VOLBEAT ANNOUNCES HOKUS BONUS RECORD STORE DAY BLACK FRIDAY RELEASE

7th STUDIO ALBUM, REWIND, REPLAY, REBOUND, OUT NOW VIA REPUBLIC RECORDS

Today, Volbeat announces their Record Store Day Black Friday release, Hokus Bonus: a vinyl-only compilation of ‘bonus tracks’ from special and international editions of the band’s previous albums. Limited to 3,000 copies, the LP features brand new cover art from long-time Volbeat illustrator Karsten Sand and will be pressed on “Magician’s Smoke” colored vinyl. Hokus Bonus brings several songs such as “Slaytan,” “Under The Influence,” and “Immortal But Destructable” to the vinyl format for the first time ever, and includes early versions of fan-favorites “Evelyn,” “Black Rose,” and “Die To Live.” The album also marks the first time that the European smash hit single “For Evigt” will be commercially available on vinyl in North America.
 
“We all spend a lot of time in record stores both at home and on tour,” said the band, “and bringing these songs to vinyl, some of them for the first time ever, brings us great joy. We hope our fans are looking forward to Record Store Day Black Friday as much as we are!”
 
Hokus Bonus will be available November 27th at independent record stores participating in Record Store Day. For a full list, visit https://recordstoreday.com/Stores.

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Hackers, Army of Darkness to Be Released on Vinyl & Mortal Kombat, the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, to Be Released as Picture Discs on Record Store Day 2020 from Varèse Sarabande Records

(Los Angeles, CA, March 9, 2020) — As part of Record Store Day 2020, Varèse Sarabande Records will release five amazing soundtrack LPs: Hackers and Army of Darkness will be available as double LPs and Mortal Kombat and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance get the picture disc treatment, (Age of Resistance in two different variants), on April 18, 2020, at thousands of independent record stores. A list of participating stores can be found at recordstoreday.com and for more info about these special LPs visit VareseSarabande.com.

HACKERS – Various Artists (Double LP)
On vinyl for the first time, the definitive soundtrack to the film Hackers is being released in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the film. The double LP features never-before-released tracks including “Hackers Suite” performed by composer Simon Boswell, as well as two pieces by Guy Pratt, “One Combination” and “Grand Central Station” featuring David Gilmour.

“This was such a fun thing to do, had to quickly knock it up at home and then David swung by and did his inimitable thing in one take.” – Guy Pratt

Additionally, tracks that were not on the original soundtrack release in 1995, including “Protection” by Massive Attack, and “Open Up” by Leftfield, are part of this special album edition. The commemorative package includes two black vinyl LPs in a gatefold, new notes from director Iain Softley, and unreleased photos of the cast.

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “Halcyon and On and On” Performed by Orbital
  2. “Hackers Suite” Performed by Simon Boswell
  3. “Open Up” Performed by Leftfield

Side B

  1. “Cowgirl” Performed by Underworld
  2. “Voodoo People” Performed by Prodigy
  3. “Connected” Performed by Stereo MC’s

Side C

  1. “Original Bedroom Rockers” Performed by Kruder & Dorfmeister
  2. “One Love” Performed by The Prodigy
  3. “Good Grief” Performed by Urban Dance Squad

Side D

  1. “Protection” Performed by Massive Attack
  2. “One Combination” Performed by Guy Pratt
  3. “Grand Central Station” Performed by Guy Pratt, featuring David Gilmour
  4. “Heaven Knows” Performed by Squeeze

ARMY OF DARKNESS – Joe LoDuca (Double LP)
This double LP soundtrack for Sam Raimi’s 1990’s classic Army of Darkness film (a continuation of Raimi’s Evil Dead series, which also starred Bruce Campbell as Ash) features the original cover graphics with new notes and images, and a newly remastered score by composer Joe LoDuca. Years later, LoDuca continued to score Evil Dead projects through the Starz series, Ash vs The Evil Dead. The latter series ran from 2015 – 2018. Army of Darkness is musically distinct, however, in having a secondary contributing composer: Danny Elfman’s (Batman, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, The Simpsons) killer theme “March of the Dead.”

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “Prologue”
  2. “Building The Deathcoaster”
  3. “Give Me Some Sugar / Bone’Anza”
  4. “Time Traveller”
  5. “Ash Splits”

Side B

  1. “Little Ashes”
  2. “Ash In Chains”
  3. “Night Court”
  4. “The Forest Of The Dead / Graveyard”
  5. “The Pit”

Side C

  1. “God Save Us”
  2. “Foul Thing”
  3. “March Of The Dead” Theme Composed by Danny Elfman
  4. “Whites Of Their Skulls”
  5. “The Deathcoaster”
  6. “On Parapet”

Side D

  1. “Ash Bucklers”
  2. “Skeletor”
  3. “Soul Swallower”
  4. “Manly Men”
  5. “End Titles”

MORTAL KOMBAT – George S. Clinton (Picture Disc)
Originally released on CD only in 1995 and currently unavailable in any physical format, this score to the first film ever developed for the massive gaming franchise will get the LP treatment in conjunction with the film’s 25th anniversary. Side A of this two-sided picture disc features the iconic Mortal Kombat logo, while Side B features Goro, a fan favorite from the game and film who is generally considered by gamers to be one of the most memorable and difficult bosses in gaming culture. In fact, the four-armed fighter did not lose a battle for 500 years before a first-ever loss to Mortal Kombat hero, Johnny Cage. The music was composed by George S. Clinton with a heavy assist from the guitarist, Buckethead (Guns N’ Roses, Primus), who appears on 10 of the 26 tracks.

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “Taste Of Things To Come”
  2. “Liu Vs. Sub-Zero”
  3. “It Has Begun”
  4. “The Garden” featuring Buckethead
  5. “Goro Vs. Art” featuring Buckethead
  6. “Banquet”
  7. “Liu Vs. Katana”
  8. “Liu’s Dream” featuring Buckethead
  9. “Liu Vs. Reptile” featuring Buckethead
  10. “Stairway”
  11. “Goro Goro”
  12. “Kidnapped”
  13. “Zooom”
  14. “Johnny Vs. Scorpion” featuring Buckethead

Side B

  1. “Hand And Shadow” featuring Buckethead
  2. “Scorpion And Sub-Zero” featuring Buckethead
  3. “Soul Snatchin’”
  4. “On The Beach”
  5. “Johnny Cage” featuring Buckethead
  6. “Goro Chase” featuring Buckethead
  7. “Evening Bells”
  8. “Monks”
  9. “Friends”
  10. “Flawless Victory” featuring Buckethead
  11. “Farewell”
  12. “Kids”

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE, The Aureyal & The Crystal Chamber – Daniel Pemberton, Samuel Sim (Picture Discs)
Two truly special picture disc editions featuring imagery unavailable anywhere else! The Aureyal, a symbol representing the unity of the seven Gelfling Clans, presents itself in the visions of various important Gelfling characters and is formally identified as “the sigil of great power” by skekGra the Heretic. The Aureyal picture disc is complemented on the other side with the cover art from the Volume 1 CD and digital release. The Crystal Chamber disc depicts the floor of the Dark Crystal’s chamber; a circle of 18 arcane symbols, one for each of the urSkeks that came to Thra during the first Great Conjunction. The Crystal Chamber picture disc is complemented on the other side with the cover art from the Volume 2 CD and digital release. Consumers should note that the track selections on the two picture discs are completely different. Although available for individual purchase, they are thematically a set.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a 10-episode prequel to the groundbreaking 1982 fan-favorite The Dark Crystal, and stars Taron Egerton, Star Wars’ Mark Hamill, Harry Potter’s Helena Bonham-Carter, Tomb Raider star Alicia Vikander and Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe. The show’s composer Daniel Pemberton reveals, “I wanted the music to be as magical as Thra itself – organic, imperfect, strange, mystical, otherworldly and wonderful. I wanted to create new sounds that felt like they came from the world itself, as well as using thematic largescale orchestral elements to bring an emotion to the journey of the characters.”

The Aureyal Picture Disc

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “Dzenpo!” – Daniel Pemberton
  2. “Remember Your Oath” – Samuel Sim
  3. “Puppet Show” – Samuel Sim, Daniel Pemberton
  4. “Song Of Thra” – Daniel Pemberton
  5. “The Skeksis Arrive” – Samuel Sim
  6. “Outcast” – Daniel Pemberton
  7. “Outside Podling Wayhouse” – Daniel Pemberton

Side B

  1. “An Old Story” – Daniel Pemberton
  2. “The Three Brothers Rise” – Daniel Pemberton
  3. “Attack Of The Arathim” – Samuel Sim, Daniel Pemberton
  4. “Our Sister Is Gone” – Samuel Sim
  5. “The Dark Crystal: End Credits” – Daniel Pemberton
  6. “The Dark Crystal: The Age Of Hope” – Daniel Pemberton

The Crystal Chamber Picture Disc

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance” – Daniel Pemberton
  2. “Another World, Another Time” – Daniel Pemberton
  3. “Story Of The Dark Crystal” – Daniel Pemberton
  4. “Rian + Mira Dreamfast” – Daniel Pemberton
  5. “Aughra Awakes” – Daniel Pemberton
  6. “The Crystal Chamber” – Daniel Pemberton
  7. “Essence Draining” – Daniel Pemberton

Side B

  1. “What Lies At The Dream’s End” – Daniel Pemberton
  2. “Together We Fight” – Daniel Pemberton
  3. “The Blue Flames Part 1” – Daniel Pemberton
  4. “Deet In The Woods” – Samuel Sim
  5. “Speak For The Dead” – Daniel Pemberton
  6. “Brea And The Library” – Samuel Sim
  7. “Her Light Faded” – Daniel Pemberton

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ABOUT VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS
Founded in 1978, Varèse Sarabande is the most prolific producer of film music in the world, releasing the highest quality soundtracks from the world’s greatest composers. From current box office hits and top television series to the classics of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Varèse Sarabande’s catalog includes albums from practically every composer in every era, covering all of film history; from Bernard Herrmann, Alex North and Jerry Goldsmith to Alexandre Desplat, Michael Giacchino and Brian Tyler. Varèse Sarabande is a part of Concord.

Follow: twitter.com/varesesarabande
Watch: youtube.com/varesesarabande
Listen: open.spotify.com/user/varesesarabanderecords
Like: facebook.com/varesesarabanderecords
Buy: varesesarabande.com

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Record Store Day Announces Titles for Weekend of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday

RECORD STORE DAY ANNOUNCES TITLES FOR THE DOUBLE WHAMMY WEEKEND OF BLACK FRIDAY AND SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

ALICE COOPER * A PERFECT CIRCLE * BABYMETAL *BEN FOLDS * BOBBY GENTRY * BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS * BONNIE RAITT * BØRNS * COLLECTIVE SOUL * DIFFORD & TILBROOK WITH QUESTLOVE & ROBERT GLASPER * DIO * EMMET OTTER * ERIC CLAPTON * GARBAGE * GRAVEDIGGAZ * INGRID MICHAELSON *
JERRY GARCIA ACOUSTIC BAND * KACEY MUSGRAVES * LINDSEY STIRLING * MADONNA* MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA * MATTHEW SWEET * NIGHT BEATS * PAUL MCCARTNEY * PHISH * RAY LAMONTAGNE * SHERYL CROW * SOUL ASYLUM * STING & SHAGGY * TAYLOR SWIFT * THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE * THE JOY FORMIDABLE * THE REPLACEMENTS *THE SMITHEREENS * TOM MORELLO * TOM WAITS * TONY BENNETT & DIANA KRALL * TOO $HORT * TREY ANASTASIO * TYPE O NEGATIVE * U2 * UNWRITTEN LAW * WEEZER
OH, AND SO MUCH MORE…

Of course there are a lot of headaches and woes right now, but if you’re a music lover, relief is on the way, holiday style! Record Store Day is chuffed to announce a slew of terrific Black Friday (November 23rd) titles available from Atlantic to Pacific at participating indie stores, that will put the jingle back in your jangle this unofficial “Official Shopping Season.” And if that’s not enough, just when you thought it was only 24 hours of your post-Tryptophanic haze, RSD grabs ahold of Small Business Saturday (November 24th) and celebrates a second day of reasons to shop at local, independent record stores for the holiday season.

“I will never get tired of saying that gifts from a record store, for yourself or someone else, are just the coolest things you could possibly get,” adds Carrie Colliton, Record Store Day co-founder/organizer. “And I think that a lot of people are realizing that sometimes what you find at a record store is just a little different, a little more special because the person behind the music– the person who’s putting the release together, the folks behind the package on the shelf feel that record stores are special too.”

Cases in point: Matthew Sweet brings a new full-length LP called Wicked System of Things only to record stores, Manchester Orchestra’s The Black Mile Demos EP gives us an exclusive look at the making of their acclaimed A Black Mile To The Surface, and Tom Morello’s The Atlas Underground (Instrumentals) double LP release is hand-numbered and includes a booklet of guitar tabs, so fans can play along at home. BØRNS Live At Amoeba Music In Hollywood EP makes you feel like you were there for that special record store experience, as does Alice Cooper Live From The Astroturf Full Performance, which captures the band live at Good Records in Dallas, and is in fact released by that store’s in-house label who go all out on this extensive, special package.

New songs, remixes and tributes adorn singles on the RSD Black Friday list from Sting & Shaggy, Kacey Musgraves, U2, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, BABYMETAL, The Joy Formidable, A Perfect Circle, Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne, Dio, Night Beats and more. Garbage, inspired by their tourmates Debbie Harry of Blondie and X’s Exene Cervenka, worked with Exene and John Doe to write and produce “Destroying Angels” just for an RSD BF single, and included the band’s rendition of David Bowie’s “Starman”, recorded for Howard Stern’s Bowie Tribute broadcast on the b-side.

This year Weezer proved that classic songs never go out of style and that theme runs through the RSD Black Friday list as well, starting with Weezer themselves who release a die-cut picture disc of their rain-blessing tribute to Toto, “Africa”. The Smithereens dig into the Beatles catalog for B-Sides The Beatles, and some of today’s most impressive jazz artists do the same for A Day In the Life: Impressions of Pepper. Difford & Tilbrook revisit their classic Squeeze song “Take Me I’m Yours” and bring Questlove and Robert Glasper along for the ride, and artists like Tom Waits, The Replacements, Bonnie Raitt and Sinead O’Connor–to name just a few–prove again that Disney films gave us some music that transcends time and genre (and is not just for kids) on a reissue of Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music From Vintage Disney Films.

The RSD BF list revisits some beloved albums as well, updating and celebrating titles including Bobby Gentry’s Ode to Billie Joe, Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Catch a Fire, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s We’re Only In It For The Money, Gravediggaz’ Six Feet Deep, Sheryl Crow’s Tuesday Night Music Club, The Byrds’ Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Type O Negative’s Bloody Kisses, Collective Soul’s Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, Madonna’s Ray of Light, Too $hort’s Get In Where You Fit In, Taylor Swift’s RED and Speak Now, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band’s Almost Acoustic, and Slip, Stitch & Pass from Phish (who almost certainly have Almost Acoustic in their own collections.) Also included are album box sets from Soul Asylum and Toad The Wet Sprocket.

If you “need a little Christmas” well, it’s not right this very minute but record stores can help with that come 11/23 when Rolling Stones guitar gawd Keith Richards will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his first ever solo release (which was a holiday song!) with a 12” red vinyl special of “Run Rudolph Run.” The track was originally released as a 7” in 1978 as a B-side with “The Harder They Come” and in 2007 as the B-side of “Pressure Drop”. Both those tracks appear on the B-side of this anniversary release. More holiday music comes on RSD Black Friday from the likes of Lindsey Stirling, Eric Clapton, Green River, the artists of the Prestige label, Unwritten Law and more (including Emmet Otter’s one-time nemesis, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band!)

In addition to all the music coming to record stores on Black Friday, on Saturday 11/24 Record Store Day will celebrate Small Business Saturday with releases from Ben Folds, Tony Bennett and Diana Krall, Ingrid Michaelson and Kid Doe (a collaboration between Particle Kid and John Doe). Look for more information on those releases, as well as in-store events and celebrations to come shortly.

The titles mentioned above are just an appetizer-size bite of what’s on the complete list of Record Store Day Black Friday titles. The official list, along with more information on each title, can be found at recordstoreday.com. The official hashtag for Record Store Day Black Friday is #RSDBF Record Store Day is on social media: @recordstoreday on Twitter, @recordstoredayus on Instagram, @RecordStoreDay on Facebook

About Record Store Day:
Record Store Day, the organization, is managed by the Department of Record Stores and is organized in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) and promotes independent record stores year-round with events, special releases and other fun things.

Record Store Day, the global celebration of the culture of the record store, takes place annually in April.

Record Store Day Sponsors:
ADA, Caroline, Crosley Turntables, Dr Martens Airwair USA, Dogfish Head Brewery, Furnace Record Pressing, Glowtronics, InGrooves, Music Business Association, MVD Entertainment, Okki Nokki, The Orchard, Redeye Distribution, Sony Music, ThinkIndie, URP Distribution, Universal Music Distribution, Vinyl Styl, Warner Bros. Records, WEA,

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Record Store Announces Full list of 2018 Releases!

RECORD STORE ANNOUNCES FULL LIST OF 2018 RELEASES!
THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RSD 2018 IS…
WAIT FOR IT… THIS ONE GOES TO 11!

Yes, this is Record Store Day’s 11th anniversary, and with apologies to Nigel Tufnul and Spinal Tap, we are turning all the knobs across the board WAAAAYYYY past 10 on April 21st to give everyone the best possible music and independent community experience!

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO DISCOVER EXCITING, NEW AND LIMITED-EDITION TITLES WHILE CELEBRATING THE CULTURE OF THE INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE, NATIONWIDE.

FEATURING RELEASES FROM JERRY GARCIA, PRINCE, RUN THE GRATEFUL DEAD, THE STOOGES, NOTORIOUS B.I.G., MADONNA, MASTODON, DISTURBED, PINK FLOYD, JIMI HENDRIX, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN,  RAMONES,  AND EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE ARTISTS! (WE TOLD YOU THERE WERE A LOT!)

IN THE INCLUSIVE SPIRIT OF RECORD STORE DAY, THERE IS TRULY SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT ALL YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES ON APRIL 21ST, 2018!

Record Store Day is turning it up a notch in 2018, and everything is coming together to give you something very, very special on April 21st! More independent releases with newer artists, legendary names, iconic performances captured for posterity, limited runs, multiple formats, more heavy hitters, more long out-of-print reissues, more exclusive tracks, and more of everything else you were hoping for. Why? Because you deserve it…and because that is what Record Store Day does…every year, for all our participating record stores and their loyal customers. Find records you never thought you would ever see again, buy records you cannot get enough of, and discover records that will become your new favorites immediately out of the shrink wrap! We are extremely psyched about the depth and scope of 2018’s Record Store Day selections.

RSD 2018 Ambassadors Run The Jewels are fulfilling their duties by releasing The Stay Gold Collectors Jewel Box, a limited edition metal box set which includes a 12” EP etched with custom Marvel-branded art, an RTJ slipmat, and which provides a fitting place to house your RTJ vinyl collection. More hip-hop, both new school and old, comes to record stores courtesy of Rapsody, J Dilla, Czarface, Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, Nas, 9th Wonder and more.

Jazz fans have a lot to be excited about as ORG Music presents An Evening With Ornette Coleman (Part 2), taken from a 1965 concert at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England. This album showcases Coleman’s experimentation with contemporary classical forms, features new artwork, and is exclusive to RSD 2018. Verve is releasing Ella Fitzgerald’s Ella Live at Zardi’s for the first time on opaque pink and opaque blue vinyl. John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” is being released as a 7” single through Atlantic, a replica of the original 7” “My Favorite Things Part I & II”, a hit single for the jazz giant in 1961. And Thelonious Monk’s 100th birthday is celebrated with Columbia/Legacy’s re-release of Thelonious Monk’s 1964 classic Monk.

The Motor City gets a shout out from a few titles this year, including Modern Harmonics’ release of two very early 7” singles from the MC5, pressed at Third Man Pressing. Third Man Records co-founder (and Detroit native) Ben Blackwell curates a collection called The Stooges (Detroit Edition). Speaking of Third Man Records, they offer a little Nashville in the mix, with a single from Joshua Hedley, a new country signing who you’ve probably seen leading the band at the iconic Robert’s Western World this past decade or so.

Today’s stars are well represented this year. Taylor Swift has taken over the pop world with several massive releases and Swifties can pick up special record store colored vinyl editions of three of them this April 21. New West Records’ Jason Isbell’s Live At Twist And Shout, is just that: a a six song recording of a performance from his 2007 in-store at Twist & Shout in Denver, Colorado. Mom & Pop Records has two from Courtney Barnett for RSD 2018: a 12” single with two songs from Courtney’s upcoming LP, and a picture disc edition of The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas.

The youth are wild, but the kids are all right, and that may be because of the music they get at record stores on 2018. Records geared towards kids but enjoyed by everyone include Rockabye Baby’s lullaby versions of Beastie Boys songs, a reissue from Brookvale Records of Marlo Thomas’ classic Free To Be You And Me and a Blitzen Trapper record created with toy instruments actually called Kids Album!

Various artist compilations and movies from films are a big part of the mix too. Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales continues its series of Music to Drink Beer To compilations and throws in a little sumthin sumthin by calling this edition Music to Drink Beer And Make Love To! Past & Present are releasing Girls in the Garage Volumes 2 and 3, collections of rare 60s girl group singles prove that long before Patti Smith and Joan Jett, girls were rocking in the garage as hard as the guys. Select-O-Hits brings us Malaco: The Last Soul Company 50 Years of Excellence, an RSD-curated collection of songs on gold vinyl from the 50 years of Malaco, featuring artists like Johnnie Taylor and Bobby Bland, proceeds of which benefit the BMI Foundation.

The Official Film of Record Store Day 2018 is The Godfathers of Hardcore, which tells the continuing fascinating story of Agnostic Front. Composer Aaron Drake’s score makes its vinyl debut on Record Store Day 2018.

In all, it’s one of the most diverse lists of titles ever to be put together for a Record Store Day celebration and whether you find an armful or a select few that pique your interest, they all play a part in helping us throw our favorite party of the year. We’re gonna leave with something that Reid Robinson of Co-Op Records of Moline passed along to us: “My favorite RSD quote ever was from a few years ago. A short, sweet statement from a teenage girl to her dad-
“YES! Christmas USED to be my favorite day of the year!”

For general information, please visit http://www.recordstoreday.com

A full list of titles and their accompanying artwork can be found here:www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases

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Celebrate the Holidays at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

When it comes to the holidays, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store always does it up right! Every year around August/September (yes that early). The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store starts its transformation to the holidays both Halloween and Christmas. I just love this time of the year and I am never let down by Cracker Barrel’s product. Thanks to the wonderful people at Cracker Barrel, we are able to cover two of their hottest new items for this holiday season.

The first we have is the “4′ Light-Up Lamp Post”. This is plain and simple a gorgeous holiday decoration. Just beautiful. We have this on the outside of our house on the corner by the front door on a timer and it is just beautiful to look at as we pull up at night and I hope that it brings the joy of the holidays to our neighbors as well. In fact, I went out and bought a second one for my parents as well because they simply feel in love with ours. This is a must own for holiday decorating and at a very reasonable price.

“”4′ Light-Up Lamp Post“: Decorate your entryway, porch or patio in classic Christmas style with our Light Up Lamp Post, a Cracker Barrel Exclusive! This 4′ tall decorative lamp post gives your holiday a pop of bright red and green color in the day time, and the soft, welcoming glow of clear mini lights shining through pretty star shapes at night. No matter where you display it, this easy-to-assemble novelty lamppost is just right for bright holiday cheer!

The second item that we received to feature is the “Musical Light-Up Santa’s Workshop”. This product is just fantastic. The lights…the music…the craftsmanship. Just superb. This item is a beautiful piece for the middle of a table or desk to really catch peoples eye and show your true spirit of the holidays. My daughter is four and she loves watching the Workshop move and sparkle as it plays the holiday tunes. This product is also very reasonable priced to get for the quality. So I would recommend you heading to your local Cracker Barrel and check out their Old Country Store or you can also shop online.

“Musical Light-Up Santa’s Workshop“: Whether you’re just starting a collection of miniature decorative houses or already have a charming village to display at the holidays, our Musical Light Up Santa’s Workshop will steal the show! This Cracker Barrel Exclusive is designed to delight down to the tiniest detail, from the animated Santa and elves to the color-changing lights. You’ll love this wonderful musical decoration for many holiday seasons to come!

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Filed Under: Toys Tagged With: barrel, celebrate, country, cracker, holidays, store, ...

Product Feature: Halloween at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

When the holiday seasons roll around I just can’t wait to go into my local Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. You walk in their store and you are immediately whammed with some of the most creative and fun decorations for any upcoming holiday. I am the kind of person that would loop the Fall/Holiday season over and over if possible, so when you walk into the store in August and see Halloween already decked out ready I melt! And if the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store knows how to do one thing it is Halloween! They setup one of the coolest displays for their merchandise. My daughter usually b-lines to it to check out all the amazing new items.

This year, I had the chance to review seven of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store’s latest new products and like usual, all fantastic as usual. The first was my four year old’s choice, “Animated Halloween Puppy“. This trick-or-treating doggy aka Candy Bandit is literally one of the cutest animated toys, I have ever seen! And if it wasn’t cute enough it runs around the floors or table and plays “The Addams Family” theme! SOLD!

Next up is a “Light-Up Witch Wreath“, this is a cute door wreath for the Halloween season. There is something I love about this wreath on my first door, it is not scary-scary but it is fun and maybe a little silly and I just know that if anyone is coming to my door it is impossible not to realize and smile at for sure!

“Animated Eyeball Doorbell” is one item that was NOT my four year old’s favorite due to being “too scary” but honestly that is a score for daddy cause that means that it is effective. This went right outside our door as well and I know that it has already given a few fun jumps to our friends and family, which makes me love it even more!

Who doesn’t love Peanuts and their wonderful characters? Cracker Barrel Old Country Store always has the cutest Peanuts animated figures. The latest is an “Animated Glow-in-the-Dark Snoopy“, which you immediately fall in love with! I have gotten a Snoopy animated character from Cracker Barrel Old Country Store for the last three years now and each of them are better than the next. It has music, it dances (or should I say wiggles) and the glowing in the dark is just a bonus! A must have for any Peanuts fans out there!

Having a young child and being a big Halloween fan sometimes might be difficult because you have to balance the scary factor and can’t get something that will terrify for kids. The “Metal Witch Leg Yard Stake” from Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a great product that fits right in for that balance. It is extremely fun and honestly just cracks me up everything time I walk outside (as it does my daughter). Plus it doesn’t take up a lot of outdoor space and is extremely easy to stake in the ground.

If you are looking for a little decor around the house for the subtle Halloween touch, look no further than the “Light-Up Witches Brew Potion Jar“. This light up jar is a cute way to dress up your house in addition to light it up. It gives off a nice amount of light and adds a nice Halloween accent to our counter.

Last item of the season that we had the chance to feature is also one of my favorites, the “‘Welcome My Pretties’ Wall Decor“. Since we have our front door occupied with the Light-Up Witch Wreath, our pantry door is covered with this fun decor. This piece just screams “Welcome Halloween” for me! It is fun and we have it placed in a great spot in our house and every time I see it I definitely just smile and it makes it laugh. I like to always image that a witch literally flew into our door…SMOOSH! It is reasonably priced, in fact that bring up a great point about Cracker Barrel Old Country Store that their prices are very competitive. You go to Target or Wal-Mart and sure they might have “cheap” Halloween decoration but you are getting that exactly CHEAP in quality. Everything sold at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store seems like it is much higher than the plain ole garage you will find at those stores.

That is also one of the things that I loved about the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is that they don’t recycle all of last years crap that didn’t sell, I always feel like they have a wide variety of new products each season as well and as a consumer that makes me very satisfied. So you may not think of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store as your first stop to check out the latest holiday products but honestly it should be because this store has it all and you will have a hard time leaving without a purchase once you walk in! We should have our Christmas coverage up first week in November covering all the great new Cracker Barrel Old Country Store products as well, so stay tuned!

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Filed Under: Toys Tagged With: barrel, country, cracker, feature, halloween, product, ...

Cory Stolberg discussing saving My Happy Place Comic Book Store

Cory Stolberg and Bill Hoeks are dreamers. As the managers of the My Happy Place Comic Book Store in Crystal Lake, Illinois, they’ve set out to give customers the same great experience they had when they were younger. In store giveaways, special guest appearances and the thrill that comes when you first open a new comic.

They recently started a Go Fund Me Page in hopes of raising enough money to turn My Happy Place into one of the premiere comic book stores in the Midwest. I recently chatted with Cory about his younger years, his passion and the dream he and Bill hope will come true.

Mike Smith: Can you give us some background on the store?
Cory Stolberg: We opened the store in January of this year and it is my first time running a comic book store. The current owner opened the store as a tribute to her youngest son, who was only 19 when he passed away three years ago from an unknown heart condition. He was a huge “Captain America” fan and had always told his mom, who had previously owned a used book store, that one day he was going to take it over and turn it into a comic book store. Bill and I have been helping and assisting since day one of this project. We’re involved in everything from planning and remodeling the location to moving inventory around. We also handle setting up the current floor plan and the ordering of merchandise. We try to host an event a month by having artists, writers and publishers in the store for free meet and greets. We hosted Free Comic Book Day back in May and just had another one on Halloween.

MS: Is it hard work?
CS: We have worked hard every single step of the way We have laid the ground work for where we want to see this store go and the owner has pretty much given us free range to do it and we have made it a success thus far. But the time frame to purchase the store was moved up, which is why we set up the Go Fund Me page. The people that have donated thus far are regulars at the store and they understand and see the big picture of what we want to accomplish. It is their passion and commitment to us that keeps our heads up.

MS: Give a little information about your Go Fund Me efforts.
CS: I started the Go Fund Me Page in late August and it has had a slow start. Since then, we have fielded quite a few questions. Everything from is the store closing to “what about my orders!” Our store is different from every other I have ever been in. Now granted I don’t get to travel the country and visit other stores, but compared to the many I have been to in Illinois, none of them have the energy we have, none of them greet the customers walking in the door by name, few are willing to go above and beyond to locate books for customers if they are not found in the store or on the Diamond Distributors page. We receive so many compliments from customers who quickly become friends. Because of our efforts they often become loyal to our shop with just one visit.

Our goal is $75,000, of which part will be used for updating and remodeling as discussed on the Go Fund Me Page. More inventory, some gaming, some updating, new racks and displays and a nest egg to help us for a bit. Any and all funds raised will go directly into the store. If we do not hit our goal, then ever dollar is returned to the donors. However, we believe that we can and will make this work, it is just a matter of keeping our heads up and staying the course.

MS: Why do you want to run a comic book store?
CS: For us this is dream. I have been reading and collecting comics on and off for almost 40 years. I dropped out in the 90’s, like many others, after the whole “Death of Superman” experience and the introduction of Spawn and Image Comics to the world. Over the years the writing has gotten better, the artwork is incredible and many of the story lines are just amazing. I personally prefer to read the independent books or smaller publishers, as I have outgrown the whole Super Hero thing. Plus, its near on impossible to go back and try to collect the back issues if you aren’t wealthy. For Bill and I this has been the most fun we have had working, ever. The customers are awesome, most of them are now friends and we get new ones weekly. Even though we know we will never get rich at this, this has been the most satisfying experience thus far in our lives. We are continuing to make friends with people in the industry who truly understand our dream and are helping where they can. We had artists at the New York Comic Con this weekend helping to promote our fundraising page and spreading the word about our dream. Everyone has to start somewhere. It took us many years to get our dream going but there is no letting up on it now.

MS: What is the big difference between your store and others?
CS: Bill and I have both been in positions over our work histories where we ended up working for some terrible employers and bosses. And we remember this every day as a way not to treat others. Customer service is a huge part of this business. You get one chance to make a first impression and you better make the most of it, because the customer can make you or break you in an instant. If you are having a bad day, the customer had better never know it. If the customer is having a bad day, you better do everything in your power to make it better for them. My Grandmother helped raise me and she instilled in me at a very young age that every single person you meet and have contact with each and every day, make them smile, no matter what, you have no idea what is going on in their lives at that moment and that one simple gesture, like a simple smile, could change their lives. Does that make us qualified to own a store? Who knows? But the customers love it and if they are happy, we are happy. As we say “Come find your Happy Place at My Happy Place Comics!”

To make a donation or to find out more information about the Go Fund Me campaign, click here https://www.gofundme.com/myhappyplace

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Filed Under: Interviews, Misc Interviews Tagged With: book, comic, cory, discussing, happy, place, ...

“Care Bears Advent Calender” Hits iTunes App Store!

Come along with the Care Bears for a very magical countdown to Christmas in The Care Bears Advent calendar app from American Greetings. Packed with all of the fun sights and sounds of the holiday season children can start the countdown by ‘unlocking’ 25 activities like holiday-themed puzzles, videos, coloring pages and more, returning each day to unlock another activity. Children can design hundreds of snowflakes and create their own white Christmas with the Care-a-Lot Snowflake maker, decorate the Care Bears Christmas tree with special ornaments, and enjoy other wintry fun activities. On Christmas Day, a full-length Care Bears video episode is unlocked.

Available now for iPads for $2.99 on the App Store. A PC and MAC desktop app can be downloaded at https://www.americangreetings.com/care-bears-advent-calendar

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Filed Under: Toys Tagged With: advent, app, bears, calender, care, hits, ...

Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” Prize Pack & Disney Store Bonus Shop Card Giveaway [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

©2012 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

To celebrate the release of Disney’s “WRECK-IT RALPH”, we are excited to giveaway a $25 Disney Store bonus shop card, as well as some t-shirts and other movie goodies.  If you would like to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite video game character. This giveaway will be open until November 11th at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

Visit your local Disney Store or DisneyStore.com to live the adventure of WRECK-IT RALPH.

Official Website: Disney.com/WreckItRalph
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/WreckItRalph
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/disneyanimation

Voice Cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch
Director: Rich Moore
Producer: Clark Spencer

From Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy®-winning director Rich Moore comes “Wreck-It Ralph,” a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping adventure. For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day. Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero.

On his quest, Ralph meets tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty, and feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, who may just be his first real friend. But everything changes when a deadly enemy is unleashed, threatening the entire arcade and Vanellope herself. Ralph finally gets his chance to save the day—but can he do it in time? “Wreck-It Ralph” is now playing in theatres in 3D.

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: disney, disneys, giftcard, giveaway, pack, prize, ...

Blu-ray Review “The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)”

Directed by: Roger Corman
Starring: Dick Miller, Jack Nicholson, Jonathan Haze, Mel Welles
Distributed by: Legend Films
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Running Time: 70 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Legend Films is known for colorizing classic films and they did a very notable job with 1960’s “The Little Shop of Horrors”. The color is very subtle and feels like it was beautiful hand panted on each scene. I have seen this film many times and I am big fan of Roger Corman and this film still works well for me. This is the first time that this film has been released on Blu-ray and Legend films really did a great job restoring it in both color and black-and-white.

Everyone knows the classic story of “The Little Shop of Horrors”. This 1960 film was also one of Jack Nicholson’s first roles. Seymour grows an exotic plant that has an insatiable appetite for blood and people. As the plant grows larger and larger and hungrier and hungrier, things start to get out of the control for the local flower shop and their bloodthirsty plant.

The video resolutions looks really sharp in its 1080p transfer. The only main concern is that the aspect ratio on the Blu-ray is 1.33:1 compared to the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Nothing major missed though. The audio is nothing special but includes a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track.

The special features only included a commentary track by MST3K’s Mike Nelson, which definitely delivers some great laughs. Lastly if you prefer the classic black and white version of the film, as with all Legend releases they included the original black and white version as well, so everyone is happy.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: carnivorous, convinces, create, feeds, flesh, flower, ...

Have a Pet or Be a Pet: “The Sims 3 Pets” Is Available on Store Shelves Today

Have a Pet or Be a Pet: The Sims 3 Pets Is Available on Store Shelves Today

Fetch a Copy of the Latest Standalone Release for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and Expansion Pack on the PC/Mac

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. –(BUSINESS WIRE)– Let the fur fly! Will you have a pet or be a pet? Now you can play both ways as pets are Sims too! Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced The Sims™ 3 Pets is now available in North America on PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS™ and as an Expansion Pack on the PC/ Mac*. Developed by the award-winning team at The Sims Studio, The Sims 3 Pets gives players the ability to play as a pet for the first time in franchise history and see The Sims world through their eyes.

Across all platforms, players will be able to use the robust Create a Pet tool to customize dozens of breeds of cats and dogs. On the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC/Mac, players are able to design their pet from their coats, colors and body shapes, and even down to their snouts and age. Players can also choose from a variety of unique personality traits such as friendly, hyper, clueless and piggy, offering limitless opportunities for fans to create the pets of their dreams or nightmares.

“Pets have always been the top requested theme from our players, and we are delivering a deep, rich experience in The Sims 3 Pets for our fans to enjoy,” said Scott Evans , General Manager of The Sims Studio. “From the moment a player starts the game, they’ll revel in the opportunities to recreate their childhood pet, train their dog to be the most desirable or despicable animal in the neighborhood, share their favorite pet on The Sims 3 Exchange or witness the special lasting relationships their Sims build with their pets. The Sims 3 Pets is about the moments that are unique to the player who lives them.”

The Sims 3 Pets also features gameplay experiences specific to each platform. Exclusive to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, players will explore all new venues and embark on mysteries in the New England -style town of Sugar Maple Coast . Karma Powers return to the console games and give players the ability to bestow wealth on their Sim or completely uproot their lives. New Karma Powers include: Transmogrify that allows a Sim, cat or dog to turn into a different species; Meteor Strike that drops space rocks from the sky; Feral Possession which turns players’ pets into furry terrors; and more. Exclusive to the Xbox 360, players who are Kinect-enabled can use voice commands to quickly jump between areas of Create a Sim and live mode to change outfits, fulfill the needs of both their Sims and pets and more.

In The Sims 3 Pets PC/Mac Expansion Pack, players are able to create and adopt dogs, cats and, another first for the franchise, horses. Fans are able to take their Sims and their pets on wild adventures while exploring the new world with animal-specific venues and environments such as the dog park, cat jungle or horse stables. Another exclusive to the PC/Mac version, players will be able to search through their world for the elusive unicorn. The magical unicorn can be added to a player’s household after they’ve built up the relationship enough. Unicorns offer fun opportunities to play with life by being able to bless other Sims, teleport around the world and even spark fires. Other minor pets that Sims can own and interact with, but are not fully controllable, include birds, rodents, lizards, turtles and snakes.

Unique to the Nintendo 3DS version of The Sims 3 Pets, players can now create, customize and control a household full of pets without any human Sims. In addition, players will be able to save up to three separate games, each with its own household of three playable Sims. Through gameplay, players can add a fourth member to their household. The Sims 3 Pets on Nintendo 3DS lets fans use Play Coins collected from the Nintendo’s 3DS pedometer feature to spend as Karma Power points. Additionally, players will be able to use Nintendo’s StreetPass™ function to share their Sims and pets with other Nintendo 3DS users in near vicinity.

The Sims 3 Pets is rated “T” for Teen, with an MSRP of $49.99 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and $39.99 on Nintendo 3DS and PC/Mac.

The Sims 3 Plus Pets is also available on PC/Mac and bundles The Sims 3 base game and The Sims 3 Pets Expansion Pack with an MSRP of $49.99 .

For more information, visit http://www.thesims3.com/content/en_US/promo/pets/pets.htm, like the game on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. For more information on The Sims 3, visit http://www.thesims3.com/.

*Requires The Sims 3 for PC/Mac to play.

About The Sims

The Sims™ franchise, the groundbreaking game series that allows players to create and live a virtual, simulated life on a computer, celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2010 and has sold more than 140 million units since its launch in February 2000 . Now translated into 20 different languages and available in 60 different countries, The Sims series has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. Since its June 2009 launch, The Sims 3 has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide across multiple platforms and was the #1 best-selling PC title for 2009 in North America and Europe . Fan intensity is evidenced through nearly 250 million downloads of player-created content including: The Sims characters, houses, stories and more. The Sims 3 community site, www.thesims3.com, welcomes up to seven million unique visitors monthly, handles more than 240 content downloads every minute and more than 3.5 million uploads to date, including 11 movies each hour. The Sims 3 YouTube Channel is within the top 10 most-viewed sponsored channels of all time, with more than 45 million video views. Visit The Sims 3 official website to see what the players are creating at www.TheSims3.com or the official YouTube Channel for The Sims at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSims. The Sims 3 is available for PC, Mac, iPhone®, iPod touch®, mobile devices, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™. Join The Sims 3 Facebook or Twitter communities at www.facebook.com/thesims3 and www.twitter.com/thesims3. In August, 2011, The Sims Social browser-based game launched on Facebook and within one month garnered an impressive 50M monthly active users and secured the #2 position on Appdata’s chart of top Facebook games. To play The Sims Social, visit www.facebook.com/TheSimsSocial.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company’s game franchises are offered as both packaged goods products and online services delivered through Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.

In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion . Headquartered in Redwood City, California , EA is recognized for critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.

The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.

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Filed Under: Game Headlines Tagged With: 3, pet, pets, shelves, sims, store, ...
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