Sights and sounds: 'Gila!' coming in April; Pixies on NPR today; Panic! At The Disco premieres new video

With the Academy Awards coming this weekend, why not lead off this post with several movie- and music-video minded music items? Have a great weekend everybody!

Jim Wynorski's Monster Movie Masterpiece coming on DVD April 22, 2014

"Rock 'n roll is here to stay" despite the best efforts of a giant gila monster in Polyscope's sci-fi comedy movie Gila! scheduled for release on DVD this April 22, 2014. 

Based loosely on the 1959 sci-fi classic Giant Gila Monster, the revived Gila! features a ferocious, rampaging giant gila monster, classy hot rods, vintage 50's rock 'n roll music, cute co-eds, fist fights, drag racing and an all-star cast who rally to defend their small town.  

"A perfect 'date night' drive-in movie," says producer Bill Dever. "Family fun with music, action, a very scary monster and a terrific cast. Inspirational sci-fi horror."

It's not all the monster's fault since his giant size and voracious appetite come from accidental toxic chemical contact, and beneath the action, Gila! carries a few contemporary political, social and environmental messages. 

Directed by Jim Wynoski, the movie follows a small-town Sheriff and a young hot-rod mechanic as they suddenly face the giant gila monster's surprise attacks - first on farm animals, hapless humans, a passing freight train and then a small Indiana town busily preparing for the big Christmas rock 'n roll dance.  

"It's funny, scary, camp and relevant," says Dever, "featuring some of the best music of the 1950's and some cool cars."  The antique hot rods and classics were provided by a midwest car club.  

Gila! stars veteran television actor Terrence Knox (Tour of Duty, St. Elsewhere) as the Sheriff. The handsome Chase is played by Brian Gross (Red Tails) who races, then rallies with restless hot-rodder Jesse Janzen as Waco Bob and seductress Carla, played with a passionate zing by Christina DeRosa as they fight the Giant Gila Monster.

The Gila Monster is no longer the federally protected and endangered southwest desert critter thoughtlessly nudged through balsa wood walls in the original movie.  Clever EFX and a dangerous man-made chemical spill morph the gila into a monster and cave crickets into chickens. Tracked down and annoyed by the Sheriff's nitro explosion that supposedly sealed the cave the monster breaks through by morning and wreaks havoc.

Town drunk and civil libertarian Compton, played brilliantly by Rich Komenich, saves the day with a bottle of whisky in one hand and the Second Amendment in the other.  His secret stash of machine guns and nitroglycerin - stockpiled to fight Russians or Martians or atomic monsters - has everyone home just in time for Christmas.

Gerald Pauwels plays the classic rich, blowhard Mayor who is forced  to face the realities of city leadership as he, the Sheriff, the hot-rodders and town drunk pull together to fight the monster. Actor Don Sullivan who plays hero Chase in the original movie returns as the Scientist.  

Gila spit, as we all learned in junior high science and Sullivan reminds us, is bad, but in Gila! giant gila goo dissolves human flesh in wonderful B-movie fashion.  

Pre-Order Link:  http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=PMG1001

PIXIES LIVE ACOUSTIC PERFOMANCE FRIDAY, 2-28 

 ON NPR'S "WORLD CAFE"

Tune in to NPR's World Café with David Dye today, Friday, February 28 at 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern for an exclusive interview and live acoustic session from PIXIES.  The session was recorded recently for WXPN/Philadelphia's "Free at Noon" series and will be broadcast on over 200 public stations across the U.S. with live streaming on the web at www.xpn.org

Details at http://myredmusic.com/pixies/

Panic! At The Disco Premiere Video for "Nicotine" with NeonGoldRecords.com

Tickets for The Gospel Tour On Sale Today
Performances on Ellen and the Late Late Show March 5 to Perform New Single "This Is Gospel"

Panic! At The Disco have shared a new video for their song "Nicotine" this morning. The striking black and white clip premiered on Neon Gold Records this morning, home to Gospel Tour-mates Magic Man. Directed by Kai Regan (Cee-Lo Green, CocoRosie), the video features a starkly lit Brendon Urie and the object of his addiction set to "Nicotine"'s thumping dance track. Urie says, "We were excited to work with Kai again. He's super creative and we love his visual aesthetic. We managed to film almost the whole thing in one day at a cemetery in Queens. It was freezing cold and snowing out but totally worth it. The end result looks amazing." Rolling Stone has also posted the video, a "ruminative but memorable clip."

Panic! will also perform live next week on The Ellen Degeneres Show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson both on Wednesday, March 5 to perform their new single "This Is Gospel". 

Tickets are on sale today for the band's Gospel Tour. Indie dance-rockers Walk The Moon, will perform on all dates with Panic!; Youngblood Hawke and Magic Man join on select shows. The group's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 Chart in October. "This Is Gospel," the second single from the album has risen to over 10 million YouTube views, is currently impacting radio and follows "Miss Jackson" which hit Top 10 at Alternative Radio.

LINKS

Panic! at the Facebook
Panic! at the Twitter
Panic! at the Website
Panic! at the SoundCloud
Panic! at the YouTube

David & Olivia heading to SXSW

I loved this duo when I caught them earlier this month opening for Los Lonely Boys at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA (Read my review of that show here). Great news they are making the trek to Austin in March.

DAVID & OLIVIA

HEAD TO SXSW 2014!

Featured on Guitar World, here: http://bit.ly/ZKWuwg

Featured on Rough Stock, here: http://bit.ly/16KmL0A

Featured on Artist Direct, here: http://bit.ly/14VS8oh

Featured on Relix, here: http://bit.ly/155VLXX

Featured on Fox San Antonio's SXSW 2013 Coverage, here: http://bit.ly/ZrST2Q

Huntington Beach, CA - February 27, 2013 - The American duo, David & Olivia, will be heading to Austin for South by Southwest 2014! Upon meeting each other one summer night in 2011, the two felt an instant musical chemistry that would blossom before captivated audiences in vineyards along the California coast.  In 2013, they showcased their unique blend of melancholy blues and country sweetness in their debut EP, On the Sea. The EP was heralded by press in both, the US and UK, and the duo toured relentlessly coast-to-coast from New York City listening rooms and Boston pubs to Napa Valley wineries and Los Angeles clubs, amassing over 160 performances in 2013 alone.  In a review of a recent live show, LA's modern rock radio station, 106.7 KROQ, declared that David & Olivia were, "...effervescent...their energy was a mixture of vaudevillian and romantic; something right out of an old Western comedy." 

When discussing On the Sea with us, David warmly recounts that "the sound is fairly simplistic really, it comes down to our two contrasting voices that blend and intertwine with an acoustic guitar.  We had the fortunate opportunity to dig deep and flush out the songs with the help of our friends from Donavon Frankenreiter's band.  What came out were a collection of songs that gather in a place where the calmness of the vineyard meets the unrest of the Pacific ocean."

This will be the second consecutive year that the duo will be in Austin for the South-by-Southwest festivities.

SXSW Showcase:

Thurs., March 13 - 10:30pm - Wahoo's Fish Taco - 509 Rio Grande St

Sat., March 15 - Noon - Red Gorilla Music Fest - The Alex and Ani Stage @ Bourbon Girl, (212 E. 6th St.) 

Sat., March 15 - 6:30pm - Private Event - 360 Condominiums   

For updates, please visit:

Website: www.DavidandOlivia.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DavidandOliviaMusic 

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DavidandOlivia

The First Three Classic Oasis Albums To Be Reissued By Big Brother Recordings

Is it Friday yet? No, but in the meantime here is some great news for fans of Oasis! And I mean great news!!

Oasis. Photo credit: Jamie Fry

DEFINITELY MAYBE, (WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY & BE HERE NOW EACH REMASTERED WITH BONUS CONTENT INCLUDING RARE AND UNRELEASED RECORDINGS

THE FIRST IN THE CHASING THE SUN SERIES DEFINITELY MAYBE RELEASED MAY 20^TH

Available on standard CD, Special Edition 3 x CD, 12" vinyl LP (with digital download bundle of all bonus CD content), & Deluxe Box Set (including LP, Deluxe CD, exclusive 7" & merchandise)

ALSO AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED PERIOD ORIGINAL 1993'S DEMOS CASSETTE, AVAILABLE ONLY FROM www.oasisinet.com

n their 14-year recording career Oasis sold more than 70 million albums worldwide, had 22 consecutive UK Top 10 singles, 7 No.1 studio albums, but, more than that, they helped define a generation. Now Big Brother Recordings are to reissue the band's classic albums in chronological order as part of the new Chasing The Sun series. Each album has been remastered and available with rare and exclusive bonus content. 

With 2014 marking the 20^th anniversary of its original release, Definitely Maybe will be the first release in the series, out 20^th May. (What's The Story?) Morning Glory and Be Here Now will follow later this year.

Also available to order now from www.oasisinet.com on cassette for a limited period only is Original 1993 Demos, a replica of the legendary demo cassette handed out by the band before Oasis were signed. An incredibly rare rock artifact - only 8 copies were made in its original form -Definitely Maybe producer Mark Coyle has written new sleeve notes for this release.

Additionally, especially for Record Store Day on Saturday April 19^th, Big Brother will release a limited edition remastered replica of Oasis's debut 12 inch single Supersonic on heavyweight vinyl. 

INgrooves Music Group is handling the distribution in the U.S., with its artist services division INresidence overseeing marketing for the catalog.

Definitely Maybe: Chasing The Sun Edition

Definitely Maybe was originally released in August 1994 and was an immediate critical and commercial smash. The fastest selling debut album ever (at the time), it went seven-times platinum in the UK (over 2 million copies), and sold 5 million worldwide. Containing the classic debut single Supersonic, and subsequent singles Shakermaker, Live Forever, and Cigarettes & Alcohol, Definitely Maybe frequently appears on 'best album of all time' polls, including being listed as one of Rolling Stone's 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time and a No.1 placing in a 2008 Q Magazine/HMV poll of the 'Greatest British Albums.'

Every brand new edition includes a remastered version of the original album. The deluxe CD and super deluxe box set include two CDs including all the B-sides plus rare and unreleased Oasis tracks from the Definitely Maybe era, plus their huge Christmas single from 1994, Whatever. All editions come with new sleevenotes by respected rock critic Neil McCormick.

Highlights of the bonus content include 

Previously unheard live acoustic versions of Live Forever and Shakermaker from a Paris in-store gig around the time of the release of Definitely Maybe

Half The World Away (Live, Tokyo Hotel Room): an early and intimate version of this Oasis classic, recorded in Noel Gallagher's hotel room in Toyko in 1994 by Mark Coyle

Strange Thing (Demo) from the Original 1993 Demos cassette

Sad Song (Live at Manchester Academy) a previously unheard recording 

Whatever (Strings): recorded on a portable cassette machine at Maison Rouge Studios by Mark Coil

Tracklistings:

Special Edition 3 x CD:

Disc 1

Rock 'n' Roll Star 

Shakermaker 

Live Forever 

Up In The Sky 

Columbia 

Supersonic 

Bring it on Down 

Cigarettes & Alcohol 

Digsy's Dinner 

Slide Away 

Married With Children 

Disc 2

Columbia (White Label Demo)

Cigarettes & Alcohol (Demo)

Sad Song

I Will Believe (Live)

Take Me Away

Alive (Demo)

D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?

Supersonic (Live)

Up In The Sky (Acoustic) 

Cloudburst

Fade Away

Listen Up

I Am The Walrus (Live Glasgow Cathouse June '94) 

Whatever

(It's Good) To Be Free

Half The World Away

Disc 3

Supersonic (Live At Glasgow Tramshed) 

Rock 'n' Roll Star (Demo) 

Shakermaker (Live Paris in-store) 

Columbia (Eden Studios Mix) 

Cloudburst (Demo) 

Strange Thing (Demo) 

Live Forever (Live Paris in-store) 

Cigarettes & Alcohol (Live At Manchester Academy)

D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? (Live At Manchester Academy) 

Fade Away (Demo) 

Take Me Away (Live At Manchester Academy)

Sad Song (Live At Manchester Academy)

Half The World Away (Live, Tokyo hotel room)

Digsy's Dinner (Live, Paris in-store)

Married With Children (Demo)

Up In The Sky (Live Paris in-store)

Whatever (Strings)

Original 1993 Demos cassette

Side One:

Cloudburst 

Columbia 

D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? 

Strange Thing 

Side Two:

Bring It On Down 

Married With Children

Fade Away

Rock 'n' Roll Star 

Supersonic 12 inch single, Record Store Day limited edition

A:Supersonic

B1. Take Me Away

B2. I Will Believe (Live)

KCET Launches New Music Series, ‘Studio A’

With commercial radio continuing to mostly turn its collective back on new music, how great is it for Southern California audiences that KCET (and KCSN-FM) is launching a new music series celebrating area music makers. Here is the official media release…

KCET Launches New Music Series, ‘Studio A’,

Showcasing Southern California Artists and Bands 

Public Radio Music Station, 88.5 KCSN-FM to Simulcast the Series

Friday Nights - Beginning March 7 at 10 p.m. 

Original Series to Feature Performances and Interviews from SoCal’s Top Acts, including, Chicano Batman, Best Coast, The Internet, Chelsea Wolfe,

Run River North and more

Burbank, Calif. – Feb. 24, 2014 – KCET, the nation’s largest independent public television station serving Southern and Central California, has announced the launch of Studio A, an original music series showcasing Southern California’s top musical talent. The series premieres on KCET on March 4 at 10 p.m. and repeats Fridays at 10 p.m. Public radio music station, KCSN-FM, which broadcasts from the campus of California State University, Northridge, will also simulcast the series Friday nights, beginning March 7 at 10 p.m.

“We’re excited to offer a unique music series to KCET viewers who are passionate about the diverse musical landscape in Southern California,” said Juan Devis, executive producer of the new series and Vice President of Arts and Culture Programming at KCETLink. “Our collaboration with KCSN was a natural fit, as their commitment to independent and emerging artists was in sync with the programming goals for the series.  We are excited to provide a multiplatform approach to enjoying this groundbreaking series.”

Added Mark Sovel, music director of 88.5 KCSN-FM, “KCET is a cultural icon in Southern California. 88.5 KCSN is honored to partner on a series like Studio A, as we share a commitment to giving a voice to the wide range of extraordinary talent in our city.”

Studio A will reflect the diversity of the region through the cultural backgrounds and musical influences of some of Southern California’s most prolific artists. The show will feature taped live performances and interviews from Chicano Batman, Best Coast, Run River North, Noah and the Megafauna, Chelsea Wolfe, The Internet, Deap Vally, Aloe Blacc and more.

In the vein of KCET's multi-award winning arts and culture series, Artbound, the format of the series will showcase an uninterrupted musical set, as well as the cultural stories from which these artists draw their inspiration, including historical and geographical influences. From throwback ’70s Latin ballads, neo-soul, freak-folk, Mexican Jarocho, and Cumbias, Southern California is a musical melting pot; Studio Aintends to capture the essence Los Angeles from a musical perspective.

For information on the series, videos and other assets, please visit kcet.org/studioa.

ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 50-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. KCET is a service of KCETLink.

ABOUT KCSN

A listener-supported public radio station, a service of California State University, Northridge, 88.5 KCSN offers a 24-hour, commercial-free blend of rock, alternative, indie, soul, blues and Americana. The station features artists such as Arcade Fire, St. Vincent, Bruce Springsteen, The Smiths, Haim, David Bowie and Kings of Leon. The station's programming is also available online at KCSN.org.

Echo & The Bunnymen Return With New Album And Tour

Happy Monday. Great way to start the week with an announcement that Echo & The Bunnymen are set to return with a new album this spring! Read my review of Ian McCulloch and company's fantastic outing at Coachella back in 2010 here.

'METEORITES' TO BE RELEASED BY 429 RECORDS IN THE UK APRIL 28TH
European & UK Tour Kicks Off May 2nd; U.S. Release Date June 3, 2014 on 429 Records

Legendary Liverpool band Echo & the Bunnymen are putting the finishing touches on their 12th studio album and first since 2009, Meteorites, which will be released April 28th in the UK on 429 Records and distributed by Caroline.  The album will also be released by 429 Records in the U.S. on June 3rd.   Produced by Youth (Killing Joke, The Verve), the album contains ten hand-picked new songs written by founder Ian McCulloch and performed by Bunnymen stalwarts McCulloch and Will Sergeant along with Gordy Goudie (guitar) and Stephen Brannan (bass).  In conjunction with the album's release, the band will embark on a tour of Europe and the UK beginning in May (see confirmed dates below). 

Formed in 1978, the Bunnymen have been a vital force in the indie rock world for over 36 years having won over millions of obsessive music fans worldwide and indelibly influenced countless bands with their signature sound—from the Flaming Lips to Coldplay to Pavement. Meteorites is a key addition to their repertoire. It's an intimate song cycle written by Ian McCulloch performed by the band with a renewed sense of purpose showcasing all of their unmistakable musical hallmarks while taking them to a new level.

Says McCulloch: "'Meteorites', the new Bunnymen album... at long last we've made the worthy successor to 'Crocodiles,' 'Heaven Up Here,' 'Porcupine' and 'Ocean Rain.' 'Meteorites' is what Echo and the Bunnymen mean and are meant to be—up there in heaven--untouchable, celestial, beautiful and real.  It has changed my life."

Meteorites track listing:

1. Lovers On The Run
2. Is This A Breakdown
3. Holy Moses
4. Meteorites
5. Explosions
6. Icarus
7. I Loved The Devil
8. Constantinople
9. Market Town
10. New Horizons

2014 Confirmed Tour Dates:
5/2	Leamington Spa, UK	Assembly Rooms
5/6	Paris, France	Alhambra
5/7	Antwerp, Belgium	Trix
5/8	Utrecht, Holland	Tivoli
5/10	Oxford, UK	Academy
5/11	Wolverhampton, UK	Wulfrun Hall
5/13	Newcastle, UK	Tyne Theatre
5/14	Manchester, UK	Ritz
5/16	Edinburgh, UK	Queens Hall
5/17	London, UK	Shepherd's Bush Empire
5/18	Bristol, UK	Academy
5/20	Liverpool, UK	Philharmonic Hall

For more information visit: www.429records.com

429 Records is a unit of The Savoy Label Group (SLG). SLG is the North American based division of Nippon Columbia the oldest music company in Japan. The Savoy Label Group has evolved into a Grammy Award winning and chart topping independent music company consistently outperforming competitors in key music categories as monitored by Billboard Magazine. The Savoy Label Group is led by Steve Vining and is based in Los Angeles, CA.