Lubriphonic call it quits, free download of "The Gig Is On" album

Chicago soul funk band Lubriphonic calls it quits. They are giving away their latest studio album The Gig Is On as a thank you to their fans:

After 10 long years the band has decided to call it quits. They played coast to coast 200 plus shows a year for the last four of them. Music festivals like Telluride Blues & Brews, Chicago Blues Festival, New Orleans Jazz Festival afterparties, All Good and so many others. So happy to give away this final release as a thank you to all who bought tickets to shows and supported the music.

Giles Corey & Rick King's new project is called King Corey Band and you will love their latest work.

PJ has a crazy good new project called PJ SOUL. He is working on a new release featuring Leo Nocentelli (The Meters), Joel Cummins (Umphrey's McGee), Wavy Dave (Cornmeal), John Christy and other friends. Look for it!

The rest of the band are hard at work performing in nationally touring shows. Ron Haynes is Louis Armstrong in "The Ella Fitzgerald Story". Johnny Cotton is playing in "Dream Girls" in Chicago.

» lubriphonic.com

HCTF review of The Gig Is On.

John Cale: Brussels Summer Festival 2012

John Cale will perform on August 10 at the Place des Palais as part of the Brussels Summer Festival 2012 in Belgium (August 10-19).

» John Cale tour dates

(Thanks: Ondrak Kvapil for supplying the exact date)

The ABC Club: White Lies

Leeds quintet The ABC Club earned some love from NME, a blessing in disguise for many promising bands. Their new EP White Lies sounds sad, sweet and dark, with falsetto vocals and guitar licks lifted from the Pulp and Blur songbooks.

Whitby is the stand-out track, an acoustic love song about this small seaside town in North Yorkshire. Title track White Lies sounds a lot like The Smiths, albeit with less pathos and a muffled drum sound.

White Lies is a self-released album. Buy it from the band's website. Release date: April 16th.

Tracks:

1. White Lies
2. Grandfather Clock
3. Scattered Light
4. Whitby

Live dates:

• 04/01 Stereo, York
• 04/03 The Macbeth, London
• 04/04 Start The Bus, Bristol
• 04/06 The Bowery, Sheffield
• 04/07 The Independent, Sunderland
• 04/09 Bumper, Liverpool

» theabcclub.co.uk

Elika: "Always The Light" CD release party in Brooklyn 04/16

Brooklyn shoegaze duo Elika have moved the date for the CD release party of their latest album Always The Light. Also on the bill: For Every Story Untold, Winkie, and DJ Andy Durutti.

• 04/06 Spike Hill Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

The single No One Gets Lost is offered as a free download.

» elikamusic.com

HCTF review of Always The Light.

The Right Now: Gets Over You

The Right Now loves the soul of yesteryear. On their new album get Over You lead vocalist Stefanie Berecz has the blackest white voice from Chicago. She can be sexy, angry and coy, sounding more confident ever. You need horns to get a funk going and the band's sax tandem Jonathon Edwards and Jim Schram are way up front with trombone player Corey Fritz adding bottom. Composer Brendan O’Connell refrains from dazzling guitar solos, playing rhythm mostly, the traditional role of the guitarist in this genre.

Their previous full-length Carry Me Home looked back to the Memphis sound and that's still here, but they've toughened up the overall feel of their material - the prime example is the classic Dusty In Memphis album. Most of the songs deal with man trouble Good Man, He Used To Be, Half As Much. To proof that they are not tied down to funky soul, The Right Now throws in a bit of reggae bass noodling during Can't Keep Running, taking a bow for The Supremes' harmonizing.

Gets Over You is an album that touches base with their funky ancestors: George Benson in Call Girl, The Ronettes in I Can't Speak For You. They are not plagiarists, they carry on the tradition.

The Right Now:
Stefanie Berecz: vocals
Brendan O’Connell: keyboards, guitar
Chris Corsale: guitar
Greg Nergaard: bass
John Smillie: drums
Jonathon Edwards: baritone sax
Jim Schram: tenor sax, flute
Corey Fritz: trombone

Gets Over You is a self-released album. Buy it from the band's website. Release date: April 10th. Good Man b/w He Used To Be will be released as a 7" on Record Store Day.,

Tracks:

1. I Can't Speak For You
2. Good Man
3. Can't Keep Running
4. Tell Everyone The Truth
5. Should've Told Me
6. I Could Kiss You (I Could Cry)
7. He Used To Be
8. Half As Much
9. Call Girl
10. Higher
11. 'Til It Went Wrong

Live dates:

• 04/20 Pittsburgh PA @ Thunderbird Cafe
• 04/21 Cincinnati OH @ MOTR Pub
• 04/23 Williamsport PA @ Bullfrog Brewery
• 04/24 Philadelphia PA @ World Cafe Live
• 04/25 Washington DC @ Comet
• 04/27 New York NY @ Rockwood Music Hall
• 04/28 Toledo OH @ Frankie's
• 05/03 Kansas City MO @ RecordBar
• 05/04 St. Louis MO @ Old Rock House (w/ Fresh Heir)
• 05/12 Chicago IL - ALBUM RELEASE PARTY @ Lincoln Hall (w/ DeRobert & the Half Truths + DJRC)
• 05/17 Davenport IA @ Redstone Room (w/ Daphne Willis)
• 05/25 Indianapolis IN @ Jazz Kitchen (w/ DeRobert & The Half Truths + Bashiri Asad)
• 05/26 Nashville TN @ The 5 Spot (w/ DeRobert & The Half Truths + Bashiri Asad)

» therightnow.com

HCTF review of Carry Me Home.

Jetsi Kain: I'm In Control

photo: Natascha Narvaez

Indie New Wave pop duo Jetsi Kain offer their first single I'm In Control as a free download. Based in Copenhagen they are part of the pop boom that is currently happening in Denmark. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour blew up and cult favorites Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band will release their sophomore album soon.

Jetsi Kain are releasing their Caspar Hesselhager and Aske Bode produced album later this year. I'm In Control has the vocal gloss of A-ha mixed with hints of the keyboard sound of Madness. Nothing special, but catchy as Hell - it has Summer hit written all over it.

(I'm In Control by Jetsi Kain)

» facebook.com/JetsiKain

John Cale: Malaga 2012/03/27 setlist

John Cale performed at Teatro de Malaga, Malaga, Spain - March 27, 2012.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar
Michael Jerome: drums
Joey Maramba: bass

Setlist (incomplete, tentative running order):

• Captain Hook
• Bluetooth Swings
• Hey Ray
• Riverbank
• Perfection
• Praetorian Underground
• Cry
• Helen of Troy
• Amsterdam
• Whaddya Mean By That
• Catastrofuk
• The Hanging

» John Cale setlists

Sigur Rós: "Ekki múkk" video, new album "Valtari" 05/28

Watch the Sigur Rós video for Ekki múkk. The Icelandic band releases their new album Valtari on May 28.

» sigur-ros.co.uk

Gov't Mule: European Summer tour dates

photo: HCTF

Gov't Mule returns to Europe for a Summer tour. One or two more European dates will be added soon.

Live dates:

• 07/03 Manchester, UK @ Bluesfest (HMV Ritz)
• 07/04 London, UK @ Bluesfest (Under The Bridge)
• 07/06 Beaulier-sur-Mer, France @ Nights Festival Guitars
• 07/07 Wiesen, Austria @ Lovely Days
• 07/09 Paris, France @ Le Trianon
• 07/14 Winterbach, Germany @ Sallerhalle
• 07/15 Pistoia, Italy @ Pistoia Blues Festival
• 07/17 Wroclaw, Poland @ ETER Club
• 07/19 Hannover, Germany @ Bluesgarage

» mule.net

John Cale: London show moved to 10/13

John Cale has moved his London show from May 25 to October 13.

• 10/13 Royal Festival Hall, London, UK

[To coincide with the release of his new record] John Cale’s performance that is currently scheduled for Friday 25 May is being moved to 13th October. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, and we are able to offer a full refund for those ticket holders who cannot attend the new date. All tickets for the original date of Friday 25 May will remain valid.

» news.john-cale.com

Cover Me: Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby

Watch NYC folk band Town Hall cover the traditional Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby, a song that was sung by Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch for the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack.

The band's full-length Roots & Bells is coming out on April 15th. The CD release party will be held at Webster Hall.

» townhallband.com

Starlight Girls: Starlight Girls EP

photo: Sarah Lovrie

Technicolor retro pop made in Brooklyn. The Starlight Girls is a female-fronted rock quartet singing sunny tunes with dark lyrics. There are a bit slower than Katzenjammer and less dirty than Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, the female half of the band takes care of the innocent sounding vocals on top of borderline cheesy keyboards and melancholic flutes and woodwinds.

Their self-titled debut EP is custom-made for the first glorious day of Spring. The sun is shining, but there are some clouds and soon it will start raining - all the things you need to make rainbows happen.

Starlight Girls:
Christina B: vocals, keys, flute
Karys Rhea: drums, vocals
Shaw Walters: guitar
Tysen Arveson: bass

The Starlight Girls EP is a self-released album. Buy it from the band's website. Release date: April 1.

Tracks:

1. Wasteland
2. Gossip
3. Flutterby
4. Wallflower
5. The Hunch

Video: Starlight Girls - Flutterby

Live dates:

• 04/07 The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
• 04/14 Cake Shop, New York, NY
• 05/26 Cameo Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

» starlightgirls.net

Soundgarden: European Summer tour dates

live @ The Gorge Amphitheater, George, WA - 2011/07/30
Photo: Stacy Albright

Grunge rockers Soundgarden play the European festivals this Summer. They will be headliners @ London's Hard Rock Calling 2012 in Hyde Park.

Live dates:

• 05/25 Madrid, Spain @ Sonisphere Festival
• 05/27 Landgraaf, Netherlands @ Pinkpop Festival
• 05/28 Werchter, Belgium @ Werchter Boutique
• 05/29 Paris, France @ Le Zenith de Paris
• 05/31 Berlin, Germany @ Zittadelle
• 06/01 Nürburg, Germany @ Rock Am Ring
• 06/03 Nuremberg, Germany @ Rock Im Park
• 06/04 Milan, Italy - Arena Concerti Fiera Milano
• 06/07 Sölvesborg, Sweden @ Sweden Rock Festival
• 06/10 Donington Park, England, UK @ Download Festival
• 07/13 London, England, UK @ Hyde Park- Hard Rock Calling 2012

» soundgardenworld.com

The Fierce & The Dead: On VHS

London band The Fierce & The Dead goes for a tougher sound on their new EP On VHS. With four tracks that can be labeled as instrumental prog metal, Stevens, Cleaton, Feazy and Marshall grit their teeth to follow each others improvised chord progressions and time signatures. A jazz approach taking that pays off handsomely.

Opener 666...6 is King Crimson meets Sonic Youth, with he former having the upper hand in the end. Hawaii isn't about sunshine and palm trees, but filled with torrents of bass notes and a dry drum sound that makes you reach for a glass of water, with the lead guitar surfing on top of the mathematical mayhem attacking the air waves - although they slow down for a coda with slide guitar. Title track On VHS is a showcase for Stevens' looping capabilities, instantly recognizable but always a treat for those who are following his solo career closely. Part 3 has a Pixies' bass line bubbling under a echo filled lead guitar with bits and pieces of Ry Cooder and Steve Hackett.

With bands like The Fierce & The Dead, progressive rock can move forward, a bit of good news a for a self-absorbing genre that loves to look back so much.

The Fierce & The Dead:
Matt Stevens: guitars, pedals
Steve Cleaton: guitars, pedals
Kev Feazey: bass, guitars, synths
Stuart Marshall: drums, percussion

On VHS is released on their own label Spencer Park Music. Buy it (digital is pay-what-you-want) from the band's website. The CD is currently sold out, but new ones will be available as soon as possible.

Tracks:

1. 666...6
2. Hawaii
3. On VHS
4. Part 3

Live date:

• 05/26 Whitechapel, UK @ The Urban Bar

» fierceandthedead.com

HCTF review of If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe.

John Cale: Madrid 2012/03/25 setlist

John Cale performed at Sala Joy Eslava, Madrid, Spain - March 25, 2012.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar
Michael Jerome: drums
Joey Maramba: bass

Setlist:

1. Captain Hook
2. Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray
4. Riverbank
5. Look Horizon
6. Perfection
7. Praetorian Underground
8. Cry
9. Helen of Troy
10. Amsterdam
11. Sold Motel
12. Things
13. Whaddya Mean By That
14. Catastrofuk
15. The Hanging
16. Satellite Walk
17. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll
18. E: Guts

» John Cale setlists

(Thanks: Gary Fox & Bosco Govantes)

John Cale: Coruña 2012/03/24 setlist

John Cale performed at La Coruña Palacio de Congresos, Coruña, Spain - March 24, 2012. This show was broadcasted Spanish radio, except Bluetooth Swings, Cry and The Hanging.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar
Michael Jerome: drums
Joey Maramba: bass

Setlist:

1. Captain Hook
2. Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray
4. Riverbank
5. Look Horizon
6. Perfection
7. Praetorian Underground
8. Cry
9. Helen Of Troy
10. Amsterdam
11. Things
12. Catastrofuk
13. Whaddya Mean By That
14. The Hanging
15. Satellite Walk
16. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll
17. E: Gun > Pablo Picasso

» John Cale setlists

(Thanks: Julio Vilariño Cabezas & Gary Fox)

The Fiction: The Greatest Hits EP

Manchester rock trio The Fiction dresses like Victorian gents, so it makes sense to call their music something like stream grunge. Naming your debut The Greatest Hits EP is a bold move for a quartet of shoestring budget recordings, but their enthusiasm is matched by their songwrting abilities. Think of mix between the aplomb of Soundgarden and the anger of The Jam.

With their typical English blend of bravado, succinct lyrics and looking sharp, The Fiction's dreams of bigger thing might become a reality.

The Greatest Hits EP is a self-released album. Buy it from the band's website. Digital is pay-what-you want.

Tracks:

1. The Union
2. Never Enough
3. Worlds Apart
4. Bragging Rights

The acoustic bonus track Medicate can be downloaded from the band's Facebook.

Live dates:

• 04/06 Prestwich, UK @ V-Prest Festival - The Railway and Nat
• 04/08 Manchester, UK @ Satans Hollow (w/ Obsessive Compulsive + Boddickers)
• 05/27 Preston, UK @ Dog & Partridge (w/ Hell To Pay)

» the-fiction.bandcamp.com

Trey Anastasio: "Hands On A Hardbody" musical 04/27

Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio supplied the music for a musical. Hands On A Hardbody premiers on April 27 @ La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, CA:

Hands On A Hardbody, the new musical by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright with music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, will debut April 27, 2012 at La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA and run through June 17, 2012. The production, based on S.R. Bindler's 1997 documentary of the same name, tells the story of a pickup-truck competition in Longview, TX.

Beginning now (and through the next 72 hours), tickets for the first two weekends of the run, April 29 and May 4-6, will be available at a special introductory price of $30 with code TRUCK2779. All other performance dates will receive a 20% discount through April 8 with code FAN5752.

» trey.com
» lajollaplayhouse.org

Eliza Gilkyson: European tour dates

Folk and country singer Eliza Gilkyson goes on a short European tour in April and May, promoting her Roses at the End of Time album.

Live dates:

• 04/26 Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 04/27 In the Woods, Lage Vuursche, The Netherlands
• 04/28 Rhythm & Blues Night @ De Oosterpoort, Groningen, The Netherlands
• 04/29 Cultureel Centrum Roepaen, Ottersum, The Netherlands
• 05/01 Puttlingen, Germany
• 05/02 Laufen, Switzerland
• 05/03 Waldraiburg, Germany
• 05/04 Schwabisch Hall, Germany
• 05/06 De Schalm, Westwoud, The Netherlands

» elizagilkyson.com

HCTF review of Roses at the End of Time.

The Flaming Lips: "The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends" 2LP for Record Store Day

The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends will be released on Record Store Day (April 21). It's a 2LP with tons of guests. Wayne Coyne explains how the band's psychedelic vinyl is pressed at A&R Records in Dallas.

Side 1: 2012 (featuring Ke$ha and Biz Markie) Ashes in the Air (featuring Bon Iver) Helping the Retarded to Know God (featuring Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros)	Side 2: Supermoon Made Me Want To Pee (featuring Prefuse 73) Children of the Moon (featuring Tame Impala) That Ain't My Trip (featuring Jim James of My Morning Jacket) You, Man? Human? (featuring Nick Cave)
Side 3: I'm Working at NASA On Acid (featuring Lightning Bolt) Do It! (featuring Yoko Ono) Is David Bowie Dying? (featuring Neon Indian)	Side 4: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (featuring Erykah Badu) Thunder Drops (featuring New Fumes) I Don't Want You to Die (featuring Chris Martin of Coldplay)

The Flaming Lips will be hitting the Summer festival circuit:

• 05/05 Murcia, Spain @ Estrella Levante SOS 4.8 Festival
• 05/12 Chiba, Japan @ Metamorphose Spring 12, Makuhari Messe
• 05/19 Atlanta, GA @ Party In The Park - Centennial Olympic Park
• 06/01 Dallas, TX @ KXT's Summer Cut - The Super Happy Funtime Fest
• 06/02 Houston, TX @ Free Press Summer Fest
• 06/08 Porto, Portugal @ Primavera Sound Festival
• 06/09 Manchester, UK @ Parklife Weekender
• 07/07 Kongsberg, Norway @ Kongsberg Jazz Festival
• 07/13 Ostrava, Czech Republic @ Colours of Ostrava
• 07/15 Dour, Belgium @ Dour Festival
• 07/27 Schönwalde/0Glien, Germany @ Greenville Festival

» flaminglips.com

(Thanks: RJ)

Johnny Dowd: No Regrets

Johnny Dowd sounds like no one else. The Ithaca, NY singer-songwriter follows his own path, releasing a string of memorable albums that have gained him a avid cult following, mainly in Europe. His new record is called No Regrets, 13 songs about 15 women who got under his skin. Dowd is the undisputed master of junkyard Americana, using almost forgotten old school equipment. The prominent sound on the album is a vintage Sixties drum machine, giving the songs a late night B-movie soundtrack feel.

Kicking off with the menacing Betty, where he places a phone call to his high school sweetheart who never returned his football leather jacket "after the eternal love thing didn't work out". The call turns into a threat: "I know where you live. And I know where your children go to school. And I now where your husbands works." Dowd shows off his female counterparts in a musical parade from Hell that can't be labeled as family entertainment, but it is amazing stuff to listen to. Juanita / Rita is a song about twins that will make Lou Reed take a bow, with a nasty Sax part by Keir Neuringer as the icing on the cake.

By using five female vocalists, each song has a different personality. Ella is deceptively upbeat with a poppy sounding Mary B. Lorso. Kim Sherwood-Case adds a lazy late night come- hither part to Abigail. With No Regrets Dowd delivers a dark concept album, that will be hard to follow. Mixing blues, Doo-Wop, rock, pop and even Bossa Nova, this album is a dead-ringer for the top ten of 2012 Americana albums.

No Regrets is released on his own label Mother Jinx Records. Vinyl on Angry Mom Records. Release date: April 2.

Tracks:

1. Betty
2. Emily / Meryl
3. Billie
4. Sherry
5. Miranda
6. Susan
7. Rita
8. Juanita / Rita
9. Nancy
10. Ella
11. Abigail
12. Linda
13. Candy

Live dates:

• 03/23 The Comfort Zone (Canadian Music Festival), Toronto, Canada
• 04/21 Lot 10 - CD and vinyl release party, Ithaca, NY (w/ Teardrops)
• 05/03 Altstadt, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
• 05/04 Paard, The Hague, The Netherlands
• 05/07 Patronaat, Haarlem, The Netherlands
• 05/08 Q-Bus, Leiden, The Netherlands
• 05/09 DB's, Utrecht, The Netherlands
• 05/10 Cactus Muziekcentrum, Brugge, Belgium (Kamarama Festival)
• 05/11 Winston Kingdom, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 05/14 El Lokal, Zurich Switzerland
• 05/15 Chelsea, Vienna, Austria
• 05/16 K4, Nurnberg, Germany
• 05/18 Bassy Club, Berlin, Germany
• 05/20 Harksheide, Norderstedt, Germany
• 05/21 Cafe Video, Ghent, Belgium
• 05/22 Kulturrampe, Krefeld, Germany
• 05/23 Portland Arms, Cambridge, UK
• 05/24 Cluny, Newcastle, UK
• 05/25 King Tuts, Glasgow, UK
• 05/26 The Greystones, Sheffield, UK
• 05/27 The Windmill, Brixton, UK (afternoon and evening shows)
• 05/28 The Ruby Lounge, Manchester, UK
• 05/29 The Basement, York, UK

Video: Johnny Dowd - Betty

» johnnydowd.com

John Cale: Bilbao 2012/03/21 setlist

John Cale performed at the Sala BBK, Bilbao, Spain - March 21, 2012.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar
Michael Jerome: drums
Joey Maramba: bass

Setlist:

1. Captain Hook
2. Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray
4. Riverbank
5. Look Horizon
6. Perfection
7. Praetorian Underground
8. Cry
9. Helen of Troy
10. Sold Motel
11. Things
12. Catastofuk
13. Whaddya Mean By That
14. The Hanging
15. Satellite Walk
16. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll

» John Cale setlists

Words about music (260): Paul McCartney

Somebody said to me, 'But the Beatles were anti-materialistic.' That's a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, 'Now, let's write a swimming pool.'

Paul McCartney

Damn Vandals: The Beautiful Mind EP

Garage rockers Damn Vandals have released a new EP. The Beautiful Mind is filled with four raw borderline glam rock songs. The London band is still quite fond of old school echo, giving their songs a Seventies swagger that never gets old.

Stand-out track is He Pulls A Knife with a chugging back beat egging on the vocals and a lead guitar that will make Chris Isaac's skin crawl. Trouble With Jesus is a down-and-dirty rocker, with all the needles in the red. Recommended if you like the Buzzcocks, Pavement and early Roxy Music.

John Cale: 03/24 Coruña concert live broadcast on Spanish radio

The March 24 John Cale concert at La Coruña Palacio de Congresos, Coruña, Spain will be broadcasted live on Radio 3 this Saturday at 21:00 (Spanish time).

» John Cale tour dates

(Thanks: Iñaki García Galera)

John Cale: Barcelona 2012/03/20 setlist

John Cale performed at the Sala Apolo, Barcelona, Spain - March 20, 2012.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar
Michael Jerome: drums
Joey Maramba: bass

Setlist:

1. Captain Hook
2. Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray
4. Riverbank
5. Look Horizon
6. Perfection
7. Praetorian Underground
8. Cry
9. Helen Of Troy
10. Sold Motel
11. Catastrofuk
12. Things
13. Whaddya Mean By That
14. The Hanging
15. Satellite Walk
16. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll

(Thanks: Iñaki García Galera)

» John Cale setlists

John Cale: Malmö performance of "Paris 1919" on Swedish TV 03/24

Paris 1919 in Malmö 2011/21/11 - photo: Olle Enqvist/ROCKFOT0

The November 21, 2011 performance in Malmö of Paris 1919 will be broadcasted on Swedish TV on March 24. Jonas Almquist:

We fought hard for a year to make it happen, and we managed. We got the Malmö Opera in Sweden to do the Paris 1919-concert and we got National TV to record the concert. It will be broadcasted this coming Sat at 7 pm (Primetime!!!) on national channel 2. And of you cannot access the broadcast, it may be available afterwards on the National TV webbsite SvT Play. Elsewise: Pester your national tv-company and have them license a broadcast via the Eurovision-network.

» svt.se

McCauliffe Brothers Band: It's Likely

The McCauliffe Brothers Band went through quite a lot of drummers over the years. Back in 2007 and 2008 Lehman Best was manning the drum kit, a veteran gospel percussionist with a melodic style that went with the brothers Chris and Mike McCauliffe forays into jazz funk and rock. This particular line-up of the three-piece Chapel Hill, NC based jam band, is preserved on the debut album It's Likely, a digital only release in 2010 before coming out on CD in 2011. Named after the band's stand out track It's Likely, a mid-tempo live favorite that can take on a life on its own, the brothers build the songs upon the 8 hour marathon session where Lehman Best laid down all the drum tracks before relocating to Indiana.

The McCauliffe Brothers style is a bit schizophrenic. They can start s song with a rather obvious mainstream pop groove before taking a sharp turn towards funky back roads, jazzy roundabouts and dusty folk alleys. Brother Mike (bass) aims for the gut during Late Night, with Chris switching between jazz and funk vignettes. They should stay away from love songs. I Can't Hide It and As It Was come dangerously close to another family band - The Alessi Brothers, not a good thing for a serious outfit flying the jam band banner.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse: new album "Americana" 06/05

Neil Young & Crazy Horse have announced Americana, out June 5. It's a covers album, featuring eleven folk songs, including Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land.

Tracks:

1. Oh Susannah
2. Clementine
3. Tom Dooley
4. Gallows Pole
5. Get A Job
6. Travel On
7. High Flyin' Bird
8. She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain
9. This Land Is Your Land
10. Wayfarin' Stranger
11. God Save The Queen

Neil in the press release:

What ties these songs together is the fact that while they may represent an America that may no longer exist, the emotions and scenarios behind these songs still resonate with what’s going on in the country today with equal, if not greater impact nearly 200 years later. The lyrics reflect the same concerns and are still remarkably meaningful to a society going through economic and cultural upheaval, especially during an election year. They are just as poignant and powerful today as the day they were written.

So the long wait for new original songs with the Horse continues.

» neilyoung.com

Jimmy Page: "Lucifer Rising and Other Sound Tracks" 03/20

Time to inspect the savings account: Lucifer Rising and Other Sound Tracks is finally unleashed. Recorded by Jimmy Page for a movie directed by occultist and fellow Aleister Crowley admirer Kenneth Anger the soundtrack was never used and the tapes were shelved. Until now. The album is out on heavyweight vinyl on March 20th. In addition to the standard album there will be a special run of 418 numbered copies. The first 93 copies will be signed and numbered by Jimmy.

Side One

1. Lucifer Rising - Main Track

Side Two

1. Incubus
2. Damask
3. Unharmonics
4. Damask - Ambient
5. Lucifer Rising - Percussive Return

» jimmypage.com

Mike Gordon: London 2012/03/18 setlist

photo: David Barron © Mike Gordon

Mike Gordon
2012/03/18
The Borderline
London, UK

Set 1:

1. Only A Dream
2. Rhymes >
3. Jaded
4. Be Good And You'll Be Lonely
5. Barika >
6. Spiral
7. Weekly Time

Set 2:

1. Traveled Too Far
2. Horizon Line
3. Skin It Back
4. What Things Seem
5. Walls Of Time
6. Cities
7. Dig Further Down

Encore

1. Meat >
2. You Don't Mess Around With Jim

» mike-gordon.com

Primus: additional USA Summer tour dates

Four new dates have been added to the Primus USA Summer tour.

Live dates:

• 06/10 Redding, CA @ Redding Civic Auditorium
• 06/19 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Rail Event Center
• 06/20 Grand Junction, CO @ Avalon Theatre
• 06/24 Modesto, CA @ Modesto Centre Plaza

ATO Records will be releasing a limited edition 10" single wrapped in a Green Naugahyde sleeve with 2 live songs - Jilly's On Smack and Eyes Of The Squirrel.

» primusville.com

John Cale: Turin 2012/03/17 setlist

John Cale performed at the Hiroshima Mon Amour Club, Turin, Italy - March 17, 2012.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar
Michael Jerome: drums
Joey Maramba: bass

Setlist:

1. Captain Hook
2. Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray
4. Riverbank
5. Look Horizon
6. Perfection
7. Praetorian Underground
8. Cry
9. Helen of Troy
10. Amsterdam
11. Whaddya Mean By That
12. Things
13. Catastrofuk
14. The Hanging
15. Satellite walk
16. E: Gun > Pablo Picasso

(Thanks: Bruno Lienard & Veronica Villa)

» John Cale setlists

The Moog: Seasons In The Underground

photo: Kristof Németh

Hungarian pop rockers The Moog have a new album out on April 10th: Seasons Change In The Underground. Sounding more fuzyy and rough-and-the-edges than their 2009 album Razzmatazz Orfeum, this new batch of song s contains the urgency that was lacking on its predecessor. They kept the layered Sixties vocals while at the same time bringing the drums a bit more to the fore in the mix.

They enlisted producer Ken Scott, whoo was the man in charge for Bowie's Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Aladdin Sane. Not as idiosyncratic as the Thin White Duke, The Moog tend to stick to what they know best: melodic pop drenched in synths that sound very Eighties - they overdo it during Run. I Wanna Take You To Paris is a sunny pop ditty that has Summer hit written all over it. The fast and slow version of We Walk In are like two sides of the coin, the fast one relying on a fat-paced drum beat and the slow one a soft piano rocker with a shy glam rock guitar trying to sneak in.

The Moog have grown musically. With Seasons In The Underground they are branching out with a garage rocker (Highway) and Depeche Mode type ballad (Call Me Up).

The Moog:
Tonyo Szabo: vocals, keyboards
Adam Bajor: guitar
Miguel Gyorgy: guitar
Csaba Szabo: bass
Gergo Dorozsmai: drums

Seasons In The Underground is released on MuSick Recordings. Release date: April 10th.

Tracks:

1. Seasons Change In The Underground
2. We Walk In Fast
3. I Wanna Take You To Paris
4. Highway
5. Call Me Up
6. Run
7. I Can't Wait
8. No Time To Turn Around
9. We Walk In Slow
10. March Of The Unholy Truth
11. Hey Little Bird

» moog.hu

HCTF review of Razzmatazz Orfeum.

HeavyPink: "Flower and Song" b/w "There Is A Light"

Multi-instumentalist Tony Reed was busy recording an album called HeavyPink with Moss Generator in 2009 when that band went on hiatus. He picked up the pieces for two of the songs and recorded all the instruments and handled the vocals for a limited edition 7" 45 rpm.

More psychedelic than Moss Generator or his current band Stone Axe, Flower & Song and There Is A Light show a softer side of the Port Orchard, WA, musician. His heavy Seventies guitar tone come to the fore near the end of the A-side, while the B-side starts out as close to acoustic pop as he ever likely going to get.

Flower and Song b/w There Is A Light is released thru The Maple Forum. Limited edition of 300 copies.

Alberteen: new single "The Butcher's Daughter"

UK rock band Alberteen release The Butcher's Daughter as the second single from their Metal Book album on April 16th. The promo video was directed by Nick Feddema, using real celluloid film and hand drawn animation, visualizing the band's rhythm & noir approach.

Video: Alberteen - The Butcher's Daughter

Live dates:

• 03/27 Band on the Wall, Manchester
• 03/31 The Bowery, London

» alberteen.com

HCTF review of Metal Book.

Mike Gordon: Amsterdam 2012/03/16 setlist

photo: David Barron © Mike Gordon

Mike Gordon
2012/03/16
Jam in the Dam Melkweg
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1. Another Door
2. Crumblin' Bones
3. Black Tambourine
4. Morphing Again
5. Jones
6. Mound
7. Toys R Us *
8. Hand in My Pocket
9. Barika
10. Susskind Hotel

* Mike Gordon debut.

» mike-gordon.com

Matt Schofield: tour dates

UK blues guitar virtuoso Matt Schofield will be on tour in Europe and the USA, with his trusty cohorts Jonny Henderson (Hammond B3, bass keys, Wurlitzer) and Kevin Hayes (drums/percussion).

European tour (first leg):

• 03/28 Roth, Germany @ Rother Bluestage/Kultur Roth Theater
• 03/30 Venlo-Blerick, Netherlands @ Roadhoes Theatre
• 03/31 Zoetermeer, Netherlands @ Boerderij
• 04/01 Arnhem, Netherlands @ Luxor live
• 04/02 Verviers, Belgium @ Spirit of 66
• 04/19 Atlanta GA, USA @ April 19: Smiths Olde Bar
• 04/20 Live Oak FL, USA @ April 20: Wanee Festival
• 04/21 Birmingham AL, USA @ April 21: Workplay Theater
• 04/24 Wolverhampton, UK @ Robin2
• 04/25 Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
• 04/26 Poynton, UK @ Bluefunk
• 04/27 Trondheim, Norway @ Nidaros Blues Festival
• 04/28 Trondheim, Norway @ Nidaros Blues Festival
• 05/03 Cheltenham, UK @ Cheltenham Jazz Festival
• 05/04 London, UK @ The Borderline
• 05/05 York, UK @ Fibbers
• 05/06 Burnley, UK @ Burnley Blues Festival
• 05/07 Edinburgh, Scotland @ The Voodoo Rooms

USA live dates:

• 05/30 New York, NY @ The Iridium
• 05/31 Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater
• 06/01 Hagerstown MD @ Western Maryland Blues festival
• 06/02 Woodstock NY @ Mountain Jam
• 06/03 Glenville, PA @ Snail Pie lounge
• 06/10 Lancaster, PA @ Longs Park Ampitheater
• 06/15 Memphis TN, USA @ J Levitt Shell Pavilion
• 07/13 Syracuse NY, USA @ NY State Blues Festival

European tour (second leg):

• 07/21 Bath, UK @ Sulis Sound Festival
• 07/22 Bath, UK @ Bath Guitar Festival (Masterclass)
• 08/17 Haapsalu, Estonia @ Augustibluus Festival

Video: Matt Schofield - The Lights Are On But Nobody's Home
(live @Jakarta Blues Festival, Jakarta, Indonesia - 2011)

» mattschofield.net

John Cale: Rome 2012/03/16 setlist

John Cale performed at the Orion Club, Rome, Italy - March 16, 2012.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar
Michael Jerome: drums
Joey Maramba: bass

Setlist:

1. Captain Hook
2. Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray
4. Riverbank
5. Look Horizon
6. Perfection
7. Praetorian Underground
8. Cry
9. Helen Of Troy
10. Amsterdam
11. Whaddya Mean By That
12. Sold Motel
13. Catastrofuk
14. Things
15. The Hanging
16. Satellite Walk
17. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll

(Thanks: Paolo)

» John Cale setlists

HCTF's Full Show Friday: Aerosmith @ Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX - 1978/07/04

Aerosmith live @ Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX - 1978/07/04 . The band were headliners at the Texxas Jam '78 Festival. The show was released in 1989 on the Live Texxas Jam '78 video.

Setlist:

1. Rats in the Cellar
2. Seasons of Wither
3. I Wanna Know Why
4. Walkin' The Dog
5. Walk This Way
6. Lick and a Promise
7. Get The Lead Out
8. Draw the Line
9. Sweet Emotion
10. Same Old Song and Dance
11. Milk Cow Blues
12. Toys in the Attic

» aerosmith.com

Flying Colors: Flying Colors

photo: Joey Pippin

Flying Colors have joined the ranks of supergroups. Lock up a quintet of virtuoso musicians in the studio for a week or so and presto: a memorable album. Well, not really. Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals), Dave LaRue (bass), Neal Morse (keyboards, vocals), Casey McPherson (lead vocals, guitar), and Steve Morse (lead guitar) can play extremely well, but the vocals are a bit of a problem.

Singer Casey McPherson is the odd man out, more of a pop guy than prog, rock or metal. Which is fine when you are fronting a pop band, otherwise you'll be out of your depth in no time. Maybe they should have kicked him around a bit to loosen him up. There are few tracks where he lets go - the first pumping rock anthem Shoulda Coulda Woulda and the Jethro Tull like slow folk rocker Everything Changes, but he comes up short when the band launches in a Foreigner influenced power ballads like The Storm or Love Is What I'm Waiting For. He gets stuck into a cumbersome AOR phrasing that would have gotten him into the next round of a TV show looking for harmless talent. And that way lies obscurity and finally, the cut-out bin.

Flying Colors should have held a seance and summoned the spirits of Phil Lynott and Ronnie James Dio for some sound advice. On the upside: it's nice to have the Dixie Dregs team of Dave Larue and Steve Morse joining forces again, Mike Portnoy laying down his instantly recognizable drum beat, and Neil Morse going for the wall-to-wall keyboards approach that made him famous when he was in Spock's Beard.

Flying Colors is released on Music Theory Recordings. Release date: March March 26th (March 27th in The USA)

Tracks:

1. Blue Ocean
2. Shoulda Coulda Woulda
3. Kayla
4. The Storm
5. Forever In a Daze
6. Love Is What I'm Waiting For
7. Everything Changes
8. Better Than Walking Away
9. All Falls Down
10. Fool In My Heart
11. Infinite Fire

Touring plans for Flying Colors will be announced in the coming months.

» flyingcolorsmusic.com

John Cale: Milan 2012/03/15 setlist

John Cale performed at Magazzini Generali, Milan, Italy - March 15, 2012.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar
Michael Jerome: drums
Joey Maramba: bass

1. Captain Hook
2. Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray
4. Riverbank
5. Perfection
6. Praetorian Underground
7. Cry
8. Helen Of Troy
9. Catastrofuk
10. Things
11. Whaddya Mean By That
12. The Hanging
13. Satellite Walk
14. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll
15. Pablo Picasso

(Thanks: François Bertonazzi)

Setlist (taken from a photo of the printed setlist on stage):

1. Captain Hook
2. Heartbreak Hotel / Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray / Riverbank / Pile A L'Heure
4. Look Horizon /Amsterdam
5. Perfection
6. Hush / Praetorian Underground
7. Outta The Bag / Cry
8. Helen Of Troy
9. Perfect / Model Beirut Recital
10. Sold Motel
11. Catastrofuk
12. Things
13. Whaddya Mean By That / The Hanging
14. Satellite Walk
15. Guts / Fear Is A Man's Best Friend
16. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll
17. Jumbo In Tha Modernworld / Gun / Pablo Picasso / Chorale / GravelDrive

(Thanks: Gary Fox)

» John Cale setlists

Don Rosler: free six-song sampler from "Rosler's Recording Booth""

Six tracks from Rosler's Recording Booth, the concept album by NYC composer Don Rosler, are offered as a free download.

Tracks:

1. Recording Booth > You Won't Believe (feat. Spottiswoode)
2. But a Dream (feat. Tam Lin)
3. Give It a Whirl (feat. Terry Radigan)
4. Halfway Honest Living (feat. Jeremy Sisto & the Valentines)
5. Where I've Been, What I've Done (feat. Kathena Bryant)
6. Take It Slow / "Tunnel of Sound" Chorale (feat. Recording Booth Choir & Emily Bindiger's Choir)

The album is nominated for Best Concept Album at the Independent Music Awards.

» roslersrecordingbooth.com

HCTF review of Rosler's Recording Booth.

Mike Gordon: Amsterdam 2012/03/15 setlist

photo: David Barron © Mike Gordon

Mike Gordon
2012/03/15
Jam in the Dam Melkweg
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1. Sugar Shack
2. Can't Stand Still
3. She Said She Said
4. The Way It Goes
5. Andelmans' Yard
6. Kissing * >
7. Babylon Baby
8. Funky Bitch
9. I Miss My Mind
10. Hap-Nappy

* "Kissing," a Scott Murawski original, was a Mike Gordon debut.

» mike-gordon.com

The Right Now: Spring tour dates

Chicago funky soul band The Right Now have just announced their Spring tour, promoting the release of their new album Gets Over You on April 10th.

Live dates:

• 04/20 Pittsburgh PA @ Thunderbird Cafe
• 04/21 Cincinnati OH @ MOTR Pub
• 04/23 Williamsport PA @ Bullfrog Brewery
• 04/24 Philadelphia PA @ World Cafe Live
• 04/25 Washington DC @ Comet
• 04/27 New York NY @ Rockwood Music Hall
• 04/28 Toledo OH @ Frankie's
• 05/03 Kansas City MO @ RecordBar
• 05/04 St. Louis MO @ Old Rock House (w/ Fresh Heir)
• 05/12 Chicago IL - ALBUM RELEASE PARTY @ Lincoln Hall (w/ DeRobert & the Half Truths + DJRC)
• 05/17 Davenport IA @ Redstone Room (w/ Daphne Willis)
• 05/25 Indianapolis IN @ Jazz Kitchen (w/ DeRobert & The Half Truths + Bashiri Asad)
• 05/26 Nashville TN @ The 5 Spot (w/ DeRobert & The Half Truths + Bashiri Asad)

» therightnow.com

Mike Gordon: Amsterdam 2012/03/14 setlist

photo: David Barron © Mike Gordon

Mike Gordon
2012/03/14
Jam in the Dam Melkweg
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1. Horizon Line >
2. Voices
3. Sailin’ Shoes
4. Emotional Railroad
5. Meat
6. You Don’t Mess Around With Jim*
7. Dig Further Down
8. Don’t Do It
9. River Niger
10. Idea

* first time played (Jim Croce cover)

» mike-gordon.com

Gar Francis: Shine On

NYC garage rocker Gar Francis has released a new EP, Shine On. He is a veteran who is capable of teaching snotty kids how to get a psychedelic rock groove going. With a slightly hoarse voice he gets things going with the Bowie-esqe title track before delving into the melancholic mid-tempo Back In 1985, with a right-in-the pocket harmonica part as the icing on the cake.

Blue Cadillac start out as a Fifties piano-thumper before bursting into a high energy rhythm & blues with a speeding guitar chasing the song into a frenzy. Tragedy is a breather about a serious subject (the homeless) with a twelve string bit that has a glimmer of Norwegian Wood I'm Still Alive, sings Francis in the final track. For lovers of garage rock, old and new, that's excellent news indeed.

Gar Francis: guitars, vocals
Mike Caruso: bass
Lee Fink: guitars
Kurt Reil: backing vocals
Myke Scavone: harmonica
Rocco Scavone: drums

Shine On is released on Bongo Boy Records. Buy it from CD Baby.

Tracks:

1. Shine On
2. Back In 1985
3. Blue Cadillac
4. Tragedy
5. I'm Still Alive

» garfrancis.com

Iron Claw: new single "Final Hour"

The Soda Shop premiers the new Iron Claw song Final Hour, the first song the band recorded with their new singer Gary Hair.

The Scottish heavy rockers came back to live lat year, releasing the hard-hitting album A Different Game on Ripple Music.

» Iron Claw on Facebook

HCTF review of A Different Game.

Spottiswoode & His Enemies: free "Don't Drive Your Chariot Drunk" sampler

NYC finest cabaret lounge act Spottiswoode & His Enemies celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a two-song-free download "Don't Drive Your Chariot Drunk" sampler. Don't Drive Your Chariot Drunk is taken from their latest album Wild Goosechase Expedition and the appropriately titled second song, Drunk, is from their 2002 album Building A Road.

Don't Drive Your Chariot Drunk has been nominated for best Best Adult Contemporary Song of 2011, while their album made the cut for Best Eclectic Album of 2011 at the Independent Music Awards.

The band is currently in the midst of a residency at NYC's The Living Room.

» spottiswoode.com

HCTF review of Wild Goosechase Expedition.

John Cale: Lausanne 2012/03/13 setlist

John Cale performed at Les Docks, Lausanne, Switzerland - March 13, 2012.

Setlist:

1. Captain Hook
2. Bluetooth Swings
3. Hey Ray
4. Riverbank
5. Look Horizon
6. Perfection
7. Praetorian Underground
8. Cry
9. Helen Of Troy
10. Amsterdam
11. Sold Motel
12. Catastrofuk
13. Things
14. Whaddya Mean By That
15. The Hanging
16. Satellite Walk
17. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll

(Thanks: David and Ondra)

» John Cale setlists