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Actor/comedian Tom Arnold and television producer Mark Burnett, known for reality TV shows like The Apprentice and The Voice, reportedly got into a physical altercation at a pre-Emmys party on Sunday night. Both the LAPD and Arnold’s lawyer, Marty Singer, confirmed the incident to The Hollywood Reporter, though no charges had been filed as of publication. Update: Arnold has formally filed battery assault charges against Burnett, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Arnold tweeted about the incident around Midnight EST, alleging that “Burnett just went apeshit & choked me at this huge Emmy party then he ran away with his torn Pink shirt & missing gold chain.” He also stated that he’d called the police. In response, Burnett’s wife, Roma Downey (of Touched by an Angel fame) tweeted an image of her bruised hand, claiming it was injured during the confrontation. “Got this bruise tonight when Tom Arnold tried to ambush my husband Mark and me at a charity event,” she wrote. “Is your TV show worth it Tom? Please stop.” Mark Burnett just went apeshit & choked me at this huge Emmy party then he ran away with his torn Pink shirt & missing gold chain. I’m waiting for LAPD — Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) September 17, 2018 Got this bruise tonight when Tom Arnold tried to ambush my husband Mark and me at a charity event. Is your TV show worth it Tom?Please stop pic.twitter.com/lXvuKjIMI2 — Roma Downey (@RealRomaDowney) September 17, 2018 The TV show Downey is referring to is Viceland’s The Hunt for the Trump Tapes with Tom Arnold. The series finds Arnold earnestly trying to track down a number of damaging audio and video recordings that reveal potentially damaging proof of President Trump’s not-so-secret underbelly. In addition to things like the infamous “Pee Pee Tape”, Arnold is after hours of rumored audio from the filming of The Apprentice, including tapes that allegedly contain Trump using the N-word. Arnold responded to Downey in another tweet, calling her a liar and threatening legal action. He later said that the actress/producer had knocked a phone out of the hands of documentary director/producer Bryan Fogel (Icarus), who started filming after Burnett laid hands on his friend. Bullshit. You lie your crazy husband attacked me you psycho. I’m filing police report & suing you for defamation. https://t.co/9yXAEXM6na — Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) September 17, 2018 Roma knocked Bryan Fogel’s phone out of his hand after Mark Burnett chocked me. Bryan came with me. He won the Oscar this year for his amazing documentary Icarus. He has tape. https://t.co/nPJyDAarsE — Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) September 17, 2018 Numerous individuals on social media commented that Downey’s bruise did not look as if she had obtained it just that night. Arnold jumped on the theory, though at the same time highlighted the possibility that this was a publicity stunt for his new show. Mark Burnett doesn't seem too thrilled about my new tv show. #TheHuntForTheTrumpTapes Starts Tuesday 10:30p @VICELAND & we do a Mark Burnett/Apprentice episode the first night. Yes Roma, saving my country is worth it. Brutal bruise. Should've gone to a dr last wk when you hurt it — Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) September 17, 2018 A number of witnesses confirmed the incident, including Patton Oswalt who tweeted the following image of himself with Arnold after the fight: I’m with @TomArnold, everyone. He’s okay. We gotta protect this brutal angel. pic.twitter.com/9grT4QTVZK — Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 17, 2018 All of this, of course, seems to stem from Arnold’s hatred of Trump. The two used to be close personal friends, but the comedian has made it his mission over the last two years to bring an end to Trump’s presidency by uncovering proof of his unsuitableness. Arnold claims to have seen the N-word tape, which he also claims finds the POTUS calling his own son, Eric, the r-word. “There’s two people who have never called me a liar about the N-word tape,” Arnold said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. “Donald Trump and Mark Burnett, because they know it’s true.” “I’m going to do this until he resigns,” Arnold added. “He is a crazy person. He is putting this country on the precipice of war right now. For some reason, I am in a position to do something, and it is working. And I am going to do this until that guy resigns and the world will be safer. It’s going to happen.” Source

AEG has put an end to its controversial “block-booking” policy, which barred musicians from playing its O2 Arena in London unless they also committed to performing at AEG’s Staples Center in Los Angeles. Since its enforcement in Summer 2016, the booking practice has received plenty of backlash and even resulted in AEG being the target of an antitrust lawsuit. “Going forward promoters for artists who want to play the O2 will no longer to be required to commit to playing Staples,” AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano told Variety. Marciano has maintained that AEG’s policy was put into place as a response to a similar strategy allegedly enforced by its competitor, Azoff-MSG Entertainment, which stipulated acts would not be booked at New York’s Madison Square Garden if they decided to play the Staples Center instead of LA’s The Forum. “We would only require that commitment if we had reason to believe that artists were being somehow pressured to play the Forum in order to have access to the Garden,” Marciano contented. “But we’ve had a lot of feedback from artists and agents and managers that they’re no longer [feeling that pressure]. We’re pleased that this is the end result.” For its part, Azoff-MSG insisted its never had such a booking policy in effect, but Marciano wasn’t convinced — until recently. “I think they said that but we wanted to wait and see. We wanted to be sure that MSG and others were going to follow through with [that] commitment. All of the major agencies have given us that assurance. We set out on this policy to bring about a free market that respects the artists’ choice and I think we’ve accomplished that,” he said. “It’s a victory for artists.” This past February, in attempt to stand up for artists’ booking rights, Ozzy Osbourne filed an antitrust lawsuit against AEG. As Variety reports, the status of said lawsuit in the wake of this new development is still unclear. A lawyer for the Osbournes commented to Variety, “If that’s true, it’s great news for Ozzy and the dozens of other affected artists. The lawsuit exists only to remove this block booking requirement, and if that’s gone, there is no further need for litigation.” AEG and Azoff-MSG have been tangled up in a heated turf war for some time, especially here in NYC, where AEG has staked its claim on multiple venues following an acquisition of Bowery Presents. Source

Back in March, Disney ramped up the hype surrounding Mary Poppins Returns with a cheeky teaser trailer during the Academy Awards. Now, three months before the film’s December 19th release, the studio has dropped a full trailer, which offers a true look at the direct sequel to the 1964 masterpiece. Watch below. Here’s the official synopsis: In Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. Rob Marshall, whose 2002 musical Chicago won the Academy Award for Best Picture, serves as the film’s director. Along with Blunt and Miranda, the formidable cast includes Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw as Jane and Michael, Angela Lansbury as a balloon vendor, Colin Firth as banker William Weatherall Wilkins, Meryl Streep as Mary’s cousin Topsy, and Julie Walters as Ellen the housekeeper. Dick Van Dyke also returns as Mr. Dawes, Jr. Source

At the ripe old age of 74, actor Gary Busey is gearing up to release his debut single. The two-song single includes an original recording called “All the Way” as well as a new version of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away”, which Busey originally covered in the 1978 biopic The Buddy Holly Story, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Busey, who began his career as a session drummer before transitioning into acting, recorded the single with his godson, Teddy Jack, son of legendary producer Leon Russell. Pre-orders for the single are now ongoing via the crowdfunding website PledgeMusic, where you can also watch a short video from Busey hyping the incoming release. Needless to say, I think we’ve found our Coachella 2019 headliner. Source

For all you creators out there! LG understands there’s more to the final output. There’s also the “process.” All the hours spent working, toiling, and creating that no one ever sees. The endless brain-strain and ideating a creator dedicates to their goal is what makes up their UltraWide Time. Few will ever see or understand the process, where all the work and magic happen. But LG understands. One of the highlights of this year’s LG UltraWide Festival is Alan Walker, a multi-platinum DJ/Producer. Alan says he spent years wondering if the countless hours at his computer desk would ever be rewarded. “Making music takes a lot of time and effort, not something that just happens with a snap. It takes time but is a very fun road to go.” He still spends long nights composing on his UltraWide monitor. The UltraWide Time of Alan Walker – LG UltraWide Festival 2018 Then there’s Action Movie Kid. Daniel Hashimoto and his son created a smash hit YouTube channel. It features a kid surrounded by eye-popping special effects. For this dad and son, “quality time” is spent in front of a camera and computer. Daniel says, “My UltraWide Time is for imagination. Every afternoon we come up with something amazing.” The theme for this year’s LG UltraWide Festival is “My UltraWide Time.” LG focuses on the long hours and tireless effort of passionate creators. This year, instead of your final product, LG wants to know about your nitty-gritty “process.” Who would have ever thought? It’s simple to enter. Take a short quiz, describe a moment, or share a story about your creative process. Get all the rules and details at the LG UltraWide Festival event page, or simply do a search for ‘LG UltraWide’. LG actually understands the hours it takes to create just a few moments of work and is excited to show creators some support through this event. This is the 4th straight year since 2015 that LG has given a boost to deserving creators through the UltraWide Festival. In fact, LG’s support for creators extends beyond the LG UltraWide Festival. LG equips world-class DJs with UltraWide monitors through the UltraWide Studio program. Also, LG’s UltraWide Academy Sponsorship nurtures the next generation of international artists. Top design, art, and animation schools are provided with state-of-the-art equipment and space for all things creative. The UltraWide Academy Sponsorship first sponsored a brand-new computer lab at Parsons School of Design in 2016. Next was the Royal College of Art in 2017. This year, LG decked out the Vancouver Film School, recently ranked the No. 1 International Animation School, with an academy lab. LG is clearly showing its long-term commitment to gifted students in the process of honing their talents. The new facilities impressed Vancouver Film School’s Head of Animation, Colin Giles. He says, “The creative digital art is an exciting canvas for any idea you can create with the possibilities being endless. The students will benefit from this strong partnership with LG and the LG UltraWide Monitor Academy Lab by having access to a literal canvas that removes any possible barrier to their imagination. With a wide, seamless screen that allows for a more immersive use of the software at hand and a color range that meets their own imagination, their creations will jump into reality. ‘The more you see, the better you create’ has never been truer than at VFS.” To see photos of the VFS Academy Lab, head over to the Instagram account. Once in a great while, a company truly understands creators. It’s nice to see LG focusing on the long hours of work others rarely see. It’s especially heartening that the process is getting some respect. It’s time worth cherishing, as much as the result. Source

The Lowdown: Why choose a name like Noname? The woman born Fatimah Warner wanted to avoid labeling herself and to refuse all boundaries, starting with names. The 26-year-old Chicago native grew up on slam poetry, collaborating with SABA and Chance the Rapper. Her music contains many of the traditional hallmarks of Chicago rap: social consciousness, storytelling, brightness, and humor. Her 2016 effort, Telefone, drew rave reviews from critics, and Room 25 is even better. Part of the difference is sex: Telefone’s content was fit for a PG movie, but her new perspective on coitus is funny and raw. Noname has also since moved to Los Angeles and has found the city baffling and lovable. But the bigger difference between the two albums is probably that 2018 is just a different world than 2016, and Noname is two years older. Her outlook has shifted. The voice remains conversational, but the words have more of an edge. The Good: Noname’s lyrics sound almost like free association, but line by line, word by word, Room 25 is one of the tightest hip-hop albums of the year. Lots of emcees take a philosophical turn, but Noname’s musings are more interesting than most. Her portrayal of a corrupt cop on “Prayer Song” is chilling; on “Ace”, she listens skeptically to LA vegans; on “Montego Bae”, she rides a bouncing bassline for some funky beach sex; and her performance on “Don’t Forget About Me” is haunting and sweet. She’s generous with time for guest artists, and they all deliver, especially the album’s co-producer Phoelix. The lovely jazz beats keep Room 25 feeling buoyant, even when Noname’s darker thoughts threaten to drag her down. The Bad: There’s nothing really damning about Room 25. It’s only 35 minutes long and consistently compelling. Some might find the music too mellow, but jazz rap fans will appreciate the attention to detail. The Verdict: Some of Room 25’s pleasures are subtle: the layered beats, the sense of humor, the way she fights for optimism in a world full of evil. But some of Noname’s other gifts are glaringly obvious, especially her lyrical gymnastics. She doesn’t just make keen observations; she sends those syllables skipping down the tongue. The pleasure of Room 25 is in hearing a master wordsmith turn words into feelings so that the feelings linger long after the words have stopped. Essential Tracks: “Prayer Song”, “Don’t Forget About Me”, and “Montego Bae” Source

ScHoolboy Q is delaying the release of his new album following the death of his friend and collaborator, Mac Miller. The Compton rapper had intended to release the follow-up to 2016’s Blank Face LP later this year. However, those plans have now changed, as he told fans attending his headlining performance at House of Vans Chicago on Friday night. “With my n*gga gone right now, I just don’t feel right putting out an album,” ScHoolboy Q said. “As y’all can tell, I’m not my real self right now. I shouldn’t even be here right now. But like I said, my n*gga Mac would not want me to be in the house sad. He would clown me for some weird shit. I’m here today ’cause it’s no way he would allow me to sit in the house and be a little bitch. I’m not gon’ be a little bitch.” “I’ma go back, and I’ma figure out when I’ma put this fucking album out, because y’all are going to get this album. I promise that. I’m just not ready to walk into the radio station and the first thing they ask me is ‘So Mac Miller…’ I’m not ready to deal with those questions. I’m not ready to put nothing out right now. I’m sorry.” Miller and ScHoolboy Q collaborated on a handful of tracks, including “Planecarboat”, “Back Sellin’ Crack”, “Gees”, “Melt”, and “Friends”. Source

In another example of overreach amyl could soon be classified as a Type A drug alongside heroin if an amendment is pushed forward by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) according to The Star Observer. In short, if you’re caught in possession or selling a bottle of poppers, you could be facing a criminal charge that would sit on your record for a long, long time. For those scratching their heads as to what amyl nitrate is and does, the Therapeutic Goods Administration have given it a fairly technical rundown in saying the “risks [of amyl] include illicit use for euphoric and muscle relaxant effects, adverse events including maculopathy and methaemoglobinaemia.” For those wanting the TL;DR, it makes you feel good for a short amount of time and for those inclined or curious helps with the relaxation of your behind when attempting sexual intercourse but the gov wants to essentially ban it. While there are risks, the actual amount of recorded instances of harm or death are little to none in the past 50 or so years and one theory presents itself as targeting the LGBTI community who are more common users and already face many stigmatisation’s. Those wanting to add their 2c to the discussion can head to the TGA website and follow instructions in how to send a submission, in the meantime though, check out Drugslabs take on poppers. Source

Ms. Lauryn Hill recruited a number of high-profile acts to open her Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20th anniversary tour. Now, though, two of the most notable support acts — Nas and Santigold — have revealed they are no longer scheduled to appear at their previously announced dates. Santigold told fans on Twitter that tour organizers decided to “reduce the support,” citing “production issues.” As such, Santigold was absent from recent gigs in Vancouver and Seattle, and she’ll miss upcoming shows in Phoenix and Denver. Meanwhile, Nas will not appear at an October 5th concert in St. Louis, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It’s unclear whether any of the other scheduled openers — including Dave Chappelle, De La Soul, SZA, and Shabazz Palaces — have also been dropped from the tour. We’ve reached out to Hill’s representatives for clarification. Previously, Hill canceled a series of Miseducation dates due to “unforeseen production issues.” Find Hill’s upcoming tour schedule at her website, and grab tickets here. I will no longer be performing on The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill Tour at the following dates due to the tour organizers' decision to reduce the support. So sorry to disappoint my fans. 9/14: Vancouver, BC 9/15: Seattle, WA 9/22: Phoenix, AZ 9/26: Denver, CO — Santigold (@Santigold) September 15, 2018 Nope not sick. So sorry I wasn’t able to perform for you all. Note I saw from @MsLaurynHill Mgmt team read… “Due to production issues, The Miseducation 20th Anniversary Tour is unable to accommodate Santigold’s performance this evening" — Santigold (@Santigold) September 13, 2018 Source

Dave Grohl doesn’t often play Nirvana songs; in fact, the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 marked the first time Grohl had done so since Kurt Cobain’s death 20 years earlier. However, over the weekend, the former Nirvana drummer joined New Orleans jazz collective Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue to play Nirvana’s Nevermind classic “In Bloom”. The surprise performance took place during Trombone Shorty’s gig at Los Angeles’ Voodoo Threauxdown Festival, and you can catch fan-captured footage below. Earlier this month, Grohl and Pat Smear reunited with Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic to cover The Vaselines’ “Molly’s Lips” during a Foo Fighters concert in Seattle. Source

At this point, Fortnite is becoming that fart that sticks around forever and there doesn’t seem to be any change on the horizon, until the army of 12 year-olds who decide whats cool want to try something else, we’re essentially stuck. Fortnite is starting to cause some real-life problems though, as one divorce website has discovered that over 200 cases were due to Fortnite related issues. UK website Divorce UK are behind the revelation and believe it’s due to more distractions affecting modern-day marriage. A spokesperson for the company said “addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling have often been cited as reasons for relationship breakdowns but the dawn of the digital revolution has introduced new addictions.” “These now include online pornography, online gaming and social media, so it is no surprise to us that more and more people are having relationship problems because of our digital addictions. ” “These numbers equate to roughly 5% of the 4,665 petitions we have handled since the beginning of the year and as one of the largest filers of divorce petitions in the UK, is a pretty good indicator.” Bloody oath, better tell ya mate to pull his neck in before he loses it. Source

Director Todd Phillips has unveiled the first look of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker in the upcoming standalone origin film about the iconic Batman villain. The photo depicts Phoenix wearing a green jacket and with long hair, but without the Joker’s trademark makeup. The photo is captioned “Arthur,” seemingly confirming rumors that the character’s real name is Arthur Fleck. Titled simply Joker and due for release in October 4th, 2019, the film is directed by Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs). Phillips teamed up with Scott Silver (8 Mile) to write a script described as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.” As such, the film is meant to be darker and more experimental in tone and content than previous DC comic book films. It also boasts a modest $55 million price tag, which is significantly lower than most other tentpole flicks in the genre. Along with Phoenix, the film stars Zazie Beetz, who plays a single mother who catches the eye of the future Clown Prince of Crime, and Robert DeNiro, who is cast to play a talk show host who is somehow instrumental in the Joker’s origin. Production began this month in New York. Source

Over the weekend a tragedy unfolded that saw two young festival attendees at this years Defqon music festival pass away after what is being reported as suspected drug overdoses. New South Wales premiere Gladys Berejiklian has vowed to shut down the festival saying she never wants to see it again and that the government will continue a hardline ‘zero tolerance’ approach when it comes to drugs – while offering injecting rooms for the safe use of drugs, a trial that has proved immensely effective and continues today. The current status quo means the onus is understandably heavily reliant on event organisers to provide a safe environment for those attending, this includes everything possible from pre-event to on-ground and post event liaison with Police and state government officials. Below is what we understand organisers currently utilise and provide to give you insight into the extent that festivals go so you and thousands if not, tens of thousands of your friends can enjoy a day or two of music. On-ground security RSA/Responsible Service of Alcohol Drug detection dogs On-ground police On-ground medical staff Undercover detectives OH&S – Layout, staging, sound, electrical and more Public liability insurance Cleaners – Hygiene More often than not 99% of these costs are covered by the organisers out of their own pocket on-top of booking international and local guests as well as organising visas, permits and insurance. Those who don’t pay for police operating costs could very well see their DA/POPE refused and festival cancelled. Considering such intensive financial hurdles the loss of one large scale festival will have a huge impact on the future of music events and the ability for another to replace it. To say that events need to do more is unreasonable, especially when the government consistently discounts evidence from top health professionals such as Dr Alex Wodak, ex and current Police and government officials including ex-Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvleig. In almost every aspect of life we have harm reduction when people have to make choices, from food labelling to seat belts, from councillors in schools to doctors in hospitals. Drugs aren’t exclusive to events like these, it’s a much wider social issue that needs to be addressed with education and harm reduction such as pill testing that was successfully run at this years Groovin The Moo and amnesty bins used around the world at festivals that allows those attending to safely dispose of drugs before entering. It’s up the current government to take progressive measures to keep people safe. Did you see? Turns out over 13,000+ drug offences last year were recorded incorrectly in NSW. Source

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has vowed to do all she can to stop Defqon.1 music festival ever being held again after the tragic death of two punters from a suspected drug overdose at the event on the weekend. Any life lost from drugs is a tragedy. It’s happening every day in different spaces and under different circumstances. It would be impossible for media to report every single case. Defqon.1 had 30,000 people in a controlled environment with security, police, first aid, OH&S and more. They would have done everything they could to ensure the attendees had a fun and safe time. To respond to two suspected overdoses with the threat of a total ban on a music festival is as knee jerk as the lock out laws and not going to fix any problems. It’s only going to send more events into uncontrolled environments aways from the authorities eyes or ears. Every day, police and ambulance staff will continue to respond to a much broader problem controlled by an underground market, not even remotely attached to music. It’s time to take a first step towards the safety of everyone at events and introduce pill testing. We don’t condone drug use but we also don’t condone our leaders burying their head in the sand. Those two lives could have been saved. Source

To catch some of the vibes to look forward to for this year’s the Dirtybird Campout West Coast enjoy this mix series that will keep your booty shaking all the way to October 5th.Kicking the sequence off, Wyatt Marshall and OMNOM team up to create a bouncy tech-house mix. Dirtybird West Coast Mix Wyatt Marshall, formerly known as Elevator Musik, is on the rise with his experimental and rule-breaking house beats. Marshall has released tracks through Desert Hearts, Audiophile XXL, OKNF, and self-evidently Dirty Bird Records. Earlier this year, he created an official VIP edit for Claude VonStroke’s “Who’s Afraid of Detroit” which was released on VonStroke’s Live in Detroit album. Thrilled to hear Wyatt’s signature bassy drips weave through his live set at this year’s Campout.  OMNOM’S “Fo Free” Quickly Seized Attention From Dirtybird Listeners. Garnering attention from Walker & Royce, OMNOM blew up in the scene with his iconic debut song “Fo Free”. Before the debut, the deep house duo quickly pitched the track to Dirtybird Records stating: “This guy OMNOM has this track called Fo Free and it kills it for us in our sets. We just found out its unsigned.” Soon after, the track was released through the label, and has been circulating live sets ever since. Already this year OMNOM has performed at Hard Summer, Electric Forest, and is now on the road to Campout! We are excited to see him perform in his truest element that is a leap away from his hometown. Wyatt Marshall and OMNOM give us a sneak peak into their live set for Dirtybird Campout! The mix opens with Wyatt Marshall and OMNOM’s very own rendition of a house classic, “Thrill Me” by Junior Jack. With driving bass lines and quirky pops, this set continuously grooves from beginning to end. If you’re feeling this style and heading to Dirtybird West then be sure to catch their set at the Birdhouse Stage. There’s no question that the pair will be pulling out all stops for their first time playing the festival. Learn more about the campout and follow these guys on their social medias handles linked below. Follow Wyatt Marshall: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud Follow OMNOM: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud The post Dirtybird Campout West Coast Drops Mix Series: Wyatt Marshall vs OMNOM appeared first on EDM | Electronic Music | EDM Music | EDM Festivals | EDM Events. Source

Loveable electronic faction Maribou State just dropped their latest ‘Kingdoms In Colour’ and let me tell you, it’s been getting a heavy rinse at Stoney HQ while popping up in all the right places with Bandcamp giving it album of the day and Triple J stepping up some support. While it’s easy to kick-back and enjoy the sounds on a top-level approach, the English electronic music duo consisting of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory have a couple thoughts on their release and for good reason… creating a follow up to not one but two highly received albums is a mean feat and well, there needs to be some sauce to drive anyones appetite. For those playing at home, dive into the album stream here before getting the know on each track of this glorious bit of electronic goodness and yep, there are mentions of Ibiza, tech-talk, run ins with Khruangbin and travels in India amongst it all. 1. Beginners Luck: Beginners Luck was the result of a new approach to writing music for this album. We had never tried to write in a live environment before; so we got together with our drummer and started jamming ideas. The very first idea to come together from this session was Beginners Luck, hence the name. 2. Kingdom: Kingdom came from a writing session with our friend and long time collaborator Jack Sibley. We removed ourselves from the distractions of everyday life and set up a temporary studio in the Cotswolds. The isolation helped us explore the darker side to our creative process. The track contains a myriad of different themes, but the underlying concept is survival. 3. Turnmills: In April 2016 we played an all-night DJ set at a now closed East London club called Shapes (which just happened to be below our studio). We were inspired by the reactions from the crowd to the music we were playing, and the following morning we channeled some of that inspiration into the initial idea for Turnmills (at that time called ‘Judge Jules on a Friday night at Visage’). The idea started through improvising on a Roland Juno-60 mic’d up through a guitar amp, which we recorded and then spliced up to create the main baseline which runs through the track. The track then took us nearly two years to finish. 4. Nervous Tics: Nervous Tics always felt like the Frankenstein moment of the album due to all the unorthodox parts that were glued together during the process. The final result was something that felt cohesive and exciting to us. The lyrics from Holly are about the low-lying panic of modern life. We’re all on our phones getting terrible news headlines and hyperreal Instagram images live-streamed into our brains, and it’s making us jumpy. This song is the realisation that no amount of mindful breathing or downward dog can replace some good old fashioned human contact and emotion. 5. Glasshouses: The idea for Glasshouses started whilst travelling in Kerela, India. The main guitar motif was written while travelling on a houseboat, inspired by the surroundings and the music that was being played along the riverbanks and by the villages we passed. The riff was then fleshed out once we returned to the UK, with Holly Walker writing lyrics. We really wanted to find a way to collaborate and include our friends on the record, so invited them in to sing Holly’s lyrics together as a choir in the later stage of the recording process. 6. Part time glory: Part Time Glory was inspired by a stay at Pikes Hotel in Ibiza with a group of friends. The song became about living for the moment and surrounding yourself with the right people. The track began with a drum loop we had recorded on our reel-to-reel tape machine, which we then layered up with a guitar melody to create the spine of the track. The intention was to create something really cinematic on the record. The use of Stringed and Brass instruments give the track a triumphant air, which was also reflected in the tone of the lyrics. 7. Feel Good: We first heard Khruangbin in late 2015. We became instant fans and invited them to support us at Koko in London. We subsequently became friends and promised to try and collaborate in the future. The track was written over a number of writing sessions with individual members of the band, which all culminated to form ‘Feel Good’ – which we decided would be the first official single from the new album 8. Slow Heat: Slow Heat was the first track we wrote for this body of work that was intended for full Holly Walker vocals. For us it was exploration into new territories, crossing new tempo’s, time signatures, and rhythms. For Holly, it was living minute to minute – about being free and joyful no matter what happened yesterday. “Slow Heat is about trying to shake off regret and live like a four year old!” says Holly. 9. Vale: Our first ever live performance was at Maida Vale in March 2015. We were there to record two tracks from our debut album ‘Portraits’ for BBC Radio 1. In between recordings Chris was playing around with a guitar riff which was recorded onto a phone during the session. We kept coming back to it over the next 12 months, and the riff ended up forming the backbone of Vale. It was the first track for the album that was completed in the London studio, where the rest of Kingdoms In Colour was eventually created. 10. Kama: Kāma is proof that it’s not always the path of least resistance that prevails, and persistence often bears the fruit. We battled with blocks, both creative, and in the water pipes, in the day leading up to writing it. We were almost at the point of giving up, but pushed on a little longer and finally hit upon a moment of clarity. The sound of the track reflects the energy in the room when it finally came together. Stream the full release below Source

Matthew Perry was hospitalized for three months after undergoing gastrointestinal surgery to repair a gastrointestinal perforation (aka a ruptured bowel). “Three months in a hospital bed. Check,” Perry wrote in a tweet posted Friday night. Three months in a hospital bed. Check. — matthew perry (@MatthewPerry) September 15, 2018 As E! News notes, smoking and excessive alcohol use can cause gastrointestinal perforations. Perry has long battle an addiction to alcohol. A source close to Perry told PEOPLE that Perry is in “good” condition and is “going home finally.” The 49-year-old actor, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, most recently played Ted Kennedy in the mini-series The Kennedys: After Camelot. Source

Blink-182 had to forfeit their announced headlining set at Chicago’s Riot Fest this past weekend after drummer Travis Barker’s health issues forced them to cancel their North American tour. Stepping in for the pop-punk heroes was Weezer, who paid tribute to the band during their set last night with a cover of “All the Small Things”. (Read: Blink-182’s Top 10 Songs) As Stereogum reports, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo tested out the cover at s solo show in San Francisco a few nights previous. Watch both renditions below. Source

Your absence, a closeness, is a project riddled with lyrics about hurt feelings and mixed emotions; however, despite the negative emotion the album evokes, the future is positive for Monica Moser. The eight song album opens with the title track, which is an instrumental piece layered with vocals, evoking an intimate and sobering vibe that remains throughout the entire project. Of the eight tracks on Your absence, a closeness, the two that stick out the most are “This Ache” and “Paralyze,” two tracks that show the promise of the young artist. The tracks both display the talent and range of Monica’s vocals as well as showcase her ability to produce tracks that contain high production quality. “Paralyze,” in particular, shows Monica’s ability to produce lyrics that are not only catchy, but resonate well with her audience, a feat that not many artists can live up to. If there was a negative that had to be picked out through Monica’s project, it would be the similarity of all of her tracks. Leaving out “This Ache” and “Paralyze,” the rest of her project gels almost too well together, causing the listener to feel as if they are listening to the same song over and over. However, I believe this song similarity was evoked due to the short project length, which caused Monica to play to her strength, which happens to be creating strong, slow, and emotional tracks. Your absence, a closenessshowcases the ability of Monica Moser to be something more than an up and coming artist. With this short album, she has set herself up to be a rising star in a music industry that needs more heartfelt and personal lyrics. Look out for Monica Moser. Your absence, a closeness arrives October 5th on all music streaming services. Article written by Jacob Sanders; Junior at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The post Album Review: Your absence, a closeness appeared first on Verge Campus. Source

There’s just too much TV these days. We’re not complaining about it, at least not really, but it’s the truth. When a series used to develop what we once referred to as “water-cooler buzz,” you were waiting and discussing for a week or more between installments. You were able to breathe. Digest. Go outside a little. Now, it seems like with every new day another buzz-heavy series premieres or returns, and between broadcast television, cable networks, pay cable networks, and the increasing deluge of digital viewing options, there’s just too damn much. That’ll hardly stem the rising tide of new shows, however, and it’s particularly overwhelming when so many of them are so damn great. There’s a series of note for pretty much any taste these days, and if July’s announcements of the nominees for tomorrow’s 70th Primetime Emmy Awards are any indication, we’ve never been more split over the things we like. If anything, the only commonality is that (for the most part) we like them bigger and louder by the season. There are a slew of familiar Emmy faces still featured for shows old and new, but bold, new voices rise to join them. Legends of screens big and small stand beside emerging talents, and in a year where a handful of consistent and reliable series were snubbed or left out of the running entirely, we’re eager to see where the ceremony looks next. In that spirit, the TV team at CoS has made its best predictions of where we think the 2018 Primetime Emmys are going, where we wish they were, and the people who should’ve been invited along for the ride. The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, September 17th, but knowing how these things work, that’ll likely only kick off a whole new set of debates. —Dominick Suzanne-Mayer Film Editor __________________________________________________________ Outstanding Comedy Series Atlanta (FX) Barry (HBO) Black-ish (ABC) Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) GLOW (Netflix) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) Silicon Valley (HBO) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) What should win: Atlanta What will win: Atlanta This year’s roster of comedy series noms is a pretty even spread between fantastic new shows (GLOW, Barry, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), solid programs hitting their middle years (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Silicon Valley) and some unremarkable establishment picks (Curb, Black-ish). But our vote (and the Emmy) should go to FX’s fantastic, transcendent Atlanta: Robbin’ Season ­– even apart from “Teddy Perkins,” it’s a dynamic season of television. If we voted: Seriously? No The Good Place?! After that second season? Whatever, Emmys. We sentence you to read a stack of New Yorker magazines till the end of time. —Clint Worthington __________________________________________________________ Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy Series Pamela Adlon, Better Things Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish Allison Janney, Mom Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie Issa Rae, Insecure Who should win: Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Who will win: Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel For an Emmys roster unuaually devoid of many of the familiar faces of recent years, here’s a category where mainstays are ruling the day, for the most part. What’s curious to us is that the pair of first-timers nominated are also our favorites to take home the award: Issa Rae and Rachel Brosnahan. The former continued to cement herself as a new household name with the second season of Insecure, but Brosnahan’s outstanding turn as a late-1950s housewife turned incendiary stand-up comedian was one of TV’s biggest breakouts of the past year, and it’ll be the one that takes home the prize. If we voted: The Emmys’ lack of love for The Good Place is all-around frustrating this year, and Kristen Bell’s snub as Fake Eleanor is one of the more egregious omissions from this year’s entire list. Also: Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend; Justina Machado, One Day at a Time; Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin. —Dominick Suzanne-Mayer __________________________________________________________ Outstanding Lead Actor – Comedy Series Anthony Anderson, Black-ish Ted Danson, The Good Place Donald Glover, Atlanta Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm Bill Hader, Barry William H. Macy, Shameless Who should win: Ted Danson, The Good Place or Bill Hader, Barry Who will win: Donald Glover, Atlanta Don’t get me wrong, Donald Glover is great on Atlanta. But Robbin’ Season centered way more on Alfred, to great success, and as good as Glover was in outings like “Teddy Perkins,” there are more interesting choices here. Our hearts are with legend Ted Danson, one of The Good Place’s disgustingly few nominees, but Bill Hader’s affecting turn in HBO’s Barry is also well worthy of recognition. Take your pick — and when Glover wins, that’ll be fine, too. If we voted: Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg, we love you. Also: Tracy Morgan, The Last O.G.; Tommy Dewey, Casual; John Ross Bowie, Speechless . — Allison Shoemaker __________________________________________________________ Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live Betty Gilpin, GLOW Zazie Beetz, Atlanta Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Laurie Metcalf, Roseanne Megan Mullally, Will & Grace Who should win: Betty Gilpin, GLOW Who will win: Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live The eight (eight!) nominees in this category are all more or less deserving, and there’s a chance that Megan Mullally will add a third Emmy to the two she’s already won for playing Will & Grace’s Karen Walker. But the great Kate McKinnon has won this for two years running, and we’re betting she’ll make it three. That said, Betty Gilpin, GLOW’s secret weapon, would deserve a win, and who knows? She just might snag it. If we voted: Okay, Emmy voters. You’ve got ONE MORE SEASON to nominate Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Donna Lynne Champlin. Don’t fuck it up. And just because One Day at a Time’s Rita Moreno already has an EGOT doesn’t mean she shouldn’t keep racking up wins. Also: D’Arcy Carden, The Good Place; Ser Anzoategui, Vida; Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. — Allison Shoemaker __________________________________________________________ Outstanding Supporting Actor – Comedy Series Louie Anderson, Baskets Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live Henry Winkler, Barry Who should win: Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta Who will win: Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta First things first: Shout-out to Kenan Thompson for earning his first-ever performance Emmy nomination in his 15th season on Saturday Night Live! He’s long been an underappreciated backbone of the show and it’s a delight to see him finally recognized for that—although in this case the nomination will likely serve as his award. There’s a chance Tony Shalhoub could solidify the “Shalhoubissance” by following up his recent Tony win with an Emmy win as well (and his fantastic work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is definitely worth rewarding). But we’re giving the edge to Brian Tyree Henry for his subtle, nuanced (although, admittedly, rather uncomedic) turn on Atlanta. Henry’s work in Robbin’ Season — and particularly in the standout episode “Woods” — was both captivating and heart-wrenching. Whatever happens, we’re just hoping the Emmys don’t give another award to Alec Baldwin for his self-satisfied Donald Trump impression. If we voted: We would’ve loved to see William Jackson Harper recognized for his outstanding comedic work on The Good Place, and Henry’s co-star Lakeith Stanfield was equally great in Atlanta: Robbin’ Season. —Caroline Siede __________________________________________________________ Outstanding Guest Actress – Comedy Series Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live Tiffany Haddish, Saturday Night Live Jane Lynch, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Maya Rudolph, The Good Place Molly Shannon, Will And Grace Wanda Sykes, Black-ish Who should win: Maya Rudolph, The Good Place Who will win: Tiffany Haddish, Saturday Night Live Tiffany Haddish did a great job hosting Saturday Night Live, and her fantastic opening monologue continues to pay dividends every time she shows up at events in that white Alexander McQueen, but her entertaining, game performance was let down by mediocre writing. Far more satisfying was Maya Rudolph as The Good Place’s much hyped Judge Gen, who swept in at the end of the season with guacamole to share and laughs to spare. If we voted: Chrissy Metz was delightful and highly memorable in her guest turn on The Last O.G., and Brooke Shields proved incredibly game on Jane the Virgin as a welcome addition to an already stellar cast. —Kate Kulzick __________________________________________________________ Outstanding Guest Actor – Comedy Series Sterling K. Brown, Brooklyn Nine-Nine Bryan Cranston, Curb Your Enthusiasm Donald Glover, Saturday Night Live Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live Lin-Manuel Miranda, Curb Your Enthusiasm Katt Williams, Atlanta Who should win: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Curb Your Enthusiasm Who will win: Sterling K. Brown, Brooklyn Nine-Nine This is the Year of Our Lord Sterling K. Brown, He Who Can Do No Wrong. Even in his one-episode stint on “The Box,” Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s hilarious homage to Homicide: Life on the Street, he holds his own as a formidable opponent to Andre Braugher and Andy Samberg. We really won’t mind him winning this one, despite the generally impressive set of performances nominated here. If we voted: Life is a gradual series of revelations that occur over a period of time, and apparently one of those revelations is that Josh Groban won’t get nominated for his lovely cameo in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s “Josh’s Ex-Girlfriend Is Crazy”. Or, maddeningly enough, anyone else from that show. —Clint Worthington __________________________________________________________ Outstanding Drama Series The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) Game of Thrones (HBO) The Americans (FX) The Crown (Netflix) This Is Us (NBC) Westworld (HBO) Stranger Things (Netflix) What should win: The Americans What will win: The Handmaid’s Tale The Handmaid’s Tale may be depressingly timely, but The Americans’ final season successfully paid off six seasons of buildup while giving its tremendous cast career-best material. Consistently heartbreaking and gripping, The Americans avoided the easy, violent end many predicted and went instead for a twist of the knife and a cold look at a foreign land. With one of the best finales and one of the best final seasons in recent TV, it may not have a prayer, but The Americans absolutely deserves to win. If we voted: A casualty of recency bias, Halt and Catch Fire also went out with a beautiful, achingly human final season and it should absolutely be nominated. Other great series that should be in contention: Queen Sugar and Killing Eve. —Kate Kulzick __________________________________________________________ Source

The Lowdown: With apologies to Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood is the only female superstar in country music today. There are some might-have-beens. Taylor Swift changed lanes. The Dixie Chicks went up in a patriotic bonfire. The generation of Reba, Faith, and Shania Twain are enjoying various degrees of retirement. In 2016, the percentage of purely female country songs on the radio was down to 13%, and in 2017 that was down to 10%. But let’s return to the Dixie Chicks for a moment. They were driven off radio, you may recall, for disagreeing with President George W. Bush during the first stages of a war that continues today. Historically, politics have been a big deal with country music fans. And now, on Cry Pretty, Carrie Underwood’s sixth studio album and first on which she is serving as her own executive producer, she is taking a tepid step into political protests. The Good: Underwood’s Christian progressivism might go down easier in red states, but people are burning their Nikes right now, and so it’s safe to say she is risking a backlash for her new song “The Bullet”. Underwood’s voice is soft and mournful as she traces the consequences of a killing. “The Bullet” is a polite anti-gun song — tame by the standards of other musical genres. I’m not saying it’s heroic for somebody worth a hundred million dollars to take a political stance. I am saying country music fans tend to be more conservative and that conservative activists care a lot more about guns than shoes. The Dixie Chicks’ career never quite recovered, and radio is playing fewer and fewer women. Releasing “The Bullet” is at least a little brave. “Love Wins” is a soaring anthem to humans taking care of each other, as well as a nod to the #LoveWins hashtag used in the LGBT community. Underwood’s voice builds and builds, and every time you think she’s peaked, she finds another level. Perhaps the best song on the album is the sexy, ambivalent “Drinking Alone”. Her voice carries pain, longing, and self-disgust. The chorus of “We should be drinking alone together” is sometimes cut short to just “We should be drinking alone,” acknowledging the mistake even as it’s being made. The Bad: The album opens with the title track, a conventional country pop weeper. Next comes “Ghosts on the Radio”, which is nostalgia porn: part breakup song and part ode to Hank, Haggard, and Jones. “Southbound” is a bit of fluffy party music high on southern pride. It takes a while for Cry Pretty to find its footing, and unusual for a pop record, the best songs are mostly on the second half. The Verdict: For her sixth studio album, Carrie Underwood has taken some modest political risks without changing her full-throated style. She knows what she’s good at, and Cry Pretty is full of the kind of songs that made her one of the most popular artists in the world. It’s familiar music. That’s not always a good thing, but sometimes familiar and comforting is exactly what you need. Essential Tracks: “Drinking Alone”, “The Bullet”, and “Love Wins” Source

Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher | Podchaser | RSS “Trick or treat, motherfucker!” Welcome back Huskers to another episode of Halloweenies, a limited series on the Consequence Podcast Network. If you recall, McKenzie Gerber, Dan Caffrey, Justin Gerber, and Michael Roffman are carving out one Halloween movie at a time leading up to the October 19th release of David Gordon Green’s highly anticipated sequel. This month, the four Halloweenies return to Haddonfield, Illinois for a little Dangertainment in 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection. Directed by Halloween II filmmaker Rick Rosenthal, this godawful sequel is not only an insult to the franchise’s legendary Scream Queen, but the horror genre altogether. Yes, it’s that bad. What’s more, senior writer Sarah Kurchak joins the gang to talk all about her review for next month’s Halloween, only 12 hours removed from attending the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. So, listen above and start texting Deckard. Chapters include: — Introductions — Mr. Sandman, Bring Me a Tweet / Halloween TIFF Report (12:30) — Smith’s Grove Archives (50:00) — WKNB (1:26:00) — Michael Myers Was 21 (1:36:45) — September Girls (1:53:30) — Buds and Bobs (2:24:45) — And One of Them Was Annie! (2:51:00) — One Good Scare (2:53:35) — Getoutnow! (2:53:50) — The Mark of Thorn (2:57:45) — Overall Thoughts (3:03:30) — Outro (3:10:30) Source

Lily Allen has given a revealing, far-ranging interview to the Guardian Weekend in advance of her new memoir, My Thoughts Exactly, which alleges a instance of sexual assault by an unnamed music industry executive. Though the pop singer wanted to name him in her memoir, the publisher’s lawyers advised her against it. Still, she asserts that the music industry is “rife with sexual abuse,” and “allows and sometimes even endorses toxic behaviour by men towards women.” Allen’s personal account detailed how the man allowed her to sleep in his hotel room after she had got “smashed” at a party. She awoke hours later to the man joining her in bed. “I woke up at 5am because I could feel someone next to me pressing their naked body against my back. I was naked, too. I could feel someone trying to put their penis inside my vagina and slapping my arse as if I were a stripper in a club. I moved away as quickly as possible and jumped out of the bed, full of alarm … I found my clothes quickly … and ran out of his room and into my own.” Though she continued to work with the man out of fear of being labeled “hysterical” and a “difficult woman,” she signed an affidavit documenting her recollection of the events. “I wanted it on record that I’d been sexually abused by someone I worked with.” Allen says she later was offered a gig promoted by Radio 1 that would also feature one of the executive’s artists, but turned it down. “Because I didn’t want to be around him.” Turning the gig down, she says, caused Radio 1 to punish her by refusing to play her single “Trigger Bang”. “I just couldn’t tell them why I couldn’t take the slot,” she says. Elsewhere in the memoir, she recounts a sexual encounter with an older A&R representative that, despite being consensual, nevertheless felt manipulative and rooted in power dynamics. “It was consensual, sure,” she wrote. “It’s just that he had all the power and I had none. It’s just that I was young and he wasn’t. It’s just that I was looking for help and he acted as if he was doing me a favour.” Read more details about her allegations here, and read Allen’s full, fascinating interview here. In addition to the assault, she delves into overcoming her addiction issues, her strained relationship with her parents, and the stalker who broke into her London home with the intention to slit her throat a few years ago. Allen’s latest album is the Mercury Prize-nominated No Shame. JAY-Z and Beyonce Tour Reel Adele’s History of Swearing Food References in Drake’s Music Eminem’s Highest Charting Songs Migos’ Top Songs Source

If you’re anything like me (and, if you’re currently reading a retrospective review of a quarter-century-old Counting Crows record, those chances are pretty good), you’re the kind of person who spends a non-zero amount of time combing through the “Related” section of your favorite bands’ Allmusic entries. Resist that urge when it comes to Counting Crows; if you don’t, you’ll be instantly reminded of the inoffensive contemporaries (Hootie! Blues Traveler! The Wallflowers!) and dreadful followers (Sister Hazel! Train! Matchbox Twenty!) that helped turn the band into what critic Steven Hyden, in his own 20th anniversary defense of the record for Grantland in 2013, called “a group you can casually mock without having to justify it.” Fight that urge, and fight that murderer’s row of lite-rock horseshit that only serves to distract you from a pair of facts that you know, deep in our shared musical memory, to be true: August and Everything After was actually a deeply satisfying album, and Adam Duritz was (at least over the course of 11 tracks in 1993) a songwriter capable of real, revelatory emotional depth. On its 25th birthday, August and Everything After deserves a fresh listen, but, in a case filed under “nice problems to have,” it’s almost impossible to approach the album with equally fresh ears. That’s mostly down to the ubiquity of its two biggest hits: as ideal signifiers for the band’s distinctly ’90s brand of gently melancholy alt-rock, “Round Here” and “Mr. Jones” have become staples of that decade’s territory on the classic rock dial. That distinction is well-earned; if you could only listen to two songs from this album, these would still be the ones to choose. Written about actual nights on the town between Duritz and bassist Marty Jones of his pre-Crows band The Himalayans, the latter’s sing-along-ready chorus and weapons-grade hooks helped transform Duritz from a 29-year-old journeyman musician who really liked Van Morrison and Bob Dylan into the kind of guy who appears on the cover of Rolling Stone. However, it’s the former that acts as both the record’s thesis and its heart. You’ll find all of the required elements of a prototypical Counting Crows song here: an understated arrangement, bittersweet and affecting lyrics, and a singular vocal performance from Duritz that harnesses only the best parts of his debt to Van Morrison. While Duritz’s voice remains polarizing 25 years on (and, to be fair, does nearly single-handedly hobble later tracks “Time and Time Again” and “Rain King” with an incurable case of mush mouth and a cringeworthy ending yelp, respectively), it manages complete service to the material on the record’s opening track and helps pack more welcome melodrama into five minutes than most albums muster in their entire runtime. Duritz’s voice aside, the album’s flair for the cinematic is helped along in equal part by the production work of T-Bone Burnett, who, years before he became the secret weapon behind soundtracks from The Big Lebowski to O Brother, Where Art Thou? to A Mighty Wind, shepherded the band towards actual cohesion. Burnett encouraged Duritz’s move away from the hazy synthesizers and effects pedals that left the band sounding like “late-model Roxy Music” and towards the more timeless-sounding arrangements that eventually prevailed, and while his instincts on August and Everything After don’t always pay off (Steve Bowman’s drums often hit with all the power of someone banging on upholstery fabric, and the repeated-yet-directionless appearances of accordion, organ, and R.E.M.-aping mandolin only vindicate anyone eager to bag on the record for its neo-Celtic dorkiness or unearned ’60s nostalgia), his edgeless production also never gets in the way of the stories Duritz sets out to tell. In the scenes Counting Crows conjure, the season is a perpetual state of almost-winter, the weather overcast, the time of day always slightly later than it responsibly should be. Within these melancholy snow globes, Duritz grapples with woes both private and interpersonal, lit here and there by a bedroom lamp, a neon beer sign, the dome light of a car speeding all by itself down a long, dark road. This is where the singer’s limits as a poet transform into his strengths as a songwriter; whether he’s working up the courage to end a breaking relationship in “Sullivan Street”, wishing for an end to post-breakup ennui in “Raining in Baltimore”, or fighting off the worst urges of mental illness in “Perfect Blue Buildings”, Duritz uses the record’s most unadorned moments as a showcase for the honest, hard-earned confessionalism both amplified and afforded by his relatively late start as a rock star. If you scuffed up the fidelity and taught your ears to squint, you might even hear Elliott Smith or a young Conor Oberst in the latter song’s earnest despair. At their best, the songs on August and Everything After are what Hyden calls “realistically sad.” They’re also, for a great many people of a certain age, intimately relatable. We’ve all been there. We’ve all indulged dreams of seemingly unattainable fame (“Mr. Jones”), we’ve all been floored by the complications of a promising romance (“Anna Begins”), and we’ve all wondered if we, pushing 30 with seemingly nothing to show for it, might ever find love, satisfaction, or even just a moment that feels undeniably right. In that sense, Duritz is one in a long line of spokesmen for America’s alienated, unsatisfied ex-gifted kids, a position that’s only likely to become more important, not less. That vulnerability hasn’t gone unnoticed in recent years. In his recent retrospective of August and Everything After for Entertainment Weekly (whose critic David Browne famously pegged the record with a D rating upon its release), critic Jim Farber praised Duritz for producing “a fully credible portrait of a young man struggling to accept himself, to find some way to be comfortable in his own skin.” It was a trick that could only really be performed once. One of the biggest criticisms lobbed at August and Everything After by contemporaneous writers like Browne was that the record never rises above the sum of its sometimes-far-too-obvious influences. In many way, that’s fair. The music here doesn’t have the incisive lyrics of Dylan, the sonic bite of R.E.M., or the emotive heft of Van Morrison. What it does have, however, is honesty, which just so happens to be weighted a little heavier 25 years down the line. Whether he knew it or not, Adam Duritz brought us into the final exhausted moments of his own obscurity, moments that can’t, by their very nature, ever be replicated or returned to again. Good thing he made a record to prove it. Essential Tracks: “Round Here”, “Mr. Jones”, “Anna Begins”, and “Sullivan Street” Source

New Artist Spotlight!! This alt-electro rock duo from Norway is Lemaitre, and they are going to be your new addition to this year’s fall playlist. I had a chance to interview the duo and what great answers I received! They have a sound much like Muse with a Passion Pit twist. They have smooth, mellow, and melodic tunes, and the vocals equally croon through the track. “I’ll see you soon in soon in a dream, when I fall asleep.” Their sweet, happy-go-lucky tunes combined by simple lyrics and dynamic instrumentals are the foundations of Lemaitre’s sound. Lemaitre’s new single “Big” drops today and is accompanied by a comical visual. As the guys drive you around through the song, we see a variety of characters in the back seat and their personalities and stories as Ketil and Ulrik act as our narrators. The guys have released 5 dance EPs, a remix collection, two short form releases and their full debut album Chapter One. They have had amazing collaborations with artists such as Betty Who and Mary Noyes in the past as well. Overall, their music has surpassed 200 million streams and they have had the chance to have their songs featured in global campaigns for Google, Apple, Facebook, FIFA 2017, Skyy Vodka, PayPal, Tropicana, Infiniti, Hugo Boss and more! The guys of Lemaitre are also headed on tour and you can check out their tour dates below: U.S. Tour Dates: 10/7 Austin, Texas: Austin City Limits 10/14 Austin, Texas: Austin City Limits 11/28 Los Angeles, CA: El Rey Theatre 11/30 San Diego, CA: The Irenic 12/1 Santa Barbara, CA: Velvet Jones 12/4 Seattle, WA: The Crocodile 12/5 Portland, OR: Wonder Ballroom 12/7 San Francisco: August Hall 12/13 Boston, MA: Brighton Music Hall 12/15 New York, NY: Gramercy Theatre So now for our interview! I had a chance to chat with Ketil and here’s what he had to say: NM: How did you guys get started in music? K: We both started messing around with music production software in high school, making beats and stuff. When we were finishing high school, we started talking about taking a year of before going to college and just make music. Now we are going on 8 years, and still haven’t applied to college. NM: So what was the inspiration behind the new single “Big”? K: It’s really inspired by the Beatles and 60´s pop/rock. We wanted to have that vibe but wanted it to sound like a current record with big drums and synths. The lyrics are about loss (mainly about losing my dogs), and the fact that if you are sad about someone departing, it means you must have really liked them, and so should be happy about the time you had together. NM: How did you guys find the home you did? K: Ulrik found it on craigslist after a couple of month looking around for a suitable house. We were almost giving up on finding a nice house and was about to settle for something mediocre when it came up. After we had been at the house for a few months the owner came by with some family members to show “Dr. Dre’s old house”. Which made a nice house even cooler. NM: Why is the band named after the astronomer? K: It looked cool on the page, and is a cool story. We are both kind of into popular science, so it felt like a good fit. Should have tried to say it out loud before we settled tho… NM: When fans hear your music, what do you want them to feel or think? K: Hopefully they get the same feeling we had when we wrote it. We always try to communicate an emotion or a feeling you had when you were writing. NM: What are fun facts about you guys? K: Ulrik is gender fluid and Ketil can bench 400lbs. NM: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would you want to work with? K: Really hard question to answer, there are so many. Thundercat and Paul McCartney probably. I could name 40 others though. So many great artists around. NM: How would you describe your sound in one or two words? K: Eclectic NM: What’s your favorite social network platform, and do you have a favorite post from it? Can you share it? K: Reddit probably. It’s nice that you have all these niche communities where people with similar interests can talk. Shout out to /r/lemaitremusic! NM: Who are some of your musical influences? K: Daft Punk, Justice, Noisia, Phoenix, The Beatles, Django Reinhardt. NM: What are you guys On The Verge of? K: Getting it on. NM: What are your go-to songs? [Name Top 3] K: Louis the child – Better Not, Arataan – Effervesce, Superorganism – Something For Your Mind NM: What are you looking forward to for your fans, new projects or something else exciting? K: Really excited to show them our new music! We have been writing for quite a while now, so we have a lot of songs that are either done or wrapping up. Get hype. That’s where we wrapped up the interview! Ketil had really thoughtful answers and I was very happy to have the chance to hear from him about the whole creative process! Be sure to check out the new song/video, and be sure to follow Lemaitre on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify The post Interview with Lemaitre On New Fall Jam & Music Video “Big” appeared first on Verge Campus. Source