Green Day Announce New Tour Dates

Courtesy: BB Gun press

Pop punk band Green Day has announced two new concert dates to its current tour lineup.  The band—Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals/guitar), Tre Cool (drums) and Mike Dirnt (bass)—added performances on Tuesday, April 16^th and Thursday April 18^th.  The band will perform at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California on April 16^th.  Tickets for this show will be available this Friday at noon local time.  Fan club members will get first access to pre-sale tickets, which go on sale today at 3pm EST/12pm PST.  For more information on this pre-sale and more, fans can go online to http://www.idiotclub.com.  The second of the new pair of performance dates will be at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California.  Tickets for this show will be available next Friday, February 22^nd at 10am local time.       

The dates are just two more in an already very busy schedule for the trio.  The band will kick off its tour on Thursday, March 28^th and will tour across the country through April 18^th before heading overseas for the European leg of its tour.  The tour is in support of the band’s recently released trilogy, Uno!, Dos!, and Tre!  Also recently announced is the upcoming debut of the band’s documentary, Cuatro!, at the 20^th annual SXSW Film Conference and Festival.  The documentary follows the band as it brings its trilogy from concept to store shelves.  It also includes some very special performances recorded along the way.  The 20^th annual SXSW Film Conference and Festival runs from March 8^th – 16^th in Austin, TX.

Also debuting at the annual event is the Doug Hamilton directed, Broadway Idiot.  The film follows Billie Joe Armstrong as he ventures into the world of Broadway and turns the band’s album, American Idiot into the massive stage success that it is today. 

For more information on all of this and to get the latest news from the band, go online to http://www.greenday.com, http://www.facebook.com/GreenDay, http://twitter.com/greenday, and http://www.youtube.com/greenday.

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The Burning Of Rome’s New LP Is One Of 2012′s Sleeper Hits

Courtesy: Surf Dog Records

The Burning of Rome is a breath of fresh air in the music industry today.  This San Diego, California based band mixes elements of college rock with psychadelia, dance, and something almost impossible to pinpoint for a sound that’s seemingly different from any other band out there today.  On its new album, “With Us”, the band has separated itself from the masses even more with its eclectic mix of sounds.  It starts off sounding like any other college rock band.  But it only gets better from there.  Things really start to pick up on the album’s third song, ‘Cowboys and Cut Cigars.’  This is a solid, straight ahead rock song with great driving guitars and drums.  The song’s chorus sections mixed with the guitars and drums really drive the song.  Together, they’re bound to make this an instant hit for the band.

‘Norman Bates’ is an equally intriguing track.  Some may argue, but the way the song opens, there’s almost a touch of The Mamas and the Papas’ ‘California Dreamin’ in it.  From there though, things pick right back up with another song that’s bound to be a major hit in ‘Wake Up Edamame.’  The chorus sounds like Van Halen’s ‘Janie’s Crying’ while the guitar work has more of a grunge tinge.  The combination of the two makes for quite the interesting listen.  The band keeps the energy moving after ‘Wake Up Edamame’ in the form of the quirky ‘Island.’  The vibe of this song is a prime example of that sound that’s seemingly different from anything out there today.  It’s something that simply can’t be compared to any other band.  Any comparison that could be made would be difficult to find as it is such a unique sound.

The band continues setting itself apart from anything else out there today both in terms of college rock and the mainstream across the remainder of the album.  Songs such as ‘Opus for Sleepwalking’, and the equally bizarrely titled, ‘Why Can’t I Stop Killing My Friends’ make this record stand out amongst the crowds even more.  And then there’s what seems to be a tribute to the classic 1960 Roger Corman cult classic, Little Shop of Horrors in the song, ‘Audrey II.’  It takes audio from the classic movie and sets it against its own semi-eerie carnival-esque musical background for a song that simply cannot be compared to any other act out there today.  And ‘Opus For A Sleepwalker’ maintains that eerie vibe too, mixing electronics and guitars together for something that would conjure thoughts of a very dimly lit carnival funhouse.

It goes without saying that considering all of this, one has to wonder about this band.  But the thing is that as different as the band’s sound is on this record, it’s actually surprisingly catchy.  It won’t be an instant hit.  But it will grow on audiences with each listen.  It may not make most critics’ lists of the year’s best records.  But it definitely can be noted that this record is one of the year’s sleeper hits.  Anyone looking to break away from the musical norm and is open minded enough may actually find themselves enjoying it.  “With Us” is available now.  It can be downloaded via iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-burning-of-rome/id215256207.  The band will be performing tomorrow night at the famed Viper Room in Los Angeles in support of the newly released album.  To keep up with any new tour dates and all the latest news from the band, go online to http://www.theburningofrome.com, http://www.facebook.com/theburningofrome, http://twitter.com/theburningofrome, http://www.youtube.com/burningofromemusic.

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New Hotel Lets Guests Get Away Without Getting Too Far Away

If there’s one thing that Los Angeles is known for, it’s the high class hotels and busy lifestyle.  So who would have ever thought that it would be possible to have a taste of the country life right in the heart of one of the country’s biggest cities?  Now anyone visiting L.A. and the surrounding area can get just that thanks to the new Farmer’s Daughter Hotel.

The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel is in the heart of Los Angeles, within walking distance of the famed CBS Studios (where The Price Is Right is taped each day).  It’s also very close to Museum Row and the pedestrian friendly region of 3^rd Street and Melrose.  The hotel mixes high class with country living all into one setting, letting guests get away without being too far away from it all.

And for those worried about The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel being too high class, the hotel offers guests a little video to show that things there are more laid back than one might think.  To get an idea of what to expect at The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel, just check out the link here, http://www.youtube.com/user/farmersdaughterla.

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.