CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO RODNEY PARKER & 50 PESO REWARD’S NEW SINGLE “STEPPIN’ INTO SUNSHINE” VIA AMERICAN SONGWRITER!

BEST NEW MUSIC: Song Premiere: Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward “Steppin’ Into Sunshine”
Written By Emily Maxwell

Check out “Steppin’ Into Sunshine,” Americana rockers Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward’s new single from their upcoming album Bomber Heights, out September 16.

“When I wrote Sunshine, or most of it anyways, I had gotten into the habit of sitting down and working up about 4 or 5, several new finger-style guitar parts every week; the goal at the time was to get practice as much as it was to end up with usable works,” says Danny Skinner, who plays accordion, banjo and harmonica in the band. “They’d pretty much always have a bass part, a moving chord structure and a strong melody built into them over which I would put a counterpoint vocal melody and verse. Most of the songs from that writing period are lost to time, but Sunshine stuck with me through all the seasons, year to year; I loved it, it never grew old to me and it’s meaning would age and change as I did myself. And when Rodney suggested we record it, threw in some ideas for what a b-part might look like and we worked those up together, it matured from a tune I’d been carrying around for my self, in my pocket, to a full-fledged song I wanted to sing to the world.”

http://americansongwriter.com/2016/08/song-premiere-rodney-parker-50-peso-reward/

Photo: Heather Harris

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO JAMES WILLIAMSON & PETRA HADEN’S NEW SINGLE “BLUES JUMPED THE RABBIT” VIA POPMATTERS!

James Williamson and Petra Haden – “Blues Jumped the Rabbit” (audio) (premiere)
BY WILL RIVITZ

“Blues Jumped the Rabbit” is blues in its most collaborative mode, a song built directly off the work of those who came for. The lyrics and composition trace back at least to the 1920s, the song has been recorded more than a few times in its past, and — most importantly for this particular iteration — James Williamson’s legendary guitar is augmented by the multi-instrumental lushness of Petra Haden. It’s a gloomy, slow song, but it’s one full of instrumental light, borne aloft by crystalline piano and echoing guitar. In other words, it captures the many facets of blues well.

“I first became aware of Petra by listening to her amazing a capella version of The Who Sell Out. She was phenomenal at imitating not only the vocals but all of the instruments as well,” says Williamson. “I have always wished that I could find the right songs to spotlight her as a lead vocalist. Then along came these two traditional songs ‘Blues Jumped The Rabbit’ and ‘Last Kind Words’. Thankfully Petra loved them as much as I did, so we went in and made this record. We both are really happy we did.”

Blues Jumped The Rabbit / Last Kind Words is out today.
http://www.popmatters.com/post/james-williamson-petra-haden-blues-jumped-the-rabbit-audio-premiere/

CLICK HERE TO WATCH DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS’ NEW VIDEO “MAKE A CHANGE” VIA PUREVOLUME!

PREMIERE: Durand Jones & The Indications — “Make A Change”

Born down in the Bayou, Durand Jones has brought his fiery brand of soul to Indiana where he’s spread what he learned in as boy to the masses. Now living in the home of the Hoosiers (Bloomington), Jones released his terrific self-titled debut with the help of his outstanding backing band the Indications. It’s easy to hear how he’s honed his craft working with the Indiana University Soul Revue, which is demonstrated on a “Make A Change,” which happens to be a video we’re premiering today.

“The idea of the music video came from a personal experience of working for $7.25 an hour at some jobs I once had,” Jones says of the clip. “Yes, we all can make a change, which I feel is the message of the song, but we wanted to dig a little deeper into the meaning. Make a change. A dollar. A buck. Nobody wants that change, and who can blame them? But here we are today in America where some folks presume that someone making minimum wage isn’t worthy of living above the poverty line.

“Most people who only make a change– referring to money, wish to make a change in life, but it’s easy to get trapped when you’re only just making change. We also wanted to play on the change theme by incorporating many outfit changes— to insinuate that though the dude’s clothes are changing he’s stuck doing the same thing.”

Durand Jones & The Indications’ self-titled debut was released on July 1 via Colemine Records.
http://www.purevolume.com/news/PREMIERE-Durand-Jones-The-Indications-Make-A-Change