Entertainment News
R.I.P. Malik B., The Roots Co-Founder Dies at 47
Mailk B. of The Roots Malik B., Philadelphia hip-hop legend and co-founding member of The Roots, has died at the age of 47. As EW points out, Malik B.’s cousin, Don Champion, first announced news of his passing on Twitter. A cause of death was not given. The Roots themselves subsequently confirmed the news on their Instagram, writing, “It is with heavy hearts and tearful eyes that we regretfully inform you of the passing of our beloved brother and long time Roots member Malik Abdul Baset.” “May he be remembered for his devotion to Islam, His loving brotherhood and his innovation as one of the most gifted MCs of all time,” the group’s statement added. Malik B. founded The Roots alongside Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter in 1987, and appeared on the group’s f...
Jorja Smith Drops New Single “By Any Means”: Stream
Neo-soul singer Jorja Smith is back with a new standalone single called “By Any Means”. The song is taken from Reprise, an upcoming collaborative album organized by Roc Nation in response to the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. There’s no tracklist available yet for Reprise, but considering Roc Nation’s roster, it should turn out to be a star-studded affair. According to a press release, the goal of the album is to bring awareness to social justice issues and raise money for The Gathering For Justice, NACDL Foundation For Criminal Justice, Equal Justice Initiative Mission, and Cop Accountability Project — all organizations that support victims of police brutality, hate crimes, and other violations of civil rights. “The inspiration behind ‘By Any Means’ really came from going to th...
Tems Shares Studio Moment In New Documentary: “Finding Peace In The Noise”
Talented Nigerian singer Temitope Openiye “Tems” has released a mini documentary that gives us a sneak peek into her creative process. In just about two years of breaking out, and with just a handful of singles and features to her voice, Tems has proven herself to be a truly special talent. In addition to show-stopping features on Odunsi’s “Decided”, Khalid’s “Know Your Worth” and DRB’s “Trouble”, Tems’ only solo release this year has been the soothing “These Days”. While the spaced-out tempo of her musical releases is now characteristic for the singer, we’ve now come to learn that it’s in fact a by-product of her meticulous approach to making music exactly how she wants. Offering us a peek into her creative process, Tems has just shared “Finding Peace in the Noise”, a new mini-doc in part...
Sevdaliza Announces New Album Shabrang
Iranian-Dutch artist Sevdaliza has announced her sophomore album, Shabrang. The follow-up to 2017’s ISON is marked to arrive August 28th through her very own Twisted Elegance label. The forthcoming 15-track collection documents a “journey of self-discovery, self-love and finding peace amongst all of the chaos in the world” — hence Sevdaliza’s bruised body captured in the LP’s artwork. Produced by the artist herself in collaboration with Mucky, the full-length features previous singles “Lamp Lady”, “Oh My God”, and “Joanna”, all of which showcase Sevdaliza’s seamless blending of electronic, trip-hop, R&B, and even avant-garde. Pre-orders for Shabrang have begun; all those who avail of the Apple pre-order will be gifted with the new song “Rhode” below. Editors’ Picks...
Lomelda Teases Upcoming Album With Gorgeous New Single “It’s Infinite”: Stream
Lomelda, the indie folk project of musician Hannah Read, has shared a new song called “It’s Infinite”. It’s the latest single to come from Hannah, her upcoming album, before it drops on September 4th via Double Double Whammy. Technically, this is the second Hannah teaser, following lead track “Wonder”. Both songs have painted the full-length as an introspective, insightful, and honest listen that uses acoustic guitar and lush percussion to draw out those feelings. On its own, “It’s Infinite” is a gorgeous rush of stirring folk, the kind that Lomelda made a name for herself with, but it carries arguably more momentum than we’ve seen from her prior. Needless to say, that little burst of optimism and emotion is welcome more than ever these days. Editors’ Picks According to a statement f...
Phoebe Bridgers on the Value of True Crime and Why She’s a Fan of My Favorite Murder
Kyle Meredith With… Phoebe Bridgers Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Phoebe Bridgers speaks with Kyle Meredith about Punisher. The sophomore album finds the singer-songwriter taking on a bigger production with a balance of themes of disconnection. Bridgers discusses having to trick herself while writing, being “coffee shop famous,” producing Christian Lee Hutson’s new LP, becoming a fan of My Favorite Murder, appreciating true crime, and how this album could be the score to a “Midsommar-style divorce drama.” Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs deep int...
Neil Young Reworks “Lookin’ for a Leader” As Anti-Trump Protest Song: Stream
Neil Young has spent the past few years calling Donald Trump out on his bullshit. However, it looks like the president’s continued unauthorized use of his music has finally pushed Young over the edge, though, because he’s now immortalized his contempt for Trump in a reworked version of “Lookin’ for a Leader”. The song originally appeared on 2006’s Living With War, an album that sharply criticized the George W. Bush administration. With the help of an eraser and some creativity, Young has now updated the lyrics to praise Barack Obama, applaud the Black Lives Matter movement, and rally for Americans to go vote. Along the way, he takes several swipes at the current White House occupant. “America has a leader building walls around our house,” sings Young. “He don’t know Black Lives Matter/ And...
Lollapalooza Announces 4-Night Livestream Featuring 150 Performances
OutKast (David Brendan Hall), The Cure (Amy Price), and Porno for Pyros (Wiki) to appear on Lollapalooza 2020 livestream In lieu of a physical event, Lollapalooza has announced a massive four-night livestream. Streaming for free on YouTube, Lolla2020 promises 150 performances and appearances, including archival footage from previous editions of the festival, as well as new, original performances from the likes of Kali Uchis, Vic Mensa, Jamila Woods, Tanks and the Bangas, Pink Sweat$, H.E.R., and more. Of particular note, Jane’s Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell will stage three special performances throughout the weekend: the first Porno for Pyros reunion in 24 years; a tribute to David Bowie with pianist Mike Garson; and a special performance of Kind Heaven Orchest...
TIDAL HiFi Offering Free 60-Day Subscription to the Best Streaming Audio Experience
Of the many music streaming options out there, few offer the high-fidelity listening experience of TIDAL HiFi. The service provides users with true lossless audio quality, and right now you can hear the difference free for 60 days with an exclusive offer from Consequence of Sound. Thanks to its use of the FLAC codec as opposed to AAC, TIDAL HiFi offers the highest fidelity audio available. Its 1141kbps bitrate is 4.4 times better than the 320kpbs “high quality” audio of rival streamers. Plus, with TIDAL Masters and its MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) compression process, listeners can get a lossless audio experience approved by the artists themselves. From exclusive protest playlists and the best in metal music, to the latest releases from the likes of My Morning Jacket and Beyonc...
Rina Sawayama Ineligible For Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards Due To “Problematic” Nationality Requirement
Back in April, the Japanese-British pop star Rina Sawayama released her debut album SAWAYAMA. The record immediately garnered widespread praise; Consequence of Sound named it one of 2020’s best release so far, while review aggregator site Metacritic places SAWAYAMA as the top British album of the year. Despite these accolades, the artist is ineligible to win a Mercury Prize or BRIT Award — and it’s all because of an archaic nationality requirement. In a new interview with VICE, the 29-year-old Sawayama explained that despite having lived in London since she was a toddler, the Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards don’t consider her legally British because she lacks a British passport. “I rarely get upset to the level where I cry,” our former Artist of the Month said. “And I cried.” Sawayama h...
Beyoncé’s Black Is King on Disney Plus: How to Watch, Release Time, and Everything You Need to Know
On Friday, July 31st, Disney+ will debut the new visual album from Beyoncé, Black Is King. The film is something of a reimagining of Disney’s live-action The Lion King remake, which was released in theaters a little over a year ago. Beyoncé starred in the film as the voice of Nala, in addition to providing original music for the companion album The Lion King: The Gift. It’s those songs that will make up the bulk of Black Is King’s soundtrack, while Bey and her accompanying cast play out the classic story in a whole new way. So what else do we know about Black Is King, and how can you watch it? Read on for all the details and insights. How Can I Watch Black Is King? The movie will debut exclusively on Disney+. While the platform no longer offers free trials like its...
beabadoobee Covers Daniel Johnston’s “Walking the Cow”: Stream
beabadoobee has already proven to have not just prodigious talent, but an expansive appreciation for her predecessors. She’s made songs referencing Pavement, dug deep into ’90s rock on the killer single “Care”, and covered The 1975. Now, the rising indie musician is once again demonstrating the breadth of her musical knowledge by delivering a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Walking the Cow”. The acoustic cover comes as part of an at-home session for Apple Music. Speaking to the platform about why she chose to tackle Johnston’s 1993 track, beabadoobee said it was “because he is one of my favorite songwriters of all time. Doing that song reminded me how pure and honest his writing can be.” In reverence to that, beabadoobee said she attempted to create as simple a recording setup as possible, try...
