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Allen Stone Releases New Single “Warriors”

Watch the new “Warriors” lyric video

 

Washington state R&B/soul singer-songwriter Allen Stone has released a new single, “Warriors”. On Sunday, July 1st, he performed the new track on ABC’s broadcast of the Special Olympics opening ceremony in Seattle, backed during the performance by a 2000 member choir.  The single, produced by Jamie Lidell, will be featured on an as-yet-to-be announced full-length album, which Stone has been putting the finishing touches on.

 

Watch Allen Stone perform new single “Warriors” LIVE at the Special Olympics Opening Ceremony

 

Discussing the song, Allen stated, “This song came in a period of struggle. Inspiration hadn’t come through to visit for a while. I had felt like I was just pushing a big rock up a hill while wearing flip-flops. I was reminded in that moment that true success comes when you face adversity head on and push through those moments of hardship. Walk tall like Warriors even when terrified.”

Allen appeared on “American Idol” in April, performing a powerful duet of “Unaware” with contestant Dennis Lorenzo, that blowing away the judges, including Lionel Richie who stated, “That was spectacular.”  The performance led to more than 15,000 sales of the digital single of “Unaware” and more than 5,000 album downloads in the weeks following. Additionally Allen’s spring track release, “Brown Eyed Lover”, broke into the Spotify Viral Charts and made it to #11 in the U.S. The song now has more than 3 million streams.

Stone has additionally announced 20+ new dates to his already massive fall headlining tour.  The tour will kick off October 11 in Portland, OR and wrap back in Seattle, December 17.

 

Tour Dates:
07/14 – Vancouver, BC @ Truck Stop
07/15 – Colwood, BC @ Rock The Shores
09/24 – Melbourne, AU @ Croxton Bandroom
10/11 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater ^
10/12 – Napa, CA @ Jam Cellars Ballroom ^
10/13 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom ^
10/14 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades ^a
10/16 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory ^
10/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre ^
10/20 – San Diego, CA @ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay ^
10/21 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole ^
10/23 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre ^
10/24 – San Antonio, TX @ Rustic ^
10/26 – Dallas, TX @ The Statler Ballroom ^
10/27 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s ^
10/28 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues ^
10/31 – Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen ^
11/02 – Orlando, FL @ Beacham Theater ^
11/03 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor ^
11/04 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live ^
11/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage ^
11/07 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm ^
11/08 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom ^
11/10 – Chattanooga, TN @ Walker Theatre ^
11/11 – Knoxville, TN @ Mill & Mine ^
11/13 – Columbia, SC @ The Senate ^
11/14 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre ^
11/15 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa ^
11/17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel ^
11/18 – Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents ^
11/20 – Harrisburg, PA @ Capitol Room ^
11/21 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ^
11/23 – Boston, MA @ Royale ^
11/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts ^
11/25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall ^
11/27 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre ^
11/28 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Café ^
11/30 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues ^
12/01 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre ^
12/02 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater ^
12/04 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar ^
12/05 – Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads Saloon ^
12/07 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre ^
12/08 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex ^
12/09 – Boise, ID @ Egyptian Theatre ^
12/11 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory ^
12/17 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
^ Nick Waterhouse supports

Joseph’s Stay Awake EP is Now Available on Clear Vinyl

Joseph’s latest release, the critically acclaimed ‘Stay Awake’ EP, is now available on clear 12″ vinyl! The record includes three new songs – “All,” which opens the set, a demo of “50, 60, 80” and the closing track, “Stay Awake” – plus reimagined versions of two older songs and stunning covers of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” and the Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile.”

Stay Awake in stores on July 27th and shipping now in the ATO store, where every order also receives a free postcard autographed by the band.

Order Stay Awake here!

Jim James’ New Solo Album “Uniform Distortion” Out Now!

 

Listen/Buy Uniform Distortion From Your Favorite Retailer

“My head feels like it is exploding with the amount of information we are forced to consume on a daily basis, and how that information is so DISTORTED there is almost no longer any tangible truth,” says James. “The name of my new record is UNIFORM DISTORTION because I feel like there is this blanket distortion on society/media and the way we gather our news and important information. More and more of us are feeling lost and looking for new ways out of this distortion and back to the truth… and finding hope in places like the desert where I write this now… finding hope in the land and in the water and in old books offering new ideas and most importantly in each other and love.”

 

 

Enough artistic twists and turns to please even the most dedicated Jacket fan, showing that James remains as musically edgy as ever on an album that pulses with energy, enthusiasm and the restless spirit James has always personified.” – American Songwriter

“All fuzzy guitars, booming drums and distorted vocals, the My Morning Jacket supremo showcases his inner glam rocker.”  – Louder Than War

 

 

 

Jim James Performs “Throwback” Live at Rough Trade NYC

Watch Jim James perform “Throwback” live at Rough Trade in New York. The song was first debuted at a My Morning Jacket show in 2016, and has since become a fan favorite. “Throwback” is from Jim James’s forthcoming album Uniform Distortion, out on Friday, June 29th.

Pre-Order Uniform Distortion Here

 

Rayland Baxter’s New Album, Wide Awake, is Out Now!

Rayland Baxter’s new LP ‘Wide Awake’ has arrived with a tremendous splash and is out today on ATO Records. The album that Relix is calling “modern American rock music at its finest” has also had songs spotlighted by theNew York TimesRolling StoneNPR Music and GQ, which named lead single “Casanova” one of their “Songs of the Summer 2018.” “Casanova” has also been the #1 most added song at Triple A and Americana radio.

 

Rayland’s had a busy release week, appearing everywhere from the Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show to live sessions with PasteRelix, and WFUVRayland currently has more than 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify; he taped a Singles Session this week and performed a Fans First show in Brooklyn in May. Latest digital single “79 Shiny Revolvers” has been featured on many Spotify playlists as well, including New Music Friday and Fresh Folk, and also was placed on Apple Music’s Best of the Week playlist.

 

Watch the animated video for “79 Shiny Revolvers” here
Watch Rayland perform “Casanova” live at Paste Studios in NYC
Tonight, Rayland hosts an album release show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC to kick off a massive national headlining tour throughout the summer and fall, which also includes back-to-back hometown shows at Nashville’s Basement East July 18-19. He will open several shows on Shakey Graves’ tour August, and will perform alongside Shakey at Red Rocks on August 30.  Full dates below.

 

‘Wide Awake’ is produced by Butch Walker (Weezer, Pink, Pete Yorn) and features Walker himself on bass, Cage the Elephant’s Nick Bockrath on guitar, Dr. Dog’s Eric Slick on drums, and piano wizard Aaron Embry (Elliott Smith, Brian Eno) on keys. Rayland’s father Bucky Baxter contributes pedal steel, as does original Nashville Cat Lloyd Green.

 

Listen to ‘Wide Awake’ on all platforms here: http://wideawake.raylandbaxter.com/

 

UPCOMING TOUR DATES
12-Jul- Washington, DC – Union Stage
13-Jul- New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
14-Jul- Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live 
15-Jul- Richmond, VA – Broadberry       
18+19-Jul- Nashville, TN – Basement East
20-Jul- Birmingham, AL – Saturn
21-Jul- Atlanta, GA – Terminal West 
24-Jul- Toronto, ON – Adelaide Hall
25-Jul- Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
26-Jul- Detroit, MI – Otus Supply
27-Jul- Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache
28-Jul- Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall 
29-Jul- Chicago, IL – Taste of Lincoln Avenue 
1-Aug- Indianapolis, IN – Hifi
2-Aug- Davenport, IA – Triple Crown Whiskey Bar 
3-Aug- St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
4-Aug- Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck 
5-Aug- Omaha, NE – Slowdown 
8-Aug- Boulder, CO – Outdoor Hill Stage 
9-Aug- Denver, CO – Bluebird
10-Aug
– Crested Butte, CO – Public House
12-Aug- Ft. Collins, CO – Bohemiam Nights at New West Fest 
24-Aug- Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Garden w/ Shakey Graves
25-Aug- Missoula, MT – Big Sky Amphitheatre w/ Shakey Graves
26-Aug- Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves
27-Aug- Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves
28-Aug- Boise, ID – Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves
30-Aug- Morrison, CO – Red Rocks w/ Shakey Graves
1-Sep- Nashville, TN – Live on The Green
5-Sep- Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret
6-Sep- Bellingham, WA – Wild Buffalo
7-Sep- Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
8-Sep- Eugene, OR – Hifi Music Hall
9-Sep- Portland, OR – Doug Fir
14-Sep- San Diego, CA – Belly Up
15-Sep- Los Angeles, CA – Moroccan Lounge
16-Sep- Templeton, CA – Whale Rock Festival 
19-Sep- Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s Night Club
20-Sep- Crystal Bay, NV – Red Room at Crystal Bay
21-Sep- Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst
22-Sep- San Francisco, CA – August Hall 
23-Sep- Sonoma, CA – Harvest Music Festival    
28-Sep- Roseland, VA – Devil’s Backbone Hoopla
30-Sep- Asbury Park, NJ – Sea Hear Now Festival

Rayland Baxter Shares “Strange American Dream”

“‘Strange American Dream’ captures Rayland’s mindset of the moment; somewhere between a childlike sense of wonder and disbelief at the good and evil he saw as he watched the news cycle unfold around him…a piano driven ear worm of a song that sounds like a distant cousin to The Beatles’ ‘Lady Madonna.’” – NPR Music

 

Rayland Baxter has unveiled the second song from his forthcoming ‘Wide Awake’.  “Strange American Dream” premieres today on NPR Music/World Café.  Rayland made this album during a self-imposed isolation quest.  He moved into an abandoned rubber band factory turned studio for 3 months, with nothing but a mattress on the floor and a couple of instruments.  He wrote for 15 hours a day, the occasional waft of news from a TV down the hall seeping through the door of his room.

 

Says Rayland, “’Strange American Dream’ is a song about the strange…American…dream. i was Living in the middLe of a cornfieLd in Kentucky when i wrote it…the tv in the kitchen was stuck on the news channeL for three months…i couLdnt heLp but eavesdrop…and take notes.” 

‘Wide Awake’ has already earned praise for its first song “Casanova,” which GQ named as one of its Songs of the Summer 2018. It’s also drawn comparisons to the Beatles (Rolling Stone Country) and the Kinks (Nashville Scene), and is currently #24 on the national Triple A radio chart.

 

Listen to Casanova here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_jbTR-1Sqc

 

‘Wide Awake’ was produced by Butch Walker (Weezer, Pink, Pete Yorn) and features Walker himself on bass, Cage the Elephant’s Nick Bockrath on guitar, Dr. Dog’s Erick Slick on drums, and piano wizard Aaron Embry (Elliott Smith, Brian Eno) on keys. Rayland’s father Bucky Baxter contributes pedal steel, as does original Nashville Cat Lloyd Green.

 

On July 12, Rayland heads out on a national headlining tour including an album release show on July 13 at Bowery Ballroom in New York City. He is also opening some of the shows on Shakey Graves’ tour this summer and performing with him at Red Rocks in August (Rayland also co-wrote some of the songs on Shakey’s new record).  Full dates below.

 

Pre-order ‘Wide Awake’ on all platforms here: http://wideawake.raylandbaxter.com/

 

TOUR DATES: 

12-Jul- Washington, DC – Union Stage

13-Jul- New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

14-Jul- Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live

15-Jul- Richmond, VA  – Broadberry

18-Jul- Nashville, TN – Basement East

20-Jul- Birmingham, AL – Saturn

21-Jul- Atlanta, GA – Terminal West

24-Jul- Toronto, ON – Adelaide Hall

25-Jul- Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern

26-Jul- Detroit, MI – Otus Supply

27-Jul- Grand Rapids, MI  –  The Stache

28-Jul- Chicago, IL –  Lincoln Hall

1-Aug- Indianapolis, IN – Hifi

2-Aug- Davenport, IA – Triple Crown Whiskey Bar

3-Aug- St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall

4-Aug- Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck

5-Aug- Omaha, NE – Slowdown

9-Aug- Denver, CO – Bluebird

24-Aug- Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Garden w/ Shakey Graves

25-Aug- Missoula, MT – Big Sky Amphitheatre w/ Shakey Graves

26-Aug- Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves

27-Aug- Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves

28-Aug- Boise, ID – Knitting Factory  w/ Shakey Graves

30-Aug- Morrison, CO – Red Rocks w/ Shakey Graves

5-Sep- Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret

6-Sep- Bellingham, WA – Wild Buffalo

7-Sep- Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern

9-Sep- Portland, OR – Doug Fir

14-Sep- San Diego, CA – Belly Up

15-Sep- Los Angeles, CA – Moroccan Lounge

16-Sep- Templeton, CA – Whale Rock Festival

20-Sep- Crystal Bay, NV – Red Room at Crystal Bay

21-Sep- Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst

23-Sep- Sonoma, CA – Harvest Music Festival

28-Sep- Roseland, VA – Devil’s Backbone Hoopla

30-Sep- Asbury Park, NJ – Sea Hear Now Festival

Cordovas Announces ATO Debut with That Santa Fe Channel

Cordovas Make Their ATO Records Debut With That Santa Fe Channel, Produced By Milk Carton Kids Kenneth Pattengale, Out August 10th

“caught halfway between Duane Allman’s Telecaster twang, the Dead’s hazy harmonies and the stoned swoon of California’s folk-rock heyday, Cordovas wring new life from older influences, hoisting their freak flag high,”

– Rolling Stone

 

 

Hear First Single “This Town’s A Drag” Here

 Rooted in triple-stacked harmonies, southern storytelling, and cosmic country twang, Cordovas create their own version of American roots-rock with That Santa Fe Channel, out August 10th on ATO Records. That Santa Fe Channel was produced by the Milk Carton Kids’ Kenneth Pattengale in East Nashville, not far from the home that doubles as the band’s rehearsal space, headquarters, and shared living quarters. The album is timely — and timeless — blurring the lines between rock, country, and amplified folk music. It’s highlighted by unbelievable harmonies, loose-yet-masterful musicianship and undeniable songwriting chops.

NPR Music points out that “everyone in the East Nashville band Cordovas is a lead vocalist. The country-rock group is committed to the sound of brotherhood — a few voices sharing a feeling.”

Years before Cordovas’ formation, bassist and bandleader Joe Firstman traveled the country as a solo musician. Raised in North Carolina, he moved to Hollywood as a determined 20 year-old, signing a major-label deal with Atlantic Record. When a dizzying blur of acclaimed shows — including opening dates for Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson — weren’t enough to satisfy the expectations of a big-budget record label, Firstman lost his contract and took a new job as music director on Last Call with Carson Daly. It was good work, with Firstman performing nightly alongside first-rate musicians like Thundercat and Kamasi Washington.

Cordovas begin a five-week European tour this week – including the first ever Songpickr show in Berlin – then return to the U.S. for a tour that currently runs from July through September. Cordovas are a formidable live act, as Wide Open Country noted about their AmericanaFest set last year, “Cordovas proved classic American rock-and-roll can still fire up a club like it did in its heyday.”

Cordovas – 2018 Summer Tour Dates

Jun 7 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Q-Factory

Jun 8 – Weert, Netherlands – Muziekcentrum De Bosuil

Jun 9 – Drachten, Netherlands – Jun Fan Peije

Jun 12 – Bergen, Norway – Bergen Fest

Jun 13 – Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller (supporting Anderson East)

Jun 15 – Bö, Norway – Festival

Jun 16 – Halden, Norway – Bryggerhuset Syd

Jun 18 – Hultsfred, Sweden – Hotell Hulingen

Jun 20 – Ingolstadt, Germany – Neue Welt

Jun 21 – Groningen, Netherlands – De Oosterpoort

Jun 22 – Vlaardingen, Netherlands – The Kroepoekfabriek

Jun 23 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Kids ‘n’ Billies Festival

Jun 27 – London, UK – Borderline

Jun 28 – Brighton, UK – The Prince Albert

Jun 29 – Bristol, UK – The Louisiana

Jul 1 – Nottingham, UK – The Maze

Jul 3 – Birmingham, UK – Kitchen Garden Café

Jul 4 – Manchester, UK – Night & Day Café

Jul 5 – Newcastle, UK – Gosforth Civic Theatre

Jul 7 – Woodbridge, UK – Maverick Festival

Jul 12 – Berlin, Germany – Privatclub

Jul 13 – Norderstedt, Germany – Music Star

Jul 14 – Oberhausen, Germany – Static Roots Festival

Jul 18 – Woodbridge, NJ – The Mayor’s Free Concert Series

Jul 19 – Fitchburg, MA – River Styx Brewing

Jul 20 – Boston, MA – Downeast Back Porch

Jul 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café

Jul 26 – Mobile, AL – The Brickyard

Jul 27 – Macon, GA – Bragg Jam Music Fest

Jul 30 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

Aug 2 – Big Sky, MT – Music in the Mountains Concert Series

Aug 4 – Elkin, NC – Reevestock Music Festival

Aug 11 – Baileys Harbor, WI – Door Country Brewing Music Hall

Aug 14 – Rockford, IL – Anderson Japanese Gardens

Aug 16 – Chicago, IL – Haymarket Americana Concert Series

Aug 23 – Washington, DC – Pearl Street Warehouse

Aug 24 – Harrisonburg, VA – Clementine Café

Aug 25 – Wise, VA – RTE 23 Music Festival

Sept 5 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern

Sept 7 – Chicago, IL – Fitzgerald’s

Sept 8 – Bowling Green, OH – Black Swamp Arts Festival

Sept 9 – St Louis, MO – Off Broadway

Sept 21-23 – Bristol, TN – Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

 

Cordovas are: bassist/vocalist Joe Firstman, drummer Graham Spillman, keyboardist Sevans Henderson, guitarist/vocalist Lucca Soria and guitarist/vocalist Toby Weaver.

 

Pre-order That Santa Fe Channel here.

Natalie Prass’s new album The Future and the Past is out now!

 “It makes the here and now sound a whole lot groovier.” – NPR Music

MOJO Album of the Month in the latest issue!

The singer’s righteous political funk and epics are brilliantly executed…” MOJO

“Modern anthems with a jazz-funk vibe.” – Uncut

 

Stream or buy The Future and the Past now!

 

‘The Future And The Past’ is bursting with a myriad of grooves and Natalie’s vocals float on top, light as a feather and tough as nails.  “Short Court Style” dials the tempo into 90s R&B territory – punctuated by handclaps, sampled “woos,” and a Dr. Dre-esque whistling synth line.  Lyrically she wields a sharp knife as well.  The love torn “Lost” begins with: “Turn up the fader, its like a lightning bolt / we can’t be saved, so now I’m listening on my own / Once there was a time when you had me hypnotized / you realized that your finger prints were on my bones.”  Funky feminist anthem “Sisters” is an empowering rallying cry: “I want to say it loud / for all the ones held down / we gotta change the plan.”

 

Jim James Releases “Throwback” From New Album “Uniform Distortion” Out 6/29

Jim James has released the new single, “Throwback,” from his soon-to-be-released album, Uniform Distortion, out June 29.

Pre-Order Uniform Distortion Here

“I wrote this song doing pretty much what you are probably doing right at this very second: scrolling thru social media,” says James. “It struck me as SO wild – how, as you scroll back in time through someone’s account, you watch their face grow younger…but as you do this, REAL TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!!! The clock is ticking…instead of doing good work or creating love or taking a walk in nature, I am here STARING AT MY FUCKING PHONE!!!! ha ha ha. Don’t get me wrong – social media is an amazing tool…but I think we should look at it more like a tool, like a hammer you pick up for a little while to do a job, and then you PUT IT DOWN. You don’t sit there and keep hammering away or else pretty soon your entire world would be destroyed and fall apart! And I feel like that is exactly what is happening right before our very eyes to this precious real beautiful human-filled earth. So lets WAKE EACH OTHER UP PEOPLE! Lets stand up against injustice and use this tool of social media to fight for peace and love and equality! Let’s throwback for a minute, but try and live in the NOW for a better future. Thanks for listening.”

 

LISTEN TO “THROWBACK

 

The GRAMMY® Award-nominated frontman of My Morning Jacket’s third solo album, Uniform Distortion is available for pre-order HERE; deluxe bundles featuring limited edition lithographs and clear vinyl are exclusively available for pre-order HERE. All pre-orders are joined by an instant grat download of the project’s first single, “Just A Fool,” also available now for individual purchase at all DSPs and streaming services. “Just A Fool” is joined a new companion visual, directed by Ellis Bahl (The Kills, alt-J) and streaming now HERE. “Just A Fool” received its exclusively premiere via NPR last month.

 

Hurray for the Riff Raff Shares New Video “Pa’lante”

“ONE OF THE MOST ARTICULATE SONGS OF A GENERATION” – NPR

 

AN INTIMATE GLIMPSE INTO THE PUERTO RICAN CRISIS, DIRECTED BY KRISTIAN MERCADO FIGUEROA + STARRING MELA MURDER OF “THE FLORIDA PROJECT”

 

 

Hurray for the Riff Raff’s “Pa’lante” – the fervent call to arms for working class Latinx that was lauded as one of the year’s best songs by Pitchfork, NPR Music, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, The Guardian + more – serves as the powerful musical force behind a new short film directed by Kristian Mercado Figueroa (De La Soul, Hannibal Burress). Shot in Puerto Rico earlier this year, alongside Alynda’s hometown in New York, “Pa’lante” offers an intimate, first-hand glimpse of life after Hurricane Maria via the journey of single mother Milagros (played by Mela Murder of the acclaimed film The Florida Project), her ex-partner Manuel (Kareem Savinon), and her family – a living testament not only to the everyday struggle after the storm displaced thousands last year, but also the strength, beauty, and identity of an island that embodies the phrase (“forward”) as its national philosophy.

Shooting on location struck close to home for everyone on set, many of whom are of Puerto Rican descent. Hurray’s own Alynda Segarra is shown alongside images of her father and overlaid with archival footage of civil rights activist group the Young Lords. Member and founder of the Nuyorican Movement, Pedro Pietri, is also shown reciting his poem “Puerto Rican Obituary” – the epic work that would come to serve as inspiration for the song almost 50 years after it was first published.

For the director Kristian, this was a very personal video as his family was displaced by Hurricane Maria and his grandfather passed in its aftermath: “We really wanted to showcase talent of color, stories by people of color – it was important to me to make sure this was a diverse production that had Puerto Ricans working on it. The conditions on the island are still very poor. During the production we could all feel how painful it all was, how it’s been so long without enough help. The island is still strong, the people always positive, but you can’t help but feel the desperation and pain of the colonial condition, the sense of abandonment. Pa’lante is a very Puerto Rican mindset – be it a family struggling to stay together, or recovering from the hurricane, the Puerto Rican people are strong and they will always stand and move forward. And there is a beauty to that.”

For Mela Murder, it was her first time visiting her homeland since Hurricane Maria. “The character Milagros deeply resonated with me being that I am a single mother,” she says. “Our lives are entirely different, but the fuel that keeps women like us going is exactly the same as it has been for generations before us – love. The island is alive with love so strong you can feel it in the breeze coming off the ocean. It made me feel so damn proud of my Boricua roots!”

“Pa’lante” aims to raise funds and awareness for the PRIMA Relief Fund, a collective dedicated to sustaining Puerto Rico’s independent music and artistic community following Hurricane Maria. Learn about ways to support PRIMA Relief at their website: https://www.primafund.org

Hurray for the Riff Raff’s “Pa’lante” was named “Best New Track” by Pitchfork upon its release (“the most hair-raising two minutes of music this year”), and was also hailed by NPR Music as “one of the most articulate songs of a generation.” It serves as the hard-hitting closer for her acclaimed album ‘The Navigator’ (ATO Records), which earned career-best reviews for Segarra.

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF TOUR DATES

 

MAY 25 Sasquatch! Music Festival at The Gorge Amphitheatre – George, WA

MAY 26 Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park with Bon Iver – Vancouver, BC, Canada

JUN 23 Arroyo Seco – Pasadena, CA

JUL 6 Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI

JUL 14 Mad Cool Festival Madrid, Spain

JUL 16 Poble Espanyol with Future Islands – Barcelona, Spain

JUL 17 Teatro Circo Braga, 04, Portugal

JUL 19 Colours of Ostrava Ostrava, Czech Republic

JUL 21 Pori Jazz – Pori, Southwest Finland, Finland

JUL 26 River & Blues at Wagner Park – New York, NY

AUG 17 Maha Music Festival – Omaha, NE