New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Rayland Baxter's new LP 'Wide Awake' has arrived with a tremendous splash and is out today on ATO Records. The album that NPR
Music has called "perfection…a huge leap [that] dips into the rich tradition of witty, sonically complex pop" has also had songs spotlighted by the New York Times and GQ, which named lead single "
Casanova" one of their Songs of the Summer 2018. "
Casanova" has also been the #1 most added song at Triple A and Americana radio.
Rayland's had a busy release week, appearing everywhere from the
Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show to live sessions with Paste, Relix, and WFUV. Rayland currently has more than 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify; he taped a Singles Session this week and performed a Fans First show in Brooklyn in May. Latest single "79 Shiny Revolvers" has been featured on many Spotify playlists as well, including New
Music Friday and
Fresh Folk, and also was placed on Apple Music's Best of the Week playlist.
Watch the animated video for "79 Shiny Revolvers"
Tonight, Rayland hosts an album release show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC to kick off a massive national headlining tour throughout the summer and fall, which also includes back-to-back hometown shows at Nashville's Basement East July 18-19. He will open several shows on Shakey Graves' tour August, and will perform alongside Shakey at Red Rocks on August 30. Full dates below.
'Wide Awake' is produced by
Butch Walker (Weezer, Pink, Pete Yorn) and features Walker himself on bass, Cage the Elephant's Nick Bockrath on guitar, Dr. Dog's Eric Slick on drums, and piano wizard
Aaron Embry (Elliott Smith, Brian Eno) on keys. Rayland's father Bucky Baxter contributes pedal steel, as does original Nashville Cat
Lloyd Green.
Listen to 'Wide Awake' on all platforms here: https://wideawake.raylandbaxter.com/
PRAISE FOR 'WIDE AWAKE'
"Perfection…a huge leap [that] dips into the rich tradition of witty, sonically complex pop" - NPR Music
"Bound to be one of the year's best rock records…modern, American rock music at its finest" - Relix
"His best yet…If you don't know Baxter, you're in for a treat" - Nashville Scene
"A Paul McCartney-style ballad with a plush, full-scale orchestral buildup" - New York Times (on 79 Shiny Revolvers)
"Finally, a song that can unite our very fractured nation!" - GQ (on Casanova)
"A crunchy, Beatles-y track" - Rolling Stone Country (on Casanova)
"Big, psych-jangle production and cynically humorous lyrics" - American Songwriter
WIDE AWAKE TOUR - LEG 1
13-Jul- New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
14-Jul- Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live
15-Jul- Richmond, VA - Broadberry
18-Jul- Nashville, TN - Basement East
19-Jul- Nashville, TN - Basement East
20-Jul- Birmingham, AL - Saturn
21-Jul- Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
24-Jul- Toronto, ON - Adelaide Hall
25-Jul- Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern
26-Jul- Detroit, MI - Otus Supply
27-Jul- Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache
28-Jul- Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
29-Jul- Chicago, IL - Taste of Lincoln Avenue
1-Aug- Indianapolis, IN - Hifi
2-Aug- Davenport, IA - Triple Crown Whiskey Bar
3-Aug- St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
4-Aug- Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
5-Aug- Omaha, NE - Slowdown
8-Aug- Boulder, CO - Outdoor Hill Stage
9-Aug- Denver, CO - Bluebird
10-Aug- Crested Butte, CO @ Public House
12-Aug- Ft. Collins, CO - Bohemiam Nights at New West Fest
SHAKEY GRAVES DATES
24-Aug- Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden w/ Shakey Graves
25-Aug- Missoula, MT - Big Sky Amphitheatre w/ Shakey Graves
26-Aug- Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves
27-Aug- Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves
28-Aug- Boise, ID - Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves
30-Aug- Morrison, CO - Red Rocks (performing w/ Shakey Graves)
WIDE AWAKE TOUR - LEG 2
1-Sep- Nashville, TN - Live on The Green
5-Sep- Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret
6-Sep- Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo
7-Sep- Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
8-Sep- Eugene, OR - Hifi
Music Hall
9-Sep- Portland, OR - Doug Fir
10-Sep- Bend, OR - Volcanic Theatre Pub
11-Sep- Arcata, CA @ Humboldt Brews
14-Sep- San Diego, CA -
Belly Up
15-Sep- Los Angeles, CA - Moroccan Lounge
16-Sep- Templeton, CA - Whale Rock Festival
19-Sep- Sacramento, CA - Harlow's Night Club
20-Sep- Crystal Bay, NV - Red Room at Crystal Bay
21-Sep-
Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst
22-Sep- San Francisco, CA - August Hall
23-Sep- Sonoma, CA - Harvest
Music Festival
28-Sep- Roseland, VA - Devil's Backbone Hoopla
30-Sep- Asbury Park, NJ - Sea Hear Now Festival
