Popa's Top 2014 Releases

Been digging on the end of year lists compiled by those whose tastes I like and yowza, some good stuff came out in '14 many obvious choices for those with discerning tastes, though unfortunately there are omissions when wittleing down.  Here is an eclectic list that got my ears all a tingle this year. Hope you'll take some time and check out these up and coming movers and shakers and help them get on the lists that matter next year.

Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray - Lean Into The Wind


Mat D and the Profane Saints  - Holyoke


Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons’ - Hey Kid


Darrin Bradbury - True Love
Those Mockingbirds – Penny The Dreadful
The Everymen - Givin' Up On Free Jazz


The Harmonica Lewinskies - Dad Rock
Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones -  Luck Maker


The Lucky Jukebox Brigade - Familiar Fevers

Blackwater Jukebox
The Nuclears - This Is How We Party

Briana Layon & The Boys Debut LP Touch and Go


The Moonshine - And Now
Thomas Bryan Eaton - We All Want To Be Love
Deena – Rock River
Mud Rey – Lusi
Francie Moon – Glass House

Graveyard Train - Takes One To Know One

The Warren G. Hardings - Get A Life


Joe Sundell – The Hat Thief

Lauren Calve Debut EP release, "Between the Creek and the Tracks"

Photo by Dennis Benavides

Lauren Calve  possesses a truly stunning voice, soulful and powerful, she's backed by some very talented  musicians -- brothers, Colin Thompson and Bobby Thompson on guitar, her brother Michael on bass, Ben Tufts on drums and Jesse Hooper on keys, her debut EP has polish and refinement not typical on debuts.

A Virginia native, raised in Fairfax County, and is now a resident of the District.  Although she's loved music and singing as long as she can remember, she didn't seriously begin writing songs and playing publicly until a year a half ago.  Our friend Ben Tufts met her two Winters ago at IOTA. 

 "I wandered into the Wednesday open mic and heard this huge voice--he introduced himself immediately."  They began working on the EP August of last year.

Lauren's influences--Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Susan Tedeschi, and Bonnie Raitt, to name a few--are immediately evident on the first hearing.  Lauren tells stories of personal struggle, her own family's history in the steel mills of Pennsylvania, and pays homage to sharpshooter Annie Oakley.

Lauren is also a gifted studio artist--all of the artwork for the album is by her own hand.

Track List

Looking For The Water

Sweep

Hard

Annie

"We made the record in a barn in Fairfax--no AC, no running water.  Just some drums and guitars and the engineering genius of Aaron Mason, a new face on the recording scene in the metro area.  Lauren made a conscious decision to forgo slick packaging and polished production in favor of a genuine, natural sounding recording.  When you listen to these tracks, you can really hear the barn (and it's inhabitants) breathing and singing along with us.  It's the fifth band member on the album."

Snake Oil Superscience by The Mad Doctors

The Mad Doctors are: 

Dr. Seth: Guitar/Vox/Noises 

Dr. Josh: Bass 

Dr. Gregory X: Drums 

Brooklyn's The Mad Doctors conjure up another elixir of mind controling, fuzz popping, spider stomping, full moon surfing, howlin' at hounds, ear hole treats. Invite your friends, lock the dungeon doors, shit's about to get wild and weird as only the Mad Doctors with thier degrees in Medicinal Mayhem can prescribe.

Front Country Debut Full Length Sake of the Sound

I'm a big fan of Melody Walker since I first heard Gold Rush Goddess in '12, I've gobbled up everything shes' done solo and with Jacob Groopman which made my best of year '12 & '13 so I was much excited when news of a Front Country full length surfaced. The release of the 'woodsey' video for 'Sake of the Song' dropped the same day as the album made a tedious Tuesday into splendid day.
Melody and Jacob are joined by Adam Roszkiewicz - Mandolin, Jordan Klein - Banjo, Vocals, Leif Karlstrom - Violin, and Zach Sharpe - Bass to make up the soulful powerhouse band Front Country. This ain't your papaw's bluegrass band, this is special and powerful stuff.

From the first notes of “Gospel Train,” as Melody Walker’s soaring voice entwines around the phrase “I woke up with heaven on my mind,” you’ll hear that Front Country isn’t your usual bluegrass band. When the fiddle and distorted acoustic guitar come crashing into the song like roaring waves, rushing back and forth with swelling ferocity, you’ll know that this is bluegrass unleashed, American roots music that refuses to be constrained. Each song on the album points to traditional influences, but it’s clear that Front Country views these traditions as a launching pad for grander explorations. On their highly anticipated debut full-length album, Sake of the Sound, Front Country blend everything from high-lonesome mountain music to new-wave power pop, newgrass picking, oldgrass harmonies, and just plain glorious musicality. This is Americana at its best: music with deep roots and wide-ranging vision.

Upcoming Shows

Sunday September 28

4:00 PM

The Hill Center American Roots Series, Washington DC

www.hillcenterdc.org    American Roots Series

Sunday, September 28, 2014

4:00pm – 5:00pm

September 30

to Oct 1

The Pour House, Raleigh NC

IBMA!  Bluegrass Situation and Hearth Music showcase with Mipso and 10 string Symphony!

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 – Wednesday, October 1, 2014

11:00pm

October 1

to Oct 2

Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh NC

IBMA! Musicians for the preservation of Bristol Bay showcase. 1am!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014 – Thursday, October 2, 2014

11:30pm

October 2

to Oct 14

Marriott Hotel downtown, Raleigh NC

IBMA! California Bluegrass Association showcase.

Thursday, October 2, 2014 – Tuesday, October 14, 2014

11:00pm

October 3

12:30 PM

Albino Skunk Music Festival, Greer SC

http://www.albinoskunk.com/

Friday, October 3, 2014

12:30pm – 1:30pm

October 4

5:15 PM

IBMA's Wide Open Bluegrass Festival

www.bluegrassfanfest.org   5:15pm Hargett Stage, 7:30-9pm, Dance Tent

Saturday, October 4, 2014

5:15pm – 6:15pm

October 5

3:00 PM

Sugarlands Distillery, Gatlinburg TN

www.sugarlandsdistilling.com

Sunday, October 5, 2014

3:00pm – 6:00pm

October 8

7:00 PM

Music City Roots, Nashville TN

www.musiccityroots.com

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

7:00pm – 10:00pm

October 10

8:00 PM

Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz CA

W/ Steep Ravine!  www.moesalley.com

Friday, October 10, 2014

8:00pm – 11:30pm

October 17

7:00 PM

Palms Playhouse, Winters CA

www.palmsplayhouse.com/   Our first time at the Palms!

Friday, October 17, 2014

7:00pm – 8:00pm

October 24

8:00 PM

Hopmonk Tavern, Sebastopol

Friday, October 24, 2014

8:00pm – 9:00pm

October 25

7:30 PM

Hangtown Halloween Ball, Placerville CA

Saturday, October 25, 2014

7:30pm – 8:30pm

October 26

12:30 PM

Hangtown Hallween Ball, Placerville CA

Moira Smiley & Voco NEW Album Laughter Out of Tears

There's a whole lot of beautiful music and extraordinary talent happening on this album......
When you first hear the vocal explorations of Moira Smiley, you might think she has a restless spirit. On her new album, Laughter Out of Tears, she moves between Appalachian roots music, Balkan polyphony, choral compositions, multi-voice original songwriting, and Scandinavian harmonies. But listen closer and you realize you’re hearing the work of a true musical polyglot. Smiley takes her musical explorations seriously, and her new album is almost a travelogue mirroring her recent voyages as one of the most in-demand roots vocalists in the US. Recently returned from an international tour with the critically acclaimed tUnE-yArDs, she’s releasing her newest album and looking forward to more collaborations with artists like Solas, Tim O’Brien, Jayme Stone and more. It’s this spirit of collaboration and community that’s so strong in Laughter Out of Tears, from direct collaborations with her own group of vocalists, VOCO, to the innovative, viral community that Smiley calls The Choir of You. Like a true traveler, Smiley knows that we journey to find other people, not other places.

Moira Smiley’s musical interests were first formed growing up on a small farm in Vermont. From an early age, she forged an eclectic relationship with music, listening to LPs of Appalachian banjo and Simon and Garfunkel and rounding this out with weekly shape-note hymn sings with friends and family. “Music always meant escape into beauty,” she says, “it was a way to relate warmly and strongly with other people.” It became the language in which she thrived and communicated. Fast-forward to today and it’s clear that Smiley has become fluent in music. With her far-reaching knowledge of music traditions, Smiley has since sought to explore the overlap between polyphonic songwriting and improvisation within a communal setting of voices. In 2006 she founded VOCO and over the course of three albums Moira Smiley & VOCO have explored American and European folk music with ground-breaking improvisation and vocal harmony.

Laughter Out of Tears grapples with the grief of Smiley’s father’s passing by moving even deeper into her world of collaboration. Among the vocalists tapped to be part of VOCO on this album, Smiley was looking for other women who know the trials of the road. Women who draw their strength from the risk and unpredictable joy of live performance. She wanted to translate that kind of bravery to the songs on her album. She also wanted to expand the circle from her own network of fellow performers to her audiences. This became her viral project, The Choir of You (featured on five tracks on the album). “People could download the tracks from my website and add their own voice,” says Smiley. Putting all this submitted audio together became the highlight of her year and has helped frame the purpose of the album. And while Laughter Out of Tears continues to develop Moira Smiley & VOCO’s sound, combining polyphonic songwriting with European and Appalachian folk song, the songs this time around are far more personal, with Smiley’s original songs exploring her recent journey through the loss of her father. “It’s about moving out of sorrow into a place of joy, of laughter,” she says. “It feels more intimate. There’s much more of me at my most tender here.” And if there’s more of Smiley in this album, there’s more of her friends too, a glorious community of curious, restless musicians and artists, a true community.

Moira Smiley - Composer/ Arranger, Vocals, Accordion, Banjo, Body Percussion

Pilar Diaz - Vocals, Body Percussion, Ukelele

Sally Dworsky - Vocals

Inga Swearingen - Vocals, Body Percussion, Guitar

Abigail Nessen Bengson - Vocals, Body Percussion

Laura Cortese - Fiddle, Vocals

Emily Eagen - Vocals, Ukelele, Body Percussion, Whistlin

Jody Redhage - Cello, Vocals

Upcoming Shows Saturday, September 27, 2014
moira & VOCO :: Album Release Tour :: "Laughter Out of Tears" @ CalTech University 1200 E. California Blvd. Bldg. 74, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States) - Map (626) 395-4652	Set: 8:00 PM	Tickets: $15 Adults, $5 CalTech students & children Buy Now
Sunday, September 28, 2014
moira & VOCO :: Album Release Tour :: "Laughter Out of Tears" @ Candlelight Concerts Series 2325 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94123 (United States) - Map 415-921-3665 ext. 310	Set: 7:00 PM	Tickets: Free
Monday, September 29, 2014
moira smiley & VOCO Harmony & Stomp! @ Marin School of the Arts 625 Arthur Street, Novato, CA 94947 (United States) - Map	Set: 1:00 PM	Tickets: $25
Friday, October 3, 2014
Moira sings w/Lomax Project! @ Ojai World Music Festival 210 S Signal St., Ojai, CA 93023 (United States) - Map (805) 646-3117	Set: 7:30 PM	Tickets: $35
Also Playing: Bassekou Kouyate
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Moira teaches w/Lomax Project @ The Kim Maxwell Studio 226 W. Ojai Ave. #102, Ojai, CA (United States) - Map	Set: 1:30 PM All Ages	Tickets: $20
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Moira sings w/Lomax Project! @ Ojai World Music Festival 210 S Signal St., Ojai, CA 93023 (United States) - Map (805) 646-3117	Set: 7:30 PM	Tickets: $35
Also Playing: Nevenka
Sunday, October 5, 2014
moira & VOCO :: Album Release Tour :: "Laughter Out of Tears" @ University of Alabama - Huntsville 1510 Ben Graves Dr NW, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States) - Map	Set: 7:30 PM
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
moira & VOCO :: Album Release Tour :: "Laughter Out of Tears" @ Agnes Scott College 141 E. College Ave., Decatur, GA 30030 (United States) - Map	Set: 7:30 PM	Tickets: FREE
Friday, October 10, 2014
Moira teach in MILES OF MUSIC CAMP - BOSTON @ Miles of Music Camp Boston, MA (United States) - Map	Set: 8:00 PM All Ages	Tickets: $300 Buy Now
Also Playing: Laura Cortese, Kristin Andreassen, Mark Simos
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Moira teach in MILES OF MUSIC CAMP - BOSTON - First Full Day @ Miles of Music Camp Boston, MA (United States) - Map	Set: 8:00 PM All Ages	Tickets: $300 Buy Now
Also Playing: Laura Cortese, Kristin Andreassen, Mark Simos
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Moira teach in MILES OF MUSIC CAMP - BOSTON - 2nd Full Day @ Miles of Music Camp Boston, MA (United States) - Map	Set: 8:00 PM All Ages	Tickets: $300 Buy Now
Also Playing: Laura Cortese, Kristin Andreassen, Mark Simos
Monday, October 13, 2014
Moira teach in MILES OF MUSIC CAMP - BOSTON - Final Day @ Miles of Music Camp Boston, MA (United States) - Map	Set: 8:00 PM All Ages	Tickets: $300 Buy Now
Also Playing: Laura Cortese, Kristin Andreassen, Mark Simos
Friday, October 17, 2014
Moira sings Billy Child's 'Laura Nyro Re-Imagined' @ Segerstrom Center for the Arts 600 Town Center Dr,, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (United States) - Map 714.556.2787	Set: 8:00 PM
Also Playing: Lisa Fischer, Becca Stevens, Billy Childs
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Moira sings w/ tUnE-yArDs! @ Life Is Beautiful Festival 511 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV (United States) - Map More dates on the website....

Dann Morr & The Dashing Bastard Sideshow Debut Album Shouting Into the Wind

Here's a nice collection of Earworms........
Dann Morr, songwriter and sideman, steps out with his debut album Shouting Into the Wind, a collection of indie rock gems that deftly incorporates the best parts of his long tenure in the Chicago music scene. Produced by Mike Hagler (OK Go, Wilco, Billy Bragg) and Morr, the 10-track album was recorded in Chicago at Kingsize Sound Labs and released September 23, 2014 on Squirrel Trap Records.

Since the 1990s Dann Morr has been a singer and multi-instrumentalist in the folk-rock group Wells-next-the-Sea, indie-rock/power-pop outfits Analog Radio, and High Energy Physics, as well as bassist and backing vocalist for a number of other Windy City artists including The Cheetles, Mooner, Kerosene Stars, Kevin Lee, Phil Angotti, and Tom Daily.

“My original plan for this album was to find a home for orphan songs that had fallen by the wayside over the last few years… songs that were performed by my previous bands, but never properly recorded or never released,” Morr explains. “Although, once we started recording together, I was inspired to write some new material for this amazing line up of musicians- which we dubbed The Dashing Bastard Sideshow.”

Intricately woven guitar lines lounge atop a raucous rhythm section and each track covers distinct territory, from the power-pop crunch of “Jaded” to the rockabilly twang of “I Remember You”, with Morr moving from grit-throat rocker to sly crooner. The end result is that Shouting Into the Wind is an exploration of songs that show where Dann Morr comes from and where he is going.

23 October 2014

The Hideout
1354 W Wabansia Ave
Chicago, IL
Shouting Into the Wind release show!
Dann Morr & The Dashing Bastard Sideshow
with Terriers and Phil Angotti
-tickets and info-

Scott Low Kicks Serious Arse on The Dead & Alive Series, Vol. 1

When we last heard from Scott Low it was the sad news about the band Efren hiatus, where he promised we would hear more from him soon, well soon is here, not one to sit on his laurels, Scott is slinging hard and fast with these three badassery rockers and we hear him loud and clear on The Dead & Alive Series, Vol. 1
The live material was recorded at Fiery Ron's HomeTeam BBQ in Sullivan's Island, SC in June 2014. The studio material was recorded at Firehouse Studios in Jacksonville, FL.

Our understanding is Scott plans a new installment every month for the rest of 2014, then will begin releasing two tracks a month! Kind of like a Digital 7" single release but through the internet not on vinyl.
With an  upcoming Scott Low "The Southern Bouillon LIVE" album and a Solo EP (yet to be named) that will be available on CDBaby and iTunes so stay uptodate with his social media portals!

Scott will easily surpass 200 shows in 2014 solo, with band or as a sideman! Go Scotty Go!

Two Mule Blues - NEW Album Old Vinyl and Innocence

Taggart Isaac - Guitar,vocals

Garrett Bona - Guitar ,vocals

Ben Isaac - Bass

Greg Rosenlund - Drums

Had they been around, Couch By Couchwest stalwarts, Two Mule Blues would have been filmmaker John Ford's house band during his filming in Monument Valley, thick, dusty and rugged as the enviroment they come from they'd be the outlaws to John Wayne's good guy. Solid hard hitting rockers, TMB pack big sky thunderclaps into thier music. Ford, Wayne, Ward Bond sitting around drinking and playing cards as big rock ballads fill the air and whiskey and beer flow while extras are milling aound in Calvery and Headdress costumes, suddenly the Duke stands up and says "Garret play Happy Valley Blues one more time then let's go blow up some fuckin' shit."

Track List 

Better Than Being Alone
Happy Valley Blues
Moments Fade
Old Vinyl And Innocence
Salvation
Told You Not To Fall In Love
Heaven At My Feet
Something Worse
Rosedale
Hesperia

Jane Allison - debut solo album "Just Another Girl"

Welsh singer songwriter and actress Jane Allison Stanness ( Nighty Night/ Hunderby) is releasing her debut solo Americana album “Just Another Girl” under the name Jane Allison. 

Written in Berlin in 2011 while Jane was living there amidst the soft lit, subterranean, demiurgic world of artists, misfits & poets, recorded & produced in 2013 by Alonza Bevan, who also played most of the accompaniment , at Kula Shakers studio’s the Tea Rooms deep in the heart of the Ardennes in Belgium & finished off with some sweet country, bar room licks in hub of Bristol’s Country roots scene by Mark Legassick (Howlin Lord) & Country Dave Caven with the help of Stew Jackson (producer Massive Attack), "Just Another Girl" has a down home Country vibe, coloured with a flavor of Jane’s childhood influences such as Young, Cohen & Baez. Telling tales of secret passion, longing, loss and redemption her songs and voice alike betray substance, thoughtfulness and vulnerability delivered with an authenticity that is captivating and memorable. 

A couple of tracks off the album have already had some radio airplay in the USA as well as in the UK & Berlin. Here is some of what has been said so far....

"Jane’s songs sound like something Neil Young would do, they're haunting & pretty in a dark kind of way.  Like Rosanne Cash but better. I'm a huge fan" ~ Roman Steel Radio Show ~ NY USA

“You’ll want to pop Jane Allison in your top pocket for safe keeping after hearing her irresistible debut solo album. She’s not Just Another Girl, she’s a hard working and fine folk singer, with a hint of vintage Beatles, circa 1967. 10/10” Mark Watkins Music Show

“Thoroughly authentic Americana from Jane Allison. Enjoyable songs of loss and redemption will have you tapping your foot while wistfully contemplating what tugs at your own heart strings.” Crushwb Promotions

"Just Another Girl’ is a well written, wonderfully executed album. The songs paint exceptional images, weaving emotions throughout. Definitely one to check out.” I Cant Believe My Earz

Kurt von Stetten - Animals

Boston's DIY Multi-instrumentalist, Guitar, Vocals, Cello, Keys, Drums/Percussion, and Bass,
Kurt von Stetten has released his 9th full length, Animals is an album filled with expansive, full-bodied Indie rock songs.

Tony Fitz releases his new EP, Just Another Day

Tony Fitz  new EP, Just Another Day, is a cinematic Western story told over 5 songs and an accompanying comic book, with artwork from award-winning Dundalk artist, Tommie Kelly.
Just Another Day is a gritty Sergio Leone type saga with ominous melodies weaved with folk, country and blues influences, Tony paints looming visuals of desperate characters with his lyrics and music.
Tony is a Musician, Producer, Mixer, and live/studio Engineer based out of Kildare/Dublin
The EP is available here: http://tonyfitz.bandcamp.com

First Listen> Via Dolorosa by St. James & The Apostles

James Mahon - guitar, vocals 

Mike Kiker - organ, pianet, bass pedals, vocals

Jeff Castner - drums, percussion

Philly's St. James & The Apostles NEW album drops tomorrow 9/23 On Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Rhapsody, and a bunch of others. Listen to the bands full lenght Via Dolorosa now, buy tomorrow, I urge you!

Upcoming Shows

10/03/14 - Dusk, Providence, RI
10/04/14 - TBA, Boston, MA
10/10/14 - Ortlieb's, Philadelphia, PA ("Via Dolorosa" Record Release Show)
10/18/14 - The Depot, York, PA
10/30/14 - Christian Springs Hotel, Nazareth, PA
10/31/14 - Don Pedro's, Brooklyn, NY (King Pizza Cassette Release Show)
11/01/14 - Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA
11/08/14 - John & Peter's, New Hope, PA
11/26/14 - Ortlieb's, Philadelphia, PA

Christian Bland & The Revelators, NEW Release The Unseen Green Obscene

The Reverberation Appreciation Society is proud to announce the release of the third LP from Christian Bland & The Revelators, entitled The Unseen Green Obscene, out Sept 22 (UK) / 23 (US) on vinyl, CD, digital download and a cassette co-release with Burger Records.

Available for purchase here: www.austinpsychfest.com/store/rvrb-02…reen-obscene/

EUROPEAN TOUR:

SEPTEMBER
19 FRI - Angers, FR - LEVITATION FRANCE
22 MON - London, UK - Red Gallery (Bad Vibrations)
23 TUE - Glasgow, UK - No Mean City Fest - O2 Academy
24 WED - Leicester, UK - The Musician
27 SAT - Liverpool, UK - Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia
28 SUN - Southend-On-Sea - Railway Hotel

U.S TOUR:

OCTOBER
16 THU - El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
17 FRI - Phoenix, AZ @ Last Exit
18 SAT - Santa Ana, CA @ Moon Block Party
19 SUN - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo – PART TIME PUNKS w/ Lorelle meets The Obsolete and Burnt Ones
21 TUE - San Francisco, CA @ Brick + Mortar w/ BURNT ONES22 WED - Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place w/ Burnt Ones
24 FRI - San Diego, CA @ The Hideout w/ Burnt Ones

Allah-Las Sophmore Release Worship The Sun

Huge fan of these LA psychsters, there's such a groovy vibe on this sophmore release from start to finish, the whole ride's a trip worth repeating. Make's this ol' man feel young in mind and spirit.

Allah-Las met while working at Amoeba Music, a key destination for music lovers in Los Angeles. While this experience helped shape their sensibility, their sound was forged in an underground basement where they came together as a band. They began gigging in Los Angeles in 2008, refining their live performance, and finally released their first 7” single Catamaran / Long Journey in 2011. In 2012, they- began their relationship with Innovative Leisure, releasing their first self-titled album, Allah-Las, anchored by their second single Tell Me (What’s On Your Mind) / Sacred Sands. The release was met with critical acclaim and the band toured extensively in the States and abroad before going back into the studio to record their follow-up.

Allah-Las' second album, Worship The Sun, expands on the sound established by their maiden effort, honing their fusion of West Coast garage rock and roll, Latin percussion and electric folk. As richly textured and timeless as a Southern California beach break, the songs are evocative of Los Angeles’ storied past. Beatniks, artists, surfers, nomads. Remnants of a bygone Sunset Strip. Golden tans and cosmic sunsets. One can feel the warmth of the sun, but the band deftly avoids the kitsch so often indulged by lovers of these things. Hints of Byrds, Love, Felt, and those who follow are threaded into the tapestry.

LA’s seminal Ferus Gallery – the home of Wallace Berman, Ed Kienholz, Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston – is paid homage in an eponymous instrumental, broadening the scope beyond mere sea, surf, and sand. The lyrics reveal a new maturity; reflections of a band that has grown together through experiences on the road and in the studio. Worship The Sun is at once the perfect soundtrack for the greatest surf film never made and for a golden hour drive through Topanga Canyon. Yet, while grounded in the Southern California experience, the appeal of the album is not limited by locale. It is a teenage symphony to the sun, for all those who know its grace.

Neil Young asks 'Who's Gonna Stand Up'

I love a good protest song and lordy know there's much to protest these days, We can always count on Neil Young to deliver a timely rant against the man. Neil asks the question 'Who's Gonna Stand Up' I'm putting my faith in this current generation to rise to the occasion and occupy the vacuum of disenfranchisement we all feel but we've seem to have been beaten into subjugation. Lets get angry, let's stand up damn it.

The release is to draw attention to documentary Under The Influence, which filmmakers say focuses on the impact big business has on the environment and the way policies are influenced by global corporations. See the film's trailer here.

Young performed the track on his recent tour and the live recording was lifted from his New York show in January.

On his website, Young posts a link to the documentary’s website along with the film’s synopsis and urges fans to find out more.

He says: “People, please go to this link and share. This is how I feel about what is going on in our world.”

Young has penned several protest songs in the past, his last being 2006’s Living With War, which was aimed at then US president George W. Bush.

Earlier this month, two of Young’s colleagues let it slip his next album would be called Storytone and would launch on November 4.

The Modern Folk - American Mountain

Josh Moss, the DIYer behind The Modern Folk project released the follow up to last years American Cave, entitled American Mountain, which I'm guessing is the secret location of the cave. On this release Josh continues to play a plethora of intruments, guitars, bass, banjo, mandolin, melodica, drums, vocals but is accompanied by Bre Taylor on vocals and Kate Dwyer on fiddle adding a element of fun and spontaneity perfect for Josh's interpretation of traditional Folk songs, hence the name 'Modern Folk'  the album features three originals, The Holler, The Mountain and Nightmares show an ability to push boundaries while retaining the essence of Appalachian folk tales. There's a unique freshness here that's hard to pinpoint but you can feel it as much as hear it.
Josh is also a fellow blogger highlighting the many DIYers pursuing their passions on a shoe string and with any means at their disposal who deserve to be heard. 

The Call Live Tribute With Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Robert Levon Been (Son of former lead singer, Michael Been): Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

Tom Ferrier: Guitar, Vocals

Jim Goodwin: Keyboards, Vocals

Scott Musick: Drums, Vocals

Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club pays tribute to his late father's music with an unforgettable live performance leading his father, Michael Been's, legendary band The Call on the live album The Call Live Tribute With Robert Levon Been (available September 2nd, 2014 via Label Records/Lightyear/Caroline).

The  live album features Robert Levon Been honoring his father, along with The Call's original members Ferrier, Goodwin and Musick, with an unforgettable performance at the famous Los Angeles venue, The Troubador. Experience this one-of-a-kind event with The Call Live Tribute With Robert Levon Been, available on DVD+CD Deluxe Set on September 2nd, and also on CD, 180 gram double vinyl, and digitally (with 5 extra bonus tracks).



Track List: 
1. Everywhere I Go
2. I Still Believe
3. I Don't Wanna
4. Floating Back
5. Into The Woods
6. Turn A Blind Eye
7. Oklahoma
8. You Were There
9. Red Moon
10. Let The Day Begin
11. Modern Romans
12. You Run
13. The Walls Came Down
14. Uncovered

Biography
While The Call (Michael Been, Tom Ferrier, Jim Goodwin and Scott Musick) got their official start in Santa Cruz, CA in 1979, its roots as a band go back to Michael Been's childhood in Oklahoma City, where seeing Elvis Presley perform on television changed the course of his life. That early interest in musical performance inspired his career, from the very beginning performing at the age of seven on local radio and television programs, to his eventual move to Chicago at the age of 16, where he was drawn into the blues scene by Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Junior Parker. Been eventually made his way to California, where he connected with drummer Scott Musick, as well as Tom Ferrier (guitar, vocals) and Jim Goodwin (keyboards, vocals) to form The Call.

Despite having their initial demos rejected by all the major labels, the band found themselves in demand by nearly every major producer in America. The Call's debut album was ultimately produced by Hugh Padgham (David Bowie, The Police) and the band were suddenly opening acts for major artists including Peter Gabriel and Simple Minds.

The Call were signed to Mercury, Elektra and MCA, and released seven critically acclaimed albums over the next eight years, featuring several iconic hit songs including "Let The Day Begin" and "I Still Believe (Great Design)." In 1997, after a seven year break, the band reformed to release the album Heaven & Back, before disbanding once more. Michael Been began serving as sound engineer for his son Robert Levon Been's band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, but passed away from a heart attack while working backstage at the 2010 Pukkelpop festival in Belgium.

Now after twenty years, The Call reunited at legendary Los Angeles venue The Troubador and gave an incredible live performance with Robert Levon Been stepping into his father's role and joining Musick, Ferrier and Goodwin for the one-of-a-kind event. For Robert—who grew up going out on the road with The Call anytime he had a break from school—the performance offered the chance to honor his musical legacy and perform nearly a dozen and a half songs from the band’s esteemed catalog. And for original members Musick, Ferrier and Goodwin, the show allowed them the opportunity to honor their friend and their own musical legacy while revisiting a bond they thought was gone forever.

Sixty-Nine Dollar Guitar DEBUT EP $69GUITAR!

Brad Fielder - guitars, vocals 

Kelly Stevens - drums, background vocals 

Sam Deskin - bass, background vocals 

David Wilson-Burns - tuba, piano, tambourine, background vocals 

From Oklahoma, Sixty-Nine Dollar Guitar have one of those sounds that are distinct and original, when you hear them you know who you're listening to right off the bat, much like The Imperial Rooster, they sling from the hip no holds barred, this is thier music and they own it. Quirky retro mountian music, it's a boot-stomper you'll enjoy immensely!