Calibro 35 Crosses Musical Boundaries On Its Seventh Full-Length Studio Recording

Courtesy: Record Kicks

Calibro 35 apparently is a group that does not rest easy on its laurels.  The veteran musical collective will release its latest full-length studio recording Jan. 24, less than a year after the group released its sixth album Decade.  The group’s forthcoming collection of songs, titled Momentum, is a wonderful jumping on point for any audiophile who may be less familiar with the veteran outfit’s work than its more seasoned fans.  It is a work that will easily appeal to fans of acts, such as Jagajazzist, Gorillaz and Handsome Boy Modeling School with its largely instrumental makeup.  Save for two songs, the 10-song, 38-minute record is largely composed of instrumental compositions that boast a variety of elements and styles.  One of the most notable of those instrumental compositions comes late in the album’s run in the form of the song ‘Thunderstorms and Data.’  For all that ‘Thunderstorms and Data’ offers audiences, its follow-up, ‘Black Moon (ft. Mei)’ – one of the record’s only tracks with vocals – offers its own share of entertainment and engagement.  ‘Death of Storytelling,’ which comes early in the record’s run is another of the album’s many instrumental tracks.  It stands on its own merits just as much as the other songs addressed here.  When it and those songs are considered along with the rest of the album’s entries, the record in whole proves itself to be an early candidate for a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new hip-hop/rap albums and best overall new albums.

Veteran music collective Calibro 35’s members recently said of the group’s forthcoming seventh album Momentum, that it “is the prequel of what you will hear in the next ten years” from the group.  If that is the case, then considering the fact that the band has already released six other albums prior to this record, it is a strong statement about where the group is headed.  That is proven in part late in the album in the song ‘Thunderstorms and Data.’  This full-on experimental opus is one of the album’s strongest points, opening with some gentle chimes that very quickly give way to a semi-brooding keyboard line that easily lends itself to comparisons to works from the likes of Daft Punk.  Those electronic elements are accompanied by – believe it or not – some distinct jazz elements and even some hip-hop elements throughout the course of the song’s nearly four-minute run.  The combination of those elements and their subtleties couples with the song’s different movements to make the composition in whole a clear example of what makes Momentum a sign of Calibro 35’s forward momentum.  It is just one of the songs that stands out in this album.  ‘Black Moon (ft. Mei)’ stands strong on its own merits just as much as ‘Thunderstorms and Data.’

‘Black Moon (ft. Mei)’ is one of only two tracks featured in Momentum that includes vocals with its musical content.  The song’s musical content, with it guitar, bass and drums, boasts some old school soul and funk influence while also presenting some more modern hip-hop and rap elements alongside those soul and funk elements.  The collective of those elements makes the song’s musical content alone more than enough reason to take in the song.  The lyrical content that partners with the noted musical content adds even more engagement and entertainment to the whole of the song.

Mei presents some distinctly positive vibes in the song’s lead verse, making statements, such as “ready more than ready for this rhythm” and “navigate these streets though they murky.”  She adds in the lead verse, “Never stop ‘cause our enemies are thirsty/Survive off the power that’s in we.”  Mei’s flow in the song’s second verse is so fluid that trying to follow her without a lyrics sheet is next to impossible.  That is meant in the best way possible.  However, what can be inferred through what can be understood, is that the song’s second verse presents more positive lyrical vibes from Mei.  That being considered along with the positive message in the song’s lead verse and the infectious grooves in the song’s musical arrangement, the whole of this work serves to show even more why Calibro 35’s forthcoming seventh album is on course to be a big hit for the group on both sides of the Atlantic.

‘Black Moon (Ft. Mei)’ goes a long way to entertain and engage audiences on Calibro 35’s latest album, just as does ‘Thunderstorms and Data.’  While the two noted songs do a lot to prove why Momentum is an enjoyable new offering from the group, they are only two of the songs featured in the record that serve to show its appeal.  ‘Death Of Storytelling,’ which comes early in the album’s run, is yet another example of the album’s strength.  The song clearly boasts its own hip-hop influence.  At the same time though, the use of the guitar to build on the song’s foundation added to that element gives the song a while new feeling and identity.  The coupling of the elements makes the song sound like something that would serve well as the music bed for a song by Eminem or Mike Shinoda.  That is meant in the absolutely most respectful manner possible toward all involved.  The feeling in the arrangement, the tempo and the balance of the elements – including the keyboards – makes the song in whole one of the record’s most moving moments and most memorable in turn.  It truly leaves a lasting impression and is deserving of being one of the album’s singles along with the other two songs addressed here.  When it is considered with those songs and the rest of the album’s entries, the end result is a work that proves without doubt, Calibro 35 still has plenty of its own momentum.

Calibro 35’s seventh full-length studio recording Momentum is a strong new offering from the veteran music collective.  One would think that seven albums in, any act would be showing some signs of wear and tear.  That is especially the case when the group has been recording and touring for a dozen years.  In the case of this group though, this record shows that the group has no plans to slow down any time soon.  The mostly instrumental compositions that make up the record’s body show that this group can easily hold its own against its American counterparts.  That is due to the diversity of the arrangements and the clear time and thought put into each arrangement.  Whether in the songs addressed here or through the record’s other entries, the album in whole proves to be an early, easy candidate for any critic’s list of the year’s top new albums overall.  More information on the album is available online now along with all of the group’s latest news at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.calibro35.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/calibro35

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Calibro35

 

 

 

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JLCO’s Latest Live Recording Is A Musical Time Capsule That Jazz Fans Everywhere Will Enjoy Opening

Courtesy: Blue Engine Records

Wayne Short has done it all, it seems.  Over the course of his now 86 years on this planet, the legendary saxophonist has released 26 albums, earned no less than 19 awards and worked with some of the music industry’s most respected figures, such as Miles Davis to Weather Report to Carlos Santana and Herbie Hancock.  In May 2015, he added to that already long list of famed names even more when he joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis to perform some of his most beloved songs live. That performance, recorded during a three night stint at the Rose Theater in New York City, will be released Jan. 30 through Blue Engine Records in a new two-disc set.  The archived live recording is a fitting tribute to Shorter and the music that he has crafted over the course of his decades-long career.  That is proven in part through the recording’s featured set list, which will be discussed shortly.  The collective’s performance of said set list adds even more appeal to the recording and will be addressed later.  The recording’s production and mixing round out its most important elements.  They will also be addressed later.  When they are considered along with the recording’s set list and the performance thereof, the whole makes the recording in whole an easy, early candidate for any critic’s list of the year’s top new live recordings.

The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis’ latest live recording The Music of Wayne Shorter is a work that will appeal to Shorter’s fans just as much as it will to fans of the JLCO and jazz aficionados in general.  That is due in no small part to the recording’s set list.  The 10-song set list pulls from Shorter’s solo career as well as his work with other acts.  Among the acts that he recorded with featured here are Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, and Wynton Kelly.  The set list reaches as far back as 1961 and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ album Witch Doctor and as recently as 1985 with his solo album Atlantis.  Also featured in the recording’s set list are works from Shorter’s 1964 album Night Dreamer (‘Armageddon) and his 1967 album Adam’s Apple (‘Teru’).  Shorter’s work with Wynton Kelly shows up in the group’s performance of ‘Mama G,’ which was featured on Kelly’s 1959 album Kelly Great.  Shorter’s work with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers gets the most representation in this recording, with three nods, including the already noted album Witch Doctor and its song ‘Lost and Found.’  Also featured in the recording from Shorter’s time with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers are the songs ‘Contemplation’ (taken from Buhaina’s Delight – 1963) and ‘Hammerhead’ (taken from  Free For All – 1964).  All things considered, the recording’s featured set list pulls from some of the strongest moments in Shorter’s expansive and successful career.  This gives audiences but a brief look into his career, but at the same time, a strong starting point for those who may be less familiar with his catalog.  For Shorter’s more seasoned audiences, it proves to be just as entertaining on its own merits.  Keeping all of this in mind, the set list featured in The Music of Wayne Shorter creates a strong foundation for the recording.  The performance by Shorter and company in this recording builds on that foundation, making the recording that much more appealing.

The performance of the set list featured in this recording is another reminder of why not only Shorter, but the LCJO, too is so respected.  From start to finish, the musicians put on a collective performance that gives audiences so much to enjoy.  The set’s opener ‘Yes Or No’ is just one example of the group’s ability to keep listeners engaged and entertained.  The song stays mostly true to Shorter’s original work in its arrangement here.  The only difference between the original six-and-a-half-minute opus and this work is that this take on the song is extended out a bit, but about four minutes.  There is more improving taking place throughout.  The thing is that every bit of that noted improving works.  Shorter works wonders alongside the group’s drummer, who works just as expertly as he takes on legendary drummer Elvin Jones’ timekeeping here.  The pianist who takes on McCoy Tyner’s piano line makes that line more subtle this time out than in the original work.  What’s interesting to note is that despite this, that increased subtlety still makes the song work in its own right.  Meanwhile, Shorter’s work on the sax is just as powerful and professional as ever here.  He shows that even at his age at the time – he would have been between 81 and 82 at the time of the performance —   he still was just as talented as he had been in his younger days.  That is a testament to him and his abilities.  When that is considered along with the talent of the JLCO’s musicians, the whole of the group’s performance makes that song just one example of why the orchestra’s performance here is crucial to the recording’s impact.

‘Contemplation,’ which comes a little later in the recording’s run, is yet another example of the importance of the group’s performance to the recording.  Yet again, audiences get in this performance, a full tribute to the song’s source material (so to speak).  Shorter’s work on the sax in this gentle, bluesy work is just as engaging as it was so many decades ago.  The fluidity of the  notes as the song progresses from its more reserved opening bars to its slightly more upbeat moments is just as solid as in the original work that Shorter recorded with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.  The time keeping and the piano work here would make Blakey and pianist Cedar Walton proud.  Taking into account those lines and the rest of the song’s elements, the whole of the song’s arrangement and performance here proves just as enjoyable as the song’s source material.  It truly pays tribute to not only Shorter, but his then fellow musicians while also offering just as much for listeners to enjoy.  It’s as if a musical time capsule has been opened after so many decades and the music has just flowed so freely from that container.  That’s how enjoyable this performance is, just like with the recording’s other performances.

Much the same can be said of the group’s performance of ‘Teru’ that has been noted of the group’s other performances in this recording.  The slow, gentle composition is just as powerful and moving in this 2015 recording as it was way back when. Shorter’s performance alone evokes so much emotion as it pulls listeners into the song.  Meanwhile, the JLCO members add their own subtleties to the whole, making that original work that much more powerful, and easily one of the record’s highest points.  It really shows in the end, that less really is more.  When this is considered along with the rest of the recording’s performances, the whole of said performances makes the group’s overall performance just as powerful and important to the recording as the show’s set list.

Keeping in mind the importance of the group’s performance featured in this recording, the natural progression from there is to address the recording’s collective mixing and production.  Throughout the course of the recording, the mixing and production proves expert in its own right.  Every musician’s part is expertly balanced with one another in every song.  The result is a performance that perfectly captures the essence of Shorter’s work while also once again putting on full display, the talents of the members of the JLCO.  The only downside to the whole of the production comes at the end of the performance when the orchestra’s members are introduced.  It would have been nice to have known who the musicians were, not having liner notes to work with.  However, those introductions have to be played time and again throughout the work in order to catch each name.  It would have been nice to have had Marsalis (or whomever conducted the introductions) mic’d up so that audiences could hear that part.  While this does detract slightly from the production and mixing, it is hardly enough to make this recording unlistenable.  To that end, the production and mixing in this recording is just as strong as the recording’s featured set list and the orchestra’s performance thereof.  Keeping all of this in mind, everything noted here comes together to make The Music of Wayne Shorter a strong start to this year’s field of new live recordings and just as strong a start to the new year for Blue Engine Records and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s new live recording The Music of Wayne Shorter is another positive new live offering from the famed musical collective.  It is a work that will appeal just as much to Shorter’s longtime fans as it will to jazz aficionados and those of the groups with whom Shorter has performed.  That is due in part to the set list, which despite running only 10 songs, is still expansive in its own right.  The group’s performance of said set list adds even more interest and appeal to the recording.  The same can be said of the recording’s production and mixing.  Each item noted is key in its own right to the whole of the recording.  All things considered, they make the recording the first of this year’s top new live recordings.  More information on this and other titles from Blue Engine Records is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://jazz.org

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jazzdotorg

 

 

 

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‘Arthur’ Leads 2019’s Top New Family DVDs/BDs With Its New Celebration Of Diversity

Courtesy: PBS/PBS Distribution

Entertaining children and keeping them  entertained is not an easy task.  Every parent out there can attest to this statement, including this critic.  Thankfully, new DVDs and Blu-rays are released annually that go a long way toward keeping children entertained while also bringing families together.  This year saw its own share of strong new DVDs and Blu-rays for families, too.  That was thanks to PBS Distribution, Shout! Factory  and even — believe it or not — Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  From Sesame Street to Wild Kratts to even Scooby Doo and more, this year’s family-friendly DVD and BD releases offered hours of entertainment.

As with every list presented so far, this year’s list features the Top 10 titles of the year, plus five honorable mention titles for a total of 15 new releases.  Without further ado, here for your consideration is Phil’s Picks 2019 Top 10 New Family DVDs and BDs.

 

PHIL’S PICKS 2019 TOP 10 NEW FAMILY DVDs/BDs

1. Arthur: Arthur Celebrates Community
2. Ready Jet Go!: One Small Step
3. Ready Jet Go!: Space Rocks
4. Nature Cat: Nature Cat & Mr. Hide
5. The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales
6. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: Mister Rogers & Making Mistakes
7. Ready Jet Go!: Chasing The Sun
8. Sesame Street: Awesome Alphabet Collection
9. Sesame Street: Celebrate Family
10. Scooby Doo & The Curse of the 13th Ghost
11. Wild Kratts: Creepy Creatures
12. Wild Kratts: Briny Blue Sea
13. Splash & Bubbles: Pole To Pole
14. Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs Big & Small
15. Oddsockeaters

 

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CNN Films, Magnolia Pictures’ Gilda Radner Bio Is The Best Of 2019’s New Documentary Field

Courtesy: CNN Films/Magnolia Pictures

Movies based on actual events and biased news from both sides of the aisle have done so much damage to the world.  The movies based on actual events are over embellished forgettable works that tell half the story if even that.  The biased news on both sides of the aisle tells just as little as the noted movies, if not less.  To that end, one can’t help but be very thankful for all the new documentaries that are released each year.  The documentaries released this year went a long way toward making up for the problems caused by the noted news and movies, so many that there were more than enough to fit on any critic’s list of the year’s top new documentaries, but this critic tried to assemble a fitting list.

This year’s list features documentaries centered on topics, such as the history of Country Music, the Apollo 11 mission and a famed movie star.  Each documentary brings its own important and enjoyable presentation for audiences thanks to its unique content and story.  From one to the next, each proves itself fully deserving of a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new docs.  This critic’s list features, as with previous lists, the top 10 titles from the year as well as five honorable mention titles for a total  of 15 titles.  This list’s titles come from PBS, Cohen Media Group, Magnolia Pictures and even Shout! Factory, so they are not just from one company.  In other words, there is some diversity here.  Without any further ado, here for your consideration if Phil’s Picks 2019 Top 10 New Documentaries

 

PHIL’S PICKS 2019 TOP 10 NEW DOCUMENTARIES

1. Love, Gilda
2. Bad Reputation
3. American Experience: Chasing The Moon
4. Buster Keaton: The Great Buster
5. Ken Burns: Country Music
6. 8 Days: to The Moon and Back
7. American Experience; Sealab
8. Never–Ending Man: Hayao Miyizaki
9. NOVA: Apollo’s Daring Mission
10. Sinatra in Palm Springs: The Place He Called Home
11. NOVA: Last B-24
12. NOVA: Pluto & Beyond
13. NOVA: First Horse Warriors
14. Nature: Dogs in the Land of Lions
15. Nature: A Squirrel’s Guide To Success

 

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Audiences Would Be “Mistaken” To Not Own PBS Distribution’s Latest ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ DVD

Courtesy: PBS Distribution/PBS

We all make mistakes.  It’s part of who we are.  Those are words spoken by the late, great Fred Rogers multiple times in PBS’ latest Mister. Rogers’ Neighborhood DVD, Mister Rogers & Making Mistakes.  It is such a simple statement, yet so powerful in its simplicity, and is a statement that every person needs to hear every day.  Now thanks to PBS, audiences of all ages can get that reminder in various different ways every day in the recently released DVD.  Released through PBS Distribution Dec. 3, the DVD features five episodes of the timeless series that all focus on the issue of making mistakes.  The presentation of the various ways in which mistakes can happen is key for the DVD’s presentation.  It is just one of the important pieces of the DVD’s overall presentation to note.  The episodes’ sequencing plays into the DVD’s presentation in its own key fashion, too.  The DVD’s average price point is yet another important item to consider in the DVD’s presentation.  When all three of the items are considered together, the whole of Mister Rogers & Making Mistakes proves to be a release that would be a mistake for audiences to not own.

PBS Distribution’s latest Mister. Rogers’ Neighborhood DVD Mister Rogers &Making Mistakes is a strong new release that families and educators alike will appreciate.  That is due in no small part to the DVD’s overall content.  The DVD features five episodes of the timeless series in which mistakes are made (and discussed) in a variety of settings.  In one episode, Mr. Rogers sits down with a famed pianist and talks about the mistakes that he – the pianist – makes in practicing songs and that he even made throughout his life as he learned to play the piano.  In another case, Mr. Rogers receives the wrong tape from Mr. McFeely. He was expecting a tape that shows how erasers are made, but instead, receives a tape showing how books are made.  By connection, Mr. Rogers also discusses an error made in a book that he was reading.  The Land of Make Believe segments feature their own lessons about making mistakes.  Mr. Skunk, at one point, points out that it’s easy for him to accidentally make a foul-smelling odor when he is scared. He points out that he does not do it on purpose – even though in real life skunks do just that intentionally as a defense mechanism – and that it is embarrassing when it happens.  Mr. Skunk is reminded by others that they understand, and that mistakes happen.  Their understanding cheers him up.  In an even heavier moment, Daniel Tiger asks one of his friends if he was a mistake.  Taking on such thoughts and feelings was nothing new for Mr. Rogers, considering that he tackled during his time on television, issues, such as death, divorce and violent acts.  Daniel is reminded by his friend that he is not an accident and is loved because he is who he is.  Mr. Rogers then reminds his own viewers that everyone is different, and that is what makes them so great, stressing that no one is a mistake.  This is a powerful moment and one that is certain to live on forever.  Between these noted moments and others featured throughout the course of Mister Rogers & Making Mistakes, the lessons about making mistakes featured in this DVD make for more than enough reason for audiences to own the single-disc presentation.  It is just one of the positives presented in the DVD.  The sequencing of the episodes plays its own important part in the DVD’s presentation.

The sequencing is important to note in that all five of the episodes featured in the DVD are sequential.  They are not just a handful of episodes pulled from the series.  Audiences get to take in the full story of Audrey Duck and her poem’s reception thanks to this format, and the full week-long focus of making mistakes from Mister Rogers.  This may not seem overly important on the surface, but looking at it on a deeper level, it proves very important.  That continuity creates a feeling of completion among audiences.  That sense of completion, in turn, creates a positive feeling in viewers’ minds.  Yes, it’s mainly a psychological matter, but clearly key in its own right.  It would have been so easy for those responsible for the DVD’s assembly to simply throw in some random episodes.  Those individuals didn’t do that, though.  They paid attention to the importance of fluidity of the episodes.  That attention and thoughtfulness paid off for them and for audiences alike. The result is just as much enjoyment from the episodes’ presentation as from their content.  Keeping all of this in mind, it makes the DVD’s average price point quite important in its own right, too.

The average price point of Mister Rogers & Making Mistakes is $7.62.  That price was reached by averaging prices listed at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and PBS’ online store.  At the time of this review’s posting, it was not listed at Books-A-Million’s website and at that of Target. Barnes & Noble Booksellers presents the least expensive listing for the DVD — $6.63 – while PBS’ listing of $9.99 is the most expensive of the listings.  Best Buy’s listing of $7.99 is the middle ground for the listings.  Regardless of which retailer one uses, PBS will benefit from the DVD’s sales.  It features content that is appealing to audiences of all ages and formatting that makes it that much more appealing.  All things considered, this compilation proves to be a presentation which it would be a mistake to not own.

PBS Distribution’s latest Mister. Rogers’ Neighborhood DVD Mister Rogers & Making Mistakes is another positive new offering from the company.  It is a presentation that audiences of all ages will enjoy time and again with its lessons about making mistakes.  Grown-ups will relate to the lessons just as much as children thanks to the very directed aim of the lessons.  The fact that the episodes are featured in precise linear fashion adds even more appeal to the DVD, as it creates a sense of completion for audiences.  The fact that the DVD’s price, both singular and at average, is less than $10 adds even more appeal.  It means that the DVD is affordable to everyone, to say the very least.  Each item noted is important in its own right to the whole of the DVD.  All things considered, they make this release one that audiences would be mistaken to not own.  More information on this and other Mister Rogers­-related content from PBS Distribution is available online at:

 

 

 

Website: http://pbsdistribution.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PBSDistribution.org

 

 

 

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Gab De La Vega Debuts ‘Perfect Texture’ Video

 

Courtesy: Epidemic Records/Backbite Records

Singer-songwriter Gab De La Vega will release his new album Beyond Space and Time next month.

In anticipation of the album’s release, De La Vega has debuted the video for the album’s lead single, ‘Perfect Texture.’  The song features a guest appearance by Nicola Manzan, and the video features an appearance by a very well-known car. Manzan added the song’s violin and viola lines to its whole.

De La Vega talked about the song’s lyrical content in a recent interview.

“It seems to me that the boundary between what’s real and what’s fake tends to be undefined nowadays,” he said.  “Everything runs at twice the speed today and it has become so superficial that we don’t even bother questioning if our perceptions are real.  This has an impact on everything.”

He added, “For example, it’s easy to take a quick glance at a person’s life through the lenses of social media and think they are having the greatest of lives, when in fact they are not as shiny as they look.”

De La Vega continued, “It’s easy to be dragged into this game, but eventually, there’s a way out.  When the walls around us grow taller and the room around us gets smaller, we just need to reach out for the handle and pull it: there’s another world outside, in which we can truly be ourselves, with flaws and virtues, and have healthy interactions with each other.  It is liberty in its purest form.”

Courtesy: Epidemic Records/Backbite Records

Beyond Space and Time is De La Vega’s third full-length studio recording.  The record is the first to be fully-arranged by De La Vega and his band mates.  The album was recorded and mixed by Simone Piccinelli and mastered by Grammy-nominated sound engineer Jack Shirley (Deafhaven, Sun Valley Gun Club, Gouge Away).

De La Vega’s forthcoming album will be released through his own label Epidemic Records.  Pre-orders are open now through Epidemic Records, Backbite Records and through various digital platforms here.

The full track listing for Beyond Space and Time is noted below.

BEYOND SPACE AND TIME – TRACKLIST

1) Phoenix From The Flames

2) Story Of A Human Being

3) YYZ

4) Perfect Texture

5) Rosary Of Days

6) Bomb Inside My Head

7) As One

8) We’ve Already Seen All This

9) Words Unspoken

10) Something’s Not Ok

11) I Still Believe

More information on Beyond Space and Time is available along with all of De La Vega’s latest news and more at:

 

Website: http://gabdelavega.bandcamp.com

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

 

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Overkill Announces New North American Live Dates

Courtesy: Nuclear Blast Records

Overkill will return to North America next year for another run of live dates.

The band recently announced the schedule for its “Wings Over USA 2020 Tour.”  The tour is scheduled to launch Feb. 26 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA and to run through March 14 in Montclair, NJ.

The tour’s full schedule is noted below.  Tickets are available for all shows now.

Confirmed dates for OVERKILL‘s “Wings Over The USA” 2020 Tour with EXHORDER and HYDRAFORM are:

2/26/2020  Anaheim CA – House of Blues
2/27/2020  San Francisco CA – Slims
2/28/2020  Las Vegas NV – House of Blues
2/29/2020  San Diego CA – House of Blues
3/01/2020  Phoenix AZ – Crecent Ballroom
3/02/2020  Albuquerque NM – Sunshine Theater
3/04/2020  San Antonio TX – Aztec
3/05/2020  Corpus Christi TX – House of Rock
3/06/2020  Houston TX – Warehouse
3/07/2020  Dallas TX – Gas Monkey
3/08/2020  New Orleans LA – House of Blues
3/09/2020  Tampa FL – The Ritz
3/10/2020  Orlando FL – House of Blues
3/11/2020  Atlanta GA – Buckhead
3/12/2020  Charlotte NC – Underground @ The Fillmore
3/13/2020  Silver Springs MD – The Fillmore
3/14/2020  Montclair NJ – Wellmont Theater *
* with M.O.D. featuring Billy Milano and DEMOLITION HAMMER

Overkill front man Bobby Blitz commented on the upcoming tour in a recent interview.

“Let’s get this show on the road, “Wings Over USA” round two!,” he said.  “We are bringing two heavy hitters with us, Exhorder and Hydraform in what will shape up to be a sledgehammer thrash-fest.  Looking forward to seeing you all!  Horns up!”

Overkill’s upcoming North American run is in support of Wings of War, which was released Feb. 22.  The band released eight videos featuring the band members discussing various aspects of the album leading up to the album’s release.  Those videos are listed below.

Part I: Band Origin & Name
Part II: Early influences the Genre  
Part III; East Coast vs. West Coast
Part IV: Old School Venues & Social Media!
Part V: “Hello From The Gutter” music video, & the origins of their symbol: the bat skull (Chaly)
Part VI: Album Out Tomorrow
Part VII: Rise Of The Internet And The Evolution Of Digital Audio And Social Media
Part VIII: Defining Moments In The Band Members’ Careers

Along with the discussion videos, the album also spawned three singles — ‘Welcome To The Garden State,’ ‘Head of a Pin‘ and ‘Last Man Standing.’

More information on Overkill’s upcoming tour dates is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.wreckingcrew.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/OverkillBand

 

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The Jab Debuts ‘Riot’ Video

Independent rock band The Jab will release its new album Consume in the new year. In anticipation of the album’s release, the band recently debuted the video for the album’s lead single.

The band debuted the video for the song ‘Riot‘ Dec. 19. The video crosses footage of the band performing its new single with that of a young woman realizing a certain reality before making her way to a studio where a masked figure is controlling the masses. The video closes with the young woman tearing off the figure’s mask and showing it to the world.

Courtesy: Medicine/The Orchard/Earshot Media

That imagery ties into the song’s message, which front man Jam Alker discussed in a recent interview.

“We pretend to care about the kids in sweatshops…but not as much as we love our Nikes,” he said.  “We pretend to care about people jumping off buildings in China…but not as much as we love our new iPhones.  We pretend to care about the homeless…but not as much as our next vacation.  Maybe we’re a bit too comfortable…Maybe it’s time to start a Riot?”

While the song’s lyrical content is fully defiant, the song’s musical arrangement is a surprise. It presents a distinct blues-soaked southern rock sound.  The song is streaming by itself here.

Consume is scheduled for release Feb. 4 through Medicine/The Orchard, a Sony-owned company.  More information on Consume is available online at:

 

Website: http://thejabmusic.com

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

Instagram: http://instagram.com/wearethejab

 

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Angeles Takes Audiences Behind The Scenes Of Its New ‘Fire It Up’ Video

Courtesy: Dark Star Records

Rock band Angeles released a new behind-the-scenes video for its new music video.

The video is a making-of video that shows how the band made the video for its new single, the title song from its new album Fire It Up.  The video was recorded out in a desert setting, showing the band performing its new single and lots of more light hearted moments.  The video is streaming here.

The announcement of its new video is just its latest announcement.  The band recently announced a tour in support of Fire It Up.

The new tour schedule includes performances with Tora Tora and with Krokus.

The first of the new dates is a performance Dec. 29 with veteran 80s rock band Enuff Z’Nuff at the famed Whisky A Go-Go.  The band will ring in the new year Dec. 31 at Wood Music Studios and open 2020 with a return to the Whisky A Go-Go alongside Rough Riot.

The band’s new tour schedule also features a handful of dates in February, March and April.  Another performance is also scheduled for October.  The band’s latest tour schedule is noted below, with more dates to be announced.

ANGELES Last 2019 and First 2020 shows:

December 29th – @Whisky A Go-Go w/ENUFF Z’NUFF – Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2403216909937936
December 31st – New Years Eve Party @Wood Music Studios
January 2nd – @Whisky A Go-Go w/ROUGH RIOT
January 17th – @Universal Bar and Grill
February 14th – @Sunshine Studio Live, Colorado Springs w/TORA TORA
March 7th – @Petie’s Place w/PRETTY BOY FLOYD
March 27th – @Whisky A Go-Go w/LAST IN LINE
April 19th – Party in the Parking Lot @Rainbow Bar and Grill
October 10th – @Whisky A Go-Go w/KROKUS

Angeles’ upcoming live dates are in support of its new album Fire It Up. More information on the band’s tour is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.angelesband.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AngelesTheBand

 

 

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Hannah Williams & The Affirmations’ New LP Towers Over Its Counterparts In Phil’s Picks 2019 Top 10 New Albums List

Courtesy: Record Kicks

As the year finally winds down its final days, the attention for many companies turns to the new year and the new crop of records already planned for the first quarter of the year.  As attentions turn to thew new year and its new albums, attention should also remain on the current year’s albums.  This year produced so many standout records from across the musical universe.  From rock and hard rock to pop to neo-soul and more, the offerings presented to audiences were many to say the very least.  Keeping that in mind, any critic will agree assembling the list of the year’s top new albums overall is a chore, but one that must happen.  This year’s top new albums are mainstream and independent alike, at least on this critic’s list.

Hannah Williams & The Affirmations easily made their way onto this critic’s final musical year-ender list with their new album 50 Foot Woman as did Slipknot, Sara Potenza and even Joel Ross.  Again, this list was anything but easy to assemble, but it did finally come together.  It is presented here complete with five honorable mention titles.  Without any further ado, here for your consideration is Phil’s Picks’ 2019 Top 10 New Albums.

 

PHIL’S PICKS 2019 TOP 10 NEW ALBUMS

1. Hannah Williams & The Affirmations — 50 Foot Woman
2. Devin Townsend — Empath
3. Slipknot — We Are Not Your Kind
4. Joel Ross — Kingmaker
5. Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis — Jazz & Art
6. Lakou Mizik — HaitiaNola
7. Diana Panton — Cheerful Little Earful
8. Am I Dead Yet? — Am I Dead Yet?
9. Carlos Santana — Africa Speaks
10. The Magpie Salute — Highwater II
11. Tedeschi Trucks Band — Signs
12. The Sh-Booms — The Blurred Odyssey
13. Sara Potenza — Sara Potenza
14. Wargirl — Wargirl
15. Hootie & The Blowfish — Imperfect Circle

 

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