cleopatra-records

The new album from highly adventurous industrial metal icons, Powerman 5000!

Includes the singles “Black Lipstick” as well as a dark reimagining of The GoGo’s “We Got The Beat!”

Available in digipak CD or limited edition COKE BOTTLE GREEN vinyl!

CD comes with a special bonus track – a 2020 recording of the band’s signature hit “When Worlds Collide!”

1. Cannibal Killers That Kill Everyone
2. Brave New World
3. Play God Or Play Dead
4. Black Lipstick
5. Special Effects
6. Let The Insects Rule
7. Movie Blood
8. Strange People Doing Strange Things
9. We Got The Beat
10. VHS

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Via: bravewords.com

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the release of Rise, the second album by Tom Keifer and #keiferband – Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Kendra Chantelle, Jarred Pope and Kory Myers. Since they’re not able to celebrate the momentous occasion with their legions of loyal fans in person, they’re bringing the rockin’ concert party home with the new video for the album’s latest single, “All Amped Up”.

The video for “All Amped Up” (written by Tom Keifer and Savannah Keifer) features live and behind-the-scenes footage shot over several years including their last round of 2019 and 2020 tour dates, which kicked off in Nashville, TN at The Cowan on July 30, 2019. The clip – filmed, produced and edited by Tammy Vega, with additional footage provided by Ryan Azevedo – can be viewed below.

“The song ‘All Amped Up’ was inspired by and written to describe the reckless abandon and rush of a loud rock show,” explains Keifer. “With all the concerts being cancelled this year, I think everyone is starving for that feeling. We’ve filmed so much footage of #keiferband over the last few years and thought since we can’t all be together during this pandemic, we would make a video that brings the show to you. The energy and lyrics of ‘All Amped Up’ felt like the perfect song for a video that would capture that concert energy as well as the feeling of being on tour. We are really missing all of you and looking forward to seeing you out there in 2021! In the meantime, here’s a little ‘Supersonic slam and tonic…all amped up.”

Released September 13, 2019 on Cleopatra Records, Rise quickly jumped into the Top 40 on Amazon’s “Best Seller” list within hours of its release, and it debuted at #10 on Billboard’s “Hard Rock Album Sales” chart, #17 on the “Independent Albums” chart, #19 “Internet Albums” chart, #21 on the “Rock Album Sales” chart, #41 on the “Top Current Albums (Sales)” chart and #46 on the “Top Album Sales” chart.

Rise is available on all formats, including CD (digipak), vinyl (in your choice of red, blue, or green) and digital.

“Rise” Is Available Now!

CD | RED VINYL | BLUE VINYL | GREEN VINYL | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | ITUNES | AMAZON MUSIC | DEEZER

Track list:
1. Touching The Divine
2. The Death Of Me
3. Waiting On The Demons
4. Hype
5. Untitled
6. Rise
7. All Amped Up
8. Breaking Down
9. Taste For The Pain
10. Life Was Here
11. You Believe In Me

San Gabriel, CA artist Sleepsk8 has just dropped his first ever full-length album, a warm and memorable slice of guitar-focused bedroom pop filled with melodic hooks and exquisite vocals drenched in luscious reverb. Dubbed A Paralyzing Fear Of Trying, the album is the culmination of 3 years’ worth of work that began on Soundcloud (under his previous moniker TM36) and has resulted in his tracks already amassing one million streams! Now, the singer/songwriter is set to take the next step in his career, partnering with the much venerated indie giant Cleopatra Records, who has released A Paralyzing Fear Of Trying worldwide to all digital platforms.

“My taste in music has always been chaotically juxtaposed and I think it’s reflected in the album. Some songs are melodic and sweet while others are distorted and dramatic. Cleopatra has been great because they’re really all about the music. They don’t want to confine me to a specific sound, so I get to share my unfiltered range with this project.” – Sleepsk8

Via: broadwayworld.com

Fresh from the warm reception of “No Place To Go,” the first single to be released from his brand new studio album, My Blues Pathway, Kirk Fletcher returns with another deeply soulful track that wears its passionate heart on its sleeve. Fletcher, best known for his playing with Joe Bonamossa and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, is one of the most revered blues guitarists in music today who channels for the many varied emotions of the human experience into songs that are both moving and challenging. “Ain’t No Cure For The Downhearted” is a devastatingly sad portrait of a person seeking fulfillment, or “cure” for their depression, in external things. Fletcher explains, “This song is about people who shift the blame of all the things in their life that they regret. People who judge their life by other people’s success or their so-called happiness.”

The video echoes and expands on these sentiments, showing vignettes of people contemplating their life choices culminating in the scene of an old man walking alone, broken down, his unfulfilled life nearly at an end. It’s a powerful expression of the kind of downheartedness that only the blues can communicate.

But there are also subtle traces of hope in Fletcher’s song toward the end as he references one of humanity’s greatest moral leaders (“It was a great man once said he had a dream”) and the video shows scenes of people marching for justice. Ultimately, Fletcher suggests that the “cure,” if there is one at all, doesn’t come from the outside world but rather, “One must find happiness from within. We must think for ourselves and follow our passions (so long as it doesn’t harm anyone or anything).”

“Ain’t No Cure For The Downhearted” is just one of the many highlights from Fletcher’s newest studio album, My Blues Pathway, that also features a special guest performance by legendary harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite on the knock-out closer “Life Gave Me A Dirty Deal.” The album will be available on digipak CD as well as limited edition PURPLE vinyl courtest of Cleopatra Blues, a division of Cleopatra Records, Inc.

A real deal bluesman, guitarist and vocalist Kirk Fletcher, digs deep into his soul for this passionate and compelling new album!

Highlights include the single “No Place To Go,” which will be released along with a video in late July, plus a special guest performance by legendary harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite on the knock-out closer “Life Gave Me A Dirty Deal!”

Fletcher has earned his stripes playing with Joe Bonamossa’s band as well as The Fabulous Thunderbirds and has been nominated for four Blues Music Awards!

Available on both digipak CD as well as limited edition PURPLE vinyl!

Track Listing
1. Ain’t No Cure For The Downhearted
2. No Place To Go
3. Love Is More Than A Word
4. Struggle For Grace
5. I’d Rather Fight Than Switch
6. Heart So Heavy
7. Fattening Frogs For Snakes
8. Place In This World Somewhere
9. D Is For Denny
10. Life Gave Me A Dirty Deal

Via: guitar.com

Ritchie Blackmore has teamed up with William Shatner on a cover of the classic B.B. King tune The Thrill Is Gone. The rendition of the tune will appear on Shatner’s upcoming solo album, The Blues, which features a surprising guest lineup of guitar greats. Take a listen to the track below.

The Blues is due out October 2 through Cleopatra Records. Other guitarists that guest on Shatner’s 14-track tribute to the blues include Brad Paisley, Sonny Landreth, Steve Cropper, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, James Burton, Albert Lee, Tyler Bryant and Kirk Fletcher.

While the lineup is surprising, this isn’t the first time Shatner’s collaborated with big-names in music. For 2018’s Shatner Claus, his Christmas album, Captain Kirk linked up with the likes of Billy Gibbons, Iggy Pop and Todd Rundgren.

Legendary star of the stage and screen, William Shatner, brings his dramatic interpretive talents to the blues music canon on this superb new album! Features guest appearances by blues giants Sonny Landreth, Canned Heat & Tyler Bryant PLUS country superstar Brad Paisley, Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, and many more!

The album’s first single, “Let’s Work Together” featuring Canned Heat, has already been released and stirring up a mighty buzz! Watch for a fully animated video for “I Put A Spell On You” featuring Pat Travers will be released on the same day as the album!

Available on both CD in a gorgeous digipak as well as limited edition colored vinyl!

Track Listing:
1. Sweet Home Chicago feat. Brad Paisley
2. I Can’t Quit You Baby feat. Kirk Fletcher
3. Sunshine Of Your Love feat. Sonny Landreth
4. The Thrill Is Gone feat. Ritchie Blackmore
5. Mannish Boy feat. Ronnie Earl
6. Born Under A Bad Sign feat. Tyler Bryant
7. I Put A Spell On You feat. Pat Travers
8. Crossroads feat. James Burton
9. Smokestack Lightnin’ feat. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter
10. As The Years Go Passing By feat. Arthur Adams
11. Let’s Work Together feat. Harvey Mandel & Canned Heat
12. Route 66 feat. Steve Cropper
13. In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company feat. Albert Lee
14. Secrets Or Sins

Via: bravewords.com

Get ready to wind the clock back to the glory days of big hair, big guitars and big metal! Deadline Music, the metal imprint of Los Angeles-based indie label giant Cleopatra Records, presents the first ever vinyl pressing of the “lost album” from metal outfit King Kobra.

The band was founded in 1983 when superstar drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge / Rod Stewart) recruited vocalist Mark Free and guitarist Earl Slick, fresh from a stint as David Bowie’s guitarist on the Serious Moonlight Tour (stepping in for Stevie Ray Vaughan) for a set of demos that got the group a deal with Capital Records. They would go on to record two blockbuster albums for Capital including the smash hit single “Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)” featured in the 1986 film of the same name.

Membership and label changes followed but the band soldiered on releasing what was thought to be their final recordings of the 20th century, King Kobra III (1988). However, there was another set of recordings done, a “lost album” that first saw the light of day when Cleopatra released it on CD in 1999 as The Lost Years. But now these supercharged tracks find their rightful place – pressed onto glorious colored vinyl.

Appice had this to say about the release: “This King Kobra vinyl has got songs that show different formations of the band after the first two albums. I’ve always tried to have great singers and musicians surrounding me in King Kobra – and tried to write great rock songs! I hope you enjoy this!”

New to vinyl – this throwback collection of classic metal features superstar drummer Carmine Appice, Earl Slick plus former members of WASP, Keel & Bulletboys!

Limited edition color vinyl pressing!

Tracking Listing:
SIDE A
1. Mean Street Machine
2. Fool In The Rain
3. Young Hearts Survive
4. Your Love’s A Sin
5. Number One

SIDE B
1. Walls Of Silence
2. Lonely Nites
3. Red Line
4. Perfect Crime
5. Poor Boy (You Are My Life)

Hoffen is a Cold wave band formed in 2015 in Mexico City by musician Dalí Lantzeta.The band has quickly been identified as a reference in the dark underground scene of Mexico, participating even in documentaries, films, short films and compilations of the Goth genre. Hoffen shows a strong influence by the post punk, new wave and the British eighties gothic rock.

Hoffen can be heard in HBO Los Espookys. Los Espookys is an American comedy television series created by Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega,

As society evolves its coping mechanisms in the age of the pandemic, so does the live music circuit. Drive-in shows and other “socially-distanced” outdoor events are beginning to surface as summer enters its final stretch, but they seem to lack the intimacy and access that shapes live performance into an artform. Now months into this alleged “new normal” (for the time being, at least), we’ve also adapted beyond a simple performer set-up recorded in front of a laptop or mobile, and have entered the realm of the soundstage.

Joining ONCE Somerville and other visually sound spots across the country, Magic Room in Norwood is also broadcasting directly to our screens, upping the livestream game and elevating the viewer experience. Tonight (August 14), it welcomes André Obin to its colorful stage, with Boston electronic-pop musician previewing of his forthcoming Bridging the Void EP, out soon via Cleopatra Records.

Obin will perform “a beautifully-manicured two hour set,” including the EP in full — a timely release that combines Obin’s darker shade of synth-pop with lyrical modern-day themes of social distancing, isolation and survival, all penned pre-COVID-19 — with visual accompaniment by Steve Sherrick. The show is broadcast via the Magic Room’s Facebook page, it starts at 8 p.m. EDT, and a $10 donation to view is suggested.

“It’s beautiful that we’re able to safely come together and provide entertainment during these strange times,” the Magic Room writes. “Big thanks to André Obin for making this appearance for all of us! Please support the band and crew by donating!”

Read more at vanyaland.com

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The new album from highly adventurous industrial metal icons, Powerman 5000!

Includes the singles “Black Lipstick” as well as a dark reimagining of The GoGo’s “We Got The Beat!”

Available in digipak CD or limited edition COKE BOTTLE GREEN vinyl!

CD comes with a special bonus track – a 2020 recording of the band’s signature hit “When Worlds Collide!”

1. Cannibal Killers That Kill Everyone
2. Brave New World
3. Play God Or Play Dead
4. Black Lipstick
5. Special Effects
6. Let The Insects Rule
7. Movie Blood
8. Strange People Doing Strange Things
9. We Got The Beat
10. VHS

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Via: blabbermouth.net

Industrial metallers DIE KRUPPS have joined forces with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross “The Boss” Friedman on a new single, “No More Heroes”, which has just been unleashed on the world via Cleopatra Records.

Jürgen Engler’s industrial behemoth DIE KRUPPS is considered one of the pioneers of EBM and industrial metal, formed in Germany’s capital city of Düsseldorf in 1980. Meanwhile, that very same year, Friedman, fresh from his stint with influential punk band THE DICTATORS, founded MANOWAR on the other side of the Atlantic in Auburn, New York. Both Engler and Friedman have enjoyed long and illustrious careers since their auspicious beginnings, and now the two have come together for a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration.

The song they perform is the enormously significant title track from the 1977 studio album by British rock champs THE STRANGLERS, which THE DICTATORS supported on their “No More Heroes” U.K. tour. The track, which name checks several recently passed historical figures, is a fitting tribute to the also recently passed STRANGLERS keyboardist Dave Greenfield, one of the last heroes of British rock, who died in May of this year from complications related to COVID-19.

Engler had this to say about the single: “As a longtime DICTATORS fan, it’s an honor to have Ross on board for this collaboration.

“It has been a sad year for music. Too many greats have passed. ‘No More Heroes’ seemed like the perfect song to pay tribute to them. And what better way to do it than joining forces with Ross The Boss! No shit, now rock! To the hilt!!”

The single will be featured on a forthcoming full-length effort from DIE KRUPPS, to be released in 2021.

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Lovers of metal and horror will rejoice at the release of the long awaited debut album by L.A.’s premiere horrormetal band, Vile A Sin!

The band’s terrifying video for “Crimson Lust” has already struck a chord with fans who will be heavily anticipating this release!

Track Listing:
1. Carnival Of Souls
2. Crimson Lust
3. Siamese Twins
4. Orgy Of The Dead
5. The Return
6. Wear My Skin
7. Angel’s Blood
8. Blackridge
9. Warmth Of Your Hell
10. Rot In Peace

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Via: Broadwayworld.com

A teaser for POWERMAN 5000‘s music video for the song “Brave New World” is available below. The full clip will be released on August 12.

“Brave New World” is taken from the industrial metal veterans’ new album, “The Noble Rot”, which will be released on August 28 on digital, CD and vinyl via Cleopatra Records.

“The Noble Rot” track listing:

01. Cannibal Killers That Kill Everyone
02. Brave New World
03. Play God Or Play Dead
04. Black Lipstick
05. Special Effects
06. Let The Insects Rule
07. Movie Blood
08. Strange People Doing Strange Things
09. We Got The Beat
10. VHS

In early June, POWERMAN 5000 released a music video for the first single from “The Noble Rot”, the goth club-inspired “Black Lipstick”. The song is a loving homage to dark 1980s music like DEPECHE MODE, THE CURE and SIOUXSIE SIOUX, heavy on atmosphere and bass with frontman Spider One sneering melodically of a fly-by-night romantic encounter.

Spider said: “I believe this was the first song we wrote for the album. It kind of laid the groundwork for the sound of the whole record. Kind of more experimental and electronic than the previous one. I think I may have been trying to channel Peter Murphy with the vocals.”

In May, POWERMAN 5000 released its reimagining of the classic ’80s new wave smash “We Got The Beat”. “We Got The Beat” was originally released in 1981 as part of THE GO-GO’S‘ multi-platinum debut album “Beauty And The Beat”.

POWERMAN 5000‘s last album, “New Wave”, was released in October 2017 via Pavement Entertainment.

Last year, POWERMAN 5000 celebrated the 20th anniversary of its most successful album, “Tonight The Stars Revolt!”, by embarking on a U.S. tour.

“Tonight The Stars Revolt!”, POWERMAN 5000‘s second album, was released on July 20, 1999 by DreamWorks Records. It has sold over one million copies and achieved platinum status on the back of such hits as “Nobody’s Real” and “When Worlds Collide”.

The forthcoming album, The Noble Rot, will be available everywhere August 28 on digital, CD and vinyl!

1. Cannibal Killers That Kill Everyone
2. Brave New World
3. Play God Or Play Dead
4. Black Lipstick
5. Special Effects
6. Let The Insects Rule
7. Movie Blood
8. Strange People Doing Strange Things
9. We Got The Beat
10. VHS

FOLLOW POWERMAN 5000

Via: clashmusic.com

It’s a crunching piece of garage punk…

James Williamson and Deniz Tek are true rock ‘n’ roll originals.

As the formidable axeman in the front line with Iggy & The Stooges, James Williamson laid down the punk blueprint then split, leaving behind him a trail of glorious carnage.

Radio Birdman’s Deniz Tek meanwhile – the two bands shared Ann Arbor roots – built up a formidable catalogue of their own, focussing on deviant outlaw thrills.

New album ‘Two To One’ finds the musicians going eyeball-to-eyeball in the studio, and it’s out on September 18th.

Watch the new video at clashmusic.com

AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER
CD | LIMITED EDITION COLORED VINYL

2 legendary proto-punk guitar heroes join forces for the first time ever on this odds-defying, razor sharp album!

Rock N Roll Hall of Famer James Williamson was the guitarist for one of the most iconic and influential albums of all-time, Iggy & The Stooges “Raw Power”, while Deniz Tek launched what became Australia’s ground zero for the forthcoming punk movement, the revered Radio Birdman!

Features 11 all-new original compositions highlighted by the first single “Stable” and the explosive lead-off track “Jet Pack Nightmare!”

Available on both digipak CD and vinyl in your choice of RED, BLUE, YELLOW and classic BLACK!

The CD and vinyl versions each have a unique cover design!

TRACK LISTING
1. Jet Pack Nightmare
2. Progress
3. Take A Look Around
4. Good As Gone
5. Stable
6. Climate Change
7. Birthday Present
8. Small Change
9. Liar
10. No Dreams
11. Melissa Blue [CD ONLY]

Blood Handsome is the solo project of artist, Gerren Reach. Through an eclectic mix of retro soundscapes, nostalgic synthesizers, and cinematic undertones – His dark but optimistic songs have helped Gerren’s sound find its place on the musical spectrum. The debut album, IS DOWN, paints the picture of a futuristic yet familiar soundscape with strongly crafted melodies and rhythms and tells a story, a personal journey. Imagine Trent Reznor producing the soundtracks for Drive and Blade Runner and Blood Handsome is sure to come to mind. With comparisons to the likes of such heavyweights as Joy Division, The XX, NIN, Massive Attack, Cold Cave and more, Blood Handsome is poised to carve out its own mark.

The song is taken from their forthcoming sophomore album ‘Pleasures For The Wicked‘, set to arrive on August 14th through Cleopatra Records. Pre-order it here.

Read the full article on Kool Rock Radio: koolrockradioofficial.blogspot.com

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CD | BANDCAMP

The Cleopatra Records debut album from up-and-coming post-punk band, Crying Vessel!

This is the group’s most mature and accomplished album to date with strongly compelling songwriting combined with powerful musicianship!

Look for pro-quality videos for the singles “The Abyss” and “Buried Alive!”

TRACK LISTING:
1. Auxilium
2. For God’s Sake
3. The Abyss
4. Purgatorium
5. Breaking The Spell
6. Calling of the Siren
7. Buried Alive
8. I Swear I Saw You Smile
9. Lonely Memories
10. Web of Guilt
11. Timid Moonlight
12. The Burning
13. Black Wedding
14. The Third Covenant
15. The Departed

Via: broadwayworld.com

In 1969, songwriter and recording artist Wilbert Harrison released “Let’s Work Together” amidst unprecedented social strife and racial tensions in America. The song was a clarion call to “every boy, girl, woman and man” to join the burgeoning social movements that promoted peace, justice and equality and a declaration that “Together we will stand, divided we’ll fall.” The following year, Southern California hippie blues band Canned Heat released their own version of the song, which became a major hit and amplified Harrison’s call to action and unity. Now, that same band has teamed up with famed actor and musical interpretationist William Shatner for a much-needed revival of the spirit of unity found in this song.

“Let’s Work Together” features a backing track created by the current line-up of Canned Heat, including long-time drummer Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra, as well as a special guest appearance by former member, and revered blues guitarist, Harvey Mandel. The musical stage thus set, Mr. Shatner joins in with a dramatic, passionate rendering of the song’s lyrics, breathing a new life into the message.

Mr. Shatner proclaims, “This is a terrific song for this moment in time!”

Fittingly, “Let’s Work Together” will be one of the centerpieces on Mr. Shatner’s new album, The Blues, coming later this year that will feature a constellation of blues, rock and country performers who work together with Mr. Shatner to bring the blues to life including Sonny Landreth, Brad Paisley, Ritchie Blackmore, Pat Travers, Tyler Bryant and more – courtesy of Cleopatra Records.

AVAILABLE NOW
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Famed actor William Shatner and blues legends Canned Heat offer a timely, passionate call for unity in these troubled times!

Via: loudersound.com

80s new wave act A Flock Of Seagulls have remixed Robert Calvert’s Over The Moon. It will be released as a single through Cleopatra Records on August 14.

It forms part of a full-length Robert Calvert remix project to be released later this year featuring a host of electronic artists including Xiu Xiu, Die Krupps, Joy Division’s Peter Hook, Small Black, The KVB, Soft Kill, Black Plastic feat. Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs, Xeno & Oaklander, Sixth June, and more.

Robert Calvert was easily one of the most charismatic and enigmatic figures to emerge out of London’s psychedelic rock scene of the 60s & 70s. He was a poet, lyricist, visionary and vocalist most known for his work with the legendary Hawkwind but also his highly acclaimed solo albums and collaborations with Brian Eno, Arthur Brown, Motörhead’s Lemmy, Jim Capaldi and others.

Yet Calvert’s legacy and contributions have been too little explored due perhaps to his debilitating mental health issues that plagued him throughout his career as well as his early death at the young age of 43.

Mike Score, the mastermind behind one of the most iconic acts of the 1980s, A Flock Of Seagulls, brings out all of the forward-thinking, avant garde beauty in Calvert’s Over The Moon.

Over The Moon will be available as a special limited-edition series of coloured 7” vinyl in pink, white, purple or red. The 7” also contains another remix of the song by experimental noise band Xiu Xiu.

AVAILABLE NOW
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A very special limited edition 7″vinyl featuring an ultra rare recording by former Hawkwind alum Robert Calvert uniquely remixed by indie electronic icons Xiu Xiu and ’80s new wave legends A Flock Of Seagulls!

Available in 4 colors – PINK, WHITE, PURPLE or RED – hand-numbered in a resealable poly-bag!

Part of a larger project that will be released later this year featuring the remixing talents of Soft Kill, The KVB, Die Krupps, Xeno & Oaklander and more!

TRACK LISTING:
SIDE A
1. Over The Moon (XIU XIU Remix)
SIDE B:
1. Over The Moon (A Flock of Seagulls Remix)

Via: hollywoodsoapbox.com

Joe Louis Walker, one of the most respected and successful blues artists of all time, has seen his professional life turned upside down thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. His near-constant touring around the world has ground to a halt, and he has been unable to connect in person with his many, many fans. Still, Walker has found a way to be creatively productive. Last month, he released his latest album on Cleopatra Records, Blues Comin’ On, which features Walker playing with the likes of Keb’ Mo’, Eric Gales, Albert Lee, Mitch Ryder, Lee Oskar, Jorma Kaukonen, John Sebastian and Waddy Wachtel.

“I really started on this project in 2015,” Walker said in a recent phone interview. “I knew it was going to take a long time because everybody was touring, all of the musicians, and then some people were doing projects that took maybe six, seven, eight, nine months. To make a long story short, I just did it in between my touring and their touring.”

The final product is a 12-song album that features such cuts as “Feed the Poor,” “Someday, Someway,” “The Thang” and “Come Back Home.” Although listeners now have the opportunity to enjoy a dozen songs from the blues veteran, Walker actually had many options — too many options — to pull from for the final recording.

“It was really two albums,” he said. “It’s like 18 songs with about 16 different people. It was too much music, way too much music. There were tracks and other people that didn’t make it on this album.”

Earlier in 2020, when the pandemic hit in mid-March, Walker and Cleopatra had a decision to make on whether to go ahead with the release or delay it indefinitely because the music world had changed so much overnight. They thought about a change of schedule but decided to persevere and stick to a June release date.

“We discussed it with the label,” said Walker, a Blues Hall of Fame inductee and four-time Blues Music Award winner. “We thought that people needed music right about now. We could pulled it back, but who’s to say what anything is going to look like six months from now, one month from now, eight months from now.”

Walker believed that if Blues Comin’ On was delayed the songs would sit like many of the people in the world right now: in limbo, waiting for a certain future that may not come for a long, long time. No one knows this limbo quite like Walker and other touring musicians.

“There is no opening gate for us,” he said. “All we know is that we hear consistently is that concerts are going to be one of the last things brought back as we know it. If you step back and say somebody has been performing for 50 years — he’s known around the world, she’s known around the world. That’s all they’ve been doing. They’ve been doing this all their lives, and then all of a sudden you can’t do what you do. It’s more than a job. It’s a calling.”

He added: “I think the one thing that hits you with music being taken away is that it’s such a unifier. One song, take the song ‘Imagine.’ You can play that song in India; you can play it in Paris, Texas; you can play it in Paris, France; and you get the same reception. ‘Lean on Me,’ God rest his soul Bill Withers, you can play that song in Birmingham, Alabama; or Birmingham, England; and you’ll get the same response. People become friends over that song, so it’s more than just money and sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. It’s something about music other than the cliche of universal language that gives people hope, that gives people solace.”

For Walker, who has tracked many decades in the business, music is about energy and community. It’s not a sports game where a winner is crowned at the end of a contest. The art form is about coming together and sharing good times. Coronavirus has taken that away.

“That’s unfortunate because music has taken some serious blows to the body in the last 10, 12, 15 years,” Walker said. “Real working musicians from, you name it, Paul McCartney, Smokey Robinson, Bob Dylan, they’re still working because there’s no money in royalties. Not very much because we all know what happened with … the piratization of music. People just came along and took it and just gave it away. You have to play live. I don’t care who you are. When that’s gone …”

One day Walker may be penning tracks that speak directly to COVID-19, a global pandemic that the blues guitarist likened to a Shakespeare play, but he knows that if he ever feels inspired to write songs about this time, he’ll have to go deep.

“Oh my goodness, there are so many elements of despair, the unknown, communication working and not working, politics, race,” Walker said. “And it’s not going away. It’s in the back of our minds. To me, if you’re going to open that door as a songwriter, I think for me if I was going to write something about that, I would try to write something that was inspirational but not unrealistic. The story is not over, and it’s getting worse and worse. You may be fine today; you may be gone tomorrow. When you have the whole world looking at that same picture, I think that affects the way that we look at life. One day you’re moving; one day you’re stopped. And you cannot move again until so many things are done, and then even when you do move again, nothing is really clear. One thing we’re sure about is that nobody really knows what the hell is going to happen.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

AVAILABLE NOW
CD | LIMITED EDITION COLORED VINYL | BANDCAMP | AMAZON | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC

Soulful blues phenom, and Blues Hall Of Fame inductee, Joe Louis Walker is joined by a host of talented friends and peers on his superb new studio album!

Features guest performances by fellow blues icons Keb’ Mo’, Eric Gales, and Albert Lee PLUS Detroit soul singer Mitch Ryder, harmonica virtuoso Lee Oskar, Hot Tuna’s Jorma Kaukonen, punk rock vocalist Charlie Harper, legendary session player Waddy Wachtel, and so many more!

This album explodes with the passionate playing and soulful melodies that have made Walker a favorite among true blues aficionados including The Rolling Stones!

Available on both CD in a digipak and on limited edition WHITE vinyl!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Feed the Poor feat. Jorma Kaukonen
2. Blues Comin’ On feat. Eric Gales
3. Someday, Someway feat. Carla Cooke & Lee Oskar
4. The Thang feat. Jesse Johnson
5. Old Time Used To Be feat. Keb’ Mo’
6. Come Back Home feat. Mitch Ryder
7. Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man feat. Waddy Wachtel
8. Awake Me Shake Me feat. Carla Cooke
9. Lonely Weekends feat. David Bromberg
10. Seven More Steps feat. Albert Lee
11. Uptown To Harlem feat. Jellybean Johnson
12. 7 & 7 Is feat. Arlen Roth & Charlie Harper

Via: coldwarnightlife.com

Finding the space somewhere between Kelli Ali and Shirley Manson, Anjela Piccard hits the right notes for Black Needle Noise as they cover The Black Crowes’ “She Talks to Angels.”

The LA-based project, led by Piccard’s partner John Fryer, rarely takes on cover songs. This time, however, the prolific Fryer (best known for his studio work with Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget and Cocteau Twins) has hammered sheets of noise across the framework of classic rock.

The result is a sonic reconstruction of the track, mutated with the DNA of This Mortal Coil. “She Talks to Angels” might be about heroin use to cope with trauma, but the Black Needle Noise treatment is a cocktail that binds to every receptor. Where the original scratched the skin, this version sinks into your flesh and floods you with reverb.

It’s a designer drug, tailored for the runway and the highway. You can strut and steer under its influence, but remember: sometimes, the after effects never wear off.