KATHRYN WILLIAMS TEAMS UP WITH NOVELIST LAURA BARNETT ON BRAND NEW ALBUM

Kathryn Williams - 'Songs From The Novel Greatest Hits' Out June 2017 Via One Little Indian Mercury-nominated singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams has announced that she will release a ‘soundtrack album’ to a brand new novel by author Laura Barnett, that follows the life of a fictional singer. Greatest Hits, the hotly-anticipated follow-up to Barnett’s novel The Versions of Us, will be published on 15th June 2017 alongside the brand new album by Kathryn Williams – Songs from the Novel Greatest Hits.  The original songs are written by Kathryn Williams, with lyrics by Laura Barnett and Kathryn Williams, and will be released as an album named Songs From The Novel Greatest Hits through One Little Indian, in June 2017. Laura Barnett’s acclaimed debut novel The Versions of Us was a Number One Bestseller and has sold over 200,000 copies in the UK alone, while Kathryn Williams enjoyed huge success with her Sylvia Plath tribute album Hypoxia and her most recent collaborative album with jazz musician Anthony Kerr – Resonator.  Greatest Hits tells the story of Cass Williams, a fictional musical artist who enjoyed huge success from the early '70s, only to retire mysteriously at the height of her fame. Two decades later, she is spending a single day in her recording studio, picking out tracks for a very personal Greatest Hits album. Each chapter of Greatest Hits opens with one of these songs and takes the reader back through Cass’s life, from her childhood, through her earliest days as a singer, to the terrible crisis that caused her to flee her own life.  Kathryn Williams says: “After making my album Hypoxia inspired by The Bell Jar (which was born out of a commission to celebrate Sylvia Plath) I didn’t think that I would be collaborating with another author so soon – and a living one to boot!   "I got a call from Laura after she had heard me on Cerys Matthews’ BBC6Music show talking about Hypoxia. She asked me if I was up for working on a parallel project to bring her fictional songwriter’s songs to life.  Since then, we have co-written a group of 16 songs, cried, laughed and become close friends. It has been a joyous project of immersing ourselves into the character, the ups and downs of her career and her personal life.”  Laura Barnett says: "From the very earliest moment of coming up with the idea forGreatest Hits, it was clear to me  that I wanted my character's musical output to have a life beyond the page. I've been a fan of Kathryn's music for years, and am so thrilled to be working with her - she's an absolute magician, and I'm so excited about the creative possibilities posed by drawing literature and music together in this way. I'm also so grateful to all the booksellers - Waterstones, WH Smith, and all the amazing independents - who've been so supportive of The Versions of Us. I can't wait to introduce my new novel to them, to readers, and to listeners!"

Best Books of 2016 / The Portable Infinite 20

BEST books 2016

1. JERUSALEM by Alan Moore

2. Small Town Talk: Bob Dylan, The Band, Van Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Friends in the Wild Years of Woodstock by Barney Hoskyns

3. Louise Nevelson: Light and Shadow by Laurie Wilson

4. 1971 - Never a Dull Moment: Rock's Golden Year by David Hepworth

5. Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk by John Doe

6. Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys by Lol Tolhurst

7. I Hate The Internet by Jarett Kobek

8. Rosset: My Life in Publishing and How I Fought Censorship by Barney Rosset

9. I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir by Brian Wilson

10. The Fugitives by Christopher Sorrentino

11. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk (20th Anniversary Edition) by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain

12. Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes

13. Michael Bloomfield: The Rise and Fall of an American Guitar Hero by Ed Ward

14. My Damage: The Story of a Punk Rock Survivor by Keith Morris

15. Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach

16. Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon by Peter Ames Carlin

17. New York Rock: From the Rise of The Velvet Underground to the Fall of CBGB by Steven Blush

18. Going Underground: American Punk 1979-1992 by George Hurchalla

19. The Theatre of Apparitions by Roger Ballen

20. The Girls by Emma Cline

Lilys Announce New Shows Early 2017, Playing With Dead Heavens | 'In Presence Of Nothing' Being Re-Issued

LILYS ANNOUNCE NEW SHOWS VIA BROOKLYN VEGAN PLAYING WITH DEAD HEAVENS 'IN THE PRESENCE OF NOTHING' BEING RE-ISSUED Today Brooklyn Vegan announced Lilys "Corruption Wrecked My Life" N.Y.C. and California shows. On the tour the band focuses on material from their 1990-1995 era. Last year the band did a run of similar shows all of which sold out. They'll be touring with Dead Heavens and you can get tickets for the Bowery Ballroom show on Friday here. Also the band will be re-issuing a limited number of their 1992 album 'In  The Presence Of Nothing'. Pre-orders for that are available here. In addition to front-man Kurt Heasley The band's current line-up is: Don Devore (Collapsing Scenery, Icarus Line, Sick Feeling) James Richardson (MGMT) Travis Rosenberg (Tanlines) Simon O’Connor (Kuroma, Amazing Baby) Chris Colley (Collapsing Scenery, School Of Seven Bells) Alex Craig (Big Troubles, Limited) Lilys – 2017 Tour Dates January 29th – Bowery Ballroom, NYC, NY* February 2nd – The Chapel, San Francisco, CA* February 3rd – TBA, Sacramento, CA February 4th – The Crepe Place, Santa Cruz, CA* February 5th – Part Time Punks at The Echo, Los Angeles, CA* February 6th – Soda Bar, San Diego, CA* * = with Dead Heavens In The Presence Of Nothing - TRACKLISTING 01. There's No Such Thing As Black Orchids 02. Elizabeth Colour Wheel 03. Collider 04. Tone Bender 05. Periscope 06. It Does Nothing For Me 07. Snowblinder 08. The Way Snowflakes Fall 09. Threw A Day 10. Claire Hates Me

The US Generation - a feature film documentary about The 1982 US Festival w remastered music and never-before-seen footage

Remember the US FESTIVAL! When Music, Technology, People Were UNITED... IN SONG New documentary film on the innovative and influential 1982 US FESTIVAL - remastered music; never-before-told stories; never-before-seen footage;  featured interviews from then and now; campaign now live on Kickstarter

LOS ANGELES (November 29, 2016) -  On a blistering hot, Labor Day weekend in 1982, about an hour's drive from Los Angeles, The Ramones, B52's, Talking Heads, and The Police all took the stage in front of over 100,000 fans. The Police were in mid-tour for Ghosts in the Machine and as Stewart Copeland recollects: "we were whip-cracking hot - and we scorched Southern California". The next day, Eddie Money, Santana, The Cars, The Kinks, Pat Benatar, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers rocked to an even larger crowd. Sunday morning, The Grateful Dead took the stage bright and early - billed as "Breakfast in Bed with the Grateful Dead", and they were followed by a lineup that included Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band and Jackson Browne.  Fleetwood Mac closed the show. This was The 1982 US Festival.       "The US Festival was financed by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple," says Glenn Aveni, of Icon Music TV, an indie filmmaker who has produced and directed music documentaries on John Entwistle, The Clash, and Les Paul.  "It was produced by Bill Graham. The 350,000 fans that were there still consider it a highlight of their concert-going lives. Yet for all its talent, and for all its influence and innovation, the US Festival is not so readily remembered, because there never was a film about it... Until now."      (L to R: Woz, the stage (larger than a football field), and the legendary Graham)   "Woz felt the 1970's were The 'Me' Generation and that it was time for the world to embrace a less selfish credo, one of unity and togetherness," explains Aveni, Director of the documentary. "He created UNUSON - short for 'Unite Us In Song' to produce a huge 3-day outdoor state-of-the-art concert that married music and technology. I have entitled this documentary "The US Generation" in tribute to Woz and his message of unity. It's not lost on me that a message of unity should resonate with all of us today."    "Wozniak had the vision and the money and the determination to get it done. The opportunity arose, and he took it," adds Mickey Hart, in an interview for the film.   Aveni has worked on the film since 2012 and says it is mostly done. To help clear and remaster additional music for it, he has launched a campaign on Kickstarter: http://kck.st/2fjAz8u. In an unusual concession from his distribution partner, he has arranged for the "rewards" from Kickstarter - including copies the film - to be immediately available after the film's completion, before any festival screenings, theatrical releases, or TV premier. "My distributor agreed that the people who were there have already waited 30+ years," he explains.   The innovations of the 1982 US Festival were as legendary as its performances. The venue was built from scratch in San Bernardino, on the site of a former prison farm, in a matter of a few months. It is still the largest outdoor amphitheater in America today. The US Festival invented misting stations, pioneered water cannons to cool the crowd, unveiled the debut of Diamond Vision - a huge screen actually visible during the day, and helped pioneer digital sound delay, so that fans in the back could hear sound in real time.    (L to R: water cannons, a happy crowd "united in song", and misting stations)   "The 1982 US Festival executed. They did it right, and showed it could be done right, setting the stage for future mega-shows from Live Aid to Bonnaroo and Coachella," says Gregg Perloff of Another Planet, who was with Bill Graham Presents at the time and was interviewed for the film.   "Prior to The US Festival in 1982", adds Aveni "No multi-day outdoor permit had been issued by any municipality since 1969 - the year of Woodstock and Altamont, both of which had serious operational difficulties and safety issues. If not for this event, who knows if and when other events would have occurred." Free water and shade tents were everywhere. The stage was the largest yet seen, and the sound was powered by 400,000 watts. There was a tech pavilion under 5 air-conditioned tents, stocked by Woz and his friends with the latest gadgets and some prototypes of what was yet to come. They even piped music over satellite feed into the USSR - crossing The Iron Curtain.    "It's a great untold story full of awesome music, amazing anecdotes and larger than life personalities," adds Aveni.  The US Generation documentary is a blend of music, archival footage, and interviews with the crowd and with performers. Besides Perloff and Hart, there are insightful present-day interviews with Stewart Copeland (The Police), Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Eddie Money, Marky Ramone, Kate Pierson (B-52's), and Wozniak himself, all speaking fondly and candidly about the event. Among those interviewed archivally are Sting, Pat Benatar, David Byrne, Ric Ocasek, Carlos Santana, and DaveDavies, along with Woz and Graham. The film also covers how the event was conceived, and regales with the on-site hijinks, challenges, and lively battles between Graham and Woz.     (L to R: Stewart Copeland, Mick Fleetwood, and Woz)   The Kickstarter campaign is offering the first copies of the film, in digital download, DVD, and Blu Ray, with options for extra music, and added celeb commentary. "We've gone to town on these Rewards," says Aveni. "If you love classic rock and have pined for something new, here you go."    Filmmaker Aveni lived and worked for many years in LA and now resides in the Milwaukee area where he grew up. He is available for interviews.  The Kickstarter campaign is now live at http://kck.st/2fjAz8u.

SOVIET SOVIET - new album out Friday on felte

Soviet Soviet's Endless out This Friday on felte

Listen / Share Endless In Full via Soundcloud

"put the punk back into post-punk...you won't know whether to pump your clenched fist in punk triumph or dance the fog-laden night away." - CLRVYNT

"their best material yet...a kinetic kick of bass and percussion with a whirl of melodic guitars that quicken both pulse and limbs" - Post Punk Magazine 

Italian trio Soviet Soviet take a broad, fresh view of the post-punk genre, ignoring timestamps and geographic restrictions to assemble a specimen uniquely theirs.

Endless is the result of a very long, well thought out process marked by experimentation and innovation yet still tied to their instinctive style of interpreting and performing music. It's an intense story, one that is marked by purity and which talks of the past - an introspective, personal learning experience - a moment of reflection as well as a metamorphosis and a new beginning in life. 

Pre-order Endless at felte's web store here. 

Soviet Soviet 

Endless

felte 

December 2, 2016

Pre-order Here

1 - Fairy Tale

2 - Endless Beauty

3 - Remember Now 

4 - Going Through 

5 - Star 

6 - Pantomime

7 - Rainbow

8 - Surf a Palm

9 - Blend 

Soviet Soviet | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | felte

Lambchop announce North American tour dates

Today, Lambchop announce North American tour dates in support of their acclaimed new album FLOTUS. For these shows, Kurt Wagner and bandmates Tony Crow and Matt Swanson will tour as a quartet, joined by Wye Oak drummer/keyboardist/general multitasker Andy Stack.

These will be the first North American shows for Lambchop since the November release of FLOTUS. Listen to the band’s riveting Hopscotch performance from September atNYC Taper, which described the album as “a critically acclaimed shot across the bow to anyone who would dare claim a classic artist can’t reinvent themselves.”

FLOTUS is available now in the Merge Holiday store, at your local independent record store and via your favorite digital outlet.

Find photos, short films inspired by the music and bio here, and check out Kurt's essay on the inspiration behind FLOTUS at Medium. For more information, contactmike@mergerecords.com.

More praise for FLOTUS:

“Like the rest of Lambchop’s decades-spanning discography, [FLOTUS] is a mordant document of Wagner’s obsessions, observations, emotions and cultural baggage—along with no small amount of haunting tunes.” —NPR Music

“Mr. Wagner may never win a Nobel Prize, but he is [a] singular lyricist worthy of comparison to Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan.” —Wall Street Journal

“FLOTUS is as lush and gorgeous as any of Lambchop’s past work.” —Pitchfork

“On the remarkable FLOTUS (For Love Often Turns Us Still), Wagner has drenched his baritone in vocal effects and, with two collaborators, woven downtempo beat music and his effervescent lyricism into something really magical.” —Los Angeles Times

Lambchop on tour:
(new dates in bold)
Oct 29 Bilbao, ES – Bizkaia International Music Experience
Oct 30 Zaragoza, ES – Bombo y Platillo
Nov 02 Castellon, ES – Teatro Principal
Nov 03 Sevilla, ES – Auditorio Box
Nov 04 Cartagena, ES – Cartagena Jazz Festival
Jan 26 London, UK – Roundhouse
Jan 30 Paris, FR – Trabendo
Feb 05 Erlangen, DE – Markgrafentheater
Feb 06 Luzern, CH – Sudpol
Feb 08 Zurich, CH – Schauspielhaus
Feb 09 Utrecht, NL – Tivoli/Vredenburg (Cloud Nine)
Feb 10 Groningen, NL – Oosterpoort
Feb 11 Brussels, BE – Botanique
Feb 12 Mainz, DE – Frankfurter Hof
Feb 14 Vienna, AT – WUK
Feb 15 Munich, DE – Kammerspiele
Feb 17 Dortmund, DE – Konzerthaus
Feb 18 Berlin, DE – Heimathafen
Feb 20 Hannover, DE – Capitol
Feb 21 Cologne, DE – Gloria
Feb 22 Hamburg, DE – Elbphilharmonie
Feb 25 Stockholm, SE - Fasching
Feb 26 Oslo, NO - Parkteatret
Feb 27 Copenhagen, DK – Vega
Feb 28 Leipzig, DE – Felsenkeller
Mar 01 Mannheim, DE – Capitol
Mar 02 Linz, AT – Posthof
Mar 22 St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway Nightclub
Mar 23 Iowa City, IA – The Mill
Mar 24 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Mar 25 Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
Mar 27 Toronto, ON – Great Hall on Queen Street
Mar 28 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Mar 30 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Mar 31 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
Apr 01 Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
Apr 02 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Apr 07 Atlanta, GA – Terminal West (Lambchop trio of Kurt, Tony & Matt)

O.C. Fair Announces First Concerts for 2017 Season: The Band Perry, Alice Wallace and Which One's Pink?

OC Fair Announces First Concerts for 2017 Season:
The Band Perry, Alice Wallace and Which One’s Pink?

On Sale in the Pacific Amphitheatre December 3: The Band Perry / Alice Wallace (August 2)

On Sale in The Hangar December 3: Which One’s Pink? – A Tribute to the Music of Pink Floyd (July 15)

Costa Mesa, Calif. (November 29, 2016) – The OC Fair made its first show announcement for its 2017 season with a night of country by The Band Perry / Alice Wallace on Wednesday, August 2 in the Toyota Summer Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre and a fan-favorite tribute to the music of Pink Floyd by Which One’s Pink? on Saturday, July 15 in The Hangar. As always, concert and action sports tickets include Fair admission.

Tickets for these events go on sale Saturday, December 3, at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster or at the OC Fair & Event Center Box Office, which is open Saturday, December 3 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by phone (800) 745-3000.

On Sale in the Pacific Amphitheatre
	Artist	On-Sale Date	Show Date	Prices
	The Band Perry / Alice Wallace	Saturday, December 3 10 a.m.	Wednesday, August 2 7:45 p.m.	Tickets start at $47.50
On Sale in The Hangar
	Artist	On-Sale Date	Show Dates	Prices
	Which One’s Pink? – A Tribute to the Music of Pink Floyd	Saturday, December 3 10 a.m.	Saturday, July 15 7:30 p.m.	Tickets start at $17.50

The remaining performances and action sports at the 2017 OC Fair will be announced in the coming months. Sign up for pre-sale emails at ocfair.com.

The 2017 OC Fair is July 14-August 13 and will offer 23 days and nights of food, rides, shopping, exhibits, animals and headline performances in the Pacific Amphitheatre, nightly music in The Hangar and adrenaline-inducing events in the Action Sports Arena. The Fair is open Wednesday-Sunday. Tickets are available for purchase at ocfair.com or from the on-site Box Office (limited hours.) Free parking and shuttle service are available on Saturdays and Sundays from the Experian parking structure located off the Bristol St. exit of the 405 freeway.

The OC Fair & Event Center is located off the 405 and 55 freeways at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. For more information, please visit ocfair.com, become a fan at Facebook.com/OCFair, follow us at twitter.com/ocfair or call (714) 708-1500. Also, download the free OC Fair iPhone and Android apps available this summer.