Lifestyle/Art

Published on October 8th, 2019 | by Darren Paltrowitz

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10 Early Holiday Season Gift Ideas For A Music And/or Movie Fan

With Black Friday just right around the corner, the Holiday Season of 2019 is edging closer and closer. In turn, many readers of The Hype Magazine are about to be in gift-seeking mode for friends, family and co-workers. To get you ahead of the game, below are 10 new-ish, music and/or movie-themed gift ideas for a loved one, all of which already in stores (or at least available for pre-order).

FM from Arrow Films

Arrow Films is an England-based independent distributor of world cinema, cult, art, horror and classic films on Blu-ray and DVD. Arrow Video is never short on great new releases, to say the least. Back in July, Arrow came out with a Blu-Ray version of FM, a film in which Michael Brandon stars as Jeff Dugan, the “ultra-cool program director” at L.A.’s #1 rock station Q-SKY Radio. The airwaves crackle with the delectable sound of smooth rock in FM, a riotous comedy about the heady world of 1970s U.S. radio.

Also new-ish from Arrow are the standard Blu-Ray and Steelbook Blu-Ray editions of Weird Science. Within this classic cult comedy, Perenially picked-on high school nerds Gary (Anthony Michael Hall from Sixteen Candles) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) are sick of their status at the bottom of the social food chain. Using Wyatt’s computer, the two hatch a plan to create their dream woman — and following a massive power surge, that woman unexpectedly appears in the form of Lisa (Kelly LeBrock). Weird Science is definitely very 80s yet still very entertaining in 2019.

The Pretenders With Friends

Few bands have had as many hits as the Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum selling band The Pretenders. Not just a “greatest hits live” show, Pretenders With Friends also features The Pretenders — still led by Chrissy Hynde — performing hits alongside Iggy Pop, Shirley Manson of Garbage, Kings Of Leon and Incubus; yes, Hynde performs “Drive” alongside Brandon Boyd of Incubus. The deluxe Blu-Ray version of this release includes a CD, bonus interviews with band members and a slideshow.

Rodriguez’s Cold Fact and Coming From Reality re-issues

Rodriguez, the enigmatic subject of the 2012 Academy Award-winning documentary, Searching For Sugar Man, released two albums with Sussex Records, 1970’s Cold Fact and 1971’s Coming From Reality. Out of print on vinyl for several years, both albums are newly-remastered by Alex Abrash at AA Mastering and available within the CD, 180-gram black vinyl, and limited special vinyl edition formats. Both albums have also been released digitally for the first time. The CD version of Coming From Reality features 3 additional bonus tracks, originally recorded in 1972-’73 for a never-completed albu.

Also new from the Universal Music Group is a deluxe reissue of The Beatles’ Abbey Road. 1969’s Abbey Road was the last album recorded by The Beatles as a proper band in the studio. Now presented in a deluxe format, the album’s 17 original tracks have been paired with 23 session recordings and demos, most of which are previously unreleased for this 2019 release. To create Abbey Road’s new stereo, 5.1 surround, and Dolby Atmos mixes, Giles Martin and Sam Okell worked with an expert team of engineers and audio restoration specialists at Abbey Road Studios. Like last year’s White Album deluxe issuing and the prior year’s expanded Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band reissue, all of the new Abbey Road releases — available in CD, LP, multi-disc and limited-edition formats — feature the new stereo album mix, sourced directly from the original eight-track session tapes.

Barnes & Barnes’ Voobaha re-issue

One of the most influential musical-comedy groups of the last 40-something years, Barnes & Barnes is comprised of (fictional) twin brothers Art Barnes and Artie Barnes, as portrayed by Bill Mumy and Robert Haimer. The 1978 single “Fish Heads” is what helped put Barnes & Barnes on the map, going on to be the most requested song in the history of The Dr. Demento Show. Yet the long-term success of “Fish Heads” would find the song getting several airings on Saturday Night Live, a prominent usage within an episode of The Simpsons, and various appearances in films.

“Fish Heads” was only 1 of the 14 songs on the 1980 album Voobaha, which was originally released by Rhino Records. Demented Punk — the label behind the #1 Billboard-charting comedy album Dr. Demento Covered In Punk — recently released the 40th anniversary vinyl collector’s edition of Voobaha. Beyond its 180-gram colored vinyl, remastered audio and an elaborate gatefold, this deluxe reissue includes exclusive liner notes from the artists, restored artwork, an MP3 download card, a special bonus track (a 1976 version of “Fish Heads”) and a rare cover of The Beatles’ “Please Please Me.” The same label also released a limited-edition 12-inch vinyl split maxi-single of “Fish Heads,” pairing the 1978 original recording with a new punk-pop cover version by the band Osaka Popstar.

NOW Yacht Rock LP

NOW Yacht Rock presents an ideal 18-track lineup of songs to float to this summer, including Toto’s “Africa,” Little River Band’s “Cool Change,” Chuck Mangione’s “Feels So Good,” and favorites by Kenny Loggins and Peter Frampton. This title is available digitally and as a CD beyond its vinyl issuing, like the recently-released NOW That’s What I Call Music! 71. Looks smooth and sounds smooth.

Also available from Legacy Recordings is the Elvis Presley title Live 1969, the LP picture disc of Christina Aguilera’s self-titled album, a clear-with-black-splatter vinyl edition of Destiny Child’s The Writing’s On The Wall, and the 16-album (or 24-vinyl-piece) Ozzy Osbourne set See You On The Other Side.

A Score To Settle starring Nicolas Cage

Last month RLJE Films released A Score To Settle on DVD and Blu-Ray. Written by John Newman (Proud Mary) and directed by Shawn Ku (Beautiful Boy), the action film stars Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage (Mandy, Leaving Las Vegas), Noah Le Gros (Depraved), Karolina Wydra (Agents Of Shield), Mohamed Karim (A Facebook Romance) and Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality). Diagnosed with a fatal condition, Frankie Carver (Cage) is released from prison after serving 19 years of hard time. With only a short time left to live, Frankie must desperately try to make amends with the son he left behind while he plots a bloody course of revenge — tracking down his old gang to make them pay one by one.

A privately-owned subsidiary of AMC Networks, RLJE Films’ recent features include Mandy from writer/director Panos Cosmatos and starring Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough and Linus Roache; Galveston starring Ben Foster and Elle Fanning and directed by Mélanie Laurent; and The Man Who Killed Hitler & Then The Bigfoot written and directed by Robert Krzykowski and starring Academy Award nominee Sam Elliott, Aidan Turner and Ron Livingston.

The Kinks’ Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire deluxe box set

To mark its 50th anniversary, The Kinks have prepared a special release of Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire via BMG. Without doubt, the Kinks’ 7th studio album is one of the greatest rock albums ever made, a near-perfect example of Ray Davies’ incredible storytelling ability in what was an innovation in 1969: a concept album. Included in this anniversary edition are 4 CDs comprising of 81 tracks in total, 5 of them unreleased and 28 previously-unreleased versions. These include newly-remastered versions of the original album from HD sources, B-sides, alternate mono and stereo mixes, rehearsal tracks, BBC mixes and the lost Dave Davies’ solo album, beyond bonus tracks.

Music aside, there is a 68-page softback book featuring extensive essays by world-renowned Kinks experts, original cancelled Arthur play co-scriptwriter Julian Mitchell,and original album sleeve designer Bob Lawrie. plus new interviews with Ray Davies, Dave Davies and drummer Mick Avory.

Sonic Temple: 30 by The Cult

2019 marks the 30th anniversary of The Cult’s seminal album Sonic Temple. To celebrate the anniversary, Beggars Arkive released Sonic Temple: 30 on September 13th. It was released as both a deluxe box set and a 5-CD set; in addition the label reissued a Sonic Temple edition on Double LP, which has been out of print for over 20 years. The sets both contain limited-release demos in addition to previously unreleased tracks.

Originally released in 1989, Sonic Temple proved to be a pivotal moment for both the band and the wider rock scene. Produced by the legendary Bob Rock, Sonic Temple yielded 4 chart-topping singles: “Fire Woman,” “Edie (Ciao Baby),’ “Sun King” and “Sweet Soul Sister.” The album catapulted The Cult into superstar status and remains their most commercially-successful release. It has sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone and was certified platinum in 1990. Touring in support of the Sonic Temple: 30 is slated to continue around the United States through the end of 2019.

Celestial by Rob Halford

Without question, Rob Halford is one of heavy metal’s all-time great vocalists, as heard through his highly influential and groundbreaking work with Judas Priest. But over his career, Halford has also proven able to master a variety of other styles vocally, including holiday-themed music. And in time for this holiday season, Halford is releasing an all-new album entitled Celestial via Legacy Recordings.

Credited to “Rob Halford with Family and Friends,” the album mixes holiday classics with all-new compositions, and will appeal to lovers of traditional holiday music and headbangers alike. Celestial sees Halford joined by a supporting cast of those very close to him, including his brother (Nigel) on drums, his nephew on bass (Alex, son of Priest bassist Ian Hill), and his sister (Sue) on bells.

Throwing Copper Ale from +LIVE+ and Alosta Brewing

+LIVE+, the multi-platinum band from Pennsylvania is comprised Ed Kowalczyk (vocals, guitar), Chad Taylor (guitar, backing vocals), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass) and Chad Gracey (drums, percussion). The band has sold over 22 million albums worldwide and earned two #1 albums. Earlier this year it was announced that +LIVE+ has joined forces with the Southern California-based brewing company Alosta Brewing for the creation of the band’s first craft beer “Throwing Copper Ale.” It’s named in honor of the band’s landmark 8x platinum-selling album Throwing Chopper, which is being celebrated via a 25th anniversary deluxe multi-format reissue out July 19 via Radioactive/MCA/Ume.

“Throwing Copper Ale,” according to the Alosta Brewing website, is “a union of the caramel toffee like sweetness of English barley and the bitterness of Nobel hops. Smooth and refreshing. English Ales are often referred to as “Copper Ales,” and the band reportedly could not resist taking the opportunity to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Throwing Copper with its first craft beer.


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About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."


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