The Messenger Birds Debut New LP’s Lead Single

Cover Art Credit: Raymond Rivard (@fellanamedsue)

Independent rock duo The Messenger Birds is taking on the nation’s division in its latest single.

The duo — Parker Bengry and Chris Williams — debuted its latest single ‘Everything Has To Fall Apart Eventually’ Thursday through Consequence of Sound.  The song is the lead single from the band’s forthcoming album Everything Has To Fall Apart Eventually.  The album is scheduled for release Oct. 7

The song’s fiery musical arrangement will appeal to fans of bands, such as Queens of the Stone Age, The Black Keys, and The White Stripes.  That is evidenced through the song’s guitar arrangement and thunderous drum sound.

Bengry and Williams addressed the song’s musical arrangement during its interview with Consequence of Sound.

“Everything Has to Fall Apart Eventually” sonically is one of our favorite tracks on the album (also the title track),” the men said. “The music and lyrics kind of mirror each other in a manic fever dream sort of way, a mix of driving riffs and laid back grooves with atmospheric leads and arpeggiated synthesizer layers. It’s a bit of sensory overload, which is intentional.”

The lyrical content in this song, as noted, addresses the division taking place in America, according to comments from the duo during its interview with Consequence of Sound.

“We’re living in this time where we are inundated every minute of the day with new information, conspiracies, and propaganda on the internet/social media, and it’s a constant battle for people to analyze it all and understand it for what it is,” the pair said. “What’s true? What’s not? How do you decipher it, and how can you tell the difference? Everybody has something to say, but it’s all finger-pointing without an openness for real discourse or learning. That’s kind of what “Everything Has to Fall Apart Eventually” is about…”

Pre-orders and pre-saves are open.

Everything Has To Fall Apart Eventually was produced, mixed, and engineered by Steve LeHane at Rustbelt Studios.  The record was mastered by Paul Blakemore.

More information on The Messenger Birds’ new single and album is available along with all of its latest news at:

 

Website: http://themessengerbirds.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheMssngrBirds

 

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

Eagle Rock Entertainment To Release New Iggy Pop Live Recording

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment

Eagle Rock Entertainment will release a new live recording from legendary rocker Iggy Pop this fall.

Post Pop Depression: Live at the Royal Albert Hall will be released Friday, October 28^th. The performance presented in the recording was originally recorded May 13, 2016 at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall.

Post Pop Depression was co-created by Iggy Pop and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age).  Home produced the record, which has since gone on to be one of Iggy Pop’s most well-received records in a number of years.

Along with having helmed the new album, Homme also serves as part of Pop’s backing band for the performance presented in this recording.  The pair is joined for the performance by Homme’s Queens of the Stone Age band mates Dean Fertita and Troy Van Leeuwen as well as guitarist Matt Sweeney.

Post Pop Depresion: Live at the Royal Albert Hall will be released Friday, October 28^th in stores and online.  It will be available as a DVD + 2CD combo pack and a Blu-ray + 2CD combo pack.  The DVD + 2CD combo pack will retail for MSRP of $21.98 and the Blu-ray + 2CD combo pack for $26.98.

Fans can pre-order the concert’s DVD + 2CD combo pack and its Blu-ray + 2CD combo pack online now.

Audiences can check out a performance of ‘The Passenger,’ which is included in the concert, online now via YouTube.

The full track listing for the concert is noted below.

 

TRACK LISTING 

1) Lust For Life

2) Sister Midnight

3) American Valhalla

4) Sixteen

5) In The Lobby

6) Some Weird Sin

7) Funtime

8) Tonight

9) Sunday

10) German Days

11) Mass Production

12) Nightclubbing

13) Gardenia

14) The Passenger

14) China Girl

15) Break Into Your Heart

16) Fall In Love With Me

17) Repo Man

18) Baby

19) Chocolate Drops

20) Paraguay

21) Success

 

More information on Post Pop Depression: Live at The Royal Albert Hall is available online now along with all of Iggy Pop’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.iggypop.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/iggypop

 

 

 

More information on this recording and all of the latest Queens of the Stone Age news is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.qotsa.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/qotsa

 

 

 

More information on this 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 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.

The Rock Carnival Returns This Summer

Courtesy: Stan Levinstone Presents/Game Loud

The Rock Carnival is officially returning.

The Rock Carnival, the Northeast’s only classic carnival + Rock ‘N Roll experience returns this year for its second year.  And headlining this year’s festival is none other than one of the great legends of rock, Alice Cooper.  The second annual Rock Carnival will be held Friday, September 30^th – Sunday, October 2^nd.  It is produced by Stan Levinstone Presents and Game Loud.  It will take place at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood New Jersey.  It is the home of the Lakewood Blue Claws minor league baseball team.  The team is a minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.  This year marks the first time that it will take place at FirstEnergy Park.  General Admission tickets for single day and weekend access are available now along with Reserved Seat Weekend passes VIP packages, and Skybox Meet and Greets.  The General admission passes and Reserved Seat Weekend Passes can be purchased online here now.  The VIP and Skybox packages are available here.

While Alice Cooper will headline this year’s festival he will not be the only big name on the bill.  Also on this year’s bill are the likes of: Kyng, Overkill, Texas Hippie Coalition, Jackyl, Ace Frehley, Clutch, Blue Oyster Cult, Zakk Sabbath, Monster Magnet, Fuel and many others. Twisted Sister will also be on hand for the festival in its final tri-state appearance.  The performance is part of the band’s official farewell tour.  Performances will take place across a number of stages including two side-by-side main stages.

Along with the major acts scheduled to perform, a special “Classic” Friday night celebration has been added to this year’s festivities.  The celebration will feature performances by a number of cover bands including: Voyage (Journey tribute band), Almost Queen (Queen tribute band), and Zakk Zabbath.  Zac Sabbath’s lineup features Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society Ozzy Osbourne) on vocals and guitar, Blasko (Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie) on bass, and Joey Castillo (Queens of the Stone Age) on drums.

More information on the second annual Rock Carnival will be announced in the weeks to come.  Audiences can keep up with all of those updates online now at:

 

 

Website: http://therockcarnival.com

 

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheRockCarnival

 

 

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.

Royal Blood Is One Of This Year’s Most Surprising Rock Records

Courtesy: Warner Brothers Records

British Rock duo Royal Blood made big waves earlier this year when it released its debut EP Out of the Black.  That release was but a mere sampling of what the duo—Michael Kerr (bass/vocals) and Ben Thatcher (drums)—had to offer on its now available self-titled major label debut.  Royal Blood is now available in store and online via Warner Brothers Records.  And anyone that has yet to hear any of the band’s music will be impressed by the record’s sound.  The ten tracks contained on this disc boast sounds influenced from the likes of Clutch, The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Queens of the Stone Age and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club just to name a handful.  That mix of influences has led to an album that is arguably one of the best new rock albums of the year and potentially one of the best new albums of the year overall, too.  The proof is obvious right off the top in the album’s opener and title track from its previously released EP ‘Out of the Black.’  Kerr and Thatcher step things up right after that on the forward-driving ‘Come On Over.’  If those songs aren’t enough for listeners, ‘Little Monster’ is sure to impress with its mix of equally driving music and rather thought provoking lyrics.  All three of these songs are equally impressive examples of what makes Royal Blood one of the surprise records of the year.  That is not to discount any of the album’s any other songs.  The album’s bluesy album closer ‘Better Strangers’ and the infectious ‘Figure It Out’ are just as enjoyable as the previously mentioned pieces.  And the album’s remaining five tracks each play their own part in this album’s enjoyment.  Whether for those tracks or the ones noted here, the end result is an album that is again one of the biggest surprises of the year.

Royal Blood’s new self-titled major label debut album is without a doubt one of the best new rock albums of 2014. It is also potentially one of the year’s best new albums overall. The duo makes its case for that title right from the album’s outset. The album’s opener is a bombastic first impression from Kerr and Thatcher. The massive wall of sound generated by the pair instantly conjures thoughts of Clutch, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and others of that ilk. Kerr’s vocals are just as much a powerhouse as the music crafted by himself and Thatcher as he sings in the song’s chorus, “You made a fool out of me/You took the skin off my back running/So don’t breath when I talk/Cause you have been spoken to/I got a gun for a mouth/And a bullet with your name on it/But a trigger full of heartbeat/I’m pulling from an empty pocket.” The video for this song is actually available now online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_3mNCaJgNM. So audiences can check out the song’s pure immensity in the combination of its music and vocals.

As if the seemingly untamed energy generated by ‘Out of the Black’ wasn’t enough for audiences, Kerr and Thatcher keep things moving on the album’s second song ‘Come on Over.’ This song is another full on piece that is sure to impress listeners.  Kerr sings on this song, “Let’s run away/Get out of here/I got no money/And I don’t care/This ain’t my house/This ain’t your home/Not when I’m feeling this alone.” This is an interesting chorus, lyrically speaking. It seems to reflect a certain negative energy felt by perhaps a broken home of sorts. One wonders even more about this as Kerr sings later in the song, “I’m on a train going nowhere/I ran away to make you care/This ain’t my house/This ain’t your home/Not when I’m feeling this alone.” If this is one of those standard songs of self-denial and doubt, the musical side of the song doesn’t reflect that vibe. Hearing lyrics like those noted here, one would expect a musical side from the likes of Breaking Benjamin, Staind or others. But instead , the song’s musical side presents more of a self-determined vibe. It makes for quite the contradiction. And that contradiction makes the song all the more interesting. Audiences can check out an in-studio performance of this song online now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlSAjp-XaTo. So as with the previously noted songs, audiences can hear this song for themselves and heard that musical contradiction of moods that makes it yet another welcome addition to Royal Blood.

Both ‘Out of the Black’ and ‘Come On Over’ more than make for their own positive impression for Royal Blood.   But Kerr and Thatcher don’t rest easily on their laurels as is evident in ‘Little Monster.’ This song comes a little past the album’s halfway mark.  It is another impressive addition to Royal Blood not just because of the song’s power and energy, but also because it has a certain swagger mixed into the song’s overall feel. That swagger works just as well with the song’s overall sludge rock feel as it does with the song’s lyrics. Audiences will be able to hear that as Kerr sings, “I got love on my fingers/Lust on my tongue/You say you got nothing/So come out and get some/Heartache to heartache/I’m your wolf/I’m your man/I say run little monster/Before you know who I am.” Even more interesting in this song is the New Jack Swing beat of sorts played by Thatcher against the harder edged sound of Kerr’s playing. Somehow, the two parts meld together although one wouldn’t generally think that they would. As with the EP’s opener, this song also has a companion video that can be viewed online now. So audiences can hear the song and hear that massive sound for themselves when they check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ere2Mstl8ww.

‘Little Monster,’ ‘Come On Over,’ and ‘Out of the Black’ are all impressive additions to Royal Blood’s self-titled major label debut record.  Together, they make the band’s new album one of the biggest surprises of the year.  That is not to discount the album’s other songs.  Kerr and Thatcher keep audiences fully engaged right to the album’s end from the infectious ‘Figure It Out’ to the album’s bluesy closer ‘Better Strangers.’ Every track on this record plays its own part in the album’s overall success.  Altogether, each of the album’s ten tracks proves why this album is sure to be one of the year’s most talked about records by the time ticks to midnight on New Year’s Eve.  Royal Blood is available now online and in stores.  It is also available at the band’s live shows as Royal Blood is currently on tour in support of its new album.  It is currently wrapping up the European leg of its tour and will be coming back to the United States beginning September 19^th in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Fans can check out when Royal Blood will come to their town online now at http://www.facebook.com/RoyalBloodUK, http://www.royalbloodband.com, http://twitter.com/royalblooduk.  Fans can also keep up with the latest updates from the band via each site.  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.

VSC Announces Release Date, Product Info For Portlandia Season Four

Courtesy: Video Services Corporation

Video Services Corporation (VSC) will release the fourth season of IFC’s hit comedy series Portlandia this summer.

Portlandia: Season 4 will be released on DVD Tuesday, August 26^th. Armisen’s beloved characters Dave and Kath are back in Portlandia’s fourth season, as are Spike and his uptight girlfriend, Iris. Spike and Iris have to deal with a difficult situation at a Thai restaurant while Dave and Kath actually give relaxation a try. And then there is the couple, Nina and Lance. Nina and Lance have to recover from the trauma of losing a pet this season.

Season Four sees a who’s who of celebrity guests across its ten episodes. Among some of the more well-known guests that appear on the show this season are: k.d. lang, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman 1 – 3), Joshua Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Mark Proksch (The Office), and many others. Also returning from Portlandia’s previous seasons is an equally high profile list of stars including: Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park 1 &2, Independence Day), Ed Begley, Jr. (Arrested Development, Pineapple Express), Jason Sudeikis (How I Met Your Mother), and director Gus Van Sant (Promised Land, Milk) and just as many other big names.

Portlandia: Season Four was shot entirely in Portland, Oregon. It is co-created and co-written by Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, and Jonathan Krisel. Krisel is also the series’ director. The series is executive prodiced by Lorne Michaels (SNL) and produced by Broadway Video. Portlandia: Season Four is comprised of ten episodes on two discs. It will retail for SRP of $19.98. Portlandia has earned a Peabody © award and has been nominated for an Emmy ® award as well, and has run for four seasons exclusively on Independent Film Channel.

More information on this and other releases from Video Services Corporation is available online at http://www.facebook.com/videoservicescorp, http://www.videoservicescorp.com, and http://twitter.com/vidserv. 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.

UMe To Release New APC Hits Compilation Next Week

Courtesy: Universal Music Enterprise

Officials with Universal Music Enterprise have announced that the company will release a new hits collection from A Perfect Circle this Fall.  The new album, titled, Three-Sixty will be released via Universal Music Enterprise (Ume) on Tuesday, November 19^th.  The album will be released in both a standard edition and an expanded deluxe edition.  Band co-founder Maynard James Keenan (Tool, Puscifer) discussed the upcoming hits package, explaining the band’s formation and how his relationship with friend Billy Howerdel (Ashes Divide) impacted the group’s upcoming compilation.  “Billy and I created A Perfect Circle out of a now long-running friendship, and I think the music we have made reflects that personal connection and has given us the ability to further develop and trust our intuition,” explained Keenan. “I feel Three Sixty is an accurate representation of that friendship and those instincts.”

Kennan and Howerdel formed A Perfect Circle in the 1990s.  They enlisted the help of a handful of other well-known musicians to help record their albums and join them on tour.  That list included: James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age, Failure), Paz Lenchantin (Entrance Band, Zwan), Jeordie White (Marilyn Manson), Josh Freese (The Vandals, Devo) and Tim Alexander (Primus, Attention Deficit).  The band’s first album, Mer de Noms, was released in 2000.  It quickly went to Number Five on Billboard’s Top 200.  The band then topped itself in 2003 with the release of its sophomore record, Thirteenth Step.  That album would go on to debut at Number Two on Billboard’s Top 200.  The band’s third full length release, eMOTIVe, is the band’s most recent.  It was released on election day 2004.  It is a collection of cover songs that was completely re-worked by the band.  Since the release of that album, the band has been on hiatus, with its members working on their own primary projects.  In all, A Perfect Circle has sold over five million albums worldwide.

The standard edition of the band’s upcoming hits compilation will include thirteen tracks taken from its current catalogue.  The deluxe edition will include a bonus second disc that contains songs from eMOTIVe, as well as four live performances and songs from the band’s catalogue.  The track listing for both the standard and deluxe edition are listed below.

Three Sixty, both standard and deluxe editions, track listing:

Standard Edition

1. The Hollow

2. Judith

3. Orestes

4. 3 Libras

5. Weak And Powerless

6. The Noose

7. The Outsider

8. Blue

9. When The Levee Breaks

10. Imagine

11. Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums

12. Passive

13. By And Down

Deluxe Edition

Disc 1

1. The Hollow

2. Rose

3. Judith

4. Orestes

5. 3 Libras

6. The Package

7. Weak And Powerless

8. The Noose

9. The Outsider

10. Blue

Disc 2

1. Imagine

2. Passive

3. People Are People (live)

4. Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums

5. When The Levee Breaks

6. By And Down

7. 3 Libras (live)

8. Gravity (live)

9. Fiddle and The Drum (live)

 

The band’s upcoming hits compilation isn’t all that APC fans have to anticipate.  The band’s members have announced that also slated for release is a new limited edition box set titled A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo.  The collection of songs focuses on the band’s 2010 – 2011 tour.  It includes a full-length DVD recording of the band’s August 2011 Red Rocks concert and a three-CD collection of live recordings.  Each recording is directly connected to each of the band’s three studio recordings.  The complete box set will be released Tuesday, November 26^th.  It will only be available via the APC Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/aperfectcircle.    Fans can also go to the band’s Facebook page and official website, http://www.aperfectcircle.com for more on these releases, tour dates, and all things APC.  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.