Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers | “THE LONG-AWAITED ALBUM”

Actor, comedian and bluegrass musician Steve Martin plans to release The Long-Awaited Album on September 22nd through Rounder Records. On his latest LP, Martin reconnects with his backing band the Steep Canyon Rangers, who previously contributed to 2011’s Rare Bird Alert, 2013’s Love Has Come for You and 2014’s Live.

Martin also unveiled his record’s lead single. “Caroline” is a banjo-slathered number that manages to be unfailingly jolly even as it dissects a brutal break-up. The song opens not long after the title character has unceremoniously dumped Martin’s narrator, and he’s still hung up on her: “Can you tell me why you left me standing in the parking structure/ Caroline, I was the almost-perfect boyfriend ever for you/ And you even said that to me one time at the Olive Garden.”

David Bowie A New Career In A New Town 1977-1982 Boxed Set Arrives September 29

Parlophone Records has announced DAVID BOWIE A NEW CAREER IN A NEW TOWN (1977-1982), the third in a series of boxed sets spanning his career from 1969.

The follow up to the award winning and critically acclaimed David Bowie Five Years (1969 - 1973) and David Bowie Who Can I Be Now? (1974 - 1976) will be released on September 29 and will contain a brand new remix of the 1979 album Lodger by long time Bowie producer/collaborator Tony Visconti.

The eleven-CD box, thirteen-piece vinyl sets feature all of the material officially released by Bowie between 1977 and 1982. It includes the so-called "Berlin Trilogy" of albums on which he collaborated with Visconti and Brian Eno as well as the Baal E.P., appearing here for the very first time in its entirety on CD, and is closed by Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps).

Lana Del Rey Shares "Groupie Love" off of new "Lust for Life" album

Lana Del Rey has shared a new song with A$AP Rocky, called “Groupie Love;” along with the track list for her new album.  Listen Groupie Love  below from B&T, below.  The track is one of two new Rocky collaborations on her upcoming Lust for Life album, following “Summer Bummer,” which also features Playboi Carti.  Her new release, out July 21, includes the previously shared “Lust for Life,” “Love,” and “Coachella - Woodstock in My Mind.”  As you may recall, before this new work, Lana and Rocky joined up in 2012 for the “National Anthem” video. In it, Rocky played John F. Kennedy and Lana played Jackie Kennedy.

Manchester Orchestra's "A Black Mile to the Surface" Out This Month

Manchester Orchestra will release their new album A Black Mile To The Surface on July 28, 2017 via Loma Vista Recordings. First single “The Gold” premiered earlier this month on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation and its accompanying video — an evocative and surreal animated collage by directors Mike Dempsey and Johnny Chew — can be seen below. http://found.ee/MO_TheGoldYT-r.  A Black Mile To The Surface is available for pre-order now at Title Source 360

Always a band to push themselves creatively with each subsequent release, Atlanta-based Manchester Orchestra has expanded their dynamic sound to peak form on the cinematic and epic A Black Mile To The Surface. The album — featuring production by Catherine Marks (Foals, PJ Harvey, The Killers), John Congleton (St. Vincent, Explosions In The Sky, Angel Olsen), and their longtime studio partner Dan Hannon — showcases a band that rethought, deconstructed, and rebuilt their songwriting process to propel their music into a new emotional arena, drawing on singer/guitarist Andy Hull and co-writer/multi-instrumentalist Robert McDowell’s unique experience scoring the 2016 Sundance hit film Swiss Army Man (directed by The Daniels).

“We’re a band that loves to use heavy, crunchy guitars,” says Hull. “We wondered how we could limit the use of that, so that when the guitars come in they can be creative and impactful. For Swiss Army Man we had to make seventy minutes of music with our hands tied behind our backs. When you’re creating all the sounds you need just from the human voice, it allows you to rethink what is possible, and determine what is really needed. We wanted to make an album in a ‘non-Manchester’ way if there is such a thing.”

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" Arrives on 8/22

This August, Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," the blockbuster sequel featuring the world's favorite band of intergalactic misfits, blasts into homes on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on August. 22.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" marks the Studios first in-home title to release in stunning 4K Ultra HD format, providing consumers with the ultimate home entertainment experience with next-generation high dynamic range visuals and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. 4K Ultra HD provides four times sharper resolution of HD with exceptional HDR which produces brighter brights, deeper blacks and richer colors than ever before. The galaxy has never looked so good!

Delivering the ultimate in-home experience is the Ultimate Cinematic Universe Edition (which includes a collectible poster while supplies last) comes packaged to include a 4K Ultra HD version of the film, a Blu-ray, a Digital Copy and more than 80-minutes of exclusive, never-before-seen bonus materials. Bonus will take fans behind the scenes with the movie's diverse, dynamic cast of misfits and inspired team of filmmakers, debut an all-new original music video starring David Hasselhoff and special guests, hilarious outtakes, deleted scenes, audio commentary by director James Gunn, and more.

"Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real" Set To Release New, Self-Titled Album August 25th Via Fantasy

Since their formation as teenagers 10 years ago, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have quietly developed into one of America’s most dazzling new live acts, playing hundreds of shows and major festivals all over the world, attracting a deeply devoted underground following.

Still, with a bounty of invaluable experience under their belts, nothing foretold the artistic leap of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real their new, self-titled album, a mesmerizing, emotionally genuine, endlessly rewarding work of cosmic country soul set for release on August 25th, 2017 via Fantasy Records.

Recently,  the band has shared three new tracks from the album exclusively via Rolling Stone. Listen to “Find Yourself,” “Forget About Georgia,” and “Set Me Down On A Cloud, below

Spend a "Weekend in Havanna" via PBS

PBS Distribution announced it will be releasing “WEEKEND IN HAVANA.” Travel with host Geoffrey Baer to explore the heart of Cuba’s magical capital city, now open to Americans after more than 50 years. Three young locals — architect and restorationist Daniel de la Regata; Irene Rodriguez, one of Cuba’s top flamenco dancers; and Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Roberto Fonseca — serve as enthusiastic guides, allowing viewers to experience this vibrant and historic place through the eyes of those who love it and call it home. Produced by WTTW Chicago, directed by Leo Eaton, co-written by Eaton and Geoffrey Baer, and produced by Donn Rogosin, Dan Soles and Hugo Perez

“WEEKEND IN HAVANA” will be available on DVD July 25, 2017. The run time of the program is approximately 60 minutes on 1 disc, and has an SRP of $24.99. The program will also be available for digital download.

Geoffrey, host of the PBS series 10 THAT CHANGED AMERICA about game-changing buildings, homes, parks, and towns as well as more than 20 specials on Chicago history and architecture, takes to the streets of Havana with his guides and new fast friends, Daniel, Irene, and Roberto. After meeting up at a café in Cathedral Plaza in Old Havana, he is given a whirlwind tour of Cuba’s fascinating and colorful history, a hands-on introduction to Afro-Cuban music and dance, a primer on Havana’s varied architecture and efforts being made to restore many of the city’s ruins, and an inside look at how everyday Cubans live in this “old city trying to find its place in the modern world,” a land off-limits to Americans for decades.

Baby Driver Soundtrack Available Now!

The 30-song soundtrack for Edgar Wright’s heavily anticipated, music laden film from Sony's TriStar Baby Driver (#2 film in the USA) in Music From The Motion Picture Baby Driver is available now via B&T from Award-winning producer and artist Danger Mouse’s Columbia Records imprint 30th Century Records.

The soundtrack is available physically as a two LP and two CD set and is out now. Featuring gems from almost every musical genre and spanning across multiple decades,

"Change Begins Within" Concert DVD, Ringo Starr, Sir Paul McCartney, others announced!

On September 1, 2017, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release the Change Begins Within Concert on DVD [MSRP $15.98]. Featuring sets from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, with each performing some of their best-known classics from The Beatles to Wings and beyond, and reuniting onstage for the finale, this incredible charity show also featured many other world-famous musicians. Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Moby, Ben Harper, Paul Horn, Angelo Badalamenti, Betty LaVette, and Jim James joined the two Beatles to thrill the capacity crowd, as did Jerry Seinfeld in a brilliant guest performance.

This exhilarating, star-studded benefit concert was recorded on April 4, 2009 in New York City. It was this show, dubbed “Change Begins Within”, that launched the David Lynch Foundation into an entirely new level of public awareness. As these globally renowned artists took to the stage at a sold-out Radio City Music Hall, they helped raise funds for the Foundation’s international initiative to teach one million at-risk children to meditate - and to begin to change their world from within.

All those present at this remarkable concert were committed to helping the charity in its aim of bringing meditation to students everywhere and helping disadvantaged youth reach their full potential. In addition to superb individual performances, the musicians at this celebratory concert joined forces on many songs and the whole Change Begins Within show is characterized by a powerful, joyful onstage camaraderie and unity.

NEA Honors the First Lady of Children's Music Ella Jenkins with National Heritage Fellowship

The National Endowment for Arts (NEA) has presented National Heritage Fellowships to celebrate and honor master artists working in the folk and traditional arts.  The NEA recently announced this year's recipients, including Ella Jenkins.

Jenkins, The First Lady of Children's Music, celebrates 60 years as a Smithsonian Folkways artist. She has wanted to record camp songs for more than 15 years and assembled a group of children, parents, and teachers from the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, along with Tony and Kate Seeger from Camp Killooleet, to sing these rounds, nonsense songs and campfire sing-alongs. The 25-track collection includes familiar camp songs "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," "Kumbaya" and "This Land Is Your Land."

Many of the tunes on Camp Songs with Ella Jenkins and Friends have been sung by generations of campers, including many of the 14 million children and adults who attend camp every year in the United States. The album has its roots in the songs Jenkins' brother brought home with him from Boy Scout camp when she was a child, and begins with a chorus of children singing the familiar round "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." But these selections come from a variety of traditions, among them African-American spirituals, European folk songs, and Jewish summer camps where Jenkins has performed. "Everybody Loves Saturday Night" has lines in a dozen languages, including Mandarin, Hindi, Serbian and Nigerian. The album's final five numbers, which include "Sloop John B." and "Goodnight Irene," are sequenced to resemble a campfire sing-along.

GRAMMY-Nominated Musician & Researcher Stephen Wade to Release 'Across the Amerikee'

Stephen Wade has spent nearly his entire life playing and studying American folk music, a rich history he mines on 'Across the Amerikee: Showpieces from Coal Camp to Cattle Trail,' out June 30 on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Wade's first entirely solo endeavor, 'Across the Amerikee' presents "solo and display music"--performances that are created for listening rather than to accompany working or dancing, and that are often designed to display instrumental prowess or imitate life sounds such as fox chases and steam locomotives. Pre-order the album thru B&T, today

Listen to selections from 'Across the Amerikee' via bit.ly/2rp4pSH

Grassroots singers and players throughout the United States have long cultivated their own varieties of recital music. A simple dance tune transforms into a concert masterpiece; a personal plaint becomes emblematic of an era. With the banjo and guitar, Wade deftly explores this music made for music's sake. His selections draw from Southern sources as well as Northern interpreters, centering on lyric folksongs and old-time instrumentals transmitted (as one of its older players memorably said) across the Amerikee.

George Thorogood Returns, with a Solo Release Album

Rounder Records has announced the first-ever solo album release from legendary guitarist/vocalist George Thorogood, entitled PARTY OF ONE, which will be out on August 4. The album will feature 14 cuts of traditional blues, classics, and modern blues songs, from John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” to Hank Williams’ “Pictures From Life’s Other Side,” and The Rolling Stones’ “No Expectations.” The CD version of the album will also include a Robert Johnson bonus track, “Dynaflow Blues.”  Check out album preview below and order via Title Source 360.

PARTY OF ONE was produced by Grammy-winner Jim Gaines (John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison, and Stevie Ray Vaughan), who reunites with Thorogood on the debut solo project, having produced several of Thorogood’s biggest albums to date (RIDE ‘TIL I DIE, THE HARD STUFF, THE DIRTY DOZEN). The album’s primarily acoustic instrumentation – including slide, Dobro, and harmonica – is performed entirely by Thorogood, raw and stripped down, with an intimate one-on-one feel.

DISNEY•PIXAR'S "CARS 3" FUELS TWO SOUNDTRACKS

As Lightning McQueen heads to the big screen alongside his new tech-savvy trainer Cruz Ramirez, Disney•Pixar's " Cars 3" fuels two soundtrack releases, both available from Walt Disney Records on June 16 via Baker & Taylor as the film opens in theaters nationwide. The Cars 3 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, features eight tracks, including original songs by Dan Auerbach and ZZ Ward, four covers by various artists, and two instrumental tracks from Brad Paisley. The Cars 3 Original Score Composed and Conducted by Randy Newman reunites the "Cars" franchise with the Oscar-winning composer.

Both soundtracks are available for pre-order now.

"Lightning McQueen is on the journey of a lifetime—traveling cross-country, revisiting the past and looking into his own heart and soul to answer some big questions," said "Cars 3" director Brian Fee. "Just like the music in the first two 'Cars' movies, the songs and score in this film really help support the story we are telling."

     

CARS 3 ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
The Cars 3 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features "Run That Race," an original song written and performed by nine-time Grammy® winner Dan Auerbach that can be heard as the movie opens. "The song is about never giving up and always trying your best," said Auerbach, who met with filmmakers prior to penning the song. "They showed me the storyboards and ran through the plot. I was able to read some of the dialogue and from there I had enough to piece together a story in my mind for the song."

Auerbach, of the band The Black Keys,  will release Waiting on a Song, his second solo album, on June 2 via his new label, Easy Eye Sound.
 
The soundtrack also features "Ride," an original end-credit song performed by Hollywood Records artist ZZ Ward, featuring musician Gary Clark Jr. Written by Ward, Evan Bogart and Dave Bassett, the song was released by Walt Disney Records as a digital single on April 14. It was performed live by Ward April 17 on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Ward's sophomore album, The Storm, will be released June 30.

The soundtrack also features four cover songs, including two bonus tracks.*

• "Kings Highway," originally released in 1991 by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, makes a comeback courtesy of 23-year-old British singer-songwriter James Bay.
• Bruce Springsteen's 1984 hit "Glory Days" gets a modern-day makeover by Grammy-nominated performer Andra Day, who voices Sweet Tea in the film, a performer in the Cotter Pin with a hairstyle reminiscent of Day's signature look.  
• *The Beatles' classic 1965 song "Drive My Car" is back on the road, compliments of Hollywood Records artist Jorge Blanco.
• *"Freeway of Love," made famous in 1985 by Aretha Franklin, is performed for the soundtrack by actress Lea DeLaria, who also provides the voice of Miss Fritter, a school bus-turned-demolition-derby-queen in "Cars 3."

Three-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer Brad Paisley, who has 24 No. 1 singles under his belt, was called on to create two instrumental tracks that are featured on the Cars 3 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. "Truckaroo" and "Thunder Hollow Breakdown" accompany the film's action-packed Crazy 8 demolition derby sequence that puts Lightning and Cruz in the midst of total chaos. "Brad Paisley was part of both 'Cars' and 'Cars 2,'" said Tom MacDougall, executive vice president of music at Disney. "We knew he could have some fun with a demolition derby, and he just killed it. His down-home country tracks really add to the scene's action and humor."

From Walt Disney Records, the Cars 3 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is available June 16 and can be pre-ordered via Baker & Taylor's Title Source 360 ordering platform.

CARS 3 ORIGINAL SCORE SOUNDTRACKNewman, who was behind the Oscar-winning music in Disney·Pixar's "Toy Story 3" and "Monsters, Inc.," composed the score for the first "Cars" movie and penned the Oscar-nominated song "Our Town." For "Cars 3," Newman created a score that reflects the heart and high-octane action of the film—21 tracks are included on the soundtrack. "Randy has a real connection to the 'Cars' world," says MacDougall. "His ability to capture the feeling of this film, its characters, locations and the Americana theme throughout is extraordinary—the music is so naturally fluid and inspired. It really feels like Randy is coming home with this score."

Newman used a 110-piece orchestra to record the score. The Cars 3 Original Score Composed and Conducted by Randy Newman is available June 16 from Walt Disney Records and can be pre-ordered now.

Ken Burns' The Vietnam War on DVD/BD in September

PBS Distribution announced today it is releasing the new documentary series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick THE VIETNAM WAR on DVD and Blu-ray September 19, 2017, coinciding with its PBS airing. In an immersive narrative, Burns and Novick tell the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. THE VIETNAM WAR features testimony from nearly 100 witnesses, including many Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both the winning and losing sides.

Ten years in the making, the series brings the war and the chaotic epoch it encompassed viscerally to life. Written by Geoffrey C. Ward, produced by Sarah Botstein, Novick and Burns, it includes rarely seen, digitally re-mastered archival footage from sources around the globe, photographs taken by some of the most celebrated photojournalists of the 20th century, historic television broadcasts, evocative home movies, and revelatory audio recordings from inside the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations.

The run time of the program is approximately 1080 minutes on 10 discs. The SRP for the DVD is $99.99 and $129.99 for Blu-ray. There are over 100 minutes of extra bonus footage, including a 45-minute preview program, 2 pieces on contemporary lives of 2 of the participants, and bonus content. The program will also be available for digital download.

The Promise, on DVD/BD 7/28

From the Academy Award-winning director of Hotel Rwanda Terry George, comes a powerful sweeping epic set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, with The Promise debuting on Blu-ray combo pack and DVD on July 18, 2017 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Inspired by true events, the extraordinary story of The Promise is set amidst the chaos of war and showcases an exceptional cast including Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ex Machina), Charlotte Le Bon (The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Walk), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Big Short), Angela Sarafyan ("Westworld," "American Horror Story"), Marwan Kenzari (The Mummy, Ben-Hur), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Star Trek Beyond, "The Expanse") and James Cromwell ("The Young Pope," "Boardwalk Empire").        

Sparks fly when a humble Armenian medical student (Isaac) falls in love with an artist (Le Bon) already committed to a renowned and worldly journalist (Bale). But as tensions rise with the outbreak of World War I, the trio must set passions aside to survive as the world around them crumbles and one of history's darkest yet rarely told chapters unfolds before their eyes.

The Rhythm Of Rio, The Romance Of Sinatra: Celebrated Guitarist And Singer John Pizzarelli Revisits A Bossa Nova Classic At 50

Two of John Pizzarelli’s greatest influences, Frank Sinatra and the bossa nova composer Antonio Sinatra & Jobim @ 50.
Carlos Jobim, joined forces in 1967 to present a softer, sultrier side of Sinatra on the heels of “That’s Life” and “Strangers in the Night.” Half a century later, John Pizzarelli is celebrating that unique gathering with his July 28, 2017 Concord Jazz release, order now via Title Source 360.

Sinatraphiles consider the 1967 album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim one of Frank’s greatest, a meeting that found Frank in an out-of-character setting. Yet he delivered a commanding and understated performance over Jobim’s gentle rhythms and Claus Ogerman’s strings. With Sinatra & Jobim @ 50, Pizzarelli pays tribute to those original recordings, enhancing that collection with two originals, Michael Frank’s ode to Jobim and songs that Sinatra and Jobim recorded at a 1969 session.

“Jobim was such a big influence on me in the 1980s—what I was hearing, then translating and what I was taking away from it,” John says. “A lot of what we did on this record, the medleys and the arrangements for the new songs, come out of what they did on their album and the influence they have had on my music.”

Randy Newman's Upcoming Dark Matter

Dark Matter is Randy Newman's first studio album of all-new material since the 2008 release of his acclaimed Harps and Angels, an acerbic take on the state of America that Rolling Stone called
"reason to wrap yourself in the flag and cheer." The ensuing years have proven Newman to be more prognosticator than mere commentator—his "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country," its lyrics printed on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times in January 2007, seems even more relevant today, though by no means reassuring. On Dark Matter, Newman jumps right back into the fray, opening the disc with the grand "The Great Debate" a nearly nine-minute opus that feels like the opening number of a zany musical, featuring scientists, religious zealots, and a gospel choir, arguing about the existence of evolution, dark matter, climate change, and religion. It includes a character who steps up to question the merits of a certain Mr. Randy Newman's songwriting gambits. It's by turns cynical and gleeful, and, in the end, true believers and skeptics alike surrender to the sheer musical joy of a catchy gospel coda, with no commitment of faith necessary.

As the album unfolds, it's clear that Newman isn't just going after the big targets, though he does dedicate a cheerfully bombastic tune to Vladimir Putin, conjuring up a choir of salacious "Putin Girls" to extol the Russian leader's patriotism, his tractor-driving skills, and, of course, his impressive shirtless physique. But Newman's storytelling takes a more intimate, character-driven approach on much of Dark Matter. He imagines an Oval Office conversation between John Kennedy and his brother Bobby before the Bay of Pigs Invasion, in which JFK confesses a hitherto unreported love for Cuban singer Celia Cruz (and a concern for her safety). On "Sonny Boy," he envisions the original Sonny Boy Williamson, up in heaven, recounting the true story of discovering that a younger blues musician had stolen his name and his tunes and rose to fame during the British invasion and well beyond. The characters in "On the Beach" and "Wandering Boy"—a surfer dude mired in the sand for life in the former, a father wistfully recalling his long absent son's promising younger years in the latter—are either trapped in the past or full of nostalgia.

Photo: Pamela Springsteen

Gregg Allman, RIP

Gregg Allman, southern rock legend, founding member of The Allman

Brothers Band, passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Georgia on Friday

Gregg struggled with many health issues over the past several years. During that time, Gregg considered being on the road playing music with his brothers and solo band for his beloved fans, essential medicine for his soul. Playing music lifted him up and kept him going during the toughest of times.

Gregg’s long time manager and close friend, NJ's Michael Lehman said of Mr Allman's passing, “I have lost a dear friend and the world has lost a brilliant pioneer in music. He was a kind and gentle soul with the best laugh I ever heard. His love for his family and bandmates was passionate as was the love he had for his extraordinary fans. Gregg was an incredible partner and an even better friend. We will all miss him.”

The Fish on My Plate on DVD from PBS

PBS Distribution announced it will release “FRONTLINE: The Fish on My Plate” on DVD. Paul Greenberg (Four Fish; American Catch) sets out to answer. As part of his quest to investigate the health of the ocean — and his own — Greenberg spends a year eating seafood for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a journey that’s brought to life in this documentary produced by Neil Docherty, David Fanning and Sarah Spinks.

 “FRONTLINE: The Fish on My Plate” will be available on DVD July 4, 2017. The run time of the program is approximately 60 minutes and the SRP is $24.99.

“What fish should I eat that’s good for me and good for the planet?” That’s the question bestselling author and lifelong fisherman

The program chronicles Greenberg as he works on his upcoming book, The Omega Principle — and consumes over 700 fish meals in hopes of improving his health through a dramatic increase in his Omega-3 levels.

Jack White to Pen Kids Book; We're going to be friends !

"We're Going to be Friends" is one of The White Stripes most enduring and loved songs, and soon, a kids book from Third Man Books!  With the help of illustrator Elinor Blake (aka April March), the perennial favorite feels right at home on the page as a children's book. Coming this November, children, adults, and you, too, can join Suzy Lee as she goes to school with her books and pens, looks for bugs, shows and tells, and finds a friend.

• WE’RE GOING TO BE FRIENDS is a new children’s book based on one of the most loved and recognizable songs by The White Stripes.
• WE’RE GOING TO BE FRIENDS is the first book by twelve-time Grammy winning musician, actor, and producer Jack White.
• Illustrator ELINOR BLAKE was an animator for The Ren and Stimpy Show, Pee Wee’s Playhouse & more. As a musician, ELINOR BLAKE is known as singer APRIL MARCH, who’s song "Chick Habit" was featured in Quentin Tarantino’s movie Death Proof.
• The original White Stripes song along with new versions by April March and also The Woodstation Elementary School Singers will be included with the book via download card.
*Available November 7, 2017

The New Broadway Cast Recording of Hello, Dolly Out Now!

Masterworks Broadway proudly announces the release of The New Broadway Cast Recording of the 10-time Tony Award-nominated Hello, Dolly! starring three-time Grammy Award-winning legend Bette Midler as Dolly Gallagher Levi. Produced by multiple-Grammy Award winner Steven Epstein, with a cast of 37 and 28 musicians, the album is available everywhere now.

The Broadway revival of Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman's masterpiece Hello, Dolly! is directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle. Hello, Dolly! is now playing at Broadway's Shubert Theatre.  The official opening night was April 20, 2017.
Hello, Dolly! instantly became the hottest ticket of the year when it broke the record for best first day of ticket sales in Broadway history.  By the time it began previews, it had the largest pre-performance advance sale in Broadway history.  Recently, the production shattered the record for the highest weekly gross of any show in the history of the Sam S. Shubert Theatre – a record set by a previous tenant over a nine-performance week -- in just seven performances.

This Hello, Dolly! is the first new production of this classic musical (based on Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker) to appear on Broadway since it opened more than fifty years ago.  It pays tribute to the original work of legendary director/choreographer Gower Champion, which has been hailed both then and now as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history.

Dear Congress, Libraries are important!

Why are libraries so essential? To touch on every aspect of libraries’ importance, we’d be here all day. In short, libraries are business-building, job-creating, workforce-preparing engines of the U.S. economy, and America needs them to thrive. That’s why it is so necessary to advocate for federal library funding as Congress prepares the 2018 fiscal year budget.

Today, Baker & Taylor, along with a handful of other American businesses, unveiled the Corporate Committee for Library Investment, an ad hoc group of companies conceived by Gale, a Cengage company, and the American Library Association. Their goal? To educate Congress and other federal policymakers about the tremendous value of libraries for all kinds of American businesses and taxpayers in an effort to maximize federal library funding.

Now more than ever, America’s public libraries are reaching deep into all facets of the communities they serve offering patrons vital services that are having a profound impact on their lives.
— David Cully, President, Baker & Taylor

To start, the CCLI delivered a letter signed by businesses of all sizes today to all members of Senate that outlines the importance of libraries and asks senators to urge their colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to save library funding—$186.6 million under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $27 million for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program (IAL), to be exact.

Baker & Taylor has long been committed to supporting communities through literacy. Without libraries, we can’t do that.

To learn more about the CCLI’s mission to save federal library funding, visit their website at www.fundlibraries.com.

Masterpiece: King Charles III to DVD on June 27

PBS Distribution announced they will be releasing “MASTERPIECE: KING CHARLES III” on DVD.   A willful king ... a prophetic ghost ... family betrayals ... revenge! It sounds like a play by Shakespeare, but it’s a drama about the future. MASTERPIECE presents an adaptation of the Tony-nominated hit Broadway show King Charles III, starring the late Tim Pigott-Smith (The Jewel in the Crown, Downton Abbey) as Prince Charles after his accession to the throne, sometime in the years ahead. “KING CHARLES III” is a co-production with the BBC.

“KING CHARLES III” will be available on DVD June 27, 2017. The run time of the program is approximately 90 minutes and the SRP is $29.99. 

Mr. Pigott-Smith, who died unexpectedly on April 7th, had appeared in several MASTERPIECE productions, including The Jewel in the Crown and most recently Downton Abbey. MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton commented, “The MASTERPIECE family is heartbroken at the loss of Tim Pigott-Smith, a wonderful actor and a warm and charming man. We are going to miss him.” King Charles III playwright Mike Bartlett remembered him as “one of the real greats, both as an actor and a man.” 

Beauty and the Beast, Live Action on DVD/BD in June

Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," the live-action adaptation of the studio's animated classic, brought the story and characters audiences know and love to spectacular life and broke box-office records. Now the stunning, cinematic event arrives on DVD and BD on June 6.

Fans who bring home "Beauty and the Beast" can celebrate the release with three ways to watch the movie - the original theatrical cut, the premiere cut with overture, and a musical experience with a sing-along version. The release invites viewers to get up close and personal with the filmmakers and cast to see how this beloved animated film was transformed into a new live-action classic, from the first enchanted table read to a fascinating look at how the film was brought to life utilizing lavish sets, elaborately designed costumes and props, and state-of the-art technology.

A feature on the amazing women behind the enchanted tale hosted by Emma Watson; and over 10 minutes of deleted scenes along with musical extras, including the "Beauty and the Beast" music video starring Ariana Grande and John Legend, Celine Dion's heartfelt take on the new song "How Does a Moment Last Forever," and jump directly to all you favorite unforgettable songs.

Emily Dickinson story, A QUIET PASSION, Releases on DVD/BD on July 1

Acclaimed actress Cynthia Nixon delivers a triumphant performance as the great 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson in the richly detailed biographical portrait A QUIET PASSION, written and directed by the renowned British filmmaker Terence Davies (The Deep Blue Sea).
In a highly lauded star turn, Cynthia Nixon (Sex and The City franchise) personifies the wit, intellectual independence and pathos of the poet whose genius only came to be recognized after her death. A QUIET PASSION exquisitely evokes Dickinson's deep attachment to her close-knit family along with the manners, mores and spiritual convictions of her time that she struggled with and transcended in her poetry, leading to her later years as a brilliant but reclusive and unrecognized artist.
Also featured in the film are such talents as Jennifer Ehle (Contagion, Zero Dark Sixty) and Keith Carradine (TV’s Madame Secretary), who take on the roles of Emily’s sister and father, respectively.

PRESENTING…THE WHO- Live at the Isle of Wight 2004

On June 2, 2017, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2004 by The Who on DVD+2CD and Blu-ray+2CD Formats [MSRP $29.98 Blu-ray, $24.98 DVD].

This is the first ever home entertainment release for of this brilliant show, which includes blistering versions of classics like “Substitute”, “Baba O’Riley”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, “You Better You Bet”, “I Can’t Explain”, “Pinball Wizard”, “Who Are You”, “My Generation”, “Magic Bus”, and many more!

TO VIEW CLIP OF "NAKED EYE", click here

In 2004, The Who returned to the Isle Of Wight Festival for the first time since their legendary 1970 performance. After a long absence, the festival had been reborn in 2002 and continues to this day. The Who’s UK concerts in 2004 were the first in their home country since the death of founding member / bassist John Entwistle. As the evening shadows lengthened across the festival site, The Who took to the stage and delivered an incendiary performance packed with hit singles and classic album tracks. The concert more than lived up to the fans’ expectations and memories of 1970.

"American Epic:The Collection" and "American Epic: The Soundtrack" Releases May 12

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release AMERICAN EPIC: The Collection, a 5-CD/100 song deluxe box set, and AMERICAN EPIC: The Soundtrack, a single disc anthology of 15 songs featured in the AMERICAN EPIC three-part historical
documentary on 1CD on Friday, May 12.

AMERICAN EPIC: The Collection and AMERICAN EPIC: The Soundtrack--each available as physical product--lead the way for a series of releases of music associated with the film series AMERICAN EPIC, produced by Allison McGourty, Duke Erikson and Directed by Bernard MacMahon, premiering in the U.S. on PBS on Tuesdays May 16, 23 and 30 at 9 p.m. (check local listings)

The AMERICAN EPIC historical documentaries are a journey back in time to the "Big Bang" of modern popular music.

In the 1920s, as radio took over the pop music business, record companies were forced to leave their studios in major cities in search of new styles and markets. Ranging the mountains, prairies, rural villages, and urban ghettos of America, they discovered a wealth of unexpected talent. The recordings they made of all the ethnic groups of America democratized the nation and gave a voice to everyone. Country singers in the Appalachians, Blues guitarists in the Mississippi Delta, Gospel preachers across the south, Cajun fiddlers in Louisiana, Tejano groups from the Texas Mexico border, Native American drummers in Arizona, and Hawaiian musicians were all recorded. For the first time, a woman picking cotton in Mississippi, a coalminer in Virginia or a tobacco farmer in Tennessee could have their thoughts and feelings heard on records played in living rooms across the country. It was the first time America heard itself.

Disney's Bambi Returns to Home Entertainment in June

"Bambi" arrives home on June 6 with new bonus features, including recordings of Walt Disney!

"Bambi," which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, joins the Collection on Blu-ray and DVD on June 6. The Signature Collection release includes a variety of new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the challenges and triumphs during the production of "Bambi;" deleted scenes and characters; stories and effects that "Bambi" had on the Studio, other films and artists; and much, much more.
Order now!

Mountain Goats Reveal "Rain in Soho"

Just recently, the Mountain Goats shared “Rain in Soho” from their hotly anticipated new album Goths, which will be out on May 19.  NPR Music included the track in their All Songs Considered podcast and Lars Gotrich played a clip of a longer interview with John Darnielle about the song.

Listen to All Songs Considered and read the full transcript of the interview now at NPR Music.

The lyrics of “Rain in Soho” constitute a jeremiad of vanished things: friends, places, safe harbors. At the head of the procession of the lost stands London’s Batcave, the club that birthed the genre called “goth,” usually over and above the protests of its practitioners; riding atop Dan Perry’s ethereal vocal arrangement—voiced by members of the Nashville Symphony Chorus—and a driving piano, a turbulent lament gathers force:

No morning colder than the first frost
No friends closer than the ones we’ve lost
…though you repent, and don sackcloth, and try to make nice
You can’t cross the same river
twice

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/2LOWTScVheSB9L9Qe3Zrnm

Frantz Arrives on DVD/BD on June 13

At once a mysterious, romantic period piece and a somber, soul-searching melodrama, FRANTZ presents a tale of love and reflection as it unfurls in a small German town in the days following World War I through the memories and relationships of loved ones left behind. It is the latest acclaimed film from the prolific French writer/director François Ozon, whose previous critical and commercial successes in the U.S. include Swimming Pool ($10 million domestic box office), 8 Women ($3 million) and Potiche ($1.6 million).

Set in Germany and France in the aftermath of the First World War, FRANTZ recalls the mourning period that follows great national tragedies as seen through the eyes of the war’s “lost generation.” They are Anna (21 year-old Paula Beer in a breakthrough performance), a bereft young German woman whose fiancé, Frantz, was killed during trench warfare, and Adrien (Pierre Niney, Yves Saint Laurent), a French war veteran who shows up mysteriously in Anna’s town, placing flowers on Frantz’s grave. Adrien's presence is met with resistance by the small community still reeling from Germany’s defeat, yet Anna gradually gets closer to the handsome and melancholy young man, as she learns of his deep friendship with Frantz. What follows is an exploration of how Anna and Adrien wrestle with their conflicting feelings - survivor’s guilt, anger at one’s losses, the overriding desire for renewed happiness, and the longing for sexual, romantic and familial attachments.

 Ozon drew his inspiration from a post-WWI play by Maurice Rostand that inspired the 1932 film adaption by Ernst Lubitsch under the title Broken Lullaby. Not surprisingly, Ozon was initially leery about the prospect of “remaking” a film by the late, great filmmaker.

Timothy B Schmit's new "Pearl on the String" from Leap of Faith Album

After his sold-out winter trek, TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT geared up for his spring tour that launched recently). As TIMOTHY’s new single “Pearl On The String”–off his critically acclaimed new solo album LEAP OF FAITH–heads to radio, listen to it today , below.
Sunday, April 16 in Chicago, IL (see dates below).  But before heading out on the road, TIMOTHY joined NPR’s “HERE & NOW” with host Robin Young for an in-depth interview spanning his music history; listen (here).

Rolling Stone hailed LEAP OF FAITH—out now via Benowen Records—“a soundtrack for that sort of pitch-perfect American landscape, mixing bluegrass, Cajun, rock, Seventies soul and California country…” (9/23/16).  Elsewhere, Bass Player added “…veteran Eagles bassist/vocalist Timothy B. Schmit spins some memorable yarns on his sixth solo outing–all delivered within his folk-rock, country-rock, yacht-rock, and rock & roll wheelhouse. The reggae-tinged ‘Slow Down’ and ‘All Those Faces’ establish Schmit’s overall preference for rich, minor-chord colors. Downstairs, his bass leads the backbeat pulse of ‘What Should I Do,’ while ‘You’re So Wild’ starts with a country two feel before Schmit’s upper-register riffing provides the subhook in the edgy chorus. Closing matters is the horn and accordion-infused ballad gem, ‘This Waltz'” (December 2016). LEAP OF FAITH is available now via Benowen Records as a 180 gram 2-LP vinyl set and CD .

Loretta Lynn's "Wouldn't It Be Great" Album Out in August

Legacy Recordings (a Sony Music Entertainment division ) will release Wouldn't It Be Great, the new studio album from American music icon Loretta Lynn, on Friday, August 18.
One of the most deeply personal albums of her career, Wouldn't It Be Great is comprised entirely of songs written (or co-written) by Loretta, premiering new compositions nestled alongside select soulful reinterpretations of enduring classics from her catalog.

Like its predecessor, the critically-acclaimed, Grammy-nominated Full Circle (released March 2016), Wouldn't It Be Great was mainly recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with producers Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash.

Long Strange Trip Soundtrack out May 26

Long Strange Trip, Amir Bar-Lev's critically acclaimed documentary about the Grateful Dead, will be released theatrically on May 26 in New York and Los Angeles. Rhino will celebrate the premiere by releasing the soundtrack to the documentary, a career-spanning collection of studio and live recordings that includes several unreleased performances.

Two versions of the LONG STRANGE TRIP MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK will be released on CD on May 26. The first is a 2-CD set for $19.98.

Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux and director Bar-Lev co-produced the soundtrack.

Fleetwood Mac's LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM/CHRISTINE McVIE Announce Duo Album

Longtime members of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie have joined together and recorded their first-ever album as a duo. The album is simply titled LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM/CHRISTINE McVIE, and the 10-song set will be released by Atlantic Records this summer, followed by a run of special U.S. concerts. The first single is “In My World” and was made available on Friday, April 14.

The album will be available June 9 on CD, LP, and all digital and streaming services. Their U.S. tour kicks off on June 21.

The collaboration began three years ago, when McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac for the group’s “On With The Show” tour. The pair went in to record new material prior to rehearsals for the tour and their natural creative chemistry was reignited. According to Buckingham, “We were exploring a creative process, and the identity of the project took on a life organically. The body of work felt like it was meant to be a duet album. We acknowledged that to each other on many occasions, and said to ourselves, ‘what took us so long?!!’”

Jethro Tull:The String Quartets Album Hits # 1

This week Ian Anderson reached the number one position again in the Billboard Classical Album charts with his new collaboration with the Carducci String Quartet, JETHRO TULL: THE STRING QUARTETS. Previously, his album DIVINITIES topped the Billboard Classical charts in 1995. In 1973 A Passion Play and, before that, 1972’s THICK AS A BRICK both hit number one in the Billboard Album charts. Those are number one hits every 22 years.

In addition to classical charts, JETHRO TULL: THE STRING QUARTETS debuted at #16 on the Independent charts, and #80 on Billboard’s album chart.

In the UK, JETHRO TULL: THE STRING QUARTETS entered at #2 on Classical, #56 on Album, and #6 for Independent.

THE STRING QUARTETS (track listing below) features 12 re-imagined Tull classics, allowing Tull fans and classical music connoisseurs to enjoy the band's vast catalog in a new way. 

Rock Doc, We Are X Arrives on DVD/BD

On Tuesday, April 25, WE ARE X, the transcendent and captivating rock ‘n’ roll documentary about one of the most successful bands in history, X JAPAN, arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD from Magnolia Home Entertainment under the Magnet Label. From director and acclaimed documentarian Stephen Kijak (Stones in Exile, Scott Walker: 30 Century Man), and produced by the Oscar-winning production team  behind  Searching for Sugar Man, WE ARE X profiles the blockbuster Japanese rock band X JAPAN and its enigmatic frontman YOSHIKI–composer, classically trained pianist, drummer and the creative force behind the band’s wild success.

 

Featuring interviews with Gene Simmons, Marilyn Manson, Stan Lee and more, WE ARE X dives into YOSHIKI’s life and X JAPAN‘s attempt to break into the American music industry. Supported by concert footage, band interviews and fan photos, the compelling film takes a look at X JAPAN‘s hardships and conflicts including suicide and cultism. Also spotlighting the band’s triumphs, WE ARE X explores the group’s phenomenal success, boasting more than 30 million albums and singles sold, countless sold-out concerts around the world, and fans in North America, Europe, Latin America and South East Asia.

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW Seasons 1,2&3 Coming to DVD

PBS Distribution announced today it is releasing “THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW” on DVD.  “SEASON 1” “SEASON 2” and “SEASON 3” will all be available via B&T. Renowned British bakers Mary Berry, the U.K.’s “doyenne of baking” and a leading cookbook author, and Paul Hollywood, one of the country’s top artisan bakers, serve as the series’ judges. Together with hosts and comic foils Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, Berry and Hollywood search for the country’s best amateur bakers by testing competitors’ skills on cakes, breads, pastries and desserts of all kinds, ultimately crowning a winner after 10 weeks of competition. The series is produced by the award-winning, U.K. - based Love Productions. The U.K. series became the highest-rated food show ever made in Britain.

“THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW SEASONS 1, 2 AND 3” will be available on DVD April 11, 2017. Each season has a run time of approximately 600 min on 3 discs, and has a DVD SRP of $19.99. All three seasons are also available for digital download.

The program follows the trials and tribulations of 12 passionate amateurs whose goal is to be named the U.K.’s best. Each week, the bakers from diverse backgrounds tackle a different skill, the difficulty of which increases as the competition unfolds. In each episode, the challenges come in three categories: a Signature Bake that tests the bakers’ personality, creative flair and baking ability; a Technical Bake, in which all bakers are given the same basic recipe, with ingredients and minimal instructions; and the Showstopper Bake, in which the competitors must display refined depths of skill and talent. PBS will present BBC’s fourth season of the series, which received both critical and audience acclaim in the U.K. for its quick pace, lively comedic tone and competitor diversity.  

The series was created by Anna Beattie and Richard McKerrow. Executive producer is Anna Beattie.

Paul Weller Announces "A Kind Revolution" in May

Paul Weller has announced details on his upcoming new album. A Kind Revolution via Warner.  His 13th solo set streets on May 12. Listen to  “Nova” and “Long Long Road” below.   “Work began on the new record immediately after wrapping up  2015’s Saturns Pattern and once again features the full spectrum of Weller’s influences, from rock to R&B, soul to jazz, and funk to folk,” his official press release states. Weller long-standing touring band of Andy Crofts, Ben Gordelier, Steve Cradock and Steve Pilgrim are joined by a variety of guests.

Soul legend PP Arnold, who sang with the Small Faces and others, joins the cast along with Madeleine Bell, who has backed up the Rolling Stones and Elton John. And, Robert Wyatt contributes vocals and a trumpet solo to the track “She Moves With the Fayre.” The former Soft Machine member has worked with Weller in the past, but announced his retirement a few years back.

Strypes guitarist Josh McClorey also lends a hand, but a big surprise here is Boy George, who duets with Weller on the song “One Tear.” “It’s quite housey,” Weller recently told Uncut magazine. “George sings the first verse and then he comes in on the chorus. Our voices sound really good together.”

Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit To Release “The Nashville Sound” On June 16

Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist Jason Isbell and his mighty band, the 400 Unit, have announced the June 16th release of the highly anticipated new album, The Nashville Sound (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers). The Nashville Sound is the follow up to 2015’s critically acclaimed Something More Than Free, which won two Grammy Awards (Best Americana Album & Best American Roots Song, “24 Frames”) and two Americana Music Association Awards (Album of the Year & Song of The Year, “24 Frames”).

Without exaggeration, Jason Isbell has become one the most respected and celebrated songwriters of his generation. He possesses an incredible penchant for identifying and articulating some of the deepest, yet simplest, human emotions, and turning them into beautiful poetry through song. “There’s no better songwriter on the planet at this moment, no one operating with the same depth, eloquence or feeling,” says American Songwriter Magazine. Isbell sings of the every day human condition with thoughtful, heartfelt, and sometimes brutal honesty, and the new album is no exception.
The Nashville Sound features 10 new songs that address a range of real life subject matters that include politics and cultural privilege (“White Man’s World”), longing nostalgia (“The Last Of My Kind”), love and mortality (“If We Were Vampires”), the toxic effect of today’s pressures (“Anxiety”), the remnants of a break up (“Chaos and Clothes”) and finding hope (“Something To Love”). Songs such as “Cumberland Gap” and “Hope The Highroad” find Isbell and his bandmates going back to their rock roots full force.

PBS Releases American Epic on June 13

From executive producers T Bone Burnett, Robert Redford and Jack White, go inside one of the greatest-ever untold stories: how the ordinary people of America were given the opportunity to make records for the first time. Contains four episodes: The Big Bang; Blood & Soil; Out of the Many, The One; The American Epic Sessions.  Blu-ray and DVD on June 13

EMA announces winners of 2017 Independent Home Entertainment Awards.

EMA (Entertainement Merchants Association) announced the winners of its 2017 Independent Home Entertainment Awards. The awards were given out during EMA’s 2017 Independent Product Market at the Marriott Marina del Rey in Marina del Rey, California.

The winners are:

Sell-Through Title of the Year from an Independent Studio

Ip Man 3, Well Go USA

Rental Title of the Year from an Independent Studio

The Infiltrator, Broad Green Pictures

Direct-to-Video/Limited Release Title of the Year from an Independent Studio

The Wailing, Well Go USA

Documentary/Special Interest Title of the Year from an Independent Studio

O.J.: Made in America, Cinedigm

Hall of Fame Inductee (recognizing a title that continues to perform well year-after-year)

The Carol Burnett Show: Carol’s Favorites, Time Life/WEA

“The winners of this year’s Independent Home Entertainment Awards show the impressive variety of quality content in the independent video marketplace,” noted Mark Fisher, President and CEO of EMA stated, “We are pleased to give them the recognition they deserve.”

From Universal Pictures Home Entertainment And Legendary Pictures: THE GREAT WALL

Mankind faces extinction from a monstrous enemy in the visually stunning adventure epic, THE

GREAT WALL, coming to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 23, 2017, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Legendary Pictures. Starring Matt Damon (Bourne franchise, The Martian), THE GREAT WALL is a masterful visual blend of live action and awe-inspiring effects. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray offer the ultimate in home high-def viewing experience with unique behind-the-scenes bonus features including deleted and extended scenes and more.

Starring global superstar Matt Damon and directed by one of the most celebrated visual stylists of our time, Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), THE GREAT WALL tells the story of an elite force making a valiant stand for humanity on the world's most iconic structure. When a mercenary warrior (Damon) is imprisoned within the Great Wall, he discovers the mystery behind one of the greatest wonders of the world. As wave after wave of marauding beasts besiege the massive structure, his quest for fortune turns into a journey toward heroism as he joins a huge army of elite warriors to confront the unimaginable and seemingly unstoppable force.

A formidable international cast joins Damon in THE GREAT WALL, including Jing Tian (Kong: Skull Island, Special ID), Pedro Pascal ("Game of Thrones," "Narcos"), Andy Lau (Internal Affairs, House of Flying Daggers) and Willem Dafoe (The English Patient, John Wick). An epic tale of heroism and sacrifice in the face of unstoppable savagery, THE GREAT WALL is spectacular, state-of-the art entertainment.

Viacom Names Jim Gianopulos Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures

Viacom Inc. has announced the appointment of Jim Gianopulos as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures, effective April 3, 2017. Gianopulos will report directly to Bob Bakish, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viacom.
   
In his role as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount, Gianopulos will oversee the studio’s film and television operations worldwide, including production, marketing, distribution and all other facets. He also will be charged with setting a new strategy for Paramount, including developing new content, strengthening Paramount’s slate with co-branded releases from Viacom flagship brands, and expanding the studio’s global footprint.

Bob Bakish, said, “Jim is a remarkably talented executive with all the tools – strategic vision, strong business expertise, deep industry and creative relationships – to bring films to life that resonate throughout culture and deliver commercial results. I’m thrilled we will have the benefit of his experience, savvy and global expertise as we lay out a clear path forward and begin the next chapter in Paramount’s storied history.”

“MASTERPIECE: HOME FIRES: SEASON 2” on video, April 18

PBS Distribution announced it is releasing “MASTERPIECE: HOME FIRES SEASON 2” on DVD and Blu-ray April 18, 2017. The moving drama hailed as “irresistible" by The Wall Street Journal returns for a final season. Home Fires follows the story of a group of inspirational women in an English village during World War II. As the conflict takes hold and the separation from their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers becomes more painful, the women rely on one another and the friendships forged through village life. Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey) and Francesca Annis (Reckless) head the extraordinary cast.

“HOME FIRES: SEASON 2” will be available on DVD and Blu-ray April 18, 2017. The run time of this program is approximately 360 minutes on 2 discs. The DVD SRP is $39.99 and the Blu-ray SRP is $49.99.

 Episode descriptions are listed below.

Indie Super Group Bnqt (Midlake, Band Of Horses, Franz Ferdinand, Grandaddy, Travis) Premiere "Unlikely Force"

BNQT, a new indie super group conceived and led by Eric Pulido of Midlake, have debuted new track “Unlikely Force,” featuring Band Of Horses’ Ben Bridwell on vocals. The track comes from their “sumptuous, immensely pleasurable” (Uncut) debut album ‘Volume 1,’ set for release on April 28 via Dualtone, an Entertainment One company. Listen to the wistful, Unlikely Force, via https://soundcloud.com/dualtone/unlikely-force-1

Says Pulido: "Unlikely Force was the first of all the album tunes that we worked on and a guinea pig of sorts. We wanted a lush 70s feel good vibe and Ben's song was a perfect foundation to build upon that ultimately set the precedent for what was to come!"

BNQT just came back from SXSW, where they were named an Artist To Watch by KCRW and praised by Billboard for their “rich, lush and harmony-drenched pop songs.” Yahoo! Music called their SXSW set “a smashing success.”

Listen: Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer Share New "Bach Trios" Track

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, mandolinist Chris Thile, and bassist Edgar Meyer have shared their recording of J.S. Bach's Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645, from their forthcoming album, Bach Trios, releasing April 7. You can hear it below.

Bach Trios comprises works by J.S. Bach originally written for keyboard instruments, plus one sonata for viola da gamba. In 2011, Ma, Thile, and Meyer—along with Stuart Duncan—collaborated on The Goat Rodeo Sessions, which won two Grammy Awards. The trio, which played Bach on the Thile–hosted radio program A Prairie Home Companion in December, performs in nine cities across the US beginning on April 21.

New Chuck Berry Album ‘CHUCK’ Set For June 16 Release On Dualtone

Dualtone Records (an Entertainment One Company), has set a June 16 release date for ‘CHUCK,’ the final album and first new recordings in nearly four decades by founding rock and roll legend Chuck Berry, who passed away last week at the age of 90.

Comprised of ten new recordings, eight of which were written by Berry, ‘CHUCK’ is his first new album since 1979’s ‘Rock It.’ It was recorded and produced by Berry in various studios around St. Louis and features his longtime hometown backing group - including his children Charles Berry Jr. (guitar) and Ingrid Berry (vocals, harmonica), plus Jimmy Marsala (Berry’s bassist for forty years), Robert Lohr (piano), and Keith Robinson (drums) - which supported him for nearly two decades on over two hundred residency shows at the famed Blueberry Hill club.  The album also includes guest performances from Gary Clark Jr., Tom Morello, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Chuck’s grandson Charles Berry III.  Acclaimed author and historian Douglas Brinkley contributes liner notes.
Both Morello and Rateliff appear on album track “Big Boys,” which Brinkley calls “a guitar player’s national anthem” in his notes.  The song is streaming now; listen below.

Todd Rundgren Spans Generations And Genres On 'White Knight' Out May 12 On Cleopatra Records

Todd Rundgren – the iconic songwriter, recording artist, producer and innovator – will release his newest album ‘White Knight’ on May 12 via Cleopatra Records. The 15-track collection features a dynamic range of original songs and deft studio work by Rundgren, with an incredible array of guests to match, including Dam Funk, Donald Fagen, Daryl Hall, Bettye Lavette, Robyn, Joe Satriani, Joe Walsh, and others.

The songs on ‘White Knight,’ all Rundgren originals or co-writes with some of the album guests, range from hip-hop flecked funk and dystopian synth rock to soaring ballads and crisp power pop. Album opener “Come” swirls with oscillating rhythms and sweeping layers of synths. More squiggling synths drive the feature with Daryl Hall, “Chance For Us,” giving way to a rich sax solo and a punchy, squelching bass line. Robyn soars on the pop anthem “That Could Have Been Me,” while Todd and Donald Fagen harmonize on the timely political jab “Tin Foil Hat.” “‘Cause the man in the tin foil hat / is sitting on the throne tonight / it kinda feels like a coup e’tat / but its gonna be great, tremendous, amazing and all that.”

Statement from Chuck Berry's Family

A Statement from the Berry Family

Since Chuck’s passing on Saturday, the Berry family has received many inquiries from friends, fans and media about the status of his forthcoming album CHUCK, which was originally announced on his 90th birthday, October 18, 2016.

Working to prepare the release of this record in recent months and in fact over the last several years brought Chuck a great sense of joy and satisfaction. While our hearts are very heavy at this time, we know that Chuck had no greater wish than to see this album released to the world, and we know of no better way to celebrate and remember his 90 years of life than through his music.

For months now plans have been in place, and preparations have been made with our friends at Dualtone Records, to reveal further details and music from the album this week. As a tribute to Chuck Berry, and with gratitude to his fans around the world, we will be following through on those plans in the coming days.