Happy Birthday BILL BERRY (video)

#billberry #rem #rockfile

William Thomas "Bill" Berry (born July 31, 1958) is a retired American musician and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. In addition to his drumming duties, Berry played many other instruments including guitar, bass guitar, and piano, both for songwriting and on R.E.M. records. After 17 years with the band, Berry left the music industry to become a farmer, and has since maintained a low profile, making sporadic reunions with R.E.M. and appearing on other artists' records.

R.E.M. was formed in 1980. In addition to his duties as a drummer, Berry contributed occasional guitar, bass, mandolin, vocals, keyboards and piano on studio tracks. In concert, he sometimes performed on bass, and supplied regular backing vocals. Berry also made notable songwriting contributions, particularly for "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon", both from Automatic for the People. Other Berry songs included "Perfect Circle", "Driver 8", "Cant Get There from Here" and "I Took Your Name". The song "Leave" was also written by Berry for R.E.M.'s 1996 album New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which was his last album with the band.

During 1984 Berry also was drummer for the impromptu Hindu Love Gods, which featured his R.E.M. bandmates Mike Mills and Peter Buck and rocker Warren Zevon.

In 1995, at the Patinoire Auditorium in Lausanne, Switzerland, Berry collapsed on stage during an R.E.M. show from a ruptured brain aneurysm. He recovered and rejoined the band, but left in October 1997, saying that he no longer had the drive or enjoyment level to be in the band, and that he wanted a career change, he explained on VH-1's Behind The Music:

    "I didn't wake up one day and decide, 'I just can't stand these guys anymore' or anything. I feel like I'm ready for a life change. I'm still young enough that I can do something else. I've been pounding the tubs since I was nine years old ... I'm ready to do something else."

 

Acquiescing to Berry's wishes, R.E.M. announced that it would continue as a three-piece outfit. They continued to tour with several accompanying musicians, including long-time sidemen Ken Stringfellow and Scott McCaughey and employed Joey Waronker and Bill Rieflin as live drummers.

His musical activities after leaving R.E.M. have been sporadic, but did include recording for the Tourette Syndrome Charity Album Welcome Companions in 2000. He is also an avid golfer.

 

Berry has had several brief reunions with his former bandmates, including one song on October 10, 2003, concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, several songs at the October 2005 wedding of band roadie DeWitt Burton, and performances in September 2006 at the band's induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame (as well as an appearance at an R.E.M. tribute night at the 40 Watt Club in Athens a few days before the induction) and in March 2007 at the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also played drums and sang on R.E.M.'s cover of "#9 Dream", a John Lennon cover recorded to benefit Darfur. Nonetheless, Peter Buck and Michael Stipe said that Berry remained firm on his decision to retire from the group.

 

Prior to the group's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Berry granted his first interview in several years, discussing life after retirement. "It's a great chance to get back together and perform with R.E.M., which I always loved doing," he said. "This opportunity also does not require me to climb onto (a) bus or plane to do it again and again for several consecutive months."

source: wikipedia

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Groovin' with WIDESPREAD PANIC (video)

 #widespreadpanic #wsp #rockfile

A close friend just discovered WIDESPREAD PANIC. (I know, right?) I have been a fan since the late 80's and thought everyone had run across the Athens, GA-based band at some point.  So, I dug up some live videos to share the love. Enjoy!

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RED LINE CHEMISTRY Interview Coming Soon (video)

#redlinechemistry #rlc #rockfile #rockfileradio

I just confirmed an interview with Red Line Chemistry in a little more than a week. I have been a fan since I saw these guys a couple of years ago at Rock On The Range. They have a brand new album called Tug Of War and are currently playing dates with Nonpoint before doing shows with Whitesnake.

 Tracks from 2010's Dying For A Living:

The interview will be posted on this site, my Soundcloud and RockfileRadio.com. Look for it in early August. Very early.

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EVIL DEAD: My Review (video)

#evildead #rockfile

So, I finally saw the new EVIL DEAD. Note: I am a life-long fan of the original three movies. The first wrote the textbook on low budget, guerrilla film making. The second one mixed in dark humor which made it an instant classic.  The third threw out most the horror and continued the fantasy story of the main character Ash.

The new movie has no Ash.  After watching the extras, it turns out that was the final decision that made the whole movie possible.  Although the movie features a lot of the pieces of what makes an Evil Dead movie, this new re-imagining "carves" out it's own identity. It is not really a remake. The film is filled with plenty of surprises for long-time fans but newcomers don't need to know any of it.  It does adds to the experience if you have seen the first two films.

And honestly, how could they find anyone to play Ash like this?

The cast does well with what they are given, it looks like it was a punishing experience. Jane Levy is definitely the standout of the cast. Her performance makes the movie.

This is not a movie for everyone, as much as the original pushed the boundaries of gore... this one does for modern times.  The effects are real, unlike the CG blood splatters of recent horror films.  The blood here literally rains down on the actors. If you are turned off by ultra violence, do not watch.

There is a little more story than the original and deeper characterizations but, this is an Evil Dead movie and it does it's job well.  The Book Of The Dead and many other smaller details are here.  I would say more but I do not want to give anything away.

Director Fede Alverez is making his US debut with Evil Dead. In 2009, he made a short film on his own time and this is what got him noticed by the producers of Evil Dead. Shortly after posting it, he made a deal to direct his first film.

Will this version get as many plays in my home theater as the originals, probably not.  But, for those looking for a 21st century version of a horror classic, you can do much worse.  I enjoyed my time spent and my better half agreed it was good. If you love horror, it's a must see!  I did not think this would happen, but I am already looking forward to watching it again. It is a brutal, but fun, ride!

The movie made close to double it's budget during opening weekend and went on to gross almost $100 million. The director wants the sequel to start right after the events of the first movie.  I am in!

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New GRAVITY trailer will leave you breathless (video)

#gravitymovie #rockfile

Since I saw the first preview, I have been intrigued by this movie. A talented director and some big stars making something like this, could be very interesting. Can they keep the tension up for the entire running time? (I am glad they did not show the more epic action shots in this trailer, this is a much better tease!)

In theaters, October 4th, 2013

From wikipedia:

Gravity is an upcoming techno-thriller film co-written, co-produced, co-edited and directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children Of Men). The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as surviving astronauts in a damaged space station.

Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) is a on her first Space Shuttle mission and is accompanied by veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney), who is in command of the shuttle due to it being his last flight. During a spacewalk, space debris crash into the space shuttle, which leaves it almost destroyed, leaving them stranded in space and alone in spacesuits with limited breathable oxygen. They have no communication from Earth thus forcing them to cooperate by themselves.

Gravity has a production budget of $80 million and was filmed digitally. It was also converted to 3D in post-production. Filming began in London in May 2011. Although the trailer has audible explosions in it, Cuarón has confirmed that scenes in space will be silent: They put in explosions [in the trailer]. As we know, there is no sound in space. In the film, we don't do that."

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KICK-ASS 2 NSFW trailer (video)

#kickass2 #rockfile #superheroes #kickass

As a huge fan of the first, I have high hopes for the sequel.  And this trailer delivers!  (Just turn the sound down at work, ok?  (-']

The movie open August 16th!  See you there!

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BLACKFIELD "Pills" from upcoming IV (audio)

#blackfield #avivgeffen #stevenwilson #rockfileradio

Israel’s leading counter-culture rock musician Aviv Geffen returns with Blackfield IV, featuring Steven Wilson and other special guests. Check out "Pills":

Blackfield was started by Aviv and Steven in 2001 and have previously released the critically acclaimed albums Blackfield (2004), Blackfield II (2007) and 2011’s Welcome To My DNA.

Since Welcome To My DNA, Geffen’s profile has continued to rise and Aviv has worked with legendary producers Tony Visconti and Trevor Horn, played live with U2 and Placebo, and has been a judge on the Israeli TV show, The Voice.

Aviv contributed the writing and vocals on Blackfield IV, with Steven Wilson - who also mixed the album into stereo and 5.1 surround sound - adding guitar and vocal parts.

The new album includes guest vocal performances from Brett Anderson (Suede), Jonathan Donahue (Mercury Rev) and Vincent Cavanagh (Anathema). 

This limited 2 disc digi-book edition includes a DVD-AV featuring the surround mix presented in MLP Lossless & DTS 9624 and a 24-bit stereo mix presented in MLP Lossless & LPCM.

 

TRACKLIST
Pills (download here)
Springtime
X-Ray (feat. Vincent Cavanagh – Anathema)
Sense of Insanity
Firefly (feat. Brett Anderson – Suede)
The Only Fool is Me (feat. Jonathan Donahue – Mercury Rev)
Jupiter
Kissed by the Devil
Lost Souls
Faking
After the Rain

RELEASE DATE: 26TH AUGUST 2013
(27th August in the U.S) 

 

 

 

source: Kscope Music

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DEXTER Complete Series Sets Announced (video)

#dexter #rockfile #bluray

Having read the books, I looked forward to Dexter when it premiered and have followed the show ever since. (It is different than the novels but still an awesome series.) We have recently started from the beginning on Blu-ray and just finished Season Four.  Two new complete series box sets have been announced and they look amazing! (Prices should come down before they get released.) As nice as the Amazon exclusive is below, I NEED the slide box!!! Anyone want to buy my seasons 1-4 on blu-ray??

From Blu-ray.com:

Paramount Home Entertainment has announced the Blu-ray edition of Dexter: The Final Season, and revealed two different Complete Series releases in display-ready packaging: a blood-slide box Collection set and an Amazon.com Exclusive Gift Set. All three contain the eighth and final season, and the two Complete Series sets feature an exclusive bonus disc with more than three hours of extras and an art book. Street date is November 5th.

Season Eight Synopsis: The end begins for Dexter (Michael C. Hall) in a climactic new season. After meeting the psychiatrist who helped create Harry's code, Dr. Evelyn Vogel (Charlotte Rampling), and desperately working to save Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) from her destructive, guilt-ridden downward spiral, Dexter must confront his own dark origins. Only one thing is certain... somebody is going to meet their maker.

Dexter: The Final Season features 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround. Extras have yet to be detailed. Dexter: The Complete Series 1-8 Collection and Dexter: The Complete Series 1-8 Collection Exclusive Gift Set include all eight seasons; the first in a collectible recreation of the actual blood slide box used by Dexter Morgan to catalog his victims on the show, the second showcased in sleek, collectible "bust/head" packaging representing an anonymous Dexter kill.

Also designed and included specifically for the Complete Series sets is "Grafix: The Art of Dexter," a collection of photography, fan artwork and iconography and images used in the series' cutting edge promotional campaigns. Finally, fans will enjoy an all-new bonus disc with access to over three hours of behind-the-scene interviews, featurettes and more:

• Behind-the-Scenes Cast Interviews, Featurettes and Promos
• All-New The Evolution of Dexter Morgan Documentary
• All-New The Code Documentary 

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FIREFLY ONLINE is coming, Browncoats (video)

#firefly #serenity #rockfile #brownboast #ffo

 And a die-hard Browncoat (Firefly/Serenity fan), this isn't exactly what I was hoping for from a videogame based on one of the best TV shows of all time. But it's a start.

Firefly Online is a social role playing game (RPG) based on Firefly, Joss Whedon’s cult-hit television series. Firefly Online (FFO) is currently in development for iOS and Android, and may expand to include additional platforms.

In Firefly Online, players assume the role of a ship captain as they hire a crew and seek out adventures, all the while trading with and competing against the millions of other players to try to survive in the Verse: find a crew, find a job, keep flying.

FFO provides a variety of gameplay activities and systems so that players can fully experience life in the Verse.

• Assume the role of a ship captain - create a crew and customize a ship
• Aim to misbehave in space and planet-side adventures
• Cross-platform player experience across devices (pick-up and play from anywhere)
• Unique social features connecting Firefly fans
• Create a shiny ship and explore the Verse 

source: KeepFlying.com

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HARRISON FORD in new ENDER'S GAME clip (video)

 #endersgame #rockfile #harrisonford

Great books cam become great movies, let's hope this is one of them. Here is Harrison Ford giving a history lesson:

"Ender's Game" takes place 70 years after a hostile alien invasion left the Earth all but decimated. And in this exclusive clip direct from San Diego Comic-Con, Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) of the International Fleet addresses his new students (we, the viewers) at "Battle School," where future military champions are trained in the art of intergalactic warfare. Graff invites us to be inspired by the deeds of the legendary war hero, Mazer Rackham, who turned the tide of the war during the first wave.

"We will never forget what the enemy did," says Graff with the kind of stern gravitas that only Harrison Ford can deliver. "But we defeated them. And we will do so again."

The clip serves as a precursor to the elaborate interactive show awaiting everyone at this week's Comic-Con. "Ender's Game" will be featured at the Summit Entertainment panel the fan conference's hallowed Hall H room on Thursday at 3:50 p.m., where producer Bob Orci, director Gavin Hood, and cast members Harrison Ford (making only his second ever Con appearance), Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, and Abigail Breslin will present more exclusive new footage from the film and participate in a Q&A.

But a Hall H panel is only the beginning for "Ender's Game" at Comic-Con. The film will also be featured at the Summit Entertainment booth in the convention center's Grand Hall, where various promotional items will be given to the first 120,000 attendees traversing the convention floor. Attendees will also have a chance to win "fast passes" to the most extravagant component of the "Ender's Game" Comic-Con package: the exclusive "Fan Experience," which lies beyond the walls of the convention center.

Fast pass holders can skip the line at the specially constructed "Ender's Game" exhibit outside of the nearby Hilton Gaslamp, which features eight unique rooms representing the many environments from the film, complete with set dressing consisting of original props and set pieces seen in the movie. Exclusive film footage will be on display on the exhibit's multiple LED screens and attendees will be able to interact with digital content, integrate photos of themselves into the Battle Room, and register to win a home makeover.

Do you have the right stuff for all of this? Before you embark on your "Ender's Game" Comic-Con journey, you can test your skills as a potential new recruit of the International Fleet with the Battle School Aptitude Test. Our future, of course, depends on it.

Get ready for the non-hostile invasion of San Diego by "Ender's Game." The film occupies theaters on November 1.

For more, visit: http://endersgameblog.tumblr.com/

source: Yahoo Movies!

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NECESSARY EVIL Super-villains of DC Comics (video)

#dccomics #rockfile #villains #letsbebadguys

Stumbled across this, looks interesting. A documentary about the villains of DC comics. Let's be bad guys!

from Blu-ray.com:

 Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the Blu-ray release of Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, a new feature length documentary narrated by Christopher Lee, with exclusive interviews with Richard Donner, Guillermo del Toro, Zack Snyder and more. The ultimate rogue's gallery documentary arrives on Blu-ray on October 25th.

Official Synopsis: Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics explores the thin line between right and wrong, the nature of evil and how super-villains can reflect society's dark side as well as our own personal fears. It also attempts to uncover the reasons why comic book fans are so fascinated by the very characters they hope to see defeated. The film focuses on DC Comics' most terrifying villains, including The Joker, Lex Luthor, Bane, Black Adam, Black Manta, Catwoman, Darkseid, Deathstroke, Doomsday, General Zod, Sinestro, the Suicide Squad, and others.

Also included are interviews from over forty subjects, including DC comic book writers, artists, executives, filmmakers, comic experts, critics, historians and celebrities. Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics contains footage from DC Entertainment's animated series, TV shows, video games and live action films, as well as spotlighting hundreds of covers, pages and panels created by DC Comic's legendary artists.

Christopher Lee, who has played the villain more times than almost any other actor, will provide his unique voice as narrator. The villains' infamous tales will be told by directors Richard Donner (Superman: The Movie), Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim) and Zack Snyder (Man of Steel), as well as Geoff Johns (best-selling author and DCE's Chief Creative Officer) and other storytellers, creators and those who have crafted the personalities and profiles of the most nefarious baddies in DC Comics history.

"I am delighted to be participating in this documentary which really gets to the heart of what villains are," notes Lee. "Even though I've played the hero more times than the bad guy (few know this!), people remember me for the latter, perhaps because villains are more interesting and more complex. But they're still people. Tony Hopkins was right when he said, 'I don't play villains, I play people.' Each of these characters has a different personality and their reasons for being or becoming evil are not the same."

"The villain is not always born that way; it's society and events in that person (or creature's) life that influences their mind. Sometimes good or bad can be a state of mind and depends on what side you're on. And you can be very cruel or charming, amusing or dangerous. But one of the most important things to get over to the audience is that some of these people are doing things they can't really help."

Christopher Lee's roles in more than 200 films include star turns in several Hammer Horror Classics as Frankenstein's monster in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Count Dracula in Dracula (1958) and the Mummy in The Mummy (1959). Most recently known as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and upcoming film The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013).

"The Joker! Black Adam! Lex Luthor! Sinestro! DC Comics has the best Super-Villains in the world — and in Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, creators in film, television, animation, video games and comic books talk about why and how they've helped build them into worldwide favorites," stated DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns.

Complete technical specifications and special features have yet to be revealed. Fans attending the 2013 San Diego Comic Con will be able to catch a first look at the documentary as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment presents an exclusive cut and an accompanying panel (slated for 7:00-8:00 pm in the 1,000-seat Room 6DE) with participants including Geoff Johns, Geoff Boucher (moderator), JM Kenny, Scott Devine, Andrea Romano, Kevin Shinick, Ed Boon and Andrea Letamendi, Ph.D. Additional panelists will be announced as confirmed.

source: Blu-ray.com

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New ROBOCOP Viral (video)

#robocop #rockfile #omnicorp

While the original Robocop is a classic of it's time, an update could be good. If done right. It looks like they are headed in the right direction with the reboot:

from Blastr:

Attempting to prove that everything's better with 'bots, check out this impressive promo video touting Omnicorp's assortment of badassery for urban and military applications from the upcoming Robocop reboot.

The roster includes the XT-908 Aerial Drone, the Cobra-Cannoned ED-209 and their RC-2000 cybernetic law enforcement unit, AKA Robocop. Check out more viral goodies on their main site at Omnicorp.com.

Directed by Jose Padilha, the Robocop remake stars Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) and stomps into your city on February 7, 2014.

 

source: Blastr

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Official MAD MAX Gameplay Reveal (video)

#madmaxgame #madmax #rockfile

When I first read about this, I thought it would be a tie-in to the upcoming Mad Max movie. Turns out it is an open world, 3rd person adventure game. Today they released the first gameply footage and it looks pretty badass:

From MadMaxGame.com:

Play as Mad Max, a lone warrior who must embark on a perilous journey after his Interceptor is stolen by a deadly gang of marauders. A reluctant hero with an instinct for survival, Max wants nothing more than to leave the madness behind and find solace in the storied “Plains of Silence”.

KEY FEATURES

Be Mad Max

* Become the legendary lone warrior as you craft and upgrade his equipment and weapons in order to survive in a brutal post-apocalyptic world
* Fight with savage moves and combos to brutalize the deranged bandits of the Wasteland

 
Intense Vehicular Combat
 
* Engage in dynamic, physics-based vehicular combat, taking down enemy vehicles with a slew of deadly weapons and customizable parts
* Choose from different car bodies and construct the ultimate war vehicle with dozens of upgrade combinations


 
Brave the Wasteland
 
* Explore an immense post-apocalyptic open world full of unique missions and side quests
* Scavenge every scrap you can find to build upgrades for your equipment and vehicles
* Take down eccentric bandits & gangs that roam the Wasteland

GENRE: Open World / 3rd Person Action

PLATFORMS: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, X360, PC

DEVELOPER: Avalanche Studios

PLAYERS: Single Player

source: MadMaxGame.com 

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PACIFIC RIM - My Brief Review, no spoilers (video)

#pacificrim #rockfile #kaiju

After having posted many preview blogs about this movie since last November, Pacific Rim finally opened this past weekend. If you ever watched Godzilla, Gamera, Rodan, Mothra etc and thought it would be cool for someone to make a big budget, modern version minus the zippers on the backs of the guys wearing the rubber suits...this is the movie for you.  It is not trying to be an Oscar winning, dramatic acting, tour-de-force. It is a love-letter to the giant monster ("Kaiju" see below) movies we loved as kids, realized in modern ways thanks to some of the best special effects of the year.

The films opens at a hectic pace, quickly getting you up to speed on the war so far. Aliens have come to wipe us out using gigantic monsters, the world bands together to fight. And things are not going so well, years into the battle. This near-future world feels very real and alive as the main story gets under way, focusing on a group of characters trying to save our world.  Imagine your favorite Kaiju film and add a $200 Million dollar budget and a great director who loves those movies. The movies does exactly what it sets out to do. It is not trying to re-invent the summer blockbuster, it just wants to be the biggest and best Kaiju movie ever.  And it succeeds. 

The story is interesting and moves quickly. The acting is fine and the in-between action is gritty and intense. And, yes, those giant battle set-pieces are more than worth the price of admission.  I would see this movie on the largest screen you can find. It was filmed in 2D and converted (we saw the 2D), and although the 3D is supposedly a mixed bag, the images would benefit from being on giant IMAX screens. If I see it a second time theatrically, it will be in IMAX.

It is just about everything you could want from a movie like this and it sets up what could be a truly incredible sequel or even trilogy. After making more than $91 million worldwide in it's opening weekend, word is the studio has already green-lighted the next chapter. 

If you want to know a little more about what happens between the opening and the main story, there is a "prequel" graphic novel available that is very much worth your time.  Here is more about Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero: http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/pacific-rim-graphic-novel-travis-beacham-on-formidable-del-toro/#/0

The soundtrack is composed by Ramin Djawadi, best known for Game Of Thrones, Person Of Interest and Iron Man. Here are the opening and end credits:

The bottom line is: if you like Kaiju movies, you probably already saw this over the weekend. And if you haven't, go now! For everyone else, it's more fun than the Transformers movies, you could do a lot worse. (We ran into a woman in the lobby who had walked out of Grown Ups 2 during the first ten minutes. She said she had to play rock, paper, scissors with her husband to see who would stay with their five kids.)

Kaiju (怪獣 kaijū^?) is a Japanese word that literally translates to "strange creature". However, the word Kaiju has been universally translated and defined into English as "monster" or "giant monster" and refers to science fiction films from Japan featuring unnatural creatures of immense size. Kaiju films usually showcase Kaiju of any form attacking a major Japanese city or engaging another (or multiple) Kaiju in battle.

The most famous Kaiju is Godzilla. Other notable Kaiju include Gamera, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, Daimajin, Gappa, and Guilala.

Major Kaiju films:

    Godzilla (1954)
    Rodan (1956)
    Mothra (1961)
    King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
    Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
    Gamera (1965)
    Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
    Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
    War of the Gargantuas (1966)
    Daimajin (1966)
    Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
    The X from Outer Space (1967)
    Daikyojū Gappa (1967)
    Destroy All Monsters (1968)
    Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
    Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
    Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)
    Godzilla (1998) (Hollywood)
    Deep Rising (1998) (Hollywood)
    Gamera 3: Awakening of Iris (1999)
    Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
    Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
    Ultraman (AKA: Ultraman The Next) (2004)
    Cloverfield (2008) (Hollywood)
    Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy (2009)
    Pacific Rim (2013) (Hollywood)
    Godzilla (2014) (Hollywood)

Major Kaiju video games:

    Rampage (1986)
    King of the Monsters (1991)
    Robot Alchemic Drive (2002)
    Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (2002)
    War of the Monsters (2003)
    Godzilla: Save the Earth (2004)
    Godzilla: Unleashed (2007)

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday NIKOLA TESLA (video)

#tesla #nikolatesla #rockfile

Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.

Tesla gained experience in telephony and electrical engineering before emigrating to the United States in 1884 to work for Thomas Edison. He soon struck out on his own with financial backers, setting up laboratories/companies to develop a range of electrical devices. His patented AC induction motor and transformer were licensed by George Westinghouse, who also hired Tesla as a consultant to help develop a power system using alternating current. Tesla is also known for his high-voltage, high-frequency power experiments in New York and Colorado Springs which included patented devices and theoretical work used in the invention of radio communication, for his X-ray experiments, and for his ill-fated attempt at intercontinental wireless transmission in his unfinished Wardenclyffe Tower project.

Tesla's achievements and his abilities as a showman demonstrating his seemingly miraculous inventions made him world-famous. Although he made a great deal of money from his patents, he spent a lot on numerous experiments. He lived for most of his life in a series of New York hotels although the end of his patent income and eventual bankruptcy led him to live in diminished circumstances. Tesla still continued to invite the press to parties he held on his birthday to announce new inventions he was working and make (sometimes unusual) statements. Because of his pronouncements and the nature of his work over the years, Tesla gained a reputation in popular culture as the archetypal "mad scientist". He died in room 3327 of the New Yorker Hotel on 7 January 1943.

Tesla's work fell into relative obscurity after his death, but since the 1990s, his reputation has experienced a comeback in popular culture. His work and reputed inventions are also at the center of many conspiracy theories and have also been used to support various pseudosciences, UFO theories and New Age occultism. In 1960, in honor of Tesla, the General Conference on Weights and Measures for the International System of Units dedicated the term "tesla" to the SI unit measure for magnetic field strength.

source: wikipedia

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letlive. - "The Blackest Beautiful" in stores today (video)

#letlive #rockfile #newrock #theblackestbeautiful

I recently discovered letlive. (yes, that is how it is spelled) and wondered where have I been?  This former "post-punk" band from L.A. is charting new territory with it's fourth album, The Blackest Beautiful, out today. After listening to the whole thing, I find this to be a very "progressive" rock album, mixing all sort of styles and coming up with something aggressive and new. You may not "get" it on first listen, but the best art is usually not the easiest to digest. Most retailers have it for $7.99, so go try something new today!

First video:

Full album stream:

From the last album, Fake History:

from AllMusic:

L.A.-based hardcore unit letlive. broke through in a big way with their 2010 album Fake History, finally capturing some of the bone-breaking energy of their live show in a way that translated to album as well as developing their arrangement skills with atypical song structures and inventive expansion of the sometimes formulaic post-hardcore sound. Follow-up fourth album The Blackest Beautiful takes the strengths of Fake History even further, offering up 11 tracks of technically dazzling and soulfully delivered aggression. Frontman Jason Butler's vocal twists fuel the fire throughout The Blackest Beautiful, jumping acrobatically from screaming rage to tight, sophisticated harmonies to frenzied funky riffing to emotively melodic parts, often all within the same song. Beginning with opening track "Banshee (Ghost Fame)," Butler's lyrics are as inventive and thoughtful as the group's song structures, tackling the complex topic of chasing fame and losing integrity through a series of chants, screams, offhandish laughter, and smooth, soulful lines. The pace never really lets up from there, with Butler attacking topics like corporate greed, racism, and the heavy weight of growing up in a broken home. Musically, letlive. are equally restless, moving through heavy, pummeling riffs reminiscent of Refused or Glassjaw, while breaking into a groove on almost every track, sometimes even melting down into acoustic sections without ever losing intensity. Standout tracks are plentiful, but absolute must-hears include the Soundgarden-meets-Deftones frenzy of "The Dope Beat," the relentless high-speed blasting of "The Priest and Used Cars," and a brilliantly arranged critique of corporatized health care and government corruption on "White America's Beautiful Black Market." The Blackest Beautiful is not just more ambitious, interesting, thoughtful, and boundary-pushing than any of letlive.'s previous work, the album is engaging and surprisingly hooky for any record falling under the hardcore umbrella. Fans will be overjoyed and those unfamiliar with letlive. or even modern hardcore circa 2013 should begin with this compelling document of anger, loss, and struggle. 

Here is a great review: http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3286991

Visit the band's website: http://www.thisisletlive.com

source: Epitaph Records

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