The Aquadolls Debut New Single, ‘Held (I’m Falling 4U And I Can’t Get Up), Video

Courtesy: ENCI Records

The Aquadolls debuted its latest single and video this week.

The trio premiered its new single, ‘Help (I’m Falling 4U And I Can’t Get Up)‘ and its video Friday. The song’s musical arrangement is a laid back, sultry composition that has an infectious bluesy vibe. That sense plays into the song’s lyrical theme, which front woman Melissa Brooks talked about in a prepared statement.

“This song tells the story of falling for someone and starting to obsess over them,” she said. “It’s about imagining all of the things we could do together, both romantic and twisted, showing the darker sides of having a crush and longing for more to come from it.

The video features the all-female group playing out the story told in the lyrics. One of the members is seemingly dreaming about so many certain situations as the song plays over the visualization.

In other news, The Aquadolls has a tour planned this summer with Sublime with Rome and Incubus. The tour is scheduled to launch July 24 in West Palm Beach, FL and to run through Sept. 3 in Bend, OR. It features stops in cities, such as Mountain View, CA; Rogers, AR; Bangor, ME.

The tour’s full schedule is noted below.

Incubus / Sublime With Rome / The Aquadolls Tour Dates

Sunday, July 24 West Palm Beach, FL iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

Tuesday, July 26 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place

Wednesday, July 27 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre

Friday, July 29 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion

Saturday, July 30 Doswell, VA AfterHours Concerts at The Meadow Event Park

Sunday, July 31 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

Tuesday, Aug 02 Syracuse, NY St. Joseph’s Heath Amphitheater at Lakeview

Wednesday, Aug 03 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center

Friday, Aug 05 Camden, NJ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (formerly BB&T Pavilion)

Saturday, Aug 06 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center

Sunday, Aug 07 Bangor, ME Maine Savings Amphitheater

Tuesday, Aug 09 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center

Wednesday, Aug 10 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre

Friday, Aug 12 Bonner Springs, KS Azura Amphitheater

Saturday, Aug 13 Maryland Heights, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis

Sunday, Aug 14 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago

Tuesday, Aug 16 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP

Wednesday, Aug 17 Dallas, TX Dos Equis Pavilion

Friday, Aug 19 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Saturday, Aug 20 Austin, TX Germania Insurance Amphitheater

Monday, Aug 22 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion

Wednesday, Aug 24 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre

Friday, Aug 26 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre

Saturday, Aug 27 Irvine, CA FivePoint Amphitheatre

Sunday Aug 28 Chula Vista, CA North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Tuesday, Aug 30 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort and Casino (Grand Theatre)

Thursday, Sept 01 Ridgefield, WA RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

Saturday, Sept 03 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater

More information on The Aquadolls’ new single, video, and tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: https://theaquadolls.bandcamp.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaquadolls

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://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.

Matt Irie Band Debuts New Single, ‘Coastal’

Courtesy: CowgirlZen Entertainment

Independent rock act, Matt Irie Band released its latest single last month.

The band premiered its new single, ‘Coastal‘ Oct. 13. The song’s musical arrangement is a smooth, relaxed composition whose laid back guitar approach immediately takes audiences back to the reggae/rock sounds of the 90s. The immediate comparisons that come to mind are to acts, such as G. Love and Special Sauce, Dirty Heads, and Sublime. Audiences could even argue that there is an influence from Jack Johnson exhibited here, too.

The band discussed the song’s arrangement in a prepared statement.

“We wanted to deliver a fun & upbeat anthem that we hope everyone can relate to,” the statement reads. “This one is for everyone dealing with too much-unwanted stress, this one’s for you all.”

The song’s lyrical theme matches well with the band’s statement. That is evidenced as band namesake Matt Irie sings about having a “coastal dream” and the welcome feel of the sand and waves. The overall theme is certain to put any listener in a positive mindset, even during the coming cold, winter days.

More information on Matt Irie Band’s new single is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattIrieBand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattIrieBand

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://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.

Joker’s Hand Premieres New Single, ‘War Profiteer’

Courtesy: Earshot Media

Independent punk rock band Joker’s Hand premiered its latest single this week.

The band debuted its new single, ‘War Profiteer’ Monday through New Noise Magazine. The song is the band’s first new music in more than a year. The band’s then latest music came last March in its debut, self-titled EP. The EP produced the singles, ‘Anthem,’ ‘Gold Rush,’ and ‘Hijacked.’

The musical arrangement featured in ‘War Profiteer’ features a reggae-rock type sound in its laid back stylistic approach. It is a musical presentation that will appeal to fans of more well-known acts, such as Sublime, 311, and Sugar Ray.

The lyrical theme featured in ‘War Profiteer’ is a cynical statement about those who profit off of the misery and suffering of others.

More information on Joker’s Hand’s latest single is available along with all of the act’s latest news at:

Website: https://www.jokershand.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JokersHandBand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jokershandband

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://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.

Espresso Debuts New Single, ‘Bottles,’ Companion Video

Courtesy: Earshot Media

Independent rock band Espresso debuted the video for its latest single last week.

The band debuted the video for its new single ‘Bottles‘ Thursday. The song and its video are the second from the band is almost as many months. The band debuted its single ‘Three Year High’ and its companion video Aug. 21.

The video for ‘Bottles’ features Espresso’s members — Colin Martin, Dashel Dupuy, Alex Gutierrez-Kovner, and newly added Ardem Gourdikian — performing their respective parts to the song in their own settings. A wall-eye effect is used on the video to enhance the viewing experience as the song plays over the visuals.

The musical arrangement featured in ‘Bottles’ is lightly comparable to songs from the likes of Sublime and ‘Dirty Heads. The lyrical content that accompanies the catchy musical arrangement comes across as a statement promoting social unity.

‘Bottles’ is available to stream and download here.

More information on Espresso’s new music is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/espressoband3

Twitter: http://twitter.com/espressoband

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.

Second Stage Added To 2nd Annual Blaze ‘N’ Glory Festival

Courtesy: Ashton-Magnuson Media

The 2^nd annual Blaze ‘N’ Glory Festival has just gotten bigger.

Organizers with the Blaze ‘N’ Glory Festival announced Monday the addition of the “SRH 25 Year Anniversary Party” Stage.  And with an additional stage also come additional acts.  Long Beach Dub All-Stars, Dilated Peoples, Common Kings, Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds, Madchild, Big B, and Johnny Richter are all scheduled to perform on the newly added stage.

SRH (Supporting Radical Habits) was originally established in 1991.  Since its inception, it has branched out to form a clothing line closely associated with the action sports lifestyle.  It also has put on its own music festival dubbed the SRH Fest.  The SRH Fest assembles fans from around Southern California to celebrate live music, action sports and more.  The bands featured at the SRH Fest include but are not limited to: NOFX, Pennywise, Offspring, Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Unwritten Law, Strung Out, Dilated Peoples, and (Hed) p.e.   SRH founder Kevin Zinger shared his thoughts on the company’s partnership with the Blaze ‘N’ Glory Festival with the media, noting SRH’s anniversary as a big reason for the new deal.  “We are extremely excited to be doing this year’s SRH fest at Blaze ‘N’ Glory,” he said.  This is our 25th anniversary, so when the idea of combining forces came up, it made complete sense. We wanted to put together a lineup that represents our flavor of music and lifestyle and Blaze ‘N’ Glory is the perfect event. It’s an honor to have so many amazing artists get involved to perform and support. We have some special guests that will also be joining us, and this show will go down in the SRH history books for sure.”

In honor of SRH’s 25^th anniversary, organizers with the Blaze ‘N’ Glory Festival is offering a special 4-pack ticket sale that begins Friday, May 13^th at 1pm EST/10:00a.m. PST.  The special short sale ends Saturday, May 14^th at 2:00pm EST/11:00a.m. PST.  The package deal allows fans to purchase four tickets for $25 each plus fees.  Camping reservations can be made for the festival now by calling the San Bernardino County Regional Parks Department at 909-387-2583.  A very limited number of spaces for RVs and campers adjacent to the venue is currently available and will likely go fast.  Campgrounds will be open from Friday, June 3^rd at 3pm through Sunday, June 5^th at 12pm.

More information on the Blaze ‘N’ Glory Festival is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.BlazeNGlory.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/blazengloryfest

 

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.

Light Flashes Is A Flash Of Indie Musical Greatness

Courtesy: Press Junkie PR

Independent reggae act Dubbest will release its latest full-length studio effort Light Flashes early next month. The album, the band’s third full-length effort, will be released independently by the Boston-based band. Being that most audiences have likely never heard of Dubbest, its latest record proves to be a good introduction to its sound. This is especially the case for those that are fans of reggae. The band has already premiered the album’s lead single ‘Spend The Day’ as well as a video to go along with the song. That song in itself is a good introduction to the band for those that might not be so familiar with Dubbest and an equally welcome return for the band’s long-time fans. The laid-back grooves of ‘Cross Pollination’ and its intriguing metaphorical writing make it yet another interesting example of what makes Light Flashes a worthwhile listen for any reggae fan. While it is one more good example of what Dubbest has to offer fans both on its new record and in general, it is not the last example. The band also includes no fewer than two instrumental numbers on its new album as part of its whole. The best of those two instrumentals comes late in the album in the form of the song ‘Escape Route.’ The very title conjures thoughts of a beach on a late spring day, the sun shining and palm trees swaying gently in the breeze. It is a great image that will put any listener at ease and in turn yet another example of what makes Light Flashes worth at least one listen. It isn’t the last example of what makes it worth the listen, either. Each of the album’s twelve tracks has its own merits. All twelve tracks noted, Light Flashes shows to be more than just a bright, shining light in the world of reggae and of independent music. That being said, it is safe to say that Light Flashes is one of this year’s best new independent albums.

Dubbest’s new album Light Flashes is one of this year’s best new independent albums. The record boasts twelve tracks that reggae purists everywhere will enjoy. That is because it is a sound that continues to clearly maintain Dubbest’s identity apart from the likes of Sublime, 311, and other pseudo-reggae acts. The album’s lead single ‘Spend The Day’ is a clear example of what makes this record stand out from those of Dubbest’s counterparts. The song doesn’t try to be the poppy sort of song that those from Dubbest’s counterparts have churned out over the years. It is reggae, plain and simple. Guitarists Andrew MacKenzie and Corey Mahoney’s gentle strains harken directly back to the days of Bob Marley and The Whalers while drummer Kyle Hancock’s backbeat serves as a solid foundation for the whole thing. Front man Ryan Thaxter’s own vocal delivery style is just as worth noting here. His delivery is just as soft and gentle as that of his band mates on their respective instruments. This even includes bassist Sean Craffey. Looking at the song’s lyrical content, it plays its own role in the song’s enjoyment, too. Thaxter sings in this song, “Feeling the love like never before/Been waiting for a long time and I cannot endure it/I’m sick of the rain/Let it shine like before/I’ve never been sure before/But I’ve never been so sure/Baby come relieve me/I wanna see you today/Maybe come for the evening and tomorrow we can spend the day.” Simply put, Thaxter is singing from the standpoint of a man that wants to be with his woman. Even more interesting is that even though a man is singing the song, there is no indication of gender in this song. So it could just as easily be sung from a woman’s vantage point, too. That makes the song even more enjoyable. Set against the song’s laid back musical side, it generates a positive vibe that those overly sappy, saccharine pre-produced pop songs about love could never even begin to create. Because of this it makes ‘Spend The Day’ a wonderful first effort from Dubbest on its new album and an equally welcome introduction to the band for any fan that might be unfamiliar with its body of work. Audiences can check out ‘Spend The Day” online now for themselves right at its Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/dubbestmusic.

‘Spend The day’ is a good way for Dubbest to introduce itself to its newer fans and to re-introduce itself to its long-time fans. That is thanks in large part to a solid mix of musical and lyrical content. While it does show itself to be a great starting point for the band on this record, it’s just one example of why any reggae fan should hear this record at least once. The equally laid back yet perhaps somewhat suggestive ‘Cross Pollination’ is another good example of what Dubbest has to offer audiences on its new album. The same things that applies to the musical side of ‘Spend The Day’ apply just as much in the case of this piece. That should just go without saying. Of course, there is the addition of what sounds like an old school B-3 Hammond organ added in to this song’s musical backing. It plays more of a supporting role than starring in this song for lack of better wording. Even in a supporting role, it adds so much with its sound. There’ something special about the vibrato of sorts that comes from such a classic organ. It’s something that can’t be fully put into words. It is something that really can only be appreciated in hearing it. It just gives a certain positive vibe that will put a smile on listeners’ faces just as much as the rest of the song’s musical elements. Moving to the song’s lyrical content, Thaxter uses the concept of cross polination of flowers via a bee to discuss a pretty obvious topic. The swagger in those lyrics coupled with that of the music makes ‘Cross Pollination’ yet another solid radio-ready song from Light Flashes.

‘Spend The Day’ and ‘Cross Pollination’ are both good examples of what makes Light Flashes a worthwhile listen for any purist reggae fan. They are just a couple examples of what makes Light Flashes a bright spot in the realm of indie albums and that of reggae in whole. While both songs are equally important additions to Light Flashes the album also boasts no fewer than two full-on instrumental tracks. The latter of the two, ‘Escape Route,’ is the best of the pair. The music crafted by the band in this song instantly conjures thoughts of a tropical beach. It conjures thoughts of the sun’s rays bathing the said beach in their warmth while a breeze blows through palm trees. The gentle, laid back vibe of the whole song makes it such a joy within itself. It may only be an instrumental. But it proves that an instrumental can be just as enjoyable as any song highlited more by lyrical content than that highlighted by the music alone. It proves in the end to be one more clear example of what makes Light Flashes such a surprisingly interesting listen both within the world of indie releases and that of reggae acts. Together with the likes of ‘Spend the Day’ and ‘Cross Pollination’ it makes all the clearer why any purist reggae fan should hear this album at least once. It also proves once more why Light Flashes is a bright flash of a record among this year’s crop of indie records and reggae records.

Light Flashes is one of the best new independent releases of 2015. The third full-length release from Dubbest it is a welcome return for the band’s long-time fans and an equally welcome first-time introduction for those that might not be so famliar with the Boston-based band. It will be released July 7th. More information on Light Flashes is available online now along with the latest news from Dubbest at:

Website: http://www.dubbestmusic.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Dubbest

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.