Last week the Alabama Shakes were invited to play at The White House alongside Justin Timberlake, Mavis Staples, Ben Harper, and Charlie Musselwhite as Barack and Michelle Obama paid tribute to Memphis soul in the latest iteration of “In Performance at the White House”
Watch Alabama Shakes Born Under A Bad Sign on PBS. See more from In Performance at The White House.
Alabama Shakes debut album Boys & Girls is out now.
Jonny Fritz is featured as Rolling Stone’s ARTIST TO WATCH along with the premiere of the Dad Country album trailer with footage in Jackson Browne’s studio featuring Dawes. The footage was shot by 2013 Tribeca Film award-winning director, Sean Dunne.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/artist-to-watch-jonny-fritz-20130513
Artist to Watch: Jonny Fritz
Former Jonny Corndawg wonders, ‘Have You Ever Wanted to Die?’
By John D. Luerssen
May 13, 2013 3:20 PM
Shot in black and white in Jackson Browne’s recording studio, the video for Jonny Fritz’s “Have You Ever Wanted to Die?” shows a haunting, reflective side of the Nashville-based singer and songwriter. Backed by members of Dawes (Taylor Goldsmith produced the track’s parent album, Dad Country) the pensive follow up to the singer’s CMT-friendly “Goodbye Summer” is more akin to Ryan Adams than Clint Black.
“This is the only song we didn’t mess with too much arrangement-wise,” says Fritz – who previously released two albums as Jonny Corndawg. “How you hear it is exactly how I wrote it. This might be my favorite song.”
Nashville songwriter Jonny Fritz has released the second track from his ATO Records, debut Dad Country! Click below to Purchase today!
Titled “Goodbye Summer,” the track is a non-glamorous, droll observation of the touring lifestyle and the kind of people you meet on the road, including an older “lover with a wedding ring.” Featuring Jonny’s distinctive, expressive vocals set against honkytonk fiddle, it’s a fresh take on the classic, pure country sound. Jonny’s songs are about the things people think but don’t dare say out loud. “The things that get me to want to write a song are the things that I find funny, and the things I find funny are the things that offend people or are swept away or go unnoticed or unsaid,” he says. “They carry so much more weight because they’ve never been touched on.”
Part of the new young indie country scene out of Music City USA, Jonny’s new genre of “Dad Country” — his response to being labeled “outlaw country” — has found him written up everywhere from CMT to Esquire Magazine, who selected Jonny as one of SxSW 2013’s acts not to miss. Paste Magazine also selected Jonny as a “band to see” at SxSW and his festival shows were sought out and reviewed by many publications and blogs, and an early review on No Depression praised the album as one of the year’s best to date for its”slightly Gothic flavor, actual stories, melodic tunes and a singer with a memorable voice.”
Currently on tour with Heartless Bastards, Jonny will join The Devil Makes Three for a month of shows taking him through mid-April and has just announced June dates with the Alabama Shakes (scroll down for complete tour schedule). Accompanied by fiddler/ vocalist Josh Hedley, Jonny will be performing songs from his albums I’m Not Ready to Be a Daddy and Down On the Bikini Line as well as Dad Country. Recorded at Jackson Brown’s Los Angeles studio and in Jonny’s hometown of Nashville, TN and has a great Nashville-meets-West Coast vibe; the album was co-produced by Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and features Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, Tay Straithairn and Wylie Gelber along with Spencer Cullum Jr. and Joshua Hedley. Dad Country is also his first release under his real name Fritz, with Jonny ditching the “Corndawg” moniker he’d carried since his early teens.
It’s been a long journey for Jonny, who dropped out of high school a decade ago. Born in Montana and raised in Virginia, he grew up in the middle of mountains and weirdos of every allegiance and left home early to tour the country on his motorcycle, selling just enough music to keep his freedom and gas in his tank. He eventually wound his way toward Tennessee. While immersing himself in Nashville’s music world, Jonny began running marathons from Philadelphia to Barcelona and pounding out his signature leather works — the dog collars and guitar straps — now seen all over Nashville and half the musical universe.
These days, he’s put down roots in Tennessee and has even gone and bought himself a house.”This is the dream life. I couldn’t really ask for anything else.”
JONNY FRITZ on tour:
* 4/17-5/11 Supporting DEVIL MAKES THREE
^ 6/18-6/23 Supporting ALABAMA SHAKES
WE 4/17 RIDGEFIELD, CT RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE *
TH 4/18 BROOKLYN, NY MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG *
FR 4/19 BUFFALO, NY TOWN BALLROOM *
SA 4/20 TORONTO, ONT THE OPERA HOUSE *
SU 4/21 GRAND RAPIDS, MI PYRAMID SCHEME *
WE 4/24 CLEVELAND, OH HOUSE OF BLUES – CAMBRIDGE ROOM *
TH 4/25 INDIANAPOLIS, IN DELUXE *
FR 4/26 MILWAUKEE, WI TURNER HALL *
SA 4/27 MADISON, WI MAJESTIC THEATRE *
SU 4/28 DAVENPORT, IA THE REDSTONE ROOM *
TU 4/30 KANSAS CITY, MO THE RECORD BAR *
TH 5/02 NORMAN, OK OPOLIS *
SA 5/04 AUSTIN, TX ANTONE’S *
SU 5/05 HOUSTON, TX FITZGERALD’S UPSTAIRS *
WE 5/08 LITTLE ROCK, AR REVOLUTION MUSIC ROOM *
TH 5/09 MEMPHIS, TN THE HI-TONE CAFÉ *
FR 5/10 ST. LOUIS, MO BLUEBERRY HILL *
SA 5/11 LOUISVILLE, KY HEADLINERS MUSIC HALL *
TU 6/18 COLUMBUS, OH LC PAVILION – OUTDOORS ^
WE 6/19 DETROIT, MI ROYAL OAK MUSIC THEATRE ^
SU 6/23 PORT CHESTER, NY THE CAPITOL THEATRE ^
ATO is proud to present our newest Spring Sampler containing 15 hand picked tracks from our newest releases. Enjoy!
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1. Caitlin Rose – I Was Cruel
2. Alabama Shakes – I Found You
3. Jim James – A New Life
4. Brandi Carlile & Emmylou Harris – Take Me Home, Country Roads
5. Jonny Fritz – Ain’t it Your Birthday
6. Kopecky Family Band – Heartbeat
7. Bobby Long – Devil Moon
8. The Bronx – Youth Wasted
9. Allen Stone – Celebrate Tonight
10. Jovanotti – Sulla frontiera
11. Old Crow Medicine Show – Ain’t it Enough
12. SOJA – Jah is Listening Now (Acoustic)
13. Stars – The Theory of Relativity
14. Trey Anastasio – Pigtail
15. Rayland Baxter – Dreamin’
Kopecky Family Band’s new album Kids Raising Kids is out now
iTunes / Amazon / Official Store
Kopecky Family Band has announced additional summer tour dates that will kick off in Houston, TX at the Free Press Summer Festival on June 1st. The band will then continue a run of Texas shows over the next week before wrapping up at KXT’s Barefoot at the Belmont summer concert series in Dallas on June 6th. Kopecky Family Band is also now confirmed to perform at the Xponential Music Festival in Philadelphia on July 28th and the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco August 9th-11th. A current itinerary is below, including previously announced dates in April and May
Kopecky Family Band are not a family by blood, but by bond – through the palpable sense of community and care for one another that the members share (as the new album’s title suggests), forged by time and touring. The band’s origins can be traced back to a Belmont University dorm room, circa late 2007, when Kelsey Kopecky and Gabe Simon first met and heard each other casually play a few songs. The musical chemistry was instant, and within a few short weeks the two had written the songs that would become the band’s debut EP, Embraces (2008). They rounded up a group of mutual friends to play with them, and Kopecky Family Band was born.
Kids Raising Kids is the sound of a band coming into its own and as a whole truly greater than the sum of its parts. It’s an adventurous record, the unmistakably open sound varying from the playful sing-along pop of “Heartbeat” (official video) to the haunting heartbreak of ballad “Change;” from the classic swing verse and mountainous chorus of “My Way” to the bright, breezy soar of “The Glow;” and from the chiming, cello-laden drive of “Hope” to the darker, propulsive “She’s The One.” The bright, irrepressible songs on Kids Raising Kids deal with navigating waters of change and facing challenges – like being away from home, falling in love, having perspective and seeing others’, going after what you want – and also sees the band challenging themselves by creating a bigger sound than anything they’ve done before. The album, which began as another EP but bloomed into a full-length LP, also marks the first time contributions from all six members are upfront alongside and in complement to the leadership of Kopecky and Simon. A full track listing and album stream is below.
Kopecky Family Band are: Kelsey Kopecky (vocals, keys, bass), Gabe Simon (vocals, guitar, horns), Steven Holmes (guitar, lap steel), David Krohn (drums), Markus Midkiff (cello, guitar, keys), and Corey Oxendine (bass, guitar, horns).
Stream the entire album here!
Kids Raising Kids track listing:
Kopecky Family Band tour dates
MAY 8 WASHINGTON, DC THE BLACK CAT*
MAY 9 PITTSBURGH, PA CLUB CAFÉ*
MAY 10 CHILLICOTHE, OH PAPER CITY MUSIC SERIES*
MAY 11 CINCINNATI, OH MOTR PUB*
MAY 14 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA THE SOUTHERN
MAY 15 NEW HAVEN, CT BAR
MAY 16 NEW YORK, NY MERCURY LOUNGE
MAY 18 ANNAPOLIS, MD RAM’S HEAD ON STAGE
MAY 20 ASHEVILLE, NC ISIS MUSIC HALL
JUNE 1-2 HOUSTON, TX FREE PRESS SUMMER FESTIVAL
JUNE 3 AUSTIN, TX STUBBS JR.
JUNE 4 BRYAN, TX GRAND STAFFORD THEATER
JUNE 5 FT. WORTH, TX LIVE OAK MUSIC HALL
JUNE 6 DALLAS, TX KXT’S BAREFOOT AT THE BELMONT
JUNE 21-23 DOVER, DE FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
JULY 28 PHILADELPHIA, PA XPONENTIAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
AUG. 9-11 SAN FRANCISCO, CA OUTSIDE LANDS FESTIVAL
* supporting He’s My Brother She’s My Sister:
A crazy month for Alabama Shakes became even more exciting last night with their performance on the legendary Saturday Night Live with host Christoph Waltz. Watch the performances below and download the new song “Always Alright”!
In more exciting news, Alabama Shakes debut album, Boys & Girls was just certified as RIAA Gold, making it ATO’s first truly independent Gold record! Huge Congratulations to the Shakes, we all couldn’t be more proud of you guys!
Boys & Girls can be picked up here – iTunes/Amazon/ATO Store
Alabama Shakes – North American Tour Dates March 2013
1 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
2 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
3 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
5 – Oakland, CA @ The Fox Theater
6 – Davis, CA @ Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts 8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Saltair
9 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
10 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre
12 – Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom
15 – New Orleans, LA @ The Sugar Mill
16 – Jackson, MS @ Hal + Mal’s Street Dance
Buy Here: iTunes / Amazon / Official Store
The artists assembled for a new John Denver tribute record, The Music Is You, likely fall into the latter category. The album, out April 2, showcases some of Denver’s most beloved songs, as performed by a cross-genre, cross-generational and impressive mix of musicians — many of whom were in elementary school in the ’70s and ’80s, when Denver was singing on The Muppet Show and appearing in kid-friendly TV specials.
My Morning Jacket opens the collection with what might be Denver’s most popular song, the oft-covered “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” True to the original, singer Jim James dispenses a sweetly sung tearjerker, awash in heartache and loneliness. Dinosaur Jr.‘s J Mascis and Sharon Van Etten pair up for a gritty, electrified take on “Prisoners,” Denver’s ode to the working class, while veteran roots-rock singer Lucinda Williams performs a spare, bittersweet version of “This Old Guitar,” a song of simple thanks to the instrument that gave Denver (and Williams) a life and living. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros close the album with a retooled interpretation of “Wooden Indian,” Denver’s broadside against the treatment of Native Americans. Other artists appearing on the record include Dave Matthews, Blind Pilot, Josh Ritter and Emmylou Harris, among many others.
The Music Is You arrives 15 years after Denver’s death. The singer would also have turned 70 this year, on Dec. 31; Denver died when the single-engine plane he was piloting crashed off the coast of California. Toward the end of his life, Denver was struggling: He wrote and spoke openly about his marital infidelities, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and said he thought of killing himself. He was arrested twice for drunken driving. Some fans dismissed the troubles, while others were disappointed, but all had hoped Denver would turn his life around and enjoy a resurgence in his career. He didn’t live long enough to make it happen, but The Music Is You shows that his songs maintain the power to reach new audiences — and, yes, make them cry.
SOJA recently joined forces with J Boog and Jr Blender to remix the track “Mentality” from their latest album Strength to Survive. Stream the new single below and then pick it up on iTunes for only $.99.
This week, we’re bringing back our weekly deal series with Trey Anastasio’s new solo album, Traveler. Pick up the digital version for $3.99, the CD for $5.99 or the vinyl for only $10.99! Keep checking back for more sweet deals.
In other news, Trey recently made his Broadway composing debut with the play “Hands on Hardbodies”. Read all about how he wooed Pullitzer-Prize winning playwright Dought Wright over a plate of enchiladas here.
Today, Rolling Stone is premiering Allen Stone’s new music video for the song “Celebrate Tonight”. Sporting his signature horn-rimmed glasses, Stone lights up an otherwise subdued celebration at a senior center. His powerful vocals pull the residents from their seats and engages them in spirited, synchronized clapping.
“‘Celebrate Tonight’ is a very special song to me,” the singer tells Rolling Stone. “This video concept we were able to do brings this song fully to life. I hope it simply communicates happiness and joy and love that we as humans can create and share with one another, regardless of age, race or gender.”
Allen plays SXSW on March 13th before heading overseas for a string of performances in Australia and Japan. He returns to the United States in mid-April for more dates.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
23-Mar – Elliott Hall of Music – West Lafayette, IN
11-Apr – Whitman College – Walla Walla, WA
13-Apr – Coachella Music Festival – Indio, CA
20-Apr – Coachella Music Festival – Indio, CA
27-Apr – Food and Wine Festival – Austin, TX
2-May – The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
10-May – Moe’s Alley – Santa Cruz, CA
11-May – Bottle Rock Festival – Napa, CA
18-May – Fort Worth Music Festival – Fort Worth, TX
29-May – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
30-May – Sloss Furnaces – Birmingham, AL
31-May – Wakarusa Festival – Ozark, AR
13-June – Bonnaroo Music Festival – Manchester, TN
20-Jun – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant**
21-Jun – Kansas City, MO – The Crossroads**
22-Jun – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre**
25-Jun – St. Paul, MN – The Myth**
28-Jun – Chicago, IL – Charter One Pavilion**
29-Jun – Indianapolis, IN – Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park**
30-Jun – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Music Festival**
1-Jul – Muskegon, MI – Coast West Music Festival**
4-Jul – Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival
5-Jul – Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival – Portland, OR
6-Jul – Columbus, OH – LC Pavilion**
7-Jul – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica**
11-Jul – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE**
13-Jul – Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre**
14-Jul – Chewelah, WA – 40th Chataqua Celebration
16-Jul – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues**
17-Jul – Charleston, SC – Family Circle Magazine Stadium**
21-Jul – Raleigh, NC – The Red Hat Amphitheater**
25-Jul – Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing**
26-Jul – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre**
27-Jul – Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion**
28-Jul – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center**
31-Jul – Chesterfield, VA – Pocahontas Live**
1-Aug – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion**
3-Aug – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center**
10-Aug – Peshastin, WA – Icicle Ridge Winery
** WITH O.A.R.
The Stand-In is out now!
Billboard premiered the official video for “Only A Clown,” a standout track off Caitlin Rose’s forthcoming album, The Stand-In. The video features Rose enjoying a Nashville night, complete with friends, love interests, karaoke and a run-in with the cops that threatens to make out favorite songbird a potential jailbird.
Caitlin Rose has also just added a full run of West Coast tour dates this spring in addition to her East Coast dates, as well as a solid lineup of shows at this year’s SXSW conference in March. Check out all of Caitlin’s upcoming dates below.
Caitlin Rose‘s new album, The Stand-In, introduces a newfound confidence in Rose, the poise of an experienced songwriter rarely displayed on a sophomore offering. This sense of self-assurance is woven throughout twelve carefully crafted songs with the timeless sound and witty approach to lyricism that has become her signature. Still only 25, the scope of her progression as an artist is palpable from the outset, and Rose herself happily concurs. “This album could be considered my first attempt at a high kick,” she says, acknowledging Own Side Now as a much more small scale and pared down recording. “We’re not aiming to make indie-sounding records. How boring would that be? ”Incorporating classic influences from her Nashville roots with a modern pop twist, Caitlin’s vocals soar over lyrics that seem to possess the wisdom of an old soul.Crafted with Nashville producers Jordan Lehning and Skylar Wilson (Justin Townes Earle), featuring two songs co-written with Gary Louris (The Jayhawks), The Stand-In came together and took form as a team effort, strengthened by a longtime friendship with band mates Jeremy Fetzer and Spencer Cullum. Inspired by classic country musicians, misunderstandings, break ups, mystical landmarks and the constantly evolving landscape of the Nashville music scene, The Stand-In is an ambitious record, a testament to Rose’s bold approach and strength as a songwriter. With a trademark punch that the New York Times once likened to a young “Patsy Cline learning to howl”, Rose’s fiery disposition shines through on rollicking tracks like “No One To Call” and “Waitin’,” songs that possess a huge sound and a whole lot of character. Never the type to be one-dimensional, Rose wears her heart on her sleeve on candid serenades like “I Was Cruel” and sentimental ballads like “Pink Champagne” or “When I’m Gone.”And in true form, Rose includes a brilliant cover on The Stand-In, this time of The Felice Brothers’ single, “Dallas.” When evaluating Rose’s historic love affair with reinventing classic songs, the term “cover” seems like a bit of an understatement. With her past renditions of songs like Fleetwood Mac’s “Things Change” and Arctic Monkeys’ “Piledriver Waltz”, Rose demonstrates an undeniable knack for choosing unexpected gems that result in a brilliant interpretation of her own that can stand up to the original.
As Rose noted, “I’ve got a big personality when there’s room for it.” With The Stand-In, the world will certainly make room for Caitlin Rose.
The Stand-In track list:
1. “No One to Call”
2. “I Was Cruel”
3. “Waitin’”
4. “Only a Clown”
5. “Dallas”
6. “Pink Champagne”
7. “Golden Boy”
8. “Silver Sings”
9. “Everywhere I Go”
10. “When I’m Gone”
11. “Menagerie”
12. “Old Numbers”
SXSW 2013 Schedule *more to come/
March 13 – Threadgills – Jenni Finlay Promotions Day Party
March 14 – Austin Ale House – Nashville Day Party
March 15 – Club Deville – Paradigm/Coda Showcase
March 16 – Broken Spoke – Twangfest
Caitlin Rose 2013 tour dates:
March 9 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
March 27 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
March 28 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
March 29 – Columbia, SC @ Jammin’ Java Music & Coffee
March 30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall
April 1 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
April 2 – Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear’s
April 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
April 5 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
April 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
April 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
April 9 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
April 10 – Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio
April 11 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
April 26 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
April 27 – San Antonio, TX @ War Room*
April 29 – Tuscon, AZ @ Club Congress *
April 30 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah *
May 3 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place *
May 4 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar *
May 5 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *
May 7 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *
May 9 – Salt Lake, UT @ Kilby Court*
May 10 – Denver, CO @ Walnut Room *
May 11 – Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot *
May 12 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway*