The Phantom Tollbooth - The Crossing - January/February/March 2014

tpt-90px Hello America and points beyond… Welcome back to the most covert music and movie release list you know of. There’s something you should know right off the bat: 2014 is no ordinary year. In fact, it’s a U2 year!

It’s kind of like an Election year, but far more spiritually enlightening and fulfilling. People like U2 years. Especially people who like U2. Of which I count myself among their many fans.

Hey, did you see this? I’m guessing you did. But it’s worth another look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJmZNuXuUSQ

It’s U2 atop the Rockefeller Center in New York City during the first Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon 70 stories up with an awesome sunset as a backdrop. The band played a new single “Invisible” from a forthcoming album to be released later this year. They later played “Ordinary Love” in the studio with The Roots. Both can be seen via the link above. Hey, these guys are the top dogs. They set the bar. That’s just the way it works. And when you play atop one of the tallest buildings in the world you are really one of the top dogs!!

We will have to wait awhile longer for U2’s new album but sources say it should be around the summer which of course means it will be around September. But, we can hope. It may actually come out in the summer. Who knows? We shall see. Okay, let’s say summer.

Below is another exceptionally long list strewn with bands/names/artists you are aware of and many you won’t be aware of. But you will be now!

Truthfully here’s how it works these days. Because of this internet everybody seems to be so fond of, everybody, and I do mean everybody, who has access to musical equipment and has the wherewithal to be able to produce music and be able to place it into the internet stratosphere, read: the actual internet can be amongst those who make it onto this list. And because there are so many people producing music these days, seemingly more than ever, only so many people could actually be able to get on this list. So, here’s how this narrows down: everybody you’ve ever heard of in the rock and roll world should get on this list. A bunch of people from neighboring musical locales should also be found on this list. These locales may include folk, a little bit of country, a soul artist or two and maybe even some really heavy type metal. I’m talking really heavy! There may be a stray comedian that shall wander onto the list and you might even see a T.V. series that perhaps fits into the popular realms of T.V. viewing.

After all of the rock and roll artists you are sure you know of, plus the various locales of which I have previously just spoken of, there’s going to be a litany of people you have literally no idea who they are and you might think to yourself how did they get on this list? That’s a fair question. Some of these people I just merely pick and some I merely just don’t pick. There’s way too many of them! You can’t put everybody on here. The list would be five billion pages long give or take a billion. Actually it wouldn’t be nearly that long, but it would be in the ballpark of what is deemed lengthy. And, it’s already lengthy enough.

You just can’t simply put everyone on here. Don’t mean to leave anyone out. That’s of course where you come in. Always feel free to let me know if I’m missing one of your favorite artists.

Contact me here:

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Or ‘like’ The Crossing page on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingMusicMovies

Let me know who you like.

The mission of this list and the Facebook page is really very simple and that is: to celebrate and explore new and current goings-on in music and movies.

Keeping up with what’s new and keeping up with artists that have been around…what are they doing currently?

Big and small…known and unknown…if it’s good, let’s find out about it! And, it will be on The Crossing.

It’s a new year, a new list. Let’s have fun! Send me some feedback.

Dry out. Thaw out. Warm up. Rock out. Don’t stress out. Spring is just around the corner to the light of day…

Recently released and not mentioned in last edition:

* The Beatles - All original U.S. releases

* Bruce Springsteen - Live Concert Downloads

* The Killers - Direct Hits

* Bear’s Den - Agape EP

* Shelby Lynne - Thanks EP

* Nathan Bell - Blood Like a River

* Russian Circles - Memorial

* Shinedown - Zach & Myers covers EP

* Saga - Spin it Again: Live in Munich (CD/DVD.)

1/7

* Stephen Malkmus - Wig Out at Jagbags

* Misterwives - Reflections EP

+ Closed Circuit

+ Runner Runner

+ Inequality for All (Documentary.)

1/14

* Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes

* Switchfoot - Fading West

* Sharon Jones - Give the People What They Want

* Roseanne Cash - The River and the Thread

* Mary Chapin Carpenter - Songs from the Movie

* Jennifer Nettles - That Girl (Sugarland singer.)

* Railroad Earth - Last of the Outlaws

* Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - South

* Lone Justice - The Vaught Tapes 1983

* Mark Lanegan - An Anthology 1989-2011

* Lucinda Williams - S/T (Deluxe.)

* Dave Edmunds - Again (Import.)

+ Captain Phillips

+ Lee Daniel’s The Butler

+ Enough Said

+ The Spectacular Now

+ Fruitvale Station

+ You're Next

+ Short Term 12

+ A Single Shot

+ Thanks for Sharing

+ Riddick

+ Twenty Feet from Stardom (documentary.)

1/21

* Warpaint - S/T

* Wild Cub - Youth

* Young the Giant - Mind Over Matter

* Against Me - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (The lead singer recently had a sex change. They sound the same though…a popular band amongst the younger set.)

* Blue Highway - The Game

* Jason Eady - Daylight & Dark

* Elizabeth & the Catapult - Like It Never Happened

* Mogwai - Rave Tapes

* Del Amitri - Waking Hours/Change Everything/Twisted (3 Deluxe reissues.)

* Los Lonely Boys - Revelation

* Iced Earth - Plagues of Babylon

+ The Doors – R-Evolution

+ Blue Jasmine

+ In a World...

+ Instructions Not Included

1/28

* David Crosby - Croz

* Laura Cantrell - No Way There From Here

* Amy Ray - Goodnight Tender

* Rhonda Vincent - Only Me

* Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope (import.)

* The Gaslight Anthem - B-Sides

* Dum Dum Girls - Too True

* Hospitality - Trouble

* Quilt - Held in Splendor

* The Autumn Defense - Fifth

* Uncle Tupelo - No Depression (Deluxe.)

* Red Dragon Cartel - S/T

* The Small Faces - Here Comes the Nice (Box set.)

* Tony Bennett - The Classics (Deluxe.)

+ Metallica - Through the Never

+ Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

+ The Fifth Estate

+ Bad Grandpa

+ Last Vegas

+ Rush

2/4

* Paul Rodgers - Royal Sessions: A Tribute to Memphis (Amazon exclusive.)

* Augustines - S/T (Band formerly known as We Are Augustines.)

* Hard Working Americans - S/T (Todd Snider side project.)

* Big Head Todd & the Monsters - Black Beehive

* Mary Lambert - Welcome to the Age of My Body

* The Haden Triplets - S/T

* Eddi Reader - Vagabond (Import.)

* Les Claypool - Four Foot Shack

* Marissa Nadler - July

* Joanne Shaw Taylor - Songs from the Road

* Broken Bells - After the Disco

* Snowbird - Moon

* Water Liars - S/T

* A.J. Croce - Twelve Tales

* Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow

* Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes

* Jeremy Messersmith - Heart Murmurs

* For Today - Fight the Silence

* Tina Turner - Love Songs (Compilation.)

* The Mamas and the Papas - A Gathering of Flowers: Anthology

* Roger McGuinn - Stories, Songs & Friends (CD/DVD.)

+ Dallas Buyers Club

+ Escape Plan

+ Free Birds

+ A Case of You

+ About Time

+ Baggage Claim

+ The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete

+ Romeo and Juliet

2/11

* The Civil Wars - Between the Bars EP

* Band of Horses - Acoustic at the Ryman

* Neil Finn - Dizzy Heights

* Nina Persson - Animal Heart (Cardigans singer.)

* Sun Kil Moon - Benji

* Crosses - S/T

* Irene Kelley - Pennsylvania Coal

* Beth Bombara - Raise Your Flag

* Greg Laswell - I was going to be an Astronaut

* Dominic Miller - Ad Hoc (Sting’s guitarist.)

* Camper Van Beethoven - A couple of reissues

* Def Leppard - Slang (Deluxe.)

+ All is Lost

+ Ender’s Game

+ The Summit

+ The Counselor

+ The Best Man Holiday

+ Grace Unplugged

+ Austenland

+ Diana

+ Wadjda

2/18

* Suzanne Vega - Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles

* Luka Bloom - Head & Heart

* Benmont Tench - You Should Be So Lonely (Tom Petty’s keyboardist.)

* Peter Buck - Am Back to Blow Your Mind Once Again (R.E.M.’s guitarist.)

* Oysterband - Diamonds on the Water (Import.)

* William Fitzsimmons - Lions

* Jonatha Brooke - My Mother Has 4 Noses

* Guided By Voices - Motivational Jumpsuit

* Dawn Lindes - Bluebird

* Phantogram - Voices

* Bayside - Cult

* Lake Street Dive - Bad Self Portraits

* The Jezebels - The Brink

* Matt Schofield - Far As I Can See

* Lost in the Trees - Past Life

* Bear Hands - Distraction

* We Are the In Crowd - Weird Kids

* Adrenaline Mob - Men of Honor

* The Presidents of the U.S.A. - Kudos to You

* The Allman Brothers - Play All Night: Live at Beacon Theater 1992

* Old & in the Way - Live at the Boarding House (4 CD’s; Jerry Garcia’s bluegrass band.)

+ Game of Thrones: Complete Third Season

2/25

* Black 47 - Last Call

* St. Vincent - S/T

* Beck - Morning Phase

* David Wilcox – Blaze

* Marah – Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania

* Charlotte Martin - Water Breaks Stone

* The Fray - Helios

* Twin Forks - S/T (Chris Carrabba side project.)

* The Notwist - Close to the Glass

* Run River North - S/T

* Temples - Sun Structures

* Wild Beasts - Present Tense

* New Madrid - Sunswimmer

* Silversun Pickups - Singles Collection

* We Were Promised Jetpacks - E Rey: Live in Philadelphia

* Bleeding Rainbow - Interrupt

* Delta Rae - Chasing Twisters

* Dierks Bentley - Riser

* House of Lords - Precious Metal

* Bob Mould - Workbook (Deluxe.)

+ Heart - Fanatic: Live from Caesar’s Coliseum

+ Gravity

+ Thor: the Dark World

+ Nebraska

+ Blue is the Warmest Color

3/4

* John Gorka - Bright Side of Down

* Drive by Truckers - English Oceans

* Imogen Heap - Sparks

* Lea Michele - Louder

* We Are Scientists - T.V. en Francais

* Real Estate - Atlas

* Robben Ford - Day in Nashville

* Fuel - Puppet Strings

* Deana Carter - Southern Way of Life

* Eli Young - 10,000 Towns

* Loreena McKennitt - The Journey So Far: Best of

* Bruce Cockburn - Slice o’ Life: Live Solo

* Rufus Wainwright – Vibrate: Best of

* The Blue Nile - Peace at Last (Deluxe.)

* The Doors - Psychedelic Tribute

* Little Feat - Red Gumbo Box

+ Bob Dylan - 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (Deluxe; many guests.)

+ 12 Years a Slave

+ The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

+ Girl Rising

+ Oldboy

+ Hours

+ The Last Days on Mars

3/11

* Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything

* KXM - S/T (Doug Pinnick and George Lynch project.)

* Steve Martin and Edie Brickell - Live

* Paul Carrack - Rain or Shine

* Don Williams - Reflections

* 311 - Stereolithic

* Ozomatli - Place in the Sun

* Chicago - Live in Japan 1972 (2 CD’s.)

+ The Who - Sensation: the Story of The Who’s Tommy

+ Inside Llewyn Davis

+ The Book Thief

+ Out of the Furnace

+ Jamesy Boy

+ Homefront

3/18

* Eliza Gilkyson - The Nocturne Diaries

* Foster the People - Supermodel

* Black Lips - Underneath the Rainbow

* Stan Bush - The Ultimate

* Gus G. - I am the Fire

* Luther Dickinson – Rock and Roll Blues

* War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

* Marianas Trench - Ever After

* Taking Back Sunday - Happiness Is

* Sisyphus - S/T (Sufjan Stevens’ side project.)

* George Michael - Symphonica

* The Dukes of September - S/T (Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, Donald Fagen.)

* UFO - Complete Studio Albums: 1975-1985

* Saxon - Complete Studio Albums: 1979-1988

+ American Hustle

+ Saving Mr. Banks

+ Frozen

+ Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

3/25

* Roger Daltrey & Wilko Johnson - Going Back Home

* Johnny Cash - Out Among the Stars (Lost album.)

* The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams

* Asia - Gravitas

* Tokyo Police Club - Forcefield

* Cage the Gods - Badlands

* Liars - Mess

* Withered Hand - New Gods

* Of Sinking Ships - The Amaranthine Sea

* Glenn Kotche - Adventureland

* Sleeper Agent - About Last Night

* Future Islands - Singles

* Chuck Ragan - Till Midnight

* Desert Noises - 27 Ways

* Vance Joy - God Loves You When You’re Dancing

* The Belle Brigade - Just Because

* Grieves - Winter and the Wolves

* My Chemical Romance - May Death Never Stop You: Best of

* Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Deluxe.)

+ Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Live in Amsterdam

+ The Great Beauty

+ Delivery Man

+ Walking With Dinosaurs

+ Odd Thomas

+ The Punk Singer: A Film about Kathleen Hanna

+ The Wolf of Wall Street

4/1

* Will Kimbrough - Sideshow Love

* John Wesley - Disconnected

* Carrie Newcomer - Permeable Life

* Robert Cray - In My Soul

* Kaiser Chiefs - Education, Education and War

* The Used - Imaginary Enemy

* Manchester Orchestra - Cope

* Band of Skulls - Himalayan

* Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else

* Inventions - S/T

* Christina Perri - Head or Heart

* Matt Andersen - Weightless

* Jon Langford - Here Be Monsters

* S. Carey - Range of Light

* Leon Russell - Life’s Journey

* Nathaniel Rateliff - Falling Faster Than You Can Run

* Chevelle – La Gargola

* Lacuna Coil - Broken Crown Halo

* Magnum - Escape from the Shadow Garden

* Cyndi Lauper - She’s So Unusual (Deluxe.)

* Brothers & Sisters - Dylan’s Gospel

* Ronnie James Dio Tribute - This is Your Life

* Jackson Browne Tribute - Looking Into You

* Charlie Daniels Band - Off the Grid: Bob Dylan Tribute

* M83 - ‘You and the Night’ soundtrack

+ Brian May & Kerry Ellis - Candlelight Concert: Live in Montreux 2013

+ Anchorman 2: the Legend Continues...

+ 47 Ronin

+ Once (Blu-ray.)

4/8

* Katie Herzig - Walk Through Walls

* Carlene Carter - Carter Girl

* The Honey Trees – Bright Fire

* Mirah - Changing Light

+ The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

+ August: Osage County

4/15

* Needtobreathe - Rivers in the Wasteland

* Justin Currie – Lower Reaches (Del Amitri front man.)

* Rodney Crowell – Tarpaper Sky

* Ingrid Michaelson - Lights Out

* Matthew & the Atlas – Other Rivers

* Paolo Nutini - Caustic Love

* Woods – With Light and with Love

* Afghan Whigs - Do to the Beast

* The Both - S/T (Aimee Mann and Ted Leo project.)

* Emerson Hart – Beauty in Disrepair

* Bobby Bare, Jr. - Undefeated

* Lillian Axe - One Night in the Temple

* H.E.A.T. - Tearing Down the Walls

* Jack Bruce – Silver Rails (Deluxe.)

+ Billy Bragg – Live at Union Chapel

+ Great Expectations

+ Copperhead

+ Grudge Match

+ Black Nativity

+ The Nut Job

4/22

* Eels - Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett
* Keb Mo – Bluesamericana
* Black Prairie – Fortune (Members of The Decemberists.)
* The Menzingers - Rented World
* Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s - Sling Shot to Heaven
* Sebastian Bach - Give Em Hell
* Joe Satriani - Complete Studio Recordings Box
* Paul Stanley - Face the Music: A Life Exposed (Memoir.)

4/29

* The Old 97’s - Most Messed Up
* Wye Oak - Shriek
* Ben Watt - Hendra
* Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
* The Currys - Follow Up
* Rodrigo y Gabriela - 9 Dead Alive
* Saliva - Rise Up
+ Devil’s Due

5/6

* Natalie Merchant - S/T (First all original new album in 13 years...she’s been a Mom.)
* Michael Sweet - I’m Not Your Suicide (Solo album) and Honestly: My Life and Stryper Revealed (Memoir.)
* Ray LaMontagne - Supernova
* Papercuts - Life Among the Savages
* Tiny Ruins – Brightly Painted Ones

5/13

* Swans - To Be Kind
* Walter Martin - We’re All Young Together (Walkmen’s singer.)
* Owen Pallett - In Conflict

5/20

* Conor Oberst - Upside Down Mountain

LYRICS of the MONTH:

“Brothers and sisters listen to me
These are the few things that I leave to thee
This sword of our fathers with lessons hard taught
This shield strong and sturdy from battles well fought

This is your sword, this is your shield
This is the power of love revealed
Carry them with you wherever you go
And give all the love that you have in your soul

The times they are dark, darkness covers the earth
But this world’s filled with the beauty of God’s work
Hold tight to your promise, stay righteous, stay strong
For the days of miracles will come along

This is your sword, this is your shield
This is the power of love revealed
Carry it with you wherever you go
And give all the love that you have in your soul

In the days of despair you can grow hard
Till you close your mind and empty your heart
If you find yourself staring in the abyss
Hold tight to your loved ones and remember this

This shield will protect your sacred heart
This sword will defend from what comes in the dark
Should you grow weary on the battlefield
Do not despair our love is real

This is your sword, this is your shield
This is the power of love revealed
Carry it with you wherever you go
And give all the love that you have in your soul
And give all the love that you have in your soul.”