Mark Spiro has announced the release of his new solo album, Traveling Cowboys, on May 7 via Frontiers Music Srl. Today, the first single and video, "7 Billion People" has premiered. Mark is joined on the track by vocalist Julian Lennon and guitarist Tim Pierce. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Traveling Cowboys here.

Mark Spiro’s new solo album Traveling Cowboys comes about one year after the career spanning “Best of” album which Frontiers released as a celebration of this great songwriter’s career. Once again, Spiro continues his legacy of excellent songwriting, which he has always done in a very personal and heartfelt way.

"I didn’t really have a goal other than the same goal I always have. When I write I want to reflect the world around me in a unique way. Both the outside and the inner world. I want to paint a picture with lyrics in ways they have never been used and surround them with melodies that add or change their intensity. It's magic to me when a simple thought is injected with a melody and the sum becomes bigger than the parts. Synchronicity," says Spiro of the songwriting process for Traveling Cowboys.

On what kind of album he wanted Traveling Cowboys to be, he says "A truthful one. I think every song is directly inspired by what I’m feeling these days. It’s vulnerable and a little bit risky to say some of these highly personal things. But..I think without vulnerability and risk, you are not an artist, you are simply a delivery system. Gotta have something to say!"

On Traveling Cowboys, Mark once again writes and sings songs about life, love, sacrifice, heartbreak, and everything in between, while wrapping everything up in a smooth melodic rock blanket. Mark was helped on the record by Tim Pierce and Gia Sky and also appearing on “7 Billion People,” as a duet partner with Mark, is none other than Julian Lennon.

"I’ve always been attracted to space travel and the possibilities of our universe. “7 Billion People” is about our Earth becoming unlivable and our only hope is to colonize Mars. The song is kind of a tragic comedy. It suggests that we’ll simply repeat our greedy, rich privileged mistakes. I think a lot about these subjects like dead soil, climate change, oppression and greed. I think they are worth writing about. I’ve also been working with folks on regenerative farming, homelessness and other challenges we face on this planet. Having co-written “Saltwater”with Julian Lennon, this duet was a natural fit for us. Julian is one of my closest friends…beyond music. We had a blast online making the video with him at home in France and me at home in L.A… Really hope people enjoy it!" adds Spiro of the first single and video.

Traveling Cowboys is another album of which Mark Spiro can be truly proud. It showcases a man with a talent for writing catchy yet thoughtful songs, songs that any fan of good music will enjoy listening to.

Tracklist:

"Traveling Cowboys"
"Rolls Royce"
"Vanderpump"
"Going"
"7 Billion People" (Featuring Julian Lennon)
"Someone Else"
"Kingdom Come"
"I Ain't Leaving"
"Between The Raindrops" (Revisited)
"Dance"
"Feel Like Me"
"Let The Wind Decide"
"Nothing In Between Us"
"The Fisherman 3 2020"
"Still"

"7 Billion People" video:

Lineup:

Mark Spiro
Tim Pierce
Gia Sky




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Italian doomers Messa proudly announce the newly sealed alliance with Finland-based label Svart Records. The four-piece will be entering the studio next week to record their third studio album, the successor to 2018's Feast For Water.

Commented Messa: "Spring is coming and so a new harvest draws near. We're happy to announce that Messa have signed with Svart Records. It is an honor for us to join ventures with such a special and prestigious label. We are entering the studio next week to record our new album. More news will be coming soon.

"We'd like to thank Aural Music for believing in Messa since the very first start and for the help throughout these years."

Following the release of their fifth album Kvitravn—which debuted in several worldwide Top 10 charts (listed below)—traditional Nordic folk outfit Wardruna welcomes viewers to join them for a virtual record release show. Seeking to reconnect audiences from around the globe and to reimagine the Wardruna experience in a bold new way, the stream will take place Friday, March 26 at 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET from Oslo, NO. An official trailer for the event is available below.

Those joining the event will be able to experience Wardruna’s idiosyncratic, authentic, and extraordinary stage performances that transcend borders, time, language and musical genres with premiere performances of songs taken from Kvitravn alongside their earlier works, all set in a special surrounding arranged specifically for this event. Tickets will go on sale starting this Friday, February 5 at 10:00 AM CET along with additional merch options exclusive to the stream here.

Out now via By Norse Music and Sony Music/Columbia Records, Kvitravn (“White Raven”) marks a distinct evolution in Wardruna's sound. The album features a broad selection of both traditional and historical instruments and guest appearances by a small group of prominent traditional singers, spearheaded by Kirsten Bråten Berg, one of the most important custodians of Norwegian traditional song. Throughout its eleven songs, Kvitravn illuminates Northern sorcery, spirit-animals, shadows, nature and animism, the wisdom and meanings of certain myths, various Norse spiritual concepts, and the relation between sage and songs.

Kvitravn has made an impressive worldwide debut, charting in several Top 10 Charts across the world.

Tracklisting (with translations):

"Synkverv" (Turn-sight)
"Kvitravn" (White Raven)
"Skugge" (Shadow)
"Grá" (Grey)
"Fylgjutal" (Speech of the Fetch)
"Munin" (Memory)
"Kvit hjort" (White Stag)
"Viseveiding" (Song-hunting)
"Ni" (Nine)
"Vindavlarljod" (Song of the wind-bred)
"Andvevarljod" (Song of the Spirit-weavers)

“Kvitravn” video:

"Grá" video:

(Photo - Arne Beck)




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After 18 years (including 4 years of hiatus) and 5 full lengths released, German black metal formation Negator have decided to end the journey. Statement from the band can be read in full below.

Statement from Negator: "The circle closes for the last time. After 18 years of band existence, we have decided to lay Negator to rest. This is - among other reasons - due to the fact that Nachtgarm has announced his musical retirement (his statement). We actually had some shows planned (and already confirmed) and of course a farewell show was also planned, but the ongoing pandemic has unfortunately put a spoke in our wheel.

"We would like to thank all the bands, producers, labels, promoters and of course we would like to thank you: our families, friends, fans, followers and haters. Without you Negator would not have existed in this form. Thank you! Our music will still be available on all known platforms and our store will also continue to exist."

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie" podcast, JUDAS PRIEST singer spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm old school. We had one great big writing session last March for this new record that we're still working on. And what I mean by that is Glenn [Tipton, guitar] and Richie [Faulkner, guitar] and myself at Glenn's beautiful studio. And that's the way I personally write. I'm very spontaneous in my writing. Even before the lyrics and the melodies start, I'm there with Glenn and Richie, and I'm inspired and motivated by what they're doing…. What I'm saying is as far as the place that all musicians enjoy — being creative, being in a room with your bandmates and making a song and going, 'Oh, man. I can't wait for the fans to hear this.'

"'Firepower' was a beautiful achievement for us; I'm very, very proud of that record," he continued. "And, of course, when you set a bar, you always kind of go, 'Oh, now we've gotta try to knock one out of the park with the follow-up to 'Firepower'.' That can be a danger. I think you can get very easily misdirected by focusing too much on expectation. We've been making so long, we never second-guessed the final outcome; we've always played from the heart, from the gut.

"These [new PRIEST] songs that I've got with me, they're so good. I'm so happy and so proud of what we've got so far, and there's so much more to come."

Halford also confirmed that PRIEST will reunite with the "Firepower" production team consisting of British producer Andy Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

"That was a great experiment," Rob said about the "Firepower" recording experience. "We didn't even know it was gonna work. Tom's classic old-school metal. Andy is from more recent times. And Mike, of course, just came [from doing] the '13' album with [BLACK] SABBATH; he had done a lot of work with SABBATH. So there's three heads working together. And we thought, 'This is either gonna be a trainwreck or something glorious,' and it turned out to be something glorious. So we're gonna at least recreate those same production moments. But having said that, it is all about the songs, and right now, the songs feel really, really strong."

Last September, Faulkner told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that the creative process for PRIEST's next LP was halted by the coronavirus outbreak, which disrupted global travel.

Halford resides in Phoenix, Faulkner in Nashville and Tipton still calls his native United Kingdom his home.

"Firepower" entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 5, making it PRIEST's highest-charting album ever. "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted and peaked at No. 6, while 2008's "Nostradamus" landed at No. 11 and 2005's "Angel Of Retribution" came in at No. 13.

"Firepower" moved 49,000 equivalent album units in first week of release. Of that sum, 48,000 were in traditional album sales, just shy of the 54,000 copies sold by "Angel Of Retribution" in that album's first week. The "Firepower" chart position was bolstered by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer in association with the band's spring 2018 North American tour.

Across the pond, "Firepower" landed at position No. 5 on the U.K. album chart. It marked the band's highest ranking, and first time in the Top 10, since "British Steel" reached No. 4 in 1980. Elsewhere, "Firepower" also became PRIEST's first-ever No. 1 in Sweden.

In a new interview with Patrick Prince of Goldmine, AC/DC legend Angus Young reveals what the band thought when they first came to America in the 1970s.  

"When we arrived in L.A., after Hawaii, these people thought we were a freak show," says Angus. "Then we had to go to Texas for our first gig. We get on an airplane and it was stopping everywhere. Then Bon got lost. He got off in Phoenix or somewhere and went to a bar. Then he missed the flight to get back. And he didn’t even know where to go!

"We got to Texas without him, and the record company people called up and said, “We’ve got someone who says he’s your singer…and he’s stoned.” He’d managed to call somebody who got through to somebody else and they put him on the right flight and he finally got to Texas, where we played our first show in America.

"But what I found was it was just like anywhere else. At that time, the record company people kept saying how the music of the day is so soft with a lot of middle-of-the-road stuff. Rock music was not such a big item. But when you’re playing live in an arena after being told that, you’d go, “Now, wait a minute, the people in the streets aren’t into what was on the Top 40.” That’s what I found.

"It was two worlds: the mainstream thinking this is how their world was, but the real world was here (in this arena). And I always took great pride in the fact that we were in the real world and they were in the twilight zone in some ways."

Read the full interview at Goldmine.




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The first look at "Pistol", a six-episode limited series about the legendary SEX PISTOLS guitarist Steve Jones, is available at Rolling Stone.

Based on Jones's 2018 memoir "Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol", the series from Academy Award winner Danny Boyle, who also serves as executive producer and director, was created by Craig Pearce and written by Pearce and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Jones, Boyle and Pearce serve as executive producers alongside Gail Lyon, Anita Camarata, Tracey Seaward, Paul Lee, Hope Hartman and Wiip. The series is produced by FX Productions.

"It's great to be back in business with Danny Boyle, an exceptional artist responsible for so many great feature films and TV series," said Grad. "Steve Jones was at the center of the storm that shook the rock establishment and we're thrilled to have Danny and the rest of the creative team tell his story as a member of one of music's most notorious bands — the SEX PISTOLS."

"Imagine breaking into the world of 'The Crown' and 'Downton Abbey' with your mates and screaming your songs and your fury at all they represent," said Boyle. "This is the moment that British society and culture changed forever. It is the detonation point for British street culture...where ordinary young people had the stage and vented their fury and their fashion…and everyone had to watch and listen…and everyone feared them or followed them. The SEX PISTOLS. At its center was a young charming illiterate kleptomaniac — a hero for the times — Steve Jones, who became in his own words, the 94th greatest guitarist of all time. This is how he got there."

"The SEX PISTOLS changed music forever and Danny Boyle is the perfect director to tell Steve Jones's story fueled by raw creativity and destruction," said Paul Lee, CEO Wiip. "We're thrilled to be making this with our friends at FX.

Anchored by Jones's memoir, which offers a fascinating new perspective on one of rock's greatest ever stories, "Pistol" moves from West London's council estates, to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's notorious Kings Road SEX shop, to the international controversy that came with the release of "Never Mind The Bollocks", which is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time. Their single "God Save The Queen" was banned by the BBC and reached No. 1 on the U.K.'s NME chart, but appeared at No. 2 on the official U.K. singles chart, leading to accusations that the song was purposely kept off the top spot. For the only time in chart history, the track was listed as a blank, to avoid offence to the monarchy.

"Pistol" stars Toby Wallace ("Babyteeth", "Acute Misfortune") as Steve Jones, Anson Boon ("Crawl", "1917", "Blackbird") as John Lydon, Louis Partridge ("Enola Holmes", "Medici") as Sid Vicious, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Fabien Frankel ("The Serpent", "NYPD Blue") as Glen Matlock, Dylan Llewellyn ("Derry Girls") as Wally Nightingale, Sydney Chandler ("Don't Worry Darling") as Chrissie Hynde, Emma Appleton ("The Witcher", "Traitors") as Nancy Spungen, and Maisie Williams ("Game Of Thrones") as punk icon Jordan.




Pistol – First Look images released for Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols Limited Series. Details here https://t.co/8wdEaOs7pQ#SexPistols #DannyBoyle #Pistol pic.twitter.com/ByKKNV7sxW

— Phil Edwards (@Live_for_Films) March 3, 2021








Pistol – first look pictures released from Danny Boyle Sex Pistols biopic https://t.co/tmfdszkyRi pic.twitter.com/9XQHUGvfjN

— BetaSeries News (@BetaSeries_News) March 3, 2021