Category Music

Mar 5 2014

Unreleased Rascal Flatts Song to be Featured in the Film ‘Heaven is for Real’

 

Rascal Flatts Rewind Cover“Compass” to Be Included On Country Supergroups’s Forthcoming Studio Album This May

 

A new Rascal Flatts song entitled “Compass” will be featured in the upcoming Sony Pictures film Heaven Is For Real, which opens nationwide on Wednesday, April 16. The song will also be included on Flatts’ forthcoming Big Machine Records album, REWIND, available May 13. The album is now available for pre-order at www.RascalFlatts.com.

Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same name, Heaven Is For Real brings to the screen the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son’s extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world.

The film stars Academy Award nominee and Emmy award-winning actor Greg Kinnear as Todd Burpo and co-stars Kelly Reilly as Sonja Burpo, the real-life couple whose son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum) claims to have visited Heaven during a near death experience.  Colton recounts the details of his amazing journey with childlike innocence and speaks matter-of-factly about things that happened before his birth … things he couldn’t possibly know. Todd and his family are then challenged to examine the meaning from this remarkable event.

As the best-selling Country vocal group of the past decade, Rascal Flatts (Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney) have sold over 22.5 million albums and over 28 million digital downloads since their musical debut in 2000. The Superstar group has delivered 14 #1 singles to the top of the charts and have the distinction of being one of only four acts during the SoundScan era to have seven consecutive studio albums debut at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Rascal Flatts have earned over 40 trophies from the ACAs, ACMs, AMAs, CMAs, People’s Choice Awards and more. In 2012, they reached a new career milestone with over 7 million concert tickets sold and will hit the road again this Spring with the REWIND Tour 2014. In anticipation of their next Big Machine Records album this summer, fans will get a taste of the fresh sound and rewind back in time with some previously released tunes on March 4 with the release of a Walmart exclusive EP. Their new single “Rewind” is currently rising in the Top 15.

For tour information, new music, and more, visit www.rascalflatts.com.

Feb 25 2014

‘Divergent’ Soundtrack and Score to be released in March

 

INTERSCOPE RECORDS TO RELEASE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK AND SCORE TO

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FEATURE FILM DIVERGENT ON MARCH 11

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CHERRYTREE / INTERSCOPE RECORDING ARTIST ELLIE GOULDING IS THE “MUSICAL VOICE” OF DIVERGENT WITH HER MUSIC FEATURED THROUGHOUT THE FILM AND BRAND NEW SONG, “BEATING HEART,” ON THE SOUNDTRACK

ALBUM ALSO FEATURES BRAND NEW MUSIC FROM ZEDD, SNOW PATROL, TAME IMPALA AND KENDRICK LAMAR, M83, A$AP ROCKYFEATURING GESAFFELSTEIN, PRETTY LIGHTS, SKRILLEX AND PIA MIA 

ITUNES PRE-ORDER BEGINS TODAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25th

Interscope Records will partner with Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE company, to release the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the action adventure film Divergent on March 11th, as well as the Original Score on March 18th. The soundtrack features a brand new song by multi-platinum British singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding entitled “Beating Heart” as well as songs from Goulding’s sophomore album, Halcyon. Goulding will also contribute vocals to the film’s score composed by Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum electronic artist Junkie XL and executive produced by Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight, Inception). Pre-order on iTunes today: iTunes.com/DivergentSoundtrack.

“We started working with songs from Ellie Goulding’s album Halcyon and soon found that the texture of her music and the tone of her voice perfectly matched our film,” says Divergent director Neil Burger. “In many ways Ellie has become the inner voice of our heroine Tris.”

In addition to “Beating Heart,” the soundtrack album features music byZedd (the track “Find You,” featuring Matthew Koma and Miriam Bryant) and brand new songs from Snow Patrol, Tame Impala and Kendrick Lamar, M83, A$AP Rocky featuring Gesaffelstein, Pretty Lights, Skrillex and Pia Mia featuring Chance The Rapper.  Songs from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack are prominently featured in the film.

North American fans can pre-order both Standard and Deluxe editions ofDivergent: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on iTunes today Tuesday, February 25th. Those who pre-order either the Standard or Deluxe Edition (which includes additional songs) will receive instant downloads of Goulding’s “Beating Heart” and Zedd’s “Find You.”(iTunes.com/DivergentSoundtrack)

Target is the exclusive retailer offering the deluxe version of the soundtrack on physical CD, with pre-orders now available on Target.com.Pre-order bundle options available at www.divergentsoundtrack.com  include the soundtrack on 12″ picture disc vinyl as well as a pre-order exclusive poster with the names of fans who order.

The film, which is based on the best-selling novel Divergent by Veronica Roth and hailed as the most highly anticipated movie of 2014 by social media research firm Fizziology, will be released in theaters and on IMAX® screens nationwide on March 21st. Divergent is the first installment in the Divergent Trilogy, which were the top three books onUSA Today’s best-seller list in 2013. The story is set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet) to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late.

Divergent is directed by Neil Burger from a screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor. The film stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Cortney, Ray Stevenson, Zoё Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, and Kate Winslet.

The track-listing for Divergent: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is as follows:

“Find You” — Zedd featuring Matthew Koma and Miriam Bryant

“Beating Heart” — Ellie Goulding

“Fight For You” — Pia Mia featuring Chance The Rapper

“Hanging On” (I See MONSTAS Remix) — Ellie Goulding

“I Won’t Let You Go” — Snow Patrol

“Run Boy Run” — Woodkid

“Backwards” —Tame Impala and Kendrick Lamar

“I Need You” — M83

“In Distress” — A$AP Rocky featuring Gesaffelstein

“Lost And Found” (ODESZA Remix) — Pretty Lights

“Stranger” — Skrillex with KillaGraham from Milo & Otis and Sam Dew

“Dream Machines” — Big Deal

“Dead in the Water” — Ellie Goulding

Also included on Deluxe Edition:

“I Love You” — Woodkid

“Waiting Game” — Banks

“My Blood” — Ellie Goulding

For more about Divergent, visit:

http://divergentthemovie.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Divergent

http://www.pinterest.com/divergent/

http://instagram.com/divergent

https://twitter.com/divergent

Oct 5 2013

Twisted Sister Frontman and ‘Strangeland’ Star Dee Snider to Appear at Rock & Shock

From performing live around the world with Twisted Sister to writing and starring in the 1998 horror classic Strangeland, musician, radio personality and actor Dee Snider truly embodies the words “rock” and “shock,” which is why it is with great pleasure that we announce Dee Snider will be joining his Holliston cast mates Adam Green, Cori English and Laura Ortiz at Rock & Shock 2013!
After topping the charts with hits like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” Dee Snider took to the big screen – writing, producing and starring in the horror classic Strangeland. In 2001, he voiced characters in both the videogame Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and Van Helsing’s Curse, a live horror musical. Snider then became a fixture on the then-burgeoning reality TV market, appearing on Gone Country, Kitchen Nightmares, Dead Art, House of Hair, Celebrity Apprentice and eventually his own reality series Growing Up Twisted.
Since 2012, Snider has appeared on FEARNet’s very first original series Holliston, which chronicles”two down and out aspiring filmmakers struggle with life, career, and the opposite sex as they attempt to make it out of the small New England town they are trapped in and into the big time.” Snider plays the outlandish boss of the show’s main characters. Snider will be meeting fans and signing autographs on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19, 2013 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. For a complete list of events, please visit rockandshock.com.
Sep 4 2013

Bozrah Farmer’s Market Welcomes 18 Connecticut Authors this Friday

 

CT AUTHOR NIGHT5 jpegThis Friday, the Bozrah Farmer’s Market welcomes 18 authors and illustrators.
The farmer’s market takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Maple Farm Park located at 45 Bozrah Street in Bozrah, Connecticut.

Here is the list of the 18 authors and/or illustrators who will be selling and signing their work:

Donna Marie Merritt
Lee Ann Graham
Julie Wakely
Liz Michalski
James Rourke
Richard Haesche
Melissa Damon
Susan Scheyder
Ryan San Angelo
Pat Demers Kaneda
Matthew Goldman
Laura Jacques
Carol Majewski
Trent Young
Dan Waters
Jan Grosskopf
Stacey Longo
Mary Elizabeth Lang

There will also be over 30 vendors at this event. Live music will be performed by Boom Chuck.

Check out the market’s website here.

Jun 24 2013

The Mars Patrol Releases Follow-up Album

By Rob Watts

London’s indie rockers have done it again. The Mars Patrol have released their long-awaited follow-up to 2010s Landline, and it’s nothing short of perfection. Young Lovers illuminates the band’s desire to tread steady into the pop-rock universe on their own terms, not unlike many of their U.K. Peers such as A Silent Film or The Boxer Rebellion. Young Lovers was produced by lead guitarist Ross Nelson (and mixed by Grammy-nominated Tim Palmer of U2 and David Bowie albums), the band retreated  to an old farmhouse in the English countryside to escape the pressures and distraction that their London hometown offered. The result was a masterfully blended e.p. that boasts all the hallmarks of a big-budget, radio-friendly listening experience.

Lyrically, Young Lovers puts forth the bands growth and maturity and gleefully reveals the band’s intention to remain in the race as long-distance runners, not mere sprinters. “Here We Go” opens the album up with Davina Divine’s beautifully delivered lyrics “cause I can’t wait for what I can see/when it’s just so close it’s in front of me.” “Stop Pushing You Away”, the lead single delivers a glossy and stylish pop ballad sans the usual desperation such songs anchor us with. “Coming Home” is a slow-tempo ballad that builds with a towering sheen of guitars from Nelson and James Williamson and a healthy coda of Lewis Searle’s drums. “I Wonder” is reminiscent of “I Still Want You” from the band’s debut album, Are You With Me?.  Divine’s compelling delivery of such songs convey to the listener the vulnerability and emotion of heartbreak and falling in love. The title track closes the album up brilliantly with the band’s trademark upbeat and rhythmic nuances. Stephen Parker’s thumping bass and Matt Baker’s atmospheric vibes snap tightly together with the rest of the band’s musicianship to complete yet another enjoyable delivery from the U.K.’s most exciting band.

Check out the band’s website by clicking here.

Oct 7 2012

The Birth of ‘Dark Discussions’

The Birth of Dark Discussions

By Philip Perron

If you miss your favorite ESPN show, go get it on a podcast. If you want to hear news from some of the biggest news agencies in the world, you can get it through a podcast and listen to it a day later. Podcasting has been a spectacular if not largely known medium that provides programming for those folks who prefer to listen to their favorite topics when they want and wherever they want.

Though satellite radio has been a great phenomenon where folks are able to listen to an eclectic mix of shows on books, movies, sports, news, finance, and even cooking, niche audiences still may not be fulfilled with what they really want to listen to. What about themes such as video games, gardening, or even something as specific as horror movies? This is where podcasting really has promise. Not only is it free, it requires nothing more than an audio digital device, a laptop, or even a smart phone.

As an avid fan of the arts, specifically books and movies, I was always visiting websites to read about the production of Martin Scorcese’s latest film or the progress of the next Stephen King novel. Then one day I came across an audio review on the film Cloverfield as well as an audio round table discussion about the film No Country for Old Men. Afterwards, I saw that these audio files were also being streamed from Apple’s iTune’s store for free.

Getting programs on my little iPod was a convenient way to listen to programs I wanted to listen to while doing my daily walks in the woods or working out or commuting to work. And with the wide variety of programming available I was able to search for shows discussing upcoming books and movies. And yet even more specifically books and movies within the horror and techno genres.

The interesting thing was that many of the podcasts I listened to were done by amateurs or simply people who did them for fun. Their shows were filled on topics they were passionate about. The discussions were probably the same ones they’d be talking about over a round of beers. They weren’t making any money, they weren’t making any inroads towards a more promising career, they were doing it simply because they loved talking about their focused topic.

Early 2011, I figured I could do it myself. While grabbing burgers with a few guys, I noticed our discussions focused around either sports or genre fiction which included horror, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, techno-thriller, and mystery. And having added a number of genre themed podcasts as part of my weekly listen to-do list, I did my research and started putting together the idea. What resulted was a genre themed topical podcast entitled Dark Discussions Podcast.

Finding two wonderful folks online through various genre themed forums, myself along with Eric Webster, of Ann Arbor, Michigan and Michael Dunleavy, of Port Jervis, New York came together and put together a weekly show on topics that anyone from the New England Horror Writer’s group would be familiar with. Not to be tagged as specifically horror, the tag line “Your place for the discussion of horror film, fiction, and all that’s fantastic” seemed to fit.

The podcast basically focused at first on themed discussions or specific movies. Topics such as a retrospective of the director and screenwriter Frank Darabont as well as the franchise of the Planet of the Apes were some of the early weekly episodes. But also films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and John Huston’s Moby Dick have been a focus. It’s true, we are no experts but our perspectives as fans of genre fiction were as well thought out as some of the genre websites and magazines available. And at the worst, we provide another voice on both obscure works and genre classics.

Some of the inventive ways the podcast has expanded were by being contacted by some folks for reviews and promotion. Horror Realm, a convention every September in Pittsburgh, emailed and offered the podcast passes to their convention. M.J. Preston, the author of The Equinox, asked if we’d be interested in a free copy of his novel to review. However, it was co-host Michael Dunleavy who really got it. While attending Horror Realm 2011 as press, he not only interviewed the film stars of some of horror fans favorite films, but he started interviewing the vendors and independent talent. What resulted was Dark Discussions Podcast helping out folks who need promotion of some really fantastic works that anyone who enjoys horror should know about.

This is where Dark Discussions Podcast in a sense merges with the NEHW group. After Horror Realm 2011, Dark Discussions contacted the folks at both the Rock and Shock and Anthocon conventions and received press passes to attend and promote their events. This is where our podcast became what some would call an unofficial promoter of the folks we met specifically at Anthocon and therefore NEHW. We interviewed such NEHW members as Charles Day, Gregory Norris, and Inanna Arthen. Small presses as Evil Jester Press and By Light Unseen Media, which had tables at Anthocon were also focused on.

So after a year and a half, the podcast keeps going. The listenership grows. And topics as wide ranging as modern novels as Scott Sigler’s Infected and independent cinema as Simon Rumley’s Red, White, and Blue are featured. As an inspiring writer, I know the work folks go through juggling their everyday lives with writing. With Horror Realm come and gone and Rock and Shock and Anthocon coming up, Dark Discussions looks forward to seeing everyone and helping you promote your new and wonderful works. As an inspiring writer, I know the work folks go through juggling their everyday lives with writing.

Apr 20 2012

The Experience of a Tool Concert

By David Price

I took my 16-year-old son, Devon, to his first concert last year. Personally, I’ve been to hundreds, so I wanted to introduce him to something that has meant so much to me for most of my life. My favorite band since the late nineties has been Tool. Back when we were still going on all the Cub and Boy Scout camping trips, a Tool CD would always be playing on the car stereo. It obviously rubbed off on him since he has turned into a loyal Tool fan as well. I wanted to make Tool his first concert, but there was one problem. Tool only releases new albums once every five years or so. This has led to speculation that there won’t be a new Tool album. Another issue is, since the last Tool album came out in 2006, Maynard James Keenan, their singer and frontman has become involved in several other projects, including two bands and, more recently, starting his own vineyard. Arguably, he probably doesn’t even need Tool anymore, although I am sure that is where his greatest success lies.

Last year, one of Maynard’s other projects, A Perfect Circle, came to the Boston area. Not knowing if my son would get the chance to ever see Tool, I purchased tickets and took Devon to his first concert at  The Bank of America Pavilion, a great place to see a show. I never hesitate to get tickets for someone I wish to see if they are playing there.

We had a great time that night. We sat at “reserved” small tables that seat four. A married couple sat with us, and they were very nice to Devon and excited he was getting a chance to see his first concert. The husband even tried to convince my son that he was going to be a bigger fan of A Perfect Circle than of Tool by the time the show was over.

Devon knew nothing about A Perfect Circle before we went to the show, other than Maynard sang for them. He had never heard any of their music. By the time the show was over, though, he was a big fan, although the guy we sat with was reaching a little. He still loves Tool the most.

Along came December and I received an email alert from Live Nation that Tool tickets were going on sale that Saturday. This was a huge surprise to me. I had heard nothing about an upcoming tour, so I had to read the email several times then had to go to the Tool website before I believed it. I had thought maybe it was just a Tool cover band. It turned out that it was true, so I sat by the computer when tickets went on sale. This is a maddening experience. You search for tickets at the moment they go on sale. You get to choose how many and at what price range, then you have to type out some nonsense words to prove that you are a real person. Usually you are told there are no tickets available and have to refresh your web page several times before you finally get some. I was lucky enough to not have to suffer very long, and after just a couple refreshes, I nabbed three tickets for myself, my brother, and my son.

Having seen Tool a half a dozen times myself already, I knew this was going to be a completely different experience than A Perfect Circle. I had to prepare Devon for a Tool concert. I told him that, if it was anything like the previous ones I had attended; it would be very different from his first concert experience. Now, A Perfect Circle sounded great live, but there was no real stage show to speak of. They just stood up there and played. At the other Tool shows I have seen, they had a lot going on. There have always been intense light shows, and weird videos playing along with their songs. One year they even had two people in skintight body suits hanging suspended over the stage and doing some kind of bizarre air ballet. Devon needed to be ready for the strange and unusual at Tool’s show.

Maynard and his pals did not disappoint me. We had a straight on view of the stage where we were seated. It was perfect for viewing one of the most elaborate laser and light shows I have seen in a long time. There were large video screens behind the stage that showed images of angels, giant eyes, swirling spirals, grasping hands and many other religious, magical and profane symbols. At times, it was just like looking into a giant kaleidoscope. The dazzling lights, brilliant lasers and disturbing images induced a kind of hypnotic feeling.  The only other band I can think of that achieves a similar live effect is Pink Floyd, the most psychedelic act I have ever seen.

The problem with seeing Tool is that you are never going to see them play all of your favorites on any given night. The average length of one of their songs is probably seven minutes, with several pushing ten or eleven minutes. That being said, they still did a great job of playing many of their favorites like “Stinkfist,” “Aenema,” “Schism,” and “Lateralus,” as well as mixing in a couple deeper tracks, like “Pushit.” In a weird way, I find Tool’s music meditative. It’s easy to get lost in it, and I am sure many Tool fans would agree.

You can’t please all of the people all of the time, though. My son would have liked to have heard one of his favorite songs, “Right in Two.” I missed “Rosetta Stoned” and I know my brother wanted to hear “Eulogy.”  That’s the beauty of Tool, though. The last album, I saw them on three different legs of the tour. Each time they had a different setlist, so if you wanted to hear everything, you just had to go a few times. As far as I’m concerned, it was well worth it. I have never left a Tool show disappointed, except for the fact that it was over too soon. There is supposedly going to be a new album. If that is true, then I believe this was sort of a getting to know each other again sort of mini tour for the band members. Gloriously, a new album will follow and I assume a much larger supporting tour. Wonder how many more times we will see Tool in the near future? As many as possible.