Nick will be appearing in Hyde Park, July 12 with an all-star lineup of British songwriters.

The tickets are on-sale at 9am May 23.

for more information: http://bit.ly/ZcZUaY

In the countdown to venerable indie rock label Yep Roc’s 15th anniversary bash — an event which takes place 10/11-10/13 in Carrboro, NC — they’re letting some unreleased and rare stuff out of the vault each week. This week’s special is an unreleased Nick Lowe video for the song “Stoplight Roses,” a clip that features a forlorn-looking Paul F. Tompkins wandering away from a party to find a place to be alone. Christopher Storer directs. Watch it below.

* = w/ Eleni Mandell
** = w/ Chuck Prophet

Yep Roc’s 15th Anniversary Bash goes down 10/11-10/13 in Carrboro, NC. Get tickets HERE.

The Old Magic was recorded in London with Lowe’s crack backing band anchored by Geraint Watkins (keyboards), Steve Donnelly (guitar), and Robert Treherne (a.k.a. Bobby Irwin, drums). Additional musicians include Ron Sexsmith, Paul Carrack, and Jimmie Vaughan among others. The album was co-produced by Lowe, Neil Brockbank, and Treherne. Rolling Stone.com hailed Nick as “one of the sharpest lyricists in rock” when they premiered “Checkout Time” from the new album. Click the player below to stream “Checkout Time” now.

Tour Dates:
9/18 – Albany, NY – The Swyer Theatre TICKETS
9/19 – Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall/Babeville INFO
9/20 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Small’s INFO
9/22 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge INFO
9/23 – Louisville, KY – Headliner’s TICKETS
9/25 – Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theater INFO
9/26 – St. Louis, MO – Sheldon Arts Foundation INFO
9/27 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads TICKETS
9/29 – Denver, CO – L2 Arts + Culture Center INFO
10/1 – Phoenix, AZ – Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) INFO
10/2 – Solana Beach, CA – The Belly Up TICKETS
10/3 – Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour INFO
10/9 – Charlotte, NC – McGlohon Theater INFO
10/10 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle TICKETS
10/13 – Westhampton, NY – Westhampton Performing Arts Center TICKETS
10/14 – Port Washington, NY – Landmark on Main Street INFO

Nick also premiered an unreleased song as a web exclusive, performing “Tokyo Bay” for the Late Night audience. Check it out HERE.

Click the player below to watch Nick perform “Somebody Care For Me” from his latest album The Old Magic. You can order The Old Magic on CD, LP and digitally now at the Yep Roc Store. Order the CD or LP and get the full digital album instantly in your Stash to start enjoying right away.

Marc Maron Learns How To Be A ‘Sensitive Man’ With Nick Lowe

by Dan Raby

When you’ve been making catchy pop songs as long as Nick Lowe has it’s okay to look to classic sounds for inspiration. Lowe’s new song, “Sensitive Man,” finds the sexagenarian rocker digging deep into the essence of ’50s Sun Records-era rock. The song could feel right at home on a jukebox next to a tune by The Crickets or Jerry Lee Lewis. The backing vocals, Tijuana Brass horns and jangly guitar sounds look to the past but aren’t stodgy nor simply nostalgic. Lowe’s lyrics are simple and witty — expressing complex issues with a wink and smile. Also, as a side note, more songs need to include the word “dinky-doo.”

Nick Lowe told us what inspired him to write “Sensitive Man”:

“The song came about when I was reading Dream Boogie, Peter Guralnick’s book about Sam Cooke. I thought it was such a great book, and this song called “Sensitive Man” came almost fully formed after I read it.

I put it away, I thought, “I can’t use it.” But I quite liked the basic lyrical idea, so I’d get it out of the box every so often, so to speak, and have a look at it. Eventually I changed it around quite a lot.

It’s a really good title. I’m sure someone has done it, but I don’t know of another song with that title.”

I expected something sweet and romantic from Director Scott Jacobson’s video for “Sensitive Man” (which is Lowe’s first music video in 18 years). I did not expect copious amounts of jean shorts. The video follows a man, played by comedian/podcaster Mark Maron, entering a class to help him become a more sensitive guy. This process somehow involves rainbow-colored auras, gorilla masks and something known as “Rollover Whispers.”

Jacobson must have called everyone in his Rolodex for the film. Some apparent alumni of the class are Wilco, Robyn Hitchcock and Lowe’s young son. The teacher is played by comedian Tim Heidecker of the bizarre television show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

I asked Jacobson about casting the “Sensitive Man” video:

“This was the easiest ever video to cast. I actually found more actors who loved Nick and wanted to be a part of it than I could accommodate. If anyone cares to finance a 10-part series of Nick Lowe videos so I can fit everybody in, that would be great.”

The Old Magic is available now on CD, 180 gram LP and digital at the Yep Roc Store.

Check out Nick Lowe’s confirmed US tour dates with a full band HERE.

“At a stage in life when many of his peers are content to live off past glories, Mr. Lowe, now 62, is enjoying a remarkable second wind.” – New York Times

“Elegantly mature, astutely sophisticated pop songs.” – LA Times

“Terrific.” – Vanity Fair

“Gently devastating.” – USA Today

“Wry and acerbic love songs.” – Wall Street Journal

Click the button below to order The Old Magic digital album for only $3.99 now!

Nick Lowe has confirmed his first headlining US tour since the release of The Old Magic. He will be backed on all dates by his longtime band of Geraint Watkins (keyboards), Robert Trehern (drums), Johnny Scott (guitar), and Matt Radford (bass). Dates include an April 25 show at NYC’s Town Hall, with additional shows to be announced soon. See below for a full list of confirmed dates.

4/18 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
4/19 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
4/20 Chicago, IL @ Park West
4/21 Lafayette, IN @ Lafayette Brewing Co.
4/23 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theater
4/25 New York, NY @ Town Hall
4/26 Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theater
4/27 Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
4/29 Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theater
4/30 Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere
5/2 Raleigh, NC @ Fletcher Opera House
5/3 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
5/5 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
5/7 Houston, TX @ Continental Club
5/8 Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
5/9 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre

Click the player below to watch Nick Lowe’s all-new “House For Sale” music video.

The tour follows Lowe’s extensive run of US dates with Wilco in Fall 2011, that had the Seattle Weekly raving “If there is such a thing as a perfect show, Nick Lowe brought it.”

The Old Magic has earned similar praise with the New York Times hailing Lowe’s “remarkable second wind,” and GQ observing “he’s evolved so gracefully, into a cool, croony, moody hybrid: Johnny Cash meets Paul Smith meets Graham Greene.”

NICK LOWE TOUR DATES:
4/18 – First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
4/19 – Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI
4/20 – Park West, Chicago, IL
4/21 – Lafayette Brewing Co, Lafayette IN
4/23 – Phoenix Theater, Toronto, Canada
4/25 – Town Hall, New York, NY
4/26 – Wilbur Theater, Boston, MA
4/27 – Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY
4/29 – Keswick Theater, Glenside PA
4/30 – Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
5/2 – Fletcher Opera House, Raleigh, NC
5/3 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA