Singer/songwriter Chris Wills to release EP in August

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2017

 

Singer/songwriter Chris Wills to release EP in August

 

Three singles to be released in advance of the EP

 

Song from EP, “Please Don’t Turn Out My Light,”

featured in Coca-Cola/Regal Cinemas promo in 2016

 

New York City-based 22-year-old singer-songwriter Chris Wills is set to release he debut EP, This Place Ain’t For Me, on August 11, 2017.  Produced by Grammy-nominated engineer Koby Hass (who has produced or engineered for Matt McAndrew, Mali Music and Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers, Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul Simon, and Lady Gaga), This Place Ain’t For Me packs a lifetime’s worth of experiences into six songs.

Three of the tracks will be released as singles in advance of the EP.  “Nowhere To Go” streets on May 12th, the title track, “This Place Ain’t For Me,” hits June 9th, and “Since You Said Goodbye” will come out July 14th. Great songwriting is at the core of who Chris Wills is. As he explains, in the lyrics for “Since You Said Goodbye,” he attempts to express the sense of longing and desperation found in, say, Roy Orbison gems like “Only the Lonely,” “Crying” and “I’m Hurtin’.” Sonically, the song channels the feel of some great Irish acts like The Waterboys, Hothouse Flowers, and Glen Hansard of Once fame.

Wills, a New Jersey native, struck gold when his song “Please Don’t Turn Out My Light,” was the featured song in the 2016 Coca-Cola and Regal Films program grand-prize winning film “Blindfold.” The film was shown nationwide in Regal Theaters for three months (October to December) in 2016. Teams from Coca-Cola and Regal selected three finalists and gave each filmmaker $15,000 to create a 35-second film. The director of “Blindfold,” The School of Visual Arts’ student Ameer Kazmi, worked closely with Wills to mix the 35-second spot.

Lest one assume that Wills’ road to the release of his six-song statement was without proverbial potholes and detours, he’ll be the first to admit that, although he chose his path to pursue music at the tender age of 13, the ride so far has been less than smooth. He was once a potential poster boy for the “troubled teen saved by rock and roll” scenario.  He went to court three times when he was a minor for bad behavior. “I had a real problem with authority or people telling me what to do,” Wills recalls. “I had to do a lot of community service, and my parents didn’t let me leave the property for an entire summer.”  His time spent at home that summer was the catalyst for his future: “I got really into the guitar, and I truly believe that music set me on the right path.”

Wills played guitar and sung in a litany of rock and blues bands.  At the ripe old age of 19, Wills made the astonishingly bold and equally mature musician’s decision to abandon the band life and set off as a solo artist when he found his bandmates weren’t as focused and dedicated as he was. “I’m pretty Type A and really determined,” Wills explains. “If I make a commitment to something, I’m all for it – just sign me up, till death, whatever!” He told himself, “All I wanna do is play music, so I’ll just do it myself.”

Wills cites as influences both relatively current artists and classic acts alike, including John Prine, Butch Walker, The Band, Ray Charles, Dan Wilson, and Gary Clark Jr.  With that kind of wide spectrum of keystone artists as musical and lyrical guideposts, he notes that the common thread he sees running through each of these impactful artists “is just them being themselves. They just let themselves be who they are, and then the songwriting’s always great.”

Passion, persistence, patience and professionalism all seem necessary characteristics any artist needs to have in abundance to succeed in the increasingly tough task of succeeding in the music business. “I’ve been writing songs since I first picked up the guitar when I was 11 or 12, and I don’t think that’ll ever go away,” says Wills.  “That’s what gives me the energy to get through my day. In my head, I’m committed to doing this.  My main goal is to grow, learn, and develop as a human being and make great music that reflects that.”

Wills plans to tour in support of the EP.  Tour dates will be announced soon.

www.chriswillsmusic.com

Southern rock singer-songwriter Bari Leigh to release new album, “Honey & Gravel,” on April 28thh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2017

Southern rock singer-songwriter Bari Leigh to release

new album, Honey & Gravel, on April 28th

“Bari Leigh is set to explode with her infectious mix of pop, country,

blues and soul…(a) buzz-worthy artist.” – Entertainment Tonight (CBS)

 

It has been said that you can’t get to courage without walking through vulnerability. Southern rock Nashville-based singer-songwriter Bari Leigh embodies this maxim to the hilt. The constant throughout her empowering journey is her emotional authenticity in knowing when to be tough and when to be tender. These extremes are harmoniously reflected on her fierce and compelling release, Honey & Gravel, out April 28, 2017 (Starfish Music).

 

Bari’s dynamic and warmly organic sensibility encompasses Southern-fried riff rock, Motown, country, classic soul, blues, and R&B.  She proudly embraces the tradition of brazen female vocalists who shattered paradigms and left a trail of broken hearts. Surrounded by powerful women, Leigh studied the work of the iconic female artists who came before her, citing Janis Joplin, Bobbie Gentry, Patsy Cline and Etta James as her biggest influences.

Bari’s previous releases (The EP in 2010 and Tonight, I’m Unchained in 2014) have garnered acclaim from Nashville Lifestyles MagazineThe ExaminerThe Tennessean, Justine Magazine (“strong and soulful… [a] powerhouse voice with a twang [that] gives us chills”) and The Boot, as well as being embraced by international and college radio, among other taste-making outlets. In addition, she has been featured on CBS’s “Entertainment Tonight,” “Voice of America: Border Crossings,” and Oxygen’s “Bad Girls Club” to name a few.

There is dualism coursing through Bari’s spirit. Her lyrics range from tender, soulful emotionality to bad girl mischievousness and her singing spans smooth-as-butter sensuality to raucous, swamp-rock swagger. Her third album’s title, Honey & Gravel, perfectly captures this wonderfully paradoxical disposition. The six-song album (plus a bonus cut if you purchase via iTunes) is a triumphant salvo after a physically, emotionally, and spiritually depleting time.

In the summer of 2015, Bari contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever after being bitten by a tick while hiking during a two-day break from a 350-date tour. Back on the road, she began to feel ill, suffering from extreme pain, intense fever, sudden blindness and acute loss of strength. Repercussions from the illness would span a difficult year and a half and Bari decided to write, record and co-produce Honey & Gravel as she recovered.

The title Honey & Gravel refers to an affectionate nickname given to Leigh by an industry colleague, as she can be both a sweetheart and a certified badass. On the gravel side of things is the pastoral acoustic pop of “What’s Left” and the recklessly fun country rocker “Preachin’ To The Choir.” The former track is a feminine anthem of not letting a lover get the best of you: “I’ll light one up and toughen up,” while the swaggering “Preachin’ To The Choir” represents Bari’s independent spirit and feisty nature: “I’m as torn as the holes in my jeans, there ain’t enough water to wash these hands clean.”

 

“Parsons” and “’Cuz It’s Broken” are vulnerable moments where Bari exposes her softer side. The dreamy “Parsons” snapshots a painful image of an ex sending his best friend to pick up his clothes from her front porch, each line written as it was occurring. Accompanied by eerie, haunting guitars, Bari sings “Cuz It’s Broken” with seething soulfulness as she proclaims, “you were a perfect mistake, but I promise, honey you won’t be mine.”

In exploring the duality inherent in Honey & Gravel, Bari learned a profound lesson in optimism. “Creating this music helped me truly find myself.” She concludes: “If you keep your head held high and your boots on the ground, you can find light in the darkest times.”

www.barileigh.com

Americana artist Mary Bragg to release new album, “Lucky Strike,” in May

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2017

 

Americana artist Mary Bragg

to release new album,

Lucky Strike, in May

 

“Bragg’s naturally sweet and pleasingly plaintive vocals

shine against a mixture of country, folk, and rock

creating a magnificent collection of Americana.” – No Depression

 

Nashville-based Americana singer-songwriter Mary Bragg is set to release her new album, Lucky Strike, on May 5, 2017.  For the seasoned artist, her rawest, most personal album to date appeared when she hadn’t even been planning to record a new album. After finding success writing for and with other artists (her co-written song “Easier Than Leaving” appeared on Michaela Anne’s recent release and was featured in Rolling Stone), Bragg had begun to consider devoting herself solely to songwriting.

Then, Lucky Strike co-producer Jim Reilley (of indie stalwarts The New Dylans) heard a few of Bragg’s songs and insisted that they be recorded. She agreed—but only if she could skip the fancy studios (and budgets). Says Bragg: “Lucky Strike was recorded in a backyard barn studio, where the microphones are old, not expensive-vintage-old, just old. Where the pop filters have holes in them. Where the vocal booth is unfinished because real walls never got built. It’s where ‘recorded live’ is for real recorded live, and everything is exposed.” The result is a stunning collection of songs that speaks to our common humanity with uncommon honesty.

Bragg was born and raised in Swainsboro, Georgia, a small town where family and church are primary pastimes, but a trip to New York City would change her life. With their deep southern accents and matching neon t-shirts, her hometown youth group worked in the city’s soup kitchens. “I was fascinated by the chaos of the city, and for the first time, I was hungry to learn and explore. I knew I’d be back some day.”

Against this backdrop, Bragg’s latest record Lucky Strike was born. After college, she headed back to the big city to nourish her dream of launching her music career, but she was quickly dealt a big dose of humility. “There’s this feeling—no matter the dream—this desire to be seen, acknowledged; like you’re just waiting on that one thing that will get you to where you want to be,” Bragg explains about the title track of her latest album. She sings, “I’m counting on a lucky strike to pull me out from the back of the line, make it easier to climb the mountain, and put me up on top.”

“The song ‘Lucky Strike’ is bit of a sarcastic poke at hopefulness,” Bragg says. “Because it might feel like there’s just one thing holding you back, but it’s never that simple is it? And—it might even be your own subconscious hang-ups standing in the way.”

Themes around coming of age and leaving home for new beginnings run throughout the record. In “Comet,” co-written with Becky Warren, she sings of the intimate journey a young girl and her mother take moving through loss, sadness and uncertainty together. Bragg’s vocals soar while the lyrics probe the small and tender moments that connect us to one another.

“Wildfire,” co-written with Liz Longley, captures the desire to be consumed by an undeniable passion, to tap into the irrepressible need to experience a deep connection to another person. This drive to refuse to settle for less is propelled by an unforgettable chorus that insists, “There’s nothing like a wildfire, feeling you can’t put out, loving that you can’t turn down, I want a wildfire.”

With candor and subtlety, Bragg’s songs probe this common journey to discover our truest selves, outside of our families and communities in which we are raised. That’s how she approaches the craft of songwriting as well. “I truly believe that a good song will make people feel something—even prompt people to ask themselves questions that I ask myself when writing the song. I can tell stories most effectively when I shake off that resistance to honesty, because that’s when the songs best resonate with my audience.”

Since she made Nashville home in 2014, Bragg has become a staple in Music City’s songwriting circles. For Lucky Strike, she wrote with several rising stars in the Americana scene. In addition to Warren and Longley, she worked with Robby Hecht, Stephanie Lambring, Bruce Wallace, Liz Poston, and Vince Constantino. Bragg brought together her long-time collaborators Rich Hinman (electric guitar, pedal steel) and Jimmy Sullivan (bass) for the new album, along with Bryan Owings (drums), Eric Fritsch (engineer) and Jim Reilley (co-producer).

Her previous studio recordings include Edge of This Town (2015), recorded in a West Oakland, CA studio after winning the Zoo Labs music residency contest, Tattoos & Bruises (2011), recorded in Manhattan in Norah Jones’s home studio and produced by Lee Alexander, and Sugar (2007), recorded in Brooklyn and produced by Darius Jones.

She has been honored in such prestigious songwriting contests as Kerrville New Folk, Telluride Troubadour, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Wildflower! Festival, and the International Songwriting Competition. Lauded by press from USA Today to Nashville Scene, CBS New York praised Bragg for “winning over audiences for years,” while Blurt Magazine called her music “assured yet vulnerable.”

Bragg plans to tour in support of the album—confirmed dates are listed below with more dates to be confirmed very soon.

 

Mary Bragg Tour Schedule:

03.03.17  – Richmond International Film Festival – HOF // Richmond, VA

03.18.17  – The 5 Spot // Nashville, TN

04.03.17  – The Basement // Nashville, TN

04.30.17  – The Bluebird Cafe // Nashville, TN

05.05.17  – The Family Wash // Nashville, TN

05.08.17  – Blue Plate Special // Knoxville, TN

05.12.17  – Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 // New York, NY

05.13.17  – Burlap & Bean // Newtown Square, PA

 

 

www.marybragg.com

Matt Hires and Kyle Cox to hit the road together

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 21, 2017

 

MATT HIRES AND KYLE COX TO HIT THE ROAD TOGETHER

 

Labelmates Matt Hires and Kyle Cox are set to head out on tour together again in late March – it is the singer-songwriters’ fifth time touring together.  Dubbed the “Acoustic Wilderness” tour (a nod to the title of Hires’ most recent album, American Wilderness), the pair will visit East Coast and Midwest markets (see full list of tour dates below).

Says Hires of the forthcoming tour run: “I’m pumped to get out on the road again with my friend Kyle Cox! He’s a great dude with who makes great music. After touring with the band in the fall, it will be good to be able to play a bunch of stuff from American Wilderness with just a guitar and really dig into the songs and the stories behind them. Can’t wait to hang out with everyone!”

Says Cox of the road pairing: “I’ve been looking forward to this tour for quite some time. Matt is one of my best friends, and we’ve done a lot of touring together in the past, but oddly enough didn’t tour at all together in 2016. It’ll be really nice to hit the road again, play some of my favorite rooms in the country, and share stories and songs for fans, new and old alike.”

 

About Matt Hires:

Hires released his most recent album, American Wilderness, in October 2016.  The striking Rock Ridge Music album by the Nashville-based singer-songwriter was produced by Randall Kent in Music City; the 10-song collection is a unified and probing work in which Hires – previously known for his work on F Stop Music/Atlantic Records (Take Us to the Start [2009] and This World Won’t Last Forever, But Tonight We Can Pretend [2013], which landed in the Top 10 on iTunes’ overall Top Albums chart) – has created an intensely personal and self-revealing song-suite where he contemplates his life and his beliefs amid the oft-cacophonous backdrop of modern America, and which captures the artist questioning his place in the world at 30 years old.

Written after Hires made a move from Tampa, Florida to Nashville in 2014, the material on American Wilderness drew its stylistic inspiration from old and new strains of Americana and contemporaries whose work reflects Hires’ own engaging pop sensibility, including folks like Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jason Isbell, and Brandon Flowers. American Songwriter called American Wilderness “his most honest collection of songs yet,” while Associated Press said the album “proves that Hires has much to say — and a rocking way of saying it. He’s grappling with demons against a passionate, adrenaline-fueled backdrop.”  PopMatters praised the album, saying it “pulls you right in with its slate of deeply personal, searching, musically accomplished alt-pop songs. Hires has a voice to light arenas and thrill small songwriter night crowds. He’s the real deal and will make you a believer.”

Hires’ songs have been heard in TV series such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice,” “Cougar Town,” and more.

www.matthires.com

 

About Kyle Cox:

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Kyle Cox released his latest record, an EP entitled Trio & Friends, in the summer of 2016.  Independent Clauses called one of the tracks on the EP, “Trusty Ol’ Pair of Boots,” “basically everything good about country music.” Originally from Orlando, FL, Cox has been further praised by press, particularly for his 2014 album The Plan, The MessAbsolute Punk called it “an absolute pleasure… astounding…. Confident, polished and endlessly melodic… an engaging delight.”

Trio & Friends was recorded in East Nashville with producer Mike Marsh (drummer of The Avett Brothers).  It was Cox’s fourth time working with Marsh and his third time as a producer.  “This EP for me has been paying respects to a lot of artists I love who have been way before me; folks like Willie Nelson & John Prine,” says Cox.  “The whole thing is a trio, with drums, bass, acoustic, and lead vocals tracked live.”

The EP (his fourth) followed on the heels of his album, The Plan, The Mess, which demonstrated his dedication to the art of songwriting—the song was always the focal point and never buried in the production process.  Cox draws inspiration from peers and legends alike while never letting his unique voice get lost.  Under The Gun Review called the album “a collection of soulful, heartfelt songs,” while Infectious Magazine said it was “entrancing and versatile… a stunning display of artistry.  This album is perfection.” Glide Magazine proclaimed, “he sure can craft a catchy song.”

Having toured extensively, Cox is very familiar with hard work.  Possessing a “put your head down and pound the pavement” mentality, he has done everything from opening for more established acts in packed venues to playing for smaller, more intimate living room crowds.  Whatever the size of the venue, Cox has an innate ability to connect with the listener through his songs in a deep and personal level.

www.kylecoxmusic.com

 

Matt Hires & Kyle Cox “Acoustic Wilderness” Tour Dates:

3/21 – Knoxville, TN / Awaken Coffee

3/22 – Asheville, NC / Isis Music Hall

3/25 – Winchester, VA / Bright Box Theater

3/26 – Basking Ridge, NJ / Ross Farm Music Series

3/27 – Southbury, CT / house concert

3/28 – New York, NY / Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 3

3/30 – Pittsburgh, PA / Hard Rock Café

4/5 – Chicago, IL / Beat Kitchen

4/6 – Madison, WI / Crescendo

4/7 – Mequon, WI / Concordia University Wisconsin

4/8 – Minneapolis, MN / Turf Club

4/12 – Kansas City, MO / Tank Room

4/13 – Ankeny, IA / Whiskey House

JC Brooks to release “The Neon Jungle” in April

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 16, 2017
 
JC BROOKS TO RELEASE THE NEON JUNGLE IN APRIL
 
“…Enveloping stage presence and palpable charisma.”
– Rolling Stone
 
“JC Brooks looks and performs like a cross between
Chuck Berry and H.R. of Bad Brains in their primes,
but his skintight R&B and post-punk soul
upend expectations of a retro act.”
– Washington Post
Chicago-based JC Brooks is set to release a new album, The Neon Jungle, on April 7, 2017 via Rock Ridge Music. JC Brooks makes soul-infused, genre-bending music that is energetic and kinetically charged. “It all started out as an effort to merge post-punk and soul, but it’s grown into so much more than that,” says vocalist/lyricist/ bandleader JC Brooks. “I feel like we carry that ethos with the genre-mixing blend of soul music we write, and the punk aspect is more about our DIY determination to get out there onstage and engage with our live crowds on a visceral level.”
After years of touring the US and Europe playing clubs to major festivals, the band hunkered down in 2016 to record The Neon Jungle. They previously released two albums for Bloodshot Records as JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, but with The Neon Jungle they have dropped “the Uptown Sound” and are simply going by the name JC Brooks. Band members include JC Brooks on vocals, Alec Lehrman on guitar, Theodore Berry IV on bass, Jeremy Tromburg on keyboards, Kevin Marks on drums, and JoVia Armstrong on percussion.
Brooks himself describes the forthcoming release as an album-length depiction of “one crazy, incredible night out.” And what a wild ride it is indeed, from the percussive harmonic rush of the opening track “Jungle” to the vulnerable balladeering of “Playing With Fire” to the progressively funky kick of “O. N. O.” — a song where Brooks filters the best of Prince, Mick Jagger, and Steely Dan into his signature soul-train blender — to the whirling-dervish jam attack of “Get Gone.”
The sound of the 11 tracks on The Neon Jungle is the result of a revised six-man Chicago-based lineup that’s now simply named collectively after its fearless leader, and the album very much reflects the full JC Brooks band’s invigorated, all-hands-on-deck approach. “One of the first things put into play with this new band was we wanted it to be a more wholly cooperative creative machine,” Brooks explains. “Everyone has a voice in its creation and this album came together the way it did and with the sound it did because the six of us did most of the writing as a unit.” The Neon Jungle took the band over 18 months to complete. Assistance in honing the new JC Brooks audio-vision came courtesy of the album’s main producer, Josh Richter of Victorian Recording, along with additional production input from Isaiah Sharkey (“Jungle”) and Steve Gillis (“Stumble in the Dark”), as well as mixer Ken Lewis (“Drive”).
JC Brooks has made a career out of delivering the goods they’ve put down on wax during their celebrated live performances, and the stage is where The Neon Jungle will be shining from next. To that end, concertgoers can expect to hear upwards of seven songs from the new album plus certain longtime favorites during the band’s upcoming tour. “I believe in our show. We have a very strong live band,” feels Brooks. “We know how to connect with people. Our show brings people into our fold and makes fans of those who might otherwise ignore our type of music.”
JC and the band will be kicking off their extensive 2017 touring (many dates forthcoming) with two album release shows:

Chris “Oz” Ferrara to release single “No Mercy” to country radio in March

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 25, 2017

 

Chris “Oz” Ferrara to release single “No Mercy” to country radio in March

Radio tour to kick off in February

 

Boston-born and Nashville-based performer Chris “Oz” Ferrara is set to release his new single, “No Mercy,” to radio and on digital sales portals this spring.  The country radio impact date is March 20, 2017, and Oz plans to hit the road on a radio promo tour beginning in February to promote the song.  “No Mercy” will be available from MB15Management in conjunction with Rock Ridge Music and NineNorth Records on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other digital outlets on March 17, 2017.

 

Oz, whose nickname comes from the multi-talented character in the movie “American Pie,” is what some close to him have called a modern-day Elvis: while those are massive shoes to fill, it’s not a comparison of talent, but a warm acknowledgment in that he’s a singer, songwriter, entertainer, musician, dancer, frontman, actor, and well-mannered gentleman.  He draws his influences from country, gospel, Motown, soul, and rock. “No Mercy,” which comes from his forthcoming debut EP, Something To Prove, is just one of the songs on the record that is a perfect blend of Oz’s most significant musical influences.

 

Immersing himself in the music scene – first in Boston and then in Nashville – and playing more than 1,000 shows in four years on the road with Joe Bachman, Ferrara has toured nationally and internationally, sharing stages with acts including Mick Fleetwood, Lee Brice, Train, Edwin McCain, Sister Hazel, and Florida Georgia Line, and racking up over 200,000 road miles.

 

Hailing from a small town just outside of Boston, Ferrara’s life actually began on stage when his mother went into labor while performing in the Sunday choir. It’s as if he heard the joyful noise and needed to be a part of it.  As a kid, Oz was drawn to the sounds of Motown, soul, and gospel – big music with harmonies and infectious rhythm – but around the house, he enjoyed the music of his parents. Mom listened to Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Shania Twain, and dad jammed on The Doobie Brothers and Bruce Springsteen. Often, Ferrara would escape to the attic where he would listen to his mother’s Beach Boys, Carpenters, and Eagles records. In his teenage years, he explored rock, hip-hop and electronic music, and as an adult, he found a very comfortable place among country music. That journey through music has allowed Ferrara to truly define who he wants to be as an artist, and his forthcoming debut EP, Something To Prove, is a perfect mix of all of them, with no tracks and no samples.

 

Armed with passion and a guitar, Oz tours regularly with his supporting band, “The Common Good,” and the name is a direct reflection of his mission. “I want my music and my shows to make people happy. I just want to do good things with my music. I want to change the world for the common good.”  He also has a non-profit, as well as a clothing and merchandise line, that share the name IV The Common Good that support this mission as well.  Always charitable at heart, Oz loves to do flash charity drives at his concerts, and he plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from sales of “No Mercy” to a charity; proceeds from the first week of sales of his most recent single, “Social,” benefitted the Leary Firefighters Foundation.

 

“This is who I am,” Oz says.  “The creation of this music was magical, mind-blowing, inspiring, and exciting.  I spent many years working and learning about who I want to be as an artist.  I’m very proud and very happy about this culmination of so much hard work.”

 

www.iamchrisferrara.com

Roger Street Friedman’s “Shoot The Moon” out now

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2017
 
ROGER STREET FRIEDMAN’S 
SHOOT THE MOON
OUT NOW
…sets the stage for the eclectic effort that meshes Americana,
folk, blues should and more. 
– Matt Inman/Relix
He writes with the wisdom of someone who’s seen
his share of living, and actually was savvy enough
to take notes along the way… So here it is: 
what will surely be one of the best albums
of this still brand new year–delivered right on time.” 
– Bill Bentley/Bentley’s Bandstand/The Morton Report
One moment he’s turning out harmonically rich Paul Simon-esque
art-folk; the next he’s digging into the kind of good ‘n’ greasy
Americana groove John Hiatt would kill for. 
– Jim Allen/Culture Sonar
Shoot The Moon is Roger Street Friedman’s just-completed album, out January 13, 2017, from The Playroom Records. Shoot The Moon, co-produced by the artist and Felix McTeigue (co-writer of Florida Georgia Line’s #1 hit “Anything Goes” and Americana chart topper and Grammy-nominated “Wreck You” by Lori McKenna), is the result of a concerted woodshedding effort following Friedman’s debut album, 2014’s critically lauded The Waiting Sky.
Friedman, now 54, lives in a small Long Island town and re-started his career in music in 2010 following the loss of his parents and the birth of his daughter. He told USA Today, “It’s never too late to make a change, to take your life in a direction that brings you joy and closer to realizing your dreams.”  With Shoot The Moon, he’s making up for lost time in a very palpable way. “It was scary,” he says of his decision to make music his full time pursuit, adding, “I had gotten to a point where, to be myself, I had to give music everything I had.” And he’s done just that with the new project, most of which he premiered live on his recent “World Tour Of Los Angeles.” He brought his band, Frank Ferrara (guitar), Jim Toscano (drums), Matt Schneider (bass) and Concetta Abatte (fiddle/vocals) who are heard on the album, to four Southern California venues over the course of four days in connection with the YoubloomLA Music Summit and Festival.
No Depression likened Friedman’s sound and approach to that of Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot and Fred Neil. The roots music website’s John Apice called his a “faithfully driven melodic voice,” suggesting, “this artist is someone you can explore without growing weary.”
All but one of the album’s 13 tracks were written or co-written by the artist who was joined by collaborators including Al Anderson, the veteran of NRBQ who has penned hit songs for Carlene Carter, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood and Tim McGraw, among others.  Also contributing to the songwriting process were co-producer McTeigue and Francis Galluccio who has written for Celine Dion, Danielle Bollinger, Destiny’s Child, Marc Anthony, Mandy Moore and others.  The album’s sole cover is a version of “Paradise,” written by John Prine, an artist for whom Friedman has great abiding admiration.  Of his songs, Friedman comments, “I strive to tell stories, to make them as real and truthful as I can by finding the poetry in ordinary moments.” Shoot The Moon exudes an album-oriented cohesion which is to say there is a broad spectrum of feelings and genres threaded together by Friedman’s well-developed aesthetic sense. His stylistic calling card is both earthy and urbane, spanning pastoral folk, euphoric New Orleans-style horn driven pop-rock, alt-country, blues, and R&B.
Additional musicians on Shoot The Moon include Amy Helm, Levon Helm’s brilliantly gifted daughter, Jason Crosby who has worked with the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh as well as Susan Tedeschi, Olabelle’s Fiona McBain, Ari Hest, Antigone Rising’s Nini Camps, Rich Hinman who work with Sara Bareilles, and The Mastersons.  Horn players include Jay Collins (Gregg Allman, David Bowie), Mac Gollehon (Rolling Stones) and Baron Raymonde (Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart). Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Dinosaur Jr., Morphine, Juliana Hatfield) mixed the album at his Camp Street Studios, formerly Fort Apache, in Boston.

Ashley Riley to release new EP in March

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2017

 

ASHLEY RILEY TO RELEASE NEW EP IN MARCH

 

Riley’s sophisticated indie/Americana

music is full of earthy grit

 

Earthy grit. Rootsy and soft. A distinct voice. At its core, Ashley Riley’s music is best described as sophisticated indie/Americana. There’s a dreamy quality to the songs, yet lyrically they capture the essence of the more honest moments of our days: those seemingly ordinary moments that suddenly take your breath away or make you weak in the knees, those moments that prove to us that oftentimes the most extraordinary moments are found in our everyday lives. Riley’s 7-song EP, Can’t Let You Go, due out March 3, 2017, takes this sentiment to heart – there is something there that we will all relate to.
For 2016’s full-length release (Through The Thin), Riley and her band recorded about 22 songs. It was in going back through those songs and other recordings that had been whittled away from previous records that Riley began to realize she had the makings of an EP. “All of the songs were born out of other sessions,” she says.  “They didn’t quite ?t the other projects I’ve put out because they had more of an alt-country ?air than the majority of what I was doing at the time, but to me they were still beautiful and important. A few of the songs, like ‘Lovers’ and ‘Tell Me Why,’ go all the way back to 2009. I went through all of my unreleased songs and started taking those pieces and ?tting them together.  It just made sense to re-record them and release them together as an EP.” Can’t Let You Go was recorded and produced by Matt Comerford (bass player in the band). Joining Riley and Comerford in the studio once again were Tyler Bundy (lead guitar, pedal steel) and Ian Grindstaff (drums).
Riley has been a staple in the music scene of her hometown Decatur, IL, where she got her start hosting open mics in 2008, helping to revitalize and nurture the underground singer-songwriter scene in town. After starting as an acoustic-based songwriter on her ?rst record, Riley realized by her second album that her songs begged for a band, and her next three albums got the full-band treatment to glowing reviews.
New Noise Magazine called her “one of the best obscure female artists I’ve heard in, well, ever,” and InForty.com declared her a “female songstress everyone would be wise to spend time with.” Women of Substance Radio noted: “Ashley’s songs have an ethereal and delicate quality… Her reverence for Americana artists like Neil Young and Patty Grif?n is unmistakable. She pens lyrics that are unsettling and sometimes even disturbing, as all good lyrics should be.” Illinois Entertainer trumpeted: “Make no mistake, Ashley Riley has an utterly gorgeous voice and a sound all her own.” Seven of the nine songs on her third album, All The Pretty Things, can be heard in rotation on Starbucks in-store airplay.
With her latest EP, Riley made the decision to plant both feet ?rmly into the softer side of her sound and the result is a gorgeous and heartfelt collection of songs that pulls you in close and holds your attention.  Says Riley: “A lot of songwriters refer to their songs as their children, but to me, these songs feel like a conversation with an old friend. Maybe it’s because most of the songs go back to when I first started writing. I’m excited to share them.”

http://ashleyriley.com/

Americana artist K Phillips to release new album, “Dirty Wonder,” on March 10, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 10, 2017
 
AMERICANA ARTIST K PHILLIPS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM,
DIRTY WONDER, ON MARCH 10, 2017
Nashville-based, Texas-born Americana artist K Phillips is set to release his latest album, Dirty Wonder, via Rock Ridge Music on March 10, 2017.  Produced by award-winning songwriter Gordy Quist of The Band of Heathens and featuring a vocal cameo from Adam Duritz from Counting Crows, Dirty Wonder is a breakup record that’s part autobiographical, part imagined, and part observational, chronicling a third-party breakup K witnessed firsthand. It’s a redemptive album, brimming with clever allusions, pent-up sexual tension, and loveable roguish characters.  The impactfully concise songs on Dirty Wonder are complimented by teardrop pedal steel guitar, rollicking blues piano, fuzzed out guitars, and gospel girl group vocals.
Writing and living through Dirty Wonder has been a profound process for K, and he hopes that his songs have an impact upon those who hear them. “While I am here, I want to connect through writing stories that help people get through whatever they’re going through,” he says.
The album’s leadoff single, “Hadrian,” featuring vocals from Adam Duritz, uses the story of the Roman Emperor Hadrian as an allegory. Here, the character is mired in an unraveling relationship and loses track of his better self.  The swaggering “18 Year Old Girls” snapshots the more comical elements of finding your footing after a breakup. “In that song, the guy is talking to a girl much younger than he is, and he realizes they have nothing to talk about,” says Phillips. “It’s embarrassing.”  The crunchy backwater shuffle, title track “Dirty Wonder,” replete with barrelhouse piano, oozes temptation.  It’s the struggle of being in something that you want to have last forever but experiencing a little jolt of “what’s behind door number two” impulsivity. The stately “Rom Com” channels that beloved cinematic convention (romantic comedy) into a song, complete with the “meet cute.” The song functions on many layers—it’s a wry commentary on pop love.
K Phillips’ life has been like a country song.  Born in West Texas and raised by his grandparents in the Concho Valley, K’s grandfather was both a cattle rancher and a criminal court judge.  His mother was a radio disc jockey who named her only son after her favorite Texan, Kris Kristofferson. K began playing guitar at age 5 and began writing songs at 6.  At age 18, he lost both his best friend and his girlfriend in two separate drowning instances. In the wake of these tragedies, creating music understandably took on a deeper resonance.  It became how he processed life and heartache.
K’s first release, American Girls, garnered accolades from the likes of No DepressionBuffalo News, and Daytrotter for its blend of the literate and the lowdown. Many of these publications spotlighted a mythical essence about K, remarking about his mainstay Stetson hat, his chiseled Hank Williams-esque good looks, and a character quality that’s both vulnerable and reckless.  AXS.com wrote: “Phillips has a soulful and evocative voice that brings his songs to vivid life, and a musical style that encompasses country, rock, R&B and a lot more, all delivered in a manner that lends believability to his storytelling.” The Allentown Morning Call praised Phillips’ “very Dylanesque blast of bluesy country.”
Phillips plans to tour in support of Dirty Wonder.  Confirmed tour dates are below and more will be added soon.
 
K Phillips Tour Schedule:
March 11 – Fort Worth, TX – MML
March 12 – San Antonio, TX – Sam’s
March 15-16 – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 17 – San Angelo, TX – Blaine’s
April 23 – Uncasville, CT – Wolf Den @ Mohegan Sun
May 5 – Greenwood, SC – Music on Maxwell Series
May 27 – Denver, CO – Denver Day of Rock

Levi Petree to release new album in March

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 9, 2017

 

LEVI PETREE TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM IN MARCH

 

Petree blends British punk and new wave,

Outlaw country of the 1970s,

and classic heartland-rock

 

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Levi Petree is set to release a new album, It’s Country, on March 3, 2017.  Described by some as “if Johnny Cash fronted The Clash,” Petree is a ragin’ Cajun from Lafayette, Louisiana; Petree was born on the bayou and infuses that area’s unique spirit into his music and performances.  With songs that are lyrics- and guitar-driven and boasting a healthy dose of humor and a touch of American swagger, Petree’s album was recorded at Exposition Studios in Culver City, CA, with Chad McKinsey at the production helm.  The record was mixed and mastered at Exposition Studios, with additional mixing done by Paul Broussard at Leap Studios in Lafayette, Louisiana.

“I still believe in the promise of rock ’n’ roll, and our aim is to remind people it’s out there,” says Petree.  “One of the most consistent comments I get from people who see us play live is that, as a band, we go for broke. I take pride in that and hope it’s something that comes across on the record.”

To complete It’s Country, Petree worked at Exposition Studio on trade and eventually built up enough credit to record 11 tracks, of which 10 made it onto the final album. Over a year of Tuesday nights, Petree worked with his producer and drummer McKinsey, to shape and layer the tracks. Most of the songs recorded had been in the live repertoire he had built up with his backing band, The Radio Publica. Sean Novak, bass player and Petree’s right hand man, was the key force in guiding the songs to the finish line.  John Salgado, Jr., who’d joined the band after befriending Petree at an East L.A. Morrissey-oke bar, provided the guitar fireworks. Wanting to go all out on the production value, Levi called in favors from the network of musician friends he’d built up in Los Angeles. Liz Beebe, of Americana darlings The Dustbowl Revival, lent her voice and washboard to a few songs, and John McKenna, of L.A. Irish band Slugger O’Toole, added his accordion on the album’s back half. Aedan MacDonnell (accordion) and Erick Szabo (piano/organ) provided additional backing.

Levi Petree’s music has been described by critics as “rallying, thrashing, and infectious” (The Daily Country). About his sound, Petree says, “I’d learned to play by sitting in the back of these Irish jam sessions I’d been invited to, so it was a very ‘3 chords and the truth’ beginning. It was a really great lesson, though, in learning how much emotion, or racket, you could fit into a simple structure. When I started writing, I tried to keep my focus on lyrics, melody, and that simple joy of playing.’” Petree still takes his cues from those roots, cranking out songs he hopes people would turn to as a perfect road trip companion, or perhaps a good partner in crime for karaoke night.

The title of his debut album, It’s Country, said with a wink and tongue planted firmly in cheek, was (verbatim) the response given by a friend when asked to describe her thoughts on Levi’s first public performance. It was always meant for a laugh, but whether people were thrown by the occasional twang in Levi’s voice, or the presence of guitars on a classic structure, the country comparison started to happen more and more. Rolling his eyes at what he felt was a generalization, Levi began to embrace the description “it’s country” as a smartass’ act of defiance, an inside joke that maybe this is just what people called rock ’n’ roll nowadays.

The songs on It’s Country showcase a range of styles and influences. Yes, there’s a little Americana thrown in on tracks like the hopeful “Fight On” and humorous story song “The Habanero Do-Si-Do,” but you’ve also got barn-burning rave-ups (“The Rapture,” “Eyes So Blue”), an ode to Morrissey and ’50s pop (“I Know You’re Gonna Haunt Me”), a Beatles-esque sing-a-long (“Rockaway”), an early-Elvis era ballad (“Lover’s Cove”) and the snarl of the Sex Pistols (“Do What You Want”). The closest the album ever comes to truly tapping into its country namesake is the song “What’s It Gonna Take?,” an emotionally charged, Springsteen-esque response to a movie theater shooting in Levi’s hometown of Lafayette in July 2015.

“To finally have it out there is exciting and a little scary, but I’m eager to get on the road and support it in front of people who aren’t familiar with us,” Petree says. “I obviously can’t control where it goes once it’s out there, but I’ll show a little faith and hope it reaches the people it was meant to. If it becomes at least one person’s album they do Saturday morning chores to… then we got it right.”

www.levipetree.com