Ryan Adams has been praised as "one of rock's most talented songwriters” (SPIN). The 7-time Grammy nominated artist has 17 studio albums to his name, accumulating in millions of sales. He has produced albums for esteemed musicians including Willie Nelson, Jesse Malin, Jenny Lewis and has collaborated with some of music’s most influential artists such as Weezer, Fall Out Boy, America and many more.
 
Ryan’s profound contributions to music have taken many different forms. From his songwriting, to his producing, to fronting the rock/alternative country band Whiskeytown, and forming, “Ryan Adams & The Cardinals,” his ability to connect with audiences across a variety of different mediums is undeniable. Adams’ musical creativity was recognized early on and led to his NME Best Solo Artist win in both 2003 and 2004. In addition to his self-titled, double-Grammy-nominated 2014 album, Ryan’s catalogue includes Heartbreaker, Ashes & Fire, Easy Tiger, Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights, Love Is Hell, his 2001 major label debut Gold, and more.
 
Ryan’s artistry is not limited to his songwriting capabilities. In 2009, he published Infinity Blues, a book of free verse poetry about his journey to self-realization, and Hello Sunshine, a collection of poems and short stories. Ryan’s passion for writing continues, and he is currently working on his first novel. His music has spanned multiple musical genres, and has been incorporated in film and television specials such as Judd Apatow’s top grossing production Bridesmaids, This is 40, popular HBO TV series’ True Blood and Felicity, and his song, ‘Stay Alive’ appeared in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Ben Stiller.
 
In November 2014, Ryan performed a two-night engagement at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall, which turned into a critically acclaimed live album on PAX-AM records, a label specifically for his music releases.

Ryan is widely known for his powerful shows performed all over the world and regarded for his prolific songwriting. He has been praised by many music icons including Noel Gallagher, Taylor Swift and the legend Elton John, who described him as the “fabulous one.” Adams currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his five cats, typewriter, and coffee machine.

While many efforts have been made to describe the music of Speck Mountain, one must jump in headfirst on their own to fully absorb the band’s textured and melodic sound. Deep within their sonic landscape is something innately recognizable––maybe it calls to mind a dozy record player hazing over ’60s soul, a dream, a scrap of a memory cloaked in that fuzzy atmosphere. By their own definition, “ambient soul” seems the most apt. It is a sound that surrounds us, warm and round––a sound that seems like it was always there. 

The same could be said of how the band began. Self-described “musical soul mates,” Marie-Claire Balabanian and Karl Briedrick appear to have lived out parallel lives in the suburban sprawls of Los Angeles and Detroit respectively before finding each other in New York City in the early-2000s. Now based in Chicago, the duo share song writing duties in the formative stages––Balabanian doles out her soulful vocals and Briedrick crafts rich sonic textures in bass and guitar in the final cuts.     

For their third album together Badwater, the creative partners have added drummer Chris Dye, previously of Chin Up Chin Up, and Linda Malonis, a former pentacostal church pianist turned drone-rock organist. 

Bonded by an almost mystical connection and a musical intuition Balabanian and Briedrick have cultivated together, Speck Mountain will release Badwater on Carrot Top Records in January 2013 with tour dates to be announced. 


A 1981 El Camino rumbles down the side street, speakers busted, but still full of magic and life. Pearl Beach has been spray painted on the side. The bed is full of cages of rabbits. Destination unknown, but the driver better unload these rabbits because the sun is getting hotter and the Camino is low on fuel. 

Since its inception, Alligator has always kept a close eye both on new artists and new technologies. In the 1970s, the company produced LPs, cassettes and 8-track tapes. In the 1980s, Alligator was the first blues company to produce CDs, and in the 1990s Alligator was among the first labels to market its catalog over the Internet. These days, alligator.com, the label's website, and its social media sites are instantly updated with the latest news and tour dates. At the website, visitors can listen to a 250-song jukebox while reading bios of every artist, get free downloads and purchase CDs and other blues-related merchandise. Alligator is also deeply involved in the downloading worlds, working closely with almost all of the legitimate download services, making thousands of Alligator tracks available for instant online purchase.

Today Alligator Records is fueled by the same principles that it first established in 1971. The label continues to push forward, still bucking the odds, with everybody working long hours on a shoestring budget. The entire staff is always looking for new talent and listening to a wide variety of roots music. As driven and determined as ever, Alligator is committed to the future. "I want to keep bringing blues and roots music to new fans and getting them as excited about the music as I am," says Iglauer. 

Cooking Vinyl is an independent record label based in London, UK. A hugely diverse roster of acts are currently signed to the label, from The Darkness to legends including The Orb, Shed Seven, to veteran protest singer Billy Bragg, rave pioneers The Prodigy, plus Elles Bailey and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Cooking Vinyl has been in existence since 1986 and has issued over 400 releases in that time.

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