For a limited time, you can stream John Mayer's new album Born and Raised free in the itunes store.
From some of the lyrics on John Mayer's new album, Born and Raised, you would think the one-time bad boy is trying to get you to like him.
But what he's really doing is learning to like himself. Like he says in the lyrics of "Shadow Days," he's a "good man, with a good heart."
A couple of years ago, Mayer was getting some bad press. He made some relationship mistakes, and said some really stupid, hurtful things in the media. Then he disappeared.
What he did was move to Bozeman, Montana, and like he told Ellen DeGeneres the other day, he did some growing up. He wanted to learn how to be 33 and 34 instead of 28 for a couple more years.
You can tell from the lyrics that this was an introspective time for Mayer. For some artists, that becomes self-indulgent, but in this instance, it works.
The tender melodies and fine finger picking guitar mix well with his message. In "Walt Grace's Submarie Test, 1967" we get the idea that solitude is something that Mayer was learning to enjoy. On "If I Ever Get Around to Living," he sings, "If I ever get around to living, it's gonna be just like I dreamed, I'm gonna take the love I'm giving, and set it free."
If I were living in the mountains of Montana, sitting out on a deck with a nice dog and a lemonade, this would be the perfect album to fit the mood.
The bottom line: If you're looking for Mayer to do some intense shredding on his Stratocaster, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a mellow, comfortable groove, this album is perfect.
Born and Raised will be available for purchase May 22nd.
Check out the latest song off The Walkmen's new album Heaven called "We Can't Be Beat." An indie rock band relying on vintage instruments such as upright pianos and organs, The Walkmen have created a unique sound that sets them apart from fellow contemporary New York musicians. The album is due for release on May 29 and you can see them on June 29 in Milwaukee where they'll be performing at Summerfest.
Mindy Smith's latest album won't be coming out until June 26, but you can hear two new tracks right now here. The folk-country singer from Long Island found popularity while collaborating with Dolly Parton in 2003 and 2004. More recently, her song "Taking You With Me" was featured on the soundtrack of Our Idiot Brother and her latest album is set to be released independently. You can catch Smith later this year at the High Noon Saloon on August 4 at 6pm.
These days, most bands put out an album every two years or so. That gives them a year to tour, another year to make a new album, then back on tour again.
So it seems a little surprising that Green Day announced they're releasing three new albums in 2012 and early 2013.
According to a post on their website, the albums are being produced by the band's long-time producer Rob Cavallo. ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! are being recorded in their hometown of Oakland, CA.
"We are at the most prolific and creative time in our lives. This is the best music we've ever written, and the songs just keep coming," said the members of Green Day. "Instead of making one album, we are making a three album trilogy. Every song has the power and energy that represents Green Day on all emotional levels. We just can't help ourselves... We are going epic as f&#"."
The albums will be released by Reprise Records on Tuesday, September 25th 2012; Tuesday, November 13th 2012 and Tuesday, January 15th 2013.
A while back, Billie Joe Armstrong said the next album would not be political, but would instead be about sex. Other than that we don't have a lot of clues.
Check out this preview video..but you might want to keep the sound a little on the low side. As in their albums, the boys have a problem controlling their potty mouths.
Guest Blogger Shannon Curfman talks about her work-life balance as a woman in rock - she's a "rock mom" who's currently a touring musician as singer/guitarist for Kid Rock!
I'll start by introducing myself. My name is Shannon Curfman. I'm 26 years old. I live in Minneapolis, MN with my hubby, four year old daughter, Lucy, my step-sons who are 11 and 14 and our dog Ruby Tuesday. We are an (almost) all organic family who keeps wheat, sugars and synthetic food coloring out of our food and home products. We have an extremely tight family and we host dinner with guests at least three times a week. We ride bike, play kickball, garden, have movie night twice a week, swim twice a week and sing, dance and play imaginary games throughout all of our days. As a family, we try and treat our time together as something very special.
My career has made us realize how much every day activities really mean to a family. As for my work: I am a touring and recording musician. I've had my own companies and bands since I was 12. I got signed to a major recording contract and released my first album when I was 14. I went on a big touring and publicity blitz for the following two years that took me all over the world. Since then I've gone independent and have taken much more control of my own career. I've released two albums under my own company, Purdy Records, and as of two years ago took the position of singer and guitarist in Kid Rock's band, the Twisted Brown Truckers.
In 2011 I didn't even spend two months at home. It has definitely put a lot of things in perspective for all of us in our little family unit. I never imagined being away from my family, especially after working three years straight to ensure we'd always be able to travel together when I was still touring year round with my solo career. Being a "rock mom" has its difficulties but we've chosen to focus on the positive because, hey, we might not have a normal family setup but we appreciate each other and always support our individual endeavors.
These days a typical day for me is being surrounded by stage makeup, Kid Rock songs, dressing rooms, fun celebrities, catering, insane pyro, Skype, rock and roll, crazy fans and the occasional "partying." I suppose even our partying has changed as we've all gotten older and many of us have our own families. The Twisted Brown Truckers consists of 10 members; seven men and three women. The other females are long-time TBT member Stefanie Eulinberg on drums and background singer, Jessie Wagner. We are a fiercely loyal group of individuals. We seem to spend more time with each other than we do our own families. Together we have some amazing experiences and ridiculously funny times together as well as times where we are all homesick, physically sick and drained and go into complete survival mode together. We are always there to be each other's backbones when needed.
I never imagined working for someone else but after this opportunity came along I realized how much more QUALITY time I would have with my family. When I was focused on my own businesses I would constantly be on business calls, sending and receiving bids and contracts, routing new tours, etc. Even when I was alone with my daughter I wasn't 100% present. Now when I come home I don't have the worries that Kid has such as running the touring company, record company, merchandising and figuring out the bottom line of everything. I get to go out with Kid and rock my socks off and then come home and be a fully present Mommy. I'm still working on my own career and will start doing more and more of my own shows and recordings as Lucy is getting to school age. I've got a pretty blessed life but it has taken a lot of hard work, faith in each other and determination as a family to find a balance that keeps us all not only provided with our necessities but also surrounded with the things that fulfill who we are without feeling like our sacrifices outweigh the positives.
Feel free to find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or you can always sign up for my mailing list on www.shannoncurfman.com!
By Beth Kille, Madison musician and Music Director of Girls Rock Camp Madison
Joan Jett....Ann and Nancy Wilson...Chrissie Hynde...Pat Benatar...Melissa Etheridge.
Women who rock.
They called them pioneers; rock n' roll was man's domain. And though things have changed since the days of the Runaways, if you scan the entertainment schedule in the Isthmus, you'll find that rock bands with women are still a considerable minority. I've got absolutely nothing against the boys, but if you ask me, the scene could use a little more estrogen.
There is a worldwide movement of Girls (and Ladies) Rock Camps, including one based right here in Madison, that seeks to empower girls through rock music. Here's the premise – campers don't need to have any prior musical experience, just a desire to rock! Local professional female musicians run the camp, providing instruments and instruction on drums, bass, guitar, keys and vocals. Campers form bands with their peers and write a song under the guidance of some of Madison's best performers. At the end of the week (or long weekend in the case of Ladies Rock Camp) they perform in front of hundreds of screaming fans. Sound crazy? Yeah, it is, but every single time we've had a camp and with every single band that was formed, it's worked. And one of the coolest things to come of this is that many of our campers are still performing to this day with musicians they met at camp. They say a journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step and we're giving these girls some rockin' running shoes.
Girls Rock Camp Madison is open to any girls between the ages of 8 and 18. Women ages 19-190 are eligible for Ladies Rock Camp. Here's our upcoming schedule:
Ladies Rock Camp: April 27-29th. -showcase April 29th Girls Rock Camp Madison Session I: June 25-29th -showcase on July 1 Girls Rock Camp Madison Session II: July16-20th-showcase July 22
Both of our summer sessions are filling fast!! You can learn more and register online at www.grcmadison.org. Financial aid is available. We do not turn anyone away as long as space is available. Because of our all-inclusive policy, we are also seeking sponsors for campers. Any and all donation help.
One last thing on the topic of women who rock. Our instructors come from awesome local bands like Little Red Wolf, Sexy Ester, Venus in Furs, and The Getaway Drivers, to name a few – all bands you should check out soon!
Thanks to 105.5 MMM for supporting women who rock!
Aren't sneak previews fun? Our bluegrass neighbors from Minnesota, Trampled By Turtles, are set to release their new record Stars And Satellites this upcoming Tuesday. But you can hear the whole album right now - it's streaming over here at Paste. Stars and Satellites showcases the softer side of Trampled by Turtles, although the album isn't without some zesty banjo breakdowns, like the upbeat "Sorry" and instrumental "Risk." If you like getting your stomp on at bluegrass shows, I'd highly recommend Trampled By Turtles live. Their concert next Thursday at The Barrymore is already sold out (bummer!), but you can enter to win a pair of tickets to the show at Monday's Trampled By Turtles/ M. Ward Listening Party (hosted by True Endeavors & Strictly Discs) at High Noon, where you can also pick up Stars And Satellites a day in advance. For more info on the listening party, go here.
To all our blues lovers out there, Alabama Shakes should be on your radar (if they're not already). This group (from Alabama, yes) has quickly been gaining momentum - they recently headlined a sold out show at The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, and they don't even have a full-length album to their name. But ho! That all changes next week on April 10th, when they release their debut album, Boys and Girls. You can cut the line, though, and listen to the album right now - it's streaming over at NPR.
Singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist John Dufilho, formerly in the bands, "The Deathray Davies" and "The Apples in Stereo" is set to release his own album April 10th. For his newest project, he wrote 14 songs, which feature many guest performances from other Indie artists in each track. These artists include Robert Schneider, band mate from "The Apples in Stereo", Will Johnson, from "Centro-Matic", Rhett Miller, from "Old 97's", John Davis, from "Superdrag", and my personal favorite, Ben Kweller.
The band, "Tripwire" has said, "How in the hell Dufilho continues to come up with such consistently catchy melodies boggles the mind. Musical Genius? Definitely."
Dufilho has previously made his own album before and has described his work by saying, "I wanted to make a more personal record. Something intimate like a bedroom four track demo, but with the fidelity that comes with working in a real studio." His music is indie, rock, pop, and personal. With adding such talents as Sarah Jaffe, Chris Walla, and Ben Kweller, just to name a few, I can only imagine how much talent this album will hold!
It's Bike to Work week! So naturally, I rode my bike to work this morning. I also rode yesterday. I didn't ride Monday because on Monday nights we shoot video for Project M, which means I could be in the office until 11pm or later. I...
For a limited time, you can stream John Mayer's new album Born and Raised free in the itunes store.
From some of the lyrics on John Mayer's new album, Born and Raised, you would think the one-time bad boy is trying to get you to like...
Here in Wisconsin, there are a few things we hold dear. The Packers, cheese, and beer. While none of these need defending, you may be excited to hear at least one of them can offer some great health benefits. Beer! If could be saving your...
Can you believe that May is more than halfway over? Time sure flies, as do birds, which leads us to this week's photo.
Please give me your best caption for this photo! The winner gets PRIZES!!!! Everyone likes prizes, and this week, Talking...
A different kind of challenge this week, as we don't have to write a song. You'd think that would make it easier, but it really opened up a whole world of possibilities. The judges have commented that they want bands to be bringing something...
Although he's from Sweden, Kristian Matsson, who also goes by The Tallest Man On Earth, has a serious American folk side to him. Drawing comparisons to Bob Dylan in both songwriting style and sound, Matsson draws inspiration from American artists...
Summer months can be a hard time for those who love to cook. Standing over a stove as hot as the air outside can take it's toll. Taking some simple steps can alleviate this problem and also reduce the amount of energy needed to cook or cool your...
For this week we were challenged with the task of rewriting a famous song in our own style, while still having it be recognizable as the original. "On Wisconsin" is such a historic song, that when we were first trying to accomplish our task, it...
It's Bike to Work week! So naturally, I rode my bike to work this morning. I also rode yesterday. I didn't ride Monday because on Monday nights we shoot video for Project M, which means I could be in the office until 11pm or later. I...
For a limited time, you can stream John Mayer's new album Born and Raised free in the itunes store.
From some of the lyrics on John Mayer's new album, Born and Raised, you would think the one-time bad boy is trying to get you to like...
Here in Wisconsin, there are a few things we hold dear. The Packers, cheese, and beer. While none of these need defending, you may be excited to hear at least one of them can offer some great health benefits. Beer! If could be saving your...
Can you believe that May is more than halfway over? Time sure flies, as do birds, which leads us to this week's photo.
Please give me your best caption for this photo! The winner gets PRIZES!!!! Everyone likes prizes, and this week, Talking...
A different kind of challenge this week, as we don't have to write a song. You'd think that would make it easier, but it really opened up a whole world of possibilities. The judges have commented that they want bands to be bringing something...
Although he's from Sweden, Kristian Matsson, who also goes by The Tallest Man On Earth, has a serious American folk side to him. Drawing comparisons to Bob Dylan in both songwriting style and sound, Matsson draws inspiration from American artists...
Summer months can be a hard time for those who love to cook. Standing over a stove as hot as the air outside can take it's toll. Taking some simple steps can alleviate this problem and also reduce the amount of energy needed to cook or cool your...
For this week we were challenged with the task of rewriting a famous song in our own style, while still having it be recognizable as the original. "On Wisconsin" is such a historic song, that when we were first trying to accomplish our task, it...
Pat Gallagher
Mindy Smith's latest album won't be coming out until June 26, but you can hear two new tracks right now 
