Soul Asylum presents
Slowly But Shirley
Since the ’80s, Soul Asylum have been a group known for their raucous but emphatic combination of punk energy, guitar-fueled firepower, and songs that range from aggressive to heartfelt. All of these things are present in spades on the Minneapolis band’s gloriously, joyously loose 13th studio album, Slowly But Shirley. For Slowly But Shirley, it also helped that Soul Asylum turned to a familiar name for production: Steve Jordan, who had also produced the band’s 1990 effort And the Horse They Rode In On. Back when they first worked together, the members of Soul Asylum were still figuring out how best to capture their sound in the studio—and Jordan’s approach of having the band play live together in one room was ideal. “He taught us a language of players playing music in the studio,” Pirner says. “Which we were not at the time. We still didn't really understand what you were supposed to do in what order.” Decades later, both parties are in different places. Jordan is currently the drummer for the Rolling Stones, and Soul Asylum remains one of the most inspiring and hardworking bands in the rock scene, having broken through commercially with the double-platinum 1992 album Grave Dancers Union.
The Autographed Guitar Bundle is available for US orders only; ships separately at a later date. Dave will autograph the guitars while he’s in Los Angeles for the band’s show at The Regent Theater on October 11th, 2024.
If you are outside of the US and would still like to purchase this bundle, please contact: orders@blueelan.com
The Devlins present
All The Days
IRELAND ORDERS: CD or Vinyl can be purchased on the Golden Discs websitehere.
All The Days marks the long-awaited return of The Devlins, one of Ireland’s best loved rock bands. Across 11 new tracks, Grammy Winning Producer Rob Kirwan (Hozier, PJ Harvey, Depeche Mode) helms the solid rhythms and intricate songwriting of The Devlins classic lineup, evoking a fresh sound from a modern rock band who captured a worldwide audience with its cinematic hits and magnetic live performances.
Live from Apogee Studio
ALL ORDERS COME WITH A FULL DOWNLOAD OF THE ALBUM, NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE.
Morgan Myles is a powerhouse vocalist with a remarkable five-octave range, whose talent has captured the attention of millions, amassing over 30 million views across social media, aided by her top 3 finish on the 2022 season of NBC’s The Voice. During her recent Grand Ole Opry debut, Myles received a standing ovation; a testament to her authentic artistry and hard-earned success. A multi-instrumentalist and relentless touring artist, Myles performs over 100 shows a year, garnering recognition from major outlets including Billboard, American Songwriter, and Rolling Stone.
Live at Apogee Studio was recorded and mixed by the legendary Bob Clearmountain at Apogee Studio in Santa Monica, CA. Recorded in one take with no overdubs, Myles explains “In a time where music is so often manufactured, I wanted to deliver something real and honest.”
She continued “performing live has always been where I feel the magic of music the most. There's something so special about feeling the energy of the audience and connecting with each and every one of you in real time. When I'm on stage, it's like every song comes to life in a way that's different from anything else. You can hear the passion in my voice, see it in the way I move, and feel it in every note. With this live album, I wanted to capture that same magic. I wanted you to feel like you're right there with me, experiencing every moment as if we're all in the same room together. The raw emotion, the spontaneity, the connection – it's all there. I hope you feel that when you listen to this album.”
Blue Élan presents
Operation Mend: Hope 2
Inspired by the amazing work done by UCLA Health Operation Mend, Operation Mend: Hope 2 is the 2nd compilation put together by the Blue Élan family as a way to raise awareness for the organization. The album features a variety of contributions from The Devlins singer Colin Devlin, The Voice contestant Morgan Myles, and more. Along with the album rollout, many of the artists involved with the project will be taking time to meet with members of the Operation Mend team in order to learn about their program and create content to educate their audiences and raise awareness.
Gerry Beckley presents
Gerry Beckley
LIMITED EDITION CRYSTAL CLEAR VINYL — ONLY 500 COPIES MADE
Gerry Beckley says there was a pragmatic reason for putting his own name as the title for his 10th solo album. "There wasn't an obvious title that was leaning in its favor, and I've never done a self-titled album, so it felt like, OK, this might be it," he says with a small chuckle. True to form, Gerry Beckley the album contains 12 outstanding tracks including first single “Crazy,” the most self professed auto-biographical song in “Well Worn Shoes,” and the soulful “Red and Blue” which leaves no mystery as to its subject matter. Produced, arranged, engineered and mixed all by Gerry along with his good buddy Jeff Larson, Gerry also plays the bulk of the instruments on the album. "I tend to do things in layers," says Beckley. He cites influences such as Tom Petty's “Wildflowers" and, more recently, The 1975. "I've been kind of dipping back into the Wall of Sound stuff and using more echoes and just making it bigger. It might not sound like that at first, but if you were to put some headphones on and listen you start to notice little things that make the songs work." And he adds that the chemistry he and Larson share cannot be overstated. Gerry Beckley continues a musical path that's now in its seventh decade and, in Beckley's mind, a continuing conversation between a songwriter and his audience.
Michael Reynolds presents
Tarnished Nickel Sky
Twenty years ago, Michael Reynolds was lead vocalist/songwriter for the acclaimed alt-country band Pinmonkey. Ten years ago, he quit the business.
But while he may have stepped away from his music career, Michael Reynolds never quit writing songs. Now nearly a decade later, his Blue Élan Records debut album Tarnished Nickel Sky marks the wholly unexpected and altogether triumphant return of a genuine country original.
The eleven self-penned tracks capture Reynolds’ gifts for evoking wandering spirits, dirt road epiphanies and finite lives poised on the threshold of forever. Five-time Grammy-winning producer Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Chris Knight and Rodney Crowell) recounts “an effortless poetry that felt literary. His voice is the most evocative tenor since Vince Gill and it really pulls you in. With each song he sang, I knew exactly what the album needed to be.”
For Michael Reynolds, Tarnished Nickel Sky is the unexpected next chapter in a story that continues to surprise the music industry, country audiences and, perhaps most of all, the performer himself. “Twenty years is a lifetime ago,” Reynolds says. “I think about all the time I’d spent haunting Music Row trying to accomplish something. I’d listen to what was popular, and every trend that came along felt like chains that held me down. Letting go of any expectations, whether it was from Nashville or myself, was the most freeing thing I’ve ever done. Maybe that’s why the experience of writing and recording this album feels new again. I can point to Tarnished Nickel Sky with pride and say, ‘This is who I am.’”
From Red Wanting Blue
Light It Up
LIMITED EDITION SALT WATER TAFFY VINYL - SOLD OUT!
ONLY 300 COPIES MADE, EXCLUSIVELY FOR BLUE ÉLAN. OPAQUE WHITE STILL AVAILABLE.
Recorded in the band’s native Ohio and produced for the first time by the quintet itself, Red Wanting Blue’s latest album, Light It Up, marks the start of a distinctly new chapter for the indie rock stalwarts, one built on complete and total creative liberation. Equally gritty and uplifting, the collection is a larger-than-life ode to hope and perseverance, a celebration of the fire we carry within and the commitment that keeps us going even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The songs are all interconnected here, woven together through intros and outros and interludes that propel them through the dark of night, and the performances are as muscular as they are meticulous, fueled by addictive hooks and exhilarating instrumental work that shines on an even footing with frontman Scott Terry’s rich and magnetic vocals. More than any other record in the Red Wanting Blue catalog, Light It Up captures the spirit and the camaraderie of a band that’s built its entire career on the road, discovering (and rediscovering) itself one exultant, joyous, communal night at a time.
From Jesse Dayton
The Hard Way Blues
LIMITED EDITION PEARL WHITE LP
ONLY 300 COPIES MADE, AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY HERE.
Jesse Dayton isn't just an unsung hero of modern-day American music. He's a larger-than-life- storyteller who blurs the boundaries between genre and discipline, with a multi-decade career highlighting his work as a chart-topping songwriter, guitar hero, author, movie director, screenwriter, frontman, sideman, producer, and road warrior. Dayton redefines himself once again with The Hard Way Blues, a blues-based rock record produced by Grammy winner Shooter Jennings. Inspired by longtime influences like '70s-era Bob Dylan, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Mance Lipscomb, the album balances some of the sharpest songwriting of Dayton's career with loud guitar riffs and amplified attitude.
"People might have expected us to make an outlaw record, but I've already done that," says Dayton. "I wanted to make something that reflected where I'm at right now, so we turned a musical corner and embraced a big rock sound with a lot of ripping, bluesy guitar leads. Sometimes, it sounds like Freddie King. Sometimes, it sounds like Jimmy Page. This record was completely liberating for me because it goes back to so many of my longtime influences. I don't care about genres, trends, or buzz words — I just care about being truthful to my own vision, and that's what The Hard Way Blues allowed me to do."
From Jack Tempchin
More of Less
BLUE ÉLAN EXCLUSIVE FIRST PRESSING, LIMITED TO ONLY 100 COPIES.
ONLY AVAILABLE HERE, GET YOUR COPY NOW!
Jack Tempchin, San Diego native and prolific songwriter behind some of the Eagles' most iconic hits, marks his return to Blue Élan with his latest album More of Less. With a career that spans decades, highlighted by an array of hits written for artists including Glenn Frey, George Jones and Emmylou Harris, and an induction into The Songwriters Hall of Fame in June 2019, Jack Tempchin stands as a revered songwriter whose contributions continue to resonate with audiences worldwide.
In Tempchin's latest venture, More of Less, he collaborates with producer Jeff Larson, marking his 13th studio album. The genesis of this collaboration traces back to Tempchin's encounter with Larson while opening for the band America. Larson, known for his extensive work with iconic acts like America and The Beach Boys, offered to produce an album for Tempchin.
The album's inception spans over the past few years, with its title track taking root during the tumultuous period of the 2020 shutdown. Reflecting on this time, Tempchin recounts finding solace in the simple pleasures of life, spending countless hours by the beach, serenading the sea with melodies known only to him. “We were all isolated and I started going to the beach, all day everyday, sitting on the cliff overlooking the ocean playing music that no one else could hear,” explains Tempchin. “A lot of the busy complications of life fell away and were replaced by simpler more beautiful things, like the music and the sea and the sky. I got happier and wrote this song to remind myself that More of Less can be a wonderful way to go.”
*Please note that the vinyl is still in production and has an expected ship by date of July 19, 2024 (exclusions apply).
From Aaron Lee Tasjan
Stellar Evolution
LIMITED EDITION COKE BOTTLE CLEAR VINYL
ONLY 300 COPIES MADE, AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY HERE.
Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, band leader, activist, and Grammy nominee. Aaron Lee Tasjan has been and continues to be all of these things.
Tasjan has released four excellent and critically acclaimed solo albums, toured the world over on his own and as the guitarist in the New York Dolls. He co-founded and co-wrote all of the material for the band Semi Precious Weapons. In 2021 he was nominated for a Grammy for his writing on Yola’s “Diamond Studded Shoes” and most recently, Tasjan produced Mya Byrne's album Rhinestone Tomboy (Kill Rock Stars Nashville) which helped to establish her as one of the first openly trans artists in Americana Music.
The upcoming record, Stellar Evolution is a record on which Tasjan’s songwriting is beholden to nothing — no expectations, and certainly no genre. Just the pure sense of wonder and discovery that had made him fall in love with music as a kid in Orange County, devouring it all with no understanding or care for what was “cool.”
As he was writing, times became very dark for the queer community in the South. Bathroom bans and drag bans were enacted in Tennessee, while right-wing rhetoric around LGBT people became uglier and uglier. Tasjan knew this album needed to reflect the vibrant community that has become home to him.
From synth thrill rides like “Alien Space Queen” and the lead single, “Horror Of It All,” to other album highlights including the woozy “The Drugs Did Me” and the balladic “Dylan Shades,” these songs are sonic and personal evolutions. For Tasjan, they track his sonic shifts and share personal moments of overcoming challenges and embracing change; for the world, they are universal in appeal and inclusive in intention. Stellar Evolution celebrates love, claims space and shines bright.
From Sam Morrow
On The Ride Here
LIMITED EDITION TRANSLUCENT PINK VINYL
ONLY 300 COPIES MADE, AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY HERE.
Five albums into an acclaimed career, Sam Morrow has carved out a sound that exists somewhere outside of genre and geography. It’s his own version of modern-day American roots music: a mix of roadhouse rock & roll, bluesy R&B, and country-fried funky-tonk, driven forward by groove, grease, and guitars.
On The Ride Here marks the latest leg of that journey, as Morrow takes us along for the ride, singing in a laidback Texas drawl about highway haunts (“Thunderbird Motel”), peyote trips in the Mojave Desert (“Searching For Paradise”), and the glamor and grind of the open road (“Hired Gun”). Morrow isn’t just focused on the drive these days; he’s interested in the destination, too, and a number of these songs deal with the hard lessons and new perspectives that come with rest, reflection, and time spent at home.
From Chris Shiflett
Lost At Sea
Punk veteran. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Americana and rock songwriter. Modern-day guitar hero. For more than 25 years, Chris Shiflett has blurred the lines between genre and generation, balancing his full-band projects with a thriving solo career.
His latest record, Lost at Sea, builds a bridge between the honky-tonk saloon and the punk-rock dive bar. Eclectic and electric, it's a genre-bending country album that reaches far beyond the format's boundaries, making room for roots-rock anthems, guitar-slinging swagger, and the sharpest songwriting of his career. A California native, Shiflett recorded Lost at Sea with producer Jaren Johnston (The Cadillac Three), collaborating with many Music City heavyweights along the way. The result is a record that's every bit as diverse as his own resumé.
Named "Americana's biggest rockstar" by Rolling Stone, Shiflett has played a crucial role in shaping the sound and scope of modern-day rock music as a longtime member of the Foo Fighters. He's also an alum of California-based punk rock bands No Use For a Name and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Lost at Sea refocuses his attention on a mix of country twang and rock & roll bang, showcasing the full range of Shiflett's abilities.
From Cory Branan
When I Go I Ghost
Following the release of five albums and much critical acclaim, Memphis-based Cory Brananspent the pandemic-forced time off working on a new record with producer andGrammy-Award-winning engineer, Jeremy Ferguson. With a guest list that includesJason Isbell,Garrison Starr, Brian Fallon, and more. When I Go I Ghost puts Branan's clever songwriting and diverse musical background on display.
KT Tunstall presents
NUT
Grammy-nominated Scottish Musician KT Tunstall’s new album, NUT, completes a trilogy of albums that started in 2016, and represents the mind. Produced by Martin Terefe, NUT draws on Tunstall’s love of percussive West African grooves as a metaphor for the learning patterns of the mind. It is an eclectic album that seamlessly weaves together disparate styles while showcasing KT’s singular knack for balancing introspective folk and propulsive rock.
*BER Exclusive pressing of NUT in Cotton Candy
*Autographed Giclee Art Print, limited to 200 signed copies while supplies last!
From Eric Johnson
The Book of Making / Yesterday Meets Today
During the pandemic, some people baked, others indulged in TV binge-watching. Eric Johnson emerged with two albums–The Book of Making and Yesterday Meets Today—featuring nine songs on each LP. The Grammy-winning, multi-genre guitarist took inventory—both emotionally and musically—delving into the many unfinished tracks, outtakes, demos, and sonic ideas in his archive to compile the 18 songs that ultimately ended up on the albums.
- 04 October, 2024
- 27 September, 2024
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