Wilko Johnson’s nationwide UK tour kicks off on September 15th

Posted on Sep 13, 2011

Wilko Johnson, the phenomenal guitarist and founding member of Dr. Feelgood, who has influenced everyone from Joe Strummer and Mick Jones to Steve Albini, will embark on a nationwide UK tour throughout September and October 2011. Very special guest on all UK dates will be the award-winning blues singer Ian Siegal and his band.

The tour kicks off at the Edinburgh Caves on Thursday 15th September. Tickets go on sale on Friday 15th April at 9am and can be ordered by calling the 24 Hour Box Office on: 0871 230 1101 or book online at: www.seetickets.com.

In addition to pioneering Dr. Feelgood’s distinctive mid-seventies, pre-punk British R&B sound, in 1980 Johnson went on to play guitar for Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Today, Johnson’s solo band features Blockheads’ Norman Watt-Roy (bass guitar), and Dylan Howe (drums).

In 2009 Johnson featured in Julien Temple’s "Oil City Confidential"; a fascinating feature length documentary about Dr. Feelgood. The film received many accolades including the MOJO Vision Award at the MOJO Honours List 2010.

Dr. Feelgood originally formed in 1971 as a British pub rock band who hailed from Canvey Island, Essex. Their name derived from a slang term for heroin or for a doctor who was willing to overprescribe drugs. It is also a reference to a 1962 record by the American blues pianist and singer Willie Perryman (also known as "Piano Red") called "Dr Feel-Good", which Perryman originally recorded under the name of Dr Feelgood & The Interns.

Dr. Feelgood’s distinctive British R&B sound was centred on Wilko Johnson’s choppy guitar style. The original band line-up also included singer Lee Brilleaux, and the rhythm section of John B. Sparks (aka "Sparko") on bass guitar and John Martin (aka "The Big Figure") on drums.

Dr. Feelgood was known primarily for their high energy live performances, although studio albums like Down by the Jetty (1974) and Malpractice (1975) were also incredibly popular.  Their 1976 breakthrough live album, Stupidity reached No.1 in the Official UK Album Chart.  When the band released their fourth album, Sneakin’ Suspicion (1977), Johnson left the group to pursue a solo career.

Tour Dates

• Edinburgh Caves                    Thurs 15 Sep
• Glasgow O2 ABC                   Fri 16 Sep
• Aberdeen Lemon Tree            Sat 17 Sep
• Newcastle O2 Academy        Sun 18 Sep
• Sheffield O2 Academy           Thurs 22 Sept
• Kendal Brewery Arts              Fri 23 Sept
• Holmfirth Picturedrome Sat 24 Sept
• Leicester O2 Academy            Sun 25 Sept
• Bilston The Robin                    Thurs 29 Sept
• London Islington Academy     Fri 30 Sept
• Manchester Academy              Sat 1 Oct
• Nottingham Rescue Rooms      Sun 2 Oct
• Gloucester Guildhall                Thurs 6 Oct
• Falmouth Pavilion                    Fri 7 Oct
• Exeter Phoenix                        Sat 8 Oct
• Brighton Komedia                   Sun 9 Oct

The Tom Fuller Band kick ass and take names

Posted on Jul 5, 2011

’ASK’, the new album from the TOM FULLER BAND, will be released in the UK on Monday September 5th by Red Cap Records.

Hailing from Chicago, Fuller enlisted some of the biggest names in the rock and roll world to contribute to the album, including Abe Laboriel, Jr. and Brian Ray of the Paul McCartney Band.  ‘ASK’ is produced by Rick Chudacoff, (Alison Krauss, Smokey Robinson), and mixed by Cenzo Townsend and Dave Bascombe (U2, Bon Jovi, Kaiser Chiefs).
The first single from the album is the instantly infectious ‘LOVERS’. Listen to it here:

 Tom Fuller Band – "Lovers" by noblepr

 

"Kick ass and take names" – it’s a saying that they like to use in Chicago, the birthplace of the Tom Fuller Band, to describe how to get the job done.  Not in an Al Capone way you understand. Although Tom’s grandmother did work for the notorious gangster. But rather by enlisting some of the biggest names in the music industry to produce Fuller’s third studio album Ask.

On first listen you can’t help but be decadently seduced by the voodoo drums of the opening track Lovers, hooked on the impossibly contagious title track Ask and carried away by the closing magical escapism of Garden Dreaming Days. Ask is an album that continually manages to surprise, challenge, captivate and inspire.

Tom Fuller is a maverick and a troubadour. He’s also the same guy who, as a kid buying his first Paul McCartney album, never imagined that he would wind up recording the new album with two of his band members, Abe Laboriel, Jr. and Brian Ray.

Produced by the studio maestro Rick Chudacoff, (Alison Krauss, Smokey Robinson), and mixed by Cenzo Townsend and Dave Bascombe (U2, Bon Jovi, Kaiser Chiefs), the widescreen cinematic vision of Fuller’s music continues to flourish, as was evident on his 2005 debut album Chasing An Illusion and 2009′s subsequent sophomore album Abstract Man.

After trailblazing a path across America, the addition of new band members, and recording in both LA and Chicago, comes this life affirming album that is at once emotional and engaging. "It’s been one hell of a journey," says Fuller. "The new album’s like a songbook that’s accompanied me all along the trail. Every track means so much to me. I think it’s my strongest collection of songs to date."

Hailing from the Windy City, the Tom Fuller Band embodies the soul and creative energy of the city’s rich musical heritage – from Chicago’’s finest rhythm and blues, through Cheap Trick to late period Wilco. The songs embrace Fuller’s distinctive blend of innovative melodies and chord structures, alongside lyrics that engage, uplift and resonate with passion and truth.

 

HOLY MARY!

Posted on Oct 19, 2009

The Mary Onettes to release ‘Islands’ November 3rd and announce US Tour Dates

The Mary Onettes launched their career in 2004, and were signed by Stockholm’s groundbreaking Labrador Records in 2006 (The Legends, The Radio Dept. and Little Big Adventure) , who released the ‘Lost’ EP in the fall of that year, with the debut album following in 2007. Even though things have been going well for the band, they had their share of misfortune. While recording ‘Islands’ last year, and with 5-6 songs almost finished, an unlikely series of events occurred – the computer on which they recorded the songs got stolen, and at the same time, the back-up drive broke, which meant they had to start again from the very beginning. As unlucky as it seemed at the time, it was probably a blessing in disguise as ‘Islands’ might not have turned out quite as amazing as it did if this hadn’t happened! The re-recordings are more lively, and they used more organic instruments like strings, pianos, and children’s choirs than they had originally intended.

The year 2008 was characterized by the deaths of close relatives and friends of Philip Ekström (singer and songwriter of the band) and on ‘Islands’ he’s put more focus on the lyrics. ‘The Disappearance Of My Youth’ and ‘Cry For Love’ were written on his girlfriend’s mother’s estate and most of the songs on the album are highly marked by his time in Stockholm after her death. “The songs are almost too personal and I’ve had a hard time playing them for friends. It’s like all I want to do is keep them to myself.” (Philip). The lyrics are retrospective themes of lost youth, transience and death.

”The title ‘Islands’ came up because I see the tracks on the album as small islands in different shapes and forms where every song is like a record of it’s very own. Johan (Labrador Records) suggested the same title without having heard me mentioning the idea, so that was a coincidence too good not to pursue.” (Philip)

The Mary Onettes live show is not to be missed!

US Tour Dates:

• 11/03 – TT The Bear – Boston, MA
• 11/04 – Union Hall – Brooklyn, NY
• 11/06 – Studio (Webster Hall) – New York, NY
• 11/07 – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA

“The alternative pop of yesteryear is coming back in a big way, and the Mary Onettes are a part of that wave. The Smiths, The Cure, and Echo & The Bunnymen all ring true in their finger-snapping Swedish pop.” -NPR

“Swedish New Order acolytes” -Pitchfork

The Mary Onettes’ critically acclaimed debut was described as “the perfect mix between a-ha and The Jesus and Mary Chain”. Now they are back with a grandiose new album entitled ‘Islands’. Imagine a Swedish equivalent of The National on a diet of speed, Planet Earth DVDs, and 80’s guitar pop singles and you’ll have a vague idea of how great this album is. ‘Pleasure Songs’, from their self-titled debut album, was Single of the Week on iTunes with half a million downloads, and the first single from ‘Islands’, ‘Dare’, was No. 1 on Elbo.ws. They have had two songs featured on Grey’s Anatomy and their first single on Labrador was tagged Best New Music on Pitchfork. A second single, ‘Puzzles’ was released at the end of last month.

“this Echo and the Bunnymen-esque cut is an uplifting paen to staying up all night in spite of your problems.” -Under The Radar

Moody, dark and ethereal, fog, forests and darkness set the scene for the video for the new single, ‘Puzzles’. The plucked strings, synthezisers and stoic vocals echo the emotional year that the Mary Onettes experienced. Haunting images of a man searching for answers through various empty settings drive home the distress of the artist, especially when coupled with these lyrics:

“Do I have time to think, do I have time to sink? To make it look alright I need to bend my soul. Those things we never did, those things we never said. I’ll be a numb one day. I’m going out to stay up all night. Let’s talk about what feels strange on the inside. Let’s make this year look good tonight. I know it hasn’t been the best year so let me know. Do you feel strange on the inside? ”

The New The Mary Onettes single \’Puzzles\’