Musician Rob Scallon teamed up with fellow musician Mary Spender to perform The Beatles “Come Together” on a double-sided guitar. It’s like The Beatles on a budget!
How Drumsticks Are Made
“How A 5A Is Made” is a compilation of Vic Firth’s #HowItsMade Series on Instagram which takes you through each step of their drumstick making process.
Bruce Cockburn releases new “April In Memphis” video
Bruce Cockburn has released his new April In Memphis video from his upcoming album Crowing Ignites.
Bruce says, “The piece came into being on MLK Day 2019. It pretty much formed itself in the course of a practice session. It took the shape of a lament, more than a celebration, which set me to thinking of King’s murder, and the loss of a voice of wisdom, compassion and respect that we could really use about now. Hence the title. I think the video conveys the right sense of the poignant beauty, of the dignity, of the man and the spirituality that fueled him.”
Kurt Swinghammer who produced and directed the video, says, “Creating an animation for Bruce’s moving instrumental was an inspired opportunity to reflect on the loss of the most important spiritual leader of the last century. 50 years after MLK’s assassination, we clearly still need to hear his message.”
Check it out below!
Video: How Taylor Guitars Are Made
Video producer Caroline Aghajanian of Insider visited Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, California and in Tecate, Mexico to check out how Taylor Guitars are made.
Taylor Guitars was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug, and has grown into the leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars. Renowned for blending modern, innovative manufacturing techniques with a master craftsman’s attention to detail, Taylor acoustic guitars are widely considered among the best-sounding and easiest to play in the world. The company is a pioneer in the use of computer mills, lasers and other high-tech tools and proprietary machinery, and today, Bob Taylor is widely recognized throughout the musical instrument industry as the visionary acoustic guitar manufacturer.
How Zildjian Cymbals Are Made
Check out this video of Zildjian’s Norwell, MA factory, and for more, follow their “How Its Made” Series on Instagram which takes you through each step of their cymbal making process.
Experience the King Like Never Before With ‘Elvis Unleashed,’ in Movie Theaters Worldwide on October 7 and 10
Elvis Presley returns to big screens across the globe this fall with the new music special, “Elvis Unleashed,” featuring previously unseen footage on movie theater screens of Elvis as he filmed the iconic “68 Comeback Special.” The two-day cinema event, which includes outtakes and performances that reveal a new side of the King, will air in cinemas on October 7, with an encore screening on October 10.
Each screening will include a new 30-minute segment with Los Angeles Times lead music writer Randy Lewis in conversation with actor Dennis Quaid, rising pop/country artist Jade Jackson and the esteemed director and producer of the “68 Elvis Comeback Special,” Steve Binder, to discuss Elvis’s life and legacy. Quaid and Jackson are set to perform some Elvis classics, while Randy Lewis discusses the behind-the-scenes interactions that Binder had with Elvis and his manager Colonel Parker, as well as celebrating the King.
Fathom Events will present “Elvis Unleashed” in more than 800 U.S. movie theaters on Monday, October 7, and Thursday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m. local time (both dates), through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of U.S. theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). International cinema locations and ticket-on-sale dates will be announced at a later date.
The “‘Elvis ’68 Comeback Special” was a major milestone in Elvis Presley’s storied career, marking his first live television performance in seven years and pioneering the “unplugged” performance style with an acoustic set. “Elvis Unleashed” captures the spontaneous moments and stories behind the legendary special, and sheds new light on Elvis as a cultural icon.
The Roots’ Iconic ‘Things Fall Apart,’ ‘Do You Want More?!!??!’ and ‘Illadelph Halflife’ to Receive Expansive Anniversary Re-Issues
To celebrate the continuing cultural impact of The Roots, Geffen and UMe/Urban Legends will re-issue the bands’ iconic Things Fall Apart, Do You Want More ?!!??! and Illadelph Halflife to commemorate the anniversary of each album’s release.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Things Fall Apart, with Do You Want More?!!!??! celebrating its 25th anniversary next year and Illadelph Halflife turning 25 in 2021. Each remastered re-issue will be drawn from the original master recordings, and Things Fall Apart will include bonus selections, rare photos, essays by Black Thought and Questlove and liner notes from Questlove.
“We’re looking forward to going back to the vault to revisit our original recordings from the studio and we’re excited to celebrate these albums by really delivering something special for our fans,” said The Roots.
Starting off the celebration will be The Roots’ breakthrough fourth album Things Fall Apart, available on September 27, 2019. This melancholy gem of 2000s alternative hip-hop, originally released on MCA Records in 1999, has been freshly remastered and re-pressed in two lavish triple vinyl configurations. The standard configuration features the original album, remastered on double vinyl with a third LP of bonus tracks curated by Questlove, including a 24-page booklet featuring rare images, retrospective essays by Black Thought and Questlove, track-by-track liner notes from Questlove. The Collector’s Edition features all of the above, but with clear vinyl and a die-cut slipcase with all 5 alternate covers as interchangeable lithos with foil stamp numbering. More information, including pre-order details, will be announced soon.
Do You Want More?!!!??!, The Roots’ second studio album, is the band’s major label-debut, coming two years after their independent debut album, Organix in 1993. The album is critically acclaimed as a classic of hip-hop jazz. Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot celebrated the group’s ability to “mate hip-hop wordplay, funk rhythms and jazzy textures” and calls the album “an impressive display of skills, intelligently arranged and performed.” In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source’s 100 Best Rap Albums. The re-issue will be available in 2020.
Illadelph Halflife’s is the third studio album from The Roots. With contributions from artists across jazz and R&B including Amel Larrieux, D’Angelo, Steve Coleman, Graham Haynes, David Murray, and Cassandra Wilson, the album shows the immense growth of the band from their first two titles. Upon release, The New York Times music critic Neil Strauss recognized the album as “one of the year’s best rap offerings” and celebrated its “politically conscious lyrics.” Illadelph Halflife offered a fresh perspective on hip-hop. The album, which will be re-issued in 2021, has been recognized by The Source, The Village Voice, and Hip-Hop Connections as one of the 100 Best Rap Albums.
Unreleased”Blue World” Album of John Coltrane and His All-Star Classic Quartet Mastered from Original Analog Tape for Release by Impulse!
In 1964, John Coltrane and his Classic Quartet went into Van Gelder Studios and, in an unprecedented move for Coltrane, recorded new versions of some of his most famous works. This never-before-heard recording, Blue World, will be released on September 27 in CD, vinyl LP and digital editions.
Early in 1964, the year he recorded A Love Supreme, Coltrane was approached by a Quebecois filmmaker, Gilles Groulx. Groulx was planning his film Le chat dans le sac, a love story set in Montreal with political undertones. A die-hard Coltrane fan, Groulx was fixated on having Coltrane record a soundtrack for his film. Groulx approached Coltrane via a personal connection with bassist Jimmy Garrison, and amazingly, Coltrane agreed.
So right between the recording sessions for Crescent and A Love Supreme in June of ’64, John Coltrane brought Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner into Van Gelder Studios to do something virtually unprecedented in Coltrane world: revisit and record earlier works.
Gilles Groulx was at Van Gelder, watching the session, listening. It’s unclear how much creative input the filmmaker had, and how much conversation happened between him and Coltrane, that yielded this rare kind of session. Recorded on 1/4″ analog mono tape, the session was mixed by Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder Studios on June 24, 1964. Groulx took the master to Canada to use in his film, although he only included ten minutes of the 37-minute recording.
Blue World has been mastered from its original analog tape by Kevin Reeves at Universal Music Mastering in New York. The new vinyl edition’s lacquers were cut by Ron McMaster at Capitol Studios.
Blue World reveals Coltrane’s personal progress, as well as the interactive consistency and sonic details the Classic Quartet had firmly established as their collective signature by 1964. This signature was so assured and dramatic, so buoyant and different from the sound Coltrane had delivered before. And it is significant that this recording session – whatever the ultimate driving force was – happened in between two of Coltrane’s most expansive, spiritually transcendent records that would set the tone for the rest of his musical career.
Blue World follows on the heels of last year’s global success Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album, a studio album recorded in 1963 that revealed new compositions from Coltrane and the Classic Quartet at their peak. Both Directions landed Coltrane at #21 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, his highest debut ever. The record easily topped jazz charts around the world and put Coltrane in the Top 20 on Overall Charts in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Austria, Italy and more. Global sales to date for Both Directions has exceeded a quarter of a million albums sold worldwide.
Down ‘n’ Outz – Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott Fronted Project Announce Release Of New Studio Album ‘This Is How We Roll’
Down ‘n’ Outz, the project headed up by Def Leppard frontman and 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Joe Elliott, are set to release their third studio album, This Is How We Roll, on October 11, 2019.
The band, featuring The Quireboys’ Paul Guerin (Guitar), Guy Griffin (Guitar) and Keith Weir (keyboards), plus Share Ross (Bass, ex Vixen) and Phil Martini (drums, Wayward Sons), takes a different approach on This Is How We Roll to their previous album. This new album only features one cover version (The Tubes “White Punks On Dope) – alongside eleven original Joe Elliott penned tracks.
Guitarist Guy Griffin says, “(This Is How We Roll) is absolutely fantastic, probably one of the best records I’ve worked on. It doesn’t sound like Leppard or the first two Down n Outz records. It’s kind of all the stuff Joe grew up with, a lot of piano type stuff, a bit Elton John, one track a bit 10cc, a couple of good rockers… a real mix of stuff. Joe’s voice sounds amazing and it’s great fun to do.”
Joe Elliott says, “Boy, has this has been a long time coming?! Recorded in infrequent bursts of activity over a 5-year period whenever our respective motherships allowed, I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved with this album. I’m blessed to have worked with such a superb bunch of musicians on this collection of songs. To a man, and woman (!), they completely got my vision of what I wanted us to convey on this record & as usual, working with a world class producer/engineer in Ronan McHugh has guaranteed the sound of the record to be top notch! I couldn’t be more proud.”
From breathless opener “Another Man’s War” to the lush “Last Man Standing”, to the epic six minute “Let It Shine”, this is an album that draws on all the influences that have shaped both Joe Elliott and the previous Down ‘n’ Outz albums to create a stunning collection of original songs. This Is How We Roll was produced by Joe Elliott with co-production by Ronan McHugh. The album was recorded at Joe Elliott’s own studio Joe’s Garage.
The Down ‘n’ Outz project was born in 2009 when Mott The Hoople reformed and asked long-time friend and fan Joe Elliott to get involved. Joe formed the Down ‘n’ Outz with Paul, Guy, Keith and Phil. Together they looked to bring songs by Mott The Hoople and spin off projects of Mott, Ian Hunter and British Lions to a wider audience.
In 2009 Down ‘n’ Outz supported Mott The Hoople at one of the band’s five Hammersmith Apollo shows. The fan interest eventually led to the band looking to put together an album and 2011 saw the release of the critically acclaimed debut My Re-Generation through Mailboat Records (Joe Perry, Walter Becker, Chris Isaak, Jeff Bridges). My Re-Generation included the singles “England Rocks” and “Overnight Angels,” that reached No. 4 and No. 1 respectively on the U.S. Media Base Rock chart -keeping Eric Clapton’s new single off the top of the chart for 2 weeks. The band then released a live DVD taken from those initial shows called Live at Hammersmith Apollo. A second studio album The Further Adventures of… was released in 2014 and featured the single “Rock and Roll Queen”. New bassist Share Ross (Vixen) debuted on 2017’s live album and DVD The Further Live Adventures Of…
A stunning live act – having toured with the likes of Paul Rogers across the UK (Including The Royal Albert Hall) and festival performances including High Voltage and Planet Rockstock, Down ‘n’ Outz are planning live dates to support This Is How We Roll.
This Is How We Roll track-listing:
CD
Another Man’s War
This Is How We Roll
Goodnight Mr. Jones
Creatures
Last Man Standing
Music Box
Boys Don’t Cry
Walking to Babylon
Let It Shine
Music Box Reprise/Griff’s Lament
White Punks on Dope
The Destruction of Hideous Objects Part 3
LP / Picture Disc
Side One
Another Man’s War
This Is How We Roll
Goodnight Mr. Jones
Creatures
Last Man Standing
Side Two
Music Box
Boys Don’t Cry
Walking to Babylon
Let It Shine
Music Box Reprise/Griff’s Lament*
White Punks on Dope
The Destruction of Hideous Objects Part 3
Taylor Swift to Perform Songs From “Lover” on SiriusXM Friday, August 23rd
SiriusXM announced today that global superstar and 10-time GRAMMY winner Taylor Swift, will exclusively perform stripped down versions of songs from the most anticipated album of the year and participate in an intimate Q&A session with a select group of subscribers as part of a SiriusXM Town Hall special on Friday, August 23, the same day that her seventh studio album Lover is released worldwide.
SiriusXM’s Town Hall with Taylor Swift will air on Friday, August 23 at 5:00 pm ET on SiriusXM Hits 1 (ch. 2) on SiriusXM radios, the SiriusXM app and web player. The Town Hall will rebroadcast throughout the weekend on SiriusXM Hits 1. Additionally the performance will be available as a Pandora Stories, where artists connect with fans in an intimate way, in their own words, using the power of music.
Taylor Swift will also sit down with SiriusXM Hits 1’s The Morning Mash Up – Ryan Sampson, Nicole Ryan and Stanley T – for a one on one interview to discuss her new album, and she will take over SiriusXM’s Hits 1 for the weekend of August 24 and 25, counting down the top 45 songs in North America as well as the week’s new music.
SiriusXM Hits 1 was the first pop station in North America to play Taylor Swift dating back to June 7, 2007.
SiriusXM subscribers are able to listen to SiriusXM Hits 1 (ch. 2) on SiriusXM radios, and those with streaming access can listen online, on-the-go with the SiriusXM mobile app and at home on a wide variety of connected devices including smart TVs, Amazon Alexa devices, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Sonos speakers and more. Go to www.SiriusXM.com/streaming to learn more.