Category: Music News

Indie rockers Arts Fishing Club release new EP, The Show

Arts Fishing Club’s new EP The Show will be out April 30. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

An alternative rock band with pop hooks, indie sensibilities, and indie-folk roots, Arts Fishing Club built its audience the old-school way; by piling its members into a van and hitting the road. As Arts Fishing Club’s touring schedule grew, so did the band’s sound. It was a natural evolution of a band whose members had begun to turn up their guitar amps, dig into their 90s’ rock influences, and create new songs that were every bit as electrifying as their shows. That live energy found a permanent home in the band’s music, turning their upcoming EP—appropriately titled The Show—into the band’s most representative work to date. The group brings these themes to life across five songs with raucous rock and roll, mid-tempo grooves, and folk balladeering all making an appearance. (IV-PR, 2021)

This week, Live for Live Music gave fans a glimpse into The Show with the video premiere for album-closer “With Us All,” a tune in which the band gives a nod to Bob Dylan with their modern twist on a classic protest song—with a decidedly non-holier-than-thou attitude. “It’s with that not-so-thinly veiled reference to Bob Dylan that “With Us All” gets its raw, understated power,” the article says. “A much-needed 21st-century update to the landmark 1964 folk song about the changing nature of society, Arts Fishing Club is now reminding their parents—who were the very children that Dylan sang about—that “your sons and your daughters are beyond your command,” as Dylan originally sang. Watch the video for “With Us All” here and pre-order or pre-save The Show ahead of its April 30 release at this link.

Produced by Wilco co-founder Ken Coomer and mixed by Grammy-winning icon Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Avett Brothers, and blink-182), The Show is an alt-rock record with a message, filled with songs that sandwich Kessenich’s social commentary between singalong choruses, cinematic melodies, and bursts of Stratocaster guitar. The fact that it was recorded in two days speaks loudly to the band’s strength as a hard-touring, well-oiled machine. It is an anthemic sound that targets the head, heart, and dancing shoes, designed not only to get a crowd moving, but to get them thinking, as well.

The Show Track list:
Hollywood
Horizon Eyes
Tough Shit
The Show
With Us All

“We live in a world where everyone wants to be famous, whether you’re onstage, Tik Tok, or Instagram. I can’t even imagine what middle school must be like these days with social media. I don’t envy that kind of pressure. The Show is an album about fame culture, modern society, and self-reflection.” – Christopher Kessenich, Arts Fishing Club songwriting front man

2021-04-30T15:03:00

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Release of Arts Fishing Club’s The Show

eTown announces initial lineup for anniversary celebration

eTown is celebrating 30th b’Earthday with a virtual celebration on April 22. Photo: google

It has been 30 busy and productive years since the launch of eTown, the world-renowned radio show turned full-blown multimedia nonprofit. In honor of 30 years of great live music paired with social and environmental programming, eTown is throwing a party for the ages, honoring both its 30th birthday and eTown’s induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.  (eTown, 2021)

On Earth Day 2021, April 22, at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, eTown’s 30th b’Earthday Celebration will air via live stream and feature performances from Los Lobos, The War and Treaty, Lyle Lovett, Bob Weir, Sam Bush, City and Colour, and Raquel Garcia. Former U.S. Senator and environmental advocate, Tim Wirth, will join for the conversation portion of the livestream. For more information on the b’Earthday Celebration including lineup additions, how to become a supporter of eTown, or to check out past shows and performances, please visit eTown online. 

“Helen and I started eTown in ’91 determined to try something new, to make a different kind of show, one that mixed music and message. It took us a while to find our voice and our place in the media landscape, but over the last three decades, we’ve not only presented—and played—a ton of remarkable live music, we’ve also shared really inspiring conversations and stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things on behalf of our shared environment.”  – eTown Founder and Host, Nick Forster

Before eTown, Nick toured and recorded for decades with IBMA Entertainers of the Year and Grammy nominees Hot Rize, amongst others, while Helen Forster made her mark as a co-owner and producer of the world famous Telluride Bluegrass Festival, while also performing herself.  This husband and wife team have taken everything they have seen, felt, and learned about music, the environment, and humanity and put it into practice through 30 years of remarkable eTown shows. 

Join Nick, Helen, and the rest of the eTown crew and community on April 22 to celebrate their amazing milestone in the only logical way: engaging song and conversation. 

eTown, the internationally syndicated radio broadcast, podcast, and multimedia- and events-production nonprofit, launched on Earth Day 1991 in Boulder, Colorado. Since then, eTown has produced musical, social, and environmental programming all focused on its ongoing global mission—to educate, entertain, and inspire a diverse audience through music and conversation to create a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable world. Prior to the pandemic, eTown recorded shows in front of a live audience in eTown Hall, a 17,000 square foot former church in downtown Boulder which has been renovated and transformed into a solar-powered performance and recording facility—likely the only zero-carbon facility of its kind in North America. Recently, eTown pivoted to all-virtual episodes.

 

2021-04-22T11:28:00

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eTown’s 30th b’Earthday Celebration

New album release: Beth Whitney’s Into the Ground

Beth Whitney’s new album Into the Ground will be out May 28, 2021. Photo: google

Beth Whitney released her first album, Leave Your Shoes, in 2007, which garnered heavy airplay in the Seattle area. She released Yellow in 2010 and Ukulele in 2012, both of which won songwriting awards and were put into heavy rotation by local AAA station in the Seattle area. In 2013, Beth partnered with neighbor and fellow artist, Bradford Loomis, to write and record a self-titled album, The Banner Days (2014) and Hand Me A Hymnal (2015.) The collaboration garnered critical acclaim while they toured extensively across the nation including a performance at the Lincoln Center in New York and reached over 2 million streams on Spotify for their co-write, “My Beloved.” In 2017 she released The Wild Unrest. Whitney’s new album Into the Ground will be released May 28, 2021 on Tone Tree Music.  (IV-PR, 2021)

With the partnership of producer and mixer Brandon Bee and engineer Matt Terjeson, Whitney’s new collection of songs lands effortlessly on beds of organic and orchestral—and at times overdriven and rhythmic—production; never coming close to overpowering the songs and the voice singing them. This week, American Songwriter premiered “Two Sons,” the third single from Into the Ground, following “In Another Life” and “Wild Horse.” American Songwriter wrote, “Reimagining the beloved parable in a modern, Americana setting, Whitney’s understated arrangement beautifully serves the winder theme…the video and the song unite to express a timely message of celebrating those who were lost, but now are found.” “Somehow over my lifetime, this idea of home has become more familiar, and more foreign, all in the same cosmic breath,” says Whitney of “Two Sons.” “I suppose many of my songs thread-in an underlying search for someone or somewhere that would take me in. This desire to be fully known and embraced is so strong in us and yet so difficult to realize. ‘Two Sons’ is a parable Jesus told and one I’ve never forgotten.” Fans can pre-save “Two Sons” now at this link.

Into the Ground showcases Whitney’s artfulness as a songwriter and her determination as a musician to stare down the chaos in front of her and weave it into something else. She welcomes grief when it is in front of her because she knows what happens when grief is left out to spoil. Whitney looks straight ahead in her music; it’s the reason Into the Ground takes listeners deep into themselves in search of a common humanity.  

Into the Ground Track list:

  1. Wild Roses
  2. Two Sons
  3. Wild Horse
  4. In Another Life
  5. Whole Heart
  6. Moonlight
  7. Huckleberry
  8. Shelter From the Storm
  9. Thunder
  10. I Go 
  11. You Leave a Light On
2021-05-28T14:44:00

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Beth Whitney’s Into the Ground release

Pearl announces the launch of Pearl Studio

Pearl Studio is available to individuals and companies alike for creative needs. Photo: Pearl, used with permission.

San Antonio’s popular Pearl district is excited to announce the launch of Pearl Studio, a space for creative content development and strategic partnership in the heart of one of San Antonio’s cultural hubs. Pearl Studio has multi-medium content capabilities that will be available to individuals and companies alike. The studio is ideal for photo and video shoots and is open to the public for rentals. (Pearl, 2021)

Pearl Studio is led by Senior Studio Manager Rebecca Berzewski and Creative Director JP Garrigues. The studio is available for everything from creative content development, brand consultation, space rental to full video production, and photography sessions. The Studio’s capabilities are ideal for culinary, product packaging, portraiture, architectural, lifestyle, and e-commerce photography as well the creation of educational, lifestyle, commercial, social media, and narrative videography. 

The 900+ square foot studio comes equipped with various paper rolls, c-stands, sandbags, a rolling table, speaker, Reversible V-flat, rolling 8’ x 8’ backdrops, gaffer tape, reflector, extension cord, changing room, chairs, flag kit, Wi-Fi, and more. Pearl Studio is located on the Pearl property at 300 E. Grayson, Suite 100.

During the era of COVID-19, Pearl Studio will be taking all the necessary precautions to make sure everything is safe for both staff and clients—including additional sanitizing, frequent hand washing, mandatory masks for clients, associates, and operators, socially-distant shoots, temperature checks of employees, regular COVID-19 testing of employees, and hand sanitizer stations throughout. 

“We are thrilled to debut Pearl Studio, which will generate multi-use seasonal narrative content for Pearl, its tenants, partners, and third-party clients. With in-house experts and a roster of fully-vetted photographers, videographers, and designers, Pearl Studio acts as a liaison to connect brands with tailored talent and dynamic content.” –  Pearl’s Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Fauerso. 

Pearl, located north of downtown San Antonio, provides a unique experience as a top culinary and cultural destination. The mixed-use space features retail, dining, picturesque green spaces, paseos riverside amphitheater, and the third campus of The Culinary Institute of America. As a former brewery operating from 1883 to 2001, Pearl reflects a vivid past while embracing the future with environmentally sustainable buildings mixed with historic architecture.

Legendary Mexican Jazz artist Tino Contreras to perform at Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul

Mexican Jazz artist Tino Contreras will perform at Frida Kahlo’s home, the Casa Azul, the flagship museum dedicated to the iconic artist’s life and work. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Legendary Mexican jazz artist Tino Contreras is set to perform a unique streamed show in the most beautiful space in Mexico City – Frida Kahlo’s home, the Casa Azul, which is also home to the flagship museum dedicated to the iconic artist’s life and work. The globally streamed event will be the first ever music stream from the Frida Kahlo Museum and is a celebration of both Contreras’ dynamic contribution to jazz and his 97th birthday. (Vesper Public Relations, 2021)

Inside the Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as the Blue House, are the artist’s personal belongings, as well as memories of the life that she lived there with Diego Rivera. Original paintings by Kahlo, Rivera, and their friends; a collection of Mexican folk art, handicrafts, pre-Columbian pieces, and Mexican regional textiles; as well as photographs, documents, books, and furniture are all showcased. The beautiful garden is an essential part of the Blue House, and crossing it leads to the internationally acclaimed exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s dresses. Many of the items in the museum were exhibited at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in 2018, for ‘Frida Kahlo: Making Herself Up’, which was one of the most successful temporary exhibitions in the museum’s history.

Tino Contreras at Frida Kahlo Museum will show at the following times in the following territories on both days and for 24 hours on demand. The stream will not be available on demand after this initial weekend.

Saturday April 10 and Sunday April 11
8pm UK BST (ticket price £12)
9pm Europe CEST (ticket price €14)
7pm Mexico City HV (ticket price $17 USD)
8pm New York EDT (ticket price $17 USD)
8pm Los Angeles PDT (ticket price $17 USD)

Tickets available worldwide from Dice.fm.
“The price you pay. No surprises later.”

During Covid 19 The Frida Kahlo Museum has lost all income from admissions, so there is an opportunity to donate to the museum when purchasing a ticket and during the stream.

Born in Chihuahua in 1924 to a family of musicians, Tino Contreras is a master Mexican jazz drummer who for more than six decades has melded Latin influences with free jazz, psychedelia, avant-garde experimentation, and global sounds from Egypt, India, Turkey, and elsewhere. Tino’s career started in the 1950s and has seen him share stages with many of the greats – including Dave Brubeck, Cannonball Adderley, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Turning 97 on 3 April 2021, Contreras continues to play, record, and receive recognition for his contribution to Mexican jazz and beyond. His latest album La Noche de los Dioses was released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood record label in October 2020.

Esther Rose releases final single from upcoming album How Many Times

Esther Rose releases ‘Songs Remain,’ the final single from How Many Times. Photo: google

Esther Rose’s homespun brand of country music has drawn comparisons to legends like Hank Williams, modern trailblazers like Rilo Kiley, and a host of other luminaries in between, but she has her own thing going on. Rose’s innate ability to reflect on her own feelings, to not cast blame, and to keep a smile while doing so brings a spark to her music that sets it apart from her contemporaries and influences alike. On March 26, Rose will release How Many Times, her third full-length album and second with Father/Daughter Records. (IV-PR, 2021)

American Songwriter highlighted Rose’s fourth single, “Songs Remain,” calling it, “Tender and moving,” and noting that, “Rose reveals her vulnerability…through fragile, hesitant lyrics.” Previously, NPR Music included the single, “Keeps Me Running” in their weekly New Music Friday playlist and Forbes praised Rose’s ability to relate to fans. Fans can hear “Songs Remain,” as well as all of the previously released singles, and pre-save or pre-order How Many Times with this link. To Rose, How Many Times, written over the course of two years—including three moves, the end of a relationship, and countless tour dates—is an album symbolizing an awakening.

With the integrity of Dean Johnson, Faustina Masigat, and Kiki Cavazos serving as primary influences, Rose expands her alt-country sound into a blossoming world of folk pop, rustic americana, and tender harmonies. “They’re the holy trinity of songwriter magic,” she says, “and when I listen to them I feel like I can explore my own heartache.” Creative touches add detail throughout the album. Rose uses a 1962 Gibson ES-120T, her first semi-hollow body electric guitar, to play unplugged for a distinct tone. On “Mountaintop,” she includes a blustery voice memo recorded at the summit of Mount Philo, an homage to the field recording in a Bright Eyes song she holds dear. From “Coyote Creek” to “Without You,” Rose’s compelling voice is ferried masterfully by the musicians that join her: Matt Bell on lap steel, Max Bien Kahn on electric guitar, Dan Cutler on upright bass, Cameron Snyder on drums, and Lyle Werner on fiddle. A collection of complete takes recorded live to tape with rich instrumentation, soul-tugging hooks, and resonating vocal melodies, How Many Times carries you into the room in which it was made. There to help realize this was co-producer Ross Farbe of synthpop band Video Age, who Rose also credits for bringing a stereo pop glow to these new songs.

Overall, it is Rose’s way of handling life that singles her out in a crowd of other singers and songwriters. Her positive attitude is uplifting while never seeming too earnest and her heavier moments never crash the party. Her trials of moving through and reflecting on both adversity and beauty are present across the record, and her voice delivers an honest and open window into her heart with graceful dexterity. While comparisons to the musical greats are flattering, Rose is on her own path, marching to not just the beat of a different drum, but to a big brass band in her very own parade.

2021-03-26T13:43:00

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Esther Rose’s How Many Times album release

The Accidentals’ new EP Time Out (Session 1) out May 7

The Accidentals new EP features songwriting collaborations. Photo: google

Female-fronted, multi-instrumentalist power trio, The Accidentals, (Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause) kicked off 2018 with the release of their debut album, Odyssey, with Sony Masterworks. They followed the album release with two-hundred days of touring nationally, seventeen festivals, sync placement with Turner Classic Movies and FOX sports, and a RAM Trucks BANDvan #tourtough commercial. In 2019, The Accidentals released a self-titled live album and toured the UK; all while scoring an indie film, teaching workshops across the country, playing with symphonies, and recording new music. Amid quarantines, protests, marches, political division, and unprecedented uncertainty, Buist, Larson, and Dause continually do what they do best; create. (IV-PR, 2021)

In the beginning of March 2020, the band was on their way to South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, after a whirlwind 23-show tour. They were told to turn around in Arkansas and head home. It was no longer safe to keep touring. On May 7, the fruits of their lockdown labor will be available on Time Out (Session 1). A five-song EP of all-new co-written material, Time Out features songwriting collaborations between The Accidentals and renown songwriters including Kim Richey, Dar Williams, Maia Sharp, Tom Paxton, and Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris.

“When the road came to a hard stop and everything went quiet, we realized the extent of what we had lost. It was devastating. We drove back to Nashville, packed some things and quarantined together in Northern Michigan. Our industry shut down completely. For the first time in eight years we didn’t have anywhere to be. We found ourselves reaching out to each other in that process of navigating the isolation. We ended up collaborating with these incredible writers because for the first time in eight years we all had time. These songs might not have happened otherwise. We wanted to somehow capture the idea that even after all of this unbelievable heartbreak, some beauty can still come from it. Time Out is a healing anthem for us, and we hope it is for you too.” – Sav Buist

Under The Radar took time to chat with The Accidentals in conjunction with premiering the music video for “Wildfire,” noting that, “…rather than simply falling into nostalgia, the band looks to the future, hoping for the promise of new life and offering a simple hand of comfort.” Fans can watch the video at this link and listen to “Wildfire” right here.

Time Out (Session 1) Track listing and Co-writers:
Might As Well Be Gold (Maia Sharp)
Night Train (Dar Williams)
Wildfire (Kim Richey)
Anyway (Tom Paxton)
All Shall Be Well (Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris)

“Some of the most compelling writers of our time… they display equal interest in the focused musical forms of indie rock and pop and the expansive potential of orchestral arrangements, jam band open-endedness, and impressionistic singer-songwriter expression.” – NPR

2021-05-07T14:26:00

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Mexican rock and pop-punk band Los Supuestos releases debut single

Mexican rock and pop-punk trio Los Supuestos releases debut single “No Me Digas Adios.” Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Mexican rock and pop-punk trio Los Supuestos present their debut single, “No Me Digas Adiós.” Now available on all digital platforms, the fast-paced and energetic song reflects upon the difficulty of ending a relationship and is accompanied by a colorful animated video by the illustrator Manuel Fermont featuring aliens, milkshakes, skateboards, and a re-kindled romance. Tight guitar lines and drum rhythms sustain the drive from start to end. (Vesper Public Relations, 2021)

Los Supuestos was born during the COVID-19 pandemic and includes members of the Mexican punk band SEIS PISTOS. With no venues to perform live, Kenio, Yorsh, and el Shinobi found refuge by rehearsing and recording, giving birth to Los Supuestos. The new band is driven by two universal powers: rock ‘n’ roll and love. These two pillars serve as both emotional and artistic sustenance for the members as they continue developing their sound.

Music, animation & virtual reality are equally important for Los Supuestos. The band’s goal is to immerse listeners and viewers in a cartoon-like world with a wild and fun soundtrack.

Miles Gannett’s single from solo debut Meridian out now

Miles Gannett’s Meridian album is due out on April 16 but the first single is out now. Photo: google

Miles Gannett, a Louisiana native, who now calls Maryland home, hears the seamless character of all music, blending and balancing strains of bluegrass with psychedelic folk textures, classic country phrasing with the propulsive notes of acid rock, and earthy blues with spectral ambience. His inventive lyrics combine the curious meditations of Jason Isbell with the story-song style of Townes Van Zandt and John Prine and the swinging rhythms of Willie Nelson. Gannett put together a group called Fractal Cat in early 2011, recording three albums of original music with them and building a reputation on Baltimore’s airwaves and live music scene. After meeting up with recording engineer/producer Frank Marchand to record Fractal Cat’s third album, Gannett started working on his “first countryish album,” which reflects his deep love of progressive bluegrass and classic country. That album, Meridian, will be released on April 16, 2021. (IVPR, 2021)

Produced by Gannett and Frank Marchand, Meridian is one part country and western, one part bluegrass, and one part roots-rock; seasoned, simmered, and garnished with a dose of psilocybin mushrooms. A pinch of overdriven guitar and a dash of Latin percussion in the occasional tune round out a unique, cosmic foundation from which Gannett tells his stories. “Meridian”—the first track on Gannett’s debut solo album of the same name—paints a waltzing, pedal-steel steeped picture of beauty in disrepair; of a city that was once grand and of the kindness of its current-day residents. On Friday, Glide Magazine premiered “Meridian,” saying, “Gannett’s warm vocals carry listeners on shimmering waves of pedal steel through various musical landscapes.” Hear “Meridian” now right here and pre-order or pre-save the entire Meridian album ahead of its April 16 release date at this link.

Gannett’s music honors the contours of traditional music even as he continues to innovate freely and ingeniously within those contours. “I’m always adding elements that might be considered irreverent or blasphemous. I always try to build on old music, but I am not making museum music.”

Meridian Track listing:
Meridian
The Lucky Ones
Thunder River, Tumbling Down
Persuasion
Let’s Have Each Other for a While
Short Haired Willie
Give and Take
Spores on Grass
Screw Loose
Dark Time
Long Burning Bridge
Maria Sabina

2021-04-16T10:42:00

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Miles Gannett’s Meridian release

Brownsville Guitar Festival presented by Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts

On Sunday February 28, the Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts presented The Brownsville Guitar Festival Concert with Connie Sheu, Xavier Jara, and Matt Palmer live-streamed on Facebook. This was an excellent opportunity for the community to hear a variety of guitar performances by some of the best guitarists around.

This hour and a half concert consisted of three outstanding guitarists who each brought their best a-game and performed almost a half-hour each of inspiring music. Connie Sheu began her set with a few words about what music means to her and it would have been nice to hear some personal words from the other guitarists. They performed classical guitar selections from Vicente Asencio, Dilermando Reis, Sergei Rudnev, and other composers.

For a live-streamed concert, the quality of the sound and visuals was exceptional and the transition between performers went smoothly. Hopefully, the community appreciates the efforts of the BSPA to bring this level of performances to the masses. Congratulations to everyone involved and may there be more in the future, whether in person or live-streamed.

Performer profiles:
Connie Sheu studied U.S. History and Music at Columbia University and earned a Master of Music from the Juilliard School. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Southern California. She is a dynamic guitarist, devoted teacher, and ardent advocate of classical guitar.

Xavier Jara earned his master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in May 2020. He is the 1st prize winner of the 2016 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition. A native of Minnesota, he was a student of Alan Johnston at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis until 2011 when he moved to Paris, France to study with Judicaël Perroy.

Matt Palmer holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Arizona and has appeared as a soloist throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, Canada, South America, and the Caribbean. A recent recipient of the “Up and Coming Guitarist of the Year” award by Guitar International Magazine, Matt has been described by critics as “a young artist about to make a real dent in the world of classical guitar.” (Premier Guitar Magazine)

The Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts (BSPA), located in Brownsville, Texas, was founded in 1994, and its mission is to enhance quality-of-life in the community through cultural entertainment, striving to produce quality programming to a largely underserved community. Of special interest to the BSPA are performing arts that are mostly inaccessible to a large portion of the community. To the best of its ability, the BSPA generates performance opportunities, organizes competitions, endows scholarships, provides financial assistance, holds master classes and clinics, and supports similar activities with a clear educational value. BSPA helps those that pursue a career in music and dance education or other work in the performing arts field.