Monthly Archives: December 2013

AMERICAN SONGWRITER PREMIERES FOX & THE BIRD’S NEW VIDEO “WRECK OF THE FALLIBLE”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PREMIERE OF FOX & THE BIRD’S “WRECK OF THE FALLIBLE” VIDEO VIA AMERICAN SONGWRITER

THE DALLAS-BASED FOLK-POP COLLECTIVE TO RELEASE THEIR SOPHOMORE ALBUM “DARKEST HOURS” JANUARY 14, 2014  
 
FOX & THE BIRD ANNOUNCE INITIAL WINTER DATES!

A folk-pop band with gang vocals and layered harmonies, Fox and the Bird is a choral collective of rotating songwriters and singers. The band’s characteristically rich, up-beat orchestration is hitched to banjos, accordions, ukuleles & fiddles to form the foundation of a sound reminiscent of hard times and high hopes.

Fox & The Bird’s latest album, Darkest Hours, is a sorrowfully appropriate title for an unapologetically bare-bones, brutally honest folk album. From lyrics chronicling the confusion of lost love in “Ashes” and “Bend” to commentary on the darkly violent tendencies seen in human nature as presented in “Habit” and “Valley,” the album laments hardship, poverty, death, loss… those moments in life when the darkness seems most impenetrable.

But while Darkest Hours is a heavy follow-up to the band’s debut Floating Feather, lyrically, their characteristic rich, up-beat orchestration carries us through the darkness with an innate sort of joy and hints at the light that inevitably follows even our darkest of hours.

Fox and the Bird continues to produce and self-release its albums, touring and always committed to music that is made on back porches, in living rooms and on the streets. Darkest Hours is set for release January 14th, and will be available on vinyl, CD and digital formats.

FOX & THE BIRD TOUR DATES

2/26 – Lucky’s Everyday, Wichita, KS

2/27 – Replay Lounge, Lawrence, KS

3/7 – Hi-Tone, Memphis, TN

3/8 – Maxine’s, Hot Springs, AR

(more dates to be announced soon)

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HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT FOX & THE BIRD:

“Big and hopeful and reminds us that life can be hard, but hard can be good” – USA TODAY

“The Dallas-based folk band Fox & The Bird sound like The Decemberists and The Avett Brothers jamming on an ocean voyage. If you like nice harmonies and acoustic instruments, you will likely fall in love with their song “Wreck of the Fallible.” – AMERICAN SONGWRITER

“Local beloveds Fox and the Bird take their straightforward folk sensibility and throw it in a blender on high with beautiful melodies and sing-along, foot-stomping tunes.”  – DALLAS OBSERVER

“Beautiful folk with a dark side.” – PEGASUS NEWS

“Fox and the Bird, a band with wonderfully layered Americana-flamenco-folk harmonies.” – DALLAS MORNING NEWS

“Combining mellow voices and a variety of instruments, Fox & the Bird delivers mesmerizing performances that possess a mystique and style that defy musical formula.” – STAR COMMUNITY NEWS

“… tight harmonies, rock-meets-choir flourishes and danceable choruses. Think Polyphonic Spree with smoother changes and Irish drinking-song sadness.” – DENTON RECORD CHRONICLE

“[Fox and The Bird’s songs] bloom most fully in concert, where the full-throated, multi-part harmonies can reach full roar and the intoxicating clatter behind them blows forth like a summer wind sweeping through the tall grain” – DFW.com

“Fox and the Bird believe in music as orthopraxy: self-subsisting and without boundaries.” – D MAGAZINE

“Loosely fitting under the vintage umbrella of neo-folk, this well-thought-out group of tunes boasts a variety that never seems cobbled together by force. Instead, a spirit of unity between the album’s sonic traits and the group’s comfort with the material shines powerfully.” – DALLAS OBSERVER

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FOR MORE INFO ON FOX AND THE BIRD:
http://foxandthebird.com
https://www.facebook.com/foxandthebird

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
https://pavementpr.com

POPMATTERS PREMIERES SILENT LIONS’ NEW “STOLEN IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT” VIDEO!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SILENT LIONS’ NEW VIDEO “STOLEN IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT” VIA POPMATTERS!

TOLEDO/DETROIT-BASED HEAVY-SOUL DUO KICKS-OFF WINTER TOUR JAN. 11TH!
 
SILENT LIONS TO RELEASE THEIR SOPHOMORE EP THE COMPARTMENTS JANUARY 14, 2014

Conceived in Toledo, OH with a home base in sister city Detroit, Silent Lions are the sinister twosome of heavy-soul. Dean Tartaglia simultaneously plays effected octave bass, sampled synths, and manipulated atmospheric vocals, all while drummer Matt Klein grooves and thrashes beside him, often providing soulful singalong melodies and harmonies. The duo’s live shows sound as thick and creamy as they do on record. Their music has been tagged as “spooky soul,” “chill punk” and “Hall and Oates stoner rock.”

Silent Lions’ upcoming sophomore six-song EP, The Compartments, is a deeper exploration into genre manipulation. From hip-hop to stoner rock, Silent Lions create moments of lo-fi chaos out of hi-fi clarity. With their unofficial third member Zach Shipps (Electric Six) producing, The Compartments takes enough risks to turn your head, but never strays from SiLi’s visceral, trademark, super sub bass and drum sound.

Dean started making his mark nationally with Detroit local legends The Sights, touring the U.S. and Europe supporting Tenacious D. Silent Lions are proud to continuously share bills with some of the best new artists in the scene (Mr. Gnome, Jamaican Queens, Bad Veins).

Silent Lions’ The Compartments EP will be available January 14, 2014 on vinyl, digital & CD formats through the band’s own label, Nah Collective.

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SILENT LIONS FALL TOUR DATES:

Jan. 11 Ferndale, MI — The Loving Touch

Jan. 15 Ann Arbor, MI — The Blind Pig

Jan. 16 Cleveland, OH — The Grog Shop

Jan. 17 Chicago, IL — Quencher’s

Jan. 18 Lafayette, IN — The Bayou

Jan. 19 Bloomington, IN — Root Cellar

Jan. 20 Muncie, IN — Be Here Now

Jan. 22 Charleston, WV — Empty Glass

Jan. 23 Morganton, WV — 123 Pleasant St.

Jan. 24 Washington, D.C. — Jam Jar

Jan. 25 Washington, D.C. — Ezra Mae’s

Jan. 27 Boston, MA — Middle East

Jan. 28 Brooklyn, NY — Fireside

Jan. 29 Oil City, PA — Mosaic Cafe

Jan. 31 Columbus, OH — Carabar

Feb. 1 Athens, OH — 2112

Feb. 4 Huntington, WV — Elimination Chamber

Feb. 5 Cincinnati, OH — Mayday

Feb. 6 Dayton, OH — Jimmie’s Lounge 11

Feb. 7 Toledo, OH — Ottawa Tavern

(more dates to be announced soon)

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SILENT LIONS: Dean Tartaglia & Matt Klein

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT SILENT LIONS:

An urgent explosion of psych-drenched garage rock — 100% emotion, 100% libido —  you couldn’t call it anything other than “f**king rock and roll,” mate. – INDIE SHUFFLE

“Captivating” – POPMATTERS

Fronted by drums and bass, with a barrage of pedals and effects, Silent Lions are a refreshing new group for the local scene, one that shows signs of genre-pushing experimentation, original instrumentation & songwriting, and rightful confidence in the idea that Toledoans will embrace not just what’s good, not just what’s weird, and not always what’s new – but always what’s hard working and different.  – TOLEDO.COM

Sludge-funk trouncing murk-pop. – METRO TIME DETROIT

Silent Lions are re-setting the mold for what an “indie band” can do. – TOLEDO CITY PAPER

These guys really have a sound all their own. Everyone should be listening to this band. – HIP IN DETROIT

Silent Lions create a solid, heavy and distinct sound, one that’s fully rounded in all the right places. The band uses a variety of different effects, pedals and echoes to achieve this sound, and the result is a sonic assault on the senses. – DAYTON CITY PAPER

Silent Lions are known to calm the chaos with a smooth does of silky sax. They’re a fun show live and equally enjoyable to listen to recorded, so scope out their first EP via Bandcamp and get acquainted. – INDIE SHUFFLE

Dean Tartaglia and Matt Klein band together to bring you titillating bass, thrashing drums, atmospheric synth and some fuzzy vocals. The supergroup’s track “ripe•people” has an erie flare, mixed with a melancholy rhythm that will leave you feeling relaxed albeit a bit perplexed. – SSG MUSIC (Seattle)

Silent Lions’ “ripe•people” isn’t a slow-build, it’s not a grand finale; it’s one of those songs that’s simply good enough to carry on twice as long as your regular pop/rock song without you even realizing. You don’t get bored, you don’t feel that it’s repetitive, it just works. Whether it’s the speaker-busting bassline, the reverby vocals or the general power that’s generated, they could probably make it 15 minutes long without sacrificing the quality. It’s a wall of warm, buzzing noise that feels both urgent and vital, as well as laid-back and chilled. How they manage that is a bit of a mystery, but they do. – SOUND OF CONFUSION (UK)

FOR MORE INFO ON SILENT LIONS:
http://silentlions.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/SilentLions

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
https://pavementpr.com

SWAMP DOGG’S TWO FIRST ALBUMS MAKE SPIN’S 20 BEST REISSUES OF 2013!

SPIN’s 20 Best Reissues of 2013!
Swamp Dogg “Total Destruction to Your Mind” & “Rat On!” (Alive Natural Sound)

Total Destruction of Your Mind hailed as some “real gritty shit” by music critic Kid Rock in our revealing profile of its creator, Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams, is the Freak Out! of progressive funk. Reissued with its equally quirky follow-up, Rat On! (of rat-wrangling cover fame), Swamp’s 1970 debut combines sardonic soul sociology (has any songwriter gotten more out of custody issues than Swamp does in “The Baby Is Mine” and “Mama’s Baby, Daddy’s Maybe?”) with superfine arrangements knocked out of the park by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Swamp himself was a triple threat — masterful gospel-doo-wop piano, Brill Building songwriting skills, and coruscatingly rendered lyrics (“Friendship’s like acid / It bur-ur-ur-urns as it slides away”). He also pioneered a sort of African-American country protest music in tracks like “Remember, I Said Tomorrow” and “God Bless America For What.” R.G
http://www.spin.com/articles/spin-20-best-reissues-2013/?slide=8

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GREAT BUFFALO KILLERS, RAW SPITT & LIGHTNIN’ SLIM REVIEWS IN SHINDIG!

Shindig! Magazine in the UK recently featured these great reviews of Buffalo Killers’ “Ohio Grass,” Charlie Whitehead’s “Raw Spitt” & Lightnin’ Slim’s “High & Low Down.”

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BLURT PREMIERES CHRIS WILSON’S NEW SONG “ALL THE ACTION”!

FLAMIN’ GROOVIES’ FRONTMAN CHRIS WILSON TO RELEASE NEW SOLO ALBUM “IT’S FLAMIN’ GROOVY!” IN THE U.S. JANUARY 14TH!
 
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PREMIERE CHRIS WILSON’S NEW SONG “ALL THE ACTION” VIA BLURT

2013 has proved to be a whirlwind year for the legendary rock band The Flamin’ Groovies. After successful tours of Japan, Australia, the UK and the US, they’ve been in the studio laying down tracks for their next release due in 2014, one of which songs, “The End of the World,” Rolling Stone recently premiered, claiming that “like their best tracks, this music is timeless.”

What people probably don’t know is that this reunion was initially triggered by Groovies’ frontman and guitarist Chris Wilson inviting his former bandmates, Cyril Jordan and George Alexander, to help record his latest full-length studio album, It’s Flamin’ Groovy! Like the Groovies’ most beloved material, these 12 tracks of archetypal rock ‘n’ roll dig deep into the band’s own influences, while still retaining that “timeless” element, and is proof that these guys haven’t lost any of their edge.

Chris is also joined on this effort by ex-Groovies Roy Loney, Mike Wilhelm and James Ferrell, along with Procol Harum’s Hammond legend Matthew Fisher, who played live with the Groovies during their UK dates earlier this year.

The album contains plenty of the harmonies and jangle from the band’s classic Shake Some Action era; in fact opening track “All the Action” is a world-weary riposte to its forebear. “She Satisfies” and “Heart in Her Hand” are both Cyril Jordan originals that have their roots back in the ’80s as lost Groovies classics. Elsewhere the album ventures into Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street territory, while Roy Loney chips in on the high energy rock’n’roll of “Gamblin’ Man.” There are also nods in the direction of The Beatles’ Revolver and touches of psychedelia in the track “Bad Dreams.”

This album is – at least for now – the nearest thing you’ll get to a full-blown Flamin’ Groovies album. It embraces all the influences that have been with the band since the days of Teenage Head and serves as an ideal companion to the band as they return to live action.

Following its UK release in September, It’s Flamin’ Groovy! will see its official U.S. release on CD & digital formats January 14th.

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IT’S FLAMIN’ GROOVY!  TRACK LISTING:

1. All The Action

2. She Satisfies

3. Last Roll of the Dice

4. Heart in Her Hand

5. Shake That Feeling

6. Bad Dreams

7. Semaphore Signals

8. Down to the Wire

9. Sweet Anne

10. Feel Your Love

11. Can’t Let Go

12. Gamblin’ Man

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SAYING ABOUT CHRIS WILSON’S IT’S FLAMIN’ GROOVY!

The whole album is coated in that timeless luminescence which underpinned this most special of bands [The Flamin’ Groovies], and is a Grooviemaniac’s delight, stuffed with vibrant songs and those untouchable guitars, ranging from scathing rockers to lustrous Stonesy ballads. Wish I could go on; just get it. –  SHINDIG!

A riveting return to form. – CLASSIC ROCK

It’s little surprise that these recordings led to a fully-fledged Groovies reunion; all concerned seem resolutely match-fit, and Wilson’s voice has lost none of its ruffian attitude. – RECORD COLLECTOR

Tilts in the direction of classic mid-period Stones and psych-era Beatles, which won’t come as a surprise to longtime Groovies watchers. – BLURT

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CHRIS WILSON (photo credit: Anne Streng)

FOR MORE INFO ON CHRIS WILSON:
http://www.flamin-groovy.com

FOR MORE INFO ON THE FLAMIN’ GROOVIES:
https://www.facebook.com/TheFlaminGroovies

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
https://pavementpr.com

DIRTY STREETS FULL-PAGE FEATURE IN THE BLUES MAGAZINE!

Classic Rock’s The Blues Magazine has a great full-page “Bluesbreakers” feature story on Memphis power-trio Dirty Streets in their latest issue!

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GHETTOBLASTER REVIEWS RAW SPITT, LIGHTNIN’ SLIM & DIRTY STREETS!

Ghettoblaster Magazine just gave great album reviews to Charlie Whitehead’s “Raw Spitt,” Dirty Streets’ “Blades of Grass” and Lightnin’ Slim’s “High & Low Down”!

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THE BLUES MAGAZINE REVIEWS DIRTY STREETS & LIGHTNIN’ SLIM!

Classic Rock’s The Blues Magazine just gave rave 8/10 album reviews to both Dirty Streets’ “Blades of Grass” and Lightnin’ Slim’s “High & Low Down”!

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SILENT LIONS TO RELEASE “THE COMPARTMENTS” EP JAN. 14TH!

SILENT LIONS PREMIERE THEIR NEW SONG “STOLEN IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT” VIA INDIE SHUFFLE. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN & SHARE!

Conceived in Toledo, OH with a home base in sister city Detroit, Silent Lions are the sinister twosome of heavy-soul. Dean Tartaglia simultaneously plays effected octave bass, sampled synths, and manipulated atmospheric vocals, all while drummer Matt Klein grooves and thrashes beside him, often providing soulful singalong melodies and harmonies. The duo’s live shows sound as thick and creamy as they do on record. Their music has been tagged as “spooky soul,” “chill punk” and “Hall and Oates stoner rock.”

Silent Lions’ upcoming sophomore six-song EP, The Compartments, is a deeper exploration into genre manipulation. From hip-hop to stoner rock, Silent Lions create moments of lo-fi chaos out of hi-fi clarity. With their unofficial third member Zach Shipps (Electric Six) producing, The Compartments takes enough risks to turn your head, but never strays from SiLi’s visceral, trademark, super sub bass and drum sound.

Dean started making his mark nationally with Detroit local legends The Sights, touring the U.S. and Europe supporting Tenacious D. Silent Lions are proud to continuously share bills with some of the best new artists in the scene (Mr. Gnome, Jamaican Queens, Bad Veins).

Silent Lions’ The Compartments EP will be available January 14, 2014 on vinyl, digital & CD formats through the band’s own label, Nah Collective.

SILENT LIONS FALL TOUR DATES:

10/26: Shining Music Fest, Cleveland, OH

10/27: DIY Radio (KQW), Oil City, PA

10/28: 95.9 WRAT (Electric Ballroom), Pt Pleasant, NJ

10/28: Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ

10/29: Shea Stadium, Brooklyn, NY

10/30: DC9, Washington, DC

10/31: Paperhaus, Washington, DC

11/1: TBA, Morgantown, WV

11/2: Casa Nueva, Athens OH

11/3: Blind Bob’s, Dayton, OH

11/5: New Vintage, Louisville, KY

11/6: Double Happiness, Columbus, OH

11/7: Empty Glass, Charleston, WV

11/8: Rohs St Cafe, Cincinnati, OH

11/9: Be Here Now, Muncie, IN

11/10: Glass Hill, Bloomington, IN

11/12: Fearless Radio, Chicago, IL

11/13: TBA, Chicago, IL

11/14: Louie’s, Kalamazoo, MI

11/15: Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI

11/16: New Way Bar, Ferndale, MI

(more dates to be announced soon)

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO LISTEN TO SILENT LIONS’ RECENT DAYTROTTER SESSION!
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HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT SILENT LIONS:

An urgent explosion of psych-drenched garage rock — 100% emotion, 100% libido —  you couldn’t call it anything other than “f**king rock and roll,” mate. – INDIE SHUFFLE

Fronted by drums and bass, with a barrage of pedals and effects, Silent Lions are a refreshing new group for the local scene, one that shows signs of genre-pushing experimentation, original instrumentation & songwriting, and rightful confidence in the idea that Toledoans will embrace not just what’s good, not just what’s weird, and not always what’s new – but always what’s hard working and different.  – TOLEDO.COM

Sludge-funk trouncing murk-pop. – METRO TIME DETROIT

Silent Lions are re-setting the mold for what an “indie band” can do. – TOLEDO CITY PAPER

These guys really have a sound all their own. Everyone should be listening to this band. – HIP IN DETROIT

Silent Lions create a solid, heavy and distinct sound, one that’s fully rounded in all the right places. The band uses a variety of different effects, pedals and echoes to achieve this sound, and the result is a sonic assault on the senses. – DAYTON CITY PAPER

Dean Tartaglia and Matt Klein band together to bring you titillating bass, thrashing drums, atmospheric synth and some fuzzy vocals. The supergroup’s track “ripe•people” has an erie flare, mixed with a melancholy rhythm that will leave you feeling relaxed albeit a bit perplexed. – SSG MUSIC (Seattle)

Silent Lions’ “ripe•people” isn’t a slow-build, it’s not a grand finale; it’s one of those songs that’s simply good enough to carry on twice as long as your regular pop/rock song without you even realizing. You don’t get bored, you don’t feel that it’s repetitive, it just works. Whether it’s the speaker-busting bassline, the reverby vocals or the general power that’s generated, they could probably make it 15 minutes long without sacrificing the quality. It’s a wall of warm, buzzing noise that feels both urgent and vital, as well as laid-back and chilled. How they manage that is a bit of a mystery, but they do. – SOUND OF CONFUSION (UK)

FOR MORE INFO ON SILENT LIONS:
http://silentlions.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/SilentLions

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
https://pavementpr.com

THE BIG TAKEOVER REVIEWS VISAGE, SWAMP DOGG, IRMA THOMAS & LIGHTNIN’ SLIM!

The national quarterly music magazine The Big Takeover has great album reviews in their latest issue of Visage’s “Hearts & Knives,” Irma Thomas’ “In Between Tears,” Lightnin’ Slim’s “High & Low Down” and Swamp Dogg’s “Total Destruction To Your Mind” & Rat On!”

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  • Archives

  • tour dates

    • 03/22/24 THEE SINSEERS in Los Angeles, CA at The Belasco
    • 03/23/24 THEE SINSEERS in Riverside, CA at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
    • 04/18/24 THEE SINSEERS in Phoenix AZ at Crescent Ballroom
    • 04/19/24 THEE SINSEERS in Phoenix AZ at Crescent Ballroom
    • 04/20/24 THEE SINSEERS in Tucson, AZ at 191 Toole