PeacockSunrise Records is thrilled to announce Sun King Rising’s second album, Signs & Wonders is to be released on October 1, 2022, the album will be available on all popular formats: CD, Vinyl, Digital, and Streaming.
Sun King Rising is the professional moniker of singer/songwriter/piano player John Blangero who hails from Port Isabel, Texas.
He calls his music “the new wave of southern rock and soul music.”
PeacockSunrise Records is the Americana/Rock label spinoff of Nick Katona’s successful Progressive Rock label, Melodic Revolution. Like Sun King Rising’s highly acclaimed debut album, Delta Tales, Pittsburgh’s Ace Acker served as producer.
Save for Queen’s Brian May, Blangero is perhaps incomparable in all the world. Like May—Queen’s guitarist—Blangero is not only a brilliant, entirely original musical artist but also a world-renowned scientist (May is an astrophysicist) specializing in genetics research.
Blangero’s music draws from his own southern family roots, the literary genius of William Faulkner, the bluesy compositional brilliance of George Gershwin, the blue-eyed soul of Elton John, and the funky rhythms and horns of the 60s-70s Muscle Shoals. Soaring electric guitars add spice to this gumbo. It is a unique fusion of innate design with heartfelt musical expression— “the Genetics of Soul.”
“With this album, Sun King Rising has made a quantum leap,” says Katona. “Musically and lyrically, Signs & Wonders rocks hard while engaging the imagination. It is thematically coherent, complex, and sophisticated.”
Blangero attributes this to the vastly improved circumstances under which Acker was able to produce it. “We started recording the first album in January 2020. Two months later, the COVID-19 pandemic locked the whole world down,” he says.
Coping with resulting restrictions on travel and meetings forced Blangero and Acker to complete the production remotely, with thirty-two different players and singers recording in multiple studios across the country. Says Blangero, “It was a logistical challenge, to say the least.”
With Signs & Wonders, the production team had no such hurdles. Recording again at Pittsburgh’s Maplewood Studio with engineer David Granati at the helm, Acker put together a full 5-piece band, a horn section, and a background chorus with the city’s most acclaimed talents. “Most of the cuts on the album we recorded live at Maplewood, with the same band,” Acker explained, “resulting in a far more consistent sound. The logistics were a breeze.”
Signs & Wonder is a collection of Blangero’s southern noir stories set to music, with a cast of colorful characters, intrigue, tales of sin and redemption, murder without justice, and love without limits. Had William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams been lyricists, they might have written deeply nuanced musical stories like Sun King Risings.
The album’s first single, “No. 6 Magnolia Avenue,” is classic 60s/70s horn band pop in the vein of Chicago, Spiral Staircase, and Blood,
Concurrent with the single’s release, PeacockSunrise will debut its cinematic music video directed by Dante Ludovici, the man behind the cameras for the official “Free Will in China Blue” video from the first album.
Sun King Rising‘s debut album, Delta Tales was released worldwide a year ago in multiple formates; CD, digital, and vinyl which has been delayed due to the pandemic, but is still on track for release.
AboutSun King Rising?
Sun King Rising is the professional moniker of singer/songwriter/piano player John Blangerowho hails from Port Isabel, Texas. Blangero is steeped in the traditions of southern rock and country soul. His music, arrangements, and vocal stylings have a strong ’70s vibe reminiscent of Leon Russell and Joe Cocker, while also sounding fresh and new. Blangero’s songs are filled with memorable hooks, rocking piano, driving rhythms, a powerful horn section, and soulful female background singers a la’ Ray Charles’ Raelettes.
“I’ve been wanting to do a solo Americana/southern soul/classic rock type of album for many years,” Blangero said. “I wanted to capture some of that classic rock and soul vibe in my own songs. So, I started writing and recording solo demos of songs like Let There Be Light, Down the Delta Road, Drive Me to Nashville, In A State of Grace, and Love Turns Grey
The recording of Delta Tales was a fascinating task, spanning four months, from January 2020 to mid-May. The Coronavirus shutdown in April forced Blangero and Acker to complete the production remotely with players and singers dubbing their parts over the basic tracks in several different studios across the country.
Said Blangero, “It was a logistical challenge, but Ace did a great job organizing the players and the sessions. I am proud of this record. We captured the magic that I’ve always heard in my head with great background singers, classic horn parts, tight rhythm sections, killer guitar, funky keys, and my own acoustic piano parts. It sounds like it could have been recorded in the early 70s, which is the vibe I was going for.”
In closing, Blangero said, “I tried to capture my southern soul on this album. I hope that the overall message it conveys is one of positivity, especially in these dark times. I think we have put together strong songs that will make people tap their feet and sing along, too! For me, the song is everything.”
Produced by Steven “Ace” Acker, formerly of notable 1970s MCA recording artists. LAW, the album is a collection of nine original songs and a 1969 R&B gem titled, “The Snake.” It was a complex production involving multiple studios and numerous top players and singers scattered throughout the country. While not a concept album, per se, “Delta Tales” is thematically coherent. It is about the southern experience. Its songs are vignettes of love found, love lost, family, faith, historical burden, betrayal, sin, and redemption set in a southern cultural landscape. Yet, they are also universal themes.
CD TrackListing
The Snake Milkweed And Thistle Down The Delta Road In A State Of Grace Take It Down Beneath The Southern Sun Evangeline In The Morning Love Turns Grey Drive Me To Nashville Let There Be Light
Sun King Rising scores in a big way with this album and admirers of Delta Tales will look forward to a future burning with promise…. – Melody Maker
“This is a stomper and a raver that’s sure to take you back even if you weren’t there in the first place. Hot stuff…” – Midwest Record Entertainment
Delta Tales…brings such all-encompassing passion and musical vision to bear on the album’s ten cuts that it is a complete listening experience. There are no holes in this release. – NeuFutur Magazine
Soaring progressive-rock grandeur meets deeply soulful Southern rock at the crossroads of Delta Tales. – Elmore Magazine
It is rare indeed to be captivated by just the first few bars of a record, but I was immediately intrigued to discover something earthy and full of heart and soul…. – House of Prog
Delta Tales is full of dramatic close-ups, panoramic sweep, heart-stopping highs, and melodies unfolding as natural as breathing… – Hollywood Digest
The song is the first single from Sun King Rising’s debut album, “Delta Tales.” Written John Blangero (aka Sun King Rising), as a bonus track, it quickly became a fan favorite around the world. While CD buyers will receive an HQ download of the song, it will appear on the vinyl version, now in production.
The video was produced and directed by Hilton Head, SC filmmakers, Cyndee Kaule and Eddie Anthony, the video is an artful, allegorical depiction of the song’s story.
“We tried to capture the emotional essence of this heartfelt song,” said Kaule.
Kaule brought Anthony a well-established director to create and collaborate on the project. The result is a sexy fable and a visual feast. “Not only does Eddie direct,” Kaule explained, “he also plays the singer/composer in the film.”Anthony said, “To play an incredible artist like John Blangero is an honor and privilege.” The shoot became a family affair, with Kaule playing “China Blue,” and Anthony’s daughter, Hadley Galaviz, serving as cinematographer.
Click on image to watch
FREE WILL IN CHINA BLUE (Digital Only Bonus Track) (John Blangero/Reborn Pelican Songs/BMI)
John Blangero—Lead vocal/Piano/Organ George Perilli—Drums Joe Macre—Bass Willie Ross and Ace Acker—Guitars Stephanie Wellons & Joy Brown—Background vocals Terminus Horns: Horn Section
Bonus track from the exciting new PeacockSunrise Records release, Delta Tales by Sun King Rising Release Date: 10.2.20 Format: LP, CD, and high-quality digital formats
PeacockSunrise Records Is thrilled to announce that Pre-sales for Sun King Rising‘s debut album, Delta Tales has kicked off today on the Sun King RisingBandcamp store, Delta Tales is available in three formats; CD, vinyl, and digital.
Sun King Rising is the professional moniker of singer/songwriter/piano player John Blangero who hails from Port Isabel, Texas. The album is produced by New York-based producer, Steven “Ace” Acker.
“Blangero is steeped in the traditions of southern rock and country soul,” “His music, arrangements, and vocal stylings, has a strong’70s vibe reminiscent of Leon Russell and Joe Cocker, yet still sounding fresh and new.
Blangero’s songs are filled with memorable hooks, rocking piano, driving rhythms, a powerful horn section, and soulful female background singers a la’ Ray Charles’ Raelettes.
“I’ve been wanting to do a solo Americana/southern soul/classic rock type of album for many years,” Blangero said. “I love the music of Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Dan Penn, and others and I wanted to capture some of that vibe in my own writing. So, I started writing and recording solo demos of songs like Let There Be Light, Down the Delta Road, Drive Me to Nashville, In A State of Grace, and Love Turns Grey
The recording of Delta Tales was a fascinating task, spanning four months, from January 2020 to mid-May. The Coronavirus shutdown in April forced Blangero and Acker to complete the production remotely with players and singers recording in several different studios across the country rather than recording additional live, full-band studio sessions.
Said Blangero, “It was a logistical challenge, but Ace did a great job organizing the players and the sessions. I am proud of this record. We captured the magic that I’ve always heard in my head with great background singers, classic horn parts, tight rhythm sections, killer guitar, funky keys, and my own acoustic piano parts. It sounds like it could have been recorded in the early 70s, which is the vibe I was going for.”
In closing, Blangero said, “I tried to capture my southern soul on this album. I hope that the overall message it conveys is one of positivity, especially in these dark times. I think we have put together strong songs that will make people tap their feet and sing along, too! For me, the song is everything.”
CD TrackListing
The Snake Milkweed And Thistle Down The Delta Road In A State Of Grace Take It Down Beneath The Southern Sun Evangeline In The Morning Love Turns Grey Drive Me To Nashville Let There Be Light Free Will In China Blue -Digital-Only Bonus Track
Side 1 The Snake Milkweed And Thistle Free Will In China Blue In A State Of Grace Take It Down
Side 2 Beneath The Southern Sun Evangeline In The Morning Love Turns Grey Drive Me To Nashville Let There Be Light Down The Delta Road – Digital-Only Bonus Track
A stellar debut from Sun King Rising that finds this exceptional unit shining on 10 delicious tracks. – Daniel Pavlica: The Rocktoligist
This is a thoroughly enjoyable album, full of memories and great songs, in the tradition of The Bandand so many others. Classic rock and soul steeped in Americana, with great songs and vocals, this album is a sheer delight from the first strike of the snare drum to the organ fade out. – Kev Rowland: ReZonatZ
This is a stomper and a raver that’s sure to take you back even if you weren’t there in the first place. Hot stuff. – Midwest Records Entertainment
Watch the First Official Video from Delta Tales Here.
PeacockSunrise Records (PSR) is thrilled to welcome The Sun King Reborn to its family for the release of their upcoming debut album “Delta Tales” due out in 2019.
The Sun King Reborn is the solo project of composer, vocalist, and piano player John Blangero from Port Isabel, Texas (USA). The music of The Sun King Reborn is filled with memorable hooks, rocking piano, driving rhythms, and a powerful horn section.
The songs will fill your dreams with memories of lost loves warm nights under the magnolia trees, sweet gospel music, and all-night parties at the local honky-tonk.
Steeped deep in the tradition of southern rock, roots music and country soul, John writes songs that are influenced by such classic artists as Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, and Dan Penn, but that are colored by his own musical style.
From poignant country soul ballads to up-tempo classic rock, The Sun King Reborn provides a musical backdrop for the lives of the southern working class. The band are currently in the studio putting the finishing touches to “Delta Tales.”
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