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September 2013

The Theander Expression "Strange Nostalgia"

Theander-1
The second Avenue Of Allies September 20 release has been announced - the rather quite superb The Theander Expression debut album Strange Nostalgia. The details are as follows. Stay tuned for showcase and review!

Music was Andrée Theander's constant companion since the age of ten when he first picked up a guitar. Soon after he also started writing music, took guitar lessons and joined the music program at the high school in his hometown Härnösand in Sweden. Later his musical studies led Andrée to the university in Piteå, Sweden, where he took classes to become a professional studio musician. To enhance his musical abilities he spent several months in the USA where he attended various courses at the Musicians Institute (GIT) in Los Angeles. During his stay in California Andrée met Fusion pioneer Jeff Lorber who invited him to lay down some guitar tracks for his “Galaxy” album (2012). Quite an honour for a young virtually unknown music student to be included in the album credits next to L.A. session cats like Michael Thompson, Vinnie Colaiuta or Jimmy Haslip.

Back in Sweden Andrée felt he was ready to make his dream come true and to start working on his own album. Andrée recruited a great line-up of Rock musicians from Sweden, he either knew personally or who had impressed him with their previous work. Over the course of the months the recording debut of “The Theander Expression” began to take shape with Göran Edman (Street Talk, Glory, Y. Malmsteen), and the very promising newcomer Christian Hedgren sharing the lead vocals, Herman Furin (Work Of Art, Fergie Frederiksen) on drums, Linus Abrahamson on bass and Michael Ottosson on keyboards.

The result of the recording sessions, which were completed by the mix of Per Ryberg (Street Talk, Sven Larsson, Bloodbound) and the mastering of Sören von Malmborg (Dan Reed, The Rasmus) is nothing but spectacular, proving that Andrée Theander is a very talented songwriter and a strikingly skilled guitar player, who knows how to leave a lasting impression by combining his technical skills with a lot of feeling and an unmistakable sense for catchy melodies. Together with his band he delivers a pure AOR album, spiced up with energetic licks and furious solos and occasionally leaning towards the more powerful side of 80s Westcoast, all in all tailor-made for everyone who is into the high class AOR sounds of bands like Street Talk, Toto, Work Of Art, Mecca and Lionville.


Will Lee "Love, Gratitude And Other Distractions"

Will
Will Lee is out with a new solo album "Love, Gratitude And Other Distractions" released by King Records in Japan, and to be released in September 2013 in Europe by Moosicus Records.

Years has been flying by since the release if Will Lee's debut solo album "Oh!" back in 1995, but since then he has been extremely busy with studio recordings, live gigs and as one of the featured band members at the David Letterman Show.

The new album features 10 songs and several "cats" has been by the studio to contribute with their musicianships to Will Lee's new album, and among the list is: Paul Schaffer, Leni Stern, Chris Parker, Billy Gibbons, Hugh McCracken, Kenny White, Tommy Allen, Larry Hoppen, Bob James, Narada Michael Walden, Chuck Loeb, Steve Gadd, Mitch Forman, John Tropea, Peter Erskine, David Garfield, CJ Vanston, Steve Lukather, Oz Noy and several other talented musicians.

 

Ian Thomas "The Runner"

Ianthomas
When the rest of the world is praising the talents of solo artists such as Billy Joel, Elton John and Randy Newman some of us are sitting comfortable in the knowledge that Ian Thomas, despite his relative obscurity, is a talent of equal stature. Life for this Canadian born singer songwriter has never been easy. Feted in his native country but cold shouldered elsewhere, Thomas has flown under the radar for far too long, but, in many respects, perhaps this is what drives his loyal band of supporters to such fanatical devotion.

'The Runner' was Thomas's seventh studio album and found him emphasising the very thing that captured his audience's imagination in the first instance with a brace of great melodies and sublimely connective lyrics which speak not just love and loss but of offbeat topics and social commentary. These were songs that would eventually go on to be recorded by a variety of admiring artists including Chicago, Manfred Man and Santana.

With a pronounced West Coast sound comparable to that of Steely Dan, Christopher Cross and Hall & Oates, the musical support is fluid and consistent with a meticulous approach to song writing. It is this combination of factors that sets 'The Runner' apart as one of Thomas's greatest achievements, a record full of challenges and triumphs.


Alabama & Friends

Alabama
One of country music's most successful and influential groups of all time, ALABAMA, will release their highly anticipated new album, ALABAMA & Friends, on Tuesday, August 27 through Show Dog-Universal Music. The project is a tribute album, honoring the legendary group that helped change the face of country music.

ALABAMA & Friends will feature some of country music's hottest stars -- all delivering their own unique versions of the multi-platinum-selling band's biggest hits, including Jason Aldean (Tennessee River), Luke Bryan (Love in the First Degree), Kenny Chesney (Lady Down on Love), Eli Young Band (The Closer You Get), Florida Georgia Line (I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)), Jamey Johnson (My Home's in Alabama), Toby Keith (She and I), Rascal Flatts (Old Flame) and Trisha Yearwood (Forever's As Far As I'll Go).

The 11-song collection will also feature the band's first new tracks in over 10 years - All American; (written by Trey Bruce) and That's How I Was Raised; (written by Charley Stefl, Tony Ramey, Skip Sasser and Trent Tomlinson), which has the group teaming again with legendary producer Harold Shedd who worked closely with the group in their early years.