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After Lars Ulrich’s roles in Get Him to the Greek and Hemingway and Gellhorn, it was only a matter of time before his Metallica co-founder James Hetfield would jump into the acting game. That day has finally come with news coming down the wire that the erstwhile metal icon’s debut role will be seen by the attendees of the Sundance Film Festival later this month. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a film about serial killer Ted Bundy, will make its debut at the Utah-based cinema event on Saturday, January 26th, with additional screenings taking place throughout the festival. Alongside actor Zac Efron as Bundy, and Lily Collins, who plays the single mother that entered into a romantic relationship with him, Hetfield will appear in the film as Officer Bob Hayward, the highway patrolman who arrested Bundy in 1975. While there’s no telling whether Hetfield has the chops to pull of a big-screen performance, his casting isn’t a huge surprise considering the film was made by Joe Berliner. The filmmaker co-directed Some Kind of Monster, the infamous documentary that follows Metallica during the tempestuous sessions for 2003’s St. Anger, as well as Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, the 1996 documentary about the West Memphis Three that marked the first time Metallica licensed their music for use in a movie. As for Hetfield’s day job, Metallica are set to release Helping Hands…Live and Acoustic at the Masonic, a recording of the band’s performance in November to raise money for their All Within My Hands Foundation, on February 1st. And on January 18th, they’ll kick off the next North American leg of their “Worldwired Tour” in support of their most recent album, 2016’s Hardwired….To Self Destruct, preceded by a performance at the Chris Cornell tribute concert on January 16th at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Metallica’s Top 5 Songs Tool’s Top 5 Music Videos Behemoth's Top 5 Songs Alice in Chains' Top 5 Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” Annotated Video Source

Veteran filmmaker Jim Jarmusch and lute player Jozef Van Wissem have reconvened for a new collaborative album, An Attempt to Draw Aside the Veil. Due out through Sacred Bones, it’s scheduled for a February 2nd release. The forthcoming project marks the duo’s fourth joint LP since entering into a musical partnership more a decade ago. It’s said to continue the narrative of its predecessor, 2012’s The Mystery of Heaven, delving into “the theology of William Blake and Emanuel Swedenborg, this time also exploring the work of Russian occultist and philosopher Helena Blavatsky,” according to a statement. “An Attempt To Draw Aside The Veil is another adventure with Jozef into the realm of vibrating strings and the dreamlike musical textures of darkness and light,” Jarmusch noted of the mostly instrumental record, which sees his guitar drones and electronic effects juxtaposed with Van Wissem’s experimental arrangements. “It was a real pleasure to collaborate with Jozef once again.” As an early teaser of the new album, the Broken Flowers director and Dutch lutist have unveiled “Concerning the White Horse”, a track that hums, buzzes, and lurches on for nearly 10 minutes. Take a listen. Find the artwork and tracklist below. Pre-order the album here. An Attempt to Draw Aside the Veil Artwork: An Attempt to Draw Aside the Veil Tracklist: 01. Concerning the White Horse 02. Dark Matter 03. The Unclouded Day 04. The Two Paths 05. Lost Continent 06. Final Initiation 07. When the Sun Rises Do You Not See a Round Disc of Fire Source

On January 18th, Netflix and director Chris Smith (Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond) will take the morbidly curious and sincerely fascinated alike behind the scenes of one of the greatest music event train wrecks of all time, Fyre Festival. The streaming service’s new in-depth documentary, FYRE, takes a deep look at the “boutique festival” that never was, with a particular focus on the conman behind it all, co-founder Billy McFarland. In a new trailer for the doc, we’re given a glimpse at some of the interviews Smith was able to score. There’s the development team behind the festival’s website, the Bahamian workers exploited for intense on-site labor, event producers, and even attendees who went into full-on looting mode once they saw how they’d been duped. Everyone had something new and shocking to reveal, including behind-the-scenes discussions between McFarland and his co-founder, Ja Rule. “It [started as] an exploration into the story and then it just kept unfolding in a million different directions,” Smith told EW. “At that point, there was no turning back.” Smith also tried to get McFarland to sit down for an interview, but was ultimately unsuccessful. “We were set to film with him on two different occasions,” Smith explained. “We had a camera and a crew and we were ready to go and then it would just get postponed right at the last minute. And then it just never ended up materializing.” He later added that McFarland wanted to get paid for his appearance in the doc, something Smith wasn’t comfortable with. (McFarland, by the way, is currently serving six years in prison for fraud.) Even without McFarland’s involvement, there’s still plenty of gripping, mind-blowing stuff to learn in FYRE. Get a taste by checking out the trailer below. Smith said he collected so much material that he and his editors considered making the whole thing a docu-series. As he explained, “We actually were going back and forth between the two and I was really interested in exploring it. As we worked on it and kept working with the material, there were a million stories that were all interesting about the build-up to the festival and there was all this footage of the promotional video being made and all these stories that took place on the island. But in terms of moving a narrative forward, a lot of the times they felt similar but different. We actually were cutting a [docu]series and a feature at the same time. We were cutting a parallel edit. In the end, we just felt that the feature was stronger, that the story and this event and the character study all felt very contained.” It’s probably a good thing the filmmakers went the full-length direction, as a longer format would compete with Hulu’s own planned docu-series about Fyre Festival. Not much is known yet about the in-the-works series, but The Cinemart (JAY-Z’s Spike miniseries TIME: The Kalief Browder Story and his Paramount Networks series Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story) is producing the series with director Jenner Furst (TIME). Source

Following the premiere of Lifetime’s documentary Surviving R. Kelly, Chicago women have loosely organized around the hashtag #SurvivingLoudly to share their own stories of alleged abuse by members of the Chicago music scene. Among those implicated are individuals who have previously collaborated with Chance the Rapper, including Savemoney rappers Towkio and Joey Purp, The Social Experiment drummer Stix, and rapper/activist Malcolm London. Both Towkio and Stix have been accused of alleged sexual assault, while London is alleged to have coerced a woman into sex while she was under the influence of drugs. Purp was recently accused of physically assaulting the mother of his child. Chance has now addressed these allegations by unequivocally condemning the behavior of “ppl I called friends.” Without naming specific names, he wrote on Twitter: “I am ashamed of yall. These stories will be amplified and your victims will receive the justice they deserve.” In the past 2 days I’ve heard too many stories of domestic abuse, sexual violence and rape perpetrated by ppl I called friends. I am ashamed of yall. These stories will be amplified and your victims will receive the justice they deserve. — Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) January 9, 2019 Chance recently apologized for working with R. Kelly and “for taking this long to speak out.” Source

Part of the reason we go to the movies is pure nostalgia. We grew up with them. They’ve always been there. They’re an institution. Hell, if we look back far enough, we can probably trace most of our life lessons to times spent sitting by our folks, munching on popcorn while laughing, crying, or hollering in a crowd of hundreds. The rain hammering down on the roof. The lightning cackling beyond the theater walls. It’s all still there. That’s why we still prioritize movies for all families. Although cineplexes “aren’t what they used to be”, as the old adage says, and are more of an over-the-top caricature of themselves — kind of like something out of Rocko’s Modern Life — they’re still an excellent escape for any nuclear family. It’s a bonding experience, and those experiences are priceless. Or rather, worth the $150 it costs to take a family of four out these days. Nevertheless, 2019 offers a complete slate for the family, mostly thanks to Disney, which is delivering three live-action remakes of popular stories, an adaptation of Artemis Fowl, and a sequel to one of their most lucrative properties yet. In between, however, are a smorgasbord of goodies, ranging from the return of America’s favorite spooky, ooky family to the return of Britain’s most exciting hopeful Joe Cornish. So, grab your household budget and start planning below. Oh, and if you’re wondering why we didn’t include Pixar’s highly anticipated Toy Story 4, we felt its crossover appeal insisted upon it being on our next list: 10 Most Anticipated Sequels of 2019. Rest assured, we’re just as psyched for the return of Woody, Buzz, and Slinky Dog as you are, and you’ll read all about it in tomorrow’s fifth and final film preview. –Michael Roffman Editor-in-Chief __________________________________________________________ The Kid Who Would Be King The Kid Who Would Be King (20th Century Fox) Release: January 25th via 20th Century Fox Why We’re Excited: For his first feature since 2011’s criminally underseen Attack the Block, writer/director Joe Cornish will be taking a far more family-friendly approach with The Kid Who Would Be King. Starring Louis Ashbourne Serkis (son of Andy), the feature recalls any number of ‘80s and ‘90s adventure movies about everyday kids being whisked away to fantastical worlds. In this case, a bullied preteen discovers Excalibur, and soon finds himself locked in mortal struggle with a vengeful wizard (Rebecca Ferguson). Cornish demonstrated his eye for madcap whimsy with his contributions to The Adventures of Tintin, so hopefully it’ll translate to the live-action realm here. –Dominick Suzanne-Mayer Trailer: __________________________________________________________ Dumbo Dumbo (Walt Disney Studios) Release: March 29th via Walt Disney Studios Why We’re Excited: Get those tissues ready, because Dumbo is flying back down from the heavens above. Director Tim Burton returns with another live re-imagining of our favorite bedtime story, this time heading into the circus, where he admittedly thrives. This isn’t his first rodeo for Disney, though, seeing how he more or less tipped off these live-action remakes with the successful but oft-forgotten Alice in Wonderland remake from way, way back in 2010. Still, we have high hopes for this one, mostly due to its cast, which reunites the filmmaker with Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito, who both starred in his strongest features to date (see: Beetlejuice, Batman, Batman Returns, Big Fish, et al). Not to get all nostalgic, but we’re really hoping for some old-school Burton with this one. –Michael Roffman Trailer: __________________________________________________________ Pokémon: Detective Pikachu Detective Pikachu (Warner Bros.) Release: May 10th via Warner Bros. Why We’re Excited: We’ll be honest: we’re still over-the-moon excited about Detective Pikachu. If it’s good, it has a chance to kick off an entire Who Framed Roger Rabbit?-style franchise of movies in the boundless, hundreds-deep Pokemon universe. If it’s bad, hey, it’s still full of those extremely cute real-world Bulbasaurs. Ryan Reynolds assumes the hat and electric tale of the titular gumshoe, and we hope he’ll put his most charming face forward, rather than the snarky one that’s made him an even bigger star over the last few years. There’s no place for post-irony in the world of trainers and captive wild animals. Also, that live-action Mr. Mime is going to haunt our dreams for years. –Dominick Suzanne-Mayer Trailer: __________________________________________________________ Aladdin Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios) Release: May 24th via Walt Disney Studios Why We’re Excited: Back in 1993, if you would have told me that The Fresh Prince would be the Genie in a live-action remake of then-animated blockbuster Aladdin, I probably would have followed you into an alley or something. Will Smith was unstoppable then, at his peak with the popular series, delivering one manic, wild-eyed performance after another. Now? Well, he’s been in some bummer jams as of late, which is why we’re admittedly thrilled to see him return to his comedic roots. We just hope he has some adrenaline left in the tank, enough to grant our three wishes. What are those? That he a.) finally delivers a third back-to-basics Bad Boys, b.) finally collaborates with Quentin Tarantino, and c.) finally tours again. Otherwise, we’re fine with a quick, modestly memorable rollercoaster ride with the veteran comic … and director Guy Ritchie. –Michael Roffman Trailer: __________________________________________________________ The Lion King The Lion King (Walt Disney Studios) Release: July 19th via Walt Disney Studios Why We’re Excited: Go ahead. Keep sitting there and fronting about how you’re not going to see The Lion King. How you’re not going to keep enabling Disney as it remakes every single movie in its wheelhouse except for Song of the South in live-action form. How you’re tired of remakes, even as Beauty and the Beast’s $2 billion worldwide means that at least some of you are outright lying. Everybody’s going to go see this, to hear Donald Glover and Beyoncé feel the love tonight and mist up in unison the second that opening sun gazes over the African savannah. This thing is going to print money, and if we’re lucky, it’ll be within at least spitting distance of the indisputably classic original. –Dominick Suzanne-Mayer Trailer: __________________________________________________________ Artemis Fowl Artemis Fowl (Walt Disney Studios) Release: August 9th via Walt Disney Studios Why We’re Excited: Eighteen years is a hell of a long time to build up an IP, which is why Artemis Fowl is another lucrative offering for the ol’ Mouse House. The long-awaited adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s 2001 novel of the same name has been through grubby hands over the years, including that of known monster Harvey Weinstein, but now it’s finally in good company. Director Kenneth Branagh has taken the reigns and looks to bring his theatrical touch to the blockbuster epic, which follows a son attempting to save his criminal father and restore his family fortune with the aide of fairies. While that sounds like a movie perfectly suited for the young and dumb Eric Trump, odds are it’ll work for everyone. –Michael Roffman Trailer: __________________________________________________________ The Addams Family The Addams Family (MGM) Release: October 11th via MGM Why We’re Excited: Look, you had me at The Addams Family, but you really, really had me at The Addams Family as portrayed by Oscar Isaac (Gomez), Charlize Theron (Morticia), Chloë Grace Moretz (Wednesday), Finn Wolfhard (Pugsley), Nick Kroll (Uncle Fester), and Bette Midler (Grandmama). While it’s a shame they won’t be on-screen to partake in the ghoulish delights — the whole thing’s a computer-animated movie by the same guys who made Sausage Party — their voices will be more than enough to draw us into the theaters again, especially during the Halloween season. Granted, nothing will ever top Barry Sonnenfield’s original cult classics, particularly Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston’s iconic performances, but why should it? As long as we’re walking out singing that goddamn theme song — seriously, someone get Migos on it STAT — we’ll be smiling six feet under. –Michael Roffman __________________________________________________________ Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) Release: November 8th via Paramount Why We’re Excited: Because memes are becoming an integral part of the movie pitch process in 2019, or so it would seem, here comes a live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie. At least, unlike many of the sequels and reboots on the way this year (and in this article alone), nobody’s tried a Sonic movie yet. And hey, if we can’t have the Wachowskis directing it in the exact visual style of Speed Racer, at least there’s the consolation prize of Ben “Jean Ralphio” Schwartz voicing everybody’s favorite not-Mario platformer protagonist, and Jim Carrey as his arch-nemesis Dr. Robotnik. Also, there’s about to be a massive uptick in the market value of Sanic illustrations, so get ‘em ready while the iron’s hot. –Dominick Suzanne-Mayer __________________________________________________________ Frozen 2 Frozen 2 (Walt Disney Studios) Release: November 22nd Why We’re Excited: Suddenly, parents around the world feel the hairs on the back of their necks stiffen. A cold chill runs through the body. Far off, in the approaching distance, a familiar eight-note tune is heard. They know it right away. They know that soon their children, too, will hear it. They know that once this has happened, another four goddamn years of “Do You Want To Build a Snowman?” will beset homes, cars, cafes, restaurants, and every other public and private space on Earth. And with Frozen 2, there will be new songs, new lines of Frozen attire, newly branded versions of every single Frozen thing a kid could ever want. We live in a post-Frozen world now. Also, between this and our next entry alone, Disney’s going to shatter every holiday season record under the sun. –Dominick Suzanne-Mayer __________________________________________________________ Cats Cats (Universal) Release: December 20th Why We’re Excited: A long time ago, my aunt dragged me to go see Cats as a ” birthday present.” Now, I’m no snob, I appreciate theater, but even as a kid, I just wasn’t enchanted by the musical. Maybe it was the large Kodak ad placed amid the pile of prop garbage. Or the fact that “Rum Tug Tugger” is the cruelest earworm out there. Either way, it didn’t do anything for me. Having said that, my ears are certainly up for Tom Hooper‘s forthcoming reimagining. Idris Elba as Macavity? Ian McKellen as Gus the Theatre Cat? Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy?! Okay, I’m back. Of course, you have to put aside the lingering notion that this could be the most ridiculous and embarrassing live-action adaptation ever made, but hey, at the very least, well get to watch both Music and Film Twitter debate about over who’s MVP: Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, or, gulp, Jason Derulo. Can’t wait. –Michael Roffman Source

Origins is our new music feature in which we ask acts to dissect the inspirations behind their latest single. NO WIN, the garage rock outfit formed by former FIDLAR drummer Danny Nogueiras, are prepping to put out their full-length debut. It’s titled downey and due out March 22nd through Dangerbird Records. The forthcoming effort follows a handful of singles released over the years, such as 2017’s reassuring “You’ll Be Fine”. It’s comprised of 10 tracks altogether, including “After Your Legs”, the anti-poser anthem Consequence of Sound premiered way back in 2015. NO WIN — which also features David Jerkovich, Jeff Enzor, and Juan Liñan — recorded downey at Balboa Recording studio in Los Angeles. The band was also assisted by mixer/producer/engineer John Goodmanson, known for his work with Sleater-Kinney and Blonde Redhead. downey is named after the Southern California city where Nogueiras spent most of his childhood. “It’s a good representation of where I come from, and it’s nostalgic for certain elements of the past while still being sad about them,” Nogueiras explains in a statement. The new album isn’t entirely about reflecting on days gone by, however, as it also features a healthy dose of hope for the future and new life chapters. The through line connecting these two differing facets of the LP is, according to Noguieras, a commitment to honesty. We can hear this candor right from the get-go on the album’s lead single, “Vision”. Though chock-full of buoyant guitars and even lighter melodies, the track finds NO WIN finally gaining some clarity about a toxic relationship. “There’s no reason I should be waiting in a three mile long line for your time/ Just to be told I’m no good for you,” sings Noguieras, directly confronting his partner. Check it out below via its official video, directed by Ryan Baxley. For a deeper dive into “Vision”, Noguieras tells CoS how It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Red Kross, and trippy illustrations played a part in its creation. Saul Bass’ intro to It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World: Saul Bass’ work, both in film title sequences and corporate design, is a huge influence on a lot of NO WIN’s artwork/look. This intro directly influenced a bunch of shots in the video and the vibe. I love the use of solid color backgrounds and how all the colors appear both vibrant and somewhat muted. You can always count on Saul. Red Kross performing The Carpenters’ “Yesterday Once More”: Red Kross performing The Carpenters! There are a bunch of very cool, very 1994 shots in this video that play with gravity and an apparently endlessly rotating camera. I definitely played this for Ryan Baxley (director) when we were conceptualizing the video and seeking inspiration. Norman Mclaren and Grant Munro — On the Farm and Neighbours: Ryan showed me this short by Norman McLaren/Grant Munro while we were talking about making our video. There’s something very cool about seeing the artifacts of the editing work in the film and not being bothered by it at all. Seeing the work put into the process doesn’t kill the magic at all. It still looks really cool and will fool you sooner or later even if you’re trying to track how everything was done. Illustrations that look different upside down!: A large part of making this video was discussing how often video is viewed vertically on people’s phones. If we were going to make something that might work vertically we didn’t want to phone it in by shooting in 4k and cropping out vertical shots from the wider video, essentially losing the whole frame. So, we shot this with the goal that the same video could be flipped 90 degrees, be viewed vertically, and it wouldn’t take away from it. Viewing Vision rotated 90 degrees adds to it! You get a whole new perspective on the framing and the shots. By playing with gravity throughout the whole thing Ryan created a video that has no correct way to enjoy. Lock your display and spin your phone anyway you want. Trip out. downey Artwork: downey Tracklist: 01. After Your Legs 02. Outsource 03. Carbar 04. Vision 05. 2 Real 06. Endless Scan 07. Shelley Duvall 08. Being Teen 09. From the Back of a Rolling Rock 10. Waiting for a Call NO WIN 2019 Tour Dates: 01/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge w/ Indoor Pets 02/02 – Long Beach, CA @ The Prospector w/ Pretty Flowers Source

Radkey are about to kick off a tour of the UK and Europe, and they’ve teamed up with Consequence of Sound and Heavy Consequence to premiere the brand-new song “Spiders” (listen below). The St. Joseph, Missouri, rock trio consisting of three brothers — singer-guitarist Dee, bassist Isaiah, and drummer Solomon Radke — got their start as homeschooled youngsters, opening for Fishbone back in 2010. Since then, they’ve released two albums and two EPs, and have played such festivals as South by Southwest, Rock on the Range, Riot Fest, and Download. This past summer, they had the honor of opening for Jack White on select dates of his North American tour. The track “Spiders” is fast and furious, clocking in at just over a minute and showing the heavier side of the band. Isaiah tells us of the track, “‘Spiders’ is a song about a character in the anime ‘Hunter X Hunter’ who’s on a quest for revenge on the group that killed his family. We’re pretty big into anime and stuff like that so whenever we see one that we really love, we feel a strong need to write a song about it.” “Spiders” follows a number of stand-alone singles that the band has released in the past year, and comes as Radkey embark on a tour of the UK and Europe. The trek kicks off tomorrow night (January 11th) in London, and runs through a February 6th show in Stockholm, Sweden. A full list of dates can be seen below. Check out the song “Spiders” in the player below, and purchase or stream the track at this location. Radkey 2019 UK & Europe Tour Dates 01/11 – London, UK @ Dingwalls ^ 01/12 – Manchester, UK @ Night People ^ 01/13 – Cardiff, UK @ The Globe ^ 01/15 – Dusseldorf, DE @ zakk – Zentrum fur Aktion * 01/16 – Koln, DE @ Live Music Hall * 01/19 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown ^ 01/21 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Kleine Zaal ^ 01/22 – Hannover-nordstadt, DE @ Faust * 01/23 – Hamburg, DE @ Grosse Freiheit 36 * 01/24 – Berlin, DE @ Astra Kulturhaus * 01/25 – Leipzig, DE @ Werk2 * 01/26 – Dresden, DE @ Kraftwerk Mittle Dresden * 01/29 – Wolfsburg, DE @ Hallenbad * 01/30 – Osnabruck, DE @ Rosenhof GmbH * 01/31 – Bremen, DE @ Schlachthof * 02/01 – Rostock, DE @ MAUClub * 02/02 – Kiel, DE @ Max * 02/04 – Copenhagen, DK@ Vega ^ 02/06 – Stockholm, SE @ Nalen-Klubb ^ ^ = headlining date * = supporting WIZO Source

This month marks the 10th anniversary of Animal Collective’s critical smash Merriweather Post Pavilion. In a recent Instagram post, the experimental outfit promised to spend the year commemorating the milestone with “some other MPP related sounds and sights over the next couple months.” Band member Brian “Geologist” Weitz has now kicked off the celebration by sharing an ambient version of the LP’s hit single “My Girls”. Geologist premiered the alternate take during his NTS Radio program, Geologist Presents: the O’Brien System. Dubbed “House (HBDMPP Edit)” (that’s “happy birthday Merriweather Post Pavilion), the track is a a barely recognizable reappropriation of the base sounds heard on “My Girls”. You’ll have to listen closely via the player below around the 2:25 mark (scrolling ahead is, unfortunately, not an option.) You can also head to NTS to hear Geologist’s entire broadcast. Find AnCo’s Instagram message, which includes a number of images from the MPP era, below. Source

Last year, Thom Yorke provided music for Luca Guadagnino’s remake of Suspiria, marking the Radiohead frontman’s first-ever film score project. The effort spanned a total of 25 original compositions, a mix of unnerving instrumental arrangements and more traditional, fully formed songs. Now, Yorke has announced a new, limited-edition 12-inch featuring previously unheard recordings leftover from his Suspiria sessions. Due out February 22nd through XL and The Vinyl Factory, the forthcoming release comes with a total of seven tracks, including “The7th7th7th7thSon”, “Unused Spell”, and “A Conversation With Just Your Eyes”. There are also three alternate takes of the original Suspiria track “Volk” and a different version of “Unmade” dubbed, “Unmade Overtones”. (Read: The 10 Most Anticipated Indie Rock Albums) This vinyl-only edition of unreleased Suspiria recordings will be limited to just 1,500 copies. It can be pre-ordered here. Check out the artwork and full tracklist below. Suspiria Limited Edition Unreleased Vinyl Artwork: Suspiria Limited Edition Unreleased Vinyl Tracklist: Side A: 01. Unmade Overtones 02. Unused Spell 03. A Conversation With Just Your Eyes Side B: 01. The7th7th7th7thSon 02. Volk Spin Off V1 03. Volk Spin Off V2 04. Volk Spin Off V3 Suspiria track “Suspirium” is up for Best Original Song at this year’s Academy Awards. Revisit it below. Yorke recently announced that he won’t be attending Radiohead’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony due to prior commitments. Source

Although Venom are 15 studio albums deep into their career, the band’s longtime singer-bassist Cronos surprisingly admits that he still doesn’t feel like he’s “made it” — despite influencing countless metal acts over the years. But with the arrival of the group’s latest offering, Storm the Gates, few veteran metal bands have remained as ferocious sounding as Venom this far into their career. We recently ran Part 1 of our interview with Cronos, where Venom’s long-time leader discussed his band’s influence on other bands, silly record label advice from back in the day, and refusing to embrace the mainstream, among other subjects. In Part 2 of our interview, Cronos talks about how Venom gave Metallica one of their first big breaks, befriending Brian Johnson before he was even in AC/DC, getting sampled by the Beastie Boys, and why he considers most modern metal bands to be “Crap! Fuckin’ crap!” ON TAKING METALLICA OUT ON THEIR FIRST-EVER EUROPEAN TOUR It was a great time. And it was a good time for those guys to actually be able to hit the European shows. We were looking for bands like us, because as we always said, “We have a different crowd. We’re not pulling the same kind of crowd that would go and see… Mötley Crüe or whatever.” A friend of mine used to have a bootleg stall, and he came to me one day with a VHS tape, and said, “I’ve seen this band in San Francisco, and they are just like you guys.” And it was a Metallica show, with Dave Mustaine wearing his Welcome to Hell shirt. So, when we got the opportunity to get in touch with Jon Zazula and go over there, we said, “There’s a band on the other side of the country…” Now, we traveled 3,000 miles from England to New York, and those guys traveled 3,000 miles from the West Coast to New York, so that’s fair — we’d meet in the middle. And then after that, I remember I told James [Hetfield] that story, and he said, “Oh no, no, no. There is a band that’s really, really like you guys.” And that’s when he told us about Slayer. He said, “There is a band in LA just like you guys.” And then from there on, it went from Exodus and everybody started coming out — it was amazing. But the Metallica boys, they’re hardworking guys. Fuckin’ hell, I couldn’t take that away from them. We were getting to the end of the 7 Dates of Hell Tour in Europe [in February of 1984], and we were all getting ready to go home and put our feet up and start working on the next record. And I said, “What plans have you guys got?” And I remember Lars said, “We’ve lined up our own tour.” And I was like, “Wow, you guys never stop!” I don’t give a shit if people say, “This album is terrible or that album is terrible.” Every band that has a long career is going to have good and bad releases. And I don’t give a shit about what people say about Metallica’s career as a whole — they were hardworking guys in the early days, and nobody can take that away from them. ON BEING LONGTIME FRIENDS WITH AC/DC’S BRIAN JOHNSON He’s a very good friend of mine — he lives up the road from me. He just lives around the corner, really. I remember when I first went to his house with my first single, and he was saying, “Yeah! The apprentice rock star!” [Laughs] Yeah, Brian’s been a good friend. He was in a local band in Newcastle, called Geordie, and they used to do covers by Nazareth. He’s got that kind of a voice, like Dan McCafferty. So, he was perfect for AC/DC. I heard the stories straight away — when he went for the audition, he met the guys in the pool room, had a couple of games of pool and a couple of beers, then went in, went through “Whole Lotta Rosie” and a couple of other tracks, and Angus and the boys looked at each other and said, “We’ve got our man.” That’s so understandable, because Bri is such a down-to-earth guy. He’s a very private guy — he keeps to himself. I haven’t seen him since he’s left the band, unfortunately. He’s off spending time with his family. But I’ll bump into the guy soon, I know I will. ON WHEN THE BEASTIE BOYS SAMPLED PART OF A VENOM STAGE RAP FOR THEIR SONG “MARK ON THE BUS” That was great. The Beastie Boys are the Beastie Boys — they’re just trying to have fun. A lot of people get offended by them, but I don’t see how you can get offended by those guys. They came and did some shows here in England, and when they got to Newcastle, they couldn’t stop talking about Newcastle Brown Ale — the beer. And all night onstage, “Cronos lives in Newcastle! Yeah!” Those guys don’t mean any harm. If people take them wrong… then get a sense of humor guys, come on. ON WHY HE THINKS CERTAIN GROUPS LIKE THE PMRC MADE SUCH A BIG DEAL OUT OF THE CONTENT OF ROCK LYRICS, INCLUDING VENOM’S “POSSESSED”, IN THE 1980s Bored politicians’ housewives with nothing better to do. Trying to please their friends in their communities. It was all based on nothing — it’s ridiculous. Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Look, the only the way trends can develop and change is with freedom of speech, and trying out new ideas. And as we know, many bands come and go and they never make it. And for all the bands out there, it’s a small percentage that really do make it at the end of the day. But when you start curbing what you can and can’t say, well, for fuck’s sake. Yes, people do cross the line, but that’s in the name of freedom of speech. There was some American comedian that wanted to come here to the UK, and he had a really sexist show, and he got stopped and they wouldn’t give him the visa. And everybody in England was ticked off, because we were like, “No, no, no. Let him come. Let him face his critics. Because if he is up on stage saying racist and anti-feminist things and all the rest of it, well then, let’s hear it — it’s his point of view.” But I don’t think you should ever stop this sort of thing — unless somebody is breaking the law, well then, you should let people have freedom of speech. It’s the same thing, really. ON APPEARING ON THE SONG “CENTURIES OF SIN” ON DAVE GROHL’S PROBOT PROJECT Come on, Dave is such a fuckin’ nice guy. He’s such a professional. And there’s just no ego or airs and graces about the guy — he’s just so flat down-to-earth and straightforward. And also, an absolutely amazing musician. Working with him was such a great thing, that there were no industry people involved. Me and Dave spoke to each other — we did the deal together. We didn’t have to have big lawyers fighting over paperwork. When Dave actually sent me the music, he sent me the music for the whole album, and said, “Track #7 or whatever it was is what I was thinking of for you. But to get a feel of the album, here is the rest of the music.” I took the song that he had for me and basically wrote three separate sets of lyrics, and I sent him a rough mix of the three different ideas. One of the versions was a bit like, “Hanging out with the guys, going for a beer, rock n’ roll,” and another was a bit sleazy — prostitutes and bars. And then the third one was kind of the Satanic element. And Dave came back, and said, “I want the Satanic element!” So, I put the bass on and did the vocals. It never was really intended to use the bass, because he’d only asked us to do the vocal. But I put the bass on anyway, and said, “Look, use it if you think it adds to the track. If not, then I’m happy for you to just use the vocal.” But he also used the bass, which I was really proud of. But Dave is Dave — he’s fuckin’ great. ON MODERN-DAY METAL Crap! Fuckin’ crap! Honestly, I’ve been saying this for so long now. The thing is, you’ve got a lot of people who are now just taking other people’s music on the internet, instead of creating their own. The creative side of the world seems to have hit a brick wall. Now, we haven’t had any new music or fashion explosions at all now — for at least the last 20 years. When you think back to the rock n’ roll thing of the ‘50s, the peace and love thing and Hendrix in the ‘60s, the glam stuff that came out in the ‘70s, punk, and then hip-hop… but then it stopped. But that came with the birth of the internet and all these people making these YouTube channels. I was sitting and watching this one guy, and he said, “I started a band. I tried to make it with the band for a couple of years, but I wasn’t getting anywhere, so I put a YouTube channel together, and just used other people’s music and other people’s ideas, and now, I’m able to get the YouTube royalty.” And I’m going, “Wow. Two years… that’s all you’ve spent? Two fuckin’ years? I’ve been doing this for 40 years, and I still don’t really feel like I’ve made it! Come on, two years?! You fuckin’ wimp!” But I think it’s what’s affecting music is the lack of originality and the lack of purpose and the lack of conviction. I think people need to look at themselves and reevaluate. Because without new ideas, this whole scene is just going to get stale. But I don’t know, I’m looking at these magazines now, and looking at these young bands, and I’m thinking, “They all look the same. They all sound the same.” To me, the only bands worth going to see are all the established bands – the Metallicas, the Megadeths, the Slayers, the Venoms, the Dimmu Borgirs, the Immortals, the Behemoths. These are the bands that are still doing something up onstage that is exciting and good to watch and listen to. But these newer bands, you could swap members, and you wouldn’t even know there was any changes. Name the drummer — nobody knows. Name the guitarist — nobody knows. Which band is this? Who does he play drums for? Nobody knows. The whole thing appears to have been watered down. Our thanks to Cronos for taking the time to speak with us. Pick up Venom’s latest album, Storm the Gates, via various outlets at this location. Source

Green Book has certainly proven to be a more interesting film off screen. Only days after conquering the Golden Globes, the preachy drama finds itself in even more controversy, once again from its screenwriter Nick Vallelonga, but also from director Peter Farrelly. On Wednesday, a tweet from Vallelonga dating back to November 2015 recirculated in which he wrote, “@realDonaldTrump 100% correct. Muslims in Jersey City cheering when towers went down. I saw it, as you did, possibly on local CBS news.” The response was in reaction to since-debunked comments made by President Donald Trump at a November rally, where he claimed, “Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.” Upon the tweet’s resurfacing, several professionals in the film industry have lambasted Vallelonga, including La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz, who pointed out that Green Book star and recent Golden Globe winner Mahershala Ali is a Muslim. Needless to say, Vallelonga has since deleted his Twitter account following the controversy. Update: On Thursday, Vallelonga issued a statement following the controversy. “I want to apologize. I spent my life trying to bring this story of overcoming differences and finding common ground to the screen, and I am incredibly sorry to everyone associated with Green Book. I especially deeply apologize to the brilliant and kind Mahershala Ali, and all members of the Muslim faith, for the hurt I have caused. I am also sorry to my late father who changed so much from Dr. Shirley’s friendship and I promise this lesson is not lost on me. Green Book is a story about love, acceptance and overcoming barriers, and I will do better.” Farrelly is similarly in hot water after The Cut dusted off a 1998 Newsweek story that featured accounts from executive producer Tom Rothman and actress Cameron Diaz recalling how the director jokingly flashed his penis while filming There’s Something About Mary. “True. I was an idiot,” Farrelly told The Cut in a statement. “I did this decades ago and I thought I was being funny and the truth is I’m embarrassed and it makes me cringe now. I’m deeply sorry.” Again, this isn’t the first time the would-be Oscar darling has been in hell or highwater. Upon its release, Vallelonga was criticized for the authenticity in his script, who based the story on experiences of his father, after the family of Dr. Don Shirley, played by Ali in the film, spoke out against the film. They claimed they had never been contacted during its production. If that weren’t enough, co-star Viggo Mortensen also found himself in trouble after using a racial slur during a press conference. He has also since apologized, despite continuing to be heavily scrutinized. Whether any of this hurts the chances of Green Book garnering Oscars remains to be seen. Voting opened on January 7th and closes on the 14th, so there are likely countless ballots still to be submitted. Nominations go out on January 22nd. Already, the film has won three Golden Globes for best screenplay, best motion picture – musical or comedy, and best performance by a supporting actor for Ali; four British Academy Film Award nominations; two Screen Actor Guild nominations; and a Directors Guild Award nomination for Farrelly. Green Book is currently playing in theaters. Source

Toro Y Moi is set to return next week, January 18th, with his new album, Outer Peace. In anticipation, you can listen to an advanced stream of the 10-track LP via NPR. The follow-up to 2017’s Boo Boo, Outer Peace finds Toro Y Moi mastermind Chaz Bear taking his sound in a funky new direction. A number of collaborators assisted him in “music for a creative mind,” icluding WET (“Monte Carlo”), ABRA (“Miss Me”), and Instupendo (“50-50”). Speaking with NPR, Bear called that latter collaboration one of his favorite songs on the LP: “It’s very forwardly pop. It’s more of a straightforward pop song, and that’s something that I’ve always been afraid to attack: something that’s so simple, it’s just a sub and vocals with Auto-Tune. To me, that recipe was always like, ‘Eh, that’s cliché.’ But to take those cliché elements and try to do something fresh with it was the challenge, and I really enjoyed that.” Bear also said Outer Space is geared towards computer-based creatives. “Technology is allowing people to become creative at home and become almost like entrepreneurs just from their desks,” he said. “I felt like that’s who I really wanted to connect with [on this album] — the people that are grinding behind the computer in a creative way.” The album was previewed with the singles “Ordinary Pleasure” and “Freelance”. Stream the entire thing over at NPR, and watch the “Freelance” video below. Toro Y Moi will support the album with a short winter tour. Outer Peace Artwork: Outer Peace Tracklist: 01. Fading 02. Oridnary Pleasure 03. Laws of the Universe 04. Miss Me (feat. ABRA) 05. New House 06. Baby Drive It Down 07. Freelance 08. Who Am I 09. Monte Carlo (feat. WET) 10. 50-50 (feat. Instupendo) Source

In November, Frank Ocean finally made his Instagram public, allowing fans a peek into his luxurious yet mysterious world. Now, the R&B crooner has granted his followers a closer look at his everyday life in a rare interview with GQ magazine. In the wide-ranging discussion, Ocean talks about social media and the way he’s perceived by fans; why he decided to politicize his platform during the 2018 Midterm Elections; his recent move to New York; his New Year’s resolution; and his skincare routine, among other topics. Ocean said he decided to make his Instagram account public because he felt there was a “dissonance between how I was seen by the audience and where I was actually.” The Blonde singer elaborated further on the misconceptions people have about him: “I feel like between the numbers of zero to ten, in between every number there’s infinity, you know? I would describe a person as the space between the symbols, beyond the language. That dissonance—the word being a big container for what I was feeling…the way I was seen was not even close to correct. It’s still not correct, either. With some pop stars, the idea of them is maybe more balanced or fully formed: a half-dozen magazine covers, x amount of interviews, a daily influx of media. There’s a way you wanna be in the visual press, although you could potentially be misrepresented; when you’re completely minimal with media, there’s a lot of pressure on whatever one thing you’re doing, the stakes are higher. Social media helps that, ’cause you’re fully in control and can message that how you want.” Around Election Day, Ocean encouraged fans to vote by offering free, limited-edition merchandise. He decided to politicize his platform because “the stakes feel higher now.” He added, “Getting seven or eight thousand people who might not have otherwise voted to participate like that is a testament to what public figures can do or encourage with their voice. It feels responsible, especially at this time.” On making his move to the Big Apple, Ocean dropped a tidbit about his new bedroom setup, which apparently came together partially thanks to renowned director Spike Jonze. “When I first got to the place, I was sleeping in the living room on this mattress Spike [Jonze] told me to get — the Duxiana — which is so nice it has an owners’ club,” Ocean recalled. While typical New Year’s resolutions involve hitting the gym, Ocean’s is carried over from 2018. “I didn’t do my last one, to be honest with you,” he said. “My last one was self-decoration, and I haven’t finished any of my jewelry, so I’m gonna carry that on to next year [2019].” Elsewhere in the interview, Ocean stressed the importance of night creams in his skincare routine and named his two favorite songs to cover: “At Your Best” (Aaliyah’s version of The Isley Brothers original) and the Breakfast at Tiffany’s classic “Moon River”. Read the full interview here. Revisit “Moon River” below. Source

UK crooner James Blake will return next week with a new album called Assume Form. The 12-song tracklist boasts a pretty spectacular list of contributors including André 3000, Travis Scott, Rosalía, Moses Sumney, and Metro Boomin. “Don’t Miss It”, which Blake released last year, serves as the album’s penultimate track. You can revisit it below. Due out January 18th, Assume Form serves as Blake’s fourth full-length album to date and arrives a little less than three years after 2016’s The Colour in Anything. Blake recently mapped out a supporting North American tour, which kicks off in mid-February. You can pick up tickets here. Assume Form Tracklist: 01. Assume From 02. Mile High (feat. Travis Scott and Metro Boomin) 03. Tell Them (feat. Moses Sumney and Metro Boomin) 04. Into the Red 05. Barefoot in the Park (feat. Rosalía) 06. Can’t Believe the Way We Flow 07. Are You In Love? 08. Where’s the Catch? (feat. André 3000) 09. I’ll Come Too 10. Power On 11. Don’t Miss It 12. Lullaby For My Insomniac Assume Form Artwork: You can find Black’s upcoming tour dates mapped out below. Tickets are now available. James Blake 2019 Tour Dates: 02/15-17 – Miami, FL @ iii Points Festival 02/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle 02/20 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues 02/21 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem 02/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore 02/24 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5 02/25 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5 02/27 – Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre for the Performing Arts 02/28 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia 03/02 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre 03/03 – Chicago, IL @ The Riv 03/04 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre 03/08 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater 03/09 – Vancouver, BC @ Harbour Convention Centre 03/10 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre 03/12 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater 03/15 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater 03/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium 06/01 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Source

Zach Condon’s beloved baroque indie outfit Beirut is set to return next month with a new album, Gallipoli. Due out February 1st via 4AD, the 12-track LP was previously previewed with the title track and the instrumental “Corfu”. Today, Condon has cut off a third piece of the record with “Landslide”. On the groundwork of staccato synth notes, “Landslide” is a constantly soaring track, layers of instruments and vocals reaching ever higher. The song comes via a music video starring Game of Thrones actor Ian Beattie. Instead of a pedophilic member of the Kingsguard like Meryn Trant, though, he plays a bumbling knight more along the lines of Don Quixote. He even struggles to ride his own horse as he heads out on a quest to undo the chastity belt of a maiden in distress. Take a look below. Condon will take Beirut on a North American and European tour in support of Gallipoli beginning in February. Source

It’s been almost five years since 2014 Filmmaker of the Year Dan Gilroy turned Los Angeles into a nightmarish playground with his incredible directorial debut, Nightcrawler. While his follow-up, 2017’s Roman J. Israel, Esq., earned Denzel Washington a Best Actor nomination, it didn’t exactly carry the same kind of dramatic edge of its predecessor, disappointing critics and fans alike. Now, however, it looks as if Gilroy’s right back to where he started with Velvet Buzzsaw, riding shotgun yet again with Jake Gyllenhaal in what can best be described as an arthouse horror film in the most literal sense. Gyllenhaal plays acclaimed artist Mort Wanderwalf, who spends most of his nights sipping champagne with boujee slime as they all either praise or dress down the latest and greatest art form. Things change, however, when Wanderwalf discovers there’s an unseen supernatural force at hand, one that’s ready to “enact revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.” Judging from the trailer below, it doesn’t take long for his A-list costars — Rene Russo, John Malkovich, and Toni Collette, coming off 2018’s Performance of the Year — to see that things aren’t all they appear to be. “It’s got a The Player vibe to it,” Gilroy told Business Insider back in 2017, referencing Robert Altman’s 1992 hit. “There’s a large cast and we’re moving around from person to person as we move through this world. The story is being told through these different characters.” He’s certainly not wrong. The Player was similarly a satirical jab at a high-brow scene, following an executive played by Tim Robbins, who starts receiving random death threats and must navigate a setting chock full of countless stars in all kinds of cameos and supporting roles. This looks like that, but with much more horror. Watch the trailer below and catch it on Netflix and in limited theaters on February 1st. The film will make its debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which goes down on January 25th in Park City, Utah. Source

Boston Calling has revealed its 2019 lineup. Marking its 10th edition, the three-day music festival takes place May 24th-26th at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston, Massachusetts. Highlighting this year’s lineup are Tame Impala, Travis Scott, Odesza, Janelle Monáe, Greta Van Fleet, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli), Mitski, Christine and the Queens, Big Red Machine (Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner), King Princess, Denzel Curry, Princess Nokia, Snail Mail, and Young Fathers. Plus, Imogean Heap will stage a special spoken word performance. Also playing are Twenty One Pilots, Logic, Hozier, Brandi Carlile, Sheck Wes, Lord Huron, Mura Masa, Yaeji, Turnstile, SOB X RBE, Pale Waves, Pile, Rolling Blackouts Costal Fever, Kilo Kish, White Reaper, Ravyn Lenae, and Sasha Sloan, among others. The festival’s comedy lineup boasts current and former SNL cast members including Michael Che, Jenny Slate, Fred Armisen, and Melissa, Villaseñor. General admission and VIP tickets go on sale today, January 10th. Visit the festival’s website for more information. Source

Jeff Tweedy’s Wednesday night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live was a true family affair. In support of his newly released solo album, WARM, the Wilco frontman performed the track “I Know What It’s Like” with the accompaniment of his son Spencer on drums and his other son Sam on backing vocals. The live ensemble also included Blake Mills, Liam Finn, and James Elkington. Catch the replay below. (Read: 10 Years and 10 Questions with Jeff Tweedy) As announced yesterday, Tweedy has expanded his upcoming solo tour in support of WARM. You can get tickets to the upcoming dates here. Source

Indie folk prodigy Bridie Monds-Watson, a.k.a. SOAK, has announced her sophomore album, Grim Town. It’s due for release April 26th through Rough Trade Records. The upcoming effort follows up 2015’s Before We Forgot How To Dream, which earned the Northern Irish artist a prestigious Mercury Music Prize nomination (one of the youngest acts to receive such a nod). It also comes after her 2014 Blud EP, the first project to be put out by CHVRCHES’ own Goodbye Records label, as well as acclaimed festival sets at Primavera Sound and Glastonbury. Grim Town is comprised of 14 tracks that touch on the topics of “long-distance love, depression, divorce, and social anxiety to the changing modern landscape (sexually, politically, emotionally),” according to a press statement. Binding all the songs together is a central premise of “a dystopia that I’ve created in my brain: me on the inside, processed into a pretend location,” explains SOAK, born Bridie Monds-Watson. The 22-year-old elaborated further: “The way I could wrap my head around a lot of what I was going through was to make it feel like something quite physical and real. Once I had the idea of the album being an actual location, exploring the dynamics of this town and what it would look or sound like felt like the right way to give my mental state a personality.” Our first visit to Grim Town comes in the form of “Knock Me Off My Feet”. The snappy lead single is said to be a “love letter” to small-town culture and the idea that we ourselves can be our best allies and our worst enemies. Check it out below via its official music video. Grim Town Tracklist: 01. All Aboard 02. Get Set Go Kid 03. Everybody Loves You 04. Knock Me Off My Feet 05. Maybe 06. Fall Asleep, Backseat 07. Crying Your Eyes Out 08. I Was Blue, Technicolour Too 09. Deja Vu 10. Scrapyard 11. Valentine Schmalentine 12. YBFTBYT 13. Life Trainee 14. Missed Calls Later this month, SOAK will head out on a tour of North America and Europe. SOAK 2019 Tour Dates: 01/30 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 02/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle 02/02 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd 02/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge 05/06 – Kendal, UK @ Kendal Library 05/10 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall 05/11 – Leeds, UK @ The Wardrobe 05/12 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut 05/14 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds 05/15 – Oxford, UK @ O2 Academy Oxford 05/16 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla 05/17 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall 05/19 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique 05/20 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet 05/22 – Hamburg, DE @ Prinzebar 05/23 – Berlin, DE @ Privatclub 05/24 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater 05/28 – Cork, IE @ Live at St. Lukes 05/29 – Limerick, IE @ Dolans 05/30 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory 05/31 – Derry, UK @ The Glassworks Source

Lady Gaga has condemned R. Kelly. On Wednesday night, the recent Golden Globe winner posted a lengthy statement to her Twitter account in which she apologizes for collaborating with the singer on her 2013 ARTPOP single “Do What U Want” and vows to never work with him again. “I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously,” Gaga writes of the victims who have come forward in Lifetime’s recent docu-series, Surviving R. Kelly, which she declined to appear in. “I’m sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner.” Upon the song’s initial release, Gaga faced public scrutiny for working with Kelly, who had already stood on trial for charges of child pornography. The two had even performed together on Saturday Night Live and at the American Music Awards. At the time, Gaga defended her collaboration, telling a press conference in Japan: “R. Kelly and I have sometimes very untrue things written about us, so in a way this was a bond between us. That we were able to say, the public, they can have our bodies, but they cannot have our mind or our heart. It was a really natural collaboration.” In her latest statement, Gaga contends with those remarks by revisiting the conceit of the single, admitting, “As a victim of sexual assault myself, I made both the song and the video at a dark time in my life, my intention was to create something extremely defiant and provocative because I was angry and still hadn’t processed the trauma that had occurred in my own life.” She ultimately confesses that, “I can’t go back, but I can go forward and continue to support women, men, and people of all sexual identities, and of all races who are victims of sexual assault.” In an attempt to make those steps, she concludes that she plans to remove the collaboration from all streaming services and that she “will not be working with him again.” Update – 10:00 p.m. ET: “Do What U Want” has now been removed from all streaming services. Read the full statement below. I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault: pic.twitter.com/67sz4WpV3i — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 10, 2019 In related news, authorities in Georgia have launched a criminal probe into the singer’s allegations, while prosecutors in Cook County, IL are asking Kelly’s alleged victims to “please come forward” in order to initiate an investigation. Even so, Kelly maintains his innocence and contends the docu-series is a “vendetta” against him by individuals who “hated him throughout his professional career.” He previously threatened to “sue everybody” involved and also launched a website and Facebook page with the aim of discrediting his numerous accusers. Source

Master of sound and reality powerfully begins 2019 by releasing his new single Internationally known Luke Mandala is setting his sights on taking over Dance in 2019. Immediately making noise early into the new year with the release of his new single, creatively-titled, “Accepting the Unknown”. On the track, Luke fuses together psy bass, breaks, world percussion, and glitched out synths with a myriad of ambient and experimental sounds to transcend the dimensions of time and space. Perfect-timing with festival season around the corner, “Accepting the Unknown” is surely a soon-to-be popular selection on the upcoming center stage. Brief history on the talented mister Luke Mandala. 2007 origins, heavily inspired by the classic 1998 underground electronics era, Luke crafted a crowd-pleasing sound infused with deeply rooted elements of techno, house, downtempo, and dance. Throughout his career, Luke has released hundreds of songs that have ignited dancefloors and made the rising star a popular demand all across the world. An artist for hire, Luke Mandala has crafted hits for a variety of major labels including Traum, Selador, Desert Hearts, Tulipa, Desert Trax, Merkaba Music, Addictech, Books Shade Music. “Accepting the Unknown” is the first effort of 2019, and is on Merkaba Records’ tenth-anniversary compilation. Fans of the star are highly-anticipating Luke Mandala forthcoming project under his own imprint. Stay up to the minute on everything Luke Mandala through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. “Accepting the Unknown” is available now via Merkaba Records. Stream the new single above, courtesy of Soundcloud. The post LUKE MANDALA QUESTIONS PERCEPTION OF REALITY ON, “ACCEPTING THE UNKNOWN” : Listen appeared first on Verge Campus. Source

Download | Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS | Follow via Facebook The Opus returns to journey deep into the uncanny realm of The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Electric Ladyland. Hendrix’s unique, genre-shaping career, coupled with his untimely death, has placed him in a state of rock and roll ubiquity. He’s everywhere – but between the over-saturation of his biggest songs and the over-simplification of his legend, time has masked the finer details of his story and sound. In this introductory episode, host Ernest Wilkins is joined by rock critics Corbin Reiff and Dan Hyman to unpack the mythology surrounding Electric Ladyland and the man himself — the brilliant, the deified, Jimi Hendrix. The Opus is a co-production of the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony. For more Hendrix, check out Electric Ladyland – 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, a new box set featuring previously unreleased demos, alternate takes, and a live bootleg. Pick up a copy here or stream the original album in full below. Source

Drug dealers aren’t exactly known for being exemplary human beings, in fact their poor organisational and time-keeping skills have been well documented since the Aztecs were trying to get cups of hot chocolate. Yet a new push from eco-friendly dealers is set to revolutionise the lazy and inconsiderate stereotype, as a number of dealers around the world are now pushing for reusable containers to sell their product. Speaking to Metro.co.uk, one rack sniffer said he couldn’t believe it at first. ‘I was given a gram of cocaine in this plastic pod thing and my dealer said they were not serving up in plastic ziploc bags or wraps any more.” “He said that I could bring it back if I wanted to and he would refill it and that it would be better for the environment.” “I thought he was joking but he was serious, he reckoned they used so many plastic baggies and paper and a reusable container would be easier than wrapping up individual wraps,” he said. “I told him I was not bothered about the environment and surely cocaine itself can’t be that be eco-friendly but he reckoned he had a load of hipster customers and they loved it.” It’s pretty unlikely to outweigh the devastating deforestation that occurs during the cocaine production phase, or help any of the families that have had people die as a result of the trade. But hey, at least when an investment banker from Sydney drunkenly pulls $300 out of an ATM, he knows his money is going to an ethical dealer. Source

R. Kelly has experienced the largest pushback of his career ever since Lifetime aired its damning docu-series, Surviving R. Kelly, last weekend. Not only have prominent musicians like John Legend and Chance the Rapper rallied behind his alleged survivors, but the six-part program has resulted in the launching of a proper criminal investigation into the 52-year-old singer’s sordid history. Although it’s taken some two decades for Kelly’s alleged misconduct to finally play out on a mainstream level, rumors of his predatory behavior were already well known to those in the business. One of those in the know was Beyoncé’s father, Matthew Knowles, who managed Destiny’s Child early on in their career and actively kept the R&B group away from Kelly. In a new interview with Metro, Knowles said he begun to “hear some of those things” around 1998, not long after Kelly’s illegal marriage to a then-15-year-old Aailyah and right as Destiny’s Child were on the cusp of releasing their debut album. Because of Kelly’s reputation, Knowles repeatedly turned down offers to work with the established “I Believe I Can Fly” artist. The rumors also led him to be more vigilant of Destiny’s Child’s whereabouts at all times. (Read: Shark Tank Judge Advises R. Kelly to Kill Himself In Jail) “The girls were 15, 16. When they went to the bathroom, Tina [Knowles’ then-wife] would go with them. They did not leave our eyes,” Knowles recounted. Knowles also pointed to Kelly’s unusual recording studio setup as another reason to keep Destiny’s Child from meeting up and collaborating with Kelly. “The thing with R Kelly was, he liked to record late at night, around midnight,” Knowles explained to Metro. “And what was different with his studio was that one room had a recording suite, and next door was a club, with 40 or 50 people dancing.” Destiny’s Child ended up recording just one song penned by Kelly (“Stimulate Me”), which appeared on the soundtrack for Eddie Murphy’s 1999 film Life. However, Kelly reportedly never physically logged studio time with the trio, and the song never appeared on any of Destiny Child’s own official releases. Earlier this week, Kelly launched Surviving Lies, a Facebook account dedicated to “exposing” and discrediting his many accusers. It has since been taken down by Facebook for violating community standards. Source

A damning new documentary accusing Michael Jackson of child sexual abuse will premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Leaving Neverland, named after Jackson’s infamous California ranch, tells the story of two men who claim they were abused by the hit pop singer when they were young. “At the height of his stardom, Michael Jackson began long-running relationships with two boys, aged 7 and 10, and their families,” reads the film’s synopsis. “Now in their 30s, they tell the story of how they were sexually abused by Jackson, and how they came to terms with it years later.” Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation in 2003, but was acquitted following a lengthy jury trial. He did, however, reportedly pay upwards of $20 million in civil settlements to his accusers. The identities of Leaving Neverland’s accusers haven’t been revealed, but as Rolling Stone points out, a photo that appears on the website for Amos Pictures (the company associated with the film’s production) features Jackson with Wade Robson. Robson previously filed a lawsuit against Jackson’s estate in 2013, claiming the Thriller artist abused him in the late ’80s. The suit was dismissed in 2017; according to Page Six, the judge found that the estate wasn’t liable for Robson’s exposure to Jackson, who died in 2009, but didn’t rule on the abuse allegations themselves. “This is yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson,” a representative for Jackson’s estate said in a statement. “Wade Robson and James Safechuck [who has also sued the estate over abuse claims] have both testified under oath that Michael never did anything inappropriate toward them.” “Safechuck and Robson, the latter a self-proclaimed ‘master of deception,’ filed lawsuits against Michael’s estate, asking for millions of dollars,” the statement continued. “Both lawsuits were dismissed. This so-called ‘documentary’ is just another rehash of dated and discredited allegations. It’s baffling why any credible filmmaker would involve himself with this project.” The filmmaker behind Leaving Neverland is Dan Reed, known for helming previous TV documentaries Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Attacks, The Paedophile Hunter, and The Ground Zero Mosque. The 2019 Sundance Film Festival begins January 24th and runs through February 3rd. Update: The film will air on HBO in the US and Channel 4 in the UK following its Sundance premiere. News of Leaving Neverland’s premiere comes less than a week after the debut of Surviving R. Kelly, Lifetime’s damning docu-series spotlighting the countless sexual misconduct allegations lodged against R. Kelly. In the days since its airing, authorities have launched a criminal investigation looking into Kelly’s troubling past. Source