The Fabulous Thunderbirds Celebrate 50th Anniversary with the Release of First Studio Album in Eight Years, "Struck Down," Coming June 28th on Stony Plain Records “I think Struck Down is my best album with The Fabulous Thunderbirds… by far.” – Kim Wilson Stony Plain Records proudly announces the signing of legendary American band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, who will celebrate their 50th anniversary with the release of their first studio album in eight years, Struck Down, on June 28th. The album’s first single, “Payback Time,” featuring Billy Gibbons, is out now. Struck Down also features special guests Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ and Mick Fleetwood on the album’s lone cover song, a scintillating take on Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling.” Additional contributions on the new disc come from Elvin Bishop, Terrance Simien and Canadian blues guitar ace Steve Strongman, who co-wrote with Kim Wilson nine of the album’s 10 tracks Struck Down was produced by Kim Wilson, Steve Strongman and Glen Parrish; recorded in New Jersey and Hamilton, Ontario; and mixed by acclaimed recording engineer Shelly Yakus (John Lennon/U2/Tom Petty). In addition to the searing first single, “Payback Time,” other standout tracks include the album’s opener, “Struck Down By The Blues,” featuring Steve Strongman on guitar; the Cajun-flavored “Don’t Make No Sense,” featuring Terrance Simien on accordion; “Watcha Do To Me,” featuring guitar icon Elvin Bishop; and the wistful closing track, “Sideline.” The catalyst for the recording sessions happened when blues guitarist Steve Strongman hooked up with Kim Wilson on a trial basis to write some songs. Thunderbirds manager Glen Parrish had convinced an at-first hesitant Kim Wilson to give it a try by co-writing with Strongman, who flew down to California from Canada. As a songwriting team, they clicked immediately. “In the first three days, we wrote five songs,” recalled Wilson. “He came back for another three days, and we wrote 12 songs. I would say there was chemistry there.” Together, Wilson and Strongman wrote 17 songs. They selected nine originals and one cover tune for Struck Down. “Working with Kim Wilson and the Thunderbirds was a very organic process,” added Steve Strongman. “I snuck into a club to see Kim play with Mel Brown in Canada when I was 16 years old, so I have always held him in the highest regard. I could tell we had a mutual respect for each other after the initial writing sessions in California. The songs just seemed to flow naturally, we both had very open minds during the process, and there was great energy in the room while we wrote these songs. He is a true living legend, and it has been an incredible experience to co-write this record with Kim, and to produce this album with Kim and Glen Parrish.” For the recording sessions, Wilson called a few friends. The first single, “Payback Time,” features Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top on guitar and backing vocals. “Billy is someone I talk to on a pretty regular basis,” said Wilson. “He is a dear friend, a great musician, and he knows how to make a record.” Regarding the great interplay on the track between Gibbons’ guitar and Wilson’s harmonica, Wilson said, “It was really all him. Being the great musician that he is, he created that conversation.” The cover of Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling” is overflowing with talent. “All of these people I have the utmost respect for,” said Wilson. “Taj Mahal was one of my very first influences. He is one of the reasons I started playing the harmonica. Bonnie Raitt and I have always been very close. I love what she does. I love her voice. I love Keb’s voice. And Mick was kind enough to put his performance on that track as well.” “I love the material, the performances, and the sound of the album. It was mixed by Shelly Yakus and mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone. They are the very best there is.” When talking about the full-time members of the Thunderbirds, Wilson proclaimed, “The strength of this band has inspired me to be more creative. This band really allows me to do anything I want to do: modern, traditional, anything in between. They are masters of it all. And as for what’s next…“I’m far from finished.” Formed in 1974, The Fabulous Thunderbirds is a familiar name for anyone into contemporary blues and blues rock. This is the band that created classic albums like T-Bird Rhythm and Tuff Enuff. Powered by hits like the title track and “Wrap It Up,” Tuff Enuff went platinum, selling more than one million copies. Led by founding member Kim Wilson, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have been nominated for Grammy Awards six times and for Blues Music Awards more than 20 times. The Fabulous Thunderbirds continue to tour internationally, selling out venues and headlining festivals with the current line-up of Kim Wilson on vocals and harmonica, Johnny Moeller on guitar, Bob Welsh on keyboards and guitar, Rudy Albin on drums and Steve Kirsty on bass. Listen to the first single “Payback Time” (featuring Billy Gibbons) Struck Down Track Listing 1. Struck Down By The Blues (featuring Steve Strongman), 3:41 2. Don’t Make No Sense (featuring Terrance Simien), 2:47 3. Payback Time (featuring Billy Gibbons), 3:35 4. Nothing in Rambling (featuring Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal & Mick Fleetwood), 3:55 5. Won’t Give Up, 3:35 6. The Hard Way, 4:06 7. Whatcha Do To Me (featuring Elvin Bishop), 3:09 8. I’ve Got Eyes, 4:07 9. That’s Cold, 2:18 10. Sideline, 4:03 www.fabulousthunderbirds.com www.stonyplainrecords.com In the 1960s, Greenwich Village was at the epicenter of the burgeoning folk music boom that was happening around the world, and a young Rory Block had a ringside seat to this evolution. With the release of her new album, Positively 4h Street: A Tribute to Bob Dylan, she gifts the sounds of that era to listeners everywhere. Stony Plain also plans to release the title track as a single on Bob Dylan's birthday, May 24th. “In March of 2020, we took a leap into the great unknown and began broadcasting 90-minute shows every week from home,” says Rory Block. “This unexpected journey has lasted over four years, and led to countless informal forays into a broad range of material by numerous artists - current and past. Probably the most persistent and enthusiastic requests from viewers for anything outside of the blues genre has been the repeated calls to record a Bob Dylan tribute. But how would I, an artist associated almost entirely with blues for over 30 releases, suddenly switch to recording songs by one of the greatest songwriters who ever lived? Thinking wouldn’t help. It had to start, simply put, by plugging in the mics and pressing record. It’s always a mystery… “As it happens, I grew up in Greenwich Village and was a teenager when Bob Dylan’s songs were becoming huge hits. We didn’t think it unusual to spot John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix or Bob Dylan walking down West 4th Street at a time when the area was overflowing with musicians of every description and level of fame. My father’s place of business, The Allan Block Sandal Shop, was a centrally located and well-known hub for local musicians, and West 4th Street, where it intersected the one block long street called Jones Street, became the center of my universe. By the time I was in my 20s, Dylan was one of the most famous names in the music business. “It was during the 1960s that I walked into Dad's sandal shop and saw an artistic looking man sitting and talking with my father. I was aware of who he was: a musician and local resident - but I was raised to respect peoples’ privacy and not fawn over anyone, known or unknown. It was just part of the general musical atmosphere that characterized the place and time. "I remember the hat, and the youthful face. He was not yet famous, so at that point he was among the many interesting people stopping by. He may have recently been signed to a label, but I don’t think his first album had come out yet. When I walked in, he was sitting there talking to my dad, and I remember thinking that he had a very unique, artistic presence. After he left, Dad told me something about the conversation. He said that Bob was a poet first and foremost who really didn’t care for the ‘business' side of things. His priorities lay in being true to his art. Right away I resonated with the message. “I understood it to mean that Dylan had integrity that he would not compromise. I also understood from this that it was OK to buck the system, to reject the shiny, glossy world of business in exchange for artistic honesty, a lesson which stood me in good stead many times over the years. It was an inspiration and the way I was raised to feel about music. People like Bob Dylan served to reinforce this important, grounding piece of information." Choosing the material: “As with all my recordings, the songs that move me the most deeply, touching heart and soul, are the ones I choose to record. This is always based on songs that leap up and cry out to me. It has everything to do with the message, the melody, and the energy in the song- and luckily, there is never a shortage of incredible songs to choose from.” – Rory Block Positively 4th Street Production Credits Produced by: Rory Block and Rob Davis Executive producer: Holger Petersen Recorded and mixed by: Rob Davis at Aurora Productions Mobile Studios Mastered by: Rob Davis and Larry Alexander All instrumentation: guitars, vocals, and percussion by Rory Block, except for the Baritone guitar solo on “Not Dark Yet” played by Cindy Cashdollar on her Larry Pogreba Baritone Weissenborn Rory plays Martin guitars and uses Martin strings All Songs Composed by Bob Dylan; Published by Universal Music Publishing Group SONG LIST 1. Everything Is Broken 3:28 2. Ring Them Bells 2:43 3. Like A Rolling Stone 6:27 4. Not Dark Yet 6:04 5. Mr. Tambourine Man 3:39 6. Positively 4th Street 5:05 7. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall 7:06 8. Mother Of Muses 6:39 9. Murder Most Foul 20:42 About the Cover Photo “In the cover photo, taken in the late 1960s, I am seated in the window of the Allan Block Sandal Shop, 171 West 4th Street. The reflection in the glass is a reverse image of Jones Street, where Bob Dylan and Suze Rotolo were photographed for the cover of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. They were walking down the middle of the street directly towards the front of the sandal shop. Celebrated folk and rock photographer David Gahr is faintly visible on the lower right, along with multiple other historical street and building identifiers.” – Rory Block Spirit of Unicorn Music are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of “FOCUS 12”, the brand new studio album from Focus. Founded by Thijs van Leer, Focus have been at the forefront of the progressive music movement since 1969, yet they still continue to deliver engaging, innovative and skillfully crafted music. “FOCUS 12” exemplifies this and proves why they are still a firm fan favourite, the world over. For Thijs van Leer (75) and Pierre van der Linden (78), age is nothing more than a number. Both continue to contribute to Focus with a passion. Thijs, who has written the majority of the new album, rises at 4.30 am every day in order to work on his compositions. Whilst the album boasts some of Pierre’s greatest and most energetic drum sequences to date. Allowing the younger guard to take the audio reins for the first time, “FOCUS 12” is produced by band members Udo Pannekeet and Menno Gootjes, who also contribute two compositions on the album. Thijs commented “How beautiful life can be when a band plays so easily and so together.” “FOCUS 12” was recorded at the world-renowned Wisseloord Studios, in the band’s native country of the Netherlands. A first for Focus, the album features a completely improvised piece which was captured as it spontaneously took place in the studio, during the recording process. Thus, proving that more than 50 years on, the band are still excited by undertaking something new and different. Van Leer continues, “Thanks Pierre, Udo and Menno for so much musical passion!” The band continues their long association with legendary artist Roger Dean whose stunning artwork graces the front cover and packaging. The vinyl version features a stunning gatefold sleeve. Focus continues to be one of the hardest working rock bands on the planet, regularly touring the globe playing live. This July, they undertake a string of live dates across the USA and Canada, as part of Asia’s Heat Of The Moment Tour. Thijs van Leer concludes, “After all these years, Focus is in the here and now; the triumph of survival!” Focus are: Thijs van Leer: Flute, Organ, Piano, Synths Menno Gootjes: Guitars, Piano, Synths Pierre van der Linden: Drums Udo Pannekeet: Bass, Synths, Programming Produced by Menno Gootjes and Udo Pannekeet Recorded by Danny Sykes, Udo Pannekeet and Geert Scheijgrond at Wisseloord Studios and Wedgeview Studios, Netherlands Mixed by Udo Pannekeet Mastered by Sander van der Heide Supergroep Black Country Communion Releasen Nieuwe Single "Enlighten" Van Het Nieuwe Album 'V' Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham en Derek Sherinian komen voor het eerst in 7 jaar terug met nieuwe muziek Black Country Communion, de befaamde rock supergroep met de talenten van Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham en Derek Sherinian, presenteert met trots "Enlighten", de nieuwste single van hun langverwachte vijfde studioalbum 'V', dat op 14 juni uitkomt. Enlighten" is nu beschikbaar op alle grote streamingplatforms en is een meesterwerk van lyrische diepgang en muzikale innovatie, geschreven door Hughes en Bonamassa. De productie, onder leiding van Kevin Shirley, die al jaren met de band samenwerkt, omvat de essentie van het dynamische geluid en de evoluerende artistieke expressie van de band. "Enlighten" verkent thema's als zelfbewustzijn en spiritueel ontwaken, overgebracht door de emotionele teksten van Hughes en het verfijnde gitaarwerk van Bonamassa. Het nummer, dat aansluit bij de kenmerkende fusie van hardrock en blues die de ziel beroert, is een bewijs van Black Country Communion's groei en wederzijdse bewondering en symboliseert hun toewijding om muziek te maken die authentiek en oprecht is en hun gedeelde ervaringen en enorme muzikale expertise weerspiegelt. Black Country Communion, gevormd door enkele van de meest gerespecteerde namen in de rock en blues en diep geworteld in zowel Britse als Amerikaanse klassieke hard-rock en blues-rock tradities, heeft de afgelopen 15 jaar een formidabele reputatie opgebouwd, niet alleen als fenomenale songwriters maar ook als een meeslepende live-act, bekend om hun toewijding aan muzikale uitmuntendheid en innovatie. "Enlighten" komt uit vlak na hun eerste concert in de V.S. in meer dan 11 jaar en is een opwindende blik op het volledige spectrum van wat het album belooft en luidt een levendig nieuw hoofdstuk in voor de band en hun fans wereldwijd. Arbeid Adelt! kickstart de zomer met tour en nieuwe release ! “Happy Is Geen Nederlands” (MOHAWKTOMAHAWK20MINMIX) 20 minuten volledig verantwoord trancedance plezier ! "HAPPY IS GEEN NEDERLANDS" is één van de meest dansbare tracks uit het alom geprezen album "HET HEELAL IS HIER". AA! smijt zich met deze 20 MINUTEN durende REMIX ongegeneerd in de spionkop der LANGSTE ROCKTRACKS ALLER TIJDEN! KRAFTWERK - "Autobahn" (22:43) RARE EARTH - "Get Ready" (21:32) ARBEID ADELT! - "Happy Is Geen Nederlands (mohawktomahawk20minmix)" (20:03) NEW ORDER - "Elegia" (17:30) THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - "Sister Ray" (17:28) IRON BUTTERFLY - "In A Gadda Da Vida" (17:05) ... De remix is 'n titanenwerk van synthwizzard DAVID VANDENBORN (Revolting Cocks, Luc Van Acker, AA!). In 'n niet aflatende trancedancetrip gaan MARCEL VANTHILT (stem), ANDREW CLAES (sax), LEEN DIEPENDAELE (stem) & THOMAS VANELSLANDER (gitaar) de strijd aan met de spanningsboog ... Zij winnen deze glorieus! ... Niet één saaie seconde! Een hoedentruc om chapeau tegen te zeggen. Ongezien, uniek, flabbergastisch ... ongefilterd AA! The line up for Sjock 48 in July 2024 is completed. Remember Cock Sparrer singing on Sjock 47 : We're coming back, we're coming back, we're coming back to you ! Well they kept word and will play on Friday early evening at Sjock 48 ! This means we had too many bands performing on only 2 stages, so we will have a few bands playing on our Bang Bang Stage already on Fiday. New confirmed bands : The Jesters / Toxic Shock / Cock Sparrer If you don't have your tickets in your pocket, don't wait too long. Presale is going even faster as previous editions. Only 103 euro for 3 days of Rock'n'Roll, that's only 2,20 euro per band ! Duvelblues komt dichterbij, nog enkele weken en het is zover. Intussen kregen we prachtig nieuws van onze headliner, Elliott Murphy. Elliott Murphy liet ons weten verder te willen gaan dan zijn reguliere festival-setlist. Hij vroeg ons daarentegen om een volwaardige concert-setlist te mogen spelen op Duvelblues. Dat wil zeggen dat onze bezoekers een kwartier langer kunnen genieten van deze klasbak. Voor ons betekent het wat schuiven met de programmatie - de exacte uren vind je op onze website of via running order - maar dat doen we natuurlijk met plezier. Duvelblues 2024 belooft een ‘grand cru’-editie te worden. Zorg dat je erbij bent, bestel hier meteen je tickets. “Devil Calling” is de nieuwe single van Bjorn Berge’s nieuwe cd/lp “SteelFingerSlim” dat op 26 januari verscheen! Na lange afwezigheid in het release-schedule houdt Bjorn Berge de laatste jaren een mooi regelmatig tempo aan: “Who Else?” verscheen in 2019 en zijn laatste album “Heavy Gauge” was van 2021. De Noorse blues/gitaar-maestro kreeg door de lovende kritieken op zijn nieuwe albums en zijn vele optredens ter promotie daarvan de smaak weer flink te pakken. Het is nu tijd voor “SteelFingerSlim” en gelukkig bevat het wederom zijn bekende ingredienten; ‘exquisite guitar playing, ballads, groove, blues, fun cover-tracks and a lot of good time music’. Zoals altijd met de veelzijdige Bjorn ‘virtuoso of the twelve-string guitar’ Berge heeft ‘the blues no limits’ en worden ook genres als funk, pop en rock er lekker pakkend doorheen gehusseld. Bjorn Berge has impressed for several decades as a unique guitarist, an acoustic genius and a formidable live artist. With his magical acoustic guitars, he is able to move mountains and astonish listeners with powerful arrangements. Berge delivers an energetic and dynamic performance on acoustic guitar, taking us on a musical journey through blues, rock, funk and touching ballads. The vary talented guitarist from Haugesund, Norway has previously released 12 studio albums and a live album. In the years 2001 and 2002, he was awarded the Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) in the blues category. He will release now his new album that takes listeners into a deep, blues-inspired musical landscape, with his own written songs, collaborations with Tim Scott McConnell (aka Ledfoot) and the usual cover-tracks (Deep Purple, Cream, Ben Harper and T-Rex). Berge's arrangements take shape spontaneously, both behind the scenes and during concerts, but the final details are polished through testing in front of a live audience. This is a natural approach for an artist like Bjorn Berge, who has built a solid reputation as one of the world's foremost guitarists throughout his career. This means he regularly performs at major jazz, blues and rock festivals as well as clubs across Europe and North America. With "SteelFingerSlim", he takes his artistic expression to new heights and explores various shades of blues music. This album will undoubtedly attract both loyal fans and new followers of Berge's music. Travellin' Blue Kings - Lay Down Knuckle Under (New Single) Single out on 30/04/2024 The renewed ‘full Belgian’ Travellin' Blue Kings line-up bears solid letters of nobility and an impressive pedigree: Blues Lee, Last Call, The Electric Kings, The Scabs, Hideaway, Howlin’ Bill, … just to name a few. The ‘Bending The Rules’ album, released in 2022, has been very well received and generated considerable airplay in Europe and the States (61 weeks (!) in Roots Music Report's Top 50 Blues Rock Album airplay chart in the US). Last year's singles ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and ‘It's Better’ confirmed the path taken and demonstrated a critical view of the goings-on in the world. That same critical eye is now to be found in ‘Lay Down Knuckle Under’, the 1st single featuring Luke Alexander (The Electric Kings, Last Call, …) on guitar and Steve Wouters (Last Call, …) on drums. It is also the 1st preview of the 3rd album, scheduled to be released in February 2025 ... VR
07.02.2025 Capitole, Gent Tickets te koop vanaf vrijdag 3 mei, om 10u00 TICKETS & INFO Na lang wachten wordt het geduld van de fans eindelijk beloond. Zes jaar na het veelgeprezen album "Night Prayer" brengt Jasper Steverlinck op 31 januari 2025 zijn nieuwe plaat, "The Healing", uit. Dit album belooft een intieme en persoonlijke reis te worden, waarin Jasper zijn diepste emoties en ervaringen met zijn publiek deelt. Tickets voor zijn optreden in de Capitole in Gent zijn te koop vanaf vrijdag 3 mei, om 10u00 via greenhousetalent.com. De naam van het album is heel bewust gekozen, want dit is de meest persoonlijke plaat van Jasper tot nog toe. In de afgelopen jaren zijn er nummers ontstaan die achteraf gezien profetisch blijken te zijn, als onbewuste reflecties van zijn helingsproces. Hoewel Jasper's wereldstem eindelijk internationale erkenning begint te krijgen, kiest hij ervoor om zijn nieuwe nummers eerst te presenteren in zijn geboortestad Gent. Met "The Healing" introduceert Jasper niet alleen een nieuw muzikaal hoofdstuk, maar ook een geheel nieuwe live-ervaring. De bijbehorende show belooft vocale en muzikale grenzen te verleggen. Verwacht een mix van verrassingen uit het Arid-tijdperk en de jubileumeditie van "Liefde Voor Muziek", enkele pareltjes van "The Healing" en de geliefde hits van "Night Prayer". Jasper wordt bijgestaan door de meesterlijke pianist Valentijn Elsen en enkele gastmuzikanten om zijn songs nog dichter bij en intiemer dan ooit tevoren te brengen. Het wordt een onvergetelijke avond, waarbij het publiek wordt meegenomen op een onbevangen duik in de muzikale wereld van een van Europa's beste stemmen en songwriters. Tickets voor Jasper Steverlinck in de Capitole in Gent op 7 februari 2025 zijn te koop vanaf vrijdag 3 mei, om 10u00 via greenhousetalent.com. |
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