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Saturday, February 16, 2008

Hyena Records Update

I just received this from Hyena records via email


HYENA Records | February 2008: Marco Benevento, John Ellis, JFJO, The Brakes, Dale Watson and more...

Hey Everybody,

It's six weeks into 2008, so we figured it'd be a good time to check in and give you the latest and the greatest on HYENA Records. We've got lots of good stuff coming your way....


MARCO BENEVENTO
Invisible Baby

Marco Benevento's debut studio album Invisible Baby was released this past Tuesday. If we don't say so ourselves, it's hands down one of the best records to come out in the first half of in 2008. Marco is joined by Reed Mathis on bass and Matt Chamberlain and Andrew Barr on drums. Pick up a copy here and now!

Here's some of the nice stuff that's being said...

"The new Benevento record will appeal to fans of Thelonious Monk, Air, Radiohead and Phish...tunes like 'Bus Ride' and 'Are You The Favorite Person Of Anybody' are ambient soundscapes winking at the psychedelic."
- New York Press
"Benevento is something of an iconoclast on the piano. He knows his Monk and his Basie, but he prefers to play like a rock star, bashing power chords into the ivories and hooking up with others who straddle the rock-jazz line. Is it jazz? Is it rock? Hard to say, but it hardly matters."
- The Boston Globe
"Invisible Baby is an eight track masterpiece."
- The Late Greats
"Invisible Baby will twist your synapses, feed your head, and turn on your love light. It will, in short, make you feel glad to be alive."
- All About Jazz

Watch the Invisible Baby video promo here.

Check out the new video for "The Real Morning Party" in HD here.

Marco Benevento | Tour Dates:

  • February 19 / Vassar College / Poughkeepsie, NY
  • February 20 / Revolution Hall / Troy, NY
  • February 21 / The Bearsville Theater / Woodstock, NY
  • February 22 / Mexicali Blues / Teaneck, NJ
  • February 23 / World Cafe Live / Philadelphia, PA
  • May 2 / One Eyed Jack's / New Orleans, LA
  • May 6th / Yoshi's / San Francisco, CA
  • May 7th / The Triple Door / Seattle, WA
  • May 10 / The Boulder Theatre / Boulder, CO

JOHN ELLIS
Dance Like There's No Tomorrow

John Ellis is back on March 25 with a brand new album and band. The album is Dance Like There's No Tomorrow and the band is Double-Wide featuring Matt Perrine on sousaphone (who many of you will know from Bonearama), Gary Versace on organ and Jason Marsalis on drums. Think New Orleans, think funky, think jazz that aims at getting your body moving. This is all of that and more. Beyond being a straight up bad ass saxophonist Ellis is proving himself a jazz conceptualist of the highest order. But then again the word "conceptualist" is way to square for music as utterly soulful as this.

Pre-order Dance Like There's No Tomorrow here.

John is going to be debuting Double-Wide next month in New Orleans, but that's merely a warm up for an official performance on Thursday, May 1 at The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. More dates coming soon!

John Ellis | Tour Dates:

  • March 7 / Chelsea's Cafe / Baton Rouge, LA
  • March 8 / Snug Harbor / New Orleans, LA
  • May 1 / New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival / New Orleans, LA

JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY
Lil Tae Rides Again

Lil Tae Rides Again, but even better Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey rides again. After laying fairly low in 2007, JFJO have re-emerged with a new album that will blow the minds of even those use to having their minds blown by the Tulsa trio. Joining the band for this record is underground electronic music producer Tae Meyulks. Together they leaped head first into an ambient alternate universe, creating a record that will tickle corners of the mind you didn't even know you had. It's beautiful and sprawling and very much a true jazz odyssey. We can't wait for people to start hearing it.

Download a free mp3 of "Tae Parade" here.

Pre-order JFJO's Lil Tae Rides Again before its April 8th street date on either CD or 180 gram vinyl and we'll send you a free bonus disc of "live" recordings from JFJO's 2007 fall tour that were hand-selected, mixed and mastered by Reed Mathis.

Place your order here.

And look for JFJO as they get back on the road. Lots of surprises are in store for this tour. The dates are...

JFJO | Tour Dates:

  • April 4 / The Blank Skate / Tulsa, OK
  • April 8 / Winstons / San Diego, CA
  • April 9 / The Mint / Los Angeles, CA
  • April 10 / Kuumbwa / Santa Cruz, CA
  • April 11 / Cafe DuNord / San Francisco, CA (w/ Mushroom)
  • April 12 / Digital Signature / Arcata, CA (w/ Bluetech & VibeSquad)
  • April14 / Mobius / Ashland, OR
  • April 15 / Doug Fir / Portland, OR
  • April 16 / WOW Hall / Eugene, OR
  • April 18 / John’s Alley / Moscow, ID
  • April 19 / The Loft / Missoula, MT
  • April 23 / The Stagestop / Rollinsville, CO
  • April 24 / Hodi’s Half Note / Fort Collins, CO
  • April 25 / The Oriental Theatre / Denver, CO
  • April 26 / Trilogy / Boulder, CO
  • April 30 / Blue Nile / New Orleans, LA
  • May 1 / DBA / New Orleans, LA
  • June 1 / Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame / Tulsa, OK

THE BRAKES
Tale Of Two Cities

I first started going down to see The Brakes during the New York City Knitting Factory residency that this album was drawn from. After my first time seeing them, I called up Joel Dorn and told him he had to come with me to the following week's show. Joel saw them and instantly fell in love. As many of you know, it was a rare occurrence for Joel to want to produce living, breathing artists at this point in his career. He was content working on archival projects. As many of you also know, Joel passed away in December. One of the few things he didn't get to do, but was intent on doing in his one of a kind journey through life, was to produce The Brakes. Joel was infatuated with good songs and raw talent. Check out Tale Of Two Cities, the debut full length album from the Philadephia-based band of twenty-somethings, and tell me they don't have both. There's only one place this band is going and that's up. So we're honored to bring 'em to you. For me, when I listen to this album I think of those nights we hung out listening to them at The Knitting Factory, I think of the trip down to Philly to see them at Milkboy, and I think about the love for good music that keeps us all humming along. The Brakes' Tale Of Two Cities hits record stores and digital retailers everywhere on May 6. Keep your eyes peeled as we'll be launching a pre-order soon. And check out the lead track, "Into The Ground" here.


So that's what's on the immediate horizon. In the meantime, almost our entire roster is out there crisscrossing highways, oceans, time zones, etc.


Dale Watson Nominated For CMT MUSIC AWARDS!

DALE WATSON was just nominated for two CMT Music Awards. The first for his video "Justice For All" in the category of "Best Supporting Character of the Year" thanks to the role played by James Denton (who many of you know from Desperate Housewives). The second nomination was for his video "Hollywood Hillbilly" starring and directed by Johnny Knoxville, in the category of "Best Comedy Video of the Year."

If you feel so inclined, we could use your help. The CMT Music Awards are open to the public for voting.

Please log in and vote before the deadline of February 25. Click here and follow the link to vote.

Watch "Justice For All" here.

Watch "Hollywood Hillbilly" here.

If you haven't already, pick up Dale's latest album
"From The Cradle To The Grave" available here.


The Bridge On Tour

Word of Baltimore's THE BRIDGE and their electrifying performances is spreading like wildfire. They touring heavily through April (with a brief pause in March to begin work on their next studio album). Their self-titled album is out now on HYENA. Here is what the Atlanta Creative Loafing recently had to say:

"More soulful and funky than many in its genre, The Bridge writes gutsy yet melodic songs infused with a Southern, red-clay spirit that fills the slot between the grinding, blues-based North Mississippi All Stars, the New Orleans R&B tinge of the Radiators and Little Feat's gruff, expressive groove. Mandolin adds a dollop of bluegrass roots to the steaming stew, and Cris Jacobs' husky, drawling vocals top it off with a special sauce as tasty as it is pungent."

The first person to email us back and tell us their favorite tune from The Bridge's record will get a pair of tickets for any show of their choice (the April 26 Nelson Ledges show isn't included.)

The Bridge | Tour Dates:

  • February 15 / Attitudes / Blacksburg, VA
  • February 16 / Canal Club / Richmond, VA
  • February 21 / East End Cafe / Newark, DE
  • February 22 / Sullivan Hall / New York, NY
  • February 23 / River Street Jazz Cafe / Plains, PA
  • February 29 / 123 Pleasant St. / Morgantown, WV
  • March 1 / Club Cafe / Pittsburgh, PA
  • March 11 / 9:30 Club / Washington, DC
  • April 1 / Santa Fe Cafe / College Park, MD
  • April 3 / 8x10 / Baltimore, MD
  • April 4 / 8x10 / Baltimore, MD
  • April 5 / 8x10 / Baltimore, MD
  • April 9 / The Pour House / Raleigh, NC
  • April 10 / Stella Blue / Asheville, NC
  • April 11 / Outback Lodge / Charlottesville, VA
  • April 12 / Boone Saloon / Boone, NC
  • April 15 / Attitudes / Blacksburg, VA
  • April 16 / Rocktown / Harrisonburg, VA
  • April 17 / The Dame / Lexington, KY
  • April 18 / The V Club / Huntington, WV
  • April 20 / University of Richmond / Richmond, VA
  • April 25 / Appalachian Brewing Company / Harrisburg, PA
  • April 26 / Nelson Ledges Spring Festival / Garrettsville, OH

Seth Walker On Tour

SETH WALKER is out there tearing it up in support of his self-titled new record. He's just back from a West Coast tour and currently sitting at No. 16 on the Americana charts. For some background, Taj Mahal called Seth, "A little white Ray Charles." The San Jose Metro recently declared: "Along with the blues comes boogie, swing and down-to-earth rock & roll highlighted by Walker's vibrant singing and instrumental flair. Crisp and clean, smooth and delicious, the Texas blues man's attributes could describe a good beer--or the sound that will help him become an instant American classic." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Pick up Seth Walker here. Tour dates are...

Seth Walker | Tour Dates:

  • February 15 / Continental Club / Houston, TX
  • February 16 / Blue Moon / Lafayette, LA
  • March 5 / Kirby’s / San Antonio, TX
  • March 7 / Rolling Oaks / San Antonio, TX
  • March 14 / Shady Grove / Austin, TX (3PM--SXSW "Unplugged @ The Grove")
  • March 15 / The Saxon Pub / Austin, TX
  • March 20 / Lulu’s At Homeport Marina / Gulf Shores, AL
  • March 21 / Bradfordville Blues Club / Tallahassee, FL
  • March 22 / Aces / Bradenton, FL
  • March 23 / New World Brewery / Tampa, FL
  • March 28 & 29 / Suwannee Springfest / Live Oak, FL
  • April 14 / Pickin Grillin in Luckenbach / Luckenbach, TX
  • April 15 / River City Grill / Marble Falls, TX
  • April 16 / Kirby’s / San Antonio, TX
  • April 18 / House of Blues / Dallas, TX (with Charlie Musslewhite)
  • April 19 / Saxon Pub / Austin TX
  • May 2 / Moulin Blues Festival / Ospel, Holland
  • May 3 / Rhythm & Blues Night Festival / Groningen, Holland
  • May 10 / Austin Great Strides Fiesta Garden / Austin, TX
  • May 15 / BB King’s / New York City (with Bobby "Blue" Bland)
  • May 17 / Spring Gulch Folk Fest / New Holland, PA
  • May 24 / Festival / Raleigh, NC
  • May 31 / Central Market / Austin, TX
  • July 26 / EMFfringe Concert Series-Triad Stage / Greensboro, NC
  • August 2 / The Bugle Boy / Lagrange, TX
  • August 10 / Heritage Music Festival / Wheeling, WV
  • October 4 / RAWA Blues Festival / Poland

IsWhat?! Finishing Live Recording From European Tour

ISWHAT?! are finishing up a "live" recording with highlights from their last European tour. We don't have all the details yet, but two of avant-garde jazz's greatest living legends are involved. More info to come soon. In the mean time, catch them on their Midwest run at the end of the month. And keep your eyes on the HYENA website for new European tour dates, as well as, more news about the live record.

IsWhat?! | Tour Dates:

  • February 23 / Cal's / Chicago, IL
  • February 25 / Carnegie / Covington, KY (10AM)
  • February 25 / The Night Owl / Dayton, OH (10PM)
  • February 27 / The Jackson Square Underground & Know Tribe / Cincinnati, OH
  • February 28 / The Dame / Lexington, KY
  • February 29 / Pink Door / Louisville, KY

Grayson Capps: New Album Near Completion

The word from Franklin, Tennessee is that GRAYSON CAPPS is nearing completion of his new album. He and Trina are hunkered down and doing their thing. I might buy a plane ticket to Nashville just for the sole purpose of getting a sneak peak. I quite literally can't wait to hear new songs by Grayson. I've also recently received a BBC recording from a date on Grayson's solo UK tour earlier this year. We're going to be posting some free mp3s in a matter of days. They'll be up in the HYENA audio section and on Grayson's MySpace page. In between working on the new record, he continues to roam the South. In May, we lose him to Europe for the entire month. Those dates should be announced immanently. And finally, if you haven't picked up Songbones, it's available here.

Grayson Capps | Tour Dates

  • February 29 / The Strutting Duck / Auburn, AL
  • March 1 / Angler's / Gulf Shores, AL
  • March 2 / Callaghan's Social Club / Mobile, AL
  • March 7 / Sharritt Farm / Seminole, AL
  • March 8 / The Burnt Corn Creek Park / Brewton, AL (w/ Oak Ridge Boys & Robert Earl Keen)
  • March 14 / Pirate's Cove / Josephine, AL
  • March 15 / Callaghan's Social Club / Mobile, AL
  • March 20 / D.B.A. / New Orleans, LA
  • March 21 / Dr. Music / Fairhope, AL
  • March 22 / Mushroom Festival / Mobile, AL
  • March 29 / The Nick / Birmingham, AL
  • April 4 / The Loft Live / Columbus, GA
  • April 5 / The Shed / Ocean Springs, MS
  • April 6 / Callaghan's / Mobile, AL
  • April 9 / University of Alabama / Tuscaloosa, AL (Solo)
  • April 26 / Melbourne Arts Festival / Melbourne, FL
  • April 30 - May 12 / Scandinavia (Dates TBA)
  • May 14 - 18 / Italy (Dates TBA)
  • May 26 - May 30 / Holland (Dates TBA)
  • May 31 / Naked Song Festival / Holland
  • June 21 / The Stone Church / Newmarket, NH
  • July 3 / Salina Park Concert Series / Salina, KS

Lafayette Gilchrist on HBO's Hit Series, The Wire

And finally, Lafayette Gilchrist's "Assume The Position" will be in an upcoming episode of HBO's hit series, The Wire. Lafayette is also in the studio putting the finishing touches on his next record. By the time we email you next go round, we'll have release date info.


Performing at Jazzfest:
John Ellis, Mike Dillon, Skerik, JFJO, and Marco Benevento

In addition to John Ellis playing an official New Orleans Jazzfest show, Mike Dillon, Skerik, JFJO and Marco Benevento will be staples of the late night scene. There's a possibility of a HYENA night, as well. We're still working on the details, but we'll keep you posted.


If you're still reading, well God bless your little hearts. I feel like I just wrote a short novel. Damn. Anyway, that's it, that's all, for now. Thank you as always for supporting real artists and buying good music. If you're keeping it old school and purchasing CDs, please support the indie record stores! They help keep our obsession with music alive! Please continue emailing us, as well. We love to hear from you.

Stay tuned and keep in touch.

Much love....

Kevin

http://www.hyenarecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/hyenatherecordlabel

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I think Seth Walker is about to break out. I would love to see him in Dallas at the HOB with Charlie Musselwhite. That will be a great show. The Saxon is still my favorite venue though so I must catch his next show there.

I see that he is playing the Shady Grove which is where I shot quite a bit of my Guy Forsyth footage. It's laid bad, outdoors, has good food, and the people care about the music so they are more likely to shut up during the artist than normal.