I'm pretty much a blubbering mess right now and that is not a fat joke thank you very much. Thanks to the wonderful people over at NPR we can all now stream the great Ryan Adams brand new album Ashes And Fire. While the album won't officially hit shelves until October 11th, the preview should allow for plentiful listens of the legal variety ahead of the street date at which time we should all buy multiple copies of the new album to make the greatest living songwriter not named Brian Wilson feel loved. A segue of sorts to the theme of the new album, but I'll let you decide. Listen away, it's great. 

Those not partaking in the super sold out west coast shows following the album's release will also be happy to learn Adams has announced a new set of US dates starting on December 2nd in Philadelphia. As has been the case with his latest outings these shows will feature Ryan solo, otherwise known as a show you can't miss. Dates and stream below. Happy days.

12/2 Philadelphia, PA – Academy of Music Tix on sale Friday @ 10am
12/4 Baltimore, MD – Lyric Opera House Tix on sale Friday @ 10am
12/6 New York, NY – Carnegie Hall Tix on sale Friday @ 11am
12/8 Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre Tix on sale Friday @ 10am
12/10 Toronto, ON – Winter Garden Theatre Tix on sale Friday @ 10am
12/11 Chicago, IL – Cadillac Place Tix on sale Saturday @ 10am
12/13 Minneapolis, MN – State Theatre Tix on sale Saturday @ 12pm

The greatness that is Ryan Adams recently detailed the most exciting album of 2011, his latest solo effort titled Ashes & Fire, for which Congress has added a special session to debate declaring the October 11th release date a national holiday. While we await word on the political ramifications of the new album, it's worth noting Norah Jones will be joining in on some backing vocals, an especially promising thought when you recall the haunting beauty of the pair's previous work together on "Dear John" from the fantastic Jacksonville City Lights. For the latest effort Adams kept things in the family by employing Glyn Johns in the producer's chair, the father of his usual solo album producer, Ethan Johns. Of course this wasn't just throwing him a bone as the elder Johns has worked with some artists you might have heard of like The Rolling Stones, The Who, and some band called The Beatles.

To coincide with the eleven song set, the legendary (yes, he is a legend) songwriter will pack up his acoustic and notebook for a solo tour up the west coast starting in San Diego on the presumed new national holiday. While he taunts with my emotions and skips a Los Angeles gig, there is a ton of fun involved for those bigger fans that might be taking a week off work as there will be stops in Napa, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, a San Francisco proper show as well as a visit to the hippies up in Eugene, Oregon. Either way some awesome times ahead. Tickets for the newly announced shows will go on sale this Friday with details and those types of shenanigans available at the official Pax-Am Records site.

Ashes & Fire Tracklist

Dirty Rain
Ashes & Fire
Come Home
Rocks
Do I Wait
Chains Of Love
Invisible Riverside
Save Me
Kindness
Lucky Now
I Love You But I Don’t Know What To Say

West Coast Tour Dates

10/11 San Diego, CA – Balboa Theatre
10/13 Big Sur, CA – Henry Miller Library
10/14 San Francisco, CA – Herbst Theatre
10/15 Napa, CA – Uptown Theatre
10/17 Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
10/18 Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
10/20 Eugene, OR – The Shedd Institute