AMOS LEE on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on January 26th

AMOS LEE TO MAKE SEVERAL TV AND RADIO APPEARANCES IN SUPPORT OF NEW ALBUM MISSION BELL — OUT TODAY ON BLUE NOTE RECORDS

PERFORMANCES INCLUDE THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, ELLEN, NPR’S “ALL THINGS CONSIDERED,” AND “WORLD CAFÉ” THIS WEEK AND TAVIS SMILEY, THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, AND THE EARLY SHOW IN FEBRUARY AFTER WRAPPING UP U.S. HEADLINING TOUR, LEE WILL PERFORM AT NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL ON APRIL 30TH

January 25th, 2011 — New York, NY — Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Amos Lee will make a series of upcoming television and radio appearances over the next month as he rides a wave of critical praise for his brand-new album Mission Bell, which is out today on Blue Note Records. Lee will appear on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on January 26th and The Ellen DeGeneres Show on January 28th. Also on the 28th, Lee will be featured on NPR’s “World Café” program, which will broadcast a performance by and interview with Lee that can be heard on more than 200 stations nationwide. Additionally, Lee will appear on PBS’s Tavis Smiley on February 1st, The Late Show With David Letterman on February 16th, and The Early Show on February 18th. Yesterday, Lee was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

Purchase his new album here amoslee.com

Mission Bell, the highly anticipated fourth album from the Philadelphia-based singer and songwriter, has already spawned a radio hit, “Windows Are Rolled Down,” which was released digitally in November. The track is currently No. 11 at AAA radio and has remained on the chart for nine weeks with airplay on more than 75 stations.

Three tracks from Mission Bell will be made available as free downloads this week. “Windows Are Rolled Down” will be available at more than 8,000 U.S. stores as a Starbucks Pick of the Week iTunes download beginning January 26th, iTunes will feature “Violin” as their free “Discovery Download” selection for the week of January 25th through the 31st, and “El Camino” will be Amazon MP3’s “Free Country Song of Week” beginning January 25th.

Lee is currently on the road for his 2011 U.S. headlining tour in support of Mission Bell, which includes a performance for NPR’s Mountain Stage live music program, broadcast from Charleston, West Virginia, on April 24th. (Please visit Amos Lee’s show page for tour dates). When the tour concludes on April 29th, Lee will travel to Louisiana to perform on the Gentilly Stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 30th. Please visit the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival page for more information.

Produced by Calexico’s Joey Burns, Mission Bell is Lee’s richest and most fully formed recording to date, displaying an array of emotions unified by his eclectic taste and distinctive vocals. With a remarkable set of guests — including Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, Priscilla Ahn, Pieta Brown, and James Gadson — and the musical backing of Calexico, the album marks the arrival of Lee as a mature artist who continues to explore his musical and thematic interests.

New Music Releases - January 25, 2011

Wow! Here we have biggest music release in months with many fantastic reissues and vinyl record releases. I highly recommend Wanda Jackson's Jack White produced covers album, Iron & Wine's' Kiss Each Other Clean,' Deerhoof's 'Deerhoof Vs. Evil' and Amos Lee's 'Mission Bell'; just for starters.

As always, CVR Blog picks are in red:

13th Floor Elevators - Easter Everywhere (2 CDs)
Acrylics - Lives and Treasure
Alex Nackman - This Revolution
Aloha - The Great Communicators, The Interpreters, The Nonbelievers (reissue) (vinyl)
Amos Lee - Mission Bell (vinyl)
Andre Afram Asmar - Harmonic Emergency
Annie Haslam - Annie in Wonderland (Remastered & Bonus Tracks)
Apex Manor - Year of Magical Drinking
Architects UK - Here & Now
Ben + Vespers - Honors
Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney - Radio Sessions (2 CDs)
Bing Crosby - Bing Sings the Sinatra Songbook
Bing Crosby - Essential Early Recordings
Bing Crosby - Southern Memoir
Blaqstarr - The Divine
Bob Wayne - Outlaw Carnie
Bobby Darin - Mighty Mighty Man (2 CDs)
Boz Scaggs - Playlist: The Very Best of
Break Science - Further Than Our Eyes Can See
Bridget St. John - Ask Me No Questions (vinyl)
Brown Recluse - Evening Tapestry
Bruce Lamont - Feral Songs For The Epic Decline
Bruekke - The Loft
Bull Thieves - Bull Thieves
CREEP - “Days” 12" (vinyl)
Canned Heat - Canned Heat (vinyl)
Caroline - Verdugo Hills
Carrie Elkin - Call It My Garden
Chain and the Gang - "Cry, Cry, Cry Over You" b/w "Snakes on a Plane" 7''
Charles Bradley - No Time for Dreaming (vinyl)
Chikita Violenta - Tre3s
Cleared - Cleared (vinyl)
Cloud Nothings - Cloud Nothings (vinyl)
Cold Snap - Perfection
Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours (vinyl)
Com Truise - Cyanide Sisters EP
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Love [EP]
Crass - Feeding of the 5000 (remastered with bonus tracks)
Crass - Stations of the Crass (remastered with bonus tracks)
Dala - Everyone Is Someone
David Berkeley - Some Kind of Cure
David Guetta - One More Love
Death - Spiritual, Mental, Physical
Deerhoof & Physical Forms - Hoofdriver (vinyl)
Deerhoof - Deerhoof vs. Evil (vinyl)|
Defiled - In Crisis
Deitrick Haddon - Church On The Moon
Delicate Steve - Wondervisions
Destroyer - Kaputt (vinyl)
Duchess Leo – Golden Gray
Duke Garwood: Dreamboatsafari
Dustin Edge - Calm [EP]
Edwin Starr - Clean
Ensemble - Excerpts
Epstein - Sealess See (vinyl)|
Eric & Magill - All Those I Know
Esther Phillips - Here's Esther Are You Ready / Good Black Is Hard
Esther Phillips - You've Come a Long Way Baby / All About Esther
Eva Cassidy - Simply Eva
Exray’s - Exray’s
Feed Me - Big Adventure
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. - Very Best of Rat Pack
Frankie Laine - I Believe (2 CDs)
Freddie King - Bonanza of Instrumentals (vinyl)
Freddie King - Let's Hide Away / Dance Away With Freddie King (vinyl)
Fujiya & Miyagi - Ventriloquizzing (vinyl)
Funeral Party - Golden Age of Knowhere
Funeral Party - Live at the BBC
Gaddabouts - The Gaddabouts
Gang Gang Dance - Kamakura
Gang of Four - Content (vinyl)
Gaslight Anthem - Tumbling Dice / She Loves You (vinyl)
Get Up Kids - There Are Rules (vinyl)
Ghost Heart - The Tunnel
Grand Magus - Hammer of the North
Greater Pacific - Rainfall
Grouplove - Grouplove
Harvey Milk - Small Turn of Human Kindness
I Was a King - Old Friends
Ike Turner - Rock-a-Bucket (2 CDs)
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
James Vincent McMorrow - Early in the Morning
Joe Nichols - Greatest Hits
John Renbourn - Palermo Snow
John Vanderslice - White Wilderness (vinyl)|
Johnny McEvoy - The Story: Definitive Collection (2 CDs)
Jon Anderson & Rick Wakeman - Living Tree
Josh Ritter - The Animal Years (reissue)
LCD Soundsystem: London Sessions
Lake - "You Are Alone" b/w "Higher Than Merry" 7''
Lake - 2 Songs (vinyl)
Led Bib - Bring Your Own | CD MP3
Leroy Carr - When Sun Goes Down 1934-41 With Scrapper Blackwell (4 CDs)
Lia Ices - Grown Unknown (vinyl)|
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Spanish Fly (reissue)(vinyl)
Little Comets - In Search of Elusive Little Comets
Lori McKenna - Lorraine
Los Chicharrons - Roots Of Life
Lou Rawls - Playlist: THe Very Best of
Louis Prima - Rarities & Hits! a Centennial Celebration
Lynn Miles - Fall for Beauty
Mangum - The Visitation
Marlena Shaw - Take a Bite
Matthew Friedberger - Napoleonette (vinyl)
Mean Creek - Hemophiliac [EP]
Metal Mountains - Golden Trees
Michael Chapman - Trainsong - Guitar Compositions, 1967-2010
Mike Adams At His Honest Weight - Oscillate Wisely
Monotonix - Not Yet (vinyl)
Mother of Mercy - IV: Symptoms of Existence
Motorhead - World Is Yours (vinyl)
Motorhead - World Is Yours: Limited Edition (2 CDs)
Mount Eerie - Black Wooden
Mr. Mister - Playlist: The Very Best of
My Disco - Little Joy (vinyl)
Nicole Atkins - Mondo Amore
Olivia Newton-John - A Celebration In Song
Outfield - Playlist: The Very Best of
Paper Diamond – Levitate [EP]
Papercranes - Let's Make Babies in the Woods
Patti Austin - Sound Advice
Patti Page - Singles 1946 -1952 (3 CDs)
Paul Wall - Politics as Usual
Pendulum - Immersion
Phil Manley - Life Coach (vinyl)
Popul Vuh - Werner Herzog Soundtracks (5-CD box set)
Praxis - Profanation: Preparation For A Coming Darkness
Quiet Life – Big Green
Radio Dept - Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010
Rain Phoenix - Let’s Make Babies in the Woods
Ransom - Ransom (25th Anniversary Edition)
Ringside - Lost Days
Roger Miret and The Disasters - Gotta Get Up Now
Romantics - Playlists: The Very Best of
Runner Runner - Runner Runner
Ryan Adams - Gold (reissue)(vinyl)
Same Sneed - Street Scholars
Santana - Shango: 30th Anniversary Edition
Santana - The Swing of Delight: 30th Anniversary Edition
Santana - Zebop!: 30th Anniversary Edition
Say Hi - Um, Uh Oh
Seryn -This Is Where We Are
Sic Alps - Napa Asylum (vinyl)
Sidi Touré – Sahel Folk (vinyl)|
Silent Stream of Godless Elegy - Návaz
Sonny Smith - 100 Records Volume 2: I Miss the Jams
Spacemen 3 - DJ Tones
Spike Jones - Absolutely Essential (3 CDs)
T Bone Burnett - Playlist: The Very Best of
Talib Kweli - Gutter Rainbows
Thank You - Golden Worry (vinyl)
The Books - Thought For Food (remastered)
The Ex - Catch My Shoe
The Holydrug Couple - Ancient Land EP 12''
The Muffs - Kaboodle (reissue with bonus tracks)
The Queers - Live In Philly 2006 (vinyl)
The Radio Dept. - Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 [2xCD]
The Shadow Theory - Behind The Black Veil
The Very End - Mercy and Misery
Twisted Sister - Club Daze Vol. 1: The Studio Sessions
Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock N' Roll
U.S. Royalty - Mirrors
Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All
Until Your Heart Stops - Errors Creator
VYGR - Hypersleep
Vagrants - I Can't Make a Friend 1965-1968
Various Artists - 2011 Grammy Nominees
Various Artists - Absolutely Essential (3 CDs)
Various Artists - Hear Me Howling! Blues, Ballads, & Beyond: The Arhoolie 50th Anniversary Boxset (4 CDs)
Various Artists - O Brother Where Art Thou (2 LPs) (vinyl)
Various Artists - Friday Night Lights: Original Television Soundtrack
Various Artists - Norwegian Wood (soundtrack)
Various Artists - Piano Tribute to John Lennon
Various Artists - Piano Tribute to Radiohead
Various Artists Smooth Jazz Tribute to the Beatles
Vinicius Cactuaria & Bill Frisell - Lagrimas Mexicanas
Volture - Shocking Its Prey
Wanda Jackson - Party Ain't Over (vinyl)
Willie Nelson - Playlist: The Very Best Gospel of
Winsin & Yandel - Los Vaqueros: El Reseo
Wire - Red Barked Tree (vinyl)
Woodsman - Rare Forms
Woven Hand - Threshing Floor (vinyl)
Young Prisms - Friends For Now
Young The Giant
Young the Giant – Young the Giant | CD MP3
Zs - New Slaves Part II: Essence Implosion! (vinyl)

New Jazz Releases

Remember, if you are a record company and have new releases or know of any I missed (especially vinyl), please email me and I will add your music to the list. I also do reviews of new vinyl, email me for more information.

Have new music for the list? Email me at rbenson30@wi.rr.com  

Music News, Notes & Did You Know?

alarmpress.com/  has a enjoyable look at a vinyl record store in LA

Behind the Counter: POPshop & Spazz Records (West Monroe, LA)

Posted by Kyle Gilkeson

Each week, Behind the Counter speaks to an independent record store to ask about its recent favorites, best sellers, and noteworthy trends.

POPshop & Spazz Records in West Monroe, Louisiana, is a record store and art boutique run by Brad and Leslie Richman. With a focus on metal and punk, the dual-purpose storefront is, according to its owners, the only store in the area to carry new vinyl releases. For its favorite-record photos, Brad, Leslie, and employee Erica Hijazi went all out, coordinating their clothing (and beverages) with their picks. It's that attention to detail that makes POPshop & Spazz the focus of this week's column.

alarmpress.com

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Funeral Party Release Live at the BBC EP, Promise LP in March

LA based Funeral Party have released an EP titled 'Live at the BBC' today. The EP features several tracks recorded late last summer when the band was invited into the studio for a special live session after BBC Radio’s Zane Lowe added multiple Funeral Party tracks to his “Hottest Record in the World” playlist.

The band is readying their debut album release in Golden Age of Knowhere, produced by Lars Stalfors (Matt & Kim, The Mars Volta) and mixed by Dave Sardy (Band of Horses, LCD Soundsystem, Oasis). Golden Age of Knowhere will be released via CD and digitally on March 29th, while vinyl will be available on February 15th.

Live at the BBC Tracklist:

1. Just Because (Live At The BBC)
2. New York City Moves To The Sound of L.A. (Live At The BBC)
3. Finale (Live At The BBC)
4. New York City Moves To The Sound of L.A. (Dave Sitek Remix)
5. Just Because (Kids Of 88 Remix)
6. New York City Moves To The Sound of L.A. (Mike Relm Remix)

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My Chemical Romance Release Limited Edition Vinyl

A limited edition vinyl format of My Chemical Romance's widely-acclaimed new album 'Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys' is now available exclusively through UK Undercurrent at ukundercurrent.com .

This format is issued on black vinyl and will be limited to 2500 copies worldwide. An even more limited run of 500 coloured vinyl records is also available from http://www.mychemicalromance.com/ .

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Here's an interesting concept, although artist Daniel Edlen gets my vote:

spraygraphic.com

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Did You Know?

Charlie Brown's father was a barber.

Of the six men who made up the Three Stooges, three of them were real brothers (Moe, Curly and Shemp.) Hey Moe!

Pulp Fiction cost $8 million to make - $5 million going to actor's salaries.

A full seven percent of the entire Irish barley crop goes to the production of Guinness beer. Hail ale!

In 1964, The Beatles scored their first number one best seller in the US when "I Want To Hold Your Hand" reached the top of the Cash Box Magazine music chart. The Fab Four would eventually rack up 25 number ones in America.



In 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival released the "Proud Mary" LP.

In 1975, "Please Mr. Postman" became a US number one for the second time when The Carpenters took it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The Marvelettes version led the hit parade in January, 1961. Although the Beatles also recorded a popular version of the song, it didn't make the American Top 40.

In 1978, Randy Newman had a lot of people upset when his song "Short People" hit the top of the Cash Box best sellers list. The song was meant to poke fun at all prejudice and did just that with the line "short people got no reason to live". Before "Short People", Newman was most noted for writing Three Dog Night's 1970 chart topper, "Mama Told Me Not To Come". These days, he can be heard singing "It's a Jungle Out There", the theme to the US TV show Monk.



Former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins died of pneumonia in 1990 after being ill for several months. He was 37. Collins had survived a plane crash in 1977 that killed three other band members.

"Good Day Sunshine" - Paul McCartney wrote this on a sunny day at John Lennon's house. It was influenced by the Lovin' Spoonful, who had a happy hit with "Do You Believe In Magic?"

If you see her today, wish Alicia Keys a Happy Birthday!

and in 2010, KISS rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Is there anything they haven't done??

Derek and the Dominos' 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs' Turns 40!

One of Eric Clapton's Defining Albums Marks its 40th Anniversary on March 29th With Deluxe Multi-format Edition Featuring New and Long-Unavailable Music and Never-Seen Photos

In the world of rock there are recordings that truly resonate in historical importance and continue to cast an enduring shadow of influence. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is one of the most steadfastly revered musical treasures of its era. Its famous title track is still hailed as an essential rock guitar anthem, a signature tune of rock's leading guitar hero, Eric Clapton.

Recorded in 1970 by Derek and the Dominos, the group was comprised of Clapton and top American session musicians. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs music offers a timeless blend of rock, electric blues and Southern gospel influences that has shaped generations of roots-oriented musicians.

Derek and the Dominos came together at a very special time and place – riding a late '60s wave of interest in roots music and blues-based rock and roll. In 1969, Clapton found inspiration playing in the loose, family-like structure of Delaney and Bonnie and Friends – an American, R&B-influenced entourage whose 1969 U.K. tour hit the British music scene with seismic proportion.

Despite the tongue-in-cheek, spontaneously chosen name, Derek and the Dominos represented a sincere effort to recreate the friendly, leaderless vibe and easy, groove-driven sound Clapton had enjoyed in '69. The foursome originally featured Delaney and Bonnie's rhythm section – keyboardist/vocalist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon – plus Clapton on voice and guitars. They first came together in late spring of 1970, developing their sound while performing on George Harrison's breakthrough solo album, All Things Must Pass (their studio jams pushed the album to a three-disc package.) That June, Derek and the Dominos premiered publicly in London. By August they began recording their debut album at Criteria Studios in Miami, with legendary producer Tom Dowd in the control room.

Layla and Other Love Songs – the double-album that Derek and the Dominos recorded over the next 6 weeks showcased the creative singing and songwriting axis formed by Clapton and the Memphis-born Bobby Whitlock, who had grown up around the city's legendary Stax Studios. The confluence of their respective experiences – British blues-rock and Southern American R&B – generated a number of gospel-inflected tunes that featured their intertwined voices harmonizing much in the fashion of a rock-world Sam & Dave, and are among the most representative and covered tunes of that era: "Anyday," "Keep On Growing," "Tell the Truth," "I Looked Away" and "Why Does Love Got To Be So Bad."

The sessions also saw the rare coming together of Clapton and Duane Allman: two blues-rock specialists from different sides of the Atlantic. That happened when the Allman Brothers Band – then just breaking into mainstream popularity – performed in Miami on the second night of the recording sessions. The musical encounter resulted in a night full of studio jams, followed by the inclusion of Allman's guitar on most of the album, including standout duels on such blues numbers as "Key To The Highway" and "Have You Ever Loved a Woman?" and the double slide-guitar workout that defines the famous piano coda section of "Layla." Allman died only a few months later in a motorcycle accident.

Clapton's profound adoration of the American blues tradition – in all of its forms and styles – is one of the most prominent threads in the musical tapestry that is Layla and Other Love Songs. His choice of blues-based tunes to cover on the album stretches from "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" (made famous by Bessie Smith in 1923) and "Key to the Highway" (associated with Big Bill Broonzy, from 1940) to Chuck Willis's plaintive R&B ballad "It's Too Late" (1956), Freddie King's "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" (1960), and Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" (1967).

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs achieved gold-album status within months of its release in late 1970, was entered into the Grammy® Hall of Fame in 2000, and today remains a ubiquitous entry in various "Top 100" and "All-Time Greatest" polls, and "Must Hear" lists. To be released March 29, 2011, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs: The 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition is a multi-format collection offering an appropriately comprehensive salute to this iconic album and the band that created it. The set will feature the original double-disc album in both digital and vinyl formats, expanded to include newly remastered tracks, and a treasure trove of music.

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs: The 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition stands as the centerpiece of a series of releases paying tribute to the historic album. Many of the elements within the Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions will be available separately, and in various formats – including a single-disc edition of the remastered Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs; a 2-LP remastered vinyl edition of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs; a 2-CD edition of Derek and the Dominos: In Concert; and downloadable editions of all configurations on iTunes. A full list of each configuration with respective release numbers follows:

1. Single-Disc Version/Digital Equivalent
2. 2CD Deluxe/Digital Equivalent
3. 4-CD / DVD / 2-LP Super Deluxe Edition
4. 2-LP Vinyl Reissue
5. Digital exclusive
6. iTunes LP
7. 7-inch vinyl single/Digital equivalent "Got To Get Better In A Little While" b/w "Layla"

SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises

Music News, Notes & Did You Know?

a very detailed account of some great album cover art No Limit Records

The Irrepressible Album Art of No Limit Records

In the world of late-1990s rap music, few figures could boast the success and popularity of Percy Miller, a.k.a. Master P. The New Orleans native began small, running his fledgling No Limit Records label out of a San Francisco suburb.


Read the rest HERE








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Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt of Iron Butterfly & Captain Beyond Joins Forces With Great Southern

Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt has had a long history in rock music. He first recorded with the Georgia based bands The Load (1967-69) and The Second Coming (1969-70, with Dickey Betts & Berry Oakley) before joining Iron Butterfly to record their album Metamorphasis.



Read more: VintageVinylNews.com






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SONS OF SEASONS: New Album Details Revealed 

SONS OF SEASONS — the new progressive/symphonic metal band led by keyboardist/guitarist Oliver Palotai (KAMELOT, DORO) — has set "Magnisphyricon" as the title of its second album, due on April 1 via Napalm Records.

According to a press release, SONS OF SEASONS steps into the limelight once again to deliver a second album that is even more impressive than their debut. 'Magnisphyricon' is not a mere continuation of their chosen path, but rather a bold step into unexplored musical territories. Led by mastermind Oliver Palotai, the band performs the difficult feat of balancing technical prowess with memorable melodies. Some of the best examples of this gripping mix of musical complexity and headbanging quality are 'Soul Symmetry' and 'Tales of Greed'. The new songs also provide Henning Basse (METALIUM) a forum in which to prove his vocal talents and ennoble the album with sweeping renditions. Simone Simons (EPICA) again lends her captivating voice, making the track 'Sanctuary' one of the album's undisputed highlights. The powerful and lively production completes the listening experience and gives the tracks their crystal-clear quality. 'Magnisphyricon' is a profound and multifaceted melodic symphonic metal album that will whisk you away to a breathtaking sound universe."

Read more HERE

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AGNOSTIC FRONT: 'My Life My Way' Cover Artwork, Track Listing Unveiled

"My Life My Way", the new album from New York hardcore legends AGNOSTIC FRONT, will be released on March 4 in Europe and March 22 in North America on Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida for a March 4 European and March 22 North American release via Nuclear Blast Records. The album features 13 new powerful and anthemic songs laid down by Erik Rutan (MADBALL, GOATWHORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, etc.) under the watchful guide of producer Freddy Cricien of MADBALL. The record was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (SEPULTURA, SUFFOCATION, UNEARTH) in New Windsor, New York.

The "My Life My Way" cover artwork was brought to life this time by artist Todd Hubber, who also works with vocalist Roger Miret on designing his street wear clothing line American Made Kustom.

Read more HERE



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METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX: 'Big Four' U.S. Dates To Be Announced Tomorrow


The dates for the U.S. leg of the touring rock festival featuring the "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — will be announced on Tuesday, January 25 at 8 a.m. PST.

The two-disc DVD release of "The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria", containing footage of the June 22, 2010 Sonisphere cinecast from the Sofia, Bulgaria leg of the "Big Four" tour has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. (Note: Due to the fact that the set consists of two discs, it was eligible for platinum certification after shipping 50,000 copies; platinum certification for a single-disc release is 100,000 copies.)

Read more HERE










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BRET MICHAELS' 1969 Camaro Sold For $200,000 At 40th Annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction

According to FoxNews.com, POISON frontman Bret Michaels's personal 1969 Camaro snagged a whopping $200,000 — with a signature guitar and lifetime backstage pass to his concerts thrown in for good measure — at the 40th annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction on Saturday, January 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

An avid car and motorcycle enthusiast, Michaels was recently named People magazine's "Survivor of the Year" and Fox411's "Celebrity of the Year." In May 2010, he was hand-picked as Donald Trump's Season 3 winner on "The Celebrity Apprentice".

Read more HERE

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Travis Barker reveals album cover

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has revealed the cover art for his upcoming solo album

The illustration is by Pushead (Brian Schroeder), an artist and record label owner who specializes in the hardcore punk and heavy metal genres. In the past, he has created artwork for Metallica and The Misfits.










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a wonderful post over at the vinyl district: 

Record Store Spotlight: Origami Vinyl

By ashleyeliot | Published: January 24, 2011

In April of 2009, Echo Park encountered an incredible addition to the area: a vinyl record store that would feed the neighborhood with music knowledge and keep it hip. Origami Vinyl, founded by Neil Schield, is where you will find the best and latest local finds plus weekly live in-store shows and record release parties. If I lived close by, which might happen soon, I would probably camp out there every day, going back and forth between there and Two Boots, and then over to The Echo once the shop closes. That sounds beautiful. Anyway, the store just launched OnTheRecord.TV, which has videos of the in-store shows, and will present the Monday night residencies at The Echo starting in February.

I caught up with Schield and the store’s manager Sean Stentz. Here’s what they had to say…

Read the rest at TheVinylDistrict.com

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and even in the desert, vinyl continues to thrive:

Local record shops surviving in digital download age

By Kortney Tenaglia

The age of digital downloading has caused CD sales to sink, but despite the hardship, some local vinyl record and CD enthusiasts are keeping music appreciation afloat.

Revolver Records in downtown Phoenix has felt the impact of digital downloading, but isn’t ready to turn off the music just yet, said shop owner T.J. Jordan.

“It definitely affects us,” Jordan said. “Digital downloads and piracy have affected record shops as a whole.”

2010 marked the fourth consecutive year of CD sales falling nearly 20 percent, according to a Nielsen SoundScan report on music sales. In this same time, digital album downloads increased 13 percent.

Revolver Records, located on Second and Roosevelt streets, offers used and new vinyl records. The shop has become a jewel among those who still treasure traditional ways of listening to music.

Read more at Desert Vinyl

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and in the UK:

Vinyl junkies - the new generation keeping the record player alive

Mark Prigg, Science and Technology Editor

Vinyl was supposed to have died long ago, killed by the incredible march of the iPod and digital music. Yet in living rooms across London, the record player is fighting back as a new generation of music fans and musicians discover that vinyl really does sound better.

To prove the point, I've been promised a rare treat - a listen to one of the best recorded pieces of music in existence, on one of London's top hi-fi systems

Vinyl in the UK

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Did You Know?

Elvis Presley recorded "Teddy Bear" in 1957

The blistering guitar lead in George Harrison's song, "Taxman" is the exact same guitar part heard at the ending fade of the song. It was copied and re-recorded onto the end.

The song "Summertime Blues" was a US Top 40 hit in three different decades - in the fifties by Eddie Cochran (#8), the sixties by Blue Cheer (#14) and the seventies by The Who (#27).



Also in 1962 - Chubby Checker had four albums in the Top Ten of the Billboard LP chart. They were "For Twisters Only", "Your Twist Party", "Bobby Rydell / Chubby Checker" and "Let's Twist Again". The single, "The Twist" sat at the top of Cashbox Best Sellers chart.   Not sure if that has been duplicated...any thoughts?

All of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are stuck on 4:20.  I wonder why...... (psst I know, do you?)

Almonds are members of the peach family.

The symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe.

In 1969, New Jersey state prosecutors issue a warning to record dealers that they will be charged with distributing pornography if they are caught selling the John Lennon / Yoko Ono LP "Two Virgins". The front cover of the album showed the pair frontally nude, while the back cover showed them from behind. The rather unflattering photo would later be described by Lennon as a picture of "two slightly overweight ex-junkies". Somehow "Two Virgins" still managed to reach #124 in the US, but failed to chart at all in the UK, where only 5,000 copies were ever pressed.

A Happy Birthday to Ray Stevens (72)

And in 1979 - The Clash released their first US single, an excellent cover of the Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought the Law."

Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 01/22/2011

Ignoring the sealed Introducing The Beatles that showed as having sold for $125,000, reality did bring the Beatles to the top spot, with a Butcher album with Perry Cox authentication. If I've noticed anything doing the Top 5 for going on four years now, it's that Perry Cox's signature adds about $2k to any Beatles "Yesterday and Today". It's just an observation. I don't know Mr. Cox; met him a few times long before I started dealing records and I'm sure he wouldn't remember me. One purpose of this weekly snapshot is to pick out trends and patterns that may not be so easy to discern at sites like Popsike.

And in case you don't know, The Squires 45 is from Neil Young's first band!


1. LP - The Beatles "Yesterday and Today" Butcher First State Stereo Perry Cox COA - $7,195.95

2. 45 - Scorpio and His People "The Unforgiven" / "Theme From The Movietown Sound" International Hits - $4,398.00

3. 78 - Robert Johnson "Sweet Home Chicago" / "Walkin' Blues" Vocalion 03601 - $3,575.00

4. 45 - The Squires "The Sultan" / "Aurora" V - $3,427.00

5. LP - Led Zeppelin "I" Atlantic UK Turquoise 1st - $3,200.00


More on this week's top 5 on , Vinyl Record Talk Tuesday 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific on Radio Dentata 

Michael Fremer Album Review

Emotion and Commotion
(Recent release)

Jeff Beck
Atco R1 523695 180g LP
Produced by: Steve Lipson
Engineered by: Steve Lipson
Mixed by: Steve Lipson
Mastered by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Lacquer cut by: N/A at GZ Digital Media

MUSIC

SOUND





 Beck's Back On Album Meant For Light's Off Listening

by Michael Fremer
January 01, 2011

Clearly a fan, producer Steve Lipson places Jeff Beck's guitar in a distant reverberant space that decreases its solidity but increases both its size and its mystery, evoking a God-like presence hovering above a lush, string-drenched orchestra. Or you could see Beck playing perched on a craggy, windswept rock surrounded by white-capped water. The album very much has a Pacific Ocean vibe.

What to do with a guitarist who doesn't sing? Beck and the producers brought in guest vocalists Joss Stone, Olivia Safe and Imelda May for five of the album's ten songs. The others mostly luxuriate Beck in a foamy orchestral sea in which slow ballads allow Beck to linger and then tug on long, delicate feedback drenched lines. The ethereal, feedback laden guitar sound Beck and the producer create is bubble-like, delicate and soft on the ears, even on the edgy Joss Stone take of "I Put a Spell on You."

Side One opens with Britten's Corpus Christi Carol that many may have first encountered on Jeff Buckley's Grace album and ends with a dramatic reading of "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's opera "Turandot." Even your dog is familiar with the theme by now. The heavily orchestrated version here is just on the non-kitsch side of Liberace and I say that as a compliment. An "Over the Rainbow" gets the same treatment and it's equally effective.

Side One's upbeat instrumentals "Hammerhead" add buoyancy. "Hammerhead" leads with wah-wah and breaks into a huge synth string section then evolves into something that would fit nicely on Blow By Blow. That's followed by "Never Alone" a gorgeous ballad co-written with keyboardist Jason Rubello. It's got a heavy longing of a gorgeous melodic line.

Side two continues where side one left off. It opens with "Serene" and closes with "Elegy For Dunkirk"—not exactly "Celebrate Good Times." "Serene" is a Bolero-like piece reminiscent of you know what from way back, but of course mellower, with Olivia Safe's operatic voice dancing in the backdrop. Jeff Buckley's "Lilac Wine" sung by Imelda May tacks into the same slowing headwind but the take maintains deliberate momentum and Beck delivers yet another stunning series of perfectly drawn lines.

Joss Stone ramps up "There's No Other Me", which yields the album's most glass shards. It's the only explosion to be found on the album and that's fine. The album ends with Dario Marianelli's "Elegy For Dunkirk" from the "Atonement" soundtrack, with Olivia Safe adding operatic vocal backdrops. Beck makes the guitar sound like a duduk, which is about as mournful as an instrument can sound.

Lawson and Beck have made a deep, reflective and daring album that skirts dangerously around kitsch but never falls in.

This album would have to deliver the sonics goods to work effectively and it does. It's very well recorded, with rich orchestral staging, dramatic imaging, particularly on Beck's guitar and wide dynamics and bandwidth. It's meant to be enveloping in every way and it certainly succeeds at that!

Surely this is a digital recording but not because it sounds like one.

The vinyl is nicely packaged and reasonably well pressed but what I don't like is that while the mastering credit goes to Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman's, clearly the producer didn't want to pay Grundman's going rate for cutting because the vinyl was clearly cut elsewhere. There's no CB identifying scribe on the lead out groove area, so the odds of a high resolution file having been used for the cut is low and whoever did it, didn't check for serious sibilant overloads in a few places—trust me it's not my cartridge that's the problem.

Chris Bellman should have cut it. He mastered the thing in the first place. That tells you the vinyl was probably just a "throw away" despite the nice packaging. Still, this is highly recommended musically and sonically in whatever format you choose. A hi-rez download would be nice.

Thanks to Michael over at www.MusicAngle.com  for the exclusive rights to reprint this material. Stop by MusicAngle.com for more reviews and features.

Copyright © 2008 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - All rights reserved Reprinted by Permission

Music News, Notes & Did You Know?

We all know about the vinyl record revival.  To me, it's interesting to read about the vinyl resurgence in other parts of the world.  We are not the only ones bitten by the vinyl bug....

The beat of our beloved vinyl is still going strong down under:

Vinyl's superiority is a matter of record

John Mangan

THEY scratch, they hiss, they warp and break, but for all their faults vinyl records refuse to go quietly into the night. Two decades after compact discs and their digital offspring threatened to consign vinyl to the vaults of history, records are still in demand.

The Agraba bar in Errol Street, North Melbourne, has a blackboard out front inviting patrons to bring their own records. ''If we dig it, we'll spin it,'' the sign says.

Vinyl down under

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and in the UK, vinyl has become mainstream (with a great video to boot)

Are record clubs the new book clubs?

By David Sillito
BBC arts correspondent

A growing number of music-lovers unhappy about the way album tracks are enjoyed in a pick-and-mix fashion have decided to take action.

The rules are strict. No talking. No texting. You must listen to every song on the album.

Classic Album Sundays treat our best-loved records like great symphonies and are being set up in London, Scotland and Wales.

Groups of music fans sit in front of a vinyl turntable, with the best speakers they can afford, dim the lights and listen to a classic album all the way through.

Vinyl in the UK

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And in the good ole USA 5 record stores for your pleasure

Vinyl records: Five places to get into the groove

Audrey Medina, Special to The Chronicle

Purists claim it's the sound quality of vinyl records that makes them superior to tape and CDs. For those of us with impaired hearing from cranking the stereo up way too loud, it's the cover art, the liner notes, the history, or watching a club DJ that makes vinyl records more than just a listening experience. Here are hot spots where vinyl is still groovy

Vinyl in the US

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Even more from the NY Times about Wanda Jackson

Rockabilly Queen Prolongs Her Party

By Melena Ryzik

THE crowd was rockabilly through and through: girls in pegged jeans and crimson lipstick, boys in flattops and pompadours, shrunken leather jackets. When Wanda Jackson, 73, took the stage with her guitar for a sold-out show at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn recently, it was all cat growls, howls and hip swivels — and that was from Ms. Jackson herself. The audience followed suit, with a chorus of fans joining in on her song “I Gotta Know.” She first recorded it in 1956, not long after she met and began dating Elvis Presley.

NYTimes.com

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Screeching Weasel Release Album Cover Art & Track List

Chicago punk rockers Screeching Weasel have just released the album cover and track listing for their first new album in more than 11 years, 'First World Manifesto,' which is due out March 15th on Fat Wreck Chords.

The band will then embark on a short tour immediately following the release.

1. Follow Your Leaders
2. Frankengirl
3. Beginningless Vacation
4. Dry Is The Desert
5. Totem Pole
6. Creepy Crawl
7. Three Lonely Days
8. Friday Night Nation
9. All Over Town
10. Fortune Cookie
11. Baby Talk
12. Come And See The Violence Inherent In The System
13. Bite Marks
14. Little Big Man

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Green Day Side Project The Frustrators To Release EP 'Grillers' In February

The Frustrators, an outfit that features Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt, is set to release an EP 'Grillers' on February 18th. The band previously released the album 'Achtung JAackass' way back in 2002. For this release, Dr. Strange Records will be handing 7" vinyl, while Adeline Records will handle digital and CD formats. Check out The Frustrators Facebook Facebook  account for more details.











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Yes, the 2011 edition of Record Store Day  is quickly approaching. I wonder what kind of goodies we will see and if the past is any indication, this year's Record Store day will continue to build upon the others and be a pivotal event for collectors worldwide!


 this courtesy of GottaGrooveRecords.com

Record Store Day 2011 Vinyl Pressing Info

The folks at Record Store Day have set a deadline of February 1, 2011 to provide them with information on the commercial vinyl pieces that you would like to release. You can contact Carrie Colliton at carriecolliton@earthlink.net  with such information, or if you have questions.

We would love to press your vinyl releases for RSD, so here is a general timeline of when you need to order from us to have product in time for your distributor, or for directly to retailers:

RSD Vinyl Pressing Orders submitted 2/1 should ship by 3/15

RSD Vinyl Pressing Orders submitted by 2/7 should ship by 3/22

RSD Vinyl Pressing Orders submitted by 2/14 should ship by 3/29

RSD Vinyl Pressing Orders submitted by 2/21 should ship by 4/5

RSD Vinyl Pressing Orders submitted by 2/28 should ship by 4/12

* Please note that delays in test pressing/art approvals/other circumstances can alter these timelines.

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Did You Know?

On this date in 1959, Buddy Holly made his last recordings alone with an acoustic guitar and tape recorder. The songs were released posthumously.

The Beach Boys recorded "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in 1966.

That in 1969, the Beatles entered Apple studios in London to record the 'Get Back' album.

The late Michael Hutchence (INXS) was born in 1960.



Steve Perry, of glam rockers Journey, has a birthday today.

The term "rhythm & blues" was coined in 1948 by a young Billboard reporter and future Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler, to replace the negative term "Race Records".

In 1977, Peter Green, who had earlier left Fleetwood Mac, was institutionalized after firing a pistol in the general direction of a delivery boy who was attempting to deliver a $30,000 royalty check. Green had renounced Rock and Roll in 1970 and didn't want the money. He later worked as a hospital porter and a gravedigger, but came back in 1979 to record "In the Skies", which did manage some moderate success.   Worked out well for Fleetwood Mac as well....

Interestingly, the term "rock and roll," which was black slang for sexual intercourse, appeared on record for the first time in 1922 on Trixie Smith's "My Baby Rocks Me With One Steady Roll."  I looked in the Jerry Osborne Rockin Records price guide and see that she has a couple of 78 rpm records that are worth a couple of hundred.

And in 1991, twenty-three years after it was released in America, the LP 'Elvis' Gold Records'  was made available in China on cassette only. 

On his 25th birthday, Sam Cooke switched record labels from Keen Records to RCA, even though he had a string of hits with Keen that included "You Send Me," "Only Sixteen," "Everybody Likes to Cha Cha Cha" and "Wonderful World." The switch was beneficial to all as Sam continued to crank out the chart busters until his death in 1964 (he was born in 1935).

Amos Lee 45 RPM Contest

I have two 45 rpm singles from Amos Lee's new LP to giveaway.  Just be the first two to email me (rbenson30@wi.rr.com) with the title of my favorite Amos Lee cut in the subject line and you win! (hint, I put up the YouTube video twice last week).  It's that easy (sorry, this contest is only open to those who have not won anything here previously)

Amos Lee's new album Mission Bell available to stream on MSN Music

Fans can preview Amos Lee's new album Mission Bell in its entirety via a free audio stream from MSN Music's Listening Booth (http://music.msn.com/) beginning today through the release date of the album, January 25.

Produced by Calexico’s Joey Burns, Mission Bell is Lee’s richest and most fully formed recording to date, displaying an array of emotions unified by his eclectic taste and distinctive vocals. With a remarkable set of guests — including Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, Priscilla Ahn, Pieta Brown, and James Gadson — and the musical backing of Calexico, the album marks the arrival of Lee as a mature artist who continues to explore his musical and thematic interests.

CRITICAL PRAISE FOR AMOS LEE:

“Mission Bell reflects the themes of loss, redemption, and hope and Lee’s talents still ring true on the album: soulful vocals and vivid, narrative-driven lyrics mixing folk, pop, R&B, rock, gospel, blues and country influences. His skills fused with those of Joey Burns and Convertino, spark the perfect synergy on lead single, ‘Windows Are Rolled Down.’” — Billboard

For more information, please visit http://www.amoslee.com/

Music News, Notes & Did You Know?

SCALE THE SUMMIT Announce New Album and Unveil Cover Artwork

Houston-based progressive-instrumentalists Scale The Summit have recently announced the title of their third album, 'The Collective, which is scheduled for release on March 1 via Prosthetic Records. It’s the follow-up to their 2009 critically acclaimed Prosthetic debut, 'Carving Desert Canyons.' The album was recorded at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, FL with producer Mark Lewis (Devildriver, All That Remains, The Black Dahlia Murder).







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DROPKICK MURPHYS Reveal Cover Art For March 1st Release

Celtic punkers DROPKICK MURPHYS have announced a March 1, 2011 release date for their seventh full-length studio album 'GOING OUT IN STYLE.'  The record will be released through their own BORN & BRED RECORDS (ILG), and was produced by Ted Hutt. The album also features a guest appearance by "The Boss" himself, with BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN providing vocals in their rousing rendition of "Peg O' My Heart."











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ACROSS THE SUN Reveal 'BEFORE THE NIGHT TAKES US' Cover Art

Portland, Oregon-based ACROSS THE SUN will release their Metal Blade debut BEFORE THE NIGHT TAKES US on March 15, 2011. The band has just revealed the cover art and tracklisting, and those that "like" the band on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/acrossthesun will be treated to the first single from the release, "Song For The Hopeless."





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SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY To Release 'Dark Meditations' In February

"Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion" from dynamic U.S. black metal act SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY is set for self-release on February 12. The album is an organic blend of beautiful acoustic and caustic black metal songs with lyrics focusing on isolation, despair, hatred, and one's personal celebration of introversion.












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Beatles' John Lennon's Letters And Drawings To Be Turned Into A Book

John Lennon's drawings and letters are scheduled to be turned into a published book. Yoko Ono has sold the rights to a collection of Lennon's letters and drawings, per a Rolling Stone report. The book will include over 150 letters, written throughout of Lennon's life to record companies, newspapers and a variety of drawings. The as-yet-untitled collection is set to be released in October to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Beatles debut single 'Love Me Do'.

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Jukebox Envy

My DJ friend Shawn out of Waterloo, Iowa has told me about his great find, and I would agree. I have been wanting a jukebox of my own (hint hint) for many, many years. Now I am jealous. Take a gander at Shawn's new toy! He also told me of a collection of old jazz LPs (most on Bluenote), so watch eBay for some treasures heading our way!

Check out more pics of this amazing machine at Shawn's Blog

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‘The Eight Track Museum’ to open in Dallas

Goldmine magazine has a great write up about the old 8-tracks we used to know. I actually still have a couple hundred hidden away somewhere, we recently moved and I am sure the boxes are somewhere! :O)

Read more: Eight track museum to open in Los Angeles | Goldmine Magazine

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Less Than Jake drummer Vinnie Fiorello talks about new covers album and tour stop in Stroudsburg, Pa.

Not many bands can get away with covering the "iCarly" theme song and still be considered punk -- unless you're Less Than Jake.

It's one of 16 commercial jingles and TV theme songs that make up the band's new album, "TV/EP," which also includes the "Diff'rent Strokes," Toys R Us and FreeCreditReport.com themes.

Read more  HERE

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The Wall Street Journal has a fantastic write up about Wanda Jackson

The Queen of Rockabilly Returns

Wanda Jackson, a '50s music pioneer, gets a boost from rocker Jack White; covering Amy Winehouse.

WSJ Article

----------------

Did You Know?

Dead fairy found at yard sale

A couple of months ago, I stopped in at a yard sale and came across this strange little creature. The apparent mummified corpse of a fairy being - or some kind of demon offspring (?) - this specimen is surreal to be around. My cat continually tries to get at the diminutive cadaver through the jar; and the thing just generally unnerves people whom have been in its admittedly creepy presence. It does have a definite Black Magick, otherworldly, Voodoo feel about it. In my opinion, the faint of heart are better off not having this thing around them.

This was apparently the write up, seems a bit creepy to me, but, hey, if it sold and the guy made a few bucks, I give him an A for effort.  Check out the 10 weirdest eBay auctions HERE

Weird eBay Auctions


Born on this day in 1939, DJ Wolfman Jack. Master of ceremonies for the rock 'n' roll generation of the '60s on radio, and later on television during the '70s. Died of a heart attack 1/7/95.




Hank Ballard and the Midnighters were the first group to place three records on The Billboard Hot 100 at the same time - "Finger Poppin' Time", "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" and "The Twist" in mid-July, 1960.

The shortest record to reach the Billboard Top 40 was "Some Kind-A Earthquake" by Duane Eddy. This seldom heard instrumental, which is only one minute, seventeen seconds long, reached #37 in 1959

In 1957 - Singer Patsy Cline appeared on Arthur Godfrey's nighttime TV show. She performed "Walking After Midnight."

The Byrds recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man" in 1965.

In 1968, Jimi Hendrix recorded his epic version of the Bob Dylan song "All Along the Watchtower" at Olympic Studios in London. Rolling Stone Brain Jones and Dave Mason from Traffic both played on the session.




In 1978, the soundtrack album 'Saturday Night Fever' started a 24 week run at No.1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.

In 1982, B.B. King donated his entire record collection of over 20,000 discs to Mississippi University's centre for the Study of Southern Culture,

In 1987, The Coasters, became the first vocal group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

And in 1997, 'Colonel' Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager and agent died of a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 87. Born Andreas van Kuijk, a Dutch immigrant who changed his name as soon as he arrived in the US, Parker never applied for a green card and feared deportation his entire life. He briefly managed country singers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.

Carter Burwell – True Grit Soundtrack

Carter Burwell – True Grit Soundtrack – Nonesuch Records


(Original Music by Carter Burwell; Cond. by Carter Burwell; Orchestrated by Carter Burwell and Sonny Kompanek) Score contains excerpts of “Hold To God’s Unchanging Hand”; “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”; “Leaning On Everlasting Arms”; “Talk About Suffering”; “The Glory-Land Way”)

A movie score can be crucial to the plot manipulation. With a mere notation or swell of an orchestra, a viewer can be drawn to the varied content of the storyline. Fifty years ago, piercing violin notes in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller, Psycho (composed by Bernard Herrman), left an indelible mark on the emotions of moviegoers, The electronic pulse of Chariots Of Fire (Vangelis) was equally unforgettable, as a collage of slow motion running became poetic. Even a comedy like The Sting depended on the Marvin Hamlisch adaptation of Scott Joplin’s ragtime to build a visual sketch of Depression-era Chicago. Common among these soundtracks was the ability to enhance the narrative.

In scoring the Coen Brothers’ remake of True Grit, Carter Burwell has continued the tradition of symphonic arrangements for instrumental music. Together with the Coens, Burwell has fabricated the heart of the auditory themes from 19th century hymnals. Included are excerpts from several period songs. The arrangements develop from simple church piano structures to grandiose orchestral signature. This progression reflects the journey of the protagonist, Mattie Ross, a fourteen-year-old grounded Protestant believer, as she embarks on an epic journey to seek out and avenge her father’s killer. Certainly, the heroine enlists the heroic aid of Rooster Cogburn and Ranger La Boeuf, but unlike the 1969 version starring John Wayne, the focus is on Ross.

With evocative radiance, majestic landscapes and human drama are captured with plaintive beauty. The introduction of a French horn or violin crescendo works seamlessly in tandem with the visual imagery of the film. Some of the gospel songs, traditional and original, are interspersed throughout the soundtrack. “Leaning On Everlasting Arms”, one of the source pieces, had been used previously in the chilling 1955 film, Night Of The Hunter (directed by Charles Laughton and starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters). Elegiac renditions of acoustic piano music (also poignantly effective in Ken Burns PBS series on the Civil War) are moving, delivering pathos and sentiment. The music is not extraneous, but vital to the flow of the movie.

Burwell has assembled a top-notch ensemble of musicians in the studio. The mixing is excellent, expressing the litheness of a simple melody, or dramatic urgency of orchestral coloration. A memorable movie will invariably have a memorable soundtrack.

TrackList: The Wicked Flee; La Boeuf Takes Leave; Little Blackie; River Crossing; The Hanging Man; Talk About Suffering; Your Headstrong Ways; A Great Adventure; We Don’t Need Him To Go; Father’s Gun; A Methodist And A Son Of A Bitch; Talking To Horses; A Turkey Shoot; Taken Hostage; One Against Four; The Snake Pit; Ride To Death; I Will Carry You; A Quarter Century; The Grave

-- Robbie Gerson

Special thanks to John at www.audaud.com for the exclusive rights to reprint this material.

AUDIOPHILE AUDITION focuses on recordings of interest to audiophiles and collectors, with an accent on surround sound for music, and on all hi-res disc formats. Over 100 SACD, DVD Video/Audio and standard CD reviews are published during each month, and our archives go back to January 2001.

Music News, Notes & Did You Know?

Jazz Fest releases 2011 Lineup

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Wednesday announced the music lineup for the 2011 festival scheduled for April 29 through May 1 and May 5 through 8.

With 12 stages of virtually every style of roots music, Jazz Fest presents one of the entertainment world's most diverse music lineups. This year is no exception. Fans can catch Arcade Fire, Kid Rock, Bon Jovi and John Mellencamp alongside Jimmy Buffett, Willie Nelson, The Strokes and Lauryn Hill.

And that's just the start of it. Hundreds of Louisiana artists will be taking the stage alongside national acts such as Wilco, Tom Jones, John Legend and Jason Mraz.

For more info go to www.nojazzfest.com

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Turnstyle Record Player Concept Looks Far Out

Read more HERE












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Here is a nice UK story about vinyl:

A Vinyl Upsurge

By Phillip Walker

OLD-STYLE vinyl records are still a hit on Teesside despite download sales taking over the charts.

Digital sales now account for just under 20% of all album sales and last year The BPI and the Official Charts Company’s figures showed digital album sales topping 50 million.

Even so, it looks increasingly unlikely physical media, like vinyl and CDs, will fade away completely.

Read the rest   HERE












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Album Cover Art

Honoring 80s reggae dancehall album cover art

Read more HERE











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An incredible story through the words of a vinyl lover!!

Uncovering Bangkok through its forgotten vinyl records

DJ Chris Menist explains how being an outsider allowed him to breathe new life into Thailand's oft-maligned northeastern beats and vinyl castoffs

Read more: Uncovering Bangkok through its forgotten vinyl records | CNNGo.com HERE

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Interesting sidepiece and some great thoughts:

Vinyl Records: The New Growth Story!

by M Kraten

Times are tough in the music business nowadays! Sales of CDs, and of almost all other forms of recorded music, are dropping precipitously. And the live concert business is wilting as well, with entertainers from U2 to Christina Aguilera forced to cancel performances because of low customer demand.

Earlier this month, however, when Billboard reported its annual SoundScan sales totals, one form of recorded music actually reported a significant increase in sales volume between 2009 and 2010. And the size of that increase would have been impressive in any era: 14% on a year-to-year basis!

Even more surprising was the nature of the format that experienced this increase in sales volume. Yes, it was the venerable disk shaped record, a technology that was first introduced in the 1880s and that overtook the phonograph cylinder during the 1920s. Can it now become the growth story of the 21st century?

Read the rest   HERE

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Vinyl has now done it, it's now a story in Time Magazine!!

Vinyl Gets Its Groove Back

By Kristina Dell

From college dorm rooms to high school sleepovers, an all-but-extinct music medium has been showing up lately. And we don't mean CDs. Vinyl records, especially the full-length LPs that helped define the golden era of rock in the 1960s and '70s, are suddenly cool again.

Read more: Time Magazine

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A rare and intense look inside the mind of Jack White

Jack White's Third Man Records tells the world: Your Music City is not dead
The House that Jack Built

Jack White


Just found this, according to http://www.musicpriceguide.com/ a Jack White record has sold for over $13,000 on eBay recently.  Amazing!!

this from the seller:

Hand Painted ( Dave Buick artwork) Lafayette Blues #15. there are only 15 of these hand painted beauties out there. hard to come by & rare.


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ARTILLERY: New Album Artwork Revealed

Danish thrash metal veterans Artillery have completed work on their sixth album, "My Blood", at Medley Studios in Copenhagen for a March 21 European release via Metal Mind Productions (April 5 in the U.S. through MVD). The cover artwork was created by well-known Polish graphic designer Graal, who has previously worked with VITAL REMANS, SINISTER, SOLITUDE AETURNUS and BULLDOZER. Graal was also responsible for the covers of ARTILLERY's "Through The Years" box and "When Death Comes".

Chilling work, well done......













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Did You Know?

Although it is generally acknowledged that the "Rock 'n' Roll era" began in the US when Bill Haley and His Comets reached the top of the Billboard chart in July, 1955 with "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock", many Rock historians believe that the first true Rock and Roll record was a song called "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and The Delta Cats, which topped the American R&B chart in May, 1951.

The longest title of an album to reach the Billboard Hot 200 LP chart is Fiona Apple's

"When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right"

The title is made up of 90 words.   Sheeeeesh......

In 1965, Alan Freed, who many credit with coining the term "Rock and Roll", died at the age of 43. Freed was a Cleveland disc jockey who started promoting dances that featured the top artists of the day, including, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. After moving to New York and appearing in some teen movies, he was caught up in the payola scandal of 1959 for accepting money for playing certain records on his radio show. Before his death, he was virtually broke and fighting charges of tax evasion. It was a sad end for one of Rock and Roll's most important pioneers.

Also in 1965, The Rolling Stones and the Kinks made their first appearances on ABC-TV's Shindig! Also appearing were the Dave Clark Five, Petula Clark, Bobby Vee, Bobby Sherman and Gerry And The Pacemakers.



In 1968, an amazing event unfolded as John Fred's "Judy In Disguise (With Glasses"), a song title inspired by the Beatles "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," knocked the Fab Four's "Hello Goodbye" out of Billboard's top spot.

In 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis was booked to play the Grand Ole Opry on the condition that he would stick to Country and Western tunes only. Jerry did just that for a while, but eventually broke into his old Rock hits from the 50's, while swearing up a storm. He proclaimed, "I am the rock and rollin', country and western, rhythm and blues singin' motherf***er."  Nice, and I couldn't agree more!



And in 1982, the infamous Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off of what he thought was a plastic bat thrown at him during a concert in Des Moines. The bat turned out to be real and Ozzy later went through a series of injections against rabies. Mmmmmm....good stuff