A mix of Blues covers and Tribute songs.
COVERING UP THE BLUES | A Spotify Playlist
Steve Louw new album ‘Headlight Dreams’ out today & featuring Joe Bonamassa | Music Exchange
In less than 3 weeks since the single release with Joe Bonamassa entitled “Wind in your Hair” Spotify figures reveal over 68 000 listeners and over 98 000 streams of the song “Wind in your Hair “ – a remarkable feat!
Steve Louw shines on Headlight Dreams
Cape Town, 7 May 2021 – It’s hard to believe the last new music we heard from Steve Louw arrived seven long years ago. With the wait now finally over, fans right around the world are already embracing the pop/rock icon’s return with arms wide open.
The past year has been a rich and hugely rewarding one for Steve. Not only did Steve record his brand-new album, Headlight Dreams, in Nashville, along with his long-time friend and producer extraordinaire, Kevin Shirley (John Hiatt, Joe Satriani, Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes), but Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and genius guitarist, Joe Bonamassa also pitched up and added his magic to the record. To boot, SONY ATV, upon hearing the finished album, offered Steve his first international solo artist record deal.
The album now out and with two singles already on high rotation, “Crazy River” and “Wind in your Hair”, the latter is the one that’s quite literally blowing up all around the world. In its first week of release in the US, the track landed at the highly coveted Number Two position on the Billboard ACC Folk Chart, ahead of the likes of the equally commendable Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi.
Along with its spellbinding video, “Wind in your Hair” is the track that sports Joe Bonamassa guitar fills and outstanding middle-eight. What makes this song all the more special for its maker is the fact that Kevin sent it to a friend to master, thereby adding the final piece of magic to this blinding brilliant musical statement.
Steve’s wedding anniversary was coming up two days after the album wrapped and, unbeknownst to Steve at the time, Kevin had sent the track to mastering legend, Bob Ludwig and within a day he’d mastered it and sent it on to Steve on the day as a gift to celebrate his nuptials. “When I got it, I played it on my little Bose speaker out into New York. It was one of the greatest moments ever!” Steve recalls. To top it off, Bob sent an email with the final mastered track saying, “What a wonderful song, what a wonderful vocal performance, I loved working on this”. “I practically did a giddy summersault,” he recalls.
As to the creation of the track, Steve points to how, lyrically, he sings of love changing and building between two people as life throws up detours and bridges. “It’s a love story exploring how two people, who love each other but have different needs and desires, travel through their life and love. The chorus kicks back to the joy of love, while the verses take you on a journey of rough and smooth roads and winding passes, ending at the place they set out for.”
With ten tracks captured in an arresting three-day recording sprint, producer Kevin Shirley channelled each one of Headlight Dreams’ songs through a vintage Neve console inside of a converted church. “From the first moment I loved the acoustics of the studio and the vibe created by the wonderful Nashville musicians with their great feel and playing, drawing you into a world shimmering in the half-light, just out of reach…,” Steve shares.
With the promise of future live shows in support of the album’s release, fans can look forward to sharing what is the greatest ride of Steve Louw’s life. A consummate storyteller, a supremely gifted guitarist and a genuinely wonderful human being, Steve’s Headlight Dreams is a beautiful statement, endorsed and applauded by everyone it touches.
Headlight Dreams is out now via BFD/The Orchard.
Website: SteveLouw.com
Share this:
Thanks for your time…
Thanks for your time.. I feel some what guilty having just heard the story of sixto rodriguez. I am a fan of music more than any other aspect of life. I appreciate the best we have heard, all of it!
I have never understood what people mean when they say things like “art” speak to them. After listening to cold fact I finally understood. Of all the great music I listen to and appreciate. The music of Rodriguez has truly spoke to me. Pure beauty. Rodriguez is a working class hero. A legend. Thanks for your time now you can Thank me for mine.
Paul Staunton
Share this:
Wind In Your Hair | A Spotify Playlist for The Longest Road
Share this:
Review: SATELLIET – ‘The Buckfever Underground’ | Underground Press
From https://www.undergroundpress.co.za/reviews/eps/review-satelliet-the-buckfever-underground
‘The Buckfever Underground’ have created a work of art that may leave you feeling strong and somewhat mellow, wallowing in the calm after entertaining the demands of chaos.
Jodie Reid, 16th April 2021
‘Asem in, asem uit’ and enter the smooth, poetic ambience created by The Buckfever Underground with their latest, spoken word and experimental EP – Satelliet.
Recorded predominantly on cell phones during the creative silence of 2020 – The Buckfever Underground have created a soothing selection of poetry and musical builds that echoes emotions experienced by many of us in recent days. Their EP – ‘Satelliet’ transports listeners through sections of calm tied into subtle frustration with clean acoustic guitar, beautifully spoken poetry and distant ambient tones.
Composed by Michael Currin (guitar), Stephen Timm (production, effects) and Toast Coetzer (vocals, lyrics) ‘Satelliet’ carries through the band’s strong opinions that have been shared with the public since 1998 and exudes characteristics of experimental music with an improvised air. Captivating track names like ‘Love in the Time of Visas’ (2002) and ‘Die Volk’ (featured in the top 100 best protest songs, 1998) engage eyes and ears simultaneously.
The first two tracks of ‘Satelliet’ – specifically: ‘My Geheim Aan Jou’ emits a tone of surrender to whatever the world has in store. This mood starts to shift once the first few seconds of ‘The News’ introduces frustrating topics explored through the media. ‘Ice Pyramid’ creates a transition between opposing moods, exploring both light and dark aspects until the subtle melodies of ‘Een Oog’ drift towards the melancholy. The sounds of ‘Satelliet’ come to an end during ‘The Valley of the Dancing Stones’ which explores all that the world has to offer and leaves listeners in deep contemplation.
‘The Buckfever Underground’ have created a work of art that may leave you feeling strong and somewhat mellow, wallowing in the calm after entertaining the demands of chaos.
Share this:
Steve Louw: Top Ten Tunes
Steve Louw and Big Sky were the opening act for the Rodriguez sold-out tour of South Africa in March 1998.
Here is playlist of Steve Louw tunes, including some with Big Sky, compiled by Brian Currin.
Share this:
Amazing life story
Hi, would you by any chance know the hour of birth of Mr. RODRIGUEZ ? I’m asking because when someone has such an amazing life story, you can find roots in their astro birth chart, but without the time it is imprecise.
Many thanks for your attention,
Kindest regards
Sylvie
Share this:
“Searching For Sugar Man” Film Blows 70-year Old Fan Away
Dear Sixto,
The documentary on your life blew me away. I think I have listened to your music every day since seeing it! You are such an inspiration – your humility is just amazing. When you say in the film that you don’t have regret/anger/resentment regarding the time you did not know that your music was such a success is something everyone should take note of and learn from. And what an incredible impact you had on the South Africans struggling with Apartheid!
Your daughters are also amazing – so thoughtful, articulate, and full of pride for their father.
Please continue to make your music. I’m 70 and hope to be enjoying your music for the next 30 years 🙂
Stay well,
Helen Skelly
New Hampshire
Share this:
My favourite musician of all time
Hey Rodriguez,
I know this won’t be you reading this but if possible I’d love my words to be passed on to you especially in such strange times. My name is Jacob Hall and I’m a 19 year old university student from England and came across your music about 2 years ago and since you have been my favourite musician of all time! Your lyrics are truly mind blowing accompanied by your philosophy towards life which I have seen glimpses on within your famous documentary and brief interviews with magazines. A response from you or your team would be great and as seen on your website an autograph would be one of the great from one of my idols : ) I hope you have kept safe during this pandemic and hope to hear a response from you or your team! Stay safe and thank you for your music Rodriguez.
Jacob Hall
Share this:
Searching for the Sugarman | Oil Painters of America
From https://blog.oilpaintersofamerica.com/2021/04/searching-for-the-sugarman/
April 5, 2021 by E. Melinda Morrison
by E. Melinda Morrison
12” x 12” – Egg Tempera on Panel
I recently saw for the second time, Searching for Sugarman. It is a fascinating documentary of a musician, Sixto Rodriguez, who recorded two albums in the late sixties in Detroit. After being dropped from his record label in 1970, he went into obscurity, giving up his career as a professional musician and turning to construction for his living.
His record producers (who also produced the greats of Motown) said Sixto Rodriguez was one of the best they had ever heard. They ranked him greater than Bob Dylan. But for whatever reason, the early 70’s American public did not embrace him. A cloud of obscurity enveloped him and success eluded him. About the time he was hanging up his guitar, a young American woman shared his album with friends in South Africa. What follows is a lesson for all of us.
Apartheid was in full force in South Africa when Rodriguez’s music came to light. That sharing of an album started a grassroots effort that unfolded into Rodriguez selling over half a million records and becoming a rock superstar in South Africa for more than 30 years. He became a household name bigger than Elvis, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. However, this newfound fame was unbeknownst to Rodriguez as well as his producers. It was only through the efforts of a South African journalist and a jewelry store owner that he found out, 30 years later, that he was famous in a country halfway around the world.
Everyone in South Africa thought Rodriguez was dead. Rumors of different death scenarios had circulated for years as there was no information available on him during this pre-internet time. When a journalist found out he was alive and well, many people in South Africa did not believe it. The story unfolds from there to an invitation for Rodriguez to do a nationwide South African tour, which he did before thousands of adoring fans.
Rodriguez’s art had a life of its own that went well beyond his or anyone’s expectations and touched a nation that badly needed his words. His music had meaning for millions of people. His art providentially found its audience.
16” x 20” – Egg Tempera on Panel
As artists, life can get in the way of getting to the easel. Sometimes thoughts of quitting float in your head. You may never feel good enough. But I am here to say, push those thoughts aside. The world needs your voice. It is never whether you are good enough because we all have something to say at every stage of our artistic journey. The better path is to keep working, striving to grow each day, being honest about strengths and weaknesses in your work, and looking for ways to improve. Always improve! Risk, experiment, try new mediums, ask and welcome feedback, be mentored and mentor others, make adjustments in your work, always set your standards high, but tell your story!
We each have a unique artistic voice that was given us. In searching for that voice in your painting, and being true to it, you may just find yourself unintentionally touching lives that you never knew possible.
Searching for the Sugarman, can be found on Vudu as a rental.
12” x 12” – Egg Tempera on Panel
Share this:
BELOVED SOUTH AFRICAN SINGER / SONGWRITER STEVE LOUW RELEASES NEW VIDEO / SINGLE, “CRAZY RIVER”
April 6 2021, Capetown, SA: Today, much-revered South African singer/songwriter/guitarist, Steve Louw releases, “Crazy River,” the first track from his forthcoming album, Headlight Dreams to be released in May via BFD/The Orchard.
The song itself is an upbeat, transcendent ode to the beauty of a river, its timelessness against the impermanent world it runs through, and the aspects of ourselves that long to be just like it. Louw, with a rich lifetime of music making under the belt, gets it and embraces the moment. The video puts him occasionally front and center, singing and playing with millennial enthusiasm, yet with the confidence that experience brings, his image juxtaposed with footage and stills of lives lived large against a backdrop of mountains, valleys and rapids. So lush is it all that one could just jump at the screen before getting a hold of themselves.
Says Louw of the song, “I once took a long canoe trip down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon and out again. It was a very spacy spiritual place and it felt like I was on a journey to the middle of the earth. I wrote this after the trip. On one level the song is about the river trip and the journey deep inside the raw power and beating heart of nature, but it also reflects on time, our time on Earth, how we experience it, and how the bonds of deep personal relationships with our fellow travellers nurture our souls. I played the acoustic guitar using a few African-style riffs and the band picked up on that feel. Guitarist Rob McNelley contributed beautiful slide guitar.”
From the moment he jumped into the South African music scene in the eighties, he was swimming with the best of em. At that time, he fronted All Night Radio, a group that would release two hit records, The Heart’s the Best Part (1984) and The Killing Floor (1986) and establish Louw as a force to be reckoned with on the SA music scene. But in 1990, Steve achieved legendary status after forming Big Sky, who won the honour of Best South African Rock Act in 1996 and were subsequently accepted into the SA Rock Hall of Fame. In 1998, they supported Rodriguez on tour and were incidentally featured in the film, Searching For Sugar Man.
In 2003, Steve collaborated with Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Anastacia and Brian May (Queen) on a song called “Amandla” that was performed for the Madiba’s 46664 concert in Cape Town by Beyonce and Bono.
He also played and recorded with the aforementioned Rodriguez, Blondie Chaplin and Kevin Shirley, who produced Headlight Dreams. The new album also features a guest spot from heroic guitarist Joe Bonamassa on “Wind In Your Hair.”
Stream/download “Crazy River” here: https://orcd.co/SteveLouwCrazyRiver
Pre-save/pre-add/pre-order Headlight Dreams here: https://orcd.co/SteveLouwHeadlightDreams
For more information, please visit: http://stevelouw.com/
Twitter @stevelouwmusic
And for any media inquiries, please contact:
Martin Myers / Jason Curtis
083 448 4475 / 082 555 5993
Share this:
Better Than Bob Dylan
Hello my name is Lenore Long, I am 85 years old and love your music. You are so creative with the words in your songs. It was my boss at work who told me to go watch Sugar Man at the movie theater, and said that you were so much better than Bob Dylan. After watching your movie I immediately bought your CD. It is one of my greatest joys listening to your music.
Share this:
Fan Request for Sixto
Dear Sixto,
You rock. Your music is like a welcoming gift in these weird times. And your story is probably even more inspiring.
I want to help a friend that is in a bad spot right now. He’s dealing with some issues with his family and his life in general. Since he used to live in South Africa, he knows your music very well.
Could it be possible to ship a signed LP record with a personal message to me? Of course, I will pay the expenses.
If you were to do this, that would be be awesome and probably lift his spirits.
Let me know what you think, and I send the information!
Many thanks, keep rocking.
Seppe Wera
Belgium
