Jimmy Kunes talks National Wrecking Company, Cactus, and more!

"It’s an intense record. It’s an intense world we’re living in." ~ Jimmy Kunes

Jimmy Kunes is a man on the move. He's just finished up with one of his "Freed Live" tributes to Free (and some Bad Company) at B.B. King's in New York City as he heads out the door for Europe with Cactus for some shows before he'll return to oversee the release of his killer new project, National Wrecking Company. Before he jumped on a plane for Italy we had a chance to get a preview for the album, and to catch up on all the dizzying details!

National Wrecking Company is one of those rare records that sounds like you know it the minute you hear it. The songs, melodies, and riffs are classic hard rock, but there's also a definite sense that they've captured the times we're living in, and there's a great sense of urgency to the material. It's a record that deserves to be heard. That's where we started the conversation:

This is real classic hard rock with a modern sound, did you write with an agenda to sound that way or is it more organic? Tell me about the band and how this record came together.
   

Jimmy Kunes: "Funny you should ask a question that was right on the tip of my mind, so to speak.  

"Randy (Pratt) had started to assemble very strong hooks, riffs and grooves along with one of his drummers, Neil Cicione and TC Toliver (Plasmatics). He had me in mind to check out a few of these ideas that were then arranged into songs by our engineer/ producer JZ Burrell. 

"I was knocked out by how original and utterly exciting they sounded and immediately came up with lyrics, subject matter and imagery for the songs. It all happened quite rapidly. 

"So, I took in my lyric drafts and started laying vocals down.

"They had also been quite prolific in keeping the ideas churning and would hit me with a new one after I'd finished a vocal. I would come up with a root idea on the spot and elaborate on that, go out to the vocal booth and build it up from there. I was right on my game but the songs were so hooky, catchy and crafted so well that it all just seemed to glow and flow very easily. More often than not we would finish off 2 songs in a day's work. Very satisfying. 

"So yes it was a very organic, fresh way of approaching writing lyrics and laying vocals down for me." 

Black Country Communion back in action with new video & album!

My pals in Black Country Communion are beck in action with a smoking new video out today, and an album, IV, that will launch on Friday September 22nd!

I'm going to get out of the way, and let the music do the talking, but it's great to have the boys back in action!

Sidemen - Long Road To Glory coming to the big screen in August!

Earlier this year, you will remember that I played a role in helping Sidemen: Long Road To Glory run a very successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $200,000 to pay for the final rights and clearances, and to move the film into its next step, that of distribution and being brought into theaters around the country. 

Well, as many of you now know, Abramorama, the company that brought us The Beatles 'Eight Days A Week' in 2016 and the Grateful Dead documentary, 'Long Strange Trip' this year is now bringing Sidemen to big screens with its premiere happening on August 18 in New York (see listings below).

Sidemen: Long Road To Glory is an intimate look at the lives and legacies of three legendary bluesmen; piano player Pinetop Perkins, drummer Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith and guitarist Hubert Sumlin, all Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf sidemen. The film captures some of the last interviews and final live performances, before their deaths in 2011. The historic live shows are accompanied by performances and personal insights from many of the blues and rock stars these legendary musicians inspired including; Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Tim Reynolds, Shemekia Copeland, Robby Krieger, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Perry, Joe Bonamassa and Johnny Winter.

RGD's Tony Conley announces new book, Paul McCartney In The Beatles!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

JULY 17, 2017

PAUL McCARTNEY 

IN THE BEATLES

Good Mojo Press announces upcoming release 

and Indiegogo campaign featuring incredible artwork and more 

"Analyzing a Beatle is like trying to describe a season. It is, by definition, an attempt to describe a force of nature. If art is subjective then all that matters is taste. Mr. Conley's loving, penetrating book on Sir Paul is definitive. His understanding of Vaudeville Paul & Little Richard Paul embodies the ethos of an artist that recreated songwriting and performing for generations to come... A black bird singing in the dead of night, forever." - Michael Des Barres, host of Little Steven's Underground Garage | SiriusXM Radio

Tony Conley, music journalist and voice behind the long running Rock Guitar Daily, and publisher Good Mojo Press are pleased to announce their new release, Paul McCartney In The Beatles. The book takes a comprehensive look at the music and musicianship of Paul McCartney during his career with the Beatles. Paul McCartney In The Beatles is set for release in November, 2017.

What it's all about: 

Conley's inspiration for the book sparked nearly thirty years ago while living in Los Angeles. During that time, he met Denny Seiwell, ex-drummer for Wings, the first band McCartney put together after leaving the Beatles. "Denny told me some great stories of his time with McCartney and Wings, and he had a unique demeanor concerning the experience of working with Paul." said Conley, "He always came back to the music and musicianship. That has always stuck with me."

While a great many books have been written about McCartney and the Beatles, Conley paves a less traveled path, opting for an in-depth look into the musicianship and the music created by McCartney and the band instead of the well trodden road of biography.

"I think at the end of the day, this is an analysis of someone who does what he does creatively for all the right reasons, and in the right ways," Conley says, "My hope is that people will read the book, and become inspired to work as hard and as fearlessly for their own art."

To go along with the book, Good Mojo Press will be creating playlists for the major streaming sites that will serve as a musical guided tour to the book. It's the writer's hope that people will read the book and listen along as they read, as he believes this provides and creates the most enjoyable, comprehensive way to experience the book.

Good Mojo Press to launch a crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo on July 24, 2017 featuring incredible art as perks:

The 30-day campaign features as perks some of the most stunning and original art ever created and committed to a crowdfunding effort. In addition to these one-of-a kind items, there will also be books, posters, t-shirts, and other goodies available. Some of the one-of-a-kind opportunities for collectors to own: 

• Stephen Holland (official Artist of the Grammys) offers an original 28" x 42" painting entitled, McCartney In The Beatles.
• Renowned sculptor Tony Natsoulas has created a series of ten original McCartney clay masks that have to be seen to be believed.
• Five specially made museum quality lithographs (archival grade printing on a custom designed cloth) featuring the artwork of John Lennon.
• The original prototype of the Ben Fargen built and designed John Lennon Artist Series Amplifier that features a print of Lennon's famous self-portrait and his signature - all officially sanctioned by Yoko Ono/Bag One Arts.  

Paul McCartney In The Beatles will be available through Amazon, select retailers, and the Good Mojo Press website, and also as an e-Book.

About Tony Conley:

Tony Conley is the voice behind the long running Rock Guitar Daily (35,000 monthly readers) and a contributing editor and writer at many online publications. Conley makes regular appearances on several classic rock radio stations around the country as a rock music expert and industry insider. A lifelong music business professional, he has worked in management for Guitar Center for many years, and has played with and worked for such acts as Iggy Pop, Bobby Womack, Guided By Voices, and many others.

Advance praise for Paul McCartney In The Beatles:

"Tony Conley takes us beyond the pop star mythology to the core of the artist. The innovative and game changing genius bassist, pianist, guitarist, drummer, songwriter and singer. Behind the boyish grin, the "cute Beatle" was and is still nothing less than one of the greatest hands-on musicians of the last few centuries." - Johnny Hickman, Cracker

"Analyzing a Beatle is like trying to describe a season. It is, by definition, an attempt to describe a force of nature. If art is subjective then all that matters is taste. Mr. Conley's loving, penetrating book on Sir Paul is definitive. His understanding of Vaudeville Paul & Little Richard Paul embodies the ethos of an artist that recreated songwriting and performing for generations to come... A black bird singing in the dead of night, forever." - Michael Des Barres, host of Little Steven's Underground Garage | SiriusXM Radio

For interview opportunities and press, please contact:

Tony Conley

(937) 441-4502

maccabook@outlook.com

Sonny Landreth - Recorded Live in Lafayette - Electrifying Acoustic Beauty

Recorded Live in Lafayette is Sonny Landreth's first official live release in ten years, and the two CD set is made even more special by being a largely acoustic set, an acoustic set that is also very exciting. In fact, it's electrifying.

I would imagine that most Landreth fans are like myself, and have never had the opportunity to see the acoustic side of Sonny's musical mastery. Everyone knows that it's harder to keep the energy up on an acoustic gig, but it turns out that the true excitement to be found in the Louisiana native's music is in his total sense of commitment to his material.

It's all in the details: his rhythm guitar playing never takes time off, the precision and soulful nature of his rhythms keep you moving in a wonderful way, a way in which it does its job without being showy, but masterful nonetheless; when the accordion comes in for a solo on the set opening "Blues Attack" the band locks into a sophisticated syncopation that allows the solo to fly. Then it's time for Sam Broussard (yes, the same Sam Broussard who along with Sonny created the strings and soundscapes that made Landreth's instrumental album of 2012, Elemental Journey such an incredible record) to take a solo on acoustic guitar, and you instantly see why he's sharing a stage with on of the greatest living guitarists. Now it's time for Landreth to solo, and his pristine playing exhibits why he's one of the most unique and talented guitarists on the planet.

Speaking of the band, you have longtime Landreth collaborator Dave Ranson on the ukulele bass, Brian Brignac and his cajon (the box-shaped percussion instrument from Peru which has become a standard for acoustic performances), Steve Conn on the accordion, and of course, their leader Landreth. There is no question but that it's Landreth's show, but he gives ample room for everyone to display their skills and wares. These fellows move through a career covering set not just playing like their lives depended on it, but also like they are truly listening to each other. Very complex rhythms come across sounding very natural, relaxed, but also very intense.

"Back To Bayou Teche" is a Landreth setlist standard, and this full band, electric rendition is made special by the accordion and the second guitar. Then you have "Brave New Girl" which gets a relatively stripped down treatment from the string and keyboard laden studio version (Elemental Journey album), and it does not suffer from the absence of a more dense arrangement. It is, in fact, elemental and gets down to the basics of the gorgeous composition and the exquisite guitar playing. Mind you, again, the entire band is brilliant, and there are great lessons in what every member is playing.

The production on this set is stunning. Every detail is crystal clear, the tones are sumptuous and corpulent, and the mix is one that would be difficult to improve upon, and that's well worth noting in these days where it is more common to find live releases being tossed out like t-shirts at the merch booth (and with about as much care). No, this sounds like there was much thought to such things as microphone placement, tone tweaking, and once again, some very careful listening and attention to detail.

I'll wrap things up by talking about the reason we're all here, and that is the music, the songs. This is a great career spanning set, ranging from Sonny's 1981 debut album right up to 2015's "Bound By The Blues". If by some crime you've never been on the Sonny Landreth train, this is a great way to climb aboard. The songs have aged beautifully, the playing has only gotten better, and Sonny Landreth and his ace band could not be more on point.

In a time in which we are so often disappointed by the quantity and quality of the goods we're seeing, it's great to know that there are guys like Sonny Landreth, who is doing his absolute best at every turn. He's surrounded himself with excellent collaborators and bandmates, and that it's all being captured and presented in a way which is not just satisfying, but also very exciting.

Find Live In Lafayette here.
https://usa.mascotlabelgroup.com/sonny-landreth/