VIA PRESS RELEASE | Much like Santa Claus himself, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong devoted his life to “the cause of happiness,” as he once put it, bringing joy to audiences around the globe every time he put his trumpet to his lips or crooned with his instantly-recognizable, gravelly voice. Yet, while Satchmo’s holiday recordings have become standard yuletide fare, he never released a Christmas album during his lifetime. Now, for the very first time, Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule—out October 28 via Verve Records/UMe, presents Armstrong’s holiday recordings as a cohesive body of work, marking his first-ever official Christmas album.

Since his passing in 1971, Armstrong has become one of the most oft-played artists during the holiday season, his golden trumpet tone still able to cut through the din of even the most bustling shopping mall. Available for pre-order today, Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule features nearly the entirety of Armstrong’s holiday output: six Decca singles from the ‘50s, including “Cool Yule,” “Christmas Night in Harlem,” and the swinging “‘Zat You Santa Claus?.” The 11-track album also features duets with two of Pops’ favorite vocal partners, Velma Middleton (“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”) and Ella Fitzgerald (“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”). An official video for the Louis and Ella classic debuts today, hand-drawn by director and animator JonJon in his distinctive “line and shape” style.

Rounding out the collection is the artist’s signature hit, “What a Wonderful World,” which has become something of a yearlong hymn of hope and celebrates its 65th anniversary this year, plus a very special gift to fans: a previously unreleased reading of Samuel Clement Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” popularly known as “The Night Before Christmas.” Paired with a groovy, newly-recorded musical underbed by New Orleans pianist Sullivan Fortner, the poignant recording marks the first new Louis Armstrong track in more than 20 years and is notable for being the last recording he ever made.

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Talk about your one-chord wonders. England in the mid- to-late seventies was awash in them, punk bands that woke up to the fact that you didn’t have to be Queen to seize the stage and play rock and roll. The spirit of the day was “Look ma! I just picked up a guitar ten minutes ago and played my first gig last night!” And it was The Adverts who perfectly captured that spirit on the opening cut of their 1978 debut LP Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts, “One Chord Wonders.”

Early arrivals on London’s punk scene, The Adverts perfectly encapsulated The Replacements’ sentiment “I hate music/ Sometimes I don’t/I hate music/It’s got too many notes.” And on “One Chord Wonders”—a feedback-laced hit of pure punk amphetamine—they turn it into both a point of pride and a manifesto. Their message: “I wonder how we’ll answer when you say/”We don’t like you – go away”/”Come back when you’ve learned to play.” And, “The wonders don’t care–we don’t give a damn.” On “Bored Teenagers” they channel the ennui of a time when the only way to get a job was with a personal referral from the Queen. Looking for something new isn’t paying off, opines T.V. Smith, tying yourself to the railway tracks isn’t a completely unreasonable idea, and everyone’s “looking for love/or should I say emotional rages.”

“New Church” is stripped-to-the-bone power pop in an era when power pop meant the Raspberries, On it T.V. Smith gobs on the notion that the meek shall inherit the earth, so he intends to stick with the winners: “So long – goodbye to the blind and the weaklings/I’ll follow my feelings/Be strong – I’ll do what I want.” “On the Roof “ is a drag that picks itself up only to fall down again, and what Smith is getting at is adult hypocrisy, which he wishes was a joke—he’s “waiting for the punchline” but it ain’t coming, and in the meantime he’ll “be on the roof/Waiting for you/Where we’ll hide.”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Led by the songwriting and virtuoso musical duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan released an extraordinary run of seven albums on ABC Records and MCA Records from 1972 through 1980. Filled with topline musicianship, clever and subversive wordplay, ironic humor, genius arrangements, and pop hits that outshone the Top 40 of its day, their records, which were as sophisticated and cerebral as they were inscrutable, were stylistically diverse, melding their love of jazz with rock, blues, and impeccable pop songcraft.

Now at long last, Steely Dan’s classic ABC and MCA Records catalog will return to vinyl with an extensive yearlong reissue program of the band’s first seven records, which is being personally overseen by founding member Donald Fagen. The LPs, most of which haven’t been widely available since their original release, will be available on 33 1/3 RPM 180-gram black vinyl via Geffen/UMe, and as a limited-edition premium 45 RPM version on Ultra High-Quality Vinyl (UHQR) from Analogue Productions, the audiophile in-house reissue label of Acoustic Sounds. Analogue Productions will also release this series of titles on Super Audio CD.The series will kick off on November 4th with the album that started it all, Steely Dan’s legendary 1972 debut LP, Can’t Buy A Thrill, now in its 50th anniversary year, featuring the band’s breakthrough hits, “Do It Again,” “Reelin’ in the Years,” and the recently viral “Dirty Work,” with original lead vocalist David Palmer.

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Celebrating Colin Newman, born on this day in 1954. —Ed.

Most bands are fortunate to get in the ballpark of a single masterpiece during their existence, but from ’77-’79, and right out of the gate with their debut, Wire produced three in a row. In the process, they delivered a blueprint for minimalist art-punk (from which many have swiped but never bettered) while becoming one of the defining acts in the emerging genre of post-punk. 

As the final studio album before Wire’s first hiatus, 154 inevitably registers as a culmination. However, if the byproduct of chances taken, repetition disdained, and unsurprisingly, friction between band members, the album’s experimentation with and extension of rock and pop form ultimately transcends the tag of post-punk, with its contents remarkably cohesive and betraying no signs of strain from creative differences.

For an outfit who stated they’d quit because of a dearth of new ideas, 154 is loaded with them. If it’s a taste of the band at the end of their tether that you desire, then the live recording Document and Eyewitness, revised and expanded in 2014, is the release to check out; fascinatingly flawed but in this writer’s view somewhat underrated, it stands as the true end of Wire’s first period.

But don’t let’s lose track of the subject at hand. 154 easily extends the brilliance established on Wire’s prior releases by unveiling another major spurt in development, though the sheer intensity of invention did them few favors. The reality of all this rapid-fire progress? Wire was simply moving too fast to cultivate their listenership, and by extension, disappointment from their label EMI was certain. Furthermore, as their sound was at odds with the general trend toward post-punk refinement (e.g. New Romanticism), the response from critics could often be indifferent, perplexed, or even hostile.

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PHOTO: ALEJANDRO ROS | Nobody likes to be pigeonholed; we all have different aspects to us that we’d like to be appreciated for. Life is short, and even though it takes a long time to become a master at something, there’s still time to become recognized for something else.

Juana Molina comes from a family of artists and entertainers and was one of the most widely recognized comediennes in her home country of Argentina. Even with that success, she still yearned to explore her musical interests. As is often the case with entertainers who switch tracks during their careers, the public who adored her for her comedy skills was not so sure about following her on this musical journey. However, Juana persisted and soon enough—after discovering her excellent second album Segundo—David Byrne invited her to be the opening act on one of his North American tours, and the rest was history. Juana is now an internationally respected musician specializing in experimental electronic indiepop music.

While she and I talk about all of these things, we’re really here to discuss her label’s efforts in reissuing an album that was important to a young Juana. Originally released in 1971, Musicasión 4 1/2 is a rare LP which was released in Uruguay and it features recordings of a series of performances by a group of artists who mixed theatrics, poetry, and improvised stage effects with rock and Latin American rhythms. During the pandemic, Juana reconnected with an old friend who had recently been given access to unreleased and rare recordings of the same musicians on the original album. Juana knew that the time was right for her new record label Sonamos to reissue the album and give it the 50th anniversary it rightly deserved.

So, join me and Juana—who joins me from Argentina—to discuss her career, Musicasión 4 1/2 and how it’s never too late to change the trajectory of your life, as long as you allow yourself to follow your heart’s true passions.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

A small gathering of the press, experts on The Beatles from a wide variety of media, and some music industry members gathered at Republic Studios in Chelsea, in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday, September 13th for a sneak listen to the new Revolver reissue from The Beatles, due on October 28th.

The throng was treated to the new sounds at the intimate state-of-the-art facility by none other than Giles Martin. Martin, the son of The Beatles’ producer George Martin, has overseen this new reissue project, as he did for those for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, Abbey Road, and Let it Be. Martin began his involvement with these remix projects back with the Cirque du Soleil Love release in 2006. Since 2018, Martin has also served as Head of Audio & Sound for Universal Music.

Martin, resplendent in his trademark waistcoat (that’s a vest for you Yanks), talked about how the latest reissue project got off the ground and played some outtakes that will appear on the reissue in October, as well as the entire new remix of the album and the single “Paperback Writer”/”Rain” in Dolby Atmos. At the end he answered questions.

Work on Revolver was very different than on previous reissues, as the nature of the recording and particularly mono mixing of the original album made it difficult to go back and remix from scratch. The technology that Peter Jackson’s audio team used on the Get Back series provided the springboard to do with Revolver what was needed. Emile de la Rey led Jackson’s team and became the person that Martin collaborated with to “demix” the musical instruments and vocals.

It is reminiscent of Martin’s then more primitive approach, when he worked with Ron Howard on the Eight Days A Week movie and, in particular, on The Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl reissue in 2016. The team’s new technology uses Artificial Intelligence to recognize all the elements of sound in the mono mix and then basically to separate out all the ingredients with no bleed-through of instruments or vocals. This method becomes absolutely needed when creating the Dolby Atmos mix.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | “The wisdom and the lessons she shares will illuminate not only the world of songwriters but anyone who seeks the sustenance of a creative life and practice.”
—Mary Chapin Carpenter

Prolific and iconic singer-songwriter Dar Williams has released an all-new songwriting book called How to Write a Song That Matters (Hachette Books, 09/6/22). Intended for songwriters of all levels and backgrounds, the book combines tips, tools, and encouragement that anyone can use to get started with or to keep momentum alive in their creative process. Dar Williams fans will also enjoy anecdotes and origin stories about songs they know and love. The book is available in paperback, digital reader format (kindle/nook) and audio book read by the author. More details are available here

How to Write a Song That Matters is an invaluable guide to writing music by a woman who knows how to do it and do it well: beloved singer-songwriter, Dar Williams. For years now, Williams has led songwriting retreats for musicians, from beginners to professionals, in which she elevates the process of songwriting over the assessment of the product. This book makes those intimate experiences accessible for songwriters across the globe, gifting them with the insight Williams has gleaned from her decades of experience.

First, it encourages songwriters to find something that inspires them and then to follow that inspiration, letting the clues of those first few notes or lines lead their narrative. Soon, the initial rhythms, the unique sounds of the melody, and/or specific vocabulary emerge, giving birth to a “voice” or a “world” that the song can exist in. As the writer proceeds, Williams encourages them to ask themselves: “Where did I go? Where did I REALLY go? What happened? What REALLY happened? What am I bringing back?”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | It Came From Aquarius Records the feature length documentary about the beloved, esoteric San Francisco record store announces upcoming screenings in Los Angeles, New York City, Tucson, and St. George, Utah. The director, Kenneth Thomas will hold a Q&A after the film in LA, NYC and Tucson. For more information, please see below.

It Came From Aquarius Records is a feature-length documentary about the SF-based independent record store, Aquarius Records. Having closed in 2016 after 47 years, this small apartment-sized store championed local, underground, independent, and challenging music to the masses—most memorably with their infamous bi-weekly, college essay-length, new-release lists. This doc has interviews with the aQ owners dating back to 1970, other record store owners from around the world, musicians, label heads, music journalists, and INTENSE music collectors. Interviewees include Matt Groening (The Simpsons), Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips), Bruce Ackley, John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats), Ty Segall, and Liz Harris (Grouper). About 65 total!

Aquarius Records influenced and enriched countless peoples’ musical tastes with their curated selections—but this film also shows the realities of an indie record store trying to survive in an increasingly difficult market of brick-and-mortar music shops, especially in the ever-changing and price-gouging Mission District of SF. Six years in the making, the film has a very personal angle, with lots of behind-the-scenes footage (and drama) that shows both the joy and excruciating stress that comes with running—and closing—a store like this.

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Prior to his death in 1988, the noted Native American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis played on records by numerous big names, including Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Taj Mahal, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson. If you’ve heard the guitar solo in Jackson Browne’s “Doctor, My Eyes,” well, that’s him. But not so well known are Davis’ own records, which is weird, as his 1971 debut for Atco, ¡Jesse Davis!, features guests Russell, Gram Parsons, and Eric Clapton, amongst others. It’s a solid affair that’ll be a welcome addition to any shelf of sharp and rootsy early ’70s sounds, as it’s just been given its first time vinyl reissue in the USA, on forest green wax, by the Real Gone organization.

Listening with fresh ears in 2022, ¡Jesse Davis! fits into the early 1970s Atco Records scheme pretty damn snuggly, a tight fit that derives in large part from the judiciously applied guests; in addition to those named above, Davis’ debut pulled in contributions from singer Merry Clayton (The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”), bassist Billy Rich (Paul Butterfield, Taj Mahal), drummer Alan White (Plastic Ono Band, Yes), and keyboardists Ben Sidran (Steve Miller Band, dozens of sessions, his own stuff), and John Simon (The Band, Big Brother & The Holding Company).

Rather than merely attempting to increase sales by flaunting the names Clapton and Russell, Atco’s intent seemed to be aligned with making the best record possible (along with some clear mutual backscratching). Other examples from the label include a handful from Delaney & Bonnie (albums that offer some insane credits lists) and Dr. John’s The Sun, Moon & Herbs, which is notable, as a couple moments on ¡Jesse Davis! are reminiscent of the Night Tripper, the set’s opener “Reno Street Incident” in particular.

The song’s a bit like Dr. John fronting The Band in a Meters frame of mind, and “Tulsa County” (an oft-covered song by Pamela Polland) retains a bit of that aura, while upping the rock and reducing the funk. Speaking of rocking, “Washita Love Child” is where Clapton and the backing singers come in, and setting aside my antipathy for ol’ Slow Hand today, his solo here is a burner even as it stands on the precipice of showboating.

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