Entertainment News
De La Soul Release New Single “Remove 45” featuring Chuck D, Talib Kweli, and Pharoahe Monch: Stream
Never ones to hold back their feelings, De La Soul have a delivered a pre-election Donald Trump protest song called “Remove 45”. They’re joined on the track by several other hip-hop luminaries, including Chuck D, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, and Styles P. The track was produced by Supa Dave West, and begins with audio of Trump himself. But he can hardly whip out the dog whistle before a chorus of aggrieved voices tells him to “Shut up!” The hook samples Public Enemy’s 1991 classic “Shut ‘Em Down”, chopping and spinning Chuck D so that he calls out, “1, 2, 3, remove 4, 5!” That’s clever and all, but the real flavor in the song comes from the veteran lyricism. “Remove 45” is five-and-a-half minutes of punchlines and policy analysis, goofy jokes and serious concerns. As De La Soul’s Posdnous ...
South Park Creators Launch Deepfake Web Series Sassy Justice: Watch
South Park returned earlier this month with the hour-long “Pandemic Special”, though there’s still no word on when Season 24 will properly begin. In the meantime, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have teamed with British comedian great Peter Serafinowicz (Amazon’s The Tick, Guardians of the Galaxy) for a new deepfake web series called Sassy Justice. The show is presented as a local Cheyenne, Wyoming news program hosted by American Consumer Advocate Fred Sassy, himself a deepfake of Donald Trump. (The name “Fred Sassy” has to be a play on Trump’s dad, right?) A description of the first episode promises Sass will go “to battle for the common man in his hometown.” First, he’s exposing the dangers of deepfakes — the technological trick of mapping a person’s face on a different person’s body...
Alice Cooper Launches His Own Horror-Themed Party Game
When he’s not satirically running for president, the legendary Alice Cooper usually has his hands in a variety of multimedia projects, from his long-running syndicated radio show to inspirational music videos. The shock rocker’s latest endeavor is just in time for Halloween: a horror-themed party game called HorrorBox. The Cards Against Humanity-style game was written by Cooper and a host of other horror fanatics. It takes the basic CAH concept of pairing setup and answer phrases from different cards to create absurd statements. For example: “‘The tenth circle of hell is for’ … ‘setting up my haunted house as an Airbnb.’” There are also dare cards mixed in with the question cards, prompting players to engage in a spooky action. Cooper’s version of the addictive game is geared specifi...
David Bowie Undergoes a Transformation in First Official Stardust Trailer: Watch
Stardust is an upcoming film that recounts David Bowie’s first-ever US publicity tour. The 1971 trip would go on to heavily influence his Hunky Dory album, as well as helped birth his iconic Ziggy Stardust character. Following a teaser clip earlier this year, a full official trailer has been released today. In the visual, we witness Bowie (played by Johnny Flynn) slowly undergoing a transformation into otherworldly alter ego Ziggy Stardust. Guiding him on this path is his Mercury Records press person Rob Oberman (Marc Maron), one of the few label employees to really believe in his music and potential. Bowie’s first wife Angie (Jena Malone) also offers him uplifting pep talks. “Rock star or somebody impersonating a rock star, what’s the difference?” Flynn’s Bowie says to those confused by h...
Autechre Drop Surprise Album PLUS: Stream
Autechre have dropped the new surprise album PLUS. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. This is the second new album from the electronic duo in less than a month, following on the October 16th release SIGN. Before that, fans waited seven years for the album-length follow-up to 2013’s Exai, although the British veterans were hardly idle in-between. In 2016, Rob Brown and Sean Booth released elseq 1-5, which was made of five 50-minute segments, while 2018’s NTS Sessions was taken from an NTS Radio residency and had a total running time of about eight hours. The pair continue to program their own sounds themselves, though their relationship to technology has evolved. Autechre’s current system allows for many more channels — more layers of complexity — than their early efforts. But the...
Kazakhstan’s Tourism Board Embraces Borat’s “Very Nice!” as New Slogan
In a classic example of if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, Kazakhstan has reversed course on its Borat stance. After years trying to distance itself from Sacha Baron Cohen’s satirical character, the country has decided to embrace his popularity by using his catchphrase “Very Nice!” as its new tourism slogan. The Kazakhstan tourism board has unveiled a new series of ads that show visitors exploring all the country has to offer. As they marvel at the natural landscapes, architectural wonders, and delicious foods, each individual declares a satisfied, “Very nice!” Ridiculous accent not included. “In COVID times, when tourism spending is on hold, it was good to see the country mentioned in the media,” the deputy chairman of Kazakhstan’s tourism board, Kairat Sadvakassov, told The New York Times....
Jordana Shares New Single “I Guess This is Life”: Stream
Indie pop artist Jordana will cap off 2020 with a new album called Something to Say to You. The sophomore effort is comprised of two EPs, this past summer’s Something to Say and To You, which is out the same day as the complete full-length. Following last month’s single “Divine”, the musician born Jordana Nye is now previewing the LP with “I Guess This is Life”. Similar to its predecessor, today’s track sees Jordana formulating a more polished and punctuated pop sound, thanks in part to her producer Jeffrey Melvin, better known under his EDM moniker MELVV. Subject-wise, Jordana takes a step back to really evaluate her life in a very present and mindful type of way. The new song is “about the motions of everyday life and how experiences, no matter big or small, make up the person ...
The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan Jokes and Drinks in the First Trailer for New Documentary Crock of Gold: Watch
The Pogues had a brief, furious run of success, spurred on by a genius frontman who seemed to have trouble staying hydrated. Now you can get vicariously sauced with the new documentary Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, available in wide release starting December 4th. From 1984 to 1991, MacGowan and the Pogues explored the punk rock side of traditional Irish music, reinventing both genres in the process. They were appointment viewing whenever MacGowan showed up, which became increasingly rare towards the end of his tenure. In 1990 he was so unreliable that the band couldn’t tour for their album Hell’s Ditch, and in 1991 they gave him the sack. His war on sobriety intermittently continued until 2016, when he detoxed during a lengthy hospital stay. Reportedly, he’s be...
Butch Vig Says Nirvana’s Nevermind “Would Not Have the Same Cultural Impact” If Released Today
Out of all the people to debate the relevancy of Nirvana in the modern day, perhaps nobody’s as fit to do so as Garbage drummer Butch Vig. He produced the band’s breakout album, Nevermind, back in 1991, but even he doubts the grunge icons would have the similar type of “cultural impact” today. “I think it would be tough to repeat that zeitgeist moment,” Vig told NME. “If Nevermind came out this week, despite being a great record, it would not have the same cultural impact. It was perfect timing coming out when there was a shift in music and it felt like a revolution. I can see that happening again, but not in the same way.” Vig’s opinion isn’t meant as a slight to Nirvana, of course. If anything, it’s a comment on how much the industry has changed since then. Which is why he’s so...
Adam Jones Unveils Signature Les Paul Guitar and New Music Featuring Tool Bandmates: Stream
Tool’s Adam Jones has been one of rock’s most innovative guitarists for the past 30 years. Now, he finally has his own signature guitar, a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom. Moreover, he’s celebrating the instrument with brand new music, a score to a short film he created called The Witness. The track is essentially a Tool instrumental, as he’s joined by the band’s rhythm section of drummer Danny Carey and bassist Justin Chancellor. Gibson’s Custom Shop Murphy Lab recreated “Adam’s #1 Guitar”: a Silverburst 1979 Gibson Les Paul. The guitar has become a mainstay in Jones’ arsenal and was prominent on the band’s tour in support of Fear Inoculum last year. From looks down to electronics, it’s a spot-on clone of Jones’ go-to axe. The replica touts a hand-wound Seymour Duncan Distortion bridge pickup...
Assassin’s Creed Live-Action TV Series Coming to Netflix
Assassin’s Creed was adapted for the big screen in 2016, presented as a star-studded slog that seemed to prove the video game’s story was too weird for film. But far be it for such failures to deter Netflix from shelling out a little cash. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming giant is developing a new live-action Assassin’s Creed TV series. What’s more, the show looks to be just the first of many Assassin’s Creed projects coming to Netflix. Video game company Ubisoft has teamed with the streaming service to adapt the franchise into a number of “live-action, animated, and anime series”, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Luckily, they have a lot of material to use for inspiration, with the Assassin’s Creed series spanning 11 games to date, and a 12th coming next month. Many ...
Empress Of Enlists Amber Mark for New Song “You’ve Got to Feel”: Stream
With exactly one week left until the presidential election, experimental pop artist Empress Of has shared a new single featuring Amber Mark called “You’ve Got to Feel” that encourages listeners to make their voices heard. “You’ve Got To Feel” is an infectious dance-pop number that wields synths, airy guitar strums, and spacious reverb to pack a punch. Surprisingly, it doesn’t build towards the traditional pop peak, which makes the song all the more intriguing. With Empress Of manning the role of producer, Mark is free to spit out lines about breaking down capitalism, looking out for your fellow Americans, and choosing to rise above. Stream the single below. Editors’ Picks To coincide with this news, Empress Of has also announced the launch of her own record label, Major Arcana. Expec...
