Thu, 06/07/2012 - 10:02 am

Xbox 360 Rock Band fans get ready! The first all-female UK band to grace the stage of Rock Band is back with a new single for Rock Band 3. Beginning June on 22, 2012, “Say Sayonara” will be available for download on Xbox Live.JOANovARC is no stranger to the Rock Band stage with their single “Sisters” premiering in 2011. Now players will be thrilled to hear their hit “Say Sayonara” on the June 22nd release. The launch party for the track will be held at the prestigious 100 club in London.Expressing their excitement to be in the company of other Rock Band performers, JOANovARC said, “We love Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, AC/DC, Paramore, The Pretenders, and Nickleback. Joan Jett is on Rock Band and we would love to tour with her, she is a legend!!”JOANovARC is quickly joining the ranks of renowned female rockers like Joan Jett by displaying incredible musicianship and shattering the stereotypes of most female musicians today. They boldly hold their own in a male dominated genre of music. “We feel that JOANovARC is part of a revelation that will change the stigma that all female bands have been tarnished with. It's important for women in rock to be true to themselves musically and not feel that they have to write or perform in a way that the male dominated music industry expect them to.”JOANovARC has been tearing up UK stages and has made a few stops in the US, recently performing at the Florida Music Festival. American fans can look forward to a full tour in the near future.  As for their performance on Rock Band 3, in one word it can be described as “Epic!”“Say Sayonara” is available for download on iTunes or to purchase the full CD visit www.joanovarc.co.uk

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 11:40 am

Harold Honey epitomizes Rockabilly Punk Blues with the release of his new album, Helltown.  The singer/songwriter harks back to the sounds of the fifties and sixties while maintaining his thoroughly modern sensibilities by combining elements of Jimi Hendrix, The Pixies, Tom Waits and even Johnny Cash in his music. However, his sound is as incendiary and fresh as anything of its kind.Strung together by producer and pianist Adam Marsland – drummer and former collaborator of the Beach Boys – and using the insanely talented rhythm section of Teresa Cowles and Perry Ostrin, Helltown is as polished of an album as you’re likely to hear in its genre.This title track and single itself is one that will propel Harold and his music into the spotlight he deserves. It’s an evolution of the success of his 2010 eponymous self-titled debut album, which garnered several great reviews and helped to increase his growing fan base across America.  As one critic said:“As you keep listening, you keep hearing the different genres, including some jazz, funk, and soul. The vocals are very deep, kind of dark and mysterious, also reminding me of Johnny Cash. You could tell on here some of the songs are pretty deep lyrically, getting you swept up in with the music.”—Big Wheel Magazine            Helltown has a October 30th release date and will be available on iTunes. Harold is now planning a US Helltown tour so stay tuned for details.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 5:40 pm

At age 12, young Casey Lee Hurt was handed a pawnshop guitar by his father, a gospel preacher, and told to go make a joyful noise. You could find him on a street corner, coffee shop or local pub doing just that….a boy, a guitar, and a dream. Today, wherever an ear is listening or a spirit needs lifting, Casey is right there singing, all soul and bones, with a guitar, piano, or any other instrument he can get his hands on. He calls it “Pawnshop Gospel.”On October 30th, 2012, listeners can bring Casey home with them on his latest CD “Half as Much as Love.” It captures the magic of the live performances that have made Casey a highly sought-after act on the west coast of the US and even in Europe (where he is currently touring the UK, France and Ireland). “Half as Much as Love” features him at his very best, surrounded by accomplished music professionals: producer Eric Schultz, Grammy-winning engineer Michael Rosen (Carlos Santana, Michelle Branch), and musicians Michael Urbano (Sheryl Crow, Cracker, Smashmouth), Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello, John Hiatt) and Adele Stein (Sting, Rush, Bruno Mars).Listeners will hear strains of Casey's influences on the new disc like Van Morrison, Ryan Adams, John Mayer, and even some Tom Waits and Tracy Chapman. His music is undeniably raw and passionate, as opposed to being auto-tuned or synthetic, and described by a reviewer at Sonicbids as “black-coffee honest.” His voice simply penetrates the soul. “Half as Much as Love” includes more of the heartfelt music that landed his song “Sunday Mornings” on the popular television show “One Tree Hill.”“Half As Much As Love” is about the “idea that love can be beautiful and terrifying at the exact same time,” says Casey. The CD, which clearly captures Casey’s concept of “Pawnshop Gospel,” features tracks that vary from Folk to Rock, including “Family” and “Mary, Mary” respectively, and the gutsy Blues-influenced “Back for Me,” which is one of several tracks slated for an upcoming music video. “It's about two close friends of mine whose relationship fell apart, and I was right there in the middle of it all. I think it really captures the emotion and honesty of that situation.”Casey takes his new music on the open road this fall with a tour that starts (by fan demand) in Europe followed by appearances in several American cities.“Half as Much as Love” can be purchased through iTunes, or go to Casey's website, caseyhurt.com

Tue, 07/09/2013 - 10:27 am

HuDost has bestowed upon the listener seven wondrous years of illuminating musical works that embrace the mind, body, and soul. While best known for their trademark Neo-Folk World Rock sound, members Moksha Sommer and Jemal Wade Hines have embraced a more traditional musical direction for their new release, 4th Way Folk.Working with BLUE MICROPHONES enabled this 10-track album to be stripped down to expose the pure, organic sound of each song.  The opening track, Young & Growing, inspired by the passing of Moksha’s beloved father, evokes the raw feeling of knowing your inner child. Songs like The Alchemist and Holy Hobo whisk listeners away to the feeling of another time with toe-tapping folk melodies and textured harmonies. Of Wood Street, Moksha says “This traditional, shape note piece has always, somehow moved me deeply.  I think it touches upon themes that linger in the human consciousness rather than our time and place.”4th Way Folk embraces the old and the new by allowing the listener to explore interpretations of both vintage and modern day folk songs. Five of the tracks are actually “4th Way Folk Songs”; traditional folk pieces transformed and taken from the ideas of people such as Gurdjieff and E.J. Gold.Always inspired by a multitude of musical genres, HuDost has also delved into the art of cover songs on 4th Way Folk by taking on two tracks, including REM’s Oh My Heart. Their brilliant interpretation of the song transforms the noted speaking style of front man Michael Stipes into a melodic performance that richly enhances the emotion found in the original version. While notably different from past HuDost releases, 4th Way Folk continues to ignite the spark of musical clarity and engage the listener through beautiful vocal harmonies and the utilization of uncommon musical instruments, such as the dulcinet, harmonium, treated slide guitar, and tuned water bowls.  The result: a surprising blend of folk songs with a distinctly ‘HuDost’ twist. The album was produced and mixed by Jemal Wade Hines.4th Way Folk was released on April 2, 2013. The band is currently touring in support of the release. For further information, please visit www.hudost.com.

Thu, 11/14/2013 - 12:07 pm

Green Corn Revival, the 'dark horse' of Country music, released “Bound for Glory” on November 5, 2013. The 11 song album takes listeners on a captivating journey of perseverance, forgiveness and promise—in classic Cowpunk fashion. The band’s second full-length release is heavily inspired by images of Post-war Reconstruction and Westward Expansion.In small Oklahoma farm towns, these Dust Bowl descendants were raised in church pews through oil booms and busts. The scope of never-ending red dirt roads has had a huge impact on the group’s desire to express their Okie roots with pride. With country and punk influences, Green Corn Revival provides both a musical tribute and counterpoint to western culture.Jared Deck (songwriter, lead singer) and his wife, Jacy (keyboards, vocals), are the core of the band. Cora Gutel (vocals), Brandon Cink (lead guitar, bass on the album), Drew Simmons (drums), and a revolving cast of players collaborate to create a sound they call a subversively dark amalgam of cinematic retro-rock, gospel-like harmonies, pure punk beats, and heartland angst.While the band’s last album, “Say You’re A Sinner,” was an upbeat, whimsical record, “Bound for Glory” is darker, harsher, and more diverse. The first single, Hard Timin’ Monopolizin’ Blues, is filled with masterful guitar twang, big beats and crisp vocals -- loosely inspired by Country music legend Merle Haggard. The song tells a story of one who can't be happy, no matter how good life may seem. The title track, Bound for Glory, summarizes the theme of the album and is reminiscent of Woody Guthrie's song by the same title. Other standout tracks include the shadowy rockabilly I’m Alive, red-dirt murder ballad Hoorah At The Hi De Ho, and the acoustic sunset ride of Endless Sky.Green Corn Revival has been influenced by iconic artists like Roy Orbison, The Clash and The Beatles, which shows in this vocally driven and diverse collection of songwriting. They have played with national acts such as Heartless Bastards, Ha Ha Tonka, Hot Club of Cowtown, Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes, and with Wanda Jackson as her backing band. There’s no doubt that fans of current favorites Blitzen Trapper, Deer Tick, and Calexico will appreciate this album.The debut video for Hard Timin’ Monopolizin' Blues depicts the plot of a clichéd 1980s teen movie, set in reverse. Instead of a teen boy fantasizing about an adult woman, it’s the story of a careless mother who has everything tangible one could ask for, but isn’t satisfied. She hides in an artificial, suburban lifestyle, but dreams of being the life of the party. She doesn’t realize it, but everyone can see right through her.“Bound for Glory” was engineered by Chris Harris of Hook Echo Sound (Flaming Lips, Skating Polly, Chainsaw Kittens) and features Daniel Foulks (fiddle player for Samantha Crain) on violin, and Kevin Webb (former guitarist for Stoney LaRue and Burtschi Brothers) on pedal steel.Set to perform in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri over the next several months, Green Corn Revival hopes that fans will hold on to the message that the dream of the American West is not merely a fairytale of the past and - through perseverance - nothing can stop you from attaining your Manifest Destiny.For more information on the band, please visit: http://greencornrevival.com