Shout! Factory Kids, Nick Jr. Partner For New Kuu Kuu Harajuku DVD

Posted on July 31, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Shout! Factory Kids/Nick Jr./Viacom

Shout! Factory Kids has teamed with Viacom and Nick Jr. to ring audiences another new collection of Kuu Kuu Harajuku episodes.

Kuu Kuu Harajuku: Super Kawaii is currently scheduled to be released Tuesday, September 26 on DVD in stores and online. The set features 12 more episodes from the series’ debut season. Pre-orders are available now via Amazon and ShoutFactory.com.

This time out, the young ladies of HJ5 have to turn Music back to herself when she turns into her alter ego, Muzaka in “Music Zoo.” “Oh G” sees one of Pigment’s paintings come to life, leading the ladies to have to get things back under control. In “Control + Alt + Dimension” Love ends up in an alternate dimension and has to get back to her own world.

These are just some of the episodes featured in the series’ latest release. Nine other episodes fill out the disc. As an added bonus, the collection also features interviews with the series’ voice vast.

More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory and Shout! Factory kids is available online now at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN’s Marty Smith Getting His Own Show

Posted on July 28, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN personality Marty Smith is getting his own monthly show.

The veteran reporter’s new program SportsCenter Presents: Marty Smith’s America will launch Wednesday, Aug. 2 on ESPN2. The hourlong program will see Smith conducting interviews with notable sports newsmakers each week.

Smith said of the program that it stemmed from Smith’s desire to profile people and their stories more.

“Everyone has a story,” Smith said. “This life is about relationships and sharing those stories. My team and I thoroughly enjoy telling them, through the prism of building lasting relationships. Work hard. Be kind. Have passion. That’s us. We have a unique style and energy. We genuinely care about the people we cover – not just the stories they provide.”

ESPN Senior Vice President Rob King said the series will see Smith interviewing his subjects in out of the ordinary settings such as “pond swimming with Nick Saban and hooping it up with Alan Iverson, and examining their different viewpoints on practice, reporting from the back of a race car and challenging Cam Newton to a game of flag football.”

The series’ debut episode will see Smith spending a day with Newton at a charity kick ball game in Charlotte, N.C. in “Kicking It With Cam.” It will also see Smith join soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in China in “All Access with CR7 in China.” “The Trojan Horse,” also included in the series’ debut episode, follows Smith as he spends a day with USC quarterback and pre-season No. 1 overall draft pick Sam Darnold on the USC campus in L.A.

NBA star LeBron James is also profiled in the series’ debut episode, but not in his own words. Smith sits down with James’ best friend and business manager Maverick Carter in “The King Maker,” also included in Marty Smith’s America.

As if all of the stories set for the series’ debut is not enough for audiences, former college football star and Major League Baseball hopeful Tim Teabow will serve as Smith’s co-host on the series’ premiere.

More information on Marty Smith’s America is available online along with all of ESPN’s latest news and more at:

Website: http://espn.go.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPN

Twitter: http://twitter.com/espn

36 Crazyfists Announces New Album Release, Tour Dates

Posted on July 28, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: Spinefarm Records

The wait is almost over for 36 Crazyfists’ next new album.

The band will release its new album Lantern Sept. 29 via Spinefarm Records. It is the band’s second record through the label – its first with Spinefarm was 2015’s Time and Trauma–and its eighth album overall.

In anticipation of Lanters’ upcoming release, the band—Brock Lindow (vocals), Steve Holt (guitar), Mick Whitney (bass) and Kyle Baltus (drums)—premiered the album’s lead single ‘Death Eater’ this week via Loudwire. Lindow explained in a recent interview the song is a very introspective work, lyrically speaking.

“It’s a reflection of self and the dwellings of rock bottom, discovering the tools to dig yourself out, and refusing to let yourself free fall into the abyss of hopelessness,” Lindow said. “Love, forgive and never give in.”

He added the album’s overall lyrical theme is very much along the same lines as that of ‘Death Eater.’

“Lanterns is about the fight within us all…forever refusing to sink,” Lindow said.

Pre-orders for Lanterns are open now. The album’s full track listing is noted below.

LANTERNS TRACK LISTING:
“Death Eater”
“Wars to Walk Away From”
“Better to Burn”
“Damaged Under Sun”
“Sea and Smoke”
“Where Revenge Ends”
“Sleepsick”
“Bandage for Promise”
“Laying Hands”
“Below The Graves”
“Old Gold”
“Dark Corners”

The band will take to the road in support of Lanterns. It will join Devildriver, Uncured, Tetrarch and Cane Hill for a more than monthlong tour across America for the tour beginning Aug. 18. The tour includes stops in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Washington and a number of other states nationwide.

The tour’s current schedule is noted below.

36 CRAZYFISTS ON TOUR:
With DevilDriver, Uncured, Tetrarch:
8/18: San Jose, CA @ The Ritz – San Jose
8/19: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
8/20: Spokane, WA @ The Pin
8/21: Billings, MT @ Pub Station

With /DevilDriver, Uncured, Tetrarch, +Cane Hill:
8/23: Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
8/24: Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
8/25: Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theatre
8/26: Battle Creek, MI @ Leila Arboretum* (Michigan Metal Festival)
8/27: La Crosse, WI @ Cavalier Lounge
8/28: Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze
8/29: Sioux Falls, SD @ Bigs Bar
8/30: Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
8/31: Wichita, KS @ Crown Uptown
9/1: Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
9/2: Sauget, IL @ Pop’s
9/5: Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
9/7: Louisville, KY @ Trixie’s Entertainment Complex
9/8: Dayton, OH @ Oddbodys
9/9: Clarksville, TN @ The Warehouse – TN
9/13: Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse (at The International)
9/14: Virginia Beach, VA @ Shaka’s
9/15: Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligan’s Music Hall
9/16: Augusta, GA @ Iron Heights
9/20: Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
9/21: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
9/22: Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s Backroom
*Festival Date

More information on36 Crazyfists’ new album, tour dates and more is available online now at:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/36crazyfists

Twitter: http://twitter.com/36CF

Film Movement Bringing Blues Doc Home This Summer

Posted on July 28, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: Film Movement

Independent film studio Film Movement is taking audiences on a journey into the history of the blues this summer.

Film Movement will release its documentary I Am The Blues Tuesday, Aug. 8 on DVD and Digital HD. The documentary, originally released theatrically in 2015, takes audiences on a tour of the places that formed the foundations of the blues, meeting the people who helped form those bases along the way.

The places include the swamps of the Louisiana bayou, the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta and the hidden gems of the famed “Chitlin Circuit” that so many of the blues founders traveled decades ago. Those founders include the likes of Bobby Rush–who won his first-ever Grammy® with his latest recording Porcupine Meat, which Rush released at the age of 83—Barbara Lynn, Little Freddie King, Lazy Lester, Henry Gray, Carol Fran, Bilbo Walker and many others.

Audiences can view a trailer for the award-winning, 106-minute documentary online now here. More information on this and other titles from Film Movement is available online now at:

Website: http://www.filmmovement.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/filmmovement

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Film_Movement

Remada Announces New Live Dates

Posted on July 28, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: O’Donnell Media Group

Hard rock outfit Remada has announced a new series of live dates.

The band announced this week it will hit the road for a five-week North American tour that launches Aug. 12 in St. Cloud, MN and runs through Sept. 17 in Iowa City, IA, including performances in York, IL; Youngstown, NY; Kansas City, MO and other cities. The band will also play one additional, separate date on Oct. 7 in St. Cloud, MN.

Earlier this year, Remada officially introduced itself to the world when it debuted the video for its single, ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ which was included in its EP The Blackout, released April 29.

More information on Remada’s upcoming live dates is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:

Website: http://www.RemadaOfficial.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialRemada

Twitter: http://twitter.com/OfficialRemada

Gary Numan Debuts ‘My Name Is Ruin’ Video

Posted on July 28, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: BMG Music

Gary Numan debuted the video for his latest single ‘My Name Is Ruin’ this week.

The video comes only weeks after he first premiered the song, which is the lead single from his upcoming album Savage (Songs From A Broken World). The album is currently scheduled to be released Sept. 15 via BMG Music and will be available on Cd, deluxe CD, double vinyl, cassette, digital and MFit platforms. Its full track listing is noted below.

Savage (Songs From A Broken World)
Standard CD Edition – Official Tracklisting

01. Ghost Nation
02. Bed Of Thorns
03. My Name Is Ruin*
04. The End Of Things
05. And It All Began With You
06. When The World Comes Apart
07. Mercy
08. What God Intended
09. Pray For The Pain You Serve
10. Broken

The video – directed by Chris Corner — places Numan and his daughter Persia in the post-apocalyptic world described in a recent interview in which he describes the album’s concept. It is a vast, empty wasteland of deserts and mountains that heightens the emotion in the song’s arrangement and lyrical content. Audiences can view the video online now here.

Numan will hit the road this fall and winter in support of his new album for a roughly monthlong North American tour that begins Nov. 15 in San Diego, CA. The tour runs through Dec. 16 and currently includes performances in Seatlle, WA; Houston, TX; Brooklyn, NY and a handful of other cities. The current tour schedule is noted below.

Gary Numan – Savage North American Tour Dates:
Nov 15 – The Observatory North Park; San Diego, CA
Nov 16 – Teragram Ballroom; Los Angeles, CA
Nov 17 – The Observatory; Santa Ana, CA
Nov 19 – The Fillmore; San Francisco, CA
Nov 21 – Wonder Ballroom; Portland, OR
Nov 22 – Neptune; Seattle, OR
Nov 23 – The Rickshaw Theatre; Vancouver
Nov 24 – Commonwealth; Calgary
Nov 26 – Pyramid Cabaret; Winnipeg
Nov 28 – First Avenue; Minneapolis, MN
Nov 29 – Thalia Hall; Chicago, IL
Nov 30 – St Andrews Hall; Detroit, IL
Dec 01 – Opera House; Toronto
Dec 04 – Paradise Rock Club; Boston, MA
Dec 06 – Union Transfer; Philadelphia, PA
Dec 07 – Brooklyn Street; Brooklyn, NY
Dec 09 – 9:30 Club; Washington DC
Dec 11 – The Masquerade – Heaven Stage; Atlanta, GA
Dec 12 – Exit / In; Nashville, TN
Dec 14 – Trees; Dallas, TX
Dec 15 – Warehouse Live Studio; Houston, TX
Dec 16 – The Mohawk; Austin, TX

Tickets are available now for all dates, and can be purchased here.

More information on Gary Numan’s new video, album, tour and more is available online now at:

Website: http://garynuman.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GaryNumanOfficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/numanofficial

Ala.Ni Announces New Live Dates

Posted on July 28, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: Missing Piece Records

Ala.Ni will make her North American tour debut this fall.

The British-born, French-based singer announced this week she will join Son Little for a short string of live North American dates beginning Oct. 18 in Asbury Park, NJ. The schedule, which is in support of her debut album You & I, runs a little more than a week, includes performances in Asheville, North Carolina; Pawling, New York; Annapolis, Maryland and a handful of other dates. It ends Oct. 27 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The full tour schedule is noted below.

Tour Dates with Son Little:

10/18: Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar

10/19: Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

10/20: Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater

10/21: Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair

10/22: Pawling, NY – Daryl’s House Club

10/24: Annapolis, MD – Rams Head on Stage

10/25: Vienna, VA – The Barn at Wolf Trap

10/26: Asheville, NC – The Mothlight

10/27: Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar

Also in support of her new album, National Public Radio presented an interview featuring Ala.Ni on its World Café program that can be heard here now. The up-and-coming singer discussed with host David Dye the inspiration behind the songs featured on her new album, her life in music and more.

If that is not enough, audiences can also view one of Ala.Ni’s live performances of her song ‘Cherry Blossom’ taken from BBC2’s hit program Later…with Jools Holland now.

You & I is available in stores and online now. More information on the album is available online now along with all of Ala.Ni’s latest news and more at:

Website: http://www.ala.ni

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alaniofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/alaniofficial

Rock Supergroup Announces Name, Updates Album Work

Posted on July 28, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: Frontiers Records/Alpha Omega Management

The fire is burning bright with rock super group Spirits of Fire.

The previously unnamed band, which features Steve DiGiorgio (Testament, Death, Sadus), Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Beyond Fear), Christopher Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Chroma Key, Ten), now has a name – Spirits of Fire — and details on its debut album.

The band announced this week that it is halfway through the recording process for its as-yet-untitled debut album. The album, said producer Joey Z. He added he was excited for the album’s release.

“It’s going to be a great album!,” Joey Z said. “Fans can look forward to a release in the early part of 2018.”

The album, which will be released via Frontiers Music Srl, does not have a release date yet. That information will be announced later. Audiences can keep up with that and more information from Spirits of Fire online at http://www.facebook.com/SpiritsOfFireBand.

Leprous Debuts ‘Stuck’ Video; Announces Tour Dates

Posted on July 28, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: InsideOut Music

Leprous has unveiled the video for its latest single.

The band debuted the video for its new single ‘Stuck’ Friday morning. The video, directed by Troll Toftenes, features the band performing its new song in what is clearly meant to look like a live performance. That is evident with the use of the lighting, amps and camera angles, which the band addressed in a recent interview.

“Doing a performance video to enhance the special edit version of this song felt like an obvious choice, and the footage captured by Troll Toftenes supports the dynamics of the music in a great way.”

The song, the second from the band’s latest album Malina—the album’s first single was ‘From The Flame’–is itself a dramatic change of pace for the band, as it boasts a much more radio-friendly sound than what has been presented in any of the band’s previous albums. The band said in a recent interview that the change in sound was intentional.

“‘Stuck’ is Leprous in a new package!,” the band said. “ It’s straight to the point, groovy, and has probably the guitar and bass sound on the album that we’re most happy with.”

Audiences will be able to hear ‘Stuck,’ ‘From The Flame’ and the album’s other nine songs when Malina is released Friday, Aug. 27 via InsideOut Music in stores and online. It will be available on standard CD platform as well as digital download, deluxe expanded edition, and vinyl. Pre-orders are available now here.

The album’s track listing is noted below.

LEPROUS – “Malina”:
1. Bonneville

2. Stuck

3. From The Flame

4. Captive

5. Illuminate

6. Leashes

7. Mirage

8. Malina

9. Coma

10. The Weight Of Disaster

11. The Last Milestone

Leprous will make its way across Europe this fall in support of Malina beginning Oct. 28 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The band’s current tour schedule includes shows in Lyon, France; Milan, Italy; Budapest, Hungary and many other locations. The band’s current tour schedule is noted below.

Here is a list next of shows for LEPROUS:

LEPROUS – Festivals 2017:

11.08.2017 Rasnov (Romania) – Rockstadt Extreme Fest

19.08.2017 Mo i Rana (Norway) – Verket Festival

LEPROUS, Agent Fresco, AlithiA & Astrosaur – European Tour:
Presented in Germany by Eclipsed, Laut.de, Guitar & Metal.de

28.10.2017 Copenhagen (Denmark) – Pumpehuset

29.10.2017 Hamburg (Germany) – Logo

30.10.2017 Cologne (Germany) – Luxor

31.10.2017 Esch (Luxembourg) – Rockhal

01.11.2017 Haarlem (The Netherlands) – Patronaat

02.11.2017 London (UK) – The Dome

03.11.2017 Dublin (Ireland) – Voodoo Lounge

04.11.2017 Leeds (UK) – Damnation Festival

05.11.2017 Vosselaar (Belgium) – Biebob

06.11.2017 Paris (France) – Trabendo

07.11.2017 Nantes (France) – Barakason

08.11.2017 Bordeaux (France) – Rocher Palmer

11.11.2017 Toulouse (France) – Le Metronum

12.11.2017 Marseille (France) – Le Moulin

13.11.2017 Milan (Italy) – Magnolia

14.11.2017 Lyon (France) – CCO Villeurbanne

15.11.2017 Winterthur (Switzerland) – Salzhaus

16.11.2017 Colmar (France) – Grillen

17.11.2017 Munich (Germany) – Backstage Halle

18.11.2017 Vienna (Austria) – Szene

19.11.2017 Budapest (Hungary) – A38

20.11.2017 Prague (Czech Republic) – Rock Café

21.11.2017 Warsaw (Poland) – Proxima

22.11.2017 Berlin (Germany) – Musik & Frieden

23.11.2017 Aarhus (Denmark) – Atlas

25.11.2017 Oslo (Norway) – Vulkan Arena

And more dates to be announced soon…

More information on Leprous’ tour schedule, new single, album and more is available online now at:

Website: http://www.leprous.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leprousband

Twitter: http://twitter.com/leprousband

EODM’s New Live Recording Is A Powerhouse Performance

Posted on July 25, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment

The wait is almost over. Eagle of Death Metal will release worldwide its latest live recording I Love You All The Time: Live at the Olympia In Paris. This 19-song (technically 22 with the three bonus performances) recording is an electrifying performance from the band, and a truly powerful statement in itself to those who would try to spread fear and terror around the globe. It is a statement to those individuals that they will not leave any one living in fear and terror, but rather will unite the world. That is evident through the band’s fiery performance, which will be discussed later. Examining the performance on another level, it is a concert that new and more seasoned fans alike will appreciate in part for its wide-reaching set list, which will be discussed shortly. The concert’s production values round out its most important elements. Each element, audiences will note, is important in its own right to the recording’s whole. All things considered, they make this recording one more of this year’s top new live recordings and yet more proof of why Eagle Rock Entertainment is still the leader in live recordings.

Eagles of Death Metal’s latest live recording, I Love You All The Time: Live at the Olympia in Paris, is a strong new musical effort and statement from the veteran rock outfit. That is evidenced in part through the recording’s extensive set list. The primary set list consists of 19 total songs, which are lifted from each of the band’s now four full-length studio recordings. The addition of the three bonus songs, which are themselves pulled from the band’s first three albums, pushes that total to 22 songs. Audiences will be pleased to see that a clear attempt to balance the set list was made in reading through the show’s featured songs. Counting the bonus tracks, Peace, Love, Death Metal and Death By Sexy each received seven nods throughout the concert. The band’s most recent album, Zipper Down (2015) is represented with five songs. Heart On, the band’s third album, is the most lightly represented of the band’s albums, with three songs pulled for the show. Why it was so conservatively represented is anyone’s guess. Regardless, it is clear that the band made a full-on effort to give audiences the fullest picture possible of its catalogue in this concert. That being the case, it becomes clear why the show’s set list is so critical to this recording. It takes the audiences quite impressively through the band’s body of work from beginning to present. Keeping this in mind, the concert’s set list is only one of its key elements to be examined. The band’s performance of that set list is just as important to examine as the set list itself.

The band’s performance of its rich set list is so important to discuss here in that it one must take into account that this is a make-up show from the band’s Feb. 16, 2016 show at the Bataclan Theatre that was tragically cut short by terrorists. The band’s energy throughout the course of the 90-minute-plus concert is so frenetic. From front man Jesse Hughes’ full-on performance to Josh Homme and Julian Dorio’s often-time synchronized drumming to the work put in by the rest of the musicians on stage, not a single second is spared. The band puts everything on that proverbial table throughout and leaves nothing there by the show’s end. It shows entirely how much being able to perform the show meant to the band. The audience in attendance showed its appreciation for that devotion, too, giving its all back to the band. The result is a performance that will have home viewers just as enthralled and engaged as the audiences who were present at the concert’s taping, making the show pass before audiences even realize it is done. That is a powerful statement in itself. It is not the concert’s last important element either, even as important as it proves to be. The concert’s production values round out its most important elements.

The production values presented throughout the course of EODM’s new live recording are collectively so important because they serve to heighten and really illustrate the energy exuded by the band in its performance. This includes the original production and post production. The camera work gives audiences the best seat in the house (or rather in their own houses; yes, that bad pun was intended), as they take viewers on stage with the band, into the crowd, and even into one of the theatre’s elevators with Hughes. Through those various angles (and the hard work put in by the editors in post), audiences get a full picture of the Olympia’s size, which is apparently not that big. The audio mix is just as important to note here. Even with the Olympia being a semi-quaint venue, its openness absolutely cries out for a home theater system for those wanting a full concert experience. That is not to say that the audio doesn’t sound good without a home theater system, but it such a system would not hurt the experience. Again, kudos go to those behind the editing for making the sound come out so well in the end. When this is all joined with the positives of the concert’s set list and the band’s performance the result is a concert that EODM fans everywhere will appreciate and enjoy and a work that is another one of this year’s top new live recordings.

I Love You All The Time: Live at the Olympia in Paris is one of this year’s top new live recordings and more proof of why Eagle Rock Entertainment remains today the leader in live recordings. It is a strong, bold statement from Eagles of Death Metal and its fans, that shows that the good will always triumph over the evil in the world. From a deep-reaching set list to a fiery performance by the band of that set list to top-notch production values, this recording boasts plenty of positives. The whole of those elements makes this recording a concert that will keep audiences completely engaged from start to finish, not even realizing how much time has passed by the concert’s end. It is that enjoyable. Considering this, the whole of this recording makes the concert, once again, one of the year’s top new live recordings. It will be available in stores and online Friday, Aug. 4. more information on I Love You All The Time: Live at the Olympia Theatre is available online now along with all of Eagles of Death Metal’s latest news and more at:

Website: http://www.eaglesofdeathmetal.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eaglesofdeathmetal

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EODMofficial

More information on I Love You All The Time: Live at the Olympia in Paris and other titles from Eagle Rock Entertainment is available online now at:

Website: http://www.eagle-rock.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EagleRockNews

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

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Monthly Archives: July 2017

Shout! Factory Kids, Nick Jr. Partner For New Kuu Kuu Harajuku DVD

ESPN’s Marty Smith Getting His Own Show

36 Crazyfists Announces New Album Release, Tour Dates

Film Movement Bringing Blues Doc Home This Summer

Remada Announces New Live Dates

Gary Numan Debuts ‘My Name Is Ruin’ Video

Ala.Ni Announces New Live Dates

Rock Supergroup Announces Name, Updates Album Work

Leprous Debuts ‘Stuck’ Video; Announces Tour Dates

EODM’s New Live Recording Is A Powerhouse Performance