Emily Kinney reprises role on CW’s Arrow

ArrowWhen you think maniacal super villain, Emily Kinney is probably the last person that comes to mind. If you’re a fan of the DC television universe though, you may be familiar with her role on the The Flash as Brie Larvan, AKA The Bug Eyed Bandit.

Emily will reprise her role as a mad scientist armed with robotic bees (hey, at least someone’s trying to save them) on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 8:00pm on CW’s Arrow!

Squeeze Announce First Album Of New Songs Since 1998 [Watch Video]

Squeeze, South London’s enduring purveyors of pure pop magic, will release a new album entitled ‘Cradle To The Grave’, on Friday 2nd October 2015 on the Virgin EMI label.‘Cradle To The Grave’ is the band’s 14th studio album and features the first collection of new songs from Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook since 1998.

Songs from the album will feature in Danny Baker’s forthcoming sitcom ‘Cradle To Grave’ starring Peter Kay to be shown on national TV this Autumn.

A single, ‘Happy Days’, is available now when you preorder the album. ‘Cradle To The Grave’ can be preordered from: http://po.st/CTTGstd (standard) & http://po.st/CTTGdlx (deluxe).

Squeeze – Happy Days video:

Produced by Glenn Tilbrook and Laurie Latham, ‘Cradle To The Grave’ was recorded at 45 RPM Studios in Charlton. The band features Glenn Tilbrook on vocals and lead guitars, Chris Difford on vocals and acoustic guitar, Simon Hanson on drums, Stephen Large on keyboards and Lucy Shaw and John Bentley share bass duties. Guest musicians include Melvin Duffy on pedal steel, Dennis Greaves on guitar and Mark Feltham on harmonica. The album will be available as a twelve song CD, digital download and on 12” double vinyl, including four exclusive cover versions of songs by Lou Reed, Tom Waits, Tom T. Hall and Ray Davies. A special ‘Collector’s Edition’ CD (including a numbered insert) will be released five weeks earlier on August 28th, 2015 and is available from: www.squeezeofficial.com

The track listing for ‘Cradle To The Grave’ is:

CD:
1. Cradle To The Grave
2. Nirvana
3. Beautiful Game
4. Happy Days
5. Open
6. Only 15
7. Top Of The Form
8. Sunny
9. Haywire
10. Honeytrap
11. Everything
12. Snap, Crackle And Pop

Vinyl 2 x LP
SIDE 1.
1. Cradle To The Grave
2. Nirvana
3. Beautiful Game
4. Happy Days
SIDE 2.
1. Open
2. Only 15
3. Top Of The Form
4. Sunny
SIDE 3.
1. Haywire
2. Honeytrap
3. Everything
4. Snap, Crackle and Pop
SIDE 4.
1. Hanging Around
2. Harper Valley PTA
3. Strange Effect
4. I Don’t Wanna Grow Up

Songs from ‘Cradle To The Grave’ will feature in the forthcoming TV comedy ‘Cradle To Grave’, based on the life of writer and broadcaster Danny Baker. The series, set on a council estate in the 70s, stars comedian Peter Kay as Danny’s father. NME writer turned TV presenter and DJ, Danny was brought up in Deptford, the old stomping ground of the band, and Squeeze were asked to become involved at an early stage.

Glenn recalls: “When I read the book, I got in contact with Danny and said that I thought we could do something together with his book. Danny was already talking with (co-writer) Jeff Pope about a TV series and the mood and sentiment of Cradle were completely in sync. Danny and Jeff both loved it and everything else followed on from there.”

When the team behind the show heard the song ‘Cradle To The Grave’, they were so impressed that it was used as the inspiration for the name of the show.

“The scripts were inspiring; hugely funny. It tapped into a period that lyrically I was very familiar with, as I grew up in the same neighbourhood as Danny,” says Chris. “We have been on location to see how it is going. It gave us a spring in our step to see the quality of filming and the direction and the attention to detail. It was very heartening and we are grateful to be involved in something that is so refreshing and also represents our past – we went to the same school, wore the same uniform, fell in love with same art teacher!”

Squeeze formed in 1973 after Glenn responded to an ad Chris had placed in a newsagent’s window. Their first EP ‘Packet Of Three’ came out in the summer of ‘77 on Deptford Fun City, a label housed in the same offices as the punk fanzine Sniffin’ Glue where Danny Baker was making his first steps as a music writer. Squeeze went on to write a dazzling collection of hook-filled hits including ‘Cool For Cats’, ‘Take Me I’m Yours’, ‘Another Nail In My Heart,’ ‘Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),’ ‘Tempted,’ ‘Black Coffee In Bed’, ‘Labelled With Love’ and many more, a roll call of pop standards that saw them awarded the Ivor Novello for Outstanding Contribution To British Music in 2008.

Over the years there have been solo careers and occasional separations, but the songwriting duo Chris and Glenn are stronger now than they’ve ever been. “We reformed Squeeze in 2007,” says Glenn. “Things went so well, here we are eight years later. Four years ago we agreed that if we were to carry on, we really needed to work on new material.”

Chris says of their fresh songs: “We’ve grown up a lot in the last few years, musically. We still love and own our past, but as musicians we needed to grow.”

Squeeze have released 13 studio albums – ‘Squeeze’ (’78), ‘Cool For Cats’ (’79), ‘Argybargy’ (’80), ‘East Side Story’ (’81), ‘Sweets From A Stranger’ (’82), ‘Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti’ (’85), ‘Babylon And On’ (’87), ‘Frank’ (’89), ‘Play’ (’91), ‘Some Fantastic Place’ (’93), ‘Ridiculous’ (’95), ‘Domino’ (’98) and the re-recording of their classic hits ‘Spot The Difference’ (‘10).

For the latest tour dates, music and more please go to:

Squeeze Official Website

Gilmore Girls music + watch Grant Lee Buffalo’s “Mockingbirds” video

Gilmore Girls

I’m not sure what I was doing when the Gilmore Girls series began in 2000, but somehow it slipped by me until now. 2009. Well, actually I started watching it late last year …

Gilmore Girls

I’m not sure what I was doing when the Gilmore Girls series began in 2000, but somehow it slipped by me until now. 2009. Well, actually I started watching it late last year. I was still living in the States when it first aired in 2000, but it’s funny to be so taken with the show and its characters now, here in England. Luckily E4 has been airing the shows everyday and it’s become a favorite past-time of mine. It’s too bad the series ended in 2007.

The whole Gilmore family cracks me up. Lorelai, played by Lauren Graham, is full of jokes and her close relationship with daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) is touching. Lorelai’s parents, Emily and Richard Gilmore, played by the wonderful Kelly Bishop and Edward Herrmann, are unmissable, as is the often sourly but lovable Luke (Scott Patterson). The quirky residents of the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut are hilarious – characters that keep the show interesting and special.

Which leads me into the musical aspect of Gilmore Girls. Carole King sings the catchy theme song “Where You Lead” with her daughter Louise Goffin. That in itself is a treat. The song was originally recorded in 1971 and each time that it’s played on the show I enjoy hearing it, and haven’t gotten sick of it yet!

Continue reading “Gilmore Girls music + watch Grant Lee Buffalo’s “Mockingbirds” video”

Later with Jools Holland Hootenanny: Duffy, Lulu, Kylie and more + videos

Later with Jools Holland

I woke up this morning with Eddie Floyd’s “634-5789” soul song going around my head. Better than a hangover, that’s for sure. Last night he and a few others performed on Later with Jools Holland for the traditional Hootenanny New Year’s Eve show on the BBC …

Later with Jools Holland

I woke up this morning with Eddie Floyd’s “634-5789” soul song going around my head. Better than a hangover, that’s for sure. Last night he and a few others performed on Later with Jools Holland for the annual Hootenanny New Year’s Eve show on the BBC.

Rather than go out, which is what we were planning to do, Dave and I stayed in for New Year’s. A very kind and generous friend had given us tickets to go out to see a few bands play at the Carling Academy Oxford and we ungraciously didn’t show up. Very naughty indeed. Hopefully he’s still talking to us.

So, we settled for a couple bottles of bubbly and the TV instead. Later with Jools was pretty good. Of course, the show isn’t filmed live, which is a bit of a let down, but it’s still fun to watch.

After Jools Holland arrived to the Land of the Hootenanny via Dr. Who’s Tardis (sounds crazy, I know) “Boogie Woogie Queen” Ruby Turner opened the show with “Jumpin’ at the Jubilee” along with Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Soul legend Eddie Floyd followed with “634-5789”. I used to sing that song in a band called Soul Wagon…crikey…about 15 years ago. The band was only together a couple of months, but that’s another story.

Other guest performers on the show included Kaiser Chiefs, Lulu, Madness, Duffy, Kate Nash, Kylie Minogue, Seasick Steve, Mika and Paul McCartney. Jools also spoke to a few guests in the audience like Lenny Henry, Dawn French, David Tennant, Formula One’s Bernie Ecclestone, Gabby Logan and more.

Duffy performed a superb cover of the Cat Stevens song, “The First Cut Is The Deepest”. I’ve mentioned on several occasions, here on Band Weblogs, how much I like Duffy and that she’s the cat’s meow. Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra accompanied Duffy, for her classy rendition of “The First Cut Is The Deepest”, which could easily be released as a single. Duffy’s been on Later with Jools two times now – sometimes she reminds me of Lulu, who Jools will often perform with, so it’s apropos that he would seem to be enamored with her.

Speaking of Lulu, she sounded great, as always, singing “Where Have All The Good Guys Gone”. It would have been good to see her sing more songs, though.

Kylie Minogue was the star of the night. For her first number, Jools reminded viewers of Kylie’s recent stint on Dr. Who before she vamped it up with “Come On Strong”. She spent the song being sultry, sitting on the piano and singing, whilst Jools played along with the band.

The other “big star of the night” was Paul McCartney. Who would have thought that one day Sir Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue would be introduced together for a duet? That they were, and they sang Paul McCartney’s “Dance Tonight”. Later, Kylie performed “2 Hearts” from her album ‘X’, with Dr. Who’s David Tennant dancing along in the audience. She also sang a jazzed up lounge version of her hit song “I Could Be So Lucky” with Jools Holland on piano.

The Duffy and Eddie Floyd “Bring It On Home To Me” duet was a treat and Mika performed “Grace Kelly”, playing the piano – as I had first heard him play the song for his debut on Later with Jools Holland about a year ago. This time he played along with the Jools Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. It’s too bad the song gets so overplayed on the radio, because I really liked it the first time I heard it. Especially the stripped down piano version.

There were many more performances throughout the night and if you missed the Hootenanny on the BBC, luckily the Later with Jools Holland website has added video footage of the complete show.

For some reason, Ruby Turner doesn’t have a section on the Hootenanny page. Hopefully they’ll add one soon. In the meantime, you can go to Ruby Turner Official Website for more information about her.

Watch Hootenanny videos from Later with Jools Holland

Later with Jools Holland BBC Website

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

Leon Jackson – The X Factor winner releases “When You Believe” for Christmas + videos

Leon Jackson - When You Believe

Leon Jackson, the 2007 winner of The X Factor, appeared on GMTV’s LK Today this morning. Lorraine Kelly talked to Leon about his win last Saturday night December 15th, his nerves throughout the show …

Leon Jackson - When You Believe

Leon Jackson, the 2007 winner of The X Factor, appeared on GMTV’s LK Today this morning. Lorraine Kelly talked to Leon about his win last Saturday night December 15th, his nerves throughout the show and the fact that he had just started singing publicly in January of this year. Karaoke was his schtick before his appearance on the show, and after being crowned the winner, Leon is now a part of X Factor history.

Leon’s new single, a cover of the Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey hit song “When You Believe”, is now available for download and will be in stores December 19th, 2007 on Sony BMG. We’ll have to wait and see if it will make UK Christmas #1.

He sang “When You Believe” on LK Today along with a choir, and after performing on The X Factor Saturday night and probably getting little sleep, he sounded pretty good for a Monday morning. I like the tone of his voice, and at times it reminds me a bit of Jamie Cullum. Even though Leon, who hails from Whitburn, West Lothian, Scotland, is only 18 years old and hasn’t had much experience performing in public, he seems a natural on stage.

With Dannii Minogue as his mentor during The X Factor (UK series 4), it seemed apropos that he would sing a duet with her sister Kylie on the night of his win. They sang her hit, “Better The Devil You Know”. I wonder if that will ever be released as a single?

Last year the winner was Leona – this year, Leon!

Watch Leon Jackson videos on YouTube

The X Factor UK YouTube Channel

Leon Jackson – “When You Believe” on amazon.co.uk

The X Factor Official Website

For interviews, blog, videos, tour dates and more information, go to:

Leon Jackson Official Website

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

Seal “Amazing” Royal Variety Performance review + video

Seal - Amazing

Last Sunday, December 9th, The 79th Royal Variety Performance aired on ITV in the UK. The show took place in Liverpool at the Empire Theatre, in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II. One of the standout performances of the night was by Seal …

Seal - Amazing

Last Sunday, December 9th, The 79th Royal Variety Performance aired on ITV in the UK. The show took place in Liverpool at the Empire Theatre, in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

One of the standout performances of the night was by Seal. He opened the show with a great version of “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”. The other performers on stage along with Seal were quite interesting – there was a lot going on. Stilt walkers, acrobats, a choir and more, all with a Beatles-esque ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ feel about it.

For information, and more acts that performed on the show, including Bon Jovi, Teatro and Joan Rivers go to: 79th Royal Variety Performance on Band Weblogs.

Seal also performed his positive and uplifting single, “Amazing” off of his fifth studio album, ‘System’. It’s good to see Seal back on the scene. He really is a class act, no doubt about it. With his white suit and scarf that night, he looked like a million bucks.

It’s no surprise that “Amazing” was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category!

Watch Seal and Heidi Klum video – People Magazine Shoot with “Amazing” as background music:

Seal has a blog! His website is in blog format and features entries and videos. Seal’s wife, model Heidi Klum is in some of the videos that are posted as well – like the People Magazine shoot. The blog is a great place for fans to keep up to date on Seal’s music, news and everyday life.

Video link: Seal and Heidi People Magazine Shoot

Seal’s Blog

Seal on Myspace

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

Duffy on Later with Jools Holland – watch videos!

Duffy

Last Friday night, Duffy was a guest on Later with Jools Holland. It was good to finally watch her on TV after only seeing her YouTube videos …

Duffy

Last Friday night, Duffy was a guest on Later…with Jools Holland. It was good to finally watch her on TV after only seeing her YouTube videos! She’s got such a soulful voice, and she sounded great. Surprisingly she didn’t perform her debut single “Rockferry” – not sure why. Either way, it was good to hear her other two singles, “Warwick Avenue” and “Mercy”, which I think will be her next release.

I didn’t know that Duffy was scheduled to be on Jools Holland until that day – but I’m not surprised that she was. Jools (and his people) are very good at spotting quality talent for the show.

Other guests included Manu Chao, James Blunt (a last minute replacement for Babyshambles), Orchestra Baobab (awesome), Kano and Damon Albarn and Dion.

Here are videos of Duffy’s performances. Not quite TV, but at least available to watch.

Watch Duffy – “Warwick Avenue” video from Later with Jools Holland:

Watch “Mercy” video

There’s additional footage of Duffy singing “Rockferry” that wasn’t on the show, an interview with her as well as other guests that performed on the Later with Jools Holland Official Website – episode 4.

Duffy tour dates

Duffy Official Website

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs