Wilkinson Blades CD release show 6/9/2012
Images from the Wilkinson Blades CD release show.
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Wilkinson Blades CD release show for “4:00 AM” June 9th at Secret Society Ballroom
PORTLAND, OREGON-BASED ROCK ACT, WILKINSON BLADES TO RELEASE THEIR DEBUT CD, “4:00 AM”, JUNE 9TH AT SECRET SOCIETY BALLROOM.
Portland, Oregon-based rock outfit, Wilkinson Blades will celebrate the release of their debut, 4:00 AM, June 9th at Secret Society Ballroom. Centered around songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Steve Wilkinson, the band is rounded out by Johnny Huck on bass, Jon Beyers on drums, Grant Cumpston on guitar and backing vocals, and Rich Lander on keyboards, mandolin, and backing vocals.
Editor’s Note; SP Clarke’s review of 4:00AM
Also on the bill are Eskimo and McDougall. Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm. Cover is $10.00 at the door or $15.00 with a CD.
4:00 AM, which will be released nationally on indie label Shiftone Records (an Austin, TX-based label), is an eleven track collection of rootsy-pop, Stones-y rock, sunshine pop, and rainy-night melodies. Recorded by Wilkinson and friends at various studios, the making of the album was unlike any of Wilkinson’s other projects (including Gravelpit and Mission 5). There were no expectations, no pressures, and certainly no constraints put on the music. The only goal was to make a record Wilkinson would be proud of, could play for his friends, and not have to compromise with members in a band setting.
“I was busy with Mission 5 at the time, making records, writing, and playing lots of live shows,” comments Wilkinson, discussing why his debut solo record took longer than any of his previous records to make. “All of the bands I have ever played with had a sense of urgency as far as schedules go and getting records out on time and on a tiny budget. I wanted this record to be done on my time, without rushing and without worrying about deadlines. Needless to say that with a five-year project I more than accomplished my goal by about four years.”
Playing the majority of the instruments himself, Wilkinson wasn’t without his friends on this record, including them as much as he could, assembling a band without the confines of a band.
“I really wanted this to be a huge group project without the idea of a ‘band’ being behind it. From writing, to arranging, to all of the instruments, backup vocals, production and engineering, this was exactly what I set out to do when I decided to make this record,” Wilkinson proudly proclaims.
Guests include Wilkinson’s former Mission 5 band mate, and favorite guitarist, Grant Cumpston, drummer Rob Stroup, journeyman and multi-instrumental Rich Lander, Professor Gall’s Drew Norman, and Sean Flora. The album also features co-writes by Rob Barteletti, Nick Peets, and Anthony Lambright.
“All of these people made a huge difference in how the record sounds. I am really proud of the fact that I could pull together some of my favorite musicians in Portland and mash it together in an album that sounds like me, while at the same time showcases their contributions to the record.” He pauses, then continues. “It sounds like me but even better, even though most of them weren’t in the studio at the same time. We made it sound cohesive, and I’m very proud of that.” Although it was never planned, the band has currently started playing out live and gaining a loyal following – an unlikely twist to the original scope of the recording project.
Leading off with “No Exit,” a song Wilkinson wrote while on the road with Gravelpit during a Rocky Mountain region tour, Wilkinson’s distinct gravel and smoke rock pipes let you know this record is going to be a musical journey. Few artists can pull off a strong rock song like “No Exit” and later in an album write a country number, without having it sound out of place or forced. However, Wilkinson pulls it off with the banjo number “Someday,” a song he beams about when discussing. “The song is about acknowledging my own double standards and owning up to stuff rather than blaming it on someone else. Since this is somewhat of a new outlook, I decided to do it in a new style.”
And then there is the buoyant, summertime pop of “Sunshine Now,” written in Portland, at night, during rainy and dark weather, offering up a glimpse of warmth and clarity while the sky showered the city with sheets of rain.
A highlight for Wilkinson is the Lee Hazelwood cover, “Some Velvet Morning,” a subdued, yet inviting blurry-eyed number that pays tribute to Hazelwood while allowing Wilkinson room to commandeer it as his own. Same goes for “Crippled Mind,” a song penned by legendary Northwest songwriter Chris Newman for his post-Napalm Beach outfit Snow Bud and the Flower People.
The end result: Wilkinson accomplished what he wanted. He made a record that truly sounds like him, that he is unabashedly proud of, and the culmination of his musical past and history.
Visit Wilkinson Blades online at:Reverb Nation: http://www.reverbnation.com/wilkinsonblades
Ultimate DANKO JONES DVD Collection to be Released in US July 3, 2012
The Ultimate DANKO JONES DVD Collection
to be Released in the United States on July 3, 2012
Double Disc DVD includes Short Film
featuring ELIJAH WOOD, SELMA BLAIR, LEMMY (Motörhead) and More!
New Documentary: Bring On The Mountain WORLD PREMIERE at NXNE 2012 on June 12, 2012
NEW ALBUM Coming Fall 2012!
Canadian rock phenomenon DANKO JONES is gearing up to release the first ever official DANKO JONES DVD, entitled Bring On The Mountain on July 3, 2012 in the United States. The two-disc DVD features a comprehensive 90 minute documentary spanning the band’s incredible career, including a slew of exclusive live clips from some of their most memorable performances from around the world. In order to give their fans the best viewing experience possible, the band has blended the greatest clips and moments captured on video throughout their career—forming the outstanding DVD that rabid DANKO JONES fans have been clamoring for. Shot by the Diamond Bros., the documentary offers a unique insight into the ups and downs of one of the hardest working bands around today.
An extra special treat for fans comes in the format of a short film titled The Ballad of Danko Jones. Based on Danko Jones’ most recent video trilogy, the film features actors Elijah Wood, Selma Blair, Ralph Macchio, Jena Malone, musicians Lemmy (Motorhead), Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE), and many other familiar faces. All 19 music videos the band has ever made, including videos that have not been available in over 10 years, are also included.
The world premiere of Bring On The Mountain will take place at the National Film Board during the NXNE Film Festival in Toronto, ON on June 12, 2012 (encore performance on June 15), followed by The Ballad of Danko Jones on June 13. Although DANKO JONES will be busy touring in Europe, directors Josh and Jason Diamond will be on hand for the premiere.
DANKO JONES recently wrapped up recording a new album at Noble Street Studios in their hometown of Toronto, ON with producer Matt DeMatteo, and is currently in Vancouver working on the final mixes with engineer Mike Fraser. The currently untitled album is expected to be released early fall 2012.
DANKO JONES’ most recent full-length release, Below the Belt, is the band’s most successful album in many years and includes their biggest commercial radio single to date, entitled ‘Full of Regret’. The single was one of the most played rock songs on Canadian radio in 2010 and charted within the Top 30 on the US Active Rock charts. The album also charted in seven European countries + Canada, including a top 10 position in Sweden. The band’s music has been featured on television on HBO’s True Blood and CSI: NY, on video games like Need for Speed Nitro and NHL 2011, and on the Saw VI and VII soundtracks—just to name a few. DANKO JONES has performed with the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Motorhead, The Rolling Stones, and more and have sold-out numerous headline tours of Europe and Canada.
DANKO JONES will be taking part in a special European festival run kicking off on June 7, 2012 in Sweden at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg. Fall dates in both the U.S. and Canada will be announced shortly along with more European dates. See below for all currently confirmed international tour dates.
CONFIRMED DANKO JONES TOUR DATES:
- 06.07 – Sweden Rock Festival, Sölvesborg, Sweden
- 06.09 – Millencolin 20 year festival, Örebro, Sweden
- 06.15 – Azkena Rock Festival, Vitoria, Spain
- 06.28 – Open Air St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
- 07.13 – Optimus Live, Lisbon, Portugal
- 07.19 – Hegyalja Festival, Tokaj, Hungary
- 07.20 – Devilside, Oberhausen, Germany
- 08.01 – Wacken Festival, Germany (Spoken Word)
- 08.02 – Wacken Festival, Germany (Spoken Word)
- 08.17 – Rockstad, Falun, Sweden
- 10.16 – Circus, Helsinki, Finland
- 10.21 – Docks, Hamburg, Germany
- 10.24 – Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 10.25 – AB, Brussels, Belgium
- 10.26 – Le Trabendo, Paris, France
- 10.29 – Arena, Wien, Austria
- 10.30 – Longhorn, Stuttgart, Germany
- 10.31 – Theater Fabrik, Münich, Germany
- 11.01 – Postbahnhof, Berlin, Germany
- 11.02 – FZW, Dortmund, Germany
- 11.03 – Batschkapp, Frankfurt, Germany
DANKO JONES is:
- Danko Jones (vocals/guitar)
- John ‘JC’ Calabrese (bass guitar)
- Atom Willard (drums)
Metalocalypse’s DETHKLOK and LAMB OF GOD Announce North American Tour
Special Guest GOJIRA Joins for 34-Show North American Tour Beginning August 1
This summer, two of the biggest names in metal, LAMB OF GOD and DETHKLOK, will join forces for a 34-show North American tour kicking off on August 1 in Seattle, Wash. The three-time Grammy® Award-nominated band from Richmond, VA and the world’s most brutal animated death band from Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse animated series will shred their way through cities throughout in the U.S. and Canada ending September 15 in San Francisco, CA.
The upcoming DETHKLOK and LAMB OF GOD with GOJIRA summer tour marks the return of LAMB OF GOD to North American stages where they will support their latest albumResolution, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart when it was released earlier this year. As in tours past, Brendon Small, the co-creator and composer behindDETHKLOK, will bring the animated band to life on stage each night alongside an all-star band including the legendary Gene Hoglan, Bryan Beller and Mike Keneally. Building on the success of Dethklok: The Dethalbum and Dethklok: The Dethalbum II from Williams Street Records, Small is currently in the studio working on the band’s third album release scheduled for later this year. Additionally, new episodes from the fourth season of Metalocalypse currently air on Adult Swim Sundays at 12:15 a.m. (ET/PT).
Joining the co-headliners at each stop along the tour will be special guest GOJIRA, the French metal band that will perform songs from its upcoming album release, L’Enfant Sauvage, which will be released in the U.S. on June 26 with Roadrunner Records. Pitchfork describes the new album as “breathless and awesome.”
Tickets to the DETHKLOK and LAMB OF GOD with GOJIRA tour will go on sale beginning Friday, May 18 and will include the following stops:
| Date | Venue | City/State |
| 8/1/12 | WaMu Theater | Seattle, WA |
| 8/2/12 | Queen Elizabeth Theater | Vancouver, BC |
| 8/4/12 | Big 4 | Calgary, AB |
| 8/5/12 | Shaw Conference Centre | Edmonton, AB |
| 8/7/12 | Convention Centre | Winnipeg, MB |
| 8/9/12 | Eagles Ballroom | Milwaukee, WI |
| 8/10/12 | LC Pavilion | Columbus, OH |
| 8/11/12 | Heavy TO | Toronto, ON |
| 8/12/12 | Heavy MTL | Montreal, QC |
| 8/14/12 | Delta Plex | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 8/15/12 | Family Arena | St. Louis, MO |
| 8/19/12 | Midland Theater | Kansas City, MO |
| 8/21/12 | Congress Ballroom | Chicago, IL |
| 8/22/12 | Compuware Arena | Detroit, MI |
| 8/23/12 | Stage AE | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 8/24/12 | Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheater | Charlotte, NC |
| 8/25/12 | Constant Convocation Center | Norfolk, VA |
| 8/26/12 | Pier 6 Pavilion | Baltimore, MD |
| 8/29/12 | Roseland Ballroom | New York, NY |
| 8/30/12 | Tsongas Arena | Lowell, MA |
| 8/31/12 | Toyota Presents Oakdale Theater | Wallingford, CT |
| 9/1/12 | Outside at the Electric Factory | Philadelphia, PA |
| 9/2/12 | Asbury Park Convention Hall | Asbury Park, NJ |
| 9/4/12 | Hard Rock Live | Orlando, FL |
| 9/5/12 | Tabernacle | Atlanta, GA |
| 9/7/12 | Bayou Music Center | Houston, TX |
| 9/8/12 | Sunken Garden | San Antonio, TX |
| 9/9/12 | Verizon Wireless Theater | Dallas, TX |
| 9/11/12 | The Fillmore | Denver, CO |
| 9/13/12 | Comerica Theater | Phoenix, AZ |
| 9/14/12 | Gibson Amphitheater | Los Angeles, CA |
| 9/15/12 | Bill Graham Civic | San Francisco, CA |
*Schedule is subject to change.
For more information about the tour including ticket info and how to order, please visit www.adultswimpresents.com or www.lamb-of-god.com.
WEST OF HELL Releases New Music Video Trailer for ‘Water of Sorcery’
New Music Video Trailer for ‘Water of Sorcery’ with GuitarWorld.com Today — New Album ‘Spiral Empire’ Out Now!
On Tour in Canada Now!
Vancouver, BC natives WEST OF HELL and GuitarWorld.com are teaming up to unveil the brand newmusic video trailer for the band’s track, ‘Water of Sorcery’, cut from their new album, Spiral Empire.
Spiral Empire was released on May 8, 2012 and is available for purchase now at iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers, or with a free digital download if purchased at www.reversedrecords.com/estore.html. Head over to GuitarWorld.com to check out the trailer for ‘Water of Sorcery’ now and get a visual taste of the new album!
Spiral Empire was recorded at The Factory Studios in Vancouver and is produced by Juno Award winning engineer Rob Shallcross (Strapping Young Lad, GWAR, Zimmers Hole, Fear Factory).
WEST OF HELL is currently on the road in Canada! See below for all currently confirmed dates.
WEST OF HELL TOUR DATES:
- 5/16 – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos
- 5/18 – Edmonton, AB @ New City (Family event with Cocaine Moustache)
- 5/24 – Canmore, AB @ Canmore Hotel (Family event with Cocaine Moustache)
- 5/25 – Kelowna, BC @ Level Nite Club (Family event with Cocaine Moustache)
- 5/26 –Victoria, BC@ Church of 13 Flames Privet Bash (Family event with Cocaine Moustache)
WEST OF HELL is:
- Vocals – Chris “The Heathen” Valagao
- Bass – Jordan Kemp
- Guitars – Sean Parkinson & Jordan Knute
- Drums – Andrew Hulme
For more information about WEST OF HELL, please visit these websites:
BANDHAPPY Announces the Official “BANDHAPPY Lesson Tent” at the 2012 VANS WARPED TOUR!
BANDHAPPY, the first LIVE online and in-person music education service, is pleased to announce their sponsorship with the Vans Warped Tour this summer! As a sponsor, BANDHAPPYis very proud to offer a unique service for fans and bands alike on each date of this tour. BANDHAPPY is providing an official “BANDHAPPY Lesson Tent” where fans/attendees will be able to take lessons from their favorite bands/musicians on the Vans Warped Tour! Since launch, BANDHAPPY has serviced thousands of students in over 100 countries learning daily on the site by either live video chat or in-person while artists are on tour.
At the Vans Warped Tour, BANDHAPPY lessons can include anything from instrument and vocal lessons, to lessons about songwriting, marketing, image, management, gear walk-throughs, or anything else relating to the music industry. Take a trip over to www.bandhappy.com/warpedtour and check out all of the new details, as well as to vote for which artists YOU would like lessons from (and on what instrument) in each city!
All BANDHAPPY lessons will take place in the official BANDHAPPY Lesson Tent and can be pre-purchased at the link above, or via cash or credit card on day-of-show. Initially,BANDHAPPY will be offering pre-sale lessons for fans via www.bandhappy.com/warpedtour from members of Bayside, Born of Osiris, The Streetlight Manifesto, After the Burial,Vanna, iwrestledabearonce, Impending Doom, Chelsea Grin, and many more!
BANDHAPPY representatives will be on-site outside the festival speaking with fans waiting in line and taking orders for lessons. During lessons, students will be provided with practice instruments by SJC Drums, Ernie Ball, Orange Amps, Evans Drumheads, Planet Waves, Pro-Mark Drum sticks, Mapex hardware and pedals. Also taking place in the BANDHAPPY Lesson Tent will be master class meet and greets, contests, recording of lesson footage, and more! Additionally, official Vans Warped Tour ‘Pit Reporter’ Amy Willard will be taking weekly lessons at the tent and will issue updates.
BANDS!
Not only a great tool for fans attending the festival, this is a great opportunity for bands to become teachers on the tour as well. Lessons can be taught in a band’s down time every day, and while this is definitely a way for them to make additional money, it’s so much more than that! Both BANDHAPPY and Vans Warped Tour will be heavily promoting BANDHAPPY and its teachers. There will be a vast amount of articles, interviews, blogs, posts, etc. about this service, and the bands who take part in it. You’re already getting your name out there from being on the Vans Warped Tour, why not MAXIMIZE that?
Bands can use BANDHAPPY to book and provide online lessons to their students with our built in video chat setup, or book private, in person lessons at home or on tour! BANDHAPPYmakes this effortless and it takes the hassle out of lessons. Bands can set their own rates and schedules with the assistance of BANDHAPPY, and everything is self-contained including scheduling, payment, etc., so your info stays private and your schedule stays organized. It has never been easier to establish a dedicated network of students worldwide.
For more information on BANDHAPPY’s involvement with the Vans Warped Tour, please visit these websites:
- www.bandhappy.com/warpedtour
- www.bandhappy.com/upcoming-warpedtour-lessons
- www.bandhappy.com/warpedtour-survey
- www.bandhappy.com/profile/warpedtour
About BANDHAPPY:
BANDHAPPY – a new music marketplace for a new music world. BANDHAPPY connects teachers and students in a one-of-a-kind music community, offering both in-person lessons or online lessons anywhere on the planet via our custom-built, in-house video chat system. For all things BANDHAPPY please visit www.bandhappy.com, www.facebook.com/bandhappy andhttp://youtu.be/XE7-AUbpEik.
7th Annual Shakers’ Ball to take place March 30th at Aladdin Theater
With Casey Neill & The Norway Rats, Ian Moore & The Lossy Coils, and Rob Stroup & The Blame. Plus special guest performers from the Shakers’ Sessions CD.
The 7th Annual Shakers’ Ball will be held on Friday, March 30th at The Aladdin Theater, hosted by it’s founder, Rob Barteletti. The event will honor and benefit two organizations that have served the local Parkinson’s community for years; Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon (PRO) and The Parkinson’s Center of Oregon at OHSU (PCO).
Tickets for the show are $15 and are available through Ticketmaster, or through The Aladdin Theater box office. Box office hours are Monday through Saturday, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Doors open at 6:00pm and the show starts at 7:00pm.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive, and incurable neurological movement disorder marked by tremors, rigidity, slow movements, and posture instability. It occurs when dopamine-producing cells in one of the movement-control centers of the brain begin to die for unknown reasons. Its symptoms can be managed with varying degrees of success by various therapies, most commonly through medication. So far, however, no cure is in sight.
“Though that can change, given all the trials and experiments in the pipeline,” says Barteletti. “But money is still the bottom line – both for continued research as well as support for those of us who may not be able to wait for a cure. That’s why I host this event each year: to do my small part to help in this battle.”
The show will feature Casey Neill & The Norway Rats, Ian Moore & The Lossy Coils, and Rob Stroup & The Blame. Rob Stroup & The Blame will also be the backing band for guests vocalists, including Wilkinson Blades’ Steve Wilkinson, Nick Peets, Bart Ferguson, Rob Stroup, Casey Neill, and Ian Moore, who will all be performing the song they sing on the Barteletti-penned The Shakers’ Session.
Holly Chaimov, executive director of Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon says of Barteletti, “Rob has blended his energy and enthusiasm for music with his dedication to supporting the Parkinson’s cause. We appreciate his efforts to bring awareness as well as donations to help us help those with this disease.”
The Shakers’ Sessions was released by Burgerville Records and sold exclusively at Burgerville’s restaurants, raising over $56,000 for The Brian Grant Foundation, an organization founded in 2010 by former Trail Blazers’ power forward/center Brian Grant to support efforts to build awareness and education of Parkinson’s disease in order to increase earlier diagnosis, educate patients and their families, and to provide a viable forum for people affected by Parkinson’s. Both Grant and Barteletti have Parkinson’s and have been helped and supported by the Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon and The Parkinson’s Center of Oregon at OHSU.
The album is a 12-track collection of roots-oriented, folk-pop-tinged Americana, with each guest vocalist adding their own interpretation to Barteletti’s rustic Americana songwriting style.
The track listing:
1. Being Jesus Again – Rob Stroup- 2. Queen of Sheba – Fernando
- 3. Mr. Heartache – Nick Peets
- 4. Ask Me Why – Pete Droge
- 5. The Box – Ian Moore
- 6. Voices – Storm Large
- 7. Fool that Is Me – Bart Ferguson
- 8. Bird on the Wing – Steve Wilkinson
- 9. Reckoning Day – Mike Coykendall
- 10. Wild Woman Blues – Ken DeRouchie
- 11. Under Icy Falls – Casey Neill
- 12. Her Man, Her Lover, Her Friend – Rob Barteletti
The record was released November 15, 2011 at all Burgerville locations and was sold throughout January 2012, culminating in a presentation from Burgerville to Brian Grant and his foundation with a check for $56,000 at the Rose Garden during half-time of a Trail Blazers’ game versus Charlotte Bobcats (the game ended in a 112-68 victory over the Bobcats).
Every day, 195 people are newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s and it affects more than just the person who has it – it also affects the entire family dealing with Parkinson’s disease. One such person is songwriter (and former high school teacher) Rob Barteletti, who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2002.
“At the time I was teaching a theology course that asked the question, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ As I had learned from reading Harold Kushner’s book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, ‘Why?’ is the wrong question; the better question is ‘What are you going to do about it? How are you going to make the most of the bad things that happen to you and your loved ones?'” Barteletti says without hesitation. “Perfect,” I thought. “My chance to put into practice what I have been teaching.”
He continued teaching for more than five years after his diagnosis, retiring in 2007 after 31 years. After retiring, Barteletti, who realized the clock was ticking on his songwriting, his ability to play and write music on the guitar, dove into his music full-time, writing constantly.
Following a conversation with close friend, and recording engineer/producer Rob Stroup from 8 Ball Studios, the idea was born to do a benefit album for Parkinson’s patients, with local musicians coming in and signing songs Barteletti had penned.
“I had just written a series of swampy, tongue-in-cheek, sad, hopeful songs. I brought rough demos to Rob Stroup for his opinion. As we discussed this, we came up with the idea to invite the best singers in Portland and the Northwest to each record one of my songs. The album would be sold as a benefit, with all profits earmarked for Parkinson’s support organizations,” recalls Barteletti .
Phone calls were made. Emails were sent. Soon, Barteletti found Northwest musicians more than willing to participate, including Storm Large, Pete Droge, Fernando Viciconte, Ian Moore, Mike Coykendall, Casey Neill, Bart Ferguson, Steve Wilkinson, Ken DeRouchie, Rob Stroup, and even the one-time student of Barteletti at Jesuit High School, Nick Peets.
“There are three irrefutable cold, hard facts about Parkinson’s disease: it is chronic, it is progressive, and it is incurable. Every Parkinson’s patient hears this somber mantra upon diagnosis,” informs Barteletti. “I now understand the reality of those words more than any time since I was diagnosed seven and half years ago.”
He continues, “Over the past few years, my musical skills have diminished, but it’s as if my songwriting has been set free by the disease. This fills me with hope and inspiration.”
Honored that so many Northwest icons were willing to participate in the making of The Shakers’ Sessions, Barteletti hopes to inspire others with the disease, educate those unfamiliar with its impact on lives, and ultimately raise money to help those living with the incurable disease.
“The collaborative goal is to bring these songs not just public artistic recognition, but more importantly to share this music to bring awareness and funding to The Brian Grant Foundation, to further their cause, and help them provide assistant to those less fortunate than me, who are also living with Parkinson’s. My dream is to see the day when a cure can be found for this insidious, relentless disease.
But, in the mean time, I hope The Shakers’ Sessions can inspire and offer hope to others like me. Much like it has done for me,” Barteletti says.
Pilar French’s CD release show, March 16th 2012 at The Secret Society Ballroom
On March 16, 2012 at the Secret Society Ballroom, Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter Pilar French will celebrate the release of her latest CD, Deliver, her third album overall. A six-song collection of heartfelt, warming pop-rock sprinkled with roots leanings, French takes a lighter approach on Deliver, following up on 2009’s Alive, an album that tackled life’s heavier subject matter.
Pilar French’s websiteAlso on the bill are Riviera and Nicole Campbell. Coors at 8pm, show starts at 9pm. Tickets are $8.00 in advance through Brownpapertickets.com and $10.00 at the door.
Recorded at 8-Ball Studios, and produced by French and Rob Stoup, French is joined by her band, Jeff Koch (guitar, guitanjo), Tony Howard (drums, vocals), and Sean Nowland (bass), as well as guests Jean Pierre Garau (keys), Rachel Taylor Brown (vocals, accordion), Marilee Hord (violin), and Todd Bayles (cello).
Discussing the optimistic vibe of Deliver compared to its predecessors (besides Alive, her debut album is 2007’s Butterflies), French comments that, “The second record I did was a little bit heavier. It touched on heavier topics like human perseverance and the will to survive and overcome life challenges,” says French. “This CD is more about cherishing family, relationships and what you have as opposed to what you don’t have. The music is a little more light-hearted. It’s meant to make you feel happy and appreciate what you have. I wanted to write songs to remind me to appreciate what I have. You walk away from it with really positive vibes.”
Opening with the title track, a song inspired by her nephew, French sings about wanting a better world for the next generation.
“It was inspired by Luke, my nephew, who was born prematurely but who is now a healthy, vibrant little kid.”
A mid-tempo pop song, the song comes across like a burst of sunshine, French’s warm voice accompanied by a steady drum beat and beautifully-crafted instrumentation, the keyboard adding a spring to the already heartening song.
“Love and Live” finds French being more soulful, a rich, passionate soul-roots song that has her singing about forgetting the rat race and appreciating what you have.
“There’s so much going on in our society right now – people are losing their jobs and their homes. Times are tough,” French says, discussing the song, and the overall vibe of the album. “We’ve got people fighting in a war that’s been going on for ten years. It’s a time that makes us want to reflect on what we have and appreciate it.”
With the addition of guest vocalist Rachel Taylor-Brown on “Tumbleweed,” the pop-rock number comes alive, while “Place of Our Own” finds French creating a mysterious ambiance with its late-night, been out all night having fun, laid-back rock style.
The soul-pop groove of “End of the Day” showcases French’s voice perfectly, while the album closer, “The Build,” offers a nice instrumental roots-pop finish to a polished, memorable collection of tunes.
Some will notice that “End of the Day” also appears on Alive. The version found here is a full band version, expanding on the acoustic recording previously released.
“I wanted to record it with the full band and capture a more euphoric sound. The song came to me while sitting on a log on the beach in Pacific City during sunset. For me, sunset is the best part of the day. It’s the most frequent time you will find me pausing to catch my breath and appreciate my surroundings. I guess because I am often stunned by the beauty. Call me a sap,” she says of the re-recording.
With Deliver French tries to capture the breathtaking beauty of a sunset, and the daily joys of life, and put it to music, offering listeners a sound that will give them hope, optimism, and something to slow down, take a deep breath, and relax to while they take in life and all its wondrous beauty. If there is one message you should take from Deliver it’s live for today, enjoy life, and don’t let the negativity bring you down.
Previous Press Quotes:
“Her voice is old-fashioned, but it’s not quirky like Nellie McKay, it’s a ‘better than anyone you know’ voice in a tight style that sticks to the classic delivery Bonnie Raitt and many others.” – OPB Music
“Song titles like ‘Alive’, ‘Mercy’ and ‘Higher Ground’ might make you wonder whether Pilar French’s new release (also calledAlive) is a covers album, but the Portland singer-songwriter has been busy on both sides of the hyphen. Vocally alternating between airy and nasal, she reminds me of Aimee Mann as well as Portland artist McKinley; as far as songwriting, her quirky melodies and glossy and spiky New Wave production are also, if you will, ‘McKinleyesque.’ French’s Higher Ground, a duet with Justin Jude, is a bouncy, would-be radio-ready pop song and the highlight of the album released tonight.” – Willamette Week
“…years of playing in various – and varied – outfits have given Portlander Pilar French a confidence and polish that can’t be faked.” – Portland Tribune
“Pilar can be loungy, smoky and silky, bluesy but is slightly askew… The vibrant Pilar French Intention has made its mark at various Pacific Northwest venues including the Water Front Blues Festival, The Bite of Oregon, Robin Hood Festival, Crystal Ballroom, and Doug Fir.” – Oregon Coast Today
“She may have accidentally created an album about perseverance, but French herself knows firsthand what that means. Alive is a solid, confident affair and we’re the lucky recipients of her will to endure and grow.” – Oregon Music News
McDougall’s CD release show – March 24th 2012 at Secret Society Ballroom
With Water Tower (formerly Water Tower Bucket Boys) and Henry Hill Kammerer (of Hillstomp).
AMERICANA/FOLK-ROCK ONE MAN BAND, MCDOUGALL CELEBRATES RELEASE OF A FEW TOWNS MORE.
On March 24, 2012, Portland, Oregon-based Americana/folk-rock one man band McDougall will celebrate the release of his sixth full-length, A Few Towns More, at Secret Society Ballroom.
Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm. Tickets are $8.00 advance and at the door. Also on the bill are Water Tower (formerly Water Tower Bucket Boys) and Henry Hill Kammerer (of Hillstomp).
On the title track to A Few Towns More, McDougall sings, “The road you chose might take you back to your front door, but it looks like mine’s gonna take me on a few towns more.” Telling the story of touring, human interaction, and sharing in life’s adventures, McDougall sums up his album on the final track, discussing the isolation and loneliness of touring alone, while also singing it’s praises, meeting new friends and new adventures in cities he plays.
“It’s the title track and the final track on the album,” McDougall says of A Few Towns More. “It’s a song that portrays how lonely and yet totally amazing it can be touring alone. The loneliness you face sometimes is all worth it as you spend each night sharing songs with people and making friends out of strangers.”
Equal parts folk, Americana, and old-time country, McDougall’s music conjures up images of sitting by a coffee-can fire in the middle of a dry California river-bed that then pulls you up on a freight train that travels through the lush spring-time of the Pacific Northwest, with you ending up rambling around the country with all your possessions on your back.
McDougall wishes to keep to the unwritten rule of using what was left by those before while leaving something of your own for those who come after, as you exemplifies on A Few Towns More, an album that prevails with a message of hope throughout every journey.
“As with all of my albums, there is an underlying message of hope. This one also deals with the responsibility each one of us has to take what we learn in life and share it with others, to find that place where we know we belong and can do the most good,” McDougall says, summarizing the album’s lyrical themes.
A ten-track collection of dusty-trail Americana, it is hard to imagine that A Few Towns More is pulled off as a one-man-band live, McDougall handling either the guitar and banjo, while also playing percussion with his feet.
“I dig that when listening to [the album] you sometimes forget that most of it is one guy,” McDougall beams. “I try hard to find a balance between getting creative in the production realm and trying to produce something that can be repeated live with the same intensity. I think we found a good balance on this record.”
Whether it’s the opener, “Coleraine,” a banjo-driven clap-and-stomp chant piece that wears its hymn-like vibe on its sleeve. Or the rambling rock of “Ready, Begin,” in which McDougall sings, “time for living, you know, moving and thinking. I felt the bitter cold air make me high. On your mark, get set, and back to the task. Before all your chances change their colors and die,” McDougall creates mood-elevating, hopeful songs that remind you that you’re alive.
McDougall turns it down a few notches on the moonlit folk of “Evening Tide,” a ragged, yet mellow acoustic number that finds McDougall in a contemplative state. The high-impact banjo dance number “Cuttin’ the Grass/Tom and Willy Go To Town” is an instrumental that will make you get up and move, while creating the perfect soundtrack for the should-have-been theme song for the Oregon Trail. Abound with promise and adventure, even without words, McDougall can elicit feelings of a new life and excitement.
On the gospel-folk of “When God Dips His Love In My Heart” McDougall challenges himself on this traditional number that his mother used to sing with his grandparents when she was a kid.
“Gates of Victory,” with group vocals from various Portland-area musician friends, will have you singing along to the chorus, which rings with the words, “Looking to those who have humbly walked before us. They taught us how to live and they taught us how to die.”
“[The song] is about following solid examples of those who walked before us,” exclaims McDougall.
Recorded in a barn during a Washington winter, at times McDougall found it too cold to even play his banjo. But he persevered and made it through, proud of what he’s accomplished with A Few Towns More. Now all McDougall has to do is hit the road and play these songs for fans, new and old alike, while hoping they find the songs encouraging, engaging, and fun. With artwork from Modesto-based folk-singer/tattoo artist Roy Dean, A Few Towns More is rooted in traditional, better meant for your stereo, with artwork in your hands, than your MP3 player. However, McDougall will take listeners any way we can get them.
And, as he sings on “A Few Towns More,” “As we sing together each night in each town, old friends and new in the same room all let their problems down. And with our hands, feet, and voices proclaim, that every day doesn’t have to be the same,” McDougall hopes that his album will help you break up the monotony of every day life, helping you relax and enjoy yourself.
Jack Wilson to release debut, self-titled full-length CD March 6th on Fluff & Gravy Records.
On March 6, 2012, Portland, Oregon-based Fluff & Gravy Records will release the debut, self-titled full-length from Austin, Texas-based folk-pop songwriter Jack Wilson. His debut bridges the gap between the folk-rock of Seattle (where he began his career as a full-time musician) and the acoustic music prevalent in Austin.
“Somewhere, in the blending, is the sound of the record,” says Wilson, a little ambiguous when he talks about his music, but focused on describing it as best he can. “Whatever you might call it; my sound, well, it’s that blend.”
Jack Wilson; photo Courtesy of Fluff & Gravy Records
Wilson, a songsmith able to pull off his live performances solo, or with a full-on rock band, says that is what he set out to do with this release.
The result is the eleven tracks that comprise the album. Jumping from the nineteen electric guitars found on “The Cure,” a full-on rock number complete with a horn section, or the subdued, late-night folk of “The Truth,” the album travels the spectrum without sounding out-of-place, sloppy, or without direction.
From album opener “Valhalla,” a love song about dreaming and keeping watch over a sleeping loved one, through “I’ll Do the Same,” about meeting an old flame many years down the line, Wilson weavers tales and melodies into earnest indie-Americana. There is the chilling indie-folk of “Red Feather,” haunting you with a slow melody, about a winter night in Seattle, seeing the good-luck bringing Red-feathered Cardinals, and the country-rock of “Black Hills Fiction,” a three part narrative about the huge humanitarian disaster that was the Black Hills Gold Rush, told by a native, a prospector, and a soldier. Wilson is able to tell stories, sing about his love and life lessons, all while giving the listener a musical journey that is anything but predictable.
One of the album’s strongest songs is the alt. country kicker “Paying for Misery (Thanks to You)”, a song Wilson wrote as a homage to a train hopper and two folk singers that helped show him that working a menial job and squandering his musical career was never going to satisfy him. Suffice it to say, Wilson quit his job, wrote this song, and hit the road; putting everything on the line.
Thankfully Wilson did this, putting his faith in his own music, and what would become the self-titled full-length.
“I decided to go with a self-titled record for my debut,” Wilson admits. “During the process of making the record, which consisted of months of pre-recording talks and planning, I opted to steer away from a concept record. I didn’t want to make a rock record, or a folk record, or a low-fi record, or what have you. I just wanted to sit down and record the songs the way that they sounded best.”
He continues, “I didn’t want to be constrained to limits of alt. country, or rock, or folk. It was the greatest hurdle facing the record; just that idea of, ‘Do we make a rock record? Does every song need to have drums on it? How do we make an album that settles together and tells one story?’ Through multiple takes and versions, re-cuts and overdubs, some tracks kept all the complexity of the rock that they were recorded with, while some tracks, like the album’s only cover, ‘Clean,’ were stripped of everything. That’s what the song needed to come out and be heard.”
One of Wilson’s favorite songs on the record is “Valhalla,” a song he doesn’t even remember writing.
“It’s the song I play the most,” he remarks. “The funny thing is that I don’t remember writing it, at all. I don’t remember any point during the writing process. I do remember my ex, reading ‘The Mists of Avalon,’ and loving it and reading bits of it to me every night. I suppose that’s why it’s my favorite, it’s like someone gave it to me to play. As a gift.”
Proud of his debut full-length, Wilson doesn’t take the sole credit. He is quickly eager to thank, and show appreciation, for all the players that made the record a reality.
“So many friends helped this record come together,” he says. “The horn sections are something that I felt we used sparingly and with great impact. In the last chorus of ‘Valhalla,’ Alex Kostelnik and I spent hours finding ways to mix in the vocal lines, the pedal steel swells, the ecstatic drumming, and those four horns. Through that cacophony, came such a sweet feeling, like a tipsy stumble sidewalk, following a marching band through the streets of the French Quarter at 9 o’clock in the morning.”
Now the only thing left for Wilson to do is continue touring in support of the album he put his heart and soul into.
TOUR DATES:
- 1/27/12 – Cafe Medici – Austin, TX
- 1/28/12 – Skinny’s Ballroom – Austin, TX
- 1/30/12 – Saxon Residency (after Bob Schneider) – Austin, TX
- 2/03/12 – Club Deville – Austin, TX
- 2/08/12 – Marathon Live Music – Los Angeles, CA
- 2/09/12 – Silverlake Lounge – Los Angeles, CA
- 2/18/12 – Hole in the Wall – Austin, TX
- 2/22/12 – Folk Alliance Int’l – Memphis, TN
- 3/08/12 – 35 Denton – Denton, TX
- 3/16/12 – Eastside Lounge (Ninkasi Brewing party) – Austin, TX
- 5/13/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
- 5/14/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
- 5/15/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
- 5/16/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
- 5/17/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
- 5/18/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
- 5/19/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
- 5/24/12 – The Old Church – Wilsonville, OR
- 5/25/12 – Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA