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ATO Records is pleased to announce that Ben Kweller will perform a song off of his latest release, the country leaning Changing Horses, on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on June 19th. Kweller is also in LA to perform at the El Rey Theatre. He and his band are in the middle of a June tour that started in Denver, CO, and finishes in his new hometown of Austin, TX.

Changing Horses conjures imagery of lazy days and raucous nights. "His dusted-off roots more than shine through now," proclaims Alternative Press. Spin also praises the release, claiming, "Kweller's boyish charm and quirky songwriting keep it more promising than predictable."

Kweller says, "Country music was the soundtrack to my life. It's a big part of who I am." Fans that missed out on seeing Kweller on this multi-leg Changing Horses tour, still have a chance to see the him perform the great new songs as well as the classics in this new setting, complete with acoustic guitars, pedal steel and three-part harmonies.

Listen:

Ben Kweller - "On Her Own" (mp3)

Ben Kweller Tour Dates:

06/12/09 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
06/13/09 Salt Lake City, UT Avalon Theater
06/15/09 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
06/16/09 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
06/17/09 San Francisco, CA Slim's
06/19/09 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
06/20/09 San Diego, CA House of Blues
06/22/09 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
06/24/09 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit
06/25/09 Houston, TX House of Blues
06/26/09 Dallas, TX Granada Theatre
06/27/09 Austin, TX Emo's Alternative Lounging

Labels: ben kweller

M83 and the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform a co-headlining concert that pairs the orchestra and M83's chief star-gazer Anthony Gonzalez in a program that features individual performances, as well as M83's debut performance with an orchestra. This one-night-only concert, held on Saturday, March 7, at 9 p.m., also marks M83's debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Julian Kuerti, Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducts.

I wrote up a complete article at PoshMama on the latest from M83.

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Ben Kweller is proud to announce the premiere of his new music video for "Fight" on MySpace Music today, Thursday, January 29. As one of the highlight tracks from his soon-to-be released ATO Records album "Changing Horses," "Fight" is an upbeat representation of the album's musical craftsmanship, a body of work saturated in Country music influences and the kind of poignant songwriting one is to expect from the seasoned musician. The music video for "Fight" is a good-natured clip that illustrates exactly the lengths one will go for their buddies in a pinch. Check out the video below.



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Ray LaMontagne announced his first North American tour dates of 2009 today starting April 2 at the Wellmont in Montclair, NJ and ending April 30 in Miami at the Fillmore @ Jackie Gleason. The tour is LaMontagne's second in support of his latest album Gossip In The Grain which achieved the Maine singer-songwriter's highest chart number debuting at #3 on Billboard Charts its week of release. The album was a huge digital sensation being the top selling album on iTunes that first week.

For Ray LaMontagne tickets benefiting The National Children's Cancer Society, please visit www.Tickets-for-Charity.com or call 1-866-567-4576.

Labels: ben kweller, m83, music news, Ray LaMontagne

ATO Records is excited to announce the release of Ben Kweller's new record on February 3, 2009. The album is his fourth full-length and is called Changing Horses. It was produced by Kweller and recorded mostly in Austin, TX, where he and his family recently re-located. The title is meaningful as it represents a sea change for the 27-year-old Texan-bred musician. Beginning with his first record, Sha Sha, released in 2002, Kweller's albums have always been stylistically restless, moving from indie rock to ballads to anti-folk to melodic chug rock, often from song to song. Changing Horses, on the other hand, is of one mind -- a full-blown, straight up country affair, brimming with immaculate pedal steel, twang and multi-part harmonies. It features his touring band -- Chris Morrissey on bass and vocals, and Mark Stepro on drums and vocals -- as well as the brilliant Kitt Kitterman on pedal steel. Like all of Kweller's work, the new album is filled with unforgettable melodies and deeply soulful lyrics that could only come from someone as sensitive to the human spirit as he is.

To make the record, Kweller dug down to his deepest roots. "I grew up bass-fishing, playing in creeks, and shooting BB guns," Kweller says. "Country music was the soundtrack to my life. It's still a big part of who I am. When Garth Brooks or Alan Jackson come on the radio, somethin' happens inside. Brings me back to the trees, back to pushin' cars out of the mud. Reminds me of my hometown."

For Kweller, releasing a country album is the realization of a long-held goal. "I've been working on Horses for years." he says. "I wrote the first song for it when I was 16. Over time, I've collected these songs that fit together and wanted to release them together. I didn't want to try and fit them on my other albums one or two at a time."

On producing the record himself, Kweller says, "I've learned so much from all the great producers I've worked with, from Ethan Johns to Gil Norton, and I just felt it was time for me to go in there and make the album the way I knew I could," he says. "I wanted it to feel really pure and direct. I wanted each instrument to sound exactly like that instrument, with very little treatment or alteration, to give it that natural, warm beauty that I love."

Kweller and his band, who just finished a tour of America, the UK and Europe, have confirmed a North American tour for 2009 to support the release of Changing Horses. The confirmed tour dates are below. A west coast leg of the tour as well more international dates will be announced soon.

Labels: ben kweller