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Dozens Of Black Playwrights Blast Lilly-White Theater Industry
Source: KLH49 / Getty The 40-Year-Old Version, one of the best films released this year from director and playwright Radha Blank, highlights the hidden and overt instances of racism in the theater industry. In a new profile piece, Blank and 39 of her Black colleagues share instances of when they’ve faced the same over the course of their careers. The Los Angeles Times published an excellent account of 40 playwrights, including Blank, who all share when they’ve been met with the looming specter of racism while pitching and attempting to bring their stories to life. The profile opens by mentioning a pivotal scene in The 40-Year-Old Version where the main character, played by Blank, is confronted with the passive racist barbs of a Broadway producer. With over three dozen accounts of these bra...
King Princess Drops New Song “Only Time Makes It Human”: Stream
King Princess has returned with her first new song of 2020, “Only Time Makes It Human”. The title is a reference to the healing power of time; the track finds KP in the doldrums of unrequited love. Between earworm “Whoo la las,” she sings with painful self-awareness. It’s not just that it “sucks that I think about her/ ‘Cause thinking ’bout her leaves me lonely;” it’s that King Princess know she’ll turn this pain into a song, but somehow that doesn’t make it better. She croons, “Whoo, and I’ll keep selling all my problems/ And she’ll be the one who buys them/ Whoo, all of her love became an album/ And I’m still the one who’s crying.” Check out “Only Time Makes It Human” below. Our 2019 Rookie of the Year blew up on the strength of her debut album Cheap Queen, and earlier this year she rele...
The National’s Matt Berninger Releases Debut Solo Album Serpentine Prison: Stream
Matt Berninger of The National has released his debut solo album Serpentine Prison. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. The album was produced by the legendary Booker T. Jones, and features contributions from Andrew Bird, The National’s Scott Devendorf, The Walkmen’s Walter Martin and Matt Barrick, and Menomena’s Brent Knopf. But the only other artist actually heard on Serpentine Prison is Gail Ann Dorsey, whose vocals featured on six of the tracks from the 2019 The National album I Am Easy to Find. Here, there’s little to distract from Berninger’s mellifluous voice. In a review of Serpentine Prison for Consequence of Sound, Jordan Blum wrote, “Serpentine Prison isn’t the drastic change of pace that many frontmen create when they do a project outside o...
Statik Selektah Teams with Nas, Joey Bada$$, and Gary Clark Jr. on New Song “Keep It Moving”: Stream
Statik Selektah (photo courtesy of artist); Gary Clark Jr., Joey Bada$$, and Nas (photos by Ben Kaye) Statik Selektah has shared a star-studded new single called “Keep It Moving” featuring Nas, Joey Bada$$, and Gary Clark Jr. With jazzy guitar licks from Clark Jr. and throwback bars from both New York MCs, “Keep It Moving” sounds like it’s rolling through an early-’90s NYC. With their respective verses, the rappers speak on what it means for the Black community to rise up against the systems of oppression around them, from wherever they may come. “Lot of us turn out to predicate felons, not I/ My brethren’s addicted to sellin’, slipped and turned to somebody’s seller,” raps Nas. “I wish that somebody would tell us then/ Tell us chances are slim when you dancin’ with sin/ It all start from ...
Foo Fighters to Headline #SOSFest in Support of Independent Music Venues
In an effort to save independent music venues impacted by the pandemic, YouTube Music is teaming up with the National Independent Venue Association for #SOSFest. Taking place October 16th-18th, the three-day virtual festival will feature 35 original performances recorded live from 25 independent concert venues across the United States. Scheduled performers include Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, Dave Matthews, Demi Lovato, Phoebe Bridgers, The Roots, Brittany Howard, Portugal. the Man, Rise Against, Black Pumas, FINNEAS, Nathaniel Rateliff, The Lumineers, Leon Bridges, and more. Reggie Watts will host the festival. See the full schedule below, and stream the event via NIVA’s YouTube channel (below). During the livestream, viewers will be encouraged to donate to the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund, w...
Three 6 Mafia to Play First U.S. Indoor Arena Concert Since Pandemic Hit
The United States is seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite numbers spiking for a third time, Three 6 Mafia just announced the country’s first indoor arena concert since the pandemic hit. The show is set to take place December 11 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY, and safety protocols will be in place. According to the rap group, which currently consists of Juicy J and DJ Paul, masks will be required and tickets will be sold in pods of four people or less to ensure social distancing. Kentucky Sports Radio added that the venue will be limited to 15% capacity — 3,152 patrons and event staff — and concert goers will be subject to temperature checks upon entry. Project Pat is slated to be a special guest. The show will be hosted by Sean Da Don, and Gem and Real Gates are also set to...
JUDAS PRIEST’s ROB HALFORD Offers Update On His Debut Blues Solo Album: ‘It’ll Be Ready When It’s Ready’
Rob Halford says that his debut blues solo album “will be ready when it’s ready.” The JUDAS PRIEST singer is collaborating with the same team that assisted him during the making of his 2019 Christmas LP “Celestial”, including his brother Nigel and his nephew Alex (son of PRIEST bassist Ian Hill). Speaking to “The Cassius Morris Show”, Halford said (see video below): “We’ve started to kick the tires on this blues record. In fact, before we started talking today, I had some texts from my brother Nigel, who’s a drummer. He worked with us all on the ‘Celestial’ Christmas album last year. And my nephew Alex, who’s the son of Ian Hill, bass player from PRIEST, he was also on the Christmas album. And their good friend J...
NIGHTWISH Side Project AURI Completes Work On Second Album
AURI, the project featuring NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, popular Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela, has completed work on its second album. The effort will be the follow-up to AURI‘s self-titled debut LP, which came out in March 2018 via Nuclear Blast. On Friday (October 16), NIGHTWISH‘s Twitter account was updated with a photo of AURI in the studio, and it was accompanied by the brief message: “It’s done. Auri II is done!” AURI began its life with three people, united through their shared need to hear a kind of a music which can’t be described by words alone. The first song born of this mindset, “Aphrodite Rising”, appeared in 2011. Kurkela lent her unique voice, while Holopainen and English composer and multi-i...
DEF LEPPARD’s PHIL COLLEN: ‘When I First Heard EDDIE VAN HALEN, It Sounded Like Someone Could Fly’
DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen has reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, calling him “one of the most amazing influences ever.” The legendary VAN HALEN axeman died on October 6 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer. Speaking to Everyone Loves Guitar, Collen said (see video below): “We’re talking about Eddie and the amazing impact he had on musicians, influences on guitar players and everything. It wasn’t just the guitar playing, obviously. He was one of the most amazing influences ever. There was Jimi Hendrix in the ’60s, and then Eddie Van Halen. Anyone who plays electric guitar would know about those two and what impact they had. “I think when I first heard Eddie, it sounded like someone could fly — someone was literally like...
NEAL SCHON Recalls His First Time Watching EDDIE VAN HALEN Play: He Was ‘Doing New Things That Nobody Had Seen Before’
JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon has reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, saying he did things on the guitar things that “nobody had seen before.” The legendary VAN HALEN axeman died on October 6 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer. During an appearance on the October 13 episode of SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, Schon said: “[JOURNEY] took VAN HALEN on their first tour. It was in ’78. Their record was just being released. And a couple of months, three months, prior to the tour starting, I had received a little promotional EP. It had ‘Eruption’ on it and ‘You Really Got Me’. So I proceeded to put it on my turntable in my bedroom, with a guitar amp, and I’m sitting there listening to ‘...
Christopher Cross Calls Temporary Paralysis Due to COVID-19 ‘Worst 10 Days’ of His Life
Six months after revealing he was temporarily paralyzed due to COVID-19 complications, Christopher Cross is detailing his harrowing battle with the disease for the first time. The yacht rock crooner sat down with CBS Sunday Morning to tell his story. “There was some, you know, come-to-Jesus moments or whatever, where I was looking for any help I could get … to get out of this thing, because I wasn’t sure,” he admitted. Cross contracted COVID-19 during a trip to Mexico City with his girlfriend. After falling ill for three weeks in April, the 69-year-old felt well enough to go grocery shopping. When he returned home, his legs gave out. The singer was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome — a condition that causes your body to attack your nerves — that doctors believe was caused by...
Insomniac Announces In-Person 2020 Halloween Festival
Insomniac has announced an in-person Halloween festival in Florida amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Boo! Orlando is scheduled for Friday, October 30th and Saturday, October 31st at Orlando’s Lot 54 at The Vanguard. Friday night will feature performances from Carnage, Loud Luxury, SayMyName, ATLiens, and Jinx while Saturday’s billing boasts Valentino Khan, Nitti Gritti, Schade, Sloth, and a yet-to-be-named surprise artist. As those in the live music industry continue to experience the pitfalls of the virus’ impact, shows like this may become more frequent in the coming months. It’s important to note that a lot of artists depend on booking fees to generate income, and since streaming isn’t exactly a cash cow, many of them feel they must resume to...
