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For months now, Kanye West has been palling around with prominent conservative figures and spewing factually inaccurate talking points about issues concerning race and welfare. Last month, Kanye stumped for Donald Trump during a bizarre, profanity-laced showing at the White House, and over the weekend, it was reported that he had designed a clothing line encouraging black voters to leave the Democratic party. Now, though, it seems Kanye has finally come to his senses and realized he’s nothing more than a pawn being exploited by these conservative figures for their own personal benefit. In a series of tweets, Kanye proclaimed, “My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in.” He added that he’s “distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!” Kanye also took issue with Candace Owens, who misattributed Kanye as the creator of her Blexit clothing line. “I introduced Candace to the person who made the logo and they didn’t want their name on it so she used mine,” Kanye explained. “I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it.” My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!! — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 I introduced Candace to the person who made the logo and they didn’t want their name on it so she used mine. I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it. — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 Prior to distancing himself from Trump and Owens, Kanye listed his core beliefs: “I support creating jobs and opportunities for people who need them the most, I support prison reform, I support common-sense gun laws that will make our world safer. I support those who risk their lives to serve and protect us and I support holding people who misuse their power accountable.I believe in love and compassion for people seeking asylum and parents who are fighting to protect their children from violence and war.” He added, “I would like to thank my family, loved ones, and community for supporting my ACTUAL beliefs and my vision for a better world.” I support creating jobs and opportunities for people who need them the most, I support prison reform, I support common-sense gun laws that will make our world safer. — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 I support those who risk their lives to serve and protect us and I support holding people who misuse their power accountable. I believe in love and compassion for people seeking asylum and parents who are fighting to protect their children from violence and war. — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 I would like to thank my family, loved ones, and community for supporting my ACTUAL beliefs and my vision for a better world. — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 Kanye is great again! Source

The Pitch: Jake Hannaford (John Huston), an aging Hollywood artist and auteur’s institution of sorts, contemplates his latest (and potentially last) acts on the eve of his 70th birthday. The era: America’s early-to-mid ‘70s. The latest project: The Other Side of the Wind, a sort of sub-Antonioni riff on a boy and a girl that runs the gamut from Far Out to Swedish porn. Hannaford is set to debut and share his project, at this party, with friends, well-wishers, extras, critics, enemies, sycophants, and the like. Is this a searing exposé of Hollywood falsehoods? A mid-life crisis of Vogue magazine proportions about a man and his art in decline? Or simply the best a team of producers, editors, and the global media conglomerate Netflix could do with Orson Welles’ lost footage? Yes. All around. Welles, done: Working with new financiers, mega-producer Frank Marshall, and award-winning editor Bob Murawski (The Hurt Locker), Netflix has actually resuscitated Orson Welles’ once-deceased passion project. To be clear, and the opening titles acknowledge this – this is an ‘attempt’. No one can know what Welles truly, finally wanted out of this. 100 hours of rough footage attests to this. But for what it’s worth, Murawski has assembled something heroic: a movie that feels like it’s fresh from a flustered Orson Welles. Welles, allergic to real scripts, budgets, and any other filmmaking organizational niceties, went out and tried to make The Other Side in the guerilla style. This epic improv shoot evolved into a story of one director’s last hurrah, which in essence is a treatise on how the studios had gone to hell in the wake of new criticism and film school brats. Hannaford is post-Hemingway: blustery, cigar-in-mouth, white-faced, the center of attention. For his 70th, he’s forced to reconcile with studio heads, financiers, critics, groupies, and even a young director (Peter Bogdanovich, sizzling and smarmy) attempting to rip a small piece out of the deteriorating filmmaker. For all the flashing bulbs and candle-lit filigree, Hannaford is a husk of a man, riding on past successes. We see his attempts to maintain a sort of order, while others chip away at what’s left of his creative spirit. Backstabbing, ranting, and even a pair of dwarves are all on the docket. Quite simply, this is Welles’ attempt at Day for Night or 8 ½. A surrealist, meta-textual scribble on his personal experiences, with room for embellishments and critiques within. A movie-maker’s movie about the movies. What happens to the artist no longer in demand? What’s relevant and hip in the new ‘70s model and beyond? The Other Side of the Wind moves fast, plays loose with structure and logic, and can be challenging on contemporary eyes and sympathies. And yet, everything is right there, within-and-out of every beautiful frame. Beauty in the bluster: Roger Ebert used to do ‘one shot at a time’ sessions at festivals and universities, and the approach seems like the best way to wade into The Other Side. Start a shot. Pause. Discuss. Reflect. Unpause. Repeat the process for the next shot. This is the kind of movie which begs for just that. Orson Welles, that camera-gifted film student for life, embarks on a double-barreled journey with a crazed camera. The amount of visual invention and trickery (brought on by Gary Graver) is staggering. The longing shots of Bogdanovich staring at Huston tell us volumes about desire and emulation. Welles’ ability to mimic ‘60s arthouse images of stark contrasting nudes in the desert, or lone biker boys under bridges, work both as parody and portraiture class. With the amount of variety on display – bedspring love scenes narrated by a heckling Hannaford, pleading stooges with bright eyes devoted to directorial cults, Dennis Hopper high as a kite lamenting John Wayne in grainy B&W – there’s no possible way a person could accuse this movie of being boring. Perhaps the asynchronous editing will take a moment to key into for the modern viewer. But go with Welles, and you will see wonders. The Verdict: One critic’s ‘too much’ may be another’s ‘so much to unpack’. But that’s the thing. The style, the lament, the punchy rhythm and breathless momentum of The Other Side may be hefty, but it certainly makes a dent. Even on first glance, this has something snarky and delicious to say about film art in decline, and the movie presents images and pacing that even the hungriest of AFI students would not be able to keep pace against. The aesthetic pleasures and curiosities within make this worth the play alone. Film students, meet your new favorite movie. Nobody knew the struggle of intersecting art with commerce quite like Welles, and his boy hero status was publicly displayed and challenged for the rest of his career, post-Citizen Kane. No filmmaker was likely better qualified to harangue about directorial mystique, financier cruelty, and existential career planning than Welles. It can’t be stated heavily enough how exciting this all is. The royal prince, the master, the god of cinema (we don’t say that lightly), who’s been dead for decades, Orson Welles, has a new movie. And not just any old movie, not a B-side per se, but one of his most legendary ‘what happened?’ projects in an accessibly finalized form. This is better than ‘lost material’ from a famed musician, or the opening of Prince’s vault. This a capital-M Movie. By Orson Welles. In 2018. Gosh. Where’s it Playing?: Netflix, on November 2. Theatrically, it’s a little unclear where it will wind up (Netflix, man), but it’s hitting select arthouse screens as well. Look at Fandango if’n you’re looking to see this on the big screen? Trailer: Source

Progressive metal act Between the Buried and Me will be spending the first part of 2019 on the road. The group revealed plans for a 24-date U.S. tour that will begin on February 8th in Athens, Georgia, at the 40 Watt Club, and wrap up in their home state of North Carolina on March 10th at RamKat. The tour will be in support of the band’s most recent album, Automata II, which came out in July. It’s the second disc of a two-part concept album that was preceded by Automata I in March. BTBAM will be joined on all the dates by TesseracT and Astronoid, and tickets for the tour will go on sale this Friday, November 2nd at 10am local time through the band’s website. Check out the full itinerary below (you can also grab tickets here). This announcement comes soon after a fun bit of news related to BTABM. It was revealed earlier this month that paleontologists at the Natural History Museum in Luxembourg have named a new species of brittle star fossil after the band. Discovered in South Carolina by Drs. John Jagt, Ben Thuy, and Lea Numberger-Thuy, the fossil will now be known as “Amphilimna intersepultosetme,” which is a Latin translation of the band’s name. According to the scientists, the creature lived about 67 million years ago and is related to the modern starfish. In an statement that came with this announcement, BTBAM bassist Dan Briggs said, “”We are honored to have been thought of alongside this little magical creature who swam in the waters of the Carolinas many years before us and we’ll be linked together for many years to come.” BTBAM 2019 Tour Dates with TesseracT and Astronoid: 02/08 — Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club 02/09 — Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre 02/10 — Louisville, KY @ Diamond Pub Concert Hall 02/12 — Wilmington, DE @The Queen 02/13 — Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club 02/14 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes 02/15 — Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall 02/16 — Hampton, NH @ Wally’s 02/17 — Rochester, NY @ Anthology 02/19 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora 02/20 — Lansing, Michigan @ The Loft 02/21 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom 02/22 — Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s 02/23 — Omaha, NE @ Slowdown 02/24 — Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater 02/26 — Reno, NV @ Cargo 02/27 — Fresno, CA @ Strummers 03/01 — Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse 03/02 — Tucson, AZ @ The Rock 03/04 — Odessa, TX @ Dos Amigos 03/05 — Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock 03/07 — New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues 03/08 — Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl 03/09 — Greenville, SC @ The Firmament 03/10 — Winston-Salem, NC @ RamKat Source

Mac Miller tragically passed away this past September. In the wake of his death, his family and friends are throwing a tribute concert, Mac Miller: A Celebration Of Life, tomorrow at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Performing will be Travis Scott, John Mayer, Miguel, Vince Staples, Anderson .Paak, Chance the Rapper, Thundercat, Earl Sweatshirt, SZA, Ty Dolla $ign, and more. It was recently announced that the event will be available to live stream worldwide on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TIDAL, WAV and LiveXLive. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Mac Miller Tribute Concert Will Be Live Streamed Source

Back in June, HBO announced that its chosen Game Of Thrones prequel series received a pilot order, and that X-Men: First Class and Kingsman: The Secret Service writer Jane Goldman would be overseeing the project alongside GoT author George R.R. Martin. Now, the series has secured its first cast member in Oscar-nominated actress Naomi Watts, Entertainment Weekly reports. The prequel takes place “thousands of years” before the events of Game Of Thrones, and will follow Westeros’ transition from the Age of Heroes to a time of darkness. EW notes that if the series adheres to Martin’s books, we could see both the founders of House Stark and House Lannister as major characters. The “time of darkness” referred to in the show’s synopsis is called “The Long Night,” which is also the title Martin has suggested for the series. Watts’ character is described as “a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret.” Whatever she is, you might not want to get too attached, what with happened to Sean Bean in the first season of Game Of Thrones and all. Filming is expected to commence in early 2019, which is also roughly around the same time that HBO will be premiering GoT’s eighth and final season. HBO has stated, however, that, should the prequel be ordered to series (and it’s hard to believe it won’t), that it wouldn’t air until at least a year after Game Of Thrones‘ finale. Considering the standard gap between seasons of the hit show, fans are probably used to the wait. Game of Thrones Tour Sizzle Game of Thrones Live Experience The National’s Best Cover Songs Are You Afraid of the Did Radon Poisoning Make The Source

Well, it’s official: Trent Reznor doesn’t sleep. Already this year, he’s released Nine Inch Nails’ ninth studio album Bad Witch, toured across the world with setlists chock full of deep cuts, and scored Jonah Hill’s mid90s alongside Atticus Ross. Of course, that’s all without mentioning the two other projects the Oscar-winning composers already had on their plate: HBO’s ambitious new Watchmen series from Damon Lindelof. You’d think he’d catch his breath, right? Wrong. According to an interview with Variety, Reznor and Ross have also signed on to score Joe Wright’s new drama, The Woman In the Window, which is due out next year and stars Gary Oldman, Amy Adams, and Julianne Moore. What’s more, Variety also confirms that the pair scored Susanne Bier’s post-sci-fi thriller Bird Box, which is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in December. How do they do it? Mostly while touring. Reznor says the two wrote Bird Box during the first leg of this year’s tour and completed mid90s while they were gigging around England over the summer. As for Watchmen, Reznor told Variety that he himself was the one who reached out: We reached out to Damon and the HBO camp when I first heard about it, because I’ve been a fan of Damon since Lost. I was completely blown away by The Leftovers. Also, as a big fan of Watchmen [in other incarnations], I appreciated the fearlessness that taking on that property and that IP would require. I thought, if anybody was to do it at any place, HBO and Damon sounds exciting to me. I’ve never done TV, but needless to say, it’s been a great several years for television, and long-form storytelling is exciting. So I told our agent, “Hey, let him know that we’d be definitely interested in working on that.” The next thing I know, we’re in a meeting with Damon, and we were all-in. For Watchmen we’ve had the challenge of working almost blind, off a bit of a script for the first episode of 10. But we spent enough time with Damon to know that we’re kindred spirits. The pace of television seems interesting. Ask me in a few months how we feel about it, but right now we’re very excited about it. So, if touring is what keeps Reznor grooving, then he’s having a moment for sure: Nine Inch Nails is currently touring all across North America with The Jesus and the Mary Chain (you can grab tickets here). Heavy Consequence recently caught the group during their two nights in Brooklyn, and you can read managing editor Spencer Kaufman’s full review here. Source

If you’ve been to an electronic music event in the last couple of years, you’ve definitely heard of the infamous French DJ/Producer Tchami. After releasing some huge hits, he decided to expand himself and take a leap into the business end. In 2015, he released his own record label, Confession. Since then, he’s given large as well as independent artists a platform to share their own music. Some artists that he features regularly on the Confession Soundcloud are himself, Malaa, Brohug, and Lucati. Make sure to catch Tchami and friends along the Confession’s tour. Tchami‘s Confession Tour Within this collection of Confession releases includes deep house, tech house, and even some dubstep. photo credit Confession Malaa – Cash Cash Malaa – We Get Crunk Malaa- Bling Bling Lucati-B2B Bellecour- Idiots Tchami, Brohug- My Place feat. Reece kramder- Groove Sauce Tony Romera & Delayers- Get Down Confessions’ Alchemy III: Follow Confessions: SoundCloud | facebook | Instagram The post 14 Piercing Recent Releases Off Tchami’s Beloved Label, Confession appeared first on EDM | Electronic Music | EDM Music | EDM Festivals | EDM Events. Source

March’s Artist of the Month, Sunflower Bean, have announced the follow-up to this year’s excellent LP, Twentytwo in Blue. The New York trio’s King of the Dudes EP is set for a January 25th release via Mom+Pop. The band describes the four-track effort as “reactionary, and a sharpened response to our times” in a press release. As a first listen to their whetted sound, they’ve shared the strutting single “Come For Me”. Swaggering with the glam of T. Rex and an ’80s glow, the track is further evidence of the band’s continued growth in confidence and ability. (Read: In Photos: Mom+Pop’s 10th Anniversary with Courtney Barnett, Tom Morello, and Sleigh Bells (10/22)) “This song was inspired by inner strength, power, and sexual freedom,” Sunflower Bean explain in a press release. “In 2018 there is no time to waste and no time for shame. This song is a declaration of that. Do you really want to come for me? Do you really want to waste my time? The song is a dare, a threat, and a beckoning.” Take a listen below. Pre-order King of the Dudes via Mom+Pop, and find the tracklist and cover art below. King of the Dudes Artwork: King of the Dudes Tracklist: 01. King of the Dudes 02. Come For Me 03. Fear City 04. The Big One Sunflower Bean have also revealed new tour dates, including a slot opening for Interpol. Find their complete itinerary below. Sunflower Bean 2018-2019 Tour Dates: 11/11 – Hong Kong, CN @ Clockenflap Festival 11/12 – Osaka, JP @ Shangrila Festival 11/13 – Toyko, JP @ Space Odd 11/17 – Bangkok, TH @ Live Park Rama 9 11/19 – Cardiff, UK @ The Globe 11/20 – Leeds, UK @ The Church 11/21 – Brighton, UK @ The Old Market 11/22 – London, UK @ Hackney Arts Centre 11/23 – Leicester, UK @ Dryden Street Social 11/25 – Oxford, UK @ The Bullingdon 11/26 – Glasgow, UK @ The Art School 11/27 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 11/28 – Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms 11/29 – Bristol, UK @ SWX 11/30 – Cambridge, UK @ The Junction 12/01 – Birmingham, UK @ Castle & Falcon 12/07 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw 01/31 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theater * 02/01 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium * 02/02 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater * 02/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ Palace Theater * 02/07 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theater * 02/08 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater * 02/09 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant * 02/11 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works * 02/14 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz * 02/15 – Washington D.C. @ The Anthem * * = w/ Interpol Source

BoJack Horseman has been renewed for a sixth season, Netflix has announced, which is great news considering Raphael Bob-Waksberg animated tragi-comedy seems to only get better and better with every season. (Read: Netflix’s BoJack Horseman Is the Saddest Show on Television) Season five, which debuted this past September, found our favorite washed-up, booze-soaked actor starring in a new TV detective show called Philbert. Joining the established voices of Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Amy Sedaris, Aaron Paul, and Paul F. Tompkins last season were guest stars Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Tyree Henry, John Leguizamo, Hong Chau, and Bobby Cannavale, among many, many others, and we’re beyond stoked to see who will pop up when the show returns. See a tweet announcing the renewal below. woooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww lets all forget about the fact that theres going to b a season 6 and focus on this inedible arrangement @netflix sent me just woww pic.twitter.com/7XJyE6Egsu — BoJack Horseman (@BoJackHorseman) October 30, 2018 Source

From the early days, when Black Sabbath pioneered the genre, to the emergence of extreme subgenres like death metal and black metal, there has always been an association of fear and horror with heavy metal. And thus, there’s an abundance of tracks to choose from when compiling a list of the scariest metal songs. With lyrics that focus anywhere from the occult to death and destruction, some songs stand out among others as the most frightful. And for certain bands, freaking people out is their modus operandi. Hell, we could have easily comprised this entire list out of Cannibal Corpse songs. Whether it’s the creepy music or the bloodcurdling lyrics, the baker’s dozen tracks below truly tingle our spines. Without further ado, here’s Heavy Consequence‘s list of The 13 Scariest Metal Songs. –Spencer Kaufman, Managing Editor __________________________________________________________ 13. Dimmu Borgir – “The Serpentine Offering” The lead single from Dimmu Borgir’s concept album about a priest’s assistant turning to the devil, “The Serpentine Offering” is scariest because its brand of Satanism isn’t tongue-in-cheek. Instead, it’s relatable for those who have evil in their hearts: “My descent is the story of everyman/ I am hatred, darkness, and despair.” Of course, it’s musically eerie, as well. These experts of symphonic black metal have spent 25 years perfecting an occultist blend of dark metal and classical instrumentation. Moment the Spine Tingles: When the choir comes in at 0:37. —Scott Morrow __________________________________________________________ 12. Cradle of Filth – “Thirteen Autumns and a Widow” From the opening keyboard choir melody, this Cradle of Filth track is equal parts epic and frightful. But when singer Dani Filth enters with a shriek over a death growl, “Thirteen Autumns and a Widow” announces itself as a Halloween classic. Sarah Jezebel Deva’s soaring soprano and haunting spoken-word accompaniment keep the shivers coming over seven minutes of goth-metal goodness. Moment the Spine Tingles: At the 0:22 mark, when the vocal harmonies ascend behind that wicked shriek-growl combo. —Scott Morrow __________________________________________________________ 11. Iron Maiden – “Fear of the Dark” It’s not so much that you can expect this song to send shivers down your spine — the trademark Iron Maiden gallop will probably pump you up more than scare you. But “Fear of the Dark” makes this list because it presents an ideal opportunity to observe that universal feeling of being on-edge for reasons you can’t put our finger on. Spooky, indeed. Moment the Spine Tingles: Bruce Dickinson sets the stage perfectly right off the bat when he sings about walking on a dark road alone at night — a direct but rich image that the vocalist elaborates on throughout over the verses that follow. –Saby Reyes-Kulkarni __________________________________________________________ Source

The MacBook Air everyone has been waiting for is finally here — and it’s thinner and sleeker than ever. In 2018, the newly revamped machine resembles Apple‘s 13.3-inch MacBook Pro more than anything, which released two years ago. High-resolution Retina display, USB-C, and Touch ID are just the beginning of the perks users get with the new and improved MacBook Air. According to The Verge, the screen is “on par” with that of the MacBook Pro models. The lighter package doesn’t mean anyone has to settle for lesser quality graphics. Sure, it looks mighty fine — but the real magic happens inside. The base model comes with 1.16GHz Core i5, 8GB of RAM, plus 1.5TB SSD. All models of the 2018 MacBook Air include Intel’s 8th Gen processors. Also, there’s a headphone jack in case anyone was wondering. You just never know with Apple! That’s all for the hefty entry price of $1,199. In addition, Apple has unleashed a new iPad Pro and new Mac mini, both starting at $799. P.S. While Apple is busy at work with this new hardware launch, the company is also rolling out the new iOS 12.1. The update mostly impacts the iPhone XS, XS Max, or XR. However, it’s a refresher for iPads, too. P.S.S. The MacBook Air and iPhone work together in ways like never before. Learn more via Apple. Apple iPad Pro & MacBook Air Event in 9 Minutes 2018 MacBook Air Source: The Verge | Image via Apple This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Apple Introduces 2018 MacBook Air, MacBook Mini & iPad Pro [DETAILS] Source

James Cameron’s Avatar gets a bad rap these days. Despite becoming the highest grossing film of all time, even getting a Best Picture nomination at the 2010 Oscars and its own section of a Disney theme park, the film’s name traditionally elicits a whole lot of scoffing and vitriolic arguments over whether or not it’s more like Ferngully or Dances With Wolves. However, one thing everyone uniformly agrees upon is that the logo is just godawful. Fortunately for everyone, the forthcoming four (!) Avatar sequels will sport a new logo. As Fast Company points out, 20th Century Fox has quietly updated its socials, revealing a new logo that’s devoid of any Papyrus: To be fair, any other font (save for Comic Sans) would have been an upgrade over Papyrus. Even so, this is at the very least inoffensive, which will be key, seeing how Cameron’s ensuring we’re living with the Na’vi for the next seven years — and rest assured, they’re coming. In fact, according to Sigourney Weaver, they’re already working on four and five. Mind you, the second installment doesn’t hit theaters until December 18, 2020. That gives fans plenty of time to find issues with the new logo. In the meantime, revisit the old one below with this hilarious parody from Saturday Night Live, which may have been responsible for the new design itself. Source

On Monday, Smino teased the impending release of a new project. Now, all has been revealed: The St. Louis-born rapper will put out his sophomore album, titled Noir, on November 8th through Zero Fatigue/Interscope. The forthcoming full-length follows blkswn, Smino’s breakthrough debut and one of last year’s most impressive albums. It sees the MC re-teaming with past collaborative producers in LBoogie, Sango, and Zero Fatigue member Monte Booker. Song titles include “Klink”, “Tequila Mockingbird”, and the previously shared “L.M.F.” track. (Read: The Top 50 Albums of 2017) In a press statement, Noir is described as a record about the “present, about life now,” and the way Smino has evolved since his first LP. “I guess growth for me means understanding shit and being able to make music intentionally,” remarked the 27-year-old. At the same time, the new record is said to have a “brighter” feel to it compared to its predecessor, which reflects Smino’s current state of mind. “Just have fun with your fucking life,” the rapper continued. “That’s really what I was doing when I was making the record: just having fun and living off my own confidence.” In the lead-up to Noir’s release next week, Smino has shared the music video for “L.M.F.”, which follows the MC as he celebrates a new pet monkey by throwing a party in his hometown. Check it out below. Source

Allie X explores the landscape of Los Angeles life through alter egos & cinematic pop music “Imagine walking into a department store in the early 90s and everyone’s in drag.” This is how Allie X introduced fans to the world of her new mini-album, Super Sunset, through a teaser video back in July. The project chronicles Allie’s stint living in LA, especially, as she says, “the utter madness one feels trying to make it.” With monthly single drops for the past 5 months along with alter ego characters to support each song, Allie has allowed every song on this high-concept project to shine in its own space. Let’s take a closer look at each of these characters and the songs that go with them. Courtesy of last.fmThe Nun In an Instagram livestream, Allie explained that the Nun character “embodies spirituality and authenticity in an industry where it’s easy to lose sight of oneself.” The Nun is represented musically through the most candidly personal songs on the album, dealing with personality flaws and love. Little Things: This introspective pop banger deals with Allie questioning her own mindset and why she takes on the worst in life like a soldier, yet loses her mind over minor annoyances. The lyrics are all psychology and the sound showcases a gradual build to an explosion in the bridge. Overall, a fantastic pop song with a fascinating, fully-realized concept. 10/10 Focus: As the album closer, this track demonstrates a sonic and lyrical departure from the rest of the project. The chaos of the rest of the project leads to a chilled-out, vocoder-tinged love song. It feels like the light at the end of the tunnel as Allie professes, “When you love someone/The rest just falls away”. This is another track that builds as it goes, and every post-chorus section makes me melt, even months after its release. 10/10 Courtesy of BillboardThe Hollywood Starlet The Hollywood Starlet character represents ambition and dreams, yet simultaneously, desperation and disposability. Musically, her songs discuss life in Los Angeles and vapid relationships. Not So Bad in LA: This song is a dark, brooding tribute to convincing oneself that life in the star-studded city is okay. “Angels all left, but we’ll stay”, Allie laments on this track. The vocal production is a bit odd and muffled, but the overall product does exactly what it’s trying to. 8/10 Girl of the Year: Clocking in around 110 beats per minute, Girl of the Year is easily the most uptempo moment on the mini album. The song describes a one-sided relationship in which one party is using the other: “I’m nothing to you, that’s what you like/I’m just a battery to keep you energized”. Again, I take issue with the vocal production, but that chorus melody is so infectious that I almost don’t care. 9/10 Courtesy of Allie X’s Instagram @alliexSci-Fi Girl Admittedly, if this project has a weak spot, it’s with the realization of this character. It’s a bit difficult to pinpoint what exactly Sci-Fi Girl represents. Some fans say it personifies the quirky, imperfect side of Allie’s personality, but the songs don’t seem to support that. Science: … And while this song may sound like a natural theme song for Sci Fi Girl, lyrically it deals with the rush of a new relationship. Placed over a dark, synthwave beat, the song exemplifies the “late night drive” feeling and throws it into 3018. This song was an instant love for me, and shows how Allie truly has making dark synthpop “right down to a science”. 10/10 Can’t Stop Now: I’ve only had a day to sit with this song, as it was the only new full track by the time the record came out, but it still leaves a distinct impression. Can’t Stop Now discusses Allie’s feeling of being trapped in her career due to how much she’s already put into it. Sonically, it feels like an understated child of Science and Focus, with spacey synths and a strong vocoder presence. 8/10 Closing Thoughts While this mini-album feels all too short, clocking in at a mere 22 minutes, every second of it oozes creative energy. The imagery demonstrated through the characters is truly icing on the cake to brings the sound landscapes the songs build into the visual world. I would say this project is Allie’s most consistent and cohesive work, and I applaud her commitment to her themes throughout this chapter of her musical story. Allie X’s progression has been a blast to watch, and I cannot wait to see where her music goes next. Listen to Super Sunset on Spotify below, or on other platforms HERE The post Allie X’s ‘Super Sunset’ is a Super Smash: Listen appeared first on Verge Campus. Source

As much as I absolutely detest the original “Mo Bamba” by Sheck Wes (fight me), I’m going to have this new re-crank from Crankdat on repeat as much as possible. The young producer just dropped the remix for Halloween, so you know you’ve got to add it to your pre-game playlist for tomorrow. The beginning of the remix starts just the same as the original, right up until the modulated vocals about 25 seconds in. It’s hard to describe, but you immediately get this sense of, “Oh fuck, shit’s about to go down.” And sure enough, the drop comes only moments later and throws a wild wall of synths in your face. The sustained notes call back to the dubstep days of old, though it’s a noticeably more modern hybrid bass sound. The final drop is the same as the first, albeit far more gritty and a bit darker. If I’m forced to listen to “Mo Bamba” being dropped at every damn show, I pray it’s at least this version. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Crankdat Drops Massive Re-Crank Of Viral Sensation “Mo Bamba” by Sheck Wes Source

James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss whose life was depicted in several Hollywood films and television series, has died at the age of 89. Bulger was found dead Tuesday at a federal prison in West Virginia, where he was serving a life sentence, according to NBC News. Bulger worked nearly two decades as an FBI informant while simultaneously running the Winter Hill Gang in Boston. In 1994, after learning of an impending indictment, Bulger went into hiding and remained at large for 16 years. He was finally captured in 2011, and two years later, he was found guilty on 31 charges stemming from his involvement in 11 murders, among a litany of other crimes. He was sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences plus five years. Update: According to TMZ, Bulger’s death is being treated as a homicide. A prison source told TMZ that Bulger was attacked by three fellow prisoners on Tuesday morning. The 2015 film Black Mass, starring Johnny Depp, chronicled Bulger’s years as an FBI informant. Bulger also served as the inspiration for Jack Nicholson’s character Frank Costello in Martin Scorsese’s 2006 film The Departed. James Woods’ Ray Donovan character Patrick “Sully” Sullivan and James Spader’s character Red Reddington in The Blacklist were also loosely inspired by Bulger Source

Slayer vocalist/bassist Tom Araya is ruffling the feathers of his fans yet again. On his official Instagram account yesterday, the 57-year-old musician posted a meme illustrating the differences between conservatives and liberals, meant to highlight the supposedly extreme responses that the latter group has in response to certain hot button issues. Example: “If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church. A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and Jesus silenced.” Araya posted this list with his own note reading: “With all the crazy shit going on I have to ask. I sit on the fence of reason. Comments an [sic] opinions welcomed.” So far, the post has generated nearly 2,000 comments, including one from Araya’s own bandmate Gary Holt who wrote, “Too bad red states take more in aid than anyone and the meat industry and dairy are fighting the use of the word ‘milk’ such as soy milk, as if anyone with a brain would confuse the two, per the vegetarian part…Not to mention any critical comment on our current president is met with fury, not laughs.” Araya has courted controversy last year, posting a Photoshopped picture of his band hanging with President Donald Trump to Slayer’s official Instagram account. At the time, Araya laughed it off, telling Chilean radio station Futuro 88.9 that, “I’m in Slayer. Being in Slayer, sometimes you do stuff like that just to piss people off.” In that same interview, he also lashed out at the anger that the photo generated in his fans, saying, “It’s become a bunch of people that, because they didn’t get their way, they’re mad. I shared a picture that I thought was funny and they can’t even joke, they can’t even laugh at themselves, they can’t even have fun. And that just is amazing that it’s come to that. We’re a nation of crybabies.” Representatives for Slayer, at the time of the Trump picture, told Rolling Stone that it was “not something the band would have posted if asked” and that it “does not belong on a Slayer social page.” Slayer recently announced that they would be extending their farewell tour into 2019. The band is currently set to kick off their last batch of shows for this year on Thursday with a date at Dublin 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Metallica’s Top 5 Songs Tool’s Top 5 Music Videos Behemoth's Top 5 Songs Alice in Chains' Top 5 Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” Annotated Video Source

Bass-heavy funkmeister Thundercat (aka Steven Lee Bruner) has teamed up with Toronto instrumentalists BadBadNotGood for a new collaboration, “King of the Hill”. A beautifully ambient blend of the two artists’ sounds, this new track features an unusually simpatico blend of BBNG’s slapping backbeats and Thundercat’s soul-tastic falsetto. Produced by Flying Lotus, the track is a sneak peek at Brainfeeder’s upcoming 10th-anniversary compilation, Brainfeeder X, a 4-LP box set aimed for a November 16th, 2018 release. The set celebrates ten years of the label’s work over two volumes — one a retrospective on the works to date, the other an “unreleased future canon,” according to a press release. “King of the Hill” comes from the latter column. Listen to “King of the Hill” below. Source

In February 2016, Paul van Dyk fell 10 meters off the stage at A State Of Trance 750, sustaining a concussion and cracked vertebra in his back. The recovery took a speedy three months, during which time van Dyk underwent physical therapy and surgery for his injury. Armin van Buuren, founder of Armada Records and A State Of Trance, said that the moment was one of the toughest of his career, having to see van Dyk fall off his stage and worry for his safety while moving quickly to shut down the stage. However, during a very open discussion at Amsterdam Dance Event this year, van Dyk paints a different picture of the aftermath. “Up to this point, none of these guys involved picked up the phone to call me and ask me how I am,” he said. He says that he has no memory of the incident itself, and was present at the talk to promote safety at events. “That’s one of the reasons why I am here,” he said. “I want everyone involved in some way in production and booking to shine a light on the safety of their events.” By the tone described by Mixmag, it seems unlikely that van Dyk would play another ASOT event without an apology from the organizers. “If you come to my house and slip and break an arm, I will call you and see how you are doing,” he said. “But with these guys, no way, it goes to tell you about the characters of the people involved.” via Mixmag | Photo via Marc van der Aa for Insomniac This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Paul van Dyk Cuts Ties With A State Of Trance During Frank Talk At Amsterdam Dance Event Source

A soft gust of wind races down a street lined with rickety old Victorian houses, where glowing jack-o’-lanterns watch with vacant eyes and shutters clumsily wave behind them. There’s a chill in the air, teasing a Midwestern winter that’s to come, but there’s also an energy — laughter from costumed children traipsing down the street. Their shoes crunch over leaves that fall above them from giant oak branches dancing in the blue moonlight. It’s early yet on this Halloween, but the night has already begun. A row of sodium street lamps stave off the darkness, but the shadows persist, one in particular catches the attention of a young boy, peering from his home across the street. “Laurie, the boogeyman is outside.” John Carpenter’s Halloween is a comfortable movie. Set in the fictional small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, the story capitalizes on the sleepy nature of this agrarian American paradise, where the streets look safe, the houses look cozy, the people look friendly. Especially today, there’s an innocence at hand that’s achingly nostalgic, recalling a time when kids didn’t need to be chaperoned while trick or treating, when babysitters weren’t Netflix and a locked door, or when a maniac on the loose would elicit a gasp over a yawn. Halloween works each year because it’s the movie in which everyone comes home, a 91-minute reunion to a time when we weren’t already terrified to step outside. (Read: The Making of John Carpenter’s Halloween) That comfortability is key, and it’s earned. Although he leans on his teenage curriculum of Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock films — the influences of both filmmakers on Carpenter have been massively paralleled over the years — the lineage to Ray Bradbury is unmistakable. Like 1962’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, and naturally 1972’s The Halloween Tree by name and holiday alone, Halloween traps its audience by selling them on the misguided notion that these are sleepy streets, where nothing ever happens. And much like Bradbury, Carpenter is patient in pulling away our warm blankets by slowly easing into the horror, simply by allowing the horror to slowly stalk us. Yet it also helps that Carpenter and the late Debra Hill kept the horror straight and simple. Halloween is a neighborhood urban legend: What if the creepy kid who used to live in the creepy house down the street was real? Think back to all of the wild, spooky stories you heard and shared with friends growing up around your neighborhood — it’s an American pastime. Now, try to remember if anyone of them were even true or how many you might have shrugged off. Halloween subverts those doubts, which is why the film is so affecting after all these years later. We all have stories, to crib from Swingers, and we all share them. The comfort is knowing they’re probably all bullshit. Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher| Podchaser | RSS There are very few themes in life more terrifying than the unknown, but doubt can also be unnerving. Halloween is all about doubt. We see it through Donald Pleasence’s soft-spoken, albeit totally obsessed, Dr. Loomis, who’s surrounded by colleagues and officials scoffing at his warnings. We see it through Jamie Lee Curtis’ introverted bookworm Laurie Strode, whose friends laugh at everything she says. And finally, we see it through Brian Andews’ little Tommy Doyle, whose constant pestering about the boogeyman is haplessly written off as childhood grand delusions. From the very beginning to the very end, doubt is what gives agency to evil; it’s the shadow from which evil hides within. These meditations on doubt say a lot about today’s culture, particularly at a time in America when doubt has infected every level of society. Because even in an age when information and cold, hard facts are instantaneous — or rather, “the truth is out there,” as Chris Carter popularized with The X-Files — doubt continues to plague and stunt us. What Halloween suggests is that this doubt is inherently evil itself, that we can’t be ignorant, and that we certainly can’t be blinded by our own comforts. Haddonfield isn’t a relic of a bygone era, no matter how much of it may appear to be ripped straight out of a Bradbury story, it’s the ensuing American nightmare. It’s the national boogeyman. And we’re not only entitled to its scares, we’re a part of them. Trailer: Source

Origins is our recurring new music feature in which an artist dissects the inspirations behind their latest work. Like rock duos Royal Blood and Japandroids before them, The Messenger Birds shred with the intensity of at least five musicians. Even at this early stage in their career, their energy on stage has earned them opening slots supporting the likes of Hinds and The Fall of Troy, while their grittiness on record has translated into a handful of well-received singles, including this year’s “Self Destruct”. The Detroit-bred outfit has returned today with its second single of 2018, “Phantom Limb”. The track finds The Messenger Birds’ Parker Bengry and Chris Williams ripping through an alt-rock juggernaut that calls to mind a Midwestern mix of Kings of Leon and The Black Keys. The song’s highlighted by its urgent and edgy tone and Bengry’s arena-ready vocals (a lá KoL’s Caleb Followill). Speaking to Consequence of Sound, the band noted how the track’s tension was partially driven by their firsthand encounters with depression and anxiety. “They can be crippling disorders, and we’ve seen far too many friends, family, and fellow musicians suffer because they aren’t getting the help that they need or because they don’t have access to it,” The Messenger Birds wrote. “It’s easy to fall deeper and deeper into it and become more disconnected from the things you care about. It’s easy to stop caring about yourself. It’s easy to stop caring about anything.” Check out “Phantom Limb” below via its official music video. Directed by Dylan Reminder, it follows the band as they perform all over Motor City. For more insight into “Phantom Limb”, the band elaborated further on the song’s Origins, which include their hometown music scene and late-night drives. The Armed — “Witness”: The first single off of their recent LP, Only Love, is a frenetic wall of noise that sounds equally as joyful as it does destructive. It feels more like a schizophrenic machine triumphantly tearing itself apart than a collective of Detroit musicians each playing a separate role sonically. This is something that we were instantly drawn to, and it stuck with us when we were writing “Phantom Limb.” We really wanted the chorus to feel massive and for the layers to be thick and nearly indistinguishable. It’s a completely different style, of course, but “Witness” was definitely a big influence on our writing process at the time. The True Blue — “pLAyed Out”: The True Blue have been great friends of our for a long time in the Detroit music scene, and we’ve always admired their songwriting. They are able to seamlessly navigate so many genres and evoke a lot of different emotions in their music; each song really has its own feel. Though not always direct or overt, our songs have been pretty politically charged prior to “Phantom Limb,” and we decided to step away from that and take a different direction lyrically. It became much more about exploring emotional nuances and creating the right vibe than going on a political tirade. Depression and Anxiety: Depression and anxiety are central themes in the lyrics of the song. They can be crippling disorders, and we’ve seen far too many friends, family, and fellow musicians suffer because they aren’t getting the help that they need or because they don’t have access to it. It’s easy to fall deeper and deeper into it and become more disconnected from the things you care about. It’s easy to stop caring about yourself. It’s easy to stop caring about anything. Navigating your way out of that and trying to find a reason to keep going can feel near impossible, so if you know someone who is struggling, reach out to them. It’s the least you can do. Late Night Drives: I’m not sure what it is about long drives in the dark, but we’ve come up with a lot of our best ideas doing that. When we were trying to write the chorus for “Phantom Limb,” everything was feeling forced and contrived at first. One night I just decided to get in the car, blast the demo as loud as the speakers would go, and drive. I started singing nonsense over the chorus, whatever came out naturally, and that turned into the melody. I recorded it in a voice note on my phone so I didn’t forget it. The words came easy after that. Source

After a very heated Twitter exchange with Azealia Banks, Lana Del Rey is back to focusing on her new album, the awesomely-titled Norman Fucking Rockwell. Following a pair of singles in “Venice Bitch” and “Mariners Apartment Complex”, she has debuted a third song called “How to Disappear” during — of all things — a surprise performance at today’s Apple event in Brooklyn. Del Rey was accompanied by the album’s producer, Jack Antonoff, who provided assistance on piano. “I watched the guys getting high as they fight for the things that they hold dear,” Del Rey crooned on the somber offering. “To forget the things they fear/ and this is how they disappear.” (Read: The 13 Scariest Pop Songs) Watch fan-caught footage below. As fans have pointed out, the new song’s title is conspicuously similar to Radiohead’s own “How to Disappear Completely”. If you’ll recall, the two acts were tangled up in legal drama earlier this year over similarities between Del Rey’s “Get Free” track and Radiohead’s “Creep” hit. The dispute was eventually resolved, though details of the settlement were never made public. Could this new track be an epic troll job on Del Rey’s part? Norman Fucking Rockwell, the follow-up to last year’s Lust For Life, is expected to be released in 2019. Today’s Apple event saw the unveiling of a new iPad Pro and MacBook Air, among other products. Source

Some of indie rock’s most prominent artists are coming together for a tribute concert honoring Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison, who died suddenly this past May at the age of 36. Set for December 5th at New York City’s Rough Trade, “Tiny Changes: A Celebration of the Songs of Scott Hutchison” will feature performances from The National’s Aaron Dessner, Julien Baker, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie. Craig Finn of The Hold Steady and Kevin Devine are also scheduled to take the stage. All proceeds from the show will go to the Scott Hutchison fund, a mental health-focused charity launched by the late musician’s family members. Prior to passing, Hutchison had long struggled with depression. A number of the tribute concert’s performers honored Hutchison in the weeks immediately following his death. The National dedicated a performance of “About Today” to the Scottish frontman, and Death Cab for Cutie covered Frightened Rabbit’s “My Backwards Walk” for a recent Spotify Singles session. “I wish I would have told Scott how much his songs meant to me,” Gibbard previously said of Hutchison. “Or how [Frightened Rabbit’s] The Midnight Organ Fight was pretty much all I listened to for months while going through an extremely dark patch in my life. Or what a wonderfully funny and engaging person I found him to be.” Find those two tributes below, followed by “How It Gets In”, Baker and Frightened Rabbit’s original 2017 collaboration. “About Today”: “My Backwards Walk” Cover: “How It Gets In”: Source

Last year saw David Bazan reform his long-dormant Pedro the Lion for a string of North American reunion shows. He unveiled some new material during the trek, a tease of a studio return for the project. Now, Bazan has announced a new album from Pedro the Lion called Phoenix, due out January 18th on Polyvinyl. The 13-track collection marks the band’s first since 2004’s Achilles Heal. After years of member turnover, Bazan shutdown PtL in 2005, searching for a form of musical clarity over the next decade. When he still couldn’t find the sense of stability he longed for, he returned to his original recording methods, as he explained in a press release: “I had abandoned my natural way of working in the hopes of creating space for a consistent band to write with… and it hadn’t worked. So I got a rehearsal space, mic’d up drums, bass, and guitar, and really leaned into my original process again. It immediately felt like home. Before long I realized it also felt like Pedro the Lion.” Bazan recruited Erik Walters (guitar, backing vocals) and Sean Lane (drums) to help bring his arrangements to life. They entered Seattle’s Studio X and Chris Walla’s Hall of Justice with producer Andy Park to create Phoenix. Though the crew may be new, lead single “Yellow Bike” certainly feels like PtL. Yearning without being wistful, the driven introspective of the track reflects on familiar Bazan-ian themes. “All the places I could ride/ Leaving early, packing light,” Bazan sings. “That little ache inside/ My kingdom for someone to ride with.” Take a listen via the Jason Lester-directed video below. Pre-orders for Phoenix are on-going. Find the album art and tracklist ahead. Phoenix Artwork: Phoenix Tracklist: 01. Sunrise 02. Yellow Bike 03. Clean Up 04. Powerful Taboo 05. Model Homes 06. Piano Bench 07. Circle K 08. Quietest Friend 09. Tracing The Grid 10. Black Canyon 11. My Phoenix 12. All Seeing Eye 13. Leaving The Valley Pedro the Lion will also head out on the road in February to support the new album. They also have some dates with Chris Staples next month, and you can find their full schedule below. Pedro the Lion 2018-2019 Tour Dates: 11/16 – Bellingham, WA @ The Wild Buffalo * 11/17 – Yakima, WA @ Seasons Performance Hall * 11/18 – Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett * 11/23 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos * 02/08 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux 02/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall 02/10 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird 02/12 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole 02/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom 02/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room 02/16 – San Diego, CA @ Irenic 02/17 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory 02/19 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish 02/20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent 02/22 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall 02/23 – Tacoma, WA @ Alma Mater 02/24 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret * = w/ Chris Staples Source

Ariana Grande recorded a new TV special for the BBC, which features a 13-song set and an interview conducted by Davina McCall. The program officially airs on Thursday, November 1st, but is being teased today with a clip of her performing her Sweetener hit single “God is a Woman”. The pop singer, svelte and dressed in black, was backed by an all-female orchestra and choir section — a nod, of course, to the song’s powerful celebration of womanhood. Watch the visual below. Along with “God is a Woman”, Grande’s special will include performances of eight other Sweetener tracks and past smash singles “Love Me Harder” and “Dangerous Woman”. She also filmed her cover of Thundercat’s “Them Changes”, a rendition she’d previously debuted on BBC’s Live Lounge in September. According to People, the BBC special was recorded on September 7th, the same day Mac Miller passed away. However, she reportedly hadn’t heard the news until after filming wrapped up. Even so, Grande’s interview segment delved into serious topics, like anxiety and mental health. “I almost feel guilty that I have it [anxiety] because it’s just in your head and it’s just so crazy how powerful it is,” the pop star said, according to Buzzfeed. “You have ups and downs and sometimes you’ll go weeks at a time where you will be crushing it and there will be no anxiety… and then something will happen that can trigger it and then you have a couple of down days.” “Talk to your loved ones, reach out to people, especially your friends online,” added Grande. “Reach out to each other.” Last week, Grande announced her Sweetener North American tour will kick off March 2019. Source