Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Tim from Sundazed keeps me up to date with their releases and reissues, and i pass the news to you.  i love what they do!

Sundazed remains dedicated to the vinyl medium in LP, ten-inch and seven-inch form. Whether it's exact reproductions of storied works by Johnny Cash, the mono pressings of Bob Dylan's early albums and an unreleased live gem by NRBQ, or fabled longplayers by Otis Redding, Love with Arthur Lee, MC5 or the Rascals, Sundazed Music will never abandon vinyl.

Now available at www.sundazed.com

Artist: Oscar & the Majestics
Title: No Chance Baby! - 180 gram LP and Compact Disc
Vinyl LP 5377

FIRST-EVER COLLECTION OF COMPLETE '60S OUTPUT BY GARAGE ROCK HEROES, PLUS UNISSUED CUTS!

For anyone with an overindulged appetite for ‘60s garage compilations, Oscar & the Majestics must seem like old friends. Certainly, that’s the way we feel about ‘em. In Sundazed’s exhaustive dig through the prized USA & Destination Records catalogs (2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60's Garage & Psychedelia from USA and Destination Records LP/CD), no other act—and that includes hit makers like the Buckinghams and Cryin’ Shames—came close to the coverage afforded Oscar Hamod & the Majestics. If the group had left more than five tracks in the USA vaults, no doubt we would have included more.

Well, that was before Oscar opened up his vast personal archives, undisturbed for over 40 years, allowing for this first-ever collection of his complete ‘60s output. This includes the band’s best known USA sides, like the impossibly cool, fuzzed-out “Soul Finger”, as well as ultra-rare, Oscar-pressed singles (including the first official reissue of “House of the Rising Sun 1969”; an over the top rearrangement that suffers no shortage of Oscar-fuzz/Oscar-attitude.

Most rewarding of all, this set unleashes the unreleased “Baby Under My Skin” and “I Feel Good”; both seriously Kinky krunchers from the USA era. As a bonus, we blow the lid off the untold history of Mr. Hamod & his rockin’ crew in a package also crammed with vintage photos and rare 45 label scans.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Got to Have Your Lovin’
2. Soulfinger
3. My Girl is Waiting
4. Baby Under My Skin*
5. I Can’t Explain
6. Jackie Jackie
7. Why-O or Jungle Beat
8. No Chance Baby
9. I Feel Good*
10. Come On Willie
11. Top Eliminator
12. Fanny Brown
13. Dawn
14. House of the Rising Sun 1969

*previously unissued


Artist: Oscar & the Majestics
Title: Baby Under My Skin / I Can't Explain 7" Single - 7” Vinyl
7" Single S 232

UNISSUED TRACKS BY UNSUNG GARAGE ROCK HEROES!

Sundazed wants to let you in on one of the best kept secrets of ’60s garage bandom, Oscar & the Majestics. Oscar Hamod is one of those unsung heroes of the genre; a first-rate songwriter, arranger, singer and above all else, monster guitar player.

In his formative years, Oscar’s parents did their best to steer him towards a respectable instrument, the trumpet. But he rebelled, soon switching to guitar. By the time he launched the Majestics (in ’60, with older brother Bud), he had already entered into a long-term relationship with his number one axe, a ’58 Gibson Explorer.

By the time of these impossibly rare, unreleased sides (cut prior to three singles on Chicago’s USA Records), Oscar’s guitar playing had taken on a frankly wicked personality. For evidence, check out the savagely tough riffs and soloing on “Baby Under My Skin,” especially where he shouts before the break, “burn”; that personal challenge met with a half-minute flurry of scalding notes.

One of the highlights of Oscar & the Majestics’ vintage output is their version of the Who’s “I Can’t Explain” on USA Records (1966). Instead of playing it note for note, Oscar introduced a screaming, fuzzed-out intro to his version, also adding a unique guitar lick elsewhere. But here we are treated to an earlier, unreleased (and undeniably more “garage”) version that sticks much closer to the Who original. Another brother, Sam Hamod handles lead vocals for a change. However, it’s his bass lines which are the real treat on both sides of this record. The liberty he takes during Oscar’s solos raises the excitement level that much more.

TRACK LIST:
1. Baby Under My Skin (previously unissued)
2. I Can't Explain (previously unissued early version)


Artist: Fever Tree
Title: Live 1969 - 180 Gram LP and Limited Edition Compact Disc
180 gram LP 5378

PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED LIVE RECORDING SHOWCASING THE FINAL STAGE APPEARANCE BY THIS LEGENDARY GARAGE COMBO’S ORIGINAL LINEUP!

This 1969 live recording from Mount Carmel High School in Houston represents the final stage appearance by the original lineup of Texas garage combo Fever Tree. With two strong studio LPs for Uni Records behind them, the group began to fragment from internal struggles (as many bands do). Consequently, the label asked for one more album. The group complied and the results are contained in this previously unreleased concert recording, presented here in 180 gram vinyl.

Sharpening their chops on the Gulf Coast circuit, followed by a high-profile opening night gig at Hollywood’s legendary Kaleidoscope, Fever Tree developed a keen sense of musical drama and dynamics. This versatility is in sharp display on the concert’s rendition of their underground radio hit “San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native).” For the rest, Live 1969 focuses on groovers, a perfect set-up for the gliding fuzztones of lead guitarist Michael Knust, the sonic organ of Rob Landes, the thick rhythms provided by E.E. “Bud” Wolfe III on bass and John Tuttle on drumsand the dynamic, driving lead vocals of Dennis Keller.

“Don’t Come Crying to Me Girl,” a song originally found on the band’s second album, levitates the band beyond any earthly confines. Elsewhere, the set moves between a soaring cover of Donovan’s “Hey Gyp,” their own power pop “Grand Candy Young Sweet” and a whirlng psych take on Wilson Pickett’s “Ninety-Nine and One Half (Won’t Do).” Playing as if their lives depended on it, Live 1969 captures a band at the height of its powers, forever preserved on this final audio testament.

TRACK LIST:
1. Grand Candy Young Sweet
2. Ninety-Nine and One Half (Won’t Do)
3. Don’t Come Crying to Me Girl
4. Hey Gyp
5. San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native)


Artist: Neighb'rhood Childr'n
Title: Neigb'rhood Childr'n - 180 Gram LP and Limited Edition Compact Disc
180 gram LP 5356

1967 DEBUT BY SAN FRANCISCO-BASED PSYCH PIONEERS!

Rock 'n' Roll lightning can strike anywhere. The Neigb'rhood Childr'n, tucked away in Medford, Ore., near the California border were living proof that if you've got it, your mailing address doesn't really matter. And the Neighb'rhood Childr'n definitely had it.

When Dyan Hoffman, Rick Bolz, Ron Raschdorf and W.A. Farrens drove 350 miles through the mighty redwood groves down to San Francisco to cut their first album at Leo de Gar Kulka's Golden State Recorders, they couldn't have picked a better time. It was the summer of 1967—now known as the Summer Of Love—and San Francisco was inundated with young people from all over the world, spurred on by a blossoming rock scene that included Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Co. and the Grateful Dead. And yet, none of those legends in the making ever cut an album as hard to find these days—extremely rare and collectible—as the LP by the Neighb'rhood Childr'n.

Not only is their record hideously hard to find, it's amazingly groovy coming from four kids from a rural background. Dyan's voice has the earnest zeal of a young Grace Slick, and the complex arrangements run the table from acid-soaked tripsichord to fiery anthems meant to spur on a new generation of street-fighting men as well as lonely navigators of the mind. Not surprisingly, Dyan reveals that some of this amazing material was inspired by seeing Quicksilver Messenger Service for the first time. "They were always my favorite group," she says. It just goes to show what you can soak up and give back to the world if your heart is in the right place.

TRACK LIST:
1. Up Down Turn Around World
2. Long Years In Space
3. Feeling Zero
4. Over The Rainbow
5. Changes Brought To Me
6. Please Leave Me Alone
7. Chocolate Angel
8. Happy Child
9. Patterns
10. Happy World Of Captain K
11. She's Got No Identification
12. Hobbit's Dream


Artist: The Remains
Title: Let Me Through (live) / Why Do I Cry 7" Single- 7” Vinyl
7" Single S 231

7” SINGLE FEATURING PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED ED SULLIVAN SHOW LIVE PERFORMANCE!

The Remains are indisputably remembered as Boston’s finest rock group of the sixties. Yet it’s the group’s less celebrated connection with New York City that continues to pay dividends for their ever-spreading legion of fans. Of course, the main source of Remains-music has always been their classic run of recordings cut at New York’s Columbia Records. But in one of the coolest events in history, the Remains also appeared “live” on millions of US television sets courtesy of the top-rated Ed Sullivan Show; direct from NYC.

With the otherwise unrecorded “Let Me Through,” the Remains managed to cram their entire explosive stage act—from Kinks riffs and fleet-fingered guitar heroics from Barry Tashian to an absolutely show stopping rave-up—into under three minutes! Released for the first time anywhere in an audio format, this Sundazed 7” vinyl single pairs the Sullivan performance with even more muscle courtesy of the Remains’ long-worshipped Capitol Records Studios (New York, again) sessions where in a completely live and loud rework manage to improve an already unforgettable Tashian original, “Why Do I Cry.”

TRACK LIST:
1. Let Me Through (previously unissued live recording)
2. Why Do I Cry

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Nirvana: Nevermind 20th Anniversary to be Commemorated With Multi-Format Reissue Out September 27

Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions to Feature Dozens of Rare and Previously Unreleased Performances

Released in September 1991, Nirvana's sophomore album and major label debut elevated Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl from a critically acclaimed Aberdeen, Washington, cult band to generational spokesmen who'd unwittingly created a cultural shift and musical touchstone. Rising to No. 1 the world over by year's end and ultimately selling over 30 million copies worldwide, Nevermind would come to be much more than one of the most successful and influential albums of its or any era. As the album that returned unaffected rock 'n' roll integrity and passion to the top of the charts, Nevermind would prove a singular inspiration to fans and musicians alike over the last two decades--and will undoubtedly do so for generations to come.

Now on the occasion of Nevermind's 20th anniversary, Universal Music Enterprises presents a full spectrum re-release worthy of such a pivotal classic. With configurations ranging from a 4-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition to a standard digital/CD remaster of the original album, the 20th anniversary reissue of Nevermind makes the most of the occasion, unearthing literally dozens of previously unreleased recordings, obscure B-sides, alternate mixes, radio sessions, studio rarities and live recordings, including a 1991 Halloween concert at Seattle's Paramount Theatre in its entirety.

The limited, numbered Super Deluxe Edition more than lives up to its name as one of the most expansive and ambitious collections of its kind with only 10,000 copies available in North America, and another 30,000 for the rest of the world. The Super Deluxe features not only the original remastered album and accompanying studio and live B-sides, but the first full official release of the pre-Nevermind demos recorded at producer Butch Vig's Smart Studios, as well as boombox recordings of subsequent rehearsals through which the listener can actually experience "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Come As You Are," "On A Plain" and others that take shape before his or her very ears. The Super Deluxe also offers an altogether new perspective on the finished Nevermind album exclusive to this format in the form of the Devonshire Mixes: the album as produced and mixed by Vig as opposed to the commercially released final version produced by Vig and mixed by Andy Wallace. Rounding out the Super Deluxe are a pair of previously unreleased BBC recordings and the aforementioned 1991 Paramount show available for the first time and exclusive to this format on CD and DVD (which also features all four music videos from Nevermind), as well as a stunning 90-page bound book full of rarely and never- before-seen photos, documents and various other visual artifacts of the Nevermind era.

The Nirvana Nevermind 20th anniversary reissue is also available as a 2-CD Deluxe Edition featuring the remastered album and B-sides, the Smart Studio sessions, boombox rehearsals and BBC sessions, a 4-LP, 180-gram heavyweight vinyl edition featuring the same 40 tracks as the Deluxe Edition, a remastered CD of the original album, and digital versions of the standard and deluxe editions. The Paramount concert, transferred from 16mm film and multi-track audio, is the only known Nirvana concert shot to film and will be available in a 1080p high-definition picture and uncompressed 5.1 surround sound and stereo on stand-alone Blu-ray, along with DVD and digital long form video formats.

SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises

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Björk's "Crystalline"12" Vinyl Series

Available today in the Nonesuch Store  is the first of four imported 12" vinyl releases, all part of The Crystalline Series featuring variations on music from Biophilia. The first 12" includes the "Crystalline" and "Cosmogony" singles mixed by Grammy Award–winning engineer Serban Ghenea. The three upcoming releases in the series, now available for pre-order, include mixes of "Crystalline" and "Cosmogony" by Matthew Herbert and versions of three songs from Omar Souleyman.

Also available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store is the full Biophilia album, which will be released on September 27, 2011, through One Little Indian / Nonesuch Records, in five different physical versions: on CD in distinct jewel-case and digipak versions; on vinyl; and on two custom-made editions—the Biophilia Manual, which presents the music on CD in a 48-page cloth-bound, thread-sewn hardback book, and the Ultimate Edition, which includes the Manual along with 10 tuning forks, each representing the tone of a track on the album. Both custom-made pieces will be available to pre-order for a limited time only.

Biophilia is an interdisciplinary exploration of the universe and its physical forces—particularly those where music, nature, and technology meet—inspired by these relationships between musical structures and natural phenomena, from the atomic to the cosmic. The Independent on Sunday calls it "brilliantly original and ambitious." The LP includes the album on 180-gram, high-performance vinyl.

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Psych Rockers Umbra and the Volcan Siege Vinyl Release

Chicago-based psychedelic outfit Umbra and the Volcan Siege have announced the release of a limited edition vinyl LP 'The End of the Beginning,' as well as an accompanying video documentary directed by Eric Richter, who has shot promotional clips for Victory Records.

'The End of the of the Beginning' was recorded live at Volcan Gallery by Tim Sandusky (Bound Stems, Oucho Sparks) and Umbra band leader Jim Licka. Licka also wrote the songs and created the LP artwork, with layout by Phil Lassa.

Tracklist:

1. Dumb Numb
2. Rains and Pours
3. The March
4. Somebody
5. The Ups and Downs
6. Chromy
7. Surfy
8. Dream Lust
9. Do do do do...

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Skull Snaps to Re-Release Debut LP on Vinyl

Get On Down Records is re-releasing the Skull Snaps’s 1973 debut on double LP and CD today. The vinyl release will come with a 24” x 24” poster of the original album art and a packet of 13 die cut stickers.

This latest release comes on the heels of the purple 7” of the Skull Snaps’s “It’s A New Day” and “I Turn My Back On Love” that dropped earlier this April.

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Aerosmith Continue Work on ‘Old School’ Album

Peter Hodgson

An Aerosmith insider says the band’s new album will have a definite “old school” vibe, helped along by the work of legendary producer Jack Douglas.

In an update on their official website, the band’s “behind the scenes guru” John B. said the recording was shaping up to sound like vintage Aerosmith, although he stopped short of directly comparing the new tracks to the band’s classic ’70s output

Read more at Gibson.com

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love this cover art!

ECHOTERRA: New Album Release Date Announced

ECHOTERRA — the female-fronted symphonic rock/metal band featuring vocalist Melissa Ferlaak (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS), keyboardist Jonah Weingarten (PYRAMAZE), guitarist Yan Leviathan (AVIAN), bassist Brian Hollenbeck and drummer Adam Sagan (INTO ETERNITY) — will release its new album, "Land Of The Midnight Sun", on October 17 via Blinding Force Recordings. The effort will be available for sale in digital and physical formats. The physical copies will have a 16-page booklet filled with spectacular artwork, band pictures and lyrics.

Read more at Blabbermouth













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HOUSE OF LORDS: 'Big Money' Album Due In September

Frontiers Records will release the new HOUSE OF LORDS studio album, "Big Money", on September 23 in Europe and September 27 in North America.

Following on the heels of "Cartesian Dreams", HOUSE OF LORDS is coming back with another amazingly strong release which presents again all the trademark elements of its melodic hard rock sound.

Read more at Blabbermouth







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this from our friends at vinylcollective.com

Dwarves Limited 10″

Dwarves are set to release a 10″ colored vinyl limited to 2,000 copies titled “Fake ID”. It features the hit, Fake ID, along with two never before released tracks. Pre order your copy before its gone here.

In May of this year the Dwaves also releases a full length LP/DVD, “Are Born Again“. Orders at Shop Radio Cast   for this album include autographed insert and stickers from the band.


Comeback Kid – Turn It Around Back On LTD Vinyl!

Facedown Records have announced the reissue of Comeback Kid’s, “Turn It Around” on colored vinyl, limited to ONLY 600 copies. Turn It Around has been out of print for just about 7 years. With only 600 copies, this will surely sell out quick. . Pre order your copy now



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Dan Peek, Former Third Voice in America, Passes Away

Information is sketchy at this time, but the official site of Dan Peek states that "Dan went to Heaven on July 24, 2011." Peek was one of the original members of the group America, with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, from its inception through 1977.

All three members of the group were the sons of U.S. fathers who were in the military and stationed in the U.K., and British mothers and all attended London Central High School. They originally formed the group in 1969, adapting the vocal style of Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Read more at our friends at vintagevinylnews.com



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Video for the Cars' New Single "Free"



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and in music history for today, July 26th:

The Jackson Five signed a one-year contract with Motown Records in 1968.

Also in 1968 - John Lennon and Paul McCartney completed the song "Hey Jude." This was the Beatles longest single, running 7:11, and at the time was the longest song ever released as a single. It was the first long song to get a lot of airplay, as radio stations still preferred short ones so they could play more of them. When this became a hit, stations learned that listeners would stick around if they liked the song, which paved the way for long songs like "American Pie" and "Layla." Disc jockeys were the real winners here, as they could finally take a reasonable bathroom break. This song hit #1 in at least 12 countries and by the end of 1968 had sold more than 5 million copies. It eventually sold over 10 million copies in the United States.



In 1969, the Rolling Stones album "Beggar's Banquet" has its release delayed because of their record label's objection to the album's cover design, which featured a graffiti-covered bathroom wall. Mick Jagger was furious. It was the first album on which Jagger played guitar.

In 1969, Elvis Presley opened at the Showroom of the International Hotel in Las Vegas for a four week engagement which netted him $1 million dollars. The concerts were universally acclaimed as a triumph.

In 1970, Jimi Hendrix played in his home town of Seattle for the last time when he appeared at Sicks Stadium.

In 1974, John Denver earned a Gold record for his all-time biggest hit, "Annie's Song", a tribute to his first wife, Annie Martell. Denver would later say that he wrote the song in 10 minutes while he was on a ski-lift.

The first Beatles Festival was held in Boston in 1974.

In 1975, a song that Van McCoy would later say that he wrote in less than an hour, "The Hustle" became the number one tune on the Billboard Hot 100. The Disco hit would prove to be McCoy's only US Top 40 entry. It reached #3 in the UK.

In 1975, the Eagles started a five-week run at #1 on the US album chart with 'One Of These Nights'.

In 1977, Led Zeppelin canceled the last seven days of their US tour after Robert Plant's son dies of a respiratory virus. They would not play live in the US again until Live Aid.

In 1979, Rolling Stone magazine acknowledged the growing influence of music videos, including Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

In 1980, the Rolling Stones started a seven week run at #1 on the US album chart with 'Emotional Rescue', the group's eighth US #1.

Prince's movie "Purple Rain" premiered in Hollywood, CA in 1984.

Peter Gabriel went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1986 with "Sledgehammer."

The film soundtrack to 'Top Gun' went to #1 on the US album chart in 1986.

Brent Mydland, keyboard player for The Grateful Dead, was found dead of a drug overdose in his home in Lafayette, California in 1990. He was 37. He joined the band in 1979, replacing Keith Godchaux.

In 1992, singer and Motown artist, Mary Wells, referred to as 'The First Lady of Motown' and who had a 1964 US #1 and UK #5 single "My Guy," died (age 49) of laryngeal cancer. Forced to give up her career and with no health insurance, forced to sell her home, Wells’ old Motown friends including Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, The Temptations and Martha Reeves, along with Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt, personally pledged donations in support.

In 2000. a US federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against Napster, Inc. The injunction had been requested by the Recording Industry of Association of America (RIAA). The website was ordered to cease trade in music covered by RIAA member copyrights by midnight July 28, 2000.

In 2006, the guitar on which Paul McCartney learned his first chords sold for more than half a million dollars at an auction at London's Abbey Road Studios. The Rex acoustic guitar helped McCartney persuade John Lennon to let him join his band, The Quarrymen, in 1957.

In 2006, the final edition of Top of the Pops was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London. Just under 200 members of the public were in the audience for the show which was co-hosted by veteran disc jockey Sir Jimmy Savile, its very first presenter. Classic performances from the Spice Girls, Wham, Madonna, Beyonce Knowles and Robbie Williams featured in the show alongside the Rolling Stones – who were the very first band to appear on Top of the Pops on New Year's Day in 1964.

birthdays today include my Dad (happy birthday pops!) Darlene Love (73), Mick Jagger (68) and Roger Taylor (Queen) (62) (among others)

New Vinyl Record and Music Releases - July 26, 2011

Interesting week in new music including some must haves from R.E.M.(Songs for a Green World), Guess Who with The Best of The Guess Who (reissued on vinyl), Bomb the Music Industry! with Vacation, Fever Tree's Live 1969 (vinyl), two from Oscar & the Majestics (Baby Under My Skin / I Can't Explain and No Chance Baby!) both on vinyl, the BoDeans with Indigo Dreams, Weird Owl's Build Your Beast A Fire, Joss Stone's LP1, Grand Funk Railroad's Mark Don & Mel 1969-71, and a slew of remastered releases from Queen.

CVR Blog picks highlighted in bold with link!

Aficionado - Aficionado
Against Me! - White Crosses (reissue)
All Shall Perish - This Is Where It Ends
America - Back Pages
Amy Lavere - Stranger Me
Aretha Franklin - 30 Greatest Hits (2CD)
As Hell Retreats - Volition
Atari Teenage Riot - Is This Hyperreal
Aura - Aura (vinyl)
Austra - Sparkle Remix Collection
Bayonet - Bayonet
Belle & Sebastian - Come On Sister (12") (vinyl)
Big Business - Quadruple Single (EP)
Blind Atlas - Iron Wall (EP)
BoDeans - Indigo Dreams
Bohren and Der Club of Gore - Beileid
Bomb the Music Industry! - Vacation
Boys No Good - Never Felt Better
Cerebral Ballzy - Cerebral Ballzy
Chris Isaak - San Francisco Days (reissue)
Chromeo - When the Night Falls Remix (EP)
City Lights - In It To Win It
Count Basie - April in Paris (reissue)
Craig Richards - Fabric 58: The Nothing Special
Daniel Knox - Everyman for Himself (vinyl)
Dead Can Dance - Aion (remastered) (vinyl)
Dead Letter Circus - This Is The Warning
Debbie Neigher - Debbie Neigher
Dex Romweber Duo - Is That You In The Blue?
Digitalism - I Love You, Dude (vinyl)
Don Gere - Werewolves on Wheels
Eilen Jewell - Queen of the Minor Key (vinyl)
Eric Church - Chief
Fair Ohs - Everything Is Dancing
Falling In Reverse - The Drug In Me Is You
Father’s Children - Who’s Gonna Save the World?
Fences & Mansions - Fences/Mansions (7") (vinyl)
Fever Tree - Live 1969 (vinyl)
Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra (reissue)
Gino Vannelli & the Metropole Orchestra - North Sea Jazz Festival 2022
Graffiti6 - Annie You Save Me Remixes (vinyl)
Grand Funk Railroad - Mark Don & Mel 1969-71
Guess Who - The Best of The Guess Who (reissue) (vinyl)
Heartsounds - Drifter
Helmet - Strap It On (reissue) (vinyl)
Hillsong - God Is Able
Idle Eyes - Idle Eyes
Idle Eyes - Love's Imperfection
Inc. - 3 (EP ) (vinyl)
Incubus - If Not Now, When?  (vinyl)
Iwrestledabearonce - Ruining It For Everybody
Jamey Jasta - Jasta
Jim Ford - Harlan County (remastered)
Jimmy Vaughan - Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites
Jon Anderson - Survival & Other Stories
Joss Stone - LP1
Juice Newton - Ultimate Hits 1980-2010
Junior Walker - Back Street Boogie
Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground - Introducing Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground (vinyl)
Kelly Rowland - Here I Am
Kindred The Family Soul - Love Has No Recession
Kouhei Matsunaga / Asmus Tietchens - Split (vinyl)
Kylie Minogue - Kylie: Albums 2000 - 2010 (5-CD box set)
Little Dragon - Ritual Union
Little Horn - Twelve
Locksley - Locksley
Loden - Burning Man Stage Hand
Machinedrum - Room (s) (vinyl)
Metronomy - The English Riviera
Miles Davis - Amandla (reissue)
Miles Davis - Doo-Bop (reissue)
Miles Davis - Tutu (reissue)
Mr. Lewis and The Funeral 5 - Delirium Tremondous
Neightb'rhood Childr'n - Neighb'rhood Childr'n (remastered)
Oscar & the Majestics - Baby Under My Skin/I Can't Explain (vinyl)
Oscar & the Majestics - No Chance Baby (vinyl)
Paul Davis - Best of Paul Davis
Paul McCartney - The Family Way (soundtrack) (remastered)
Paul Oakenfold - Never Mind the Bollocks
Peach Melba - Can’t Let Go (12") (vinyl)
Peter Baldwin - Peter Baldwin In Vodville (EP)
Peter Murphy - Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (remastered with bonus CD)
Philip Glass - Cello Concerto No.1
Pineapple Thief - 10 Stories Down (reissue)
Polvo - Heavy Detour /Anchoress (7") (vinyl)
Pop Will Eat Itself - Box Frenzy (2 CDs)
Pop Will Eat Itself - Now for a Feast (2 CDs)
Popol Vuh - Revisited & Remixed 1970-1999
Queen - A Day at the Races (remastered)
Queen - Night at the Opera (remastered)
Queen - Queen (remastered)
Queen - Queen II (remastered)
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack (remastered)
R.E.M. - Songs for a Green World
Randy Montana - Randy Montana
Ray Wylie Hubbard - Ray Wylie Hubbard & the Cowboy Twinkies
Release the Sunbird - Come Back to Us
Remains - Let Me Through / Why Do I Cry (vinyl)
Rewards - Equal Dreams
Riggs - Riggs (reissue)
Rival Sons - Pressure and Time
Robin Trower - Robin Trower Live
Ronnie Milsap - Country Again
Roxette - Greatest Hits
Serianna - Inheritors
Sunny Sweeney - Sunny Sweeney
Terri Clark - Roots and Wings
The Band - Stage Fright  (remastered) (vinyl)
The Blind Shake - Seriousness
The Horrors - Skying (vinyl)
The Network - Money Money 2020 (reissue) (vinyl)
The Quill - Full Circle
The Strokes - Taken for a Fool (vinyl)
Thomas Dybhal - Songs (vinyl)
Tidelands - If...
Turntables on the Hudson - Reflecting Cielo
Vanessa Carlton - Rabbits on the Run
Various Artists - Nightmares on Wax Presents: Wax Da Beach
Various Artists - Crazy Stupid Love (soundtrack)
Various Artists - L'anthologia New Wave Punk E Post Punk 1977-80
Various Artists - The Help (Music From the Motion Picture)
Volbeat - Beyond Hell / Above Heaven (reissue)
Weird Al Yankovic - Alpocalypse (vinyl)
Weird Owl - Build Your Beast a Fire
World Under Blood - Tactical
wallpaper. - #STUPiDFACEDD (EP)

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

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

intriguing story from the SfGate.com site (written by Devin Leonard, Bloomberg Businessweek) business section, i like the fact that they offer bands a chance to record vinyl. but, online music is here to stay and i applaud the story. this is a new age for music (with facebook and twitter now apart of most everyone's life) and allows band's technological exposure, something that groups decades ago could only dream of.....

Ian Rogers' Topspin bundles it all for musicians

Devin Leonard, Bloomberg Businessweek

Ian Rogers got into the music business in a roundabout way.

While working on a doctorate in computer science at Indiana University in 1993, he created a fan site devoted to the Beastie Boys, one of his favorite bands. The Beastie Boys' manager was so impressed that he recruited Rogers to manage the rowdy hip-hop act's digital outreach efforts. Starting salary: $8.50 an hour.

Rogers, 38, is now chief executive of Topspin Media, a Los Angeles company whose software helps musicians market and sell to fans online. It's used by industry luminaries such as Paul McCartney, David Byrne, Eminem, and, Rogers's old bosses, the Beastie Boys.

Read more the rest at sfgate.com

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ultimateclassicrock.com has a fantastic interview with ann wilson:

Exclusive Interview: Heart Singer Ann Wilson on Def Leppard Tour, New Music

by: Matt Wardlaw

In their nearly 40 years together, Heart have established an incredible legacy that has been recognized with multiple awards and tributes. Most recently, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson have been temporarily enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the ‘Women Who Rock‘ exhibit. (But how about a permanent induction for the band … isn’t it time?)

Heart singer Ann Wilson is currently engaged in quite a few different activities, including touring with Def Leppard and making a guest appearance on funkster Sly Stone’s upcoming album, on which she participates in an update of Stone’s classic ‘Everyday People.’

We spent a few moments with Ann to talk about those items and we also got into a lot of Heart-related chatter that yielded some great scoops you’ll be very interested in.

Read the interview at ultimateclassicrock.com

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Author Scott Miller on Why 1973 Was the Peak of Classic ’70s Rock

by: Matthew Wilkening Yesterday

Producer, musician and now author Scott Miller has written one of the best books of the year with ‘Music: What Happened?’ In it, he assembles a CD-length mix tape worth of songs for every year from 1957 to 2009. These lists, updated from personal notes he kept from his teen years on, not only feature clever insights on his favorite music, but they also end up chronicling the changes in musical styles across the decades.

As part of ‘Time Travel‘ week, we decided to focus on one year from Miller’s book, 1973, which he declares to be “the peak of the classic ’70s.”

Read more at ultimateclassicrock.com





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the Fort Wayne Reader has a creative look at why vinyl is popular again!

Vinyl record sales are up — way up — but why?

By Ben Larson

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, you’ve probably noticed that vinyl records have been making a comeback. According to the Nielsen SoundScan report, vinyl LP sales are up 41% compared to this time last year. Granted, they only make up about .85% of total album sales (1.9 million out of 221.5 million total), but that large of an increase is far from insignificant, and it doesn’t take sales of used LP’s into account. From reissues of Pet Sounds to the new Taylor Swift album (no, I’m not making that up), it seems like almost everything is getting pressed on LP these days. But why?

Read the rest at fortwaynereader.com

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fantastic write up at Examiner.com about one of the classics!

Frampton comes alive…again! an interview with bassist Stan Sheldon

Kevin Yeanoplos/Tucson Concerts Examiner

Statistics have shown that if you were born on a day of the week that ends with the letter “y”, then you have a copy of Frampton Comes Alive! in your record collection – uh, that would be your vinyl record collection. And statistics don’t lie, right?

Well OK, maybe it just seems that owning a copy of FCA is a cultural obligation. After all, it was noted music authority Wayne Campbell that declared in Wayne’s World 2 that “Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive!. If you lived in the suburbs, you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide.”

When talented but commercially underappreciated solo artist Peter Frampton captured lightning in a bottle by releasing FCA in 1976, the album sold over 6 million copies, earning it the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart for 10 weeks. The record went on to become the biggest selling album of America’s bicentennial year and has since been certified 6X platinum.

Fans in Southern Arizona will get an unprecedented opportunity to hear Frampton play the album live in its entirety (other than the original recording of course!) at AVA Amphitheater July 27 as part of his “Frampton Comes Alive! 35 Tour.”

Continue reading on Examiner.com

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great cover!

SINGLE BULLET THEORY: New Album Artwork, Track Listing Revealed

Philadelphia's SINGLE BULLET THEORY will release its new album, "IV", on September 27 via Goomba Music. The CD contains nine fresh tracks featuring new members John Ruszin III (guitar) and Jeff Kalber (bass). All drum tracks for the effort were recorded at Clay Creek Studio in Newark, Delaware with engineer Nick Rotundo. The remainder of the album was recorded at Ruszin's studio in Wenonoh, New Jersey

Read the rest at Blabbermouth
















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ANTHRAX: 'Worship Music' Pre-Order Bundle To Include Slipmat, 'Fistful' Picture Discs

The Omega Order  is offering an exclusive pre-order bundle for "Worship Music", the long-awaited new album from ANTHRAX, featuring the new CD; "Fistful Of Metal" triple 10-inch picture discs; and an ANTHRAX LP slipmat (only available in this bundle).

"Worship Music" is due in the U.S. on September 13 via Megaforce Records (one day earlier in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records). The band's first studio release in eight years marks the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna, whose last studio work with the group was 1990's "Persistence Of Time".





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gets my vote for one of the most peculiar covers this year!  the ultimatemetal.com forum isssued this exciting news:

New MYRATH Album Cover Art

Artwork and track listing of Myrath New Album ‘’Tales of the sands’’ Unveiled

1- Under siege 4:28
2- Braving the seas 4:20
3- Merciless Times 3:28
4- Tales of the sands 5:19
5- Sour Sigh 4:58
6- Dawn within 3:31
7- wide shut 5:25
8-... Requiem for a goodbye 4:23
9- Beyond the stars 5:15
10- time to grow 4:02

Stay tuned for the announcement of the official release date of the album and note that the Artwork is by talented Tunisian artist Bader Klidi.





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rolling stone has an interesting article, sammy hagar never gets old!

Inside Chickenfoot's 'Life-Changing' Second Album'It's the best record I've ever made,' says Sammy Hagar

By Patrick Doyle

"It's the best record I've ever made," Sammy Hagar says of Chickenfoot's second album, which they're so pumped about they skipped right to calling it Chickenfoot III. The supergroup – featuring Hagar, guitar wizard Joe Satriani, ex-Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith – started as a tequila-soaked jam session in Mexico and went on to sell 500,000 copies of its 2009 debut LP.

Read the rest at rollingstone.com

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more great cover art!

REDEMPTION: New Album Artwork Unveiled

REDEMPTION, the U.S. progressive metal band featuring in its ranks guitarist/songwriter Nick van Dyk and legendary FATES WARNING vocalist Ray Alder, will release its fifth studio album, "This Mortal Coil", on September 26 in Europe and October 11 in North America via InsideOut Music. The follow-up to 2009's "Snowfall On Judgment Day" was recorded and mixed with producer Neil Kernon (QUEENSRŸCHE, NEVERMORE, DEICIDE). The CD's cover artwork was created by acclaimed artist and longtime band collaborator Travis Smith (OPETH, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, NEVERMORE).

Read the rest at Blabbermouth














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Saxon Reveals More Release Dates For New Album "Call To Arms"

Saxon's new album "Call To Arms" has already dropped in Europe, and the album is planned for release on September 27th, 2011 for North America. The band has now issued the following brief update about the release dates for Japan and Brazil:

"Call To Arms will be in stores in Japan on the 25th of July and hit the stores in Brazil and Argentina on the 25th of August.









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Disturbed Singer Announces Indefinite Hiatus

Peter Hodgson

Disturbed singer David Draiman has revealed that the band are preparing to enter an indefinite hiatus.

Speaking to KQXR in Boise, Idaho, Draiman said the band were looking at an extended hiatus, and had “some things going on internally …personal things going on.” Later Draiman took to Twitter to elaborate: “We don’t know what we’re doing yet,” he wrote. “All I can say is that we’re certainly going away for a long while.”

Read the rest at Gibson.com

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ENSLAVED To Release Seven-Inch EP

Soulseller Records is proudly presenting an exclusive and limited seven-inch EP vinyl by Norwegian masters of progressive/experimental metal ENSLAVED. The seven-inch vinyl entitled "Thorn"; consisting of the songs "Disintegrator" and "Striker", pressed in a strictly limited number of 1,000 copies.

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this from our friends at vinylcollective.com

Top 10 Albums – July 25, 2011

Here are the Top 10 Albums sold at Shop Radio Cast for the week of July 5 – July 11, 2011:

1. Comeback Kid – Turn It Around LP
2. Big D and The Kids Table – For The Damned, The Dumb and The Delirious 2XLP (Exclusive)
3. Mariachi El Bronx – II
4. Portugal The Man – Church Mouth LP
5. The Menzingers – A Lesson In The Abuse Of Information Technology LP
6. Sundowner – Four One Five Two LP
7. Dead To Me / The Flatliners – Under the Influence Volume 16 7″
8. Cheap Girls / Noise By Numbers – Under the Influence Volume 15 7″
9. Portugal The Man – Waiter: You Vultures! LP
10. Portugal The Man – In The Mountain In The Cloud LP


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Top 10 Tours for 2011
(in millions)

1. U2                        85.8
2. Lady Gaga           65.3
3. Bon Jovi              57.4
4. Kenny Chesney   47.7
5. Luis Miguel         33.9
6. Taylor Swift        29.5
7. Elton John           28.0
8. Lil Wayne           26.3
9. Celine Dion        23.9
10. Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks  22.2

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and in music history for today:

In 1942, Capitol Records achieved their first #1 hit with a song called "Cow Cow Boogie" by 17-year-old Ella Mae Morse, accompanied by Freddie Slack and His Orchestra. Although Ella Mae's follow-up recordings sold fairly well, she never obtained a huge following, but continued to make records until 1957.

In 1956, songwriter Mike Stoller, the co-writer of "Hound Dog", survives the sinking of the ship Andrea Doria after it collided with the MV Stockholm, near Nantucket, Massachusetts. Fifty-one others died.

In 1960, the Ventures "Walk Don't Run" enters the US Pop chart and introduces the instrumental Surf sound to Rock 'n' Roll. The song will peak at #2 a month later.

In 1960, Elvis Presley's "It's Now or Never" debuted on Billboard's Pop music chart. The song was adapted from the Italian tune "O Sole Mio", written in 1899.

Also in 1960, Roy Orbison reached #2 on the U.S. singles chart with “Only the Lonely,”his first hit. The song was turned down by The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley, so Orbison decided to record the song himself

The Elvis Presley film "Kid Galahad" premiered in 1962.

In 1964, the Beatles' LP "A Hard Day's Night" tops the charts in both the UK and the US. Oddly, the album issued in America had a different track listing than the one released in Great Britain.

In 1965, Bob Dylan, backed by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, shocked the audience at the Newport Folk Festival with his new electric sound. The crowd booed him off the stage after three tunes. After being urged by Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) to return to the stage and go acoustic, Dylan sang two songs to the now-silent audience - "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and "Mr. Tambourine Man".

In 1967, the Beatles were among the signers of a petition urging the British government to legalize marijuana.

In 1969, Neil Young appeared with Crosby, Stills and Nash for the first time when played at The Fillmore East in New York. Young was initially asked to help out with live material only, but ended up joining the group on and off for the next 30 years.

In 1970, the Carpenters started a four week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “(They Long To Be) Close To You.” The first of three U.S. #1's and 17 other Top 40 hits. The song was written in 1963 by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and was first offered to Herb Alpert, who said he didn't feel comfortable singing the line '”o they sprinkled moon dust in your hair.”

"25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago was released as a single in 1970.



Also in 1970, the English quartet, Mungo Jerry cracked the Billboard Hot 100 with their first single, "In The Summertime", which will go on to reach #3. The song had already topped the UK chart in mid-June.

The Beach Boys released their album "Surf's Up" in 1971.

Boston's self-titled debut was released on this date in 1976.

In 1981, Air Supply became the first Australian band to top the Billboard Pop chart when "The One That You Love" reaches number one. They would go on to place seven consecutive singles in the top five.

In 1984, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton died at the age of 58 died in Los Angeles of heart and liver complications. She had a #1 R&B hit in 1953 with “Hound Dog” (later covered by Elvis Presley). She also wrote and recorded “Ball 'n' Chain,’”which Janis Joplin recorded.

In 1990, Rosanne Barr sang the National Anthem in San Diego before a Padres baseball game. She was booed for her performance. what were they thinking?

In 1995, Grammy Award winning country singer, songwriter Charlie Rich died in his sleep aged 62 years. Rich began as a rockabilly artist for Sun Records in Memphis in 1958. He scored the 1974 U.S. #1 & U.K. #2 single “The Most Beautiful Girl” while “Behind Closed Doors.” was a #1 country hit.

In 1999, the third and final Woodstock festival closed in Rome, NY with riots where 120 people were arrested, the building of a huge fire (which the Red Hot Chili Peppers responded to by playing Hendrix' Fire) and the breaking into of ATM machines.

In 2003, 52 year old Erik Braunn, the lead guitarist on Iron Butterfly's 1968 classic rock anthem "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles. Braunn was just 16 years old when he joined Iron Butterfly and spent only two years with the Rock band - from 1967 to 1969, the years of the group's greatest success. After leaving the band, Braunn continued to work as a songwriter, musician and producer, occasionally reuniting with his former band mates.

In 2004, George Williams of The Tymes died of cancer at the age of 68. The Philadelphia quartet topped the Billboard chart in 1963 with "So Much In Love" and reached #1 in the UK in 1975 with "Ms Grace".

In 2005, Sony BMG admits to paying radio stations to play some of their label's artists. ya think?

In 2010, a Memphis, Tennessee auction house announced that a collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia, including his grand piano, gold-rimmed sunglasses and his Triumph TR-6 sports car would be among the items up for bid at an upcoming sale.

birthdays today (among others) include Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire) (60), Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth) (38), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) (53) and Manny Charlton (Nazareth) (70)

Michael Fremer Album Review

A Treasure
(archival new release)

Neil Young and the International Harvesters

Reprise 527650 2 180g LPs (three sides)

Produced by: Neil Young and Ben Keith

Engineered by: Tim Mulligan

Mixed by: Tim Mulligan

Mastered by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering

MUSIC

SOUND






Young Archive Performance Series Delivers Gem
by Michael Fremer
July 01, 2011

Neil Young's 1980's country music phase wasn't appreciated by his record label at the time but the fans accepted it, certainly more than they did what came previously: dips into computer music (Trans) and Rockabilly (Everybody's Rockin'), which was digitally recorded. Somehow digital recording and Rockabilly don't go together but it took Neil a while to figure that out. And that Rockabilly record had Neil in an odd mood. Read his biography "Shakey" and it was clearly a difficult time in his life.

Back to country was a return to musical comfort food, yet Young was doing more than looking for a personal comfort zone during the mid '80s: he was on a mission to help save small farmers, fighting with his record label and touring with the International Harvester Band without a new album to push.

So it was all about the music and not at all about product. Young had assembled a superb band made up of some who he'd worked with often and some never before, including steel and slide guitarist Ben Keith, fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux, pianists Spooner Oldham and Hargus "Pig" Robbins, bassists Tim Drummond and Joe Allen and drummer Karl Himmel and others.

Those looking for Young's dark side won't find it here. This is about having fun, cheerleading for Detroit (it would 35 years for something to cheer about), singing about love and adventure, some country shtick ("Let Your Fingers Do the Walking") and a great cover of Buffalo Springfield's "Flying on the Ground Is Wrong."

Young is in great voice, sincere and open throated, and holding notes cleanly and producing phrases that soared and lingered before fading into the strong musical backing.

Strong playing, great singing and a vibe that's long gone in today's very dark America, listening to this three-sided set can't help but restore your sense that perhaps we can have better days ahead here. At least you sure can listening to this! Even the set's throwaway tune, the shaky blues "Soul of a Woman" has music making compelling enough to overcome the flatness of the concept.

The tracks were recorded 1984/'85 in Nashville, Austin and Pasadena Texas, Berkeley, Universal City, St. Paul and New York City. Three of the tunes ("Bound for Glory", "Motor City", "Southern Pacific" and "Nothing is Perfect") haven't been previous released other than on bootlegs.

Side three ("Southern Pacific" "Nothing is Perfect" and "Grey Riders") carries the most weight. Young sings with sincere passion about railroads, one of his favorite subjects. "Southern Pacific" is long and gives everyone a chance to stretch out., but no one takes it to excess. "Nothing is Perfect" is about accepting ones lot in life, the good and bad.

As Neil was singing this song, he was dealing with his disabled son and the heroic efforts both he and his wife Pegi undertook to improve their son's lot. If you've read "Shakey" you know what this is about. Knowing the back story ads depth to the song. "Grey Rider" concludes the album with a powerful electric guitar-driven scenario. Side four is a lacquer etching.

The album's sonics vary as you would expect with so many venues involved. but all are very good, with a mid outdoor space perspective. You can smell the 80s air on the best tracks.

This is not an absolutely essential Neil Young album but as the one that bridges the gap between the searching for his roots Neil and the one who actually found them A Treasure serves a worthwhile function for new and old fans alike, though perhaps the standard weight vinyl will suffice for all but the diehards.

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.

©2011 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - - All rights reserved

Reprinted by Permission

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Amy Winehouse Dead At 27

The troubled singer was found dead Saturday by ambulance crews that were called to her home in London's Camden area, a youth-culture mecca known for its music scene, its pubs and the availability of illegal drugs.

The London Ambulance Service said Winehouse had succumbed before ambulance crews arrived at the house in Camden Square. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Winehouse made headlines because of drug and alcohol abuse, destructive relationships and unfinished performances. The singer had been working on her long-awaited new album for the past three years. Her small but powerful body of recorded music will be her legacy.

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BlessTheFall Unveil New Cover Art

blessthefall has recently unveiled the tracklisting and cover art for their new album 'Awakening.'

'Awakening' is the Phoenix, AZ quintet's third album and is scheduled for release in North America on October 4 and in Europe on October 3.

Tracklist:

1. Awakening
2. Promised Ones
3. Bottomfeeder
4. I'm Bad News, In The Best Way
5. The Reign
6. 40 Days...
7. Bones Crew
8. Don't Say Goodbye
9. Undefeated
10.'Till the Death of Me
11. Flatline
12. Meet Me at the Gates

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great vinyl article from the other side of the world!

Not A Broken Record

Purists of sound now have cause for hope. LPs are getting a new lease on life

Arpita Basu

Think gleaming black vinyl spinning softly on the polished turntable, the stylus delicately coaxing music out of the spiral groove. Now, think Salman Khan. Because, from that seductively spinning disc, wafts not some soulful strain of yore, but the Dhinka Chika beats of Salman’s latest blockbuster Ready.

Walk into any music store that’s up to speed—we’re talking 331/3 rpm here—and you’ll find dedicated shelves of long-playing (LP) records with titles ranging from Pakeezah to Patiala House and Mughal-e-Azam to Mohabbatein. With music majors EMI India, Sony India, T-series and Saregama going into retro mode, LP records are getting their groove back in India, and audiophiles are all ears. All eyes too, as they go on the look-out for new turntables to buy or old, dusty ones to spruce up.

It’s a revival that managing director of Nova Audio, Sushil Anand, is following very closely. The proprietor of Mumbai’s first vinyl-only store, which opened its doors last week, Anand says, “Internationally, vinyl never died. It was in a state of hibernation or limbo, but the last two years have seen a spurt (in popularity) abroad.”

As big-name artists and underground bands released their albums in LP format along with the usual CDs and MP3s, India too caught on. In recent months, says Anand, the market has expanded exponentially in India. It’s this audience that Anand wants to indulge at his store, where customers can listen to not just turntables but also to records of their choosing.

Read more of this interesting article at outlookindia.com

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fantastic interview with one of my favorite bands!

Alkaline Trio's Dan Andriano Discusses 15 Years as a Band, Song Meanings, and Violent Femmes

By Melissa Fossum

To celebrate 15 years as a band, Alkaline Trio released a semi-acoustic greatest hits album called Damnesia earlier this month, which features a couple new songs from the band and a Violent Femmes cover.

Alkaline Trio is scheduled to play at The Nile Theater on Sunday, July 24 with fellow Chicagoans, The Smoking Popes.

We caught up with Dan Andriano to discuss the history of Alkaline Trio, the band's feelings about the band's classic album Goddamnit and some of his favorite musicians.

Read the interview at blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com

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and in music history for today, July 23rd:

"Maybellene," Chuck Berry's debut single was released in 1955.

In 1966, Frank Sinatra had the top selling album in the US with 'Strangers In The Night.' The LP would be the most successful of his career, being certified Platinum for 1 million copies sold in the US. The title track would earn him two Grammy awards for Record Of The Year and Best Male Vocal Performance.

In 1966, country star Roger Miller reached Billboard's Hot 100 with a novelty tune called "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd". It will climb to #40.



Also in 1966, "Sunny" by Bobby Hebb enters the Billboard charts, where it will reach #2 during an 11 week run. The song was written for Bobby's brother, who had been killed by a mugger in 1963, and started out as an album filler until it was picked for a single release. The record rose to #12 in the UK.

"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Ha!" by Napoleon XIV was released in 1966.



Foreigner's "Cold As Ice" was released in 1977.

In 1977, Judas Priest began its first U.S. tour in Oakland, CA, as the opening act for Led Zeppelin.

In 1977, Who drummer Keith Moon joined Led Zeppelin on stage during a gig at The Forum, Inglewood, Los Angles playing a duet with Zeppelin drummer John Bonham before taking to the microphone and attempting to sing.

In 1979, the Ayatollah Khomenini banned all forms of rock and roll in Iran, claiming it had a corrupting influence. (apparently so did he....)

In 1980, Keith Godchaux (Grateful Dead) died of injuries that he sustained in a car accident in Marin County, CA.

In 1983, The Police went to #1 on the U.S. album chart with Synchronicity. The album spent a total of seventeen weeks at No.1. Also today The Police kicked off the North American leg of their Synchronicity 107-date world tour at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois.

In 1986, "Walk Like an Egyptian " was released by the Bangles.

In 1987, the remaining Beatles sue EMI for $40 million in back royalties and the rights to their catalog. (they didn't have enough money?)

In 1988, after forty-nine weeks on the U.S. album chart, 'Hysteria' by Def Leppard went to the #1 position.

In 1989, Ringo Starr launched his first tour since the break-up of the Beatles with a show in Dallas. Starr began the concert with his 1971 hit "It Don't Come Easy". His backup band included guitarist Joe Walsh, organist Billy Preston and Bruce Springsteen's sax man Clarence Clemons.

In 1994, the International Astronomical Union named an asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter after Frank Zappa, who had died the previous December.

The Woodstock 99 festival opened in Rome, NY in 1999.

In 2010, surgical instruments allegedly used to conduct Elvis Presley's autopsy were removed from an upcoming auction amid doubts about their authenticity. Forceps, needle injectors, rubber gloves and a toe tag were among the items that were expected to fetch about $14,000 at Chicago, Illinois' Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. The so-called "memorabilia" was supposedly kept by a senior embalmer at the Memphis funeral home where the singer's body was stored prior to his funeral, but the claims were questioned after another employee revealed that the equipment was sterilized and used again in other autopsies.

lots of birthdays today including Cleveland Duncan (Penguins) (76), Tony Joe White (68), Andy MacKay (Roxy Music) (65), David Essex (64), Ian Thomas (61), Martin Gore (Depeche Mode) (50), Nick Menza (Megadeth) (47), Slash (born Saul Hudson) (46), Alison Krauss (40)

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

great vinyl story!

His musical romance, selling vinyl in Cotati

By Marie Thomas McNaughton / Cotati Correspondent

Jim Cassero, child of the 1960s Bay Area rock and psychedelic music scene, musician, radio personality and owner of Cotati’s Amazing Records, is a full-blown romantic.

How else to explain his staking his livelihood on the appeal of used vinyl recordings?

“I do it for the love of it,” he agrees. “Retail is a slow build up, it takes time and the economy has taken away all the jing-jing-jingle in the pocket that goes for things like record purchases. I probably should have picked another way to earn a living.”

Read more of this inspiring story at cotati.towns.pressdemocrat.com

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Oscar & The Majestics Reissue

Gary's Oscar & The Majestics were a premier garage rock group in the mid–1960s.

The Steel City quartet were"region" contemporaries of such acclaimed Chicago–bred bands as the Buckinghams, Cryan' Shames and Shadows Of Knight.

Oscar & The Majestics shared a record label with the Buckinghams when signed to the ground–breaking, Chicago–based USA Records, which landed both groups air play on top hit–making stations of the era, including WLS–AM.

At long last, the complete 1960s recordings of Oscar & The Majestics (most being recorded at Chicago's legendary Chess Studios and produced by band leader Oscar Hamod) have been gathered and reissued for the first time by the national archival label Sundazed Records.

The 14–song collection, "No Chance Baby," comes out Tuesday and is being released as a limited edition vinyl LP and as a four-panel gatefold CD, both beautifully packaged with vintage photos, concert poster art, news clippings, and a well–written history of the legendary region group.

Read more at nwitimes.com

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CASTEVET Releasing Vinyl Edition of 'Mounds of Ash' 

NYC's progressive-minded rockers CASTEVET, will be releasing a vinyl edition of the critically acclaimed 'Mounds of Ash,' via Richmond, VA's Forcefield Records. The album's oficial release date is August 30th, 2011, but preorders will begin shipping on July 30th. Mounds of Ash will be given the deluxe treatment in a limited run of white (100 copies) or black wax, lovingly packaged in full color jackets with black-lining on the inside.

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beautiful cover art!

 
PATHOLOGY: New Album Details Revealed 

San Diego-based brutal death metallers PATHOLOGY have completed work on their new album, "Awaken To The Suffering", for a September 13 release. The CD was recorded at Lambesis Studios (owned by AS I LAY DYING vocalist Tim Lambesis) in the band's hometown with producer Daniel Castleman (IMPENDING DOOM, AS I LAY DYING, WINDS OF PLAGUE). This will be PATHOPLOGY's first CD to feature the group's new lineup, including vocalist Jonathan Huber and second guitarist Kevin Schwartz, who have spent time on the road with their new bandmates during recent U.S. and European tours with DEICIDE and OBITUARY.

The artwork for "Awaken To The Suffering" was brought to life by the twisted mind of Pär Olofsson

Read more at Blabbermouth









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Conquest Of Steel Comments On New 7" Single

Conquest of Steel has issued the following statement about the band's new 7" single "Victorious in Defeat:"

"Recorded almost entirely live, these three tracks see the band moving away from the gravitas of their conceptual opus (Storm Sword – Rise of the Dread Queen) and re-discovering their metal roots with 'Paid in Steel'. 'Man of the Dragon' sees the band embracing the 'rock' in honour of their mentor and guide Ronnie James Dio and One Thousand Lives (of war) is pure adoration of the riff.

"These tracks featuring the bands best production to date (Greg Chandler, Priory Studios and Esoteric frontman) are bound to blow speakers around the globe! The Vinyl also features a live rendition of the classic 'I am Legend', from the bands sophomore release 'Hammer and Fist'. Mere mortals, wimps and posers beware! The True Metal Warriors have come to slay!

"The release is strictly limited to 333 hand numbered copies and is pressed on Blood Red Vinyl set inside a deluxe gatefold sleeve, with full colour inlay. Each copy comes with a hand-printed Conquest of Steel Patch and limited edition Plectrum.

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and in music history for today, July 22:

In 1956, while a song from his first recording session called "Blue Days, Black Nights" is receiving airplay in the UK, Buddy Holly heads back to a studio in Nashville to lay down additional tracks. He is currently appearing at live gigs billed as Buddy Holly and The Three Tunes.

In 1963, the Beatles' first US album, "Introducing The Beatles" was pressed by Vee-Jay Records, who thought they had obtained the legal rights from EMI affiliate, Trans-Global Records. When it was finally released in January, 1964, Capitol Records would hit Vee Jay with an injunction against manufacturing, distributing, advertising, or otherwise disposing of records by the Beatles. After a trial, Vee-Jay was allowed to release any Beatles records that they had masters of in any form until October 15th, 1964. After that time, they no longer had the right to issue any Beatles product.

In 1965, Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Bill Wyman appear in a London courtroom and are found guilty of "insulting behavior" for urinating against a London gas station wall. They argued that the owner had refused to give them the key to the men's room, but they are fined five pounds each.

In 1967, the Doors performed "Crystal Ship" and "Light My Fire" on American Bandstand.

Also in 1967, Vanilla Fudge made their concert debut in New York.

In 1971, thirteen days after lead singer Jim Morrison passed away, The Doors are awarded a Gold album for "L.A. Woman". The L.P. included "Lover Her Madly" and "Riders on the Storm".

In 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent the second day filming the “Imagine” promotional film at their home in Tittenhurst Park Ascot, England. Today's footage included the morning walk on the grounds though the mist and John Lennon singing “Imagine” in the white room on his white piano.



In 1977, Elvis Costello's first album, "My Aim Is True," was released in Britain. It was later released in the U.S

In 1994, more than 54,000 fans packed Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as Billy Joel and Elton John performed the first of five concerts together.

In 1996, Scottish folk singer Donovan was forced to postpone a comeback tour of the US because of a 30-year-old marijuana conviction in Britain. American authorities delayed granting him a waiver to enter the country. The tour was designed to promote Donovan's first album of new material in a dozen years.

Also in 1996, the parents of a teen-age murder victim sued the band Slayer contending that the band's lyrics were "satanic" and inspired 3 teen-age boys to rape, torture and stab the girl to death.

In 1999, Gary "Gar" Samuelson, the drummer for Megadeth from 1984 through 1987, died of liver failure at the age of 41.

In 2005, Eugene Record, the lead singer of The Chi-lites, died of cancer at the age of 65. The group is most often remembered for the 1972 US #1 single "Oh Girl" and 1972 UK #3 single "Have You Seen Her".



In 2006, Johnny Cash was at #1 on the U.S. album chart with American V: A Hundred Highways. Released posthumously on July 4, the vocal parts were recorded before Cash’s death, but the instruments were not recorded until 2005.

birthdays today (among others) include George Clinton (70), Bobby Sherman (68) and Don Henley (Eagles) (64)

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

found this on YouTube, Steinweiss was a genius!

Alex Steinweiss 1917-2011




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gotta love this story!

Spin cycle: Resurgence of vinyl records means new business up their sleeve

The print shop at the Record Jacket Corp. is dim, loud and hot. A single fan pushes the humid air around, and concrete walls and corrugated metal ceiling do their best to trap it inside.

The Wade Ave. workshop near Bloor St. and Lansdowne Ave., all 2,000 square feet of it, looks like an industrial relic, but it just opened in the spring.

A Winkler und Dünnebier record sleeve fabricating machine, 31 feet long and 2 tonnes of steel, takes up a third of the space. Manually operated, it can cut, fold and glue up to 10,000 12-inch record jackets per hour. The machine was made in the 1970s and fell out of use, but just like vinyl sales, has been resuscitated.

Co-owners Paul Miller and Alex Durlak, both 30, and sole employee Jason Cousineau, have tattoos and facial hair. Giant Mac screens sit on the office desks. Close friends, Miller and Durlak bonded over a mutual love of art, music and record collecting.

In 2010, a chance to buy the machine arose, and they decided to combine talents and clients to tap into a vinyl production market that, in Canada, had all but disappeared.

The new venture is one of only two record jacket companies in the country.

Read the rest at thestar.com

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wonderful story of a small label and the love of music

Indie record labels expand their releases to meet demands

Written by Justin Jacobs

"It all started a few years back," said Jimmy Peoni. "I was on my way home from a show in Cincinnati, and we stopped in Shelbyville to use a restroom. This bathroom was foul, man, and there was a glory hole in the stall -- the worst I'd ever seen in my life. It looked like it'd been blown open by dynamite.

"I've been back -- that bathroom, that devil's playground, it no longer exists."

The glory hole may be gone, but Glory Hole lives on. Named for that Shelbyville bathroom and dreamed up one night behind Radio Radio, Glory Hole Records is Peoni's one-man label that has released 7-inch records from local acts like Vacation Club and The Kemps, and has been gaining fans and recognition.

Read the rest at indystar.com

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Rare Never Seen Before Beatles' Photos Sell For Big Bucks!

Never-before seen photographs of the Beatles' first US concert in Washington DC have been sold in New York for more than 360,000 dollars

The Fab Four played their first US concert on February 11 1964, at the Washington Coliseum, two days after their debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Mike Mitchell, of Washington, was 18 at the time and took photographs just feet away. Fifty silver gelatin prints he made from negatives were sold individually at Christie's auction house.







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URIAH HEEP To Release 'Live In Armenia' In September

Frontiers Records will release URIAH HEEP's "Live In Armenia" 2CD+DVD package and on a limited 2LP gatefold sleeve version (including only the audio portion) on September 23 in Europe and September 27 in North America

Tracklist:

CD1:

01. Wake The Sleeper
02. Overload
03. Tears Of The World
04. Stealin'
05. Book Of Lies
06. Gypsy
07. Look At Yourself
08. What Kind Of God
09. Angels Walk With You
10. Shadow

CD2:

01. July Morning
02. Easy Livin'
03. Sunrise
04. Sympathy
05. Lady In Black

DVD:

01. Wake the Sleeper
02. Overload
03. Tears Of The World
04. Stealin'
05. Book Of Lies
06. Gypsy
07. Look At Yourself
08. What Kind of God
09. Angels Walk With You
10. Shadow
11. July Morning
12. Easy Livin'
13. Sunrise
14. Sympathy
15. Lady In Black

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and in music history for today:

In 1956, Billboard magazine calls Elvis Presley "the most controversial entertainer since Liberace." The article also notes that Ed Sullivan, who once said Presley would never appear on his show, just signed the singer for three appearances.

In 1958, "Hard Headed Woman" by Elvis Presley was the top tune on the Billboard chart.

In 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played the first of three nights at the Cafe-a-Go-Go in New York City.

In 1969, The Beatles started work on the John Lennon song “Come Together” at Abbey Road studios in London.

'Master of Reality" by Black Sabbath was released in 1971.

Also in 1971, Carole King was having a very good week. Her single "It's Too Late" sat on top of Billboard's singles chart and she received a Gold album for "Tapestry". The LP, released four months earlier, was the number one album in the US for 15 weeks and would stay on Billboard's Top 200 album chart for 292 weeks.

In 1973, Jim Croce started a two-week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” Jim said that the Leroy Brown character was inspired by a tough guy that he had met in the army a few years earlier. Croce was killed in a plane crash three months later

In 1977, the Sex Pistols made their debut on U.K. music TV show Top of the Pops.

In 1979, Robert Palmer's "Bad Case Of Loving You" was released.

In 1980, AC\DC released "Back In Black." It was their first album with Brian Johnson as lead singer.

In 1987, Guns 'n Roses released their debut album, "Appetite For Destruction."

In 1990, Roger Waters’ performance of The Wall took place at the Berlin Wall in Potzdamer Platz, Berlin. More than 200,000 people attended and the event was broadcast live throughout the world. Van Morrison, Bryan Adams, Joni Mitchell, Scorpions, Cyndi Lauper, Sinead O’Connor and others took part.

Oasis played their first show in the U.S. in New York in 1994.

In 2003, Brandon Cruz left the Dead Kennedys to spend more time with his family. He was originally a child actor on the program The Courtship of Eddie's Father



In 2005, U.K. singer Long John Baldry died of a chest infection. He was one of the founding fathers of British Rock ’n’ Roll in the 1960s, performing with Blues Incorporated and Cyril Davies’ R&B All Stars. He later fronted the Hoochie Coochie Men, with Rod Stewart and then Steam Packet with Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll. Also a member of Bluesology with Elton John. He also narrated Winnie the Pooh recordings for Disney and was the voice for Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game.

In 2006, The Rolling Stones were the top touring band in the world for the first half of 2006, reporting $147.3 million in grosses from 45 shows in US arenas and international stadiums.

The iTunes Music Store reached 8 billion songs sold in 2009.

birthdays today include (among others) Jim Martin (Faith No More) (50), Barry Whitwam (Herman's Hermits) (65) and Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) (63)