Season's Greetings from Scott McCaughey & The Minus 5

Here's a spirited yuletide ripper from Scott McCaughey off the Minus 5's Dear December album from 2017. 

You can still get the Minus 5's Dear December album from Yep Roc or your fave streaming platform right here.  

Stars come out for salute to NRBQ's Joey Spampinato

Party For Joey, a Sweet Relief tribute album celebrating the work of NRBQ's Joey Spampinato, is out now via True North.

Here's the scoop from True North...

True North Records has just released Party For Joey: A Sweet Relief Tribute to Joey Spampinato, which features a lengthy list of friends and fans of the NRBQ founding member/bassist saluting him with 14 versions of their own previously unreleased versions of Spampinato-penned songs.

A Sweet Relief Tribute to Joey Spampinato is an inspired album recorded by an astounding group of musicians including Los Lobos, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Case, Ben Harper, The Minus 5, Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale, Chris Spedding, Robbie Fulks, Deer Tick, She & Him, Steve Forbert and Al Anderson who are all generously donating their proceeds from these recordings to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to support Joey with his current health issues. The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability or age-related problems.

Joey Spampinato, a singer, songwriter and bassist, was co-founder of the legendary NRBQ, a rock quartet whose genre-defying music continues to inspire generations of music fans and fellow musicians. Many of those musicians answered the call from Joey’s wife Kami Lyle and producer Sheldon Gomberg when they contacted them about recording one of Joey’s songs for an album to help raise funds for Joey when it was revealed he was battling cancer.

Check out the contributions from Peter Case, Ben Harper (with Keith Richards, Charlie Musselwhite, Don Heffington & Benmont Tench), Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale, The Minus 5 and Al Anderson following the complete track listing below. 

Party For Joey: A Sweet Relief Tribute to Joey Spampinato 

Al Anderson – “You Can't Hide” - Original Release: 1980 on Tiddlywinks 

Los Lobos – “Every Boy, Every Girl” - Original Release: 1987 on God Bless Us All

Deer Tick – “That I Get Back Home” - Original Release: 1980 on Tiddlywinks

Ben Harper with Keith Richards, Charlie Musselwhite, Benmont Tench, Don Was & Don Heffington – “Like a Locomotive” - Original Release: 1989 on Wild Weekend

Peter Case – “Don't Knock At My Door” - Original Release: 1972 on Scraps

She & Him – “How Can I Make You Love Me” - Original Release: 1983 on Grooves in Orbit

The Minus 5 – “Don't She Look Good” - Original Release: 1979 on Kick Me Hard

Steve Forbert – “Beverly” - Original Release: 1986 on Uncommon Denominators

Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale – “How Will I Know” - Original Release: 2013 on Smiles

Bonnie Raitt & NRBQ – “Green Lights” - Original Release: 1978 on At Yankee Stadium

Robbie Fulks – “Chores” - Original Release: 1979 on Kick Me Hard

Penn And Teller – “Plenty of Somethin’” - Original Release: 1997 on You’re Nice People You Are

The Nils & Chris Spedding – “That's Alright” Original Release: 1977 on All Hopped Up

Kami Lyle with Joey – “First Crush”

Alejandro Escovedo enlists Peter Buck & Scott McCaughey for new album

Alejandro Escovedo brings Burn Something Beautiful to The Horseshoe November 23.

Alejandro Escovedo announced that his forthcoming album, Burn Something Beautiful – co-written & produced by Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey who also play on the recording – will be released by Fantasy Records on October 28.

Overseen by Alejandro's longtime pal, A&R man extraordinaire Bill Bentley, Burn Something Beautiful is described as a "deeply collaborative effort" recorded in Portland, Oregon with a stellar cast of contributors including Fastbacks guitarist Kurt Bloch, Decemberists drummer John Moen and Los Lobos saxophonist Steve Berlin. The cover art was shot by Nancy Rankin Escovedo and features Peter Buck hoisting what appears to be a mid-60s vintage Mosrite Joe Maphis double-neck guitar. Check "Heartbeat Smile," the first track off the album, right here. Get tickets for Alejandro's return to Toronto to play The Horseshoe November 23 via ticketfly.

Watch Alejandro perform an early composition "Five Hearts Breaking" and "Bottom Of The World" (co-written with Chuck Prophet) from 2012's Big Station album (below).

Minus 5 to issue five-LP box for Record Store Day

Entitled "Scott The Hoople In The Dungeon Of Horror", the M5 box set will be limited to just 750 copies! 

The Minus 5 vs. Neil Young

Scott McCaughey takes a little Neil Young with him wherever he goes.