Magnus Gunnarsson Set to Drop Debut Album

LOS ANGELES, Calif. –  Acclaimed music artist Magnus Gunnarsson taps his musical roots in his new album “No Place Like Home,” set for release in June.

“I’ve written many songs for the past few years and I’m very excited to be releasing them now,” he said. “I’ve already published three songs from the album and so far, and I’ve only gotten positive feedback so I think music fans will appreciate this new collection of songs.”

With such artists as Bjork, Sigurros, Of Monsters and Men and Kaleo, among others, Gunnarsson is the newest artist from Iceland who is making an impact on the music scene.  His “No Place Like Home,” is a collection of songs from the Iceland-born performer whose music has touched a chord with music fans since his arrival in 2015. The album is an eclectic blend of music that has been at the heart of his music such as alternative rock, country, pop, rhythm and blues and classic rock.

“I think the influences of the album come from all the music I’ve been around since a child. It all comes together in my album and shapes the music I’m making today. I didn’t write any song trying to write like another artist or a band,” he said. “My dad introduced me to the Beatles, Eagles, Pink Floyd, and all those great bands so that’s what I grew up listening to and I believe my music style comes from those eras but transformed into a more modern sound.”

The album includes the new single “If Today Makes Tomorrow All Right,” which was written by Gunnarsson’s father originally with the bridge written by the artist himself. The song was released on his father’s birthday on May 4.

“I love the idea that the melody is 40 years old and I stumbled on it by an accident when I asked my dad to play on my guitar last summer,” he recalled. “He played the melody and I thought it was beautiful, so I decided to make a song out of it.”

The new album is the culmination of lifelong journey for Gunnarsson whose passion for music began early on. Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Gunnarson grew up listening to the Beatles, Pink Floyd and others before taking up the guitar and exploring his own musical leanings. Even as he explored his music, the young musician became a standout tennis player, ultimately joining Iceland’s National Tennis Team and traveling the world for a number of competitions.

With a grandfather who served as an Olympic sprinter, Gunnarson’s interest in sports led him to earn a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Sport Science at the University of Reykjavik. But music was his true passion as he decided to embark on a music career that would take him to the U.S. and the establishment of his band Dirty Drive and the launch of his own solo career with a string of hit singles in his native country.

“I wanted to work with the best musicians so I moved to Los Angeles so the decision wasn’t difficult, but the process wasn’t easy. There’s a lot to think about before moving to another country and studying abroad,” he said. “My family gave me great support, they knew that I wanted to pursue music and that I had talent for it.”

Rocker Rafael Picoli Makes his Mark with his Band Urban Escape

Guitarist Rafael Picoli sets the tone for alternative rock band Urban Escape (Publicity Photo).

LOS ANGELES, Calif.  – Rocker Rafael Picoli says he always had a passion for the guitar. With a love for such bands as Iron Maiden, Metallica and Megadeth, the young boy bought his first guitar and was soon off into world of hard rock and heavy metal in his native Brazil.

Many years later, the talented musician is lead guitarist in the alternative rock band Urban Escape and is busy in the studio working on a series of three EPs to showcase the band’s unique sound.

“We are planning to release three EPs before releasing the full album,” Picoli said. “The songs from those EPs are going to be the songs for the final album as well, and it will be called Urban Escape – the same name of the band.”

With his upcoming EPs, Picoli is making his mark with Urban Escape, featuring a slew of his songs and musical sensibilities that lie in classic and grunge rock along with a hard dose of heavy metal.

“We are working with the five-time Grammy Award-winning producer Lamps (Lampadinha), who is accompanying us throughout this process and will be recording all of our material,” he said. “Best song we’re doing is probably a song called ‘Mary Lee.’ It’s about a girl that was the crush of the lead singer of the band, Eric Urban. It has a very cool chord progression with some great lyrics.

Another major song in the EP will be “Alone,” which blends dark lyrics with hard rock and a melodic sound reminiscent of the Beatles and other classic rock bands he grew up listening.

Born in Monte Azul Paulista, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, Picoli loved playing video games as a child and became enthralled with the game Guitar Hero which allows players to play a guitar shaped controller. But when the game abruptly stopped production, Picoli took up a real guitar to explore his own musical leanings.

After years of playing in local clubs with a number of bands he earned a scholarship at the prestigious Musicians Institute in Los Angeles and soon he traveled to the U.S. and became one of its standout students. Soon after graduation, he would meet some fellow Brazil expatriates to form Urban Escape and develop the band’s unique alternative rock sound.

But even as he began working with his new band, he was already in demand as a guitarist with a number of artists including Sonder City, Joe Abujamra, Kasia Lins, Julian Martel, Inessa, as well as acclaimed artist Larissa Basilio, among others.

“Playing live is one of my favorite things ever. It's great to see the response from the public to the songs you have worked on. Also, you have a different energy when playing live that you don't get anywhere else,” he said. “Playing in a recording studio you have to care more about smaller details and make sure everything sounds perfect, as in playing live, playing with attitude is more important than playing perfect.”

Meanwhile, as Urban Escape prepares to go into the studio, Picoli is looking forward for the band’s tour in support of the EPs. To learn more, follow Rafael Picoli on Instagram at  www.Instagram.com/rafaelpicoli or on Facebook www.Facebook.com/rafael.picoli.1.

'The Death of Superman' Is Coming to DVD and Blu-ray

"The Death of Superman" animated feature film is coming to DVD and Blu-ray in August, according to DC Entertainment (Photo by DC Comics).

LOS ANGELES – The Man of Steel meets his ultimate match when Doomsday comes to Earth – hell bent on destroying everything and everyone in his path, including the Justice League – in the all-new, action-packed “The Death of Superman,” part of the popular series of DC Universe Movies. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, the feature-length animated film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting July 24, 2018, and on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD August 7, 2018. Order due date is July 3, 2018.

“The Death of Superman” will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack ($39.99 SRP), Blu-ray Deluxe Gift Set ($39.99 SRP), Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP), as well as on Digital ($19.99 HD, $14.99 SD). The Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc featuring the film; the Blu-ray Deluxe Gift Set includes a collectible Superman figurine; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the film in hi-definition; and the DVD features the movie in standard definition. The Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a digital version of the film.

“The Death of Superman” ultimately finds Superman in a fight to the finish when the Man of Steel becomes the only hero who can stand in the way of the monstrous creature Doomsday and his unstoppable rampage of destruction. As the inaugural film in the DC Universe Movies series, “Superman Doomsday” told an abridged version of “The Death of Superman,” DC Comics’ landmark 1992-93 comic phenomenon. But with a runtime of 75 minutes, the film focused on a core, singular storyline. The new, animated “The Death of Superman”, the first of a two-part film experience that will conclude with “Reign of the Supermen” in early 2019, restores many of the moments and characters that fans hold dear to their hearts.

The all-star cast is led by Jerry O’Connell (“Crossing Jordan,” “Stand By Me”), Rebecca Romijn (“X-Men,” “The Librarians”) and Rainn Wilson (“The Office”) as the voices of Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, respectively. The potent trio is joined by the DC Universe Movies’ returning voices of the Justice League: Jason O’Mara (“The Man in the High Castle,” “Terra Nova”) as Batman, Rosario Dawson (“Sin City,” “Rent,” “Daredevil”) as Wonder Woman, Shemar Moore (“S.W.A.T.,” “Criminal Minds”) as Cyborg, Nathan Fillion (“Castle,” ABC’s upcoming “The Rookie”) as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, and Christopher Gorham (“Covert Affairs,” “Ugly Betty”) as The Flash.

Producer Sam Liu (“Gotham by Gaslight,” “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract”) co-directs “The Death of Superman” with Jake Castorena (“Justice League Action”) from a script by New York Times best-selling author Peter J. Tomasi (“Green Lantern: Emerald Knights”). Executive Producers are Sam Register and James Tucker (“Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay,” “Justice League Dark”).

“As Superman celebrates his 80th anniversary, we felt the time was right to finally tell the unabridged version of this iconic story,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “This is a landmark tale in comics history, and we wanted to bring the entire story – with all the characters and details the fans have clamored for – to animated life.”