INDIE ROCK/FOLK WINTERPILLS Q&A WITH JONATHAN LETHEM IN VULTURE AS NPR PERFORMANCE/CHAT TO AIR MAY 3

BAND ANNOUNCES VINYL REISSUE OF SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM WITH BONUS TRACK ON DATE

NORTHEAST TOUR DATES CONTINUE AS WINTERPILLS ADDED TO GREEN RIVER FEST JULY 10

New York Times-bestselling novelist Jonathan Lethem and Winterpills songwriter and lead singer Philip Price engage in a fascinating Q&A in Vulture that touches on films and paintings; the dynamic between the husband-wife duo that leads the band; the influence of Elliott Smith; and the larger sonic scale of new album ‘Love Songs’ (Signature Sounds): http://www.vulture.com/2016/04/jonathan-lethem-interviews-winterpills-frontman.html

NPR World Café has set a date for the indie rock/folk band’s performance chat on May 3. A Relix Magazine “On the Verge” profile is planned.

Meanwhile, northeast tour dates continue including in May in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. as the band was added to Green River Festival on July 10, the same date at the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, and Margo Price.

Signature Sounds has also set a release date to reissue its self-titled debut with lyrics and liner notes on a full-color inner sleeve, clear blue vinyl, and a never-before-heard song included in the download on June 24.

"8 stars… essential... beautifully crafted."
- Eric Danton, Paste Magazine, March 22, 2016

“The album may be the New Englanders’ best work to date, which is saying quite a lot… words and music resonate.”
- Jon Chattman, Huffington Post, April 13, 2016

“The latest and perhaps finest iteration of its gorgeous, slow-burning chamber folk [is] ‘Love Songs, a wide-ranging exploration of the phenomenon as manifested in romantic and other guises.”
- Stuart Munro, Boston Globe, March 9, 2016

“Enamouring.”
- Lee Zimmerman, Blurt, April 26, 2016

“Powerful… Winterpills choruses and arranged instrumentation together provides some of the most moving movements heard since Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue.”
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose, February 26, 2016

Winterpills Tour Dates

April 30 - The Stone Church - Newmarket, NH (w/ Arc Iris)
Tickets
May 6 - IOTA Club & Café - Arlington, VA (w/ Luray)
May 7 - World Cafe Live Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA (w/ Arc Iris)
July 10 - Green River Festival - Greenfield, MA (w/ Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos,
Amy Helm)

PETUNIA & THE VIPERS LAUNCH WEST COAST TOUR ON MAY 20 RELEASE DATE OF WILD NEW ALBUM ‘DEAD BIRD ON THE HIGHWAY’

FOUR LA SHOWS CONFIRMED

Petunia & The Vipers will launch a west coast US tour around their new album ‘Dead Bird on the Highway’ (May 20 / Samo Media). What can one say about Petunia & The Vipers? Imagine Hank Williams on acid… Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie's Hobo junction… Avant-Country night club scene music out of a David Lynch movie… hillbilly-flavored-swing inflected-ragtime-goodtime-

thunderously rolling-one-of-a-kind-you-don’t-want-to-miss-this-sort-of-a-show… Phil Alvin says, "One of the best bands in the world today, of any kind…" A new music that springboards off of music of the past and jumps into the present day, left with only echoes of the past.

If one wished to talk about the birth of the blues, one would need to dig into the influences that preceded its birth. The same is true about Petunia & the Vipers. If they followed a recipe and added musical styles as ingredients, it would start by simply adding country and blues. Bring to boil while stirring in a dose of ragtime, some Dixieland jazz, a hint of bebop, some western swing and old time cowboy music, a bit of jug band & string band music. Flavor with a significant dose of Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams, and a bit of Blind Willie McTell and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Bake on high with the dotted rhythms of Cuban, Mexican, Peruvian, Romanian and African folk music. Ice the whole thing with some punk rock hot sauce and you’ve got a delectable musical concoction…part old-time, part new times, part no time at all, part all-of-the-time…

Petunia himself is more than an entertainer, he's a modern musical enigma. He’s an adventure seeker, a poker player, and a mysterious stranger.  He’s been referred to as “The Savior of Country Music,” and a man who exists in a different era, bringing the past forth as something new to be celebrated and not forgotten.

Petunia grew up in rural Quebec, in exactly the sort of surroundings that a country musician would find idyllic, with old dilapidated barns, secret forts, and acres of unspoiled land.  As an adult, the wandering spirit took a firm hold on his life, so he set out on the road, playing every major street corner across Canada and throughout the NYC subway system, before graduating to full fledged touring musician. When he’s not on the road playing shows, Petunia is also involved in the theatre world; building side projects, writing scores, acting, or collaborating with theatre artists. He currently resides in Vancouver BC.

Petunia & The Vipers Tour Dates

May 20 - Shanty Tavern - Seattle, WA
May 22 - Old St. Nick's - Eugene, OR
May 23 - Arcata Playhouse - Arcata, CA
May 25 - Don The Beachcomber - Los Angeles, CA
May 26 - El Cid - Los Angeles, CA
May 27 - Alex's - Los Angeles, CA
May 28 - Don The Beachcomber - Los Angeles, CA (w/ Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys)
May 31 - Riverwood Inn - Phillipsville, CA
June 1 - Johnny B's - Medford, OR
June 2 - Axe and Fiddle - Cottage Grove, OR
June 3 - Skyway Bar & Grill - Zigzag, OR
June 4 - Bubba's - Sultan, WA
June 24 - Boundary Bay - Bellingham, WA
July 1 - Conor Muse - Conway, WA
July 2 – Voiceworks - Port Townsend, WA

GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL AUDIENCES SOAR WITH HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES OVER THE PIONEER VALLEY

 

 

 

30^TH ANNIVERSARY OF FEST OFFERS SHOVELS & ROPE, PETER WOLF, TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND,

DAWES, SHAKEY GRAVES, LOS LOBOS, AND MORE

 

Besides a phenomenal musical lineup, Green River Festival is the only major music festival that offers hot air balloon rides. For the 30^th anniversary edition of the festival July 8-10, balloon launches will happen in the evening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and in the morning on Saturday and Sunday. Rides last about an hour. For those who want to dip their toes in the water before jumping in, there will also be tethered balloon rides available, weather permitting. They are about a 5 minute ride and can be purchased that day on the field. And don’t worry about Indiana Jones syndrome; according to balloon meister Paul Sena, “The landings are soft and pleasant.”

 

The 30^th anniversary edition of the Green River Fest features Dawes, Shovels & Rope, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The North Mississippi All Stars, Peter Wolf, Winterpills, Los Lobos, Shakey Graves, And The Kids, The Felice Brothers, Amy Helm, Madisen Ward and Mama Bear, Margo Price, and many more on three stages plus camping.

 

 

 

Originally two separate events, the music festival and hot air balloon festival merged in the late 1980s to become the fest that NY Times, USA Today, and Rolling Stone have praised.

 

The full balloon rides are sold at $225/person in advance, and includes a 1 day pass to the festival. They can also be purchased at the festival for $250. Tethered rides are $10 for kids and $15 for adults.

 

Petunia & The Vipers bio

An Insider’s Point of View….

Louis Armstrong was once asked what his favorite kind of music was, and his response was simple; "Good music". Petunia & the Vipers' sound may not sit comfortably in one certain genre, but "Good Music" describes it well.  Hank Williams on acid… Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie's Hobo junction… Avant-Country night club scene music… One of the best bands in the world today, of any kind… hillbilly-flavoured-swing inflected-ragtime-goodtime-thunderously rolling-one-of-a-kind-you-don’t-want-to-miss-this-sort-of-a-show… A new music that springboards off of music of the past and jumps into the present day, left with only echoes of the past… Something in between 1920's and steam punk. It's good for your mind… These are just a few of the words uttered by folks around the globe trying to pin down a description of all that is Petunia & The Vipers.

If one wished to talk about the birth of the blues, one would need to dig into the influences that preceded it’s birth.  The same is true about Petunia & the Vipers. If they followed a recipe and added musical styles as ingredients, it would start by simply adding country and blues, and we'd have your basic dry ingredients right there, but lacking the true essence of their sound.  Mix in a dose of ragtime, some Dixieland jazz, a hint of bebop, some western swing and old time cowboy music, a bit of jug band & string band music. Flavor with a significant dose of Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams, and a bit of Blind Willie McTell, Blind Lemon Jefferson and a few more "Blind" spices.  Now you’ve got the batter for a cake.  Bake on high with the dotted rhythms of Cuban, Mexican, Peruvian, Romanian and African folk music.  Ice the whole cake with some punk rock, alternative and Bowie (who also spins off a host of influences of the UK music past), and you’ve got a delectable musical concoction…part old-tyme, part new times, part no time at all, part all-of-the-time…

Sun Ra said, "the key to freedom is discipline". You cannot break the rules if you do not understand the rules.  Petunia and the Vipers' sound is a familiar and yet wholly new music for that reason: they intimately understand the rules of classic Americana music(s) and where the edges of that painting lie…and they refuse to paint inside of the lines at any time. This is a new and modern band playing unadulterated, unclassified, unleashed sounds that rhyme with older sounds of the past, and are furiously driving the future wave of a new idiom.

PETUNIA, The man:

Petunia is more than just an entertainer, he's a modern musical enigma.  Imagine that David Lynch and Nick Cave had a hillbilly baby, that yodeled… or Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie's hobo junction.  This is just one way of describing the man known simply as Petunia.  He’s an adventure seeker, a poker player, and a mysterious stranger.  He’s been referred to as “The Savior of Country Music”, and a man who exists in a different era, bringing the past forth as something new to be celebrated and not forgotten. 

Petunia grew up in rural Quebec, in exactly the sort of surroundings that a country musician would find idyllic, with old dilapidated barns, secret forts, and acres of unspoiled land.  As an adult, the wandering spirit took a firm hold on his life, so he set out on the road, playing every major street corner across Canada and throughout the NYC subway system, before graduating to full fledged touring musician.  When he’s not on the road playing shows, Petunia is also involved in the theatre world; building side projects, writing scores, acting, or collaborating with theatre artists.  He currently resides in Vancouver BC, and works with several sets of sidemen across Canada, the US and Europe in addition to his own Vancouver based band, The Vipers. A restless wanderer, a musical historian, and a quirky yet amazing talent, Petunia is simply a Canadian treasure joining the greats from north of the 49th.

PETUNIA & THE VIPERS, The band:

Petunia & The Vipers formed in 2007, starting out as a sometimes-band, playing locally on the west coast.  Things really got going for the group in 2009 when they began touring the US west coast, and recorded the bed tracks for their first album at the Sound Factory in Hollywood.  Little by little, the album was added to and perfected, and in 2012 they released the self-titled album “Petunia & The Vipers” officially, to rave reviews and frenzied fans.  Since it’s release the band has gone on to tour across parts of Canada, playing summer festivals and sold out shows, as well as several tours throughout the UK, and a regular circuit from Vancouver to Los Angeles, playing cities and towns down the west coast.  In 2014, Petunia released a new album titled “Inside of You”, which features three backing bands, including the Vipers, a Roma-Swing ensemble, and an alt-country group of prominent Vancouver musicians.  The album’s release was commemorated with a Petunia & The Vipers release show in Vancouver, a tour across western Canada and the US west coast, and a summer of playing shows at festivals across the country.

Petunia & The Vipers play several tours a year while Petunia is not touring on solo or duo missions.  The full band is a typically a five piece, however a violinist is added when required, or when other accompanists are unable to play.  The Vipers play in various other projects and are well known through their efforts.  Guitarist Stephen Nikleva and Lap Steel player Jimmy Roy are former Ricochets, of Ray Condo and the Ricochets, while Patrick Metzger plays bass with several projects, including a bluegrass band led by some-time violinist Kathleen Nisbet. 

THE BEST BAND AT THE BAR AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, PETUNIA & THE VIPERS, PREP MOST ECLECTIC ALBUM TO DATE ‘DEAD BIRD ON THE HIGHWAY’

WEST COAST TOUR CONFIRMED

“Absolutely one-of-a-kind… a powerhouse of emotion, grit and wit… the savior of country music?” – The Bluegrass Situation

"Petunia and the mother****ing Vipers. One of the best bands in the world today, of any kind" – Phil Alvin

“Amazing… incredibly entertaining” - Bob Harris, BBC

You walk into a western saloon. Doors creak, the bartender glares at you, and windows are covered in dust kicked up by the wind. But the band in the corner is utterly spectacular, the best you’ve heard. In that David Lynch meets Quentin Tarantino setting, there’s only one band that could possibly live up and it is led by a western Canadian man named Petunia. Petunia & The Vipers are a crack band that take rockabilly, western swing, surf, honky tonk, gypsy jazz, and film noir music, and wrap it up with a beat-poetry and punk-attitude twist. Their new album ‘Dead Bird on the Highway’ is their most eclectic to date.

Petunia’s originals shine through. Among the highlights is surreal personification “Death Himself,” reminiscent of fellow Canadians Timber Timbre; and “Chained,” which draws from gypsy jazz  “Gonna Put On My Suit” kicks off like an obscure Sun Records side before diving deep into Bob Wills-inspired territory. “Lou Lou” breaks out the echo box and demands to be blasted from a giant chrome-covered car with the top down.

Petunia also proves himself an expert crate-digger. “I’m Shakin’,” most recently reinterpreted by Jack White, swings and sways with horns. Otis Blackwell’s “Oh What a Wonderful Time” gets a sultry rendition. (Blackwell is the author of “All Shook Up,” “Fever,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and “Return to Sender.”) Petunia also shines a light on local Vancouver legend the Minimalist Jugband with the weirdo-poetry of “Bloom Bloom Bloom.” Petunia sings in Swahili on the surfy “Asaw Fofor.”

‘Dead Bird on the Highway’ CD/digital track list

1.      Blue Yodel Blues
2.      Asaw Fotor
3.      Oh What a Wonderful World
4.      Death Himself
5.      My Heart Cries Out For You
6.      Bloom Bloom Bloom
7.      Lou Lou
8.      Chained
9.      My Love Is (A Deep Blue Sea)
10.     Gonna Put On My Suit
11.     Way Down Here
12.     Put Yourself On the Market
13.     Try To Enjoy Yourself
14.     I’m Shakin’

Petunia & The Vipers Tour Dates

April 14 - Mississipi Studios - Portland, OR (w/ Lindi Ortega)
April 15 - Sam Bonds - Eugene, OR
April 16 - Majestic  - Bellingham, WA
April 22 - Red Lion Pub - Powell River, Canada
May 20 - Shanty Tavern - Seattle, WA
May 22 - Old St. Nick's - Eugene, OR
May 23 - Arcata Playhouse - Arcata, CA
May 25 - Don The Beachcomber - Los Angeles, CA
May 26 - El Cid - Los Angeles, CA
May 27 - Alex's - Los Angeles, CA
May 28 - Don The Beachcomber - Los Angeles, CA (w/ Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys)
May 31 - Riverwood Inn - Phillipsville, CA
June 1 - Johnny B's - Medford, OR
June 2 - Axe and Fiddle - Cottage Grove, OR
June 3 - Skyway Bar & Grill - Zigzag, OR
June 4 - Bubba's - Sultan, WA
June 24 - Boundary Bay - Bellingham, WA
July 1 - Conor Muse - Conway, WA
July 2 – Voiceworks - Port Townsend, WA
Aug 11-13 - Bellingham, WA - Subdued Stringband Jamboree

Petunia & The Vipers photos

Above credit: Francis Wiley

Above and below credit: Francis Wiley

Winterpills "Celia Johnson" video

Fellow Creatures "Wouldn't You Like To Know" music video

EARLY UK PRAISE BUOYS LELAND SUNDRIES’ DEBUT ALBUM ‘MUSIC FOR OUTCASTS’ (JUNE 3 / L’ECHIQUIER/WEINER RECORDS)

BROOKLYN BAND ADDED TO GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL JULY 10

Leland Sundries’ debut full-length album ‘music for outcasts,’ out June 3 on L’Echiquier Records/Weiner Records, has earned raves in the UK, where it is already out. The Brooklyn band has also been added to the Green River Festival playing July 10, the same day as Tedeschi Trucks Band, North Mississippi All Stars, and Margo Price. Here’s what the UK press has said:

“Heaps of wit and melody… Beautiful rambling storytelling that flirts with pop and sounds a little like Silver Jews.”
- Peter Watts, UNCUT, April, 2016

“Scrappy yet ingenuous rock poetry.”
- MOJO, March, 2016

“Life affirming… Leland Sundries’ debut album and first European release shows a ton of promise and is a very enjoyable listen.  It will certainly appeal to fans of bands like Velvet Underground and Jonathan Richman as well as fans of bands like Whiskeytown and Starsailor.”
- Alan Ewart, Louder Than War, February 16, 2016

“All eleven tracks show glimpses of a future master musical storyteller just starting out. It’ll be exciting to see where Loss-Eaton – and Leland Sundries – go next.”
- Paul Heatley, Rock N Reel, April, 2016

“Leland Sundries match crackling garage rock with a near bubblegum love of melody. The band's sound sits somewhere between Pavement and The Archies, with a dose of Jonathan Richman's off kilter wit thrown in for good measure.”
- Robin Murray, Clash Music, January 19, 2016

“Cool… Notes of Lou Reed and the Modern Lovers.”
- Metro London, December 12, 2015

“Oddball storytelling.”
- The Beat Juice, November, 23, 2015

“Excellent.”
- Mad Mackeral, November 25, 2015

LELAND SUNDRIES TOUR DATES

Wed, May 18 - Brooklyn, NY - Gateway
Fri, June 17 - Norfolk, VA - 80/20 Burger Bar
Sat, June 18 - Charlottesville, VA - Ante Room
Wed, June 29 - Nashville, TN - The Family Wash
Thu, July 7 - Providence, RI - Dusk
Sun, July 10 - Greenfield, MA - Green River Fest

Petunia & The Vipers "Mercy" video

“EXPERTLY CRAFTED INDIEPOP” (BROOKLYN VEGAN) OF PINEY GIR WRAPS UP TOUR WITH GAZ COOMBES, UNVEILS NEW ANIMATED VIDEO

Piney Gir – the London-based, Kansas-raised indie pop artist who was not allowed to listen to pop music until the age of 14 – is earning raves for ‘Mr. Hyde’s Wild Ride’ (Greyday) as she supported the national tour by Gaz Coombes (Supergrass) in the past few weeks. Paste Magazine premiered the “Mouse of a Ghost,” featuring a drunk, animated penguin president planning to bomb Disney World.

Here's the brand new "Tilt a Whirl" video.

Here’s what we’ve hearing and reading:

“I love it.”
- Gaz Coombes

“Expertly crafted indiepop... She’s got a way with unusual but instantly catchy melodies, and the album’s full of clever production touches.”
- Bill Pearis, Brooklyn Vegan, March 22, 2016

“Enchanted pop world… Anthem-thematic exercise-orchestration where each song has this cleverly arranged thrill pop odyssey.”
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose Mag, January 9, 2016

“Nearly supernatural knack for gently askew pop songcraft.”
- Steve Smith, Boston Globe, March 23, 2016

“Delightful.”
- Pure Volume, April 5, 2016

“A melodic orgy of vibrant sounds… [Piney Gir] creates a fresh brand of whimsical indie-pop that’s drawn fair comparisons to Apples In Stereo and Jenny Lewis.”
- Michael Marotta, Vanyaland, March 25, 2016

“Beautiful melodies and catchy tunes.”
- Joey Willis, Glide Mag, December 26, 2015

“Her whimsical - but never cloying - tunes have bright, catchy melodies and her voice has a charming lilt… her songs have an underpinning of steel-strong craft.”
- Marianne Meyer, Examiner, March 31, 2016

30TH ANNIVERSARY OF GREEN RIVER FEST INSPIRES LOOK BACK AT ITS ORIGINS, MERGING LEGENDARY BANDS & HOT AIR BALLOONS IN IDYLLIC SETTING

With the 30th edition of the Green River Festival coming up July 8-10 in Greenfield, MA with Dawes, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Shovels & Rope, Shakey Graves, and many more, the concert’s producer and Signature Sounds Recordings head Jim Olsen was inspired to look back at the fest’s origins. The first festival took place in 1986 as a free one day event at Greenfield Community College to celebrate the 5th anniversary of local radio station WRSI (now known as The River). The free show was headlined by NRBQ, who are returning this year. The then-unknown band 10,000 Maniacs performed (featuring a very young Natalie Merchant).

The following weekend the Franklin County Chamber Of Commerce held the first Upcountry Hot Air Balloon Festival. The following year the two events merged and eventually became the Green River Festival, which is now known nationally for its merging of bands, hot air balloons, childrens’ activities, and more.

In its now-thirty year history, the fest has earned acclaim from USA Today, Rolling Stone, and NY Times and has hosted Dr. John, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Steve Earle, The Punch Brothers, tUnE-yArDs, Buddy Guy, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Avett Brothers, Norah Jones, and many more. Last year’s fest set a new attendance record with 14,000 tickets sold in 2015. The Green River Festival will take another leap forward in 2016 with the addition of camping at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.