Eddie Money has one of the most distinctive voices in rock music. He’s also written and recorded some of the biggest rock hits of the 1970’s and 80’s. With infectious hits to his credit such as “Two Tickets To Paradise”, “I Think I’m In Love”, and “Shakin’”, Eddie Money has dazzled rock lovers for over 30 years. 

Eddie has returned to the studio for the first in a series of digital EPs simply titled “Covers”. The first in the series, The Covers EP, Volume One pays tribute to the artists and songs that he admires most. In The Covers EP, Volume One, Eddie offers incredible versions of classic songs including The Beatles’ “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” and The Four Tops’ “Reach Out (I’ll Be There). He also throws down a gritty, no-nonsense version of AC/DC’s “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock And Roll)” and an emotional rendition of Train’s “Drops of Jupiter”.

Visit Gigatone.net for more infos...

 

The Norwegian Newcomers “Stargazer” are ready to cause a stir with their debut album, the band is all geared-up to reach for the musical stars up in the Rock'n Roll sky. Their aim is guarateed to become a success by the very promising combination of a modern state-of-the-art production by co-producer Rune Nordal, with “Old School” Hard Rock and Melodic Rock and with the participation on all songs of Morten “Morty Black” Skaget (Ex-TNT) on bass and Steinar Krokstad (Ex-Stage Dolls) on drums. 

Stargazer's Tore André Helgemo and William Ernstsen take off their hats to the big names like Van Halen, Whitesnake and Ozzy Osbourne and based on their legacy, Stargazer are creating their own signature rock sound, leaving nothing left to be desired.

More infos at Avenue of Allies

Fire is a no frills rock band which focuses on delivering raw, powerful live performances. The hard rock band has also been a favourite of Maltese head bangers since its inception in 1998.

Fire have recently launched their follow-up album ‘Thrill Me’ with a performance at the Farsons Beer Festival on Friday July 31. ‘Thrill Me’, like the band’s 2006 debut album ‘Ignite’, is a collection of hard rock and metal tracks in the Whitesnake and Judas Priest mould. However, whilst retaining the strong melodic focus that characterized their debut, 

‘Thrill Me’ sees Fire delivering a harder, edgier sound, with songs like ‘Come with Me’ and ‘Where are Going’ being considerably heavier and darker than any of the band’s previous offerings.  Other highlights of the album include ‘No More Pain’, which reveals the band’s softer, bluesier side, and of course the title track ‘Thrill Me’, a foot-stomping crowd pleaser that has already garnered extensive airplay on local radio stations.

The launch of ‘Thrill Me’ represents another important step forward for the band, following on the band’s success at the 2006 Oktoberfest battle of the bands, a number of well-received UK performances and sharing a stage with renowned international rock band Krokus. 

In tandem with the album, the band has also produced a video for " thrill me", the result of a successful collaboration with Talon House Pictures.

More infos at Avenue of Allies

 

At seventeen Angie Palmer left England for Europe to follow in the footsteps of folk troubadours and ended up in Paris for five years busking a living playing bars, cinema queues and the Metro. She began writing her own songs and playing at free festivals, save enough money to buy a van, which she converted into a camping bus, and then spent two years travelling around Europe before ending up in Geneva living as part of a buskers community.
After a few years she moved back to Paris where she met Paul Mason, a lecturer in philosophy from Manchester Metropolitan University. This fortuitous meeting in a Cafe Philosophique on the Place de Bastille led to a writing partnership and soon Angie returned to England and began recording.

The first two records, 'A Certain Kind of Distance' and 'Romantica Obscura', generated some interest, but Angie’s third CD 'Road' gained 4 and 5 star reviews and earned her comparisons with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell thanks to lyrics described by reviewers as “intelligent” and “literate”. For others her potent mix of country, blues, and folk has led her to called the “British Lucinda Williams”. 'Road' made it on to the long-cut for the Mercury Prize in 2004.

Angie’s music was now being championed by Bob Harris, who called her “one of Britain’s greatest singer-songwriters” and this year she has appeared on his Saturday show for the second time. Angie’s electrifying live performances have seen her to most of the major festivals in Britain and Europe.

Her forth CD 'Tales of Light and Darkness' continued where 'Road' left off, mixing strong narrative songs with smaller, more personal reflections. HMV Choice said “Not since Bob Dylan’s mid-60’s output has a singer jammed songs with so many high-culture reference points”. Her new CD 'Meanwhile, As Night Falls...' was written while living in France on the edge of a forest and the influence of European folk tales, songs and stories are reflected in the writing and in the haunting darkness of the music. The new CD shows the maturing of one of the most literate and compelling of singer-songwriters who is never afraid to take on big themes and stretch out across musical genres and marks her out as a unique British talent.

Thanks to Peter Holmstedt at Hemifran

 

Roger Holzheimer has been playing and writing for many years. In early 2009 he decided to share his heart felt songs with the release of "Rough Hewn Heart". Songs from the album immediately garnered attention and airplay through the United States on a multitude of stations with a variety of formats. Through a case of internet kismet his music was discovered throughout Europe and the Scandinavian countries, receiving airplay on some of the largest radio stations from Paris to Hamburg to Warsaw. 

His lyrics recount experiences captured with a novelist's eye for detail, a painter's imagination, and a lover's heart. Critics have said:

"Roger's clarity in lyric and voice helps the listener tap into their own very real, very reflective feelings of lost loves and fortunately, found loves as well. He has created a CD with feelings full of a raw, honest, labor of love."

"He's been compared to an early Springsteen, a Cat Stevens and even the great, late Johnny Cash. It ain't half wrong. His lyrics come from a soul that has been there, who remembers were he came from, with kindness and modesty in his heart. It is honest, upright and darn right good!"



From the early days of busking on the streets of New Orleans and San Francisco to his solitary strumming in the beautiful Colorado hills, he has never forgotten his own experiences, his own tales, or his own loves. He brings an incredible passion to his lyrics with his soulful delivery.

Thanks to Peter Holmstedt at Hemifran

"New Orleans", the new release from Clarence Bucaro due October 26, 2009, on Hyena Records is a set of 10 timeless songs brought to life by the 28 year old singer/songwriter’s stunning falsetto vocals infused with the flowing spirit of the Big Easy. 

"New Orleans", named after the city where it was written and recorded, was produced by Anders Osborne and features a stellar ensemble, including Kirk Joseph (founding member of Dirty Dozen Brass Band), Doug Belote and Mike Burkhart. Dripping with romance, despair and the restlessness of youth, it documents an intense love affair with the enchanting Crescent City as a backdrop.

Clarence Bucaro, a Cleveland Ohio native, moved to New Orleans in 2004 after a long two-year haul touring the U.S. and Europe and hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. He intended to soak up its rich culture and make music with his mentor and collaborator Anders Osborne. Soon thereafter, Bucaro found himself enmeshed in a relationship. The combination of both his new love and home opened the creative floodgates. The results culminated in recording this collection of freshly penned songs in a single six-hour session. 10 intimate songs that range from the sweet syncopated soul of “Let Me Let Go of You” to the skewed rocker “The Other End,” the pleading gospel-tinged “Light in Your Eyes” to the intimate ballads “Matters of the Heart,” “On My Coast” and “Abandoned Mine.” 

The warm tone of the recording paired with Bucaro’s love worn lyrics and heartfelt delivery call to mind artists like Jackson Browne and Van Morrison, but never impeding on his uniqueness as an artist.

In support of the October 26th street date, Clarence will be touring both nationally and internationally to introduce the songs of "New Orleans" to new fans, and showcase its material to old fans.

Thanks to Peter Holmstedt at Hemifran

 

 

Unbenownst to him, Bob Cheevers's summer 2007 CD "Texas To Tennessee" foreshadowed a big event in his life...a move from Nashville to Austin which happened shortly after T2T was released. Sixteen years as a journeyman tunesmith in Nashville's country music biz was preceeded by 25 years in the pop field in California which included several major label deals with chart hits under his own name and that of The Peppermint Trolly Company. 

With the Valentine's day 2010 release of his live to analog tape "Tall Texas Tales" CD, top Texas producer Stephen Doster (Nancy Griffith/Lyle Lovett) helped Bob add another treasure chest of recordings to his previous 7 commercial CDs and the 8 CD "Cheeversongs Archive Series" which covers his writing from the 80's up to the turn of the century in the form of outtakes, alternative versions and unreleased masters. 

Bob has spent the last 8 years touring relentlessly in Europe doing at least one 40-60 concert tour each year as well as playing house concerts and venues in the US year after year while his songs are heard on TV, in movies and on radio all over the world. Bob's favorite "accolade", however, was being opening act on what was to be Johnny Cash's final tour. That was particularly poignant because Bob's combo in the 9th grade won a talent show performing Cash's song "Big River". 

His new "Tall Texas Tales" CD is described by his producer Stephen Doster this way: "When you listen to Bob Cheevers, you'll be hearing a singer-songwriter at top of his game. Bob came to Texas, looked around and began to write about the things he saw. His observations about Texas made me wanna go there...and I'm from Texas. Not only is "Tall Texas Tales" a wonderful travelogue of my great state, it is full of songs that could only be written by a man whose life is rich with experience and deep insight. Bob Cheeevers is an American classic...make no mistake about it!" A master tune-smith, Bob is rounding out his 4th decade as a songwriting troubadour, living out his dream in his laid back, authentic style. About his songs he says..."I don't know if these stories are true, but they happened to me".

Thanks to Peter Holmstedt at Hemifran

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the European release of the brand new MASTEDON album “3” on November 6th 2009. 

Mastedon is the Hard Rock band put together by ex KANSAS singer John Elefante, together with his brother Dino in the late 80’s. The band's name was a pachyderm-inspired reference to the brothers' last name. Although John was an accomplished vocalist and performer, the first two Mastedon albums featured multiple lead singers and performances by other artists, creating an eclectic sound anchored by John’s songwriting. His brother Dino played a prominent role, contributing songwriting and handling most of the guitar work. Some of the collaborators in the band's first two albums were Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon), Stef Burns (Y&T), bassists John Pierce (Richard Marx) and John Patitucci plus guest vocalists David Pack (Ambrosia), David Robbins (X-Sinner), Tom Bowes (Tower of Power), James Dean Longacre (Life9) and Perry Lee (Tracer Fox).

In 1996 John Elefante started a solo career that brought him to release three successful albums more in the Adult Contemporary - Pop Rock vein. After a few years of hiatus, John decided to go back to his roots sound with a brand new Mastedon album that - contrary to the predecessors – would only feature his amazing lead vocals. Musically, the new album, simply entitled “3” harkens back to the best of Mastedon and to his work with Kansas. None other than main Kansas songwriter Kerry Livgren appears on lead guitar on this new release, collaborating on a 11 minute piece of music that any Kansas fan will surely love! More famed musicians and such as Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon), Anthony Sallee (Whiteheart), Dan Needham (Michael McDonald, Neville Brothers, Amy Grant, Garth Brooks etc) and of course John’s brother Dino Elefante contribute to the performance of this superb new release.

Rich melodic harmonies and melodies are the keys to a Mastedon record and “3” is clearly an instant winner in all its moments and will remain as an hallmark in John Elefante's career for many years to come.

To co-incide with the upcoming tour by legends Fleetwood Mac, Rhino are releasing a new 2CD comprehensive best of. Previously unavailable in the UK, this release features 36 remastered tracks sure to satisfy die hard fans and a perfect introduction for those new to the band!

 

"California Groove" (Warner Music France) is the title of a new digipack compilation of 4 CDs (75 songs) that was released April 6, 2009 exclusively in France for the following French records shops: Virgin and Starter retail chains (Cultura, Gibert Joseph et Chapitre). It is NOW AVAILABLE AT AMAZON!

This new great project has been made possible because of the talent and hobby of David Dutreuil (Warner Music France). It features some rarities... What a great 4 CDs set that every fan of Westcoast Music / AOR can obtain! A must have! A truly gift!

Don't miss it!

Westcoast Rendez-Vous is a mediapartner of the release of "California Groove".