Recorded last fall over a sold out 3 night run at The Fillmore in San Francisco, “It’s Great To Be Alive!” is a career-spanning greatest hits which showcases the live side of the band, in what Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley believe to be their best incarnation yet. As Patterson explains: “We have always considered ourselves first and foremost a songwriter’s band and always said that “song is king” should be the basis of all artistic decisions. That said, we also built our reputation as a ‘Live’ band and as proud as I’ve always been of our records, we’ve also always been aware that there’s an element of our stage show that the records just cannot quite capture or parlay. Our previous live album had always been something we were proud of, but it captured the band in a much earlier incarnation with different songs and musical priorities. It was well past the time to make a new one. Also, 2014 turned out to be a sort of new peak in the life of this band.”
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Congratulations to Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, who has been named Billboard’s Women in Music “Powerhouse” Artist!
Howard will accept her award, along with the already announced Woman of the Year Lady Gaga, on Dec. 11 at Billboard’s annual Women in Music ceremony. The honors come in conjunction with Billboard’s Women in Music list that names the year’s 50 most powerful female music industry executives.
The event will be broadcast for the first time via Lifetime on Dec. 18.
“Brittany Howard is the true definition of a powerhouse, from her unique and crushing vocals, to her meteoric rise in the last four years,” said Janice Min, co-president and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Media’s Entertainment Group, which consists of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. “She led Alabama Shakes to a massive year that included their Coachella debut and is quite deserving of Billboard’s recognition.”
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PAPER WHEELS is now available digital, on CD, and as a deluxe limited edition vinyl that includes 180 gram 45 RPM 2x LP splatter vinyl and a die cut gatefold package with six unique sleeves. Only 4,000 of these special packages will be manufactured.
Produced by Anastasio and longtime collaborator Bryce Goggin, PAPER WHEELS was recorded last year at The Barn, the Phish founding guitarist’s Vermont farmhouse-turned-rehearsal space/recording studio. Anastasio and the members of Trey Anastasio Band (TAB) developed the material on stage while touring and at soundcheck on the tour leading up to the sessions, allowing them to track the album in just under a week. Taking a cue from the energetic immediacy of classic Stax Studio recording sessions, TAB worked fast and loose, playing together live in The Barn and wrapping up tracks after one or two takes. Written and co-written by Anastasio alongside frequent lyric partners Tom Marshall and Steve “The Dude of Life” Pollak, songs like the funk-driven “Bounce” and the elegiac “Invisible Knife” (written solely by Anastasio) are among the legendarily diverse artist’s most infectious and inventive, alive with creative vigor, robust musicianship, and true soul power.
PAPER WHEELS features the classic TAB line up of drummer Russ Lawton, bassist Tony Markellis, and keyboardist Ray Paczkowski, augmented by a full horn section (including trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman, multi-instrumentalist James Casey, and longtime TAB trumpeter/vocalist Jennifer Hartswick). The album was mixed by 8x GRAMMY® Award-winning sound engineer Elliot Scheiner (Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Derek & The Dominos)
Party with us at Knitting Factory Brooklyn for a FREE showcase of ATO Records’ fiercest new talent, brought to you by She Shreds. First 20 people to RSVP at info@atorecords.com will receive guaranteed entry. CMJ badge holders are welcome, and will recieve priority entry.
THUNDERBITCH unleashed their surprise self-titled release to a standing ovation earlier this fall. The New York Times’ Jon Pareles said, “The music reaches back to Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones, charged with late-1960s adrenaline. It’s a joy to hear.” On the heels of Alabama Shakes’ groundbreaking Sound & Color, Brittany Howard formed Thunderbitch and recorded in secret, enlisting the talents of Clear Plastic Masks and ATO label mates Fly Golden Eagle. In the words of the band, “Thunderbitch. Rock ‘n’ Roll. The end.
Get a taste of the supergroup’s engine-revving sound here:
— JOSEPH is a bewitching trio of sisters from the Pacific Northwest. The band is currently recording their full-length album with Mike Mogis (Conor Oberst, First Aid Kit).
“The sounds that they are able to summon from their bodies are heaven sent, roundly giving you chills and making you feel as if you’ve just been kissed” – Daytrotter
Watch the ATO Session for Joseph’s enchanting “Eyes to the Sky”:
— MARGARET GLASPY, ATO’s newest signing, boasts a diverse of musical background from competitive fiddle to marching band trombone. But with influences ranging from Joni Mitchell to Elliott Smith, she focuses her talents in fiercely raw, guitar-driven pop songs. She is currently cutting her debut album, due out next year, at Sear Sound with Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, Lucius, Har Mar Superstar) in New York City.
“[Margaret Glaspy’s] croons and minimalist folk guitar have a knack for sending shivers down any spine.” – WNYC Radio
Watch Margaret play “No Matter Who”:
— JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD released her ATO debut Make My Head Sing… last year, marking a new, grungy direction for her music. Mayfield is currently in Brooklyn laying down demos for a new album coming in 2016.
“Mayfield makes you feel as though she’s pouring everything she’s got into the song; that when it’s through, she’ll have nothing left.” -NPR
ATO Records is proud to introduce you to the newest additions to our roster, Joseph! Joseph is a bewitching trio of sisters from the Pacific Northwest with honest words and genetically perfected harmonies. The band will begin recording their full length album next month, due out in Spring/Summer 2016. Watch their ATO session below, and meet the band at www.atorecords.com/joseph!
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“I’m not sure if it was a conscience effort or [if it] just happened, but we’ve been wanting to get back to the older prettier sound,” said guitarist Brian Venable of the more acoustic direction the band has taken in this latest effort. The record was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis with producer Ted Hutt, who worked with the band on their previous two records and has also produced albums for Flogging Molly and Old Crow Medicine Show.
“I like the ideas of trilogies,” said Venable. “Once we break in a producer and learn how each other communicate, it becomes easier to work together.”
While an impressive collection of new original numbers on the album showcase Ben Nichols’ continued growth as a songwriter, All A Man Should Do also includes Big Star cover “I’m In Love With a Girl,” featuring Big Star drummer Jody Stephens.
“We are part of Memphis, and they are definitely a part of Memphis history,” said Venable. “We had never done a cover song on a record before, and it just seemed to make sense—especially with the sounds we were experimenting with on the new record. Jody was stoked to be apart of it. Recording at Ardent, he was always poking his head in to listen and say hey.”
Head To Your Local Independent Record Store
Exclusive to indie record stores and limited to only 1,372 copies (a nod to the band’s old home address and album “1372 Overton Park”), each jacket is individually hand-stamped and numbered by ATO Records. The vinyl is made with a combination of randomly mixed colors, making each copy of this release truly unique.
Select independent retailers will also be giving away free Lucero patches with the purchase of the record. Call your local record store to find out.
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The series premiere of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert had a star-studded musical welcome, with New Orleans bandleader Jon Batiste leading a rousing rendition of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People”. The performance, billed as “Mavis Staples and friends”, included the legendary Mavis Staples, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Aloe Blacc, Buddy Guy, Ben Folds, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Paul Janeway, members of Beirut, and Stephen Colbert. Watch the performance below, and catch Alabama Shakes on tour now.
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Paul McCartney invited Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes onstage during his set at Lollapalooza to perform the Beatles classic “Get Back”. Check it out here, and see the Alabama Shakes on tour now.
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Listen to a new track “Worm City” from Sun Club‘s debut album The Dongo Durango at Stereogum, and check out a live take of “Tropicoller Lease” from their ATO Session below, filmed in their hometown of Baltimore! The band is on tour now – check out dates below and get tickets at their website.
Preorder the new album The Dongo Durango, out October 30: Official Store | iTunes
Watch the video for “Tropicoller Lease”, in which the band fends off life-size troll dolls with only their wits and their instruments to protect them, below!
Sun Club‘s debut LP, titled The Dongo Durango, joyously deconstructs the traditional pop song and rebuilds it with off-kilter time signatures, gleefully unhinged vocals, and sunny hooks that sink deep into your already fevered brain.
The members of Sun Club became a band as childhood friends over ten years ago and with the release of a well-received 7″ and EP have toured endlessly ever since, moving from basement gigs to bars to opening up shows for the likes of Alvvays, FIDLAR, and Fat White Family. Catch them this fall on a 5-week tour with The Districts. See dates below.
The Baltimore band then set about recording The Dongo Durango using an old warehouse space just outside of their hometown as a makeshift studio. They recorded the album live, all the better to capture the raw and raucous energy of their concerts. There they channeled influences of fellow Baltimore greats from Future Islands to Dan Deacon, as well as drawing from their own musical libraries that include DEVO, The Beach Boys, and The White Stripes.
“We made this video at a time when not a lot of us had jobs and we had just spent a month recording the new album almost everyday,” Sun Club said of the video. “It was this weird in-between phase right after we finished recording, before we went on tour or had any idea of how the album would be released. It was also the end of so many years where we booked our own tours and made short releases. We’ve reached a new step where we are all psyched to properly release some of our music.”
TOUR DATES
9/22 – Baby’s All Right – Brooklyn, NY
9/26 – The Haunt – Ithaca, NY#
9/28 – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge – South Burlington, VT#
9/29 – La Sala Rossa – Montreal, Canada#
9/30 – Lee’s Palace – Toronto, Canada#
10/2 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH#
10/3 – Metro – Chicago, IL#
10/4 – Triple Rock Social Club – Minneapolis, MN#
10/5 – Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI#
10/7 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO#
10/9 – Top Hat – Missoula, MT#
10/10 – Neurolux – Boise, ID#
10/11 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR#
10/12 – Neumos – Seattle, WA#
10/14 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA#
10/16 – The Irenic – San Diego, CA#
10/17 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA#
10/20 – The Parish – Austin, TX#
10/21 – Club Dada – Dallas, TX#
10/22 – Studio at Warehouse Live – Houston, TX#
10/23 – Hi-Hi Lounge – New Orleans, LA#
10/24 – Hi-Tone Cafe – Memphis, TN#
10/26 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA#
10/27 – The High Watt – Nashville, TN#
10/28 – Zanzabar – Louisville, KY#
10/29 – Cosmic Charlie’s – Lexington, KY#
10/31 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC#$
11/2 – 9:30 Club – Washington DC#$
11/3 – The Sinclair – Boston, MA#$
11/4 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY#$
11/5 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY#$
# = The Districts
$ = Lady Lamb
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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard stopped by Seattle’s KEXP for a face-melting in studio session. Watch it HERE, and pre-order Paper Mâché Dream Balloon (out November 13) now – all preorders come with an instant download of the title track!
