Entertainment News
Dolly Parton Twice Turned Down the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Despite saving a little girl’s life, powerfully backing the Black Lives Matter movement, and funding the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, country music icon Dolly Parton somehow is still without a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. But it’s not because her big heart and philanthropic spirit haven’t been noticed by the White House. Donald Trump’s Administration actually attempted to give her the highest civilian honor not once, but twice — however, Parton turned him down both times. The legendary “Jolene” singer revealed the news on The Today Show on Monday, noting that her decision to twice decline the Presidential Medal had more to do with bad timing than politics. “I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it an...
Marilyn Manson Dropped by Record Label in Wake of Evan Rachel Wood’s Abuse Allegations
Following allegations of abuse levied by five women, including his former partner Evan Rachel Wood, Marilyn Manson has been dropped by his record label, Loma Vista Recordings. “In light of today’s disturbing allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and other women naming Marilyn Manson as their abuser, Loma Vista will cease to further promote his current album, effective immediately,” the label said in a statement. “Due to these concerning developments, we have also decided not to work with Marilyn Manson on any future projects.” Manson had released his two most recent albums through Loma Vista, including 2020’s We Are Chaos. Wood had long alluded to Manson when discussing her own survivor story, but in an Instagram post on Monday morning, the actress finally identified him by name. “The ...
Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, Ghost, More Highlight DC Comics’ “Dark Nights: Death Metal – Band Edition” Series
DC Comics’ has announced a series dubbed Dark Nights: Death Metal – Band Edition that will feature a different heavy metal act on each of its seven issues. The series will include Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, Ghost, Sepultura, Opeth, Dream Theater, and Lacuna Coil. The upcoming comic book releases will offer variant covers on DC’s 2020 Dark Nights: Death Metal series. Each issue will depict one of the acts on the cover, along with an introduction from the band and an exclusive interview. The comic series’ storyline is described in a press release as follows: “When the Earth is enveloped by the Dark Multiverse, the Justice League is at the mercy of the Batman Who Laughs. Humanity struggles to survive in a hellish landscape twisted beyond recognition, while Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, wh...
Jeffrey Wright to Voice Batman in New Podcast Series
HBO Max is developing a Batman spin-off series for TV, and apparently they’re crafting a Batman miniseries for your ears, too. Say hello to Batman: The Audio Adventures, a new podcast by HBO Max starring Jeffrey Wright as the Caped Crusader. Don’t expect it to get too dark, however, because the roll call also includes comedic actors like Seth Meyers, Jason Sudeikis, and dozens more. Written and directed by Dennis McNicholas, Batman: The Audio Adventures is a multi-episode series that’s putting “a comedic take” on the Dark Knight, notes The Hollywood Reporter. It’s separate from DC’s multi-year deal with Spotify — which includes the new Batman Unburied podcast written by David S. Goyer — and as such it will hit WarnerMedia’s streaming service sometime in 2021. To help draw out the laug...
Neil Young Announces Unreleased 1982 Album Johnny’s Island and New Film Trans: The Animated Story
The holidays are over, but the Neil Young Archives is the gift that keeps on giving. Young has announced a pair of projects centered around his 1982 album Trans. The first is the unreleased LP Johnny’s Island, recorded with the Trans band in 1982, and the second is a new film entitled Trans: The Animated Story. Trans was a significant departure from Young’s folk-inflected rock, and its release became one of the more controversial moments in his career. With synthesizers and heavy doses of vocoder, it was inspired by the robopop of Kraftwerk as well as his own attempts to communicate with his nonverbal son, Ben. Many fans hated it, and Geffen Records sued Young for not sounding like himself. Almost 40 years later, time has dulled some of the sharper takes, and while few would...
Steven Wilson Says He Was Unaffected by Eddie Van Halen’s Passing, “Bums Out” Wolfgang Van Halen
In a new interview, progressive rock artist Steven Wilson was asked about the recent passing of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen. The former Porcupine Tree frontman bluntly replied that he was unaffected by Van Halen’s death before offering a negative opinion of the guitar “shredder” style that Eddie inspired. “Honestly, it didn’t [affect me], because I was never a fan,” Wilson told FaceCulture. “I know he’s an extraordinary musician, and it’s always sad when an extraordinary artist dies, [but] I was never a fan of the so-called shredder mentality. And I think in many ways, he was the father of that whole kind of movement.” He added: “I never understood that ‘playing as fast as you can’ thing. And I know that wasn’t all he did — I know he was a more flexible musician than that — but I think t...
LEGO Releases Soothing “White Noise” Playlist Made Up of The Sounds of LEGO Bricks: Stream
One of the most chaotic Januarys in American history may finally be over, but there’s still plenty to stress out about, especially as we enter our 12th month of the pandemic. To help ease some of these anxieties, a comforting new “White Noise” playlist has been released by… The LEGO Group. Yeah, the company with the colorful little blocks. Don’t worry; LEGO isn’t trying to become the next hottest music tastemaker. Instead, LEGO’s entire mix is made up of the sounds of LEGO bricks. “Each LEGO element makes a unique noise, which is why designers experimented with over 10,000 in their quest for the perfect soothing sounds,” explains a press statement. There are seven 30-minute tracks on the “White Noise” playlist, and each showcases a different sound made by the toys. Sifting through waves of...
Skullcrusher Conjures Vintage Folk on New Single “Song For Nick Drake”: Stream
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Helen Ballentine records music under the moniker Skullcrusher, but it doesn’t sound like what you might expect it to. She writes dreamy folk songs fit for Secretly Canadian — who fittingly released her debut EP last year — and today she’s back with another slice of such: a standalone single called “Song for Nick Drake”. As the title implies, “Song for Nick Drake” is an ode to the late pastoral legend and the visceral memories his music conjures. “‘Song for Nick Drake’ is about my relationship to the music of Nick Drake,” explained Ballentine in a press release. “It recalls moments in my life that are viscerally intertwined with his music, specifically times spent walking and taking the train. The song is really my homage to music and the times I felt mos...
Tha God Fahim and Your Old Droog Uncork New Album Tha Wolf on Wall St.: Stream
Mixtape masters Tha God Fahim and Your Old Droog have linked up for the new collaborative album Tha Wolf on Wall St. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. The pair have been prolific both separately and together, most recently teaming up on Droog’s December drop Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition. That LP was executive produced by Mach-Hommy, who also lays down some guest work here. But Tha Wolf on Wall St. owes it’s jazzy, laid-back soundscapes entirely to Tha God Fahim. As a rapper-producer, Fahim favors atmospheric beats that can accommodate a wide variety of flows, often allowing his vocal phrases to unspool across several bars. His higher voice provides an airy contrast to Droog’s earthy rumble, and together they put on a masterclass in lyric-forward hip-hop. Previously, TG...
R.I.P. Double K, People Under the Stairs Rapper Dead at 43
Double K, the rapper best known for his work as one half of the Los Angeles hip-hop duo People Under the Stairs, has died at the age of 43. On Sunday morning, close friends and collaborators confirmed he passed away, though no cause of death has been revealed. Double K, who was born under the name Michael Turner, grew up sampling music in his free time to create “beat tapes” that he would use while DJing local events. In high school, he went on to join the Log Cabin Crew, a hip-hop collective that included several members of Living Legends, where he further honed his skills as an artist. As a teenager, Double K met his soon-to-be bandmate Christopher “Thes One” Portugal while searching for sample material in the now-defunct record store Martin’s. The two decided to spin their beat tapes fo...
Robert Fripp and Toyah Take on “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”: Watch
It wouldn’t be Sunday without another fun take on a rock classic by King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife, Toyah Willcox. This time, the pair cover “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”, with Toyah strapping on a guitar to go along with her vocals. Robert and Toyah have become YouTube sensations in recent weeks with their “Sunday Lunch” quarantine performances. They’ve been covering rock classics for a few months now, but they truly went viral earlier this month with a take on Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” — a rendition that saw Toyah riding an exercise bike while wearing a revealing top that garnered thousands of comments filled with euphemisms. They followed with performances of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle”, and now they’ve graced us with a cover of...
System of a Down Unveil Music Video for “Genocidal Humanoidz”: Watch
System of a Down have unleashed the music video for “Genocidal Humanoidz”, one of two new songs the band surprise-released back in November. The video was unveiled at the end of a fundraising livestream event that the band hosted Saturday morning (January 30th) on YouTube. “Genocidal Humanoidz” and the track “Protect the Land” marked System of a Down’s first new music in 15 years. The band came together to record and release the new tracks to help raise money for the Armenia Fund, with a focus on aiding Armenia and its neighboring state of Artsakh, which had come under attack by Azerbaijan and Turkey. While “Protect the Land” premiered with an accompanying music video, “Genocidal Humanoidz” had just been an audio release until now. The “Genocidal Humanoidz” video, which was co-directed by ...
