Multi-talented, genre-jumping musician, poet and songwriter Michael Franti is set to unleash his latest album with Spearhead next week, but before SOULROCKER hits shelves, you can give it a listen in its entirety.
The new record hears the band bringing together their multitude of musical affinities, borrowing from familiar sounds of hip-hop, rock, folk and reggae — and introducing a newfound interest in electronic music.
Offering up a set of songs that are both thought-provoking and hopeful, Franti and his band find just the right balance between positive thinking and political consciousness. "I really believe that music can help fight war and violence and hatred," he said in a statement. "The world needs that more than ever now, so my intention with this album was to make music that could bring people together."
Working with Jamaican producers Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor and Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin Quee, the group take the listener on an eclectic journey through hard work ("Get Myself to Saturday," "We Do This Every Day"), reward ("My Favorite Wine Is Tequila") and, of course, love ("Crazy for You," "I Got Love for Ya," "Love Will Find a Way").
You can see them bring their music and their message across North America this summer at the shows listed below. Scroll past the upcoming live dates to hear SOULROCKER from start to finish in the player below. It's officially out on June 3 through Fantasy Records.
Tour dates:
05/27 Napa, CA - BottleRock Music Festival
05/29 Monterey, CA - California Roots Music and Arts Festival
06/02 Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn's Peak
06/03 Pittsburgh, PA - Three Rivers Festival
06/05 Hunter, NY - Mountain Jam
06/12 Russell Township, OH - LaurelLive
06/15 Portland, ME - Thompson's Point
06/16 Boston, MA - House of Blues
06/17 Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
06/18 Stratton, VT - Wanderlust Festival
06/19 Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
06/21 Ann Arbor, MI - Ann Arbor Summer Festival
06/22 Grand Rapids, MI - Meijer Gardens
06/24 Des Moines, IA - Simon Estes Amphitheater
06/25 St. Paul, MN - Twin Cities Jazz Fest
06/26 Bayfield, WI - Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
06/28 Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
06/30 Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
07/02 Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Jazz Festival
07/29 Kaslo, BC - Kaslo Jazz Festival
08/03 Costa Mesa, CA - Pacific Amphitheatre
08/04 Mammoth Lakes, CA - Mammoth Festival
08/05 Flagstaff, AZ - Pepsi Amphitheater
08/06 Durango, CO - Three Springs
08/07 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
08/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden
08/11 Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater
08/12 Troutdale, OR - Edgefield
08/13 Tamarack, ID - The Huckleberry Jam
08/16 Missoula, MT - Big Sky Brewing Company
08/17 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Concert House
08/19 Lake Tahoe, NV - MontBleu Resort & Casino
08/20 Lincoln, CA - Thundervibes
08/25 San Luis Obispo, CA - Avila Beach Resorts
08/26 Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
08/27 Tucson, AZ - The Rialto Theatre
08/28 Santa Fe, NM - The Santa Fe Opera House
The new record hears the band bringing together their multitude of musical affinities, borrowing from familiar sounds of hip-hop, rock, folk and reggae — and introducing a newfound interest in electronic music.
Offering up a set of songs that are both thought-provoking and hopeful, Franti and his band find just the right balance between positive thinking and political consciousness. "I really believe that music can help fight war and violence and hatred," he said in a statement. "The world needs that more than ever now, so my intention with this album was to make music that could bring people together."
Working with Jamaican producers Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor and Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin Quee, the group take the listener on an eclectic journey through hard work ("Get Myself to Saturday," "We Do This Every Day"), reward ("My Favorite Wine Is Tequila") and, of course, love ("Crazy for You," "I Got Love for Ya," "Love Will Find a Way").
You can see them bring their music and their message across North America this summer at the shows listed below. Scroll past the upcoming live dates to hear SOULROCKER from start to finish in the player below. It's officially out on June 3 through Fantasy Records.
Tour dates:
05/27 Napa, CA - BottleRock Music Festival
05/29 Monterey, CA - California Roots Music and Arts Festival
06/02 Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn's Peak
06/03 Pittsburgh, PA - Three Rivers Festival
06/05 Hunter, NY - Mountain Jam
06/12 Russell Township, OH - LaurelLive
06/15 Portland, ME - Thompson's Point
06/16 Boston, MA - House of Blues
06/17 Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
06/18 Stratton, VT - Wanderlust Festival
06/19 Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
06/21 Ann Arbor, MI - Ann Arbor Summer Festival
06/22 Grand Rapids, MI - Meijer Gardens
06/24 Des Moines, IA - Simon Estes Amphitheater
06/25 St. Paul, MN - Twin Cities Jazz Fest
06/26 Bayfield, WI - Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
06/28 Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
06/30 Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
07/02 Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Jazz Festival
07/29 Kaslo, BC - Kaslo Jazz Festival
08/03 Costa Mesa, CA - Pacific Amphitheatre
08/04 Mammoth Lakes, CA - Mammoth Festival
08/05 Flagstaff, AZ - Pepsi Amphitheater
08/06 Durango, CO - Three Springs
08/07 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
08/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden
08/11 Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater
08/12 Troutdale, OR - Edgefield
08/13 Tamarack, ID - The Huckleberry Jam
08/16 Missoula, MT - Big Sky Brewing Company
08/17 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Concert House
08/19 Lake Tahoe, NV - MontBleu Resort & Casino
08/20 Lincoln, CA - Thundervibes
08/25 San Luis Obispo, CA - Avila Beach Resorts
08/26 Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
08/27 Tucson, AZ - The Rialto Theatre
08/28 Santa Fe, NM - The Santa Fe Opera House
