LIZ PHAIR TO PERFORM EXILE IN GUYVILLE IN SAN FRANCISCO & CHICAGO FOR MINI TOUR
May 30, 2008
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LIZ PHAIR TO PERFORM EXILE IN GUYVILLE IN SAN FRANCISCO & CHICAGO FOR MINI TOUR
LIZ PHAIR TO PERFORM EXILE IN GUYVILLE
IN SAN FRANCISCO & CHICAGO
ON JUNE 23RD & 24TH
TWO SOLD OUT NYC SHOWS ON JUNE 25th & 26th
EXILE IN GUYVILLE REISSUE OUT ON JUNE 24TH
ON ATO RECORDS
In celebration of the 15th year anniversary of the groundbreaking album, Exile in Guyville and its long awaited reissue on June 24th, Liz Phair will perform the entire album at two additional performances on June 23rd at the Fillmore in San Francisco and on the day of release, the 24th at The Vic Theatre in Chicago. Tickets for the Chicago show will go on sale this Saturday and tickets for San Francisco will go on sale on Sunday, both via Ticketmaster. The two New York shows on June 25th & 26th at the Hiro Ballroom sold out in minutes and no additional shows are to be announced.
Exile in Guyville, which was out of print, will be available on CD, vinyl and - for the first time ever - in digital format. The special reissue package will include three never-before-released songs from the original recording sessions: "Ant in Alaska," with Phair simply accompanying herself on guitar, "Say You," which features Phair and a full band, and an untitled instrumental with Liz on guitar. Phair has also just completed a new, 80-minute DVD, "Guyville Redux," for the reissue.
In "Guyville Redux" - which features an introduction by Dave Matthews, founder/co-owner of ATO Records - Liz and the "guys" of Guyville take us back to the making of the album, the male-dominated, Chicago independent music scene of the early 1990’s (which included Urge Overkill, Material Issue, and Smashing Pumpkins), and the Wicker Park neighborhood where it all happened. Phair interviews Gerard Cosloy and Chris Lombardi of Matador Records, which originally released the record, famed indie producer Steve Albini, Ira Glass of NPR’s "This American Life," John Henderson of the elusive indie label Feel Good All Over, Brad Wood (producer of Exile In Guyville), John Cusack (who founded the Chicago avant-garde theater group New Crime Productions), Urge Overkill, and more.
Conceived as a song-by-song response to the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street, Exile in Guyville was released in 1993, and ranked #1 that year on both the Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll and Spin magazine’s year-end critics poll. Incredibly influential to this day, its place as a seminal rock album has been reaffirmed by its inclusion in countless historical "best of" lists over the past 15 years, including: "Rolling Stone’s "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," Spin’s "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005," Rolling Stone’s "Women in Rock (the 50 essential albums)," Blender’s "Best Indie Rock Albums of All Time," Pitchfork’s "Top 100 Albums of the 1990’s," and VH1’s "Greatest Albums Of All Time," to name but a few. Exile in Guyville is, in the words of Pitchfork, "a certifiable indie roadtrip classic."
Phair is currently working on new studio album for the fall.
Hey kids, MTV and Radiohead’s interview reminds you about kids making shoes overseas
May 29, 2008
Hey kids, MTV and Radiohead’s interview reminds you about kids making shoes overseas
MTV and Radiohead Wish to Remind You There are Kids Making Shoes Overseas
For its song All I Need off the In Rainbows album, Radiohead teamed up with MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) to create a cause-oriented music video.
In the video, two kids — one American, one Asian — go about an ordinary day. As all young Asian children do, the latter spends his time in a factory, making shoes. And like all Americans, the former wiles away the afternoon, coloring and looking bored.
In one particularly poignant scene, the shoes the Asian boy is making sit side-by-side with the ones the American just removed. They are the same shoes.
To recap: "Feel guilty! Your life is easy. Over THERE? OverSEAS? Some kid is making your shoes." It’s like that line your parents fed you to get you to finish dinner: children are STARVING in AFRICA!
If the video struck a chord, visit MTV’s EXIT website. (I’ll synopsize here. Champions against exploitation are invited to team up with a local charity, volunteer at an SOS hotline, or "raise awareness" with MTV EXIT swag. It’s essentially a glorified Neighborhood Watch.)
http://www.adrants.com/2008/05/mtv-and-radiohead-wish-to-remind-you.php
Katy Perry "I Kissed a Girl" music video streams
May 29, 2008
Katy Perry "I Kissed a Girl" music video streams
The video streams for Katy Perry’s "I Kissed a Girl" , the first single off her June 17 debut One of the Boys are available at the links below.
VIDEO
QUICKTIME — High Bandwidth
http://virg001.edgeboss.net/qtime/virg001/katy_perry/videos/ikissedagirl/ikissedagirl_copyright_480×360_700.mov?siteid=cmg
QUICKTIME — Low Bandwidth
http://virg001.edgeboss.net/qtime/virg001/katy_perry/videos/ikissedagirl/ikissedagirl_copyright_320×240_300.mov?siteid=cmg
WINDOWS MEDIA — High Bandwidth
http://virg001.edgeboss.net/wmedia/virg001/katy_perry/videos/ikissedagirl/ikissedagirl_copyright_480×360_700.asx?siteid=cmg
WINDOWS MEDIA — Low Bandwidth
http://virg001.edgeboss.net/wmedia/virg001/katy_perry/videos/ikissedagirl/ikissedagirl_copyright_320×240_300.asx?siteid=cmg
Myspace (Embed Codes available here):
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=34301986
AUDIO Remix
"I Kissed A Girl" (Nevins Rock The Club Extended)
http://capi001.edgeboss.net/wmedia/capi001/katyperry/audio/remixes/katy_perry_i_kissed_a_girl_nevins_rock_the_club_extended.asx?artistid=onlinemarketing
Jim Cuddy Band opens for Sheryl Crow tour stops of London, Kingston, and Sault Ste Marie
May 28, 2008
Jim Cuddy Band opens for Sheryl Crow tour stops of London, Kingston, and Sault Ste Marie
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuseday May 27, 2008
SHERYL CROW
SUPPORT ADDED
With Special Guests THE JIM CUDDY BAND
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2008
JOHN LABATT CENTRE – LONDON
Doors 6:30pm Show 7:30pm
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Tickets available at John Labatt Centre box office, The Book Store at Western, or Books Plus
or call 1-866-455-2849 to charge by phone
or www.johnlabattcentre.com
Tickets (incl. GST) $59.50 / $69.50 (plus FMF and service charges)
The Jim Cuddy Band will be joining Sheryl Crow on the road for her upcoming show in London. Best known as a founder of the celebrated Canadian rock band Blue Rodeo, Jim released his first solo album All In Time, in 1998, which went on to sell Gold in Canada. His second solo recording, The Light That Guides You Home, hit stores in September 2006 and won the JUNO for Adult Alternative Album of the year, as well as critical acclaim, and proved once again that Cuddy’s songwriting ranks with the best Canada has to offer.
On her latest album, Detours, the fearlessly outspoken Sheryl Crow continues a journey of self-discovery that has increasingly appealed to both the head and the heart. Filled with songs about having and holding, changing and letting go, about beginnings, endings, and the roads between them, Detours was inspired by “how I feel things are going in the world and what’s happened to me the last couple of years,” says the nine-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter. Each of her previous studio albums has charted Top 10 and earned at least platinum certification.
SHERYL CROW
SUPPORT ADDED
With Special Guests THE JIM CUDDY BAND
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2008
K-ROCK CENTRE – KINGSTON
Doors 6:30pm Show 7:30pm
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Tickets available at K-Rock Centre box office
or charge by phone at 1-877-554-8399 (877-KLIVE99)
![clip_image002[4]](http://sniffout.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/clip-image00241.jpg){kind=small}
or www.kingstonrsec.com
Tickets (incl. GST) $69.50 (plus FMF and service charges)
The Jim Cuddy Band will be joining Sheryl Crow on the road for her upcoming show in Kingston. Best known as a founder of the celebrated Canadian rock band Blue Rodeo, Jim released his first solo album All In Time, in 1998, which went on to sell Gold in Canada. His second solo recording, The Light That Guides You Home, hit stores in September 2006 and won the JUNO for Adult Alternative Album of the year, as well as critical acclaim, and proved once again that Cuddy’s songwriting ranks with the best Canada has to offer.
On her latest album, Detours, the fearlessly outspoken Sheryl Crow continues a journey of self-discovery that has increasingly appealed to both the head and the heart. Filled with songs about having and holding, changing and letting go, about beginnings, endings, and the roads between them, Detours was inspired by “how I feel things are going in the world and what’s happened to me the last couple of years,” says the nine-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter. Each of her previous studio albums has charted Top 10 and earned at least platinum certification.
Does Coldplay deserve to be on Guitar Hero?
May 28, 2008
Does Coldplay deserve to be on Guitar Hero?
Chris Martin, axman? No, the Coldplay frontman is not pulling a Dave Grohl and giving up his favorite instrument, but he is gearing up for some serious guitar shredding ? on a videogame console near you. “[‘Violet Hill’] is the first Coldplay song to be put on ‘Guitar Hero,’” Martin bragged to EW on a recent visit to the band’s London studio. And unlike much of their lulling repertoire, he cracks, “It’s not [all] about the piano s—.” The downloadable track will be part of a massive publicity rollout for Coldplay’s new album, Viva La Vida (out June 17), which includes a performance on the 2008 MTV Movie Awards (airing June 1) and free concerts in London (June 16) and New York City (June 23).
http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/05/coldplay.html
Interview: Radiohead happy to not to have label for future albums
May 28, 2008
Interview: Radiohead happy to not to have label for future albums
By JAKE COYLE,
AP
Posted: 2008-05-28 00:51:56
WASHINGTON (AP) - The breakthrough for Radiohead on "Reckoner" - a song that underwent multiple incarnations on its way to "In Rainbows" - came by way of what Jonny Greenwood calls a "big percussion fest."
Recording in an English country house, all five members of the group make a loud, cathartic racket - a habit-busting trick the band has practiced since primary school, says bassist Colin Greenwood.
"And I’m happy to say that success hasn’t changed us at all," joked Jonny Greenwood, who would rather leave the percussion to Phil Selway’s drums and Thom Yorke’s rhythm guitar.
Whether through the primal release of a "big percussion fest" or by severing ties with its record label, Radiohead is giving the distinct impression of a band that has exorcised something.
Since self-releasing "In Rainbows" as a pay-what-you-want digital download last fall, Radiohead has moved quickly with the tilt of innovation. They surprised fans with intimate webcasts; they offered one track, "Nude," in stripped down audio pieces for anyone to remix; they held a surprise concert so crowded that police insisted they move along.
On their seventh album, particularly on songs like the falsetto-rich R&B ballad "House of Cards" and the languorous "Nude," the music reflects the same sense of freedom. The prevailing tone of the new material is - gasp! - a melodic warmth.
And this is a drastic change for what many consider the gloomiest band on the planet.
Meet the born-again Radiohead.
In a recent two-part interview with the band - first with the Greenwood brothers and Selway, second with Yorke and guitarist Ed O’Brien - a lightness was unmistakable. Much funnier than you’d expect, the quintet bemusedly contemplate wearing Speedos while shuffling into a Washington, D.C. hotel room.
They had just performed in nearby Virginia, where torrential rain caused flooding and enormous traffic jams around the Nissan Pavilion. In the apocalyptic downpour, Radiohead functioned as a hearth, exuding their newfound glow.
Five shows into the first leg of their North America tour, they played confidently. At one point, Yorke urged the soaked crowd to "cuddle," an unthinkable prospect for a Radiohead concert.
Tuneful beauty has always been part of Radiohead songs (like the "rain down" climax in "Paranoid Android"), but such moments have seldom been allowed to linger. Asked the origins of the new mood, Yorke is as clueless as anyone.
"I don’t know where it came from, to be honest," said the 39-year-old singer, laughing heartily. "I think (`In Rainbows’) has its moments of fraught tension, like `Bodysnatchers’ obviously. But it ends up in a good space. It starts off pretty anxious, but the end of `All I Need,’ by that point, everything is like, `Ahhh’ - getting it out of your system."
When the band completed 2003’s "Hail to the Thief," they essentially got what O’Brien calls the "machinery" of the music industry out of their system. Their six-album deal with EMI Music Group expired and they declined all suitors for a new deal.
The band was at a crossroads and low on energy. They were disappointed by "Hail to the Thief," which they felt was unfinished.
"What was great about `Kid A’ was that it heralded a new period and it meant we went off in some cool new places," said O’Brien, 40. "But the downside was that in the whole period up until the end of `Hail to the Thief,’ we picked up some nasty habits."
The band, of whom all but O’Brien still live in their hometown of Oxford, had progressed steadily into more experimental territory after their 1993 debut "Pablo Honey" and the classic guitar rock follow-up, 1995’s "The Bends." The unparalleled "OK Computer" (1997) elevated them to worldwide fame, but didn’t tame them. 2000’s "Kid A" and its companion piece "Amnesiac" followed.
The outwardly political "Hail to the Thief," something of a return to guitar-based rockers, was the first sign that Radiohead’s path had become confused. Afterward, the band members occupied themselves with their families. Yorke released a solo album, "The Eraser" in 2006.
"We were going along in a certain trajectory and then suddenly with `Hail to the Thief,’ it was: we can’t carry along in that way anymore," said Yorke. "To me the hardest thing was finding a reason to carry on."
As unified as "In Rainbows" sounds, it took years to complete. The band began recording it with producer Mark Stent, the first time in years they didn’t work with Nigel Godrich.
The attempt was futile and Radiohead set out on tour to help bring the new songs into shape. When they returned to the studio, they went back to Godrich, considered the unofficial sixth member because of his importance in helping refine the group’s sound. (Colin calls his wealth of gear "like Aladdin’s cave.")
"The key thing in actually propelling it forward was Nigel coming back into the process," said Selway, 41. "The reality when we got in there was it still wasn’t good enough. We really had to raise our standards quite a lot."
Typically, songs begin with Yorke writing something on piano or guitar with vocals and fleshing it out with the multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood. Then the band works together to find the right arrangement, a process that can be tortuous. "Videotape" underwent, Yorke jokes, hundreds of versions before finding the right minimalist sound.
"We still sometimes get overawed by the songs," said Greenwood. "We’ll get very attached to a song as an idea in its very basic form, but we also know we can’t really leave it like that. So that’s what we spend our time talking about and planning and thinking about. Thom will sit and play `Pyramid Song’ on piano, for example, and it’s obviously not finished. It needs a rhythm to propel it along. But what do you do with it and yet not mess it up? So that’s the sort of enjoyable pressure we like to be under."
Though the method of release overshadowed the music of "In Rainbows" somewhat, it’s been almost universally hailed as a masterpiece. Yorke has been quoted as calling it "our classic album, our `Transformer,’ our `Revolver,’ our `Hunky Dory"’ - a statement he said is a misquote: "I do talk some … but I didn’t say that."
His point, he said, is that they strove to make a similarly concise work as those albums.
"In Rainbows" may be a departure, but it’s unmistakably Radiohead. Yorke is still singing about disconnection between people, which he cheerfully acknowledges: "It’s part of my repertoire. It’s what I do. Some people go and work at something they don’t like, others talk about disconnection a lot."
But the album still feels apart from the old Radiohead story line. For the first time, they don’t sound self-conscious. The band says it all starts with being free of a record contract. (The album was also released traditionally on Jan. 1 by ATO imprint TBD Records, topping the sales charts that week. The band has declined to release sales figures for the download.)
"When we weren’t signed to EMI and didn’t have a contract, that threw up all this mad(ness)," said Yorke. "In a way, your possibilities are endless and limitless and meaningless. You actually suddenly have - I don’t know why, it doesn’t make sense - but there was a complete lack of connection with our past."
The band has called the digital giveaway a "one-off" experiment, but they’ve also re-examined other ways they conduct business. They last year commissioned a report from the company Best Foot Forward to judge the carbon and ecological footprint of their touring.
Any adjustments are in the early stages, but the band has posted messages on their Web site urging fans to car pool to concerts. They caution that music is at the heart of any new endeavors.
"The truth of the matter is that none of those rethinking things would be occurring if we weren’t vibed up on the fact that we finished something. The energy always comes from an excitement about what one has done."
And as might be expected for the ever forward-looking Radiohead, new songs are already in the works, though they are still just "on guitars," says Jonny Greenwood. He only hints that the songs explore "absurd musical ideas."
"When you hear Thom and Jonny in the soundcheck and they’ve come up with something and start playing it, it’s good to hear," said O’Brien.
The process of finding the right instruments for the songs will soon begin. Greenwood would like to even throw a banjo into the mix, but said he gets "level looks" from his bandmates whenever he brings it out. "There’s a ban on banjos," said his 38-year-old brother.
"What’s interesting to me is very old technologies like orchestras and pianos and things and how they meet modern recording and treatment techniques," said Greenwood, 36, who also does classical work on the side, including the buzzing, unforgettable score to "There Will Be Blood."
Radiohead will tour Europe in June and July before returning for the second leg of their North America tour, which will kick off Aug. 1 at the Lollapalooza Festival.
In the meantime, Yorke - who said he still considers the album "the most satisfying format" - has already envisioned the next innovation to deploy when they have new music to release.
"Let’s leave it on the street corner with a little sign," Yorke jokes as excitement sweeps over his face. "Now that’s a good idea! I like that idea. With a little photo on the Web: `It’s here.’ A couple of clues. A little doggie bag."
On the Net:
http://www.radiohead.comCopyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK ADDS SECOND TORONTO SHOW TO TOUR
May 28, 2008
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK ADDS SECOND TORONTO SHOW TO TOUR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WEDNESDAY MAY 28 @ 7am
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND
2ND SHOW ADDED!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
AIR CANADA CENTRE - TORONTO
Doors 7:00pm Show 8:00pm
TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY JUNE 2 @ 12:00pm
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets
or call 416-870-8000 to charge by phone
or www.ticketmaster.ca
Tickets (incl. GST) $39.50 / $55.50 / $75.00 (plus FMF and service charges) – reserved seating
American Express brings you to the Front Of The Line
Visit www.americanexpress.ca/frontoftheline for information on advance ticket access to this show
Following the media sensation that revealed their official reunion, New Kids on the Block have released their new single “Summertime,” and are currently preparing for their return to the world stage. The first shows include stops in Toronto, Montreal, New York, New Jersey, Providence and Chicago. The tour is being produced by Live Nation. A full listing of show dates and venues can be found on www.nkotb.com.
The group split in 1994, but has recently reunited in the recording studio to create new music, working in partnership with a new record label, Interscope Records, and a cadre of world class music producers. The guys have been hard at work writing and recording for an expected new album in Fall 2008.
BACKGROUND
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK sold more than 80 million albums worldwide — including back-to-back international #1 songs, 1988’s Hangin’ Tough and 1990’s Step By Step — and a series of crossover smash R&B, pop hits like “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “Cover Girl,” “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” “Hangin’ Tough,” “I’ll Be Loving You,” “Step By Step” and “Tonight.” The group shattered concert box office records playing an estimated 200 concerts a year, in sold out stadiums throughout the world. They still hold many of these records to date. They were Forbes highest paid entertainers of 1990, beating out Michael Jackson and Madonna. The band boasted an extensive and highly profitable merchandise line which included everything from lunch boxes and sleeping bags to comic books, marbles and dolls.
MIKE MANGIONE TO RELEASE ALBUM IN AUGUST
May 28, 2008
MIKE MANGIONE TO RELEASE ALBUM IN AUGUST
Singer-songwriter Mike Mangione is set to release his album “Tenebrae” nationally via Oarfin Distribution on August 5th. With “Tenebrae” already enjoying a soft release on the internet, and reaching #9 on the Euro Americana Charts for January, Mangione has his sights set to top these achievements in 2008. Early favorable press on the forthcoming album has included the honor of being selected as New York Magazine’s pick of the week, the cover of M Magazine in Milwaukee, while Indie Launchpad defined “Tenebrae” as "a phenomenally great album." Indiemusicstop has labeled it "a definite must have for any fan of folk and indie music genres," and Illinois Entertainer called it “one of the best local releases.” The entire album has been licensed for use in upcoming seasons of multiple MTV shows such as Road Rules, Human Giant, My Super Sweet 16, and The Hills. The Oxygen Network licensed the entire album for use in their upcoming season of Bad Girls Club, as well as the Lifetime Network for use in their brand new show American Psychic.
Mangione creates music that speaks to the masses in a brutally honest tone. “Tenebrae” was produced by Duane Lundy (These United States, Scourge of the Sea, The Parlour Boys, Vandaveer, Ben Sollee). Mangione co-wrote and arranged most of the music with his brother, Tom, and called on him to do all the lead guitar work. He recruited friend and Samples keyboardist, Karl Dietel, to play on the record. Lundy brought in Robby Cosenza (The Apparitions, Scourge of the Sea) to play drums. John Collins, a Chicago-scene veteran who had recently begun playing upright bass for Mangione on the road, was an appropriate fit for the album, rounding out the rhythm section. Mangione also recruited 19 year-old Patrick Hoctor, a student in Milwaukee, to become the band’s cellist, and Kristina Priceman, a 19 year-old Milwaukee violin student, joined the band to complete the group. For two weeks, Mike and Co. recorded in a converted warehouse in Lexington, Kentucky, and much of “Tenebrae” was recorded live to give it a dynamic, organic air.
Born in a northern suburb of Chicago and now residing in Milwaukee, Mangione is no stranger to movement and change. Following the 2005 release of “There and Back,” which charted CMJ at number 16, Mangione has logged approximately one hundred and fifty shows per year throughout the country including such notable performances as SXSW, Midwest Music Summit, Chicago’s Mobfest, Milwaukee’s Summerfest, and the band has been invited to perform at the World Youth Day Festival (the largest youth festival in the world) in Sydney, Australia in July 2008. Mangione has opened for performers such as Jamie Cullum, The Samples, Will Hoge, Jacks Mannequin, Lifehouse, Brian Vander Ark, and Michael McDermott, and will continue on the road in advance of and following the release of “Tenebrae” in August.
How can Rage Against the Machine album files be dodgy as they don’t work on Iphone
May 28, 2008
How can Rage Against the Machine album files be dodgy as they don’t work on Iphone
Yeh my friend had the same problem on his Itouch. He downloaded his from torrent though, might just be a dodgy file.
Amos Lee Tour Announcement News!
May 28, 2008
Amos Lee Tour Announcement News!
AMOS LEE ANNOUNCES FIRST LEG OF NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINING TOUR
CONFIRMED TO PERFORM ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO ON JUNE 16
AMOEBA RECORDS IN-STORE CONFIRMED FOR JUNE 25
Critically-acclaimed Blue Note artist Amos Lee has just confirmed a North American headlining tour. Beginning June 12, the dates kick off in Midland, MI, and finish in Los Angeles, CA, on September 8. The complete itinerary is below. The tour has been booked in support of the upcoming release of Lee’s third record, Last Days at the Lodge. The record comes out on June 24, and follows his first two critically acclaimed and tremendously successful records: "Supply and Demand" from 2006 and his self-titled debut from 2005. On June 16, Lee will perform the first single from the new record, "Listen," on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." On June 25 at 7pm, Lee will appear at Amoeba Records in Hollywood, CA, for a performance and album signing.
"Listen," the first single from the new record, was #1 most added on the R&R AAA chart and is currently experiencing strong airplay across the country. At the beginning of May, Lee performed at BAM in Brooklyn, NY, during the exclusive Paul Simon series. "Billboard" reviewed the performance and said, "The audience, who seemed largely unfamiliar with Lee, was on its feet by the end of his short set."
Last Days at the Lodge was produced by Don Was, and features Lee on guitars, Doyle Bramhall, Jr (Eric Clapton) on guitar, Spooner Oldham (Neil Young, Aretha Franklin) on keys, Pino Palladino (The Who, D’Angelo) on bass and James Gadson (Bill Withers) on drums, along with many others. The record finds Lee honing and emphasizing all the things that earned him his strong fanbase from the get go: His singing is rich, direct and confident, the songs are sharply crafted, the melodies memorable and crisp, the lyrics focused. The production is fuller and less sparse, but the atmosphere remains uncluttered.
Lee’s first two records combined have sold over a half million copies worldwide, and the critics have been effusive over his achievements: NPR’s Tom Moon claimed that Lee’s voice "triangulates Bill Withers, Terry Callier and Ray Charles," while "People" called him "something special" in their critic’s choice, four-star review of the second record. "Entertainment Weekly" said Lee "crafts concise, soulful songs," and "Paste" felt his sound "conjures intimations of a neo-Sam Cooke laced with Donny Hathaway," while "Billboard" hailed that "Lee proves that real emotion and true artistry are not always wasted on youth." "USA Today" said that Lee "artfully walks the line that divides sensitivity from sentimentality, and applies his soulful voice with equal grace."
The tour dates are as follows:
June 12 Midland, MI Midland Center for the Arts
June 14 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota Zoo
July 8 Kitchener, ONT The Gig Theatre
July 9 Toronto, ONT Danforth Music Hall
July 11 Somerville, MA Somerville Theatre
July 12 Camden, NJ XPoNential Music Festival
July 14 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
July 15 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap
July 16 Annapolis, MD Rams Head
July 19 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
July 20 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
July 22 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
July 23 Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall
July 25 Richmond, VA The National
July 26 Floyd, VA FloydFest - Blue Cow Pavillion
July 27 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage
July 29 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
July 30 Charlotte, NC Neighbourhood Theatre
August 1 Orlando, FL The Social
August 2 St. Petersburg, FL State Theatre
August 4 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
August 5 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
August 7 High Point, NC High Point Theatre
August 8 Nashville, TN Cannery
August 9 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue
August 11 Chicago, IL Park West
August 12 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
August 13 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater
August 15 Lyons, CO Lyons Folk Festival
August 16 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre
August 17 Aspen, CO Belly Up
August 20 Portland, OR Oregon Zoo Amphitheater
August 21 Seattle, WA Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheater
August 26 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
September 4 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up
September 8 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theater
More dates will be announced shortly.
