Want Rufus Wainwright

In January 2017 Rufus Wainwright toured with the prestigious all string ensemble Amsterdam Sinfonietta through the Netherlands. Critics and audiences of the ten concerts were enraptured by the intimacy and intensity of the program curated by Wainwright. The concerts reflected the immense bandwidth of Wainwright’s musical influences and interests from Verdi Arias to Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, from Rameau pieces to the American songbook and French chanson and from Wainwright’s beloved Berlioz to his family’s and his own songs, some of them written for this program. Emotional center piece of the album is Wainwright’s almost 9 minute version of late Canadian singer songwriter Lhasa de Sela;s harrowing “I’m going in”, a song she wrote about her own death from cancer at the age of 37.

Rufus Wainwright has popular-song chops and an ambitious streak (see his opera), so it makes sense that he’d want to set Shakespeare’s sonnets to music. On Take All My Loves, he even provides multiple interpretations of individual pieces. "Sonnet 43" is first arranged for spoken vocals and flinty electronics before it’s presented with orchestral sweep and operatic singing. “Unperfect Actor (Sonnet 23)” tilts into adult-contemporary rock, while other tracks have a progressive folk feel. Throughout, Wainright’s sonic diversity complements the range of literary devices that reside in the Bard's source material.

A collection of songs from Rufus Wainwright's special Northern Lights concerts celebrating Canada's 150th birthday in 2017. Recorded August 16 & 17th at Chapelle Norte-Dame-de-Bon-Secours in Canada and August 20th at the Ford Theatre in Los Angeles. The covers include Joni Mitchell, Kate McGarrigle, Leonard Cohen, Céline Dion, Arcade Fire, Neil Young, Men Without Hats.

The revered British singer/songwriter Linda Thompson's latest project, the aptly named 'Proxy Music' features artists handpicked by Linda and her son (and album co-producer) Teddy Thompson, to record a new set of her tunes by "proxy". Thompson, who Rolling Stone hailed as having "one of rock and roll's finest voices," has limited singing capabilities now due to a rare vocal condition. 'Proxy Music', however, impressively showcases her songwriting range and prowess. Tracks like "Darling This Will Never Do," and "Mudlark" hold a timeless quality, while "Those Damn Roches" and "John Grant" (sung by John Grant himself) boast very modern sensibilities. 'Proxy Music' contains performances from Linda's long-time friends and admirers as Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Eliza Carthy, The Proclaimers, Dori Freeman, and Grant, along with many talented Thompsons, including her children Teddy and Kami, and her ex-husband Richard Thompson playing guitar on several tracks. "Music in my family," Thompson shares. "It's like glue. It binds us."

On Joni’s 75th birthday, last November 7, a star-studded roster of musicians gathered to pay tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter. The evening was recorded and this CD release features performances by Brandi Carlile, Glen Hansard, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Chaka Khan, Diana Krall, Kris Kristofferson, Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro & Xochi Flores, Graham Nash, James Taylor, Seal, Rufus Wainwright and more.

With Heart only intermittently active in the early 21st century, Ann Wilson took the opportunity to release her first-ever solo album, something her sister Nancy Wilson, Heart's other half, took care of back in 1999. But where Nancy's solo debut was a live, acoustic effort comprised of both original material and covers, Ann has gone the nearly-all-covers route for the Ben Mink-produced Hope & Glory; only one song, the album-closing "Little Problems, Little Lies," comes from Wilson's own pen…

A Very Cool Christmas volume 2 is the right follow-up to the first volume of the wonderful collection of some very cool Christmas songs. This volume consists of 32 Christmas tracks, recorded by some of the best musicians from the rock, soul, blues, folk, and country scene.

Light in the Attic Records (LITA) proudly announces The Power Of The Heart: A Tribute To Lou Reed. The star-studded album celebrates the pioneering singer-songwriter’s enduring influence—as well as the timeless appeal of his songs—through performances by Reed’s closest friends and biggest fans, including Keith Richards, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Afghan Whigs, Bobby Rush, Maxim Ludwig & Angel Olsen, Mary Gauthier, and Automatic. Blending generation-defining hits (“I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Walk on the Wild Side,” “Perfect Day”) with lesser-known gems, the collection spans the artist’s five-decade-long career: from his earliest days with The Velvet Underground to his groundbreaking solo work.