Tag: music

Upcoming new album release: Critterland – Willi Carlisle

Critterland will be release January 26, 2024. Proceeds from the new single ‘When The Pills Wear Off’ will be donated to Appalachian Recovery Non-Profit Hope In The Hills. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

For folksinger Willi Carlisle, singing is healing and by singing together, he believes we can begin to reckon with the inevitability of human suffering and grow in love. Rooted in the eclectic and collective world of his live shows, Carlisle’s third album, Critterland, takes up where his sophomore album, Peculiar, Missouri, left off, transforming Peculiar’s big tent into a Critterland menagerie and letting loose the weirdos he gathered together. The album is a wild romp through the backwaters of his mind and America, lingering in the odd corners of human nature to visit obscure oddballs, dark secrets, and complicated truths about the beauty and pain of life and love. (IV-PR, 2023)

Produced by the GRAMMY Award-nominated Darrell Scott and to be released on January 26, 2024, by Signature Sounds, Critterland considers where we come from and where we are going. On the album, he takes on human suffering through stories about forbidden love, loss, generational trauma, addiction, and suicide, believing that by processing the traits and trauma we inherit, he can reach a deeper understanding of what it means to succeed and to exist.

“It’s kind of about getting a little older, moving from hard drugs and hookups to bedroom sex and pharmaceuticals,” says Willi Carlisle of his latest single “When The Pills Wear Off.” “It’s an amalgam of queer stories that I’ve heard, lived, and seen.” Devastating and gorgeous, Carlisle’s fingerpicked ballad serves as the penultimate tune from his upcoming album Critterland—and a flawless example of the songcraft that’s garnered fans like Tyler Childers and BJ Barham.

Carlisle is donating a portion of the proceeds from streams and purchases of “When the Pills Wear Off” to Hope in the Hills, a West Virginia-based charity focused on recovery and wellness in Appalachia. “After losing friends to overdoses, after witnessing the stress that hidden lives and quiet desperation causes people, I decided I wanted to sing about addiction,” says Carlisle. “So, I’m partnering with Hope in the Hills to raise awareness and funding to help those in need. Too much of country music glorifies abuse, murder, and poverty in the name of shock and sales, and I want to fight the stereotypes. Let’s share music about our struggle and triumph! Let’s celebrate love and mourn the dead. ‘When the Pills Wear Off’ is a really sad song, I know, but I hope it brings some joy into the world.”

The funds raised by this single will specifically go to Hope in the Hills’ music therapy program, which conducts regular sessions at recovery houses in East Tennessee, Eastern Kentucky, and West Virginia, and additionally supports music therapy through WVU Medicine’s Opioid Unit, Troublesome Creek Stringed Instruments, which employs folks in recovery to build musical instruments in EKY, and a recovery-to-work stagehands program through Recovery Point West Virginia.

Fans can hear “When the Pills Wear Off” today and pre-order or pre-save Critterland ahead of its January 26 release.

Critterland track list:
Critterland
Dry Country Dust
The Arrangements
The Great Depression
Two-Headed Lamb
A Higher Lonesome
I Want No Children
Jaybird
When the Pills Wear Off
The Money Grows on Trees

Catch Willi Carlisle on tour:
February 1 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House
February 2 – Columbus, OH – Rumba Cafe
February 3 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe
February 4 – Lakewood, OH – Mahall’s
February 7 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
February 9 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
February 10 – Kalamazoo – MI – Bell’s Eccentric Café
February 12 – Wisconsin Dells, WI – Showboat Saloon
February 13 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
February 15 – Des Moines, IA – xBK
February 16 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
February 17 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
February 18 – Oklahoma City – OK – Resonant Head
June 2 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater*
June 5 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre*
June 7 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*
June 8 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*

* Supporting Tyler Childers

Willi Carlisle. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
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Upcoming new book release: ‘The Wandering Pianist’ by Congyu Wang

‘The Wandering Pianist’ will be released December 27, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Memoirs and biographies can be so inspiring to read because they remind us that achieving a dream takes time, dedication, patience, and most of all, hard work. Indeed, nothing in this world comes easy but it does come with an immense feeling of satisfaction. If you are a music lover and enjoy biographies of artists, today’s upcoming new book release might interest you. “The Wandering Pianist” is the inspiring biography by Congyu Wang about living up to his name, though far from the aspirations his parents had for him. It is a story of resilience, faith, and unbridled passion and ambition.

Congyu Wang is an internationally renowned soloist who has garnered acclaim as a recitalist, accompanist, and chamber musician. Born in Singapore, he started playing the piano at the age of 3 under the tutelage of Sylvia Ng. He was selected for a scholarship that enabled him to attend the prestigious École Normale de Musique de Paris, where he studied with renowned French pianists Jean-Marc Luisada and Odile Cartelin-Delangle. His new book “The Wandering Pianist” is a heartfelt reminder that no dream is too big, and no obstacle is insurmountable if one’s passion is unyielding. This book will leave you inspired and deeply moved, proving that the pursuit of dreams is worth every sacrifice, every tear, and every note played. It will be released December 27, 2023 through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book sellers. (Congyu Wang, 2023)

“The Wandering Pianist” – He defied his family’s expectations and society’s norms. From the very beginning, Congyu Wang was a true underdog, not a musical prodigy, and even once dismissed the piano as being “for girls.” However, one teacher, one movie, and a new status in his young life will drive him to wanting to become a pianist.

Despite the relentless pressure to conform to traditional education and career paths, Congyu’s heart was set on pursuing this dream. Forced to escape the pressure cooker that he was living in, he embarked on a courageous quest that led him to studying at the prestigious École Normale de Musique de Paris on a scholarship at only sixteen years old. His journey wasn’t a fairy tale in Paris, though; it was daunting and sometimes heart-wrenching.

From being homeless and hungry on the cold streets of Paris to navigating the challenges of pursuing his musical ambitions, Congyu’s story is one of resilience, faith, and an unshakable passion for the piano. His encounters with piano masters who he looks up to are set against the backdrop of adversity, heartache, and rejection.

Through the highs and lows, Congyu’s journey is a testament to the power of hard work, passion, luck, and dedication in bringing talent to life. From the depths of despair to finding God’s grace, he emerges not only as a concert pianist but also as a symbol of hope, determination, and the pursuit of dreams against all odds.

Sponsored Post

Congyu Wang. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
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Legendary electronic rock band Pendulum releases new EP

Anima is Pendulum’s adventurous new EP featuring collaborations with Scarlxrd and Matt Tuck. Photo: Andrew Cotterill, used with permission.

Pendulum is considered to be one of the biggest electronic bands of all time with 3 platinum albums to their name including renowned debut Hold Your Colour and a UK #1 and #2 for Immersion and In Silico. Emerging from Perth, Australia, their fusion of drum and bass with rock sensibilities has transcended borders, accumulating over a million albums sold in the UK alone. As a live band, Pendulum is an unstoppable, award-winning act, selling out global arena tours and playing to thousands across main stage performances from Glastonbury, Download to Reading and Leeds and a co-headline show at London’s Gunnersbury Park alongside Limp Bizkit this year. (Magnum PR, 2023)

The multi platinum-selling electronic rock band, composed of Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, Peredur ap Gwynedd, and KJ Sawka – has released their highly anticipated EP Anima via Virgin Music Group / Mushroom Group.

Anima consists of four tracks including the EP’s focus single, a collaboration with acclaimed rising UK metal/underground hip hop artist Scarlxrd, who provides a blistering combination of rap and vicious screamo on ‘Mercy Killing’ – backed by Pendulum’s unique brand of thunderous DnB to make it a thrilling ride from start to finish. Watch the visualizer here.

The EP also includes Pendulum’s crossover hit single ‘Halo,’ which features Bullet For My Valentine lead singer Matt Tuck, along with their anthemic drum and bass single ‘Colourfast.’ Collectively, these songs have amassed over 15M streams, 2M views, radio rotation on Music Choice’s (24/7) METAL channel, and landed on the biggest editorial playlists including Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ series since their summer release.

“We’ve always had one foot in the metal scene, so collaborating with Matt from Bullet For My Valentine was an incredible experience and his voice brought something completely unique to the table.” -Rob Swire

‘Silent Spinner’ is, as Rob puts it, “one of the darker tracks we’ve done.” It caps off the EP brimming with a Spanish horn section and flows into a booming groove, slick vocal melodies, and metallic, futuristic synth sounds only Pendulum could finesse. Rob shares, “For optimal listening experience, try moving to London and listen to it at 3 a.m. when you’re having a bad week and you’ve just been splashed by a bus.”

Ahead of their EP release, the band surprised fans recently with their cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ – racking up over 235K views and in true Pendulum fashion, offered some smashing metal guitar riffs, thumping drum and bass, and soaring vocals.

Full track listing for Pendulum’s Anima EP:
1. Pendulum & Bullet For My Valentine – Halo
2. Pendulum – Colourfast
3. Pendulum & Scarlxrd – Mercy Killing
4. Pendulum – Silent Spinner

The announcement arrives on the heels of the band’s recent arena tour of Australia and New Zealand. Starting in March of 2024, the band will return to the UK for their arena tour. It will be their biggest UK tour in over ten years with some of their most monumental shows to date. North American tour dates will be announced in 2024.

Pendulum’s upcoming tour dates:
March 24, 2024 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
March 25, 2024- O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester
March 26, 2024 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
March 28, 2024 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
March 29, 2024 – The O2, London
March 31, 2024 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow

Pendulum’s new EP Anima. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

New album release: Christmas at the Burchills

Christmas at the Burchills is the new album by Beth // James. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

On their new EP, Christmas at the Burchills, Jordan and Mikaela Burchill invite you into their home for the holidays. While the duo goes by the moniker Beth // James, Beth and James are in fact, their middle names. Both Jordan and Mikaela took an interest in music at a young age. Jordan grew up with a guitar in his hands, raised by musician parents, and Mikaela grew up at the studio, singing on records in Nashville since her elementary school years. The young songwriters met in music school and clicked immediately. They moved to Austin, Texas, after graduation, fell in love, and quickly became a duo. They have since released two EPs, one full-length record, and their song “Lion Eyes” was featured in Spike Lee’s Academy Award-winning film, “BlacKkKlansman.” Dubbed “masters of indie-folk” by Austin’s NPR station, KUTX, the Austin duo has cut their teeth touring all across the US, performing as Kerrville New Folk Finalists, and recently got back from a run in Europe and the UK where they played Germany’s only Americana music festival. (IV-PR, 2023)

With their latest EP, Beth // James balance their signature, indie-Americana sound with a healthy dose of varied holiday cheer. Out now, Christmas at the Burchills flies between classic Christmas sounds, touching down for an Elvis cover and Elvis-influenced original, a Hawaiian-infused shot of Christmas paradise, dusty Americana set in Marfa, Texas, and a candle-lit Yuletide ballad.

EP highlight “Tiki Christmas Land” imagines escaping winter heartbreak for Hawaii, drowning your sorrows in Mai Tais and December sun. It is simultaneously cozy as a sweater, and bursting with catchy tropical cheer. Meanwhile, “Marfa Christmas Lights” trades Hawaiian steel guitar for contemplative country western lap steel, serenading the mystical grandeur of west Texas in December. On piano ballad “The Christmas We Used to Know,” Mikaela explores childhood Christmas nostalgia and the difficulty of growing up. Like the writers of many classic Christmas songs, Mikaela grew up Jewish, explaining “as a kid I would always go to my childhood best friend’s house to spend Christmas with her and her family.”

Fans can stream or purchase Christmas at the Burchills in its entirety today by following this link. On December 15, the duo will celebrate their EP release with Beth // James & Friends Christmas Spectacular at Quack’s Soundspace in Austin. Tickets are available here.

Christmas at the Burchills track list:
Tiki Christmas Land
Marfa Christmas Lights
Santa Won’t You Deliver (My Baby This Winter)
Blue Christmas
The Christmas We Used To Know

Upcoming new album release: Bring The Kids – Hamell on Trial

Bring The Kids will be released November 27 and is the anti-folk satirist’s most accessible album ever. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Hamell on Trial is the musical alias of folk punk hero Ed Hamell. A one-man explosion, he is loud-as-war one minute, stepping off the microphone to whisper to an enthralled audience the next. Hamell’s unique and dynamic performance style is informed by politics, passion, intelligence, and an irreverent sense of humor. Armed with a battered 1937 Gibson acoustic guitar that he amplifies mightily and strums like a machine gun, a politically astute mind that cannot stop moving, and a mouth that can be profane one minute and profound the next, Hamell sets his sights on the new America. He shoots straight with his audience, whether unraveling topical issues or sharing confessional tales from his own past. Hamell has shared countless stages with fellow anti-establishment icons such as Ani DiFranco, Kimya Dawson, Aesop Rock and The Pogues, as well as winning the coveted Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. (US/THEM Group, 2023)

Hamell’s 2023 full-length record, Bring The Kids, marks the seventeenth release in a discography overflowing with four star reviews and critical acclaim, ranging from major label releases (Mercury / Polygram) to top independents such as New West and Righteous Babe Records. Bring The Kids will mark Hamell’s third record on Texas indie Saustex Records, helmed by Hickoids’ lead singer Jeff Smith. Bring The Kids will be available on LP, CD and digital on November 27, 2023 via Saustex Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.

On the new record, Hamell teams up with NY-based producer Matt Labozza to meld his punk rock hooks into the most beat-driven and expansive production approach in the history of his catalogue. “This is definitely the most musically adventurous record so far,” Hamell explains. “I recorded my last two albums on my phone. I think some of my fans have been wondering what the songs would sound like if I were to open them up to every musical idea and tool that swirls around them in my brain. Here’s your answer.”

Hamell on Trial is the modern day voice of dissent and social commentary, fighting a one-man war armed with irrepressible energy and a seeker’s soul. His show is a 75-minute journey into true and authentic connection driven by the willingness to fight for the disenfranchised and celebrate the free thinkers of the world. Don’t we need that now more than ever?

Bring The Kids track list:

01: Hail My Rage (ft. Christine Oilman)
02: Tell You Why (ft. Ruth Theodore)
03: Pray
04: Drunk Dial Me
05: Robbery
06. Jelly
07: The Way She Says
08: To Get Thru
09: NKGG
10: Um, Actually No
11: Pepper Spray
12: Hippy Shake
13: Tucker Carlson
14: Trail Mix
15: Johnny Rydell
16: Jelly (Single edit)

“Bald, bold and super bad.” — Rolling Stone

“He has a real attachment to truth that makes him continually vital.” — Henry Rollins

“Bill Hicks, Hunter S. Thompson, and Joe Strummer all rolled into one” — Philadelphia Weekly

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New book release: ‘Nadia Boulanger: War Years in America and Her Last Decades’ by James Whipple Miller

‘Nadia Boulanger: War Years in America and Her Last Decades’ is the new release from James Whipple Miller. Photo: Chestnut Hill Press

Nadia Boulanger was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century and performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. If you are interested in learning more about this highly influential music teacher, check out this new biography from James Whipple Miller – “Nadia Boulanger: War Years in America and Her Last Decades” which includes 227 letters exchanged over four decades between Boulanger and her close friend and disciple Ruth Robbins. It is available through Chestnut Hill Press.

Author James Whipple Miller was a professor of Comparative Literature and Classical Chinese at UC Berkeley. He served as editor- in-chief of financial and technology publications in Silicon Valley, leading to relationships with investors and technical innovators, in turn leading to decades in start-up business finance and directorships on many boards. He now invests his time in editing and writing projects far removed from finance, business, and Silicon Valley. His new book “Nadia Boulanger: War Years in America and Her Last Decades” is the first biographical study of the great French master teacher’s last half of life. (Chestnut Hill Press, 2023)

“Nadia Boulanger: War Years in America and Her Last Decades” – From this unique record between an extraordinary teacher and her student, we gain deep and new insights into Boulanger’s beliefs and feelings, and how they changed as she faced the challenges of aging. Another intimate perspective on Boulanger comes from her favorite post-war student Idil Biret who vividly describes her resistance to Boulanger’s rigidity.

It was released on October 19 and has received rave advanced reviews:

“Cause for celebration!”-Thomas Wolf, Liner Notes Magazine

“This wonderful collection of letters and well-researched commentary will fascinate musicians, music lovers, or any reader interested in the life and legacy of a 20th-century musical titan!” -Clare Longendyke, Classical Concert Pianist

“A labor of love that ably explores the relationship among three women and their shared love of music.”-Kirkus Review

“Invaluable insight into a less-known period of Nadia Boulanger’s life, helping fill out a comprehensive picture of her later years.”-Nicholas Phan, Opera Lyric Tenor

“As a performer of her works, I have long admired Nadia Boulanger. This four-decade exchange of letters reveal her beautiful qualities as a teacher and person.”-Miriam K. Smith, Classical Cellist

Chestnut Hill Press is an independent publisher dedicated to promoting global understanding through distinctive new books in literature, art, and music.

Upcoming new album release: The Golden Crystal Kingdom – Vincent Neil Emerson

The Golden Crystal Kingdom will be out November 10, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

From humble beginnings booking his own barbecue joint shows to touring with label mate Colter Wall and fellow Texan Charley Crocket, Vincent Neil Emerson built a career the old fashioned way, bar gig by bar gig, singular music fan by singular music fan. Vincent Neil Emerson is no stranger to work ethic. His life’s journey has been tumultuous, hard-nosed, and the stuff of songs. It all brings the young Choctaw-Apache man’s journey to the announcement of his new Shooter Jennings-produced record, The Golden Crystal Kingdom—out on November 10 via Emerson’s longtime label home La Honda Records and new partner, RCA Records. The Golden Crystal Kingdom is the follow-up to his first two LPs, Fried Chicken & Evil Woman and Vincent Neil Emerson, which established him as a refreshing voice in the Texas songwriter landscape. (IV-PR, 2023)

The Golden Crystal Kingdom shares more of the man behind the artist than any of his previous records, his songwriting and heritage on proud display throughout the new album. Emerson expands his sound, tapping into the storied influence of electrified folk legends like Leon Russell and Link Wray. As with his early work, the diamond-sharp storytelling remains Emerson’s focus under the big and explicit aesthetic of rock and roll.

Emerson continues the La Honda Records x RCA Records partnership with his first single, “Little Wolf’s Invincible Yellow Medicine Paint,” a full-throttle meeting of Western comic book influences inside a Neil Young guitar tuning. “The story was, basically, that a medicine man was tasked with motivating warriors to go into battle—they were going up against a bunch of white men with guns, and they knew they were going to die if they went into battle—and he came up with this special paint, this yellow medicine paint, and said, ‘If you wear this into battle, you’ll be invincible. No arrow can pierce you. No bullet can pierce you,’” Emerson remembers. “It’s an old-West-themed song, it’s not a modern-day story for sure,” says the man who proudly embraces his Choctaw-Apache heritage. “These are indigenous stories, whether or not that old West comic was true.”

To accompany “Little Wolf’s Invincible Yellow Medicine Paint,” Emerson enlisted the help of Native American bareback horse race champion, Sharmaine Weed, to star in a music video. An ethereal glimpse into the dedication and training required to become a champion, the music video, directed by on-the-rise visionary Mike Vanata, was filmed in Wyoming near the Wind River reservation. “Little Wolf’s Invincible Yellow Medicine Paint” can be streamed or purchased and fans can pre-order or pre-save The Golden Crystal Kingdom ahead of its November release.

The Golden Crystal Kingdom track listing:
Time of the Rambler
The Golden Crystal Kingdom
Time of the Cottonwood Trees
I’ll Meet You in Montana
Hang Your Head Down Low
Cod’ine
Blackland Prairies
On the Banks of the Old Guadalupe
The Man From Uvalde
Voices (On the Spanish Isle)
Clover on the Hillside
Little Wolf’s Invincible Yellow Medicine Paint

Catch Vincent Neil Emerson On Tour:
October 27, 2023 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
October 28, 2023 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
November 1, 2023 – Saturn – Birmingham, AL
November 2, 2023 – Exit/In – Nashville, TN
November 3, 2023 – Growlers – Memphis, TN
November 4, 2023 – Songbirds – Chattanooga, TN
November 7, 2023 – The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
November 9, 2023 – Songbyrd – Washington, DC
November 10, 2023 – Elkton Music Hall – Elkton, MD
November 11, 2023 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
November 15, 2023 – World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA
November 16, 2023 – The Southern Café and Music Hall – Charlottesville, VA
November 17, 2023 – Motorco Music Hall – Durham, NC
November 18, 2023 – New Brookland Tavern – Columbia, SC
November 19, 2023 – Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC
November 21, 2023 – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA
December 9, 2023 – Antone’s Nightclub – Austin, TX

Upcoming album release: Fear of Falling Stars – Kristen Grainger & True North

Kristen Grainger & True North launch new album Fear of Falling Stars – due out November 10, 2023. Photo: Kristen Grainger & True North

In a world thirsting for authenticity and genuine connection, Kristen Grainger & True North offers a wellspring of soul-stirring songs. Led by the enchanting vocals of Kristen Grainger and drawing on elements of bluegrass, country, and Americana, the Pacific Northwest string band writes songs that connect us, illuminating universal truths with haunting beauty. The band is made up of three champion instrumentalists, Dan Wetzel, Martin Stevens, and Josh Adkins, and is fronted by lead vocalist Kristen Grainger, a storied songwriter who has taken top honors at some of the nation’s most prestigious songwriting competitions, including Telluride Bluegrass Festival, MerleFest, and the USA Songwriting Contest. Kristen Grainger & True North launch their new album with the first single Across the Mountains. The new album, Fear of Falling Stars, will be out November 10, 2023. (IV-PR, 2023)

In the first four measures of Kristen Grainger & True North’s new tune Across the Mountains, listeners experience the full range of what sets the award-winning Americana quartet apart; tried and true musicianship and songcraft steeped in both the old and new. With equal focus on compelling songwriting and excellent instrumental execution, this new album offers ten songs that nestle in the ear on the way to the heart. From heart-wrenching ballads to foot-stomping anthems, Fear of Falling Stars reveals a series of musical zoom shots through the windows of modern life.

Fans can stream or purchase Across the Mountains, watch the lyric video, premiered by The Bluegrass Situation, and stay up to date on Fear of Falling Stars ahead of its November release.

Fear of Falling Stars track list:
Don’t Take Me Back
Go-Nowhere Town
Extraordinary Grace
Memories and Moments
Across the Mountains
It’s the Little Things
The Avalanche
Pent-Up
What Might Have Been
Stop Me If I Told You This Before

Catch Kristen Grainger on tour:
November 4 – Seattle, WA – Concerts At Our House Series
November 10 – Portland, OR – PNC Live Studio Concert
November 18 – Portland, OR – Alberta Rose Theatre
November 29 – Sisters, OR – The Belfry

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New album release: Try To Make It Fly – Lonesome Ace Stringband

Lonesome Ace Stringband’s upcoming Try To Make It Fly follows the trio’s legendary live show energy into a new era of Americana-leaning lyricism. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Lonesome Ace Stringband brings grit, skill, and abandon to Americana music, bridging old-time, bluegrass and folk traditions into a seamless hybrid of original material that is at once fresh and timeless. Instrumentation alone sets this Toronto-based trio’s sound apart: consisting simply of fiddle (John Showman), clawhammer banjo (Chris Coole), and upright bass (Max Heineman). Call Lonesome Ace Stringband whatever genre you want – they are just unorthodox enough to be brilliant. The spine-tingling harmonies and interchanging lead vocals only bring more magic to the equation. They have become festival favorites at Rockygrass, Celtic Connections, Winnipeg Folk Festival, MerleFest, and regularly tour the USA, UK, Germany and, of course, Canada. With more than a decade of group music-making under their belts, they are releasing their fifth album, a feisty and mighty collection of all-original material titled Try To Make It Fly on October 13, 2023. (IV-PR, 2023)

The release of their brand new album Try To Make It Fly marks not only their reinvigorated, live-on-stage sound but also a venture into more Americana-leaning songwriting. “We have a unique take on all of the traditional material we do and wanted to keep pushing our sound to new places,” says Showman—not unlike the paths taken by legendary predecessors like John Hartford or The Band. While Lonesome Ace Stringband’s finely tuned musicianship and command of the old-time and bluegrass music catalog has garnered new listeners and premier festival slots, the trio finds comfort in reaching out to a new, song-hungry audience. “It felt like a place where we could be ourselves as writers and craft music that would fit the genre regardless of what we found ourselves writing about lyrically.” Add that to the trio’s already dynamic concoction of fiddle, banjo, and bass, and the results reveal a bright future for the ever-evolving Lonesome Ace Stringband.

Folk Radio UK premiered the album-opening track, Sweeter Sound, which features the band’s inspired, layered harmonies. The song opens with Showman’s somber fiddle pull before Coole joins in on banjo, igniting the rollicking journey to “make a sweeter sound.” According to Malone, “The opening line of the chorus, ‘Try to make it better than the way we found,’ is something of a mantra for the band. Perseverance and belief in what you love to do and trying despite evidence of success is the essence of its message.”

Fans can stream or purchase Sweeter Sound, check out Lonesome Ace Stringband’s previously-released, BBQ-flavored single Smoke on the Shoulder music video and pre-order or pre-save Try To Make It Fly ahead of its October release.

Try To Make It Fly track list:
Sweeter Sound
Praying For Rain
You’ll Be There
First Frost/Blue Grouse
Midnight Band
Come With Me Tonight
Simply Going Sideways
Crossing The Junction/Deer River
Smoke On The Shoulder
The Echo
Country Mile
Lonesome Ace Number 1

Catch Lonesome Ace Stringband on tour:
August 26 – Sorrento, BC – Nimble Fingers Bluegrass & Old Time Workshop and Festival
September 2 – Pilesgrove, NJ – Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival
September 15-16 – Flagstaff, AZ – Pickin’ In The Pines Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival
September 19 – Nashville, TN – AMERICANAFEST
October 18 – Cambridge, MA – Club Passim
October 19 – Exeter, NH – The Wood Barn
October 20 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena
October 21 – Brownfield, ME – Stone Mountain Arts Center
October 22 – Greenfield, MA – Hawks & Reed
October 23 – New York, NY – City Vineyard at Pier 26
October 25 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java
October 26 – Oberlin, OH – Music at Riverdog
October 28 – Manitowoc, WI – Sabbatical Brewing Co.
October 29 – Holland, MI – Park Theatre
October 30 – Ann Arbour, MI – The Ark
November 1 – Toronto, ON – The Tranzac Club
November 22 – Edmonton, AB – Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society
November 23 – Saskatoon, SK – The Bassment
November 24 – Red Deer, AB – The Velvet Olive
November 25 – Calgary, AB – Foothills Bluegrass Circle Music Society
November 27 – Missoula, MT – Longstaff House
November 29 – Sisters, OR – The Belfry
December 1 – Portland, OR – McMenamins White Eagle Saloon & Hotel
December 2 – Seattle, WA – Ballard Homestead
December 3 – Victoria, BC – Victoria Event Centre
December 4 – Vancouver, BC – The Anza Club
December 5 – Oliver, BC – The Oliver Theatre

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

New album release: Sweethearts – Christian Parker

Christian Parker breaths new life into the Byrd’s classic country leaning album with new LP Sweethearts. It will be out August 18, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Christian Parker is an American recording artist, guitarist and songwriter. He knows his way around a song, and his musical vision enables him to deliver electrifying licks on rock anthems as well as cascading layers of acoustic guitar on ballads of love and loss. Parker started taking guitar lessons when he was 12, the day after John Lennon was killed, and learned how to play “Rocky Racoon” that same night. The New York-based musician released his first album, Reflections of Tomorrow, when he was 17, launching a music career devoted to introspective songwriting marked by its attention to the world around him. Since then he has released six studio albums, including his forthcoming Sweethearts, Parker’s version of the classic Byrds’ album Sweethearts of the Rodeo. His albums have earned him praise from No Depression, Blues Blast, and Jambands. His most recent, Every Passing Mile and Best Kept Secret, contain previously unreleased material written over the last two decades. In addition to his solo work, Parker has played lead guitar in the Waydown Wailers, rockers who have shared stages with Z.Z. Top, Charlie Daniels, Lady A, and New Riders of the Purple Sage. (IV-PR, 2023)

On August 18, Parker will release his version of the Byrds’ now-legendary country-rocker, Sweethearts of the Rodeo. Titled Sweethearts, it features his rollicking band and support from pianist Earl Poole Ball and pedal steel from JayDee Maness—both of whom played on the original record back in 1968.

Just as then-new Byrds member Gram Parsons loved the Louvin Brothers, Merle Haggard, and Cindy Walker—and wanted to deliver faithful versions of their songs “The Christian Life,” “Life in Prison,” and “Blue Canadian Rockies”—so Parker delivers the Byrds’ versions in tender renditions that capture the groundbreaking character of the original album. Throughout Sweethearts, Parker’s vocals echo the purity of Parsons’ efforts to import the clarity of county music into vibrant rock rhythms. In addition to the original eleven songs on Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Parker has included three more classics: “I Still Miss Someone,” “Satisfied Mind,” and “Drugstore Truck Driving Man.”

Parker shared the first single from Sweethearts, the album-opening “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” with premiere partner The Bluegrass Situation. “I first heard this song by Bob Dylan on an acoustic guitar. But I was hooked when I listened to the opening pedal steel guitar on the Byrds album,” says Parker. “This song was in my repertoire for decades, and I felt like I was recording an old friend. Tracer James’ interpretation of Lloyd Greens’ pedal steel guitar opens Sweethearts up perfectly and having Earl Poole Ball in the studio, who played piano on the original version, was magical for me.” Finding room between James’ scampering steel licks and Ball’s gospel-inflected piano runs, Parker delivers the song’s iconic refrain: “Whoo-ee, ride me high / Tomorrow’s the day my bride’s gonna come.” The cascading piano on the outré is Parker’s distinctive take on this buoyant song.

Fans can hear “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Sweethearts ahead of its August 18 release.

Sweethearts track list:
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
I Am A Pilgrim
The Christian Life
You Don’t Miss Your Water
You’re Still On My Mind
Pretty Boy Floyd
I Still Miss Someone
Hickory Wind
One Hundred Years From Now
Blue Canadian Rockies
Life In Prison
Nothing Was Delivered
Satisfied Mind
Drugstore Truck Driving Man

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