HUGH CORNWELL ADDS MORE NORTH AMERICAN SHOWS
DISCUSSES CONTROVERSIAL 'GOD IS A WOMAN' VIDEO
NEW ALBUM 'TOTEM AND TABOO' OUT NOW
VIA RED RIVER ENTERTAINMENT AND THROUGH RED/SONY DISTRIBUTION
ENGINEERED AND MIXED BY STEVE ALBINI
READ THE INTERVIEW/WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Photo: Kevin Nixon
Followng rave reviews in the UK, Hugh Cornwell’s new studio album TOTEM AND TABOO is out now in the US via Red River Entertainment and through Red/SONY Distribution. Recorded at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago, the album was engineered and mixed by the legendary Steve Albini.
Hugh recently released a new video for the track 'God Is A Woman' which
caused quite a stir with it's content. Click on the link above to read
the interview with Louder Than War and watch the video to decide for
yourself!
Hugh
Cornwell is one of the UK's finest songwriting talents and accomplished
live performers. The original guitarist, singer and main songwriter in
the British rock band The Stranglers, he’s enjoyed massive UK
and European success with 10 hit albums and 21 Top Forty singles,
etching himself into the UK and Europe's musical psyche with classic
songs, including Peaches, No More Heroes, Golden Brown, Always the Sun, Grip, Nice N Sleazy, Duchess and Skin Deep. Cornwell’s last studio album, the critically acclaimed Hooverdam, produced and mixed by Grammy award winner Liam Watson, is available as a free download from his official website - www.hughcornwell.com.
Hugh
will embark on a full North American tour later this year and will
feature the new songs, as well as classic Stranglers material.
NORTH AMERICAN DATES (MORE FORTHCOMING):
Oct. 4th - Hotel Congress - Tucson ,AZ
Oct. 5th - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA
Oct. 6th - Echo - Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 8th - Café Du Nord - San Francisco, CA
Oct. 10th - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
Dec 3rd - Smiths Olde Bar - Atlanta, GA
Dec 4th - Casbah at Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Dec 5th - Black Cat - Washington, DC
Dec 6th - Record Collector - Bordentown, NJ (Solo Acoustic Show)
Dec 7th - Brighton Bar - Long Branch, NJ
Dec 8th- Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
Dec 10th - Sellersville Theatre - Philadelphia, PA
Dec 11th - Church Of Boston - Boston, MA
Dec 12th Tralfamadore Cafe (Tralf Music Hall) - Buffalo, NY (Solo Acoustic Show)
Dec 15th - Small's - Detroit, MI
Dec 17th - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
Dec 18th - Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
Track by track description by Hugh Cornwell:
TOTEM AND TABOO
Strangely
enough this was the last track I wrote for the album, but it's become
one of my favourites. A hint of 'Rebel, Rebel' with some Marc Bolan
glam thrown in. I've always liked songs with the marching 4's on the
snare, and that's what it is supposed to be, a rallying call for
like-minded souls. I was playing this live most of last year so it went
down easily enough in the studio.
THE FACE
My
favourite guitar bits on the album. I was stretched a bit to keep the
solo going for that long, but Steve Albini liked it, which is praise
indeed. Based on a funny story about Madonna.
I WANT ONE OF THOSE
I
was very excited when I wrote this. After the melody came together I
went for a walk in the country and wrote the lyric whilst I was walking
in my head. Had to rush back to write it all down before I forgot it!
We've all become slaves to a consumer society and its spread into all
aspects of our lives unfortunately.
STUCK IN DAILY MAIL LAND
Conceived
in a hotel in the Midlands about 5 years ago, over breakfast, alone,
over a copy of - of course - the Daily Mail. Not that it's an attack on
it; some of my best friends read it.
BAD VIBRATIONS
People
who are familiar with what I've done over the years will be familiar
with a habit I have of appropriating titles and changing them
perversely to my own evil ends. 'Good Vibrations' is a classic pop song
from the 60's that needed to be backdoored.
GOD IS A WOMAN
Probably
my favourite track on the album. First few notes may remind some people
of 'Badge', but I think this is an improvement. The voice is unusually
very dry and in your ear, in contrast to the bass and guitar. Hopefully
people will consider, as I do, that this is a modern day 'Peaches'.
LOVE ME SLENDER
Another
one of my favourites. It would take too long to go into what it's
about. But it is another misappropriation, this time from Presley's
'Love Me Tender' of course.
GODS GUNS AND GAYS
A
song about the United States of America and the obsessions you find
there. The word 'gays' is only meant to represent the power of Freedom
Of Speech they enjoy in that wonderful country of contradictions. No
wonder so many of the Surrealists flocked there in the 1930's. Another
one of my tributes to Arthur Lee and his band Love, God rest his soul.
Amen.
A STREET CALLED CARROLL
Los
Angeles. Silverlake. Overlooking downtown. A street called Carroll. The
most unusual wooden houses. It's where they shot the 'Thriller' video.
Quite enigmatic. Not at all what you'd expect in LA. On a hill. Old
style street lamps. Not quite sure what it's got to do with Totem &
Taboo, but it was the time when the whole idea of the album became
clear to me.
IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT
I
thought it was about time to write a long epic track, rather like we
used to do when I was in The Stranglers. It had to be at the end of the
album, and I wanted it to feature an extra instrument, rather like
'Banging On At The Same Old Beat' did on 'Hooverdam', my last album.
Steve (bass & keyboards) obliged perfectly, bless him. Bass riff
came to me in the middle of the night and sat around for a while before
I realised what was going on.
"His gnarliest record in over 30 years....Hugh and Steve: a marriage madeinblack." MOJO
“Thanks
to a gloriously raw and vibrant sound, courtesy of the ever reliable
Steve Albini, Cornwell’s endearingly sardonic observations on freedom,
consumerism and Madonna Louise Ciccone crackle with energy. He sounds
more engaged and intense than he has in years. It ends with the
menacing sprawl of ‘In The Dead Of Night’ Cornwell’s finest and most
unashamedly epic moment since the Punk Era”
Classic Rock
For press inquiries/interviews, please contact Jo Murray at:
HUGH CORNWELL ADDS MORE NORTH AMERICAN SHOWS
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