HURTSMILE: The latest from Gary Cherone and his band of “brothers” to release their debut album
HOLLYWOOD, CA (January, 2011) - Frontiers Records is excited to announce the release of HURTSMILE self-titled debut album on February 8, 2011 in the US.
HURTSMILE is a new band featuring singer Gary Cherone (Extreme, Van Halen) who has teamed up with his brother Mark (Cherone) to write his most succinct record to date. The self-titled, HURTSMILE is a raw sonic sucker punch in the face! From the opening buzz saw riff of “Just War Theory” to the epic finale of "Slave” and “Beyond The Garden/Kicking Against the Goads”, Gary continues to push and poke you in the ear with his lyrically provocative themes.
“Hurtsmile was a long time coming… I always wanted to write a record with my brother,” says Gary. "I'm a big fan of Mark’s song writing and his snarling guitar riffs." The timing was right as Extreme was in-between their touring and record cycle, leaving Gary the freedom. They recruited Joe Pessia (bass) an alumnus of Nuno Bettencourt’s Dramagods as well as the guitar player for Tantric. Joe also engineered, and co-produced the record with Gary. To round off the lineup they enlisted heavy hitter Dana Spellman on drums “It’s an east coast-Boston thing,” states Gary. “Mark, my brother, was in a band with Nuno’s brother… Joe was in Nuno’s band and Dana was a friend, and student of Mike Mangini (former Extreme drummer) … we like to keep it in the family.”
The lineup is not the only thing familiar with the band. In true Cherone fashion, the record is chock full of swaggering guitar, soaring vocals and the trademark Cherone eclecticism on tracks such as “Jesus Would You Meet Me”, the reggae-tinged “Just War Reprise” and the Dylanesq “The Murder of Daniel Faulkner (4699)”. “Hurtsmile was about returning to my roots, writing a record in my basement, a straight up rock ‘n’ roll record… but it turned out to be more diverse and ambitious than I expected.”
Gary is no stranger to taking on intense topics, and Hurtsmile is no exception. The first half of the record is a group of more loosely knit songs such as the cynically inquisitive "Just War Theory", the limit's of free speech "Tolerance Song (edit)" and the disturbingly mesmerizing “Kaffur (Infidel)”, inspired by the beheading of Daniel Pearl.
The 2nd half of the record is more conceptually cohesive; an introspective look at the nature of man and the condition of the human heart. “Stillborn" introduced earlier, and "Set Me Free" both touch on mans inclination toward darkness, culminating with an epic journey from sin to salvation… "Slave" to "Beyond the Garden/Kicking Against the Goads".
For the most part both themes are represented as 2 sides of a record. A concept familiar to Extreme fans but make no mistake, whether reading between the lines or just moved by the visceral power of the music, this is a completely different type of record. Gary adds, "All the boys in the band have brought something new to the table, and you'll never know what hit you!"
“Hurtsmile” tracklisting includes:
Just War Theory; Stillborn; Love Thy Neighbor; Kaffur (Infidel); Painter Paint; Tolerance Song (Edit); Set Me Free; Jesus Would You Meet Me; Slave; Beyond The Garden / Kicking Against The Goads; Just War Reprise; The Murder Of Daniel Faulkner (4699).
The songs “Just War Theory” and “Love Thy Neighbor” can exclusively be listened in full in streaming on the Frontiers Web radio. Tune in at: www.frontiers.it/webradio
Hurtsmile:
Gary Cherone – Vocals
Mark Cherone - Guitars
Joe Pessia - Bass, Mandolin
Dana Spellman – Drums, Percussion
Produced by Gary Cherone, Joe Pessia
Weblink: www.frontiers.it/
Joe Bonamassa - "Dust Bowl"
The Brand New Solo Album
Featuring Vince Gill, Glenn Hughes & John Hiatt
Joe Bonamassa is set to release his 12th full-length solo album, DUST BOWL in the UK on March 21st and in the USA on March 22nd. The album will be promoted on Bonamassa's forthcoming 2011 Dust Bowl World Tour that will take in America, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.
DUST BOWL is Bonamassa’s 9th studio release on Provogue Records in Europe and his J&R Adventures label (which he created with long-time manager Roy Weisman) in the US and his 6th collaboration with Dust Bowl’s producer, Kevin "Caveman" Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Black Crowes, Black Country Communion).
Shirley most recently produced Bonamassa’s 2010 release, Black Rock, which entered the UK album chart at #14 and 2010's self-titled debut album from Black Country Communion, the Bonamassa-helmed, British-American rock supergroup with Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, UFO, Foreigner) and Derek Sherinian (Billy Idol, Dream Theater).
Black Rock was also a #1 album in the US.
Recorded in sessions at Black Rock Studios in Santorini, Greece, Ben’s Studio in Nashville, TN, The Cave in Malibu, CA and The Village in Los Angeles, CA, Dust Bowl combines the gritty, blues-based tones of Bonamassa’s first albums with the fluid, genre-defying sounds he’s mastered in the years since, plus a dose of Nashville in duets with legends John Hiatt and Vince Gill.
"Dust Bowl," Shirley explains, "is very firmly rooted in the Blues, but definitely explores the outer reaches of the genre and showcases Joe’s amazing virtuosity as he digs deep into his psyche in some lengthy and blistering guitar solos."
"This is the best album we’ve ever done," adds Bonamassa. "I’m finding more inspiration in storytelling in my 30s, in writing songs that are about something more profound than ‘my baby left me.’ I like albums that are made with the right intentions and sound organic and a little rough around the edges, like a great band playing live in the room, and that’s what we accomplished with Dust Bowl."
Along with the best of intentions, Dust Bowl benefits from collaborations with the best of Nashville, legends Vince Gill and John Hiatt. Gill lends his signature guitar stylings to the John Hiatt/John Porter-penned "Tennessee Plates," on which Hiatt duets with Bonamassa. Gill also plays on "Sweet Rowena," a song he composed with frequent writing partner Pete Wasner.
Arlan Scheirbaum, Beth Hart and Blondie Chaplin play on the Michael Kamen/Tim Curry track "No Love On The Street," and Glenn Hughes sings on the Paul Rodgers-penned "Heartbreaker."
Other standout tracks include Bonamassa originals that showcase his storytelling, such as the album opener "Slow Train," an old-style British Blues song, "Black Lung Heartache," "The Last Matador of Bayonne," "The Whale That Swallowed Jonah" and the title song "Dust Bowl."
In support of the album, Bonamassa's Dust Bowl World Tour includes the U.S., Canada and Europe as well as Australia and Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Voted "Best Live Act of 2010" by Planet Rock Radio, Bonamassa’s mesmerizing concert experience is set to get even better with the infusion of some of his best new music to date.
2010 was a stellar year for Bonamassa and his best to date. Black Rock was his highest charting album. He was called "The Blues Rock Titan" by Guitar World and was honoured twice in Guitar Player Magazine's 2010 Readers' Choice Awards winning "Best Overall Guitarist" for the first time and "Best Blues Guitarist" for the fourth consecutive year.
BCC’s debut self-titled album, released in Sept. 2010, entered the UK Album Chart at #13 and #1 in the Rock Album Chart and received rave reviews.
It was placed third best album of the year in the Classic Rock Critics Poll and Planet Rock listeners voted them as #1 Best New Band and Band Of The Year.
Joe Bonamassa – Official Website
http://jbonamassa.com/
Joe Bonamassa – Facebook
www.facebook.com/joebonamassa
Joe Bonamassa – Twitter
http://twitter.com/jbonamassa
Joe Bonamassa – YouTube
www.youtube.com/joebonamassatv
Judie Tzuke to release 'The October Road' Live album
'The October Road' the new live album from Judie's Tzuke is now available for pre-order via her website.
The album will be officially released on March 1st, 2011.
This album gives you the chance to experience or if you were lucky enough, re-experience the wonderful show which Judie took out on the road to celebrate the release of the retrospective album 'Moon On A Mirrorball' in 2010.
The set is a collection of new and old favourites, played by a group of fantastic musicians whose love for Judie and her music adds an inspired edge to their playing; with rock tracks and ballads all played with equal passion, skill and care.
Judie's always wonderful vocals are still a revelation, somehow transporting the listener back to the early 80's when blasting out 'Sportscar' and then shifting to the rich honeyed voice needed for a performance of 'If'. These amazing vocals are ably backed by two more Tzuke voices, the superb Bailey Tzuke and in her first appearance on tour, the youngest Tzuke, Tallula; the best example being during their lovely three part a cappella version of Judie's first single, 'For You'.
Take this chance to be the first to own a copy of this album,
Pre-order now and receive your copy two weeks earlier than the official release on the 1st of March.
Track listing:
Enjoy the Ride
Under the Angels
Secret Agent
Faith
Submarine Boy
Come Hell or Waters High
One Minute
Bring the Rain
Love Me No More
I Will
Sukarita
Stay with me 'till Dawn
Sportscar
For You
If
Available for pre-order at:
Go to http://www.tzuke.com/ for all Judie Tzuke updates.
Following up on Night Ranger's live N.A.M.M. performance
No, I wasn't there, but wish I was!
Word is that Night Ranger's recent performance at the N.A.M.M. event in California, was pretty impressive - No surprise to me there! ;-) - and the band even closed their set with a cover of AC/DC's 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.'
Full details on that hour long performance right here:
http://soundcheck.ocregister.com/2011/01/15/namm-2011-craig-chaquico-experiments-kim-wilson-blows-harp-night-ranger-covers-acdc/42392/
I will add that last summer, when we caught Night Ranger in Waterford, Michigan, that their set included a bunch of various covers as the band discussed between themselves, to the crowd what each of their first gigs were. They even included a full version of AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' amongst other interesting covers.
That gig review from last summer, right here:
http://chambersofrock.blogspot.com/2010/07/night-ranger-live-in-michigan.html
This led me to think that they could be possibly working on a covers release as many classic rockers have indeed been doing that in recent years. Drummer Kelly Keagy let me know that it wasn't the case at this time, but that it wasn't to say that they wouldn't do one in the future!
The band has currently been recording their latest new album - No title at this time. - due out later in 2011 and apparently, based on comments from Andrew McNiece - http://www.melodicrock.com/ - who has been talking at length, so it seems with Jack Blades, that the band will undertake a 'proper' world tour in 2011 as well as Jack Blades releasing his own second solo album.
So a busy year ahead for Night Ranger.
Keep tabs on them here at: www.nightranger.com/
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