Branford Marsalis Quartet Rises with Upward Spiral in June

It is no secret that the Branford Marsalis Quartet can be as freewheeling off the bandstand as in its

performances. Saxophonist Marsalis, and his Quartet made up of pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner are each bold personalities with strong opinions, equally intense in both musical and verbal exchanges. "The band talks about all kinds of things, many of which are unprintable," Marsalis admits. "But we have serious musical debates as well." One of these exchanges led to Upward Spiral, the new album from the Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling. The album will be released via Marsalis Music via OKeh Records on June 10, 2016.

"One topic we got into was picking the best singer to work with our band," Marsalis recalls. "My candidate was Kurt Elling, because he has the most flexible voice around, is always in tune and is a true jazz musician. When I met Kurt two years ago at a Thelonious Monk Institute competition, we had a conversation at the bar about doing a record together."

"I had bumped into Branford on the road a handful of times, and we always had significant conversations," Elling adds. "So when he mentioned making a record, I said 'any time!'"

The Young Messiah Arrives on DVD/BD in July

A powerful and emotional faith-based film about the childhood of Jesus, The Young Messiah comes

to Blu-ray and DVD for public libraries on July 12, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment due to Uni's 28 delay policy for these non-profit community centers. Telling the story of the Jesus in a way that communicates to children and families, The Young Messiah is "A remarkable movie" (Steve Isaac and Bob Waliszewski, Focus on the Family). Arriving just in time for Father's Day, the Blu-ray and DVD include exciting deleted scenes, feature commentary with the director and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.

Inspired by scripture and rooted in history, this story imagines a year in the boyhood of Jesus. Remaining true to the character of Jesus revealed in the Bible, The Young Messiah is an inspirational story about the childhood of the Savior for the whole family. When the mystery of Jesus' divinity begins to unfold in His early years, He turns to His parents for answers. But Mary and Joseph, in an effort to protect their child, are afraid to reveal all they know. How do you explain the ways of the world to its Creator? How do you teach the Teacher? How do you help the Savior who came to save you? Follow the young Messiah as He and His family take the extraordinary journey from Egypt to Nazareth and on to Jerusalem – where His true identity and profound destiny are revealed.

J.K. ROWLING’S "FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM" Screenplay to Be Published

Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, announced today that it will publish the screenplay of the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in the United States and Canada on November 19, 2016.

Returning to her wizarding world, the all-new adventure film, which will release November 18, 2016, marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books.

The published screenplay (ISBN: 978-1-338-10906-1; All Ages; $24.99 SLP) will be a hardcover. The ebook edition of the screenplay will be published by Pottermore, the global digital publisher of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, simultaneously with the print edition in collaboration with Scholastic in the USA. 

In making the announcement, Ellie Berger, President of Scholastic’s U.S. Trade Division, said, “With any new writing from J.K. Rowling, we know that we are not only engaging her vast fan base, but are also building a new generation of readers. The much anticipated release of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie marks another magical and exciting moment for film lovers and readers everywhere, and we are absolutely delighted to publish J.K. Rowling’s screenplay debut.”

2016 Home Media Magazine Awards Announced

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and Warner Bros' Mad Max: Fury Road each won several awards at

the sixth annual Home Media Magazine Awards recently.  The Home Media Awards honor the best DVDs and Blu-ray Discs of 2015, while the top prize went to a collection of popular superhero films.

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fourth Season, from HBO Home Entertainment, won six awards, including TV on Disc of the Year, Best Current TV Show on Disc, Best A/V Quality TV, Best Extras, Best Box Art and Best Fantasy Disc.  Mad Max: Fury Road won three awards;  Best Theatrical Release on Disc, Best 3D Disc and Best Action Disc. And, Shout! Factory’s collector’s edition Blu-ray of the original Mad Max won Best Catalog Title.

Title of the Year went to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two Collection, from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. The set, which was packaged in a replica of an artifact from Guardians of the Galaxy, also won for Best Boxed Set (Non-TV).

Blu-ray of the Year went to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s Lost in Space: The Complete Adventures, which also won for Best Vintage TV Series on Disc.

HBO won a whopping eight trophies, with Bessie taking Best TV Movie and Silicon Valley: The Complete First Season earning Best Comedy Disc.

Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals' "Call It What It Is" Releases to Raves!

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals' first album since 2007, 'Call It What It Is' (Stax), was just released to rave reviews and is topping charts and radio. The album debuted at #7 on Billboard's Album Sales chart, #2 on the Folk Albums chart and #4 on the Rock Albums chart. It also debuted as the #1 album at independent retail. Outside of the United States, 'Call It What It Is' debuted at #1 for International Albums in Italy and France and in Canada's Top 10. "Shine," the latest single, is Top 20 at Triple A radio, has been the #1 Most Added track at the format for 3 weeks running, and is spinning in several major markets including NYC and LA.

Ben and his longtime collaborators The Innocent Criminals wrap up the first leg of a sold-out tour next week and in June launch another extensive and international run that has them on the road until the end of 2016. Highlights include Red Rocks, Hollywood Bowl, Fuji Rock in Japan plus Europe and Australia in the fall.

Recent appearances include interviews on Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley, NPR's Here & Now, a USA Today profile plus performances ranging from ESPN's Sportscenter to KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, NPR Music and more.

St Vincent to Direct Segment of Magnolia's XX

Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that celebrated musician and songwriter Annie Clark (St. Vincent) will make her directorial debut on the firm’s upcoming all-female-helmed horror anthology film XX. Not only will each segment be directed by a woman, each will star female leads. Clark’s segment, scheduled to film this spring, has been co-written and will be produced by genre maven Roxanne Benjamin (SOUTHBOUND, V/H/S, V/H/S/2, FAULTS).

XX is a female-driven horror anthology with each director given full creative license to tell any story they choose revolving around a female protagonist. While the directors have been given free creative rein within budget and time constraints, all of the segments themselves will involve the horror genre. In addition to Clark, other directors attached include Karyn Kusama (THE INVITATION, GIRLFIGHT), Jennifer Lynch (SURVEILLANCE, CHAINED), and Jovanka Vuckovic (THE CAPTURED BIRD, former editor of Rue Morgue Magazine).

As St. Vincent, Clark is one of the most distinct voices and original guitarists of her generation. Her recent album, the self-titled St. Vincent (Loma Vista Recordings), won her "album of the year" designations from the NME, The Guardian, and Entertainment Weekly and the Best Alternative Album GRAMMY. An incredible live performer, Clark has been heralded as "the first truly 21st century guitar hero” by Guitar World magazine, and is constantly pushing the boundaries of today’s musical landscape.

Sony Classical Celebrates The 125th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall With The Release of GREAT MOMENTS AT CARNEGIE HALL

Ever since its opening night in May 1891, Carnegie Hall has held sway as the undisputed shrine of classical music in America. It was and remains the essential venue for all great artists. To celebrate Carnegie Hall's 125th anniversary, Sony Classical in partnership with Carnegie Hall is proud to present an extraordinary new 43-CD box set of treasures from the RCA and Columbia archives featuring live recordings from many of the world's greatest musicians. Available April 29, this unique deluxe edition contains a complete previously unreleased piano recital by Sviatoslav Richter and is accompanied by a 104-page coffee table book, which includes notes by Director of Carnegie Hall's Archives Gino Francesconi as well as many facsimile documents and photographs.

This recorded chronicle of eight decades spotlights many of the artists who enjoyed historically close ties to Carnegie Hall. It begins with two performances of Beethoven's Fifth, from 1931 and 1933 by Arturo Toscanini and continues with a performance from 1934 in which Serge Koussevitzky conducts Roy Harris's First Symphony, among the first works by an American-born composer to be recorded by a major orchestra. It was one of some 115 important compositions – by Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Bartók and others – that Koussevitzky and the BSO gave their USA premieres at Carnegie Hall.

Fountain of Wayne's Chris Collingwood Sets "Look Park" Release Date

Chris Collingwood, the lead singer of  Fountains of Wayne, will release his debut album, LOOK PARK (via Yep Roc), on July 22, 2016; the loose-limbed psychedelic pop of first track “Aeroplane” premiered today. Listen below from B&T.

LOOK PARK is Chris Collingwood’s first album outside of Fountains of Wayne and was recorded in collaboration with legendary producer Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Crowded House, Suzanne Vega). Shot through with earnest emotion and restless energy, LOOK PARK is unlike anything in Collingwood’s already extraordinary canon, a fact affirmed by his decision to dub both the album and overall project as “Look Park,” the name borrowed from a favorite green space in his hometown of Northampton, MA.

“I don’t like the expression ‘solo record,’” Collingwood says. “It means you don’t have to pay attention to it, that it’s really just a side project. It’s band music and I thought it should have a band name.”

Collingwood returned home after touring the world in support of SKY FULL OF HOLES, unsure of how to proceed. The next three years saw him demoing a slew of new songs with acoustic guitar, keyboards, and spare percussion – tambourines, shakers, and sometimes a full drum kit.

Universl Pictures Home Entertainment Announces 4K Releases

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) has announced plans to release a broad selection of films in 4K Ultra HD, the home entertainment industry's next-generation physical viewing format making its move in the video market. UPHE will begin a rollout of its growing roster of movie titles around the world beginning this summer, showcasing a mix of new releases, including some of this year's most-anticipated blockbusters The Huntsman: Winter's War, Warcraft and Jason Bourne as well as recent hits, such as Everest, Lucy and Lone Survivor, among others. Other 4K Ultra HD offerings in the pipeline will include a selection of IMAX spectacular cinematic films.

With roughly 100 titles across the industry expected to be available on store shelves to consumers by the end of 2016, UPHE plans to make its titles available in both 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD digital formats. All of the designated offerings will feature a combination of 4K resolution and the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range, with many additionally including multi-dimensional sound for the ultimate immersive audio experience.

Rick Wakeman Releases "Starhip Trooper" CD

On April 15th Purple Pyramid records via Cleopatra Records released an out of this world collection of extraordinary performances by legendary YES keyboardist Rick Wakeman!  For more than four decades Rick Wakeman has established himself as a visionary showman without peer, the creator of some of the most extravagant performances, breathtaking soloing and imaginative passages ever preserved on record, or executed on stage.

Aptly titled “Starship Trooper”, this amazing collection contains 2 previously unreleased tracks including a powerful rendition of Tool’s “Sober” plus several more brilliant cover songs of The Who, Pink Floyd, and The Doors including 5 never before heard versions! The compilation also includes performances by Gong’s Steve Hillage, Yes’s Billy Sherwood, Steve Howe and Tony Kaye, William Shatner, Colin Moulding, Jerry Goodman, Nik Turner, Carmine Appice and more!

“Over the last few years I have performed on many tracks as a ‘guest’ but never before has anybody put some of the best of those I played on into a compilation. It’s always challenging to be involved in tracks of other people’s music and other people’s arrangements as it often makes you think and play differently and certainly on many of these tracks I play in quite an unexpected way, but there again, much of my life has been pretty unexpected anyway!” Rick Wakeman said recently.

"Empty" from Garbage- LISTEN

Listen to the first single “Empty” off of Garbage’s sixth studio album Strange Little Birds, out June 10th 2016.

Enjoy, from B&T!

Shadows of Liberty Out Now on DVD

Releasing today on DVD, SHADOWS OF LIBERTY reveals the extraordinary truth behind the news media: censorship, cover-ups and corporate control. Filmmaker Jean-Philippe Tremblay takes a journey through the darker corridors of the US media, where global conglomerates call the shots. For decades, their overwhelming influence has distorted news journalism and compromised its values. In highly revealing stories, renowned journalists, activists and academics give insider accounts of a broken media system. Tracing the story of media manipulation over the years, SHADOWS OF LIBERTY poses a crucial question: why have we let a handful of powerful corporations write the news? We’re left in no doubt – media reform is urgent and freedom of the press is fundamental.

“Likely to raise blood pressure and spark heated discussion.” —Video Librarian

“Depressing and relevant stuff.” —The Toronto Sun

 “Tremblay’s scathing media takedown couldn’t be more timely.” —Torontoist

 “…a slick, masterful political essay on the degradation of contemporary journalism.” — Art Threat

Mr Selfridge Closes Up Shop Soon!

PBS Distribution announced today it is releasing the final season of the acclaimed MASTERPIECE series “MR. SELFRIDGE” on DVD and Blu-ray on May 17, 2016, nearly a week before it's TV airing. The clock nears closing time as mercantile genius Harry Selfridge faces creditors, swindlers, mob bosses, irate relatives, and spurned mistresses in the farewell season once again starring three-time Emmy winner Jeremy Piven (Entourage) as the man who revolutionized the world’s retail experience.

“MR. SELFRIDGE: THE FINAL SEASON” will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on May 17th, 2016. The run time of the program is approximately 420 minutes on 3 discs. The SRP for the DVD is $39.99 and $49.99 for Blu-ray.

Since the premiere season in 2013, Mr. Selfridge has wowed audiences and critics alike, much as the original Harry Gordon Selfridge did with his trend-setting, taboo-busting palace of commerce, Selfridge & Co., which opened in 1909 on London’s Oxford Street. Shopping has never been the same since.

 “A treasure box of tales about love, loss, ambition, and the spirit of a new age,” enthused The Wall Street Journal during Season 1; “lush and lovely,” murmured The Los Angeles Times about Season 2; “visually glorious,” gushed the New York Daily News for Season 3.

The Felice Brothers Ready "Life in the Dark" Release

The upstate New York band The Felice Brothers will release a new album, Life In The Dark, through Yep Roc Records on June 24. The band recently debuted the lively, rousing “Aerosol Ball,” from the forthcoming release. With the track comes a video created by the band’s bassist Josh Rawson: an entertaining, re-purposed collage of stock footage from the 1950s and 60s, interspersing pin-up girls, boys stuffed in phone booths, mod-dancers and more. Watch it below, from B&T.

Life In The Dark was recorded in a rented garage-turned-recording-studio on Letterbox Farm, a working farm in New York State’s verdant Hudson Valley in Columba County. This album follows The Felice Brothers’ 2014 release Favorite Waitress, which American Songwriter hailed as “a remarkably varied and well-paced collection of tunes.” The nine new songs on Life In The Dark find lyricist Ian Felice continuing to explore modern life in a complicated and divided America, through a cynical and occasionally heartbroken lens, in the tradition of songwriters like John Prine, Shane MacGowan and Michael Hurley.

Musically the band (Ian on guitars and vocals; his brother James on accordion, keyboards and vocals; Greg Farley on fiddle and Josh Rawson on bass) incorporates their expansive knowledge of American folk music — both its creators and what makes it so compelling and enduring — with other elements of contemporary music — classic rock and blues. The result which, has previously been dubbed “rowdy, vivid, moving and playful…just glorious” (Uncut), is in full-effect here on songs like “Sally,” “Plunder” and more.

Eye in the Sky Lands on June 28

The moral implications of modern warfare are confronted in Bleecker Street's powerful drama, Eye in the Sky, coming to Blu-ray and DVD on June 28, 2016, from Universal Pictures Home

Directed by Academy Award Winner Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, Ender's Game) and written by Guy Hibbert ("Complicit," Five Minutes of Heaven), Eye in the Sky follows Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren), a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya. Using remote surveillance and on-the-ground intelligence, Powell discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from "capture" to "kill." But as American pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is about to engage, a nine-year-old girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute, reaching the highest levels of American and British government, over the moral, political and personal implications of modern military operations.
Entertainment.  Note, Uni will release the DVD/BD for Libraries, day  & date with the "retail" release!

Tackling an ethical dilemma in a thought-provoking suspenseful story, the gritty film stars Academy Award Winner, Helen Mirren (Trumbo, The Queen), Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad," Need for Speed), Academy Award® Nominee Barkhad Abdi (Captain Philips), Iain Glen ("Game of Thrones," Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) and the late Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Harry Potter) in his final on-screen performance. Eye in the Sky "holds us in a vise and keeps squeezing" according to Peter Travers of Rolling Stone.

Edward Snowden Joins Jean-Michele Jarre on New CD

Just when the collaborator list for JEAN-MICHEL JARRE‘s upcoming ELECTRONICA VOL. 2: THE HEART OF NOISE (out May 6 via Sony Music/RED) couldn’t get any more diverse, it can now be revealed that Edward Snowden joined the proceedings as the final name to feature on the project.

Originally announced on the album as just ‘ES,’ Snowden; the whistleblower behind one of the biggest revelations of classified documents, contributes to the fifth track on THE HEART OF NOISE titled “Exit”.

Collaborating from Snowden’s delivery of his core message, JARRE layers and sculpts the American’s words around a driving techno beat that conjures up a grand sense of chase. The release of the track also coincides with an exclusive track story that has been made available to watch now. Having debuted via Rolling Stone recently, fans can see both Jarre and Snowden speaking with one another in the video about music, politics, privacy and more.  

Walt Disney Records Releases The Jungle Book Soundtrack CD

Walt Disney Records releases The Jungle Book soundtrack, featuring score by award-winning composer John Debney ("Iron Man 2"), the end-credit tracks including "Trust in Me" performed by Scarlett Johansen and produced by Mark Ronson, "I Wan'na Be Like You" performed by Christopher Walken, plus Dr. John & The Nite Trippers' rendition of "The Bare Necessities." The original music was composed and produced by John Debney. The original motion picture soundtrack is available now.

Directed by Jon Favreau ("Iron Man"), based on Rudyard Kipling's timeless stories and inspired by Disney's classic animated film, "The Jungle Book" is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who's been raised by a family of wolves. "The Jungle Book" seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world. The wild adventure swung into theaters in 3D this past weekend

The all-star voice cast includes Oscar-winners Ben Kingsley ("Learning to Drive," "The Walk"), Lupita Nyong'o ("12 Years a Slave," "Star Wars: The Force Awakens") and Christopher Walken ("The Deer Hunter"), as well as Bill Murray ("Lost in Translation"), Idris Elba ("Star Trek Beyond"), Scarlett Johansson ("Avengers: Age of Ultron") and Giancarlo Esposito ("Breaking Bad').

Baker & Taylor Acquired by Follett Corporation

Follett Corporation today announced that it has acquired Baker & Taylor, LLC, the leading distributor of books, video and music products to public libraries and institutions, and a major wholesaler to retailers worldwide. With combined sales of $3.6 billion, the two businesses will offer librarians, patrons, educators and students unprecedented access to the best curated physical and digital content wherever learning and reading take place in the community.

Follett is a top provider of technology, services and print and digital content to PreK-12 libraries, schools and higher education institutions. Baker & Taylor, based in Charlotte, NC, will continue to operate as before, serving customers through its existing management team and business operations.

“Acquiring Baker & Taylor marks a major milestone for Follett that expands the possibilities of our two businesses,” said Todd A. Litzsinger, Chairman of Follett. “Through our support of schools, public libraries, colleges, local bookstores and retailers, our teams are uniquely positioned to help communities everywhere strengthen literacy and learning. On behalf of the Follett family, I’m excited and proud to welcome the Baker & Taylor team to Follett.”

"London Has Fallen" Comes to Town in July

Devastation of a world capital and a revenge plan against an American president fuel the high-octane London Has Fallen, coming to Blu-ray and DVD on July 12, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit Olympus Has Fallen raises the stakes with non-stop action and suspenseful plot twists. The Blu-ray and Digital HD versions also include exclusive bonus features about the can't-miss thriller.

In London Has Fallen, the stellar cast of Gerard Butler (300), Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), Sean O'Bryan (Vantage Point), and Morgan Freeman (Lucy) reprises their original roles from Olympus Has Fallen, joined by Alon Moni Aboutboul (The Dark Knight Rises), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), Charlotte Riley (Edge of Tomorrow), and Waleed F. Zuaiter (Homeland). Babak Najafi directs London Has Fallen.

When the British Prime Minster dies unexpectedly, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) knows it is his duty to prep with Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett) for them to accompany U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to the state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral in London. With every powerful world leader set to attend, the funeral should be the most protected event on Earth. Yet within moments of arriving, heads of government are assassinated and London landmarks are attacked. Asher, Banning, and Jacobs are ambushed and retreat amidst a hail of gunfire and explosives. The devastated British capital goes into lockdown. Banning will stop at nothing to secure Asher's safe return home. Back at the White House, Vice President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) races against time brainstorming with top advisors in the Situation Room to get those trapped in London a lifeline of support and a way out. Outnumbered and outgunned, Banning reaches out for help to an English MI6 agent (Charlotte Riley) who rightly trusts no one. Failure is not an option as they attempt to stop the criminals from carrying out the final phase of their revenge plan.

"American Tunes" from Legendary Allen Toussaint Out June 10

Nonesuch will release American Tunes, a new studio album by legendary New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint, on June 10, 2016. Toussaint had just completed the album when he passed away in November of last year during a European tour. Recording took place at two sets of sessions with producer Joe Henry: solo piano at Toussaint's New Orleans home studio in 2013, and with the rhythm section of Jay Bellerose and David Piltch; joined by guests Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd, Greg Leisz, Rhiannon Giddens, and Van Dyke Parks, in Los Angeles in October 2015. The album comprises solo performances of Professor Longhair tunes and band arrangements of songs by Toussaint, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Paul Simon, and others.

Allen Toussaint's work as composer, producer, arranger, and performer, especially in the 1960s and '70s, helped shape the sound of R&B, soul, and funk as we know it today. He collaborated memorably with artists ranging from Lee Dorsey and Ernie K. Doe to the Pointer Sisters and Labelle, from the Meters and Dr. John to the Band and Paul McCartney. The New York Times recently said, "In Mr. Toussaint's long career as songwriter, arranger and producer he has honed a piano style that's supportive and allusive; a little trill or tremolo sums up all the splashy joys of New Orleans patriarchs like Professor Longhair and James Booker, and a syncopated chord under right-hand octaves summons gospel. Mr. Toussaint has the two-fisted, rippling vocabulary of the city's piano legacy, but he uses it in dapper ways."

Gods of Egypt Comes to Earth on May 31

The ultimate struggle to rule the world begins when Gods of Egypt arrives on DVD and, Blu-ray

(plus Digital HD) on May 31 from Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE Company. Directed by Alex Proyas (I, Robot), written by Matt Sazama (The Last Witch Hunter) & Burk Sharpless (The Last Witch Hunter), and featuring stunning visual effects and production design, Gods of Egypt stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (TV’s “Game of Thrones”) with Gerard Butler (London Has Fallen) and Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush (Best Actor, Shine, 1996).

The ultimate battle between good and evil threatens to destroy all creation in this epic fantasy-adventure bursting with spectacular action and amazing special effects. Gerard Butler and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau star as rival gods Set and Horus, who are locked in a war to rule the universe. To defeat the merciless Set, Horus joins forces with a brave mortal for a journey that will take them across Egypt, through the heavens, and into the afterlife in an unforgettable quest to save mankind.

The Blu-ray release features an in-depth look behind-the-scenes with six featurettes, plus storyboards of deleted scenes. The Blu-ray release also includes next-generation DTS:X immersive audio, which replicates and conveys the fluid movement of sound to create a richer soundscape by moving sound to precisely where the audio mixer placed it.

LISTEN - Paul Simon's New "Wristband" Tune

Little Scream Shares "The Kissing"

 Today, Little Scream brings us “The Kissing,” the third single from the Merge Records,  Cult Following The song builds slowly to showcase a blazing guitar and vocal solo and features TV On The Radio’s Kyp Malone as the voice of a Magic 8 Ball with the power to give eerily specific answers.

In their premiere of the track, Consequence of Sound wrote:

What opens as a dejected acoustic track is slowly laced with bold rage through the first pair of verses. It’s there in the beating percussion, the suddenly ringing guitar strums, and the heavy yet contained chaos of the choruses. But underneath all the dark coatings is the all too frustratingly real damage of failed love, echoed in the disconsolate harmony provided by TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone on the phrase, “It’s time to stop doing some things in the rain/ Especially the kissing.”

“The Kissing” joins the dance-pop heaven of “Love as a Weapon” and emotional heft of “Someone Will Notice” in continuing to unlock the inner psyche of Little Scream through her sensational new album, Cult Following . The CD is available to pre-order now, for the May 5 street date.

The Rolling Stones are Totally Stripped on DVD/BD/CD in June

On June 3, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Totally Stripped by The Rolling Stones. One of

the most anticipated releases in recent years, this collection features The Rolling Stones going back to the source of many of their favorite tracks, creating new stripped back versions. Selected material from studio sessions and shows presented here formed the Stripped album of 1995.

Totally Stripped is available as a DVD or SD Blu-ray containing the newly-revised documentary of the same name, or on DVD+CD or DVD+LP featuring the documentary and single CD / 2LPs compiled from live shows [MSRP $29.98 SD Blu-ray+CD, $21.98 DVD+CD, $39.98 DVD+2LP]. Additionally a DVD or SD Blu-ray deluxe edition is available, packaged with a 60 page hard book set containing 5 discs [$109.98 for 4 SD Blu-ray+CD, $99.98 for 4 DVD+CD] which has hours of previously unavailable music (three complete shows made available for the first time ever) from this truly legendary act.

These reimagined versions lose none of their impact and emotional heft, and in fact connect with listeners in a different way. Totally Stripped itself is a brand new version of the documentary of the same name, which tells the stories of the two studio sessions and three live shows (The Paradiso in Amsterdam in May 1995, L’Olympia in Paris and Brixton Academy in London in July 1995) that make up this project. The Deluxe Edition contains a CD of favorites drawn from across the live shows and three DVDs featuring, for the first time, ever each of those shows in full.

Ken Burns: Jackie Robinson on DVD and BD on April 12

PBS Distribution announced it is releasing KEN BURNS’S: “JACKIE ROBINSON” on DVD and Blu-ray April 12, 2016, coinciding with its PBS airing. This new four hour documentary, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, tells the story of Jack Roosevelt Robinson, who rose from humble origins to break baseball’s color barrier. Robinson waged a fierce lifelong battle for first-class citizenship for all African Americans that transcends even his remarkable athletic achievements.

The run time of the program is approximately 240 minutes on 2 discs. The SRP for the DVD is $24.99 and $29.99 for Blu-ray.

“Jackie Robinson is the most important figure in our nation’s most important game,” said Ken Burns recently. “He gave us our first lasting progress in civil rights since the Civil War and, ever since I finished my BASEBALL series in 1994, I’ve been eager to make a stand-alone film about the life of this courageous American. There was so much more to say not only about Robinson’s barrier-breaking moment in 1947, but about how his upbringing shaped his intolerance for any form of discrimination and how after his baseball career, he spoke out tirelessly against racial injustice, even after his star had begun to dim.”

Original Santana Back with Santana IV CD

The legendary original lineup of Santana releases Santana IV this Friday, April 15th.  The Santana

IV release is being supported by a ton of press from outlets ranging from Billboard and Rolling Stone to NPR, who reports "Santana IV captures that magic. They invented this sound. To this day, no one does it better."

Carlos Santana recently recorded a video discussing the Santana lineup's reformation and the recording of the new album. See below from B&T AV.

Aaron Nigel Smith is "ONE" with Families

For more than 15 years, Aaron Nigel Smith has been educating, entertaining and empowering youth around the world through music. His latest recording One (out on April 22) is a collection of lively, original reggae tunes, along with Jamaican and African folk songs. With his fifth album for children, Aaron Nigel Smith shares a message of peace and love for family, neighbors and community.This 11-track album features reggae music icon Ernie Smith along with appearances by Dub Tonic Cru, Ras I, and Grammy Award-winning children’s music performers Father Goose and Tommy Shepherd (Alphabet Rockers). Award-winning reggae music veteran Deleon “Jubba” White, co-produced this special project and helps to bring Aaron’s sound to a new level. Music videos will be out soon!   Aaron Nigel Smith is a music educator and recording artist, originally from Michigan and Los Angeles, and now based in Portland, OR. His children’s albums Let’s Pretend, Everyone Loves to Dance, B is for Bob and Celebrate Bob Marley (with Ziggy Marley’s TuffGong label) all won national acclaim and awards. Smith was a member of the cast of the acclaimed PBS Kids TV show, “Between the Lions” during 2008 to 2010. Since 2009, he and his wife Diedre have managed the 1World Chorus, involving more than 500 young voices from Portland, Los Angeles, New York, Kenya and Jamaica. On Monday, April 11, Aaron’s rendition of the Bob Marley classic song “One Love” will be the Music Monday selection for Week of the Young Child celebrations, an event presented each year by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

 

Hail Caesar! Reigns on July 5

When the world's biggest movie star suddenly goes missing, it's up to a studio fixer to rescue him in Hail Caesar!, a star-studded comedy featuring George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Alden Ehrenreich, and Frances McDormand set in Hollywood's Golden Age.

Coming to Blu-ray and DVD on July 5, 2016 for public libraries due to Univeral Home Entertainment' rental holdback policy.   Hail, Caesar! is the ingenious creation of four-time Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, Fargo). The comic whodunit pulls back the curtain to reveal the backstage humor and drama of the movie industry, and includes exclusive bonus features that take viewers behind the scenes of the film's most inventive escapades.

Hail, Caesar! follows a single day in the life of Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), head of production and all-around problem solver for Hollywood studio Capitol Pictures. When Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), the world's biggest star, is kidnapped in the middle of production on the studio's latest swords-and-sandals epic, Eddie will have to recover his leading man while simultaneously appeasing cowboy star Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich), disgruntled director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes), swimming sensation DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) and song-and-dance superstar Burt Gurney (Channing Tatum), all while horse-trading information to keep his talents' names out of the gossip columns written by a pair of rival siblings, Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton).
 

Eric Clapton Says "I Still Do" on May 20

Music legend Eric Clapton has reunited with famed producer Glyn Johns for his forthcoming 23rd studio album I Still Do.  The new album is due to release on May 20, 2016 via his Bushbranch Records/Surfdog Records.  Clapton and Johns; who has also produced albums for The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who, most famously worked together on Clapton’s iconic Slowhand album, which is RIAA-certified 3x-platinum and topped charts globally.

The 12-track record includes some original songs written by Clapton. This album follows his last release, the 2014 chart-topping Eric Clapton & Friends: The Breeze, An Appreciation of JJ Cale.

“This was a long and overdue opportunity to work with Glyn Johns again, and also, incidentally, the fortieth anniversary of 'Slowhand'!” said Eric Clapton.

The album’s artwork; a carefully crafted illustration of Clapton, is the work of esteemed artist Sir Peter Blake, whose previous art includes the co-design of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album sleeve, as well as the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” Paul Weller’s Stanley Road and The Who’s Face Dances. I Still Do features Blake’s signature at the bottom right corner of the cover.

"Good Charlotte" Plan July 15 Youth Authority Release

 

Pop-punk GOOD CHARLOTTE are set to release their sixth studio album YOUTH AUTHORITY on Friday, July 15, via the Madden Brothers’ own label MDDN, distributed worldwide through Kobalt Label Services.

The multi-platinum-selling group’s first single “40 oz. Dream” world premiered as today’s “World Record” on Zane Lowe’s “Beats 1” radio show this morning. The lyric video for “40 oz. Dream” exclusively premiered today, Monday, April 4 on RollingStone.com.

Watch and share GOOD CHARLOTTE’s coloring-book style lyric video, below,  for their new song “40 oz. Dream” which debuted this morning.

"Pure McCartney", a New Compilation Set of His Solo Work, Out June 10

Sir Paul McCartney and his music need no introduction. Together with three of his friends, he changed the cultural landscape forever.

And Paul’s accomplishments since then as a member of Wings and a solo artist make for a staggering body of work that stands proudly alongside those eight sensational years with The Beatles.

'Pure McCartney', a new compilation of his solo, Wings and Fireman work, celebrates that fact, showcasing 67 highlights from one of the most-revered catalogues in music - from 'McCartney' in 1970, his debut solo album, right through to 'Hope For The Future', his 2014 track taken from 'Destiny', the most-anticipated video game of the last decade. Not only is 'Pure McCartney’ a monumental mix tape of some of popular music's most memorable moments from 1970 to the present day, it also features curios for the super fans and some of Paul's personal favourites—all handpicked by the man himself.

"Me and my team came up with the idea of putting together a collection of my recordings with nothing else in mind other than having something fun to listen to," Paul said recently of this project.