Tag: music

How Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden Redefines Valley’s Musical Landscape

Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden is Valley’s forthcoming new album. Photo: Becca Hamel, used with permission.

JUNO Award nominated band Valley returns this year with their most intimate and personal record yet. Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden is an exploration of grief and resilience from one of today’s most exciting alternative-pop bands. (Big Hassle, 2024)

Since forming in 2016, Valley has accrued over 1 billion streams globally, having appeared on viral charts in the US, Philippines, Korea, Japan, and more. Along with their three JUNO Award nominations, the band has also garnered praise from Consequence, Wonderland, American Songwriter, and CBC. Helping prompt much of their global recognition was “Like 1999,” a gold certified hit that went viral on TikTok.

Valley has also become known for their high-energy live shows, which have been brought to renowned festivals like Life Is Beautiful, Governors Ball, Slow Life, and Wunderstruck as well as their debut US TV performance as part of Stephen Colbert’s #LiveAtHome session.

The three-piece alternative-pop band, comprised of Rob Laska (lead vocals, guitar), Alex Dimauro (bass), and Karah James (vocals, drums), recently released “Bass Player’s Brother.” This infectious, drum-driven track features dreamy synths and grooves, all the while telling the story of a toxic, ever-repeating relationship. The song drops on the heels of the singles “When You Know Someone” and the album’s title track “Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden,” with the full album set to arrive on August 30 through Capitol Records/Universal Music Canada. 

“‘Bass Player’s Brother’ is a song about cyclical love and obsession. In life we often find ourselves in realities that don’t suit our truth, yet we continue to drag ourselves back to the feeling of staying for love’s sake. It’s cyclical in nature yet rooted in heartache and hurt. It’s the back-and-forth outcome of these habits that cause us to stay when we know we should leave. This is the only song on the album where we didn’t reference real names. Sometimes we like to play characters in songs even though we’re always thinking about someone in our lives. We wanted to paint a picture of a classic Americana heartbreak love story.”- Valley

Water the Flowers, Pray For A Garden is a brave exploration of the full spectrum of emotions with an invitation to also surrender control and trust the process. Recorded over the span of a month in the Smoky Mountains and produced by COIN’s Chase Lawrence, Valley captures a specific moment in time. Through embracing the transformative power of death and rebirth, the band finds themselves reinvented and the most inspired they have felt thus far in their careers.

In addition to the summer festival appearances and Canadian shows with friends The Beaches, Dizzy and Arkells, Valley have announced their Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden North American headlining tour spanning coast to coast in the US and Canada. The tour includes shows at iconic venues and some of the biggest rooms they’ve played to date, including Brooklyn Steel in New York, The Wiltern in Los Angeles, History in Toronto and more.

WATER THE FLOWERS, PRAY FOR A GARDEN US TOUR DATES
September 28 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer*
September 29 – Boston, MA – House of Blues*
October 1 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club*
October 2 -Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel*
October 4 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel*
October 5 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre*
October 6 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Hall*
October 8 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre*
October 9 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue*
October 11 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theatre*
October 12 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre*
October 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event Centre*
October 15 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren*
October 16 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park*
October 18 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern*
October 19 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre*
October 21 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall*
October 22- Seattle, WA – The Showbox*

*support from Mickey Darling and Charli Adams

Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden Tracklist: (Courtesy photo)

1. Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden
2. A Little More
3. Growing (Apart)
4. When You Know Someone
5. Let It Rain
6. Crawlspace
7. Mosquito
8. Bop Ba
9. I Didn’t Even Ask For This
10. Bass Player’s Brother
11. Life Goes On Without Me
12. Cocoon

A Journey Through Blues and Beyond: Devon Allman’s Latest ‘Miami Moon’

Devon Allman’s new album Miami Moon will be released August 16, 2024. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Fresh off setting a world record (50 shows in 50 states in 49 days) and a pair of wildly successful national and international tours with The Allman Betts Family Revival and 2024’s Allman Betts Band tour, Devon Allman is thrilled to announce Miami Moon, his first solo LP in 8 years dropping August 16 via his own, Create Records. “White Horse” is the first single from the new album. (Big Hassle, 2024)

For the album, Allman put together one of the finest studio bands in recent history featuring George Porter Jr. (The Meters) on bass, Ivan Neville (Keith Richards, Dumpstaphunk,) on keyboards, Adam Deitch (Lettuce,) on drums, Karl Denson (The Rolling Stones) on saxophone and Jackson Stokes on guitar. Fans can pre-save Miami Moon here.

Miami Moon was recorded on 2” analog tape at the historic Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida (the studio where Layla and Eat a Peach were born) and was produced by Grammy-winning producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Chris “Kingfish” Ingram).

With Miami Moon, Allman has created what Tom Hambridge calls a masterpiece. The album sounds like the past and the future colliding under neon pink Miami skies…funky, fresh, and soulful. Allman will be touring worldwide all year in support of the new album with his high energy 6 piece band, the Devon Allman Project.

Miami Moon track listing:

White Horse

Incredible

You

Miami Moon

Sahara

Climb Aboard

Body Electric

Take Time to Taste It

You Gotta Make it Through the World

Catch Devon Allman on tour:
July 25 @ Hawaii Theatre | Honolulu, HI
July 28 @ Fuji Rock Festival | Minamiuonuma, Japan
^w/ JD Simo

Devon Allman Project
August 3 @ Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza | Mammoth Lakes, CA
August 9 @ Bayfront Blues Festival | Duluth, MN
August 17 @ Chenango Blues Festival | Norwich, NY

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Sweet Delusions: Eddy Lee Ryder’s Latest Musical Journey

Sweet Delusions is Eddy Lee Ryder’s forthcoming new album. Photo: Jeff Harris, used with permission.

With the release of her first full-length album on the horizon, Eddy Lee Ryder unveils her newest single, “Bad Decisions,” which is coincidentally the birthday of the heartbreaker who inspired the tune. Synthesizing timeless songcraft, dramatic introspection, and infinite pop smarts to create a breathtaking song cycle of apocalyptic romance and anxious regret, badly broken hearts, and wishful hope for the future, Sweet Delusions will be available everywhere soon. (One In A Million Media, 2024)

Quirky and charming while still precise and powerfully personal, Sweet Delusions reveals the self-described “demented pop” chanteuse as a one-of-a-kind new artist, her unabashed heartache and beguiling humor completely her own yet as identifiable and real as any of our own. Penned and performed with uncommon brio and invention, the album sees Ryder musing on lust, longing, and lost love across shimmering choruses and a vertiginous undercurrent of contemplative melancholy, turning her raw pain into expertly wrought anthems that simultaneously hearken back to both truck stop jukeboxes and glittering art deco cafés.

Having earned applause for her sadly beautiful portraits of love and life on the margins, with songs like “Smoke and Mirrors” featured in the cult hit horror film Terrifier 2, Ryder set to work on her long-brewing debut album in 2022, collaborating with producer Dave Cerminara between his studio in LA and the Outlier Inn in New York’s southern Catskill Mountains.

Once Ryder hit the studio, armed with a cache of songs inspired by “an extremely bad ending with someone who was my best friend,” her apocalyptic romanticism naturally led to the album’s “accidental country” sound, a rhinestone-flecked bed of twangy guitars, languid bass, and irresistible melodies created with accompaniment from longtime Father John Misty drummer/musical director Dan Bailey, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Chae, pedal steel player Rich Hinman, and keyboardists Todd Caldwell, and Dave Shephard, along with harmonies and other help from NYC friends like pianist Abby Payne and Rebecca Haviland.

Despite her love of guise and character, the clear through line that unifies Ryder’s still evolving body of work is her storyteller’s gift for cutting to the quick of her own complex, unconventional nature. Impossible to pigeonhole, with Sweet Delusions, Eddy Lee Ryder proudly avoids being fitted into any particular category or genre, her creative adventurousness and tongue-in-cheek humor distinctly and undeniably her own.

“I don’t how to not write from a personal perspective. How do you sit down and write something that’s only surface?” – Eddy Lee Ryder

Sweet Delusions tracklist:

1. Sweet Delusions
2. Highwaymen
3. Bad Decisions
4. Joke Is On Me
5. Antarctica
6. Pennyroyal Tea
7. Simple Touch
8. Shoop Shoop Shut Up
9. Smoke and Mirrors
10. Only Real Cowboy
11. County Fair

‘Hereditary:’ Unveiling Cassadee Pope’s Latest Musical Evolution

‘Hereditary’ will be released on July 12, 2024. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Cassadee Pope’s fourth LP, Hereditary, has been a long time coming for the Nashville-based singer/songwriter. Her first full-length since 2021’s Thrive marks her boldest, most resonant reimagining yet, a return to the upbeat, high-octane pop-punk sound she built her career on some 15 years ago. Pope is  back where she belongs – aided by the benefit of years of personal introspection and a desire to fully understand her true identity.

The album’s 12 tracks are, in many ways, the reclamation of the grief Pope has experienced throughout her life. The album is the result of a decade and a half as a professional songwriter, but also a relatively newfound willingness to unlock the why behind her feelings. After years spent inside the machine, everything’s come full circle for Cassadee Pope, though she’s now finally confident enough to sit back and enjoy what’s to come. (Big Picture Media, 2024)

The Grammy-nominated, Platinum-certified singer-songwriter recently shared the new music video for the single “I Died (ft Daisha Mcbride)” off of her upcoming album, Hereditary, due out July 12.  Pre-save Hereditary here. 

The album marks The Voice winner’s first full length following her shift from country back to her pop punk roots. With “I Died,” the former voice of rock band Hey Monday masterfully captures the raw emotions of love, loss, and longing following a one sided breakup. 

The pop punk / rap track explores the feelings of abandonment while channeling the strength it takes to move forward from heartache. The track serves as a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we can find solace in shared experiences. The collaboration between Cassadee and Daisha has created a genre blending fusion of pop punk and rap, proving that even when we feel our most vulnerable, music will always be there to offer a sense of community.  

Cassadee’s powerful voice and storytelling brings heartache and healing to life on Hereditary, an emotional rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs of life, love and self-discovery. Each track is a testament to the journey we embark on, shaped by our upbringing and the legacies passed down through generations. Whether that’s love, betrayal or the intricate web of family dynamics, the title Hereditary captures the essence of our roots, the echoes of our past and the quest to carve our own path. 

“Hereditary offers a soundtrack to navigate the complexities of life with authenticity and courage. I couldn’t think of a better backdrop for these lyrics than pop/punk and I hope this album gives people permission to feel everything!” -Cassadee Pope

Cassadee released another Hereditary single and music video, “Three Of Us” earlier this year, which invites listeners to confront the darkness of addiction and embrace the power of empathy, compassion and community. 

She will be hitting the road this summer on her headlining Hereditary Tour. The tour will be making stops throughout the country, kicking off July 11 in Anaheim, California and visiting Los Angeles, Knoxville, Albany, Charleston and more before wrapping on July 31 in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

This fall Cassadee will be joining multi-platinum-selling Canadian pop-rock band, Marianas Trench on The Force of Nature tour – produced by Live Nation, making stops across the US, including shows in Dallas, Orlando, Nashville, New York City, Chicago, Denver, and wrapping up in Salt Lake City. 

Upcoming Cassadee Pope U.S. Tour Dates
July 11 – Anaheim, California – Chain Reaction~
July 12 – Los Angeles, California – The Peppermint Club~
July 13 – Mesa, Arizona – Nile Underground~
July 14 – Flagstaff, AZ – Pop Punk Summer Camp Festival
July 19 – Knoxville, Tennessee- Open Chord*
July 21 – Indianapolis, Indiana – Turntable*
July 22 – Louisville Kentucky – Headliners Music Hall*
July 23 – Albany, New York – Empire Live*
July 24 – Syracuse, New York – Funk ‘N Waffles*
July 26 – Virginia Beach, Virginia – Elevation 27*
July 27 – Durham, North Carolina – Motorco Music Hall*
July 29 – Charleston, South Carolina – Music Farm*
July 30 – Jacksonville, Florida – Underbelly*
July 31 – West Palm Beach, Florida – Respectable Street*
October 19-20 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival^
February 4-8 – Emo’s Not Dead Cruise^

~Foxies opening
*Natalia Taylar opening / Foxies direct support
^Billed as Hey Monday

Hereditary tracklist 

  1. People That I Love Leave 
  2. Eye Contact 
  3. Secret Master 
  4. More To Me
  5. Three Of Us 
  6. Rom Coms
  7. Almost There 
  8. Capacity 
  9. I Died (feat Daisha McBride) 
  10. Hereditary 
  11. Ever Since That World Ended (feat. Aaron Gillespie) 
  12. Wrong One 

Embracing Vulnerability: Maya de Vitry’s Journey in The Only Moment

Maya de Vitry’s The Only Moment will be out July 12. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Maya de Vitry’s vibrant voice seems to rise out of some necessity of bringing songs to life, embracing listeners with what Folk Alley calls a “soulful intimacy.” She grew up in a musical family in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, understanding music to be a place of gathering, a way to spend a summer night around a campfire. Maya first traveled and performed as a fiddling street musician, and then in bars, theaters, and on festival stages as a founding member of The Stray Birds (2010-2018). Since the band parted ways in 2018, Maya has been devotedly creating a powerful new body of work—one that consistently blurs genre while showcasing her delight in storytelling and her extraordinarily dynamic singing. In addition to performing and recording, Maya is a sought-after co-writer and co-creator and has been steadily and closely collaborating within her chosen musical community of Nashville, Tennessee, for nearly a decade. (IV-PR, 2024)

Her latest single, “Odds of Getting Even,” owes its inspiration to an unlikely figure in the greater Americana world: the late, great soul and funk singer, Sharon Jones. “I really wanted to do this one justice, for this song to feel as alive and exuberant as I think it wants to be – and I just honestly couldn’t find that in myself for a while. But this finally felt like the perfect band and moment in my own life for me to sing this one,” she says, having compiled her Nashville “bar band” of A-list, next-generation players for this new batch of songs. “I feel especially lucky to have my friend Phoebe Hunt singing harmony. She’s on the whole record, but on this song I just think she’s absolute magic.” 

“Odds of Getting Even” is the latest single to be released from Maya de Vitry’s upcoming self-produced album The Only Moment—out July 12. Fans can stream or purchase “Odds of Getting Even,” check out de Vitry’s previously released single, “Compass,” and pre-order The Only Moment ahead of its July 12 release. 

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

The Only Moment tracklist:

Nothing Else Matters

Compass

Odds of Getting Even

I’m Not Going Anywhere

If They Feel Like Wings

Some Rent

Burning Building

Addicted

Watching the Whole Sky Change

Ribbon

Produced by Maya de Vitry and mixed by Grammy-award-winning engineer Justin Francis (Madison Cunningham), The Only Moment is an unabashed blend of indie folk, indie rock, and indie pop, with elements of Americana and alt-country. Recorded at Phantom Studios in Gallatin, TN, the album captures the unfettered energy and occasional chaos of de Vitry’s Nashville “bar band,” featuring Anthony da Costa on electric guitar, Ethan Jodziewicz on electric bass, and Dominic Billet on drums. These three musicians played a pivotal role in nurturing de Vitry’s vision, crafting atmospheres around her songs that feel unrestricted by notions of genre.

Catch Maya de Vitry on tour:
June 21 – Tryon, NC – Summer Tracks Music Series
July 12 – Nashville, TN – Finally Friday w/ WMOT at 3rd & Lindsley
July 20 – Bethlehem, NH – Colonial Theatre (co-bill w/ Griffin William Sherry)
July 26-27 – South Hiram, ME – Ossipee Music Festival
August 31 – Erwin, TN – Sol Slam Mountain Jam
September 24 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Lounge
September 25 – Cambridge, MA – Club Passim
September 26 – Portland, ME – Oxbow
September 27 – Brooklyn, NY – Owl Music Parlor
September 28 – Lancaster, PA – West Art
September 29 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java
October 1 – Evanston, IL – Space
October 3 – Milwaukee, WI – Anodyne
October 4 – Madison, WI – Shitty Barn
October 5 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center (supporting Robin & Linda Williams)
November 1 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena
November 2 – Lincoln, VT – Burnham Presents

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Exploring the Heartland: Jim Lauderdale’s Latest Album My Favorite Place

Jim Lauderdale’s new album My Favorite Place will be released June 21, 2024. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Jim Lauderdale is the Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, and performer known as one of Americana’s most steadfast champions. Put him in a room with a killer band and a near-as-can-be-perfect country tune, and one would be hard-pressed to find a better combination in all of current-day music. Luckily, that’s exactly what happened when Mr. Americana took to the studio to record “I’m A Lucky Loser.” Flanked by Chris Scruggs and Kenny Vaughn on electric guitars, Wes L’angolis on acoustic, Will Van Horn on pedal steel, Micah Hulshcer on piano, Pat Bubert on drums, and equally stellar touring band members Jay Weaver, Frank Rische, and Lillie Mae Rische, Lauderdale took to Nashville’s famed Blackbird Studios to track the lilting, cheeky ode to luck, both good and bad. (IV-PR, 2024)

“I’m A Lucky Loser” is the latest single from Lauderdale’s upcoming LP, My Favorite Place—out June 21. Continuing a string of stellar releases with his touring band, The Game Changers—Craig Smith (Guitar), Frank Rische (Guitar), Jay Weaver (Bass), Dave Racine (Drums), and the extraordinary Lillie Mae Rische (Vocals)—along with some of Music City’s favorite ringers like the cast of “I’m A Lucky Loser,” My Favorite Place is pure Jim Lauderdale country; his legendary voice carrying a new batch of stories, all framed by pure pedal steel, fiddle, and the tightest rhythm section this side of the Grand Ole Opry. 

To hear the new single live, fans can check out Lauderdale’s recent performance and interview on RFD-TV here. Fans can stream or purchase “I’m A Lucky Loser” at this link, hear Lauderdale’s previously released singles, “You’ve Got A Shine,” and “Mrs. Green” at their respective links, and pre-order or pre-save My Favorite Place, ahead of its June 21 release right here. 

My Favorite Place tracklist:
My Favorite Pace
Mrs. Green
The Lightning Tree
You’ll Be Gone By Then
Sweethearts Remember
Don’t You Treat ‘Em That Way
Baby Steps
I’m A Lucky Loser
We Ought To Celebrate
You’ve Got A Shine
What’s Important After All

Catch Jim Lauderdale on tour. A full list of Lauderdale’s tour dates can be found below or online.

June 13 – The Colonial Theatre – Phoenixville, PA ^
June 14 – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA ^
June 15 – Godfrey Daniels – Bethlehem, PA
June 22 – Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN
June 27 – ROMP – Owensboro, KY *
July 30 – Pickin’ in Parsons Bluegrass Festival – Parson, WV
August 31st – Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival – Brunswick, ME *
September 13 – Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion – Bristol, TN
September 27 – IBMA Bluegrass Live – Raleigh NC
September 28 – IBMA Bluegrass Live – Raleigh NC
October 10 – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA !
October 13 – CaveFest – Pelham, TN

^ With Los Lobos
* With The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
! With Lillie Mae

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New single release: Kick It – flor

flor doesn’t care much what you think of them on their new single ‘Kick It.’ Courtesy single artwork, used with permission.

First Hood River, Oregon’s, now the world’s alt-pop darlings, flor, released their newest single this month –  “Kick It.” A fuzzed out, knobs dialed all the way up type of track, “Kick It” tells judgmental onlookers to shove it and be on their way. A more confident, provocative take from flor, the band continues showing their vast songwriting range as they explore the joy of their newfound creative independence. (Big Hassle Media, 2024)

flor finds light in the promise of a new day. The Hood River, OR trio—Zach Grace (vocals, guitar), Dylan Bauld (bass), and Kyle Hill (drums)—excavate unshakable melodies from jubilant synths, buoyant beats, and lush guitars as they relay a coming-of-age story all their own.

The story began as high school kids playing in a garage. The band quietly generated hundreds of millions of streams in the wake of their 2016 debut come out. you’re hiding. In 2019, ley lines only accelerated their momentum buoyed by tracks including “white noise,” “slow motion,” and “dancing around.” Critical acclaim followed from NYLON, Billboard, Paste, and Ones To Watch who hailed the album as “an exhilarating balancing act.”

They concluded a successful headline tour at the top of 2020 only to face the harsh reality of the Global Pandemic with the rest of us. Once it became safe enough to do so, the musicians congregated back in Los Angeles at Dylan’s studio for a series of writing sessions. This time around, they built the bulk of the songs face-to-face together inspired by favorite records from the likes of MGMT, Phoenix, The Killers, and M83. The result was their 2022 third full-length album, Future Shine which won over the praise of Rolling Stone, AltPress, and many others.

After taking some time to evaluate who they want to be creatively, flor is now back and more refreshed than they’ve ever been. The end of last year saw the release of “Same Color as the Sun” as the band joined The Maine for a massive North American tour.

Last month, flor starred in The Noise’s first episode of their new video series titled Something Loud. Filmed in Los Angeles – with the help from Betawave Media – flor performed their singles “Every Night,” “Warm Blood Pt 2,” “No More Time,” and “Gotta Do Something” to showcase what “loud” means to them.

Regularly releasing new singles to keep their fanbase fed, the last few months have seen flor unveil “Same Color as the Sun,” “Warm Blood Pt 2” and “Nosedive.” “Same Color as the Sun” quickly gained traction at Triple A radio and continues to chart higher week after week. “Warm Blood Pt 2” also arrived with an official video. With the song’s precursor dating back to their 2016 debut album come out. you’re hiding, part two wasn’t initially created as a follow up. But as the band began writing with the intent of creating something as rapturous as the original, things started to fall in place.

The end of 2023 also saw flor join their friends in The Maine for a massive North American tour, selling out almost every single date. Over the coming months, flor will continue to ride their current wave of inspiration with more new music on the way.

Forthcoming new album release: The Iceland Sessions – Greensky Bluegrass

Greensky Bluegrass announces new EP The Iceland Sessions featuring Holly Bowling out May 10 via Thirty Tigers. Photo: Tobin Voggesser, used with permission.

Greensky Bluegrass is widely known for their thoughtful lyricism, edgy and genre-expansive sound, dazzling live performances, and relentless touring schedule. However, that is only the tip of the complex tale of the five musicians that make up Greensky Bluegrass: Anders Beck [dobro], Michael Arlen Bont [banjo], Dave Bruzza [guitar], Mike Devol [upright bass], and Paul Hoffman [Mandolin]. The five are connected through a deep bond, just as they are seasoned road warriors, they’re a band of brothers who have seen each other through decades of ups and downs, personal and collective highlights, and the moments when life turns it all upside down. (Big Hassle Media, 2024)

For the past century, bluegrass music has traditionally relayed real tales of American life, struggle, tragedy, and triumph. It gives a voice to the quiet, yet colorful stories woven into the fabric of the country itself. Greensky Bluegrass live these stories through their records and performances.

Greensky Bluegrass is thrilled to announce The Iceland Sessions due out May 10 via Thirty Tigers. Pre-orders are available now.

The EP was recorded at Flóki Studios in the summer of 2023, just before their first-ever Icelandic run of shows at Reykjavik’s Harpa Concert Hall. “We invited some of our favorite friends and musicians to play with us, including Holly Bowling, and we set out to make memories in the twilight sun with a bunch of fans who joined us from all over the world,” recalls Paul Hoffman. Bowling has been a regular guest in Greensky’s band lineup throughout the last several years and the chemistry between Bowling and the band is undeniable.

Flóki Studios is located in a very remote section of northern Iceland, and for Greensky, that’s precisely what was needed. A very intense few days that drew out creativity and inspiration not yet tapped by the band. “We embraced the disorienting inspiration and played late into the night as the sun never left us, all the while still developing lyrics and figuring out harmonies and arrangements. We swam in the cold water. We saw more sheep than people for days. We listened to the birds sing through the night while we charged through each song. A recording project that felt like a whirlwind at times turned into something calm and peaceful that felt more creative and raw than anything we’ve done before. Fully aware that we could continue to work on this later, we decided to commit to what we created in Iceland and have the recording be truly a moment in time.”

Following the release of The Iceland Sessions, Greensky will set out on their summer tour which kicks off May 12 in Mill Valley, CA. Up to date news and tour information is available online. 

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Tickets on sale now for 42nd annual Tejano Conjunto Festival

The legendary festival to feature the best in Tejano Conjunto music. Photo: Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Tickets are on sale now for the 42nd Tejano Conjunto Festival (TCF) en San Antonio, May 15-May 19, the first and longest-running conjunto festival in the country. It is internationally recognized as the most influential event for this beloved South Texas musical tradition. TCF will encompass five robust days of live performances and dancing, including a special Seniors Dance and Conjunto Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 2024)

The free Seniors Dance will be held on Wednesday, May 15, for seniors ages 55 and older with music from Los Hermanos DeLeón and Felipe Perez y sus Polkeros. The Hall of Fame ceremony on Thursday, May 16, will feature a special dinner and dance. It will showcase esteemed Hall of Fame inductees from previous years including Bene Medina y su Conjunto Águila, Eddie “Lalo” Torres, Boni Mauricio y Los Máximos, Ruben Garza y La Nueva Era, and Santiago Jimenez. Jr., who has been nominated for three Grammys. Both the Seniors Dance and the Hall of Fame event will take place at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9186, 650 VFW Blvd, and are co-sponsored by KEDA Radio.

The main weekend line-up for the 42nd Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival at Rosedale Park, 303 Dartmouth St, will feature three days of the best in conjunto music from Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19, 2024.

On Friday, May 17, the Festival kicks off with Conjuntazzo with Joel & Sarah, Los D Boys, Gilberto Pérez Jr. y su Conjunto, Los Conjunto Kings de Flavio Longoria, David Flores y Los Tremendos Alacranes, and Los Desperadoz.

On Saturday May 18, the festival features student conjuntos from Rio Grande Valley, Retoño, J.R. Gómez y Los Conjunto Bandits, Mando y La Venganza, Conjunto Prestigio, Bernardo y sus Compadres, Impozzible, Los Tellez, Los Monarcas de Pete y Mario Díaz, Ruben de la Cruz, Los Cucuys de Rodney Rodriguez, and Lázaro Pérez y su Conjunto.

On Sunday, May 19, the Tejano Conjunto Festival starts with student conjuntos from San Antonio and then closes out with the Texas Sweethearts, Linda Escobar, Susan Torres y Conjunto Los Pinkys, Cindy Ramos y su Conjunto, Los Delta Boyz, Santiago Garza y la Naturaleza, Eva Ybarra y su Conjunto Siempre, Los Texmaniacs with Flaco Jimenez, and Los Fantasmas del Valle.

Prepare for an unforgettable experience as these legendary performers ignite the stage with their mesmerizing melodies and infectious rhythms.

The festival draws an enthusiastic  audience of more than 10,000 fans, dancers, and musicians from across Texas and the United States, as well as Mexico, Europe, and Asia. The crowd has grown over the years to include legions of fans who return each year to dance and celebrate Conjunto culture. The Tejano Conjunto Festival has become a model for many other Conjunto festivals that have appeared since it started in 1982, and is credited with highlighting the singular music and culture of South Texas Tejanos. This year’s events will be held at Rosedale Park (303 Dartmouth St) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9186 (650 VFW Blvd). Tickets and sponsorship packages are now available.

TCF is one of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s most beloved annual events. Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Executive Director, Cristina Ball is the director, Dan Margolies is the producer. It was founded by Juan Tejeda, the first Xicano Music Program Director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, who continues to serve as an advisor. 

“Celebrating the Tejano Conjunto Festival is a vibrant tribute to the heartbeat of San Antonio’s and South Texas’ rich cultural landscape encompassing music, dance and community spirit. Like the soulful melodies of conjunto music, this festival resonates as a beacon of Tejano and Chicano heritage, unity, and empowerment, echoing through generations with enduring strength and resonance.” – Juan Tejeda, the first Xicano Music Program Director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and founder of the Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio

“This year’s festival holds the promise of an unforgettable celebration,  shining a spotlight on the rich traditions of Tejano and conjunto music. We’re looking forward to creating lasting memories at this remarkable event.” – Cristina Ballí, Executive Director at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center was founded in 1980 as a nonprofit, multi-disciplinary organization. Located in the heart of San Antonio’s westside, the Guadalupe is one of the largest community-based organizations in the US with the mission to cultivate, promote and preserve traditional and contemporary Chicano, Latino, and Native American arts and culture through multidisciplinary programming.

2024 Official Poster. Poster Overall Contest Winner Designed by San Antonio native Anna Arce

MoonKill shares single from forthcoming debut album

‘Ranger Danger, Pt. 2’ is the first single from the Austin punk-metal band’s debut album. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Austin band MoonKill recently shared the lead single from their forthcoming debut album via New Noise Magazine. (MoonKill, 2024)

MoonKill plays untethered Texas Punk, inserting ambient spacey sounds and new-wave tension into a punk world that is difficult to pin down. Vocalist Dan Aronov croons and howls with the powerful pipes of young Glenn Danzig, while the rest of the band blasts out tight and infectious melodic, metallic punk rock. Together throughout the album, the band harnesses simplicity to powerful effect.

MoonKill materialized in a T-shirt factory, which doubled as an after-hours practice space, in Austin, TX. The quartet all connected for a random jam session in May 2022. The drummer was the lynchpin in a network of friends, which included a guitarist who lived in a trailer in his driveway at the time. The first session produced their initial song “Long Line to Hell” and they have been growing their queue of Texas Punk songs ever since.

The band self-produced a 3 song EP, The Kong Sessions, in the loft of their friend’s screen-printing shop. After presenting it to producer/engineer Roky Moon (of American Sharks), he offered to produce their debut album, which was completed in February 2024. They played their first live show in September 2023, to a packed house, and began a relentless live show schedule.

Since then, others have taken notice, including their growing fan base in and around Austin. Their EP gained notice from music critics, including Greg Kot, (Chicago Tribune) who featured “Dead Holiday” on his syndicated show, Sound Opinions.

MoonKill will be available to stream and download on May 3, 2024. Pre-order/pre-save HERE.

Artist: MoonKill
Album: MoonKill
Label: self-released
Release Date: May 3, 2024

Courtesy photo, used with permission

  1. Dead Holiday
  2. Ranger Danger, Pt. 1
  3. Ranger Danger, Pt. 2
  4. Chainsaw Bathroom Sex
  5. Murderhouse
  6. Full Stop
  7. Ghost Town
  8. Long Line to Hell
  9. Rabbit’s Foot
  10. Friend or Foe
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Debut album release date