Lord Nelson’s new album Transmission

Lord Nelson carries their live show into the recording studio with *Transmission*. Photo: Lord Nelson

When it came time for Lord Nelson to get back into the studio to make a new album, the band wanted to lean into exactly what has earned them fans and thousands of streams of their songs throughout their career: a burn-down-the-house live show. The Charlottesville-based band was looking for a way to create a calling card for their boisterous live act, something that would bridge the gap between studio and performance, so they took a batch of road tested songs into the studio with a very simple goal in mind and achieved just that. The resulting album, Transmission, will be released January 21, but Lord Nelson recently shared the first track from the album. (Lord Nelson, 2021)

“Tooth and Nail” opens Transmission with a raucous groove and electric guitars every bit appropriate for the kind of lights-down, beginning of the show anticipation usually reserved for the stage. “Navigating this world is a full time job and the person we become may be sometimes far removed from the vision we had when we set out on this journey,” say the band’s members about “Tooth and Nail.” “Own your disasters and keep moving.” Watch the video for “Tooth and Nail” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Transmission ahead of its January 21 release here.

For the first time, this Lord Nelson record features three writers and vocalists, with brothers Henry and Calloway Jones contributing to Kai Crowe-Getty’s set of songs. Rounding out the group are Andrew Hollifield and Niko Cventanovich on bass, Johnny Stubblefield on drums, and Dave Pinto on pedal steel and harmonica. The collection of songs marks a wide range of stories and characters, but there is a creeping lightness that settles around the edges of what could be darker themes in other hands. From car crashes, murder, bank robberies, devotion, trucks in lakes, drug busts, and relationships, to hope, triumph, and overcoming the odds, this record engages a wide view of the human experience.

Using a converted barn to track the record, guitarist Calloway Jones and collaborator Ivan Barry engineered two sessions across a few weeks, and the bones of an album were fitted into a suit. Lord Nelson initially worked to move through recording quickly as to release Transmission and get back on the road. Like the rest of the world, those plans came to a sudden halt with the pandemic. The band wondered, “Does the world need this music now? Will it ever see the light of day?” But finishing vocals in blanket forts, tracking guitars in an old farm house, and sending the sessions to friends to record parts enabled this process to grow and change slightly with the enforced break from touring. It allowed the band to pause and take in the songs and choices with a bit more thought. It changed the work and brought a reexamination. Ultimately, this record intends to bring people together—to dance, sing in the car, hum along, crank up on the stereo, and to stop taking life too seriously for a few minutes.

Transmission Track list:
Tooth and Nail
Hell or High Water
Country Desperation
Drag Me Down
Putting in the Time
Broken Part
Rolling Stoned
Cheap Red Wine
Let It Ride
Burn It Down
Julia

Jamestown Revival’s new song ‘These Days’

Jamestown Revival’s new album Young Man will be out January 14, 2022. Photo: google

In 2020, Jamestown Revival released A Field Guide To Loneliness, an intimate collection of songs that finds Clay and Chance reflecting on recent times whereby human contact was limited more than ever. A Field Guide To Loneliness follows Jamestown Revival’s 2019 critically acclaimed release, San Isabel. Recorded in a remote cabin in the majestic and calming landscape of central Colorado, the band embraced a minimalist approach in the recording of San Isabel. Finding inspiration in ‘60s and early 70’s folk and pop, the original songs on San Isabel show reverence for early John Denver and Bob Dylan, as well as Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Their new album, Young Man, will be released on January 14, 2022. (Jamestown Revival, 2021)

With a swaggering waltz, close harmonies, and a wealth of slide guitars, Jamestown Revival has perfectly summarized the dog days of feeling stranded by the events of the last two years in their brand new single “These Days.” Straddling the line of good-time music and down-and-out feelings, “These Days” feels universal; a blurry memory of a worldwide shared experience, but a little closer to home for those who found themselves out of work for months on end. “‘These Days’ is about being down in the dumps, hamstrung, and unable to work,” say Jamestown Revival bandmates Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance. “The past year needs no introduction. As the months rolled on by, there were surely days when it felt like it got the best of us. We wrote this song on one of those days.” Fans can hear “These Days” now at this link.

“These Days” is the second song to be released from Jamestown Revival’s upcoming LP, Young Man. Produced and mixed by Robert Ellis and Joshua Block and bolstered by a thriving community of friends and musicians in Texas, Young Man is Jamestown Revival’s first project without electric guitars, with the emphasis instead on skillful songwriting, flawless harmony, and intricate fingerpicking. Displaying most of the genres that collectively make up “Americana” music—folk, jazz, bluegrass, roots rock—sometimes all in one song, this upcoming album represents a distilled and pure Jamestown Revival at their finest. Young Man is due out January 14 and can be pre-ordered or pre-saved now right here.

Additionally, Jamestown Revival just announced new tour dates including Thalia Hall in Chicago and Nashville’s new Brooklyn Bowl. A full list of new dates, as well as previously announced tour stops, can be found below. Tickets are available online.

New Jamestown Revival Tour Dates:
February 8 – Kansas City, MO. – Knuckleheads Saloon^
February 9 – St. Louis, MO. – Delmar Hall^
February 10 – Chicago, IL. – Thalia Hall^
February 11 – Minneapolis, MN. – Fine Line^
February 12 – Milwaukee, WI. – The Rave/Eagles Club – Rave II^
February 14 – Pittsburgh, PA. – Mr. Smalls^
February 15 – Detroit, MI. – St. Andrews Hall^
February 16 – Lexington, KY. – The Burl^
February 17 – Indianapolis, IN. – The Vogue^
February 18 – Columbus, OH. – Columbus Athenaeum^
February 19 – Nashville, TN. – Brooklyn Bowl^

Previously Announced 2022 Dates:
January 14 – New Braunfels, TX. – Gruene Hall^
January 16 – Tucson, AZ. – Rialto Theatre*
January 17 – Solana Beach, CA. – Belly Up*
January 18 – Solana Beach, CA. – Belly Up*
January 19 – Santa Cruz, CA. – Catalyst*
January 20 – San Francisco, CA. – The Fillmore*
January 21 – Los Angeles, CA. – Fonda Theatre*
January 22 – Sacramento, CA. – Ace of Spades*
January 23 – San Luis Obispo, CA. – Fremont Theatre*
January 25 – Salt Lake City, UT. – Commonwealth*
January 26 – Steamboat Springs, CO. – Strings Music Pavilion**
January 27 – Denver, CO. – Ogden Theatre*
January 28 – Telluride, CO. – Club Red*
January 29 – Ft. Collins, CO. – Aggie Theatre**
January 30 – Aspen, CO. – Belly Up^

Special Guests:
* Mipso & Robert Ellis
** Mipso
^ Robert Ellis

Young Man Track list:
1. Coyote
2. Young Man
3. Moving Man
4. Northbound
5. These Days
6. One Step Forward
7. Slow It Down
8. Way It Was
9. Old Man Looking Back
10. Working On Love

Movie adaptation: ‘The Lost Daughter’ by Elena Ferrante

The movie adaptation of ‘The Lost Daughter’ by Elena Ferrante is now playing in theaters everywhere. Photo: amazon

Elena Ferrante is the author of seven novels, including four New York Times bestsellers; “The Beach at Night,” an illustrated book for children; and “Frantumaglia,” a collection of letters, literary essays, and interviews. Her fiction has been translated into over forty languages and been shortlisted for the MAN Booker International Prize. In 2016 she was named one of TIME’s most influential people of the year and The New York Times has described her as “one of the great novelists of our time.” Her book “The Lost Daughter” has been adapted into a major motion picture directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Paul Mescal, and Peter Sarsgaard. (amazon, 2022)

“The Lost Daughter” – Leda, a middle-aged divorcée, is alone for the first time in years after her two adult daughters leave home to live with their father in Toronto. Enjoying an unexpected sense of liberty, she heads to the Ionian coast for a vacation. But she soon finds herself intrigued by Nina, a young mother on the beach, eventually striking up a conversation with her. After Nina confides a dark secret, one seemingly trivial occurrence leads to events that could destroy Nina’s family in this “arresting” novel by the author of the New York Times–bestselling Neapolitan Novels, which have sold millions of copies.

Coming up at the Majestic Theatre and Empire Theatre

Upcoming shows at the Majestic Theatre include ‘Hamilton’ and “Weird Al” Yankovic. Photo: Majestic Theatre

These shows were just announced this month. Tickets are now on sale at the Majestic and Empire Theatres. For full calendar and listing of events, please visit the Majestic Theatre online. (Majestic Theatre, 2021)

LUPITA D’ALESSIO Y MARÍA JOŚE: TOUR USA 2022
Majestic Theatre
February 24, 2022 at 8p.m.

RON WHITE: FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Majestic Theatre
February 26, 2022 at 10p.m.

ANGELA AGUILAR – MEXICAN ENAMORADA
Majestic Theatre
April 2, 2022 at 8p.m.

SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL
Majestic Theatre
April 19-24, 2022

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME
Empire Theatre
May 18-22, 2022
Tickets go on sale January 21, 2022 at 10a.m.

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE WERQ THE WORLD TOUR 2022
Majestic Theatre
July 17, 2022 at 7:30p.m.

TRIXIE AND KATYA LIVE!
Majestic Theatre
August 31, 2022 at 7:30p.m.

“WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC
Special Guest: Emo Philips
Majestic Theatre
October 4, 2022 at 7:30p.m.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES AT MAJESTIC & EMPIRE THEATRES
Hamilton || Majestic Theatre || January 5 – 16, 2022
Diana Krall || Majestic Theatre || February 5, 2022
Sebastian Maniscalco || Majestic Theatre || February 18, 2022 – 9:30p.m. SHOW ADDED
Me, Myself & Shirley || Empire Theatre || February 25-26, 2022
Willie Nelson & Family || Majestic Theatre || March 21-22, 2022
Il Volo || Majestic Theatre || April 15, 2022
Chelsea Handler || Majestic Theatre || May 14, 2022
Freestyle Love Supreme || Empire Theatre || May 18 – 22, 2022 – JUST ANNOUNCED

Majestic Theatre

‘SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical’ at the Majestic Theatre

Tickets to ‘SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical,’ which will play at the Majestic Theatre in April, are now on sale. Photo: AT&T Performing Arts Center

The North American Tour of ‘SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical’ will make its San Antonio, TX premiere at the Majestic Theatre on April 19-24, 2022. Tickets begin at $45 and are now on sale through the Majestic Theatre, Broadway in San Antonio, or in person at the Majestic Theatre Box Office. (Majestic Theatre, 2021)

She was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot through the stars from gospel choir to dance floor diva. But what the world didn’t know was how Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed. With a score featuring more than 20 of Summer’s classic hits including “Love to Love You Baby,” “Bad Girls” and “Hot Stuff,” this electric experience is a moving tribute to the voice of a generation.

‘SUMMER’ features a book by Tony Award® nominee Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Tony Award® winner Des McAnuff, with songs by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabara and others. This new touring production is directed by Lauren L. Sobon and choreographed by Natalie Caruncho, based on the original direction by Tony Award® winner Des McAnuff and original choreography by Tony Award® winner Sergio Trujillo. Associate choreographer is Angelica Beliard.

Musical Supervision is by JP Meyer, Music Director is Erika R. Gamez, tour scenic design by Robert Andrew Kovach, based on the original scenic design by Tony Award® nominee Robert Brill, costumes by Tony Award® winner Paul Tazewell, lighting by Russell A. Thompson, sound by David Temby, projections by Chris McCleary. This tour is produced by APEX Touring.

Majestic Theatre

The Infamous Stringdusters pick up Grammy nomination for Bluegrass Album of the Year

The Infamous Stringdusters’ new album Toward the Fray will be available February 18, 2022. Photo: google

The Infamous Stringdusters is a progressive acoustic/bluegrass band, who first emerged in 2006, consisting of members Andy Hall (dobro), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Andy Falco (guitar), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), and Travis Book (bass). The “Dusters” won three awards at the IBMAs in October 2007 for Emerging Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (for Fork in the Road), and Song of the Year for the album’s title track and in 2018 the band won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for Laws of Gravity. (The Infamous Stringdusters, 2021)

As the year starts to wind down, the opposite is true for Grammy-Award winning quintet The Infamous Stringdusters, who are dropping their forthcoming album Toward the Fray via Americana Vibes on February 18, 2022. They will be kicking off the year strong with a three night New Year’s Eve run in Richmond, Virginia, all the while celebrating last week’s Grammy nomination for Bluegrass Album of the Year for their 2021 album A Tribute To Bill Monroe. Additionally on the Dusters’ end of the year dance card, the band released Toward the Fray’s second single “Hard Line.”

Fans can now digitally pre-order or pre-save Toward the Fray now at this link. The Dusters also designed new merchandise to celebrate the release of Toward the Fray—including, but not limited to, a Stringdusters North Face jacket, limited edition colored vinyl, and an adorable Toward the Fray teddy bear. Pre-order all of these and more at the Infamous Stringdusters online store.

“This is a song about taking a hard line stance on something, and being so dug in you can’t ever change your mind,” shared Jeremy Garrett. “What a beautiful thing it might be if we could all come to the table, so to speak, once again and have meaningful and truthful discussions about the things going on in our world.” “Hard Line” is available here.

“Hard Line” comes on the heels of the release of the album’s previous single and title track, “Toward the Fray” which was written by guitarist Andy Falco with his dear friend Travis McKeveny who passed away tragically in September 2021.

Izaak Opatz’ new song ‘Chinook Wind’

Izaak Opatz deftly compares ex-lover to a tricky natural phenomenon in new song ‘Chinook Wind.’ Photo: google

The most concise way to describe musician Izaak Opatz is “well-experienced,” but, like his razor-sharp songs, there are deeper details to his life that deserve to be highlighted. Opatz is now back in graduate school at the University of Montana studying Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism at the same school from which he earned a degree over a decade ago. Between his two distinct periods of study, Opatz spent ten summers on a trail crew in Glacier National Park and a stint working in Jonny Fritz’s infamous Los Angeles leather shop. All that is to say, Opatz’ music draws on his “well-experienced” life. (Izaak Opatz, 2021)

Opatz has a new song entitled “Chinook Wind,” a clever comparison between an attempt to get back with an ex and the false-summer warm wind of the Rockies. A catchy, reverb-y guitar hook gives way to a rollicking verse punctuated by stabbing horns before giving way to a half-time feel change in the song’s chorus. Fans of country and Americana will be just as likely to enjoy “Chinook Wind” as those who lean more indie rock or experimental, perpetuating Opatz’ hard-to-describe but easy-to-listen-to style, one that Opatz and his band have dubbed dirtwave. Watch the music video for “Chinook Wind” now and check out Opatz’ op-ed with Talkhouse covering his already-mentioned history and much more at this link. “Chinook Wind” is out now on Mama Bird Recording Co..

“Between the occasionally Muppet-y background vocals and the yackety brass, this song has some ‘Flea Bag’ to it, which suits the wild-goose-chase-of-the-heart it describes. A chinook is an unseasonably warm, dry wind that pours down the east side of the Rockies at the end of winter, sometimes tricking trees into thinking a premature spring is upon them, leading them to pull the sugars from their roots and get ready to bud out, which hurts the trees when winter inevitably reasserts itself. As per the metaphor, I ‘thawed out my resistance’ at the prospect of getting back together with my ex-lover, only to get dinged when it became clear it was a one-off— just a chinook wind.” – Izaak Opatz

On the music video, Opatz says, “Featuring an abundance of sweat, tears, and cream cheese, ‘Chinook Wind’ is the brainchild of Michael T. Workman, who turned my meteorological phenomena-inspired song about a romantic head fake into an absurd, pulpy crime caper, set in the gritty underbelly of Missoula, Montana.”

Upcoming book release: ‘Breaking the Insidious Silence’ by Raye Mitchell

Olympic gold medalist Cindy Brown teams up with Harvard lawyer Raye Mitchell to release ‘Breaking the Insidious Silence: The Cindy Brown/Bank of New York Mellon Whistleblower Report.’ Release date is March 15, 2022. Photo: amazon

Cindy Brown, the Olympic Gold Medalist and former Women’s National Basketball (WNBA) player, teams up with Harvard Lawyer Raye Mitchell to release “Breaking the Insidious Silence: The Cindy Brown / Bank of New York Mellon Whistleblower Report.” Available on Amazon for pre-order, the report chronicles Brown’s fight to be heard and seeks the truth in finding the responsible party in a S.W.A.T.-like event in which Brown was evicted from her home at gunpoint. It has a release date of March 15, 2022. (Black Château, 2021)

Raye Mitchell is a University of Southern California MBA, and Harvard Law School graduate, civil rights lawyer, investigative writer, producer, and expert on helping people be heard and tell their story publicly. She explains, “’Through Breaking the Insidious Silence’ Ms. Brown wants to find the truth about whether Bank of New York Mellon is the corporation that ordered the S.W.A.T.-like attack on her and caused her to be evicted at gun point. Cindy, like so many Americans, has had to go it alone as a self-represented litigant in the growing national crisis of the civil justice gap and the inequalities in navigating the civil justice system. We aim to break that insidious silence.”

Almost fifteen years ago, Cindy Brown became the victim of identity theft, which lead to financial institution misconduct and the loss of her home in what is considered an unlawful foreclosure. Seeking justice, she went to court mostly as a self-represented litigant. Brown was blocked from having her day in court, and like many Americans, was forced to navigate an uncivil civil justice system alone.

Brown says, “In November 2020, I was evicted at gun point and living in my car. No person should have to endure that experience, so I am fighting for our collective restoration of dignity.”

Brown’s story has been captured by the media and has received over 200,000 views on YouTube. The court documents that are at the center of the March 2022 hearing are also available.

“We will not retreat. Especially in this moment – as a global pandemic has widened inequities – our collective dignity and humanity requires that people like Cindy share their stories as tools on how to help others speak up, be heard, and find justice. Brown’s quest for justice has gained oxygen, shifted conversations, and is inspiring people to take action to ensure we all have fairness and equal access to justice. ‘The Breaking the Insidious Silence: The Cindy Brown / Bank of New York Mellon Whistleblower Report’ and the mission served is about so much more than one person, one group, or one organization,” Mitchell adds.

Raye Mitchell, also known as “Boss Girl Raye Mitchell,” is an award-winning entrepreneur, investigative writer, lawyer, diversity inclusion, and dignity expert. As a lawyer, Raye remains committed to helping everyday Americans be heard and gain access to justice in the era of a crumbling civil justice system that is anything but civil. Talking about the justice gap is devoid of discussion about Americans’ dignity gap when they go to court with or without a lawyer.

Cynthia L. Brown is an author, motivational speaker, a leadership expert on dignity in the dispute resolution process, Access to Justice for In Pro Se Litigants, and an A.D.A. Dignity Expert. Ms. Brown is a devoted advocate for fairness, respect for all, dedication to living the dream of dignity and access to justice. Cynthia L. Brown is an accomplished civil justice professional and proud member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Woman’s Basketball Team. Ms. Brown has earned credentials and certifications from the United States Department of Justice, FBI.

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Movie adaptation: ‘Nightmare Alley’ by William Lindsay Gresham

The movie adaptation of ‘Nightmare Alley’ is now in theaters. Photo: amazon

William Lindsay Gresham was a novelist and nonfiction writer. Gresham’s was a tortured mind and a tormented life, and he sought to banish his demons through a maze of dead-end ways, from Marxism to psychoanalysis to Christianity to Alcoholics Anonymous to Rinzai Zen Buddhism. From these demons came his novel “Nightmare Alley” (1946), one of the underground classics of American literature. It is a study of the lowest depths of showbiz and its sleazy inhabitants – the dark, shadowy world of a second rate carnival filled with hustlers, scheming grifters, and Machiavellian femme fatales. Guillermo del Toro directed the 2021 movie adaptation from a screenplay by del Toro and Kim Morgan. It stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette and Willem Dafoe and focuses on Stan Carlisle, an ambitious carny who hooks up with corrupt psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter, who proves to be as dangerous as he is. (amazon, Wikipedia, 2021)

“Nightmare Alley” – It all begins with an extraordinary description of a carnival-show geek—alcoholic and abject and the object of the voyeuristic crowd’s gleeful disgust and derision—going about his work at a county fair. Young Stan Carlisle is working as a carny, and he wonders how a man could fall so low. There is no way in hell, he vows, that anything like that will ever happen to him. Since Stan is clever and ambitious and not without a useful streak of ruthlessness, soon enough he is going places. Onstage he plays the mentalist with a cute assistant, then he graduates to full-blown spiritualist, catering to the needs of the rich and gullible in their well-upholstered homes. It looks like the world is Stan’s for the taking. At least for now.

Action-thriller Confession to be released in January

Stephen Moyer and Colm Meaney star in Confession, coming in January 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired North American rights to writer-director David Beton’s action-thriller, Confession. The film, starring Stephen Moyer (“True Blood,” “Fortunate Son”) and Colm Meany (Seberg, “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), had its market premiere at EFM earlier this year. Uncork’d will be releasing the film in theaters January 21, 2022 followed by a VOD release Jan 25. (Uncork’d Entertainment, 2021)

An intense-thriller played in real time during one fateful night, Confession fixes on a wounded man (Moyer) who takes a priest (Meany) hostage, determined to confess to a past misdemeanor before it is too late.

Written and directed by David Beton (One Last Heist), Confession also stars Clare-Hope Ashitey (Children of Men). Producers are Picture Perfect’s Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar and Jeet Thakrar. Signature’s Elizabeth Williams is an executive producer. Andrew Nerger of Signature Entertainment negotiated the deal on behalf of the film team with Keith Leopard of Uncork’d Entertainment.

“Confession is a very suspenseful, thrilling ride with terrific performances from two always-dependable performers, Moyer and Meany. It’s an incredible film to kick off our exciting 2022 slate.” – Keith Leopard, President Uncork’d Entertainment.

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