Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Presents : A Live Stream with Los Lobos

Presents: A Live Stream With Los Lobos

Featuring a Live Performance, Q&A and a Special Announcement about  Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2020

July 21, 2020 - San Francisco, CA  - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass will be presenting a live stream on July 25th at 4 pm PT with Los Lobos.  The Grammy award-winners have a rich history with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, having played the festival in 2007, 2013, 2015 and 2018. “After months of lockdown, Los Lobos is honored and happy to report we will be doing our first show all together again for our friends at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass,” says Steve Berlin. “We have a special relationship with HSB going back decades and many epic shows, so we are really looking forward to getting back on stage together and ushering in the festival’s 20th anniversary.”

The broadcast will be hosted by the festival’s Artist Relations Manager Bonnie Simmons and will include a live performance and a Q&A where the band will be sharing some of their favorite memories from HSB and taking questions from fans. In addition, Bonnie and Los Lobos will discuss what Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has in store for fans and the music community this October. The live stream will be broadcast through the HSB Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Nugs.tv pages and at  HardlyStrictlyBluegrass.com. Additionally, fans can sign up to be a part of the interactive portion of the Live Stream, where Los Lobos will be taking questions and talking to fans,  HERE.  Fans who sign up will be alerted via email on the morning of the 25th with a Zoom link to join the event.  Safety is a top priority for the live stream, and HSB has developed a strict protocol for artists and crew working on the event observing the social distancing guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control. Los Lobos have been major advocates for COVID-19 safety, most recently participating  in the Los Angeles County Medical Association’s “Put It On Campaign.”

“Los Lobos is the consummate live experience, delivering great energy and musicianship,” says HSB Executive producer Sheri Sternberg. “They really define all the elements that are important to the HSB community, fostering roots music, and the joy it brings to others. Their epic HSB  live sets have yielded incredible contributions to our archives, including covers of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ and Merle Haggard’s ‘Silver Wings.’ We are really excited they agreed to partner with us for this live stream.”

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass was founded by Warren Hellman in 2001.  The free annual outdoor festival celebrating American roots music in the historic Golden Gate Park was Hellman’s gift to the City of San Francisco.  What started as a venue for Hellman’s favorite artists to perform for the Bay Area community has grown into a festival that attracts several hundred thousand music fans from around the world, with over 80 bands on six stages.

"This is the great gift of Warren Hellman, the one and only, to not only the City of San Francisco,  but the world of music." - SF Chronicle

 Honoring the beautiful legacy of Warren and Chris Hellman, the festival is the single largest activity of the Hellman Foundation. Unlike any other major festival, it is offered free to the public with zero corporate sponsors or advertising. The Hellman Foundation supports organizations and initiatives primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area emphasizing social inclusion,  education,  youth development, and health and basic needs programs.

Please visit www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com, sign up for the newsletter,  and follow HSB on social media for more updates and information.  For more on the Hellman Foundation visit https://www.hellmanfoundation.org/. 

We are taking every precaution to protect our artists and crew from exposure to the pandemic, as noted above. We continue to monitor the situation in Los Angeles County,  including advisories from the CDC and the LA County Department of Public Health and will inform you if we change our program in response to changing circumstances.

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SHELLY PEIKEN RELEASES “HUMAN” FEAT. CHRISSIE HYNDE ON BACKGROUND VOCALS

SHELLY PEIKEN RELEASES 

“HUMAN” 

FEAT. CHRISSIE HYNDE ON BACKGROUND VOCALS

LISTEN TO “HUMAN”: HERE

Hit Songwriter Shelly Peiken has released her stunning version of “Human,” a song she co-wrote with  Mark McEntee from Divinyls. The song was released by the Divinyls in 1996 under the title “Human On The Inside,” and by the Pretenders in 1999, which was titled “Human,” which went on to become a chart  hit in the U.S., Uk and New Zealand. 

“To have a legend who writes mega-hits of her own, record YOUR song, is something that doesn’t happen for a songwriter every day…if ever,” Peiken told Guitar Girl Magazine. “I saw Chrissie backstage at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this year, and she confessed that the reason she cut “Human” is because it sounded more like The Pretenders than the material she was writing at the time. Now I’m excited to be releasing a version of my own. AND the icing on the cake is that CHRISSIE IS SINGING BACKING VOCALS WITH ME!”

Peiken wrote the lyrics to a song after having her feelings hurt by a close friend. The lyrics just poured out of her and onto a napkin she brought into a ladies room.. She was feeling raw and disappointed that a ”friend” could be so cruel. The next week she went into her very first session with Mark McEntee and the words on that napkin married beautifully with the major 7ths he was playing. 

“Human,” is just one of the many hit songs Peiken has penned throughout her incredible career. Peiken is responsible for the very first number one song of the new millennium, Christina Aguilera’s "What a Girl Wants" along with Aguilera’s "Come on Over Baby,” Meredith Brooks' "Bitch," Mandy Moore's "I Want to be With You," Brandy's "Almost Doesn't Count," Jessie J’s “Who You Are,” “Rotten To The Core” from Disney’s Descendents and hundreds more songs for artists such as Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Reba, Natasha Bedingfield, N'Sync, INXS, Celine Dion, Keith Urban, Mark Wills, Cher, Smash Mouth and more. Collectively her songs have sold an excess of 50 Million records (see the full list HERE). 

This year, for the very first time in her career Peiken is releasing an album of her own, 2.0 etc. coming out on August 28th.  The album sees Peiken revisiting a number of her biggest hits, along with a number of originals that include “Notebook,” a song written for her daughter, and  “George & John,” her love letter to the Beatles, that Parade Magazine called a “...beautifully dreamy original track laden with Beatles analogy and simply performed as a tribute both to the Fab Four and her own brilliance.”

Peiken got her start as a young writer in New York in the 90's, and has navigated the ever changing digital landscape and economy of the music industry. She has been a long time advocate for songwriters rights and is a founding member of SONA (Songwriters of North America), a creators’ rights advocacy organization that has been making a name for itself preserving the value of songs and songwriters in a new music marketplace.  

In 2018 she penned a memoir, Confessions of a Serial Songwriter, which gave a humorous and honest look at her career as a working songwriter who has navigated the shift from physical to digital, weathered ageism, sexism and most importantly, showcases her love for music and the pure joy that she gets from the creative process. The book was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Spoken Word Album at the 60th GRAMMY Awards. 

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TWO BIRD STONE RELEASES NEW TRACK “WHEN SOMEBODY CAN SEE YOUR SOUL” VIA AMERICAN SONGWRITER

 TWO BIRD STONE RELEASES NEW TRACK  

“WHEN SOMEBODY CAN SEE YOUR SOUL”  

VIA AMERICAN SONGWRITER 

 DEBUT  LP HANDS & KNEES OUT SEPTEMBER 11TH  

VIA SOUNDLY MUSIC 

LISTEN: “WHEN SOMEBODY CAN SEE YOUR SOUL”  

Two Bird Stone has released their newest single, “When Somebody Can See Your Soul,” a track from their forthcoming debut album, Hands & Knees, out on September 11th via Soundly Music. “When listening to a band for the first time, it’s endearing to come to the realization that the music one hears projects a first impression far different than what one might have been perceived if the group’s credentials on paper had been viewed first,” says American Songwriter in their premiere. “The new quartet comes together with a slew of accolades in performance, supporting musician roles, widespread touring, and impactful composition. On the other, Two Bird Stone presents a new song that, as opposed to the star-studded iconography of the band’s collective resume, comes across innocent and emotionally warming as a someone who wears their heart on their sleeve.” “There is a deep and beautiful mystery in a soul’s ability to recognize another in an instant,” says frontman Liam Thomas Bailey says of the song’s inspiration. “While ‘When Somebody Can See Your Soul’ tells a familiar romantic story in line with the concept of ‘love at first sight,’ the spirit of the song suggests that this phenomenon is platonic as well.” 

Two Bird Stone is a dynamic new band founded by string master Bailey which features some of Nashville’s and New York’s finest musicians. “When Somebody Can See Your Soul” follows previously released singles “If You Wanna Come Back,” the album’s title track “Hands & Knees” featuring Sarah Siskind, and “Shoebox Money.” Hands & Knees was co-produced by Bailey and friend and frequent collaborator Dan Rowe, who also contributed keys and vocals to the album.  

LISTEN: “IF YOU WANNA COME BACK” 

WATCH: “HANDS & KNEES ft. Sarah Siskind”  

LISTEN: “HANDS & KNEES ft. Sarah Siskind" 

LISTEN: “SHOEBOX MONEY” 

The music of Two Bird Stone is fueled by Bailey’s contemporary Americana songwriting and the group’s deep appreciation for the traditional fiddle music of Ireland, Scandinavia, and North America. Paying tribute to the many swirling cultures that make up the American identity, Two Bird Stone also carefully incorporates traditional melodies and musical tendencies of cultures abroad to reflect the dimensions of this land’s powerful diversity. In lieu of the preservation of traditional material in any strict sense, Two Bird Stone likes to function as a lens through which an audience gets a fresh look at the culture of traditional tune sharing and the instruments upon which we would generally hear them played. 

Before spinning off to form Two Bird Stone, Bailey was a highly sought-after Nashville studio and road musician; he also worked in commercial post-production with bandmate, Chad Kelly (accordion), a two-time Emmy Award nominee who has composed original music for numerous award-winning and critically acclaimed films and documentaries. Bailey and bandmate Judd Fuller (bass, mandolin, background vocals) traveled the world together for 11 years as members of Nashville country star Rodney Atkins’ touring band. Fuller has also toured and performed with Peter Wolf from The J. Geils Band, Bo Diddley, Carly Simon, and more. New York-based percussionist, composer, and educator Rohin Khemani rounded out the lineup. Known as an extremely versatile and eclectic musician, his sound can be heard on a wide variety of projects weaving through the worlds of jazz, world music, rock, folk, and electronica. Khemani was a founding member of Red Baraat and co-leads the band Surface To Air Trio with guitarist Jonathan Goldberger and bassist Jonti Siman. He has performed for audiences at some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Monterey Jazz Festival, and more. 

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LOS ANGELES BAND LOVE GHOST RELEASE “OUTER SPACE” SINGLE

“ The L.A. rockers sound as bratty as any of multi-platinum miscreants who’ve had hits on KROQ, but they fall in more with the play-actin’ bad boys. What the song reflects, though, is having come of age in an era when popular culture glorifies materialism and hedonism, which makes it the saddest kind of parody: funny but true.” - Buzzbands

“Drawing on the grungy, hip-hop-meets-rock, sardonically sunny ‘90s, these guys come across as nostalgic – for those of us that remember the decade – but with enough modern shaping to remain original and fresh.” -V13

LISTEN TO “OUTER SPACE” : HERE

 “….tinged in a backdrop of grunge, the song sounds perfectly tuned with just the right melodic atmosphere." - Grimy Goods

Introspective Los Angeles based band Love Ghost has released their grunge-inspired single "Outer Space." “When I was younger I would lay on our roof at night and look at the stars, thinking about escaping my problems,” lead singer and guitarist Finn Bell told Grimy Goods. “The vastness of space can humble and inspire you at the same time.” The song, like much of Bell’s songwriting, reflects and feeling like an outsider.  This song is the follow up to their last single, "I'll Be Fine" released for Mental Health Awareness month in May. The poignant track that mixed elements of trap and rock,  had a powerful reaction from fans for its honesty and rawness garnering over 500K streams on Soundcloud with 500+ comments, over 1 Million views on Youtube with 1,000 comments and over 387K streams on Spotify. 

“Love Ghost invite their listener into a dark and gritty underworld of trap, emo rap, and rock influences on ‘I’ll Be “Fine”’, an emotionally dense track that chimes and writhes with despondency, suspense and toxic emotions.” - When the Horn Blows

“  Intermingling rock, hip hop, and trap influences into their music, Love Ghost has captured the angst that most teens are experiencing these days.” - Ghettoblaster Magazine

This song is one of many produced for Love Ghost by Danny Saber (The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper,  the Charlatans, Public Enemy etc.), for what will be two full EP's to be released this fall.  "I'll Be Fine" was the somber follow up to the lighthearted "Chasin Money and Bitches " single that was a comedic and hedonistic look on what it is that our culture values most, from the viewpoint of a teenager living in Los Angeles in 2020. Prior to that, the band released the grunge era-inspired  "Let It All Burn," with the accompanying scorcher of a video, directed by Dean Karr (Queens of the Stone Age, Mark Lanegan).  The song was featured on Spotify’s coveted "New Noise" playlist in addition to Apple’s "Breaking Hard Rock" and "Fresh Blood" playlists, having garnered over 1 Million streams since its release.

Love Ghost is Finnegan Bell (guitar and lead vocals), Ryan Stevens (bass and background vocals), Samson Young (drums and background vocals), Daniel Alcala (guitar) and Cory Batchler (keyboards). All of whom are fresh out of high school but have been playing together and writing songs since Junior High. Despite their young age, the band are seasoned international road warriors. Last year they toured Ireland, Japan, played the mainstage at Festival fff in Ambato, Ecuador, and most recently played a sold-out hometown show at Resident in Los Angeles. They have supported Buckcherry, Berlin, Smash Mouth, The Young Dubliners, The Tubes, Fuel, and Irish singer/songwriter Mundy. Their music videos have won numerous awards from over 30 film festivals around the world and the band was awarded Best Alternative Rock Band by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards and received The Jean Luc Goddard Award from Cult Critic Magazine.

KILLER WHALE RELEASES TRIPPY NEW VIDEO & ANNOUNCES NEW LP

KILLER WHALE PREMIERES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO 

“COMFORTABLE” WITH V13

NEW LP TASTES LIKE YESTERDAY OUT SEPTEMBER 18TH VIA DEVIL IN THE WOODS

Art: Lizzie Bilbrey

New Orleans-based band Killer Whale has shared “Comfortable,” the lead single and video from their forthcoming album Tastes Like Yesterday, out September 18th via Devil In The Woods. “Truly a gratifying audio-visual experience, the video takes you through many unconventional, at times hypnotic, scenes pulled right from the wildest side of your imagination,” says V13 in their premiere of the “psychedelic-tinged” new single and its accompanying “sensory-stimulating” video. “You’ll witness a set of eyes growing flowers, a rainbow-coloured dancer, and even an old-fashioned station wagon driving itself. Experiencing the video is like taking a walk down a winding road of twists and turns where the human mind is left to run wild. “‘Comfortable’ was inspired by growing more comfortable with my own self and the shedding of societal expectations of one’s own self,” says Killer Whale frontman and creative force Thomas Johnson. “I had reached a point in my life when I started feeling confident in my personality which in turn gave me more confidence in my art. This song tries to express that feeling when you begin to really feel comfortable just being who you are.”

WATCH: “COMFORTABLE”

LISTEN: “COMFORTABLE”

Somewhere between the rustic Louisiana bayou and dreamy California shores lies Killer Whale. With their colorful rhythms and rock n’ roll daydreams, they create a space that invites you in, tells you to make yourself at home, and hugs you as you walk in the door. Killer Whale, much like its creator, wanders between New Orleans, Austin, and San Francisco, bearing the melodic scars all that travel brings him. A mixture of genres, Killer Whale doesn’t subscribe to any one camp. Instead, it exudes them all. 

This kaleidoscope of sound oozes from every dreamy groove of the album’s 10 psychedelic, surf-infused, funk n' soul-tinged gems. With that kind of concoction, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to think that the songs would be a melee, an atonal mishmash that harkens back to the days of being different for different’s sake. Under the leadership of another musician, such might be the case, but Killer Whale melds everything together in the name of freaky good fun. 

“I’m not a perfectionist,” admits Johnson. “Yet I do want each new record to demonstrate some progression from what came before. I don’t necessarily want it to sound radically different, and I think Tastes Like Yesterday accomplishes that. I like the idea of each album hinting at what’s coming next without really being specific about that direction.” Though one can hear echoes of the band’s previous release Casual Crush, this album finds Johnson’s muse immersing him in a very seductive, mellow soul. “I’m from Louisiana, and New Orleans culture and music have always been an influence on me, whether consciously or not,” Johnson says. When asked how he describes his music, Johnson laughs and suggests it’s “Pontoon Soul.” Lead single “Comfortable” offers an example of this new genre; it’s swampy and murky, yet Johnson’s heavenly voice transcends, resulting in a song best described as drop-dead gorgeous. 

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MARKET JUNCTION RELEASES NEW SINGLE “OUT OF LOVE"

MARKET JUNCTION RELEASES NEW SINGLE 

“OUT OF LOVE" VIA THE BOOT

NEW LP BURNING BRIDGES SET FOR RELEASE ON AUGUST 7TH

Market Junction has released “Out Of Love,” the second from their forthcoming album Burning Bridges, due out August 7th. "Out of Love" tells the story of a couple that's, as the song's title track suggests, fallen out of love and are just going through the motions,” says The Boot in its premiere, calling the song “delicate” and “a cautionary tale.” “Melodically, ‘Out of Love’ is reminiscent of the Lumineers' hit "Cleopatra": A quiet piano opens the track, and is eventually joined by an acoustic guitar and simple drums. Prolonged sadness and heartache are palpable in Market Junction frontman Matt Parrish's voice. "When romance turns to routine, love gets flipped upside down," Parrish tells The Boot. "We see it all around us: nice family/home/job, little league, carpools, Sunday school, yet, another marriage eaten by the system. They pretend. It’s easier that way."

LISTEN: “OUT OF LOVE”

“Out Of Love” follows the release of lead single “Nebraska,” which explores the idea that home is not a physical place, but rather a connection to others, and that when we lose those connections, we feel uprooted. “Being out on the road is hard on a relationship, yet the constant war inside us wages between the dreams we chase and the people we love. Sometimes the road wins and we are left with nothing but our own wanderlust,” Parrish told American Songwriter, who called its lyrics “particularly poignant,” saying they “perfectly capture this sense of lonely restlessness.”

LISTEN: “NEBRASKA”

WATCH: "NEBRASKA"

Parrish and Market Junction co-founder Justin Lofton, both award-winning songwriters, set out on a journey to create the kind of music they not only loved to listen to but music that they loved to play. Since those early days, the band expanded its lineup to include Taylor Hilyard on bass guitar and Michael Blattel on drums, sharing stages with Cory Morrow, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jack Ingram, Radney Foster, and more. 

“We’ve done nothing the conventional way”, says Parrish. “It’s taken us nine years to figure out who we are and what direction we want to take our careers,” adds Lofton. The combination of lyrical prowess and Lofton’s fretboard mastery has resulted in a sound that is rooted in place and time, but that transcends both. While the band has found success in their beloved home state of Texas, they are ready to show the rest of the world what they can do. The wait will have been well worth it for Americana music fans across the country - each of the 10 tracks on Burning Bridges tell one story, one of a young man learning about love and its consequences. Sometimes the heartbreak spurs the traveling, and other times the traveling is the cause of the heartbreak. Either way, Burning Bridges will break your heart in the best kind of way, and have you reaching for the keys.

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MATT LOVELL RELEASES DEBUT LP "NOBODY CRIES TODAY"

OUT NOW: 

MATT LOVELL’S DEBUT LP NOBODY CRIES TODAY

Photo: Jason Lee Denton

"Lovell lends his smooth tenor to well-crafted and soulful songs about love, loss and finding his way in a complicated world. It’s a promising if not especially groundbreaking debut for a singer willing to range around with confidence even when he’s wrestling with complicated subjects. The songs…hold together in a soothing package that conveys a healthy disregard for musical boundaries" - The Associated Press

“Need some escapism? Matt Lovell has you covered” - PopDust

"Lovell knows how to tap into a part of himself that can bring the emotions…to the surface and doing so is all the more honorable, knowing the story he’s trying to tell, isn’t a made up screenplay; it’s one man being willing to revisit challenging parts of his life and do so with performative solemnity and grace." - American Songwriter

“Inspired by Lovell's own experience with pain and trauma…intended to serve as a light, reminding others it's possible to make it to the other side of their grief or misfortune” - Variance Magazine

“Singer-songwriter Matt Lovell grew up learning to sing three-part harmonies in a household steeped in soul and Southern gospel, influences which have wound their way into the music he makes today. Those roots anchor the tracks on his forthcoming LP, Nobody Cries Today” - Glide Magazine 

“The album offers great variety and showcases Lovell’s natural songwriting and lyrical talent... the album ebbs and flows, offering the listener something new at every turn…this album has something for everyone. We are excited to share it with the world”  - Groundsounds

"And while Lovell likes to ‘tell stories by first explaining how they end,’ this project feels like it’s just the beginning of something bigger" - Euphoria. Magazine

"The time is now right for Lovell to share his songs with the world, and you’ll be glad for that...Lovell writes and sings songs that easily put him on the same plane with Ray LaMontagne…and make no mistake. You can’t help but feel something when you hear the lyrics in these songs" - Americana Highways 

“A bit celebratory, and a bit haunting” - The Indy Review

“Ultra-soulful, expressive vocals…pure and honest emotion" - Sound Thread

“Matt Lovell boasts a vocal that is somewhere between Bernhoft, Adam Levine, and Ray LaMontagne. The combination is a winning one as it is a voice that seeks out your soul and connects with it immediately." - Chimeo 

“A beautiful country-soul album” - Adobe & Teardrops

“Beautiful riffs and calming guitar notes” - Unheard Gems

“Give it a listen. This is one you won’t want to miss.” - LA On Lock

"The moment I clicked play...I started smiling immediately" - Music is My Life

"This artist creates bewitching combinations...a gifted and talented singer-songwriter" - Independent Spirits

_____________________________________________________________

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Matt Lovell has released his debut album, Nobody Cries Today. Recorded in Nashville and produced by Jars Of Clay’s Matt Odmark, the album’s nine tracks encompass an eight-year journey of survival and self-acceptance. “Lovell’s gentle spirit shines throughout,” said The Associated Press in its review. “From the slow-roll gospel cuts, ‘Be Free’ and ‘The Gospel’ to the nostalgic closer ‘The Way That It Was,’ he always sounds at peace with himself….Lovell’s wheelhouse is blue-eyed soul, but the mix regularly suggests a variety of influences.” "There are two things that immediately stand out when listening to the record,” remarked Euphoria Magazine. “The first is Lovell’s beautiful, raspy voice that colours each song wonderfully. The second is the reliance on acoustic guitars throughout the album. This should come as no surprise – the singer-songwriter is based in Nashville, after all. But as tempting as it is, it would be a disservice to the distinct variety of influences to pin Lovell down to just one genre." 

LISTEN: NOBODY CRIES TODAY

“I often tell stories by first explaining how they end. Somehow the destination of a tale creates something like a center of gravity to draw all the details of the past towards the final point,” Lovell has said of his process. “The story told in these songs has had several endings and several beginnings, a natural byproduct when a project spans the course of so many years. In these years of writing and recording, I have gathered quite a wild palette of paints. In a way, Nobody Cries Today has actually been my teacher. As I have written these songs, each of them has been like a tiny rowboat to get me from one day to the next,” he said. “These songs have witnessed me in the years that I was in the throes of trying to find acceptance for myself and for the world I’m living in.  As a gay man of Southern origin, this proved to be a tall order. These songs have also helped me to explore things like zest for life, discontent, hunger, truth, and hope.”  

WATCH: “TROUBLE”

WATCH: “BE FREE”

WATCH: “ALLIGATOR LILLY” 

WATCH: “90 PROOF”  

All but one of the album’s songs were recorded in 2016 - just months before  Lovell nearly lost his life. On January 20, 2017, he was shot in the chest in Nashville by a sixteen-year-old who attempted to steal his car. Miraculously, he lived. “This moment created a new center of gravity and re-ordered my understanding of everything I’ve experienced in this lifetime,” he explains. “Many people who experience acute trauma go through somewhat of a euphoric period immediately after the incident occurs, and this was definitely my experience. The level of peace I felt was something I had never touched before. I wrote profusely, I gardened, I brought new life and vigor to my musical ventures, and I made peace with complicated friendships. More than anything, I found a level of great self-acceptance and this created space for me to begin to learn how to live this life.”  

This era ended with the abrupt onset of PTSD, causing the most difficult time Lovell had ever faced. He began to question everything and struggled to find a way to articulate the horrors he was experiencing.  Now, on the other side of recovery, Lovell is excited to sing these songs again for anyone who will listen. “In these years of writing and recording, I have gathered quite a wild palette of paints,” he says. “In a way, Nobody Cries Today has actually been my teacher.  As I have written these songs, each of them has been like a tiny rowboat to get me from one day to the next. They have witnessed me in the years that I was in the throes of trying to find acceptance for myself and for the world I’m living in.  As a gay man of Southern origin, this proved to be a tall order. These songs have also helped me to explore things like zest for life, discontent, hunger, truth, and hope,” he continues. “Nobody Cries Today contains every bit of earnestness, desire, and love that I have to give.” 

Nobody Cries Today is available for download at iTunes, Amazon Music, and Google Play. The album will be available on vinyl this fall - be sure to follow Matt Lovell at the links below for updates. 

NOBODY CRIES TODAY TRACKLIST

TROUBLE

90 PROOF

SABOTAGE

ALLIGATOR LILLY

BE FREE

NOBODY CRIES TODAY

DIME ADIOS (SAY GOODBYE TO ME) ft. Leigh Nash

THE GOSPEL

THE WAY THAT IT WAS

CONNECT WITH MATT LOVELL:

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TWO BIRD STONE SHARES NEW SINGLE & ANNOUNCES FORTHCOMING DEBUT LP

TWO BIRD STONE SHARES NEW SINGLE

 “IF YOU WANNA COME BACK” VIA FOLK RADIO UK 

DEBUT LP HANDS & KNEES OUT SEPTEMBER 11TH VIA SOUNDLY MUSIC

LISTEN: “IF YOU WANNA COME BACK”

Two Bird Stone is a dynamic new band founded by singer/songwriter Liam Thomas Bailey and featuring some of Nashville’s and New York’s finest musicians. The band formed in 2019 and will release their debut album, Hands & Knees, on September 11th via Soundly Music. “Just take a listen to ‘If You Wanna Come Back’ below whose gentle opener gradually builds in pace before hitting dance-pace, set off by a great Dirk Powell fiddle tune that will surely get your feet tapping,” said Folk Radio UK in their premiere of the track. “This story is told by a cheeky fellow who intends to convince his companion that his selfish absence is absolved by the depth of his return,” Bailey told Folk Radio UK. "The tenor of this track suggests that his love is true and that his commitment was fortified by his need to wander.” The satisfied mood of “If You Wanna Come Back” is reinforced by the bright and upbeat fiddle tune “Going Back To Fielden” by Dirk Powell that breaks after the hook. “If You Wanna Come Back” follows the release of  the album’s title track, featuring Sarah Siskind, and album track “Shoebox Money.”  Hands & Knees was co-produced by Bailey and friend and frequent collaborator Dan Rowe, who also contributed keys and vocals to the album. 

WATCH: “HANDS & KNEES ft. Sarah Siskind”

LISTEN: “HANDS & KNEES ft. Sarah Siskind"

LISTEN: “SHOEBOX MONEY”

The music of Two Bird Stone is fueled by Bailey’s contemporary Americana songwriting and the group’s deep appreciation for the traditional fiddle music of Ireland, Scandinavia and North America. Paying tribute to the many swirling cultures that make up the American identity, Two Bird Stone also carefully incorporates traditional melodies and musical tendencies of cultures abroad to reflect the dimensions of this land’s powerful diversity. In lieu of the preservation of traditional material in any strict sense, Two Bird Stone likes to function as a lens through which an audience gets a fresh look at the culture of traditional tune sharing and the instruments upon which we would generally hear them played.

Before spinning off to form Two Bird Stone, Bailey was a highly sought-after Nashville studio and road musician; he also worked in commercial post-production with bandmate, Chad Kelly (accordion), a two-time Emmy Award nominee who has composed original music for numerous award-winning and critically acclaimed films and documentaries. These include Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, an official selection of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and distributed by Roadside Attractions, Starz Network’s The Big Bad Swim, ESPN Films’ The Zen of Bobby V, and the 30 For 30 feature "The Third Man." He has also composed for HBO Documentary Films’ Andrew Jenks, Room 335, The Alzheimer’s Project, and the five-time Emmy Award-winning film, The Real McCoy. Bailey and bandmate Judd Fuller (bass, mandolin, background vocals) traveled the world together for 11 years as members of Nashville country star Rodney Atkins’ touring band. Fuller has also toured and performed with Peter Wolf from The J. Geils Band, Bo Diddley, Entrain, and Carly Simon. New York-based percussionist, composer, and educator Rohin Khemani rounded out the lineup. Known as an extremely versatile and eclectic musician, his sound can be heard on a wide variety of projects weaving through the worlds of jazz, world music, rock, folk and electronica. Khemani was a founding member of Red Baraat and co-leads the band Surface to Air Trio with guitarist Jonathan Goldberger and bassist Jonti Siman. He has performed for audiences at some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Sauti Za Busara in Zanzibar, Tanzania, The Monterey Jazz Festival, The London 2012 Olympic Games, and Peter Gabriel's WOMAD Festivals in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

HANDS & KNEES TRACKLIST

HANDS AND KNEES

SHOEBOX MONEY

ME AND MY FRIENDS

WAKE ME UP

WHEN SOMEBODY CAN SEE YOUR SOUL

IF YOU WANNA COME BACK

THE 99

I ALREADY KNOW WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND

NEEDLE AND THREAD

DRVIE IT ’TIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF

CONNECT WITH TWO BIRD STONE:

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NATALIE SCHLABS RELEASES TIMELY NEW SONG “GO OUTSIDE”

NATALIE SCHLABS PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “GO OUTSIDE” 

VIA ONES TO WATCH 

NEW LP DON’T LOOK TOO CLOSE  SET FOR RELEASE  ON OCTOBER 16TH 

Schlabs’ voice possesses an audible kindness to it that allows her to carry her performance with the calmness and sincerity necessary to portray a song crafted on the kind of love that overreaches any one type of relationship. - American Songwriter  

Stirring songs...defined by the seamless convergence of her crystalline vocals, introspective lyricism and soaring melodies  - Albumism 

If your life feels like an endless struggle right now...Natalie Schlabs has a message of hope for you. - Audiofemme 

Lyrical sincerity with gorgeous melodies...Natalie Schlabs delivers gilded, Americana-infused sweetness in a song that feels immediately timeless" - Atwood Magazine 

Brings to mind the timeless and melodic pop of the ’70s (plus some crisp Rilo Kiley-esque guitar hooks) with sweet lyrics about someone coming into your life” - Spectral Nights 

Mellow, yet upbeat, and it fills the heart and mind with thoughts and feelings about those that you hold dear. - The Indy Review

Photo credit: Fairlight Hubbard

Natalie Schlabs has unveiled timely new single “Go Outside,” a track from her forthcoming album Don’t Look Too Close, due out October 16th. “‘Go Outside’ is the perfect indie soundtrack to a summer afternoon,” said Ones To Watch in its premiere. “The airy acoustic guitars and dreamy vocals give the song a magic quality, as if it were a spell to coax you (safely!) out of wherever you've been quarantining. The delicate harmonies and swaying effects feel like a fresh breeze blowing through a field of flowers. More than anything, this song showcases the simple beauty of everyday life.” Schlabs wrote the song as “a reminder to put down my phone and pursue activities that fill me with a tangible sense of the world and my 'flesh and bone' neighbor outside my door,” she explains. “To be outside is to be surrounded by a world I can't control and beauty I did not have to create myself. I can let go of some of my control and simply be.”

LISTEN: “GO OUTSIDE”  

“Go Outside” follows encouragement anthem “See What I See,” and “Home Is You,” a song about that person who is your “person.” Schlabs enlisted fellow artists and friends like Robby Hecht, the members of Oliver the Crow, Betsy Phillips, and gospel/soul powerhouse Liz Vice for the endearing “Home Is You” video. “Even with COVID-19 keeping many of us apart, artists everywhere are still finding ways to put forth creativity and hope,” said Underground Music Collective of the video. “‘With ‘Home Is You,’ we get a personal look at the quality time spent between loved ones — all of whom happen to be singing along to this undeniably catchy tune.”

LISTEN: “SEE WHAT I SEE”   

LISTEN: “HOME IS YOU”  

WATCH: “HOME IS YOU” 

The nine tracks that comprise Don’t Look Too Close, the second full-length effort from the Texas-bred Nashville-based artist, live in the tension between the beauty and heartbreak surrounding our closest relationships. The songs were written when Schlabs was pregnant with her first child, which caused a lot of reflection on her own upbringing and how she wanted to raise him. The album’s title came from the idea that "he’s going to see all the worst of me, be hurt by the worst of me, as much as I don’t want him to, and, as much as I want to be the best for him. I was thinking about how to raise a child, how to pass down values. There’s a dismantling of what I thought I knew,” she explains. “What do I value in my life and where did those things come from? What do I want to share with my children and what do I want to spare them from?”  

Don’t Look Too Close steps into indie territory with a compelling mix of instrumentation laced with solo vocals that bloom into easy, delicate harmonies. Co-produced by Juan Solorzano and Zachary Dyke, with Caleb Hickman on saxophone and Joshua Rogers on bass, the album swells and ebbs with elegant, absorbing shapes. The songs are moody, candid, and tender, each featuring Schlabs’ characteristically sleek vocals front-and-center, backed by charming instrumental moments that add form and depth to the melodies.     

CONNECT WITH NATALIE SCHLABS: 

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Spotify || YouTube || Bandcamp

KONATA SMALL & ZAYDE WØLF RELEASE “RUN THIS TOWN”

KONATA SMALL & ZAYDE WØLF RELEASE  

 “RUN THIS TOWN”

“ZAYDE WØLF has slowly but surely started to take over the world.” - Alternative Addiction

LISTEN TO “RUN THIS TOWN”: HERE

Alt Rock chart topper Zayde Wølf has teamed up with hip hop artist Konata Small for the release of the epic new track “Run This Town.”  “Producer Al Cres had this dope sampled guitar riff and this rad jungle rhythm that felt so sick together,” says Dustin Burnett (aka Zayde Wølf). Then I heard this shouty group vocal chant followed by some nasty lines Konata had written. At that point I knew I had to find a way to sing on the track. The guys let me rework the chorus a little and help square up some additional production.” 

“Perhaps the perfect description of ZAYDE is simply the dark rock child of Imagine Dragons and The Black Keys.” - Ones to Watch 

“ZAYDE WØLF is unconventional, in every sense of the word. Scrawling a poetic lyric on a massive pop-rock wall of sound--hinting at Imagine Dragons and Bastille influence.”  - Pop Dust

Konata Small has been on his grind for the better part of a decade. As a member of acclaimed hip-hop trio Rhema Soul, he toured the world, became a regular presence on the national conference circuit, and released five lauded albums. His music has been featured on Netflix, HBO, Showtime MTV, and many others. On his debut project  Est. 1997, Konata proved once again that he is a force. Featuring masterful production by Al Cres (Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, BEAM) that spans the gamut of boom bap and trap soul, Konata is at his best and most self-actualize. He knows who he is and where he is going. 

“Run this Town” is ripe for our times. “ Identity is everything, “ says Konata, “you must know who you are to make a lasting impact.  We must decide to take control of our future in spite of stereotypes, agendas, and obstacles. We’re gonna RUN this town.“ 

With ZAYDE WØLF, Burnett has built a reputation for music that inspires, motivates and most importantly connects. His latest full-length album Modern Alchemy charted in over 25 countries on the iTunes overall charts and debuted in the top ten Alternative charts here in the U.S. Since he started releasing music just a few short years ago, the ZAYDE WØLF has grown to 217K YouTube subscribers, 70 million views, and his music has been streamed over 30 million times.  His musical success has led to placements in hundreds of films, TV shows, trailers, commercials, and video games. The list includes Shameless, Skyscraper movie, Love-Simon movie, the Jack Reacher 2, The Maze Runner 3, Pride Prejudice & Zombies, spots for UFC, MLB, NFL, Dodge, Jeep, WWE, Xbox, NBA, and more. Burnett has also creatively expanded his reach by cultivating relationships with partners such as Dude Perfect, one of the top YouTube sports channels with over 40 Million subscribers and 7 Billion views. "I get all these emails, sometimes one a week,” Burnett told Billboard, “with all these stories about how the music has moved people in some way. I wanted to continue to make music for people to be inspired by." Most recently Burnett has been getting notes about how his music has been a beacon of light shining through the heavy cloud of uncertainty the world finds itself in.  “Your songs are pure power, and are helping this immunocompromised family navigate such strange times, and to appreciate what's important,” read an email that came in from Australia. “We are all definitely living life like we never have....”

 KEEP UP WITH KONATA SMALL

https://www.konatasmall.com/

http://www.twitter.com/konatasmall

http://www.instagram.com/konatamsmall

http://www.facebook.com/konatasmall

http://youtube.com/konatasmall

KEEP UP WITH ZAYDE WØLF

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SHELTER IN PLACE BORN PROJECT ATWATER PUNX RELEASE THEIR DEBUT EP THE FLEA DRAWS BLOOD

QUARANTINE BORN FAMILY PROJECT ATWATER PUNX

RELEASE THEIR DEBUT EP THE FLEA DRAWS BLOOD

LISTEN TO THE FLEA DRAWS BLOOD : HERE

Los Angeles band Atwater Punx, named after their Atwater Village neighborhood have released their debut EP The Flea Draws Blood, out today worldwide.

Atwater Punx is the brainchild of Stacy  (American Hi-Fi, Letters to Cleo etc.)  and Kristen Wagner Jones (Shut Up Stella, Bullet & Snowfox). Both Jones’ have spent their careers making music, but it was the birth of their son Waylon that drove them to make music together. The couple started to put together ideas around Waylon’s naptime and after he went to bed in their home studio. The shelter in place orders issued in Los Angeles, where the couple lives, trigger their creativity and with the forced time off they finished the first three Atwater Punx songs inspired by bands like The Clash and Bikini Kill.

“‘Ghost Town’ has elements of bands like Rancid mixed with some of the dance-punk of Le Tigre, but combined with the more pop side of things that Jones has been dabbling in lately.” - If It’s Too Loud

They released their first single, “Ghost Town” earlier this month. The song, like the project, was inspired by being in quarantine and is about the isolation and disconnection of a once busy city turned quiet and nearly completely still, overnight.

“Melding together aggressive keys with Stacy and Kristen’s razor-sharp vocal, “Ghost Town” packs a punch upon first listen and has listeners hitting replay for more.’ - Culture Collide

The driving and adrenaline-filled track “Annie”, is about the angst, energy, and aggression of youth, and the crushing third track “Drums of Death,” a hybrid of ‘Check Your Head’ era Beastie Boys and the noise-pop sound of Sleigh Bells, pays homage to a fearless female protagonist. A born fighter who is a true adversary to anyone standing in her path.

Atwater Punx continue to be inspired and are working on new music. Stay tuned!

KEEP UP WITH ATWATER PUNX

https://www.instagram.com/atwaterpunx/

https://www.instagram.com/kristenaelaine

https://www.instagram.com/stacyglenjones

MARKET JUNCTION ANNOUNCES NEW LP WITH THE RELEASE OF LEAD SINGLE "NEBRASKA"

MARKET JUNCTION UNVEILS NEW SINGLE “NEBRASKA” VIA AMERICAN SONGWRITER

NEW LP BURNING BRIDGES SET FOR RELEASE  ON AUGUST 7TH

Photo Credit: Jason Allison

Houston, Texas-based folk/Americana band Market Junction has announced their forthcoming album Burning Bridges, due out August 7th, with the release of lead single “Nebraska.” “Home is not a place. It is a connection to another person,” golden-voiced vocalist Matt Parrish told American Songwriter of the songs’s inspiration. “When you lose those people, you feel uprooted, disconnected, and lost. Being out on the road is hard on a relationship, yet the constant war inside us wages between the dreams we chase and the people we love. Sometimes the road wins and we are left with nothing but our own wanderlust.” American Songwriter called its lyrics “particularly poignant,” saying they “perfectly capture this sense of lonely restlessness.”

LISTEN: “NEBRASKA”

Burning Bridges“features the kind of deft songwriting that has earned Parrish and guitarist/keyboardist Justin Lofton accolades since the band’s debut,” adds American Songwriter. Parrish and Lofton, both award-winning songwriters, set out on a journey to create the kind of music they not only loved to listen to but music that they loved to play. Since those early days, the band expanded its lineup to include Taylor Hilyard on bass guitar and Michael Blattel on drums, sharing stages with Cory Morrow, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jack Ingram, Radney Foster and more. 

“We’ve done nothing the conventional way”, says Parrish. “It’s taken us nine years to figure out who we are and what direction we want to take our careers,” adds Lofton. The combination of lyrical prowess and Lofton’s fretboard mastery has resulted in a sound that is rooted in place and time, but that transcends both. While the band has found success in their beloved home state of Texas, they are ready to show the rest of the world what they can do. The wait will have been well worth it for Americana music fans across the country - each of the 10 tracks on Burning Bridges tell one story, one of a young man learning about love and its consequences. Sometimes the heartbreak spurs the traveling, and other times the traveling is the cause of the heartbreak. Either way, Burning Bridges will break your heart in the best kind of way, and have you reaching for the keys.   

TRACK LISTING

   When Your Heart Begins To Ache

Out Of Love

I Hope It Breaks Your Heart

Nebraska

Western Coast

A Stone Will Sink

Hello My Dear

Bird In A Cage

Livin’ A Lie

Burning Bridges

CONNECT WITH MARKET JUNCTION:

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MATT LOVELL PLAYFULLY CONFRONTS HIS DEMON(S) IN NEW VIDEO "TROUBLE"

MATT LOVELL UNVEILS NEW VIDEO & SINGLE “TROUBLE” VIA VARIANCE MAGAZINE

 DEBUT LP NOBODY CRIES TODAY OUT JUNE 5TH 

Photo: Jason Lee Denton

Singer/songwriter/survivor Matt Lovell has released the latest single and video “Trouble” from his debut album, Nobody Cries Today, produced by Jars Of Clay’s Matt Odmark and due out on June 5th. “Trouble” arrives just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month. “The song, which is inspired by Lovell's own experience with pain and trauma, is intended to serve as a light, reminding others it's possible to make it to the other side of their grief or misfortune,” Variance Magazine says of the encouraging single. The playful video features Lovell accompanied by a character that represents his trouble(s) - at first, it’s unclear if the character is friend or foe, but we quickly find out that this “Trouble Monster” is here to help him learn a thing or two about how to roll with the punches and have a little fun amid life’s ups and downs. 

WATCH: “TROUBLE”

“Trouble” follows previous singles “Be Free,” an Aretha Franklin-style gospel-infused empowerment anthem, “Alligator Lilly,” a song about lost innocence with a quirky, Wes Anderson-inspired video, and “90 Proof,” a torch song about getting over the loss of a relationship. “Lovell knows how to tap into a part of himself that can bring the emotions of ’90 Proof’’ to the surface and doing so is all the more honorable, knowing the story he’s trying to tell, isn’t a made up screenplay,” said American Songwriter of “90 Proof.” “It’s one man being willing to revisit challenging parts of his life and do so with performative solemnity and grace.” 

LISTEN: “BE FREE”

WATCH: “ALLIGATOR LILLY” 

WATCH: “90 PROOF”  

All but one of the album’s songs were recorded in 2016 - just months before  Lovell nearly lost his life. On January 20, 2017, he was shot in the chest in Nashville by a sixteen-year-old who attempted to steal his car. Miraculously, he lived. “This moment created a new center of gravity and re-ordered my understanding of everything I’ve experienced in this lifetime,” he explains. “Many people who experience acute trauma go through somewhat of a euphoric period immediately after the incident occurs, and this was definitely my experience. The level of peace I felt was something I had never touched before. I wrote profusely, I gardened, I brought new life and vigor to my musical ventures, and I made peace with complicated friendships. More than anything, I found a level of great self-acceptance and this created space for me to begin to learn how to live this life.”   

This era ended with the abrupt onset of PTSD, causing the most difficult time Lovell had ever faced. He began to question everything and struggled to find a way to articulate the horrors he was experiencing.  Now, on the other side of recovery, Lovell is excited to sing these songs again for anyone who will listen. “In these years of writing and recording, I have gathered quite a wild palette of paints,” he says. “In a way, Nobody Cries Today has actually been my teacher.  As I have written these songs, each of them has been like a tiny rowboat to get me from one day to the next. They have witnessed me in the years that I was in the throes of trying to find acceptance for myself and for the world I’m living in.  As a gay man of Southern origin, this proved to be a tall order. These songs have also helped me to explore things like zest for life, discontent, hunger, truth, and hope,” he continues. “Nobody Cries Today contains every bit of earnestness, desire, and love that I have to give.”

CONNECT WITH MATT LOVELL:

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NATALIE SCHLABS PREMIERES ENCOURAGEMENT ANTHEM “SEE WHAT I SEE”

NATALIE SCHLABS PREMIERES ENCOURAGEMENT ANTHEM “SEE WHAT I SEE” VIA AUDIOFEMME

NEW LP DON’T LOOK TOO CLOSE SET FOR RELEASE ON OCTOBER 16TH

Schlabs’ voice possesses an audible kindness to it that allows her to carry her performance with the calmness and sincerity necessary to portray a song crafted on the kind of love that overreaches any one type of relationship. - American Songwriter

Photo: Fairlight Hubbard

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Natalie Schlabs has released “See What I See,” the second single from her forthcoming album Don’t Look Too Close, due out October 16th, just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month. “If your life feels like an endless struggle right now…Natalie Schlabs has a message of hope for you. Her latest single, ‘See What I See,’ reassures people in various difficult situations that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, even if they can’t see it at the moment,” said Audiofemme of the song, written to lend encouragement to those who are struggling. “I think we can all offer our eyes to someone when they’re having a hard time, imagining they will be OK again,” Schlabs told Audiofemme.

LISTEN: “SEE WHAT I SEE”

“See What I See” follows lead single “Home Is You,” a song about that person who is your “person.” “Romantic, timeless love songs are great, but what about other kinds of love? Best friends, childhood neighbors, brothers and sisters, a mentor and mentee, family. This is just the kind of angle singer-songwriter Natalie Schlabs poses in many of her songs, including her latest, “Home Is You,” said American Songwriter in its premiere of the track. In this time of social distancing, Schlabs got creative with the song’s video. “Even with COVID-19 keeping many of us apart, artists everywhere are still finding ways to put forth creativity and hope,” said Underground Music Collective. “As for the video? It features at-home footage of Schlabs and her closest family and friends — including fellow musicians like Robby Hecht, the members of Oliver the Crow, Betsy Phillips, and gospel/soul powerhouse Liz Vice. With ‘Home Is You,’ we get a personal look at the quality time spent between loved ones — all of whom happen to be singing along to this undeniably catchy tune.”

LISTEN: “HOME IS YOU”

WATCH: “HOME IS YOU”

The nine tracks that comprise Don’t Look Too Close, the second full-length effort from the Texas-bred Nashville-based artist, live in the tension between the beauty and heartbreak surrounding our closest relationships. The songs were written when Schlabs was pregnant with her first child, which caused a lot of reflection on her own upbringing and how she wanted to raise him. The album’s title came from the idea that "he’s going to see all the worst of me, be hurt by the worst of me, as much as I don’t want him to, and, as much as I want to be the best for him. I was thinking about how to raise a child, how to pass down values. There’s a dismantling of what I thought I knew,” she explains. “What do I value in my life and where did those things come from? What do I want to share with my children and what do I want to spare them from?” 

Don’t Look Too Close steps into indie territory with a compelling mix of instrumentation laced with solo vocals that bloom into easy, delicate harmonies. Co-produced by Juan Solorzano and Zachary Dyke, with Caleb Hickman on saxophone and Joshua Rogers on bass, the album swells and ebbs with elegant, absorbing shapes. The songs are moody, candid, and tender, each featuring Schlabs’ characteristically sleek vocals front-and-center, backed by charming instrumental moments that add form and depth to the melodies.

CONNECT WITH NATALIE SCHLABS:

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Spotify || YouTube || Bandcamp

OUT TODAY: REASSURE ME THERE’S A WINDOW - NEW LP FROM GLENN THOMAS

The 10-song set is a reinvention for Thomas, its rich melodies and careful arrangements nothing like anything he's released before. - Billboard 

Reassure Me There's A Window veers from his previous releases in the realm of atmospheric and visceral rock and into contemplative indie-folk - PopMatters 

At a time when doors are shut, Thomas has thrown open a window to the world of the heart, and the view is  wonderful - Folk Radio UK 

Folky, calm, with a skip in its step, its rhythm is familiar and bright…raised in New England, Thomas encapsulates that ambience of small town daydreaming" – Atwood Magazine 

[Glenn Thomas has] gone from being the frontman and guitarist for the alt-rock trio Wild Sun to harnessing the craft of writing music with a deeper meaning - The Independent (RI)

Tight fingerpicking guitar-based tunes with introspective lyrics fleshed out with resonant string arrangements. - Ghettoblaster

Gently reflective - Americana-UK

Indie-folk backing, with drips of steel guitar and this bubbling melancholy - Backseat Mafia 

Quite enthralling - A1234 

A powerful a sentiment - Ear To The Ground 

 Straddling the line between harmonica-laced folk and cheerful Brit-pop - Underground Music Collective 

You can literally feel the emotion behind Thomas’s voice. His soulful sound is matched by the simple, yet powerful instrumentation - Gas Mask Magazine 

LISTEN: REASSURE ME THERE’S A WINDOW 

Today, Nashville-by-way-of-New England singer/songwriter Glenn Thomas unveils his beautiful new LP Reassure Me There’s A Window. “This album was a long time dream of mine,” recounts Thomas of the LP, which premiered earlier this week via Billboard. “For the last seven years, I’d been touring New England and the East Coast with my alternative rock power trio Wild Sun. Everything I was writing was written for that outfit, and as such brought certain limitations with what I could do with the songs. Throughout that time I was writing a lot of songs that were not rock songs, but I didn’t have a vehicle for them. When the band decided to take a break, I moved to Nashville with the goal of focusing on my solo songwriting. I had always wanted to make a lush songwriter album — a contemporary approach to the big string arrangement-aided songwriter records of the past like Randy Newman, Elton John, and others. I heard this sound in a lot of the records Jordan Lehning had produced,” he continues. “His approach is pretty fearless of genre and boundaries — the production serves the song, not the other way around. I reached out to him about doing an album and after a few lunch meetings, we agreed it would be a good fit. Unlike past recording experiences, there were no chafing moments in the studio — it was a very congruous relationship. The session musicians who played on the record were monster players, and a joy to work with. Pretty much everything was tracked live, except for a few overdubs and the string arrangements.” 

The tracks on Reassure Me There’s A Window, which feature tight fingerpicking guitar-based tunes with introspective lyrics fleshed out with resonant string arrangements, all come from a deeply personal place, and the more Thomas played them for his audiences, the more he realized how much others could relate to them. Each song touches on personal truths and what it means to be human—what connects us and motivates us, as well as the struggles and difficult facts of life. 

 From Shins-esque album opener “All You Can Do,” about accepting that things don’t always go as planned, to “Catherine Ames,” a much-needed slice of catharsis and sonic sunshine inspired by Cathy Ames, the antagonist of John Steinbeck’s East Of Eden - a song about holding on to pain and anger as though they are part of your identity, and understanding that healing and moving forward takes time, to the rowdy, pedal steel-centric “Give A Damn,” about carrying ghosts from the past into a new relationship, Thomas puts life and the human condition under the microscope in order to articulately observe the big questions with small details, paying careful attention to his understanding of himself and the seasonality of life. Thomas has the ability to lyrically turn the world on its side and explain the human condition and its accompanying array of emotions from a beautifully unique perspective.

Thomas, who cut his teeth fronting Rhode Island rock outfit Wild Sun, has shared stages with bands like Langhorne Slim, The Wombats, and Blitzen Trapper. He began writing songs that didn't fit within the rock-centric framework and decided he would strike out on his own, stretching his creative muscles. The album was produced by Jordan Lehning (Rodney Crowell, Andrew Combs, Joshua Hedley); with its throwback flair, Reassure Me There's A Window is a lush, sweetly-arranged collection of articulate folk-tinged songs. 

REASSURE ME THERE’S A WINDOW TRACK LISTING:

ALL YOU CAN DO

REASSURE ME THERE’S A WINDOW

ORIOLE

SHE IS LEAVING

SHY HINGES

THERE’S NOT A THING

GIVE A DAMN

CATHERINE AMES

INITIALS

WHEN YOU ARE GONE

WHADDYA’ KNOW

CONNECT WITH GLENN THOMAS:

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LOVE GHOST RELEASE “I’LL BE FINE” SINGLE

LOVE GHOST RELEASE THEIR SINGLE

“I’LL BE FINE” 

FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

 “Drawing on the grungy, hip-hop-meets-rock, sardonically sunny ‘90s, these guys come across as nostalgic – for those of us that remember the decade – but with enough modern shaping to remain original and fresh.” - V13

LISTEN TO “I’LL BE FINE” : HERE

“  Intermingling rock, hip hop, and trap influences into their music, Love Ghost has captured the angst that most teens are experiencing these days.” - GHETTOBLASTER MAGAZINE 

Los Angeles band Love Ghost have released their introspective new single “I’ll Be Fine,” for Mental Health Awareness Month.  The Danny Saber (The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper, the Charlatans, Public Enemy)  produced track intermingels rock, rap and trap influences to convey the feelings of loneliness, and angst that comes with being a teenager. “ ‘I’ll Be Fine’ is a song about depression and isolation,” Love Ghost frontman Finnegan Bell told Ghettoblaster Magazine “ It’s about when you’re so alienated that the only person that can tell you, that you’ll be aight, is yourself. I hope this song helps people that are dealing with depression and can alleviate kids that are feeling like an outsider. I have felt very alone in the past, but that doesn’t mean that things can’t get better. I hope this song gives hope because mental health is a marathon. You need to work on it every day.”

 This song was written and recorded months before the COVID-19 crisis but the themes resonate now more than ever with the forced isolation and lack of human connection, due to shelter in place orders. Although the song addresses some dark themes, it has an overall feeling of hope, that everything that all spokes that go down must come back up again, and that end of the day, everything will be fine. With the release of this Love Ghost is hoping to contribute to conversation around mental health, and mental health awareness month. It’s only  by addressing these issues that the stigma around mental health starts to diminish, giving more people the courage to seek help.

"I'll be Fine" is the somber follow up to the lighthearted "Chasin Money and Bitches " single released in March,  that is a comedic and hedonistic look on what it is that our culture values most, from the viewpoint of a teenager living in Los Angeles in 2020. The song was a breakout hit on Soundcloud garnering over 270,000 plays, 3,079 reposts and 650 comments, resulting in a wildly successful remix contest with an incredible track from  DJ and producer IPN taking the top spot. 

“ The L.A. rockers sound as bratty as any of multi-platinum miscreants who’ve had hits on KROQ, but they fall in more with the play-actin’ bad boys. What the song reflects, though, is having come of age in an era when popular culture glorifies materialism and hedonism, which makes it the saddest kind of parody: funny but true.” - Buzzbands

“Chasin’ Money and Bitches” opens on a potent rumbling, crunching groove, as Finn’s evocative tones reveal delicious, low-slung flavors narrating his frustration, angst, and his cogent realization that money and bitches form the fulcrum of culture and life. There's a cool brattiness to the song, giving it a tongue-in-cheek aroma.” - RAWKUS

 Prior to that, the band released the grunge era-inspired  "Let It All Burn," with the accompanying scorcher of a video, directed by Dean Karr (Queens of the Stone Age, Mark Lanegan).  The song was featured on Spotify’s coveted "New Noise" playlist in addition to Apple’s "Breaking Hard Rock" and "Fresh Blood" playlists, having garnered over 1 Million streams since its release with close to a million streams on the video alone.

 Love Ghost is Finnegan Bell (guitar and lead vocals), Ryan Stevens (bass and background vocals), Samson Young (drums and background vocals), Daniel Alcala (guitar) and Cory Batchler (keyboards). All of whom are fresh out of high school but have been playing together and writing songs since Junior High. Despite their young age, the band are seasoned international road warriors. Last year they toured Ireland, Japan, played the mainstage at Festival fff in Ambato, Ecuador, and most recently played a sold-out hometown show at Resident in Los Angeles. They have supported Buckcherry, Berlin, Smash Mouth, The Young Dubliners, The Tubes, Fuel, and Irish singer/songwriter Mundy. Their music videos have won numerous awards from over 30 film festivals around the world and the band was awarded Best Alternative Rock Band by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards and received The Jean Luc Goddard Award from Cult Critic Magazine.

The band plans on releasing two EP’s this fall and is hoping to be back on the road once shelter in place orders are lifted and it’s safe to do so.

KEEP UP WITH LOVE GHOST

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https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Zt7LyzzIem4ro5xkSP1aA

ATWATER PUNX RELEASE DEBUT SINGLE "GHOST TOWN"

SHELTER IN PLACE BORN PROJECT ATWATER PUNX RELEASE THEIR DEBUT SINGLE

“GHOST TOWN”

LISTEN TO “GHOST TOWN” : HERE

Los Angeles band Atwater Punx have released their debut single "Ghost Town” off of their forthcoming  EP The Flea Draws the Blood that comes out 5/28.  

Atwater  Punx is the brainchild of family duo Stacy  (American Hi-Fi, Letters to Cleo etc.)  and Kristen Wagner Jones (Shut Up Stella, Bullet & Snowfox). Both Stacy and Kristen are lifelong musicians.  The couple have each spent their entire careers making music apart, but it was the birth of their son that drove them to  make music together. After their song Waylon was born they started putting together ideas around toddler nap times and after bedtime in their home studio. When the shelter in place orders hit Los Angeles, their creativity kicked into overdrive and they hunkered down to finishing a batch of songs sonically inspired by bands like The Clash and Bikini Kill, naming the project Atwater Punx after their neighborhood, Atwater Village.

“Ghost Town,” the first single off the three song EP is about the isolation and disconnection of a once busy city turned quiet and nearly completely still, overnight. The song is steeped in the heaviness of the collective struggle to overcome what will most likely be one of the biggest challenges of our lifetime.

 Kristen Wagner Jones was a part of the alternative pop group, Shut Up Stella signed to Epic Records in 2006 and shot a pilot for MTV that documented the making of their debut album. The group disbanded in 2010, after which Jones started her own indie-dance-rock band, Bullet & Snowfox, with guitar player, Josh Shapiro. The band played around the LA club scene, festivals, LA Fashion week and their music was featured on numerous film and TV shows.  This new Atwater Punx release marks Wagner Jones’s first foray back into music since becoming a mom and her first collaboration with husband, Stacy Jones.

Stacy Jones got his start as the frontman and main songwriter for American Hi-Fi, who had the 2001 hit “Flavor of the Weak.” After the peak of the American Hi-Fi days his career took the most unlikely of turns into being a touring and studio drummer and a Music Director. Thirteen years in Jones is one of the most in-demand music directors in his field - working with chart-topping artists like Miley Cyrus, Noah Cyrus, 5 Seconds of Summer,  the Chainsmokers and Troye Sivan among others.  In addition to the MD work, he still works as a drummer,  writer, musician, producer and tours consistently.  He is an active member of his bands American Hi-Fi, and Letters to Cleo, and has been the touring drummer for Matchbox Twenty since 2012.  Last year he did double duty on the Letters to Cleo fall tour, opening with his band American Hi-Fi then playing drums with the headlining act, Letters to Cleo.

https://www.instagram.com/atwaterpunx/

https://www.instagram.com/kristenaelaine

https://www.instagram.com/stacyglenjones

SLOW DAKOTA RELEASES TORNADO MASS FOR VOICE & SYNTHESIZER ALBUM

SLOW DAKOTA RELEASES AN OPUS ON MYSTICISM AND MAGICAL THINKING

TORNADO MASS FOR VOICE & SYNTHESIZER ALBUM

OUT TODAY ON MASSIF RECORDS 

“....a  record which seems perfectly fitting for uncertain times even if it wasn't planned that way... which is at times mystical and enchanting, other times dark and haunting, as Sauerteig's voice sometimes draws hints of Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard with flares The National's Matt Berninger.”   - VARIANCE MAGAZINE

LISTEN TO TORNADO MASS FOR VOICE AND SYNTHESIZER : HERE

Chicago’s Slow Dakota, the songwriter and label owner from Indiana (by way of New York) has released an album for our times Tornado Mass for Voice & Synthesizer.  Sauerteig wrote songs for this album over the course of several years and although the album was not purposely scheduled to come out during a global pandemic the songs on Tornado Mass for Voice & Synthesizer very spiritual, alluding to a looming disaster on the horizon, which could not be more timely.  As a whole, Tornado Mass for Voice & Synthesizer  encourages listeners to indulge in magical thinking and to give them a sense of escape into a beautiful musical landscape steeped in  hope and mysticism.

"Timing is everything, isn’t it?" Sauerteig told Variance Magazine. "I started writing Tornado Mass years ago, about the custom of small, rural communities coming together to rebuild after deadly tornado strikes. Donating food, showing up to volunteer, expecting nothing in return. It’s a very beautiful and holy thing to witness back home in the Midwest. It feels strange to release the album in this cultural moment of COVID, wrought with destruction on a much more global scale."

“ In contrast with the space-y, almost post-rock sound of the song, Sauerteig’s vocals have a certain early 00s indie feel to them, think Ben Gibbard as a reference point.”  - MXDWN  (on “Coming to the Nuisance”) 

Slow Dakota mastermind PJ Sauerteig is a practicing lawyer, and was writing the album while in law school,which is reflected in the songs such as “Force Majeure” and “Coming to the Nuisance,” both of which are legal terms. The latest single, “Burial,” released Easter Sunday was inspired by superstition and mysticism that shrounds burial practice even today. As technology advances, and people leave religion behind, still these traditions remain: the black, the reading, no expense spared for the great and lavish wooden box.  Although the sign strongly resonates with the amount of loss in the word today due to COVID-19, Suaerteig initially wrote the song about Global Warming,  and the byproduct of disaster that would result from the planet warming up.

“This new single is oddly, but perfectly timed as it is about preparing for a mass disaster. When it was written Sauerteig had global warming in mind, but it seems all too fitting these days.” - The Deli (on “Coming to the Nuisance”) 

The name Slow Dakota comes from Sauerteig's great grandfather who spent his final years in and out of hospitals and the occasional psychiatric institute. As his mental health started to deteriorate he began writing letters to The President of the United States, and would always sign them “Yours, Slow Dakota.," although having no relation to North or South Dakota.  During one family visit to the hospital when Sauerteig was only 5 or 6,  his great grandfather slipped him one of these letters and asked him to deliver it. The letter was addressed to President Lincoln. So,  years later, when Sauerteig began releasing music, Slow Dakota felt like an appropriate pen name. Long letters to no one. 

Sauerteig’s music is known for blending baroque pop, folk, classical, and electronic influences like Vangelis and Sufjan Stevens. Sauerteig often employs "spoken word" interludes, and his lyrics fixate on myth, rural folklore, and fairy tales. In 2016, he was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Sauerteig began releasing music as Slow Dakota from his Columbia University dorm room in 2012.  As an undergraduate, Sauerteig pursued Creative Writing and Psychology, and quietly released his first few albums: Our Indian Boy (2012), Bürstner and the Baby (2013), and The Junior EP (2015). While at Columbia, Sauerteig also founded a small record label, Massif Records, to release his own music, and the music of close friends – including the lovely Margaux. Sauerteig spent two years recording in various cities and tapped longtime producer, Sahil Ansari, and legendary mastering engineer, Greg Calbi for Tornado for Voice and Synthesizer.

 KEEP UP WITH SLOW DAKOTA:

PR MATERIALS: http://smarturl.it/SlowDakotaPR

WEBSITE: http://www.slowdakota.com/

MASSIF RECORDS: http://www.slowdakota.com/massifrecords

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/slow.dakota

AUSTRALIAN SONGSTRESS IMOGEN CLARK RELEASES HER NEW SINGLE “FOUND ME” OUT TODAY

 AUSTRALIAN SONGSTRESS IMOGEN CLARK

RELEASES HER NEW SINGLE “FOUND ME” OUT TODAY

+ ANNOUNCES NEW EP THE MAKING OF ME – OUT AUGUST 2020

 LISTEN TO “FOUND ME” :  HERE

“With powerful vocals and an infectious drum beat, Clark sets out to cure a broken heart. This breakup anthem will pick you up off the floor, dust you off and have you feeling ready to start seeing the world in color once again.”  - PARADE MAGAZINE

Australian singer-songwriter, Imogen Clark today releases a brand new single ‘FOUND ME’, her first new music in two years and the first taste of her The Making Of Me six-track EP, which is due out in August (Potts Entertainment/MGM).

“Found Me” was written with Clare Bowen (who also sings harmonies on the track) and Brandon Robert Young; it’s an uplifting track that highlights Imogen’s soaring vocals. Recorded in LA and produced by Mike Bloom (Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley,  Julian Casablancas, Jonathan Rice, Rachael Yamagata), the song represents the songstress’ personal evolution from vulnerable to confident, the journey of finding strength and power in chaos and heartbreak.  

Cutting her teeth playing in local pubs in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales Australia before taking the stage with artists like Shania Twain, Ian Moss and Willie Watson, Imogen has worked relentlessly over the past decade, building up her musical chops. She has worked with Mark Lizotte (Diesel), Kasey Chambers and Jim Lauderdale and now cites Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions) amongst her collaborators, both appearing on the new The Making Of Me EP.

The songs on this EP are the by product of a year that found Imogen picking up the pieces and putting together a new version of herself.  A huge part of the process of making this EP, and this song, in particular, was allowing herself to embrace imperfections, and make the kind of music that she had previously been too afraid to pursue due to outside forces trying to fit her into someone else’s idea of what is authentic. “I wrote this song at one of my lowest points - fatigued, heartbroken and second guessing the most important decisions I’d made in my life, “ says Clark. “Writing this song gave me the strength to believe in myself again. It’s an empowerment anthem about making the tough decisions to become the person you need to be, and I hope it can relight some people’s fire in the midst of everything right now”.  Imogen has finally come to a point in her life where she stopped caring about the surrounding noise and outside opinions and is writing songs that represent all of who she is. She equally adores artists like Taylor Swift and  Bruce Springsteen and is now making the music that reflects that.

KEEP UP WITH IMOGEN CLARK

Press Materials: http://smarturl.it/ImogenClarkPR 

https://www.imogenclark.com.au/

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