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AWOLNATION Premiere Music Video for Cover of ABBA’s “Take A Chance On Me” Featuring JEWEL

 

DT:  MAY 6, 2022

FM:  KELLY WALSH, MITCH SCHNEIDER / SRO  PR

AWOLNATION CELEBRATES HEALING POWER OF MUSIC WITH NEW COVERS AND COLLABORATIONS ALBUM,
‘MY ECHO, MY SHADOW, MY COVERS AND ME,’
OUT NOW

INCLUDES COLLABORATIONS WITH JEWEL, PORTUGAL. THE MAN, BECK, BRANDON BOYD OF INCUBUS, TAYLOR HANSON, GROUPLOVE, AND MORE

BAND PREMIERES NEW MUSIC VIDEO WITH JEWEL FOR COVER OF ABBA’S “TAKE A CHANCE ON ME”
WATCH MUSIC VIDEO

DOWNLOAD ARTWORK  /AARON BRUNO (AWOLNATION) PHOTOS (Credit: Kari Rowe)

TICKETS ON SALE STARTING TODAY AT 10AM LOCAL TIME
FOR HEADLINING “FALLING FORWARD” US TOUR
OCTOBER 6 – NOVEMBER 18
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BADFLOWER
AND OPENING ACT THE MYSTERINES

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 6, 2022 – Today, diamond-selling alternative act AWOLNATION officially released their highly anticipated covers and collaborations album My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers and Me, via Better Noise Music. The album’s epic track listing was revealed earlier this winter and includes collaborations with Beck, Jewel, Portugal. The Man, Taylor Hanson of Hanson, Brandon Boyd of Incubus and more. The project is a collection of masterfully crafted and carefully curated covers, with each track featuring at least one acclaimed musical artist with whom AWOLNATION’s founder Aaron Bruno has a personal connection. See full track listing below. The aim of the project is to illustrate the healing power of music and to celebrate the collaborative spirit of the artistic community. My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers and Me is now available to stream and download across platforms HERE.

AWOLNATION earlier this week announced dates for their headlining “Falling Forward” U.S. tour featuring special guests Badflower and additional support from UK-based alternative act The Mysterines. Tickets are on sale to the public today starting at 10am (local time) at https://www.awolnationmusic.com/. A full list of upcoming shows can be found below.

Aaron Bruno said the following of wanting to create this project in reaction to the mixed emotions that came with 2020’s lockdown, in conversations with with TV/radio personality and music journalist Allison Hagendorf: “I know a lot of artists and everybody deals with fear differently, and my way of dealing with it was to never stop moving. And so that’s why I just started making a covers album instead of feeling too defeated by everything getting shut down. I thought, ‘Well at least if I stay busy and stay active, I’ll feel productive.’ It also allowed me to be prepared to make original music as well because the last thing I wanted to do is release Angel Miners, which is the fourth AWOL record and then just make the fifth one right away. It didn’t feel appropriate. I didn’t feel emotionally capable because I just said everything I wanted to say on that album, so this was a great palate cleanser for me.” Fans can find more of their conversation on AWOLNATION’s social media platforms and YouTube.

See below additional commentary from Aaron Bruno on each track from the album.

To celebrate today’s album launch, the band also premiered an official music video for one of the tracks, an epic cover of ABBA’s classic “Take A Chance On Me,” featuring Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jewel. Animated by award-winning film writer, director and editor Eliot Charof, the whimsical video is playing now here: https://awolnation.ffm.to/memsmcm

Jewel said of the collaboration, “ABBA is legendary! Their songs are hook machines, and recutting this song with Bruno was so fun. Aaron did all the heavy lifting, so all I had to do was sing.”

The first official offering from the project, a powerful reimagining of Scorpion’s “Wind of Change,” featuring Portugal. The Man and Brandon Boyd of Incubus, has earned millions of streams since its release in January. John Gourley, frontman of Portugal. The Man said of the collaboration, This song marks a very significant point in my childhood. My dad pulled me to the TV in 1989 to watch the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was the first time I truly became aware of the world around me. We wrote a song about that experience called ‘1989’ Like many others, ‘Wind Of Change’ sticks to that memory for me.”

Boyd added, “This track has been drifting around in my headspace since I first heard it as a kid in the 1990s. It never occurred to me that it would be a great song to cover until Aaron suggested it for his project. The deal was doubly sweetened when he told me John from Portugal. The Man would be joining us as well. I’m thrilled to be part of it!”

In their exclusive reveal of the album’s title and release date, Billboard spoke with Bruno about his core mission for this collection of songs and collaborations: to illustrate the healing benefits music brings and the power of connection within the artist community. Bruno explores mental health through a personal conversation with fellow musician Elohim in collaboration with The Jed Foundation (JED), a leading mental health nonprofit. The conversation, to be held this month, is part of Bruno’s ongoing commitment to raising awareness for mental health through the album’s release. Bruno is also making a generous donation to JED’s mental health awareness efforts.

Since then, the band has released two additional tracks from the project. “Beds are Burning (Featuring Tim McIlrath of Rise Against)” gives a futuristic, raw, and gritty twist to the 1987 Midnight Oil classic. McIlrath said of the collaboration, “When I met Aaron years ago at one of our shows at the Coliseum in L.A., he disclosed his past time spent in hardcore bands, and we bonded over that. I’ve always been a fan of his, both as a person and his music, so it was an easy decision to guest on his version of Midnight Oil’s ‘Beds Are Burning.’ It didn’t hurt that I also love the song and all it stands for. I’m really impressed with the ways in which he made it his own because it’s not an easy song to reimagine.”

Originally recorded by Midnight Oil, drummer Rob Hirst gave their stamp of approval, stating, “A tough new light on our old song! The whistle near the end is a deft touch…congrats AWOLNATION and Tim on doing a brilliant job!”

And then last month saw the release of an infectious cover of Madonna’s classic “Material Girl,” along with Taylor Hanson of pop music sensation Hanson. Taylor Hanson added, “My first introduction to the project was simply the idea of working on an unexpected cover song, and a project that would have many different collaborators as a part of it, and that had my interest. The song ‘Material Girl’ was surprising on several levels, because it’s a song I would never expect either AWOLNATION or HANSON to cover. I loved the challenge of covering the song and staying true to the composition, while giving an authentic interpretation that I was proud of. I think the combination of the track Aaron built and the vocal arrangement I was able to contribute is a dynamic combination.”

To follow the covers project, AWOLNATION is currently working on a new album with original music, after most recently celebrating the 10th anniversary celebration of the group’s platinum debut album Megalithic Symphony, which spawned the rare DIAMOND-certified “Sail”, and releasing their 2020 album ANGEL MINERS & THE LIGHTNING RIDERS. Featuring the hit single “The Best” and collaborations with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, ANGEL MINERS was the band’s first album after signing to Better Noise Music and was praised by both critics and fans upon release.

MY ECHO, MY SHADOW, MY COVERS AND ME Tracklisting

  1. Beds Are Burning (featuring Tim McIlrath of Rise Against)
  2. Eye In The Sky (featuring Beck)
  3. Take A Chance on Me (featuring Jewel)
  4. Maniac (featuring Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves)
  5. Just A Friend (featuring Hyro The Hero)
  6. Material Girl (featuring Taylor Hanson of Hanson)
  7. Wind of Change (featuring Brandon Boyd of Incubus & Portugal. The Man)
  8. Waiting Room (featuring Grouplove)
  9. Drive (On digital only)
  10. Flagpole Sitta (featuring Elohim)
  11. Alone Again (featuring Midland)

AWOLNATION frontman and founder Aaron Bruno on the album tracks and his collaborators.

  • “Beds Are Burning (featuring Tim McIlrath of Rise Against)” – “Ever since I was much younger, I would sing along to this song. The singer may have the coolest dance moves in music video history. I think this song speaks for itself in terms of the message and meaning of the song. I was excited that Tim from Rise Against performed on this one in particular, given the power and influence his lyrics and music have had for so many years.”
  • “Eye in the Sky (featuring Beck)” – “This song from 40 years ago feels very relevant to today. More and more with new technologies, we are being watched at all times it feels like. Beck is definitely a major influence for me as an artist and songwriter, so the fact that he joined me on the song is very special to me. His album Sea Change helped me through a serious breakup haha, and I covered one of his songs from that album called Guess I’m Doing Fine in 2020 and that’s actually how we met.”
  • “Take A Chance On Me (featuring Jewel)” – “ABBA and Jewel. What more can I say? The importance and impact of ABBA’s music can’t be overstated and now they’ve released new music for the first time in four decades, and got a Grammy nomination! I still can’t believe Jewel agreed to perform on this song with me. She took a chance on me!”
  • “Maniac (featuring Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves)” – “While this is a massive pop song that almost everyone in the world probably knows, the chords are actually extremely complicated and unique. I met Conor from Nothing But Thieves on tour some years back. He has such a commanding and sensitive voice, I knew this song was perfect for him to join me on.”
  • “Just a Friend (featuring Hyro The Hero)” – “I did this song before the devastating passing of Mr. Biz Markie, and of course was left with sadness upon learning the news. This was one of the early smash hits of hip-hop before it busted wide open into the mainstream as we know it today. I used to sneak into my older brother’s room to listen to this record all the time. My buddy Hyro The Hero agreed to do his best tribute on this cover. RIP Biz Markie.”
  • “Material Girl (featuring Taylor Hanson of Hanson)” – “Taylor Hanson is a very very good singer. And an amazingly kind person. I asked him to try Material Girl, and he was definitely thrown off by it at first, haha, but I am so happy I convinced him to do it!”
  • “Wind of Change (featuring Brandon Boyd of Incubus & Portugal The Man)” – “I’ve known Brandon for a while and he’s been good to me over the years of being in this industry. The guys from Portugal the Man feel like brothers from a hardcore band we would be in in another lifetime. This is such a massive song that I thought I’d swing for the fences.”
  • “Waiting Room (featuring Grouplove)” – “Covering Fugazi is blasphemy, I know… But I just had to do it, and Grouplove was crazy enough to join me. It was either this, or Minor Threat “Straight Edge.”
  • “Drive” – “I recorded this song a while ago, long before the recent passing of Ric Ocasek, but it’s now a nice way to honor him and what an amazing songwriter, artist and producer he was as well. It’s a song that has always just crushed me when it came on, and it’s one that I’ve had in my head for a long time that I would cover some day. It has a little bit of an 80’s/90’s hip hop beat in it as well, which is fun and that’s an era of hip hop I grew up on and love. So it’s really just me putting my own little spin on a song I always loved, and also paying respect to Ric, Benjamin Orr and The Cars.”
  • “Flagpole Sitta (featuring Elohim)” – “This song directly tackles mental health and it was Elohim’s idea originally. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about mental health awareness and advocacy, and she is one of my best friends.”
  • “Alone Again (featuring Midland)” – “This is one of the saddest songs ever written. Years ago the guys in Midland and I were couch surfing in LA together. We were all completely broke and damaged goods in our creative pursuits. It seemed fitting to finish the album with this song back together. A song about ending up alone … naturally”

AWOLNATION Upcoming Tour Dates

October 06 – Salt Lake City, Utah – The Complex

October 7 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium

October 8 – Omaha, Nebraska – Barnato

October 10 – Minneapolis, Minnesota – Fillmore

October 11 – Kansas City, Missouri – Uptown Theater

October 13 – Chicago, Illinois – The Riviera Theatre

October 14 – Columbus, Ohio – KEMBA Live! Indoor Pavilion

October 15 – St. Louis, Missouri – The Pageant

October 16 – Newport, Kentucky – Ovation

October 18 – Detroit, Michigan – The Fillmore Detroit

October 19 – Cleveland, Ohio – Agora

October 21 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Stage AE

October 22 – New York, New York – The Rooftop at Pier 17

October 23 – Boston, Massachusetts – House of Blues

October 25 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Fillmore

October 26 – Silver Spring, Maryland – Fillmore

October 28 – Atlanta, Georgia – Tabernacle

October 29 – Charlotte, North Carolina – The Fillmore Charlotte

October 31 – Nashville, Tennessee – Brooklyn Bowl

November 2 – Tulsa, Oklahoma – Cain’s Ballroom

November 4 – Houston, Texas – Bayou Music Center

November 5 – Dallas, Texas – Southside Ballroom

November 6 – Austin, Texas – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

November 8 – Albuquerque, New Mexico – Revel

November 9 – Tempe, Arizona – Marquee Theatre

November 11 – Los Angeles, California – Hollywood Palladium

November 12 – Las Vegas, Nevada – Brooklyn Bowl

November 13 – Oakland, California – Fox Theater

November 16 – Portland, Oregon – Roseland Theater

November 18 – Seattle, Washington – Moore Theater

###

ABOUT AWOLNATION

Since its formation by multi-talented musician and songwriter Aaron Bruno in 2010, AWOLNATION has redefined alternative music. With multiple radio hits at the alternative format, including 8 Top Fives and 2 Number Ones, the act has inarguably already made a permanent mark, not just in their genre, but across modern music. Most notably, the chart-topping, record-breaking, diamond-certified track “Sail” created a reference soundscape for a myriad of hits in the last decade. That song launched a career that already spans four albums. Megalithic Symphony, the platinum debut LP that also produced the gold certified “Not Your Fault” and two other Top 10 US singles. Sophomore album Run arrived in 2015, and the follow-up, Here Come The Runts, came in 2018. Then entering a creative partnership with current label Better Noise music, the band’s fourth full-length album, ANGEL MINERS & THE LIGHTNING RIDERS, featuring the hit single “The Best,” was released on April 24, 2020, and features collaborations with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. In their positive review of the project, AllMusic calls it, “an energetic, fun, and compulsively listenable set that distills the best of what AWOLNATION can do: making pop-savvy, dance-friendly, alternative rock anthems that are not bound to traditional genre conventions.”

That boundary breaking of genres continued in Bruno’s creative calling, even more so as the world shut down in 2020. While quarantining, Bruno had the idea to celebrate music unapologetically with a team of talented friends – new and old. The result is the upcoming album My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers and Me, a collection of unexpected yet passionately crafted covers and collaborations. Launched with the first single in January 2022, a powerful rendition of “Winds of Change,” featuring Portugal the Man and Brandon Boyd of Incubus, the project offers a sonic experience that takes listeners inward on a retrospective journey and outward on a collective celebration. The homage paid to each song’s original artist is just as fun to dive into as the mutual respect heard in every note from both AWOLNATION and guests.

CONNECT WITH AWOLNATION
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok

ABOUT BETTER NOISE MUSIC

BETTER NOISE MUSIC is the premiere independent music label under BETTER NOISE ENTERTAINMENT, a content creation and marketing company that produces music, books, films, documentaries, TV shows, theatrical productions, and tours. Better Noise Music (formerly Eleven Seven Music), founded in 2006 by music industry veteran and independent pioneer Allen Kovac, focuses on artist development and has grown into a music industry independent powerhouse, with a roster including Five Finger Death Punch, Asking Alexandria, Bad Wolves, Dirty Heads, Nothing More, The HU, AWOLNATION, All Good Things, From Ashes To New, Cory Marks, and Fire From The Gods. Partnering with FUGA, AMPED and Membran, the company operates a global marketing and distribution platform with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris, Toronto and Sydney.

In 2021, Better Noise Music dominated Billboard’s Year End charts in the rock space, landing at #1 on the Mainstream Rock Imprint, Hard Rock Songs Imprint, Hard Rock Songs Label charts and ranked as one of the top Mainstream Rock Label for the year.

CONNECT WITH BETTER NOISE
Website | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok

###

MEDIA CONTACT
SRO

Kelly Walsh | kwalsh@sropr.com
Mitch Schneider | mschneider@sropr.com

Better Noise Music | Eliana Nunez | eliana@betternoise.com


TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT Celebrates Today’s Release Of ‘Day By Day’ Album With Video For Its Third Single “I Come Alive”

DATE: MAY 6, 2022

FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/MARCEE RONDAN

TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT
CELEBRATES TODAY’S RELEASE OF SOLO ALBUM
‘DAY BY DAY’
WITH VIDEO FOR ITS THIRD SINGLE
“I COME ALIVE”

WATCH “I COME ALIVE” VIDEO HERE
LISTEN TO THE ALBUM AND SONG HERE

TBS Press PhotoPhoto credit: Dove Shore

TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT of the Eagles today (May 6) celebrates the release of his solo album DAY BY DAY by sharing the video for its third single “I Come Alive.” Anchored by an infectious ska rhythm, it’s a joyously soulful SCHMIT original lit up with his unmistakable tender voice and lyrics about romantic harmony and being in tune with the world. Watch the video here and listen to the song and album here.

“I was feeling really good about things in general when I started this song,” says the icon of American music since the early 1970s who’s spent the past half-century in a creative whirl, blurring the lines between rock & roll, blue-eyed soul, California country, and folk.  “I decided it wasn’t necessary to try and go particularly deep, so I let it sort of roll out of me without too much second guessing.  It’s a simple love song intended to express my feelings right from the surface.” TIMOTHY adds: “I am a fan of reggae and its cousin, ska. This song is definitely driven by the opening guitar chords, which are played on the upbeats and remain throughout.  The rest was a matter of keeping the instrumentation equally uncomplicated so as to have a lot of air.”

The song’s easygoing charm is reflected in the relaxed feel of the video, which focuses on the camaraderie between TIMOTHY, the musicians and backing singers. Filmed at a Los Angeles rehearsal studio, it begins with them arriving to the studio and then working out parts for the song before performing it.

“Shooting the video was a blast,” says TIMOTHY. “I was reunited with most of my touring band, including the three lady singers who play a large part in the choruses. We very much have a family vibe when we’re together, and the song lent itself to having some fun.  I think it translates on camera.”

The “I Come Alive” video was directed by Ava Warbrick, who also lensed the clip for Simple Man,” the album’s lead single, which was followed by a lyric video for Heartbeat.” (hyperlink the video).

DAY BY DAY, produced by TIMOTHY and Jeff Peters, highlights the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s enduring appetite for new sounds and timeless melodies. He recorded the album’s 12 songs during breaks in the Eagles’ busy schedule, utilizing his home studio known as Mooselodge–nestled into a rural pocket of Los Angeles County, with the Santa Monica Mountains looming outside–to capture a sound that’s as eclectic as its creator. On DAY BY DAY, his third consecutive self-penned album, guests like Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham, John Fogerty, Benmont Tench, Jim Keltner, John McFee and Kenny Wayne Sheppard all make appearances, as well as many other fine musicians and singers.

As noted by Gary Graff in Ultimate Classic Rock, the album “…ranges from the rich harmonics of ‘Simple Man’ to the rocking ‘Mr. X.’ Elsewhere, the Band-like Americana of ‘Grinding Stone,’ the Caribbean flavor of ‘I Come Alive and the rich orchestrations of ‘Taste Like Candy” boast further sonic ventures” (3/18/22).

Early praise for singles from the album has also come from Martine Ehrenclou of ROCK AND BLUES MUSE who noted–“One word about ‘Simple Man’ by Timothy B. Schmit–gorgeous” (3/18/22)–while Markos Papadatos of DIGITAL JOURNAL praised “Heartbeat” by noting: “Schmit allows his rich, crisp vocals to shine on this haunting ballad, which proves to be timeless. This tune stands out sonically, lyrically, and vocally” (4/11/22).

The DAY BY DAY track listing is as follows:

SIMPLE MAN
THE NEXT RAINBOW
HEARTBEAT
MR.X
QUESTION OF THE HEART
SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW
I COME ALIVE
FEATHER IN THE WIND
GRINDING STONE
TASTE LIKE CANDY
CONFLICTED
WHERE WE BELONG

Diagram

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WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

Read the album’s launch press release here.

For TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT press inquiries, please contact SRO PR:

Mitch Schneider, mschneider@sropr.com
Marcee Rondan, marcee@sropr.com

###

 


Smart + Fun Food at Chinglish, an Off-Strip Gem in the Summerlin area

When the world gets on your case, there’s one dish I’d recommend to make things instantly right:  Portuguese Wok Fried Rice, courtesy of veteran Chef Lam at Chinglish Cantonese Wine Bar. It’s dreamy + velvety and more than lives up to its description on the menu: “Coconut milk custard with chicken and vegetables over a bed of egg fried rice. Brûléed under the broiler.” With smart + fun food like this, everything that was hassling you fades away.

It was also easy to fall under the spell of two appetizers we ordered there recently: the Poh Poh Chicken Dumplings (chicken, chive + mushroom) + the lightly breaded, crunchy + immediately addictive Green Beans Deep Fried.

Chinglish has a hip, stylish ambience, but at the same time there’s an appealing relaxed vibe. This is a family restaurant proudly run + owned by Chef Lam, his wife Anna, daughter Kitty + her husband Ken. (They also own the adjacent sister restaurant Kosher Chinglish.)

Chinglish definitely benefits from its Boca Park location in the Summerlin area where it stands out. And with other tempting menu items like the Braised Tofu with Shiitake Mushrooms and the Char Siu Lollipops (“slow roasted boneless pork shoulder basted in a honey glaze”), we’ll be back soon to try them, even when the world isn’t annoying us.


PROGJECT, “The Ultimate Prog Rock Experience,” Wraps First American Tour + Looks Ahead To More 2022 Dates

DATE: MAY 4, 2022

FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK, SRO PR

Progject Logo

PROGJECT
WRAPS FIRST AMERICAN TOUR MAY 1
WITH HEADLINING PERFORMANCE
AS PART OF “CRUISE TO THE EDGE”

BAND KNOWN FOR DELIVERING
“THE ULTIMATE PROG ROCK EXPERIENCE”
NOW PLOTTING MORE TOUR DATES
SHARES NEW Q&A ABOUT THE TOUR

A band playing on a stage

Description automatically generated with medium confidenceWildey Theatre, Edwardsville, IL

The recently formed ProgJect—acclaimed musicians Michael Sadler, Jonathan Mover, Mike Keneally, Ryo Okumoto and Matt Dorsey—successfully brought “The Ultimate Prog Rock Experience” to venues coast to coast from April 1-30 and then wrapped the tour May 1 with an on-land headlining show in Florida as part of “Cruise To The Edge” (before it set sail the next day). They performed the classics and epics of Genesis, Yes, King Crimson and ELP, along with some Pink Floyd, Rush, Jethro Tull, Peter Gabriel, Gentle Giant and more. See a new Q&A with band leader Jonathan Mover below.

ProgJect’s tour was highlighted by a two-night stand at Iridium in NYC on April 19 & 20, at which Derek Shulman (Gentle Giant) and Eddie Jobson (UK, Zappa, etc.) were in the house to see them play. In a tip of the hat to the band, Robert Fripp (King Crimson, etc.) posted a video clip of them playing their Crimson medley of “Lark’s” and “Nightmare” on his Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

ProgJect is now “looking at a West Coast run in early August to include the Pacific Northwest and California,” says Jonathan Mover, “and then late-August through mid-October across the States again, including some Canadian dates. Next year,” he adds, “aside from doing the US again, it looks like we’ll be heading to the UK/Europe, Mexico and Central/South America, and hoping to play some dates in Asia too.”

The band’s two-plus hour set of Prog Rock classics and epics encompassed such songs such as “Cinema Show,” “Firth of Fifth,” “Squonk,” “Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression–Pt. I & II,” “Siberian Khatru,” “Roundabout,” “Heart of the Sunrise,” “21st Century Schizoid Man,” “Lark’s Tongues In Aspic, Pt. I & II”, “Xanadu,” “La Villa Strangiato,” “Have A Cigar,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Solsbury Hill” and “Living In The Past,” to name only a few.

ProgJect is:

MICHAEL SADLER (SAGA)
Lead Vocals

JONATHAN MOVER (GTR, Alice Cooper, Joe Satriani, The Tubes)
Drums, Percussion, Vocals

MIKE KENEALLY (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani)
Guitar, Vocals

RYO OKUMOTO (Spock’s Beard, Asia, Chris Squire)
Keyboards

MATT DORSEY (Sound of Contact, Beth Hart)
Bass, Pedals, Guitar, Keys, Vocals

ProgJect–the brainchild of drummer Jonathan Mover–came to fruition out of his childhood dream of playing Prog. “Prog Rock is the reason I play drums,” Mover explains, “but by the time I turned pro, Prog in the classic sense was over. And, although I got to work with some Prog-associated artists, such as GTR (with Steve Hackett and Steve Howe), and Marillion, my career took a decidedly different, though incredibly fortunate path, working with artists such as Alice Cooper, Joe Satriani, Aretha Franklin, The Tubes, Shakira, and others. That being said, I never lost my desire to play the Prog I grew up listening to.”

He adds: “The idea and inspiration came in 2019 from my getting a last-minute rescue call to play with the Genesis tribute band, The Musical Box. That not only relit that childhood fire and desire but made me realize: if there’s an audience for Genesis, and an audience for Yes, and Pink Floyd, and ELP, and King Crimson…there’s an audience for all of them. So, why not play them all, since I love them all, and assemble a team of extraordinary musicians that feel the same as I do? And they, like me, wanted to play a variety of Prog from all our favorite bands, and therefore thought more of the concept of an ‘homage band,’ instead of a tribute band.”

PROGJECT TOUR END Q&A WITH

JONATHAN MOVER

 

Congratulations on the first ProgJect tour. Has any single show or shows, stood out in your mind, in particular…and why?

JONATHAN MOVER: Thank you. That’s actually a tough one to answer, because from the very first night on, each show has gotten stronger and better. But, if I have to choose a few, I would say the following: the Tupelo in Derry, NH because it was a packed home-town show, the band played great, and it was the halfway point through the tour, so in many ways, we all felt accomplishment at having been able to do all this so far without management or an agent. The second night at Iridium in NYC was a definite highlight because Derek Shulman (Gentle Giant) and Eddie Jobson (UK, Zappa, etc.) showed up to see us play, and play we did. It’s also the night Robert Fripp posted a video clip of us playing our Crimson medley of “Lark’s” and “Nightmare” on his Facebook page and YouTube channel. What an honor that was! The Landis Theater in NJ and CPPAC in Largo, FL were also great shows, not only because they’re beautiful theaters with great sound systems, but the lights were fantastic as well and made for some amazing photos. And we could not have ended on a higher note than headlining the pre-cruise concert for Cruise To The Edge. A thousand people and they were ready for us. We got a standing ovation just taking the stage, and then three more throughout the show–we really played our asses off. I’m not on the cruise, but Michael [Sadler] has been reporting back that the overall opinion is we’ve now raised the bar too high! That being said, one thing that has stood out at every show is the audience. As just mentioned, we’ve had multiple standing ovations every night and cannot begin to thank so many wonderful people for coming to see us play, and for loving what we’re doing. The audiences have been outstanding—as have been the venue owners and promoters. We’ve been received and treated so well, and every evening ends with an invitation to come back and play again.

Press and fan reaction online have been very positive as the band has honored the enduring legacy of prog-rock. Can you talk about the connection you’ve been making with them at the band’s performances?

MOVER: There are many connections, but I think the main and most important one is the love for this music in particular. I know how much I love playing it, as do the others in the band, and it certainly seems equally matched in how much the audience loves hearing and seeing it. That connection in and of itself is incredibly powerful and so is the confirmation and affirmation that we’re doing the right thing for the right reasons, and we plan to continue doing this so for a very long time.

Can you describe the musicality and dynamism of the show and how it has grown from gig to gig?

MOVER: We were actually talking about this just a few days ago. It’s funny, even with plenty of rehearsals, it still takes performing in front of a live audience to really dial things in and find out exactly what works and/or how to make something work better. You find out the better places to speak to the audience, and with how the show ebbs and flows, you make adjustments accordingly. For example, when reading the audience’s reaction to some of the pieces we’re playing, we tweaked some endings to either not cut off the applause, or to surprise them immediately with another song and hit ‘em with a one-two punch. Also, we as players are listening to each other more and more and adjusting ourselves as well. So, it’s really just getting tighter and better each night.

Any fun stories from the tour stick out to you?

MOVER: Leaving Mike Keneally behind at one rest stop…fortunately he was only [patiently] waiting for about 20 minutes before we returned to pick him up. Luckily, he found it as amusing as we all did, though I think he was sad to go; he really seemed to bond with the cashier. Ryo taking the mic one night and trying to tell a joke to the audience in his broken English…say no more. There were lots of laughs on the bus.

Where does ProgJect go from here?

MOVER: Onwards and upwards. We’re all committed to this for the long run, so our plan is not unlike most others in that we’ll be touring every year and presenting new setlists and [re]arranged material as we go along.

Might there possibly be new original music?

MOVER: Hard to say at this point. I think it’s quite possible that we’d explore some ideas at some point, since we all do write and we’re all now starting to play on each other’s recent solo records, but that being said, ProgJect is an “homage band”, or if you will, a “tribute band to a genre”, and we don’t want to lose that, deviate from it, or confuse the audience. So, if something original does come up, we’d have to think carefully about how to present it.

Progject Stage Photo

L-R: Matt Dorsey, Jonathan Mover, Ryo Okumoto, Michael Sadler, Mike Keneally

www.ProgJect.com

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For press inquiries regarding PROGJECT, contact:

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Andrea Faulk, Tour Press // afaulk@sropr.com

 


THE SWEET THINGS Share Second Single And Video “Ya Know I Don’t Mind”—New Album ‘Brown Leather’ Out 6/3

DT: MAY 2, 2022

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER, KELLY WALSH / SRO PR

The Sweet Things “Ya Know I Don’t Mind”


THE SWEET THINGS
SHARE SECOND SINGLE AND VIDEO
“YA KNOW I DON’T MIND”
AHEAD OF THE RELEASE OF
THEIR SECOND ALBUM
‘BROWN LEATHER’
DUE JUNE 3
VIA WENDIGO PRODUCTIONS NYC/ SPAGHETTY TOWN RECORDS

WATCH THE “YA KNOW I DON’T MIND” VIDEO
AND LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE

Coming off their last single—the potent “Brown Leather” and its action-packed video—freewheeling New York rock band THE SWEET THINGS today (May 2) show another musical side with new single “Ya Know I Don’t Mind.” Taken from their upcoming second album BROWN LEATHER (out June 3 via Wendigo Productions NYC/Spaghetty Town Records), it’s a bluesy, soulful and countrified acoustic rock ballad about the pain that lingers after a romance dies: “It’s not always easy to tell what’s right from wrong/You wanna kill the love that remains after somethings gone.” Listen to the song here.

THE SWEET THINGS—founding member, lead vocalist & rhythm guitarist Dave Tierney; fellow founding member, bassist/vocalist Sam Hariss; and newcomers, Tobin Dale (string-bending extremist and slide marksmen) and Bronx-born emigre to Queens Hector Lopez (drums)–have also released the “Ya Know I Don’t Mind” video. Watch it HERE. It was premiered last week by Top Shelf Music.

Like the “Brown Leather” video, “Ya Know I Don’t Mind” was filmed by award-winning director Video Rahim (Mastodon, Blackberry Smoke), and it’s actually the sequel to the “Brown Leather” video. Filmed at the same location—Chip’s Bar and Grill in Winder, GA—the “Ya Know I Don’t Mind” video continues as Hariss wakes up outside the bar just as he did to start the video for “Brown Leather.”

“If our music video for the song ‘Brown Leather’ is the aspirational dream world we want to live in, this music video for ‘Ya Know I Don’t Mind’ is the sobering dose of reality you sometimes get when you wake up,” shares Tierney who wrote the song, which features guest musician Rob Clores (Jesse Malin, The Black Crowes) on piano and organ.

BROWN LEATHER is an 11-song sweet mix of twangin’ bangin’ country blues, bluesy country and Southern rock and roll. It tells timeless tales that sound familiar yet fresh at the same time. The album was recorded with producer Matt Chiaravalle at the iconic FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL (Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Wilson Pickett) with finishing touches added in NYC’s Flux Studios and Mercy Sound.

THE SWEET THINGS’ debut album IN BORROWED SHOES, ON BORROWED TIME was released in 2019. Faster and Louder praised the record stating “In Borrowed Shoes is The Sweet Things’ Exile On Main St. It runs the stylistic gamut from trashy rock n’ roll to blues to country to soulful ballads” while Sleaze Roxx compared it to if the “1972 Stones were exiled in the New York City’s East Village instead of the south of France.”

Brown Leather Album Cover

BROWN LEATHER Track listing

  1. Brown Leather
  2. Ya Know I Don’t Mind
  3. Ride It Home
  4. Keep On Movin’
  5. Ain’t Got Enough Room
  6. Cold Feet
  7. Familiar Face
  8. It Hurts Me Too
  9. Mentholated Blues
  10. Problematic Life
  11. Ride The River

The Sweet Things Press PhotoL-R: Hector Lopez, Tobin Dale, Sam Hariss, Dave Tierney
Credit: Robert Butcher

Find more about on THE SWEET THINGS online at:

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

PR ASSETS: http://sropr.com/portfolio/the-sweet-things/

###

For press inquiries, please contact:

SRO PR
Mitch Schneider / mschneider@sropr.com
Kelly Walsh / kwalsh@sropr.com


AWOLNATION Announce “Falling Forward” U.S. Tour (10/6-11/18) with Special Guests Badflower and The Mysterines

DT: MAY 2, 2022

FM: KELLY WALSH, MITCH SCHNEIDER/SRO PR

 

Logo, company name Description automatically generated

AWOLNATION
ANNOUNCE “FALLING FORWARD” U.S. TOUR
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BADFLOWER
AND OPENING ACT THE MYSTERINES
OCTOBER 6–NOVEMBER 18

TICKETS ON-SALE FRIDAY, MAY 6 AT 10AM (LOCAL)
FAN PRE-SALE STARTING TUESDAY, MAY 3 @ 10AM (LOCAL)

NEW COVERS AND COLLABORATIONS ALBUM,
‘MY ECHO, MY SHADOW, MY COVERS AND ME,’
OUT FRIDAY;PRE-SAVE HERE

Catch diamond-selling alternative outfit AWOLNATION on a headlining tour this fall across the U.S. with special guests Badflower and support from British alternative rockers The Mysterines. The “Falling Forward” tour kicks off October 6 in Salt Lake City, UT and includes stops in NYC, LA and Austin before wrapping November 18 in Seattle, WA. A full list of dates is below.

Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, May 6 at 10am local time at this location: https://www.awolnationmusic.com/. A fan club exclusive presale will run starting at 10am local time on Tuesday, May 3 to Thursday, May 5.

The on-sale date coincides with the release of AWOLNATION’s new covers and compilations album, MY ECHO, MY SHADOW, MY COVERS AND ME, via Better Noise Music. Featuring collaborations with Beck, Jewel, Portugal. The Man, Taylor Hanson of Hanson, Brandon Boyd of Incubus and more, the album was conceived by AWOLNATION mastermind Aaron Bruno as a way of escaping the reality of 2020 and to act as “a palate cleanser for releasing new, original music,” according to Bruno in a recent interview with Billboard.

Three cover tracks have been shared in advance of its release along with corresponding music videos including Scorpions’ “Wind of Change” featuring Portugal.The Man and Brandon Boyd of Incubus; Midnight Oil’sBeds Are Burning” featuring Tim McIlrath of Rise Against; and Madonna’s “Material Girl” featuring Taylor Hanson of Hanson.

Pre-order/pre-save MY ECHO, MY SHADOW, MY COVERS AND ME now at https://ffm.bio/awolnation.

 

AARON BRUNO (AWOLNATION) PHOTOS
(Credit: Kari Rowe)

AWOLNATION “Falling Forward” Tour Dates:
Thursday, October 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex – Rockwell
Friday, October 7 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
Saturday, October 8 – Omaha, NE @ Barnato
Monday, October 10 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore
Tuesday, October 11 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
Thursday, October 13 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
Friday, October 14 – Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! Indoor Pavilion
Saturday, October 15 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Sunday, October 16 – Newport, KY @ PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION
Tuesday, October 18 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
Wednesday, October 19 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater
Friday, October 21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Saturday, October 22 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
Sunday, October 23 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Tuesday, October 25 – Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore
Wednesday, October 26 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
Friday, October 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
Saturday, October 29 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
Monday, October 31 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
Wednesday, November 2 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
Friday, November 4 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
Saturday, November 5 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
Sunday, November 6 – Austin, TX Stubb’s @ Waller Creek Amphitheater
Tuesday, November 8 – Albuquerque, NM @ Revel
Wednesday, November 9 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
Friday, November 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
Saturday, November 12 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
Sunday, November 13 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
Wednesday, November 16 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
Friday, November 18 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre

###

ABOUT AWOLNATION

Since its formation by multi-talented musician and songwriter Aaron Bruno in 2010, AWOLNATION has redefined alternative music. With multiple radio hits at the alternative format, including 8 Top Fives and 2 Number Ones, the act has inarguably already made a permanent mark, not just in their genre, but across modern music. Most notably, the chart-topping, record-breaking, diamond-certified track “Sail” created a reference soundscape for a myriad of hits in the last decade. That song launched a career that already spans four albums. Megalithic Symphony, the platinum debut LP that also produced the gold certified “Not Your Fault” and two other Top 10 US singles. Sophomore album Run arrived in 2015, and the follow-up, Here Come The Runts, came in 2018. Then entering a creative partnership with current label Better Noise music, the band’s fourth full-length album, ANGEL MINERS & THE LIGHTNING RIDERS, featuring the hit single “The Best,” was released on April 24, 2020, and features collaborations with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. In their positive review of the project, AllMusic calls it, “an energetic, fun, and compulsively listenable set that distills the best of what AWOLNATION can do: making pop-savvy, dance-friendly, alternative rock anthems that are not bound to traditional genre conventions.”

That boundary breaking of genres continued in Bruno’s creative calling, even more so as the world shut down in 2020. While quarantining, Bruno had the idea to celebrate music unapologetically with a team of talented friends – new and old. The result is the upcoming album My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers and Me, a collection of unexpected yet passionately crafted covers and collaborations. Launched with the first single in January 2022, a powerful rendition of “Winds of Change,” featuring Portugal the Man and Brandon Boyd of Incubus, the project offers a sonic experience that takes listeners inward on a retrospective journey and outward on a collective celebration. The homage paid to each song’s original artist is just as fun to dive into as the mutual respect heard in every note from both AWOLNATION and guests.

CONNECT WITH AWOLNATION
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ABOUT BETTER NOISE MUSIC

BETTER NOISE MUSIC is the premiere independent music label under BETTER NOISE ENTERTAINMENT, a content creation and marketing company that produces music, books, films, documentaries, TV shows, theatrical productions, and tours. Better Noise Music (formerly Eleven Seven Music), founded in 2006 by music industry veteran and independent pioneer Allen Kovac, focuses on artist development and has grown into a music industry independent powerhouse, with a roster including Five Finger Death Punch, Asking Alexandria, Bad Wolves, Dirty Heads, Nothing More, The HU, AWOLNATION, All Good Things, From Ashes To New, Cory Marks, and Fire From The Gods. Partnering with FUGA, AMPED and Membran, the company operates a global marketing and distribution platform with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris, Toronto and Sydney.

In 2021, Better Noise Music dominated Billboard’s Year End charts in the rock space, landing at #1 on the Mainstream Rock Imprint, Hard Rock Songs Imprint, Hard Rock Songs Label charts and ranked as one of the top Mainstream Rock Label for the year.

CONNECT WITH BETTER NOISE
Website | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok

###

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

Better Noise Music
Eliana Nunez – eliana@betternoise.com


Grammy-nominated Rock Act NOTHING MORE Release New Rock Radio Single + Music Video “Tired Of Winning”

 

DT:  APRIL 29, 2022

FM:  KELLY WALSH, MITCH SCHNEIDER/ SRO PR

GRAMMY-NOMINATED ROCK ACT NOTHING MORE RELEASE “TIRED OF WINNING,” FIRST OFFICIAL RADIO SINGLE FROM THEIR UPCOMING STUDIO ALBUM
LISTEN NOW | WATCH MUSIC VIDEO

Follows Release of Last Month’s “TURN IT UP LIKE”
LISTEN NOW & WATCH MUSIC VIDEO

 

 

 

DOWNLOAD COVER ART                               DOWNLOAD BAND PHOTO (Credit: Jody Domingue)

Track Comes ahead of NOTHING MORE’s Co-Headlining U.S. Tour with Asking Alexandria Next Month – GET TICKETS

“One of the most energetic live acts on the rock circuit” – BILLBOARD

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 29, 2022 – Today, Multi-GRAMMY-nominated rock act NOTHING MORE released their new single “TIRED OF WINNING” via Better Noise Music, which serves as the first official radio single from their long-awaited new studio album. The song is a high-energy rock anthem unapologetically confronting the state of humanity with lyrics like “ So will we steer this ship straight through the void / Or turn on ourselves and die out/ Are you tired of winning? / Cuz it’s already over.” “TIRED OF WINNING” is now available to download or stream across platforms HERE. The official music video for the track also premiered today, giving fans thought-provoking, sci-fi inspired visuals that amplify the poignant lyrics. WATCH HERE.

For more background on “TIRED OF WINNING,” the band’s frontman Jonny Hawkins gives context behind the song’s origin in the below Q&A.

Last month, the band gave fans the first official preview of the new album by dropping a new song and music video titled “TURN IT UP LIKE (Stand in the Fire).” Co-written by all four band members, the song is a sonic rejection of the divisive, digitally-drowned state of the world with lyrics like: “All my friends are dead / They all got fucked by the internet / All my friends are dead / Our brain’s bein’ bugged by the media.” Billboard gave an exclusive look at the music video, including some statements from Hawkins. He said, “Something we’ve always pushed for as a band is to question everything. And I think we’ve just gone through a period where it had been unfashionable to question things. Because if you did, you were the pariah, you were the outcast, the other. For the last few years, I’ve felt like an animal in a cage, just pacing, and my teeth are showing more. I had nowhere to vent that rage and that frustration until we put it into this song. I think a lot of people feel this way. You saw it spill over into riots and protests. There’s all this stuff just pent up inside people. Thankfully, we’re going back out on the road soon, so I’ll have somewhere to put it.”

The forthcoming album is the highly anticipated follow-up to the band’s 2017 album The Stories We Tell Ourselves, which earned them three GRAMMY nominations, including Best Rock Album, and Best Rock Song and Best Rock Recording for the single “Go To War.”

Fans will be able to hear the new music live on the band’s recently announced co-headlining U.S. tour this spring, with Better Noise Music label mates Asking Alexandria, with support from Atreyu and Eva Under Fire . The tour is set to kick off in Kansas City, MO on May 13 and end in Houston, TX on June 19, with other stops planned in Nashville, Denver, Atlanta, New Orleans, and more – see full list of dates below. Tickets, VIP Meet & Greets and additional information are available at: http://nothingmore.net/

JONNY HAWKINS on “TIRED OF WINNING”

  • Q: “TIRED OF WINNING” is a compelling song with lyrics that underline the very precarious position that humankind is in right now: “So will we steer this ship straight through the void/ Or turn on ourselves and die out?” What inspired the song and how it mocks the phrase “winning”?

A: We find ourselves in the same position humanity has found itself over and over again… at the end of a series of self made problems. When we wake up to this, we realize that we are our own worst enemy, yet we focus so much of our energy on externalizing our problems. This song is a bird’s eye view of human nature.

  • Q: Vocally, the performance is stadium-size and intimate all at once, putting across the urgency of the song’s lyrics. What was going through your mind as you sang with this level of intensity? How will you translate this message into your live performance?

A: This may sound a bit lofty, but when I sing this song I feel as if the entire universe is coursing through my veins. I get goosebumps because I feel in line with something I can’t quite describe… like an old familiar spirit shows up.

  • Q: The song ends with the lines: “Are we going to live this life?” How do you feel we as a people got it all wrong–and where do you think we might all be headed?

A: I think we all tend to lose the meaning in life by hyper focusing on it and romanticizing it. It’s a paradox… It’s like trying to grasp water in your hand; the tighter you hold, the less you have. The more weight you put on the “meaning” of your life, the less you feel connected to it. The purpose of life might be as simple as life itself… nothing more, nothing less.

  • Q: Musically, the song is very intense with unique sounds + a jarring rhythm that underline the chaos of this moment we are living in. Can you talk about the recording of the song and how you wanted it to sonically capture the song’s theme?

A: We wanted it to sound like aliens had a baby with a 90’s rock band. That baby grew up, dropped out of college and made our music video.

NOTHING MORE Spring U.S. Tour Dates (with Asking Alexandria):

May 13 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
May 14 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
May 15 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
May 17 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
May 18 – New Orleans, LA – The Fillmore New Orleans
May 20 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company
May 21 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville*
May 23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE*
May 24 – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory*
May 25 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore
May 27 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
May 28 – Wallingford, CT – The Dome at Oakdale
May 29 – Reading, PA – Theatre at Santander Arena*
May 31 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center
June 1 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
June 3 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera*
June 4 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre
June 5 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater*
June 7 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
June 8 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
June 9 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
June 12 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
June 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
June 15 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
June 16 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
June 18 – San Antoni, TX – Tech Port Center + Arena
June 19 – Houston, TX – House of Blues

###

ABOUT NOTHING MORE
Rock audiences count NOTHING MORE among the most cherished acts, the kind of band who straddle the line between populism and intimacy with every performance. The San Antonio, Texas-born quartet builds unapologetically massive anthems from catchy hooks. Crowd-pleasers clear a path for heady, confessional, thought-provoking emotionalism. Fresh rewards reveal themselves with repeat listens, welcoming like-minded seekers with rich melodicism, like the best of Deftones or Tool.

Those who saw the band on tour with hard rock heavyweights like Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin, Papa Roach, and Disturbed will attest to what The Guardian observed: “There’s a sophistication to NOTHING MORE’s angst that raises them above the tumult-tossed pit.”

Kerrang! named NOTHING MORE one of 22 Artists Shaping the Future of Rock, alongside Nine Inch Nails, Twenty One Pilots, and Bring Me The Horizon. And frontman Jonny Hawkins, who met guitarist Mark Vollelunga before they were old enough to drive, appeared with Billie Joe Armstrong, Dave Grohl, and Hayley Williams in the English tastemaker’s Top 50 Greatest Rockstars in the World.

Hawkins and Vollelunga started the band in 2003 and were quickly joined by bassist Daniel Oliver and later by drummer Ben Anderson. The band’s blend of explosive bombast and nuanced storytelling resulted in a half dozen Top 10 singles at Mainstream Rock Radio, including the No. 1 hit “Go to War” and the Sirius XM Octane song of the decade and Active Rock chart-topper “This is the Time (Ballast).” The Stories We Tell Ourselves earned a head-turning three Grammy nominations. They’re set to follow it up with a new album in 2022, which is filled with their most philosophical and primal music to date. The first offering, “TURN IT UP LIKE,” released in March 2022, is a fitting first taste of what’s to come.

NOTHING MORE appeals to fans of Linkin Park, Incubus, Rage Against The Machine, and all crucial acts that stoke relatable passion with authenticity and integrity. Memorize the arena-ready hooks. Get mesmerized by the intimate, communal live show. Dig deeper down the rabbit hole into the work of philosophers and artists like Eckhart Tolle, Carl Jung, and Alan Watts, who inspire the band. There’s a place for every type of rock fan with NOTHING MORE. Built to last, here to stay.

CONNECT WITH NOTHING MORE
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok


ABOUT BETTER NOISE MUSIC

BETTER NOISE MUSIC is the premiere independent music label under BETTER NOISE ENTERTAINMENT, a content creation and marketing company that produces music, books, films, documentaries, TV shows, theatrical productions, and tours. Better Noise Music (formerly Eleven Seven Music), founded in 2006 by music industry veteran and independent pioneer Allen Kovac, focuses on artist development and has grown into a music industry independent powerhouse, with a roster including Five Finger Death Punch, Asking Alexandria, Bad Wolves, Dirty Heads, Nothing More, The HU, AWOLNATION, All Good Things, From Ashes To New, Cory Marks, and Fire From The Gods. Partnering with FUGA, AMPED and Membran, the company operates a global marketing and distribution platform with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris, Toronto and Sydney.

In 2021, Better Noise Music dominated Billboard’s Year End charts in the rock space, landing at #1 on the Mainstream Rock Imprint, Hard Rock Songs Imprint, Hard Rock Songs Label charts and ranked as one of the top Mainstream Rock Label for the year.

CONNECT WITH BETTER NOISE
Website | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok

 

 


Top 10 Places to See Live Music in Phoenix, AZ

In October of 2021, I became one of many California transplants to join the California pandemic exodus, ending up a six-hour drive southeast to the hot, dry and vast desert valleys of Phoenix, AZ. Having spent over 11 years living in the entertainment capital of the West coast, I was a bit worried I wouldn’t have as much to do, but to the contrary—over the past seven months I’ve gone to more events and shows than I had previously in L.A.   As I continue to explore my new city, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite places–obvious and not so obvious–to see live music in the budding city so far.


Top 10 Places to See Live Music in Phoenix, AZ

    1. The Van Buren (https://www.thevanburenphx.com) is my hands-down favorite venue in town to catch a show. With a spacious outdoor bar/lounge and theatre-style open floor plan, there’s no ‘bad view’ in the house and even for packed shows, it’s pretty easy to slide your way to the front. They also have one of the coolest backstage ‘green rooms’ that I’ve experienced, including an entire wall of books for artists to peruse.
    2. Boondocks (Tempe) (https://tempe.boondocksaz.com/) is a brand new sports bar/venue that is bringing live entertainment back to Tempe. With an assortment of cover bands, like Gail & The Night Owls, and up-and coming acts, you can grab some standard fare bar food and watch a Suns game then stay for the music. Did I mention they have a reverse happy hour during the week too?
    3. Old Town Tavern (https://www.oldtowntavernaz.com) is a local’s favorite bar in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. Located adjacent to the Scottsdale Civic Center Park, the small two-level bar with open air seating and an outdoor patio has live acoustic music every night of the week from an array of local musicians ranging from classic rock and blues to country and singer-songwriter. A few Gin Blossoms members have been known to drop in for a surprise set on occasion.
    4. Tempe Marketplace (https://tempemarketplace.com/concerts/) is an open-air shopping center with over 100 retail stores and restaurants with an outdoor stage area in the center. They often host free shows throughout the year featuring national and local acts. Most recently Escape the Fate and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus took part in their Rock It Up Spring Concert series.
    5. Frasher’s Tavern (https://www.frasherstavern.com/) is not only the best place to get a steak in Scottsdale, but also hosts intimate acoustic shows on occasions. SRO clients, The Black Moods, have performed here for the release of their “Sunshine” wine which the restaurant paired with a set dinner menu and a signed bottle.
    6. Rebel Lounge (https://therebellounge.com/) is one of my favorite places to see a rock/punk show in Phoenix. If you’re looking for a sweaty, headbanging and mosh-friendly venue, look no further. 
    7. Coach House (https://www.coachhousescottsdale.com/) is the oldest dive bar in Scottsdale. It’s adorned with colored lightbulbs (wrapped around the inside and outside of the open-air building), wrapping paper and tinsel. Open only at night, it’s impossible to miss.
    8. Yucca Tap Room (http://www.yuccatap.com/) is the oldest venue in Tempe and located in the middle of a strip mall plaza that looks vacated minus a few random businesses and a weed shop. An intimate venue with a spacious dance floor with a full arcade attached and a Tiki speakeasy! Play some Iron Maiden or Rush pinball before catching a touring or local act and make sure to head to the bar for an extensive craft beer selection.
    9. Chars Live Music (https://charslive.com) is the revamped and rebranded venue formerly known Char’s Has The Blues, an r&b, jazz and soul nightclub. A great spot for a date night, they have amazing specialty cocktails served in a dark-lit ambience. They’ve expanded genres so you can also catch a DJ or drag show now.
    10. Rusty Spur Saloon (https://rustyspursaloon.com) is a country western dive bar, if you couldn’t tell by the name. It’s randomly popular with celebrities and has served everyone from John Wayne and Clint Eastwood to Jennifer Aniston and even Post Malone. They have music seven days a week and with an 80-person capacity it quickly fills up on the weekends.

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