Randy Rogers Band Debuts at #3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart

Audio: Current Single – In My Arms Instead

Nashville, TN – October 1, 2008 – The Randy Rogers Band debuted today at #3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart with their self-titled album, selling over 17,000 units.  Named “one to keep your ears open for this Fall” in USA Today, the band has held up their end of the bargain with an impressive sales debut and a chart topping #1 spot on iTunes, surpassing sales of country superstars Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood as well as pop star/country newcomers Jessica Simpson and Darius Rucker.

“Thanks to our loyal fans that have supported us all of these years,” says Rogers. “They are the reason we debuted at #3 this week. We are excited for everyone who has played a role in our band’s ride. We look forward to sharing this record with new fans.”
The band has headlined shows in front of crowds of 10,000 fans and has opened for the likes of Willie Nelson and The Eagles in 2008.  Playing well over 200 dates a year has solidified their live sound and helped the band to become one of the most sought after touring acts in country music.
 
Hailed by critics, the band has often been compared to their heroes including a young Steve Earle and country icon George Strait.  With rave reviews for the album pouring in, you can look for the Randy Rogers Band in upcoming issues of American Songwriter, Country Weekly, on Paste.com as well as in the top major daily newspapers including Philadelphia Inquirer, Arizona Republic, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dallas Morning News and the Houston Chronicle.
 
The band’s new single “In My Arms Instead” was named “one of the songs you should download now,” in USA Today just three weeks ago.  The single is currently climbing the country radio charts.

US Americana Songwriter Tokyo Rosenthal Releases New CD

Americana Songwriter Tokyo Rosenthal Sets Sights On New CD and Tour

10/2/08 – Chapel Hill, NC – North Carolina-based Americana songwriter, performer and former boxer Tokyo Rosenthal, who in fact isn’t Japanese but as American as you can get, is gearing up for the release of his latest CD ‘Love Won Out’. Produced by Tokyo with additional production by indie music legend Chris Stamey, Rosenthal’s new CD, featuring the single “St. Patrick’s Day” and the title track “Love Won Out”, is scheduled for release on Sept. 30, 2008. Recorded at Stamey’s Modern Recording studio, along with Chris who plays bass and harmonium and Alex Little on bass, guest artists on ‘Love Won Out’ include Brent Lambert (slide guitar), Bobby Britt (violin) and Jeff Taylor (flute). Also featured on the CD is Al Perkins on pedal steel guitar, who is best known for his work with the Flying Burrito Bros and Steven Still’s Mannassas.

“Tokyo Rosenthal can draw you into his lyrics much the same way that James Taylor and Don Henley can – This is Americana with real teeth lyrics!”

Hardly an overnight success, “Toke” has spanned the music scene for three decades recording and touring the world over. He’s released an EP and last year’s critically acclaimed smash CD ‘One Score and Ten’, in which one music reviewer hailed as “one of the years’s best albums, no matter what the genre!” The pinnacle of Rosenthal’s recent acheivements came with the receiving of the keys to the city of Edmonton in Canada. This honor was bestowed upon Rosenthal in January 2007 by the city’s mayor for Toke’s song “Edmonton” as an award for cultural and artistic contributions to Alberta’s capital city. “I was playing this club in Stamford, CT that had adopted the Edmonton Oilers as their Stanley Cup team during the 2006 playoffs,” says Tokyo. “It seemed that everytime I would play ‘Edmonton’ the Oilers would score. Pretty soon they had me playing the song over and over during the playoffs and the song took on a whole different rhythm… Soon it was on the radio in Alberta and I was getting the key to the city from the mayor for writing it.”

Proceeding Tokyo’s prestigious award for “Edmonton” came a month long tour of Canada. The artist made many TV and radio appearances along with an opening slot for several nights in Toronto for Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Famer and former Byrd and Burrito Brother, Chris Hillman. Tokyo was personally picked by Hillman to share the bill. “As a kid, he was my idol,” gleams Toke, “Opening for him was like going to fantasy camp!” He also opened for the likes of America, Rick Roberts and Come On In My Kitchen in additon to headlining shows. His recent festival work includes The Edmonton Fringe Festival, The Carrboro Music Festival and Tyler’s Americana Festival. Likewise, Tokyo recently completed a successful tour of Great Britain including an appearance on the BBC.

“There’s fake country music and then there’s Tokyo Rosenthal!”

While content to let the critics compare his style to others, Tokyo doesn’t hesitate to point out his influences, including The Band, The Byrds, Gene Clark, Emmylou Harris, and believe it or not, Janis Joplin. Toke’s version of “Piece Of My Heart” always sets off a crowd reaction. Always on the move, Tokyo Rosenthal just arrrived back home after several successful gigs in Japan. With the release of “Love Won Out”, Toke’s preparing to tour the US in November along with making several live radio appearances. He will be performing at the upcoming World Music United 2008 festival, as well as a tour of UK, Scotland, the Netherlands and US Heartland Tour. For upcoming tour dates and more info on Tokyo Rosenthal visit his website: www.TokyoRosenthal.com

Current single: Love Won Out

No Depression Relaunches Online

NoDepression.com, a greatly expanded and enhanced website from the former bimonthly magazine No Depression, makes its debut today as the primary destination for fans of American roots music in all its various incarnations.

Like the magazine, which was the authoritative voice for roots music from 1995 to 2008, NoDepression.com stresses first-rate writing – now bolstered with audio, video and slideshows, and featuring daily updates of editorial content. At launch, the site will preview  Lucinda Williams’ album Little Honey and her  North American tour, as well as a report from the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Upcoming content will include coverage of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco Oct. 3-5.

NoDepression.com is edited by No Depression co-founder Peter Blackstock and will feature contributions from many of the magazine’s longtime senior editors and contributing editors, as well as content from the magazine’s back-issue archives. The site was created by The Old State, a web design and development firm in Dallas, Texas. No Depression received significant assistance in creating the new site through contributions from its Founders Circle, a cast of more than 200 donors whose names appear on  the Founders Circle page.

A series of 15  NoDepression.com Launch Shows will be held October 15-23  in conjunction with MusiCares, a foundation designed to assist musicians in times of financial, personal or medical crisis. Plans are also in the works for a July 2009 No Depression Festival to be held in the Seattle area.

Also appearing in early October is the first No Depression “bookazine,” part of a new twice-annual series of print publications issued through University of Texas Press. The bookazine, edited by Blackstock and ND co-founder Grant Alden, combines book and magazine elements to carry on No Depression’s tradition of publishing long-form music journalism.

NoDepression.com Launch Shows:

Oct. 15: Nick Lowe, Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
Oct. 15: Alejandro Escovedo, Fine Line, Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 16: Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet, Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, TN
Oct. 17: Jimmy Webb, Schubas, Chicago, IL
Oct. 17: Lucinda Williams, War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, TN
Oct. 17: Chatham County Line and Thad Cockrell, Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
Oct. 17: Minus 5, Mission Theate, Portland, OR
Oct. 18: Minus 5 and Band Of Annuals, Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
Oct. 18: James McMurtry and Mando Saenz, Granada Theater, Dallas, TX
Oct. 18: Crooked Still, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
Oct. 19: Crooked Fingers, Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
Oct. 19: Lucinda Williams, Pageant, St. Louis, MO
Oct. 20: The Duhks, Smith’s Olde Bar, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 21: Rodney Crowell, Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
Oct. 22-23: Carrie Rodriguez, Cactus Cafe, Austin, TX