VIDEO: The Lemons’ “Shark Bait”

The term “shark bait” often refers to someone whose skin is very pale, as in “literally white” to where they may look like something a fisherman would throw back into the ocean to catch a shark. The Lemons maybe had this on mind when they wrote “Shark Bait” or maybe it means something else. No matter, you can hear more from these rockers by checking out their latest album Burger Records called Hello, We’re The Lemons!. If this sounds like something you might have heard on an episode of Banana Splits, good for you.

SOME STUFFS: Audio Fidelity to release remaster of Leon Russell’s debut album

Leon Russell is not someone you hear about too much on classic radio but that’s a shame, considering how it seemed that he was everywhere in the 1970’s. Nonetheless, fans of his music love his work and they’ll love the fact his debut album has been remastered. Audio Fidelity are going to release a hybrid SACD of his 1970 debut which featured a wide range of special guests, including what sounds like a jam session from George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album: Eric Clapton, Merry Clayton, Bonnie Bramlett, Steve Winwood, Joe Cocker, Ringo Starr, and Harrison himself. This carried him for a successful career throughout the 1970’s and new fans will be able to hear him again with this new pressing. Capitol Records in Japan released an SACD of this two years ago but this hybrid SACD is newly remastered so it is sonically different. Since this album was not mixed in quadraphonic, the hybrid mixes involve the stereo mix. The disc will be out on April 15th.

SOME STUFFS: Out of the box: The Beatles head to the world of streaming

As it has been customary since they were a group 50 years ago, The Beatles are throwing out another set of music this holiday season but instead, it’s nothing brand new in any way. The Beatles had resisted getting their music into the digital realm but considering a wealth of today’s music sales comes from MP3 sales, it was only a matter of time before they and Universal were able to offer the band’s music for sale digitally. There are a few Beatles compilations that are iTunes-only, as there isn’t a vinyl companion for it (not officially at least). Starting tomorrow, December 24th, the music of The Beatles will be heading to various streaming websites, including Spotify, Tidal, Rhapsody, Amazon Prime Music, Google Play and a few others, inclduing, oddly enough, Apple Music. If you know the history between The Beatles/Apple Records and Apple Computer, you’ll know why I said “oddly enough” but let’s move forward.

One website had said the band’s FULL discography will be made available for streaming in each time zone on Thursday, 12:01am. While the time may be correct, what’s being available for streaming is not correct. What Universal will be offering are the band’s 13 remastered albums, which means this is what they released themselves. These are the original British editions so if you’re looking for Something New, Yesterday & Today, or Beatles VI, you’re not going to get it that way but you’re able to make your own playlists to create your own versions. Outside of the remastered albums, The Beatles/Universal will be offering four compilations, including 1962-1966, 1967-1970, Past Masters, and 1.

Considering we’re very close to Christmas, I had hoped The Beatles would finally give The Beatles Christmas Album an official release. However, if they were going to release it digitally, they would also have to release it on vinyl and CD to please fans of hard copy. The Beatles Christmas Album put together all of the records the group gave to members of their fan club, so there was one record each between 1963-1969. When the band announced their split in 1970, it meant no more Christmas messages so they ended the year by putting together all of the messages and releasing it in one place. Like the flexi-discs, The Beatles Christmas Album was made available only for fan club members but due to it being Beatles-related, it was counterfeited and has been circulating for the last 45 years. You can now find the album as bootlegs, which now feature outtakes from the Christmas message recording sessions. To me, The Beatles Christmas Album is a perfect example of being able to hear the group’s slow demise, as each message was a way for all four to gather and be festive while giving fan club members a happy message. By 1968 and the release of The Beatles (a/k/a “The White Album”), they were more than happy to record messages separately from one another. When they released their last Christmas record in 1969, you could sense the tension as no one intermingled with one another. They were ready to move on and would with an incredible amount of music they made throughout the 1970’s. Unless there will be an additional surprise tomorrow, The Beatles Christmas Album will not be officially released, if it ever will. Considering there are only two surviving members left, one hopes it will be soon.

One question that was brought up is “who exactly is the audience for the streaming music by The Beatles?” One website claims those who heavily stream as their primary means of listening to music are between 15 and 20: teenagers and young people preparing for college or heading there. Can The Beatles crack that audience, and are younger audiences really into The Beatles? It’s one thing to say their music is timeless but when I was a kid, I certainly didn’t want to listen to music from the 1920’s or 1930’s. I do now but the point is, The Beatles were a phenomenon 50 years ago. There are older audiences in Spotify and Google Play but are they active? Are these websites and apps going to welcome older audiences who may want to hear The Beatles and other artists they prefer? I don’t think grandma wants to hear Demi Lovato or Meek Mill. We’ll find out to see how the streaming realm accepts The Beatles and if a huge amount of Beatles streams will change things. The music industry is more than happy to be the biggest listening booth in the world because it makes them money. Not that The Beatles need any more money due to low sales, people still buy vinyl, CD’s, cassettes, and MP3’s on a regular basis but if it leads to heavy streaming, I’m certain a lot of artists who have held back their catalogs will be the next ones to cash in on the new means of income.

SOME STUFFS: Chris Robinson Brotherhood on the road again this fall

Chris Robinson Brotherhood will be heading back on the road this fall, and does that mean they have a new album out? No.

Not yet, at least.

The group have plans on heading into the recording studio this winter to record their new album, so perhaps it’s safe to say they will be testing a small handful of new songs while on the road. Check out where they’ll be heading to:

August 29… Nederland, CO (NedFest)
September 11… Arrington, VA (LOCKN’ Festival) *
September 12… Charlotte, NC (The Chop Shop)
September 13… Nag’s Head, North Carolina (Kelly’s)
September 16… New York, NY (Central Park SummerStage) *
September 18… Buffalo, NY (The Town Ballroom)
September 19-20… Cleveland, OH (Beachland Ballroom & Tavern)
September 22… Louisville, KY (Mercury Ballroom)
September 24… Cincinnati, OH (20th Century Theater)
September 25… Geneva, NY (Smith Opera House)
September 26… Wappingers Falls, NY (Speed of Sound Festival)
September 27… Millvale, PA (Mr. Smalls Theatre)
September 29… Pontiac, MI (Crofoot Ballroom)
October 1… St. Louis, MO (Old Rock House)
October 2… Chicago, IL (Thalia Hall)
October 3… Madison, WI (Majestic Theatre)
October 4… Milwaukee, WI (Turner Hall Ballroom)
October 6… Nashville, TN (3rd & Lindsley)
October 8… Birmingham, AL (Iron City)
October 9… Jackson, MS (Duling Hall)
October 10… New Orleans, LA (Tipitina’s)
October 13… Baton Rouge, LA (Varsity Theatre)
October 15… Houston, TX (Warehouse Live) **
October 16… Austin, TX (Scoot Inn) **
October 17… Dallas, TX (Gas Monkey Bar ’N’ Grill)
November 3… Asheville, NC (The Orange Peel)
November 5… Atlanta, GA (The Variety Playhouse)
November 6… Charleston, SC (The Music Farm)
November 7-8… Raleigh, NC (Lincoln Theatre)
November 17… Washington, DC (9:30 Club)
November 19-21… Brooklyn, NY (Brooklyn Bowl)
November 22… Philadelphia, PA (Theatre of the Living Arts)
December 3… Napa, CA (City Winery)
December 4… Sacramento, CA (Harlow’s)
December 5… Crystal Bay, NV (Crystal Bay Club Crown Room)
December 6… Santa Cruz, CA (Coconut Grove)
December 9… Los Angeles, CA (El Rey Theatre)
December 10… Santa Barbara, CA (Lobero Theatre)
December 11-12… San Francisco, CA (The Fillmore)

* w/ Phil Lesh & Friends
** w/ Leftover Salmon

VIDEO: Sunshine & The Blue Moon’s “Lucy”

If you’re looking for a band for the remainder of 2015 that’ll inspire you in some way, may I introduce you to Sunshine & The Blue Moon. The group recently signed with The Hand Recordings and will be releasing their debut album in the fall. They wanted to put together a video to let people know what they’re about and what they can expect when the album is released, so have a look and listen to “Lucy”, directed by band member Laura-Lynn Petrick and completely shot on super 8mm film, so for me, I’m into it. The song has a nice 50’s feel to it and almost makes you feel close to abandonment but something within says it’ll be worth your time to see it through. If you’d like to hear more music they’ve done in the past, head to their official Bandcamp page.

REVIEW: Tom Dyer’s New Pagan Gods’ “History Of Northwest Rock Vol. 1 (1959-1968)”

For Tom Dyer’s new album, he has gathered a few musicians, called them the New Pagan Gods and paid tribute to the old Pagan Gods, specifically the Gods of Seattle rock’n’roll at the dawn of the music up here in the Pacific Northwest.

If you are a longtime resident of the Northwest, you have no doubt heard many of these songs Dyer and friend have chosen to cover on History Of Northwest Rock Vol. 1 (1959-1968), and there may even be a few that you didn’t know had a connection to the Pacific Northwest. He begins the album with a nice version of The Sonics’ “The Witch”, which was also covered nicely by The Mummies. You might see the title “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and think “wait, Ringo wasn’t from the city of Bremerton” but instead, this rare song was originally performed b Tiny Tony & The Statics on an obscure 45 many collectors continue to hunt for. “Dirty Robber” is attacked quite nicely and fans of The Mummies will also recognize this song too. Here, Dyer pays tribute to Tacoma and the group who made it first, The Wailers. They are given a double tribute with a rendition of the beastly “Out Of Our Tree”, also covered nicely by The Mummies.

The album ends with an awesome version of The Dimensions’ “She’s Boss” but by going through these songs, it’s a way to hear what the Pacific Norhtwest music scene was as it managed to keep itself within semi-obscurity for a few decades as it recorded some of the best songs by some of the best people around. Dyer gets a chance to honor those who came before in the hopes younger audiences will continue on with their new spirit for the future. The album is not only a celebration of incredible garage rock, but rock’n’roll in general, pre-B.S.

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SOME STUFFS: Old Man’s Will share new song from forthcoming album

RidingEasy Records will be releasing an album by Swedish band Old Man’s Will on August 4th. The album, called Hard Times, is pretty much done and ready to go but you’ll have to wait for about two months or so. For now, have a listen to a song from Old Man’s Will second album by checking out “Easy Rider”.

VIDEO: Guantanamo Baywatch featuring Curtis Harding’s “Too Late”

When you see the intro to this video, you may think “oh no, I hope this guy is okay” but it’s alright, it’s part of the video. All of a sudden, the music begins and you may think “wait a minute, something is not right”. If you’re saying this, then perhaps you are the perfect audience to watch “Too Late”, the new one by Guantanamo Baywatch. The song features Curtis Harding and if the song eventually breaks your heart, you are the audience they were looking for. The song is from their album Darling…It’s Too Late (Suicide Squeeze).

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SOME STUFFS: First Bill Wyman solo album since 1982 to be released.

He’s the oldest living member of The Rolling Stones, despite the fact he hasn’t been a member of the group since 1993. At 78, bassist Bill Wyman will be releasing a new album, something he hasn’t done since 1982, and it’s only his fourth album. Back To Basics (Proper) will be released on June 22nd and is being joined by Terry Taylor, Guy Fletcher, Graham Broad, and Robbie McIntosh. Wyman co-produced the album with Andy Wright, who worked with Jeff Beck, Eurythmics, and Simple Red. Wyman had always been driven to make music, but wondered if it would be appropriate for him to do so. He states “Initially I thought I’m a bit old for this but then I thought all the old blues musicians played till they dropped so why don’t I give it a go.” The Rolling Stones have always worked like blues statesmen, so it would make sense that Wyman would give it another short at this phase in his life. The album will have 12 songs and a bonus track that will be iTunes only, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s found on the CD in the Japanese pressing.

SOME STUFFS: Audio Fidelity release remasters of Billy Joel and LaBelle

If you are a fan of Billy Joel or Patti LaBelle, you are going to love these two remasters on its way from Audio Fidelity. On the Billy Joel side, it’s a reissue of his third album from 1974, Streetlife Serenade, and while this was not a hugely popular album from him like future releases, but it did have “The Entertainer” as a single. Nonetheless, Streetlife Serenade is looked upon by Joel fans as the album where he needed to make some changes not so much with his music, but who was running it, and the album holds up quite well despite lower-than-expected sales at the time.

LaBelle’s Nightbird was the group’s fourth album and their first for Epic Records after releasing an LP on RCA that had minimal success. Whatever it was that caused it to make a hit, it worked, and that had to do with the songs on the album, which included the massive pop hit “Lady Marmalade”. The second single was a double A-sided hit and got a lot of attention on the soul charts, “What Can I Do For You?” b/w “Nightbird”. The spirit of New Orleans in “Lady Marmalade” was also partly due to The Meters, who were briefly label mates with LaBelle by association (The Meters were on Reprise, LaBelle were on Warner Bros.) and played throughoutNightbird, a year after The Meters found themselves in Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time”, also a massive hit on the pop charts. “Lady Marmalade” became not only LaBelle’s biggest hit, but one of Patti LaBelle’s biggest songs in her career.

As is the case with Audio Fidelity remasters, both are being released as hybrid CD’s, which means all regular CD’s will be able to hear the new version of the album. On top of that, if you have an SACD player, you’ll be able to hear the original quadraphonic mixes for the first time in 40 years, both which which haven’t been reissued until now. The discs will be out on April 21st.