Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and many, many more do their thing in USA For Africa’s We Are The World.
SUE FOLEY Releases “Dallas Man” From Upcoming PINKY’S BLUES Album
Stony Plain Records announces an October 22 release date for Pinky’s Blues, the new album from award-winning blues guitarist/singer Sue Foley. Featuring several Sue Foley originals, as well as songs from some of her favorite blues and roots artists, Pinky’s Blues was recorded at Fire Station Studios in San Marcos, Texas. Joining Sue Foley (guitar, vocals) for the recording sessions were Jon Penner (bass), Chris “Whipper” Layton (drums) and Mike Flanigin (Hammond B3 organ), who also produced the album.
Foley also shot videos for three songs from the new album that were directed by Tim Hardiman, who directed the latest Black Keys video.
Pinky’s Blues is the follow up to Sue Foley’s breakout album The Ice Queen, released in 2018. Foley’s new album is a raw, electric guitar driven romp through the backroads of Texas blues, with Foley’s signature pink paisley Fender Telecaster, “Pinky,” at the wheel. She won “Best Traditional Female (Koko Taylor Award)” at the 2020 Blues Music Awards in Memphis, was nominated for a Juno Award (Canadian Grammy), and she took home the award for “Best Guitar Player” at the Toronto Maple Blues Awards. For the last few years Foley and her band have kept a rigorous touring schedule across the USA, Canada and Europe. Some highlights were appearances at The Beacon Theater (NYC), guesting with Jimmie Vaughan (opening for Eric Clapton) at Royal Albert Hall in London, Montreal Jazz Fest, Ottawa Blues Fest (w/ Buddy Guy), Moulin Blues (Holland), NPR’s Mountainstage (with Bela Fleck), Doheny Blues Fest, and the Jungle Show in Austin, Texas.
Foley and producer Mike Flanigin decided to make the album in the middle of the COVID lockdown in 2020. “Mike, drummer Chris Layton and I had just finished making Mike’s album, West Texas Blues, and we needed another challenge to keep us busy,” Foley says. “And because we’d been hanging out together we were comfortable in each other’s presence, and this would be a very low-key closed session. I brought in Jon Penner to play bass, who was my first bass player and had been on all my early records. So just the four of us along with engineer Chris Bell went into the studio and recorded the entire album in three days. What you’re hearing is live, off the floor, in the moment the music was played totally spontaneously and, mainly, improvised. And, we wanted to make something representative of the Texas blues that we had been schooled on in Austin. So, we picked great songs and I wrote a few of my own to round things out. Everything on it is a labor of love.”
Some of the album’s many highlights include her takes on classics such as Lavelle White’s “Stop These Teardrops,” Frankie Lee Sims’ “Boogie Real Low” and Lillie Mae Donley’s “Think It Over,” alongside newer songs like Angela Strehli’s “Two Bit Texas Town” and Foley’s own “Dallas Man.”
Foley consider her guitar a living extension of who she is and it helps guide her through the rambunctiously-deep renditions of everything she performs. It was while playing Pinky and doing a series of live-streaming events with Mike Flanigin that much of Pinky’s Blues came together. “”During the COVID lockdown, Mike Flanigin and I had started a live-stream show called ‘Texas Blues Party’,” she says, “and all we were doing was live-streaming from Mike’s house, just the two of us along with a drum machine and playing and talking about the history of Texas blues. It was a fun concept and it ended up being the foundation for both Mike’s album and mine. We called Angela Strehli one day and ended up learning some of her songs. I think she’s one of the most soulful blues singers there ever was. And besides being such a great singer Angela is also a wonderful songwriter, so I was thrilled to be able to include two of her incredible songs on this album.”
The disc’s first single, “Dallas Man,” also bears special significance to Foley. “I realized when I wrote ‘Dallas Man’ it was just about all these great guitar players from Dallas and right around there,” Foley says. “I’ve always been infatuated with Blind Lemon Jefferson and had been reading about him and working up some of his songs. Between Blind Lemon Jefferson and Frankie Lee Sims, and then working on some Freddie King and always watching Jimmie Vaughan came the idea of ‘Dallas Man.’ Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Freddie King, T-Bone Walker, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Frankie Lee Sims, Anson Funderburgh, Zuzu Bollin, Doyle Bramhall II, Denny Freeman and Derek O’Brien all came from that area. That’s almost a whole album right there!”
Leaving Canada as a young player, Foley knew she had to go where the music thrived. All her years in Austin, and including those when she left to learn new approaches to life, have all come together on Pinky’s Blues. “The fact that I have ended up back in Austin just seems right,” Foley says. My home is Canada and I definitely identify as a Canadian. But I had a yearning for this music and I can’t even put my finger on why or how. It got in my soul when I was a teenager. I guess I was open and I got imprinted by the sound and the force of blues music. I saw my first blues show at 15 and I swear I’ve never been the same. I was lucky because I was able to play with so many legends before they passed away. That direct transmission, as we know, is what it’s all about. I have the kind of experience and education that you can’t even get anymore. In a way it’s a big responsibility to carry the message of these giants. But even more important, it’s about finding your own voice within this framework. In blues, that takes time. The beauty of blues, and something I’ve always loved about it, is that you get better as you get older. I’ve always been a fan of older musicians. There’s something about the message, the life experience, the whole package. If you can keep a good perspective on life, a sense of humor, and a love for what you’re doing, you have much more to give. This is when it all really happens.”
The “cabin fever” atmosphere created by the pandemic, also afforded her an opportunity to really map out her next moves. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about what the next chapter is,” Foley admits. “After being home for so long, all I really want to do is turn up and play my guitar for as many folks as I can. I can’t wait to get out on the road.”
Infectious AI Driven EDM Rock Group ROGUE PROXY Releases Classic Rock-Inspired “She Turned Around”
In keeping their promise to deliver a new flavour of rock, Canadian band Rogue Proxy continues to be an infectious conduit for music with this, their latest single, “She Turned Around” — available now.
“She Turned Around” is a song about “about simple things done just right.” Turns out, however, combining classic rock elements with a sophisticated, ever-changing AI engine turned out to be… Not so simple?
“She Turned Around was inspired by literally having a girl turn around to say goodbye,” the band shares, noting that one of the co-fronts’ two-year-old daughter had done so as the pair of friends-turned-band leads were wrapping up a video call working through new ideas.
From there, Rogue Proxy merged the lyrical style of “She Turned Around” with a visual adaptation of Banksy’s “Girl With Balloon” — leading to the artistic rendering of the visualizer for the group’s newest release.
“She Turned Around” features vintage driven keys, rich full bass tone, a classic upfront drum sound, and, of course, dueling guitars. For this illegitimate love child between the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Daft Punk, these concepts are pretty familiar to Rogue Proxy, however, and have become part of their signature sound.
And what a sound they are developing; “She Turned Around” is a grooving rock ballad blending the iconic styles of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Crowes, and Lenny Kravitz. It has been described as “a lyrical tapestry [to] try [and] paint a portrait and let the listener see what they see.”
Where their previous release, “Solitary Confinement,” once had a working title of “Busy Beat,” the band’s growing roster of releases follow previous 2020 breakthrough offerings of “Pump The Hype,” “Old Show,” “To The Nines,” and “Dirty Pool” — the latter of which hit #1 on the Cool Top 20 blog and Spotify chart, and the former being named among the Top 10 Indie Singles of 2020 by Other Side Reviews.
As for “She Turned Around,” lyrics like ‘the left bud in her ear, the right in mine, walking alone, side by side, in 4/4 time’ radiate, striking a sweet nostalgia chord from bygone eras of earlier rock, while also being a unique and clever lyrical adaptation.
Edgar Allan Poets had this to say about the track: “At first listen, it reminded me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers mixed with the Beatles, a unique style that I honestly had never heard… In my opinion, these guys have created something unique. The chord progression is never banal and obvious and entertains the listener from the first to the last second.”
Whether you decide to listen to the song itself, or follow along with the music video, one thing is for sure: Rogue Proxy is onto something here with their unique style and clever chord composition.
And one thing remains certain: Rogue Proxy is stellar at seeping its infectious “programming” into the listener’s ears — so make sure to check out this new AI driven duo.
“Rogue Proxy lives in your speakers. Rogue Proxy lives in your T.V. Rogue Proxy is anywhere and everywhere it wants to be!”
“She Turned Around” is available now.
Sonic Reducers: Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones Passes Away At Age 80
Sonic Reducers. One topic. Two music nerds. Five minutes.
Join us as we mourn the death of Charlie Watts, share our thoughts on his life and career, and ponder whether this could mark the end of The Rolling Stones.
Charlie Watts’ Isolated Drum Tracks From The Rolling Stones’ ‘Gimme Shelter’, ‘Start Me Up’, and more
Charlie Watts, the heart and soul of The Rolling Stones has died at age 80.
From AP: “The quiet, elegantly dressed Watts was often ranked with Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and a handful of others as a premier rock drummer, respected worldwide for his muscular, swinging style as the Stones rose from their scruffy beginnings to international superstardom. He joined the band early in 1963 and remained over the next 60 years, ranked just behind Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as the group’s longest lasting and most essential member.”
Let’s take a listen to some of his greatest drumming, and it’s easy to hear why he was so understated, and so great.
“Stray Cat Blues” from Beggars Banquet
Honky Tonk Women
Sympathy For The Devil from Beggars Banquet
Start Me Up from Tattoo You
Gimme Shelter from Let It Bleed
Flashback: Charles Bradley Covers Black Sabbath’s “Changes” At The Toronto Star Newspaper In 2016
Charles Bradley sings the powerful cover as part of another session of the Newsroom Concert Series. Bradley’s album, also called ‘Changes’, was released in April, 2016.
Iqaluit-Based Inuit Hip-Hop Musician SHAUNA SEETEENAK Releases “See the Light”
With a speakeasy style that lulls listeners into an entranced state, Inuk hip-hop artist Shauna Seeteenak releases her powerful and spine-chilling new single, “See The Light” — available now.
The song serves as a preview to her forthcoming debut album, Therapy Sessions. The release sees Seeteenak focus her music on telling her truths, and shining light on the struggles that Inuit people face in Canada — a humble cause, and often a very dark and sobering reality.
Shrouded in uplifting pop-piano chords and dance-worthy bass lines, these “truths,” as Seeteenak calls them, include “mental health, sobriety, breaking stereotypes, overcoming barriers, surviving the north, and trying to heal.”
Featuring lines like ‘you can change your life if you pick up where you left it,’ and ‘life would be easy, life would be perfect, but then, believe me, it wouldn’t be worth it,’ Seeteenak has audiences right where she wants them: inspired and emboldened, ready to be uplifted into greatness.
Listening to “See The Light” helps give insight into Seeteenak’s ability to speak directly to her listeners. Speaking directly to the thousands of young Inuit whose parents were taken away to residential schools, Seeteenak reassures them: ‘I know you’ve been hurt before, but I want you to know it’s not your fault.
‘Keep on fighting for us. Someday we’re gonna see the light.’
Not only is the production style finessed to a tee, but the lyrics also speak to Seeteenak’s fight with her internal struggles; while her music may sound light-hearted and poppy, one listen reveals Seeteenak to be an authentic storyteller overcoming powerful vices.
On a personal level, 2021 marked a landmark milestone in Seeteenak’s sobriety journey. “Yesterday marked my two years being alcohol free!” she said of the occasion this past May. “Man, I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot these couple years. I’m able to think clearly, get dedicated to something worthwhile like writing music, or exercising.
“It’s nice to not wake up anymore thinking ‘wtf did I do this time?’ she continued. “Today, I want to stay sober for my health — physically, mentally, and emotionally. It makes dealing with stressors much easier.”
As an Inuk living in Iqaluit, Seeteenak is surrounded by Inuit culture. This has given her a unique perspective on songwriting, music production, and performance and, in 2019, she began working with Iqaluit-based record label, Hitmakerz, to develop her career and produce Therapy Sessions.
On top of this, Seeteenak has been busy collaborating with others for the rest of her fantastically inspired album, including Greenland’s Peand-eL, as well as Nunavut’s current Member of Parliament, Mumilaaq Qaqqaq from the NDP.
She has also teamed up with fellow Inuk artist, Aasiva, in one of her more emotional songs, “Better With You.”
Seeteenak recently performed a virtual set list that featured songs from Therapy Sessions for the Indigenous Music Awards. Sponsored by SiriusXM, the Indigenous Music Awards features the Star Catcher Youth Performance Series, spotlighting up and coming musicians from Turtle Island.
Therapy Sessions is available August 27th, 2021.
“See The Light” is available now.
Pop-RnB Singer/Songwriter JENNIFER LAUREN Releases Soaring New Single “Kingdom Come”
If that moment in any action flick where the hero or heroine struts away in slow motion, wind in their hair, as something ignites and then explodes at their backs, needed a perfect soundtrack, Canadian singer-songwriter Jennifer Lauren’s new single “Kingdom Come” — available now — is it.
Dark and synth-y, with industrial, dissonant beats, the vocals soar, taking the listener on a cathartic journey over hills and valleys of loud-quiet-loud. It’s a song of courage and power — one meant to rouse the royalty we all have within.
When Jennifer originally came across the instrumental track from Russian music producer, Sighost, last Christmas Eve, it was titled “Throne,” and she and her co-writer, Miranda Boutros, instantly knew it was something they could work with. “We loved the mood and power of it, and felt inspired by its title,” Jennifer shares.
An avid watcher of movies and series, she thought of those gratifying scenes where the ‘good guys’ win. “It made me think of the moment where the antagonist’s smug smile falters as they realize they’ve just lost, and the protagonist takes back what was theirs, what they’ve built.”
She nicknamed the finished song, fittingly, “the good guy’s comeback anthem.”
Like so many artists during the pandemic, Jennifer had to find new ways to execute the creative process. “Miranda and I had to meet and write over Zoom,” she recalls. “We listened to the track a few times, and wrote key words that came to mind while listening to it.”
They also scoured Pinterest for visual inspiration, and Jennifer eventually chose a crowned lion in black and white with flowers in its mane as the single’s artwork.
“Kingdom Come” is one of eight singles Jennifer aims to release in 2021, and comes on the heels of “Enemy” and “Now or Never” — which were used in the Russian television drama, Silver Spoon (in Russian: Mazhor), and netted her more than 474k in discography streams.
In 2017, Jennifer was accepted into the prestigious ISINA Mentorship Program in Los Angeles, where her professional career took flight. She was mentored by industry professionals like Tim Davis, Walter Afanasieff and Randy Jackson, and recorded at the Sunset Sound and Henson Studios.
With a genre similar to current pop stars like Halsey and Billie Eilish, Jennifer sings with a unique dark and soulful depth. Like a night alone on a starry beach, her artistry evokes those moments that are both private and universal.
“Kingdom Come” is no exception, and takes us on a hero’s journey — the kind that is sometimes public, though oftentimes only very personal… But nevertheless, always deeply satisfying.
“Kingdom Come” is available now.
Synth-Punk Shoegaze Dream-Rockers MORNING TRIPS Declare “We Have No Time (For Now)”
Proving again that Florida-based Morning Trips will not be confined to a genre, the boundless energy of the Florida four-piece flows through their latest release, “We Have No Time (For Now)” — available now.
“We Have No Time (For Now)” shape shifts the group’s defined songwriting ability, and carves an electro-pop vibe capable of inviting you to the dance floor. The track follows their previous effort, “Assault” — a pulsating exploration into dark, heavy industrial metal with a subsequent music video slapped with an 18+ warning label.
“We have a lot of exciting concepts and visuals planned for what will be our first formal EPs,” the band explains. “We are a guitar band at heart, but in our minds, we’re redefining what it means to make guitar-driven music in 2021 when the modern world is so hyper and phonetical.
“We feel we are making music that really puts a stamp on the times, and that sounds like what we think of when we hear ‘THE 2020’S’.”
With many groups and artists forced into stalemate during 2020’s epidemic, Morning Trips utilized their time off the stage to recreate and formulate their sound they’re debuting over a series of singles. As a result, their recently released records each etch a painting of who the group is gradually becoming — each an evolution to who they’re becoming as songwriters, performers, and producers.
“Being isolated and getting into the post-COVID years, we found ourselves observing and yearning for moments and times lost to a year of isolation,” they say. “Remarking on how friendships drift and develop in new ways due to the distance and quite frankly, time.”
Calling on veteran producer Jeremy SH Griffith to finalize the self-produced sonics on “We Have No Time (For Now),” the band says they are laying the groundwork to future visual and sonic expressions. “This was a song we felt we really took a step forward, visually tying together a bit of everything we had done before — but also serving as a launching pad for our next visual moves,” Morning Trips reflects, adding that they take a huge interest in concepts like Surrealism and Dadaism. “Visually, we incorporated elements from those art movements into the artwork.”
The group’s love affair with the pop-punk era of the late 2000s shines brightly on the overall embodiment of their work. And while they themselves don’t necessarily seek out to become the next emo-pop-era group, they’re aware their influence is markable on their soundscape. “We don’t intentionally create with the theme or spirit of ‘nostalgia’,” the group muses. “But this song was very nostalgic to our youth and helped us find ourselves in a lot of ways.
“When you’re a kid, your thoughts and feelings are very raw and earnest, and finding that again as an adult when creating was important.”
Drawing influence from turn-of-the-millennium staples like Third Eye Blind, Semisonic, and Sum 41, Morning Trips has found a way to incorporate what made time tick for them as teenagers, with enveloping a sound that is meaningful for their generational audience. “Visually, we were inspired by so much: New Radicalz, LIT, Semisonic, Sum 41, blink-182, the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtracks, Smash Mouth, Fall Out Boy…” they say.
“We Have No Time (For Now)” pushes the group sonically in an exciting new direction, with the band pushing themselves past their normal, and into a stratosphere that found them expanding on their already high-energy sound. “We did a lot of cool things producing this song,” Morning Trips explains, “Reamping the drums in this big church hallway to get this nice booming room sound, really messing around with the lengths of VST synthesizers. We did a lot of the vocals and guitars in house, but it took forever to finally finalize everything once we had a whole picture we were analyzing.”
Featured on the track is frequent back-up vocalist, Marilyn Lehman, whom the band affectionately refer to as their “fifth member.”
And in true Morning Trips fashion, the band cannot simply deliver a record of this caliber without a visual punch to the gut to amp up the excitement. “We Have No Time (For Now)” boasts an accompanying music video, highlighting the spirit of the song and the energy of the band.
“The music video, we did in house, literally,” they explain. “We put quite a bit of silver wrapping paper on the walls and wanted a very timeless, chrome look. The idea is we were a band traveling through time and playing on the ‘nostalgia act’ vibe but wanted to look completely timeless and fresh and the chrome served that purpose well. It was tons of fun setting it up with all our friends and making the idea come to life.”
As the band amps up for another stint on the road, preparing to hit the stages in a post-pandemic world, Morning Trips is taking the time to carve out their place in the pop sonic sphere.
This, right now, is their time.
“We Have No Time (Right Now)” is available now!
Sonic Reducers: Don Everly of The Everly Brothers Has Died at 84.
Sonic Reducers. 1 topic. 2 music nerds. 5 minutes.
Join us as we mourn the passing of Don Everly, try to figure out why The Everly Brothers are criminally underappreciated and us almost getting into a bar fight in LA right before meeting the man himself.