John Mellencamp goes to folk and blues

+ John Mellencamp’s eagerly anticipated new album, Life, Death, Love and Freedom, produced by T Bone Burnett, has just been released.

+ Mellencamp has characterized the album as a collection of “modern electric folk songs.” With backing from his legendary touring band, the album’s 14 tracks were recorded at his studio in Bloomington, Indiana and mixed in Los Angeles with Burnett behind the boards for all of the sessions. Mellencamp cites Burnett’s production as key to “finding the soul of each song.”

+ “John Mellencamp is true original, a writer and performing artist of passion, talent and spirit who in the course of his exceptional career has maintained a unique and distinctive voice in his songwriting,” said Glen Barros, president & CEO of Concord Music Group who oversees the Hear Music label, releasing the disc. “The songs on this record are perhaps his most intimate, honest and poignant of his career”.

+ The album will be the first ever release in the ΧΟΔΕ (CODE) format. T Bone Burnett and his team of engineers developed CODE, a proprietary audio technology that creates high-definition audio files that are virtually indistinguishable from the original master tapes. The resonance, warmth and presence that has been realized with CODE is unprecedented in the digital era. The CODE version of “Life, Death, Love and Freedom” is a DVD that will come packaged with a standard CD version of the album, available at all retail outlets, at no additional cost to the consumer. The CODE disc is playable on virtually all DVD machines including stand-alone players and drives integrated into computer systems. The DVD’s content can be copied into most computer music software including iTunes and can, then, be downloaded onto personal music players such as the iPod. The standard CD is included to answer all possible compatibility questions. Mellencamp commented, “When T Bone introduced me to CODE, it was a remarkable experience. I could hear the music the way it was intended to be heard. I’m very happy the people are going to be able to share this experience in a way that’s so true to our original intent.”

+ The album’s release has been preceded by broad acceptance of its first track, “My Sweet Love” that includes back-up vocals by Karen Fairchild of the hit country music vocal group Little Big Town. Upon its debut, it was the number one most added song at both the AAA and Americana radio formats and has entered the Top 20 in both within three weeks.

* Visit his page to hear some of his new songs.

* Also, listen to these “My Sweet Love” audio streams or in you tube:

* http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/qtl/John_Mellencamp_My_Sweet_Love.qtl

* http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/John_Mellencamp_My_Sweet_Love.asx