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Today marks the release of Ghostface Killah’s The Lost Tapes via Cleopatra/X-Ray Records. Subscribers of Apple Music and Spotify can stream it below. Though its title suggests otherwise, The Lost Tapes is not a collection of rare or unreleased cuts, but rather a brand new album meant to evoke early Ghostface albums like 1995’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., 1996’s Ironman, and 2000’s Supreme Clientele. Production comes via Big Ghost, and guests include Snoop Dogg, Raekwon, E-40, Big Daddy Kane, Reignwolf, and actor Michael Rapaport, who delivers a predictably fiery intro for the album. (among several others). Previously, we heard Snoop and E-40 join Ghostface for lead single “Saigon Velour”. The Lost Tapes Artwork: The Lost Tapes Tracklist: 01. Introduction (feat. Michael Rapaport) 02. Buckingham Palace (feat. KXNG Crooked, Benny the Butcher, and .38 Spesh) 03. Majestic Accolades (feat. Planet Asia and Hus Kingpin) 04. Cold Crush (feat. LA the Darkman, Ras Kass, Chris Rivers, and Harley) 05. Put the Ghostface On It 06. Saigon Velour (feat. Snoop Dogg & E-40) 07. Constant Struggle (feat. Killah Priest and Bishop Lamont) 08. Done It Again (feat. Big Daddy Kane, Cappadonna, Styliztik Jones, and Harley) 09. Reflections of C.R.E.A.M 10. Watch Em’ Holla (feat. Raekwon, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, and DJ Grouch) 11. I Think I Saw A Ghost (feat. Sheek Louch, Vic Spencer, Reignwolf, and Luke Holland) 12. Outroduction (feat. Michael Rapaport) 13. Saigon Velour (feat. Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Tricky) (Bonus Track) Source

Today marks the release of A Star Is Born and, with it, the film’s original soundtrack. Subscribers of Apple Music and Spotify can stream the OST in full below. The 19 original songs feature stars Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, with contributions from Lukas Nelson, Jason Isbell, Mark Ronson, and Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow. Peppered amongst the tracks are 15 dialogue tracks “featuring those moments that will take listeners on a journey that mirrors the experience of seeing the film,” according to a press release. A version of the album sans dialogue is also available. In his B+ review, Consequence of Sound film editor Dominick Suzanne-Mayer credits much of the film’s success to its soundtrack, as “the majority of the film’s biggest emotional beats [unfold] in song.” He continues, “everal of Cooper’s tunes take on the rollicking full-band cadence of Jason Isbell and other outlaw revivalists of the moment, and some of the gentler in-studio collaborations between Cooper and Gaga allow the film to show off its talented leads in a way that feels earned, rather than cheesy.” Gaga, too, has praised Cooper’s musical ability. In a recent interview with Ellen DeGeneres, she recalled sitting down with him at a piano for the first time and singing Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Midnight Special”. “I heard his voice and stopped dead in my tracks and said, ‘Oh my gosh, Bradley, you can sing.’ And he’s a great songwriter; he wrote on all his songs in the film.” Previously, we heard “Shallow”, which is pretty much a shoe-in for that Best Original Song Oscar. A Star Is Born Soundtrack Tracklist: 01. Intro 02. Black Eyes – Performed by Bradley Cooper. Written and produced by Bradley Cooper and Lukas Nelson. 03. Somewhere Over The Rainbow 04. Fabulous French 05. La Vie En Rose – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written by Louiguy and Edith Piaf. Produced by Lady Gaga and Brian Newman. 06. I’ll Wait For You 07. Maybe It’s Time – Performed by Bradley Cooper. Written by Jason Isbell. Produced by Bradley Cooper and Benjamin Rice. 08. Parking Lot 09. Out of Time – Performed by Bradley Cooper. Written and produced by Bradley Cooper and Lukas Nelson. 10. Alibi – Performed by Bradley Cooper. Written and produced by Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper and Lukas Nelson. 11. Trust Me 12. Shallow – Performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Written by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt. Produced by Lady Gaga and Benjamin Rice. 13. First Stop, Arizona 14. Music To My Eyes – Performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Written by Lady Gaga and Lukas Nelson. Produced by Lukas Nelson. 15. Diggin’ My Grave – Performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Written by Paul Kennerley. Produced by Lady Gaga and Lukas Nelson. 16. I Love You 17. Always Remember Us This Way – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written by Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey, and Lori McKenna. Produced by Dave Cobb and Lady Gaga. 18. Unbelievable 19. How Do You Hear It? 20. Look What I Found – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, Paul “DJWS” Balir, Lukas Nelson, and Aaron Raitiere. Produced by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul “DJWS” Blair. 21. Memphis 22. Heal Me – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, Paul “DJWS” Blair, Julia Michaels, and Justin Tranter. Produced by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul “DJWS” Blair. 23. I Don’t Know What Love Is – Performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Written and produced by Lady Gaga and Lukas Nelson. 24. Vows 25. Is That Alright? – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, Paul “DJWS” Blair, Lukas Nelson, and Aaron Raitiere. Produced by Lady gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul “DJWS” Blair. 26. SNL 27. Why Did You Do That? – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written by Lady Gaga, Diane Warren, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul “DJWS” Blair. Produced by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul “DJWS” Blair. 28. Hair Body Face – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written and produced by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul “DJWS” Blair. 29. Scene 98 30. Before I Cry – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written and produced by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul “DJWS” Blair. 31. Too Far Gone – Performed by Bradley Cooper. Written and produced by Bradley Cooper and Lukas Nelson. 32. Twelve Notes 33. I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version) – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written by Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey, and Aaron Ratiere. Produced by Lady Gaga and Benjamin Rice. 34. I’ll Never Love Again (Extended Version) – Performed by Lady Gaga. Written by Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey, and Aaron Ratiere. Produced by Lady Gaga and Benjamin Rice. Source

Amongst the incessant drivel spewed out onto your newsfeed on a daily basis, you’re bound to come across some incredible low-effort content that will spur a half smile at most. With the advent of internet-breaking meme outlets such as People of Boiler Room and Ketflix and Pills, the memes surrounding club culture have increased in quality tenfold. Here are 8 of our favourites that have been doing the rounds. 1. RÜFÜS Innerbloom memes This meme format has been rinsed to it’s full capacity at this point, but we’re taking it to the grave and you can’t stop us. 2. Four Tet boasting about his gear set up Despite this running gag being way past it’s shelf life, one does not simply forget about the time Four Tet shamelessly boasted about his setup used to produce his latest album, causing absolute chaos on twitter. 3. Berghain loves a rare find We all have that one friend who is always in our ear about how going to Berghain was the happiest moment of their life, drug-fuelled or otherwise. This definitely also applies to a bunch of other people in the scene, like vinyl heads, minimal techno listeners and a plethora more. 4. The ultimate dance music starter pack There’s really no middle ground in dance music these days, and this starter kit pretty much sums it up. The person who’s listened to one lo-fi tune and think they’re music connoisseurs. You know who you are. 5. Every producer’s brain expansion We had to have at least one brain expanding meme in here, and this one couldn’t be more relevant for those poor bedroom producers out there. We’ve all got that friend (or in our case dozens of friends) who can’t wrap their head around finishing a tune. 6. The cotton field stage design Defqon 1 really go that extra mile with their aesthetic and stage design. Oh wait. 7. Open the gate DJ edition ft. Calvin Harris When we came across the open the gate meme we had a bit too much fun with it and this was our favourite outcome. Early Calvin rules. We stand by our words. 8. Is this a sample? Obviously a SOPHIE meme was in aid of. Who would guess that the contents of your I am a fagget could be the future of dance music? This meme format is a classic, and chucking eclectic musician SOPHIE in the mix made us chuckle. With an excess amount of content circulating around the web constantly, we could only pick out a few of our favourite memes from the pile. What are your favourite dance music memes? Feel free to spam away in the comments, we’ll probably repurpose them for a future article. Defqon 1 really go that lil extra with theirSource

Alessia Cara hasn’t yet set a release date for her sophomore album, The Pains of Growing, but she is sharing one of its singles today. Titled “Trust My Lonely”, the new song sees the Best New Artist Grammy winner distancing herself from a toxic ex and instead finding strength in herself. “Go get your praise from someone else/ You did a number on my health,” the Canadian pop/R&B artist sings. “My world is brighter by itself, and I can do better, do better.” Watch the single’s accompanying video below. “Trust My Lonely” comes after “Growing Pains” and birthday tune “A Little More”. The Pains of Growing serves as the follow-up to Cara’s 2015 breakthrough debut, Know It All. Source

Beloved Dutch electro house DJ, MOTi, and Spain based singer, Kivah, just collaborated on the next club hit, “All You Sexy Ladies”. Accompanied with a sexy music video, “All You Sexy Ladies” gets right to the point with seductive lyrics and hits hard with a proper electro house drop, making it destined to set off the dance floor around the world. Watch the music video for “All You Sexy Ladies”, MOTi’s remix. You may recognize the Amsterdam based DJ, MOTi from performing at major festivals such as Amsterdam Dance Event, Creamfields UK, Nocturnal Wonderland, and Tomorrowland. He has also worked closely with Tiësto, Major Lazer and Martin Garrix as well as had many releases on Spinnin’ Records. We have selected a few of his undeniable electro house singles for you to enjoy below. First, watch MOTi bring his blissfully melodic hooks that fall into in-your-face, electro house drops to Indonesia. Listen to MOTi’s “I See Light In You”: Listen to MOTi’s collabs on Spinnin’ Records: Its no surprise that before Kivah found her calling as a singer she was model. Now her fierceness and sensual electro-pop is bringing the dance floor some decadence. You can feel her strong attitude in “All You Sexy Ladies” as it is about her approaching a man in the club. photo credit KIVAH “All You Sexy Ladies” is a no-holds-barred, frisky club hit and you can bet people will be appreciating how it gets the party started. Pick up your copy of “All You Sexy Ladies” and see where the night takes you. Follow MOTi: Twitter SoundCloud Instagram YouTube Follow Kivah: Facebook Spotify Itunes Amazon The post MOTi & Kivah Collaborate on a Dirty Electro House Party Starter appeared first on EDM | Electronic Music | EDM Music | EDM Festivals | EDM Events. Source

Drake has successfully resolved his feuds with Kanye West and Meek Mill, but he’s hardly gone soft, as his latest collaboration proves. The Toronto rapper (and Millie Bobby Brown’s texting buddy) has lent a couple of bars to “Never Recover”, the new song from rising Atlanta rappers Lil Baby and Gunna. On his guest verse, Drizzy name-drops Young Thug and his label YSL (on which Lil Baby and Gunna are signed) and global fashion designer Virgil Abloh. He also makes it a point to slam the competitors who’ve failed to keep up with his firepower: I might just YSL my shit, the Thugger way Ain’t no real sense in me goin’ the other way Cannot be seen in that shit from the other day Virgil just chef’d me a whole different colorway Please don’t be stupid, it’s Baby and Gunna And Baby, he wanted her, so I just swung her Next time I’m in Dallas, I’ll look for another You niggas fell off and you never recovered Take a listen below. (Read: The 20 Highest Paid Rappers in the World) “Never Recover” is taken from Lil Baby and Gunna’s joint project, Drip Harder, which is out today via YSL. Its tracklist also boasts guest appearances from Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, and NAV. Drake and Lil Baby previously linked up on “Yes Indeed”, a highlight off the latter rapper’s well-received Harder Than Ever debut album from May. Source

Future pop juggernauts Charli XCX and Troye Sivan have teamed up for a new collaborative single called “1999”. Take a listen below, plus check out its throwback, Matrix-inspired artwork. “1999” is the latest in a string of singles released by Charli over the last few months. Previous offerings included “Giirls Night Out”, “Focus”, and “No Angel”. She dropped her Pop 2 mixtape in 2017, but her last proper album, Sucker, was released four years ago. As for Sivan, he is coming off the release of his impressive sophomore album, Bloom, which she is currently supporting with a North American tour. “1999” Artwork: Source

Download | Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS “The clown seized his arm.” Constant Listeners, sit back, relax, and finish those Chinese leftovers. Why? We’re going to be in Derry for quite some time, and now that you know the rich history, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and step into the grey water with us. (Merch: Support The Losers’ Club and Grab Some T-Shirts!) Join Losers McKenzie Gerber, Michael Roffman, Dan Caffrey, and Mel Kassel as they head into the Barrens of Stephen King’s 1986 epic in this exhaustive second episode, which dissects both Part 1: The Shadow Before and Mike Hanlon’s Derry: The First Interlude. There are heroes, there are villains, there is a long discussion about Al Pacino. Listen above and return next week when the Losers finally get into the actual story as they head straight into “Part 1: The Shadow Before”. In the meantime, don’t forget to show your support and leave us a glowing review on iTunes. Chapter include: Introduction, Heroes and Villains (2:30), Misery (1:43:35), The Sematary (1:48:00), Word Processor of the Gods (1:55:30), Poundcake (2:01:15), King’s Dominion (2:07:30), Things We Glean Along the Beam (2:10:45), and Outro (2:14:30) — Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram — E-mail us tips. Links — Listen and Follow: Coach Hop — In Case You Missed It: The History of Stephen King’s It and Why He Wanted to Quit Horror Upon Publishing — Editorial: The Generation That Grew Up on Stephen King is Taking Him Back — Editorial: Let’s Not Fuck Up This Stephen King Renaissance, Okay? — Feature: Behold, The Stephen King Cinematic Universe! — Guide: Stephen King in Five Films — Ranking: Every Stephen King Movie, Miniseries, TV Show from Worst to Best — List: The Top 10 Stephen King Film Adaptations Source

Yesterday, it was announced that Disney and Lucasfilm would be shifting their efforts away from standalone Star Wars movies and towards a live-action TV series from director (and Marvel vet) Jon Favreau. Called The Mandalorian, the series will debut on Disney’s forthcoming streaming service in late 2019. The Mandalorian, which is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order, will follow “a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic” who may or may not remind us quite a bit of Boba Fett. It will also feature an incredible slew of talent behind-the-scenes. StarWars.com reported today that production has begun on the series, and among those listed as directors is Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi, who recently helmed the hilarious Thor: Ragnarok, not to mention cult hits like What We Do In the Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople. Also of note is Dave Filoni—a key creative force in The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series—who will helm the pilot, as well as Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), and actress Bryce Dallas Howard, who’s cut her teeth on several short films. For his part, Favreau will write the entire series and executive produce. The above photo, included with the announcement, appears to be our first look at the series. Before we get too excited, let us remember these Taika tweets from last year. Lolz. I like to complete my films. https://t.co/Uj6RgKbo9V — Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) September 6, 2017 I'd be fired within a week. — Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) September 6, 2017 Think he’ll last? Make sure to subscribe to our Star Wars podcast, State of the Empire, where we recently discussed Mandalorians as a possible subject for Favreau. Source

Ajax (RIP) was widely renowned as Australia’s king of electro and bloghaus. He was an integral part of Bang Gang DJs a group who were part of the huge electro movement that saw some of the best Aussie festival lineups we’d ever see. Unfortunately he passed just over 5 years ago, meaning there were a bunch of killer lineups he missed out on playing, but this set from Parklife live recorded by Triple J in 2007 really hits home to us, and reminds us of the music he and his crew were all about. Get behind classic cuts from Daft Punk to The Klaxons back to Justice and all of the huge names of the time. Check it out below and pay your respects as you listen to this huge throwback mix! Source

Download | Listen via iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS Follow on Facebook | Podchaser Our third season of Filmography on the Master of Horror John Carpenter continues, as Film Editor Dominick Suzanne-Mayer is joined by Editor-in-Chief Michael Roffman and senior writer Blake Goble. Together, they examine Carpenter’s perceptions of good and evil from the beyond, the ways in which his ’80s heyday reflected this pet interest across a riot of different styles, and how Carpenter progressed rapidly from a horror filmmaker to one of modern film’s most versatile auteurs. This week’s discussion is focused around the following features: Chapters: Introduction (0:09), The Beyond: A Discussion (1:40), The Fog (10:14), Starman (24:55), Big Trouble in Little China (40:14), They Live (56:42), Intermission (1:12:48), A Broader Context (1:12:52), Sight [Cinematography/Editing] (1:19:04), The Lasting Image (1:40:26), Music & Score (1:50:09), Closing Remarks (2:11:04) We’ll see you next Thursday, October 11th for part three of Filmography: John Carpenter. In case you missed it, full seasons are currently available surrounding the filmographies of both Wes Anderson and Stanley Kubrick. Source

People say stupid things. All the time. Listen close enough on the bus, train, or car ride home and you’ll likely hear someone next to you or on the radio say something that turns your brain into pudding. Well, that someone today is Richard Dreyfuss, who apparently thinks Steven Spielberg’s Jaws could benefit from a facelift — at least for younger generations. In a recent interview, Deadline asked the veteran actor whether he would be opposed to a special edition of Spielberg’s masterpiece, complete with restorations and, you know, a CGI fucking shark. Surprisingly, Dreyfuss, who played oceanographic genius Matt Hooper in the 1975 original film, plays a total idiot in his response. “I think they should do it,” Dreyfuss adds enthusiastically. A little too enthusiastically. “It would be huge and it would open up the film to younger people. Is that blasphemy? No, no, I don’t think so. The technology now could make the shark look as good as the rest of the movie. “There are people who say Jaws is a perfect film otherwise and it is amazing what Steven accomplished with the challenges he had,” Dreyfuss continues. “But you’re dead-right, I think you’re on to something. They should put the money into CGI [to replace] that beast and make it come alive.” Here’s the thing: Sure, the giant shark replica looks a tad ridiculous at times — mostly when it lumbers onto Quint’s boat at the very end — but it doesn’t matter by then because you’ve been so enraptured by its presence. That presence, however, would be destroyed by ghastly CGI. In fact, to date, there hasn’t been a single film that can do justice to the CGI shark. Not Deep Blue Sea. Not Open Water. Not The Shallows. And certainly not this summer’s Meg. But even if they could, didn’t we learn anything from George Lucas’ tinkering of the Star Wars trilogy? Let classics be classics. Back to the cage, Mr. Dreyfuss. Source

Suge Knight, the troubled former Death Row Records CEO, was sentenced to 28 years in prison last month. He pled no contest to voluntary manslaughter after he was involved in a hit-and-run in a Los Angeles restaurant parking lot. Now, in his first interview since going behind bars, Knight tells The Blast that it’s all Dr. Dre’s fault. This isn’t a new revelation, as Knight threatened to sue Dre for $300 million back in 2016, alleging that the rapper, Universal Music, and Apple tried to have him killed. Now, he claims his recent trial proves his story to be true. Calling it a “murder-for-hire case,” he says, “They also got the paper trail with all the checks and proof of when they talked to the witnesses saying that Dre came to them first and asked the two guys how much it cost to get rid of me. And they said, ‘What you mean by get rid of?’ And they said, ‘Kill him.’” The pair’s beef goes back to the ’90s. Knight claims that he had a life management deal with Dre, which entitled him to 30% of Dre’s earnings — including the 2014 sale of Beats by Dre to Apple, estimated to be worth about $3 billion. Knight’s attempts to pursue that money is what he says led to the first attempt on his life—a nightclub shooting in which he was shot seven times. The second attempt on his life, he alleges, is what led to the hit-and-run incident that landed him in prison. Knight says Dre and Universal — the studio behind the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton — paid Cle “Bone” Sloan $300,000 to kill Knight that day. According to Knight, he was avoiding an ambush when he ran his car over Sloan. Sloan survived, but a second victim named Terry Carter was fatally hit. A lawyer for Dre responded to the claims back in 2016: “Given that Dre has had zero interaction with Suge since leaving Death Row Records in 1996, we hope that Suge’s lawyer has lots of malicious prosecution insurance.” Asked why he took a plea deal, Suge tells The Blast, “So when they gave me an attorney, he seen me two times in eight months and told me he went to the court and said he needed help and other attorneys. And they told him no. He said no way he can do my trial because he really don’t know the case and he won’t win.” He adds, “So if somebody stacks the deck against you, to the point where they’re not trying to fight for you, and let you get the attorneys you wish to have, what can you do?” Source

Musical performances will be no longer be a part of Conan once the TBS talk show dials things back next year, but the ginger-haired host is enjoying ’em while he’s still got ’em. Last night, he welcomed The Kills back to the show to celebrate both the 10th anniversary of 2008’s Midnight Boom and their first Conan performance. And, just as they did in 2008, they unleashed a raucous rendition of that album’s “Sour Cherry”. (Read: Conan O’Brien’s 10 Most Memorable Music Performances) Check it out below. As we wait for a follow-up to 2016’s Ash & Ice, why not check out the 7-inch they released this past March, which features covers of both Saul Williams and Peter Tosh. Source

I think it’s safe to say that Melbourne is Australia’s capital for electronic music. Giant warehouse event B3 has just cemented that fact firmly into the ground. It wasn’t long ago that dance music was confined purely to Melbourne’s clubs. Novel, amongst others, have taken it upon themselves to truly do something different, and help drive the dance music culture forward. When B3 was announced in December 2017, a wave of intrigue ran across Melbourne’s electronic music community. Across 2018, and particularly in the later half of the year, the hype became quite real. DJ Koze was my hot favourite for the night. Fast forward to 27th of September, and expectations were well met. The first thing you notice when entering the venue was the rumbling coming from the looming dance floor, set deep in the belly of the Etihad Stadium car park. For me this created a vibe of menace (in a good sense) and curiosity. We were entering a hedonist’s playground. The second thing you notice is a strong feeling of disorientation. The space was vast, yet the roof was low. Its funny how a space can affect your senses. You almost forgot you were in a car park. Enter the dance floor. Our crew found its position quick smart, tucked in a zone where the bass was rich and encompassing. The sound was well tuned for the space, a healthy dose of soundproofing foam negating any reverberations. Gerd Janson was first up, playing with class, and an appropriate track selection given his set time. I think that his Sugar Mountain set was still fresh on the minds of Melburnians in particular, so there was an expectation to be taken to disco town amongst my friends. However, he laid out a classy set for the car park setting. DJ Koze was best on ground. You could hear his unique take on electronic music and years of experience as he took the crowd on a two-hour sonic journey. His trick was blending between genres in a seamless fashion. He had the crowd covered and moving. I’m not a fan of disco. I can’t stand 20 minutes of it, but like any genre, there is good disco and bad disco. Maybe I’ve only heard bad disco? DJ Koze’s Pick Up sits comfortably under the ‘good disco’ banner, and needless to say, it had me and the 7000 other people in the crowd grooving like it was our last night on earth. He would move from upbeat tracks all the way through to techno weapons like Planetary Assault Systems’ Desert Races. Tracks like these carry a force of a hydrogen bomb, and the ebb and flow from gentle to gritty, atmospheric to driving, made for an utterly absorbing experience. There is a lot of hype surrounding Belgium’s Charlotte de Witte. The 26-year-old has shot to stardom in the techno-sphere in the past year or so, and thus it was interesting to hear what she had to play. The scene was set when she played her first few tracks around 3am – heavy and straightforward techno. However, the issue for me was that the vibe didn’t change for the next two hours. Her set was quite linear in the sense that it didn’t have the ebb-and-flow of peaks and troughs or the oscillations of high and low moments. Technically, she performed really well, but the issue was track selection. Variation is the spice of life, and the repetition of a build and drop into a kick drum became a bit predictable and uninteresting. As for areas of improvement? As good as the sound was (and it was very good), there were pockets where it could have been stronger. Maybe some more sound coming from the sides of the dance floor would have provided the oomph, but I’m no expert, so I’ll leave that one to the professionals. All in all, B3 nailed it. One of Novel’s hallmarks is the attention to detail and level of professionalism when it comes to putting on new ideas. Smalltown is turning into one of the most sought-after and hyped events around Melbourne, and B3 is proof of that. I can’t wait for the next one. Source

Setting the Stage: The Wellmont Theater has gone through many transformations in its 96 years of existence. First, as a performing arts venue, hosting vaudeville acts and traveling stage plays, the theater then became a movie house. It even hosted a black-hat wearing superstar from Hollywood — Charlie Chaplin. But for the past 10 years, the Wellmont has been one of the more popular concert venues in the shadow of New York City. Situated a mere 12 miles due-east from Manhattan, Montclair feels a million miles away from the lower-East-side streets that Guns N’ Roses are seen walking on in their “Paradise City” video. But, that was a long time ago and the fans that once ran home from school to watch GN’R on Dial MTV and went to CBGBs to simply buy a t-shirt are now more than happy to stay in the suburbs and have their favorite musicians come to them. And that’s exactly what Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators did on Monday, October 1st, while out in support of their freshly released new album, Living the Dream. Taking the Stage: There’s nothing very “rock ‘n’ roll” about a Monday. Throw in an eight-hour workday and a quick dinner, and it’s safe to say that no one wanted to deal with a Rockstar being fashionably late. So it was incredibly refreshing that at 8:55 p.m out strolled Slash and company. Opening with “Avalon”, the band shot out of the gate, seemingly on a mission to play as many songs as their two-hour set allowed. With 10 shows of their “Living The Dream Tour” under their belt, the band’s at the perfect place where they’ve kicked off any early tour rust and they’re excited to add a fresh batch of songs to their repertoire. “Serve You Right” stood out for its raw sound, as the band delivered it with an energy that is only possible when a song is still new to a group. When bassist Todd Kerns takes over lead vocals on the Slash/Lemmy song “Doctor Alibi”, the band is able to show a different musical side. Most likely done to give vocalist Kennedy a break. The song’s loose, almost punk, vibe is a nice shift in the set. About 10 songs into the set it occurred to me that they hadn’t played a Guns N’ Roses song yet. No one in the sold out theater seemed to mind the omission as the band sprinkled in songs from Slash’s solo career that preceded his work with Kennedy. It wasn’t until the 15th song that the opening guitar riff of “Rocket Queen” brought forth a roar from the crowd. Slash used the song as an opportunity to flex his guitar hero muscle. Joined by Kerns, rhythm guitarist Frank Sidoris and drummer Brent Fitz, Slash moved to the middle of the stage and jammed on a 10-plus minute musical vamp that intertwined his various influences. For those in the crowd who came hungry to hear a night filled with Guns N’ Roses songs, well they went home hungry…and that’s OK. Slash has been on the road with Axl Rose and company for the past two years on the GN’R’s mega-successful Not in This Lifetime tour, so you can’t blame him for giving those tunes a rest. There’s nothing wrong with taking an occasional trip down memory lane but that’s not what this band is here to do. Before reuniting with GN’R, Slash could have taken the easy road and hired a bunch of Hollywood mercenaries and lived off of the past but that’s not what this is. Nostalgia be damned, this is a real band growing its own roots! And with each record and tour this band continues to show the world that there’s an audience ready and willing to accept new music, as long as it’s delivered honestly and consistently. Slash, Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators are more than happy deliver the goods. Setlist: Avalon Halo Standing in the Sun Ghost Back from Cali You’re a Lie My Antidote Bent to Fly Beneath the Savage Sun Serve You Right Doctor Alibi Wicked Stone Mind Your Manners Driving Rain Rocket Queen (Guns N’ Roses cover) Starlight Lost Inside the Girl Play Video By the Sword World on Fire Encore: The Call of the Wild Anastasia Photos of Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators at the Wellmont Theater (click to enlarge and scroll through) Source

To say that Chance the Rapper loves Chicago is an understatement. Unlike so many hometown heroes, the guy has kept the Second City as one of his main prerogatives be it through creative endeavors or humanitarian efforts. Today, Lil Chano pledged a Big Donation at the second annual summit for his nonprofit organization, SocialWorks. He’s agreed to donate $1 million dollars to mental health services spread out all across Chicago. The money will be broken down into $100,000 grants, which will be given to six different providers. What’s more, the organization announced a new initiative dubbed, “My State of Mind”, which will also focus on mental health resources in the Cook County area. One resource will be a guidebook to assist those in need that will be available both physically and digitally. Public schools is another main focus of Chance’s, and he’s also announced that last year’s New Chance fund will be extended for another year. With the help of large conglomerates like Google, two million dollars will be distributed to another 20 schools to assist in computer science enrichment. Currently, Chance is recording a follow-up to 2016’s Coloring Book. In August, he was seen inside a Chicago studio with Kanye West and Zaytoven reportedly working on the album. Source

Ben Affleck has checked out of rehab after completing a 40-day program, The Hollywood Reporter reports. The actor entered in late August, seeking treatment for alcohol addiction. Today, in a statement posted to his Instagram, he says that getting help is “sign of courage, not weakness or failure.”This most recent stay marked Affleck’s third attempt at conquering his addiction in rehab. “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle,” he continues. “Because of that, one is never really in or out of treatment. It is a full-time commitment. I am fighting for myself and my family.” Affleck is attached to several notable upcoming projects, including a remake of Witness for the Prosecution, and a telling of the real-life McDonald’s Monopoly scam. There’s also his commitment to playing Batman in an upcoming Justice League sequel and Matt Reeves’ standalone project, though there’s been talk that his recent troubles could cost him those gigs. Read his full statement below: This week I completed a forty day stay at a treatment center for alcohol addiction and remain in outpatient care. The support I have received from my family, colleagues and fans means more to me than I can say. It’s given me the strength and support to speak about my illness with others. Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle. Because of that, one is never really in or out of treatment. It is a full-time commitment. I am fighting for myself and my family. So many people have reached out on social media and spoken about their own journeys with addiction. To those people, I want to say thank you. Your strength is inspiring and is supporting me in ways I didn’t think was possible. It helps to know I am not alone. As I’ve had to remind myself, if you have a problem, getting help is a sign of courage, not weakness or failure. With acceptance and humility, I continue to avail myself with the help of so many people and I am grateful to all those who are there for me. I hope down the road I can offer an example to others who are struggling. Source

Brett Kavanaugh, noted UB40 fan and alleged sexual molester, who also happens to be a judge, is Donald Trump’s pick to be the next Supreme Court Justice, and following a totally legit and thorough FBI investigation, the Senate is set to vote on his confirmation this weekend. In anticipation, thousands of protesters descended upon Washington, DC Thursday to voice their dissent. Actress and comedian Amy Schumer took part in several rallies, including one at Hart Senate Office Building, which resulted in her arrest, according to MSNBC. Following a rally outside Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, where Kavanaugh currently works, Schumer and several protestors made their way to Hart Senate Office Building. After refusing to leave the building, police detained the protestors, including Schumer. “No matter how this goes, they cannot keep us down,” Schumer said earlier at the protest. “We will win. A vote for Kavanaugh is a vote saying women don’t matter.” MSBNC captured video of the protest and Schumer’s subsequent arrest: Actress Amy Schumer is detained with other anti-Kavanaugh protesters at the Hart Senate Office Bldg. atrium on Capitol Hill. pic.twitter.com/C8N0k97ZE9 — MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 4, 2018 Breaking: Comedian Amy Schumer has been detained while participating in a protest against Brett Kavanaugh. pic.twitter.com/uAbY5q16aZ — PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) October 4, 2018 Update: Model Emily Ratajkowski was also arrested. “Today I was arrested protesting the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, a man who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault,” she wrote. “Men who hurt women can no longer be placed in positions of power. Kavanaugh’s confirmation as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a message to women in this country that they do not matter. I demand a government that acknowledges, respects and supports women as much as it does men.” Source

Just as Ozzy Osbourne has let the momentum of his final tour with Black Sabbath carry him into a run of new solo dates, his ex-bandmate Tony Iommi isn’t slowing down anytime soon. According to a chat he participated in following a screening of The End of the End, the documentary that captures Sabbath’s final gig in their hometown of Birmingham, the legendary guitarist is gearing up to record a new solo album. “I’m still writing stuff,” Iommi said in the interview (watch below). “I’ve put ideas down on tapes. When all this nice, sunny weather goes and it gets grim, I shall start going in the studio and putting it down.” The details about what the prospective album would sound like ultimately aren’t fully fleshed out but, in the interview, Iommi made it sound like he was putting the wheels in motion, including utilizing the assistance of Mike Exeter, who worked on Black Sabbath’s final album, 13. “My engineer, who I had for everything with me at home,” he said, “he’s just done Judas Priest’s album. Now he’s finished that, and we’ll hopefully start again and put some ideas down. I don’t know what it’s gonna be yet, whether it’ll be an instrumental album. I’ve been approached by a lot of people to do something with them.” The Black Sabbath legend released his first solo album, Iommi, in 2000, and it featured guest vocals from Dave Grohl, Serj Tankian, Ozzy Osbourne and more. In addition to hitting the studio to record new material, Iommi is apparently working on a remix of Forbidden, the Black Sabbath album from 1995 that was produced by Body Count’s Ernie C and featured vocalist Tony Martin. The legendary musician is also set to make a pair of public appearances this month, but without his axe in hand. Iommi is set to talk about his career at length with Phil Alexander, former editor of Kerrang!, in Scotland on October 12th at Paisley’s Town Hall and on October 13th at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms. Source

Fun fact: Clint Eastwood was originally going to direct A Star is Born with Beyoncé. Instead, his American Sniper star Bradley Cooper snagged the project and tagged Lady Gaga, and the rest is Hollywood history. Fortunately for us, there’s no bad blood between them; in fact, both are now going to share the screen in Eastwood’s next film, The Mule. Eastwood, in his first starring role since 2012’s Trouble with the Curve, plays Earl Stone, an 80s-something war veteran who’s now living a new life as a drug dealer and courier for the nefarious Sinaloa Cartel. Cooper is a DEA agent on his tail, which should give new meaning to that classic film trope this writer loves: Old Man vs. the Hunk. The film’s based on the true story of Leo Sharp, whose profile in The New York Times, “The Sinaloa Cartel’s 90-Year-Old Drug Mule”, turned all the right heads in Hollywood when it was published in 2014. Screenwriter Nick Schenk, who wrote Eastwood’s 2008 drama Gran Torino, adapted the story to the screen, which makes this a reunion of sorts. Joining the fun is an A-list supporting cast that includes Dianne Wiest, Michael Peña, and Laurence Fishburne. Catch the first trailer below, which promises all kinds of fun cat-and-mouse action, and the film itself on December 14th. Source

Origins is our recurring new music feature in which an artist reflects on what inspired their latest single. Over the summer, rising rapper Duckwrth shared “Fall Back”, a promising single off his forthcoming project titled The Falling Man. The track picked up where his 2016 I’m Uugly studio album and 2017 An EXTRA UUGLY Mixtape left off, a refreshing melding of rap, noise, and R&B. I likened it to something from Pharrell Williams’ catalog, and it appears Williams might be inclined to agree — he personally requested Duckwrth open a N.E.R.D. gig in Switzerland in June. Born Jared Lee, Duckwrth is back today with a new tease of The Falling Man. Dubbed “Soprano”, the song is another jarring collision of genres, but one that feels absolutely seamless for the South Central LA native — he lives for the change-ups and the adrenaline rush of those moments of dissonance. Here, Duckwrth reflects on his strict religious upbringing; first in the form of a soulful, sentimental piano ballad, then with grating noise that mirrors the harsh realities of adolescence. “Crank that bitch to a million,” Duckwrth says repeatedly, channeling bits of rage, swagger, and even metal music toughness (a genre he wasn’t allowed to listen to as a child on account of it being “devil’s music). Take a listen below. The young musician was assisted in the studio by producer TU! (Neal Pogue II), son of Grammy Award winning mix engineer Neal Pogue (Outkast, Tyler the Creator, Nicki Minaj. For more on “Soprano”, Duckwrth revealed some of the specific inspirations for the track, including the concepts of fear and ego. Fear: How instilling fear of something can be harmful. I was taught that listening to music outside of Gospel is secular and deemed wrongful in Christian faith. That fear inevitably turned to curiosity, & I naturally rebelled lol. I think there is greater benefit in teaching understanding. Understanding that there is definitely some music that is negative and derogatory, but there is also positive hip hop. So yes, Three 6 Mafia may not be the most healthiest music to slap, but from Kendrick to J Cole, or even throwback Lauryn Hill and Erykah, there are so many hip hop artist who instill positivity in their music. Ego: Trap Rap. The irony of Trap being the most dominant sound in hip hop for so many years. How rap hasn’t made the leap out of this genre to something new. How ironically, the name of the genre is called Trap. How the ego of rappers overtime has gotten bigger, and even more glorified. And not to put down the genre itself, but more so to show a mirror of what it currently is. Fire: Fire, heat, flames, “lit”. Turning shit up to it’s max, to the highest temperature. Airing out the shit that most are afraid to speak on. Also circling back to the original idea of secular music. As the story goes, Lucifer was the musical director in heaven, and was cast down (fallen angel) into the Mecca of flames, I.e. hell lol. How the fear of eternal flames is used to keep young church goers and faith dwellers in line with the bible’s teachings. Fear, flames, fire, ego, pride, see the pattern? I don’t want to give away all the plot of the song, so listen and translate it for yourself. A release date for Duckwrth’s The Falling Man has yet to be confirmed, but it is expected sometime in the coming months. On October 5th, he will kick off his first-ever North American headlining tour. Source

The Pitch: In a Spider-Man universe that notably lacks the venerable wall-crawler, investigative reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) begins turning his Vice-like journalistic tendencies toward slimy tech mogul Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), CEO of the Life Foundation. You see, it turns out he’s been studying some mysterious, gloppy alien symbiotes that crash-landed to Earth on one of his company’s space expeditions. Over the course of his investigation, Eddie loses his job and his fiancée Anne (Michelle Williams), but gains a new friend when one of the symbiotes merges with him. Foul-mouthed, snarky, and hungry for human flesh, Brock must find a way to coexist with this creature before it murders him – and just maybe save the planet in the process. A Turd in the Wind: Back in the halcyon days of superhero filmmaking, before Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios changed the tide toward cinematic universes that strove for a certain prestige appeal, let’s face it – comic book movies were kind of dumb. Venom, a film spawned in The Year of Our Lord 2018, is one more such film. Venom feels like it crash-landed to our planet from the year 1997, a sibling to the murky messes of comic book eras past. It’s Spawn and Steel and Blade in equal measure, both for good and ill. It’s hard to tell where to start with the tonal and structural messes inflicted on Venom’s audience by Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, and Kelly Marcel’s weird script and Ruben Fleischer’s (Zombieland) incoherent direction. The first act is a slog of mismatched character beats that takes far too long to get to the real goods of Venom’s introduction, and the third act slots too cleanly into the big setpiece filled with “Let’s Go Save the Planet” nonsense. The whole point of Venom is that he isn’t a superhero – he’s a malicious parasite (but don’t use that word in front of him), who bonds to Brock because they’re both, in Venom’s words, “losers.” But the demands of superhero filmmaking require a big good vs. evil dust-up at the end, so Venom’s mind is changed for virtually no discernible reason than to serve the spectacle. It’s unclear who told Fleischer that the best way to shoot a set piece between two black-grey blobs of CG was “up close” and “in the dead of night,” but the action for Venom is mediocre at best. The weightless action isn’t helped by the film’s PG-13 rating, either, which renders one of comics’ grimiest characters effectively toothless. Hardy Boy: At the center of this mess, however, is a Tom Hardy performance that must be seen to be believed. The culmination of a decades’ worth of Tom Hardy roles where no one told him “you can’t pull off that accent, mate,” his Eddie Brock is a shambling, dead-eyed douchebag who wears beaded bracelets and speaks in a marble-mouthed New York accent that makes John Travolta in Gotti feel positively authentic. That said, it’s an eminently watchable performance in that Nic Cage kind of way, filled with a manic energy that’s only exacerbated by the Jekyll and Hyde antics he falls into after Venom takes over his body. When the film gets out of its own way and lets Hardy flail his arms about and scream bloody murder in the second act, Venom paradoxically becomes a hell of a lot of fun. The Verdict: Like its title character, Venom is a curious, capricious creature that feels like it came from an entirely different world. It’s tame when it ought to be gory, earnest when it should be transgressive. The supporting cast is swallowed up in a dim, murky mess of exposition and cartoonish grandstanding, eclipsed by one of the most bizarre, interesting performances of Tom Hardy’s career. To be honest, Venom’s almost worth watching for Hardy’s bizarre accent and whirling-dervish mania alone, but it’s a shame he’s not surrounded by a better, more exciting film. Where’s It Playing?: Venom slithers its way into theaters to challenge the Oscar-hungry A Star Is Born this Friday, October 5th. Trailer: Source

It’s a good day for David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Stanley Kubrick, and several other legendary filmmakers. The Oxford English Dictionary has announced over a hundred film-related words, and their names have all been turned into adjectives. Terms like Lynchian, Tarantinoesque, Kubrickian, Spielbergian, Altmanesque, and Capraesque are now officially a part of the dictionary’s ensuing lexicon, which should also bring smiles to several film writers who use them relentlessly. For Lynchian, they define the term as “characteristic, reminiscent, or imitative of the works of David Lynch,” adding: “Lynch is noted for juxtaposing surreal or sinister elements with mundane, everyday environments, and for using compelling visual images to emphasize a dreamlike quality of mystery or menace.” Tarantinoesque is “characterized by graphic and stylized violence, non-linear storylines, cineliterate references, satirical themes, and sharp dialogue,” while Kubrickian films utilize “meticulous perfectionism, mastery of the technical aspects of film-making, and atmospheric visual style in films across a range of genres.” Other additions include “mumblecore”, “giallo”, “Scream queen”, “Shaky cam”, and “Diegetic”. Even several phrases made the cut, most notably “Up to eleven” from Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap and “Not in Kansas anymore” from The Wizard of Oz. Consult the full list here and act accordingly. Source

Chicago songwriter Tasha will release her debut album, Alone at Last, later this month. Previously, we heard her warming lead single, “Kind Of Love”, and now the Jamila Woods collaborator has shared its serene follow-up, “New Place”. Airy and atmospheric, the patient track finds Tasha’s smooth, emphatic vocals gliding over gentle guitar strums and an ephemeral backing chorus. “‘New Place’ is a curious rumination on the imminent need and want to find a world, outside of this Earth and potentially this galaxy, where Black people can be free,” Tasha says of the song in a press statement. Hear it below. Pre-orders for Alone at Last are ongoing. The record’s vinyl pressing is limited 500, and each copy comes with a poetry zine with contributions from Tasha, Imani Jackson, Keisa Reynolds, Kara Jackson, Jamila Woods, and Stella Binion. Also, $1 from each LP sold will be donated to #NoCopAcademy, a collective working to prevent a $95 million police academy from being built on the west side of Chicago. Source