Booker T. Recent News

Wilco, Tinariwen and Booker T. Jones Receive Grammy Nominations

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:12:00 -0800

Congratulations go out to Wilco, Tinariwen and Booker T. Jones for their Grammy nominations. Wilco's The Whole Love has been nominated for Best Rock Album, Tinariwen's Tassili is up for the Best World Music Album award and Booker T. Jones' The Road From Memphis got the nod for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards show will take place Sunday, February 12th and airs exclusively on CBS.

Sixteen ANTI Artists Participate In 'Raise Your Voice!,' A Free Album In Support Of Public Broadcast

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:08:00 -0700

170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting and ANTI- Records are pleased to announce the release of Raise Your Voice!, a 16-track compilation of music from ANTI- artists being offered as a free download to advocates for public broadcasting. Anyone who signs up to join the campaign can download the compilation -- available for a limited time only -- by visiting RYVoice.org. Supporters will also have the opportunity to share Raise Your Voice! with their friends and social networks.

Artists contributing tracks to Raise Your Voice! include Wilco, Tom Waits, Neko Case, Booker T. Jones, Man Man, Dr. Dog, Mavis Staples, Jolie Holland, William Elliott Whitmore, Tinariwen, Lost In The Trees, Sean Rowe, Marketa Irglova, Joe Henry, The Swell Season and DeVotchKa

Public broadcasting offers millions of hours of free music, arts and cultural programming to American audiences, thanks in part to federal funding. From national music programs such as public television’s Austin City Limits and public radio’s Mountain Stage to the diverse local programming on public radio music stations throughout the country, public broadcasting is a vital part of our nation’s musical landscape.

Public radio preserves American culture and is one of the only places left where uniquely American music -- jazz, rock, bluegrass and classical -- can be heard by a mass audience. Public radio stations around the country play an important role in the music economy and have created a valuable partnership that connects audiences to music, and all those who devote their lives to it—performers, singer-songwriters, musicians, lyricists and composers. More than 100 local public radio stations broadcast full-time music and hundreds more include music as part of their programming lineups.

While the average station gets the majority of its funding from listeners, underwriters and other local sources, federal funding helps close the gap and keep many small and rural stations on the air. Without federal funding these stations could go dark and the platform that they’ve provided for so many musicians could go with it.

“We are thrilled to offer Raise Your Voice! to our advocates,” said Jeff Nelson, co-director , 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting. “It is critical that we raise awareness about the importance of public broadcasting to music in America as we make our case to Congress to maintain federal funding for local stations across the country. We are grateful to ANTI- and these fantastic artists for their generosity and for standing up in support for public broadcasting.”

Ari Picker, frontman for ANTI- band Lost in the Trees added, “Our culture needs public broadcasting. And public radio has been an enormous resource for musicians like myself. I feel extremely privileged to donate our music to Raise Your Voice! to boost awareness about the need to protect public broadcasting in America.”

The website for Raise Your Voice! was created by Oniracom, a Santa Barbara-based audience marketing agency for music and entertainment.

About 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting

The 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting campaign is a collaboration of public radio and television stations, national organizations, producers, viewers and listeners throughout the country who understand the critical need for a strong public media in the United States. The campaign is co-managed by the Association of Public Television Stations and American Public Media on behalf of more than 400 station partners. The centerpieces of the effort are its website, 170MillionAmericans.org, Facebook page, Facebook.com/170Million, and Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/#!/170million,that give supporters of public media a way to take action in support of their local public radio and television stations.

About ANTI-Records

Epitaph Records was founded in 1981 by Brett Gurewitz of the influential punk rock band Bad Religion. This incredibly diverse and resolutely artist friendly label first entered the annals of pop culture in the early 90s when it introduced previously underground artists such as Rancid, The Offspring and Pennywise to a vastly larger audience, earning the bands gold and platinum records, and forever changing the sound of popular music. Epitaph has since added additional imprint ANTI-Records, which has developed into an independent power house servicing a roster of acclaimed and iconic artists such as Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Neko Case, Mavis Staples and many more. Epitaph Records currently operates out of offices in Los Angeles, Canada, Melbourne and the Netherlands.

New Booker T. Jones Video Release

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:06:00 -0700

There’s a visually evocative new video for the Booker T. Jones song “Progress” from his acclaimed album The Road From Memphis. The song offers a blast of classic Booker T. soul music and features a perfect vocal accompaniment by the phenomenal Yim Yames of band My Morning Jacket.

The clip was directed by Aaron Hymes and features images of a downtown Los Angeles in transition. As the director told the Los Angels Times, “They were snapshots of things that were real and unaffected while simultaneously being filmed with the idea of hope and progression. I wanted to capture that upbeat, positive vibe and re-create those feelings with a contemporary twist. Downtown L.A. was the perfect setting. It’s a city that’s still changing, still moving forward, and has a uniqueness and sunny positivity you just can’t find anywhere else.”

Watch the video and read what the Los Angeles Times says about it here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/06/progress-new-booker-t-jones-video-captures-an-evolving-downtown-los-angeles.html

The Road from Memphis refers not only to Booker T's journey but to the evolution of the soul music he helped invent as it traveled from Memphis to Detroit, Philadelphia and beyond. The features a broad range of guest vocalists including Matt Berninger of the National, Sharon Jones," Yim Yames and Lou Reed. Legendary motor-city guitarist Dennis Coffey contributes to the album as well.

Booker T. Jones 'The Road From Memphis' Out Now

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:05:00 -0700

Booker T. Jones' brand new album The Road From Memphis is out now and available in Starbucks everywhere! Produced by Jones with The Roots' ?uestlove and Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliot Smith), Memphis was recorded by Daptone Records mastermind Gabriel Roth with backing by The Roots and features a broad range of guest vocalists including Matt Berninger of the National and Sharon Jones on "Representing Memphis," Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket on "Progress" and Lou Reed on "The Bronx." The album also features a rare vocal from Jones himself offering a first-hand look at his hometown on "Down in Memphis."

Booker T. Jones 'The Road From Memphis' Album Premiere

Wed, 04 May 2011 00:05:00 -0700

Starting today you can stream Booker T. Jones' new record The Road From Memphis in its entirety at Late Night With Jimmy Fallon or in the player below, courtesy of Rdio! After you give the album a listen, click over to the ANTI Store to pre-order the album before it's in stores on May 10th.

Booker T. Jones 'The Road From Memphis' Now Availalbe For Pre-Order

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:04:00 -0700

Booker T. Jones' new record 'The Road From Memphis' is now available for pre-order at the ANTI Store on CD and vinyl! Produced by Jones with The Roots’ ?uestlove and Rob Schnapf, The Road From Memphis (in stores May 10th) was recorded by Daptone Records mastermind Gabriel Roth with backing by The Roots and features guest vocal performances from Matt Berninger (The National), Sharon Jones, Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket) and Lou Reed.

Click here to order today!

Booker T. "Representing Memphis" Premieres At Pitchfork

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:03:00 -0700

Booker T. Jones recruited Matt Berninger of The National and Sharon Jones of ...and the Dap Kings to duet on his latest track "Representing Memphis." The track, off of his May 10th release The Road From Memphis, is now streaming over at Pitchfork! Listen here.

Booker T. Jones "Everything Is Everything" Video

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:03:00 -0700

Last week, Booker T's new video for "Everything Is Everything" premiered at Rolling Stone! Take a look in the player below. The Road From Memphis in stores May 10th.

Booker T Jones Charts A Historic Life In Music On New Album 'The Road From Memphis'

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:02:00 -0800

Booker T. Jones' historic life in music has brought him international fame, awards (he’s a three-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer), and iconic status as one of the architects of American soul music. With his new album The Road From Memphis, due May 10 on Anti- Records, Jones traces his journey from his hometown of Memphis, TN to the world stage. The album follows Jones' 2009 Anti- release Potato Hole which won the Grammy for “Best Pop Instrumental Album."

Produced by Jones with The Roots' ?uestlove and Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliot Smith), Memphis was recorded by Daptone Records mastermind Gabriel Roth with backing by The Roots. The Road from Memphis refers not only to Booker T's journey but to the evolution of the soul music he helped invent as it traveled from Memphis to Detroit, Philadelphia and beyond. The music's many iterations are represented here with a broad range of guest vocalists including Matt Berninger of the National and Sharon Jones on "Representing Memphis," Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket on "Progress" and Lou Reed on "The Bronx." The album also features a rare vocal from Jones himself offering a first-hand look at his hometown on "Down in Memphis." Legendary motor-city guitarist Dennis Coffey contributes to the album as well.

Full track listing for The Road from Memphis:

Walking Papers
Crazy
Progress (feat. Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket)
The Hive
Down In Memphis
Everything Is Everything
Rent Party
Representing Memphis (feat. Matt Berninger of The National and Sharon Jones)
The Vamp
Harlem House
The Bronx (feat. Lou Reed)

U.S. tour dates to be announced soon.

Watch The Full Episode of Live From The Artists Den With Bettye LaVette & Booker T

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:08:00 -0700

Recently, Bettye LaVette appeared on Live From The Artists Den with Booker T. Jones and The Drive By Truckers. Now the episode is available to stream in its entirety over at Hulu! Click here to watch.