Singer/songwriter Grey DeLisle is previewing her Don't Turn Around album with the honky-tonk whumper "The Lights Are Off But Somebody's Home."
Here's the scoop...
Deke Dickerson & Grey
Singer/songwriter Grey DeLisle has announced her forthcoming album, Don't Turn Around – out October 23 via Hummin'bird Records – with the release of its lead single, "The Lights Are Off But Somebody's Home." A darkly funny, rockabilly-flavored take on the Bakersfield Sound, the track transforms the classic country tale of a two-timing lover into a sharp-witted honky-tonk anthem packed with twang, swagger, and DeLisle's signature blend of heartbreak and humor.
Produced by the late Andy Paley (Brian Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Madonna) and completed by longtime collaborator Marvin Etzioni following Paley's passing, Don't Turn Around brings together an extraordinary cast of musicians including Deke Dickerson, Murry Hammond, Stephen McCarthy, Greg Leisz, Chris Scruggs, Tammy Rogers, Bernie Dresel, Mandy Barnett, Mickey Raphael, engineer Jake Gideon, and special guest Dave Alvin, who joins DeLisle for the duet "You're Driving Me Away." Drawing from classic country, California roots music, and rockabilly traditions, the album remains unmistakably Grey DeLisLe, pairing unforgettable storytelling with hard-earned humor and remarkable resilience.
Across its 11 songs, Don't Turn Around explores the many ways people leave one another and the roads they travel afterward. Lovers drive away. Doors close. Empty houses become haunted by memory. Yet for all its heartbreak, the album is filled with warmth, wit, and resilience, affirming once again that few modern songwriters capture the spirit of classic country quite like DeLisle.
The story behind Don't Turn Around is every bit as remarkable as the songs themselves, beginning between takes on the set of SpongeBob SquarePants. While voicing members of Sandy Cheeks' family on the long-running animated series, DeLisle struck up an unlikely friendship with Paley, an acclaimed composer, songwriter, and producer whose credits included Brian Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Patti Smith, NRBQ, and The Ramones. After discovering that DeLisle was also a songwriter, Paley encouraged her to play him one of her songs. The song was "Don't Turn Around," and it marked the beginning of one of the most rewarding creative partnerships of DeLisle's recording career.
Together, DeLIsle and Paley began crafting Don't Turn Around before Paley's unexpected passing in 2024. Rather than leave the project unfinished, longtime friend and collaborator Marvin Etzioni completed the album, honoring Paley's vision while helping bring it to life.
Though millions know DeLisle as the voice of Daphne Blake in Scooby-Doo, Azula in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and beloved characters across The Fairly OddParents, The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, and more, songwriting has remained the throughline of her creative life. A Grammy-winning artist whose recordings have earned widespread critical acclaim, she continues to draw from the traditions of classic country while bringing her own unmistakable wit, warmth, and perspective to every song.
You can pre-order a copy of Grey DeLisle's forthcoming album Don't Turn Around via Bandcamp right here.
Check out the kick-ass first track "The Lights Are Off But Somebody's Home" below. Also, Grey's home was recently featured in the New York Times, have a look right here.
The Third Mind's new four-track Spellbinder! LP is drawn from recordings made during the Right Now! sessions with remixes by Tchad Blake.
Here's the scoop...
Psych-rock collective The Third Mind have just released Spellbinder!, a companion album to last year's critically praised Right Now! It returns the band to the free-flowing improvisational spirit at the heart of the concept that first brought the members together: spontaneous musical conversation.
A companion piece to the album, Right Now!, this collection contains additional recordings from those sessions, as well as Tchad Blake remixes and reworkings of songs from Right Now! All recordings, except for “Reap What You Sow,” have never been released. The psychedelic supergroup featuring Dave Alvin, Victor Krummenacher, David Immerglück, Michael Jerome, and Jesse Sykes continues to defy expectations and genre.
Steam the Spellbinder! album and pick up your copy at thethirdmind.lnk.to/Spellbinder. The Third Mind are currently on tour – check their site https://www.thethirdmind.net/for a show near you... if you happen to live in northern California or Reno, Nevada.
The Third Mind - Spellbinder!
1. Spellbinder (Tchad Blake Mix) 8:39
2. Reap What You Sow 6:43
3. Before We Said Goodbye (with strings) 5:44
4. Darkness, Darkness/The Creator Has a Master Plan (Tchad Blake Remix) 14:50
Watch a Third Mind performance of "Darkness, Darkness/The Creator Has A Master Plan" shot at Garcia's in Chicago last year.
Hot off the presses, Dave Alvin's latest Third Mind album "Right Now!" will be released Friday via Yep Roc Records.
Writes Dave Alvin...
"This is me and Victor Krummenacher getting giddy seeing our new album cover for The Third Mind for the first time. I know the music is great, but I was also blown away by the fantastic cover! Hell, I would buy this record even if I didn’t know how cool the music is."
Right Now! sleeve art by Lou Beach, layout by Victor Krummenacher.
The Third Mind – Right Now!
While The Third Mind may be a supergroup—the band consists of Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Alvin (The Blasters), bassist Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker), drummer Michael Jerome (Richard Thompson, John Cale), guitarist David Immergluck (Counting Crows, John Hiatt), and singer/songwriter Jesse Sykes—the quintet’s mesmerizing new album, Right Now! (out Friday, September 19 via Yep Roc Records), is as ego-less a record as you’ll find. Captured over four days in LA, the collection is a masterclass in being present, in letting go of control and embracing the thrill of collaboration. The recordings represent a singular moment—completely unscripted, completely unrehearsed—and the performances are as unpredictable as they are engrossing, blurring the lines between psychedelic rock, folk, blues, and soul on tunes from artists as diverse as Elizabeth Cotton and Pharoah Sanders.
Jesse Sykes is out front managing most of the vocals on this album. Dave Alvin joins Jesse on “Reno, Nevada,” which will be the single serviced to radio (watch the video below). Sticking with the tradition the band has established, the album includes cover songs including: “Shake Sugaree” (written by Elizabeth Cotten), “Reap What You So” (originally recorded by Otis Rush), “Darkness, Darkness” (originally recorded by The Youngbloods), “The Creator Has A Master Plan,” by Leon Thomas. “Before We Said Goodbye,” is an original written by Dave Alvin and Jesse Sykes. The album cover includes artwork from Lou Beach (who did the cover for Dave Alvin's first solo album, and the last two Third Mind albums).
Inspired by the improvisational albums of Miles Davis, Alvin and Krummenacher started the band as an experiment, inviting some of their most talented friends for a free-form session that would become The Third Mind’s self-titled 2020 debut. American Songwriter hailed the result as “a captivating, often enthralling journey,” while the New York Times triangulated its sound between “Appalachia, the Byrds, and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme.” The band returned with The Third Mind 2 in 2023, and captured dates on their subsequent US tour for 2025’s sprawling Third Mind Live, featuring guitarist Mark Karan (Ratdog, Phil Lesh).
You can get a copy of The Third Mind's new album "Right Now!" via Bandcamp right here: https://ffm.to/rightnowalbum. Check out the video for The Third Mind's "Reno, Nevada" along with an audio clip of their cover of "Darkness, Darkness" sung by Jesse Sykes followed by some performance footage recently shot at HopMonk Tavern in Novato, California.
Sadly, Art Fein, host of Art Fein's Poker Party and rock 'n' roll's best friend has passed away. He'll be greatly missed!
Dave Alvin remembers Art Fein
Extremely sad hearing of the passing of Art Fein.
There is so much to say about Art. A music journalist, a passionate (though always nicely cynical) true believer in rock and roll, rockabilly and other raw creations, a sometime band manager/advocate for The Cramps, The Blasters and other notable groups, a public access television host (check out his old Little Art's Poker Party shows on YouTube), a sneaky photographer and a complicated friend. I'll save the details for the eventual memoir but for now, I'll just say a belated, sincere thank you to Art, for everything he did for The Blasters and me.
Back in the early days of The Blasters, when few outside of Rollin' Rock Records knew or cared who we were, Art cared deeply.
In late 1979/early 1980, I was a wannabe poet working as a fry cook in Long Beach. I was also a clumsy guitar basher in a R&B combo from Downey who was beginning to write songs for my brother to sing. One of those songs was called Marie Marie.
Long story short: Art Fein played Marie to a Welsh rock and roll singer named Shakin' Stevens, who quickly recorded my song and made it into a huge international hit (everywhere except the USofA). Thanks to Art Fein (and the ensuing BMI royalty checks), I was soon able to quit my job as a cook and pursue music.songwriting and rockin' n' rollin' full time.
I can never, ever thank you enough for all you did for me, Art. Especially for ending my career as a fry cook.
The Blasters 5LP set from Liberation Hall will be strictly limited to 1000 numbered copies available only in the U.S. on April 12th.
Here's the scoop from Chris Morris...
Now it can be told: Last fall, I spent nearly three months working on the five-LP collection you see here, which will go on sale as an exclusive Record Store Day release from Liberation Hall on April 12, in a slipcased, hand-numbered edition of only 1,000 copies. This set, which will be available only in the U.S., comprises the Blasters’ four original studio albums released by Rollin’ Rock Records and Slash/Warner Bros. Records, which are replicated with the original jacket art and inner sleeves, and a fifth LP of studio outtakes and the tracks recorded for Walter Hill’s film “Streets of Fire.”
I co-produced the set with my conspirator Antone DeSantis, who has done the heavy lifting on the label’s Blasters-related releases of the last two years. For the 24-page color booklet, I wrote a new 10,000-word essay about the band’s music and history, with fresh input from the members. There are also a lot of great photographs, many of them previously unpublished, by Gary Leonard, Michael Hyatt, Ed Colver, and mi hermano Joel Aparicio, who took the photos that appear in my Los Lobos book. (That’s Joel’s fantastic shot on the cover of the box.) A replica of a poster that was produced to promote the 1983 album “Non Fiction” is included.
We had a very narrow window to pull this together in time for RSD, and the work was exhausting, but it got done in due time and we’re very proud of the results. I certainly couldn’t be prouder of the booklet, which I view as a monument in writing to a band I’ve loved for 45 years. Note: As this set is extremely limited, if you want your local store to stock it on RSD, you should make a request now. – Chris Morris
Check out The Blasters tearin' it up live in '85 below.
Along with new versions of David Olney's songs by Mary Gauthier, Dave Alvin and Buddy Miller, the tribute album has a rare Townes Van Zandt live recording.
Here's the scoop from New West Records HQ...
New West Records is proud to release Can’t Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney. This album features new versions of David Olney songs recorded by Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Willis Alan Ramsey, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Gauthier, Jim Lauderdale, and Buddy Miller among others. The tracklist is also highlighted by a never-before released live recording by Townes Van Zandt, and produced by Gwil Owen.
Originally from Rhode Island, Olney moved to Nashville in the early ‘70s and fell in with a group of songwriters including Townes Van Zandt, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Guy Clark, and Rodney Crowell. With his rock band David Olney and the X-Rays he toured tirelessly. He went on to release a string of brilliant albums and his songs were recorded by Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Del McCoury, Linda Ronstadt, and many others. But the bright lights of stardom never shone on David, and he died the way he lived: onstage in a club, far from home, singing a song.
This album gathers some of David’s friends and colleagues to pay tribute to his unique vision. Many of these artists are legends in their own right; all are here because of their deep admiration and respect for the man and his Songs. Get a copy of Can't Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney via Bandcamp right here. If it's out of stock on vinyl, New West Records should have more copies available for ordering directly the week of November 18th. Check their site right here. Listen to a few songs, including Townes Van Zandt's live reading of "Illegal Cargo" following the tracklisting and endorsements.
Can't Steal My Fire: The Songs Of David Olney
1. Deeper Well - Lucinda Williams 5:40
2. Sister Angelina - Steve Earle 3:17
3. Voices on the Water - The McCrary Sisters 3:27
4. Jerusalem Tomorrow - Buddy Miller 4:35
5. If My Eyes Were Blind - The Steeldrivers 3:38
6. Women Across the River - Willis Alan Ramsey 3:31
7. 1917 - Mary Gauthier 5:11
8. Always the Stranger - R.B. Morris 4:36
9. If It Wasn’t for the Wind - Jimmie Dale Gilmore 3:26
10. Running From Love - Anana Kaye 4:53
11. That’s My Story - Greg Brown 4:44
12. Sonnet #40 - David Olney 1:19
13. Titanic - Afton Wolfe 4:17
14. Steal My Thunder - Dave Alvin with the Rick Holmstrom Trio 6:09
15. Delta Blue - Jim Lauderdale 3:34
16. She’s Alone Tonight - Janis Ian 3:34
17. Illegal Cargo - Townes Van Zandt 3:10
“My father’s songs were true, they were strong, and they were enough to hold him. Death is tragic and reckless and still somehow his passing was a rare and beautiful event. A final magic trick, a sort of perfect symmetry played out. Flame snuffed out while a gentle apology was uttered into this cruel and glorious world. He was a dark eyed man, tender, comedic and profound; tapped into life in a unique and expansive way. Driven to roam, the lonely highway kind and yet incredibly empathetic. He was deeply of this world and also outside of it – observing it. His gaze was honest, seeing both darkness and light. He was angry and he was hopeful. He spoke in many voices – gentle and vicious, ashamed and joyful but always simple and beautiful, always genuine. He did not use people, he did not use stories, he lived within them. And he died the way he lived – in a song. This project shines a light on those songs. The friends and comrades on this album knew and loved my father through and because of his songs. They have come together to make this beautiful tribute to him and his words in their own voices. A song is a dream –A dream is sometimes a prayer – You hope they are heard. I hope these are heard.”–Lillian Olney
“David Olney tells marvelous stories, with characters who cling to the hope of enduring love, all the while crossing the deep divide into that long, dark night of the soul.”– Emmylou Harris
“Mr. Olney never had a hit single or won a Grammy Award, but in folk-rock and Americana circles, he is revered for his poetic sensibility and gruff-voiced storytelling, especially by his fellow songwriters, including his musical hero, Townes Van Zandt.”– The New York Times
“Anytime anyone asks me who my favorite music writers are, I say Mozart, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bob Dylan and Dave Olney. Dave Olney is one of the best songwriters I’ve ever heard.”– Townes Van Zandt
Check out Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore knocking out a few tunes from their Texicali album.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore – TexiCali
Behind blistering blues licks, TexiCali doubles as a roadtrip across Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s beloved home states and the memories within, honoring shared musical influences, friends gone too soon and all they’ve endured along the way. These folk heroes have now evolved their unbreakable bond into a fully-fledged musical and songwriting partnership.
TexiCali continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore).
Its 11 songs also connect their shared fondness for a broad range of American music forms. On their own, both have been prominent artists for decades. A philosophical songwriter with a captivating, almost mystical voice, Gilmore co-founded influential Lubbock group the Flatlanders in the early 1970s. Alvin first drew attention as a firebrand guitarist and budding young songwriter with Los Angeles roots-rockers the Blasters in the early 1980s.
They’re both quick to credit the musicians who joined them in the studio as crucial to the sound and spirit of the album. On Downey To Lubbock, they recorded primarily in Los Angeles with a crew that included ringers such as the late Don Heffington on drums and Van Dyke Parks on accordion. This time, though, Alvin’s longtime rhythm section of drummer Lisa Pankratz and bassist Brad Fordham played a larger role, along with guitarist Chris Miller and keyboardist Bukka Allen.
“After the time we spent touring, Jimmie and I became members of this band,” Alvin says. “The band can play just about anything, which the album shows off.”
TexiCali also found Alvin and Gilmore increasingly focusing on original songs. Among them are “Trying To Be Free,” which Gilmore wrote more than 50 years ago; “Southwest Chief,” a collaboration between Alvin and the late Bill Morrissey; and “Death of the Last Stripper,” which Alvin wrote with Terry Allen and his wife Jo Harvey Allen.
Get a copy of Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore's TexiCali album right here. Watch their recent KEXP performance below. Catch Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore on tour with the Guilty Ones at The Sportsmen's Tavern in Buffalo on October 25 since they're not playing Toronto on the current swing. See a list of their upcoming tour dates below and follow this link: davealvin.net/tour for tickets.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore on tour
10/22 - New York, NY - Grammy Museum at WNYC Greene Space
10/23 - Homer, NY - Center for the Arts of Homer *
10/25 - Buffalo, NY - Sportsmens Tavern *
10/26 - Pittsburg, PA - City Winery Pittsburgh *
10/27 - Charleston, WV - Mountain Stage Radio Show
Singer/songwriter Dave Alvin – who just released TexiCali album with Jimmie Dale Gilmore – will be fêted at the Ryman Sept. 18
Writes Dave Alvin...
“I’m shocked and honored by this news today. At the Ash Grove, I saw one of Rev. Gary Davis’ last performances when I was 15 years old, and I can’t believe I’m being mentioned in the same sentence as him.“ – Dave Alvin
Thank you, Americana Music Association for all your support!
AMA Announces 2024 Lifetime Achievement Honorees
The Americana Music Association has just announced this year’s Lifetime Achievement Honorees for its 23rd Annual Americana Honors & Awards show on Wednesday, September 18. This group of top-honor recipients includes Dave Alvin, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Dwight Yoakam and Don Was. This year’s honorees will be celebrated during the prestigious ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium.
Dave Alvin. From the kinetic fury of The Blasters with his brother Phil to a decades-long solo career replete with songs from the moving to the mystical, Dave Alvin has made good on his claim that he makes “both kinds of folk music – quiet and loud.” As a songwriter, poet, and producer, Alvin helped the West Coast roots and country music scene of the 1980s and 1990s become legendary. His leather jacket and famous red neck bandana tell that story as part of a major exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Downey, California, native won a Grammy for his 2000 traditional folk album, Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land. Dave Alvin's new TexiCali album recorded with Jimmie Dale Gilmore is out now. Get a copy right here. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" below.
The Blind Boys of Alabama revolutionized Black gospel music in the 1940s and 1950s with an ecstatic performance style, charismatic audience engagement, and a break from the a cappella tradition – a grooving rhythm section. Established in Talladega, Alabama, in 1939, the group adapted to their times while never crossing over into pop. Several generations of singers and leaders inspired and preserved their approach, chiefly Clarence Fountain, George Scott, Sam Butler, and Jimmy Carter. They were signed by Peter Gabriel and produced by Booker T. Jones. They toured with Tom Petty and recorded with Lou Reed. They’ve won five Grammy Awards, performed at the White House three times, and earned numerous other honours.
Rev. Gary Davis was a pioneer of the Piedmont blues tradition, singing both sacred and secular songs with a ragtime feeling and intricate guitar counterpoint. He left his South Carolina home to entertain working people in the tobacco markets of Durham, North Carolina. Later in New York, his career blossomed again as a fixture in the folk revival of the 1960s. His songs and interpretations influenced the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, Jorma Kaukonen and legions of others. Davis is the recipient of the Legacy Award presented in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM).
Shelby Lynne has steered a fiercely independent path to become one of the most respected singers and songwriting artists in American music, through her immaculate reconception of country soul. The Alabama native was working with producer Billy Sherrill and recording for Epic Records by age 21. Her breakout album I Am Shelby Lynne helped secure a Best New Artist Grammy in 2001, and her Dusty Springfield homage Just A Little Lovin’ is regarded as a classic. Her many collaborations have included timeless recordings and performances with her younger sister, Allison Moorer.
Dwight Yoakam‘s electrifying songwriting, impeccable style, and singular voice have made him one of the most revolutionary and influential country recording artists of all time. Rooted in Eastern Kentucky bluegrass and old-time music, Yoakam moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. What followed was a string of historic albums in the 1980s and ’90s that revitalized and expanded the Bakersfield and honky-tonk country traditions, earning him multiple GRAMMY Awards. His cowpunk cool blended traditional country with a modern rock sensibility, and his broad appeal transcended the core country audience, paving the way for the alt-country movement that would later evolve into Americana.
Don Was has been the longstanding bass player in the Americana Honors and Awards house band, but of course he is so much more. Indeed his career stretches the words eclectic and accomplishedinto new territory. He grew up in Detroit on blues, rock and jazz and established the pop/rock band Was (Not Was) in the 1980s. As a producer, he went supernova with major collaborations with Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson and more. Since 2012 he’s been president of the historic jazz label Blue Note Records. He’s earned five Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year.
The Americana Honors & Awards ceremony serves as the hallmark event of the association’s annual AMERICANAFEST, taking place September 17-21 in Nashville.
“This year’s Lifetime Achievement honourees represent multiple facets of American roots music. It is a privilege to recognize and celebrate the incredible careers of these artists. We look forward to another exceptional night at the Ryman Auditorium,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association and Foundation.
In addition to these Lifetime Achievement Awards, the association will honour distinguished members of the music community with six member-voted awards. View this year’s nominees here.
For more than two decades, the prestigious ceremony has celebrated pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers while featuring unforgettable moments in musical history, including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash’s last live performance together, as well as offering show-stopping appearances by k.d. lang, Van Morrison, Mavis Staples, Bob Weir, Buddy Guy, George Strait, Don Henley, the late John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes, Solomon Burke, Rosanne Cash, the late Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Irma Thomas, Levon Helm, Robert Plant and many more.
Tickets to the Americana Honors & Awards will go on sale to Silver Passholders on June 26, and association members, Festival Passholders, and the general public at a later date. AMERICANAFEST passes are on sale here. For more information on the association and AMERICANAFEST, please visit www.americanamusic.org.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore just put out their new TexiCali record today. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" below.
Here's the scoop...
Behind blistering blues licks, TexiCali doubles as a roadtrip across Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s beloved home states and the memories within, honoring shared musical influences, friends gone too soon and all they’ve endured along the way. These folk heroes have now evolved their unbreakable bond into a fully-fledged musical and songwriting partnership.
TexiCali continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore). Its 11 songs also connect their shared fondness for a broad range of American music forms. On their own, both have been prominent artists for decades. A philosophical songwriter with a captivating, almost mystical voice, Gilmore co-founded influential Lubbock group the Flatlanders in the early 1970s. Alvin first drew attention as a firebrand guitarist and budding young songwriter with Los Angeles roots-rockers the Blasters in the early 1980s.
They’re both quick to credit the musicians who joined them in the studio as crucial to the sound and spirit of the album. On Downey To Lubbock, they recorded primarily in Los Angeles with a crew that included ringers such as the late Don Heffington on drums and Van Dyke Parks on accordion. This time, though, Alvin’s longtime rhythm section of drummer Lisa Pankratz and bassist Brad Fordham played a larger role, along with guitarist Chris Miller and keyboardist Bukka Allen.
“After the time we spent touring, Jimmie and I became members of this band,” Alvin says. “The band can play just about anything, which the album shows off.”
TexiCali also found Alvin and Gilmore increasingly focusing on original songs. Among them are “Trying To Be Free,” which Gilmore wrote more than 50 years ago; “Southwest Chief,” a collaboration between Alvin and the late Bill Morrissey; and “Death of the Last Stripper,” which Alvin wrote with Terry Allen and his wife Jo Harvey Allen.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore's new album TexiCali is out today (June 21st) via Yep Roc Records – get a copy right here. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" along with an audio clip of "Southwest Chief" following the track listing below.
Long Distance Love features the songs of Lowell George reprised by Dave Alvin, Eleni Mandell, Elvis Costello and others.
Here's the scoop...
Lowell George was the guitar virtuoso, vocalist and songwriter for Little Feat. In this new Long Distance Love collection of 25 songs, artists including Eleni Mandell, Dave Alvin, Elvis Costello, Miles Tackett, Larry Goldings, Ben Harper and Lowell's daughter Inara George interpret and perform the music from his diverse catalog. Born in Hollywood, Lowell George was a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention before leaving to form Little Feat with keyboardist Bill Payne, drummer Richie Hayward and bassist Roy Estrada in 1969. Lowell performed and recorded with the band for eight albums until his passing in 1979. His legacy lives on with the Sweet Relief tribute album Long Distance Love released by Flatiron Recordings on May 17th. Get a copy right here.
Check the track listing below followed by some Old Grey Whistle Test footage of Little Feat including a performance of "Long Distance Love" at a North Hollywood studio back in 1975.
Long Distance Love: A Sweet Relief Tribute to Lowell George
1. Trouble - Mike Viola
2. Cold, Cold, Cold - Joachim Cooder
3. Long Distance Love - Elvis Costello
4. Heartache - Bedouine
5. I've Been the One - Bhi Bhiman
6. Rock 'N' Roll Doctor - Miles Tackett
7. Be One Now - Lady Blackbird
8. . Love Needs a Heart - Madison Cunningham
9. Easy to Slip - Jonah Tolchin
10. Dixie Chicken - Eleni Mandell and Milo Jones
11. Roll 'Um Easy - Ben Harper
12. Lafayette Railroad - Larry Goldings
13. 6 Feet of Snow - Jack Shit
14. Cheek to Cheek - Gaby Moreno I Two Trains Running - Chris Seefried
15. China White - Chris Stills
16. A Apolitical Blues - Dave Alvin
17. Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Sugaray Rayford
18. Sailin' Shoes - Taylor Goldsmith
19. Spanish Moon - Inara George
20. . Rocket in My Pocket - Sam Morrow
21. Willin' - Jonathan Wilson
22. Teenage Nervous Breakdown - The Bird and the Bee
Modi Frank & Exene Cervenka's silent 1986 short film "Bad Day" features X's John Doe, Dave Alvin and a future Oscar-winner.
Here's the scoop on Bad Day...
Made in 1986, “Bad Day” is an unusual collection of musicians, A-list actors, Hollywood legends and award winning literati, can now be seen around the world. “Bad Day” is also a unique partnership between classic black and white film stock and the power of talented friends.
Before he danced with wolves, Academy Award winning director/actor Kevin Costner (“Yellowstone”, “Dances With Wolves”, “Bull Durham”, “Field of Dreams”) made a western short film that also features legendary X front man John Doe (“Great Balls of Fire”, “Roswell”, “Boogie Nights”), Grammy Award winner, musician Dave Alvin, and Oscar-winning author of “Dances With Wolves”, writer Michael Blake.
Shot in 1986 at a secret location near Chatsworth, California “Bad Day” is a 20-minute tribute to the early days of the one-reel, silent Westerns. Photographed and co-written by the Queen of L.A. Punk, X singer Exene Cervenka, and directed by award-winning filmmaker and music video director, Modi Frank, this film also offers an elegant and poignant soundtrack by Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Dave Alvin along with X and The Knitters drummer, D. J. Bonebrake.
Exene Cervenka fondly recalls: “It was a blast to write, envision and then film. We have talented friends, all up for a project, and we froze a moment in history. It was one of the best times Modi and I have ever had.”
Modi Frank, director of “Bad Day” recalls: ”There’s are lot of behind the scenes tales but what in the end we all wanted capture a moment, to protect an important picture with a frame. And we did that with this shoot em’ up short film”
Modi is known for directing groundbreaking music videos such as “Mountain Song” by Jane’s Addiction. Modi is best known for directing music videos and projects for artists such as Henry Rollins, Jane’s Addiction, Iggy Pop, Prince and many others. Modi’s award-winning comedy short films have been seen at film festivals around the world and her music videos, documentaries and films have garnered numerous awards.
Dave Alvin, Michael Jerome and crew will be playing songs from The Third Mind "2" starting in Portland on January 11.
Here's the scoop on The Third Mind 2...
Featuring an all-star eclectic ensemble of like-minded musicians–Jesse Sykes (acoustic guitar, vocals); Dave Alvin (electric guitar); Victor Krummenacher (bass guitar/harmonium/mellotron); David Immerglück (guitar); and Michael Jerome (drums/percussion)– The Third Mind 2 reflects the band members varied musical histories with a “no safety parachute” recording approach using free-form studio techniques, no rehearsals, no preconceived arrangements, and recording spontaneous group improvisations live in studio.
The six-song set, which runs the length of three LP sides, showcases songs written in the 1960s including, “Groovin’ is Easy,” “Why Not Your Baby,” “Sally Go Round The Roses,” among others, and an original composition, “Tall Grass,” written by Jesse Sykes and Dave Alvin for the album. Available for pre-order on CD, Digital and LP formats, the fourth LP side features The Third Mind Mandala etching by Tony Fitzpatrick.
Produced by The Third Mind, the album was recorded by Will Golden at Sir Tiger Studio in Los Angeles, CA, mixed by Craig Parker Adams at Winslow Court Studios in Los Angeles, and mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering.
Get a copy of The Third Mind 2 via your platform of choice right here. Grab tickets while you can for the The Third Mind's show a Portland's Mississippi Studios on January 11th following clips of The Third Mind's performance at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.
The Third Mind on tour
JAN 11 Mississippi Studios @ 8:00pm Portland, OR
JAN 12 The Crocodile @ 8:00pm Seattle, WA
JAN 13 WOW Hall @ 8:00pm Eugene, OR
JAN 18 Mystic Theatre @ 7:30pm Petaluma, CA
JAN 19 Moe's Alley @ 8:00pm Santa Cruz, CA
JAN 20 The Chapel @ 8:00pm San Francisco, CA
JAN 31 Belly Up @ 8:00pm Solana Beach, CA
FEB 1 Pappy & Harriet's @ 8:00pm Pioneertown, CA
FEB 2 The Troubadour @ 7:00pm West Hollywood, CA
FEB 3 Ventura Music Hall @ 7:00pm Ventura, CA
Get tickets for The Third Mind show at Portland's Mississippi Studios on January 11 right here.
Check out "Borderland" from Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore who kick off a new tour next week in Santa Ynez, CA.
About the song "Borderland," Jimmie Dale Gilmore says...
“The Big Bend of the Rio Grande River, which in Mexico is called Rio Bravo Del Norte, is one of the most magnificent geographical features of our world. It is a vast, rugged, and beautiful landscape that holds a mysterious attraction for some people. It is the borderland between two cultures, two countries, and, in a way, at least two contrasting worldviews. My wife and I have spent as much time there as possible for many years, and this song is an attempt to evoke a feeling of the place. A strange sense of something deeply familiar and yet, at the same time, completely alien. Maybe all true love songs are made of something like this.”
Get a digital version of "Borderland" right here: https://ffm.to/borderland. Have a listen and check out Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore's upcoming tour dates below.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Guilty Ones on tour
Feb 22 – Santa Ynez, CA Tales From The Tavern SOLD OUT
Feb 23 – Ventura, CA Ventura Music Hall
Feb 24 – Bakersfield, CA WorldRecords Bakersfield
Feb 25 – Felton, CA Felton Music Hall
Feb 26 – Auburn, CA @oddfellows007
Feb 28 – Petaluma, CA @MysticTheatre SOLD OUT
March 2 – San Juan Capistrano, CA Coach House Concert Hall
March 3 – Phoenix, AZ @RhythmRoomPhx SOLD OUT
March 4 – Tucson, AZ Rialto Theater, Tucson, Arizona
Blasters' songwriter/guitarist Dave Alvin wants to make it clear New Highway is not a tell-all memoir. That's still in the works.
Here's the scoop from Dave Alvin...
I'm extremely excited and a bit nervous to announce that today is the big release day for my latest book
New Highway: Selected Lyrics, Poems, Prose, Essays, Eulogies And Blues.
It's published by BMG Books and is available now from both the major online book sellers (you know who I mean) as well as from your favorite local bookstore.
Included in this collection are the words to many of my songs that you normally can't hear over the enthusiastic din of my often too loud guitar. There are also various pieces I've written over the years for newspapers, magazines, small press poetry journals and album liner notes as well as many never before published musings from my personal notebooks.
I must stress that it's not a memoir (that book is coming soon) but an anthology of my writings on music, musicians, songwriters, poets, (with a few colorful nere-do-wells popping up occasionally) and how they've affected, inspired and guided me throughout my life/career. I sincerely hope that some of the pieces in New Highway might help inspire and guide you as well as we make our way through our wild, insane, beautiful world.
You can get New Highway via Dave Alvin's site: https://www.davealvin.net. Dave tells you about his latest book right here.
1964 Stratocaster by Fender and handmade DA pillow (above) by Michelle Van Halen.
