Category: Music News

Barry Waldrep honors Tony Rice with all-star tribute album

Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice is due out December 24, 2021. Photo: google

Barry Waldrep is an American Bluegrass, Jam Band, Americana instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and record producer who co-founded the bluegrass/jam band Rollin’ in the Hay in July 1993. Rollin’ In The Hay soon became a full-time band touring the Jam Band circuit of festivals and college campuses across the country until May 2009. The band produced 7 CDs and performed over 300 dates per year for 16 years. During this time, Waldrep recorded 21 bluegrass tribute albums with CMH Records in Los Angeles for Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Phish, R.E.M., Tim McGraw, The Allman Brothers, Neil Diamond, and others. He was also featured on the CD Masterworks of American Bluegrass also produced by CMH Records. (Barry Waldrep, 2021)

In the era of modern music, describing anybody as the “greatest of all time” is usually met with resistance—if for no other reason than the ever-evolving tastes of both musicians and fans—but if the topic is bluegrass guitar players, there is a universally correct answer to “who’s the best;” the late, great Tony Rice. Rice was one of the most influential, inventive, and beloved musicians in all of bluegrass and Americana music and after he passed away in late 2020, his songs and stylings continue to live on in the musicians he inspired. This year, on the one-year anniversary of Rice’s passing, bluegrass instrumentalist and producer Barry Waldrep will be releasing a tribute to Mr. Rice with the 21-song, special-guest loaded Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice. When looking through Waldrep’s list of friends, it is apparent how far Rice’s music reached beyond just bluegrass. Americana greats Rodney Crowell and Jim Lauderdale and Jam-band royalty Warren Haynes and Oteil Burbridge make appearances alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Spooner Oldham and Patrick Simmons and country superstars Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. And that is just a fraction of who has contributed to this celebration of the music of Tony Rice. Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice will be available everywhere on December 24 and can be pre-ordered or pre-saved now at this link.

“Music knows no boundaries and Tony created so many great examples of that. When you cross the line of other genres, that’s when you expand the audience and turn people on to other styles that they would not normally be interested in. The intent of this album and the artists involved is to show what a powerhouse master Tony Rice was at bringing musicians and fans together from different genres.” – Barry Waldrep

A full list of contributors is below and more information is available online.

Featured artists: Jimmy Hall, Rodney Crowell, Darrell Scott, Marty Raybon, Mike Farris, Kim Richey, Warren Haynes, Vince Gill, Radney Foster, Teresa Williams & Larry Campbell, Jim Lauderdale, John Berry, Patrick Simmons, John Paul White, Jacob Bunton, John Jorgenson, Rory Feek, Donna Hall & Kelli Johnson, and John Cowan.

Musicians: Barry Waldrep, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Rogers, Andrea Zonn, Aubrey Haynie, Bryan Hall, Caelan Berry, Spooner Oldham, Oteil Burbridge, James “Hutch” Hutchinson, Jason Bailey, Bryn Davies, Scott Vestal, Benji Shanks, Dillon Hodges, and Heidi Feek.

Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice track list:
Why You Been Gone So Long – Featuring Jimmy Hall
Song For The Life – Featuring Rodney Crowell
10 Degrees and Getting Colder – Featuring Darrell Scott
Blue Railroad Train – Featuring Marty Raybon
Walk On Boy – Featuring Mike Farris
Early Morning Rain – Featuring Kim Richey
Wayfaring Stranger – Featuring Warren Haynes
I’ll Stay Around – Featuring Vince Gill
Song For A Winter Night – Featuring Radney Foster
EMD – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, John Jorgenson and John Cowan
You Were There For Me – Featuring Teresa Williams and Larry Cambell
Church Street Blues – Featuring Jim Lauderdale
This Old House – Featuring John Berry
9 Pound Hammer – Featuring Pat Simmons
Four Strong Winds – Featuring John Paul White
More Pretty Girls Than One – Featuring Jacob Bunton
Summer Wages – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, Spooner Oldham
It’s Cold On The Shoulder – Featuring John Jorgenson
Bury Me Beneath The Willow – Featuring Rory Feek
Where The Soul Never Dies – Featuring Donna Hall and Kelli Johnson
Me And My Guitar – Featuring John Cowan

Courtesy photo, used with permission.
2021-12-24T14:41:00

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Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice release date

The Steel Wheels announce new album Everyone A Song, Vol. 2

The Steel Wheels’ Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 will be out November 5, 2021. Photo: The Steel Wheels

The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound. Over thousands of shows at the world’s most prestigious festivals, listening rooms, and clubs, the stubbornly independent band has formed deep bonds with each other and the audience that sustains them. (The Steel Wheels, 2021)

Of all the ways to deliver music to fans amidst a global pandemic, The Steel Wheels took a very clever—and quite intimate—approach. With their signature blend of Appalachian Americana stylings, The Steel Wheels’ primary songwriter Trent Wagler began crowdsourcing personal experiences of fans and forging them into songs in 2020. The project quickly became an avenue for fans of the band to commission works and send musical greetings to their loved ones as well, and the initiative sparked a surprisingly impactful and intimate songwriting process. Eventually, the band released a batch of their new tunes as a full-length record, Everyone A Song, Vol. 1., much to the delight of fans and critics alike.

On November 5, the band will once again open the treasure chest of these special songs with Everyone A Song, Vol. 2. Each song on Vol. 2 was commissioned for a specific relationship or event—a birth, a wedding, a memory of home—yet the emotions evoked are universal. Building on the body of work begun with Vol. 1, the 9 songs of Vol. 2 also have an identity of their own, with themes that reflect the zeitgeist of a country dealing with tragedy and unsettling change. Fans can pre-order or pre-save Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 right here and can visit the band’s merch shop here. And for those who have not heard Vol. 1, it can be streamed here.

Lead off track and first single “Where I’m From” introduces a tension between nostalgia and progress while highlighting the band’s deft balance of traditional instrumentation and driving rhythm. Commissioned for an old Catholic school in Chicago, the song paints a tangible picture of home. The image of slanted floors in the old church building are framed by low-tuned, fretless banjo, a smile-inducing drum groove, and a soaring fiddle solo. The music video for “Where I’m From” is out now and can be viewed at this link.

The Steel Wheels are heading back out on tour this month. A full list of tour dates is available online.

Catch The Steel Wheels On Tour:
November 4 – Rocky Mount, VA – The Harvester
November 5 – Bridgewater, VA – Sipe Center
November 6 – Norfolk, VA – Roper Performing Arts Center
December 1 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
December 2 – Chattanooga, TN – Arts Avenue
December 3 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre w/ Acoustic Syndicate
December 4 – Raleigh, NC – Motorco
December 5 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java

Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 Track list:
1. Where I’m From
2. Time Is All I Need
3. Mark On Me
4. Memories In Mind
5. Adventures Of Grace And Henry
6. Lifeline
7. Where Our Future Begins
8. It’s Your Fault
9. Lullaby

The Infamous Stringdusters announce new record Toward the Fray

Toward the Fray will be out February 18, 2022 and is available for pre-order now. Photo: google

The Infamous Stringdusters is a progressive acoustic/bluegrass band who first emerged in 2006 and consists 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. The band was also nominated at the IBMAs in 2017 for Entertainer of the Year. In 2011, “Magic No. 9” (from Things That Fly) was nominated for the Best Country Instrumental Performance at the 2011 Grammys, while in 2018 the band won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for Laws of Gravity. (The Infamous Stringdusters, 2021)

Grammy and IBMA award-winners The Infamous Stringdusters continue to make their unmistakable mark on modern bluegrass and Americana music. In addition to the band hosting this year’s IMBA Awards, band member Jeremy Garret won for Instrumental Recording of the Year for his part in a Jon Weisberger-produced super-group performance of Earl Scruggs’ classic “Ground Speed.”

For every Dusters loyalist thinking, “Congrats on the award and great job hosting last night, but we want some new music,” the wait is over. The band has just announced a brand new, full-length album, Toward the Fray, to be released on February 18, 2022, on Americana Vibes via Regime Music Group. Toward the Fray follows the band’s critically acclaimed homage to the father of bluegrass, A Tribute to Bill Monroe, and is their first studio album of all original material since 2019’s Rise Sun. “It’s been fun to explore a little bit of The Dusters’ darker side for this album,” says band member Andy Hall, giving fans a slight hint at things to come. “Sometimes the times call for some serious reflection, and these songs really hit home. Get ready to go deep with us!”

Fans can digitally pre-order or pre-save Toward the Fray now at this link or pre-order physical copies and album-centric merch right here.

The Infamous Stringdusters are grateful to be back on tour with upcoming dates at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, House of Blues New Orleans, and Denver’s Mission Ballroom—just to name a few. A full list of dates is below and ticket information is available online.

Catch The Infamous Stringdusters on tour:
November 12 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
November 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room
November 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room
November 16- Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
November 17 – Jackson, WY – Center for the Arts
November 18 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
November 19 – Bozeman, MT – Elm
November 20 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma

Norteño Night at the Briscoe’s next Sips and Sounds of the West

Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West hosts Los Callejeros De San Anto on October 24, 2021. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

From the banks of the River Walk, travel to Northern Mexico as you enjoy a night of music under the stars at the Briscoe’s “Sips and Sounds of the West” Norteño Night on October 24. Celebrating all things vaquero in honor of Hispanic heritage and the Briscoe’s fantastic fall exhibition, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Contemporary Photography of the Northern Mexican Cowboy, the Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds series will spotlight Norteño music with band Los Callejeros De San Anto in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden at 6p.m. The ticketed event is a night of music, drinks and tacos under the stars. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Launched by Piñata Protest front man Alvaro Del Norte with bandmates Jose Morales on bajo sexton, bassist Richie Brown and Chris Ramirez on drums, Los Callejeros De San Anto blends well known influences of Conjunto and Norteño into the perfect Tex-Mex street band and is “abuela approved.” Sips and Sounds of the West: Norteño Night tickets are $15 for museum members and $25 for non-members. Each ticket includes two complimentary beer tickets. Food Truck fare is available for purchase from Dona Kika’s Tacos & Gorditas.

Norteño music is native to the Mexican state of Sonora, the birthplace of the modern cowboy featured in Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo. Making its United States debut at the Briscoe, the exhibition details a legacy with profound influence on the American West. With almost sixty images that span more than twenty years of the lives of the vaqueros, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo features celebrated photographer Werner Segarra inviting audiences to peer into the world of the Norteño Cowboys, not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. The exhibition is open to the public through January 24, 2022, and is included with museum admission.

Courtesy photo, used with permission

The Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West series highlights the soundtrack of the West through live music while surrounded by the beauty of the garden’s fantastic bronze sculptures and lush greenery. The museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden is an oasis featuring a beautiful courtyard surrounded by bronze sculptures depicting iconic figures of the American West. The sculpture garden offers the perfect respite during any River Walk visit, with tables, chairs and benches to rest and enjoy the view. With the lights of downtown in the background and stars overhead, the garden becomes magical at night, making it the perfect spot for a date night or a night out with friends.

Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.

Agarita announces new season with six free concerts

Image from Postcards From The Border series. Photo: Joel Salcido, used with permission.

Agarita is “bringing the music to you” with the announcement of its new 2021-22 concert season offering six free community concerts across San Antonio expanding its reach, further exploring its relationship between music and art. (Agarita, 2021)

An innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to producing bold, collaborative musical events, Agarita offers a new way to experience classical and contemporary music. Rooted in San Antonio and founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), Agarita nourishes the local community through artistic collaborations, community engagement, and free, adventurous programming.

On August 24, Agarita created an American Impressionism experience at San Antonio Museum of Art. The season continues with a hosted fall event at Carver Community Cultural Center, telling a more genuine story of our Texas border with Mexico featuring Joel Salcido Ruiz, photographer and Oscar Cásares, writer. The season will end in June with a unique performance of J.S. Bach’s masterpiece The Goldberg Variations in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word.

Collaborators for the new season also include a unique concert experience inspired by the art and process of renowned local glass-blower Gini Garcia and an innovative, electronic musical work for Agarita that interacts with the sounds and flow of San Antonio’s rivers with artist and composer Nadia Botello.

“Agarita continues to share an immense drive, passion, and willingness to unite the arts and empower artists in San Antonio. By offering these six unique, free concert experiences, we hope to continue to uplift the community with inspiring art and music during this challenging and ever evolving time.” – Marisa Bushman, viola and Agarita co-president.

Postcards from the Border
Date: Friday, October 15, 2021
Time: 7:30p.m. – 8:45p.m.
Location: Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N Hackberry, San Antonio, TX 78202
Collaborator: Joel Salcido Ruiz, photographer; Oscar Cásares, writer
Description: Inspired to tell a more genuine story of our Texas border with Mexico, photographer Joel Salcido and writer Oscar Cásares traveled the length of the Rio Grande River, resulting in the series “Postcards From The Border,” which appeared in Texas Monthly. Agarita will pair music to these beautiful and poignant images, narrated by Oscar Cásares. This concert is FREE and open to the public.

Agarita Celebrates SAMA’s 40th
Date: Sunday, December 12, 2021
Time: 11a.m. – 12:15p.m.
Location: San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 West Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215
Collaborator: Highlights of SAMA’s permanent collection
Description: Agarita returns to the San Antonio Museum of Art for a concert celebrating the museum’s 40th anniversary. Musical selections will reflect artworks on display in the special exhibit. This concert is FREE and open to the public.

Agarita + Gini Garcia, Glass Artist
Date: Saturday, February 5, 2022
Time: 7p.m. – 8:15p.m.
Location: TBD
Collaborator: Gini Garcia, glass artist
Description: The art of glass-blowing is one of spontaneous, improvisatory process met with intricate design and planning. Join Agarita’s collaboration with renowned local glass-blower Gini Garcia for a concert inspired by her art and process. This concert is FREE and open to the public.

Agarita + Nadia Botello, Composer
Date: Friday, May 6, 2022
Time: 7:30p.m.
Location: TBD
Collaborator: Nadia Botello, composer
Description: Composer Nadia Botello creates an innovative, electronic musical work for Agarita that interacts with the sounds and flow of San Antonio’s rivers. Immerse yourself in this ear-opening, hydrating program. This concert is FREE and open to the public.

Variations on The Goldberg Variations
Date: Saturday, June 18, 2022
Time: 7:30p.m. – 9p.m.
Location: The Chapel of the Incarnate Word, 4503 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
Description: For a unique performance of J.S. Bach’s masterpiece The Goldberg Variations in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word, Agarita will mix Dmitry Sitkovesky’s String Trio arrangement with Bach’s original harpsichord instrumentation. This concert is FREE and open to the public.

Agarita was recently named San Antonio Magazine’s Best of the City 2021: Culture winner for its collaboration with area partners. It collaborates with local artists of various genres to weave cross-artistic narratives for each concert. Agarita’s past collaborations have included the McNay Art Museum’s Pop América exhibit, lighting artist Chuck Drew, Cameron Beauchamp from the Grammy Award-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, chef Elizabeth Johnson and Pharm Table restaurant, poet Laura Van Prooyen, sculptor Danville Chadbourne, educational arts institution SAY Sí, and the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival for a concert inside San Antonio’s historic Mission San José.

As a nonprofit organization, Agarita believes that the arts should be accessible to everyone in its community. Agarita presents free public concerts, performs at local schools, and offers opportunities for other artists through its collaborations.

Maja Francis’ debut full length album A Pink Soft Mess

Maja Francis brings Swedish emo country pop to the forefront with debut full-length album A Pink Soft Mess. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

In taking a step back from her signature synth-laden, sparkling pop music, Swedish singer and songwriter Maja Francis rediscovered her roots—and her piano—while writing songs for her full-length debut album A Pink Soft Mess. Released worldwide last month, A Pink Soft Mess finds the daughter of a record store owner embracing her melancholy and emotional country-pop sound which matches brilliantly with the album’s shimmering pink design themes—fitting for an artist often described as “Emo Dolly Parton.” Recorded with and produced by Johannes Runemark and David Wikberg together with Maja Francis, A Pink Soft Mess can be streamed or purchased right now at this link. (Maja Francis, 2021)

A Pink Soft Mess opens with the previously released single, “Anxious Angel,” which fans may have heard on Netflix’s acclaimed series Love & Anarchy. “This song is to all my fellow anxious angels,” says Francis. “To make us feel less lonely.” “Tiny Tornados” comes next; the first song Francis wrote on her way back to loving music again. “I opened up to fall in love with writing songs and singing them again,” she recalls of the writing of “Tiny Tornados.” “It’s also kind of a tribute to my ADHD, and how it feels to live with the constant ups and downs.” Also included is a stellar cover of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” a song which has always made Francis “feel physical sensations.” “I love when music does that to you. Like…shakes you around like a snow globe,” she says. “I think Kate wrote this song for a movie about birth from a man’s perspective. But for me it’s about loss. Losing someone or yourself—and how painful that is.”

Album single “PMS Party” is the low-key women’s anthem of the year. “I’m having a PMS party and nobody’s invited / I wanna be lonely and do whatever I want.” “I wrote ‘PMS Party’ on a moody PMS day, it’s the fastest song I’ve ever written,” recalls Francis. “I didn’t know if the boys in the studio would get it but I took it with me the next day, they loved it and after a while I found them in a room singing ‘pms party’ backing vocals.” The final single from A Pink Soft Mess, “Mama,” is an unreleased collaboration with Johanna and Klara Söderberg—better known as First Aid Kit. A tribute to Francis’s mother, “Mama” is about feeling a mom’s love and learning how to reciprocate it. “Now that I’m all grown up, I understand so much more about her struggles and her pain, and I also see so much of myself in her,” says Francis about her “mama.” Fans should also stay tuned for an upcoming music video for “Mama.”

When it is all said and done, A Pink Soft Mess is distinctive, emotional, personal, the result of a variety of strong sources of inspiration, experiences, and collaborations. With this new material, Francis has abandoned the world where music creation is captivated by demands and expectations and where commercial success becomes the only significant point of assessment. Now, when Francis returns with her new music, it comes straight from the heart.

A Pink Soft Mess Track list:
1. Anxious Angel
2. Tiny Tornados
3. PMS Party
4. Mama (ft. First Aid Kit)
5. Lava Love
6. This Woman’s Work
7. Lucky
8. Emo Butterfly
9. How Are We Doing

October releases from Metal Assault Records

Zych’s Dante’s Inferno Part I will be released on October 22, 2021. Photo: Metal Assault Records.

Happy October, heavy metal fans! Here are this month’s upcoming new releases from Metal Assault Records. (Metal Assault Records, 2021)

ZYCH
Solo artist Zych’s eponymous debut album, the epic progressive power masterpiece Dante’s Inferno Part I, will be released October 22 via Metal Assault Records. The album’s second single “Canto V – Lust” is now live, along with an awe-inspiring guitar play through video. Pre-orders for the album (digital, CD, merch bundles) are available now.

Dante’s Inferno Part I will begin a series of solo albums dedicated to the poetry of Dante Alighieri. Unlike other albums based on Dante’s Inferno, this album goes in-depth into each canto. The album is nearly 70 minutes long with eight intense songs (No fillers). This is a progressive metal album that drops the boundaries between all genres. Every track takes on its own direction with an all-star musical cast of internationally well-known musicians. Also included for each song will be a work from a well-established visual artist. This is a heavy metal soundscape as you read the first eight cantos of The Inferno.

Dante’s Inferno Part I track listing:
1. Canto I – Overture (8:56)
2. Canto II – Gates Of Sorrow (5:23)
3. Canto III – All Hope Abandon (8:27)
4. Canto IV – Limbo (10:04)
5. Canto V – Lust (6:37)
6. Canto VI – The Gluttonous (8:24)
7. Canto VII – The Avaricious & The Wrathful (9:08)
8. Canto VIII – Into the Depths of Hell (11:21)
Total Runtime: 1:08:20

DAEMONELIX
A collaboration between musicians from the US, Canada, Australia and Spain, Daemonelix will release their four-track stomper Devil’s Corkscrew on October 15, 2021 via Metal Assault Records. Engineered and mixed by bassist / rhythm guitarist Derek W. Phillips and mastered by the prolific Maor Appelbaum (Candlemass, Armored Saint, Faith No More, Halford, Dream Theater and several others), Devil’s Corkscrew will be released on digipack CD and digital platforms. CDs, merch bundles and digital downloads are now available for pre-order.

Exhibiting a wide range of influences from Black Sabbath to Tool to Clutch to Lamb Of God and everything in between, Daemonelix has created a sound that is as unique as it is instantly identifiable. Devil’s Corkscrew hits the listener hard with elements of doom, death and groove metal, among several other styles and sub-genres within the heavy music spectrum. Romanian artist Mihai Manescu a.k.a. Obsidian Nibs designed the cover art for Devil’s Corkscrew.

Devil’s Corkscrew track listing:
1. Daemonelix (3:57)
2. Raise Crows (3:37)
3. In the Name of Freedom (5:02)
4. Sing For The Moon (5:58)

Daemonelix is:
Vocals – Ana Garcia Lopez (Spain)
Bass / Guitar – Derek W. Phillips (USA)
Drums – Pat Labuda (Canada)
Lead Guitar – Andrew Luddy (Australia)

ABSOLUM
Louisiana heavy metal band Absolum will unleash their debut album Grand Design October 15 via Metal Assault Records. The album’s second single + video “Black To Red” is now live, and pre-orders for the album (digital, CD, merch bundle) are now available. Tearing through the confines a single sub-genre; Absolum bellows with aggression and groove on Grand Design. Thick, heavy and thrashy, Absolum exhibits a broad range of talent across each track while maintaining their distinctly Louisiana metal vibe throughout the album.

Grand Design track listing:
1. Believer (4:09)
2. Grand Design (3:48)
3. Chemical Abyss (3:29)
4. Black to Red (5:34)
5. The Apath (2:58)
6. Exordium (3:26)
7. Thin Skin (2:43)
8. Bloodlust (4:07)

Total Runtime: 30:14

VANDALIZER
New York City heavy rock ‘n rollers Vandalizer will release their three-song spinner Ride on October 29, 2021 on Metal Assault Records. The anticipated EP is available to pre-order now and will be issued on cassette tape and on all digital platforms. Pre-orders include exclusive merch bundles in addition to the release format of your choice, available now.

On Ride, Vandalizer mixes 1980s NWOBHM with the sounds of ’70s Punk N’ Roll for an exhilarating listen. Stream the EP’s lead single “Time Can’t Count” originally premiered September 3 and is now on YouTube. Vandalizer first entered the scene with their debut EP New Curse in 2015, followed by the Desensitize EP in 2017, giving listeners concise doses of exactly what they describe themselves as – a thoroughly enjoyable hybrid of old-school punk, rock ‘n roll and heavy metal.

VANDALIZER is:
Mike McWilliams: Vocals/Guitar
Stosh McMichael: Drums/Backup Vocals
Sam Harris: Bass/Backup Vocals

Kirk Luye announces new song MA

Kirk Luye is a Latin pop artist on the rise from Chicago, IL. Photo: Untelevised Media.

Kirk Luye is a Latin artist from Chicago, IL. Raised by his Puerto Rican mother in Chicago, Luye developed a passion for his music. Being a well-rounded artist is something he strives for as he continues to tap into his Latin roots and his sound resonates with the rhythms found on the streets and in the neighborhoods of Chicago. His new song, MA stresses that “behind every great man there’s a powerful woman. The two become one.” (Kirk Luye, 2021)

His music comes from the heart of an artist who celebrates the hope found in the building of the city and in redemption from a hard past. His lyrics are the poetry of a true rapper. His sound resonate with the rhythms found on the streets. Since his start as a musician, he has grown as an artist, expanding his sound and widening his musical scope. Luye’s work has received acclaim from local artists, fans, and well-known DJs, who cite the extremely high quality of its production and hail it as very needed in the city. (Ace Music Booking Agency, 2021)

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Beatallica reveals cover art and details for The Devolver Album

The Devolver Album, the band’s new album in eight years, will be out November 12, 2021. Photo: Beatallica, used with permission.

World renowned mash-up (bash-up) metal phenomenon Beatallica have confirmed they will release their fourth studio album (their first since 2013) on Metal Assault Records. Forged from the influences of two of history’s greatest bands, Beatallica are the world’s first live mash-up or “bash-up” band. Their wit, creativity, subversiveness, and flair are as sharp as the point they make. Beatallica destroys the boundaries of creativity and reveals how original compositions of music can be crafted for those who identify with humor and biting commentary. All the while, they show appreciation and reverence to The Beatles and Metallica, grandfathers of their respective genres. (Beatallica, 2021)

On the arrival of The Devolver Album and what to expect from the new release, the band issued the following comment: “Beatallica are stoked to finally be releasing The Devolver Album after many years of arranging, re-arranging, and deranging concepts! Our relationship with Metallica has been a blessing and we thank them for their support and allowances. The Devolver Album will have all the elements of past Beatallica recordings plus more. Listeners will notice the mash-up between original music and lyrics and Metallica compositions along with Beatles sensibilities, style, and influence. Thrashy, heavy, clever, subversive, and hesh, of course. Beatallica are made up of highly experienced song writers and we had a great time working in original material on this release. Our first single and video for “Wherever and Everywhere” will be out soon. Beatallica are pumped to be working with Metal Assault Records and we look forward to playing live, in support of The Devolver Album, before too long. Information and show dates can be found at [Beatallica] and merch will be at [Bandcamp.] Hells yeah!!”

In 2021, Beatallica was signed to Metal Assault Records and the label will release their long-awaited fourth studio full length offering, The Devolver Album on CD and digital platforms on November 12, 2021. A music video for the album’s lead single “Wherever and Everywhere” is available on the band’s YouTube channel, along with the pre-order launch of the album in the aforementioned formats on Bandcamp. All digital and physical album pre-orders will come with an instant download of the lead single.

Beatallica continues to change the face of music on the internet, in live settings, and over radio waves around the globe. They flourish with music lovers from all areas of the world at their side. Throw your fist high into the air, become a “Beatallibanger,” and open your mind to a one-of-a-kind brand of musical mayhem.

Beatallica is:
Jaymz Lennfield – lead vocals, guitars
Grg Hammettson III – lead guitar, backing vocals
Jimmy Ul-nic – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Dr. Robert Stujillo – bass, backing vocals

Produced by Beatallica, The Devolver Album was recorded at Hamtone Audio and engineered by Jeff Hamilton and Lodi Broekhuizen. Flemball Rasmartin at Shane Olivo Audio and Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering oversaw mixing and mastering duties, respectively. The incredible artwork featured on the cover of The Devolver Album was created by Matt Wells.

The Devolver Album track listing:
DEVOLVER
PLAY ME OVERDRIVE GUITAR
NEVER BORNE
WHEREVER AND EVERYWHERE
HESH TODAY
HERE COMES REVENGE
NUMBERNINE
B. C. H. C.
THE DAMNING OF HELLEANOR HIPPIE

Beatallica. Photo: Beatallica, used with permission.
2021-11-12T13:03:00

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Creed Fisher announces new album Whiskey and the Dog

Creed Fisher’s Whisky and the Dog is due out October 22, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

With over 22 million combined streams on Spotify and over 17 million views on YouTube with past releases, “Life of A Workin’ Man,” “The Way That I Am,” and “This Place Called USA,” Texas born and bred southern rock artist Creed Fisher is gearing up for the release of a new album, Whiskey and the Dog, on October 22, 2021. (Creed Fisher, 2021)

Released through Dirt Rock Empire and distributed by CMDSHFT, the 14-track album reflects Fisher’s hardships, outlaw living, and blue-collar lifestyle and represents a community of hard-working men and women. Produced by Bart Rose, Josh Rodgers, and Fisher, Whiskey and the Dog is now available for pre-save on all streaming services here.

With eleven songs written entirely by himself and three others co-written with Mark Jones, Whiskey and The Dog is different than anything Fisher has done to date and stays true to who he is. Unapologetic, patriotic, and passionate, the album remains true to Creed Fisher’s unwavering form, speaking to and for his fans. His songwriting harkens back to the roots of genuine outlaw country music, taking listeners back to a place and time when the fine art of storytelling flowed effortlessly.

Fisher’s second single off the album, “High on the Bottle,” is out now along with the official music video. The single is available on all streaming services here. With the strum of a guitar and his unfiltered, seasoned vocals, the track gives fans a listen into the album’s southern rock, honky-tonk country tone.

“High on the Bottle” is personal to Fisher as it stands as a real-life example of his past self-choosing between his music dream and the woman he loved. Fisher explains, “It’s a tough one to understand if you haven’t lived it. There’s a personal side that isn’t so glamorous in this business that other musicians can agree to. It’s the rigors of being on the road. Always having to be here and there makes for the biggest challenge, often times-let downs. Overall, music is what I love and what I will continue to do as I watch those white lines on the highways continue to zip right past the window as life passes us all.”

Currently, Creed Fisher is on tour with his most recent album release, How Country Music Sounded Before It All Went to Shit, Vol. 1, and is experiencing success at Texas radio. With his last three albums debuting in the Top 5 on iTunes, Fisher hopes his new album Whiskey and the Dog will continue to help him defy the odds.

Like a steely-eyed gunslinger from a Sergio Leone western, he is a man of few words and lets his music tell his story. Fisher has never been one to sell his soul to trends. Keeping it real means writing songs that real people can relate to; the good, bad, and even the ugly. His previous singles, “Rock & Roll Man,” “Be the Hope,” “I’m Growing Older, But I’m Not Growing Up,” and “A Few Good Ol’ Cowboys” all hit Top 10, Top 25, or Top 30 on the Texas Charts. He was also named the BigStar97 Outlaw Country artist of the Year in 2018. Fisher has upped the ante, joining forces with renegade record label Dirt Rock Empire for the release. 

Whiskey and the Dog Track List:
1. “High on The Bottle” (Creed Fisher)
2. “This Town” (Creed Fisher)
3. “Girls with Big Titties” (Creed Fisher)
4. “Whiskey and The Dog” (Creed Fisher and Mark Jones)
5. “Hundred Dollars Short” (Creed Fisher)
6. “Gray Skys” (Creed Fisher and Mark Jones)
7. “Don’t California My Texas” (Creed Fisher and Mark Jones)
8. “The Good Ol’ U.S. of A.” (Creed Fisher)
9. “Down To The Riverbank” (Creed Fisher)
10 “Find My Way Back Home” (Creed Fisher)
11.“Honkey Tonk Drankin’” (Creed Fisher)
12.“I’m Crazy And You’re Gone” (Creed Fisher)
13. “Jesus, Haggard & Jones” (Creed Fisher and Mark Jones)
14. “Hankles” (Creed Fisher)

2021-10-22T11:09:00

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Whiskey and the Dog release date