George Harrison Documentary & Unreleased Music

Earlier this week, Martin Scorecese's documentary was released on DVD and Blue-ray.  George Harrison: Living in the Material World takes you on a journey through George Harrison's life.  A lot of it is told in his own words and of course through the those that knew him.  Also, available is a companion music collection containing unreleased works by Harrison.  The collection, Early Takes Volume 1 offers up demo versions and other unreleased material.

Martin Scorsese’s GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD, which premiered on HBO last October, is getting a proper release on May 1st. Universal Music Enterprises will be releasing the film on DVD, Blu-ray, and a Deluxe Edition that will include the DVD, Blu-ray, special packaging and a 96-page book of photography to accompany the film. 

The film focuses the imaginative and inspired eye of one of cinema’s most pre-eminent filmmakers on one of the world’s most influential men. The film takes viewers on the musical and spiritual voyage that was Harrison’s life, much of it told in his own words. The result is deeply moving and touches each viewer in unique and individual ways.

There is also an exclusive 10-track album called EARLY TAKES VOLUME 1 on CD and LP featuring previously unreleased music from George Harrison coming on May 1st. The album is a pivotal companion piece to the documentary and features previously unreleased recordings from Harrison

Tracklist

• My Sweet Lord (demo)
• Run Of The Mill (demo)
• I'd Have You Any Time (early take)
• Mama You've Been On My Mind (demo)
• Let It Be Me (demo)
• Woman Don't You Cry For Me (early take)
• Awaiting On You All (early take)
• Behind That Locked Door (demo)
• All Things Must Pass (demo)
• The Light That Has Lighted The World (demo)

Trailer: George Harrison: Living in the Material World

ResidentBand Episode 035: Jules Larson - "You Know It's True"

Our friends over at ResidentBand have put Episode 035 online!  You can check it out below.  The clip features Jules Larson performing "You Know It's True."  The studio version of the song can be found on her EP A Lot Like You.  Check out the video below and enjoy.

Upcoming: Crazy Mary at The Delancey, Friday 4/27

New York based band Crazy Mary will be taking the stage at The Delancey on Friday, April 27.  They go on at 8:45PM and it'll cost you $5.  They're celebrating the release of their record, Dreaming In Brilliant Color.  The band has a classic sound, check out one of their tunes below.  Head on down to The Delancey and show them some love.

Formed by veteran Lower East Side guitarist and songwriter Charles Kibel and drummer Nick Raisz, Crazy Mary has been conjuring its refreshingly oddball avant-garage rock since 1998. A bubbling cauldron of chiming and scraping guitars, creepy organ, spacey, experimental sounds, Dada-ish pranksterism, and absurdly danceable rhythms, the band distills it all into a surreal cocktail of post-punk/psychedelic weirdness. And now, with the recent additions of legendary underground violinist Walter Steding and expatriate Australian vocalist Em Z, things have gotten even weirder. In a good way, of course.

 

Miss Guy Releases "Sometimes"

Miss Guy has released a video for his song "Sometimes."  The video was directed by Nicole Brending.

The clip features a cast of dolls.  Normally, I find dolls to be a bit creepy.  But, I ended up fascinated by the sad junkie doll with its vacant eyes.  Did I just see a doll orgy?  Wow.  In the end, it hit me that I know some people who closely resemble that doll.

The song didn't catch my ear as much as other songs on Miss Guy's Dumb Blonde EP when I first heard it.  But, the video just ties things together into this sad, but beautiful package.  It has you feeling sorry for the heartbroken doll who's trying to cover his pain in all the wrong ways.  It has given me a new appreciation of the song.

Check out "Sometimes" below.

Yuna Releases Self-Titled Album

Malaysian singer/songwriter Yuna released her self-titled album this week!  Those of us in the States, we can find it on sale HERE.  Now, for those of you not in the know, Yuna has one of those pure voices that just captures your ear.  Check out the album and enjoy.  Also, if you get the opportunity to see her live, don't walk, run to the show.  You will without a doubt enjoy yourself.

GIG ALERT!!!  Yuna will be at (le) poisson rouge on Thursday, June 7.  It'll cost you $14.  Doors are at 6:30PM.

Laura Warshauer To Play Bowery Ballroom, Tuesday, May 1

New York, Laura Warshauer will be taking the stage at Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, May 1.  Doors are at 8PM and she goes on at 9PM.  It'll cost you $23.  Head on down and check her out!

In 2010, Songmaster’s and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, based on a nomination by BMI, awarded Laura Warshauer with the prestigious “Holly Prize,” an award named after Buddy Holly and presented to only one singer-songwriter per year. Now, after a string of high-profile shows (including a headlining set at the Official MPressFest CMJ Showcase, tour dates with Bob Schneider, Frankie Moreno, and Scars on 45, and an appearance at WXPN World Café), two national television appearances (including an interview and performance of “To Will And Kate, Meet Me At Exit 109” on the E! True Hollywood Story: Kate and Pippa Middleton”), a twelve-week chart run on MediaBase with “Wishing Well,” and an album release that garnered national praise and features in outlets such as People Magazine, Paris Match, and London Daily Mail, Laura’s career has “blossomed beyond [her] wildest dreams." But Laura’s success comes as no surprise, and although positively compared at times to Stevie Nicks, Cindy Lauper and Alanis Morrisette,  this Jersey-girl’s wisdom and youthful spirit render her sound incomparable.

 

As a result of successful one-off performances together, including gigs at Rams Head Live in Annapolis, MD and The Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ, Laura will be opening for Bob Schneider  on his forthcoming tour of the United States. Beginning in Atlanta, GA in late April, the two will travel to at least 16 different cities, including, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles. Specific venues and times are TBA.

 

Laura recently spent time recording multiple songs in Nashville with producer Marshall Altman (Matt Nathanson, Natasha Bedingfield, Marc Broussard). Her forthcoming album, tentatively titled “Wicked Wicked,” is slated for a Spring 2012 release. “That Game” is one of a number of tracks produced by Bleu (Demi Lovato, Kate Voegele).

NGAM and Newport Jazz Festival Announce Sponsorship Agreement

2012 Senior All-State Jazz Ensemble

Natixis Global Asset Management (NGAM) and Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. announced a new three-year sponsorship agreement highlighting young jazz performers.  The Newport Jazz Festival will feature The Rhode Island Music Educators Association Jazz Band, an all-state band of high school jazz musicians from Rhode Island.  The band will be the opening performance at the festival on Saturday, August 4.  The agreement includes a $5,000 NGAM scholarshi for a student musician from the band. 

The festival will also welcome back musicians from the Berklee College of Music for the fourth consecutive year.  The Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors, a handpicked group from the college's Global Jazz Institute.  The will be opening the festival's main stage on Sunday, August 5 and joined by special guest Adam Cruz.

“Although the social and academic benefits of music education have been well documented, throughout our national educational system the performing arts are continually threatened by budget cuts,” said John Hailer, president and chief executive officer, Natixis Global Asset Management – The Americas & Asia. “Working with the Newport Jazz Festival, it is our goal to provide additional opportunities for extraordinary young artists to participate in professional venues as they pursue their dreams.”

Newport Jazz Festival impresario and Chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation George Wein said the idea of featuring the RIMEA musicians at the festival originated with a suggestion from Hailer, who expressed the desire to help young performers. “The end result,” said Wein, “is a new partnership with Natixis Global Asset Management that now reinforces the joint commitment of both our organizations to help talented young performers develop future careers as professional musicians.”

A non-profit organization, RIMEA was founded in 1917, making it the second oldest state music association in the country. As part of its commitment to provide a variety of music opportunities for students and music educators, each year the group selects high school musicians to participate in workshops and perform in concerts throughout the year.

The members of the 2012 Senior All-State Jazz Ensemble are: Rachel Hill (Barrington High School) and Ben Pallant (East Greenwich), alto saxophone; Nathaniel Schaffer (West Warwick) and Chase Ceglie (Rogers in Newport), tenor saxophone; Steven Jacquard (Scituate), baritone saxophone; Paul Spetrini (North Kingstown), Nathan Ward, Dan Andsager, Jacob Greenberg (Barrington) and Walker Harris (Moses Brown), trumpet; Lily Pavao (Scituate), Fred Crudale (South Kingstown), Aaron Schwartz and Willy Gutman (Barrington), trombone; Elizabeth Marcotte (North Smithfield), vocalist; Andrew Wynsen (North Kingstown), piano; Erik Broess (Lincoln), guitar; Jonathan Elyashiv (Providence Country Day School), bass; Jesse Ray Leich (North Kingstown) and Peter Craig (South Kingstown), drums.

Natixis Global Asset Management is also a sponsor of Berklee College of Music’s Summer in the City program, with concerts throughout metro Boston, as well as the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival. Over the decades, Berklee jazz musicians have had the honor of performing at the Newport Jazz Festival on numerous occasions. This year, the Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors – Matthew Halpin (Dublin, Ireland), tenor saxophone; Lihi Haruvi (Tel Aviv, Israel), alto saxophone; Alex Hargreaves (Corvallis, Oregon), violin; Christian Li (Horseheads, New York), piano; and Spencer Stewart (Vancouver, Washington), bass – will open the Festival’s main stage on Sunday, August 5. The international composition of the group gives a sense of the Berklee student body, which represents some 85 countries worldwide.

I had a chance to catch the RIMEA Jazz Band in action recently.  They are certainly a talented group of young people.  More photos HERE.

2012 Senior All-State Jazz Ensemble

Chester French Have A Thing For Black Girls...

Pop duo Chester French released the video for their new song "Black Girls" via Karmaloop TV's YouTube channel. Judging by the video, it looks more like a girl on girl action fetish thing than simply a black girl love thing.

The song, I like the music... The vocals have a rough, for lack of a better word, edge to them.

I like getting props as much as any other black chick but did we really need a white boy song about it? I just thought I'd ask. Someone is either going to get a lot of black girl love or a lot of eye rolling. I could go either way really. How about showing your love the old-fashioned way, standing proud with your black woman by your side and taking care of business, no public justification needed. But thanks for saying you love us in song, I guess. Will a black girl now do a response song declaring love for Harvard educated white boys who make music? And while I'm at it, it's not the most sing-a-long friendly song for a chick to walk around singing. People will give you the side eye over that one folks unless that actually is your preference. In which case, rock on lady!

As for the video, I'd say kudos for using a sister with natural hair but considering it's a lesbian video the first thing that comes to mind is the butch stereotype thing. I would have much rather have seen the adorably nerdy D.A. (since I'm placing my bets on him being the one full of black girl love... but Max, if you're down too...) rolling around with a natural sister. Maybe that's just me though.

Check out the video below. It stars Rie Rasmussen and Jodie Smith and was directed by Francesco Carrozzini.

Video of the Day: Karima Francis - "Wherever I Go"

Today we have for you "Wherever I Go" by Karima Francis. The song is the title track of her upcoming EP which is scheduled for release in May with a full-length album to be released in August. Last week after being hipped to Francis via Just Music That I Like, I made her song "Forgiven" my Song of the Day. Check out this acoustic, black and white video for "Wherever I Go" below.

Andy Kuncl Releases New Record + MP3

A couple of weeks ago, Andy Kuncl released his new EP Musik/Dance/Love via 3KB Records. I would describe his sound as danceable pop so if you're prone to dancing around the room when you hear something that inspires you to shake your 'groove thang,' then perhaps you shouldn't listen to the EP at work. For a taste of what you're in for with this record, we have for you the infectious "In Your Arms." Grab it at the bottom of the post in our MP3 Grab.

As a child, Andy Kuncl would come home from boys choir rehearsals and spend hours recording three part harmonies on his boombox, teaching himself how to play Lionel Richie, Phil Collins, and Harry Connick Jr. songs on the piano, and learning all the dance moves to Janet Jackson and Madonna videos.

At age 19 Andy started writing folksy singer/songwriter tunes inspired by Ani DiFranco, toured the East Coast extensively and signed a short-lived record deal w/ Trans Continental Records. Shortly after that he switched gears altogether and spent the next 10 years cultivating his interests in organic farming, food politics, and his dance career.

Fast forward to 2010, Andy Kuncl has been pulled by the dance floor and sound system to create his own blend of electro dance-pop and is ready to share it with the world on his new album musik/dance/love out now via 3KB Records.

MP3 Grab: "In Your Arms"