Alternative Music
Heaven 17 Announce 2022 North American Tour
English synthpop pioneers Heaven 17 have announced the 2022 “We Don’t Need This Fascist Groove Thang” North American tour. Named after their President Reagan-bashing single, the “We Don’t Need This Fascist Groove Thang” tour kicks off in September and spans 15 stops in the US and Canada. Tickets are currently on sale via Ticketmaster. As lead singer Glenn Gregory explained in a statement, it could be classified as Heaven 17’s first official tour of the continent. He said, “Our first trip to America as Heaven 17 was to New York in 1981; in fact, it was my first-ever trip to the USA and was a truly amazing experience. I can’t remember how on earth this came about, but we were going to play our first-ever live performance at the legendary Studio 54. We have, believe it or not, only ever playe...
Robert De Niro, a Swiftie? “I’m Not Not a Fan” of Taylor Swift
He’s playing a bit mum on the subject, but it looks like Taylor Swift can count Robert De Niro among her legions of fans. In a recent interview with Variety, the Oscar-winner admitted to having “all of her albums,” conceding, “I’m not not a fan.” The main subject of the interview was the Tribeca Film Festival, which De Niro and Jane Rosenthal founded in 2002. The event returned to New York City today, and Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film is screening at the event. Naturally, then, Variety asked the co-founders if they were fans of the artist, to which De Niro replied, “I have all of her albums. I’m not not a fan. I probably hear her music and like it on the radio. My young daughter puts a station on, and it drives me crazy when they chat. When they have ...
Big Thief Cancel Concerts in Israel, Venue Calls Band “Cowards”
Amid public outcry from many of their fans, Big Thief have canceled a pair of upcoming shows scheduled in Tel Aviv, Israel. In a statement issued on Thursday, the band said, “To be clear, we oppose the illegal occupation and the systematic oppression of the Palestinian people. We believe in total freedom and self-determination for all Palestinians.” Big Thief announced the July concerts at Tel Aviv venue Barby last last week, explaining in a statement that they wanted to explore bassist Max Oleartchik’s Israeli hometown and meet his family and friends in the same way that he had done for them as they toured the United States. “It is important for us to go where we have family to share space and play for them,” the band said. “It is foundational. It is in that spirit that we made our d...
The What Podcast Makes Their Bonnaroo Schedule Picks
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | Radio Public | RSS Bonnaroo is just a week away, which means it’s time to finalize your personal schedule. The What podcast’s Barry and Lord Taco, with some help from Brad, offer their picks for which acts they plan to see at The Farm this year. Related Video Will they choose The War on Drugs, Arlo Parks, or Japanese Breakfast, or Robert Plant & Alison Krauss on Friday? Where will they find some downtime on Saturday to rest up for late-night? What other events are going on outside of music that are can’t-miss — and where can you see The What hosts recording a live episode? Advertisement Find this all out by listening to the episode now above, or w...
Johnny Depp’s Lawyers: “Social Media Played No Role” in Swaying Jury
Ben Chew and Camille Vasquez, two of the lawyers who represented Johnny Depp in his recent highly-publicized trial, say “social media played no role whatsoever” in the jury’s decision to find Amber Heard guilty of defamation against her ex-husband. The attorneys appeared on both Good Morning America and The Today Show Wednesday morning to discuss the trial, which ended last week with both Depp and Heard receiving compensatory damages — though Depp’s sum was over $8 million more than Heard’s. “Social media played no role whatsoever [in the jury’s verdict],” Chew told GMA’s George Stephanopoulos. “This was a decision made by the jury on the evidence presented by both sides, and as Camille said [earlier in the interview], it was overwhelmingly in Mr. Depp’s favor.” Depp and Heard’s ...
Jurassic World Dominion Has Us Rooting for the Dinosaurs, and That’s Probably a Bad Thing — Review
The Pitch: In a twist no one could have possibly seen coming, it turns out that releasing a wide variety of extinct species into a global ecosystem might have some negative repercussions on said global ecosystem. That’s where Jurassic World Dominion begins, four years following the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which is almost enough time for most of the world to get used to the spread of dinosaurs across the planet. But funnily enough, the most dangerous creatures in this brave new world aren’t dinosaurs — they’re bugs. Specifically, the prehistoric-sized locusts that have begun tearing through the world’s crops, which if left unchecked could have extinction-level repercussions for literally every living creature. Fortunately, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) is doing her best t...
Tenacious D Cover The Who for Gun Safety Benefit Single: Stream
The greatest band in the world is paying tribute to another pretty good one, and it’s all for a good cause. Jack Black and Kyle Gass have released “Tenacious D’s The Who Medley,” a new mashup of Who classics that will benefit Everytown for Gun Safety. “Tenacious D’s The Who Medley” combines The Who’s “Pinball Wizard,” “There’s A Doctor,” and “Go To The Mirror!” into a unique single of its own. In addition to hitting streaming platforms, the medley will be pressed on a 7-inch vinyl — the proceeds of which will go to the gun violence prevention organization. Pre-orders for the 7-inch are ongoing. What’s more, the project comes with a video directed by frequent D collaborator Liam Lynch. Check it out below. Tenacious D hyped up the medley in a statement, proclaiming, “Who better to deliver a ...
Trevante Rhodes Pulls No Punches as Mike Tyson in Trailer for Hulu Series: Watch
Hulu has locked in a release date for Mike, the unauthorized limited series coming from the I, Tonya team about heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. It’ll launch on August 25th, and the streamer has also shared a first look trailer in anticipation. The clip begins with a brief look at Tyson’s childhood before fast-forwarding to his meteoric rise and everything that came with his newfound fame and subsequent downfall, including his time in prison. We even get a glimpse at his infamous pet tiger. Moonlight star Trevante Rhodes plays Tyson in the eight-episode series, which was created and written by I, Tonya scribe Steven Rogers, who served as executive producer alongside showrunner Karin Gist (Our Kind of People). The cast is rounded out by Russell Hornsby, Harvey Keitel, Laura Harr...
Trevante Rhodes Pulls No Punches as Mike Tyson in Trailer for Hulu Series: Watch
Hulu has locked in a release date for Mike, the unauthorized limited series coming from the I, Tonya team about heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. It’ll launch on August 25th, and the streamer has also shared a first look trailer in anticipation. The clip begins with a brief look at Tyson’s childhood before fast-forwarding to his meteoric rise and everything that came with his newfound fame and subsequent downfall, including his time in prison. We even get a glimpse at his infamous pet tiger. Moonlight star Trevante Rhodes plays Tyson in the eight-episode series, which was created and written by I, Tonya scribe Steven Rogers, who served as executive producer alongside showrunner Karin Gist (Our Kind of People). The cast is rounded out by Russell Hornsby, Harvey Keitel, Laura Harr...
Laurie Anderson Called Off Plan to House Lou Reed Archive in Texas over Gun Law
The new exhibition “Lou Reed: Caught Between the Twisted Stars” opens at Lincoln Center’s Library for Performing Arts on Thursday, but it nearly ended up in Texas. As Reed’s widow Laurie Anderson explained in conversation with The New York Times, she cut off conversations with UT Austin after Texas legislators passed a law allowing handguns to be carried on college campuses. Reed died in 2013, and Anderson had initially wanted his archive to be housed at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, which already boasted papers from James Joyce, Norman Mailer, and Don DeLillo. But after Governor Abbott signed the campus-carry bill in 2015, “I called them up,” she said. “‘This thing we’ve been talking about for a couple years? It’s off. Because of guns.’” A few months later, she read about a...
Laurie Anderson Called Off Plan to House Lou Reed Archive in Texas over Gun Law
The new exhibition “Lou Reed: Caught Between the Twisted Stars” opens at Lincoln Center’s Library for Performing Arts on Thursday, but it nearly ended up in Texas. As Reed’s widow Laurie Anderson explained in conversation with The New York Times, she cut off conversations with UT Austin after Texas legislators passed a law allowing handguns to be carried on college campuses. Reed died in 2013, and Anderson had initially wanted his archive to be housed at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, which already boasted papers from James Joyce, Norman Mailer, and Don DeLillo. But after Governor Abbott signed the campus-carry bill in 2015, “I called them up,” she said. “‘This thing we’ve been talking about for a couple years? It’s off. Because of guns.’” A few months later, she read about a...
Kid Cudi Shares Trailer for Netflix’s Entergalactic, Co-Starring Timothée Chalamet: Watch
It’s been three years since Kid Cudi first announced his Netflix animated series Entergalactic, and now the rapper has unveiled a teaser trailer revealing the star-studded cast. As previously announced, Cudi will star as the “charming, creative visionary” Jabari, whose best friend and weed dealer turned crypto bro Jimmy is played by Timothée Chalamet. Jessica Williams will star as Meadow, an on-the-rise photographer who is Jabari’s new neighbor and love interest. Meanwhile, Macaulay Culkin will play Downtown Pat, who is described as a “downtown legend and life-long, city-wide delinquent.” Other musicians starring in the series include Ty Dolla $ign, 070 Shake, Jaden Smith, and Teyana Taylor. The cast is rounded out by Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, Christopher Abbott, Keith David, an...
