Multi-platinum recording artist, Russell Dickerson, has announced the release of his highly-anticipated sophomore album, SOUTHERN SYMPHONY,with the release of “Never Get Old,” the latest track off the forthcoming album. Co-produced alongside friend and frequent collaborator Casey Brown and a first-time collaboration with legendary producer Dann Huff, the 10-track record is set for release on December 4, 2020, via Triple Tigers Records and is available for pre-order/pre-save here.

“‘Southern Symphony’ is hands down the best work I’ve created,” said Dickerson, “It’s the best songs I’ve written. It’s sonically the best we’ve created. This album is ten honest and true tracks that tell the story of how I’ve grown as an artist and a man. I could not be more proud of every song on this album. Enjoy!”

A nod to the classic country feel-good anthem, “Never Get Old” is the perfect mix of country twang, meddled with stacked harmonies, guitar solos, and big stomp-claps, making you want to raise a glass to the timeless joys in life.

Listen to “Never Get Old” here and watch the lyric video here

Russell gave fans the first taste of Southern Symphony earlier this year with the debut single, “Love You Like I Used To,” which is currently in the top 10 on the Country Radio Charts with over 106M global streams to date.  Recorded in Nashville, Southern Symphony is packed with humble and heartfelt ballads about love and nostalgia matched with his signature “RD party” anthems, including one of Russell’s biggest collaborations to date on the sixth track off the record, “It’s About Time,” featuring multi-platinum recording artists, Florida Georgia Line.

Southern Symphony follows the 2017 release of Russell’s gold-certified full-length debut “Yours” which bowed at #5 on the BillboardTop Country Albums Chart, #1 on the Emerging Artists Chart and yielded three consecutive #1 smashes, including the double-platinum “Yours,” the platinum “Blue Tacoma,” and platinum “Every Little Thing.”

Track List:

1. Never Get Old
2. Home Sweet
3. All Yours All Night
4. Love You Like I Used To
5. Forever For A Little While
6. It’s About Time (ft. Florida Georgia Line)
7. Honey
8. Southern Symphony
9. Come To Jesus
10. Waiting For You My Whole Life

ABOUT RUSSELL DICKERSON

Multiplatinum Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Russell Dickerson has established himself a prolific songwriter and powerhouse showman through good old-fashioned performances and eloquent songcraft spiked with spirit. In 2017, his gold-certified full-length debut, Yours, bowed at #5 on the BillboardTop Country Albums Chart and #1 on the Emerging Artists Chart. Not to mention, it yielded three consecutive #1 smashes, including the double-platinum “Yours” (christened “One of the hottest wedding songs of the year”by The Knot), the platinum “Blue Tacoma,” and “Every Little Thing.” Nominations followed at the Academy of Country Music Awards, CMT Music Awards, and iHeartRadio Music Awards. Among many highlights in 2020, he received a nod in the category of “Best New Male Artist of the Year” at the ACM. Plus, he has electrified audiences on tour with the likes of Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker, Lady A, and Kane Brown in addition to bringing the“RD Party”to sold out venues everywhere as a headliner. Attracting a fervent following on social media (fondly referred to as “RD Fam”), he launched his own YouTube show, “This Is Russ,”bringing viewers deeper into his world.  In 2020, he transposes the little pleasures into hummable and heartfelt country anthems uplifted by pop energy on his second full-length album, Southern Symphony [Triple Tigers Records], led by the singles “Love You Like I Used To,” “Home Sweet,” and “Never Get Old.” The record reflects every side of his personality—from the loving husband, self-proclaimed “regular dude,”and now dad at home to the boisterous and bold presence beloved by millions on stage. Russell tells his story like never before through eloquent songcraft and airtight playing.

EMI Records today announces the November 20th global release of Neil Diamond With The London Symphony Orchestra, Classic Diamonds, the new studio album from the iconic, multi-award winning songwriter, musician and performer Neil Diamond. Pre-order Neil Diamond With The London Symphony Orchestra, Classic Diamonds here.

The 14-classic song collection Classic Diamonds features new vocals from Neil Diamond paired with a new interpretation of Diamond’s most celebrated chart-topping hits performed by The London Symphony Orchestra. Recorded at both the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London and Neil Diamond’s studio in Los Angeles, the album was produced by Grammy®-winning producer/arranger Walter Afanasieff and co-arranged by Afanasieff and Grammy® winning conductor/arranger William Ross, who also conducted The London Symphony Orchestra for the recording.  

“Neil Diamond is simply one of the most important vocalists and songwriters in the history of popular music, and this majestic new album shines a beautiful spotlight on some of his greatest works.  Classic Diamonds is a glorious addition to Neil’s body of work, and we are proud to be presenting it to listeners around the world,” says Steve Barnett, Chairman & CEO of Capitol Music Group.

Neil Diamond’s towering artistic achievements have carried him far, from Brooklyn Roads, to Glory Road, to Melody Road and now to Abbey Road.  As a wordsmith and melodist, he is second to none and his music has touched generations in ways that are deeply personal, yet universally understood.  These are songs of their time…and for all time.  They are Classic Diamonds.

Classic Diamonds With The London Symphony Orchestra Track Listing Here 

Beautiful Noise

I Am…I Said

I’m A Believer

Song Sung Blue

September Morn

America

Holly Holy

You Don’t Bring Me Flowers

Play Me

Love On The Rocks

Heartlight

I’ve Been This Way Before

Sweet Caroline

About Neil Diamond

Throughout his phenomenal and wide-ranging career, Neil Diamond has performed and sold-out stadiums and arenas around the world, dominated the charts for more than five decades, sold over 130 million albums worldwide, and  has charted 37 Top 40 singles and 16 Top Ten albums both in the U.S. and internationally.  He has achieved record sales and written some of the most memorable songs of the past two centuries.  

The Grammy Award winning artist is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and The Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has been presented with The Johnny Mercer Award, The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and The Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, three of the highest honors bestowed on songwriters and artists.  He has also been the recipient of the NARAS Music Cares Person of the Year Award and the prestigious Kennedy Center Award for his contributions to American culture.

Follow Neil Diamond

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Sturgill Simpson’s surprise double bluegrass album, Cuttin’ Grass Vol 1 – The Butcher Shoppe Sessions is out now digitally on High Top Mountain Records via Thirty Tigers/The Orchard. Produced by David Ferguson, the single I Don’t Mind is an unreleased fan favourite. Vinyl and CD as well as a special yellow and green Indie Vinyl release are available to preorder now for release December 11, 2020. Listen HERE.

Simpson returns to the music of his native Kentucky with his first bluegrass project which he calls “a mixtape for the fans.” Dreamed up while he was home recovering from Coronavirus, Simpson reimagines songs from his catalogue backed by some of Nashville’s finest acoustic virtuosos or as he refers to them “bona fide wizards.” “I had it in my mind for a long time that someday I want to cut as many of these songs as possible in this fashion, just organic and stripped down to the raw bones of the composition. If you can’t sit down and play a song like that, it’s probably a pretty shitty song.” 

Tracklist for Cuttin’ Grass Vol 1 – The Butcher Shoppe Sessions:
1. All Around You

2. All The Pretty Colors

3. Breaker’s Roar

4. I Don’t Mind

5. I Wonder

6. Just Let Go

7. Life Ain’t Fair and The World Is Mean
8. A Little Light

9. Life of Sin

10. Long White Line

11. Living The Dream

12. Old King Coal

13. Railroad of Sin

14. Sitting Here Without You
15. Sometimes Wine

16.The Storm

17. Time After All

18. Turtles All The Way Down

19. Voices

20. Water In A Well 

PLAYERS
Vocals, Rhythm Guitar: Sturgill Simpson
Mandolin, Vocals: Sierra Hull
Bass: Mike Bub
Fiddle, Vocals: Stuart Duncan
Banjo, Vocals: Scott Vestal
Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Vocals: Tim O’Brien
Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Vocals: Mark Howard
Percussion, Vocals: Miles Miller
Produced by: David Ferguson
Mixed and Engineered by: David Ferguson & Sean Sullivan 

ABOUT STURGILL SIMPSON: 

Since breaking through in 2014 with his Grammy nominated Metamodern Sounds in Country Music album, Sturgill Simpson has established himself as one of the most daring and most acclaimed artists of our time. His music stretches across genres and styles, from the psychedelic soul of 2016’s A Sailor’s Guide To Earth (Grammy nominated for Album of the Year and winner for Best Country Album) to the fuzzed-out rock attack of Sound & Fury in 2019. Simpson debuted in 2013 with his independent release High Top Mountain. Since then, he has challenged musical expectations—from recording with Kesha to touring with Guns n’ Roses—and branched out into the world of film and television. After making his acting debut in the CBS All Access series $1, he has appeared in several movies, including Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die (for which he also wrote and performed the theme song), and had a pivotal role in the award-winning Queen & Slim. The Sound & Fury album was accompanied by a ground-breaking anime film (an interest Simpson picked up during his years in the Navy) on Netflix. Simpson also remains committed to philanthropy, supporting such non-profit organizations as the Special Forces Foundation, The Equity Alliance and MusicCares.

Today sees the debut of “Newspaper Pane”, the fifth release from Elvis Costello’s forthcoming album, Hey Clockface.

While the previous bulletins from Hey Clockface were recorded in Helsinki and Paris – prior to the current emergency – the music for “Newspaper Pane” was written and produced in New York by composer/arranger, Michael Leonhart in collaboration with guitarist Bill Frisell and completed by lyrical verses Costello added from his westward hideout via the miracle of telecommunications. 

Trumpet player, Michael Leonhart then punctuated Costello’s vocal with a wonderful horn arrangement, interweaving with Frisell’s guitar and the playing of a New York rhythm section.

Costello’s text for “Newspaper Pane” opens with a description of a woman staring at promises of an unattainable life, printed on a sheet of newspaper that she has taped to a broken window pane against the elements. The lyric moves back and forth through time and location to consider a series of fractured pledges, culminating in the declaration:

“When you get where I am now, you may feel differently

The cliff drops away sharply, falls into the sea”

The song was mixed at Bigtop Studio, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles by Sebastian Krys, Costello’s co-producer for both Hey Clockface and the preceding, GRAMMY-winning, Look Now album with The Imposters. The new song is accompanied by the latest moving picture collaboration between Eamon Singer and Arlo McFurlow.  

“Newspaper Pane” – one of two such collaborations on Hey Clockface – follows the September 25th release of “Shut Him Down” by Michael Leonhart Orchestra, featuring Costello and verses from the rapper JSWISS. “Shut Him Down” will not be included on, Hey Clockface but will feature on a future release by the M.L.O. on Sunnyside Records.    

The Hey Clockface album will be released on October 30th by Concord Records. 

Stream “Newspaper Pane”:  – https://found.ee/ElvisCostello_NewspaperPane

Watch the video for “Newspaper Pane”:  – https://found.ee/ElvisCostello_NewspaperPaneYT

Pre-order ‘Hey Clockface’: https://found.ee/ElvisCostello_HeyClockface

For photos and past press releases: Elvis Costello Press Page

Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, commonly abbreviated to LolaVersus Powerman, or just Lola, is the eighth studio album by The Kinks, recorded and released in 1970. A concept album ahead of its time, it’s a satirical appraisal of the music industry, including song publishers, unions, the press, accountants, business managers, and life on the road. One of the all time classic Kinks albums.

Let the 50th anniversary celebrations begin, as The Kinks unveil special multi-format release plans for the album as a lovingly produced Deluxe Box Set, 1LP, Deluxe 2CD, 1CD and digitally – to be released on 11^thDecember via BMG.

• Limited Edition, Deluxe 10” Slipcased book pack (containing 60 page book, 3 X CDs, 2 X 7” singles, 4 X colour prints)
• 1LP Gatefold
• 2CD Hardback Book
• 1CD Softpack
• Digital
• HD Digital
• D2C Limited Edition Exclusives (free with boxset orders): 7” Single, Enamel pin badge

Although it appeared during a transitional period for The Kinks, Lola Versus Powermanwas a success both critically and commercially for the group, charting in the Top 40 in America and helping restore them in the public eye, making it a “comeback” album. It contained two hit singles: ‘Lola’, which reached the #9 US, #2 UK and Germany – becoming the Kinks’ biggest success since ‘Sunny Afternoon’ in 1966 – and ‘Apeman’, which peaked at #5 in the UK and Germany.

Ray says:“The album is a celebration of artistic freedom (including my own) and the right for anyone to be gender free if one wishes. The secret is to be a good and trusting person and friend.”

Ahead of its time, the track ‘Lola’ was written by Ray Davies in early 1970 and recorded at Morgan Studios in London. The track supposedly tells the romantic tale between a young man and a transgender person whom he meets in a club in Soho,inspired by an alleged encounter by the band’s manager.Released with Village Green Preservation Societyouttake ‘Berkeley Mews’ in the UK and the Dave Davies-penned ‘Mindless Child of Motherhood’ in the US, the iconic hook has been sung around the world for decades.

The Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One release plans follow the recent successful #LolaDay, celebrating 50 years of the seminal hit single. Fans were able to ‘Lolafy’ their individual photos with 10 new custom-made stickers available via The Kinks website.Throughout the day some of the finest acts such as The Amazons released their interpretations of the track via The Kinks’ channels, and various exciting Kinks archive audio, video and printed material was shared with fans.

The ‘Lolafy’ site has been updated from today to include four new stickers of the band members, Dave, Mick, Pete and Ray.

The 50^thAnniversary box set campaign launches with a brand new Ray Davies’ remix / medley of the Kinks track ‘Any Time’(titled‘The Follower – Any Time 2020 Feat: Anytime by The Kinks’).

Originally written by Ray as a possible B-side for ‘Apeman’, the track includes previously unreleased versions and excerpts of several Kinks tracks from the Lolaalbumas well as added spoken word and sound effects. It is a concept piece about which Ray states “The isolation caused by Coronavirus can give people time to re-evaluate the world and re-assess their lives. Music can comfort the lonely, transcend time and it’s not the future or the past, yesterday, today or tomorrow. It’s anytime”.He adds, “I saw a way of making this unreleased 1970s track connect to an audience in 2020. I also saw a way of showing that music can time-travel, that memory is instantaneous and therefore can join us in the ‘now’. I put this together as something surreal then realised that it was really happening. The song has found its place – after its 50th Birthday!”

THE KINKSLOLA VERSUS POWERMAN AND THE MONEYGOROUND, PART ONE

Available to Pre-order here
RELEASE FORMATS:

DELUXE 10” SLIPCASED BOOK PACK

Rigid, matt laminated, open one end card slipcase, with foil and metallic special cover effects, containing: 60 page hardback book with notes, band quotes, Ray Davies ‘1970 Diary’, rare photos / memorabilia; 3CDs in card wallets containing the remastered original album and bonus audio including many unreleased tracks: front and back pocket pages containing 2 reproduced original international 7” picture sleeve singles (‘Lola’ & ‘Apeman’) and 4 x printed 5” sq rare band photocards.

CDs x 3

Stereo original album newly remastered from original master tapes, singles (stereo and mono mixes), B-sides, alternate original mixes.

Exclusive to the boxset: new medleys with Ray & Dave Davies in intimate conversation in Ray’s kitchen, plus nine new Ray Davies remixes and out-takes from the original session tapes, previously unreleased session and live tapes, instrumental and acoustic versions, previously unreleased demos and BBC material. Track lists curated and produced by Ray Davies.

7” Singles x 2

• ‘Lola / Berkeley Mews’ Italian picture sleeve.
• ‘Apeman’ / ‘Rats’ Portuguese picture sleeve, (with alternate version of ‘Apeman’)

Reproduced original artwork, remastered audio, black vinyl. 

Book

Deluxe 60 page, 10” square, gloss-art hardback book with extensive notes by renound Kinks expert Andy Neill, interviews / new band quotes (from Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Mick Avory and John Dalton and John Gosling), rare photos and memorabilia. Includes full, detailed tracklist information and historical background.

Photos

4 x 5” sq, light card, gloss-art photos

GATEFOLD 1LP

Newly remastered original album (Stereo), original gatefold sleeve, heavyweight vinyl, booklet with notes, new band quotes, rare photos and memorabilia. Officially available for the first time since 1983.

DELUXE 2CD

Newly remastered original album (Stereo), deluxe hardback book 2CD, booklet with notes, new band quotes, rare photos and memorabilia.

1CD

Newly remastered original album + key bonus tracks from the box set. Digi-pack,

booklet with notes, new band quotes, rare photos and memorabilia.

DELUXE DIGITAL

Newly remastered original album (Stereo) plus other key tracks from the box set, including the IGs / e-singles 

D2C EXCLUSIVES (LIMITED EDTITION, FREE WITH BOX SET ORDERS)

• ‘Lola / Berkeley Mews’ original Danish picture sleeve 7” single: Remastered, reproduced original artwork, clear vinyl

• Bespoke round metal & enamel pin badge featuring album cover art.

“A movingly pragmatic distinction between desire and self-respect set to pedal steel.” – The Guardian

“As if Tom Petty were riding shotgun, Charles and band capture a certain Southern California essence.”– LA TIMES

“Bursting with blues-rock and blissed-out psychedelia.” – PITCHFORK

One of the US’ finest rising stars, Pearl Charles, has revealed ‘Take Your Time’, the second track to be taken from her stunning new album, ‘Magic Mirror’, out on Kanine Records on 15^th January 2021.

Speaking of the track Pearl said, “Thoreau once said, ‘Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.’ How much of our lives do we waste living in fear, looking to substances or other people for reassurance that everything is going to be ok? ‘Take Your Time’ suggests we all slow down, look around and let the rhythm of the natural world be our guide. Take a minute and listen.”

Watch the video for ‘Take Your Time’ HERE

Magic Mirror is a looking glass of sorts. Like a modern day Alice in Wonderland, Pearl beckons you to slip and fall into her world. You’ll find yourself drifting with the tide – the ups, downs, and all-arounds of a life well-lived and well-loved.

From start to finish you float along a reflective river, dancing in the private Studio 54 of your living room, decked out in sequins or nothing at all. It’s a feel good album that asks us to actually take the time to feel good. Magic Mirror follows the cartography of a girl, growing into a woman, as she moves through life from single-dom, to the expansive space of self-reflection, and the newly appreciated perspective of coming back together again and finding yourself, this time with someone new.

Pearl has been playing music since she was five years old. At 18, she formed country duo The Driftwood Singers with Christian Lee Hutson, singing and playing guitar and autoharp. At 22, she joined garage rock band The Blank Tapes as a drummer. After a few fun-filled years immersed in the rock and roll lifestyle, she decided it was time to pursue her own songwriting, and began developing the songs that formed 2015’s eponymous debut EP and additional debut LP that came out in 2017 on Kanine Records. Subsequently crafting an exhilarating live show, in which she has headlined national and international dates as well as shared the stage with contemporaries Best Coast, Sunflower Bean, Mac Demarco, Conor Oberst, etc, as well as festival plays like ACL, Huichica and Desert Daze.

Her music career has been a chronological progression from old-time music to 60’s garage and psychedelia, and now more 70’s country and soft rock. Drawn to catchy, poppy hooks and choruses, Charles draws on what she loves about each era while developing her unique style and voice as a musician, singer, and songwriter.

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“Hitting a mid-1970s pop-rock sweet spot, this fab debut from Cincinnati newcomers was produced by Simone Felice and co-written with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. The band more than live up to such illustrious company.”

–The Times

Following the release of their infectious floor-stomping debut single ‘Don’t Walk Away’, up and coming Cincinnati quartet The Heavy Hours have revealed their emotional new track ‘Ache’. The track, released through S-Curve/BMG, is available for streaming and download here.

Produced by Simone Felice (The Lumineers, Jade Bird, Matt Maeson) and produced and mixed by David Baron in the Catskill Mountains, the song shows the depth to the band’s songwriting following the upbeat debut single “Don’t Walk Away” which was co-written with Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach. Speaking of the song the band said, “Ache” is about the overall hurt you feel being in a relationship where you aren’t on the same page with the other person. It’s easy to feel alone when things aren’t going well, but this song is about how that pain is a two-way street.”

WATCH VIDEO FOR “ACHE” HERE

Adopting the band’s name from a line in William Butler Yeats’ Autobiographies, The Heavy Hours emerged, eager to explore a long-standing fascination with time-honored songwriting and production. Their music soon made its way to Dan Auerbach, who invited his fellow Ohioans to visit his Easy Eye Sound headquarters in Nashville for a few days of collaborative songwriting. The sessions were both productive and a revelation, inspiring the band to strip away some of their previous artifice in order to touch a more universal chord. Armed with a cache of new songs and innumerable ideas, The Heavy Hours traveled to rural Catskills in New York state, to record under the aegis of producer Simone Felice. The sessions proved incredibly fruitful, yielding a collection of distinctive new music that serves as an undeniable milestone on The Heavy Hours’ ongoing creative journey.

Personally curated by Elvis Costello, The Complete Armed Forces is the definitive statement of the legendary songwriter and musician’s revered and essential 1979 album, featuring the classic hits “Accidents Will Happen,” “Green Shirt,” “Oliver’s Army” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding.” Leaving no musical stone unturned, no lyric notebook unrifled through and no detail left out, this new super deluxe edition vinyl box set is a thorough excavation of Costello’s vault from this metamorphic period of his early beginnings, painting as complete a picture as possible of the events that led to the making of the album, its creation, and the wild success that followed for him, and his band The Attractions, and ignited his career.

Armed Forces is explored across nine pieces of vinyl (3 12-inch LPs, 3 10-inch LPs and 3 7-inch singles), including a new 2020 remaster of the album, B-sides, alternate versions and outtakes, demos, and a slew of live recordings – including 23 unreleased live tracks taken from three especially riotous concerts.

Releasing November 6 via UMe, The Complete Armed Forces will be exclusively available via Elvis Costello’s official online store and UMG’s online stores uDiscover and Sound of Vinyl, in two vinyl versions – 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition 180-gram multi-color opaque vinyl. It will also be available digitally for streaming and download. The collection is proceeded today with the release of a three-track digital EP featuring unreleased live performances of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?,” “Goon Squad” and “Pump It Up,” taken from the new live LPs, Christmas In The Dominion – Live 24th December ’78, Riot At The Regent – Live In Sydney ’78 and Europe ’79 – Live At Pinkpop.

Pre-order The Complete Armed Forces and stream the new live EP here: https://elviscostello.lnk.to/ArmedForces

This lavish box set fully embraces iconic designer Barney Bubbles’ epic pop-art packaging, including the paint-splattered cover artwork by Bubbles and Bazooka (used for the American release and included in the fold-out UK version) and features a unique origami cover that folds out to beautifully display the bold art and graphics and the six vinyl LPs, which are rounded out by three 7-inch reissues of the album’s singles “Oliver’s Army,” “Accidents Will Happen” and Nick Lowe’s “American Squirm” b/w “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” This treasure trove contains seven custom notebooks with newly updated liner notes from Costello, totaling nearly 10,000 words, facsimiles of first-draft, handwritten lyrics and examples of his lyrical working methods from his personal archive as well as rare photos, memorabilia and concert ephemera. The notebooks offer fascinating insight into Costello’s songwriting process, showing the evolution from idea to finished work, while the liners detail the making of and stories behind the songs. The accompanying photos and memorabilia provide a vivid window into this exciting era. “Most of this record was written in hotel rooms or on a tour bus, scribbled in a notebook which rarely left my side or failing this, from fragments and phrases scrawled on paper cocktail napkins or hotel notepaper,” Costello writes in the liners.

The comprehensive set also includes a print of the vintage grenade and gun poster and the four original postcards of each band member. Additionally, Costello commissioned acclaimed artist Todd Alcott to create pulp novel book covers of songs from Armed Forces starring himself as the protagonist in a variety of precarious situations.

Armed Forces has been newly remastered by Costello and mastering engineer Bob Ludwig from the original analog tapes to match the sonic fidelity of the initial 1979 UK pressing. Striving for the utmost authenticity, they took care to match the feel and intention of the original mastering. “It sounds as close to the way it sounded to us in the studio as we could make it,” Costello recently revealed to MOJO. “That’s a beautiful thing.”

The album’s evolution is documented on the 10-inch, Sketches For Emotional Fascism A.K.A. Armed Forces, which assembles together B-sides, demos and alternate versions, making many of these songs available on vinyl for the first time in decades.

Costello and The Attractions live prowess is fully celebrated with several previously unreleased concert recordings that bookended the recording and release of the album. Along with selections from the band’s legendary 1978 Hollywood High show, the collection shows off what a powerful force of nature the band was with three additional shows including highlights from the notorious Riot At The Regent – Live In Sydney ’78 and a Christmas Eve concert at London’s Dominion Theatre that same year, presented here as Christmas In The Dominion – Live 24th December ’78. “Riot At The Regent is a souvenir from our days Down Under and a second snap-shot of the Attractions in action during six months either side of the recording of Armed Forces,” Costello pens. Continuing, “We played right up to Christmas Eve and certainly sound full of cheery spirit on ‘Christmas In The Dominion,’ playing a version of ‘No Dancing’ in an apparently spontaneous arrangement that sounds as if we had just heard Blondie’s ‘Heart Of Glass’ on the radio and decided to re-work my song with a similar approach before closing the stand with the same song with which we had opened it: ‘Peace Love & Understanding.’”

Costello’s full set at PinkPop in The Netherlands in 1979, titled Europe ’79 – Live At Pinkpop, is a thrilling concert that showcases the well-oiled band in fine form, exactly one year after their appearance at Hollywood High School, and sees them road testing songs that would end up on their follow up record, 1980’s Get Happy. All of the unreleased live recordings, taken from the original 2” multitracks, have been remixed by Costello’s longtime producer and mixer Sebastian Krys who recently mixed his forthcoming new album, Hey Clockface, and co-produced his 2018 GRAMMY^® Award-winning album, Look Now.

Produced by Nick Lowe, Armed Forces was Elvis Costello’s third album and his second with The Attractions – Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas (bass) and Pete Thomas (drums) – following on from the immense success of their first effort, This Year’s Model. As a result, the songs for the album were written on the road while the band were on a non-stop tour where they were becoming tighter and tighter by the show. Moving away from the punk that inspired the previous record, Armed Forces, as Pitchfork wrote in their nearly perfect review of the album, “is extravagantly layered with dense instrumentation and rich, effusive textures,” adding “the production works to the record’s advantage, filling the songs out with bombastic power-pop arrangements and giving weight to their urgency.” At just 23 years old, the album cemented Costello’s legacy as one of the most gifted and articulate songwriters of his generation. Since it’s release it has only grown in popularity and stature, continually landing on best albums ever lists and finding new fans each year.

With The Complete Armed Forces, Costello has provided an exhaustive time capsule that lets us celebrate this timeless album and understand how it came to be.

THE COMPLETE ARMED FORCES TRACKLISTING

Armed Forces 12” LP

SIDE A
1. Accidents Will Happen
2. Senior Service
3. Oliver’s Army
4. Big Boys
5. Green Shirt
6. Party Girl

SIDE B
1. Goon Squad
2. Busy Bodies
3. Sunday’s Best
4. Moods For Moderns
5. Chemistry Class
6. Two Little Hitlers
7. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?

Live at Hollywood High & Elsewhere 1978 12” LP
SIDE A
1. Accidents Will Happen
2. Mystery Dance
3. Goon Squad
4. Party Girl
5. Stranger In The House

SIDE B
1. Alison
2. Lipstick Vogue
3. Watching The Detectives
4. You Belong To Me
5. Chemistry Class (Live at The Warner Theatre, Washington D.C.)

Europe ‘79 – Live At Pinkpop 12” LP

SIDE A
1. Goon Squad
2. B-Movie
3. Green Shirt
4. (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea
5. Opportunity
6. So Young
7. High Fidelity

SIDE B
1 Lipstick Vogue
2. Watching The Detectives
3. Big Boys
4. Pump It Up
5. You Belong To Me
6. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?

Sketches for Emotional Fascism 10″ LP

SIDE A
1. Clean Money
2. Talking In The Dark
3. Wednesday Week
4. Tiny Steps

SIDE B
1. Crawling To The U.S.A.
2. Big Boys (Alternate Version)
3. Green Shirt (Demo Version)
4. My Funny Valentine

Riot At The Regent – Live In Sydney ’78 10” LP
SIDE A
1. Oliver’s Army
2. Waiting For The End Of The World
3. Big Boys

SIDE B
1. This Year’s Girl
2. You Belong To Me
3. Pump It Up

Christmas In The Dominion – Live 24th December ‘78 10” LP

SIDE A
1. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
2. No Dancing

SIDE B
1. I Stand Accused
2. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?

“Oliver’s Army” 7″

SIDE A
1. Oliver’s Army

Side B
1. Big Boys (Demo)

“Accidents Will Happen” 7”
SIDE A
1. Accidents Will Happen

Side B
1. Busy Bodies (Alternate)

Nick Lowe & His Sound – “American Squirm” 7″
Side A
1. American Squirm

Side B
2. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?

On December 15th, 1988, Keith Richards and his incomparable band, The X-Pensive Winos, played the Hollywood Palladium. It was the penultimate show in a 12 city US tour and a night both band and audience will never forget. Now this legendary concert is available for the first time as a limited edition box set.

Across all formats – Boxset, CD, 2LP vinyl & digital – Keith Richards leads his absolutely smokin’ band through one classic after another including his landmark solo tracks ‘Take It So Hard’, ‘Make No Mistake’, to Stones classics ‘Happy’ and ‘Connection’. Exclusive to the Boxset and Digital formats are 3 previously unreleased tracks ‘Little T&A’, ‘You Don’t Move Me’ and the Lennon-McCartney penned hit ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’.

Listen to ‘Little T&A’ HERE

“The real stuff,” is how Keith Richards describes The X-Pensive Winos. “I wish to thank all the guys in this crazy beautiful band. Something to love. I know I do.”

Keith had assembled the core of this band throughout 1987 and ’88 during the ‘Talk Is Cheap’ sessions. For this first ever live solo Keith Richards tour, the stellar line-up was a who’s who of the finest musicians on the planet: guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Everly Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstandt, Stevie Nicks), drummer Steve Jordan (long time Keith collaborator), bassist Charley Drayton,  keyboard player Ivan Neville (Rolling Stones collaborator), singer Sarah Dash, and on saxophone, the inimitable, late great, long time Rolling Stones sideman Bobby Keys.

Live At The Hollywood Palladium comes as a special deluxe box set, presented in a matching folio, wrapped in a black cotton replica of the tour shirt sold that night, complete with a satin VIP pass on top, also including an impeccable all-new essay ‘The Loosest Tight Band You’ve Ever Heard’ by renowned rock writer David Fricke. It comes as a reissue after the original album was released due to popularity of the bootlegs.

Pre-Order Live At The Hollywood Palladium here: https://keithrichardsBMG.lnk.to/PalladiumPR

‘Live at the Hollywood Palladium’ Tracklisting

1. Take It So Hard
2. How I Wish
3. I Could Have Stood You Up
4. Too Rude
5. Make No Mistakes
6. Time Is On My Side
7. Big Enough
8. Whip It Up
9. Locked Away
10. Struggle
11. Happy
12. Connection
13. Rockawhile
14. I Wanna Be Your Man (Box Set and Digital Only)
15. Little T&A (Box Set and Digital Only)
16. You Don’t Move Me (Box Set and Digital Only)

Super Deluxe Box Set: 

• The remastered album on 2 180g LPs 
• 10” vinyl of 3 unreleased bonus tracks (I Wanna Be Your Man, Little T&A, You Don’t Move Me) *Exclusive to this box set only*
• Remastered CD of original album 
• DVD of original concert film *Exclusive to this box set only*

• 40 page, hardback book with David Fricke essay featuring a new interview with Keith, plus extensive rare and unseen photos from Keith’s archives

Reproductions of archival materials from the tour including: 

• Tour press release 
• Keith’s handwritten setlist 
• Hand-drawn band dressing room sign 
• Tour itinerary 
• Press photos 
• Ticket stub 
• VIP & backstage passes 
• Keith’s custom Hollywood Palladium plectrum 
• Promotional wine label & bag given away at the show . . . and more!

Other formats available include:

• • 1CD remastered album
  • 2LP 180g remastered album
  • 2LP 180g Limited Edition Red remastered album 
• Digital

https://www.keithrichards.com/

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) have today announced a limited edition 12” coloured vinyl release of the band’s legendary anti-war hit single ‘Enola Gay’, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its original release, and 75 years since the World War II atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the Enola Gay aircraft. 

The release features two brand new mixes of the track by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys. One extended mix uses the original master multi-track, that sounds like the 12″ version that never was, but should have been released in 1980. The second is a slowed down, chilled out rework that is far removed from the original, but remains undeniably glorious. 

The digital version is available to purchase today, and pre-orders for the 12” coloured vinyl are available now HERE. The band have also unveiled a special new and enhanced HD version of the original ‘Enola Gay’ video – watch here.

The single has also received a sublime hypnotic remix from Hot Chip’s Al Doyle, out today. Of the remix, Al comments; “Getting your hands on the raw material of ‘Enola Gay’ feels like stealing into hallowed halls. It’s already a perfect song, so this is just a tribute and an homage, made all the more meaningful with the occurrence this year of the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombs on Japan. OMD forever.”

Listen to Hot Chip’s remix of Enola Gay HERE

Recorded at Ridge Farm Studios in Dorking, and released on September 26th, 1980, ‘Enola Gay’ was the only single from the band’s second studio album  ‘Organisation’.

Lyrically detailing the atomic bombing on Hiroshima during World War II by the B29 Superfortress aircraft, the song scored a UK Top 10 on the singles charts and went on to become an international success, selling more than 5 million copies worldwide and ingraining itself as a synth pop classic and arguably OMD’s signature track.

The band will also perform a special live streamed show from London’s Indigo at The O2 on October 24th – set to raise money and awareness for their crew, whose livelihoods have been so affected in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

D2C Coloured 12″ Single Track Listing

Side A

1. Enola Gay (Extended Mix)

Side B

1. Enola Gay (Slow Mix)

www.omd.uk.com 

Hard to believe it’s been twenty years since the release of ‘The Voice’, the landmark debut album from Russell Watson and the bestselling classical album of this century. Now the boy is a man celebrating twenty years at the top with a career that has inspired so many and created an entire genre of classical music in the process.

’20’, is an anniversary disc which captures key moments in his career with 13 newly recorded songs sung in his unmistakable trademark tenor.

Russell has overcome many things in his life maintaining a dignity few could rival when struck by not one but two brain tumours and bouncing back in better voice than before, so he wasn’t going to let lockdown stand in the way of his stunning new album. Travel restrictions meant that long-time producer Ian Tilley had to stay in his native New Zealand so he assembled a socially distanced orchestra in Christchurch while Russell hunkered down in Wilmslow, taking instructions and overseeing proceedings via Skype.

“Normally I’d always be at orchestra sessions, but in fact this didn’t feel much different,” Russell admits. “I was in a booth wearing headphones. I could have been 10 feet rather than 10,000 miles away.”

The track listing is a veritable feast of reimagining’s of his greatest hits. “There are certain songs that needed to be there because they define my career, with regards to recording but particularly live,” Russell says. “Volare is a staple. I’ve sung it at every concert for at least 25 years. And obviously Nessun Dorma, which launched my career.”

And what a career. Warmly referred to as the People’s Tenor, Russell’s journey took him from a Salford estate to the world’s most prestigious concert halls, and to becoming the best-selling male classical artist of all time.

“You don’t come from a Salford factory floor to conquering the classical world without being a driven lunatic”.

‘20’ Track listing

1. Nabucco: Va, Pensiero
2. Il Gladiatore (Based on Themes from the Motion Picture “Gladiator”
3. Turnadot: Nessun Dorma
4. Parla Più Piano 
5. ‘O Sole Mio
6. Volare
7. You Are So Beautiful
8. Caruso
9. Amore E Musica
10. Where My Heart Will Take Me (Theme from “Enterprise”)
11. Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle
12. Someone To Remember Me
13. I’ll Be Home For Christmas

Russell’s 20th Anniversary tour will now take place in 2021. 

Rescheduled dates below:

January

Sun 10th AYLESBURY, Waterside Theatre

February

Thu 4th HARROGATE, Royal Hall

Sun 7th CREWE, Lyceum

Tue 9th HIGH WYCOMBE, Swan Theatre

Thu 11th NOTTINGHAM, Royal Concert Hall

Sun 14th WOKING, New Victoria Theatre

Tue 16th CHELTENHAM, Town Hall

Thu 18th SHREWSBURY, Severn Theatre

Sat 20th BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall

Sun 21st SOUTHEND, Cliffs Pavilion

Thu 25th BASINGSTOKE, Anvil

Sun 28th YORK, Barbican

March

Tue 2nd LEICESTER, De Montfort Hall

Sat 6th CARDIFF, St. David’s Hall

Sun 7th MILTON KEYNES, Milton Keynes Theatre

Tue 9th LEEDS, Town Hall

Sun 14th MANCHESTER, Bridgewater Hall

Sat 20th HULL, Bonus Arena

Tue 30th BUXTON, Opera House (ON SALE SOON)

June

Sat 19th WOLVERHAMPTON, Grand Theatre (ON SALE SOON)