Category: music

Asleep at the Wheel to release new studio album ‘Half A Hundred Years’

Half A Hundred Years is the new studio release from Asleep at the Wheel. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Founded in 1970, Asleep at the Wheel has been part of the American roots music landscape for more than fifty years. Although the band got its start on a farm in Paw Paw, West Virginia, Asleep at the Wheel became a cornerstone of the Austin, Texas, scene upon its arrival in 1973. Inspired by Western swing and honky-tonk country, the band has accrued ten Grammy Awards. In the fall, a career retrospective recorded with the current lineup and a few special guests will carry the band back onto the road, where they have remained a staple for five decades. (Asleep at the Wheel, 2021)

With a sneaky half-time groove and a slinky fiddle and guitar trade-off, America’s favorite Western Swing masters Asleep At The Wheel—and their special guest, the beloved Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Lyle Lovett—ease right into their new single, “There You Go Again.” Written just before the recording sessions for The Wheel’s new album Half A Hundred Years, “There You Go Again” is a feel-good, light-hearted jab at pretentiousness and all the silly ways it shows up in the writers’ lives, brought together with flourishes of fiddle and steel before crescendoing into a full-on New Orleans second line, walking back out the door as quickly as it came in. “I suppose it’s a song about pretentious people!” says The Wheel’s fearless ringleader Ray Benson of their new song. “My pal Lyle Lovett, one of the most unpretentious people I know, joined in and made it a very special track.” Fans can listen to “There You Go Again feat. Lyle Lovett” right now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Half A Hundred Years ahead of its October 1 release right here.

On October 15, Asleep At The Wheel will take the stage at Austin, Texas’ brand new Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park for a special guest-laden concert covering the band’s fruitful 50-year-long career. Asleep at the Wheel alumni returning for the event are singer Chris O’Connell, steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, bassist Tony Garnier, multi-instrumentalist Danny Levin, pianists Floyd Domino and John Michael Whitby, fiddler Jason Roberts, and drummer David Sanger. Additionally, The Wheel is expecting a special guest or two who are not to be missed. Check out a preview of the concert at Austin 360 and purchase tickets for the October 15 show here.

Half A Hundred Years is a nineteen-track celebration of Asleep At The Wheel’s half-century-long career, filled out by several world-class friends of the band; a guest-list testament to Asleep at the Wheel’s reputation as a cornerstone of American music for the last 50 years. Greats like Willie Nelson, George Strait, Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, and Lovett appear throughout Half A Hundred Years on a host of classic and destined-to-be-classic Western Swing and Country tunes. Additionally, three original members of Asleep at the Wheel—Chris O’Connell, Leroy Preston, and Lucky Oceans—returned after forty years to lend their voices and musicianship to several tracks on Half A Hundred Years. Ahead of the album release, CMT shared The Wheel’s take on the Bob Wills classic, “Take Me Back To Tulsa,” which features two more Texas icons, George Strait and Willie Nelson, and Rolling Stone premiered the album’s title track, saying, “Elevated by buoyant horns and singer Ray Benson’s drawling baritone, [“Half A Hundred Years”] is the ultimate road song.”

Half A Hundred Years Track list:
Half A Hundred Years
It’s The Same Old South feat. Chris O’Connell
I Do What I Must feat. Leroy Preston
There You Go Again feat. Lyle Lovett
My Little Baby feat. Chris O’Connell
Paycheck To Paycheck feat. Leroy Preston
Word To The Wise feat. Bill Kirchen
That’s How I Remember It feat. Chris O’Connell
The Photo feat. Leroy Preston
I Love You Most Of All (When You’re Not Here) feat. Lucky Oceans
The Wheel Boogie
Take Me Back To Tulsa feat. George Strait and Willie Nelson
The Letter That Johnny Walker Read feat. Lee Ann Womack
Bump Bounce Boogie Feat. Chris O’Connell, Elizabeth McQueen, & Katie Shore
Miles And Miles Of Texas
Get Your Kicks On Route 66 Feat. Leroy Preston, Johnny Nicholas, & Ray Benson
Marie Feat. Willie Nelson
Spanish Two Step Feat. Johnny Gimble And Jesse Ashlock
The Road Will Hold Me Tonight Feat. Emmylou Harris And Willie Nelson

Suzanne Santo releases ‘Save For Love’ from new album

‘Save For Love’ is Suzanne Santo’s third single from sophomore solo album Yard Sale, available everywhere August 27, 2021. Photo: google

A tireless creator, Suzanne Santo has built her sound in the grey area between Americana, Southern-gothic soul, and forward-thinking rock & roll. It is a sound that nods to her past—a childhood spent in the Rust Belt which is also where she learned to love a yard sale; a decade logged as a member of the L.A.-based duo HoneyHoney; the acclaimed solo album, Ruby Red, of which Paste called “shameless, self-aware dialogue that opens the door for conversation that leads to real healing;” and the world tour that took her from Greece to Glastonbury as a member of Hozier’s band—while still exploring new territory. With Yard Sale, Santo boldly moves forward, staking her claim once again as an Americana innovator. It is an album inspired by the past, written by an artist who is only interested in the here-and-now. For Suzanne Santo, the here-and-now sounds pretty good. (Suzanne Santo, 2021)

Yard Sale, the sophomore solo album from now Austin, Texas-based Suzanne Santo, is comprised of 12 songs written between Hozier rehearsals, some with Santo holing up in a farmhouse on the rural Irish coast, while others were finished during bus rides, backstage writing sessions, and hotel stays. A multi-faceted creative, fans likely know Santo from her work in musical duo HoneyHoney and from her extensive touring with the aforementioned Hozier in which she was both the opener and a band member. The Cleveland, Ohio-born artist’s creative output also extends to the screen, having had acting roles in several series and features. Recently, Santo released Yard Sale’s third single “Save For Love.” It is available on all streaming platforms by clicking here. Yard Sale releases August 27 via Soundly Music.

The album presents Santo at the very top of her game musically, writing her own string arrangements and singing each song in an agile, acrobatic voice—perhaps in part due to the cathartic making-of process and what that has meant for her professionally and personally. At times, she bridges the gap between indie-rock and neo-soul. On other tracks, she mixes gospel influences with a deconstructed R&B beat. Fans will hear layers of spacey, atmospheric electric guitar and Shakey Graves on a rainy-day ballad driven forward by a metronomic drum pattern, and Gary Clark Jr. punctuating with fiery fretwork. Both Shakey Graves and Gary Clark Jr. represent Santo’s commitment to and respect for Austin’s musical community. Realizing that there is more than just tequila in the water in Texas, Santo’s move to Austin and this album is the musical equivalent of a homeowner’s purging of old possessions in order to clear up some much-needed room.

The album’s first single “Bad Beast” is also available for listening on all DSPs and by clicking here, and finds Santo wrestling creativity out of a particularly gripping bout with insomnia. “Common Sense,” the album’s second single, was released in June, and is also available for streaming by clicking here.

Yard Sale Track listing:
1. Over and Over Again
2. Mercy
3. Gold Rush
4. Save For Love
5. Bad Beast
6. Since I Had Your Love
7. Afraid Of Heights
8. Fall For That
9. Common Sense
10. To No End
11. Idiot
12. Island

On tour:
August 25 – The Kessler w/ Arlo McKinley – Dallas, TX
August 27 – Album release show @ Antone’s – Austin, TX
September 8 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
September 13 – Holler On The Hills Festival at Hi-Fi – Indianapolis, IN
September 28 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA^
September 29 – Sessions Music Hall – Eugine, OR^
September 30 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR^
October 2 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA^
October 3 – Neurolux Lounge – Boise, ID^
October 4 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT^
October 9 – Wildwood Revival – Arnoldsville, GA
November 5 – Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT* – SOLD OUT
November 6 – Big Night Live – Boston, MA*
November 7 – Colony – Woodstock, NY
November 10 – Southern – Charlottesville, VA* – SOLD OUT
November 11 – Black Cat – Washington, DC*
November 12 – Otto Bar – Baltimore, MD*
November 13 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA*
November 14 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH* – SOLD OUT
November 16 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL*

*with Murder By Death
^supporting Jade Bird

2021-08-27T14:55:00

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Jeremy Pinnell’s second single from new album

‘Night Time Eagle’ is Jeremy Pinnell’s second single from his new album Goodbye L.A., due out October 1. Photo: google

When Jeremy Pinnell released OH/KY in the summer of 2015 to stunned acclaim, it felt like an entire career compressed into one knock-out album. Hailed as, a “Mind-blowingly good” (Greg Vandy/KEXP) “tutorial on classic country music” (Popmatters), Pinnell’s debut immediately was set apart as authentic and unflinching. Dogged touring through Europe and the States and celebrated radio sessions followed, cementing Pinnell’s position as a no-fuss master of his craft. (Jeremy Pinnell, 2021)

His 2017 album, Ties of Blood and Affection presented a canny lateral move. Instead of doubling down on the stark themes and values of his debut, the sophomore album found Pinnell finding comfort in his own skin, achieving the redemption only hinted at in his previous batch of haunted songs. Pinnell’s newest album, Goodbye L.A., is set to be released on October 1, 2021.

In a flurry of vocal harmonies, funky telecaster picking, and a steady two step beat, Jeremy Pinnell’s brand new single “Night Time Eagle” is off to the races before listeners even know what hit them. It is a song full of Bakersfield country vibes over which Pinnell’s words narrate the balance of keeping the proverbial tour-train on its tracks. “We spent a lot of time on the road and this song was written to let my wife know everything was on the up and up,” he says. “Night Time Eagle” is the second single from Goodbye L.A., Pinnell’s upcoming album due out October 1 via SofaBurn Records. Glide Magazine premiered “Night Time Eagle” saying “For Pinnell, this tune marks an exciting new direction down yet another real-deal country sound and is only further evidence that he is an artist who is absolutely worthy of widespread acclaim.” Fans can listen to “Night Time Eagle” right now at this link and pre-order Goodbye L.A. ahead of its October 1 release right here.

For vinyl lovers, “Night Time Eagle” will be pressed as a limited run 7-inch release. The primary side of the vinyl will have the album cut of “Night Time Eagle” while the alternate side will house Pinnell’s haunting cover of the 1990 Concrete Blonde classic “Joey” which was released as a stand-alone single in January 2021. “Joey” will not be on Goodbye L.A. therefore this 7-inch will be the only way to own it on vinyl. “Night Time Eagle” will also have its own dedicated, limited edition tee shirt. Both the shirt and the vinyl are available for purchase now at sofaburn.com.

Catch Jeremy Pinnell On Tour:
August 21 – Austin, TX – The White Horse
August 22 – Galveston, TX – The Old Quarter Cafe’
August 24 – Austin, TX – Sam’s Town Point
August 25 – San Antonio, TX – Sam’s Burger Joint
August 27 – Fort Worth, TX – Magnolia Motor Lounge
August 28 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theater with Jonathan Tyler
August 29 – Little Rock, AR – The White Water Tavern
September 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Duke’s Indy
September 4 – Monticello, KY – Hidden Ridge Camping

Goodbye L.A. Track list:
Big Ol’ Good
Wanna Do Something
Red Roses
Night Time Eagle
Never Thought Of No One
Doing My Best
Rosalie
Cryin’
Goodbye L.A.
Fightin’ Man

2021-10-01T13:41:00

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Dawn Fades premieres ‘Taste’ single and video

New album Ode releases September 10 on Metal Assault Records. Photo: google

While pandemic restrictions impacted every aspect of heavy music, Los Angeles, CA post-metal vendors refused to be shaken by the uncertainty of the return of live stage shows and tapped deeper into their well of talent to create their next and perhaps most impressive offering yet. Ode, the forthcoming seven song crusher from Dawn Fades is slated for release September 10, 2021 on Metal Assault Records. The album’s lead single ‘Taste’ is streaming exclusively on Toilet Ov Hell. Ode is now available for pre-order on CD, limited-edition multi-colored LP, and digital download. (Dawn Fades, 2021)

Exclusive merch bundles including CD + shirt as well as LP + shirt bundles are also available during the pre-order campaign, wherein the shirt design is based on the album cover art. All digital and merch pre-orders come with a free instant download of ‘Taste.’ Pre-order your copy of Ode in the format of your choice online. 

On the new video for album track ‘Taste’ released in partnership with Toilet Ov Hell, Dawn Fades front man and songwriter Sam Sherwood states “For this video the constraints of the pandemic pushed us to try something different. We had for some time been fans of Chariot Of Black Moth’s work so choosing him was a no brainer. I recorded some footage at home and he turned it into something that perfectly captures the tone of the song. Enjoy!”

In regard to the album as a whole, Sherwood describes Ode as “a picture of feelings about the trappings of the world we find ourselves in. I believe we are doing a thing that has its own life to it. There is darkness and screaming inner-torment and there are ear-worm hooks.”

Mixed by heavy music mainstay Josh Newell (Intronaut, Anthrax, Linkin Park) Ode retains the core elements of the band’s highly successful self-titled debut yet reveals even greater musical evolution as Dawn Fades seamlessly captures the visceral magnetism of their live show experience on wax. More resolute in their vision and execution, Ode further proves Dawn Fades is simply unstoppable in their pursuit of post metal mastery, quickly rising among the ranks of the genre’s most elite.

Ode track listing:
1. Dearth (8:17)
2. Taste (5:11)
3. Ode: Part 1 (1:51)
4. Ode: Part 2 (5:56)
5. Front (6:57)
6. Chains (8:36)
7. Turning (3:23)
Total Runtime: 40:11

In a world where aggressive music often overheats and palatable music often feels packaged, Dawn Fades presents a satisfying alternative rife with emotional moments and unpredictable appeal, backed by sheer brute force. Formed in August 2016 under the fluorescent bulbs of gritty L.A. rehearsal rooms, the band quickly amassed a collection of heavy, thoughtful material based on songs conceived by main songwriter Sam Sherwood (vocals) and realized with the input and experience of Adam El-Gerbi (guitar), Markus Erren Pardiñas (bass), Scott Quist (drums), and Nate Hertweck (guitar). Covering grounds from gorgeous to punishing, the Southern California based five-piece finds poignant and personal places to explore in between these extremes. What has emerged prompts comparisons to Deftones, Isis, Failure, and something just out of reach, familiar yet fresh, crushing yet calculated.

 

2021-09-10T13:28:00

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Sons Of The East release single ‘Fool Me’ from new album

‘Fool Me’ is the third single from the Sydney-based band’s forthcoming album. Photo: google

Sons Of The East, the indie-folk band from the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, are pleased to announce the release of their newest single “Fool Me” and its companion video. Premiering exclusively via Atwood Magazine who celebrated the song as “an instant classic,” adding that it is a “folksy anthem for reveling in the moment: a soundtrack for feeling good and celebrating connect, arriving just as our world starts to open up.” Listen to and watch the video for “Fool Me” now at this link.  (Sons Of The East, 2021)

When asked about the track, the band told Atwood Magazine that they are “big fans of the Faces and Stones, and knew that if we wanted that vibe we needed to keep it as loose and fun as possible. It started with just banjo and guitar, and then piano became the signature voice of the track. We loved the honkytonk vibe, the idea that you could be sitting around at 1a.m. in a bar singing along to the piano and at any moment the whole thing could unravel. When it came time to shoot the film clip, the same rules applied.”

Sons Of The East is made up of Australian bandmates Dan Wallage, Nic Johnston, and Jack Rollins who have already seen their music achieve 150 million streams and over 30 million YouTube views as their popularity continues to soar worldwide. The band’s motley acoustic electric sound has become a unique and charismatic trademark: soulful, joyous, and irresistible.

“Fool Me” is the third single from the band’s forthcoming album set to release later this year. Previously released singles include “You Might Think” and “On My Way,” both of which are available everywhere now. They will hit the road in 2022 for an Australian capital city tour, followed by a headlining tour through Europe and North America. 

Jackson Melnick’s debut LP Abilene

Jackson Melnick makes bluegrass-tinged music for the brain on debut LP Abilene. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Colorado songwriter Jackson Melnick has long been aware of the struggles of modern-day farmers in the but seeing the cold hard facts directly inspired his new song “Trouble.” “I was reading about the plight of suicides among farmers in America,” says Melnick. “Farmers have a suicide rate that more than three times that of the general population.” Melnick has seen the isolation many farmers struggle with, as well as seeing society at large becoming less tolerant of the demands of farmers and less aware of where their food comes from. In a beautifully heartbreaking, rollicking melody, he wastes no time getting to the point. “10,000 lives gone like the weather / When are we gonna start treating our farmers better?,” sings Melnick in “Trouble.” Bluegrass Today shared a music video for the song, calling it “an interesting mix of folk and bluegrass, with Dylan-esque songs.” In Melnick’s words, “The music video for the song says it all: digging a hole that’ll be your grave but can’t stop digging for the love of it.” “Trouble” is the first single from Melnick’s debut full-length album Abilene, due out September 24. Fans can watch the video for “Trouble” here and pre-order or pre-save Abilene ahead of its release at this link. (Jackson Melnick, 2021)

Produced by esteemed musician Christopher Henry (Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band), the upcoming Abilene positions Melnick as an important new voice in folk music, and also features accomplished bluegrass musicians such as Jason Carter, Matt Combs, Alex Leach, Tuck Tucker, and Cory Walker. Although the arrangements draw on the traditional sound of Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley, among others, Abilene is at heart a songwriter’s record. Across these 10 tracks, Melnick combines his reverence for bluegrass with a lyrical point of view that is both mystical and topical.

After a rousing opener of “John the Revelator,” Melnick moves to the aforementioned “Trouble,” which touches on suicides within the farming communities of the Owens Valley in California. It is an epidemic he learned about while attending nearby Deep Springs College during a period of time when he began to hone his songwriting craft. Later, “South of My Soul” offers a sincere testimony about wishing the best for the other person when a relationship dissolves. Written in the moment, it is a cinematic yet poetic song that explores what it means to forgive and to heal. Truly, these emotional perspectives align well with Melnick’s career as a psychotherapist. “Being a therapist requires a lot of presence and raising consciousness, and I think that’s the kind of songwriter I’m interested in being, too,” he says. “I want to write songs that elevate the space to a higher mind of seeing things. I find that the themes in my music tend to be connected to that experience.”

Growing up in Crested Butte, Colorado, Melnick began meditating when he was 8 years old. Within a few years, he learned to play guitar and started busking—first singing John Denver and Steve Earle songs, then moving toward Dylan classics. Through most of his teenage years he hosted a weekly radio show on a local community station, too. But the most transformative moment may have been when he was 17 years old and saw a video of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on stage. “I was watching them, and I felt like I knew exactly what they were doing, and how they did it. It was a transmission, like, ‘I know how to do that,’” Melnick recalls. “It hit me like a stack of bricks. Then I went to my guitar and I wrote three songs. They just sort of poured out and that was the beginning for me.”

Yet, music is just one component of Melnick’s overall goal. “I’m focused on big-project thinking,” he says, “I don’t want to just be a musician. I want to be working toward the healing of our planet.”

Abilene Track list:
John The Revelator
Trouble
I See You
Raghse Zarrat
Spirit Mother
Abilene
San Diego Pt. 2
San Diego
South Of My South
The Rhythm Has No End

2021-09-24T15:43:00

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Ava Earl releases second single from upcoming album The Roses

Mountain Song is the second single from upcoming album The Roses, due out July 23, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Ava Earl, an 18 year old songwriter and outdoor enthusiast hailing from Girdwood, Alaska, has released the second single “Mountain Song” from her forthcoming album titled The Roses which will be available on July 23, 2021. “Mountain Song” is, in Earl’s own words, “about a real life experience that I had when I was a bit too confident in my mountain climbing skills. I usually pride myself in my spontaneity, but this experience reminds me that caution is a necessary consideration. This song is also about understanding my lack of control in the universe.” Earl is known in Alaskan music circles and folk worlds nationally for her keen sense of self, intricate fingerpicking, and graceful melodies—“Mountain Song” being the perfect example of all three. (Ava Earl, 2021)

The Roses was recorded in Nashville and produced by JT Nero, one half of the Americana-outfit, Birds of Chicago and features hauntingly beautiful background vocals from Allison Russell and Awna Teixeira.

Amplify Music Magazine pointed out in a recent interview that “Earl has always been drawn to powerful lyrical storytellers, which has weaved into her own lyrical consciousness. Endlessly inspired by and propelled by community found through music, Ava has always put herself in spaces to find and nurture that inter-musical connection and camaraderie.”

Previous to this single drop and album announce, Earl has written and co-produced three full-length albums which includes Am I Me Yet?, her previous album, was released in July 2018. Am I Me Yet? is a 15 song collection recorded at The Hallowed Halls studio in Portland, Oregon, and features Earl on guitar and vocals, Andy Mullen on guitar and bass, and Anna Tivel on violin. The album was engineered by Hawkins Wright, who is also the album’s co-producer.

An engaging performer, Earl thrives in a live concert setting, drawing audiences in with her music and stories. Highlight performances over the years include opening dates for Maggie Rogers, Rhett Miller, and Tim Easton.

The Roses Track list:
Springtime
Mountain Song
The Roses
New Light
On A Page
Up Here in the Sky
Chaos
Do You Know Me By My Name?
Wintertime
Butterflies

 

Mountain Song by Ava Earl
2021-07-23T13:03:00

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The Accidentals to embark on fall tour with Sawyer Fredericks

The Accidentals will be touring in support of their upcoming release Vessel. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

On September 29, multi-faceted folk-rockers The Accidentals will kick off a long-awaited U.S. tour in their home state of Michigan. Joined by their friend and collaborator Sawyer Fredericks, this co-bill tour will take the female-fronted, multi-instrumentalist power trio throughout Michigan and the Midwest before heading east for a southerly jaunt from Boston, through New York, Philly, D.C., and down into the Southeast. (The Accidentals, 2021)

The Accidentals—Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause—are touring in support of their upcoming release Vessel, which is due out October 1, 2021. Billboard says, “The Accidentals display a genre-hopping range of influences and some smart songwriting skills to go with their abundant musical chops.” NPR called the band “some of the most compelling writers of our time,” before saying “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.”

This tour is not the first time The Accidentals have collaborated with Fredericks. The Accidentals’ Larson and Buist contributed two songs to Fredericks’ recent Flowers For You album—“Lies You Tell” and “Days Go By”—and were also featured in the video for “Lies You Tell.” “The Accidentals have great energy on stage and a very driven work ethic,” says Fredericks. “In addition to the fun of touring with good friends, I also feel I will learn and grow a lot through working with them.” Fredericks will perform solo from the first date in Traverse City, MI, until his band joins him at Chicago’s City Winery for the duration of their tour.

Catch The Accidentals and Sawyer Fredericks on Tour:

9/29 – Traverse City Opera House – Traverse City, MI *
9/30 – Traverse City Opera House – Traverse City, MI *
10/1 – State Theatre – Bay City, MI *
10/2 – The Ark – Ann Arbor, MI *
10/3 – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH *
10/7 – Great Lakes Center For The Arts (Blissfest) – Petoskey, MI *
10/8 – Cheboygan Opera House (Blissfest) – Cheboygan, MI *
10/9 – Calvin University – Grand Rapids, MI *
10/10 – City Winery – Chicago, IL
10/13 – Lake Michigan College Mendel Center – Benton Harbor, MI
10/14 – Riverdog Concert Series – Wakeman, OH
10/16 – Daryl’s House – Pawling, NY
10/17 – Club Passim – Boston, MA
10/20 – City Winery Loft – New York, NY
10/21 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA
10/22 – The Linda – Albany, NY
10/23 – Jonathon’s – Ogunquit, ME
10/24 – Voices Cafe Presents @ The Bijou – Bridgeport, CT
10/26 – Ardmore Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA
10/27 – Ramshead Tavern – Annapolis, MD
10/28 – City Winery Main Room – Washington DC
10/30 – Evening Muse – Charlotte, NC
10/31 – City Winery Main Room – Atlanta, GA
11/3 – City Winery Main Room – Nashville, TN
11/7 – The Quonset – Memphis, TN

*Sawyer Fredericks solo opening set
Rest of shows are co-bills with Sawyer and his full band

Bluegrass Pride builds momentum toward final weekend

Porch Pride: 5th anniversary celebration will feature more than six hours of livestreams and performances by LGBTQ+ and allied roots musicians. Photo: google

Bay Area non-profit Bluegrass Pride will culminate its month-long LGBTQ+ Pride celebration, Porch Pride, with a two-day virtual music festival featuring more than six hours of livestreams and performances by LGBTQ+ and allied bands, artists, and musicians. On June 26 and 27 starting at 3p.m. PDT / 6p.m. EDT the organization will celebrate five years of Bluegrass Pride (BGP) with artists such as Crys Matthews, BOOJUM, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Stephanie Anne Johnson, Rainbow Girls, and more. (Bluegrass Pride, 2021)

In 2020, Bluegrass Pride board member Jake Blount first proposed the idea for Porch Pride as an avenue through which BGP could support and uplift LGBTQ+ artists through the industry-shuttering pandemic, offering direct relief and performance opportunities to a community already disproportionately impacted by the realities of COVID-19. In its first year, the event raised more than $23,000 to be shared and distributed amongst the artists and bands on the lineup. Bluegrass Pride is hoping to outraise that amount in 2021, already reaching and doubling their goal for financial sponsorships.

The public is invited to tune in on June 26 and 27 from 3p.m. to 6p.m. PDT / 6p.m. to 9p.m. EDT for Porch Pride: 5th Anniversary Celebration. All Porch Pride events are free to view and attend, but audience members are encouraged to DONATE to support every single artist on Porch Pride’s month-long lineup. Watch and give on the Bluegrass Pride website, or watch via their YouTube channel or Facebook page.

For Bluegrass Pride fans and members local to the Bay Area, an in-person Porch Pride Watch Party & Jam will be held at Spark Social SF (601 Mission Bay Boulevard North, San Francisco, CA 94158) on June 27 at 2p.m. PDT. During and after the livestream watch party enjoy food, drinks, Double Rainbow ice cream, fellowship with fellow BGPers and jamming, plus a performance by local roots music scene stalwart Karen Heil’s old-time string band, the Knuckle Knockers.

Porch Pride: 5th Anniversary Celebration full schedule:

Saturday, June 26:

Mya Byrne
Ben Garnett
Crys Matthews
BOOJUM
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Gangstagrass

Sunday, June 27:

Willi Carlisle
Maddie Witler
Amanda Fields
Hasee Ciaccio & Friends
Stephanie Anne Johnson
Rainbow Girls

“It’s so incredible to look back on all that Bluegrass Pride has accomplished in the past 5 years. From launching that first award-winning float in the SF Pride Parade in 2017 to now running our own month-long Pride festival, it truly is a testament to the strength of our community and our desire to create positive change in the world of roots music. I think Porch Pride is the perfect way to celebrate that.” – BGP Executive Director, Kara Kundert.

Bluegrass Pride: Our mission is to recruit, encourage, and support LGBTQ+ bluegrassers of all levels, promoting their advancement and acceptance within all areas of the bluegrass music industry and musical community. We aim to uplift the genre of bluegrass as a whole to receive LGBTQ+ folks openly, and to promote allyship with all marginalized peoples within the industry and musical community. We do so by creating opportunities for community building and resources for musical skill development, such as concerts, jam sessions, showcases, festivals, parades, tutorials, recording, and more. Bluegrass Pride is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 83-3224672. All donations are deemed tax-deductible absent any limitations on deductibility applicable to a particular taxpayer.

Paul Thorn’s new album ‘Never Too Late To Call’

Paul Thorn grooves on new album out August 6 via Thirty Tigers. “Here We Go” is the first single out. Photo: google

Paul Thorn has created an innovative and impressive career, pleasing crowds with his muscular brand of roots music—bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern American, yet also speaking universal truths. Among those who value originality, inspiration, eccentricity and character—as well as talent that hovers somewhere on the outskirts of genius, the story of Paul Thorn is already familiar. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, raised among the same spirits (and some of the actual people) who nurtured the young Elvis generations before, Paul Thorn has rambled down back roads and jumped out of airplanes, worked for years in a furniture factory, battled four-time world champion boxer Roberto Duran on national television, performed on stages with Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Sting, and John Prine among many others, and made some of the most emotionally restless yet fully accessible music of our time. He has appeared on major television shows, received numerous National Public Radio features and charted multiple times on the Billboard Top 100 and Americana Radio Charts. (Paul Thorn, 2021)

Fans were recently treated to the first taste of music from Never Too Late To Call, “Here We Go.” Fans can hear “Here We Go” and pre-order or pre-save Never Too Late To Call ahead of its August 6 release right here.

Never Too Late To Call opens with a song called “Two Tears Of Joy,” a slow-burn ode to life that finds Thorn naming all that he is thankful for without once coming across as cheesy or overly earnest. “It sounds a little corny to say this but I’m a 56-year-old man who has had a really blessed life,” says Thorn about the inspiration behind the tune. “I’m really grateful and thankful for everything I have and for the people I’ve met. ‘Two Tears of Joy’ is another way of simply saying I’m grateful.” A few tracks later, Thorn and his wife Heather singing a duet called “Breaking Up For Good Again.” “If you’re in any kind of long-time relationship you’ll know there will be bumps in the road and sometimes you won’t get along,” says Thorn. The song is beautifully fingerpicked and sung to perfection by the husband and wife duo who have been together long enough to know the song’s ideas well. “We’ve lived this song and had our moments,” they say. Towards the end of Never Too Late To Call listeners are treated to a pair of groovy numbers in “You Mess Around & Get A Buzz” and “Holy Hottie Toddy.” The former a cautionary tale and the latter a call to love everybody inclusively; both feel comfortable—in classic Thorn fashion—but represent the full spectrum of what this new, thoughtfully mature album has to offer.

On Never Too Late To Call, we find a mellower Paul Thorn. The wit and the – at times – humorous commentary on life’s existential questions are in evidence, but here there is a peace about his life’s journey. Or, to put it in his words, “I’ve been such a lucky boy. I’m crying two tears of joy.”

Never Too Late To Call track list:
Two Tears Of Joy
It’s Never Too Late To Call
Sapalo
Breaking Up For Good Again
What I Could Do
Here We Go
Apple Pie Moonshine
Sapphire Dream
You Mess Around & Get A Buzz
Goodbye Is The Last Word
Holy Hottie Toddy

Paul Thorn: It’s Never Too Late To Call
2021-08-06T12:58:00

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Release of Never Too Late To Call