New releases for May 7, 2013: Pistol Annies release sophomore album
Miranda Lambert, left, Angaleena Presley, center, and Ashley Monroe of the Pistol Annies at the 60th Annual BMI Country Awards on Tuesday Oct. 30, 2012, in Nashville. (AP)
Country trio the Pistol Annies – Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe – are releasing today their sophomore album, “Annie Up.”
The album is the follow-up to their successful 2011 group debut “Hell on Heels.”
“Annie Up” features 12 songs written by the Pistol Annies that deal with the unwashed experiences of real life. The first single “Hush Hush” talks about sweeping family secrets under the rug to maintain appearances, while “I Feel A Sin Comin On” is a blusy ode to temptation. “Unhappily Married” is a brash look inside the daily grind of a couple resigned to stay together.
The confessional “Being Pretty Ain’t Pretty” dishes on the exhausting process women go through to get dressed every day. The idea for the song was inspired by a Tweet that Ashley sent that she had just bought a ton of make-up and make-up wipes to take it all off.
“Women are warriors and we go into battle everyday with the stuff we wear,” said Angaleena in a news release.
“You spend all this money for make-up and eyelashes and spray tanners just to wipe it all off at the end of the night,” added Miranda.
As previously reported, the group launched today a media blitz for the new album that includes several TV appearances over the next week. The trio also is planning a series of live shows in support of “Annie Up.” The group will play June 13 at First Council Casino in Newkirk and June 14 at Lucky Star Casino in Concho. For tickets and information, go to www.ticketstorm.com.
Here is a list of new CDs, DVDs and books, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Pistol Annies, “Annie Up.”
Lady Antebellum, “Golden.”
Rod Stewart, “Time.”
Joe Satriani, “Unstoppable Momentum.”
Patty Griffin, “American Kid.”
She & Him, “Volume 3.”
Natalie Maines, “Mother.”
The Piano Guys, “The Piano Guys” (Deluxe Edition CD/DVD).
Straight No Chaser, “Under the Influence.”
Various artists, “Music From Baz Luhrmann’s Film The Great Gatsby.”
Various artists, “The Music of Nashville, Season 1, Vol. 2.”
Talib Kweli, “Prisoner of Conscious.”
98 Degrees, “2.0.”
Dailey and Vincent, “Brothers of the Highway.”
Deerhunter, “Monomania.”
DVDs/Blu-rays
Flashpoint: The Fifth Season
Fringe: The Complete Fifth and Final Season
In the Hive
Jack Reacher
Mama
The Oranges
Private Practice: The Complete Sixth Season
Safe Haven
Starlet
Superman: Unbound
Books
Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander by Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach
Dead Ever After: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) by Charlaine Harris
A Delicate Truth: A Novel by John le Carre
Silken Prey by John Sandford
A Step of Faith: A Novel (Walk) by Richard Paul Evans
Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
Obsessed: America’s Food Addiction–and My Own by Mika Brzezinski
-BAM
New releases for April 16, 2013: The Flaming Lips, Skating Polly and Krystal Keith drop albums
Oklahoma City-based alternative rockers The Flaming Lips unleashed their new studio album, “The Terror,” today.
Along with the digital and CD versions of the album, “The Terror” is available as a special Direct-To-Consumer, Limited-Edition Silver Vinyl double-LP set, housed in a two-pocket gatefold jacket with printed sleeves.
Edmond punk-rock-pop duo Skating Polly – stepsisters Kelli Mayo, 13, and Peyton Bighorse, 17 – recently released their sophomore album “Lost Wonderfuls” on iTunes. The album debuted today CD from the SQE label.
“Lost Wonderfuls” was produced by Exene Cervenka of the seminal Los Angeles punk band X and mixed by Kliph Scurlock, drummer for The Flaming Lips.
And Oklahoma country singer Krystal Keith dropped today her self-titled debut EP, which features her emotional single “Daddy Dance With Me,” which she co-wrote to surprise her famous father, Toby Keith, at her wedding. Her full-length debut album, “Whiskey & Lace,” is expected out in a few months.
Here is a list of new albums, DVD/Blu-rays and books out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
Albums
The Flaming Lips, “The Terror.”
Skating Polly, “Lost Wonderfuls.”
Krystal Keith, “Krystal Keith” (EP).
Willie Nelson, “Let’s Face The Music and Dance.”
Fall Out Boy, “Save Rock N Roll.”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Mosquito.”
Steve Earle, “The Low Highway.”
Sarah Brightman, “Dreamchaser.”
Iron & Wine, “Ghost on Ghost.”
David Bowie, “Aladdin Sane (40th Anniversary Edition).”
Jane Monheit, “The Heart of the Matter.”
Michael Feinstein and Andre Previn, “Change of Heart: The Songs of Andre Previn.”
Skid Row, “United World Rebellion: Chapter One.”
Carla Bruni, “Little French Songs.”
DVDs/Blu-ray
Angels of Sex
Disneynature: Wings of Life
Django Unchained
Dragon
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore
A Monster In Paris
Not Suitable for Children
Save the Date
Books
My Foot Is Too Big for the Glass Slipper: A Guide to the Less Than Perfect Life by Gabrielle Reece, Karen Karbo
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber
The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker by Brad Lomenick
Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker, Tom Lichtenheld
Dreams Come True… All They Need Is You! by Mike Dooley, Virginia Allyn
-BAM
New releases for March 5, 2013: Ashley Monroe’s releases solo album “Like a Rose,” “Duck Dynasty Season 2″ and “Wreck-It Ralph” debut on DVD
Ashley Monroe
Ashley Monroe, one of Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert’s bandmates in the all-girl trio Pistol Annies, will release her first Warner Nashville solo album, “Like A Rose,” on March 5.
As previously reported, Oklahoma native and Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill produced the album along with Justin Niebank. The album features a terrific old-school duet with Lambert’s husband, Blake Shelton, playfully titled “You Ain’t Dolly (And You Ain’t Porter).”
Monroe’s highly-anticipated studio album features songs she co-wrote with Gill, legendary songwriter Guy Clark and many of Nashville’s A-list songwriters.
As far as DVDs and Blu-rays are concerned, the excellent Oscar-nominated animated film “Wreck-It Ralph” debuted today, along with the Season 2 collection of A&E’s popular reality series “Duck Dynasty.” To read my review of “Duck Dynasty: Seasons 2,” click here.
CDs
Jimi Hendrix, “People, Hell & Angels.”
Boz Scaggs, “Memphis.”
Luke Bryan, “Spring Break: Here to Party.”
Ashley Monroe, “Like a Rose.”
They Might Be Giants, “Nanobots.”
Son Volt, “Honky Tonk.”
Madeleine Peyroux, “The Blue Room.”
How to Destroy Angels, “Welcome Oblivion.”
Josh Ritter, “Beast in Its Tracks.”
Kate Nash, “Girl Talk.”
Soilwork, “The Living Infinite.”
Robyn Hitchcock, “Live from London.”
DVDs/Blu-rays
The Bay
California Solo
Collaborator
A Dark Truth
Grave Encounters 2
Gun Hill Road
Heleno
The Intouchables
Lay the Favorite
The Marine 3: Homefront
Playing for Keeps
Red Dawn
Unconditional
Wreck-It Ralph
Books
Sum It Up: A Thousand and Ninety-Eight Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective by Pat Head Summitt and Sally Jenkins
Damascus Countdown by Joel C. Rosenberg
Requiem (Delirium)by Lauren Oliver
Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson, Book 7) by Patricia Briggs
Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi
-BAM
http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2013/02/22/dvd-review-duck-dynasty-season-2-volume-1/
New releases for Feb. 26, 2013: Taddy Porter, Luke Dick and Johnny Polygon release new albums
Taddy Porter
Stillwater-based rock band Taddy Porter released today its sophomore album “Stay Golden,” via Primary Wave Records. The album is available via iTunes, Amazon and Best Buy.
As previously reported, Taddy Porter will play Oklahoma’s official showcase, The Buffalo Lounge, at the South by Southwest next month in Austin, Texas. The band’s CD release party Friday night at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan, will double as an Official SXSW Kickoff Event. For more information, go to www.wormydog.com.
Plus, Taddy Porter will play an album release show Friday at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. For more information, go to www.cainsballroom.com.
Musician/storyteller Luke Dick, a Yukon native who now lives in New York, New York, released today his new album “Abraço.” As previously reported, he premiered last week the heartwarming short film “Bread for Boppa,” which features the song “Everywhere” from the new album. To buy the album, click here.
And hip-hop artist Johnny Polygon, who hails from Tulsa, is dropping his new album Wednesday. But he’s offering a chance to stream it now on his Facebook page.
Here is a list of other new albums, as well as DVD/Blu-ray and book releases, due out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Taddy Porter, “Stay Golden.”
Luke Dick, “Abraço.”
Johnny Polygon, “The Nothing.” (Wednesday)
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, “Old Yellow Moon.”
The Mavericks, “In Time.”
Atoms For Peace, “Amok.”
Justin Hayward, “Spirits of the Western Sky.”
Steve Wilson, “Raven That Refused to Sing.”
Michael Bolton, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville U.S.A.”
Plumb, “Need You Now.”
Civil Wars & T-Bone Burnett, “A Place at the Table.”
Bret Michaels, “Good Songs & Great Friends.”
Jeff Healey, “House on Fire: Demos & Rarities.”
Great White, “30 Years: Live From Sunset Strip.”
Hillsong, “Zion (Deluxe Edition).”
Johnny Marr, “The Messenger.”
DVD/Blu-ray
Chasing Mavericks
Company of Heroes
Freaky Deaky
Girls Against Boys
Holy Motors
How to Survive a Plague
Law & Order: The Twelfth Year
The Loneliest Planet
The Master
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (Extended Edition) (Saturday)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (Saturday)
Books
Calculated in Death by J. D. Robb
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss
The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook: More than 175 Ultra-Tasty Recipes for Total Health and Weight Loss by Mark Hyman
Rich Food Poor Food: The Ultimate Grocery Purchasing System (GPS) by Mira Calton, Jayson Calton, William Davis, Mark Sisson
-BAM
New releases for Feb. 19, 2013: Oklahoma singer-songwriter Samantha Crain debuts new album “Kid Face”
Shawnee singer-songwriter Samantha Crain poses for a photo in Oklahoma City on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
Shawnee singer-songwriter Samantha Crain released today her third full-length album, “Kid Face,” on Ramseur Records.
“Kid Face” is the follow-up to 2010′s “You (Understood),” which received praise from Rolling Stone, SPIN, New York Times and NPR and made my top 10 list for that year.
“Yeah, this is actually the first like fully autobiographical album that I’ve written,” she told The Oklahoman Entertainment Editor Gene Triplett in a recent interview in Oklahoma City’s Plaza District.
“I think before, even if I was dabbling in sort of autobiographical stuff, I always felt the need to kind of color things up with a little bit of fiction here or there, mainly just for my own anxieties about being too personal, probably. But I think, like, the older I’ve gotten, the more comfortable I’ve become with myself and with my own story, that it’s been easier to write more autobiographical stuff.”
She also told Gene how “Kid Face” was produced by John Vanderslice and recorded in about eight days strictly on analog tape – no computers involved whatsoever – a decision that resulted in a warm and organic sound that highlights Crain’s songwriting, vocals and lyrics. They recorded the album at his Tiny Telephone studios in San Francisco, a facility favored by top alternative acts these days.
“From the outside it doesn’t look like much. Kind of like tucked in sort of an industrial area of The Mission in San Francisco. Inside, it’s three different studios, and it’s an all-analog studio. There’s not a computer in the whole building. It’s all run through tape. This is actually the first time that I’ve run completely analog. My first album and my second album, we recorded digitally and then during the mix-down process mixed it onto tape so it still gave it sort of a tape quality,” she told Gene.
“But I think to record it all to tape not only affects the sound of it but it affects sort of your approach to recording, because there can’t be a lot of tape so you have to be prepared as far as the musicians go, as far as what the arrangements of the songs are going to be, and you also have to be all right with things sounding not quite perfect, you know?
“And I think it’s a good approach, so you don’t overanalyze the record, or else you just overthink it.”
Also, Ben Affleck’s third film as a director, the historical thriller “Argo,” is new on DVD and Blu-ray today. He produced, directed and starred in his new period piece, about a recently declassified 1980 operation to sneak six stranded Americans out of revolutionary Iran. Even knowing the outcome, my fingers were digging into the arms of my theater seat the entire final 45 minutes. The film was No. 3 on my top 10 films of 2012 and is considered a best picture front-runner going into Sunday’s 85th Academy Awards.
Gene, George Lang and I will break down our Oscar predictions on Friday.
Here are more new CDs, DVDs and books out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Samantha Crain, “Kid Face.”
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Push the Sky Away (Limited Edition).”
Celtic Thunder, “Mythology.”
Robin Trower, “Roots and Branches.”
Paul Hardcastle, “Paul Hardcastle VII.”
Various artists, “Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys.”
Buckcherry, “Confessions (Deluxe Edition).”
The Jerry Garcia Band, “GarciaLive Vol. 1: Capitol Theatre.”
Robben Ford, “Bringing It Back Home.”
DVD/Blu-ray
Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake
Anna Karenina
Argo
Atlas Shrugged: Part II
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome
The Factory
Fun Size
Game of Thrones: The Complete Second Season
Lake Placid: The Final Chapter
The Pill
Sinister
Small Apartments
Special Forces
Sushi Girl
Undefeated
Books
The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel
Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson
The Soundtrack of My Life by Clive Davis
After Visiting Friends: A Son’s Story by Michael Hainey
The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More by Bruce Feiler
Power Foods for the Brain: An Effective 3-Step Plan to Protect Your Mind and Strengthen Your Memory by Neal Barnard
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance The Complete Official Guide Collector’s Edition.
-BAM
New releases for Feb. 12, 2013: Documentary “Bully,” featuring three Oklahoma families, debuts on DVD
Alex Libby in “Bully”
The critically acclaimed and critically important documentary “Bully” debuted on DVD today.
During the 2009-2010 school year, director Lee Hirsch followed five families affected by adolescent bullying, including two in Oklahoma: Kirk and Laura Smalley of Perkins struggle with heartbreaking loss their 11-year-old son commits suicide after being tormented by bullies. In response, Kirk Smalley starts the anti-bullying organization Stand for the Silent, planning vigils at the Oklahoma Capitol and around the country in honor of bullied kids who have committed suicide.
In Tuttle, Kelby Johnson, 16, and her parents describe in awful detail the ostracizing and mocking they endured after she came out as a lesbian. Surrounded by a little but loyal circle of friends, the teenager is determined to stay in the small town in the hopes of bringing about change, even when her parents offer to move to a bigger city.
The school bus becomes a battleground and the site of some of the most chilling footage in the film for Alex Libby, 12, who lived in Sioux City, Iowa, during the making of the film but now resides in Edmond.
Last spring, I talked to the Johnson and Libby families about the film and the impact bullying in their lives. To read the story, click here, and check out “Bully,” which I believe should be required viewing for every adolescent, parent, teacher and administrator in the country.
“Robot & Frank”
The crime comedy-drama “Robot & Frank,” one of my top 10 films of 2012, also was released on DVD today. First-time director Jake Schreier pulls off a big score with his near-future caper about an aging former jewel thief named Frank (Frank Langella) who decides to pull one last heist with his caretaker robot (voice of Peter Sarsgaard) as his high-tech partner in crime. Oklahoma native James Marsden plays Frank’s son.
Christopher D. Ford’s script delves into germane issues like dementia, family ties and technological innovation, but it thankfully never gets maudlin and boasts a pleasingly oddball sense of humor.
Here is a list of the new CDs, DVDs and books out today, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Led Zeppelin, “Celebration Day” (Vinyl).
Bullet for My Valentine, “Temper Temper (Deluxe Edition).”
the virginmarys, “King of Conflict.”
Cast recording, “Bombshell: The New Marilyn Musical from Smash.”
Pat Metheny, “The Orchestrion Project” (2-CD set).
Jonas Kaufmann, “Wagner.”
Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison, “Cheater’s Game.”
Joni Mitchell, “Studio Albums 1968-1979” (Box set).
LL Cool J, “Authentic Hip Hop.”
Otis Taylor, “My World Is Gone.”
Devon Allman, “Turquoise.”
The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, “The Jazz Age.”
Joshua Bell, “Joshua Bell Conducts Beethoven: Symphonies 4 & 7.”
DVDs
Bully
Family Matters: The Complete Third Season
Gossip Girl: The Complete Sixth and Final Season
The Man with the Iron Fists
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Robot & Frank
The Sessions
Silent Hill: Revelation
Skyfall
Weeds: Season Eight, The Final Season
Books
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
Life Code: The New Rules for Winning in the Real World by Phil McGraw
Drinking and Tweeting: And Other Brandi Blunders by Brandi Glanville and Leslie Bruce
Long Shot by Mike Piazza and Lonnie Wheeler
Nigellissima: Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes by Nigella Lawson
Coolidge by Amity Shlaes
Bebe Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
The Indigo Spell: A Bloodlines Novel by Richelle Mead.
-BAM
New releases for Feb. 5, 2013: Woody Guthrie novel “House of Earth” released posthumously
Woody Guthrie
Thanks to the efforts of actor Johnny Depp and historian David Brinkley, Oklahoma folk icon Woody Guthrie’s only fully realized novel, “House of Earth,” was released posthumously today.
“House of Earth,” a Dust Bowl tale Guthrie finished in 1947, is the first book in Depp’s publishing imprint with HarperCollins, called Infinitum Nihil (which means “nothing is forever” and is also the name of Depp’s film production company). It will publish two to three books a year, according to USA Today.
Guthrie was born July 14, 1912, in Okemah. The singer-songwriter, who died of of Huntington’s disease on Oct. 3, 1967, at the age of 55.
As previously reported, word of the novel’s existence and planned release surfaced last summer as Guthrie’s rich artistic legacy — he wrote about 3,000 songs along with essays, newspaper columns and his partially fictionalized autobiography “Bound for Glory” and as a visual artist created many paintings and illustrations — was being marked with the “Woody at 100” centennial celebration, a series of all-star concerts, album releases, conferences and tributes of all kinds.
According to USA Today, Brinkley was working on another book for Depp’s imprint — a biography of Bob Dylan, set to be released in 2015 — when he read a brief reference to “House of Earth” in the papers of folklorist Alan Lomax. Later, Brinkley discovered that Guthrie mailed the manuscript to filmmaker Irving Lerner and that it eventually ended up in a box at the University of Tulsa library.
Brinkley found no evidence Guthrie submitted the novel to a publisher. “Not long after he finished it, his health started deteriorating,” Brinkley told USA Today. “Also, its leftist politics and explicit sex scenes would have been hard to market in the Truman era.”
Johnny Depp (AP file)
By e-mail, Depp told USA Today the novel is “a lost treasure of 20th-century American literature,” but he has no designs yet to adapt it as a movie.
“But should the possibility of a film be discussed,” he added, “it would be an honor to play any part in it.”
Here is the publisher’s description of “House of Earth”:
Finished in 1947 and lost to readers until now, “House of Earth” is Woody Guthrie’s only fully realized novel—a powerful portrait of Dust Bowl America, filled with the homespun lyricism and authenticity that have made his songs a part of our national consciousness. It is the story of an ordinary couple’s dreams of a better life and their search for love and meaning in a corrupt world.
Tike and Ella May Hamlin struggle to plant roots in the arid land of the Texas Panhandle. The husband and wife live in a precarious wooden farm shack, but Tike yearns for a sturdy house that will protect them from the treacherous elements. Thanks to a five-cent government pamphlet, Tike has the know-how to build a simple adobe dwelling, a structure made from the land itself—fireproof, windproof, Dust Bowl–proof. A house of earth.
Though they are one with the farm and with each other, the land on which Tike and Ella May live and work is not theirs. Due to larger forces beyond their control—including ranching conglomerates and banks—their adobe house remains painfully out of reach.
A story of rural realism and progressive activism, and in many ways a companion piece to Guthrie’s folk anthem “This Land Is Your Land,” House of Earth is a searing portrait of hardship and hope set against a ravaged landscape. Combining the moral urgency and narrative drive of John Steinbeck with the erotic frankness of D. H. Lawrence, here is a powerful tale of America from one of our greatest artists.
Here is a list of other new books, CDs and DVD/Blu-rays out today, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Josh Groban, “All That Echoes.”
Harry Connick Jr., “Smokey Mary.”
Tim McGraw, “Two Lanes of Freedom (Accelerated Deluxe Edition).”
Richard Thompson, “Electric (2-CD Deluxe Edition).”
Eels, “Wonderful, Glorious (2 CD Deluxe Edition).”
Roxy Music, “The Complete Studio Recordings (Box set).”
Townes Van Zandt, “Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971-1972.”
Coheed and Cambria, “The Afterman: Descension.”
Red, “Release the Panic (Deluxe Edition).”
Sanctus Real, “Run.”
Misfits, “D e a.d. A l i v e!”
Ron Sexsmith, “Forever Endeavour.”
DVD/Blu-ray
Alex Cross
Animaniacs: Volume 4
The Bouquet
Celeste and Jesse Forever
Cougar Town: The Complete Third Season
Deadfall
Flight
Here Comes the Boom
A Late Quartet
Little White Lies
Paul Williams: Still Alive
Side by Side
So Undercover
You May Not Kiss the Bride
Books
House of Earth: A Novel by Woody Guthrie
My Brother’s Book by Maurice Sendak
From Mama’s Table to Mine: Everybody’s Favorite Comfort Foods at 350 Calories or Less by Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark
Take 2: Your Guide to Creating Happy Endings and New Beginnings by Leeza Gibbons
Wise Men: A Novel by Stuart Nadler
Big Nate Flips Out by Lincoln Peirce
Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner
-BAM
New releases for Jan. 29, 2013: Charlie Wilson celebrates 60th birthday with new album “Love, Charlie,” out today
Charlie Wilson
Grammy-nominated RCA Records recording artist and R&B icon Charlie Wilson, who hails from Tulsa, is celebrating his 60th birthday today with the release of his new, highly-anticipated album, “Love, Charlie.”
With the album’s first single, “My Love Is All I Have,” Wilson has already scored a hit on the Billboard Urban Adult Contemporary Chart.
The selection of songs on “Love, Charlie” cover the various aspects of love that people experience – from the joy of discovering it on “I Think I’m In Love,” to one’s heart speaking to another’s on the lead single, “My Love is All I Have,” according to a news release. For the Oklahoma native, the love of self and faith in God is represented on “If I Believe,” his most poignant song on the album.
“The first track on ‘Love, Charlie’ sets the tone for this project,” says Wilson in the release. “As everyone knows I have not only survived some of life’s challenges, I have been triumphant and ‘If I Believe’ is my testimony which I hope will inspire others.”
Wilson, whose career began with his brothers as the incomparable and funky GAP Band, has been enjoying an extraordinary solo career which includes two Grammy nominations for each of his last two albums, “Uncle Charlie” and “Just Charlie.” The latter release spawned the chart-topping hit “You Are” which claimed the No. 1 spot Billboard’s Urban Adult Contemporary chart for 13 consecutive weeks.
In addition to his success as a solo artist, Wilson has collaborated with numerous chart-topping artists and producers including Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, Fantasia, T. Pain, Justin Timberlake and his recent performance on the 2012 Soul Train Awards with 2 Chainz.
With a repertoire of many hit songs, Wilson continues to perform to sold-out audiences around the country including his critically acclaimed and heralded performance at the 2012 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. He will again perform at the 2013 Essence Festival July 4-7 in The Big Easy.
Here is a list of more CDs, DVD/Blu-rays and books out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Charlie Wilson, “Love, Charlie.”
Fleetwood Mac, “Rumours Extended Edition” (3-CD set).
Andrea Bocelli, “Passione (Deluxe Edition).”
Destiny’s Child, “Love Songs.”
Kris Kristofferson, “Feeling Mortal.”
Eric Burdon, “’Til Your River Runs Dry.”
Tegan & Sara, “Heartthrob.”
Emmy Rossum, “Sentimental Journey.”
Justin Bieber, “Believe Acoustic.”
Local Natives, “Hummingbird (Deluxe Edition).”
Rock Candy Funk Party, “We Want Groove.”
Colton Dixon, “A Messenger.”
Tomahawk, “Oddfellows.”
Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, “Get Up! (Deluxe Edition CD/DVD).”
DVD/Blu-ray
The Awakening
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2
The Cold Light of Day
Downton Abbey: Season 3
Hello I Must Be Going
Hotel Transylvania
Madly Madagascar
Pan Am: The Complete Series
Paranormal Activity 4
Seven Psychopaths
Books
Remembering Whitney by Cissy Houston
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia by Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, Patrick Thorpe, Akira Himekawa
A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story by Sister Souljah
Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned The Tide in the Second World War by Paul Kennedy
Emeraldalicious (Pinkalicious) by Victoria Kann
Prodigy: A Legend Novel by Marie Lu
-BAM
New releases for Jan. 8, 2013: Rilla Askew releases new book “Kind of Kin”
Rilla Askew
Oklahoma-born and bred novelist Rilla Askew, an American Book Award winner and recipient of the Oklahoma Book Awards’ lifetime achievement award, released today her new novel “Kind of Kin.”
The timely novel is based on Oklahoma’s newly passed law that makes it a felony to harbor illegal immigrants. Here is the official synopsis:
With the passing of a new state law, it becomes a felony to harbor an undocumented immigrant in Oklahoma. So when Robert John Brown, a churchgoing family man and respected community member, is caught hiding a barnful of migrant workers with no papers, he is arrested and sent to prison. Meanwhile, his ten-year-old grandson Dustin tries to help the sole escapee of the raid reunite with his family, and his granddaughter, Misty, is struggling to raise her daughter alone after her husband, an illegal immigrant himself, has been deported. Then there’s Brown’s daughter Sweet, who finds her life unraveling: her father is refusing to speak in court to defend himself, her nephew is missing, her niece is in need of shelter, and the stress of it all is destroying her marriage.
Rilla Askew’s brilliant, hilarious, and heartfelt novel follows a handful of complicated lawmakers and lawbreakers as workers are exiled, friends turn informers, and families are torn apart in a statewide exodus of Hispanics. In the end, Kind of Kin reveals how an ad hoc family, and an entire town, will unite to do anything necessary to protect its own.
Askew, who was born in the Sans Bois Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma and grew up in Bartlesville, will sign copies of “Kind of Kin” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16 at Oklahoma City’s Full Circle Bookstore. For more information, go to www.fullcirclebooks.com.
CDs
Dropkick Murphys, “Signed and Sealed in Blood.”
Solange, “True.”
Chris Tomlin, “Burning Lights.”
Original Broadway cast, “Chaplin: The Musical.”
Black Veil Brides, “Wretched & Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones.”
Hollywood Undead, “Notes From The Underground – Unabridged” (Deluxe Edition).
Various artists, “Stand Up Guys: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.”
Various Artists, “Girls Soundtrack Volume 1: Music From The HBO Original Series.”
DVDs
Archer: The Complete Season Three
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Season Two
Compliance
Dallas (2012): The Complete First Season
Dredd
Enlightened: The Complete First Season
Frankenweenie
Game Change
Hit & Run
House at the End of the Street
An Idiot Abroad: Season 2
Jack & Diane
Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden
Smash: Season One
Stolen
That’s What She Said
Touchback
Books
Kind of Kin by Rilla Askew
A Memory of Light (Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
The Dude and the Zen Master by Jeff Bridges, Bernie Glassman
Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders
My Share of the Task: A Memoir by General Stanley McChrystal
Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe by Sarah Mae, Sally Clarkson
-BAM
New releases for Dec. 4, 2012: Hinder and No Justice drop new albums; Kevin Durant’s “Thunderstruck” debuts on DVD
Hinder
Two bands with Oklahoma roots released new albums today.
Oklahoma City hard rockers Hinder dropped today their fourth full-length album for Republic Records, “Welcome to the Freakshow.”
Getting off the road in support of American Nightmare in November 2011, the group — Austin Winkler (vocals), Joe “Blower” Garvey (guitar), Mark King (guitar), Mike Rodden (bass), and Hanson (drums) — entered a hometown studio to record what would become “Welcome to the Freakshow.” Co-produced by Hanson and Marshall Dutton, the musicians say in a news release that they made a conscious effort to explore new avenues this time around. There were no boundaries, and every idea was fair game throughout the process.
“We like to think we can do anything. We don’t want to be stuck in a rut with one type of sound or formula. One song might have a country influence, while another might have a pop influence. Then, there are some heavy metal moments. We have every element covered on this record. You’ve got to do what’s best for the song,” Hanson says.
“We stayed true to our sound, but every track is unique,” Winkler adds. “We intentionally wrote about different subjects for each song. That’s something we hadn’t really done on a Hinder record. That drove the new direction. We wanted to make the lyrics and the songs as real as possible. We were more honest than ever before.”
No Justice
Red dirt rockers No Justice released today their fifth album, “America’s Son,” on Smith Music Group, longtime friends and partners who are responsible for the release of three previous records.
Hatched from the Red Dirt music mecca of Stillwater, Oklahoma and adopted into the live music epicenter of Texas, No Justice made “America’s Son” a family affair with a repeat performance from producer Dexter Green (Collective Soul).
Newer fans who found themselves addicted to the rock infused sound of the group’s previous release, 2010′s “Second Avenue,” might be caught a little off guard by this lighter fix, but longtime No Justice fans will be quickly transported back to the early days and immersed in the country music sound and heartbreaking melodies that No Justice is most known for. The record also features a star-studded cast both on the recordings and behind the scenes including guest vocal performances by Elizabeth Cook on “Songs On The Radio” and Rebecca Lynn Howard on the rejuvenated piano soaked “Don’t Walk Away.” Jason Isbell, previously of the Drive By Truckers, provides brilliant slide guitar and backing vocals on the record’s first single “Never Gonna Be Enough,” and Texas music fans will be pleased to discover a couple of tunes co-written with Casey Donahew as well as Trent Willmon and Clint Ingersol.
No Justice - Steve Rice (lead vocals/acoustic guitar), Armando Lopez (drums), Cody Patton (lead guitar, vocals), Justin Morris (bass, vocals) and Bryce Conway (keys) – is offering an autographed electric guitar to the best fan review posted on their Facebook page. The contest will run for one month, ending on Jan. 4. The winner will be notified via Facebook.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant makes his film debut in “Thunderstruck, released today on DVD. Two highly acclaimed films – “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild” – also are now available to own.
Here are more new CDs, DVDs and books out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Hinder, “Welcome to the Freak Show.”
No Justice, “America’s Son.”
Ke$ha, “Warrior.”
Paloma Faith, “Fall To Grace.”
Florida Georgia Line, “Here’s To The Good Times.”
Wiz Khalifa, “O.N.I.F.C.”
Alice Cooper, “Old School (1964-1974)” (Box set).
Kiss, “The Casablanca Singles” (Box set).
Johnny Cash, “The Complete Columbia Album Collection” (Box set).
Danny Elfman, “Hitchcock: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.”
The Smashing Pumpkins, “Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness” (Original recording remastered).
DVDs/Blu-ray
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Butter
The Dark Knight Rises
Eastbound & Down: The Complete Third Season
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
Hope Springs
Last Ounce of Courage
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Silent Night
The Simpsons: The Fifteenth Season
Thunderstruck
V/H/S
Wild Horse, Wild Ride
Books
Threat Vector by Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney
The Walking Dead Volume 17 TP: Something to Fear by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard
Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith by Gabrielle Douglas, Michelle Burford
Burned (Pretty Little Liars, Book 12) by Sara Shepard
SEAL Survival Guide: A Navy SEAL’s Secrets to Surviving Any Disaster by Cade Courtley
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2013 by Sarah Janssen
-BAM
