westcoastmusic

Bill LaBounty "Time Starts Now" The definitive Anthology 75/11

Rhino Records will release Bill LaBounty "Time Starts Now - The Definitice Anthology 75/11" on October 31st.

• The most complete retrospective of Bill LaBounty’s carrier as a solo artist

• 70 remastered tracks on 4CDs Includes 18 previously unreleased demos & songs from the album “Promised Love”, never released on CD

• Featuring : James Taylor, Larry Carlton, Jeff Porcaro, Willie Weeks, Steve Lukather, Lenny Castro, Robbie Dupree, Patti Austin, Jennifer Warnes, Steve Gadd...

• Also features a 16 pages booklet with liner notes by Bill LaBounty

Six years in the making… at long last MECCA II «Undeniable» is scheduled for release!

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of MECCA’s anticipated second album « Undeniable » on November 4th in Europe and January 10th 2012 in North America.

Six years in the making « Undeniable » is the culmination of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Rewind to 2002: the Melodic Rock community is taken by storm by the debut album of a new band named Mecca. Formed by vocalist Joe Vana, he enlisted, among others, the services of former Toto members David Hungate (bass) and Fergie Frederiksen on vocals and close friend and former Survivor founding member Jim Peterik, who contributed masterfully to the songwriting and production of the album.

« Mecca » created a sonic treasure bringing the energy to drive diamond hard rockers and the finesse to create lush power ballads, all with the texture that, until now, only super-groups such as Journey, Toto or Foreigner could provide. Amazing press responses blessed the album’s release and Joe Vana soon started putting together plans for a follow up album. “I wanted a BAND sound, like the old days where all the guys played together in the room” tells Joe. “We came very close to doing just that... PLUS, I wanted an album Jim Peterik would hear and be proud that he worked so hard mentoring me for so many years. I had a challenge”.

Songwriting started in 2005 between Vana and Swedish guitarist Christian Wolff. In 2007 things really took a ground breaking turn with the songwriting masterpieces that Vana wrote with Swedish Producer/Songwriter/Guitarist Tommy Denander. Vana said: “The writing synergy between Tommy and I has been amazing, we think so much alike in terms of melody and space but sounds very different melodically than what we both have done separately, so it truly is a union of ideas...”. The musical direction soon showed that new heights in Melodic Rock music could be reached. “Since Tommy and Christian were my co-writers” continues Vana “I had parts of theirs from when we wrote the tunes that were stellar and it integrated wonderfully”.

Several problems created bumps in the road, including the death of Vana's longtime friend and co-producer / engineer Bryan Mitchell which made the completion of the recording process extremely slow. Joe explains: “It took a lot of time to build the right team to produce with me, Mark Alano and Chuck Macak and to get the right combination of guys. I had an opportunity to hand pick a band and I was not going to ruin that! I know I was getting killed on the internet, but I needed to make sure it was ALL correct. The music had to be able to carry the melodies and the lyrical content I had written, this album had to flow correctly and I had a vision sonically I wanted as well... it was not an easy road.... and as far as the songs themselves, it is the best writing Tommy Denander and Christian Wolff have done. They were SO EASY to write with and we make a GREAT team!”.

Vana enlisted the talents of session masters such as Pat Mastellotto (King Crimson, Mr Mister), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson), along with Denander and Wolff. His core band was also created around Rick Vitek on drums, Brian Moritz on keyboards, Wally Hustin on bass, Eric Ragno on keyboards, Mark Alano on guitar and Joe’s ace in the hole....his son Joey on guitars and backing vocals.

Fast forward to 2011. Mecca II « Undeniable » is finally completed and delivered. The results are breathtaking. According to Vana: “This is a thinking man's record with a lot of Chicago AOR, Prog and a good dose of West Coast thrown in! You can listen to the album 10 times, and will hear different things each time...”. An album which perfectly melts the outstanding High-Tech AOR approach of Mr. Mister’s “Welcome to the Real World” to the commercial sheer brilliance of Toto’s “The Seventh One”. Oh and... the good news is that Mecca III is underway!

If Mecca I was born to unveil the treasures of the Melodic Rock genre to the unsuspecting public, then Mecca II « Undeniable » sets in stone the gospel of this music with stunning arrangements and unbelievable melodies. Mecca is now here to stay....get converted to their music!!!

Kiki Ebsen "The Beauty Inside"

Kiki Ebsen, an accomplished singer and songwriter, known for backing up such artists as Christopher Cross, Wilson Phillips, Boz Scaggs, Tracy Chapman and many more, introduces her first original CD in five years. Already with four CD's under her belt, her latest endeavor is an impressive collection of thirteen self-penned tunes inspired by her own real life stories. The CD is beautifully packaged in a full color digipack filled with pictures and lyrics for each song.

Taking a candid look at her own relationships, Kiki carries the listener on an emotional journey of honesty, passion, purpose and peace as she negotiates her way through her own darkness and eventually back into the light. This CD is sure to connect with everyone who wishes to dig deeper for the truth in their heart, past the superficial, to find....The Beauty Inside

Part of each sale will go to The Healing Equine Ranch, (501c3) to support equine learning and outreach programs and the rescued horses that are used in these programs. If you haven't visited this site before, please take a moment to check it out. When Kiki is not touring the world, she and her associates are doing some great things in their community for horses and humans.

Kiki's "The Beauty Inside" is available here!

State Cows's new single "Hard Goodbye"

Following their first well acclaimed self titled album, State Cows returns with a brand new single "Hard Goodbye". In the same vein than the first record, "Hard Goodbye" will seduce listeners who like "Westcoast Music" with fine arrangements and great vocals harmonies inspired by bands such as Pages, Airplay and Steely Dan.

Get a free video of Richard Page's Mr Mister hit "Kyrie"!

Hymns From Home

The Label Hemifran just released a new compilation of great music... "Music From The Guts"! It's the opportunity to discover Hemifran's favorite artists through 20 songs well representatives of folk, americana, and country rock genre.

"Hymns From Home" features songs by Greg Copeland, Anthony Crawford, Steve Noonan, Jack Tempchin, Dan Krikorian, I See Hawks In L.A., Kate Campbell, Marc Black, Keith Mile, Greg Copeland , Elliott Murphy, The Plastic Pals, Anthony Crawford, JD Southe, Mikael Persson, Jude Johnstone, Pelle Johanson, Judy Collins, Gary Wright & Citizen K. More informations at Hemifran.com

Toby "Sleeptalk"

Energetic. Raw. Feisty. .. These three words tell you everything you need to know about Australian roots artist Toby on stage.

Toby is a stand-out performer - and this is why she is making her mark touring the world - with seven Canadian tours up her sleeve, she also tours throughout Europe, America and Australia playing major festivals, and performing her own headlining shows.

For an audience, these live shows are a deeply emotional and joyous experience.

For Toby, she wears her emotions, thoughts and adventures on her sleeve, as clearly as the delighted smile she sports while playing. It's that chemistry and connection – in between plenty of dancing and jumping from both sides – that makes each performance so strikingly unique and deliciously unpredictable.

Passionate and known for her unwavering commitment to her craft Toby is willing to take the risk and be vulnerable with her thoughts and emotions committed to song.

Perth born Toby’s new album "Sleeptalk" is the album you should be listening to. Why?

This album was recorded in San Francisco, CA, where Toby worked with co-producer Carey Williams. They met when TOBY played alongside Etta James (managed by Carey) at a festival in Milwaukee in 2009.

This is TOBY’s 4th full-length album and is the culmination of years of touring endlessly throughout Australia, four tours of Europe, eight tours of Canada and memorable performances in the USA.

This album showcases Toby’s insightful, honest and poignant songwriting. It’s an invitation to explore her mind and her soul. This critique of the human condition is both personal and broad. It has captured Toby’s best songs to date - with a full mature sound, and an incredible line up of musicians. It tells stories across emotions and continents, yet never loses track of it's Australian roots, giving it a sense of place and time.

But best of all, it is simply full of great songs that people want to hear.

Toby’s songwriting skills are honed enough to make her radio-friendly, and her voice is naturally soulful, earthy and dynamic enough to appeal to all kinds of music fans. The songs themselves have some seriously infectious hooks and draws in European flavours, some gutsy blues, slow, chilled out reggae and some soulful acoustic ballads.

Half of “Sleeptalk” was recorded at Decibelle Recording in San Fransisco with JJ Wiesler, and the other half in Berkely at San Pablo Recorder with Jon Evans. One track was recorded at Couch Studio with Shaun O'Callaghan, North Fremantle, WA (John Butler Trio).

Carey Williams put together an amazing team of musicians to record the album. Jon Evans played bass on several tracks. Jon has toured and performed with Tori Amos for twelve years. He has also worked with Linda Perry and Paula Cole. Other musicians include Dawn Richardson on drums (4 Non Blondes, Tracy Chapman), Julie Wolf (Ani Difranco, Indigo Girls, Maceo Parker), David Matthews (Etta James), Claytoven Richardson on backing vocals (Kenny G, Michael Bolton, Elton John, Peabo Bryson), Sakai (live performances with Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan) and Marcie Brown

Toby has pulled together experiences from travelling the world, performing her music. She has supported the likes of Sheryl Crow, John Mellencamp, Paul Kelly, John Butler Trio, Brandy, Indigo Girls, Gomez, Donavon Frankenreiter, Luka Bloom and Pete Murray.

By not deviating from her fiercely independent origins, Toby keeps this album real and untamed as she criss-crosses the globe connecting with audiences, injecting them with the passion she feels for music and turning each performance into a memorable party.

Thanks to Peter Holmstedt at Hemifran

Annis Brander "Glass People In The Woods"

"Glass People In The Woods" is Annis Brander's 2nd album after her well-received debut in 2009. The release date is set for September 27th, 2011. She is very excited about this project, as it is described as dark, fateful and personal.

Annis was born in Baljered, a tiny village about 10 miles from Gothenburg, Sweden. As a young girl Annis used to play the piano and violin, but in her early teenage years she lost interest – as it wasn't cool enough to carry around a violin case at school. Five years later, Annis moved up north to study to become a chef, but instead she got inspired by her new friends at the Rock Music High School. Borrowing her mothers old guitar and reading through a manual on basic guitar chords, she wrote her first song in a week. She was hooked!

One evening, whilst working as waitress at a hotel, Annis surprised everybody with her knowledge of music as she picked up a guitar that was standing alone in the corner of the room and began to play. Some of the guests suggested her to sing some country music because of "the sound in her voice" – and like Forrest Gump would say, she responded, "well... I can do that". Shortly after that, even though she never listened to country music before, she found herself booked at the largest country music festival in Scandinavia at the time. From having had a quite mediocre taste of music, she now discovered and started to appreciate some of the American artists like Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Patsy Cline.

The following years, from the year 2000 and onwards, Annis makes her living by traveling around Sweden and Norway doing what she loves most, performing in front of a live audience.

Going back to the fall of 2004, she met Bert Karlsson, the founder of Mariann Records, a well-known Swedish record company. That meeting resulted in the release of the single "One Suitcase" in May of 2005. It was frequently played on Swedish National Radio and it hit the number one spot on the "Pop I Topp"-chart for several weeks in a row. Later that year "One Suitcase" was one of the songs on the best-selling compilation CD "Absolute Women".

In 2006 Annis moved to Stockholm. She gathered up with some wonderful musicians and it was love at first sight. It was at this time that she first felt completely at home with the music she was performing. During the spring of 2007 the dream of making an album finally became a reality. Hearing some of Henrik Åström's productions (Miss Li, Oh Laura), she really liked his way of thinking. Titiyo and I’m Kingfisher (Thomas Denver Jonsson) was appearing as special guests on the album. Annis' debut "If It's A Dead Fish, It's A Dead Fish" was released January 21st, 2009.

For her new album Annis and her producer Henrik Åström decided to record live in the studio as much as they could. They both prefer the "live" sound rather than perfected studio recordings, so the entire band gathered and played together, creating the sound they were looking for. 

"Glass People In The Woods" consists of ten songs, most of them written by Annis. The lyrics within her songs contain elements of friendship, vulnerability, death and, of course, love. Currently, the single "More Than Ice Cream" has high rotation on Swedish National Radio P4 and local stations around Sweden.

Thanks to Peter Holmstedt at Hemifran