Press Releases - Page 74 of 105

January 8, 2021

TOMMY EMMANUEL To Release ‘Imagine’ Digital-Only EP 1/15; Shares New Video

DT: JANUARY 8, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
TO RELEASE
‘IMAGINE’ DIGITAL-ONLY EP ON JANUARY 15

FEATURING HIS
ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTAL OF
JOHN LENNON’S CLASSIC “IMAGINE”
PLUS TWO ORIGINAL EMMANUEL SONGS,
“SINCE WE MET” AND “I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF YOU”

“SINCE WE MET” HAS BEEN RELEASED TODAY AS A SINGLE
ALONG WITH ITS VIDEO; WATCH IT HERE

In 2020, TOMMY EMMANUEL released a newly recorded acoustic instrumental of John Lennon’s classic “Imagine”–on the same day (October 9) Lennon would have been 80-years-old–as a limited edition 7-inch vinyl exclusive to music retailers. Now, the acclaimed and Grammy-nominated acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter will release the digital-only EP titled IMAGINE on his label, CGP Sounds. It will consist of this version of “Imagine” plus two original EMMANUEL songs: “Since We Met” and “I’ve Always Thought of You.”

“Since We Met” was the B-side to the above-mentioned 7-inch, while “I’ve Always Thought of You” is a new addition to this release. “Since We Met” and “I’ve Always Thought of You” were songs originally on EMMANUEL’s 1999 album Only, but they have been re-recorded and are appearing for the first time on certain digital outlets such as Spotify.

Today (January 8), “Since We Met” has been released as a single along with a video that was filmed in March 2020, just before the pandemic shutdown, in the back of Tommy Emmanuel’s tour bus outside the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, TN. It was directed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart Productions. As TOMMY explains at the beginning of the video, he wrote the song back in the ‘90s and it was recorded with a full band. Over the years it has evolved as an intimate solo piece for him and has become a song requested by fans. “There have been people who’ve written to me and said, ‘I’m going to propose to my girlfriend if you play ‘Since We Met’ tonight in the show.’ That’s happened a few times; it always touches me so much that a song could make someone feel that way.”

Next week, the track and video for “I’ve Always Thought of You” will be issued to coincide with the EP’s January 15 release.

Meanwhile, the video for EMMANUEL’s stirring version of “Imagine” can be viewed here.

Read the press release here. The limited edition 7-inch vinyl is now also available on TOMMY’s web-store. It’s also interesting to note that 2021 marks the 50^th anniversary of Lennon’s “Imagine” single and album of the same name.

In other exciting TOMMY news, his guitar work graces Barry Gibbs’ new solo album Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook out this Friday, January 8. EMMANUEL plays on the Bee Gees’ classic “How Deep Is Your Love” featuring Little Big Town.

Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:

http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

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For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR

(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)

Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com

Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com

Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

January 8, 2021

BUDDERSIDE Share New Single/Video “Pardon Me” Feat. Phil Campbell (Motörhead) Dedicated to Lemmy Kilmister

DT: JANUARY 8, 2021

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

HEAVY ROCK OUTFIT
BUDDERSIDE
REVEAL ANIMATED VIDEO FOR SECOND SINGLE
“PARDON ME”
FEATURING PHIL CAMPBELL (MOTÖRHEAD)

SOPHOMORE ALBUM
‘SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE’
DUE MARCH 26, 2021 VIA MOTÖRHEAD MUSIC/SILVER LINING MUSIC

Hollywood, CA-based heavy rock’n’roll outfit BUDDERSIDE have shared the second single, “Pardon Me,” featuring Motörhead‘s Phil Campbell, from their upcoming sophomore album SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE out March 26 via Motörhead Music/Silver Lining Music. Available now across all digital platforms HERE, “Pardon Me” was inspired by none other than the late Motörhead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister who personally signed them to his label before his passing and previously enlisted frontman and vocalist Patrick Stone (ex-Adler’s Appetite) from his famous “road crew.”

The animated video for “Pardon Me”—seen featured below—was, as STONE reveals, “inspired by my experience of meeting, being taken in by, working for and ultimately BUDDERSIDE being signed to Motörhead Music by Lemmy Kilmister.”

STONE explains that “’Pardon Me’ is an oath. A look at life from the perspective that only our hero Lemmy had. It’s a promise to live up to, declared to the greatest man that ever lived.”

CAMPBELL has lauded the group, sharing, “Check out Budderside for a slice of real modern Rock N Roll pie…Brilliant!”

BUDDERSIDE – “Pardon Me (feat. Phil Campbell)” Official Music Video

SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE was recorded with legendary producer Jay Baumgardner (Bush, Godsmack, Papa Roach) and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage). Its 10 tracks careen through STONE’s journey of overcoming addiction, loss and heartbreak to discovering resurrection with patience, perseverance and meditation set over soaring melodies and catchy refrains. BUDDERSIDE shared the album’s first single “Zen” via MXDWN last December which American Songwriter applauded for “hav(ing) effortlessly aligned jazz, funk and pop influences with their rock persona that lends to interesting chord progressions and key changes.”

SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE Track Listing:

1. Wide Awake
2. Zen
3. Amber Alert (feat. Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies)
4. Pardon Me (feat. Phil Campbell of Motörhead)
5. I’m A Man
6. Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash cover)
7. Things We Do (feat. Musyca Children’s Choir)
8. Feels So Good
9. Soul Searches
10. Daygobah

The quintet shared their infectious live performance with audiences during the holiday break via a special livestream performance at the iconic Sunset Strip venue Whisky A Go Go which was aired across their socials as well as the equally famed Rainbow Bar and Grill’s networks. BUDDERSIDE has previously been seen on tours alongside Motörhead, Slayer, Anthrax and L.A. Guns as well as being featured on international festivals including Wacken Open Air, Motörboat, Malmö Festival and the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

For more information on BUDDERSIDE, please visit:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

SRO PR Assets: www.sropr.com/portfolio/budderside

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For press inquiries +/or album review requests, please contact:
SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com
585-765-5162

December 27, 2020

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Advance Cassettes of Full Moon Fever

From my 17-year run as publicist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1987-2004), I’ve held onto lots of goodies. Here are two different advance cassettes of Tom’s 1989 solo album Full Moon Fever, the first of which contained nine songs before more were added to the album.

December 22, 2020

WARDRUNA Celebrate Winter Solstice with new single “Andvervarljod” (Song Of The Spirit-Weavers)

DT: DECEMBER 22, 2020

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

TRADITIONAL NORDIC FOLK OUTFIT
WARDRUNA
CELEBRATE WINTER SOLSTICE WITH NEW SINGLE
“ANDVERVARLJOD” (SONG OF THE SPIRIT-WEAVERS)
LISTEN HERE

TRACK FEATURED ON UPCOMING JANUARY 22 RELEASE
‘KVITRAVN’
VIA BY NORSE MUSIC

Photo Credit: Kim Ohrling

WARDRUNA will continue to keep Norse traditions relevant in today’s society with their unique blend of contemporary compositions with traditional and historical instrumentation and narratives. In celebration of the Winter Solstice (12/21)—one of the most important ancient Pagan holidays—the band have today, December 22, released the third single, “Andvevarljod,” from their forthcoming 2021 album KVITRAVN. A special Skaldic version of the song was premiered via a livestream on the Winter Solstice along with a speech on its importance and meaning by WARDRUNA founder/composer EINAR SELVIK.

“Andvevarljod,” translated in English to “The Song of The Spirit-Weavers,” explores the Nordic deities of fate (also known as the Norns), the spinning of life threads and the Norse and Sámi common idea that a person´s spirit is connected to wind, both before and after birth. It features guest appearances by a small group of prominent Norwegian traditional singers including Kirsten Bråten Berg, Sigrid Berg, Unni Løvlid and Ingebjørg Reinholdt alongside WARDRUNA’s own Lindy-Fay Hella.

“On a personal level, ‘Andvevarljod’ is a song I hold very dear and it was also my starting point on the new album,” shares SELVIK. “Musically, it gives voice to very old song traditions and on top of that, it is voiced by some of the most central reasons why these traditions are being kept alive for us and the generations to come. Special thanks go out to our guest singers for lending us their talents and for the invaluable work they do for keeping our traditions alive!”

Stream “Andvevarljod” across all digital platforms at this link: https://orcd.co/andvevarljod

Une image contenant noir Description générée automatiquement KVITRAVN cover artwork

KVITRAVN (which translates to ‘White Raven’) will be released on January 22 via BY NORSE MUSIC in the U.S. and SONY MUSIC / COLUMBIA RECORDS (worldwide excl. U.S.). Throughout its 11 songs, KVITRAVN discusses Northern sorcery, spirit-animals, shadows, nature and animism, the wisdom and meanings of certain myths, various Norse spiritual concepts, and the relation between sage and songs. Pre-orders are available via digital download as well as CD and 180-gram 2LP gatefold vinyl (black and ltd. Edition white options) at https://orcd.co/kvitravn_album.

WARDRUNA were last seen stateside in 2018 where they sold-out a headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and are scheduled to return to North America in fall 2021, dates of which can be found in the admat below. With a sound that must truly be experienced live, they performed their first-ever concert in front of the 1,500-year-old Gokstad Viking ship in Oslo, NO and are the only band to have ever been allowed to hold an amplified concert at the Viking ship museum. Since then they’ve performed sold-out shows worldwide, including major festival headlining appearances (Hellfest, Roadburn, Summer Breeze, Castle Fest, Echoes & Merveilles, Rock oz Arenes, Rock The Coast, etc.).

In addition to their recorded music, WARDRUNA have exposed their music to a broad audience worldwide with massive musical contributions to History Channel ́s TV series VIKINGS and most recently SELVIK’s featured work on the score for the latest installment of the Assassin’s Creed® franchise, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla of which two of his songs were featured on the official soundtrack The Ravens Saga (via Lakeshore Records) in addition to contributing to the game’s main theme. A ten-track album Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The Wave Of Giants featuring all of SELVIK’s contributions was also released via Lakeshore Records on December 4.

Find more information on WARDRUNA here:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

SRO Press Releases + Assets: www.sropr.com/portfolio/wardruna

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For press inquiries, please contact:

SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com
585-765-5162

December 21, 2020

New FRANK ZAPPA Tribute Beer, “Why Does It Hurt When IPA?” Set To Debut 12/21

DATE: DECEMBER 21, 2020

FROM: MARCEE RONDAN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

NEW FRANK ZAPPA TRIBUTE BEER,
“WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN IPA?”
SET TO DEBUT ON ZAPPA’S BIRTHDAY, DECEMBER 21

The ZAPPA TRUST and San Diego-based Duckfoot Brewery Co have teamed up to launch a new FRANK ZAPPA tribute beer, Why Does It Hurt When IPA? It’s set to debut on ZAPPA’s birthday, December 21.

It’s a wild, improvisational jam of an IPA, brewed with ZAPPA hops, Simcoe and Cascade. The West Coast-style IPA has notes of passion fruit, spice and grapefruit (a favorite of FRANK ZAPPA’s) with a clean and dry finish. The can features never-before-published photos of Frank which pair nicely with the beer itself. In addition, the label explains more, “the Zappa hop, like the man, has a hugely eclectic style. Published flavor notes have ranged from passion fruit, mint, spicy, savory, fruity cereal, and uh…purple. (Try the beer, you’ll get it). Just like Frank, this hop is one of a kind and awesome.”

You can order Why Does It Hurt When IPA? by visiting ZappaBrew.com. The beer is offered solely in the U.S. as a 6-pack ONLY at 4.99 per beer, plus a flat rate of $25 shipping. There is a limit of two six packs per customer (with the shipping rate of $25).

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO

The beer, which like many things ZAPPA, came about through a personal connection. Duckfoot co-founder, Matt DelVecchio, a ZAPPA fan from the age of six, is a longtime friend of Zappa Plays Zappa touring musician Pete Griffin who made the intro to the family.

“Our new friends (but they feel like old friends) at Duck Foot Brewing Co are making a delicious new brew using the Zappa hop,” AHMET ZAPPA says. “Stay home, be safe and enjoy Why Does It Hurt When IPA? responsibly. All the Zappa Trust proceeds from this batch will go to support the music community in need. Music is the Best!”

“We are so beyond thrilled to be making a beer for one of our favorite musicians of all time,” Matt Delvecchio, Head Quack/Founder, Duck Foot Brewing Co adds.

Look for AHMET and the Duck Foot Brewing Co team to do an online meeting in the new year to discuss everything about the beer and take questions from fans around the world.

Why Does It Hurt When IPA? comes at the end of a busy year for ZAPPA. Beyond the releases of The Mothers 1970 and Halloween 81 earlier in the year, last month saw the debut of the long-awaited and highly-acclaimed Alex Winter documentary, “Zappa.” The film tells the story about the prolific genius composer, free speech activist, cultural ambassador to Czechoslovakia and legendary musician, Frank Zappa. It was accompanied by the surprise digital release of the corresponding Zappa Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. A perfect complement to the film, the 68-track soundtrack is available to stream and download now via Zappa Records/UMe. “Zappa” is now available everywhere in the U.S. from Magnolia Pictures.

www.zappa.com

https://duckfootbeer.com/

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December 17, 2020

Motörhead Music Heavy Rock Outfit BUDDERSIDE Announce Whisky a Go Go Livestream 12/24 In Celebration of Lemmy’s Birthday

DT: DECEMBER 17, 2020

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

MOTÖRHEAD MUSIC/SILVER LINING MUSIC
ROCK’N’ROLL GROUP
BUDDERSIDE
ANNOUNCE 12/24 WHISKY-A-GO-GO LIVESTREAM SHOW
CELEBRATING BIRTHDAY OF LEMMY KILMISTER
HOSTED BY
RAINBOW BAR & GRILL + WHISKY A GO GO

INCLUDES SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE + Q&A WITH
MTV VJ/MUSIC PERSONALITY MATT PINFIELD

RSVP HERE

SOPHOMORE ALBUM
‘SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE’

DUE MARCH 26, 2021

(Photo Credit: Rob Berezowski)

Hollywood-based heavy rock & roll outfit BUDDERSIDE bridge the gap between the sexy swagger of the Sunset Strip and the soulful depths of Seattle. Having been personally signed to Motörhead Music/Silver Lining Music by the late Motörhead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister due to founder/vocalist Patrick Stone (ex-Adler’s Appetite) being part of his famous “road crew,” the band will honor Lemmy on his birthdate, December 24, with a festive livestream performance from the infamous Los Angeles venue, Whisky-a-Go-Go. The free show will be hosted by the famed Rainbow Bar & Grill—a daily hangout spot where Lemmy visited–and the Whisky simultaneously via their Facebook pages at 12:00 P.M. PST. The livestream will feature new music from their upcoming March 26 album SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE–recorded with legendary producer Jay Baumgardner (Bush, Godsmack, Papa Roach)—along with a Q&A session with MTV VJ/music personality Matt Pinfield, who will also join BUDDERSIDE onstage to guest on their cover of the classic Motörhead song “Ace of Spades.” RSVP for streaming links and further details at https://www.facebook.com/events/437015540657885.

“Join us on Lem’s birthday, December 24 at Noon (PST),” says BUDDERSIDE. “We’ll be playing songs off our forthcoming album ‘Spiritual Violence,’ delivering some super sick Motörhead surprises and even a Q&A by the legendary Matt Pinfield. Let us bring Lemmy’s Lounge to wherever you may be and let’s raise a toast (and a little hell) together!”

BUDDERSIDE recently shared SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE’s debut single “Zen,” which premiered December 3 via MXDWN, with an adventure-filled music video that was filmed in Tokyo, Japan. “The video finds us being seduced by desire and lured into a den of evil, from which there is no escape,” shares STONE. “The nightmare of Kuchisake-onna, Kappa, Rokurokubi and Gashadokuro come to life before your very eyes.” Watch it on YouTube here or streaming below.

The 10 tracks on SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE, mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage), empower listeners as they careen through the journey of overcoming addiction, loss and heartbreak to discovering resurrection with patience, perseverance and meditation set over soaring melodies and catchy refrains. Guest appearances include Butcher Babies’ vocalist Carla Harvey on the sultry track “Amber Alert,” Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell on the Lemmy-inspired “Pardon Me” and even a children’s choir.

SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE Track Listing:
1. Wide Awake
2. Zen
3. Amber Alert (feat. Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies)
4. Pardon Me (feat. Phil Campbell of Motörhead)
5. I’m A Man
6. Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash cover)
7. Things We Do (feat. Musyca Children’s Choir)
8. Feels So Good
9. Soul Searches
10. Daygobah

BUDDERSIDE is rounded out by a reenergized lineup including guitarists Logan Nikolic and Sam “Bam” Koltun (Faster Pussycat, Dorothy), bassist Gabe Maska, and powerhouse drummer Jeff Dewbray. Their debut self-titled 2016 album was produced by Lemmy’s son Paul Inder Kilmister and saw the band bring their infectious live show on tours alongside Motörhead, Slayer, Anthrax and L.A. Guns as well as being featured on international festivals including Wacken Open Air, Motörboat, Malmö Festival and the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

For more information on BUDDERSIDE, please visit:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

SRO PR Assets: www.sropr.com/portfolio/budderside

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For press inquiries or interview requests, please contact:
SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

December 13, 2020

Bounced Around Downtown Vegas

12/13/20

Bounced around downtown Vegas yesterday, hitting the Fremont East District…that’s the restaurants/bars area which the late visionary Tony Hsieh “helped turn into a destination neighborhood” (Eater)…also dropped into the Hsieh/Downtown Project-conceived Downtown Container Park, where all the retail stores + restaurants are housed in metal cubes + shipping containers (took home excellent food from the Pinches Tacos there). Marvelled, too, at the nearby hotel signs for the iconic El Cortez Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas and the new Circa Resort & Casino.

December 11, 2020

Greek Stoner/Psych Rock Band 1000mods Debut “Warped” Music Video; Fourth Album ‘Youth Of Dissent’ Out Now

DT: DECEMBER 11, 2020

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

GREEK STONER/PSYCHEDELIC ROCK GROUP
1000mods
DEBUT MUSIC VIDEO/SINGLE
“WARPED”

WATCH HERE

TRACK TAKEN OFF FOURTH FULL LENGTH ALBUM
‘YOUTH OF DISSENT’

OUT NOW VIA
OUGA BOOGA AND THE MIGHTY OUG RECORDINGS

Greek stoner/psychedelic rock outfit 1000mods have spent the past decade as “torchbearers of the Greek underground” (The Obelisk, 12/21/2018) performing sold-out arena shows across their home country as well as appearing abroad at several of Europe’s most popular festivals (Hellfest, Copenhell, Desertfest, Motorcultor, etc.) and touring across North America, Europe and Australia.

This April saw 1000mods release their new album YOUTH OF DISSENT which was recorded by legendary producer Matt Bayles (Soundgarden, Isis, Mastodon) at Stone Gossard’s (founding member of Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog) Litho Studio and London Bridge Studio (Pearl Jam). The album breaks the spacetime continuum over its 11 primitive, original and inspiring tracks as 1000mods time travel to the glorious 90’s, where fused elements of punk rock and heavy metal changed the face of music industry and led to the legendary grunge rock explosion.

Today, December 11, 1000mods have shared a jarring music video for its third single “Warped” which premiered yesterday (12/10) via New Noise Magazine. The dystopian-esque video was filmed in the band’s studio—the main character of the video–on a 90’s-style handheld portable mini DV camera by directors Tassos Gkoletsos and Giorgos Argyropoulos. “The isolation within the four walls of the studio during the creation of 1000mods latest album was followed by the lockdown, travel restrictions and concert banning by law,” Gkoletsos and Argyropoulos share. “Along with the band, we tried to depict this odd sense they had inside their heads of living in a distorted reality, reflecting the 12-month experience. It was the psychograph of a year, put in a clip.”

“Time and space as we know it might be bent (warped),” shares 1000mods. “But we will not let them create twisted (warped) history and facts about people’s need of real freedom without masters and authoritarians. We should not let them lead us to distorted (warped) lives anymore.”

Watch the music video for “Warped” streaming below:

YOUTH OF DISSENT is available now via digital download, CD or Black 180-gram 2LP at 1000mods.bandcamp.com.

For more information on 1000mods, please visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

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For press inquiries, please contact:
SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

December 10, 2020

LEE ROCKER of The Stray Cats Announces Release of New Solo Album ‘Gather Round’ 1/22

DT: DECEMBER 10, 2020

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK, SRO PR

LEE ROCKER
OF THE STRAY CATS
ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF NEW SOLO ALBUM
‘GATHER ROUND’
DUE OUT JANUARY 22, 2020

LEE ROCKER of The Stray Cats fame today (12/10) announced the January 22 release of his new solo album GATHER ROUND on Upright Records (his label distributed through Orchard). Get ready to “Gather Round,” start “Pickin’ and Grinnin,’” enjoy a “Dirty Martini,” do the “Doghouse Shuffle” and place a bid at the “Graceland Auction.”

GATHER ROUND marks the Grammy-nominated upright bass player, singer and songwriter’s first album of all-original music since 2007’s Black Cat Bone (Alligator Records). The sizzling 10-track rockabilly album was produced by ROCKER (vocal, string bass), who is joined by Buzz Campbell (guitar, backing vocal), Larry Mitchell (drums, percussion) and Matt Jordan (piano, organ).Two songs with videos—“Doghouse Shuffle” and “Pickin’ and Grinnin’”—are now available, with a third track/video due out ahead of the album’s release. Pre-order the album here and watch the trailer here.

Most of the songs on GATHER ROUND were written after the pandemic started. “My wife Deborah and I hit the road in our airstream and criss-crossed the country from California to New York and back,” shares ROCKER. “We rolled through 20 states from north to south and from east to west. In addition to the pandemic, the presidential election was raging. I wrote songs and music and drove 6,000 miles. It’s been year filled with global disaster and uncertainty. It’s also been a time of introspection and for me a time to reimagine how to record an album under these circumstances.

“When we returned to Southern California,” he elaborates, “I booked a studio to record in one day week for months. I played many of the instruments myself and had my band, Buzz Campbell, Larry Mitchell and Matt Jordan send me their tracks from remote home studios.”

Opening track “Gather Round” powerfully gets the album rolling.” It’s a song of positivity, of love, joy and happiness. When I wrote and now listen to the song, I feel like I’m raising my middle finger high in the air and waving it to 2020.”

“Graceland Auction,” explains ROCKER, “came about by my lifelong obsession with Presley. I’ve been a bit of a collector and have bid and bought various Elvis stuff. “It makes me laugh and it makes me want to cry.”

“The Last Offline Lovers” is a song “I wrote to my wife Deborah. We’ve been together for 32 years and she has been my inspiration, love, and strength. All of the instruments on this are acoustic and I played all of them with the exception of the drums performed by Larry Mitchell.”

Another album highlight is “When Nothing’s Going Right,” a song ROCKER wrote that appears on the Stray Cats’ album last year, 40. “This is the original version I recorded before the Stray Cats’ version. I feel it has that spark of original fire.”

ROCKER minces no words and looks to brighter day on “Pickin’ and Grinnin.” He says: “I wrote this song as my statement on Trump and the dividing of this country which I love. We all need to reside in the UNITED states of America. Come together gather round. I know that we all can’t agree on everything but we should be able to agree we live in a democracy and that every four years we have an election that should be respected.”

ROCKER’s infectious party spirit is in full effect on “‘Dog House Shuffle.” “It’s just plain fun! It’s really my tribute to the original rocking bass players that have influenced me so much. These guys are in a way the unsung heroes of rockabilly and early rock. We’ve incorporated these players into the video.”

Last year, in a multiple-page feature in the new Bass Player magazine (December 2019), ROCKER was asked about his ability to come up with fresh rockabilly bass-lines. He says: “I’m still discovering things. I still have revelations: ‘how did I not think of this before?’ There are a lot of different rhythms and slaps, and different ways to walk your bass-lines. There’s only 12 notes but there’s an infinite number of ways to play them.”

The GATHER ROUND track listing is:

1. Gather Round
2. Graceland Auction
3. The Last Offline Lovers
4. Everybody Wants to be A Cat
5. Pickin’ and Grinnin’
6. Every Time I See You
7. A Dirty Martini
8. When Nothing’s Going Right
9. Dog House Shuffle
10. Ophelia

LEE ROCKER, photo credit: Jet Luna

About Lee Rocker:

Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass in the legendary music group The Stray Cats. Grammy-nominated, The Stray Cats have sold nearly 10 million albums and garnered an astounding 23 gold and platinum certified records worldwide. Founded by Rocker, Brian Setzer, and Slim Jim Phantom, The Stray Cats remain a radio staple, were music video pioneers at the infancy of MTV, and repeatedly brought rockabilly music to the top of the charts. From the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine, to appearing on Saturday Night Live, to headlining music festivals and touring with the Rolling Stones, Lee Rocker has seen and done it all. In addition to The Stray Cats and the Rolling Stones, Rocker has toured and performed with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, and John Fogerty. In 1982, Rocker and his father Stanley Drucker, (classical clarinetist) both received Grammy nominations; this was something that has only occurred twice in the history of the Grammy Awards. In 2012 Lee appeared on Broadway in the hit musical “Million Dollar Quartet” and in 2014 he was inducted into the Bass Player Hall of Fame. Rocker has received numerous honors for his contributions to music and the arts, including being inducted to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and he is a recipient of the Visionary Artist Award by the City of Laguna Beach California. Lee Rocker and his band look forward to touring again and performing Stray Cats hits including “Rock This Town,” “Stray Cat Strut” and “Sexy and 17” as well as slamming renditions of songs from his many solo albums.

For more information on LEE ROCKER, visit:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

For press inquiries, contact SRO PR:
Mitch Schneider│mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk │ afaulk@sropr.com

December 8, 2020

MARTY FRIEDMAN To Host Unique Multi-Dimensional Livestream Show On New Year’s Day

DT: DECEMBER 8, 2020

FM: KELLY WALSH/ANDREA FAULK, SRO PR

MARTY FRIEDMAN
TO HOST UNIQUE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL LIVESTREAM SHOW
ON NEW YEAR’S DAY
DESIGNED BY LEGENDARY MOTION GRAPHICS CREATOR
NOBUYUKI HANABUSA

SHARES UPDATE ON NORTH AMERICAN RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM
‘TOKYO JUKEBOX 3’

Photo Credit: Susumu Miyawaki

Legendary guitar icon MARTY FRIEDMAN will host a special livestream experience on New Year’s Day (1/1/21) at 9:00 P.M. (local time) from Tokyo, Japan where he has resided for the past 17 years. The live concert will take place in a daring new multi-dimensional visual atmosphere designed specifically for this show by cutting edge Japanese motion graphics creator Nobuyuki Hanabusa (enra). View a trailer for the show streaming below or via Marty’s Facebook page HERE.

Alongside his notorious Japanese band—which consists of drummer Chargeee, bassist Toshiki Oomomo and upcoming guitar wunderkind Naoki Morioka—MARTY will roar through his most fiery material including concert staples to explosive tunes taken from his upcoming album, TOKYO JUKEBOX 3. Start 2021 off on New Year’s Day with this truly special live performance, which is sure to overflow with aggressive energy and exceedingly positive vibes. Tickets are on-sale now at this location: https://martyfriedman.zaiko.io/_item/332651.

“This year I’ve been locked down in the studio recording ‘Tokyo Jukebox 3’,” shares MARTY. “Recording an album like this one requires an abnormal amount of being sequestered anyway, so if anything, the pandemic kept me focused a bit more than usual. The goal was to come up with music that would be aggressively cathartic to those who were hit harder by the pandemic than I was. Having that in the back of my mind gave me one more layer of inspiration and energy, and hopefully it shows in the music.”

MARTY`s presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. His first major impact in music was in the game-changing guitar duo Cacophony, which he founded with equally enigmatic and now legendary guitarist, Jason Becker. He then spent 10 years as lead guitarist in the genre-defining thrash metal act Megadeth before moving to Tokyo due to his love for Japanese music, language, and culture.

Following his move, he landed a starring role for a new TV comedy, Hebimeta-san (“Mr. Heavy Metal”) and its spinoff, Rock Fujiyama, which ran for six seasons and propelled him into the living rooms of Japan`s mainstream. He has since appeared in over 800 tv shows, movies and commercials, including a two-year campaign with Coca-Cola for Fanta, authored two best-selling novels and was the first-ever foreigner to be appointed as an Ambassador of Japan Heritage and perform at the Opening Ceremony for the Tokyo Marathon in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

At the same time, MARTY has continued his career in music with several solo albums in addition to writing and performing with the top artists in Japanese music, racking up countless chart hits including a #1 with Smap, two #2 songs with Momoiro Clover, a #2 with Sound Horizon—just to name a few. His most recent release was 2018’s ONE BAD M.F. LIVE!, his 14^th solo album, which was recorded live in Mexico City during his latest North American tour in support of 2017’s full-length album WALL OF SOUND via Prosthetic Records. The self-produced album debuted on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart at #12 and was recorded in part at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in California with engineer Paul Fig (Alice In Chains, Rush, Deftones) and mixed by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Opeth, Sepultura). MARTY self-produced the majority of WALL OF SOUND bringing on legendary producer Mack (Queen) for two tracks.

MARTY will soon reveal details on his next album, TOKYO JUKEBOX 3, due out in North America and Europe in early 2021. It will mark the third and most exciting work in his popular “Tokyo Jukebox” series, which has not only introduced Japanese music to new fans all around the world, but has forged an image of MARTY as one of the most unique arrangers of our time. Stay tuned for details in the new year.

EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Marty Friedman Tokyo Jukebox Live Worldwide 2021
WHEN: New Years Day (Friday, January 1, 2021) @ 9:00 P.M. Local Time
WHERE: Streamed live from Tokyo, Japan
TICKETS: https://martyfriedman.zaiko.io/_item/332651 (*Ticketholders will be able to stream the show following its initial airing until January 5)

For more information on MARTY FRIEDMAN, please visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

###

For press inquiries, interview opportunities or review tickets, please contact:
SRO PR
Kelly Walsh –kwalsh@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk – afaulk@sropr.com

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