MONDO DRAG New Rituals out now on CD, Vinyl, and Digital

Free download MP3 "Light As A Feather" at Amazon

Listen to "Love Me (Like A Stranger)" at Almighty Music

Trip out with Mondo Drag!
From deep in the cosmos of Iowa, this psychedelic outfit has created a strange brew of garage, psych, space, sludge and stoner rock. "New Rituals," their debut for Alive, is an incursion into extended psychedelic blues guitar jams and haunting vocals over heavy, steady bass lines and thumping percussion. Mondo Drag has shared the stage with bands such as Witchcraft, Pentagram, and Radio Moscow, to name just a few.
Tour dates :
Jan 26 @ Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA w/ PENTAGRAM
Feb 6 @ White Lightning Warehouse - Iowa City, IA
Feb 9 @ Off Broadway - St Louis, MO
Feb 10 The Swamp – Carbondale, IL
Feb 11 @ Al’s Bar - Lexington, KY
Feb 12 @ Springwater - Nashville, TN
Feb 13 @ Wall Street - Murfreesboro, TN
Feb 14 @ Loudhouse Coffee - Greenbrier, TN
Feb 15 @ Blue Rock Tavern - Cincinnati, OH
Feb 16 @ Corktown Tavern - Detroit, MI
Feb 17 @ The Mopery - Chicago, IL
Feb 18 House Show – DeKalb, IL
Feb 20 @ RME Hall – Davenport, IA : CD RELEASE SHOW
more dates coming soon

Get the CD here

Get the LP here (RED VINYL Ltd. edition)

Get the album from iTunes

HENRY'S FUNERAL SHOE European tour dates!

HENRY'S FUNERAL SHOE debut album "Everything's For Sale" out now on CD, vinyl, and digital

Their sound can be heavy as a 2000 lb. budgie, menacing as a back-alley swaying drunk, and when they crank up the riffing or let rip with some high-octane slide, it’s as transporting as anything by post-Mississippi Fred McDowell. – PopMatters

10 songs just under 35 minutes…and a fantastic first release. – The Neus Subject

Everything’s for Sale boasts both stripped-down force and high-impact emotional energy, with Aled’s vocals suggesting both Tom Waits’ grit and Nick Cave’s gravitas while the guitar roars with gutbucket conviction and a rocker’s desire to turn that volume knob to the right. Henry’s Funeral Shoe are a truly fine band, regardless of their small size. – All Music Guide

This is a band that proves the nu-blues movement in the U.K is very much awake and raising the bar. – Blues In London

TOUR DATES :

Feb 5 @ The Boars Head – Brecon, Wales

Feb 11 @ St. Ex – Bordeaux, France w/RADIO MOSCOW

Feb 12 @ New Industry – Nimes, France

Feb 13 @ West Rock – Cognac, France

Feb 15 @ Le Grillen – Colmar, France

Feb 19 @ Le Transformateur – Fribourg, Switzerland

Feb 20 @ Le Cylindre – Besançon, France

Feb 22 @ La Peniche – Lille, France

Feb 24 @ La Lune des Pirates – Amiens, France

Feb 25 @ La Fleche D’Or – Paris, France

Feb 26 @ Lendemains Qui Chantent – Tulle, France

Feb 27 @ La Cooperative de Mai – Clermont Ferrand, France

Mar 2 @ Le Chaland – Binic, France

Mar 3 @ L’Olympic – Nantes, France w/ RADIO MOSCOW & SSM

Mar 4 @ Le Sambre – Rennes, France

Mar 5 @ L’appel d’Air – St Brieuc, France

Mar 6 @ L’abordage – Evreux, France

Mar 9 @ Epplehous – Tubingen, Germany

Mar 12 @ DB’s – Utrecht, The Netherlands

Mar 13 @ Elektra – Sliedrecht, The Netherlands

Mar 16 @ Le Tipi - Liege, Belgium

Mar 19 @ Supermarket – Den Haag, The Netherlands

Mar 21 @ Cafe De Singel – Zwolle, The Netherlands

Apr 27 @ St Davids Hall – Blas Cardiff, Wales

Get the album here

Download the album from iTunes

MONDO DRAG Set To Release “New Rituals” on January 26, 2010

From deep in the cosmos of Iowa, this psychedelic outfit has created a strange brew of garage, psych, space, sludge and stoner rock. New Rituals, their debut for Alive, is an incursion into extended psychedelic blues guitar jams and haunting vocals over heavy, steady bass lines and thumping percussion.

Formed by Johnnie Cluney (drums/vocals), Nolan Girard (rhythm guitar/vocals), John Gamino (keyboards/saxophone), Dennis Hockaday (bass), and Jake Sheley (lead guitar) the band is flying head-first into the future, while channeling artists from the past; Pink Floyd, Pentagram, Blue Cheer, even Hendrix are part of their musical lexicon, while Sonic Youth hint to their current references.

“They rock. Most songs clock in at over 6 minutes, yet you don’t notice the time go by because they seem to take that long just to rev up. Each song stretches, cries, screams, and tears itself apart.” - Berkeley Place

Mondo Drag has shared the stage with bands such as Witchcraft, Dead Meadow, Pentagram, and Radio Moscow, to name just a few. They’ll be touring in Feb/March...

Tour Dates:

Feb 26 @ Vaudeville Mews w/ PENTAGRAM

Feb 6 @ White Lightning Warehouse - Iowa City, IA

Feb 9 @ Off Broadway - St Louis, MO

Feb 10 TAB - Carbondale, IL

Feb 11 @ Al’s Bar - Lexington, KY

Feb 12 @ Springwater - Nashville, TN

Feb 13 @ Wall Street - Murfreesboro, TN

Feb 14 @ Loudhouse Coffee - Greenbrier, TN

Feb 15 @ Blue Rock Tavern - Cincinnati, OH

Feb 16 TAB - Indianapolis, IN

Feb 17 @ The Mopery - Chicago, IL

Feb 18 TBA - DeKalb, IL

Feb 20 @ RME Hall - CD RELEASE SHOW

FREE MP3 of “Love Me (Like A Stranger)”

ALIVE RECORDS to release The PLIMSOULS "LIVE! BEG, BORROW & STEAL album FEB. 23RD!"

FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD OF THEIR LIVE SONG "ZERO HOUR"

Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal showcases THE PLIMSOULS at the height of their power, tearing the roof off and on the verge of starting a riot on L.A.'s old Sunset Strip. Recorded at the Whisky A Go Go on October 31, 1981, this previously unreleased 18 song live album includes many of The Plimsouls' classics as well as plenty of surprises. It has been stunningly remastered, features previously unpublished and gorgeous photos by renowned photographer Bob Matheu, and also includes three pummelling tracks ("New Orleans," "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" and "Run Run Run") with special guests The Fleshtones.

The album will be in-stores (in both vinyl and CD) and digitally online through Alive Records on February 23rd. The first vinyl pressing of the record will also include a poster and is limited to 1,000 copies. Considering that all of The Plimsouls official studio releases are currently out of print, this explosive live document of the band igniting The Whisky nearly three decades ago stands as not only a highly anticipated release from the band, but also as a testament to the power of pure, unadulterated rock & roll.

Formed in 1978 by Peter Case (vocals, guitar) following his departure from The Nerves and The Breakaways, with Louie Ramirez (drums), Dave Pahoa (bass) and Eddie Muñoz (guitar), The Plimsouls effectively blended roots, British Invasion and garage rock into one unique soul-punk, garage-pop combo. "They boasted a soulful front man and gifted songwriter in Peter Case; a brittle, unconventional lead guitarist in Eddie Muñoz; and a gutsy, power-packed rhythm section in bassist Dave Pahoa and drummer Lou Ramirez. The ‘Souls didn’t just replicate the cliches of power pop, as so many others did – they, and especially Case, were intent on putting their own imprint on the rock and R&B styles they derived their sound from. Their keen originality and their ‘let’s-rock’ attitude removed them from the run of the mill. Despite the misguided notions of observers intent upon categorization, The Plimsouls were always their own men." — Chris Morris

More info on THE PLIMSOULS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=1178
http://www.myspace.com/plimsouls

For more info on ALIVE RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com

Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
p: 262.903.7775
http://www.pavementpr.com

T-MODEL FORD The Ladies Man out today

T-MODEL FORD "The Ladies Man" out today
on CD, LP (orange vinyl ltd. to 500 copies) and digital

"The Ladies Man" is T-Model Ford's seventh album, and what makes it unique is that it's entirely acoustic. Recorded at Planet Sound Studios in Wichita, Kansas, the album is the product of a live, one-take afternoon session with no overdubs and minimal mixing. T wanted to play acoustic guitar and have 100% control over the record and everyone involved in the project agreed he should do it the way he wanted. The result is pure T Model, with some newer young musician-friends playing along with him. "I'm a ladies man. The ladies follow me everywhere." - T-Model Ford

"The Ladies Man" has the relaxed feel of an informal jam session, a vibe that works to Ford’s advantage in emphasizing good times and a friendly atmosphere over tortured souls and visiting hellhounds. – Sleazegrinder

His picking is solid, but what’s especially impressive is his voice. There’s a weathered edge to his tone, but his pitch is surprisingly sharp. Not sharp for an 88-year-old (or so) man; just sharp. – Hyperbolium

"I can’t read, can’t write, can’t even spell what I love man," he says on the spoken word segment, "I’m Coming to Kick Your Asses." The self-taught guitarist first took up the instrument at 58 and, now at 84, bangs away at it somewhat respectably aided by frequent belts of Jack Daniels. "In a week’s time I was playing this sonuva gun," he brags. "I had them guy’s wives leavin’ home." His playing is somewhat pedestrian, thumping along on "44 Blues" as a ragged tribute to Wolf. But what he lacks in technique he makes up with swagger. – Creative Loafing

ALIVE RECORDS 2009 RECAP

ALIVE RECORDS 2009 RECAP
For those who missed some of this year’s releases on Alive, here they are, along with a few brief reviews. Thanks for the support and Happy Holidays!

COMING in 2010 : T-MODEL FORD "The Ladies Man," MONDO DRAG "New Rituals," The PLIMSOULS "Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal,"HACIENDA "Big Red and Barbacoa," and more!

1. OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY "Universal Malcontents"
"This glammed out, rocking piece of plastic is the best yet by the venerable Detroit rockers fronted by local freak Matthew Smith. They re-package the British glam and the us power-pop in an unexpectedly fun release that will make your feet stomp and your body move." – The Little Lighthouse.

2. HENRY’S FUNERAL SHOE "Everything’s For Sale"
"The raw power of a punk blues duo, driven by passion has been captured in its entirety. Everything’s For Sale certainly carries the heavy punch that you would expect from any Alive release and of course Henry’s Funeral Shoe wear their influences on their sleeve. This is a band that proves the nu-blues movement in the U.K is very much awake and raising the bar." – Blues In London.



3. RADIO MOSCOW "Brain Cycles"
"With a powerful, crunching Sabbath-style chords and fiery solos that earn the right to be called Hendrixian, Iowa power trio Radio Moscow plants its flag firmly in the territory where psychedelic rock, cranked-up blues, and metal meet. Radio Moscow updates an old-school style with pure passion and a refreshing lack of irony." – The Onion.

4. TRAINWRECK RIDERS "The Perch"
"Upon listening to the lush and lucid ‘Chug Along’, the crux of Trainwreck Riders’ The Perch – a seemingly endless story of American expedience – one is instantly comforted by their close association with San Fran bedfellows Two Gallants. A sonic union that finds them sharing similar free-roaming ideals, and an approach that sees TR’s singer Pete Frauenfelder’s as less of a wayward son and more an aged teller of troubadour tales." – Shindig!

5. BRIAN OLIVE "s/t"
"The heart of industrial America – The Motor City, The Rubber City, The Blue Chip City, The Glass City – have all been a breeding ground for the outlaws of new millennium blues. An unofficial brotherhood of musicians played the same dingy clubs, stirred up a similar media buzz, and over the past decade, each has slowly gained national appeal. Detroit’s White Stripes hit the airwaves first, followed by Akron, Ohio’s The Black Keys, and finally, members of the Cincinnati-based Greenhornes joined Jack White for The Raconteurs in 2007.
Then there’s the elusive Brian Olive. Under the stage name Oliver Henry, he served time for panhandling on street corners, he once wooed Meg White, and most importantly, he was the under-rated multi-instrumentalist for two seminal bands, The Greenhornes and Toledo’s Soledad Brothers. Oddly enough, he was right in the thick of the blues-rock resurgence when he went rogue, changed his name, and started a solo career.
That newfound focus has led him to a hippie-like horizon, awakening listeners with a psychedelic sunrise full of fuzzy happy sunbeams. Olive’s new sound doesn’t come as a surprise – his background in piano and saxophone finds him better suited for soul shakedowns than the sad sack of blues he left behind. His debut solo album is an abrupt departure from that former self. The self-titled record is more gypsy pop than garage rock, more of a 60’s love-in than a nod to Howlin’ Wolf." – The Waster.



6. NATHANIEL MAYER "Why Won’t You Let Me Be Black?"
"This is a sadly posthumous follow up to Mayer’s excellent ‘Why Don’t You Give It To Me’. It collects more tracks from the same sessions, juxtaposing Mayer’s gruff warbling baritone with a psychedelic soul-rock backing. It’s in fact a bit more consistent in sound than the predecessor, there are no detours into funk or reggae. The album is nothing but dark bluesy echoey distorted laments on love, money (mostly lack of it), and drugs. And that’s pretty much all I want from it, because it does those things so damn well." – Steady Bloggin’.

7. NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR HALLUCINATIONS "V.A."
VINYL ONLY. Limited edition LP 12 song compilation on PURPLE VINYL featuring rare and/or unreleased tracks plus cool psych/punk artwork. Track listing : The BLACK KEYS Can’t Find My Mind/BRIAN OLIVE Jubilee Line/THOMAS FUNCTION Relentless Machines/HACIENDA She’s Got A Hold On Me/OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY Anymore/BRIMSTONE HOWL Atomic Love/BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES Leave It On the Road (Again)/ RADIO MOSCOW I Just Want To Make Love To You/BUFFALO KILLERS Don’t You Ever Think I Cry/TRAINWRECK RIDERS Tomorrow’s Gonna Change It All/LEFT LANE CRUISER Ol’ Fashioned/HENRY’S FUNERAL SHOE Don’t Lose The Rhythm.

8. LEFT LANE CRUISER "All You Can Eat!!"
"From the greasy slide-guitar-and-drum-pummeling intro to opener ‘Crackalacka’, you either jump in and let Left Lane Cruiser take you on a hell-raising hayride or plain get out of the way because Freddy J. Evans IV (guitar/vocals) and Brenn ‘Sausage Paw’ Beck (drummer/’trash’/vocals), a powerhouse duo out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, are roots-music revolutionaries who take no prisoners on their second outing for Alive Records. Following 2008’s Bring Yo’ Ass to the Table, All You Can Eat assimilates the Mississippi Delta blues laid down by guys like Big Joe Williams and Son House and cultivates it into a country punk’n'blues speedball. It doesn’t get a lot better than this. – PopMatters.

9. The NERVES "Live at Pirate’s Cove, Cleveland OH 1977"
VINYL ONLY. "Following-up ‘One Way Ticket’, the 30-years-awaited retrospective by under-recorded L.A. power-pop legends The Nerves, Alive unearths a Cleveland gig from an era when unsigned, un-promoted bands rarely hit the road. If the trio seem singularly energetic on this 12" vinyl, it’s because they were staying with Pere Ubu’s hospitable David Thomas, and playing two shows at Pirate’s in the flats, one with Ubu, the other with the barely-known Devo. Not bad! It’s highlighted by closing classic ‘Hanging On the Telephone’, and notably, an original Nerves version of their killer ‘Walking Out On Love’ with leader/guitarist Jack Lee." – The Big Takeover.

10. BRIMSTONE HOWL "Big Deal. What’s he Done Lately?"
"Having already earned their garage-band stripes over the course of four albums and incessant touring, Brimstone Howl has returned no worse for the wear with album number five. Like past records, ‘Big Deal. What’s He Done Lately?’ is a vitriolic mix that goes down like a dollop of axle grease and razorblades. As such, give Brimstone Howl another medal for Big Deal. They’ve earned it." – The Agit Reader.



11. The BREAKAWAYS "Walking Out On Love/The Lost Sessions"
"As Collins notes in the liners, ‘this is the sound of pop on the streets of Los Angeles circa 1978, no money, no deals, just the burning desire to make something happen in a town without pity.’ Case (Nerves/Plimsouls) and Collins (Nerves/Paul Collins’ Beat) approached these sessions with the unbridled passion and total dedication of musicians without masters – no label, no audience, no radio stations, no managers or agents, just the muse of pop music. The recordings may be fuzzy in spots, but the invention is clear as a chiming bell." – Hyperbolium.

12. BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES "Alive As Fuck/Live Masonic Lodge, Covington KY"
"This album finds the Black Diamond Heavies with their eye on the prize and the pedal to the metal, giving the crowd amped up and energetic versions of songs from both previous studio albums including ‘White B*tch’, ‘Take a Rid”, and ‘Fever in My Blood.’ The band sounds tighter than ever, John Wesley Myers’ voice is as mean as a pole cat, and the groove seems to be growing into its own beast as Myers and drummer Van Campbell continue to spread the word of what might possibly be the best live band in the world. Alive As Fuck is the perfect stocking stuffer for those who love blues, punk, and just plain old rock and roll in its rawest form." – Disc Exchange.