Rock And Blues International - March 2022

MARCH 2022

Rock And Blues International Mike Zito ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Bloos Records Benee Sondre Lerche Siddhartha Tab Benoit Eli Young Band Flaco Jimenez Living Dead Girl and more!

Rock And Blues International March 2022 Hello Rock And Blues International readers. I hope everybody had a great February. We have more and more tours hitting the roads now. In addition to that, the festivals are all being announced for 2022. If this keeps up, we’re going to have a lot of great music going on this years. Keep your fingers crossed and be sure to get out there and support your local music scene. Enjoy it while you can. Hopefully we never get back to the point where it goes on hiatus again. Personally, I had a rough time with that. Be sure to check out all the tour announcements and ads in this issue. If you’re a publicist and your act doesn’t have a tour announcement in here, then you’re client is really missing out. Don’t leave them by the wayside.

And now on to the March issue of Rock And Blues International. In this issue you can read stories about Mike Zito’s new album, Bloos Records, Benee, Sondre Lerche, Jimmy Cliff, Siddhartha, La Renga, Barney Bentall.

Tab Benoit, Malia, Eli Young Band, My Morning Jacket, Lord Huron, Flaco Jimenez, Orgy, Living Dead Girl, 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 current installment of the novella, “The Biker”. 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” March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

3

Contents

VOL. 2 NO. 8

MARCH 2022

6

6

ISSUE NO. 20

MIKE ZITO Mike Zito Releases His New Live Masterpiece, Blues For The Southside

18 BENEE

18

Benee Drops Music Video For New Single “Beach Boy” Taken From Lychee EP Out March 4

20

SIDDHARTHA

20

JIMMY CLIFF Global Reggae Pioneer Jimmy Cliff Releases Acoustic Music Video For “Human Touch”

26

26

Siddhartha Announces First Dates For His Upcoming 2022 International Tour

30

30

AUDREY HORNE Norwegian Heavy Rock Kings Audrey Horne Announce New Album and Share Title Track For Devil’s Bell

2

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Contents

VOL. 2 NO. 8

MARCH 2022

56

ISSUE NO. 20

ELI YOUNG BAND The Eli Young Band Hits The Road With Their New Single And “Love Talkin’ Tour”

TETRARCH

74

Modern Metal Starts Tetrarch To Support Sevendust On 2022 U.S. Headline Tour

82

74 82

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 Mike Zito 12 Suzanne Walker 14 Bloos Records (English) 15 Bloos Records (Italian 16 Benee 18 Sondre Lerche 20 Jimmy Cliff 22 Die! Die! Die! 24 Firebreather

26 27 28 29 30 32 34 38 40 44 48

Siddhartha (English) Siddhartha (Spanish) La Renga (English) La Renga (Spanish) Audrey Horne Abigail Lapell Barney Bentall Tab Benoit Malia Heydreamer Kelz

52 56 58 60 64 70 74 76 78 80 82

The Midnight Wishers Eli Young Band My Morning Jacket Lord Huron Flaco Jimenez Matt Pike Tetrarch Orgy Living Dead Girl Trollfest The Biker

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

3

Mike Zito

6

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

album with Mike was his great band of musicians, Matthew Johnson (drums), Lewis Stephens (Organ/piano), and Doug Byrkit (vocals/bass). In addition to this great lineup, Mike also had a few guest artists on it as well. Guitarists Dave Katz and Tony Campanella also lent their talents as well. They are both label mates of his on Gulf Coast Records.

The last ingredient to this fantastic recording was Eric Gales, who though was not planned on being added to the show, was also rehearsing in St. Louis and dropped by to join in a song with Mike. This led to an incredible performance on the Hendrix song, “Voodoo Chile”. Now here’s an incendiary performance you are definitely going to have to check out when you finally get your hands on this fantastic album.

Mike Zito Releases His New Live Masterpiece, Blues For The Southside

By Kevin Wildman Blues guitarist Mike Zito has just released his new “live” album, Blues for the Southside. As would be expected, the new album was released on his own Texas-based Gulf Coast Records, of which Mike is the co-owner. The new album was just released this past month, and it has been getting rave reviews.

For the recording of this album, Mike selected a very sentimental town to record in, St. Louis. Mike was originally from St. Louis and he wanted to return to

his hometown, in particular to the same area of town that he was raised in to record this new album. The location that was chosen was the Old Rock House, and recording took place on November 26th of 2021.

“First and foremost,” says Mike Zito, “I wanted to do this album in my old hometown. I haven’t lived there for almost 20 years now. Of course, I always go back there. I’ve got family there, I have a son in college there, but it was more important for me to kind of come back to my roots and make that record there. Specifically in my neighborhood, which is in the city. It’s kind of rough. It’s not rich or easy, to say the least.

And I wanted a club that was kind of near the old neighborhood. Really, that’s one of the best clubs that I could find, that was the right size, but also in the neighborhood. I’ve been playing there for years. I know the owners, and it’s also on the same street where my dad was born and raised in St. Louis. That was kind of cool.”

“ I wanted Tony Campanella and Dave Kalz to join me as guests, says Mike. “I grew up with both of these guys playing in the scene in St. Louis in the 1990s. They are also both Gulf Coast Records artists. I was surprised by my dear friend Eric Gales who happened to be in town for a rehearsal. He showed up and I got him onstage to do an impromptu version of the original ‘Voodoo Chile,’ which turned out to be 12 minutes of pure guitar bliss. I am proud of this album and my band. I’m most proud of my hometown and my neighborhood, South St. Louis.”

Besides performing a great selection of his own original songs, Mike also wanted to pay tribute to a few of his fellow musicians that he highly respected and cites them as influences on his career. Those musicians are none other than Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Tampa Red and Chuck Berry. The Jimi Hendrix song that Mike selected was the aforementioned “Voodoo Chile.” For Stevie Ray Vaughan he picked the legendary, “Texas Flood,” and to round things off, in order to pay homage to Johnny Winter, he selected “Life Is Hard.” For Tampa Red, he selected the song “Love Her With A Feeling.” To finish out his performance, he selected Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. This song also appeared on his “Tribute to Chuck Berry album.

Mike picked the song “Texas Flood” because as he explains, “I always loved that song and I loved Stevie Ray Vaughan. He was always a big influence on me and still is. I think now even more so. I think every time it rains it might flood. I think that’s an old Larry continued on next page

Performing on the March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

7

his previous albums, First Class Life, Gone To Texas, Make Blues Not War, and Tribute To Chuck Berry. He also added another special track to this recording.

He wrote a new song to be included in this performance, which is also the title of the album, “Blues For The Southside.”

Zito penned songs on the album include, “Mississippi Nights,” “First Class Life,” “Hell On Me,” “Back Problems,” “Make Blues Not War,” “Wasted Time,” “Dying Day,” and “The Road Never Ends”, which was also cowritten by Devon Allman.

Mike Zito

continued from previous page Davis song originally, a Houston guy.

“Voodoo Chile,” the one with the wahSo I just thought, ‘I’m just going to make wah pedal, Earlier in the album, the one this my own.’ Every time we find a good we recorded, it’s not “Slight Return,” it’s cover and start playing it, we can make it just “Voodoo Chile,” the Muddy Waters our own. If the crowd likes the way I’m song. It just happened… He said, what doing it, it can become a part of our are we going to record and I said repertoire. Sometimes people don’t want “Voodoo Chile.” I’ve played that song to do pretty obvious songs, so I just many times and when he showed up I started playing it in the last year or two thought, this makes perfect sense, we and everyone really responds to it. The gotta do this.” Mike tells us that he only other person I’ve seen performing it thinks this is one of the gutsier perforlive now is Jimmie Vaughan, so I mances he’s ever performed of this song. thought, ‘what the hell, let’s record it.’

And then, the Jimi Hendrix song was Mike also selected for this album, kind of the same thing. It was on the songs from his earlier career, which he spur of the moment because Eric Gales had recorded on other labels. He had shown up and that was unanrealized that the only way he could get nounced, out of the blue. I know he likes these songs translated over to the Gulf to play Hendrix and he likes to play the Coast Records label was to record them most famous version of Hendrix’s live. So he went and selected songs for 8 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

This isn’t a hastily thrown together CD, it was well thought out and it turned out to be a 2 CD set, something that seems to be a bit unheard of nowadays with the economy the way it is. “I knew I wanted to make this album,” continues Mike, “I knew I wanted to record the older songs off my older albums. I would never use the words, “Greatest Hits,” cause I don’t really have any big hits, so we’ll call them “fan favorites”, songs that I know the fans really enjoy and we play pretty regular. This album is on my record label, so these are songs that are not on my record label. These are songs that are on other record labels, so one of things that I wanted to do was record these songs on my label, or a version of them recorded on my record label. I don’t have any qualms about them being on other labels, but I wanted a copy of these songs hat I love on my record label and I wanted to get them all on one record. I wanted it to be more of a bluesier outing, more of kind of what we do live with more guitar, and more blues. Sometimes the albums can get a little more artistic on the songwriting.

You try different things and I wanted to keep it a little more tried and true, so I picked out all these tunes that I thought would make a good album and they ended up being way too long for one CD, just way too long. So we ended up with a double live album. I was almost going to call it “Double Live Zito,” but I didn’t” As we mentioned before, the name of the album turned out to be titled after the new song, “Blues For The Southside.” Mike doesn’t regret naming the album after the song at all, as he tells us, “I had the idea about the album title right away. I thought it was cool because… like I said, I don’t live in that neighborhood anymore, but I lived there all my life. I live in Nederland, Texas now. It’s kind of living in Mayberry,” Mike explains as a reference to the old Andy Griffith show. “I don’t know if people in Nederland realize it. When continued on next page

song to go along with it that would kind of have the mood that I thought was like living in St. Louis. I don’t really write instrumentals very much, so I just kind of wrote some chords that I thought were pretty and had the right feeling to me.

We played it a few times, and that was it and we recorded it. That was probably the fifth time we ever played it.”

Mike Zito continued from previous page

you grow up in south St. Louis and you move to Nederland, it’s like night and day. It’s very easy to live here. There’s not a lot of crime or shootings. It’s easy living. That’s what I call it. So, I had that title and then I thought, I wanted to do kind of a melancholy instrumental

Without a doubt, the song choices on this album are superb and show a lot of thought when it came to lining up the playing order on the album release.

Mike and the band did play a lot of other songs the night they recorded the album, but the song choices were definitely very well thought out. No doubt some of his fans will want to hear a couple more that didn’t appear on the album, but even with the choices represented here, it still turned out to be a double CD. “I’m happy with the flow and what we have,” says Mike. “I didn’t want to include more of the songy songs. Some of the songs like “Going To Texas” or “Greyhound”… We like to play them. I’ve recorded those live before and that’s when they’re a little more Southern Rock. I specifically wanted the songs to have a bluesy blues guitar, blues rock vibe and I thought that we captured that. continued on next page

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

9

having an old friend around. Doug has always been the perfect fit. We get along. He plays well with me. And then finally, there’s Lewis Stephens who’s my piano player. Lewis has been playing with me uninterrupted for thirteen years.

We started together in 2011 and we met on the Delbert McClinton cruise. He’s played in Freddie King’s band and Delbert McClinton’s band. He’s been around a long time. He’s one of the best.

And we just get along. Most of all, all three of these guys are great musicians.

They’re great people. We spend way more time together as people than we do onstage. They’re easy to get along with.

They’re peaceful. They’re lighthearted.

They’re fun. They’re funny. It’s never a chore. No one is ever arguing or fighting about anything. And I think all of that leads into the fun we have on stage.

Mike Zito continued from previous page There might have been a song or two that we could have included, but I have another live album that came out ten years ago, so a lot of those older songs were on that one. So these songs over the last ten years…. they haven’t been recorded live. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. It’s a good collection for the last ten years of albums. It’s pretty relentless. It’s all Blues.”

before he even does it. That is truly the basis for a great backing band, and this one is truly excellent. But don’t take our word for it, just ask Mike. “Matt Johnson plays drums and sings backup.

Matt’s been playing with me for about seven years now. I like Matt because he’s very musical. He’s very loose. He sings really good. Of course he’s a great drummer, but you’d expect that. It’s what we want. His style is very soothing and he listens. He listens to what’s going on and what we’re doing. We’re a good match. Doug Byrkit is our bass player.

Doug and I go back to 1997. We made my first album together that year and we’ve played together for many years.

We’ve been friends for a long, long time.

He had a band of his own for a while. I was helping them make records. Finally he came back on to play with me so it’s

One thing is for sure, you can’t really talk about this album release without discussing the players. Besides Mike, there is a great lineup of musicians that make up the Mike Zito Band. Mike has been playing with the same guys for quite a while now and has built up a great camaraderie with the band. They have been playing with him so long now, that they know what he’s going to do 10 Rock and Blues International • March February2022 2022

Without a doubt, Blues for the Southside is a great piece of work.

Mike’s vocals throughout the album are up front and in your face and really have that gritsy blues sound to him. His guitar work is equally impressive. It’s just some of the finest work you’ve ever heard him do. The solos are stellar and sound as if they have been well thought out, but are probably straight from his heart at the moment. Zito’s band just couldn’t sound stronger. Matt Johnson steady rhythm keeps the band on course and in time throughout the whole performance, throwing in the occasional drum licks where needed. Zito’s interaction with Lewis Stephens is fantastic also. Lewis knows just where to interject his leads when needed and gels perfectly with Mike’s guitar throughout the entire performance.

Besides his piano playing, Stephens organ sound is incredible as well, setting the background tone for some of the songs freeing up Zito from having to keep the rhythm flowing to interject leads where needed. And what can we say about Doug Byrkit. It definitely sounds like he’s been together with Mike for a lifetime. Their sounds just compliment each other to a ‘T’. Of note on this album is guitarist Eric Gales. His performance on “Voodoo Chile” is truly inspirational. Clocking in at 12 minutes, this song really soars to great heights within this set. I would definitely recommend this album to anybody wanting to experience the live sound of a Mike Zito performance. It is truly one of his best and this album definitely belongs in your collection. From now on when I think of great live Blues albums and performances, this one will stick out in my mind as one of the finest. Pick your copy up today and you’ll be thanking me for letting you know about it.

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

11

New Soulful Bluesy Americana Album

by Texas Artist Suzanne Walker Over the years Texas has introduced marvelous talent to the world and Suzanne Walker (Houston Texas) stands out as yet another strong possibility and with good reason. Her originals present verses about topics that are quite personal to her but at the same time these very lyrics ring true for rest of us as well. Suzanne’s latest release “Ice & Fire” is a nine track album that was recorded at Michael Mikulka’s Lucky Run Studio. The new compilation includes a full compliment of instruments that enhance the presentation even further with an extra touch of panache’. It’s interesting to note that Suzanne Walker cannot be squeezed into any one single genre as her soulful, bluesy kind of delivery crosses over into both the blues world and country Americana as well. Beginning with track one “Back To Brown” which has a country blues feel to it there is a killer lead guitar part (Nolan Ryan Burke ) that accompanies Suzanne’s subtle but yet ever so sultry vocal delivery. However it should also be noted that lead guitar is not the only element that exceeds the norm as the harp work on this collection is over the top. A prime example of the extremely clean, crisp bending (Greg Mesler) can be experienced on track five “Night Blues”. Another rather interesting addition can be heard on track three “Kick It To the Curb” where Suzanne introduces a spoken word verse that fits into the flow perfectly. The complete nine track album “Ice & Fire” exemplifies roots music at its best as it captures the spirit and tone of Americana, Country, and Blues within one offering. The compilation was mixed by James Hoover and mastered by Nick Landis. “Ice & Fire” delivers great sound across the board plus the pros made sure that the volume levels do not over shadow the vocal deliveries nor the instrument solos. Suzanne who recently became a new Grammy member by the way loves to perform live either with her band or as a soloist. Most nights find Suzanne strumming away sharing her personal creations along with some familiar covers with the nightly patrons of coffee houses and small cafés in Southeastern Texas and Western Louisiana. 2018 found Suzanne completing her first EP “Breathe” then in 2019 she recorded and delivered her first Christmas song, “One More Night Of Christmas”. Following up soon afterward in 2020 with her first full length album “Back To You”.

Then in 2021 she recorded and delivered her second Christmas song “Underneath The Tree” and now in 2022 Suzanne drops “Ice & Fire”. Her new release “Ice & Fire” presents a soulful, bluesy Americana blend that is both pleasing to the ear as well as touching throughout the album. It is this writer’s opinion that “Ice & Fire” will not be Suzanne Walker’s last album. Look for more and you can keep up on the latest at www.suzannesband.com 12

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

13

Bloos Records: My music is spelt like this.

By Edoardo Fassio When it comes to music, Simone “Slim” Scifoni is tied to tradition. An avid collector of 78s that are nearly a century old, the Roman multi-instrumentalist and producer encountered the primeval blues, a relative of ragtime and early boogie woogie, when he was merely eleven. Now, in his early forties, he still states that “music is the only thing that makes me feel really good”.

The devotion to the ancient masters did not prevent Scifoni from claiming the freedom to express himself in his own way. Thus, despite sharing a cultural vision far from the mainstream, Scifoni repeatedly finds himself representing Italy at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, undertaking tours of Europe, Russia, Japan and the United States and sharing major stages with megastars like Iggy Pop, Deep Purple, John Mayall and Bruce Springsteen. It happens when he is part of the explosive Cyborgs duo, an overwhelming mix of blues, punk, electronics and pulp comics, in which the two guys wear welder masks, dressed like grotesque visitors from the near future.

He has recently taken a new step in music by establishing an independent label, a natural home to his own works and to those of other fellow artists of value: Bloos Records, where the new spelling shuffles the cards by showing his intention to get out of predictability. A very selective affair, considering the general state of the recording industry; the label focuses on limited editions, only 50 numbered pressings for each title.

Scifoni is grateful to the music for having allowed him to travel and take his art anywhere in the world. And the encounter with a traveler par excellence marked a turning point for the label.

Corey Harris, bluesman, troubadour and intellectual of global status, was stranded in Italy during the months of the lockdown. Through a mutual friend, the mandolinist Lino Muoio, who in turn recorded a fine, hilarious album for Bloos, hypothetically halfway between Little Walter and Renato Carosone, Simone got the news that Corey wished to cut a new album before returning to the States. So, in the spring of 2021, armed with wires, technical equipment and microphones, he meets him at his house in the small town of Atri and they record The Insurrection Blues, the twentieth for Harris. “He was an idol of mine since I was a teenager, how could I have ever dreamed getting to produce one of his records?” adds Scifoni, who has a deal with New York’s M.C. Records for distribution in North America. “Again, it proves that the most authentic blues often comes from hard times, such as in these years of alienation and social distancing”.

14

Rock and Blues International

• March 2022

Bloos Records: La mia musica si scrive così.

By Edoardo Fassio In fatto di gusti musicali, Simone “Slim” Scifoni è legato alla tradizione. Ricercatore di 78 giri vecchi di quasi un secolo, il multistrumentista e produttore romano è incappato nel blues primigenio, parente di ragtime e boogie woogie, quando era soltanto un ragazzino di undici o dodici anni. Ora, a quarant’anni suonati, dichiara che “la musica è l’unica cosa che mi fa stare davvero bene”.

La devozione agli antichi maestri non ha impedito a Scifoni di rivendicare la libertà di esprimersi a suo modo. Così, pur essendo dotato di un bagaglio culturale agli antipodi dal mainstream, Scifoni si trova ripetutamente a rappresentare la scuola italiana all’International Blues Challenge di Memphis, a intraprendere tour in Europa, Russia, Giappone e Stati Uniti e condividere il palco con big mondiali come Iggy Pop, Deep Purple, John Mayall e Bruce Springsteen. Avviene quando è parte dell’esplosivo duo dei Cyborgs, un travolgente mix tra blues, punk, elettronica e fumetti pulp, in cui figura in un grottesco costume da visitatore dal futuro prossimo, con tanto di maschera da saldatore. Il suo ruolo in seno alla musica si estende con la fondazione di un’etichetta indipendente, dove proporre lavori suoi e di altri connazionali di valore: la Bloos Records, dove il nuovo spelling rimescola le carte e rivela l’intenzione di uscire dalla prevedibilità. Impresa quanto mai di nicchia, considerando lo stato generale dell’industria discografica; l’etichetta punta su una tiratura limitata, solo 50 copie numerate per ogni titolo.

Scifoni è grato alla musica per avergli consentito di viaggiare e portare la sua arte ovunque nel mondo. E proprio l’incontro con un viaggiatore per antonomasia ha segnato una svolta per l’etichetta. Corey Harris, bluesman, trovatore e intellettuale di respiro mondiale, durante i mesi del lockdown era in Italia. Attraverso un comune amico, il mandolinista Lino Muoio, a sua volta titolare di un eccellente album per Bloos dove traccia un’ipotetica terza via tra Little Walter e Renato Carosone, Simone viene a sapere che Corey vuole incidere un nuovo disco prima di tornare negli States. Così, nella primavera del 2021, armato di attrezzatura e microfoni va a casa sua, ad Atri, e registrano The Insurrection Blues, il ventesimo per Harris.

“Era un mio idolo fin dall’adolescenza, come avrei potuto immaginare di arrivare a produrre un suo disco?” riflette Scifoni, che ha un accordo con la newyorkese M.C. per la distribuzione in Nord America. “È la dimostrazione che il blues più autentico spesso nasce dai momenti difficili, come in questi anni di alienazione e distanziamento sociale”.

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International 15

New Music From New Zealand

Benee Drops Music Video For New Single “Beach Boy” Taken From Lychee EP - Out March 4th 2022 WORLD TOUR ON SALE NOW 16 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

New Zealand alternative pop star BENEE presents the music video for her dreamy new single “Beach Boy” out now. “Beach Boy” heralds the arrival of her much-anticipated LYCHEE EP on March 4th.

Once again, BENEE delivers a larger-than-life cinematic visual (directed by Rory Pippan, creator of her hit “Supalonely” video), her widescreen vision filled with “BitchCraft” and escapades with a vampire boyfriend.

“Beach Boy,” which was produced by Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia, Beck), has already earned widespread critical acclaim from around the globe. In addition to plugs from Clash Magazine, Consequence, DORK, MTV News, NME, PAPER Magazine, Stereogum, and more, UPROXX dubbed it “a breezy indie-pop tune,” and Ones To Watch called it “one of those songs that you just can’t help but press ‘replay’ when it’s done.”

BENEE says: “I’d just shot a dreamy beachy vid for ‘Doesn’t Matter’ so I wanted a complete juxtaposition. Rory directed my ‘Supalonely’ video and I was super keen to work with him again ... albeit remotely (we shot in New Zealand, he directed from Australia). I’m really happy with how it turned out. Hope you luv.”

For LYCHEE, BENEE headed out of lockdown in her New Zealand home to work on sessions in LA, which formed the basis of a new set of music she says is coming from a “great creative space” despite the pressures of what has been “the craziest time in all our lives.” The EP features tracks penned with Greg Kurstin, Kenny Beats, and Rostam in LA. Back in New Zealand, she finished up three tracks with her regular collaborator Josh Fountain, including the alreadyreleased “Doesn’t Matter,” which has gathered over 5.5 million Spotify streams and 400K YouTube views on the music video (codirected by BENEE).

BENEE is also looking forward to a 2022 headline world tour.

The North American leg kicks off on May 31st in Montreal and makes stops in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and more. BENEE will also be performing at The Governors Ball and Bonnaroo this summer. See the full list of dates below and at beneemusic.com.

BENEE’s dreamy alt-pop mixes her deeply heartfelt reflections on life in suburban Auckland, New Zealand with offbeat and often whimsical lyrical twists, all produced with a technicolor ear for cooked beats and unpredictable hooks. The 22-year-old broke through in 2020 with “Supalonely,” her global hit with 4 billion streams, and her follow-up Hey u x debut album was a vibrant musical world with guests ranging from Grimes and Lily Allen to Gus Dapperton and Muroki (another New Zealand teen BENEE has since signed to her own label, Olive). It was listed as one of Billboard’s “25 Best Pop Albums of 2020,” noting that BENEE “contemplates the woes of Gen Z with a keen ear for choruses and arrangements that oscillate between indie rock and hyperpop.” Stereogum praised its “quirky but impeccably produced pop music” and Vogue called it “13 tracks of heavenly indie-alt-pop.”

BENEE is the dreamy voice of a disaffected generation who broke through in 2020 with “Supalonely,” her irresistible, four billion streaming alt-pop banger that practically defined the pandemic experience. Twenty-two-year-old Stella Bennett mixes her deeply heartfelt reflections on life in suburban Auckland, New Zealand with offbeat and often whimsical lyrical notions, all produced with a technicolor ear for cooked beats and unpredictable hooks. A fervent online following were drawn to BENEE’s two intriguing EP releases, FIRE ON MARZZ and STELLA & STEVE, before her guest-packed, yet highly personal, Hey u x album was released at the tail end of 2020. The album was a vibrant musical world with guests ranging from Grimes and Lily Allen to Gus Dapperton and Muroki (another New Zealand teen BENEE has since signed to her own label, Olive).

It was listed as one of Billboard’s “25 Best Pop Albums of 2020,” noting that BENEE “contemplates the woes of Gen Z with a keen ear for choruses and arrangements that oscillate between indie rock and hyperpop.” Stereogum praised its “quirky but impeccably produced pop music” and Vogue called it “13 tracks of heavenly indie-alt-pop.”

Watch “Beach Boy” Here at https://youtu.be/9WFfiYLa-R4 Platinum Awards piled up around the globe, and she performed “Supalonely” — live from New Zealand — on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Ellen, and Late Night with Seth Meyers and recorded a heartfelt live version of album opener “Happen To Me” for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. A year on, BENEE returns with songs leading into her 2022 LYCHEE EP, with her latest revealing the singer’s journey through the emotional clatter of 2021.The EP release leads into plans for 2022 with the thing that excites Bennett most, a hefty touring schedule. Expect the world to be ready and waiting for her.

CONNECT WITH BENEE ONLINE: INSTAGRAM @ https://www.instagram.com/beneemusic/ TWITTER @ https://twitter.com/BENEEMUSIC TIKTOK @ https://www.tiktok.com/@beneemusic?lang=en FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/BENEE/ WEBSITE @ https://beneemusic.com Stay tuned for more to come from BENEE this spring!

BENEE 2022 WORLD TOUR NORTH AMERICA – with special guest Dreamer Boy May 31 June 1 June 3 June 4 June 6 June 7 June 8 June 11 June 14 June 15 June 17 June 18 June 21 June 22 June 24 June 25 June 26 June 28 June 30

Montreal, QC Corona Theatre Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Chicago, IL Vic Theatre Detroit, MI St. Andrew’s Hall Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Washington, DC 9:30 Club New York, NY The Governors Ball Boston, MA House of Blues Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre Salt Lake City, UT The Depot Seattle, WA The Showbox Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre San Francisco, CA The Warfield Theatre Los Angeles, CA The Novo March 2022 • Rock and Blues International 17

New Music From Norway

Sondre Lerche Releases Title Track to Double Album Avatars of Love out April 1 via PLZ / InGrooves AURORA Added To Previously Announced Special Guests CHAI, Mary Lattimore, Felicia Douglass, Rodrigo Alarcon & Ana Müller Watch the video for Avatars Of Love at https://youtu.be/rIi1bQwKjF0 Pre-Order at https://shop.merchcentral.com/collections/sondre-lerche/Preorder Folklore to Drake’s “Signs” to William Sondre Lerche released the title track Baskinki’s The Disintegration Loops. The 14 to his forthcoming double album Avatars of song collection, his tenth, will be released on Love, along with an official video illustrated April 1, 2022 via PLZ / InGrooves. Avatars of

by CJ Wallis / FortyFPS Productions. The 10 Love is now available for pre-order on special minute long album centerpiece was written edition double vinyl and double CD with a 20 during a remote weeklong excursion after the page booklet. record was thought to be finished. The song expanded exponentially as Lerche reflected Lerche also announced today that upon the music that was meaningful to his Norwegian pop star AURORA joins as a state of mind at the time, resulting in a featured vocalist on the album’s closing track personal tour guide through more than 25 in addition to the previously announced albums, songs and artists from Taylor Swift’s 18 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

featured performers, CHAI, Mary Lattimore, Felicia Douglass (Dirty Projectors), Ana Müller and Rodrigo Alarcon.

“I had scribbled the title ‘Avatars of Love’ in my notebook when I started writing the songs for this album, but the title track itself didn’t materialize until the end of the whole process. On an excursion up north to the Lofoten Islands in Norway to start work on a new book I instead ended up spending continued on next page

the whole week writing ‘Avatars’. I thought I was done with the album, but this song kept coming. It was meant to be a small, compact song, but when I started fooling around with some of the albums, songs, and artists that had been meaningful to my recent state of mind, its scope expanded. What started as a joke in my head about folklore vs evermore, and the anniversary of Joni Mitchell’s ultimate freedom vs love travelogue, Blue, ended as this musical rant that changed the way I saw the song. All these songs, albums and artists that had helped articulate what I was feeling, before I was able to put it into my own songs. It felt like a meditation on all the themes of the album, like the centerpiece all my songs were missing. And it was clear what the album would be called.”

Last month, Lerche announced his sprawling new album Avatars of Love with the release of “Cut” ( https://youtu.be/ILOIKaeG8I4 )and “Turns Out I’m Sentimental After All” ( https://youtu.be/LG4-0DWO3Xw ), which were embraced by BrooklynVegan, Cool Hunting, Stereogum, Under The Radar and more. The songs follow the recent release of “The Dead Of The Night” ( https://ffm.to/ deadofthenight ) which appears on the forthcoming album.

Avatars of Love was made in Lerche’s home country of Norway following what he thought would be a temporary move from Los Angeles in March of 2020. Where his last album Patience took more than seven years to write and record, Avatars of Love was completed over the course of a year. Rather than let the songs pile up, Lerche began recording each track as soon as he finished writing it, working with a variety of musicians and producers back in Bergen along with international collaborators via the internet.

“This is without a doubt the biggest, boldest, most complex thing I’ve ever done,” Lerche reflects. “At the same time, it was also the easiest, most natural, and most liberating. As an artist, it’s the kind of project you always dream about.”

In April, Lerche will kick off his European and US tour with special guest mmeadows. The tour will make stops in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and more. Find a full list of tour dates below or at sondrelerche.com.

Avatars of Love Tracklist: LP 1: 01) Guarantee That I’d Be Loved 02) Dead of the Night 03) Will We Ever Comprehend (feat. Rodrigo Alarcon, Ana Müller) 04) Cut 05) Turns Out I’m Sentimental After All 06) What Makes Me Tick 07) My Love Still Waits LP 2: 08) Avatars of Love 09) Summer In Reverse (feat. CHAI) 10) Now She Sleeps Beside Me 11) Special Needs (feat. Felicia Douglass) 12) The Other Side of Ecstasy 13) Magnitude of Love (feat. Mary Lattimore) 14) Alone in the Night (feat. AURORA)

Tour Dates: 4/09/22 – Berlin, DE – Badehaus 4/10/22 – Amsterdam, NL – Tuinzaal 4/13/22 – Dublin, IE – Pepper Cannister Church 4/15/22 – Manchester, UK – Gullivers 4/16/22 – London, UK – The Grace 4/17/22 – Paris, FR – 1999 4/18/22 – Zurich, CH – Photobastei 4/19/22 – Milano, IT – Biko 4/29/22 - Vancouver, BC - Fox Cabaret 4/30/22 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile * 5/01/22 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir * 5/03/22 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel * 5/05/22 - Los Angeles, A - Masonic Lodge * 5/06/22 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar * 5/07/22 - Palm Springs, CA - The Alibi * 5/08/22 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar * 5/10/22 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf * 5/11/22 - Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theatre * 5/12/22 - Denver, CO - Swallow Hill * 5/14/22 - Minneapolis, MN - The Parkway * 5/15/22 - Chicago, IL - City Winery * 5/17/22 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark * 5/20/22 - Boston, MA - City Winery * 5/21/22 - New York, NY - LPR * 5/22/22 - Pawling, NY - Daryl’s House 5/24/22 - Philadelphia, PA - City Winery * 5/25/22 - Washington, DC - City Winery * 5/27/22 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery * 5/28/22 – Louisville, NY – Zanzabar * 5/29/22 – Nashville, TN – City Winery * * w/ mmeadows Sondre Lerche: Website @ http://www.sondrelerche.com Twitter @ https://twitter.com/SondreLerche Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/sondrelerche March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

19

New Music From Jamaica

picture taken from video

Jimmy while in Japan on a tour stop as he was feeling the distance from friends and family back home, due in large part, to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. As one of the last surviving members of the great generation of Reggae pioneers who have since passed (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Toots Hibbert), he helped bring the genre to all corners of the globe and helped it gain worldwide popularity. Jimmy Cliff’s impact on music and culture is inescapable. He received Jamaica’s highest honour “The Order of Merit” and was inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. His critically acclaimed album Rebirth was awarded the GRAMMY Award for “Best Reggae Album” and was selected as one of Rolling Stone’s “50 Best Albums of 2012.”

Credit, Vision Addict

Global Reggae Pioneer Jimmy Cliff Releases Acoustic Music Video For “Human Touch”

Immortal anthems including “Wonderful World, Beautiful People,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “The Harder They Come,” and many of his other singles such as “Wild World,” “Hakuna Matata” (with Lebo M.) have had chart success across the globe including Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, U.K. and New Zealand.

Watch the video, here at https://youtu.be/OcAYqhbPjZ0

Everyone from Annie Lennox to Paul Simon has sought him out for collaborations, while Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, New Order, and Fiona Apple have recorded notable covers. Springsteen’s “Trapped” was included on the We Are The World benefit album. Bob Dylan announced Cliff’s track “Vietnam,” “the greatest protest song ever written.” A distinctive screen presence, he had a starring role in the film and on the soundtrack for the 1972 classic The Harder They Come, which drew an international spotlight on reggae. His career in film includes his wonderful version of “I Can See Clearly Now,” from the ‘Cool Runnings’ soundtrack and his other film appearances include Club Paradise, Muscle Shoals, Marked For Death, and more.

World-renowned musician, actor, singer, songwriter, producer, humanitarian, and global music legend Jimmy Cliff has released a heart-felt acoustic music video for his latest single, “Human Touch.” The GRAMMY Award winning artist offers the new visual in time to celebrate February’s Black History Month.

This July will be a month of celebration for Jimmy Cliff, marking the 50th anniversary of the acclaimed film and soundtrack, The Harder They Come, which had Cliff acting and starring in the lead role. In 2011, The Los Angeles Times credited the film to having “brought reggae to the world.”

“Human Touch” was first released in 2021 on August 6th, Jamaican Independence Day. The song was written by 20 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Rock And Blues International

March 2022

• Rock and Blues International

21

records, and their intense and unflinching live show, continue to drive their connection with audiences across the globe. Both are a telling reminder of why Die! Die! Die! are one of the most enduring and unapologetic bands to ever emerge out of New Zealand.

New Music From New Zealand

The single is an explosive anthem and as the band describe it, ‘explores losing yourself and finding your Maori’.

Die! Die! Die! have returned to their original lineup bringing original bassist Lachlan Anderson back to the fold to join band mates Andrew Wilson (guitar/vocals) and Michael Prain (drums).

Die! Die! Die! Releases ‘This Isn’t An Island Anymore’ Featuring The Original Classic Lineup Of New Zealand Noise-Pop Trio Watch/share “Losing Sight, Keep On Kicking” video at https://youtu.be/GMs1WA1JxkY Singles on DSPs: Bandcamp @ https://diediedie.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-not-an-island-anymore New Zealand trio returns with furious, most urgent and well honed album

Femmes), and have written and recorded albums in New York, Dunedin, London and rural France.

New Zealand trio Die! Die! Die! announce their forthcoming new album This Is Not An Island Anymore. Hear and share “Losing Sight, Keep On Kicking” via Bandcamp and SmartURL. Since their debut in 2005, Die! Die! Die! has blended a powerful and infectious concoction of post-punk, noise pop, shoegaze, lo-fi, and punk rock into one massive sounding whole. Fresh for a global pandemic outbreak, the trio returns in its original lineup for their most urgent and well honed album to date, This Is Not An Island Anymore. Since recording their debut album with Steve Albini (Shellac, Nirvana, PJ Harvey) in Chicago in 2005, Die! Die! Die! have worked with producers including Shayne Carter, Nick Roughan (The Skeptics), Chris Townend (Violent

22

Their indispensable collection of

Die! Die! Die! This Is Not An Island Anymore Self-released ALBUM Release Date: February 18, 2022 01. This Is Not An Island Anymore 02. Is Darren There?

03. Takaparawhau 04 Losing Sight, Keep On Kicking 05. 6 Months In The Lighthouse 06. 15 Years 07. Vanish (but That’s My Hometown, Marcus) 08. Never Tire Looking At The Sun 09. I MAGINE (Spending So Long Making Other People Feel Like Shit)

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

The band is known for their unflinching and intense live shows. To the delight of fans across the globe they somehow always manage to capture the chaos on tape too. Maybe it’s got to do with the fact they’ve written and recorded in all manner of places from Dunedin, New York, rural France and London? Maybe it’s the perfect storm of having been in the studio and collaborating with people like Steve Albini (Shellac, Nirvana, Pj Harvey), Chris Townend (Violent Femmes) and Shayne Carter & Nick Roughan (The Skeptics).

Who can say for sure? All we know is Die! Die! Die! are certainly back and better than ever.

Back to the classic lineup of their breakout 2005 album, This Is Not An Island Anymore is a return to their powerful and infectious concoction of post-punk, noise pop, shoegaze, lo-fi, and punk rock into one massive sounding whole. Since recording their debut album with Steve Albini (Shellac, Nirvana, PJ Harvey) in Chicago in 2005, Die! Die! Die! have worked with producers including Shayne Carter, Nick Roughan (The Skeptics), Chris Townend (Violent Femmes), and have written and recorded albums in New York, Dunedin, London, and rural France.

On The Web: facebook.com/diediedieband diediedie.bandcamp.com

December 2021 • Rock and Blues International

23

New Metal From Sweden

Firebreather share new single “Sorrow” from forthcoming album on RidingEasy, US tour w/ Monolord in March Swedish Doom Trio Returns With Streamlined Symphonic Riffs Hear/share “Sorrow” @ https://youtu.be/Hn4yUTtBnjc 24

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Firebreather continued from previous page Swedish trio Firebreather share a new track today from their forthcoming album Dwell In The Fog via Brooklyn Vegan. Hear and share “Sorrow” HERE. (Direct YouTube and Bandcamp.)

Revolver Magazine previously shared the first single “Kiss Of Your Blade” HERE. (Direct YouTube.) Metal Injection hosted “Creed” HERE. The band kick off North American tour dates with Monolord in March.

Please see dates below. ?Gothenburg, Sweden trio Firebreather’s 2019 RidingEasy Records debut album Under a Blood Moon was a powerhouse that most certainly established the band’s incendiary potential.

But none of us would be prepared for the suffocating onslaught that is Dwell in the Fog. While that album was in-your-face and raw, Dwell in the Fog rumbles and rages with a fury the band had only hinted at previously.

Firebreather has a streamlined focus on driving, symphonic riffs in the vein of High on Fire, Inter Arma and their tour- and label-mates Monolord.

The guitar and bass tones are, quite simply, entrancing. Paired with vocalist/ guitarist Mattias Nööjd’s guttural yet melodic howls and drummer Axel Wittbeck’s groove based rhythms, their entire sound flows like thick, viscous lava.

“The album is a cathartic journey inwards and a musical continuation from Under A Blood Moon, but with more emphasis on groove and feel,” Nööjd says. From the first notes of album opener “Kiss Of Your Blade” you’ll know exactly what he means.

tom pattern, the band quickly shifts gears into a head bobbing, serpentine riff with a transcendent melodic hook. Elsewhere, as on the title track and “Weather The Storm” rapid-fire hummable riffs come and go in an ever-shifting mass of devastating swirling churn. It’s like the band has such an endless supply of great hooks that to, ahem, dwell for too long on any one would undo their constantly building momentum. That they somehow give each song, and the album as a whole, a streamlined and cohesive, monolithic groove is testament to their skill. And, proof that the album must be absorbed in its entirety to experience the overwhelming swaying and lunging low end growl that drives the band’s most captivating work to date.

Like their preceding two albums, Dwell in the Fog was also recorded and mixed by engineer Oskar Karlsson at Elementstudion in Gothenburg. The band is joined by new bassist Nicklas Hellqvist on this album, who seems to have increased the thunder rumble tenfold.

Dwell in the Fog will be available on LP, CD and download on February 25th, 2022 via RidingEasy Records.

From the aforementioned album opener “Kiss Of Your Blade”, with its droning opening chords over a rollicking

01. Kiss of Your Blade 02. Dwell in the Fog 03. Weather The Storm

Artist: Firebreather Album: Dwell in The Fog Record Label: RidingEasy Records Release date: February 25, 2022

04. Sorrow 05. The Creed 06. Spirit’s Flown On The Web: firebreatherdoom.bandcamp.com ridingeasyrecords.com FIREBREATHER LIVE 2022: 03/03 Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone* 03/04 Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s* 03/05 Portland, OR - Dante’s* 03/06 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey* 03/08 Salt Lake City, UT - Metro* 03/09 Denver, CO - Marquis Theater* 03/11 Chicago, IL - Reggie’s* 03/12 Detroit MI - Sanctuary* 03/13 Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom* 03/15 Boston, MA - Sonia* 03/16 New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge* 03/17 Philadelphia, PA - Underground* 03/18 Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop* 03/19 Indianapolis, IN - Black Circle* 03/20 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone* 03/21 New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa* 03/22 Austin, TX - Mohawk* 03/23 Denton, TX - Thin Line Fest* 03/25 Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge* 03/26 San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick* 03/27 Los Angeles, CA - Teragram* *w/ Monolord

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

25

New Music From Mexico

SIDDHARTHA Announces First Dates For His Upcoming 2022 International Tour The Tour’s First Leg Will Begin in Mexico in March Siddhartha - 00:00 - https://youtu.be/eJwXivMnxcY Acclaimed singer-songwriter Siddhartha continues to make waves this year, today sharing more exciting news with his fans with the announcement of his extensive 2022 international tour.

Kicking off at the renowned Vive Latino festival in Mexico City on March 20, the first leg of the tour will see Siddhartha making stops in 23 major cities throughout Mexico, including Monterrey, CD Juarez, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Cancún. After performing for thousands of fans in Mexico, the artist will make his way to the United States, Argentina, and Spain, where audiences will be eagerly anticipating the singer’s arrival later this year. Show dates in these territories will be announced in the coming weeks.

The announcement of Siddhartha’s 2022 international tour follows the release of his latest single “00:00,” an incredible piece that finds him exploring new musical ground. On this track, the artist was accompanied for the first time by a 26 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Mariachi band and also integrated compelling Mexican folk rhythms in a way that maintained his signature style and essence, all while creating an innovative offering that surprised listeners around the world. Along with the audio single, Siddhartha also released a stunning music video directed by Fabián de la Fuente and Cristóbal G. Camarena, which has come to be one of the finest and most impressive of his career and has already garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube since its release on January 26.

“00:00” is the last single Siddhartha will share before his highly anticipated sixth studio album, which is expected for release in March.

Follow Siddhartha Online at: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/siddharthamusica/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/iamsiddhartha YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8m67LCiRGhJ9nQOop7JurQ

New Music From Mexico

SIDDHARTHA Anuncia las Primeras Fechas de su Próxima Gira Internacional de 2022 La primera etapa de la gira comenzará en México en marzo Siddhartha - 00:00 - https://youtu.be/eJwXivMnxcY El aclamado músico y productor Siddhartha sigue dando buenas guerra este año, y hoy comparte más buenas noticias con sus fans con el anuncio de las primeras fechas de lo que será su extensa gira internacional 2022.

Comenzando en el renombrado festival Vive Latino en la Ciudad de México el 20 de marzo, la primera etapa de la gira verá a Siddhartha haciendo paradas en 23 ciudades importantes de México, incluyendo Monterrey, CD Juárez, Tijuana, Guadalajara y Cancún. Después de actuar para miles de fans en México, el artista se dirigirá a Estados Unidos, Argentina y España, donde el público espera con impaciencia la llegada del cantante a finales de este año. Las fechas de los conciertos en estos territorios se anunciarán en las próximas semanas.

El anuncio de la gira internacional 2022 de Siddhartha se produce tras el lanzamiento de su último single “00:00”, una pieza increíble que le hace explorar nuevos terrenos musicales.

En este tema, el artista se hizo acompañar por primera vez de

mariachi e integró también ritmos folclóricos mexicanos de una manera que mantuvo su estilo y esencia característicos, todo creando una hermoso tema innovador que sorprendió a los oyentes de todo el mundo. Junto con el single de audio, Siddhartha también estrenó un impresionante vídeo musical dirigido por Fabián de la Fuente y Cristóbal G. Camarena, que se ha convertido en uno de los mejores y más impresionantes de su carrera y que ya ha conseguido más de un millón y medio de visitas en YouTube desde su lanzamiento el 26 de enero.

“00:00” es el último single que Siddhartha compartirá antes de su esperadísimo sexto álbum de estudio, cuyo lanzamiento está previsto para marzo.

Follow Siddhartha Online at: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/siddharthamusica/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/iamsiddhartha YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8m67LCiRGhJ9nQOop7JurQ March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

27

New Music From Argentina

Legendary Argentinean Rock Band LA RENGA Presents New Album: “ALEJADO DE LA RED” La Renga - Alejado de la red - https://youtu.be/AGctj_YLCQk The most important hard rock group in Argentina, La Renga, releases their new album titled “Alejado de la Red,” their tenth studio project that is now available on all digital platforms. The album was also published on vinyl and in an exclusive pendrive format, where the music videos for all the songs can be viewed and the tracks can be heard in the highest audio qualities—digital formatting at its best—with new mixing and mastering done for this release.

Since mid-2019 and during the entire pandemic, La Renga has been promoting a variety of audio tracks and music videos. “Llegó la hora” and “Parece un caso perdido” were the first songs selected for release. After they shared “Flecha en la clave” and “Para que yo pueda ver,” they presented “En bicicleta” and “El que me lleva,” which were recorded at their homes and released during the pandemic. And on streaming, “Buena Pipa” was released, which they performed at the Autódromo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires in 2021. The album is rounded out by “Alejado de la Red,” the song that lends its 28 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

name to the project, and “Elefantes Pogeuando.”

La Renga is one of the most popular groups in their native country, and one of the busiest on tour all year round.

Their career was built on self-management, and since 2002, after the termination of their last contract with the transnational label, they have a completely independent production, running their own label, studio, and executing the production of their shows.

“Alejado de la Red,” La Renga’s new album, was recorded and mixed by Matias Goncalves in the band’s Ezeiza studios during 2019 and 2021. The mastering was led by John Davis at Metropolis Studios in London, England during the months of September and October 2021.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/larenga Twitter - https://twitter.com/larenga YouTube - https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp

New Music From Argentina

El Legendario Grupo Argentino LA RENGA Presenta Nuevo Album “Alejado De La Red” La Renga - Alejado de la red - https://youtu.be/AGctj_YLCQk El grupo mas importante de hard rock en Argentina, La Renga estrena su nuevo disco bajo el titulo “Alejado de la Red”. El décimo trabajo de estudio de la banda, que está ya disponible en todas las plataformas digitales. El álbum se editó además en formato de disco de vinilo y en un exclusivo pendrive, donde se pueden ver los videos clips de todos los temas y escuchar las canciones en las más altas calidades de audio, formato digital a su máxima expresión, con una nueva mezcla y masterización realizada para este lanzamiento.

Desde mitad del 2019 y durante toda la pandemia, La Renga fue adelantando algunos temas en audio y video. “Llegó la hora” y “Parece un caso perdido”, fueron los primeros temas elegidos. Después salieron “Flecha en la clave” y “Para que yo pueda ver” y durante la pandemia y grabados en sus casas presentaron, “En bicicleta” y “El que me lleva”. Y en el streaming realizado en el Autódromo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires en el 2021, se estrenó “Buena Pipa”. El disco se completa con “Alejado de la Red”, el tema que le da nombre al disco y “Elefantes Pogueando”.

La Renga, es uno de los grupos con más convocatoria en su país natal, y uno de los más ocupados en giras a lo largo del año. Su carrera se basó en la autogestión, y desde 2002, al término de su ultimo contrato con la disquera trasnacional, cuentan con una producción absolutamente independiente, manejando su propio sello, estudio y realizando la producción de sus shows.

“Alejado de la Red” El nuevo álbum de La Renga fue grabado y mezclado por Matias Goncalves en los Estudios de Ezeiza de la banda durante el 2019 y el 2021. La masterización estuvo a cargo de John Davis, en Metrópolis Studios en Londres, Inglaterra, durante el mes de septiembre y octubre del 2021.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/larenga Twitter - https://twitter.com/larenga YouTube - https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

29

New Music From Norway

Photo Credit: Mikey Lennartsson

Photo Credit: Studio Haara

Norwegian Heavy Rock Kings AUDREY HORNE Announce New Album + Share Title Track For Devil’s Bell The Heavy Rock Band Featuring Current & Former Members of Enslaved, Sahg and More!

New Album, Devil’s Bell, out April 22, 2022 via Napalm Records Watch the new music video for “Devil’s Bell” at https://youtu.be/IehkMkrIEbw Pre-Order Here at https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/audreyhorne AUDREY HORNE online: FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/AudreyHorneOfficial NAPALM RECORDS @ https://label.napalmrecords.com/audreyhorne 30

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

continued from previous page Four years after their much-praised Blackout record, Bergen-based heavy rock outfit AUDREY HORNE has announced the release of their brand new studio album! Their seventh full-length, entitled Devil’s Bell, will be released on April 22, 2022 via Napalm Records, and as the first single demonstrates, will be a massive rock’n’roll album full of infectious earworms!

Devil’s Bell offers nine fistpumping songs that will shake concert venues worldwide. Frontman Toschie once again proves that he has one of the most charismatic and energetic voices in rock. The kinetic guitar-work of Ice Dale (Enslaved) and Thomas Tofthagen (exSahg) underlines an outstanding genrewarp of 70s and 80s rock via NWOBHM, keeping the music rocking and the listener locked in.

As with every AUDREY HORNE album, there are no duds or misfires as the songs flow together seamlessly, making Devil’s Bell a delight to play from the first note straight to the end.

The band is tight, the music is festive, and the songs stick upon first listen – that’s how a modern hard rock album should sound! As a first taste, today AUDREY HORNE have revealed the album’s melodic, hard-rocking first anthem, the title track “Devil’s Bell”.

Frontman Toschie says: “We are truly excited to be back and to present the first song from our upcoming album: Devil’s Bell. The title track has the classic AUDREY HORNE sound with twin guitars, catchy melody

Devil’s Bell tracklisting: 01. Ashes To Ashes 02. Animal 03. Break Out 04. Return To Grave Valley 05. Danse Macabre 06. Devil’s Bell 07. All Is Lost 08. Toxic Twins 09. From Darkness

lines and the strongest rhythm foundation since Fort Knox. The song ‘Devil’s Bell’ is a song for the freaks of nature of this world, celebrating our differences!

The video was directed by Francisco Munoz, who has made the recent Abbath videos amongst others. Sound the Devil`s bell!”

more live feel to them without too many layers and overdubs. We are really happy with the way the whole album turned out and we feel that we kept the essence of the AUDREY HORNE but with a few new flavors added. Hope you’ll have as much fun listening to it as we had making it!“

What started back in 2002 soon took the Norwegians and their expertly executed, riff-soaked fury all the way to the top of the rock scene.

Toschie adds: “20 years into our career, we are proud to say we have made probably our strongest album so far. “It was made during a time of lockdown and isolation, so it became a very focused album, and an album on our own terms, even more than previously. It is 100% homegrown as we recorded it ourselves, Arve produced it and our long time ‘secret’ member Herbrand Larsen mixed it.”

Toschie mentions that, in general, the new album is heavier and darker than the band’s previous records: “This goes for both the music and the lyrics. The song structures are a bit more complex and this also leads to longer songs in general. We have included an instrumental song on the album that really focuses on the chemistry of the band and the dynamic of us playing together. We wanted the album to have the organic feeling from the 70s and 80s records we all grew up listening to but with a more modern sound to it.

We wanted a good balance between more produced songs and some songs with a

AUDREY HORNE is: Torkjell “Toschie” Rød – Vocals Arve Isdal – Guitar Thomas Tofthagen – Guitar Espen Lien – Bass Kjetil Greve – Drums

Devil’s Bell will be available in the following formats: - 6page Digisleeve - 1 LP Gatefold Black Vinyl - 1 LP Gatefold Curacao Vinyl + Slipmat - Digital

1 LP Gatefold Curacao Vinyl + Slipmat

March 2022

• Rock and Blues International

31

New Music From Canada

Abigail Lapell Delivers A Moody Study Of Opposing Forces With New Song “Ships” From upcoming album Stolen Time, out April 22nd Watch the video and listen to the single “Ships” at https://youtu.be/nwP4yem7ifs Fortunately, cameras caught the whole With a cyclical, hypnotizing guitar recording process at Montreal’s part and foggy, maritime imagery, hotel2tango recording studio.

Toronto songwriter Abigail Lapell’s new song “Ships” crashes on top of itself “Ships” is the second single from again and again until its subtle power Lapell’s upcoming album Stolen Time— tops the seawall and floods the landscape. Sounding like a mellower Sleater- out April 22nd on Outside Music. Fans can hear the previously-released “Pines” Kinney or Laura Veirs with a horn at https://youtu.be/9i40CqSeZ2s and presection, “Ships” explores the insatiable, order or pre-save Stolen Time right here contradictory impulses that drive at https://ffm.to/abigaillapell. Abigail doomed love and other addictions, or as will also appear at this year’s SXSW on Lapell puts it, “Leaving versus staying, March 16 at Stephen F’s Bar. quitting versus relapsing—familiar shores and uncharted waters.” The idea The upcoming Stolen Time strikes of opposites attracting—or repelling— shows up in the song’s arrangement, too. a balance between Lapell’s acoustic debut, Great Survivor, and her two What begins as a soft indie rock headrockier Chris Stringer-produced records, nodder—with drums (Dani Nash), bass Hide Nor Hair and Getaway, while (Dan Fortin), and guitars (Christine bringing a live-off-the-floor 70s folkBougie)—starts to sneak in a horn or rock vibe and more structural experimentwo, a step on the overdrive pedal, and tation to the table on songs that feel layers of vocal harmonies before expansive in their scope—unhurried, climaxing with a wild sax solo only met psychedelic, and other-worldly. Lapell’s in energy by Lapell’s reactive vocals.

32 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

band underscores and meets the power of her vocals on songs like “Ships,” a wild sax solo seemingly enticing her higher and louder to meet the crashing waves.

But many of Stolen Time’s standout tracks are solo acoustic guitar songs, backed by little more than Lapell’s harmonica, pump organ, or accordion.

“Old Flames,” with Lapell’s melodic fingerstyle guitar mimicking flickering embers, is a bit of an answer song to Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire,” and the swirling and woozy “Scarlet Fever” was inspired by an elderly relative’s tales of being quarantined as a child. “Land Of Plenty” was influenced by Lapell’s family history of escaping the Holocaust by immigrating from Eastern Europe to North America, as well as more recent immigration stories.

Stolen Time also marks the collaborative meeting of two important music communities for Lapell, who spent formative years in Montreal’s Mile End before returning to her hometown: From Toronto, Dan Fortin (bass), Dani Nash (drums, vocals), Christine Bougie (lap steel, guitar) and Rachael Cardiello (viola); and from Montreal Katie Moore (vocals), Chris Velan (vocals), Pietro Amato (French horn) and Ellwood Epps (trumpet); Nashville pedal steel player Fats Kaplin and Vancouver cellist Peggy Lee also play on the album.

Over the past decade and three spellbinding albums, Lapell has garnered two Canadian Folk Music Awards (English Songwriter of the Year in 2020 and Contemporary Album of the Year in 2017), hit number one on Canadian folk radio, and accrued a staggering 13 million+ Spotify streams while touring widely across Canada, the U.S., and Europe. Her new album Stolen Time is due out April 22, 2022.

Stolen Time Tracklist: Land of Plenty Ships Pines Scarlet Fever All Dressed Up I See Music Waterfall Stolen Time Sewege Old Flames I Can’t Believe

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

33

New Music From Canada

tallies over 20 overall when including his JUNO Award-winning band The Legendary Hearts, and his other releases with The High Bar Gang, Bentall Taylor Ulrich and The Cariboo Express.

“I wanted to experiment with other things and everybody, bless their hearts, was very good about it,” he shared in an interview of his ever-broadening range of roots, country, bluegrass — and even instrumental, as heard in his recent album RanchWriters, written and released with longtime friend, Spirit of the West’s Geoffrey Kelly. “It’s important for me to write songs and try different music styles. Why limit myself?

To me, it’s just good music.”

COVID-19 caused Bentall to spend less time with other songwriters and musicians than he would have in the past, so Cosmic Dreamer has fewer cowrites than previous efforts.

Juno Award Winning Singer-Songwriter Barney Bentall To Release New Album Cosmic Dreamer On April 22 Soaring with sentiments of hope, love, longing, and loss, multi-Platinum selling and Juno award-winning artist Barney Bentall plots a sonic constellation of Americana to traditional Folk with the upcoming release of his new album, Cosmic Dreamer.

Set for release April 22, 2022 via True North Records, the album includes the title track, “Cosmic Dreamer” — available now!

Gordon Lightfoot’s “Shadows.”

Cosmic Dreamer marks the seventh solo release for Bentall and now Cosmic Dreamer Tracklisting “Cosmic Dreamer” “Whiskey Jack (Home)” “Why Are You So Sad” “Soul Sister” “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (feat. Valentino Trapani)” “Oh Foolish Me” “Not Standing Up To You” “Shadows” “No Good Time To Go” “Potter’s Wheel (feat. Ruth Moody)” “Cody Road”

With special guests Ruth Moody, Valentino Trapani, and Adrian Dolan joining on three songs, the 11-track album features nine new all-originals from the prolific artist alongside two covers — Bob Dylan’s “You Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” and 40 Rock and Blues International •• November 34 March 2022 2020

Bentall co-produced the album with multi-instrumentalist Dolan, and much of it was recorded and mixed at Dolan’s Track + Trestle studio in Ladysmith, B.C. The album-closing “Cody Road” was recorded by The Drifter & The Preacher producer John Raham at Vancouver’s Afterlife Studios.

Bentall wrote Cosmic Dreamer’s title track at Yellowpoint Lodge on Vancouver Island in late February, 2020 while he was taking a course at Ladysmith Marine Institute to receive a new certification to allow him to continue to drive rigid-hulled inflatable Zodiac boats on Arctic expeditions for a travel company called Adventure Canada.

Cosmic Dreamer is available April 22, 2022 via True North Records.

February 2022

• Rock and Blues International

35

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 36 Rock and Blues International • January 2022 68 Rock and Blues International • February 2021

December 2020 • Rock and Blues International

71

Youngblood Hart to name a few.

Tab’s accomplishments as a musician are matched only by his devotion to the environmental health of his native Louisiana wetlands. He also appears prominently in the IMax motion picture Hurricane on the Bayou, a documentary of Hurricane Katrina’s effects and a call to protect and restore the Wetlands, and produced a CD to help restore that state’s Coastal Wetlands. Benoit was inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center Hall of Master Folk Artists in 2020. One of the most impressive guitarists to emerge from the rich Bayous of Southern Louisiana in recent years, Tab Benoit’s guitar tone can be recognized before his Otis-Redding-ish voice resonates from the speakers. He doesn’t rely on any effects and his setup is simple. It consists of a guitar, cord, and Category 5 Amplifier. The effects that you hear come from his fingers.

March 3 (Thur) March 4 (Fri) March 5 (Sat) March 6 (Sun) March 8 (Tue)

An Evening With Tab Benoit:” On Tour Respected blues guitarist-vocalist and storyteller extraordinaire, Tab Benoit, has launched an ambitious 2022 Spring-Summer National Tour with some exciting opening act Special Guests.

One of last Summer’s memorable touring ensembles was Tab Benoit’s Swampland Jam featuring Louisiana Bayou musical treasures Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (recently honored with a 2021-22 Grammy Nomination for his “Bloodstains & Teardrops” album on Whiskey Bayou Records), plus Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux, and Benoit. The Grammy-nominated Tab Benoit, renown throughout his thirty-plus-year career for his passionate environmental activism, performed two nights in his hometown of Houma at the 16th Annual Voice of the Wetlands Festival. He has recorded and/or performed with Junior Wells, George Porter Jr, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Billy Joe Shaver, Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Cyril Neville, Kenny Aronoff, Allen Toussaint, Kim Wilson, Jimmy Thackery, Charlie Musslewhite, Kenny Neal, Chris Layton, Ivan Neville, Jimmy Hall, Jim Lauderdale, Anders Osborne, and Alvin 38 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

04 CENTER Austin TX DOSEY DOE Woodlands TX DOSEY DOE Woodlands TX THE KESSLER Dallas TX FIRST FINANCIAL MUSIC HALL El Dorado AR March 9 (Wed) LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM Memphis TN March 10 (Thur) TEMPLE LIVE Fort Smith AR March 11 (Fri) KNUCKLEHEADS Kansas City MO March 12 (Sat) THE PAGEANT St. Louis M) March 27 (Sun) CTR FOR THE ARTS/HOMER Homer NY March 29 (Tue) GATEWAY CITY ARTS Holyoke MA March 30 (Wed) NARROW CTR. FOR THE ARTS Fall River MA March 31 (Thur) NARROW CTR. FOR THE ARTS Fall River MA April 1 (Fri) TARRYTOWN MUSIC HALL Tarrytown NY April 2 (Sat) LANDMARK ON MAIN ST. Port Washington NY April 3 (Sun) SOUTH ORANGE PERF ARTS CTR South Orange NJ April 5 (Tue) CITY WINERY Philadelphia PA April 6 (Wed) BIRCHMERE Alexandria VA April 7 (Thur) TALLY HO THEATER Leesburg VA April 9 (Sat) BEACON THEATER Hopewell VA April 10 (Sun) RAMS HEAD ONSTAGE Annapolis MD April 11 (Mon) RAMS HEAD ONSTAGE Annapolis MD April 14 (Thur) THE SPINNING JENNY Greer SC April 16 (Sat) PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL May 6 (Fri) THE FILLMORE New Orleans LA May 25 (Wed) STATE THEATER Greenville NC May 26 (Thur) ELEVATION 27 Virginia Bch VA May 27 (Fri) ROOSTER WALK MUSIC/ARTS FEST Martinsville VA June 4 (Sat) MICHAEL ARNONE’S CRAWFISH Augusta NJ June 6 (Mon) HARRISBURG MIDTOWN ARTS CTR. Harrisburg PA June 7 (Tue) JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE Warrendale PA June 8 (Wed) HOUSE OF BLUES Cleveland OH Aug 26 (Fri) BIG BLUES BENDER Las Vegas NV Aug 27 (Sat) BIG BLUES BENDER Las Vegas NV Aug 28 (Sun) BIG BLUES BENDER Las Vegas NV

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International 45

sense of closure I felt I was lacking. This is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been in my writing and it makes me feel so exposed to share but also empowered because the growth I experienced through this intense pain created the best version of me yet. Sharing these songs with the world forces me to continue to remain open and live from a place of love over fear. I hope my story reminds people that moments of darkness however painful, actually hold our hand and help us elevate.”

With love, Malia

Photo Cred: Dilipa

MALIA Releases New Single From Upcoming EP “Only One” EP ‘What’s After I Love You?’ Out March 4th Via Black Sea Music Los Angeles-based artist MALIA shares her track “Only One,” the first single from her upcoming EP, What’s After ‘I Love You?,’ due out March 4th via Black Sea Music. “Only One,” an enchanting alt-R&B track, sees MALIA grappling with the aftermath of unrequited love, the moments when you step back and question the relationship. On the song, MALIA looks inwards, her soulful, velvety vocals uplifting the lyrics as she muses: “guess I love way too hard did I make this up am I the one? the only one in love?”

A conceptual work surrounding heartbreak, the songs on What’s After ‘I Love You?’ chronicle the life-shattering stages after a breakup. Within it, MALIA navigates realizing a love is lost, questions all she once knew to be true, and finds healing in channeling her experiences into creativity.

MALIA embraces vulnerability on the record,

invites us to open ourselves up to love, and shows us that beauty can come from pain.

What’s After ‘I Love You?’ “Heartbreak is one of those life situations that can trigger you to call into question everything about yourself, who you are, how you show up in this world? You begin to examine each dark corner that may have been swept over in the past, all the way to the root of the limiting beliefs that may have been planted decades ago or more. For me, this pain was unlike anything I’ve ever felt and I found myself at rock bottom. My first reaction was to clamor to get the feelings back that I was clinging so hard to out of fear, but sitting with that pain instead of pushing it away or attempting to change the situation was the best thing I could have done Once I was able to regain some sense of composure, making music was my only outlet. My heart, mind, body and spirit were calling out for me to create, perhaps as a

MALIA LINKS Website - https://www.maliavibes.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/maliavibes?lang=en Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MaliaVibes Soundcloud https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/click 40

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Often described as healing, MALIA’s sounds aren’t just something you listen to, they’re something you feel. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, the alternative R&B/ neo-soul songstress garnered some initial buzz after opening for The Internet’s Syd on her West Coast tour and went on to amass millions of streams on her EPs Late Bloomer and Ripe. Last year, she was the only artist asked by Alicia Keys to cover a song for the 20th anniversary of Songs In A Minor and was featured on Alicia’s Spotify profile. She also completed her first North American tour in support of JMSN and released her latest project, Unpolished.

MALIA’s new EP, What’s After “I Love You?”, was written and recorded in response to a heartbreak. “This is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been in my writing and it makes me feel so exposed to share but also empowered because the growth I experienced through this intense pain created the best version of me yet,” she says. “Sharing these songs with the world forces me to continue to remain open and live from a place of love over fear. I hope my story reminds people that moments of darkness however painful, actually hold our hand and help us elevate.”

WHAT’S AFTER ‘I LOVE YOU?’ TRACKLISTING 01. Falling Fast (interlude 1) 02. More Than Love 03. Currency 04. Drive Me To Think (interlude 2) 05. Hung Up 06. Only One 07. Everything And Nothing (interlude 3) 08. Undone

March 2022

• Rock and Blues International

41

42

Rock and Blues International • February 2022

January 2022

• Rock and Blues International

43

HEYDREAMER ANNOUNCES DANCES IN WONDERLAND Indie band’s first full-length release produced by Collective Soul’s Will Turpin at legendary Real 2 Reel studios in Jonesboro, GA Available for streaming and download on all digital retail providers via Distrokid

“Untamed” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Cj6J_VK4g 44 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

HEYDREAMER continued from previous page You can’t keep a good band down.

And Atlanta band HeyDreamer wouldn’t let a pandemic stop their dreams of releasing new music during these troubled times. They persevered and created Dances in Wonderland, a ten-song selection that chronicles the ups and downs of the musicians who tried to create art in a world that needs it more than ever.

“This work is a reflection on surviving a crippling pandemic as an artist,” said HeyDreamer’s Melody Kiser, the band’s principal songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. “We started about a month before COVID-19 hit. So while our timing was awful, our perseverance cannot be denied.”

No, it can’t.

HeyDreamer’s perseverance, versatility, eclecticism, musicality and appeal shine through on each of Dances In Wonderland’s tracks, which is produced by Will Turpin, cofounder of Collective Soul and a member of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Dances In Wonderland is due out on March 4, 2022 across all digital platforms and in select independent record stores. Pre-orders are available everywhere and can be accessed here. The album’s first music video, “Untamed” (directed by Mil Cannon), can be seen on the band’s YouTube here.

“My plate is full with Collective Soul, my own solo career and about 100 concerts a year, but HeyDreamer is so talented that I wanted to not only share them with the world but produce them,” said Turpin, who is also a co-owner of Real 2 Reel Studios in Jonesboro, Ga., where the album was written, recorded and produced. “This is the kind of music I like, and these are the types of artists I like working with. HeyDreamer is legit.”

As a teenager cutting her teeth in the dark, seedy clubs of the Atlanta music scene, Kiser realized two undoubtable truths: everyone has a story, and she was destined to tell these stories through music. Through her formative years (she received an Epiphone Les Paul for her ninth birthday), Kiser developed an intensifying passion for creating music that made people feel something and expressed an attitude, but she needed a group of incredible musicians to support her powerhouse vocal qualities and electric guitar skills. When bandmates Dustin Williams (bass) and Dylan Hansen (drummer) entered the picture, circa 2019, the musical circle was closed.

Kiser said there was instant chemistry between the three players; a musical shorthand they developed in rehearsal and live shows. That was due to the fact that all three were reared on classic and alternative rock music, memorizing song catalogs of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Led Zeppelin and yes, even Collective Soul, which Kiser says was a big influence.

It was by sheer coincidence that Kiser heard about Real 2 Reel Studios, who liked their work when they mastered their first release. She then met Turpin, and he liked what he heard.

He signed Kiser to a development deal, and they got to work.

“Will really taught me how to work on arrangements and take a less is more approach,” Kiser said. “He believes the song should be more valuable than the production. Everything he did methodical and intentional. Everything is well thought out.”

Kiser, Williams and Hansen started work on Dances In Wonderland in February 2020. The songs were being road tested in clubs, arrangements were being finalized and recording dates were about to be selected when the pandemic struck…then mayhem ensued.

Tours and gigs were canceled, a former band member left the group and moved away, a six-song EP (If You’re Out There) was released without live support, and songs were scrapped, replaced by new ones that were more reflective of what HeyDreamer were going through as artists.

“You can’t go through something like that and not write about. The world had experienced something truly dystopian, and at times I felt like I had fallen down a rabbit hole having to mask and glove up everywhere I went,” Kiser said. “This is essentially a journal of my experience during the pandemic.

The songs reflect this really weird and hard time period. Some are happy. Some are angry. Some are depressing. Some are ironic. But you’re going to feel something.”

Kiser also warns Dances In Wonderland is not a depressing work by any means and that HeyDreamer came out the other side of the musical journey, better, stronger, and tighter.

“At the core of our signature sound is a groove. Our music is intentional because we don’t want every song to sound the same,” Kiser said. “Yet, every song has something that catches your ear.” www.HeyDreamerband.com www.instagram.com/heydreamerofficial www.facebook.com/HeyDreamerOfficial March 2022

• Rock and Blues International

45

52 46

Rock and Blues International •• November March 2022 2020

February 2022

• Rock and Blues International

47

kelz

kelz by Diane Lac 48 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Born Kelly Truong, VietnameseAmerican producer and multi-instrumentalist kelz announces her debut album 5am And I Can’t Sleep due May 6th via Bayonet Records. Traversing through dreamy electro and alternative stylings, kelz’s debut 8-track project was written and recorded in the middle of the night in her Orange County, California home and was mixed with Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, bon iver, SASAMI). The project will also release on CD and cassette.

Along with the album announcement, kelz shares the lead single and video for “Guitar + Peaches.” The visual for the song was recorded and edited by kelz herself, with intimate, montagestyle footage from her camcorder depicting trips to the beach, hanging out with family and friends, band practice and moonlit drives. kelz will be making her live debut at SXSW this year.

Speaking about the new track, kelz says, “Putting together the words, “guitar” and “peach” don’t make any sense but I like the juxtaposition of them together. The song has roots of following someone/something that isn’t right for you. I like to think of New York everytime I play this song which suits the freedom and self-exploration my solo travel heart adores. It makes me excited for the unknown.” kelz first introduced herself with 2019’s single “Passerby” along with the demo version of “Guitar + Peaches” in 2020 and the single “Lover” from last year, which was kelz’s first realse with Bayonet Records. 5am And I Can’t Sleep allows for kelz to bring her frothy dream-pop sound to the world in a fulllength project. The album tells a nostalgic yet hopeful story following loss. For kelz, carefully looping beats, tinkering with synthetic waveforms, and interweaving guitar picking serves as a meditation—a mode of processing emotions and the inevitable passing of time. 5AM flexes kelz’s strengths as a producer, with a natural ear for melody and texture. Front and center are her airy vocals, recorded in a whisper so as to not wake people in the other room. Each song folds in on itself like a wave’s undertow, reorienting infectious melodies from tracks previous. When asked about the tracks, Kelz reflects on the process as “feeling like running towards something” but not knowing what it is.

Listen to and watch “Guitar + Peaches” and pre-order/save 5am And I Can’t Sleep above.

kelz Announces Debut Album 5am And I Can’t Sleep Due May 6th Via Bayonet Records Hear The New Single “Guitar + Peaches” Now At https://lnk.to/guitarpeaches Watch The New Video At https://youtu.be/G3VZXchHA2s Pre-Order “5am And I Can’t Sleep” And Save At https://lnk.to/kelzzz 7. I (Still) Don’t Know What To Do 8. Adieu

kelz 5am And I Can’t Sleep May 6, 2022 Bayonet Records 1. Guitar + Peaches 2. Nice to See U 3. 5am 4. Lover 5. I Can’t Sleep 6. My Friend

Connect with kelz: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/officialkelz Twitter https://twitter.com/kelz_music March 2022

• Rock and Blues International

49

44 January 2022 Rockand andBlues BluesInternational International •• February October 2021 50 Rock 2022

February 2022 • • Rock Rockand andBlues BluesInternational International 45 51 October 2021

Photo by Nazar Khamis

Curtis Godino Presents The Midnight Wishers Share “Always Waiting” Single + Video via https://smarturl.it/The-Midnight-Wishers Self-Titled LP Out Now via Shimmy-Disc/Joyful Noise Recordings PURCHASE/LISTEN & SHARE: Curtis Godino Presents The Midnight Wishers - Self-Titled LP Shimmy-Disc @ https://shimmy-disc.net/shimmy-2009.html Stream @ https://smarturl.it/The-Midnight-Wishers LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Curtis Godino Presents The Midnight Wishers - “Always Waiting” Stream @ https://shimmy-disc.net/shimmy-2009.html YouTube @ https://youtu.be/qusPZVI13Gg LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Curtis Godino Presents The Midnight Wishers - “He Loves Me Not” Stream https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=63f1674ecdb2a4574b77e600b&id=8686e9ced0&e=28146e6e7b YouTube @ https://youtu.be/dUTtSWfiM3k LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Curtis Godino Presents The Midnight Wishers - “No Place Like Home” Stream @ https://tellallyourfriendspr.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=63f1674ecdb2a4574b77e600b&id=cee90e605f&e=28146e6e7b YouTube @ https://youtu.be/yJUJwhfHN5w 52 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Today, Curtis Godino Presents The Midnight Wishers share their highly anticipated self-titled LP, out now via Shimmy-Disc/ Joyful Noise Recordings. To celebrate, they present a music video for the LP’s focus track and final single, “Always Waiting.”

Speaking on the track, Godino wrote: “‘Always Waiting,’ the album’s opening cut, sets the mood immediately with a melancholy marimba and a chilly blast of blowing-wind effects. In a babyish, deadpan monologue, Lee introduces the persona that looms over the album: a long-suffering girlfriend on the verge of a violent outburst. In this case, she sits by a phone that doesn’t ring – waiting, wishing, wondering – and starts a call-and-response pattern with the backing duo, whom Godino’s production pumps up into a demented children’s choir. Her forlornness is palpable: ‘As I sit waiting for tomorrow Another day, another sorrow When I look into the sky all I see Are my lover’s longing eyes staring back at me.’”

What if a cute girl group scored a hit song about a car crash, then actually died in a car crash, but decades later, David Lynch conjured their spirits for a beach-themed Halloween special?

That’s a feeble attempt to describe the fun, spooky universe evoked by musician, songwriter and producer Curtis Godino with his latest project, Curtis Godino Presents The Midnight Wishers.

“I’ve always been a fan of girl groups and old generic love songs,” says the Brooklyn-based artist, previously known around town for his ’60s-style light show work as Drippy Eye Projections and his collaboration with Joshua White and The Joshua Light show, and in addition to being founder of the experimental psychedelic band Worthless and collaborator of Fog Window, a musical group consisting of Gary Panter, Ross Goldestein, Devin Flynn, and Lily Rogers.

“No matter how cheesy, they always get stuck in my head, so I decided I would try to make some of my own, with the help of my friends.”

Chief among those friends are The Midnight Wishers: lead vocalist Jin Lee (who also contributed to a synth punk band called Rambo with Godino), and backing singers Rachel Herman (a radio DJ and violin aficionado) and Jessica McFarland (who has been playing in bands such as Heavy Cream, Savoy Motel, and Peoples Court since the early 00s and is also an excellent seamstress), all of whom Godino recruited for the project. Lee also contributed lyrics, which she tends to recite as often as she sings in a dreamy, earnest voice. “Thanks to my three pals this record was possible,” said Godino.

The trio are the perfect messengers for Godino’s tunes, visually as well as sonically. In photos, they pose before bubble-gummy backgrounds, playing with an ouija board by candlelight, elemental like a cartoon crime-fighting team with their respective black, red and blonde hair.

But make no mistake: This project belongs to Godino, a musical ringmaster in the tradition of Phil Spector or more aptly Shadow Morton, whose noir sensibilities spawned such uncanny pop marvels as the Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack” and “Remember (Walking in the Sand).”

In this case, Godino built the wall of sound almost entirely by himself, recording on his eight-track tape machine during the pandemic shutdown from his bedroom. Starting with drum tracks from Andrew Max and Adam Amram, he would add picked bass guitar in the style of L.A. studio legend Carol Kaye, then go bonkers with fuzzy guitars, Farfisa organ, mellotron, analog synthesizers, glockenspiel, an arsenal of other percussion instruments and an array of mysterious electronic effects.

To fully realize the vision, however, Godino knew he needed more firepower. The Wishers’ multilayered harmonies and other vocal tracks were recorded and engineered by his roommate, Paul D Millar, at Millar’s Bug Sound East studio.

“I’m sure all those incredible old records were recorded on a four-track or whatever, but I don’t have the same discipline,” says Godino, whose stated goal was to create “songs so sweet they’ll give you a cavity.”

The album is set for release on February 11 via NYC musicianproducer Kramer’s Shimmy-Disc label — a label that championed Daniel Johnston, GWAR, Jad Fair, King Missile, the Boredoms and Kramer’s own bands Bongwater and Shockabilly — in collaboration with Indianapolis-based Joyful Noise Recordings. Kramer refers to Godino as “a genius,” and Godino appreciates the support. “If it weren’t for Kramer’s encouragement, I don’t think this would have turned out to be the album it is,” Godino says. “We’re all very grateful, and surprised, that it is going to be a real thing in the world.”

Prior to the record’s release, the group unveiled two singles: “No Place Like Home” and “He Loves Me Not.” “No Place Like Home,” Godino says, is “a liminal love song,” with a simple, ghostly arrangement of organ, drum machine, guitar and glockenspiel to explore thoughts of love in the space between dreams and waking life. “When you close your eyes, I’ll be watching you from the other side,” Lee sings.

“He Loves Me Not” is the album’s most decisive foray beyond the girl-group formula. Lyrics inspired by the lovelorn flower-picking game are supported by piano, mellotron, woodwinds and backward tracks plucked directly from the British Invasion. Godino describes it as “a song with a fall feeling.”

Curtis Godino Presents The Midnight Wishers TRACKLISTING 01. Always Waiting 02. Show Me That You Care 03. I Hate To See You Leave 04. I’ve Got The Key 05. No Place Like Home 06. WXLUV 07. I Want To Be The Monkey On Your Back 08. Hungry 09. He Loves Me Not 10. I’ll Be Wishin

Rock And Blues International March 2022

• Rock and Blues International

53

54

Rock and Blues International • November 2021

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

Rock And Blues International

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

47 61

The Eli Young Band Hits The Road With Their New Single and “Love Talkin’ Tour” Eli Yong Band Launches the 51-Date Love Talking Tour as Their New Single Goes for Adds at Country Radio check out “Love Talkin’” Here

The musical band of brothers – Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones and Chris Thompson – play their own instruments, write their own songs and cling fast to their Texas roots. The trailblazing group has come a long way since their formation in 2000 at the University of North Texas, with the multi-Platinum hitmakers’ dynamic career thus far producing four charttopping singles; 3x Platinum “Crazy Girl,” 2x Platinum “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and Platinum “Love Ain’t” and “Drunk Last Night.” “Crazy Girl” also landed as Billboard’s No. 1 Country Song of the Year and won the ACM Award for Song of the Year, with EYB also earning multiple GRAMMY, CMA, CMT, ACA and Teen Choice Award nominations. They have performed on national television shows such as TODAY, Conan, Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and FOX & Friends. While selling out venues from coast-to-coast as strong headliners, EYB has also shared the stage with Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Chris Young, Darius Rucker and Dave Matthews Band.

Current single “Love Talking,” available everywhere now, offers the first glimpse at a forthcoming project planned for later this year.

Fans will have a chance to see the new single performed live, along with the band’s multi-decade catalog of hits, as EYB returns to the road for the Love Talking Tour. Kicking off February 17 in Kansas, the outing visits 51 cities through August. Tickets are available at EliYoungBand.com.

https://youtu.be/a1nxgzv3DBg Multi-Platinum hitmakers Eli Young Band embraced the romance of Valentine’s Day this past month with brand new single “Love Talking”. The latest song from the GRAMMY-nominated band offers a fresh take on the early stages of a relationship and is available everywhere now via The Valory Music Co. Listen HERE. “In this two minute and 50 second smash, lead singer Mike Eli’s voice embraces listeners like a warm hug,” observes All Access, with MusicRow remarking that “the echo gives the sound some extra juice, and the band is as

56

proficient as ever.” Billboard also named the song among the best of the week upon its release, noting that “this ultra-romantic new release from the group swirls with an irresistible melody and propulsive rhythm.”

Eli wrote the song with Jeffrey East and Eric Arjes, who also produced alongside Jimmy Robbins. “Love Talking” chronicles the morning-after emotions of a vulnerable love-drunk conversation: When I let it slip that I Wanted you for my whole life And you and me turned into us That was just the love talking

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

For more information and to see all upcoming tour dates, visit www.eliyoungband.com and follow on social media @EliYoungBand.

March 2022

• Rock and Blues International

57

not be available.

VIP tickets and exclusive travel packages will be available for both the Louisville weekend as well as an eagerly anticipated two-night return to Morrison, CO’s world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre (August 26 and 27). For details and availability, please visit www.cidentertainment.com/events/mymorning-jacket.

Once again, My Morning Jacket has partnered with PLUS1 with $1 from each ticket supporting non-profits working to secure social justice, ensure mental health care for all, and confront the climate crisis. photo by JP Cordero

MY MORNING JACKET SET US HEADLINE TOUR Highlights Include a Homecoming Weekend In Louisville, KY, Hollywood Forever Cemetery In Los Angeles, Ca., and A TwoNight Return To Red Rocks Amphitheatre My Morning Jacket has unveiled plans for an upcoming US headline tour.

The dates begin April 19 at Memphis, TN’s Orpheum Theatre and then continue through September. Special guests throughout the tour will include Madison Cunningham, Indigo de Souza, and Joy Oladokun.

Artist presales begin Wednesday, February 16 at 10:00 am (local) and continue through Thursday, February 17 at 10:00 pm (local). VIP packages began selling Wednesday, February 16 at 10:00 am. For complete details and ticket availability, please see www.mymorningjacket.com/events.

Highlights include a very special pair of shows in Louisville, KY – My Morning Jacket’s first hometown live dates in six years. The weekend will

feature amazing Louisville musicians and local eateries while also shining a light on non-profits doing incredible work in the Derby City, beginning Friday, June 24 with an intimate concert at Iroquois Amphitheater, with proceeds supporting Change Today, Change Tomorrow (CTCT) at https://changetoday.org/, a Louisville-based non-profit working to fight racial injustice in education, access to healthy food, and proper health care; special guests include River City Drum Corps and Kiana & the Sun Kings. On Saturday, June 25, My Morning Jacket will then headline Louisville’s Waterfront Park, with support from Louisville Leopard Percussionists and Producing a Kind Generation. Tickets for June 24 will be available exclusively as an added option bundled with purchase of tickets for Waterfront Park – standalone tickets will

CONNECT WITH MY MORNING JACKET: MYMORNINGJACKET.COM FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/mymorningjacket TWITTER @ https://twitter.com/mymorningjacket YOUTUBE @ https://www.youtube.com/channelUCKARN4GSFIOiKUIpCtRlO9g 58

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

This month will see the eagerly anticipated return of My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday, an allinclusive concert vacation set for March 2-5 at the Moon Palace Cancún resort in Riviera Cancún, Mexico. Presented in partnership with CID Presents, the fourth iteration of One Big Holiday will see My Morning Jacket performing three nights at a one-of-a-kind beachfront concert venue specially reimagined for the event.

One Big Holiday will also include performances by some of the band’s favorite artists and pals, including Lord Huron, Brittany Howard, Black Pumas, Sharon Van Etten, Trampled By Turtles, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Steel Pulse, Fruit Bats, Washed Out, Strand of Oaks, and more. A limited range of allinclusive One Big Holiday packages remain available – for complete information, please visit mmjonebigholiday.com.

The tour dates see My Morning Jacket continuing to celebrate last year’s acclaimed new album, MY MORNING JACKET. Produced and engineered by Jim James over two multi-week sessions at Los Angeles, CA’s 64 Sound, MY MORNING JACKET is the band’s 9th studio album and reaffirms the rarefied magic that’s made My Morning Jacket so beloved, embedding every groove with moments of discovery, revelation, and ecstatic catharsis. The album made an explosive chart debut upon its October release, arriving at #1 on Billboard’s “Top Vinyl” along with #3 on both “Top Rock Albums” and “Independent Albums.”

STREAM/PURCHASE MY MORNING JACKET @ https:// smarturl.it/mmj_preorders

photo by JP Cordero

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

59

LORD HURON ON TOUR!

Lord Huron Announces New Dates Added To North American Headline Tour For Summer 2022 60 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Following last year’s triumphant sold-out fall tour, Lord Huron have announced even more dates to their North American headline summer tour.

The tour adds eight new dates including Chicago’s brand new venue The Salt Shed and Toronto’s RBC Echo Beach and more! See full list of new tour dates below.

These dates are in addition to the previously announced tour dates which kick off after the BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, CA on May 15, and travels through iconic venues including the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA (May 25), a two-night stand in Morrison, CO at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (June 1-2) and New York City’s Forest Hills Stadium. First Aid Kit serves as direct support on select dates.

Various pre-sales go live Wednesday, February 16th at 10am local time through Thursday, February 17th at 10pm local time.

General on-sale begins Friday, February 18th at 10am local time.

Check out the full confirmed itinerary below.

Known for unpredictable and undeniable live experiences, don’t miss Lord Huron on what promises to be their boldest, biggest, and brightest North American jaunt yet.

The band’s latest critically acclaimed opus Long Lost is available now.

Maintaining incredible momentum, they capped off their banner 2021 with a performance of “Love Me Like You Used To” on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Watch the performance here!

The Long Lost fall 2021 headline tour—their first shows in support of Long Lost—packed houses across the country, including two sold out shows at both Brooklyn’s Pier 17 and the iconic Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Not to mention, they performed at Sea.Hear.Now Festival and Ohana Encore Festival alongside Pearl Jam and Beck.

Lord Huron continues to celebrate their success of recent album Long Lost, which has garnered nearly 50 million streams and counting, captured the #1 on The Americana/Folk Album and Tastemaker Albums Chart, #2 on Vinyl Albums & Alternative Albums chart, #3 Top Rock Albums Chart, #4 Top Album Sales Chart and #23 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The album also received critical acclaim from the likes of Wall Street Journal, Brooklyn Vegan, NPR, American Songwriter, All Music, Uproxx, WNYC, Flood, JamBase and more all praising the immersive world Lord Huron has created with Long Lost. Not to mention, it has captured a 88 score on Metacritic which summarizes all critical and user reviews of an album from across the globe.

Lord Huron first made a name for themselves with their debut album Lonesome Dreams and shortly after Strange Tales, which featured the triple-platinum single “The Night We Met.” In 2018, Lord Huron earned widespread critical acclaim with their first Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 2—with their third album, Vide Noir. A cinematic collection of pensive provocative, and powerful rock, the record garnered praise from NPR, Time, Los Angeles Times, Spin, Stereogum, Refinery29, UPROXX, and more as singles such as “Wait by the River” (which the band performed on “Late Night with Seth Meyers”) and “When the Night is Over” generated tens of millions of streams. Their recent album Long Lost, featuring #1 song “Not Dead Yet” debuted #1 on The Americana/Folk Album and Tastemaker Albums Chart, #2 on Vinyl Albums & Alternative Albums chart, #3 Top Rock Albums Chart, #4 Top Album Sales Chart and #23 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album also received critical acclaim from the likes of Wall Street Journal, Brooklyn Vegan, NPR, American Songwriter, All Music, Uproxx, WNYC, Flood, JamBase and more all praising the immersive world Lord Huron has created with the album and its four part live event Alive From Whispering Pines featuring mysterious character Tubbs Tarbell. In addition, the band went on to perform “Mine Forever” on The Late Late Show with James Corden, “I Lied” with Allison Ponthier on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS This Morning: Saturday, “Not Dead Yet” on Jimmy

Kimmel Live and a live set on NPR’s World Café. The band’s extensive touring includes headline shows at some of the most storied venues in the country (including the Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks, and the Ryman Auditorium) and prime slots at festivals ranging from Coachella to Lollapalooza to Bonnaroo and more.

March 4th May 15th May 17th May 19th May 21st

Riviera Cancun, MX Redondo Beach, CA Las Vegas, NV Portland, OR Eugene, OR

May 23rd May 24th May 25th May 27th May 30th June 1st June 2nd June 3rd June 5th June 7th June 8th June 10th June 12th June 14th June 15th June 17th June 18th June 19th July 15th-17th August 5th August 8th

Anaheim, CA Pasa Robles, CA Berkeley, CA Redmond, WA Sandy, UT Morrison, CO Morrison, CO Denver, CO Kansas City, MO Cleveland, OH Pittsburgh, PA St. Louis, MO Indianapolis, IN Columbus, OH Charlottesville, VA Manchester, TN Asheville, NC Atlanta, GA Whitefish, MT Vancouver, BC Calgary, AB

August 9th August 11th August 12th August 13th August 15th August 16th

Saskatoon, SK Winnipeg, MB Minneapolis, MN Milwaukee, WI Chicago, IL Detroit, MI

August 17th August 19th August 20th

Toronto, ON New York, NY Harrisburg, PA

August 21st Columbia, MD August 23rd Cooperstown, NY August 26th-28th Vineyard Haven, MA *with special guest First Aid Kit

One Big Holiday Festival BeachLife Festival The Amp At Craig Ranch Keller Auditorium Hult Center for the Performing Arts House of Blues Vina Robles Amphitheatre Greek Theatre Marymoor Park Sandy Amphitheater Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre Mission Ballroom (sold out) Starlight Theatre Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica Stage AE Outdoors Saint Louis Music Park WonderRoad Festival KEMBA Live!

Ting Pavilion Bonnaroo Rabbit Rabbit Coca-Cola Roxy Under The Big Sky Festival Orpheum Theatre Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Coors Event Centre Burton Cummings Theatre Surly Brewing Festival Field Miller High Life Theatre Salt Shed* Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre* RBC Echo Beach* Forest Hills Stadium* Harrisburg University at Riverfront Park* Merriweather Post Pavilion* Brewery Ommegang Beach Road Weekend

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

61

68

Rock and Blues International • June 2021

June 20211 • Rock and Blues International

69

Accordion Legend Flaco Jimenez Joins Los Texmaniacs For 35th Anniversary Old Settler’s Music Festival Renowned Tejano accordionist Flaco Jiménez will once again combine his squeezebox talents with Los Texmaniacs for a special Saturday-night performance at Old Settler’s Music Festival, taking place April 21-24 at Old Settler’s Homestead in Tilmon, Texas. That pairing tops the list of artists rounding out the roster for the festival’s 35th-anniversary celebration, for which single-day tickets and non-camping packages go on sale today (Feb. 15). Camping packages are still on sale at discounted rates, but will go up to full price on March 1.

Latin-funk band Brownout and soul/r&b/gospel artist Sir Woman are among several Austin talents also performing during the four-day festival, along with visiting artists including Houston r&b band the Suffers, Los Angeles roots collective Dustbowl Revival and New Orleans-based soul-pop singer Maggie Belle. Nashville country/roots artist Brennen Leigh will perform on her own and with Austin’s Women of Western Swing.

Nomadic folk-jazz duo Handmade Moments and Minneapolis-based progressive bluegrass band Barbaro are also slated, along with Austin performers Zach Person (rock), American Dreamer (folk/roots); Sour Bridges (“browngrass — like bluegrass, but a little dirtier”); Anthony Garcia (multigenre); and Elle Townley (country), winner of the 2021 Old Settler’s Youth Talent Competition.

They join previously announced top-tier acts the Del McCoury Band (as artist-in-residence), JJ Grey & Mofro, Railroad Earth, Galactic and Leftover Salmon. Peter Rowan’s Free Mexican Airforce featuring Los Texmaniacs, Steep Canyon Rangers, American Aquarium, We Banjo 3, the California Honeydrops, Sierra Hull and Shinyribs also were announced in January.

The 2022 lineup represents some of the finest talents in roots music, including many Old Settler’s vets who eagerly book return engagements after their first visit. Like Old Settler’s patrons, they’re fans of the festival’s relaxed ambiance, convivial nature and family-friendly environment. They appear on two mainstages — this year operating with staggered times so audiences won’t have to miss any performer — plus a dedicated campground stage.

As writer Joe Nick Patoski pointed out in Texas Highways magazine, “You don’t go to Old Settler’s only to see a show. You go to camp out … make new friends and renew old friendships, hang out, and even make your own music when the performing stages are quiet.”

64 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Since moving to the 145-acre Old Settler’s Homestead site in 2018, the festival has continued to make improvements, including fully electrifying its campgrounds with renewable energy, eliminating noisy generators. Other amenities include on-site parking, play areas for children, a variety of food offerings and 30 acres of campground space.

Old Settler’s also offers a special teen rate for younger music lovers attending with an adult (student ID required).

Children 12 and under attending with an adult are admitted free. For more information about package options and to purchase tickets, visit oldsettlersmusicfest.org and click the “buy tickets” button. (Please note: the tab links to a separate ticketing site.)

The nonprofit festival also nurtures artistic development with its annual Youth Talent Competition, which has helped to launch a few careers, including that of first-year winner — and four-time Grammy winner — Sarah Jarosz. Musicians up to age 18 are invited to compete for cash, a 2023 stage slot, professional mentoring and special recognition. To apply, go to oldsettlersmusicfest.org/music/youth-talent.

Old Settler’s Music Festival takes place just 20 minutes from Lockhart and less than an hour from downtown Austin or San Antonio and two hours from Houston (program GPSs for 1616 FM 3158, Dale, Texas 78716).

About Old Settler’s Music Festival Old Settler’s has grown from a one-day bluegrass festival into a nationally renowned four-day event attracting thousands of loyal roots-music fans. Many return annually for amazing performances by both legendary and up-and-coming bluegrass, folk and Americana artists such as Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, the War and Treaty, Alison Krauss, Los Lobos, the Jayhawks, Milk Carton Kids and the McCrary Sisters, and homegrown favorites including Sarah Jarosz, Shakey Graves, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Shinyribs. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Old Settler’s is directed and staffed by devoted volunteers. For more information, visit oldsettlersmusicfest.org.

January 2022 • Rock and Blues International

65

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 66

Rock and Blues International • September 2021

March 2021 • Rock and Blues International

73

Maybe You Should Run Your Next Tour Schedule In Wood & Wire’s Tony Kamel Announces Rock And Blues International!

Solo Release email: Back Down Home rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com or call today 281-650-1953 For Fast Service

68 Rock and Blues International • February 2022

Matt Pike, Brent Hinds, and the ‘Pike vs. the Automaton’ crew on the “Land” video set

High on Fire’s Matt Pike Releases New Video, “Land”, featuring Mastodon’s Brent Hinds Influential Heavy Metal Guitarist, Frontman Releases Debut Solo LP, ‘Pike vs. the Automaton’, February 18 From rewriting the hard rock subway doing a doo-wop thing,” offers Gibbons kind of solo! I did one solo and rulebook with his Grammy award-winning Pike. “It has the feel of a two-step like my then he did his solo and I’m like, “You’re a trio, High on Fire, to reverse engineering Mom used to dance to, like Country dick,” (laughs). The bass player from doom metal with his genre-defining trio Western. It’s totally about depression and Brent’s other band West End Motel, Steve Sleep, Matt Pike has channeled his natural leading a hard life. Later, I was playing the McPeeks, played some stand-up bass – talents and chiseled a steely path straight to song for Brent Hinds from Mastodon who both plucking and with a bow – and it the heart of modern-day metal’s molten had come out to Portland to jam with me really brought out this depth to the song. core. On February 18, Pike will release his and he laid down this smokin’-ass Billy I’ve never written a song like that and debut solo LP, ‘Pike vs. the recorded it and made it as cool as Automaton’, via MNRK Heavy. it is. It’s totally different.”

Pike vs The Automaton “Land” (Official Music Video) Pre-orders are live at featuring Mastodon’s Brent Hinds PikeVstheAutomaton.com.

“Land” lyrics: Today, Pike releases a video for the new song “Land” which he describes as, “totally different, like an old blues song”. The track and clip each feature Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds, an old pal of Pike’s. See and hear “Land” now at this location. ““Land” was written after I had just come home from a tour. It’s like an old blues song. I was thinking of it as like a bunch of old dudes in a

70

Silver sheen lucky baptized Smoke and wood ashes smote You bum a cig and your thoughts die A pity time doesn’t hope It wasn’t real from the last time From the last time F*ck the pain from inside It wasn’t real from the last time

https://youtu.be/h-6yNmOo6SY

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

continued on next page

‘Pike vs. the Automaton’ track listing: 1.) Abusive 2.) Throat Cobra 3.) Trapped In A Midcave 4.) Epoxia 5.) Land (feat. Brent Hinds / watch VIDEO) 6.) Alien Slut Mum (watch VIDEO) 7.) Apollyon 8.) Acid Test Zone 9.) Latin American Geological Formation 10.) Leaving The Wars Of Woe

Matt Pike continued from previous page Count your sticks and your last dimes Dirt and snot on your nose The platinum cane and your last try We took the world as a joke Memories of a fine life A conscious soul on a rope You dig a grave before bedtime Eternal nap just to cope Born out of the challenges brought on by a worldwide pandemic, birthed under hellish red-orange skies bred from rampaging west coast wildfires, and built amidst the yearlong political riots and rallies in Portland, OR, Pike’s solo debut, ‘Pike vs. the Automaton’, is both a musical and emotional release. The record was written by Pike with drummer Jon Reid, features contributions from a slew of family and friends, and was recorded with longtime conspirator Billy Anderson, the producer who brought the best out of Pike previously on touchstone titles such as ‘Surrounded by Thieves’ and ‘Sleep’s Holy Mountain’.

that’s working against mankind at this moment. In ‘Jason and the Argonauts’, Jason and the Argonauts have to battle this big machine guy that protects the island.

Basically, what the album title is saying, metaphorically, is ‘Pike against the World.’”

“I made a psychedelic rock record that Sleep and High on Fire fans would like,” Pike continues when asked for a CliffsNotes description of ‘Pike vs. the Automaton’. “And maybe if you’re not a Sleep or High on Fire fan, you might like it too. I definitely think it’s interesting; it has D-Beat punk, two-step. It’s got everything and it still works together, it doesn’t sound odd. It’s just an off-the-wall psychedelic rock record.”

‘Pike vs. the Automaton’ is also advanced by the bizarrely titled track “Alien Slut Mum”. A video for the song premieres via Decibel, who adds, “Matt Pike is a trailblazing visionary possessed by a mindset which, from the outside looking in, appears to be steeped in pure

desperation. Perhaps this is why the Sleep/ High on Fire shredder is still so creatively sharp in a moment when so many of his peers and devotees are stuck in “echo” phases while Pike continues to plant flags in new sonic and aesthetic territories.”

When asked for comment on the clip, Pike cryptically replies, “Four friends enter the woods, for a getaway, little did they know they would never return!

Dogmen, Sasquach, Reptilians, or alien slut mum?!?! Where have they gone??”

Feast your eyes on “Alien Slut Mum” at this location.

Matt Pike is available to speak with interested media. To chat with Pike and/or request a review copy of ‘Pike vs. the Automaton’, simply contact Carl Schultz at ACTION! PR.

Guest musicians on ‘Pike vs. the Matt Pike is an American musician Automaton’ include Alyssa Maucere-Pike known for his work as guitarist, vocalist (Lord Dying / Grigax), Chad “Chief” and front man for Grammy Award-winning Hartgrave, Brent Hinds (Mastodon), Steve metal band High on Fire, and McPeeks (West End Motel), Josh guitarist and founding member Matt Pike “Alien Slut Mum” (Official Music Video) of the influential doom metal Greene (El Cerdo), Todd Burdette (Tragedy), and High on trio Sleep. Universally recogFire’s Jeff Matz, who lays down nized as one of the most potent Turkish electric saz on the acts in music today, Pike’s High album’s towering closing track on Fire creates dynamic metal “Leaving the Wars of Woe”. that merges primal fury and The album title, ‘Pike vs. aggression, hesher bombast and the Automaton’, wasn’t an ego hall of fame heaviness. Dething for me,” says Pike. “Billy scribed as “a supersonic and Jon said, “Dude, you should exercise in conquest by use your name in this. This is volume,” High on Fire has your solo project.” I said, “I rewritten the hard rock rule don’t want to do that”. The book since its formation in Automaton, in Greek mythology, 1998, forging a style and sound is the big robot that’s the that is at once critically celguardian of the Gods, basically. ebrated, extremely influential, It’s a soulless, big machine and utterly unique. Follow Matt https://youtu.be/rzs9uILM_as named Talos. The big machine Pike on Instagram @MattPike1972.

March 2022

• Rock and Blues International

71

72

Rock and Blues International • January 2022

March 2021 • Rock and Blues International

79

Right” cracked the Mediabase Active Rock Top 30 and has garnered multi-millions of combined cross-platform streams to date.

Follow up single “You Never Listen” received support from SiriusXM, HardDrive, Full Metal Jackie and many more of the country’s leading active rock outlets, while one of their most recent singles, “Negative Noise”, has reached over one million views on YouTube and counting. With the release of latest single “Sick Of You”, Unstable now boasts three Top 40 Active Rock radio hits!

Photo credit: Guillermo Briceño

Modern Metal Stars Tetrarch to Support Sevendust on 2022 U.S. Headline Tour New Album, Unstable, Out Now via Napalm Records Order HERE at https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/tetrarch Featuring Three Top 40 Active Rock Radio Hits!

Prepare to witness Tetrarch live and watch their latest music video for “Stitch Me Up” HERE at https://youtu.be/6FqBgFqZJQQ Modern metal frontrunners TETRARCH continue their climb to the top, announcing another must-see slew of tour dates supporting heavy music trailblazers Sevendust on their upcoming March 2022 U.S. headline Animosity anniversary tour, with additional support from Dead Poet Society! The tour begins in Oklahoma City, OK on March 4 and visits several major western and central U.S. cities before coming to a close in Nashville, TN on March 27.

Tickets go on-sale this Friday, January 14 at 10:00 AM local time. See local venue listings for tickets and more information, and see below for a full listing of tour dates.

Lead guitarist Diamond Rowe says: “We are extremely excited about hitting the road this winter/ spring with Sevendust. It should be a very exciting run and we are looking forward to hitting some cities that we haven’t in a while.

It’s Sevendust’s 21st anniversary of their album Animosity which was an amazing record, so I know they have a lot of surprises up their sleeve and I know we do as well!”

Produced by the band and Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon, Khemmis), TETRARCH’s new album, Unstable, dropped on April 30, 2021 via Napalm Records to major critical acclaim! Loudwire stated, “TETRARCH are not messing around, bringing the heavy with full force…”, while Alternative Press said, “The meteoric rise of nu metal’s brightest new stars TETRARCH has been a compelling show for the scene around them”. Upon release, TETRARCH’s debut single, “I’m Not

74

Rock and Blues International

• March 2022

Fierce individuality and a fearless embrace of the outsider are at the heart of TETRARCH. The band’s tireless hard work and relentless determination has established them as one of the top up-andcoming bands in heavy music, catching the attention of major media including Pollstar (cover mention), Billboard, Revolver, Alternative Press, Guitar World, Guitar Player, Premier Guitar, Kerrang! and Metal Hammer, many in which lead guitarist Diamond Rowe was the first African American female lead guitarist from the heavy metal genre to be featured.

TETRARCH has been featured on Spotify playlists such as Kickass Metal, Rock Hard, New Blood (cover featured) and Metal Tracks and has also seen stellar support from Apple Music and their users, appearing on several additional playlists.

Having appeared on major festivals such as Epicenter and Exit 111, TETRARCH is charging back into the major touring scene with renewed persistence and the mighty nonconformist’s spirit that has driven them since day one.

TETRARCH is: Josh Fore – vocals/guitar Diamond Rowe – lead guitar Ryan Lerner – bass Ruben Limas – drums

TETRARCH online: FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/tetrarchmusic TWITTER @ https://twitter.com/tetrarch NAPALM RECORDS @ https://label.napalmrecords.com/tetrarch

Sevendust 2022 U.S. Tour Dates with TETRARCH & Dead Poet Society: 3.04 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Diamond Ballroom 3.05 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues 3.07 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theatre 3.08 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues 3.11 - San Diego, CA - SOMA 3.12 - Sacramento, CA - Ace Of Spades 3.13 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst 3.15 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues 3.18 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater 3.19 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater 3.20 - Wichita, KS - The Cotillion 3.22 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre 3.23 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues 3.25 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman 3.26 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory 3.27 - Nashville, TN - Wildhorse Saloon

January 2022 • Rock and Blues International

75

Goth Rockers ORGY Announce Revival Tour with Special Guests September Mourning, Oh! The Horror, Death Valley High and Black Satellite ORGY announces Revival Tour, starting March 19 in Las Vegas. Founding member, vocalist Jay Gordon affirms “So excited to hit stages all over America at last!

ORGY will be playing with some really cool artists. We are excited to come and show people how fucking happy we are that the world is experiencing live music again!!

ORGY will be playing some new material that we are so excited to bring to the masses.

We put a lot of heart and soul into these tracks and people will see that in our performances as well.”

With new members joining and combining their respective talents building a new and improved band,

76

Rock and Blues International

this transformation reestablishes ORGY in the hard rock and metal scene.

ORGY spawned from the late 1990’s Goth music scene with their incredible remake of New Order’s “Blue Monday.”

Upon release the track sold over one million copies and has sold more than 20 million copies to date. In late 2005, after the release of Punk Statik Paranoia via D1 Music and Associates, their independent DVD TRANS GLOBAL SPECTACLE via D1 Music /DLC Records, and a promotional tour, the band went on a hiatus to work on their side projects. In 2011, after seven years of demand from fans for new music and a tour, founding member Jay Gordon (vocals)

• March 2022

decided it was time to kick things back up and begin recording and touring again in support of ORGY’s fans. Jay found himself with the task of finding new members. First, Jay selected North Carolina native and guitarist Carlton Bost to join the ranks of ORGY. Carlton is known for his previous synth guitar work in art-rock band Deadsy, as well as for being the current guitar player for classic synth band Berlin. Other bands Carlton has been a member of, or played for, include The Dreaming, Lunarclick, 16 Volt, Tim Skold, and his own solo project Shades of Scar. Additionally, he works as a producer, writer, and re-mixer for various other artists. continued on next page

ORGY continued from previous page ORGY Bassist, studio musician and live session performer Nic Speck came to Los Angeles via upstate New York and Miami, FL. Multi-talented Guitarist / Bass player Creighton Emrick, formerly with Vegas in Space and a host of rock bands in LA and Ohio joined the band. Creighton adds another layer of unique synth guitar sounds and melodies to ORGY’s music.

Newest member, Hungarian born drummer Marton Veress, joined ORGY in 2019, just in time for the Pretty in Kink Tour 2019. He was formerly a member of Hungary’s leading metal band Pokolgép, joining when he was only 18 years old. He toured Central Europe headlining major festivals and venues between 2011 and 2014.

In 2012 Marton received a merit scholarship to the world famous Drummers Collective in New York City and formed Armageddon. A few years later, Marton took his backpack without knowing anyone, he moved to LA. He soon met Jake Pitts from Black Veil Brides and his wife Inna and he joined their band, Aelonia. Marton’s influences include such drummers as John Bonham, Mike Portnoy, Joey Jordison, Luke Holland, Adam Gray, Mike Johnston, Tony Royster and many more. He enjoys and appreciates all genres of music but he is coming from a strong rock and metal background.

Newest member, Hungarian born drummer Marton Veress, joined in 2019, just in time for the Pretty in Kink Tour. Formerly of Hungary’s leading metal band Pokolgép, Marton received a merit scholarship to the world famous Drummers Collective in New York City and formed Armageddon. A few years later, Marton took his backpack without knowing anyone, he moved to LA. He soon met Jake Pitts from Black Veil Brides and his wife Inna and joined their band, Aelonia.

After several years of releasing earworm singles to the masses, ORGY has proven their long-lasting potency with a refreshed line-up and sound. The modern incarnation of ORGY has been transformed and sees the band poised to re-establish themselves in the EDM, industrial and hard rock scenes. Make no mistake about it, the ORGY brand is not going away anytime soon. As long as the fans demand new music and tours, the band is ready, willing and able to fill their request.

In 2020, ORGY released a video for “Spells,” a track mixed by Eric Racy and mastered by Howie Weinberg. This newer sound for ORGY has great lyrics, melodies, and guitars.

Jay Gordon further states “This Covid shit is crazy too so we are taking extra care of our minds and bodies so that the energy level

is at the highest and that will show when you see our performances. We ask that everyone coming to the shows is responsible enough to mask up and test before seeing any live entertainment globally and to respect the health of others as well as the artist’s that you are coming to see. Everyone needs to take precautions to help fight this awful Corona virus every step of the way. Test frequently for everyone’s sake!. See u soon!!”

ORGY is: Jay Gordon - Vocals Carlton Bost - Guitar/Vocals Nic Speck - Bass/Vocals

Creighton Emrick - Guitar/Vocals Marton Veress - Drums ORGY online: https://orgymusic.com/ www.facebook.com/pages/OrgyMusic/ 177885225646095 www.youtube.com/user/OrgyMusic/videos www.instagram.com/orgyofficial/ https://twitter.com/OrgyOfficial https://myspace.com/orgy www.reverbnation.com/orgyofficial

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

77

Gothic Pop Sensation LIVING DEAD GIRL Announces First U.S. Tour Co-Headlining with Fate DeStroyed (Living Girl’s Molly Renick)

photo credit Jeremy Saffer 78 Rock and Blues International • March 2022

“Catch Living Dead Girl on the road this spring with our friends in Fate DeStroyed! This is our very first time bringing our show to the US from Canada and we couldn’t be more excited about it. Come party with us!” - Molly Rennick Living Dead Girls’ new release Exorcism is 11 banging tracks featuring Rennick channeling 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.

The album has produced four singles: Alive, Poltergeist’s first single, 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, “Escape,” “Exorcism” and “Poltergeist.”

“This journey began over four years ago, and after all the blood, sweat and tears I put into creating my debut album, I am beyond excited and proud to finally unleash ‘Exorcism’ to the world,” says frontwoman Molly Rennick. “This record expresses my personality better than anything else ever could, and the energy and passion on it are going to hook you the moment you listen to it.”

“Band founder/vocalist Molly Rennick’s amazing vocal range seamlessly fluctuates between taunting, high-pitched croons to menacing, harsh barks to haunting growls with relative ease…‘Exorcism’ is a raucous debut album from LIVING DEAD GIRL and a good sign of things to come from this young powerhouse of a singer.” - Outburn “LIVING DEAD GIRL is definitely a force that will have to be reckoned with, and ‘Exorcism’ isn’t the first foot in the door so much as fist through a window that’s going to grab you and shake you.” – The Herald-Whig

Exorcism is available at https://distrokid.com/ hyperfollow/livingdeadgirl1/exorcism-2. Additional bundles, including physical CDs, vinyl and exclusive merchandise are available at www.livingdeadgirl.ca/.

LIVING DEAD GIRL online: www.livingdeadgirl.ca www.facebook.com/LIVINGDEADGIRLBAND www.instagram.com/livingdeadgirlofficial/ www.youtube.com/channel/ UCELYELo6t95V_mXNa4f3dXQ/videos?view_as=subscriber LIVING DEAD GIRL & FATE DESTROYED

“You can say this about LIVING DEAD GIRL: they know what they’re doing. Led by band founder Molly Rennick, the Canadian spooky groove metal act have their sonic profile down to a T: syrupy, hard-hitting riffs; staccato rhythms with driving forward momentum; and Rennick at the center of it all belting out layered, goth-girl-you-can’t-ignore vocals. Fans of In This Moment and Ice Nine Kills will immediately know what to do with this, while newcomers will be inexorably drawn into the album’s forcefully accessible sounds.” - The Pit 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 21year-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.

4.15 - Westland, MI @ Joy Manor 4.16 - Fort Wayne, IN @ The Ruin 4.17 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Emerson Theater 4.19 - Louisville, KY @ Mag Bar 4.21 - Fort Walton Beach, FL @ Jimmy’s Jukebox 4.22 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Warrior On The River 4.23 - Orlando, FL @ Earthday Birthday w/Godsmack * 4.23 - Orlando, FL @ EDBD Tattoo Takeover at Ace Cafe ** 4.24 - Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug 4.25 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits 4.26 - Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero 4.27 - Fredericksburg, VA @ The Rec Center 4.28 - Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedraft’s Brewing Co. 4.29 - Akron, OH @ The Vortex 4.30 - Toledo, OH @ Main Street Bar & Grill w/The Convalescence * - Living Dead Girl Only ** - Fate DeStroyed Only March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

79

flavoured sound, featuring a rap and saxophone solo that will leave listeners going bonkers! “Flamingo Libre” will soon whisk you away and have you dreaming of tropical drinks and magical nights, while “Pina Colada” stands as a much-needed summer anthem best suited for blasting while convertible cruising. Flamingo Overlord closes with the mysterious “Bob Venke”, telling the unlikely story of the mighty Flamingo Overlord’s quest for world domination.

TROLLFEST is: John Espen Sagstad (Mr.Seidel) guitar

Photo Credit: Terje Johnsen

Flamboyant & Eccentric Metal Outfit TROLLFEST Announce New Album, Flamingo Overlord + Release New Single “Twenty Miles an Hour” Watch the New Music Video Here at https://youtu.be/XrCtxzL-ByI An official statement from the Department of the Flamingos:

TROLLFEST prove they’re just along for the wild ride that is life (albeit at 20 mph).

More flamboyant than Elton John, as intense as Slipknot, cooler than Limp Bizkit and boasting dance tunes that would make even ABBA proud —TROLLFEST has it all and more.

TROLLFEST on “Twenty Miles an Hour”: “Our second single from ‘Flamingo Overlord’ is a song about how a young Overlord first started out. Fetch your prescriptions and fasten your seat belts folks, this is going to be one hell of a ride.”

Catchy, groovy and threatening to have you seeing Flamingos wherever you walk in life, TROLLFEST’s Flamingo Secret Agents will soon be everywhere.

TROLLFEST have announced the upcoming release of their ninth full-length studio album, entitled Flamingo Overlord, to be released via Napalm Records on May 27, 2022. In celebration of today’s announcement, TROLLFEST have dropped an outrageous second single, entitled “Twenty Miles an Hour”! The track (slowly) takes flight, perfectly illustrating their diverse, infectious grooves with a humorous mixed green-screen animated music video, created

by Mr. Seidel! With “Twenty Miles an Hour”,

In addition to their beloved trademarks, on Flamingo Overlord, TROLLFEST don’t shy away from adding new elements to their already expansive soundscape.

Flamingo Overlord begins with the insanely catchy “Dance Like A Pink Flamingo” – the unforgettable track made world-famous with the band’s zany performance at Eurovision qualifier Melodi Grand Prix earlier this year – clearing the way for the bar anthem “All Drinks On Me”, which keeps the energy and drinks flowing before venturing into “Twenty Miles an Hour”. The track continues the party with a groovy funk

TROLLFEST online: https://linktr.ee/trollfest Website @ https://www.trollfest.com Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/trollfestofficial Twitter @ https://twitter.com/trollfest_band Napalm Records @ https://label.napalmrecords.com/trollfest 80

Rock and Blues International

• March 2022

Fabian Jiru (Grimdrap Glutenfri Fleskeng) - guitar Jostein Austvik (Trollmannen) - vocals Eirik Renton (TrollBANK) – bouzouki, vocals & DJ Kai Renton (Fjernkontrollet) - synth, accordion Dag Stiberg (DrekkaDag) - saxophone Øyvind Erik Strønen Johannesen (Lodd Bolt) - bass, vocals Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow (Kjellkje) drums, vocals

Flamingo Overlord will be available in the following formats in various territories: -1-LP Gatefold PINK -1-LP Gatefold “Flamingo Feather” Marbled Vinyl Limited Edition (limited to 300) -1-CD Digipak -1-CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle -Digital Album 1-LP Gatefold “Flamingo Feather” Marbled Vinyl Limited Edition (limited to 300) Flamingo Overlord tracklisting: 1. Dance Like a Pink Flamingo 2. All Drinks on Me 3. Flamongous 4. Twenty Miles an Hour 5. The Flamingorilla 6. Flamingo Libre 7. Piña Colada 8. Rule the Country 9. The Way You Earn Your Drinks 10. Overlords Have Feelings 11. Bob Venke

March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

81

The Biker And The Timeless Endurance Of The Blues There a number of sub-genres within blues music. Traditional, blues rock, slow blues, and more but no matter how you slice it overall the blues continues to deliver from one generation to the next. It really doesn’t matter what era the original songwriter of a popular blues song came out of as the blues and its many themes are timeless. The blues genre endures because it is highly relatable messaging set to music.

Combination blues songwriters/artists themselves reside in this rather distinctive tier of their own, for the most part many of these men and women have lived what they write. They write and sing about situations that happen to many of us therefore the result, their delivery, rings true.

Looking deeper, into the various sub-genres of the blues, we note the separate performance styles of the greats such as Buddy Guy’s presence being different from Eric Clapton’s for example. Both styles equally hitting the mark but then again they are different. Another example of being alike but different is the remarkable Barbara Blue’s presence being different from that of the great Ruth Brown’s. Both women perform originals in their own separate style but once again they both hit the mark smack dab on dead center. There are times when a good sultry blues style (Annika Chambers) moves you one way while another time a driving blues rock song (ZZ Top) invites you in another way. For me personally being up on two wheels and embracing this odyssey of mine allows me to open doors into multiple blues venues where I meet many blues songwriters and performers. I remember one time when I met a country artist in a blues bar. He volunteered that he started out playing the blues but he gave way to moving to Nashville to record country because a man in his words has

to make a living. He shared this because his creative heart still lives inside the world of the blues. Country is paying him well but if you examine the creative influences of the blues songwriter you learn that money is nice but those that write, record, and present their music live in a realm unto itself. They present the blues from the heart and they will not have it any other way. Recently twenty six year old Clay Melton released his five song EP titled “Back To Blue”.

It rose up the blues rock chart fast hitting number one in no time flat. Radio show hosts listened to his submission and immediately shared it with their audiences. Melton’s “Back To Blue” track on the EP by the same name combines southern residence and southern culture and injects it into a universally relatable theme, being jilted. In his song he advises, “pour yourself some cheap red wine, put on some delta blues, unwind your mind because baby you’re back to blue”. Ever happen to you, been jilted? If you haven’t heard the song take it in, it’s cool. Blues songwriters/artists craft and present relatable situations, albeit some of them being a bit cloaked at times, but always guttural in nature coming at you straight from the heart. The blues endures because it houses the very stuff that we all go through whether we are young or not so young. Hidden but within the creation of many of these songs lies a songwriter’s real world experiences, one that we too may have experienced but we keep to ourselves. Real world names and places of which cannot be or at the very least should not be shared are not but yet the song’s theme carries through to us just the same. Sort of a been there done that situation that we relate to all too well. There are also up tempo but slightly off continued on next page

82

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

Page 2 - The Biker And The Timeless Endurance Of The Blues color themes, themes that generate smiles such as Dr. John’s “How Come My Dog Don’t Bark When You Come Around”. Basically, in his song if you have ever suspected something obvious but not quite sure then you can relate to the humorous musings. In another type of blues theme, another real world experience for you personally perhaps, it could be that you shall we say found yourself with the wrong person at the wrong time? Things may have gotten extremely heated in that situation if you know what I mean. No matter how you slice it’s the blues baby and it comes at you within many real world themes. Blues performers interpret the songwriter’s theme as they envision it and then add their special creative delivery. A story unfolds and the listener’s somewhat unique and private experiences unify uniting us as a group even though we are not going to talk about it to the person sitting next to us. Then again even if you don’t speak about it sometimes if you just look at them closely you can see their own private, shy smile that communicates without words - been there, done that. Blues rock songs such as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “That Smell” present a warning about life’s bad choices, a modern day tragedy, as you and I listen and remember someone that is no longer with us. Now another type of highly relatable blues themes comes to us from Maria Daines who presents a number titled “Low Down Dirty Love”. A theme that is extremely relatable for many a wayward man and woman. The song speaks of knowing that this low down dirty love situation is definitely wrong but you’re doing it anyway. Ever done that? Of course not. Overall no matter how you slice the blues with its many themes it reaches all of us through one theme or another. It’s also interesting to note that there is a rather somewhat quiet understanding that resides within today’s blues professionals. It’s the recognition of those that keep the blues alive, those that work to inspire fellow artists of all ages. and others toward keeping the art form moving forward, a very commendable celebration to be sure.

On the other side of the coin, those new to the art form, those that are arriving on the scene and there are literally hundreds of new aspiring blues artists coming up that, simply stated, kick ass. These new entries are expanding the blues into new ears, to youthful ears and they too are to be commended. Coming at us from yet another direction the sexy songstress Evelyn Rubio presents her songs internationally in two languages communicating such worldwide themes as found in “I’m Gonna Love You Tonight”.

She presents the song beyond the English language thereby helping to expand the blues internationally. In this particular song the singer/songwriter presents a sexy, sultry form of the blues.

One that paints the longing that can exist within someone deeply in love while waiting for the other to arrive. The level of anticipation one can feel delivers yet another different type of blues situation. Then we look at the venues that support these performers week in and week out. One such place in Houston Texas is The Big Easy. It’s unique. A multicultural night club that proves that races and genders can enjoy the same kind of music within the same set of walls because the blues is indeed the common denominator. In fact The Big Easy is so popular that the number of bands wanting to be on stage there is extremely impressive.

Incredibly, usually for a five or ten dollar bill you can see top names.

This price point and place of friendship is a prime example of the type of blues culture existing and flourishing all over the United States and beyond. The entertainment is the attraction, the relaxed atmosphere that continued on next page March 2022 • Rock and Blues International

83

Page 3 - The Biker And The Timeless Endurance Of The Blues resides there is because of the type of people that seek out good blues performances. A mature, disciplined cool crowd that just wants to hear the best and take it all in. People that are new to experiencing blues venues can be a bit hesitant at first but once inside they fit right in. You take an artist like Albert Cummings who gets a venue up and rolling strong with his songs like “The Blues Makes Me Feel So Good” The tune kicks ass and receives momentous applause. His “Barrelhouse Blues” which is a somewhat compelling number, holds the level of anticipation in place while Cummings expressive vocals communicate a man not doing well with his woman. He sings you can talk to your whiskey people and closes saying however at closing time you won’t be through. Have you been there, done that? This is the world of the blues, pure raw emotion being expressed front and center stage.

Among the real deal bluesmen of all time is Sam “Lightnin” Hopkins. One of the many noted pioneers of American blues whose albums continue to be relished the world over. Mr. Hopkins made the scene delivering front running originals all the while he writing and performing new material, he never looked back. The man was all blues, he lived it, he wrote it, recorded it, and performed it. To this day he remains a special treasure and well into the future his contributions will be remembered for decades to come. His cousin, Milton Hopkins, is still with us. Milton spent eight years on the bus with the late B.B. King playing rhythm guitar in B.B.s band. Two lifelong bluesmen and there are lifelong blues women as well. In fact, in the late twenties and thirties it was the female blues singers that attracted the audiences into the clubs. To this very day stage presentations by such female traditional blues artists as Trudy Lynn and Diunna Greenleaf are highly sought after with both performing for weeks at a time in Europe.

Their albums continually present the best in blues and are well worth the money. Trudy got her start at Peacock Records when she was just a young girl and would go on to be booked offshore by Chess Records A&R agent the famous Max Cooperstein. Today, after some fifty plus years of performing she remains a fan favorite both domestically and abroad. Another great blues fan favorite is Diunna Greenleaf. As a young girl Diunna would always be singing but especially she loved to sing in church. Everyone kept remarking that this is a major vocalist in the making. How true that would turn out to be. Diunna came up fast and the blues became a natural home for this marvelous blues lady. She formed her own band named Blue Mercy and the world fell in love with this woman’s presence. Both women, Trudy and Diunna, still sing in church to this day and both are still recording and touring. That’s the blues ladies and gentlemen.

You either is or you ain’t.

84

Rock and Blues International • March 2022

January 2022 • Rock and Blues International

85