Wicked Ones will premiere on Video On Demand this September 13, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
From Wild Eye Releasingand director Tory Jones, and starring Halloween’s Dale Miller, beware Wicked Onesthis September. Morgan Pyle, Chris Hahn, and Lucas Dunaway star in a frighteningly fun mesh of Friday the 13th and The Strangers, Wicked Ones premieres on Video On Demand on September 13 followed be a Special Edition Blu-ray on November 8, 2022. (Wild Eye Releasing, 2022)
Wicked Ones – Evil multiplies in this follow up to 2017’s sleeper hit The Wicked One. Set a decade after the events in the first film, survivors Adam and Alex return to Carpenter Falls with their three children – only to be thrust into another confrontation with The Wicked One and two crazed copy cat killers.
I Dream of a Psychopomp will be on digital on August 19 and on the Kings of Horror Channel on August 26, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Danny Villanueva Jr.‘s supernatural drama I Dream of a Psychopomp premiered on Terror Films channel on August 12 and it will be available on digital August 19 and on the Kings of Horror Channel August 26. Jillian Lebling (Bridge of Spies, The Blacklist), Elohim Peña, Ben Shaul, Peter Knox, Steven Alonte, Kulani Kai, N. Meridian, and Fiona Rose star. (Terror Films Channel, 2022)
I Dream of a Psychopomp – A grieving widower haunted by the distressed ghost of his recently deceased wife is visited in his dreams by a psychopomp, a spirit guide of a living person’s soul, who teaches him about the spirit world and soul guiding through stories of death and the supernatural.
“Creating this film was a way to familiarize myself with death in order to ease some of its force when it knocks. Throughout the editing process, I was the primary caregiver of my dying mother who passed away from stage 4 lung cancer on Memorial Day of 2020. She was such a loving person and truly my best friend. I found my exposure to the subject of death and understanding why it is what it is through creating this film to be helpful through the grieving process. Death has become a taboo subject in American culture. We often avoid conversations about it until it arrives, and when it does, we whisper. I think if we talk more about it, we’ll better understand it, and it can be less devastating when it comes. In a time where we are collectively grieving from the many lives lost during the pandemic, I believe this film is especially relevant today.” – Danny Villanueva, Jr.
‘All Back’ is Ali McGuirk’s prayer for hope and resilience from upcoming album Til It’s Gone due out September 16 via Signature Sounds. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
While soulful songsmith Ali McGuirk loves to dip into a multitude of genres and sub-genres, her upcoming album Til It’s Gone never gets too far away from from its rhythm and blues essence; a well that many artists have drawn from over the years, but few deliver with such a spellbinding conviction as McGuirk. Acting as co-producer along with celebrated folk-blues songwriter Jonah Tolchin, McGuirk let the songs of Til It’s Gone wander from shadowy emotional spaces to big, bad guitar workouts to delicate little confessions. But her bold and buttery voice carries each song to the next until the album’s end. The easy-grooving “All Back” is the first single from Til It’s Gone—out September 16 via Signature Sounds. (Ali McGuirk, 2022)
Fans can watch the music video for “All Back” now and pre-order or pre-saveTil It’s Gone ahead of its September release. On the recommendation of producer Jonah Tolchin, McGuirk traveled from her adopted home of Burlington, Vermont, to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake to track much of Til It’s Gone. A sublime set of songs that pairs McGuirk’s trademark soul sound with rootsy turns and raw rock ‘n’ roll detours, the album began to bloom at the L.A. sessions. McGuirk remembers describing to Tolchin the vibe she envisioned for the record. She mentioned something about it being akin to the cool fusion of styles that Little Feat achieved in the ’70s—that funky, twangy, jazzy and thoroughly-authentic feel. Tolchin suggested they just call up legendary Little Feat guitarist/mandolinist Fred Tackett and get him to lay down a few parts. The nine tracks—songs that run from intimate introspection to wider meditations on oppression and justice—succeed because McGuirk has composed dynamic, hypnotic frames for her vocals. Til It’s Gone also features key contributions from McGuirk’s Boston bandmates such as guitar ace Jeffrey Lockhart.
Catch Ali McGuirk on tour: September16 – Nashville, TN – Five Spot (AMERICANAFEST) September17 – Easthampton, MA – Arcadia Music Festival October1 – Albany, NY – The Linda October2 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room October5 – Lancaster, PA – Tellus360 October6 – Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House October7 – Somerville, MA – The Crystal Ballroom at the Somerville October8 – New Haven, CT – Cafe Nine October14 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Lounge October19 – Syracuse, NY – 443 Listening Room October22 – Rochester, NY – The Abilene October23 – Buffalo, NY – Sportsmen’s Tavern October29 – Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square
Growing up just outside Boston, Ali McGuirk does not remember a time when she did not want to be a singer. In her teenage years, she found inspiration from vocalists like Lauryn Hill and Aretha Franklin, eventually gravitating towards powerhouses like Sarah Vaughan and Abbey Lincoln in college. After a couple decades of absorbing ’90s r&b,’70s singer-songwriters, and classic soul and jazz of every era, McGuirk found her own aesthetic: earthy, pure, propelled by a voice capable of whispering dark truths or belting out big hooks on her originals. Boston responded with a wave of love. The Boston Globe named her an “artist to hear.” She racked up nominations and wins at both the Boston Music Awards and New England Music Awards. Her standing-room-only residency at Somerville’s Bull McCabe’s Pub delivered electric performances.
Lilly Winwood’s new album Talking Walls will be out August 25, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Leading up to the writing of her new album, Talking Walls, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Lilly Winwood had all but resigned herself from continuing her music career. Burned out after her last album cycle and in the midst of a pandemic, Winwood took a job to pay the bills—but she could not stop writing. She knew she was on the cusp of something important. When Winwood decided to get sober, the floodgates opened. Talking Walls captures that tumultuous period, with Winwood literally “talking to the walls” as she looked inward with new purpose. Penned over long sleepless nights, with clear eyes and a willingness to ask tough questions, each song takes a different tack into the introspective wind, backed by a minimalist-roots sound. The now East Nashville-based artist (and daughter of Grammy-winning British rocker Steve Winwood) simply wrote her story and brought it to her band at Nashville’s Trace Horse studio—no producer needed. (Lilly Winwood, 2022)
The Boot premiered “Brighter Days,” a swaggering, pedal-steel laden track showcasing Lilly’s soulful voice and the simple, organic feel that the band landed on in the studio. Praising the first single, The Boot said, “Americana standout Lilly Winwood is ready to soak up the moment.” Fans can listen to “Brighter Days,” check out the official video for Winwood’s previously released single, “Sleep Issues,” and pre-order or pre-saveTalking Walls ahead of its August 25 release. Winwood will be joining singer/songwriter Jackie Greene for a selection of late summer dates and will also be joining singer/songwriter Todd Snider for a selection of early fall dates.
Talking Walls track list: Sleep Issues Good Old Days Keep it Spinning Long Haul Airplane A Paper Trail of Broken Hearts Brighter Days Idastoned Laundry Day
Catch Lilly Winwood on tour: September7 – Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester Performance Center* September9 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Hall Norfolk* September10 – Fall River, MA – Narrows Center for the Arts* September11 – Hartford, CT – Infinity Hall Hartford* September13 – Albany, NY – The Egg – Swyer Theatre* September15 – Fairfield, CT – StageOne* September16 – Natick, MA – Center for Arts In Natick* September17 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre* September18 – Wilmington, DE – The Queen* October 13 – Sarasota, FL – Big Top Brewing Company October 14 – Bradenton, FL – Big Top Brewing Company October 20 – Rochester, NY – Abilene Bar & Lounge October 21 – New York, NY – The Bitter End * = opening for Todd Snider
The daughter of Grammy winning British rocker Steve Winwood, Lilly grew up splitting time between the U.K. and Nashville’s neon-lit streets. Back then music was ever present, she says, and whether performing with her older brother, writing teenaged odes to young love or just soaking in her father’s work, it gave Winwood a unique creative perspective – one that felt more in line with Nashville than London. Moving to Music City for good at 18, Winwood soon gravitated to the alternative-minded enclave of East Nashville, and after forming creative partnerships with locals like Boo Ray and Don Gallardo, released her Silver Stage EP in 2017. Time Well Spent followed in 2021, backed by East Nashville household names Alex Munoz and Allen Thompson, earning accolades from tastemakers like Rolling Stone Country as she solidified a go-your-own-way sense of earthy pop.
3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 featuring Andrew Combs, Dylan LeBlanc, Caitlin Rose, and more is available now digitally. It is the first of a two part EP series from 3Sirens Music Group; 6-song compilation of artist-chosen cover songs. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
The team behind East Nashville-based independent label and recording studio 3Sirens strives to adhere to a simple mission statement: build community and celebrate great artists all while having a little fun. Revolving around 3Sirens’ physical space/incognito recording studio/creative salon, the record label began as an outlet for the prolific output that artists dream up within its walls.
“Building a 1960s style Laurel Canyon music community or a 1920s Parisian artistic movement, a la Gertrude Stein, has always been the dream of 3Sirens. A nostalgic fantasy perhaps but a good pursuit nonetheless,” say 3Sirens founders and head-dreamers, The Grahams. The beginnings of their efforts will be reaped in the form of 3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1, a six-song digital mixtape of sorts all in the name of making music and having a good time doing so. Featuring artists like Andrew Combs, Dylan LeBlanc, and Caitlin Rose covering some of their favorite off-the-beaten-path songs from the 80s and 90s, With Love: Part 1 was recorded live with little to no overdubs. Stream and/or save3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 now.
The EP’s first single was Andrew Combs’ cover of Radiohead’s “High and Dry,” of which Glide Magazine wrote that he “does a fine job of channeling Thom Yorke while letting his own gorgeously vulnerable vocals shine.” The EP’s second single was The Grahams’ cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” Alyssa Graham shares of the recording, “I always always wanted to cover that song. It spoke to me in a way that allowed me to wander through the magical world the band set up.” Hear their version here.
The Grahams also sat down with the Bluegrass Situation to share their intention and inspiration for 3Sirens studio where this project was recorded. Read the full interview here and watch a studio tour of the space here.
Want more of what 3Sirens is cooking up? Americana and alt-country music fans should keep eyes peeled for the upcoming full length from East Nashville hero Derek Hoke, the first official 3Sirens Music Group Artist.
3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 track list: “Big Love” by Fleetwood Mac, performed by Dylan LeBlanc “One Way Or Another” by Blondie, performed by Caitlin Rose “High and Dry” by Radiohead, performed by Andrew Combs “Somebody to Shove” by Soul Asylum, performed by Kevin Kinney “Something So Strong” by Crowded House, performed by Derek Hoke “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, performed by The Grahams
3Sirens is a gathering spot for creatives and dreamers, a social salon. A studio built with the premise that to be creative one must exist in a creative space. Of course the state of the art gear and the thoughtfully curated collection of vintage and specialty instruments abound but it goes beyond the material into something less tangible. That such a space was dreamt up by lifelong lovers and dreamers, The Grahams, who themselves longed for a space to gather, to create art and play music, to collaborate, to stretch out and explore the “impossible,” and to let the intangible and unexplainable just happen. 3Sirens is a living, breathing space in East Nashville, Tennessee made better and more storied by each artist who creates within its walls. Welcome.
The movie adaptation of ‘Bullet Train’ is now on theaters and stars Brad Pitt. Photo: Amazon
Kotaro Isaka is a bestselling and multi-award-winning Japanese writer whose books have sold millions of copies around the world. He has won the Shincho Mystery Club Award, Mystery Writers of Japan Award, Japan Booksellers’ Award and the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize. His book “Bullet Train” is a dark, satirical thriller that follows the perilous train ride of five highly motivated assassins. It was adapted into a major film from Sony starring Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, and more. (Amazon, 2022)
“Bullet Train” – Satoshi—The Prince—looks like an innocent schoolboy but he is really a stylish and devious assassin. Risk fuels him, as does a good philosophical debate, such as questioning: Is killing really wrong? Kimura’s young son is in a coma thanks to The Prince, and Kimura has tracked him onto a bullet train heading from Tokyo to Morioka to exact his revenge. But Kimura soon discovers that they are not the only dangerous passengers on board. Nanao, also nicknamed Ladybug, the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world,” is put on the bullet train by his boss, a mysterious young woman called Maria, to steal a suitcase full of money and get off at the first stop. The lethal duo of Tangerine and Lemon are also traveling to Morioka, and the suitcase leads others to show their hands. Why are they all on the same train, and who will make it off alive? A bestseller in Japan, “Bullet Train” is an original and propulsive thriller that fizzes with incredible energy as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwinds up to the last station.
This past weekend I got the chance to watch Bullet Train and I was surprised to learn that it is based on a book. I have not read the book but from reading up on it, there are some obvious differences. Considering that the source is a Japanese novel, The Prince is a boy in the book but a white girl in the movie and Nanao, one of the assassins, is also white and portrayed by Brad Pitt. This does not bother me in the least and I prefer to focus on the story. It is an action comedy movie that reminds me of Deadpool and Quentin Tarantino movies like Kill Bill because of the dark humor and the insane amount of killing and blood involved but without going overboard. The plot twists and surprises keep it interesting and the fact that it takes place on a bullet train foreshadows the momentum of the action. Overall, it is a fun movie, plenty of action and comedy and not too long with a run time of a little over two hours.
Of The Devil is available on DVD and digital. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Kelton Jones’ new movie Of The Devil features The Exorcist’s Eileen Deitz and was released this week. The film, written by Jones and based on a story by James Cullen Bressack, has a cast that includes Vernon Wells (The Road Warrior), Devanny Pinn (Crossbreed), and Robert LaSardo (The Mule). It is available on Vudu and Amazon Prime Video. (Uncork’d Entertainment, 2022)
Of The Devil – A desperate mother and father attempt to cure their eight-year-old son’s brain tumor by enlisting the help of a shamanistic healer. When the ritual results in the child being possessed by an ancient demon, the father must now face his own demons and return to his role as a former priest in order to save his son’s soul and to protect humanity from the evil that he has unleashed.
Carmen will open theatrically in major cities and on Video on Demand on September 23, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Carmen is perhaps veteran director and accomplished actor Valerie Buhagiar’s most joyous film outing yet. Set in a sun-dappled village in Malta in the 1980s, Natascha McElhone gives a career-best performance as a 50-year-old woman finding a new start in life through romance. Carmen will be released in the US Theatrically in major cities and on VOD in the US and Canada on Friday, September 23, 2022. (Good Deed Entertainment, 2022)
In a small Mediterranean village, Carmen has looked after her brother, the local priest, for her entire life. When the Church abandons Carmen, she is mistaken for the new priest. Carmen begins to see the world, and herself, in a new light. In Malta, it is tradition for the younger sister to devote her life to the church when an older brother enters the priesthood. Inspired by true events, Carmen lives a life of servitude from the age of 16 until 50, when her brother dies. Realizing her own mortality, she leaves the church and makes up for lost time.
Carmen is Buhagiar’s third feature film as a director. She first burst on the scene as a performer in such classic Canadian films as ROADKILL (1989) and HIGHWAY 61 (1991). Other indelible feature performances include EXPECTING (2002), A WINTER TALE (2007), and ADRIATICO MY LOVE (2011). Malta, Canada- 2021, 88 minutes, in English and Maltese. Director: Valerie Buhagiar Starring: Natascha McElhone, Michaela Farrugia, Steven Love.
US Theaters include New York – Cinema Village and Los Angeles – Laemmle Monica with exclusive engagements in Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco (Bay Area), Columbus, and more. US Video on Demand platforms include Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, XFinity Cable, and more.
Good Deed Entertainment (GDE) is an Ohio based independent studio dedicated to producing, financing, and distributing quality entertainment for under-served audiences. Its distribution slate includes recent releases Summertime, Ma Belle, My Beauty, and Lucky Grandma, in addition to the Academy Award nominated, Loving Vincent, and Spirit Award nominated, To Dust.
Fiona Apple Joins Watkins Family Hour On “(Remember Me) I’m The One Who Loves You” From Upcoming Album Vol. II due out August 19, 2022. Vol. II features guests Jackson Browne, Lucius, Madison Cunningham, and many more. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Watkins Family Hour is a collaborative musical project founded by musicians and siblings Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins and traditionally held at the beloved Los Angeles club Largo. Since the first Watkins Family Hour show in 2002, the duo has released three studio albums, debuting with their self-titled album in 2015, following with Brother Sister in 2020, and, most recently, releasing Vol. II in August 2022. Sean and Sara recorded Vol. II at Los Angeles’ East West Studios in early 2022 alongside a stacked roster of longtime and new Family Hour collaborators, including Fiona Apple, Jackson Browne, Madison Cunningham, Lucius, Jon Brion, and more. As with their debut, the band will tour in support of Vol. II, bringing the Watkins Family Hour experiences to stages far and wide. Vol. II will be released August 19, 2022. (Watkins Family Hour, 2022)
The group shared “(Remember Me) I’m the One Who Loves You” from Vol. II; a track that features former Family Hour touring band member, longtime fixture at Largo, and wholly singular artist in her own right, Fiona Apple. Watkins Family Hour’s “(Remember Me)” kicks off with long-time Heartbreaker Benmont Tench’s honky-tonk piano and ends with Greg Leisz’s slinky pedal steel; the two enveloping a smile-inducing performance crowned by Sara, Sean, and Fiona’s three-part blend in the song’s iconic choruses. “I first heard this Stuart Hamblen song while going down an Ernest Tubb rabbit hole,” remembers Sara. “It’s hard for us to resist a country shuffle with attitude like this one. It’s our favorite kind of thing to sing with Fiona Apple.”
Vol. II follows Watkins Family Hour’s sophomore album Brother Sister, which they released as the COVID-19 pandemic began taking hold of the globe and, in turn, shut down the live music industry. That record was, serendipitously, a quieter affair, showcasing the musical interplay between Sara and Sean that keeps the Family Hour heart beating. In many ways, it is also a successor to Watkins Family Hour, the self-titled 2015 album that introduced the band to a broader audience and sent them, along with some of their closest collaborators, out on the road to tour.
As both Sean and Sara continue to work on their own solo music, as well as with their other bands like Nickel Creek and I’m With Her, Watkins Family Hour remains an invaluable resource and respite for them both, offering a familiar but ever-evolving space to test new ideas, meet new collaborators and, most importantly, have a good time doing what they love.
“It’s been really exciting to be part of this thing that is happening and growing and enables us to dig deep into this musical community,” Sean says. “The consistency has been invaluable to both of us, as musicians.” Sara adds, “But also, in life, the Family Hour has been and continues to be a huge part of making us feel anchored in the crazy city of Los Angeles.”
Vol. II track list: The Way I Feel Inside (Ft. Lucius) Hypnotized Pitseleh (Feat. Madison Cunningham) Thanks a Lot (Ft. Jon Brion) The Late Show (Ft. Jackson Browne) Tennessee Waltz (Ft. Benmont Tench) She Left Me Standing on the Mountain (Ft. Willie Watson) We Were Meant to Be Together On the Outside (Ft. Gaby Moreno) (Remember Me) I’m the One Who Loves You (Ft. Fiona Apple) Grief and Praise (Ft. Madison Cunningham)
Catch Watkins Family Hour on tour: August 13 – Lexington, VA – Lime Kiln Theater August 14 – York, PA – Susquehanna Folk Festival September 16 – Cincinnati, OH – Longworth-Anderson Series at Memorial Hall September 17 – Nashville, TN – Americana Fest September 18 – Indianapolis, IN – The Toby Theatre September 20 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark September 21 – Kent, OH – Kent Stage September 22 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Clyde Theatre September 23 – Bay Harbor, MI – Great Lakes Center for the Arts September 24 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music September 25 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music November 13 – Beaverton, OR – The Reser
Jim Lauderdale’s new album Game Changer will be out August 26, 2022. That Kind of Life (That Kind of Day) is the new single from the album. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
In a flurry of steel guitar and raucous drum beats, Americana renaissance man Jim Lauderdale kicks off Game Changer—his 35th full-length album—with “That Kind Of Life (That Kind Of Day),” a rollicking ode to what Jim calls “the sentiment and wishes for others to have a good life.” Lauderdale had the instrumental twin guitar/steel hook in his head when he sat down to write “That Kind Of Life.” American Songwriterpremiered the track and called it “a message of the times, delivered like only Lauderdale can in a blended Americana fuse.” Fans can listen to “That Kind Of Life (That Kind Of Day)” now and pre-order or pre-saveGame Changer ahead of its August 26 release. (Jim Lauderdale, 2022)
In addition to the exciting news of Lauderdale’s new album, he has also just been named a 2022 nominee for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Lauderdale, along with eleven other of his contemporaries, will be celebrated at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in October where the Class of 2022 Hall of Fame inductees will be announced.
Operating under his own label, Sky Crunch Records, for the first time since 2016, Lauderdale recorded Game Changer at the renowned Blackbird Studios in Nashville, co-producing the release with Jay Weaver and pulling from songs he had written over the last several years. “There’s a mixture on this record of uplifting songs and, at the same time, songs of heartbreak and despair—because that’s part of life as well,” he says. “In the country song world especially, that’s always been part of it. That’s real life.”
At any given time, you are likely to find Jim Lauderdale making music, whether he is laying down a new track in the studio or working through a spontaneous melody at his home in Nashville. If he is not actively crafting new music, he is certainly thinking about it. “It’s a constant challenge to try to keep making better and better records, write better and better songs. I still always feel like I’m a developing artist,” he says. This may be a surprising sentiment from a man who’s won two Grammys, released 34 full-length albums, and taken home the Americana Music Association’s coveted Wagonmaster Award. His forthcoming album Game Changer is convincing evidence that the North Carolina native is only continuing to hone his craft.
Catch Jim Lauderdale on tour: August 13 – Maggie Valley, NC – Songwriting Camp August 26 – Nashville, TN – Grand Ole Opry August 31 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley album release show September 11 – Bristol, VA – Bristol Rhythm and Roots September 13-17 – Nashville, TN – AmericanaFest September 24 – Nashville, TN – Tommy Emmanuel’s CMA Theatre September 25 – Nashville, TN – Tommy Emmanuel’s Guitar Camp October 7 – Augusta, GA – Summer Series October 8 – Pelham, TN – Cave Fest @ The Caverns October 12 – Jacksonville Beach, FL – Blue Jay Listening Room October 13 – Live Oak, FL – Suwanee Roots Revival 2022 October 21 – Pomeroy, OH – Songwriter Weekend Fur Peace Ranch November 3 – Los Angeles, CA – Outlaw Country West 2022
SA Examiner 