DOWNLOAD: A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar / Ashes Maths (MP3)

So many people have been in ASDiG since the project started in 2006 - touring members especially have come and gone. But I am happy and excited to let you know that we now have what could really be called a stable line-up now. The sad news is that Robin & Lauren are no longer singing with ASDiG. For various reasons (out of state grad school; boyfriend's broken limbs, work) neither were readily available while we were recording Ashes Grammar. These were dark times! But then all of this great stuff started to happen where Josh and I just said fuck it and kept working on the album. And then longtime fan and west philly neighbor Ryan Newmeyer wrote out of nowhere to ask what kind of fuzz pedal I use (<3<3<3 love you so much zvex fuzz factory <3<3<3) and I asked if he knew any singers. And he did! And her name was (is) Annie Fredrickson. Josh, Annie, and I would spend many many many late nights in Lambertville and West Philly and South Philly and anywhere we could make noise starting from scratch, ultimately finishing the album, and generally coming together as friends and as a band. Good times!

And then, when Ashes Grammar was done and we all got really drunk and got some normal sleep and listened to songs that weren't our songs etc... and the three of us decided we really liked the album and wanted to go on tour for as long as we possibly could to support it. But no one else wanted to go, so it was kind of dark times again. But then it turns out that Ryan plays bass! And then Josh's friend Adam Herndon joined to play drums (Josh now plays guitar/synths/whatever and sings)! And then we had this singer search where so many incredibly talented singers from all over the world sent us demos and tried out and it was crazy, we had no idea there were so many people who would want to join our little band. It was a really hard decision but in the end we are very happy to introduce you to Jen Goma when we go out on tour next week.

Anyway, things feel really good now. Everyone in this band really wants to be in this band and they are all talented people. It feels like we actually are a band and can give alot of ASDiG songs the live treatment (I think) they deserve.

Also, we've already recorded another album's worth of new songs and we are going to be touring so so so much next year in addition to this fall. Hope to see you out there! - A Sunny Day in Glasgow

A Sunny Day in Glasgow's new lineup will hit the road on November 12th and stay on it for a month until they eventually hit NYC for two shows: 12/12 @ Union Hall (tickets) & 12/13 @ Le Poisson Rouge (tickets). All dates below...

Continue reading "A Sunny Day in Glasgow (now with a new lineup with new singer) - 2009 Tour Dates (Union Hall & LPR)"

by Black Bubblegum

Led Zeppelin in Central Park, 1969

"As you probably know, Jimmy [Page], Jason [Bonham, son of John Bonham] and I are actually rehearsing and we've had the odd singer come in and have a bash. As soon as we know -- which we don't -- we will let you know. But we really hope that something is going to happen soon because we really want to do it and we're having a lot of fun, actually, just rehearsing. Jason is actually tremendous. . . We really wanna do something and Robert doesn't want to do this, at least for the moment. I don't really know what his plans are. He really doesn't want to make loud music anymore. We do. I mean, I love acoustic music, but it doesn't stop me from turning something up . . . And what we've done so far sounds absolutely fantastic. When it does come, it will come, and you'll know about it."

That quote is John Paul Jones speaking on the current status of Led Zeppelin. To that Robert would probably say he wishes them "nothing but success". Video of John's full statement below.

Led Zeppelin, Robert included, reunited in December of 2007 in tribute of Atlantic Records impresario Ahmet Ertegun.

Robert Plant has otherwise been keeping busy with the "acoustic" music he's making with Alison Krauss. Video below...

Continue reading "Led Zeppelin to tour with a new singer? John Jones speaks"

Benoit David

...the classic YES line-up of guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White will launch the "In The Present" tour starting November 4th in Hamilton, Ontario, marking yet another chapter in the art-rockers' amazing, 40-year career of legendary live performances. The three will be joined by keyboardist Oliver Wakeman, the son of YES' Rick Wakeman, and vocalist Benoit David, a Montreal, Quebec, native and vocalist in several YES tribute groups, who was discovered by the band on the Internet....

....YES postponed plans for a 40th anniversary Close to the Edge and Back tour in June, when vocalist Jon Anderson suffered a severe asthma attack and was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure. Commented Squire: "This isn't an attempt to replace Jon Anderson, because as we all know, that would be impossible. With Benoit, we are bringing in a talented singer so that we can go out and honor the music of YES for the fans who have waited for the past four years to see us perform."

"Yes" has a NYC show scheduled at Hammerstein Ballroom. Tickets on sale Saturday.