FASHION+MUSIC

JOHN MELLENCAMP’S NEW ALBUM SAD CLOWNS & HILLBILLIES REACHES HISTORIC CAREER DEBUT HITTING #1 ON BILLBOARD TOP AMERICANA ALBUMS CHART

LANDS #3 TOP ROCK ALBUM & #5 TOP ALBUM SALES CHART

KICKS OFF 22 DATE SAD CLOWNS & HILLBILLIES US TOUR JUNE 5th

Check out Sad Clowns & Hillbillies HERE

High res album artwork HERE

“Mellencamp delivers the songs on Sad Clowns & Hillbillies in a soulful rasp alternately suggestive of Tom Waits and latter-day Bob Dylan.”- NPR

MAY 10, 2017 NEW YORK, NY : Achieving a career best on the Billboard Top Americana Albums Chart, heartland rocker John Mellencamp debuts at #1 with his 23rd full-length album Sad Clowns & Hillbillies featuring Carlene Carter—the daughter of June Carter Cash and stepdaughter of Johnny Cash—on Republic Records today. Get it HERE.

Storming multiple charts, Sad Clowns & Hillbillies arrives at #3 on the Top Rock Albums Chart, tying 2007’s Freedom’s Road and making for his first Top 5 bow in a decade. In addition, it lands at #5 on the Top Album Sales Chart. It also stands out as his fifth consecutive Top 20 album on the Billboard 200 Chart.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has taken over television since the record’s release. He not only performed with Martina McBride for “Grandview” and played “Jack and Diane” acoustic on Late Night With Seth Meyers, but he also granted an intimate interview, sharing a story about Bob Dylan encouraging him to begin selling his now infamous paintings. He continued the takeover with an appearances on the Today Show where he sat down to talk about Sad Clowns & Hillbillies (see interview here), and performed a song in every hour of the show with Carlene Carter including “Pink Houses,” “Grandview,” “Indigo Sunset,” and “Small Town.”

This summer, Mellencamp will tour for 22 stops across North America for his all-new Sad Clowns & Hillbillies tour kicking off on June 5th in Denver, Colorado with special guests, Emmylou Harris, tour-mate Carlene Carter and Lily & Madeleine. See the full tour itinerary and purchase tickets here.

Sad Clowns and Hillbillies is the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s follow up to 2014’s critically-acclaimed, Plain Spoken.

TRACK LISTING:

MOBILE BLUE

BATTLE OF ANGELS

GRANDVIEW 
Featuring Martina McBride

INDIGO SUNSET

WHAT KIND OF MAN AM I

ALL NIGHT TALK RADIO

SUGAR HILL MOUNTAIN

YOU ARE BLIND

DAMASCUS ROAD

EARLY BIRD CAFÉ

SAD CLOWNS

MY SOUL’S GOT WINGS

EASY TARGET

ABOUT JOHN MELLENCAMP

John Mellencamp’s career in music, spanning more than 35 years, has seen him transition from pop star to one of the most highly respected singer/songwriters of a generation.  Mellencamp is incredibly acclaimed; he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He is also one of the most successful live concert performers in the world.   In 1985,  Mellencamp, together with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, created Farm Aid. The social activism reflected in his songs helped catalyze Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years. John also wrote the title song for the upcoming film, The Yellow Birds, an American war film directed by Alexandre Moors and based on the novel The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. The film stars Tye Sheridan, Jack Huston, Alden Ehrenreich, Jennifer Aniston, and Toni Collette.  John continues to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. His style has progressed over the years as evidenced by several gallery shows and published portfolios, and in recent years he has increased his output by completing over 100 new works. His pieces were shown in 2012 at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville under the title “Nothing Like I Planned: The Art Of John Mellencamp” and, more recently at the Butler Institute of American Art in an exhibition entitled “The Paintings Of John Mellencamp.”  “The Paintings of John Mellencamp” traveled to the Museum of Art-DeLand, Florida and John’s art was showcased at the ACA Gallery in New York. The unique instrumentation of his band and his poignant songs about everyday life in the American heartland, are widely credited with being the forbearer of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music.  An extraordinary collaboration performed by an ensemble cast of 15 actors and a four-piece live band, comprised of members of John Mellencamp’s band is The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a musical with music and lyrics by John Mellencamp, a libretto by author Stephen King and production by T Bone Burnett. The show is being further developed in London, though King and Mellencamp are no longer as actively involved.  Mellencamp continues his journey as the walking embodiment of heartland rock; passionate, plain-spoken, and a self-proclaimed rebel.  John Mellencamp continues to live and work in Bloomington, Indiana.

Check out Sad Clowns and Hillbillies Here: http://republic.lnk.to/SadClownsHillbilliesPR

Listen to “Grandview” featuring Martina McBride Here: http://republic.lnk.to/MellencampGrandviewPR

MEEK MILL AND YO GOTTI AGAINST ALL ODDS TOUR VIDEO!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH OFFICIAL TOUR VIDEO! 

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT LIVENATION.COM

Multi-platinum rap artists Meek Mill and Yo Gotti are joining forces for their epic 21-city nationwide “Against All Odds Tour” and tickets are available to the general public today! You can check out the newly released tour video here:

For ticket information visit livenation.com. The full list of tour stops can be found below.

THE SHAKUR ESTATE PRESENTS A FULLY AUTHORIZED DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TUPAC SHAKUR, DIRECTED BY ACADEMY AWARD WINNER STEVE MCQUEEN

THE FILM, SANCTIONED BY THE HIP-HOP ICON’S ESTATE, WILL BE PRODUCED BY WHITE HORSE PICTURES, JAYSON JACKSON AND AMARU ENTERTAINMENT
Shakur Estate trustee Tom Whalley and Amaru Entertainment, the company created by Afeni Shakur to release her son’s posthumous projects, announced today that Nigel Sinclair’s White Horse Pictures and Jayson Jackson will team up to produce a fully authorized documentary with Amaru on the life of acclaimed hip-hop artist, writer and poet Tupac Shakur.

The film will be directed by Academy Award-winning director, Steve McQueen (12 YEARS A SLAVE) and produced by Jayson Jackson (WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?) and White Horse Pictures’ Nigel Sinclair (THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – The Touring Years) and Nicholas Ferrall, together with Shakur Estate Trustee Tom Whalley. Gloria Cox, Tupac Shakur’s aunt and Afeni Shakur’s only sister, will executive produce along with White Horse’s Jeanne Elfant Festa.

STEVE MCQUEEN

“I am extremely moved and excited to be exploring the life and times of this legendary artist.  I attended NYU film school in 1993 and can remember the unfolding hip-hop world and mine overlapping with Tupac’s through a mutual friend in a small way. Few, if any shined brighter than Tupac Shakur.  I look forward to working closely with his family to tell the unvarnished story of this talented man.”

TOM WHALLEY

“Tupac’s timeless message resonates today as strongly as it did when I first discovered him in 1990, possibly more so.  His legacy is unfortunately seen now through the refraction of the headlines, the controversy, and the tragic way his life ended.  With this film, we will show the artist and the young man who existed beyond the news. I have an obligation to both Tupac and Afeni Shakur, to make sure this project becomes realized.  In the final year of her life, Afeni and I spoke often of her desire to have her son’s true story be told.  We are very excited to be working with the talents of Steve McQueen, Jayson Jackson and Nigel Sinclair.

Together, with the team we have assembled, I am honored to have the opportunity to bring the documentary Tupac started in 1996 to life. “

GLORIA COX

“I am happy to see this project come to life. This was something that my nephew (Tupac) was very passionate about creating in 1996, and my sister (Afeni) since before her passing this last May.  It has been a long journey to get here.

I feel like we have a team she (Afeni) would be very pleased with. It has never been our intention to rewrite the story of Tupac. Our goal has always been to tell the true story, which has never been done before in such a complete way. My sister always said to me, ‘We are not in the business of defending Tupac. Our job is to allow him to be seen in the most complete way, so his actions, his choices, and his words will allow him to speak for himself.’  I believe this film will do exactly that.”

JAYSON JACKSON AND NIGEL SINCLAIR

“We are proud and grateful to The Estate for inviting us to the team to help produce this film with the incredible Steve McQueen.  We hope to make a film that explores all of Tupac’s talent and creativity, as well as his singular personality.  We’ve got more than 2 decades of perspective now, and we hope to make a film that people can look back on in another 5 decades and understand his contribution to all of art, music, and culture.  Most of all, we hope to bring to our audience, insight into his perspectives, and what it was like to be sitting inside his world and the world he grew up in.”

White Horse’s Cassidy Hartmann will serve as co-executive producer. Marc Ambrose (THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – The Touring Years) will serve as supervising producer.

The documentary will be produced with the full cooperation and the assistance of The Shakur Estate, and financed and distributed by Amaru Entertainment.

White Horse Pictures is engaged as the worldwide sales agent on the documentary.

Interscope Records, the label that released the majority of Tupac’s catalog, and Universal Music Publishing Group will provide help and full support to the production. Both companies are divisions of Universal Music Group,

ABOUT TUPAC:

Though his recording career lasted just five years, Tupac Shakur is one of the most popular artists in history, having sold over 75 million records worldwide.  Over half of his eleven studio albums have sold in excess of three million copies. Two of his releases, 1996’s All Eyez On Me and his Greatest Hits collection, have been certified Diamond, with sales of over 10 million copies each.  In December 2016, it was announced that Tupac Shakur would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the first solo hip-hop artist to be recognized for inclusion.  The ceremony took place in Brooklyn, New York on April 7, 2017 and included a musical tribute from Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, T.I..  Alongside his musical career, Tupac also found success and critical acclaim as an actor, starring in films Juice, Poetic Justice, Above The Rim, Gridlock’d, and Gang Related.

Tupac’s life and legacy continues to impact and influence culture today, from a groundbreaking performance via hologram at the 2012 Coachella Music and Arts Festival to a spoken word appearance on Kendrick Lamar’s critically acclaimed 2015 To Pimp A Butterfly.  In addition, the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, established by his late mother Afeni, provides arts education to children through camps, workshops, scholarships, and other programs.

ABOUT TOM WHALLEY:

Tom Whalley began his career in the Warner Bros. Records mailroom before working his way into the label’s A&R department. There, he had early success with acts like Modern English and the Cure. He later joined Capitol Records as Head of A&R, where he worked with many of the label’s most important acts including ‪Bonnie Raitt, Poison, ‪Crowded House, the ‪Beastie Boys, and ‪MC Hammer. After Capitol, Mr. Whalley was one of the founders of Interscope Records, eventually serving as president of the label. There, he signed artists including ‪Tupac Shakur, ‪Nine Inch Nails, and Wallflowers. In 2001, he returned to Warner Bros. Records as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, Warner Bos. nurtured the careers of many of the biggest artist of our time including, White Stripes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Josh Groban, Metallica, ‪Michael Bublé, Muse, Green Day, ‪My Chemical Romance, ‪‪Linkin Park, ‪Enya, and ‪Faith Hill.

In April of 2012 he formed Loma Vista Recordings. The label has since released albums from St. Vincent, Soundgarden, ‪Ghost, Marilyn Manson, Denzel Curry, Sylvan Esso, and ‪Rhye, as well the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. In addition to Loma Vista, he is serving as the Creative Director for Concord Music. At Afeni Shakur’s request, Tom serves as the Trustee of The Shakur Estate.

ABOUT WHITE HORSE PICTURES:

Nigel Sinclair has produced a number of award-winning films, including the BAFTA Nominated, Critics’ Choice and Grammy Award-winning The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years also directed by Ron Howard. Other titles include Martin Scorsese’s, George Harrison: Living In The Material World which won two Emmy® Awards and was nominated for a BAFTA, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan for which Sinclair won a Grammy Award®, Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who, and both the Academy Award®-winning Undefeatedand the Grammy Award®-winning Foo Fighters: Back And Forth.

Nicholas Ferrall is a partner at White Horse Pictures and Head of Production.  He served as an executive producer for the Grammy-winning The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years and David Gelb’sA Faster Horse.  Jeanne Elfant Festa and Cassidy Hartmann are partners at White Horse Pictures and producers on the forthcoming authorized Apollo Theater documentary.  White Horse Pictures is currently in pre-production on the Fox-financed film Silent Night.

ABOUT JAYSON JACKSON:

Jayson Jackson is a producer of Emmy Award winning film, Tony Award®-winning theater, and Grammy Award Winning music. Jackson most recently produced the Academy Award nominated and Emmy Award winning documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?.

A veteran music executive, and entrepreneur Jackson has a string of success over the course of his esteemed career and has been integral to a multitude of groundbreaking endeavors. At the age of 27, he represented the career of Ms. Lauryn Hill, strategizing her journey from Fugee band member to legendary solo artist. Her eponymous debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill broke the Billboard record for “highest first-week sales from a solo female artist,” and achieved five GRAMMY® Awards among a staggering ten nominations in 1999 including Album of the Year.

In theater, he guided the career of poet Sarah Jones to her 2004 off-Broadway one-woman show, Bridge & Tunnel, which received an Obie Award and upon moving to Broadway two years later, a Tony Award for “Best Special Theatrical Event.”

2014 saw Jackson team with Nina Simone’s daughter Lisa Simone Kelly to produce the first NETFLIX original documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? The film would open the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 to rave reviews and eventually receive an Oscar® nod in the category of “Best Documentary Feature” and win an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction Special” in 2016.

ABOUT INTERSCOPE GEFFEN A&M:

Combining the legacies of three of the most influential record labels in modern music history, Interscope Geffen A&M embarked on a new tradition of musical achievement with its unification on January 1, 1999.  Headed by Chairman and CEO John Janick, Interscope Geffen A&M is a major force in global music, developing chart-topping artists across a wide range of musical genres including rock, rap, pop and alternative. Interscope Geffen A&M is part of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company. www.interscope.com

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The Newly Opened Whiskey Lounge at miro Restaurant Hosts an Interactive Whiskey and Food Tasting Event on Saturday, May 20

In Honor of World Whisky Day, The Event will Feature More Than 20 Varieties of Whiskey with Food Pairings from Chef Gavin Mills

WHAT:

The Whiskey Lounge at miro Restaurant will host a carefully curated culinary and beverage experience in celebration of World Whisky Day. Guests will enjoy tastings from distilleries around the world, as well as distinct gastronomic creations infused and paired with whiskey. Participating purveyors include Alexander Murray & Co. LLC, Benromach Whisky, WhistlePig Rye Whiskey, Teeling Whiskey Co., Glen Grant, Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve. Chef Gavin Mills’ menu offers Spiced Smoked Trout with crispy skin, burnt orange crème fraiche and candied ginger; Whiskey-Cured Ham with buttermilk biscuits and honey butter; Smoked Ricotta Tortellini with lonza and duck egg; WhistlePig Chicken and Waffles; and house-made meats and artisanal cheeses. Tickets are $40 including tax and gratuity, and provide attendees entry, passed appetizers and tasting stations from seven brands with more than 20 featured expressions.

miro will also offer specialty steak and whiskey pairing menus from May 20 through June 20, with $85 and $65 options including Chef Mills’ 30-60 day, dry-aged steaks that are aged in-house.

WHY:

Few people will be able to make it to 60 whiskey distilleries like World Whisky Day Founder, Blair Bowman, but The Whiskey Lounge at miro will offer Angelenos a sensory and culinary tour of the world of whiskey in celebration of World Whisky Day in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

WHEN:           Saturday, May 20, 5-8 pm

WHERE:         The Whiskey Lounge at miro (downstairs)

888 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017

TICKETS:       $40 per person, available at http://mirowhiskyday.eventbrite.com

About miro:

Located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, steps away from the 7th and Metro station, miro (modern. Italian. regional. offerings.) offers Angelenos a refined taste of European flavors and spectacular views of the downtown skyline from its stunning multi-level space. Chef Gavin Mills features a thoughtful and well-balanced menu that emphasizes California seasonality with Italian and Mediterranean influence, bringing a multi-sensory culinary experience that complements their meticulously curated wine and whiskey program. The Whiskey Lounge downstairs offers a unique whiskey tasting menu, with some of the rarest whiskies in the world. miro is located at 888 Wilshire Blvd. and is open Mon. – Thurs. from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Sat. from 5-11 p.m., with The Whiskey Lounge open until Midnight Mon. – Sat. Valet parking is available for $8 with validation.Visit www.mirorestaurant.com or call 213-988-8880 for more information, and follow miro on Facebook and Instagram at @mirodtla.

NICK MURPHY

MISSING LINK

New Collection of Tracks Bridging The Sonic Shift Between

Chet Faker and Nick Murphy

Missing Link EP Out Today via Downtown Records / Interscope

http://smarturl.it/MissingLink

Hear “Your Time” Produced By KAYTRANADAHere

& “Forget About Me” Here

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Listen To Murphy’s Interview from Zane Lowe’s Beats1 Show Talking About His Name Change, New Music & More – http://apple.co/2qnNqAo

*   *   *

Extensive North American & International Headline Tour Announced

New York-based Australian producer & musicianNick Murphy has announced Missing Link, a new collection of tracks that bridge the sonic shift between Chet Faker and Nick Murphy. The 5-song EP is out today via Downtown Records / Interscope and available to stream / order here:http://smarturl.it/MissingLink.

Murphy will also bring his dynamic live show to stages across the globe through the end of the year, announcing an extensive world tour that features headline shows in North America, Australia and Europe. U.S. dates include this Friday’s show at Red Rocks with Bonobo, a headline performance at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium, an appearance at NYC’s Panorama Festival, and more. Murphy will also perform an exclusive residency at Sydney Opera House for Vivid LIVE next month. For tour details and to purchase tickets, visit http://missing.li/nk.

Missing Link opens with the first single “Your Time,” a moody, older recording featuring production from KAYTRANADA that just premiered as a World Record on Zane Lowe’s Beats1 show. Hear the track and interview with Lowe here. The EP continues to move through Murphy’s sound evolution from the voiceless distortion of “Bye” to the grand, escalating track “Forget About Me”—also premiered today on Lowe’s show—and “Weak Education,” the dance-influenced track closer. It’s the sound of Murphy exhaling.

The EP is Murphy’s first release since announcing last fall that he’ll record and perform under his given name and step away from his Chet Faker moniker. “Chet Faker was me trying to prove something to myself,” says Murphy. “But my tastes are pretty dynamic and I realized I’ve spent time resisting that. Now I want to put everything in. It’s not conceptual anymore. It’s just me, and it made sense to show that in a name. It feels like a rediscovery.”

After announcing the name change last fall and releasing two well-received tracks—“Fear Less” and “Stop Me (Stop You)”—he notes, “This huge wave came out and I broadened the framework. Instead of having to make finished tracks, I could just explore. That felt like the missing link between where I was and where I’m going now.” The Missing Link EP is a snapshot of that wave in motion. It is the ‘missing link’ between who he was as an artist and what’s next for him.

The trailer for the Missing Link EP, co-directed by Murphy and New York-based Australian filmmaker and musician Johann Rashid, was released last week and teases some of the EP’s forthcoming visual accompaniment. Watch the trailer here: http://youtu.be/yz4hf1qV73k. Murphy also recently released a short video interview with collaborator Dave Harringtonwhere he discusses the name change, creating his new music and more:http://youtu.be/KWNTwX5bfTA.

MISSING LINK TRACK LISTING

1. Your Time (produced by KAYTRANADA)
2. Bye
3. I’m Ready
4. Forget About Me
5. Weak Education

DIGITAL ASSETS

“Your Time” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNXIwuzHbzg

“Forget About Me” –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NYRV1q2eUs

Nick Murphy Interview with Zane Lowe / Beats1 – http://apple.co/2qnNqAo

Stream / Purchase Missing Link here:http://smarturl.it/MissingLink

NICK MURPHY TOUR DATES

May 11 Denver, CO – Club Vinyl (DJ set)

May 12 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks (w/ Bonobo)

May 13 Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival

Jun 01 Sydney, Australia – Vivid LIVE, Sydney Opera House

Jun 02 Sydney, Australia – Vivid LIVE, Sydney Opera House

Jun 03 Sydney, Australia – Vivid LIVE, Sydney Opera House

Jun 13 Ibiza, Spain – Pacha (DJ set)

Jun 17 Barcelona, Spain – Off Sonar (DJ set)

Jun 23 Salt Lake City, UT – Bonanza Camp Out Music & Arts Festival

Jul 29 New York, NY – Panorama Music & Arts Festival

Aug 17 Pardes de Coura, Portugal – Pardes de Coura Festival

Sep 10 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

Sep 15 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer

Sep 18 Boston, MA – The Royale

Sep 22 Montreal, QC – Le Métropolis

Sep 25 Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall

Sep 27 Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre

Sep 29 Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre

Oct 09 Vancouver, BC – The Vogue Theatre

Oct 13 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom

Oct 14 Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo

Oct 16 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater

Oct 19 Los Angeles, CA – The Shrine Auditorium

Oct 20 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory

Oct 21 San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park

Oct 25 Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory

Oct 26 Austin, TX – Moody Theater @ ACL Live

Oct 28 Live Oak, FL – Suwannee Hulaween Music & Arts Festival

Nov 22 Berlin, DE – Columbiahalle

Nov 23 Cologne, DE – Live Music Hall

Nov 24 Zurich, CH – Komplex 457

Nov 26 Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso

Nov 27 Brussels, BE – Cirque Royal

Nov 29 – Paris, FR – Bataclan

Dec 02 Manchester, UK – Albert Hall

Dec 05 London, UK – Troxy

http://nickmurphymusic.com

http://twitter.com/nick_murphy

Original Version Sparks on Spotify; After Dark Version Readies To Take Over Chilled Out R&B Playlists