Shovels & Rope (photo by Todd Cooper) and Sharon Van Etten (photo by Ryan Pfluger) Shovels & Rope have teamed up with Sharon Van Etten for a cover of The Beach Boys’ “In My Room”. The track is part of an upcoming covers collection called Busted Jukebox Volume 3 that’s loosely inspired by the act of parenting. The first two installments of Shovels & Rope’s collaborative series arrived in 2015 and 2017, respectively, and both of those projects were loaded with guests like Brandi Carlile and Shakey Graves. Volume 3 has the cheeky alternative titled Busted Juicebox because all of the guests musicians are parents themselves, and the songs they chose to cover — from lullabies and American songbook standards, to R.E.M. and Janis Joplin cuts — are emotionally relate...
Acclaimed musicians Pino Palladino and Blake Mills have combined their talents on a new joint album. Notes with Attachments is due for release on March 12th via New Deal/Impulse! Records. The forthcoming LP was originally envisioned as a solo album from Palladino, a Grammy-winning songwriter, producer, and bassist best known for his work on D’Angelo’s Voodoo and Black Messiah albums, as well as projects with Nine Inch Nails, Adele, and Perfume Genius. However, Mills’ input eventually led to the realization that a full-fledged collaborative effort would bring out the best in them both. “It all evolved from me playing Blake a few ideas, getting a reaction from [him] and seeing if he’d be interested in working on [them],” Palladino explained in a statement. “As the project evol...
A large mural depicting the iconic Eddie Van Halen was unveiled at the Hollywood Guitar Center on the Sunset Strip on Tuesday, in commemoration of what would’ve been the late guitarist’s 66th birthday (January 26th). The artwork was created by local muralist Robert Vargas. The Van Halen guitarist died on October 6th, with countless tributes coming from his musical peers in the ensuing weeks. The new mural now immortalizes the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer in painted form, with Vargas’ artwork taking up an entire outer wall at the back entrance of Guitar Center’s flagship Hollywood store. The piece, which stands at 17 feet tall by 105 feet wide, depicts Eddie playing his famous “Frankenstrat” guitar. “Eddie was one of my creative heroes. When I was young, the debut Van Halen record was the ...
With winter descending, everyone’s seasonal depression can finally be introduced to their pandemic and clinical depressions. The last year has been a mental health clusterfuck, as Clairo acknowledges on her new song ” Just for Today”. The DIY bedroom popper shared a lovely demo of the song in the early hours of Tuesday, January 26th. The aching lyrics find Clairo wrestling with the worst her mind can throw at her. “Honestly, i didn’t think I’d end up here this time,” she sings. Later, she says, “Mommy, I’m afraid i’ve been talking to the hotline again.” But “Just for Today” isn’t as weighty as the feelings that inspired it. Her voice is sweet and empathetic, and at one point she’s joined by a special guest: her new puppy Joanie. The pint-sized pup has recently become the star of Clai...
Disney+ is bringing the fantastical for February. The great Marvel mystery that is WandaVision will continue each Friday, delivering more sitcom subversions as the two titular heroes attempt to escape their own televised hell. Then again, who would want to leave the comforts of a ’70s living room. Speaking of classic television, the Mouse House is dusting off five seasons of The Muppet Show, as previously reported. Just make sure you bring champagne, roses, and a box of Godiva for Ms. Piggy, who tends to be particular about that stuff. Editors’ Picks Elsewhere, families can enjoy seeing Alyson Hannigan and Ben Schwartz pop up in the new superhero comedy Flora & Ulysses or revisit Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt in not one but two Cheaper by the Dozen films. Those are always a fun re...
Another round of changes are coming to both of America’s Disney parks. The iconic Jungle Cruise rides at Disneyland and Disney World will be modified to remove what the company calls “negative depictions” of native peoples. According to a new post on the Disney Parks Blog, the riverboat attraction that first opened at Disneyland in 1955 and was replicated at Disney World in 1971 will no longer feature dated scenes of people of color dressed in generic jungle attire. Instead, the ride will follow an actual storyline narrated by its beloved skippers, and the scenery will contain more animals and less offensive human depictions. These updates are being made to “reflect and value the diversity of the world around us.” “This is not a re-envisioning of the entire attraction,” explained Disney Im...
Things are afoot in the FKA twigs camp. In October, the R&B star revealed that her third album had been completed during quarantine. Now, she’s back with a new song called “Don’t Judge Me”. Today’s offering is her first since dropping the masterful album MAGDALENE in 2019. In addition to a stunning performance from FKA twigs, the track features UK rapper Headie One and producer Fred again…, who’s worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Brian Eno. “Don’t Judge Me” appears to be something of a companion release or sequel to “Don’t Judge Me (Interlude)”, an early 2020 collaboration that also featured all three artists. Unlike the intentional vagueness of that song, the themes on this version are a lot more direct. During her verse and the hook, twigs begs her lover to hold her and appreci...
Hardcore quartet Regional Justice Center have announced their sophomore full-length, Crime and Punishment. The band has also shared two fiery songs from the LP, “Absence” and “Inhuman Joy”. The album follows a prolific string of 7-inch splits and EPs by Regional Justice Center, who paired their output with an exhaustive touring itinerary prior to the pandemic. In the meantime, the band’s calculated intensity has grown even more ferocious, as heard on new tracks “Absence” and “Inhuman Joy”. The songs operate in a duality, the former holding to a classic hardcore template of blasting rhythms and urgent lyricism, and the latter pitched down to a bass-heavy dirge. The distinct writing style of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Ian Shelton shows through on both tracks. In a press release, the...
Start stocking up on snacks because the entire series of Modern Family will finally be arriving on not one, but two streaming services. All 250 episodes of the ABC comedy are set to land on Hulu and NBC’s Peacock on February 3rd. Disney owns Hulu, as well as ABC/20th Television, but the company struck an unusual deal with NBCUniversal that will allow both services to share streaming rights for the 11-season megahit. The financial terms of the partnership have not yet disclosed. Per The Hollywood Reporter, this marks the first time that Modern Family will be available on streaming platforms that are subscription-based and backed by ads. Beginning with the 2009 pilot, Peacock will allow viewers to stream a rotating selection of 12 episodes via their free tier, while the remaining o...
Amazon Prime Video has unveiled its additions for February. The big event of the month are two original sci-fi films: First up is Bliss starring Salma Hayek and Owen Wilson, which deals with simulated realities. Right after that is The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, a sci-fi drama with Freaky star Kathryn Newton. Beyond that, subscribers can enjoy some essential archival additions, particularly Coming to America (just in time for Amazon’s highly anticipated sequel in March), Dazed and Confused, Moulin Rouge, There’s Something About Mary, and The Prestige. Editors’ Picks Check out the entire list below, which includes a number of exclusives to Amazon. To help round out your streaming sessions, be sure to read our recent guides outlining everything that’s hitting Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, a...
Former Norma Jean and The Chariot singer Josh Scogin has announced a new album from his current project ’68. It’s called Give One Take One and due out on March 26th via Cooking Vinyl. He’s has also shared the music video for the lead single, “The Knife, The Knife, The Knife”. Scogin himself created the video for the heavy single, which leans more toward garage rock as opposed to the metalcore and hardcore punk of his previous bands. Hints of blues fuse with a noisy post-hardcore edge, resulting in a massive wall of sound — impressive considering ’68 are only two individuals: Scogin and drummer Nikko Yamada. “Of all the music I’ve created over the years, this album holds some of my very favorite moments, lyrically, musically, and even mentally; I travel down several roads that are...
Shudder is showing a whole lotta love for Valentine’s Day. For February, AMC’s spooky streaming service has curated a twisted lineup of originals, classics, and premieres that will splash blood all over your box of chocolates. Building on their promise of 11 new originals/exclusives over 11 weeks, the next month will see premieres of A Nightmare Wakes, After Midnight, Shook, and one of last year’s most frightening films: The Dark and the Wicked. Of course, the real main event is spending a romantic night with Joe Bob Briggs. Shudder’s de facto mayor is back with a Valentine’s Day special that he’s dubbed Joe Bob Put a Spell on You, which more or less confirms some wild witchy content. Editors’ Picks Additions to the back catalogue are just as special, most notably Nicolas Cage’s cult...