurt Or The Fight
5. Count The Tear Drops
6. Capture A Thing
7. Popular Goods For Giving You A Feel Of Nature
8. Passenger
9. We Were Once On An Island

In anticipation of his new EP, Reflections, out Friday (October 8) via Shamir’s Accidental Popstar Records, Philly psych-folk singer-songwriter Grant Pavol returns today with a new single “No Disasters,” first premiered via FLOOD Magazine. After the lead, roseate single “Bright Skies,” the song today is a swirling psychedelic hash of skittering, electronically-programmed drums, acoustic guitars, and nervy atmospherics as lyrically, Grant invokes a sense of tense, agoraphobic dread.

“This one is about having a breakdown at a party,” Grant says. “A friend of mine was describing to me a really intense experience they had where they basically locked themselves in the bathroom at a house party and had a freakout. I had been living at a show house for about eight months before Covid hit, so I had a lot of experiences hiding out in my room while shows were going on, and still hearing the music pulsing through the walls. It can feel pretty claustrophobic. I drew on that heavily for the track.”

“No Disasters”: Listen / Share

Energized by his hometown of Philadelphia and influenced by surrendering to time, Reflections is aptly titled. Like looking out across a river in a melancholy mood, or gazing into a window where you only end up seeing yourself, Pavol delivers sophisticated psychedelic folk that is expertly layered with experimental electronic production. “I wanted the whole thing to feel like a pop record as heard in a dream, to be music which hits in the same way as John Ashbery’s poetry or David Lynch’s films,” he explains. “Everything is languid and moves like a gentle river. I wanted the EP to carry you.”
 
With a focus on his impressionistic writing, Grant is more concerned with the sound of syllables and putting the auditory aspect of his words ahead of their dictionary meaning. An avid reader and poet, it’s no surprise that two separate tracks (“Beckett” and “Pachyderm”) reference mid-century absurdist writing. Pavol plays loose and free in his artistic work, never taking himself too seriously. Making faces at himself in an echo chamber of mirrors, reflecting on unpleasant emotions without ruminating, all while remaining crisp in his production. Says Grant, “It feels like a project which has a consistent and defined creative impulse behind it, and I’m quite proud of that.”
 
Wise beyond his years, the born-and-raised Philly artist grew up in the thriving DIY scene with a creative family, which allowed him to start going to shows at a young age. Inspired by the likes of Nick Drake & Arthur Russell, Grant Pavol follows in a tradition of singer-songwriters—dedicated to his craft at an early age—teaching himself guitar as a tender teenager. Pavol shared his debut EP, titled Okay, in the spring of 2019 as Accidental Popstar Records’ first release, after befriending label founder/multi-hyphenate Shamir Bailey at shows in basements and backyards. What then followed was his stunning solo debut LP album About A Year, released in the fall of 2020.
 
Reflections Tracklist
1. Staying In The Water
2. Beckett
3. Comparison
4. Pachyderm
5. No Disasters
6. Bright Skies
7. Reflections

Today, acclaimed Austin-based ensemble Wild Child shared their brand new single “Photographs.” It’s a soulful, brass-filled outing rich with playful studio adornments that marks not just the return of the band after their 2018 full length Expectations, but also for the powerhouse writing duo of Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins. “‘Photographs’ is one of the first songs we wrote after a couple years of not writing together,” Beggins says. “It has a familiar presence to songs we wrote when we were starting out but with a chiseled maturity.” The track is just the first taste of more new Wild Child material to come in the coming months.

Wilson and Beggins will also hit the road for a series of acoustic shows with special guest John Calvin Abney in December, including a run of appearances in Texas that will feature a string quartet. Tickets for all of the dates are available here.

Listen/Share: “Photographs”

Wild Child is known for spreading its infectious blend of indie-pop and ear-worm melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits to the tune of over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 100 million streams to date. The band first formed in 2010 when the group's core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk (2011). Since then they’ve released three additional albums, The Runaround (2013), Fools (2015), and Expectations (2018), which saw the band welcome other artists like Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie), Scott McMicken (Dr. Dog), Matthew Logan Vasquez (Delta Spirit), and Max Frost into the fold. Along the way, Wild Child has become a live act that’s not to be missed, as seen during their episode of Austin City Limits, which has earned the band a diverse and dedicated fan base. After today’s release, fans far and wide won’t have to wait much longer to be a part of Wild Child’s exciting next chapter.

Wild Child Live Dates:
Dec 3             San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Dec 5             Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Dec 6             San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
Dec 8             Dallas, TX* @ Kessler Theater
Dec 9             Austin, TX * @ The O4 Center
Dec 10           Austin, TX * @ The O4 Center
Dec 16           Houston, TX* @ The Heights Theater
 
*w/ String Quartet, John Calvin Abney, & Skylar Wilson

Today, veteran reggae group Easy Star All-Stars return with the announcement of their newest album, a re-imagined rendition of David Bowie’s classic The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars, aptly entitled Ziggy Stardub, out April 21 via Easy Star Records. The album features guest performances by Macy Gray, Steel Pulse, Fishbone, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), The Skints, Mortimer, The Expanders, Samory I, Naomi Cowan, and many others. Pre-order packages of the album will be available on the easystar.com webstore, including a limited edition exclusive vinyl – 250 hand-numbered units printed on tri-colored pressings of red, gold, and green – along with CD and exclusive t-shirt offerings.

Alongside the news, the group also shared the first taste of the project with “Starman,” featuring vocals by the Grammy-nominated reggae star Maxi Priest. First shared by Rolling Stone, the All-Stars and Maxi Priest put their signature twist on the beloved hit, making use of reggae drum patterns and vocal styles as they reforge Bowie’s work into a fresh piece of danceable reggae fusion. Michael Goldwasser, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist of the band says, “We chose ‘Starman’ as first single for this project because it’s the song most pivotal to the loose storyline of the original album, and it’s become the best known track on the record as well. We utilized the flying cymbal drum pattern, first popularized by producer Bunny Lee and drummer Santa Davis in the mid ‘70s, to give even more lift and make the song that much more danceable. Maxi Priest’s vocals and the live strings helped us anchor key melodic elements of the original, while we balanced some heavy dub effects throughout with a pop sensibility.”

Listen / Share: “Starman” ft. Maxi Priest

Blending musical versatility, instrumental prowess, beautiful vocal harmonies, and a premier rhythm section, Easy Star All-Stars have established themselves as one of the top international reggae acts on the scene for over two decades. During this time, they’ve toured in over 30 countries on 6 continents, bringing together fans of reggae, classic rock, dub, and indie rock into one big family. Previous releases of the band’s long standing collection of tribute albums include Dub Side of the Moon (2003), a critically-acclaimed reggae re-working of Radiohead’s OK Computer, Radiodread (2006), Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band (2009), and Easy Star’s Thrillah (2012), as well as the remix album Dubber Side of the Moon (2010). The All-Stars have also released two original collections, Until That Day EP (2008) and First Light (2011).
 
About Maxi Priest:
Acclaimed British reggae vocalist Maxi Priest rose up through the late 80s and 90s to become one of the most internationally successful reggae solo artists in the world. His cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” gave Priest his first US smash hit, eventually gaining him worldwide recognition. His 1990 album Bonafide achieved gold status and the trans-Atlantic chart-topper “Close to You” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Over the course of ten albums and countless live performances all over the globe, Priest has unleashed a one-world music that heals, rejuvenates, and uplifts. He is widely credited with helping spread the gospel of reggae and Caribbean music.
 
Ziggy Stardub Tracklist:
1. Five Years (ft. Steel Pulse)
2. Soul Love (ft. Mortimer)
3. Moonage Daydream (ft. Naomi Cowan)
4. Starman (ft. Maxi Priest)
5. It Ain't Easy (ft. Samory I)
6. Lady Stardust (ft. SunDub)
7. Star (ft. Carlton Livingston)
8. Hang On To Yourself (ft. Fishbone and JonnyGo Figure)
9. Ziggy Stardust (ft. The Skints)
10. Suffragette City (ft. The Expanders)
11. Rock 'n' Roll Suicide (ft. Macy Gray)
12. Five Years Dub
13. Moonage Daydream Dub
14. Lady Stardust Dub
15. All The Young Dudes (ft. Kirsty Rock)

Today, acclaimed Austin-based ensemble Wild Child announced their new album End of the World, out March 31 via Reba’s Ranch Records, their new self-run label exclusively distributed by Secretly Distribution. Accompanying the news is a brand new single, the LP’s title track, “End of the World,” a barnburning ode to contemporary dangers and the ways in which these major fears color the little things in our lives. The track’s origins come from the catharsis at the tail end of the deadly Texas ice storm in 2021. “Amidst the chaos, ‘End Of The World’ was conceived as a reflection or means of trying to make sense of all of the unsettling events unfolding in front of us in real time and around the world,” says one half of the band’s core songwriting duo, Alexander Beggins. “After the ice began to melt and we were able to drive to the studio in Denton, TX, 'Lean On Me' came on the radio and added a top-notch layer of levity to the surreal moment. We recorded 'End of the World' right when we got to the studio, infused with all of the cabin fever and frantic energy of the previous week."

Listen / Share: “End of the World”

To support the new record, the band have also announced an extensive US tour this spring. This will mark the group’s first post-Covid tour featuring the full band, including its newest member, John Calvin Abney, who joined Beggins and co-founding member Kelsey Wilson on a string of stripped-down acoustic shows late last year. Abney joins Wild Child as the first songwriter to collaborate with the duo on an album. Pre-orders will begin on Thursday, February 2 here.

End of the World, the band’s fifth full length album, and their first since 2018’s Expectations, finds the band delving deeper into the contemplative edge which has long colored their songs. Earlier singles “Wearing Blue” and “Photographs” see the band expanding intimate, folky songs into lush, full band arrangements. The record finds the band – known for their explorations of love and intimacy – at an impasse; how can we continue to love and thrive in the post-pandemic era?

The album was born out of a distance between the band’s core songwriters as they headed in different sonic directions. Wilson joined the singer-songwriter super group, Glorietta, and debuted her genre-bending, Motown/Neo-Soul-influenced solo project, Sir Woman, while Beggins unveiled his musical alter-ego, Coco Zani. By then, the two didn't know if they would ever make another Wild Child record. However, once pandemic lockdowns closed stages and drained bank accounts, the two knew they had to act. Lockdown brought about virtual shows and songwriting sessions while adding new vitality to the group.

"It felt like our very first record, when the two of us wrote a bunch of songs while on tour for someone else. There wasn't any aim to do anything with those songs at the beginning. For the first time since then, that's how we started writing these songs. We didn't know if we would make another record. It just came together," Beggins says. Sometimes, the “End of the World” is only the beginning.

Wild Child is known for spreading its infectious blend of indie-pop and ear-worm melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits to the tune of over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 100 million streams to date. The band first formed in 2010 when the group's core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk (2011). Since then they’ve released three additional albums, The Runaround (2013), Fools (2015), and Expectations (2018). Along the way, Wild Child has become a live act that’s not to be missed, as seen during their episode of Austin City Limits, which has earned the band a diverse and dedicated fan base.
 
About Reba’s Ranch Records:
The Wild Child family is excited to announce the birth of Reba’s Ranch Records, a long-time vision of creating their own record label imprint to highlight some of the amazing music coming out of Austin, TX.  The label was born after years of conversations within the band about the importance of controlling one’s own destiny and art. The imprint will be home to the Wild Child catalog, Kelsey’s Sir Woman and Alexander's CocoZandi recordings. 
 
End of the World Tracklist:
1. Bottom Line
2. Cheap Champagne
3. Could’ve Fooled Me
4. Dear John
5. End of the World
6. Good Luck
7. Love On a Bad Day
8. Photographs
9. Ride With Me
10. Sleeping In
11. Underwhelmed
12. Wearing Blue
 
Wild Child Live Dates:
April 13         Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
April 14         New York, NY @ Racket
April 15         Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
April 16         Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
April 18         Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
April 19         Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
April 20         Nashville, TN @ Blue Room @ Thurman
April 22         Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
April 23         Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
May 5            Austin, TX @ Emo’s
May 6            Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips FTW
May 9            Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
May 11          Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 12          Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 13          Fort Collins, CO @ The Aggie Theatre
May 14          Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
May 16          Boise, ID @ The Olympic
May 18          Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 19          Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 20          Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
May 21          Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall

Today, groundbreaking reggae group Easy Star All-Stars shared “Moonage Daydream,” the newest single from their upcoming album Ziggy Stardub – a reggae reimagining of David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars – out April 21 via Easy Star Records. First premiered via Consequence, the hypnotic track is a sultry rendition of the classic version. Featuring vocals by Naomi Cowan, the track closes with a fittingly cosmic guitar solo by Alex Lifeson of Rush. The result is a hazy, dub-leaning homage – while also making nods to David Bowie’s signature baroque glam, with a full string section and a flute solo from Jenny Hill replacing Bowie’s recorder from the original track. Michael Goldwasser, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist of the band says, “This has been my favorite tune on the Bowie album since I first started listening as a teenager. In light of that, it’s interesting that it’s the song that I changed most radically by simplifying the chord progression and pedaling on one bass line for the entire track, which gives it somewhat of a hypnotic effect and roots it in reggae tradition.”
 
Easy Star All-Stars will also be playing an album release show to celebrate Ziggy Stardub on Thursday, April 20 at Sony Hall in New York City. The 420 show (an annual tradition for the All-Stars in their hometown) will also feature special guests Sister Carol and Cannabis Cup Band, with more to be announced. Tickets are available here. The band will also be performing at the  Sea.Hear.Now music festival in New Jersey later this year.

Listen / Share: “Moonage Daydream” ft. Naomi Cowan

Ziggy Stardub features guest performances by Macy Gray, Steel Pulse, Maxi Priest, Fishbone, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), The Skints, Mortimer, The Expanders, Samory I, and many others. Pre-order packages of the album are available here, including royal blue colored vinyl along with CD and exclusive t-shirt offerings.
 
Blending musical versatility, instrumental prowess, beautiful vocal harmonies, and a premier rhythm section, Easy Star All-Stars have established themselves as one of the top international reggae acts on the scene for over two decades. During this time, they’ve toured in over 30 countries on 6 continents, bringing together fans of reggae, classic rock, dub, and indie rock into one big family. Previous releases of the band’s long standing collection of tribute albums include Dub Side of the Moon (2003), a critically-acclaimed reggae re-working of Radiohead’s OK Computer, Radiodread (2006), Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band (2009), and Easy Star’s Thrillah (2012), as well as the remix album Dubber Side of the Moon (2010). The All-Stars have also released two original collections, Until That Day EP (2008) and First Light (2011).
 
About Naomi Cowan:
Singer and songwriter Naomi Cowan is no stranger to the world of music and entertainment. Raised under the mentorship of her parents, impresario Tommy Cowan (producer, songwriter, and former road manager for Bob Marley) and internationally revered reggae vocalist Carlene Davis. Touted as one of the top rising female artists in Caribbean music, Cowan was recognized as the Breakthrough Reggae Artist at the 2019 Jamaica Reggae Industry Awards. Her hit single “Paradise Plum” has topped several reggae charts and has become a staple in the new wave of reggae music.
 
About Alex Lifeson:
Canadian guitarist Alex Lifeson is best known for his 40+ years as a member of the acclaimed and beloved rock band Rush. A member of the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame, and included on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” there are few living guitarists more acclaimed and influential. In 1996, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2012 he received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, Canada’s highest artistic honor.

Today, singer-songwriter Citizen Cope has announced the All The Songs You Want To Hear tour, a series of headlining shows across the US starting in late April and running through May. On this tour, armed only with an acoustic guitar, Cope will play his greatest hits, bringing an immediate, stripped down feel to his sonically diverse catalog. “This will be an intimate solo acoustic experience that will ultimately lift all of our spirits,” Cope says. “In a world that can look so divided, it’s great to have people gather under one roof, who have different beliefs, opinions, and personal identities to connect and celebrate life through the power of music.”
 
In addition to fan favorites, Cope will be debuting never before heard music from an as of now unannounced album coming later this year. Blending the latest and the classics, this tour is a can’t miss experience for fans and newcomers alike. Tickets are on sale now here.
 
Citizen Cope, a.k.a Clarence Greenwood, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and performer. His music is commonly described as a mix of blues, soul, folk, and rock. Cope's compositions have been recorded by artists such as Carlos Santana, Dido, Pharoahe Monch, and Richie Havens. In his solo career, "Let the Drummer Kick" from his 2002 album, Citizen Cope, went RIAA-Certified Gold. In 2004, he produced and released The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, followed by Every Waking Moment in 2006. In 2010, Cope founded his own record label, Rainwater Recordings, allowing him to exert full creative control. Free from the marketing entreaties of the major record labels, he released The Rainwater LP later that year. One Lovely Day followed in 2012. After taking a hiatus from his own record releases, Cope came back stronger than ever, releasing Heroin and Helicopters in 2019 and The Pull of Niagara Falls in 2021.
 
Tour Dates:
April 30                       Nashville, TN @ Basement East
May 2                          Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
May 3                          Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
May 4                          Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
May 5                          Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
May 6                          Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
May 7                          Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
May 9                          Winston-Salem, NC @ The Ramkat
May 10                        Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
May 11                        Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
May 12                        Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
May 13                        Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
May 14                        Fairfield, CT @ The Warehouse
May 16                        Albany, NY@ The Egg at Empire State Plaza
May 17                        South Deerfield, MA @ House Theater
May 18                        Boston, MA @ The Wilber
May 19                        Portland, ME @ State Theatre
May 20                        Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made
May 22                        Montreal, PQ @ Le Studio TD
May 23                        Toronto, ON @ TD Music Hall
May 24                        Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club
May 25                        Munhall, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
May 26                        Cincinnati, OH @ Ludlow Garage
May 27                        Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall

Today, acclaimed Austin-based ensemble Wild Child shared their newest single “Cheap Champagne.” It’s the latest peek into their upcoming album End of the World, out March 31 via Reba’s Ranch Records, their new self-run label exclusively distributed by Secretly Distribution. A dreamy, full-bodied ballad, the song details the closing of a relationship and the bouts of second-guessing that quickly follows. The track’s wistful and uncertain opening easily climbs to an impressive crescendo, introducing a confident horn and expansive string segment as bandmember Kelsey Wilson’s sweeping vocals highlight the tragic passion felt at the beginning of the end.

The band says, “This song has always felt special, like we had to get it right. Sometimes songs feel like they fall from the sky, like they were always there floating around above you and you just have to guide them down. Other songs are more elusive and less obvious and take years to find their form and place; where you collect little pieces of them along the way and have to be patient with them trying to put them all together.”
 
Listen / Share: “Cheap Champagne”
 
Wild Child has been named an official artist at this year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas and will also join Willie Nelson & His Family, Spoon, Ethel Cain, Fruit Bats, and more at this year’s Luck Reunion on March 16. Following this, the band will be embarking on a US tour this spring with Próxima Parada. This will mark Wild Child’s first post-Covid tour featuring the full band, including its newest member, John Calvin Abney. Abney joins Wild Child as the first songwriter to collaborate with the duo, Wilson and Alexander Beggins, on an album. Tickets are on sale now here.
 
End of the World is the band’s fifth full length album and their first since 2018’s Expectations. The album finds the band delving deeper into the contemplative edge which has long colored their songs, and sees the band expanding intimate, folky songs into lush, full band arrangements, as heard on previous singles “End of the Word,” “Wearing Blue” and “Photographs.” The record finds the band – known for their explorations of love and intimacy – at an impasse; how can we continue to love and thrive in the post-pandemic era?
 
The album was born out of a distance between the band’s core songwriters as they headed in different sonic directions. Wilson joined the singer-songwriter super group, Glorietta, and debuted her genre-bending, Motown/Neo-Soul-influenced solo project, Sir Woman, while Beggins unveiled his musical alter-ego, CoCo Zandi. By then, the two didn't know if they would ever make another Wild Child record. However, once pandemic lockdowns closed stages and drained bank accounts, the two knew they had to act. Lockdown brought about virtual shows and songwriting sessions while adding new vitality to the group.
 
"It felt like our very first record, when the two of us wrote a bunch of songs while on tour for someone else. There wasn't any aim to do anything with those songs at the beginning. For the first time since then, that's how we started writing these songs. We didn't know if we would make another record. It just came together," Beggins says. Sometimes, the “End of the World” is only the beginning.

Wild Child is known for spreading its infectious blend of indie-pop and ear-worm melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits to the tune of over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 100 million streams to date. The band first formed in 2010 when the group's core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk (2011). Since then they’ve released three additional albums, The Runaround (2013), Fools (2015), and Expectations (2018). Along the way, Wild Child has become a live act that’s not to be missed, as seen during their episode of Austin City Limits, which has earned the band a diverse and dedicated fan base.

About Reba’s Ranch Records:

The Wild Child family is excited to announce the birth of Reba’s Ranch Records, a long-time vision of creating their own record label imprint to highlight some of the amazing music coming out of Austin, TX.  The label was born after years of conversations within the band about the importance of controlling one’s own destiny and art. The imprint will be home to the Wild Child catalog, Kelsey’s Sir Woman and Alexander's CoCo Zandi recordings.
 
Wild Child Live Dates:
March 16         Austin, TX @ Luck Reunion
April 13           Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
April 14           New York, NY @ Racket
April 15           Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
April 16           Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
April 18           Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
April 19           Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
April 20           Nashville, TN @ Blue Room @ Thurman
April 22           Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
April 23           Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
May 5              Austin, TX @ Emo’s
May 6              Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips FTW
May 9              Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
May 11            Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 12            Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 13            Fort Collins, CO @ The Aggie Theatre
May 14            Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
May 16            Boise, ID @ The Olympic
May 18            Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 19            Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 20            Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
May 21            Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall

Today, Venezuelan singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ane Díaz announced her debut album Despechada, out June 9 via Rain Phoenix’s label, LaunchLeft. Inspired by her beloved homeland of Caracas, Venezuela, the album is a reflection of Díaz’s homesickness for her country. “Despechada means heartbroken or without your soul,” says Díaz. “It’s a very powerful word used for love affairs, but that’s also how I feel about losing my country.” The ten tracks, handpicked by Díaz’s mother, result in a sonically lush and lyrically nostalgic journey through her heritage as she honors her memories of Venezuela.
 
Alongside the news, Ane Díaz also shared her new single + visualizer “Pueblos Tristes.” The soulful, jazzed-out track showcases Díaz softly and passionately crooning over a waltzing beat as she laments her hometown, yearning for the nostalgia. “This reimagined tribute of Otilio Galindez’s ‘Pueblos Tristes’ might have been the first time I realized as a child the innate tenderness of sadness,” Díaz says. “A bystander wonders what the town thinks about at night…the girl grinding corn, the grim old man next to the old woman, the starving dog barking with pain… Only the moon knows all the stories of the town. It is with this loving sadness that I lament for the loss of my beautiful country and the daily struggle of Venezuelans everywhere.”

“Pueblos Tristes”: Watch / Listen

Ane Díaz’s unconditional love for her country of Venezuela remains at the forefront of her musical journey. Despite the meaning of the word ‘Despechada,’ the album feels like home. Produced, mixed, and mastered by Jim White, Paul Fonfara, and John Keane, the project continues Díaz’s overarching themes of family orientation and paying homage to her homeland, with her fear of forgetting cherished memories of Venezuela fueling the inspiration behind the reimagined renditions of the iconic folk songs presented on the album. The album’s cover art also features a painting done by her brother Miguel of their cousin Vanessa.
 
Ane and Rain Phoenix first met in the late ‘80s during Gainesville, Florida’s booming music scene, and their paths haven’t stopped crossing since then. Díaz released her debut EP Venezuela in 2018 with her single “Los Ejes de Mi Carreta” following in 2020, grabbing the attention from the likes of Jonathan Richman (The Modern Lovers, with whom Díaz opened for in 2018) and Michael Stipe (R.E.M.). Her navigation through the American underground music scene is what ultimately led to her reconnection with her Venezuelan roots. “After I went through a few genres, I realized, ‘this is me,’” Díaz says. “It’s my bliss. It’s really where my voice lives.”
 
Despechada Tracklist:
1. Clavelito Colorado
2. Pueblos Tristes
3. Mi Nostalgia
4. El Colibri
5. Carmela
6. Fulgída Luna
7. Mi Negra
8. Angelitos Negros
9. Sombra De Los Médanos
10. Duerme Negrito

Acclaimed reggae group Easy Star All-Stars return today with “Five Years,” the newest single + video from their upcoming album Ziggy Stardub. Out April 21 via Easy Star Records, the project is a reggae reimagining of David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Featuring vocals by Grammy-winning roots reggae band Steel Pulse, the soulful rendition of the track keeps the intergalactic flair of the original alive with the All-Stars’ signature reggae genius, as David Hinds’ magnetic vocals flourish with emotion – highlighting the soaring, apocalyptic attitude of the ballad. The video, directed by Emmy® Award-winner Robert Bartolome, portrays the end of the world on a miniature scale, along with a rebirth. It's a visual treat that fits David Bowie’s timeless lyrics.

David Hinds of Steel Pulse says, “The song ‘Five Years’ can easily be turned into a movie of epic proportions. I see it as the planet's apocalypse written in deep thought-out poetry and put to music. Therefore, it was a song that I had to interpret with great emotion, abandoning my form of syncopation while doing so. David Bowie was a visionary, a trend setter, a fashion revolutionist, who turned all heads the moment the Beatles’ and Hendrix’s era began to fade. It was the moment that art as we know it left the canvas to decorate and become human form. This man was thinking outside of the box in every dimension possible. It was a pleasure experiencing his experience with this project.” Selwyn Brown (original Steel Pulse member) continues, “I enjoyed (as always with Easy Star projects) working on this track…David Bowie’s work needs no introduction, an artist who reinvented himself several times over, always taking his audience with him. I feel he would have liked the reworking of the album, too; one of his classics.”

“Bowie’s version of ‘Five Years’ is in waltz time so I had to really re-think the phrasing of all the parts…while still keeping the vibe of the original,” Michael Goldwasser, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist of Easy Star says. “One of the ways that I achieved that was by co-opting some of the other arrangement techniques from the Bowie version such as fading in with a drumbeat, holding chords with both a grand piano and a twelve-string guitar in the beginning of the song, and bringing in strings to help the song build as it moves along. David Hinds of Steel Pulse brought his great vocal sensibilities to building the emotion of the song as it moves along as well – I think that the other David would have appreciated that.”
 
“Five Years” ft. Steel Pulse: Listen / Watch

Easy Star All-Stars will also be playing an album release show to celebrate Ziggy Stardub on Thursday, April 20 at Sony Hall in New York City. The 420 show – an annual tradition for the All-Stars in their hometown – will also feature special guests Sister Carol and Cannabis Cup Band, with more to be announced. Tickets are available here. The band will also be performing at the Sea.Hear.Now music festival in New Jersey this September.
 
Ziggy Stardub features guest performances by Macy Gray, Maxi Priest, Fishbone, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), The Skints, Mortimer, The Expanders, Samory I, and many others. Pre-order packages of the album are available here, including royal blue colored vinyl along with CD and exclusive t-shirt offerings.
 
Blending musical versatility, instrumental prowess, beautiful vocal harmonies, and a premier rhythm section, Easy Star All-Stars have established themselves as one of the top international reggae acts on the scene for over two decades. During this time, they’ve toured in over 30 countries on 6 continents, bringing together fans of reggae, classic rock, dub, and indie rock into one big family. Previous releases of the band’s long standing collection of tribute albums include Dub Side of the Moon (2003), a critically-acclaimed reggae re-working of Radiohead’s OK Computer, Radiodread (2006), Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band (2009), and Easy Star’s Thrillah (2012), as well as the remix album Dubber Side of the Moon (2010). The All-Stars have also released two original collections, Until That Day EP (2008) and First Light (2011).
 
About Steel Pulse:
Formed in 1975 in Birmingham, England, Steel Pulse have established themselves as one of reggae's major forces through their ability to merge their politically conscious lyrics with funk and groove, spanning across their twelve studio albums. Steel Pulse was the first reggae band to perform for a presidential inauguration and were the first non-Jamaican artists to win a Grammy for Best Reggae Album.

Rising rock artist Billy Tibbals announced his debut EP Stay Teenage, out April 21 via Silver Arrow Records. Across the project’s six songs produced by Chris Robinson, the album is the literal culmination of Tibbals’ life so far as he makes the transition from being a teenager to taking the next steps into life as a young adult. The result is bold and full of twists, brimming with hooks, and a sound that is utterly timeless as Tibbals explores these themes of growing up.

Accompanying the news is a fresh taste of the album with the single + lyric video “Best Day I Ever Had,” first premiered via The Big Takeover. The upbeat track displays Tibbals’ youthful swagger and retro flair as he describes a turbulent, action packed day in the life of a teenager. “It goes through a series of emotions in a day out,” Tibbals explains. “It starts out as the best day ever, then the best night of my life, and then the worst day I’ve ever had. That reflects the teen angst that sometimes happens during the course of one day – you can go from being on top of the world to feeling distraught, anxious, and upset.” The track further showcases Tibbals’ ability to bring classic sounds to a new generation, with fresh wit and boyish charm. Billy Tibbals is also currently in the midst of an extensive North American tour in support of Mac Saturn. Tour dates and tickets are available here.

“Best Day I Ever Had”: Watch / Share

Billy Tibbals was born and raised in London until his family moved to Los Angeles in 2014. After finding a passion for crate digging in old-school record shops, he quickly developed an interest in home-recording and composition using Garageband, eventually multi-tracking entire arrangements by himself in his garage. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tibbals committed himself to songwriting more than ever before, which resulted in the six bursts of energy contained on Stay Teenage. The tracks represent the culmination of the music Tibbals has loved his entire life to this point – the Beatles’ psychedelic pop sweep, the spangled attitude of glam, brawny hooks and melodies – all filtered through his unique, youthful perspective. Working simultaneously on the album while finishing high school, the result are lyrics that reflect how it feels to come of age; looking at the world around you and discovering fresh pressures amidst new freedoms. The project is eccentric in all the right ways, to the point where you’re bound to replay the whole thing after the needle’s taken off the grooves.

Stay Teenage Tracklist:

1. Hollywood Baby
2. Best Day I Ever Had
3. Hurt So Bad
4. All For You
5. Three In The Morning
6. Foreverland

Billy Tibbals Live Dates w/ Mac Saturn:

Feb 22                       Houston, TX @ HOB Bronze Peacock
Feb 23                       Austin, TX @ 3ten @ ACL Live
Feb 25                       New Orleans, LA @ Parish @ HOB
Feb 27                       Nashville, TN @ The End
Feb 28                       Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
Mar 2                         Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
Mar 3                         Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend
Mar 14                       Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Mar 15                       Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
Mar 17                       Wichita, KS @ John Barleycorn’s
Mar 18                       Colorado Springs, Co @ Black Sheep
Mar 19                       Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
Mar 22                       Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
Mar 23                       San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall
Mar 25                       Seattle, WA @ Funhouse
Mar 26                       Vancouver, BC @ Cobalt
Mar 27                       Portland, OR @ Mission Theater

Today, acclaimed Austin-based ensemble Wild Child shared their new album End of the World, via Reba’s Ranch Records, their new self-run label exclusively distributed by Secretly Distribution. The band’s fifth full length album, their first since 2018’s Expectations, finds Wild Child delving deeper into the contemplative edge which has long colored their songs, while expanding intimate, folky songs into lush, full band arrangements, as heard on singles “Cheap Champagne,” “End of the Word,” “Wearing Blue,” “Photographs” and album standout “Dear John.”

Building from quiet acoustic instrumentation to a massive full band swell of distorted bass, reversed guitars, and strings, “Dear John” is anchored by lead singer Kelsey Wilson’s confident yet vulnerable croon. The orchestration’s progression mirrors that of the track’s story, as the song’s narrator finds the confidence within herself to stand firm against the advances of an old flame. The result is a slick yet cathartic baroque indie cut, with one of the band’s most infectious choruses to date.

End of the World: Listen / Share

End of the World was born out of a distance between the band’s core songwriters as they headed in different sonic directions. Wilson joined the singer-songwriter super group, Glorietta, and debuted her genre-bending, Motown/Neo-Soul-influenced solo project, Sir Woman, while the other half of the band’s songwriting duo, Alexander Beggins, unveiled his musical alter-ego, CoCo Zandi. By then, the two didn't know if they would ever make another Wild Child record. However, once pandemic lockdowns closed stages and drained bank accounts, the two knew they had to act. Lockdown brought about virtual shows and songwriting sessions while adding new vitality to the group.
 
"It felt like our very first record, when the two of us wrote a bunch of songs while on tour for someone else. There wasn't any aim to do anything with those songs at the beginning. For the first time since then, that's how we started writing these songs. We didn't know if we would make another record. It just came together," Beggins says. Sometimes, the “End of the World” is only the beginning.
 
Beginning next month, the band will be embarking on a US tour with Próxima Parada. This will mark Wild Child’s first post-Covid tour featuring the full band, including its newest member, John Calvin Abney. Abney joins Wild Child as the first songwriter to collaborate with the duo on an album. Tickets are on sale now here. In August, the band will make its way to San Francisco for an appearance at this year’s Outside Lands festival alongside artists like Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Maggie Rogers, and many more.
 
Wild Child is known for spreading its infectious blend of indie-pop and ear-worm melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits to the tune of over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 100 million streams to date. The band first formed in 2010 when the group's core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk (2011). Since then they’ve released three additional albums, The Runaround (2013), Fools (2015), and Expectations (2018). Along the way, Wild Child has become a live act that’s not to be missed, as seen during their episode of Austin City Limits, which has earned the band a diverse and dedicated fan base.

About Reba’s Ranch Records:
The Wild Child family is excited to announce the birth of Reba’s Ranch Records, a long-time vision of creating their own record label imprint to highlight some of the amazing music coming out of Austin, TX.  The label was born after years of conversations within the band about the importance of controlling one’s own destiny and art. The imprint will be home to the Wild Child catalog, Kelsey’s Sir Woman and Alexander's CoCo Zandi recordings.

Wild Child Live Dates:
April 13           Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
April 14           New York, NY @ Racket
April 15           Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
April 16           Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
April 18           Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
April 19           Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
April 20           Nashville, TN @ Blue Room @ Thurman
April 22           Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
April 23           Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
May 5              Austin, TX @ Emo’s
May 6              Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips FTW
May 9              Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
May 11            Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 12            Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 13            Fort Collins, CO @ The Aggie Theatre
May 14            Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
May 16            Boise, ID @ The Olympic
May 18            Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 19            Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 20            Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
May 21            Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
Aug 11-13       San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Festival

Today, singer-songwriter Citizen Cope has shared “Ms. Prado (Rest My Eyes On You),” his first single since 2021’s The Pull of Niagara Falls, marking the first taste of more new music on the way later this year. A sparse, yet soulfully textured track displaying Cope’s signature croon, the song sees the narrator yearning for his partner amongst building guitars and displaced, echoing drum hits. It comes as Cope’s classic 2004 record The Clarence Greenwood Recordings approaches platinum status despite never formally charting, a testament to its enduring popularity. Recently, Cope announced his All The Songs You Want To Hear acoustic tour, which will see him performing stripped down renditions of classics, fan favorites, and unreleased new material across the US/ Tickets are on sale now here.

“Ms. Prado (Rest My Eyes On You)”: Watch / Listen

Citizen Cope, a.k.a Clarence Greenwood, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and performer. His music is commonly described as a mix of blues, soul, folk, and rock. Cope's compositions have been recorded by artists such as Carlos Santana, Dido, Pharoahe Monch, and Richie Havens. In his solo career, "Let the Drummer Kick" from his 2002 album, Citizen Cope, went RIAA-Certified Gold. In 2004, he produced and released The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, followed by Every Waking Moment in 2006. In 2010, Cope founded his own record label, Rainwater Recordings, allowing him to exert full creative control. Free from the marketing entreaties of the major record labels, he released The Rainwater LP later that year. One Lovely Day followed in 2012. After taking a hiatus from his own record releases, Cope came back stronger than ever, releasing Heroin and Helicopters in 2019 and The Pull of Niagara Falls in 2021.

Tour Dates:
April 30                       Nashville, TN @ Basement East
May 2                          Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
May 3                          Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
May 4                          Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
May 5                          Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
May 6                          Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
May 7                          Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
May 9                          Winston-Salem, NC @ The Ramkat
May 10                        Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
May 11                        Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
May 12                        Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
May 13                        Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
May 14                        Fairfield, CT @ The Warehouse
May 16                        Albany, NY@ The Egg at Empire State Plaza
May 17                        South Deerfield, MA @ House Theater at Tree House Brewing Co.
May 18                        Boston, MA @ The Wilbur
May 19                        Portland, ME @ State Theatre
May 20                        Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made
May 22                        Montreal, PQ @ Le Studio TD
May 23                        Toronto, ON @ TD Music Hall
May 24                        Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club
May 25                        Munhall, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
May 26                        Cincinnati, OH @ Ludlow Garage
May 27                        Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall

Billie Marten released her new album Drop Cherries via IMPERIAL Music. To coincide with the release, Billie has also shared Drop Cherries: The Film, directed by Joe Wheatley. Performed live in one take in a gorgeous mid-century home in rural Nottinghamshire alongside musicians from the album recording, the film only amplifies the stunning intimacies of the project. Drop Cherries: The Film premiered last Thursday at Close-Up Cinema in London, alongside a Q&A with Marten and Wheatley. Billie Marten is also embarking on a headline North American tour this June, with dates and tickets available here.

Listen / Share: Drop Cherries
Watch: Drop Cherries: The Film
 
Recorded entirely on tape in Somerset and Wales late last summer, Drop Cherries marks the very first time that Billie Marten has both written and co-produced (with Dom Monks) one of her records. The project has already received praise from outlets like The Independent, Stereogum, CLASH, BrooklynVegan, DIY, Dork, The Line Of Best Fit, Gigwise, and beyond, and follows critically-lauded 2021 album Flora Fauna, as well as previous releases Feeding Seahorses by Hand (2019) and Writing of Blues and Yellows (2016).
 
With her fourth record now out in the world, Billie Marten has at last learned to stop thinking about what others want to hear and has finally started to trust her own instincts. “When I’m trying to write, the creative door is closed most of the time,” she says. “When it briefly opens, I know I’ve stumbled across moments of true emotion and insight; they give no warning and are often unpredictable. I can’t force the process, something I’m realizing more with each album. And that’s why I know that ‘Drop Cherries’ is a collection of songs expressing genuine intuitive feeling.”
 
 The title is taken from a tale she heard from a friend just before she was starting to create songs for the album, and the title track came soon after. It’s a metaphor where the gift of cherries stands for offering someone your love; doing anything you can to make them happy. “Dropping cherries,” she begins, “is such a strong, visceral image that I tried to channel throughout recording in Somerset and Wales, to capture the vibrancy, unpredictability, and occasional chaos one experiences within a relationship. Imagine stamping blood-red cherries onto a clean, cream carpet and tell me that’s not how love feels.”
 
Drop Cherries is a series of vignettes highlighting different pieces of a relationship, while trying to fit them together. From celebrating moments of the mundane (“Just Us”), through deep existential questioning (“Devil Swim,” “Acid Tooth,” and “Arrows”), to the final resolve which is the pure simplicity of sharing a moment with someone you love (“Drop Cherries,” “I Bend To Him”). It’s often the case that each record has to be a new ‘statement’ for the artist, a re-branding, a progression. But Billie Marten’s statement is always the same: “I’m simply searching for clarity. I’m re-examining the same feelings I had when I first started writing: I feel different to others, so I’ll write about what that’s like and see if I can work out why that is. If I ever do, maybe I’ll stop writing.”
 
Billie Marten Live Dates:
June 6           Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre
June 7           San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
June 9           Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s
June 11         Portland, OR @ McMenamins Mission Theater
June 13         Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
June 14         Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
June 16         Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
June 17         Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
June 20         Toronto, ON @ TD Music Hall
June 22         New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
June 23         Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
June 24         Washington, DC @ Union Stage
 
Drop Cherries Tracklist:
1. New Idea
2. God Above
3. Just Us
4. I Can’t Get My Head Around You
5. Willow
6. Acid Tooth
7. Devil Swim
8. I Bend To Him
9. Nothing But Mine
10. Arrows
11. Tongue
12. This Is How We Move
13. Drop Cherries

After a run of sonically mesmerizing singles, this Friday (April 21), acclaimed reggae group Easy Star All-Stars will release their highly anticipated album Ziggy Stardub via Easy Star Records. The project is a reggae reimagining of David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and features guest performances by Maxi Priest, Steel Pulse, Fishbone, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), The Skints, Mortimer, The Expanders, Samory I, and many others. Packages of the album are available here, including royal blue colored vinyl along with CD and exclusive t-shirt offerings.

Ahead of the release, today the band has shared a final taste of the project with the single + video “Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide.” The track features vocals by multi-award-winning musician, songwriter, and producer Macy Gray, showcasing her one of a kind voice. The passionate rendition offers a fresh spin on the original, forging a laid back atmosphere across a bounding drum beat and swaggering horns. Michael Goldwasser, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist of Easy Star says, “The main key was finding an emotive and groundbreaking vocalist, and we did just that with Macy Gray, who is truly inimitable in every song that she sings, including this one.” The track is paired with a stop motion video, taking viewers through the journey of two cats during an evening in a paper town.

The renowned burger chain Five Guys has also named Easy Star All-Stars as the restaurant’s Featured Artist of May. The chain will be playing an Easy Star track every hour in every store for the entire month.

Listen / Watch: “Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide” ft. Macy Gray

Easy Star All-Stars will also be playing an album release show to celebrate Ziggy Stardub tomorrow, April 20 at Sony Hall in New York City. The 420 show – an annual tradition for the All-Stars in their hometown – will also feature special guests Sister Carol and Cannabis Cup Band. Tickets are available here. The band will also be performing at the Sea.Hear.Now music festival in New Jersey this September.

Blending musical versatility, instrumental prowess, beautiful vocal harmonies, and a premier rhythm section, Easy Star All-Stars have established themselves as one of the top international reggae acts on the scene for over two decades. During this time, they’ve toured in over 30 countries on 6 continents, bringing together fans of reggae, classic rock, dub, and indie rock into one big family. Previous releases of the band’s long standing collection of tribute albums include Dub Side of the Moon (2003), a critically-acclaimed reggae re-working of Radiohead’s OK Computer, Radiodread (2006), Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band (2009), and Easy Star’s Thrillah (2012), as well as the remix album Dubber Side of the Moon (2010). The All-Stars have also released two original collections, Until That Day EP (2008) and First Light (2011).

Today, veteran singer-songwriter Citizen Cope, a.k.a Clarence Greenwood, announced his upcoming LP entitled The Victory March due out this summer via his label Rainwater Recordings. Alongside this announcement, he has shared a new single, the languid and airy “Close To You.” The song is classic Cope, with the singer showcasing his rootsy soul-inflected vocals over echoing acoustics and soaring horns. The song builds with high arching harmonies as Cope sings of the sacrifices he has made to form a strong relationship. The track came about from a scrapped film scoring commission, and allowed Cope to explore a new grandiosity: “I wanted to make it bigger,” he says, “so I brought an orchestra in on a couple of songs. I’ve never really been able to afford a whole session like that, I always just played those parts on keyboards. So it’s a life-long dream to be able to do that, and I’ve taken that approach to this whole record.”

The track comes as Cope’s classic 2004 record The Clarence Greenwood Recordings approaches platinum status despite never formally charting, a testament to its enduring popularity. He is also currently embarking on his All The Songs You Want To Hear acoustic tour, which sees him performing stripped down renditions of classics, fan favorites, and unreleased new material across the US. Tickets are on sale now here.

Listen: “Close To You"

Explaining the album’s title, Cope says he sees the record as one about finding connection amidst chaos: “I wanted to celebrate the gift of life and of knowledge,” says Cope. “You get on the road and you see how disconnected people are. There’s a lot of discontent out there—in most cases, rightfully so. People feel like they’re not a part of something. We’re just thrown into a pit against each other over commerce, more financial and economic differences than actual human differences, and we get confused… I felt like writing something positive, with more of a hopeful slant.”

Musically, this material—co-produced by Alex Elena (Alice Smith, Lily Allen)—adds more expansive arrangements, with horns and strings, to Cope’s signature blend of hip-hop-based beats with blues, soul, folk, and rock. Cope brought in some exceptional musicians to realize the material, including keyboardist James Poyser from the Roots, drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. (from Paul McCartney’s longtime band), John Ginty on organ, and studio percussion ace Bashiri Johnson. At a concise seven tracks, the record sees Cope at his most focused and refined.

Throughout his solo career, Cope's compositions have been recorded by artists such as Carlos Santana, Dido, Pharoahe Monch, and Richie Havens. "Let the Drummer Kick" from his 2002 album, Citizen Cope, went RIAA-Certified Gold. In 2004, he produced and released The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, followed by Every Waking Moment in 2006. In 2010, Cope founded his own record label, Rainwater Recordings, allowing him to exert full creative control. Free from the marketing entreaties of the major record labels, he released The Rainwater LP later that year. One Lovely Day followed in 2012. After taking a hiatus from his own record releases, Cope came back stronger than ever, releasing Heroin and Helicopters in 2019 and The Pull of Niagara Falls in 2021.

With The Victory March, Citizen Cope feels he has nothing left to prove. Twenty years in, he’s found that there’s really no choice other than to pursue his own sound and speak his own truth—which has proven to be about survival and hope rather than despair, a message the world desperately needs to hear.

Tour Dates:
May 12                        Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
May 13                        Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
May 14                        Fairfield, CT @ The Warehouse
May 16                        Albany, NY@ The Egg at Empire State Plaza
May 17                        South Deerfield, MA @ House Theater
May 18                        Boston, MA @ The Wilbur
May 19                        Portland, ME @ State Theatre
May 20                        Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made
May 22                        Montreal, PQ @ Le Studio TD
May 23                        Toronto, ON @ TD Music Hall
May 24                        Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club
May 25                        Munhall, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
May 26                        Cincinnati, OH @ Ludlow Garage
May 27                        Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall

Today, beloved singer-songwriter Citizen Cope has shared “Good Will Overcome,” the final single from his upcoming record The Victory March, out July 28 via his own Rainwater Recordings. An understated yet soaring piano ballad, the track’s sparse instrumental provides a subtle backdrop for Cope’s rich voice. Cope’s lyrics follow the core themes of the record, hope and resilience; “I believe that good will overcome / And I find it rests in everyone / From the soles of my feet / To the air that we breathe.” A fitting message of peace and love within troubled times.
 

 
Explaining The Victory March’s title, Cope says he sees the record as one about finding connection amidst chaos: “I wanted to celebrate the gift of life and of knowledge,” says Cope. “You get on the road and you see how disconnected people are. There’s a lot of discontent out there—in most cases, rightfully so. People feel like they’re not a part of something. We’re just thrown into a pit against each other over commerce, more financial and economic differences than actual human differences, and we get confused… I felt like writing something positive, with more of a hopeful slant.”
 
Musically, this material—co-produced by Alex Elena (Alice Smith, Lily Allen)—adds more expansive arrangements, with horns and strings, to Cope’s signature blend of hip-hop-based beats with blues, soul, folk, and rock. But it’s the heart and soul of Cope’s music that has endured throughout the years — as evidenced by the fact that 2004’s The Clarence Greenwood Recordings approaches platinum status despite never formally charting, a nearly impossible feat — anchored by his willingness to engage with the human condition and the times we’re living in that keeps Cope on a different plane than his peers. At a concise seven tracks, The Victory March sees Cope at his most focused and refined, offering an expanded sound welcoming listeners both new and old.
 
Throughout his solo career, Cope's compositions have been recorded by artists such as Carlos Santana, Dido, Pharoahe Monch, and Richie Havens. "Let the Drummer Kick" from his 2002 album, Citizen Cope, went RIAA-Certified Gold. In 2004, he produced and released The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, followed by Every Waking Moment in 2006. In 2010, Cope founded his own record label, Rainwater Recordings, allowing him to exert full creative control. Free from the marketing entreaties of the major record labels, he released The Rainwater LP later that year. One Lovely Day followed in 2012. After taking a hiatus from his own record releases, Cope came back stronger than ever, releasing Heroin and Helicopters in 2019 and The Pull of Niagara Falls in 2021.
 
With The Victory March, Citizen Cope feels he has nothing left to prove. Twenty years in, he’s found that there’s really no choice other than to pursue his own sound and speak his own truth—which has proven to be about survival and hope rather than despair, a message the world desperately needs to hear.

Today, the Columbus, OH based indie folk act Hello Emerson has announced To Keep Him Here, their latest LP, due out March 29th via Anyway Records. A concept album telling the story of a serious and sudden accident suffered by primary singer-songwriter Sam Emerson Bodary’s father, the record is interspersed with audio from an interview conducted with NPR’s StoryCorps about the incident and its aftermath. Alongside the album announcement, the group have shared the album’s first two tracks, “‘It was twelve-ten’” and “Tupperware for Glass.” While “‘twelve-ten’” serves as an introductory interlude using audio of Bodary’s father setting the stage for his accident, “Tupperware for Glass” kicks off the album proper. Detailing the initial confusion of the accident, Bodary sings “I see every song unspooling / rearranging and retuning / til they settle on / the only things we know / we live and we die /and in-between we grow.” The track serves not only to set the album’s action, but also introduces the record’s themes of mortality and resilience: “This is the thesis statement of the album,” says Bodary. “All of my favorite music and literature boils down to this. How will we grow from this? In spite of this? Because of this? The whole point is our attempt to make sense of the world around us.”

“‘It was twelve-ten’” and “Tupperware for Glass”

Listen / Watch

Consisting of singer/guitarist Bodary, percussionist and musical director/arranger Dan Seibert, and keyboardist Jack Doran, Hello Emerson has been crafting subtle, earnest, and expansive songs since its formation in 2015. Drawing on the midwestern songwriting tradition of acclaimed acts like Bright Eyes and The Mountain Goats, Bodary’s erudite yet homespun lyrics are bolstered by the group’s increasingly baroque arrangements. A collaborative act inspired by the local artistic community of their home base of Columbus, Ohio, their 2020 sophomore effort, How to Cook Everything featured contributions from 50 local musicians, creating an immersive and complex yet folky and accessible sound.
 
Their latest effort, the forthcoming To Keep Him Here further develops and focuses their style, while applying it to a set of darker themes. A concept album, the record delves into the chaos and confusion that followed a serious accident suffered by Bodary’s father which landed him in the ICU for nine days. Across the record, Bodary uses his measured yet honest lyrical voice to articulate and sort through the terror of the experience, and the strength which pulled him and his family through. Tracked live in his godfather’s home, the band’s physical proximity lends an added layer of intimacy to the tracks, all while maintaining Seibert’s subtle yet sweeping arrangements. The result is the band’s strongest effort yet; a record of hope and fear, To Keep Him Here finds beauty in the kind of compassion which can only arise from disorder.

To Keep Him Here Tracklist:
1. “It was twelve-ten”
2. Tupperware For Glass
3. In The Corner
4. “Trying to be helpful”
5. Church
6. Sale Today
7. Dinners I
8. Sale Today Canon
9. “So, why?”
10. Couch Song
11. To Keep Him Here
12. Dinners II
13. Tough Luck