Monthly Archives: June 2022

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Two decades ago today, Nelly unveiled his legendary second full-length offering, Nellyville, on June 25, 2002. Twenty years later, the St. Louis-raised GRAMMY® Award-winning hip-hop icon, actor, producer, and philanthropist presents the album on vinyl for the very first time July 29, 2022. The special 2LP release is available for pre-order in multiple configurations through UMe/Republic now.

Upon arrival, Nellyville bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and eventually earned a 7x-platinum certification from the RIAA buoyed by smashes such as the inescapable double-platinum “Hot In Herre,” “Dilemma” [feat. Kelly Rowland], “#1,” “Pimp Juice,” “Work It” [feat. Justin Timberlake], and more. Both “Hot In Herre” and “Dilemma” captured #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also took home a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Male Rap Solo Performance” for “Hot In Herre” out of three nominations, including “Album of the Year” and “Best Rap Album.” Speaking to its influence, Nellyville stands out as one of the “Top 15 Best-selling Rap Albums of All-Time.” It even lent its title to his hit reality show of the same name!

Additionally, Urban Legends will unleash a special Deluxe Edition of Nellyville with four bonus tracks. These include “Not In My House” and “Kings Highway” as well as the Copenhaniancs Remix of “Work It” and Corporate Mix of “Hot In Herre.” To celebrate the news, Nelly just uncovered the MTV non-movie version of the “#1” music video, which original graced the Soundtrack to the Academy Award-winning classic, Training Day, as well as videos for “Work It,” “N Dey Say,” and “Wadsyaname,” for the first time ever on the YouTube platform.

Regarding the record, Nelly commented, “Nellyville was the real moment when we realized our impact. The city, the whole Midwest, it was just Nellyville. Everybody that helped bring this project to life made it monumental and that’s why it still rings out like we just dropped it twenty years later.” Allow Nelly to welcome you back to Nellyville now!

Celebrating Fred Schneider in advance of his 71st birthday tomorrow. —Ed.

Fred Schneider is famous for his work in The B-52’s, but over the years he’s also released a pair of solo LPs, the second of which found him in some unexpected company and delivering a set of pumped-up, punked-out mania. But ‘96’s Just…Fred isn’t really an outlier in the man’s discography, standing instead as a brief manifestation of an alternate career possibility that also reinforces how the ‘90s produced all sorts of unusual musical documents. The record’s charms could easily encourage a little bit of the ol’ pogo and might even inspire a few appropriate laughs, so in the end it’s very much a part of Schneider’s MO.

I can still remember quite clearly the reaction of certain friends and acquaintances over the arrival of Just…Fred, the out-of-nowhere solo record from instantly recognizable vocalist Fred Schneider. The general idea expressed by these folks was that in deciding to record an LP with a certain highly opinionated and defiantly indie-minded producer and a bunch of oft-noisy underground rockers as his backing, Schneider had suddenly, out of the blue, gotten “hip.”

To put it kindly, that assessment only made any kind of sense if one’s historical perspective spanned back to around 1988 or so. To put it less kindly, it was simply malarkey, a belief wrapped up in denigrating The B-52’s mainstream breakthrough Cosmic Thing and its smash hit single “Love Shack” as unworthy of any serious consideration.

That song’s ability to cross nearly any kind of social lines in its soundtracking of celebrations of all sorts has almost turned it into a cultural inevitability. If you’ll be attending a wedding party any time soon, the smart money is on hearing “Love Shack,” and maybe more than once. The groom’s grandma might even start a conga line. In this writer’s perception the tune has become so associated with revelry that imagining a person listening to it while alone in their abode, simply sitting in a chair and perhaps eating an apple, seems rather ridiculous.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Today BMG announces The Byrds: 1964–1967, a new large-format 400-page collectible art book curated by the band’s three surviving founding members, and available in three versions, including a Super Deluxe Limited Edition signed by Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby. The Byrds: 1964–1967 is available for preorder now at www.byrdsbook.com.

When the Byrds released “Mr. Tambourine Man” in 1965, they introduced Bob Dylan’s songs to a new audience and launched a career that would see them grow to become one of the most influential rock bands of all time and eventual Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. With their unmistakable harmonies and Roger McGuinn’s innovative 12-string Rickenbacker guitar work, The Byrds never stopped experimenting. They incorporated folk, country, and jazz influences into a fresh blend that helped define an era. “And not to be too shallow,” Tom Petty once wrote, “but they also were just the best-dressed band around. They had those great clothes and hairdos.”

Now the band’s three surviving founding members—Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby—have come together to present The Byrds: 1964–1967, a large format tabletop book that offers a unique visual history of the group’s defining era. Featuring more than 500 images from legendary photographers such as Henry Diltz, Barry Feinstein, Curt Gunther, Jim Marshall, Linda McCartney, Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal, and Guy Webster, the book also includes restored images from the Columbia Records archives and the personal archives of the band’s original manager.

Accompanied by a running commentary featuring McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby’s memories of the group, the era, and their late compatriots Gene Clark and Michael Clarke, this carefully crafted volume is a truly unique collector’s item for Byrds fans and any collector of photography books featuring the pop culture of the 1960s.

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‘twas back in 2010 that Psychic Ills of NYC took part in Vol. 4 of RVNG Intl.’s FRKWYS series of intergenerational collaborations. The resulting three track EP offered remixes by Juan Adkins (pioneering Detroit House producer/DJ), Hans-Joachim Irmler (founding member of Krautrock kingpins Faust), and Gibby Haynes (founding member of Texas psychedelic punk maniacs Butthole Surfers). Released with the intention of honoring the life of Psychic Ills guitarist-vocalist Tres Warren, who passed in March of 2020, FRKWYS Vol. 4​.​5: Nowhere in the Night holds a full studio session between Psychic Ills and Haynes. It’s available now on vinyl in an edition of 400 copies.

The collaboration documented on FRKWYS Vol. 4​.​5 stems from solid roots, as Psychic Ills and Butthole Surfers were touring partners in 2009, a connection that went so swimmingly it spurred the request for that remix from Haynes for FRKWYS Vol. 4 (the track getting mixed; “I Take You As My Wife Again” from Psychic Ill’s second full-length, 2009’s Mirror Eye), with Haynes’ handiwork oozing an unsurprising and highly attractive fuckedness, so that a full-on studio shindig with the tape rolling was all but inevitable. The gathering took place in 2010 between 10pm on February 4 and 4am the next day.

Psychic Ills debuted in 2003, so by the six hour stretch that spawned Nowhere in the Night they were far from greenhorns, though RVNG Intl.’s intergenerational objective is fully realized on the recording, as those Buttholes released their first record in 1983, 20 years prior to Psychic Ills’ formation, when Tres Warren was roughly five years old.

But the connection between Haynes’ work in the Surfers, which helped to bring psychedelia into close contact with punk-era racket, and Psychic Ills’ own brand of heavy, at times experimental, and occasionally Krautrock-informed psych, is strong on Nowhere in the Night, and right away in the opening cut “No Way,” with its ominous pulse-throb, reverb drenched faux-Eastern guitar, and the spoken voice loop of the title phrase.

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MANSFIELD, MA | Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley was feeling free and easy during his 2022 Beers on Me tour this past weekend, making a stop outside of Boston at Xfinity Center. Showcasing his enthusiastic stage presence, he entertained fans who sang along to more than 20 of his number one singles. “We’ve had a lot of hits over the years and we’re trying to pack them all in for ya’ll,” Bentley said after asking the large crowd for recommendations on where to get the best “chowdah.”

Bentley continues to be a dominant voice for the genre with over 6.4 billion streams of some of country lovers’ favorite hits, including his latest single, “Beers on Me.” During this song on Friday, show opener Travis Denning helped Bentley hand out beers to thirsty fans, tossing cold brews into tipped cowboy hats. Denning and his band hyped up the crowd early on. The performers were grinning the entire set, looking like they were enjoying every moment and working on “lightin’ that summer on up.”

Ashley McBride has been on the ticket, but for the next few shows Elle King jumped on the tour in her place. A great surprise for fans who had the opportunity to hear King’s hits “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” and “Ex’s & Oh’s.” Her performance did not disappoint. With a husky, sweet sound, an on stage swagger and sly smile, King was unforgettable. Her addition to the tour was also a perfect opportunity for King and Bentley to sing their new song “Worth a Shot.”

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Celebrating Colin Hay, born on this day in 1953. —Ed.

Say what you will about the Australian new wave outfit Men at Work—not only did they make the most famous sandwich in the history of rock’n’roll they made it out of vegemite to boot, which an Aussie fella in a restaurant not long ago told me is completely inedible and to be to be avoided at all costs unless you want your taste buds to sue for divorce.

Men at Work produced songs that were as unprepossessing as their name, were frequently jabbed at for sounding too much like the Police, and enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame at the dawn of the eighties. And if I have a mild case of affection for Men at Work while despising the Police it’s because Men at Work aren’t remotely as pretentious as the Police, although being less pretentious than the Police is child’s play. Or maybe I like them because their lead singer has a lazy eye, which made watching their videos on MTV more interesting.

Anyway, Men at Work’s 1982 LP Business as Usual went monolithic and brought in enough moolah to open a kangaroo ranch or two. And this despite the band’s tame and yes even docile exterior, about which no one has ever cried, “Men at Work got my baby!” No, Men at Work did not truck in fury and revolt but simply did their job of producing likeable songs that you can pet without losing your hand. And I for one am glad they did so, because despite being as non-threatening as your average koala, Business as Usual contains some songs I really like even if I am not likely to ever fight about them.

Let me correct that. I will fight for “Down Under,” which boasts a spritely flute, a catchy beat, and some of the weirdest lyrics you’ll ever hear. Why it oozes existential dis-ease, does “Down Under,” what with old lazy eye, or Colin Hay to you, tossing off such great lines as, “Traveling in a fried-out Kombi/On a hippie trail, head full of zombie/I met a strange lady, she made me nervous/She took me in and gave me breakfast.” I’ve spent hours mulling over these lyrics, and things only get weirder as the song goes on—we follow Hay to an opium den in Bombay, watch him get offered a vegemite sandwich by a circus strong man in Brussels, and all this time thunder is roiling and poor Hay is being told to run for cover.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Jim James has announced the release of Regions of Light and Sound of God (Deluxe Reissue), a newly expanded edition of his landmark 2013 debut solo album available via ATO Records on Friday, July 29.

Regions of Light and Sound of God (Deluxe Reissue) includes the original nine-song album along with a bonus LP featuring 12 rare B-sides, previously unreleased demos, and alternate takes, presented as a 2xLP on clear vinyl with an opaque purple “color-in-color” effect, with a deluxe tip-on gatefold jacket with rainbow foil, custom inner-sleeves, labels, and fold-out insert with new artwork. Pre-orders are available now.

“I have changed a lot since then, many times over,” says James. “So, in a lot of ways, it’s like a time machine, thinking about these songs, remembering what life was like back then. What I have gained and lost since. It makes me feel grateful for all of the gifts I have been given and for all of the love I have experienced in my life. It also makes me really miss some people, places, and things as well that I know I can never get back.

It’s wild how as we age, we become more and more aware, more and more conscious, at least it seems that way to me. For most of my life, I feel like I was just RUNNING…trying my best but not fully conscious or aware of what was really happening. So lost—for better or worse. Not that we ever will be fully aware of anything but when I look back a lot of the time, I get this feeling where I am just blown away by how much we change as life goes on, and it seems to me one of the supreme gifts of getting older is increased awareness.”

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Arthur Brown…the very mention of the name conjures images of demonic bellowing and flaming headgear (see above). For those unfamiliar, ‘twas he who belted out “Fire,” one of the wildest leftfield hits of the 1960s as leader of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Often called a one hit wonder, he subsequently achieved much of interest, with Long Long Road his latest, out now on vinyl (red or black), in a 2CD set + hardback book, and in a limited box set that includes 180 gram vinyl (orange marble) in a gatefold sleeve, the 2CD + book, a bonus 7-inch, a wall flag, four art prints, and a numbered certificate of authenticity signed by Brown, all via Prophecy Productions and Magnetic Eye Records.

Released in 1968 on Kit Lambert’s Track Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in North America, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s eponymous debut LP is one of the stranger records of its era, but even more twisted is its 1969 follow-up Strangelands, so bent in fact that it didn’t come out until 1988, courtesy of the Reckless label of the UK.

Not long after, Brown split to form Kingdom Come and released three albums, Galactic Zoo Dossier (1971), its title the inspiration for the excellent psychedelic zine by Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow), Kingdome Come (1972), and Journey (1973), all compiled by Esoteric Recordings with plenty of bonus stuff into a 2021 CD box set Eternal Messenger (An Anthology 1970-1973).

Note that after Brown left The Crazy World, the rest of his band became Rustic Hinge, a mostly instrumental outfit influenced by Captain Beefheart. Their terrific sole recording, with Brown singing on one track, was issued long posthumously in 1988 by Reckless as Replicas (and with most of it added to the CD releases of Strangelands).

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | OFF!, the punk braintrust formed in 2010 by Keith Morris (ex-Black Flag, Circle Jerks) and Dimitri Coats (ex-Burning Brides), recently announced they’d signed to the meticulously curated indie powerhouse Fat Possum for both future releases and back catalog reissues.

Details of the latter have just surfaced, with vinyl reissues of the band’s acclaimed first three albums set for release in late July. Comprising deluxe colored vinyl editions of 2010’s First Four EPs (available for the first time ever on LP format, replete with gatefold sleeve), 2012’s OFF!, and 2014’s Wasted Years, the reissues are available for pre order now.

Recently OFF! unveiled their first new recording in seven years: a cover of Metallica’s “Holier Than Thou” that marked the debut of their powerful new rhythm section: bassist Autry Fulbright II (…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead) and drummer Justin Brown (Thundercat, Herbie Hancock).

The injection of new energy into the band’s signature high-anxiety hardcore adds a potent swing to the trademark incendiary thrust. The band are currently working on a plethora of projects, including their first studio album with the new lineup and their long-gestating feature film Free LSD. More to come soon.