Rich Hopkins (San Jacinto Records) is pleased to announce the September 30, 2014 release date of “Tombstone,”* the 15th album released with The Luminarios. Shil K. Patel of Team Clermont is spearheading radio promotion to Triple A and College markets; Mike Lembo and the team at Funzalo Marketing & Management Services are overseeing marketing activities. The album is scheduled to be released on January 1, 2015 in Germany on Blue Rose Records.
Recorded and produced by Hopkins, Lisa Novak, andLars Goransson in Austin, Texas “Tombstone” features bassist George Reiff (Joe Walsh Band), guitarist Jon Sanchez (Alejandro Escovedo, Bob Schneider), and George Duron on drums. Novak, an award winner singer/ songwriter from Houston, who is also Hopkins’ wife and partner in music, is highlighted as a vocalist and songwriter. The title track was recorded in Tucson with Alan Anderson (drums), Damon Barnaby (guitar), Duane Hollis (Greyhound Soul) on bass, and Sanchez.
Hopkins, who has been a part of the American music scene since 1985, is, amazingly, still an undiscovered talent to some. A founding member of the Tuscon-based Sidewinders (RCA 1989-91)/Sand Rubies (Polygram 1993), Hopkins has released 26 albums in total. “Tombstone,”showcases his “wall of guitar” hallmark and cries out “classic rock is alive and well.” Lyrically,Hopkins‘ distinct personality and keen observations of the world around him provide the content for songs influenced by the changing times and a desire to avoid living in the past.
“This Luminarios album is truly a collective effort. It comes from the heart of each member of this line-up and it shows across the board, from songwriting to production,” Hopkins said. “While we are all guitar players, that is what we love to do after all, we all have the tools to write timeless material. A lot of work goes into that process and we spent a lot of time on each of these songs.”
As the album unfolds, catchy pop hooks and epic rock harmonies are unveiled in a ceremony of searing sound. Complete with social commentary and a defined style, once described by Magnet as a “blend of power pop, folk rock and Tom Petty/Neil Young classicism,” listeners are reminded of the individuality of a Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios record upon first hearing “Tombstone.”
The lead track, “Don’t Worry,” is a reassuring, foot-stomping song that explores all the possible reasons for anxiety while “Everything,” pure pop at its finest, stays in your head for days as you sing,“You’ve got everything you wanted, everything you need, what if everything doesn’t turn out perfectly?”The title track, “Tombstone,” is outlaw Ike Clanton’s drunken tale of the notorious gunfight. Set to memorable, fuzzed out guitar hooks, in this musical retelling, Hopkins and Sanchez go out in a blaze of glory in a duel to the end. Complete with a cinematic western themed video that is now on YouTube, “Tombstone” defines Hopkins‘ musicianship and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
Other notable tracks include: “Mourning Song” (featuring Novak on lead vocals), “No Regrets” (a reminder to live life to its fullest), and closing track “Leona’s Waltz.” Sung by Arnold Parker, a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Novak wrote this heartfelt dedication to her mother who played piano alongside Parker in a ’50s dance band called the Southernaires.
Hopkins toured the U.S. and celebrated success with college/indie rock classics “Witchdoctor” and“We Don’t Do That Anymore” (both went to #5 on the CMJ charts). In 1991, Hopkins formedRich Hopkins and The Luminarios as a side project; it soon became his full time band when theSand Rubies stopped touring. He has consistently cranked out new records and tours yearly in Germany/Europe (25 tours) where, in 1996, he was one of the first artists signed to Germany’s Blue Rose Records.
A new member of the Tucson Musicians Museum (Class of 2013), Hopkins enters music history as the quintessential desert rocker, a constant in the bedrock of alternative music. Showcasing an ability to create unmistakable guitar tones that drive a hallmark sound, as the years pass, Hopkinscontinues to reinvent and motivate himself for yet another album and tour as evidenced on“Tombstone.”
Track Listing
1. Don’t Worry (Hopkins)
2. Everything (Hopkins/ Novak/ Sanchez)
3. Tombstone (Hopkins/ Novak)
4. Home Of The Brave (Hopkins/ Novak)
5. Free Man (Novak/ Hopkins)
6. Hang On (Hopkins/ Novak)
7. Top Of The World (Hopkins/ Novak)
8. No Regrets (Hopkins/ Novak)
9. Campfire Chat with Luke and Jimmy (Hopkins/ Sanchez)
10. Private Shaw (Hopkins)
11. Mourning Song (Novak/ Hopkins)
12. Leona’s Waltz (Hopkins/ Novak)
CD Release Shows
9/18 Austin, TX The Continental Club
9/17 Houston, TX McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
For more information, please visit: http://www.richhopkinsmusic.com/epk.
