Author: skye

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2013

 

Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions Revisited:

Aaron & The Spell covers the album live on the 40th anniversary at shows in Philadelphia and New York City

This year, in honor of the 40th anniversary of Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions, Philadelphia-based music outfit Aaron & The Spell will cover the entire record from front to back in a live setting at shows in Philadelphia and New York City.  The show in Philadelphia, an XPN Welcomes event, will take place at World Café Live (upstairs) on Wednesday, November 20, 2013, with proceeds from ticket sales benefitting Pathways to Housing PA (www.pathwaystohousingpa.org).  The show in New York City will take place at the Cutting Room on Thursday, November 21, 2013, with a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales going to Pathways to Housing NY (www.pathwaystohousingny.org).  Both shows feature Jeffrey Gaines as a special guest.

The idea for the shows was initially inspired by a Facebook comment made by Robert Drake, on-air host and producer for WXPN, in which he said, “The #XPNfest has just started and I already have a new favorite band!!  Philly’s own Aaron & The Spell… it’s like listening to vintage 1970s Stevie Wonder.” After reading that comment, it struck lead singer and songwriter Aaron Brown that it would be great fun to actually cover a Stevie Wonder record. After looking into it further, Aaron realized that it was the 40th  anniversary for one of his favorite albums, Innervisions, and the rest was easy after that. He enlisted some great friends to help play and promote the shows.

To make the performance even more special, the shows, held during National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week (November 16-24), will be a benefit concerts with ticket proceeds for the Philadelphia show going to a non-profit organization called Pathways to Housing PA, which offers hope and an array of innovative services to chronically homeless individuals battling severe mental illness in Philadelphia. Says Brown, “It is only fitting to tie Innervisions to giving back to the community, because if you really listen to the record, Stevie’s concern for people and the community are what make that record so meaningful for me and so many others.”  Brown plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from the New York City show to Pathways to Housing NY.

By the start of the 1970s, Stevie Wonder had hit his groove as one of the most gifted entertainers on the planet. After releasing gems Music of My Mind and Talking Book in 1972, he was on the verge of producing the most epic album in his catalog. On August 3, 1973, Innervisions was released and it became his third consecutive successful album within a two-year span. The record would spawn three singles, including the hits “Living for the City,” “Higher Ground,” and “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing.” Innervisions became the first R&B album to be named Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards (where he also won two others, including Best R&B song for “Living for the City”). The album has been hailed as one of the top 25 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Tickets for the Philadelphia show are expected to go quickly; fans are encouraged to go to http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/ now to purchase tickets to the event. Tickets for the New York City show will be available starting tomorrow at http://thecuttingroomnyc.com/.  To learn more about National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week go to www.pathwaystohousingpa.org.

Philadelphia, PA-based Aaron & The Spell released its album, Sing, on September 10, 2013, and Brown is already busy writing for the next album, which is slated to be recorded in the spring of 2014.  Brown’s bold sensitivity as a vocalist and a songwriter has earned him favorable comparisons to Amos Lee, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Ben Harper.  Sing has been garnering acclaim, with songs like “Don’t Cry,” which has been played regularly on WXPN, and “A Beating Heart,” which recently won the Independent Music Award in the Adult Contemporary Song category.  Brown has also been nominated for a Tri State Indie Music Award, named “Artist to Watch” in 2013 by Ticket Magazine/Montgomery Media, and listed as one of the “10 Artists You Should Have Known In 2012” on NPR Music.

www.aaronandthespell.com

www.facebook.com/AaronandTheSpell

www.twitter.com/AaronTheSpell

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 26, 2013

ALL THE LOCALS TO RELEASE EP IN OCTOBER

Atlanta, GA-based group All The Locals is set to release its second EP, All The Locals II, on October 29, 2013.  All The Locals II is refreshingly diverse and expansive, traversing burly blues-rock, back-porch soul-pop, and hip-hop gospel.  The record was produced by John Briglevich (Shawn Mullins, James Brown, Outkast) at Sonica Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

The EP leadoff single, “Head Strong,” combines shimmering modern-rock atmospherics with a pared down, purposeful hip-hop groove. It’s an impactful and seamless fusion of aesthetics, and the song is currently picking up traction on Triple A Radio.  Their debut EP, All The Locals, landed airplay on over 100 college radio stations and was a Georgia Music Awards finalist.

It’s a powerful union of musical and cultural backgrounds that’s been fortified by ATL living together and cultivating deep connections as a musical family. The four-piece’s moniker evokes this sense of coming together in a pure and natural way.  “The name has a real communal feel,” Schmarkey says. “It reflects the diversity of the music because when you travel, you always know the place best places to visit are where the locals are. So, on one level, it reflects our traveling musicality, always going to that down home place in the music.”

When singer-songwriter-keyboardist John Schmarkey and blues guitarist wunderkind Ty Barksdale lost their respective childhood bands, they teamed up to write songs as a catharsis. While sharing in loss and creativity, they discovered a profound connection that re-awoke their dedication to music.  Rounding out the band are Christian Camp (bass) and Denorris “Deno” Pennyman (drums).  Schmarkey writes cleverly literate lyrics with earthy emotionality and brings an unassuming flavor with his keyboard prowess. Barksdale is steeped in blues and adds a lightning rod of dynamics with his fluid style. The rhythm section of Pennyman and Camp—who both came up in Atlanta’s musically rigorous gospel scene—is telepathically funky, adroitly shifting feels while keeping the beat consistently bumping.

Live the band hits somewhere between a soul revue and a Bruce Springsteen show—sweat-soaked and celebratory.  They plan to tour in support of the new EP, with a number of shows already confirmed (see tour schedule below).

ALL THE LOCALS TOUR SCHEDULE:

10/17/13 – Athens, GA / Caledonia Lounge

10/19/13 – Milledgeville, GA / Buffington’s

11/1/13 – Atlanta, GA / Smith’s Olde Bar

11/7/13 –Jacksonville, AL / Brother’s

11/8/13 – Macon, GA / Hummingbird

11/23/13 – Isle of Palms, SC / Windjammer

… more tour dates forthcoming!

www.allthelocalsmusic.com

www.facebook.com/allthelocalsmusic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 10, 2013

JESSICA CAMPBELL’S SONG “TIME” CAN BE HEARD ON DELTA AIRLINES THIS MONTH

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jessica Campbell’s song “Time” is one of 15 featured flight boarding tracks for the month of September on Delta Airlines in-flight entertainment music programming. Her track appears alongside songs by such artists as Michael Buble, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Cee Lo Green, India.Arie, and Ryan Cabrera.  “Time” is from Campbell’s second album, The Anchor & The Sail, which was released April 30, 2013, via Little London Records.

Another track from The Anchor & The Sail (“Be You”) is currently part of Crate & Barrel’s “Get The Download” offer.  The song is available via free download from Crate & Barrel; the offer is presented on in-store cards (while supplies last), as well as online at the Crate & Barrel website and in Crate & Barrel catalogs.  The promotion runs from through October 2013.

Campbell is currently promoting The Anchor & The Sail and has planned a number of tour dates throughout the rest of the summer and into fall, including house concerts in addition to regular performance venues.  (See full tour schedule below.)  Press has been praising The Anchor & The Sail since its release:

–          “Gone, Jessica Campbell:  Campbell brings a limpid soprano and an unsentimental candor to this account of learning through mistakes from The Anchor and the Sail.” – USA Today

–          “…this Nashville-based singer/songwriter has a knack for composing quick hooks and full-fledged melodies that charm effortlessly. …a pop recording that’s sometimes rootsy, sometimes pure, and always engaging.” – Sound & Vision

–          “…armed with a pitch-perfect voice and a knack for bouncing between acoustic coffeehouse tunes and lush, radio-ready anthems.” – American Songwriter

–          “…gorgeous vocals and a strong sense of Americana.” – Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

–          “The Anchor & The Sail is the kind of album that hits you in the heart, the mind, the body, and more importantly, the soul. …It’s too good of an album to not get attention. Simply one of 2013’s best albums.” – RoughStock.com

The Anchor & The Sail, produced by Campbell’s longtime creative collaborator Cason Cooley (Katie Herzig, Mat Kearney, Matthew Perryman Jones, Sixpence None The Richer, Andrew Peterson), refines the whimsical pop of her previous album but also adds elegantly essential acoustic songs reflective of her intimate live shows. Special guest, singer-songwriter Dave Barnes (Grammy-nominated for “God Gave Me You”), is featured on the song “Mississippi.”

Campbell previously won “Best Song” in the esteemed USA Songwriting Competition, and she has had songs placed in ABC’s Ugly Betty, CW’s Hart of Dixie, CBC’s (Canada) Heartland, CMT’s Melissa & Tye, and VH-1’s Tough Love New Orleans. Her 2011 album Great Escape climbed to the #5 spot on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart. Campbell was born and raised in the one-stoplight town of Catawba, North Carolina, where she grew up singing gospel, country, show tunes, and singing in competitions. She attended college and graduate school at Middle Tennessee State University outside of Nashville, while continuing her musical journey—writing songs, recording, performing at Dollywood (Dolly Parton’s theme park), singing song demos, leading music at church, and touring.

JESSICA CAMPBELL TOUR SCHEDULE:

9/13 – Nashville, TN / 12^th & Porter (w/Emily West, Shannon Labrie, Rebecca Roubion)

9/14 – Atlanta, GA / House Concert

9/18 – Knoxville, TN / WDVX Blue Plate Special

9/18 – Knoxville, TN / Altar’d State (Turkey Creek)

9/19 – Knoxville, TN / House Concert

9/20 – Mills River, NC / House Concert

9/21 – Charlotte, NC / House Concert

9/22 – Suffolk, VA / House Concert

9/24 – Baltimore, MD / Joe Squared Station North

9/25 – Baltimore, MD / Bohemian Coffee House

9/26 – Washington, DC / Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse (w/Clarence Bucaro)

9/27 – Staten Island, NY / Full Cup (w/the New York Wannabees)

9/28 – New York, NY / The Living Room

9/29 – New York, NY / Sidewalk Café

10/1 – New York, NY / The Bowery Electric, Map Room

10/3 – Redding, CT / Redding Roadhouse

10/4 – Norwalk, CT / BJ Ryan’s BANC House

10/5 – Pittsfield, MA / Marketplace Café

10/6 – Boston, MA / House Concert

10/17 – Columbus, OH / Kafe Kerouac

10/18 – Dayton, OH / Ghostlight Coffee

10/19 – Hamilton, OH / True West Coffee

10/20 – Norwood, OH / Leo Coffeehouse

10/26 – Nashville, TN / Musician’s Corner, Centennial Park

10/30 – Nashville, TN / Bluebird Café (w/Ernie Halter, Hannah Miller, Erik Dylan)

11/2 – Alpharetta, GA / Home By Dark @ Chukkar Farm (w/Ernie Halter)

11/11 – Nashville, TN / The Basement (w/Christa Wells)

www.jessicacampbellmusic.com

www.facebook.com/jessicacampbellmusic

www.twitter.com/jcampbellmusic

www.youtube.com/JessicaCampbellMusic

The September Hotel Carolina event is the flagship event in a series that now also includes other annual Hotel Carolina events in Philadelphia and St. Pete Beach, FL.

www.welcometothehotelcarolina.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 5, 2013

SUBURBAN LEGENDS TO RELEASE EP IN OCTOBER

Orange County, CA-based third wave ska vets Surburban Legends are set to release their latest EP, Dreams Aren’t Real But These Songs Are, on October 8, 2013 in CD and digital formats, with the LP version coming November 5, 2013.  The band is signed to Rock Ridge Music (with distribution through ADA).  The six-song EP is a reverently played and imaginatively arranged collection of Disney classics, full of the band’s distinct blend of fizzy ska and sugary pop, with accents of disco and funk.

The group navigates intricate songs like “A Dream Is A Wish” from Cinderella and “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” from Toy Story, tying together their unique ska lineage with time-honored Tin Pan Alley songcraft. The EP standout is the Legends’ sun-soaked, rocksteady rendition of “Beauty And The Beast.”

Delving into this canon has been inspiring for the band as it heads in to write and record its upcoming full length. “With these classic songs, you hear them once and you’re humming them for weeks,” lead Legend Vincent Walker reveals.  “I learned so much about songwriting. There’s an effective simplicity here that will definitely impact us on this next album.”

The song selection is apropos given that Suburban Legends’ story basically begins in the early 2000s at the Disneyland theme park. For years, the guys held a semi-regular gig there performing covers and originals, winning patrons’ hearts with boundless musicality and an unflinchingly positive live show that boasts dazzling choreography. This era coincided with height of the Cali ska scene that launched the careers of No Doubt, Goldfinger, and Reel Big Fish. Suburban Legends distinguished themselves from the pack by favoring sleek pop grooves that playfully and ingeniously recalled late ’90s Top 40.

Over its career, the band has released five albums, six EPs, and two DVDs. Suburban Legends have built an impressive live profile playing multiple tours throughout the US, UK, Europe, and Canada, undertaking successful runs with big names like Reel Big Fish, Less Then Jake, Bowling for Soup, and Goldfinger. Suburban Legends is Vincent Walker (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and trumpet), Aaron Bertram (trumpet, vocals), Brian Robertson (trombone, backing vocals), Brian Klemm (lead guitar, vocals), Brad Polidori (bass), Chris Lucca (trumpet), and Ed Larsen (drums, percussion, and piano).

www.suburbanlegends.com

www.facebook.com/suburbanlegends

www.twitter.com/suburbanlegends

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 21, 2013

“PUNKGRASS” DUO GRACE & TONY TO RELEASE ALBUM IN NOVEMBER

Loretto,TN-based Grace & Tony, the husband-and wife duo responsible for a new blend of Americana/bluegrass music dubbed “punkgrass,” are set to release their full-length debut album,  November, on November 12, 2013 via Rock Ridge Music (with distribution through ADA).  Working with Lloyd Aur Norman and Stephen D. Jones of Villain Place in Nashville, the pair was accompanied by a full band to fill out their unique sound. The release follows the 2011 EP Inside a 7-Track Mind, which introduced “punkgrass” to listeners.

“November is the next chapter for us, it’s a new set of stories we need to tell,” said Tony. “This music is more mature and shows our natural progression as songwriters. We battle tested the songs and chose the ones that would represent our growth as a duo.”

When Grace Shultz and Tony White met, they fell in love and their music together followed after.  Exposed to music early on in their lives by family (Grace’s liked the Southern styles from gospel all the way to rock, while Tony learned from his brother, John Paul White of The Civil Wars fame), Grace & Tony experimented with an unlikely blend of genres by mixing punk, folk, bluegrass, and Texas swing, to create something new:  “Punkgrass” was born.

“Punkgrass is simply a natural fusion of my punk rock background, and Grace’s southern gospel and bluegrass upbringing,” stated Tony. “It isn’t forced, it’s very organic and it stands out because it’s a real fusion of what’s new and old. We play whatever pops into our heads; from classic rock to southern gospel, we scratch every itch. It’s dark, yet happy; silly, yet serious. Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun to play.”

A lover of English literature and old-style murder mysteries, Grace’s influence on November is stamped like an antique wax seal; it’s no accident that the album is like an epic musical storybook filled with engaging superhero-like characters struggling with love, loneliness, and the identity of self.  The album is 11 haunting and elegant chapters featuring heroic protagonists in a variety of settings taking on evil mastermind kidnappers, electromagnetic bombs, schizophrenia, and, perhaps the trickiest of all, their own minds.

Since releasing the EP, doors have opened and they have succeeded in their goal to be heard by bigger audiences by headlining the historic Crockett Theater (Lawrenceburg, TN) and performing on the legendary “Daytrotter Sessions,” Balcony TV, and Knoxville’s “Blue Plate Special” programs. In addition, two of their videos (“Let You Down,” “November”) are being played in regular rotation on The Country Network.

More opportunities for Grace & Tony wait on the horizon as they begin promoting November and prepare for its radio release later this fall.  Their dance card is filling up quickly as shows are added to their schedule on a regular basis too, including dates with Green River Ordinance and a coveted slot on the 2014 Cayamo Cruise next February.  (See tour schedule below.)

GRACE & TONY TOUR DATES:

8/24/13 – Wartrace, TN / Walking Horse Hotel

8/30/13 – Nashville, TN / The High Watt

9/7/13 – Memphis, TN / Otherlands

9/12/13 – Florence, AL / Shoals Theater

9/27/13 – Lawrenceburg, TN / Middle Tennessee District Fair

10/18/13 – Florence, AL / Pegasus Records

11/21/13 – St. Louis, MO / Firebird (w/Green River Ordinance)

11/22/13 – Indianapolis, IN / Rathskellar (w/Green River Ordinance)

11/23/13 – Chicago, IL / Sub T (w/Green River Ordinance)

2/7/14-2/14/14 – Cayamo Cruise

www.graceandtonymusic.com

www.facebook.com/graceandtonymusic

www.twitter.com/graceandtony

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 7, 2013

JD EICHER & THE GOODNIGHTS TO RELEASE THIRD ALBUM IN SEPTEMBER

Pittsburgh, PA and Youngstown, OH-based quartet JD Eicher & the Goodnights is set to release its third album, the pop-rock effort Into Place, on September 10, 2013 via Rock Ridge Music (with distribution through ADA).  Grammy-nominated producer Dustin Burnett (who has worked with the Newsboys, Augustana, Rush of Fools, Moriah Peters, Darling Parade, Dave Barnes) produced Into Place, guiding Eicher in realizing his aspirations for a rich sonic tapestry to enhance the core band’s stellar musicianship.

Into Place’s poise represents a coming of age, comfort in who you are. “The main themes are love, hope, and acceptance,” Eicher says.  Into Place is both adventurous and assured. The songs are tastefully layered with otherworldly electronic ambiance and programmed drums. “Ode To Underdog” is sunny modern rock with a hypnotic acoustic guitar groove that surges expansively with chiming guitars and imaginatively arranged twists and turns. The undeniable “Give It Up” balances smoky, soulful sections with portions that rocket to euphoric highs, showcasing Eicher’s blue-eyed soul falsetto.

JD Eicher & the Goodnights’ soaring and graceful pop-rock songcraft has garnered the group favorable comparisons to Coldplay, Keane, The Script, The Killers, and Death Cab for Cutie. The band has received an impressive outpouring of regional acclaim, earning raves from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Uniontown, PA Herald-Standard, Pittsburgh City Paper, and The Erie Times-News. Nationally, Alternative Addiction named them one of the top 10 unsigned bands. Virgin America Airlines used one of the band’s songs in the teaser for the airline’s movie Departure Date.

The band is JD Eicher (vocals/guitar), Ben Portz (keys), Jim Merhaut (bass), and Dylan Kollat (drums/percussion). Live, JD Eicher & the Goodnights has shared a bill with such diverse and respected artists as the Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, Hot Chelle Rae, Pete Yorn, Anberlin, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Cartel, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, and Matt White, among many others. Frontman JD Eicher has also done acoustic solo dates, including a tour with Todd Carey.  The band plans to tour extensively in support of Into Place, both as a quartet and with Eicher performing acoustic solo.  A full listing of confirmed tour dates is below with more dates to be announced.

JD Eicher & the Goodnights Tour Schedule:

8/9/2013          Twinsburg, OH / Rock the Park (Solo Acoustic)

8/10/2013        Austintown, OH / Trax

8/11/2013        Foxburg, PA / Foxburg Wine Cellars (Solo Acoustic)

8/13/2013        Pittsburgh, PA / Lunchtime Live          (Acoustic Duo)

8/14/2013        Austintown, OH / Quaker Steak and Lube (Solo Acoustic)

8/17/2013        Spring Lake, MI / Pin Drop Concert Series, Seven Steps Up

8/22/2013        Sharon , PA / Buhl Park (Solo Acoustic)

8/25/2013        Lincoln Park, MI / Lincoln Park Days (Acoustic Trio)

8/30/2013        Pittsburgh, PA / South Park Amphitheater

8/31/2013        Chillicothe, OH / Paper City Music Festival

9/1/2013          Canfield, OH / Canfield Fair

9/2/2013          Canfield, OH / Canfield Fair (Solo Acoustic)

9/4/2013          Austintown, OH / Quaker Steak and Lube (Solo Acoustic)

9/6-9/7/2013    Vermilion, OH / Paper Moon Vineyards (Solo Acoustic)

9/8/2013          Foxburg, PA / Foxburg Wine Cellars (Solo Acoustic)

9/12/2013        Youngstown, OH / Youngstown State Univ.  (Solo Acoustic, w/Matthew Mayfield)

9/13/2013        Boardman, OH / Magic Tree Pub & Eatery (Record Release Show)

9/14/2013        Pittsburgh, PA / Hard Rock Café (Record Release Show)

9/18/2013        Atlanta, GA / Georgia State University (Solo Acoustic)

9/19-9/21/2013 Isle of Palms, SC / Hotel Carolina @ The Windjammer (Solo Acoustic)

9/28/2013        Ebensburg, PA / Potatofest

10/12/2013      New Wilmington, PA / Westminster College

10/14/2013      Waynesburg, PA / Waynesburg University (Solo Acoustic)

10/15/2013      Pittsburgh, PA / CCAC (Solo Acoustic)

10/16/2013      Canfield. OH / Kennsington Golf Club (Solo Acoustic)

10/19/2013      Pittsburgh, PA / SIGMAS Conference Center (Solo Acoustic)

10/25/2013      Spring Lake, MI / Pin Drop Concert Series, Seven Steps Up (Acoustic Trio)

10/26/2013      Muskegon, MI / Baker College (Acoustic Trio)

11/7/2013        Bel Air, MD / Hartford Community College (Solo Acoustic)

11/12/2013      Cedar Rapids, IA / Kirkwood Community College (Solo Acoustic)

11/14/2013      Grayslake, IL / College of Lake County (Solo Acoustic)

12/4/2013        Westminster, MD / McDaniel College (Solo Acoustic)

 

www.jdeicherandthegoodnights.com

www.facebook.com/jdeicherandthegoodnights

www.twitter.com/jdeicher

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 2, 2013

JESSICA CAMPBELL FEATURED IN CRATE & BARREL MUSIC PROMOTION

Tour Dates Planned Throughout The Summer And Fall

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jessica Campbell is taking part in the current installment of Crate & Barrel’s “Get The Download” offer. Campbell’s song “Be You” is available via free download from Crate & Barrel; the offer is presented on in-store cards (while supplies last), as well as online at the Crate & Barrel website and in Crate & Barrel catalogs.  The promotion runs from August through October 2013.

Campbell is currently promoting her second album, The Anchor & The Sail, which was released April 30, 2013, via Little London Records.  She has planned a number of tour dates throughout the summer and fall, including house concerts in addition to regular performance venues.  (See full tour schedule below.)

The Anchor & The Sail, produced by Campbell’s longtime creative collaborator Cason Cooley (Katie Herzig, Mat Kearney, Matthew Perryman Jones, Sixpence None The Richer, Andrew Peterson), refines the whimsical pop of her previous album but also adds elegantly essential acoustic songs reflective of her intimate live shows. Special guest, singer-songwriter Dave Barnes (Grammy-nominated for “God Gave Me You”), is featured on the song “Mississippi.”

Press has been praising The Anchor & The Sail since its release:

–          “Gone, Jessica Campbell:  Campbell brings a limpid soprano and an unsentimental candor to this account of learning through mistakes from The Anchor and the Sail.” – USA Today

–          “…this Nashville-based singer/songwriter has a knack for composing quick hooks and full-fledged melodies that charm effortlessly. …a pop recording that’s sometimes rootsy, sometimes pure, and always engaging.” – Sound & Vision

–          “…armed with a pitch-perfect voice and a knack for bouncing between acoustic coffeehouse tunes and lush, radio-ready anthems.” – American Songwriter

–          “…gorgeous vocals and a strong sense of Americana.” – Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

–          “The Anchor & The Sail is the kind of album that hits you in the heart, the mind, the body, and more importantly, the soul. …It’s too good of an album to not get attention. Simply one of 2013’s best albums.” – RoughStock.com

–          “Nashville-based roots pop artist, Jessica Campbell strikes metaphorical gold with her sophomore album, The Anchor & The Sail. … It’s incredibly dynamic… a great ride that proves people still make albums that should be listened to from start to finish.” – Colossal Pop

–          “Jessica Campbell has one of those clear, true voices capable of evoking almost any feeling she sets her heart to. Her stunning new album, The Anchor & The Sail, is proof of that. …spanning the poles of heartache and joy, of falling apart and putting it all back together…” – New York Minute Magazine

Campbell previously won “Best Song” in the esteemed USA Songwriting Competition, and she has had songs placed in ABC’s Ugly Betty, CW’s Hart of Dixie, CBC’s (Canada) Heartland, CMT’s Melissa & Tye, and VH-1’s Tough Love New Orleans. Her 2011 album Great Escape climbed to the #5 spot on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart. Campbell was born and raised in the one-stoplight town of Catawba, North Carolina, where she grew up singing gospel, country, show tunes, and singing in competitions. She attended college and graduate school at Middle Tennessee State University outside of Nashville, while continuing her musical journey—writing songs, recording, performing at Dollywood (Dolly Parton’s theme park), singing song demos, leading music at church, and touring.

JESSICA CAMPBELL TOUR SCHEDULE:

8/4 – Nashville, TN / 3^rd & Lindsley (w/Brooke Waggoner)

8/9 – Atlanta, GA / House Concert

8/10 – Birmingham, AL / Moonlight on the Mountain (w/Sara Beth Go, Hannah Miller)

9/6 – Nashville, TN / House Concert

9/18 – Knoxville, TN / WDVX Blue Plate Special

9/19 – Knoxville, TN / House Concert

9/20 – Mills River, NC / House Concert

9/21 – Charlotte, NC / House Concert

9/22 – Suffolk, VA / House Concert

9/24 – Baltimore, MD / Joe Squared Station North

9/25 – Baltimore, MD / Bohemian Coffee House

9/26 – Washington, DC / Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse (w/Clarence Bucaro)

9/28 – New York, NY / The Living Room

10/1 – New York, NY / The Bowery Electric, Map Room

10/3 – Redding, CT / Redding Roadhouse

10/4 – Norwalk, CT / BJ Ryan’s BANC House

10/5 – Pittsfield, MA / Marketplace Café

10/6 – Boston, MA / House Concert

10/10 – Nashville, TN / The Basement (w/Christa Wells)

10/26 – Nashville, TN / Musician’s Corner, Centennial Park

11/2 – Alpharetta, GA / Home By Dark (w/Ernie Halter)

www.jessicacampbellmusic.com

www.facebook.com/jessicacampbellmusic

www.twitter.com/jcampbellmusic

www.youtube.com/JessicaCampbellMusic

www.rockridgemusic.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 29, 2013

BARDOT TO RELEASE DEBUT EP IN OCTOBER

New York City-based indie rock band BARDOT (featuring Ariel Aparicio) is set to release its debut, seven-song EP, BARDOT, on October 1, 2013.  The EP will be available for free download on the band’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BARDOTtheband).  Says band leader Aparicio of the release plans:  “I decided to put this record out for free for a few reasons.  First, just as a thank you to all the people who have followed and supported my projects over the years.  Second, to reach as many new indie rock fans as possible.  And thirdly, with all of the file sharing going on these days, I figured it was the way to go. Just might be the wave of the future.”

From the moody atmospherics of “Satellite,” to the feel-good garage pop of “Still The Rains,” to the sexy funk of “Sylvia, My Love,” BARDOT wears many faces, all of them part of a faceted, beautiful whole.  BARDOT came about in 2011 when Aparicio (guitar and vocals) realized that the creative process surrounding new music he was working on with his longtime backing band had shifted. “I’d been playing with these guys for a while now, some of the best musicians in NYC,” says Aparicio.  “We were rehearsing some new songs, but this time it felt different.  Everyone was actively contributing parts and ideas and arrangements.   It was very organic. It felt like a band. So I made it one.”

Joining Aparicio in the BARDOT line-up are Steve Dawson (guitar, has played with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Jesse Malin, CJ Ramone), Dave Berger  (drums and keyboards, has played with Justin Bond, Lou Reed, Erin McKeown, Joey Arias), and Pemberton Roach (bass, has played with Moby and Fountains of Wayne).  All of the members provide backing vocals.  Says Aparicio:  “We all really dig those early Kinks record and especially the backup vocals. Trying to work in a little of that into BARDOT.”  The band made its live debut in December 2011 in New York City.

BARDOT’s name came about after Aparicio attended an art show featuring photos of Brigitte Bardot in Chicago.  Struck by the images, he imagined the EP cover art before he even chose the name.  “Two of my biggest idols – Chrissie Hynde and David Bowie – have name-checked Bardot in their songs, so I had to use the name,” Aparicio says.

Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Aparicio was surrounded by the rhythms of salsa, funk, and disco. The discovery of Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin in adolescence prompted him to grow out his hair and pick up the guitar, but Aparicio never segregated genres from one another.   Aparicio’s musical endeavors prior to BARDOT were all under his own name.  In 2011, he released “Aerials” (produced by Tom Gilroy), and the video for one of the tracks from the album, “She Can Show Us” debuted exclusively on MSN.com and garnered 20,000 views upon its release.  The video was also ranked in Logo’s NewNowNext Music airplay charts top 10 within first week of release.  Response to a free download of the song “Sorry” on SongShooter.com was so strong that the site crashed and additional servers had to be utilized to accommodate demand.

NPR Alt.Latino said of Aparicio:  “In an era of ironic coolness, his music is shamelessly honest and poignantly sentimental. He doesn’t mock his musical deities; rather, he truly lets them possess him, fight for their turf within his music and whatever happens, happens. And the result is quite beautiful.”  MTV Iggy proclaimed:  “If cowpunkers The Cramps,  UK’s Body Rockers, Cuban son king Arsenio Rodriguez, and Prince threw down on an album, you’d get the totally nuts Cuban/American electro-guitarist Ariel Aparicio.”  And the Houston Chronicle wrote:  “The Miami-bred, Brooklyn-based rocker makes jangly, joyful rock.”

In 2011, Aparicio was honored at the 7th Annual OutMusic Awards in New York City, receiving top honors for his recording of “People Who Died” when he was awarded Outstanding Rock Song of the Year.  “People Who Died” was released in 2010 on Aparicio’s “The Bedroom Tapes” EP and is a re-imagining of the Jim Carroll Band classic originally released on his 1980 “Catholic Boy” debut.

Songs and videos from his previous releases, including “the bEdRoom tapeS,” “All These Brilliant Things,” “Frolic & F***,” and “All I Wanted” have made him a popular fixture on Logo’s NewNowNext and the Click List. Aparicio’s video for “People Who Died” from “the bEdRoom tapeS” popped back up on the Click List again in 2011 after it spent many weeks on the countdown in 2010.  His video for the track “Lucille” was ranked #7 on Logo’s Best of 2010, while his cover of “Pretty In Pink” topped out at #3 on the same chart at Logo in 2009.

www.BARDOTtheband.com

www.facebook.com/BARDOTtheband

www.twitter.com/BARDOTtheBand