Ben Howard - Keep Your Head Up

 

There are probably about three thousand singer/songwriters to the dozen and the part of the dozen who have something worthwhile to say can start being counted in decimals. But in the tenths can you find actually gold nuggets that one would be a fool not to take advantage of. One of them is Ben Howard, a twenty-something guy from the southwest corner of the British Isles that has everything one could wish of a lonely man with a guitar. He possesses an expression and a sense that few others today and together with an unparalleled sense of how to build melodies, Howard has created something that is so bloody good.

Ben was raised by musical parents who exposed him to lots of their favourite records from singer-songwriter artists from the 1960s and 1970s, such as Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, which were a big influence on him. It is obvious that he lands in the middle of the two. "Every Kingdom" is the name of the upcoming debut album, will be released through on the 3rd October and the new single "Keep Your Head Up" sticks with everything you'd associate with beauty and deadly jump. The ten-track album was produced by his band’s bassist and drummer Chris Bond in their converted barn studio in Devon. It follows the release of his 'Old Pine' EP in the Spring and Ben’s debut single, 'The Wolves'.

Ben Howard has chosen to visit Sweden for a gig at Kägelbanan in Stockholm 25 November. Make sure you are there and nowhere else.

Todays tune "Keep Your Head Up", was released as a single on 28 August 2011. The tune was written by Ben Howard and produced by Chris Bond.
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Keep your head up, keep your heart strong.
Keep your mind set, keep your hair long.
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Tour Dates:

Sun 9 Oct, 20:00, Exeter Phoenix, Exeter, SOLD OUT
Mon 10 Oct, 19:30, Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, SOLD OUT
Tue 11 Oct, 19:30, Komedia, Brighton, SOLD OUT
Wed 12 Oct, 19:00, Old Fire Station, Bournemouth
Fri 14 Oct, 19:00, Thekla, Bristol, SOLD OUT
Sat 15 Oct, 19:00, HMV Institute, Birmingham
Mon 17 Oct, 19:00, The Plug, Sheffield
Tue 18 Oct, 19:00, Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Wed 19 Oct, 19:00, Stanley Theatre, Liverpool
Thu 20 Oct, 19:00, The Ruby Lounge, Manchester, SOLD OUT
Sat 22 Oct, 20:00, Jericho Tavern, Oxford, SOLD OUT
Mon 24 Oct, 19:00, Bodega Social Club, Nottingham
Wed 26 Oct, 19:30, Scala, London, SOLD OUT
Thu 27 Oct, 19:30, Scala, London, SOLD OUT
Sat 29 Oct, 19:30, The Riverside, Newcastle
Sun 30 Oct, 19:30, Tunnels, Aberdeen
Mon 31 Oct, 20:30, King Tuts, Glasgow, SOLD OUT
Tue 1 Nov, 19:30, Sugar Club, Dublin
Wed 2 Nov, 21:00, The Stiff Kitten, Belfast
Fri 4 Nov, 19:45, The Queens Hall, Narberth
Fri 25 Nov, 19:30, Kagelbanan/Café Theatre, Stockholm
Sun 27 Nov, 19:30, Pumpehuset, Copenhagen

More info @
Official Ben Howard Web
Official Ben Howard Facebook

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Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here

One of the most trenchant voices in American music fell silent yesterday, Friday May 27, with the passing of Gil Scott-Heron.

Reports confirmed that Scott-Heron had died St Luke's Hospital, New York, after becoming sick upon returning from a European trip. His death brought to an end a troubled career that was blighted by personal turmoil and addiction, but which also saw the singer create some of the most influential music of the last 40 years.

In response, Public Enemy's Chuck D stated "RIP GSH...and we do what we do and how we do because of you." on his Twitter account. His UK publisher, Jamie Byng, called him "one of the most inspiring people I've ever met”. On hearing of the death, R&B singer Usher stated "I just learned of the loss of a very important poet...R.I.P., Gil Scott-Heron. The revolution will be live!!”. Richard Russel, who produced Scott-Heron's final studio album, called him a "father figure of sorts to me”. Eminem stated that "He influenced all of hip-hop”.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 1, 1949, Scott-Heron moved to the Bronx in his teenage years. He grew up immersed in jazz and blues, penning two novels - The Vulture (1970) and Nigger Factory (1972) - as he embarked on his own musical career.

His collaborative efforts with Brian Jackson featured a musical fusion of jazz, blues and soul music, as well as lyrical content concerning social and political issues of the time, delivered in both rapping and melismatic vocal styles by Scott-Heron. The music of these albums, most notably Pieces of a Man and Winter in America in the early 1970s, influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as hip hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron's recording work is often associated with black militant activism and has received much critical acclaim for one of his most well-known compositions The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. His poetic style has been influential upon every generation of hip hop since his popularity began. In addition to being widely considered an influence in today's music, Scott-Heron remained active until his death, and in 2010 released his first new album in 16 years, entitled I'm New Here.

Scott-Heron's influence was such that, at the time of writing, a number of musicians began paying tribute to the man and so will we at Tune Of The Day.

He has been described by music writers as "the godfather of rap" and "the black Bob Dylan”. On his influence, a music writer later noted that "Scott-Heron's unique proto-rap style influenced a generation of hip-hop artists”. The Washington Post wrote that "Scott-Heron's work presaged not only conscious rap and poetry slams, but also acid jazz, particularly during his rewarding collaboration with composer-keyboardist-flutist Brian Jackson in the mid- and late ’70s.”

Todays tune is the title track taken from his thirteenth studio album "I'm New Here”. His last studio album in his lifetime, following a period of personal and legal troubles with drug addiction. Primarily a blues and spoken-word album, I'm New Here serves as musical and lyrical departure from Scott-Heron's previous work.

Credits for I'm New Here adapted from liner notes.
Damon Albarn – keyboards
Mike Block – strings
Chris Cunningham – guitar, synthesizer
Tiona Hall – backing vocals
Michelle Hutcherson – backing vocals
Kim Jordan – backing vocals, piano
Phil Lee – artwork
Christiana Liberis – strings
Rodaidh McDonald – additional recording and mixing
Ichiho Nishiki – engineer
Mischa Richter – artwork
Richard Russell – producer, cover photo
Gil Scott-Heron – piano, vocals
Tyria Stokes – backing vocals
Mary Jo Stilp – strings
Pat Sullivan – guitar
Una Tone – strings
Lawson White – engineer, string arrangements



Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here by musicmule

In 2010 he was due to play a gig in Tel Aviv, this attracted criticism from Palestinian groups who stated "Your performance in Israel would be the equivalent to having performed in Sun City during South Africa’s apartheid era... We hope that you will not play apartheid Israel." In response he cancelled the gig.


RIP Gil Scott-Heron!

More info @ Official Gil Scott-Heron Website

Listen to ”Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here" on Spotify here!

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Bob Dylan - Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)

A big artist is 70 years today - Bob Dylan.

We at Tune of The Day wanted to congrat him and say Damn good of u!

All you that doesnt really know who Mr Dylan is...
He is a singer/songwriter he is a painter and a great poet.
Born in Minnesota, US.

He formed several bands while he attended Hibbing High School. The Shadow Blasters was short-lived, but his next, The Golden Chords, lasted longer and played covers of popular songs. Their performance of Danny and the Juniors' "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" at their high school talent show was so loud that the principal cut the microphone off. In his 1959 school yearbook, Robert Zimmerman listed as his ambition "To follow Little Richard." The same year, using the name Elston Gunnn (sic), he performed two dates with Bobby Vee, playing piano and providing handclaps.



He soon began to perform at the 10 O'clock Scholar, a coffee house a few blocks from campus, and became actively involved in the local Dinkytown folk music circuit. During his Dinkytown days, Zimmerman began introducing himself as "Bob Dylan".
In his autobiography, Dylan acknowledged that he had been influenced by the poetry of Dylan Thomas. Explaining his change of name in a 2004 interview, Dylan remarked: "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free.

On April 12, 2011, Legacy Recordings released Bob Dylan in Concert – Brandeis University 1963 The recording was taped at Brandeis University on May 10, 1963, two weeks prior to the release of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.



Bob Dylan have done 34 studio albums and 14 compilation albums and 11 live album....aaaand hehe 8 bootleg albums...thats a lot huh :)



This great man still do gigs, can u imagine....wow!

Tour:

Date City, State + Venue
Jun16 Cork, Ireland Live at the Marquee
Jun18 London, England London Feis 2011, Finsbury Park
Jun20 Tel Aviv, Israel Ramat Gan Stadium
Jun22 Milan, Italy Alcatraz
Jun24 Sursee, Switzerland Summer Sound
Jun25 Mainz, Germany Volkspark
Jun26 Hamburg, Germany Stadtpark Freilichtbühne
Jun27 Odense, Denmark Funen Village
Jun29 Bergen, Norway Bergenhus Festning -- Koengen
Jun30 Oslo, Norway Oslo Spektrum
Jul2 Borlänge, Sweden Peace & Love 2011
Jul15 Costa Mesa, CA The Pacific Amphitheatre

Lets enjoy this cool tune!

Peace, Thetania




Wanna know more? Pls click Here to come to his website.

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