Entertainment News
Ben Gibbard Fulfills Destiny, Dedicates Postal Service Song to the Postal Service: Watch
After Republican fundraiser Louis DeJoy took over as Postmaster General on June 16th, 2020, he enacted a series of cost-cutting measures that could potentially interfere with the election. The issue of whether we should fund mail services has become politicized, and it’s no surprise that Ben Gibbard has come down on the side of “pro-mail.” The frontman for Death Cab for Cutie once wrote music under the moniker The Postal Service. Now, 17 years after the indie classic Give Up, Gibbard has fulfilled his destiny, and played “Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service in an attempt to save the Postal Service. Gibbard shared the performance in a video titled “#TeamJoeSings”, which is also the name of an initiative he’s launching for the Democratic National Convention. The two-song set is an...
Billie Eilish Performs “my future” at Democratic National Convention: Watch
This year marks the first time Billie Eilish will be allowed to vote in a presidential election, and it’s pretty clear who she’ll be voting for. In fact, the 18-year-old alt-pop singer publicly stumped for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with an appearance during the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night. Appearing remotely alongside her brother Finneas, Eilish delivered the live debut of her new single, “my future”. Watch the replay below. Eilish also filmed a video PSA encouraging her fans to support Biden in the upcoming election, and launched a website with information on how they can register to vote. [embedded content] A message from Billie.Register to vote: https://t.co/5zf6pwhmzo pic.twitter.com/zW5YvlgBSd — billie eilish (@billieeilish) August 20, 2020 You Deserve to Make ...
Brian Setzer Launches Reverb Store to Sell His Personal Guitars, Amps, More
If you’ve ever contemplated learning how to play rockabilly music at home, then now might be the time to give it a try. Brian Setzer has partnered with Reverb to sell a handful of guitars, amps, and more from his storied career, several of which he used to help popularize the genre. The official Brian Setzer Reverb Shop will open to the public on August 26th online. Among the items he’s selling are a Gretsch 6120 Smoke Prototype that he used on The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s hit “Sleepwalk” and a leopard-print Gretsch Hot Rod that he played in the 2002 Disney film The Country Bears. He’s also listing a custom Gretsch Hot Rod in green pin-stripe and Gretsch Hot Rods in white and red sparkle, all of which were seen on various Christmas tours by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. Many of the other gui...
London Grammar Return with New Single “Baby It’s You”: Stream
Even during these dismal times, London Grammar have managed to find a little light. The British trio return today with the uplifting “Baby It’s You”, their first single in three years. Co-produced by George FitzGerald (Foals, Moby), the track is a soothing listen about the grounding power of love. “All these lights are changing/ See ’em everywhere/ In my veins like lightning/ I don’t even care,” sings Hannah Reid, her vocals robust and enveloping like a weighted blanket. “All these colors in me, but all I wanna see you/ And nothing else matters/ You, baby it’s you.” Between Reid’s soaring presence, the snappy percussion, and the song’s feel-good message, “Baby It’s You” seems like the ideal anthem to blast throughout an arena. Stream the new track below and get those lighters ready. Editor...
John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme Receives Audiophile Vinyl Reissue
John Coltrane’s landmark 1965 album A Love Supreme is set to be reissued on vinyl this October as part of Verve/UMe’s ongoing Acoustic Sounds audiophile series. The four-part spiritual suite has been remastered from its original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality tip-on gatefold jackets. Along with A Love Supreme, Coltrane’s 1963 album Ballads is also being reissued on vinyl by Verve/UMe on October 9th. Pre-orders for A Love Supreme are available here, and Ballads here. “Working with UMe and Impulse!, we were granted access to Coltrane’s original master tapes to create what we believe are the highest-quality reissues of these iconic jazz albums,” Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, said in a statement. “Each step in ou...
Dirty Projectors Announce Super João EP, Share “Holy Mackerel”: Stream
Dirty Projectors are currently two installments into a planned five-EP series they’re releasing over the course of the year. Each four-song collection features a different band member taking lead: For March’s Windows Open, it was Maia Friedman, while Felicia Douglass stepped forward for June’s Flight Tower. Now, Dirty Projectors mastermind Dave Longstreth has announced his own contribution, the Super João EP, and shared the lead single, “Holy Mackerel”. Arriving September 4th, Super João has the sort of smooth samba sounds you’d expect from an effort named after bossa nova pioneer João Gilberto, who passed away last year. Longstreth co-wrote the lyrics with Little Wings’ Kyle Field before recording direct to tape with Kyle Thomas of King Tuff, who happens to be his neighbor in Los Angeles....
Sexually Repressed Fox Anchor Tucker Carlson Freaks Out Over “WAP” Video: Watch
Nothing quite scares conservative men like a woman expressing her sexuality on her own terms. Add in the fact that she’s Black, too, and you’re bound to rile up the entire GOP base. That’s essentially what happened the other week when Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion unleashed their hotly anticipated single “WAP”. The collaboration’s acronym stands for “wet-ass pussy” and, much to many folks’ chagrin, was actually unabashedly about some wet-ass pussy. What a crime. The right immediately condemned the hip-hop track. One Republican congressional candidate named James P. Bradley described “WAP” as “what happens when children are raised without God,” later adding that he felt “sorry for future girls if this is their role model.” Bear in mind, he’s all for keeping a sexual predator in the White ...
Third Man Records to Auction Off Iconic White Stripes Gear, Memorabilia, and More
Third Man Records auctions off drum kits from The White Stripes’ “Hardest Button to Button” video This past June, Third Man Records unearthed old footage of The White Stripes’ first-ever TV performance filmed back in 2000. The Jack White-founded label is now offering fans the chance to physically own a piece of Third Man history via an online auction. Set to run from August 26th through the 30th, the “Garage Sale” will feature “one-of-a-kind” collector’s items from the label’s archives. This includes: drum kits from The White Stripes’ iconic music video for “Hardest Button to Button” directed by Michel Gondry; stage monitor covers and pedalboards used on tour by The White Stripes; and guitars pulled from Jack White’s own expansive personal collection. The auction also pro...
Brasstracks Share the Origins of New Single “Golden Ticket” with Common, Masego: Stream
In our new music feature Origins, we asks artists to take a moment to reflect on the backstory of their latest single. Today, Brasstracks tell us how they cashed their “Golden Ticket” with Common and Masego. Rising from their jazz school backgrounds, Brasstracks have already accomplished more than most duos made of just horns and drums could dream of. Mark Ronson essentially has them on speed dial, they’ve got some GRAMMY shine thanks to their work on Chance the Rapper’s “No Problem”, and they’ve collaborated with everyone from Wyclef Jean to Anderson .Paak. Oh, and they only formed six years ago. But now Ivan Jackson and Conor Rayne are really ready to grab the spotlight with their debut album, Golden Ticket. Due out August 21st, the full-length follows their 2019 EP Before...
LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy Joins Senator Chuck Schumer to Save Independent Venues: Watch
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, and Grace Blake of Iridium, photo via NIVA The pandemic has proven especially dire for the live music scene, as the National Independent Venue Association found that 90% of independent music venues could close without financial aid. That’s why NIVA is fighting hard to get the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act passed. To promote their efforts, the organization gathered LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, New York’s Senator Chuck Schumer, and a number of New York-area venue owners for a press conference outside of Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right on Tuesday. After being introduced by Baby’s co-owner/music director Billy Jones, Senator Schumer stepped to the mic first. “Our live venues are the pulse, the heart, and t...
There Is No God: The Exorcist Is Reportedly Getting a Reboot
Proving once again that intellectual property reigns over Hollywood, The Exorcist is getting a reboot. According to Deadline, Morgan Creek is planning a new theatrical version of William Friedkin’s 1973 horror blockbuster with plans to possess theaters in 2021. Now, before you reach for your crucifix or call your local pastor, know that the lede is buried deep in an article about Morgan Creek’s forthcoming series adaptation of David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers. At the very bottom of the article, Deadline notes, “Current Morgan Creek projects include Stay Tuned at AMC, with a planned theatrical reboot of The Exorcist in the works for 2021.” The news is surprising for a multitude of reasons. For starters, given that The Exorcist is one of the most recognizable titles in Ho...
Fiona Apple Narrates Short Film About How to Document ICE Arrests: Watch
Fiona Apple has narrated a new short film about how to document Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests you believe may be unlawful. The film, titled We Have Rights: When Documenting ICE Arrests, is part of a series of animated shorts created in partnership with We Have Rights, Brooklyn Defender Services, and WITNESS to help inform the general public about how to hold ICE accountable while protecting the safety of the individual being arrested. This news is pretty on par for Apple considering she’s a regular activist, from marching in Black Lives Matter protests to donating her royalties to help out refugees and detained migrants. In an interview with Vulture, which originally reported the story, the singer-songwriter explained why she accepted the opportunity, calling the video ...
