Smith & Wesley Present "Choices & Chances" on Debut CD, Coming July 17 on Garage Door Records; CD Release Party Show Set for Nashville's City Winery on July 28

Smith & Wesley Present Choices & Chances on Debut CD, Coming July 17 on Garage Door Records

CD Release Party Show Set for Nashville’s City Winery on July 28

CHATTANOOGA, TN – Chattanooga-based Garage Door Records announces a July 17 release date for the label debut from country music group Smith & Wesley, Choices & Chances, distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution. The band will celebrate Choices & Chances with a special a CD release show at the City Winery in Nashville on Tuesday, July 28 (www.citywinery.com/nashville).

Based out of the North Georgia/Chattanooga, Tennessee area, Smith & Wesley have already developed an extensive loyal fan base throughout the region, as evidenced by their headlining the Unum Stage at last week’s Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga.

Smith & Wesley is led by brothers, Scott and Todd Smith, who changed the name of the group from the Brody Johnson Band to its current moniker as a tribute to their father, Wes, who passed away recently. In addition to Scott on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Todd on acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocal harmonies, the rest of the lineup includes keyboard player Greg Gordy,  Steve and Josh Pettyjohn on electric guitars, Dee Callihan on bass and Brad Thompson on drums. All of the musicians in the band have strong family or personal connections, which helps create the special musical interplay that is a hallmark of their sound. With influences ranging from traditional country, bluegrass and folk music to southern rock, Smith & Wesley have crafted a unique, powerful sound that makes casual listeners instant fans.

Produced by Shayne Hill, Choices & Chances was recorded at Beach Street Studio, Watershed Studio and Mainframe Studio in Nashville. The extra musicians on the sessions each brought their own special talents to the songs they play on, giving them a solid foundation throughout. Danny Shirley, lead singer for multi-platinum sellers Confederate Railroad, joins in as a special guest on “Country Dreams,” the album’s closing song. The seamless harmonies of Scott and Todd come from a mix that only a brotherly bond can do, bringing depth and richness to their vocals.

Scott and Todd Smith have either individually or collectively written most of the songs on Choices & Chances. The 11 songs on the album are at once personal, yet universal in their appeal. “The new CD was recorded to be heard as a listening experience from start to finish,” says Scott Smith. “The first part of the album is about decisions made and the repercussions from those decisions.” Adds his brother Todd: “Whether it is betrayal, bad habits or questionable decision making, most of these types of choices often have less than favorable results. As the journey proceeds, the songs lend themselves to better moods, courtship, love and reflection; thus proving there is a chance of a better tomorrow out there.  However, life would be boring without both Choices & Chances.”

About “Need Somebody Bad,” the first single from the CD, Todd Smith explains: “Everyone has been part of a relationship which ended in a breakup. Regardless of who made the decision or if it was amicable or not, breakups just aren’t fun. Whether you want to call it a rebound situation or just a one night stand, ‘Need Somebody Bad’ speaks to that feeling and about trying to forget about it.”

“Some of the more upbeat songs on the album such as ‘Whiskey,’ ‘Roll on Smoothly,’ and ‘Bottle’s Half Full,’ lend themselves to telling a story of good times that were carried a little too far,” offers Scott Smith.

“And I guess you could say that ‘Prove My Love,’ ‘You’re the One’ and ‘I Love Loving You’ represent our tender side,” Todd says with a smile. “I’ve had guys come up and tell me they enjoy these ballads as much as our up-tempo songs because they remind them of their own situation, or they’re everything they wanted to say to their wives or girlfriends. I guess everyone needs a little tenderness.”  

Scott Smith calls “Country Dreams,” the last track on the album, “the most personal song on the album to me. I will always be thankful that our father, Wes Smith, introduced Todd and me to the country classics and all the legends in country music at an early age. ‘Country Dreams’ is a tribute to those legends and the influence they have had on our passion, thus allowing us to be fortunate enough to do what we love to do...play music and share it with as many folks that will listen.”

BROTHER DEGE'S NEW "SCORCHED EARTH POLICY: DELUXE" CD OUT 7/24! 2 VINYL REISSUES OUT 7/10!

BROTHER DEGE'S "SCORCHED EARTH POLICY: DELUXE EDITION" OUT JULY 24TH ON CD & DIGITAL!

BROTHER DEGE'S FIRST TWO ACCLAIMED ALBUMS FOLK SONGS OF THE AMERICAN LONGHAIR & HOW TO KILL A HORSE TO BE REISSUED ON VINYL FOR THE FIRST TIME JULY 10TH VIA MAGIC BULLET RECORDS!

CLASSIC ROCK PREMIERES BROTHER DEGE'S NEW TRACK "SOMEWHERE" CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

BROTHER DEGE KICKS-OFF U.S. SUMMER TOUR DATES JUNE 24TH IN SAN ANTONIO!

The Deep South's forgotten son comes banging out of the gates with his third album under the Brother Dege moniker, Scorched Earth Policy: Deluxe, morphing his signature Delta, sonic-slide sound (as heard in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained official soundtrack) into the psyouthern, psych swamposphere. Joined by his touring band, The Brethren, Brother Dege & Co. push these 12 tracks into rural cinematic realms, adding their post-millennial update to the southern rock & roll lexicon. 

Following his two previous acclaimed solo efforts (2009's Folk Songs Of The American Longhair & 2013's How To Kill A Horse) Brother Dege released a unique 19-track digital-only "summer mixtape" last year entitled Scorched Earth Policy, featuring a mix of newly recorded studio songs, demos, covers and field recordings. Now Dege has updated it into a more cohesive studio album, Scorched Earth Policy: Deluxe paring down some of the rougher demos and field recordings and has added four new studio tracks to it. This is the first time any of these 12 songs will be available on CD. 

Brother Dege's Scorched Earth Policy: Deluxe Edition will be available July 24, 2015 on CD and digital formats.

SCORCHED EARTH POLICY: DELUXE TRACK LISTING

(* new studio tracks)

1. Set It Off

2. Pay No Mind *

3. Somewhere *

4. Day I Was Born

5. Supernaut

6. Yellabone

7. Tower Of Babel

8. Revolution

9. Souls of the Darklands *

10. Calabasas *

11. Jones For War

12. Way of the Lamb

In addition, Magic Bullet Records will be reissuing Brother Dege's two critically acclaimed first studio albums, Folk Songs Of The American Longhair & How To Kill A Horse, on July 10th on vinyl for the first time. Director Tarantino had this to say about the former album, "Frankly, every track on the Brother Dege CD could have been in the movie [Django Unchained]. It works and has a badass score sound to it. Almost every song could be a theme song. It’s like a greatest hits album.”

BROTHER DEGE 2015 TOUR DATES:

June 24 - 502 Bar - San Antonio, TX 

June 26 - Shipping and Receiving Bar - Ft. Worth, TX

July 10 - Southgate House Revival - Newport, KY

July 11 - Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill - Grand Rapids, MI 

July 16 - Machines With Magnets - Pawtucket, RI

July 17 - The Barn (Restaurant & Tavern) - Pawlet, VT

July 18 - Donovan's - Bellows Falls, VT

July 20 - Sweet Afton - Astoria, NY (SOLO)

July 21 - Grand Victory, Brooklyn, NY

July 24 - 10th Avenue Burrito - Belmar, NJ

July 25 - Shepherdstown Opera House - Shepherdstown, WV

August 3 - WDVX Blue Plate Special, Knoxville Visitors Center - Knoxville, TN 

August 4 - Sleepy Owl Brewery - Kingsport, TN

August 5 Awendaw Green Barn Jam - Awendaw, SC

August 6 - Rusty Rudder - Mt. Pleasant, SC

August 7 - Palmetto Brewing Dock Series - Charleston, SC

August 8 - L L Creek Bar - Waycross, GA

August 21 - Blue Moon Saloon - Lafayette, LA

(MORE DATES HERE & ABROAD TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!)

FOR MORE INFO ON BROTHER DEGE:

Mavis Staples / Live at Cambridge Corn Exchange ahead of Glastonbury appearance

MAVIS STAPLES Live at Cambridge Corn Exchange - 1st July 2015

‘One of the 100 greatest singers of all time.’ ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE 2015 has seen the loss of Ben E. King. Percy Sledge and BB King…just three of the giants from the era of sixties soul, r‘n’b and gospel. It will be a truly unique chance then, on Wednesday 1 July, to still be able to watch another true soul/gospel legend from that era, when Mavis Staples walks on stage at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in one of just three UK concerts. Now in her seventies, this incredible singer has been performing both solo, and in earlier years with The Staples Singers, for over 50 years. Tracks include classics like If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me) and The Weight along with numerous other soul and gospel classics. More recently Mavis Staples took the award for best Americana album at the 2011 Grammy Awards for her album You Are Not Alone, produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. It was an emotional first Grammy for the Chicago-based artist in a 50 plus-year career winning against Rosanne Cash, Willie Nelson, Los Lobos and Robert Plant. She has just released Your Good Fortune, a new four-song EP produced by the acclaimed young cross-genre soul explorer Son Little. The songs merge Staples’ iconic and soulful voice with Little’s talent for reconfiguring genres including soul, hip-hop and heavy rock. The resulting tracks retain every bit of Staples’ emotional delivery, while adding an array of modernist sounds created with the cut and paste of contemporary hip-hop. “I’m always excited to do new songs,” Mavis says. “And this young man wrote two just for me. Seemed like we were a team made in heaven. He writes from his heart; he’s a great singer who sings from his heart, and he reached my heart.  I’m so glad we got to work together. The whole experience right down to the finished product was just extraordinary.” Mavis Staples appears at Cambridge Corn Exchange on Wednesday 1 July at 7.30pm. Tickets from £22.50. Box Office 01223 357851

The Bush League - Didn't See This Coming - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Didn't See This Coming, by The Bush League and it's another smoker! Like their first release, ”Can of Gas and a Match” this release is gritty, raw and bluesy. This release is live and gives The Bush League a chance to stretch out a bit and I think that it pays off in spades. Opening with Hearse, a rambling blues with trace clues to Govt Mule, this track has a really nice underlying bass line by Royce Folks, super vocals by JohnJay Cecil and wild frenzied guitar work by Michael Burgess and Brad Moss over a stiff drum rhythm by Wynton Davis. Real nice! Bringing the pace (but not the heat) down, Show You Off has has a real nice swagger with a woven tapestry of guitar, drums and bass carrying the vocals on a chariot. With an increase in intensity as the track grows, the band is really getting the crowd sweaty. Lowell Folsom's Tramp, one of the great underrated tracks of our time fits nicely into the set. Shelly Thiss joins the band sharing lead vocals with Cecil and she has an excellent voice! She has a great weighted clarity like some of my favorite contemporary blues singers. This is an excellent demonstration of the bands capabilities both vocally and instrumentally! Gimme My Money is a real nice R&B style track in the Otis Redding flavor. Cecil is a great band leader with a super voice and this track is solid as a rock. Can of Gas & a Match is a real nice hill country style boogie. The band really gets would up on this one cranking out an excellent jam with acute dynamics. Frysumfish is a funky track that I'm certain has the crowd on it's feet. How funky you say?...Think Sly Stone! Kick Up Yo' Heels has a Tommy Tucker feel with a few hot guitar solos. Wrapping the release is Muddy Water's Mannish Boy, a 12 plus minute long jam with excellent guitar riffs and also featuring Pete Turpin on harp. This a sweet live performance by one of today's earthiest blues bands. Enjoy!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

Wendell Holmes has passed - My thoughts are with his family

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WENDELL HOLMES, DECEMBER 19, 1943 - JUNE 19, 2015 Wendell Holmes, vocalist, guitarist, pianist and songwriter of the critically acclaimed soul/blues band The Holmes Brothers, died on Friday, June 19 at his home in Rosedale, Maryland of complications due to pulmonary hypertension. Earlier this week, Wendell addressed his fans and friends in an open letter as he moved into hospice care. He was 71. Wendell retired from touring earlier this year when he was first diagnosed. Holmes Brothers drummer Willie "Popsy" Dixon died on January 9, 2015 of complications from cancer. Brother and bassist Sherman Holmes continues to carry on The Holmes Brothers legacy with The Sherman Holmes Project featuring Brooks Long and Eric Kennedy.         Wendell, the man Entertainment Weekly has called "a timeless original," was born in Christchurch, Virginia on December 19, 1943. He and his older brother Sherman were raised by their schoolteacher parents, who nurtured the boys’ early interest in music. As youngsters they listened to traditional Baptist hymns, anthems and spirituals as well as blues music by Jimmy Reed, Junior Parker and B.B. King. According to Wendell, “It was a small town, and my brother and I were about the only ones who could play anything. So we played around in all the area churches on Sundays.” The night before, though, they would play blues, soul, country and rock at their cousin’s local club, Herman Wate’s Juke Joint. “When he couldn’t get any good groups to come from Norfolk or Richmond, he’d call us in,” Wendell recalls. “That’s how we honed our sound. We used to say we’d rock ‘em on Saturday and save ‘em on Sunday.” Once Wendell finished high school he joined Sherman, who had already begun playing professionally in New York. The two brothers played in a few bands before forming The Sevilles in 1963. The group lasted only three years, but they often backed up touring artists like The Impressions, John Lee Hooker and Jerry Butler, gaining a wealth of experience. Sherman and Wendell met drummer Popsy Dixon, a fellow Virginian, at a New York gig in 1967. Dixon sat in with the brothers and sang two songs. “After that second song,” recalls Wendell, “Popsy was a brother.” They continued to play in a variety of Top 40 bar bands until 1979, when the three officially joined forces and formed The Holmes Brothers band. The band toured the world, releasing 12 albums starting with 1990's In The Spirit on Rounder. Their most recent release is 2014's Brotherhood on Alligator. The New York Times calls The Holmes Brothers "deeply soulful, uplifting and timeless." In September 2014, The Holmes Brothers were honored with a National Endowment For The Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor the United States bestows upon its folk and traditional artists. They won two Blues Music Awards including Blues Band Of The Year in 2005. The Holmes Brothers are featured on the cover of the current issue of Living Blues magazine. Wendell is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughters Felicia and Mia, brothers Sherman and Milton, and three grandsons. Memorial service arrangements have not yet been announced. ### www.ALLIGATOR.com

Ruf Records artist: Samantha Fish - Wild Heart - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (July 10, 2015), Wild Heart,from Samantha Fish and she just keeps getting better. Opening with Road Runner, a hill country style blues track, Fish has teamed up with the master of hill country blues, Mr Luther Dickinson ans the duo make a great team. With just a taste of rock and nice slide work, this track is a nice opener. Place To Fall is a serious slow blues ballad featuring Fish on guitar and vocal, Dickinson on bass, Brady Blade on drums and Shontelle Norman-Beatty and Risse Norman on backing vocals. Dickinson plays some really hot lap steel riffs on this track so watch yourself! Blame It On The Moon has a strong pop feel and Dickinson lends his hand again with nice lap steel work (think Lindley and Browne). Highway's Holding Me Down has a real nice slinky feel with a nice recurring guitar riff from Fish and driving bass line from Dickinson. Fish steps on the gas on this one with a real nice guitar solo and using some of the drone note fingering. Very cool! Soft country ballad, Go Home, nicely showcases the strength of Fish's voice and blending with Norman - Beatty and Norman. Jim Lee Blues Pt. 1 is a cool Charlie Patton track with strong country blues sounds. This is likely my favorite track on the release with Fish belting the blues vocally accompanied by Dickinson on mandolin and Lightning Malcolm on guitar. Turn It Up is a solid rock track and features a ripping guitar lead by Dickinson. Cool! Show Me is a straight up rocker with a driving beat by Dominic Davis (Bass) and Brady Blade (drums). Fish steps up on the lead guitar on this one and lays into it pretty good with some stinging riffs to compliment her taunting vocals. Very nice! Lost Myself is a crisp, well written radio oriented track with a nicely articulated lead guitar work as well as cool lap steel work from Dickinson. Wild Heart is a nicely blended country rocker with a R&B style vocal flare. Fish digs deep for a bluesy guitar solo on this number nicely complimenting the overall track. Bitch On The Run is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a contagious rhythm guitar riff. This is one of those tracks that just grabs you and makes you want to drive. Fish was made to sing this kind of track and Blade pushes it hard. Dickinson rips a super lead solo and slide work. Excellent! Wrapping the release is a Jr. Kimbrough's I'm In Love With You, a really sweet R&B track featuring Fish's voice nicely. Fish, Malcolm and Dickinson play a nice acoustic bridge with only light drum bottom by Sharde Thomas making this an excellent closer for what may be Fish's best release yet! If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”