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Shane Alexander’s new CD is pure ‘Bliss’

Ever since he burst onto the indie music scene with the release of his debut album The Middle Way in 2005, Shane Alexander has been making a name for himself.

During the past 11 years, he has released five CDs, toured throughout the United States and 11 other countries as both a headliner and as support for such notable acts as Bon Iver, Jewel, John Hiatt, Suzanne Vega, Seal, Styx and Yes, and has had his music placed in more than 100 television shows and films.  His recent track “Skyway Drive-in” from 2013’s Ladera recently surpassed more than 6.5 million plays on Spotify.

His latest offering, Bliss, is further proof that Alexander has a handle on creating incredible music.  The new CD, which will be released on July 8, is the first to be recorded in Alexander’s own Buddhaland Studios in Ventura County, California, about 150 miles up the coast from Los Angeles.

“It was an amazing experience to be at the helm in my own studio, at long last,” said Alexander, “there are many first takes on this record, which led to the songs feeling organic and honest.”

According to his press release, “Bliss is a timeless tribute to both the artist’s classic rock influences and more recent contemporaries such as Jonathan Wilson, Ryan Adams and Conor Oberst. . .” (courtesy of Kim Grant, KG Music Press).    Based on our listen of the CD, we could not agree more.

Our favorite track is the second one, “Something Real Never Dies,” but the CD is packed with great songs that should be placed on repeat while the listener sits back and relaxes.  In fact, this CD should be considered the soundtrack for relaxation.

Several of the musicians that made his last release, Ladera, so good have returned to play on Bliss, including lapsteel by Ojai’s own Jesse Siebenberg and keys by Peter Adams (Josh Groban, Tears for Fears, Ricki Lee Jones).  Alexander also adds two members of his current live band, bassist Vic Ruiz and drummer Josh Grolemund, to the mix, as well as incredible harmonies from vocalists Justine Bennett, Jamie Drake and Sarah Pigion.  He even brings back drummer/percussionist Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, The Civil Wars, Taylor Swift) from his 2010 release Mono Solo on three tracks.

We especially love the cover art, which is hand drawn by veteran rock-n-roll artist Alan Forbes.

Alexander will be performing for his fans in Los Angeles on July 6 at the world-famous Troubadour before heading off on his summer US tour.  He plans to tour Europe in the fall of 2016.

For more info on Alexander, check out his website and Facebook pages, follow him on Twitter, and subscribe to his YouTube channel.