FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2009
WILLIE NILE’S NEW ALBUM, HOUSE OF A THOUSAND GUITARS, CARRIES ON WHERE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED STREETS OF NEW YORK LEFT OFF
New album is slated for April 14 release on River House Records/GB Music
NEW YORK, N,Y. — Nearly 30 years after his much-heralded debut and two years after his astonishing re-emergence on Streets of New York, Willie Nile is ready to push his career into high gear with the release of House of a Thousand Guitars. The new album, his first for River House Records, is due out on April 14. The album was produced variously by the team of Nile with Andy York (Ian Hunter), Brad Albetta (Teddy Thompson, Martha Wainwright), Rich Pagano (Ian Hunter) and Hirsh Gardner, and by the team of Nile, his longtime friend and collaborator Frankie Lee and Stewart Lerman (Loudon Wainwright III, The Roches, Jules Shear).
For some, stardom comes early — and is often over very quickly. For others, like Willie Nile, having a career in music has meant growing wise, not adhering to fads, and learning from the cards life’s dealt you. It’s meant building, song by song, an integrity and artistry that attracts a zealous fan base and leads musical peers like Lucinda Williams to call Nile “a great artist” and inspires U2’s Bono to sum up Streets of New York in one joyous burst: “Great Album!”
That same short endorsement describes Nile’s new project, House of a Thousand Guitars. Recorded in the autumn of 2008, it’s a tour de force of the kind of rock troubadour craftsmanship that makes Nile such a refreshing, honest and rockin’ presence. House of a Thousand Guitars is the realization of all the promise that Nile’s earlier work had suggested and that had been predicted by many since his debut album years ago. From meaty all-out rockers like the title track and “Doomsday Dance” to the chilling portrait of war’s aftermath in “Now That The War Is Over” to the heartbreaking beauty of “Her Love Falls Like Rain” and “Touch Me,” Willie Nile has likely made the best album of his career.
“When I think about this collection,” Nile says, “the songs strike me as reflections of a traveler on a journey, things I’ve seen, heard and felt along the way. The musicians on the album played their hearts out and I think you can hear that in the recordings. I’m lucky to be able to draw on such talented people to help bring the songs to life.”
House was recorded with two distinctly different groups of musicians. Half of the record, six songs, was recorded with Nile’s all-star, A-list band, the Worry Dolls: guitarist Andy York (John Mellencamp), bassist Albetta and drummer Pagano (Fab Faux, Rosanne Cash, Patti Smith). The Dolls are, like another New York band with Dolls in the title, a powerhouse unit, with guts and ambition and the need to rock. Their sleek, muscular playing — on tunes like the upbeat “Run,” the anthemic “Little Light” and the driving, hard-edged, Stonesy, “Doomsday Dance” — is the record’s grit and backbone. “Doomsday,” in particular, is a classic, witty Nile socio-politico commentary, one that casts a wry eye on humanity’s sad penchant for self-destruction.
At the center of every Willie Nile record are the songs of the heart, with sweet melodies and lyrics about hope and love. The tune here closest to Nile’s heart is “Touch Me,” a song of remembrance and also a celebration of the life of his brother John, who passed away exactly a year before Nile laid down the basic tracks for the song with the album’s other band, one consisting of Lee on drums, Lerman and guitarist Steuart Smith (The Eagles, Rodney Crowell).
Blending tragedy and comedy of the human condition with Nile’s usual crystalline lyrics and flush melodies, House of a Thousand Guitars has even managed to please its self-critical creator.
“Beauty can bring tears and wonder and music can do that as well. It can reach deep into places where words can’t go. We were able to do that with this record. Recording it was a great experience, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”
The album is perhaps best seen through the prism of the title track, a hook-driven song about an imaginary place where great musicians dwell and can make their music in peace. “You can spread your fingers ‘cross the universe . . . in the House of a Thousand Guitars,” sings Nile, while naming House denizens Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, who, as the lyric says, is “gonna kick your ass.” Like the album itself, it’s a magical place to visit.
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2008
WILLIE NILE LIVE CD AND DVD CAPTURE ONSTAGE MAGIC
Set, to be released on 00:02:59 on July 8, captures the hot release party for Nile’s acclaimed album, Streets of New York, at New York’s Mercury Lounge
NEW YORK, N.Y. — “Willie Nile is a great artist,” exclaims fellow singer/songscribe Lucinda Williams. “If there were any justice in the world, I’d be opening for him instead of him for me.” Injustice has its benefits, of course — one of which is that it’s still possible to see Willie Nile play an intimate venue. It was on one such night, the eve of release of Nile’s latest studio album, Streets of New York, that Nile was captured both on audio and video. The resulting CD and DVD (sold separately), each titled Willie Nile Live from the Streets of New York, will hit the streets of the RED-distributed 00:02:59 label on July 8.
The story of the Willie Nile Live from the Streets of New York CD and DVD begins with the release of his comeback album in 2006 titled simply Streets of New York. “Once I picked the songs to record for the album,” notes Willie, “I realized they all had a connection to New York City, either by substance, or just the fact that I’d written them all here or was influenced by the city in some way. It wasn’t a concept album, but the pulse and electricity of the city seemed to flow through each of the songs in a connecting way.”
A great album about New York City begged for a great album-release party, for which Willie selected the Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side. The reviews had begun to come in, the initial rehearsals were energized, and all involved felt that this performance could be something very special. The show sold out in no time. To that end, 00:02:59’s Abe Bradshaw suggested bringing in some cameras. And soon both the audio and video will be available on both CD and DVD, with bonus interview footage contained on the DVD.
Willie has toured across the country with The Who at the personal request of the band and has shared the stage with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Levon Helm, Elvis Costello, and Joey Ramone. His live performances are legendary.
The live set features Willie’s core band (The Worry Dolls) along with some special guests. Andy York (John Mellencamp) played guitar; Brad Albetta (Sean Lennon, Teddy Thompson, Martha Wainwright) manned the bass; and the drummer was Rich Pagano (Fab Faux, Roseanne Cash). They were joined by long-time friend, Jimmy Vivino, (“Late Night with Conan O’Brien”) on guitar, mandolin and keyboards and Frankie Lee, who co-wrote a number of the songs with Willie, on percussion and vocals. The band was introduced by WFUV and XM radio host Pete Fornatale.
Says Willie, “I was not onstage that night to prove anything. After all these years of living and learning and struggling and growing and hanging out in the underbelly of this great city — I was no longer thinking along those lines at all. I had nothing to prove. Streets of New York had already been honored, championed and praised by some of the great artists, writers and publications of the day, for which I shall always be grateful.
“This was no American Idol. Fame is not what I was after — Celebrity Nation be damned. That’s all fool’s gold in a land of false prophets and facelifts as far as I’m concerned. Beauty and truth are what I was after. This was real, for me anyway. I was not the center of attention, nor did I need to be. I was simply there to serve the songs, to tell the stories and hopefully do justice to the music, and to have fun making music with my friends, which I surely did. It was a victory just to be there. And I felt it that night, in spades.”
“The band played its heart out with all the fire and passion you could hope for,” he concludes. “Everyone gave everything they had and left nothing on the table. You can see it on the screen and you can hear it in the speakers. For that night, we were one. For that one night, we were brothers. For that one night we shared a common dream. We were one with the songs and the night and the city. A fellow can’t ask for more than that.”
And few could ask for more in a live album and DVD.# # #
Some other accolades awarded Willie Nile and Streets of New York:
“. . . an original. . . an exceptional talent. . .one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years . . —THE NEW YORK TIMES
Streets of New York is “ . . . a platter for the ages.” 4 Stars —UNCUT
“A great album.” —Bono
“May be his best album to date.” —Jim Jarmusch
“One of the greatest Urban Americana albums of the 21st century.” 4 1/2 Stars —ALLMUSIC.COM
“Willie’s so good I can’t believe he’s not from New Jersey.” —Little Steven
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2005
WILLIE NILE IS BACK WITH STREETS OF NEW YORK
First album in six years, due on January 31, features Jakob Dylan and Rami Jaffee of the Wallflowers
Album launches indie 00:02:59 record label
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Willie Nile has completed Streets of New York, his first album since 1999’s acclaimed Beautiful Wreck of the World. In what U2’s Bono has called “a great album . . . the songs all stand on their own,” Nile has crafted what many feel is the best album of his career. The album is set for a January 31 street date, launching the new Brooklyn-based 00:02:59 label, distributed by Sony BMG Distribution.
Praise for Nile’s new effort comes from a number of legendary artists. Lou Reed, for instance, calls Streets of New York “a great album.” Graham Parker opines: “Willie Nile’s Streets of New York is a real gem – stirring melodies, passionate vocals, intriguing lyrics . . . every track a winner.” Lucinda Williams comments: “Willie Nile is a great artist. If there was any justice in this world, I’d be opening up for him instead of him for me.” Ian Hunter says: “Willie’s from the big-hearted downtown alleyways of NYC (New York commitment). Well done!” And Little Steven adds: “Willie Nile is so good I can’t believe he’s not from New Jersey!”
In making Streets of New York, Nile turned to some friends for help. Jakob Dylan and Rami Jaffee of the Wallflowers appear on the songs “The Day I Saw Bo Diddley in Washington Square” and “Game of Fools.” Larry Campbell, formerly of Bob Dylan’s band, played on various songs. The band heard on every track on the album features Andy York (John Mellencamp, Mary Lee’s Corvette), Brad Albetta (Rufus and Martha Wainwright) and Rich Pagano (Fab Faux, Rosanne Cash).
The album contains 13 original tracks plus a cover of The Clash’s version of Eddy Grant’s “Police on My Back.” The song “Cell Phones Ringing (in the Pockets of the Dead)” was written in honor of the victims of the Madrid train bombings, though there always seems to be new tragedy for which it’s appropriate.
In the 1980s, Nile released two critically acclaimed albums on Arista -- Willie Nile and Golden Down -- and toured successfully with The Who across the U.S. at the personal request of the band.
The New York Times called him "one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years." He has been called everything from "a one-man Clash" to "the next Bob Dylan." His Columbia CD Places I Have Never Been contained the hits "Everybody Needs A Hammer" and "Heaven Help The Lonely," and his Hard Times in America EP became a cult favorite throughout Europe. His songs have been recorded by numerous artists in many languages and his live performances are legendary.
Willie Nile will tour late winter and into spring of 2006, including a probable stop at SXSW.
The album kicks off the 00:02:59 label (pronounced “two minutes fifty-nine”), which can be found on the web at www.2minutes59.com. The name comes from a lyric in the song “Hitsville UK” from The Clash’s Sandinista! album. The song describes a perfect record label where it is all about the music – and where everyone gets along: “the band went in and knocked ‘em dead in 2 minutes 59.”
00:02:59 founder Abe Bradshaw worked at Sanctuary Records, where he tried for a year and a half to get Willie Nile signed. When he was told the label would not be signing Nile, he left to launch a label with Nile as his mission statement of quality. Bradshaw is also a veteran of BMG Distribution.
According to Bradshaw, “I have been a fan of Willie Nile for a long time… and I am honored to have him as the first release on 00:02:59. Streets of New York sets the bar extremely high for all of my future releases.”
# # #
