Patti Smith News

Sparta, the El Paso band featuring Jim Ward, has today announced their first full length studio album since 2006's Threes. Trust The River will be released on April 10 via Dine Alone Records - their first for the label. Along with this news, Sparta has also announced spring tour dates and released a video for lead single “Believe.” Of the single Ward notes, “'Believe' is a song that's been on my desk for 10 years, I've recorded numerous versions but couldn't quite get it where I thought it was ready until now. Once we had the basic track I sent it to my friend Carlos Arevalo from Chicano Batman for some guitar touches and was over the moon with his contribution. I couldn't think of a better song from Trust The River to kick this new chapter off.” Watch the video below.

Preeminent gospel artist Yolanda Adams, The New York Times' critic-at-large Wesley Morris, and singer Valerie June are confirmed as part of the LA Phil's Power to the People! festival. Adams will perform with the LA Phil, led by Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, as well as West Angeles Church of God in Christ Choir, at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Sunday, March 8, at 2pm. Morris, one of the most compelling cultural critics of our time, will speak at the California African American Museum, Tuesday, March 10, at 7pm. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist June will perform along with Terence Blanchard and Ben Harper in an evening dedicated to the exploration of Spike Lee's movie music at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Saturday, March 14, at 8pm.

Today, Possessed By Paul James released a new song, 'When It Breaks.' Premiering the track Tuesday, The Bluegrass Situation spoke with Konrad Wert about life on the road, family, and his work as an artist and education activist, and teacher, who reflected on the themes of the song: 'When the world comes crashing down around us what will we do? I ask this question when thinking of my children. How will I react when tragedy strikes?'

Intriguing singer-songwriter Luis Mojica has released a live video for 'Shaman Food', a track from his second studio album 'How A Stranger Is Made', Filmed by Joel Patterson at Utopia Soundstage, Luis Mojica is joined by Evan Glen Adams on drums. Patterson also edited this videoe with sound recorded by Jeff Harrigfeld.

Here is a list of this week's guests on 'The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.'

Here is the schedule of upcoming episode of 'The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon!'

Audible Inc., the world's largest producer and seller of spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks, today announced that Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe-winning artist, actor, activist and two-time New York Times best-selling author Common, and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright will create deeply personal musical narratives to be released as Audible Original productions in 2020 for millions of listeners. The two audio-only musical narratives will be created and produced in distinct ways – Common's Bluebird Memories: A Journey Through Lyrics & Life is set to record over the course of three nights of live performances at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York, and Wainwright's Road Trip Elegies: Montreal to New York will blend field recordings from the road that reflect on his relationship with his family with musical performance from intimate shows at the legendary McCabe's Guitar Store in Los Angeles. These projects follow critically acclaimed musical storytelling original productions from Patti Smith and Tom Morello. 

Orlando was a deeply engaging, intriguing and thought-provoking exploration whose pondering, messages, striking soundscapes and visuals reverberated and lingered long after the curtain had closed. It is a highly ambitious undertaking but Neuwirth and her colleagues were up for the challenge. What is most exciting is what has now been established for a venue such as The Wiener Straatsoper as we move into a new decade of uncertain times when it is vital that radical expressions of art and activism combined are given such a grand stage with which to proclaim their truths.

a?oePower to the People!a?? has a place in the history of protest as a slogan written on placards and chanted in the streets, but its sentiments of solidarity and humanitarian spirit have been immortalized in music. Between March 5 and April 11, 2020, the LA Phil's Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel and Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock will bring together musicians, artists and activists representing a variety of musical traditions and social movements for Power to the People!, a festival about finding your voice and using it.

Manifest Pussy is a deeply personal and profound her-story, the story of how Shakina went from a nice Jewish boy growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, dreaming of dressing up in the gossamer gowns that were forbidden to him, to the relentlessly exuberant, terrifically talented, hilarious and kind buxom star of stage and screen.

Audible Inc., the world's largest producer and provider of spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks, today announced that legendary GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter James Taylor will create Break Shot, a deeply personal and authentic audio-only memoir, for Audible. This one-of-a-kind music and storytelling experience is the first-ever Audible Original performance by James Taylor. Break Shot will be released on Audible in early 2020.

The Remains of Logan Dankworth is the third and final instalment of Luke Wright's trilogy of political verse. It looks at trust and privilege in the age of Brexit.

DIRECT CURRENT, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts's two-week celebration of contemporary culture, returns for a third season. With special emphasis on female creators, on works new to the District of Columbia, and on interdisciplinary creations, the 2020 spring immersion showcases some of the most provocative, original and pioneering voices in the arts today.

World renowned bass player Kasim Sulton will once again be celebrating his longtime association with the ground breaking progressive rock band Utopia and their legacy by performing a limited number of shows consisting entirely of Utopia music with a full band. The set list will be comprised of songs hand-picked by Sulton, spanning the 10 albums he appears on, including deep cuts as well as many more familiar songs.

Out Friday, Singles Too collects Screaming Females' complete non-album recordings, gathering together early 7” singles, digital-only b-sides, and one pretty great remix. The download and CD will also feature six cover songs, including the New Jersey trio's takes on music by Neil Young, Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow, and Patti Smith.

Earn Rockstar Status at Guild Hall of East Hampton!  Bid to win two premium seat tickets to every single performance in the historic John Drew Theater at Guild Hall for the entire 2020 Summer Season!

With a successful Berkeley world premiere under its belt, the new musical Kiss My Aztec! headed to the southern end of California for a late summer run at the famed La Jolla Playhouse.

Last night, Florence + the Machine played the second of two sold-out shows in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the nearly 2000-year-old theater in the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. The show was the culmination of 18 months of touring behind her latest album, High As Hope. 

Choir! Choir! Choir! exists to celebrate music and push the boundaries between practice and performance, artist and audience, offering therapeutic benefits with the ultimate side effect: a powerful community. Led by Canadian artists Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman, C!C!C! forms impromptu choirs of strangers to learn songs and perform a concert together.