Rock And Blues International - April 2021

APRIL 2021

Rock And Blues International Chris Cain Short Story The Biker Photo by Marilyn Stringer

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Ian Collard Giovanni Gaias John Lennon Chris Cornell Issam Alnajjar Maja Kristina and more!

Rock And Blues International April 2021 Hello Rock And Blues International readers. I hope everybody had a great March There’s a lot to be thankful for this month. Johnson & Johnson are rolling out another Covid-19 shot, so that makes three different shots to choose from. It looks like with the influx of new Covid vaccines, tours will be underway soon. I have already seen announcements of tours by Steely Dan, Steve Winwood, Backstreet Boys, Chicago, Santana, Lindsey Stirling, Matchbox Twenty, Black Crowes, Rod Stewart, Megadeth, Lamb Of God, Dave Matthews, Brooks And Dunn, Hall And Oates, Maroon 5, and The Doobie Brothers, to name a few of them. With a little bit of luck we can put this past year behind us musically and move on with a new outlook on out musical futures. I know there are a lot of other bands that are just salivating to get back on the road. I hope to see you all out at some of these upcoming shows. Lets make 2021 a record year for the music business.

And now on to the April issue of Rock And Blues International. In this issue you can read stories about Blues sensations Chris Cain and Ian Collard, as well as stories on John Lennon, Giovanni Gaias, Kitt Wakeley, Maja Kristina, Union Of Knives, Osees, Issam Alnajjar, Whiskey Myers, The Designs, Sirenia, The Blossom, Living Dead Girl, Liv.e, Louise Quinn, The Black Crowes, Chris Cornell, Brittany Howard, Anthony Assaker, CVLT OV THE SVN, Evile, Cupid, Depths Of Hatred, Identity Unknow, Live Of Agony, Los Esplifs, and more. As you can see, there are a lot of varied genres of music here for you to check out, or as we like to say, there’s a little of something for everyone here. We have even included the beginnings of a short story here for you to check out. It is called “The Biker”. Chapter 1 is being presented here this month and we are looking forward to your feedback on it. Read it and than email us back with your thoughts on this. Should we continue it or should we scrap it?

I sincerely hope that everybody reading this publication finds something here that they like and I would like to encourage you to let your friends and colleagues know about us. Just look for us every month at http://www.rockandbluesinternational.com. I would also like to encourage you to email us for a free subscription to Rock And Blues International as well. Just email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com and in the subject line simply put “Sign Me Up” and we’ll email you a link to the magazine each month when it is published.

Kevin Wildman Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

Rock And Blues International Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

Web Address Http://www.rockandbluesinternational.com Mailing Address Box 1162, League City, TX 77573 Phone 281-650-1953

For Advertising email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com or call 281-650-1953 For A Free Subscription email us at rockandblues international@gmail.com and in the subject line put “Sign Me Up Now” April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

3

Contents

VOL. 1 NO. 9

APRIL 2021

6

6

ISSUE NO. 9

CHRIS CAIN Chris Cain Talks About His New Alligator Records Release Raisin’ Cain

12 IAN COLLARD

12

Barry (Baz) Maxwell Talks To Ian About His Life And His Career In The Music Business

22

22

GIOVANNI GAIAS Edoardo Fassio Talks About Giovanni Gaias - His Life, His Career, And His New Album Think Outside The Box

ISSAM ALNAJJAR

36

Rising Jordanian Artist Drops Music Video For Global Viral Smash “Hadal Ahber

36

48 48

MAJA KRISTINA Maja Kristina Releases Official Video For “Jessica” Off Her Debut EP, The Self-Titled Maja Kristen

4

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Contents

VOL. 1 NO. 9

APRIL 2021

68

PLASTIC ONO BAND

68

CHRIS CORNELL Chris Cornell’s No One Sings Like You Anymore IsNow Available On A Physical Album Featuring Chris’ Original Covers Of Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Prince, And More!

84

Yoko Ono And Capitol/Ume Release John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - The Ultimate Collection

91

ISSUE NO. 9

84 91

THE BIKER LIMITED EDITION SHORT STORY EMAIL US AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS ONE AND IF YOU WANT MORE OF THIS SERIES.

In This Issue: 6 Chris Cain 12 Ian Collard 16 International Songwriting Competition 20 Texaswood 22 Giovanni Gais (English) 23 Giovanni Gais (Italian) 24 An Evening To Remember 28 Union Of Knives 30 Craig Cardiff 32 Michele Morrone 33 Anthony Assaker 34 Vile Creature 36 Issam Alnajjar 38 Everything Everything 40 Louise Quinn

42 44 46 47 48 50 52 54 55 56 58 60 62 63 64 65

The Designs Årabrot Losers Elise Davis Maja Kristin Los Esplifs Whiskey Myers The Blossom Brittany Howard Liv.e Osees Lainey Wilson Reverend Mother Punk Rock & Paintbrushes Life Of Agony Living Dead Girl

66 68 69 70 72 74 75 76 77 78 80 81 82 84

Sirenia Chris Cornell Abhiruk Patowary Libra Depths Of Hatred Wolf King William The Conquerer Identity Unknown CVLT OV THE SVN Crown Kitt Wakeley Evile The Black Crowes John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band 90 The Biker - Chapter 1

Chris Cain is Raisin’ Cain Photo

by Fasano Bob Hakins Photo

by Jeff

6

Rock and Blues International • April October November December 2021 2020 2020 2020

By Kevin Wildman Blues guitarist Chris Cain has just released his new album, “Raisin’ Cain” on Alligator Records. This is his first album for Alligator and his fifteenth album overall. Chris started his career playing professionally as a teenager in San Jose, California. As can be expected, he played the local circuit performing at local clubs, festivals and private events. As he reached his early 30s, he turned his interests in music to original music and by 1987 he had released his debut album, Late Night City on the Blue Rock-It label. The response for the new album was tremendous and he received a Blues Music Award Nomination for ‘Guitarist Of The Year.”

Upon first discovering Cain in 1987, Guitar Player raved, “Cain is an impressive, topnotch guitarist. His full-bodied tone and surprisingly big voice packed a punch that had me reeling.” The Washington Post declared, “Chris Cain is a hot-shot guitarist and a singer with the maturity of old blues masters like Bobby Bland and B.B. King.” Guitar icon Robben Ford said, “Chris Cain is for real. He’s a great blues player with an intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what he’s going to do next.

Plus he knows how to write a song you haven’t heard before, full of humor and insight. If you like the blues you’ll like Chris Cain. I am a stone fan.”

By 1990 he moved on to Blind Pig Records where he released Cuttin’ Loose (1990), Can’t Buy A Break (1992) and Somewhere Along The Way (1995). More albums followed and by the time 2018 had rolled around, he was receiving even more accolades from the Blues community. He was receiving even more Blues Music Award nominations, including another ‘Blues Guitarist Of The Year,” “Blues Blast Awards Best Male Blues Artist” and “Best Contemporary Blues Album” for his 2017 self-titled release, Chris Cain.

Now he has moved on to one of the best Blues labels around, Alligator Records, which he describes a ‘dream come true.’ Chris tells us that he’s reached a point in his career where, “I’m playing and writing better than ever before. I can say more with less,” he says, referring to his dynamic guitar playing and superb songwriting.

“My songs are funky and danceable and my writing is now less personal diary than in the past.

I want my songs to tell universal stories.”

Chris’ new album, Raisin’ Cane was recorded in his home town of San Jose, California at the legendary Greaseland Studios under the skillful eyes of Kid Anderson, who also acted as producer, engineer, and accompanist. Kid performed on several of the tracks and really helped to push Chris to a new high with this new album.

Along with Chris, he was accompanied in the studio by his great touring band, bassist Steve Evans and keyboardist/organist Greg Rahn, with Chris’ touring drummer Sky Garcia and veteran D’mar Martin (Little Richard, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) sharing the drumming chores.

Alligator President Bruce Iglauer is equally jazzed about the addition of Chris to the label’s roster and says, “Chris Cain is a brilliant and soulful blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter— and a terrific keyboard and sax player too. He’s won devoted fans around the world on top of being a true musician’s musician. He is spoken of with awe by his fellow bluesmen. Chris has cut fourteen previous albums, none more exciting than Raisin’ Cain. We’re looking forward to bringing Chris’ music to a wider audience than ever before.”

The result of his signing to Alligator

Photo by Alain Broeckx

Chris Cain Releases His New Album Raisin’ Cain On Alligator Records San Jose Bluesman Releases His Best Work Yet! Records is his new album Raisin’ Cane, filled with12 great songs that will get your heart racing with excitement. We had a chance to sit down with Chris this past month and get a little insight into what drives him and what makes these songs sound so good.

Anderson has become somewhat of a legend in this business now. It was even easier for you. I’ve interviewed musicians from all over the United States that had to journey there to record with him, but for you, all you had to do was just drive down the street, his studio is so close to you.

Rock And Blues International: I’ve been listening to the new album and I really enjoy it. I would imagine that it must be terrible for someone like you to not be able to get out on the road and promote it.

Chris Cain: Yeah, it’s beautiful. Last night we were watching a film with Kid performing in Norway when he was like a young kid playing the guitar on some television show and he was just killing it. He’s always been like a beautiful friend and a genius when it comes to this kind of thing.

He’s like a great psychologist when he’s in there and somebody’s recording something. He doesn’t make you get all tensed up and things. He’s got a great bedside manner when it comes to this whole thing and you know I love him to crazy. He’s helped me make some of the best recordings I’ve ever made.

Chris Cain: It’s really just a nightmare. I hope at one point it might end. You know how it is. You can’t do anything you want to do.

Everybody you talk to, you’ve got to do it on Zoom. You try to do these live streams and to me… I mean, I look like somebody’s holding a gun on me on these things because there’s no people there. It feels so weird to me. I just miss people in every aspect of my life.

Rock And Blues International: The new album, Raisin’ Cane is scheduled to be released this month. By the sounds of the songs, it must have been a lot of fun to make. The music is fantastic.

Chris Cain: Thank you. It’s nice. Really, thank you very much. That record was fun to make and we made it at Greaseland with Kid Anderson.

With Kid, you can just kind of turn your amp up and get your sound. It came real natural. I mean it was like falling out of a tree. It was very easy to do with my normal band playing on the tracks. It was a blast really to make that thing.

Rock And Blues International: I can imagine. It didn’t hurt having one of the best Blues producers and recorders around either. Kid

Rock And Blues International: So you’ve recorded with him there before?

Chris Cain: Yeah, I did one for Little Village and Jimmy Pugh and those guys and it was kind of like a tribute to my dad and the blues that he liked. It was kind of like these Guitar Slim tunes and Ray Charles tunes. It was a very straight-ahead kind of a blues thing and Kid produced that thing and made it so that it sounded like he did. I mean, it’s like just a vibe we had going there. He let me use some guitars he had that were old and It was like Make-a-Wish meets Muscle Shoals or something. He has a beautiful thing in there.

Rock And Blues International: Other musicians have told me that when they work with Kid, It’s not like working with an outside

continued on next page April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

7

Know Exactly What’s Wrong With My Baby”. The guitar intro or solo at the beginning of that song is just fantastic and then there’s a total change in mood when you get to “Space Force”.

Chris Cain: Wow, thank you. “Space Force” was a tune that I wrote at home as a tribute to Billy Preston. It was not a tune that Billy Preston wrote, but a tune in the style of Billy Preston. When we were recording at Kid’s, he goes, ‘I have the ARP Odyssey that Billy Preston played “Space Race” on’. I was like ‘you do!’ So it was like immediately, I lost my mind. It was like, okay. We end up recording this tune that I wrote and the band did their thing. I also played this clavinet and stuff. It was a blast, so I thought ‘Alligator will never want this on record, so this’ll never happen,’ but it’s quicker. We got it out on tape and Kid played the Melodica and all this stuff.

After the whole thing was said and done they (Alligator) thought it was a cover of a Billy Preston tune. And then when they found out it was an original, they put it on the record. The original name of the tune was Mr. Preston and they thought was a cover tune, so they called it “Space Force”, but I really appreciate that it made this record.

That was just a personal thing to me.

Photo by Alain Broeckx

Chris Cain continued from previous page producer. It’s like working with a member of your band, that his input is not preachy, but it’s suggestive and the suggestions are 99 times out of a hundred straight on.

Chris Cain: I swear, I’ve never experienced that kind of a thing when after the fact somebody put something on there that could be like, oh my God. But everything that he put on there was fantastic. It was like he read my mind. He put a lot of love into those records that I played on. I mean after the fact. He’s like nobody that I’ve ever known and worked with. I really have a lot of respect and love for that guy because he really did above and beyond the call of duty. He did stuff that was really great for the sound of my record and I really love him for that.

Rock And Blues International: You sound just like every other musician I’ve talked to that has recorded with him. They just love this guy. He becomes a fourth, a fifth, or a sixth member of the band.

Chris Cain: Oh, yeah, he really does. He doesn’t use just one template. It’s like whatever this thing needs, if he knows he shares. You know what I mean? It’s beautiful. I would just say that the times I’ve spent recording there, and I’ve been lucky enough to do it a few times and just always have dug it. I love him and love the way does it. I just love the vibe of the place and all. It’s also perfect for what you’re trying to do with him there.

Rock And Blues International: When you went in with your songs, how much did his suggestions affect the outcome of your music?

Chris Cain: Well, I think I think most of them did because I was really kind of still finishing some of those tunes as we were recording them. There were things where there would just be a big blank spot right there where I was thinking ‘okay. I got the right words to this thing’ and he goes ‘no, no, no, why don’t you to sing this thing over that’. Not that I’m a singer, but he just like really expedited a lot of stuff that would have been like, me over there spinning my wheels for like 45 minutes.

ByJeff that Fasano point I’m just kind of Photo by whoo, you know. It’s like later you listen to the stuff and realize that he got it on there, because it’s

8

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

like a big blur before that. But yeah, there are a lot of things he did after the fact. He got the fellows together and they put horns on the thing and I’d only been hearing it with no horns. And so the first time I heard it with the horns, I mean, I was in tears. I was so blown away that they did exactly what I probably would have thought of doing. It was nothing that was foreign. It was beautiful. I mean those guys, they blew my mind so hard when they did that stuff. It just made the record sound about 40 times better. It was, it was beautiful. They just seemed to know what it what it needed. It was like a labor of love what they did and man, it took my breath away when I heard that stuff.

Rock And Blues International: Yeah, on some of these songs, it goes from being a normal type blues band to suddenly becoming a big band blues song with those horns on it.

Chris Cain: Yeah, they really do. The tunes are so personal, the grooves and things. They just knew exactly what to put there. I have talked to some of those fellows and told him how that was just amazing to me. You just hear the love in there. I mean that was like one of my greatest experiences on a record that I’ve ever made. That was just breathtaking. You know, all the tunes were just beautiful.

Rock And Blues International: Before you heard the songs when he told you he put the horns on it, what was your reaction at that point?

Chris Cain: He just said, listen to some of the arrangements cause I did a little thing that I thought you might like. I thought, ‘okay’, and I thought maybe it was just some kind of mix thing or something else. But then I heard the first two and I had this big giant smile on my face and my jaw dropped on the floor. It was just ‘wow!’ And then with every tune that they came on, it was the perfect thing. So it was like I couldn’t hear it enough. I had to play it over and over because it was just a gas to hear it like that.

Rock And Blues International: I’m listening to the album and I’m trying to figure out what the main songs are that I really like and I’m torn between three songs on here. I love the humor of “Hush Money”. I love the intro into “I Don’t

Rock And Blues International: When musicians play different instruments that have belonged to other people, sometimes it affects their playing ability. It gives them a little more inspiration. It affects their playing ability to a good point. So when you found out you could use Billy’s ARP, how much did that affect the performance that you did on that song from the original tune that you wrote?

Chris Cain: Oh, you know man, totally, because I was using this little warm analog lead thing on my original demo and as soon as he hooked that ARP up I hit the first notes and I’m saying, ‘Oh Man!’ So it totally affected it, just like if you play a different type of guitar during some kind of solo thing your playing on a record. It depends on the guitar that I use what will Inspire the stuff to come out of me. And it was like definitely with that thing. It was off the chain. I mean, it was like it just seemed like it knew what to play on there. You know what I mean?

Rock And Blues International: Exactly, exactly. It’s like if someone handed you one of BB King’s guitars or one of Albert King’s guitars and then you get it on, you might tend to think, I better play this as good as the original master did or I’m gonna blow it.

Chris Cain: it made it so relaxed and it was like a blast. I mean was like so like un-pressurised somehow and just like it knew what to play. It was really fun. That’s why I like to go to Kid’s Place the most. There’s going to be times when you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. But you know, I mean him playing the Melodica on that thing. That came out of nowhere. That was beautiful. I mean, that’s the kind of stuff that will happen there and normally he’ll be playing it. I just did a thing called “I Miss My Friend. He played upright bass. He played drums and I played the keyboard things. He’s just like a master of all these musical personas. He can bring in the Army.

He played the heck out of that upright bass.

Rock And Blues International: You’ve been signed with a couple of different labels over the years, as well as releasing your own independently released albums and now you’re on Alligator Records. How is now for you to be signed to Alligator?

Chris Cain: Just the fact that they even took the time to listen or look at what I was doing at

continued on next page

Chris Cain: Gee, well one thing for sure is the fact that my band plays on the record. On a lot of records that I made, they had rhythm sections that were chosen by whoever produced the record or whatever. This was with my band that I play with every night when I play somewhere. That for me was really exciting and emotional. Man, when I heard what they played on it, because they played their asses off on it, it was fantastic. You know what I mean. So that was the big thing that I really dug was the fact that it was actually my band that I would play live with somewhere if you saw me play. It would be these characters.

Rock And Blues International: What should I know about the inspiration behind some of these songs on here? Take “Hush Money”, I love that song. What was the inspiration behind it?

Chris Cain: I was thinking of Johnny Guitar Watson and these tunes that he writes that are very quick and funny. They have nice changes in them, so I was definitely thinking of Johnny Guitar Watson when I was trying to write it. Like what would be the intro… how does it start… where does it go?

This record is the first time that I ever sat down and like literally said, let me see if I can write whatever it is like and would that work. So I was definitely thinking Johnny Guitar Watson, like the humorous part and the musical part of what I feel he did sometimes.

Rock And Blues International: Great, great. It seems like you’ve got an autobiography on here in “Born To Play”. That seems to almost sound like it could be your life story.

Photo by Marilyn Stringer

Chris Cain continued from previous page this point in my life was huge for me. I’ve never been with a label before where it seemed like they cared so much. So this whole thing from the beginning of any talk Mr. Iglauer and Alligator and all that stuff was for me at this point in my musical life is huge stuff. I mean huge for me because there’s been a lot of years where it wasn’t really anything to look forward to. It was just playing what you love and just do that and have a great time. This is very different. I’ve never had anybody just call up Pandora and say ‘Hey, you know, he’s not even in the picture.’ I’ve never experienced anything like that.

You know, I haven’t been able to play because it is whole pandemic thing. So I just want to get out and play so that they know that they made a good choice on me because they’ve already done a bunch of stuff, I feel for me.

Chris Cain: It is. I never ever wrote a tune like that before. When I wrote that tune, I said I would never play it for anybody. I never wrote a tune like that before. I never felt like I had done anything. To me it was a crazy idea to do.

My parents were the reason… My father took us to see everybody like all the time. We never missed Ray Charles, and we never missed BB King. My dad had the greatest record collection. I saw everybody live when I was little, thanks to my father and it was just like that in my house all the time. When I was making this tune up, I thought it was nutty and then Kid Anderson helped me out with some stuff because he saw what I was trying to do there. He helped me get the tone for it like what was on “Live At The Regal”. He knew exactly what I was doing. So that was like an energy great moment for that tune because he made it do some stuff.

Rock And Blues International: And how about “I Don’t Know Exactly

continued on next page

Rock And Blues International: Well when you when you wrote the album and recorded it, had you signed with them already or did you shop it to him?

Chris Cain: No, I made it just to release on my own label. Then Kid Anderson and Tommy Castro and some fellows started talking to Bruce Iglauer. I went to Chicago and played with Guy King at the Chicago Blues Festival in the summer. It was such a nice beautiful day and I talked to Mr. Iglauer that day, just saying ‘hi,’ because when I was a kid, I had sent him a letter with a tape of what I was doing. When I was a kid, I was a nut. You know what I mean? I was kind of a dreamer myself and I sent them the stuff.

Nothing became of it, but he sent me back a letter. Then all these years later, he comes up and so they start talking to him and then it turned into a thing. So it’s really at this point in my life that this is the most beautiful thing that could ever happen to me. You know, somebody who really cares about what I’m doing musically and they’re doing all these great things to promote it. It’s just different for me.

Rock And Blues International: I understand and I know what you mean. It’s great to have a label like Alligator Records take the time to look out for you and help you along the way.

Chris Cain: Yes, I think all the people that work there now are the people who worked there when it started. It’s like it’s all that kind of stuff and I really feel lucky. It’s like somebody just pulled my name out of a bowl or something and I won a lottery. They really care about me. I mean it took three weeks just to choose what the picture was going to be of me on the cover of my album. To me it’s just a lot of beautiful stuff. I really appreciate it. I really appreciate the way they’ve approached doing my thing. I’m really proud of it.

Rock And Blues International: You’ve got around 14 albums under your belt already before this one. What sets this one apart from the other albums?

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

9

Chris Cain continued from previous page What’s Wrong With My Baby”. It starts off with that incendiary guitar intro and then slows down in the song. So tell me a little bit about the progression on that and the inspiration behind that song.

Chris Cain: Well, you know, the funny thing is that I wrote that tune maybe sometime in the early 90s. I was making a record with Pat Ford for his Blue Rock-It label, but at the time I was doing a record with Blind Pig. Pat Ford was producing it and so we went in the studio and we recorded that tune with David Cook Matthews on the B3 and Ronnie Beck on the drums and it was great. But Blind Pig really didn’t like the tune that much, so it never saw the light of day. And so I had a version of it forever that I would listen to now and then. So when this record came up, it fit right into the whole mix of the tunes and we did a version of it and it did finally see the light of day.

But I appreciate that you dig it because I always thought that was a nice tune and just the whole arrangement of it was very nice.

Rock And Blues International: I think it incorporates about every thought a person could have about blues and different styles of Blues. To me, it said a lot.

something that I found in a box of demos that I didn’t even remember making or recording. I just liked it the shuffle of it and everything. I knew that it had to be on this record. It was like looking into my diary or something.

Rock And Blues International: So that was just an old forgotten multi-track demo from your past that came to light.

Chris Cain: Yeah. Yeah. It was just one of those multi-track demos that I do around the house.

Rock And Blues International: Alright, how about “Too Many Problems.” Do you have too many problems?

Chris Cain: No (laughs). That’s another one of those demos. They were all written within a sixyear period when I wasn’t making a record. I was making demos and just recording the ideas. “Too Many Problems” was written during a period where I lived right next door to my landlord and it just came on as a tune.

Rock And Blues International: So it appears that several of these songs were previous demos that finally saw the light of day and you brought a new life to them. Were there any more here?

Chris Cain: Yes, I’d say “Too Many Problems, “I Don’t Know Exactly What’s Wrong With My Baby,” and I think two others from my past were things that never got on a record, but they ended up being on the recording because they were they were really good ideas. Nobody else was deciding, because they were going to be on my label before I recorded them.

It was going to be my way before I recorded them, and then it turns out that the folks from Alligator Records liked them too. So It just was tunes that I always loved. I always dug those two. They just never ended up on a record, but I got lucky and they ended up on this one because they have good stuff in them, I feel.

Rock And Blues International: What about the song, “I believe I Got Off Cheap”.

Chris Cain: Oh, you see I was sitting in the house and I never did this before. And I just said I wonder if I could write like a tune with some humor in it, like Albert King would do these tunes like “Cold Feet,” that kind of thing. So I sat down

continued on next page

Chris Cain: I really appreciate that. No kidding.

Sometimes my mind is very eclectic, just from things that I’ve heard and it inspired me, but it’s always based around a definite blues thing. I am really happy that you dug that.

Rock And Blues International: When you sit down to write a song what comes first, the lyrics or the melody?

Chris Cain: Well, the first two records I ever made, one for Blue Rock-it and one for Blind Pig… At that time, I would write the lyrics, and then I would write the music. Then I would just listen to it for like a month or so till I got words to go with the music. Then from that point, I think about the third record for Blind Pig. It’s always been that I write the lyrics kind of in a cadence, but I don’t know what the music’s going to be and then later I put the music to the words. So that’s how I’ve been doing it up to the last record that we’re talking about now. Then I just tried to do it the way I used to do it where I just make the music and then put some words to it later. I haven’t done that since my first records. Normally what I have been doing is like writing some lyrics and then see what music fits to these verses.

Rock And Blues International: Do you find that more of a challenge?

Chris Cain: You know, it’s funny, but both ways seemed like they just kind of organically got started going that way. When I first made the ones where I would fit the words to the changes that I had written, it just seemed natural to do that. And then one day I just got about 12 bars of the verses that we’re just rhythmic cadence that came to my mind that I wrote down and then fit the music to them. That’s how I started doing them.

Rock And Blues International: Well, then let’s talk about a couple of the other songs. “You Won’t Have A Problem When I’m Gone.” What was going through your mind on that one?

Chris Cain: Yeah. That was that was something that I found in a box of tapes of demos that I made. I was stunned by how personal it was.

I just can’t believe I wrote that. It was just

10

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Photo by Marilyn Stringer

Chris Cain: Sheesh. You know, basically I just love this musical thing, Blues masters that I got a chance to meet and see live, and just for my father… his records and his love for it. I just love playing this music. I just love playing guitar so I feel very lucky that I get to do this and have people listen to it. I just appreciate it. I could be doing something else that I don’t know how to do and well, this is one thing that I kind of know what I’m doing, so, I’m really just feel blessed that I get a chance to do this.

Rock And Blues International: Okay, let’s get over to some of your band members. Let’s give them a little plug here. How much do they contribute to this?

Photo by Bob Hakins

Chris Cain continued from previous page and that was a tune I made up. Dr. Phil was on TV too. And so you know what I mean. I just started going with that. But the fact that it ended up on this record for me is a big smoker. You know, I was laughing when I was making it up. I was just having fun with that one and then it worked out. I mean, I really like that kind of feel on the tune. It just ended up being a really wild tune in the kind of style that Albert King would do on one of those ‘King Of The Blues’ guitar songs, like “Cold Feet”. The fact that it ended up on the record is a big thrill for me because I had fun making it up, but having people liking to listen to it is a big thrill for me also.

Chris Cain: A lot, because it’s really can’t be done without them and the way that they play. I had a band that broke up and so I was kind of playing with some people to see who would be my next band and these fellows all showed up except for Sky Garcia. It was the three guys that became my band.

It was like we played that day at the rehearsal place and it was like, wow, that’s it. These are the guys and Greg Rahn was the keyboard player. They all played with a lot of love and with a lot of joy. At the time I was changing my band to this band, and I kind of think I lost a little of the joy of playing. In this case, they definitely introduced it back into my life. They’ve been my band for many years now and yeah, it’s great to have him on this record because they play with a lot of love. They are really beautiful people and it doesn’t matter if there is only 10 people or a lot of people in the room, they will pay their guts out. I loved that about him from the first time I heard them play.

With this interview, Chris indeed has revealed a lot about himself, giving us a great insight into Raisin’ Cain. Chris can hardly wait to get out on the road now to support his new album and Alligator Records. Like the rest of us music lovers, he has managed to survive this pandemic so far and his biggest dream is to take this new album to his fans and perform the songs live for them. Over the years Chris has performed all over the world, as well as performing at some of the top Festivals around. Among them are the Chicago Blues Festival, The Doheny Blues Festival, The Philadelphia Blues Festival, The Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, and many others. He’s played concerts and festivals in Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the Ukraine, and more. Performing at stages across the world like that, it’s no surprise that Chris would like to return there as soon as possible.

In the meantime, his fans will just have to settle with his new album, Raisin’ Cane. Check it out now on Alligator Records.

Rock And Blues International: Are there any other songs on here that you took the same approach where you wanted to do something in a similar vein of another artist, but with your own take on it?

Chris Cain: I think it was just those and then just the feel of the Billy Preston song that just kind of crept into the mix. “Down Here On The Ground” was just thinking of the way that Billy Preston has beautiful Church feelings in his tunes and they always had such beautiful intros. They just kind of set the tone for what’s going to happen. So that was what I was feeling. I just wanted to have like an intro that would have that kind of a feeling to set a tone for what’s getting ready to be said.

Rock And Blues International: I realize that all these songs are very personal to you, but is there anything here that really stands out to you as being extremely personal to you?

Chris Cain: Oh sure, you know, most of the tunes are. I was trying not to make like a dear diary record. My first records were kind of like everything that ever happened to me up to that point, so I was trying to put just ideas in general and then try to put a musical slant on the idea somehow, but it creeped in anyway. I would say that “Down Here On The Ground” was one that is very personal and “Too Many Problems” was definitely personal.

“Hush Money” was just some humorous stuff about personal things. Yeah, that was that’s how that works. Kevin, I really appreciate you taking the time to even ask questions about these things. Thank you.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I like to know a little bit about what the songs really are. It’s nice to know what was in the artist’s head and how he was feeling… if there’s a song in particular that’s very emotional… if there’s a song he doesn’t really even want to talk about. If it’s just there and he’d rather not revealed the feelings behind it. I’m looking at some of these titles and there’s “Found A Way To Make Me Say Goodbye”. There’s got to be something there. And then you have “As Long As You Get What You Want”.

Those two songs sound sad.

Chris Cain: Yeah, they are. It’s just one of those things where I seem to get most of my inspiration from stuff that I felt or happened and as I get older, like people that I know passing away. It’s just that all the stuff creeps in.

There’s no way around it. I just surrender to the whole thing.

Rock And Blues International: Let’s move off the off the album a little and talk about you. What do you want people to know about you.

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

11

Ian Collard – The Innovator

By Barry (Baz) Maxwell from Blues on the Hill To create great original blues music, you have to be an innovator. Ian Collard has done just that with his last two bands.

deeper and further back in time.

Firstly, with Collard Greens and Gravy back in the 1990’s blending Chicago style harp with Hill Country grooves and creating something unique for Australia.

I have had the pleasure to see Ian with all of his bands. He has played the Hume Blues Club regularly and his deep love and respect for the blues shows with every live performance.

He took them to Memphis coming runner-up at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) and back in Australia winning the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Award for best Blues Album.

Ian is one of finest blues musicians in Australia and recently I had the opportunity to have a chat about all things blues.

He also plays harp with the Backsliders and Dom Turner.

The Beginning I asked him when he had first heard the blues and the effect it had on him. He surprised me when he said “a band called The Gun Club, who were a punk band from the 1980s. And their

Then with his last creation the Three Kings, running the band with no bass player and creating old school Chicago style grooves that go even 12 Rock and Blues International • April January 2021 2021

first record had a version of ‘I asked for water (she gave me gasoline)’. So from then on I started looking for the original recordings. And the very first blues record I bought was ‘The real folk blues of Muddy Waters’. I was 16 and picked it up for 99 cents. A couple of weeks I got another record from the same series ‘The real folk blues of Howlin’ Wolf’. I had wanted to play the harmonica so I started listening to Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter, but it was the one chord, repetitive riff songs that intrigued me. I remember distinctly the Muddy Waters song ‘She’s Alright’ and the Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘How Many More Years’. I played them over and over and was hypnotized by them. I remember walking around the house singing the same two songs again and again and bugging everyone, continued on next page

because I couldn’t stop singing them”.

Melbourne in the 1980’s I asked him where he started on his musical journey. “I started experimenting with a band at High School and we were doing more like 1960s garage punk kind of stuff, you know The Stooges, which are really blues based things when you think about it. But after I left school I heard on a Melbourne radio station that the ‘Checkerboard Lounge’ blues band were looking for a harp player. These guys were only about 16 but they were very good. So I turned up at the audition and the same night they entered the ‘Battle of the Bands’ and won. I ended up being in the band for 10 years. We played at the ‘Windsor Castle’ Hotel in Prahran, where Dutch Tilders played and later on we did the ‘Great Britain’ Hotel in Richmond.

Collard Greens and Gravy

So I was the harp player with ‘Checkerboard Lounge’ when I heard about the ‘Blues Performer of the Year’ competition being organised by the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society (MBAS) and sponsored the ‘Victorian Rock Foundation’. I thought, I’m going to give this a crack. Even though I wasn’t really a front man. So I wrote a few original songs and recorded them onto a cassette tape and submitted it to MBAS and they invited me to enter the competition. I think there was about 40 competitors and I won it. That really gave me the confidence to think well, I’m good enough to front a band.”

favourite style of guitar was pre-war acoustic blues. James played me lots of George Mitchell recordings such as RL Burnside and I was really impressed by the hill country sounds. At that stage my music was based more around the Chicago sound of Little Walter. I wanted to try and find a way for James and me find some middle ground. I thought, I love hill country blues so if I could add some harmonica, it may sound interestingly different and we’re both going to enjoy playing it. And we did. About six months later Anthony Shortte joined us on drums and we became Collard Greens and Gravy in 1995.”

Collard Greens and Gravy Is that when you formed Collard Greens and Gravy I asked Ian. “First of all, I met James Bridges and his

The group’s name references Ian’s surname and collard greens, which is a large, leafy green vegetable common in southern US cooking. Their debut selftitled album appeared in 1999 and was recorded live-in-the-studio in Melbourne.

Collard Greens and Gravy had succeeded in creating a haunting sound that had a dark swampy edge to it.

They won the MBAS competition to

send a performer to Memphis for the IBC in February 2001 and came runnerup in their category.

Ian said “After the competition, we came home, we were chuffed and so we organised a US tour. We did six weeks over there and went all over the country; New Orleans, Houston, New York. It was one of the best times of my life and we drove everywhere in the smallest rental car you could get. It was only a two door. The three of us were squashed in there in with drums, guitar and amps and as we drove down the highway we’d see other people pointing at us and saying…what the hell”.

The group’s second album, ‘More Gravy’ won Best Blues and Roots Album at the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Music Awards of 2001. I asked Ian how he felt about winning an ARIA. “So we came home from the US tour and there was quite a buzz in Australia. We were still the same band that we’d always been but now we’d been given some accolades in America, all of a sudden Australian people said oh, okay, well, maybe they are good, you know. In 2001, the John Butler Trio was the latest up and coming act and they were nominated for six ARIA Awards, including Best Blues and Roots album…that was the only category continued on next page April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

13

they didn’t win…we did” laughs Ian. I wanted to draw attention to the fact that twenty years ago in 2001, Collard Greens and Gravy were making innovative music. They mixed a blend of Chicago blues and hill country blues and no one had done that before. Suddenly people were asking…what is this fresh sound?

Ian said “Yes, I listen to those records now and I appreciate them more than I used to. At the time it was a different sound from what most people were doing. After that, John Butler, Xavier Rudd and all that stuff just took off and went berserk. People started calling it roots music. These days, we take it for granted. But at the time, we started with an idea. We put three different people together in a room, each with a different background and a new sound was developed. Sometimes you get lucky and come out with something that people like”.

Their third album, ‘Silver Bird’ was released in June 2004 and at the IBC in 2005, it won Best Self-Produced CD. Their fourth album, ‘Devil in the Woodpile’, appeared in November 2007 and at the Australian Blues Music Awards in 2009, it won Album of the Year.

Three Kings In 2011, Ian Collard formed another blues trio called the Three Kings, with Benny Peters (ex-Benny and the Fly

by Niters) on vocals and guitar, and Jason Liu Soon (ex-Chris Wilson and the Detonators) on drums.

Once again, the Three Kings created an innovative sound. In some respects it reminds me of a raw Chess vibe. I asked Ian to tell me about the origins of their sound. Ian replied, “When we started we wanted to do something very, very raw. We couldn’t think of a bass player, so we turned the treble off on the guitar and it created a kind of Hound Dog Taylor attitude, with the guitar player pumping out the bass end of things. In the beginning, the influences were Jerry McCain; that very first record is that choo choo rock record, which he recorded in his living room in Alabama. And Kidd Thomas, who is 14 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Three Kings kind of like, a rock and roll harmonica player with that fantastic Little Richard haircut. And also Jimmy Reed. Benny Peters had written some songs, and I had a few songs as well. We used to sit on his couch and I had a little microphone, which I plugged into my iPod. The gain stage on this microphone was really high. So we made these quiet little recordings and they’d come out sounding loud and distorted, you know, we discovered we’ve got something new, and it actually sounded pretty good. Just take a look at our first YouTube clip doing ‘Wow baby’ by Kidd Thomas.”

Most Influential Blues Musician I asked Ian, who he thought was

the most influential blues musician of all time? “I think it is Stevie Ray Vaughan, because the influence that he’s had, on today’s blues music is undeniable. Since I’ve been playing music, I mean, since the very first ‘Checkerboard Lounge’ rehearsal that I ever did, in 1982, or whatever it was, we were playing Stevie Ray Vaughan songs. So that was the beginning of my life in in blues music and to this day, we’re talking 40 years later, his legacy is significant. So, if by influential you mean the number of people that he would have influenced, and for the length of time that he’s been influential, it’d be hard to look past continued on next page

him.”

“But for me, as a harmonica player, the most influential musician is Little Walter. He was an incredible songwriter and his sound is reflected in virtually everything else on the harmonica that’s come after him. Also, the sound that his band had was completely different from everybody else in Chicago at the time. As an innovator, on any instrument, guitar or otherwise, I think he was probably way ahead of the rest of the pack. I mean, if you listen to any of those other harp players, or most of those guitar players, you know, they had their tricks and they would, you know, often repeat stuff. But if you listen to Little Walter, everything that he recorded from beginning to end, he can take one phrase and say it so many different ways. I think he’s a genius.”

Most Memorable Moment What’s been the most memorable thing that happened to you? “You know, winning the ARIA was pretty massive.

But still, having said that, a couple of days, after we won it, we’re back home doing the dishes and struggling to get a gig and it’s life, as usual, you know, didn’t really change anything at all. So, even though it was a really great thing, and I’m glad that it happened, the most important thing, is having good musical experiences with my friends, and I think one of the most memorable times I had was with the Three Kings in Memphis at the IBC in 2015. The camaraderie that we had, the fun that we had, the confidence that we had on stage and the musical experience was one of the highlights for me.”

The Future So here in Australia we are coming out of COVID and things look like they are slowly returning to normal. I asked Ian what it was like for him living through 2020 and what does the future look like. “The whole COVID thing put a massive blanket over everything musical in in my life, and pretty much everything else. I found it impossible to be creative when we were in lockdown and I was wondering how I was going to get through this and when it was all going to end. Musically I did nothing last year at all. It’s only been the last few weeks where things are starting to come

back to normal. So Benny and I have been talking about making a new Three Kings record. I’m playing with Collard Greens and Gravy and loving that. We have a new line up and are a four piece now. I’m finding myself with a lot more freedom to be creative on the harmonica.

Since I was 18 in the early 1980s, about 35 years, I’ve been playing blues music in Melbourne. And apart from last year there’s only been a few weekends where I haven’t gigged. It’s been the backbone of my life. So when the COVID lockdowns happened, it was very shocking and incredibly hard for me to comprehend. I wasn’t been creative and I wasn’t gigging. I had to reprioritize what’s important in my life and, and that was one of the good things to come out of it. Now I’m back on stage and I’m loving playing music to live audiences more than I ever have before.”

References http://threekingsaustralia.com

http://iancollard.com http://collardgreensandgravy.com https:// checkerboardlounge.com.au/ https://blues.org/ https://www.mbas.org.au/ https://www.aria.com.au/

About Barry (Baz) Maxwell I live in Melbourne, Australia where I’m – Presenter, Blues on the Hill radio show (https://www.facebook.com/ bluesonthehill and http:// www.sunburyradio.com.au) President, Hume Blues Club (http:/ /www.humebluesclub.com) President, Blues Music Victoria (http://www.bluesmusicvictoria.com.au) Acknowledgement I would like to thank Glenn Owens for his contribution to this article.

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

15

International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Announces 2020 Finalists Bebe Rexha, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Tom Waits, Cam, Arturo Sandoval, Linkin Park, Trevor Daniel, and Laura Pausini Among The Judges On This Year’s Competition ISC is very pleased to announce the 2020 finalists. A total of 324 finalists have been selected from more than 26,000 entries representing 158 countries throughout the world. ISC is the world’s largest international songwriting competition and is designed to discover and promote professional and amateur songwriters who excel in the art of songwriting. ISC recognizes songwriters in all genres of contemporary music and gives away more than $150,000 in cash and prizes, including an overall Grand Prize of $25,000 in cash plus additional prizes.

Winners will be selected by a panel of iconic recording artists and high-profile industry executives. Winners will be announced in late April or early May as soon as the judges have completed the judging process.

ISC is sponsored by: Arturia; Audeze; Celebrity Access; Eventric; Fano Guitars; Fender Guitars; Gig Salad; iZotope; Lurssen Mastering; Merch Cat; Musicians Institute; Play MPE; PreSonus; SongU; Sweetwater; and TuneCore.

AAA (ADULT ALBUM ALTERNATIVE) Better - James A.T. Draper, Jordan D. Brady (WINTERBOURNE) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Can’t Let Us Bleed - Gene Evaro Jr. (Gene Evaro Jr.) - Joshua Tree, CA, USA Don’t Say Goodbye - Jon Decious, Steevie Steeves (TOWNE) - Nashville, TN, USA Find A Way - Ryan Courtney (Trenton) - Hudson, FL, USA Fucked Myself Up - Mercedes Thorne, Edwin White, Joel Quartermain (Merci, Mercy) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia Gotta Get To Know Ya - AJ Haynes, Gabe Simon, Jesse Gabriel, Adam Davis, Brad Shultz (Seratones) - Shreveport, LA, USA Just Smile - William Clapson (Jack In Water) - Palma De Mallorca, Spain Kingdom Illusion - Graham Patzner (Whiskerman) - Oakland, CA, USA Manchester By The Sea - Trent-Jean Michel (Trent-Jean) - Perth, WA, Australia Runaway - Benjamin Woolner-Kirkham, Michael Bell, Harrison Sayers (SAFIA) Canberra, ACT, Australia Self Control - phem (phem) - Los Angeles, CA, USA Seven Days - Will Varley, Tom Farrer (Will Varley) - Deal, England What I Like - Archie Faulks (Archie Faulks) - London, England You And I - Lotta Lindgren, Martin Stilling (LÉON) - Stockholm, Sweden AC (ADULT CONTEMPORARY) 1985 - Ashley Jane, Timon Wientzek (In The City) - Toronto, ON, Canada All I Wanted - Abby J Hall, Andre Kaden Black, Tal Vaisman (Abby J Hall) Burlington, ON, Canada Bedsheets - Olivia Lunny, AJ Healey (Olivia Lunny) - Winnipeg, MB, Canada Catching Tears - Udo Mechels, Alan Roy Scott, Jon Hume (Udo) - Antwerp, Belgium Gasoline - Georgina Kingsley (Georgi Kay) - Perth, WA, Australia Goliath - Maria Smith, Victor Thell, Peter Kvint (Smith & Thell) - Helsingborg, Sweden Good Lord - Ian Berney, Ian Kenny, Glenn Sarangapany, Adam Spark, Adam Weston (Birds Of Tokyo) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Here To Dance - M. B. Alexander, Sela Alexander (Astroblue Express) - Brooklyn, NY, USA Hey London - Lainey Dionne, Gabe Simon, Nick Schwarz (Lainey Dionne) Smithfield, RI, USA I Won’t Surrender - Fidan Aliyeva (Fidan Aliva) - Baku, Azerbaijan Recovery - Watts, Edd Holloway (Mason Watts) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Say - Christine Kern, Bang Allure, Jesse Lyons (Jesse Lyons) - Columbia, SC, USA Symphony - George Sheppard, Amy Sheppard, Jay Bovino, Keith Sorrells, Alex 16 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Niceforo (Sheppard) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Warmest Regards - Alex Vickery, Midian Mathers, Todd Spadafore (Alex Vickery) - Los Angeles, CA, USA AMERICANA Ah Men - Vivian Cook (Vivian Cook) - San Francisco, CA, USA Alibi - Andy Sydow (Andy Sydow) - Denver, CO, USA Annie - Kyle McKearney (Kyle McKearney) - Calgary, AB, Canada Can’t Go Back - Gene Evaro Jr. (Gene Evaro Jr.) - Joshua Tree, CA, USA Casanova Of The Canyon - Merry Ellen Kirk, Warren Sellers (Merry Ellen Kirk) Nashville, TN, USA Concrete Stars - Brielle Brown (Brielle Brown) - New York, NY, USA Inside The Wheel - Markus Rill (Markus Rill) - Frankfurt, Germany Nicotine - Garrett Long (Garrett Long) - Harrisonburg, VA, USA Old Crow Feather - Gareth Leach (Gareth Leach) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia Poor Lazarus - Jared Griffin (Rocks & Salt) - San Francisco, CA, USA Pray For Rain Ft. Blind Boys of Alabama - Kristen Englenz (Kristen Englenz) Atlanta, GA, USA Somebody Like You - Simon Rudston-Brown, Melinda Kirwin (FALLS) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Stir All Night - Robert J Hunter (Robert J Hunter) - London, England Wood And Steel - Kenny Foster (Kenny Foster) - Nashville, TN, US BLUES All My Dues Are Paid - Rick Estrin, Christoffer Lund Andersen, Kathy Murray, Frank Bey (Frank Bey) - Philadelphia, PA, USA Are You Ready Now? - Davide Pace, Manuel La Malfa (The Jagat) - Torino, Italy Barefoot Among Scarecrows - Daniel Eriksen (Daniel Eriksen) - Langesund, Norway Chain Breaker - John Németh, Jaki Taylor, Matthew Wilson (John Németh) Memphis, TN, USA Come And Get This Love - Jennifer Grouws, Chris Avey (Avey Grouws Band) Decorah, IA, USA Come And Take It - John Németh (John Németh) - Memphis, TN, USA Down To The River - Zechariah Lloyd (Zechariah Lloyd) - Vicksburg, MS, USA Godless Land - Cathy Lemons, Kid Andersen (The Lucky Losers) - San Francisco, CA, USA Scotch Ft. Chelsea D.E. Johnson - Michael Wilford, Joshua Litton, Colleen Lee Eccleston (Michael Wilford) - Victoria, BC, Canada Stand Up And Dance - Hattie Wilcox, Heine Andersen (Missy Andersen) Raleigh, NC, USA Surrender - Clarence Spady (Clarence Spady) - Scranton, PA, USA

International Songwriting Competition continued from previous page Tear Dust Blues - Shane Thornton (Black Cadillac Kings) - Klamath Falls, OR, USA Virginia - Emily Pastuf, Zak Masoud, Jeff Swidowski (Bad Mama’s Blues Band) Syracuse, NY, USA Weep & Moan - Vanessa Collier (Vanessa Collier) - Columbia, MD, USA CHILDREN’S MUSIC Baby Says No - Robert Compton (Babaloo Music and Fun) - Washington, MO, USA Chihuahua - Robin Nathan (fleaBITE) - Auckland, New Zealand Every Dog Has Its Day - Matt Gerber (Matt Gerber) - Toronto, ON, Canada Follow Your Arrow - Emily Arrow (Emily Arrow) - Nashville, TN, USA Grateful - Suzanne Jamieson, Jason Rabinowitz, Jacob Stein, Tommy Shepherd, Kaitlin McGaw (Suzanne Jamieson Ft. Alphabet Rockers) - Santa Monica, CA, USA Haunting Days Of Halloween - Lucy Kalantari (Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats) Brooklyn, NY, USA High Brow Affair - Cynthia Dougherty (High Brow Affair) - Carnegie, PA, USA I Woke Up With The Hiccups - Emily Mcknight, Robin Gist, Peter Bailey (Emily Who) - Sydney, NSW, Australia If Girls Ruled The World - Joanie Leeds, Carly Ciarrocchi (Joanie Leeds) - New York, NY, USA K-I-N-D - Stephanie Leavell (Stephanie Leavell) - Boise, ID, U Mittens Official Song - Chris Sanders, Natalie Conaty (Chris Sanders) - Auckland, New Zealand The Smilers - Kelli Caldwell (Kelli Welli) - Portland, OR, USA The Zoom Song - Bret Turner, Ian Walters (The Tallest Kid In The Room) Berkeley, CA, USA Why Did I - Marcia Morgan, Julia Ross, Krysta Youngs (Treela) - Manchester, NH, USA CHRISTIAN Alarm - Kasaan Hammon (RIGSI) - Waimea, HI, USA All Glory & Honour - Billy Smiley, Ida Maree (Ida Maree) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia All I Have - Ben Bourque, Alex Arthurs (Charming To The Last) - Fredericton, NB, Canada Don’t Give Up - Shauna Chanda (Shauna Chanda) - Denver, CO, USA Faith Of A Five Year Old - Grace Gonzalez (Grace Gonzalez) - Milwaukee, WI, USA Kingdom Come - Marcelo Gil, Ish Beloso, David Provenzano, Johnny Redding (Johnny Redding & Revolution Cry) - Orlando, FL, USA Ready To Live -Cole Phoenix, Cameron Stymeist (Cole Phoenix) - Brisbane, QLD, Australia Second Life - Reed Deming (Reed Deming) - San Antonio, TX, USA They All Fall Down Ft. Koby Evans/Temple Of Grace - Jeff Markey (Genesis Worship) - Dover, PA, USA Through The Night Ft. Shama Mrema - Chas Tackett, Shama Mrema (Chas Tackett) - Tulsa, OK, USA Your Love - Maxfield Camp, Christopher Parker (Maxfield Camp) - Nashville, TN, USA COMEDY/NOVELTY Hot Dogs And Applesauce! - Rob Potylo (Rob Potylo) - Pasadena, CA, USA I’m An Accountant - Rocky Paterra (Rocky Paterra) - Pittsburgh, USA Marry Me - Jamie Anderson (Jamie Anderson) - Ottawa, ON, Canada My Opera Career’s Over - Robert Macfarlane, Kanen Breen (Nurseratched) Melbourne, VIC, Australia Naked Pictures - Rhiannon Hopkins (Rhiannon Hopkins) - Wendover, England Pumpkin Spice - Pat Godwin (Pat Godwin) - Dallas, PA, USA Rodeo Ft. Wanz - Justin Davis, Mick Garrett (MONKEYSHORTS) - Seattle, WA, USA S.K. Valentine - Chris Dowell (Chris Dowell) - Salt Lake City, UT, USA Shelf Life - Gianmarco Soresi (Gianmarco Soresi) - New York, NY, USA The 12 Days Of Quarantine - Chris Mann (Chris Mann) - Valley Glen, CA, USA The Wal-Mart Song - Chris Dowell (Chris Dowell) - Salt Lake City, UT, USA You’re Like Hitler - Brian Woodbury (Brian Woodbury) - Los Angeles, CA, USA COUNTRY Break Itself - Ava Suppelsa, Tristan Bushman, Michael August (Tristan Bushman)

- Evanston, IL, USA Church - Courtney Cole, Melissa Fuller, Jeff Pardo (Brianna Blankenship) - Kane, PA, USA Closer - Rob Mayes, Ryan Rossebo, Kevin Leach (Rob Mayes) - Los Angeles, CA, USA Hands Where I Can’t See Them - Patrick Cornell, Dan Segall (Salemtown) Nashville, TN, USA Hurricane After You - John Cirillo, Sarah Spencer (Payton Lamar) - Nashville, TN, USA I Won’t Sleep Tonight - Zac Crawford, Ben Crawford, Jarred Taylor (Jarred Taylor X Crawford Brothers) - Hinton, NSW, Australia Own Way Home - Grant Vogel, Tate Howell, Marla Morris (Grant Vogel) Nashville, TN, USA Someone To Somebody - Ada LeAnn, Carter Frodge (Ada LeAnn) - Battle Creek, MI, USA Sparks Fly - Casey Barnes, Samuel Gray, Kaci Brown (Casey Barnes) - Sydney, NSW, Australi Warning Labels - Cliff Cody, Arlis Albritton, Kyle Coulahan (Cliff Cody) - Odessa, TX, USA Whiskey Kind Of Love - Jonny Born (Jonny Born) - Draper, UT, USA Young Love - Ada LeAnn, Carter Frodge (Ada LeAnn) - Battle Creek, MI, USA EDM (ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC) Bad Boy Ft. Wiz Khalifa, Bbno$ And Max - Dallas Cotton, Alexander Gumuchian, Camerson Jabril Thomaz, Max Schnieder (Yung Bae) - Oakland, CA, USA Call My Number - Nyelo, Omix Zam (Nyelo, Omix Zam) - Guadalajara, Mexico Come Home - Ryan Dobbrick, James Vincent, Emily Coulston (Du0) - Brisbane, QLD, Australia Dreams - Pawel Karski (Carsky) - Mogilany, Poland High & Low - Julian Gardner (Julez Gardner) - London, England I Got You - Igor Volhonski, Claus Pener, Victor Crone, Calle Johan Rune Hellberg, Gloria Kim (Hellove, Gloria Kim) - Tallinn, Estonia In Between - Arpit Gawri, Baer (32Stitches & Baer) - Panchkula, India Let’s Try Ft. Dominic - Oleksandr Ivanov (Alex Iva) - Barcelona, Spain Paradise - Julian Hamilton, Kim Moyes, Thomas Stell (Golden Features x The Presets) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Rain Ft. Nevve - Kasi Opi, Nevve (Kasi Opi) - Nacogdoches, TX, USA Shadows - Ryan Dobbrick, Ryan Courtney (Du0) - Brisbane, QLD, Australia Slow Motion - Iisakki Ratilainen (Iisample) - Joensuu, Finland Something Out Of Nothing - Preston Mah, Kwesi Kankam, Drew Frey, Ketura Church (GhostDragon & Kwesi) - Dublin, CA, USA Under Water - Pierre Marmignon, Benoît Capelle, David Schoenwetter (Max M) Bry, France Whyamilikethis - Stefani Colvin, Rikki Randal, Christian Fiore (stef) - Nashville, TN, USA FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER 10 Steps To Heaven - Jake Isaac (Jake Isaac) - London, England Afterglow - Timothy Löffler (Timothy Jaromir) - Zurich, Switzerland Blind For The Moment - Falco Eckhof (Hannah & Falco) - Wuerzburg, Germany Crinkle Cut - Asha Jefferies, Chris Collins (Asha Jefferies) - Brisbane, QLD, Australia For That Matter - Dan O’Rourke (Dan O’Rourke) - Nashville, TN, USA Hip Hip - Lua (Lua) - Tbilisi, Georgia Holy Smoke - Kelson, Jake Warren (Kelson) - Atlanta, GA, USA Jocelyn - Sean Murphy (All The Queen’s Horses) - Cork, Ireland Jump - Chimatara Ihunanyachi Ejugbo (TARRAH) - Uburu, Nigeria Someplace Somewhere - Jeremy Buck (Jeremy Buck) - Bedford, IN, USA Something Like I Love You - Jemma Johnson (Jemma Johnson) - Uttoxeter, England Trembling No More - Candace Coker (Candace Coker) - San Fernando, Trinidad And Tobago Weight Of The World - Kevin Young (Skipper Noon) - Atlanta, GA, USA Whatever’s Next - Megan Slankard (Megan Slankard) - San Francisco, CA, USA INSTRUMENTAL Auseinandersetzung - Malte Vief (Malte Vief) - Leipzig, Germany Carriage - Ahmad Mirmasoumi (Ahmad Mirmasoumi) - Tehran, Iran Cove Diving - Julian Schoming (Julian Schoming) - Manchester, MD, USA

continued on next page April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

17

International Songwriting Competition continued from previous page Dream It Real - Sangho Oh (Oh Sangho Nonet) - Busan, South Korea Encompassing - Max Di Carlo (Max Di Carlo) - Los Angeles, CA, USA It’s Who We Are! Mozaick - Mustafa Khetty (Morpheus Project) - Dubai, United Arab Emirates Mysterious Vision - Yoichi Kitano (Yoichi Kitano) - Kobe City, Japan Pferd - Ralph Mothwurf (Ralph Mothwurf Orchestra) - Vienna, Austria Pokus 92 (A Tribute To Beethoven) - Robert Nemec (NeRotique) - Berlin, Germany Rush On The Savannah - Hattie Wilcox (Christopher Marion) - Raleigh, NC, USA Start - Lajkó Félix (Lajkó Félix And Band) - Palic, Serbia Summer In Tehranto - Chris McKhool (Sultans Of String) - Toronto, ON, Canada The Statuary Of Wisdom - Sorpico (Sorpico) - Ichikawa-Shi, Japan The Witch - Tomokazu Yamada (Tomokazu Yamada) - Shakotan, Japan JAZZ Arriba En La Ruta 3 - Hildemaro Alvarez (Hildemaro Alvarez) - San Cristobal, Venezula Big Bite - Bruce Gertz (Bruce Gertz Quintet) - Melrose, MA, USA Binaries In Cycle - Keshav Batish (Keshav Batish Quartet) - Santa Cruz, CA, USA Blue Dream - Nishla Smith (Nishla Smith) - Manchester, England Dawn - Chaos - Kaoru Hashimoto (Kaoru Hashimoto) - Shimane, Japan Intersplosion Pt 2 - DeWitt Fleming Jr, Erica von Kleist (DeWitt Fleming Jr. And Erica Von Kleist) - Washington, D.C., USA Iomante - Eishin Nose (Eishin Nose) - Otaru, Japan Relevant - Tim Wicks (Tim Wicks) - Rochester, NY, USA That Happened - Will Vinson (Will Vinson) - Brooklyn, NY, USA The Fittest And The Survival Of The Unfit - Daniel Rotem (Daniel Rotem) - Tel Aviv, Israel Where We Are - Jazzmeia Horn (Jazzmeia Horn) - Dallas, TX, USA

Looking Out For One Another - Liz Rachel Walker (Liz Rachel Walker) - Victoria, BC, Canada Lost Inside - Imset-Jaka Peterka, Dejan Macura, Blaz Horvat, Jaka Azman (Imset) - Domzale, Slovenia My Quiet - Kris Angelis (Kris Angelis) - Carmel, CA, USA Off To One Side - Steve Seaton (Steve Seaton) - Hope Island, QLD, Australia Something - Marc Lynch (Marc Lynch) - Dublin, Ireland The End Is Here - Sasa Németh (Sasa Németh) - Csengod, Hungary The Streets Outside Your Home - Martin Leahy, Michael Leahy (Martin Leahy) Cork, Ireland MUSIC VIDEO Bien Bien - Vania Mitre Martinez, Juan David Morales, Carlos Andrés Sanchez, Andrés Felipe Gómez, David Mauricio Trujillo, Daniela Gomez (ANIA) - Lima, Peru Boujee - Nailah Blackman, Anson Soverall (Nailah Blackman) - Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago Breathe - Dorel Vaginsky (DOREL) - Tel Aviv, Israel Come Home - Adalia Tara, Blake Vadasy (Adalia Tara) - Washington, D.C., USA Cowboy - Chelsea Gilliland (Chlsy) - Nashville, TN, USA Desatar - Karla Grunewaldt (Karla Grunewaldt) - Santiago, Chile Inspire Me - Renay (Renay) - San Francisco, CA, USA Liar - Nicole Suzanne Stipp, Elisha D Erskine (Hooked Like Helen) - Milan, OH, USA Nobody Like You - DAP The Contract, Mia Maxima (DAP The Contract) - Lagos, Nigeria Now I See You - Chris Wilson, Grahame Rolfe (Chris Wilson D.C) - Dublin, Ireland Sour Reimagined - Stefani Colvin, Rikki Randal, Christian Fiore (stef) - Nashville, TN, USA The Dream Is Over Now - Tony Kastaneda (MadOhm) - Los Angeles , CA, USA

LATIN PERFORMANCE Bailalo - Keira Y Los Foraneos Music (Keira) - Cancun, Mexico Barú - Javier El’as Irigoyen, Joaqu’n Casco Peebels, Maurizio Alessio (Midnight Dreamers) - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia Bien Bien - Vania Mitre Martinez, Juan David Morales, Carlos Andrés Sanchez, Andrés Felipe Gómez, David Mauricio Trujillo, Daniela Gomez (ANIA) - Lima, Peru Broken Espanol - Rodney Alejandro, Jonathan Gutierrez, Rolando Cuellar (Baby Jay) - Galena Park, TX, USA Cafeína - Willie Gomez, Paulina Aguirre, Gustav Afsahi, Jonathan Bluth (BLUTH) - Westlake Village, CA, USA Encrucijada - Pedro Barbosa (Pedro Barbosa) - Pretoria, South Africa Esta Canción - Fany Fonseca, Pedro Cerrato (Fany Fonseca) - Tegucigalpa, Honduras Está Bien - Stefano Manrique, Angela Pico, Juan Pablo Piedrahita, Alex Jarvar (Stefano Manrique) - Bogotá, Colombia Hasta Abajo - Kaih (Dave Hidalgo) (Toploud) - Envigado, Columbia Hook It Up - Diana Trujillo, Michael Costanzo (Chika Di) - San Francisco, CA, USA La Lluvia - Sofia Macchi, Raquel Sofia (Sofia Macchi) - Buenos Aires, Argentina Luz - Karla Grunewaldt (Karla Grunewaldt) - Santiago, Chile Paquita Linda - Daniel Patino Quintana (Patiño) - San Jose, Costa Rica Somos Tu Y Yo - Zhenna Luque, Dennis Garcia (Zhenna) - Lima, Peru Toda La Noche - Artur Benson (ARTUR) - West Hollywood, CA, USA Tonta - Lisbeth Mego, Ashley Ruiz, Edwin Itoh (Sereza) - Guadalupe, Peru LYRICS ONLY All In 1991 - Aurelina (Aurelina) - Denu, Ghana Before We Were Kings - Todd J Lunceford (Todd J Lunceford) - Orlando, FL, USA Bloodhound - Vanessa Collier (Vanessa Collier) - Columbia, MD, USA Build Me A River (A Soldiers Prayer) - Randi Garnick (Randi Garnick) - Buffalo Grove, IL, USA Burn Bright - Scot Robinson, Bobby Cameron (Scot Free Sessions) - Edmonton, AB, Canada Changing (While Staying The Same) - Mike Guiney (Mike Guiney) - Gananoque, ON, Canada Diamond And Dirt - Kerri Shore (Kerri Shore) - New York, NY, USA Grasping At The Water - Leigh Gardiner, Andrew Atthowe, Erin Gordon, Rebecca Erin Smith (Chuditch) - Perth, WA, Australia It Is What It Is - Harry Becker (Harry Becker) - Florence, MA, USA

18 26

Rock August 2021 2020 Rock and and Blues Blues International International •• April November 2020

Éireann I Mo Chroí - Clare Cunningham (Clare Cunningham) - Collon, Ireland Don’t You Dare - Winnie Raeder (Winnie Raeder) - Aabenraa, Denmark Freedom - Katrina Stone (Katrina Stone) - Burbank, CA, USA Let Me Be The Man -Violet Grae (Violet Grae) - Connellsville, PA, USA My Angels Sang To Notre Dame - Sean Murphy (All The Queen’s Horses) - Cork, Ireland New York - Jake Isaac (Jake Isaac) - London, England One For - Arjuna Oakes (Arjuna Oakes) - Wellington, New Zealand Something Warmer - Gregory Raymond Davies (Gray) - Felixstowe, England Take Me To The River - Connell Cruise, Andrew Baird (Connell Cruise) Johannesburg, South Africa Tell Me It’s Over - Aminah Hughes (Aminah Hughes) - Perth, WA, Australia The Days I’ll Like To Know - Frank Salis, Michael Watson (Frank Salis Ft. Michael Watson) - Agno, Switzerland / Canton, OH, USA The Good Ones - Jackie Sannia (SANNIA) - Frankston South, VIC, Australia Wasting My Time - Levi Conner (Levi Conner) - Bar Harbor, ME, USA Weep & Moan - Vanessa Collier (Vanessa Collier) - Columbia, MD, USA Where Is Freedom? - Jazzmeia Horn (Jazzmeia Horn) - Dallas, TX, USA Work For Me - Mia Wray (Mia Wray) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia POP/TOP 40 Bad Boy Ft. Wiz Khalifa, Bbno$ And Max - Dallas Cotton, Alexander Gumuchian, Camerson Jabril Thomaz, Max Schnieder (Yung Bae) - Oakland, CA, USA Comeback Kids - John Cirillo, Tamara Laurel McGuckin, Craig Lackey, Larry Vail (Ericka Corbin) - Nashville, TN, USA Die Young - George Sheppard, Jason Bovino, Amy Sheppard, Jon Hume (Sheppard) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Enemies - Malina Stark (Malina Stark) - Mutterstadt, Germany Even If I Knew - Brittany Pfantz, Texada (Brittany Pfantz) - Nashville, TN, USA Gravity - Yorke, Gab Strum (Yorke) - Bangalow, NSW, Australia Istanbul - Bahjat Etorjman (Bahjat) - Tripoli, Libya Lay Low - Nick De La Hoyde, Joseph De La Hoyde (Nick De La Hoyde) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Light Out - Sita Steele, Romy Wave (Romy Wave) - Montreux, Switzerland Psycho - Gustav Nyström, Alina Paulsen, Mia Rodriguez (Mia Rodriguez) Sydney, NSW, Australia Self Control - phem (phem) - Los Angeles, CA, USA Skeletons - Stephanie Bourland, Nick Schwarz, Ethan Hulse (MAD FVN) -

International Songwriting Competition continued from previous page McLean, VA, USA SOS - Tamsin, Chris Arnott (Tamsin) - Brentwood, England The Kids Are All Rebels - Lenii (Lenii) - Cork, Ireland Two Of Us - Ian Berney, Ian Kenny, Glenn Sarangapany, Adam Spark, Adam Weston (Birds of Tokyo) - Sydney, NSW, Australia R&B/HIP-HOP All For You - Seth Haapu, Nick Down, Marley Sola, Alex Wildwood (Seth Haapu) Whanganui, New Zealand Between Two Worlds - Lulu Fall, Kris Johnson (Lulu Fall And The Kris Johnson Group) - Washington, D.C., USA Blooming - Amir Hodge (Statix) - Atlanta, GA, USA Blues - TeCreshia Riggins (Goddess Cre) - Biloxi, MI, USA Drunk - Kallay Saunders, Gabriel (Kallay Saunders, Gabriel) - Bronx, NY, USA Godspeed - RushKlan (RushKlan) - New Rochelle, NY, USA Good Times - Rudolph Miguel Gallegos III, Mathew Mcguire (Rudy G.) - Sanger, CA, USA Madam$ - Kia Knoester, Lars Hempel (KIA) - Arnhem, Netherlands Money Out The Bank - Uwa Eguakun, David Stopa (T2 Tizzle) - Edo, Nigeria Public Enemy - INFAMOUSIZAK (INFAMOUSIZAK) - London, England Queendom - Al-Hakeem Thompson (Hakeem Romance) - Newark, NJ, USA Simbisa (Strengthen) - Takudzwa Karimazondo (McKurry) - Harare, Zimbabwe The World To Me Ft. Jackson Lundy & Bando - Alexander Lewis, Jackson Lundy, Brandon P. Anderson (Alexander Lewis) - Oakland, CA, USA Trap Phone - Kyle Quinn Caruthers, Ryan Wayne Latour (Kevin Cartoon) Houston, TX, USA Your Move - Gayathri Karunakar Menon, Jacob Storm, Camila Solis (Gaia) Doha, Qatar ROCK 777 - C W Anglin, Andrew Matthews, Morgan Zwicker (SKELETON CLUB) Vancouver, BC, Canada All The Same - Jaka Peterka, Dejan Macura, Jaka Azman, Blaz Horvat (IMSET) Domzale, Slovenia America - Deuce (Deuce) - Portland, OR, USA Burn - Jake Edwards (Jake Edwards) - Denver, CO, USA California - Miguel Sand (The Sand) - Murcia, Spain I Killed My Man - Karoline Rose (SUN) - Sézanne, France I Want To Be Loved - Megan Slankard (Megan Slankard) - San Francisco, CA, USA Millennial Love - Andrew Patrick McCallion, Charles Adey, Sam Bramhall, James Sands (The New Nostalgia) - London, England Never Thought - Melissa Goldstein (Mel Bryant & The Mercy Makers) - Nashville, TN, USA No More Hiding - Gina Brooklyn, Dan Epand (Gina Brooklyn) - Wadsworth, OH, USA Okay? - Jared Salte, Bethany Salte (The Royal Foundry) - Sherwood Park, AB, Canada Say Something - Kavyen Temperley, Stuart MacLeod, Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia Upside Down - Ruth Patterson, Rosie Bristow (Holy Moly & The Crackers) Newcastle, England We Break. We Fail. - Gordon Domnick (Ripe & Ruin) - Hamburg, Germany Wokeup! - Jordan Adetunji (Jordan Adetunji) - Belfast, Northern Ireland TEEN 4th Of July - Aidan Gallagher (Aidan Gallagher) - Los Angeles, CA, USA All I Ever Wanted - Mavenne (Mavenne) - Cincinnati, OH, USA Back Up - Lucy Parle (Lucy Parle) - Lisarow, NSW, Australia Breathe - Dorel Vaginsky (DOREL) - Tel Aviv, Israel Breathing To Prove That I Can - Georgie Raft (Georgie Raft) - Unley Park, SA, Australia Call Me - Jianyi Wang (Spaceboi Maksi) - Hohhot, China Drift - Bree Rusev (Bree Rusev) - Newcastle, NSW, Australia Drown - Cade Earick, Carleigh Mack (Cade Earick) - Rumney, NH, USA Ease My Mind - Harry Mason (Arlo Mac) - Hastings, New Zealand How Do You Sleep At Night - Anya Alchemy (Anya Alchemy) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia Lost Myself - Jo MacKenzie (Jo MacKenzie) - Leawood, KS, USA Speed - Jordyn Richards (Jordyn) - Ryde, NSW, Australia Stonewall - Daniel McCarthy (Daniel McCarthy) - London, England

Summer Of Seventeen - Gracie Metheny (Gracie Metheny) - Elkins, WV, USA Together At Home - Sophie Pecora (Sophie Pecora) - Danville, CA, USA UNPUBLISHED 1985 - Ashley Jane, Timon Wientzek (In the City) - Toronto, ON, Canada 777 - C W Anglin, Andrew Matthews, Morgan Zwicker (SKELETON CLUB) Vancouver, BC, Canada Alarm - Kasaan Hammon (RIGSI) - Waimea, HI, USA Better - James A.T. Draper, Jordan D. Brady (WINTERBOURNE) - Sydney, NSW, Australia Paper Dragon - ELKI, Dami Im (Dami Im) - Sydney, NSW, Australia People You Know - Will Tyler, Matt Tyler, Mitch Tyler, Chris Collins (Alt Fiction) Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Reasons To Stay - Kate Vogel (Kate Vogel) - Nashville, TN, USA Someplace Somewhere - Jeremy Buck (Jeremy Buck) - Bedford, IN, USA SOS - Tamsin, Chris Arnott (Tamsin) - Brentwood, England Statues - Will Varley (Will Varley) - Deal, England The Kids Are All Rebels - Lenii (Lenii) - Cork, Ireland Tick Tock - Loren Kate (Loren Kate) - Aldinga Beach, SA, Australia Wrong - Alexander Rollins, Eric Palmquist (Denny) - Minneapolis, MN, USA You + Me - Joe Mungovan (Joe Mungovan) - Kiama, NSW, Australia UNSIGNED ONLY 4th Of July - Aidan Gallagher (Aidan Gallagher) - Los Angeles, CA, USA Black Hole - Eiza Murphy (Eiza Murphy) - Cork, Ireland Come Home - Ryan Dobbrick, James Vincent, Emily Coulston (Du0) - Brisbane, QLD, Australia Even If I Knew - Brittany Pfantz, Texada (Brittany Pfantz) - Nashville, TN, USA Gasoline - Georgina Kingsley (Georgi Kay) - Perth, WA, Australia Here To Dance - M. B. Alexander, Sela Alexander (Astroblue Express) - Brooklyn, NY, USA I Got You - Igor Volhonski, Claus Pener, Victor Crone, Calle Johan Rune Hellberg, Gloria Kim (Hellove, Gloria Kim) - Tallinn, Estonia I Won’t Sleep Tonight - Zac Crawford, Ben Crawford, Jarred Taylor (Jarred Taylor X Crawford Brothers) - Hinton, NSW, Australia Lights Are Out - Marius Hinkelmann, Felix Hochkeppel, Anthony James Brown (OH FYO!) - Luebeck, Germany Manchester By The Sea - Trent-Jean Michel (Trent-Jean) - Perth, WA, Australia Millennial Love - Andrew Patrick McCallion, Charles Adey, Sam Bramhall, James Sands (The New Nostalgia) - London, England Self Control - phem (phem) - Los Angeles, CA, USA Skeletons - Stephanie Bourland, Nick Schwarz, Ethan Hulse (MAD FVN) McLean, VA, USA Under Water - Pierre Marmignon, Benoît Capelle, David Schoenwetter (Max M) Bry, France Whyamilikethis - Stefani Colvin, Rikki Randal, Christian Fiore (stef) - Nashville, TN, USA WORLD Asi Soy (This Is Me) - Chris McKhool, Yasmin Levy, Kevin Laliberte, Drew Birston (Sultans Of String Ft. Yasmin Levy) - Toronto, ON, Canada Born From The Land - Ricky Kej, Baaba Maal, Alexis D’Souza, IP Singh (Ricky Kej, Baaba Maal, And Lonnie Park) - Bangalore, India / Podor, Senegal Eda - Jean BelOny Murat (BélO) - Route Frere, Haiti Games - Nailah Blackman, Anson Soverall, Dale Ryan, Emmenuel Rudder (Nailah Blackman) - Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago Ipanumpa Ko - Sherwin Fugoso, Kenneth Corvera, Adam Corvera (Oh! Caraga) Cebu City, Philippines Ithu Kanavaa - Sreekanth Hariharan (Sreekanth Hariharan) - Trivandrum, India Mama - Dibdiamond, Beatbysv (Dibdiamond) - Nouakchott, Mauritania Mayahuabá - Ceshia Ubau, Hdyeshua, Said Palacios (Ceshia Ubau) - Managua, Nicaragua None Twaza - Cecile Kayirebwa (Cecile Kayirebwa) - Kigali, Rwanda Safari - Richie Lumambo (Richie Lumambo) - Bagamoyo, Tanzania Sugar - Zubi, Anatu (Zubi & Anatu) - Abuja, Nigeria Sukuru - Calvin Rore (The Bampipe Ensemble) - Honiara, Solomon Islands Tum Ho Yahaan - Abhilasha Sinha (Abhilasha Sinha) - New Delhi, India Veneno Bom - Adriana Calcanhotto (Adriana Calcanhotto) - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil We Know The Way (With Intro Of Tulou Tagaloa) - Opetaia Foai, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Te Vaka) - Auckland, New Zealand / NY, NY, USA Wesal - Evgeny Shchukin, Hamoo Rashd (SAKHARA BEAT) - Moscow, Russia

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International 19

This Show Is Hotter Than A Saturday Night Special What happens when you add a Hollywood pro with a twenty five year on the air radio personality?

You get pure bliss coming at you full speed. Randal Reeder and Bryan “Promo” Miller have teamed to create Texaswood, the hot new podcast coming out of Southeastern Texas. Their new no holds barred interactions with artists delivers top shelf, real gut level reality. None of this washed down stuff that pretends to represent the real artist, these guys set the badger free. In their latest episode, which was recorded in a barbershop, yes a barbershop which was way cool in and of itself by the way, Sundance Head was the premiere guest. This man revealed the real life climb it takes to reach the coveted brass ring and then talked about the continual approach to maintain what you have reached as an artist. Sundance was humble but soon the guys had him talking about his famous father, Roy Head, and his upbringing. That led to his praises for his wife, who has continually believed in him and remains by his side. He emphasized that the ups and downs for today’s artists are incredible and without a true champion standing with you the road is tougher, much tougher.

Here’s another cool thing about this show - it’s mobile meaning that various venues and businesses host the show’s presence in southeastern Texas.

Many times it’s shot at bars but in episode six it was shot at Tune Up The Manly Salon. Seeing Randal, the man on the right hand side of the photo above) getting his pedicure while drinking a Foo Foo drink with an umbrella in it was simply stated hilarious. This salon even provides free drinks, alcohol, while you wait your turn. What’s not to like and then add an over the top fast paced show and you got a winner. The show’s producer Patrick McNerney shares the following, “The whole crew is constantly on the look out for guests and locations. Everyone wants to bring a show forward that is not only interesting but entertaining. These two men nail it big time. “ Know of someone that you think would make a good guest for this international show? Drop them a note. Got a venue or business that you think might line up as a good shoot location, drop them a note you just never know. If you are a touring artist going through the greater Houston market shows are being recorded now.

Texaswood is as real as it gets and in a world of not so real it’s refreshing to tune in and get turned on to what’s what. These guys present people and places with both humor and candor and you just never know who’s going to say what and that’s pretty cool.

Learn more about Texaswood - Texaswood - Home | Facebook 20 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

April 2021 2021 •• Rock Rock and and Blues Blues International International 21 March 21

Giovanni Gaias: Jazz, blues and the rest of the adventure

By Edoardo Fassio History, identity and vocation have made both jazz and blues deal with adventure.

And, more often than not, also with the need to overcome inevitable seasons of lack of inspiration, repetitiveness or cautious commercial opportunism. We therefore welcome the new opus of drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Giovanni “Nanni” Gaias, born in 1994, who has made adventure his reason for artistic life.

Gaias was born and bred in Berchidda, the town in the hinterland of Sardinia that has hosted, since 1988, the Time in Jazz festival, founded and directed by Paolo Fresu, a world-famous local trumpet player. Nanni, who already played the trumpet in the village band at nine years old, has been performing at the festival since he was under age; he was part of the resident Funky Jazz Orkestra as an instrumentalist, composer and arranger, eventually graduating to artistic director of the nightly show “Time After Time”.

Talking about live shows, from the age of seventeen he is partner of Francesco Piu, a bluesman of international status, with whom he worked prestigious venues in Italy, France, England, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, sharing the bill with Doyle Bramhall II, Trombone Shorty, Matt Schofield, Lurrie Bell and Vintage Trouble. In August 2018, Gaias cut his first record, Nanni Groove Experience, a work dedicated to funk and street level black music. He sings it (with a warm, recognizable Sardinian accent) and plays it almost all by himself, aided here and there by guitarists Francesco Piu and Giuseppe Spanu and keyboardist Jim Solinas.

His latest album, Think Outside The Box, was released In 2021 by Tuk Music, a label created in 2010 by Paolo Fresu to issue his own works and give visibility to the talents of contemporary Italian jazz. It is an Ep that inaugurates the new T?k Air series, in which jazz is not afraid of being contaminated with the parallel universe of club culture. In the five instrumental tracks, where handyman Gaias is joined by guitarist Giuseppe Spanu, electronics coexist with traditional instruments, including those of futuristic nostalgia of yesteryear, Rhodes piano and synthesizer. We are never too far from jazz, meant in its broader sense of improvisational music, and even less far from blues, which emerges clearly in a shrewd, hypnotic mix with the chillout aesthetics. It’s hard to tell whether a new genre has been born; for sure, the old one has faced a new adventure with taste and consistency. www.tukmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/nanni_groove/ 22 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Giovanni Gaias: Il jazz, il blues e il resto dell’avventura

By Edoardo Fassio Jazz e blues per storia, identità e vocazione si cimentano con l’avventura. E, sovente, con la necessità di superare inevitabili periodi di mancanza di ispirazione, di ripetitività o di cauto opportunismo commerciale. È perciò benvenuto il nuovo lavoro del batterista, compositore e polistrumentista Giovanni “Nanni” Gaias, classe 1994, che dell’avventura ha fatto la sua ragione di vita artistica.

Gaias è nativo e residente di Berchidda, la cittadina dell’entroterra della Sardegna che ospita, dal 1988, il festival Time in Jazz, fondato e diretto da Paolo Fresu, trombettista locale di fama mondiale. Nanni, che già a nove anni suonava la tromba nella banda del paese, è di casa al festival fin da minorenne; vi ha partecipato in seno alla Funky Jazz Orkestra in qualità di strumentista, compositore e arrangiatore, laureandosi infine direttore artistico della rassegna notturna “Time After Time”.

Parallelamente, dall’età di diciassette anni è partner di Francesco Piu, bluesman di respiro internazionale, con cui ha alto palchi prestigiosi in Italia, Francia, Inghilterra, Svizzera e Repubblica Ceca, condividendo il cartellone con Doyle Bramhall II, Trombone Shorty, Matt Schofield, Lurrie Bell e Vintage Trouble. Nell’agosto del 2018 Gaias dà vita alla sua prima testimonianza discografica, Nanni Groove Experience, un lavoro all’insegna del funk e della black music “da strada”. Lo canta e lo suona quasi tutto da solo, facendosi aiutare qua e là dalle chitarre di Francesco Piu e di Giuseppe Spanu e dalle tastiere di Jim Solinas.

Nel 2021 esce Think Outside The Box per la Tuk Music, etichetta creata nel 2010 da Fresu per pubblicare le proprie produzioni e dare visibilità ai talenti del jazz italiano contemporaneo. Si tratta di un Ep che inaugura la nuova collana T?k Air, in cui il jazz non teme di inquinarsi con l’universo parallelo della club culture. Nei cinque brani strumentali, in cui il tuttofare Gaias è affiancato dal concittadino chitarrista Giuseppe Spanu, l’elettronica convive con gli strumenti tradizionali e con quelli della nostalgia futurista dell’altro ieri, piano Rhodes e sintetizzatore. Non siamo mai distanti dal jazz, inteso in senso lato come musica d’improvvisazione, e meno ancora dal blues, che affiora limpido in uno scaltro, ipnotico mix con l’estetica chillout. Difficile dire se sia nato un nuovo genere; è sicuro che quello vecchio ha affrontato con gusto e coerenza una nuova avventura. www.tukmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/nanni_groove/ April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

23

An Evening To Remember - Blues - All Genres Slow, Traditional, Blues Rock The Place Was Smokin’ Ever had a night that cooked so much that you didn’t want the sun to come up, you didn’t want the evening to end? One of those nocturnal invitations that beckoned you to go inside as the music made its way outside the club? If you have then my story is relatable. It all began when veteran vocalist blues harp man Steve Krase contacted me about having two complimentary tickets for me to go the newly renovated historic Houston landmark named Rockefellers. (see photo on left) That phone call took me by complete surprise and I snatched them babies up immediately. So I made plans to go but yet I had a business meeting set up with Rich Cagle of Montrose Records prior to the event. Now those meetings with Mr. Cagle are always a chance for a scotch or ten and then the next day we try to remember where the business deal finally ended up. I am embellishing a bit but not by much. As it turned out Rich happened to be going to Rockefellers too so we closed out the meeting and then ran into each other at club briefly an hour or so later. It was so packed that I don’t remember seeing Rich again until much later that night on the porch outside. I do remember the long entrance line upon arrival vividly and that you had to have a ticket to get in. This place was already wall to wall. The entrance line was moving at a snail’s pace and the music inside was on fire, talk about anticipation. Once inside I knew I had arrived as Rockefellers is always cool and this night was alive with deep from within the soul filled jams. I glanced up into the balcony areas and people were everywhere up there but on this night I wanted to take some shots of one of the world’s greatest traditional blues artists Ms. Trudy Lynn so I wanted to be first floor up front. I looked around the first floor and it was wall to wall blues lovers, top notch recording artists and producers. This was cool to the max and then just as if it were meant to be a front row table off to the side a bit opened up. I was attracted to it like a moth to a flame. The perfect blues environment and a good seat too, things were looking really good. Someone came up behind me, put their hands over my eyes and said guess who. As I removed her hands it was none other than the super hot talented Annika Chambers. Wow what a night and it had only just begun. We talked for a few moments and then she needed to go back stage as she was about to learn her turn on stage.

Annika’s new album had just been released and she was going to perform some of the numbers. So I knew up front that I was going to stay to catch Annika’s show because when this woman lays it down she really lays it down. If you saw her on stage at the Blues Music Awards then you know what I mean. Next, someone came over with a cold beer and said here enjoy it and believe me I certainly did just that, talk about perfect timing. Right about then continued on next page

24

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

An Evening To Remember Continued The Steve Krase Band with the harp man himself took to the large raised platform stage. Now when it comes to Steve Krase if you haven’t ever seen him perform let me also share that this man works the entire stage including on top of the tables in front of him. This night I noticed he had added someone else to the band. His guest was the gorgeous sax and vocalist from Mexico Ms. Evelyn Rubio. So I knew Evelyn when combined with the top shelf talent in his band this show was going to be good even before they laid down a note. The music started and Steve hit the bright lights looking dapper in a cream colored tailored suit wearing a big smile. He was ready to get started and get started they did.

Right out of the gate his performance was bringing the room to the level we had already been experiencing since arriving but now the place was just on fire, it was a three alarm blaze. Next up Steve introduced Ms. Trudy Lynn.

Always dressed to the nines this blues star was not wasting any time with lengthy introductions, she came ready to perform. The blues was alive, it was all through this place, I mean it was coming out this night like right now. Trudy glanced at Evelyn and moved closer to her stage position.

She shared the spotlight (photo on page one) while Evelyn nailed it on cue with her sax, Trudy laying down the lead vocals, Evelyn on sax, Steve killing it on harp, and the Steve Krase Band too, are you kidding me? Man they were red hot, I mean white heat hot, the joint was jumping to the nth degree. The entire evening would go this way, act after act after act was on fire. It was indeed a night that you did not want to end. All of this had been arranged by the Houston Blues Society in conjunction with the folks at Rockefellers.

They out did themselves, it just could not have been any better. Ever had a night like this? One of those I don’t want it to end evenings. I left the building, retrieved my truck and the radio came on Bob Seger was singing “Turn The Page” and if you know the song you can imagine how this could be the perfect ending to a fantastic night. Regarding the evening the blues is always in fashion and sometimes, sometimes, you don’t reach out to it, it reaches out to you and that ladies and gentlemen is what it does. It doesn’t have perfect English, it doesn’t deliver lyrics bound by a set of radio edit rules, no goes much deeper than that when it’s live. This was one of those experiences. If you are traveling Houston’s got it working. The city has two international airports and a ton of night spots many which are known blues hot spots. (see photo below) There is a ton of blues history in southeastern Texas including the roots of Peacock Records and so many juke joints. Houston’s blues scene is still alive to this day and still going strong. It’s not just good, it’s exceptional. Come say hey! John in Houston

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International 25

26

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Rock And Blues International Employment Opportunities Available!

Rock And Blues International Is Looking For A Sales Manager and ad salespeople!

Please Email Your Resume To rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com

video

UK Electronic Act Union of Knives Release New Single and Video “Like Butterflies” From The Forthcoming Album “Endless From The Start” - June 4 via Disco Piñata Limited Edition White Vinyl and CD Pre-Orders available at Bandcamp https://unionofknives.bandcamp.com/ Listen to “Like Butterflies” Available on all formats at https://li.sten.to/LIkeButterflies Watch the Video For ‘Like Butterflies” at https://youtu.be/zGgOm9VxXZs Scottish electronic act Union of against a dark atmospheric backdrop.

Knives release their new single, “Like Butterflies,” from their forthcoming “Like Butterflies” purrs away with sophomore LP Endless from the Start. a groove that weirdly takes me back to a “Like Butterflies” follows the release of youth listening to Talking Heads and “A Tall Tale,” (https://youtu.be/ Prince,” says songwriter/vocalist/ CsL0tmlNSRo) one of two collaboraproducer Chris Gordon. Vocalist Ant tions on the album featuring Ladytron’s Thomaz adds, “I want you to dance and Helen Marnie. Built on a funky get out of your cocoon already! Let backbeat, “Like Butterflies” is a blockthose delicate highs tremble through you rocking track that unfurls like an anthem as you push on into the light.” packed with complex polyrhythms set 28 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

“The video is a collaboration in movement,” adds Chris, “Anthony knew Alexandra (Tsiapi) could express something physically that we do our best to express with words and weird noises.

I spent a January morning filming her improvise to “Like Butterflies” in her beautiful top floor Georgian studio in Govan (Glasgow). She jerked and fluttered and floated all across the room with such grace and commitment, continued on next page

perfectly synched to the spiritual sense of the song.”

Watch “Like Butterflies” at https://youtu.be/zGgOm9VxXZs Union of Knives returned in 2020 after a 14-year hiatus following their 2006 rapturously received debut, Violence and Birdsong. The band combines the pummeling urgency of industrial music with the cathartic release of ambient theatrics for a unique sound that mesmerizingly references goth, trip hop, and warped soul.

Endless from the Start is as diverse as it is uplifting, even in its darker moments the compelling sense of rhythm elevates a sense of shared spirit and mission to the fore. The voices underpinned by turn with swooping ethereal tapestries, foundation shaking subs, and twitching yet insistent beats, courtesy of drummer Peter Kelly (The Kills, Ladytron). There is an unrelenting unfurling of ideas and motifs.

Union of Knives are a Scottish electronic act made up of Chris Gordon, Ant Thomaz (Dope Sick Fly), and Peter Kelly (The Kills, Ladytron), with Ladytron’s Helen Marnie featuring on two tracks on their 2020 Endless from the Start LP. With Chris Gordon crafting and grafting at the centre, writing, vocal and musical duties are shared by Ant, and Peter. Ant grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and arrived in Scotland via N.Y.C meeting Chris through production work, where their musical bonds became too compelling to ignore. Their debut album Violence and Birdsong was released in 2006. Their track “Opposite Direction” was synched in The Vampire Diaries and Grey’s Anatomy. Their 2007

sophomore album co-produced by Atticus Ross was shelved due to internal issues with the label. Since then, Chris has been devoting time to his family, Ant has worked on various solo projects, and Peter, a drummer and a painter, has toured with The Kills and Ladytron.

Praise for “A Tall Tale” featuring Helen Marnie (Ladytron) “Soulful and melodic with a driving beat, it oozes quality. Finally, something about 2020 to celebrate.” -

The Scottish Sun “Very catchy, it’s a potential floorfiller – if there were any floors except kitchens floors to fill…”

-Is This Music?

“Like Butterflies,’ definitively confirms their comeback is indeed a vital one. The song opens with chunky synths layered over something of a calypso/funk groove, which all brings to mind the likes of Talking Heads and Blancmange” - Blackbook Mag

Follow Union of Knives: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnionOfKnivesmusic Twitter https://twitter.com/unionofknivesuk Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHNFrkCHE8Uaa3qfh-c94tw Website https://www.unionofknives.com Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/76i7LqwY4xZ6gjebDpmKjV?si=x-KOQgkrT0eWpQQKI6FsuQ Deezer https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/263000 April 2021 • Rock and Blues International 29

aligned with Cardiff’s signature warm, scratched, and mellow voice taking the helm. If the music is the driver, the uncompromisingly human and poetic nature of the lyrics are, undoubtedly, the vehicle for this single.

The single is one showcase of the works featured on the All This Time Running album. The 11-track entry also marks his debut on True North Records.

Pre-order the album here: https://smarturl.it/allthistimerunning When reflecting about his upcoming release, Cardiff feels like this collection of material is his most wellrounded and career-defining work to date.

“It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done,” the humble, soft-spoken father agrees, in a rare moment of pride. “It didn’t start out that way. I didn’t have that scope and scale in mind at the beginning. It just kind of grew that way.

It was actually kind of a gift.”

With Over 100 Million Song Streams, Prolific Canadian Folk Singer-songwriter Craig Cardiff Releases Eponymous Single To Long-awaited Album, All This Time Runnin Waterloo-raised, Ottawa-based indie folk legend-in-the-making, Craig Cardiff, sets out on his latest musical journey with his warm and gripping new single, “All This This Time Running,” ahead of his new album of the same name — available now!

The three-minute-six-second single is an indirect ode to Cardiff’s long withstanding journey exploring the frontiers of, not only the Canadian, but international folk music realms, while coming back to his roots as a musician.

30

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

The message is also indicative of our personal journeys we embark upon; always coming back as a stronger, humbler, and wiser version ourselves.

To quote Cardiff himself: “All of the movement and all the activity is only to arrive where we’ve been for a long time — Home.”

“All This Time Running” is a splendid piece laden with nimble frets and melodious keys, accompanied by gentle snares and pleasing plucks of the banjo. The musical elements are serenely

The musician credited COVID for how this latest release came to fruition, while being mindful and sympathetic towards the hardships and uncertainties which the pandemic has caused many the world over.

“I never had time to pause like this before,” Cardiff reveals. “It scared the hell out of me at first. Everything went out the window; we had to rejig and scramble. It was like Mad Max.” Always being able to find the light in the darkest of situations, he then continues by saying, “It became a positive. We were able to access some players we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. And the time to sit with the songs and the recordings — that was critical.”

“All This Time Running” is the second single to delight fans and win the hearts of new listeners. The first single, “Yellowknife,” has already received a nomination for Canadian Folk Music Award for Single of the Year.

To say Craig Cardiff is active as an artist is truly an understatement. While All This Time Running is his first album of new material in six years, Cardiff has independently released an astounding total of 25 albums and EPs since his continued on next page

debut release in 1997. He has been nominated for a JUNO award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year for his 2012 album, Floods And Fires, as well as a Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Singer of the Year, in the same year. He credits the likes of Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello and Leonard Cohen as being inspirations for his music.

Throughout all his time running, Craig Cardiff has played festivals and concert stages, alongside indie icons such as Glen Philips, Kathleen Edwards and Sarah Harmer, as well as Canadian heavyweights such as Hawksley Workman, 54-40 and the late Gordon Downie.

The limelight hasn’t quelled his values, as he still gravitates towards playing

more quaint venues like backyards, coffeehouses, church basements and prisons in search of that sense of community and connection.

Many performers follow similar approaches, by way of stage presence and audience interaction. Cardiff goes further to build that connection with his attendees on a much deeper and personal Cardiff remains humble about his level. At his shows, he is known to pass around, what he calls, his Book of achievements and accomplishments. At the forefront, his approach to Truths. Only for people who wish to songwriting has always been about contribute, he asks those in attendance to connecting with his audience and contribute something personal — an nurturing a sense of community. He admission, a desire, or a secret — that views his talents as a calling, going as one might be too worried or scared to far as to label his artistry as a commitsay out loud. Some of these inscriptions ment, even a mission. inspire him to write songs. Others compel Cardiff to seek out the contributor personally to offer hope and reassur“I need to know I’m singing to somebody who connects with my ance. It doesn’t stop there. While on the songs,” he says. “The goal is to take a road, he stops at schools to facilitate roomful of strangers and bring them songwriting workshops to encourage and together.” inspire children to pursue their creativity.

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International 31

Watch The Music Video For “Beautiful” here @ https://youtu.be/N45Z1uWR75s

Listen To “Beautiful” Here @ https://michelemorrone.lnk.to/BeautifulPR

Rocketing up the Global Viral Charts and amassing over 200 million streams to date, Italian actor, model, singer, entrepreneur, and star of the NETFLIX smash 365 Days Michele Morrone shares his new single “Beautiful,” accompanied by a cinematic music video.

Get “Beautiful” here @ https://michelemorrone.lnk.to/BeautifulPR via Republic Records.

Watch the music video for “Beautiful” here @ https://youtu.be/N45Z1uWR75s On the track, acoustic chords underline his larger-than-life vocals. With a syncopated bounce, his dynamic delivery culminates on the immediately chantable refrain, “Wish I could turn it off, let it go, but she’s too fucking beautiful.”

Regarding the single, Morrone said, “Whether it’s the right time or not, love always feels right and it will hunt you until you submit to it.”

In 2020, Italian actor, model, singer, and entrepreneur Michele Morrone first burst onto the global scene as the star of the hottest NETLIX hit of the year 365 Days and as the man behind its unofficial soundtrack—his debut album Dark Room. The record notably spawned a string of fan favorite smashes, including “Hard For Me,” “Feel It,” “Watch Me Burn,” and “Dark Room.” Co-written by Morrone, the songs cumulatively tallied north of 200 million streams with the music video for “Hard For Me” amassing over 32 million views and counting.

Following the success of his debut album, Morrone became the worldwide face of Guess Men’s Fall/Winter 2020 collection.

Italian Actor & Musician Michele Morrone Releases New Single “Beautiful”

32

Originally from the Italian town of Melegnano, near Milan, Morrone grew up in Apulia, a southern Italian region, and currently resides in Rome. Prior to landing the lead role in 365 Days, Morrone had all but given up on acting, and was working as a gardener. In addition to music and acting, Morrone is also a painter and sculptor.

Stay tuned for Morrone’s sophomore album and film projects to be announced soon!

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/iammichelemorroneofficial/ TWITTER https://republicrecords.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3051269687d98ad95ab882a80&id=6bf41821bc&e=8c586f3e2f FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/michelemorroneofficial YOUTUBE https://republicrecords.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3051269687d98ad95ab882a80&id=794669b8b0&e=8c586f3e2f Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Lebanese Guitarist Anthony Assaker Uses Music to Shed Light on Social Injustice on New Single, “Who’s to Blame” Listen to it at https://anthonyassaker.hearnow.com Guitarist Anthony Assaker is using his talents to shed light on social injustice, including issues such as discrimination and racism, on a new solo single, “Who’s to Blame,” that sees the musician exploring his singer/writer side.

“This is not just a music track but rather a shout out to everyone listening to stop for a second and think about important topics like discrimination, racism prejudice and social injustice that we have created over centuries and are blinding us in our day-today lives,” says Assaker, who has made a name for himself with breakthrough Lebanese metal acts Kaoteon and Death Tribe.

“This is not limited to this war torn, politically corrupt and religiously segregated country. Many nations have it worse, many races are discriminated, many cultures are framed. I felt the need to record a track that I can pass on to others in the hope that I could inspire them to accept the others without judgement. Scientifically, we are all equal, we are one race, the human race, our blood is

one color, our planet is the same. Our differences make us beautiful and stronger.

Open up, ask questions and make apologetic mistakes without judgement. Every single journey is beautiful, and we have to make sure that we provide equal opportunities to everyone.”

even if it touched one soul or inspired one person. This is why I do music in the first place. To have a voice for the voiceless.”

The politically charged video went viral in the Middle Eastern community during the US election, racking up more than 70,000 views while still officially unreleased. The clip, filmed in Amsterdam where Assaker currently resides, is officially available now at https://youtu.be/fEgwBjpxli8.

Assaker plans to continue on this solo singer/songwriter path, in addition to working on new albums from his more aggressive musical outlets, Death Tribe and Kaoteon.

“I composed this track and worked on the music video during the US presidential elections,” Assaker says. “It was really surprising to see the track gaining a lot of attention while being unlisted, as I shared it with friends, cousins and expats in the US who shared it with their connections. In a way, I feel that this track has played a role in the US awakening in one way or another,

“Who’s to Blame” is also available to stream at https://anthonyassaker.hearnow.com/.

“I have been playing guitar since I was of young age, with the earliest memory from 1992, only two years after we were allowed to leave the bomb shelters of Beirut and go home,” he says. “Forward 30 years from the end of the civil war, Lebanon is still in ruins. I came to the conclusion that it is not easy to be Lebanese. Sometimes it feels like cancer, sometimes it is a blessing, but most definitely it is a very hard job!”

Anthony Assaker online: https://anthonyassaker.bandcamp.com April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

33

Photo credit: Danika Zandboer

Vile Creature Nominated For Juno Award Experimental doom duo, Vile Creature, have been recognised by The Juno Awards for their latest album, Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!, which has received a nomination in the Best Metal Album category. The full list of Juno nominees was announced today, and the awards ceremony will take place in May. Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! was released in June 2020 and is available to purchase now.

Vile Creature has been constantly evolving during their six years as a band; from each release to the next, the Hamilton, Ontario duo have been pushing the boundaries of their own creativity, and testing the limits of their own place in the world. Nowhere is this more evident than on their latest experimental doom metal album, Glory, Glory!

Apathy Took Helm! Vile Creature are digging their heels in, ready to fight against the all too easy slide into nihilism - as embodied in the sardonic album title.

Opener, Harbinger of Nothing (which first emerged on an Adult Swim compilation in 2019 and was re-recorded for the album) provides a jumping off point for a record that traverses a myriad of raw, real life experiences and marks a distinct new chapter for the band. The

album features contributions from vocalist Laurel Minnes and her choir, Minuscule, and additional instrumentation from Bismuth’s Tanya Byrne. Vile Creature remains embedded in the oppressive sounds of doom and metal, only now they are covered with a luxurious veil of majestic embellishments.

record” - Blabbermouth

Recording took place in February, 2020 at Boxcar Sound Recording in Hamilton, Ontario, with Adam Tucker once again in the producer’s chair. With Vic’s evocative and primal vocals often taking centre stage, their marked growth in confidence as a performer is evident.

By collaborating with photographer, Danika Zandboer, the trio have fashioned a striking visual accompaniment manifesting the psychedelic and theatrical influences that become present in both audio and visual form.

Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!

- track list: 1. Harbinger of Nothing 2. When The Path Is Unclear 3. You Who Has Never Slept 4. Glory! Glory!

5. Apathy Took Helm!

Praise for Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!: “It heralds the emergence of a vibrantly diverse, experimentally fertile metal underground full of voices and perspectives demanding to be heard.” Metal Hammer UK “Vile Creature stakes a strong claim for 2020’s best doom metal

“For doom metal with a twist, Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! is one of the finest offerings yet” - Exclaim.ca “...a record that feels incredibly inspiring and empowering.” - The Quietus

Vile Creature is: Vic (they/them) - vocals, drums KW (he/they) - vocals, guitar, drums, percussion Follow Vile Creature Online: twitter https://www.twitter.com/vilecreature666 facebook https://www.facebook.com/vilecreature Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vilecreature666/

READ THE FULL LIST OF JUNO NOMINEES HERE @ https://junoawards.ca/nominees/

FULLER’S VINTAGE GUITAR IS NOT ONLY A VINTAGE GUITAR STORE, WE ALSO CARRY THE LARGEST SELECTION OF NEW GUITARS IN THE SOUTH

WE BUY, SELL & TRADE

LESSONS REPAIRS

(713) 880-2188 116 NORTH LOOP • 610 AT YALE HOUSTON, TX 77008

Thank Your For Supporting Us During The Pandemic!

BEST SELECTION OF MARTIN ACOUSTICS

BEST SELECTION OF BILLY BO’S BEST SELECTION OF GIBSON ACOUSTICS

BEST SELECTION OF TAYLOR ACOUSTICS

BEST SELECTION OF STRATS

continued on next page

BEST SELECTION OF RICKENBACKERS

BEST SELECTION OF LES PAUL CUSTOM SHOP

BEST SELECTION OF TELES

AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR RICKENBACKER • GIBSON • EPIPHONE • ROBERTSON • TRUSSART • WATERLOO • FENDER • JACKSON USA • CHARVEL • ELLIS • GRETSCH • COLLINGS • SANTA CRUZ • GALLAGHER • 18 Rock and Blues International • August 2020 January 2021 International • Music News 359 February 2021• •DEERING Rock and Blues NATIONAL • MARTIN • YAMAHA • TAYLOR • EASTMAN

Issam Alnajjar 36

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Emerging international pop phenomenon Issam Alnajjar releases the music video for his debut hit single “Hadal Ahbek,” which has caught fire online and around the world.

Watch the music video at https://youtu.be/V7HhLEOKrlc. Listen to “Hadal Ahbek” at https://issamalnajjar.lnk.to/HadalAhbek.

Powered by the song’s upbeat, acoustic bounce, the visual depicts the ups and downs of young love. In between footage of Issam singing and plucking his acoustic guitar around stunning scenes across Amman, it follows a couple whose romance faces challenges, yet weathers the storm to rekindle once more.

On making the video, Issam says, “Filming my first music video was a really fun new experience. I’ve always wanted to make one—and when I did, I felt like I was born for this, I was born to be an artist. I really had fun filming it, and I want do this for the rest of my life.”

“I am very excited to share it with my fans, especially because it reflects the spontaneous side of my personality as a music lover and it was mainly shot in Jordan and Amman, my birthplace. Everyone did an amazing job, and I really appreciate each and every single person who contributed to this video. I hope it will get positive feedback and crown the song ‘Hadal Ahbek’ with success, which I consider as a turning point in my life,” he adds.

The 17-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist has made history with “Hadal Ahbek,” as it is the first Arabic song to explode worldwide as a viral #1 hit. In addition to racking up over 25 million Spotify streams and 3 billion sound views on TikTok, it has climbed up numerous global charts and been added to notable playlists since its release. Upon release, the track peaked at #1 on Spotify’s US and Global Viral 50 Charts

Rising Jordanian Artist Issam Alnajjar Drops Music Video For Global Viral Smash “Hadal Ahber” and Shazam’s Top 200 Global Chart, as well as reached #17 and #20 on Apple Music’s Global Hits and Viral Hits Playlists, respectively. The song claimed spots on Spotify’s Pop Rising, Viral Hits, Teen Beats, and RADAR playlists. On the international stage, it hit #1 on Spotify’s Viral Chart in 25 local markets, including UK, Canada, Germany, France, and Mexico, and #1 on Shazam’s Top 200 Chart in 24 local markets. In the MENA region, the track peaked at #3 on Apple Music Pop Chart in Jordan and Lebanon, #5 on Apple Music Pop Chart in Egypt, #3 on Spotify’s Saudi Arabia Daily Chart, #3 on Deezer Lebanon Chart, #7 on Deezer United Arab Emirates Chart, and #7 on Deezer Tunisia Chart. The live performance video of “Hadal Ahbek” has over 50 million views on YouTube.

“Hadal Ahbek,” which translates to “I’ll Keep Loving You” in Arabic, first became an Internet sensation after Issam posted a snippet of the track on Instagram. After finding initial success

and amassing over 10 thousand followers and 12 thousand views overnight, he created a fan challenge with the song on TikTok, which set it on fire around the world.

The irresistible bop has arrived as a cross-continental anthem and cements Issam Alnajjar as an international artist to watch in 2021.

Issam Alnajjar is leading the way for a new generation of artists from the Middle East and North Africa to take over the global music scene. A 17-year-old musician from Amman, Jordan, he had been creating music for a couple of years, studying the songwriting of pop artists like Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran and admiring the creativity of iconic artists like Queen and The Weeknd, when he got some inspiration for his breakout hit “Hadal Ahbek.” After dropping a preview video for the song on Instagram, anticipation from his fans grew larger and larger. By the time he finally released “Hadal Ahbek,” with Issam’s silky voice and infectious lyrics and melody, the popularity of it exceeded his expectations. Issam says he had only expected 10k views total for his song. That was shattered in one day, and eventually it grew to 100k views a week. And on TikTok, the song only grew bigger and now currently sits atop dozens of music charts on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. For any artist to have a top song is an accomplishment. But what makes Issam’s feat more incredible is that he achieved this with a song sung in Arabic.

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International 37

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING RELEASE BRAND NEW SINGLE AND SELFPRODUCED VIDEO “SUPERNORMAL” Acclaimed Fifth Studio Album, Re-Animator Out Now At https://everythingeverything.ffm.to/reanimator.opr “SUPERNORMAL” WATCH @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGYZeZZe_dc LISTEN @ https://everythingeverything.ffm.to/supernormal-single ‘RE-ANIMATOR’ LISTEN @ https://everythingeverything.ffm.to/reanimator.opr Everything Everything are back today with their brand new single “Supernormal” – the band’s first new music since the release of acclaimed 5th studio LP RE-ANIMATOR last year.

Listen to “Supernormal” here at https://everythingeverything.ffm.to/ supernormal-single

Jonathan Higgs, who also steered the videos for RE-ANIMATOR cuts “In Birdsong”, “Planets” and “Arch Enemy” last year. The video for “Supernormal” is a testament to Higgs’ newfound digital animation skills; crafted and refined throughout the global pandemic, using software such as Blender, Mixamo, and MakeHuman.

Alongside the new song, the band releases yet another innovative music video, created by the band’s own

Speaking to the process of making this video, Higgs reveals, “At this point I’d learned texturing, modelling, rigging,

38

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

animating, how virtual cameras and lights work, so the path to creating ‘Supernormal’ was a matter of putting it all together, alongside some new experiments in physics simulations. The idea was to make dozens of tiny, explosive shots of action, ugly and extreme naked characters being distorted, surreal objects and animals, over-saturated colours, bright lights; all these impossible, grotesque images coming at you far too fast to comprehend. I adjusted continued on next page

and experimented until I saw things that excited or disgusted me, then repeated the process over and over again until I was satisfied.” “‘Supernormal’ is about supernormal stimuli; highly exaggerated triggers that create a stronger reaction in us than evolution ever intended. Our animal brains can’t help but reach for the bigger, brighter, tastier, sexier, bloodier, more intense experiences. I wanted to create an extremely overwhelming experience in this song and video, it’s about being a slave to our instincts no matter how extreme they become.”

RE-ANIMATOR, emerged to widespread critical acclaim last summer with many hailing the band’s visionary cocktail of intricate experimentation and immediately accessible art-pop. The album went on to chart at #5 in the Official Albums Chart in the UK- the band’s joint highest charting position equalling 2013’s Arc and 2017’s A Fever Dream.

The band’s fifth album was created in two stages. A year of writing and demoing was followed by two weeks recording at RAK last December with producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten, David Byrne). He complemented the band’s back-to-basics nature by encouraging them to record quickly and decisively. It’s a looser,

organic sound that heightens their focus on the fundamentals of songwriting.

Inspiration came thick and fast: wonderment at the wider world despite the horror of its politics; existentialism, the prolonged, if fading, youthfulness of being in a touring band; and the ominous threat of climate change. All things which contribute to a sense of one door closing while another stands ajar.

music events. The band’s set was complemented by a range of visual elements, drawing on the video content and aesthetic of the RE-ANIMATOR campaign, as well as aspects that were inspired by their first four albums. Fans also embraced its interactive real-time experiences, which allowed them to meet the band and other fans, wear virtual merch and even fly around the virtual amphitheatre environment.

Everything Everything celebrated the release of the album by playing two innovative virtual reality concert events.

The ‘Everything Everything: Virtual REANIMATOR shows heralded a new standard in the world of interactive

RE-ANIMATOR’ follows 2017’s ‘A Fever Dream’, which debuted at #5 on the Official UK Albums Chart. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize as well as two Ivor Novello Awards, and the band celebrated by playing their biggest headline show to date at London’s Alexandra Palace.

“Supernormal” is out now at https://everythingeverything.ffm.to/supernormal-single OFFICIAL WEBSITE http://everything-everything.co.uk FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/londongrammar/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/E_E_/ YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn17aVOwiGK9DlZR5F16QaQ

SOUNDCLOUD https://soundcloud.com/everythingeverything April 2021 • Rock and Blues International 39

Louise Quinn and GATES OF LIGHT share “Walk On,” the lead single off their upcoming LP. Gates Of Light is out March 26th on Shimmy-Disc.

Brooklyn Vegan premiered the track, praising it as a “60sish pop number that sounds a little like a more folky Lulu.”

Gates Of Light was recorded and produced remotely during lockdown 2020 in Glasgow, London, Paris and New York.

Singer-songwriter Louise Quinn wrote songs which were recorded and produced by her husband Bal Cooke in their bedroom studio in Glasgow on headphones at night whilst their one year old boy/girl twins slept. Scott Fraser and Kid Loco remixed these tracks in their own home studios in London and Paris and responded with new tracks which Louise wrote over and Bal recorded.

Film and art director Tim Saccenti responded to these tracks visually to create artwork for the releases and a video for album track ‘When The Leaf Falls’. Tim has also managed to create a remote band shot for the collaboration.

The songs are inspired by the intensity of lockdown; an amplification of memories, grief, lucid dreams, appreciation of nature and longing.

Stylistically the album was influenced by timeless and iconic artists like Nico, Sandy Denny and Vashti Bunyan as well as Andrew Weatherall, Robert Wyatt and Serge Gainsbourg.

Music legend Kramer was drafted in to master the album, and after hearing it immediately offered to release it on his cult label Shimmy-Disc which boasts a back catalogue of incredible artists including Daniel Johnson and Galaxie 500.

Photo credit: Stewart Bryden

Louise Quinn (Kramer/Glasgow) ‘Gates Of Light’ LP Out Now On Shimmy-Disc 40

Rock and Blues International • April November 2021 2020

New single Walk On and Gates of Light the album are both out on Shimmy-Disc on 26/03/2021, and will be available on all digital platforms and CD (via Shimmy-Disc), featuring original artwork by Tim Saccenti and design by Build.

Gates Of Light is an international lockdown album collaboration between five artists across four cities, three time continued on next page

zones and two continents.

Featuring the combined awardwinning talents of singer-songwriter Louise Quinn and producer/musician Bal Cooke (Glasgow), producer/ DJ Scott Fraser (London), producer/ DJ Kid Loco (Paris) and film/art director Tim Saccenti (New York), it was made possible by the support of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund to sustain creativity during lockdown.

The group came together remotely, after the pandemic arrived and countless gigs were cancelled, to make a sensory reflection of lockdown experiences in a psychedelic, dream-pop glitch landscape of future folk.

Louise and Bal are a Glasgow based husband and wife team who have worked together for many years releasing records as A Band Called Quinn and DAWNINGS. Madonna once described Louise’s voice as ‘wonderful’ and best selling Scottish crime writer and music fan Ian Rankin wrote liner notes for one of her albums.

Bal has produced records for Domino Records, The Pastels, Bill Wells Trio, Tenniscoats and Lightships among others. Scott has released and remixed on labels as diverse as Rush Hour, Wave, One Little Indian, Village Green, Bird Scarer and CGI Records.

After a chance encounter at a nightclub in Glasgow, Louise and Scott Fraser collaborated on a release on Andrew Weatherall’s Birdscarer vinyl imprint label in 2019, featuring a remix by the Guv’nor himself who described the track as ‘sublime magik’.

Louise has previously sung on many of Kid Loco’s records, and Kid Loco has in return produced albums and remixes for Bal and Louise. Jean-Yves Prieur, a.k.a Kid Loco is an innovator of the French electronic dance music scene.

His best-known album is A Grand Love Story and he has also compiled and mixed a DJ mix album for the Another Late Night series on Azuli Records. He has worked with Jarvis Cocker, The Transistors and Glasgow bands A Band Called Quinn and Mogwai.

Louise and Bal met Tim Saccenti in New York a long time ago through a mutual friend from Glasgow. Tim Saccenti is a director and photographer living in New York City and working worldwide. Tim’s groundbreaking visual output includes influential and genre defying films for artists ranging from indie icons Animal Collective, Run the Jewels and Squarepusher to legends Depeche Mode, Pharrell and Erykah Badu.

Gates Of Light LP - tracklisting 1. Walk On 2. Next To Me 3. This Is How We Sound 4. Belleville Sun 5. Inevitable 6. On And On 7. And It Goes On 8. When The Leaf Falls 9. Lullaby 10. Mary And The Apocalyptic Woman 11. Damask Roses 12. In My Dreams

LINKS Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GatesOfLightCollective/ Bandcamp https://www.abandcalledquinn.com LISTEN & SHARE: Louise Quinn - “Walk On” Bandcamp @ https://gatesoflight1.bandcamp.com/track/walk-on LISTEN & SHARE: Louise Quinn - “Walk On” (Kid Loco Mix) Bandcamp https://gatesoflight1.bandcamp.com/track/walk-on-kid-loco-mix LISTEN & SHARE: Louise Quinn - “Walk On” (DUB 4 - ZU Mix) Bandcamp @ https://gatesoflight1.bandcamp.com/track/walk-on-dub-4-zu-mix April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

41

The Designs Release New Music Video Italian/Slovak electrometal duo The Designs are premiering their second music video “More Than This” tonight at 7:30pm CST on the American Horrors ( https://americanhorrors.com ) channel.

The video directed by Snovonne “Sno” Drake, the feminine half of the electro cabaret duo, compiles scenes filmed in the band’s home studio and in the woods of La Mirandola, Italy. The area is known locally as the Ghost Village for its ruins and abandoned structures. Sno says of the video concept, “I was after a dynamic sequence of seemingly random nightmarish visuals. I wanted to underline the desire for control with elements of the occult and surreal nature. I also wanted to make sure all natural elements 42

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

were present - fire, water, earth and air. When we explored (basically by accident) the Ghost Village back in summer, it was clear to me that this was the video we needed to film there.”

Singer and lyricist Billy T. Cooper often finds inspiration for his song’s themes through his work as a criminal lawyer specializing in violent crimes. He comes into contact with both victims and perpetrators who suffer from various forms of psychopathy, and music offers an outlet to process the darker emotions he deals with through his job. He says of More Than This, “It’s an introspective song about trying to identify and control your emotions which are clearly destroying you. Between the anxieties, passions and contradictions, it’s a hard fight.

You’re trying to get a grip, be-

cause you’re more than this…”

Making a special appearance in the group’s second release is Domenico Martucci, an androgynous occult performer and make up artist who was the creative force behind the hair and make up effects in the video. He has played a key role in developing a darker aesthetic within the Italian drag queen movement.

More Than This will be making its world premier tonight at 7:30pm CST on the American Horrors channel website. American Horrors is the fastest growing linear streaming horror culture channel owned & operated by legendary horror creator, Hart D. Fisher. Watch FREE on Roku, Glewed.tv & americanhorrors.com

Subscribe Now To

Rock and Blues International and have it delivered directly to your email when it comes out every month!

Just email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com and in the subject line put “Sign Me Up Now” and we will email you your own personal copy every month!

Rock And Blues International Employment Opportunities Available!

Rock And Blues International Is Looking For A Sales Manager and ad salespeople!

Please Email Your Resume To rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com 68

Rock and Blues International • February 2021

December 2020 • Rock and Blues International

71

Årabrot Share Part 2 Of Video Series From Forthcoming Album Norwegian Gothic Grammy-Winning Band w/ Eurovision Singer Karin Park Returns With Guests From SWANS, Current 93 Watch/share Pt. 2 “Hailstones For Rain” video (https://youtu.be/G50iJy2TdiI) Watch/share Pt. 1 “Kinks Of The Heart” video (https://youtu.be/-noiFNB3F1s) “They’re at their weirdest and best.”

— The Wire “Superb.” — The Quietus “Noise roc gone strange.” — Metal Injection

44

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

“Dark and heavy yet almost startlingly accessible. It’s an evil twist on a punchy, concise pop song, and there’s really nobody who does this kind of thing the way Årabrot does.” — Brooklyn Vegan Norwegian Grammy Award winning band Årabrot share the second of two

cinematic videos from their forthcoming new album. The epic 2xLP album Norwegian Gothic, is due out in April on Pelagic Records and finds the historically caustic band expanding melodically with evermore catchy hooks. Watch and share “Hailstones For Rain / The Moon Is Dead” video via and YouTube at https://youtu.be/G50iJy2TdiI

Årabrot recently released their first single “The Lie” ( https://youtu.be/L70S98F11dw ). Årabrot also recently released a teaser EP The World Must Be Destroyed via YouTube at https://youtu.be/vxn6nCxtsIU Årabrot’s 9th full-length album Norwegian Gothic (its title a play on the Grant Wood painting American Gothic) sees the band collaborate with Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist), cellist Jo Quail, Tomas Järmyr (Motorpsycho), Anders Møller (Turbonegro, Ulver) and Massimo Pupillo (Zu). A stellar production by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Black Eyed Peas, Paradise Lost, Hexvessel, Oranssi Pazusu) makes this the quintessential Årabrot record, as guitarist and vocalist Kjetil Nernes confirms: “Norwegian Gothic is the culmination of everything Årabrot has done musically the past 10 years. It is not only the climax of the band so far, but also a good indication of what to come. It is basically anamalgamation of all of our influences here in the church where we live. Musically it is inspired by all the albums of our record collection and thematically by the books we have in our shelves. More specifically it is our special brand of rock’n’roll music mixed with fin-desiecle decadence, surrealism and even a pinch of old German philosophy to boot.”

While the 20-year history of the band is a story of change and correlation, it would be too simple to break this creative duality down to the stereotypical dichotomy of the yin and the yang... and if one attempted to do so, it would turn out to be quite difficult to determine which of these forces would be represented by which individual.

A chubby child from a christian family, growing up in a small Swedish village and years spent in a Missionary school in Japan made Karin Park desperate to break away from narrow thinking. And she used her only advantages to do so; her unique voice and personality. By the age 15 she had moved away from home to find her place in music After studying at Stockholm Music Conservatory, a Norwegian poet took her to Norway where she started her pop career, this was followed by a move to London to write songs, and working as a model.

After five albums, a few Grammys, writing a Eurovision entry for Norway and hits for other artists and performances with Lana Del Rey and David Bowie, Karin returned to the village of her youth and bought the church where she first sang in front of an audience as a child. She turned the church into iswhere they rehearse and record, surrounded by pianos, organs and hundreds of old bibles that the church left behind when the congregation stopped. The clerical environment has proven to be an excellent creative tapestry for a band whose lyrical focus orbits around sex, death and defiance.

Kjetil Nernes was diagnosed with malignant throat cancer in 2014, in the middle of a tour. Instead of heading in for surgery right away, the band finished a full European tour first, “Every night of that tour was like the last show ever“, Nernes comments, “It was really strange. When a doctor calls and says,’you’re terribly sick’, it’s surreal. You go into this phase where life is more vivid and more real, in a weird way.

We’ve done so many shows through the years and sometimes it’s a little like going to the factory to do a job. But with an axe hanging over your head you perceive the world differently.“ But the axe did not fall, and after successfully recovering from cancer, Årabrot are now stronger than ever. The band has collaborated with procuders like Billy Anderson and Steve Albini, and musicians like Ted Parsons (Killing Joke/Swans), Sunn O))))’s Stephen O’Malley, and Kvelertak’s Erlend Hjelvik. They have composed music for silent movies like “Die Niebelungen” and “Doctor Caligari”, and have teamed up with The Quietus founder John Doran on his spoken word tour. Their album The Gospel was named “Album of the Year” by The Quietus.

Norwegian Gothic will be available on 2xLP, CD and digital on April 9th, 2021 via Pelagic Records. Preorders are available here at http://smarturl.it/arabrotDGTL

Artist: Årabrot Album: Norwegian Gothic Record label: Pelagic Records Release date: April 9, 2021 01. Carnival of Love 02. The Rule of Silence 03. Feel It On 04. The Lie 05. The Crows 06. Kinks Of The Heart 07. Hailstones For Rain 08. The Voice 09. (This Is) The Night 10. Hard Love 11. Impact Heavily Onto The Concrete 12. Hounds Of Heaven 13. Deadlock 14. The Moon Is Dead 15. You’re Not That Special On The Web: http://www.arabrot.com https://www.facebook.com/ARABROT pelagic-records.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCpN0MnP1OT8HSoa-WmHL3Wg https://twitter.com/ARABROT

Rock And Blues International April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

45

Ben Madle

Losers Release New Single “Lost in Translation” About Reconnecting To Ourselves and the World Around Us “Life can feel so lonely when we see other people and things as separate to ourselves, trying to escape from something that didn’t exist until we created it,” says multi-instrumentalist Tom Bellamy of UK’s genre-defying band LOSERS about their new single “Lost In Translation.” The track is about feeling not at home, no matter where you are or who you’re with, but then realizing that home is within. Bellamy adds, “It’s not until we step back and see ourselves as not separate to the world, but in union with it, in love with it, that we can really see beauty. It’s so important to remember to pause and not to dwell on the negative narratives we all tell ourselves.”

The initial idea of “Lost in Translation” came about a few years ago after a “huge outpouring of words” from a “reaction to feeling overwhelmed and disconnected to the world” around them. Usually for Losers, the music comes first and the words second, but for this track it was all about the words and it took some time to find the right atmosphere to allow the words to breathe. “I think we tried three different versions of

music before settling on this version,” Bellamy says. “It suddenly just clicked and felt right for the track.”

LISTEN TO “Lost in Translation” here at https://ingroov.es/lost-in-translation-7y

“We grew up a bit, took some time to reflect and we wrote enough songs to realize that we were more eclectic than ever and that was a pleasant challenge for us to have,” he says.

Losers are now ready to regain their position at the forefront of the alternative rock world.

“We want to take our fans on an interactive, genre-bending audio visual expedition via new and innovative platforms which we hope to announce soon,” Bellamy says excitedly.

“We will be setting up live performances from the studio, ‘behind the music’ studio breakdowns and giving away remix stems amongst other things to make sure we reward our fans after such a long time away. Very exciting times ahead indeed.”

Formed in 2007, Losers are comprised of DJ Eddy Temple-Morris, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Tom Bellamy (formerly of The Cooper Temple Clause), and guitarist/vocalist Paul Mullen (formerly of Yourcodenameis:milo and The Automatic).

Hailed by critics and fellow artists alike who reveled in the band’s ability to seamlessly merge indie electronic music with guitar rock. Losers have been so venerated that their dynamic and epically sweeping music has been heard in dozens of TV, film, videogames and sports placements including Game of Thrones, The Blacklist, Hercules, The Killing, and as the official theme music for BMX Championships London 2012 Olympic Games. Earlier this year they released a reworking of Tears for Fears’ 1985 smash “Shout” – which has been prominently featured in the hit show A Discovery of Witches (S2: Ep 4) on Amazon Prime, AMC+, Sundance Now, and Shudder and is not only rejuvenating their loyal fanbase but also winning over new fans who heard their dark cover and fell in love.

Losers are Eddy Temple-Morris, Tom Bellamy and Paul Mullen. Their new single “Lost In Translation” is out now.

“Lost In Translation” Artwork (hi-res) Around the time of LOSERS previous offering, the 2016 critically-acclaimed How To Ruin Other People’s Futures, they went through a sort of metamorphosis as a band.

Though their fourth studio album was lauded by press folks (including Drowned in Sound and Kerrang) it was a difficult era to navigate for the band outside the watchful public eye.

“How To Ruin… was angry and bitter and resentful,” Bellamy explains. “It was a difficult time for us as a band and the music naturally reflected that. After pain comes transformation and so our music transformed with us. We allowed light to come in and the music began to have a completely different energy.”

Rejuvenated by this new perspective, LOSERS are planning a busy 2021 with new music and a goal of wiping the slate clean.

Twitter @ https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/ click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=90f56d5bc9&e=3c988113d5 Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/losersuk Website @ https://www.losersband.com Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/losersuk/ Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/7fx2SnWEZWNwiP4iLsyQvq?si=rcB7_WDWSQWl1MY4RytEIA

46

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Elise Davis shares “Summertime,” the latest single off her new album Anxious.

Happy. Chill. that releases on April 16 via Tone Tree. As her winter worries slip away into a haze of reverb, Davis’ breezy lyrics and homemade, lo-fi visualizer illustrate dreams of a slow, Southern summer.

“Summertime” was featured this morning

by Audiofemme, who called it “a sunshinesoaked version of ‘My Favorite Things’ – if Maria von Trapp had been a bit of a pothead” and said “the song is a balm after an apocalyptic winter, nothing if not soothing to the ears.”

Stream “Summertime” via YouTube: https://youtu.be/IstsL8wOS8U “I have dealt with depression throughout my life. I always notice it is more frequent and intense in the cold. I guess that’s what is often called seasonal depression,” explains Davis. “Aside from that, my soul has just always resonated with warm weather. As a kid in Arkansas I never wanted to be inside when it was warm, and I’ve remained that way my whole life.” She continues, “In the summer I am always sitting on the porch or wandering my yard. As the cold set in this past year I wrote this song. It is a simple anthem of my love of summer and my constant excitement for when it will return.

I can sit outside at night listening to the bugs, the calmness, the fireflies, and flowers. It is in those times I am happiest.”

Written during the rush of a new relationship and recorded just days after her wedding, Anxious. Happy. Chill. is the happiest album Elise Davis has made. The independent, no-boys-allowed anthems that made up her first two albums are swapped out for lean, guitar-driven rockers and lushly-layered love songs that remain every bit as resilient and empowered as before.

Davis recently shared two other songs off the album, the blissful “Yellow Bed” ( https://youtu.be/zTUWFp5HT7s ) and the thoughtful “Empty Rooms,” ( https://youtu.be/sOxgcOdOplE )

Elise Davis Releases Hazy New Single “Summertime” New Album Anxious. Happy. Chill.

Out April 16 via Tone Tree which was featured by Apple Music’s Record Bin Radio with Kelly McCartney, The Boot and The Bluegrass Situation. The new tracks follow her three other singles released in 2020, “Ladybug,” “The Grid” and “Flame Color.”

With two previous releases – 2016’s The Token and 2018’s Cactus – Elise Davis has garnered praise from press including Billboard, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Brooklyn Vegan and Men’s Journal, who named her one of the hottest new artists of 2018 and said, “Lucinda Williams + Big Star + The Breeders = Elise Davis.” As NPR Music’s Jewly Hight has said, “Elise Davis is recognized in Nashville songwriting circles for her ability to capture serrated emotions.”

Anxious. Happy. Chill. was recorded

with producer Teddy Morgan (Carl Broemel) at his studio in Nashville, where he and Davis played the majority of the instruments themselves. Drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow, The Wallflowers) joined them for a single day to lend the album its unique, percussive pulse. Presave the album now via Spotify at https:// tonetree.ffm.to/anxioushappychill.

Anxious. Happy. Chill. Track List: 1) Ladybug 2) Yellow Bed 3) The Grid 4) Honeymoon 5) Flame Color 6) Thirty 7) Summertime 8) Waves 9) Empty Rooms 10) Another Year

Website http://www.elisedavis.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_elisedavis_/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/elisedavismusic/ Twitter https://ymlpsend3.net/772a2uyyuuyataewuuwaiaqywagajbbsy/click.php April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

47

Maja Kristina

48

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Acclaimed 22-year-old Stockholm songstress Maja Kristina releases the official video for new single “Jessica” today – watch here at https://youtu.be/7Pt9IGHVp9I . “Jessica” is off of Maja Kristina’s recently released self-debut EP, Maja Kristina – listen to the EP via Eddie O Entertainment/Republic Records.

The track was produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Dan Nigro [Oliva Rodrigo, Conan Gray] and penned by Maja.

Quietly amassing 5.5 million total streams with her first single “No Fake Love” in a few months’ time, Maja Kristina cultivated a sound of her own with honest lyrics, personal songwriting and hypnotic hooks. As a child, music instantly called to her growing up in Stockholm. She grew up around her dad who was an artist songwriter, and her world was surrounded by lyrics.

By 17-years-old, she landed her first management deal and continued to create. One of her demos made its way to veteran A&R executive Eddie O’Loughlin and Founder of JV partner Eddie O Entertainment with Republic Records as a potential cut for Felix Jaehn—however, her voice suited it best. Released as her proper debut, the introductory single, “No Fake Love,” clocked over 6 million streams across the globe. Under the watch and wisdom of Rami Yacoub at Max Martin’s MXM, she honed this signature style further throughout the ensuing year.

As if entering a confessional, Maja Kristina sits behind the piano and tells the truth.

Memories, observations, and all kinds of stories pour out like a 3AM FaceTime session between besties. At the same time, she adorns this honesty with sticky pop hooks and seismic soul.

This deft balance of careful lyricism and carefree spirit enables her to cut through the noise. After generating 10 million-plus streams and staking out spots on playlists such as Pop Right Now and Young, Wild & Free, the Sweden-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist immediately connects on her 2021 debut Self Love Therapy EP for Eddie O Entertainment and Republic Records.

“I don’t want to just write a hook or a nice song you can sing along to; I want to write something people can feel,” she exclaims. “The lyrics have a strong meaning. When you get to the end of one of my songs, I want you to feel like we’re friends.”

Music provided a similar level of comfort during her childhood in Stockholm. Dad wrote songs professionally, and she picked up the craft not only by osmosis, but through putting in thousands of hours on the piano by herself. At seven-years-old, she got her first piano and began writing. “Growing up, music was a friend I could talk to who wouldn’t judge me,” she admits.

That friendship only deepened over time as she penned countless tunes and developed her robust voice. Barely 17-yearsold, she attracted the ear of Eddie O Entertainment and signed to the company in partnership with Republic Records. Making her debut, Maja’s 2018 breakout single “No Fake Love” collected 5.5 million-plus Spotify streams and counting.

Ramping up her momentum in 2020, she set the stage for the EP with “Idiot,” “The Idea of Me,” and The Pointer Sisters reboot “Slow Hand,” amassing millions of streams and garnering acclaim from Idolator, The Fashion Soundtrack, and more. She illuminated another side of her dynamic style with “Imma Show U.” Featuring production by Rami Yacoub [Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Madonna] and Rob Knox [Justin Timberlake], the upbeat anthem projects a fiery and flirty refrain over R&B grooves with too-hot-to-touch energy.

Meanwhile, the single “Jessica” sends a different kind of

Maja Kristin Releases Official Video For “Jessica” Debut EP Maja Kristina Out Now WATCH “JESSICA” OFFICIAL VIDEO HERE at https://youtu.be/7Pt9IGHVp9I message to a cheater. Written solely by Maja, lush keys resound next to the hook, “Tell your friend Jessica I said, ‘Hi’, not gonna blame her…I think in the end, me and Jessica could be friends’.”

“It always throws me off when a guy cheats on a girl, and the girl gets mad at the other girl when she should be mad at the guy,” she goes on. “I thought I’d write a song about it. I’ve had guys on cheat on me, but I never knew with who, even though I’m sure if I knew the girls we’d be great friends. Musically and stylistically it ties together the other songs.”

In the end, Maja invites more than connection through her music; she invites friendship “I’m telling you things about me and my life that are very personal to me,” she leaves off. “With all of these thoughts and feelings, I hope you can get to know me better and come along my journey with me.”

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

49

Los Esplifs Photo Cred: WILL KUBLEY

50

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

The lyrical content is intense and challenges the norms of traditional and current Latinx writing, while engaging in familiar groove and dance. The music soundtracks a night of psychedelia in your Tia’s backyard, where music becomes family and cumbia your heartbeat.

Los Esplifs Share “Galaxia” Via New Noise ESTRAIK BACK Out April 20th LISTEN & SHARE: Los Esplifs - “Galaxia” Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/track/ 2AqGD6cGtfO8xgNCTcliJH?si=61c4c509ce0a4837 Bandcmap @ https://losesplifs.bandcamp.com/track/galaxia SoundCloud @ https://soundcloud.com/los-esplifs/galaxia-third-single/sdvaaR52qpOm LISTEN & SHARE: Los Esplifs - “Otro País” Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/track/ 2AqGD6cGtfO8xgNCTcliJH?si=61c4c509ce0a4837 Bandcamp @ https://losesplifs.bandcamp.com/track/otro-pais SoundCloud @ https://soundcloud.com/los-esplifs/otro-pais-single/s-3CYWkLFAIN3 Tuscon-based art-psych band Los Esplifs share “Galaxia.” The track is following up on “Otro Pais” as the second single off their upcoming ESTRAIK BACK, an 11-track LP out April 20th. New Noise premiered the track, praising it as “an organ-driven song that delves into a circular existential monologue.”

Los Esplifs, the brainchild of Tucson’s younger music scene, is set to release their first LP early 2021. Los Esplifs have been a part of the latinx music scene since an early age. Bandleader Saul Millan has performed with musical acts The Mexican Institute of Sound, Calexico and Orkesta Mendoza since 2014 while co-creator Caleb Michel, has been a member of the prestigious Afro Cuban Allstars since the age of 19. In late 2018, Michel and Millan joined forces and shared their unique view of living in America through the music that connects them. After much encouragement from their musical mentors and the Arizona music scene, they recorded their self-titled EP. The work was recorded in Tepoztlan, Mexico, by Marco Carrion and Santiago Mijares and was under the art direction of Maria Ramirez Echevarria. It features an Arizona allstar band made up of Chris Del Favero, Zach Parker, Casey Hadland, Alan Acosta and Gus Woodrow.

Off their debut EP, The second track “Gaimboiz”, was showcased on the NETFLIX original series, “Desenfrenadas” (2020). In 2020, Los Èsplifs focused on studio work, recording on Neon Indian’s upcoming record and collaborating on the first Good Boy Inc. album. Both projects were under the direction of Mexican producer Enrique Tena (Osees). Influenced by Cumbia, Fania, Fashion and Psychedelia, Los Esplifs blend nostalgic rhythms with progressive youth culture.

ESTRAIK BACK! LP - TRACKLISTING 01. Intro 02. Perro Rabioso 03. Un Solo Golpe 04. Donde Esta El Monsoon?

05. Otro País 06. Cumbia De Oli 07. Galaxia 08. TeknoCumbia 09. Piel Morena 10. Eskit 11. Cero Guapos En Yateras ft. Don Periñon LOS ESPLIFS LINKS Facebook https://www.facebook.com/losesplifs YouTube https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/ click?u=63f1674ecdb2a4574b77e600b&id=052c38464a&e=28146e6e7b Bandcamp https://losesplifs.bandcamp.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/losesplifs/

Discussing the background of “Galaxia,” bandmember Saul Millian says: I wrote Galaxia thinking about my own manic obsession with curiosity. It is a narrative story of a reflective hallucination. The main point is that we can get too heady with trying to understand our surroundings and the inner workings of our interactions. I first began with the chorus chords. I was listening to a lot of “El Gran Combo” and Ecuadorian Organist “Eduardo Zurita” and wanted to write a song with an organ moment. “Galaxia” ends with a coro that soars with “no entendere” meaning “I wont understand”. The chorus reinforces the idea of the song while encouraging you to take it easy and dance your ass off.

The LP, ESTRAIK BACK, embraces the “Tucson Sound” and creates a western-infused rhythm revival. The album as a whole is a musical stream of consciousness, working towards sonically recreating the mind of a Latinx individual living in the current world order.

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

51

For genre-bending band Whiskey Myers, who have spent more than 200 days on the road nearly every year for the past decade-plus, the elimination of touring has been a major adjustment.

Seeking a passion project to share with their fans – while also eager to support small businesses in their home state of Texas – the chart-topping musicians found a natural answer: coffee. Led by drummer and caffeine aficionado Jeff Hogg, the band has now launched their exclusive Whiskey Myers Coffee in partnership with local favorite, Gruene Coffee Haus.

“Coffee’s been my thing for the last five years,” Hogg shared with American Songwriter. “While we were touring, I would try to go find something local. Over the years, I found all these great coffee spots and great little towns.”

When the idea was presented to start their own line; “I instantly thought of my favorite,” he continued. “Gruene’s Texas Pecan – from a coffee shop in New Braunfels, about 100 feet away from my favorite venues, Gruene Hall.”

Whiskey Myers (Back Row L to R: Jeff Hogg, Cody Tate, Jamey Gleaves; Front Row L to R: Tony Kent, Cody Cannon, John Jeffers) | Photo Credit: Khris Poage

Whiskey Myers Launch Rock-N-Roll Coffee Line In Partnership With Gruene Coffeehaus Exclusive Wiggy-Branded Texas Pecan Coffee Sells Out Immediately, Second Run Under Way 52

Rock and Blues International • April November 2021 2020

Describing the 100% Arabica whole bean blend, Greune Coffee Haus owner and roaster Kelly Hall notes, “This medium roast, gourmet Costa Rican coffee is covered with our popular secret recipe of pecan, caramel and vanilla extract oils. We then stir in fresh pecan pieces from Oliver Pecan Company, located right here in Texas. When you grind your coffee to fill your morning cup, those pecan pieces get ground up with it like tiny exploding flavor capsules.”

Launched yesterday, March 10, the first run of one-pound bags sold out immediately; leading to another batch already in production. While this initial offering is a Whiskey Myers branded edition of an existing blend, the band plans to expand with original coffee selections in the future while also continuing to work with other beloved small businesses.

“Lately, we’ve seen baristas get creative in securing alternative sources of income during COVID-19, and it’s equally inspiring to see the entrepreneurcontinued on next page

ial spirit of musicians through coffee,” notes Barista Magazine. “Whiskey Myers purchased the coffee supply themselves at wholesale through Gruene and will be keeping a portion of the retail sales. By doing this, the band was able to support one of their favorite local businesses and offer a nontraditional passion project to their fans who have been missing out on the music.”

For more information on Whiskey Myers and when the next batch of coffee will be available, visit www.whiskeymyers.com and follow on social media @WhiskeyMyers.

Genre-bending band Whiskey Myers have played more than 2,500 live shows since their emergence in 2007 and sold out 95% of their headlining shows during the most recent year of touring to

ever-increasing crowds.

Their self-produced fifth studio album, Whiskey Myers, out now on the band’s own Wiggy Thump Records, debuted atop the Country and Americana/Folk sales charts, at No. 2 on the Rock chart and No. 6 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

The self-titled project follows their previous album, Mud, which reached No. 1 on the iTunes country chart with single “Stone” hitting Top 10 all genre. In total, Whiskey Myers have sold nearly a million albums and amassed

Whiskey Myers Launch Rock-N-Roll Coffee Line in Partnership With Coffee Haus https://youtu.be/zrraMNqP9NY

more than a billion streams. USA Today describes the band led by frontman Cody Cannon as “a riff-heavy blend of Southern rock and gritty country that has earned comparisons to the Allman Brothers Band and Led Zeppelin,” with Rolling Stone noting “it’s the seminal combination of twang and crunchy rock & roll guitars that hits a perfect sweet spot.”

The band known for their high-energy live show and unique sound has also earned sync success with features (and an appearance) in Paramount Network’s Kevin Costner hit show “Yellowstone” as well as the Renée Zellweger-led Netflix Gruene series “What/If.”

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

53

celebration of insecurities. It’s sonically and lyrically the energy of mixed emotions, my gender dysphoria, disconnection, anxiety and yearning for something more than what is. It’s my cutting and devious grin at 3am when I tip my head back and laugh on the subway. It’s a spark of time captured where just for a moment my shadow feels 10ft tall....only to dip and duck in and out of that light. Forever shapeshifting just to say... ‘Hi’.”

Born to a family of artists, Lizotte spent their childhood between New York City and Sydney. They moved to Brooklyn as a young adult, kicking off their fashion tenure as a designer in the Lower East Side. However, it was always the gravitational pull towards music and songwriting that grounded Lizotte and finally inspired their move to Los Angeles last year. The community of like-minded artists they have met there including Kevin Abstract, Romil Hemnani, Jabari Manwarring, Matt Champion and Federico Vindver, who collaborated with Lily on previous single “Hardcore Happy” alongside Lily’s father Mark Lizotte, have set their wideranging references and innovative songwriting into greater focus.

The Blossom by Conor Cunningham

The Blossom Shares New Song And Video Debut “EP 97 Blossom” Due April 6 Watch “Shapeshifter” Now “Shapeshifter” WATCH @ https://youtu.be/brVkddBW9RU LISTEN @ https://orcd.co/blossom000002 The Blossom, the moniker of LA based artist Lily Lizotte, shares a new song and video from their upcoming EP 97 Blossom. “Shapeshifter”, produced by Zach Fogarty (Jean Dawson, Claud, etc.), is an infectious alt-rock inspired

pop gem that comes alongside a selfdirected video.

Lily shares about the song, “‘Shapeshifter’ is a reminder I’m not worthless and neither are you. It’s a

Connect with The Blossom: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theblossom/?hl=en Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/7lq7hz0Z6rG6v9zbJRRn4K Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-blossom/1518769844

54 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

97 Blossom, due April 6th, effortlessly juxtaposes seemingly disparate elements such as grunge and shoegaze against the bass-heavy nature of hip-hop into something strikingly cohesive yet undeniably unique.

Lizotte’s lyrics cover the full emotional spectrum: insecurity, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and growing pains are all woven into the fabric of the songs.

Their songs are mostly about how they feel about their feelings, a perspective that’s almost an abstraction of the raw emotion itself. It’s a reflection of their personality - one where darker elements are intertwined with humor and playfulness - and it makes for an incisive debut that melds together the distinct, exciting worlds that inspired Lily to start this journey originally.

Brittany Howard Releases Amazon Original Cover of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” Available Now Exclusively On Amazon Music Brittany Howard sharedd an Amazon Original cover of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” available now to stream and purchase only on Amazon Music as part of the service’s programming for Women’s History Month.

Listen to Brittany Howard’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” only on Amazon

Music: http://amzn.to/BrittanyHoward “I first heard Higher and Higher in Ghostbusters II,” writes Howard. “I became a huge fan of the song and of course of Jackie Wilson’s version. My solo band started playing the song on tour and it became one of those special moments of the show where you could feel the entire room locked in and the

energy reaching the next level. I chose to release this song because it reminds me of those special nights with my band and for its message that through love we can be lifted up higher and higher.”

Brittany Howard has been nominated for seven Grammy awards as a solo artist, and has won four Grammys and received 9 nominations with her group Alabama Shakes. Their 2015 sophomore album Sound & Color debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the band went on to perform on multiple late night shows. Howard was named the 2015 recipient of Billboard’s Women in Music “Powerhouse” Award.

Howard released her debut solo album Jaime in 2019 to wide acclaim, with Pitchfork noting “The exceptional solo debut from the Alabama Shakes singersongwriter is a thrilling opus that pushes the boundaries of voice, sound, and soul to new extremes.”

She was subsequently nominated for “Best Rock Performance”, “Best Rock Song”, “Best Alternative Music Album”, “Best R&B Performance”, and “Best American Roots Performance” at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

Amazon Music listeners can find Brittany Howard’s Amazon Original cover of “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” on Amazon Music’s Best of Amazon Originals playlist, where great tracks are curated by Amazon’s music experts. Customers can also simply ask, “Alexa play the new Amazon Original from Brittany Howard” in the Amazon app for iOS and Android and on Alexa-enabled devices. In addition to Brittany Howard’s new Amazon Original song dropping on International Women’s Day, Amazon Music customers can now hear indie-pop duo Sylvan Esso with a reimagined version of their track “HSKT”. And soon, customers will be able to hear singersongwriter, Alex Lahey’s take on Faith Hill’s, “This Kiss” (3/19). Amazon Music listeners can access hundreds of other Amazon Originals featuring both emerging and established artists across numerous genres, available to stream and purchase only on Amazon Music.

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

55

WATCH: “You The One Fish In The Sea” https://youtu.be/Aix6fwZLtOc LISTEN: Couldn’t Wait To Tell You... https://awal.ffm.to/rn4o4xo Liv.e is back to share a new video from her critically-acclaimed album, Couldn’t Wait To Tell You.... Directed by Cole Daly and Ava Doorley, “You The One Fish In The Sea” finds Liv.e transformed as a sea creature on a whimsical remote island, finding love amongst talking mountains and Liv.efaced flowers. The video is the fifth visual installment from the album following “SirLadyMakemFall” ( https://youtu.be/PysAZ10mXwQ ) , “LazyEaterBetsOnHerLikeness” ( https://youtu.be/_i4n2f8LriQ ), “Bout These Pipedreams” ( https://youtu.be/PU1TBlrsXXI ) and “Lessons From My Mistakes...but I Lost Your Number” ( https://youtu.be/PU1TBlrsXXI ). The album has earned Liv.e cosigns from names such as Tyler, The Creator, Janelle Monae and Earl Sweatshirt and turned Liv.e into “an unmistakable and singular artist” (Pitchfork).

Alongside the video, Liv.e is also sharing a new live session for KEXP where she performed alongside a fivepiece band. Watch it here at https://youtu.be/Aix6fwZLtOc The performance follows her intimate session, Inside with Liv.e ( https://youtu.be/YYBvFZOVTXw ), and her album release party hosted on Badu World ( https://youtu.be/YA1S3azSGik ).

Liv.e by flatspot_.

Liv.e Shares New Video For “You The One Fish In The Sea” DEBUT ALBUM COULDN’T WAIT TO TELL YOU... OUT NOW VIA IN REAL LIFE 56

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Liv.e, pronounced “Liv,” is a 22 year old producer and singer/songwriter who mixes facets of R&B, jazz, soul, and hip hop to create a sound that is wholly her own. Coupling her hypnotic voice and unique writing over dusty loops and sun soaked production, Liv.e makes songs that are both eclectic and timeless without sounding dated. While it’s difficult to label Liv.e’s music under one genre or scene, it is born out of southern rap and Liv.e’s upbringing in Dallas with local DIY label Dolfin Records.

Liv.e started to garner attention with her 2017 project FRANK and 2018 project Hoopdreams, which lead to her continued on next page

supporting Earl Sweatshirt on the 2019 Fire It Up Tour alongside BbyMutha, MIKE, and Na-Kel Smith and more recently featuring on “MTOMB” from Earl’s EP Feet of Clay. More recently Liv.e featured on the lead single and video “The Band” ( https://youtu.be/lr-uKuICjH4 ) from Black Noi$e’s album Oblivion, out now via Earl’s Tan Cressida imprint.

Watch “You The One Fish In The Sea” and listen to Couldn’t Wait To Tell You... above, find full album details and read more about Liv.e below, and stay tuned for more coming soon.

Liv.e is a truth seeker. Wholly authentic, the 22-year-old from Dallas, Texas sings with a lucid take on life’s winding journey. Her soulful riffs and jazzy improvisations build a warm and restful scape in her music - the kind that allows for both reflection and movement.

She describes her sound as an experimental continuation of the neo-soul era, spawning from what she believes it may have become had the genre had more time evolve. Liv.e’s been releasing music since 2017, including an earlier 2018 EP Hoopdreams. Now, she’s arrived with her album Couldn’t Wait to Tell You..., after releasing a cluster of loosie singles from it like “SirLadyMakemFall” and “LazyEaterBetsonHerLikeness.” The album is a 20-track debut that gently documents Liv.e’s self-reckoning and arrival to a new phase of growth.

Over lo-fi beats made by herself and producer Meijwahn, Liv.e blends singing and spoken word-like musings to texture each track. After a listen, it may seem that a rigorous amount of thought and mindfulness went into creating the project. But according to Liv.e, it was more of a fluid process that was influenced by a much more divine energy that guided her while making each song.

“There was something speaking through me. It was pretty much all from spirit, whoever that is,” she says.

She recorded the album in a month from her bedroom at her mother’s home in St. Louis, Missouri.

It was a time of stillness that Liv.e refers to as a “great pause,” during which she was able to turn inward and create from a place of introspection and connection to self. “I was transitioning into a space of complete independence. This is the album that I can look at and say, This is when I began transitioning into who I am today. I knew it was a good time to bookmark that moment,” Liv.e says.

It’s tempered with a lightheartedness that Liv.e conveys through her dreamy harmonies and personality she inflects in each track. She runs the gamut of crushing, lovers, and past lives. She’s sweet and coy as she sings to a crush on the groovy track “You The One Fish In The Sea.” It’s full of airy harmonies that float towards her beloved, creating a sultry and playful show of affection. On the single, “I Been Livin,” Liv.e lays breathy runs over purring piano keys as she sings about an existence that transcends the present.

She explains the meaning of the song: “I was feeling like my soul has been here before and lived many lives. I can feel it in my body and my mind. It’s prior knowledge that’s instilled in my DNA. It’s about being hyper-aware of the frequencies that go through you and feeling the weight of the world and traveling through time.”

With Couldn’t Wait to Tell You..., Liv.e is welcoming us into her world, one that pushes boundaries and makes room for thought. “It’s relaxing and also requires critical thinking,” the singer says. This album is an invitation to open the heart and mind to new ideas and the power of introspection.

“For the past year I’ve been an artist writing a story called Couldn’t Wait To Tell You...” says Liv.e. “This story - or as you would call it, this album - is like a completion of a web, a web that signifies what I call a closing chapter of my life. Summed up, of course by all the different parts of me.”

Couldn’t Wait To Tell You...

Liv.e

In Real Life July 31, 2020 1. What’s The Real 2. How It Made Me Feel 3. These Pipedreams 4. Stories With Aunt Liv 5. Lessons From My Mistakes...But I Lost Your Number 6. About Love At 21 7. She’s My Brand New Crush 8. To Unplug 9. Cut To The Chase 10. Moving On Felt Great and This Feels (Good) Too 11. It’ll Be Okay (Hymnal5) 12. I Been Livin 13. How She Stay Conflicted...I Hope He Understands 14. You The One Fish In The Sea 15. Sir Lady Makem Fall 16. These Past Years...Told By Lord Byron 17. You’re Wasted Let’s Go Home 18. Watchu Need Reminded By Akeema Zane 19. Lazy Eater Bets On Her Likeness 20. Bout My Big Man Batter “What would happen if Erykah Badu, DJ Screw and Sa-Ra had a baby?

You’d get Dallas-bred, LA-based Liv.e.

“SirLadyMakemFall” is that lo-fi soul I’ve been looking for.”

- NPR “One of the most intriguing new artists on the R&B landscape” - Afropunk “By speaking her lyrics, rather than singing or rapping them, Liv.e keeps the difficult reality of growth from feeling flowery, and her earnestness is endearing.”

- Pitchfork Connect with Liv.e Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_osun/ April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

57

Osees Announce Levitation Sessions April 10 Shares “Snickersnee” Video Preview at https://youtu.be/Hud5qwuwDAs Proceeds To 5 Los Angeles Charities Combating Homelessness And Food Insecurity OSEES LEVITATION SESSION April 10th, 2021 Next up on Levitation Sessions: OSEES return for another blistering set, this time from the depths of a cavernous Los Angeles factory. The performance features a fresh batch of tracks spanning over a decade of the band’s expansive discography with a handful of never-before-played-live tunes & some new surprises, and will be released as a streaming film + live album. The artwork for this show is courtesy of John Dwyer himself, from a painting created in the midst of the pandemic.

turned out.

Fans can catch a preview of the show with a live cut of “Snickersnee” at https:// youtu.be/Hud5qwuwDAs. The band also kicked on a 360 VR camera for this one, and you can check that out HERE at https:// youtu.be/aW6xlpczDtU. “Osees pine for our fans and friends out there in the world, so we have come together for another stream with the mighty Levitation.

I personally got stoned and stuck my face into the muck of our past catalog to bob for some dusty tumescent gems. There will be some oldies, and some moldies and some surprises along the way.

Film premieres at 7pm CT on 4/10!

Tickets + merch bundles & info here at http://bit.ly/OSEESvol2 58 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

I’m quite happy with how this one

Shot in an insane old factory warehouse in Los Angeles (it looks like a fight scene set from Point Blank or the John Wick trilogy :) If you had told me a year ago we’d be doing these streams now i would have thought you were crazy, but, egg on my face, and here we are. I’m so glad to have this little thing to share a moment with y’all until we can meet face to face on the field of battle again.

Mastered this time in advance of the stream by the Guru JJ Golden, it will hopefully turn some frowns inside out and upside down....grossssss” - JPD

In addition to tickets to the streaming show, you can grab a download of the session, + limited edition cassettes and tshirts and tie dyes with art by John Dwyer, available exclusively as part of the stream.

Signed prints of John’s painting are also available.

All proceeds from signed screen-prints are being donated to Elizabeth House, East LA Women’s Center, St Francis Center, Downtown Women’s Center and the Hollywood Food Coalition. These organizations are dedicated to lending a helping hand to those in need in the Los Angeles area.

Additionally, OSEES are donating their proceeds from the show to the same charities.

“Osees have chosen 5 local Los Angeles charities to donate to with the full profit of this stream.

They are based in aiding our fellow humans who have fallen prey to homelessness and food insecurities.

These are two very close to home issues for us in America and in California.

There should be enough housing and there is enough food for all in our country but our system has been designed in a way that it can be an insurmountable obstacle to get back on your feet if you’ve found yourself without a home.

It can happen to anyone and it is a slippery slope once you have found yourself there.

So, any small amount of help we all can generate with groups that specialize in getting people the help they need to procure the things we all take for granted such as a job, a home, a meal, and psychiatric and general health checks, are all good causes and worthy of our time and reflection.

Thanks very much in advance for your support.”

FILM CREDITS: Director: Brian Lee Hughes Director of Photography/Editor/A Cam: Brandon Kelly Additional Cameras: Andrew Schrader & Steele O’Neal Additional Lighting: Connor Childs

Live Sound Recording: Enrique Tena Padilla Mix: John Dwyer & Enrique Tena Padilla Recording & Mastering: JJ Golden 360 Camera provided by: Toy Robot Media Filmed in Los Angeles, CA Artwork by John Dwyer

OSEES: John Dwyer Paul Quattrone Dan Rincon Tim Hellman Tomas Dolas The band has also released the full set from their first LEVITATION SESSIONS show, available to watch in full here: OSEES LEVITATION SESSIONS (Full Show) at https://youtu.be/ttQeHu-4e94 The live album is being pressed up a 2xLP limited edition vinyl edition. The pressings will only be available as part of the stream. The album will be released digitally worldwide on April 23rd. Get it ahead of that date by grabbing a download with your ticket at http://bit.ly/OSEESvol2 TICKET OPTIONS $3.98 | stream ticket $9.98 | stream + lossless WAV + 320 KBPS MP3 download ADD-ONS $100 | cassette + shirt + live album 2xLP, signed by John Dwyer $49.98 | screen printed 25x19” poster, signed by John Dwyer $29.98 | live vinyl 2xLP $32.98 | hand dyed t-shirt $24.98 | t-shirt $13.98 | cassette T-shirts and cassettes are limited editions only available as part of the stream! The splatter version of vinyl is only available as part of the signed bundle. Tie dye t-shirts are hand dyed and are each one of a kind.

The chat window opens 15 minutes before the show, come by, test your viewing experience and say hello.

To watch from your TV or other device, check out https://shop.leviathonaustin.com/pages/stream-faq.

Can’t make the show time? No worries, the stream will be available to watch at any time you prefer until APRIL 18 at midnight CT! And you can rewatch as many times as you like too.

DOWNLOADS & SHIPPING Downloads will be delivered within 24 hours of the stream to your email. All orders will be shipped from our warehouse in Austin, Texas. Customers will receive a shipping notification and tracking number when items ship, sent to the email used for purchase. T-shirts are scheduled to ship in early-May, Cassettes are scheduled to ship in early-June. Vinyl pre-orders are expected to ship in August, hopefully sooner. Orders will be shipped when all items purchased are in stock. If you’d like to receive anything sooner, please make a separate order.

LEVITATION SESSIONS

Our mission at Levitation is to be a platform where the art and music we love can thrive. Levitation Sessions are our way to support the bands and keep the music going.

When you make your purchase Just like a regular show, the majority of every you’ll receive a link via email to watch dollar you spend goes to the artists we’re the stream. presenting. Thank you for supporting these artists!

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International 59 WATCHING THE STREAM

character-driven lyrics and stories to life. The honesty-driven body of work is her first album as a signed artist and a statement of who Lainey Wilson is, what she believes in and the power of authenticity, with People calling it “a worthy reflection of the woman she has turned out to be.” In addition to being a lifelong custom for the Louisiana native, the album title serves as a wink to the candor that was infused in her songwriting process, as Wilson’s playful, clever, sassy, soulful, strong and unbridled nature is on full display throughout the project.

Lainey Wilson: On The Verge Of A Break-Through New Album Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ Receives Praise as One of the Best Albums of 2021 Rising-Star Named iHeartCountry On The Verge Artist “One of Country music’s most Hunt, Maren Morris and Luke Combs. promising young stars,” (Whiskey Riff), Lainey Wilson released her hotly-anticipated Her current single, “Things A Man album Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ (https:// Oughta Know” laineywilson.lnk.to/SWIT) three weeks ago ( https://laineywilson.lnk.to/ and the excitement surrounding the buzzedthingsaman ) has been a fan favorite and about newcomer only continues to build. called a “song every Country fan needs to Garnering a slew of critical praise and more hear” (Taste of Country) and a “must listen” than 55 million streams in the US alone, (Rolling Stone), with more than 40 million Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ has been identified on-demand streams, it has been featured on as an “early favorite for album of the year.” key playlists and is currently in the Top 10 on The Bell Bottom Country singer is now Sirius XM’s The Highway’s Hot 30 Weekend heating up at Country radio as she was just Countdown. On Country radio the song has named the newest iHeartCountry On The been connecting with fans having been in the Verge Artist. The program includes on-air Top 5 consumption per spin and streams per exposure as well as significant digital and spin for the past 24 weeks (and counting) and social support across iHeartMedia’s network will continue to strengthen with of Country radio stations and websites, and iHeartRadio’s support. Sayin’ What I’m has proven instrumental in the early success Thinkin’ blends traditional Country with a of Country superstars like Dustin Lynch, Sam funky, modern flare, bringing her value and 60 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

“One of Country music’s most promising young stars,” (Whiskey Riff) Lainey Wilson is the total package. Earning the enthusiasm of the industry, named as an “Artist to Watch” by Spotify, MusicRow, Pandora, The Boot, and Sounds Like Nashville (to name a few) and included in CMT’s “Next Women of Country” and “Listen Up” programs, the Louisiana native is one of Nashville’ most buzzed-about new artists, garnering early praise for her “unabashedly down-home and unflappably worldly” (NPR) style and exhibiting “just enough scars and pragmatism to write great, universal country songs” (Taste of Country).

Her music has already been featured in the hit drama series Yellowstone three times, graced the Grand Ole Opry stage and was covered in publications like Forbes, Rolling Stone, New York Times, Billboard and NPR. With a rockstar stage presence, her artistry has taken her across the globe, performing for sold-out crowds throughout the US, UK, and Germany with notable names like Justin Moore, Tyler Farr, Ashley McBryde, Randy Houser, Josh Turner and more.

The “vocalist of unmatched talent, humbled by her characteristic humor and wit,” (American Songwriter) left her small farming community in a camper trailer to chase her dreams and has been carving her own unique place in the country music landscape ever since. Creating a sound and style all her own with “Bell Bottom Country,” which blends traditional Country with a modern yet retro flare, Lainey is a fresh, fierce voice in Nashville. A prolific writer (having co-writer credits on songs by artists including Luke Combs), Lainey shares her feelings, stories, experiences and understandings through her music. Described as “a cross between easy listening and hard truths” by The Boot, Lainey’s music (and character) is largely driven by her values and selfconviction. Her new album, produced by GRAMMY Award-winning mastermind Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Miranda Lambert), Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin,’ was released in February 2021 via BBR Music Group/ Broken Bow Records to incredible praise, with many labeling it as one of the best albums of the year. Following the sentiment of the title track, the entire album is rooted in authenticity, honesty and thoughtfulness— representative of Lainey’s own character. The album includes her current radio single and continued on next page

“song every country fan needs to hear” (Taste of Country), “Things A Man Oughta Know.” With more than 40 million streams, the song is a fan and critic favorite, spurring a flurry of activity across social media as well as included in “must listen” lists in publications like NPR and Rolling Stone.

For more information and upcoming tour dates, visit www.laineywilson.com or follow on Instagram @laineywilsonmusic / Twitter @ laineywilson / Facebook.com/laineywilsonmusic.

The “bona fide redneck warrior princess” (Saving Country Music) launched the album with a seven-night livestream series with a Grand Ole Opry appearance, interesting behind the scenes content and a two-part live performance that left fans itching to see the Rockstar performer in-person. Watch the television-worthy live performances that bring the album to life with Part 1 (https://www.facebook.com/ laineywilsonmusic/posts/277734920380716) and Part 2 (https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/ ?v=902650223608767&ref=watch_permalink).

Proving worthy of being named as “one to watch” and “must listen” by many (Spotify, Pandora, MusicRow, Rolling Stone, CMT, The Boot, Sounds Like Nashville, etc.), Lainey earned a host of critical praise for Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’. Amongst the glowing reviews for the album, several outlets have labeled it as one of the best of the year: “One of our early favorites for album of the year!” -Roughstock “She is unquestionably the finest new talent here, and her album deserves to be on the short list of the Best of the Year.” – Music Row “The project promises to be one of the most impressive albums of the year thanks to Wilson’s innate ability to create songs that are deeply rooted in the country world with strong lyrical stories that connect with listeners across the world, not forgetting that she also has one of the best voices in the genre.” – Music and Tour News “Lainey Wilson has everything a breakout Country star needs and then some, and with any justice this will go down as one of the best records of 2021.”

– Entertainment Focus

ADVERTISE HERE Advertise in a revolutionary new magazine that will be taking the music world by storm! call us now at 281-650-1953

“It might be my favorite album of 2021 so far…One word review of Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ is AUTHENTIC” – Billy Dukes (Townsquare Media)

Rock And Blues International

February April 2021 2021 •• Rock Rock and and Blues Blues International International

47 61

Reverend Mother Share Forthcoming Debut EP Early Formerly Known As Priestess, New EP Coming March 19, Full Length Out Later This Year Hear/share Reverend Mother EP at Bandcamp (https://reverendmotherbk.bandcamp.com) Brooklyn, NY trio Reverend Mother recently announced their name change from Priestess, and the band is streaming their upcoming self-titled debut EP via Bandcamp (https://reverendmotherbk.bandcamp.com) and Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/ 5urkuRxIIWLspbUDdd4Ns8.

Metal Injection recently featured the band’s cover version of Fuzz’s “Let It Live” here at https://metalinjection.net/av/newmusic/reverend-mother-formerly-priestessdrops-crunchy-new-single-let-it-live

Jackie Green, who cut her teeth as a guitarist in local bands like Evil Daughter. ?Despite the name change, the band remains steadfast in their devotion to doom metal and psychedelic rock, with the EP offering up the same looming riffs, skuzzy reverbs, and haunting vocals Green has studied and refined to make her own.

“The looming riffs evoke the early King Woman EP Doubt, and the cadence of Green’s vocals call to mind those of Pallbearer’s Brett Campbell..” — Audiofemme “A doom communion.” — CvltNation

The band has completed recording its full length debut which is scheduled for release later in the year. More details to come.

Brooklyn three-piece Priestess has reincarnated as Reverend Mother, due to put out their first S/T EP under the new moniker on March 19th, 2021. They are still led by songwriter and Black Sabbath enthusiast

62

01. Let It Live 02. The Muse

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Artist: Reverend Mother Album: Reverend Mother EP Label: self-released Release Date: March 19, 2021

“More riffs than you’re going to know what to do with.” — Metal Injection On The Web: instagram.com/reverendmother_bk reverendmother.bandcamp.com priestessbk.bandcamp.com twitter.com/reverendmother_

Punk Rock & Paintbrushes: The Insides Of Artists Written By Outsiders · Olya & Vira – Mad Twins: Twins of Madness · Matt Hensley: Under Pressure · Jason Adams: Destination Nowheresville USA · Jennie Cotterill: Bad Cop, Good Cake · Tokyo Hiro: From Taboo to Tattoo · Mike Gallo: My Life. My Way Everyday · Shawn Foley: Chaotic Ambition · Brian Bent: Bent Not Broken · Soma Snakeoil: DominARTrix: Intersection of Sex, Art & Politics · Warren Fitzgerald: An All Access Sanctuary of Self Expression & Autonomy

Exclusive Coffee Table Art Book Publish Date Moved To April 15, 2021 Featuring Art And Stories From Co-Creator Warren Fitzgerald (The Vandals), Tim Armstrong (Rancid), Jim Lindberg (Pennywise), Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Christian Hosoi, Steve Caballero, Matt Hensley (Flogging Molly), Soma Snakeoil, Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies), Jennie Cotterill (Bad Cop / Bad Cop) & More Book Now Available For Pre-Order Here at https://www.punkrockart.com Punk Rock & Paintbrushes has announced a new publication date for Punk Rock & Paintbrushes: The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders co-created by Emily T. Nielsen (Punk Rock & Paintbrushes) and Warren Fitzgerald (The Vandals). The exclusive coffee table art book will be out April 15, 2021 and is available for pre-order now at www.PunkRockArt.com.

Punk Rock & Paintbrushes is a unique arts management company and art show producer that bridges the gap between art and music. The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders features 26 chapters, each showcasing artwork and personal stories from participating artists.

Punk Rock & Paintbrushes: The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders chapters include: · Tim Armstrong: Punk, Passion & Paint · Chali 2na: Manphibian Missions · Jason Cruz: Screaming Smoke and Paintings Sung in the Key of A Minor · Natalia Fabia: Lady Painter · Sarah & Eric Melvin: A Couple That Paints Together · Mark deSalvo: Leftover Liner Notes · Steve Caballero: Skate and Create · Paul Kobriger: The Footprint of Humans as Told Through a Ball Point Pen · Carla Harvey: Sex & Transgressions · Charlie Benante: Persistence Gets Surreal · Chris Shary & Lori Herbst: Folie a Deux · Christian Hosoi: Unrestricted Expression · Jim Lindberg: Every Single Day · Brent Broza: Time For a Change · Danielle Donohue: The Great Gatsby or the GREATEST Gatsby??? · Dan Smith: Heart and Soul

Nielsen created Punk Rock & Paintbrushes as a platform for artists to showcase their creativity and wildness, their lifestyle, their talents and successes at gallery exhibits and music festivals. As an extension of these exhibitions, The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders represents these sentiments and reminds us that “Punk Rock is not just about music and paintbrushes are not just tethered to the idea of art, but instead the two together are the perfect combination of life in a radical way,” says Nielsen.

The roots of Punk Rock & Paintbrushes reach back to 2007 when Nielsen asked friend Tim McIlrath (Rise Against) to paint a piece of art with the lyrics to the Rise Against song “Survive” for her after overcoming a battle with cancer. The painting has traveled around the world with Emily and is an everyday reminder that “How we survive is what makes us who we are.”

Punk Rock & Paintbrushes: The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders is self-published by Emily T. Nielsen’s company Romantic Rock.

For more information: Website: www.punkrockart.com Instagram: @punkrockandpaintbrushes About Punk Rock & Paintbrushes: Punk Rock & Paintbrushes is a unique art management company as well as an art show production creative force. We manage talented artists across the globe who share the love of music and art. We bring art to our collectors and fans of art and music from all walks of life. We produce our art shows across the world to share the creativity of these artists with all. All artists have passion to create and each individual we work with is a talented artist we are proud to have as part of our Punk Rock & Paintbrushes family.

Website: www.punkrockart.com Instagram: @punkrockandpaintbrushes April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

63

means to us.”

The 90-minute film also takes a deep dive into lead vocalist Mina Caputo’s gender transition. “We’ve never avoided tough conversations and we don’t pretend to have all the answers,” says Caputo. “But, this film is a roadmap with many great lessons. It shows a ton of vulnerability... moments of falling downward and others where we rise strong. Enjoy this gift of imperfection.

May you find the tools to be braver with this film.”

Life Of Agony Announce Virtual Screening Event For Full-Length Documentary ‘The Sound of Scars’ Limited, Two-Week Screening of The Director’s Cut Begins Friday, April 16 credit: Robin Parsons While the worldwide pandemic pretty much wiped out the music industry over the past year with its large gathering restrictions, Brooklyn, NY metal outfit Life of Agony has been using their downtime to put the finishing touches on their upcoming full-length documentary The Sound of Scars.

Watch the trailer here: https:// vimeo.com/497610025 The project began two years ago

by UK-based director Leigh Brooks and was filmed across several countries while Life of Agony was on and off the road. “This isn’t a typical music documentary. It’s as personal as it gets.” explains Brooks. “I first saw the band live at the London Astoria in 1996. Since then, LOA has become an absolute go-to when I felt alone and insecure about myself. This film is an intimate portrait that sheds light on the real life stories that make their music so vital and relevant.”

abuse, and depression to form one of the most influential bands in its genre.

Through the success of their groundbreaking 1993 debut “River Runs Red”, hailed by Rolling Stone as “One of the Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”, they channeled their cumulative life stories into a soundtrack for a broken generation. At the time, that newfound fame allowed them to escape the tragedies of their pasts, but in the wake of their accomplishments, unforeseen obstacles arose. “We’ve completely ripped our deepest selves open for this film,” says guitarist Joey Zampella. “The audience and our fan base will completely understand the mold we were broken from, and what this journey

The Sound of Scars utilizes personal archive footage, rare photographs, and lost interviews, along with new, never-before-seen conversations with the band and their family members that tells the story of how three friends overcame domestic violence, substance 64 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Starting Friday, April 16th, for a limited two-week window, Life of Agony fans will get the opportunity to stream a virtual screening of The Sound of Scars Director’s Cut along with other bonus material, including a Q&A discussion with the band and director on the making of the film, moderated by SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal host Shawn The Butcher.

Tickets are available now for pre-order and part of the proceeds go to benefit two charity organizations: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (https:// suicidepreventionlifeline.org) and All Out (https://allout.org/en).

Visit https://www.soundofscars.com for more details and tickets.

“When we first started LOA over 30 years ago, I don’t think any of us could have predicted the impact that this band would have on so many people around the world,” says Alan Robert, bassist for Life of Agony. “We got together as a way of saving ourselves, but ultimately, through the music and the brutal honesty of the lyrics, we ended up saving so many others along the way.”

Life of Agony’s most recent studio album, also titled The Sound of Scars, was released in 2019 to critical acclaim.

It was named “Album of the Year” by The Aquarian Weekly and took the #1 spot on Metal Hammer’s (Germany) Best of 2019 List (Alt-rock/Punk).

Living Dead Girl has revealed artwork and pre-order information for Exorcism, the debut from the up-and-coming Canadian metal powerhouse.

“I am beyond thrilled to finally be able to share our debut record after four years of working on it,” says vocalist Molly Rennick.

“I was such a perfectionist with it. I kept scrapping entire EPs’ worth of material and restarting, trying to nail the sound I was after.

After working with Mitchell Marlow (Papa Roach, In This Moment, All That Remains), we were able to nail it. It’s heavy and dark, but upbeat, fun and drenched in sexy attitude.

The sound and vibe of this record are new and fresh, and I’m prouder of it than anything else I’ve done in my 22 years on this planet. I couldn’t be any more excited to unleash it!”

Exorcism digital pre-orders are available at https://distrokid.com/ hyperfollow/livingdeadgirl1/exorcism-2.

Additional bundles, including physical CDs, vinyl and exclusive merchandise are available at www.livingdeadgirl.ca/.

On Exorcism’s 11 banging tracks, Rennick channels her inner “goth girl gone bad” attitude. From the raging, down-tuned riffs of the title track and “Worship Me,” to the infectious, singalong chorus of “Villain,” to the enticing, taunting melodies of “Beautiful” and “Alive,” Rennick commands your full attention. Living Dead Girl has already released two singles and videos from Exorcism, the anthemic “Alive,” (https://youtu.be/8qTrGsHCeFg) which received airplay on Toronto’s mainstream rock station 94.9 The Rock, 89.1 Max FM in Barrie, Orilia and the Muskokas, X92.9 Calgary, X100.7 - Red Deer’s Alternative and CBC Radio Canada online, the title track (https://youtu.be/7UNhPXiZ-Wc) and “Escape” (https://youtu.be/jxBTXmW42n0).

Formed in 2017, Living Dead Girl’s style is a unique combination of goth-inspired heavy metal meets fellow Canadian frontwoman Avril Lavigne, possessing an amalgam of genres including rock, metal, industrial, goth, pop and punk rock. The music perfectly encapsulates Rennick’s personality, which she admits is a dichotomy of “one wears baby pink and Hello Kitty and listens to pop music, and the other a goth girl in fishnet stockings who listens to dark heavy metal.” The 21-year-old Rennick’s amazing vocal range sees her seamlessly switching from taunting, high-pitched croons, to menacing, harsh barks, to haunting growls with relative ease.

LIVING DEAD GIRL online: www.livingdeadgirl.ca www.facebook.com/ LIVINGDEADGIRLBAND www.instagram.com/livingdeadgirlofficial/

LIVING DEAD GIRL Announces Pre-Orders for Exorcism Debut + Reveals Album Art Exorcism Set for Release on June 11 April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

65

photo credit: Richelle ter Heege

Sirenia Releases New Official Lyric Video for “This Curse Of Mine” Watch here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QshH4l626VY Latest Album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, Out now at https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/sirenia Symphonic metal foursome SIRENIA recently released its exquisite tenth studio album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, via Napalm Records. The 11-track offering draws the listener deep into a versatile symphonic metal vortex through combining heavy soundscapes with modern influences and showcases the multifaceted nature of the unit around mastermind, bandleader, multiinstrumentalist, composer, songwriter and producer Morten Veland.

Morten Veland on “This Curse Of Mine”: “We are pleased to bring you a lyric video for the song ‘This Curse Of Mine’ taken from our brand new album Riddles, Ruins & Revelations. As touring is not an option these days we might as well be bringing you videos instead of shows. That being said, we really can’t wait to see you all on tour again though. In the meantime, please enjoy ‘This Curse Of Mine’. We hope you like it.”

This is proven evident once more on their fourth single “This Curse Of Mine”. The song sets off with a fresh yet harsh riff attack and consecutive electronics, leading into a confident and strong vocal presentation of operatic vocalist Emmanuelle Zoldan, whilst unfolding all its magic in a memorable, grooving chorus.

Watch the official lyric video for “This Curse Of Mine” here at https://youtu.be/QshH4l626VY:

66

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Morten Veland on the album: continued on next page

“Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is SIRENIA’s tenth studio album. The album is very diverse, as a SIRENIA album should be. There’s a lot of material that shows the band from a new side, and there is lots of material that is to be expected from the band musically.

All in all, the album will take listeners through a journey that will cover both familiar and unexplored musical landscapes. We hope that you will enjoy the journey.”

A modern ride straight into the heart of symphonic metal!

Symphonic metal institution SIRENIA are renewed in darkness on their tenth studio album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations. The quartet is certainly not afraid of combining a heavy symphonic sound with modern influences, which their latest record, Arcane Astral Aeons (2018) is proof of. This time, SIRENIA offer an exciting new twist to their songs, spicing them with electronic vibes, but never losing sight of their musical core.

SIRENIA remains as true to their album title word-play as they do to their dedication to symphonic soundscapes, drawing the listener into a pounding narrative about the darkest aspects of life. All eleven songs accumulate step by step to an integral sound artwork, where the versatile mezzo soprano voice of singer Emmanuelle Zoldan always shines in high-profile. In addition, there are many enchanting, instrumental surprises lurking on the way that absolutely need to be discovered! With the opening “Addiction No. 1” the formation mainly based in Norway delivers an immense and catchy tune that will have fans of bands like Beyond The Black and Amaranthe falling in love immediately.

“We Come To Ruins” offers a contrast of harshness and skillfully portrays how SIRENIA combine the past and the present. On “Downwards Spiral”, Emmanuelle is supported by the remarkable voice of longtime friend Joakim Næss on clean vocals, who has joined the band on previous releases. SIRENIA’s tenth full-length ends with a cover of Desireless` 1986 hit “Voyage Voyage”, where the unit again impressively combines symphonic sounds with electronic atmosphere, which doesn’t count only for this final epos, but for Riddles, Ruins & Revelations as a whole.

Riddles, Ruins & Revelations tracklist: 1. Addiction No. 1 2. Towards An Early Grave 3. Into Infinity 4. Passing Seasons 5. We Come To Ruins 6. Downwards Spiral 7. Beneath The Midnight Sun 8. The Timeless Waning 9. December Snow 10. This Curse Of Mine 11. Voyage Voyage

Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is available in the following formats: - CD Digipack + Wristband - CD Digipack - Digital Album SIRENIA is: Morten Veland - guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming Nils Courbaron - lead guitar Emmanuelle Zoldan - vocals Michael Brush - drums Connect with SIRENIA online: WEBSITE https://sirenia.no/ FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/sirenia INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/sireniabandofficial/ NAPALM RECORDS https://label.napalmrecords.com/sirenia Order the New Album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, now at https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/sirenia

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

67

Vicky Cornell and her children, Toni and Christopher, on behalf of The Chris Cornell Estate in conjunction with UMe, have released the physical/vinyl version of No One Sings Like You Anymore, Chris Cornell’s handpicked collection of 10 cover songs, which he personally selected and sequenced to celebrate artists and songs that inspired him. No One Sings Like You Anymore was released digitally in December 2020, with track “Patience” charting as the #1 Rock Radio Hit. Recorded by Chris in 2016, the album, which is his last fully completed studio album, features his renditions of John Lennon’s “Watching The Wheels,” Ghostland Observatory’s “Sad Sad City,” Harry Nilsson’s “Jump Into The Fire,” Carl Hall’s “You Don’t Know Nothing About Love,” Electric Light Orchestra’s “Showdown,” Terry Reid’s “To Be Treated Rite,” Lorraine Ellison’s “Stay With Me Baby” (originally released for HBO’s show Vinyl), “Get It While You Can,” popularized by Janis Joplin, and a new studio recording of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” written by Prince. Chris’ cover of Gun’s & Roses “Patience,” which was released on his birthday last year, and earned him his first solo Billboard Number 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, is also included on the album.

All instruments on No One Sings Like You Anymore were played by Chris Cornell and Brendan O’Brien, who also produced & mixed the album. The album is a special gift for Chris’ fans and long-term supporters, but the Cornell family hopes that new fans and listeners will be inspired by Chris’ powerful and unique voice in these stunning renditions.

Chris Cornell’s No One Sings Like You Anymore Physical Album Now Available Featuring Chris’ Original Covers Of Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Prince and More!

Get It Here At https://chriscornell.lnk.to/NoOneSingsLikeYou! 68

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

No One Sings Live You Anymore Track List 1. Get It While You Can 2. Jump Into The Fire 3. Sad Sad City 4. Patience 5. Nothing Compares 2 U 6. Watching The Wheels 7. You Don’t Know Nothing About 8. Showdown 9. To Be Treated Rite 10. Stay With Me Baby For more information visit: ChrisCornell.com

Flying Cupid Guitarist Showcases Prowess on New Playthrough for “Into the Light” Watch the “Into the Light” Playthrough Now via https://youtu.be/cXSK_BvJ5cU

All Turns to Dust Debut Slated for Release This Spring Guitarist Abhiruk Patowary has revealed a guitar playthrough for “Into the Light,” the second single from his band Flying Cupid’s upcoming debut album, All Turns to Dust.

Watch the playthrough, which features the track sans vocals, now via https://youtu.be/cXSK_BvJ5cU 19-year-old Indian-born Patowary is a multi-instrumentalist whose musical journey began 11 years ago with piano, followed by drums five years later and guitar the year after. He began studying at the esteemed Berklee School of Music, but due to the pandemic, was forced to return to his native India.

“I am completely self -taught, so most of my playing is a bunch of trial

and errors and seeing what works best,” Patowary says. “My technique is quite unconventional and almost what people would consider wrong as I mostly use two fingers while playing. That being said it, has worked for me and I use a lot of palm muting accompanied with 7th chords and little riffs to fill the space.”

The solo project of guitarist and composer, Flying Cupid blends the sounds such as Killswitch Engage with modern “djent” bands like Periphery to create a modern sound.

is available via Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music. The first single from All Turns to Dust, “Changes,” (https:// youtu.be/hXyWKqDEkac) earned the young artist coverage from Rolling Stone India and Revolver upon release last year. More recently, Flying Cupid released the single and accompanying animated short for “Into the Light” ( https://youtu.be/2yI51Nj6kTA ).

A prolific writer, Patowary also spends his time playing bass and guitar in the bands Acid Pit and Gaia, and working on other diverse musical “Into the Light,” which also endeavors outside of the metal realm, features Lukas Magyar from Veil of including pop, hip hop, a long orchestral Maya and Nathan Bulla from Intervals, piece and a jazz quintet.

FLYING CUPID online: www.facebook.com/Flying-Cupid-101207044787946 www.instagram.com/flying_cupidband April 20211 • Rock and Blues International 69

been one of the biggest influences of my musical development,” LIBRA explains. “So I chose, and completely re-arranged, one of my favorite songs, called ‘It Doesn’t Matter Two’ from the album ‘Black Celebration.’ I only invited artists who I respect, admire, and even some of my personal heroes. I honestly felt I would be really lucky if only one of them agreed to be part of this project. So you can imagine how I felt when, one by one, almost everyone I invited replied saying yes (most of them without even knowing who I was), simply after hearing the demo I sent.”

“It Doesn’t Matter Two (Lockdown Version)” is available via https://Libra.lnk.to/ ItDoesntMatterTwo. All artists have freely given their time and talent, and proceeds will be donated on behalf of everyone involved in this project to the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

Esteemed Musicians from Metal Community Join Brazilian Artist LIBRA on Stunning Cover of Depeche Mode’s “It Doesn’t Matter Two” Members of Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, Apocalyptica, Within Temptation, My Dying Bride, Moonspell, Athanasia, and Solo Artist Anneke Van Giersbergen Contribute to Track to Benefit International Association for Suicide Prevention Listen to “It Doesn’t Matter Two (Lockdown Version)” at https://libra.lnk.to/ItDoesntMatterTwo Looking for a way to interact artistically during the COVID-19 lockdown last June, producer-songwriter LIBRA invited an impressive ensemble of metal artists, including members of Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, Apocalyptica, Within Temptation, My Dying Bride, Moonspell, Athanasia, Five Finger Death Punch and solo artist Anneke Van Giersbergen, to contribute to a stunning cover of “It Doesn’t Matter Two” by the legendary Depeche Mode.

Recorded individually at home by each artist, “It Doesn’t Matter Two (Lockdown Version)” features performances by Aaron Aedy (Paradise Lost), Aaron Stainthorpe (My 70 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Dying Bride), Anneke Van Giersbergen (solo artist, formerly of The Gathering), Caleb Bingham (Athanasia/formerly of Five Finger Death Punch), Don Aires Pereira (Moonspell), Eicca Toppinen (Apocalyptica), Kenny Hickey (Type O Negative), LIBRA (solo artist), Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation) and Shaun MacGowan (My Dying Bride).

The track was produced, arranged and mixed

by LIBRA at 13Eighteen Studio in Hollywood and mastered by the legendary engineer Ted Jensen (Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, David Bowie, Madonna), at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.

“Since I was a kid, Depeche Mode has

“It Doesn’t Matter Two (Lockdown Version)” artists weigh in on the experience: Anneke van Giersbergen: “Working with this group of amazing musicians on a song by one of my favorite bands has been truly amazing, especially in times like these.”

Apocalyptica’s Eicca Toppinen: “I immediately got very excited about this project when LIBRA contacted me.

During this lockdown it felt so nice to get connected with cool artists around the world.

All musicians are in the same situation during these weird times, no matter where you live.

The original song is great and I loved LIBRA’s arrangement and the passionate way of working on this project. The song turned out great and it is wonderful how the video shows the way we were able to be together even with the distance. Music has power!”

Athanasia’s Caleb Bingham: “When LIBRA sent it to me, I was impressed by his ability to take a classic Depeche Mode song and completely reinvent it into something all his own. Now, with all of this top tier talent on top of what was already a killer song, I think we’ve created a monster!”

Moonspell’s Don Aires Pereira: “I really enjoyed participating in this collaboration and seeing guys I hadn’t seen in a while, as well as getting to know even if virtually new faces. It was a good initiative in these lockdown times and it also served to imagine what it would be like to play in a band with such illustrious musicians. Thank you very much to LIBRA for the invitation. I really enjoyed recording the bass and video in a very relaxed way. Thanks to today’s technology, we can always create or materialize what we visualize and make it real. A hug and greetings to all who participated, and I hope you enjoy the final result.

Life is an alchemical process in which we visualize and then materialize using the wellknown formula: ‘Solve et Coagula.’”

My Dying Bride’s Aaron Stainthorpe: “Believe it or not but I was actually a continued on next page

member of the Depeche Mode Fan Club way back when ‘Violator’ was released,” says My Dying Bride vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe. I adored the band and was the only person wearing a Depeche Mode sweatshirt in the notorious rock bar The Frog & Toad in Bradford. My Dying Bride also used a piece of music by DM as an intro to their gigs on one of their tours but my age won’t allow me to recall which piece. When Libra asked me if I’d be interested in taking part in this project, a ‘yes’ was inevitable and I thoroughly enjoyed my little moment when, just for a short time, I was actually in Depeche Mode.”

My Dying Bride’s Shaun MacGowan: “I’d heard good things about LIBRA and his work, so it was a real pleasure when he invited me to join this project. I’m a Depeche Mode fan but never actually heard this particular song before, but instantly the potential to make something great was there.

It’s also hard to say no to being alongside a list of fantastic musicians from across the metal genre. Obviously, it would be nice to visit a studio but, due to COVID restrictions, my living room had to do! The end result is far beyond my expectations and it’s been a real pleasure to be involved.”

Paradise Lost’s Aaron Aedy: “I got the initial contact from LIBRA last year, halfway through our first lock down of 2020 here in the UK. At the time, we in Paradise Lost, like our fellow musicians, were getting emails of constantly moving or cancelled shows and festivals. The prospect of doing a Depeche Mode cover (a band I’ve loved since buying the ‘People Are People’ single, aged 14) purely for the joy of making music, seemed like the perfect distraction during a time of seemingly mostly bad news. I agreed, then upon hearing the bare bones version, was pleasantly surprised how good it was, even at that very early stage.

Having been a part of this project from early on and watching it grow as more artists were added with LIBRA’s energy driving it all forward, made this an absolute joy to work on, a truly wonderful escape from everything that’s been going on in the world. I’m thrilled with the outcome, the amazing contributions from all the artists involved have really elevated this it to another level.

The fact that this was born out of the hopeful and fun lockdown idea of one person, which is now able to raise money for The International Association for Suicide Prevention, a charity whose work is even more important during a time when we’re all becoming more acutely aware of the mental health issues experienced by so many, makes me feel even more proud and privileged to be involved. Listen, enjoy and escape with us for a few minutes! Thank you.”

Type O Negative’s Kenny Hickey: “It was fun doing this!!”

Within Temptation’s Ruud Jolie: “I must admit I have never been into Depeche Mode but when I heard LIBRA’s arrangement I got all excited. The demo

LIBRA at 13Eighteen Studio in Hollywood sounded really good already. And it’s a nobrainer when you learn that a lot of great musicians have joined the project. The end result sounds great and I feel lucky to be a part of this.”

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, LIBRA taught himself how to sing, play guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and studied music production and audio engineering. In addition to being a former Sony Music artist, where he released his solo album Até que a morte não separe, LIBRA has been worked as a music producer for film, TV and theater for over 20 years. Always proud to be eclectic, LIBRA’s influences range from metal to pop, rock to electronic, and classical to country.

“Music has been my life since I can remember,” says LIBRA. “But somewhere around 2014, due to a stream of traumatic disappointments (professional and personal), I lost the will to write and play music altogether and decided to turn my back on the music business. I moved to the US, where I slowly had to rebuild myself from the ground up, and when the time was right, I decided to let music find its way back into my life. This project was literally the first track I produced, after more than six years of artistic hibernation. The whole experience of having such talented artists trusting my vision was a wake up call, and the final result of this collaboration was a testament to the fact that I did the right thing when I decided to make music again.”

“IT DOESN’T MATTER TWO (LOCKDOWN VERSION)” TRACK LINEUP: Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride) Vocals Anneke Van Giersbergen (Solo artist, Devin Townsend, VUUR, former The Gathering) - Vocals Caleb Bingham (Athanasia/formerly of Five Finger Death Punch) - Lead Guitar Don Aires Pereira (Moonspell) - Bass Eicca Toppinen (Apocalyptica) - Cello Kenny Hickey (Type O Negative,

Silvertomb) - Rhythm Guitar Libra (Solo artist) - Drums and Vocals Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation, For All We Know) - Lead Guitar Shaun MacGowan (My Dying Bride) Violin “IT DOESN’T MATTER TWO (LOCKDOWN VERSION)” ARTISTS ONLINE: Aaron Aedy www.instagram.com/aaronaedy www.paradiselost.co.uk Aaron Stainthorpe www.instagram.com/aaron_stainthorpe www.mydyingbride.net Anneke van Giersbergen www.instagram.com/annekeannique www.annekevangiersbergen.com Caleb Bingham www.instagram.com/calebandrewbingham

www.instagram.com/athanasiametal Don Aires Pereira www.instagram.com/aires305 www.moonspell.com Eicca Toppinen www.instagram.com/eiccatoppinen www.instagram.com/apocalypticaofficial

Kenny Hickey www.instagram.com/silvertombmusic www.silvertombmusic.myshopify.com Libra www.instagram.com/libra666 www.13eighteen.com Ruud Jolie www.instagram.com/ruudjolieofficial www.ruudjolie.com Shaun MacGowan www.instagram.com/shaun_petrovich_macgowan

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

71

Inheritance track list 1. Enslaved Through Lineage 2. Sadistic Trials 3. Pulsating Rhythm 4. Fastidious Imitation 5. Drop Of Red 6. Illusive Obsession 7. The Gift Of Consciousness 8. Shivers 9. Inheritance 10. The End Of Ourselves 11. Emerging As One DEPTHS OF HATRED is: Karl Desjardins - Drums Martin Trottier - Guitars Felix Demers - Guitars Antoine Millette - Bass William Arseneau - Vocals

credit: Dominic D.D

Depths Of Hatred New Single, “Pulsating Rhythm” Out Now Depths Of Hatred have released “Pulsating Rhythm”, the fourth single from their upcoming new album, Inheritance, due out on March 19.

Pulsating Rhythm showcases the Canadian quintet’s signature blistering modern death metal sound, alongside their newfound penchant for memorable chorus hooks, as William Arseneau’s vocal acrobatics crisply alternate between anger and melody.

FOLLOW DEPTHS OF HATRED ONLINE

stayed true to their definitive death metal roots, yet allowed themselves the opportunity to open up and explore metalcore and beyond. With ambitions to take their new material on the road as soon as they are able to do so, DEPTHS OF HATRED have every intention of making this fresh start really count.

Twitter https://www.twitter.com/DepthsOvHatred

facebook https://www.facebook.com/depthsofhatred

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/depthsofhatred/

Inheritance is available to pre-order here @ http://smarturl.it/DepthsOfHatred Stream Pulsating Rhythm via Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/09wA5QShjIKSeQXOx58Ytb?si=4R5V8qgpRb6wXWqOtY0jpQ

Apple Music Talking on Pulsating Rhythm’s themes, the band comment, “Pulsating Rhythm describes the night where our protagonist’s view on life is forever altered. Witnessing an unforgivable act, he learns to replicate what he thinks is affection”

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/inheritance/ 1527188153?uo=4&ls=1&app=music&at=11lEW&ct=30z2x5

Bandcamp. https://depthsofhatred.bandcamp.com/album/inheritance WATCH THE ACCOMPANYING MUSIC VIDEO FOR PULSATING RHYTHM BELOW

Keeping production duties in house and allowing themselves to work at their own pace has resulted in a polished, mature sounding collection of songs, which was then mixed and mastered at The Grid Studio by Christian Donaldson (Beneath The Massacre, Shadow Of Intent).

A progressive slant to their rejuvenated sound means that they have 72

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

https://youtu.be/o_lqIoBUXK8

Subscribe Now To

Rock and Blues International and have it delivered directly to your email when it comes out every month!

Just email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com and in the subject line put “Sign Me Up Now” and we will email you your own personal copy month!

Photo Credit: Scottevery Kinkade, Aaron Jones, Ryan Wagner

Rock And Blues International Employment Opportunities Available!

Rock And Blues International Is Looking For A Sales Manager and ad salespeople!

Please Email Your Resume To rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com March 2021 • Rock and Blues International

73

Photography credit: Brandon Gullion

Wolf King: “The Path Of Wrath” Is Out Now Wolf King have released their second album, The Path of Wrath. The band’s sophomore effort is a markedly darker approach to their blackened metal sound, as The Path of Wrath sees the Californian’s expand upon on their respective sludge and black metal influences whilst retaining plenty of hardcore and death metal bite.

Speaking on The Path of Wrath’s release, the band comment, “We’re ecstatic to finally have the record released for everyone to hear. The four of us feel that this is a big step up from our last album, and we hope fans of all different genres can enjoy what we’ve made.

We’d also like to extend our thanks to Decibel Magazine yet again, for their continued support and interest im what we’re doing. Albert and the team over there have always been extremely generous to us in terms of giving us a platform to show people our music.”

Recorded at both Prairie Sun Recordings and Rapture Recordings in California by Cody Fuentes, with mixing and mastering handled by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden, Wolf King’s blackened metal sound is captured at it’s most captivatingly unrestrained on The Path of Wrath. For an uncompromising, filth-drenched, smokeinfused take on the genre, The Path of Wrath delivers the goods and then some.

The Path of Wrath track list: 1. River of Light 2. Messenger of Death 3. Wandering Soul 4. Triumph of the Slain 5. Sanctuary 6. The Oath 7. The Path of Wrath 8. Incantation 9. Grief Portrait 10. Beholder 11. Holy Serpent 12. Eternal Hunger WOLF KING is: Tim Wilson - Vocals Jacob Broughton - Guitar / vocals Brian Mojica - Bass Connor White - Drums FOLLOW WOLF KING ONLINE Twitter https://www.twitter.com/wolfkingca

Few do blackened heavy metal better than Wolf King. For an Facebook uncompromising, filth-drenched, smoke-infused take on the genre, https://www.facebook.com/wolfkinghc The Path of Wrath delivers the goods and then some.

Listen to The Path of Wrath via Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/1UmUgMkaj4jGkFauQhRLKQ?si=YMBtOb_6QPGbXnp8GWW9Kg Apple Music https://music.apple.com/gb/album/the-path-of-wrath/1528611858?uo=4&ls=1&app=music&at=11lEW&ct=983uy6 Bandcamp https://wolfking.bandcamp.com/album/the-path-of-wrath The Path of Wrath is out now via Prosthetic Records at http://smarturl.it/WolfKing 74 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

William The Conqueror Release New Album Maverick Thinker via Chrysalis Records Watch “The Deep End” Music Video at https://youtu.be/MNNaW8Yd2kY Series Finale of William The Conqueror: The Podcast Out Now South West England trio William The Conqueror released their new album Maverick Thinker through Chrysalis Records. A record of cuts and bruises, wrapped within bittersweet leftfield rock n roll tunes, Maverick Thinker is razor sharp, dripping with the blues and an oft sardonic vocal delivery. Stream or purchase the album here at http:// williamtheconqueror.net/maverick-thinker/ Watch the video for “The Deep End” here at https://youtu.be/ MNNaW8Yd2kY. William The Conqueror is fronted by Ruarri Joseph, a wry, patient storyteller, who has managed enough living to portray a worldweary wisdom in his words, but balances it all with enough optimism to suggest he hasn’t quite lived. Maverick Thinker is a record of short, sharp shots to the arm. Fuzzy college rock with chops, one foot lingering menacingly over the distortion pedal.

Recorded in Los Angeles at the infamous Sound City Studios, Ruarri, Naomi Holmes (bass) and Harry Harding (drums) rattled through the album’s ten tunes at a breakneck speed. Which turned out to have been a good thing, because the sessions were cut short as the pandemic took grip. With the studio doors locked, the band spent a final, eerie day wandering a deserted Venice Beach before flying home early, captured by the band and featured in their video for “Quiet Life.” All that chaos brings a certain unpredictability to an album that nods to some of the US lo-fi greats and yet arrives at something innately British.

As a fine accompaniment to the record, William The Conqueror: The Podcast, an audio book version of a forthcoming novel, is found on all the usual platforms at https://wtc.lnk.to/ThePodast. It’s written and narrated by Ruarri. A fictional (quarter autobiographical?) account of a musician trying to make ends meet, trying to be seen and to be acknowledged, and trying harder still not to care. Except of

course he does care, otherwise why bother trying? And try he does.

It’s funny, wise, daft, endearing, and often melancholy while charmingly naïve and wincingly relatable.

Watch “Wake Up” here at Watch “Jesus Died A Young Man” here at https://youtu.be/ CVR5d_OJgOo Watch “Quiet Life” here at https://youtu.be/sr8ivave1fs Watch “Move On” here at https://youtu.be/7tblaDD_0_I Track Listing: 01) Move On 02) The Deep End 03) Alive At Last 04) Jesus Died A Young Man 05) Quiet Life 06) Wake Up 07) Fiction 08) Suddenly Scared 09) Reasons 10) Maverick Thinker Credit: Luke Kellet / Download hi-res photo HERE. William The Conqueror Online: Website https://williamtheconqueror.net Facebook https://www.facebook.com/williamtheconquerormusic/ Twitter https://ymlpsend3.net/20fb8uywhmharaewusjalajbualajbbsy/click.php

last year as they readied their debut for release.

“It would have been much easier to put out a few singles or a 4-5 song EP, but we wanted to go all out and drop a full album to let people know that we are serious about this,” Newman says. “We feel like we have captured the nostalgic essence of what made nu metal great, while also challenging it with our modern twist. We’ve built a growing, dedicated fanbase and are very thankful that we were able to give our fans something to be proud of.”

Nothing Left to Give is available IDENTITY UNKNOWN’s Bandcamp (https:/ /identityunknown1.bandcamp.com/album/ nothing-left-to-give) page and all digital music providers.

Indianapolis Quartet Identity Unknown Melds Nü-Metal Roots with Modern Sound on Debut Album, Nothing Left to Give Nothing Left to Give Available Now at https://identityunknown1.bandcamp.com For the members of up-and-coming Indianapolis nü-metal band IDENTITY UNKNOWN, whose debut album Nothing Left to Give (Independent) is available now, the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 was a blessing in disguise.

Formed by guitarist Jake Newman and vocalist Aaron DeHart in the spring of last year, IDENTITY UNKNOWN solidified their lineup over the summer, initially using the band as a fun and creative outlet during a stressful time. Soon the quartet realize they were on to something more.

Expanding on the low-tuned, growling groove riffs popularized in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s with the delivery and production of the ‘20s, IDENTITY UNKNOWN fully embraces the nü-metal tag, with headbobbing bounce riffs, catchy choruses and driving breakdowns.

“From the very beginning, we always made it a goal that we did not want to sound the same as every other metal band out today,” says Newman. “The majority of

76

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

“Indianapolis, Indiana-based nu-metal band IDENTITY UNKNOWN captures the sound of the early 2000s wave of those numetal acts that rose to the top of the charts like Korn. The Indiana based band puts emphasis on dark rhythms powered by crushing groove and well structured songwriting. They have now unleashed their debut album ‘Nothing Left to Give,’ and it’s a great modernization of an older genre. The album tops out at 10 tracks, all of which vary in their own unique way while keeping the sound rooted in a firm foundation. IDENTITY UNKNOWN has done a great job as a new band bringing what they want to be and sound like on display rather quickly and with precise execution. We highly recommend any fan of nu-metal to dive into the latest release

by IDENTITY UNKNOWN.” - New Fury Media IDENTITY UNKNOWN is: Aaron DeHart - vocalist Jake Newman - guitar Brad Schane - bass Quentin Young - drums

popular metal bands today are in the metalcore or deathcore genres and we did not want to follow what was already being done.

Instead, we challenged ourselves to try to put a modern twist on a genre that everyone in our band grew up on. Even today, nu metal is still a ‘bad word’ in the overall scene, but we are not afraid of the possible negative reception and that mindset has paid off for us.

We have had great reception to our sound and how it is refreshing to hear a band like us play the way we do. Not a whole lot of bands are doing what we are doing from a style standpoint, which has helped us grow in an avenue that is not oversaturated.”

The band released two singles, “Not Feeling Sorry” and “Searching for the End,”

IDENTITY UNKNOWN online: https://identityunknown1.bandcamp.com www.youtube.com/channel/UCC4sj1Rfy9vli4aZqS9fubw www.facebook.com/identityunknownadjn https://twitter.com/identityunknwn https://open.spotify.com/artist/60InqzgfVl4OuO7wc7s9Qq www.youtube.com/channel/UCC4sj1Rfy9vli4aZqS9fubw

Finally, there’s a cvlt worth joining! As it often seems modern rock music has lost its sense of palpable danger and mystique, Finnish occult murder pop innovators CVLT OV THE SVN mark its return in full force with their grim, addictive first full length, We Are The Dragon! Slated for release on May 7, 2021 via Napalm Records, CVLT OV THE SVN’s debut embodies a reverberating sense of eeriness, danger and fear, enriched with a pinch of gothic romanticism and pitch-black seduction.

With the unveiling of previouslyreleased goth-boppers like “Twilight”, “The Pit”, “Whore Of Babylon” and “Luna In The Sky Forever”, CVLT OV THE SVN have already proven how to successfully merge seething heaviness and sweet pop melodies.

Now, the mysterious visionary behind the cvlt, who actually started out as a black metal drummer, finally sets free his casket full of morbid horror theatrics. Inspired by movies like The Exorcist and the all devouring darkness itself, he also draws inspiration not only from the heavy rock genre and greats like Type O Negative and Turbonegro, but the nostalgic influences of mainstream artists like Roxette as well.

Today, CVLT OV THE SVN have shared the new single “My Venom”, a track that will send shivers down your spine! First evoking an eerie horror atmosphere in the verse, the mystical vocal performance of the project’s mysterious frontman leads into a sweet and seductive refrain shortly after.

Join the cvlt and watch the brand new clip here at https://youtu.be/DBMoK7rPwHs The anonymous band mastermind states: “‘My Venom’ represents the issues within my soul. I think it’s important to go and face your fears, or they will rule you. The video has a dark mood, which is what I always want present in my work. I don’t do the videos with a big crew as I want my own vibe in them. I’m sort of a dictator in that sense. Spread the word!”

CVLT OV THE SVN’s sound feels dangerously unsettling, lacing its churning heaviness with pop melodies that travel right through your ears to your central nervous system. Conceptually conveying a variety of extreme emotions, each of the album’s twelve tracks cut through the noise of society like a

Occult Murder Pop Act CVLT OV THE SVN Announces Album Details + Shares First Music Video from Upcoming Debut!

We Are The Dragon out May 7, 2021 via Napalm Records Pre-Order here at https://youtu.be/DBMoK7rPwHs Watch the Official Music Video For “My Venom” here at https://youtu.be/DBMoK7rPwHs razorblade, leaving a long-lasting impression on the listener that’ll have them clamoring for more!

“When I wrote these songs, I wanted to push people’s boundaries,” he adds.

In addition to the macabre thrills of their music, there’s the character he takes on stage, twisting the dagger of perception even further like your favorite horror flick and making for a combined experience that cuts deep and close to the bone.

The creative cvlt leader continues: “It’s easier to tell those grim stories through another identity, another character.

Black cloaks just go with it, obviously. I’m a big fan of suspense and this kind of content is all about the surprises. I find it is an intriguing realm to explore. Whatever lies ahead, CVLT OV THE SVN will adapt and thrive.”

We Are The Dragon Tracklist: 01. We Are The Dragon 02. My Venom 03. Don’t Be Tender Love Me Cruel 04. Hellbound 05. Dancing With The Devil 06. Twilight 07. I’m Gonna Find Out 08. Luna In The Sky Forever 09. The Murderer 10. Whore Of Babylon 11. The Pit 12. Another Infinity CVLT OV THE SVN online: FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/cvltovthesvn INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/cvltovthesvn/

NAPALM RECORDS CVLT OV THE SVN’s We Are The https://label.napalmrecords.com/cvlt-ov-the-svn Dragon is available in CD and Digital formats!

Pre-Order We Are The Dragon here at https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/cvltovthesvn April 2021 • Rock and Blues International 77

The End Of All Things is for CROWN what Kid A was for Radiohead: an album that nobody was expecting from them.

Dark and moody; bleak and sublime; airy and crushing; mesmerizing and engrossing; bold yet unerring; strident, danceable and suffocating, all at the same time. An album oozing with tasteful, fragile hook lines flirting with the abyss they are hovering above, encapsulated within an ingenious major production, provided by one half of CROWN himself: David Husser has worked as a sound engineer, producer and musician all across the globe with artists like Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode or at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studio, and has toured with his industrial band Y Front alongside Rammstein in the 90s. Paul Kendall (Mute Records, NIN, Nick Cave) said about David: “a distorting diamond... we have collaborated on a number of projects and I have been amazed by his ability to teach an old dog new tricks. He is simply the best recording engineer I have ever met.”

The other half of CROWN is founding father and vocalist Stéphane Azam, who has worked as live sound engineer for French blackgaze pioneers Alcest for years.

Stéphane’s low, soothing voice on The End Of All Things comes as a complete surprise to anyone familiar with the band’s previous 2 records, which featured mostly screamed vocals – a fact showcasing the immense versatility of the musicians at work here.

Furthermore, In contrary to previous efforts, there are (almost) no vocal guest appearances on The End Of All Things – ‘almost’, because Karin Park of Årabrot lends her beautiful voice to closing track “Utopia.”

David pushed Stéphane from the start of the writing and recording process to do all the vocals himself, for the sake of coherence: he wanted the band and the album to have one single “captain of the vessel. Stéph sings with a very low voice now, and it was a challenge to make space for that sound- and production -wise, we had to find some kind of relief in the low register. It took us pretty long to find what we consider the right recipe to make it work”, Husser explains.

Crown started out in 2011 as 2 men and a drum machine, and their debut album instantly got them an invitation to the prestigious Roadburn Festival in 2013, and a record deal with Candlelight Records. The duo’s early sound was defined by hissing electronics, soaring heavy guitars and the absence of “real” drums, touching on industrial metal acts like Godflesh, Ministry or Killing Joke. The End Of All Things is clearly a departure from that sound in almost every imaginable way.

Crown Share New Single From Forthcoming Album On Pelagic Records The End Of All Things is a seminal album, which could well turn into a new ‘Shape Of Heavy Music To Come’. Get involved.

industrial and its ‘sister’ genres like coldwave while splicing them with influences that range from shoegaze to black metal.” — Heavy Blog Is Heavy

The End Of All Things will be available on LP, CD and digital on April 16th, 2021 via Pelagic Records. Pre-orders are available here at

“Long-standing darkness merchants... brooding, Katatonia-esque gloom.” — Metal Injection

http://smarturl.it/crownDGTL

Artist: Crown Album: The End of All Things Record label: Pelagic Records Release Date: April 16, 2021 01. Violence 02. Neverland 03. Shades 04. Illumination 05. Nails 06. Gallow 07. Extinction 08. Fleuves 09. Firebearer 10. Utopia On The Web: crownritual.com crownritual.bandcamp.com facebook.com/ CROWNBAND pelagic-records.com

Hear/share “Shades” at “Life is change, it’s the only thing we https://youtu.be/g-RyA1Zs7ZM can always expect”, says Husser. “It’s the same with music. I personally feel offended “A nihilistic listening when a band just regurgitates their own ideas experience” – The Quietus and delivers a copy of the previous album, over and again... I want to take risks and let “Brings forth the tangential myself in for adventures and ventures into and historical relationships between new territories, otherwise it wouldn’t be art anymore.”

78 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Experimental duo CROWN share a new single from their forthcoming sophomore album on Pelagic Records today via Heavy Blog is Heavy. Hear and share “Shades” here at https://youtu.be/g-RyA1Zs7ZM Metal Injection previously hosted “Illumination” here at https://youtu.be/9rBH1Qe3cO0

March 2021 • Rock and Blues International

79

stunning compositions, heavy guitar riffs, and thundering drums.

“Conflicted” has been described by Guitar World as, “What do you get when you cross an electric guitar legend with a classical composer? It’s a question you never thought you’d hear yourself ask, but it’s one you’ll be glad to get an answer to, what with the release of the new shred-infused orchestral offering from Joe Satriani and Kitt Wakeley.”

While Ultimate Classic Rock said, “Joe Satriani adds a soaring guitar solo to ‘Conflicted,’ a track from producer and composer Kitt Wakeley’s new album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The three-minute tune pairs Satriani’s layered melodies with massive strings, brass, live drums, and electronics.”

Kitt Wakeley’s Single, “Conflicted” featuring Joe SatroamDebuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Digital Song Sales Chart, No.6 on Rock Digital Song Sales, and No. 18 on Hot Hard Rock Songs ALBUM SYMPHONY OF SINNERS AND SAINTS TO BE RELEASED MAY 21 “Conflicted,” the first single from Kitt Wakeley’s upcoming album, Symphony of Sinners and Saints (to be released on May 21, 2021), has debuted on three Billboard charts, including at No. 1 on the “Hard Rock Digital Song Sales” chart, No. 6 on the “Rock Digital Song Sales” chart, and No. 18 on the “Hot Hard Rock Songs” chart.

Spotify, and more.

Wakeley said, “It is incredibly gratifying to see that there is an audience for my music and humbling to chart on Billboard.

After two years of hard work, contributions from phenomenal talents such as Joe Satriani, and the support of those who had faith in me, I couldn’t be prouder of this project.”

For the dynamic track, Oklahoma City-based songwriter/composer/ arranger/ producer Wakeley enlisted the prodigious talents of the best-selling Wakeley’s “Conflicted” and instrumental rock guitarist of all time, Symphony of Sinners and Saints Joe Satriani. “Conflicted,” can be viewed (Studio Seven Media) boasts a on YouTube (here) and is available now cinematic hybrid of orchestral at iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon, music, rock, and EDM, featuring 80 Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Symphony of Sinners and Saints incorporates renowned UK ensemble the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and was recorded in October 2020 at London’s famed Abbey Road Studios, the RPO was conducted by Cliff Masterson (Little Mix, Kylie Minogue, Il Divo, Oasis).

In addition to Wakeley on synths and piano, and Satriani on guitar on two tracks, the album features the talents of guitarists Andy Timmons (Danger Danger, Pink, Olivia Newton-John), Grammy-nominated pianist Paul Loomis, Paige Harwell, and Daniel Uribe, bassist Brent Berry, drummer Ryan Miller, the London Voices choir (Paul McCartney, Luciano Pavarotti, the Hunger Games series), and Dallas’ Gospel of Light Choir. The album was co-produced, engineered, and mixed by three-time Grammy Award-winner Tre Nagella (Lady Gaga, Blake Shelton, Snoop Dogg) at Luminous Sound Studios in Dallas, TX.

EVILE are back – straight from the abyss!

April 30, 2021 will see British thrash titans EVILE release their brand new studio album, entitled Hell Unleashed, via Napalm Records – the band’s first album in eight long years! Since their formation in 2004, EVILE have been turning heads and taking names, delivering four pure thrash offerings blended with an uncompromising death metal assault.

Hell Unleashed, the long-awaited successor to their 2013 release Skull, will make no exception – but this time, the album features a new exciting line-up formation of Ol Drake on vocals/guitars and new member Adam Smith of RipTide as rhythm guitarist.

Following the recent release of the blistering album title track from Hell Unleashed, the band has released their second single – the sharp and hard-hitting new track “Gore”! With these raging riffs full of anger, EVILE reach another dimension of pure evil, featuring the impressive backing vocals of American actor, comedian and musician Brian Posehn!

Watch/listen to the new single “Gore” at https://youtu.be/IGnFyv-glM0 EVILE vocalist/guitarist Ol Drake comments: “Here it is! The second new EVILE single from the upcoming album Hell Unleashed. This is a song about a topic that no other metal band has ever covered before; a serial killer. This song harkens back more to the first EVILE album; it could easily be a track from our beginnings. It’s heavy, it’s fast, it has some great changes, and it will punch you in the face sonically. The overall message of this song/video is that these horrible individuals are hidden in plain sight. They could be our friends, family, or colleagues.

We’re also excited to welcome back the extremely hilarious and extremely metal comedian Brian Posehn. He was kind enough to provide us with some backing vocals in the chorus. Luckily, we only needed the one-word shouting, so we got a great collection of Posehn ‘Gore’s to sift through. Thank you, Brian!

One can be sure, Hell Unleashed is a raucous and masterful thrash metal attack! In just 41 minutes, the album unchains the unbridled forces of hell, catches some rousing demons of the past, and provides classical thrash metal with a contemporary yet hardedged touch. The newly staffed four-piece strikes again on nine explosive tracks, leaving nothing but a hammering world of sound taken apart by thrash. Endangering guitar lines, which quickly build up to a furious thrash manifesto and attack the eardrum at breakneck speed, meet the merciless velocity EVILE are known and loved for.

Hell Unleashed was produced by Chris Clancy at Backstage Studios, UK, and will not only feature explosive guest backing vocals from Brian Posehn, but also include a cover song: Ol Drake adds: “This is the first album EVILE have

photo: Karl Smith

UK Thrash Metal Heavyweights Evile Unleash Raging New Song, Featuring American Actor, Comedian & Musician Brian Posehn!

New Album, Hell Unleashed, out April 30, 2021 via Napalm Records Pre-Order at https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/evile Watch the New Music Video for “Gore” here at https://youtu.be/IGnFyv-glM0 done to include a cover song in the tracklisting.

I’ve been a big fan of death metal for a long time, and seeing as this album is on the more extreme side of thrash vocally and musically, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to cover Mortician’s ‘Zombie Apocalypse’. It has one of the greatest riffs in it!

We’re also very excited about the return of the legendary Michael Whelan (Sepultura, Obituary, Stephen King) as cover artist. He did the art for our second album and he’s always a pleasure to work with.”

Pre-Order Hell Unleashed at https:// www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/evile Tracklist: 1. Paralysed 2. Gore ( feat. Brian Posehn ) 3. Incarcerated 4. War of Attrition 5. Disorder 6. The Thing (1982) 7. Zombie Apocalypse 8. Control from Above 9. Hell Unleashed In North America, Hell Unleashed will be available in LP format in black vinyl, as well as in limited edition red vinyl (limited to 200), CD Jewel Case and digital formats.

Limited Edition Red LP - limited to 200 In just 41 minutes, Hell Unleashed unchains the unbridled forces of hell, catches some rousing demons of the past and provides classical thrash metal with a contemporary yet hard-edged touch. EVILE are back – straight from the abyss!

EVILE is: OL Drake - Vocals & Lead Guitar Ben Carter - Drums Joel Graham - Bass Adam Smith - Rhythm Guitar EVILE online: WEBSITE http://www.evilecult.com/ FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/evileuk INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/evileofficial/

TWITTER https://www.twitter.com/Evile NAPALM RECORDS https://label.napalmrecords.com/evile

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

81

AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE NOW! THE BLACK CROWES PRESENT: ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ 30th Anniversary, Multi-Format Re-issue Of Legendary Album 4LP And 3CD Super Deluxe Box Set Features Never Before Released Rarities, Demos And Atlanta Homecoming Concert From 1990 Out Now On UMe/American Recordings The Black Crowes Present: Shake Your Money Maker, the multi-platinum debut by the seminal rock n’ roll band The Black Crowes, is being re-released in multi-formats sets on February 26, 2021, through UMe/American Recordings. **Due to Covid-19 related manufacturing delays, the Super Deluxe 4LP and 3CD versions will be available on March 19, 2021.

Band founders, brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, with original producer George Drakoulias, oversaw the creation of the re-release. Most exciting are the 4LP and 3CD Super Deluxe versions, which includes the original album, remastered; 3 never-before-heard studio recordings; 2 unreleased demos from the band’s early incarnation as Mr. Crowe’s Garden; B-sides; a spectacular, highenergy 14-song unreleased concert recorded in their hometown of Atlanta, GA in December 1990; reproductions of an early Mr. Crowe’s Garden show flyer, setlist and tour laminate; a 4" Crowes patch; and a 20-page book with liner notes by David Fricke. To listen or preorder Shake Your Money Maker, click here at https://blackcrowes.lnk.to/SYMMPR One of the previously unheard studio songs, “Charming Mess,” which was originally slated to be the band’s first single, but was ultimately left off of the album entirely, is available now.

Listen to “Charming Mess” here at https://blackcrowes.lnk.to/CharmingMessPR

and watch the new video for “Charming Mess” here at https://youtu.be/OCnr8X3F6vE. continued on next page

82

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

Recently Unearthed Track “Charming Mess” Video Available Now - Watch here at https://youtu.be/OCnr8X3F6vE E-Single “Waiting Guilty” Listen here at https:// theblackcrowes.lnk.to/ WaitinGuiltyPR The new e-single “Waiting Guilty” is available now.

Click here at https://theblackcrowes.lnk.to/WaitinGuiltyPR to listen now.

A 2CD Deluxe version has the remastered album along with the unreleased studio songs, demos, and b-sides. There are also standard 1CD and1LP versions that are the mastered version of the original.

Shake Your Money Maker was released originally in 1990 when rock was dominated by cheesy pop and hair metal. The Black Crowes gave the genre a much-needed swift kick in the ass with their debut album. That album, fueled by singles “Jealous Again,” “Twice As Hard,” “She Talks To Angels,” and a rollicking cover of fellow Georgian Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle,” the band immediately took the music world by storm, selling over 5 million records and topping Rolling Stone’s “Best New American Band Readers Poll” in late 1990.

To listen or pre-order Shake Your Money Maker, click here at https://blackcrowes.lnk.to/SYMMPR Shake Your Money Maker 30th Anniversary - 4LP Box Tracklisting: LP 1: Shake Your Money Maker (2020 Remaster) Side One: 1 Twice As Hard 2 Jealous Again 3 Sister Luck 4 Could I’ve Been So Blind 5 Seeing Things Side Two: 1 Hard To Handle 2 Thick N’ Thin 3 She Talks To Angels 4 Struttin’ Blues 5 Stare It Cold 6 Mercy, Sweet Moan LP 2: More Money Maker: Unreleased Songs and BSides Side One: 1 Charming Mess 2 30 Days In The Hole 3 Don’t Wake Me 4 Jealous Guy

5 Waitin’ Guilty Side Two: 1 Hard To Handle (With Horns Remix) 2 Jealous Again (Acoustic Version) 3 She Talks To Angels (Acoustic Version) 4 She Talks To Angels (Mr. Crowe’s Garden Demo) 5 Front Porch Sermon (Mr. Crowe’s Garden Demo) LP3 and 4 The Homecoming Concert: Atlanta, GA December 1990 Side One: 1 Introduction 2 Thick N’ Thin 3 You’re Wrong 4 Twice As Hard 5 Could I’ve Been So Blind 6 Seeing Things For The First Time Side Two: 1 She Talks To Angels 2 Sister Luck 3 Hard To Handle 4 Shake ‘Em On Down/Get Back Side Three: 1 Struttin’ Blues 2 Words You Throw Away Side Four: 1 Stare It Cold 2 Jealous Again Follow The Black Crowes: Instagram: @ theblackcrowes Facebook: @ theblackcrowes Twitter: @ theblackcrowes April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

83

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION Yoko Ono Lennon And Capitol/UMe Are Proud To Announce The Release Of JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION Legendary Artist’s Iconic Debut Solo Album Sessions Explored With Suite Of Releases On Aprl 16 In Celebration Of 50th Anniversary Eght-Disc Super Deluxe Box Set Provides The Ultimate Deep Listening Experience Through New Ultimate Mixes, Elements, Raw Studio And Evolution Mixes Plus Scores Of Never-Before-Heard Demos, Outtakes, Jams And YOKO ONO/PLASTIC ONO BAND LIVE SESSIONS Over 11 Hours Of Audio – 159 New Hi-Res 192/24 Stereo Mixes Plus Ultimate Mixes Also In 5.1 Surround And DOLBY ATMOS LISTEN TO “MOTHER” (ULTIMATE MIX) at https://johnlennon.lnk.to/mother-ultimate-mix WATCH/EMBED THE UNBOXING TRAILER at https://youtu.be/cESBPmpcbCY 84

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

From the haunting, funereal bells and emotional wails of opening track “Mother,” it was immediate – John Lennon’s first solo studio album was unlike anything he had made before. Recorded in 1970, shortly after the demise of The Beatles, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band saw John stripping away the artifice and ornamentation for a visceral artistic exorcism that was confessional, raw, painfully honest, and revelatory.

Inspired by the primal scream psychotherapy he and wife Yoko Ono had been practicing with Dr. Arthur Janov, John, joined by the minimalist Plastic Ono Band - Ringo Starr on drums and Klaus Voorman on bass, and producer Phil Spector – confronted his demons, professed his love for his wife, railed against false idols and declared the dream was over on his most personal album. Today it stands as the towering achievement of his solo career – the moment the biggest rock star in the world bared his soul for all to hear – as real as it was revolutionary.

On April 16, Yoko Ono Lennon and Capitol/UMe will celebrate 50 years of John’s transformational and influential masterpiece, with the eight-disc super deluxe box set, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection, an immersive, deep listening experience and in-depth exploration of what John described as “the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Fully authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon, who oversaw the production and creative direction, and from the same audio team that worked on 2018’s critically acclaimed Imagine – The Ultimate Collection, including triple GRAMMY®-Award winning engineer Paul Hicks and mixers/engineers Rob Stevens and Sam Gannon, the Ultimate Collection puts listeners in the center of the studio and explores the album’s 1970 recording sessions at EMI Studios 2 & 3, Abbey Road along with John’s post-Beatles singles, “Give Peace A Chance,” “Cold Turkey” and “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)” from inception to the final master through scores of unreleased and rare demos, rehearsals, outtakes, jams and studio conversations, revealing how these beloved songs came to be. Everything in this expansive box set has been newly mixed from scratch from brand new 192kHz/24bit hi-res transfers. In addition to the various new mixes, the set boasts 87 never-before-heard recordings.

and edited by Simon Hilton, the Compilation Producer and Production Manager of the Ultimate Collection series, the book tells the story behind each of the songs and the making of the album in John & Yoko’s words and the words of those who worked alongside them, through archival and brand new interviews.

Yoko writes in the preface of the book: “With the Plastic Ono Band albums, John and I liked the idea of this really raw, basic, truthful reality that we were going to be giving to the world. We were influencing other artists, giving them courage, giving dignity to a certain style of vulnerability and strength that was not accepted in society at the time. It was a revolution for a Beatle to say, ‘Listen: I’m human, I’m real.’ It took a lot of courage for him to do it.”

This truly unique expanded edition includes the lively improvised jams John and the band would play between takes, belying the intense subject matter of the album, and the full live recording session of Yoko’s companion LP, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, which for the first time presents the songs in their full, unedited lengths and speed, and includes three unreleased improvisations.

Similar to the previous Ultimate Collection, the set offers a variety of new listening experiences that are at once immersive and intimate, ranging from the brand new Ultimate Mixes of the timeless album, which put John’s vocals front and center and sonically upgrade the sound, to the Elements Mixes, which isolate and bring forth certain elements from the multitrack recordings to reveal even deeper levels of detail and clarity, and the Raw Studio Mixes, which allows listeners to experience the moment John and the Plastic Ono Band recorded each song, mixed raw and live without effects, tape delays or reverbs. The Evolutionary Documentary is a unique track-by-track audio montage that details the evolution of each song from demo to master recording via instructions, rehearsals, recordings, multitrack exploration and studio chatter. The Blu-rays present an array of listening options including high-definition, studio quality 192kHz/ 24bit audio in stereo and enveloping 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos mixes.

Plastic Ono Band will also be released in concurrent multiple physical and digital configurations, including as a 1CD that includes the Ultimate Mixes of the original album and the three non-album singles and as an expanded 2CD or 2LP version that adds a disc of outtakes of each song.

THE ULTIMATE MIXES The original John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album has been faithfully remixed from the ground up by the aforementioned Paul Hicks at Abbey Road Studios under the supervision of Yoko Ono Lennon. Hicks utilized high-definition 192kHz/24bit audio transfers of the original firstgeneration multitrack recordings to create the best possible recreations of the originals. The result is these new Ultimate Mixes now reveal whole new levels of sonic depth, definition and clarity, especially in 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos. “Yoko is very keen that in making The Ultimate Mixes Series, we achieve three things: remain faithful and respectful to the originals, ensure that the sound is generally sonically clearer overall, and increase the clarity of John’s vocals. ‘It’s about John’ she says. And she is right. His voice brings the biggest emotional impact to the album.”

MOTHER. The new Ultimate Mix of “Mother” globally launches the album and pre-order today.

Listen to “Mother”: https://johnlennon.lnk.to/mother-ultimate-mix Watch/embed the unboxing trailer: http://johnlennon.lnk.to/POB-Unboxing-Video Pre-order: http://johnlennon.lnk.to/PlasticOnoBand2021 This historical, remixed and remastered collection features 159 tracks across six CDs and two Blu-ray audio discs for more than 11 engrossing hours of music and includes two postcards (“Who Are The Plastic Ono Band?” and “You Are The Plastic Ono Band”) a “War Is Over!” poster and a comprehensive 132-page hardback book with lyrics, rare photos, tape box images, memorabilia and extensive notes. Designed

THE OUTTAKES The collection includes unreleased stereo outtakes of each song which have been mixed with a balance and EQ more akin to the original album mixes, with a little bit of additional effects – in the style of a “rough listening mix” that John & Yoko and Phil Spector would have used to play them back at Abbey Road. Highlights include “Mother” (Take 61) which removes the opening bell and has the drums mixed in mono, “Love” (Take 6) with John performing the song on acoustic guitar without the aid of Spector on piano and the first rehearsal of “Remember” (Rehearsal 1), which started off as a slower, more subdued, song than the rollicking one it evolved into, “Well Well Well” (Take 2) which ends with an instrumental jam, the alternate clawhammer strumming on “Look At Me” (Take 2) and “Cold Turkey” (Take 1) with some seriously funky guitar playing by John and Eric Clapton.

DEMOS In addition to the outtakes, the original recordings of each song, either from a home cassette, home tape, or the very first rehearsal or runthrough in the studio are included. It’s remarkable to hear how fully formed many of the songs were before they were brought to the studio and what they transformed into. Most of these recordings have never been released until now.

continued on next page April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

85

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION continued from previous page THE ELEMENTS MIXES The Elements Mixes mixed by Hicks bring some of the buried elements not otherwise heard, or in some cases used, up to the surface and presents them on a wider and brighter sound stage to reveal deeper levels of detail and clarity. The idea behind these is that once these elements have been heard listeners will hear details previously hidden in the album mixes in a completely way. These range from John’s isolated vocal track for “Mother,” the conga on “I Found Out,” the extra vocals on “Hold On,” the alternative organ take on “Isolation,” unused maracas on “Well Well Well” and the original guide vocal for “God.” THE RAW STUDIO MIXES + OUTTAKES Mixed by Rob Stevens, the Raw Studio Mixes transport listeners to the center of the studio at Abbey Road to experience what it was like to bear witness to the recording sessions. The songs have been mixed without effects, tape delays or reverbs, recreating as close to possible what these performances sounded like raw and live. The Raw Studio Mixes stand on their own to provide a markedly different set of listening experiences, stripping away the sound-shaping techniques that were used in the production of the original 1970 album to reveal further nuance and depths in these unadorned studio performances.

THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY The Evolution Mixes are mini-documentaries that explore the development of each song through their elements, arrangements and the musicians that play on them. Edited down from all the original 8-track multitracks, quarter-inch live recordings and mixes and a few demo cassettes by Sam Gannon, generally each Evolution Mix runs through each song’s sessions chronologically, starting with the demos and/or early takes and ending with the final mixes; documenting their creative journey from inspiration to finished work, exploring different, sometimes hidden parts of the multitracks and including all the best method, magic, craftsmanship and conversation during the development of the songs.

Throughout the sessions, there is a sense of lightness and joviality that contrasts the heavy and, at times, very intense themes which run through much of the album. These mixes provide a window into that world, putting the listener in the center of the studio with John, Yoko, Phil and the Plastic Ono Band.

THE JAMS Despite the serious nature of the album, John and the Plastic Ono Band, which sometimes included Yoko, Billy Preston and Phil Spector, had fun in between takes by spontaneously jamming classic rock ‘n’ roll songs, improvisations and even early versions of some of John’s other songs. For the first time, these 22 jams are being made available and are presented in the order they were recorded. Some of the many gems include impromptu performances of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” Little Richard’s “Send Me Some Lovin’” and a hilarious sendup of Elvis Presley, illustrating John’s love for early rock ‘n’ roll. Other highlights include loose run throughs of “Hold On” and a couple early attempts of “I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama, I Don’t Want To Die,” which would end up on his next album, Imagine.

YOKO ONO/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE LIVE SESSIONS On October 10th, the day after John’s 30th birthday, Yoko, John, Klaus and Ringo recorded a freeform experimental jam session that would be edited into Yoko’s concurrent album, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band. For the first time ever, the full session, more than three times the length of the original album, can be heard as part of the Blu-ray in its entirety. Newly mixed by Sam Gannon, it is being presented in high-res audio and in its originally performed speed with no edits, with tracks like “Why” clocking in at 18 mins and “Why Not” exceeding 21 minutes. The live session is bolstered by three improvisations that have never been released before: “Life,” “Omae No Okaa Wa” and “I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky.” JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND Released on December 11, 1970, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band followed three hit singles John released in 1969 after the breakup of The Beatles - “Give Peace A Chance,” “Cold Turkey,” and “Instant Karma!

(We All Shine On),” three avant-garde recordings released with Yoko (Two Virgins, Life With The Lions, and Wedding Album) and the live

86

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

concert album, Live Peace In Toronto 1969, recorded with the everevolving Plastic Ono Band, which for this legendary performance featured Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann and Alan White.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was John’s first post-Beatles solo album so interest was high to see what he would do with his newfound creative freedom. The answer shocked the world. Gone was any florid instrumentation or psychedelia as on Sgt. Pepper’s or the kind of jaunty rock and abstract poetry of the band’s final album, Let It Be, and in its place were deeply emotional, profound, autobiographical songs about being abandoned by his mother and father, the loneliness of stardom, his dear Yoko and the end of the cultural revolution. Soundtracked by simple and sparse instrumentation and minimal yet majestic production, John’s voice pierced listener’s hearts like never before as he revealed his true self.

It marked his true birth as a solo artist. The album reached the top 10 in both the US and UK, despite the absence of a major hit single.

50 years on, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is widely considered one of the best albums ever made. Most recently Rolling Stone, who also dubbed it #4 on their list of Best Albums of 1967-87, ranked the album #85 in their 2020 reassessment of The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time, hailing it ahead of its time: “a pure, raw core of confession that, in its echo-drenched, garage-rock crudity, is years ahead of punk.” Pitchfork awarded it #60 in their Top 100 Albums of the 1970s list and it was selected by Time as one of the 100 Best Albums of All Time, declaring: “Lennon’s writing was never sharper, and his still-underrated singing stands with rock’s finest.” As Rolling Stone’s retrospective review remarked, “left out in the open, without protective harmonies or racket, Lennon’s singing takes on an expressive specificity that anyone in search of the century’s great vocal performances would be foolish to overlook.” A 2010 review from the BBC perhaps summed it up best: “The reality of Plastic Ono Band is that it contains eleven of Lennon’s most accessible and gorgeous melodies and riffs; it’s pure Beatles, but with the layers of studio sophistry stripped away to reveal the nub of the confessional crux.

The heartbreaking scream of loss that is ‘Mother.’ The mirror image of ‘My Mummy’s Dead’ and its invention of all things lo-fi. And, in-between, the savaging of aspiration in ‘Working Class Hero,’ the pinched protopunk fury of ‘I Found Out’ and ‘Well Well Well,’ the fear and self-loathing of ‘Remember’ and ‘Isolation,’ the poignant grasps for comfort within ‘Love’ and ‘Hold On,’ and the slaughter of gods, monsters, The Beatles

continued on next page

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION continued from previous page and the false idols of the 1960s in the peerless ‘God,’ which is still, very possibly, the most thematically ambitious and courageous rock song ever recorded.”

sprayed edges and stenciled with “Who are the Plastic Ono Band?” – riffing on an early teaser campaign for the album from 1970.

ABOUT JOHN LENNON John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection John Lennon is arguably the greatest songwriter of his generation. continues the 50th anniversary celebration of this iconic album, which John has won seven GRAMMY® Awards, including two Lifetime began in October 2020 with the release of the book, John & Yoko/Plastic Achievement Awards, and two special BRIT Awards for Outstanding Ono Band for what would have been John’s 80th birthday. With first-hand Contribution to Music. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall commentary by John & Yoko, members of the Plastic Ono Band and other of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has a star on the Walk of key figures in their lives – including Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Klaus Fame. In 2008, Rolling Stone ranked John in the Top 5 of the magazine’s Voormann, Rolling Stone founder and editor Jann S. Wenner and therapist ‘100 Greatest Singers Of All Time’ list.

Arthur Janov – and packed with evocative and revealing letters, artworks and photographs – many unseen – by Annie Leibovitz, Richard DiLello, johnlennon.com Ethan Russell, Iain Macmillan, John Reader and David Nutter, this plasticonoband.com incisive volume offers new insights into the raw emotions and open facebook.com/johnlennon mindset of John after marriage to Yoko and the breakup of the Beatles. twitter.com/johnlennon Beautifully packaged, this landmark publication is hardbound with blackinstagram.com/johnlennonofficial 13. Cold Turkey/Take 1 THE RAW STUDIO MIXES/ 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/ THE OUT-TAKES (50mins) Take 5 1. Mother/Take 91 2. Hold On/Take 18* THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins) 3. I Found Out/Take 7 1. Mother 4. Working Class Hero/Take 10* 2. Hold On 5. Isolation/Take 1* 3. I Found Out 6. Remember/Take 1* 4. Working Class Hero 7. Love/Take 9* 5. Isolation 8. Well Well Well/Take 5* 6. Remember 9. Look At Me/Take 3* 7. Love 10. God/Take 1 8. Well Well Well 11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2* 9. Look At Me 12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4* 10. God youtube.com/johnlennon 13. Cold Turkey/Take 2* 11. My Mummy’s Dead 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/ 12. Give Peace A Chance JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO Take 5* 13. Cold Turkey BAND – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) SUPER DELUXE EDITION THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (93 mins) THE DEMOS (45 mins) DELUXE 2 BLU-RAY TRACK 1. Mother 1. Mother (Home Demo) LISTING 2. Hold On 2. Hold On (Studio Demo) 3. I Found Out 3. I Found Out (Home Demo) THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins) 4. Working Class Hero 4. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo) 1. Mother 5. Isolation 5. Isolation (Studio Demo) 2. Hold On 6. Remember 6. Remember (Studio Demo) 3. I Found Out 7. Love 7. Love (Home Demo) 4. Working Class Hero 8. Well Well Well 8. Well Well Well (Home Demo) 5. Isolation 9. Look At Me 9. Look At Me (Home Demo) 6. Remember 10. God 10. God (Home Demo) 7. Love 11. My Mummy’s Dead 11. My Mummy’s Dead (Home Demo) 8. Well Well Well 12. Give Peace A Chance* 12. Give Peace A Chance (Home Demo)* 9. Look At Me 13. Cold Turkey* 13. Cold Turkey (Home Demo)* 10. God 14. Instant Karma (We All Shine On)* 14. Instant Karma! (Studio Demo)* 11. My Mummy’s Dead 12. Give Peace A Chance THE JAMS/LIVE AND IMPROVISED THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (59 mins) 13. Cold Turkey (36 mins) 1. Mother/Take 64 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) 1. Johnny B. Goode 2. Hold On/Take 32 2. Ain’t That A Shame 3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ 3. Hold On (1) 4. Working Class Hero/Take 9 THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins) 4. Hold On (2) 5. Isolation/Take 29 1. Mother/Take 61 5. Glad All Over 6. Remember/Take 13 2. Hold On/Take 2 6. Be Faithful To Me 7. Love/Take 37 3. I Found Out/Take 1 7. Send Me Some Lovin’ 8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended 4. Working Class Hero/Take 1 8. Get Back 9. Look At Me/Take 9 5. Isolation/Take 23 9. Lost John (1) 10. God/Take 42 6. Remember/Rehearsal 1 10. Goodnight Irene 11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 1 7. Love/Take 6 11. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Parody) 12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 8. Well Well Well/Take 2 12. I Don’t Want To Be To be A Soldier Extended 9. Look At Me/Take 2 Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (1) 13. Cold Turkey/Take 2 10. God/Take 27 13. It’ll Be Me 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/ 11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2 Take 10 12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2 continued on next page

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

87

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION continued from previous page 14. Honey Don’t 15. Elvis Parody (Don’t Be Cruel/ Hound Dog/When I’m Over You) 16. Matchbox 17. I’ve Got A Feeling 18. Mystery Train 19. You’re So Square 20. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (2) 21. Lost John (2) 22. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)

3. I Found Out 4. Working Class Hero 5. Isolation 6. Remember 7. Love 8. Well Well Well 9. Look At Me 10. God 11. My Mummy’s Dead 12. Give Peace A Chance 13. Cold Turkey 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

YOKO ONO/PLASTIC ONO BAND THE LIVE SESSIONS (110 mins) 1. Why* 2. Why Not* 3. Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Carriage All Over The City* 4. Touch Me* 5. Paper Shoes* 6. Life* 7. Omae No Okaa Wa* 8. I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky* 9. Remember Love* 10. Don’t Worry Kyoko* 11. Who Has Seen The Wind*

CD4: THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (74 mins) 1. Mother/Take 64 2. Hold On/Take 32 3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended 4. Working Class Hero/Take 9 5. Isolation/Take 29 6. Remember/Take 13 7. Love/Take 37 8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended 9. Look At Me/Take 9 10. God/Take 42 11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 1 12. Give Peace A Chance/ Take 4 Extended 13. Cold Turkey/Take 2 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/ Take 10 15. Mother/Take 91 16. I Found Out/Take 7 17. God/Take 1

*BLU-RAY DISCS ONLY DELUXE 6CD TRACK LISTING CD1: THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins) 1. Mother 2. Hold On 3. I Found Out 4. Working Class Hero 5. Isolation 6. Remember 7. Love 8. Well Well Well 9. Look At Me 10. God 11. My Mummy’s Dead 12. Give Peace A Chance 13. Cold Turkey 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

CD5: THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (72 mins) 1. Mother 2. Hold On 3. I Found Out 4. Working Class Hero 5. Isolation 6. Remember 7. Love 8. Well Well Well 9. Look At Me 10. God 11. My Mummy’s Dead

CD2: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins) 1. Mother/Take 61 2. Hold On/Take 2 3. I Found Out/Take 1 4. Working Class Hero/Take 1 5. Isolation/Take 23 6. Remember/Rehearsal 1 7. Love/Take 6 8. Well Well Well/Take 2 9. Look At Me/Take 2 10. God/Take 27 11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2 12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2 13. Cold Turkey/Take 1 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/ Take 5 CD3: THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins) 1. Mother 2. Hold On

88

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

CD6: THE JAMS & THE DEMOS (71 mins) 1. Johnny B. Goode (Jam) 2. Ain’t That A Shame (Jam) 3. Hold On (1) (Jam) 4. Hold On (2) (Jam) 5. Glad All Over (Jam) 6. Be Faithful To Me (Jam) 7. Send Me Some Lovin’ (Jam) 8. Get Back (Jam) 9. Lost John (1) (Jam) 10. Goodnight Irene (Jam) 11. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Parody) (Jam) 12. I Don’t Want To A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (1) (Jam) 13. It’ll Be Me (Jam) 14. Honey Don’t (Jam) 15. Elvis Parody (Don’t Be Cruel/ Hound Dog/When I’m Over You) (Jam) 16. Matchbox (Jam) 17. I’ve Got A Feeling (Jam)

18. Mystery Train (Jam) 19. You’re So Square (Jam) 20. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (2) (Jam) 21. Lost John (2) (Jam) 22. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow) (Jam) 23. Mother (Home Demo) 24. Hold On (Studio Demo) 25. I Found Out (Home Demo) 26. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo) 27. Isolation (Studio Demo) 28. Remember (Studio Demo) 29. Love (Home Demo) 30. Well Well Well (Home Demo) 31. Look At Me (Home Demo) 32. God (Home Demo) 33. My Mummy’s Dead (Home Demo)

2LP SIDE A: THE ULTIMATE MIXES 1. Mother 2. Hold On 3. I Found Out 4. Working Class Hero 5. Isolation SIDE B: THE ULTIMATE MIXES 1. Remember 2. Love 3. Well Well Well 4. Look At Me 5. God 6. My Mummy’s Dead SIDE C: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ OUT-TAKES 1. Mother/Take 61 2. Hold On/Take 2 3. I Found Out/Take 1 4. Working Class Hero/Take 1 5. Isolation/Take 23 SIDE D: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ OUT-TAKES 1. Remember/Rehearsal 1 2. Love/Take 8 3. Well Well Well/Take 2 4. Look At Me/Take 2 5. God/Take 27 6. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2 Half-Speed Mastered 180g vinyl

continued on next page

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION continued from previous page Gatefold Sleeve Replica and explanatory inner sleeves 8-page illustrated photographic booklet WAR IS OVER! Poster 2 CD CD1 THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ ALBUM + SINGLES 1. Mother 2. Hold On 3. I Found Out 4. Working Class Hero 5. Isolation 6. Remember 7. Love 8. Well Well Well 9. Look At Me 10. God 11. My Mummy’s Dead 12. Give Peace A Chance 13. Cold Turkey 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) CD2 THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES/ ALBUM + SINGLES 1. Mother/Take 61 2. Hold On/Take 2 3. I Found Out/Take 1

4. Working Class Hero/Take 1 5. Isolation/Take 23 6. Remember/Rehearsal 1 7. Love/Take 8 8. Well Well Well/Take 2 9. Look At Me/Take 2 10. God/Take 27 11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2 12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2 13. Cold Turkey/Take 1 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) / Take 1 20-page booklet with lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and extensive notes.

WAR IS OVER! Poster.

THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ ALBUM + SINGLES 1. Mother 2. Hold On 3. I Found Out 4. Working Class Hero 5. Isolation 6. Remember 7. Love 8. Well Well Well 9. Look At Me 10. God 11. My Mummy’s Dead 12. Give Peace A Chance 13. Cold Turkey 14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) 20-page booklet with lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and extensive notes.

1 CD

Subscribe Now To

Rock and Blues International and have it delivered directly to your email when it comes out every month!

Just email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com and in the subject line put “Sign Me Up Now” and we will email you your own personal copy every month!

April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

89

The Biker - Chapter 1 The Biker, The Blues..... and she was hitchhiking

You can call this fiction if you want, but have I got a story for you. I had left Tucson, Arizona heading east on I-10 riding a ‘75 Shovelhead (Harley Davidson) which was more than a bit modified and I had passed through Benson, Arizona heading into New Mexico. It was afternoon, hotter than anything - even a Gila monster would not want to venture out in that heat. I was pretty sure I needed gas and there was a billboard on my right touting a Union 76 station on straight ahead so my plan was to exit there, fill up, cool down, and stretch my legs. Now this is where it begins to get interesting. As I slowed down and began my descent into a town named Willcox, I noticed a gal near the end of the exit ramp hitchhiking.

Who hitchhikes on the far end of an exit ramp? Oh no, I was not going to get involved, not me, no, I was much stronger than that although she wasn’t toting a suitcase and those daisy dukes were interesting.

However, I was a good boy, smiled, and made a bee line for the Union 76 which was right there of course. I pulled up to the pumps, shut the machine down, and shook the tank.

No splashing noise. Maybe it was closer to being empty than I thought. In those days you could fill a tank for about seventyfive cents and so you could fill up and then go inside and pay.

Just as I began to insert the nozzle into the tank this 90

Rock and Blues International • April 2021

unmistakable female voice asked, “Did you ride that thing very far?” Now I look up. Until then I was being a really good boy.

Like I said, I saw her, smiled, but kept on going. Well now what? I mean it was as if the devil himself was talking to her as I said, “Oh yeah just getting some gas and then headed east.”

She replied, “Well I am too, how about a ride?” Ok, so I didn’t know the story, I didn’t even want to know the story, and I wasn’t even sure I wanted to pack someone down the highway, but like the all American idiot I am I instinctively said, “Why sure, how far do you want to go?” And she said, “Just up the road to Deming.” I didn’t know where Deming was, but it sounded as though she did and well, what the hell maybe it’s just the boy scout in me coming out... but then again if you believe that, I’ve got some swamp land down in Florida that I am selling really cheap as investment property.

So I went inside the station paid the man and he was smiling at me and I was smiling back at him. I am not sure what we were smiling about but somehow we were communicating without talking. Then I went outside, turned the key on, squeezed a quarter turn on the throttle and came down hard on the compression stroke. With a mighty roar the lion came alive and my new rider was clapping and smiling. Oh I was in trouble, I was in trouble, God knows I was continued on next page

The Biker, The Blues..... and she was hitchhiking continued from previous page in trouble but Katy bar the door, there is no fool like an old fool, so off we went going east to someplace named Deming.

I wondered if I should have asked her how old she was, but then again she looked every bit of 25. Well in short order we made Deming and she pointed to the exit she wanted me to take and so we left I-10. We hadn’t reached the second stop light when a police cruiser pulled up and the officer rolled his window down. I thought ok here it comes, whatever I have walked into, here it comes. Yet the officer only yelled to the gal and said, “call your family and let them know you are back,” and drove away. That was interesting. She tapped me on my shoulder and pointed indicating to turn left. About three city blocks into it she pointed to a dive bar looking place and yelled “there”.

I wheeled in and she got off and said to come inside for something cold and a bite to eat. That sounded like a good idea, so I did. As we walked through the door and my eyes adjusted I could hear John Lee Hooker on the jukebox. The song was “Boom Boom”. As my eyes fully adjusted I could see the dim lights above a stage in the center of the room. A cheap stage made of plywood and vinyl tile squares.

Someone was setting up, but I didn’t know where I was, let alone who could be setting up. The gal I was with was named Sarah and just about everyone inside was saying hi.

We sat at the bar near the door so I could see my scooter parked just outside. She ordered two number ones, which were burgers and fries.

The barmaid brought me a cold Bud. A guy walked over to Sarah and said “welcome back” and she nodded as she gulped on a Miller. The barmaid asked me if I would be in town long and I said no just passing through. Now the jukebox was shut off. It was about maybe 5pm and the guys on stage looked like they were ready to perform. I didn’t expect much, but I became deeply surprised as they broke into “Magic Carpet Ride.” It was a pretty cool rendition actually and then after that intro the blues came alive.

I noticed that the place was filling up with more customers and more waitresses. This was interesting for sure, late in the afternoon and an evening size crowd, go figure! It sure wasn’t the dive bar itself, but the music was over the top. The band peeled off BB’s “The Thrill Is Gone” and nailed it to perfection. My new friend came over and said she wanted to show me something and encouraged me to follow her. We went through the bar and out the back door, crossed a small dirt alley that maybe only a garbage truck drive down once a week and into a cinder block back yard. We were at the back of this apartment building looking place and we went inside.

However, it wasn’t an apartment building after all, it was a motel. The guy behind the desk said hey to Sarah and handed her a key. Hmmm. She smiled and said to me, “This place isn’t what you think it is, we just don’t have a lot of options at my pay scale”. We went to the room and right after she opened the door she gravitated immediately over to a Fender Strat. “This is mine” she said smiling, “I am on stage tonight and you need to stay and take in the show.” She was right, a few beers, dusk was at hand, and why would anyone not want to take in the rest

of the evening? I stayed.

The band was actually her band, something rare in 1975, and when she lit up the stage, wow! She was a cross between Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin. No covers from here on in, just 100% blues-rock that kicked ass. I met a lot of new people that night, all of them curious about who I was and where was I going. One guy gave me a cassette of this guy named Buddy Guy and said listen to this when you can, this guy is great. But the most interesting people were those that stayed to themselves, all sorts of people, ages, ethic backgrounds, male, female, all sorts of folks just taking it in. I will never forget that night and even later that night there was the icing on the cake.

Too cool for sure.

The next morning I didn’t have breakfast, checked my gas level, put the key in, turned it on, and placed my right boot over the kick-starter. Just before I came down on the pedal, I looked around one more time. This was cool, I found real America. I found people that were into good tunes, good friends, cold beer, and good food. I was lucky or so it seemed.

You see once I kicked over my Shovel and it started, the whoop of a cop car was blaring right behind me. I shut the bike off and wondered what this would be all about. The cop said he was just doing his duty and then told me that it was his wife that had asked me dance twice the night before. Uh oh, I didn’t know she was married, and she was pretty. I spoke up and told the good officer that I was just passing through and he said, “Well then you might want to get going while the getting is good.” I nodded, started up my scooter and pulled on down that little alley until I made the main street. I hooked a right going north and found the entrance ramp that feeds new traffic east.

It was then that my daughter woke me from my sleep and said, “Wake up Mommy wants to know who Sarah is.... Well I told her I must have been dreaming and she said well that’s interesting because a woman named Sarah called from some other city saying not to worry she has your wallet. I said, “What”” and felt for my wallet. My wife smiled, showed me my wallet and said she had been doing the wash and my pants needed to go in with the other clothes. Neat dream huh?

To Be Continued April 2021 • Rock and Blues International

91