Home Blog Page 1526

My Next Read: “Record Store Day: The Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century” by Larry Jaffee

Eric Alper
-
0
My Next Read: “Record Store Day: The Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century” by Larry Jaffee

Record Store Day: the Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century provides the official inside story on how Record Store Day managed to revive the vinyl format from oblivion over the past fifteen years with some of the biggest artists jumping at the chance to sup-port independent record stores. This alliance and renewed camaraderie between artists and record stores set in motion the world’s largest annual music event: Record Store Day.

The voices of numerous artists, record store owners, and the creators of Record Store Day take the reader from this phenomenon’s shaky beginnings through the crisis of 2020, illustrating how record stores went from irrelevance to irrevocably changing the music industry forever.

Record Store Day is sure to appeal to record collectors who line up the night before in a quest to snare limited-edition collectibles on vinyl, while capturing the important role that independent record stores play in their communities.

Steve Earle & The Dukes To Release JERRY JEFF, A 10-Song Tribute To Jerry Jeff Walker, On May 27

Eric Alper
-
0
Steve Earle & The Dukes To Release JERRY JEFF, A 10-Song Tribute To Jerry Jeff Walker, On May 27

April 8, 2022 (Los Angeles, CA) – On JERRY JEFF – set for May 27 release via New West Records – Steve Earle pays tribute to influential cowboy troubadour Jerry Jeff Walker, who passed away on October 23, 2021. After performing in Texas at a concert celebrating Walker’s life, Earle took his band, The Dukes, to Electric Lady Studios in New York, where they recorded 10 of Walker’s songs.

Today, Earle shared their freewheeling rendition of “Gettin’ By,” which is the album’s opening track. Adding a few personal twists to the lyrics, he admits to his greatest boyhood ambition: to be Jerry Jeff Walker.

“This record completes the set, the work of my first-hand teachers,” Earle writes in the liner notes, referencing 2009’s TOWNES and 2019’s GUY, which he made after the deaths of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.

“The records were recorded and released in the order in which they left this world. But make no mistake – it was Jerry Jeff Walker who came first,” says Earle.

Earle was 14 when he first heard Walker. His high school drama teacher gave him a copy of “Mr. Bojangles,” Walker’s classic ballad about an unforgettable character he met in a New Orleans jail. After Earle moved to Nashville in the 1970s, he had the opportunity to get to know Walker, who enlisted him as his designated driver.

“There’s a tendency to think of Jerry Jeff around a relationship to one song,” Earle says, referring to “Mr. Bojangles,” which was covered by everyone from Bob Dylan to Sammy Davis Jr. “He was also such a great interpreter of other people’s songs. But my main purpose in recording this album was to remind people that he wrote a lot of fucking great songs.”

Earle delivers a gorgeous, soulful “Mr. Bojangles” on JERRY JEFF, but also covers some of Walker’s lesser-known classics – meditative ballads like 1969’s “Old Road” and 1973’s “Wheel.” Other highlights include joyful takes of “Charlie Dunn,” Walker’s endearing tribute to the bootmaker, and “Gypsy Songman,” a stomping busking anthem. See below for track listing.

Fans can see Earle and The Dukes perform some of these songs live during their summer tour, which kicks off on June 1. They’ll also be playing tracks from Earle’s own rich catalog. See below for itinerary. Tickets are available HERE. Earle will also be performing at two special events: To Willie: A Birthday Celebration on May 1 at Willie Nelson’s Luck Ranch in Texas and the WFUV High Line Bash 2022 at City Winery at Pier 57 in New York City on May 13.

JERRY JEFF is Earle’s 22nd album. The three-time GRAMMY winner has released nearly an album a year since the mid-1990s, LPs ranging from bluegrass to blues to folk to country. His 2021 album, J.T., features the songs of his son Justin Townes Earle, a two-time Americana Music Awards winner who died in 2020 at age 38.

Restlessly creative across artistic disciplines, Earle has published the novel “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive” and a collection of short fiction entitled “Doghouse Roses.” He has produced recordings of other artists including Lucinda Williams’ Grammy-winning “Car Wheels On A Gravel Road,” and acted in films and TV including a recurring role in the HBO series, The Wire. Earle is the host of the long-running “The Steve Earle Show: Hardcore Troubadour Radio” on SiriusXM. In 2020, Earle appeared in the Public Theatre production “Coal Country” for which he also wrote the music garnering him a Drama Desk Award nomination (“Coal Country” was revived in 2022). Songs from “Coal Country” are also included in Earle’s 2020 album Ghosts of West Virginia.

Steve Earle – JERRY JEFF Track Listing:
1. Gettin’ By
2. Gypsy Songman
3. Little Bird
4. I Make Money (Money Don’t Make Me)
5. Mr. Bojangles
6. Hill Country Rain
7. Charlie Dunn
8. My Old Man
9. Wheel
10. Old Road

Steve Earle & The Dukes – Tour Dates:
April 23rd — Nashville, TN — Grand Ole Opry*
May 1st — Spicewood, TX — To Willie: A Birthday Celebration @ Luck Ranch*
May 13th — New York, NY — WFUV Highline Bash 2022 @ City Winery at Pier 57*
June 1st — Decatur, AL — Princess Theatre
June 3rd — Nashville, IN — Brown County Music Center
June 4th — Warrendale, PA — Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
June 5th — Phoenixville, PA — Colonial Theatre
June 7th — Springfield, MO — Gillioz Theatre
June 9th — Wichita, KS — Cotillion Ballroom
June 10th — Council Bluffs, IA — Westfair Amphitheater w/Turnpike Troubadours
June 11th — Waite Park, MN — The Ledge w/Turnpike Troubadours
June 14th — Chester, NY — Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center
June 16th — Torrington, CT — Warner Theatre
June 17th — Plymouth, NH — Flying Monkey Performance Center
June 18th — North Truro, MA — Payomet Performing Arts Center
June 19th — State College, PA — State Theatre
June 21st — Isle of Palms, SC — The Windjammer
June 23rd — New Orleans, LA — Tipitina’s
June 24th — New Braunfels, TX — Gruene Hall
June 25th — Fredericksburg, TX — The Backyard
July 1st — Rogers, AR — Outlaw Festival – Walmart Amphitheater
July 2nd — Dallas, TX — Outlaw Festival – Dos Equis Pavilion
July 4th — Austin, TX — Willie Nelson Picnic – Germania Amphitheater
July 7th — Deadwood, SD — Deadwood Mountain Grand Event Center
July 8th — Emigrant, MT — The Old Saloon
July 9th — Rexford, MT — Abayance Bay Marina
July 10th — Calgary, AB — Calgary Stampede
July 15th — Orillia, ON — Casino Rama Resort
July 16th — Oak Hill, NY — Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
July 17th — East Greenwich, RI — Greenwich Odeum
July 19th — Annapolis, MD — Ramshead
July 20th — Alexandria, VA — The Birchmere
July 22nd — Marietta, OH — The Adelphia
July 23rd — Lexington, KY — The Burl
July 24th — Pelham, TN — The Caverns
July 26th — Memphis, TN — Lafayette’s Music Room
July 29th — Kansas City, MO — Knuckleheads Saloon
Aug. 1st — Aspen, CO — Belly Up
Aug. 3rd — Boulder, CO — Chautauqua Auditorium
Aug. 5th — Des Moines, IA — Hoyt Sherman Place
Aug. 6th — Madison, WI — Barrymore Theatre
Aug. 9th — Winnipeg, MB — Burton Cummings Theatre
Aug. 11th — Regina, SK — Casino Regina
Aug. 12th — Edmonton, AB — River Cree Resort and Casino
Aug. 13th — Grand Prairie, AB — Bear Creek Folk Music Festival
Aug. 23rd — Los Angeles, CA — Troubadour
Aug. 24th — Los Angeles, CA — Troubadour
Sept. 3rd — Weston, CO — Caveman Festival
Sept. 6-9 — Big Indian, NY — Camp Copperhead @ Full Moon Resort*
*Steve Earle will appear solo.

Pitbull Announces North American Tour With Iggy Azalea And Sean Paul

Eric Alper
-
0
Pitbull Announces North American Tour With Iggy Azalea And Sean Paul

After selling out over 40 shows and performing to over 450,000 fans last year, Grammy-award winning superstar Mr. Worldwide aka Pitbull has announced his latest North American Can’t Stop Us Now Tour featuring Iggy Azalea and Sean Paul, and openers SiriusXM Globalization DJ’S. The extensive 50+ date run, produced by Live Nation, kicks off this July at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, NC making stops in Montreal, Cincinnati, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping up in Hollywood, FL at Hard Rock Live on October 19th.

Pitbull invites disruption on a global scale as a GRAMMY-winning independent international superstar, education advocate, business entrepreneur and motivational speaker. With countless awards, dozens of international number ones, hundreds of gold and platinum certifications, millions of single sales, 25 million album sales, and cumulative video views in excess of 15 billion, one of the most impressive careers in music history set the stage for him to make true change. Not only did he successfully help establish Sports Leadership Arts and Management (SLAM!) tuition-free public charter schools across the country, he was honored by the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of Clean Water Here; he is a partner in eMerge Americas, the annual tech and innovation summit held in Miami; and he was honored alongside music legends as well as Nobel Peace Prize and Pulitzer Prize winners at the 2019 International Achievement Summit.

Pitbull and Horizon Media have partnered to launch 305 Worldwide, a new multicultural marketing agency. After announcing several partnerships in 2020 such as Espanita Tequila, LivexLive, and “From Negative to Positive” Podcast, Pitbull ended 2020 with a bang by ringing in the new year performing on the main stage in Times Square. In the first month of 2021, Pitbull became the co-owner of NASCAR racing team [Team Trackhouse], and proudly served as the Grand Marshal of the 2021 NASCAR Daytona 500. At the same time, he only continues to expand his influence across fitness, health, and wellness. He launched 305-Life as the first daily supplement line to philosophically reflect the vibrant spirit of Miami through its high quality product.

As an investor and brand ambassador, he joined forces with Echelon for the “Pitbull X Echelon” partnership, providing Pitbull-themed rides to millions of users exclusively in the Echelon Fit App. He also teamed up with Columbia Care to introduce his own CBD line, N2P—an acronym for one of his most famous mantras “negative to positive.” He returned to the road in 2021 with the sold out I Feel Good Tour, packing arenas and amphitheaters coast-to-coast. Speaking of, Pitbull has performed for millions worldwide and even joined forces with the #1 life and business strategist, Tony Robbins, for numerous engagements around the globe. He maximizes his own creative, entrepreneurial and personal freedom, yet again, on his next long-awaited English album, coming soon.

Iggy Azalea is a Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling Australian musician who has become one of the most accomplished artists in music history. Her 2014 debut album The New Classic, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Charts – a first for an international female artist, spawned a US chart topping trifecta of worldwide #1 multi-platinum smash hits: “Fancy” (featuring Charli XCX, 8x-platinum); “Black Widow” (featuring Rita Ora, 4x platinum); “Problem” (collaboration with Ariana Grande, 6x-platinum). “Fancy” was the longest leading Hot 100 #1 hit by a female rapper in chart history, Billboard’s 2014 Song of the Summer, iTunes Best Song of 2014, the year’s most-streamed song on Spotify, and the most-watched music video on Vevo. While “Fancy” was still residing at #1 on the Hot 100, “Problem” – Iggy’s collab with Ariana Grande – peaked at #2. Iggy had made chart history again, this time as the first artist since the Beatles to rank at #1 and #2 simultaneously with their first two Hot 100 hits. Iggy Azalea’s videos have amassed over 3 billion views to date. In late Summer 2021, Iggy will release her highly anticipated third studio album titled End of an Era.

It’s rare for an artist to become the personification of their genre. For just a word or phrase from their mouth to conjure the entire artform. Sean Paul is one of those artists. Let him say “shake dat ting” in his commanding voice, and you’ll hear the embodiment of dancehall. Across seven studio albums and counting, Sean Paul has taken the genre global, from its origin in clubs in Kingston, Jamaica to the top of the charts, packing some of the biggest venues in more than 120 countries. Only Sean has the distinction of being the first Jamaican to play shows in Kazakhstan and Madagascar.

The Grammy Award-winning, international superstar has ignited stages in over 120 other countries, performing for huge audiences in some of the biggest venues around the world. Sean Paul has earned several Grammy and Billboard Music Award nominations and is the recipient of an American Music Award, MOBO Awards, Soul Train Awards, MTV Music Awards, ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards, a Source Award and a BET Award. He is the only Jamaican artist to have won an American Music Award (2006) for Favorite Pop/Rock Male artist.

CAN’T STOP US NOW TOUR DATES:
*Not a Live Nation Date | ^On Sale Now | +With support from Iggy Azalea | #With support from Sean Paul
Thu Jul 28 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek+
Fri Jul 29 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live+
Sat Jul 30 – Hershey, PA– Hersheypark Stadium+
Sun Jul 31 – Darien Lake, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater+
Tue Aug 02 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion+
Wed Aug 03 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center+
Fri Aug 05 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater+
Sat Aug 06 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena*
Tue Aug 09 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center+
Thu Aug 11 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre+
Fri Aug 12 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre+
Sat Aug 13 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage+
Wed Aug 17 – Omaha, NE – Baxter Arena+
Fri Aug 19 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre+
Sun Aug 21 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena+
Tue Aug 23 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center+
Wed Aug 24 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center+
Thu Aug 25 – Highland Park, IL – The Pavilion at Ravinia*+
Fri Aug 26 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater+
Sun Aug 28 – St. Paul, MN – Minnesota State Fair*+
Tue Aug 30 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena+
Wed Aug 31 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre+
Fri Sep 02 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center+
Sat Sep 03 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL+
Sun Sep 04 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center+
Thu Sep 08 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Casino*
Fri Sep 09 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center#
Sat Sep 10 – Laredo, TX – Sames Auto Arena#
Sun Sep 11 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman#
Wed Sep 14 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater#
Fri Sep 16 – Las Vegas, NV – Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino#
Sat Sep 17 – Las Vegas, NV – Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino#
Sun Sep 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion#
Wed Sep 21 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre#
Thu Sep 22 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater#
Sat Sep 24 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center#
Sun Sep 25 – Corning, CA – The Amphitheater at Rolling Hills Casino*
Tue Sep 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Thu Sep 29 – Bakersfield, CA – Mechanics Bank Arena#
Fri Sep 30 – Sparks, NV – Nugget Event Center*
Sun Oct 02 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center#
Wed Oct 05 – Fort Worth, TX – DICKIES ARENA#
Thu Oct 06 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center#
Fri Oct 07 – Pelham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre#
Sun Oct 09 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena#
Tue Oct 11 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena#
Wed Oct 12 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena#
Thu Oct 13 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheater#
Sat Oct 15 – Ft Myers, FL – Hertz Arena+
Sun Oct 16 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center+
Wed Oct 19 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live*

The Judds Announce Fall 2022 Arena Tour ‘The Final Tour’

Eric Alper
-
0
The Judds Announce Fall 2022 Arena Tour ‘The Final Tour’

Today, GRAMMY-winning iconic duo, The Judds, announce their first tour in over a decade, The Final Tour. The 10-date arena tour, produced by Sandbox Live and Live Nation, kicks off on Friday, Sept. 30 in Grand Rapids, Mich. at Van Andel Arena, making stops in Toledo, Green Bay, Fort Worth, and more before concluding in Nashville, Tenn. at Bridgestone Arena on Friday, Oct. 28. Martina McBride will join as a very special guest on select dates. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning April 15th at TheJudds.com. See below routing for on-sale times. Fans can sign up for pre-sale ticket access at TheJudds.com.

“The fans have always been my family of choice. I love them dearly, so I’m chompin’ at the bit to belt out our hits and reconnect with them once again. The cherry on top is singing with my beloved, wild and extremely talented daughter… the best singer of any genre, Wynonna! She asked me if I was still going to twist, twirl and crack jokes. I answered, “Heck yeah! I’m too old to grow up now!” Naomi shared.

“What I’m looking forward to most is celebrating Judd music with the fans. Mom and I have had quite the journey over the last 38 years, and the fans have been with us through it all. This tour is a celebration for them!” said Wynonna.

The Judds, one of the most successful duos in country music history, will make a triumphant return to the CMT MUSIC AWARDS stage tonight, to perform their international hit and chart-topping single, “Love Can Build A Bridge” with the iconic landmark of Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame as their background, a nod to the duo’s upcoming 2022 induction. The performance kicks off a soon-to-be momentous year for Naomi and Wynonna as they’re officially enshrined in the hall of fame in May.

Wynonna and Naomi Judd brought a fresh acoustic sound to country music, with unmistakable harmonies surrounding Wynonna’s powerful lead vocals. The Judds are often celebrated for a rarely-interrupted stretch of 14 No. 1 hits when every single of theirs released by RCA landed in the Billboard Top 10; and a career that defined what it means to be individualists in the music business. The Judds dominated touring in the 80s with 20 Top 10 hits, have sold more than 20 million albums and blazed a trail for duos and women who have followed them. Together, The Judds have 16 Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum albums and longform videos, led by 2x Platinum albums Why Not Me and The Judds Greatest Hits. Their stripped-back style revived the popularity of acoustic sounds in country music and opened up the genre for more traditional approaches.

THE FINAL TOUR 2022 DATES:
Sept. 30 Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Oct. 1 Huntington Center – Toledo, Ohio
Oct. 7 Denny Sanford Premier Center – Sioux Falls, S.D.
Oct. 8 Resch Center – Green Bay, Wisc.
Oct. 14 Gas South Arena – Duluth, Ga.
Oct. 15 Propst Arena at The Von Braun Center – Huntsville, Ala.
Oct. 21 Choctaw Grand Theater – Durant, Okla.
Oct. 22 Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Texas
Oct. 27 Mississippi Coast Coliseum – Biloxi, Miss.
Oct. 28 Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tenn.

Conan Gray Announces Superache Album To Arrive June 24

Eric Alper
-
0
Conan Gray Announces Superache Album To Arrive June 24

Platinum-selling singer, songwriter, and Gen Z pop king Conan Gray will release his anxiously awaited second full-length album, Superache [Republic Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company], on June 24, 2022.

Currently crisscrossing the country on “The Conan Gray World Tour 2022,” he has quietly dropped hints to his fans each night about the forthcoming Superache. This weekend the tour will make a historic stop for his debut performance at Coachella 2022.

Making headlines, GQ featured Conan in their March 2022 issue and christened him “The New Prince of Sad Songs,” while Vogue included him in its massive new fashion spread in this month’s issue.

Earlier this year, he initially teased the album with the grungy banger “Jigsaw,” which has amassed 14.5 million Spotify streams. In addition to plugs from NME and coup de main, Rolling Stone praised, “Conan Gray is going down the rock road – and he’s placing the sonic puzzle pieces in all of the right places,” and UPROXX hailed it as “electrifying.”

It also arrived on the heels of his most recent release “Telepath.” The latter has gathered nearly 35 million streams and counting. Earning critical acclaim, NPR noted, “Conan Gray has ignited Sad Girl Fall” and proclaimed, “A repetitive, mind-numbing bassline gives this song an electro-pop feel that throws us back to the ‘80s.” Fader dubbed it a “striking new electro-pop single,” and press continue to praise Conan with UPROXX saying “Gray has steadily released hit after hit.”

In other news, 2021 was a massive year for Conan: “People Watching” has amassed nearly 140 million streams to date. Inspiring tastemaker applause NPR raved, “it’s incredibly validating to hear others share thoughts that you assumed no one else saw or felt,” and Clash Music hailed it as “potent” and “a bittersweet return that has electrified fans.” Its predecessor “Astronomy” has tallied nearly 100 million-plus streams and counting.

Since releasing original demos on his YouTube channel at the age of 15, Conan Gray has emerged as one of the pre-eminent pop superstars of his generation. Even after the commercial success of global multi-platinum hits “Heather” and “Maniac”, his music continues to maintain its unflinching authenticity and originality. Gray’s debut album, Kid Krow, crafted by Gray and longtime collaborator and producer Dan Nigro, reached #5 on the Billboard 200, #1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and became the biggest new artist debut of the year. In the summer of 2020, when “Heather” topped charts around the world, Sir Elton John publicly praised Gray for being the only artist on the Spotify top 50 to have written the song entirely on their own. With over 7 billion streams, Gray has attracted unanimous applause from a who’s who of tastemakers including Vogue, GQ, V Man, Paper, Fader, Billboard, NPR, MTV, I-D, Wonderland, Clash, Notion, and has delivered rapturous performances on television shows such as Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and The Today Show. Gray’s much anticipated sophomore album is set for release June 24th, 2022.

The Conan Gray World Tour 2022 Dates
4/11 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
4/13 San Francisco, CA Fox Theatre
4/16 Indio, CA Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
4/18 Phoenix, AZ The Van Buren
4/20 Denver, CO Mission Ballroom
4/23 Indio, CA Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
5/5 Oslo, Norway Sentrum Scene
5/6 Stockholm, Sweden Annexet
5/7 Copenhagen, Denmark K.B. Hallen
5/9 Hamburg, Germany Edel-optics.de Arena
5/10 Berlin, Germany Verti Music Hall
5/11 Warsaw, Poland COS Torwar
5/13 Munich, Germany Tonhalle
5/14 Prague, Czech Republic Forum Karlín
5/15 Vienna, Austria Gasometer
5/17 Zurich, Switzerland Volkshaus
5/18 Milan, Italy Fabrique
5/20 Barcelona, Spain Sant Jordi Club
5/21 Madrid, Spain Palacio Vistalegre
5/24 Paris, France L’Olympia
5/25 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique
5/26 Cologne, Germany Palladium
5/27 Amsterdam, Netherlands AFAS Live
5/30 Dublin, Ireland 3Olympia Theatre
6/2 Glasgow, UK O2 Academy
6/3 Leeds, UK O2 Academy
6/4 Manchester, UK O2 Victoria Warehouse
6/6 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy
6/8 Bristol, UK O2 Academy
6/9 London, UK Eventim Apollo

100 Gecs Share “Doritos & Fritos”

Eric Alper
-
0
100 Gecs Share “Doritos & Fritos”

100 gecs share the second offering from their highly-anticipated sophomore album 10000 gecs with the track “Doritos & Fritos.” Lead by a distorted guitar and high-energy slapped bass sounding like timewarped homage to early 90’s Alternative Rock heroes, the new song provides another peek into what tricks the band has up their sleeves on their forthcoming album.

“Doritos & Fritos” follows the lead single off 10000 gecs “mememe”, which was described by their Pitchfork cover story as “an ebullient carnival of ska-inflected verses that bounce off a chorus of thrash guitars and a squiggling synth line.” The new 10000 gecs song also follows 100 gecs’ sold-out North American tour to which The Boston Globe noted, “a pungent medley of vape smoke, Gen Z mosh-sweat, and hundreds of spilled drinks — was the lingering effect of gecs.” Across the tour, the gecs teased the unreleased songs “Hollywood Baby,” “757” and “what’s that smell?”

This summer, 100 gecs will be performing at multiple festivals including Coachella this weekend and next, So What Music Festival in May, Governors Ball, Bonnaroo and Primavera Sound in June, Lollapalooza, Capitol Hill Block Party and Osheaga in July, Reading Leeds in August and Firefly in September.

100 gecs, the duo of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, planted their flag on the proverbial pop culture moon with their 2019 debut album 1000 gecs, which was heralded by The New Yorker as, “an impressively precise maximalist exercise with no rules” and “utterly unhinged in the best way possible” by GQ. The innovative project captured the hearts of fans and critics alike – selling out all of their live shows to date along with The New York Times calling it, “some of the savviest pop music of the year,” and Rolling Stone dubbing it “one of 2019’s most exciting debuts.” In just a few months following the release of 1000 gecs, the band went from playing their first concert from inside the video game Minecraft to selling out shows across the country, proving that their rabid, rapidly multiplying fanbase doesn’t only exist in the far corners of the internet. After their world tour was postponed in the summer of 2020, Brady and Les kept rolling with the release of 1000 gecs and The Tree of Clues, a rework of the original album featuring collaborations from the likes of A. G. Cook, Fall Out Boy, Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, as well as crowd sourced contributions by fans. The transformative release was described by The NME as a “brain-melting, genre-crushing vision of pop’s future.”

Upcoming Live Dates:

USA
4/16 + 4/23 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
5/27 – Arlington, TX @ So What Music Festival
6/1 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Soud
6/12 – Queens, NY @ The Governors Ball
6/18 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
7/22 – 7/24 – Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
7/28 – 7/31 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
7/30 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga
8/26 – 8/28 @ Reading and Leeds
9/22 – 9/25 – Dover, DE @ Firefly

EU
June 2nd – Barcelona, Span @ Primavera Festival
June 3rd – 5th – Nurmberg, Germany @ Rock im Park
June 8th – Barcelona, Spain @ PC Music Party @ La 2 de Apolo
June 10th – Porto, Portugal @ Primavera Sound Porto
August 11th – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega
August 12th – Berlin, Germany @ Metropol
August 13th – Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic @ Sodapop
August 15th – Warsaw, Poland @ Proxima
August 17th – Vienna, Austria @ Grelle Forelle
August 18th – Polten, Austria @ Frequency Festival
August 20th – Hasselt, Belgium @ Pukkelpop festival
August 21st – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
August 23rd – Cologne, Germany @ Gloria Theater
August 26th – Leeds, UK @ Reading & Leeds
August 28th – Reading, UK @ Reading & Leeds
August 30th – London, UK @ 02 Forum Kentish Town
September 1st – Dublin, Ireland @ Olympia Theater
September 2nd – Stradbally, Ireland @ Electric Picnic Festival
September 4th – Manchester, UK @ 02 Ritz Manchester
September 5th – Glasgow, UK @ Galvanizers, SWG3

Canadian Singer/Songwriter Frances Hope Sings Of The Push & Pull Of Toxic Love With “Stay”

Eric Alper
-
0
Canadian Singer/Songwriter Frances Hope Sings Of The Push & Pull Of Toxic Love With “Stay”

There will be nothing you’d rather do than “Stay” when you take a spin on the latest song from Canadian singer/songwriter Frances Hope and her new single.

The ethereal, whimsical, pop-injected rock offering lands like a magical soundscape lulling you like a lullaby — pleading with you to remain just where you are, and as you are, as you listen. The track penned by the Edmonton-born, Victoria-based indie songstress is a majestic insight to yearning, needing; imploring of pure human desire that begins as need as it builds to self-sufficiency.

Says Hope of the song: “‘Stay’ was dreamt up while at my piano while contemplating how to bring the feeling to life of being powerless, angry, hurt, and broken, but still wishing that the person who broke you in the first place would ask you to stay. In my opinion, this song is the representation of love as an addiction, and the push-pull of the toxic relationship, where everyone around you asks, ‘why didn’t you just leave?’”

Hope is a leading contender in the field of up-and-coming Canadian musicians. A poet, lyricist, instrumentalist, and vocalist, she has defined her place in the musical landscape, bringing an edge of grit to vulnerability, and remaining wholly authentic.

Having already made waves in singing competitions like Sing for the Shot: Remastered, and taking the top prize from a battle of the bands to perform at the Dragon Boat Festival in Victoria, Hope is chiseling out her path as an indie musician to watch for. Now armed with two EPs (and a third on the way), plus singles to match, Hope is garnering acclaim across radio and streaming alike.

Frances Hope teamed with Spencer Lillo to bring “Stay” to life. She says, “The collaboration began after I posted a short video of myself playing a moody and emotional version of the song on the piano. Spencer Lillo happened to see the video and contacted me about creating a pop-rock version of the song, which I was really excited to try and think will resonate with others who have experienced the same thing.”

In addition to her songwriting prowess to deliver messages of genuine heartbreak and the innate desire to heal oneself in an effort of poignant discovery, Hope also tackles current and old school covers; sharing her recreations on YouTube, generally stripped down to just she and her piano, she excels in dreaming up the message she wishes to share and creating the melody and lyrics to draw in a listener through both experience and understanding.

“‘Stay’”, she says, “is a letter to those needing to forgive themselves for what they experienced, and recognizing healing is non-linear and nothing can be gained from a relationship that makes you suffer.”

And it’s that connectivity Frances Hope provides her listeners that compels them to “Stay” with her.

Her music. Her message. Every time.

Rock Trio Of Nature Hit the Open Road with New Single, “Midnight Drive”

Eric Alper
-
0
Rock Trio Of Nature Hit the Open Road with New Single, “Midnight Drive”

Painting a vivid picture of a mysterious figure with profound, drifting thoughts on an open road to nowhere, the psychedelic stylings of Canadian rock trio Of Nature are on full display with the release of their new single, “Midnight Drive.”

Silky-smooth bass grooves and electrifying guitar riffs transport the listener across a smoky desert highway — the falling sun clear as day in the rearview. The seductive sonic energy on “Midnight Drive” is accompanied by soaring vocals sure to awaken the demons that come out at night.

The twilight enchantment of “Midnight Drive” is greatly enriched by lyrical imagery that tells a story and inspires listeners towards a deeper understanding of our emotions.

“I sit alone by the side of a highway road
It’s been too long since I’ve been home and I’m tired
So I get down on my knees
The road’s been hard, but the thought is deep.”

Channeling the musical depth of progressive rock with a few splashes of harmonic psychedelia to create a distinctly timeless sound, Of Nature’s style harnesses the rock gods of the past while synthesizing contemporary rhythmic structure for a robust sound that appeals to the masses.

The collective artistic vision of Aiman Jadue and Devin Legge, fate intervened after a seemingly random encounter on the streets of Toronto saw bassist Greg Prymicz fold naturally into the band with genuine chemistry after just one rehearsal.

Of Nature looked to Toronto music veteran and owner of Bombshelter Records, Pat Greisberg to engineer and produce a few tracks. All of their hard work paid off with a polished, mature sound that siphons influence from the greats to create something fresh and familiar.

Folk-Roots Rocker Matt Zaddy Appreciates “A Dear Friend” with Release of New Single

Eric Alper
-
1
Folk-Roots Rocker Matt Zaddy Appreciates “A Dear Friend” with Release of New Single

Years can pass. Time can slip by. But not for you and that one friend. The one who’s there till the end. And with the release of his new single, Mississauga, ON-based folk-roots rocker Matt Zaddy perfectly sums up that relationship in “A Dear Friend.”

The pandemic threatened to destroy relationships the world over. But Matt Zaddy understands what it means to hold onto those sacred; the ones who we treasure deep inside our hearts. “A Dear Friend” is a song that surmises the importance of keeping our loved ones close — even in distance, isolation, or time apart.

“This song has been very special to me for since the day I wrote it,” Zaddy explains, adding, “I was thinking about how my best friends in my 20s were people I played music with and, when the band we were in together ended, we didn’t see each other nearly as much as any of us would like.

“‘A Dear Friend’ is an affirmation and a reminder for me to make time for the people that I care about,” he continues. “This rang true even more so during the pandemic when no one could see their friends as often as we’d guessed.”

The folk/roots/indie musician selected the JUNO Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning Ross Citrullo to work alongside him on the cut. And, as a songwriter at heart, Zaddy looked deep inside his core to pen the track that delicately frames the urgency to keep friendships strong, while creating a coffee-house vibe that is both gentle on its edges, while still staying true to its alternative indie-rock soundscape.

“I had a great time working with Eric Soto on the video as well,” Zaddy says. “We wanted to show what a day in my life was like during COVID. It was solitary on most days, but with the hope of seeing my friends and family again soon. The video starts out with me very much on my own, and ends with a combination of Zoom calls, humour, and a taste of a live show, with the line, it’s good to be back.

“It’s really good to be back… This video is a taste of hope that this year will be better than the last, that we can get back to things as we knew them.”

A decorated musician who has shared the stages with the likes of K’Naan, Francesco Yates, and Canadian rock legends Tom Cochrane and Jim Cuddy, Zaddy excels in being authentic, and genuine in his delivery. During the pandemic of 2020, he focused his attention on live streams and pre-recorded concerts, still providing his fans and listeners with his music. A teacher of his craft, Zaddy also leaned himself to music education and content creation (in partnership with The Guitar Shop Canada) and hosted virtual online events for artists in the community.

“A Dear Friend” is included in Zaddy’s latest offering, Be. The track is a blending of his innate ability to blend rock, with soul, with roots, with folk. Matt Zaddy has created the track that brings the feels between two people that hold each other so tightly, they can only be considered dear friends.

And this song can become a dear friend of yours.

Three Days Grace Announce North American Tour

Eric Alper
-
0
Three Days Grace Announce North American Tour

Today, Three Days Grace share their new music video for “Lifetime” off their forthcoming seventh studio album, EXPLOSIONS out May 6th via RCA Records. The music video was filmed in the town of Mayfield, KY, which was devastated on December 10th, 2021 when an EF4 tornado tore through Western Kentucky. This hit home for the band, as guitarist Barry Stock lives in the area, and band taped the music video for the song in the town to raise awareness and funds to help them rebuild. Watch the music video, directed by Jon Vulpine who also directed the band’s recent “So Called Life” below.

The band shared, “Lifetime is about loss. It also speaks to the human condition to push forward and put one foot in front of the other even when you wake up and your world is turned upside down. Barry lives 2 hours to the north of Mayfield and when the tornado struck he not only knew people directly affected but days later found photos and debris in his own backyard; hitting, in more ways than one, close to home. The Mayfield community has shown hope and resilience in the face of unimaginable devastation. When we discussed how we wanted to visually portray this song the story of Mayfield immediately came up. We travelled down to Kentucky from Toronto in March. To see it all with our own eyes and to meet some of the families while overwhelming at times it was also a reminder to us and hopefully to all of you that while there is suffering there is also hope, resilience and strength around every corner all over the world.”

Today the band announced their headlining tour of the US and Canada. The multi-platinum selling Canadian band will perform in cities including Boston, Houston, Atlanta, Vancouver, Edmonton & more (full dates below with more to be announced). The band will be joined by special guests Wage War & Zero 9:36 on select U.S. dates and special guests The Warning & The Standstills on select Canadian dates. Tickets for dates and VIP packages will be available here starting Thursday, April 14 at 10am local time for Canadian dates and Friday, April 15 at 10am local time for U.S. shows.

The band recently confirmed that their EXPLOSIONS is available for pre-order on all formats here. The band’s new song “So Called Life” is their first new original music since their Juno Award-nominated Outsider (RCA Records). The song’s music video was directed by Jon Vulpine.

Since 2003, the band has staked a spot amongst the hard rock vanguard, breaking records, toppling charts, moving millions of units worldwide In 2015, Human marked the group’s second straight #1 slot on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums Chart as well as their fourth consecutive debut in Top 20 of the Top 200. It spawned two #1 singles “Painkiller” and “I Am Machine,” signaling their 13th overall and 5thconsecutive number ones on the U.S. Active Rock Radio chart. Moreover, the four-piece consistently averaged a staggering 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify—remaining one of the most listened to rock bands in the world. In 2012, Transit of Venus soared to the Top 5 of the Top 200 and garnered a nod for “Best Rock Album of the Year” at the Juno Awards. The seminal One-X [2006] notched an RIAA triple-platinum certification as Three Days Grace [2003] was minted platinum and Life Starts Now went gold. To date, their veritable arsenal of number one includes “Chalk Outline,” “The High Road,” “Misery Loves My Company,” “World So Cold,” “Good Life,” “Break,” “Never Too Late,” “Animal I Have Become,” “Pain,” “Just Like You,” and “Home.”

Three Days Grace 2022 Tour Dates
4/19 – Huntsville, AL at Mars Music Hall
4/21 – St. Augustine, FL at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre &
4/22 – Tampa, FL at Amalie Arena (98ROCKFEST) %
4/23 – Orlando, FL at Tinker Field (Earthday) %
4/25 – Norfolk, VA at The NorVa $
4/26 – Charleston, SC at Charleston Music Hall $
4/28 – Newark, NJ at Prudential Center (Rock The Rock Fest) %
4/29 – Harrisburg, PA at House of Music, Arts & Culture $
4/30 – Worcester, MA at DCU Center (Big Gig) %
5/2 – Cincinnati, OH at Bogart’s $
5/3 – Fort Wayne, IN at The Clyde Theatre $
5/4 – Madison, WI at The Sylvee $
5/6 – Milwaukee, WI at Fiserv Forum (Hog Fest) %
5/7 – Minneapolis, MN at Target Center (93X Twin City Takeover) %
7/14 – South Bend, IN at Four Winds Field (WRBR Big Growl)
7/18 – Detroit, MI at The Fillmore^
7/19 – East Moline, IL at The Rust Belt^
7/21 – Clive, IA at Horizon Events Center^
7/22 – Chesterfield, MO at The Factory^
7/23 – Green Bay, WI at Capital Credit Union Park^
7/25 – Pittsburgh, PA at Stage AE^
7/27 – Wallingford, CT at The Dome at Toyota Presents Oakdale^
7/28 – Boston, MA at House of Blues^
8/1 – Portland, ME at State Theatre+
8/3 – Reading, PA at Theatre at Santander Arena^
8/5 – Atlanta, GA at Tabernacle^
8/6 – Nashville, TN. At Marathon Music Works^
8/7 – New Orleans, LA at The Fillmore^
8/9 – Houston, TX at 713 Music Hall^
8/11 – Austin, TX at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre^
8/12 – Irving, TX at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory+
8/15 – Denver, CO at The Mission Ballroom^
8/18 – Hollywood, CA at Hollywood Palladium^
8/19 – Tempe, AZ at The Marquee Theatre^
11/8 – Vancouver, BC at Queen Elizabeth Theatre*
11/10 – Penticton, BC at South Okanagan Events Centre*
11/11 – Calgary, AB at Grey Eagle Event Centre*
11/12 – Edmonton, AB at Edmonton Convention Centre*
11/14 – Grande Prairie, AB at The Bowes*
11/15 – Saskatoon, SK at Sasktel Centre*
11/17 – Winnipeg, MB at Burton Cummings Theatre*
11/20 – Laval, QC at Place Bell*
11/23 – London, ON at Start.ca Performance Stage at Budweiser Gardens*
& with Black Veil Brides, Motionless in White and Ice Nine Kills
% with Godsmack and many more
$with Lilith Czar
* w/ special guests The Warning & The Standstills
^ w/ special guests Wage War & Zero 9:36
+ w/ special guests Zero 9:36

1...1,5251,5261,527...3,009Page 1,526 of 3,009

Follow us on Instagram @thatericalper

That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

Popular posts

Popular category

© Copyright - That Eric Alper