Rock
& Sock Records announced they are releasing "Tokyo's
Fifth" by their recording artist, Tokyo Rosenthal. Appropriately titled,
this is Rosenthal's fifth album on the Rock & Sock label, and
number five in only six years. The record includes 9 new original tunes
penned by "Toke" and a rare cover of Lennon and McCartney's "Helter
Skelter". Also included on the new CD is a video of the album's first
single, "What Did I Used To Be?", which went "mini-viral". This is
Tokyo's latest release since the critically acclaimed "Who Was That
Man?" from 2011. That album made the Top 10 on most Americana Charts.
Tokyo is joined
once again by a stellar cast of musicians including himself on lead and
rhythm guitar, piano, organ, and vocals. Chris Stamey (dB's) returns on
bass, Will Rigby (Steve Earle and dB's) and Logan Matheny on drums,
Toke's constant touring partner Charlie Chamberlain on mandolin and lead
guitar, John Teer (Chatham County Line) on fiddle, Allyn Love (Pedal
Steel), and Matthew Douglas and David DiGiuseppe round out the players
on clarinet and accordion respectively. In addition, Tokyo is
accompanied on vocals by the amazing talent of Andrea Connolly.
As eclectic as
ever, "Tokyo's Fifth" opens with a clarinet lick and continues to
demonstrate his versatility in writing and arranging throughout the
entire album. As always the subject matter is controversial, political,
and personal. Never a stranger to controversy, Toke covers unemployment,
suicide, and out sourcing on the album's first single, "What Did I Used
To Be?", and the immigration situation in Arizona on "The Immigrant".
Tokyo revisits songs dedicated to cities and neighborhoods with
"Killaloe" and "Mulberry Place", and euthanasia on "We Put You Down".
Rarely recording material by other writers, Rosenthal, along with the
screaming violin of Chatham County Line's John Teer, take on "Helter
Skelter", in a very creative and unique arrangement of The Beatle's
classic. Andrea Connolly's vocal harmonies were born to be on Tokyo's
ode to his father, "Waste Of A Heart", the reggae styled, "Smoke and
Mirrors", and she will bring a tears to your eyes on her heartfelt duet
with Tokyo on "We Put You Down".
"I can't
believe it's only been six years since my first record. Seems like we've
been doing this forever, and here we are at number five, said
Rosenthal." "I certainly couldn't have done it without the support of my
wife Carrie Klein and our daughters, Americana radio, my accompanists,
especially my touring partner Charlie Chamberlain, my guru Chris Stamey,
and the folks who buy my music and come to our shows. I hope this album
will make you think, cry, and feel it to be unique, both musically and
philosophically. A lot of great players took part in this project in
order to deliver my vision of how these songs should be presented to my
listeners. I trust we won't disappoint them and any new friends we pick
up along the way."
As of this
writing, Clare FM Radio in Ireland, will be giving "Killaloe" its radio
debut on their station, and Toke has been asked to come there to be
honored and perform in concert early in 2013. Rosenthal will begin
touring world wide and visiting radio stations to support the "The
Fifth" and will announce dates, times, and locations shortly.
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