aaamusic | On 13, Jun 2011

TOM MORELLO : THE NIGHTWATCHMAN TO RELEASE SOLO ALBUM, WORLD WIDE REBEL SONGS, AUGUST 29th VIA NEW WEST RECORDS

12-SONG SET INCLUDES “SAVE THE HAMMER FOR THE MAN,” FEATURING BEN HARPER

UNION TOWN BENEFIT EP TO BE RELEASED JULY 18th — ALL PROFITS FROM EP RELEASE TO BENEFIT UNION STRUGGLES ACROSS THE NATION VIA SAVEWORKERS.ORG

Tom Morello is set to release the solo album, World Wide Rebel Songs, on August 29th via New West Records. The 12-track set is the anticipated follow up to the 2008 The Nightwatchman album The Fabled City and was produced by Morello. The first single, “Save The Hammer For The Man” was co-written with Ben Harper and features Harper on vocals and guitar. While Morello’s solo albums as The Nightwatchman have primarily been acoustic affairs, World Wide Rebel Songs, features a full electric band, “The Freedom Fighter Orchestra” (comprised of Dave Gibbs on bass, Carl Restivo on guitar and piano, Chris Joyner on keyboard, and Eric Gardner on drums). World Wide Rebel Songs is the 14th studio album of Tom Morello’s influential career.

When describing World Wide Rebel Songs, Morello stated, “Troubled times call out for troubled songs. World Wide Rebel Songs is an album of rousing hopelessness and this time The Nightwatchman has brought along his electric guitar to tip the scales. I wanted to capture a vibe midway between Johnny Cash and Che Guevara, murder ballads and Molotov anthems.”

World Wide Rebel Songs will be released on the heels of Morello’s new benefit EP, Union Town. Union Town will be released on July 18th on CD and Vinyl and is available digitally now. All profits from Union Town will benefit The America Votes Labor Unity Fund via SaveWorkers.org. The studio recording consists of 8 pro-union songs featuring three Morello originals, as well as the Woody Guthrie classic, “This Land Is Your Land” (including the more radical, often censored verses). On February 21st of this year, Morello performed at the Capitol Square in Madison, WI in protest to an anti-union bill put forward by Governor Scott Walker. A recording of the track “Union Song” was captured at this performance and is included on Union Town.

Tom Morello is an original member of the rock bands Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, two artists responsible for multiple Grammy Awards and a combined 30 million albums sold worldwide. He released his first album as The Nightwatchman in 2007. In 2009, Morello formed the band Street Sweeper Social Club with Boots Riley of The Coup. Morello has also been recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the “100 Greatest Guitar Players of All-Time (#26).”

Tom Morello graduated from Harvard University with honors as a Political Science major and has been a widely recognized political activist throughout his career. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award. Morello’s family has been a constant source of political and social inspiration as his great-uncle, Jomo Kenyatta, was the first President of Kenya, and his mother, Mary Morello, founded Parents for Rock and Rap, an anti-censorship counterweight to Tipper Gore’s PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center). With System of A Down’s Serj Tankian, Morello formed Axis of Justice, an organization whose purpose is to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. In the spring of 2008, Morello launched The Justice Tour, a recurring nationwide concert tour. Tour stops, which have featured members of Guns and Roses, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction, MC5, Alice in Chains, Cypress Hill and many more, have visited cities with a day dedicated to a local charity and a rock show to benefit that charity at each stop.

World Wide Rebel Songs Track Listing
1. Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine
2. The Dogs of Tijuana
3. It Begins Tonight
4. Save The Hammer For The Man featuring Ben Harper
5. The Fifth Horseman Of The Apocalypse
6. Speak and Make Lightning
7. Facing Mount Kenya
8. The Whirlwind
9. Stray Bullets
10. Branding Iron
11. World Wide Rebel Songs
12. God Help Us All