Mark Newman's Americana & the American Dream

World renowned multi-instrumentalist Mark Newman is touring on the heels of his latest album: "Walls of Jericho" and it's a mountain sized record of songs of Americana and the American dream. He is a masterful composer of many styles along with his talents for a variety of instruments, but for now he is focusing on his own material with a brand new collection of funky raw jams and smooth mellow grooves.

"Walls of Jericho" is a real singer/songwriting guitar slinger album. Newman has the mystical vibe of Neil Young with the bluesy rasp of Stevie Ray Vaughn. He sings about politics, life and women. The album features some of the most remarkable slide guitar playing I've ever heard, impressively reminiscent of the great Lowell George. This is more than 'a casual blues band at the bar' record. It's Mark Newman's vision of the modern day blues and contemporary rock and roll. 

Mark Newman has shared the stage with such legends as Sting to Elvis Costello and performed numerous times all around the world. He is in a sweet spot in his career right now and the music is reaching masses. "Walls of Jericho" is essential for the serious and sincere listener and I highly recommend that Mark Newman's predecessors should listen to this too. 

THIS IS HAPPENING.

Upcoming dates:

Dec. 28, 8 pm - Still Partner's, Sea Cliff, Music From The Hive Singer/Songwriter Series

Jan. 13, 9 pm - The Bitter End, NYC

Exclusive interview with Lee Diamond of Shock Radar about his final encounter with Scott Weiland and sharing the stage with a legend

AP: You were one of the last people to meet Scott Weiland and you were also in the band that opened for him just before he died. Were you a fan of his music? Can you share your experience?

LD: True, true. I was a fan of his work. I did not grow up listening to STP. I loved bands like Fugazi and Sonic Youth around the time they arrived on the scene. I do remember when his first solo album came out- 12 Bar Blues. I remember being interested in it just for the album cover. It looks like one of those old Blue Note Jazz records. I bought that CD and that was the first I was really impressed by his talents. That's a damn near perfect album. It was more like a PJ Harvey record than STP, very artsy and experimental. Since that album, I followed his career and I also revisited STP albums and they grew on me over time. I heard a lot of influences in that band that came from bands I already loved. So like everyone else I knew, I passed them off as a typical grunge act and didn't invest the time to really see what they were about. They're incredible players, and he was a remarkable songwriter, one of the best of all time.

AP: He's well known as a flamboyant and chaotic frontman more than anything else.

LD: Yeah, he really was one of the greatest entertainers on Earth. Through the years, I saw him perform over 20 times. I've seen him at his best, and at his worst. I never knew exactly why he was so drastically inconsistent. But I found it appealing actually. Many did. Plenty of legendary artists were that way like Jim Morrison or dare I say Kurt Cobain? But he was always entertaining to watch and always unpredictable.

AP: How was he at The Paramount?

LD: He was good! Definitely not in his prime and without all those James Brown moves he used to pull off, but his voice was solid. If I had to critique, I'd say he was going through the motions but still, wasn't bad. It was only about 5 years ago he was still a lightning bolt on stage. Something changed this last tour. He moved slower and appeared disconnected from the audience. Hell, he looked disconnected from everybody that night. I just assumed he was punching the time clock at this point. It happens to everyone on the road soon enough.

AP: He looked disconnected when you met him?

LD: Me and my bassist accidentally wandered into his band's private after party. I don't think we were supposed to be there. It was real late, and there were no more than 30 people hanging out in a bar. We were talking to his band, his crew, and eventually I was up at the bar with him. I had no idea what I'd say to the guy. I was a little tipsy myself. First, I told him I was in the band that opened for him. He said "Great show mannn!". I thanked him and offered the same compliment. He replied "Thanks mannn!" He covered the David Bowie song 'Jean Genie' that night, so I told him I loved the Aladdin Sane album and that song. I asked about his recording studio- Lavish Studios in California. We talked about David Bowie more. Casual talk I guess, I mean, I don't know the guy. What kind of deep conversation were we going to get into, especially when everyone in the room's taking photos and staring at us. He sat there sipping a glass of whiskey and said again- "Thanks mannn..." I felt like I was talking to Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High! This is probably all boring stuff that will only remain in my memories, so I'll get back to your question. Yes, he looked blank, like a man who's lost passion for life. I assumed he was just tired and I'm sure he was. This was after his performance and very late.

AP: Was he doing drugs or anything like that?

LD: That was the big question of the night. It was like the secret Willy Wonka joke of the evening. Haha.. I can say this- We were told by his guitar player not to mention drugs around him. Other people were partying. He just looked real tired and spent. I've toured, not nearly as much as that guy, and I know how hard the road can be. Even small tours will knock you out from night to night. It's an unhealthy way to travel, unless you're in a huge band like Maroon 5 or something, traveling by private jet everywhere and staying in beautiful hotels. But this guy was back to 5 shows a week, indie rock touring in a small bunker bus. It's hard to imagine how someone gets through as much touring as he was without drugs! Constant traveling and performing is stressful and takes a toll on your health.

AP: So would you say he was cool to meet?

LD: I've met cooler celebrities. Some are more extroverted and affable. Some are loners. He was definitely introverted. I can't say I blame the guy when you're like a Zoo animal in a cage, trying to enjoy a drink, everyone taking photos of you and trying to talk to you constantly. I think I'd be a total asshole if I was in that position half the time. I can't say for sure. Isn't that what everyone says is the price of fame? You lose your privacy? I don't know. Everyone handles it differently. Justin Timberlake or Jimmy Fallon look like the type of celebrity that always greet their fans and look happy all the time. But who knows? Is it surprising at all that Scott Weiland would be introverted and gloomy? Nah...

AP: What was your reaction when you heard he died?

LD: My initial reaction was not at all expected. Somewhat shocking, and most definitely filled with sadness. I woke up to 100 text messages about it. That's how I found out. Most were from friends who were fans and really sad, some were making jokes. That's always going to happen with celebrity deaths. I remember when Kurt Cobain died. I was 16 or something and it was a shock for about an hour. The next day all my friends were joking about it. When you're 16 years old and a rockstar dies, they are like cartoon characters to us. We don't know these people. We only know their public personae and how we relate to that. There is no tangible connection. And then the myth of the dying rockstar is always glorified, or usually is. But when you're at an older age, a working musician, and you open for someone who became one of your musical idols, drink with the guy at a bar days before he dies, it hits you hard. I also think his death, at age 48 is more relative to my life than the mythical 27 year old rock and roll suicide. It's more realistic and closer to my personal life. It made me wonder, will I or someone I know go out that way around that age? Lose the passion for life and just not give a fuck anymore? People that get to that point feel like they've lived the best parts of their life and lose any form of inspiration. It's sad.

AP: How did you come to get the gig? If he was an idol of yours, that's interesting and doesn't happen to a lot of up and coming bands. Did you have to audition for it?

LD: See, now I'm going to reveal some things maybe I shouldn't... But I was never a musician who went after big opening slots, trying to play sold out shows, compete with other bands for stuff like that. I don't really care about that stuff. I enjoy playing music and that's that. Part of me wishes I had that drive, like an athlete, but music always felt the opposite of that to me. It's art, not sports. No different from painting to me. I'm going to have as much fun playing a killer show at Ottos Shrunken Head with my friends. Haha.. Back when I went to Berklee College, I studied to be a Jazz musician and there was insane competitive pressure there. Back then, I was a different kind of musician. But since I became a songwriter and played in 100 bands, I've changed. Anyway, so here's what happened, cause it was a combination of weird coincidences. Originally, The Icarus Line was on the bill, who I am a fan of, and personally know members of the group. It started when I wrote Joe, the leader of that band about touring with Weiland. I saw they were missing dates on the tour. I wrote him. He told me about some drama his band had with Weiland's and the details of that part will stay secret between us. The same day I was online writing back and forth with him, my band's manager Rick Eberle was calling me. He had no idea I was talking to Joe, sort of poking around from a fan's point of view, and he was calling me the very same day telling me The Paramount booker needs an act to open for Scott Weiland. They needed a heavy rock band that fit the bill. I had played The Paramount before and the booker likes Shock Radar. Even though we release all styles of music, we keep getting picked for Metal and Hard Rock shows. I guess because our live act is high energy, loud as hell and for most of the songs, I'm a screamer. So what do you think I said, of course I jumped at the gig, mostly because I was a huge fan of Scott Weiland's music. That was one of the weirdest days of my life. Long story short, we signed on to replace The Icarus Line and it was a crazy successful, fun show for us. And yes, I got to open for one of my musical heroes and party with him and his crew all night. Life is surprising like that.

AP: Now that time has passed since Scott died, what do you miss the most about him and what will you take away from the experience?

LD: I'm going to miss the feeling I got before he released new music, enjoying his new music. He was certainly not dried up artistically in the studio. His first 2 solo albums are totally awesome and what I love most of his whole discography. The Wildabouts album was ok, it wasn't amazing, but it was never going to be amazing. It was a solid debut album. He was sort of testing out the waters. It showed the potential of that band to become something greater. I believe it'll be thought of as a cult classic in the future. It reminds me of The Stooges first album. There will be no Stone Temple Pilots reunion with Scott. Sad about that. No one can replace that guy. They tried and failed. I'm just going to continue with my music and that show will remain one of the most magical nights of my career. Life goes on, man...

Drastic Andrew "Live Without Warning"

'New Rock Country Wave' is a label you don’t hear often, if ever, for a musical genre. As I finger through new releases of the month, it crosses my mind that I don’t think anyone has attempted to brand that kind of music or define that category. It would have to consist of influences ranging from Johnny Cash to Echo & The Bunnymen. Americana and New Wave are relatively distant styles and few have mixed the two together. Bands like R.E.M. or The Replacements have taken a stab at it. I love those bands, but I wish more would try to fuse the ingredients that make up those sounds today.

Drastic Andrew is a five piece group from Santa Fe, New Mexico that just released their third full length album “Live Without Warning”. It’s a unique blend of alternative country rock and art pop lyrical content that’s on the brink of a fresh new sound I’ve never really heard before. It’s like the next logical step from what R.E.M. was tinkering with on the massively successful- “Out of Time” around the early 1990’s. I can hear similarities to artists like Vic Chestnutt and Elvis Costello too. The instrumentation and arrangements are impressively distinct, led by singer/songwriter Andrew MacLauchlan’s existential lyrics and heartfelt melodies. His voice is strikingly similar to David Byrne and the band is obviously made up of top notch seasoned musicians, making them one of the most versatile groups out there.

“Live without Warning” is a truly inspired collection of influences from David Bowie’s slinky lounge music of the 1970’s to honest storytelling, beer fueled acoustic songs about life. “Pedestrian Love Song” is a perfect acoustic ballad, a love song about a couple living through the mundane parts of relationship and marriage. “End of the Line” is another stand out acoustic track where MacLauchlan ponders the ironies of everyday characters with a classic Bob Dylan tone to his delivery. But the vibe of the majority of the album centers around a new wave existential backdrop you can clearly connect to on songs like “Now” and “Evolution”. MacLauchlan tends to gravitate toward his apocalyptic science fiction world while the band is flawless, hitting every nuance with style. 

If you’re a wide ranged record collector, a Talking Heads fan, or interested in a flourishing new indie rock group, this is the band for you.

Brooke Moriber is performing at Rockwood Music Hall, December 14th

Next Monday, Broadway actress and multi-talented singer/songwriter Brooke Moriber will hit the stage to perform new material at Rockwood Music Hall. She is a native New Yorker who stepped into the limelight at a very young age as Young Cosette in Broadway’s “Les Miserables”. She took several roles in the following years on and off Broadway alongside her recording career as a flourishing solo artist. After a handful of performances on the west coast, she returns to the downtown east village art scene to present new music and a new direction in her career. 

Her songs are not just a showcase for her impressive vocal chops and skillful dynamics, but a variety of musical styles show her to be a prodigious composer as well. Having lived a life of outstanding artistic achievements, one can only wonder what she has in store for her return to the stage on Monday night.

Ticket info and set times HERE

Stream jennylee's (of Warpaint) debut solo album, 'right on!'

Warpaint members have been busy with solo/side projects lately. Theresa Wayman released a single with her band BOSS last month and has a solo album on the way, and Jenny Lee Lindberg releases right on!, her debut album as jennylee, today (12/11) via Rough Trade. It's not too far removed from the psychedelic and dream pop of her main band, with maybe a bit more of a moody gothy side. If you're a fan of Warpaint, you're probably gonna dig this too. Listen to the whole thing below via Spotify.

Jenny plays Paris and LA this month, and then has a few dates in early 2016. No NYC date on there right now but she played NYC in November. All dates are listed below.

jennylee -- 2015 Tour Dates
Dec 12 Point Ephemere Paris, France
Dec 16 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
Jan 28 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel
Feb 17 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Feb 18 - Philadelphia, PA - Foundry @ Fillmore
Feb 20 - Detroit, MI - Marble Bar
Feb 21 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe
Feb 23 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
Feb 25 - Washington, DC - Black Cat

Coldplay "A Head Full of Dreams"

If smiley faces weren’t already taken as a signifier in pop, this album would be plastered in them. Coldplay’s last album, Ghost Stories (2014), was a sombre affair dealing with the fallout from Chris Martin’s conscious uncoupling. A Head Full of Dreams, by contrast, splats the band in primary hues, accentuating the positive with dance moves, ape costumes, high-profile guest spots – Beyoncé, Noel Gallagher – and Norwegian pop producers Stargate.

Instead of emoticons, Coldplay have illustrated this feeling with the spectrum of colours – à la Jamie xx, or Radiohead’s In Rainbows – and their newfound equanimity with “the flower of life”, a geometric doodle also used by emo band Bring Me the Horizon, the latter almost certainly a coincidence.

Coldplay have tended to absorb their influences more transparently than most. And for all the novelties here – electronic touches, chiefly – many echoes of U2 and Arcade Fire remain. As this album wends its way through departures and retrenchments, it feels very much like a transitional work, with the foursome dipping a toe into unfamiliar waters, keeping the other foot firmly on the shore.

On the one hand, you have lead single Adventure of a Lifetime, all flute loop and easy funk, a Hawaiian-shirted holiday from the earnest piano rock. “We are diamonds/Taking shape” is one of Martin’s better lyrics. It’s brand-busting, but hardly groundbreaking. Halfway through Army of One, Martin goes a little R&B (his heart goes “bu-boom-bu-boom-boom”) and you get a sense of what this album might have been.

Mostly, it’s business as usual, with more programming. Just two minutes and 20 seconds into the opening, title track, we find the first anthemic “oh-woah”, something of a Coldplay trademark; the kind of thing that has helped sell them in non-anglophone markets. Coldplay’s USP has always been epic consolation, and so it proves here once again on the final track, Up & Up, a singalong that’s hard to resist.

The reinventions just aren’t brave enough. A promised pop takeover by Stargate never quite materialises on Everglow – another Coldplay piano ballad, remarkable for being about the split and featuring Gwyneth Paltrow on backing vocals. If you are the kind of person who shares Facebook posts of inspirational quotes, there’s Kaleidoscope – an interlude featuring a Rumi poem about mindful acceptance, followed up by a snippet of President Obama singing Amazing Grace at the funeral of South Carolina state senator Clementa Pinckney. A poignant touch, but hardly the stuff of dreams.

Experimental Brixton trio This Heat put out two albums and an EP from 1979-1981 that contained the seeds of post-punk, avant rock, noise rock and post-rock. We are very proud to announce that our latest archival series is of those three remarkable This Heat albums!

Isn’t it so often the case that the most innovative works of art – the ones that break the ground where others follow – are the ones that seem to reach only the ears of those who take those ideas and run with them? So it is with This Heat, who from the forefront of experimental music, sowed the seeds of post-punk, avant rock, noise rock and post-rock.

We are very proud to announce that our latest archival series is of this experimental, Brixton trio’s 1979-1981 discography. In honor of their 40th anniversary we’re reissuing their self-titled debut album, their EP Health & Efficiency, and their masterpiece Deceit. In these albums, This Heat concocted some of the most experimental ideas ever committed to tape, taking influence from musique concrète, krautrock, the burgeoning industrial scene and even the dub reggae blasting out in their home borough.

Given the difficult, abrasive, and involved nature of their sound, This Heat never found anything approaching mainstream success, but their influence is immeasurable and those who love them love them fiercely. This first ever official vinyl reissue was produced with the full co-operation of band members Charles Bullen and Charles Hayward. Four decades on, This Heat is still a revelation.

Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver) & Shock Radar at The Paramount, November 29th!

Chris Cornell Acoustic Higher Truth Tour 2015 (added dates)

Chris Cornell has added two new dates to his previously announced North American tour, in support of his new studio album Higher Truth. The additional shows will be at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix on September 17 and at the Balboa Theatre in San Diego on September 18.  

The multi-city trek will give fans the chance to see Chris perform in an unplugged, up close and personal setting and will include songs spanning his entire career. Chris will also introduce songs from Higher Truth, which is produced by Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Neil Young) and scheduled for release on September 18.

In addition, an exclusive San Diego presale for American Express cardholder members will begin on June 17 at 10am PST. For both dates, promoter’s presale is on June 19 and tickets for the general public will go onsale beginning June 20 at 10am (local time). Many other shows still have tickets available: check ticket sites below for full details.

$1 from every ticket sold will go to the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, a charitable organization that helps to protect the most vulnerable children facing problems such as homelessness, poverty, abuse or neglect.  For additional ticket purchase info, please visit CHRIS CORNELL.

Bill Murray sings Deep Purple's 'Smoke On The Water' in 'Rock The Kasbah' trailer

The first trailer for music-themed comedy film Rock The Kasbah has been released - and it features Bill Murray delivering a memorable rendition of Deep Purple's 'Smoke On The Water'.

Rock The Kasbah stars Murray as a past-his-prime rock manager who takes his last remaining client to Afghanistan to perform for US troops posted in the war-torn Middle Eastern nation. Once there, he discovers a talented local girl with an impressive singing voice and decides to manage her through Afghanistan's equivalent of American Idol.

Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man) directs and the film's stellar supporting cast includes Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Scott Caan and Taylor Kinney. Rock The Kasbah will open in US cinemas on October 23, though its UK release date has yet to be confirmed.

The writer of Rock The Kasbah, Mitch Glazer, also co-wrote Bill Murray's forthcoming Netflix Christmas special, A Very Murray Christmas. Written by Murray, Glazer and Sofia Coppola, who also directs, the special is billed as "an homage to the classic variety show" and features guest appearances from Miley Cyrus, George Clooney, Amy Poehler, Jason Schwartzman and Jenny Lewis, among others. It will premiere on Netflix in all territories this December.

Primal Scream at Warsaw, May 21st

Tall Firs, Sue Garner, Lee Ranaldo, and Alan Licht at Trans-Pecos, April 25th

Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts: "Blaster"

8.5

This is the first album from Scott Weiland since his divorce from Stone Temple Pilots. There's been a lot of hype behind "Blaster" for that reason, but more significantly, guitarist Jeremy Brown passed away the day before its release. He was not only an accomplished musician, but the driving force behind the sound of this album. It's filled with heavy riffs and an assortment of versatile guitar effects. Half the record sounds like something STP would release, but the other half is more like The Smiths or Echo & the Bunnymen. "Blaster" is not as artistically self-indulgent as Weiland's previous solo efforts, although both albums were thoroughly awesome. It's more concise as to a specific 'rock and roll' direction, almost like a garage rock band from the 1970's recorded through hi-fi modern production gear. Scott Weiland is known to slink and slide into different characters and alter his voice depending on what era of his career you're listening to. For this album, Marc Bolan seems to be the dominant influence. It's feel-good music with an addictive touch of lyrical pop hooks, somewhat like a T Rex album and Weiland admits this by including a stellar cover version of "20th Century Boy". The band proves to be more than competent and sadly due to the loss of Jeremy Brown, The Wildabouts may be remembered as a one-off, one record band that could have done so much more. It definitely has that raw sound, the sound of a band finding itself on its debut recording. The Wildabouts aren't overreaching or trying to reinvent the wheel, but they establish a unique sound and hard hitting rocker of an album for the Weiland fans. Don't expect a 1990's grunge album or a throwback to Weiland's other former bandmates- Velvet Revolver, but expect a refreshed and renewed Scott Weiland starting over via classic and indie rock influences. I don't know where this album will place on the charts, but I think it will stand out as a highlight in Weiland's discography as an ambitious attempt to recharge his career and a successful one at that.

notable trax: "Hotel Rio", "Circles"

Black Gold Entertainment Launch Party: Ghostface Killah & Inspectah Deck at Emporium, April 23rd

Making a rare New York appearance on Long Island tonight, Ghostface Killah and Inspectah Deck of Wu-tang Clan perform at Patchogue Emporium. Ghostface Killah just released "36 Seasons", his most diverse album to date. He has been performing with backing soul band- The Revelations. Black Gold Entertainment is throwing this party and it's going to be off the hook!

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds: "Chasing Yesterday"

9.

This is great album from the former Oasis dictator- Noel Gallagher. He's still catchy as ever, still in search of those secret pop melodies along with the signature Oasis guitar chug. This is a more 'dancey' trip-pop record than the last one and a bit psychedelic while mellow in tone. It's a softer Noel. Surprisingly, the best track, or most rock and roll song is the B-side "Do the Damage". It's hard not to imagine this material with his brother Liam's voice on it. These songs would make the best Oasis songs ever.

There are two really groovy tracks toward the middle of the record called "The Right Stuff" and "While the Song Remains the Same". Both are very spaced out lounge vibe tracks, like Serge Gainsbourg making acid funk.

The ethos of Noel Gallagher remain in the 1960's, 70's classic rock records. Few people can still write a good song, hell... give him credit.

notable trax: "Riverman", "While the Song Remains the Same"