Roky Erickson Recent News

Anti Records Artists Nominated For Grammy Awards

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:12:00 -0800

Like a gleaming exclamation point at the end of an unquestionably fruitful year, the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards has singled out three legendary acts on the ANTI-Records roster for award nomination. All of us here at the Anti-/Epitaph would like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to Mavis Staples, Bettye LaVette, Roky Erickson and Will Sheff for being so deservedly honored by their peers in the music industry.

Anti- Records 2010 Grammy Nominees:

Best Americana Album -Vocal or Instrumental: You Are Not Alone - Mavis Staples

Best Contemporary Blues Album -Vocal or Instrumental: Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook - Bettye LaVette

Best Album Notes: True Love Cast Out All Evil - Will Sheff, album notes writer Roky Erickson With Okkervil River

*The 53nd Annual Grammy Awards show will occur on February 31, 2011 at The Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Roky Erickson Returns This Week With Celebrated New Album

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:04:00 -0700

One of the most inspiring comebacks in rock and roll culminates this week with the April 20th Anti-Records release of Roky Erickson’s heralded new masterwork True Love Cast Out All Evil. After decades lost to the seemingly insurmountable forces of mental illness, neglect and incarceration, the forefather of psychedelic rock returns with his first album in fifteen years and the emotional songs of a lifetime. Produced by Will Sheff, and backed by his talented band Okkervil River, True Love Cast Out All Evil features 12 songs written throughout Erickson’s harrowing struggles and sonically enhanced by archival recordings from home videos and recordings made during Erickson’s confinement to the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The end result is an anything but sorrowful affair, with Erickson and Sheff interjecting the dramatic compositions with a sense of hope and grace that transcends genre to create a timeless and affecting document of one artist’s unlikeliest of resurrections.

Early Acclaim For True Love Cast Out All Evil:

"Eccentric and fascinating, this almost feels like Erickson’s “Pet Sounds.’ - Boston Globe

"these songs are impossibly poignant, Erickson’s voice transparent and vulnerable, the lyrics direct yet poetic, sifting through years of pain for signs of hope. Erickson at 62 remains one of rock’s greatest singers." - Chicago Tribune

"the whole album is stunning." - Esquire

"a serious contender for the best album the guy's ever made. He's always been here before, but what a treat to have him here now." - LAist.com

“a genuine triumph of the spirit and heart” - Mojo

"This is redemptive and remarkable stuff." - Penthouse

"On this affecting and ultimately triumphant album, Erickson comes out on top." - Pitchfork

"a staggeringly life-affirming work that sticks to your soul long after the final notes ring out. It’s a tale of redemption that earns the right to be mentioned in the same breath as Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind or Johnny Cash’s American series." - Popmatters.com

"songs of disarming autobiographical clarity, warmth and resilience." - Relix

"wizened and epic...Erickson's devotion to purity is as inspiring as it is miraculous." - Spin

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River Live Dates:

April 24 - Austin, TX, Paramount Theater
May 18 - Los Angeles, CA Mayan Theater
May 20 - San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
May 25 - New York City, NY Webster Hall

ANTI & Epitaph Join Forces To Commemorate Record Store Day

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:04:00 -0700

We here at Anti-/Epitaph Records are pleased to lend our enthusiastic support to the April 17th celebration known as Record Store Day. The purpose of this annual commemoration is to emphasize the unique and vital culture surrounding independently owned record stores. As Anti artist Tom Waits says,

"Folks who work here are professors
Don't replace all the knowers with guessers
Keep ‘em open
They're the ears of the town"

In order to increase awareness of the importance of these bastions of excellent and otherwise hard to find music, there will be special releases, in-store appearances and other forms of celebrations. And as a token of our heartfelt appreciation, Anti/Epitaph Records would like to contribute with appearances and performances from some of our most exciting artists, and a handful of Record Store Day exclusive releases.

Record Store Day Appearances From Anti-/Epitaph Artists:

Roky Erickson is about to release his heralded new album True Love Cast Out All Evil. On Record Store Day this immensely original and influential artist will be signing records and conversing with hometown fans at Waterloo Records in Austin.

Roky Erickson
Record signing
Waterloo Records
600 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas
12:00 noon

Philadelphia band Dr. Dog has created a stirring amalgamation of pop, rock and symphonic psychedelia resulting in their latest disc Shame Shame which Pitchfork recently called "The band's finest moment."

Dr. Dog
Performance and signing
Electric Fetus/Minneapolis
2000 4th Ave. S Minneapolis, MN
1:00 PM

English Troubadour Frank Turner is already a star at home in England playing to massive festival crowds who sing along with every word of his anthemic folk inspired rock. The undeniably charismatic and genuinely charming artist will be stateside playing songs from his rousing album Poetry of the Deed.

Frank Turner
Signing
Zia Records booth/Coachella Festival, California
1:30 PM

New Hampshire based melodic metal outfit Our Last Night may be young, their singer is only seventeen, but they have already made a serious impact on the scene with their unbelievably energetic live shows and rousing albums including 2008's The Ghost Among Us. The band will be releasing their much anticipated new record We Will All Evolve this May 4th

Our Last Night
Signing
Bull Moose Records
356 South Broadway, Salem, NH
5 PM

Record Store Day Exclusive Releases from Anti-/Epitaph:

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River True Love Cast Out All Evil LP (early release)

Tom Waits Mule Variations 11th Anniversary Edition (180 gm vinyl with limited edition Jim Jarmusch photo print)

Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros' Global A GO-GO Double LP Streetcore LP - first time available on vinyl

Neko Case's Middle Cyclone on limited edition clear vinyl

Roky Erickson Premieres 'True Love Cast Out All Evil' At Relix

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:04:00 -0700

Roky Erickson's brilliant new album True Love Cast Out All Evil is premiering right now at Relix! Don't miss the chance to preview Roky's first new album in 14 years before it hits stores on April 20th. Then head to the ANTI Store to pre-order your copy of True Love Cast Out All Evil today.

Anti Records 2010 Spring Compilation Available Now

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:04:00 -0700

Think of this as a mix tape, like one of those cassettes you sweated over in college to slip to that special someone in your Mass Communications class. That batch of songs that was uniquely you, that would open your murky soul to the broad light of day, and let all see how complex and tortured you really were. These 15 songs unveil the murky soul of ANTI- Records to an unsuspecting and largely unprepared public (just like that college mixtape), and it turns out to be darker and danker than anyone suspected.

Take Roky Erickson, an artist who has done his own share of soul searching, recording with Okkervil River, and his contribution "Goodbye Sweet Dreams" - a haunted cry from the heart, with Roky repeating the lines over and over like some obsessed anti-hero from Dostoevsky. Then there's Bettye LaVette's searing reading of the Rolling Stones' "Salt of the Earth," peering in at the grimy window of the "stay-at-home voter" and the rest of the downtrodden, in lyrics that sound more current today than they did in 1969. New signing Lost In the Trees, musical savants from North Carolina, wrap the saddest story you've ever heard in aching melody and surging strings, everything you'd hope for in a song titled "All Alone In an Empty House." And house dissident Sage Francis offers "Slow Man," with music written for Sage by Calexico - a meditation on the artist's belief that "there's no shame in being a dinosaur with an analog heart, a strained spirit and a photo-book filled with senior moments."

These four songs aren't available elsewhere; they are glimpses at farm-fresh, still-in-the-crate, upcoming releases. And the rest of the tracks are all from brand new or recent releases, from our larger stable of ANTI- heroes . How can we do it, you ask? We can get away with the low price of $2.99 because these celebrated artists and this benevolent record company have agreed not to make a profit on this venture. We (and they) feel it's more important that these samples of musical joy be heard. Just don't bring any of this up around our accountants.

Get it on iTunes today!

1. Dr. Dog - "Stranger" from the album Shame, Shame
2. Tom Waits - "Fannin Street" from the album Glitter & Doom Live
3. Mose Allison - "My Brain" from the album The Way Of The World
4. Bettye LaVette - "Salt Of The Earth" from the album Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
5. Roky Erickson - "Goodbye Sweet Dreams" from the album True Love Cast Out All Evil
6. Lost In The Trees - "All Alone in an Empty House" from the album All Alone in an Empty House
7. Sage Francis - "Slow Man" from the album Li(f)e
8. Galactic - "Heart Of Steel" from the album YA-KA-MAY
9. The Swell Season - "Feeling The Pull" from the album Strict Joy
10. The Weakerthans - "Benediction" from the album Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre
11. Alec Ounsworth - "Holy, Holy, Holy Moses (song for New Orleans)" from the album Mo Beauty
12. Islands - "Tender Torture" from the album Vapours
13. Dead Man's Bones - "Pa Pa Power" from the album Dead Man's Bones
14. Rain Machine - "Give Blood" from the album Rain Machine
15. Joe Henry - "Death To The Storm" from the album Blood From Stars

Roky Erickson's Hometown Triumph At SXSW Festival

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:03:00 -0700

Legendary rock and roll icon Roky Erickson recently debuted songs from his anticipated new record True Love Cast Out All Evil, out April 20th on Anti Records, at this year's South By Southwest Festival to overwhelming critical praise. The album and recent live performances pair the unique and influential artist with fellow Austin-ites Okkervil River to a startlingly poignant effect. The songs on True Love Cast Out All Evil were written amidst the well documented pain and turmoil of Erickson's past battle with his own mental illness and local authorities. The record was produced by Okkervil River's Will Sheff and conveys an unexpectedly intimate and emotionally cathartic side to Erickson's well-known genius.

Critical Praise For Roky Erickson With Okkervil River at SXSW:

"If there was any doubt about the pairing of psychedelic pioneer Roky Erickson and literary balladeers Okkervil River -- they disappeared with "Rokkervil's" redebut to headline the first day of Paste's weeklong bender. Rokkervil stole the day, ushering in tunes from their new collaboration on unreleased Erickson recordings, True Love Cast Out All Evil. The melding of Austin's premier howler with the city's leading erudite indie yelpers proved uncannily natural, with a surprising Burrito Bros country-rock slant..." - Austin Chronicle

"Roky Erickson, the 13th Floor Elevator and pioneer of both psychedelia and psychedelics, has had a well documented struggle with mental illness... Today he seemed very sure-footed, surrounded by Okkervil River, another local act, as they performed songs like "Be and Bring Me Home" from True Love Cast Out All Evil, the upcoming album they made together. It frames Erickson's direct writing, which lands in places irony can't touch... After the second song, Sheff leaned into the mic and said, "Turn Roky's mic up. Up here, and out there." It was nice to clearly hear someone who has spent far too much time on the sidelines." - New York Times

"The first "official" show I saw during SXSW was Roky Erickson with Okkervil River at the Paste magazine party. Oh, golly. The set included so many Roky greats, including my all-time fave, I Walked With a Zombie. Okkervil and Roky have teamed up for a new album called True Love Cast Out All Evil (out April 20), and they just sound fantastic together. I mean, really: Two-Headed Dog. Starry Eyes. It was a golden afternoon." - USA Today/Pop Candy

"If you missed the beautiful Roky Erickson pairing with Okkervil River on Wednesday afternoon, they team up again tonight at 12:30 a.m. at La Zona Rosa. Definitely worth the $5 cab ride to the other side of downtown. Introduced Wednesday as "two Texan treasures," the two generations mixed perfectly, especially when the keyboards began swirling." - Los Angeles Times

"Best reinvention: Texas psychedelic rock legend Roky Erickson already had his comeback from decades of mistreated mental illness (thankfully). He went ahead and topped it at SXSW this year by pairing up with Austin indie-folk-rock troupe Okkervil River, with whom he made a new album for Anti- Records due out in a few weeks, True Love Casts Out All Evil. The disc's title track was among the set highlights in a tent outside the Galaxy Room, but they also breathed new life into some of Roky's best-known classics, including a Phil Spector-ized "I Walked With a Zombie" and a Stooges-fierce ‘You're Gonna Miss Me.'" - Star Tribune

Roky Erickson Announces SXSW Performances and Tour Dates

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:03:00 -0800

In anticipation of the April 20th release of his new album True Love Cast Out All Evil via Anti-Records, legendary psychedelic-punk rock godfather Roky Erickson, along with acclaimed cohorts Okkervil River, will be performing several shows at the celebrated South By Southwest Festival in Austin Texas. After the album's release Erickson and Okkervil River will head out for selected appearances across the country.

True Love Cast Out All Evil is Erickson's first new album in fourteen years. Produced by Will Sheff with Okkervil River backing, it is an inspiring and artistically riveting musical document of Erickson's lost decades and heroic journey back. After burning so bright with seminal band the 13th Floor Elevators, Erickson seemed all but lost to personal demons. He fittingly interjects the new songs with a sense of hope and resilience that makes for an intriguing story and, even more, for some powerful and moving music.

You can view a candid and informative video interview with Erickson conducted by Will Sheff detailing Erickson's musical history and the recording of the new album here: http://www.truelovecastoutallevil.com

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River at SXSW:

3/17 Paste Magazine party at Galaxy Room 4:30pm
3/18 Roky's Ice Cream Social at Threadgill's 6pm
3/18 Official SXSW showcase at La Zona Rosa 12:30am
3/20 Brooklyn Vegan & M for Montreal party at Galaxy Room

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River Tour Dates:

04-24 - Austin, TX, Paramount Theatre *openers: Hacienda
05-18 - Los Angeles CA, Mayan Theatre, *openers Leslie and the Badgers
05-20 - San Francisco CA, Fillmore *openers Leslie and the Badgers
05-25 - New York, NY, Webster Hall, *Bird of Youth

Music From Roky Erickson Now On iTunes

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:02:00 -0800

"Goodbye Sweet Dreams," the first track released from the upcoming Roky Erickson with Okkervil River album True Love Cast Out All Evil, is now available for download on iTunes! Click here to download.

New Roky Erickson Song Premieres At Pitchfork

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:02:00 -0800

The first song off Roky Erickson’s landmark new album True Love Cast Out All Evil with Okkervil River debuted at Pitchfork.com yesterday. The song, entitled “Goodbye Sweet Dreams,” echoes both Roky’s 1970s horror-rock work and his albums with psychedelic founding fathers the 13th Floor Elevators, combining a propulsive rhythm track with threads of psychedelic interweaving guitar lines and feedback. Erickson’s voice floats high above the crashing wash of sound, battle-scarred and resilient. The mp3 is available for download now at truelovecastoutallevil.com.

It is a sonic testament to Erickson’s artistic resurgence and enduring status as one of the pivotal figures in rock and roll. Erickson’s work has been covered by R.E.M, The Jesus and Mary Chain, ZZ Top, Television, The Minutemen and more, his influence acknowledged by The White Stripes, Patti Smith, Robert Plant and Sonic Youth to name a few. True Love Cast Out All Evil will be out April 20th on Anti-Records.

Roky Erickson will be playing songs from True Love Cast Out All Evil backed by album collaborators Okkervil River.

Roky Erickson Live Dates:

04-24 Austin TX, Paramount Theater
05-18 Los Angeles CA, Mayan Theater
05-20 San Francisco CA, The Fillmore
05-25 New York NY, Webster Hall

Album Art and Tracklisting Revealed For New Roky Erickson Album

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:02:00 -0800

ALBUM ART AND TRACK LISTING REVEALED FOR NEW ROKY ERICKSON ALBUM

The artwork and song list for legendary musician Roky Erickson’s startling new album True Love Cast Out All Evil has just been disclosed. The art direction was done by Will Sheff who produced the album and whose acclaimed band Okkervil River backed Erickson in the studio. The cover features a stark Todd Wolfson portrait of Erickson. The album comes out on 04/20 on Anti-Records.

The track list for Love Cast Out All Evil:

1. Devotional Number One
2. Ain’t Blues Too Sad
3. Goodbye Sweet Dreams
4. Be and Bring Me Home
5. Bring Back the Past
6. Please Judge
7. John Lawman
8. True Love Cast Out All Evil
9. Forever
10. Think Of As One
11. Birds’d Crash
12. God Is Everywhere

Will Sheff was recently in Austin hanging out with Roky and they were followed around by a videographer. You can view a suitably impressionistic snippet of them at the legendary Austin store Toy Joy here.