Matisyahu to Play Mercury Lounge on June 2nd
By: Caryn Robbins May. 15, 2014
Billboard is premiering the track "Broken Car" from Matisyahu's forthcoming album Akeda in addition to a Q&A with the artist. The song is the third pre-release track, following "Confidence" and "Watch The Walls Melt Down," that the Grammy-nominated musician has shared from his forthcoming fifth studio album, set for release June 3 via Elm City Music. Of the song, Matisyahu told Billboard "For awhile everything was about this perfection I was striving for as a person and as a spiritual being and as a musician and an artist. But part of getting older and continuing to do this is acceptance of others and myself around me and celebrating the brokenness of it all." Listen to "Broken Car" via Billboard HERE and watch the lyric video and link for sharingHERE. Preorder the record here http://smarturl.it/Akeda_iTunes.
In addition, Matisyahu will be both speaking and performing at TEDxColumbiaSIPA on May 8, which will not be live streamed. We are announcing two release week shows including one at New York City's Mercury Lounge and the other at LA's Grammy Museum. The evening at the Grammy Museum will include a discussion moderated by Vice President of The GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Scott Goldman, and an intimate performance by Matisyahu with all proceeds benefitting the Grammy Foundation. See details below.
The album was recorded in Brooklyn's Studio G and produced by Dub Trio's Stu Brooks with assistance from studio owner Joel Hamilton. The material for the album was written both in Matisyahu's Los Angeles home and while on tour. Matisyahu states, "This record and period of my life deal with madness, listening for and following the inner intuitive voice, a small still sound. This record deals with love, with feelings of brokenness and humility, with humanity, struggle, and sacrifice."
In addition to working with Brooks and Hamilton, Matisyahu also collaborated with Dave Holmes and Joe Tomino from his touring band, Dub Trio, as well as longtime friends and musical collaborators Aaron Dugan, Rob Marscher, and Mark Guiliana. "It was very much an in-house project," states Matisyahu. "The vocal and musical styles are drawn from many places in order to create my current sound, which cannot be categorized very easily." The album has a classic live, analog, recorded feel as well as more modern electronic elements. "There are more tunes on this record that fans may refer to as my 'roots' or as reggae tunes, and those songs lead in and out of tunes with more layers, electronic arrangements and other stylistic influences." The album features special guest appearances by reggae artist Collie Buddz and hip-hop artist Zion I.
Matisyahu first made a name for himself with his album Live at Stubbs (2005), and Youth (2006) quickly followed and reached #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and Reggae Albums chart. Both albums subsequently went Gold and Youth was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. 2009's Light reached #1 on the Reggae Albums chart and stayed in the top spot for 34 weeks. His fourth studio album, Spark Seeker (2011), marked his relocation from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and found him working with Dr. Luke protégé KoOoL Kojak.
Matisyahu Tour Dates
May 17 Richmond, VA Dominion RiverRock Festival
May 23 Chillicothe, IL Summer Camp Music Festival
May 30 Napa Valley, CA BottleRock Music Festival
June 1 Washington, DC Washington Jewish Music Festival*
June 2 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
June 4 Los Angeles, CA The Grammy Museum*
June 19 Asbury Park, NJ The Stone Pony
June 21 Long Island, NY Beer Fields Craft Beer & Music Festival
June 22 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
July 3 Del Mar, CA San Diego State Fair
July 5 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
July 11 Mooresville, IN Serendipity Festival
July 12 Salt Lake City, UT Reggae Rise Up
June 20 Baltimore, MD Power Plant Live
August 26 Reno, NV Knitting Factory Concert House
August 27 Jacksonville, OR Britt Pavilion
August 28 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
August 29 Las Vegas, NV Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
*Indicates Acoustic Evening with Matisyahu
Akeda
1. Reservoir
2. Broken Car
3. Watch The Walls Melt Down
4. Champion
5. Built to Survive (Feat. Zion I)
6. Ayeka (Teach Me To Love)
7. Black Heart
8. Star On The Rise
9. Surrender
10. Confidence (Feat. Collie Buddz)
11. Vow Of Silence
12. Obstacles
13. Hard Way
14. Sick For So Long
15. Akeda
Photo Credit: Jared Polin
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