Day: July 3, 2018

Movie Reviews

Movie Review by Kristin: BRAVEN

by Kristin3 Comments on Movie Review by Kristin: BRAVEN

I finally logged into my PrimeVideo app and saw that BRAVEN was featured. I’ve been wanting to check it out and now was my chance! Naturally, I couldn’t turn away because Jason Momoa. Am I right?

SYNOPSIS: A logger and his father head to their hunting cabin, hoping for a quiet weekend. Instead, they find themselves in a kill-or-be-killed stand for survival when they encounter a gang of ruthless drug traffickers.

This was a great movie. Jason Momoa is a beast as Joe Braven. It sucks that he’s sort of type casted into these tough guy roles, but the tough guy role was coupled with the family man role in this one & he balanced them perfectly.

Throughout the film, you feel this sense of urgency for the protagonists. Joe is trying to protect his daughter and his father, who is suffering from dementia. He’s trying to do the right thing for one person & it may not be the right thing for the other. It had me tense the whole time.

I would recommend checking this out. There were beautiful images shown during the opening credits that made me google where Braven was filmed lol. Google’s answer was Newfoundland, Canada (thanks, Google). The storyline was interesting and I think it was executed very well.

Check it out & let me know what you thought!

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review: BELIEVER – A Documentary From Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) on HBO

by KristinLeave a Comment on Review: BELIEVER – A Documentary From Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) on HBO

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I had the chance to sit down and watch BELIEVER on HBO this weekend and it was so good!

SYNOPSIS: Believer follows Mormon Dan Reynolds, frontman for the Grammy Award-winning band Imagine Dragons, as he takes on a new mission to explore how the Mormon Church treats its LGBTQ members.

Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) grew up in the Mormon faith alongside his family and friends in Utah. The Mormon doctrine believes that homosexuality is a sin, and they’ve even been known to remove allies from their church. There have been some amendments to their policies over the years, but the astounding number of suicides among teenagers in the Mormon community is still rising.

This prompted Dan to team up with Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees lead singer & fellow Mormon) to look for ways to bring awareness to these situations within the Mormon community. They formed the LoveLoud Festival and this documentary follows their journey in getting the festival organized. One of my favorite parts in the documentary is when Dan’s wife, Aja, is explaining to their young daughter what it means to be gay/transgender. I explained it to my niece the exact same way when she was around the same age and I don’t regret it one bit. Because I did that when she was young, my niece has always been inclusive towards all human beings. Seeing a similar experience documented with their adorable daughter was very special.

It’s an interesting documentary, to say the least. With the help of Tyler, Aja, and several people who are a part of the Mormon community, they shed light on the things that need to change, and continue to fight for the rights of the LGBTQ community.

I recommend watching it, without a doubt. As an ally to the LGBTQ community myself, I think it’s important to see how shunning a person due to their sexual orientation/preference can cause so much harm to that individual and their family. If we want to keep our brothers and sisters safe, we need to be inclusive and supportive. This documentary does a fantastic job of that.

 

I’ll leave you with this incredible tweet from Dan Reynolds via Twitter:

Movies

FATHER OF THE YEAR | Trailer & Official Poster Released!

by KristinLeave a Comment on FATHER OF THE YEAR | Trailer & Official Poster Released!

IMG_0972Netflix has released the trailer and official poster for the new film FATHER OF THE YEAR. The film stars David Spade, Nat Faxon, Joey Bragg, Matt Shively, and Bridgit Mendler.

SYNOPSIS: When a drunken debate between two recent college graduates about whose father would win in a fight is taken seriously by their idiot dads, jobs are lost, relationships ruined, futures destroyed, and best friends come of age as they come to grips with who their fathers really are.

FATHER OF THE YEAR debuts globally on Netflix on July 20, 2018! 

 

Music

DEARLY Premieres Music Video For Single “Get With You Alone”

by KristinLeave a Comment on DEARLY Premieres Music Video For Single “Get With You Alone”

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Just one month after the release of her debut single, indie pop powerhouse Dearly spawns pure beauty in the music video for “Get With You Alone,” out NOW.

Previously known as Amanda Jones, Dearly dropped her debut single “Get With You Alone’ (produced by Caleb Turman and Austin Bello) in May, and racked up a cool 15,000+ Spotify streams in just a few short weeks, gaining pop notoriety on her social media accounts.

A seamless blend of mainstream indie, soulful pop, and Top 40’s R&B, “Get With You Alone” is the perfect representation of Dearly’s rebrand, while simultaneously writing a rather melancholy, yet painfully honest, narrative about being in love with someone who is taken.

The music video is nothing short of stunning, adding to the already-pleasing package that is Dearly. Comprised of mostly close-up performance shots, Dearly successfully performs in conjunction with the tracks mood, an overall dark, yet authentic, take on adoring from afar. A seasoned pop veteran, vocalist Amanda Jones made the choice in 2017 to shift gears and bring to light her most authentic artistry through the stage name Dearly. About both the video and the success of the track thus far, Dearly states:

“For the video, I wanted to create something simple and dreamy- and I think we nailed it. The response to the single has been AMAZING so far- I’ve passed 15,000 streams on Spotify which has blown my mind. This is only the beginning and I’m so excited to see where  this new project takes me! I wanted the video to be on the simpler side, for viewers to really FEEL the song.”

23 year old velvet-obsessed indie pop artist Dearly wanted to adopt a stage moniker that encompassed every facet of her artistry; someone sincere, open, and deeply invested in her art. Inspired greatly by her interpersonal relationships, Dearly (previously known as Amanda Jones), promises a slick combination of dreamy vocal melodies and groovy baselines, her own personal artistic equation. Although well-seasoned in the music industry, having gone by her birth name on stage for many years prior, Dearly is approaching this new era rather personally, with a clear-cut indie-based vision showcased in her debut single “Get With You Alone.” Out 5/18, the track showcases her first dip into a candid style that is unapologetically her. She is Dearly.

Watch the “Get With You Alone” music video NOW.

 

Connect with DEARLY:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify

Music

GIVERS Release New Single ‘Love Is Like A Fire’

by KristinLeave a Comment on GIVERS Release New Single ‘Love Is Like A Fire’

GIVERS

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RELEASE NEW SINGLE

‘LOVE IS LIKE A FIRE’

SPOTIFY / YOUTUBE

ANNOUNCE NEW EP
‘MOVIN’ ON’
OUT AUGUST 3RD VIA GLASSNOTE RECORDS
PREORDER HERE

Louisiana art-pop trio GIVERS have released their new single, ‘Love Is Like A Fire’. The track follows their previous single, ‘Collide’, both of which are taken from their newly-announced upcoming EP, Movin’ On, which is available to pre-order now.

A blend of vibrant rhythms, glistening synthesizers and ethereal vocals, the track flows seamlessly through hook-laden verses before ascending into a soaring, euphoric chorus. As with their previous releases, the track showcases their distinctive talent for drawing on eclectic influences and channelling them into beautifully artistic and infectious sonic creations.

‘Love Is Like A Fire’ is the second single to be taken from their forthcoming EP Movin’ On, which was produced by Dave Cobb and Eric Heigle and recorded at the iconic RCA Studio A in Nashville.

Since their breakout 2011 release In Light, GIVERS have embraced a vision of life and love that, in the band’s early years, bubbled with the optimism of unchallenged youth. Formed in 2008 in the sweaty dancehalls of Lafayette, Louisiana, GIVERS knew right away that they had something special. Crafted from the improvisational and dance-fuelled atmosphere of the area’s zydeco, Cajun, and jazz cultures mixed with an affection for new wave, funk, and world music, the infectious results brought a quick rise to the spotlight for the young band.

From the start, the band achieved dizzying success. GIVERS toured world-class stages, both international and domestic, becoming a fixture on the major festival circuit, including Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and winning appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live! The band’s electricity even struck Neil Young, who caught GIVERS on Late Night and mused about it, in a stream of consciousness, in his autobiography.

Now each in their early 30s — ragged, accomplished, philosophised — the band’s creative nucleus of Taylor Guarisco, Tif Lamson, and Josh LeBlanc has transitioned from celebrating life to probing its complications: the cruel fiction of un-met expectations, the deflation in opportunities lost and the elation in new ones found. In the process, they left the smalltown place of the band’s birth (Lafayette, LA.) for the cultural kaleidoscope of New Orleans, now the site of their coming of age.

MOVIN’ ON EP TRACKLIST

  1. Collide
  2. Half Life
  3. Love Is Like A Fire
  4. Movin’ On

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Connect with GIVERS:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Music

ALICE IN CHAINS Announce New Album ‘Rainier Fog’ – Out August 24th

by KristinLeave a Comment on ALICE IN CHAINS Announce New Album ‘Rainier Fog’ – Out August 24th

ALICE IN CHAINS

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ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM

RAINIER FOG

THEIR FIRST NEW ALBUM IN FIVE YEARS
OUT AUGUST 24TH VIA BMG

RELEASE NEW TRACK
 ‘SO FAR UNDER’
LISTEN HERE

BAND CURRENTLY ON WORLDWIDE HEADLINE TOUR

ALICE IN CHAINS have announced an August 24th release for the long-awaited RAINIER FOG (BMG), their first album in five years. They’re giving fans another sneak preview of the album with today’s release of second track ‘So Far Under’ – click HERE to listen.

‘So Far Under’ follows the recent release of ‘The One You Know’ and its Adam Mason-directed companion video, which has already amassed over 2.3 million views – click HERE to watch.

Both ‘The One You Know’ and ‘So Far Under’ are available as instant downloads by clicking HERE to pre-order RAINIER FOG.

The album will be available digitally, as well as on CD and limited-edition double 180-gram clear LP with white and black splatter available only from the band’s online store HERE.

About ‘So Far Under’, Alice In Chains vocalist/guitarist William DuVall says, “It’s about feeling completely up against it – outnumbered, surrounded, facing seemingly unbeatable odds and being really pissed off about it. It was inspired by personal circumstances, as well as events in the wider world. But it’s not as resigned to defeat as it may seem. The lyric is a cold, hard assessment of a difficult situation but the music has a message all its own. There’s still room to flip the script. Every aspect of writing and recording this song will always be remembered with a lot of joy – from recording the basic tracks and the guitar solo at Studio X in Seattle to doing further overdubs at Nick Raskulinecz’s studio in rural Tennessee. Everyone in the band and our studio team really stepped up and knocked it out of the park on this one. We’re extremely proud of this song and the entire album.”

RAINIER FOG marks a few firsts for the band: in addition to being their first album in five years, it’s their first album for BMG and their first time recording in their hometown of Seattle in more than 20 years (worth noting that the album title is a tribute to Seattle). They recorded at Studio X, the same facility where they tracked 1995’s self-titled Alice In Chains album (back when the studio was known as Bad Animals).

The RAINIER FOG recording process also saw the band spend time at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles and at the Nashville studio of producer Nick Raskulinecz. RAINIER FOG is the third straight Alice In Chains album recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz and engineer Paul Figueroa. The album was mixed by Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool).

RAINIER FOG follows 2013’s Grammy nominated The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, which entered Billboard’s Top 200 chart at No. 2 and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Hard Rock Albums charts and the iTunes Rock Album Chart. Its first two singles, ‘Stone’ and ‘Hollow’, both shot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and ‘Voices’ hit No. 3. All three tracks stayed on the chart for over 20 weeks.

Alice In Chains (vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell, vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez) are currently touring Europe following two triumphant sold-out shows in the UK at Leeds O2 Academy and Shepherd’s Bush Empire. They have just announced another headline tour of North America running from August 22nd in Vancouver. Full dates and ticket info can be found HERE.

Over the course of their remarkable career, ALICE IN CHAINS have garnered multiple Grammy nominations, sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and amassed a diehard international fanbase whose members number in the millions. They remain one of the most successful and influential American rock bands of all time.

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Connect with ALICE IN CHAINS:

OFFICIAL SITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | iTUNES | SPOTIFY

Music

LIKE SATELLITES Premiere Debut Single “Muscle Memory”

by KristinLeave a Comment on LIKE SATELLITES Premiere Debut Single “Muscle Memory”

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Although just their debut single, Toronto alternative pop/band Like Satellites show both experience and maturity on “Muscle Memory,” out NOW. A product of over two years of doing underground work, including extensive practicing, lineup changes, and writing/recording new tracks, Like Satellites, featuring lead vocalist Leah Gillespie, are characterized by their commanding melodies. “Muscle Memory,” a track inspired by a turbulent relationship, plays with feelings of teenage-esque angst, while simultaneously weaving in ambient synths, pop structures, and a slew of alternative influences, including some of Gillespie’s classic female-empowered favorites, Hey Monday, We Are The In Crowd, and Paramore. To promote the single release, Like Satellites released an accompanying lyric video, which can be viewed here. About “Muscle Memory,” the band states:

“Muscle Memory” was a song that came out of a breakup with a former band I (Leah Gillespie) was in so it’s pretty angry. It was pretty messy, and people I thought were my best friends were telling me that I was nothing without them. When I sat down to write I was bitter, angry, but mostly defiant. I love that this is the song we’re releasing first because of that. Getting all those feelings out there, and having other people love it too is like being vindicated in my belief that what we’re doing is enough.”

Like Satellites is a Toronto based alternative pop/rock band anchored by singer Leah Gillespie, and bassist Logan Arsenault. After two years of practicing, writing, and reworking their lineup they are finally releasing their much anticipated single Muscle Memory produced by Sam Guaiana (Like Pacific, Rarity, Carried Away, We Were Sharks) and mastered by Andy Krehm. They are currently playing with Ryan Goodman on guitar, and Alex Bullen on drums. With shows planned across the Toronto area, and an EP planned for this Winter, Like Satellites is poised to explode onto the music scene. From their inception in 2016, Like Satellites has been the love-child of singer/songwriter Leah Gillespie (also known as Leahishazy). With a penchant for soaring melodies and punchy lyrics, she has been a slow-burner in the local music scene. With influences ranging from We are the In Crowd, All Time Low, The 1975, and Lights to Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Something Corporate, and Bring Me The Horizon, Like Satellites has a fresh sound that still hints at summers at Warped Tour and teenage angst. They blend their collective experience in bands to create the right balance of maturity and melodrama, and through everything one thing has remained stable: this band’s drive to release music that people want to listen to with the windows down and the volume turned way up. “Muscle Memory” is available NOW.

 

CONNECT WITH LIKE SATELLITES:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | AppleMusic | Spotify