Entertainment News
Samia Announces Debut Album The Baby, Shares “Fit N Full”: Stream
Rising songwriter Samia has announced her debut album, The Baby. It arrives August 28th via Grand Jury Music, and Samia has provided a preview with the new single “Fit N Full”. At only 23, Samia has built her buzzy reputation off a series of singles, including “Origins of Artifice”, about which she spoke to Consequence of Sound last year. For her first LP, she’s working with producer Caleb Hinz as well as Jake Luppen and Nathan Stocker of Hippo Campus. Lars Stalfors (Soccer Mommy) handled the mix. But while she’s dealing with crisper soundscapes than ever before, her appeal is still rooted in her incisive, self-reflective lyrics. The new song “Fit N Full” continues in this deeply personal vein. The song is about body image, diets and exercise, and trying to have success in music ...
Filter Return With “Thoughts and Prayers”, First New Song in Four Years: Stream
Filter are back with a new single, “Thoughts and Prayers”, their first song in four years. The track will appear on the band’s upcoming album, Murica, tentatively due before the end of the year. Frontman Richard Patrick, the lone constant member of the veteran industrial rock act, reunited with original Filter guitarist Brian Liesegang to pen the new song. The pairing has given the track a throwback industrial feel, reminiscent of some of the band’s ’90s output. Lyrically, the song is politically charged, with Patrick condemning empty gestures in the wake of events like school shootings. As he sings in the chorus, “Thoughts and prayers/ Post and shares/ I’m bleeding out of open wounds/ Another day that no one cares.” Back in 2018, it was announced that Patrick and Liesegang had reunited, a...
Kesha Delivers Roaring Cover of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution”: Stream
T. Rex’s Marc Bolan (photo via Ian Dickson/Wikipedia) and Kesha Later this summer, Marc Bolan and T. Rex will be celebrated with a massive tribute album called AngelHeaded Hipster. Produced by the beloved Hal Willner prior to his death, it features Bolan classics covered by prominent acts like U2, Father John Misty, Elton John, and Joan Jett, among others. Following Nick Cave’s rendition of “Cosmc Dancer” comes a second preview of the release, 1972’s “Children of the Revolution” as reimagined by Kesha. While known for her catchy pop hits, the High Road star also possesses incredibly powerful pipes, which she showcases on today’s cover. Whether the note’s high or low, the singer punches each one with fierce passion — the kind that would make Bolan proud. Check out the c...
Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie Demands Trump Campaign “Stop Playing My Song”
Brendon Urie, photo by Samantha Saturday, and Donald Trump, via YouTube: White House On Tuesday evening, the Trump campaign held a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, during which Donald Trump, Jr., used the entrance song “High Hopes” by Panic! At the Disco. Within hours, Panic! frontman Brendon Urie tweeted out a response, sending a “Fuck you,” to the White House and demanding that the campaign “Stop playing my song.” Trump’s June 23rd rally took place in a tightly packed megachurch, as the state of Arizona reported record numbers of coronavirus hospitalizations. During his speech, Trump referred to COVID-19 by the racist term “kung flu,” and spoke of the need to preserve monuments to Confederate soldiers. “Donald Trump represents nothing we stand for,” Urie wrote. “The highest hope we have is vot...
Sammy Hagar Is Willing to “Get Sick and Even Die” to Kickstart the Concert Industry Again
While most music acts have acknowledged that public health comes first when it comes to touring in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sammy Hagar would “rather personally get sick and even die” if it means kickstarting the concert industry again. The Red Rocker was one of several veteran artists polled by Rolling Stone as to when they would feel safe returning to the road. Most of the artists remarked that they would want to wait until there’s a COVID-19 vaccine or safe measures in place, but the former Van Halen singer is willing to put his life on the line. “I’ll be comfortable playing a show before there’s a vaccine, if it’s declining and seems to be going away,” remarked Hagar. “I’m going to make a radical statement here. This is hard to say without stirring somebody up, but truth...
Hum Surprise Release New Album Inlet, First LP in 22 Years: Stream
Alternative rock band Hum have returned with the surprise release of their fifth studio album, Inlet — their first new music in 22 years. The long-awaited follow-up to 1998’s Downward Is Heavenward comes as a delight to fans who’ve been wondering whether Hum would ever release new material following their ’90s heyday. The band rose to prominence with its 1995 major label debut, You’d Prefer an Astronaut, and the iconic space-faring single “Stars”. The track garnered considerable MTV and FM airplay, to the point where Hum are sometimes erroneously labeled a “one hit wonder.” Downward Is Heavenward would be equally beloved by fans, despite falling short of Astronaut‘s commercial success. Hum would go on hiatus in 2001, infrequently reuniting for shows and small tours, sparking rumors of...
Barcelona Opera House Reopens with Concert for Over 2,000 Houseplants
There’s lots of talk in opera these days about organically growing the audience, and now Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu has found a new and (literally) fresh approach. As CNN reports, the Spanish opera house reopened after months of coronavirus lockdowns with a performance for 2,292 houseplants. Conceptual artist Eugenio Ampudia created the event, featuring music provided by UceLi string quartet. The ensemble played the Puccini elegy, “Crisantemi”, which translates to “chrysanthemums”, a fitting piece for the unique crowd in attendance Monday evening. Hailing from nearby nurseries, the “audience” of plants — verdant trees, ferns, and grasses — carpeted the orchestra section as well as the balconies above. At the conclusion of “Crisantemi”, the gorgeous flora was made to applaud. Th...
Paris Jackson’s The Soundflowers Release Debut EP: Stream
The Soundflowers, the new musical project of Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson and her partner Gabriel Glenn, have today released their self-titled debut EP. Stream the five-track effort below via Apple Music and Spotify. Jackson and Glenn first connected on the Sunset Strip after the former caught a performance of the latter’s band, TrashDögs. The pair began sharing music and writing together, finding themselves a natural artistic fit. With Jackson encouraged to share her own music for the first time, they entered the studio with producer Mike Malchicoff (King Princess) and GRAMMY-winning mixer Rob Kinelski (Billie Eilish). The results are something far away from Jackson’s pop lineage, with The Soundflowers focusing instead on acoustic and indie folk sounds with hints of “bluegrass...
Plants and Animals Announce New Album The Jungle, Share “House on Fire”: Stream
Plants and Animals have announced their first album in four years. Entitled The Jungle, it’s set for an October 23rd release through Secret City Records. The forthcoming effort is the Canadian outfit’s fifth overall following Waltzed in from the Rumbling from 2016. Its eight tracks were self-produced and recorded at Mixart, the band’s own studio in Montreal. According to a statement, Plants and Animals’ shortest yet boldest LP recounts “personal experiences made in a volatile world” — a sentiment especially resonant today given the global pandemic. “It’s about the things we inherit not necessarily being the things we want.” Editors’ Picks The indie rockers teased the project with “Sacrifice” earlier this month. Now, they’re sharing preview with “House on Fire”. A driving nu...
Tom Morello Gifts Signature Guitar to 10-Year-Old Girl Who Performed Viral Rage Against the Machine Cover
A few weeks ago, 10-year-old Nandi Bushell delivered an impressive cover of the Rage Against the Machine classic “Guerrilla Radio”, in which she played drums, bass, and guitar. Now, RATM’s Tom Morello has gifted the young rocker with his new signature Fender Soul Power Stratocaster. Nandi has been wowing music fans for a few years now, mostly with her skillful drumming. Her rendition of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” has more than a million views on YouTube, and a recent performance of Queens of the Stone Age’s “No One Knows” got kudos from the band itself. She’s even jammed with Lenny Kravitz and appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show. The young musician dedicated her RATM cover to Black Lives Matter and the fight to end racism, and Morello shared the performance on Twitter, writing, “Well now we are...
Bright Eyes Play “Mariana Trench” on Colbert: Watch
On Monday night, Bright Eyes delivered their first performance together in nearly a decade. The Conor Oberst-led group appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert to perform their new song “Mariana Trench”. The beloved indie outfit went on hiatus after 2011’s The People’s Key, with Oberst embarking on a solo career and eventually launching Better Oblivion Community Center with Phoebe Bridgers. Now, Bright Eyes are back, and it’s great to see Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott all in one place — even with the corona-conscious social distancing. For their performance of “Mariana Trench”, Bright Eyes eschewed split-screen and other quarantine camera tricks, keeping the presentation simple. The band members were dressed down, joined by backup singers Lucius in their bright ...
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run to Receive PVOD Release
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run had been set to be one of the first new releases to hit theaters as they re-open following COVID-19 shutdowns. Now, though, Paramount is scrapping those plans and is instead sending Sponge on the Run straight to PVOD. The CGI-animated film will then be available exclusively on CBS All Access beginning in early 2021 alongside all prior TV seasons of the Nickelodeon series. In Sponge on the Run, SpongeBob and Patrick embark on a rescue mission to save Gary, who has been “snailnapped” by Poseidon. Along the way, they encounter Keanu Reeves (!) playing a Sage named… Sage, who’s also a tumbleweed, and navigate the temptations of Atlantis City. Snoop Dogg, Awkwafina, and Reggie Watts also have cameos in the film. Sponge on the Run i...
