A Sunshine State of Mind

June 4, 2013 in new releases, The Soul of John Black



We’re thrilled to release The Soul of John Black‘s A Sunshine State of Mind, a compilation of upbeat tunes that embody the “essence of summer”.  While four of the tracks were launched over last summer and fall as a series of preview singles, we now have the full collection to present in album form (including CDs!)

The inspiration for A Sunshine State of Mind came to JB during the winter in his home town of Los Angeles. “Although the sun shines all the time here, the mood brightens even more once the summer months arrive,” he explained. “I wanted to write songs that would keep that attitude going year-round.” Each of the tracks in the album has a lighthearted feeling, complimenting the upbeat theme of the overall collection.

From “Higher Power”, a soulful anthem with an uplifting message of community and interrelatedness, to the driving groove of “East LA Lady”, Bigham displays the unique stylistic fusion that has won praise from Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, National Public Radio, and others.

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Cassie Taylor – Out of My Mind released

May 7, 2013 in Cassie Taylor, new releases

Cassie Taylor - Out of My Mind

At age 26, Cassie Taylor is already a veteran musician. She’s spent a decade playing bass and singing on stage and in the studio with her father, modern-day blues innovator Otis Taylor. Now she stakes her own claim as an artist of intelligence, power and soul, drawing on a wide swath of influences – spanning centuries, continents and cultures – to create her own indelible and utterly modern sound.

With influences ranging from a New Orleans second line to West African psychedelic rock, the album’s 12 original songs – all written and arranged by Taylor – are the work of a truly 21st century musical omnivore. From the record’s lead track, “Ol’ Mama Dean (Part 1),” which opens with drums and theremin, to the wistful piano closer “Again,” Taylor proves to be a gifted, independent-minded songwriter with a flair for the unexpected and a voice that will haunt your dreams.

Cassie talks about the making of Out of My Mind:

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Join Cassie Taylor, Colin Linden, and Eden Brent in Memphis

May 4, 2013 in Blues Music Awards, Cassie Taylor, Colin Linden, Eden Brent

YDR_BMA_showcase_13_300Coming to Memphis for the Blues Music Awards this week?

Please join us for an exceptional lineup on the afternoon of Thursday May 9, before the big Awards event later that evening.

Kicking things off at 12:45 will be Colin Linden, a genuine renaissance man of roots music – traditional blues, soul and roots rock.  We’re all in for a treat as Colin showcases the combination of exquisite songwriting and deeply rootsy blues guitar that has earned him accolades both as a solo artist and in-demand collaborator as sideman and producer.

At 1:45, Cassie Taylor will celebrate the release of her brand-new album, Out Of My Mind, which The New Yorker praised as “muscular”, “intelligently sexy”, and “slyly subversive”, while Billboard summarized more simply as “sassy.”  Cassie and her power trio will boast a wide swath of influences – spanning centuries, continents and cultures – that create her own indelible and utterly modern sound.

At 2:45, our own “Little Boogaloo”, Eden Brent, will take command of the stage to demonstrate why she’s been praised with superlatives such as “jaw-dropping”, “jubilant”, and “sultry”, earning nine Blues Music Awards nominations including “Album of the Year” and “Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year”.  There are rumors of a new Eden Brent album in production, so it’s possible that we’ll hear previews of a couple of the new songs!

We’ll be at B.B. King’s at 143 Beale Street.  It’s free to the public so please stop by, say hello, and enjoy the music!

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Colin Linden on “The View” with “Nashville”

March 26, 2013 in Colin Linden

Nashville logoIf you’re a roots music fan and an eagle-eyed viewer of the hit television show Nashville, you might have noticed that the on-screen band includes an incredibly prodigious and tasteful guitar player, wearing a trademark black hat — namely, our friend Colin Linden.

The show’s top-notch music track, helmed by executive music producer T-Bone Burnett and co-producer Buddy Miller, has been a big part of its success.  And Colin has been instrumental to that sound — lending his guitar playing to many of the songs performed on the show, and also serving as guitar coach to several of the actors.

Tomorrow morning, the cast of Nashville will visit ABC’s The View, and we’re told that Colin will be part of a band performance segment. Tune in (or set your DVRs) tomorrow morning at 11a ET to catch the show.

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An Auspicious Anniversary

February 28, 2013 in Yellow Dog Records

Thank you for the overwhelming response to the sale!  As the 28th of February is now history, so too is the no-minimum sale.  Please check back in 2023 for next decade’s extravaganza…

ydr_albumbanner_425Yellow Dog Records was founded in 2002 with the goal of cultivating the American musical heritage.  The official release date of our first album – the self-titled Bluff City Backsliders – was February 28, 2003.  Although some administrative activity took place in 2002, we’ve always considered that first release date as our real “birthdate” — which makes us exactly ten years old today.

Over the past decade, we’ve been humbled by the brilliance and creativity of the amazing artists we’ve been privileged to work with — from the madcap magnificence of the Asylum Street Spankers to the scintillating, sultry stylings of Eden Brent; from the funky jams of The Soul of John Black to the exquisite artistry of Mary Flower — we’ve never ceased to be inspired by the thrilling ways in which traditional music can be innovatively re-imagined to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

But most of all, we’re grateful to you, our audience, for the essential support that makes it possible for us to bring this great new music to the wide world.  As a thank-you celebration of our anniversary we’re making our entire catalog available today with no-minimum “pay-what-you-like” pricing — not only immediate downloads, but CDs and even t-shirts.  Please, take some time to explore our music, discover some new favorites (or re-discover some old ones), and bring home something that moves you or brings a smile to your face.  The sale will last until midnight on Feb 28th before we’re back to business as usual.

Visit http://yellowdogrecords.com/order to browse the catalog!

By the way, this is the first storewide sale we’ve ever offered.  We may well do this again for our 20th anniversary in another decade, but we make no promises!  So why take the chance on waiting until then?

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Billboard.com premieres Cassie Taylor’s “That’s My Man”

February 21, 2013 in Cassie Taylor

Billboard has premiered Cassie Taylor‘s new video of the track “That’s My Man”, from her upcoming album Out of My Mind. They call it “sassy” and note its theme of “cars, bars, boys and babes”, but as with everything Cassie does, there’s a twist…

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Yellow Dog Records signs Cassie Taylor

January 18, 2013 in Cassie Taylor, new releases

CT_3799_250We’re thrilled to announce the signing of Cassie Taylor, a masterful stylist of blues, rock, pop, and soul who thrills audiences with her energy and originality.

After spending seven years touring and recording with the fabulous Otis Taylor (yes, there is a family relation), Cassie is now staking a claim as a musician in her own right — a songwriter who filters the blues through the prism of a younger generation.  Using pop vocals and deeply-rooted blues bass lines, Cassie is leading the new wave of blues artists.

Cassie’s new album, Out Of My Mind, is set for release May 7, but you can be one of the first to get it by pre-ordering now!  Pre-orders will be autographed by Cassie and come with an immediate download of the new track “Gone and Dead”.

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The Soul of John Black on the Bluesmobile Christmas Special

December 21, 2012 in House of Blues Radio Hour, The Soul of John Black

logo_bluesmobileThe Soul of John Black’s version of “Santa Claus Needs Some Lovin‘” will be featured on this weekend’s Christmas edition of the nationally syndicated Elwood’s Bluesmobile.  Visit TheBluesmobile.com to find stations and broadcast times near you.

And for some extra soulful holiday spirit, check out the other songs from JB’s festive EP, The Soul of Christmas !

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Colin Linden – Still Live

October 9, 2012 in Colin Linden, new releases



From rocking electric slide to the most delicate acoustic fingerpicking, Colin Linden is a remarkably versatile virtuoso who never strays far from the deep blues that first inspired him as an 11-year-old kid, when his mom took him to see – and meet – the great Howlin’ Wolf.

Colin’s music is deeply rooted in traditional blues, soul and roots rock. His years on the road playing everywhere with everyone have given him a mastery of roots music vocabulary that make him an in-demand producer and guitarist – gifts that ring out most clearly when Colin is on his own, either solo or with a band.

It’s been said that studio albums are artistic statements; live recordings are self-portraits. Colin Linden’s Still Live is an epic autobiography, a tale of two countries and a multitude of genres, all rendered with total commitment, mastery and an infectious enthusiasm that reminds us all just why we fell in love with this music in the first place.

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New music from The Soul of John Black

June 21, 2012 in new releases, The Soul of John Black

We’re pleased to announce new music from innovative soul-roots outfit The Soul of John Black! We’ll be releasing a series of digital singles collectively titled A Sunshine State of Mind – the first two tracks will be released on Tuesday, June 26, with follow-on singles introduced each month through late fall.

The sequence of two-song releases begins with “Lemonade,” an uptempo blues-inspired jam, and “Summertime Thang,” a sultry slow groove that moves through a soulful Al Green pulse to a gorgeous chorus of harmonies.  At the conclusion of the series the entire A Sunshine State of Mind collection will be available for purchase in digital album format, as well as individual tracks.

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