DECEMBER 2011: Loudon Wainwright III's "Newt Gingrich Is Running For Pres" On You Tube Now
Loudon Wainwright III has posted a video of his new song, "Newt Gingrich Is Running For Pres" sung to the tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." This is just the latest in a long line of topical tunes Loudon has written about public figures over the course of his illustrious career.
In 1999, Loudon released Social Studies, an album comprised of topical and satirical songs originally produced for National Public Radio (NPR). The CD found Loudon taking aim at public personalities Tonya Harding, O.J. Simpson, Manuel Noriega, the late US Senator Jessie Helms, and President Bill Clinton.
Loudon Wainwright III performs "The Krugman Blues"
More recently, Loudon's tribute to Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, "The Krugman Blues," appeared on his limited edition CD, 10 Songs For The New Depression (March 2010). The New Yorker Online posted a video of Loudon performing the song as complement to an article profiling Krugman in the March 1, 2010 issue of The New Yorker. Loudon's most recent studio CD was the Grammy Award winning High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (August 2009). He was also honored with numerous Year End Best Of accolades for a box set of his work, 40 Odd Years, co-produced by celebrated writer/director/producer Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up). Watch for Loudon's upcoming, Older Than My Old Man Now tentatively set for April release.
OCTOBER 2011: Loudon Wainwright III Interview Featured in MOJO Magazine
An in-depth interview with Loudon Wainwright III is featured in the November 2011 edition of MOJO magazine. Throughout the five page spread, the MOJO Interview explores Loudon's storied life and rich musical career as "America's king of confessional song." Renowned guitarist, songwriter and one time Wainwright producer, Richard Thompson, praises Loudon in a sidebar in the piece for writing songs "akin to Rembrandt self-portraits."
This past May, Loudon released 40 Odd Years, a career-spanning 4 CD / 1 DVD box set produced by Loudon and celebrated writer/director/producer Judd Apatow (his films 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up each featured Loudon in acting roles and Loudon provided the Knocked Up soundtrack) chronicling Wainwright's intriguing career. High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (August 2009), earned Wainwright renewed critical acclaim as well as a 2010 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. Loudon's two previous GRAMMY nominations include I'm Alright, 1985 and More Love Songs, 1986.
Throughout a career of 22 studio albums, and with songs covered by Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, Big Star, Freakwater, Norma Waterson, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and Rufus Wainwright, Loudon says he's, "Settled down and unsettled as ever. Still strapping on the old guitar and heading for the airport. Just looking to write the next song."
FEBRUARY 2011: Thanks To Mountain Stage (NPR) Encores For Loudon Wainwright III, Pieta Brown, David Lindley, John Hammond, Mavis Staples, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Thank you to Mountain Stage, who are re-broadcasting six Rosebud artists' performances, from mid-February through the beginning of April. Loudon Wainwright III and Pieta Brown are both featured in an episode airing the week after February 18th (the "week after" runs from Friday to the following Friday). David Lindley and John Hammond are both featured in a program airing the week after March 11th and 2011 GRAMMY Winner Mavis Staples is featured in the show airing the week after April 1st. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue's performance was recently re-broadcast in an episode which aired after February 11th.
FEBRUARY 2011: Loudon Wainwright III Releasing 40 ODD YEARS, 4 CD/1 DVD Box Set on May 3rd, Co-Produced with Judd Apatow
A 4 CD / 1 DVD box set celebrating the career of GRAMMY winner Loudon Wainwright III, entitled 40 Odd Years, will be released on May 3, 2011. The set was produced by Loudon and celebrated writer/director/producer Judd Apatow, who has featured Loudon in his films Knocked Up (for which Loudon also recorded the soundtrack) and The 40 Year Old Virgin, as well as on his TV show Undeclared (which also featured Seth Rogen). Judd Apatow writes in his introduction to the set, "I wanted to do what he has always done: to be brutally honest, emotional, hilarious and sweet all at the same time. Whenever I wonder what my tone might be, if I am confused, I just listen to a Loudon Wainwright song."
40 Odd Years is a career-spanning collection chronicling the wealth of Loudon's work, including his early hit "Dead Skunk" (which hit #16 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1973) and 1973's "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" (covered by Johnny Cash on his 1994 GRAMMY winning album American Recordings); through his two GRAMMY nominated albums (I'm Alright and More Love Songs); to his 2010 GRAMMY winning album High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project. The first 3 discs chronicle the years 1969-1983; 1984-1995 and 1996-2010; while disc 4 contains rare and unreleased material. The 3+ hour DVD includes an extremely rare documentary made for Dutch television entitled One Man Guy, TV appearances on the BBC, Saturday Night Live, and Austin City Limits, as well as several unreleased concert performances. Check out the full track listing here.
According to Loudon, "I'm lucky - it still feels like there's work to do, and I'm doing it. I hate the travel, the airports, the hotels, but I love the job itself, which is writing the songs and doing the shows. As a kid I had a dream of being a performer, and lo and behold it came true... So now the plan is to keep performing and writing for as long as possible."
MARCH 2010: Big Public Thanks To Our Friends At Mountain Stage For Featuring 10 Rosebud Artists In The Past Year Alone
A big Thank You to Mountain Stage (and Andy Ridenour), broadcast on over 170 NPR stations, for featuring ten Rosebud Artists since March 2009. Currently, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue's 2010 performance will be featured beginning April 30, 2010. Loudon Wainwright III and Pieta Brown will both be featured on an episode premiering May 14, 2010.
We truly appreciate the exceptional support for Rosebud artists as well as our ongoing relationship with such a top quality program. Visit the show's archives to listen to some of these past performances. Mountain Stage Archives >> NPR MUSIC: Mountain Stage >>
FEBRUARY 2010: Loudon Wainwright III Releases 10 Songs For The New Depression and Featured In The New Yorker Online
Loudon Wainwright III has released a limited edition album, 10 Songs For The New Depression, which is now available at LW3.com. Of the disc, Loudon writes: "As of this writing some folks are saying things are looking up recession wise and this particular hard time might be ending. Other experts are saying we're in for a "double-dip" and there's more feces heading toward the national and global fans. If that's the case Id' like to cash in. So buddy if you can spare a few bucks, please enjoy "10 Songs for the New Depression"!"
Loudon Wainwright III performs "The Krugman Blues"
On February 22, The New Yorker Online posted a video of Loudon performing "The Krugman Blues," a song he wrote praising the Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. The video is a compliment to an article profiling Krugman in the March 1, 2010 issue of The New Yorker.
JANUARY 2010: Grammys for Booker T. and Loudon Wainwright III, Performances by Jim Lauderdale and Trombone Shorty plus Booker T. for Neil Young Musicares Tribute
Congrats to GRAMMY Winners, Booker T. (for Potato Hole - Best Pop Instrumental Album) and Loudon Wainwright III (for High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project - Best Traditional Folk Album). And to Mavis Staples for her duet with Patty Griffin on Oh Happy Day (Winner - Best Traditional Gospel Album) and Trombone Shorty for his appearance on Buckwheat Zydeco's GRAMMY winner (Lay Your Burden Down - Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album).
Jim Lauderdale performed during the pre-telecast awards in an all star bluegrass band while Trombone Shorty played to the full GRAMMY audience as part of a New Orleans tribute just before the broadcast.
Friday night before the awards, to celebrate Neil Young as MusiCares Person of the Year and with proceeds going to musicians in need, Booker T. joined Keith Urban and John Fogerty for a rousing rendition of "Rockin' in the Free World". (read more at rollingstone.com)
Congratulations to all the winners! Check out these artists live on stage, please see Tour Dates >>
JANUARY 2010: Rosebud Artists Recognized In Village Voice 2009 Pazz & Jop Poll
Six albums and three singles released by Rosebud artists last year are recognized in the Village Voice 2009 Pazz & Jop Poll, which calculated 697 music critics' votes for the most important music of the year.
Listed among the year's top singles are: Booker T., "Hey Ya" & "Space City" Meshell Ndegeocello, "Mass Transit"
In addition, two Rosebud artists were featured band members on two albums and one single of recognition: Jon Cleary (John Scofield's Piety Street) and Jim Lauderdale (Elvis Costello's Secret, Profane & Sugarcane and the song "Sulphur to Sugarcane"). Also of note are recognition for releases by Rosebud artist Charlie Watts' other band (The Rolling Stones, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out reissue) and Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, Live at Madison Square Garden, which features three songs penned by JJ Cale.
Congratulations to all! Catch these artists live, please see Tour Dates >>
JANUARY 2010: Loudon Wainwright III To Play Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 1/14/10
Loudon Wainwright III will be the featured musical guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Thursday, January 14, 2010. He will be backed by David Mansfield and Tim Luntzel, performing "Didn't He Ramble" from his GRAMMY nominated and critically acclaimed High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project. Ken Tucker, NPRs Fresh Air rock critic & editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly recently named the album the #1 Best Recording of 2009. Loudon will be playing shows on both the East and West Coasts in the coming months, please see Tour Dates >>
Rosebud Artists Score Year and Decade End Honors ... read more >>
Other CDs honored with nominations include the collection Oh Happy Day, nominated for Best Traditional Gospel Album which features a song by Mavis Staples with Patty Griffin. True Blood, nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, features a song by Allen Toussaint. Buckwheat Zydeco's Lay Your Burden Down features a guest appearance by Rosebud artist, Trombone Shorty. Ann Savoy of The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band is also a member of The Magnolia Sisters whose Stripped Down CD was nominated. And Elvis Costello's Secret, Profane & Sugarcane features Rosebud artist, Jim Lauderdale. Jim also co-wrote the title track to George Strait's Twang.
In other Grammy related news, Grammy nominated CDs, Cadillac Records - Music From the Motion Picture and Little Walter - The Complete Chess Masters also include songs written and made famous respectively by former Rosebud artists, the late Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters.
Rosebud has been fortunate in that generally our artists score between 4 and 6 Grammy nominations every year but 10 is definitely a new record and we are Thrilled, especially considering the fact that Rosebud artists only released 14 eligible CDs this past year. Congratulations to all the nominees!
PAULA COURT
AUGUST 2009: Loudon Wainwright III On NPR's Fresh Air, Rolling Stone review
Loudon Wainwright IIIwas featured on the August 19, 2009 episode of Fresh Air on NPR, archived here. The episode focuses on his recently released CD, High Wide and Handsome - The Charlie Poole Project. The disc is also reviewed in the August 26, 2009 issue of Rolling Stone. The review states that the new CD "unifies the two sides of Loudon Wainwright: sentimental wiseass folkie and tragicomic character actor." Read the full review here. The new CD will be showcased in a special performance on September 15, 2009 at the Highline Ballroom in NYC featuring Loudon and many of the album's special guests. You can read more about Loudon in a cover story in the November/December Dirty Linen magazine and catch him live in his own concerts and on the Loud & Rich Tour with Richard Thompson this fall.
JULY 2009: Loudon Wainwright III Featured In Disney's G-Force 3D
Loudon Wainwright III is the voice of Grandpa Goodman in the new Disney film, G-Force 3D, in theatres July 24, 2009. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the animated movie revolves around a specially trained squad of guinea pigs dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world. It also stars the voices of Nicholas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Tracy Morgan, Jon Favreau, Steve Buscemi and Zach Galifianakis. The project adds to Loudon's past film credits including roles in Judd Apatow's Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin; Martin Scorsese's The Aviator; Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown; Tim Burton's Big Fish; Jacknife alongside Robert De Niro and Ed Harris; Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife and a recurring role on M*A*S*H. Loudon Wainwright III's new CD, High Wide & Handsome - The Charlie Poole Project will be released on August 18, 2009 and the project will be showcased in a special performance on September 15, 2009 at the Highline Ballroom in NYC featuring Loudon and many of the album's special guests.
JULY 2009: Loudon Wainwright III's High Wide & Handsome - The Charlie Poole Project - Out August 18, 2009
Loudon Wainwright III's High Wide & Handsome - The Charlie Poole Project will be released on August 18, 2009. Produced by Dick Connette, the double CD revisits the life, times, and recorded legacy of legendary singer and banjo picker, Charlie Poole (1892-1931). Poole was a bootlegger, banjo picker, amateur baseball player, drinker, rambler, gambler, and textile mill worker - and one of the most popular musicians of his day, recording over 110 tracks. Connette and Loudon wrote new songs inspired by the life and times of the country music pioneer in addition to recording new renditions of classic songs previously recorded by Poole. Guests on the album include Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Sloan Wainwright, David Mansfield, Chaim Tannenbaum, Erik Friedlander, Chris Thile and many more. For more information on the project, please visit TheCharliePooleProject.com. The project will be showcased in a special performance on September 15, 2009 at the Highline Ballroom in NYC featuring Loudon and many of the album's special guests.
