Media Monarchy plays J.J. Abrams, Andrew Lloyd Webber x Adam Lambert, Kingston Sound System x Tanita Tikaram and more on #PumpUpThaVolume for August 14, 2025. ♬
Ferrante & Teicher – “Born Free” (Don Black/John Barry Cover // Vinyl)
‘Our Golden Favorites’
United Artists Records – 1967
*Ferrante & Teicher – “Born Free” (Don Black/John Barry Cover // Vinyl) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II-UZ1H3CkE // https://www.discogs.com/release/24305117-Ferrante-Teicher-Our-Golden-Favorites // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrante_&_Teicher // Ferrante & Teicher were a duo of American pianists known for their clever arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes, as well as their signature style of florid, intricate, and fast-paced piano playing performances. Born Free is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, another real-life couple, who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood and released her into the wilderness of Kenya. Born Free, and its musical score, by John Barry, as well as the title song, with lyrics by Don Black…won numerous awards.*
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Daniel Pemberton – “The Heart Of Infinity” (Inst.)
‘USS Callister: Into Infinity (Soundtrack From the Netflix series ‘Black Mirror’)’
Netflix Music – August 8, 2025
*Daniel Pemberton – “The Heart Of Infinity” (Inst.) https://youtu.be/HazSlB0ftw8 // https://open.spotify.com/album/3Yp0vVDFS7tds4B2wCfrwD // https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31790115/ // From ‘USS Callister: Into Infinity (Soundtrack From the Netflix series ‘Black Mirror’),’ available now via Netflix Music.*
Hesham Nazih – “This Ends Tonight”
‘Eyes Of Wakanda (Original Soundtrack)’
Marvel Music – August 8, 2025
*Hesham Nazih – “This Ends Tonight” https://youtu.be/Jfp0LVF4zlQ // https://open.spotify.com/album/7d954NsLk8Outte8CNw2XX // https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13968252/ // From ‘Eyes Of Wakanda (Original Soundtrack),’ available now via Marvel Music.*
J.J. Abrams – “Duster Theme” (Inst.)
‘Duster (Original Series Soundtrack)’
Bad Robot Music – August 8, 2025
*J.J. Abrams – “Duster Theme” (Inst.) https://youtu.be/wnN5UIpREwk // https://open.spotify.com/album/2ljhGzOnHXtIupNqP9Se12 // https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12160826/ // From ‘Duster (Original Series Soundtrack),’ available now via Bad Robot Music. Theme composed by J.J. Abrams, music for the series composed by Laura Karpman.*
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Andrew Lloyd Webber – “Heaven On Their Minds” (w/Adam Lambert)
‘Heaven On Their Minds’ (7″ Vinyl)
The Other Songs – August 1, 2025
*Andrew Lloyd Webber – “Heaven On Their Minds” (w/Adam Lambert) https://soundcloud.com/andrew-lloyd-webber/heaven-on-their-minds-from // https://jesuschristsuperstar.tmstor.es // https://www.discogs.com/master/79753-Various-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Tim-Rice-Jesus-Christ-Superstar // Here’s a new recording of “Heaven On Their Minds” with ‘American Idol’/Queen boy toy, Adam Lambert singing the song that originally appeared the 1970 album, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar – A Rock Opera’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The song is the title track of a forthcoming 7″, due on September 26st via The Other Songs. John Stamos is suddenly starring in a stage version after somebody else got sick suddenyl, I think lol.*
Kingston Sound System – “Twist In My Sobriety” (Tanita Tikaram Cover w/Tanita Tikaram)
Digital Single
Loop Recordings – August 6, 2025
*Kingston Sound System – “Twist In My Sobriety” (Tanita Tikaram Cover w/Tanita Tikaram) https://kingstonsoundsystem.bandcamp.com/album/twist-in-my-sobriety // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twist_in_My_Sobriety // Tanita Tikaram provides the vocals on Kingston Sound System’s just-released cover of her 1988 international hit song. Available now via Loop Recordings.*
Greg Loiacono & Stingray – “Hope We Get To Dance”
Digital Single
Royal Potato Family – August 5, 2025
*Greg Loiacono & Stingray – “Hope We Get To Dance” https://gregloiacono.bandcamp.com/track/hope-we-get-to-dance // https://gregloiacono.com/bio/ // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_Hips // Here’s the just-released debut single by Southern California singer-songwriter Greg Loiacono, (The Mother Hips, Chris Robinson), and his new band, Stingray. Available now via Royal Potato Family.*
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Almost Vinyl – “Freddy and The Shore Trotters – ‘Napa Valley Cougars’ [Live From Kokomo, 1988]”
Digital Single
YouTube – Aug. 14, 2024
*Almost Vinyl – “Freddy and The Shore Trotters – ‘Napa Valley Cougars’ [Live From Kokomo, 1988]” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkMm5IhjOw // Catch the entire Freddy, Betty, and Jim song trilogy! From Freddy And The Shore Trotters, this 1988 live version of the 60s classic – recorded live in Kokomo – now returns via ai music magic. The original song made waves on the beaches of California and kickstarted the careers of surf rock/pop legends Freddy and The Shore Trotters. It also happened to coin a term that wouldn’t catch on until the early 21st century. “Freddy was ahead of his time,” Chet Trotter said in a 1988 Rolling Stone interview. “Which was a bit funny because he was actually held back a year in school. So he was eighteen that summer, which means the song isn’t as problematic as people – look, it was a different time OK?” Freddy would use the proceeds of his pool boy escapades to self-fund their first demo. “He spent all that money on the band when he could have bought swimming lessons,” Trotter said. “And then he never would have written I Can’t F**king swim. And we’d still be working in a surf shop somewhere. Some things are just meant to be.”*
Almost Vinyl – “Freddy and The Shore Trotters – ‘I Can’t F**king Swim (I’m Gonna Die)'”
Digital Single
YouTube – May 31, 2024
*Almost Vinyl – “Freddy and The Shore Trotters – ‘I Can’t F**king Swim (I’m Gonna Die)'” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIpPgxtllwM // Originally a cover band, Freddy eventually steered the band toward a genre he called “observational surf.” “If he was anything, he was honest,” Chet Trotter said of his late bandmate’s lyrical style. “I think reliving that every night took a toll on him. After we came back from the tour, he spent a good year in his room alone before our next album. We got worried because after that whole thing at the beach he was deathly afraid of water. Sometimes we had to remind him to drink. So what the hell was he drinking in his room?” It would take until their 1966 album – Engine Sounds – for Freddy to feel comfortable enough to recount the tragic events that followed “I Can’t F**king Swim.”*
Almost Vinyl – “Freddy and The Shore Trotters – ‘The Race For Betty’s Heart (Directly Into A Wall)'”
Digital Single
YouTube – Aug. 4, 2024
*Almost Vinyl – “Freddy and The Shore Trotters – ‘The Race For Betty’s Heart (Directly Into A Wall)'” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5u0JzBTwfs // The dramatic conclusion of the Freddy, Betty, and Jim trilogy in which Freddy recounts the bizarre but tragic events on a cool summer night in California that led to the loss of a former friend, rival, and fellow music legend.*
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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – “Fuller Love” (Live Inst.)
‘Strasbourg 82’
Gearbox Records – October 11, 2025
*Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – “Fuller Love” (Live Inst.) https://gearboxrecords.bandcamp.com/track/fuller-love-2 // https://store.gearboxrecords.com/products/pre-order-art-blakey-the-jazz-messengers-strasbourg-82 // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Blakey // From ‘Strasbourg 82’, the upcoming album by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, recorded on April 1, 1982 in Strasbourg, France. This previously unissued recording will be released via Gearbox Records on October 11, 2025, which would have been Blakey’s 106th birthday.*
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The Mirage – “I Want Love” // The Chantelles – “Out Of My Mind”
‘Get Ready For The Countdown’
Strawberry – April, 2025
*The Mirage – “I Want Love” // The Chantelles – “Out Of My Mind” https://youtu.be/MhoUB5lE0ms // https://youtu.be/Ta72V1IXFkE // https://www.discogs.com/release/33814341-Various-Get-Ready-For-The-Countdown // https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059085/ // Here’s two tracks of 1960’s British Mod and R&B from ‘Get Ready For The Countdown’, a 3xCD box set, released back in April by Strawberry. The Mirage hailed from Hertfordshire, and was a house band employed by Dick James Music. They released seven singles and never scored a hit, “I Want Love” was originally unissued. The Chantelles was a popular vocal trio that score a hit with “I Want That Boy” in 1965. They appeared in the 1965 film ‘Dateline Diamonds’ with The Small Faces and Kiki Dee. “Out Of My Mind” was the title track of their final single issued in March of 1968. The single went nowhere and The Chantelles disbanded.*