entertainment blog
Frank Ursoleo, Longtime BMG Exec & Iconoclassic Records Founder, Dies at 65
Frank Ursoleo, a former sales and marketing executive who held numerous label and distribution positions in the BMG network of companies before becoming the president of his own company Iconoclassic Records, died unexpectedly in his Cape Cod, Mass. home on May 5. He was 65. “Frank’s passion and knowledge, developed through decades of deep listening, found its fullest expression at Iconoclassic Records,” according to a tribute from Iconoclassic Records president Jeremy Holiday, who joined the label in 2021. “Here, he reissued Laura Nyro’s mid and late career work, to bust the myth that she peaked early.” Ursoleo, who graduated from Boston College, began his music industry career working at the Strawberries music chain. According to his LinkedIn profile, Ursoleo went on to be a sales represe...
Why Were So Many Oldies Made Hits Again by New Syncs During One Five-Year Period — And Why Is It Finally Happening Again Now?
With all the attention this week surrounding Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill” re-entering the Billboard Hot 100 at a new No. 8 peak following its use in Netflix’s Stranger Things, we wrote this week about 10 times in the Hot 100’s history when a movie or TV sync brought a decade-plus-old song onto the chart. But if you look at the timeline of those 10 songs and their chart resurrection, a very obvious trend emerges — the majority of them happened over a five-year period from the late ’80s to the early ’90s. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The period starts in 1987, when use in two hit film comedies (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Back to School) the year before brought The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” back to the Hot 100 for the...
Def Leppard Debuts at No. 1 on Top Hard Rock Albums Chart With ‘Diamond Star Halos’
Def Leppard reaches No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Hard Rock Albums chart for a fourth time with its new set Diamond Star Halos, which opens atop the survey dated June 11. In the May 27-June 2 tracking week, Halos earned 34,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate. Of that sum, 32,000 units are via album sales. The venerable British band first ruled Top Hard Rock Albums, which began in 2007, with 2008’s Songs From the Sparkle Lounge. 2011’s Mirrorball: Live & More followed, and in 2015, the group led with its self-titled 11th studio set. Concurrently, Halos starts at No. 2 on Top Rock Albums. On the all-format Billboard 200, the new set bows at No. 10, marking Def Leppard’s eighth top 10. Here’s a recap, dating to the band’s first nearly 40 years ago. Def Leppard’s Billboard 200 Top...
Tall Dwarfs Announce Unravelled: 1981–2002 Box Set
Tall Dwarfs, the New Zealand duo of Chris Knox and Alec Bathgate, have announced a new box set featuring 55 songs from across their discography. Unravelled: 1981–2002 is out August 19 via Merge. The group has also made its full catalog available to stream for the first time ever. The box set will be available in 4xLP and 2xCD editions. The LP edition is pressed on 180g vinyl, housed in two gatefold jackets, and includes a 20-page booklet of photos, comics, posters, and more. Bathgate curated the collection of songs and designed the box set packaging. Check out an image of the vinyl box set below. Knox and Bathgate formed Tall Dwarfs in 1981, following the disbandment of their previous group Toy Love. Tall Dwarfs self-recorded on a 4-track reel-to-reel, laying down songs as t...
Blondie Announce Against the Odds: 1974 – 1982 Box Set
A new Blondie box set is on the way: Against the Odds: 1974 – 1982 includes remastered versions of their first six studio albums: Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat to the Beat, Autoamerican, and The Hunter. The foil-wrapped collection also includes over four dozen demos (including Blondie’s first-ever recording session), alternate versions, studio outtakes, liner notes by Erin Osmon, track-by-track commentary from the band, essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer, and Ken Shipley, an illustrated discography, and many photographs from the period. Against the Odds is out August 26 via UMe and Numero Group. Listen to Blondie’s previously unreleased recording of the Doors’ “Moonlight Drive” below. Debbie Harry said in a statement, “It really is a treat to see how ...
Juicy J and Pi’erre Bourne Announce New Album, Share New Song “This Fronto”: Listen
On June 22, Juicy J and Pi’erre Bourne will release the collaborative album Space Age Pimpin’. The lead single from the record is “This Fronto.” Check it out below. Since releasing the solo album The Life of Pi’erre in June 2021, Bourne has shared collaborative full-lengths with Sharc (47 Meters Down), Chavo (Chavo’s World 2), TM88 (Yo!88), and Jelly (Wolf of Peachtree 2). The latter includes a collaboration with Juicy J called “Bubble Gum.” Juicy J’s issued his latest solo studio album, The Hustle Continues, in November 2020; he expanded the album in June 2021 with The Hustle Still Continues. Earlier this year, the rapper and producer shared Stoner’s Night with Wiz Khalifa. Revisit Pitchfork’s 2018 interview “Pi’erre Bourne Is a Hit-Making Rap Producer Who Wants to Be the Next Kanye West....
Pixies Announce New Album Doggerel, Share New Song “There’s a Moon On”: Listen
Pixies have announced a new album. Doggerel is out September 30 via BMG. Today they’ve shared the new song “There’s a Moon On.” Give it a listen below. Scroll down to watch a trailer for the new LP (via Rolling Stone). Since the band reunited in 2004, they’ve released three albums: 2014’s Indie Cindy, 2016’s Head Carrier, and, most recently, 2019’s Beneath the Eyrie. With the new album’s announcement, Joey Santiago and Black Francis clarified how the new album is different from their recent outings. “This time around we have grown,” Santiago said. “We no longer have under two-minute songs. We have little breaks, more conventional arrangements but still our twists in there.” Black Francis added: “We’re trying to do things that are very big and bold and orchestrated. The punky stuff, I reall...
Skillibeng ft. Fivio Foreign & French Montana “Whap Whap,” Post Malone “Insane” & More | Daily Visuals 6.7.22
HipHopWired Featured Video For a minute now Skillibeng has been steadily building a buzz for himself as the next big thing in the dancehall music genre but today he gets an assist from two of New York’s biggest Hip-Hop artists at the moment. For his visuals to “Whap Whap,” Skilli recruits the talents of the current KONY, Fivio Foreign and French Montana where the three men take to the streets to get things poppin’ and have their peoples ride on some cycles before dancing up a storm at the bodega. On any given night an aisle in the bodega can quickly turn into a Soul Train Line when that Easy Jesus kicks in. Just sayin.’ Speaking of dancing when under the influence, that’s exactly what it seems like Post Malone is doing in his clip to “Insane” where the man spends the durality of the video ...
StockX Responds To Nike’s Bootleg Claims, Says Nike’s Allegations Lack Merit
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: StockX / StockX A few weeks ago Nike roasted whatever credibility StockX had when they filed a lawsuit again StockX alleging that they sold bootleg sneakers to Nike employees buying sneakers from them undercover. Now StockX is clapping back at the sneaker giant and according to NiceKicks, they’ve taken to their website to try to reassure customers that they do their diligence whenever authenticating a pair of grails. Going directly at Nike for the allegations they levied against the reselling website, StockX explains that they’ve invested massive amounts of money to ensure that their customers only get the best kind of service and authentic footwear. Related Stories “StockX was built to make the secondary market safer and more efficient for consumers. We ...
Proud Boys Charged With Sedition For Attack on U.S. Capitol
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / Getty The former leader and other members of the Proud Boys white nationalist group have been hit with charges of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021. According to reports, the charges of seditious conspiracy were brought against former chairman Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola in an amended federal indictment unsealed in a federal district court in Washington, D.C. All the men had been previously charged in an earlier indictment filed in March for conspiring to obstruct the certification of the 2020 Presidential Election which was being conducted during the joint session of Congress on January 6th. The trial for tha...
It’s Murdah!!!: Ashanti & Ja Rule’s Greatest Collaborations
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: JD Barnes / for HelloBeautiful If you’re going back and reminiscing about music in the early 2000s, the duo of Ashanti and Ja Rule clearly dominate the scene. And we take some time to break down exactly how that came about. Hip-Hop and R&B have had a long love affair thanks to some choice collaborations. But it can safely be said that once Murder Inc. labelmates Ashanti—who is the latest cover star over at our sister site Hello Beautiful—and Ja Rule teamed up, they pushed such collaborations to become a new art form under the keen production of Irv Gotti. Here, we give a rundown of their best collaborations that kept them at the top of the charts and still keep fans hoping for that joint album both promised back in 2018. 1) ”Always On Time”, 2001 T...
Shygirl Releases New Song “Come for Me”
London-based electronic songstress Shygirl has released a new track “Come For Me.” Produced by Arca, the new song is from Shygirl’s forthcoming project, Nymph. The new track discusses the ever-present desire for love and affection. About these feelings, Shygril says, “If you look at me, I never get lonely / Catch me flying out the trade, I said can you follow me / Looking for a diamond in the rough / Who’s that gonna be / I’m looking at you, can you come with me?” Bringing these sentiments to life, the accompanying music video moves throughout a fog-covered forest before reaching Shygirl who is sitting near a stream. Between sitting on a rock and resting in a tree, Shygirl’s appearances in the video are extremely brief. “Come For Me” is the latest track from Shygirl’s forthcoming album aft...
