Make Myself Me Again is set for release on May 20, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
If Cristina Vane’scritically acclaimed debut Nowhere Sounds Lovely was her “road trip” album, then her much anticipated follow up represents the return home; musically and personally. Out May 20 on Red Parlor Records, Make Myself Me Again finds rising slide-guitar star Vane growing roots in her Nashville home and taking a moment to grow into herself as well. “I’ve been trying to peel back the layers, to understand who I am, and I think that process has translated to this record,” she explains, “The production is straightforward, more minimal, and a bit of a return to my rock roots but still paying homage to the music I’ve explored since then.” Make Myself Me Again was co-produced by Brook Sutton and Jano Rix and features appearances by Vane’s world-class musician friends like Bronwyn Keith-Hynes and Billy Contreras. (Cristina Vane, 2022)
DittyTV premiered the music video for the album’s first single, “How You Doin’,” calling it “a feel-good piece of movie magic released in support of her innovative and infectiously-good upcoming studio album, Make Myself Me Again.” Guitar Girl Magazine also sat down with Vane to talk about the inspiration behind the single, how her sound has evolved over the years, guitars, and much more. Fans can check out the video now and listen to “How You Doin'” right here.
Many songs on Make Myself Me Again delve into Vane’s personal relationships, and document her quest to find strength and independence in a new town. The album’s title track rings of tenacious resilience, with Cristina’s beautiful yet understated fingerstyle and slide guitar playing. It is the sound of the calm that comes with finally feeling at home with one’s self, conceived from the place of optimism that sometimes comes after a brutal shakedown. “Sometimes I lose, sometimes I win” sings Vane, “I’m gonna make myself me again…I’m giving up on giving in / I’m gonna make myself me again.” Despite the myriad of musical touchstones, the record remains cohesive, centering itself around Vane’s experiences and musicianship. “After being exposed to all of this music that I love, I’m slowly figuring out how to find my own voice,” she says, “It is the sound of growing up.” With class and adventure, Vane brings us all back home to ourselves on Make Myself Me Again, an album so honest that you would be hard-pressed not to root for it, along with its vulnerable and tenacious creator.
Catch Cristina Vane on tour: May 20 – Nashville, TN – Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge – Album Release Show* May 21 – Louisa, KY – Fallsburg Summer Stage* June 2 – Knoxville, TN – Barleys Taproom* June 3 – Lexington, KY – The Burl (supporting Town Mountain)* June 4 – Asheville, NC – Isis Music Hall* July 7 – Nescopeck, PA – Briggs Farm Blues Fest* August 18 – Minturn, CO – Minturn Summer Concert Series August 31 – Prescott, AZ – Folk Session @ Kiwanis Amphitheater September 2 & 3 – Pagosa Springs, CO – Four Corners Folk Festival October 22 – Greenville, SC – IPI Festival
‘The War Back Home’ is Alex Cage’s new novel. Photo: amazon
Alex Cage is an action adventure thriller author. His books blend his interest in martial arts, adventure, travel, and knowledge with exploration and high-octane action. Cage enjoys action adventure and thriller stories with fantasy and sci-fi sprinkled in. He has always wanted to create his own stories but spent many years thinking about it before actually putting his stories on paper. Currently living in North Carolina, he enjoys reading, writing, and practicing martial arts. In his new book “The War Back Home,” Clarence Tucker realizes his greatest fight is right where he left it. It is available in eBook and print formats. (amazon, 2022)
“The War Back Home” – For years, elite soldier and trained killer Clarence Tucker fought in wars abroad, thinking he was outrunning his past. But his dark secrets are waiting to consume him. Back home, Tucker reconnects with his family, ready to live the simple life. As he adjusts to civilian life, deals with family issues, takes in strangers in need, and falls for a woman, he discovers everyone around him has their own secrets. One in particular, may get them all killed. With a deadly threat lurking in the shadows, and the everyday difficulties life brings, Tucker must call upon his combat skills, as well as some newly developed soft skills or someone he loves will pay the ultimate price.
‘From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond’ will be out June 21, 2022. Photo: amazon
In new books to read news today: an upcoming memoir by a retired aerospace engineer and inventor with 19 patents.
Chester L. Richards recently turned 80. With a number of odd close encounters with the grim reaper under his belt, he has always boldly gone where few have dared. Chester’s mantra — view all that comes your way, the good, the terrifying and the ugly, as a series of adventures —took shape early. After narrowly escaping mortal injury from The Great Potato as a lad a few years later in college, Chester and friend Judy Burns co-authored a spec script for Star Trek on a lark. The story they were brought in to write, The Tholian Web, became one of the original series’ most popular episodes. “From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond: Memoirs of a Rocket Scientist” will be released on June 21, 2022. Author and Star Trek contributor Chester L. Richards tells his life’s adventures as a rocket scientist, screenwriter, musician, and world traveler in this action-packed memoir. Drawing inspiration from his late wife Sarah, Chester is baring all in his debut book release. (Chester L. Richards, 2022)
A veteran writer advised the young man, “You should write. Write your passions.” But I have nothing to say, Chester thought. That was the moment he decided the real message was to fill his life with adventures. And he did — adventures in surfing, learning and performing music, traveling to exotic places for river rafting, and his work as a rocket scientist. It was the loss of Sarah, the love of his life, which caused Chester to write his first book of stories. At the house in Thousand Oaks they once shared, the hair-raising adventures Sarah loved continued to occur, though, as the author says, he no longer has much hair. A man of grand adventures, Chester relates why taking the plunge into voluntary adventures is so enriching — they will change you forever, and sculpt your life’s story.
“From The Potato To Star Trek and Beyond” reveals his passion, his most exciting journeys, and brushes with death. Chester believes one must view all that comes your way – the good, the terrifying, and the ugly – as a series of adventures. He shares an almost fatal encounter with a potato (yes, a potato), his experience as co-writer of one of the most iconic episodes of the original Star Trek, several wild African adventures, and more.
Says Steve Pastis (author, and writer/editor of The Good Life publication for seniors): “I would highly recommend From the Potato to Star Trek and Beyond. The book is informative, even educational, but author Chester Richards maintains a friendly, conversational tone throughout. The stories were a definite surprise. Who knew that this mild-mannered, soft-spoken gentleman I’ve known for years had so many harrowing adventures, and was so accomplished in the scientific community? If there is a lesson to be learned from these pages, it’s that everyone should get to know the people in their lives on a deep level, especially the mild-mannered, soft-spoken ones.”
“From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond: Memoirs of a Rocket Scientist” by Chester L. Richards is available for pre-order on Amazon
Publisher: Pawpress ISBN: 978-1880882306 Pages: 334 Available in Paperback, Hardcopy and Ebook
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From writer/director Jon Binkowski and Terror Films comes Scare Zone, premiering on the Terror Films Channel May 27, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Welcome to Scare Zone, just another strip-mall Halloween Horror House …or is it? From the strobe room to the masked maniacs wielding chainsaws, knives, and pitchforks as they chase paying customers through the halls of this haunted maze, it is one good jump scare after another. However, as terrible things begin to happen and people end up dead, the visitors of Scare Zone think it is all just part of the “show”! (Terror Films, 2022)
From writer/director Jon Binkowski and Terror Films comes Scare Zone, premiering on the Terror Films Channel May 27 and on wide digital and Video on Demand June 3 (worldwide). SEAL Team’s Neil Brown, Jr, Arian Ash (Lonely Hearts), Michele Simms (Sex Drive), Jordan Woods-Robinson (The Walking Dead), Chris Burns (Bloodline), and Simon Needham star.
“Ever since I first walked through a Halloween haunted house, I’ve had the same dreadful thought; ‘What if a killer has nested in the attraction and, dressed like one of the actors, just walks up and hacks me with an axe… would anyone notice that it’s not part of the show?’” says Binkowski. “Then, as I was contemplating shooting my first feature film… an opportunity presented itself. The Universal Orlando Resort had built an awesome haunted maze right in the middle of one of their sound stages for Halloween Horror Nights. And, because they wanted to feature the attraction in a late November theme park convention, the maze was going to just sit there for 3 weeks doing nothing. That was my chance to answer my own horrifying question! So, my team and I leapt into action! The script practically wrote itself and it was a blast shooting for three crazy weeks on the Universal soundstage. Although I always had that nagging feeling someone was going to leap out and hack me with an axe! “
Fortress of Sin will be released in digital and DVD coming this June from Wild Eye Releasing. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
A father searching for his trafficked daughter finds a religious cult in Fortress of Sin, coming this June from Wild Eye Releasing. Digital and DVD coming this June from Wild Eye Releasing. (Wild Eye Releasing, 2022)
Winner Best Feature Film at Vesuvius International Film Fest, Fortress of Sin is called “captivating” (Horror Geek Life) and “tackles a very real world horror” (Wicked Horror).
Paul Chomicki (Slayer: The Replentless Killogy, Deadly Xmas, Paranormal Halloween), Katie Otten (Inner Worlds, Infinite Adventures), Avi K. Garg (The Shield, UFO Files), and Paul Guay (Liar, Liar, The Little Rascals) star in a Paul Chomicki and Christian Voss film, Fortress of Sin.
‘The Berry Story’ by Yannick Atambona will be released soon. Photo: Yannick Atamboa, used with permission.
Yannick Atambonais the author of “The Berry Story,” a polyglot, Certified Interpreter, Translator, and teacher who has traveled the world to learn about different cultures and languages. He started writing when he was a kid. When he had an idea or a story to tell, he would always start by writing it on paper and then read it to his friends and family. He used to write poems for his friends and he also wrote a book about his mother that unfortunately, got lost during his globetrotting. This affected him so because he poured everything he felt and knew in that book about the woman who gave him life. He has always been fascinated by the power of words and storytelling, by how they can shape a person’s personality or mindset. He writes for a broad audience and does not confine his inspiration and writings to a single genre or demographic of readers, so he effortlessly transitions from fiction to nonfiction. As a result, he is equally at ease writing for children, young adults, and adults. “The Berry Story” is part of a series and he hopes that it will help kids to accept and embrace who they are and give those who are victims or witnesses to bullying the courage to stand up to it. It will be available in paperback, hardcover, as an audio book, and a coloring book. A release date and availability details to follow. (Yannick Atambona, 2022)
“The Berry Story” – Brandon the blackberry is no less than a unique and extra caring kid. What makes him sensitive is the remarks and taunts directed at him by some kids. Brandon is regularly bullied by those he wants to befriend and this situation crushes him and creates confusion in his mind. He spends time figuring out how to make friends and be accepted. He tries to befriend other kids but ultimately receives rejection instead of love and acceptance. He keeps his hopes high as he sees that everybody is not evil and his greatest wish, to become better than others, is not, however, shattered.
The author believes that readers will be motivated to thrive through life regardless of difficulties and learn to find strength within themselves in uncertain times, but mainly how to stand up to bullying and rejection. The story delivers a strong message that anyone who is a victim of bullying can always stand up against it but remain kind.
He understands that storytelling is compelling, especially when we can see ourselves and the people we can relate to within the story. His primary wish is to inspire through his writings, provide hope and encouragement to the reader, and cultivate empathy by creating relatable characters that foster hope. He uses fictional or real-life social events to tell stories and describe social and cultural interactions, occasionally with improvisation, theatrics, or embellishment. He infuses his stories with what he learned and saw while globetrotting, incorporating diverse cultures, each of which has its own set of tales and narratives shared for entertainment, education, cultural preservation, or instilling moral values. He coined the term “books with substance” because he believes that every book should teach a lesson; this is what he refers to as a book’s substance. He writes to share a piece of his soul with the world.
Outta Sight will be out June 3 via Warner Music. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Hailing from Saskatoon, The Sheepdogs are one of Canada’s most successful bands amassing a legion of fans worldwide with their rich harmonies, rounded guitar tones and classic rock influenced sound. The Sheepdogs have had 9 top 20 songs including 3 number one singles in their native Canada. Their albums Learn & Burn and The Sheepdogs both went platinum and yielded the platinum singles “I Don’t Know” and “Feeling Good.” They were the first unsigned band on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine, performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon twice and have been nominated for 10 Juno Awards, winning four. Their new album Outta Sight will be out June 3 via Warner Music. (The Sheepdogs, 2022)
The Sheepdogs took all of their pandemic-induced feelings from the past two years and channeled them into the one thing that made sense: good, old-fashioned, non-bummer rock and roll music. The band—Ewan Currie, Ryan Gullen, Sam Corbett, Jimmy Bowskill, and Shamus Currie—were, like the rest of us, confused, cast ashore, and feeling isolated during COVID, but their output during that time produced the grooviest, simplest, and most penetrating album of their career, Outta Sight. With no roadmap and an overall uncertainty hanging over the universe, the band circled up, plugged into their amps, shared riffs and melodies, and leaned on each other for inspiration. The guys say it was the least prepared they have been while cutting a record since their self-titled album in 2012, but bassist Ryan Gullen calls the music they made a “life raft,” claiming that their initial sessions for Outta Sight saved them from their anxieties. “Playing rock music kept us grounded…kept us going.”
The Sheepdogs shared another piece of Outta Sight with album-track “So Far Gone,” a J.J. Cale-sounding slow burner recorded with a vintage Rhythm Ace drum machine and fuzzy, straight-into-console electric guitars. Keeping with a simple “get in the room and play the song” mentality, the band landed on most of the album’s final tracks within three or four takes, letting a vibe, rather than a concept, guide their hands. Fans can hear “So Far Gone” now at this link, check out the Sheepdogs’ previously-released single, “Find The Truth,” right here, and pre-order or pre-save Outta Sight ahead of its June 3 release here. The Sheepdogs’ North American tour throughout the fall is on sale now. A full list of tour dates can be found below.
The strength of The Sheepdogs in full throttle straight-up appeals to your senses. Without pretension, it is urgent, rhythmic, clear, and fun; it is a break from slick production and gazing at your navel and proclaims the joy and jubilation of drums, bass, horns, and electric guitar. The Sheepdogs make tunes that make you nod your head. The artistry, however, beneath the stadium riffs—the harmonies, the multiple guitar parts, the groove behind a rhythm section that hangs out together when they are not on the clock—is battle-honed and spit-shined between vans, garages, thousands of soundchecks, and, yes, headlining shows.
“Rock ‘n’ Roll is about cheering us up. Simple as that. We hope our music does the same for the listeners at a time where things still can feel very tough. There’s no greater truth than rock ‘n’ roll.” – Ewan Currie
Catch The Sheepdogs on tour: September 16 – Fredericton, NB / Harvest Music Fest September 18 – Charlottetown, PEI / PEI Brewing Company September 20 – Burlington, VT / Higher Ground September 22 – Montreal, QC / MTelus September 23 – Quebec City, QC / Palais Montcalm September 24 – North Bay, ON / Capitol Centre October 7 – Bristol, UK / Thekla October 8 – Manchester, UK / Gorilla October 9 – London, UK / Electric Ballroom October 13 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall October 14 – Belleville, ON – The Empire Theatre October 15 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios October 17 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair October 18 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom October 20 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall October 21 – Washington, DC – Union Stage October 22 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall October 24 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle October 25 – Nashville, TN – Basement East October 26 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Purgatory October 28 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs) October 30 – Dallas, TX – Tulips November1 – Austin, TX – The Ballroom November3 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi Fi November4 – Detroit, MI – El Club November5 – Kitchener, ON – Centre In The Square November18 – London, ON – London Music Hall November19 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall November20 – Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club November22 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre November23 – Regina, SK – Casino Regina November25 – Saskatoon, SK – TCU Place November26 – Calgary, AB – The Palace Theatre November27 – Edmonton, AB – Midway November28 – Red Deer, AB – Bo’s Bar & Grill December 1 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom December 2 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom December 3 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern December 4 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge December 6 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent December 7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Moroccan Lounge December 8 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah December 9 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar December 11 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall December 12 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown December 14 – Lexington, KY – The Burl December 15 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom December 16 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
South Carolina good times rockers Blue Dogs are back with new album Big Dreamers, due out June 3, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
With a wild drum fill and a swirl of chorus-affected guitars, Carolina’s favorite band Blue Dogs kick off their brand new single “That’s How I Knew”—their first studio-recorded music released since 2004’s Halos and Good Buys. For fans of the long-running band, it is only the first of more to come from an entire album of new music. Big Dreamers is set for release on June 3, 2022. (Blue Dogs, 2022)
Produced by accomplished guitarist and longtime Blue Dogs fan—and at times, guitar player—Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit), Big Dreamers marks a long-awaited comeback for the band and an inevitable full-circle moment for their producer. “I have a history with these guys,” Vaden says. “They used to hire me when I was 18 or 19 years old to play with them. I’ve always admired their sound, even on their albums before I started playing with them, but this record represents the best part of the Blue Dogs in my mind. It’s return to form that also brings out the highlights of their last record. Some things are polished and some things are a little more raw.” Vaden is not the only fan of Blue Dogs contributing to Big Dreamers; legendary Texas songwriter Radney Foster sings background vocals on “That’s How I Knew,” which he co-wrote with Bobby Houck along with the greasy, mid-tempo “If Ever,” and dobro master Jerry Douglas joined the boys on the bluegrass-inspired “The Road You Don’t.”
JamBase premiered the music video for “That’s How I Knew,” Blue Dogs’ irresistible ode to finding the right relationship, and BrooklynVegan highlighted the track, calling it, “a warm, breezy song that finds the long-running band in fine form.” Fans can watch the videoat this link and pre-orderBig Dreamers ahead of its June 3 release. The band will be celebrating the release of Big Dreamers with a concert at Isle of Palms, South Carolina’s famed Windjammer beach stage on June 3. Tickets are still available.
Founded in 1987 and based in Charleston, the group is still led by songwriters Hank Futch (bass) and Bobby Houck (lead singer, acoustic guitar), who grew up together in Florence, South Carolina. After nearly two decades on the road, the Blue Dogs took an extended break from touring in 2007 as Futch and Houck accepted jobs outside of music to support their new families. Yet they both filed away occasional phrases and potential titles just in case they ever had a chance to make another album together. For this project, they were joined in the studio by guitarist Dan Hood, steel guitar player Charlie Thompson, and longtime drummer Greg Walker. Keeping it all in one big Blue Dogs family, former member Phillip Lammonds co-wrote three of the new songs.
“We’re doing this to follow that dream of playing music and sharing our sound with whoever wants to listen,” Futch says. “We’ve probably been Americana before that became a term. But we didn’t feel like we had to be anything other than ourselves to write these songs.” Houck adds, “We still have something to say. We can write good songs that we like, knowing other people will like them too. We’ve got a lot more to do, more places to play, and maybe bigger places to play. Because of this album, we get to live this dream longer than we thought.”
Big Dreamers track list: The Good Ones Big Dreamers Young Love All Night Long That’s How I Knew Love Is Love Is Love The Good Road If Ever The Road You Don’t Carolina Grand All Out Of Time
They Talk will have a digital release on May 10, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Next week, there will be several theatrical, television, and digital releases including Castro’s Spies, Human Factors, Mascarpone, Barbee Rehab, We Need To Talk, They Talk, A.K. Tolstoy’s “A Taste of Blood,” and Trip. See below for summaries of each. (Gravitas Ventures, Dark Star Pictures, Uncork’d Entertainment, Cleopatra Entertainment, Terror Films, 2022)
Theatrical Castro’s Spies Gravitas Ventures Theatrical: May 13, 2022 Digital : May 13, 2022 Documentary Directed by Ollie Aslin and Gary Lennon
Nail-biting documentary Castro’s Spies, the story of Cuban spies being sent undercover to America in the ‘90s, is set for a North American release from Gravitas Ventures. From their recruitment, training, and eventual capture on US soil, this film peers into a secret world of false identities, love affairs, and betrayal. Using never seen before footage from the Cuban Film Institute’s archive and first-hand testimony from the people at the heart of this story, Castro’s Spies gives a rare glimpse into the shadowy world of a spy – where the stakes are life and death.
“All spies are not James Bond. That laconic comment delivered during Castro’s Spies may be the key to this forensic-level insight into the workings of the ‘Cuban 5’… Compelling as a tale of Cold War intrigue, equally gripping on a human level.” – SCREEN DAILY
Human Factors Dark Star Pictures Theatrical : May 6 2022 (LA/NYC) Digital Premiere : May 24, 2022 Thriller Directed by Ronny Trocker Starring Sabine Timoteo, Mark Waschke, Jule Hermann, Wanja Valentin Kube
At the advertising agency they co-own, French-German couple Nina and Jan have signed a new politically charged client, forcing them to confront their clashing priorities. To escape mounting tensions at work, they whisk their kids, Max and Emma, away to their seaside vacation home. What was meant to be an idyllic off-season retreat turns sinister when a mysterious home invasion sets everything off balance. Though at first the aftermath brings the family closer, as they try to put the incident into perspective, their accounts of what took place begin to unravel alongside the couple’s faith in each other.
Mascarpone Dark Star Pictures/Uncork’d Theatrical : May 6, 2022 (LA) Digital : May 6 Comedy Directed by Matteo Pilati and Alessandro Guida Written by Giuseppe Paternò Raddusa, Matteo Pilati and Alessandro Guida, and directed by Guida and Pilati, Mascarpone has received rave reviews. Starring Giancarlo Commare, Antonioas Antonio
Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment have acquired Alessandro Guida and Matteo Pilati’s romantic comedy Mascarpone. The film, which has snared awards at several major fests including Cinema Diverse (Festival Favorite), Reeling Chicago (Audience Award), OUTshine (Jury Prize), and over 20 others, will be released theatrically and on digital in May.
Antonio is a family man whose life takes an unexpected twist when he is suddenly dumped by his husband. Antonio needs to find a new place to stay, a job, and a new purpose in life. Through this process, he discovers the value of independence.
Television
Barbee Rehab Global Digital Releasing Tubi Premiere : May 6, 2022 Episodes roll out each week. Seven episode first season. Comedy Directed by Derek S. Orr Starring Bai Ling, Janice Dickinson, Tom Sizemore, Lisa Wilcox, Vanessa Bednar
This seven part, limited series follows a patient (Tom Sizemore, “Twin Peaks : The Return”, Heat, Saving Private Ryan), who is on the verge of being locked up after claiming to have discovered a rehab facility focused on treating people who are obsessed with collecting and/or living as real life Barbie and Ken dolls. He shares his unbelievable stories about the unstable staff and patients who suffer from a variety of outrageous Barbie and Ken doll addictions, with his psychiatrist, (Janice Dickinson). Will he convince her this is a real place, or will he end up in the nuthouse? Welcome to “Barbee Rehab,” where reality, imagination, delusion and perversion collide.
Digital Releases
We Need To Talk Global Digital Releasing Digital: May 13, 2022 Comedy Directed by Todd Wolfe Starring Emily Bett Rickards, James Maslow, Trey Chaney
Scott is a self-absorbed online video-game influencer who speaks to millions of fans every day but cannot (or will not) communicate with the people he loves. He remains blissfully unaware that he is the problem until one morning, as she is walking out the door, his girlfriend Aly tells him, “we need to talk.” Her comment sends Scott spiraling into a day-long tailspin as he seeks wisdom, advice, and emotional support from his social media network of friends, internet trolls, and a myriad of online characters from around the world.
They Talk Uncork’d Entertainment Digital Premiere : May 10, 2022 Horror Directed by Giorgio Bruno Starring Jonathan Tufvesson
Sound engineer Alex accidentally records sinister voices while shooting a documentary. The voices do not sound human and they appear to be trying to warn him about someone, or something. His search for their meaning will bring back mysterious people and events from his past. A threatening, black, and gloomy wave starts to haunt him.
A.K. Tolstoy’s “A Taste of Blood” Cleopatra Entertainment Digital / Blu-ray Premiere : May 10, 2022 Horror Directed by Santiago Fernandez Calvete Starring German Palacios, Tomas Carullo Lizzio, Naiara Awada, Lautaro Bettoni and Alfonsina Carrocio.
Based on Aleksey Tolstoy’s 1839 short story “The Family Of The Vourdalak,” the film takes place in the uncertain hours after a vampire hunt when it is unclear if the hunter himself has been turned into a creature of the night. Will his family find out in time, or will their sentiment make them easy prey for the novice nightwalker?
Trip Terror Films AVOD : May 13, 2022 Horror Directed by Neil McCay Starring Akasha Villalobos, Major Dodge, Peggy Schott, Jill Young, Björgvin Arnarson.
Starring CHUCKY’s Björgvin Arnarson. Following her daughter’s suicide, a grief-stricken mother is visited by an unconventional therapist who offers a hallucinogenic drug that will allow communion with the dead. Desperate to understand her daughter’s psyche, she accepts the offer and soon finds herself terrorized by her daughter’s identical experiences.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Dirt Does Dylan will be released May 20, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Five-decades-running Americana pioneers Nitty Gritty Dirt Band have already played a major role in the preservation and popularity of folk music—their Will The Circle Be Unbroken album series introduced droves of new fans to folk, country, and bluegrass and earned the band multiple Grammy awards. Now, the long-running group has taken on another American institution near and dear to their hearts; the Bob Dylan songbook. On May 20, the band will be releasing Dirt Does Dylan, a ten-track album highlighting some of the gems from Dylan’s vast catalog with the help of three new band members: fiddle specialist Ross Holmes; singer-songwriter and bass player Jim Photoglo (who wrote one of the Dirt Band’s biggest hits “Fishin’ in the Dark”); and Dirt Band founder Jeff Hanna’s son, the absurdly talented singer and guitarist Jaime Hanna. Produced and recorded by Ray Kennedy at Room & Board Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, Dirt Does Dylan finds a generation-spanning Dirt Band paying an appropriately great tribute to arguably the greatest songwriter of the 20th century with the help of friends like Jason Isbell, The War & Treaty, Steve Earle, and Rosanne Cash, to name a few. (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 2022)
Billboard premiered the Dirt Band’s cover of “I Shall Be Released,” which Dylan originally recorded with The Band during their infamous Basement Tapes sessions. On this version of the tune, sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell—better known as accomplished blues-rock duo Larkin Poe—lend their perfectly-blended voices and Megan’s lap steel guitar skills to the mix. Carpenter takes the first verse vocals while the Hannas handle guitar duties. Aside from the fine songwriting itself, Jeff Hanna and Megan Lovell’s infectious guitar interplay carries the song from verse to verse, culminating in the song’s final solo section. Fans can watch the band record “I Shall Be Released” in its official music videoat this link, check out the previously-released single, “The Times, They Are A-Changin’,” and pre-orderor pre-save Dirt Does Dylan ahead of its May 20 release.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band formed in 1966 as a Long Beach, California jug band, scored its first charting single in 1967, and embarked on a self-propelled ride through folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll, pop, bluegrass, and the amalgam now known as “Americana.” The first major hit came in 1971 with the epic “Mr. Bojangles,” which, along with insistent support from banjo master Earl Scruggs, opened doors in Nashville. Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, and others collaborated on a multi-artist, multi-generational, three-disc 1972 masterpiece: Will the Circle Be Unbroken. In the 1980s, the Dirt Band reeled off 15 straight Top 10 country hits, including chart-toppers “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream),” “Modern Day Romance,” and “Fishin’ in the Dark (co-written by Jim Photoglo, who would join the band in the second decade of the new century). The year 1989 brought a second Circle album, this one featuring singer-songwriter talents including John Prine, Rosanne Cash, and John Hiatt and garnering two Grammy awards for the band. Circle II also won the Country Music Association’s Album of the Year prize. Circle III was released in 2003, featuring collaborations with Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, and more.
Track listing: 1. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You 2. Girl from the North Country 3. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry 4. Country Pie 5. I Shall Be Released (ft. Larkin Poe) 6. She Belongs to Me 7. Forever Young 8. The Times They Are A-Changin’ (ft. Rosanne Cash, Jason Isbell, Steve Earle, and The War and Treaty) 9. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right 10. Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
Catch Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on tour: May 13 – Lancaster, PA – American Music Theatre May 14 – New York, NY – City Winery May 15 – Philadelphia, PA – City Winery May 19 – Mankato, MN – Vetter Stone Amphitheatre May 20 – Papillion, NE – Sumtur Amphitheater May 21 – Chesterfield, MO – Chesterfield Amphitheatre May 22 – Louisville, KY – Iroquois Amphitheater June 9 – Eureka Springs, AR – Eureka Springs City Auditorium June 10 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater June 11 – Salina, KS – Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts June 24 – Grand Junction, CO – Country Jam 2022 June 25 – North Platte, NE – Nebraskaland Days July 14 – Davenport, IA – Rhythm City Casino Resort July 15 – Decorah, IA – Winneshiek County Fair July 16 – Chicago, IL – City Winery July 21 – Marietta, OH – Peoples Bank Theatre July 22 – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center July 23 – Twin Lakes, WI – Country Thunder Wisconsin 2022 August 3 – McMinnville, OR – Yamhill County Fair & Rodeo August 4 – Boise, ID – The Egyptian Theatre August 6 – Bellvue, CO – Mishawaka Amphitheatre August 12 – Hinckley, MN – Grand Country Nights 2022 August 13 – South West Fargo, ND – Lights Amphitheater August 18 – Three Forks, MT – Headwaters Country Jam 2022 August 19 – Rexford, MT – Abayance Bay Marina August 27 – Gilbert, AZ – Higley Center For The Performing Arts August 28 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre September 2 – Orange Park, FL – Thrasher-Horne Center September 3 – Mill Spring, NC – The Earl Scruggs Music Festival 2022
SA Examiner 