Nick Jr. Series’ Latest DVD Is A “Super” New Release For Its Fans

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

Shout! Factory Kids and Nick Jr. have teamed up to release another collection of episodes from the network’s hit series Kuu Kuu Harajuku next month that is certain to entertain the series’ key audiences.

The companies, along with dhx media, Red Flags Fly, Film Victoria, Moody Street Kids and Vision Animation, will release the series’ latest DVD Super Kawaii on Sept. 26 in stores and online.  The DVD, whose run time just tops the two-hour mark, offers plenty of entertainment for its target audiences in part because of its episodes.  This will be discussed shortly.  The stories presented in each episode are collectively just as important to discuss in examining this new DVD as the episodes themselves.  It will be touched on later.  The disc’s bonus material rounds out its most important elements, and will also be discussed later.  Each element noted here is important in its own way to the DVD’s overall presentation.  All things considered, they make Super Kawaii another “super” collection for any young Kuu Kuu Harajuku fan.

Shout! Factory Kids’ new Kuu Kuu Harajuku DVD Super Kawaii is another “super” collection for any of the series’ young fans.  That is due in part to the episodes presented in this latest collection.  The collection’s 12 total episodes are all culled from the series’ first season rather than being pulled randomly from each of the series’ two current seasons.  Even more interesting to note is that they are presented here in exactly the same chronological order as they were presented in their original airing on Nick Jr. The episodes’ ordering and the fact that they are all pulled from the same season is important to note because of how often companies out there release compilation DVDs whose episodes seem to be randomly pulled from their respective series. Every company does and has done this. Considering this, the episodes and their precise ordering create a solid foundation for the DVD’s presentation.  The foundation formed through the episodes and their ordering allows the stories presented within the episodes to sit easily atop them.

The stories that are presented within the DVD’s featured episodes are key to discuss in examining this DVD because of the variety in the stories.  The majority of the stories presented here center on HJ5 going on various adventures linked to them performing while facing just as many varied situations.  “Music Zoo” for instance finds the girls having to help clear Music’s reputation and record so that they can perform at their local zoo.  “Delectabubbles” finds the girls of HJ5 having to escape from an evil queen who wants to keep them in a bubble to silence them once and for all.  “Life is But A Dream” puts the ladies into one collective dream and leads to an interesting outcome for another concert.  Of course not every one of the stories shown here centers on the girls’ concerts.  Others are random adventures such as “Control + Alt + Dimension,” which uses a classic alternate universe story line for its setting.  Of course in this story, one of the girls ends up in an alternate universe in which everything is opposite of her universe.  HJ5 is evil while General NoFun and his sidekick Commander Boring are the good guys. The story follows Music as she tries to get back to her own universe, having to use the good Gen. NoFun and Cmdr. Boring to help her.  As if all of this is not enough, there is even an episode that takes a stab at record labels and their tactics in another of the set’s stories.  Between all of these stories and others not noted here, it becomes clear in examining the stories why they are so important to this DVD’s overall presentation.  They show the writers’ abilities to keep things fresh from one episode to the next even when using one central plot line for the stories.  On a side note, anyone that is or has been a fan of Hanna-Barbera’s classic animated series Josie & The Pussycats will especially find these stories entertaining as they clearly show that series’ influence from one to the next.  When this is considered along with everything else noted here, it becomes even more clear why these stories are critical to the DVD’s overall presentation. They are stories that will entertain older audiences just as much as younger viewers who might not be so familiar with the series’ obvious influence.  Now keeping everything already discussed in mind, the episodes and their stories are only a portion of what needs to be discussed in examining this DVD’s overall presentation.  Its bonus material is just as important to discuss as those aforementioned items.

The bonus material included in the DVD introduces the voices behind the girls of HJ5, and is actually interesting in its own right. The young ladies who bring the girls to life talk about the importance of the group being presented as strong, confident characters and about the characters themselves among other topics.  Those other topics include how the cast came together, how the characters’ personalities were created and more.  The featurette runs roughly 20 minutes or so, and not a moment is wasted.  The whole run time is filled with information that expertly introduces young audiences to the show on another level.  That breadth of information presented in the bonus featurette strengthens the DVD’s presentation even more, showing even more why this DVD will keep the series’ target audiences entertained with each watch.

Shout! Factory Kids and Nick Jr.’s new Kuu Kuu Harajuku DVD Super Kawaii, is a presentation that is certain to keep its young target audiences entertained from start to finish.  That is thanks in part to the episodes, which are presented here in the same chronological order as they were presented in their original airing.  The stories presented here will entertain those same audiences thanks to their variety while older audiences familiar with its forebear, Josie & The Pussycats will be entertained by the series’ comparisons.  The bonus material included in the DVD adds even more depth to the DVD’s presentation, adding even more enjoyment to the experience.  Each item is important in its own right to the set’s presentation.  All things considered, Super Kawaii proves to be another “super” collection for any Kuu Kuu Harajuku fan.  It will be available Sept. 27 in stores and online, and can be pre-ordered online via Shout! Factory’s online store.  More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

 

 

 

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KXM’s Sophomore Album Is A Focused New Effort

Courtesy: Rat Pak Records

This past March, rock outfit KXM released its sophomore album Scatterbrain to the masses.  The album is a solid new effort from the “super group,” which is composed of Ray Luzier (Korn) on drums, George Lynch (Lynch Mob) on guitar and dUg Pinnick (King’s X) on bass and vocals. That is evident early on in the album’s prog-metal infused title track and opener.  It will be discussed shortly.  ‘Calypso,’ which comes just a little ways into the record’s sequence, is another example of what makes Scatterbrain a solid new effort from KXM.  It will be discussed later.  ‘It’s Never Enough’ is yet another example of what makes this record so enjoyable and is hardly the last of the songs that could be cited in a discussion of what makes this record so impressive.  The ten songs not noted here could each be cited in their own right to support the aforementioned statement.  That applies both to the songs’ musical and lyrical content.  Keeping that in mind, the musical and lyrical content exhibited in Scatterbrain makes this record from start to finish a work that shows clear focus.  That focus, in turn, makes this record yet another record deserving of a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new rock records.

KXM’s sophomore LP Scatterbrain is a record that displays great focus both musically and lyrically from start to finish.  The result of that focus is a record that deserves a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new rock records.  Those statements are supported right off the top in the album’s title track and opener in part through the song’s musical arrangement.   The arrangement easily lends itself to comparisons to songs from Pinnick’s main band, King’s X as well as to Platypus and Liquid Tension Experiment.  That is not a bad thing, either.  That is because such comparisons form a solid foundation for the song; a foundation on which the song’s lyrical content rests just as solidly.

The lyrical content presented in Scatterbrain’s lead/title track is its own important part to this song because of its seeming commentary contained therein.  There is a mention of “people trying to kill you…when they don’t have the right” in the song’s lead verse and an added mention of time and life fleeting in the second.  Meanwhile Pinnick reminds listeners in the song’s final minutes “don’t be afraid, don’t cry, don’t let them scare you.”  One has to assume here that he is referencing the people noted in the song’s lead verse; those who would otherwise do others harm in whatever form.  It plays into the song’s second verse, too with Pinnick perhaps making note of how short life is.  If that is indeed the case, then Pinnick singing about not letting people scare them, that second verse would seem to be Pinnick telling listeners to not let life pass them by worrying about those people in question.  This is of course only this critic’s own interpretation and certainly not the only interpretation.  Regardless of the song’s true meaning, the manner in which Pinnick delivers the song’s lyrical content–and the content itself—makes for plenty of interest and discussion.  When it is joined with the frantic energy in the song’s musical arrangement, the whole of the song makes the song an impressive first impression for KXM in its second outing.  It also collectively makes ‘Scatterbrain’ just one clear example of what makes its namesake so impressive overall.  It is just one of the album’s most notable works.  ‘Noises in the Sky’ is yet another example of what makes Scatterbrain so impressive.

‘Noises in The Sky’ is another clear example of what makes KXM’s new album so impressive first and foremost because of its musical arrangement.  The arrangement presented here is the polar opposite of that presented in the album’s title track.  It is more of a blues-based rock arrangement that regardless, still boasts its own heaviness.  In the same breath, that comparison to King’s X is just as undeniable as in the case of ‘Scatterbrain.’  The song’s lyrical content is just as heavy in its own right with even more seeming commentary.  The commentary is inferred as Pinnick sings in the song’s lead verse, “Have you heard the noises in the night/Is this a warning/Sounds like a trumpet blowing high/Is this a warning/Whatever it is, is far and near/Is this a warning.”  He goes on to sing in the song’s second verse, “The sun is bright/The flares are high/Is this a warning/Only for those whose ears can hear/Is this a warning/Something is happening/It just ain’t clear/Is this a warning.”  The instant thought that comes to mind in considering all of this is that the song is making a religious statement.  On another level though, maybe it could be a response to all of the doomsayers out there who like to preach so much about the end times.  No matter the meaning, it is certain to lead to some heavy discussion.  When that heavy discussion is joined with the heaviness in the song’s musical arrangement, the end result is a song that is yet another example of what makes Scatterbrain such a solid, focused record.  It still is not the last song that can be cited in exhibiting what makes the album so impressive. ‘Angel,’ the album’s closer is one more prime example of what makes this record stand out.

‘Angel’ serves to make Scatterbrain stand out just as much as ‘Noises in the Sky’ and ‘Scatterbrain’ because it stands out both musically and lyrically from those songs just as much as they stand apart from one another and the rest of the album’s offerings.  Musically speaking, this song is not necessarily a ballad per se.  But in comparison to the record’s other arrangements it is comparably softer and gentler.  That softer, gentler approach works well with the song’s softer lyrical content, too, which seems to be a bit of a bittersweet message, making the song in whole a truly touching work. The seemingly bittersweet message is inferred as Pinnick sings in the song’s lead verse, “You’re not like the others/Who left me alone/You said the right things and I couldn’t breathe/I don’t want to give in/But the truth always wins.”  He goes on to sing in the second verse, “I don’t want to do this/But it’s all I can feel/In my heart as it heals/I’ve heard it’s been said/That three times is a charm/But four times/You’re just a fool/I asked an angel to watch over you/But it came back and asked me/Why/Because angels don’t watch over angels/I’m waiting on my angel.”  The juxtaposition of those verses comes across almost as a story of love lost.  Yet even in that seeming story of lost love, there is still some happiness, again making that bittersweet feeling.  Again, the combination of that deeply emotional story and the song’s equally touching musical arrangement makes this song its own outstanding work.  In the bigger picture, it is yet another example of what makes Scatterbrain a solid, focused new effort from KXM.  When it is joined with the previously discussed songs and those not noted here, the end result is an album whose focus makes it enjoyable from start to finish and one more clear candidate for a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new rock records.

KXM’s sophomore album Scatterbrain is a record that is anything but scattered.  From beginning to end, this album shows great focus both musically and lyrically.  From seeming commentaries to more personal works, the album offers plenty for everyone to appreciate.  That being the case, it proves itself to be an easy candidate to be one of this year’s top new rock records.  More information on Scatterbrain is available online now along with all of KXM’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.ratpakrecords.com/kxm

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

 

 

 

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Reprise Records To Re-Issue Green Day’s ‘Nimrod’ This Fall

Courtesy: Reprise Records

Green Day will see one of its classic albums get the vinyl re-issue treatment next month.

Reprise Records will celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the release of Green Day’s hit 1997 album Nimrod on Oct. 13 with a vinyl re-issue of the album.  It will be available by itself as a yellow, 140-gram double LP pressing and as a bundle pack that includes a bonus t-shirt. Pre-orders are open now for both.

Nimrod was originally released Oct. 14, 1997 via Reprise Records, and was produced by Rob Cavallo in Los Angeles, CA.  The album debuted in the Top 10 in the Billboard 200 Chart, and has gone on to sell more than 2,000,000 copies since then.  It spawned some of the band’s biggest hits including ‘Good Riddance (Time of your Life),’ ‘Nice Guys Finish Last,’ ‘Redundant’ and others.

More information on Nimrod’s upcoming vinyl re-issue is available online now along with all of Green Day’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.greenday.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/greenday

 

 

 

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Call Of All’s Debut LP Is Available Now

Courtesy: O’Donnell Media Group

Independent rock act Call of All’s debut album is now available.

The band, composed of Hunter Watson and Cody Webb, released its debut album War & Illusion Friday, Aug. 25.  Webb produced and engineered the 7-song album, whose lead single and title track has earned the act quite a bit of attention since debuting this past June.  The song’s video has been viewed almost 100,000 times since its debut June 26.

Watson talked about the album, his acting career and more recently during an interview with al.com including Watson’s early music career. War & Illusion can be downloaded at iTunes now and streamed at Spotify.

More information on Call of All is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.CallofAll.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/callofall

 

 

 

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‘The Grinding Wheel’ Shows Overkill Is Still “Grinding” It Out Successfully

Courtesy: Nuclear Blast Records

The countdown to the year’s end is officially on, and that means for the music industry, the push is officially on to start assembling those annual year-end “Best Of” lists.  One of the lists that this critic in particular has seen overflowing with impressive titles is that of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.  New releases from the likes of Prong, The Haunted, Dragonforce and so many others have easily proven themselves deserving of a spot on that list by any critic.  No critic’s list of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums would be complete without the inclusion of Overkill’s latest album the Grinding Wheel.  Released this past February, this 11-song, 64-minute album is an offering that reminds audiences once again why even after more than 30 years, Overkill is still one of the elite acts in the hard rock and metal realms even.  That is even as the band continues to embrace the mantra of if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.  The old school thrash riffs that have made the band a constant fan favorite throughout its life combine with equally interesting lyrical content here to prove why this record is one more of the year’s top new hard rock and metal offerings.

Anytime that Overkill releases a new album, it will find its way onto critics’ lists of the year’s best new hard rock and metal albums.  The New Jersey-based thrash outfit’s 18^th (yes, 18^th) full-length studio recording The Grinding Wheel is no exception to that rule.  That is proven right from the album’s outset in ‘Mean, Green Killing Machine.’ The song’s arrangement boasts riffs in its verses that easily lend themselves to some of the greatest classic thrash works from fellow thrashers Exodus, Metallica, Megadeth and others of that ilk.  In the same breath, the combination of front man Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth’s vocal delivery with those riffs also conjures thoughts of so many classic Judas Priest songs.  The inclusion of the song’s more blues-based hard rock arrangement in its bridge adds even more interest to the song.  The sudden change between those two wholly separate styles is, needless to say, stark.  Yet at the same time, it still is not enough to ruin the song, musically speaking.  It only makes it that much more interesting.  Keeping that in mind, it is only one part of what makes this song proof of what makes The Grinding Wheel yet another standout record from Overkill.  The song’s lyrical content is just as important to discuss as its musical arrangement.

Ellsworth sings here, “Somewhere out where no one knows/Rusts a cool revolution fight/Way out there where no one goes/And it’s got to keep moving/Got to keep getting it right/So here’s to the piston charged/Combustible delight/The single-minded supercharged/That’s got to keep moving/Got to keep getting it/A call to arms/A call right through the dream/A call to action/Blow up the in-between/Feed, feed your engine/Feed, feed the wolverine/Feed, feed the tension/Mean green/Killing machine/C’mon, C’mon say what my name is/Mean green killing machine.”  Ellsworth goes on in the song’s further verses to deliver what seems like commentary perhaps about the world’s religious and business leaders, leading to the belief that perhaps while not a politically charged song, it is a lyrical worked aimed at reminding listeners to not just give in to the things being force-fed to them.  That is just this critic’s own take and should not be taken as the only interpretation.  Ellsworth could easily have been making a wholly different statement.  That ability of these lyrics to create so much discussion in itself is even more proof of the importance of the song’s lyrical content.  When that content is joined with the song’s rich musical arrangement, the end result is a song that clearly exhibits what makes The Grinding Wheel yet another solid offering from Overkill.  It is hardly the only of the album’s songs to support that statement.  The album’s title track is one more example of what makes The Grinding Wheel another standout album from one of metal’s true elite acts.

‘The Grinding Wheel’ proves just as much as ‘Mean Green Killing Machine’ what makes Overkill’s latest album so enjoyable in part to its musical arrangement.  As with the previously discussed song, this composition also boasts an arrangement that is pure thrash at its finest.  It lends itself just as easily to comparisons to works from Judas Priest as the album’s opener, too.  Considering this, it goes without saying that this song’s musical arrangement is just as solid as those presented in the rest of the album’s songs.  That being the case, the next sensible step here would be to examine the song’s lyrical content.  This song’s lyrical content is just as intriguing as that in the album’s opener and the record’s other songs.  Ellsworth sings here, “A bed of nails/Cold, dark, deep refrigeration/I hear it calling me/A broken rail as he drools over the congregation/I hear it calling me/Now I won’t tell you how to live your life/I never saw the point in thinking twice/I turn the wheel by day, by night/Raise your flag/Here’s to the liberation.”  The song goes on in similar fashion with equally cryptic statements throughout that are just as certain to leave listeners talking and thinking as the song’s lead verse.  Again, that ability to so easily engage listeners, even just through its lyrical content, is another way in which the song proves an important part of the record’s whole.  When it is joined with the song’s musical arrangement, the two elements in whole support that statement even more.  Even considering this, it still is not the last of the songs included in this record that shows what makes the album stand out.  ‘Shine On,’ which comes early in the album’s run is one more example of what makes the record stand out.

‘Shine On’ is another key example of what makes The Grinding Wheel stand out, as with the previously discussed songs, in part due to its arrangement.  The up-tempo, guitar-driven arrangement.  The arrangement presented here is a polished composition that lends itself directly to comparisons to some of Metallica’s greatest thrash style works.  Even as the song turns more doom-sounding bridge, that slower–yet no less heavy–section is a perfect fit that gives listeners just enough time to catch their collective breaths without losing them.  It is only one part of what makes this song another key addition to The Grinding Wheel.  The song’s lyrical content is just as important to discuss as its musical arrangement.

The lyrical content presented in ‘Shine On’ is important to discuss because of its seemingly anthemic nature.  That anthemic nature is inferred, at least to this critic as Ellsworth sings in the song’s chorus, “We got no patience, but we get through/We got no patience, but we got you/All of the paraders shout no fear/All of the hurricaners with their fists up in the air/Someone else gave the order to the band/Someone else ignored us/Left the cat out in the rain/One more fire before I die/One more fire, get me high/Climb on down to the fire/Climb on down to the flame/Leave your battles behind you/Shine on Doomsday/Shine on Doomsday.”  This all comes across as the band paying tribute, lyrically, to its fans, inspiring audiences to never give up on anything in life as they thank their fans for their dedication.  Again, this is only this critic’s own interpretation and should not be taken as the only interpretation.  Either way, this song’s lyrical content comes across as a loud, proud statement from the band.  When that seemingly loud, proud statement is joined with the song’s equally heavy, driving musical arrangement, the whole of the song shows why it is an important addition to the album’s whole.  When the song is joined with the other songs noted here (and those not noted), the album in whole shows clearly why it is another powerhouse offering from Overkill, and an easy candidate for any critic’s list of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.

Overkills’ 18^th full-length studio recording The Grinding Wheel is a presentation of a band that more than 30 years into its life is still successfully grinding it out.  Yes, that awful pun was fully intended.  That is due to the solid, heavy musical arrangements presented throughout the course of the album’s 64-minute run time.  The record’s arrangements are everything that the band’s legions of fans have come to expect from its records throughout the years.  What’s interesting about them here is how polished they sound in each case.  The album’s collective lyrical content will have listeners thinking and talking just as much as its musical arrangements. From seeming commentaries (of sorts) to fist-pumping anthems and points in-between, the songs’ lyrical content gives listeners plenty to be happy about, too.  Keeping thin in mind, The album in whole proves to be a work that any Overkill fan will appreciate and agree deserves a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.  It is available now in stores and online.  More information on The Grinding Wheel is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.wreckingcrew.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/OverkillBand

 

 

 

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Madam X To Release Its First New Album In 33 Years This Fall

Courtesy: EMP Label Group

Madam X is set to make its mark on the music industry for the first time in more than 30 years this fall when it will release its second full-length studio recording.

The Detroit-based rock outfit will release Monstrocity Oct. 31 domestically and Oct. 27 in Europe.  Both releases will be through EMP Label Group.  The band’s only other album, We Reserve The Right, was released in 1984 and led to the release of the band’s only major hit ‘High In High School.’

Four years after the record’s release, founding member Roxy Petrucci left the band to join Vixen.  Original vocalist Brent Kaiser was replaced briefly by a then unknown Sebastian Bach. A short time later, Madam X disbanded, but reunited in 2014 at the Sweden Rock Festival.

A collaboration this year between Petrucci, her sister and fellow Madam X founder Maxine Petrucci, and Mark Slaughter on a Lemmy Kilmister tribute track for their VIP Aftershow project led to Slaughter introducing the Petrucci sisters to EMP Label Group A&R head Thom Hazaert.  That introduction led to discussions about Madam X’s next record.

Hazaert said the discussions with the Petrucci sisters about Madam X’s new album eventually led to the group’s new deal with EMP Label Group.

“When I connected with Roxy and we were working on the Aftershow stuff, and she told me they were working on a new Madam X record, I was extremely excited at the prospect of releasing it,” Hazaert said.  “After a brief courtship, we made the decision to put it out together, and I can honestly say I’m still excited.  Madam X is such a kickass rock band.  I was always a huge fan of their first record, and to be able to release its follow up over 30 years later is just insane.”

Roxy Petrucci echoed Hazaert’s sentiments, offering praise to him and EMP Label Group founder Dave Ellefson for taking a chance on the band.

“Hell may not be pretty, but good things will find their way out!,” Petrucci said.  “It takes a huge pair of metal balls to sign a band like Madam X.  David Ellefson and Thom Hazaert at EMP put their love of metal first, and crushed it by signing Madam X!  Raw and flawed, Monstrocity will be unleashed onto the world in fall 2017!  Love live Rock n Roll, but immortalized in metal!”

More information on Monstrocity is available online along with all of Madam X’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.madam-x.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Madam-X-1390973624496842

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MadamXmetal

 

 

 

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Operus Announces Debut Album’s Release Date

Courtesy: Dark Star Records

Symphonic metal outfit Operus is set to release its debut album this fall.

The Canadian operatic metal act, whose members previously worked with the likes of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Annihilator, Skull Fist and Eclipse Eternal, will release Cenotaph Friday, Oct. 13.  The band’s members said of the album in a recent interview that it is a tribute of sorts to writers and poets of the past who lived in the shadows of their counterparts.

“Cenotaph is a commemoration of writers and poets who never gained the recognition and/or lived to see the impact of their work,” the band’s members said.  “The concept and inspiration for the title of the album is taken from a statue in Budapest located opposite of Vajdahunyad Castle, Anonymous, the unknown chronicler at the court of King Bela III.  The lyrical concepts are not that of any one specific idea, but rather a mosaic of different stories and legends which are meant to paint images in the minds of the listener, much like the tales laid by the quills of writers long ago.”

Additionally, the band noted that the album’s musical arrangements are just as varied as its lyrical themes.

“Musically, the concept of Cenotaph has a very cinematic sound to it that emphasizes the classical elements of the band, such as the cello and the classical guitar,” the band said.  “Vocally, Cenotaph moves between intimate textures such as the ones heard in ‘Wretched Play’ and big ensemble arrangements from choirs to accents with screams such as the ones in the title track.  The album is packed with counterpoint sections in each song, rather than using the most common approach to music as is harmony.”

Audiences can view a trailer for Cenotaph online now here.  The album’s track listing is noted below

“Cenotaph” full length tracklisting:

1. Silver Spell
2. Steel Against Steel
3. Colosseum
4. Sands of Time
5. Fate’s Pantomime
6. Wretched Play
7. Cenotaph
8. Maya & the Wolf
9. La Catedral
10. The Return

More information on Cenotaph is available online along with all of Operus’ latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.operusofficial

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/epic.operus

 

 

 

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‘Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series’ Hits All The Right Marks

Courtesy: Shout! Factory

NBC at one point was one of the leading networks in primetime broadcasting.  Series such as Cheers, 3^rd Rock From The Sun, Seinfeld and so many others made the network a powerhouse.  Just as many of those series have already seen full-series releases on DVD and/or Blu-ray.  Early next month, yet another of the series that once made NBC a leader will see a full series home release for the first time ever thanks to Shout! Factory in the form of Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series.  The 19-disc set will be released Sept. 5 in stores and online.  Being the first time ever that the series has been released in whole, it is easy to say that it will be difficult for any company to top what Shout! Factory has done with this collection.  That is due in no small part to the set’s packaging, which will be discussed shortly.  The set’s average price point is just as important to note in examining the set’s overall presentation as its packaging, and will be discussed later.  The set’s bonus material rounds out its most important elements.  Each element is important in its own right to the collection’s overall presentation.  All things considered, Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series proves to be one more of the year’s top new DVD and Blu-ray releases for grown-ups.

Shout! Factory’s forthcoming Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series box set is one of this year’s top new DVD and Blu-ray releases for grown-ups.  That is thanks in part to the 19-disc set’s packaging.  The series’ first six seasons are packaged together in three of the set’s cases while the seventh season is housed in its own standalone set.  The discs themselves are placed on either side of the case’s plates, safely protecting them from marring one another.  In some cases, the discs even sit alone on a spot inside the case separate from the plates, yet again showing Shout! Factory’s dedication to protecting the discs from damage.  Considering that the series ran for seven seasons and a total of 148 episodes, such packaging–which is the norm for Shout! Factory–is surprisingly ergonomic.  Considering all of this, it becomes clear why this set’s physical packaging is so critical to the set’s overall presentation.  It is only one aspect of that packaging that should be noted, too.  The episode listing inside each box is just as important to note as the actual physical packaging.

The episode listing is important to discuss because it, too is a norm for Shout! Factory.  The season-specific listing presents short but concise summaries for each episode. This easily gives audiences a reference point not only for the episodes’ stories but also which gives them a reference point for the seasons, too.  That is important to note since the seasons are not noted on the discs.  Simply put, Shout! Factory has shown through attention to even this detail its determination to present the best product possible to the series’ fans.  Considering this and the set’s equally wise physical packaging, Shout! Factory is to be highly applauded for its efforts to present solid packaging for Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series.  The series’ packaging is only one of its key elements.  Its average price point is important to note in its own right.

The average price point for Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series is important to discuss because it is a relatively affordable price.  For the sake of this review, the set’s average price point was determined using its price as listed at Shout! Factory’s store, Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart.  The average price point from those prices is $55.44.  What is really interesting about this price point is that it would be little different if fans were to order the set online.  That is because each of the noted outlets generally allow for free shipping,  Taxes would push up the average price point a little, but not by much. Considering that the series’ 148-episodes are spread here across 19 discs, that—again—makes the set’s average price point relatively affordable.  While it is clearly an important part of the set’s whole, it is not the last of the collection’s most notable elements.  Its bonus material rounds out its most important elements.

The bonus material included with Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series is an important piece of the collection’s whole because it is material that was not included in any of the series’ previous standalone sets, none of which were released through Shout! Factory.  That makes the set’s bonus material all the more important and a bonus.  Audiences will be happy to know that Shout! Factory doesn’t tease them and hold the bonus material for the set’s last disc either.  Instead, they present that material right from the series’ outset.  “Always in Fashion,” the set’s lead bonus is also the bonus material’s cornerstone.  Audiences will be interested to learn about the series’ roots from series creator Steven Levitan and star Laura San Giacomo’s thoughts about the importance of the sitcom being led by female stars versus male stars in this nearly half-hour featurette.  Audiences also hear from fellow stars David Spade, George Segal and Wendy Malick about their characters, and how the characters worked together on screen among other items.  Everything presented in this bonus is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in regards to the bonus material.  Four of the series’ episodes also include audio commentary that offers its own extra insight and entertainment, strengthening the set’s viewing experience even more.  Given, all of the episodes featuring audio commentary come only from the series’ first two seasons, but that is not necessarily a negative.  The laughs and learning that said commentaries present still makes for enough enjoyment that it doesn’t matter that other episodes don’t have any commentary.  Keeping all of this in mind, it should be clear why the bonus material include in the first-ever full series release of Just Shoot Me! is just as important to its overall presentation as the set’s packaging and pricing.  When all three elements are joined, they prove this collection to be one of the year’s best new DVD and BD box sets for grown-ups.

Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series is one of this year’s top new DVD and Blu-ray box sets for grown-up audiences (versus new releases for kids and family).  That is due in no small part to well-thought out packaging that even includes a solid episode list for each season.  The set’s relatively affordable average price point strengthens it even more.  The bonus material included in the 19-disc set rounds out its most important elements.  It is previously unreleased material and material that offers plenty of insight and entertainment for audiences.  Each element is clearly important in its own right.  All things considered, the noted elements make Just Shoot Me!: The Complete Series, once more, one of this year’s top new DVD and Blu-ray box sets for grown-up audiences.  It will be available in stores and online on Sept. 5.  It can be pre-ordered online now via Shout! Factory’s online store.  More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

 

 

 

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Dishwalla Signs New Music Publishing Deal With ABKCO Music

Courtesy: ABKCO Music Back Row L – R: Dishwalla members Jim Wood and Justin Fox, Rodney Browning Cravens, George Pendergast, and Scot Alexander. Front Row L – R: Artist Representative Marianna Burdon and ABKCO C.O.O. Alisa Coleman

Dishwalla is back in the news only months after it released its latest album Juniper Road.

The band recently signed a new music publishing deal with ABKCO Music.  A music publishing deal is an agreement between a songwriter and publishing company that allows the publishing company to collect revenues from the publishing of the songwriter’s works.  Depending on the terms of a given deal, publishing companies can get varying fees for their supervisory role for the songwriter.

Financials and the term length of the deal were not announced in a news release sent from ABKCO Music.  The release did note that it includes every single one of the band’s songs, including those from Juniper Road. Band keyboardist Jim Wood said signing the new deal with ABKCO was a common sense move.

“We’re really excited to find ourselves alongside so many legends at ABKCO,” Wood said.  “They were an obvious choice for us, as they’ve been instrumental in furthering the careers of so many artists who have influenced us.”

Alisa Coleman, ABKCO C.O.O. was just as excited to have the deal done.

“We are very excited to be working with Dishwalla,” Coleman said.  “We look forward to helping them capitalize on their past, present and future successes in innovative ways that take into account the ever-changing industry landscape.  They are tremendously talented, and we are proud to welcome them to the ABKCO family.”

More information on ABKCO Music is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.abkco.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/abkco

 

 

 

More information on Dishwalla’s new deal is available long with all of its latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.dishwalla.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/dishwalla

 

 

 

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Craft Recordings Announces New John Lee Hooker Box Set Release Date, Specs

Courtesy: Craft Recordings/Concord Music Group

Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, will pay tribute to blues legend John Lee Hooker next month with a brand new box set.

King of the Boogie will be released Sept. 29 in stores and online.  The set’s 100-total songs are spread across five discs and features a number of Hooker’s greatest hits as well as lots of rarities, live recordings and previously unreleased recordings.  The collection includes a 56-page book along with the discs that features a variety of pictures of the famed bluesman at different points of his career as well as liner notes written by writer and Hooker historian Jas Obrecht and Hooker’s manager and friend Mike Kappus.

Mason Williams, who curated and produced King of the Boogie, said in a recent interview about the collection that its 100 total songs make up only a small glance of Hooker’s extensive career, but a clear view nonetheless.

“Even at 100 songs, this set is just a snapshot of John Lee Hooker’s incredible and influential career, but one that takes you on the long journey he took from his early days in Detroit to his time in Chicago recording for Vee-Jay Records and up through his later collaborations with Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt and Santana among others,” Williams said.

The set’s track listing is noted below.

JOHN LEE HOOKER – KING OF THE BOOGIE TRACK LIST:

Disc 1:

1. Boogie Chillen’ – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar

2. Sally May – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar

3. Hobo Blues – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar

4. Crawlin’ King Snake – John Lee Hooker & His Guitar

5. Black Man Blues – Texas Slim

6. Goin’ Mad Blues – Delta John

7. Who’s Been Jivin’ You – Texas Slim

8. (Miss Sadie Mae) Curl My Baby’s Hair

9. Hoogie Boogie – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar

10. Burnin’ Hell – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar

11. Weeping Willow Boogie

12. Moaning Blues – Texas Slim

13. Huckle Up Baby – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar

14. Goin’ On Highway #51 – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar

15. John L’s House Rent Boogie

16. I’m In The Mood

17. Two White Horses

18. 33 Blues

19. Sugar Mama

20. Wobbling Baby

21. Stuttering Blues – John Lee Booker

22. I’m A Boogie Man – Johnny Lee

23. Down Child

24. Odds Against Me (Backbiters And Syndicaters)

25. Shake, Holler And Run

Disc 2:

1. Unfriendly Woman [Aka Stop Now]*

2. Mambo Chillun

3. Time Is Marching

4. Dimples

5. Little Wheel

6. I Love You Honey

7. Drive Me Away

8. Maudie

9. When I Lay My Burden Down*

10. Tupelo Blues

11. Good Mornin’ Lil’ School Girl

12. I Rolled And Turned And Cried The Whole Night Long

13. No More Doggin’

14. Dusty Road

15. No Shoes

16. My First Wife Left Me

17. Crazy About That Walk – Sir John Lee Hooker

18. Want Ad Blues

19. Will The Circle Be Unbroken

20. I’m Going Upstairs

21. I Lost My Job

22. Don’t Turn Me From Your Door

23. Grinder Man

24. Meat Shakes On Her Bone*

Disc 3:

1. Boom Boom

2. Blues Before Sunrise

3. She’s Mine

4. Frisco Blues

5. Good Rockin’ Mama

6. I’m Leaving

7. Birmingham Blues

8. Don’t Look Back

9. Big Legs, Tight Skirt

10. It Serves Me Right

11. Money

12. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer

13. The Motor City Is Burning

14. Mean, Mean Woman

15. Doin’ The Shout

16. Homework

17. Early One Morning

18. Rocking Chair

19. Hittin’ The Bottle Again

20. Deep Blue Sea

21. Spellbound

Disc 4: LIVE

1. Hobo Blues – Live

2. Maudie – Live

3. Shake It Baby – Live

4. Boogie Chillun – Live

5. Bottle Up And Go – Live

6. Crawlin’ King Snake – Live

7. The Mighty Fire – Live

8. You’ve Got To Walk Yourself – Live

9. I’m Bad Like Jesse James – Live

10. Boogie Everywhere I Go – Live

11.She’s Gone*- Live

12.It Serves Me Right To Suffer*- Live

13. Boom Boom* – Live

14. Hi-Heel Sneakers* – Live

15. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer* – Live

 

Disc 5: FRIENDS

1. I Got Eyes For You – With “Little” Eddie Kirkland

2. Mai Lee – With The Groundhogs

3. Peavine – With Canned Heat

4. Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive – With Van Morrison

5. Five Long Years – With Joe Cocker

6. The Healer – With Carlos Santana

7. I’m In The Mood – With Bonnie Raitt

8. Sally Mae – With George Thorogood

9. Mr. Lucky – With Robert Cray

10. Up And Down – With Warren Haynes

11. Boom Boom – With Jimmie Vaughan

12. You Shook Me – With B.B. King

13. Don’t Look Back – With Van Morrison

14. Dimples – With Los Lobos

15. Boogie Chillen’ – With Eric Clapton

King of the Boogie is being released as part of a year-long celebration of what would have been Hooker’s 100^th birthday (which would have been celebrated Aug. 22).  An exhibit of the same name is currently being presented at the Grammy Museum ® Mississippi.  It includes outfits that Hooker wore at various live shows, guitars that he played, photos, awards and his music.  The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 2018 before being moved to the Grammy Museum® L.A. Live.

Hooker’s daughter Zakiya, spoke Tuesday about the new exhibit and forthcoming box set, saying the tributes moved her and knew they would move audiences, too.

“Today, on what would have been my father’s 100^th birthday, I am so thrilled to see him celebrated—both with the exhibit as well as with the announcement of this special collection of music,” she said.  “I know his fans will be excited to hear rare performances, and to read the touching words of his longtime manager, Mike Kappus, as well as those of the wonderful Jas Obrecht.  It was a pleasure to watch this box set come together, and I can’t wait to see it shared with the world.”

More information on this and other titles from Craft Recordings and Concord Music Group is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/labels/craft-recordings

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ConcordRecords

 

 

 

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