Via: billboard.com
The set, with Jonas Fjeld & Chatham County Line, crowns Bluegrass Albums.
Via: billboard.com
The set, with Jonas Fjeld & Chatham County Line, crowns Bluegrass Albums.
Judy Collins earns her first career No. 1 on any Billboard chart, more than 55 years after she first reached a ranking.
The legendary singer-songwriter’s new holiday LP, Winter Stories, with Jonas Fjeld and featuring Chatham County Line, climbs 2-1 in its second week on the Bluegrass Albums chart (dated Dec. 21) with 1,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 12, according to Nielsen Music.
Collins, 80, adds her long-awaited first No. 1 to an already robust history on the charts.
She initially appeared on a Billboard survey when Judy Collins #3 entered the Billboard 200 albums chart dated March 28, 1964.
Her 1968 LP Wildflowers reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200, her lone top 10 of 18 appearances to-date. The most iconic track from Wildflowers, Collins’ rendition of the Joni Mitchell-penned “Both Sides Now,” rose to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, her sole top 10 among 10 entries.
Collins recently told Billboard that Winter Stories is more of a winter-themed project than Christmas-specific. “Winter lasts a lot longer than Christmas does, that’s for sure,” she said with a chuckle.
The set finds Collins collaborating with Norwegian singer-songwriter Jonas Fjeld and veteran Americana band Chatham County Line, based in Asheville, North Carolina.
The album includes “Highwayman,” which was written by Jimmy Webb and originally recorded by the Highwaymen supergroup, which comprised Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson. Their version topped Hot Country Songs in 1985.
The set also sports new versions of the Mitchell-written “River,” as well as the Collins compositions “The Blizzard” and “Mountain Girl,” which she originally released on her albums Fires of Eden in 1990 and Shameless in 1995, respectively.
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The gorgeous new holiday album featuring folk legend Judy Collins joined by Norwegian singer-songwriter Jonas Fjeld and North Calina bluegrass revivalists Chatham County Line!
Blending folk, bluegrass, country and traditional music, these three powerhouse musical figures have crafted an unconventional holiday release centering on wintry vignettes rather than carols and hymns yet it carries the spirit of the holidays throughout!
Fjeld and CCL have toured together and recorded two albums together both of which went gold in Norway!
Track List:
1. Northwest Passage
2. Mountain Girl
3. Winter Stories
4. Bury Me With My Guitar On
5. River
6. Sweet Refrain
7. Fallow Way
8. Angels In The Snow
9. Highwayman
10. Frozen North
11. The Blizzard
Los Angeles, CA – In a world where pre-programmed keyboard patches, stock digital samplers and now AI-generated melodies threaten to dominate the musical landscape, the people have been calling out for a transformational figure who can usher in a new age of truly organic, soulful music. Guitar hero Lance Lopez is ready to answer that call!
A veteran of the Texas blues music scene that birthed not only the great Steve Ray Vaughan but also legendary southern rockers ZZ Top, Lopez has earned numerous accolades over the course of his 20+ year career from the likes of such foundational guitar figures as Jeff Beck, B.B. King and Johnny Winter, and even counts ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons as a mentor. Today, Lopez is ready to unleash his most passionate and visceral album to date, an album that could very well spark the kind of musical revolution we’ve all been waiting for!
Trouble Is Good, set for release July 14, is Lopez’s first new album in over 5 years, and from the very first notes, it’s clear that Lopez has not only been hard at work honing his musical and songwriting chops, he’s also been moving toward a more southern rock sound than on previous outings. Just check out the album’s first single, the jubilant “Jam With Me.”
Based on a fiery, ZZ Top-inspired riff, “Jam With Me” is a classic mid-tempo rocker, with its familiar “let’s get the band together” vibe that takes on enormous significance in light of the quarantine, both physical and spiritual, the world has been under these recent years. The song’s theme of collaboration is embedded in the song’s origins as well, having been written by Lopez’s new songwriting partner and Trouble’s producer Joey Sykes, and featuring a guest performance from superstar drummer Gregg Bissonette.
And don’t miss the accompanying music video for “Jam With Me” where Lopez and his gang of cohorts revel in the simple act of being in the presence of one other and celebrating the magic of a live performance, something that was so easy to take for granted in a pre-pandemic world.
I’m really excited about the new single, ‘Jam With Me.’ Greg Bissonette has been one of my favorite drummers going back to the David Lee Roth days. The song really captures the emotions I was feeling throughout Covid on to the end of lock-down. And during that dark time, we made this incredible album and I’m very proud of every song on it. If you like big guitars and loud rock and roll, welcome to TROUBLE IS GOOD.”
Trouble Is Good will be available on both CD and digital as well as limited edition ORANGE vinyl! Pre-order your copy today!
Lopez is also taking the central theme of “Jam With Me” to heart in an exciting social media campaign. Starting today, Lopez fans can submit a video of themselves performing or interpreting the primary guitar riff from “Jam With Me” to their social media sites with the hashtag #JamWithLance. Lopez will view the entries and select a winner who will win a 30-minute virtual jam session with Lopez himself!
JEFF BECK: “A very exciting and intense Blues guitarist.”
BILLY GIBBONS: “Lance is one of my most favorite guitar players.”
B.B. KING: “Lance Lopez got 3 standing ovations when he opened a show for me and I was among those standing.”
GUITAR MAGAZINE: “Lopez is bone-rattingly powerful.”
VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE: “Lance Lopez is a guitar-slinging blues machine that burns like Texas hot sauce in August.”
TRACK LIST:
1. Easy To Leave
2. Jam With Me
3. Trouble Is Good
4. Uncivil War
5. Wild Country
6. Take A Swing
7. Trying In The Tri Star State
8. Slow Down
9. Reborn
10. Voyager: Sunrise, Voyager, I Am Ra
Via: billboard.com
Thompson Square co-wrote the track with the former Cinderella frontman and his wife.
Tom Keifer — who last released new music in 2013, with his debut solo album, The Way Life Goes — calls his latest single, “Rise,†a song that is about “facing life’s challenges head on and overcoming them.â€
The rousing gospel-tinged blues-rock track, which he co-wrote with his wife, Savannah, and country duo Thompson Square, is a stripped-down but “uplifting spiritual song … It starts off very broken-down and exposed, with just me and a piano,†says the Nashville-based singer/songwriter.
or the video, Keifer wanted to “keep it simple and let the song speak for itself.†So he relied on a sparse, high-contrast performance clip that highlights his signature vocals and musicianship. Watch below.
On tour, the response to “Rise†has been overwhelmingly positive. “I’ve never had such a strong reaction to an unreleased song before,†he says. “I think it’s because people hear the lyric and connect with it.â€
Keifer also observes, “People can relate to it. Life is never going to be without challenges, whether small daily ones or long-term ones that last months or years, and we hope this song inspires people to be able to ride that rollercoaster and overcome the lows and enjoy the highs.â€
Keifer is no stranger to challenges, having battled partial vocal cord paralysis for decades. The condition first manifested in 1991, when he was the lead singer of glam-rock band Cinderella, best known for such hits as “Nobody’s Fool†and “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone).†He endured subsequent hemorrhages and surgeries, along with years of vocal rehabilitation.
“I was told I’d never sing again,†he says. “There’s no medical treatment for it. The only prayer of regaining my voice was to train it and strengthen the weak side. It was an opera technique that got me back on track, and now my voice is really strong again. The vocal styling [on the new album] is as intense as the early days of Cinderella.â€
He formed his own act, #keiferband, after parting ways with Cinderella in 2013. (Cinderella released its last album, Still Climbing, in 1994, but continued to tour.) “The wheels came off of it, and it was time for me to move on,†he explains. “There were issues that existed going back decades that were never resolved, and those things festered. We had a good run though, and now I’m where I want to be.â€
#keiferband is releasing sophomore album Rise on Sept. 13 through Cleopatra Records. (The album can be pre-ordered in all formats here.) The seven-member group comprises Keifer, Savannah, guitarist Tom Higbee, bassist Billy Mercer, drummer Jarred Pope, keyboardist Kory Myers and backing vocalist Kendra Chantelle. Much of the album is reminiscent of late Cinderella, and Keifer cites such acts as The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie and Janis Joplin as influences.
“I don’t consider my music metal – and the ‘hair metal’ term is just ridiculous – I like the term ‘hard rock,’ †he says. “As I teenager, I got into Muddy Waters, Son House and Johnny Winter, and learned the roots and the blues. It always has been a part of my music. So I see myself as a blues-inspired or American roots-inspired hard-rock musician.â€
That bluesy sound – and theme of overcoming adversity — peppers Rise. From the very first riff on opening track “Touching the Divine,†Keifer’s influences are apparent, as is his signature high-pitched rasp. The album is a sonically winding road that effortlessly swings between blues and straight-ahead rock, such as the first single, “The Death of Me.†The more experimental track “Breaking Down†shows he isn’t afraid to play around with his sound and vocals. But the title track is the real standout: His voice sounds a little more gravelly than usual, but that only enhances its dramatic appeal.
“I have always written from the heart,†says Keifer, noting that Cinderella fans should find his solo sound easy to digest. “On tour, we play both Cinderella songs and new songs, and they go side by side really well because I was the writer, the lead singer and did most of the guitar work in Cinderella. On this new album, I’m involved in all the writing, I’m the singer, and I play guitar and piano. The stamp of my voice and guitar style is pretty much on anything I perform as an artist. I don’t really have to think about [catering to Cinderella fans]. It’s just there.â€
But he makes sure there is plenty of Cinderella material for fans when he performs. “They’re a part of me,†he says. “I love those songs. I was in Cinderella for 30 years, so it’s very important to me.â€
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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
Tues 7/30 | Nashville, TN | The Cowan |
Fri 8/2 | Glenside, PA | Keswick Theatre |
Sat 8/3 | Derry, NH | Tupelo Music Hall |
Mon 8/5 | Englewood, NJ | Bergen PAC |
Thur 8/8 | Hopewell, VA | Beacon Theatre |
Fri 8/9 | Greenville, SC | The Firmament |
Sat 8/10 | Winder, GA | Innovation Amphitheater |
Thu 8/15 | New Orleans, LA | House of Blues |
Fri 8/16 | Dallas, TX | Gas Monkey Live |
Sat 8/17 | Houston, TX | Warehouse Live |
Wed 8/21 | Scottsdale, AZ | BLK Live |
Fri 8/23 | Montclair, CA | The Canyon |
Sat 8/24 | Ojai, CA | Libby Bowl |
Sun 8/25 | Pasadena, CA | The Rose |
Tue 8/27 | Sacramento, CA | Crest Theatre |
Thu 8/29 | Las Vegas, NV | Vamp’d |
Fri 8/30 | San Juan Capistrano, CA | Coach House |
Sat 8/31 | Big Bear, CA | The Cave |
Sat 9/7 | Cherokee, NC | Fairgrounds |
Fri 10/11 | Knoxville, TN | Cotton Eyed Joe |
Sat 10/12 | Versailles, OH | BMI Speedway |
Tue 10/15 | Flint, MI | Machine Shop |
Thu 10/17 | Pittsburgh, PA | width=”33%”Jergel’s Rhythm Grille |
Fri 10/18 | Niagara Falls, NY | Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino |
Sat 10/19 | Akron, OH | Goodyear Theater |
Thu 10/31 | Milwaukee, WI | Potowatami Casino |
Fri 11/1 | Medina, MN | Medina Ballroom |
Sat 11/2 | St. Charles, IL | Arcada Theatre |