Warner Bros. Records Exclusive Releases For Black Friday

Warner Bros. Records has announced they will make a series of vinyl singles and albums available on November 28^th in honor of Record Store Day's "Black Friday" celebration. Originally, Black Friday was created by large corporate retailers to drive consumers to stores by promoting deals and discounted prices on mass-produced products. RSD's Black Friday subverts this tradition by creating special limited-edition pieces, often numbered, from a diverse list of beloved artists. RSD's version of Black Friday celebrates the pieces themselves and honors the special independent record stores that carry them. 

Warner Bros. Records - a proud official sponsor of Record Store Day - will make available the following special releases:

Green Day: Tune In Tokyo; Transparent blue vinyl. Limited to 5,000

This limited-edition 2001 live recording from Japan is available worldwide for the first time ever on transparent blue vinyl.

Flaming Lips: "Imagene Peise - Atlas Eets Christmas"; Transparent red vinyl. Limited to 5,000

The Flaming Lips secret 2007 Christmas album, Atlast Eets Christmas was previously released in a very limited physical quantity on CD only under the pseudonym Imagene Peise (with a sticker that read "Love Is The Answer - Merry Christmas From The Flaming Lips 2007"). This Black Friday release will mark the first time the album is available both widely and on vinyl.

Mastodon: "The Motherload"; 12" Picture disc. Limited to 5,000.

A limited-edition 12" vinyl picture disc of the band's latest single from their current album Once More 'Round The Sun, featuring stunning artwork by Skinner.  B-side is an exclusive instrumental version of "Halloween".

Jenny Lewis: "Pax-Am Sessions"; 7" limited-edition mint green vinyl single. Limited to 5,000

This Black Friday exclusive features two unreleased alternate versions of songs from Lewis' critically acclaimed album The Voyager, produced by Ryan Adams and Mike Viola, on limited-edition mint green vinyl. Side A is "Just One of The Guys (Pax-Am Version)" and Side B is "You Can't Outrun 'Em (Pax-Am Version)."

Conor Oberst: "Standing On The Outside Looking In" / "Sugar Street"; 7" vinyl. Limited to3,000

A Black Friday exclusive containing two previously unheard songs - "Standing on the Outside" and "Sugar Street" - recorded during the sessions for 2014's Upside Down Mountain, produced by Jonathan Wilson. 7" vinyl in single pocket art sleeve, small hole, 33RPM.

Echosmith: "Cool Kids" 12" Picture disc vinyl single. Limited to 3,000

A 12" picture disc of the Los Angeles alt-pop band's breakthrough single, which hit No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. This vinyl edition includes a previously unreleased remix by acclaimed remixer RAC (Tegan & Sara).

Please note that the following title by Wilco is NOT part of Black Friday but comingMonday November 17^th:

Wilco: Alpha Mike Foxtrot: The Wilco Rarities Anthology, 4-LP Set. Limited to 7,500.

Though this is not a Black Friday Exclusive, be on the lookout for this 4-LP box set containing 47 rare tracks recorded in the studio, most never before released on vinyl. Plated and pressed on 180g audiophile vinyl, this packaged includes a 36-page booklet filled with rare photos, liner notes from the band and their circle, and track-by-track notes by Jeff Tweedy. It also includes a download card for all 77 tracks on the Alpha Mike Foxtrot CD. 

Black Friday exclusive releases rock! 

The Dave Matthews Band Caravan - Atlantic City, New Jersey

So you didn’t get to make it to Atlantic City for the first ever Dave Matthews Caravan event. Your wife dragged you to a wedding instead that basically put you out of commission for the entire weekend---oh wait, that was me. However, if you, like me, were unable to make it to the Caravan, fear not. Cousin Ryo has scoured the internet for some great coverage and I’m kind enough to share my findings. I still wish I could have seen this live. Anyone want to buy me a plane ticket to Washington for the September Caravan?

Local News Coverage

Dave Matthews Band Takes Over A.C. by LocalNews-GrabNetworks

Dave And Tim – Lie In Our Graves


The Flaming Lips


OAR – Heaven


Guster – This Could All Be Yours


Ray LaMontagne – Trouble


David Gray – Babylon


Dave Matthews Band – Everyday


Dave Matthews Band – Good Times, Bad Times


Dave Matthews Band – Sweet Emotion


Dave Matthews Band – Halloween

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival Announces Full Lineup

WILLIE NELSON, THE FLAMING LIPS, AND BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS HEADLINE TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL

18th Annual Festival September 16-18, 2011

The 18th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival announced an unprecedented lineup of talent, including headliners Willie Nelson, The Flaming Lips and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. This year's Festival lineup shifts to new heights boasting new and unforgettable performances to grace the stage of Telluride Town Park. This annual event takes place in scenic Telluride, CO on September 16-18, 2011 with Festival performances including Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa, moe., Marcia Ball, Fitz and the Tantrums, Mavis Staples, Anders Osborne, 7 Walkers featuring Bill Kreutzmann, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Marcia Ball, Eric Bibb String Band, Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights, Lionel Young Band, The Sugar Thieves, and many more.

"This year is one of the most eclectic and exciting lineups in the history of the festival," said Steve Gumble, President and founder of the Festival. "This weekend boasts amazing musical talent and late night Juke Joint performances to bring the house down!"

The 2011 Festival promises another magical three-day celebration of live blues, rock, funk, gospel, aspiring new talent, and some of the biggest stars on the Festival circuit today! With over 20 nationally touring acts, music on the main stage all day, blues with breakfast in the middle of town at the Elk's lodge stage, and late-night jams in four Juke Joint venues; musical entertainment abounds in Telluride at the 18th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, Blues & Brews proudly presents the Grand Tasting. One of the premier tasting events in the southwest featuring more than 150 beers from over 50 accredited national microbreweries, including Telluride Blues & Brews Festival's official beer sponsor, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

Three-day passes, Juke Joint tickets, and camping passes are currently on sale now. Single day tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday go on sale July 1st. Three-day Festival passes are available for $160.00 and provide entry to the Festival grounds for all three days, entry to Saturday's Grand Tasting and a souvenir tasting glass. VIP and Early Bird 3-day passes are SOLD OUT!

Juke Joint tickets are sold per night at $25 and provide the musical freedom to bounce from one venue to the next along Main Street, Telluride - sampling intimate late-night performances where you never know who will show up!

Festival 4-day camping passes are on sale now for $40 per person. Camping is located adjacent to the Festival grounds starting Thursday, September 15th.

Tickets can be purchased locally at Telluride Music, located at 123 E. Colorado Ave. For Festival information or to purchase tickets online visit www.tellurideblues.com or call 1.866.515.6166 today.

Wilco - December 31, 2004

Every Saturday The Rock and Roll Guru gives a comprehensive review of a live concert.

Back in 2004, I decided to reign in the New Year with my girlfriend (now my wife) at Madison Square Garden. We had tickets to see Wilco, whom neither of us had experienced live and we were both looking forward to the evening. Sleater Kinney and The Flaming Lips were the opening acts, and a very cool New Year’s Eve in New York City was expected.

Our seats were awesome ones for the Garden; section 47, row G, seats 1 and 2. This is the closest I’ve ever been to the stage at MSG. They were amazing seats and I was real happy to be sitting that close. Unfortunately, the concert was far from sold out, with many seats available in the 300s and no one sitting in the 400s. That may be why I was able to score such excellent tickets for this show.

Sleater Kinney kicked off the evening. I had seen them open for Pearl Jam on a couple of occasions and I didn’t particularly care for them then. This night would be no exception. I never got into their music and opening acts have a hard time with the sound still being adjusted. Add to that the fact that I knew none of their songs, and there wasn’t much hope. I patiently sat through their set, but did not come away liking them any more than previous performances.

The Flaming Lips were next, and I was only familiar one of their songs, She Don’t Use Jelly, but was looking forward to seeing them in concert. I had heard a lot of good things about the band, so my curiosity was highly peaked. The Flaming Lips did not disappoint. They opened with a nice light show and a bunch of mascots waltzing on stage that looked like a bunch of Pokémon characters dancing around. It was surreal, but entertaining. As I mentioned, I did not know their music at all, but from the opening notes of their first song, I was mesmerized. These guys were great and played intense, incredible, melodic music that transported me away to the land of happiness.

That night, I became a fan of The Flaming Lips. Their psychedelic music and emotional performance had me smiling, laughing, and enjoying myself like never before. My wife was also thrilled with their performance. At one point during their hour long set, the band unleashed a massive amount of balloons from the ceiling, and we were swimming in them gleefully.

As an opening act, The Flaming Lips were astounding. They conquered us with their music and live show, and my wife and I both agreed that we would like to see them in concert again. We even went out the next week and purchased a couple of their albums. They were simply amazing.

After The Flaming Lips left the stage and a little time passed (for clean up and instrument changes), the headliners were ready to step into the spotlight. Touring in support of A Ghost Is Born, Wilco had been through a whirlwind year and were really hitting their stride with the new members and the departure of (the incredibly talented) Jay Bennett. I had heard and read good things about the tour, and seeing them on New Year’s Eve in New York City was something special.

The band opened with a song I didn’t (and still don’t) particularly care for, and then kicked into Spiders (Kidsmoke). Spiders sounded intense live with a blistering guitar solo that really woke the crowd up.

Handshake Drugs was another awesome live song from the new album. Seeing it live really helped secure it as one of my favorite Wilco songs. It’s an amazing tune that sounds incredible in concert. A couple of classics would follow in the form of I Am Trying To Break Your Heart and A Shot In The Arm. Both were outstanding on that evening.

Wilco was a tight unit that night, performing like a well oiled machine, having a good time, and enjoying performing for the audience. The prerequisite Auld Lang Syne was played at midnight when we all rang in the New Year together, and then Wilco went into cover mode. They started with a performance of Judas Priest’s Living After Midnight and actually played it quite well. I had forgotten that Jeff Tweedy was a metal head in his youth. Love Will Keep Us Together and two other cover songs followed, after which Tweedy jokingly commented, “Hey, what do you know? You guys paid $45 to see a cover band!” And while the cover tunes may have been a bit much that night, they were all fun to listen to, and it was interesting to see Wilco perform such a wide variety of music.

The highlight of the night (for me) came in the form of Heavy Metal Drummer. This is my all time favorite Wilco song and hearing it live was an amazing experience. From the opening piano note, the crowd went bananas, which goes to show that I’m not the only one in love with this song. My wife didn’t know the song (she was not well versed in Wilco at all), but she too thought it was a great song. Wilco gave a blistering performance and really did the song justice live.

Wilco won me over as a true fan that night. Seeing them in concert made me appreciate their music that much more, I would definitely experience them live again. I haven’t had the opportunity to yet (although I’ve come close a couple of times, most notably this past year’s Bonnaroo), but when they come back around to the New Jersey area, count me in.

Setlist
Less Than You Think
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Hummingbird
Handshake Drugs
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
A Shot In The Arm
At Least That’s What You Said
Jesus, Etc.
Theologians
Poor Places
Auld Lang Syne
Living After Midnight
Love Will Keep Us Together
Political Science
I Shall Be Released
Something In The Air
Heavy Metal Drummer
Kingpin
I’m The Man Who Loves You
The Late Greats
I’m A Wheel
(Don’t Fear) The Reaper
Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy
Comment (If Men Are Truly Brothers)