Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes

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Biography

Alabama Shakes (Formed 2009)
Alabama Shakes is an American rock band consisting of the members lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, keyboard player Ben Tanner, and drummer Steve Johnson.

Formation: Howard and Cockrell attended the same school.
They regularly met after school to write songs together.
Johnson was working at a local record store, and the two went to meet him.
Fogg joined the band after hearing their demo.

Music Career: In 2011, they released the 4-song EP, 'Alabama Shakes'.
They signed to Rough Trade Records in the UK, and ATO Records in the US in November 2011.
Their album 'Boys & Girls' was released in April 2012.
It was awarded gold record status by the RIAA.
In 2012, they performed at Bestival, alongside the xx, and Stevie Wonder.



Biography by Contactmusic.com

Bonnaroo 2015 Is Here! Here's What The Rest Of The Weekend Has In Store


Bonnaroo Deadmau5 Kendrick Lamar Alabama Shakes Tears For Fears Earth Wind And Fire Royal Blood Mini Mansions Slayer Mumford And Sons My Morning Jacket Bleachers Catfish And The Bottlemen Bassnectar Childish Gambino Hozier SBTRKT Billy Joel Florence and the Machine Robert Plant Spoon Brandi Carlile Twenty One Pilots

Bonnaroo is in full swing and while we've seen some pretty impressive acts so far, the musical forecast shows things are not going to get quieter anytime soon. One of America's biggest and most diverse summer events, fans flock in their thousands to Tennessee this weekend to welcome some of the world's top entertainers.

Bonnaroo 2015 logo

Friday's line-up is a particularly mixed bag; where you've got music veterans the likes of 80s new wave legends Tears For Fears and 70s R&B band Earth Wind & Fire, you also got newer names such as LA duo Mini Mansions, who recently won acclaim for their second album 'The Great Pretenders', and Brit award winning UK chart toppers Royal Blood. Making some noise on the main What Stage throughout though are house producer Deadmau5, 'To Pimp a Butterfly' rapper Kendrick Lamar and roots rock collective Alabama Shakes

Continue reading: Bonnaroo 2015 Is Here! Here's What The Rest Of The Weekend Has In Store

Third Straight Number One Album For The Zac Brown Band


Zac Brown Band Josh Groban Drake Alabama Shakes Sam Smith Taylor Swift Meghan Trainor

There’s change at the top of the American albums chart this week as the Zac Brown Band enters at Number 1 with its fourth LP Jekyll + Hyde.

The eight piece ensemble notched up their third consecutive Billboard chart topper by selling 228,000 copies, including track equivalent and streaming equivalent sales, in the week ending May 3rd, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

These are impressive sales figures for the group, which previously had Number 1 albums in 2012 with Uncaged and 2010 with You Get What You Give. Jekyll + Hyde contains two popular singles already, one being the Chris Cornell collaboration ‘Heavy is the Head’ and the other the country-flavoured ‘Homegrown’.

Continue reading: Third Straight Number One Album For The Zac Brown Band

How Alabama Shakes Shot To Stardom: Their 7 Best Moments


Alabama Shakes

It looks like the new chart system is benefiting a lot of people, most recently US rockers Alabama Shakes who have managed to secure the top spot with their incredible second album release 'Sound & Color'. But just how has this modest quartet spiralled to success so easily?

Alabama Shakes promoAlabama Shakes score their first number one album

Since their official formation in 2009, the Alabama group have impressed all who hear them. They're lovable not just for their unique and captivating roots rock sound, but also for their humble appearance; doing away with the ethos that music should be combined with image and instead opting to be just, well, themselves. So just how have this unlikely collective won over the rest of their nation so easily?

Continue reading: How Alabama Shakes Shot To Stardom: Their 7 Best Moments

Alabama Shakes Rock To The Top Of The Billboard Albums Chart


Alabama Shakes Yelawolf Drake Taylor Swift Sam Smith Ed Sheeran Meghan Trainor

Rock group Alabama Shakes scored their first Number One album in America with their second effort Sound & Color, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In quite a low-selling week, the rockers sold 96,000 copies of their sophomore effort to reach the top spot in the Billboard 200 chart. The reformed system counts track equivalent sales and streaming equivalent sales, though some 91,000 of Sound & Color’s sales total came from traditional physical sales.

Alabama Shakes’ debut album Boys & Girls won the group a lot of plaudits upon its release in 2012 for its classic rock sound. It peaked at Number 6 in the American charts, nearly a year after its release, due to its three Grammy nominations in 2013.

Continue reading: Alabama Shakes Rock To The Top Of The Billboard Albums Chart

Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color Album Review


Alabama Shakes' use of Blues Rock and Soul has taken the four-piece band from Athens, Alabama, to great heights in a relatively short period of time. Their sophomore effort 'Sound & Color' is a similar cocktail of Kings Of Leon licks, The Black Keys infused Blues, and classic Soul power, but there are a few extra ingredients to add a little more spice tucked away here. This certainly isn't 'Boys & Girls' MKII, indeed there's less reliance on those catchy guitar hooks this time around. While Brittany Howard's occasionally astonishing vocals are the main attraction again, there's undoubtedly a real musical progression that's been made by the rest of the band. The result is that Alabama Shakes feel far less like a Soul band trying to pass themselves off as an Indie band; they're now quite comfortable in their own skin.

Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color Album Review

Straight out of the gate, the title track has an almost hypnotic effect with its slightly syncopated drum rhythm, strings, and repeated "Sound & Color" mantra. It's not the only time where the familiar incessant guitar hooks of the previous album are entirely absent. On first listen, it's almost slightly jarring with your expectation, but it's that drumming that really shines and that's the thing that pulls you in. The shift in focus also seems unexpected considering that Blake Mills has co-produced the record. Surely a man famed for his guitar playing would choose to highlight that aspect of Alabama Shakes successful formula? Well, no; Mills is no stranger to using instruments sparingly for dramatic effect, and it really shows here.

The next few tracks seem to head back towards a more recognisable musical template for Alabama Shakes. The energetic and confrontational 'Don't Wanna Fight' gives Howard a chance to really let rip vocally, but again, behind the funky guitar line, it's those drums that catch the ear. Perhaps the stand-out of the record 'Gimme All Your Love' is the best example of Mills' expertise in deploying instruments sparingly. The guitars dramatically punctuate a late night jazz club beat that ebbs and flows into a final impressive call and response instrumental jam that's perhaps the band's finest moment committed to tape thus far. It's perhaps fitting that the acoustic 'This Feeling' follows as a respite from the aural assault that's come beforehand. 

Continue reading: Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color Album Review

Bonnaroo 2015: More Thrills Added To The Summer Line-up


Bonnaroo D'angelo Kacey Musgraves Billy Joel Mumford And Sons My Morning Jacket Slayer Tears For Fears Earth Wind And Fire Belle And Sebastian Against Me! Bleachers Royal Blood Hozier Dawes Catfish And The Bottlemen Alabama Shakes Florence and the Machine Twenty One Pilots Caribou Tove Lo Kendrick Lamar Childish Gambino Deadmau5 Bassnectar Flying Lotus SBTRKT Jamie XX Rudimental

More additions have been announced for Bonnaroo 2015 as the June event draws ever closer. D'angelo & The Vanguard, Kacey Musgraves and Songhoy Blues join an already stellar line-up for this 10-stage bonanza, while the full late night sets are also announced.

Bonnaroo logo 2015

Adding to a line-up headlined by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Billy Joel and London Grammy winners Mumford And Sons are soul collective D'angelo & The Vanguard, young country star Kacey Musgraves and Mali four-piece Songhoy Blues. As usual, the epic festival - which is set to play host to a massive 85,000 music lovers - presents one of the world's most diverse line-ups as it prepares to hit Manchester, Tennessee this summer from June 11th to 14th.

Continue reading: Bonnaroo 2015: More Thrills Added To The Summer Line-up

From Steely Dan To Raekwon And Ghostface Killah: Who's Been Announced For Coachella 2015?


Coachella AC DC Jack White Drake Action Bronson Alabama Shakes Alt-J Azealia Banks Belle And Sebastian Built To Spill DJ Snake Eagulls Florence and the Machine Flying Lotus George Ezra Haerts Hozier Interpol Lykke Li Pete Tong Philip Selway RAC Raekwon Ghostface Killah Ratatat Royal Blood Ryan Adams Saint Motel SBTRKT SquarePusher St. Lucia St. Vincent Steely Dan Tame Impala The Cribs The Orwells Toro Y Moi Tyler The Creator Vance Joy Vic Mensa

It's that time of year again as the full line-up announcement for Coachella 2015 arrives following some spectacular headliners: AC/DC, Jack White and Drake will all top the bills at the two-weekend event in April.

Coachella Festival logo

Well known for its diverse collection of rock, pop, electronic, hip hop and indie artists from around the world, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is yet again set to arrive at the Empire Polo Club fields in Indio, California. Kicking off with the first event from Friday April 10th - 12th, the festival will repeat the following week from April 17th - 19th.

Continue reading: From Steely Dan To Raekwon And Ghostface Killah: Who's Been Announced For Coachella 2015?

Emerging Soul Virtuosos St. Paul And The Broken Bones Announce 2015 European Tour


Alabama Shakes

St. Paul & The Broken Bones are the latest musical knockouts to come out of Alabama with their brand of invigorating soul revival that they plan to demonstrate all across Europe in the coming months.

St. Paul and The Broken Bones promo
St. Paul & The Broken Bones hit the road next year

The seven-piece have announced a series of tour dates for March 2015, with dates spanning Germany, France, Spain, the UK, the Netherlands among others. It comes as no surprise as the band have barely stopping performing of late, with shows across the US and Europe having already taken up the bulk of their year as they continue to promote their debut album 'Half The City'.

Continue reading: Emerging Soul Virtuosos St. Paul And The Broken Bones Announce 2015 European Tour

It's That Time Of Year Again! New Orleans Jazz Festival Returns With Another Two Weekends Of Music Mythology


Eric Clapton Carlos Santana Laura Mvula The Avett Brothers Robert Plant Phish Robin Thicke Vampire Weekend Solange Knowles The String Cheese Incident Chaka Khan Christina Aguilera Alabama Shakes Bruce Springsteen Trey Songz Foster The People Arcade Fire Bobby Womack

New Orleans Jazz Festival 2014 logo

It's that time of year again where New Orleans go all out to prove they are one of the most culturally rich cities in North America with their annual two-weekend event, the New Orleans Jazz Festival.

The Jazz Festival has expanded to two long weekends since its inaugural year in 1970, meaning that more people than ever can get the chance to enjoy the fine music culture of Louisiana. The Queen of Gospel Mahalia Jackson appeared at the first event alongside renowned orchestral composer Duke Ellington, and from then on the festival has gone from strength to strength and has never once lost the spirit that has made it so loved.

Continue reading: It's That Time Of Year Again! New Orleans Jazz Festival Returns With Another Two Weekends Of Music Mythology

Life Is Beautiful 2013 Announces Additional Music Acts Including Vampire Weekend And Alabama Shakes

Posted on02 August 2013

Life Is Beautiful 2013 Announces Additional Music Acts Including Vampire Weekend And Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes

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