Thu, 10/01/2015 - 9:56 pm

In the video, JJ - who performs more than 120 dates per year - offers a rare glimpse into his life on the road, while capturing the fierceness and intimacy of his live performance.

"Light a Candle" is an understated, poetic and soulful song where the interplay between rock and R&B is naturally bluesy and gritty. It's also the second single off JJ's new album 'Ol Glory,' which is his first album of originals in two years. See below for a quote from JJ about the song and video.

Wed, 08/17/2016 - 2:15 pm

Beth Hart is on fire. Right now, the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter is riding a creative tidal wave, firing out acclaimed albums, hooking up with the biggest names in music, and rocking the house each night with her celebrated "burnt-honey" voice. In 2016, the headline news is Beth's latest album, 'Fire On The Floor,' out February 3rd on Provogue/Mascot Label Group - a release that even this fiercely self-critical artist describes as "pretty frickin' good." But let's not forget the backstory that brought her here...

Watch the official "Fire on the Floor" lyric video - http://smarturl.it/BH-FOTF-video | Pre-order 'Fire on the Floor' - https://itun.es/us/Ayvfeb

Blues Magazine once dubbed Beth Hart "the ultimate female rock star," and there's no doubt that her two-decade career has been the ultimate thrill-ride. Born in Los Angeles, she released a fistful of hit albums through the '90s, then reignited in the noughts as both a solo artist and the head-turning vocalist for guitar heroes like Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and Slash. "Extraordinary," wrote The Times of her once-in-a-generation vocals, while The Guardian praised her "daring, brooding and angry" performances.

But it's in recent years that Beth has truly blossomed. In April 2015, she released 'Better Than Home,' a critical and commercial smash that topped the iTunes Blues Chart and was crowned #4 Best Blues Album Of The Year by Mojo magazine. The release led her to fill Amsterdam's Heineken Music Hall with 5,500 fans (her largest club show to date). "Oh, that was so good, man," she reflects. "I love Holland. They've been really good to me."

The US has embraced her too, packing ever-larger venues in major cities on the 'Better Than Home' tour - including Nashville's iconic Ryman Auditorium and NYC's Town Hall - and nominating her for the American Blues Foundation's Contemporary Blues Female Artist award. "It's unbelievable," she admits. "This last tour, we were playing much bigger houses than I'd ever played in the States - and they were sold-out."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Beth's rocketing UK profile has never been higher. Recent years have seen auspicious headline sets at the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican (not to mention the historic Hampton Court Palace with Joe Bonamassa), and in December 2015, she chalked up another first with a spot on Jools Holland's legendary annual Hootenanny. Bringing in the New Year with a soulful take on "Tell Her You Belong To Me" and "Nutbush City Limits" alongside long-time collaborator Jeff Beck, it spoke volumes that the pair's performance rapidly became the Hootenanny's most-watched clip on the BBC's official YouTube channel (even overtaking heavyweights like Tom Jones and Paul Weller). "Every time Jeff performs, he just kills it," gushes Beth, who will join the veteran guitarist for her first-ever appearance at the Hollywood Bowl this year. "To me, he's the greatest ever."

Just as memorable, last December was Beth's first solo gig at London's Union Chapel (subsequently voted by fans as the venue's gig of the year). "It was the most terrifying experience of my entire life," she admits. "I got up there and I was so frickin' scared. But then, halfway through the show, I just started to enjoy it. By the end, I felt so connected to the audience, and I really felt like they did that show with me. It was like we were all the band."

'Fire On The Floor' is sure to build on her breakneck momentum. As the singer explains, this latest record gave her an emotional release following the bitter-sweet sessions for 'Better Than Home.' If there's a theme that ties the twelve songs together, it's a sense of escapism following the hardest of times. "We were still in the mixing stages for that album and I knew I had to make another record. Making 'Better Than Home' was so painful, because one of the producers, Michael Stevens, was dying of cancer. It was a very emotional record to write and to make. I wanted the songs for 'Fire On The Floor' to get born real quick."

Beth's first call was to the acclaimed producer Oliver Leiber, who scheduled a session at his home studio in Toluca Lake and drafted an incredible studio band that included Michael Landau (guitar), Waddy Wachtel (guitar), Brian Allen (bass), Rick Marotta (drums), Jim Cox (piano), Dean Parks (acoustic guitar) and Ivan Neville (B3 and organ). "Oliver rounded up some amazing musicians," Beth reflects. "Michael Landau and Waddy Wachtel are legends, so when I found out we had them, I just couldn't believe it. If you don't have great musicians, you're not gonna have a very good record, are you? We recorded sixteen songs in three days," continues Beth of the quickfire LA sessions, "but then we spent a long time mixing. Oliver is a brutally hard-working person, but he's also incredibly sensitive and that combination works so great. He's strong and focused, but still so vulnerable, and his heart is wide open. I'm so proud of what he did on this record."

Take a spin of 'Fire On The Floor' and you'll see exactly why. These twelve new songs run the gamut of genre, reflecting Beth's eclectic teenage influences, which took in everything from gospel, soul and classical to the seismic rock of Soundgarden. "As a writer," she nods, "I feel really stifled if I'm trying to write in the same style. I just can't do that. Growing up as a kid, I was raised all over the place stylistically, loving so many different genres."

As such, you'll find everything from the spring-heeled soul of "Let's Get Together" to the brittle rock of "Fat Man." "I love that song," she says of the latter. "That's actually a co-write with a wonderful songwriter named Glen Burtnik, who I started writing with when I was about 24. We wrote that seven years ago - just a basic skeleton - but then I got super-inspired and wrote out the lyric. It feels good to sing it. That's what's so great about rock 'n' roll. It's just such a fantastic way to let out your angst."

Likewise, the title track: "I love 'Fire On The Floor.' It's just smouldering. I think it's gonna be a fantastic piece to perform live. It's filled with passion. It's about when someone you know is so bad for you, but you can't help it. Then there's "No Place Like Home." I love that song. It's about how, like, you spend a lot of time on the road, and you start to realize all the great things about being home. Kinda the opposite to the song 'Better Than Home.'" Other upbeat highlights include the salsa-tinged "Baby Shot Me Down" and the jazz-inflected "Coca Cola," with a vocal that reminds you why Beth was recently voted as the 20th best blues singer of all-time in The Blues. "Vocally, that one takes me back to a Billie Holiday kinda singing," she reflects. "I love that kind of vibe, like a light, fun sexiness."

By contrast, there are some songs that Beth had to wrench from the emotional depths. "'Picture In A Frame' is a big one for me," she says. "When I started writing it, I was thinking about being in love with my husband. But when I was done, I could see that I really connected it with Michael Stevens, and it was my way of saying to him, y'know, 'I just want you to be better.'" Despite all the emotionally bare moments, for Beth, this record represents a catharsis. "I think 'Better Than Home' is one of the best records I've ever done," she says, "but it was a brutal experience. 'Fire On The Floor' has more energy and I think, overall, it's just got more balls. And I think I really needed that, just to balance out that heavier mood on 'Better Than Home.'"

'Fire On The Floor' is the album that Beth Hart needed to make. Likewise, it's a record that you need to hear. "I'm so pleased with it," she concludes. "I recently had to organise the sequence of the record, and while I was doing that, I was thinking to myself, 'Y'know, this is pretty frickin' good...!'"

Beth Hart Online:
www.facebook.com/officialbethhart
www.twitter.com/BethHart
www.instagram.com/officialbethhart
www.bethhart.com

Tracklist:
1. Jazzman
2. Love Gangster
3. Coca-Cola
4. Let's Get Together
5. Love Is A Lie
6. Fat Man
7. Fire On The Floor
8. Woman You've Been Dreaming Of
9. Baby Shot Me Down
10. Good Day To Cry
11. Picture In A Frame
12. No Place Like Home

Tour Dates:
August 3rd, 2016 - Belly Up - Solana Beach, CA
August 5th, 2016 - Mammoth Festival - Mammoth, CA
August 10th, 2016 - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
September 7th, 2016 - Canyon Club - Agoura Hills, CA
September 9th, 2016 - Big Blues Bender Plaza Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
September 10th, 2016 - Livewire - Scottsdale, AZ
September 13th, 2016 - Brady Theater - Tulsa, OK
September 14th, 2016 - Uptown Theatre - Kansas City, MO
September 17th, 2016 - The Pageant - St. Louis, MO
September 18th, 2016 - Turner Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
September 21st, 2016 - Park West - Chicago, IL
September 22nd, 2016 - Park West - Chicago, IL
November 9th, 2016 - Lichtburg - Essen, Germany
November 11th, 2016 - Symphony Hall - Birmingham, UK
November 13th, 2016 - The Sage - Gateshead, UK
November 14th, 2016 - 02 Academy, Glasgow, UK
November 17th, 2016 - Colton Hall - Bristol, UK
November 19th, 2016 - Bournemouth BIC Solent Hall - Dorset, UK
November 21st, 2016 - Bridgewater Hall - Manchester, UK
November 23rd, 2016 - Royal Festival Hall - London, UK
November 26th, 2016 - Heineken Music Hall - Amsterdam-Zuidoost, Netherlands
November 28th, 2016 - Ancienne Belgique - Brussels, Belgium
November 30th, 2016 - Splendid - Lille, France
December 2nd, 2016 - La Traverse - Cleon, France
December 3rd, 2016 - Theatre Femina - Bordeaux, France
December 5th, 2016 - La Cooperative De Mai - Clermont-Ferrand, France
December 7th, 2016 - Le Pasino - Aix-En-Provence, France
December 8th, 2016 - Salle De L'Etoile - Chateaurenard, France
December 10th, 2016 - Le Plan - Ris Orangis, France
December 13th, 2016 - Olympia - Paris, France
December 15th, 2016 - Megarama - Casablanca, Morocco
February 6th, 2017 - Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea III - Tampa, Florida
May 12th, 2017 - Haus Auersee - Leipzig, Germany
May 14th, 2017 - Colombiahall - Berlin, Germany
May 16th, 2017 - Laeiszhalle - Hamburg, Germany
May 18th, 2017 - Theater Am Aegi - Hannover, Germany
May 20th, 2017 - Kurhaus - Baden-Baden, Germany
May 22nd, 2017 - Capitol - Offenbach Am Main, Germany
May 24th, 2017 - Historische Stadthall - Wuppertal, Germany
May 29th, 2017 - Circus Krone - Munich, Germany

Wed, 08/24/2016 - 9:54 am

Thirty years after his breakthrough solo release 'Tones' brought him national recognition, Texas guitar legend Eric Johnson is releasing his first all-acoustic album on October 7th via Provogue. Showcasing nine original compositions and four covers, 'EJ' is easily Johnson's most intimate album to date. "Ever since I was young, I've played piano and acoustic guitar in my private life," Johnson says. "This type of music has always been a part of me, but I never showcased it on any kind of bigger level, like a full acoustic record. With EJ, I just decided to be more honest with myself and everybody, and show more of my personal side." EJ brings listeners as close as possible to hearing Johnson in his own living room, performing songs on piano and steel-string and nylon-string acoustic guitars.

Johnson, long known for his painstaking approach to making records, used a much more immediate approach for the self-produced EJ. "Almost all of that material was cut live," Johnson explains. "Some of the songs I actually sang and played at the same time - just live in the studio. Recording this way gave it more of an honest realism and organic emotion. Especially on the acoustic, you just have to get in there and play."

On the original compositions "Wonder," "Fatherly Downs," and "All Things You Are," Johnson frames his voice with his prized 1980 Martin D-45, a gift from his late father. He plays the steel-string on his superlative instrumentals "Once Upon a Time in Texas," "All Things You Are," and "Song for Irene." He conjures the beautiful, pensive tones of "Serinidad," another original instrumental, on a Ramirez nylon-string guitar. A spirited steel-string arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" rounds out the solo guitar tracks.

Johnson recasts another Simon and Garfunkel favorite, "Scarborough Fair," for voice and piano, and plays piano on the originals "Water Under the Bridge," "November," and "Wrapped in a Cloud," an ensemble track with acoustic bass, cello, drums, and percussion. In a move that's sure to surprise his fans, Johnson rearranged Jimi Hendrix' "One Rainy Wish" for guitar and piano, capping the performance with a jazz-inflected piano solo. Rounding out the record is Johnson and guest guitarist Doyle Dykes' superlative cover of Les Paul and Mary Ford's 1951 classic, "The World Is Waiting for the Sunshine."

Throughout his career, Johnson has approached music as a healing force, a way to enhance a listener's consciousness and conjure joy and inspiration. "That's what I've always appreciated most about other artists," he says. "Some artists inspire us to wake up and get back to the clarity of consciousness. With this record, I'm trying to do that too, because I appreciate it so much in other people."

In support of EJ's October 2016 release, Johnson will embark on a series of U.S. tours that will bring him to about 60 cities nationwide. Stay tuned for dates and details.

Tracklist:
1. Mrs. Robinson
2. Water Under the Bridge
3. Wonder
4. Wrapped In A Cloud
5. Once Upon A Time in Texas
6. One Rainy Wish
7. Serinidad
8. Fatherly Downs
9. The World Is Waiting For The Sunshine
10. November
11. All Things You Are
12. Scarborough Fair
13. Song For Irene

Wed, 09/21/2016 - 11:26 am

Thirty years after his breakthrough solo release 'Tones' brought him national recognition, Texas guitar legend Eric Johnson is releasing his first all-acoustic album on October 7th via Provogue. Showcasing nine original compositions and four covers, 'EJ' is easily Johnson's most intimate album to date. "Ever since I was young, I've played piano and acoustic guitar in my private life," Johnson says. "This type of music has always been a part of me, but I never showcased it on any kind of bigger level, like a full acoustic record. With EJ, I just decided to be more honest with myself and everybody, and show more of my personal side." EJ brings listeners as close as possible to hearing Johnson in his own living room, performing songs on piano and steel-string and nylon-string acoustic guitars.

Johnson, long known for his painstaking approach to making records, used a much more immediate approach for the self-produced EJ. "Almost all of that material was cut live," Johnson explains. "Some of the songs I actually sang and played at the same time - just live in the studio. Recording this way gave it more of an honest realism and organic emotion. Especially on the acoustic, you just have to get in there and play."

On the original compositions "Wonder," "Fatherly Downs," and "All Things You Are," Johnson frames his voice with his prized 1980 Martin D-45, a gift from his late father. He plays the steel-string on his superlative instrumentals "Once Upon a Time in Texas," "All Things You Are," and "Song for Irene." He conjures the beautiful, pensive tones of "Serinidad," another original instrumental, on a Ramirez nylon-string guitar. A spirited steel-string arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" rounds out the solo guitar tracks.

Johnson recasts another Simon and Garfunkel favorite, "Scarborough Fair," for voice and piano, and plays piano on the originals "Water Under the Bridge," "November," and "Wrapped in a Cloud," an ensemble track with acoustic bass, cello, drums, and percussion. In a move that's sure to surprise his fans, Johnson rearranged Jimi Hendrix' "One Rainy Wish" for guitar and piano, capping the performance with a jazz-inflected piano solo. Rounding out the record is Johnson and guest guitarist Doyle Dykes' superlative cover of Les Paul and Mary Ford's 1951 classic, "The World Is Waiting for the Sunshine."

Throughout his career, Johnson has approached music as a healing force, a way to enhance a listener's consciousness and conjure joy and inspiration. "That's what I've always appreciated most about other artists," he says. "Some artists inspire us to wake up and get back to the clarity of consciousness. With this record, I'm trying to do that too, because I appreciate it so much in other people."

In support of EJ's October 2016 release, Johnson will embark on a series of U.S. tours that will bring him to about 60 cities nationwide. Stay tuned for dates and details.

Tracklist:
1. Mrs. Robinson
2. Water Under the Bridge
3. Wonder
4. Wrapped In A Cloud
5. Once Upon A Time in Texas
6. One Rainy Wish
7. Serinidad
8. Fatherly Downs
9. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
10. November
11. All Things You Are
12. Scarborough Fair
13. Song For Irene

Wed, 10/19/2016 - 10:18 am

Beth Hart is on fire. Right now, the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter is riding a creative tidal wave, firing out acclaimed albums, hooking up with the biggest names in music, and rocking the house each night with her celebrated "burnt-honey" voice. In 2016, the headline news is Beth's latest album, 'Fire On The Floor,' out February 3rd on Provogue - a release that even this fiercely self-critical artist describes as "pretty frickin' good." But let's not forget the backstory that brought her here...

Blues Magazine once dubbed Beth Hart "the ultimate female rock star," and there's no doubt that her two-decade career has been the ultimate thrill-ride. Born in Los Angeles, she released a fistful of hit albums through the '90s, then reignited in the noughts as both a solo artist and the head-turning vocalist for guitar heroes like Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and Slash. "Extraordinary," wrote The Times of her once-in-a-generation vocals, while The Guardian praised her "daring, brooding and angry" performances.

But it's in recent years that Beth has truly blossomed. In April 2015, she released 'Better Than Home,' a critical and commercial smash that topped the iTunes Blues Chart and was crowned #4 Best Blues Album Of The Year by Mojo magazine. The release led her to pack ever-larger venues across the US, including Nashville's iconic Ryman Auditorium and NYC's Town Hall - and leading to an American Blues Foundation nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist. "It's unbelievable," she admits. "This last tour, we were playing much bigger houses than I'd ever played in the States - and they were sold-out."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Beth's rocketing UK profile has never been higher. Recent years have seen auspicious headline sets at the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican (not to mention the historic Hampton Court Palace with Joe Bonamassa), and in December 2015, she chalked up another first with a spot on Jools Holland's legendary annual Hootenanny. Bringing in the New Year with a soulful take on "Tell Her You Belong To Me" and "Nutbush City Limits" alongside long-time collaborator Jeff Beck, it spoke volumes that the pair's performance rapidly became the Hootenanny's most-watched clip on the BBC's official YouTube channel (even overtaking heavyweights like Tom Jones and Paul Weller). "Every time Jeff performs, he just kills it," gushes Beth, who will join the veteran guitarist for her first-ever appearance at the Hollywood Bowl this year. "To me, he's the greatest ever."

'Fire On The Floor' is sure to build on her breakneck momentum. As the singer explains, this latest record gave her an emotional release following the bitter-sweet sessions for 'Better Than Home.' If there's a theme that ties the twelve songs together, it's a sense of escapism following the hardest of times. "We were still in the mixing stages for that album and I knew I had to make another record. Making 'Better Than Home' was so painful, because one of the producers, Michael Stevens, was dying of cancer. It was a very emotional record to write and to make. I wanted the songs for 'Fire On The Floor' to get born real quick."

Beth's first call was to the acclaimed producer Oliver Leiber, who scheduled a session at his home studio in Toluca Lake and drafted an incredible studio band that included Michael Landau (guitar), Waddy Wachtel (guitar), Brian Allen (bass), Rick Marotta (drums), Jim Cox (piano), Dean Parks (acoustic guitar) and Ivan Neville (B3 and organ). "Oliver rounded up some amazing musicians," Beth reflects. "Michael Landau and Waddy Wachtel are legends, so when I found out we had them, I just couldn't believe it. If you don't have great musicians, you're not gonna have a very good record, are you? We recorded sixteen songs in three days," continues Beth of the quickfire LA sessions, "but then we spent a long time mixing. Oliver is a brutally hard-working person, but he's also incredibly sensitive and that combination works so great. He's strong and focused, but still so vulnerable, and his heart is wide open. I'm so proud of what he did on this record."

Take a spin of 'Fire On The Floor' and you'll see exactly why. These twelve new songs run the gamut of genre, reflecting Beth's eclectic teenage influences, which took in everything from gospel, soul and classical to the seismic rock of Soundgarden. "As a writer," she nods, "I feel really stifled if I'm trying to write in the same style. I just can't do that. Growing up as a kid, I was raised all over the place stylistically, loving so many different genres."

As such, you'll find everything from the spring-heeled soul of "Let's Get Together" to the brittle rock of "Fat Man." "I love that song," she says of the latter. "That's actually a co-write with a wonderful songwriter named Glen Burtnik, who I started writing with when I was about 24. We wrote that seven years ago - just a basic skeleton - but then I got super-inspired and wrote out the lyric. It feels good to sing it. That's what's so great about rock 'n' roll. It's just such a fantastic way to let out your angst."

Likewise, the title track: "I love 'Fire On The Floor.' It's just smouldering. I think it's gonna be a fantastic piece to perform live. It's filled with passion. It's about when someone you know is so bad for you, but you can't help it. Then there's "No Place Like Home." I love that song. It's about how, like, you spend a lot of time on the road, and you start to realize all the great things about being home. Kinda the opposite to the song 'Better Than Home.'" Other upbeat highlights include the salsa-tinged "Baby Shot Me Down" and the jazz-inflected "Coca Cola," with a vocal that reminds you why Beth was recently voted as the 20th best blues singer of all-time in The Blues. "Vocally, that one takes me back to a Billie Holiday kinda singing," she reflects. "I love that kind of vibe, like a light, fun sexiness."

By contrast, there are some songs that Beth had to wrench from the emotional depths. "'Picture In A Frame' is a big one for me," she says. "When I started writing it, I was thinking about being in love with my husband. But when I was done, I could see that I really connected it with Michael Stevens, and it was my way of saying to him, y'know, 'I just want you to be better.'" Despite all the emotionally bare moments, for Beth, this record represents a catharsis. "I think 'Better Than Home' is one of the best records I've ever done," she says, "but it was a brutal experience. 'Fire On The Floor' has more energy and I think, overall, it's just got more balls. And I think I really needed that, just to balance out that heavier mood on 'Better Than Home.'"

'Fire On The Floor' is the album that Beth Hart needed to make. Likewise, it's a record that you need to hear. "I'm so pleased with it," she concludes. "I recently had to organise the sequence of the record, and while I was doing that, I was thinking to myself, 'Y'know, this is pretty frickin' good...!'"

Beth Hart Online:
www.facebook.com/officialbethhart
www.twitter.com/BethHart
www.instagram/officialbethhart
www.bethhart.com

Tracklist:
1. Jazzman
2. Love Gangster
3. Coca-Cola
4. Let's Get Together
5. Love Is A Lie
6. Fat Man
7. Fire On The Floor
8. Woman You've Been Dreaming Of
9. Baby Shot Me Down
10. Good Day To Cry
11. Picture In A Frame
12. No Place Like Home

Tour Dates:
February 6th - Tampa, FL - Keeping the Blues Alive At Sea III
February 11th - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage Theater
February 13th - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound Stage
February 16th - New York, NY - Town Hall
February 18th - Collingwood, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium
February 19th - Westbury, NY - Wesbutry Theater
February 21st - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse
February 23rd - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theater
February 25th - Mashantucket, CT - Fox Theater
February 26th - Albany, NY - The Egg
February 28th - Buffalo, NY - Center for the Arts
March 2nd - Homestead, PA - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
March 10th - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
March 15th - New Orleans, LA - Saenger
March 16th - Memphis, TN - The Orpheum Theatre Memphis
March 18th - St. Louis, MO - Peabody Opera House
March 19th - Louisville, KY - Palace Theater
March 21st - Cincinnati, OH - Taft
March 22nd - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
March 23rd - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre Detroit
March 25th - Chicago, IL - The Chicago Theatre

Thu, 09/14/2017 - 5:17 pm

Rise & Shine, SIMO’s new album, widens their sound, as the band stretched beyond preconceived notions and produced a nuanced record reflecting their views, talents and ultimately their growth.

The album began taking shape on the road, where SIMO's three bandmates — singer, guitarist and namesake frontman JD Simo; drummer Adam Abrashoff; and bassist Elad Shapiro — spent most of 2016 on tour. They played 215 shows that year, leaving behind their Nashville headquarters and traveling to nine different countries in support of their Billboard Top 10 blues album, Let Love Show the Way. The trio worked on new music along the way, hashing out chord changes in hotel rooms and tweaking song arrangements during soundcheck. It was a time of growth and self-improvement for everyone, and they became better friends, better musicians, and better people. At the same time, the outside world was changing. Political pundits were screaming at one another. Elections were pitting candidate against candidate, party against party, neighbour against neighbour. The need to write music that truly meant something — music that not only demonstrated the band's explosive chops, but also sent a clear message — was greater than ever.

"This is an album about change," says Elad, who joined the band in 2015. "We looked at what's been happening in our own lives, as well as what's been happening in the world. Everyone is changing: personally, politically, socially. We've seen it. We've felt it. And we're writing about it."

Rise & Shine introduces the band's elastic, expanded sound, which blurs the lines between genres and generations throughout the album's 11 tracks. SIMO's previous release, Let Love Show the Way, was a spot-on salute to the band's rock & roll influences, full of big amplifiers, vintage vibe, and plenty of volume. Rise & Shine doesn't ignore those roots, but it pushes toward something new. Eager to explore uncharted territory, the guys make room for slow-smoked soul ballads ("I Want Love"); psychedelic desert-rock instrumentals ("The Climb"); hard-edged, bluesy barn burners ("Light the Candle"); and Stax-worthy funk rockers ("Meditation"). Gluing everything together is the charisma and chemistry of three musicians who spent more than 300 days togethe  last year, mastering the art not only of nodding to the past, but looking ahead to the future too.

"If you go through my record collection and look at the more contemporary titles," JD explains, "you'll see the Roots, Wilco, Alabama Shakes, and Ryan Adams. I listen to a lot of old soul music, too. Isaac Hayes. Funkadelic. Bob Dylan. On Rise & Shine, I was just trying to cull from the vastness that is my normal music diet, and not trying to pander to some target that was easy to hit."

SIMO began recording Rise & Shine in February 2017, producing the album themselves (with help from engineer Don Bates) in Nashville's House of Blues Studio D. They moved at their own deliberate pace, taking more than a month to record the album.

"There was a lot more sonic experimentation going on," remembers Adam. “Every track has a different sonic imprint,” JD adds. “We took great care to make each track’s sonic identity match the mood of the song. Even though that meant starting from scratch every day with how the studio was setup.”

They pulled long hours, too, arriving around 3:00 p.m. every day and staying until 6:00 in the morning. "There are certain records that stick out in my mind as sounding like they were made in the middle of the night," says JD, who remembers recording the song "Be With You" in a single take at 5:15 a.m. "When Frank Sinatra sings “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)” to me it sounds like 2:00 am. Bob Dylan’s “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” sounds like 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. There were certain songs of ours that I knew would benefit from that nighttime feel, where you're up and working while the rest of the world is asleep."

A former session guitarist who’s played on nearly 500 albums, JD didn't take Rise & Shine’s lengthy creation process for granted. "I've never worked on a record that took this long to record," he adds. "I was so grateful to have that opportunity.”

Impassioned vocals that call to mind Prince or Al Green; Rhythm tracks inspired by the fatback swagger of Isaac Hayes and funky spirit of D’Angelo; Lush, highly detailed sonic landscapes reminiscent of Pink Floyd; Raw, naked songwriting that lifts the veil for the listener to see all the frailty and ugly parts as well as the beautiful: Rise & Shine makes room for it all, with SIMO looking not to recreate old sounds, but invent new ones. It's the band's most expansive album to date — the work of a band at its curious, adventurous peak-

Fri, 02/16/2018 - 2:47 pm

On March 7th, 2017, the GRAMMY nominated "powerhouse vocalist" (Rolling Stone) Beth Hart performed a very special, intimate concert at NYC's Iridium Jazz Club, which featured songs from her latest album 'Fire on the Floor' and from throughout her career. Now, 13 years after the release of her incredibly successful live release, 'Live at Paradiso,' Hart is treating fans to a DVD/CD release of this standout performance with 'Live From New York - Front & Center', out April 13th via Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group. The performance is also featured on the Season 8 premiere episode of Public Television's critically acclaimed concert series, Front and Center (airing now, check local listings).

Known for her visceral, soul-baring vocals and dynamic range, Hart is riding a creative tidal wave following the release of her critically acclaimed 2016 studio album, 'Fire On The Floor', as well as her just-released studio collaboration with guitarist Joe Bonamassa, 'Black Coffee.' Leveling audiences with her incredible power and celebrated burnt-honey vocals for 20 years, Hart has just launched a 16-date coast-to-coast US tour, which will be followed by a European tour in April-May 2018.

Hart has had an incredible career, beginning with the release of a fistful of hit albums through the '90s, then reigniting in the post-millennium as both a solo artist and the head-turning vocalist for guitar heroes like Joe Bonamassa, Slash and long-time collaborator Jeff Beck. But it's in recent times that Beth has truly blossomed, selling out ever-larger venues in cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. She is recognized as one of the great live vocalists of our time, with a voice "reminiscent of Etta James and Janis Joplin" (Music Connection), topping Billboard's Blues Album Chart and receiving numerous GRAMMY and Blues Music Awards nominations. Dubbed "the ultimate female rock star" by The Blues Magazine, the Guardian has praised her "daring, brooding performances" and The Times has called her "Extraordinary."

'Live From New York - Front And Center' will be released as a 2-disc DVD/CD set, mixed in 5.1 stereo, featuring never before seen bonus material, including an exclusive interview with Hart. The audio from the performance will also be sold separately as a digital release.

Track Listing

CD
01 - Let's Get Together
02 - Baddest Blues
03 - Jazz Man
04 - Delicious Surprise
05 - Broken And Ugly
06 - St. Teresa
07 - Isolation
08 - Tell Her You Belong To Me
09 - Fat Man
10 - Love Gangster
11 - Leave The Light On
12 - As Long As I Have A Song

DVD
01 - Let's Get Together
02 - Baddest Blues
03 - Jazz Man
04 - Delicious Surprise
05 - St. Teresa
06 - Tell Her You Belong To Me
07 - Fat Man
08 - Leave The Light On
09 - Can't Let Go
10 - As Long As I Have A Song

Bonus DVD features:
* Full Band Bonus Content (Love Gangster - Broken And Ugly - For My Friends)
* Acoustic Bonus Content (Isolation - My California - No Place Like Home)
* Beth Hart Interview

Sun, 04/15/2018 - 7:34 pm

On March 7th, 2017, the GRAMMY nominated "powerhouse vocalist" (Rolling Stone) Beth Hart performed a very special, intimate concert at NYC's Iridium Jazz Club, which featured songs from her latest album 'Fire on the Floor' and from throughout her career. Now, 13 years after the release of her incredibly successful live release, 'Live at Paradiso,' Hart is treating fans to a DVD/CD release of this standout performance with 'Live From New York - Front & Center', out April 13th via Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group. The performance is also featured on the Season 8 premiere episode of Public Television's critically acclaimed concert series, Front and Center (airing now, check local listings).

Known for her visceral, soul-baring vocals and dynamic range, Hart is riding a creative tidal wave following the release of her critically acclaimed 2016 studio album, 'Fire On The Floor', as well as her just-released studio collaboration with guitarist Joe Bonamassa, 'Black Coffee.' Leveling audiences with her incredible power and celebrated burnt-honey vocals for 20 years, Hart has just launched a 16-date coast-to-coast US tour, which will be followed by a European tour in April-May 2018.

Hart has had an incredible career, beginning with the release of a fistful of hit albums through the '90s, then reigniting in the post-millennium as both a solo artist and the head-turning vocalist for guitar heroes like Joe Bonamassa, Slash and long-time collaborator Jeff Beck. But it's in recent times that Beth has truly blossomed, selling out ever-larger venues in cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. She is recognized as one of the great live vocalists of our time, with a voice "reminiscent of Etta James and Janis Joplin" (Music Connection), topping Billboard's Blues Album Chart and receiving numerous GRAMMY and Blues Music Awards nominations. Dubbed "the ultimate female rock star" by The Blues Magazine, the Guardian has praised her "daring, brooding performances" and The Times has called her "Extraordinary."

'Live From New York - Front And Center' will be released as a 2-disc DVD/CD set, mixed in 5.1 stereo, featuring never before seen bonus material, including an exclusive interview with Hart. The audio from the performance will also be sold separately as a digital release.

Track Listing

CD
01 - Let's Get Together
02 - Baddest Blues
03 - Jazz Man
04 - Delicious Surprise
05 - Broken And Ugly
06 - St. Teresa
07 - Isolation
08 - Tell Her You Belong To Me
09 - Fat Man
10 - Love Gangster
11 - Leave The Light On
12 - As Long As I Have A Song

DVD
01 - Let's Get Together
02 - Baddest Blues
03 - Jazz Man
04 - Delicious Surprise
05 - St. Teresa
06 - Tell Her You Belong To Me
07 - Fat Man
08 - Leave The Light On
09 - Can't Let Go
10 - As Long As I Have A Song

Bonus DVD features:
* Full Band Bonus Content (Love Gangster - Broken And Ugly - For My Friends)
* Acoustic Bonus Content (Isolation - My California - No Place Like Home)
* Beth Hart Interview

Mon, 10/01/2018 - 7:06 pm

On October 5th, Provogue will release 'Shades', singer-songwriter and guitarist Doyle Bramhall II's dramatic debut for the label. The album comes hot on the heels of Bramhall's 2016 critically acclaimed fourth record, Rich Man, his first solo album in 15 years.

In the intervening years between albums, Bramhall established himself as one of the most distinctive and sought-after guitarists around, performing with a dizzying array of artists that includes Roger Waters, Elton John, Gregg Allman, Allen Toussaint and T-Bone Burnett, to name a few. More significantly, Bramhall had spent over a decade as Eric Clapton's musical right-hand man, collaborating closely with the legendary guitarist both in the studio and on stage. He's also produced albums and written songs for Sheryl Crow and the Tedeschi Trucks Band, among others.

'Shades' is a spellbinding blend of grungy blues, raucous garage rock, transcendent psychedelia, and soothing, soul-stirring ballads that sees Bramhall reaching new heights as a multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist while responding to his heart's most urgent commands as a lyricist and arranger.

"The new record finally feels like I'm comfortable in my own skin, like I don't have anything to prove other than trying to express myself as honestly as I can," says Bramhall. "As an artist, writer and producer, I'm in a good place, and I think I can allow this flow of music to come out and form a real body of work that my fans can appreciate. I'm thrilled to have them go on this journey with me."

Throughout much of 'Shades', Bramhall addresses deeply personal themes - on the R&B-laced "Everything You Need" and the elegant ballad "Searching For Love," he examines matters of the heart. But on the gritty, soulful rocker "Love and Pain," he takes on gun violence, a song inspired by last year's concert massacre in Las Vegas.

Performing alongside Bramhall on 'Shades' is an ace group of musicians he's worked with over the years - bassist Chris Bruce, multi-instrumentalist and string arranger Adam Minkoff, and drummers Carla Azar and Abe Rounds - and there are also notable appearances by friends and luminaries: Eric Clapton, Norah Jones, the Tedeshi Trucks band, and Austin buds the Greyhounds. "Without appearing immodest, I can admit that I've led a pretty charmed life," Bramhall says. "I'm thrilled and honored to have all of these incredible people guest on my record."

Track List 
1. Love And Pain
2. Hammer Ring
3. Everything You Need (feat. Eric Clapton)
4. London To Tokyo
5. Searching For Love (feat. Norah Jones)
6. Live Forever (feat. Greyhounds)
7. Break Apart To Mend
8. She'll Come Around
9. The Night
10. Parvanah
11. Consciousness
12. Going Going Gone (feat. Tedeschi Trucks Band)

Thu, 11/01/2018 - 2:32 pm

Beth Hart makes one hell of an entrance. Its May 4th, 2018, and the Royal Albert Hall is in blackout. As a sell-out crowd holds its breath in the darkness, a lone figure appears from the shadows and purrs the opening line of As Long As I Have A Song in that unmistakable burnt-honey voice. Taking her time, followed by the spotlight, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter picks her way between the aisles of this iconic London venue, delivering the languid jazz vocal entirely acapella, while shaking the outstretched hands of fans who can’t quite believe what they’re witnessing.

It takes a special talent to command that historic stage. But for the next two hours and 23 songs, Live At Royal Albert Hall will hold you spellbound, as the singer whispers and hollers her hopes, fears and deepest secrets in your ear, making this massive venue feel like a nose-to-nose club show. A thousand interviewers have tried to unpick the fascinating enigma that is Beth Hart. But as Live At Royal Albert Hall reminds us, everything you need to know is right there in her songs and the intimate off-the-cuff stories she spins before each one.

Stroll through downtown Los Angeles in the early-the 90s and you’d have found Hart strumming guitar on 3rd Street Promenade, waiting for the big break that came when she was discovered by her manager, David Wolf, and eased into a record deal with Atlantic that gave us 1996s Immortal and 1999s Screamin’ For My Supper. It was a bittersweet period for Hart, whose unmedicated bipolar disorder and troubled personal life stopped her reaching the heights her music deserved. But to the delight of long-standing fans, she doesn’t flinch from revisiting it at the Royal Albert Hall, switching to acoustic bass and introducing the rootsy Spiders In My Bed that was written in the eye of the storm. Back then, she explains, I could never sleep. I could go three or four days and stay awake, and it was just mania

The new millennium brought fresh hope and the musical highs returned with revered albums like 2003’s Leave The Light On and 2007’s 37 Days, Hart treats us to three of her most positive songs from that redemptive era, bolstered by the crack-squad rhythm section of Bob Marinelli (bass) and Bill Ransom (drums). For My Friend, was a highlight of 2011’s Don’t Explain: Hart’s first double-header release with Bonamassa and an album that alerted a wider audience to her jaw-dropping talents (while forging her reputation as a go-to muse for A-list guitarists including Slash and Jeff Beck).

She takes to the piano to pound through the title track of 2012s Bang Bang Boom Boom, also cherry-picking that album for the poignant, jazz-inflected Baddest Blues. Better Than Home is represented by Trouble and Mama This One’s For You. 2016s Fire On The Floor is mined for moments like the dramatic storm clouds of Love Is A Lie, Baby Shot Me Down and Picture In A Frame. It all ends with the astonishing slow-burn blues of Caught Out In The Rain, Hart sunk to her knees, lost in the moment as her vocal builds from a breathy vocal to a bereft roar of “God, don’t take my man”.

Not even Hart herself can follow that. And so, Live At Royal Albert Hall ends as it began, with an impassioned moment of intimacy from an artist who is setting the pace on the modern scene. It’s been a night of a thousand emotions, for both performer and audience. But as the entire crew take a low bow and Hart is carried off in the loving arms of her husband, her parting shot says it all: “We had a ball, man...

Track list:
1 As Long As I Have A Song
2 For My Friends
3 Lifts You Up
4 Close To My Fire
5 Bang Bang Boom Boom
6 Good As It Gets
7 Spirit Of God
8 Baddest Blues
9 Sister Heroine
10 Baby Shot Me Down
11 Waterfalls
12 Your Heart Is As Black As Night
13 Saved
14 The Ugliest House On The Block
15 Spiders In My Bed
16 Take It Easy On Me
17 Leave The Light On
18 Mama This One's For You
19 My California
20 Trouble
21 Love Is A Lie
22 Picture In A Frame
23 Caught Out In The Rain