Beth Gibbons New Solo LP

  DOWNLOAD 24 UPDATE

  Ani DiFranco New LP

  Pink Floyd’s Animals Remix

  SHIT FLOATS

  Seasick Steve Alive & Kickin’

  Glen Hansard New LP/23-24 Tour

  Joe Bonamassa Live LP & Tour

  Pearl Jam New LP & Tour

  Feeder New LP & Tour

  “My country, right or wrong…”

  Heart Announce Live Tours

  Anais Mitchell HADESTOWN Returns

  The Photographer’s Selection

  My Favourite Records

  Gaza Nightmare Continues

  Gaza Nightmare Continues

  The Killers New LP & Tour

  Download 2024 First Acts

  Princess Goes COME OF AGE

  Springsteen 2024 Tour

  Philip ‘Seth’ Campbell Live

  This Troubled World

  Dark Side Of The Moon 50th

  The More I Hear The Less I Know

  Great Albums: Fresh New Life

  Hozier’s New Album

  Nicole Atkins Jim Sclavunos Live

  SBT (Sarabeth Tucek) Live

  I’m As Angry As Hell!

  Magnum - A Year in Ukraine

  Alessandra Sanguinetti Interview

  The Damn Truth Live

  Newton Faulkner Live

  The Handsome Family Live

  The State We’re In Pt II

  Eric Gales Live

  The Cavalry Never Arrived

  Chvrches Live

  Andrés Peña Flamenco Star Live

  Paul Draper Live

  A Fly-Free Zone

  Liverpool Jazz Festival

  The Charlatans Live

  UK Democracy Threatened

  Rag’n'Bone Man Live

  Sea Girls Live

  Martha Wainwright Live

  Politics is Failing

  Moby The Very Best Of Interview

  Lucy Kruger TRANSIT TAPES

  Joe Bonamassa Live!

  Rodrigo Y Gabriela Interview

  Amy Macdonald Rescheduled Gig

  Music & Brexit

  Happy New Year?

  On Barbra Streisand

  The State We’re In…

  Welcome Back! But To What?

  What Have We Done?

  A RISK TOO FAR

  Photojournalism Hero

  Samantha Fish Live

  Gill Landry Live in Chester

  Noah Gundersen Live

  David Gilmour’s Interview

  Snow Patrol Live in Manchester

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Within Temptation & Evanescence

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WITHIN TEMPTATION & EVANESCENCE ‘WORLDS COLLIDE’ TOUR RESCHEDULED FOR SPRING 2022

Due to the ongoing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the uncertainty that local authorities will be able to provide a safe environment in which their European fans can thoroughly enjoy shows by September of this year, Within Temptation and Evanescence have unfortunately had to make the decision to push back their highly anticipated co-headline ‘Worlds Collide’ Tour to Spring 2022.

Despite not being able to tour, Within Temptation are still moving full speed ahead, having released two singles during the lockdown. ‘Entertain You’ and ‘The Purge’ have exceeded all expectations, both peaking in the Top 20 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator Chart and receiving worldwide airplay. Fans can expect the band to release brand new music soon, and in the meantime can enjoy their vast re-released catalogue on all digital streaming platforms.

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The band commented:

This is definitely not what we’ve wished for, but reality tells us otherwise: we have to postpone the Worlds Collide Tour. Although we can’t make the current situation better than it is, we hope to put a BIG smile on your faces again soon, because… We haven’t been sitting still and we have a LOT of cool stuff coming up for you! Until then, stay safe. And you know what? Third time’s a charm , so see you in March or April 2022!”

Evanescence kept busy during lockdown and released 4 new singles as well as finishing the recording of their new album - the just-released THE BITTER TRUTH which reached #1 on iTunes in 22 countries, #2 in Germany and #4 in the UK charts. They are also launching a special graphic anthology series ‘Echoes From The Void’, in collaboration with Heavy Metal Entertainment which is inspired by The Bitter Truth cuts.

In a message to fans the band said:

Well guys, we have to push this back one more time. We hate to make you wait longer but we are absolutely determined to make this tour we’ve all been looking forward to happen, so check out the new dates. We will be counting the days till we finally get to celebrate all this new music together. In the meantime, stay safe, stay sane, and keep your head banging to The Bitter Truth! You will have no excuse not to know every word by next spring! We love you!”

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The two bands will return to the road on March 16th 2022 in Leipzig, Germany, include dates in Leeds, London, Glasgow and Birmingham in the UK and wrap in Zurich, Switzerland on April 15th. All existing tickets & VIP packages will remain valid for the rescheduled dates.

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2022 DATES

Mar 16th - Germany, Leipzig, Quarterback Immobilien Arena^
Mar 17th - Germany, Berlin, Velodrom^
Mar 18th - Poland, Gliwice, Arena Gliwice^
Mar 20th - Belgium, Brussels, Palais 12^
Mar 21st - Belgium, Brussels, Palais 12^
Mar 23rd - Germany, Dusseldorf, Mitsubishi Electric Halle^
Mar 24th - Luxembourg, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Rockhal^
Mar 26th - Germany, Munich, Olympiahalle^ **
Mar 28th - Italy, Milan, Mediolanum Forum Milan^
Mar 30th - France, Paris, Accorhotels Arena^
Apr 1st - Germany, Hamburg, Barclaycard Arena~
Apr 4th - UK, Leeds, First Direct Arena~
Apr 5th - UK, London, The 02~
Apr 7th - UK, Glasgow, The SSE Hydro Arena~
Apr 8th - UK, Birmingham, Arena Birmingham~
Apr 11th - The Netherlands, Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome~
Apr 12th - The Netherlands, Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome~
Apr 13th - Germany, Frankfurt, Festhalle~
Apr 15th - Switzerland, Zurich, Hallenstadion~

** Due to overwhelming demand the Munich show has been upgraded to Olympiahalle. Tickets purchased for the Zenith are still valid.
^ Smash Into Pieces support
~ Veridia support

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For more information, please visit www.worldscollidetour.net

Follow Within Temptation: https://www.within-temptation.com/
and Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Spotify/Twitter

Follow Evanescence: https://www.evanescence.com/home/
and Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

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Nina Simone Etta James Montreux

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MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL AND BMG SET TO RELEASE BRAND NEW NINA SIMONE AND ETTA JAMES LIVE ALBUMS AS PART OF THE MONTREUX YEARS SERIES

NINA SIMONE: THE MONTREUX YEARS
AND ETTA JAMES: THE MONTREUX YEARS UNCOVER RARE AND PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED PERFORMANCES BY THE MUSICAL ICONS

DRAWING ON THE EXPANSIVE AND UNIQUE MONTREUX SOUNDS AUDIO-VISUAL COLLECTION OF THE FESTIVAL’S FOUNDER CLAUDE NOBS

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Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG today announce the forthcoming releases of Nina Simone: The Montreux Years and Etta James: The Montreux Years on Friday, 28 May 2021. The live albums, which will be available in multiple-format configurations, including double LP and two-disc CD editions, feature sublime collections of the musical icon’s finest Montreux Jazz Festival performances, including previously unreleased material, all restored to their full glory and more. The audio will also be available on digital download and streaming services.

Pre-order Nina Simone: The Montreux Years and Etta James: The Montreux Years here: https://montreuxyears.lnk.to/albumsPR

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Simone and James’ albums are the first releases of Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG’s brand-new collection series The Montreux Years. The collections will uncover legendary performances by the world’s most iconic artists alongside rare and never-before-released recordings from the festival’s rich 55-year history, with mastering performed by Tony Cousins at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios, incorporating MQA to capture the original sound of these special live performances. Each collection will be accompanied by exclusive liner notes and previously unseen photography.

Nina Simone’s story from the late sixties to the nineties can be told through her legendary performances in Montreux. Taking to the Montreux stage for the first time on 16 June 1968 for the festival’s second edition, Simone built a lasting relationship with Montreux Jazz Festival and its Creator and Director Claude Nobs and this unique trust and electricity can be clearly felt on the recordings.

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Simone’s multi-faceted and radical story is laid bare on Nina Simone: The Montreux Years. From Nina’s glorious and emotional 1968 performance to her fiery and unpredictable concert in 1976, one of the festival’s most remarkable performances ever witnessed, the collection includes recordings from all of her five legendary Montreux concerts - 1968, 1976, 1981, 1987 and 1990.

Featuring rare and previously unreleased material from Claude Nobs extensive collection of recorded material (Montreux Sounds), Nina Simone devotees worldwide will be thrilled by the inclusion of the powerful ‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free’, poignant and fearless ‘Four Women’ and Simone’s hauntingly beautiful performance of ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’.

A spine-tingling version of Janis Ian’s searing and potent ‘Stars’, which Simone covered for the very first time during her 1976 Montreux performance, sits alongside her bold and electrifying re-imagine of Bob Marley’s ballad ‘No Woman No Cry’ in 1990. The collection closes with the encore of Nina Simone’s final Montreux Jazz Festival concert and one of Simone’s most-loved and best-known recordings, the exuberant ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’, showcasing the deep and multidimensional facets of Simone’s life and music.

The CD edition of Nina Simone: The Montreux Years will also include Simone’s 1968 landmark concert in full, the first time the full concert will be available on CD.

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Etta James: The Montreux Years is a treasure trove of timeless classics, powerful and electrifying performances and raw, soaring vocals by one of the greatest ever female vocalists. The collection, featuring recordings from James’ live at Montreux concerts in 1977, 1978, 1989 1990 and 1993, encapsulates and reflects Etta’s dynamic artistry and long-lasting impact. Spanning performances from across three decades, Etta James: The Montreux Years offers deeply personal and intimate snapshots into James’ acclaimed musical journey, highlights and her phenomenal career.

From one of Etta James’ earliest successes, the infectious and endlessly elegant ‘Something’s Got A Hold On Me’, a medley that consist of ‘At Last’, ‘Trust In Me’ and ‘Sunday Kind of Love’, which is a fusion of highlights from the early 60s, to the raw and emotional ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ and soulful horn-driven ‘Tell Mama’. The collection closes with ‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’, James’ homage to Jimmy Reed and the encore of her 1978 concert.

In 1975, Claude Nobs captured a significant moment of musical history - Etta James’ very first concert in Europe, performing at the festival’s 9th edition. The CD edition of Etta James: The Montreux Years will include highlights of this special landmark concert, held at Montreux Casino on 11 July 1975.

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Thierry Amsallem, Claude Nobs’ Universal Legatee, Chair/CEO of Montreux Sounds and Chair of Claude Nobs Foundation, says:

The Montreux Jazz Festival has always been a leading showcase for the international music scene, as well as a meeting place for musicians and music lovers. The magic of Montreux lay in the encounters between musicians. There were unique events that will never be repeated. The idea was to allow artists to get off the beaten track and avoid replaying their usual repertoire. But here, we treated them like royalty and offered them the best conditions in the world, in terms of sound quality and audio-visual recording technology.”

Mathieu Jaton, CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival, added:

I am thrilled to be able to continue the fabulous history of albums recorded at Montreux Jazz Festival with the new collection “The Montreux Years”. And who better to launch this series than the incredible Etta James and Nina Simone, who both left their mark on the Festival! I am especially pleased that these albums will be released both in digital and analogue formats. I have always thought of the Montreux Jazz Festival as the vinyl of festivals, because of its exceptional listening quality and the authentic feeling it gives to music lovers. The Festival has also always been at the forefront of new audiovisual technologies. This is totally in line with our current strategy of a hybrid model between events and digital content.”

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Nina Simone: The Montreux Years and Etta James: The Montreux Years are the first releases of Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG’s upcoming multi-format live album collection series. Further, The Montreux Years releases are soon to be announced.

Nina Simone: The Montreux Years is released on Friday, 28 May 2020
Pre-order here: https://montreuxyears.lnk.to/albumsPR

Etta James: The Montreux Years is released on Friday, 28 May 2020
Pre-order here: https://montreuxyears.lnk.to/albumsPR

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Moby The Very Best Of Interview

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New Announcement

The iconic musical pioneer Moby has released his anticipated new album REPRISE today on the legendary Deutsche Grammophon label. Stream/download REPRISE HERE: http://moby.la/reprise. Additionally, Moby Doc, a powerful new feature-length documentary film opens in theatres today in New York and Los Angeles, and is now available on digital platforms across the US including Apple and Amazon. The film will also have an international (ex-North America) premiere stream today. Watch the trailer for Moby Doc HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74ob6IuShpQ

REPRISE sees Moby revisiting musical highlights from his notable 30-year career. Together with the Budapest Art Orchestra, he has re-envisioned some of his most recognizable rave classics and anthems with new arrangements for orchestra and acoustic instruments. Reprise features an eclectic and impressive array of guests including Alice Skye, Amythyst Kiah, Apollo Jane, Darlingside, Deitrick Haddon, Gregory Porter, Jim James, Kris Kristofferson, Luna Li, Mark Lanegan, Mindy Jones, Nataly Dawn, Novo Amor, Skylar Grey and Víkingur Ólafsson. The seeds for the project were sown when Moby was invited to take part in his first-ever classical collaboration - a live concert of his music at Walt Disney Concert Hall with his friend Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2018. Watch the official music video for “Natural Blues” with the incredible Gregory Porter and Amythyst Kiah HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qphnmJN3FM

Directed and edited by Rob Bralver, Moby Doc is distributed by Greenwich Entertainment. A surrealist biographical documentary narrated by Moby, Moby Doc sees the artist reflecting on his turbulent personal life and iconic music, from underground punk bands to chart-topping solo artist, and from struggling addict to vegan activist. It features interviews with David Lynch and David Bowie along with extraordinary concert footage, utilizing a unique blend of re-enactments, interviews, and archival footage. The film is an insightful, unvarnished look at an artist whose traumatic childhood shaped him in profound ways.

Moby is a celebrated musician, singer/songwriter, producer, DJ, photographer and activist. The multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated artist has pushed boundaries with his acclaimed music, including his breakthrough global smash album, Play. Achieving worldwide sales of more than 20 million albums, Moby has additionally scored 11 UK Top 40 albums, 2 of which were Number 1 and 18 UK Top 40 singles including 3 in the top 10. A staunch vegan and advocate for animal rights and humanitarian aid, he is also the author of four books including a collection of his photography.

Moby’s new Deutsche Grammophon album Reprise is out now and available HERE: https://dg.lnk.to/reprise

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The Interview

It seems a million moons ago that Moby’s extraordinary PLAY album landed on my desk and proceeded to blow me away. In fact it was mid-1999 and I knew nothing about this allegedly eccentric and eclectic musician. But on listening to the album I just had to find out more and eventually met Moby at his little London hotel in North London. It was Moby’s first PLAY interview in the face of a rather disinterested UK music media, and was not without incident; he had been held up by London’s choking traffic and eventually turned up for the interview an hour late. To make matters worse he was due to fly out to Germany and so our interview took place while he was packing his bags for the journey! The story of course had the happiest of endings when PLAY eventually took hold in 2000 (many months later) to become the biggest selling album of the year, eventually going on to sell 10 million units worldwide. This new, very comprehensive and open interview coincides with the release of his first best-of album, one of the most essential seasonal compilations.

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How did you select the tracks for your new album, GO-THE VERY BEST OF MOBY”?

Well, my criteria for picking what I think are the best songs I’ve ever written is criteria that no-one else would employ in picking their favourites of the songs I’ve written. My favourite songs tend to be the ones that no-one else really likes that much, so most of the songs that are on the Greatest Hits or the Best Of are actually songs that I let my friends pick and I let people at the record company pick, because I feel like they’re a lot more objective than I am.

Is it fair to say that the track-listing includes your most successful singles?

Yeah… I guess so. I mean, essentially when you’re releasing a “BEST OF”, there has to be a populist component in picking the songs; you’re ideally picking the songs that most people who are going to be buying the record would probably concur with you on.

Which Greatest Hits or Best Of albums do you listen to yourself?

Well, as far as Greatest Hits or Best Of by other artists that I listen to… Credence Clearwater Revival’s. I mean, the Rolling Stones, it seems like throughout the course of their career they’ve put out about 20 Greatest Hits records – there was “Green Grass and High Tides” and then “Hot Rocks”. “Changes 1” by Bowie is a great one, but again, David Bowie’s also put out about 10 Greatest Hits records. Marc Bolan and T Rex’s Greatest Hits. Mmmm… I can’t think of a Greatest Hits from the last 15 years that I actually listen to.

When you look back over your musical output in the last 15 years, do you see a common spirit or ambition to what you do? Could you define your underlying drive in making music?

I make music. Sometimes I’ll do interviews and I’ll be asked a question that’s a really good question and I feel that my answer’s kind of not necessarily up to the standards of the question. So, the reason I make music is because I love making music (it’s the only thing I know how to do) and I feel like of all the art forms, it’s the one that’s best at communicating emotion. Yeah, I never sat down at an early age and thought to myself, “OK. Well, you know, the things that live inside me can only be given voice by expressing through music.” It was more just I loved music and my heroes made music and no other art form affected me as strongly.

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In the press you’re often described as controversial. Why is this? Do you feel controversial?

I don’t necessarily think I’m very controversial. I just think I’m kind of a loud-mouth and I’m opinionated and especially with the genre that I came from, that of electronic dance music. Most of the other people in the early 90s who were making electronic dance music pretty much only had opinions about electronic dance music and club culture and along came me with my punk rock background and I, for better or worse, have opinions about everything, and I think that’s why I maybe got the reputation for being controversial. You know, maybe it’s coming from a punk rock background, maybe it’s just being a narcissistic loud-mouth. I don’t know…

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Imelda May’s New LP & Tour

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IMELDA MAY NEW RECORD 11 PAST THE HOUR ON DECCA RECORDS

Featuring RONNIE WOOD, NOEL GALLAGHER & MILES KANE

11 PAST THE HOUR is my truth. I always write with meaning and from my heart as that’s the reason I write, to connect with my own story at each particular moment and I hope therefore I connect with others during theirs. I’d like to think I can put into words and music what we all feel sometimes. We all laugh, sing, love, cry, dance, kiss, care. We all experience lust, anger, joy, worry, sorrow and hope. Sometimes we stay silent and hold it all in and sometimes we dance and throw it all to the wind with abandon, but one thing is for sure is we are in this life together. Each song is a moment in my life. Each life is a moment in time. Every minute counts.” - Imelda May

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May’s voice smoulders and crackles” - The Sunday Times
A bold album unafraid to twist and turn” - Vintage Rock

Following the single releases this year of ‘Just One Kiss’ and ‘Made To Love’ Imelda May has just released her sixth studio album and new single ‘Diamonds’.

11 PAST THE HOUR is a record that features sensuality, emotion, spirituality and intuition, marking a new chapter for May and showcasing her at her most authentic. With friends and collaborators like Wood, Gallagher and Miles Kane and inspired contributions from feminists such as Gina Martin and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, the album is an statement musically influenced strongly by the blues. Mostly written with co-producer Tim Bran (London Grammar, Primal Scream) and string arranger Davide Rossi (Coldplay, U2, Goldfrapp), this album shows an artist diving deep into her true self, her Irish roots, her love of storytelling and singing from her soul.

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The title track (written with Pedro Vito) opens the album with characteristic poetic vividness recalling the romance noir of a lost David Lynch soundtrack, while ‘Made To Love’ is an anthem celebrating acceptance and the startling piano ballad and new single ‘Diamonds’ (co-written with Sacha Skarbeck) is an epic highlight about digging deep to appreciate the true simplicity of love. ‘What We Did In The Dark’, a duet with Miles Kane, is a galloping Eighties Goth-pop synth romp. These are Just a few of the variety of views, multiplicity of voices, range of emotions and the exciting, adventurous spread of sounds on 11 PAST THE HOUR, with May at the centre of it.

VIEW IMELDAS NEW VIDEO ‘DIAMONDS’ HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LNOI0nvtvs

Born and raised in The Liberties area of Dublin, Imelda has become one of Ireland’s most famed female artists in history. Discovered by Jools Holland, who asked Imelda to go on tour with him, Imelda has gone on to perform duets with artists including U2, Lou Reed, Sinead O Connor, Robert Plant, Van Morrison, Jack Savoretti and Elvis Costello and has featured on recent albums and live tours with Jeff Beck, Jeff Goldblum and Ronnie Wood.

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Her last album landed at No.5 in the UK Official Album Chart and she can count such artists as Bob Dylan and Bono amongst her fans. Last year, her 2008 album ‘Love Tattoo’ was named the bestselling album of modern chart history by a homegrown female Irish artist by the Official Charts Company.

Also announced this week along with her 2022 tour, Imelda will make her acting debut playing the character of Aubrey in FISHERMANS FRIENDS 2, currently filming on location in Cornwall, the movie is the sequal to the 2019 hit, based on the true story of the Sea Shanty Singing Fishermen. With Tik Tok also boosting the mass popularity of the Sea Shanty this year, Fishermans Friends 2 is destined to be a box office success on it’s release in Spring 2022. Imelda plays the newest face in Port Isaac, as a famous singer-songwriter looking to escape the world for a while.

https://ImeldaMay.lnk.to/11PTHAlbumPR

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Van Morrison Virtual Gig + LP


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VAN MORRISON ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE ON MAY 8TH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NUGS.NET

THE SHOW FOLLOWS THE MAY 7TH RELEASE OF HIS NEW DOUBLE-ALBUM LATEST RECORD PROJECT: VOLUME 1

Van Morrison will mark the May 7th release of his eagerly anticipated new double-album LATEST RECORD PROJECT: VOLUME 1 by playing his first-ever virtual performance on May 8th. The multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist will perform a livestream event from the renowned Real World Studios in Wiltshire that will see him debut some brand new songs alongside a selection of classic tracks.

The event is a partnership with nugs.net, the leading music platform for live concert streams and recordings. The platform hosts live streams and professionally recorded archive concerts from iconic artists.

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Fans can tune in to the performance live on Saturday, May 8th at 8pm BST / 3pm EST. Tickets are available to pre-order here:

Van Morrison online-music of 05/08/2021, Filmed @ Real World Studios, England (nugs.net)

Set to be released on May 7th, the 28-track ‘Latest Record Project: Volume 1′ album spans everything from the saxophone-led R&B gem ‘Jealousy’ to the joyful, country-tinged ‘A Few Bars Early’ via the spirited Them-style garage rock of the self-explanatory ‘Stop Bitching, Do Something’. While it touches upon the romantic sentiment and late-night warmth that people love Van Morrison for, the overriding theme is a straight-talking commentary on contemporary life.

The album, his 42nd studio set, has been previewed by the lead single ‘Only A Song’ which demonstrates that his distinctive flair for timeless blues, R&B, jazz and soul remains as singular as ever. The song has already been named Record of the Week at Radio 2, where it was added straight to the playlist, with further airplay coming at Jazz FM. The album has been further previewed with the release of its title track.

LATEST RECORD PROJECT: VOLUME 1 is available to pre-order here: Van Morrison - Latest Record Project Volume I (lnk.to) It will be released on double-CD, deluxe-CD, triple-vinyl and digital formats. All pre-orders will receive instant downloads of the tracks ‘Only A Song’ and ‘Latest Record Project’.

Live online music - stream music & watch live concerts (nugs.net)

Van Morrison Official Website | Tours, Music, Songs

Latest Record Project Volume 1 (vanmorrison.com)

New Album Track List

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz9FFZLJnZM

https://vanmorrison.lnk.to/latestrecordprojectPR


Low Island Debut Record

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Low Island IF YOU COULD HAVE IT ALL AGAIN. Emotional Interference

Review

It doesn’t take long to notice what I thought was an intoxicating female vocal after a mesmerising electronic opening to ‘Hey Man’. But I then discovered the voice was from a male called ​Carlos ​Posada whose falsetto is extraordinary. That said, Posada also has a ‘more normal voice’ which is no less interesting. The strong melody, mix of electronic and real instrumental sounds, including  relentless clipped keyboard notes, renders this one of the most interesting indie-pop-dance songs of the year so far. The drumming/percussion is also a strong feature with some superb improvised moments. Add truckloads of melody and superb production and I’m left wondering why this has not been selected as the first single off the record…

”What Do You Stand For’ adopts a much more rocky stance with an up-tempo pace and a dirtier sound, underpinned by a solid rhythmic dynamic. Again the drums lend a helping hand here to take up a few notches. ‘Don’t Let The Light In’ is another melodic feast anchored by more great percussion and keyboard magic. Lyrically, it’s simple but not emotionally deep: “Now we lie in each other’s arms/You are mine and I am yours/But what happens when we open our hearts?/Something irreconcilable…Time goes on and everything changes/Don’t let the light in/Hoping that it hasn’t faded/Don’t let the light in.”

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‘In Your Arms’ opens with an ocean deep bass throb when, in sharp contrast, the vocal enters with notes varying from high to stratospheric. This is a dance number with elongated instrumental passages and arguably the strongest melody here. With the added harmonies I sense this is another potential single. ‘Feel Young Again’ is another sharp dance tune and sporting another fine drum display. The vocal hits the high spots again while lyrically it’s more complex and a tad cryptic: “Hide you in the back of my car/Hide you in the clothes that I wear/Hide you in the palm of my hand…It took a long time/It took a long drive/We were flashes under streetlights/Flashes under the streetlights.” This is apparently the first single but doesn’t approach the radio vibe of other songs here.

‘I Do It For You’ This will be a hit in dance circles but it’s clouded sound and lack of a melodic structure leaves me a little cold. Lyrically, it makes more sense: “We get drunk and talk about stuff/I don’t remember, but I think it was fun/Maybe once was more than enough/We both got time to kill and friends to ignore.” ‘Momentary’ up the game back up with its sharp pace, vocal harmonies, melody and yet another superb drum display. It also ups the adventure stakes which is welcome especially in offering more diversity of sound.

In this market of limited releases and live shows I can understand this record receiving quite substantial acclaim. I am a little more cautious. There are some splendid radio tracks here but I’m missing the emotion and feel that considerations of sound have trumped even lyrics in some songs. ‘What The Hell (Are We Gonna Do Now?)’ hits the mark for me with its opening Beach Boys style harmonies followed by simpler instrumental touches and a more conventional vocal (albeit with heavily Americanised accent), and lyrics which are more meaningful and a strong melody, with closing, interesting talking outro. More songs like this would have been welcome.

4/5

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Background

Oxford ​quartet ​LOW ISLAND release new single ​‘I Do It For You’ ​, ahead of their highly anticipated debut album IF YOU COULD HAVE IT ALL AGAIN​.

Featuring additional production from lauded electronic artist ​Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs ​- with whom they finished the track together with in his ​LA ​studio – ​‘I Do It For You’ owns its own subtle swagger, pushing and pulling at the limits of sonic space. Taut drums, solid bass and ​Carlos Posada’s ​languid vocals are the only constants. The rest of the instrumentation buzzes with unpredictability, snaking off in random directions, before miraculously syncing up for the rhythmic silences that punctuates the song. The resulting cloud of pop-leaning electronic art-rock follows the traditional ​Low Island​ footprint, and is reminiscent of ​Radiohead​, ​Caribou, ​or ​TV on the Radio.

The bubbling distortion that fades in and out in the background echoes the resigned frustration in the themes, as Carlos​ explains:

“This song is about someone recognising that they’re dutifully putting everything into a relationship that is fundamentally doomed, all for the sake of the ‘idea’ of love, rather than the person themselves.”

This falls in with the overarching narrative of the album – a reflection on, and release from, a confused yet necessary decade of painful first-hand discovery. Part self-reflective, part a story of literary and pop-culture protagonists trying to make sense of life.

Live the band have gone from strength to strength, selling out ​London’s Scala as well as regional shows around the UK​, supporting ​Crystal Fighters ​at ​London’s Brixton Academy ​and across Europe, and making festival appearances at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Primavera, Lollapalooza Berlin ​and​ Latitude.

The support built up so far has resulted in around 7 million streams across platforms before an album has been released. Highlights including support from ​Spotify on ​New ​Music ​Friday ​UK​, ​The ​Indie ​List​, ​Indie ​Palace and a cover slot on ​Peach​. Additionally, Amazon Music chose ‘​Don’t Let The Light In’ as one of their ​Best Songs of 2020​, and a placement in the vaunted ​FIFA 21 ​soundtrack has aided in discovery.

Low Island ​are ​Carlos ​Posada ​(vocals/multi-instrumentalist), ​Jamie ​Jay (Backing vocals/multi-instrumentalist/producer), ​Jacob ​Lively (Bass player, electric and synth bass) and ​Felix ​Higginbottom (Percussion/Drums).

l-38

Tour 2021

03/09/21 Oxford Jericho Tavern

14/09/21 Manchester YES Basement

15/09/21 Brighton Hope And Ruin

17/09/21 London Moth Club

25/09/21 Bristol Dot To Dot

26/09/21 Nottingham Dot To Dot

https://lowislandmusic.com/

https://lowislandmusic.com/#VIDEO


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